Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 A farmer had no choice but to put down her 11-year-old thoroughbred cross-stock horse during one of the state's driest winters on record. Jacintha Leatherby said that she found Thor on Sunday morning, lying on the ground and unable to sit up, in her property in Gulong, NSW, which currently consists of mostly dry grass and no green at all. She called the vet immediately who 'seemed to think he had either had a stroke or a heart attack due to stress from the drought'. Farmer's heartbreak as her 11-year-old thorough-bred horse Thor (pictured) has to be put down after collapsing 'due to stress from the drought' Thor was given penicillin and other pain medication which provided temporary relief, but he soon began thrashing and having fits, causing Jacintha to conclude that putting him down was the kindest option. 'I couldn't watch him suffer anymore,' she said. Thor was found lying on the ground, unable to sit up Jacintha said that Thor was a gentle horse for total beginners, adding that he had taught a three-year-old how to ride. In a heart-breaking post on Facebook page One Day Closer to Rain (Drought) on Sunday, Jacintha wrote: 'I made the decision to help him across the rainbow bridge'. The post received a huge number of sympathetic responses from others in the area also suffering from the dry weather conditions. The NSW government is currently under heavy pressure from farmers to do more to help them with these intense weather conditions, with 99% of the state officially in drought. In a statement on Monday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced an extra $500 million in drought support increasing the total packing to $1 billion. 'Conditions are now so dire that further support is needed to address the more immediate needs for farmers and their communities until the drought breaks,' she said. Counting is underway in Zimbabwe's first election since Robert Mugabe was ousted after 37 years in power as observers warned of possible shortcomings in Monday's landmark poll. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mugabe's former right-hand man in the ruling ZANU-PF party, faced off against opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) in the historic vote. 'I am not shy to say I voted for Chamisa. He is young and can understand our plight as youth,' said Ndumiso Nyoni, 20, a worker at a lodge in Lupane, southern Zimbabwe. Officials overseeing the polls, in which a record number of candidates stood, said many polling stations had queues and estimated that average turnout was around 75 per cent by 4pm GMT on Monday. His vote: Former dictator Robert Mugabe casts his vote at a polling station in Harare, Zimbabwe, accompanied by his wife Grace, right Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa casts his ballot as he votes in the general election at Sherwood Park Primary School in Kwekwe, about 125 miles south of Harare Contender: Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa casts his vote at a polling station in Harare, Zimbabwe, Monday 'It is our view that the high voter turnout is indicative of sound voter education and publicity,' said Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairwoman Priscilla Chigumba at a media briefing in Harare. Previously banned European Union election observers, present for the first time in years, said participation appeared high but warned of possible 'shortcomings'. 'There are shortcomings that we have to check. We don't know yet whether it was a pattern or whether it was a question of bad organisation in certain polling stations,' the EU's chief observer Elmar Brok told AFP. 'Overall (there was) a huge amount of voting - especially young people, mostly in a very good atmosphere, generally peaceful, which is positive.' With 5.6 million registered voters, the results of the presidential, parliamentary and local elections are due by August 4. A run-off vote is scheduled for September 8 if no presidential candidate wins at least 50 percent. Former president Mugabe, 94, who was ousted by the military in November, voted at his customary polling station in Harare alongside his wife Grace. He had earlier staged a media conference on Sunday when he called for voters to reject ZANU-PF. Mugabe, wearing a dark suit and red tie, was greeted with cheers after casting his ballot but did not answer journalists' questions about who he voted for. Mnangagwa, who voted in his Kwekwe constituency in central Zimbabwe, said Mugabe had the right to express himself in the country's new 'democratic space'. 'Zimbabwe experienced a beautiful expression of freedom and democracy. In our millions, we voted in the spirit of tolerance, mutual respect and peace,' Mnangagwa wrote on Twitter after the polls closed. Ready to go: Voters await the opening of a polling station during early morning voting in Kwekwe as Zimbabwe holds its first general election without Robert Mugabe on the ballot Early bird: Voters yawn and wear hoodies and jackets against the morning cold as the sun rises above a polling station located in the suburb of Mbare in Zimbabwe's capital Harare Zimbabwean voters queue to cast their ballots in the country's general elections in Harare Zimbabwe votes in an election that could, if deemed credible, tilt the country toward recovery after years of economic collapse and repression under former leader Robert Mugabe A man casts his ballot in a polling station located in the suburb of Mbare in Zimbabwe's capital Mnangagwa, 75, has promised change and is the clear front-runner benefitting from tacit military support, loyal state media and ruling party control of government resources. The party also has a majority in the lower house of parliament, which is up for election. But Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer and pastor who has performed strongly on the campaign trail, hopes to tap into the youth vote. 'By the end of the day today we should be very clear as to an emphatic voice for change, the new, and the young - I represent that,' Chamisa said as he voted in Harare, surrounded by vocal supporters. He again raised fraud allegations saying his victory would be assured if rigged ballots were excluded. On Twitter, he alleged there was a 'deliberate attempt to suppress' voting in urban areas - MDC strongholds. Zimbabwe's generals shocked the world last year when they seized control and ushered Mnangagwa into power after Mugabe allegedly groomed his wife to succeed him. Zimbabweans line up to vote at the Fitchela primary school in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe. The vote will be a first for the nation following a military takeover and the ousting of Mugabe Statement: Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses media during a surprise press conference at his residence 'Blue Roof ' in Harare on Sunday Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa leaves the polling station after casting his ballot Message: Mugabe, 94, said he would not support Zanu-PF, the ruling party he long controlled, nor President Emmerson Mnangagwa Speaking out: Yesterday's press conference was the first since the former dictatpr was ousted from power in November last year Taking sides: Mr Mugabe has backed a new political party that is part of a coalition supporting Mr Chamisa. Pictured: The former dictator and his wife, Grace The election is Zimbabwe's first without Mugabe, who led ZANU-PF to power on independence from Britain in 1980 and clung to power for 37 years. Elections under Mugabe were marred by systematic fraud and often deadly violence but campaigning ahead of Monday's vote was relatively unrestricted and peaceful. A recent Afrobarometer survey of 2,400 people put Mnangagwa on 40 percent and Chamisa on 37 percent, with 20 percent undecided. COURT OVERTURNS GUCCI GRACE'S IMMUNITY South Africa's High Court has overturned a decision by the government to grant Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity after she was accused of whipping a woman with an electric cord. South African model Gabriella Engels claims an irate Mrs Mugabe burst into a hotel room where she was to meet one of Mugabe's sons last August and started attacking her. 'Gucci Grace' returned to Zimbabwe immediately after South Africa granted her diplomatic immunity, allowing her to evade prosecution for assault. Judge Bashier Vally today ruled that the decision to grant diplomatic immunity was inconsistent with the constitution. Advertisement The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of intimidation and threats of violence in the run-up to polling day, but said it was encouraged to see open rallies and peaceful demonstrations. The new government will face mass unemployment and an economy shattered by the seizure of white-owned farms under Mugabe, the collapse of agriculture, hyperinflation and an investment exodus. Previously solid health and education services are in ruins and millions have fled abroad. Life expectancy has only recently recovered to its 1985 level of 61 years. 'While investors remain sceptical over whether Mugabe's former right-hand man has indeed turned over a new leaf, Mnangagwa's charm offensive with Western governments and businesses has at least given him a credible lifeline at the poll,' said Verisk Maplecrodt analyst Charles Laurie in a note. In Harare, 32-year-old finance graduate Tinashe Dongo said he wanted 'change' following Monday's vote. 'We want these degrees we hold to be put to use and for our kids to appreciate the value of education... My main concern is the (electoral commission), it obviously has a preferred party,' he said. Two prison officers have been suspended from duty pending separate allegations of sleeping on the job and inappropriate behaviour towards female co-workers. The suspensions follow a series of claims made by prison guards that sexual relations between inmates and staff are 'commonplace' in Australian jails. One officer from Lotus Glen, Queensland's second largest prison, was suspended from duty last week pending an investigation into allegations of sleeping on duty. Another officer from the Brisbane Correctional Centre was suspended in an unrelated matter, pending an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards female co-workers. An officer from Lotus Glen, Queensland's second largest prison, (pictured) was suspended from duty last week pending an investigation into allegations of sleeping on duty The suspensions follow a series of claims made by prison guards that sordid trysts between inmates and staff are 'commonplace' in Australian jails Just last week it was announced a special taskforce would investigate sexual relationships between inmates and prison officers after Corrections Minister David Elliott revealed 'around 12 staff' had contacted him in relation to the matter. Queensland Corrective Services Ethical Standards Unit will be investigating the allegations at Lotus Glen and Brisbane Correctional Centre, the Cairns Post reported. 'Over the last week, a number of officers have contacted me to convey their disgust and disappointment over the allegations,' Mr Elliott told The Daily Telegraph. Controversial allegations of sexual trysts behind bars will be probed by the former head of the state's Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command squad, Mark Murdoch (pictured) Married prison guard Amy Connors (left) has been suspended from her work after the alleged affair with Sione Penisini (right) when the pair used CCTV-free interview rooms to rendezvous 'What is also concerning is that many of these officers have told me that they feel uncomfortable raising their concerns with their union due to its culture of favouritism and nepotism. 'I receive information from a number of sources, but not once has the Public Service Association or any other union brought one of these allegations to my attention.' The investigation will examine how current and past allegations of inappropriate relationships were reported, investigated and punished. Mr Elliott said he would be meeting with prison officers at Kempsey on Monday. Prison officer Amy Connors, a married mother-of-two, (pictured) was reported to be pregnant with convicted cop killer Penisini's child The formal investigation follows claims made by a prison guard that sordid trysts between inmates and staff are 'commonplace' in Australian jails. The anonymous whistle-blower said she once saw a guard sitting on top of a naked prisoner with her skirt up while having sex with him in a jail cell. Another one of her former colleagues gave birth to a convicted killer's children after he seduced her in a quiet area of a prison wing, she said. The guard told 9News: 'It's commonplace for female officers to have sex with inmates. Former corrections officer, Kerryn Pholi (pictured) insisted that banning women from male prisons is not the answer 'I saw a female prison officer with her skirt up around her waist with no underwear on top of an inmate with no clothes on.' That incident was in 2009. Asked if she had seen other guards having sex with inmates, she replied: 'Yes, I had seen another female prison officer in a secluded area of a wing in the middle of the day having sex with an inmate as well.' The guard said these acts were not reported because of a culture of silence. She also said it was common for guards to have sex with each other inside jail at work. It comes after two female guards were this week accused of romping with convicted killers. One former corrections officer, Kerryn Pholi, on Thursday insisted that banning women from male prisons is not the answer because a 'professional and authoritative female presence' is beneficial to the convicts' rehabilitation. She also said the vast majority of women guards wouldn't dream of having sex with 'a guy who doesn't have a job, doesn't even have his own bedroom, and who needs 24-hour supervision.' Writing in The Daily Telegraph, she said she was mystified by how sex with an inmate even works. 'Whatever quick grope these people could manage out of view of the cameras, the staff and other prisoners, it would hardly be a quality experience,' she wrote. Corrective Service Commissioner Peter Severin wants to throw officers who cavort with inmates behind bars and consider forcing inmates to take anti-libido drugs. It's currently not illegal for corrections staff to have sex with inmates, although it is a breach of their code of conduct. 'If I had my way I would make it an offence punishable by imprisonment,' Mr Severin told The Daily Telegraph. Hinting at anti-libido drugs, he added: 'I want to do anything that will stop inappropriate behaviour from happening. 'If there are medically based options would I say no? No I wouldn't, no I wouldn't because I want to stop this behaviour from happening.' Female prison guard Amy Connors (pictured) is alleged to have had sex with cop killer Sione Penisini Corrective Service Commissioner Peter Severin is pushing for dramatic reforms after two female guards were this week accused of romping with convicted killers 'Incarceration is supposed to take away all those privileges but some of the prisoners are still getting that privilege,' brother-in-law Duncan Miller said. On his radio show on Wednesday, 2GB host Ryan Hadley called prisons 'hotbeds' for illicit sexual relationships. It comes after convicted cop killer Sione Penisini was caught having a sexual relationship with a guard in Kempsey maximum-security prison in New South Wales. Prison officer Amy Connors, a married mother-of-two, was reported to be pregnant with Penisini's child, but her family has denied those claims, according to radio station 2GB. Penisini was sentenced to 36 years jail in 2002, after being convicted of murdering police officer Glenn McEnally. Corrective Services staff reportedly had Connors and Penisini under surveillance for a month before they swooped, suspending the guard from duty, Nine News reported. Penisini has since been moved to Goulburn Supermax jail, home to Australia's most hardened criminals, after allegedly assaulting a fellow prisoner in recent weeks. Penisini allegedly 'groomed' Connors by pushing her into weightloss surgery. Police Association president Tony King slammed Mr Elliot and Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Severin after the allegations were made public. 'If Elliott and Severin were doing their jobs, every cop killer would be rotting away in Supermax, it's a direct slap in the face of every officer, all of us who have worn the blue shirt,' he said on Tuesday. Connors reportedly attempted to tender her resignation after being suspended on Friday but it was denied because Correction Services wish to complete their investigations first. In 2015, correctional officer Jody Marson, 33, was sacked for having an 'improper relationship' with Kieran Loveridge, who was convicted of killing Thomas Kelly in an unprovoked attack in Sydney's Kings Cross in 2012. Loveridge's relationship with Ms Marson took place inside the cell he shared with another prisoner before the 21-year-old was moved to Goulburn Supermax prison back in March 2015 for stomping on a fellow inmate's head. Kieran Loveridge (left), was convicted of killing Thomas Kelly in an unprovoked attack in Sydney's Kings Cross in 2012 Grenfell residents are angry after being told that the site of the tower tragedy in which 72 people died is to be handed back to Kensington and Chelsea council. A police investigation into the June 2017 inferno is expected to come to and end in the next couple of days after which the site, no longer considered a crime scene, will be handed back to the council. Adel Chaoui, from the survivors group Grenfell United, slammed the decision and said: 'It's a huge conflict of interest and distressing to the victims that RBKC, who are under investigation for corporate manslaughter, will have anything more to do with Grenfell tower, even in name.' A police investigation into the June 2017 inferno is expected to come to and end in the next couple of days after which the site, no longer considered a crime scene, will be handed back to the council The Guardian reports that residents had hoped that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government would take on the site. On July 18 detectives investigating the fire revealed they have carried out three interviews under caution as they look into allegations of manslaughter and potential health and safety breaches. The Metropolitan Police said that the inquiry had moved into a new phase with the interviews, and that more will take place in the coming weeks and months. Police are considering potential offences including gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslaughter and breaches of the Health and Safety Act over the devastating blaze. Residents had hoped that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government would take on the site, rather than the council (Pictured: The remains of thw tower is now covered) The tower is expected to be demolished after forensic teams have finished their work. It is currently covered in white sheeting. Residents want to use the site as a permanent memorial to those who died. Seventy-two people were killed in the fire in June last year, with questions raised over flammable cladding used on the building and failures in fire safety arrangements. Officers have spent the last year scouring the tower for forensic evidence and plan to hand back control of the building to Kensington and Chelsea council in early August. Seventy-two people were killed in the fire in June last year, with questions raised over flammable cladding used on the building and failures in fire safety arrangements Commander Stuart Cundy said: 'The handover of Grenfell Tower by the police will only occur once we are entirely confident that all police work has been completed at the tower and handing the tower over to the responsible body will have no bearing on the ongoing criminal investigation. GRENFELL TOWER FIRE: A TIMELINE 2013: Residents express significant safety concerns before the fire. The Grenfell Action Group (GAG) ran a blog in which it highlighted major safety problems, criticising the council and KCTMO for neglecting fire safety and building maintenance. 2013: The council threaten one of the bloggers with legal action, saying that their posts amounted to 'defamation and harassment. January 2016: GAG warn that people might be trapped in the building if a fire broke out, pointing out that the building had only one entrance and exit, and corridors that had been allowed to fill with rubbish, such as old mattresses. November 2016: GAG publish online article accusing the council of ignoring health and safety laws July 14, 2017: Emergency services receive the first report of the fire at 00.54am. It burned for about 60 hours until finally being extinguished on June 16. September 14 2017: The Grenfell Tower Inquiry begins to investigate the causes of the fire, and other related issues. The rapid spread of the fire is attributed to the building's exterior cladding, a type in widespread use. August 23 2017: The first Coroner's Inquests open. All other inquests opened by November 23 2017. May 17, 2018: An independent review of building regulations and fire safety is published Advertisement 'The concerns of the bereaved, survivors and residents as well as the wider community will be central to how the handover takes place. We recognise this will be a significant milestone and one that is bound to stir a range of emotions for all those affected by this tragedy. 'As part of our careful planning for a transition of responsibility, we are working closely with representatives from central government and London Councils.' A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesman said: 'This is a police matter and they have updated us directly. 'We will continue to cooperate fully with the police investigation and the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tragedy. 'Our thoughts will always be with the families affected and with those that lost their lives. 'We will do whatever it takes to get to the whole, unvarnished truth no matter what the consequences are for the council.' Earlier this month it was revealed that 40 households made homeless by the Grenfell Tower tragedy are still living in hotels, with 19 in serviced apartments and three residing with friends or family. More than a year on from the disaster, 96 of the 204 households have moved into permanent new homes, with 46 in 'good quality interim accommodation', Cabinet minister James Brokenshire told MPs. The Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary announced that he was publishing 'clarified' building regulations fire safety guidance and would also carry out a full-scale review of the rules. A consultation has been launched on the updated version of the guidance, known as Approved Document B. A 'wider technical review' of the guidance on fire safety will be launched in the autumn. Denied his 'religious duty' to fight in Syria with a terror group, Agim Kruezi set out to kill Australians. Kruezi was planning to 'kill random, innocent people', and attack police officers who thwarted his bid to engage in hostile activities overseas, a Queensland court has heard. He stockpiled weapons in his Logan home, south of Brisbane, including a bow and arrows, a rifle, knives and 10 litres of petrol he intended to use for Molotov cocktails. Agim Kruezi (pictured) is facing sentencing in Brisbane Supreme Court for preparing or planning for a terrorist act and preparing for incursion into a foreign state A sentencing hearing at the Brisbane Supreme Court began on Monday after Kruezi admitted to preparing for incursion into a foreign state and preparing or planning for a terrorist act. He is facing up to 18 years in jail for the offences. Kruezi had expressed support for Jihad and martyrdom, and had told others he believed the Australian government's laws against foreign incursion was 'oppressing Muslims', according to prosecutors. He also described Boko Haram's kidnapping of 200 girls in Nigeria as a legitimate tactic of war, said 'dogs are in our countries killing our brothers and sisters' and expressed a desire to burn down a pub. Kruezi's bid to travel to Syria to fight with al Qaeda-affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra in March 2014 was stopped by customs officers. His passport was cancelled, forcing him to turn his attention to an attack on home soil. Supporters (pictured) of Agim Kruezi are seen outside the Brisbane Supreme Court, Monday. The day after his incursion plot failed he bought a hunting bow and arrows. 'He purchased the bow and arrows as an expression of anger towards authorities at being prevented on going to Syria,' crown prosecutor Lincoln Crowley told the court. Months later, he purchased 10 litres of petrol before travelling to several shops including IKEA and Spotlight, attempting to buy glass bottles and cork stoppers suitable to make Molotov cocktails. Shop assistants described him as 'agitated'. Police are seen talking to a supporter of Agim Kruezi outside the Brisbane Supreme Court His actions led to police raiding his home in September 2014 where they found weapons, two balaclavas, an ISIS flag pinned to his wall and extremist literature. Kruezi wanted to meet police officers who cancelled his passport in a park, with Mr Crowley alleging he intended to kill them. That Kruezi's terror plot appeared 'unsophisticated' and he didn't have an expressed target didn't make his offending less serious, the prosecution argued. The court heard a 'religious duty' was behind his offending. He appeared handcuffed wearing an taqiyah (skullcap) in court, seated in front of a group of supporters. Kruezi has been behind bars since being arrested alongside Omar Succarieh in a series of counter-terrorism raids in September 2014. Succarieh attempted to aid Kruezi's bid to travel to Syria by putting him in contact with his brother Abraham, who was fighting in the Middle Eastern country. Succarieh was sentenced to four-and-a-half years' jail in November 2016 after he pleaded guilty to covertly sending money to anti-Assad regime forces in Syria. Justice Roslyn Atkinson will hand down her sentence on Tuesday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 India has effectively stripped four million people in Assam of citizenship, sparking fears of mass deportations of Muslims from the northeastern state. The draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), published on Monday, includes only those able to prove they were in Assam before 1971, when millions fled Bangladesh's war of independence into the state. Critics say it is the latest move by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advance the rights of India's Hindu majority at the expense of its many minorities. More than 30 million people had applied to be included on the list, of whom just over four million were excluded from the draft published on Monday, said Shailesh, the registrar general of India, who uses one name. India has effectively stripped four million people in Assam of citizenship, Pictured, people stand in line to check their names on the first draft of the National Register of Citizens in Assam in January 'No genuine Indian citizens need to worry as there will be ample opportunities given to them to enlist their names in the final NRC,' he told a news conference in Assam's biggest city Guwahati. He said those wishing to appeal could do so under 'well-laid-down procedures' starting August 30. The definitive NRC is due to be finalised in December. 'We are going to provide assistance to anyone whose names are not included in the document and whoever wishes to file a claim and objection in this regard,' Shailesh added. Modi's Hindu nationalist government - under whom extremist violence against Muslims has increased - has said the list must be revised to root out illegal migrants. Hundreds of thousands fled to India from Bangladesh during its 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Most settled in Assam, which shares a long border with Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government, under whom extremist violence against Muslims has surged, said the list must be revised to root out illegal migrants Rights groups have criticised the government's latest move, saying the deletion of people from citizenship rolls was similar to Myanmar's removal of rights and protections for its Rohingya community in 1982. Avaaz, a US-based rights group, said Monday there was no effective appeal body and those left out would not have enough time to present their case. 'It's just Muslims who will likely have to go through a complicated, unfair appeal with no right to counsel, ending in no hope of staying if they lose,' Ricken Patel, the executive director of Avaaz, said in a statement. Assam, a state of 33 million people known for its lush tea estates, has for decades been racked by violence between indigenous tribes and settlers. In one of the worst massacres, around 2,000 suspected migrants were butchered in a single day in Nellie in 1983. Nearly all were Muslim, and many were children. In New Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh also sought to allay fears about Assam. 'No coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence there is no need to panic,' Singh said in the upper house of parliament. Satyen Garg, a home ministry official who was present at the Guwahati press conference, said there 'was no question of sending anyone to detention camps based on the draft list', A new SAS squad will join almost 500 British soldiers being sent to Aghanistan to tackle ISIS and the resurgence of the Taliban in the war-torn country. The special forces troops and another 490 soldiers will be deployed to join the nearly 650 soldiers already based there, The Mirror reports. Special operation troops from the UK and the United States are waging a 'less publicised war' in Afghanistan to tackle the threats, according to a security source. A new SAS squad will join almost 500 British soldiers being sent to Aghanistan to tackle ISIS and the resurgence of the Taliban. Pictured, British troops leave Camp Bastion 'They are attacking the networks and those who influence it without attracting attention or making this a full-on jihad for the rebel fighters,' the source told the newspaper. The source added that the resurgent Taliban and the fact that ISIS is now 'a significant threat' needed to be addressed. According to the Ministry of Defence, more than 450 British military personnel have died while serving in Afghanistan. From October 2001 until the end of 2014, the total number of military deaths in the country is 456 405 of which were killed due to hostile action. More than 450 British military personnel have died while serving in Afghanistan. Pictured, mortars fire off over the perimeter of Camp Bastion, Helmand province Since British troops withdrew from their base in Camp Bastion in the Helmand province, army chiefs had been set on not drawing the Taliban into more conflict. But NATO agreed that Britain and other members would supply troops to help train soldiers and police in Afghanistan. It comes as ISIS claimed responsibility on Sunday for an attack on a midwife training centre in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad that killed three staff. The ultra-hardline militant group, which cited no evidence for its claim in a statement issued via its Amaq news agency, said the attack on Saturday was carried out by two gunmen. ISIS has a stronghold in the province of Nangarhar surrounding Jalalabad, bordering Pakistan. Charles Bronson has told his wife he would 'rather die in prison' than live on the outside with her drinking problems in a furious letter Charles Bronson has told his wife he would 'rather die in prison' than live on the outside with her drinking problems in a furious letter. Britain's most violent prisoner went on a furious rant against his wife Paula Williamson after a photo emerged of a young man with his head between her breasts during a wild night out in Tenerife. Bronson, 65, vowed to divorce the former Coronation Street actress, who he labelled a 'drunken tart' and accused her of disrespecting him. The couple wed last November in HMP Wakefield, where Bronson is being held. The amateur artist declares in a letter obtained by the Sun: 'I would prefer to die in prison than live your alcaholic [sic] existance [sic].' Bronson, who changed his name behind bars to Salvador, went on his tirade in a letter, which is dated July 18 and filled with doodles. Bronson writes: 'Ronnie Kray would say to you, ''You s**g!'' 'Paula: Keep on drinking, keep on showing yourself up, keep on disrespecting me, keep on pretending. 'Do what you need to survive behind closed doors, not in a bar with six geezers and snogging on camera.' Bronson, 65, has vowed to divorce his wife Paula Williamson, a former Coronation Street actress, who he labelled a 'drunken tart' and accused her of disrespecting him. Pictured: Paula crying over her marriage last Thursday He adds: 'My life, my world, is a million miles away from yours. Your world stinks of falseness and drunken liars. 'You need to reflect and look inside your own heart, coz all I see is a deep black hole. 'My life is so much more at peace than yours. 'I told you from day one ''never ever humiliate your man''. 'You have a drug, drink problem, sort it out or do one.' On another page, Bronson continues to insult his wife, telling her to 'side with the Bethal Green geezer. Get fat and ugly together. Rats are best with rats.' He adds: 'You have to live - survive - if you are needing sex, do it behind closed doors (it's a personal matter). 'You don't kiss nobody in a bar. Your (sic) Mrs Salvador... a respected lady. 'Now your (sic) a drunken tart for the world to see.' The couple wed last November in HMP Wakefield, where Bronson is being held. Although she initially believed he would laugh it off, Mrs Williamson said she has been left heartbroken after the notorious criminal, 65, called time on their marriage Charles Bronson, pictured in 2005, is divorcing his wife after just eight months of marriage However, Bronson did admit his love for his wife, saying: 'Without booze you are my angel - I worship you. 'With booze I don't love you. (I don't like a drunk.) 'You need to choose what you want. Your man! or booze! or drugs! 'If I never see you again remember - I did idolise you.' Although she initially believed he would laugh it off, Mrs Williamson said she has been left heartbroken after the notorious criminal, 65, called time on their marriage. She told the Sun: 'I'm absolutely devastated. I can't stop crying. I made one stupid mistake. It was just a dare. 'They took the snap and in that one second they ended my marriage.' 'I feel like he has chewed me up and spat me out just like he did with the last woman who fell for him.' Mrs Williamson added: 'I have always stuck up for him. I've lost everything through this - my work, my family, my friends and my dignity. 'Now, I've lost my husband.' Bronson is one of the country's most notorious prisoners and has spent the majority of the past four decades imprisoned for a series of violent crimes. The former Coronation Street actress was pictured shopping for wedding dresses last year In recent years he has turned his hand to art and changed his surname from Bronson to Salvador in tribute to the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali. He first struck up a relationship with Miss Williamson - who also had roles in Emmerdale and Hollyoaks - back in 2013 after they started writing to one another. Bronson has previously said he wants to have children with Miss Williamson, claiming he would be the 'best dad in the world'. He was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974, but during his time inside he has taken hostages in 10 prison sieges, attacked at least 20 prison officers and caused 500,000 in damage in rooftop protests. A toddler nearly lost her right arm after it was swallowed by a faulty escalator yesterday in southern China. The girl was playing on the steps when the machine suddenly malfunctioned and dragged her in, according to local reports. She was freed by firefighters and is currently under extensive care, reports said. Horrifying: A video on Chinese news site qq.com shows the girl's mother desperately looking for help after her daughter's arm got stuck in an escalator in Yongzhou, southern China The accident took place yesterday evening at the Herun Wanjia supermarket in the city of Yongzhou, Hunan Province, according to Kan Kan News. Horrifying footage released byqq.com shows the toddler screaming in pain as a woman desperately seeks help from onlookers. It is said that the escalator was shut down immediately after the child's arm got reeled into a gap between the stairs and a side panel. The girl is said to be just over one year old. She was playing on the escalator when it 'encountered a sudden failure', according to local Sanxiang Urban Daily. The report did not mention whether or not the child had been left unattended. Another video released by local Sanxiang urban Daily shows firefighters opening the floor boards of the escalator as they try to free the little girl who got trapped by the moving stairs A paramedic holds the girl after she was freed from the escalator following a 30-minute rescue Firefighters freed the child from the escalator after a 30-minute rescue effort. They took the child to a nearby hospital. The toddler's right arm had been mangled and nearly ripped off, a doctor told Kan Kan News. The doctor claimed that there were only skin and soft tissues connecting the child's arm and her torso. The girl was then transferred to the No.1 People's Hospital of Chenzhou for emergency surgery. She is under intensive care after the operation, said Kan Kan. Alexander Zhestokov, 39, and his criminal gang are suspected of real estate fraud, black market metals sales and bribing businesses An alleged Russian mafia godfather was gunned down as he threw a party to celebrate his release from prison. Macabre footage captures how Alexander Zhestokov, 39, was approached by an assassin who opened fire from close range. The suspected Siberian mobster collapsed on the floor and died almost instantly during the attack on Friday July 27. The killer struck at around midnight. Zhestokov - rumoured to be a leader of the feared Zapsibovskie gang - had been hosting a party in Dzambul bar in the industrial city of Novokuznetsk, south-west Siberia. In the footage, Zhestokov is seen talking to associates when the gunman approaches dressed in black with a hood and dark glasses, carrying a firearm with a large silencer. CCTV video shows the moment the assassin pulls the trigger, unloading multiple bullets into the alleged mob boss. The Zapsibovskie gang: Who are the Siberian mobsters with a taste for extortion? Zapsibovskie was formed in 2008 in the Siberian city of Novokuznetsk. At first a small organisation, it grew rapidly, taking over rival gang's territory. The group's criminal network is made up of three divisions: real estate fraud, illegal drug sales and extortion. Murdered mob boss Zhestokov was previously a member of the rival Podgorny gang - one of the area's most dominant. But in 2008, he left to join Zapsibovskie. Less than a year later prominent members of the Podgorny gang were killed in a drive by shooting. The Zapsibovskie gang rose to fill the space power void and took over areas formerly run by their the Podgorny gang. Advertisement Zhestokov falls onto the floor and appears to cover his face before falling still. A friend turns his body so he is face down. His associates appear shocked at first but within seconds of the contract killing they flee the restaurant in the Kemerovo region of Siberia, a major coal mining area. No one tries to detain the killer. Later his body is turned over and at least six bullet wounds are visible on his back. Police have opened a murder probe and cordoned of the scene. A weapon has not been found. The region's top policeman Major-General Igor Ivanov has taken personal control of the investigation, reports local media. In early July, Zhestokov had been released from jail after serving a sentence for fraud and blackmail. 'Police are now locating the witnesses and studies the connections of the victim,' said a spokesman for the local Investigative Committee in charge of probing serious crime. 'Investigators are considering various versions of the murder including criminal links of the victim.' 'The police are now locating the witnesses and studying the connections of the victim,' said a spokesman for the local Investigative Committee in charge of investigating serious crimes. 'Investigators are considering various versions of the murder, including the criminal ties of the victim.' The masked gunman (pictured right) appears and lifts his weapon before firing into Zhestokov's back The gunman retreats as the mobster's friends suddenly realise their leader has been shot Smokes fills the room as the mobster begins to fall to the floor having been shot six times He pulls his hands up to face to cover his eyes as he breathes his last breath while his stunned friends look on Just one month after being released from prison the mobster lies dead on the floor Mobster Alexander Zhestokov lies prostrate on the floor after being shot six times by a masked assassin He was previously detained in Moscow in 2013 carrying a fake Moldovan passport, according to police. He was accused at the time of organising a criminal gang but witnesses refused to give evidence against him. His gang are suspected of real estate fraud, controlling an illegal drugs business, black market metals sales and bribing local businesses. The shooting comes amid claims of a new rise in organised crime in Russia. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe One of Australia's highest regarded surgeon's is in Greece assisting with the recovery of victims of the tragic fires. Royal Adelaide Hospital Adult Burns medical director John Greenwood arrived and began assisting with surgeries at the KAT hospital in Athens on Sunday. The 2016 South Australian of the Year has been granted special exemptions from the Greek government to utilise a synthetic skin he developed to aide in the recovery process of victims, the ABC reported. Scroll down for video Royal Adelaide Hospital Adult Burns medical director John Greenwood arrived and began assisting with surgeries at the KAT hospital in Athens on Sunday The devastation in Greece has killed at least 87 people, with countless others significantly burnt It is estimated 1,500 homes have been destroyed in the blaze which has killed at least 87 people The product, NovoSorb was developed alongside a company called PolyNovo after the tragic Bali bombings to provide an alternate route to skin grafts. The product is less likely than skin grafts to cause infections, and created softer, less-scarred skin after the procedure. 'Australia had 200 people badly burnt during that episode and here's Greece with a major burn incident and if we can help in any way that's a good thing,' PolyNovo chief executive Paul Brennan said. The devastation in Greece has killed at least 87 people, with countless others significantly burnt. Slide me A before and after satellite shot shows the devastation of the fires that have swept the region Victims of the fires have found their homes and possessions completely charred It has also destroyed an estimated 1,500 homes and turned roads and pavements to ash. Public Order Minister Nikos Toskas found 'serious indications' suggesting the inferno was deliberately lit. Back in his hometown of Adelaide, members of the Greek community are rallying to fund raise for the victims. President of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia, Bill Gonis, is hosting a meeting on Monday night to discuss fundraising options. He expects over 300 attendees. They are hoping to hold film nights, quiz nights and dinner dances among other ideas such as collecting donations at church to aid the victims. 'We want to make sure the money goes to the areas where it's need the most over in Attica, Greece,' he said. 'We have to support our motherland, that's all there is to it.' An elderly survivor is transported to safety by a dedicated rescue crew Public Order Minister Nikos Toskas found 'serious indications' suggesting the inferno was deliberately lit A schoolgirl is finally getting surgery to remove the two extra arms and half-formed fingers from the parasitic twin dangling from her torso removed. Veronica Cominguez, 14, who lives in Iligan City in the Philippines, was born with two limbs and an oblong-shaped growth on her chest and stomach. The extra parts - belonging to a parasitic twin who did not develop properly - have grown with her. She even cleans her 'twin' and cuts its fingernails. Veronica Cominguez was born with two limbs and an oblong-shaped growth on her torso But Veronica is now set to live a normal life after locals raised money for her to fly to neighbouring Thailand for an operation. 'When I was little, I thought it was just a foot. But as I grew up, it became bigger,' Veronica said. She said the parts are heavy, limit her movement and sometimes leak. 'It keeps swinging. My dress often gets wet,' she added. Veronica's mother Flora Cominguez said their family has a history of twins. Although she was not able to properly see a doctor during her pregnancy, she knew she was expecting twins and had even picked out name for both. But unfortunately, Veronica's sibling did not fully develop and she has been forced to grow up with a parasitic twin. Flora said Veronica's navel always gets wet because of the liquid that comes out of it and sometimes, the discharge has blood on it. The 14-year-old, who lives in the Philippines, is set to undergo surgery too have the limbs removed Veronica will fly to neighbouring Thailand for an operation after locals raised money for the procedure 'The liquid that comes out of the opening smells bad, like human excretion,' she said. But according to Veronica's doctor, the extra limbs can be removed through a simple operation. Dr. Beda Espineda, a pediatric surgeon at the Philippine Children's Medical Center, said: 'Most of these cases can be removed because, usually, the body structures involved are not vital. 'Most of them are just attached to the skin or bones. For surgeons, it is easy to remove.' Veronica is described as a 'sensible, clever and mature girl.' She is pictured with her teacher Analyn Bancat Quilab (second from right) who helped organise the procedure Now, Veronica is now waiting to have the surgery. The local government office in her village, which has her under its welfare care system, said she is due to fly to Thailand in the coming weeks. A spokesman from the Barangay council of Kabacsanan said: 'It has been arranged for Veronica to have an operation and we hope that she will live a normal, healthy life after this. 'Life has not been easy for her but she's a very sensible, clever and mature girl. 'She's a wonderful pupil. Everyone is very pleased for her that she can soon have an operation.' Eight men accused of gang-raping a pregnant goat with such brutality that it later died from its injuries, are being hunted by police in northern India. The men reportedly stole the goat in a village outside of Nuh, some 45 miles south of New Delhi on Wednesday, beat the animal and took turns in sexually assaulting it. The owner of the goat claims he caught the men in the act and together with some of his neighbours, was able to restrain and 'thrash' three of the alleged culprits before they fled. Shocking: The pregnant goat, pictured after it died, was allegedly assaulted and gang-raped by eight men in a village outside Nuh, northern India Aslup Khan, a 27-year-old truck driver, told local media that he and the other villagers had gone looking for his goat after noticing it missing, and found the men raping the animal. 'My goat was injured and lying on the ground. It was not even able to walk,' he told Hindustan Times. 'I took it home and applied medicines on the wounds on its head and nose. It did not eat anything the next day and was lying as if it was paralysed.' He told the news website that one of the alleged attackers had come to visit him while he was caring for his dying animal. Upset: Owner Aslup Khan, seen holding up his police complaint, claims he was visited by one of the attackers as the goat lay dying, and says he told him he 'had a nice time' with the goat 'He laughed and said that he and his friends had a nice time that night, which made me furious.' Mr Khan said he lashed out at the man, who fled his home. When the goat died a few hours later, Mr Khan filed a police complaint. A veterinarian examined the goat and found that the animal had died of a brain hemorrhage and had blood in her windpipe. Local police said they had high hopes of locating the culprits. Deutsche Bank has moved half of its euro clearing business to Frankfurt in a signal City business could shift from London into the EU over Brexit. The move, which is largely symbolic as clearing is an electronic process, comes amid growing concern about a no deal Brexit. In January almost all of Deutsche Bank's clearing was done in London. Clearing is the process by which banks act as a middleman for a buyer and seller of financial contracts. The move will fuel fears the City of London could lose its status as a leading financial hub if there is uncertainty about how the market is run. While moving the process of clearing will impact on few jobs direcly the knock-on effects could start to reverse decades of centralising financial services in London - an industry which has become the mainstay of the British economy. Deutsche Bank has moved half of its euro clearing business to Frankfurt in a signal City business could shift from London into the EU over Brexit Deutsche Bank's global co-head of institutional and treasury coverage told the FT the move had not led to a wholesale relocation of jobs. He said: 'It's the same London-based person who clears a transaction. We're just using a different clearing house.' Hubertas Vath, chief execuitve of the marketing group Frankfurt Main Finance, said shifting euro clearing from London to Frankfurt had been 'top of our priority list from the very first day after the Brexit referendum'. While only a handful of jobs are linked to the process, the knock on effects of centralisation in London has seen most trading floors move from Germany to Britain over the past 30 years. Mr Vath said: 'This was the best chance to bring them back.' The move will fuel fears the City of London could lose its status as a leading financial hub if there is uncertainty about how the market is run A Deutsche Bank spokesman said that the bank is effectively pushing a different button to route the clearing to Eurex, Deutsche Boerse's clearing division. A spokeswoman for Eurex said that it now has a market share of 8 per cent of all euro clearing, up from virtually zero a year ago. Last month Germany's finance minister Olaf Scholz said it was 'indepensable' that clearing was carried out 'in full conformity with EU standards,' suggesting Frankfurt would be the natural place. Since the referendum there have been repeated claims as many as 100,000 jobs could move from London to financial centres on the continent. But most banks have frozen or cancelled draft plans to actually move jobs as talks on maintaining regulatory standards after Brexit continue. Two congressional hopefuls are in a bizarre Twitter spat over whether one of them is secretly a 'Bigfoot erotica' connoisseur. Democratic nominee for Virginia's 5th district Leslie Cockburn suggested the odd fetish made her opponent Denver Riggleman unfit to govern. She posted a screenshot of a sketch of a naked Bigfoot with its penis blacked out that was posted to the Republican candidate's Instagram. Virginia congressional candidate Denver Riggleman is in a bizarre Twitter spat over whether he is secretly a 'Bigfoot erotica' connoisseur His opponent Leslie Cockburn posted a screenshot of a sketch of a naked Bigfoot with its penis blacked out that was posted to the Republican candidate's Instagram 'Cover art for #matinghabitsofbigfoot almost complete. I hide nothing in this magnificent tome. Don't erase the censor box,' the post read. Ms Cockburn then posted a followup shot of Mr Riggleman's face superimposed on to a different naked and censored Bigfoot drawing. 'My 'buddies' thought this pic was fitting for my birthday next week and to celebrate my new book release in a month or 2,' he wrote under it. The images were to promote Mr Riggleman's upcoming book Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him. Mr Riggleman, a former air force officer, said the posts were a joke by his military friends and he posted them as a bit of fun Ms Cockburn then posted a followup shot of Mr Riggleman's face superimposed on to a different naked and censored Bigfoot drawing 'My opponent Denver Riggleman, running mate of Corey Stewart, was caught on camera campaigning with a white supremacist,' Ms Cockburn wrote. 'Now he has been exposed as a devotee of Bigfoot erotica. This is not what we need on Capitol Hill.' Ms Cockburn was calling Senate candidate Corey Stewart a white supremacist, who has come under fire from many Democrats for his far-right views. However, Mr Riggleman, a former air force officer, said the posts were a joke by his military friends and he posted them as a bit of fun. He said the book, which he never expected to be used against him, was not 'erotica' and called his opponent's tweets 'absurd'. Mr Riggleman earlier co-authored Bigfoot Exterminators Inc. The Partially Cautionary, Mostly True Tale of Monster Hunt 2006, with Don Barone. Democratic nominee for Virginia's 5th district Leslie Cockburn suggested the odd fetish made her opponent Denver Riggleman unfit to govern A source close to him told Daily Progress the book, about people who travel around looking for the mythical beast, was 'assuredly not' Bigfoot erotica. Ms Cockburn was criticised on social media for not sticking to the issues but her campaign manager Louise Bruce said voters deserved to know Mr Riggleman's 'character'. 'Leslie has been traveling throughout the district meeting with real people about real issues that matter to them,' she said. 'Meanwhile, Mr Riggleman is home scrubbing his social media of 'Bigfoot erotica' and who knows what else.' There are no polls for the district yet but Republican Tom Garrett, who retired to seek treatment for alcoholism, won it comfortably in 2016. The gang accused of pelting a disabled woman with eggs and flour before taking a sick celebratory selfie have asked the police for protection as their terrified victim said she fears being attacked again. The image of the young men smiling and pointing at the vulnerable victim as she cowered on a park bench in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk has caused widespread revulsion. Four boys two aged 17 and two aged 15 have been arrested and bailed following Friday's incident in a park in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and the terrified victim spoke out for the first time today: 'I've got to be careful'. The boys cannot be identified because of their ages but five names the four suspects and the boy who took the photo have been widely shared online. One of them is celebrating his 16th birthday and his mother said the scandal risks wrecking his party. She told MailOnline: 'We cant say anything about what went on over the weekend but my sons name has been leaked over the internet and weve had threats. Ive reported the abuse to police and we are now under their protection. If anyone comes to our home to cause problems, we have a number we can call which will get the police here straight away. This isnt what we need. It's my sons 16th birthday and weve got family here for his party. A disturbing photo on social media appears to show the teenagers posing behind a cowering woman who had been covered in flour and eggs as she sat on a park bench The bench in Bury St Edmunds where the vulnerable woman was attacked remains covered in flour today The father of one of the other boys has revealed he marched him to the local police station to confess what he had done before grounding him indefinitely. Flour attack victim says people have been 'rallying around me' - but 'has to be careful' The 'vulnerable woman' who was the victim of a shocking attack by teenagers as she sat on a park bench today broke her silence. The 49-year-old woman - who asked not to be named - was left distressed after having flour and eggs poured over her by the youths. She was further humiliated when four teenagers mocked her by posing for a photo as she cowered in front of them covered head to toe in flour. The shocking image has been widely distributed on social media including Facebook. Today the woman, who lives close to the scene of the attack in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, condemned the teenagers. However she said she was worried about heightening tensions on the 1960s Howard estate where she lives and where many tenants live in fear of local teenagers. Standing outside her terraced house, she said: 'I don't consider it acceptable but I don't particularly want to escalate the current tension in the area. 'I've got to be careful with how I deal with things obviously.' She added: 'People have rallied round me.' The woman, who has short dark hair, said she was giving a statement to police this afternoon. She added: 'I've written out what I want to say. 'I'll know more when I've given a statement to them.' Advertisement He said the 16-year-old was walking home from the centre of Bury St Edmunds and had cut through the park when he saw two of his friends. They apparently gestured for him to join them in the photo behind the woman who was covered in eggs and flour. He left shortly afterwards but confessed to his parents when the image began circulating on social media hours later. His father said: He told me what he had done and I told him that it was an idiotic thing to do. I marched him straight down to the local police station and made him tell the officers what had happened. He didnt throw any of the flour or eggs on that woman, he just joined the others in posing for the photograph. He wasnt arrested but he did give a statement. Theres no way hes going out for the next few weeks unless Im with him - both to keep an eye on him and to make sure he is safe from people who want to take revenge. Theres been death threats made against him online and weve told the police about it. Hes at home at the moment and thats where hes staying. The stepmother of one of the 17-year-olds arrested told MailOnline today: 'He's not a tearaway - he's just been a stupid boy'. She said: 'He got caught up in it all, it was a stupid thing to do. 'He's never been in any major bother before but this is serious. His dad won't say anything about it because the police have asked him not to but he's upset. 'I don't know why the lad got involved. As far as I know he just took the photo. I don't know anything about him throwing the eggs and flour. 'But he should have had nothing to do with it in the first place. He's not a tearaway, though, he's just been a stupid boy.' The woman, who also is battling mental health problems, said she will be meeting with police later. She said: 'I don't consider it acceptable but I don't particularly want to escalate the current tension in the area. I've got to be careful with how I deal with things obviously'. Social media star Robin Armstrong told his 750,000 followers he wanted to 'lead the way' in finding the youths Mr Armstrong said: 'You little f***ing nothings have been over to an old woman with disabilities, poured water all over her head and then poured flour all over and stopped for a photograph' Suffolk police said she was left severely distressed but was not physically harmed. People living in the area claim the youths in the photo are part of a group who have been terrorising an estate in the Suffolk market town of Bury St Edmunds for weeks. One witness said she had a 'breakdown' at the park and shouted at the youths, and they retaliated by throwing eggs and flour at her. Suffolk Police Inspector Anthony Bridgland said: 'This type of behaviour is totally unacceptable and we are treating the matter seriously. 'We know this incident may have caused concern and anger both in the local community and online, but we would like to reassure everyone that we are tackling the matter robustly and supporting the victim.' Andrew Willsher, 46, who lives and works in the area, claimed: 'Groups of kids congregate in packs and hang around the parks and the shops. 'The truth is that there is nothing for these kids to do out here so they cause trouble. 'There are some boys who often gather in the park behind and people avoid them at all costs because you know it will lead to trouble.' One elderly resident, who did not want to be named, said she avoided the park because the young people who met there to take drugs were intimidating. She added: 'I avoid that at certain times because they gather there at 5pm and do drugs and drink alcohol. 'I have very bad eyes and I would not know if they suddenly jumped out. I am not sure if my guide dog would protect me either. The real reason I carry this cane is for protection, in case one of them does something.' One woman, whose house is close to the bench in the Howard estate, said: 'All I know is that they are local and I have seen them out on the field many times and I have seen them many times sitting on the benches. 'I was absolutely disgusted to hear about what they did to that poor lady. I came out shortly after it happened and I saw two police officers standing there and all the white over the bench and floor and wondered what on earth was going on. 'My daughter phoned me up to ask if I was okay and if I had seen what was happening, and I was horrified when she told me. 'How would they feel if it was their mother, grandmother or sister? It is disgraceful, it really is. 'It makes you wonder what the world is coming to and worry how your grandchildren are going to grow up and what they are going to face. These boys need to be named and shamed. They thought it was quite brave to put a selfie up online and I hope they get what is coming to them.' Katherine Brame, a friend of the victim, said she had been to check on her and she was 'safe'. She said people in the area had offered to help and send gifts, but the victim was struggling to cope. Miss Brame said on Facebook: 'I have to speak out. Today's incident has made me so sad and devastated. The lady in question needs her privacy and suffers with an unseen illness. 'She cannot cope with people popping in, or gifts. It's complicated but if you want to help, how about donating to a mental health charity as people with these unseen illnesses go under the radar all the time and they are totally under-funded. Then maybe she will get the real help she needs from qualified people. You're all very kind.' The social media posts prompted one man, who shares the same name as one of the alleged attackers, to call for people to stop threatening him. He said on Facebook: 'There's a photo doing the rounds at moment of a group of young boys. They've been named and shamed and one of them happens to also be called [deleted]. I would just like to clarify I'm not that [deleted]. I'm much older than the boys in the photo and now that's cleared up, I would appreciate it if people stopped messaging me and threatening me about this.' The father of one of the boys named slammed the door when approached on Sunday. Social media star Robin Armstrong told his 750,000 followers he wanted to 'lead the way' in finding the youths. In a lengthy video, he said: 'You little f***ing nothings have been over to an old woman with disabilities, poured water all over her head and then poured flour all over and stopped for a photograph. 'That photographs says a thousand things - I don't even have to say any words. At least one man said he had been threatened after being mistakenly identified as one of the arrested teenagers. Pictured: Screenshots of a conversation discussing the photo Pictured: Screenshots of a conversation discussing the photo 'You scummy little w******. You deserve to have your heads ripped off your shoulders. 'I've got your names now so I'm going to put your names in the comments and your profiles in the comments. 'You're going to be chased out of your city - hunted down.' Mr Armstrong said: 'Your mums and dads lives are f****** wrecked because of you. 'Posing for a photograph? The only photograph you are going to be posing for are the ones the police are going to have. 'Or the ones on the front of your tombstone because you deserve to be stoved in.' Another man said on Twitter: 'These five sick f***** live in Bury St Edmunds and think it's funny to pour water over a old disabled woman's head then cover her in flour let's make these f*****s Twitter stars #scum [sic]'. The death of an Iranian asylum seeker was the result of an entirely preventable infection, an inquest into his death has revealed. Queensland coroner Terry Ryan said Hamid Khazaei would still be alive if he'd received adequate medical care after developing a leg infection on Manus Island. The 24-year-old died in a Brisbane hospital in September 2014, two weeks after he was inadequately treated at the detention centre's medical clinic. Iranian asylum seeker Hamid Khazaei died in a Brisbane hospital as a result of severe sepsis. Mr Ryan said Mr Khazaei's health care did not meet Australian standards and that his death was ultimately avoidable. The inquest found the centre failed to recognise Mr Khazaei's condition was rapidly deteriorating, and their delay in transferring him to Port Moresby hospital meant there was nothing doctors in Brisbane could do for him. Mr Ryan added that it was the Government's responsibility to provide the same level of healthcare to asylum seekers and refugees as they would receive in Australia. 'I am satisfied that if Mr Khazaei's clinical deterioration was recognised and he was evacuated to Australia within 24 hours of developing severe sepsis, he would have survived,'he said. According to the The Brisbane Times, Mr Khazaei first sought medical help on August 23, 2014 for flu-like symptoms and a wound on his leg. He later suffered a heart attack the following day and was flown to Brisbanes Mater Hospital, but was declared brain dead on August 28. He died on September 5, while still in hospital. A vigil for asylum seeker Hamid Khazaei (left), whose death was found to be avoidable, was set up outside the Brisbane Magistrates court. Mr Ryan said Australia needs to do more to care for asylum seekers being held offshore facilities and recommended the Home Affairs Department enforce a new policy that puts the health needs of detainees first if they should need medical transfers that require approval of immigration authorities. Coroner Terry Ryan's key findings Clinical errors and communication problems were key factors in the death of an Iranian asylum seeker after being held on Manus Island. HOW AND WHY HE DIED * Mr Khazaei died from complications arising from a leg infection he contracted on Manus Island * His death was preventable and a result of multiple errors * His treatment at the Manus Island clinic and the Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby was inadequate * Medical staff failed to report he was severely deteriorating * The transfer process from Manus Island was ineffective KEY RECOMMENDATIONS 1. The federal government develop a policy for medical transfers that gives overriding consideration to the welfare of detainees 2. Development of a patient treatment checklist to support timely transfer requests 3. Offshore health care facilities be accredited to Australian health service standards 4. The federal government and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners conduct annual audits of offshore medical clinics 5. The federal government establish critical care units near detention centres 6. Mandatory inquests for asylum seekers who died in offshore centres. Advertisement He added there should also be mandatory inquests for asylum seekers who died in offshore centres, to keep the government accountable. While Australia's offshore detention regime was not within the scope of the inquest, Mr Ryan said it would be possible to prevent further deaths by relocating asylum seekers to other places, such as Australia. However, he added that was unlikely to occur without a radical revision of policies to deal with asylum seekers who try to get to Australia by boat. Protesters met outside Brisbane Coroners Court to urge the government to implement Mr Ryan's inquest recommendations. Amnesty International's Kate Schuetze was recently joined by about a dozen protesters outside the Brisbane Coroners Court to ask the government to implement Mr Ryan's recommendations. 'The question here today is is the Australian government now going to act on this decision and improve healthcare for refugees and asylum seekers in its custody whether that's onshore or offshore?' she said. The Home Affairs Department said the findings were under review, and expressed condolences to Mr Khazaei's family. Protesters say the level of health care provided by the Australian government is not adequate for asylum seekers held offshore. However, Barri Phatarfod from Doctors for Refugees - an organisation run by volunteers who assist and advocate for people in offshore detention centres - said the level of care provided by the Australian government is not adequate and further deaths were inevitable without urgent intervention, SBS reports. 'This can and will happen again unless Australia acts urgently to reform the way it delivers healthcare on Nauru and Manus Island,' she said. Human Rights Watch Australia director Elaine Pearson added the inquest should be 'a wake-up call' to the government. 'The solution is to get people off these islands once and for all,' she said. A grandmother who fiddled more than 41,000 in benefits to splash out on luxury foreign trips was trapped by her own holiday photographs - but still spared jail. Geraldine Thomas, 54, spent the money on all inclusive breaks to Egypt after falsely claiming she lived alone, Newport Crown Court heard. But Thomas was secretly living with her partner Raymond Adams since 2011 who accompanied her on the trips abroad. And then the photographs of the couple canoodling on their luxury Egyptian holidays were handed to investigators. The Department of Work and Pensions launched an investigation to discover the couple's social media posts. Geraldine Thomas, 54, was taken to court after it was revealed she was fiddling her benefits while secretly living with her partner Raymond Adams and used the cash to pay for their foreign holidays Their trip to Egypt (pictured) was at the centre of the court case and she would later admit three counts of benefit fraud at Newport Crown Court A court heard she pocketed a total of 41,350 by wrongly claiming income support, employment support, housing benefit and council tax over five years. Thomas admitted three counts of benefit fraud at Newport Crown Court. Judge recorder Patrick Harrington QC told her: 'I know what the money has been spent on. It was spent on an expensive holiday wasn't it? 'You were not the instigator of this but you continued the relationship and you continued claiming the money for a very long time. 'Benefit fraud is rife and costs honest hardworking people a lot of money. You committed offences which aggregated more than 41,000. Thomas was spared jail after her legal team said her poor health meant she would struggle in custody 'That is a great deal of money and it is your fault that you have found yourself in this position now.' Thomas was handed a 12 months suspended sentence and told she would face a proceeds of crime hearing to recover the money. Defence barrister Kathryn Lane said her client had never been in trouble before. She added: '[Thomas] foolishly engaged in this offending and is thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed by it. She comes to court today knowing the consequences she faces. 'Ms Thomas is a valued and routinely relied and depended-upon family member and a valued member of the community. 'There have been a number of bereavements of close family members recently which has had an effect on her and she has been picking up the pieces of those closest to her. 'This does not excuse her behaviour but she is a lady who would find it very hard in custody. She is suffering from mental ill health and physical ill health having suffered from a stroke and two hip replacements.' Donna James, senior fraud leader of the DWP said officials were trying to regain the money. She said: 'This is a blatant act of fraud. As a department we are taking action to retrieve overpayments but also any assets amassed while the offences that have been committed were ongoing.' Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson has finally resigned, months after he was found guilty of covering up the sexual abuse of altar boys in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis accepted Wilson's resignation on Monday. In a statement, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said that 'His decision to resign comes after considering his future following his conviction for failing to report allegations of child sexual abuse that occurred in the 1970s.' Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson (pictured) has finally resigned, months after he was found guilty of covering up the sexual abuse of altar boys in the Catholic Church Pope Francis (pictured) accepted Wilson's resignation on Monday following weeks of mounting pressure for the Australian Archbishop to stand down from his position Wilson was found guilty in May of concealing multiple incidents of sexual abuse dating back decades, and was sentenced to 12 months detention earlier this month. He is the highest-ranking Catholic official in the world to be convicted of covering up abuse in the church. An emotional two-page letter written by a sexual abuse victim was credited with helping to convict Wilson in Newcastle Local Court on Friday, May 25. The letter was penned by Peter Creigh, who was abused by paedophile priest James Fletcher more than 50 years ago. Mr Creigh detailed his harrowing childhood as an altar boy in the two-page note, which was written in 2010. 'I had a choice. If I didn't tell them it would have got to me and I would have become another statistic,' Mr Creigh told The Advertiser after Wilson's conviction. Scroll down for video A two-page letter written in 2010 by a victim was all it took to take out an Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson (pictured) who was convicted for concealing child sexual abuse Letter (pictured) written by Archbishop Wilson after he was convicted in Newcastle Local Court In the letter, Peter Creigh (centre) details his harrowing childhood as an altar boy who was abused by priest James Fletcher Mr Creigh said the sexual assaults occurred in 1971 at the hands of Father Fletcher. In the letter, Mr Creigh explosively alleged he had told Wilson of the abuse he endured in 1976. The letter dated July 29, 2010, was found by the Special Commission of Inquiry in 2013 after being kept secret for three years. Mr Creigh concluded: 'For us victims of sexual abuse our lives will not be the same again, we have been mentally, and in some cases physically scarred for life that is the sad part.' The Catholic Archbishop was found guilty of covering up father Fletcher's sexual abuse of altar boys from the 1970s on Tuesday. Abuse victim Peter Creigh said he went to see Father Wilson at the presbytery of St Joseph's Catholic Church (pictured) in East Maitland in 1976 to tell him about what Fletcher had done to him five years earlier Wilson was found guilty of covering up father Fletcher's sexual abuse of altar boys from the 1970s on Tuesday. Prosecutor Gareth Harrison said Wilson was involved in a cover-up to protect the church's reputation Prosecutor Gareth Harrison said Wilson was involved in a cover-up to protect the church's reputation arguing that child sex abuse 'victims came second' in Wilson's mind. 'Archbishop Philip Wilson has today been found guilty of failing to inform police about allegations of child sexual abuse,' Archbishop Mark Coleridge said on the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide's site. 'Archbishop Wilson maintained his innocence throughout this long judicial process. It is not yet clear if he will appeal the verdict.' Wilson officially stepped aside from his role as Archbishop on Friday. The shooting of a polar bear by a German cruise ship employee in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard has sparked outrage online. The bear was killed after it attacked another member of the cruise ship's staff, who had gone ashore on Spitzbergen island to check that the area was safe for tourists to disembark. Among the critics are comedian Ricky Gervais, who hit out at the cruise company for encroaching on the bear's territory in order to entertain tourists, and then shooting it when it attacked. Killed: The body of the polar bear which was shot by the German cruise ship employee after attacking one of his colleagues lies on a beach on Spitzbergen, Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole He wrote on Twitter: 'Let's get too close to a polar bear in its natural environment and then kill it if it gets too close. Morons'. And Gervais was backed by campaigners The Extinction Symbol, who wrote: 'Polar bear killed for acting like a wild animal'. Another Twitter user asked: 'The moon got a bit close the other day. Are we going to start shooting that as well?' The incident took place after a tourist expedition from the MS Bremen of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises docked at Spitzbergen on Saturday. The unnamed 40-year-old had gone ashore to check for polar bears, when he was attacked by one. "Let's get too close to a polar bear in its natural environment and then kill it if it gets too close". Morons. https://t.co/FEPt0sYOtF Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) July 29, 2018 Another 'polar bear guard' from MS Bremen shot and killed the attacking bear in what the company has claimed was 'self-defence'. 'We greatly regret this incident,' said Hapag-Lloyd Cruises spokesman Moritz Krause. The injured employee was flown by helicopter to the local capital Longyearbyen and then on to Tromso on the mainland in the evening, Malmo said. Tromso hospital told AFP the man's life was not in danger and he was in a stable condition. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said it had permission from 'local authorities' to dock. 'Landings are only possible in a few places (in the archipelago),' said Krause, in remarks confirmed by Malmo. Taken away: The 40-year-old employee who was attacked by the polar bear is seen being airlifted to hospital Usually 'as soon as an animal approaches, the landing stops immediately,' Krause added. The company said excursions of this nature required staff to check areas before landing and to protect those onboard against polar bear attacks. Polar bears have been protected in Norway since 1973 and nearly 1,000 were counted on Svalbard during a 2015 census. The archipelago, roughly twice the size of Belgium, lies about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the North Pole. Five fatal polar bear attacks have been recorded on Svalbard in the last 40 years. The most recent was in 2011 when a bear attacked a group of 14 people on a trip organised by a British schools association. A 17-year-old Briton died and four other members of the expedition were hurt before the bear was killed. Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. A mass murderer serving seven consecutive life sentences wrote a chilling confessional poem, recently released to the public. Julian Knight was only 19 years old when he became one of Australia's worst serial killers, and the worst murderer in Victorian history. He murdered seven civilians in Victoria's Clifton Hill, in what would eventually be known as the Hoddle Street Massacre. Scroll down for video Julian Knight was only 19 years old when he became one of Australia's worst serial killers, and the worst murderer in Victorian history Knight penned a startling confession to forensic psychologist Tim Watson Monroe just weeks after the devastating 1987 murders, A Current Affair has revealed Monroe is publishing Knight's graphic poem in his new memoirs, Shrink in the Clink, despite acknowledging it may open fresh wounds for survivors and victims. 'On that fateful night in August, the avenging angel executed it's final order. Gutters ran with blood and bodies lay amongst the carnage strewn across that field of death,' Knight wrote of the heinous attack. Knight penned a startling confession to forensic psychologist Tim Watson Monroe just weeks after the devastating 1987 murders Monroe (pictured) is publishing Knight's graphic poem in his new memoirs, Shrink in the Clink, despite acknowledging it may open fresh wounds for survivors and victims 'The sirens of authority and sounds of gunfire drowned out the screams of the dying.' 'The angel of mercy had been swayed and in the evil clutches of insanity it carried out death's morbid tasks'. Mr Knight claimed, in his poem, that he was carrying out tasks beyond his control, and that he was not consciously enacting the crime. Former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina believes the poem is further proof Knight should never be released. He went on to add the only way Mr Knight should ever leave his prison is 'feet first'. Mr Knight currently resides in a maximum security prison in Port Phillip, Victoria. He was eligible for parole in 2014, however the Victorian government passed legislation to ensure he remained behind bars for the rest of his life. He appealed the legislation numerous times. Described as an evil man, Mr Knight exhausted his final appeal to the High Court in 2017. Rose Egarr, 60, plundered 200,000 from her firm to give to Michael Milner A lawyer who lost her legal practise, career and home after she stole 200,000 from her firm to fund a penniless conman who falsely claimed to be a multi-millionaire has been jailed for 30 months. Rose Egarr, 60, handed over cash to Michael Milner after she was 'sucked in' by his outlandish claim to be an undercover detective with 3.3m in the bank. During a two-year scam Milner, 49, became Egarr's 'Number One Client' who professed to be a leading figure in the war against organised crime in the South of England - working for the elite Eastern Regional Special Operations Unit. He said he had multiple bonds set up in Holland plus family trusts and was owed 300,000 in wages by the ERSOU plus another 1m. Michael Milner (pictured) was jailed for 17 years and nine months after he was convicted of 16 fraud offences Damage caused by an arson attack at the petting farm in Cumbria arranged by Michael Milner Despite his claims, Milner was an undischarged bankrupt with just ten pounds to his name. Pictured firefighters at the scene of the arson attack In fact Milner was an undischarged bankrupt with just ten pounds to his name. He set up a string of businesses and instructed Egarr to give him legal advice in a series of shady investment schemes across the North West of England. Milner made 13 failed promises of paying legal fees and filing 'police' correspondence on plain paper littered with grammatical errors. Despite this Egarr who was managing partner at Arthur Smiths law firm in Wigan, Greater Manchester, still believed Milner was still good for the money. When he falsely claimed to be unable to access his millions as they were 'tied up' in Holland, she illegally used client money to pay Milner 130,000 for his living expenses. The thefts emerged after Milners' investment schemes in pubs, farms and classic cars were all found to be fraudulent. Police also discovered he was the brains behind a petrol bomb attack on a petting farm he had offered to buy for 1.6m when he realised his scams had been found out. The thefts led to the collapse of Egarr's law firm and she was subsequently struck off. Her home in Westhoughton, near Bolton, was re-possessed and she now lives in sheltered accommodation on 73 a week in benefits. Her former clients lost a third of their money in the thefts and were only paid back 65p in the pound. She denied wrongdoing, but at Preston Crown Court, Egarr's humiliation was complete when she was jailed for 30 months after being found guilty of theft. Milner was jailed for 17 years and nine months after he was convicted of 16 fraud offences, conspiracy to commit arson, running a company as an undischarged bankrupt and perverting justice. He was also disqualified from running a company for 12 years. The owners of tourist attraction, Ducky's World in Cumbria, pictured after the arson attack, plus two brothers who ran a 76 acre farm, lost 1.2m in other scams perpetrated by Milner Sentencing judge Heather Lloyd said Milner was a 'thoroughly dishonest and unscrupulous man' who had been 'ducking and diving for years ' and who treated victims as 'cash cows.' She told Egarr: 'You were a solicitor for many years and when Mr Milner came into your offices as a prospective client, you were taken in by him. I do find it hard to understand how you fell for his con. 'I accept that he was a persuasive man, but he never bullied you. I accept that when you started giving him the firm's cash, you expected it to come back. But you didn't just risk your firm's money, you risked client's money too. 'You gave Milner 130,000 of client money. You did this knowing the risks and you didn't have the money put back in. They have now lost 35% of their funds as a result. 'As a qualified lawyer, you know that you had no right to use client's money. You can help people with your own money - but not your clients. Any client should know that their money is safe in a solicitor's firm and if it cannot be safe there then where can it be.' The court heard Milner from Flookburgh, Cumbria first instructed Egarr in October 2013 when he asked for advice about purchasing a 15,000 a year lease on a pub and acquiring a brewery. He claimed to be a police officer tackling organised crime in Bedfordshire, Cambridge, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and his lies began 'to dominate her world'. Jacob Dyer prosecuting said: 'He promised her he had multiple bonds set up in Holland and family trusts. 'She expected to get paid by Milner - he was never going to pay her. 'He sent numerous bogus emails of 'confirmation' of what was in his bank account so that he looked legitimate. He suggested he had previously been involved with security also. 'One of the clients who Milner wanted to purchase a second company was expecting payments, and he never received this. Neither did Rose Egarr. 'Numerous excuses were made but the money never arrived. The client went to his address to confront him, but Milner assured him he was a millionaire and had money coming from abroad. 'The client made one last desperate attempt to get the money but his address was empty and Milner had moved. 'Rose Egarr was encouraged by Michael Milner to become involved with fraudulent activities - although she was always a victim to his fraud. 'She was taken in by money she thought he had and she was encouraged to carry out work for Mr Milner in the expectation of being paid, believing he was in funds. 'She took money from client accounts and partly used this to fund his fraudulent activities. He made numerous excuses including one that he had been paid from his bonds into the wrong account. Milner did set up a bank account in this country - but this only had 10 in it.' Malcolm Keith (pictured) was convicted of aiding and abetting Milner and was jailed for 20 months During his scam Milner claimed to have secured the 'head lease' on the iconic Wigan Pier and also fleeced Allgates Brewery, pubs chain Thwaites and GS Cold Storage out of around 40,000, after forming a bogus pub company. The owners of tourist attraction, Ducky's World in Cumbria plus two brothers who ran a 76 acre farm lost 1.2m in other scams perpetrated by Milner. Egarr's law practise collapsed in 2015 and an investigation by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority found the business's accounts were in such a mess it was difficult to deduce just how much money had gone missing During inquiries it also emerged despite claiming to a senior detective, Milner never used police authorised correspondence in his emails to Egarr and his communications were littered with 'extremely poor' grammar and spelling. A finance officer at the practise who authorised payments to Milner had became increasingly concerned over the 'increasing hold' Milner had over Egarr - as she was losing other clients due to her obsession with him. But she insisted she was an 'experienced lawyer who had done her due diligence and knew far more about his history.' Payments were made to Milner even when cashflow became tight. The finance officer later quit the firm. Investigators from the SRA eventually contacted the ERSOU itself to find officers had never heard of Milner. When Milner falsely claimed to be unable to access his millions as they were 'tied up' in Holland, Edgarr illegally used client money to pay him 130,000 for his living expenses Egarr was arrested in 2016 and said she agreed to lend Milner money because he was 'desperate' and needed to 'feed his children' and said she accepted his explanation of his funds being 'tied up' in Holland. Mr Dyer added: 'She said she met Milner in December 2013 and he asked if she could do some accountancy work for him and he would pay her after he was expecting funds to come from his trusts in Holland. 'He produced a bank statement which said he had 3m and said he was expecting another 1m but that never arrived. He would relay back and forth stating that this money had not arrived for various reasons. 'She said she became involved in his company and he gave her various forged documents stating that monies were owed to him. She decided to give this money to him to sort the purchasing of a pub lease by taking money from a client's account and transferring it. 'She said she had no intention to take the client's money. She claimed she was going to pay it back once she received the funds from Milner. But she used client money which should have never been used in that way. It is probably fair to say that she was exploited for money.' Milner was the brains behind a petrol bomb attack on a petting farm he had offered to buy for 1.6m. Pictured is his associate Malcolm Keith In mitigation Egarr's lawyer Wayne Jackson described Milner as a 'puppet master' and added: 'He was very persuasive and, through his various lies, he was able to persuade many people to do his bidding. 'While you might expect a solicitor to notice the warnings, she was taken in by him. 'As he was persuasive in his approach, he was able to take people in and somehow or another, he persuaded Ms Egarr to do his bidding. In her defence, she did believe that she would get the money back. 'She is now on 73 a week and living in sheltered accommodation as her home has been repossessed. She is sad and ashamed and she says that her life is over. 'She is also worried about the welfare of her animals - this is something that causes her an enormous amount of stress. Any custodial sentence would have an impact on her physical and mental wellbeing. She is a suicide risk.' Malcolm Keith, 46, of Flookburgh, was convicted of aiding and abetting Milner and was jailed for 20 months. Paul Kelly, 66, from Leeds, a retired accountant, was found guilty of fraud and was jailed for 20 months. Milner's former partner Sarah Armstrong, 33, who was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice, was jailed for 12 months. A spokesman for controversial senate candidate Corey Stewart called three majority-black U.S. cities 's**tholes'. Rick Shaftan derided Baltimore, New Orleans, and Memphis in a series of tweets this year while working to get the Virginia candidate elected. He reserved particular ire for Louisiana's biggest city: 'You can run your gang-infested s**thole without our tourist dollars and soon, our tax dollars.' Rick Shaftan derided Baltimore, New Orleans, and Memphis in a series of tweets this year while working for controversial candidate Corey Stewart's senate campaign This tweet referred to Baltimore, which is majority black, as a s**thole He reserved particular ire for New Orleans: 'You can run your gang-infested s**thole without our tourist dollars and soon, our tax dollars' Mr Shaftan was using the word President Donald Trump used to describe countries like Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries in an anti-immigration tweet. The racist posts were yet another gaffe in Mr Stewart's scandal-plagued campaign that has seen him pilloried as a white supremacist by Democrats. Mr Shaftan is no stranger to openly denigrating black people and the neighborhoods they live in on his social media accounts. Following the riots in Ferguson in response to police shooting an unarmed black man, he repeatedly warned businesses not to open in black neighborhoods. 'After Ferguson, only a fool would start, finance or insure a business in a black neighborhood,' one of them read. Following the riots in Ferguson in response to police shooting an unarmed black man, he repeatedly warned businesses not to open in black neighborhoods He also branded the NCAAP as the 'black KKK, only more violent' in a 2010 tweet In response to news of a 2011 robbery he wrote: 'Another reason why white people (and Asians and Latinos) don't want to live with black people. #TheTruthHurts #Reality' He also branded the NCAAP as the 'black KKK, only more violent' in a 2010 tweet. Shaftan has a history of support controversial candidates, including far-right congress hopeful Paul Nehlen and accused pedophile Roy Moore. He worked on a political action committee that supported Mr Nehlen, who has long expressed anti-Muslim views. From late 2017 Mr Nehlen also started sharing anti-Semitic posts including an image of Jews' heads on pikes in the Oval Office. The racist posts were yet another gaffe in Corey Stewart's scandal-plagued campaign that has seen him pilloried as a white supremacist by Democrats A campaign stunt that sparked outrage in the wake of numerous mass shootings 'I was with [America Speaks PAC] back in 2016 where we boosted Nehlen. There was no sign he was anything other than a Trump guy, pretty much,' Mr Shaftan told the Daily Beast. 'I made an ad for him, I think in November, before he went wacko.' Numerous other staffers for Mr Stewart's campaign have been exposed as having racist, anti-Semitic, or white supremacist views. They include one who was a member of a chat group planning a sequel to the deadly Charlottesville rally, and another who praised the president of the American Nazi Party. Mr Stewart's campaign also awarded Volunteer of the Month to a man with links to neo-Nazi groups. Advertisement A beach hut is thought to have become Britains most expensive ever after selling for 300,000, despite having no mains electricity or even toilet. Located in the exclusive Mudeford Spit in Christchurch, Dorset, the hut can sleep six people with a mezzanine floor that has room for two single mattresses, a double mattress and a seating area that converts into a bed for two. Hut 475 is the last 18-foot by 15-foot timber cabin in a row of huts, giving it a little extra space, which is thought to be the reason for the eye-watering price tag. The beautiful sky-blue Hut 475 has sold for an incredible 300,000 after a family who had the holiday home for ten years put it on the market due to their children no longer using it Hut 475 is in the exclusive Mudeford Spit in Christchurch, Dorset, which overlooks Christchurch Harbour on one side and the Needles on the seaside. The sky-blue home, which is lit due to solar panels, was sold by a family who had it for nearly a decade. They put the home on the market as their children were no longer using the gorgeous hut. However the steep purchase price isn't the only money that the new owners will be forking out. Other costs of having the home, which requires you to use communal shower and toilet facilities, include an annual fee of 500 to the Christchurch Borough Council. There is also a licence fee of 2,500 a year. Owners are also restricted from when they can stay overnight in the hut, only being allowed to sleep in the residence between May and October. Charlie Dancer, from Denisons, said: 'The views from it are stunning and you can see all the way along the beach and towards the Isle of Wight. The hut is the last of 350 properties on the bank and it is believed that the extra room on the side is partially what made the home so attractive. It was previously described by real estate agent Andy Denison as 'almost like having a private beach' The hut can sleep up to six people with a mezzanine floor that has room for two single mattresses, a double mattress and a seating area that concerts into a bed for two However despite the gorgeous views and adorable nature of the hut it does not have electricity mains or a toilet, forcing people to use a communal bathroom 'The hut went for around the asking price so we are really pleased with the result. 'This is the most expensive one weve sold.' Andy Denison, also from Denisons estate agents, has previously said: 'It has prime views out front, it's almost like having your own private beach right in front of you.' Mr Dancer said that there is a database of people waiting for the right hut to come up. He said the heatwave has made snapping up these huts The hut features a sink that has a tap with water that comes via a pump, an oven that runs on gas bottles and a fridge that is powered by battery. Yet that doesn't seem to put buyers off, and neither does the additional costs. Owning the home requires pay an annual fee of 500 to the Christchurch Borough Council. There is also a licence fee of 2,500 a year In January Hut 413, on the same exclusive sandbank, sold for 295,000 in January. Prices of the homes have shot up by as much as 100,000 over the last six years. This is thought to be due to the increasing trend of people holidaying at home The hut on the Mudeford sandbank can only be accessed by a ride on a novelty train, a ferry crossing or a 20-minute walk In January Hut 413, on the same exclusive sandbank, sold for 295,000 in January. Hut 413 has a hard-wearing solid oak floor with inner walls built from ash, solid wood worktops and double glazed windows. The hut also has a large sundeck with water views and a mezzanine floor that sleeps three. Prices of the homes have shot up by as much as 100,000 over the last six years. This is thought to be due to the increasing trend of people holidaying at home. For the same price of this hut it is possible to buy a new four-bed house in Hambleton, North Yorks, or even a five-bed detached property with waterside views in Argyll, Scotland. Hut 475 is one of 350 beach properties that overlook Christchurch Harbour on one side and the Needles on the seaside. The hut on the Mudeford sandbank can only be accessed by a ride on a novelty train, a ferry crossing or a 20-minute walk. The home also features a sink with a tap with water that comes via a pump, an oven that runs on gas bottles and a fridge that is powered by battery. The laws that govern outer space - who owns the moon, rocket launch site licences and policing space crime - lies in the hands of one woman. Dr Maria Pozza is a space lawyer and one of only a tiny handful of specialists attempting to apply international law to an area where legal jurisdiction simply does not exist. '[Space] is for everyone but is owned by no one,' the New Zealand-based lawyer told Radio NZ. Dr Maria Pozza (pictured) is a space lawyer who deals with laws that govern outer space, including who owns the moon, rocket launch site licences and policing space crime 'The moon (pictured) is for everyone but is owned by no one,' the New Zealand-based lawyer told Radio NZ Dr Pozza says much of our international law has applications to activities in outer space, such as licensing regimes on launch sites and fuel payload permits which came into effect in New Zealand late last year. But it's the question of who owns space that is usually hardest to solve. There are 'some territorial claims or argument that there is some extent or extension of territory,' she explains. Territorial claims over space are 'a little bit like the high seas and regions of Antarctica and other areas of the world' the space specialist says. In principle, international law views space as 'res communis': a Latin term relating to the law of nature which is common to mankind. Of more recent concern are the laws that govern the international space station, which is owned by varying and different countries, and Donald Trump's recent interest in establishing a U.S. Space Force. (Pictured: Donald Trump signs a Space Policy Directive in June) 'In actual fact there is no formal demarcation as to where air or air law ends and where space or space law begins,' Dr Pozza explains. Of more recent concern are the laws that govern the international space station, which is owned by varying and different countries, and Donald Trump's recent interest in establishing a U.S. Space Force. Dr Maria Pozza (pictured) is a space lawyer who deals with laws that govern outer space 'It is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space,' Mr Trump said ahead of the National Space Council meeting last month. 'We are going to have the Air Force and we're going to have the Space Force. Separate but equal.' Trump also signed a new Space Policy Directive in June which includes new policies for commercial space regulations in a bid to ease regulations on private industry in space. It is exactly these issues of liability and questions over commercial uses for outer space that attracted Dr Pozza to working within international space law when she was studying for her PhD. 'I think there is probably going to be a call by the international community ... for some clarification on what Donald Trump has in mind,' she said. 'Exactly what that means, what they will be doing and how they will be doing whatever it is they will be doing in compliance with international law.' Four tourists traveling through Tajikistan on bicycles were killed when a driver allegedly rammed his car into them and joined his passengers in going after the cyclists with knives, U.S. and Tajik officials said Monday. Authorities in the ex-Soviet republic in Central Asia were considering an extremist plot among the possible motives for the attack, the country's interior minister said. A Daewoo sedan plowed into a group of seven foreign bicyclists about 60 miles south of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, on Sunday, according to local police. The people in the vehicle then 'exited the car and stabbed the cyclists with knives,' the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan said in a statement Monday. Four tourists traveling through Tajikistan on bicycles were killed when a driver allegedly rammed his car into them and joined his passengers in going after the cyclists with knives, U.S. and Tajik officials said Monday. Two of the victims are seen above being treated at the scene Authorities in the ex-Soviet republic in Central Asia were considering an extremist plot among the possible motives for the attack, the country's interior minister said. Three of the bikes which belonged to the Westerners are seen above A Daewoo sedan plowed into a group of seven foreign bicyclists about 60 miles south of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, on Sunday, according to local police. The people in the vehicle then 'exited the car and stabbed the cyclists with knives,' the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan said The alleged attack took place in the district of Danghara, 90 miles south of the capital Dushanbe Four of the cyclists died and three others, including a woman from Switzerland, were injured, Tajik officials said. Two of the victims were American, one was Swiss, and another was from the Netherlands, foreign and Tajik officials said. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon sent the leaders of each country a telegram expressing condolences Monday. Interior Minister Ramazon Rakhimzoda told reporters that one of the survivors had knife wounds and police found knives and guns with some of the suspects. Safarov Zafarjon Jumayevich, 19, is one of four suspects detained in the alleged attack The Interior Ministry of Tajikistan also announced the arrest of Magidov Asomiddin Yarmahmadovich He described the car crash as 'an attack,' and said investigators were examining all possibilities, including a road accident, murder and terrorism. Rakhimzoda said one suspect was killed while resisting arrest, his ministry said two suspects were killed and the U.S. Embassy reported three. Yousufov Jafaruddin Sadriddinovich was also detained The discrepancy could not be immediately explained. Four suspects have been detained, according to the Interior Ministry. The State Department issued a statement Monday condemning what it called a 'senseless attack' and expressing 'deepest condolences' to the families of the people killed. The department said it could not provide more information about the U.S. citizens due to 'privacy concerns,' but that U.S. officials were working closely with Tajik authorities. Swiss Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Silvia Mueller said that while the circumstances of the crash were unclear, the Swiss government's travel advice for Tajikistan notes there is a risk of attacks and poor road travel conditions in the Central Asian country. 'Should it turn out to have been a terrorist act, this would be recorded in the travel advice,' Mueller said. The State Department encouraged Americans headed abroad to monitor government advisories for updated information on where it is safe to travel. Amnesty International worker Sebastian Sarmiento Orozco, 27, has been jailed after defrauding the charity out of 43,526 to finance his life of luxury An accountant for Amnesty International who blew 43,526 on flights, hotels and luxury goods on the charity's credit card sobbed today as he was jailed. Sebastian Sarmiento Orozco, 27, described himself as a defender of human rights while living a jet-set lifestyle financed by fraud. He spent thousands on flights to South America and Dubai, as well as in restaurants, hotels and on shopping sprees for items including designer handbags and an espresso machine. The Colombian business graduate from Bogota was working for Amnesty as a junior accountant in London when the stealing was discovered in July 2017. Amnesty hired private auditors when they noticed money had gone missing. He now faces being deported after he finishes his 21 month jail term. Judge Michael Hopmeier said: If youre a prospective donor or donor and you find out that might go to one of the finance representatives espresso machines, you might think twice about donating to that particular charity. It is greed, he had a good job and salary, no doubt good prospects and he found a way of stealing money, found a way of trying to disguise it in quite a sophisticated way and thought he would like some luxuries for him and his friends. This was pure dishonesty and greed. We have enough issues with dishonesty here, we dont need imported dishonesty and he will no doubt be deported. Amnesty provided a victim impact statement describing their fears over reputational damage. Orozco will serve up to 21 months in prison before being deported, Judge Michael Hopmeier said On his last appearance the judge adjourned for Orozco to try to pay some money to Amnesty. Although he was able to pay a 5,000 security for his bail he did not manage to repay a penny to his former employer. Orozco wiped tears away beneath his spectacles while his mother and father, who are both doctors, sat stony-faced in the public gallery. The fraudulent transactions had been moved to the foreign part of the accounting system, prosecutor James Cladwell said. They were moved there because they were less likely to be checked over time. Orozco, of Bogata, Colombia, admitted fraud by abuse of position and was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment. The heartbroken daughter of a father of three who collapsed and died during the RideLondon cycle race yesterday has described him as 'my hero.' Married Nigel Buchan-Swanson, 69, suffered a cardiac arrest near the 56-mile mark of the event in London and Surrey, organisers said. Mr Buchan-Swanson, of Chichester, West Sussex, fell ill near Leith Hill in Surrey, and was treated at the scene by paramedics, with other riders stopping to help. His daughter Carey Tonkin, who lives in South Africa, today led the tributes to her father, saying she was 'absolutely broken.' Nigel Buchan-Swanson, 69, who collapsed near the 56-mile mark of the RideLondon cycle event in London and Surrey, organisers said Mr Buchan-Swanson's wife Deborah paid tribute to her husband, saying he died doing something he loved' Cyclists braved the rain for the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 yesterday His wife Deborah said: 'He was a very experienced cyclist and died doing something he loved'. She said: 'Nigel was a much loved husband, father and grandfather.' MrsTonkin, wrote on Facebook: 'My dad was my hero, I told him that on the phone last week. Absolutely broken.' She later told the Evening Standard: 'It was so unexpected. He was fit and healthy. 'I don't have any words now. 'I am heartbroken and this came as such a shock. He lived in England for many years and was planning on visiting home next year for his 70th.' Mr Buchan-Swanson's daughter Carey Tonkin, pictured with her husband Alan, said she was 'absolutely broken' over her father's death Some 25,000 amateur cyclists took part in the route through London and Surrey on Sunday The event organisers said Mr Buchan-Swanson had been raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. What is the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest? A cardiac arrest is when your heart suddenly stops pumping blood round your body, commonly because of a problem with electrical signals in your heart. When your heart stops pumping blood, your brain is starved of oxygen. This causes you to fall unconscious and stop breathing. It is not the same as a heart attack. A heart attack happens when blood supplying the heart muscle is cut off due to a clot in one of the coronary arteries. A person having a heart attack has a high risk of experiencing a cardiac arrest. A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body, often because of a problem with the electrical signals to the heart muscle. Source: British Heart Foundation Advertisement He had set a target of 200, but by this afternoon it had hit more than 2,000, and donations were still flooding in. Lynsay Macdonald, who donated, wrote: 'I never knew you Nigel, but am thinking of your family at this sad time. I hope you are resting in peace and died doing something you love and raising critical funds for an important charity.' A fundraising page has also been set up for the family of Mr Buchan-Swanson by another rider who saw what happened. Charlotte Henderson, who saw paramedics trying to resuscitate him said: 'It could have been any one of us and I just wanted to help.' A spokesman for the annual event, said Mr Buchan-Swanson 'received immediate treatment from fellow riders and medical personnel at the scene.' 'Everyone involved in Prudential RideLondon would like to express our sincere condolences to Nigel's family and friends', they said. A total of 26,720 riders completed the 100 mile course on Sunday. Downing Street today denied it was preparing to use the Army in a no deal Brexit as ministers were slammed for failing to prepare for failure in the EU talks. Theresa May's official spokesman insisted there were 'no plans' to deploy troops after reports claimed contingency plans had been drawn up to have soldiers distribute food and medicine if the UK's ports collapse into chaos. Brexiteers have reacted furiously to escalating claims of what might happen to Britain if negotiations with Brussels fail ahead of exit day on March 29, 2019. As well as claims they would use troops, ministers have been forced to insist there will be 'adequate' food supplies while the NHS has made plans to stockpile medicines. A collapse into no deal would see Britain going straight to World Trade Organisation rules on trade - meaning thousands of shipments in and out of Britain every day would need to be checked by customs controls instead of waved through under EU rules. Eurosceptic ringleader Jacob Rees-Mogg last night derided 'fretful, weak and incompetent' ministers for failing to put in place no deal contingency plans without frightening voters. Downing Street today denied Theresa May (pictured on holiday in Italy yesterday) was preparing to use the Army in a no deal Brexit as ministers were slammed for failing to prepare for failure in the EU talks The Government is due to publish around 70 notices on how different sectors should prepare for a no deal Brexit in August and September. Mrs May's spokesman today said: 'It is about making sensible preparations so in the event of a no deal scenario, this would be implemented in an orderly way. 'We have been clear that it is in the interests of not just ourselves to get a good deal. In the event of no-deal there will of course be consequences for the European Union. 'There are no plans to involve the Army in this.' The Prime Minister is on holiday in the Italian Lakes, leaving her de facto deputy David Lidington as the senior Government figure in the UK. Downing Street defended ministers taking holidays despite the tense state of the Brexit talks, saying: 'The Prime Minister and other ministers are always fully engaged with their briefs. Prominent Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg has said the Government appears to be trying to frighten voters into accepting further compromises on Brexit Mr Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group of Tory MPs, said ministers were using scare tactics to bolster support for the Prime Minister's Chequers deal. 'The PM has said for a long time that no deal is better than a bad deal,' he added. 'If the Government cannot now show that it can deliver a workable deal based on WTO terms then it is not competent. 'It is not a good look for the Government to appear fretful, weak and incompetent, but this seems to be the way it is approaching the idea of leaving on WTO terms.' On the use of the Army, one minister told the Sunday Times that this was common in civil contingency planning, adding: 'That's not frightening the horses, it's just being utterly realistic.' But a source familiar with no deal planning at the Department for Exiting the EU said there had never been any discussion about calling in troops, suggesting the briefings came from standard civil contingency plans drawn up over many years by the Cabinet Office. Ministers had planned to release a series of low-key technical notes over the summer setting out preparations for the possibility the UK could leave the EU without a deal in March next year. He also claims ministers are using scare tactics to bolster support for the Prime Minister's Chequers deal (former cabinet pictured during negotiations at Buckinghamshire retreat) But Government sources last night said the documents were likely to be released together in late August. Steve Baker, who resigned as a Brexit minister over the Chequers plan, said there appeared to be a deliberate attempt to undermine public confidence in the credibility of a no deal departure. Mr Baker said last night: 'I am deeply concerned by the Government's communications strategy around no deal. Labour's Frank Field hit by Left's no confidence vote over Brexit Labour MP Frank Field remains defiant after Left-wing activists in his constituency passed a vote of no confidence in him for siding with the Government over Brexit. The Eurosceptic former minister was censured by Birkenhead constituency Labour Party at the weekend after he helped prevent a Government defeat over the customs union this month. The far-Left Momentum group has called for the deselection of Mr Field and three other Labour MPs. But Mr Field, speaking after the vote of no confidence, insisted he had acted on behalf of 'millions of Labour voters mainly in parts of the country that have long been neglected by the elites who gave politicians a clear instruction to take the country out of the EU'. Mr Field's constituency on the Wirral voted in favour of Leave. The vote of no confidence carries no formal weight but could pave the way for deselection. Fellow Labour Brexiteer Kate Hoey has vowed to fight on after a similar vote of no confidence from activists at her local party in Vauxhall. Eurosceptics John Mann and Graham Stringer also face potential censure after Momentum's national co-ordinator Laura Parker said there was 'no room for Labour MPs who side with the reactionary Tory establishment'. Mr Field said during his 39 years as an MP he had 'always voted to free our country from the tightening stranglehold of the EU' adding that he had done so for most of that period 'alongside Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell'. Advertisement 'As I said to the PM I wanted to see the credibility and feasibility of our plans reinforced to the public in order to give reassurance. 'Instead we seem to be seeing long-standing civil contingencies plans being trotted out in the run-up to dumping out a string of technical notices on a single day, shortly before MPs return to Westminster. 'This doesn't seem to me a sincere way to make the unwanted scenario of a no deal exit a credible and feasible proposition.' Mrs May's chief Brexit adviser Oliver Robbins, the architect of the Chequers plan, is also accused of trying to kill off the option of leaving without a deal. Reports claimed that he has refused to highlight the substantial impact a no deal Brexit would have on EU economies during discussions with Brussels, despite a Government assessment finding the overall cost to the EU would be 'far greater' than that to the UK. 'Robbins simply refused to raise it,' a source said. One insider told the Daily Mail that the Department for Exiting the EU had drawn up plans for an advertising campaign on the continent highlighting the dangers of a no deal Brexit for key sectors of the European economy such as farming and cars only to have the idea blocked. Government sources last night denied there was a deliberate attempt to scare voters into accepting the Chequers plan. One source said the delay in publishing the technical notices was because they were not yet ready, rather than an attempt to influence MPs as they return to Westminster after the summer. 'This is not Project Fear,' the source said. 'Project Fear was a series of predictions about things. This is a very pragmatic look at things that need to be done if we arrive at a certain outcome. 'We remain confident that we will reach a good deal.' In a boost to the Prime Minister's chances of reaching a deal, it emerged over the weekend that Brexit has been put on the agenda of an informal EU summit in September. Downing Street said Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz agreed that Britain's departure from the EU would be discussed at the European Council meeting being hosted by his country, which currently holds the EU presidency, on September 20. That could allow Mrs May to prepare the ground for an October meeting of EU leaders where the details of the future relationship would be thrashed out. A beautician who was busted with $140,000 worth of cannabis in her sixth drug offence to date has been spared jail, as the judge claimed there were 'a lot of people' relying on her. Redcliffe woman Tamika Chantel Gray, 25, faced Brisbane District Court on Monday where she was sentenced for cannabis possession. Police pulled over a Jeep driven by Ms Gray's boyfriend, Adam Beer, at Hendra in northeast Brisbane on December 29, 2017, the court was told. Ms Gray, a passenger at the time, was charged alongside Mr Beer after officers found 12.6kg of cannabis packaged in heat-sealed bags in the back of the car. Tamika Chantel Gray (pictured), who was busted with $140,000 worth of cannabis in December 2017, was spared jail because her seven-year-old daughter 'relies on her' Police found 12.6kg of cannabis packaged in heat-sealed bags in the back of Ms Gray's (pictured) boyfriend's jeep, where she was a passenger at the time Prosecutor Lara Soldi told the court Ms Gray had been paid $1000 for the job and understood the role would involve some sort of unlawful purpose, The Courier Mail reports. Ms Soldi further pointed out Ms Gray's history of drug offences dating back to 2016 - including five incidents in which she acted as a cannabis courier - and insisted that 'fines have not deterred her'. Ms Gray's lawyer, Ali Rana, meanwhile claimed that his client was little more than a delivery driver, and that she wasn't selling contraband to fund a 'flash lifestyle'. The Redcliffe woman is mother to a seven-year-old daughter. Ms Gray has a history of drug offences dating back to 2016 - including five incidents in which she acted as a cannabis courier She was ultimately sentenced to 18 months' jail, to be immediately released on parole, with Judge Bernard Porter suggesting that her young daughter depended on her being free She was ultimately sentenced to 18 months' jail, to be immediately released on parole, with Judge Bernard Porter suggesting that her young daughter depended on her being free. 'Don't do this again, Ms Gray,' he said. 'There are a lot of people relying on you, it seems.' Mr Beer is yet to have his case heard. Grenfell fraudster Yonatan Eyob, 26, is the sixth person prosecuted after he lied about surviving the fire that killed 72 people to collect 92,000 in cash and benefits The ninth person charged with falsely claiming he lived in Grenfell Tower before it burnt down to hoover up 81,000 in cash and free hotel accommodation today pleaded guilty. Yonatan Eyob, 26, of Notting Hill, west London, who also claimed 11,000 towards a new permanent home, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Eyob claimed he had lived alone in a flat that actually contained a family of five who perished in Britain's worst fire for a generation. Neighbours said he didn't and CCTV proved he had never been there. He was later charged with dishonestly making a false representation for accommodation and subsistence between June 2017 and June 2018. A fire ripped through the west London tower block in June 2017 leaving 72 people dead. Prosecutor Marcia Evans told the court Eyob had received 81,000 in money and accommodation and there was also a potential loss of 11,000 linked to a claim for a permanent home. She said Eyob had claimed to live in a flat in the tower block which was home to a family of five who died in the blaze. Ms Evans said 'significant evidence' has been obtained from other family members and neighbours 'who say the defendant did not live in the flat'. CCTV does not show him going into the flat and 'in fact inquiries revealed that he lived somewhere else', Ms Evans said. Eyob is to appear in custody for sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court on August 24. Five fraudsters have so far been jailed for defrauding charities and authorities out of money in the wake of the fire on June 14 last year, which claimed 72 lives. Illegal immigrants Elaine Douglas and Tommy Brooks, 51 and 52, who said they lived in a flat on the 19th floor, were jailed for a total of more than six years. The Jamaican nationals spent more than 120,000 of taxpayers' money after being granted pre-paid credit cards and stays at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel. A month earlier in June, Mohammad Gamoota, 31, was jailed for 18 months for pretending to be a Grenfell Tower victim's son to get 5,000 and free hotel stays. Illegal immigrants Elaine Douglas (left) and Tommy Brooks (right) were jailed for Grenfell fraud Grenfell fraudsters Mohammad Gamoota (left) and Joyce Msokeri (right) have also been jailed In April, Joyce Msokeri, 47, was jailed for four-and-a-half years at the Old Bailey for fraud after posing as a Grenfell survivor in a 19,000 scam. She claimed the money in cash donations, electronics, handbags, dresses and hotel costs - and filled a room at Hilton hotel with donations from charities. Two months prior, in February, serial conman Anh Nhu Nguyen, 53, was jailed for 21 months after pretending his family died in the Grenfell fire. He claimed his wife and son were killed in the atrocity to obtain about 12,500 from funds intended for victims - and even met Prince Charles as he posed as a survivor. Another fraudster, Anh Nhu Nguyen, met Prince Charles during his time posing as a victim Two other men are currently awaiting trial on fraud charges relating to the fire - including father-of-five Abolaji Onafuye, 54, whose trial is due on October 29. In a separate and unconnected case, Koffi Kouakou, 54, will be tried on November 19. A third accused conman, Abdelkarim Rekaya, 28, is due for trial on November 26. Separately, a 57-year-old man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of fraud by false representation in relation to claims that he lived in Grenfell Tower. He was then released under investigation. A further five people four men and a woman arrested as part of the probe into the blaze have been released on bail. ISIS kidnapped dozens of Druze women and children when it attacked their village last week in Syria's Sweida, it has been revealed. Sweida, which is mainly government-held and populated with members of Syria's Druze minority, had been largely insulated from the conflict raging in the rest of the country since 2011. But on Wednesday, a string of suicide blasts and shootings claimed by ISIS left more than 250 people dead in the provincial capital and nearby villages, most of them civilians. During the attack, ISIS jihadists also abducted several dozen women and children from one village, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Sweida residents. Coffins are lined up during a mass funeral on July 26 following deadly suicide attacks in the southern city of Sweida in Syria The Britain-based Observatory said 36 Druze women and children were abducted, but that four women had since managed to escape while another two had died. That left 14 women and 16 children in ISIS captivity, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. Another 17 men were unaccounted for but it was unclear if they were also kidnapped. ISIS has not claimed the kidnappings and no details on them could be found on its propaganda channels. According to news outlet Sweida24, the 36 civilians were kidnapped Wednesday from the village of Al-Shabki, in the eastern hinterlands of Sweida province. Sweida24 and other online outlets published a video that appeared to show one of the female hostages making demands of the Syrian government on behalf of ISIS. AFP could not independently verify its authenticity, but several Sweida residents confirmed the woman was among those missing after the attacks. Fruits are seen scattered on the ground after a suicide bombing in Sweida, in southern Syria, on July 25 Druze, who made up three percent of Syria's pre-war population, are monotheistic and considered Muslim, but the sect is otherwise highly secretive, includes mystical elements like reincarnation, and does not allow new converts. They are regarded as heretics by Sunni Muslim extremist groups including ISIS. The hostages mainly hail from two large families in Al-Shabki, said reporter Nour Radwan, who heads Sweida24. The remote village suffered some of the deadliest violence from Wednesday's attacks, with more than 60 civilians killed there, Radwan said. 'Most of its residents are farmers and don't have much more than hunting rifles in terms of weapons, so there was little resistance from Al-Shabki compared to other villages,' he told AFP. 'When ISIS saw that, it kidnapped a first batch of people from their homes and took them east towards the Badiya, according to survivors,' Nour added. The Badiya is Syria's vast desert stretching from the country's centre to its eastern border with Iraq, and it includes several isolated ISIS-held pockets. ISIS then reached out to the hostage's families with pictures, videos, and ransom demands. The jihadists want the Syrian government to release 'detained ISIS-linked people, whose numbers are now being negotiated,' and stop its offensive on nearby ISIS positions, said Radwan. Druze religious leaders have since stepped in, Radwan and another source with knowledge of the talks told AFP. People attend the funeral processions for victims of the suicide bombings that hit al-Sweida province onJuly 25 'As of Sunday, the hostages were still being held in the Badiya. Negotiations are happening between Daesh (ISIS) and Druze sheikhs,' said the source. 'The massacres were massive, and so is the pain. There are families that were entirely wiped out,' said Noura al-Basha, an activist from Sweida. 'One young man from the Abu Ammar family in Al-Shabki lost his father and brother in the attacks. His mother was unaccounted for until they found her two days ago near the village, and his cousins are among those kidnapped,' Basha told AFP. In addition to territory it holds in the Badiya, ISIS also controls a pocket in Daraa province, directly west of Sweida. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops have been waging an assault on that ISIS-held patch for nearly two weeks. On Monday, they overran the jihadist-controlled town of Ash-Shajara just a few hours after beginning to bomb it, Syrian state media said. That has left just three villages under ISIS contol in Daraa, said the Observatory, but there are fears that hundreds of jihadists may have slipped away unharmed. Since its bloody rise in 2014, IS has carried out multiple mass abductions in Syria and Iraq, including of minorities. It kidnapped more than 220 Assyrian Christians in northeast Syria in 2015 and another 270 Christians from a central village the following year. Most of the hostages were released after negotiations. Under the group's ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam, minorities are considered 'infidels' but IS also politicises them as regime loyalists. More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011. Wednesday's violence was the worst Sweida had seen since the war began, and one of the deadliest attacks by IS across the country. ISIS attackers detonated suicide bombs in Sweida city and villages to the north and east, while others shot and stabbed residents. A total of 139 civilians were among more than 250 people killed, according to the Observatory. The other dead were pro-government fighters or residents who picked up arms to defend their homes. Advertisement These fascinating photographs show a German WWI Air Force crew being given a tour of a British fighter plane after it was taken down in Belgium. They were taken by pilot and photographer Rudi Porta, of the Imperial German Flying Corps, who was based in Flanders, northern Belgium, for the duration of the war. The photos, and a number of others taken by Porta during the Great War are being auctioned off in the UK this week after being kept by a private collector. Get a look in: A captured De Havilland biplane is being inspected by dozens of German servicemen after it came down in Flanders, Belgium, during World War I Wartime memories: The photos also show the two captured British pilots, who appear to be in good spirits This photo's caption reveals that 'Die Tommys' - the Tommies, slang for British WWI soldiers - were showing the Germans around their De Havilland In all its glory: It is not known how the British plane came to land in the field, however, from the outside it appears to have suffered minimal damage when it came down There are several shots of German aircrew stood next to the wreckage of a downed British De Havilland biplane. Remarkably, the two captured British pilots look upbeat as they give their German foes a tour of the plane controls in another example of the cordial spirit which existed between the two air forces in the conflict. In other photos, Porta can be seen posing in his flight attire and he took stunning aerial photos of German aircraft flying through the skies. The album also provides an intriguing glimpse into the sheer scale of the feared Zeppelin airship which terrorised Britain in the early skirmishes of the war. One remarkable snap shows a Zeppelin coming into land, just missing a barracks block, at an aerodrome. The early days: Extremely rare air to air photographs show a German fighter looping the loop It's gone down: German servicemen stand around all that is left of a plane which has crashed in the Flanders field Not a success: Another crash landing is documented by pilot and photographer Rudi Porta Emergency: A wounded German pilot is recovered from a crashed aircraft in the field in Flanders, Belgium Up she goes, up she goes: 'Flimsy' early airplanes from the beginning of the last century had to be held down on take off Another reveals the inside of the 650ft long airship as it barely fits into a giant aircraft hangar. Interspersed with dramatic snaps of aircraft wreckage are candid images of German soldiers hunting pheasant and letting their hair down at formal dinners. The album has been consigned for sale by a private collector with Dickins Auctioneers, of Middle Claydon, Buckinghamshire, and is tipped to sell for 600 when put up for auction on Friday. Auctioneer Louise Gostelow said: 'It is a very interesting collection. 'There are fascinating aerial and reconnaissance views and the photos of the inside of a Zeppelin and a hangar built for one reveals just how big they really were.' 'It is quite humbling to look at these photos and reflect on how many of the people actually survived the war.' The boss's ride: This photograph has been captioned 'My Squadron Leader's Hampmann' Come on in: This photograph gives a rare view inside a German Zeppelin airship More crashes: Several photographs show the not-so-successful test flights of planes at the airfield Coming in: A Zeppelin airship approaches its hangar at the German air base in Flanders Wires crossed: A crashed German aircraft is seen in a ditch, having been brought down by telegraph wire The first German Zeppelin raid over Great Britain took place on January 19, 1915, with Norfolk coming under attack. To combat the threat of the giant airships, the British Army began loading the air defence machine guns with explosive and phosphorus bullets from July 1916. In total, Zeppelins were involved in about 50 bombing raids on Britain during World War I with 557 people killed and 1,358 injured. About 30 German Zeppelins were reported shot down or lost in accidents during the conflict. Two 'extremely vulnerable' 14-year-olds were today at the centre of a police search after disappearing for two days. Emily Carter-Muall and Morgan Essex were last seen on Saturday morning and have not been heard from since. Both their families are said to be getting increasingly concerned over their safety. The pair are both from Guildford, Surrey, and police have been making inquiries with neighbours and witnesses. Emily Carter-Muall and Morgan Essex (pictured) were last seen on Saturday morning and have not been heard from since A spokesman for Surrey Police said: 'Morgan is described as white, 5ft 7ins tall, of a slim build with blond hair and was wearing black three quarter length shorts, a black and bright pink Arsenal top and a black Adidas coat. 'He has a black push bike with stickers in the shape of red lips on both sides of the frame and was carrying a black Marine Cadet rucksack which contained clothing and food. 'Emily is described as white, 5ft 9ins tall, of a medium build, with brown and red hair tied up in a messy bun. 'She was wearing a red tee-shirt with a diamante design on the shoulders, a black body warmer with fur around the collar and has a zebra print overnight bag with her. The pair are both from Guildford, Surrey, and police have been making inquiries with neighbours and witnesses 'We are appealing for help in finding two missing 14-year-olds from Guildford who have not been seen since Saturday. 'Emily Carter-Muall, who was last seen around 8.30am, and Morgan Essex, who was last seen around 9am, are believed to be together and both are described as extremely vulnerable. 'A number of searches and inquiries have been carried out and police and their families are becoming increasingly concerned for their safety. 'If you have seen either Morgan or Emily, or you have any other information which could help, please contact us on 101 straightaway, quoting reference number PR/45180080572.' President Donald Trump doesn't really want a chief of staff, his aides speculate as John Kelly marks one year on the job. While Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, has been able to make the West Wing run smoother, his attempts to discipline the unwieldy president and subdue the chaos around him have failed. Kelly now spends his early mornings at the gym instead of the office, according to Politico. The chief of staff even jokes to his aides: 'I'm leaving and I'm not coming back,' but does then return the next day. Retired Marine Corps General John Kelly is marking one year on the job as chief of staff President Donald Trump and his granddaughter Arabella Rose Kushner walk across the South Lawn as they return to the White House from a weekend stay in Bedminster, New Jersey Kelly's tenure has been marked by both praise and condemnation. There's been a steady stream of reports he will quit any day even as he continues to show up for work. Meanwhile, Trump, who is a loner by nature, has allies urging him to operate without a chief of staff. It may not be a move the president is ready to make as Kelly's presence allows Trump to have someone to blame when things go wrong. Kelly, who took the job out a sense of duty, no longer attempts to keep the president on message or on task. One Republican told Politico Kelly is 'chief of staff in name only.' 'The president knows that it is necessary to have a chief of staff that allows him to do things that only he, as president, can do,' White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters told the news website. Trump touted his business acumen and management skills from nearly the start of his campaign to be president. But his management style in the White House is seen as most similar to Gerald Ford's and the White House suffered a staff turnover rate of 34 percent during his first year. Ford had an open-door 'spokes of a wheel' style that involved the president at the center with direct contact with several senior aides. And it frustrated his then-chief of staff Donald Rumsfeld, who eventually left the job when he was unable to convince Ford to invest in a strong chief of staff position. 'Every president learns you cannot govern without an empowered chief of staff to execute your agenda,' Chris Whipple, author of 'The Gatekeepers,' told Politico. 'If Donald Trump wants to be Jimmy Carter, if he wants to be a one-term president, he should try to govern without a chief of staff.' Nearly all of Kelly's attempt to impose order and clear lines of who reports to who are gone. Trump goes around his chief of staff, adding to his daily schedule with the help of his personal aide Madeline Westerhout although the White House says she coordinates additional meetings with the chief of staff's office. The president still listens to a vast array of outside voices both those he solicits on the phone and those on cable news - mainly the Fox News Channel. While Kelly has axed the 'meeting crashers' - those aides who show up to meetings uninvited - he has not been able to stop Trump from adding or subtracting staff to the gatherings as he wishes. He's also been unable to keep the president on point with the meetings often turning into freewheeling conversations about what ever topic Trump chooses, including those suggested by Fox News host Sean Hannity. Trump is said to prefer a freewheeling management style in the White House 'He comes down for the day, and whatever he saw on 'Fox and Friends,' he schedules meetings based on that,' one former White House official told Politico. 'If it's Iran, it's 'Get John Bolton down here!' If he's seen something on TV or [was] talking to Hannity the night before, he's got lots of flexibility to do whatever he wants to do.' The chief of staff and the president have had a rocky relationship. Trump prefers to watch cable news and shoot out announcements and condemnations via Twitter, his weapon of choice in the battle of the day. Kelly, in contrast, rarely watches TV and is not on the social media site. That can be a disadvantage for him in dealing with Trump, whose moods and whims can follow the news cycle. Kelly was brought over from the Department of Homeland Security in July 2017 to replace then-chief of staff Reince Priebus, who crashed and burned in the job. On his first day on the job, he removed Anthony Scaramucci as communications director, just ten days after Scaramucci took the gig. He ousted aides like chief strategist Steve Bannon and 'Apprentice' star Omarosa Manigault and put process in place to run the West Wing. But his attempts to add order and discipline failed after six weeks. And his lowest moment on the job came with his statement of support for staff secretary Rob Porter, who was accused of domestic violence as reported by the DailyMail.com. One year into Trump's administration, talk was Kelly - who was still reeling from the Porter fallout - would be replaced by Gary Cohn, the National Economic Council director. But Cohn resigned in March while Kelly remains in place. In June, Kelly was said to be burnt out, again to be preparing to leave and, The New York Times reported, told visiting senators the White House was 'a miserable place to work.' Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies the White House, told The Times: 'It seems as though Chief of Staff Kelly is losing power by the day. It's almost like a battery that's draining.' An Arizona man is behind bars after he allegedly slit his 81-year-old grandmother's throat because he was tired of taking care of her. Brandon Smith, 30, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Helen Smith. Helen, who suffered from dementia, was found brutally stabbed to death in the bathroom of the home that she and Smith had shared for three years in Chandler. Smith told police that he became frustrated on Sunday morning after Helen urinated on herself, according to the arrest report. Brandon Smith, 30, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his grandmother Helen Smith. He allegedly slit Helen's throat in the tub of their home When he took her to the bathroom for a shower, Smith slapped her in the face. Helen fell in the tub and lost consciousness. Smith said it was in that moment he decided he didn't want his grandmother to 'live like this anymore'. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. Then he slit his grandmother's throat in the tub. Smith then called the police and reported that his grandmother was 'not breathing' and that it appeared 'someone had beaten her up and sliced her throat'. Smith told police he had become frustrated because he was the only family member who took care of Helen, who has dementia. Pictured are officers outside of their apartment Officers arrived at the Club Cancun apartment complex around 3.30am and found Helen dead, but Smith had already fled. Authorities were able to locate Smith and took him into custody. The arrest report states he was 'under the influence of alcohol or drugs' at the time of the incident. Smith later told police that he had become frustrated because he was the only family member who took care of Helen. Marca Whitehair, who lives in the apartment below Smith, said he could hear the cries of Helen's relatives when they heard the news. 'She was screaming, she was frightened,' Whitehair told azfamily.com. 'She just kept yelling, like, "Grandma's gone, grandma's gone!'" A woman who was tricked by her mother and father into travelling to Bangladesh in order to force her to marry her first cousin has branded them 'monsters' as they are jailed for a total of eight years. Leeds Crown Court heard the victim was told the family were going on holiday to celebrate Eid together, but when they arrived in a remote village her parents revealed they had set up the wedding. During her evidence the victim, from Leeds, said her father threatened to slit her throat and 'chop her up in 18 seconds' - one for each year of her life - if she did not agree to the plan. Leeds Crown Court (pictured) heard the victim was taken to the south Asian country on the pretence that she and her family would celebrate Eid together, but was instead told by her parents that they had set up a wedding for her She also told how he would repeatedly beat her, at her mother's encouragement, after saying she did not want to marry the relative. The victim said she had been 'betrayed by the two people who are supposed to protect, love and keep' her safe. None of those involved can be named for legal reasons. The teenager, who was 18 at the time of the incident in July 2016, was left 'almost suicidal' by the proposition and was told by her mother that she would have to have a child with her would-be husband so that he could attain a visa. 'I thought, if the worst came to the worst, then I would get married and come back to England, and file a report saying what had happened,' the victim said. 'But my mum said there was no way that that would happen, because they were going to leave me there for a year so that I would get pregnant so that he (the first cousin) could get a visa.' 'I AM NOW FREE': FORCED MARRIAGE VICTIM'S BRAVE STATEMENT TO THE COURT In an impact statement read to the court, the woman, who is now 20, described how she has had to assume a new identity and now lives in fear and hiding from her family and community. She said: 'I know I will always have to remain cautious but, knowing those monsters are going to be in prison, I feel the uttermost freedom in my heart.' She went on: 'I want other girls to know that forcing someone to marry is wrong. 'I want to be able to give a message to my siblings and other people who find themselves in this situation that life does go on. 'I want my elders to know that it is illegal and you can't treat family like this. I want to be able to hold my head high knowing that I stood up for what is right. 'I want to be able to live knowing that I will not be a victim for my parents' honour and reputation. I will not live in shame. I am now free.' Advertisement With the help of her sister and boyfriend, she was able to contact the British High Commission who, fearing she may be in danger, performed a rescue operation days before the marriage was due to take place. The British High Commission in Bangladesh, the Forced Marriage Unit, and Bangladeshi police worked together to rescue the victim and bring her safely back to the UK. Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court, her parents were convicted of forced marriage and of using threats, violence or coercion to pressure her into going through with the wedding. Today the man was sent to prison for four-and-a-half years at Leeds Crown Court and his wife was jailed for three-and-a-half years. In an impact statement read to the court, the woman, who is from Leeds and is now 20, described how she has had to assume a new identity and now lives in fear and hiding from her family and community. She said: 'I know I will always have to remain cautious but, knowing those monsters are going to be in prison, I feel the uttermost freedom in my heart.' She went on: 'I want other girls to know that forcing someone to marry is wrong. 'I want to be able to give a message to my siblings and other people who find themselves in this situation that life does go on. 'I want my elders to know that it is illegal and you can't treat family like this. I want to be able to hold my head high knowing that I stood up for what is right. 'I want to be able to live knowing that I will not be a victim for my parents' honour and reputation. I will not live in shame. I am now free.' The court was told the victim had passed her driving test and attended University since the event. Speaking of the victim's courage, Judge Simon Phillips QC said: 'Her endeavors to be successful may be regarded as a beacon of optimism in a dark case.' In defence of her father, Dafydd Enoch QC said his client's actions came about 'not in evil but in generations of accepted behaviour'. Jailing the pair, Judge Simon Phillips QC said: 'The deception the two of you were to carry out had been advanced in January when flights were booked. 'This forced marriage attempt was your doing. 'You have shown no remorse whatsoever.' The judge ordered funds found in possession of her parents - more than 8,000 - would be forfeited and awarded to the victim as compensation. The judge told the court he believed the funds would have been used for the wedding. The defendants sat with their heads bowed as the sentences were read. Detective Superintendent Pat Twiggs from West Yorkshire Police's Homicide and Major Enquiry Team led the investigation. He said: 'A parent's love for their child should be unequivocal and unconditional but they subjected their daughter to terrifying and harrowing ordeal. 'They threatened their own daughter with violence if she didn't do as she was told, making reference to the fact that they had brought her up for 18 years with love, but that the dad would chop her up in 18 seconds if she disrespected him by not going through with the marriage. 'I don't know how any parent can say that to their own child. I have previously paid tribute to the victim in this ordeal - she is a remarkable young woman who has had her life turned upside down at a relatively young age. 'Her family have turned their back on her and alienated her siblings from her, which I know has been devastating. 'It would have been easy for her at any point to have found this all too much, but she has remained resolute throughout. 'I think she has clearly recognised how important it is for her to stand up, not just for herself but for other victims who will follow. 'I know she wants her case to show other victims that they can come forward to the authorities with confidence that they will be listened to and safeguarded. 'Arranged marriages between consenting parties are entirely legal, but the law does not allow anyone to force someone to marry against their will and we hope this case will send a suitable deterrent message to those who seek to control and exploit others in this way.' Michael Quinn from the CPS said: 'This victim was cruelly and deliberately misled by her parents who were determined to take her to Bangladesh for a marriage she did not want. Once she was there, they told her that whether or not she agreed, she would be married, and that wedding arrangements were already in hand. 'When she refused, she was assaulted and threatened with further violence. She showed courage in contacting the authorities for help, and provided valuable assistance with the investigation and prosecution of these offences. 'This successful prosecution sends a clear message that forced marriage is a very serious crime and those responsible will be prosecuted.' An NSPCC spokesman said: 'This case sadly echoes what we hear at Childline, with increasing numbers of children - some as young as 13 - contacting the service worried about being forced into marriage. 'The emotional pressure and fears of violence that some victims face can lead them to run away from home, self-harm, or even contemplate taking their own lives. 'We hope today's sentencing shows that young victims can come forward and will be supported when they bravely report what they have been coerced or deceived into doing.' Childline is there for young people on 0800 1111 and any adult worried about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000. Both lines are free, confidential, and open 24/7. An award-winning Chinese author has been sentenced to death 23 years after murdering four people, including a family of three, for money. The 53-year-old criminal, Liu Yongbiao, and an accomplice robbed and killed the victims in a family-run guesthouse before living as free men for more than two decades. During the time, Liu became an acclaimed author in China. In a previous interview with China Central Television Station, Liu confessed that some of his novels were inspired by his thoughts about the murder. Liu Yongbiao and his accomplice, Wang, were sentenced to death today by a court in China In an interview with China Central Television Station (above, a screen grab), Liu confessed that he and Wang killed four people, including a family of three, because they wanted money But Liu did not dare to create any characters based on the people he had killed, he told a reporter from the China Central Television Station last year. Liu also admitted that the bloody scenes and gory details had haunted him throughout the years and the feeling was 'worse than dying'. Liu and his accomplice, named by the court as Wang, were both given a death penalty today during a trial in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, according to the court. The shocking murder took place on November 29 in 1995. The victims included one lodger, an elderly couple who owned the guesthouse and their grandson. The case remained unsolved and a mystery for 22 years due to the lack of evidence. Chinese police told the China Central Television that the guesthouse had failed to keep any information of their guests, which made it impossible for the police to track down the suspects in the populous nation. In addition, there was no CCTV cameras anywhere in the guesthouse. While recalling the killing, Liu told the reporter that he and Wang used rope, clubs and hammers. He said the details of the murder were 'so cruel' that he should 'die 100 times' for what he had done. He also confessed that he and Wang killed the lodger, who shared a room with them, because he looked wealthy. However, he said in the end they only found a watch, a ring and more than 10 yuan (1) cash on him. Liu is pictured being interrogated by the police after he was arrested last summer. His murder case had remained unsolved and a mystery for 22 years due to the lack of evidence Liu and Wang committed the crimes in Minji Family Guesthouse (pictured) in Huzhou in 1995 Liu was interviewed in a prison last August after he was arrested by Huzhou police who had found DNA evidence. The crucial DNA traces were obtained in June last year when police relaunched the investigation using genetic test technology. The evidence was extracted from the saliva on a cigarette butt found at the scene. With the DNA information, the police travelled across 15 provinces in China in a bid to find the suspects. They compared the evidence to the data of more than 60,000 people within the space of two months. Police made a breakthrough when they were informed that the DNA evidence matched the record of a clan with the surname Liu in Nanling, Anhui Province. Huzhou police travelled to Nanling to visit the clan. After talking to the residents and working with the local police, they locked down Liu Yongbiao as a suspect. On August 8, officers in plain clothes convinced Liu to provide his saliva for a DNA test after telling him that they were researching about the residents' family trees. Police arrested Liu at his home in Nanling on August 11, 2017, after his DNA was found to be a match with the DNA traces found in the saliva on a cigarette butt left at the crime scene Liu said in the interview that he realised those people could be investigating the murder case, but the images of the murder had been haunting him throughout the years, so he agreed to provide his sample. He said he sent his daughter and wife away while waiting for the DNA result. He also called his accomplice Wang, who lived in Shanghai, and told him they should face their fate. Two days later, a lab test confirmed that Liu's DNA matched with the DNA traces on the cigarette. At the wee hours of August 11, Liu was arrested at his home in Nanling. A few hours later, Wang was arrested at his home in Shanghai. Liu Yongbiao, simply referred to by the court as Liu, and his accomplice Wang received their death penalty today at the Intermediate People's Court of Huzhou. The court found Liu and Wang guilty of robbery and homicide at first instance. The court said though both suspects had admitted to their charges, their crimes were especially serious and brought significance consequences to the society. Therefore, the court decided to sentence them to death. The court did not mention if the two planned to appeal against the ruling. Up to 20 migrants jumped out of the back of a vegetable lorry and fled across fields sparking a police manhunt. The stowaways bolted from the back of the Spanish registered truck in Patrixbourne, near Canterbury, Kent this morning. The driver opened its back doors at a fruit and vegetable distribution centre, with locals spotting the group fleeing across nearby fields, with two seen trying to board a bus. Police officers caught five men who will be dealt with by Home Office Immigration Enforcement. Up to 20 migrants jumped out of the back of a vegetable lorry and fled across fields sparking a police and immigration enforcement manhunt in Kent this morning The lorry was transporting produce to Gomez, one of the UK's largest independent produce companies. Jim Parmenter, managing director of Gomez said the company had to scrap 20,000 of vegetables that were on the lorry and that it had lost 1 million from stowaway illegal migrants potentially contaminating their produce over the last five years. Mr Parmeter said: 'It was a Spanish lorry that had produce on the back. It was due to unload here and it was outside the premises. They just went across the fields. they jumped out and ran off. 'Obviously it did not unload. The driver was Spanish. He did not know who was on board. We have a standard procedure here and called the police. 'It has always been a problem. The stowaways bolted from the back of the Spanish registered truck at a vegetable and fruit distribution centre in Patrixbourne, (pictured) near Canterbury, Kent 'When they had the Calais camp it was a really big problem. On this occasion we have lost about 20,000. Over the years it probably runs into 1million. 'Each lorry is worth about 25-30,000. The driver is quite upset because we can't unload.' A Kent Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to Coldharbour Lane, Patrixbourne at 7.17am on Monday, July 30, 2018 following a report that between 15 and 20 people had been located in the back of a lorry. 'It is reported the people ran towards Bridge once the lorry was opened. 'Five of the males were located by the patrol; they will be dealt with by Home Office Immigration Enforcement.' Up to 20 migrants jumped out of the back of a vegetable lorry and fled across fields sparking a police manhunt in Kent this morning (file pic) Eyewitness Brenda Wood posted on Facebook: '20 people jumped out of Spanish truck at Gomez about a hour ago and managed to run of before police arrived !! '26 tons of cucumbers now contaminated thousands of pounds lost revenue.' Another eyewitness Tina Oliver said: 'That must have been two of them this morning at 7.30am running down the hill towards the village - thought they were running for the bus which had just passed - both had rucksacks on their backs!' Police in Delaware say a 28-year-old man entered an elderly couple's garage asking for a glass of water and to use their phone, and he then repaid the homeowners for their kindness by assaulting and kidnapping them. According to a detailed Delaware State Police press release, Steven Snell came onto an octogenarian couple's property in the Rehoboth Beach Yacht and Country Club on Saturday morning through an open garage door. Snell asked the 82-year-old husband if he could use the house phone. Steven Snell, 28 (left and right) is accused of assaulting, kidnapping and robbing a couple in their 80s who showed him kindness After he made a call, Snell asked the victim for a drink, which was promptly given to him. When the elderly man turned his back on Snell, the 28-year-old allegedly grabbed him from behind and put a box cutter to his neck. During a brief struggle that ensued, the victim was sliced in the chin with the sharp knife. When his 81-year-old wife heard his screams, she ran downstairs and was confronted by the attacker, who allegedly pushed her to the floor. 'Snell then proceeded to obtain rope that he had in his book bag and tied the male victims arms behind his back and his feet together,' according to the release. The suspect, who describes himself as a 'journeyman electrician' on Facebook, then allegedly took some cash out of the man's pocket and his wife's purse, along with their M&T Bank ATM card. Police say Snell stuffed the 82-year-old man into the trunk of the victim's own car, forced his wife into the front passenger seat and drove to the M&T Bank at 19511 Camelot Drive. When they reached their destination, Snell allegedly ordered the female victim to withdraw cash from the ATM machine. Ungrateful: Police say Snell asked an 82-year-old man to use his phone, then asked for a glass of water. He then put a knife to the victim's neck, stole some cash and stuffed him in the trunk of his own car As he was trying to get the woman back into the car, another bank customer noticed that something suspicious was going on, which spooked Snell. The 28-year-old jumped back in the car and sped away, with the male victim still stuck in the trunk. While still in the trunk, the 82-year-old man realized the vehicle had come to a stop. He was able to free his hands, locate a release button inside the trunk, and scramble out of the car, which was left abandoned behind the Subway eatery at 19470 Coastal Highway. Meanwhile, his wife called police who responded to the scene at 9.43am. The man was treated for minor injuries at the scene and the woman escaped unharmed. Snell was later tracked down to Millsboro and arrested on two counts of kidnapping, three counts of armed robbery, weapons possession, home invasion, assault, theft of a motor vehicle and offensive touching. Following his arrangement, Snell was ordered jailed on $362,100 cash-only bond. 1. The adverse impact of Trump's tariffs could be felt in the rising prices of washing machines and the scrapping of solar projects in the US. Similarly, thanks to Trump's disastrous trade war with China, Latin American countries like Brazil are selling abundance of soybeans to China at US expense. As a result, Trump had to hastily call a so-called "truce" in his trade war with the EU, lying to US farmers that he had opened up the European market to US agriculture, and pleading with them: "The following are excerpts from Justin Worland's June 19, 2018 article, headlined "Why Trump's Trade War With China Is So Risky" at http://time.com/5314894/donald-trump-china-trade-war/ (Begin excerpts)....For Trump, who has declared trade wars easy to win, the escalating tariffs represent the fulfillment of a campaign promise to crack down on China and reduce the U.S. trade deficit to support U.S. jobs. But most economists, business leaders and trade experts on both sides of the aisle have cried foul, arguing that trade wars are a dangerous game that could hurt the economy at home and around the world.The prospect of a trade war is particularly dangerous when it comes to China, the U.S. largest goods trading partner. Products from the country are integrated into global supply chains, and the U.S. sends the country billions of dollars worth agricultural products, vehicles and machinery each year.That position along with the authoritarian nature of its political system gives China significant leverage to stay the course in any trade war. The countrys tariffs on $34 billion in goods announced on June 15 targeted industries in politically sensitive places: soybean farmers in Iowa, U.S. automakers in the Rust Belt and orange juice in Florida.People in those swing states are taking notice. If we lose trade to China, our neighbors to the south will be glad to take up that trade, says John Heisdorffer, a soybean producer from Iowa and president of the American Soybean Association....most economists generally say that tariffs are the wrong way to tackle the issue. The rollout of this latest set of actions was quick and decisive, leaving little opportunity for negotiation. On June 15, Trump announced tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports. Within minutes China responded in kind, targeting a range of goods from soy beans to electric vehicles, and prompting Trump three days later to order his trade office to find another $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to target. Preemptively, Trump said he would be willing to bring the total value of Chinese goods targeted with tariffs to $450 billion....You may not have felt the pinch of the trade war yet, but experts say that barring big shift in direction large swathes of Americans will get hit. To understand the effects of tariffs, look no further than washing machines and solar panels. The price of laundry equipment has spiked 17% in the last three months after years of decline, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. And more than $2.5 billion in U.S. solar projects have been scrapped thanks to the tariffs, according to a Reuters analysis.Meanwhile, markets have responded poorly to Trumps tariffs play, dipping repeatedly with each new tariff announcement. Even an internal report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers reported by the New York Times found that Trumps trade agenda would hurt the U.S. economy. At the same, Trumps tax cuts and higher spending have actually exacerbated the trade deficit, which he ostensibly hopes to reduce with his trade agenda. Look, I have always said a trade deficit doesnt matter, former Trump advisor Gary Cohn said at a Washington Post event last week. In many respects, its helpful to our economy.But Trump has remained determined to implement his trade agenda in contrast to his vacillations on other political issues. And he is counting on the getting tough on China play to deliver a win for his base and give Republicans a boost in the midterm elections. The question now is whether economic effects will be felt by then as well. (End excerpts) Ralph Lauren is the latest brand to pledge to stop using mohair, which is the long, silky hair of the angora goat, following the release of a PETA video revealing animal abuse on 12 South African farms Ralph Lauren is the latest fashion retailer to join a long list of companies that will no longer use mohair from angora goats in their products, the company said. Ralph Lauren made the decision after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia released a video in May showing the horrendous conditions the goats were subjected to at shearing farms in South Africa. The video showed baby angora goats being dragged across the floor by the horns and legs, wrestled to the ground as they cried out in fear, and left laying dead in a farmer's field, with flies hovering around one goat's bloody nose and neck. 'Because a credible animal welfare standard for sourcing mohair does not currently exist, we will not include it in our product pipeline going forward,' a spokesperson for Ralph Lauren said in a statement. Close to 300 brands have dropped mohair from their product offerings, PETA said, with others pledging to phase it out over time and drop it entirely by 2020. WARNING: Graphic Content 'Every single mohair sweater or scarf represents the terror, blood and cries of gentle baby goats,' PETA director of corporate affairs Anne Brainard said in an earlier statement. 'PETA applauds UNIQLO, Zappos and the other brands that have made the compassionate decision to drop mohair and is calling on all other retailers to join them.' One notable brand that is still selling mohair items in its lines is Tommy Hilfiger, with at least four options containing the angora goat coat currently available for online shoppers, ranging in price from about $100 to close to $300. Gigi Hadid was featured in a campaign for one mohair sweater, which was shared to Instagram in September. The sweater Hadid is wearing in the photo is still available for purchase, on sale for just over $200 at this time. The short documentary by PETA Asia was published on YouTube on May 1, and shows graphic images of angora goats being subjected to horrifying treatment at 12 farms in South Africa, the world's leading mohair-producing country Gigi Hadid was featured in a campaign for one mohair sweater by Tommy Hilfiger, which was shared to Instagram in September The sweater Hadid is wearing in the photo is still available for purchase, for just over $200 Tommy Hilfiger has at least four options containing mohair currently available for online shoppers, ranging in price from about $100 to close to $300 The short documentary by PETA Asia was published on YouTube on May 1, and shows graphic images of angora goats being subjected to horrifying treatment at 12 farms in South Africa, the world's leading mohair-producing country. Mohair is also largely produced in the US, mainly in Texas. 'Animal abuse is rampant and routine in the mohair industry,' the narrator of the video says. 'No matter what the industry and retailers may say to hide it from the consumer, goats endure unspeakable suffering and die painful, horrifying deaths.' Mohair can be found in many clothing and household items, like sweaters, suits, blankets and balls of yarn. The video showed baby angora goats being hoisted in the air and carried around by their legs This photo posted by PETA shows a baby goat having its horns burned off at a mohair farm Many companies have said their use of mohair is a byproduct of the meat industry, but according to PETA, most angora goats are bred specifically for their coats and never make it to slaughter, which leaves no incentive for workers to keep the animals healthy and safe throughout their lives on mohair farms. 'Shearers are paid by volume, not by the hour, which motivates them to work quickly and carelessly,' the narrator of the video says. The video shows the kids left cut up and bleeding after being shorn, then stitched up right on the shearing floor by the same workers who inflicted the wounds on them. Workers were also captured on film shearing dead goats, who may have died from thirst or injury. In another scene that's difficult to watch, angora goats with coats that had become matted with feces were forced into a trough of chemicals, filled neck-high. 'This farmer dumped rams into tanks of cleaning solution and shoved their heads underwater, which he admitted would poison them if they swallowed it,' the narrator said. Goats whose coats could no longer be shorn were shown taken to slaughter, hung by one foot, with their throats slashed and left to bleed out and die; These goats may or may not be skinned, which will then be sold to produce clothing, rugs and other accent pieces Once goats are deemed not profitable, PETA says, they're subjected to horrifying, torturous deaths. In another scene that's difficult to watch, PETA shows it happening. 'This worker slowly cut the throats of fully conscious goats with a dull knife, and then broke their necks,' the narrator says, as it's shown happening in the video. 'He hacked one animal's head right off.' Other goats were shown taken to slaughter, hung by one foot, with their throats slashed and left to bleed out and die. These goats may or may not be skinned, which will then be sold to produce clothing, rugs and other accent pieces. PETA ended the alarming video with a plea to consumers to check tags while they're shopping, and to leave anything containing mohair on the rack. Along with Ralph Lauren, brands that have already signed on to stop using or phase out mohair include H&M, Zara, Gap, Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, UNIQLO, Zappos and Diane von Furstenberg. H&M said it will continue to sell mohair items that have already been produced, but will not make any more products using the coats of the angora goat. PETA's full, unedited video of the conditions on the South African mohair farms can be seen by clicking here. Corrie McKeague disappeared on a boozy night out in Suffolk in 2016 after it is believed he climbed into a wheelie bin to sleep Corrie McKeague's father has accepted his son is 'no longer missing' and is 'somewhere in the waste disposal system'. The 23-year-old disappeared on a boozy night out in Suffolk on September 24, 2016, after it is believed he climbed into a wheelie bin to sleep. Police believe the RAF Regiment gunner, who was based at RAF Honington, was scooped up by a bin lorry from a horseshoe-shaped storage area. Officers last year sifted through more than 9,000 tonnes of rubbish at a landfill site at Milton, Cambridgeshire, but found no sign of his body. Martin McKeague said in a lengthy Facebook statement on Monday: 'Corrie is no longer missing. What we mean by this is that after looking at all of the facts and evidence we now know what happened to our son. 'We are certain he is somewhere in the Suffolk waste disposal system, but his remains are essentially irretrievable.' Mr McKeague went through the elements of the case, explaining why he was convinced his son's remains were in the waste disposal system. His father Martin McKeague (pictured together) said in a lengthy Facebook statement on Monday: 'Corrie is no longer missing. What we mean by this is that after looking at all of the facts and evidence we now know what happened to our son' The father added: 'We are certain he is somewhere in the Suffolk waste disposal system, but his remains are essentially irretrievable' Pictured: Police searching an area of a landfill site in Milton, Cambridgeshire, for missing RAF gunner Corrie McKeague Mr McKeague said the family felt Corrie was no longer missing but 'his body is irretrievable because the remaining waste disposal environments are either too toxic to search' The father said police had visited the family in Scotland last October and this February to review the investigation in detail, and the evidence was 'thorough as it was compelling'. Mr McKeague said: 'That evidence had already been reviewed by independent experts in other police forces, who concluded beyond any doubt that Corrie had ended up in the Suffolk waste disposal system. 'But unlike other missing persons investigations where they do not know where their loved one is or what happened to them, we do know what happened to Corrie and we have to accept that it is impossible to search those areas for him now. 'And accepting that conclusion has clearly not been easy for the McKeague family in Scotland, nor anyone else.' Mr McKeague said the family felt Corrie was no longer missing but 'his body is irretrievable because the remaining waste disposal environments are either too toxic to search'. He also said the size of the landfill is so large, it would take years to sift through. Mr McKeague said: 'We still plan to hold a memorial for Corrie once this final stage of the process has been completed' Suffolk Police announced last October that they would be extending the search at Milton landfill site in Cambridge (pictured) for missing Corrie How has the search for Corrie unfolded? September 24, 2016 - Corrie McKeague goes missing after a night out in Bury St Edmunds September 26 - RAF Honington report disappearance to police October 4 - It is revealed that his mobile phone had been tracked moving 12 miles away to Barton Mills hours after he was last seen November 15 - Part of the A14 near Bury St Edmunds is closed while police carry out a roadside search January 2017 - Corrie's girlfriend April Oliver reveals she is pregnant February - A search begins at a landfill site in Milton, Cambridge, amid fears Corrie jumped into a bin March 1 - A man is arrested but later released without charge June - Corrie's daughter Ellie-Louise is born July - Search of Milton landfill site is ended by police October - Search is restarted at the dump as police focus on a new section of the site November - A report by specialist officers concluded Mr McKeague was 'most likely' at the landfill site December - Reward for information rises to 100,000. In the same month, the second search for him at the landfill site ends after police spent 137 days trawling through more than 7,000 tonnes of rubbish January, 2018 - It is announced that search has cost 1.6million so far March 26 - Police announce case has been passed on to cold case team Advertisement 'The father said no one else had been involved in Corrie's disappearance and that he accepted that Corrie was inside a bin which was carted off by a lorry. He wrote: 'The Biffa bin that Corrie entered in the Horseshoe was the first on the route, with a recorded weight of 116kg; an unusually high number for this bin, which tells us our son was inside. 'Were explaining all of this to you because, once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. 'And the facts and evidence show Corrie didnt walk out or leave the Horseshoe in any way other than the back of that Biffa bin lorry.' He added: 'This has been an unbelievable and horrific journey of grieve and acceptance for the McKeague family and we want to thank you all again for standing up and standing by us. 'We still plan to hold a memorial for Corrie once this final stage of the process has been completed.' The statement was signed by Mr McKeague and Corrie's stepmother Trisha. In April, police formally ended the active investigation and are transitioning it into a cold case file. Corrie was last seen on CCTV at 3.25am on September 24 in 2016 as he walked into the refuse collection area in Bury St Edmunds. He had previously been asleep in a shop doorway after leaving a nightclub. Police quickly realised that the movement of his mobile phone signal matched that of the bin lorry which had picked up the contents of a Greggs bin. The signal stopped when the lorry reached the Barton Mills area 14 miles away. The rubbish was taken to a transfer station at Red Lodge. Records suggest it then went to the Milton landfill site. The lorry was impounded, but no forensic clues linking it to Corrie were found. CCTV cameras also failed to capture images of him leaving the bin area on foot. Bin lorry operator Biffa initially wrongly stated that records showed the wheelie bin behind Greggs had only contained around 11kgs of waste. Officers repeatedly asked for the calculation to be checked and Biffa admitted last March that it had made a mistake and the bin contained more than 100kgs - enough to include a body. Advertisement The young daughter of Novichok victim Dawn Sturgess has told friends and family at her funeral how much she loved her mother. The chapel at Salisbury Crematorium was packed with mourners as people remembered the mother of three who died earlier this month, eight days after being poisoned with the nerve agent. According to Rev Philip Bromiley, who led the service, Ms Sturgess's daughter told mourners how much she loved her mother and how much her mother loved her, resulting in a round of applause. Ms Sturgess's partner Charlie Rowley, 45, was in the front row for the service, which also included a eulogy by her sister Claire. Among the music played at the service was James Blunt song Beautiful Dawn, the hymn Shalom Shalom, and Fame. Ms Sturgess's coffin, adorned with floral tributes, was taken into the chapel earlier to give her family some time on their own. The hearse carrying the coffin of Novichok murder victim Dawn Sturgess arrives at Salisbury Crematorium in Wiltshire ahead of her funeral today Dawn Sturgess, 44, (left) died in hospital on July 8 after she sprayed the poison on herself thinking it was perfume. Her boyfriend Charlie Rowley, (right) who became critically ill after coming into contact with Novichok, but survived, told how he gave her the bottle after finding it on the ground Speaking afterwards, Mr Bromiley said: 'There was a sense of celebration that we wanted to celebrate Dawn's life. 'As you can imagine there was a lot of mixed emotions and there was obviously still shock, and people were tremendously tearful having lost a loved one, and yet there was a bit of upbeat spirit to make sure that Dawn had the kind of send-off that they would have wanted. 'We ended the service with Fame - 'I'm going to live forever' - which is a great message for any funeral service to have. 'It summed her up because she was known for dancing to things. 'Dawn's sister Claire gave an extremely moving eulogy and Dawn's daughter got up and said a couple of lines which resulted in a round of applause from everybody. 'She just said how much she loved her mum and how much her mum had loved her, and really got to the very nerve of what it must be like to lose your own mother. It's an awful thing but she was so strong. 'The tragic and suddenness of her death was reflected in many of the thoughts and hearts of the public gathered there. 'Charlie was sat on the front row, obviously very emotional. It was lovely to see him there and I'm really hoping that the service will have given him a healing that he will doubtless need to have in the days and months to come.' The funeral directors worked with Public Health England (PHE) and the crematorium to make sure everything was as safe as possible. 'In the end nothing was different at all,' Mr Bromiley said. A floral tribute which says 'Mum' could be seen in the hearse carrying the coffin of Miss Sturgess, who was a mother of three As well as several health and safety measures, police patrols could also be seen at the Novichok victim's funeral today 'I think the precautions had been so stringent ... that by the time the funeral directors were able to take care of Dawn they were able to behave in any other way for any other funeral. 'Pallbearers took the coffin in quite a bit before the service began so the family could have a little bit of head space to think about Dawn before they were surrounded by hundreds of people. 'I was able to touch the coffin and do the final committal in the same way I would have done for any other service.' Ms Sturgess died aged 44 on July 8 after she and Mr Rowley fell ill after coming into contact with Novichok at the end of June. Mr Rowley has said the nerve agent took just 15 minutes to poison Ms Sturgess after she sprayed the 'oily' substance on to her wrists believing it was perfume he had given her as a gift. The first attack targeted former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia (right) It was the second nerve agent incident in four months following the case of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury in March. Reverend Philip Bromiley, who is leading the service, said the funeral directors have been working with Public Health England (PHE) and the crematorium to put measures in place to make sure everything is as safe as possible. 'One of the things that it will entail is there won't be any pallbearers and the coffin will be in situ before we arrive, so obviously there's probably been precautions around that and the coffin itself,' he told the Press Association. 'I have got every confidence in the powers that be that they know what they're doing.' PHE would not comment on the funeral but a spokeswoman repeated the general advice to the public that the risk was 'low'. The final report into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 has left the grieving families of the 239 victims on board outraged and disappointed. After an exhaustive four-year search, the 495-plus-page report could only reveal that the routine flight carrying six Australians was likely under manual control, and had not been trying to evade radar. 'They will be forever missed by their families, friends and colleagues, but never forgotten,' the report read, claiming that without the discovery of MH370 itself, the mystery surrounding the flight's disappearance would never be solved. However, Danica Weeks, whose husband Paul was on board, told The Australian the report was 'merely a mix of words that gives no new information' and had left her 'totally deflated.' The families of the 239 victims on board the Malaysia Airlines flight which vanished over the Indian Ocean were left disappointed and without answers after the final report was released Danica Weeks, (left) whose husband Paul was on board, said the Malaysian government only offered on Thursday to fly her to Malaysia and Melbourne-based Jennifer Chong, (right) whose husband Chong Ling Tan was on the plane said the report was 'unacceptable' After an exhaustive four-year search, the 495-plus-page report (pictured) could only reveal that the flight was likely under manual control, and had not been trying to evade radar 'Where does that leave us? We are in the wheel again going around and around. It just keeps on going and it just sucks. You have all these hopes that one day someone is going to tell you where your husband is, but it doesn't happen,' Ms Weeks told the Daily Telegraph. Ms Weeks said the Malaysian government only offered on Thursday to fly her to Kuala Lumpur for the briefing for families, but it was too little notice for the mother-of-two with a full-time job and pets. Unable to make the briefing, she said she had been eagerly awaiting the report and was 'refreshing the page until the report comes in our emails.' 'It's what we've been asking for, for so long, but I'm not holding my breath,' she said ahead of the reports release. Jennifer Chong, who is based in Melbourne and whose husband Chong Ling Tan was also on the plane, said the findings were unacceptable. '1605 days of waiting, 495 pages of 'final' report Only one sentence worthy of mention: In conclusion, the Team is unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of #MH370. Unacceptable,' she wrote over Twitter on Monday night. 'I want to know what happened and where is my husband,' she said. Danica Weeks has been searching for answers after the death of her husband Paul on MH370 Jeanette Maguire's sister and brother-in-law, Cathy and Bob Lawton, were also killed on board the flight. She encouraged investigators to continue looking as 'it's the only evidence they have' and the only way for future changes to be made. Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke vowed earlier this month that 'every word recorded by the investigation team will be tabled in this report'. The final report made no suggestion that the pilot, co-pilot or crew had anything to do with the plane's disappearance and instead pointed towards 'third party interference' as a possible cause. The investigators said that the aircraft's unexplained switches of direction - heading back across the Malaysian Peninsula, turning south of Penang and another turn toward the southern Indian Ocean- and the turning off of communications and radar equipment could have been done only by human intervention. Jeanette Maguire's (right) sister and brother-in-law, Cathy and Bob Lawton (left) were also killed on board the flight. She encouraged investigators to continue looking as 'it's the only evidence they have' and the only way for future changes to be made 'There is no evidence to suggest that a malfunction had caused the aircraft to divert from its filed flight plan route,' the report read. The change in flight paths 'are difficult to attribute to any specific aircraft system failure. It is more likely that such manoeuvres are due to the systems being manipulated,' the report continued. However, Dr Kok Soo Chon, head of the search team, said he did not believe the pilot was responsible. A reconstruction flight found the first turn back was likely made while the aircraft was under manual control and not autopilot, however it was uncertain whether the other two turns made by the plane were manual or autopilot. Some believe Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah hijacked the aircraft, killing his passengers and crew by decompressing the Boeing 777 and depriving them of oxygen. Pieces of debris have been found as far away as La Reunion (pictured), but the main body of the plane has still not been located The four-year search for MH370 ended in May after the US-based technology firm Ocean Infinity failed to locate the plane while scouring 125,000sq km of the Indian Ocean The four-year search for MH370 ended in May after the US-based technology firm Ocean Infinity failed to locate the plane while scouring 125,000sq km of the Indian Ocean. Malaysia had signed a 'no find, no fee' deal with Ocean Infinity to resume the hunt after the official search led by Australia, Malaysia and China was called off in early 2017. There has been speculation Ocean Infinity could resume the search as it remains in waters off the West Australian coast doing work for Woodside Energy. Ms Weeks, who moved from Perth to Queensland after the tragedy, said the search had to go on as the crash may have been due to a problem with the Boeing 777 model. 'They need to keep searching - that's a given. I understand that without new information, you're throwing the dice and hoping it's there,' she said. 'It's a matter of elimination. It's got to be somewhere. 'They can't just push it under the carpet and say 'that's it'.' Several theories have emerged about how the plane disappeared, with some suggesting it was hijacked, while others believe someone on board may have deliberately turned off the plane's transponder before diverting it over the Indian Ocean. THE POSSIBLE THEORIES 'I FOUND IT ON GOOGLE EARTH' An Australian engineer, Peter McMahon claimed he found what appeared to be a plane wreckage on Google Earth. After years combing an online map of the Indian Ocean, the amateur crash investigator claimed to have found the wreckage 'riddled with bullet holes'. WAS MH370 STOLEN? Prior to the plane's disappearance, Captain Zaharie Shah had listed the small island of Diego Garcia - 4700km northwest of Australia - on his flight simulator. Theorists suggested that Capt Shah may have been practicing landing the plane on the island's airstrip, which is controlled by Britain but is home to a US naval base. Suggestions have also been made that the plane may have been stolen by terrorists and hidden in North Pakistan, or even by North Korean dictator Kim Jong un. In a 2014 poll on the MH370 disappearance, five per cent of American respondents said they believed it had been affected by 'alien activities'. Pieces of debris have been found as far away as La Reunion (pictured) but the main body of the aircraft has gone undiscovered MH370 Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is believed to have downed the aircraft in an act of murder-suicide DID THE PILOT COMMIT SUICIDE? Some have claimed that one of the pilots may have deliberately crashed the aircraft in a well-planned suicide. According to this theory, captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah deliberately chose to plunge the plane into an area of the ocean up to 25,000 feet deep, where it would be almost impossible to find. There have been suggestions Shah circled an area of the Indian Ocean just moments before the crash. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott is among those to support this theory, saying in the lead up to the third anniversary of the plane's disappearance he found it 'plausible'. 'I have always said the most plausible scenario was murder-suicide and if this guy wanted to create the world's greatest mystery why wouldn't he have piloted the thing to the very end and gone further south?' Mr Abbott said. A new bikie battle has erupted on social media, spurred on by flared tempers and choice words between alleged members of rival gangs. Over a text-heavy Instagram story, the so-called 'Insta-bikies' used the platform to allow their feud to take a threatening turn. In the cyber-quarrel, alleged Villains member Harley Barbaro took on former Hells Angel enforcer Ben 'Notorious' Geppert, 26, labelling him 'a maggot dog'. However, although the motivation behind the feud remains unknown, it appears to have been inspired by deep family ties. In the cyber-quarrel, alleged Villains member Harley Barbaro took on former Hells Angel enforcer Ben 'Notorious' Geppert, 26, (pictured with girlfriend Allaina) labelling him 'a maggot dog' Over a text-heavy Instagram story, the so-called 'Insta-bikies' used the platform to allow their feud to take a threatening turn However, although the motivation behind the feud remains unknown, it appears to have been inspired by deep family ties for Barbaro, who recently lost two brothers 'You got caved in jail and cried screaming to the screws (prison officers),' wrote Barbaro. '(If you have) an issue with me sweet but don't bring dead brothers into it.' The 25-year-old's elder brother, underworld figure Pasquale Barbaro, was murdered in a gangland hit in Sydney almost two years ago. Another brother, Rossario, took his own life late last year after a battle with depression. However, the rant soon extended further with Barbaro threatening Geppert to settle the dispute with violence, which could be delivered 'anytime, any place'. 'You pulled up on me and I told u to jump out and fight like a man and u drove of (sic),' he wrote. 'Anytime any place u (sic) have my word I'll be there.' The rant soon extended further with Barbaro (pictured) threatening Geppert to settle the dispute with violence, which could be delivered 'anytime, any place' Geppert or Ms Vader have yet to issue a reply to the spat but he may have just been preoccupied, as this incident comes just days after his latest prison release Despite the threatening nature of the post, Geppert has yet to issue a reply. However, he may have been preoccupied with other spats, as this incident comes just days after his latest prison release. In fact, the former Finks member, spent the night of July 22 in prison after he was caught breaching a banning order from Robina Town Centre on the Gold Coast. That hiccup followed a five-year ban from the centre, which was issued in May. The week before, Geppert was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, following a brutal punch-up in a KFC car park. He was released from prison after already serving 56 days behind bars. Boris Johnson has accusedJeremy Corbyn of 'dog whistling' to anti-Semites as he demanded the Labour leader 'grow up'. The ex-Foreign Secretary said Mr Corbyn could end the current row over anti-Semitism in an instant by accepting the international definition of racism against Jews. But he claimed Mr Corbyn was unable to do so because he shared a belief that Israel was a 'racist endeavour' and the biggest obstacle to Middle East peace. Mr Johnson's criticism came as Labour MPs renewed their own condemnation on Mr Corbyn for failing to deal with anti-Semitism while letting investigations go ahead into the actions of angry Jewish Labour MPs. MPs Ian Austin and Chris Leslie both insisted it was not sustainable for the Labour definition to allow comparison between Israel and the Nazis. Boris Johnson (pictured in London today) today accused Jeremy Corbyn of 'dog whistling' to anti-Semites as he demanded the Labour leader 'grow up' Mr Johnson claimed Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at the anti-Trump protest on July 13) was unable to do so because he shared a belief that Israel was a 'racist endeavour' and the biggest obstacle to Middle East peace Anti-Semitism is threatening to engulf the Labour Party after the ruling committee refused to adopt in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition. Instead Labour is insisting on using an amended version of the text critics say gives a greenlight to anti-Semites. At the same time, two Labour MPs - Dame Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin - face investigation for angrily confronting Mr Corbyn and his party chairman over the row. Writing in today's Daily Telegraph, Mr Corbyn said: 'In a nutshell, the IHRA says that it would be hurtful and anti-Semitic to claim that the state of Israel is a ''racist endeavour''; or to draw comparisons between Israeli policy and Nazi Germany. Why does the Labour document trigger new controversy? Labour's new rules on anti-Semitism are based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The party said they are the 'most detailed and comprehensive guidelines on anti-Semitism adopted by any political party in this country'. But it has sparked further controversy, as it omits four behaviours identified as anti-Semitic by the IHRA, including: Accusing Jewish people of being more loyal to Israel than their home country; Claiming that Israel's existence as a state is a racist endeavour; Requiring higher standards of behaviour from Israel than other nations; and Comparing contemporary Israeli policies to those of the Nazis. Advertisement 'Corbyn thinks it should be acceptable to say both.' Mr Johnson said it was possible and proper to criticise the government of Israel for its actions and treatment of Palestinians. He said: 'We reserve the right to criticise Israeli behaviour and policy, and I don't believe there is anything remotely anti-Semitic about such criticism. 'But Corbyn goes a step further. He believes that it should be perfectly proper to claim that Israel is a 'racist endeavour' - that Zionism equals racism - and in doing so he deliberately or unconsciously legitimates a fairly nauseating line of attack on all the millions of Jewish people who, to a greater or lesser extent, identify with Israel.' Mr Johnson alleged the reason Mr Corbyn would not adopt the IHRA definition in full was because it would mean kicking his own strategy chief Seumas Milne out of Labour. He said: 'Like John McDonnell and Seumas Milne, his closest associates, he really does believe that the West is responsible for the woes of the entire Middle East. Dudley North MP Ian Austin (file image) renewed his criticism of Labour's stance on anti-Semitism today after he was warned he faced investigation for angrily criticising the party Veteran Jewish MP Dame Margaret Hodge is also under investigation for confronting Mr Corby about anti-Semitism 'In his infantile desire to blame the West, he fails to see the true culprits of the current disorder and violence in the region. What are the anti-Semitic incidents in Labour that have reached a crisis under Corbyn's watch? Jeremy Corbyn defended an artist who painted an anti-Semitic mural in 2012, questioning why the offensive art should be removed He was a member of a Facebook group which was awash with anti-Semitic rhetoric, and he has described anti-Semitic groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as 'our friends' The Labour leader stood by when a speaker disrupted the launch of his party's anti-Semitism policy by accusing a Jewish MP of colluding with the press Labour has still failed to expel former London mayor Ken Livingstone, two years after he claimed Hitler supported Zionism. He has still not apologised Delegates at last year's Labour conference complained of a 'witch hunt' against anti-Semitism and heard from a speaker who said it was legitimate to question the Holocaust The problem is so rife in the party the Jewish Labour Movement has had to hold training sessions for party members on how not to be anti-Semitic Labour members and councillors have shared disgusting messages and images on Facebook describing Jewish people of controlling world capitalism and being to blame for the policies of the Israeli government The party is failing to deal with a huge backlog of complaints and has failed to expel people even though they have committed offences such as referring to Jewish people as Yids Corbyn ally Len McCluskey, the Unite general secretary, has dismissed anti-Semitism claims as 'mood music' spread by Blairites. Labour's new general secretary Jennie Formby was accused of recruiting a party member suspended for saying Hitler was a Zionist god. Advertisement 'By his failure to adopt what should be some pretty simple and uncontentious language on anti-Semitism he is merrily dog-whistling away to all those who want to believe that the ills of the world can be ascribed to a conspiracy of Israel/the West/the bankers. 'And the greatest tragedy of all is that he is doing nothing, to say the least, to stop the virus of anti-Semitism. 'He may be nearly 70, but he needs to grow up. Enough is enough.' Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said he was 'mortified' at how his party was dealing with anti-Semitism and a complaint made against Dudley North MP Mr Austin, whose adoptive parents escaped the Holocaust. Mr Leslie told BBC's The Westminster Hour: 'Can you be allowed to compare Jews to Nazis [and claim] somehow that's not anti-Semitic? It's mortifying. 'Ian Austin speaks his mind. Does he have a right as a backbencher to put those points forcefully to the establishment? Absolutely.' Yvette Cooper, Labour chair of the home affairs committee, added: 'Ian Austin has always been a powerful voice campaigning against the far Right. Responding to Labour's anti-Semitism problems with an investigation into Ian is getting things completely wrong.' Renewing his own criticism, Mr Austin wrote in the Guardian today: 'I am shocked and ashamed that a party that has had such a proud tradition of fighting racism has caused huge offence and distress to the Jewish community. 'Under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, some a minority go way beyond legitimate and passionately held views about the plight of the Palestinians and tip over into antisemitism.' He added: 'The way the leadership weakened the IHRA examples will make it much harder to deal with antisemitism. 'First, for example, Labour members can now describe the establishment of Israel not just the actions of the government, the decisions of its parliament or the behaviour of its military, but Israel's very existence as a racist endeavour. 'Second, a member could call Zionists 'Nazis' and simply be warned instead of facing proper sanctions. 'Third, the party must find evidence of racist intent, which will be very difficult to establish.' A spokesman for Mr Corbyn declined to comment on Mr Johnson's intervention. After the Labour code on anti-Semitism was adopted, a party spokeswoman said: 'The NEC upheld the adoption of the Code of Conduct on anti-Semitism, but in recognition of the serious concerns expressed, agreed to re-open the development of the Code, in consultation with Jewish community organisations and groups, in order to better reflect their views.' The ex-husband of a mother found dead in her garage was warned by authorities not to enter the seaside town where she lived with their three children. In addition, welfare workers planned to relocate Samantha Fraser to a refuge home, as fears for her safety had been established. Adrian Basham has since been questioned by homicide detectives over the death of his ex wife on Phillip Island, Victoria, six days ago. The couple had been estranged, but the Herald Sun reported she had begged the police for assistance regarding her well-being, as Mr Basham had attempted to re-enter her life. Scroll down for video The ex-husband of a mother found dead in her garage was warned by authorities not to enter the seaside town where she lived with their three children Adrian Basham's (pictured) behavior has been described as both aggressive and domineering. It is not suggested that Adrian Basham is responsible for the death of Samantha Fraser Police initially believed Ms Fraser had committed suicide, but her death is now being investigated as a suspected murder. On Friday, lawyers successfully had serious charges against Mr Basham - some involving Ms Fraser - suppressed on the grounds he feared for his life. A friend told the Herald Sun that Ms Fraser was always 'looking over her shoulder' and feared even going out in her local community. She sought help from a domestic violence service to leave her husband in early 2017, while he was interstate. She was urged to leave her hometown of Phillip Island, but stayed in an attempt to maintain normality for her three children. A friend went on to say Ms Fraser worked tirelessly to protect both herself and her children, and felt as though she was lacking support from the local police force. 'Sam was upset with San Remo police and the fact that they did not seem to believe her,' the friend said. 'She told me that when she went in to make a report, they made her feel like she was overreacting.' She was found dead in the garage of her home. Ms Fraser sought protection from Mr Basham after their separation, going to the extent of having her parents move into her Seagrove Way home. 'She was sure (Mr Basham) had planted cameras around the house.' The 38-year-old psychologist feared for her life in the months before her death. Ms Fraser changed the locks to her home just a month before the discovery of her body. At a vigil held on Friday night in her memory white ribbons were displayed, a symbol of the fight against domestic violence. Ms Fraser's parents, who were living with her at the time of her demise, had traveled to the United States a week prior to visit their son. A month prior to the discovery of her body in the garage of her home (pictured), she had changed the locks to the property Police were alerted when Ms Fraser (pictured) didn't arrive to pick up her children from school in the afternoon 'We came home as quick as we could,' he said. 'Thank you for standing up for Samantha. She truly was a remarkable woman, a remarkable mother and a remarkable daughter. 'If anyone can help us in any way, enabling us to bring her justice, the person who created this travesty, then please come forward.' Ms Fraser's mother is now in Melbourne looking after her three children, Jemima, Rex and April. Friends have since noted Mr Basham's behavior was often both aggressive and domineering. They also added he had not coped well since the separation with Ms Fraser about two years prior. Homicide squad investigators questioned Mr Basham after Ms Fraser's body was found in her garage six days ago Her death came as a shock to the local community, who were notified of the murder investigation four days after her death. Police were alerted when Ms Fraser didn't arrive to pick up her children from school in the afternoon. Police conducted a welfare check at her home on Seagrove Way, Phillip Island, only to find her dead. It is not suggested that Adrian Basham is responsible for the death of Samantha Fraser. The horrifying moment an unarmed Hispanic New Jersey man was fatally shot by a Pennsylvania police officer after he leaned against a patrol SUV was captured on camera on Saturday. Joseph Santos, 44, was shot by a South Whitehall Township police officer near Dorney Park in Allentown, after he rapped on the vehicle's window, walked away, and turned around and started walking back toward the patrol unit. Police said they were called out to the scene after reports were made of a man walking barefoot down the freeway and jumping on cars. There were also reports the man had ripped out the window of an unoccupied car, and was acting 'bizarrely,' Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said. Additional South Whitehall Police Department officers responded to the scene after the shooting. That department referred DailyMail.com to District Attorney Martin for all questions. Martin told DailyMail.com the name of the officer involved in the shooting will not be released until the criminal investigation related to the shooting is complete. Santos' autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow, at which point it will be up to the coroner whether to release his cause of death before or after the results of a standard toxicology test come in, a Lehigh County Coroner's Office spokesperson told DailyMail.com. The District Attorney is working with the Pennsylvania State Police Department on the criminal investigation related to the events surrounding that shooting at this time. That department did not immediately return a phone call from DailyMail.com. The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on paid leave pending the results of an internal investigation, which will be conducted by the South Whitehall Police Department, as is standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting. Footage taken by a witness and posted to Facebook showed Santos leaning against the police cruiser of the first officers responding to the incident on Saturday. Joseph Santos, 44, of New Jersey has been identified as the unarmed Hispanic man fatally shot on Saturday by a South Whitehall Township police officer in Pennsylvania on Saturday In the video, Santos, who was from Hasbrouck Heights, can be heard banging on the window of the vehicle and at one point walks away from the cruiser before heading back towards it. Cops can then be heard shouting for him to 'get on the ground' before opening fire, sending him crumpling to the ground. From the video, it sounds like five gunshots are fired before Santos falls to the ground. Santos was transported to Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police from South Whitehall Township were the first to respond to the scene, after multiple calls came in to the Lehigh County 911 Center requesting help for a man vandalizing cars on where an officer 'unfortunately' had to use his weapon and shot him, Martin said. A witness said that Santos was hanging on the side of a patrol car, which he then began banging on the sides of, once it pulled over, according to the Morning Call. Video captured by an eye witness shows the moment he stood leaning on the patrol car Santos had been on a rampage on US Route 22 on Saturday and 'at least on one occasion he ripped a window out of a vehicle,' Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said 'It's very early in the investigation, the officers did respond for somebody in the area,' said South Whitehall Township Police Chief Glen Dorney. 'They investigated, encountered, and the incident unfolded from there... We'll be speaking to everybody involved and looking for witnesses.' Santos had been on a rampage on US Route 22 on Saturday and 'at least on one occasion he ripped a window out of a vehicle,' Martin told reporters. 'The guy was behaving, what I would characterize as, bizarrely,' he told Lehigh Valley Live. The cause of death of Santos has not been released at this time, as his autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning, a Lehigh County Coroner's Office spokesperson told DailyMail.com. It's standard procedure to run a toxicology test at Lehigh County Coroner's Office, per the spokesperson, but it's the coroner's decision as to whether an announcement as to cause of death will be released before those results come in. The incident occurred near 3712 Hamilton Boulevard, close to Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom amusement park. As of Monday, a total of 584 other people had been killed as a result of fatal shootings by police in 2018, according to the Washington Post'sFatal Force database. The graphic on the page says it was last updated on July 9, but information below the graphic includes a number account of deaths, with the most recent numbered as '1 of 584' and dated July 26. This is the moment a Turkish televangelist taunted a caged kangaroo by throwing punches at the frightened animal. Footage posted on social media shows Tuncer Ciftci, a self-styled prophet, lunging at the animal at a zoo in Turkey. At one point he grabs the top of the fence and attempts to headbutt the marsupial while someone filming can be heard chuckling in the background. But the animal stands its ground and repeatedly dodges Ciftci's blows, ducking its head in an attempt to avoid being hit. This is the moment a Turkish televangelist taunted a caged kangaroo by throwing punches at the frightened animal Footage posted on social media shows Tuncer Ciftci, a self-styled prophet, lunging at the animal at a zoo in Turkey The clip is understood to have been captured on July 28 at a zoo in Turkey. Ciftci claims to be the Mahdi, who some Muslims believe is the redeemer of Islam and will rid the world of evil before the Day of Judgement. The self-styled prophet also raised eyebrows after a video emrged of him urging followers to dive into a pool beneath a waterfall to prove their love to him. In the footage he says: 'Those who love me most will go under the waterfall.' Twitter users were appalled after footage of him taunting the kangaroo emerged. At one point he grabs the top of the fence and attempts to headbutt the marsupial while someone filming can be heard chuckling in the background One social media user Onur Ugur said: 'I congratulate Mr Kangaroo for its restraint against such an abusive animal.' Yunus Karakoc said: 'The fact that the kangaroo looks smarter is causing me to question humanity.' 'It seems the kangaroo was initially appalled. Then it decided the man was just a lunatic, so it didn't hit back,' Can Gurses added. Helen Butcher was branded the 'worst passenger ever' as she was jailed for 21 weeks A middle-aged mother was branded the 'worst airline passenger ever' as she was jailed over a drunken rampage on board a Thompson Airways flight to Greece. Helen Butcher, 51, was travelling to Kos with her daughter Victoria when she launched her air-rage attack on cabin crew and passengers - swearing so loudly children covered their ears. Other passengers were reduced to tears and begged staff to make her behave and she even punched a member of the cabin crew in the genitals and said it did not matter because he was 'gay anyway'. She had arrived at Manchester Airport after consuming half a bottle of wine during their car journey followed by two vodkas in the airport lounge. After a gin and tonic at the start of the flight she started causing chaos on board. In a statement read to Manchester Crown Court as Butcher was today jailed for 21 weeks, Shay Kelly one of the cabin crew said: 'In 20 years experience on board aircraft, this person was the worst passenger I have ever dealt with. 'She was causing concern to passengers with children who were sitting within her vicinity and was angry, loud and abusive.' The court was told that Mr Kelly handed a warning note from the pilot to Butcher only for her to grab hold of his face and repeatedly told him to 'f*** off'. Butcher was arrested by Greek police when the plane touched down on June 27 last year. Officers found arguing with her daughter as they boarded the jet to take her away. Butcher, of Ulverston Cumbria was jailed for 21 weeks at Manchester Crown Court after she admitted two counts of assault by beating, being intoxicated on an aircraft and using threatening behaviour. Butcher (right) arrived at Manchester Airport with daughter Victoria (left) after consuming half a bottle of wine during their car journey and then more drinks in the airport and on boad Amanda Johnson, prosecuting, said: 'The flight was due to depart at 3:50pm but was late due to a previous flight so boarding began later than planned. 'Miss Butcher was travelling with her daughter, Victoria and they were amongst the last passengers to board. The defendant struggled to find space in the overheard locker for her bag and this resulted in her being rude to passengers on the plane. 'She then took her seat on the plane and it took off. Cabin crew members Michael Crawford and Tom Briers began on the board drink service and started two rows away from the defendant. Her daughter ordered a coke and she ordered a gin and tonic. 'But as the cabin crew members moved on to the next row, the defendant punched Mr Crawford in the genital area. He described feeling intense pain to his groin and feeling sick - he was shocked. He said to the defendant that her behaviour was unacceptable but she said that he was obstructing her view of her daughter. The defendant then said that it did not matter because he was 'gay anyway'. Helen Butcher drank wine, vodka and gin and was abusive to aircraft passengers. Pictured a line of Thompson Airways aircraft at Manchester Airport 'Crew were told to serve no more alcohol to the defendant with a senior crew member, Mr Shay Kelly, describing her as drunk and slurring her words. She repeatedly told him to 'f*** off' and he describes her as having no respect for the other passengers on board the flight. 'When Mr Kelly handed a warning note from the pilot to the defendant she then took hold of his face and repeating swore at him and he took her passport off her. The flight was a busy one and passengers were complaining of being scared and asking staff to do something about her. 'Police were alerted in Greece and put on standby for when the plane landed.' The court heard that during the flight, crew members could hear the defendant and her daughter swearing and arguing between themselves, as well as with other passengers around them. She then stood up just prior to landing, and had to be told to sit down. 'Police were present and removed the defendant from the plane,' said Ms Johnson. 'It was then that crew saw she had a litre bottle of spirit inside a bag and thought she must have been drinking that on the flight. It was a distressing incident for all those on board the plane. The start of people's holidays were ruined as a result of the behaviour of the defendant.' Butcher punched a steward in the genitals saying: 'It doesn't matter you're gay anyway' Raquel Simpson, mitigating, said her client had alcohol issues but admitted: 'Miss Butcher accepts that her behaviour was appalling and she apologises through me to the Thomson crew and to the passengers who were affected and understands that her behaviour was so bad that it passes the custodial threshold. 'Her father died of pancreatic cancer and she resorted to alcohol to coping within that period. However there was no evidence that the litre bottle of spirit was opened and I am specifically instructed that she had not consumed from the bottle. Sentencing Judge David Stockdale QC told Butcher: 'You were intoxicated before you boarded the aircraft and a report says that you drank half a bottle of wine in the car on the way to the airport, two vodkas at the airport and a gin and tonic on board the aircraft. 'As the air steward moved his trolley on down the gangway you punched him to the genitals and made offensive remarks to him telling him that he was in your way. You used offensive language to him and used homophobic language to him. After he managed to gain composure he told you that your behaviour was unacceptable but your abusive behaviour continued and worsened during the flight. 'The location of these offences was on board a flight while the aircraft was in the air, children were present and you failed to respond to warnings. It is clear to me that you have had a difficult early life, you have had difficulties in your past relationships but you have failed to address your drinking problem. 'You chose to take a holiday abroad which would involve flying when you knew your weaknesses. It is behaviour such as yours that threatens people's safety on an aircraft. The distress caused by drunken behaviour on a flight is all too obvious. That distress is intensified if cabin crew are assaulted. All those on board were put at risk.' 1. Donald Trump tweeted his simplistic view on trade wars on 2 March 2018."When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, dont trade anymore-we win big. Its easy!"Source: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/969525362580484098 2. Similarly a poster in a political forum came up with a false premise that China will lose in a trade war with the US, and he suspected the trade war will be brief. Can anyone debunk his misguided premise?Excerpts from that poster's thread follow:(Begin excerpts)In order to win a trade war, you have to either be even with the other country, or have a trade deficit with them. The one thing you can't have is a trade surplus.If you have a trade surplus, you don't have any leverage to use tariffs against the other country. And the bigger the trade surplus, the less leverage (or trade war power) you have. In China's case, their surplus is gigantic.China exports 6 times as much $tuff to the US, as vice versa. So this is like 2 people putting up money for something. One puts up $10, the other $60. The $60 guy has a lot more to lose. (End excerpts)P.S. In short, that poster's argument is based on the false premise that China has no room to manoeuvre in a trade war with the US. Rossano Rubicondi, 46, was arrested for drunk driving in Palm Beach County, Florida on December 8, 2016 Ivana Trump's ex-husband Rossano Rubicondi has been accused of violating his probation following his 2016 DUI arrest. Legal documents obtained by DailyMail.com reveal Rubicondi has failed to meet conditions which include paying $543.50 in fines, 50 hours of community service, treatment recommended by DUI school, vehicle immobilization for 10 days, and three months of Ignition Interlock in his car. He also failed to complete a Victim Impact Panel and pay a $100 donation to the Palm Beach Victim Services. The 46-year-old former model, who was married to Ivana, 69, from 2008 to 2009, was placed on probation last July after he was arrested for drunk driving in Loxahatchee, Florida on December 8, 2016. The couple divorced after one year of marriage, but have been recently seen together gallivanting around Europe. An affidavit shows Rubicondi was leaving a party around 2am in his black Mercedes Benz GLA when he called the police himself and said he wanted to go to jail. Rossano married Ivana Trump in 2008 before splitting a year later. The pair have remained romantically involved. Above they are seen in Monte Carlo in 2008 The two exes were seen together enjoying a festive lunch while traveling in Rossano's native country Italy in May When police arrived at the scene, the officer noted there was a strong odor coming from the car and Rubicondi had taken a drink from a wine glass. He told officers he wanted to go to jail and that he had been driving to a place where 'a sheriff can stop him.' Rubicondi was described as being 'very cooperative' although his speech was slurred and he could not keep his balance. Results of a breathalyzer test showed he had a blood-alcohol concentration of .140 - almost double the legal limit of .08. The report also states that Rubicondi admitted to drinking vodka and wine with friends before getting behind the wheel. Last year, the DUI charge was dropped and Rubicondi pleaded guilty to reckless driving. He was sentenced to 12 months' probation, $500+ in fines, ordered to complete DUI school, complete 50 hours of community service and have an interlock alcohol monitoring device put in his car. Since then, he has failed to fulfill any of those requirements. Ivana had posted pictures of their travels together in Capri. They were later spotted together again in New York City Rubicondi was ordered to attend a hearing for violation of his probation earlier this month but did not show. It has been rescheduled for August 13. The Italian native is at risk of having his license suspended if he does not comply with the conditions. Rubicondi, who is 23 years younger than Ivana, has remained on good terms with his ex-wife and was photographed traveling with her in Italy in May. The pair were also spotted having lunch in New York City after their trip. The two exes even appeared on the Italian version of Dancing with Stars as guest competitors earlier this year. Vigilantes have taken to social media to post what they believe is the address of a self-employed tradesman who allegedly assaulted a stranger outside a pub. Ryan Stephen Wells is charged with assault over the alleged attack of another man at Frankston, in Melbourne's south-west, about 7.45pm last Thursday. A Facebook group on Monday posted an image of Wells along with the details of his business and what they claimed to be his current address. Scroll down for video Ryan Wells (far left and right) handed himself into police on Monday morning where he was charged with assault. His alleged victim can be seen (left) lying on the ground after the attack Victoria Police said a home address being posted online in relation to the Frankston affray was factually incorrect. The tweet was later deleted A graphic which was posted to a Facebook group The address was changed on multiple occasions. 'Edit: Address updated to current residence,' the post read. The address claiming to belong to Wells was also plastered over Twitter. But Victoria Police insisted the wrong address was being circulated and warned residents to stay away from the home. Ryan Wells (pictured) has been granted bail over an alleged assault in Frankston last week 'Police are aware that a home address in relation to the Frankston affray, of which a man has been charged, has been circulating on social media,' they posted on Twitter. 'The information if factually incorrect. Police are asking members of the public to stay away from the address.' The tweet was later deleted. Wells has been granted bail over the horrific unprovoked attack. CCTV cameras captured the moment Wells, 32, allegedly used his forearm to assault a man as he walked past him on a footpath. Two male friends who were with him at the time laughed at the alleged attack. Wells, who runs a local concreting business, handed himself into police on Monday and faced Frankston Magistrates Court that afternoon where he was granted bail. The court heard his recent alleged victim had not yet filed an official complaint as he was currently 'in fear of his life', Nine News reported. A second man, who was caught on CCTV footage cruelly laughing as the victim lay semi-conscious on the ground, was questioned but released without charge. Victoria Police released footage of the sickening attack on the weekend and made a public plea for help to identify the alleged perpetrators. Security vision overlooking the path, next to Nepean Highway in Frankston, captures the three men wearing hi-visibility clothing walking together about 7.45pm. A 43-year-old man (pictured) was attacked in the alleged assault. He is speaking with police but is 'too scared' to make an official complaint, the court heard Police charged Wells with assault on Monday morning after he handed himself in to a local station Wells and the second man handed themselves into police on Monday following the widespread online outrage. Witnesses say they followed a trail of blood to the victim but he refused their help and fled the scene. Police confirmed the victim was a 43-year-old Frankston North man but did not reveal his identity. The man, who was wearing a hooded jumper at the time and is not believed to have known the group of men, left his broken dentures at the scene of the attack. Police believe he would have suffered serious facial injuries as a result of the assault. 'A disgusting and vicious attack, very unprovoked, which was not called for,' Victoria Police Senior Constable Joel Barbera said. Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Authorities have identified the Army sergeant whose body was pulled from a Colorado lake last week after he jumped off an 80-foot cliff while hiking with his friends. US Army Staff Sgt Matthew Riggs, 31, of Orlando, was boating and swimming in Lake Pueblo with a few friends on July 21. They later decided to go hiking and came across the 80-foot ledge. Authorities have identified the Army sergeant whose body was pulled from Lake Pueblo in Colorado last week after he jumped off an 80-foot cliff. US Army Staff Sgt Matthew Riggs (pictured), 31, was boating and swimming with a few friends on July 21 They later decided to go hiking and came across the 80-foot ledge. Two of his friends jumped into the water and were fine. But when it was Riggs' (pictured) turn, he jumped into Cottonwood Creek Cove and never resurfaced According to the Orlando Sentinel, two of his friends jumped into the water and were fine. But when it was Riggs' turn, he jumped into Cottonwood Creek Cove and never resurfaced. His friends immediately called 911 and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) then called the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office's dive team. That evening divers searched for Riggs in the cove but were forced to call off their search operations when it became too dark and unsafe to dive. CPW rangers continued to search the cove with side-scan sonar until 12.44am Sunday. Search efforts resumed early Sunday and a body was recovered around 9am by divers on their first attempt. His body was found in water about 30-feet deep at the base of the cliff. 'We offer our condolences to the family of this person,' said Monique Mullis, manager of Lake Pueblo State Park. 'And I appreciate the efforts of our rescue team and I thank the Pueblo County Sheriff's volunteer divers for their hard work at the scene during this operation.' In a statement, the CPW also said that jumping, diving or swinging from cliffs, ledges or man-made structures at Lake Pueblo is prohibited. Divers searched for Riggs (pictured) on July 21 but were forced to call off their search operations when it became too dark and unsafe to dive. His body was found a day later Riggs' mother, Stephanie Grimes, said her son may have gotten the wind knocked out of him and drowned. Riggs had been stationed at Fort Carson and assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Riggs' mother said her son joined the Army because he 'felt strongly about defending his country and protecting our rights'. Pictured is Lake Pueblo State Park when Riggs tragically died Riggs' mother, Stephanie Grimes, told the Sentinel that her son may have gotten the wind knocked out of him and drowned. 'It's a heartbreaking situation,' his mother said. 'I just can't believe he's gone. You are not supposed to bury your children. You are supposed to go before they do.' Riggs had been stationed at Fort Carson and assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, according to the Army. 'To the family, friends and loved ones of Staff Sgt. Matthew Riggs, we express our heartfelt condolences,' the brigade wrote in a heartfelt post on Facebook. The post also said a memorial ceremony will be held in honor of Riggs. According to the Sentinel, Riggs joined the Army six years ago. He served tours of duty in Kosovo in 2016 and Afghanistan in 2014. While he was overseas, Riggs served as a squad leader of two teams of eight soldiers. His accolades include the National Defense Service Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star. Riggs' mother told the Sentinel that her son joined the Army because he 'felt strongly about defending his country and protecting our rights'. A pair of Democratic senators are complaining about President Donald Trump's reported obsession with granular-level details involved in the replacement of the FBI's Washington, D.C. headquarters, saying he has financial 'conflicts of interest' and should butt out. Trump last year abandoned a years-long plan developed by Congress, the FBI and the General Services Administration which would likely have moved the agency to suburban Virginia. A Virginia Democratic lawmaker pointed out in 2017 that such a plan would leave the FBI site on Pennsylvania open for mixed-use development including restaurants and maybe even lodging, both of which would compete with Trump International Hotel located diagonally across the street. Now the state's senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine say the president shouldn't be meddling in the FBI's infrastructure plan with 'so many other issues on his plate and so many questions about apparent conflicts of interest.' Asked to explain those conflicts on Monday afternoon, Warner's communications director Rachel Cohen directed DailyMail.com to a handful of published reports from around the time Trump changed the project's course. President Trump is concerned about the FBI headquarters, which is old and falling apart The FBI building sits across the street from the Trump International Hotel in downtown D.C. Virginia Democratic Senators Mark Warner (left) and Tim Kaine (right) are complaining about 'conflicts of interest' in Trump's micromanagment of the project The current plan calls for the demolition and complete replacement of FBI's mother-ship, something the senators say would cost $3.3 billion including the cost of relocation 9,500 Bureau employees while the new structure is going up. Trump has reportedly told White House Chief of Staff John Kelly that he wants to know every detail about a renovation: the cost per square foot, the materials used, and other specifics. In other reporting Cohen pointed to, Democrats raised questions about Vornado Realty Trust's status as a finalist to build it. The New York firm owns other buildings with the Trump Organization, and with a business run by presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner's family. Kaine may be said to have his own personal motives for derailing Trump's proposals: He was Hillary Clinton's running mate when the pair lost to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in 2016. Trump appears focused on the details rather than questions from naysayers. The president has ranted about the 'brutalist' architecture of the building completed in 1975, and how it sits on 'prime' real estate in downtown Washington. 'It's one of the brutalist-type buildings, you know, brutalist architecture. Honestly, I think it's one of the ugliest buildings in the city,' Trump said, according to sources who relayed his words to Axios. President Trump, pictured with first lady Melania Trump, wants to know every detail about plans to renovate the FBI headquarters He doesn't want to move the city block-sized bureau at all. 'This is prime real estate, right on Pennsylvania Avenue,' he said, sources told the news website. 'This is a great address. They need to stay there. But it needs a total revamp.' The 43-year-old J. Edgar Hoover Building has been deteriorating for years and experts say it's no longer fit to serve as the FBI's home. But there has been no agreement on what to do about it. The Government Accountability Office originally estimated that renovations would take 14 years at a cost of $1.7 billion, while demolishing the building and putting a new one on the same site would take nine years and cost $850 million. Building a new headquarters else where would take seven years and cost $1.2 billion. Congress would have to approve any final plan. The president is viewing the project like he would oversee a construction project for the Trump Organization, which built Trump Tower in New York City and other buildings for the president's business empire. A damaged wall surrounding the exterior of the J. Edgar Hoover Building Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington D.C. A White House official told Axios: 'POTUS has interest in the issue and has met with FBI officials, but more importantly the GSA team. GSA has concerns that the building can't be rehabilitated particularly given the security requirements and has relayed that to him.' The president has unusual ties to the GSA too. That agency, known inside the beltway as the government's landlord, controls the 60-year lease of the city's Old Post Office site to his luxury hotel. And Trump has waged a war on the FBI itself over its investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 election. He also fired former Director James Comey, who lobbied hard for a new headquarters elsewhere. The president has expressed interest in other renovation projects tied to the presidency, including his decision to have the new generation of Air Force One jets painted red, white and blue. The Hoover Building is 43 years old President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump leave after dinner at Trump International Hotel in April Congress has not yet appropriated money for the FBI project, and no blueprints have been submitted for a replacement for the J. Edgar Hoover Building. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told Axios that Trump 'is always interested in building because he knows it better than anyone and has been very successful in it. He's found GSA to be on it; "very impressive" and "knowledgeable" are the phrases he has used.' Construction on the Hoover Building began in 1965 and cost $126 million. President Gerald Ford dedicated the building on September 30, 1975. The J. Edgar Hoover Building contains 2,800,876 square feet of internal space, and includes a special, secure system of elevators and corridors to keep public tours separate from the rest of the building. It has three below-ground floors, a shooting range, a firearms museum and an underground parking garage. A father has described how nine machete-wielding robbers burst into his family home and threatened to kidnap his two-month-old baby girl before stealing his watch. Emrul Hussain, 28, woke to find two men pointing knives at him as another grabbed his neck at his home in Shadwell, east London, at around 3.30am on Friday morning. Chilling CCTV footage shows the gang kick the family's front door down before filing up the stairs and into the house where Mr Hussain, his wife, parents, brothers and baby girl all live. Some of the gang members arriving at the house in a silver Mercedes seconds before kicking down the front door A father has described how nine machete-wielding robbers burst into his family home and threatened to kidnap his two-month-old baby girl before stealing his watch (Pictured: Some of the suspects enter the house) Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 quoting ref CAD859/27Jul18 or tweet @MetCC. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online He told the London Evening Standard: 'I woke up to someone grabbing my neck and two guys waving knives at me,' he said. 'The knife was nearly the length of my arm. I was in shock. 'They said, 'Don't make a sound'. My first instinct was to think of my baby and my wife. I tried to get up, and the guy said, 'Where you going, bruv?' I said, 'Take whatever you want but don't hurt my family'. ' 'One of them said, 'Grab the baby', and I thought they would try and use her as leverage. They kept saying, 'Where's the safe?' but we don't have a safe. We don't keep many valuables in the house.' Mr Hussain, who says that the ordeal has left his family too scared to leave the house, added that the gang managed to steal his Rolex watch, a wedding gift from his wife, and his mother's golden wedding bangle which she had worn for 40 years. The gang are caught on CCTV as they flee the property after Mr Hussain's brother shouted 'Police! Police!' from behind his bedroom door The gang are caught on CCTV as they flee the property after Mr Hussain's brother shouted 'Police! Police!' from behind his bedroom door. One of them loses his footing and falls down the bottom few steps before the gang jump into a nearby silver Mercedes. Acting detective sergeant Justin Franklin, of Whitechapel CID, said: 'This was a terrifying attack on a family asleep in their home. The culprits were violent and need to be caught as soon as possible. Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 quoting ref CAD859/27Jul18 or tweet @MetCC. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online. Mr Hussain runs down the stairs after the thugs, who charged out of the property and fled the scene University of Kentucky student, TeNiya Nora Jones, (pictured on Facebook) vanished late Saturday while on a swim in Tel Aviv, Israel The body of a 19-year-old University of Kentucky student who went missing on the western border of Israel late Saturday has been found after it washed up on the beach she had been swimming at. The Times of Israel reported that TeNiya Nora Jones washed up on a beach in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bat Yam on Monday after she had been swept away by rip tides on Saturday evening while swimming with two friends. The two friends were safely pulled back to the shore, but Jones had not been seen since despite a massive search operation. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said in a press release Jones had been apart of the group of seven students at the university and two from West Virginia University who traveled by bus from Amman, Jordan to Tel Aviv for the weekend. Just hours before her disappearance, Jones shared several photos of herself posing in swimwear on a Tel Aviv beach. She captioned the photos: 'just traveling whilst looking beautiful as usual.' Her Facebook friends followed up in the comments with condolence messages, praying for her safe return. Just hours before her disappearance, Jones shared several photos of herself posing on a Tel Aviv beach (seen above) Jones posted photos from a Tel Aviv beach over the weekend to her Facebook page Last Sunday, Jones posted a status revealing she was feeling homesick in Amman. Capilouto said university officials with the travel abroad program had been working to immediately transport Jones' family to Tel Aviv after her disappearence. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with TeNiya, her family and the students and others impacted,' Capilouto said in the statement. 'We are in continual contact with Teniya's family, officials in Israel, officials from the State Department and our Congressional delegation, to provide all the support we can for the family, students and others involved. 'We will do everything possible to provide whatever support is needed.' Capilouto added that the university is sending the remainder of students back to Amman before the program concludes this week. He said family members to the students have each been notified about the incident. Japanese Police have been testing an artificial intelligence system which they hope can be used to prevent terror attacks at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The first tests of the AI system were carried out during the annual Sumida River Fireworks Festival in the Japanese capital over the weekend. Police cameras and monitors recorded the number of people attending the festival, and the patterns they moved in, and used this to estimate where they would go next. Getting ready: The AI system was tested during the Sumida River Fireworks Festival in Tokyo this weekend, pictured, and recorded movement patterns of crowds The system is set to be used for crowd control at the Olympic Games in two years time, but Tokyo Police hopes that it can also help prevent terror attacks. The computer system should in theory be able to single out individuals whose movement patterns differs from the rest of the crowd, and identify suspicious objects. 'There are many venues at the Tokyo Olympics, so efficient security management is a task we need to deal with,' said a senior official with Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department told The Yomiuri Shimbun. 'We want to proactively utilize the latest technologies by joining hands with the private sector.' The official said Tokyo Police would continue to use the system at future major events, in order to gather more data to educate the AI system. Good use: Tokyo Police hope to use the AI system to carry out crowd control measures and prevent terror attacks during the Olympic Games in two years time. Pictured is an artists impression of the main stadium being built for the 2020 Olympics This follows a report that China is actively developing an AI system that will help lawmakers make policies based on unbiased data analysis, rather than human emotion. When a policymaker needs to make an urgent decision in an ongoing, complex situation, the AI-powered system will be able to summon a range of options with recommendations for the best move in a matter of minutes. Scientists with knowledge of the plans stress that human diplomats will still be behind the final policy decisions, with the AI acting only as a support system. A Canadian man in his early 20s was unhappy with the high quote he got from his car insurance company, so he decided to do something about it: legally switch his gender from male to female. The cunning 24-year-old resident of Alberta, Canada, first detailed his insurance stratagem on Reddit back in April, boasting that changing his gender on paper saved him nearly $1,100 a year. 'I have taken advantage of a loophole,' the man, whom CBC.ca called David, told the news outlet. I'm a man, 100 per cent. Legally, I'm a woman. These two images show a 24-year-old Canadian's old birth certificate listing his gender as male, and his new one obtained this year listing his gender as female. He made the switch on paper to obtain a lower car insurance rate Earlier this year, then-23-year-old David purchased a new Chevrolet Cruze and was required to get a full-collision insurance policy. When he contacted his insurer, he was quoted $4,517. His driving record included a minor crash and a couple of speeding tickets. So I ask. Out of curiosity, how much would my premium be if I was a woman? David wrote in an April Reddit post. The broker comes back with a quote of $3423. Holy f***. Both in Canada and the US, male drivers under the age of 25 are normally required to pay more for car insurance than women because they are statistically more likely to get into car accidents. David was angered by what he perceived as gender-based discrimination and asked his insurance broker to change his gender on paper to female, but his request was denied. Undeterred, David decided to legally change his gender with the Government of Alberta so that he could obtain a new birth certificate and a new driver's license listing him as a woman, which he could then take back to his insurer. In order to do that, the frugal motorist learned, he had to get a letter from his doctor saying he identified as a woman. At first, David thought that was the end of the road for his enterprise because he did not want to undergo a gender reassignment surgery, but he was mistaken: all he had to do was tell his physician that he wished to change his sex. The man shared on Reddit in April the packets of documents he got from the Government of Alberta outlining the ways in which he could legally change his gender Based on this information, the man had his doctor write a letter saying he identified himself as a woman After submitting the doctors note and all the necessary forms, David received in a mail his new birth certificate, in which his sex was listed as female. I was quite shocked, but I was also relieved, he said. I felt like I beat the system. I felt like I won. Armed with his brand-new birth certificate, David went back to his insurance company and got the lower rate, saving him $91 a month. 'I did it for cheaper car insurance,' he admitted to CBC, although on Reddit he added a disclaimer saying that he did not legally change his sex solely for cheaper auto-insurance, though, that was and is a big factor for me and other people who suffer from gender-dysphoria. Members of the trans community in Canada have reacted with outrage to David's cost-cutting scheme. 'I think it cheapens the whole process. It sort of casts doubt on everybody else's motives for making those changes,' said Marie Little, a former chair of the Trans Alliance Society. 'I think it gives ammunition to people who want to take rights away from trans people.' An elected official in Alberta angrily tweeted last week that David has committed - and then admitted to - the crime of perjury punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who had publicly wavered as to whether he would support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, endorsed him Monday. Paul of Kentucky says he will back Kavanaugh despite misgivings about the judge's views on surveillance and privacy issues. Few had expected Paul would oppose President Donald Trump's choice in the end. The endorsement gives Kavanaugh a boost as he prepares to sit down Monday afternoon with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, one of a handful of Democratic senators seen as potential swing votes in the confirmation fight. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh (center), President Donald Trump's choice to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, had private meetings with Republican Sen. Rand Paul and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin on Monday in advance of a vote on his nomination Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who leans libertarian, said Monday that he will back Kavanaugh despite misgivings about the judge's views on surveillance and privacy issues Manchin has said he's interested in Kavanaugh's views on the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The senator has also asked West Virginia residents to send him questions for the meeting. Manchin was one of three Democrats who voted to confirm Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota were the others. All three are up for re-election in states Trump easily won in 2016. Republicans have a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate. With the absence of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is fighting brain cancer, they cannot afford to lose a single Republican vote if all Democrats vote 'no.' Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are the only two Republicans viewed as possible no votes on Kavanaugh's confirmation. Both say they haven't made a decision yet. Both senators support abortion rights, and liberal advocacy groups are arguing that Kavanaugh's confirmation would undermine Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision. Kavanaugh also met Monday with Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat who could become a swing vote since he faces a tough November re-election fight in a very Trump-friendly state Judge Kavanaugh is Trump's second Supreme Court nominee in as many years, following Justice Neil Gorsuch Paul had let Trump know he preferred other potential Supreme Court nominees he viewed as more conservative. He had expressed concern over Kavanaugh's record on warrantless bulk collection of data and how that might apply to important privacy cases. Paul, who met with Kavanaugh last week, said he hoped Kavanaugh 'will be more open to a Fourth Amendment that protects digital records and property.' Yet he also said his vote doesn't hinge on any one issue. 'I believe he will carefully adhere to the Constitution and will take his job to protect individual liberty seriously,' Paul said. Army veteran Ted Reid, 63 (pictured), was among the five victims of a horror car crash Police have confirmed the names of the victims involved in the horror crash between a minibus and a 4x4 on the A96. The crash in Moray, Scotland was just before midnight on Thursday and saw a Nissan X-Trail 4x4 colliding with a minibus. Army veteran Ted Reid, 63, was travelling in the 4x4 along with Evalyn Collie, 69, and Audrey Appleby, 70. All three victims were from Aberdeenshire, Scotland and members of the same country music club. Frances Saliba Patane, who was celebrating her 63rd birthday at the time, was also killed in the crash as was a four-year-old boy named Lorenzo Ciociola. His parents are still being treated in hospital while a fourth family member, a three-year-old boy, was treated for minor injuries. The family of Ted Reid paid tribute to him following the terrible tragedy. They said: 'We are heartbroken that Edward (Ted) was tragically taken from us on July 26. Ted was a devoted husband, dad, granda, brother and friend. 'He will be remembered for his selfless loving nature and will be sorely missed by all. As a family we respectfully ask for privacy at this time.' While the family of Evalyn Collie described her as a 'beautiful lady and asked for time to grieve. They said: 'The family would like to thank the emergency services, members of the public and the others involved in helping at the scene in the early hours of Friday morning. Mr Reid was a passenger in the 4x4 along with Evalyn Collie, 69 (pictured left) and Audrey Appleby, 70 (pictured right), who also died in the collision between the minibus and 4x4 'We would also like to thank the Policeman and Family Liaison officer assigned to our family for the professional way they have conducted themselves and the help they have given to us at this difficult time. 'We wish to pass on our condolences and deepest sympathy to all the families who lost family members in this horrific and tragic incident and hope those injured make a speedy and full recovery. 'We have lost a beautiful lady, we now request that we are given the time and privacy to grieve and come to terms with our tragic loss.' The Italian victims of the collision are all from Sicily and tributes have also been paid to them. Frances Saliba Patane (pictured) was celebrating her 63rd birthday when she died in the collision Frances Saliba Patane said: 'Frances was born and educated in Birzebbuga, Malta, before moving to Siracusa following her marriage to an Italian man. She was a loving wife and a caring mother and grandmother. 'Frances was also highly respected for the passion and devotion she used in her job as an English teacher. She was in Scotland to celebrate her 63rd birthday, which tragically happened on the same day of the crash. 'We would like to thank all the kind staff of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and other emergency services for their support.' The family of four-year-old Lorenzo Ciociola said: 'The Ciociola and Passanisi families have been devastated by the tragic and untimely death of little Lorenzo. 'Although your life has been cut short you have filled our own lives with joy - now you are our little angel in heaven. 'You will be forever close to our hearts and will continue to live on in the fond memory of your mum, dad and little brother Federico. 'We would like to express our thanks to all emergency services and staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for their support.' Bruno Mancuso, an Italian senator from Sicily, said Lorenzo's father Alfredo was a coastguard officer and that their local community was in 'deep grief'. The fifth victim of the crash was four-year-old boy Lorenzo Ciociola - his parents are still being treated in hospital He wrote on Facebook: 'I am deeply saddened and dismayed by the tragedy that has struck lieutenant Alfredo Ciociola, commander of the maritime district office of Sant'Agata Militello, who in a tragic road accident in Scotland last Thursday, lost his four-year-old son. 'His wife is in a coma. The whole of the community tightens up to him and his family and expresses pain and deep grief.' The three people who died in the car lived in the local area and had been travelling back from a country music night in Elgin at the time of the crash. The horrific crash took place just before midnight on Thursday night in Moray, Scotland The driver of the car, named locally as Morag Smith, 39, from Aberchirder, Aberdeenshire, was seriously injured and is being treated at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin. The four regularly attended a country night held once a fortnight by Elgin Country Music Club and had been at a performance on the night of the crash. The club's president Billy Main said: 'They were just very nice people. You just can't take it in, it's unbelievable really. 'It was a shock enough to hear about the crash and then you realise it's people you know just going home.' The driver of the car, named locally as Morag Smith, 39, was seriously injured and is being treated at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin Friends and members of the club have posted messages of condolence and remembered the three as 'really lovely people'. The Italian Honorary Consulate in Aberdeen said it is supporting the families of the Italian citizens caught up in the tragedy. A 33-year-old woman who was a passenger in the minibus remains in a critical condition in hospital. The 45-year-old male driver also remains in hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries, along with a male passenger aged 70. The three-year-old continues to be well cared for after sustaining minor injuries. Officers investigating the cause of the crash have appealed for any witnesses to come forward and for dashcam footage to be submitted to them. Deputy Head of Road Policing Superintendent Louise Blakelock said: 'This has been a difficult and distressing time for everyone affected by this tragedy and the sympathy expressed by communities over the past few days has been overwhelming. The families of the victims have released emotional tributes to their loved ones following the crash 'We have learned of countless individuals going above and beyond to provide assistance and comfort to those in need - from acts of bravery and compassion at the scene of the collision to invaluable support in the aftermath. On behalf of Police Scotland and our partners, a sincere thank you.' She added: 'Our investigation continues into the incident itself and once again I would appeal to anyone with information to get in touch. Particularly we are trying to verify the movements of each vehicle in the lead-up to the collision. 'From our enquiries so far we believe the occupants of the white Fiat minibus had been travelling north through Scotland and were in the Tayside area around 6pm that evening. The occupants of the orange Nissan X-Trail had left an event in Elgin before heading south on the A96. A 33-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the minibus, remains in a critical condition in hospital 'I wish to appeal to any motorists with dash-cam footage who were on the A96 that evening around the time of the collision - regardless of whether you think you have captured the vehicles or not - to get in touch. 'I would also like to thank everyone who has contacted us so far. 'My thoughts and those of my colleagues in Police Scotland and our partners continue to be with everyone who has been affected by this tragedy, including the families involved and those who are recovering in hospital.' I am a retired newspaperman. I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 44 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather. Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com The geneticist who identified the bones of Richard III is trying to determine if a headless skeleton was a governor of Jamestown. The remains discovered under a 400-year-old church in the first European settlement in North America may belong to Sir George Yeardley. One of the first slave-owning politicians in the US, the Surrey-born man was about 40 when he died in 1627 - the same age as the skeleton. A headless skeleton discovered at a 400-year-old church in Jamestown, Virginia may belong to one of the first slave-owning politicians in the United States. Archaeologists suspect the bones may be the body of Sir George Yeardley While it could be months before the bones are truly identified, archaeologists say they may have found the body of Virginia's first governor. The team from Jamestown Rediscovery found the mostly-intact skeleton at the site of one of the first churches in the colony Professor Turi King was called in to confirm the archaeologists' suspicions using her gene expertise, which she called a 'tremendous honor'. 'Jamestown is one of the most famous archaeological sites in US history and Yeardley oversaw the first representative Virginia General Assembly,' she said. 'It's considered to be the birthplace of American democracy. 'I hope to extract DNA from the remains and match against living relatives as part of the evidence to identify these being the remains of one of the founding fathers of American democracy.' Professor King used the same technique to identify the bones of King Richard III of England more than 500 years after his death in 1485 in the War of the Roses. His body was thought lost for centuries but finally found under a car park of the site of the former Greyfriars Friary Church in Leicester, England, in September 2012. The geneticist matched DNA from the bones to the king's descendants to confirm the lost burial had indeed been found at last. Genealogical work already undertaken by the team in Jamestown will be used by Professor Kevin Schurer at the University Leicester to help search for Yeardley's distant relatives. He led the genealogical research that helped confirm the identity of the remains of Richard III using similar a similar approach. 'Searching for particular relatives who inherited certain DNA types over many generations is always a challenge, but I hope that we can track down the necessary present-day distant relatives,' he said. 'Sir George Yeardley was a central figure in the development of what was to become the U.S. and so should we be able to positively identify the skeleton, this would be a tremendous achievement'. The skeletal remains will undergo additional skeletal analysis at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History once excavation is complete. The biological profile of every skeleton is unique and the Smithsonian team reads the clues 'written' in the bones for information on sex, age, health, activities in life, and sometimes the cause of death. The team has been working to uncover the skeleton and find any additional clues as to the real identity. The archaeologists have teamed up with the Skeletal Biology Program at the Smithsonian's National Museum of History for the effort Sir George presided over the first representative legislative assembly in English North America in 1619 The skeletal remains will also be tested chemically by other labs to look at the lead levels and carbon isotope ratios, which can indicate the individual's status and origin. Archaeologists working on the Jamestown Rediscovery project stumbled on the grave while excavating the site of a 1617 church in the town. Found in the middle of what would have been the main aisle, it is significantly larger than most other tombs in the area and mostly undisturbed. It is just in front of the chancel step to the altar and where it intersects with the choir - a spot which would have been reserved for a prestigious person like Yeardley. Over the next few months an international team will use cutting-edge radar and DNA extracting technologies to confirm who was laid to rest there. Jamestown, Virginia was the first permanent English colony in the United States. The map above shows Virginia as illustrated by John Smith in 1612 Archaeologists said the skeleton was likely missing its head because the skull may have deteriorated over time or been destroyed by subsequent burials nearby. However, one researcher recently stumbled upon teeth - which could be crucial in obtaining DNA. After spotting the first tooth in the dirt archaeologist Mary Anna Hartley eventually found 10. Sir George presided over the first representative legislative assembly in English North America in 1619. It continues today as Virginia's General Assembly and was the basis for the democratic government of the United States of America. Sir George was governor at the time of his death in 1627 and was one of the most notable people to die while the church was in use. He served as governor of the colony three times, and convened the first meeting of the House of Burgesses in 1619 the same year enslaved Africans are believed to have arrived in English North America. When ships landed in Virginia carrying stolen Africans to the budding U.S. for the first time, Yeardley was among the buyers. A senior Scotland Yard detective is facing an allegation he assaulted a junior female colleague during a training seminar earlier this year. Andrew Johnstone has denied 'shoulder-barging' Penelope Mills at the Met's new headquarters on January 17 this year. Johnstone, who is the Chief Inspector of the Roads and Transport Policing Command, received his assault by beating charge in the post on July 4. Andrew Johnstone, 51, (pictured right) has denied the allegation of 'shoulder-barging' Penelope Mills at the Met's new headquarters on January 17 this year He is alleged to have left the training day at New Scotland Yard on the Embankment. While he was leaving the headquarters he allegedly barged into Ms Mills. The 51-year-old appeared before Westminister Magistrates' Court wearing a navy suit and red tie. Eloise Emanuel, prosecuting, said: 'On the 17 January this year the defendant who is a serving police officer assaulted the complainant, who is also a serving police officer. 'It's said to have occurred in New Scotland Yard during a training event ran there. The allegation is one of a shoulder barge during the course of that event.' Johnstone was bailed and will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court in August for a pre-trial review. American diplomats are so worried that Donald Trump will unilaterally pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan that they have opened direct talks with the Taliban in a bid to reach a peace deal that might hold in Americans' absence. The Pentagon has 15,000 troops there trying to win a 17-year war started by President George Bush in a bid to destroy al-Qaeda's strongholds. Trump approved thousands of those fighters just 11 months ago, but diplomats are worried he will run out of patience. 'Just because he signed on to this policy in August, most of the people who work for him have no trust and confidence that hell stick to his policies,' a former senior U.S. official told NBC News. The Taliban has already held their first direct contact with U.S. official in a preliminary discussion about future peace talks, a senior member of the insurgent group claimed on Saturday. That would mark one of the most significant developments amid efforts to find a negotiated end to the country's protracted war. The Taliban source described as 'useful' a meeting with Alice Wells, America's top diplomat for South Asia, last week. The Taliban claim to have held discussions with the U.S which, if correct, marks one of the most significant developments amid efforts to find a negotiated end to the country's protracted war. Pictured: Taliban fighters west of Kab.ul on September 26, 2008 In this photo taken on June 17, 2018, Afghan Taliban militants and residents stand on a armoured Humvee vehicle of the Afghan National Army as they celebrate a ceasefire on the third day of Eid in Maiwand district of Kandahar province The militant said the meeting was held in the small Middle Eastern country of Qatar, where the Taliban have maintained a political office since 2013. 'The environment was positive and the discussion was useful,' the Taliban official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. U.S. officials neither confirmed nor denied a meeting took place. However, Wells was in Doha, the Qatar capital, this week. In a statement following her return, the State Department said only that Wells had been in Doha, had met with the ruling family and 'the United States is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government.' Any talks about a future political setup would be between the Taliban and the Afghan government, the statement said. U.S. Army from NATO and Afghan commando forces are pictures in a checkpoint during a patrol against ISIS militants at the Deh Bala district in the eastern province of Nangarhar Province The Taliban have long demanded direct talks with Washington, saying they do not want to talk politics with the U.S. but instead meet face to face to discuss Washington's concerns - particularly its security concerns - about the Taliban and Taliban involvement in Afghanistan's future. They also say they want a time frame for the withdrawal of the roughly 15,000 U.S. and NATO troops still in Afghanistan. It was not clear when the next meeting would be held or with whom, but the Taliban official who spoke out was certain one would be held. A former Taliban minister and ex-head of their political committee, Aga Jan Mohtism, who has maintained close contacts with the insurgent group, also confirmed a meeting in Doha took place earlier this week. 'The Taliban want to solve their problems with the Americans to end the invasion,' he said. The Taliban have argued that the Afghan government cannot act independent of Washington. They also say that unless they can allay U.S. concerns about the group, an agreement with Kabul would be meaningless. The Taliban source described as 'useful' a meeting with Alice Wells, America's top diplomat for South Asia, last week During the Taliban's five-year rule that ended with the 2001 US-led invasion, leader Mullah Mohammed Omar said regardless of whatever concessions they agreed to, including allowing girls to attend school, it would not gain them international recognition as long as the U.S. refused to accept them. The current leadership, most of whom are Mullah Omar's contemporaries, still believe their future in Afghanistan can be guaranteed only if the United States' concerns are addressed. Until now, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's national security team has said it is ready to hold talks with the Taliban at any time and that their allies, including the US, should participate only as observers. In Kabul on Saturday, Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman for Ghani, repeated the government's oft-stated position that peace talks should be 'Afghan owned and Afghan led, any assistance the allies provide [would be in] a supportive role.' Murtazawi did not comment directly on the meeting in Doha or say whether Ghani's government was aware that the meeting had been held. A previous attempt at direct talks between Washington and the Taliban in 2013 also in Doha, was scuttled when then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai objected to the Taliban calling its office the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan - the name of its government - and flying the flag the movement flew when they ruled Afghanistan. The current Taliban leadership, most of whom are Mullah Omar's contemporaries, still believe their future in Afghanistan can be guaranteed only if the United States' concerns are addressed. Pictured: A file photo of Taliban fighters Afghan security forces stands next to Taliban militants as they are to the media in Ghazni province on April 14, 2018 At the time the direct talks, which the Taliban also said would be restricted to U.S. concerns about the movement and troop withdrawal, was to be followed by talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. There was also a suggestion at the time that the talks would include the freedom of five Taliban held in the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay and the release of captured U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl. His release was eventually secured in May 2014 in exchange for the five Taliban prisoners, who are living in Doha. The U.S. still has around 14,000 troops in Afghanistan after President Trump decided to increase the U.S. military's presence there by several thousand last year. Some 3,550 international coalition troops, including 2,413 Americans, have died in Afghanistan since the invasion in 2001. Hundreds of Muslim women in Denmark will defiantly wear niqabs when a nationwide ban on the face veil comes into action this week. Fines of up to 10,000 Danish crowns (1,200) have not discouraged women who plan to protest on Wednesday along with non-Muslim Danes. In May, Denmark became the fifth European nation to outlaw full-face veils. Hundreds of Danish Muslims will protest the nationwide ban on full-face veils when new laws are enacted on Wednesday Group Kvinder I Dialog (Women In Dialogue) have planned a rally after Denmark became the fifth European nation to outlaw niqabs earlier this year Lawmakers voted 75-30 in favour of the legislation in a bid to uphold 'secular and democratic values'. Under the law, police will be able to instruct women to remove their veils or order them to leave public areas. Justice Minister Soren Pape Poulsen said officers would fine them and tell them to go home. Reuters reported that fines will range from 1,000 Danish crowns (120) for a first offence to 10,000 crowns for a fourth violation. 'I won't take my niqab off. If I must take it off I want to do it because it is a reflection of my own choice,' said 21-year-old student Sabina, who wants to be a teacher. Sabina (left), a 21-year-old student, said she won't be forced to remove her veil: 'If I take it off I want it to be a reflection of my own choice' She will take to the streets for a rally with group Kvinder I Dialog (Women In Dialogue), who argue the right to express religious or cultural identity. Meryem, 20, also providing just her first name for fear of harassment, was born to Turkish parents in Denmark and has always worn the niqab. 'Everybody wants to define what Danish values are,' she said. 'I believe that you have to integrate yourself in society, that you should get an education and so forth. 'Wearing a niqab does not mean you can't engage yourself in Danish values.' As of 2017, non-Western immigrants account for 8.7 percent of Denmark's 5.7 million population. Of Turkish descent, Meryem, 20, has worn the niqab since young, saying: 'Wearing a niqab does not mean you can't engage yourself in Danish values' Around half a million are from Muslim backgrounds, a group that swelled with Afghan, Iraqi and Syrian refugees crossing Europe. Other European nations Austria, France, Belgium and Bulgaria have similar nationwide bans on full-face veils. A 37-year-old woman, known only as Ayah, said while the law would only 'legitimise acts of hatred', curious locals 'have become more aware of what is going on'. 'I get more smiles on the street and people are asking me more questions.' A Copenhagen jewellery maker supporting the Aug 1 rally by Kvinder I Dialog added: 'I'm not for or against the niqab. I'm for the right of the people to wear whatever they want whether they be a Muslim or a punk. 'I see this as the government reaching in to places they don't belong and as a cheap hit on an already stigmatized group to score cheap political points.' Jimmy O'Neal Spencer, 52, has been charged with murdering three people in Guntersville, Alabama on July 13 A homeless convict has been charged with robbing and brutally murdering a seven-year-old boy, his great-grandmother and another woman, Alabama police say. Colton Ryan Lee and his great-grandmother, Marie Ann Martin, 75, were found dead at Martin's home in Guntersville, Alabama, on July 13. Police say the elementary-schooler had died from blunt force trauma and Martin was strangled and stabbed. At a home across the street 65-year-old Martha Reliford was found dead the same evening, having been stabbed and hit with a hatchet. Both of the homes on Mulberry Street had been robbed after the killings. Police have charged 52-year-old Jimmy O'Neal Spencer, a homeless man with a long rap sheet who had been released from prison in January, in connection with all three murders. Colton Lee Ryan, seven, and his great-grandmother Marie Ann Martin, 75, were brutally murdered in Martin's home. Another woman who lived across the street was also murdered Colton lived with his mother Huntsville but had been visiting Martin's home, above Colton lived in Huntsville with his mother Tiffany Lee and his older brother, but had been visiting his great-grandmother when the murders took place. He has been described as a 'sweet blessing' who was born three months after his father died in 2010. A GoFundMe page set up to help cover his funeral costs has already raised $2,635 as of Monday morning. The seven-year-old is survived by his mother, brother and grandparents. His great-grandmother Martin is survived by her son, as well as siblings and great-grandchildren. Colton lived in Huntsville with his mother Tiffany Lee, above, but had been visiting his great-grandmother the night the murders occurred The elementary-schooler described as a 'sweet blessing' is pictured with his dogs Spencer has been charged with two counts of capital murder during a robbery, one count of capital murder for killing two or more people and one count of capital murder for killing a person younger than 14. The 52-year-old has reportedly spent the majority of his adult life in prison, beginning in July 1984 when he was sentenced to a year for third-degree burglary. Ten years were added to his sentence after he escaped from prison in September of that year. In May 1985 he escaped again and was slapped with another 10 years. Spencer was paroled in July 1988, but landed back in jail the following January after a judge sentenced him to life in prison for a violent second-degree burglary. In March of 1993, Spencer escaped a third time. He was caught two months later and was convicted of breaking and entering a vehicle along with third-degree burglary during his escape. Two more 16-year sentences were added to the life sentence as a result. He was slapped with an additional 15 years for assaulting an inmate, according to corrections officials. Spencer has spent the majority of his adult life in prison, mainly for violent burglary offenses When Spencer came up for parole in 2013, one of his burglary victims and Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing both wrote letters asking that the repeat offender be kept behind bars. Rushing said he was 'sickened' when he heard Spencer's name mentioned in connection with the triple murder this month because he did not know that he'd been released in January. 'The name immediately struck a chord,' Rushing told ABC31. 'I was like: "I wrote a letter on him and he shouldn't be out." 'I was mad all over again that a small child is a victim of somebody who should still be in prison and still serving his life sentence.' Rushing said he hopes this tragedy will lead the state parole board to be more careful about who is allowed back into the community. One of just three 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California replica cars created for filming of Ferris Bueller's Day Off will be sold to the highest bidder next month in Monterey, California. While it's not an actual Ferrari, the 1985 Modena GT Spyder California earned infamy when the best friend of Matthew Broderick's title character sent one of the trio crashing through glass, into the woods below with just the touch of his foot, in the 1986 comedy. The crashed chassis was sold at auction, after being fixed up, in 2013, and the other was sold at auction in 2010. 'They gave us [four] weeks to build the movie cars,' Modena Design founder Neil Glassmoyer said, according to The Drive. 'I always say we built two and a half cars; two were interchangeably used as Hero and stunt cars and one was a rolling fiberglass shell that was used in the destruction scene.' Scroll down for video The last of just three Ferrari replicas created for filming of Ferris Bueller's Day Off will go up for auction in August, during 2018 Monterey Car Week in California In the film, Cameron Frye (played by Alan Ruck) introduces Bueller to the inanimate love of his father's life, without any idea what's about to become of his dad's masterpiece. 'The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California. Less than 100 were made,' Frye said. 'My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love. It is his passion...' The next thing he knows, Bueller is behind the driver's wheel, after finishing the sentence for him by saying, '...It is his fault he didn't lock the garage.' In the film, Cameron Frye (played by Alan Ruck) introduces Ferris Bueller (played by Matthew Broderick, pictured) to the inanimate love of his father's life and Bueller hops behind the wheel This third and final replica car, so far unscathed, will be up on the auction block over August 23-25 at Mecum Auctions during 2018's Monterey Car Week And we all know happened next. Bueller took Mr. Frye's 'Ferrari' on a wild joy ride while playing hooky from school, and he ended up smashing it through a glass wall. This one, so far unscathed, will be up on the auction block over August 23-25 at Mecum Auctions during 2018's Monterey Car Week. This particular replica was personally restored by a Modena founder over nearly one year, before being listed as Lot R494 in the auction. While it's not an actual Ferrari, the 1985 Modena GT Spyder California earned infamy when Cameron Frye (played by Alan Ruck, at right) sent one of the trio crashing through glass, into the woods below with just the touch of his foot, in the 1986 comedy The car soared through the air after Frye kicked in, and the 'ferrari' crashed through the wall Frye looked on as his father's pride and joy lay at the bottom of the wooded area, destroyed 'After nine months of refreshing and updating by one of the founders of Modena Design, Neil Glassmoyer, this car emerged looking stunning,' the listing reads. 'Chassis No. 0003 of the [three] cars built, it is powered by a 5.0L V-8 engine fed by four downdraft carburetors, and the attention to detail throughout largely sets the Modena GT Spyder California apart from its competition. 'The engine uses black crinkle-finished valve coves, retina-searing red paint on the exterior, and the interior reflects all too well the timeless beauty of this machine with rich tan upholstery, exquisite gauges, inspiring switchgear, a period-looking radio and wooden steering wheel.' 'Chassis No. 0003 of the [three] cars built, it is powered by a 5.0L V-8 engine fed by four downdraft carburetors,' the listing read 'The interior reflects all too well the timeless beauty of this machine,' the listing read The gauges used in the Ferrari replica car were designed to help with the illusion The 1985 Modena GT Spyder California was outfitted with a period looking radio, as well Rich, tan upholstery covers the inside of the ferarri replica car, up for sale soon in Monterey Painstaking attention to detail was paid over the development of this car for the shoot. 'Modena incorporated a number of Ferrari-style elements, such as the windshield, turn signals, grille, hood scoops, fender vents and a custom fiberglass body that was supposedly modeled after an MG, creating a close profile to the original Ferrari,' the listing said. 'The chassis was of the rectangular steel-tube frame design, built by Bob Webb, who worked on Roger Penskes Zerex Special.' The buyer of the car will also receive authentication of the car's use in the movie, along with other memorabilia. Admission to the auction is free to the public, according to Zero to 60 Times. Ferris Bueller's Day Off was the 10th highest-grossing film of 1986, according to The Drive. This is the hilarious moment a hapless shoplifter fell through the roof of a supermarket as he tried to make his getaway. Comical CCTV footage shows the bungling crook crashing back down to earth with a bump after he was caught pinching from the Aldi store. Police were called to the supermarket in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, on Sunday morning after staff members detained the suspect following his painful fall. The man had earlier been caught stealing but after asking to use the store's toilet he tried to make his daring escape through the loft space. Security cameras then captured the moment he plummeted around 10ft to the shop floor just as one worker moves a shocked customer out of the way. The staff member then pins the thief against the wall until officers arrived at the scene on Green Street, in the town centre, to arrest the man. Kidderminster Police posted a video clip of the botched escape on Twitter and wrote: 'The getaway techniques of our shoplifters this morning could do with a little work.... No one injured - just a little surprised!' Staff inside the supermarket told cops they knew the crook was inside the loft as they heard someone 'scurrying around like a hamster'. PC Andy Forbes, from West Mercia Police, said: 'We have no idea what he thought he could do or how he could get out. 'Eventually he falls through the ceiling while he's trying to make his escape. 'The staff knew he was in the loft space as they could hear him scurrying around like a little hamster. This is the hilarious moment a hapless shoplifter fell through the roof of a supermarket as he tried to make his getaway Comical CCTV footage shows the bungling crook crashing back down to earth with a bump after he was caught pinching from the Aldi store 'Thankfully no one was injured, including him, and the staff at the store did a great job of moving customers out of the way. 'Obviously it is quite serious and humorous footage. It is certainly not something that happens on a daily basis. 'We just want to ask residents and shoppers to be vigilant of any suspicious behaviour. 'We want people to report incidents of shoplifting to us through the usual channels.' A spokesman for the Kidderminster Aldi store said they would not be commenting on the incident. Police were called to the supermarket in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, on Sunday morning after staff members detained the suspect following his painful fall A four-month-old baby has been hurt after he was snatched from his mother's arms by a leopard as she rode on a motorcycle in western India. The child has been treated for injuries to his legs and back after the shocking dusk abduction. Vikram Rathwa screamed for help when his son was taken by the predator and his wife, Sapna, was attacked by it in Gujarat. Vikram Rathwa screamed for help when his son was taken by the predator and his wife, Sapna, was attacked by it in Gujarat. Pictured: A stock image showing a leopard in India According to India Today, his pleas for help were heard by nearby villagers who rushed to help the family. They then encircled the animal and frightened it into dropping the baby. A forest officer working in the area at the time of the attack told BBC Gujarat that the mother is now in hospital with her baby son. He added: 'We rushed over as soon as we found out and called for an ambulance.' A doctor at the hospital said both victims are 'stable and getting better'. Environmentalist Mahesh Pandya told the BBC that humans have encroached into 'space that the animals have occupied for years', causing unpleasant encounters. A forest officer working in the area at the time of the attack said that the mother is now in hospital with her baby son. Pictured: A file image showing Gujaratis in Ahmedabad There are between 12,000 and 14,000 leopards remaining in India. A century ago, India's human population was not much higher than 300 million. It is now over 1.3 billion. The wall of Democratic opposition to Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, may be cracking with Kavanaugh's meeting on Monday with Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. Manchin, Sens. Heidi Heitkamp, and Joe Donnelly are considered the three Democrats most likely to give Kavanaugh the nod of approval as all three also voted for Neil Gorsuch, Trump's first SCOTUS nominee. Manchin, from West Virginia, is the first Democrat to meet with Kavanaugh. Sen. Joe Manchin is the first Democratic senator to meet with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Kavanaugh is courting senators ahead of his confirmation vote, expected this fall Democratic leaders in the Senate are handling the situation with kid gloves: Manchin's move could embolden other Democrats to meet with the nominee plus Manchin is in a tough reelection campaign in a red state Trump won in 2016. Donnelly announced he would meet with Kavanaugh shortly after Manchin made his declaration. Donnelly sits down with the nominee on August 15. Earlier this month Manchin said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer can 'kiss my you know what' if he tries to squeeze him on his Kavanaugh vote, according to The Hill newspaper. Kavanaugh is courting senators ahead of his confirmation vote on Capitol Hill, which is expected some time this fall, after he testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee. But some liberal groups are frustrated as they want Democratic leaders to put the screws into members to keep them from confirming Kavanaugh, who will move the high court to the right if the conservative jurist replaces Anthony Kennedy, a key swing vote, on the bench. But Manchin is under heavy pressure from Republicans too as the party attempts to shore up its margins. Republicans effectively have only 50 Senate seats because Sen. John McCain is home in Arizona fighting brain cancer. His absence means Democrats can block Kavanaugh if they keep their entire caucus unified and one Republican votes no. West Virginia's three Republican members of Congress and more than 20 officials in the state signed a letter to Manchin urging him to back Kavanaugh. The Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative advocacy group, is launching ads urging Manchin to vote yes. Manchin told the West Virginia Metro News he'll review Kavanaugh's judicial record before deciding on how to vote. He specifically cited Kavanaugh's rulings on health care as an example. 'We'll meet Monday and be able to go through all of the concerns,' the senator said. 'I've had over 2,000 inquiries from West Virginians saying, 'Please ask this. Please check this out.' We've assembled all that, we've gone through his record, and we have questions assembled to ask him.' Manchin earlier this month urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reconsider the Trump administration's refusal to defend Obamacare, which protects nearly 800,000 West Virginians living with pre-existing conditions. The administration is backing a lawsuit brought by Texas and other states challenging a requirement that insurers offer coverage to anyone regardless of any pre-existing conditions. That case, Texas v. United States, could ultimately land at the Supreme Court, where Kavanaugh would have a vote. Brett Kavanaugh is President Trump's second nominee to the Supreme Court Manchin said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer can 'kiss my you know what' if he tries to squeeze him on his Kavanaugh vote Manchin sounded a practical note about the nominee, saying Democrats don't have much leverage to hope for an ideologically friendly one. 'He's conservative,' he said of Kavanaugh. 'He's going to be center or center right. The Democrats are not in a majority. The President is not a Democrat now. So the Democrats can't expect for them to get somebody that's going to be center or left. It's not going to happen.' Manchin also said he's not feeling any pressure from other leaders or outside groups to vote one way or another. 'I'm not getting that pressure because they know it doesn't work on me,' he said. 'Now other people, they think they can sway them? They might. A lot of money is being spent on television. I would have recommended they saved their money, because I am going to make what I think is the best informed decision.' He said his decision would depend on: 'After I get clarification, after we see what he testifies under oath and what he's told me (in this meeting), putting all that together and I'll make a decision.' A young couple in Saudi Arabia were arrested after a man filmed himself kissing a woman and shared it on social media. The clip was posted to Snapchat by the man who posted the caption 'teaching her how to drive'. Now the pair face jail time for their embrace after the video went viral, angering Saudis who blasted them for moral intolerance. A woman was driving a vehicle in Saudi Arabia when the man turned to her and they shared a kiss. The man shared footage to Snapchat where it went viral shortly after Authorities picked up the man and woman after they recorded a smooch while driving on a highway in Jazan. Their actions were deemed explicit by Prince Mohammad bin Abdel Aziz who ordered their arrest. According to Stepfeed, the incident sparked outrage on social media. A Twitter user wrote: 'Is this for real?' Another infuriated post read: 'Lack of modesty. I hope they're both caught soon. Only last month women were given permission to drive in Saudi Arabia after a historic ban was lifted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman 'Let them be thrown in jail for a few years so that they learn some respect and manners.' Saudi Arabia follows strict laws for unmarried couples, who could be jailed just for meeting in public or private. The ultra-conservative kingdom bans relationships outside of marriage which is considered a sin under Sharia law. A reaction from a more liberal viewer on Twitter read: 'A man and his girlfriend, what's the problem? Maybe they're newly married and this is a video they were trying to send to his or her family and it went out to someone else by mistake.' Just last month a historic ban was lifted in the country allowing women to drive legally there for the first time ever. The move is part of a cultural transformation by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushing towards 'a more moderate Islam'. Attorney General Jeff Sesions launched a 'religious liberty task force' on Monday, suggesting the Justice Department wants more outcomes like the case of a Colorado baker who won a Supreme Court case after refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Sessions said there is a 'dangerous' movement eroding a long history of resistance against political persecution that dates back to the Pilgrims in Massachusetts, Catholics in Maryland and Quakers in Pennsylvania, making America's dominant culture 'less hospitable to people of faith.' In the process of announcing the move, he highlighted President Donald Trump's frequent campaign promise to imspire a rebooted mainstreaming of the phrase 'Merry Christmas' in American life. Attorney General Jeff Sessions sAid Monday that there is a 'dangerous movement' to erode protections for Americans to worship and believe as they choose Jack Phillips and his Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, CO won a Supreme Court case after refusing to make a cake for agay wedding 'We're going to say Merry Christmas again!' Trump said during several 2015 and 2016 rallies, always to wild applause from a largely Christian following. Sessions said Monday that the president 'respected people of faith and he promised to protect them in the free exercise of their faith.' 'He declared we would say Merry Christmas again!' the attorney general insisted. He was following up on Trump's 2017 executive order telling all federal agencies to protect religious liberty and other decisions of conscience in everything from commerce to political messaging. The Masterpiece Cakeshop episode was top of mind, but not the only bee in the Justice Department's bonnet. Sessions praised the Little Sisters of the Poor for resisting when bureaucrats overseeing the implementation of Obamacare refused to back down from requiring them to add coverage for birth control, forbidden by Catholic teaching, to their medical insurance plans. He also railed against senators, largely Democrats, who have grilled Republican appointees about their beliefs. Sessions praisde President Trump for promising to re-mainstream the phrase 'Merry Christmas' in America The president took credit on Christmas Eve 2017 for what he saw as a return to tradition 'Weve seen nuns ordered to buy contraceptives. Weve seen U.S. senators ask judicial and executive branch nominees about dogma, even though the Constitution explicitly forbids a religious test for public office,' he said. 'Weve all seen the ordeal faced so bravely by Jack Phillips,' sessions said, referring to the Colorado baker. The state's civil rights commission initially found Philips guilty of violating anti-discrimination laws, but the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in his favor on procedural grounds. Sessions alsothrow a subtle elbow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal watchdog group that has publicly classified some Christian advocacy groups as purveyors of hate speech. In 2013 a gunman entered the lobby of the Family Research Council, one such group, and opened fire. Floyd Corkins later said he chose his target because the SPLC had branded it a hate-mongering anti-gay organization. The Little Sisters of the Poor went to court to fight Obamacare rules that forced them to cover contraceptives, against their religious beliefs 'We have gotten to the point ... where one group can actively target religious groups by labeling them a "hate group" on the basis of their sincerely held religious beliefs,' he complained. The human Rights Campaign, a nationwide advocacy group for gays and lesbians, loudly condemned Sessions' move. 'This taxpayer funded task force is yet another example of the Trump-Pence White House and Jeff Sessions sanctioning discrimination against LGBTQ people,' said the group's legal director, Sarah Warbelow. 'Over the last 18 months, Donald Trump, Mike Pence and Jeff Sessions have engaged in a brazen campaign to erode and limit the rights of LGBTQ people in the name of religion.' If corporate McDonalds had had its way 50 years ago, the Big Mac wouldnt exist but the dogged determination of a World War II veteran catapulted the sandwich into culinary history, and its remained a favorite meal world-wide ever since. The man behind the Big Mac was a native of Western Pennsylvania named Michael James Jim Delligatti, an Army sergeant whod hitchhiked across the US following the war, eventually working in drive-ins and carhops in California. He returned to his home state and opened a fast-food joint of his own with a business partner in Pittsburgh in 1953; two years later, he fatefully went to a restaurant convention in Chicago where McDonalds had a booth. He thought he could do better with some costs, so he signed up with them to open a franchise in Western Pennsylvania, his son, Michael, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2016 after his fathers death at the age of 98. Delligatti opened up his first McDonalds on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh in 1957, and he went on to become a prolific franchisee. Within the next decade, however, he had come to believe that he could build a better sandwich that would boost his profits. Hed opened some restaurants at that point, and he was looking to improve and gain more sales, Michael told the newspaper. He wanted to create a larger sandwich that people would really like. He asked McDonalds and they turned him down several times. Finally, they said OK. Michael James 'Jim' Delligatti invented the Big Mac and special sauce after badgering McDonald's repeatedly for a double-patty burger; he came up with the recipe in the kitchen of one of his Pennsylvania franchises and the sandwich first went on sale in 1967 Delligatti - posing with a Big Mac cake for his 90th birthday celebration in 2008 - passed away in 2016 at the age of 98 - but ate weekly Big Macs well into his old age The signature Big Mac recipe consisted of 'two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun' - immortalized by a popular 1974 jingle listing each of the ingredients The company gave him permission as long as he used ingredients already available within a McDonalds kitchen, though he flouted the rules a bit with his tinkering in a move that would rake in billions for the fast-food giant. He was fooling around and came up with the Big Mac. But the buns he had wouldnt work because the meat would slide around. So he went to a local bakery and got a double cut bun with sesame seeds, which was more visually appealing, his son said. The next step was to develop the special sauce, though the family remains sworn to secrecy on that, his son said. (In 2012, however, a corporate chef may have shared that secret, releasing a video that demonstrated how to make the special sauce. The ingredients? Mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, white wine vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika.) Delligatti first began selling the sandwich which initially went by different names, such as The Aristocrat and the Blue Ribbon Burger at his franchise in Uniontown, about an hour outside of Pittsburgh, in 1967 for 45 cents. He later acknowledged the Big Macs similarity to a popular sandwich sold by the Big Boy chain. This wasnt like discovering the light bulb. The bulb was already there. All I did was screw it in the socket, the franchisee said, according to Behind the Arches. He was often asked why he named it the Big Mac, and he said because Big Mc sounded too funny, his son said in an interview two years ago. What was no joke, however, was the Big Macs popularity reflected by a marked uptick in sales. At one time we were the lowest-volume store of any large city, Delligatti told The Los Angeles Times in 1993. A few years after the Big Mac introduction, we became the largest a distinction we held for a couple of years. Despite the initial reluctance of McDonalds officials, they approved the burger and began selling nationally the year after Delligatti devised it. It would become a cultural phenomenon not just in the United States but across the globe, as the Golden Arches became a firmer fixture in cities internationally. The popularity of the Big Mac would be fueled even further by a jingle listing all of its ingredients: Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun. The Big Mac has been presented in a range of packaging options since it was rolled out nationally in 1968, one year after Delligatti first began selling his signature sandwich - but the recipe has not changed in 50 years Delligatti sits near an exhibit at the Big Mac Museum Restaurant in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, which opened in 2007; in addition to the Big Mac, he also debuted the breakfast offering of hotcakes and sausages - after identifying a demand among steelworkers finishing overnight shifts The Big Mac Museum also features a 14-by-12-foot statue of Delligatti's famous sandwich - a burger so popular that, in 1986, The Economist began using the 'Big Mac Index' to compare currencies and economic health around the globe The advertising power of the jingle created in 1974 by a New York advertising agency was further enhanced by a promotion in which people on the street were awarded a free Big Mac if they could recite the song in four seconds or less. Twelve years after the creation of the famous jingle, The Economist invented the Big Mac index as a lighthearted guide to whether currencies are at their correct level, according to the publication. The index shows whether a currency is overvalued or undervalued based on the cost of a Big Mac in one country relative to the cost in another. Burgernomics was never intended as a precise gauge of currency misalignment, merely a tool to make exchange-rate theory more digestible, the Economist explains. Yet the Big Mac index has become a global standard, included in several economic textbooks and the subject of dozens of academic studies. For those who take their fast food more seriously, we also calculate a gourmet version of the index for 48 countries plus the euro area. The Big Mac, however, wasnt Delligattis only contribution to the national McDonalds menu; he shrewdly began offering hotcakes and sausage to steelworkers coming off their overnight shifts. It was the Big Mac, however, that firmly earned him a place in the history not only of the company but in popular culture. In franchising, theres always this set playbook and you have to follow it. Jim saw an opportunity to go outside the playbook because he knew the customer, Ann Dugan, a former assistant dean of the University of Pittsburghs Katz School of Business and an expert on business franchises, told the Associated Press in 2016. He persevered and (McDonalds) listened, and the rest is history. Ray Kroc - the businessman who turned McDonald's into a global success story - acknowledged Delligattis contribution in his autobiography, writing: Nobody could argue with the success of menu additions such as the Filet-o-Fish, the Big Mac, Hot Apple Pie, and Egg McMuffin. The most interesting thing to me about these items is that each evolved from an idea of one of our operators. So the company has benefited from the ingenuity of its small businessmen while they were being helped by the systems image and cooperative advertising muscle. Delligatti, however, insisted he never made billions off the savory invention. All I got was a plaque, he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2007. While the Big Mac is celebrating its 50th anniversary, changing food trends and newer chains have dented its popularity somewhat. A McDonalds franchisee fretted in 2016 that only one out of five millennials has tried the sandwich, so the company has run various promotions designed to introduce the Big Mac to more people Following Delligatti's 2016 death, McDonald's issued a statement calling him 'a legendary franchisee within McDonald's system who made a lasting impression on our brand' That year marked Delligatti's opening of the McDonalds Big Mac Museum restaurant in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania featuring a 14-by-12-foot statue of the famed sandwich. The free museum, which is also a functioning restaurant, displays an array of Big Mac boxes from over the years, as well as the first Big Mac bun toaster and other memorabilia. Fittingly, theres also a bronze bust of Delligatti himself, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 98 (and continued to enjoy weekly Big Macs well into old age.) Delligatti was a legendary franchisee within McDonalds system who made a lasting impression on our brand, the company said at the time. The Big Mac recipe has remained unchanged since Delligatte first invented it in Western Pennsylvania, though changing food trends and newer chains have dented its popularity somewhat. A McDonalds franchisee fretted in 2016 that only one out of five millennials has tried the sandwich. The Big Mac had gotten less relevant, the franchisee wrote in a memo, according to the Wall Street Journal. McDonalds then ran promotions designed to introduce the Big Mac to more people. But Michael Delligatti himself a franchisee remains optimistic about the lasting popularity of his fathers famous burger. What iconic sandwich do you know that can beat the Big Mac as far as longevity? Michael Delligatti said. This is the first picture of a British groom-to-be whose stag-do party allegedly paid 90 to a homeless man to have his name and address tattooed on his face. James Blake, 36, was partying in Benidorm where the Polish rough sleeper named Tomek had 'Jamie Blake, North Shields, N28' written permanently on his forehead on July 13. Mr Blake says he split up with his partner Kerry before the incident but still decided to hold astag do with 30 of his best friends. During the chaotic night in the Spanish resort the men escorted Tomek him to a tattoo parlour to have the inking. But the stag says he had already been thrown out of a bar for being too drunk and had nothing to do with the stunt. Jamie, who said he moved from North Tyneside to Benidorm three months ago and works on the strip, also believes Tomek was not paid any cash to have the tattoo done. He told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle: 'I might have to fly home and could lose my job here. I was not there at the time. There was a big group of around 30 of us drinking in the bar. 'Tomek isn't homeless, he lives with my friend and works on the strip. I got drunk and was asked to leave the bar. I was never in the tattoo parlour and as far as I know he was not paid any money.' James Blake, 36, of North Shields, North Tyneside, with his partner Kerry Clay, who he claims he split from before their wedding and decided to have the stag-do anyway A stag do in Spain allegedly paid a homeless man Tomek 90 to get the groom's name tattooed on his forehead They ordered the man to get 'Jamie Blake, North Shields, N28' tattooed on his forehead, but he was unable to complete the tattoo due to the pain Now he fears he could lose his job in Spain because of the furore back home over the picture. Mr Blake has two children with Kerry Clay, a dinner lady at a local school on Tyneside - but he said they had split recently. There was no answer at their home yesterday but neighbours confirmed he was in Spain. But his family are less than impressed with the antics on his stag-do. His father Brian Blake, 77, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, told MailOnline: 'He won't be going on anymore stag dos in the near future and we'll leave it at that.' Sickening images taken in the tattoo parlour show the man lying flat on his back on a chair while a lamp shone light on his forehead. Tomek threw up a 'peace sign' while he stared straight at the ceiling. The image was shared to Facebook by the tattoo parlour, but it was quickly deleted. A photograph taken later showed that the tattooing was stopped two letters into 'North Shields', so it reads: 'Jamie Blake No'. The story has sparked outrage, and local businesses are even discussing the possibility of paying to get the tattoo removed. The president of the Benidorm British Business Association slammed the actions of the men on the stag do. The former couple, pictured together, are believed to have two children together The stag party were on a trip to Benidorm (stock picture) when the tattoo was inked on Tomek Karen Malin Cowles, who knows Tomek, told the Daily Star: 'What they have done to this man is utterly inhuman and akin to abuse. 'I'm appalled that a group of grown men would take advantage of someone in such a vulnerable position. They have left a human being scarred for the rest of his life.' Getting a tattoo on your head or face is considered one of the most painful places to get inked as it can create an uncomfortable sensation in the skull. Other painful places that can be extremely painful to get tattoos include fingers, the rib cage and spine. British Special Forces have flown into a Red Sea port on high readiness to protect UK registered shipping in the area, it can be revealed. The deployment of 20 elite troops from the Special Boat Service comes after Houthi rebels attacked an oil tanker as tension across the international waterway soars. HMS Argyll, a Type 23 Frigate, is also set to deploy to the region in the coming weeks to join a multinational taskforce. Yemeni government forces take position yesterday as they fight Houthi rebels, who are backed by extremists in Iran and fighting for an independent Yemen, in the port city of Hodeidah The aim of the Coalition Task Force 150 is to disrupt terror attacks in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean which threaten commercial shipping. Armed members of the SBS boarded Queen Mary 2 last month as the passenger ship transited the treacherous waters of the Gulf of Aden - dubbed 'pirate alley'. The latest forces touched down in Djibouti, Africa, in recent weeks to join a US Special Operations Task Force ready to intercept any attack on shipping. There are fears that any shipping damaged or blocked in the narrow waterway could threaten the UK's fuel imports. The Coalition Special Forces team has the capability to launch drones from the secret Camp Lemonnier base in Djibouti. It can also launch a raid against any attackers using Osprey V22 tilt-rotor helicopters. Houthi rebels, backed by extremist in Iran, are fighting for an independent Yemen. The Yemeni government army during military operations on Houthi positions in Hodeidah They have taken their battle to the high seas attacking Saudi and UAE vessels in an attempt to sink a large commercial vessel and cripple the Middle East oil exports. Last week, Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. The Saudi-led Coalition said Houthi rebels had attacked a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, causing 'minor damage' to the vessel. The Kingdom's Al Ekhbariya television cited the coalition saying the oil tanker was 'the target of a Houthi-Iranian terrorist attack'. 'The oil tanker sustained minor damage and the (Houthi) militias almost caused an environmental catastrophe', the coalition said. The Bab al Mandeb is just 18 miles wide at its narrowest point and is a strategic route for Middle East companies shipping fuel to Europe from counties such as Kuwait, Saudi and Qatar. A source said Houthi activity in and around the Bab al Mandeb has increased significantly Britain imports 90 per cent of its oil from the Middle East and regularly has warships patrolling in the region as part of a Nato initiative to protect and escort commercial vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea on their way to Suez. In June, Cunard spokesperson Jackie Chase said that armed military personnel had joined the company's Queen Mary 2, which was carrying 2,600 passengers, and remained onboard until the ship reached Aqaba in Jordan. The ship transited the vulnerable waterways at 26 knots but some cruise liners are now avoiding the region, as they do not have the power to outrun both Houthi attacks and Somali pirates. A senior military source said Houthi activity in and around the Bab al Mandeb has increased significantly and is a real threat to international trade. He said: 'This is a critical waterway for maritime imports heading to Europe, our people will be ready to board UK registered shipping and provide security assistance. 'These attacks are a bi-product of the war in Yemen and their success in making the Saudi suspend oil shipments will spur them on to make more attacks. This is a route used by UK based cruise liners, oil tankers and container vessels which we must protect.' Behind bars: Paul Manafort is in prison as he waits for his trial to begin and if found guilty on all counts, could spend the rest of his life as a federal prisoner Paul Manafort on Tuesday will become the first of President Donald Trump's former aides to go on trial, accused of bank and tax fraud by federal investigators probing Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. On Monday, prosecutors said in court filings that they intend to prove that Manafort earned more than $60 million lobbying for the former pro-Russia Ukrainian government and failed to report 'a significant percentage' of that. His lawyers are seeking to exclude evidence at trial that details Manafort's political lobbying work in Ukraine, saying it would be 'irrelevant, prejudicial and unnecessarily time-consuming.' Prosecutors are expected to argue that Manafort's lavish spending on suits, homes and luxury items did not match the income declared on his tax returns and that he misled lenders when he borrowed tens of millions of dollars against New York real estate. The charges largely predate the five months Manafort worked on the Trump team in 2016, some of them as campaign chairman. Despite a focus on financial crimes, the trial could yield politically damaging headlines about a man who ran Trump's campaign for three months and attended a June 2016 meeting with Russians offering damaging information on Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton that is now a focal point of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 14-month-old investigation. 'My guess is you will see O.J.-type frenzy at this court event,' said Michael Caputo, a former Trump aide and longtime Manafort associate, referring to the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder case. 'I really hope the president continues to watch and make public comments about this case.' The way it was: Paul Manafort was Trump's campaign chief during the Republican convention in Cleveland and was seen on stage talking to Ivanka during a sound check before Trump's speech accepting his party's nomination Lifestyle in focus: Manafort, seen before prosecutors successfully had his bail revoked, will find his spending and his lifestyle with his wife Kathleen (right) in Mueller's cross hairs as the special counsel's team spend an expected ten days making their case He said Trump could help the public understand what is at stake in Mueller's investigation, which both Trump and Caputo have called a 'witch hunt' aimed at ending his presidency. Joshua Dressler, a law professor at Ohio State University, said the evidence against Manafort, 69, appears strong, but that he drew a favorable judge in the 78-year old T.S. Ellis, who is known to be tough on prosecutors, and said the politically-charged climate increases the chances of a hung jury. Manafort, who has pleaded not guilty, faces 18 counts. The nine bank fraud and conspiracy charges alone carry maximum sentences of 30 years each, and Judge Ellis noted in April that Manafort could be facing the rest of his life behind bars if convicted. Given the strength of the evidence, however, some legal experts have suggested Manafort may be banking on an eventual pardon from Trump, who has called his former campaign chairman a 'nice guy' who has been treated unfairly. The trial, starting with selection of a 12-member jury, coincides with growing speculation that Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen may cooperate with federal investigators against the president. Mueller's team has estimated it could take 8 to 10 days to present its case to the jury, suggesting the trial may last at least three weeks. Mueller has submitted more than 500 pieces of evidence, including tax filings and mortgage statements, and pictures of Manafort's expensive watches and homes. There are 35 potential witnesses, many of them bankers and accountants expected to verify documents and speak to Manafort's alleged intent to violate the law. Five witnesses were granted immunity. Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for Trump, said no one facing trial should expect a pardon, but he did not rule one out. Giuliani said he and Jay Sekulow, another Trump lawyer, had told the president: 'This would be a very bad thing to do now.' But once Mueller's Russia investigation ends, Giuliani told Reuters, 'he has a right to consider it ... Its his power.' Mueller's team said it would not present evidence at the trial in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia, about possible campaign collusion with Russia, potentially saving it for a second Manafort trial in Washington in September. Even so, prosecutors have asked permission to discuss Manafort's work for pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine, which they allege was a source of wealth he laundered through overseas bank accounts. The judge has yet to rule on the request. On Monday, prosecutors laid out details of some of the evidence they hope to present. Star witness: Rick Gates, who was Manafort's long-time deputy in Ukraine and then on the Trump campaign Lifestyle evidence: Among documents which the prosecution have filed in advance so they can introduce them at the trial is the detail of an $18,000 karaoke system at his Hamptons home Those include photographs of former Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych taken as part of a campaign, as well as memos showing Russian oligarchs paying Manafort through foreign bank accounts. If allowed, prosecutors may delve deeper into Manafort's Russian connections. Last month Mueller's team disclosed in a court filing what it said was a $10 million loan to Manafort from Oleg Deripaska, a magnate with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'It seems to me were seeing deeper ties that Manafort has had financially with his business deals in the Ukraine and with Russia,' said Shanlon Wu, a former lawyer for Manafort associate Rick Gates, who pleaded guilty in February and is aiding Mueller's probe. 'He could expose himself to further criminal culpability if he has to expose the full extent of those ties.' One transaction is an alleged quid pro quo arrangement between Manafort and a senior executive at the Federal Savings Bank, which public records show lent Manafort $16 million against New York properties in December 2016 and January 2017. Prosecutors say the loans were a favor for Manafort bringing the executive, who sources say is Federal CEO Stephen Calk, into Trump's inner circle. Calk was named an adviser to the Trump campaign, and Democratic lawmakers say he inquired about, but did not get, a key Army post. Federal did not respond to a request for comment. Expected to be a main witness, Gates was Manafort's right-hand man for years and has knowledge of their offshore accounts and work for Deripaska and in Ukraine. Mueller's team has indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people and three companies, including the indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officials. Of the four former Trump aides ensnared in the probe, Manafort is the only one to go to trial. Gates, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser on the campaign, all have pleaded guilty. Trump denies any collusion. But he and his aides have struggled to control the damage from his acceptance at times of Putins denials that Russia interfered over American intelligence agencies' conclusion that it did. One of the prosecutors in the infamous 2001 North Carolina killing case of Michael Peterson has died in her home over the weekend. Freda Black, who was featured in the Netflix 'The Staircase' documentary series, was found dead Sunday morning in her North Carolina home. Durham police spokesman Wil Glenn said the 57-year-old's death does not appear suspicious and the body has been sent to the medical examiner. Black gained recognition after appearing in the documentary that profiled the case of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife. Freda Black, 57, was found dead in her North Carolina home Sunday She gained recognition after appearing in The Staircase Netflix documentary - which profiles the 2001 murder case of Michael Peterson (pictured in court) Peterson was convicted of killing his wife Kathleen (both pictured). The ruling was later overturned Black gave closing arguments at the 2003 trial that ended with novelist Michael Peterson convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen . A judge later ordered a new trial, and Peterson entered a special plea in 2017 acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him of manslaughter. Peterson, 74, attributed the documentary, which was edited by his love of 15 years, for the overturned conviction. Black, a mother of two daughters, was found around 3.30pm Sunday after a family member told police they cold not get in touch with her. After the trial, Black ran two campaigns for district attorney, in 2006 and 2008, both of which she lost. In 2010, she ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Durham district court bench. The case has received recent attention after Netflix distributed new episodes of the documentary originally aired more than a decade ago. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signaled the Trump administration's willingness to take on China in the Indo-Pacific region, saying they will 'oppose' China's effort to dominate the area. Pompeo said the United States will use a model of 'partnership economics' as an alternative to China's predatory lending to its neighbors. 'Like so many of our Asian allies and friends, the United States fought for its own independence from an empire that expected deference,' Pompeo said at a Chamber of Commerce event focused on the region. 'We thus have never and will never seek domination in the Indo-Pacific, and we will oppose any country that does.' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addresses the Indo-Pacific Business Forum at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Countries in the Indo-Pacific region grew worried when President Trump pulled the United States out of the Trans Pacific Partnership He noted: 'The great theme of our engagement is this: Where America goes, we seek partnership, not domination.' President Donald Trump's administration's goal for the event, which was also attended by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, was demonstrate America's commitment to the area. Countries in the Indo-Pacific have been worried by Trump's 'America first' policy, the United States' withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal and America's pursuit of a trade conflict with China. Pompeo did not single out China, but framed America's strategy for the region as a contrast to the Asian giant by declaring the Trump administration was demanding a 'free and open' Indo-Pacific. 'When we say 'open' in the Indo-Pacific it means we want all nations to enjoy open access to seas and airways,' Pompeo said. The secretary of state also announced plans to spend $113 million on energy and cybersecurity initiatives in the region. But the amount is not a dollar-for-dollar competition with China, which spends billions in the area as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, which involves an estimated $1 trillion of mostly state-led infrastructure projects linking Asia, parts of Africa and Europe. Pompeo estimated that Indo-Pacific countries need $26 trillion of infrastructure by 2030 and he urged the private sector to get involved. 'No government, no combination of governments, has that kind of money only the private sector does,' he said. 'And only if countries make themselves welcoming to private investment will those trillions of dollars get off the sidelines, into their economies, and into productive enterprises that bring jobs and prosperities to their peoples.' 'Indo-Pacific,' defined by Pompeo as a region stretching from the U.S. West Coast to India's west coast, has become known in diplomatic circles as shorthand for a broader and democratic-led region in place of 'Asia-Pacific,' which from some perspectives had authoritarian China too firmly at its center. Among the new investments outlined by Pompeo, the United States will invest $25 million to expand U.S. technology exports to the region, add nearly $50 million this year to help countries produce and store their energy resources and create a new assistance network to boost infrastructure development. Pompeo said he would visit Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia this week China spends billions in the Indo-Pacific as part of its Belt and Road Initiative Pompeo said the United States has signed a $350 million investment compact with Mongolia to develop new sources of water supply. The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a development agency of the U.S. government, was also finalizing an agreement to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in transportation and other reforms in Sri Lanka, Pompeo said. Pompeo said he would visit Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia this week. Speaking to reporters before Pompeo's speech, Brian Hook, senior policy adviser to Pompeo, said the United States was not competing with China's mostly state-led initiatives. 'It is a made-in-China, made-for-China initiative,' Hook told reporters on a conference call. 'Our way of doing things is to keep the government's role very modest, and it's focused on helping businesses do what they do best.' Freddy David, 49, used his good reputation within the Jewish community to sell non-existent opportunities to his clients A top financial advisor who stole nearly 15 million from his investors to feed his gambling habit and pay for his children's private school fees has been jailed for six years. Freddy David, 49, of Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, used his good reputation within the Jewish community as managing director of HBFS Wealth Management to sell non-existent opportunities to his clients, leaving some elderly investors contemplating suicide. David, who is married to a director of the Conservative Party Policy Forum and a former Tory Parliamentary candidate, claimed the schemes were backed by the Bank of Scotland and Barclays but he was really 'robbing Peter to pay Paul', Southwark Crown Court heard. David pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position and one count of obtaining a money transfer by deception. He was sentenced to four years for the first count and six years for the second to be served concurrently. David was also banned from acting as a company director for 10 years. He lives in a 1million detached house in Elstree, Hertfordshire. The father-of-three worked as a corporate manager at the Knightsbridge branch of Barclays before joining HBFS in 2000. He used part of an 80,000 investment from one victim to set up a restaurant called Let's Meat, make mortgage and school fees payments, visit Greece and Israel and feed his gambling addiction. Another victim said that David's crime had left him contemplating suicide. David gave 2,000 to the Harrow West Conservative Party in 2013. Pictured: Then-Tory leader David Cameron with David's wife, Hannah, in 2015 After his arrest he told police: 'I am public enemy number one in the Jewish community and understandably so, I have very very few friends left and I understand why.' Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay said David had stolen a total of 14,545,594 from 55 clients over ten years. But the Ponzi scheme helped to fund an online gambling habit which saw him blow 15.6m on betting websites between January 2005 and November 2017 including 240,000 in a single day. Mr Polnay said: 'This defendant was the managing director of HBFS, a company that provided wealth management and financial advice. 'The defendant abused his position to sell investment products that simply did not exist. 'The defendant did not invest the money on behalf of his client at all - he simply transferred it to his own account where it was spent.' David handed his clients a fake certificate, which falsely stated that their investments had been made. Mr Polnay said: 'Some of the victims received money in return for their non-existent investments but in reality it was coming from other investors - it was robbing Peter to pay Paul.' David had joined the wealth management company in 2000 after a stint at Barclay's before buying it out from the previous owner in 2005. In just four years he had doubled the turnover of the business, valued at between 14 and 16 million. Mr Polnay said the fraudster had gambled around 36,000 just a few days before he was finally arrested. Southwark Crown Court heard how one victim lost 300,000 of savings to Freddy David and considered suicide He also transferred his mother around 176,000 while under investigation by the police. Victim Leon Winsky said after the hearing he lost 300,000 of savings to David and considered suicide. Mr Winsky worked from the age of 14 up until retirement at 66. 'Freddy David has destroyed my family,' he said. 'I worked long hours over fifty years, I thought I would go to an honest Jewish financial advisor.' He explained that when he found out about the fraud, he was so distraught that he considered killing himself. 'My first thought was suicide but just as I was about to jump in front of a train I decided to face him in court instead. 'The money invested in Freddy David was eventually going to go towards a flat for my special needs son Jonathan. 'We now only have two meals a day instead of three. For the time being we are managing to survive on my small pension.' Winsky went on to tell them court how he used to volunteer at an elderly care home - singing classic songs from his youth with the residents to keep their spirits up, but, he said, 'since being made penniless by Freddy David I no longer wish to sing.' My first thought was suicide but just as I was about to jump in front of a train I decided to face him in court instead Leon lives in Wembley with his wife and disabled son. David took 80,000 from another victim, Levana Elyahou, of which he spent 14,768 on a creating restaurant called Let's Meat, 14,000 on gambling, 7,000 on mortgage repayments and 4,801 on school fees repayments. He also spent 3,690 on a trip to Israel as well as spending on a trip to Greece. Defence counsel Andrew Trollop QC said David had lost 11m on gambling over the last 14 years. He told the court: 'Over a period of fourteen years over 10,395 gambling transactions took place. That's to say there was gambling everyday, twice a day. Bets placed with over ninety-six gambling companies spending around 17 million - he lost 11 million on gambling.' Mr Trollop said David was 'an acknowledged fraudster who was on the one hand stealing clients' money and on the other hand managing his clients' money responsibly and honestly.' The barrister added: 'He does have a deep sense of shame for what he has done and is equally deeply remorseful for it. Funded party as wife stood to be an MP David's wife Hannah pictured with former Tory prime minister David Cameron Fraudster Freddy David donated thousands of pounds to the Tories while running his Ponzi scheme. David gave 2,000 to the Harrow West Conservative Party in 2013. Between 2013 and 2015, his business HBFS Financial Services handed over 9,685 in cash to the party. HBFS also provided staffing support valued at 2,000, and administration services worth 4,000. There is no suggestion the donations to the party were linked to illegal activity. David's wife Hannah was a Conservative councillor in Hertsmere and stood down from the council to run as the Conservatives' Parliamentary candidate for Harrow West in 2015 and 2017. She is currently listed as a director of the Conservative Party Policy Forum which claims to have 'a direct line to the Prime Minister's policy unit'. Advertisement 'He, of course, knew all or many of his many clients and knows only too well how dreadfully he has let them down.' David held 75 per cent of the company while his wife, Hannah David, owned 25 per cent. She is a director at the Conservative Party Policy Forum and has previously been a Tory parliamentary candidate. Judge Deborah Taylor told him: 'You took their money and gambled it away at the casino - you took advantage of your reputation within the community. 'The company was part of the FT 100 most successful managers for several years. 'You tried to stave off the chance of discovery by paying back investments with other clients' money. Your criminality has caused, not only loss, but despair to many. 'I have taken into all that has been said on your behalf. There is no doubt that you have lost your reputation and your business and that your have suffered ostracisation from your community.' She went on to explain that the fraud had been exacerbated by the fact that 55 investors were defrauded for over a period of ten years. Speaking after the trial, victim Shiri Koren said: 'That man is not just deceitful, he's evil. All of this has put his family to shame.' Freddy David told customers that their money would be locked up in a high-interest bank account for years She explained that her father, who had invested with David, was unable to attended because he was bed-bound due to multiple sclerosis. The family was now unable to pay for the two physiotherapy sessions he had each week prior to the fraud because of the enormity of the financial loss incurred. Detective inspector Mark Forster said: 'Today's sentence reflects the severity of the fraud, it should serve as a warning to those who think they could get away with these scams. 'The fraud had been going on for in excess of ten year and we were surprised that it wasn't picked up but Freddy David was very good at hiding it.' Katie Watkins of City of London Police said: This fraud has caused significant emotional distress and financial harm to the victims involved, many of whom invested their life savings in HBFS. David was a well-respected member of his community who exploited his position as a managing director of a recommended financial advisory firm to gain trust from unsuspecting investors. Some victims are retired and are not in a position to recover the money lost. The first 50,000 of clients cash is protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and any money left in HBFS will also have been distributed to clients as the firm was wound up. David was declared bankrupt last month and many of his victims are thought to have been saddled with vast losses that they can never recover. The police investigation began after the Financial Conduct Authority noticed suspicious activity in Davids bank accounts. FCA enforcement director Mark Steward said they would be carrying out its own enforcement action against David on the back of the criminal conviction to prevent him working in financial services again. A Christian couple who let their baby die of jaundice last year because they believe 'God makes no mistakes' has had their newborn girl taken from them by the state. Joshua, 37, and Rachel Piland, 31, were charged with involuntary manslaughter in September after they refused to seek medical treatment for their daughter Abigail, who died in February 2017. Rachel Piland gave birth to another baby girl earlier this month who began showing symptoms of infant jaundice, the same condition that killed her sister. But once again the Lansing, Michigan couple has refused to take their child to the hospital - and now the state is hoping to terminate their parental rights. Joshua and Rachel Piland's newborn baby girl was seized by the state after they refused to take her to the hospital when she showed similar symptoms to a condition that killed her sister last year. The couple are picture here with one of their older sons State officials decided to take immediate action, seizing Verity from her parents just hours after she was born. Verity was rushed to a local hospital and received lifesaving blood transfusions, according to the Lansing State Journal. A complaint was filed with Child Protective Services the same day Verity was born, July 17, and officials cited 'anticipatory neglect' for seizing the child. 'There are current concerns for the safety and well-being of the newborn baby as the previous concerns which brought this family to the court's attention have yet to be rectified,' a CPS investigator wrote in a petition to the court. Verity was taken to a hospital within hours of her birth, where doctors found she was 'significantly jaundiced' and had high levels of bilirubin in her system. While unconjugated bilirubin is not an issue for most newborns, high levels can cause lifelong neurological problems or even death if left untreated. Doctors also suspected that Verity might have Rh disease, a condition that is caused by incompatibility in the blood between a mother and her fetus. Joshua, 37, and Rachel, 31, were charged with involuntary manslaughter in September after they refused to seek medical treatment for daughter Abigail Piland, who died in February 2017 If the mother is Rh-negative but her baby is Rh-positive, her body will try to fight off the foreign red blood cells by producing antibodies. These Rh antibodies can cross the placenta and reach the fetus, destroying the newborn's blood cells and potentially resulting in jaundice. Rh disease can be treated in the fetus and 95 percent of babies who are born with severe Rh disease survive. But a blood transfusion did not help Verity, so the newborn had to undergo an exchange transfusion - meaning her entire blood supply was replaced. Aaron Kerr, Rachel Piland's brother, said the infant has been hospitalized for the last two weeks but is recovering. 'She's still being evaluated and checked. We're hopeful that there are no long-term complications, but I don't think we can say 100 percent yet whether that's the case,' he said. Abigail Piland was also jaundiced and had high levels of bilirubin at the time of her death. Rachel Piland gave birth to another baby girl earlier this month who began showing symptoms of infant jaundice, the same condition that killed her sister Rachel gave birth to Abigail, via midwife, at her home on February 6. At the time of her birth, Abigail appeared healthy and there were no concerns surrounding her well-being. But when the midwife, who had helped deliver Rachel and Joshua's two older children, returned to the home the next day, she told Rachel that Abigail appeared jaundiced and encouraged her to take the baby to the doctor. 'She told Rachel the baby could suffer brain damage or die if not properly cared for,' Lansing Police Detective Peter Scaccia said. Scaccia said that Rachel refused to seek any medical treatment for Abigail, stating 'God makes no mistakes' and that she believed in the power of prayer. But the baby's condition only worsened and, on February 8, Abigail started to cough up blood. Instead of taking the infant to the doctor, Rachel put her child 'near a window wearing just a diaper and utilizing a hair dryer to keep her warm,' Scaccia told the Lansing State Journal. At one point, Rachel told her mother, Rebecca Kerr, what the midwife said after Rebecca commented that Abigail's skin was not the right color. But instead of going to the hospital with her newborn, Rachel listened to sermons. Rachel gave birth to Abigail, via midwife, at her home (pictured) on February 6. She died three days later On the morning of February 9, Rachel and her mother noticed blood coming out of Abigail's nose and that she was struggling to breathe. Kerr begged her daughter to call for help, but Rachel refused. By 11am that same day, Abigail was dead. Rachel told her husband Joshua, who attempted one rescue breath. He later told detectives he didn't want to try CPR because he didn't know how to perform it on children. The couple then brought Abigail upstairs to 'pray for her' and asked fellow church members to come to their home and 'pray for her resurrection'. They never called the police. What is infant jaundice? Infant jaundice is a yellow discoloration in a newborn baby's skin and eyes. Infant jaundice occurs because the baby's blood contains an excess of bilirubin, a yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells. Infant jaundice is a common condition, particularly in babies born before 38 weeks gestation (preterm babies) and some breast-fed babies. Infant jaundice usually occurs because a baby's liver isn't mature enough to get rid of bilirubin in the bloodstream. In some cases, an underlying disease may cause jaundice. Treatment of infant jaundice often isn't necessary, and most cases that need treatment respond well to noninvasive therapy. Although complications are rare, a high bilirubin level associated with severe infant jaundice or inadequately treated jaundice may cause brain damage. Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement Authorities only learned of the child's death after Rachel's brother called from California and reported it. When police arrived they discovered the dead infant and people praying over her body. The autopsy later confirmed that Abigail died from unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus - conditions related to jaundice. If treated she would have more than likely survived, Scaccia said. Rachel and Joshua later told the court that they understood the newborn's symptoms but chose to 'believe in the word of God over the symptoms,' records show. The court also heard they believe they'll be reunited with their baby girl because they think she will be 'resurrected.' Rachel and Joshua were each charged with a single count of involuntary manslaughter and released after posting $75,000 bond on September 21. They each face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. A trial date has not yet been set. It remains unclear if they will face additional charges related to Verity. Their two older sons, aged two and three, were placed in the care of Rachel's parents after the couple refused to stop physically disciplining them. A separate trial to determine whether the Pilands' custody rights to their two sons will be permanently terminated has been delayed for months. The state's Department of Health and Human Services is moving to terminate their parental rights to Verity. The pretrial is scheduled for August 9. The mother of the Las Vegas McDonalds worker whose brawl with a customer became an Internet sensation after footage was posted online has spoken out for the first time. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Ana Chavolla, 48, defended her daughter, Erika, described herself as very mad and revealed her surprising take on who is really to blame for the whole affair. Twenty-four year old McDonalds employee Erika Chavolla body slammed Sabrinah Fontelar, also 24, and repeatedly hit her in the face after the customer allegedly tried to fill up a water cup with soda, threw her fries and hurled a milkshake at Chavolla and smack-talked her mother. Now, speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com from her home in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ana Chavolla, 48, is unapologetic about her daughters swift and brutal response. She said, What was she supposed to do? Nothing?! SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO OF THE BRAWL Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com from her home in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ana Chavolla, 48, is unapologetic about her daughters swift and brutal response. She said, What was she supposed to do? Nothing?!' Erika Chavolla then throws Fontelar over a second table (left) before telling her 'my momma aint dead, you respect my momma' before the footage cuts out Erikas my daughter. Of course Im on her side. She has always had a problem with people wanting to pick a fight with her because of her size, because she is big. In a brief explanation of her actions on social media Erika said, Its crazy, people think just cause youre working.I held off. You heard, she was talking a lot of smack for a long time. She claimed that she hadnt even been going to hit Fontelar but that when the customer saw a big girl coming towards her she freaked out. According to her mother, The customer was looking for a fight. She was pushing. Erika doesnt know her, shes just a customer she comes in throwing things. What did she expect? Fontelar claims to have been charged with battery over the fast food show down. But while there is clearly no love lost between the diminutive Chavolla matriarch and Fontelar the person with whom she is most mad is the stranger who filmed and posted the video of the brawl online without permission. It has since been shared and viewed millions of times converting the warring girls into dubious internet stars. In her now numerous Instagram accounts filled with scantily clad pictures of herself Fontelar appears to be embracing the infamy more enthusiastically than Erika. Sabrinah Fontelar (left) can be heard calling Erika Chavolla (right, in white) 'b****' and a 'fat a**' in new footage which shows the argument leading up to the epic McDonald's brawl Chavolla (left and right) said on Thursday that she has kept her job at McDonald's following the incident In stark contrast to her online image a surprisingly shy Erika declined to speak to DailyMail.com when approached at home because, she said, her mom was mad and didnt want her to. But speaking to DailyMail.com, Chavolla senior explained that her anger isnt directed at her daughter or even the customer who, she claims, picked a fight with her. She said, Yes I am mad. I am very mad at the moment with the woman who posted that video without permission. I asked Erika, Did you know this woman? Did you give permission for this to be posted? She said, No. Chavolla revealed that she has spoken with an attorney and hopes to bring legal action against Marie Dayag, the witness who recorded and posted the footage. Dayag's video shows the two women arguing before the fight breaks out. While the audio is difficult to hear, at one point Chavolla can be heard saying, Since you cant afford one. Sabrinah Fontelar, of Las Vegas, has since bragged on Instagram that she was the customer in the video Fontelar can also be heard saying, Thats why youre a** is behind the f***ing counter, before throwing a French fry across the restaurant and repeatedly shouting, Fight me! A second piece of footage shows the fight breaking out after Fontelar hurls a milkshake at Chavolla. As the larger girl storms towards her, Fontelar picks up a metal tray and hits Chavolla in the head but she barely notices. Instead she grabs the customer by the hair and beings raining punches down on her head and face. She later claimed to have punched her in the teeth. Chavolla then picks up Fontelar and throws her over a nearby table with ease as other employees and even a customer run over to try to break up the fight. Another McDonalds employee quickly backs off when Fontelar starts fighting him instead. The row which sparked a wild brawl Fontelar: 'F*** you ho.' [Inaudible] Chavolla: [Inaudible] bad.' F:'That's why y'all can just leave. 'What are you going to do, fight me? Fight me b****. 'That's why your fat a** is behind the f***ing counter [inaudible, she throws a French fry].' C: 'Since you can't afford one [inaudible] get your personal fries...' F: 'I gave it to the [inaudible] what are you talking about?' 'That's why ya'll [inaudible] don't panic' 'It's too late family, y'all f***ed up now, call 'em.' Advertisement That reignites the brawl with Fontelar beaten in the head and face a second time and thrown over yet another table. At one point Chavolla can be heard shouting, My momma aint dead. You respect my momma. Fontelar can be seen picking up a chair and making as if she is about to hit Chavolla who simply bats it away. A few more angry words are exchanged but no more punches are traded before the footage cuts out. McDonalds has issued a statement saying that the company is investigating the incident and doesnt condone the behavior in the video. Erika has claimed that she still works there but speaking across the weekend her mother appeared uncertain as to whether the incident would cost her daughter her job. Fontelar said that she was not interested in commenting further. Fontelar hurls a milkshake at Chavolla (left) before hitting her in the face with a metal tray (right), but she barely notices Chavolla pushes Fontelar backwards on to a table before beating her in the face, before picking her up and throwing her over a table (right) An elderly woman has died from asphyxiation after her ice cream deliveryman son, stored four coolers of dry ice in her car. The victim's son, 51, called the police after he found his wife, 51, and mother, 77, passed out in their car in University Place, Washington. Police have not released the names of anyone involved. He became concerned when his wife didn't return from dropping off his mother at 11pm, after he woke up at 4am for work He found the car just a few blocks away and his mom and wife unconscious inside. The ice cream man said he smashed a rear window with a rock, unlocked the car, and pulled his unconscious wife out and called 911, Kiro7. An elderly woman has died from asphyxiation after her ice cream deliveryman son, stored four coolers of dry ice in her car His mother was pronounced dead the scene. The man and his wife were rushed to hospital. The 51-year-old woman was in critical condition Friday. The ice cream deliveryman told police that he's stored the four coolers of dry ice in the back of the car 'because he delivered Dippin' Dots to various locations,' Troyer said. 'He recently got a new car. The newer car probably had better sealing.' The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the cause of death as asphyxiation due to displacement of oxygen by carbon dioxide, and have pointed the blame at dry ice. Dry ice, a solid form of carbon dioxide, can pose a danger in small, non-ventilated spaces. As the frozen carbon dioxide melts, it releases CO2 gas, displacing oxygen in the air which can quickly cause 'difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness and death.' 'At this point we're just looking at this as horrific accident,' sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. Troyer added that death by dry-ice asphyxiation was rare but it happened. In 2008, Fiona Shackleton represented Paul McCartney in his divorce from Heather Mills A top divorce lawyer has urged all schools to teach children about marriage and 'who to breed with' to cut the number of divorces. Fiona Shackleton, who represented Prince Charles in his divorce, said it was a 'mistake' to think that marriage is 'just about the heart'. She added too few people think about the 'practicalities' of marriage and focus instead on romantic things like the 'white dress' or 'escape from home'. She said children should be taught about how to find a sensible partner with whom to 'rear children' and to realise that unkind people 'never change' even after they become a husband or wife. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, she said that if schools hammered this home at an early age there would then be fewer divorces and more 'happy children'. Baroness Shackleton has recently backed a university research project to discover the components of the best marriages, so that they can be taught to youngsters. Baroness Shackleton also represented Liam Gallagher in a case in London three years ago She said: 'I have sponsored a project... to research into what makes a successful marriage, what makes an unsuccessful marriage, with a hope that education which is severely lacking in schools who teach about alcohol abuse, drug abuse, sex and goodness knows what else, would devote just a little time to get students to focus on what is the most important decision they make, which is basically, who they breed with or from.' Asked by host John Humphrys whether marriage was 'about the heart as well as the head', she replied: 'That's the mistake.' 'It's not just about the heart. It's a practical arrangement which has to survive to rear children,' she said. 'And it's the children who are the very sad losers when parents are selfish and decide that their own desires override those of their family.' Baroness Shackleton said that the project has so far come up with a range of ideas to help people choose the perfect partner, including making a checklist for desirable traits. She said people should be made aware of the fact that 'you can't change people' even if you marry them, and that 'you can't make a mean person fundamentally generous'. Baroness Shackleton (pictured in her earlier years in 1993) is the daughter of Bank of England adviser and Sheriff of the City of London, and was educated at Benenden School in Kent This would mean marriages had a better chance of working out from the start, and therefore there would be fewer divorces and broken families, she said. She added: 'If they think about these things, not about the white dress, or escape from home, or many other reasons, not the love element, but the practicality of marriage, before they enter into it, then I would probably be doing myself out of a job more often. Fiona Shackleton: Top divorce lawyer dubbed the 'Steel Magnolia' Fiona Shackleton, 62, is one of Britain's most famous divorce lawyers. She was dubbed the 'Steel Magnolia' for her charm and determination after securing Prince Charles a divorce settlement in 1996 which saw Princess Diana lose her HRH title. The same year, she handled Prince Andrew's 2 million divorce from the Duchess of York. She memorably had a glass of water thrown over her by a furious Heather Mills during her divorce from Sir Paul McCartney in 2008. She represented the Beatle and ensured that former model Miss Mills got only 24 million of the 125 million she had sought. The daughter of Bank of England adviser and Sheriff of the City of London, she was educated at Benenden School in Kent. She secured only a third-class degree in law at Exeter University. Her ex-Army husband is a descendant of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. She became a life peer sitting on the Tory bench in 2010 and remains the personal solicitor of Princes William and Harry. Advertisement 'There would be a lot more happy children running around.' Baroness Shackleton's project is with Exeter University, where she studied law, graduating in 1977. The study found the best marriages were built on friendship, respect, realistic expectations, shared interests and humour. It identifies ten questions to ask a lover to ensure a lasting relationship. The questions were created after evidence from couples, family lawyers, mediators and judges to find the most important elements of a relationship. The study recommends that couples revisit the questions regularly. Anne Barlow, who led the study, said: 'We found thriving relationships share some fundamental qualities. Mostly the couple have chosen a partner with whom they are a 'good fit' and have ways of successfully navigating stressful times.' Questions include do we have a strong basis for friendship, do we want the same things, are we committed to working through tough times and do we see the best in each other? Before starting her legal career Baroness Shackleton trained as a cordon bleu chef, becoming an executive caterer for a short while. In 1984, she joined Farrer & Co, the royal solicitors, becoming a partner three years later. She achieved public prominence after acting for Prince Andrew and Prince Charles during their divorces and subsequently represented Paul McCartney in his divorce from Heather Mills. A prosecutor announced on Monday that two Minneapolis police officers will not be charged in last month's fatal shooting of an armed black man. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Thurman Blevins, 31, was fleeing from officers with a loaded handgun and had refused multiple commands to stop and show his hands. Blevins took the semiautomatic handgun out of his pocket and turned toward officers, Freeman said. 'The decision to use deadly force against Mr. Blevins under those circumstances was authorized,' said Freeman, adding that officers fired 14 shots and hit Blevins four times. Scroll down for video No charges: Police officers who shot and killed 31-year-old Thurman Blevins on June 23 on the north side of Minneapolis will not be charged in his death Freeman's decision came after the officers' body camera video was released late Sunday night by the city. And it came by news release after he was shouted down at a news conference by community members where he had planned to detail the case. 'The family is hurt. The family is devastated. We knew everything was going to play out exactly the way it played out. We were prepared,' Blevins' cousin Sydnee Brown said at the event, according to Minneapolis Star Tribune. 'I don't want the media and the world to think we're angry. We're not angry. We're more so disgusted. We're disgusted by the leaders of the world, we're disgusted by the leaders of Minneapolis and Minnesota.' Jeniffer Rohr, a friend of the family, referred to audio in which one officer is heard saying 'He's got a gun' as their squad car rolled up to where Blevins was seated on a curb. 'He just gave himself a license to shoot Mr. Blevins,' Rohr said. Blevins' June 23 death has sparked outrage and led to protests in the city as family members claimed he was not armed or posing a danger to officers when he was shot multiple times while sprinting down an alley in a north side neighborhood. Another protest of Blevins' death was planned for Tuesday afternoon at the Hennepin County Government Center. On Sunday evening, the department released body camera footage from officers Ryan Kelly and Justin Schmidt, who both opened fire on Blevins. They have been placed on paid administrative leave. The Minneapolis Police Department released body camera video footage showing the moment two officers fatally shot Blevins. Police say the video shows he was armed In the first video, Kelly and Schmidt spot a man matching the description from a report of someone firing shots into the air. The man, which turned out to be Blevins, is sitting on the street corner with his dog talking to a woman, who reports say is his girlfriend, with a baby. When the squad car pulls up, officer Schmidt yells that Blevins is armed and both cops jump out of the vehicle and start to chase Blevins. 'Put your f***ing hands up!' Kelly screams as he pursues Blevins. 'Stop or I'll shoot. Stop or I'll shoot.' When Blevins turns down an alley, officer Schmidt opens fire and officer Kelly also starts shooting. Blevins was shot in the back multiple times and died at a hospital from his injuries. Officers said Blevins dropped his gun when he fell. Another cop is seen on the video kicking what police say is the weapon away from Blevins. The second video shows Blevins pleading with officers not to shoot him as he sprints down the street. 'Stop! Stop!' Blevins yells as he runs. 'Don't shoot me please. Please don't shoot me.' At one point, Blevins denies he has a gun on him. Officer Schmidt yells: 'Stop or I'll f***ing shoot'. As Blevins turns down the alley he yells for the officers to leave him alone, moments before he collapses to the ground as shots ring out. A third video is a stabilized and analyzed video produced by National Center for Audio & Video Forensics. It's slowed down to show that Blevins had a gun in the waistband of his shorts and pulled it out while he was running away from the officers, according to the department. It has a red circle drawn around Blevins' waistband to highlight what appears to be a gun tucked into his shorts. It also has a red circle drawn around his hand as he runs to highlight what appears to be him pulling the gun out his waistband. Some witnesses have disputed the officer's claims that Blevins had a firearm on him. Katya Kelly, the sister of Blevins' girlfriend, said he had a bottle in his hand. Sydnee Brown, a cousin of Blevins, told the Star Tribune that the video confirms her belief that he was not a threat to police. 'He didn't deserve to die,' Brown said. 'He wasn't a threat when (the officers) approached him. They didn't view him as a human being.' Officers said Blevins also pulled out his weapon while he was running and dropped it on the ground after he was shot Blevins family has disputed the department's claims saying he was not armed when police fired Blevins, a father, is seen in the video begging for police to leave him alone and not shoot as he runs away Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in June that the body camera video would be released after the Blevins family was consulted and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had finished interviewing key witnesses. Frey said Blevins' family viewed the video about an hour before it was released publicly. He called Blevins' death 'tragic,' but declined to comment on what the footage showed. 'I know that right now in our city there's a lot of pain,' he said. 'Pain in many cases that I cannot understand.' Blevins' relatives previously called for both officers to face criminal charges . Blevins' family and other community members had pushed for the prompt release of the footage, and Frey had pledged to do so as soon as possible. Video from past high-profile police shootings in the state has usually not been released until after long investigations by the BCA. His death has sparked massive outrage and protests in the Minneapolis area The two officers who shot Blevins have been placed on paid administrative leave as the department investigates the shooting Chief Medaria Arradondo said he could not comment while the investigation is pending. Kelly has been with the police department since 2013 and Schmidt joined in 2014. Both had served in the military and had been recognized numerous times for their work as police officers, according to redacted personnel files. They also both have had complaints against them: Kelly has had five complaints, all closed without discipline, while Schmidt has had three complaints against him, including two that were closed without discipline and one that remains open. Details about the complaints were not released. Minneapolis has been rocked by two high-profile fatal police shootings in recent years, including the November 2015 shooting of Jamar Clark, 24, and last year's shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40. Officers in the Clark case were not charged, and trial is pending for the officer who shot Damond. Donald Trump said Monday that he is willing to personally hold direct talks with Iran's leaders and do it with 'no preconditions.' 'I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet,' the president said at the White House during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. But 'I don't know if they're ready yet,' he added. 'No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet. Whenever they want,' Trump offered, stressing that a summit would be 'good for the country, good for them, good for us, and good for the world.' Trump played an threatening game of international one-upsmanship with Iran's president Hassan Rouhani last week. The Islamist nation's government denies the right of Israel to exist and has staged demonstrations featuring 'Death to America' as a rallying cry. President Donald Trump said Monday that he is willing to personally hold direct talks with Iran's leaders and do it with 'no preconditions' Trump sparred with Hassan Rouhani last week about which country a hypothetical war with the U.S. would cripple more, with the Iranian president warning that 'war with Iran is the mother of all wars' But days later he was telling that Veterans of Foreign Wars convention that he was prepared to replace the Obama-era multi-nation nuclear deal with a new negotiated arrangement 'We're ready to make a real deal, not the deal that was done by the previous administration, which was a disaster,' he said a week ago. On Monday Trump held out the same improbable but self-promoting olive branch. 'They are having a hard time right now, but I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal,' Trump said. 'If we could work something out that's meaningful not the waste of paper that the other deal was I would certainly be willing to meet.' 'Speaking to other people especially when you're talking about potentials of war, and death, and famine, and lots of other things you meet,' he said. 'There's nothing wrong with meeting.' President Trump has already had one unprecedented leader-to-leader summit, last month's meeting in Singapore with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Trump made international waves with this allcaps tweet two Sundays ago, taunting Rouhani with threats of 'consequences the likes of which few throughout history have veer suffered before' This month Iran's state-run news agency claimed the White House had asked on eight separate occasions for leader-to-leader meetings, with Rouhani rebuffing each request. It was just two weekends ago that he blasted an allcaps warning about 'consequences' awaiting Tehran for its chronic anti-U.S. rhetoric. He tweeted to Rouhani: 'NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.' Rouhani had claimed that 'Iran is the mother of all peace' before warning Trump that 'war with Iran is the mother of all wars.' By week's end the general in charge of Iran's elite paramilitary Quds Forces warned Trump that war with the Islamist country would eliminate his entire net worth suggesting terrorists aided by Iran's military are prepared to strike his real estate properties. 'You know that this war will destroy everything you own,' Major General Qassem Soleimani said during a speech in the central Iranian city of Hamedan. He also said the Red Sea is not secure while U.S. troops are deployed in the area: 'Trump should know that we are nation of martyrdom and that we await him.' 'We are near you, where you can't even imagine ... Come. We are ready. If you begin the war, we will end the war,' Soleimani boasted. Iranian Quds Forces commander Major General Qassem Soleimani warned the billionaire Trump in a speech last week that war with Iran would 'destroy everything you own' On Friday Australia's national broadcast network ABC reported that unnamed senior government figures claimed the U.S. was prepared to execute bombing raids in Iran as soon as next month. Australian defense facilities were said to be playing a role in identifying targets if that were to happen. A bewildered U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis dismissed the report as phony. 'I have no idea where the Australian news people got that information,' Mattis told reporters. 'I'm confident it is not something that's being considered right now, and I think it's a complete frankly, it's it's fiction. President Donald Trump is doubling down on his threat of a government shut down saying he would 'certainly be willing to consider' one if he doesn't get 'border security.' Speaking at a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Trump railed against illegal immigration, saying America is the 'laughing stock of the world' with the 'worst' immigration laws. 'I would have no problem doing a shut down. It's time we had proper border security. We are the laughing stock of the world,' Trump said in the East Room of the White House on Monday. 'We have the worst immigration laws anywhere in the world.' President Trump said he would have 'no problem' shutting down the government Trump praised Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's hardline stance on immigration Trump has outlined what he wants in negotiations: to get rid of chain immigration, end the lottery program and stop sanctuary cities. He also wants his border wall built. The president seemed open to making a deal with Democrats, who would fight him on the lottery program and ending sanctuary cities. And Democrats don't want to give any kind of down payment for the border wall without a guarantee for Dreamers, the illegal immigrants who came to the country as children. Trump said at his news conference he didn't have a 'red line' in the negotiations but just wanted 'great border security.' 'I'll always leave room for negotiation,' he noted. The president touted his sticking points on border security in a tweet on Monday morning, where he also pushed to have his wall built faster. 'We must have Border Security, get rid of Chain, Lottery, Catch & Release Sanctuary Cities - go to Merit based Immigration. Protect ICE and Law Enforcement and, of course, keep building, but much faster, THE WALL!,' he wrote on Twitter Monday morning. He first threatened a government shut down on Sunday. 'I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!,' he tweeted Sunday morning. Trump has returned his focus to the immigration issue in recent days as the Russia investigation heats up around him. His former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, goes on trial Tuesday and his former attorney Michael Cohen is reported to have said Trump knew about the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting when it happened. The president praised Conte's hardline stance on immigration. The new prime minister took office last month with a promise to crackdown on illegal immigration. 'The prime minister is with us today because of illegal immigration. Italy got tired of it,' Trump said during the press conference. 'The prime minister and I are united in our conviction that strong nations must have strong borders.' President Trump said he is open to negotiations with Democrats on border security Trump is threatening to shut down the government if he doesn't get his wall Trump wants his wall built 'much faster' Immigration was a major election issue in Italy after an influx of hundreds of thousands of mostly African asylum seekers. Italy has had more than 650,000 immigrants enter the country since 2014. But the president's threat to shut down the government could become the major issue in the 2018 midterms as it opens the door to a politically brutal fall - both in Washington D.C. and on the campaign trail. And Trump could find himself fighting two wars on a double front as members of his own party have said funding the wall could wait until after voters made their choices in November. 'I don't think we're going to shut down the government,' Republican Rep. Steve Stivers said on ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday. 'You know, I think we're going to make sure we keep the government open, but we're going to get better policies on immigration.' Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said on Friday that funding for the wall would 'probably' wait until after the midterm elections. The U.S.-Mexico border fence is seen at sunset in Nogales, Arizona A view of the US-Mexican border fence at Playas de Tijuana in Tijuana, Mexico McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan met with Trump at the White House on Wednesday to work on a plan to avoid a shutdown ahead of the November midterm elections. Trump made it clear in the meeting he wanted $5 billion to fund his border wall, according to a report in Politico, but he signaled to the congressional leaders he'd be willing to wait until after the midterms. 'The president's willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so we can that done,' Ryan said after the meeting, adding that funding the wall was 'not a question of if, it's a question of when.' Funding Trump's controversial wall could paralyze budget talks. Estimates say it would take $25 billion to build it. Democrats don't want to give any kind of down payment without a guarantee for Dreamers, the illegal immigrants who came to the country as children. Funding for the government runs out at the end of September. A battle over spending could also distract the Senate from confirming the president's Supreme Court nominee Bret Kavanaugh. The Senate is working to finish nine of its 12 annual spending bills by the end of this week while the House only passed six of its annual funding bills before it left on its August recess. The House version of the spending bill includes Trump's request but Senate Democrats are unlikely to agree to it meaning any attempt to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which is where the money would come from, could lead to a shutdown. Trump is trying to kick blame for any shutdown to the Democrats but Republicans control both Congress and the White House, sparking fears a government closure could come back to bite the GOP at the ballot box. Mollie Tibbetts, 20, has been missing for more than a week after she disappeared on July 18 while dog sitting for her boyfriend in the rural town of Brooklyn, Iowa The father of the missing Iowa college student who mysteriously vanished after going for a jog is pleading with the community to call in with tips. Mollie Tibbetts, 20, has been missing for more than a week after she disappeared on July 18 while dog sitting for her boyfriend in the rural town of Brooklyn, Iowa. It is believed she was doing homework late in the evening at her boyfriend's apartment shortly before she disappeared. Rob Tibbetts believes the answer to his daughter's whereabouts lies with the public. 'It doesn't matter what we're going through, we just need people to think,' he told Good Morning America. 'Somebody knows something and they don't even know it's important. We can get Mollie back, we just have to have somebody to call [the tip line].' Tibbets said investigators have told him 'again and again' that missing person cases similar Mollie's have always been solved by a tip from the community. 'What we need is for people to tell their friends and neighbors that if they saw anything that seemed even remotely out of the ordinary to call authorities and they will run that down,' he said. Scroll down for video Rob Tibbetts (pictured) is now pleading with the public to call in with any tips that could lead to new information on his daughter's disappearance Mollie's boyfriend Dalton Jack (pictured) received a Snapchat from her around 10pm that appeared to be indoors, leading her family to believe she returned to his home after her jog Mollie was reported missing after she failed to show up for work on July 19. 'One of her work friends called me and said she didn't come in today and she didn't call in,' Dalton Jack, Mollie's longtime boyfriend, told GMA. 'I was like, "Well, that's not like her'". Mollie was last seen on an evening jog in Brooklyn near Jack's home, where she is currently living for the summer. Jack was doing a construction job 121 miles away. He is not considered a suspect in the case. And family members said additional evidence shows that Mollie was doing her homework on her computer late that evening Mollie was last seen jogging along the streets of Brooklyn, Iowa around 7.30pm. Her boyfriend opened a Snapchat from her around 10pm, but it remains unclear when that Snap was sent Although it's unclear if she returned to the home, Mollie's family members said she sent Jack a Snapchat that appeared to be taken indoors. It is unclear what time she took the photo, but Jack opened the Snapchat around 10pm. And family members said additional evidence shows that Mollie was doing her homework on her computer late that evening, according to KCCI. Tibbets said the community has shown tremendous support since news broke of Mollie's disappearance. 'The day after Mollie turned up missing, 400 people showed up, spontaneously, to form a spontaneous search effort,' he said. 'I think it's just because this community knows Mollie, they love Mollie, and I think the rest of the country is starting to understand too.' 'We all want her back and we're going to have to rely on our law enforcement partners, but we can help them by driving those leads to them that are guiding this search effort,' he added. 'That's all we can do.' Tibbets said investigators have told him 'again and again' that similar cases like Mollie were always solved by a tip from the community Mollie was last seen on an evening jog in Brooklyn near Jack's home, where she is currently living over the summer Investigators revealed on Friday that they had searched a pig farm about 15 minutes from Jack's home after receiving a tip - but found no sign of the missing University of Iowa freshman. Since then, the T.I.P Rural Electric Cooperative announced that the company added $1,000 to the existing Crimes Stoppers of Central Iowa reward of $1,000. The $2,000 reward will be offered for information that would lead to an arrest or conviction related to Mollie's disappearance. Despite the latest unsuccessful search, Mollie's mother Laura Calderwood said she is doing her best to stay positive. 'If it were me that were missing, Mollie wouldn't give up hope - that's not even a thought,' she told ABC News. 'You won't see me giving up hope. That's not an option.' Jack was doing a construction job 121 miles away. He is not considered a suspect in the case Investigators revealed Friday they had searched a pig farm about 15 minutes from Mollie's home after receiving a tip - but found no sign of the missing University of Iowa freshman. Footage from KCRG shows hundreds of people preparing to search corn fields on foot Calderwood said she received a phone call from her son Scott asking if she knew Mollie hadn't gone into work that day. Mollie's mother said skipping work without letting anyone know was 'so out of character' for her daughter, whom Calderwood described as an 'outgoing, fun, loving life, loving person'. 'There were alarms going off immediately,' Calderwood said. 'Within 15 to 20 minutes of me coming home, there were a bunch of her friends and I could see they were worried. Within 15 to 20 minutes, I called 911.' After combing every field, barn and shed in the rural area for almost a week, local police called in for backup from the FBI on Tuesday. Federal officials, who have interviewed more than 100 people, announced they were zeroing in on Mollie's internet footprint, keeping tabs on her social media accounts, and analyzing activity recorded by her Fitbit tracker. 'She never takes it off,' Jack said of Mollie's Fitbit. 'She uses it for the sleep tracker and all her runs.' Mollie's mother Laura Calderwood (pictured) revealed that giving up hope is 'not an option' Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said officials are getting 'a lot of information' from her digital footprint. 'We are very hopeful with the electronic data we are getting back,' he added. Mortvedt said officials have little to go on, but they're 'leaning more and more toward something happening to her against her will'. Calderwood has thanked the community for coming to her family's aid last week. 'The community has gone above and beyond,' she said. 'We have had, you know, all kinds of food and water and Gatorade from family and friends, and I know that the investigators down at the police station are overwhelmed with what the community has done.' American companies are removing requirements for experienced employees with college degrees in an effort to boost hiring and fill more jobs. Employers say they have relaxed standards in order to increase the work force of companies across a wide swath of industries, The Wall Street Journal reported. Some companies no longer insist on performing criminal background checks on prospective hires. A number of firms have also done away with drug testing. There is an increase in the number of jobs which no longer require a high-school diploma or a higher degree. Companies are also offering college graduates in-house preparatory courses in fields ranging from software engineering, coding, and banking. An analysis of wanted ads from companies seeking to hire medical transcriptionists and preschool teachers shows they have been most aggressive in removing hiring barriers, according to the Journal. Employers say they have relaxed standards in order to increase the work force of companies across a wide swath of industries. The above stock image shows two women during a job interview Experts say that it is more common for companies in cities like Dallas and Louisville, where unemployment is relatively lower, to lower barriers to jobs. Retailers like Amazon and Walmart are also making the hiring process easier in order to staff their call centers and warehouses. Hasbro, a company that makes toys, once required a two-year degree from anyone wishing to be hired for an entry-level position at the firm. Now they dropped the requirement. It also divided four marketing jobs into eight lower-level positions that, when combined, perform the same functions and assist higher-level staff. Terminix, one of the largest pest control companies in the world, now says it is 'preferred' that applicants have college degrees. This is a reversal of its policies after the 2008 recession hit, when it required would-be hires to have a college degree. Bank of America, which has 7,500 job openings worldwide, requires degrees for less than 10 per cent of those positions. During the first six months of 2018, 30 per cent of job postings specified a minimum requirement of a college degree. That number represents a 2 per cent drop from 2017, according to labor-market research company Burning Glass Technologies. In 2012, jobs requiring college degrees were at 34 per cent. The firm analyzed some 15 million ads on job sites like Indeed and Craigslist. Companies are also less likely to require that entry-level applicants have at least two years of prior experience. During the first half of 2018, 23 per cent of entry-level jobs required previous experience. In 2012, the figure was 29 per cent. The labor market is as tight as it has been in decades, with more jobs open than people willing to fill them. U.S. job openings surged to a record high in March, suggesting that a recent slowdown in hiring was probably the result of employers having difficulties finding qualified workers. Some companies no longer insist on performing criminal background checks on prospective hires. A number of firms have also done away with drug testing. The above image shows job seekers waiting in line during a job fair in Los Angeles this past March Government data from earlier this month showed that more American workers voluntarily quit their jobs in May, a sign of confidence in the labor market that economists say will soon boost wage growth. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple and Starbucks began to hand out company shares to their employees. The companies are doing this in order to improve their rate of retention and dissuade employees from looking for work elsewhere. In its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, the Labor Department said the number of workers leaving jobs of their own free will increased 212,000 to 3.3 million. That lifted the quits rate one-tenth of a percentage point to 2.4 percent, the highest since April 2001. The rise in the quits rate, which policymakers and economists view as a measure of job market confidence, bolsters expectations that wage gains will accelerate this year. Dr Alexander Ralys, 30, has been charged with sexually battery for allegedly raping a 15-year-old boy in his bed A Florida doctor has been arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old after he was caught laying on top of the teen in bed, with both the suspect and victim appearing naked from the waist down. Deputies from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office responded to a home in DeBary at around 1.45am on Thursday after a witness called 911, saying he found 30-year-old Alexander Ralys on top of the 15-year-old. The victim later told the officers that Ralys sexually battered him and claimed that it was not the first time that he took advantage of him. The witness removed Ralys from the house immediately after he walked in on the pair in bed, and Ralys was still outside the home when deputies arrived. Ralys was charged with sexual battery on a victim over the age of 12 and under the age of 18. He was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail to be held without bond. Additional charges are possible pending further investigation. According to an arrest report obtained by the station WKMG, Ralys had been staying at the home of his 28-year-old childhood friend, along with the 15-year-old. The friend told the authorities that Ralys first attempted to get into bed with him, but he told the 30-year-old to leave. Ralys then ended up in the room of the 15-year-old boy. Ralys said he was lonely and just wanted to cuddle with the teen, whom he has known from the time the victim was two When interviewed by detectives, the physician said he could not sleep and was feeling lonely, so he wandered into the boy's bedroom, which had a bunk bed, and went to sleep in the bottom bunk next to the teen. Ralys said all he did was cuddle with the minor, and that at some point during the cuddling, he ended up on top of him. The doctor noted that he has known the boy from the time he was two years old and denied sexually battering him. The victim told detectives a different story, claiming that he woke up in the middle of the night to find that his underwear had been removed, allegedly by Ralys. He said Ralys sexually battered him that night, and that a few months earlier, the older man showed him pornography and performed a sexual act on him. A judge on Friday set Ralys' bond at $15,000, which he has since posted and was released from jail. Ralys is listed as a first-year resident in family medicine at Orange Park Medical Center in Orange Park, where he has now been suspended. Eight states are filing suit against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety. The suit, being filed Monday in Seattle, asks a judge to block the federal government's late-June settlement with Defense Distributed, which allowed the company to make the plans available online. Officials say that 1,000 people have already downloaded blueprints for AR-15 rifles. 'I have a question for the Trump Administration: Why are you allowing dangerous criminals easy access to weapons?' Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday. 'These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors, and will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history.' Download and fire: The designs which are being put on line by Defense Distributes allow someone with a 3D printer to produce a working firearm Plastic weapon: Eight Democratic states attorneys general say the ability to download 3D printer gun designs need to be stopped by the Trump administration, which settled with the company publishing the designs in June, leading to the designs being made available Publisher: Defense Distributed, founded by Cody Wilson, is making the designs available from August 1 but already other sites have published designs Joining the suit were Democratic attorneys general in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia. Separately, attorneys general in 21 states urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday to withdraw from the settlement with Defense Distributed, saying it 'creates an imminent risk to public safety.' People can use the blueprints to manufacture a plastic gun using a 3D printer. But gun industry experts have expressed doubt that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns are very expensive, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by. Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, first published downloadable designs for a 3D-printed firearm in 2013. It was downloaded about 100,000 times until the State Department ordered him to cease, contending it violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were downloaded by people outside the United States. The State Department reversed course in late June, agreeing to allow Wilson to resume posting the blueprints. The files were published on Friday. Already downloaded: The states attorneys general say 1,000 AR-15 blueprints have been downloaded even before the ban is officially lifted The company filed its own suit in Texas on Sunday, asserting that it's the victim of an 'ideologically-fueled program of intimidation and harassment' that violates the company's First Amendment rights. The company's attorney, Josh Blackman, called it an 'easy case.' States are free to enact gun control measures, but 'what they can't do is censor the speech of another citizen in another state, and they can't regulate the commerce of another citizen in another state when that commerce is authorized by a federal government license,' Blackman said in an interview Monday. 'It's a violation of the First Amendment, it's unconscionable and we're going to fight it to the very end.' Defense Distributed agreed to temporarily block Pennsylvania residents from downloading the plans after state officials went to federal court in Philadelphia on Sunday seeking an emergency order. The company said it has also blocked access to users in New Jersey and Los Angeles. A schoolboy on course for top A* grades in his GCSEs was referred to the government's anti-extremism programme after being 'groomed' by environmental activists on the dark web, it was revealed. The high-achieving teenager was said to have been targeted after he signed an online petition. Initially, the boy - given the pseudonym Aaron - was encouraged to participate in protests and hand out leaflets. A teenager is Greater Manchester was subject to 'aggressive' grooming by environmental activists on the dark web, where users are anonymous But he was subject to persuasion which became 'progressively more aggressive to the point where Aaron was on the periphery of engaging in criminal behaviour and frequently reported to the police as missing by his parents'. He would contact environmental activists via the so-called 'dark web' - a section of the internet where users are anonymous or untraceable - leading his parents to become so worried they extensively monitored his online activity. Details of the Greater Manchester teenager's referral to the Prevent strategy were revealed yesterday in a report on tackling extremism in the region following the murder of 22 people in last year's arena bombing. Initial intervention to help Aaron under Prevent was 'therapeutic' - but his school attendance remained poor and his engagement with the activists continued. The report said activists who had been targeting the boy, known under the pseudonym 'Aaron' only stopped after police issued a Child Abduction Warning Notice. The notices are issued against 'individuals who are suspected of grooming children by stating that they have no permission to associate with the named child'. Breach of the notices is a criminal offence under the Child Abduction Act 1984 and Children Act 1989. The report said: 'Within two hours of the notice being issued, Aaron was 'de-friended' on social media by all those individuals who had encouraged his activist behaviour. 'When Aaron tried to access his activist 'friends', he received no responses and as such, while the underlying vulnerabilities still remain and continue to be monitored, the threat in terms of his involvement in extremist activity, which had been becoming more intense, was resolved.' Aaron was said to have 'underlying vulnerabilities', including potentially undiagnosed autistic spectrum disorder and was socially isolated and prone to self-harm, the report said. The report said: 'The impact of social media in terms of 'grooming' of vulnerable and isolated individuals cannot be [overestimated].' Although Aaron's parents were 'extremely adept at monitoring social media activity', the report added that the situation was 'not the norm' and recommended more work to raise awareness of the impact and influence of social media. The report said that since the intervention, Aaron is now more settled, his school attendance has improved and he is 'engaging with appropriate peers'. Last night, Greater Manchester Police did not reveal whether any further action has been taken against the environmental activists who targeted Aaron. Details of the type of environmental protesters involved has also not been revealed. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority said it was unable to disclose further details about the case. The Preventing Hateful Extremism and Promoting Social Cohesion report, launched by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, also recommended changes to the Prevent strategy to address fears among Muslim groups. It found that although Prevent was 'working well' in the region, a 'perpetuating cycle of lack of information' has led to 'genuine fears' of persecution against Muslims. The report said there should be an effort to move Prevent - which aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism - away from the police and law enforcement organisations. Mr Burnham said safeguarding responsibilities under Prevent would be transferred from the police to local authorities under a pilot scheme in the region. Two people have been arrested on suspicion of looting homes that were evacuated due to the Carr fire in northern California, which has killed six people. Jack Fannin, 19, and Jade Ball, 25, were arrested on Sunday after evidence was found in their home that tied them to the burglaries in Redding. They have both been charged with suspicion of looting an evacuated area, being in a disaster area, and conspiracy to commit a felony. Authorities were notified of the lootings when a homeowner who had stayed behind flagged down a Chico Police Department officer patrolling the area. Jack Fannin, 19, and Jade Ball, 25, on suspicion of looting homes that have been evacuated due to the Carr fire in northern California, which has killed six people The homeowner told the officer that he had been gone for about an hour and returned around 1.30pm to find fresh shoe prints and water inside his home. Responding officers from the Shasta County Sheriff's Office then located a nearby home whose front door had been forced open. They discovered that several electronic items had been stacked and staged by the front door, according to a news release from the department. The items did not appear to have been placed there by the homeowners. Due to the location of the crimes, officers determined it was likely that the suspects had been traveling by foot. Fannin and Ball were arrested on Sunday after evidence was found in their home that tied them to the burglaries in Redding Authorities were notified of the lootings when a homeowner who had stayed behind flagged down a Chico Police Department officer who was patrolling the area They went to a nearby house that was 'known for criminal activities in the past'. It was there that they discovered evidence tying Fannin and Ball to the burglaries. The pair told officers they had gone into three homes on Saturday night and Sunday morning because they were looking for water. Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as the Carr fire continues to ravage parts of California. It has destroyed more than 720 houses and is threatening 5,000 structures. As of Monday it had torched more than 98,000 acres. It is 20 percent contained. The Carr fire has killed six people, including a firefighter, a bulldozer operator, great-grandmother Melody Bledsoe, and her grandchildren James and Emily Roberts. The homeowner said he was gone for about an hour and returned around 1.30pm to find fresh shoe prints and water inside his home. A nearby home also showed evidence of a break-in Officers went to Ball and Fannin's home, which was nearby and 'known for criminal activities in the past' and discovered evidence tying them to the burglaries The sixth victim of the fire has not been formally identified yet. Twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties flared up late Sunday, forcing the new evacuations from the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport and other communities near Clear Lake, about 120 miles north of San Francisco. The blazes have destroyed six homes and threaten 10,000 others. So far, the flames have blackened 87 square miles, with minimal containment. Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit. Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as the Carr fire continues to ravage parts of California. The fire is pictured here in Redding on Saturday It has destroyed more than 720 houses and is threatening 5,000 structures. As of Monday it had torched more than 98,000 acres. Pictured is damage to a neighborhood on Sunday Crews handling the blaze near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as the massive fire slowed after days of rapid expansion. 'We're feeling a lot more optimistic today as we're starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time,' said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident commander. Authorities were also investigating at least 18 missing-persons reports, though many of them may simply be people who have not checked in with friends or family, police said. The Carr Fire that threatened Redding was ignited by a vehicle a week ago about 10 miles west of the city. Melody Bledsoe, 70, and her great-grandchildren James Roberts, five, and Emily Roberts, four, were killed in the California wildfire On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday. A family has quitting the rat race after buying a motorhome to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. Yasmin Balcombe decided to hit the open road with her husband James and their two children, Theo, two, and Lola-Rose, eight months old. They sold their car, rented their properties and are now passing a love of travel onto their children. Yasmine Balcombe decided to hit the open road with her husband James and their two children, Theo, two, and Lola-Rose, eight months old (pictured: Yasmine and Lola-Rose) Yasmin admits it's not been easy to give up monthly salary as a sales manager and her husband's income as a City asset manager, but said it's been worth it for the adventure. They have so far travelled through eight countries in their 10ft by 20ft motorhome named 'Zebede'. They have climbed active volcanoes, hiked to the top of Europe's tallest sand dune, bathed in natural springs at the same time as potty training, battling teething and tantrums. Yasmin, 33, said: 'We decided to embark on this adventure as we've been tied up in the fast London rat race for over a decade. Having kids makes you reassess your priorities I guess. 'We thought before the kids go to school would be a good time to break away and hit the road. 'It wasn't easy giving up the security of our monthly salaries and a roof over our head, but life is short so we really wanted to make this dream happen and what an adventure it's been so far. 'Our daughter took her first steps in a vineyard in Portugal, Theo has made new international friends and learned how to say 'hello' in five languages. Yasmine and James sold their car, rented their properties and are now passing a love of travel onto their children 'We feel so lucky to have spent this time watching our children develop and grow rather than spend a fortune on childcare and barely see them.' The family's biggest highs have been when exploring the outdoors. Yasmin who is from Torquay and moved to London about 12 years ago, said: 'Theo loved wading up through the River at Rio Chillar in Nerja, Spain. 'I loved sailing around the Croatian islands, and also seeing the amazing view when we reached the peak at Harderklum in Switzerland. They have so far travelled through eight countries in their 10ft by 20ft motorhome named 'Zebede' 'I guess our main highlight has been seeing the kids grow and develop. 'It's been magical being able to spend everyday playing with them, seeing them try new foods, explore new places and meet new people.' Their biggest low point was when their boiler packed up in Sierra Nevada in the middle of the night when it was -10 outside. Yasmin said: 'We all managed to keep warm but it cut our time in the snow short, but we did still manage to make a snowman! They have climbed active volcanoes, hiked to the top of Europe's tallest sand dune, bathed in natural springs at the same time as potty training, battling teething and tantrums 'We also had our pushchair high jacked by monkeys in Gibraltar.' The family don't have a plan of where they will go on their travels but eventually Yasmin is hoping they will finally end up in Devon. She said: 'I'm pretty sure I will return to Devon at some point now I have children. 'Travelling has given us a new love for hiking and the outdoors and I couldn't think of bringing up children in a better part of the UK.' A young mother is suing her hospital after she lost her 'perfect twin baby' Hudson when her emergency C-section birth was cancelled without warning. Paige Scott, from Schofields in Sydney's west, was expecting fraternal twins in April 2016 when she was told she required an emergency C-section at 33 weeks pregnant. An ultrasound showed both babies were healthy at 33 weeks, but doctors held concerns over the functioning of the boy's placenta. Scroll down for video Paige Scott, from Schofields in Sydney's west, was expecting fraternal twins in April 2016 when she was told she required an emergency C-section at 33 weeks pregnant Ms Scott said she was kept waiting for five hours before the caesarean was cancelled altogether when another emergency case presented at the hospital. In those five hours, Ms Scott said she knew something was very wrong with her unborn son. When she was moved back to her hospital bed, Ms Scott told staff she could no longer feel baby Hudson. 'They kept telling me that he was just sleeping and I kept saying, no I can't feel him, he's not just sleeping,' she told Nine News. When she was again scheduled in for an emergency C-section, only her baby girl Tahlee was born alive. When she was again scheduled in for an emergency C-section, only her baby girl Tahlee was born alive (pictured together) An ultrasound showed both babies were healthy at 33 weeks, but doctors held concerns over the functioning of the boy's placenta Ms Scott is pictured with Alex Osbourne and her two babies after the birth in April 2016 Since the stillbirth of baby Hudson, Ms Scott said she suffered greatly with anxiety, guilt and anger. 'Having to take my children to a cemetery, they don't really understand it yet but when they do, it's like, this is it, this is where your brother is,' she said. Ms Scott is preparing to take legal action against Westmead Hospital. Shine Lawyers special counsel for medical negligence Clare Eves said Ms Scott had a strong case. 'If the caesarean had proceeded as planned, there's absolutely no reason to doubt that both babies would have been born perfectly healthy,' she said. Since the stillbirth of baby Hudson, Ms Scott said she suffered greatly with anxiety, guilt and anger Shine Lawyers special counsel for medical negligence Clare Eves said Ms Scott had a strong case against Westmead Hospital (pictured) Western Sydney Local Health District executive director of operations Robynne Cooke said the district would support the Scott family through the process. However she said the hospital or health district could not release any specific details of the case for privacy reasons. She said an investigation was underway and any medical findings would be disclosed to the family. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Western Sydney Local Health District for further comment. President Donald Trump insisted U.S. sanctions on Russia will remain in place, after hailing the 'great meeting' he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also touted a plan Monday to build new ports that would receive U.S.-exported liquid natural gas although geography and other considerations will make it difficult for the U.S. to compete with gas Russian companies can ship by pipeline to Europe. 'Sanctions on Russia will remain as is,' Trump said at a joint press conference with new Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who got asked about his own statements indicating an openness to closer ties with Russia that echoes Trump's. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. will send 'massive' exports of LNG to Europe, and cast the plan as competition to Russia He made the statement after Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Italy lifting sanctions on Russia would be 'unthinkable' even as he called for more 'dialogue' with Russia. 'As far as a pipeline is concerned, I'd like to see a competing pipeline, so Mr. Prime Minsiter, I hope you're going to do that competing pipeline and we are already talking to the European Union about building anywhere from nine to 11 ports, which they will pay for, so that we can ship our LNG over to various parts of Europe,' Trump said. 'And that will be more competition.' Trump was revisiting an issue he discussed with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on his visit to Washington last week. While at the NATO summit earlier this month, Trump trashed a German-Russian project to build a pipeline to ship LNG to Germany. Both Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte praised improved relations with Russia 'Sanctions on Russia will remain as is,' Trump said at a joint press conference with new Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. The sanctions are set in U.S. law Trump also praised his recent meeting with Putin, while saying he would meet with Iranian President Rouhani 'without preconditions.' 'I had a great meeting in my opinion, of course the fake news didn't cover it that way,' Trump said. 'But I had a great meeting with President Putin of Russia. I think it was a great meeting. In terms of the future in terms of safety and economic development and protecting Israel and protecting everybody I thought it was a great meeting,' he said, without adding specifics. Conte, who like Trump favors clamping down on immigration, said: 'We are open to dialogue with Russia. We do believe that Russia plays a a fundamental role in all international, geopolitical crises,' he said through an interpreter. 'So thinking that Russia can be kept out of a dialogue, as president Trump said if we want to solve problems we cannot choose the counterparts to deal with,' Conte said. Trump said last week Europe would become a 'massive' purchaser of U.S. LNG. Trump avoided questions about his lawyer Rudy Giuliani's claim that he's not even sure collusion is a crime But according to a recent report by Reuters, three-quarters of Europe's existing ports that can receive LNG are empty amid low demand. Russia has the advantage of shipping by pipeline at a lower cost. But when his press event was over, Trump walked away without answering questions about his lawyer Rudy Giuliani's claim that he's not even sure collusion is a crime. He also dodged questions about Giuliani and the Russia probe at an event for the new secretary of Veterans Affairs. Hundreds of passengers were forced to get off a Norwegian Airlines flight soon after boarding at a Florida airport when a passenger made a comment about a bomb because he was unhappy with his seat. The incident occurred at Orlando International Airport on Sunday night. Police were called to the gate just as the London-bound plane was preparing to close its doors. Hundreds of passengers were forced to get off a Norwegian Airlines flight on Sunday night at Orlando International Airport after a passenger made a comment about a bomb. The male passenger was upset about his seating arrangements and had made the comment about a bomb that was overheard by other passengers, according to police. The 333 passengers and 12 crew members on board were forced to deplane as officers investigated. Nothing suspicious was found and the airplane eventually took off almost three hours later. Police officers questioned the man and turned the investigation over to the FBI. A police spokesman said on Monday that he didn't know if the man who made the comment was allowed to re-board the plane. A tradesman who allegedly knocked out a stranger in a cowardly one-punch attack took cocaine and drank ten schooners of beer and four bourbon and cokes before the assault. Ryan Wells, 32, of Frankston South in Melbourne's south-west, was granted bail on Monday, sparking widespread outrage. Shocking CCTV footage showed Wells allegedly smashing his elbow into a 43-year-old man's face in an unprovoked attack in Frankston at 7.45pm on Thursday. Public anger boiled over after police released the footage, and led vigilantes to post what they believed was Wells' address on social media. Ryan Wells (pictured, left), 32, of Frankston South in Melbourne's south-west, was granted bail on Monday, sparking widespread outrage Wells (pictured) is also under investigation for another assault which left a man in hospital for ten days with bleeding on the brain and a broken nose A graphic which was posted to a Facebook group by vigilantes after outrage at the bail decision Police opposed bail in Frankston Magistrates Court, and said the 43-year-old victim did not report the attack for fear of retribution. Detective Senior Constable Belinda Rampal said Wells had been drinking at the Grand Hotel in Frankston before the attack, and had admitted taking cocaine. Wells had also admitted consuming ten schooners of beer and four bourbon and cokes, Senior Constable Rampal said. After leaving the venue with his brother Joel and another man, Wells allegedly elbowed a complete stranger in the face, knocking him to the ground. Senior Constable Rampal said Wells showed no remorse after the incident, and shocking CCTV footage shows the men continue walking without looking back and then laughing while the victim struggled to get to his feet behind them. Magistrate Ross Betts granted bail after Wells' lawyer argued his client had a stable job, income and place of residence. Ryan Wells (far left and right) handed himself into police on Monday morning where he was charged with assault. His alleged victim can be seen (left) lying on the ground after the attack After leaving the venue with his brother Joel (pictured) and another man, Wells allegedly elbowed a complete stranger in the face, knocking him to the ground Wells, who has been charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury, assault and affray, was given a curfew and ordered not to attend licensed venues, contact witnesses or consume alcohol or drugs. The decision to grant bail sparked outrage among the community, with former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett among those to speak out. 'For Ryan Wells to have been released on bail after the unprovoked attack on a citizen in Frankston is totally unacceptable,' Mr Kennett said on Twitter. 'The footage of the attack the most shocking for any pedestrian.' 'I've never seen anything like this. We read about domestic violence, one punch hits, but never see the crime as it is committed, we hear the reporting of it,' Mr Kennett told the Today show on Tuesday morning. The decision to grant bail sparked outrage among the community, with former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett among those to speak out Basketball star Andrew Bogut was another to speak out, writing 'of course he has...' in a retweet of a news story about Wells being granted bail After Victoria Police released the first lot of CCTV footage more emerged showing the alleged attack from a different angle Victoria Police released footage of the sickening attack on the weekend and made a public plea for help to identify the alleged perpetrators 'In a totally unprovoked vicious manner, this man lent across and struck this person on the face. 'When I first saw it I cringed, and it got to the stage where I couldn't see it anymore. I think it was because in part it could have been any of us. You, me, our children, our parents. 'I was absolutely horrified by it, more so when I heard this individual was allowed out on bail. I think he forfeited the right to walk our streets ... It's revolting, horrifying, and I think it just fails every community expectation.' Geelong Cats star Patrick Dangerfield slammed the decision after a series of earlier posts calling for the attacker to be identified. 'Just because he has stable work and a place to live doesnt mean he could cowardly clock someone again,' Dangerfield wrote alongside a clip of a media article showing Wells' work information. Security vision overlooking the path, next to Nepean Highway in Frankston, captured the three men wearing hi-visibility clothing walking together about 7.45pm 'His family will definitely have to support him, you would have to say that all his future contracts are now lost.' Dangerfield also referred to Wells as a 'pathetic human'. Basketball star Andrew Bogut was another to speak out, writing 'of course he has...' in a retweet of a news story about Wells being granted bail. A Facebook group on Monday posted an image of Wells along with the details of his business and what they claimed to be his current address. The address was changed on multiple occasions. 'Edit: Address updated to current residence,' the post read. The address claiming to belong to Wells was also plastered over Twitter. But Victoria Police insisted the wrong address was being circulated and warned residents to stay away from the home. Witnesses say they followed a trail of blood to the victim but he refused their help and fled the scene Victoria Police said a home address being posted online in relation to the Frankston affray was factually incorrect. The tweet was later deleted 'Police are aware that a home address in relation to the Frankston affray, of which a man has been charged, has been circulating on social media,' they posted on Twitter. 'The information if factually incorrect. Police are asking members of the public to stay away from the address.' The tweet was later deleted. Wells, who runs a local concreting business, and his brother Joel handed themselves in to police on Monday morning and faced Frankston Magistrates Court that afternoon. The court heard his recent alleged victim had not yet filed an official complaint as he was currently 'in fear of his life', Nine News reported. A second man, who was caught on CCTV footage cruelly laughing as the victim lay semi-conscious on the ground, was questioned but released without charge. Victoria Police released footage of the sickening attack on the weekend and made a public plea for help to identify the alleged perpetrators. Security vision overlooking the path, next to Nepean Highway in Frankston, captured the three men wearing hi-visibility clothing walking together about 7.45pm. Witnesses say they followed a trail of blood to the victim but he refused their help and fled the scene. Other witnesses reported hiding after seeing the horrific attack unfold from 20metres away. Britain spent 373 on ice cream in just one week of the hot weather, there was a 280 per cent rise in sales of car sunblinds and 56 fires on road verges tackled in just ten days. Here is the heatwave by numbers as July comes to an end: People enjoying the heatwave today on Bournemouth beach in Dorset last Wednesday In an angry diatribe, Peter Willsman (pictured) said he was 'amazed' there was evidence party members hated Jews A strong ally of Jeremy Corbyn who was secretly taped ranting that 'Jewish Trump fanatics' invented the anti-Semitism storm engulfing Labour, has apologised - but denied there is a big problem within his party. In an angry diatribe at a meeting of Labour's ruling executive committee, Peter Willsman, a strong supporter of Mr Corbyn, said he was 'amazed' there was evidence party members hated Jews. In the extraordinary rant he claimed 'some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump they are Trump fanatics and all the rest of it' before shouting: 'So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up duff information without any evidence at all.' During the vile tirade he also questioned whether dozens of rabbis were telling the truth when they complained about allegations of anti-Semitism in Labour. In a statement on Tuesday Willsman said he will have 'equalities training'. He added: 'Having sat on the NEC for many years, I am of course aware of appalling instances of anti-Semitism within our party, and am wholly determined to rooting it out of our movement. 'I do not believe anti-Semitism is 'widespread' in the Labour Party, and that was what my comments were trying to refer to, but we do have a problem which needs stamping out. 'One anti-Semite is one too many. 'I recognise the offensive nature of my comments and that, in diminishing the experiences of those who face anti-Semitism in our party and society, I showed a lack of the sensitivity required for discussions around racism.' Mr Corbyn was at the meeting and heard Mr Willsman first hand. The Labour leader has made no comment since the tape leaked almost 24 hours ag. Labour headquarters has repeatedly insisted it does not comment on individual cases. Despite the rant being caught on tape, Mr Willsman insisted today that not all of his remarks had been accurately reported. Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson warned Mr Willsman has 'always been a loud mouth bully' while Jewish Labour MPs demanded he be suspended. Board of Deputies Preisdent Marie van der Zyl today demanded Mr Corbyn and Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby explain what response they gave at the meeting. First the outburst, then the abject 'apology' What Willsman told the Labour National Executive on July 17: Some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump, they are Trump fanatics and all the rest of it. So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up information without any evidence at all. So I think we should ask the 70 rabbis, Where is your evidence of severe and widespread anti-Semitism in this party? Extracts from apology he issued yesterday: I am sorry for my behaviour in the last meeting of Labours NEC... I am of course aware of appalling instances of anti- Semitism within our party, and am wholly determined to rooting it out... I do not believe anti- Semitism is widespread in the party, and that was what my comments were trying to refer to, but we do have a problem which needs stamping out. In diminishing the experiences of those who face anti-Semitism, I showed a lack of sensitivity... I will be referring myself [for] equalities training so I can better understand how to approach discussions of such issues in a respectful way. Advertisement Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said it was 'unacceptable and terrifying' for Corbyn to remain silent over Mr Willsman. 'This tirade did not happen in some stuffy room of a fringe gathering in the back of beyond,' she said. 'This happened at a meeting of the ruling body of a mainstream political party with its leader present. 'It is horrifying not only for its content but by the fact that the Labour leader and general secretary sat by, witnessed these disgusting, indefensible comments and said nothing.' Ms Formby wrote to Mr Willsman after a complaint was made to remind him of Labour rules but his apology meant no other action was taken. The comments were recorded at a meeting of the National Executive Committee and leaked to the Jewish Chronicle. Mr Willsman's membership of the NEC is backed by the hard-Left Momentum group within Labour. He is part of a slate of left-wing candidates seeking re-election to the committee dubbed the 'JC9'. Voting closes on August 30. He is secretary of the Campaign For Labour Democracy group, which supported Ken Livingstone over his controversial remarks about Hitler and Zionism. Mr Willsman has served the Labour Party for almost 40 years, first joining the party's national committees in 1981. Mr Watson, Labour's deputy leader, said he was 'disgusted' by the recording and tweeted: 'For the avoidance of doubt: Peter Willsman is and always has been a loud mouth bully.' Labour MP Luciana Berger, who is Jewish, demanded the suspension of Mr Willsman for his 'venom and fury'. Jeremy Corbyn (pictured in London earlier this month) was plunged into a fresh anti-Semitism crisis after his close ally's comments But Labour immediately rejected the call saying the issue had been resolved after he apologised for his comments. The latest row comes a day after the president of the Board of Deputies said Mr Corbyn had turned Labour into a home for 'overt anti-Semites'. Two weeks ago, 68 rabbis also signed a letter to the Guardian to say anti-Semitism was 'severe and widespread' in Labour. Mr Willsman made his comments at a meeting earlier this month when the NEC approved a controversial new code of conduct on anti-Semitism. The audio of the meeting, leaked to the Jewish Chronicle, begins with Mr Willsman ending a sentence by saying 'they can falsify social media very easily'. It appears to be a suggestion that some of the anti-Semitic remarks Labour members have posted online has been faked. He adds: 'And some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump they are Trump fanatics and all the rest of it.' Board of Deputies Preisdent Marie van der Zyl today demanded Mr Corbyn and Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby say whether they were at the meeting Last night Labour MP Luciana Berger (file image), who is Jewish, demanded the suspension of Mr Willsman for his 'venom and fury'. Mr Watson, Labour's deputy leader, said he was 'disgusted' (pictured on Twitter) by the recording after it was revealed by the Jewish Chronicle Mr Watson (file image) said Mr Willsman had 'always been a loud mouthed mouth bully' Mr Willsman continues: 'So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up duff information without any evidence at all. Who is Peter Willsman? Peter Willsman, the voice behind a shocking rant about anti-Semitism leaked from Labour's ruling committee, is a veteran left wing official inside the party. He has served on Labour's national committees since 1981 - and reports today suggested his rant about 'Jewish Trump fanatics' was far from the first time he had shouted down colleagues. A member kicked off the NEC in the last round of elections told the New Statesman the silver lining of defeat was 'at least I'll never have to hear Peter Willsman go off on one again'. He has so far kept his position on the far left Momentum-backed slate for the current NEC elections because he is chairman of Campaign for Labour Party Democracy. Created by Tony Benn, the CLPD was the left-wing outpost which survived inside Labour during the Blair years. Last year he was among left-wing activists demanding all Labour candidates sign a pledge of personal loyalty to Jeremy Corbyn before being allowed to stand in the General Election. Advertisement 'So I think we should ask the 70 rabbis: Where is your evidence of severe and widespread anti-Semitism in this party?' During his comments, the tape picks up amid audible protests from some in the room. Mr Willsman adds: 'Let me ask you, let me ask you a question, how many people in this room have seen anti-Semitism in the Labour Party? 'Put your hands up... one, two you've had anti-Semitism in the Labour Party... I'm amazed. I've certainly never seen it.' In the aftermath of the meeting, which took place on July 17, Mr Willsman was the subject of two formal complaints for his remarks one from the Jewish Labour Movement. Following the publication of the recording, Mr Willsman told the BBC he had supported 'the decision to confirm the adoption of the code of conduct on anti-Semitism and to reopen development of the code in consultation with Jewish community organisations'. He added: 'Not all of what I said has been accurately reported. 'But I accept that what I did say, and the way I said it, fell short of the requirement, which I accept, for discussions of contentious issues to be conducted in a fully civil and respectful way. 'I deeply apologise for any offence caused to those present and those to whom my remarks were reported.' But last night Miss Berger called for the party to suspend Mr Willsman and conduct a 'formal investigation'. The MP, parliamentary chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, said: 'Anyone listening to this recording will be appalled to hear the venom and fury directed by Mr Willsman at the British Jewish community. 'That he accuses the Jewish community of falsifying social media and being 'Trump fanatics' in order to deny the serious concerns of 68 rabbis beggars belief. 'Mr Willsman only has to take a look at his NEC papers or the many recent press reports to see evidence of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. 'In the past week alone two Labour councillors have been suspended and the party have confirmed that 252 people are being investigated for the comments they've made online directed at Dame Margaret Hodge MP. 'Now an accurate record of this diatribe has been identified the party should urgently conduct a formal investigation of this conduct and suspend him today.' Last night a Labour spokesman said: 'We don't comment on individual cases.' In a separate development today, a Scottish Labour councillor has been suspended by her party, after claiming Mossad may have been behind criticism of Jeremy Corbyn by Britain's Jewish newspapers. Mary Lockhart has been widely criticised since her comments at the weekend, made in a Facebook post which has since been deleted. Ms Lockhart, who represents Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty on Fife Council, posted about the move: 'If it is a Mossad assisted campaign to prevent the election of a Labour Government pledged to recognise Palestine as a State, it is unacceptable interference in the democracy of Britain.' She has not responded to any request for comment since making the post. But in a Facebook statement, she said last night: 'Following my suspension from the Labour Party to allow consideration of whether or not one of my Facebook posts breached the Labour Party's rules in respect of anti-Semitism, I have deleted the post. 'I will not be commenting further on this (or) any other matter until a judgment has been made. I remain a supporter of the Labour Party and of its current leadership.' A gunman has carjacked and kidnapped a pregnant woman before opening fire on police officers and fleeing the scene. Police are seeking the suspect in the armed carjacking, which occurred at around 11pm on Sunday in the South section of Los Angeles. No description of the suspect has been released. The incident began after police were called to respond to a family dispute at the corner of 29th Street and Normandie Avenue at around 10pm, ABC7 reported. Police are seen responding to the scene were a gunman carjacked and kidnapped a pregnant woman, and then shot at police in a drive-by on Sunday night in Los Angeles About an hour later and a mile north of the family dispute call, a man with a gun forced a female driver who is 18 weeks pregnant into the passenger seat of her blue SUV. The carjacker then drove past police who remained on the scene of the original call, firing upon them from the carjacked vehicle. Police haven't said whether they suspect the shooter was involved in the original family dispute call. Officers returned fire, striking the tire of the carjacked SUV. The suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled on food. Cops searched for six hours with SWAT teams, K9 units and a helicopter but to no avail The LAPD set up a perimeter and searched the area for six hours using SWAT teams, K9 units and a police helicopter, CBS2 reported. The pregnant victim and the officers were uninjured in the exchange of gunfire. It's unknown at this time whether the suspect was struck. Sexual abuse is endemic in the aid sector because of a 'boys' club' attitude in male dominated charities, MPs warn. In a damning report, they said a 'macho' environment contributed to the sort of atmosphere where sexual exploitation was tolerated. The Commons international development committee accused the aid sector of 'complacency verging on complicity' over the abuse scandal. Kevin Watkins, boss of Save the Children UK, admitted: 'We have made mistakes in our handling of sexual harassment complaints' It highlights failings relating to both the recipients of aid and attacks on charity workers. It found the delivery of help to people in crisis had been subverted by sexual predators, with only superficial action taken to tackle it. 'Deluded' charity bosses were engaged in a 'culture of denial' exhibiting more concern for good PR than for victims. MPs highlight that a lack of barriers makes aid an 'attractive sector for people wishing to exploit others'. The report, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in the Aid Sector, follows the exposure of abuse by Oxfam aid workers in Haiti in 2011. Among devastating conclusions, it found: Oxfam was more concerned about risk to its reputation than the danger recipients of aid would be abused; Charities and the Department for International Development ignored reports of sexual abuse going back almost two decades; The United Nations is still in denial about abuse by its staff, some of whom have immunity from prosecution; Abuse against aid workers themselves including rape may be more prevalent than previously thought; Whistleblowers are afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs. The MPs demanded a boost to the powers of the Charity Commission, with the appointment of a new independent aid ombudsman. They also called for a global register of aid workers to end the scandal of abusers moving from one charity to another. Oxfam boss who 'paid teenage girls up to 140 a time for sex' in Haiti In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Oxfam sent a team of 230 to help the homeless and starving. Within months, allegations surfaced of senior staff using prostitutes some of whom may have been under 18. Roland van Hauwermeiren, head of the charity's Haiti mission, was accused of paying teenage girls between 70 and 140 a time for sex at his hilltop villa known as the Eagle's Nest. Scandal: Roland van Hauwermeiren was accused of paying teenage girls for sex Former staff told the Mail in 2018 that Mr van Hauwermeiren, a 68-year-old Belgian, 'loved young girls'. Instead of being dismissed, he was offered a deal to resign if he co-operated with the investigation. Mr van Hauwermeiren was allowed 'a phased and dignified exit' by then Oxfam chief executive, Dame Barbara Stocking. The charity released a statement in August 2011 saying he had voluntarily stepped down because of staff misconduct. Mr van Hauwermeiren became head of mission for Action Against Hunger in Bangladesh from 2012 to 2014. Despite employment checks, the charity said Oxfam 'did not share any warning regarding unethical conduct'. Advertisement Stephen Twigg, chairman of the committee, said the sector was 'deluded'. 'Humanitarian organisations and the UN cannot continue a 'culture of denial' when confronted with allegations of sexual exploitation,' he said. 'The committee is concerned that previous attempts have amounted to limited action in order to quell media clamour. Exploitation 'went on for two decades' Aid organisations did nothing to prevent sex abuse despite reports of it going back 'nearly 20 years', the report found. Exploitation by aid workers was reported in West Africa as far back as 2002, with the issues in Haiti noted in 2008. The report said: 'Sexual exploitation and abuse of aid recipients by aid providers and peacekeepers is by no means a new issue. 'The problem has a documented history stretching back nearly 20 years and reaching across many geographical and organisational boundaries.' The issue was first uncovered in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone in 2002. One report uncovered 69 allegations of abuse on refugee children by 40 aid agencies and nine peacekeeping battalions. Further reports covered sex abuse in Kenya, Namibia and Thailand (2007/8), Haiti, Ivory Coast and South Sudan (2008) and the Central African Republic (2015). But MPs concluded the international aid sector's response was 'reactive, patchy and sluggish'. The report said: 'The overall impression is one of complacency, verging on complicity.' Advertisement 'No matter how insurmountable this looks, solutions must be found. This horror must be confronted.' The report said: 'Sexual violence, exploitation and abuse against women and girls is endemic in many developing countries... It is particularly horrifying to find evidence of personnel from the aid and security sectors perpetrating these abuses.' It added that many aid organisations had a destructive 'boys' club' culture, 'in which sexual harassment and abuse of staff can thrive'. The committee singled out Save the Children UK for criticism, following the departure of chief executive Justin Forsyth and policy director Brendan Cox amid claims of harassment. The charity's handling of the allegations is the subject of a statutory inquiry. The MPs also quote research which found that 'a macho form of masculinity dominates the humanitarian relief space'. Committee member Pauline Latham said: 'I believe deep cultural change is required across all aid organisations, starting with their all too often male senior leadership. 'Sexual abuse of aid beneficiaries and of women aid workers, which I believe is linked, must be stamped out.' Last night International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said: 'Ensuring survivors' voices are heard and taken seriously is paramount.' Judith Brodie, the boss of Bond which brings together development charities, said she was beginning to see a positive culture shift. Kevin Watkins, boss of Save the Children UK, said: 'We have made mistakes in our handling of sexual harassment complaints. Although some progress has been made... there is a great deal more to do.' The Manchester bomber wasnt the only member of his family to be rescued by the Royal Navy on that day in August 2014. Salman Abedis brother Hashem was also picked up by brave servicemen to return to Britain and play a key role in the atrocity carried out by Salman. Hashem alleged to have helped to buy materials for the Manchester bomb is back in Libya, languishing in prison in Tripoli under a militia guard as the Libyan and British governments wrangle over his extradition to the UK. Salman Abedis brother Hashem (pictured) is alleged to have helped to buy materials for the Manchester bomb He is being held by the Special Deterrence Force, also known as Rada, at a sprawling base at Mitiga airport. Discussions on bringing him back to Britain are believed to have stalled. When the brothers were rescued by the Navy, it was three years after Colonel Gaddafi had been ousted and Libya was again in the grip of outright warfare. 2014 marked the start of a particularly bloody conflict known as the second civil war. Rival tribal groups fought bitterly for control of the country. Some were aligned with the Libyan government, elected democratically in June that year. Violently opposing was a hodgepodge of Islamist militias. Amid the turmoil, the UK embassy in Tripoli was closed and the Ministry of Defence scrambled to evacuate British citizens stranded in the war zone. But Salman was hardly some idle tourist caught up in the mayhem. Though born and bred in Britain, Abedi went on his school holidays to the war in Libya, where he may have learnt to kill as a 16-year-old. British survey ship HMS Enterprise evacuated more than 100 British citizens from Libya in August 2014 While his Manchester classmates were embarking on A-levels, Abedi was taking up arms on a gap year at the front line. The teenager had been taken to Libya by his father Ramadan Abedi to fight in the revolution. Mr Abedi Snr was rejoicing in the 2011 uprising against Gaddafi. He had been an active opponent of the Libyan tyrant in the early 1990s, and when he was forced to flee the regime, he was given political refuge in Manchester where his second son Salman was born on New Years Eve 1994. Friends said Salman Abedi grew up a typical teenager, supporting Manchester United and enjoying parties, drinking and smoking cannabis. He was teased with the nickname Dumbo at school for his big ears. But when the revolution against Gaddafi erupted, his father seized the chance to take him back to his homeland to join the battle against the despot. Mr Abedi had long been a prominent member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), a militant organisation founded to pursue the violent overthrow of Gaddafis dictatorship and establish an Islamist state. HMS Enterprise arrives in Malta in 2014, with Abedi among the 110 evacuees from Libya Many of its followers had waged jihad in Afghanistan against the Soviets, and in the late 1980s and early 1990s their aims overlapped significantly with British foreign policy. Britain had cut off diplomatic ties with Gaddafis regime after Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie and policewoman Yvonne Fletcher was murdered in London. It was even claimed although denied that MI6 encouraged a coup attempt in 1996 by the Islamist group. Either way, by the early Nineties, many senior members of the LIFG were being pursued by Gaddafi and given sanctuary by Britain, with many settling in Manchester. Among them was Mr Abedi, a one-time employee of Libyas notorious secret police, who fled first to Saudi Arabia in 1991 and then to Britain a year later. Mr Abedi and his wife Samia Tabbal described as an incredibly bright nuclear engineer who graduated top of her class from Tripoli university lived in the Whalley Range district of Manchester on the same street as another LIFG member, Abd al-Baset Azzouz, an expert bomb-maker. Hashem's brother Salman , pictured, was the person behind the Manchester bombing tragedy which killed 22 people But life for the LIFG veterans in Manchester started to get uncomfortable in 1999 when Tony Blair began the process of bringing Gaddafi in from the cold. Diplomatic relations were resumed and sanctions were lifted. But in Manchester, the old LIFG warriors found their organisation designated as a terror group by the UN and the Home Office. Many of the Libyans living in Britain were placed under control orders. Then came the Arab Spring in 2011, and Britain turned its back on Gaddafi once more. David Camerons government sent warplanes to support the uprising against him. British-Libyans queued up to return home to join the fight. Ramadan Abedi swiftly signed up to the cause. In the years that followed, Salman and Hashem, divided their time between Manchester and the war in Libya, using their British passports to travel freely between the two. Their parents relocated to Tripoli, effectively leaving the boys to look after themselves in the UK. Salman quit Manchester College in 2013 with anger management issues after punching a girl for wearing a short skirt and telling the head teacher there were a lot of things going on with his family and fighting in Libya. Friends said he was slow and unintelligent, a heavy cannabis user and increasingly violent to women. In 2014, he was back in Libya when full-blown war returned following the June parliamentary elections that squeezed the Islamist factions to a minority of seats. Evacuees collect bottles of water and food from British officials in August 2014 Rather than accept the result, Islamist leaders accused the new parliament of being dominated by supporters of the dictator and battled the nationalist militia. By August, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates were launching airstrikes against the Islamists who had seized control of Tripoli airport. To make matters even more chaotic, fanatics from the Islamic State group were establishing a stronghold in coastal areas, broadcasting gruesome videos of their self-proclaimed warriors beheading captured Christians. It was around this time that the Royal Navy ship was dispatched to help Britons make their escape from the hellish situation. Salman and Hashem who had been spending the summer in Tripoli with their family took their chance to join the evacuation.Back in Manchester, Abedi enrolled at Salford University, collecting about 7,000 from the taxpayer-funded Student Loans Company. He pocketed the money and dropped out. By now Salman who was chanting in the streets and putting the bins out wearing Islamic robes had become fully radicalised. He used the taxpayers cash to help bankroll his terror plot, travelling to and from Libya where he became increasingly battle hardened. Then on May 22 last year, he took his explosives-packed rucksack bearing a logo of the Union Flag and wrought terrible carnage on the country that gave his parents safe haven and rescued him from a war zone. Hashem, 21, was arrested in a remote farmhouse outside the Libyan capital a day after the suicide bombing in May last year. The British government requested in October last year that he be extradited to face trial over the massacre. He is separately facing allegations that he was part of a plot to kill a British ambassador in Libya. Hashem is held is in a prison section specifically for IS suspects, of which there are around 250. His father Ramadan, was also detained outside his home in a Tripoli suburb but later released. British police believe Hashem helped his brother buy the materials to build the bomb detonated at Manchester Arena. He has also been linked to a suicide plot to kill Peter Millett, the UKs envoy to Libya. But in May this year senior Libyan sources told the Mail that Hashem could escape UK justice by refusing to face trial here. Nuclear waste could be stored in vaults deep under national parks after it emerged yesterday that MPs backed the proposal. However, the controversial plan is certain to be fiercely opposed by green campaigners. After the Government began looking for a site to locate an underground radioactive waste vault, the Commons business committee backed its approach but decided against calling for national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs) to be excluded. Cumbria county council has already voted to reject plans for a nuclear waste facility under its national park amid huge local opposition in the Lake District (pictured: Grasmere) The cross-party committee said: 'In our view, it is right for safety matters to prevail over environmental concerns in this case.' It added that existing planning safeguards would prevent 'intrusive developments and environmental damage'. But Cumbria county council has already voted to reject plans for such a nuclear waste facility amid huge local opposition in the Lake District. Earlier this year, a spokesman for the national park said: 'Because the Lake District is both a national park and a World Heritage Site, it should be excluded from the search.' However, ministers say they will press ahead and insist that no part of the country should be excluded. Energy minister Richard Harrington told the committee: 'I am not saying we should have them on national parks, but it would be very wrong to exclude them at the moment in this big policy statement.' Energy minister Richard Harrington said it would be 'very wrong' to exclude national parks from the proposals at the moment He cited a new potash mine in North Yorkshire that includes little surface development as an example of what can be built in an environmentally sensitive location. Mr Harrington added: 'If it was a huge one kilometre industrial building in the middle of a national park that wouldn't be acceptable. We need a facility like this, and we would much rather do it with communities that want it.' He pointed out that the nuclear industry was popular in west Cumbria, where it provides many well-paid jobs. The Government's plans for a so-called 'geological disposal infrastructure' (GDI) was set out in a draft national policy statement in January. The GDI would include specially engineered vaults and tunnels deep underground to contain waste that is more radioactive than can be stored at ground level. The committee said the plan was 'fit for purpose', adding: 'We decided against an exclusionary criterion for national parks and AONBs. 'Although we agree that major developments should not be allowed in designated areas except under exceptional circumstances, we believe existing planning legislation and the national policy statement contain sufficient safeguards against intrusive developments and environmental damage in national parks and AONBs. 'We support the Government's view that it is conceivable for a GDI to be designed in a way that would be acceptable to communities, preserve the socio-economic benefits that national parks and AONBs bring them and avoid any intrusive surface facility in conservation areas.' But Kate Blagojevic, from Greenpeace UK, said: 'The Government have decided to bet the house on new nuclear reactors without any clear idea of how high the spiralling costs will be... or where to put the unknown quantity of waste they will generate. 'Now we learn that the main protection for national parks is that local people won't agree to anything bad, even though the local people won't know what they're agreeing to.' J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon gave Donald Trump credit on Monday for creating an economic boom with tax and regulatory cuts. But he warned that the president's new tariffs on products imported from China, Mexico, Canada and the European Union could slow down an otherwise robust recovery. 'Presidents get a lot of credit [and] a lot of blame for things they didn't do,' Dimon said on CNBC, 'but the president has done things which accelerated growth.' 'We needed competitive taxes,' he said, seeming to channel Trump's stump speeches. 'And the way the American public should be thinking of it [is], for 20 years, we've been increasingly uncompetitive, driving capital and brains overseas.' Business-stifling regulations too, he said, are a major Trump focus and should be. J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon gave Donald Trump credit on Monday for creating an economic boom with tax and regulation cuts The U.S. Gross Domestic Product grew at a rate of 4.1 per cent in the last quarter, the best showing in nearly four years 'It takes 12 years to get permits to build a bridge that's already there and failing. And it took 8 years to put a man on the moon,' Dimon marveled. 'So the American public looks at this stuff and says, "That's what's holding us back. It was us".' The U.S. Gross Domestic Product grew at a rate of 4.1 per cent in the last quarter, the best showing in nearly four years. That was driven in part by increased government and consumer spending, and also by farmers rushing soybeans to Chinese ports before a July deadline when tariffs kicked in. In addition to a program of regulation cutting, Trump signed a bill in December lowering the top federal business tax rate to 21 per cent, from 35 per cent. Dimon suggested that's the right course, and that 'this has accelerated the growth.' Dimon told CNBC viewers that regulatory reform is key: 'It takes 12 years to get permits to build a bridge that's already there and failing. And it took 8 years to put a man on the moon' The economy grew by 20 per cent in the past 10 years, he said, but 'it should have been 40.' 'The reason it wasn't 40 was because of a lot of things we did that hurt ourselves,' he added, referring to past government policies. Speaking of past anemic quarterly growth numbers, he said the reason they were mired in the 2 per cent range 'was not some natural reason. It was bad infrastructure, bad taxation, excess regulation.' Dimon did caution, however, that Trump's protectionist trade posture is likely to eat into the nation's economic gains. 'I think it could offset some of the benefits' of the White House's policies, he said, as countries hit by Trump's tariffs have retaliated against American companies. A body that was found stuffed in a barrel in a deserted storage unit has been identified as a man who disappeared 17 years ago. The badly decomposed human remains, which were wrapped in plastic, were found at a storage business in Oakleigh South, south-east of Melbourne on July 13. The remains have been identified as John Christianos, who was last seen at his home in the Melbourne suburb of Bentleigh East on June 11, 2001. A body that was found stuffed in a barrel on July 13 has been identified as missing Melbourne graphic artist John Christianos (pictured) who disappeared 17 years ago The Melbourne-based graphic artist was found just 3.4km away from his home, 17 years after he disappeared. The grim discovery was made by a worker who was cleaning out the building on Friday morning after he saw 'two legs sticking out of the bag'. Mr Christianos, who would now have been 56, was reported missing by other residents of Gaynor Lodge, where he lived, after he disappeared in 2001. Police and detectives appealed for public assistance and placed him on the National Missing Persons Register. An inquest in 2011 found that the graphic designer likely died on or after June 11, 2001. 'Even though it has been over 17 years since he was last seen, we believe that it is likely there are still people out there who know what happened to John,' Missing Persons Squad Detective Inspector Andrew Stampe said in a statement on Tuesday. Police believed that he had been murdered after items such as his motorcycle and car were never collected following his disappearance. A murder investigation was launched after a worker discovered the body when he saw 'two legs sticking out of a bag' The badly decomposed human remains, which were wrapped in plastic, were found at a storage business in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh South 'Clearly something significant has happened after John left his home for his body to be dumped in a bin and locked up for so many years', Inspector Stampe said. Although Christianos was known as a skilled graphic artist, he was known to police across various states for a range of matters including drug use and assault. Coroner Kim Parkinson described the graphic artist, who was estranged from his family, as 'psychologically fragile', the Herald Sun reported. Residents of the lodge say that there were no obvious signs of preparations to disappear, but after not contacting anyone since leaving the lodge and punctually paying rent, they became worried. Peter Mandelson today provoked outrage by labelling extreme Brexiteers 'nationalists' who 'hate foreigners' and are not 'patriots' like him. The former EU trade commissioner said the people leading the charge for quitting the EU were 'Brextremists' not motivated by the best interests of the country. Leave supporters immediately condemned the incendiary remarks as the row over what kind of Brexit Britain will have next year continued unabated into the summer. Peter Mandelson (pictured on Sky News today) provoked outrage by labelling Brexiteers 'nationalists' who 'hate foreigners' and claiming they were not 'patriots' like him Theresa May's efforts to break the Brexit deadlock before MPs broke up for the holidays appeared to fail last week as Brussels rejected her Chequers plan. Her ministers will spend the summer trying to convince EU capitals of the merits of her proposals, seen by many as a soft Brexit. But Lord Mandelson said the controversy over the plan, particularly from Brexit supporters, proved the need to have a second referendum on the deal. What is in Theresa May's Brexit blueprint? These are some of the key features of the Chequers plan being pushed by the UK government: A new free trade area in goods, based on a 'common rulebook' of EU regulations necessary. This will require the UK to commit by treaty to match EU rules 'Mobility' rules which will end automatic freedom of movement, but still allow UK and EU citizens to travel without visas for tourism and temporary work. It will also enable businesses to move staff between countries. Continued UK participation in and funding of European agencies covering areas like chemicals, aviation safety and medicines A 'facilitated customs arrangement', removing the need for customs checks at UK-EU ports. It would allow differing UK and EU tariffs on goods from elsewhere in the world to be paid at the border, removing the need for rebates in the vast majority of cases. This is designed to avoid the need for a hard Irish border. But in theory it still allows Britain to sign trade deals. Keeping services - such as banking or legal support - outside of the common rule book, meaning the UK is completely free to set its own regulations. It accepts it will mean less trade in services between the UK and EU. Continued co-operation on energy and transport, a 'common rulebook' on state aid and commitments to maintain high standards of environmental and workplace protections. A security deal allowing continued UK participation in Europol and Eurojust, 'co-ordination' of UK and EU policies on foreign affairs, defence and development. Continued use of the EHIC health insurance card. Advertisement He told LBC Radio today: 'Patriotism is love of your country. Wanting to stand up for your country, wanting to serve the best interests of your country. 'Nationalism, on the other hand, is a hatred of foreigners - and that's what they are. 'They are nationalists and they should not be confused with patriots. 'I feel I am patriotic. I want the best for Britain - it's why I voted Remain in the referendum though I entirely respect the contrary view of many others. 'These Brextremists are not like that. They are nationalists in the sense that they hate other countries, and they hate foreigners. 'And that is, in my view, what motivates them and drives their behaviour.' Asked to name who he was describing, Lord Mandelson declined to do so - but let host James O'Brien name International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg without contest. Mr Rees-Mogg told MailOnline: 'Perhaps Lord Mandelson should not confuse truth with fiction. 'It is regrettably something he has had difficulty with throughout his career.' Former Brexit minister Steve Baker told MailOnline he was 'deeply insulted' by the 'ludicrous' comments. He said: 'There is nothing illiberal about wanting democracy to have meaning. Quite the reverse.' Tory MP Nigel Evans added: 'His incendiary description is an appalling attack. 'He should take his hefty EU pension which hard pressed British taxpayers are guaranteeing and paying post Brexit and go and live in Brussels where he will clearly feel more at home. 'He and his distasteful views will not be missed.' Former Brexit minister Steve Baker (file image) told MailOnline he was 'deeply insulted' by the 'ludicrous' comments. Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured on ITV in March) told MailOnline: 'Perhaps Lord Mandelson should not confuse truth with fiction' In other developments today Downing Street has insisted the Government is engaged in 'good planning' and taking 'sensible precautions' in case there is a no-deal Brexit. Asked if Theresa May would continue to lead the country if her negotiations fail and the UK is plunged into a no-deal scenario, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said she is 'fully committed to delivering on the will of the British people'. Ministers have confirmed efforts to stockpile medicines and ensure an 'adequate' food supply if there is a no-deal Brexit. But Brexiteers have criticised the approach, insisting that, while preparations must be made to show Brussels that the UK could cope without a deal, the plans should not mark a return to the referendum campaign's 'Project Fear'. Theresa May's (pictured on holiday in Italy yesterday) efforts to break the Brexit deadlock before MPs broke up for the holidays appeared to fail last week as Brussels rejected her Chequers plan Dozens of technical notices setting out what businesses and concerned citizens need to do are expected to be published in August and September. The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'We have been absolutely clear that it's in the interests not just of ourselves but the EU to get a deal. 'In the event of no-deal there will of course be consequences for the European Union.' The spokesman added that the plans are aimed at ensuring an 'orderly' Brexit even if there is no agreement with Brussels. 'We are working towards getting a deal but the Prime Minister is clear that we will put in place all the necessary steps to ensure the UK has a bright future.' A construction worker in south-east China has narrowly escaped death after a building suddenly collapsed onto him during demolition works. The worker was reportedly monitoring the process in an excavator when the six-storey structure fell, crushing the machine. Fortunately, the man in Shangrao city, Jiangxi province escaped without injuries, according to local reports. A construction worker in Jiangxi province, south-east China has narrowly escaped death after a building suddenly collapsed on him during demolition works The worker was monitoring the process in an excavator when the six-storey structure fell Video footage of the shocking incident in Poyang County on Sunday shows the building toppling to the left, crumbling right on top of a digger that's right next to it. The building had reportedly collapsed in the wrong direction, contrary to the worker's prediction, according to People's Daily. Dust rock and debris were sent flying as other people were seen running away from the demolition site. Dust rock and debris were sent flying as other people were seen running away from the site The six-storey building had reportedly collapsed in the wrong direction The building and the excavator disappeared in a massive cloud of smoke. A shot showing the aftermath of the demolition shows other workers checking the interior of the digger's cab among the large pile of rubble. Luckily, the arm of the excavator protected the worker and he was unhurt, according to the report. At least three people were killed and another 14 were hurt after a car lost control at a busy intersection during rush hour today in Hangzhou city, east China. The driver, later identified by her surname as Chen, suddenly ploughed into pedestrians waiting at the intersection of Wener Road West and Jingdan Road at 7.06pm local time. A dozen cars were also damaged in the accident and the injured were being treated in hospital, according to police. At least three people were killed and another 14 were hurt after a car lost control at a busy intersection during rush hour today in Hangzhou city, east China's Zhejiang province Police officers investigate the scene of the horrific accident that killed three people One of the witnesses, Wang Renjie, 24, told MailOnline that the scene of the accident was 'very bloody'. 'One person had his head trapped under a car. Another person had serious injuries to his shoulders and legs,' he said. 'I was riding my bicycle after work when I saw a commotion ahead,' Mr Wang said. 'I was shocked to see that such a serious accident had taken place.' 'It was a total mess. There were glass, debris, car parts and tyres all over the place,' he added. Video footage the horrific accident showed a black SUV ramming at high speed into a car that was turning left at the intersection. In the clip released by City Express, debris and broken glass were seen flying upon impact. Witness Wang Renjie, 24, told MailOnline that the scene of the accident was 'very bloody' The accident scene was cordoned off as police conducted investigations The car went on to hit an awning at the roadside and a dozen pedestrians waiting at the crossing, witnesses told Qianjiang Evening News. 'The car did not slow down at all,' according to security guard Mr You, who saw the entire accident. 'The vehicle was very loud. I turned to look and heard a loud bang,' another witness Ms Lu said. 'There was smoke coming out of the car after it crashed. The awnings at the crossroads were knocked down as well.' Fire engines and ambulances were immediately alerted to the scene. The driver was reportedly trapped in the vehicle and had to be rescued. Pictures of the accident's aftermath taken by witnesses shows bodies lying motionless on the ground. Road signs were left collapsed. The injured have been taken to hospital and the driver has been detained by police Another clip of the accident's aftermath shows collapsed road signs at the scene In an official statement on Weibo, the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau confirmed that three people have died and 14 people were injured in the accident, adding that many vehicles were damaged. 'The injured have been taken to hospital and the driver has been detained by police,' the statement added. The police have conducted initial tests and ruled out impaired driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The cause of accident remains under investigation. Scientists have found the earliest evidence of bone in the fossil record. The discovery was made using powerful X-rays to peer inside the fossilised remains of a group of animals known as heterostracans. These are the oldest examples of vertebrate ever found on Earth, dating back more than 400 million years ago. Researchers discovered the heterostracans were made of a strange tissue known as 'aspidin', which does not resemble the vertebrate tissues of today. The tissue, which is formed of a crisscross pattern of tiny tubes, has been the subject of a 160-year-old debate, with scientists unsure whether 'aspidin' was a transitional stage in the evolution of bone, or the earliest example. However, the latest findings show that 'aspidin' is a type of bone, changing the timeline for the origin of our skeletons. Evidence for the early evolution of our skeletons can be found in a group of fossil fish called heterostracans, which lived more than 400 million years ago. Pictured is one from the early Devonian (approximately 419 million years ago) from Herefordshire, UK Living vertebrates have skeletons built from four different tissue types: bone and cartilage (the main tissues found in human skeletons are made from), and dentine and enamel (the tissues from which our teeth are constructed). These tissues are unique because they become mineralised as they develop, giving the skeleton strength and rigidity. Evidence for the early evolution of our skeletons can be found in a group of fossil fishes called heterostracans, which lived more than 400 million years ago. This group of fish includes some of the oldest vertebrates with a mineralised skeleton ever discovered. However, the exact nature of the tissue found in heterostracan skeletons has long puzzled scientists. Researchers from the University of Manchester and University of Bristol have now taken a detailed look inside heterostracan skeletons using Synchrotron Tomography. This is a special type of CT scanning that uses extremely high-energy X-rays produced by a particle accelerator. By using this technique, the team managed to identify the mystery tissue as 'aspidin'. Pictured is an artist's impression of Anglaspis heintzi. The earliest vertebrates with a mineralised skeleton were armoured jawless fishes such as Anglaspis heintzi, a heterostracan that lived approximately 419 million years ago WHAT ARE HETEROSTRACANS? Heterostracans were a group of fish that lived around 400 million years ago. These fish include some of the oldest examples of vertebrates with a mineralised skeleton ever discovered on Earth. The jawless vertebrate lived primarily in marine and estuary environments. It is believed some of them had enamel plates inside their lower lip, which is most likely to have been used for biting and grazing. Most of the fish had a series of scales arranged on the side of their bodies, the exact pattern of which varied from species to species. Heterostracans first appeared around 433 million years ago, and had completely died out by 359 million years ago. Advertisement 'Heterostracan skeletons are made of a really strange tissue called "aspidin",' said lead researcher Dr Joseph Keating, from the School of Earth of Environmental Scientists at the University of Manchester. 'It is crisscrossed by tiny tubes and does not closely resemble any of the tissues found in vertebrates today. 'For a 160 years, scientists have wondered if aspidin is a transitional stage in the evolution of mineralised tissues', said Dr Keating. Researchers studied the skeletons of heterostracans using high energy x-rays. Pictured is a 3D model of the skeletal tissue By examining the microscopic structure of these skeletons, they identified the mysterious tissue 'aspidin' (pictured) and provided new insight into the evolution of our skeleton However, further analysis by the researchers revealed the tiny tubes in the crisscross pattern are actually voids that originally housed fibre-bundles of collagen the same protein found in skin and bones. This led scientists to conclude that aspidin is the earliest evidence of bone in the fossil record. 'These findings change our view on the evolution of the skeleton,' said co-author Professor Phil Donoghue, from the University of Bristol. 'Aspidin was once thought to be the precursor of vertebrate mineralised tissues. We show that it is, in fact, a type of bone, and that all these tissues must have evolved millions of years earlier.' The full study was published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. Apple and Amazon are leading the race to become the first trillion dollar company. The companies are closely followed by two other US technology giants Google and YouTube's parent company Alphabet Inc, and Microsoft in the fierce battle to reach the historic valuation. Apple, currently valued at $939 billion (716 billion), remains the highest-valued private company on the global markets. Experts believe the firm, which has enjoyed huge success worldwide with its iPhone, iPad, MacBook ranges, could cross the $1 trillion (0.76 trillion) finish line when it publishes its latest quarterly results on Tuesday July 30. But online retail firm Amazon is close behind on Friday, its market cap reached some $917 billion (700 billion), before finishing at $882 billion (673 billion), thanks to quarterly figures well received by investors. Scroll down for video Apple and Amazon are leading the race to become the world's first trillion dollar company, according to the latest figures. Pictured is Apple CEO Tim Cook (left) and Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos (right) Alphabet ($886 billion/675 billion) and Microsoft ($827 billion/630 billion) are hot on their heels, while Facebook ($505 billion/385 billion) is out of the race, having shed an unprecedented $119 billion (90 billion) in value after its results Thursday. The biggest traditional economic players billionaire Warren Buffet's holding company Berkshire-Hathaway ($492 billion/375 billion) and bank JPMorgan Chase ($395 billion/301 billion) have been relegated to mere spectators. State oil company PetroChina briefly broke the $1 trillion barrier in 2007 during its initial public offering, but has since dropped back down. Stock for online retailer Amazon was the most popular buy in the first half of 2018, with Apple the second most popular sell, according to a mid-year review by TDAmeritrade. 'The retail trader who is buying that stock is also the same person who is probably an Amazon client,' said JJ Kinahan, a chief market strategist for the Omaha, Nebraska brokerage firm. 'They see a stock that has plenty of upside and benefiting from the money people have to spend with the economy and the job market improving,' he added. According to TDAmeritrade's mid-year review, online commerce giant Amazon's stock was the most popular buy in the first half of 2018, with Apple the second most popular sell (file photo) But Apple, which has a solid track record of unveiling record-high after record-high when it comes to its quarterly earnings call, holds its lead. Ken Berman, Gorilla Trades strategist, is convinced that Apple will reach the $1 trillion mark after its Tuesday results, thanks to its range of iPhones, growing interest in the iPad and strength in its services. 'I don't think Apple stock is that expensive,' said Nate Thooft of Manulife Asset Management. 'The tech sector is the safe haven of the equity market right now.' Analysts insist the situation is a far cry from that in the late 1990s, when several start-ups exploded on Wall Street only for the 'dot.com' bubble to burst. Experts believe Apple could well cross the $1 trillion (0.76 trillion) finish line after it releases its quarterly results Tuesday (file photo) 'The big problem with the internet bubble was that the majority of businesses did not have revenues, did not have profits, many just responded to a fashion phenomenon,' said Gregori Volokhine of Meeschaert Financial Services. 'That's not the case with all these companies that today have an essential place in people's lives,' Volokhine said. 'Most of the leading tech companies in the late 1990s were trading at 100 times earnings,' added Edward Jones investment strategist Kate Warne. 'Very different than today.' Apple's price/earnings ratio stands at 18.62, underperforming the S&P 500 (20.86), the index representing the 500 biggest businesses on Wall Street. WHICH FIRMS ARE RACING TO BECOME THE WORLD'S FIRST TRILLION DOLLAR COMPANY? Four US tech firms are battling it out to become the world's first trillion dollar company. Appke is leading the way with a value of $939 billion (716 billion), making it the highest-valued private company on the global markets. But Amazon is right behind, reaching $882 (673 billion) billion as the markets closed on July 27. Microsoft and Google's parent company Alphabet are close behind, valued at $827 billion (630 billion) and $886 billion (675 billion) respectively. Facebook ($505 billion/385 billion) is out of the race, having shed $119 billion (90 billion) in value after results released July 26. The biggest traditional economic players - billionaire Warren Buffet's holding company Berkshire-Hathaway ($492 billion/375 billion) and bank JPMorgan Chase ($395 billion/301 billion) - have been relegated to mere spectators. Figures accurate as of July 30, 2018. Advertisement But even in case of economic crisis, the technology sector is in a good place, according to Maris Ogg, founding principal of Tower Bridge Advisors. 'If you start to see the economy slowing, if companies have to cut cost, to fire people, they will invest in technologies towards more automation,' she said. For Nicholas Colas of DataTrek Research, it is also hard for investors to evaluate the business strategies with a fairly new business model. 'Equity valuations for FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google) stocks and other internet-enabled business models is a fundamentally new challenge for investors,' he said. 'At their core, they are ideas created by a handful of people, developed/maintained by perhaps 10,000 coders (and sometimes much less), but then used by billions around the world. This is a new phenomenon, and we suspect equity markets do not yet understand what 'correct/normalized' valuations should be.' China's next key foreign policy decision could be aided by artificial intelligence. The country is actively developing an AI system that will help lawmakers make policies based on unbiased data analysis, rather than human emotion. When a policymaker needs to make an urgent decision in an ongoing, complex situation, the AI-powered system will be able to summon a range of options with recommendations for the best move in a matter of minutes. As it stands, the technology is purportedly still in its infancy, but one-day hopes to provide an unbiased view of political scenarios, without any trace of fear or 'moral concerns' that could get in the way of the nation's strategic goals. Scientists with knowledge of the plans stress that human diplomats will still be behind the final policy decisions, with the AI acting only as a support system. China already uses an AI system in the foreign ministry to analyse oversees investment decisions, researchers revealed. Scroll down for video Chinese foreign policy decisions of the future will be aided by artificial intelligence. Researchers have confirmed the country is developing an AI that will help diplomats make new policies based on unbiased data analysis (stock image) Chinese researchers confirmed to the South China Morning Post the government plans to use AI as part of the decision-making process in some government areas. Dr Feng Shuai, senior fellow with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, whose research focuses on the application of AI, said the project was already gaining pace. 'Artificial intelligence systems can use scientific and technological power to read and analyse data in a way that humans can't match,' Dr Feng said. 'Human beings can never get rid of the interference of hormones or glucose.' The technology would strip away the tiredness and fatigue that can hamper a politician's judgement. Scientists said it would also be completely immune to human flaws that can make some political decisions difficult, such as passion, honour, and fear. 'It would not even consider the moral factors that conflict with strategic goals,' Dr Feng added. However, in order successfully make informed decisions that will benefit Chinese society, the AI machine would need access to huge volumes of data. According to the researchers, this could be a stumbling block for the technology, since some of the data needed to assess the viability of each option may be difficult to obtain, or not exist at all in the case of some isolated regions or countries. The AI will also need a clearly-defined set of goals before it can present the options it has generated for the politicians. However, these goals can sometimes be absent at the start of drawn-out diplomatic interaction. It is likely to be at risk of human tampering, changing the impartial recommendations it presents to the lawmakers, researchers have warned. There is a concern the advent of AI policymakers could further increase the divide between affluent nations and developing countries. Diplomats are already using information that has come from AI technology, with a human always making the final decision. It could help navigate schisms like the current 'trade war' raging between Chinese president Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump 'If one side of the strategic game has artificial intelligence technology, and the other side does not, then this kind of strategic game is almost a one-way, transparent confrontation,' Dr Feng said. 'The actors lacking the assistance of AI will be at an absolute disadvantage in many aspects such as risk judgement, strategy selection, decision making and execution efficiency, and decision-making reliability. 'The entire strategic game structure will be completely out of balance.' AI excels at processing huge swathes of complex information to create a strategy. In the past, these systems have proven tricky adversaries for humans in board games, beating the world's best human players of strategic games Chess and Go. Liu Yu, an associate researcher at the Institute of Automation at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, claimed human diplomats would have difficulty winning a strategic game against AI. WHY ARE PEOPLE SO WORRIED ABOUT AI? It is an issue troubling some of the greatest minds in the world at the moment, from Bill Gates to Elon Musk. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk described AI as our 'biggest existential threat' and likened its development as 'summoning the demon'. He believes super intelligent machines could use humans as pets. Professor Stephen Hawking said it is a 'near certainty' that a major technological disaster will threaten humanity in the next 1,000 to 10,000 years. They could steal jobs More than 60 percent of people fear that robots will lead to there being fewer jobs in the next ten years, according to a 2016 YouGov survey. And 27 percent predict that it will decrease the number of jobs 'a lot' with previous research suggesting admin and service sector workers will be the hardest hit. As well as posing a threat to our jobs, other experts believe AI could 'go rogue' and become too complex for scientists to understand. A quarter of the respondents predicted robots will become part of everyday life in just 11 to 20 years, with 18 percent predicting this will happen within the next decade. They could 'go rogue' Computer scientist Professor Michael Wooldridge said AI machines could become so intricate that engineers don't fully understand how they work. If experts don't understand how AI algorithms function, they won't be able to predict when they fail. This means driverless cars or intelligent robots could make unpredictable 'out of character' decisions during critical moments, which could put people in danger. For instance, the AI behind a driverless car could choose to swerve into pedestrians or crash into barriers instead of deciding to drive sensibly. They could wipe out humanity Some people believe AI will wipe out humans completely. 'Eventually, I think human extinction will probably occur, and technology will likely play a part in this,' DeepMind's Shane Legg said in a recent interview. He singled out artificial intelligence, or AI, as the 'number one risk for this century'. Musk warned that AI poses more of a threat to humanity than North Korea. 'If you're not concerned about AI safety, you should be. Vastly more risk than North Korea,' the 46-year-old wrote on Twitter. 'Nobody likes being regulated, but everything (cars, planes, food, drugs, etc) that's a danger to the public is regulated. AI should be too.' Musk has consistently advocated for governments and private institutions to apply regulations on AI technology. He has argued that controls are necessary in order protect machines from advancing out of human control Advertisement He said: 'AI can think many steps ahead of a human. It can think deeply in many possible scenarios and come up with the best strategy.' Fu Jingying, an associate researcher with the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, revealed that an early version of the AI system was in use in the foreign ministry. Known as the Geopolitical Environment Simulation And Prediction Platform, it was used to vet 'nearly all foreign investment projects' in recent years. It has access to information from numerous Chinese government agencies and uses deep-learning coupled with a neural learning network to draw its own conclusions from the data. The machine is still unable to make a strategic decision by itself, but the next-generation of AI could have the capacity to make these types of decision. The new AI system is 'under construction', Dr Fu confirmed, without revealing a date for its completion. 'The machine will never replace human diplomats. It only provides assistance,' she added. Zhang Lili, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, said AI should be embraced as it is a powerful tool to help humans become better their work. 'In the past, our job was done entirely by the brain, which has limits,' he said. 'AI can help us get more prepared for unexpected events. 'It can help find a scientific, rigorous solution within a short time.' Research is also under way in China to introduce AI into nuclear submarines to help commanders making faster, more accurate decision in the heat of battle. Nasa competition finalists have revealed the 3D-printed habitats they believe could be used to colonise the red planet in the coming decades. Not only do these proposed designs have to look the part, but the competition stipulates they also have the right thickness, heating and pressure to withstand the extreme conditions on Mars. Of the 18 teams from across the world that entered the competition, five have been taken to the next stage of the competition, which sees them tasked with creating a one-third-scale 3D-printed model of their final design. There is a $2 million (1.5m) prize for the winner of the competition, with the final models set to be completed by spring 2019. Scroll down for video Nasa competition finalists have revealed the 3D-printed habitats they believe could be used to colonise the red planet in the coming decades. The futuristic designs, including the exterior shot of a neighbourhood pictured, propose how life on Mars might someday look Nasa partnered with Bradley University of Peoria, Illinois to select the top five teams to progress to the next stage of the 3D-Printed Habitat Centennial Challenge competition. Those who have progressed to the next stage shared a $100,000 (76,000) prize. The prize money was awarded to the five teams based on scores assigned by a panel of experts from Nasa, academia and industry. The judges were assessing digital representations of the futuristic Martian homes, built using specialised software tools. In total, 18 teams from all over the world entered the competition. Entrants were assessed on the completeness and layout of the habitat, as well as how easily the design could be 3D-printed on the surface of the red planet. Team Zopherus of Rogers, Arkansas received $20,957.95, AI SpaceFactory of New York received $20,957.24, Kahn-Yates of Jackson, Mississippi received $20,622.74, while SEArch+/Apis Cor of New York received $19,580.97 and finally, Northwestern University of Evanston, Illinois received $17,881.10. Not only do these proposed designs have to look the part, but the competition stipulates they also have the right thickness, heating and pressure to withstand the extreme conditions on Mars. Pictured is an artist's impression of a nuclear power plant on the red planet There is a $2 million (1.5m) prize for the winner of the competition, with the final models set to be completed by spring 2019. Pictured is an artist's impression of Mars living pods Of the 18 teams from across the world that entered the competition, five have been taken to the next stage of the competition, which sees them tasked with creating a one-third-scale 3D-printed model of their final design. Pictured is a private room inside a pod Nasa partnered with Bradley University of Peoria, Illinois to select the top five teams to progress to the next stage of the 3D-Printed Habitat Centennial Challenge competition. This image shows the interior of a shared living space Nasa competition finalists have revealed their incredible 3D-printed habitats that could be used to colonise the red planet. Pictured is the entry from Team Zopherus of Rogers, Arkansas. They received $20,957.95 'We are thrilled to see the success of this diverse group of teams that have approached this competition in their own unique styles,' said Monsi Roman, program manager for Nasa's Centennial Challenges. 'They are not just designing structures, they are designing habitats that will allow our space explorers to live and work on other planets. 'We are excited to see their designs come to life as the competition moves forward.' The 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge aims to further the progression of sustainable shelters that will someday occupy the moon or Mars. Those who have progressed to the next stage shared a $100,000 (76,000) prize. The prize money was awarded to the five teams based on scores assigned by a panel of experts from Nasa, academia and industry. Pictured are a pod common room (left) and lab (right) The 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge aims to further the progression of sustainable shelters that will someday occupy the moon or Mars. Pictured is the entry from SEArch+/Apis Cor from New York. They received $19,580.97 The judges were assessing digital representations of the futuristic Martian homes, built using specialised software tools. This artist's impression shows an interior office In total, 18 teams from all over the world entered the competition. Entrants were assessed on the completeness and layout of the habitat, as well as how easily the design could be 3D-printed on the surface of the red planet The challenge was first launched back in 2014. For the first competition, Nasa required teams to submit architectural renderings of their habitats by early 2015. The second part of the contest, known as Phase Two, was the 'Structural Member Competition', which focused on material technologies and required teams to create structural components for their design. This was completed in 2017. Phase three is the On-Site Habitat Competition. Competitors have to construct three levels and two virtual levels. Now the five teams still in the competition have to create a one-third-scale printed habitat of their final design. Pictured is the entry from Kahn-Yates of Jackson, Mississippi, who received $20,622.74 There is $2 million (1.5m) of prize money for the winner and the models are set to be completed in spring of 2019. Pictured is the entry from AI. SpaceFactory of New York, who received $20,957.24 Pictured is the entry from Northwestern University of Evanston, Illinois, who received $17,881.10. Phase one was the Design Competition which required teams to submit architectural renderings completed by 2015 For the virtual levels, teams must use Building Information Modelling software to design a habitat. 'We are encouraging a wide range of people to come up with innovative designs for how they envision a habitat on Mars,' said Lex Akers, dean of the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology at Bradley University, Nasa's partner in this challenge. 'The virtual levels allow teams from high schools, universities and businesses that might not have access to large 3D printers to still be a part of the competition because they can team up with those who do have access to such machinery for the final level of the competition.' Experts increasingly believe humans could live on Mars within our lifetime. NASA plans to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s after first landing on the Moon Mars has become the next giant leap for mankind's exploration of space. But before humans get to the red planet, astronauts will take a series of small steps by returning to the moon for a year-long mission. Details of a the mission in lunar orbit have been unveiled as part of a timeline of events leading to missions to Mars in the 2030s. Nasa has outlined its four stage plan (pictured) which it hopes will one day allow humans to visit Mars at he Humans to Mars Summit held in Washington DC yesterday. This will entail multiple missions to the moon over coming decades In May 2017, Greg Williams, deputy associate administrator for policy and plans at Nasa, outlined the space agency's four stage plan that it hopes will one day allow humans to visit Mars, as well as its expected time-frame. Phase one and two will involve multiple trips to lunar space, to allow for construction of a habitat which will provide a staging area for the journey. The last piece of delivered hardware would be the actual Deep Space Transport vehicle that would later be used to carry a crew to Mars. And a year-long simulation of life on Mars will be conducted in 2027. Phase three and and four will begin after 2030 and will involve sustained crew expeditions to the Martian system and surface of Mars. Advertisement Last month, chief Nasa scientist Jim Green said the first person to travel to the red planet is likely already living on Earth. Humans will 'absolutely' be on Mars in the future, he told USA Today in an interview. Researchers hope to have a human on the planet by 2040, though that is dependent on quite a few factors, according to Dr Green. For a human to land on Mars, it needs to be possible to land about 10 tons of material on the surface. Right now, Nasa has been able to land a one ton vehicle. Nasa also needs to develop the technology to blast off from Mars and return to Earth, something the space agency plans to test with its rover in 2020. The second part of the contest, known as Phase Two, was the 'Structural Member Competition', which focused on material technologies and required teams to create structural components for their design. This was completed in 2017 Phase three is the On-Site Habitat Competition. Competitors have to construct three levels and two virtual levels. This image shows what living pods on Mars could look like Last month, chief Nasa scientist Jim Green said the first person to travel to the red planet is likely already living on Earth. Humans will 'absolutely' be on Mars in the future, he told USA Today in an interview. This image shows an interior of one of the contest's pods Researchers hope to have a human on Mars by 2040, though that is dependent on quite a few factors, according to Dr Green. This artist's impression shows what the colony could look like However, the largest obstacle facing a manned trip to Mars is the task of building an entire infrastructure to sustain life. 'The people that would go there are real pioneers,' Dr Green said. Humans who travel to Mars would need to farm and establish sources of food. In 2017, Congress's Nasa authorisation bill required Nasa to define and deliver to Congress a step-by-step plan for reaching Mars. The largest obstacle facing a manned trip to Mars is the task of building an entire infrastructure to sustain life. Nasa hopes its design contest will inspire ideas on how to overcome this obstacle In 2017, Congress's Nasa authorisation bill required Nasa to define and deliver to Congress a step-by-step plan for reaching Mars However, the space agency has yet to deliver, leaving some to conclude that plans are falling drastically behind. 'Forget the scenario of getting to Mars by the 2030s. It would take us until 2050,' said Senator Nelson, a Democrat from Florida, which is home to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center, during a hearing last week in Washington. In 2009, an independent expert panel known as the Augustine Commission warned that Nasa's resources did not match its lofty goals. With an annual budget of around $18 billion (13bn), Nasa would need an extra $3 billion (2.3bn) per year to make it to Mars, it found. Archaeologists have unearthed an underground network of rare wooden water pipes in Scotland dating back more than 250 years. The 15 pipes formed part of an aqueduct built in 1756 to supply drinking water to Edinburgh's wealthiest residents. Archaeologists said the 'surprisingly well preserved' find provides insight into the Scottish capital's first dedicated water supply. Wooden pipes were used for decades to transport drinking water and sewage in Scotland, but had a tendency to rot, and were eventually replaced with iron fittings. Edinburgh's wooden pipeline took 50 years to build thanks to bitter tax disputes. When it was up and running, water from the pipeline was only available to the city's most affluent residents, with the general public forced to use buckets to collect their supply from stands in the town centre. Scroll down for video Workers have unearthed an underground network of rare wooden water pipes - dating back more than 250 years. The wooden pipes (pictured) were part of an underground network to supply drinking water which was built in 1756 The pipes were discovered during the construction of a new state-of-the-art underground heating system for the University of Edinburgh. Lindsay Dunbar, Fieldwork Project Manager for AOC Archaeology Group, which is carrying out the excavation, said finding the pipes buried in their original place was 'very rare'. 'To uncover these water pipes preserved in situ beneath the cobbles was just incredible,' she said. 'Whilst the use of such wooden pipes is well-documented and preserved examples exist within museums and collections, to find the pipes in situ is much rarer.' The 18th Century pipes are joined together with metal bands and lead fittings, which Ms Dunbar said was 'very typical' for wooden pipes used across the UK at that time. They were made from hollowed out elm trunks, with holes bored into them at each end to allow the passage of water. The network of pipes ran from Edinburgh's Comiston area to the Royal Mile. It is believed they were used to bring the 'sweet water of the country to the centre' of the city. Ms Dunbar said the pipes were 'surprisingly well preserved', offering a unique insight into the design of the network more than 250 years ago. Fifteen pieces of elm piping were discovered during an excavation at George Square, Edinburgh. Archaeologists described the find as being in 'good condition' She said: 'These are the first examples we have ever excavated in more than 25 years as a commercial field unit. 'The level of preservation was very good and allowed important details relating to fittings, construction, size, joining techniques to be recorded prior to their removal.' In 1621, parliament gave the go-ahead for the town council to construct a pipeline to carry water the three miles from Comiston Springs to the city centre. The project took almost half a century to get off the ground as a series of bitter disputes surrounding a proposed 'water tax' delayed the project. It then took an additional four years for the necessary work to be carried out. When the network was finally up and running, only the most affluent areas of Edinburgh had access to the water supply. WHY WAS WOOD USED IN PIPES? Wood, most commonly elm, was used for centuries as an early form of underground liuid transprt. It was used to being drinking water in to cities and also to take sewage away from urban areas. Large tree trunks were bored from end to end t allow water to flow in and out and they were often laid end to end. Some used metal clips and lead fittings to keep the trunk water tight, whilst other methods involved whittling the trunk into a funnel like shape at one end to fit into another trunk. It is believed London was the first to introduce the system, bringing drinking water to some residents i the 16th century. Edinburgh employed a similar method in the 17th and 18th century, but the project was beleaguered with setbacks surrounding a water tax controversy. Wooden pipes then became used in sewage, to transport waste away from homes. A famous slave trader was one of the first to lay a sewer at Randall Road in Bristol, believed to be around 1780. Wood was phased out later as it rotted and metallurgy improved. Cast iron, lead and galvanised steel became cheaper, easier to mould and more durable so replaced wooden pipes. Advertisement The general public would still have had to make use of 'water stands' in the town centre, carrying buckets of water by hand. Eventually, a network of wooden pipes was used to channel spring water from sources at Liberton and Bonaly. The City of Edinburgh Council's museums have several examples of these pipes within their collections including examples on display at the Museum of Edinburgh. Bill Elliot, National Stakeholder Manager at Scottish Water said: 'This is an amazing find for our customers in Scotland's capital who have the opportunity to see first-hand how water was distributed in years gone by. 'These pipes made up the first dedicated water supply in Edinburgh, and when the pipes were brought into use the town council described how they would "bring the sweet waters of the country to the centre". 'Records held by Scottish Water show before the wooden water pipes were laid residents could go many weeks without fresh drinking water.' The wood had a tendency to rot and was eventually replaced with cast iron infrastructure. Similar pipes have been found before across the Edinburgh's Old and New Towns but this is the first time a section has been archaeologically excavated in recent times. Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: 'This is quite a significant discovery and the first time archaeologists have unearthed the city's original plumbing system for a long time. 'Similar pipes were discovered in 1894 in West Register Street. 'Made from hollowed out elm they date from the 17th to 18th centuries and were used to supply water to Edinburgh's Old Town from springs like those out at Comiston.' Future settlers on Mars will be permanently confined to their life support suits, scientists have warned. Dreams of being able to artificially warm the atmosphere to allow it to support human life a process known as 'terraforming' will remain confined in the realm of science-fiction, according to a new study. There is not enough carbon dioxide on the red planet for future colonies to alter warm the atmosphere to make it closer to that on Earth, a study has found. As a result, Mars will always be too cold for humans to ever survive without the help of their space suits. Scientists said mankind can no longer think of Mars as a 'safety valve' in case things go wrong on our planet. They called for humanity to address and respond to Earth's most pressing problems, as this is in effect an easier solution than colonising a distant world. Scroll down for video A new study suggests Martian colonists would have to stay locked in their spacesuits - as humans cannot survive on the planet without life support systems. This image shows a section of the surface of Mars taken by Nasa's Curiosity rover in October, 2015 The researchers, from the University of Colorado Boulder and Northern Arizona University, looked at 20 years' worth of data about the Martian surface collected by various rovers and spacecrafts. This information was used to calculate how much carbon dioxide is stored on Mars a crucial factor in determining whether humanity has a chance of 'terraforming' the surface red planet. Terraforming is the process of artificially changing the climate and surface of a planet to enable humans to exist without life support systems. Scientists had theorised about using carbon dioxide to trigger a chain of warming events that would heat the Martian climate until it was a temperature where it would be habitable for Earth's plants and animals. But the latest study shows that, even if mankind possessed the technology to extract it, there is not enough carbon dioxide on Mars to make its air breathable. At best, the accessible CO2 on the planet would triple the planet's atmospheric pressure a fiftieth of that required to make it habitable for future settlers. The atmospheric pressure on Mars means it will always be too cold for people, even if scientists were to artificially boost the planet's surface temperature (file photo) In turn, this would only manage to raise the average surface temperature of minus 55C (-67F) by fewer than 10C (18F) leaving it as cold as the south pole in winter. Any water remaining on Mars would either freeze or evaporate, the results showed. Mars does not have an ozone layer and the atmospheric pressure is about 0.6 per cent of Earth's average at sea level. According to study co-author Professor Bruce Jakosky, raising this figure with the known CO2 stored on Mars would require technologies 'well beyond our current grasp'. Speaking from the US, he explained: 'It will not be possible to take carbon dioxide that is already present on Mars and put it back into the atmosphere in order to create a warmer planet. NASA plans to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s after first landing on the Moon Mars has become the next giant leap for mankind's exploration of space. But before humans get to the red planet, astronauts will take a series of small steps by returning to the moon for a year-long mission. Details of a the mission in lunar orbit have been unveiled as part of a timeline of events leading to missions to Mars in the 2030s. Nasa has outlined its four stage plan (pictured) which it hopes will one day allow humans to visit Mars at he Humans to Mars Summit held in Washington DC yesterday. This will entail multiple missions to the moon over coming decades In May 2017, Greg Williams, deputy associate administrator for policy and plans at Nasa, outlined the space agency's four stage plan that it hopes will one day allow humans to visit Mars, as well as its expected time-frame. Phase one and two will involve multiple trips to lunar space, to allow for construction of a habitat which will provide a staging area for the journey. The last piece of delivered hardware would be the actual Deep Space Transport vehicle that would later be used to carry a crew to Mars. And a year-long simulation of life on Mars will be conducted in 2027. Phase three and and four will begin after 2030 and will involve sustained crew expeditions to the Martian system and surface of Mars. Advertisement 'There just isn't enough CO2 left on Mars, and in a place where it could be readily mobilised, to provide any significant warming. Most is not accessible.' Scientists have spent decades arguing over whether a Mars colony is humanity's best shot at survival should things go awry on our own planet. The late Professor Stephen Hawking warned that mankind faces extinction from an asteroid strike or pandemic unless we are able to move to another world. But the study published in Nature Astronomy found making Mars habitable for plants and animals, including humans, remains in the realms of science fiction. Professor Jakosky said: 'I think it will be far easier to respond to and address problems on Earth than to change the climate on Mars. 'We should not think of Mars as our "safety valve" place to which we can escape.' It has been proposed the greenhouse gases stored in Martian rocks and polar ice caps could be released back into the atmosphere to make it thicker, heat the planet, and allow liquid water to remain on the surface. Professor Jakosky and his team focussed on the planet's available CO2 the only greenhouse gas present in sufficient quantities to provide significant warming. They used data from rovers and spacecraft such as the Mars Atmosphere, the Volatile Evolution Mission, the Mars Express, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Odyssey spacecraft. This enabled them to identify every possible CO2 reservoir above and below ground and their potential contributions to the atmosphere even taking into account its continuous leakage into space. Professor Jakosky said their calculations revealed that 'terraforming' Mars in a way that would allow terrestrial life, including humans, to survive without the need for life support systems, is still beyond us. He said: 'Even if enough CO2 were to be available, it would not be feasible to mobilise it. Doing so would require processing a major fraction of the surface to release it into the atmosphere, which is beyond present day technology. 'Terraforming Mars is therefore not possible in the foreseeable future by utilising CO2 resources available on the planet.' Both Elon Musk's Space X and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic want to establish communities on Mars. Nasa, which plans a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s, has said the first person to step on the planet is already alive on our planet today. It had been suggested humans could live there within 15 to 20 years although this would first have to be in capsules and wearing special protective spacesuits. Professor Jakosky said: 'Other people have shown high-efficiency greenhouse gases could be manufactured, in theory, and used to warm the planet. 'This would require large-scale manufacturing and industry that is beyond our present capabilities. When we could be able to do this is unclear. 'A first step, of course, is sending humans to Mars in a first mission, or creating habitats that could support a long-term human mission. 'Remember, we haven't done that, and we haven't even sent a spacecraft that could pick up samples and return them to Earth to study. 'These types of missions are incredibly simple compared to long-term habitation of another planet.' The full findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy. Tesla is in talks with authorities in Germany and the Netherlands to build its first major European factory, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing officials involved in the matter. The electric vehicle maker has had preliminary discussions with two German states vying to host its Gigafactory in Europe to build cars and their batteries under one roof, the Journal reported . The talks are still in their early stages and may not yield an agreement, according to the report. Scroll down for video With production underway at the Gigafactory, the company is churning out lithium ion battery cells by the masses in hopes to ultimately reduce the cost of sustainable energy Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said in June that he favors Germany as the location for its first European Gigafactory. 'Perhaps on the German-French border makes sense, near the Benelux countries,' Musk had said on Twitter, responding to a public tweet. Tesla already has an engineering division in Pruem, Germany, that is about 30 kms from Belgium and about 100 kms from the French border. A Tesla spokesman declined to comment. Earlier this month, the company announced plans to build its first overseas plant in China. Although Musk has said the company will be cash-flow positive this year, analysts have predicted that Tesla will raise capital to fund a long list of projects, including launching an electric semi truck and a pickup truck. Tesla has been struggling to meet its self imposed production goals for its Model 3 sedan. Shares of the Palo Alto, California-based company fell 2 percent at $291.43 on Monday in morning trading. Google Camp 2018 has confirmed the attendance of the likes of Karlie Kloss, Joshua Kushner, Diane von Furstenberg, Barry Diller and Gayle King, while rumours have emerged that Michael Jordan could be on this years guest list also. The private event in Italy that welcomed Prince Harry last year will again host a number of billionaires and celebrity guests, who all tend to arrive to the secret compounds at Temple G in Selinunte Archaeological Park by helicopter. Security staff monitoring the workers would also not reveal who would be performing this year and only mentioned that a huge and private event would be taking place on July 31. Im not allowed to say any more than that, they said. But how much is Google actually worth? Google Camp 2018 could welcome the likes of Karlie Kloss, Joshua Kushner and Barry Diller History of Google As told on the Google blog, the idea behind the search engine was founded when Sergey Brin, a student at Stanford University was assigned to show Larry Page around, when he was considering attending the college. Although disagreeing about everything on their first meeting and not exactly striking a good first impression, they kept in contact and bonded after they decided to create a search engine in their dormitories that would determine the importance of web pages, which they called Backrub. Backrub was soon renamed Google and the name was a play on the mathematical expression for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros and aptly reflected Larry and Sergey's mission 'to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful'. Google was founded by Stanford students Sergey Brin and Larry Page in their dorms In 1998, Sun co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim gave Larry and Sergey $100,000 and Google Inc. was born. The investment allowed the duo to move into their first office, which was a garage in Menlo Park, California. This garage was owned by Susan Wojcicki, the 16th Google staff member and now the CEO of YouTube and they filled the space with desktop computers, but also a ping pong table and a bright blue carpet, which set the scene for how the office looks to this day. Larry and Sergey liked unconventional: their first server was made out of Lego and in 1998, when the entire office decided to attend Burning Man Festival, instead of an out of office message, they created the very first Google Doodle on the company's logo. After getting their first office dog called Yoshka, Google moved to what is now referred to as the Googleplex in Mountain View, California and now employs over 60,000 employees in 50 different countries. Tech giant Google now employs over 60,000 employees in 50 different countries How much is Google worth? According to the Evening Standard, Google is worth $110.8 billion (84.1bn) and its parent company Alphabet, is currently valued at around $851.2 billion (645.9bn). In the positions they are in at the moment, Brin is president of Alphabet and Page is CEO, worth $57.7 billion (43.9bn) and $56.2 billion (42.8bn) respectively. Apple fans will have to wait until September to get their hands on the tech giant's latest iPhones, but a new set of leaked images may give consumers an early peek at what the devices look like. The images, posted by notorious Twitter leaker Ben Geskin, show dummy models for what appear to be 6.5-inch and 6.1-inch iPhones. The dummy models were constructed based on leaked design schematics and could be very similar to what the yet-to-be-released phones actually look like. Scroll down for video Apple fans have to wait until September to get their hands on the tech giant's latest iPhones, but a new set of leaked images may give consumers an early peek at what the devices look like Geskin, who has shared images of upcoming Apple handsets in the past, tweeted photos of a 6.1-inch iPhone that closely mirrors the rumored 'budget model.' Speculation has been building that Apple will release three new iPhones in the fall - a 5.8-inch model, 6.1-inch iPhone and a super-sized 6.5-inch 'XL' version. According to longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the 6.1-inch iPhone would retain many of the features used in the iPhone X, but would likely have a cheaper price tag than the 10th anniversary device. In the photos, the 6.1-inch model, shown in the color black, can be seen as having a single-lens rear camera. Keeping with the rumors, the 6.1-inch device features a notch at the top of the display, as well as an edge-to-edge screen. It's hard to tell in the photo whether the 6.1-inch phone features an LCD screen or slightly bigger bezels, as reports have suggested it will. Speculation has been building that Apple will release three new iPhones in the fall - a 5.8-inch model, 6.1-inch iPhone and a super-sized 6.5-inch 'XL' version The dummy models (pictured) were constructed based on leaked design schematics and could be very similar to what the yet-to-be-released phones actually look like Rumors have also suggested that the 6.1-inch iPhone will have an aluminum band and LCD screen to keep costs down. There isn't much new information to be gleaned about the iPhone 'XL' from the photos. The 6.5-inch device, pictured in white, appears to have a dual-lens camera setup like that of the iPhone X. It also looks to have a notch and an edge-to-edge to display, albeit one that's slightly larger than the model next to it. The images come after Geskin recently leaked separate images purportedly showing the glass panels that are to be used in the 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch and 6.5-inch iPhones. While expected to feature Apple's largest screen yet, the iPhone X Plus may still be offered at the same price as the $999 iPhone X. Apple has been widely rumored to be prepping three new iPhones for later this year. Now, a leaked image reportedly shows the glass panels that will be used in the iPhone models In the photo, the 5.8-inch model has noticeably thicker bezels than the other two versions, making it likely that that will feature an LCD screen The 6.1-inch device would be Apple's cheapest model in the lineup at a price of $799, analysts have suggested. Meanwhile, the 5.8-inch model would be a mid-range option with a $899 price tag. Kuo has previously predicted that the 5.8-inch device would keep many of the features used in the iPhone X, but would also have updated components, resulting in the higher price point. The second-generation iPhone X and the iPhone X Plus/XL would come in black, white and gold, while the 6.1-inch model could come in a variety of colors, including grey, white, blue, red and orange, according to Kuo. A mako shark tagged off the coast of Texas has made an incredible journey to the other side of the country and it doesnt appear to be turning back any time soon. Researchers with Ocearch tagged the 7.5-foot-long shark, Pico, back in March and say he pinged just outside of Virginia this past weekend. At more than 4,100 miles to date, the team says Picos adventure is unprecedented, marking the first time theyve ever seen a mako crossing from the Gulf of Mexico up into the Atlantic Ocean. Scroll down for video Each of the tagged sharks is fitted with a tracker on its dorsal fin. When this breaches the surface of the water, it transmits a signal to an overhead satellite, allowing for an estimated geolocation, according to Ocearch. Pico, who was tagged in March, is pictured above Pico was tagged on March 18 off of Port Aransas, TX, according to Ocearch. And in the months since, hes been extremely busy. An interactive map of Picos journey shows hes pinged all across the southeast US and the East Coast, with his most recent being just outside of Virginia and Delaware. Each of the tagged sharks is fitted with a tracker on its dorsal fin. When this breaches the surface of the water, it transmits a signal to an overhead satellite, allowing for an estimated geolocation, according to Ocearch. The data show Pico was still in the Gulf of Mexico at the beginning of this month. But, between July 4 and July 9, it became apparent he may be branching out. Pico was tagged on March 18 off of Port Aransas, TX, according to Ocearch. The data show Pico was still in the Gulf of Mexico at the beginning of this month. Now, he's all the way up past Virginia. Pico's 4,200 mile journey can be seen above Its decision time for mako shark Pico, the researchers tweeted on the 13th. He just crossed the entire Gulf of Mexico. Now he has to decide between going out into the Atlantic, heading down to the Caribbean or simply turning around. At the time, Pico was just outside of Key West and, within days, hed made it almost as far north as Orlando. Cool! Pico is now the first mako shark weve ever tracked out of the Gulf of Mexico and into the Atlantic Ocean, the researchers tweeted on July 19. Its unclear whats driving his unusual journey, though Ocearch says he so far seems to be following the Gulf Stream. A mako shark tagged off the coast of Texas has made an incredible journey to the other side of the country. Researchers with Ocearch tagged the 7.5-foot-long shark, Pico, back in March and say he pinged just outside of Virginia this past weekend The only thing certain, the team says, is that Pico is laying down tracks weve never seen from a mako before. Mako sharks are known fast swimmers, with the ability to hit roughly 60 miles per hour when hunting, and can reach a length of about 14 feet fully grown. And, it appears Pico is no exception. In a span of just 72 hours, the shark clocked roughly 174 miles as he continued his journey north this month. Critics of the notch on Apple's iPhone X will probably be peeved at Google's next smartphone. New images purportedly show the yet-to-be-released Pixel 3 XL in a white colorway, according to XDA-Developers. They reveal that the Pixel 3 XL is likely to include a large notch, as well as a sizable 'chin,' or space at the bottom of the phone's display. Scroll down for video Critics of the notch on Apple's iPhone X are likely to be peeved by Google's next smartphone. New images claim to show the upcoming Pixel 3 XL with a massive notch and chin design The photos provide more details after another leak in early June claimed to show the Pixel 3 XL in black. Like the photos shared earlier this year, these show off a Pixel phone with a larger form-factor, an orange power button on the right side of the device, single-lens rear camera, dual front-facing cameras and stereo speakers. Additionally, the device shows a logo on the back panel that's different than the typical 'G', indicating that it's more than likely a prototype model. The photos were leaked by XDA-Developers user 'dr.guru' on Sunday. 'Unfortunately the phone doesn't boot because it was remotely erased by Google,' the user wrote in a blog post. The prototype Pixel device shows that it has 4 gigabytes of RAM, as well as 64 gigabytes of storage. Like the photos shared earlier this year, these show off a Pixel phone with a larger form-factor, an orange power button on the right side of the device, single-lens rear camera, dual front-facing cameras and stereo speakers. It has 4 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of storage However, the feature that's generated the most attention is the XL prototype's 'deep notch' and massive chin. Apple first popularized the notch, which houses facial recognition sensors and cameras, in the iPhone X. At the time, the controversial design received feedback from users who both loved and hated the notch, with some claiming it was an ugly feature that distracted from the phone's edge-to-edge screen. More and more smartphone vendors have worked to minimize the notch to make way for a truly bezel-less display, but if the prototypes prove accurate, the Pixel 3 XL will move in the opposite direction. The feature that's generated the most attention is the XL prototype's 'deep notch' and massive chin. Pictured is a closeup of the notch design, which likely houses front-facing cameras The large chin at the bottom of the device is expected to house dual front-facing stereo speakers. It's also unclear whether the phone features an organic LED display or the Active Edge squeeze feature that's appeared on previous Pixel devices. Active Edge first appeared on the Pixel 2 and can be used to activate Google Assistant, as well as other helpful features, such as silencing incoming calls. Google is expected to release two new Pixel models at its October hardware event later this year. Along with the Pixel 3 XL, analysts have projected that Google will launch a smaller Pixel device that'll be reminiscent of the Pixel 2. It will feature sizable bezels at the bottom and top of the screen. Savvy Twitter user @PhoneDesigner created renderings of what the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL could look like based on leaked images of what claim to show their screen protectors Google is expected to release two Pixel models at its October hardware event later this year. A nearly bezel-less Pixel 3 XL (pictured in a rendering) will be released, along with a Pixel 3 Google typically features different designs for its base Pixel model and the XL model, so it's unsurprising that the notch may only make it onto the larger of the two devices. It's also believed that Verizon will be the exclusive carrier of the Pixel 3 devices. Unlike Apple, Google's next smartphones are expected to retain a single-lens camera design on the back panel. It may take a page from the iPhone maker in other areas, however, as new leaked images show off a 'Pixel Stand.' The device, also leaked by XDA-Developers, is believed to be a wireless charging device for some upcoming Google devices. It's unclear if that includes the new Pixel phones. It was once the world's biggest colony of King penguins, with over two million birds and 500,000 breeding pairs. Now, researchers say numbers of the animals at Ile aux Cochons, in the southern Indian Ocean, have been decimated - and they aren't sure why. A new analysis of photographs taken from a helicopter confirm that the colony's penguin population has plummeted. Scroll down for video Researchers say numbers of the animals at Ile aux Cochons, in the southern Indian Ocean, has been decimated. WHAT IS KILLING OFF THE PENGUINS? Data show that the decline began in the late 1990s, coinciding with a major climatic event in the Southern Ocean related to El Nino. This event temporarily affected the foraging capacities of another colony 100 km from Ile aux Cochons, causing it to dwindle. The same process may be responsible for the fate of the Ile aux Cochons colony. Disease is another hypothesis entertained. Avian cholera is currently ravaging populations of seabirds on other islands in the Indian Ocean, like the albatross of Ile Amsterdam and the penguins of Marion Island. Advertisement Researchers found that the colony has shrunk, yielding its territory to encroaching vegetation. Known since the 1960s, the colony of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on Ile aux Cochons, in the southern Indian Ocean, had the distinction of being the world's biggest colony of king penguins and second biggest colony of all penguins. However, due to its isolation and inaccessibility, no new estimates of its size were made over the past decades. The Chize team used high-resolution satellite images to measure changes in the size of the colony since the island was last visited by a crew of scientists in 1982. At the time, the colony included 500,000 breeding pairs and consisted of over two million penguins. To calculate the area occupied by the colony at different times between 1960 and the present, the researchers studied changes in its contours over the years. They found that the colony has shrunk, yielding its territory to encroaching vegetation. Photographs taken from a helicopter during the Antarctic Circumpolar Expedition confirm that the colony's penguin population has plummeted. This handout photo taken in 1982 and released on July 30, 2018 by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS - Centre national de la recherche scientifique) shows a two-million-strong king penguin colony on Ile aux Cochon, part of Frances Iles Crozet archipelago, situated roughly half way between the southern tip of Africa and Antarctica. Data show that the decline began in the late 1990s, coinciding with a major climatic event in the Southern Ocean related to El Nino. This event temporarily affected the foraging capacities of another colony 100 km from Ile aux Cochons, causing it to dwindle. The same process may be responsible for the fate of the Ile aux Cochons colony. Its size may also subject it to density-dependent effects. That is, the larger the population, the fiercer the competition between individuals, slowing the growth of all members of the group. The repercussions of lack of food are thus amplified and can trigger an unprecedented rapid and drastic drop in numbers, especially following a climatic event like the one at the end of the 1990s. Gradual shrinkage of bare ground surface area, corresponding to extent of colony. Northern view of colony from helicopter on December 30, 2016. Disease is another hypothesis entertained. Avian cholera is currently ravaging populations of seabirds on other islands in the Indian Ocean, like the albatross of Ile Amsterdam and the penguins of Marion Island. Still, none of these possibilities seems to offer a satisfactory explanation for a decline of the magnitude observed on Ile aux Cochons. Field studies led by CNRS researchers, with support from the French Polar Institute (IPEV), and in close partnership with TAAF nature reserve staff, should be getting under way shortly to verify initial conclusions drawn from the satellite images. Twitter is finally taking stock of the quality of conversation happening on its platform. The social media giant is partnering with a group of researchers from academic institutions around the world to assess the severity of Twitter's 'echo chamber' problem and study whether or not the site helps to reduce discrimination. The move is a part of Twitter's ongoing effort to curb harassment and toxic behaviors among users. Scroll down for video Twitter is partnering with a academic researchers to assess the severity of Twitter's 'echo chamber' problem and study whether or not the site helps to reduce discrimination In March, Twitter put out a call for proposals from outside experts so that it could work to get a sense of the health of the Twittersphere by measuring abuse, spam and manipulation. 'After months of reviewing fantastic proposals from experts around the world, we've selected two partners that will help us measure our work to serve the public conversation,' Twitter's Safety unit wrote in a tweet. '...We were overwhelmed by the thoughtful and smart ideas you shared, and are looking for ways we can partner with others in different ways.' The firm said it created a review committee comprised of people across Twitter to choose from the more than 230 proposals submitted to the company. Twitter ultimately decided to form two groups of academic researchers that will focus on separate areas. Research collected by the academic groups will be used to create a metrics system that can evaluate the health of public conversations on the site. 'Partnering with outside experts who can provide thoughtful analysis, external perspective and rigorous review is the best way to measure our work and stay accountable to those tho use Twitter,' the firm wrote in a blog post. The first team is comprised of researchers from the Netherlands' Leiden University and Delft University of Technology, Syracuse University and Bocconi University in Italy. It's charged with looking at 'echo chambers and uncivil discourse,' specifically looking to create a metric that can evaluate how communities form around political discourse on Twitter and the challenges that can form based on discussions in those groups. 'In the context of growing political polarization, the spread of misinformation, and increases in incivility and intolerance, it is clear that if we are going to effectively evaluate and address some of the most difficult challenges arising on social media, academic researchers and tech companies will need to work together much more closely,' Dr. Rebekah Tromble, assistant professor of political science at Leiden University and the group's leader, said in a statement. Leiden University's past findings have indicated that echo chambers, which form when people in a conversation share the same views, can increase 'hostility and promote resentment towards those not having the same conversation.' Twitter ultimately decided to form two groups of academic researchers that will focus on separate areas. Research collected by the academic groups will be used to create a metrics system that can evaluate the health of public conversations on the site Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (pictured) announced in March that the company was looking for ways to better measure the 'health of public conversation' on the site One set of metrics will assess how much people encounter and engage with diverse viewpoints on the site. The group will also develop an algorithm that distinguish between incivility, which Twitter noted can sometimes be constructive when it comes to politics, and intolerant discourse. By contrast to incivility, intolerant discourse might involve themes like hate, speech, racism and xenophobia. The second group, which includes researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Amsterdam, will look at how people use Twitter and whether it does or does not decrease prejudice and discrimination. The idea is that by exposing people to different viewpoints - presumably via Twitter - they may be less likely to exude prejudice offline. HOW DOES TWITTER TAKE ACTION AGAINST OFFENDING ACCOUNTS? Twitter can go after offending accounts from the tweet-level, direct message-level and account-level, according to the company's website. The company said it will take action against accounts when their behavior violates 'Twitter Rules' or it may be in response to a 'valid and properly scoped' request from an 'authorized entity in a given country'. Twitter may instruct a user to delete a tweet that violates the site's terms, hide a tweet as it 'awaits its deletion' or it may even make a tweet 'less visible' on the site by limiting how often it appears in search results, replies or timelines. Twitter takes a variety of steps to prevent offending accounts from using the site. In the case of its latest purge, Twitter asked suspicious accounts to verify their phone number The company can also stop users from direct messaging another user by removing the conversation from the user who reported the incidents' inbox. If a certain accounts violates Twitter's policies, the company can make certain media unavailable, place an account in read-only mode, by removing their ability to post tweets, retweet, or like content 'until calmer heads prevail'. Twitter may also ask a user to verify account ownership, typically by requesting they verify an email or phone number linked to the account. In extreme scenarios, Twitter may permanently suspend an account from global view, or the violator will not be allowed to create a new account. Advertisement According to Twitter, they'll create a set of text classifiers for language that are 'commonly associated with positive sentiment, cooperative emotionality and integrative complexity' and can be adapted to communications on the platform. While the move should give Twitter a better idea of the kinds of conversations and behaviors that exist on its platform, some argue that it's not a solution to some of its biggest problems around harassment and hate speech. Victims of harassment believe that the company doesn't take enough, or any, action when they report offending accounts. It also won't leave Twitter with any new tools to combat harassment, though it's likely that it will use the data unearthed by researchers to improve its safety features. Advertisement Experts have warned that America's return to the moon could be delayed because astronauts have nothing to wear. NASA is still using decades old suits that critics say are too bulky and difficult to move in. While both Boeing and SpaceX are developing suits for astronauts to wear on their trips into orbit, NASA has been warned that its lack of suitable suits could cause problems for plans to return to the lunar surface. Scroll down for video NASA's current EMU (operational spacesuit on ISS) is pictured above on the left, the PXS (advanced prototype) is in the middle and the Z2 (advanced prototype) that could be used to walk on Mars is on the right WHEN WILL NASA NEED A NEW SPACESUIT? Delays in developing a new space suit could become a crisis as early as 2024, when the Trump administration wants to retire the International Space Station. NASA's moon-orbiting Lunar Gateway station should still be under construction in 2024, making it almost impossible to test new designs. Realistically, the agency has between now and 2024 to design, build and test new space suits. There's 'little margin for delays,' a recent NASA audit warned. Advertisement 'It's a serious issue,' Pablo de Leon, a space suit-designer and professor at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, told The Daily Beast. He said that, in addition to being lighter, more flexible and easier to put on and take off, a new suit should be pressurized to eight pounds-per-square-inch in order to shorten the pre-breathing time. The space agency should have addressed these problems decades ago but didn't, de Leon said. 'A new program to develop a new suit is something should have been done in early '90s.' While riding in Russian Soyuz capsules to the International Space Station, astronauts wear Russian Sokol flightsuits, replacing the orange suits worn aboard the Space Shuttle. Boeing and SpaceX have both designed their own, unique flightsuits for passengers aboard spacecraft they're developing to send astronauts to the International Space Station. For spacewalksextravehicular activity or EVA, astronauts need suits that provides pressure and breathable air and protection from radiation. NASA keeps Shuttle-era Extravehicular Mobility Unit EVA suits that the agency first designed in the mid-1970s onboard the ISS, while Russian crew on the station have their own, equally-aged Orlan EVA suits for spacewalks. However, a 2017 audit warned NASA was unprepared for future mission. NASA'S EXTRAVEHICULAR SUITS Scott Parazynski works outside the International Space Station during the third spacewalk of the STS-120 mission 30 October 2007. The agency's current EVA suit is a 275-pound monstrosity with 14 layers. It comes in only three sizes: medium, large and extra-large. NASA built 18 Extravehicular Mobility Unit EVA suits for the Shuttle program. As of 2017, just 11 of the suits were still operational, according to the NASA audit. Several suits were destroyed in the crashes of the Shuttles Challenger and Columbia. The space suit, called the Extravehicular Mobility Unit or EMU, uses 100 percent oxygen instead of air. When a crewmember does a spacewalk, the suit is pressurized to about 1/3 of atmospheric pressure. Each EMU has two oxygen tanks (similar to scuba diving tanks) that work with a carbon dioxide removal system to allow a 6 to 8.5 hour spacewalk. The life support system holds other things that get consumed during a spacewalk as well. These include a battery and cooling water. These too allow a 6 to 8.5 hour spacewalk. NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (C) posing with Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA (L) and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency, R) prior to their spacewalk, in space, 24 March 2017 The EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) has a drink bag which velcros to the front interior of the suit. Overlapping efforts in recent years to replace the EVA suits burned through $200 million without producing operational space suits, the audit found. Poor fit raises the risk of shoulder injuries, according to the NASA audit. To prepare for the suit's 4.3-pounds-per-square-inch internal pressure and pure-oxygen air supply, a wearer must spend as long as four hours 'pre-breathing' and slowly adjusting to the suit's conditions. Advertisement Delays in developing a new space suit could become a crisis as early as 2024, when the Trump administration wants to retire the International Space Station. NASA's moon-orbiting Lunar Gateway station should still be under construction in 2024, making it almost impossible to test new designs. Realistically, the agency has between now and 2024 to design, build and test new space suits. There's 'little margin for delays,' a recent NASA audit warned. NASA plans to launch Exploration Mission 1, the first test of Orion and its heavy rocket, as early as 2020. The Lunar Gateway station could be ready for use five or six years later. Astronaut Ed White, pilot for the Gemini-Titan 4 (GT-4) spaceflight, floats in the zero-gravity of space during the third revolution of the GT-4 spacecraft. His face is covered by a shaded visor to protect him from the unfiltered rays of the sun. He remained outside the spacecraft for 21 minutes during the third revolution of the Gemini 4 mission. In his right hand, he carries a Hand-Held Self-Maneuvering Unit (HHSMU) with which he controlled his movements while in space. He was attached to the spacecraft by a 25-feet umbilical line and a 23-feet tether line, both wrapped together with gold tape to form one cord. He also wears an emergency oxygen supply chest pack..jpg Despite these looming deadlines, NASA 'remains years away from having a flight-ready space suit... suitable for use on future exploration missions,' the agency's inspector general warned in a 2017 audit. For trips to the red planet, NASA is currently developing a radical new 'Tron' spacesuit to send the first astronauts to Mars. 3D printed for each astronaut, the new suit, called Z-2, will allow astronauts to walk on the Martian surface far more easily. Unlike the figure hugging suit worn by Matt Damon in the hit film the Martian, it will allow astronauts to exit through the suit's rear - without having to go into an airlock. The Z-2 will offer Mars-walkers 'maximum astronaut productivity on a planetary surface,' NASA says. 'Nasa is developing the next generation of suit technologies that will enable deep space exploration by incorporating advancements such as regenerable carbon dioxide removal systems and water evaporation systems that more efficiently provide crew members with core necessities such as breathing air and temperature regulation,' the space agency said. Unlike the figure hugging suit worn by Matt Damon in the hit film the Martian, Nasa's Z-2 will allow astronauts to exit through the suit's rear - without having to go into an airlock. 'The Z-2 suit is a technology demonstrator for a planetary surface suit; the suit is designed for maximum astronaut productivity on a planetary surface exploring, collecting samples, and maneuvering in and out of habitats and rovers. 'The Z-2 uses advanced composites to achieve a light-weight, high-durability suit that can withstand long-duration missions in the harsh environments found on Mars. 'Adjustable shoulder and waist sizing features maximize the range of crewmember sizes who can fit into any single suit.' Nasa also revealed two other suit designs. 'Mobility and fit of a pressurized suit are extremely important in keeping astronauts productive, so NASA is focusing on space suit designs to help crews work more efficiently and safely during spacewalks. NASA is evaluating pressurizable space suits for missions to a variety of exploration destinations. The new suit designs are very different from the figure hugging version worn by Matt Damon in the film The Martian. 'The Z-2 suit is a technology demonstrator for a planetary surface suit - and has adjustable boots opened by a clasp rather that heavy 'moon boots' 'The PXS suit is a technology demonstrator focused on improving suit fit and performance while minimizing the amount of equipment required for long-duration missions to low-Earth orbit and beyond. 'The PXS uses a novel approach incorporating sizing features that could one day be 3-D printed on-orbit, in transit, or on Mars to achieve a customized fit for any crew member or change the orientation of bearings to optimize EVA mobility for different mission phases.' Astronauts will crawl into the Z-series suits from the back, through a hatch that could even be built into landing modules, meaning there would be no need for a traditional airlock. Suitports are an alternative to airlocks, potentially allowing astronauts to enter and exit habitat modules, rovers and other structures quickly and easily without bringing dust and other contaminants inside. 'They're going to be suitport-compatible,' he said. The Z-series suits are designed to allow astronauts far more flexibility than current designs used on the International Space Station. 'We're trying to design [the new suit] to accommodate both improved microgravity EVA [extravehicular activity] capability as well as surface capability, ' NASA spacesuit engineer Amy Ross said in a video released by the space agency. The suit was inspired by the glowing suits from the sci-fi hit film series Tron The design was chosen for the next generation spacesuits by a public vote - and a sci-fi inspired 'Tron' design won. Each iteration of the suit will test new technologies that one day will be used in a suit worn by the first humans to step foot on the Red Planet. With 233,431 votes, the 'Technology' option has won NASA's Z-2 Spacesuit design challenge with just over 63% of the total vote. Nasa's Z-2 is the latest prototype in the agency's Z range of spacesuits, and will be the successor to the its green and white Z-1 model unveiled in 2012. The Technology suit, the eventual winner, 'pays homage to spacesuit achievements of the past while incorporating subtle elements of the future'. 3D printed for each astronaut, the new suit, called Z-2, will allow astronauts to walk on the Martian surface far more easily. It is fitted with Luminex wire, and patches that emit light to make it easier to identify crew members during spacewalks, for examples. These patches are fitted to the upper and lower torso, alongside collapsing pleats that make movement easier. It also has abrasion resistant panels on the lower torso. The public was given a choice of three designs. This design now will be incorporated into the final version of the suit, which is expected to be ready for testing by November 2014. The Biomimicry suit was inspired by the ocean and has been designed to mirror 'the bioluminescent qualities of aquatic creatures found at incredible depths, and the scaly skin of fish and reptiles found across the globe.' Nasa said the design reflects the qualities that protect some of 'Earth's toughest creatures', and specifically includes segmented pleats at the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee. It also features electroluminescent wire across the upper torso, which lights up in the dark. Meanwhile, the Trends in Society suit is 'reflective of what every day clothes may look like in the not too distant future.' It uses electroluminescent wire and a bright colour scheme to mimic the look of sportswear and wearable tech. The design includes pleats with contrast stitching, plus electroluminescent wire and patches of varying styles across both the upper and lower torso. The Z-2 will be made using 3D printed parts, while 3D human laser scans will be used to accurately size each suit to individual astronauts. In a blog post, Nasa said: 'As spacesuit engineers, [we] have found ourselves with an exciting opportunity: the chance to make a suit with a look unlike any suit ever built before. 'The designs were created with the intent to protect the suit and to highlight certain mobility features to aid suit testing. 'To take it a step further, we are leaving it up you, the public, to choose which of three candidates will be built.' Nasa will now put the winning design into production before running it through tests at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston. Technically, the Z-2 will be built to withstand and absorb impact, especially on the upper and lower torso. Despite claims it looked like a toy suit, Nasa's Z-1 suit was named one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2012. 'After the positive response to the Z-1 suit's visual design we received, we wanted to take the opportunity to provide this new suit with an equally memorable appearance,' continued Nasa. 'The cover layer of a prototype suit is important as it serves to protect the suit against abrasion and snags during the rigors of testing. 'With the Z-2, we're looking forward to employing cover layer design elements never used in a spacesuit before. ' Hotels in Majorca have been accused of illegally putting extra beds in rooms to double accommodation and bypass official limits. The UGT and CCOO unions in the Balearics say many three-star establishments are putting two extra beds in a double room, meaning four people can sleep there, rather than two. And they claim that even four-star hotels in Majorca are being 'crafty' by also increasing capacity. Hotels in Majorca, pictured, have been accused of illegally putting extra beds in rooms to double accommodation and bypass official limits Rather than draw attention to themselves by dragging in extra beds, the unions say hotels are placing sofas in the rooms so these can be quickly used as beds. The unions allege this is an illegal way of getting round the bed capping limits imposed by the Balearic Government. They also say it is contributing to mass tourism and labour exploitation because it is giving staff extra work to do without the corresponding pay rise. Tourism chiefs are now carrying out a major inspection campaign to clampdown on the practice. At least 32 hotels were sanctioned in 2017. The fines vary between 15,000 and 55,000 euros The UGT and CCOO say putting more beds in rooms is the main cause of overworking and stress for already under-strain staff. The UGT and CCOO unions in the Balearics say many three-star establishments are putting two extra beds in a double room. Pictured is a beach in the Majorcan resort town of Magaluf (stock image) They point out that there is a growing trend for people to spend shorter holidays of five to six days rather than a fortnight so the turnover is quicker and there is more cleaning for chambermaids to do. By law, hotels can only put in extra beds to accommodate children under 12 years of age or cots for children less than two years old. The law says that having unauthorised beds and guests can present a security risk in an emergency. Ryanair passengers face yet more disruption - because now the carrier's German pilots have voted to strike. Management from Europe's biggest low-cost carrier met with the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilot union in Frankfurt last week in order to form a collective labour agreement. But VC said the talks ended without the progress they had hoped for and after balloting members, it said 96 per cent of the airline's pilots in Germany had voted in favour of strike action. Ryanair passengers may face even more disruption with strikes at the airline widening to Germany The union is giving Ryanair until August 6 to make another offer, VC said in a statement, announcing it would host a press conference on August 8 to discuss its next steps. It said it will give at least 24 hours' notice of any strikes. 'Ryanair has been playing for time in the negotiations since January,' VC said. 'If the signal given by this vote is not taken seriously, then strikes - such as in other European countries - are inevitable.' Ryanair, headed by CEO Michael O'Leary, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Dublin-based carrier is in the midst of its biggest series of strike actions in its 34-year history - 600 flights were cancelled across Europe last week affecting 100,000 passengers after cabin crew in Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy walked out. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary. The Dublin-based carrier is in the midst of its biggest strike action in its 34-year history The budget airline said that the customers were given refunds or new flights - but some complained they were left stranded. And thousands have been affected by striking pilots based in Dublin. They've stopped working three times in a row over annual leave and promotions and plan to walk out again on Friday (August 3). Ryanair responded by announcing plans to cut up to 300 pilot and cabin crew jobs at its Dublin base and neither side has shown any sign of backing down. This week's strike by Irish pilots will see 20 of Ryanair's 290 Irish flights cancelled at the beginning of a busy weekend and affected customers were due to be contacted last week. German pilots were the first to strike at Ryanair, last year, but the disruption was limited. She might be based in the US now, but it seems Nicole Kidman hasn't forgotten her Australian roots. On Monday, the 51-year-old actress was left unfazed as she rescued a giant tarantula from her swimming pool, capturing it in a jar as her children were left screaming in terror. The Big Little Lies star took to Instagram to share a clip of the spider, saying she released it and left it 'unharmed and healthy.' Scroll down for video Well she does come from the land Down Under! Nicole Kidman is left completely unfazed as she rescues a giant TARANTULA from her swimming pool while her children scream in terror 'House guest! Catch and release spider released unharmed and healthy. Happy Sunday,' Nicole captioned the clip, adding a love heart emoji. In the video, her children can be heard screaming in the background and cautioning their mother. 'Step back mum, step back! It's going in the pool,' one of her daughters said. Not scared: 'House guest! Catch and release spider released unharmed and healthy. Happy Sunday,' Nicole captioned the clip, adding a love heart emoji Eek! In the video, her children can be heard screaming in the background and cautioning their mother 'It's a tarantula, right mum?,' they added. Nicole is later seen holding the spider in a jar, telling her fans she was going to 'take care' of it. 'I'm having to take care of this spider, help,' Nicole said. Coming to the rescue: Nicole is later seen holding the spider in a jar, telling her fans she was going to 'take care' of it Fans were quick to comment underneath the post, with one praising the star, writing: 'You are my hero!' Another added: 'Very brave Nic!' Nicole is currently based the US and was spotted last week shooting the series Big Little Lies in Los Angeles. She's also been busy promoting her new film, Aquaman, and earlier this month thrilled fans at Comic-Con in LA. She was accused of faking her relationship with the personal trainer on this year's Love Island. And now Georgia Steel, 20, has revealed that her relationship with Sam Bird, 25, is stronger than ever as they got hot and heavy under the sheets as soon as they left the Hidden Hills villa. Speaking to The Sun, the drama student, who sent viewers wild as she repeatedly proclaimed herself 'loyal', admitted that they wasted no time hopping into bed and moving in together after they sensationally quit the show. Doing the deed: Georgia Steel, 20, has revealed that her relationship with Sam Bird, 25, is stronger than ever as they got hot and heavy under the sheets as soon as they left the Hidden Hills villa She shared: 'Sam I had sex as soon as we came out the villa in Majorca. It was natural. Were now living with my friend in South London, she loves it. We spend all our time together.' The Northern beauty added that she was glad she refrained from doing the deed on the beloved reality show - much like her villa BFF Dani Dyer, 22. 'Night times were weird at first with all the kissing noises, but you soon get used to the environment,' she continued. 'Couples are real so theyre going to do stuff when they get into bed. I had to accept it. 'I know Dani hasnt had sex as we spoke about it a lot. She had a similar view as me on the matter, we both thought about our lives after the villa. We had a similar upbringing. She didnt want to upset her family.' Hot and heavy: Speaking to The Sun, the drama student, who sent viewers wild as she repeatedly proclaimed herself 'loyal', admitted that they wasted no time hopping into bed and moving in together after they sensationally quit the show Friends: The Northern beauty added that she was glad she refrained from doing the deed on the beloved reality show - much like her villa BFF Dani Dyer, 22 (Pictured above) Her candid comments comes after she headed to Manchester's upscale Rosso Restaurant for dinner with a pal on Sunday evening. The reality star ditched her signature glitzy appearance for a more modest look as she slipped her slender physique into a sophisticated batwing blouse - embellished with ruffled balloon sleeves. Displaying her slimline silhouette, the TV personality rocked a pair of form-fitting skinny trousers, tied in with sparkling black peep-toe heels. The York bombshell - who left the villa with boyfriend Sam Bird - injected a hint of colour into her all-black ensemble as she accessorised with gold hooped earrings, adorned with chic tassels. Working it: Her candid comments comes after she headed to Manchester's upscale Rosso Restaurant for dinner with a pal on Sunday evening Exhibiting her striking features, Georgia swept her tresses into a effortless bun to unveil her shimmery make-up look, which featured lashings of mascara, heavily-applied bronzer and nude lipgloss. Georgia announced on This Morning that she would be moving in with her love Sam after introducing the hunk to her mum in scenes showed on Aftersun. Following her stint on Love Island, The Sun reported the drama student is getting advice on what should be her next career move from former TOWIE star Mark Wright. Before making the final decision to follow their hearts and leave the villa, they stole a series of smooches in the bathroom away from the other islanders prying eyes. Style savvy: Displaying her slimline silhouette, the TV personality rocked a pair of form-fitting skinny trousers, tied in with sparkling black peep-toe heels Hand in hand: The York bombshell - who was joined by a pal - injected a hint of colour into her all-black ensemble as she accessorised with gold hooped earrings, adorned with chic tassels The star-crossed lovers had made the tough decision to split up after weeks of romancing in order to keep their envy-inducing spots in the villa. But Georgia, who famously said the L word four times in one sentence, claimed it was ultimately her loyalty that made her finally choose to leave with Sam. She said: We cant be kissing in the toilet, we cant be having cuddles on the sofa because thats wrong. And, I thought I cant not do that in here with Sam. She is known for her impeccable style, no matter the occasion. And on Sunday in Las Vegas, Paris Hilton did not disappoint as she stunned in a revealing red jumpsuit that left little to the imagination. It's all part of a weekend promotion of her new skincare line in Sin City. Working it! Paris Hilton spent the weekend in Las Vegas to launch her new skincare line And that red number revealed her toned and tanned physique with it's plunging neckline that came down to just above her belly-button. For some added flare, the 37-year old wore a flashy medal fringe vest. She accessorized with a flashy piece around her neck that spelled out her name and with some bling that included an eye-grabbing wrist-watch and, of course, her amazing engagement ring. The former reality star wore her trademark long blonde tresses straight and parted in the middle. Wow: The hotel heiress stunned in a red jumpsuit with a plunging neckline All in the family: Paris' parents, Richard and Kathy Hilton, joined her on the red carpet Red carpet veteran: The former reality star broke out all her familiar poses for the launch After striking a number of poses by herself, Paris was joined by some of her famous family. Her parents, Richard and Kathy Hilton, and brother Barron were among those on hand to help her with the launch of Paris Hilton Skincare ProD.N.A. The new skincare line consists of four key products: A lifting eye cream, cleansing gel, serum, and face cream. 'I have always been into skincare and being all natural, so I wanted to create the perfect skincare line for anti-aging,' she revealed in a Page Six interview. 'So many young girls are turning to cosmetic surgeries and invasive procedures, at an even younger age than before, and I want to help show them that there is a better way and it is possible to stay looking young and radiant without all of that.' Paris' personal life also appears to be red hot. She is engaged to actor Chris Zylka, who is best known for his role on the HBO series The Leftovers. Sashi Cheliah, 39, has revealed the pressure of cooking on MasterChef is harder than working in a prison. He told Woman's Day on Monday, 'The MasterChef kitchen is much harder, because when I'm going to work I know what I'm expected to do!' Before moving to Australia from Singapore, he worked for the island nation's Police Force as part of the elite Star Unit (Special Tactics and Rescue). 'When I'm going to work, I know what to expect': Sashi Cheliah claims cooking on MasterChef is harder than working at a prison... amid claims he was treated 'unfairly' by Bondi Icebergs head chef In 2012 he, his wife and their two sons relocated to Adelaide and worked as a case manager for a women's prison, according to Adelaide Now. Sashi told Woman's Day his colleagues tune in for every episode. 'When I got the apron, the whole prison cheered for me - not just the women's prison but the men's prison cheered me on, too!' Support: Sashi told Woman's Day his colleagues tune in for every episode. 'When I got the apron, the whole prison cheered for me - not just the women's prison but the men's prison cheered me on, too!' Drama: In a previous episode Sashi buckled under pressure as Bondi Iceberg's head chef Monty Koludrovic constantly hovered over him as he cooked pumpkin, pine nut raviolo with mushroom and red wine sauce 'I think they see it as someone from their family trying their hardest to achieve something and that makes them proud,' he added. On Sunday Sashi's Singaporean chicken rice dish won over the judges and guaranteed him a place in the top three. Last week viewers of the show took to Twitter to unleash their fury at Bondi Icebergs head chef Monty Koludrovic, accusing him of being 'too tough' on the amateur chef. Sashi planned to deliver a pumpkin, pine nut raviolo with mushroom and red wine sauce, but buckled under pressure when chef Monty constantly hovered over him. The contestant's supporters took to social media to take a swipe at the chef, including one who wrote: 'To see him being treated like that makes me really angry. He made the hardest dish with the most elements. I wanna deck Monty.' One tweeted: 'As a Bondi local, I will never EVER walk into Monty x @Icebergskitchen again! The way to succeed in business, a kitchen or life is to lead your people, not beat them. @masterchefau #boycottbullies #MasterChefAU.' Travels in Trumpland Rating: My Family and The Galapagos Rating: They say Americans don't understand irony. Ed Balls decided to put it to the test at a monster truck show in Texas, as he began his U.S. tour on Travels In Trumpland (BBC2). Shaking the diesel-stained hand of a grizzled trucker with a Z.Z. Top beard and a Confederate flag, Ed asked: 'So, you voted for Hillary?' For a split second, a killer light flashed in the big Texan's eyes, before he spotted the cameras. Then he forced a grin. There's your answer: Americans do understand irony, when it arrives with a television crew. Ed Balls is pictured on the first leg of his tour of the US in Texas for Travels in Trumpland If all Ed's questions had been as provocative as this, his show would have been far more entertaining. Sadly, as a natural politician, he instinctively favours diplomacy over confrontation. On a dawn raid (or, in the politically-correct jargon of the illegal immigration bureau, a Targeted Enforcement Action), Ed watched from a safe distance as a man and his family were dragged from their homes. He tried to snatch a word with the arresting officer, who was in no mood for a chat, and then beat a smart retreat when gently invited to leave by the police chief. We've been here before in recent months, poking at America's underbelly, on travelogues with Miriam Margolyes and Louis Theroux. You can bet neither of them would have left when asked. The final segment saw Ed chucked into a wrestling ring wearing a Union Jack leotard (pictured), to learn a few body slams and get drop-kicked, to the cheers of the crowd Miriam would have flashed her bloomers, her stock response to all critics. Louis would have played the befuddled Englishman, blundering closer to the scene of the action. Ed simply did as he was told, and skedaddled. Back at immigration HQ, he chatted to an Afghan who told a pitiful tale about being kicked out after 20 years in the States, torn from the bosom of his family, etc. Ed listened sympathetically and questioned nothing. It was left to a guard to fill in some relevant details: the deported dad was actually a professional criminal and drug dealer. Ed had missed that completely. Locked up: Ed Balls is pictured with inmates from St Landry Jail in Texas for Travels in Trumpland Honestly, if you're going to turn Strictly stars into investigative journalists, you might as well send Len Goodman. At least he's good at talking to people. The final segment saw Ed chucked into a wrestling ring wearing a Union Jack leotard, to learn a few body slams and get drop-kicked, to the cheers of the crowd. He looked at home amid the partisan combat and the ritual din it probably reminded him of the Commons. He'd left his missus, MP Yvette Cooper, at home. However, explorer Monty Halls took his wife and two small daughters as he headed to a wildlife paradise on My Family And The Galapagos (C4). Explorer Monty Halls took his wife and two small daughters as he headed to a wildlife paradise on My Family And The Galapagos They stayed in a log cabin in the magical 'cloud forest' above Santa Cruz, a city where animals have the right to do anything they like. The pelicans raid the fish market, and the seals sleep on park benches like fat furry drunks, and no one can stop them. Monty's little girls, Isla and Molly, aged five and three, were understandably enchanted. The Halls family snorkelling in Las Grieta for Channel 4's My Family and The Galpagos I interviewed Monty last month, and he told me his daughters were treated like princesses by the locals, who rarely see red-headed children. As a Galapagos veteran, Monty explained that taking his family on this adventure let him see the islands through new eyes: 'There's no better explorer than a five-year-old.' The show's only drawback is that there's too much to discover in just three episodes. I could happily have spent an hour learning how the human residents of Santa Cruz cope, when one giant tortoise on Main Street can cause gridlock. Charles Darwin never predicted that. He has won the hearts of the nation in recent weeks, as a handsome doctor on the lookout for love. But fans were quick to cast Alex George aside during Sunday night's Love Island, and instead set their sights on his 'fit' mate Chris. Alex's visitor immediately caught attention due to his hunky appearance - with viewers even calling for producers to replace the doctor with his friend in the villa. Old news: Fans' heads were turned from doctor Alex George during Sunday night's Love Island, and instead set on his 'fit' mate Chris Chris joined Alex's mother in the Mallorcan villa, where they showed their support for the doctor and discussed his recent split from Alexandra Cane. However, while the trio endured an awkward chat with his stunning ex's family, viewers became distracted by Alex's mate - and were quick to laud his good looks on Twitter. One wrote: 'Can we just talk about Alex's fit mate Chris' while another added: 'Erm hello Chris', followed by a love eyes emoji. Handsome stranger: Alex's visitor (centre) immediately caught attention due to his hunky appearance Doing their bit: Chris joined Alex's mother in the Mallorcan villa, where they showed their support for the doctor and discussed his recent split from Alexandra Cane Numerous fans echoed this sentiment, and even called for the hunk to replace Alex in the villa. One kicked things off by writing: 'That Chris is something else!!! can we have you instead of Alex pls' While others chimed in: 'Can we swap Dr Alex for his friend Chris', 'Chris should have been put in instead of Alex' and 'Dunno what that Chris is but I wish he was in the villa...' Impressed: However, viewers became distracted by Chris' good looks, and even called for producers to replace the doctor with him in the villa Another even joked playfully: 'Is it too late to swap Alexs friend Chris for Alex? Asking for a mate.' Chris enjoyed a fleeting but somewhat awkward appearance on the show, as he was forced to witness Alexandra's mother confront the doctor about his poor treatment of her daughter. During a meeting on the sun loungers, Alexandra's mother laid into Alex - questioning what show he thought he was on, and claiming she could 'kill him' for how he approached romance with her daughter. Love Island continues on Monday at 9pm on ITV2 Its set to be his big return to television. And Kyle Sandilands, 47, is ensuring his new show, Trial By Kyle, gets as many viewers as possible after roping in Shannon Noll, 42, and Skye Wheatley, 24, to complete his celebrity line-up. The Australian Idol star and Big Brother babe each took to the stand to film the pilot for the Judge Judy style reality show over the weekend at Network Ten in front of a live studio audience. Scroll down for video EXCLUSIVE: Order in court! Shannon Noll, 42, and Skye Wheatley, 24, complete the celebrity line-up to 47-year-old Kyle Sandiland's new show Trial By Kyle Although details of Shannon's case are being kept under wraps, Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Skye is seeking damages over her botched boob job. The former reality star, who is currently pregnant, went under the knife in Bangkok in 2015 and had to pay $28,000 to undergo corrective surgery the following year. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about the ordeal at the time, Skye warned young girls not to be lured by the promise of cheap plastic surgery abroad, saying: 'Don't, it's not worth it, stay in Australia.' In the dock: Shannon, pictured arriving at Ten's studios on Saturday, is just one of the famous faces appearing on the Network Ten pilot to settle their famous feuds and fall outs Botched boob job: Skye took to the stand in the hope of winning damages after undergoing two breast augmentations that left her with several complications Pressure is on: The stars filmed in front of a live studio audience of 30 members of the public that made up the fictional jury Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan also appeared in the dock on Saturday. The 51-year-old TV groom went up against paparazzo Jayden Seyfarth, 22, who had previously accused him of staging photos for the media. Nasser shared a photo after filming the pilot, captioned: 'Coming soon #networkten #newtvshow #seeyouincourt.' The Bachelor's Anna Heinrich, 31, who previously worked as a criminal lawyer, will also feature on the show as Kyle's right hand woman. Back on TV: Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan, 51, also appeared in the dock Who will win? Nasser went up against paparazzo Jayden Seyfarth, 22, after the pair had a famous fall out after reportedly staging photos for the media Worst kept secret: Syke heavily hinted at her appearance on the show by sharing a photo from Ten's studios in Sydney as the pilot was being filmed Speaking on KIIS FM's The Kyle & Jackie O Show earlier this month, Kyle teased what viewers can expect from the show. 'People will come in with their stupid arguments neighbourhood disputes, maybe some girl got a t*t job and she wants to sue her doctor,' he said. 'Celebrities going up against photographers, we've already got one of those logged in.' Daily Mail Australia have reached out to Network Ten for comment. Charlie Sheen, 52, has weighed in on the backlash surrounding Roseanne Barr, 65, months after her ABC show was axed over her racist tweet. The Hollywood actor, who was infamously fired from Two and a Half Men in 2011, said he 'can relate' to the troubled actress after she was filmed screaming about Valerie Jarrett in a bizarre YouTube video. '... I can related to that tone of absolute despair because it's not just about herself it's about the people that she knows she affected as well,' he told the Kyle and Jackie O show on Monday. 'I can relate': Charlie Sheen sympathises with Roseanne Barr amid backlash over her racist tweet seven years after he was fired from Two and a Half Men. Pictured in Los Angeles on June 23, 2018 'What I hear in her voice, trying not to focus on the words but the emotion, is I hear the frustration, pain, there's such a sadness there. He added: 'The thing that is a little bit sad is that when someone does melt, everything good they have ever done that has entertained millions of people is always forgotten.' The father-of-five went on to say that he doesn't believe people should be forgiven just because they have done great work. 'I thought the b***h was white!' Roseanne recently defended her tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett in a bizarre video that showed her looking dishevelled and smoking In 2011, Charlie, who was the highest paid actor on TV in 2010, was fired from Two and a Half Men after a public feud with the show's creator Chuck Lorre. In May, he called for Two and a Half Men to replace Roseanne's axed show but says he now regrets the tweet. 'I shouldn't have said 'Roseanne good riddance' because whatever happened she's been nothing but nice to me in the past so that part I would delete,' he said. Outrage: She came under fire in May after she tweeted that Valerie looked like the 'Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby' 'I'm fine': Valerie (right) seemed unperturbed by the tweet during an appearance on The View last week, saying: 'In all seriousness...I'm fine. I am just fine'. Pictured (left) Joy Behar Roseanne recently defended her tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett in a bizarre video that showed her looking dishevelled and smoking. 'I thought the b***h was white! God dammit! I thought the b***h was white! F**k! she roared in the video. She came under fire in May after she tweeted that Valerie looked like the 'Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby.' Regrets: In May, he called for Two and a Half Men to replace Roseanne's axed show but says he now regrets the tweet. 'I shouldn't have said 'Roseanne good riddance' because whatever happened she's been nothing but nice to me in the past so that part I would delete,' he said Fired: In 2011, Charlie, who was the highest paid actor on TV in 2010, was fired from Two and a Half Men after a public feud with the show's creator Chuck Lorre Last week, she claimed that the tweet was an attempt to defend Israel and hitting back at Valerie and the Obama administration for the 2015 Iran deal. 'I told ABC in the beginning I will always defend Israel because I'm a Jew and I also have family who lives there,' she said during an appearance on Fox News' Hannity. 'That is a tweet about asking for accountability from the previous administration about the Iran deal, which Valerie Jarrett is the author of. That was in my head.' He's been relishing in some quality time with his family as he hosts his annual motoring festival over the weekend. And Chris Evans proved he's very much a kid at heart as he donned an array of funny ensembles during the final day of Carfest North, at Bolesworth Estate, Cheshire on Sunday afternoon. The BBC Radio 2 host, 52, appeared in giddy spirits as he took to the stage with his son Noah, nine, in the eccentric outfits, one of which included a bright yellow duck costume. Having fun: Chris Evans proved he's very much a kid at heart as he donned an array of funny ensembles during the final day of Carfest North, at Bolesworth Estate, Cheshire on Sunday An excited Noah was spotted bursting into laughter as he joined his father at the charity event - featuring fun-filled activities for families, retro car displays and live music. Ensuring he put on the best show for his audience, the radio presenter was decked in a hooded duck number, which featured a pointed tail and orange pants. Chris - who is expecting twins with his wife Natasha Shishmanian - channeled his inner Wally as he sported a red and white striped combo, tied in with a polka dot granddad cap. Dare to be bold: The BBC Radio 2 host, 52, appeared in giddy spirits as he took to the stage with his son Noah, nine, in the eccentric outfits, one of which included a bright yellow duck costume Good cause: An excited Noah was spotted bursting into laughter as he joined his father at the charity event - featuring fun-filled activities for families, retro car displays and live music Amusing: Ensuring he put on the best show for his audience, the radio presenter was decked in a hooded duck number, which featured a pointed tail and orange pants For a third outfit change, the broadcaster was dressed in a vibrant tropical T-shirt, and accessorised with oversized sunglasses. Recently, Chris announced his wife's pregnancy on his Radio 2 Breakfast Show in April, after revealing that she was undergoing IVF in a bid to have a 'fourth ankle-biter'. During a talk with a pregnancy nutritionist Henrietta Norton, the broadcaster mentioned the news as he asked her for advice and she told him to get a bigger car. Comfy: Noah went casual in a pair of grey camo trousers and a light blue T-shirt, embellished with cars throughout All eyes on him: Chris - who is expecting twins with his wife Natasha Shishmanian - channeled his inner Wally as he sported a red and white striped combo, tied in with a polka dot granddad cap Entertaining: For a third outfit change, the broadcaster was dressed in a vibrant tropical T-shirt, and accessorised with oversized sunglasses Time off: He's been relishing in some quality time with his family as he hosts his annual motoring festival over the weekend Exciting times ahead: Recently, Chris announced his wife's pregnancy on his Radio 2 Breakfast Show in April, after revealing that she was undergoing IVF in a bid to have a 'fourth ankle-biter' Chris said: 'Mrs Evans is... she is now, yeah. Twins. Double trouble. Twin turbo. 'We've known for a while, obviously. She's definitely the mother, there's no doubt about that. 'When you begin to be involved in the world of twins, suddenly twins are everywhere, twins are not as rare as you think.' Father again: Chris and Natasha are believed to be expecting their newborns in the Autumn of this year in either September or October Chris and Natasha are believed to be expecting their newborns in the Autumn of this year in either September or October. The couple already have two sons Noah and Eli, six, and the DJ has a daughter Jade, 30, with his former fiancee Alison Ward. Chris revealed the couple underwent IVF as they wanted to add to their family unit for 'one last hurrah'. Happy family: The couple already have two sons Noah and Eli, six, and the DJ has a daughter Jade, 30, with his former fiancee Alison Ward Candid: Chris revealed the couple underwent IVF as they wanted to add to their family unit for 'one last hurrah' He said: 'Mrs Evans has gone into hospital this morning at 7am - she is the field and there's a harvest taking place this morning. It's a nice thing, we're having one last hurrah, one last attempt at a fourth ankle biter.' 'It's an IVF thing. She'll be being harvested around now, with the radio on. She doesn't mind me talking about it.' Chris and Natasha tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in Faro, Portugal, in August 2007 and they have been happily together ever since. Open: 'It's an IVF thing. She'll be being harvested around now, with the radio on. She doesn't mind me talking about it', he added The broadcaster was previously married to pop princess turned acclaimed actress Billie Piper, 35, from May 2001 to September 2004. Billie famously popped the question to Chris on his 35th birthday when she was the tender age of 18. The former flames went onto tie the knot in a ceremony in Las Vegas at the time. Prior to his union with the Because We Want To hitmaker, Chris was married to TV and radio personality Carol McGiffin, 58, from 1991 to 1994. He's never been one for biting his tongue. And Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan, 51, continued to cause controversy while filming the pilot for 47-year-old Kyle Sandiland's Trial By Kyle over the weekend. Daily Mail Australia can reveal that the reality star threw filming into chaos as he stormed off set after his dispute with paparazzo Jayden Seyfarth, 22, reached breaking point. Scroll down for video EXCLUSIVE: Security! MAFS' Nasser Sultan, 51, 'stormed off set' of Trial By Kyle during foul-mouthed tirade against 22-year-old paparazzo Jayden Seyfarth 'Nasser couldn't take it that he was starting to lose the case as they had lots of evidence mounting up against him,' an on-set source tells Daily Mail Australia. 'He got really worked up, started swearing and just stormed off while Jayden and Kyle were speaking.' 'Nobody seemed to know what to do as the cameras were still rolling. Eventually producers got him to come back but he was seething at the whole situation. The source also revealed a security guard was on-set at all times in case things became physical. Awkward! Kyle, 47, and Jayden 'didn't know what to do' during the awkward walk out as things turned explosive during the pilot's taping Famous feud: Nasser and Jayden fell out earlier this year after he was accused of staging photos for the media at the height of his MAFS fame Calmed down: Nasser shared a photo outside Ten's studios in Sydney after filming Nasser and Jayden famously fell out earlier this year after the paparazzo accused him of staging photos for the media. Despite Nasser strongly denying this claim, it appeared that things may not have gone his way in court as the pair aimed to settle their dispute once and for all. Shannon Noll, 42, and Skye Wheatley, 24, will also be appearing on the Network Ten show to seek damages for their own individual issues. The Bachelor's Anna Heinrich, 31, who previously worked as a criminal lawyer, will also feature on the show as Kyle's right hand woman. Daily Mail Australia have contacted Nasser Sultan for comment. Celebrity line-up: Shannon Noll, 42, and Skye Wheatley, 24, will also appear on the new show Rumors began to spread on Thursday that he is engaged to Priyanka Chopra. And on Sunday, Nick Jonas was spotted toting a six pack of Coors Light through New York City while temperatures climbed into the 80s. This is the first time the 25-year-old musician has been spotted out since the rumors of his engagement hit. Six pack: On Sunday, Nick Jonas was in the need of a cold one, or six, as he toted a six pack of Coors Light through New York City while temperatures climbed into the 80s Nick was dressed in an all-black ensemble that gave the sense that he may be mourning the end of his bachelor days. The matching Adidas outfit featured a t-shirt, track pants, and classic Sambas. He shaded his eyes with dark sunglasses and wore a large gold watch around his wrist. It seems the youngest Jonas brother has been taking some style cues from his older brother Joe as he wrapped a Laval crossbody bag - an item often worn by the DNCE frontman as well as his fiancee Sophie Turner - around his shoulder. Grapevine: This is the first time the 25-year-old musician has been spotted out since the rumors of his engagement hit Wedding bells: Rumors began to spread on Thursday that he is engaged to Priyanka Chopra People claimed on Thursday that Nick proposed to Chopra, 36, as they celebrated Priyanka's 36th birthday in London last week. Following the recent celebrity quick engagement trend, the couple had only been dating since May. She was introduced to his family in June shortly after their relationship began when she joined him at the wedding of his cousin Rachel Tamburelli. Then, on June 22, Nick and Chopra traveled to India where they met her mother Madhu, People reported. The couple first sparked dating rumors back in 2017 when they attended the Met Gala together. Bachelor days over? Nick was dressed in an all-black ensemble that gave the sense that he may be mourning the end of his bachelor days Matching: The matching Adidas outfit featured a t-shirt, track pants, and classic Sambas 'They are so happy,' a source told the magazine, which also reported Nick bought an engagement ring at Tiffany's in New York City. Reps for both stars did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tiffany's also declined to comment to MailOnline. The engagement speculation was fueled further when the director for Priyanka's film Bharat tweeted that the actress had suddenly quit the project and said her decision had been made 'in the Nick of time.' Ali Abbas Zafar tweeted: 'Priyanka Chopra is no more part of @Bharat_TheFilm & and the reason is very very special , she told us in the Nick of time about her decision and we are very happy for her ... 'Team Bharat wishes @priyankachopra loads of love & happiness for life.' She's the multi-talent who first made a name for herself playing rebellious teenager Emma Jackson on Home And Away. And ahead of her return to Australian screens hosting the Channel Seven show Dance Boss, Dannii Minogue has hinted at a return to Summer Bay. Speaking to TV Week on Monday, the 46-year-old said that she was keen to reprise her role and had even spoken to producers about what form it could take. 'We keep talking about it': Dannii Minogue has revealed her hopes to reprise her role as Emma Jackson on Home And Away. Pictured in Melbourne on February 4, 2018 'I really really want to,' Dannii told the publication. 'We keep talking about it but it hasn't come to fruition yet.' Dannii added that the seeds of her desire to return to the hit soap were sewn when she appeared in the recently screened retrospective documentary Endless Summer: 30 Years of Home And Away. 'It did spark that passion of what it would be like to go back,' she said. 'I have an idea of what I could do but i don't know if i'm way off the mark with what the fans would want.' 'I really really want to,' Dannii told the publication. 'We keep talking about it but it hasn't come to fruition yet' Memory lane: Dannii added that the seeds of her desire to return ot the hit soap were sewn when she appeared in the recently screened retrospective documentary Endless Summer: 30 Years of Home And Away Back to the bay? 'It did spark that passion of what it would be like to go back,' she said. 'I have an idea of what I could do but i don't know if i'm way off the mark with what the fans would want' Despite appearing eager to head back to the bay, Dannii added that she would do so with one important caveat. 'Ray Meagher would have to be there,' she said. 'I couldn't imagine doing it without him.' Appearing on Endless Summer recently Dannii admitted that she had long though about returning to the role, however, life had other plans for her. 'It had never worked out for me before because I'd been living overseas and then I had my son, and it's only so much that you can fit in,' she said. She added: 'But, i'm very interested. There's absolutely a chance.' Dannii joined the cast of Home And Away in 1989, playing the teen rebel Emma Jackson for one year. She left the soap in 1990 to launch her music career. His daughter Chloe welcomed son Jayden with the model just nine weeks ago. And Phillip Green proved Jeremy Meeks was a fully-fledged part of their family on Saturday, during a relaxing boat trip in Mykonos, Greece. The Arcadia chairman, 66, was seen giving the 'Hot Felon', 34, a somewhat awkward high-five, as they cruised around the island with Chloe and his wife Tina. High five! Phillip Green proved Jeremy Meeks was a fully-fledged part of their family on Saturday, during a relaxing boat trip in Mykonos, Greece Loved-up: Phillip's daughter Chloe, who welcomed a son with Jeremy in May, also joined them for the boat trip, as well as the chairman's wife Tina The pair proved their close bond during the trip as they high-fived each other upon arrival at the dock. Laughing and joking together, heiress Chloe could not contain her beaming smile as she looked on proudly at the scene. After arriving at the seaside town by boat, the group then disembarked the vessel to explore the local sights by foot. Bonding: The Arcadia chairman, 66, was seen giving the 'Hot Felon', 34, a somewhat awkward high-five, as they cruised around the island Smitten: After arriving at the seaside town by boat, the group then disembarked the vessel to explore the local sights by foot Chloe showed off incredible post-baby body in a figure-hugging denim playsuit with the back cut-out and flared sleeves. She looked every inch the yummy mummy as she styled her brunette locks into a tousled halfback hairdo and added a pair of diamond framed round sunglasses. Chloe also flaunted a jaw-dropping diamond ring on her wedding finger, after she was previously seen with the item of jewellery earlier this month. Sweet: The Topshop heiress couldn't resist holding hands and getting cosy with her 'Hot Felon' beau, 34 Stylish: Chloe showed off incredible post-baby body in a figure-hugging denim dress with the back cut-out and flared sleeves as she joined her father Sir Philip for an afternoon outing She accessorised her look with white espadrilles and a straw clutch bag for her afternoon outing. Meanwhile, her 'Hot Felon' beau looked handsome in an unbuttoned white linen shirt with blue shorts, he accessorised with cobalt blue coloured suede boat shoes. He added a collection of gold jewellery including necklaces and bracelets. The family appeared care-free as Sir Philip, the 3.6billion former owner of BHS, cut a casual figure in a light blue t-shirt and matching coloured swimming trunks. Chic: She looked every inch the yummy mummy as she styled her brunette locks into a tousled halfback hairdo and added a pair of diamond framed round sunglasses Handsome: Meanwhile, her beau looked handsome in an unbuttoned white linen shirt with blue shorts, he accessorised with cobalt blue coloured suede boat shoes Stylish: He added a collection of gold jewellery including necklaces and bracelets Out at sea: The trio appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the sunny climes of Mykonos as the boat prepared to set off The smitten couple took to Instagram in June to reveal that their first child together, a baby boy called Jayden Meeks-Green, had been born on May 29th, as they shared a sweet photo of them holding hands with him. Chloe had kept her pregnancy under wraps until June, when she unveiled her eye-popping baby bump during a holiday on her father Sir Phillip's super yacht in Monaco, confirming the baby rumours. Meanwhile, more recently, the loved-up duo have sparked rumours they're engaged after the 27-year-old was spotted flashing a jaw-dropping diamond ring on her wedding finger earlier this month, which she wore again on Saturday. Relaxed: The family appeared care-free as Sir Philip cut a casual figure in a light blue t-shirt and matching coloured swimming trunks Engaged?: More recently, the duo have sparked rumours they're engaged after the 27-year-old was spotted flashing a jaw-dropping diamond ring on her wedding finger Eye-catching: The Topshop heiress' enormous rock could not be missed as it glistened in the sunshine during her stroll Just jewellery?: Chloe and Jeremy have previously denied that they are engaged, after Chloe was spotted wearing another dazzling diamond ring on numerous occasions The Topshop heiress' enormous rock could not be missed as it glistened in the sunshine during her stroll around the centre of the Mediterranean resort town, as she hunted down baby clothes for her little boy. Chloe and Jeremy have previously denied that they are engaged, after Chloe was spotted wearing another dazzling diamond ring on numerous occasions. However, this new, much larger sparkling rock will surely set tongues wagging once again. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Chloe Green and Jeremy Meeks for comment. Family: The smitten couple took to Instagram in June to reveal that their first child together, a baby boy called Jayden Meeks-Green, had been born on May 29th She stars alongside Kate McKinnon in the upcoming flick The Spy Who Dumped Me, which premiered in Los Angeles on Wednesday. And Mila Kunis headed across the country on Sunday for the New York screening of the action comedy. The 34-year-old actress mixed modern with classic elegance as she flaunted her cleavage in a white Johanna Ortiz dress and pants. Glamorous: Mila Kunis headed across the country on Sunday for the New York screening of the action comedy The stunning garments featured flowing layers of cloth and seemed to float on the That 70s Show actress. Her trademark dark tresses were pulled tight behind her head and she wore simple pendant earrings. Painting her lips a lush pink Mila's makeup choices highlighted her stunning cheekbones. Stunning: The 34-year-old actress mixed modern with classic elegance as she flaunted her cleavage in a white jumpsuit Mila's co-star Kate joined her on the red carpet in a black dress with a detailed white fabric around the top. The Ghostbusters actress added a few inches with some matching heels and donned stunning $998 pave teardrop earrings from Blue Nile. She pulled her blonde hair straight back and was all smiles as she wrapped her arm around the Black Swan star. Seeing stars: Mila's co-star Kate joined her on the red carpet in a black dress with a detailed white fabric around the top All smiles: The Ghostbusters actress added a few inches with some matching heels and donned stunning pave teardrop earrings from Blue Nile Sam Heughan went with a casual chic ensemble, donning a grey sport coat on top of a t-shirt and blue jeans. Hasan Minhaj, meanwhile, kept things laid back in grey track pants and a black top. Susanna Fogel directed The Spy Who Dumped Me, which hits theaters across the U.S. on August 3, 2018. Stay cool: Sam Heughan went with a casual chic ensemble, donning a grey sport coat on top of a t-shirt and blue jeans Keep calm: Hasan Minhaj, meanwhile, kept things laid back in grey track pants and a black top Stunners: Painting her lips a lush pink Mila's makeup choices highlighted her stunning cheekbones She is constantly traveling around the world. And Alessandra Ambrosio partied it up Jersey Shore style over the weekend, just days after vacationing with her two children in San Diego. And being the super model that she is - the Brazilian beauty looked sensational as she flaunted her assets while lounging in Atlantic City on Sunday. Strike a pose or two: Alessandra Ambrosio flaunted her goods in a picture shot just above the Jersey Shore in Atlantic City on Sunday The 37-year old showed she still has the wow factor when she posed for some photos at her hotel, just above the shoreline. In one picture she shared on Instagram, she appears to be reaching for the sky in a skimpy black-patterned bikini with the caption, 'Fun day.' She added 'Sunday' to the caption in an adjoining picture that shows her flaunting her derriere as she stands on her toes. The former Victoria's Secret model had her long brown tresses pulled up into a ponytail and wore a pair of dark mirrored Sunday Somewhere sunglasses to help keep the glaring Northeast sun out of her eyes. Profile: The former Victoria's Secret model also showed off her assets in Atlantic City Living the life: The mother of two enjoyed some downtime dubbing it 'Sun Day Fun Day' Kiss me, you won't regret it! The supermodel puckers up for a selfie in her Sunday Somewhere sunglasses as she relaxes a day after hosting a beach party The leggy super model also shared some of her Jersey adventure in an Instagram story. In one picture she is sprawled out on a lounge chair next to pal Dominick Pucciarello with the caption, 'My kinda Sundays...' There's also a couple of videos that showed her in action as she hosted a pool party at the HQ2 Beachclub Saturday afternoon in the Ocean Resort & Casino. She looked super chic in a white dress as she danced the day away, and at one point, she jumped behind the DJ booth to fire off the smoke machine. Ambrosio was a Victorias Secret Angel from 2000 to 2017, where she was the first spokeswoman for their popular PINK line of lingerie. More recently, she's been pulling double-duty as a busy career woman and single mom since her broke up with her former fiance Jamie Mazur in March. The former couple had been together for about 10-years and they share two children, Anja Louise, nine, and Noah Phoenix, six. They recently hit back at rumours their romance had come to an end. And despite reuniting for a charity event over the weekend and putting on a loved-up display, all may not be as it seemed for Troy Delmege, 35, and Carly Bowyer, 32. An insider close to the couple told Daily Mail Australia on Monday that they have been fighting since Troy spent the night partying with his TV ex Ashley Irvin, 28, after the 60th TV Week Logie Awards on July 1. Scroll down for video EXCLUSIVE 'She couldn't believe he chose to go out with Ashley instead': MAFS' Troy Delmege (right) and Carly Bowyer (left) had a 'major bust-up' after he 'partied until 5AM' with TV ex Irvin... amid split rumours 'The Logies was quite full on for everybody and after the ceremony Carly was ready for bed and expected Troy to call it a night with her,' the source claimed. 'She couldn't believe he was choosing to go out partying with Ashley and a few others instead and they had a huge fight about it, but Troy just wanted to make the most of seeing the cast again. The insider added: 'There's been tension ever since and it seems they're not even sure of their relationship status most of the time.' The ex factor: Daily Mail Australia's insider claimed Troy partied with Ashley, 28, after the awards bash while girlfriend Carly went to bed, prompting the couple to fight Hard to move on: 'There's been tension ever since and it seems they're not even sure of their relationship status most of the time,' our source added The revelation of their Logies bust-up comes after the couple have been hit with constant rumours they've called time on their relationship. After fans noticed Troy had recently been posting old photographs of the couple on Instagram, Daily Mail Australia revealed how he'd moved out of their shared home in Melbourne and returned to Sydney for a while. Carly later added fuel to the fire during an appearance at the Make-A-Wish Foundation's Winter In New York fundraiser in Melbourne on July 26. Throwback: Troy and Ashley were matched by the experts on Married At First Sight before they ended their relationship at the final commitment ceremony which was filmed last year Upon being asked where Troy was spending the night, Carly let out a blistering sigh. 'Don't know where he is guys, he's out posting an old photo of us, obviously,' she revealed. After being questioned about attending the Make-a-Wish Foundation event without Troy, Carly added: 'We have lives outside [of] each other!' However, the couple put on a united front over the weekend while attending a charity event and posting several videos together from the event. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ashley Irvin for comment. Troy told Daily Mail Australia on Monday: 'Everyone from MAFS got on great at the Logies.' 'I partied with everyone from the show but didn't see that much of Ash.' 'Carly and I are going well and appreciate all the support we get from people.' Carly added: 'Reports that I'm upset about them hanging out is completely inaccurate. We actually all had lunch together the next day which I thought was a big step in the right direction. 'I hate the thought that there'd be any hard feelings so I would love for us to all get along.' Nothing to see here: Troy and Carly attempted to silence split rumours over the weekend as they reunited at a charity event Demi Moore roasted her ex-husband Bruce Willis during a surprise appearance on Sunday on the Comedy Central event honoring the Hollywood action star. The 55-year-old actress was introduced by roastmaster Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 37, and Bruce, 63, admitted that he was surprised. 'I knew he would be. Even though I went over everything with yesterday, I knew he'd forget,' joked Demi. Surprise appearance: Demi Moore made a surprise appearance on Sunday on the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis She gave the audience some insight on her marriage to the actor from 1987 to 2000. 'I was married to Bruce for the first three Die Hard movies, which makes sense because the last two sucked,' Demi quipped. The roast was a family affair as their daughters Rumer, 29, Scout, 26, and Tallulah, 24, were also in the audience. Demi told the crowd they argued over what to name their children and that Bruce won. Hollywood star: The 63-year-old actor was roasted by friends and comics during the show 'That's how you got stuck with Willis,' she deadpanned to her daughters. Demi told the audience that Bruce always has been 'really generous' and used to offer her $1,000 to change Rumer's diaper when it was his turn so he wouldn't have to do it. She then joked that Scout recently told her that Bruce offered her $1,000 to change his diaper. Really generous: Demi told the crowd that Bruce was always 'really generous' and used to offer her $1,000 to change their daughter's diaper when it was his turn Family affair: Tallulah and Scout watched the roast from the audience Good one: Scout joined her sisters at the roast honoring their father 'Some things never change,' Demi said. She recalled enjoying 'special moments' together during their marriage including a 'career moment' for Bruce when he was cast in Pulp Fiction. Demi said she thought it was odd that the action star was pursuing the 'little indie'. Action films: The action star laughed as he was made the butt of jokes 'Bruce went to Harvey Weinstein's hotel, ...and he came back swinging that ball gag, and then he said, "I got the part'',' Demi said referencing the disgraced Hollywood producer. Demi said she considers their marriage even with its ups and downs as some of the best times in her life. 'I look at our marriage like The Sixth Sense. You were dead the whole time,' she said. Movie references: Demi said their marriage was like The Sixth Sense as Bruce was 'dead the whole time' Demi ended her remarks by saying she was honored to be there. She told Bruce that he was a 'great friend, great father and easily one of my top three husbands.' The Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis featured a dais of Nikki Glaser, Jeff Ross, Edward Norton, Lil Rel Howery, Dennis Rodman, Martha Stewart, Cybill Shepherd, Dom Irrera and Kevin Pollak. Top three: The 55-year-old actress said Bruce was among her top three husbands The roastmaster: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 37, hosted the roast 'I don't know any of these people. Literally, you have like no friends,' Comedy Central star Nikki, 34, told Bruce during her turn to roast him. 'This is a real personal moment for me, to be here roasting my dead cousin's second-favorite action star. You had an amazing action film career until Jason Statham started balding,' Nikki added. Kevin, 60, who starred with Bruce in The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel as well Hostage, wondered why Bruce allowed himself to be roasted. Comedy star: Nikki Glaser told Bruce that he doesn't have any friends Worked together: Kevin Pollak who has starred with Bruce in several films also roasted his pal Singing career: The actor joined others in teasing Bruce about his singing career 'If you wanted to be humiliated, clearly we both know you could've just released another singing album,' Kevin said referencing the actor's two 1980s albums. Cybill, 68, who starred with Bruce in Moonlighting, said she was happy to see him. 'The last time I saw your face, I was shopping for movies at the gas station,' Cybill said. Dramedy star: Cybill Shepherd who starred with Bruce in Moonlighting joined in on the fun Gas station: The actress said she last saw Bruce's face while shopping for movies at the gas station She also poked fun of his acting ability and said he's been in '96 movies' with just using one facial expression. 'Our characters on Moonlighting weren't much of a stretch. I played a former model, which I was, and Bruce played an a**hole, which he is,' Cybill said. Jeff Ross, 52, known as The Roastmaster General, lived up to his reputation as an insult comic of the highest order. Insult comic: Jeff Ross lived up to his reputation as The Roastmaster General Top honor: Martha Stewart joined the stars who paid tribute to Bruce by roasting him He said that Bruce 'wants an Oscar so bad, he's slowly morphing into one'. The comic also blasted Bruce's latest thriller movie Death Wish saying it looked as if Bruce did his 'own stunts, lighting, editing and directing'. Jeff said he was looking forward to Bruce's next movie 'Die Hard 6: Natural Causes'. Loving it: The actor took all the jokes in stride and laughed heartily Fight Club star Edward, 48, wondered how Bruce became a 'global movie star' before praising him. Edward is directing Motherless Brooklyn while co-starring along with Bruce, Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Leslie Mann, Bobby Cannavale and Alec Baldwin. The thriller is due out in 2019. Oscar nominee: Edward Norton wondered how Bruce became a 'global movie star' Bruce got the last laugh as he made fun of everyone on the dais. He said it was the same situation as his movies where he gets beat up for an hour and a half and 'at the end come back and whip everyone's ass'. Bruce also took the opportunity to declare that 'Die Hard is not a Christmas movie' and clarified that 'it's a god-damned Bruce Willis movie.' Last laugh: Bruce got the last laugh and played his harmonica as the roast ended She made headlines in 2009, when Japanese police issued an arrest warrant against her after she took part in an anti-whaling protest. And on Friday, former Home and Away star and passionate environmentalist Isabel Lucas lent her star power to protest in her home town of Byron Bay, against the Adani coal mine. The 33-year-old blonde beauty stood side-by-side with locals outside the Cape Byron Lighthouse. Scroll down for video Lending her star power! Home and Away's Isabel Lucas protests the Adani coal mine in Byron... after Japanese police issued an arrest warrant for her when she took part in an anti-whaling protest The Transformers star carried a bottle of water and dressed for the occasion in a nautical stripped pants and a boho style tank top. Isabel teamed her relaxed look with a pair of Birkenstock sandals and accessorised with a small collection of bracelets. Accompanying the makeup free blonde to the event was a handsome mystery man. Helping the cause! The 33-year-old stood side-by-side with many locals outside the Cape Byron Lighthouse Relaxed look: The Transformers star carried a bottle of water and dressed for the occasion in a nautical stripped pants and a boho style tank top Teaming up! Accompanying the blonde beauty to the event was a handsome mystery man On their way to lighthouse, the two were seen walking together and enjoying an animated conversation. As they made their way closer to the crowd gathering outside of the Byron Bay icon, the two were spotted holding hands. The duo appeared to engage in friendly conversations with locals. Hand-in-hand: As they made their way closer to the crowd gathering outside of the Byron Bay icon, the two were spotted holding hands Getting friendly: The duo appeared to engage in friendly conversations with locals Chit chatting away: On their way to lighthouse, the two were seen walking together and enjoying an animated conversation When the rally began, they each took their own positions with Isabel standing right at the front alongside other residents concerned with their local environment. She held up a large banner inscribed with: 'Say no to taxpayer $$$ fast track climate change'. Wearing a red T-shirt, with navy blue pants and brown shoes, Isabel's mystery man let the other locals in front of him. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Isabel's management for comment. All smiles: Isabel greeted her protesters at the event, ready to peacefully voice their opinions against the mining giant Protesting: When the rally began, they each took their own positions with Isabel standing right at the front alongside other residents concerned with their local environment. She held up a large banner inscribed with: 'Say no to taxpayer $$$ fast track climate change' Isabel's appearance at the peaceful protest in Byron is a far cry her near arrest in 2007 alongside US actress Hayden Panettierre and other protesters in Japan. The group were charged by Japanese police for 'interfering with international commerce' after they paddled across nets to stop dolphins and whales from being slaughtered near the Japanese village of Taiji. At the time, Isabel told The Daily Telegraph: 'I'm not scared in the least about going back there (to Japan). In fact, now I think it would draw even more attention to the barbaric act.' Trouble with the law: Isabel's appearance at the peaceful protest in Byron is a far cry her near arrest in 2007 alongside US actress Hayden Panettierre and other protesters Woman's Day is sensationally claiming a famous male radio star is managing 'to juggle both a wife and a boyfriend'. The bombshell allegation was published by the magazine on Monday. No details were provided in relation to the man's identity in the blind gossip piece, and it is unclear as to whether he broadcasts on an AM or FM station. Scroll down for video Broadcasting bombshell: Woman's Day is sensationally claiming a famous male radio star is managing 'to juggle both a wife and a boyfriend' Mystery man: No details were provided in relation to the man's identity, and it is unclear as to whether he broadcasts on an AM or FM station The radio world has had no shortage of scandals in recent years, with some of the industry's most famous names hitting headlines for their on-air antics. Back in 1999, 2UE talk-back hosts John Laws and Alan Jones were both busted making favourable comments about companies including Qantas, Optus and Foxtel, without disclosing they had been paid. Widespread outrage led the saga to be dubbed the 'Cash for Comment affair', with John Laws slapped with a whopping $360,000 fine by his radio station. Memorable: In the late 1990s, John Laws slapped with a whopping $360,000 fine by 2UE after the Cash for Comment saga Backlash: Veteran broadcaster Alan Jones was also embroiled in the Cash for Comment affair The veteran radio star insisted he had no duty to disclose that he was being paid to spruik products, as he was an 'entertainer' as opposed to a journalist. Meanwhile, in 2009, The Kyle and Jackie O Show hit national headlines after a 14-year-old girl was quizzed about her sex life during a 'Lie Detector' segment. The girl shockingly revealed she had been raped at age 12, before Kyle Sandilands later stated: 'Right ... is that the only experience you've had?' Scandal! In 2009, The Kyle and Jackie O Show hit national headlines after a 14-year-old girl was quizzed about her sex life during a 'Lie Detector segment' The shock jock was sensationally sacked from Channel Ten's Australian Idol in the wake of the comments. Famous radio stars have also been embroiled in scandal for their reported antics off the air. Earlier this year, 2 Day FM breakfast host Em Rusciano hit headlines after The Daily Telegraph claimed that several employees couldn't stand working with her. 'Things are at breaking point, people just cannot work with her energy. There have been casualties at the hands of Em Rusciano,' a source told the newspaper. Tobey Maguire was spotted grabbing food at Nobu on Sunday. The 43-year-old actor cut a casual figure in an all-black ensemble as he exited the posh Malibu eatery. He looked to be all business as he texted away while heading back to his car. Business time: Tobey Maguire was spotted grabbing food at Nobu on Sunday The outfit featured a simple black t-shirt along with matching sweatpants. The Spiderman actor added an touch of active to his look by wearing a pair of running shoes. He shaded his eyes with a dark sunglasses and stared out at his phone while heading to his vehicle. Out in the 'bu: The 43-year-old actor cut a casual figure in an all-black ensemble as he exited the posh Malibu eatery Working: He looked to be all business as he texted away while heading back to his car Also at Nobu around the same time as Maguire was disgraced director and producer Brett Ratner, who was accused of sexual misconduct last November. Six woman came forward about Ratner in a Los Angeles Times article, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge. He was also accused of rape by Hawaii resident Melanie Kohler and Ratner launched a defamation case against her after she made the allegations public. Also there: Also at Nobu around the same time as Maguire was disgraced director and producer Brett Ratner The law firm representing Ratner told DailyMail.com: 'Mr. Ratner does not know Ms. Kohler and does not recall ever meeting her. From the beginning, Mr. Ratner has denied Ms. Kohlers allegations of sexual assault. In fact, after Ms. Kohler published her allegations in the media, Mr. Ratner sued her for defamation in federal court in Hawaii, where she resides. That lawsuit is still pending.' He is accused of an array of acts, including alleged harassment, inappropriate touching and forced oral sex. Also coming forward was actress Olivia Munn, who claimed the director masturbated in front of her back in 2004 when she was asked to deliver food to his trailer on the set of After the Sunset. Ratner denied all allegations. She welcomed her first daughter Eliza Ogilvy in June. And on Monday, new mother Erin Molan took to her Instagram story to share an adorable snap of baby Eliza's first time in a baby carrier. The 33-year old expressed a common fear shared by new mums in using the carrier for the very first time. 'I feel like a 'real mum' now!': The Footy Show's Erin Molan feared putting newborn daughter Eliza in a mini baby carrier for the very first time 'I feel like a 'real mum' now... sooooo nervous using this for the first time BUT it didn't fall off (I know - unlikely) and she didn't cry! Hoorah!' she penned alongside the snap, followed by multiple smiling face emojis. Erin was pictured sporting a Harley-Davidson cap and aviator sunglasses while her tiny tot looked peaceful in her carrier, wearing a cute snowflake-inspired beanie. Shortly afterwards, legions of followers questioned where Erin purchased her carrier from. Baby joy! Erin was pictured sporting a Harley-Davidson cap and aviator sunglasses while the tiny tot looked peaceful in her carrier, wearing a cute snowflake-inspired beanie In response, Erin posted a black-and-white snap with Eliza to her Instagram Story and wrote: 'For those asking, it's @mommachibabe'. The baby carrier retails at approximately $169 Australian dollars. Earlier this month, Erin took her impending questions about motherhood to Google, sharing her search history on social media. New mummy: Earlier this month, Erin took her impending questions about motherhood to Google, sharing her search history on social media 'Sweet mother Mary... who am I?' she comically captioned the post. Six weeks after giving birth to Eliza, the TV presenter returned to work on Nine's NRL Footy Show. Erin shares Eliza with fiance and policeman, Sean Ogilvy. Earlier this month, former Home and Away star Pia Miller was criticised by cruel trolls who attacked her 'weird' tummy in one of her stunning bikini snaps. And on Monday, Pia continued to defy critics when she posed up in a tiny tangerine bikini. The 34-year-old former model took to Instagram to share a sizzling snap with fans, flaunting her incredible figure as she hopped out of the ocean. Scroll down for video Out of the blue! Former Home and Away star Pia Miller continues to defy critics as she flaunts her incredible figure in a tiny string bikini... after cruel trolls attacked her 'weird' tummy The mother-of-two captioned the image: '#Monday, give me ocean #NotAustralia.' 'You're so gorgeous and the water looks amazing,' one follower commented. Pia has been spending time in Bali with her two sons and her fiance, Tyson Mullane. Break: Pia has been spending time in Bali with her two sons and her fiance, Tyson Mullane In the image, she has her long dark locks out and over her shoulders and showcases a deep holiday tan. The Chilean-born beauty recently defended herself against cruel trolls, who commented on a bikini snap, attacking her 'weird' tummy and asking why she was wearing a gold cross around her neck. Pia re-shared the image and said she was proud of her 'saggy skin and stretch marks.' Making headlines: The Chilean-born beauty recently defended herself against cruel trolls, who commented on a bikini snap (pictured) attacking her 'weird' tummy and asking why she was wearing a gold cross around her neck The mother-of-two said she's had a number of 'emergency operations' and is grateful of her body for bearing her children. She captioned the Instagram story: 'Two kids, a couple of emergency ops and a necklace in memory of my abeula [grandmother in Spanish].' She added: 'Scars, saggy skin, stretch marks. Grateful for it all.' She also included some of the trolls comments she had received on the snap, including the words 'weird,' 'strange,' and comments including 'her stomach looks yuck.' Hitting back: Pia re-shared the picture and said she was proud of her 'saggy skin and stretch marks' Other comments she wrote were: 'What's wrong with her stomach' and 'why is she wearing a cross?' On Tuesday, one of Pia's Instagram followers wrote in reference to her crucifix: 'You look absolutely beautiful, Pia, but I must say it is a bit inconsiderate/tasteless to wear a holy symbol in a bikini shot.' Pia responded by writing: 'My grandmother left it for me and it never comes off.' Dasha Gaivoronski is the latest contestant confirmed for the new season of The Bachelor. And in a racy new promo photo unveiled on Monday, the 32-year-old bears striking similarities to one of reality TV's most notorious personalities. With her sleek brunette locks and very busty assets, Dasha bears a striking resemblance to Davina Rankin, the Brisbane-based beauty who shot to fame on Married At First Sight earlier this year. Is this the new Davina Rankin? Busty brunette Dasha Gaivoronski confirmed as a contestant on the new season of The Bachelor, premiering August 15 However, the similarities between Dasha and Davina are more than skin deep. Like Davina, Dasha is both a personal trainer and Instagram model who boasts a massive social media following. The busty new Bachelor contestant has a whopping 330,000 Instagram followers, who fawn over her every saucy upload. Davina and Dasha! The two brunette bikini models look almost identical (Davina pictured at left, Dasha pictured at right) However, unlike Davina, Dasha is a single mum, who is raising six-year-old son Leon on her own. Should The Bachelor's Nick 'Honey Badger' Cummins fall for Dasha when the series premieres next month, it could mean he'll soon become a step-father. Daily Mail Australia first broke news that Dasha would be competing on the romantic reality series back in March when she was snapped on date with Nick. Remember her? Davina is one of reality TV's most notorious personalities From Russia, with love! Dasha was born in Eastern Europe but now lives in Adelaide, where temperatures are much more conducive to wearing a bikini Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, a source revealed how they identified the busty Instagram model because of her distinctive cat tattoo. Published images show a Nick cuddling up to Russian-born Dasha as they frolicking in the ocean, with the small inking visible on her left shoulder. The highly-anticipated season of The Bachelor premieres at 7.30pm on Wednesday August 15 on Channel Ten. He's spending the summer with his wife and four children at their Los Angeles home. And Gordon Ramsay slipped back into his normal routine as he enjoyed a quiet stroll with wife Tana and daughter Holly, 18, in Malibu on Sunday. The loud-mouthed chef, 51, looked ever the family man as he walked hand-in-hand with his stylish wife, 43, wearing a fitted grey T-shirt and charcoal shorts. Chilled out: Gordon Ramsay, 51, enjoyed a sun-soaked beach stroll with wife Tana, 43, and Holly, 18, in Malibu on Sunday after relocating to his Los Angeles home for the summer The cook pounded the sand in sporty sneakers and concealed his eyes from the bright sunlight in red tinted shades. The TV personality kept his signature blond locks up in his trademark quiff as he appeared totally at ease during his laid-back beach trip. Wife Tana also looked in great spirits as she sauntered in a billowing floral sun dress and simple flip flops. The author made sure to keep the sun out of her face with a chic sun hat at wide rimmed glasses. And relax: The TV personality kept his signature blond locks up in his trademark quiff as he appeared totally at ease during his laid-back beach trip Tana tucked back her wavy brunette tresses in her summer staple and glitzed up the ensemble with delicate silver jewellery. Daughter Holly also cut a stylish figure in a sophisticated black and green dress paired with white sneakers and an elegant black cross body bag. Holly rocked a pair of on-trend angular shades and let her glossy chocolate mane cascade freely in her naturally straight style. Gordon and Tana are also parents to Megan, 20, Jack, 18 - Holly's twin brother, and Matilda, 16. Winning: Gordon first called Los Angeles home in 2004 after he became a huge success across the pond with US versions of Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and MasterChef Gordon first called Los Angeles home in 2004 after he became a huge success across the pond with US versions of Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and MasterChef. But the star didn't mind treading on some toes after he recently credited his success in the United States to Americans knowing 'f**k' all about good food. The TV star opened up about his time in the US as he accepted an award for his success on both sides of the Atlantic at the Britweek Innovation Awards in May. The chef spoke about his move to the States, when he saw a Los Angeles Times reporter to box up a Caesar salad for takeaway. Foul-mouthed: But the star didn't mind trending on some toes after he recently credited his success in the United States to Americans knowing 'f**k all about good food' Speaking about his foul-mouthed rant to the reporter, Gordon recalled: '[The reporter] boxed a Caesar salad and I said to her, "Do you have any idea how s**t a Caesar salad tastes 24 hours later? 'What will you do with that f***ing thing?" She said, "I'm going to eat it." 'I said, "But it's been dressed. We dressed it 20 minutes ago; it's sat there for 25 minutes. Why would you eat that?" She said, "It's delicious". 'That's when I knew Americans knew f**k all about good food. Right there and then.' They have been happily engaged for nearly two years after embarking on a whirlwind romance in the Love Island villa. And Olivia Buckland says she can't wait to marry her fiance Alex Bowen as she talked about her impending nuptials in September, which will see the show's host Caroline Flack attend, while series winner Cara De La Hoyde will act as bridesmaid. In an interview with OK! Magazine, the reality star, 24, is already planning the next chapter with her hunky 27-year-old beau, revealing they want to try for a baby after a year of marital bliss. Wedding bells: Olivia Buckland says she can't wait to marry her fiance Alex Bowen as she talked about her impending nuptials in September She said: 'I could cry now. Im so emotional about everything.' 'Were having 100 in the day and 250 in the night. The day will be the lovey-dovey stuff and then the evening is a big party. 'Weve got a special musical guest and Im so excited! Its someone Ive been a fan of for years. I dont think anyone will guess as its quite random. Kids on the horizon: The reality star, 24, is already planning the next chapter with her hunky 27-year-old beau, revealing they want to try for a baby after a year of marital bliss Beautiful bride-to-be: Love Island star Olivia Buckland ended up in tears while on the hunt for a dress in emotional scenes during TLC's Say Yes to the Dress Echoing his stunning fiancee's sentiments, Alex said: 'I just want to get married now. The build up has been too much its nearly two years since we got engaged. The Birmingham scaffolder proposed during a New Year's Eve break in New York, despite only being a couple for five months. Nearly two years later, the loved-up couple have revealed their baby plans. Still going strong: The pair met on Love Island back in 2016, and became engaged in New York after a whirlwind six month engagement Olivia said: 'Weve both got so much going on with our careers, but after a year of marriage Id like to come off birth control and just see what happens. 'I want it to be natural and not too planned. He wants one now. Meanwhile, Alex added: I want two a boy and a girl. I want a boy first. Exciting: The Love Island alumni recently confirmed the pair will be releasing their own reality show Alex And Olivia Said Yes! in September For the photoshoot, the pair looked closer than ever as they cosied up in matching pyjamas inside their Essex home. Wedding plans: Read the full story in OK! Magazine- out now The Love Island alumni recently confirmed the pair will be releasing their own reality show Alex And Olivia Said Yes! in September. The new show, set to be released in September on TLC will show the lead up the couple's big day. Olivia is keeping tight-lipped about details of the wedding, but admitted that it will be in the UK so the pair's friends and family don't miss out, and they will plan a 'fab honeymoon abroad' after. Speaking to MailOnline in May, the blonde admitted she never dreamed of meeting her Mr Right on the reality show. Olivia said: 'Its the last thing I thought would happen. It is crazy to think that two years ago I was in a much different position to what I am in now. I was actually like "I hate men" when I went into the villa.' Before joking of his input in wedding planning: 'I mean, he helps out with the decision making but he usually just sits there like "What is this?" 'But he does try hard to help out and add his opinion on things.' Read the full story in OK! Magazine- out now. Shes plays a hologram in her most prominent feature to date, but there was nothing transparent about Ana de Armas as she filmed her latest project in Brazil on Sunday. The Cuban born actress, best known for her role in Blade Runner, 2049, sported an emerald green swimsuit while shooting scenes with a male co-star on a picturesque beach in Rio de Janeiro. Ana, 30, appeared to be at the heart of the action as they waded into the ocean, where cameraman filmed the actress as she straddled a surf board. What a vision: Shes plays a hologram in her most prominent feature to date, but there was nothing transparent about Ana de Armas as she filmed her latest project in Brazil on Sunday The actress later returned to the beach during a break between scenes, and she was in high spirits while mingling with members of the production team. Ana currently has two films in the pipeline, an as yet untitled Danny Boyle project and forthcoming thriller The Night Clerk, in which she stars alongside Helen Hunt and john Leguizamo. The Latina actress found fame after starring starring alongside Ryan Gosling as hologram Joi in Blade Rummer 2049. Quiet on set: Ana, 30, appeared to be at the heart of the action as they waded into the ocean, where cameraman filmed the actress as she straddled a surf board Don't mind me: The actress later returned to the beach during a break between scenes, and she was in high spirits while mingling with her co-star and members of the production team In an interview with James Corden, she talked about having hair negotiations before shooting the film, a sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 classic. 'I said can we get a wig? I'm not okay with cutting it,' she recalled telling director Denis Villeneuve when asked if they could cut and color her hair a darker colour. 'Then I met Ryan Gosling and I said 'I'm fine with anything you want to do, I just want to be in this movie.'' Striking: The Cuban born actress, best known for her role in Blade Runner, 2049, sported an emerald green swimsuit while shooting scenes The actress also admitted co-star Gosling didn't disappoint as her co-star. 'Hes wonderful,' she said in her interview with Vera Magazine. 'Hes really an amazing partner. Ive been looking at him and his work for so long that I was kind of scared. 'Its not easy to have this man in front of you, for many reasons. But hes so talented, and hard-working and professional. And he set the mood on set every day, bringing a charming sensitivity and humor.' Success: The Latina actress found fame after starring starring alongside Ryan Gosling as hologram Joi in Blade Rummer 2049 They're one of Made In Chelsea's strongest couples. And despite only being together officially since Christmas, Harry Baron and Melissa Tattam have insisted they are going from strength-to-strength. The pair have, this year, moved in together, and even talked marriage to OK! Magazine in the latest issue of the publication. 'We get each other': Despite only being together officially since Christmas, Harry Baron and Melissa Tattam have insisted they are going from strength-to-strength Melissa has sent me a photo of the engagement ring she wants its 150,000. Ill have to remortgage my life!' Harry quipped. 'Although she jokes, theres a serious element to it. The pair were introduced by a mutual friend and went on their first date in November last year. By December they were officially a couple and in May this year Harry moved into Melissas Chelsea flat Harry is the easiest person and Im quite difficult. I couldnt date myself! Hes hilarious too Im constantly in stitches,' Melissa gushed about the one-time Lothario. Laugh a minute: The pair were introduced by a mutual friend and went on their first date in November last year Jokes: Harry is the easiest person and Im quite difficult. I couldnt date myself! Hes hilarious too Im constantly in stitches,' Melissa gushed about the one-time Lothario 'This is the first relationship Ive had where we completely get each other,' he added. Harry first bowled into Chelsea last spring, appearing then in the summer season in Ibiza, stirring up trouble between Jamie Laing and Frankie Gaff, and upsetting Emily Blackwell, whom he was seeing at the time. But Harry insists he's not the Casanova people presume he is. Moving fast: The pair have, this year, moved in together, and even talked marriage to OK! Magazine in the latest issue of the publication Everyone thinks I was hooking up with girls left, right and centre, but it wasnt like that. Im actually a relationship person,' he said. Melissa added: He had a serious two-year relationship before. People seem to think hes been single his whole life. A year on from Ibiza and Made In Chelsea is set to return next week with a new summer series, this time set in Croatian resort, Hvar. Yet the trailer spells trouble for Harry, who is seen dealing with the fallout from a wild boys' trip to Las Vegas, which he went with Sam Thompson to. Although it's left vague in the trailer, it seems he is accused of straying from Melissa - something he is seen vehenmently denying. The teaser features a moment when Jamie shows up with the alleged girl Harry disappeared off with - but the fallout of that is as yet unknown. The full interview features in the 7 August edition of OK! Magazine. She has been holidaying in Ibiza with her Made In Chelsea pal Emily Blackwell. And Georgia Toffolo looked a little weary-eyed as she touched down in Gatwick Airport in the early hours of Monday morning after her rowdy girls' holiday. The reality star, 23, cut a casual figure in a black hoodie as she navigated her way through the arrivals terminals. Feeling tired? Georgia Toffolo looked a little weary-eyed as she touched down in Gatwick Airport in the early hours of Monday morning after her rowdy girls' holiday in Ibiza Georgia put on a leggy display in the black hoodie, accentuating her toned pins with a chunky pair of straw heels. Clearly still in holiday mode, the petite blonde slung a wicker bag across her shoulder and donned a pair of headphones, later telling fans on Twitter she had listened to 18 hours of Jilly Cooper audiobooks in the past four days. She styled her new bob in a sleek straight look and opted for a minimal make-up look for the flight. Having fun: Her arrival, comes after Georgia shared a snap with co-star Emily Blackwell in a beach bar, with the television personality captioned the post: 'Bad influence @EmilyBlackwell' Low-key: The reality star, 23, cut a casual figure in a black hoodie as she navigated her way through the arrivals terminals Her arrival in the UK, comes after Georgia shared an insight into her girl's holiday on Instagram as they stayed at popular celeb hotspot, Wi-Ki-Woo Hotel. Sharing a snap with co-star Emily in a beach bar, the television personality captioned the post: 'Bad influence @EmilyBlackwell.' The pair, who were joined by a group of girl pals, looked like they were having the time of their life on their sunny weekend break, heading out on a boat trip as well as soaking up the sun on a roof terrace. It's a date! Last week, the This Morning co-presenter was spotted enjoying dinner with I'm A Celebrity co-star Jack Maynard, sparking rumours they were on a date They've got history! The disgraced Youtuber previously gushed about the Made In Chelsea star and while he claimed they 'got on great', he insisted the pair were just 'friends' Toff has made waves in the great and the good of the showbiz world, landing an envy-inducing post on This Morning earlier this year after winning I'm A Celeb. Before making it big, the reality star kick-started her television career with her on-going stint on Made In Chelsea, where she met her pal Emily, 21. Despite her known penchant for the smooth talking charm of older politicians, it seems Toff may be trying her luck with men on the television scene. Ahead of her Ibiza trip, the This Morning co-presenter was spotted enjoying dinner with I'm A Celebrity co-star Jack Maynard, sparking rumours they were on a date. Georgia was seen giggling away as she chatted to the disgraced YouTuber over the course of the evening. The pair hit it off in the jungle, but their chances of developing a romance on the show was cut short when the hunk got the boot. I'm A Celeb's Jack was kicked off the show after historic tweets using racist and homophobic language came to light which he later apologised for. However a spokesperson for Georgia Toffolo shut down rumours of a blossoming romance between the two, informing MailOnline they are just friends. They mourned the death of their daughter Katie 26 years ago - and Liz and Jim McDonald are set to reunite at her grave in upcoming Coronation Street scenes. The former couple, who have been on and off again for years, can be seen together once again, following Jim's release from prison for armed robbery in 2011. But in a shock twist, it has been reported that Katie is alive and well, but has been adopted and living in Australia, with her name has been changed to Hannah. Back on the cobbes: Liz and Jim McDonald reunite at daughter's grave following his release from prison in upcoming Corrie scenes... as its revealed she's ALIVE An Australian actress called Hannah Ellis is going to be taking on the role. MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Coronation Street for comment. While Liz has always mourned the supposed death of her daughter, it appears she was unaware that she has been alive all along. In emotional scenes, Liz can be seen looking mournful as she takes a large bunch of flowers to Katie's grave before bumping into Jim. Good pals: Wearing a pink T-shirt and jeans, Beverley Callard, the actress who plays her, can be seen giggling with the actor who plays Jim, Charles Lawson, outside of filming Emotional scenes: Liz can be seen looking mournful as she takes a large bunch of flowers to Katie's grave before bumping into Jim Wearing a pink T-shirt and jeans, Beverley Callard, the actress who plays her, can be seen giggling with the actor who plays Jim, Charles Lawson, outside of filming. Katie was born prematurely in 1992 and placed in an incubator and was believed to have passed away. But according to The Sun, there was a mix-up at the hospital and Katie was indeed alive and adopted by a couple who moved to Australia and renamed Hannah. They report: 'When she turned 18 she tracked down her real father Jim via his military records.' Co-star: Kate Ford, who plays Tracy Barlow on the show tweeted this picture of Hannah Ellis, who is thought to be taking on the role of Katie The couple are also parents to twins Steve and Andy, (although only Steve, played by Simon Gregson, remains in the soap.) The show's producer Kate Oates told Metro: 'We have some amazing stuff with Jim McDonald. 'Hes going to be coming back with a lot of resentment because of what Steve did from his point of view, he has been rotting in prison and no-one cares.' On Thursday, Kate Ford shared a picture of herself and Hannah. She wrote: 'So pleased to be filming with the new girl on the block @HannahEllisRyan welcome! Playing Hannah!' More to come: The show's producer Kate Oates told Metro: 'We have some amazing stuff with Jim McDonald' They have been cruising around the Mediterranean on her father's 100million super yacht, stopping off in Capri, Ithaki and Mykonos. And Chloe Green and her Hot Felon beau Jeremy Meeks celebrated their one-year anniversary in the place where their 'love story began' in Turkey on Monday. The Topshop heiress, 27, who welcomed her newborn son Jayden with the 34-year-old in May, continued to fuel rumours she is engaged as she flaunted her jaw-dropping diamond ring on her wedding ring finger in an Instagram snap. One year on: Chloe Green and Jeremy Meeks celebrated their one-year anniversary in Turkey on Monday, with the heiress flashing her jaw-dropping diamond ring in a loved-up selfie Chloe's sparkler was hard to miss, glistening in the sunshine as she cosied up to the heavily-inked model in the loved-up selfie. In a gushing declaration, Jeremy gushed: 'We always have the most amazing time in Turkey love you Baby' alongside several love heart emojis. Mere minutes earlier, the new mum shared a black and white snap of the pair on her own social media page, captioning the post: 'Back to where our love story began... a year later and stronger than ever I love you' Gushing post: Mere minutes earlier, the new mum shared her own black and white snap of the pair on her own social media page, captioning it: 'Back to where our love story began' Family time: Chloe has been littering her Instagram page with snaps of her holiday on her father Sir Philip's super yacht The happy couple have sparked rumours they are engaged after the former Made In Chelsea star was spotted flashing the diamond ring on her wedding finger earlier this month, and has been wearing it throughout the family break. Next step? The couple have sparked rumours they are engaged after Chloe has been wearing the sparkler non-stop this month Chloe and Jeremy have previously denied they are engaged, after Chloe was spotted wearing another dazzling diamond ring on numerous occasions. However, this new, much larger sparkling rock will surely set tongues wagging once again. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Chloe Green and Jeremy Meeks for comment. During their lavish holiday, Chloe has been littering her Instagram page with snaps of her holiday aboard her father Sir Philip's super yacht. Earlier in the day, the brown-haired beauty shared a snap of her indulging in a cocktail with her mum Tina, captioning it 'Mummy & Daughter'. Engaged? The happy couple have sparked rumours they are engaged after the former Made In Chelsea star was spotted flashing the diamond ring on her wedding finger earlier this month The socialite showed off her incredible post-baby body in a semi sheer white linen kaftan which she layered atop a hot pink bikini. Chloe and Jeremy took to Instagram in June to reveal they had welcomed their first child together, a baby boy called Jayden Meeks-Green, who was born on May 29th, as they shared a sweet photo of them holding hands with him. Chloe had kept her pregnancy under wraps until June, when she unveiled her baby bump during a holiday on her father Sir Phillip's super yacht in Monaco, confirming the baby rumours. Tight-knit family: Chloe's dad Sir Philip Green has welcomed the criminal-turned-model into the family, with Jeremy joining the clan on their luxury holidays The 'Hot Felon' became a father for the second time, already dad to his eight-year-old son Jeremy Jr. whom he co-parents with his ex-wife Melissa Meeks. Chloe and Jeremy's controversial romance sent shockwaves through the showbiz world when saucy pictures of the couple locking lips on Philip's yacht emerged last summer, leaving Melissa devastated. Meeks has grafted a flourishing career in modelling, taking to catwalks all over the world, after his 2014 mug shot went viral on Facebook and Twitter with admirers gushing over his chiseled face and dreamy blue eyes. Stockton Police Department shared the unlikely stunning snap after he was arrested on weapons charges amid a gang sweep and later handed a prison sentence of 27 months in connection with the incident. Tara Pavlovic has sparked rumours that she's moved on from her ex-fiance Sam Cochrane after spending time with a mystery man. In an Instagram photo shared by Tara and obtained by Mamamia , a shirtless hunk can be seen making some food in what appears to be Tara's kitchen. The suspicious snap hit social media after Sam was spotted partying with blonde beauty Cass Wood. New man? Tara Pavlovic sparked rumours that she's moved on from Sam Cochrane after sharing an image of a shirtless hunk in her apartment on Sunday night Cass is an actress and one of the stars on the upcoming sixth season of The Bachelor. Sam, 31, is currently in Bali with former Bachelor In Paradise co-star Luke McLeod, which is where the pair were spotted partying with Cass. The video was simply captioned: 'Oh yeah', and features another female companion giggling along next to the stunning blonde. What would Honey Badger say? Sam Cochrane shared a video to Instagram Stories on Sunday in which he was seen partying with upcoming Bachelor contestant Cass Wood Cass is about to appear on the latest season of the dating show, beginning August 15, in which she will compete for the affections of Nick 'Honey Badger' Cummins. As her appearance has not yet begun airing, it is unclear how far she gets in the competition. However it was recently revealed that the soon-to-be reality star and Honey Badger knew one another before she appeared on the program. On with the show: Miss World Australia NSW Finalist Cass is about to appear on the latest season of the dating show, beginning August 9 On his radar: Cass will compete for the affections of Nick 'Honey Badger' Cummins (pictured) Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Sam Cochrane and Cass Wood for comment. On Saturday, Sam revealed he is in Toraja Bambu, Bali, writing on Instagram: Another day in absolute paradise! The most beautiful people ever. Thank you @thebalibible for letting @luke.mcleod and I have the best adventure. Another day another bath'. Last weekend, the former Bachelorette star was revelling in female attention while attending Byron Bay's Splendour in the Grass festival on Saturday and Sunday. Bachelor lifestyle! Sam Cochrane shared a kiss with two blondes as he embraced the single life at Byron Bay's Splendour in the Grass festival following his split with fiancee Tara Pavlovic Party time! Sam was a hit at Splendour In The Grass last weekend. Pictured: Sam with a group of young female fans His wild weekend came a month after his heartbreaking split with ex-fiancee Tara Pavlovic, 28, was announced. Sam was pictured cosying up to two mystery blondes on Instagram after the festival came to an end. In the photo, the women each planted a kiss on Sam's cheeks as he smiled for the camera. Sam proposed to Tara during the Bachelor in Paradise finale, which was filmed in Fiji last year and aired in late April. They were catapulted into stardom after appearing in 2007 comedy Superbad together. And now Emma Stone, 29, and Jonah Hill, 34, have been reunited on screen once again for new mind bending Netflix mini-series Maniac, which follows two strangers who end up 'caught in a mind-bending pharmaceutical trial gone awry'. The new trailer of the upcoming show was released over the weekend as part of the Television Critics Association press tour and gave fans of the Oscar winner and nominee a first look at their kooky new roles. Sitting across from each other in an all white environment, the pair stared deep into one another's eyes clad in their grey boiler suits as a voiceover begins. The narrator starts: 'Once you begin to appreciate the structure of the mind, there is no reason to believe that anything about us that can't be changed. 'The mind, can be solved.' The room soon takes a trippy turn as shots are filtered with hues of cobalt blue, bright green and red as a melodic hum of 'One, two, three, one, two, three' begins bellowing over. Stars: Emma Stone, 29, and Jonah Hill, 34, have been reunited on screen once again for new mind bending Netflix mini-series Maniac, which follows two strangers who end up 'caught in a mind-bending pharmaceutical trial gone awry' Sterile: The new trailer of the upcoming show was released over the weekend as part of the Television Critics Association press tour and gave fans of the Oscar winner and nominee a first look at their kooky new roles Maniac is a limited series from director Cary Fukunaga, known for Beasts of No Nation and the first season of True Detective. Jonah stars opposite Stone, Sonoya Mizuno, and Justin Theroux in the series, which was penned by Patrick Somerville. The show is set to hit the streaming service on September 21, and is based on the Norwegian television series of the same name by Hakon Bast Mossige. Coming soon: Sitting across from each other in an all white environment, the pair stared deep into one another's eyes clad in their grey boiler suits as a voiceover begins Mixing it up: The show is set to hit the streaming service on September 21, and is based on the Norwegian television series of the same name by Hakon Bast Mossige 'Set in a world somewhat like our own and similar to our time, Maniac tells the stories of Annie Landsberg (Stone) and Owen Milgrim (Hill), two strangers drawn to the late stages of a mysterious pharmaceutical trial, each for their own reasons,' explains Deadline about the plot. The pair first worked together on Judd Apartow's 2007 hit comedy Superbad, which saw them play love interests Seth and Jules. Both have gone on to receive much success in Hollywood since then with Emma winning an Academy Award in 2017 for her role in musical La La Land. While Jonah himself was recognised by the Academy for his turns in The Wolf of Wall Street and Moneyball, but has failed to win an Oscar yet. Then: The pair first worked together on Judd Apartow's 2007 hit comedy Superbad, which saw them play love interests Seth and Jules (Pictured in Superbad) He's a father-of-two who's considered royalty in the world of interior design. So style guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen could make the perfect candidate to decorate a nursery for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's firstborn. And based on his experience designing rooms for tots in his own family, the House Rules star has offered some typically flamboyant design suggestions for the future royal. 'I've decorated some nurseries with very scary dragons!' House Rules' Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has offered some typically flamboyant design suggestions for the future royal 'My grandson has been living in a nursery that I've decorated with some very scary dragons,' he told Yahoo Be on Monday. Having planned parties for Harry's mother Princess Diana, the 53 year-old said that sophistication is a great asset when designing a child's room. 'I always think that actually you shouldn't dumb down design just because a kid's a kid, children have a very receptive eye!' he explained. 'You shouldn't dumb down design!' Having planned parties for Harry's mother Princess Diana, the 53 year-old declared sophistication is a great asset when designing a child's room While the interiors guru is currently focusing his energies as a judge for the Seven renovation show, Laurence recently revealed a chance audition could have drastically altered the course of his career. During an interview on The Morning Show on Tuesday, he revealed he was asked to screen-test for a role in The Devil Wears Prada alongside Meryl Streep. 'I was asked to audition for the role of Nigel which apparently Lauren [Weisberger] who wrote the book had me in mind when she wrote it,' Laurence declared. Role of a lifetime: During an interview on The Morning Show on Tuesday, he revealed he was asked to screen-test for a part in The Devil Wears Prada alongside Meryl Streep 'I was asked to screen test and I refused to go to Los Angeles so they had to screen test me in Rome and I was absolute rubbish,' he continued After he failed to impress, the role of the fictional art director went to actor Stanley Tucci. Laurence also revealed he went on to meet up with Stanley two years after the movie was released in 2006. 'I remember having dinner with Stanley Tucci and just thinking, 'Thank god I got that so wrong,' because he was so good,' Laurence concluded. Advertisement Love Island brought record-breaking viewing figures for ITV2 this year, with the first show in June bringing in a huge 2.9 million viewers. And bookies are so certain that Jack Fincham, 26, and Dani Dyer, 22, are set to take the crown and the 50,000 prize money that they have already been paying out to customers who placed bets on them. Monday night's Love Island final looks like a cake-walk for Jack and Dani, with Paddy Power rating the couple as huge 1/14 favourites for the 50,000 prize. In fact, the bookies are so convinced that the pair will win that they paid out on the result last week. Customers feel similarly, as Jack and Dani have received ten times the number of bets than any other couple meaning the firms early pay-out prompted a windfall of hundreds of thousands for bettors. Moreover, Twitter has revealed that the whole series was the subject of 11.5 million Tweets. Dani and Jack closely followed by Wes and Laura were the most discussed couples of the entire series. With the show's finale airing on Monday evening, MailOnline takes a look back at some of the show's defining moments from 2018. Ofcom receiving 2,600 complaints over Dani's heartache Not impressed: Ofcom received 2600 complaints after Dani Dyer was left heartbroken over her belief that Jack Fincham had his head turned when his ex arrived in Casa Amor in this year's Love Island - but he had remained true to her Not nice at all: Dani was shown the clip of Jack saying: 'Oh my god' when he first clapped his eyes on Ellie, leaving her fearful she would be dumped - but they survived the test of time and bookies have already hailed them the winners Naughty boy: Ellie Jones dated Jack on and off for two years but he admitted that he didn't treat her very well Producers were no doubt rubbing their hands together with glee with Jack's ex, Ellie Jones, 22, went into Casa Amor, threatening to ruin their picture perfect romance, in the ultimate test. Jack's head refused to be turned, but despite this, Dani was shown misleading footage which led her to believe Jack was more into his ex than he was when he kept saying: "Oh my god!" when she walked into Casa Amor. Cue 2,600 complaints from the public to Ofcom, after Dani cried non-stop for two days, but the government-approved regulatory service decided not to uphold the complaints. But all was well as Dani learned that Jack was her Prince Charming after all. Alex's sunburn Call the r! He might working in A&E, but Alex George clearly didn't see the medical benefits of wearing Factor 50 as fans urged the contestant to seek medical attention after he turned a worrying shade of beetroot Who is the odds-on winner of Love Island? 1/14 Jack and Dani 13/2 Paul and Laura 14/1 Josh and Kaz 16/1 Wes and Megan Advertisement He might be a doctor working in A&E, but Alex George, 27, clearly didn't see the medical benefits of wearing Factor 50 as fans urged the contestant to seek medical attention after he turned a worrying shade of beetroot. They wrote things like: 'someone get the poor hun some Hawaiian Tropic factor 90... Im really concerned for Alexs sunburn tbh #LoveIsland... @LoveIsland I'm not sure if Alex is a Knight in Shining Armour - he's more a Knight in Shiny Sunburn. #loveisland...' An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We have an ongoing supply of suncreams (up to Factor 50) within the villa and the Islanders are always encouraged and reminded to apply suncream and rehydrate at regular intervals throughout the day.' On Sunday night's show, Alex's sunburn was brought up by Alexandra Cane's mother as she said: 'You don't look as red in real life as you do on screen.' Talk about burn. Sorry, Alex... no pun intended. Hayleys Brexit chat Is she joking? Hayley Hughes shocked when she said she didn't 'have a clue' about what the word Brexit meant, before asking: 'So does that mean we won't have any trees?' Are EU for real? Last week, the Liverpudlian continued to try and widen her political knowledge, when she met with former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, 54, for a lunch date on behalf of This Morning but she still didn't know what the EU is In a conversation that made viewers terrified of the education of the nation, a naive Hayley Hughes, 21, shocked when she said she didn't 'have a clue' about what the word Brexit meant, before asking: 'So does that mean we won't have any trees?' Following the gaffe, she was invited onto the politics show and given the chance to quiz journalist Adam Fleming alongside Brexiteer Nigel Farage and Remainer Alastair Campbell. Last week, the Liverpudlian continued to try and widen her political knowledge, when she met with former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, 54, for a lunch date on behalf of This Morning. But she proved she hasn't done much reading up on the matter since she went on the show as she said: 'So what is the EU?' EU joking? Georgia is dumped by Josh after remaining 'loyal' to him Oh no! The couples' loyalty was put to the test when the girls and boys were split up and put in different villas - and while Georgia Steel (right) remained faithful to her then partner, Josh, (left) he fell head over heels for Kazimir Crossley (left) The couples' loyalty was put to the test when the girls and boys were split up and put in different villas - and while Georgia Steel, 20, remained faithful to her then partner, Josh, 26, he fell head over heels for Kazimir Crossley, 23. For two days, Georgia panicked over whether or not Josh would stay true to her... and he didn't. As she waited to see if he would walk back into the villa alone or with someone else, she was publicly humiliated to see him walk in with Kaz, with Georgia asking him: 'How could you? I was loyal to you.' Georgia later coupled up with Sam Bird, 25, and left the villa with him, while Josh and Kaz made it through to the final. Eyal snogging Megan in front of Alex Smoochy: Megan Barton-Hanson kissed Eyal Booker in front of Alex, with him branding the move 'rude and desperate' She might be in love with Wes Nelson, 20, now but Megan Barton-Hanson, 24, nearly ended up with Dr Alex. A steamy game of Dares between the islanders sees the unlucky-in-love medic get a kiss from the blonde bombshell, but viewers accused Eyal Booker, 22, of being a 'snake' behaviour after he snogged Megan in front of his rival. A fuming Alex said: 'It felt a bit rude and desperate. You came over, smooched and then walked away. I found it so disrespectful. I always think you treat people how you want to be treated. I wouldnt have done it.' Eyal responded: 'I didnt see him there. It wasnt malicious. It was done for me to reassure Megan Im into her. It was the moment we were in.' He subsequently got booted off the show after having sex with Megan and she swiftly dumped him saying their attraction was purely physical. Adam is branded the ultimate love rat Take that look off your face: Adam Collard was deemed the ultimate love rat during his time on Love Island and branded a 'sociopath' after he smirked when Rosie (centre) broke down in tears, after she nabbed him from Kendall Rae Knight (right) No lessons learned: Adam later moved on with Zara McDermott (right) before kissing Darylle Sargeant (right) as soon as she left the villa Who is being tweeted about? Most discussed couples in relation to winning the show, in the past week: 1. Dani AND Jack 2. Josh AND Kaz 3. Laura AND Paul Advertisement He coupled up with Kendall Rae Knight, 26, after stealing her from Niall Aslam, 23. Adam then ditched her for Rosie Williams, 26, before leaving her for Zara McDermott, 20, who got booted off the island, before Adam snogged Darylle Sargeant, 24, before dating Zara again. But even Holly Willoughby slammed 'narcissist and sociopath' Adam over his smirk in the house when things ended with a heartbroken Rosie: 'Smirking isn't good. And making her feel like she's going mad I hate that.' Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of Womens Aid, said: 'On the latest series of Love Island, there are clear warning signs in Adams behaviour.' 'In a relationship, a partner questioning your memory of events, trivialising your thoughts or feelings, and turning things around to blame you can be part of pattern of gaslighting and emotional abuse. 'Rosie called out Adam's unacceptable behaviour on the show. We ask viewers to join her in recognising unhealthy behaviour in relationships and speaking out against all forms of domestic abuse emotional as well as physical.' Adam later said the show was edited and his facial expression was taken out of context. Jack asks Dani to be his girlfriend. What a man! Single men and women everywhere breathed a sigh of relief when Jack passed the test at Casa Amor and stood by Dani, realising that he loved her and wanted to make things official Single men and women everywhere breathed a sigh of relief when Jack passed the test at Casa Amor and stood by Dani, realising that he loved her and wanted to make things official. After three weeks together in the villa, Jack was eager to take the next steps in their relationship. Jack told Dani: 'You mean more to me now. Before I knew I really liked you, but this time it's different. 'I told you, I've really got feelings for you. Honestly, I meant it. I mean it. I really do feel like it's the start of something with us two. Yeah, I do.' He said the 'L' word shortly after and has since asked her to move in with him AND won the approval of her parents. 'I'm loyal, I am'... but you're not, are you? Not that loyal? Laura Anderson (left) was left fuming over BFF Georgia Steel's (right) lack of loyalty when she said she kissed her man, Jack Fowler despite not fancying him Fuming: Ellie Brown famously clashed with Georgia over her lies and was forced to apologise to her after calling her an 'ugly c***t Disclaimer: Georgia has since claimed she thought she was telling the truth and that she did not grab Jack for a kiss (see the moment she grabbed Jack for a kiss) So loyal: Georgia pictured arriving at Manchester Piccadilly train station, ahead of getting on the train back to London on Monday has maintained she meant well Georgia bandied around the phrase 'I'm loyal' in the house, like she was hoping to get her own line of slogan T-shirts, but her words turned out to be without merit. After Laura Anderson, 29, was dumped by Wes for Megan, leading her to recouple with new Jack, Georgia told Laura she didn't fancy her man, before going on to grab his face for a kiss. She later told Laura he kissed her but Jack revealed it was the other way around, leading viewers to be up in arms about her lying ways. Disclaimer: Georgia has since claimed she thought she was telling the truth. The whole fracas caused Ellie Jones, 20, and Georgie to have an explosive argument in the kitchen, with her having to apologise for calling her fellow contestant an 'ugly c***'. Alexandra telling Paul she wants to kiss him on the terrace Awkward: Alexandra told newbie Paul that she wanted to kiss him but he politely rejected her advances She was left red-faced after Alex decided he was 'just not that into her' so Alexandra Cane, 27, made a move on newcomer Paul Knops, 31, knowing that she was up against Laura for his affections. Taking him onto the terrace for a chat, she said: 'I'd like to kiss you,' before she was very politely rejected by the 31-year-old carpenter. Laura later found out about the attempted kiss during a task and Alexandra told her: 'Im so embarrassed. Im actually cringing at myself for even saying it. And I just wanted to sweep it under the carpet, because I cant even believe in myself that I said those words.' Alex drops his own (fake) baby Ouch! Alex fell over and dropped his own fake baby while racing Jack in the house, during a test to see how well he would fare as a parent The Islanders were tasked with looking after crying dolls to see how they would fare as parents, but with the girls sent on a day out, the boys seemed to struggle without their partners to help them out. None more so than Alex who indulged in a pushchair race with old Jack, which saw him fall over and cut his knee, sending his fake first-born flying into the sky and ensuring he and Alexandra failed their parts of the challenge. Megan steals Wes from Laura... before dumping him for new Alex... before dumping him for Wes You've got to kiss a lot of frogs: Megan kissed Eyal, Alex and Dean while trying to work out who she should be with Awkward: Few may remember Dr Alex had wanted to couple up with Megan but their peck on the cheek didn't amount to much Moving on: She temporarily fell for Alex Miller, leaving Wes heartbroken when she recoupled with him She started off in a love triangle with old Alex and Eyal, before shocking Laura by stealing her man Wes from her. But having broken Laura's heart, Megan split from Wes to recouple with new Alex, but not before she smooched Dean just in case, before heading back to Alex. Viewers were left shocked when Wes returned from Casa Amor after remaining loyal to Megan, only to see her leave him for Alex, with viewers branding her the ultimate snake. But she soon realised her heart belonged to Wes and the two went official before declaring their love, with Megan winning over the public by revealing her insecurities and how much Wes had changed her. She's enjoying an idyllic Greek island break with her boyfriend Ryan Thomas, 34, and his daughter Scarlett, nine. And Lucy Mecklenburgh shared a sizzling snap on Instagram as she prepared for a day at the Minos Beach Art Hotel in Crete on Monday. The former TOWIE star, 26, displayed her toned and tanned figure in an eye-catching string leopard print bikini. Wild thing: Lucy Mecklenburgh shared a sizzling snap as she posed in a leopard print bikini during a relaxing day at the Minos Beach Art Hotel in Crete on Monday The TV personality shielded her eyes with a pair of elaborate sunglasses and styled her brunette bob into a sleek, straight 'do. Lucy captioned her sizzling selfie: 'Mondays arent that bad,' followed by a laughing emoji, before adding: 'Beach day' and a range of holiday emojis. The Essex beauty accentuated her striking features with minimal make-up as she made the most of her well-earned break. Lucy has been holidaying in Greece with her on-off beau Ryan Thomas, and his daughter Scarlett, nine, who he shares with his ex-girlfriend of six years, former Corrie star Tina O'Brien, 34. Wow! The former TOWIE star, 26, displayed her toned and tanned figure in the string bikini, which featured gold chain detailing Gorgeous: Lucy shielded her eyes with a pair of elaborate sunglasses and styled her brunette bob into a sleek, straight 'do Lucy and Ryan met while filming Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls in May 2017. The pair had a furious row last month, after Lucy accused the father-of-one of getting close to a model on a night out in Manchester. Ryan was said to have furiously denied the rumours and convinced Lucy to try again. A source told The Sun at the time: 'Who knows what will happen long-term, but for now things they seem determined to smooth it over.' Quality time: Lucy has been holidaying in Greece with her on-off beau Ryan Thomas, and his daughter Scarlett, nine It has been claimed that Ryan has been offered a six figure sum to appear on the forthcoming series of Celebrity Big Brother when it returns to Channel 5 next month. The actor is said to be bellowing in the footsteps of his reality star brothers, Adam and Scott Thomas, to join the likes of Gabby Allen, Brendan Cole, Thomas Markle and Stormy Daniels in the line-up. According to The Sun, Ryan 'has been offered big money' to go on the long-running reality series. Ryan's spokesperson and a representative for Celebrity Big Brother have been approached for comment by MailOnline. Demi Moore roasted her ex-husband Bruce Willis during a surprise appearance on Sunday on the Comedy Central event honoring the Hollywood action star. The 55-year-old actress didn't hold back with the put downs. And the Charlie's Angels star managed to shock the crowd with a Harvey Weinstein joke. Yikes: Demi Moore roasted her ex-husband Bruce Willis during a surprise appearance on Sunday on the Comedy Central event and shocked people with a Harvey Weinstein sex joke She recalled enjoying 'special moments' together during their marriage including a 'career moment' for Bruce when he was cast in Pulp Fiction. Demi said she thought it was odd that the action star was pursuing the 'little indie'. 'Bruce went to Harvey Weinstein's hotel, ...and he came back swinging that ball gag, and then he said, "I got the part'',' Demi said referencing the disgraced Hollywood producer. Heading to the slammer: Harvey faces life in prison following three sexual assault charges in NYC. Seen on July 9 in NYC at the NY Supreme Court Harvey faces life in prison following three sexual assault charges in NYC. Cybill Shepherd's mouth dropped and others looked uncomfortable. Demi was introduced by roastmaster Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 37, and Bruce, 63, admitted that he was surprised. 'I knew he would be. Even though I went over everything with yesterday, I knew he'd forget,' joked Demi. Still pals: Tallulah Willis, Bruce, Rumer Willis, Ashton Kutcher and Demi in 2007 The joke: 'Bruce went to Harvey Weinstein's hotel, ...and he came back swinging that ball gag, and then he said, "I got the part'',' Demi said referencing the disgraced Hollywood producer. The movie she was talking about was Pulp Fiction She gave the audience some insight on her marriage to the actor from 1987 to 2000. 'I was married to Bruce for the first three Die Hard movies, which makes sense because the last two sucked,' Demi quipped. The roast was a family affair as their daughters Rumer, 29, Scout, 26, and Tallulah, 24, were also in the audience. Demi told the crowd they argued over what to name their children and that Bruce won. Hollywood star: The 63-year-old actor was roasted by friends and comics during the show 'That's how you got stuck with Willis,' she deadpanned to her daughters. Demi told the audience that Bruce always has been 'really generous' and used to offer her $1,000 to change Rumer's diaper when it was his turn so he wouldn't have to do it. She then joked that Scout recently told her that Bruce offered her $1,000 to change his diaper. Family affair: Tallulah and Scout watched the roast from the audience Good one: Scout joined her sisters at the roast honoring their father Action films: The action star laughed as he was made the butt of jokes Movie references: Demi said their marriage was like The Sixth Sense as Bruce was 'dead the whole time' Demi said she considers their marriage even with its ups and downs as some of the best times in her life. 'I look at our marriage like The Sixth Sense. You were dead the whole time,' she said. Demi ended her remarks by saying she was honored to be there. She told Bruce that he was a 'great friend, great father and easily one of my top three husbands.' The Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis featured a dais of Nikki Glaser, Jeff Ross, Edward Norton, Lil Rel Howery, Dennis Rodman, Martha Stewart, Cybill Shepherd, Dom Irrera and Kevin Pollak. Top three: The 55-year-old actress said Bruce was among her top three husbands The roastmaster: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 37, hosted the roast 'I don't know any of these people. Literally, you have like no friends,' Comedy Central star Nikki, 34, told Bruce during her turn to roast him. 'This is a real personal moment for me, to be here roasting my dead cousin's second-favorite action star. You had an amazing action film career until Jason Statham started balding,' Nikki added. Kevin, 60, who starred with Bruce in The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel as well Hostage, wondered why Bruce allowed himself to be roasted. Comedy star: Nikki Glaser told Bruce that he doesn't have any friends Worked together: Kevin Pollak who has starred with Bruce in several films also roasted his pal Singing career: The actor joined others in teasing Bruce about his singing career 'If you wanted to be humiliated, clearly we both know you could've just released another singing album,' Kevin said referencing the actor's two 1980s albums. Cybill, 68, who starred with Bruce in Moonlighting, said she was happy to see him. 'The last time I saw your face, I was shopping for movies at the gas station,' Cybill said. Dramedy star: Cybill Shepherd who starred with Bruce in Moonlighting joined in on the fun Gas station: The actress said she last saw Bruce's face while shopping for movies at the gas station She also poked fun of his acting ability and said he's been in '96 movies' with just using one facial expression. 'Our characters on Moonlighting weren't much of a stretch. I played a former model, which I was, and Bruce played an a**hole, which he is,' Cybill said. Jeff Ross, 52, known as The Roastmaster General, lived up to his reputation as an insult comic of the highest order. Insult comic: Jeff Ross lived up to his reputation as The Roastmaster General Top honor: Martha Stewart joined the stars who paid tribute to Bruce by roasting him He said that Bruce 'wants an Oscar so bad, he's slowly morphing into one'. The comic also blasted Bruce's latest thriller movie Death Wish saying it looked as if Bruce did his 'own stunts, lighting, editing and directing'. Jeff said he was looking forward to Bruce's next movie 'Die Hard 6: Natural Causes'. Loving it: The actor took all the jokes in stride and laughed heartily Fight Club star Edward, 48, wondered how Bruce became a 'global movie star' before praising him. Edward is directing Motherless Brooklyn while co-starring along with Bruce, Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Leslie Mann, Bobby Cannavale and Alec Baldwin. The thriller is due out in 2019. Oscar nominee: Edward Norton wondered how Bruce became a 'global movie star' Bruce got the last laugh as he made fun of everyone on the dais. He said it was the same situation as his movies where he gets beat up for an hour and a half and 'at the end come back and whip everyone's ass'. Bruce also took the opportunity to declare that 'Die Hard is not a Christmas movie' and clarified that 'it's a god-damned Bruce Willis movie.' Last laugh: Bruce got the last laugh and played his harmonica as the roast ended Her character Tiffany Butcher has been at the centre of plenty of drama since returning to Albert Square earlier this year. And EastEnders actress Maisie Smith looked set to cause more controversy as she arrived on set in Elstree, Borehamwood, on Monday. The 16-year-old star donned her character's trademark school uniform as joined her co-stars Tilly Keeper (Louise Mitchell) and Jamie Borthwick (Jay Brown) for a day of filming. EastEnders: Maisie Smith, who plays Tiffany Butcher, wore her character's school uniform as she arrived on set for filming in Borehamwood on Monday Tilly, 20, rocked a skintight black vest and tracksuit bottoms while Jamie, 24, looked dapper in a suit. The pair were spotted heading off to Nando's to grab some lunch during a break in filming, while Maisie was seen sipping on an iced coffee drink. Maisie, who was just six when she joined the soap in 2008, made an explosive return to the series in January as the daughter of Bianca Jackson. Double trouble: The 16-year-old star was joined her co-stars Tilly Keeper (Louise Mitchell) and Jamie Borthwick (Jay Brown) for a day of filming Feeling peckish? The teenage star was spotted carrying a Nando's bag as she grabbed some food during a break in filming She originally left the show in 2014 when Bianca decided to set up a new life for her family in Milton Keynes. Producers promised she would 'instantly cause chaos' when she landed on Whitney's doorstep. And the teenager has certainly been making headlines, stealing the limelight when she shared a smooch with Bernadette Taylor, played by Clair Norris, in May. Here she is: Maisie, who was just six when she joined the soap in 2008, made an explosive return to the series in January as the daughter of Bianca Jackson Rising star: She originally left the show in 2014 when Bianca decided to set up a new life for her family in Milton Keynes Viewers went wild as they watched Bernie and Tiff kiss during a game of Spin the Bottle, leaving the teens with two very different reactions to the intimate smooch. All the teens descended on E20, where they played a round of Spin the Bottle, to have a drink in memory of their late friend Shakil Kazemi (Shaheen Jafargholi). While Tiff and Bernie initially resist packing on the PDA, Tiffany eventually gives in after Hunter eggs them on by hinting they are too scared to do it. Monochrome maven: Meanwhile Tilly, 20, rocked a skintight black vest and tracksuit bottoms teamed with adidas trainers Suits you! She was joined by while Jamie, 24, who looked dapper in a black suit Planting a kiss firmly on her friend's mouth, she said: 'A Butcher should never be dared!' Tiff laughed off the smooch as she told her best friend not to be 'weird about it', although she did confess to enjoying the passionate encounter herself. It wasn't lost on the followers of the show who took to social media to express they were certain Bernie was in love with her female BFF. Having a whale of a time: The duo appeared to be in good spirits as they headed back to the set Hey there! They stopped to greet a male pal on their way back to work Come here, you! Tilly beamed as she leaned in to give her friend a warm hug Mark Hamill has broken his silence on the use of old footage of Carrie Fisher in Star Wars IX. The 66-year-old California native took to Twitter to share that it will be 'bittersweet' to not be able to work alongside her; the star died in December 2016. But the actor, who plays Luke Skywalker in the franchise, noted that at least director JJ Abrams was not 'replaced.' Moving on: Mark Hamill has broken his silence on the use of old footage of Carrie Fisher in Star Wars IX. The 66-year-old California native took to Twitter to share that it will be 'bittersweet' to not be able to work alongside her; the star died in December 2016 In a post titled 'Our Princess' - she played Princess Leia in the films - he shared two photos with the icon. One was from The Last Jedi where he was kissing her forehead. Another was much older, and he was kissing her in that image as well. The note read: 'Its bittersweet facing my final chapter without her. 'She is simply irreplaceable. Im finding solace in the fact that she wont BE replaced & would love the worldwide outpouring of affection from those who loved her when they heard the news. #CarrieOnForever.' Sad loss: In a post titled 'Our Princess' - she played Princess Leia in the films - he shared two photos with the icon. One was from The Last Jedi where he was kissing her forehead He likes to tweet! The 66-year-old California native took to Twitter to share his views; seen in June in LA On Friday Abrams announced he will use unreleased footage of Fisher in the next Star Wars film to give the latest trilogy a 'satisfying conclusion.' Lucasfilm and writer-director Abrams shared the news that footage of Fisher shot for 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be used in the ninth film in the space opera's core trilogies about the Skywalker family. Filming is scheduled to begin Wednesday in London. She will be back: JJ Abrams says he will use unreleased footage of Fisher in the next Star Wars film to give the latest trilogy a 'satisfying conclusion.' Seen in The Last Jedi Fisher died in 2016 at the age of 60 after she finished work on The Last Jedi. She has played Leia Organa since the first Star Wars film, which debuted in 1977. 'Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character,' Abrams said in a statement. 'With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carries legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.' From this one: There was extra footage of Fisher from Force Awakens, which will be used in Star Wars IX. Here she is seen with Harrison Ford's Han Solo Early days: Carrie with Hamill and Ford in the 1977 hit Star Wars: A New Hope She said yes: 'With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carries legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII,' said Abrams; here Lourd is with Carrie and Debbie Reynolds in 2015 It's not much of a surprise that Billie will also appear in IX, reprising her role as Lieutenant Connix. The 26-year-old blonde star was in the last two films as well. Friday's announcement also confirmed that Billy Dee Williams will be returning to the franchise as Lando Calrissian, a hero of the rebellion who hasn't been seen in the latest trilogy. A younger version of Lando was played by Donald Glover in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Hamill will also appear in the film. More of this sly fox: Friday's announcement also confirmed that Billy Dee Williams will be returning to the franchise as Lando Calrissian, a hero of the rebellion who hasn't been seen in the latest trilogy. On the right Billy is seen in June in LA Back from the past: Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, will also appear in the film This guy never goes out of style: Anthony Daniels will reprise his role at C-3PO. Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant have also joined the cast Anthony Daniels will reprise his role at C-3PO. Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant have also joined the cast. It is also likely that droid BB-8 will be back. Other returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyongo, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran and Joonas Suotamo. Abrams co-wrote Episode IX with Chris Terrio. John Williams will return to score the film. Star Wars: Episode IX is set to be released December 2019. This comes on the heels of the spinoff movie Solo: A Star Wars Story which was released in May to mixed reviews. Jennifer Lawrence enjoyed a low-key Sunday outing with new boyfriend Cooke Maroney over the weekend. The couple - who have been dating for a couple of months - looked content as they walked together holding hands, first stopping at Fanelli Cafe for a quick bite before walking over to cafe Smile to meet with some friends. The 27-year-old actress looked effortlessly good in some fitted high-waist jeans and a cropped T-shirt that flashed her toned tummy, while protecting herself from the sun with some Oliver Peoples sunglasses. Lunch outing: Jennifer Lawrence is pictured in New York on Sunday with boyfriend Cooke Maroney The Joy star covered her blonde locks in a black newsboy cap and carried a stylish nude cross-body purse. Cooke kept it casual in some navy pants and a white T-shirt. The 33-year-old is a New York art dealer and gallery director. According to The Cut, he is the director of New Yorks Gladstone 64 gallery, which represents many A-list clients including Lena Dunhams father, Carroll Dunham, Anish Kapoor, Richard Prince and Bjorks ex-boyfriend, Matthew Barney. The couple have been dating for a couple of months after Lawrence's friend Laura Simpson helped set them up. Romance: The 27-year-old actress flashed her tummy in a cropped graphic-print T-shirt and high waist jeans as she held hands with her art dealer beau Lazy Sunday: The couple stopped at Fanelli Cafe for a quick bite before walking over to cafe Smile, with Jennifer removing her Oliver Peoples sunglasses and putting them on her T-shirt He reportedly attended New York University where he studied art history and likes to hang out in the Hamptons. Previously the actress dated Mother! director Darren Aronofsky from November 2016 to October 2017. After admitting she still loves Aronofsky in February, Lawrence explained on WTF with Marc Maron that shes on good terms with all her former beaus. 'I'm friends with all my exes, actually,' she said. 'For the most part, yeah, I have a theory: I think it's because I'm blunt. I don't think that you can have any sort of bad relationship with anybody if you're just blunt.' Match: The couple have been dating for a couple of months after Lawrence's friend Laura Simpson helped set them up She fled to Los Angeles shortly after shock news emerged that her estranged husband Ant McPartlin was seeing their former PA, Anne-Marie Corbett. And on Monday, Lisa Armstrong, 41, showed her former flame just what he was missing as she returned to the UK. Unable to wipe the smile from her face, the make-up artist showcased her gloriously bronzed legs while strutting along in a pair of brown boots. She's BACK! On Monday, Lisa Armstrong, 41, showed her estranged husband Ant McPartlin just what he was missing as she returned to the UK following her Los Angeles getaway Looking as though she had found a new lease of life, Lisa courted attention as she made her way through the airport. After a few weeks of topping up her tan in LA, Lisa flaunted the results of her newly bronzed glow in a pair of tiny shorts. Lisa clad the rest of her physique in a comfortable and oversized grey hoodie, which had 'Los Angeles' sprawled across. Despite the long-haul flight, Lisa made the most of her features with a glamorous coat of make-up. Toned and tanned: Unable to wipe the smile from her face, the make-up artist showcased her gloriously bronzed and toned legs while strutting along in a pair of brown boots Refreshed: Looking as though she had found a new lease of life, Lisa courted attention as she made her way through the airport Golden: After a few weeks of topping up her tan in LA, Lisa flaunted the results of her newly bronzed glow in a pair of tiny shorts Her glossy blonde locks were slicked back into a chic bun and she shielded herself from the rays with a pair of chic shades. Meanwhile, Lisa's long-sleeved number appeared to hide the new tattoo of dog prints on her arm, which she got done at a tattoo parlour in Los Angeles. Just days before taking the plunge, Lisa wrote on Instagram about how much she misses Hurley, the dog she shares with the TV presenter, who has recently gone public with his romance with their former PA Anne-Marie. Airport chic: Lisa clad the rest of her physique in a comfortable and oversized grey hoodie, which had 'Los Angeles' sprawled across Striking: Despite the long-haul flight, Lisa made the most of her features with a glamorous coat of make-up Mane attraction: Her glossy blonde locks were slicked back into a chic bun and she shielded herself from the rays with a pair of chic shades Ink-redible arrival: Lisa's long-sleeved number appeared to hide the new tattoo of dog prints on her arm, which she got done at a tattoo parlour in Los Angeles Pet pooch: Just days before taking the plunge, Lisa wrote on Instagram about how much she misses Hurley, the dog she shares with the TV presenter The former couple share custody of Hurley following their split, which was announced by Ant back in January. Meanwhile, Lisa was formerly 'firm friends' with Ant's new flame Anne Marie and she even attended the baptism of her daughter before she sacked her as her PA. Ant's estranged wife sensationally claimed she found out Ant was dating the PA along with everyone else as she wasn't given the heads up about Anne-Marie. According to The Sun, Lisa and Ant are now only conversing through lawyers after they put an end to their 12-year romance. Estranged former flame: The former couple share custody of Hurley following their split, which was announced by Ant back in January Ex-pal: Lisa was formerly 'firm friends' with Ant's new flame Anne Marie Corbett and she even attended the baptism of her daughter before she sacked her as her PA Over: Lisa and Ant are now only conversing through lawyers after they put an end to their 12-year romance Ant first sought rehab treatment in June 2017, after becoming addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol following a botched knee surgery in 2015. He entered rehab for a second time in March after he was involved in a three-car collision in Richmond - and was discovered to be over the limit behind the wheel. The embattled star pleaded guilty to drink-driving in April, and received a record-breaking 86,000 fine, as well as a 20-month ban from driving. Katharine McPhee looked to be melancholy over the weekend, which is to be expected after the recent death of her father. The 34-year-old actress was seen with her head down as she walked down a busy Manhattan street with her small dog. This comes after the Smash standout shared an up-close photo of her diamond engagement ring from David Foster, which has been valued at more than $100,000. Heartache: Katharine McPhee looked to be melancholy over the weekend, which is to be expected after the recent death of her father Her attire: The beauty wore a blue raincoat over a black outfit with black boots and a red YSL purse worn cross body style The beauty wore a blue raincoat over a black outfit with black boots and a red YSL purse worn cross body style. There also seemed to be a light grey back brace hanging from her shoulder. The looker, who is in Manhattan to star in Waitress, had her makeup nicely done with mirrored aviator sunglasses. Her little pooch looked as if he could barely keep up with the Scorpion star. This comes after McPhee dedicated her Broadway return to her late father. Pup: The 34-year-old actress was seen with her head down as she walked down a busy Manhattan street with her small dog Katharine - whose dad Daniel passed away less than two weeks ago - took to her Twitter account on Tuesday. She dedicated her performance in Waitress to him. The beauy snapped a photo of herself backstage and captioned it: 'Dad, this one's for you. [angel emoji] here we go @WaitressMusical #GiveEmHellKid.' Katharine recently said she hopes her dad is still able to watch her perform from the comfort of heaven. Bling it on: This comes after the Smash standout shared an up-close photo of her diamond engagement ring from David Foster, which has been valued at more than $100,000 In a lengthy post on her Instagram account, the actress shared: 'I can't believe I'm even writing this.... 'But it is with heavy heart that I share that my sweet sweet Papa left this earth yesterday morning. 'We as a family are completely heartbroken and devastated. He was my biggest fan, my biggest champion, always telling me to 'Give em hell kid!' 'He was so kind and caring and made sure we knew how much he loved us. Not sure my heart will ever be the same. I'm so sad he missed my Broadway debut. 'But when I return to the stage next week I hope he can watch it in peace and from up above. For you: McPhee has dedicated her Broadway return to her late father For you: Here she is seen with her dad in a social media photo Heartfelt: The 34-year-old actress - whose dad Daniel passed away less than two weeks ago - took to her Twitter account on Tuesday, shortly before she took to the stage in New York 'Thank you to all my friends who've been so loving and supportive these last 48 hours. I love you Papa. I already miss you so much. This hurts. [broken heart emoji] (sic)' Prior to announcing her dad's death, Katharine revealed on Twitter that she was having to take a break from 'Waitress' in order to deal with a 'family emergency'. The American star - who is engaged to musician David Foster - wrote: 'Hey my Waitress fans... I'm so so sorry to inform you I will be out this weekend from the shows. 'I'm having to fly back to LA right now for a family emergency. It breaks my heart to disappoint anyone. Sending all my love. (sic)' Over 29 million people tuned in to watch the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. And now Viacom's MTV International is looking to cash in on the recent increased interest in royals by ordering a new reality show, The Royal World. The unscripted series promises to show the exclusive, unfiltered lives of nine young royals and aristocrats from around the world. Royal fever: Viacom's MTV International is looking to cash in on the recent increased interest in royals by ordering a new reality show, The Royal World; Pictured Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day in May 2018 in Windsor According to the show description: 'The series will have inside access to the casts lavish family homes and elite circles and will explore the lives of the pedigreed and privileged, including the ups and downs of life as 20-somethings finding their way in the world.' Set in a British countryside mansion, the six-episode, hour-long show will follow the movements of the blue-blooded and elite cast members. The stars of the new reality show have not yet been announced, but include, 'aristocrats with lineage rooted in the United Kingdom, Russia, Austria, Nigeria, Ireland and more in addition to a 'royally connected American.' Craig Orr, VP commissioning and development at MTV International, said: 'Meghan falling for Prince Harry, marrying into the royal family, and her blossoming friendship with the Queen has captivated the nation. Jet-setters: The unscripted series promises to show the unfiltered lives of nine young royals and aristocrats from around the world; Pictured: Lady Amelia Windsor in August 2015 'Our intrigue and obsession with all things regal has well and truly been reignited. The Royal Worlds veritable melting pot of global aristocrats will show what it really means to be young and royal.' The series is scheduled to debut later this year in America, England and nearly 180 other countries around the world. Kerry Taylor, EVP Youth and Music and co-head of MTV International, said: 'MTV has a deep-rooted history of shining a light on original characters and unique subcultures. 'The Royal World brings this to a whole new level. From shores around the globe to royal mansions, we celebrate great stories everywhere they are. I cant wait for the world to meet our new 'royal family.' Elite cast: Set in a British countryside mansion, the six-episode, hour-long show will follow the movements of the blue-blooded and elite cast members; Pictured: Louis Spencer, better known as Viscount Althorp, with his mother Victoria Aitken and brother Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, in 2017 in London Production firm Initial, part of the Endemol Shine Group, which makes Big Brother in the U.K., has been commissioned to produce the show. The executive producers for The Royal World, include Orr and Iestyn Barker for MTV International, and Andrew Jackman for Initial. Katy Manley, Creative Director of Initial, said: 'The Royal World is a brilliantly entertaining show that invites you into a world which is utterly closed to most of us the world of young, titled royals and aristocrats. 'Expect headline grabbing gossip thatll leave palaces squirming as we get to know the real people behind the titles.' Kendall Jenner and Ben Simmons have been heating up since their courtship started months ago. But the couple kept things on the cool side on Sunday night, seen indulging in some frozen yogurt after sushi dinner at Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills. The IMG model, 22, didn't need to try hard to put on an elegant appearance for the date. Changing things up: After dressing up for a charity event, Kendall Jenner went for a relaxed look to get dinner and dessert with beau Ben Simmons Sunday night After dressing up in a polka dot jumpsuit for a charity event earlier in the evening, she opted for loose layers to relax afterwards. Kendall paired a creme sweater with loose jeans ripped at one knee for the mild California evening. A pair of brother-in-law Kanye West's shoes covered her feet for another sporty touch. The model's long-bob skimmed her shoulders and she framed her face with large hoops beloved by fashionistas nowadays. Sweater weather: Kendall paired a creme sweater with loose jeans ripped at one knee Tall drink of water: Ben looked similarly laid back opting for a grey tee and fitted black jeans upon his 6foot10 form Ben looked similarly laid back opting for a grey tee and fitted black jeans upon his 6foot10 form. Insider the dessert establishment they sample flavors before deciding on their treats. It seems that things are getting serious between the statuesque stunner and Aussie athlete, who are rumored to be living together at Ben's mansion in Los Angeles. Heating up: It seems that things are getting serious between the statuesque stunner and Aussie athlete who are reportedly living together. Kendall is seen Sunday June 29 above But a source talking to People clarified things, saying: 'Ben is renting the house. Kendall is not on the lease. It's a gorgeous house, so it makes sense that she wants to stay over as much as possible. Kendall and Ben have spent the past few days together in Los Angeles. They do seem a bit more serious.' The reality star had previously been romantically linked to Ben earlier this year after they were spotted on a string of dates, but she threw a spanner in the works last month when she was spotted smooching Anwar Hadid - the brother of Gigi and Bella Hadid - but they played it down by claiming they were 'best friends'. A source said at the time: 'Kendall is best friends with Anwar's sisters, Gigi and Bella, and she respects them tremendously. Kendall would never want to do anything to put her relationship with Anwar's sisters in jeopardy. 'Kendall and Anwar have known each other for years and have always been flirtatious and this is just another sign of that. The two enjoy one another's company and things could change, but for now, it's nothing serious.' It's set to be an emotional finale as viewers will see either Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer, Laura Anderson and Paul Knops, Josh Denzel and Kaz Crossley or Wes Nelson and Megan Barton Hanson crowned winners of this year's Love Island. And former contestant Georgia Steel started her preparations for the hotly-anticipated episode early as she arrived in Manchester's Piccadilly train station with co-stars Samira Mighty and Frankie Foster on Monday afternoon. The reality star, 20, exuded confidence as she donned an elegant white double-breasted blazer, tied in with a matching low-cut bodysuit. Ready for the finale: Love Island's Georgia Steel (left) arrived in Manchester's Piccadilly train station with co-stars Samira Mighty and Frankie Foster (right) on Monday Injecting hints of glamour into her appearance, the TV personality slipped into a pair of PVC trousers, and strutted along the terminal in pointed heels. The honey-blonde beauty upped the style ante in the accessory department as she wore oversized hooped earrings and toted a quilted handbag by Chanel. Georgia complemented her features with a stunning daytime make-up look, featuring tints of gold eyeshadow, lashings of mascara and light pink lipgloss. Looking good: The reality star, 20, exuded confidence as she donned an elegant white double-breasted blazer, tied in with a matching low-cut bodysuit All eyes on her: Injecting hints of glamour into her appearance, the TV personality slipped into a pair of PVC trousers, and strutted along the terminal in pointed heels Meanwhile, West End star Samira, 22, commanded attention in a daring monochrome combo, teamed with a beige crop top. Exhibiting her naturally striking beauty, the stage performer wore minimal make-up and framed her face with sleek straight hair. While adding to her height in a pair of metallic heels, the London native walked along the station hand-in-hand with boyfriend Frankie, 22. Off she goes: The honey-blonde beauty upped the style ante in the accessory department as she wore oversized hooped earrings and toted a quilted handbag by Chanel Patterns galore: Meanwhile, West End star Samira, 22, commanded attention in a daring monochrome combo, teamed with a beige crop top The fitness enthusiast mixed his trademark dapper appearance with comfort as he wore a navy jumper by Tommy Hilfiger, beige joggers and white flip-flops. Georgia's display comes after she revealed she and beau Sam Bird has sex as soon as they came out of the villa earlier this month. Speaking to The Sun, the drama student, who sent viewers wild as she repeatedly proclaimed herself 'loyal', admitted that they wasted no time hopping into bed and moving in together after they sensationally quit the show. Working it: Exhibiting her naturally striking beauty, the stage performer wore minimal make-up and framed her face with sleek straight hair Loved-up: While adding to her height in a pair of metallic heels, the London native walked along the station hand-in-hand with boyfriend Frankie, 22 She shared: 'Sam I had sex as soon as we came out the villa in Majorca. It was natural. Were now living with my friend in South London, she loves it. We spend all our time together.' The Northern beauty added that she was glad she refrained from doing the deed on the beloved reality show - much like her villa BFF Dani Dyer, 22. 'Night times were weird at first with all the kissing noises, but you soon get used to the environment,' she continued. 'Couples are real so theyre going to do stuff when they get into bed. I had to accept it. 'I know Dani hasnt had sex as we spoke about it a lot. She had a similar view as me on the matter, we both thought about our lives after the villa. We had a similar upbringing. She didnt want to upset her family.' Meanwhile, things seem to be going from strength-to-strength in the outside world for Frankie and Samira - but it's not been without hurdles. It was reported that before the brunette beauty exited the Love Island villa to reunite with him, Frankie met a blonde in a nightclub and slept in her hotel room with her. But the personal trainer insists nothing untoward happened: 'We met at a nightclub, we went out. Beaming: The fitness enthusiast mixed his trademark dapper appearance with comfort as he wore a navy jumper by Tommy Hilfiger, beige joggers and white flip-flops 'The biggest mistake for me, and this is what me and Samira have spoken about and I had to apologise about, is that I was in the same room as those two,' he told TalkRADIO. 'I was asleep, three beds, I went on the far left, they went on the far right at a hotel we stayed in.' Who 'they' and 'those two' are is not elaborated on, but it seems there was a third person in the room with him and the blonde. Meanwhile, the pair have revealed that they 'are living together, but not'. Speaking to MailOnline, Frankie revealed: 'Since she came out of the villa, we've stayed together every night.' She is set to welcome her first child with husband Frank Lampard in September. And Christine Lampard has revealed on Tuesday that life with her beau has been quite busy since they began dating in 2009. Speaking candidly about her relationship as she discussed taking over Lorraine, the host, 39, said: 'We have been all over the place and have moved about 20 times during our relationship.' Flexible: Christine Lampard admitted on Tuesday that she's had to be able to adapt quickly in her relationship with Frank as she revealed they've moved 20 TIMES since dating 'You have to be adaptable but as long as your foundations dont change too much, you can work around everything. 'I wish sometimes I was more of a planner, but I dont seem to have that gene in me.' Christine and Frank tied the knot in 2015 and announced they were expecting their first child in May, while Frank has daughters Luna and Isla from his relationship with Spanish model Elen Rivas. Stronger together: She added, 'You have to be adaptable but as long as your foundations dont change too much, you can work around everything' Christine admitted that being a step-mum to Fran's daughters has helped her prepare for her baby's arrival, explaining: 'I have had the girls since they were 4 and 2 and they are 13 and 11 so I have been through all the toddler years, the primary and secondary school bit and teenagers are around the corner, that is preparation, although the baby years is all new to me! So Ill take it day by day really, like every other new mum.' 'People are telling me, and I would like to think Im like that anyway, but do your best to relax into it and dont put too much pressure on yourself.' 'Dont always be looking at everyone else and thinking, Its running perfectly for them, why isnt it for me? Give yourself a break. Ill take it hour by hour!' Family life: Christine and Frank tied the knot in 2015 and announced they were expecting their first child in May Hosting duties: The pregnant star has been standing in for Lorraine during the summer holidays and has won praise from fans for her role The pregnant star has been standing in for Lorraine during the summer holidays and has won praise from fans for her role. Of taking over the position, she said: 'Its not the first time, but its quite nice to have a chunk of time and knowing that Lorraine Kelly is off on her holidays having a nice time, too. 'Its a lovely family feel and Ive got to know the team. Its just a pleasure to do any little stint I can do.' Enjoying it: Of taking over the position, she said: 'Its not the first time, but its quite nice to have a chunk of time and knowing that Lorraine Kelly is off on her holidays' Fitting in: She said, 'Its a lovely family feel and Ive got to know the team. Its just a pleasure to do any little stint I can do' Worries: Of hosting, she admitted 'Its more scary presenting by yourself because if something goes wrong, its up to you to fix it While she's been praised for her skills as a host by viewers, Christine still feels apprehensive, as she said: 'Its more scary presenting by yourself because if something goes wrong, its up to you to fix it. 'You can kill a couple of minutes talking to another presenter, so its definitely more on edge when you are on your own. 'Its certainly more stressful. But, saying that, Lorraine is such a well-oiled machine. Lorraine has everything so perfectly organised.' Nothing to worry about: She added, 'Its certainly more stressful. But, saying that, Lorraine is such a well-oiled machine. Lorraine has everything so perfectly organised' She revealed the results of her recent face-lift on Sunday, showing off her smooth visage at a New York event. And dishing more details on her surgery on Monday Vicki Gunvalson admitted her surgeon had to remove 10 pockets of filler built up beneath her skin. 'It was all fillers through the last five to seven years,' the 56-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County star told hosts at Page Six TV to gasps from the audience. Refreshed! Vicki Gunvalson has revealed her doctor took out 10 pockets of fillers from under her skin when she had her facelift. She is pictured showing off the results on Sunday 'You go to the doctor and they're like, "Oh, fill up this, fill up this, fill up this," and by the time I looked in the mirror I was like doesn't even look like me. So when he [her doctor] opened me up, he said you had 10 pockets of fillers that [he] had to remove.' Vicki said she had a lower facelift and also had a neck lift and only needed a week to recover before getting back to work in 10 days. Delighted with the results the mother-of-two said the process was made easier thanks to her beau: 'I had a great nurse, too. Steve [Lodge] was my nurse.' On Sunday the reality star attended Jill Zarin's 6th Annual Luxury Luncheon, in honor of late husband Bobby Zarin, at Topping Rose House on Saturday, in Bridgehampton, New York. 'It was all fillers through the last five to seven years,' Vicki said of the fillers that were removed by her surgeon during her latest procedure. She is pictured September 2017 Result: On Sunday the reality star attended Jill Zarin's 6th Annual Luxury Luncheon, in honor of late husband Bobby Zarin, at Topping Rose House on Saturday, in Bridgehampton, New York The blonde beauty - who had her procedure on May 5 - looked fresh with only minimal make-up. She has previously admitted to having had rhinoplasty and a chin implant in 2013. And in 2016, Vicki confirmed to Bravo's Andy Cohen that she had undergone an eye lift. Last week in an interview with Daily Mail Australia, the star revealed that she will 'keep tweaking' when it comes to her health and body. 'I had a lot of fillers in my face and I didn't feel like it was me anymore,' she told the magazine. 'I had too many doctors, too many different times say ''let's do this, let's do that, let's fill here, let's do Voluma, let's do Sculptra,'' and by the time I was done I looked in the mirror and was like ''I don't even look like myself.'' Not easy: Vicki revealed she had surgery on her face; she is seen recovering in a still from the next season of the show Before: 'I had a lot of fillers in my face and I didn't feel like it was me anymore,' she said recently (pictured Sept 2017) Slide me She also had the skin on her neck tightened and lifted But it was her castmate and friend Tamra Judge who pushed her to the edge, 'Tamra kept telling me 'you need to do another face-lift, your neck is getting old!' explained Vicki. 'And I'm like, 'wonderful.' Tamra looks so good. She got hers done about a year ago. I kept asking Tamra and she goes, 'Yes! You need it, you need it!' So Vicki went to Tamara's surgeon, Dr. Milind Ambe, who she had previously done work on her as well. After asking her boyfriend of two years Steve Lodge and daughter Briana Culberson if she needed a facelift and both telling her she did not, the television personality 'went back to Dr. Ambe and said, 'Ok, lets book it.'' She had the surgery on May 5 and told the outlet, 'Now my skin looks baby smooth.' Adding, 'dont have a wrinkle, I dont have a divot and I have no fillers. I look like was 40 or 35.' Her way: After asking her boyfriend of two years Steve Lodge and daughter Briana Culberson if she needed a facelift and both telling her she did not, the television personality 'went back to Dr. Ambe and said, 'Ok, lets book it'' 'When you get to [age] 56, it's constantly trying to tweak and understand your body,' she told Daily Mail, while promoting the 13th season of the show. 'I just went and got my hormones all re-checked because I've put on, like, six pounds in the last year, which I don't know why,' the TV personality continued. Vicki however joked that her medico said it's simply down to ageing: 'My doctor said it's called age. Your metabolism and everything starts slowing down.' 'I do my best. I work out an hour a day, but beyond that I can't really do much more,' the businesswoman added. She was crowned the winner of Love Island 2017 alongside ex-boyfriend Kem Cetinay. And Amber Davies prepared to pass on the baton to this year's King and Queen as she attended The Sun's finale viewing party with her co-star Olivia Attwood at Covent Garden's Tropicana on Monday. The TV personality, 21, turned up the heat as she donned a colourful metallic maxi dress, embellished with a sizzling thigh-high slit. Excited: Love Island 2017 winner Amber Davies prepared to pass on the baton to this year's King and Queen as she attended The Sun's finale viewing party with her co-star Olivia Attwood at Covent Garden's Tropicana on Monday Ensuring all eyes were on her slender frame, the reality star teamed her semi-sheer outfit with a black bodysuit, and cinched in her waist with a skinny black belt. The Welsh beauty oozed confidence as she strutted to the event in a pair of black sandal mini heels, and accessorised with a chain-strap handbag by YSL. While her brunette tresses were styled into stunning waves, Amber complemented her features with a sultry smokey eye look, finished with lashings of mascara and nude lipgloss. Sizzling hot! The TV personality, 21, turned up the heat as she donned a colourful metallic maxi dress, embellished with a sizzling thigh-high slit All eyes on her: Ensuring all eyes were on her slender frame, the reality star teamed her semi-sheer outfit with a black bodysuit, and cinched in her waist with a skinny black belt Show-stopper: The Welsh beauty oozed confidence as she strutted to the event in a pair of black sandal mini heels, and accessorised with a chain-strap handbag by YSL Meanwhile, Olivia, 27, flashed her leggy pins in a pair of Daisy Dukes, tied in with a cream satin blouse and a designer waist belt by Gucci. Towering over her BFF, the blonde bombshell added to her frame in stone-coloured stiletto boots, and accessorised with oversized hooped earrings and a black handbag. Opting for her trademark glamorous appearance, the former Motorsport Grid Girl wore her tresses in voluminous waves, and accentuated her features with dewy foundation and a deep pink lipgloss. Working it: Meanwhile, Olivia, 27, flashed her leggy pins in a pair of Daisy Dukes, tied in with a cream satin blouse and a designer waist belt by Gucci United: Towering over her BFF, the blonde bombshell added to her frame in stone-coloured stiletto boots, and accessorised with oversized hooped earrings and a black handbag Sultry: Opting for her trademark glamorous appearance, the former Motorsport Grid Girl wore her tresses in voluminous waves, and accentuated her features with dewy foundation and a deep pink lipgloss Stepping out: The vixen prepared to see who's crowned the winner of this year's Love Island Back in time: This time last year Love Island viewers saw Amber and her former beau Kem, 22, take home the 50,000 prize This time last year Love Island viewers saw Amber and her former beau Kem, 22, take home the 50,000 prize. With Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt coming in at second place, Marcel Somerville and Gabby Allen finished in fourth place, followed shortly by Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood in third. Amber and hairdresser Kem - who branded the petite beauty his 'future wife' - sadly broke up in December, after just four months of dating, due to their 'busy schedules.' New pals: Amber was joined by 2018 contestant Rosie Williams, who looked equally stylish in a sleeveless turtleneck top with a scanty checked skirt Pretty in pink: The former solicitor, 26, completed her edgy look with a pair of suede thigh-high boots with a matching quilted handbag Wow-factor! Tying in her look with shimmery pink eyeshadow, Rosie looked stunning in her heavy make-up look, and styled her locks in a half up half down 'do Amber was joined by 2018 contestant Rosie Williams, who looked equally stylish in a sleeveless turtleneck top with a scanty checked skirt. The former solicitor, 26, completed her edgy look with a pair of suede thigh-high boots with a matching quilted handbag. Tying in her look with shimmery pink eyeshadow, Rosie looked stunning in her heavy make-up look, and styled her locks in a half up half down 'do. Beauty: Kerry Katona looked nothing but sensational as she flaunted her slimmed down figure at the bash Kerry Katona looked nothing but sensational as she flaunted her slimmed down figure at the bash. The former Atomic Kitten star, 37, teased a look at her ample cleavage in a brightly patterned halter-neck top, that featured a backless design, and made sure to draw attention to her slender frame, with a pair of scarlet red flares that sat high on her waist. She teamed her attire with a towering pair of cork-heeled wedges and completed her glamorous look with flawless make-up that boasted a sultry smokey eye, along with a nude lip. Impressive: The former Atomic Kitten star, 37, teased a look at her ample cleavage in a brightly patterned halter-neck top and a pair of scarlet red flares that sat high on her waist Nicola McLean put on a busty display as she was clad in a black bralet and a pink ruffle skirt. The glamour model, 36, boosted her physique in a pair of feline print heels, and toted a mini chain-strap handbag. The CBB star appeared in high spirits as she headed to the viewing party, with husband Tom Williams, 38, also in attendance. Paved the way: Elsewhere, original Love Island winner Jess Hayes stunned onlookers as she paraded her killer curves in a orange midi dress at a viewing party in Manchester Smitten: The 25-year-old - who arrived arm-in-arm with her beau Dan - was crowned the first winner of the series alongside former boyfriend Max Morley Strutting her way: Nicola McLean put on a busty display as she was clad in a black bralet and a pink ruffle skirt Racy: The glamour model, 36, boosted her physique in a pair of feline print heels, and toted a mini chain-strap handbag Beaming: The CBB star appeared in high spirits as she headed to the viewing party, with husband Tom Williams, 38, also in attendance The Only Way Is Essex stars Fran Parman, Georgia Harrison, and Shelby Tribble set pulses racing as they rocked up to the event in daring ensembles. Model Shelby, 25, showcased her ample bust in a plunging skater dress, adorned with a monochrome floral pattern. Love Island's Georgia, 23, oozed sex appeal in a feline shift dress and ruffled strappy heels. The former PA intensified her beauty with a shimmery make-up look, and wore her ombre locks in a curly fashion. Co-stars: The Only Way Is Essex stars Fran Parman (left), Georgia Harrison (centre) and Shelby Tribble (right) set pulses racing as they rocked up to the event in daring ensembles Walk this way: The trio beamed with delight as they put their best foot forward at the bash Vision in red: Model Shelby, 25, showcased her ample bust in a plunging skater dress, adorned with a monochrome floral pattern Patterns galore: Love Island's Georgia, 23, oozed sex appeal in a feline shift dress and ruffled strappy heels Sultry: The former PA intensified her beauty with a shimmery make-up look, and wore her ombre locks in a curly fashion Androgynous chic: Fran, 27, opted for a bold display as she wore a white pantsuit Jess Shears and fiance Dom Lever put on a smitten display as they supported this year's hopefuls at the viewing party. The model , 25, showed off her toned limbs in a tie-up crop top and animal print skirt, complete with daring thigh-high slit. Meanwhile, the former career advisor, 27, opted for an all black appearance in a sharp suit and fitted jeans. Suave: Love Island hunk Alex Miller displayed his muscular physique in a form-fitting muscular top and skinny jeans Loved-up: Jess Shears and fiance Dom Lever put on a smitten display as they supported this year's hopefuls at the viewing party Legs for days! The model , 25, showed off her toned limbs in a tie-up crop top and animal print skirt, complete with daring thigh-high slit Dapper: Meanwhile, the former career advisor, 27, opted for an all black appearance in a sharp suit and fitted jeans Yummy mummy: Tyla Carr - who recently announced she's pregnant with her first child - stunned in a demure off-shoulder dress, teamed with pointed teal heels Here comes the boys: Theo Campbell (left) and Mike Thallasitis (right) looked typically stylish in smart ensembles Love woes? Mike, 25, stepped out after he fuelled rumours of another split from Megan McKenna Tyla Carr - who recently announced she's pregnant with her first child - stunned in a demure off-shoulder dress, teamed with pointed teal heels. Theo Campbell and Mike Thallasitis looked typically stylish in smart ensembles, with the footballer, 25, stepping out after fuelling rumours of another split from Megan McKenna. This year's first evictee Kendall Rae-Knight commanded attention in a semi-sheer floral dress, which skimmed at her lean legs. Glitzy: This year's first evictee Kendall Rae-Knight commanded attention in a semi-sheer floral dress, which skimmed at her lean legs Turning up the heat: The former shop manager, 26, added to her frame in a pair of white strappy heels, paired with a matching handbag Pals: Alex - who switched into a navy T-shirt - was later joined by co-star Niall Aslam, who left the show early into the series The former shop manager, 26, added to her frame in a pair of white strappy heels, paired with a matching handbag. Flaunting her perky cleavage, Chloe Goodman slipped into a khaki green jumpsuit as she joined her ab-flashing sister Lauren. Nation sweethearts Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham were crowned the winners of this year's Love Island. Runs in the family: Flaunting her perky cleavage, Chloe Goodman slipped into a khaki green jumpsuit as she joined her ab-flashing sister Lauren Chic: The bombshell stunned in a white bralet, straight-leg trousers and a cropped camouflage jacket The barmaid, 22, and pen salesman, 26, were tipped to win the show from the start with bookies even paying out to customers who placed bets on them before the result and Paddy Power rating the couple as huge 1/14 favourites. After first hitting screens on 4 June, this year's show has been a widespread hit with record-breaking viewing figures, bringing in a huge 2.9 million show watchers for the first episode. Dani, whose father is EastEnders legend Danny Dyer, and Jack found themselves in the final two with Laura Anderson and Paul Knops, shortly before Kaz Crossley and Josh Denzel came in at third place, and Wes Nelson and Megan Barton Hanson in fourth. Off they go: Olivia hopped into a cab to head to another location Heading out: Singer Kerry left the glitzy venue hand-in-hand with a pal They've only gone and won it!: They've been the nation's sweethearts ever since they coupled up in week one, so it came as no surprise that Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham were crowned as the Love Island 2018 winners Grammy nominee Demi Lovato is reportedly 'too ill' to discuss returning to rehab as she remains at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles six days after suffering a serious opiate overdose. The troubled 25-year-old is being treated for complications including 'extreme nausea and a high fever,' but she is 'expected to make a full recovery' - according to TMZ. People close to the former Disney Channel starlet - who did a 2011 stint at Timberline Knolls - have 'urged her' to return to rehab, but she's the one who has to decide to go, although sources told the website she is 'too ill' to discuss rehab. On the mend: Grammy nominee Demi Lovato is still 'very, very sick' and recovering at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles six days after suffering a serious opiate overdose (pictured July 23) 'She's expected to make a full recovery': The troubled 25-year-old is reportedly being treated for complications including 'extreme nausea and a high fever' (2018 stock shot) The website also reports that the close pals have not broached the subject with the Skyscraper hitmaker due to her medical condition. It was also claimed that people who are in contact with Demi do not know how she will receive the message that she needs rehab, saying: 'We just don't know where her head is at.' Paramedics revived 'unconscious' Lovato last Tuesday with the opiate antidote Narcan after responding to a 911 call from the $8.3M four-bedroom Hollywood Hills mansion she bought in 2016. Demi's visitors have included her mother Dianna De La Garza, her 16-year-old half-sister Madison De La Garza, and her on/off boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama, whom she split from in 2017. Social media supporters include Lady Gaga, Keith Urban, the Jonas Brothers, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Ellen DeGeneres, Kesha, Tyra Banks, Halsey, Mario Lopez, Emmy Rossum, and Ruby Rose. She did a 2011 stint at Timberline Knolls: People close to the former Disney Channel starlet have 'urged her' to return to rehab, but she's the one who has to decide to go (2010 stock shot) Scary: Paramedics revived 'unconscious' Lovato last Tuesday with the opiate antidote Narcan after responding to a 911 call from her $8.3M Hollywood Hills mansion (2018 stock shot) 'Mi familia': Demi's visitors have included her mother Dianna De La Garza (2-R), her half-sister Madison De La Garza (2-L), and her on/off boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama (pictured in 2017) '#ImConfidentInDemi': Social media supporters include Lady Gaga (pictured), Keith Urban, the Jonas Brothers, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Ellen DeGeneres, Kesha, Tyra Banks, Halsey, Mario Lopez, Emmy Rossum, and Ruby Rose The New Mexico-born beauty's medical crisis came four months after she triumphantly announced she 'turned 6 years sober' to her captive, combined 162.8M Lovatics. Then last month, the homeschooled millennial ominously released a somber ballad called Sober, in which she confessed to her parents that she's 'not sober anymore.' 'I think the everlasting addiction in my life has been food. My eating disorder started when I was very young. That's something that I deal with on a daily basis. It's kind of the last thing to go,' Lovato confessed to Dr. Phil on March 20. 'Turned 6 years sober?' Last month, the New Mexico-born beauty ominously released a song called Sober, in which she confessed to her parents that she's 'not sober anymore' The homeschooled millennial confessed to Dr. Phil on March 20: 'I feel like I've conquered my addiction and alcoholism, where I don't even think about it anymore. But my struggles with my food issues are something that I still deal with' 'I feel like I've conquered my addiction and alcoholism, where I don't even think about it anymore. But my struggles with my food issues are something that I still deal with. But I'm growing, and I'm in a really good place today.' Demi (born Demetria) will next compete for five trophies - including Choice Snapchatter - at the fan-voted Teen Choice Awards airing August 12 on Fox. The No Promises songstress is still scheduled to kick off the Latin American fourth leg of her 51-date Tell Me You Love Me World Tour at Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City on September 20. Who will win? Demi (born Demetria) will next compete for five trophies - including Choice Snapchatter - at the fan-voted Teen Choice Awards airing August 12 on Fox She recently announced plans to retire by the age of 40 and dedicate the rest of her life to charitable and humanitarian causes. And Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) proved she is every inch the model citizen on Monday by embarking on a very ethical shopping trip. Taking to Instagram, the 26-year-old socialite documented her visit to Parisi's Food Hall in Sydney's affluent Rose Bay - just a stone's throw away from the $2.35million home she shares with AFL star husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin. 'Taking my reusable bags to do a quick grocery run': Jesinta Campbell documented her ethical shopping trip in Rose Bay on Monday. Pictured with husband Buddy Franklin in August 2017 In a series of short videos, the former Miss Universe Australia encouraged her followers to make eco-friendly decisions while shopping. 'Taking my reusable shopping bags to do a quick grocery run,' she captioned a clip of herself holding a zip-up, sustainable bag. Then, Jesinta revealed her clever hack for avoiding waste at the juice bar. 'Wanted a juice so took a Mason jar. I know these guys don't use bio [biodegradable] cups so thought ahead and BYO,' she added. 'Don't be trashy!' In a series of Instagram videos, Jesinta encouraged her followers to make eco-friendly decisions while shopping. Pictured: Jesinta carrying a reusable shopping bag 'These guys don't use bio [biodegradable] cups so thought ahead and BYO': The 26-year-old also revealed her clever hack for avoiding waste at the juice bar - bringing her own Mason jar Model citizen! The former Miss Universe Australia recently announced plans to retire by the age of 40 and dedicate the rest of her life to charitable and humanitarian causes Jesinta told The Daily Telegraph last month that she plans to retire young and focus entirely on charity work with her husband. She said: 'My ultimate goal in life is to be able to volunteer 100 per cent of my time for the causes that are close to my heart. 'So I want to work as hard as possible until I'm 40 and then volunteer the rest of my time for the rest of my life and set myself up financially for that. 'It always is and always has been my ultimate goal.' Blast from the past! Jesinta rose to fame in 2010 after being crowned Miss Universe Australia, before finishing third in the international competition. Pictured in August 2010 Jesinta rose to fame in 2010 after being crowned Miss Universe Australia, before finishing third in the international competition. She later transformed herself from a beauty pageant queen into a high-end fashion model, serving as a David Jones ambassador for two years. In November 2016, she married Sydney Swans star Lance Franklin in a private ceremony in the Blue Mountains. Fans were left disappointed to see Danny Dyer had jetted off on holiday instead of heading to the Love Island villa for a personal appearance alongside his daughter Dani. But despite his absence, the EastEnders star has made sure to show his support for Dani, congratulating her on winning the ITV2 dating show's 2018 series while on board a theme park ride in Orlando, Florida. Taking to Instagram, Danny joked that he 'couldn't wait' to see his daughter while filming himself on the attraction with wife Joanne Mas in the hilarious clip. Monday night marked the end of Love Island's fourth series, with host Caroline Flack announcing to viewers at home that Dani and her boyfriend Jack Fincham, who had coupled up from the get go, had won the series' title and the 50,000 cash prize. Despite currently being in Orlando, Danny was quick to hear the good news and made sure to congratulate his daughter via social media. Choosing to address her win mid-ride, Danny filmed himself and wife Joanne showering Dani with praise. The actor gushed: 'Dan you've only gone and done it,' before joking that the ride would whisk them home to see her, adding: 'Listen, we can' wait we're coming to see you,' and screaming with delight down the camera. Dani's mother Joanne, meanwhile, added: 'Baby, we're so proud of you.' Proud: Danny Dyer made sure to show his support for daughter Dani, congratulating her on winning Love Island 2018 while on board a theme park ride in Orlando, Florida Victorious: Caroline Flack revealed that Dani and her boyfriend Jack Fincham had beaten their fellow finalists to the Love Island title during the show's live final Predicting that Dani would be victorious, Danny had uploaded another video prior to his congratulatory clip, insisting that his little girl had 'won already' on the show, despite the result. Cheering her on from his holiday, Danny shouted: 'Message for Dani Dyer in the final of Love Island... babe you've won already.' Dani had been an original contestant on the hit dating show, along with beau Jack, with the duo striking up a romance from the beginning of the series. Despite a number of testing times during the show, that saw Jack come face-to-face with an ex-girlfriend and Dani struggle with her beau's past infidelities, the couple's relationship persevered and they quickly became show favourites. Confident: Predicting that Dani would be victorious, Danny had uploaded another video insisting that his little girl had 'won already' on the show ahead of the live results Like father, like daughter: Dani has followed in her actor dad's footsteps and has now found herself launched into the spotlight after joining the lineup for this year's Love Island series Following their win, Danny has also urged his daughter to not follow in the footsteps of previous Love Island winners and insisted 'don't be a double act' as she kick starts for TV career. Speaking to The Mirror, a source close to the family insisted that the actor will guide his daughter through her new-found fame. The insider said: 'Dani and Jack have a lot of offers, but Danny has been in TV his whole life and he will make sure Dani gets the best she can get. 'He thinks they need to pursue their own careers and that working as a double act is setting them up to fail.' Urge: Following their win, Danny has also urged his daughter to not follow in the footsteps of previous Love Island winners and insisted 'don't be a double act' as she kick starts for TV career 'Offers': Speaking to The Mirror, a source close to the family insisted that the actor will guide his daughter through her new-found fame. The insider said: 'Dani and Jack have a lot of offers, but Danny has been in TV his whole life and he will make sure Dani gets the best she can get' Previously, the soap star told the publication that there was a number of big money deals on the table for his eldest, including an ITV2 spin-off show which will follow Dani and Jack's romance. He said: 'There are going to be some very exciting projects coming up for her. They have to live their own lives, I dont think they should come out as a double act. 'They are a double act, but it hasnt lasted too well for previous contestants to go, Oh lets be a double act. They havent lasted four months, have they?' Honest: Previously, the soap star told the publication that there was a number of big money deals on the table for his eldest, including an ITV2 spin-off show which will follow Dani and Jack's romance 'Double act': He said: 'There are going to be some very exciting projects coming up for her. They have to live their own lives, I dont think they should come out as a double act' The grand final saw Jack and Dani exchange emotional declarations of love during their last night together in the villa, with Dani telling her boyfriend: 'Jack, when I first entered the villa eight weeks ago, I never imagined that in a million years I would have met someone as special as you. 'From our first date together on the beach, to our trip in a hot air balloon, we have already made so many special memories, and I can't wait for even more. 'I have had the Summer of my life in here and I owe so much of that to you Jack.' Attempting to hold back the tears, Jack couldn't help but gush over Dani and insisted that she's changed him for the better. Favourites: She quickly struck up a romance with Kent lad Jack - with the couple's relationship withstanding the entire series Wedding bells? Dani and Jack gave viewers of the ITV2 show a glimpse at what their wedding could look like during Monday's grand finale 'You are everything that I've ever wanted in a girl,' he said choking up. 'Getting to know you and fall in love with you has been one of the most wonderful things to ever happen in my life.' 'Firstly, you are an absolute sort. You are so caring and selfless, you have such a beautiful smilewhen I see you happy, it makes me feel a way that I've never felt about someone before.' The couple were later crowned the winners of Love Island, beating Laura and Paul to the title, with Josh and Kaz finishing in third place and Wes and Megan becoming the first couple to be eliminated in fourth. Emotional: As the couple exchanged emotional declarations of love during their final night in the villa, teary-eyed fans declared it felt like the lovebirds were saying their vows Teary The loved-up duo, who have been together since the show's first coupling, were filled with emotion Sealed with a kiss: The couple packed on the PDA as they celebrated their win Despite the couples meeting each other's parents on the show, Jack is still yet to meet Dani's parents in person, as her famous father Danny and mother Joanne had instead appeared via video link, after jetting off to the US. Danny made sure to give Jack his approval during the call, with the soap star and wife Joanne telling daughter Dani how 'proud' they were of her during her Love Island appearance. Dani's grandparents had instead joined Jack's mum and brother in the villa during the Meet The Parents episode. Speaking ahead of the final result being announced live on air, Jack cheekily revealed his hopes to bed girlfriend Dani, after the couple had refrained from having sex on camera for eight weeks despite sharing a bed every night. After being crowned the winners, Jack and Dani were handed two envelopes, with Jack receiving the 50k cash prize in his and Dani receiving nothing. The reality star was then forced to decide whether to keep the cash for himself or split the prize fund with girlfriend Dani, with Jack choosing to share the money between himself and his new love. Love Island Australia star Teddy Briggs, 24, has accused Eden Dally, 25, and Erin Barnett of lashing out at him during a night out. The Adelaide model told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that he was at Melbourne nightclub Light at Crown on Saturday, when the fiery couple 'threw ice' at him and mocked him for crying on the show. 'Basically after coming off stage and going into our booth (directly across from Eden and Erins), Eden began to make crying faces and rub his hands on his face to pay me out for crying on TV,' he said. 'She put up her fingers and screamed 'f*** you!'' Love Island Australia's Teddy Briggs (pictured left with Grant Crapp) accuses Eden Dally and girlfriend Erin Barnett (both pictured right) of 'throwing ice' at him at a Melbourne nightclub and mocking him for crying on the show 'Erin was also putting her fingers up screaming 'f*** you' which I think was more directed at Jaxon Human and Grant Crapp. Moments later there were a few pieces of ice thrown from their booth at myself and Jaxon. He added: 'It was disappointing than anything...I just want this whole feud to be over.' In a series of Instagram videos, Teddy told fans that the night was going well until the drama occurred. Breakdown: During one Love Island Australia episode, Teddy was reduced to tears after a brutal challenge - titled 'Shaken and Stirred' - saw another contestant read out a mean comment about his teeth 'I had the most amazing time in Melbourne... Light at Crown was crazy we had the crew there I had my boys, Grant, Jax, Mark [O'Dare], Millie [Fuller], Justin [Lacko],' he began. 'I'm all about my positivity unfortunately there was a bit of a negative thing from the night and I just wanted to squash this because you know I don't tolerate bullying or negative behaviour.' He added: 'I have no beef with Eden or Erin, I wish them the absolute best but there was a situation where they were throwing ice and making crying faces... that was obviously referencing to my breakdown on the show so yeah I did cry on TV because I felt bullied.' Out and about: Eden told fans on Instagram that he was also heading out to Light at Crown the same night that Teddy went. Also pictured: Josh Moss (centre) and Dom Thomas (right) Teddy went on to make a plea to the couple to end the drama by asking, 'Can we just squash this?' Daily Mail Australia has contacted all parties for comment. During one Love Island Australia episode, Teddy was reduced to tears after a brutal challenge - titled 'Shaken and Stirred' - saw another contestant read out a mean comment about his teeth. Explosive temper: Eden had a violent clash with Teddy's friend Grant Crapp in the Spanish villla It comes after Teddy previously claimed Eden banned his girlfriend Erin from even 'looking at him.' Teddy alleged that the Sydney prison officer became jealous after he struck up a friendship with the Melbourne nurse. Soon after Teddy arrived at the Spanish villa, he went on a date with Erin and they got along 'like a house on fire', he told Popsugar last month. 'She wasn't allowed to talk to me, look at me or be near me': It comes after Teddy previously claimed Eden banned his girlfriend Erin from even 'looking at him' 'We were joking, we were laughing, Erin actually said what a great guy I was, and how we need more guys like me in the villa,' Teddy explained. 'But pretty much after that, Eden told Erin that she wasn't allowed to talk to me, look at me, she wasn't allowed to be near me. So she then - when Eden wasn't around - she said to me, 'Teddy, I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to talk to you.' 'I actually think that Erin and I do get along really well, it's just that Eden is quite possessive, and he didn't want her talking to me, so she didn't for most of the time.' Crossing the line? In yet another example of Eden's possessive and entitled behaviour, Teddy alleged that the prison officer became jealous after he struck up a friendship with Erin It comes after Teddy told Daily Mail Australia that Eden called Erin 'disgusting names' during explosive rows that didn't make it to air. 'The things Eden would say to Erin, the names he would call her... if my mum heard me say any of those things to a woman, I'd be in big trouble,' he said on Monday. He added. 'It was really disgusting... I wouldn't wish it on anyone.' Concerning: 'Erin and I do get along well, it's just that Eden is quite possessive, and he didn't want her talking to me,' Teddy (pictured) said following his elimination on Monday Teddy claimed that he believes Eden has a 'lot of hate in his heart.' 'Because he isn't happy in his own heart, he feels the need to cut other people down. I hope he is able to deal with that,' he said. A Channel Nine spokesperson previously said: 'The welfare of our Islanders on Love Island Australia is always paramount and there is an on-set psychologist. Producers are available for Islanders to talk to 24/7.' She is a sex symbol who has launched her very own lingerie range with Frederick's Of Hollywood. And Megan Fox absolutely sizzled as she gave fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her photo shoot for her latest collection on Monday. The 32-year-old covered up her cleavage with a strategically placed tiger emoji as she wore a sheer mesh top that left little to the imagination. Don't mesh with her! Megan Fox sizzled as she posted a behind-the-scenes snap from her photo shoot of her latest collection '#BTS by @andylecompte from my upcoming collection with @fredericks_hollywood,' she captioned the fiery photo. The Jennifer's Body actress looked absolutely incredible as she sat on the floor, putting her toned legs on full show while working the mesh number. She styled her brunette tresses over the side of her head, and glammed up her radiant complexion with full, curled lashes and a pink hue of lipstick. Megan has collaborated with lingerie icon Frederick's Of Hollywood to create her own line, which consists of summery, lacy panties, bras, corsets, and teddies. White hot! Megan has collaborated with lingerie icon Frederick's Of Hollywood to create her own line, which consists of summery, lacy panties, bras, corsets, and teddies Beach babe: The actress modeled her Frederick's Of Hollywood range earlier this year The Transformers actress joined the company as co-owner, creative collaborator and global brand ambassador in 2016. Megan has been married to actor Brian Austin Green since 2010. Together they have sons Noah, five, Bodhi, four, and Journey, one. Megan is currently filming Naya Legend Of The Golden Dolphin, and has recently starred in the upcoming films Shadow Girl, Think Like A Dog, and Zeroville. Last year she played Reagan in the comedy series New Girl. Robert Pattinson is rumored to be dating Suki Waterhouse. The 32-year-old Remember Me star split from his ex-fiancee FKA Twigs last year, and it seems he's now officially moved on, since he's been spotted getting cozy with the 26-year-old actress and model. According to E! News, the two stars appeared to enjoy a date night at the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill, London, over the weekend, before heading to the SoHo House across the street for drinks. Breaking: Robert Pattinson is reportedly dating Suki Waterhouse The pair left the venue at around 1am, and were reportedly 'very close' as they walked together. An eyewitness told the publication: 'Along the way, they were very close and cuddled and kissed many times. 'Robert was very affectionate to her and had his arm around her the whole way and Suki reciprocated by holding his hand and kissing it. 'They were very loved up and close. Robert stroked Suki's hair and gave her another loving kiss.' Romance: According to E! News , the two stars appeared to enjoy a date night at the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill, London, over the weekend, before heading to the SoHo House across the street for drinks Summer fun: The pair left the venue at around 1am, and were reportedly 'very close' as they walked together For Suki, the reported new romance comes after she was previously spotted locking lips with ex-boyfriend and musician Miles Kane whilst at a Liam Gallagher concert in November last year. A source said at the time: 'They went to Liam's concert at The Wiltern together and it was much more than just a friendly thing. 'Suki was being very affectionate with Miles. They were kissing and cuddling. 'They looked super-close. It definitely didn't look like they had just bumped into each other there. It was clear they were an item and didn't care who saw them.' Getting close: 'Robert was very affectionate to her and had his arm around her the whole way and Suki reciprocated by holding his hand and kissing it The Insurgent actress was also reported to be romancing director Darren Aronofsky, but rumors were quickly squashed by her representative. They said: 'They are not dating nor are they together.' Meanwhile, Robert was previously spotted with his former girlfriend and Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart whilst at a birthday party for Lily-Rose Depp in June, but the pair weren't thought to be back together. Smooching: 'They were very loved up and close. Robert stroked Suki's hair and gave her another loving kiss' Anthony LaPaglia, 59, married his much younger partner Alexandra Henkel, 29, in April after dating for three years. And as the lovebirds enjoy a European honeymoon, Alexandra has hit back at those who doubted her relationship with the Without A Trace Star would last. Sharing a touching tribute to her husband on Sunday, Alexandra wrote on Instagram: 'Three months in... and they said it wouldnt last. Love you bub.' 'Three months in, and they said it wouldn't last': Anthony LaPaglia's younger wife Alexandra Henkel shared a romantic tribute to the Without A Trace star on Sunday The couple, who share a 30-year age gap, exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony in Hawaii on April 28, a year after getting engaged. Announcing the news on social media, the blushing bride wrote: '28.4.2018. The day I married the love of my life.' Three months on, Alexandra is clearly still enjoying married life. 'I love this one': Alexandra also hit back at those who doubted their relationship would last because of their 30-year age gap. Pictured: Alexandra and Anthony in Puglia, Italy Bridal beauty: Alexandra looked stunning on her wedding day in Hawaii on April 28 (pictured). She wore a Con Ilio gown featuring a long train, elegant veil and sweetheart neckline After tying the knot, the newlyweds embarked on a lavish honeymoon in Europe. They recently visited Cap d'Antibes on the French Riviera, and Alexandra's latest loved-up photos were taken in Puglia, Italy. She captioned one holiday snap of herself and Anthony: 'I love this one #honeymoon'. Moving on: Anthony revealed he was dating Alexandra three months after confirming his split with wife-of-17-years Gia Carides in March 2015. Pictured: Anthony and Alex in August 2015 The Australian actor revealed he was dating Alexandra just three months after confirming his split with wife-of-17-years Gia Carides in March 2015. The former couple, who share custody of their teenage daughter Bridget, put their Brentwood family home on the market for $15million after separating. Speaking of his split with Gia, 54, in 2016, Anthony insisted their marriage had not 'failed' but simply ran its course. He told the Herald Sun: 'People say, "It's failed"... My attitude is that it didn't.' US President Donald Trump's economic strategy for Australia and the rest of the Indo-Pacific region will be unveiled at a major event in Washington DC. Key members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, will address the US Chamber of Commerce's Indo-Pacific Forum on Monday (Monday 11.30pm AEST). Pompeo will deliver a keynote speech titled "America's Indo-Pacific Economic Vision". It comes as the region braces for a potential US-China trade war, Trump slapping tariffs on allies and his pursuit of bilateral trade deals with Japan and other nations after pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Pompeo flagged the importance of the US Chamber of Commerce speech at last week's annual Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN) meetings in California with US Defense Secretary General James Mattis, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne. "I will be articulating more closely and more completely our vision for a thoroughly successful Indo-Pacific economic relationship," Pompeo told reporters at AUSMIN. Australia has managed to largely avoid Trump's aggressive trade strategy, including sidestepping aluminium and steel tariffs placed on other allies. Pompeo said the US-Australian economic relationship was "unrivalled in the world" and "everyone in the region should know that". "Make no mistake about it," Pompeo, standing alongside Mattis, Bishop and Payne at AUSMIN, said. "The economic relationship between our two countries is strong." Katrina Cooper, Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC, will represent Australia at Monday's forum. Other speakers include: US National Security Council senior director for Asian Affairs Matt Pottinger; President of US Export-Import Bank and Deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish; Japan Bank for International Cooperation chief executive Tadashi Maeda; Singapore Ambassador to the US Ashok Kumar Mirpuri; and India Ambassador to US Navtej Sarna. The US Chamber of Commerce estimates Asian economies are projected to create 50 per cent of global GDP in the coming decades and to realise that potential "the countries of the Indo-Pacific will need to attract nearly $US26 trillion in capital to fund their energy and infrastructure needs". The ACTU says Australia's Trans Pacific Partnership agreement could cost tens of thousands of Australian jobs, reduce essential services and ensure any economic benefits from the deal predominantly line the pockets of big business. Representatives from the peak union body will outline the organisation's concerns about the TPP and its impact on Australian jobs at the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee in Melbourne on Monday. In its submission, the ACTU warned the TPP would result in an increase in inequality because of a declining share in labour income, and undermine the federal government's ability to regulate in the public's interest essential services like health, education, social services, water and energy. A driver has been injured and three cars damaged by a man hurling large chunks of concrete at vehicles in Brisbane. Witnesses say a man on a median strip threw "large objects" at cars travelling into the city along Beaudesert Road at Moorooka early on Monday morning. Three cars were hit, shattering their windscreens and damaging their front ends. One driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Police are now hunting for the man, who could be jailed for up to two years if he's caught. Light hail and the possibility of snow has been forecast for parts of the Stirling Range and elevated areas of southern Western Australia from Wednesday. A ridge of high pressure is developing over central and southern parts of the state, with a strong cold front and associated trough expected to move over the south during Wednesday and into Thursday, the Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement on Monday. A strong cold front is expected to bring showers, building to heavy rainfall in the South West Land Division, southern Goldfields, southern Gascoyne and the Eucla, with possible small hail and snow falls over the Stirlings and elevated areas in the south. Watch out Nationals - Labor is coming for your seats. The success of Labor's by-election campaign in Longman, where the Liberal National vote tanked, has the ALP targeting other low-income seats at the next federal election. Incoming national Labor president Wayne Swan said voters were worried about growing inequality, especially in electorates where wages were flat. "If you look at the median income in Longman and Braddon, it's $43,000," Mr Swan told Sky News on Monday. "People on $43,000 don't even qualify for the government's measly $10 tax cuts." Mr Swan the failure of trickle down economics was most keenly felt in those seats who felt left behind. "There are plenty of electorates around Australia where those median incomes are around $43,000 - just like Longman - that can be won," Mr Swan said. "Not just from the Liberals here, but from the Nationals as well. "People out there have twigged to the fact that stagnating wages and growing inequality in Australia is a problem for their living standards." A peak doctors organisation has questioned why Australia's health advice about potentially toxic PFAS chemicals differs from that of the United States and Europe and repeated calls for a nationwide ban. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is concerned the Australian government hasn't followed the World Health Organisation and governments in the US, UK and Germany in acknowledging that exposure to PFAS chemicals could be dangerous to human health. "(We are) concerned the health advice 'that there is currently no consistent evidence of health effects' could be interpreted to mean there is no unsafe dose and no health effects even for exposures above the interim values," RACP states in a parliamentary submission. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) is a group of chemicals used in firefighting foam that remain in the environment for years and can be passed through breast milk. "Given the long half-life of these chemicals in humans, it can reasonably be anticipated that continued exposure could increase body burdens to levels that would result in adverse outcomes," the US Environmental Protection Agency said in 2009. RACP suggested the federal government fall into line with WHO health advice standards by being more cautious about the use and exposure to the chemicals. But it notes the current body of scientific evidence is based on "generally low-quality studies - another factor contributing to uncertainty about human health effects". The doctors also reiterated calls for the federal government to ban the chemicals to avoid inconsistencies across the states and territories. South Australia and Queensland prohibit the chemicals while the NSW government has avoided doing so, arguing a ban is the federal government's responsibility. A federal joint-parliamentary committee is examining the management of PFAS contamination in and around Defence bases. Firefighting foams containing PFAS were used during training and emergency responses across the nation until the mid-2000s. Traces of the toxic chemicals have been found near RAAF bases including Williamtown and Richmond in NSW. A former Australian diplomat and the prime minister's current chief of staff will be the next head of the nation's public service commission. Peter Woolcott will be tasked with driving reform in the sector when he becomes Australian Public Service Commissioner on August 9, following John Lloyd's resignation, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced on Monday. Mr Woolcott has worked in the public service for the past three decades, including as ambassador to Italy between 2004 and 2007, and is currently on leave from his job as deputy secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs to serve as Mr Turnbull's chief of staff. A South Australian Council has been found guilty of maladministration but a former Labor state government minister has been cleared after an investigation into a $198 million power deal. SA Ombudsman Wayne Lines on Monday identified more than 25 significant errors by the Coober Pedy Council in the negotiation and execution of an agreement to buy power from a private supplier, Energy Generation Ltd. But Mr Lines said former Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis had not committed maladministration by committing the state government to subsidise the payments made by the council under the power deal. An arrest following a disturbance at an Adelaide shopping centre has uncovered "suspicious items" at a home in the city's north, prompting police to call in the bomb squad. Police were called to the incident at the Northpark Shopping Centre on Monday morning where a man had allegedly assaulted staff. The 32-year-old was tracked to a nearby home at Blair Athol where he was arrested and charged with assault. Police say it was there officers found the suspicious items and called in both the bomb squad and a police dog. Emissions trading is back on Labor's agenda to reduce Australia's carbon pollution by 45 per cent economy-wide. Energy spokesman Mark Butler put the idea back on the table at the same time as he suggested Labor's overall emissions reduction target would be the same for each sector. "In the non-electricity sector there'll be a whole range of different mechanisms that will allow essentially a whole range of different trading arrangements between different sectors of the economy," he said. The government has a 26 per cent target for the energy sector as part of Australia's commitment to reduce 2005-level emissions by 26 to 28 per cent by 2030. But Labor argues the energy target is too small because it puts pressure on other industries that find it tougher to cut emissions. Mr Butler wants more pressure put on electricity, where abatement options are cheaper and easier than other sectors, rather than demand each industry hit 26 per cent. But specifically asked if he would use the same approach with a 45 per cent target Mr Butler told Sky News: "That's right." "And we'll have a suite of policies across the board well before the next election for people to have a look at to ensure that we do have appropriate emissions reduction in other sectors of the economy," Mr Butler said. He went on to deny that farmers should prepare for a 45 per cent target if Labor wins the next election. But as promised under Labor's previous emissions trading scheme, Mr Butler confirmed agriculture would be exempt. "We've been clear that the 115,000 farming businesses would not be covered by any sort of emissions trading scheme," he said. There is a chance of a higher than 45 per cent target for the electricity sector, which would take the pressure off agriculture, transport, mining and manufacturing, but Mr Butler said "we don't have a number". That figure would be set by an independent agency, he said. THE MYSTERY OF MH370 March 8, 2014: MH370 disappears from the radar 40 minutes into its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board April 8, 2014: An Australian ship hears two signals consistent with MH370's flight recorders in waters west of Australia. "I'm now optimistic that we will find the aircraft, or what is left of the aircraft, in the not-too-distant future," search coordinator Angus Houston says April 28, 2014: The air search ends after failing to see a single piece of debris in 4.6 million square km of ocean. Jan 29, 2015: Malaysia formally declares MH370 an accident and says all 239 people on board are presumed dead March 8, 2015: Australia's then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott doubles the area of the underwater search to 120,000 square km July 29, 2015: A wing part known as a flaperon found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar, is the first piece of the plane to be recovered. Since then, 27 pieces have been found July 28, 2016: Data from flight captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah's home simulator shows it was used to plot a course to the southern Indian Ocean, bolstering speculation he ditched the plane in a premeditated plot Dec 20, 2016: The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says MH370 is unlikely to be in the 120,000 sq km search area is more likely in an area immediately to the north. Jan 17, 2017: Search is called off Jan 19, 2017: Malaysia offers cash rewards to private parties for "substantial information or evidence" about the location of the wreckage April 21, 2017: The CSIRO releases a report saying the most likely location of the jet is a new 25,000 sq km area, north of the original 120,000 sq km search area January 3, 2018: The search resumes after Malaysia enters into a "no find, no fee" arrangement with US company Ocean Infinity, with up to $70 million offered if the wreckage is found March 3, 2018: Malaysia says the new search will likely end in June, as families of passengers mark four years since the plane disappeared May 29, 2018: Second search is called off July 30, 2018: Investigators release what was flagged as the final report into the aviation mystery, but say the search may resume and it cannot be the final report until wreckage is found. They said they did not believe the pilot was behind the change in direction and "unlawful interference by a third party" could not be ruled out. Today's Birthday, July 31: Former Australian politician Ted Baillieu (1953 - ). Ex-Victorian premier Ted Baillieu recently spoke out as the state Liberals took legal action against major donor the Cormack Foundation. After the federal court ruled the party was entitled to 25 per cent of the foundation's shares, the 65-year-old labelled the case a "disaster" and waste of money. "Long-term, trusted supporters have been vilified and a critical relationship with a critical supporter has been fractured while nothing has been gained," the retired politician told the Herald Sun in June. The foundation - set up by Liberal administrators to handle the proceeds of a radio station sale in the late 1980s - later announced it would directly donate to state leader Matthew Guy's election campaign, bypassing the party. Born to a well-off family in the Melbourne suburb of Toorak in 1953, Baillieu attended Melbourne Grammar School before graduating with a University of Melbourne architecture degree in 1976. He worked at his family's real estate firm and also as an architect before entering politics in 1981. The ambitious youngster was made Victorian Liberal Party vice president by 1987 and later president in 1994. Baillieu won the safe seat of Hawthorn at the 1999 state election and took on multiple shadow ministry roles before assuming the leadership prior to the 2006 election, which Labor won. A pre-election ALP campaign branded the then-opposition leader "Ted the toff from Toorak", casting aspersions over his blue-chip investments portfolio and possible conflicts of interest. But Baillieu bit back in 2010 to become Victorian premier after the Coalition narrowly won office. His government was criticised for lacking a credible legislative agenda and several destructive policies, which included abolishing species protection measures and cutting funding to renewable energy and TAFE education. Baillieu resigned as premier in March 2013 after a government corruption scandal involving the state's police force came to light. He later didn't recontest his seat. A recording of Baillieu attacking Liberal colleagues in an off-the-record discussion between him and a Fairfax journalist was aired publicly in June 2014. Senior Labor figures were accused of leaking the recording after the journalist misplaced their dictaphone at an earlier Labor state conference. Baillieu recently chaired the ANZAC Centenary Committee. He has three children with wife Robyn. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration is seeking partners, not domination, in the Indo-Pacific. Pompeo, speaking at the US Chamber of Commerce Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Washington DC on Monday, outlined US President Donald Trump's vision for a vast region that stretches from India in the east to the US west coast. "The great theme of our engagement is this: where America goes we seek partnership not domination," Pompeo told the forum. Pompeo did not single out China, but framed America's strategy for the region as a contrast to the Asian giant by declaring the Trump administration was demanding a "free and open" Indo-Pacific. "When we say 'open' in the Indo-Pacific it means we want all nations to enjoy open access to seas and airways," Pompeo said. "We want the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes. "This is key to international peace." Trump pulled the US out of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership with Australia, New Zealand and nine other nations just three days after moving into the White House. The remaining 11 nations are pushing ahead with their own free trade pact and Pompeo said the US would seek bilateral agreements. "I know some are wondering about America's role in the region in the light of President Trump's decision to pull out of the TPP," Pompeo said. "While we work with our partners to craft better and higher standard bilateral trade agreements our companies are continuing to advance US economic interest by growing their presence in the region." A Sydney chiropractor will not be able to practise for at least two years after he claimed his craft could prevent cancer. Hance Limboro pleaded guilty to 11 counts of advertising a health service in a false or misleading way in February 2017. The offences occurred when articles appeared on a website linked to his practice which claimed cancer is preventable and curable because chiropractors treat the spine - "the root" of all disorders and diseases. He was fined $29,500 but the Health Care Complaints Commission took his matter to the Civil and Administrative Tribunal to have him deregistered. Limboro and another chiropractor argued he was a responsible practitioner but the tribunal decided to ban him from practising for two years. He will not be allowed to practise in that time and was ordered to pay the HCCC's legal costs. Limboro will be eligible for review in 2020. An education program funding talented but disadvantaged students through their final years of high school is calling on the Victorian and Australian governments to step up to the plate. The Skyline bursary program identifies gifted and talented students who are financially and socially disadvantaged and pays up to $11,500 for fees, uniforms, textbooks and other charges and since starting in 2006, all of its 143 students have graduated high school. "Our students don't just finish Year 12, but more than 95 per cent of them finish university as well," Skyline chair Katrina Reynen told AAP. The program currently has $750,000 in funding from private and corporate donors and Ms Reynen wants to see the state and federal governments match it so more youths can avoid a "lifetime of missed opportunity." The program started in southeast Melbourne and is running across about 20 schools, including a regional pilot program in Geelong. Ms Reynen said it's hoped with government funding, schools in Melbourne's north and west can take part. Students take part in an induction camp at the start of the year and for many of them, it's the first time they have been able to talk about academic dreams and goals. "It's about education, it's about aspiration, and they really do support each other along the way," Ms Reynen said. Children who take part include those from single parent, immigrant and low-educated families, others experience substance abuse and family violence in the home. Each child is tested before being selected and can be unearthed because their talents were hidden behind their disadvantage, Ms Reynen said. Graduates often go on to become community leaders and mentor new students. State and territory ministers will get their first full look at the Turnbull government's latest energy plan on Tuesday, as the opposition looks to reinvigorate emissions trading. The Energy Security Board will present its full national energy guarantee plan to ministers ahead of a meeting with their federal counterpart Josh Frydenberg next month. The latest iteration, following a request for more detailed work, is set to include an olive branch on one of the more controversial aspects of the deal. A 2024/25 review of the 26 per cent emissions reduction target for the electricity sector could see it increased from 2025, rather than the 2030 time frame in the initial policy. That had proved a sticking point for some, predominantly Labor, ministers. Ahead of the release Mr Frydenberg is more hopeful than confident the guarantee will get the support it needs from ministers. "It's certainly in the national interest," he told ABC radio. Meanwhile opposition energy spokesman Mark Butler has talked up a new emissions trading scheme as part of a plan to ratchet up the 26 to 28 per cent emissions reduction target to 45 per cent across the board. That plan includes a baseline 45 per cent target for the electricity sector, which could see pressure put on sectors like agriculture, mining, transport and manufacturing to meet the same goal. "In the non-electricity sector there'll be a whole range of different mechanisms that will allow essentially a whole range of different trading arrangements between different sectors of the economy," he said. But he ruled out an ETS for agriculture. The West Australian government is considering scrapping rooftop solar panel subsidies in favour of supporting increased use of battery storage following a recommendation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Energy Minister Ben Wyatt is investigating how the state government can phase-out subsidies for the rooftop panels, telling The West Australian on Tuesday they were no longer needed. Mr Wyatt said batteries would reduce energy prices while providing security using existing infrastructure. "While the cost of solar PV systems has reduced significantly since the introduction of the Renewable Energy Target and is now considered economically viable in the absence of government subsidy, the implications of such a change need to be fully thought through, including the impact on the local solar industry," Mr Wyatt said. Bill Shorten has nominated a handful of countries including Japan, Canada and New Zealand that he wants to consider resettling refugees being held in Australia's offshore detention centres. The opposition leader has promised to retain the Turnbull government's tough "stop the boats" policies if he wins power at the next election, but intends to more aggressively pursue third-party resettlement options. "Our plan is to negotiate regional resettlement options with the countries in our region," Mr Shorten told ABC radio on Tuesday. "I think there's big economies right through the Asian continent who would be, I think, worthwhile for us to talk to." Mr Shorten suggested Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada and New Zealand as his key targets for negotiations. Roughly 1500 asylum seekers and refugees remain on Manus Island and Nauru. Several hundreds refugees have already been sent to the United States under an ongoing refugee swap deal which offers up to 1250 places. "I'm pleased the Turnbull government has been able to keep negotiations with America on track. This issue should be above party politics," Mr Shorten said. "I think that Australians actually expect their government to deter the people smugglers, but not keep people in indefinite detention." Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has similar views on immigration and trade as US President Donald Trump US President Donald Trump receives Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday, welcoming to the White House a European populist with like-minded views on immigration and trade. The visit will begin with a one-on-one meeting followed by more extensive bilateral discussions, the White House said. "Italy is an important NATO Ally, a leading partner in Afghanistan and Iraq, and key in bringing stability to the Mediterranean region," the White House said in announcing the visit last month, the new prime minister's first. Trump praised Conte as "great" after meeting him at the recent G7 summit in Canada, where they warmly shook hands during the family photo. Conte is "very strong on immigration -- like I am, by the way," said Trump, who has pursued a policy of "zero tolerance" for illegal immigration, a crackdown that led to hundreds of children being separated from parents who crossed into the United States from Mexico without papers. Conte was chosen to lead the Italian government by the leaders of parties that won March elections: the euro skeptic Five Star Movement and the far-right League party. The Italian press has suggested the meeting will serve to boost Conte's profile, often overshadowed by his deputy prime ministers and those parties' exuberant leaders: Matteo Salvini of the League party, and Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement. Conte wants to reform the Dublin Regulation, the EU law that says asylum requests should be the responsibility of a single member country, usually the one where the refugee first arrived. Italy argues that the law places an unfair burden on countries that border the Mediterranean, and its new populist government has stepped up pressure on other EU countries to share responsibility for arriving refugees. It has closed Italy's ports to migrants and turned back several ships carrying refugees rescued at sea, threatening the future of those operations. - Friend of Russia - Both Trump and Conte also favor better relations with Russia. Already deeply at odds with US allies on trade, the environment and Iran, opened another front in Canada by calling for Russia to be brought back into G7 meetings, ending its isolation over its 2014 annexation of Crimea. "I think it would be good for Russia, I think it would be good for the United States, I think it would be good for all of the countries of the current G7," Trump said. Conte, who was making his international debut at the G7, said he agreed with Trump, setting himself apart from his European colleagues. On trade, the two men share the same skepticism when it comes to free trade: Trump has blasted several international pacts such as NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), while Conte refused to ratify the CETA free trade agreement between the EU and Canada. - Missed target - But according to Nick Ottens of the Atlantic Council, Trump "may not find the ally he expects" in Conte. On trade, the new Italian government's skepticism of multinational agreements risks Trump's goal of eliminating all EU customs tariffs, according to Ottens. Meanwhile, in the defense realm, Italy has said it has no chance of reaching the target spending of two percent of GDP -- let alone Trump's stated goal of four percent at the latest NATO summit. In early July, Italy's defense minister Elisabetta Trenta announced a freeze on purchasing F-35 fighter aircraft, of which the US is the primary contractor. Italy's participation in NATO operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria will be on both leaders' agendas, along with Italy's diplomatic efforts in Libya. But a certain point of disagreement will be Trump's standoff with Iran -- and the sanctions that hurt Italian-Iranian commercial relations. Opposition supporters hold a banner saying 'Yes to democracy, no to dictatorship' Counting began on Monday in a politically explosive referendum in Comoros that could change the constitution and allow President Azali Assoumani to rule beyond 2021, his current term limit. Turnout was weak at several polling stations in the capital Moroni, AFP reporters witnessed, after opposition leaders called for a boycott. One businessman who requested anonymity told AFP he had not voted because he "sensed a scam". But Soilihi Ali Said, a voter in his 40s in the capital Moroni which on Monday was virtually shut down by a general strike, said he voted 'Yes' because "there's the promise of change with new faces and a state that's less bloated." Results are expected either late Monday or early Tuesday. The Indian Ocean archipelago has a long history of instability and risks renewed unrest after Assoumani banned demonstrations and the opposition vowed to fiercely resist the proposed changes to the constitution. Two ballot boxes were destroyed in a polling station in the Hankounou district of Moroni, an AFP team saw, with blood-stained shards of plastic scattered on the ground after an apparent scuffle. A police officer was injured with a blade in the incident and hospitalised, according to a security source. - 'United against the dictator' - "These are isolated cases," said Assoumani who added there had also been "one case" of trouble on the island of Anjouan but played down the incidents when he spoke in his home village of Mitsoudje in Moroni's south. Opposition lawmakers had demanded an "unconditional halt (to) the illegal process" of the referendum, which they say is a power grab by Assoumani. President Azali Assoumani at a booth in Mitsoudje outside the capital Moroni "The people have sent a strong message to those in power by not turning out at the ballot box," Ahmed el-Barwane, secretary general of the opposition Juwa party, told AFP. Under the current constitution adopted in 2001, power rotates every five years between Comoros' three main islands as a means of balancing politics in the coup-prone country. If the government wins the referendum, this arrangement would be scrapped and replaced by a president who would be elected for a five-year tenure, renewable for one term. - 'Reject the dangerous abuse' - Assoumani would also gain the power to scrap the country's three vice-presidencies, another balancing measure of the present constitution. If the referendum is approved, Islam would also be proclaimed the state religion for the first time. Ninety-nine percent of the Comorans are Sunni Muslim. Police officers at the Hankounou polling station where ballot materials were vandalised In June, one of the vice presidents, Ahmed Said Jaffar, urged Comorans to "reject the dangerous abuse" of power. He was later stripped of all but one of his ministerial portfolios. If Assoumani wins the referendum, he is expected to stage early elections next year to extend his time in office. But he has vowed to stand down if he loses Monday's vote, according to his spokesman Mohamed Ismailla. - Volatile history - A group of three islands between Mozambique and Madagascar -- and one of the world's poorest countries -- the Comoros has endured repeated coups and political turmoil since independence from France in 1975. Assoumani, a 59-year-old former colonel, was president between 1999 and 2002, coming to power after ousting acting president Tadjidine Ben Said Massonde in a military coup. He won the country's first multi-party elections in 2002, stepping down in 2006 to hand over power democratically to Ahmed Abdallah Sambi. In May 2016, he returned again as president after an election marred by violence and allegations of voting irregularities. In April this year, Assoumani suspended the Constitutional Court saying it was incompetent. Earlier this month, one of the vice presidents, Moustoidrane Abdou escaped an assassination attempt when his car was attacked by gunmen on motorcycles. The three main islands of the Comoros -- Grande-Comore, the largest, and where Azali is from, Anjouan and Moheli -- have a population of around 800,000 people. The fourth island, Mayotte, remains French. The Comoros: An island nation of idyllic beaches and exotic flowers, political turbulence and poverty One of the world's poorest countries, the Indian Ocean island nation of the Comoros has endured years of political turmoil, including a spate of coups. Here is a factfile ahead of its controversial referendum on Monday, which could allow President Azali Assoumani to extend his term: - 'Islands of the Moon' - Made up of the three islands of Anjouan, Grande-Comore and Moheli, the small country's land surface is 1,870 square kilometres (772 square miles), with a population of just 800,000. The Comoros, which means "Islands of the Moon" in Arabic, are situated between Madagascar and Mozambique, and next to the French-administered island of Mayotte. The Comoro Islands embraced Islam in the 12th century and its people are now 99-percent Muslim, mostly Sunnis. Besides provisions on the presidential term, the proposed constitution would wipe out the notion of secularism to make Islam the state religion, based on "the principles and rules of Sunni observance". - Mayotte: tensions with France - The Comoros became independent from France in 1975, breaking away in a referendum in which Mayotte was the only island in the archipelago that opted to remain with the colonial-era power. However the country still claims Mayotte, in which it is backed by several UN resolutions, in a territorial dispute with France. Mayotte is relatively well-off compared to the impoverished and unstable Comoros, and grapples with a flood of illegal migrants who often make the 70 kilometre (43 mile) crossing in makeshift boats. - Coups, mercenaries - Since independence, the Comoros has endured more than 20 attempted coups, four of which were successful. The first president, Ahmed Abdallah, was ousted a month after independence with the help of renowned French mercenary Bob Denard. Three years later Denard organised a coup to reinstate Abdallah and became army chief. In 1989 Abdallah was assassinated in as yet unexplained circumstances. Denard, then head of the presidential guard, tried to take control but fled as France intervened militarily. - Island autonomy - Anjouan seceded in 1997 only rejoining the other islands in 2001, the year a new constitution created the Union of the Comoros that gave the islands more autonomy, rotating the presidency between them. Assoumani, whose decision to organise a referendum to change the constitution has led to deep tensions, seized power in a coup in 1999. He was re-elected in a 2016 vote marred by violence and allegations of irregularities. - Ylang-ylang and poverty - Lacking the major tourist infrastructure of the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and the Seychelles, the country's main activities are fishing and agriculture. The fragrant oil of the ylang-ylang tree is used to make perfume and is a major source of revenue for the Comoros Vanilla, cloves and above all ylang-ylang -- the tree whose fragrant oil is used to make perfume -- are the principal sources of hard currency. But the country is poor and heavily dependent on remittances from emigrants, notably in France which is home to 200,000-300,000 Comorans. The Comoros trails at the bottom of the UN's Human Development Index -- which compares life expectancy, education and standards of living around the world -- placed at 160 of 188 countries in 2016. The World Bank says the archipelago has to combat famine and malnutrition. Economic growth has accelerated moderately, reaching 2.5 percent in 2017, largely due to better electricity supplies and increased remittances from the diaspora, the bank says. Buskers have been entertaining crowds -- and irking neighbours -- for nearly two decades under the glow of Mong Kok's famous neon signs The rumbustious street performers who have long claimed one of Hong Kong's busiest shopping districts as their informal stage took their final bow Sunday night after local authorities caved to noise complaints over their legendary cacophony. Under the glow of Mong Kok's famous neon signs, buskers have been entertaining crowds -- and irking neighbours -- for nearly two decades in Sai Yeung Choi Street South, an area which has been regularly closed to traffic to make way for pedestrians and performers since 2000. The local district council passed a motion in May to scrap the pedestrianised performance zone Over the years, a motley line-up including an acrobat in his sixties performing stunts to Michael Jackson and karaoke bands surrounded by fans clapping along on plastic stools gave ear-splitting shows to tinny music blasted from amplifiers. Drawing cheers and consternation equally, the street performers have received 320 noise complaints in just the first half of the year, according to police, with local media reporting 1,200 complaints last year. The pedestrian zone will be fully abolished and reopen to traffic starting on August 4. But while some will be relieved that the plug is being pulled, others fear authorities are killing off the city's vibrant street culture with over-regulation. Just next to the freestyle performance area, official attempts in 2016 to remove unlicensed hawkers triggered some of the city's worst clashes for decades as protesters used the occasion to express their anger towards Hong Kong's dwindling autonomy. Drawing cheers and consternation equally, the street performers have received 320 noise complaints in just the first half of the year, according to police, with local media reporting 1,200 complaints last year Ahead of the shutdown of the busking zone, bands in glittery outfits, elderly men and women dancing the cha-cha, and "singing aunties" from mainland China -- who have joined the pack over the years to the displeasure of some locals -- came out over the weekend. The pedestrianised strip's last days have also attracted higher-profile entertainers like actor Bobby Yip, who visited on Saturday and was instantly recognisable with his blunt bowl-cut hair. "This is like a nightclub for ordinary people... I hope the government will support this street culture," Yip told local newspaper Apple Daily. But residents and shopkeepers nearby say the constant cacophony has given them a headache, at times literally. "It does create trouble in our daily lives, including disturbing my son's study," Gabriel Wai, who lives in the area, told the South China Morning Post. The pedestrianised strip's last days have also attracted higher-profile entertainers like film actress Lana Wong The local district council passed a motion in May to scrap the zone. WiFi Band, who have performed in the area for the last few years, say the group might relocate to Causeway Bay's Times Square or Tsim Sha Tsui -- also busy commercial districts thronged with tourists and shoppers. Drummer Miss Cheng from the band told local news site HK01 she was sad about the busker community's dissolution as performers could get more interactive with the audience in Mong Kok. "Perhaps we would only bring guitars (over there), because transportation is less convenient, plus you can't be as loud," she said of the new locations. As southern Iraq suffers through a punishing drought, desperate cattle breeders are having to sell off animals to keep others alive Iraqi farmer Sayyed Sattar knows he'll soon have to let some of his buffalo go as he surveys the herd bathing in a dwindling pond close to the holy city of Najaf. As southern Iraq suffers through a punishing drought, desperate cattle breeders are having to sell off animals to keep others alive. Sattar, 52, has already seen some of his buffalo die of thirst. Now, in a bid to stop any others being lost, he's being forced to say goodbye to some of his prized beasts. "With the money, we will be able to buy water and hay for the rest of the herd," he tells AFP, his head covered with a traditional black and white keffiyeh scarf. Sattar is far from the only farmer hit by the drought. Local authorities estimate that some 30 percent of cattle across the south of the country have been lost during the drought, either dying from thirst or sold off for slaughter. That is a major blow for the estimated 475,000 families who make their livings from livestock across the south of the conflict-hit country. - Search for water - Herder Ali, 24, understands only too well the challenges being faced. He has to travel ever greater distances with his flock to find water. Around him, canals have run dry and the cracked earth, empty water pipes, and dead grass testify to how few options farmers now have. The lack of water is painful in an area that once formed part of the so-called 'fertile crescent' To quench the thirst of their animals they have to pay, and the price of water has shot up, he says. The lack of water is painful in an area that once formed part of the so-called "fertile crescent". Dubbed the "country of two rivers" due to the presence of the mighty Tigris and Euphrates, Iraq has seen its water supplies shrinking for years. This year rainfall has been particularly scarce and reservoirs currently stand at only 10 percent full. Beyond the natural causes there is also a human factor worsening the problem -- the sharing of water resources on a regional level. Neighbours Iran and Turkey have in effect rerouted several rivers and tributaries that used to help irrigate Iraq. The recent launch of Turkey's Ilisu dam on the Tigris has provided another blow for Iraqi agriculture and in June the authorities were forced to make a tough call. The agriculture ministry suspended the growing of rice, corn and other cereals that consume a lot of water. - 'Exodus' - To help keep livestock watered, trucks are making the rounds in southern Iraq, offering to fill up the plastic tanks around cattle sheds for $20 (17 euros). But as farmers see the costs soar, the price that their cattle fetch is collapsing. Animals that once could have gone for up to $5,000 a head are now selling for as little as $1,500, meaning that cashing in on a buffalo can only cover the herd for two months. To try to make ends meet many farmers have had to resort to taking out loans at banks and going into debt. This year rainfall in Iraq has been particularly scarce and reservoirs currently stand at only 10 percent full Unable to pay off their bills, a group of farmers recently took to the streets in southern Iraq asking for delays in their payments. "Never in its history has Iraq known such a catastrophe," said Ahmed al-Issawi, head of the agricultural cooperative in Najaf. "Our animals are forced to drink water where even mosquitos can't survive." The drought has seen other problems increase -- disease, worms and epidemics. Animals "contaminate each other very quickly and die", Issawi says. The Mesopotamian Marshes, one of the biggest wetlands in the region, have long been seen as one of the jewels of southern Iraq. But now they no longer help guarantee an income for those who live there, meaning people have already started to move away -- and more look set to follow. "There will be an exodus," Issawi warned. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen faced virtually no opposition after mounting a crackdown on the opposition last year Cambodia's flawed elections are set to hand the ruling party of strongman Hun Sen all 125 parliamentary seats, a spokesman told AFP Monday, an outcome that would turn the country into a one-party state after a vote devoid of an opposition. Sunday's ballot has prolonged Hun Sen's 33-year rule, but observers say questions of legitimacy may haunt the wily political survivor as frustration sets in over lack of change. The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) "will take all seats across the country," spokesman Sok Eysan told AFP at party headquarters, hailing "a landslide victory". In response the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the country's only real opposition who were disbanded before the poll, issued a statement lamenting "the death of democracy" and a "new, dark day" in Cambodian history. Some 8.3 million people registered to cast their ballots in the vote -- Cambodia's sixth general election since United Nations-sponsored polls were held in 1993 after decades of conflict. Sok Eysan said the predicted clean sweep was based on initial results. Final figures are due August 15. Asked about the country turning into a one-party state, the CPP spokesman said it was "the decision of the people," adding that Cambodia's constitution allows for a multi-party system. No caption But the ballot lacked any serious challengers after Hun Sen cracked down on the opposition last year, leading to the arrest one of its leaders and then the dissolution of the party by the Supreme Court. Opposition figures had urged a boycott of the poll. But election authorities warned they would take action against those pressing for a "clean-finger" campaign and pointed to an 82 percent turnout as evidence that the boycott call had failed. Experts say high turnouts are common in authoritarian states where voter intimidation is more widespread. Yet in a sign of a kickback from unhappy voters, around 600,000 ballots -- around 10 percent of the total -- were spoiled, according to a preliminary count by the National Election Commission. - 'Neither free, nor fair' - Hun Sen came to power in 1985 in a country still plagued by civil war and his CPP has won every election since 1998. But wearied by a culture of impunity and corruption more than 44 percent of voters backed the opposition CNRP in 2013 polls, creating the most serious challenge to Hun Sen in years. This time the Cambodian leader ruthlessly moved against his critics in the election run-up, corralling civil society, independent media and political opponents. That led many western governments to pull their support from the vote. It was "neither free nor fair and failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people," the White House said in a statement. The US would consider a "significant expansion" of visa restrictions introduced last year against some senior Cambodian officials, it warned. The European Union said the outcome of the vote "lacks credibility" and does not reflect the will of the people. In contrast China, a key Cambodia ally which has provided cash and soft loans to Hun Sen's government without raising questions over human rights and democracy, offered its "sincere congratulations" on the poll, according to foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. - 'It's him again' - The 65-year-old Hun Sen is also seen as a stabilising force in the eyes of many in a kingdom with a bloody and bitter recent history that spans civil war, the horrors of the Khmer Rouge and occupation by Vietnam. Hun Sen has cultivated his support base through rural and urban infrastructure and investment schemes that have added malls and condos to the skyline of the once sleepy capital Phnom Penh. The premier also adroitly turned to Cambodia's garment sector, which employs about 750,00 people, showering cash gifts on workers in the months ahead of polls. "I am happy that the Cambodian People's Party won overwhelmingly, more than previous mandates," said supporter Sang Kimson, 38, the morning after the election. But many other Cambodians are despondent at the idea of yet another term for Hun Sen, who is among the world's longest-serving leaders. "It is him again," shrugged one man sitting outside a coffee shop who asked not to be named and who said he felt "hopeless" watching the results come in. Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch, predicted simmering discontent. "I think what we will see here in Cambodia is continued passive resistance and anger by the Cambodian people, they weren't given the opportunity to vote for the people they wanted," he said. Hun Sen has held onto power through political and family alliances in the police, military and media. He was installed as prime minister during the Vietnamese occupation of the 1980s after defecting from the Khmer Rouge, which killed a quarter of Cambodia's population from 1975 to 1979. Cartoonist Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, popularly known as Zunar, was repeatedly targeted by the regime of Malaysia's ex-PM Najib Razak A Malaysian political cartoonist said Monday that nine sedition charges against him had been dropped after the scandal-mired regime that he had frequently lampooned was booted out of power. Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque -- who goes by the pen-name Zunar -- was repeatedly targeted under the former government for his cartoons, which often mocked ex-prime minister Najib Razak and his luxury-loving wife. Some of his collections were banned. He was hit with nine counts of sedition in 2015, stemming not from his artistic work but Twitter criticism about the jailing of then-opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. It was a record number for a single court appearance in Malaysia, according to his lawyers. But at a hearing in Kuala Lumpur Monday, prosecutors said the attorney-general's office had decided it does not want to pursue the case and was withdrawing the charges against him, the cartoonist confirmed. Zunar, whose cartoons are published by leading news portal Malaysiakini, told AFP he was happy with the decision, but added he would not be "absolutely happy until the government abolishes the Sedition Act". Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, tweeted that Zunar's acquittal was "fantastic news" and also called on authorities to scrap the sedition law. The Sedition Act, a relic of the British colonial era, was one of several laws that critics said were used to gag free speech during Najib's rule. Dozens of government critics, including opposition politicians, activists and journalists, were arrested for sedition and under other laws. Najib launched a brutal crackdown against opponents after allegations emerged that he and his cronies oversaw the looting of sovereign wealth fund 1MDB in a sophisticated fraud that spanned the globe. The scandal was a major factor in the surprise election defeat in May of his coalition, which had ruled Malaysia uninterrupted since independence from Britain in 1957. Since the loss, Najib has been charged with corruption linked to the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB controversy. He denies any wrongdoing. Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (L) shakes hands with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) after a press conference British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Monday he welcomed China's offer of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal as he visited Beijing to try to strengthen ties before next year's divorce from Europe. Hunt, appointed earlier this month, was in the Chinese capital to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other top officials, on a trip that will also include stops in Paris and Vienna for talks with his European counterparts on Brexit. "We discussed the offer made by Foreign Minister Wang to open discussion of a possible free-trade deal done between Britain and China, post-Brexit," Hunt said at a joint press conference. "We welcome this and said that we will explore it." Britain is assessing its post-Brexit trade options. London is already moving ahead with plans to negotiate a free-trade deal with the United States as soon as it leaves the European Union, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said last week. It also was revealed last week that May was sending ministers to the 27 other member states of the EU to try to broker back-door agreements after Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier raised reservations about her Brexit plan. An agreement in principle on Britain's departure from the European trading bloc -- set for March 29, 2019 -- must be reached before a Europe summit in mid-October. Hunt said he and Wang had "very constructive" talks in Beijing but neither gave any further details. Hunt said that during their talks he also raised the issue of Briton Michael Simpson, who was stabbed to death by his estranged Chinese wife in Shanghai late last year, according to British media reports. Simpson's two young children are in the custody of his wife's family now that their mother has been jailed. Simpson's British family has been trying to obtain custody of the children but have been stymied by the courts and the wife's relatives, according to the BBC and other reports. "We also raised consular cases, including that of the Simpson children. Foreign Minister Wang said he would look into that case while also still respecting the independence of Chinas judicial system," Hunt said. Hunt was due to meet Premier Li Keqiang later in the day. The Lombok quake killed 16 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings Indonesia mounted a rescue operation Monday to reach more than 500 hikers and guides stranded by landslides on an active volcano on Lombok, a day after a powerful earthquake struck the holiday island. Helicopters and search teams have been deployed to scour the slopes of Mount Rinjani, which is crisscrossed with hiking routes popular with tourists, while rescuers have made airdrops of food supplies to those stranded. Tonnes of rock and mud were dislodged on the mountain in the 6.4-magnitude quake, which struck early Sunday and was followed by scores of aftershocks, leaving hikers with no easy way down to safety. "There are still 560 people trapped," said the head of Rinjani national park Sudiyono, who goes by one name. No caption Those believed to be stranded include citizens from the United States, France, the Netherlands, Thailand and Germany, as well as many other countries, search and rescue officials said. Hundreds of other hikers managed to get off the mountain on Sunday, according to officials. At least 16 people were killed in the earthquake across affected areas of Lombok, while hundreds of buildings were destroyed including a health clinic. The quake created panic on the holiday island and sent locals and tourists running outside their homes and hotels. The rescue operation on Mount Rinjani is likely to run until at least Tuesday and a military helicopter has dropped supplies at several spots on the mountain. "For supplies, they can still survive for another one to two days," Agus Hendra Sanjaya, spokesman for Mataram's search and rescue agency, told AFP. Some 160 people were injured in the Lombok quake which has left at least 16 dead Rising some 3,726 metres (12,224 feet) above sea level, Rinjani is the second-tallest volcano in Indonesia and a favourite among sightseers keen to take in its expansive views. Hiking trails on the mountain were closed following the quake due to fear of further landslides. Thailands embassy in Jakarta said 239 of its citizens were stuck in the area surrounding the mountain. Thai national Thanapon Worawutchainan, who was at the summit when the earthquake occurred, posted a video on Facebook showing people stumbling down the slopes in the aftermath. He said the ground shook violently and people lay down until the tremors stopped. "It looked like the mountain in front of me was going to collapse," another stranded Thai, Funknathee Prapasawat, said on Facebook. "Some people were injured by rocks falling off the mountain". - Thousands in shelters - The epicentre of the earthquake was 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Lombok's main city Mataram, the United States Geological Survey said, far from the main tourist spots on the south and west of the island. The initial tremor was followed by two strong secondary quakes and more than 100 aftershocks. Indonesian President Joko Widodo visits quake-affected people at a shelter in Lombok The jolt was felt some 100 km (60 miles) away on the bustling resort island of Bali, although there were no reports of damage there. Some 160 people were injured in Lombok as a result of the quake, said Mohammad Rum, head of West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency. A Malaysian was among the dead, with another six citizens injured, the foreign ministry in Kuala Lumpur said. A total of 5,141 people are staying in temporary shelters and in need of clean water, Indonesian disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told MetroTV. President Joko Widodo visited affected areas on Monday and promised financial support for those who have lost their homes. "We must be aware that our country is in the Ring of Fire, so people need to be prepared to face any disaster," Widodo said. Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the worlds volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia. A plane was stranded at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport for almost 10 hours after the pilot failed an alcohol test A Dubai-bound flight from Nepal was delayed by nearly 10 hours after the pilot was found to be under the influence of alcohol, officials said Monday. The FlyDubai flight eventually left Kathmandu with a different crew. Crew members alerted airport officials that the pilot seemed impaired by alcohol less than an hour before the flight was scheduled to take off on Sunday morning. "A breathalyser test showed he had consumed alcohol. A medical test confirmed the result," Raj Kumar Chettri, Tribhuvan International Airport general manager, told AFP. FlyDubai's headquarters was informed and the flight with 154 passengers on board was suspended until the new crew arrived. Authorities did not disclose the pilot's nationality. Beijing must better scrutinise imports of illegally logged timber from countries such as Papua New Guinea where deforestation is devastating ecosystems and livelihoods, Global Witness said Beijing must better scrutinise imports of illegally logged timber from countries such as Papua New Guinea where deforestation is devastating ecosystems and livelihoods, Global Witness said Monday. The watchdog said in a new report that a large number of logging operations in the Pacific nation violated local laws despite holding government-issued permits. The alleged violations included corruption and bribery in the issue of permits, logging without the consent of indigenous landowners and the exporting of timber above amounts that are legally allowed. "China is the world's largest consumer and manufacturer of wood and wood products. Yet it has no regulation to keep illegal timber from entering its borders," Global Witness said. "The risk of illegal timber from countries like PNG flooding China's markets has the potential to damage its reputation and major trade relationships as buyers in the US and (the European Union), which ban illegal timber imports, take action to protect themselves." Global Witness said PNG provided 29 percent of China's tropical log imports, making it the country's single largest supplier. It added that the deforestation rate in PNG was "unusually high in recent years", with 640,000 hectares of forest lost in the past five years. Some 70 percent of PNG is covered by forests that help sustain local livelihoods and provide habitat for some of the world's rarest plants and animals. Global Witness called on Beijing to require timber importers to go beyond official documents to carry out checks ensuring that the wood was obtained through legal means. It also urged Port Moresby to place a moratorium on issuing all new logging and forest clearance permits, and to cancel those that were illegally obtained. PNG is due to host an APEC leaders' summit this year, with regional leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to attend. The remains of an antique car collection lie in a fire-devastated neighborhood near Redding, California A young boy pleaded for rescue before he died along with two others in a California wildfire, an anguished relative recounted Monday, while other shaken survivors told of their flight from a "tornado" of fire. Thousands of firefighters in California made some progress against several large-scale blazes that have turned around 200,000 acres (80,940 hectares) into an ashen wasteland, destroyed expensive homes, and killed eight fire personnel and civilians in the most populous US state. The worst blaze, northern California's Carr Fire, has killed six people since Thursday, including a 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren, aged four and five. They perished when flames swallowed their home in Redding. Local media identified the victims as Melody Bledsoe and the children, Emily Roberts and James Roberts, nicknamed "Junior." "I talked to Junior on the phone 'til he died," Melody's husband Ed Bledsoe told CNN, recounting the last words of the boy, his sister, and Bledsoe's wife. "He said 'Come and get me, the fire's comin' in the back door. Come on, Grandpa,'" Bledsoe said, his voice choking. But he couldn't get there in time to save them. "I've been a lifelong resident of this community, and I've never seen a fire with such destruction here in this area ever before," Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty said of the Carr Fire. Alyce Macken said she had only minutes to flee with her husband Ted from the flames sweeping closer to her home in Redding. A sheriff's officer pounded on the door and gave them 15 minutes to leave, Macken told AFP. "We were out in 10 minutes. I was shaking, it just went by really fast," the retiree said. Macken said she met other panic-stricken neighbors at a nearby shopping center -- and watched from afar as her home went up in flames. "It was almost like a tornado with fire in it and it came over the hill and it wiped out our house, it wiped out our next door neighbor's home," she said. About 38,000 people had been evacuated in Shasta County due to the Carr Fire, officials said, though some evacuation orders have been lifted. Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump approved California's request for federal help to fight the blaze and assist evacuees. A thick smoke haze covered a large part of northern California, severely limiting visibility and contributing to breathing problems. According to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), 12,000 firefighters from as far away as Florida and New Jersey have deployed across the state. - Firefighter killed by tree - A map of California updating with the sites of major forest fires A firefighter identified as Brian Hughes died on Sunday while battling the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park, a major tourist attraction partially closed because of the fire. Hughes "was struck and killed by a tree" while fighting the blaze, the Sequoia and Kings National Parks Service said. Another firefighter died days earlier working at the fire around Yosemite. Much of that blaze is in steep, rugged terrain with little or no access roads, officials said. The remains of a person who ignored Carr Fire evacuation orders was found in a burned-out residence on Sunday, said Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko. Two fire personnel were killed late last week battling the Carr blaze. Seven other people were reported missing, Bosenko said, adding that 600 National Guard soldiers had been deployed for support duties such as roadblocks. Kambryn Brilz, 12, holds her dog Zoe at her burnt home after the animal was returned safely by a neighbor during the Carr fire in Redding Police have reported cases of looting from areas emptied of residents -- but then there was also the case of the missing python. Sandra Dodge-Streich, an evacuee forced to move four times, warned that a 14-foot long albino python she owned was lost at her latest stop in south Redding. "She is part of our store family and Reptile Exhibit. Please don't be afraid of her -- she is lost and scared!" Dodge-Streich, the owner of Redding Reptiles, said on Facebook. - Feeling 'optimistic' - The Carr Fire covers more than 103,000 acres (41,682 hectares) and is 23 percent contained, according to Cal Fire, the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 800 homes were destroyed. "Winds will increase late tonight and into tomorrow morning. Hot and dry weather, previously unburned fuels and steep terrain will contribute to fire growth," Cal Fire said in an evening update. Cal Fire incident manager Bret Gouvea earlier told reporters "we're feeling a lot more optimistic... as we're starting to make up some ground instead of being on the defensive." In southern California, where thousands fled the deliberately-set Cranston Fire, Cal Fire said crews had stopped flames from reaching the town of Idyllwild and the blaze was 57 percent contained. Last year was California's deadliest ever for wildfires, with more than 40 fatalities. China's latest product-safety scare emerged more than a week ago with news that major pharmaceutical manufacturer Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology had fabricated records and was ordered to cease production of rabies vaccines About a dozen people held a rare protest outside China's Health Ministry to demand action over a vaccine scandal that has inflamed public fears over the safety of domestically produced drugs. Video clips of the daring demonstration in front of the ministry were widely circulated on Twitter and other social media on Monday, showing the protesters holding banners urging accountability and justice in the latest case. "Legislation for vaccines is imperative! Handle this properly and responsibly!" they shouted in the footage. Social media posts said the demonstration took place on Monday but AFP was unable to independently confirm that. The fate of the protesters, whose banners described them as parents, was not known. An AFP journalist who arrived later at the location found no one there. Chinese security personnel typically react quickly to shut down public expressions of dissent, often detaining those involved. China's latest product-safety scare emerged more than a week ago with news that major pharmaceutical manufacturer Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology had fabricated records and was ordered to cease production of rabies vaccines. The government has said the suspect vaccine did not enter the market, but the case has provoked unusually strong outrage from Chinese consumers fed up with recurring safety scandals. The protester's banners bore headlines saying "Vaccines?" and messages including "Please give the victims justice". As information about the vaccine scandal emerged over the past two weeks, parents vented anger online, prompting the ruling Communist Party's internet censors to swoop in and purge mention of the issue. The anger was exacerbated by the additional revelation that Changsheng's vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) had also failed to meet quality standards, but that 250,000 doses were nonetheless sold last year. The depth of public outrage appeared to have caught authorities off-guard, and national leaders have vowed a thorough safety clean-up of the pharmaceutical sector. Police in the northeastern city of Changchun, where Changsheng is based, have said 15 people, including the company chairwoman, had been detained for unspecified crimes. China is regularly hit by scandals involving unsafe food, drugs or other products despite repeated official promises to root out the corruption and shoddy manufacturing that is usually blamed. Vaccines in particular have been hit by repeated scares, touching an extremely sensitive public sore point due to the potential impact on children. Sarah Nor, the mother of a passenger on MH370, weeps as she arrives for the final investigation report Investigators said Monday they still do not know why Malaysia's Flight MH370 vanished four years ago in aviation's greatest mystery, sparking anger and disappointment among relatives of those on board. In a long-awaited report the official investigation team pointed to failings by air traffic controllers, said the course of the Malaysia Airlines plane was changed manually, and refused to rule out that someone other than the pilots had diverted the jet. But after years of fruitless searching for the Boeing 777 that disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people aboard, the report offered nothing concrete to grieving relatives of passengers and crew hoping for some sort of closure. "The team is unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370," concluded the largely technical 400-page report, noting that investigators were hindered in their probe as neither the plane's wreckage nor its black boxes had been found. Investigators said the plane was airworthy and the pilots were in a fit state to fly, and dismissed the theory that the plane had been taken over remotely to foil a hijacking. Relatives who were briefed at the transport ministry in the administrative capital Putrajaya before the report's public release expressed anger that there was nothing new in the document, with some storming out of the briefing as frustration boiled over. "It is so disappointing," said Intan Maizura Othman, whose husband was a steward on MH370, which had been flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing carrying mostly mainland Chinese passengers when it vanished. "I am frustrated. There is nothing new in the report." She said the meeting between relatives and officials descended into a "shouting match" as anger mounted. G. Subramaniam, who lost a son on the flight, added that "unsatisfactory responses left many angry". - Largest hunt in history - The disappearance of MH370 triggered the largest hunt in aviation history. But no sign of it was found in a 120,000-square kilometre (46,000-square mile) Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led hunt was suspended in January last year. US exploration firm Ocean Infinity resumed the search in a different location at the start of this year on a "no find, no fee" basis, using high-tech drones to scour the seabed. But that search was also called off after failing to find anything. Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon. Malaysia's new government, which took power in May, has said the hunt could be resumed but only if new evidence comes to light. Transport Minister Anthony Loke insisted Monday that "the aspiration to locate MH370 has not been abandoned and we remain ever-hopeful that we will be able to find the answers we seek when the credible evidence becomes available". One area that came in for criticism in the report by the 19-member team, which included foreign investigators, was air traffic control. It said both Malaysian air traffic control and their Vietnamese counterparts failed to act properly when the Boeing jet passed from Malaysian to Vietnamese airspace and disappeared from radars. Air traffic controllers did not initiate emergency procedures in a timely fashion, delaying the start of the search and rescue operation, it said. However it played down concerns about the pilot and first officer, saying neither appeared to have suffered difficulties in their personal lives that could have affected their ability to fly. Copies of the MH370 safety investigations report are seen on the floor during a media briefing "We did not find any change to their behaviour, everything was normal," Kok Soo Chon, head of the investigation team, told a press conference. The report also said the plane was airworthy and did not have major technical issues, with Kok saying it had been diverted from its intended flight path manually. Intervention by a third party could not be ruled out, the report said, but also added there was no evidence to suggest the plane was flown by anyone other than the pilots. Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre, talks with Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, right, as Lu Wei, left, China's Internet czar, looks on at Microsoft's main campus in 2015 China's former internet czar, who oversaw a tightening of online censorship during his tenure, has been charged with taking bribes, state media said Monday. Throughout his career, Lu Wei used his political offices to benefit himself including "illegally receiving a huge amount of property," according to the official Xinhua news agency, quoting a statement by the office of the country's top prosecutor. It said Lu is alleged to have used his position to benefit himself and unspecified other people during his time working at Xinhua, for the Beijing government, for the party's central propaganda department and as the head of the Cyber Administration of China, among other offices. China's top graft watchdog expelled Lu from the ruling Communist Party in February, issuing an unusually florid statement that accused him of failing to carry out his duties and having a "tyrannical" management style. Lu was once named among the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine and had rubbed shoulders with the likes of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. But in June 2016 he stepped down from his position supervising controls over online expression as head of the Cyberspace Administration of China. And in November 2017 officials announced he was being investigated for suspected disciplinary violations. Lu had fiercely defended the country's censorship apparatus after he was appointed in 2013. He was a powerful figure both at home and abroad, where he commanded the attention of global technology firms eager for a piece of the Chinese market. Lu was personally received by Zuckerberg in 2014 at Facebook's Silicon Valley headquarters. He appeared in the front row of a group photo alongside top executives from American tech giants such as Amazon and President Xi Jinping when Xi visited the US in 2015. Facebook is among a number of Western websites, along with Twitter, Instagram and several news outlets, that are blocked by China's "Great Firewall" of internet censorship. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (left) and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki celebrate the reopening of the Embassy of Eritrea in Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on July 16, 2018 The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties after over a decade of animosity, in the latest fast-track rapprochement in the Horn of Africa. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," said a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Somali counterpart Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. Once close, Somalia and Eritrea fell out over a decade ago as Asmara stood accused of backing Islamist militants on Somali soil in a proxy war with Ethiopia. Eritrea long denied this, but was slapped with UN sanctions over its alleged backing of Al-Shabaab in 2009. "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the countrys rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," read the declaration. The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." No caption The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday agreed to establish diplomatic ties after more than a decade of animosity, in the latest lightning rapprochement between Horn of Africa rivals. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," read a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed, who left for Mogadishu shortly thereafter. Time to celebrate: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, left, and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki reopened the Eritrean embassy in Addis Ababa on July 16 The declaration came just three weeks after Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to two decades of conflict, rapidly restoring diplomatic ties and flights between their capitals. The history of the three nations, and their fallouts, have been intertwined. Somalia and Eritrea were once close. Under Somali dictator Siad Barre, the military regime in Mogagishu backed Eritrea's long fight for independence from Ethiopia, which was attained in 1993. In 1998 Ethiopia and Eritrea began a bloody two-year war over their shared border which left 80,000 dead before settling into a bitter cold war. After the fall of Barre in 1991, Somalia fell into chaos. By around 2006, it became the site of what observers called a proxy war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Ethiopia backed backing a weak interim government in Mogadishu while Eritrea was accused of backing the Islamic militants fighting to overthrow it, a charge it denied. The UN Security Council in 2009 imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militants, which continue to launch regular deadly attacks despite losing territory in recent years. The declaration placed special emphasis on its support for the Somali government. "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the countrys rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," it said.The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." - End of 'epoch of conflict' - At a state banquet on Sunday, Isaias bemoaned the gloomy post-Cold War history of the Horn of Africa. He said the region had been destroyed by "ethnic and clan cleavages" and "external pillage and internal thievery" in the speech which also lashed out at the "micromanagement of anarchy" by the United Nations and NGOs. "Under these bleak realities, interventionist and expansionist regional agendas in the name of religion, cultural intoxication under various extremist ideologies, terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, as well as trade in weapons and narcotics became the new normal," he said, according to a speech posted on the information ministry's website. Somalia and Eritrea "But this epoch of crises, conflict and instability is not inherently sustainable. As such, it is nearing its end. We are indeed entering a new, transitional, phase." Ethiopia, which is undergoing lightning reforms under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has already formally requested that sanctions be lifted against Eritrea. And in the wake of Ethiopia's peace with Eritrea, its other neighbour and rival Djibouti asked the UN Security Council for help mediating a long-standing border dispute that has soured relations with Asmara. Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe (C), his daughter Bona (C) and wife Grace (L) cast their votes at a polling station in the Highfield district of Harare during the country's general elections on July 30, 2018 Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe on Monday cast his ballot in the country's first election since he was ousted by the military in November after ruling for 37 years. Mugabe, 94, made no comment as he walked unaided into the polling station at a primary school in the Highfield district of Harare, accompanied by his wife Grace. Mugabe was forced to resign when ruling ZANU-PF lawmaker threatened to impeach him after military generals launched a brief takeover to install their favoured candidate, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mugabe, who had not been seen in public since his ousting, made a surprise intervention on the eve of the election, calling for voters to throw the ruling ZANU-PF out of office. Mugabe, in a lengthy press conference on Sunday, called for voters to toss out his ZANU-PF party, which has ruled Zimbabwe since independence During a two-hour press conference at his sprawling mansion in Harare, Mugabe said that he hoped the election would "thrust away the military form of government" and said he might vote for the opposition MDC. President Mnangagwa, Mugabe's former ally in the ZANU-PF party, faces opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in the landmark vote for the southern African nation. The MDC has alleged the election result could be fixed. Voting was peaceful on Monday with long lines outside polling stations in the capital Harare. Charred buses at a police station compound in central Binh Thuan province following the June 10 violent protests A Vietnam court convicted 20 people on Monday of joining nationwide protests last month against a draft economic law that sparked anger in the communist nation where demonstrations are banned. The protests against a proposed bill to grant lengthy leases to foreign investors in special economic zones erupted in several cities across the country, including in some areas where police headquarters were stormed and officers attacked. Scores were detained after the demonstrations, which were fuelled by anti-Chinese sentiment. They included an American citizen convicted of causing public disorder and deported earlier this month. On Monday 20 people were found guilty on similar charges in southern province of Dong Nai and given sentences ranging from 18 months' jail to a 12-month suspended sentence, according to the province's official newspaper. They were accused of holding up banners, shouting slogans and blocking traffic for hours in the city of Bien Hoa, it said. "(Their) behaviour caused social disorder... and negatively impacted society. Some committed crimes because they were not aware of the laws or were instigated by others," the judge was quoted as saying. The draft law on special economic zones initially proposed granting 99-year leases to investors in special economic zones, which the government said would create jobs and spur economic growth. It reduced the length of the leases after online opposition, but this was not enough to quell anger that had been brewing for weeks. Many against the draft bill accused the government of planning to hand land over to China, even though it was not named in the law. The communist neighbours have a long and complicated history -- punctuated by a bloody border war in 1979 -- and still frequently spar over disputed territory in the resource-rich South China Sea. The June 10 protests drew thousands to the streets and paralysed several areas, including in the southern hub Ho Chi Minh City where American citizen Will Nguyen was arrested. Seventeen people have been convicted in separate trials in Binh Thuan province, where demonstrations spun out of control when protesters attacked riot police and damaged government buildings and cars. Protests are officially banned and are rare in the one-party state. The government has vowed to punish those accused of inciting unrest in the June gatherings. One of Grace Mugabe's last public appearances as first lady was at a rally in support of her husband, 13 days before his fall from office A South African court ruled Monday that former Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe did not have diplomatic immunity when she allegedly beat a young woman with an electrical cord. Mugabe was given immunity from prosecution by officials after she was alleged to have become angry and beaten model Gabriella Engels` who had been with her sons in a luxury Johannesburg hotel. Engels suffered cuts to her forehead and the back of her head during the alleged assault on August 13. Judge Bashier Vally said the decision by officials at South Africa's foreign ministry was "inconsistent with the constitution" and struck it down. Following the incident, police had vowed to prevent Mugabe leaving the country where she had been while her husband was on an official visit -- but backed down after the immunity decision. Grace left shortly afterwards. The foreign ministry had said immunity in the case was important to maintain relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe. South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), supported the legal effort to overturn Grace's immunity. "This is a great day for justice, the rule of law and shows that nobody is above the law," said party chairman James Selfe in a statement after the ruling at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg. "The South African government chose to put the politics of expediency above the rule of law." Engels' legal representative Willie Spies said the ruling "paves the way for... criminal prosecution". The foreign ministry was ordered to pay legal costs in the case. "We have noted the judgement, we are studying it, we will comment in a later stage if it is necessary," said foreign ministry spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya. Mugabe did not comment on the ruling as she cast her vote in Zimbabwe's historic elections on Monday -- the first in which her husband was not a candidate. The landmark case revived painful memories of apartheid police brutality A former apartheid-era policeman appeared in court in South Africa on Monday charged with the murder of a liberation activist 47 years after the alleged killing. Joao Rodrigues, who was an officer in the police's feared security branch, is accused of murdering anti-white rule campaigner Ahmed Timol while he was in custody in 1971. The decision to charge Rodrigues nearly five decades after Timol fell to his death from the 10th-floor of Johannesburg's police headquarters followed a review of the inquest that initially ruled his death suicide. Timol, 29, was arrested in Johannesburg in October 1971 and died five days later. Officers said at the time he took his own life -- a verdict that was endorsed by an inquest in 1972 but finally overturned by a court in October after a decades-long campaign by his family. Rodrigues, 80, also faces a charge of perjury and was released on bail of 2,000 rand ($152, 130 euros) and was ordered to attend the Johannesburg High Court in September. "The (High Court) can impose sentences of up to life imprisonment," said National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Phindi Mjonondwane. Images showed Rodrigues in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Monday walking with a crutch and conferring with his legal team. In delivering his ruling, the judge who oversaw the inquest review had called for Rodrigues, who was accused of helping cover up the murder, to be prosecuted. The landmark case revived painful memories of apartheid police brutality and led to new calls for justice over dozens of activists who died in police detention under white-minority rule. Vietnamese intelligence officials are often shielded from pubic disgrace -- and legal punishment A fugitive spy was jailed for nine years in Vietnam on Monday for "divulging state secrets" after he tried to flee to Europe holding a forged passport in a rare case involving a high-ranking intelligence officer. The runaway spy Phan Van Anh Vu was arrested in Singapore in January with two passports -- one fake, one real -- and swiftly deported back to Vietnam. His lawyer said he was trying to reach Germany to offer information on a former Vietnamese oil executive who was kidnapped from Berlin last year and smuggled back to Vietnam to face corruption charges. Vietnam has not elaborated on the state secrets Vu apparently disclosed, or to whom, but the Cold War-style case has gripped a nation unused to seeing the powerful toppled in public. Vu, working as a high-rolling property developer and secret spy at the time of his arrest, was convicted after a one-day, closed-door trial in Hanoi Monday that AFP was barred from attending. Vu was jailed for nine years, while two former intelligence officials were also convicted for "deliberately divulging state secrets", according to the government's website. Former deputy head of intelligence Phan Huu Tuan received seven years, while ex-police officer Nguyen Huu Bach was sentenced to six years. Local press attending the ultra-secretive trial were only allowed to hear portions of the swiftly-delivered verdict, which offered few details of the trio's misdeeds. Vu's arrest shocked the public in a country where intelligence officials are often shielded from public disgrace -- and legal punishment. He was allegedly seeking to share information about another disgraced former official, Trinh Xuan Thanh, who was kidnapped by Vietnamese agents from a Berlin park last year, bundled into a van, and shipped back to Vietnam, according to the German government. Hanoi says he came back of his own will to face trial, but the case has badly damaged diplomatic relations with Germany -- last week a Vietnamese man was jailed for four years in Germany for taking part in the kidnap. Thanh is now serving two life terms for corruption during his time as the head of a state-run construction company, a subsidiary of the country's largest oil firm. Vietnam's conservative communist government in charge since 2016 has taken aim at bankers, businessmen and politicians that it accuses of mismanagement as it vows to stamp out corruption. The unprecedented anti-graft campaign has seen scores jailed, many previously thought to be untouchable in one of Southeast Asia's most corrupt countries. Observers agree the campaign, which has echoes of a similar drive in China, is seeking to clean up corruption -- and also get rid of perceived enemies. Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe (C), his daughter Bona (C) and wife Grace (L) cast their votes at a polling station in the Highfields district of Harare Walking slowly but unaided into the polling station, Robert Mugabe was not going to let his fall from power stop him from seeking a leading role in Zimbabwe's historic elections. Now aged 94, he arrived at the primary school in the Highfields district of Harare surrounded by bodyguards and accompanied by his wife Grace, who is 41 years his junior. He was greeted with shouts and cheers from a heaving crowd gathered to see the man who dominated Zimbabwean life for nearly four decades and who had led their country since before many of them were born. Wearing a red tie, red pocket handkerchief and dark suit, Mugabe had his finger marked with a pen to show he had voted and then spend several minutes in the cardboard polling booth selecting his choices on the three ballot papers. He eventually emerged after exchanging brief words with his wife and carefully put each ballot paper into its designated box for the presidential, parliamentary and local councillor elections. Mugabe had not been seen in public since last November when the military and his once-loyal ZANU-PF lawmakers turned against him and forced him from office, ending his 37-year regime in a few short days. But he re-surfaced unexpectedly on the eve of the election, holding a rambling two-hour press conference to announce that he would not vote for his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ZANU-PF, complaining they had "tormented" him. Instead he suggested he might even vote for Nelson Chamisa of the MDC -- the main opposition party that he had subjected to brutal and often deadly repression. - 'All our broken dreams' - Mugabe's intervention put him back at the centre of political drama in Zimbabwe, and drew a large crowd to the polling station to wait and see if he would turn up to vote. "It's just a moment of closure really," Mufaro Chiriga, 29, told AFP. "We wanted to see the man who ruled us for the past 40 years, who was responsible for all our broken dreams, all the broken promises, for ruining our future basically." In contrast, one or two people shouted out that Mugabe was a national hero. Grace, wearing a dark dress, walked at his shoulder, holding his sleeve at times to support him in the pushing scrum, and guiding him out through the exit door while she talked quietly in his ear. His attempts to position her as his successor are widely thought to have driven the military to intervene and usher their favoured candidate, Mnangagwa, to power. On Sunday, Mugabe dismissed the reports as "utter nonsense" and lashed out at her critics, saying "Leave my wife alone, I want Grace to remain my Grace." Mugabe, who fought in the war against British colonial rule, won elections in 1980 when Zimbabwe became independent and ruled until his sudden ejection last November. After voting, he walked tentatively back to his limousine, declining to answer shouted questions asking who he had voted for. Last month Pope Francis accepted the resignation of five Chilean bishops amid accusations of abuse and related cover-ups An Australian archbishop convicted of concealing abuse by a paedophile priest in the 1970s said Monday he hoped his stepping down would be a "catalyst to heal pain and distress" after his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis. The Vatican on Monday announced the departure of Philip Wilson, sentenced to a year in detention earlier this month after, in May, becoming one of the highest-ranking church officials to be convicted on the charge. Wilson was found guilty in an Australian court of failing to report allegations against paedophile priest Jim Fletcher. He submitted his resignation, which he says was not requested by the Vatican, on July 20, a day after Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on Francis to sack the 67-year-old. In a statement released by the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide on Monday, Wilson said: "I made this decision because I have become increasingly worried at the growing level of hurt that my recent conviction has caused within the community. "I had hoped to defer this decision until after the appeal process (against the conviction) had been completed. However, there is just too much pain and distress being caused by my maintaining the office of Archbishop of Adelaide, especially to the victims of Fletcher." Factfile on major sex abuse allegations involving the Catholic Church Turnbull welcomed the resignation in a statement to Fairfax Media on Monday, adding that "there is no more important responsibility for community and church leaders than the protection of children". - 'No remorse' - Wilson had long denied the charges and initially resisted calls to resign pending an appeal against his conviction. His legal team made four attempts to have the case thrown out, arguing that their client suffered from Alzheimer's and should therefore avoid trial. But a magistrate in Australia found Wilson guilty of concealing a serious indictable offence of another person, concluding that his primary motive was to protect the church. He said when sentencing him that Wilson had showed "no remorse or contrition". The court has adjourned the matter until August 14 to assess whether Wilson can serve his sentence under home detention. Wilson's conviction comes amid a host of accusations that the Catholic Church ignored and covered up child abuse in Australia, charges that have also plagued other countries. Cardinal George Pell, the Vaticans third highest ranking official, faces prosecution in Australia for historical child sexual offences. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A national inquiry into the issue was ordered in 2012 to investigate widespread allegations of institutional paedophilia in Australia. Over five years of investigations, the royal commission spoke to thousands of victims and heard claims of abuse involving churches, orphanages, sporting clubs, youth groups and schools. - Scandals - Wilson's departure comes just two days after the pope accepted the resignation of US cardinal Theodore McCarrick, 88, accused of sexually abusing a teenager while working as a priest in New York in the early 1970s. McCarrick is just the second cardinal ever to lose his status. He remains a priest pending the Vatican investigative process. Last month Francis accepted the resignation of five Chilean bishops amid accusations of abuse and related cover-ups. Abuse within the Chilean Catholic Church has proved to be a thorny issue for the pope. He vowed to "restore justice" after admitting the Church failed "to listen and react" to abuse allegations in the country spanning decades. Currently 158 members of the country's Catholic Church are being investigated for carrying out or concealing incidents of sexual abuse of both children and adults that go as far back as 1960. Last week the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, was summoned by Chilean prosecutors to respond on August 21 to accusations of covering up systematic sexual abuse of minors by Chilean priests, 14 of whom were defrocked in May. Less than two week prior prominent priest Oscar Munoz was arrested over allegations of sexual abuse and rape of at least seven children. An Ethiopian member of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping force patrols the streets of Kismayo in November 2016 The UN Security Council on Monday delayed a plan to draw down the peacekeeping mission in Somalia after finding that Somali security forces were not sufficiently trained to take over from the exiting forces. Some 1,000 troops in the 20,000-strong African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) were scheduled to leave by the end of October, but the council unanimously adopted a resolution postponing their departure to the end of February. Deployed in 2007 to shore up the Somali government in its battle with Islamist militias, AMISOM operates under a Security Council mandate and receives funding from the United Nations and the European Union. In a letter to the council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said plans to cut AMISOM troops "were not realistic", noting that Somalia suffered the worst terror attack of its history in October last year. More than 500 people were killed in central Mogadishu in a truck bombing attributed to Al-Shabaab. The council extended its authorisation of the AMISOM mission until May 31 2019 and declared that there would be no further delays in the drawdown beyond February of next year. The British-drafted resolution said Somali security forces should be built up "with the aim of Somali security institutions taking the lead by December 2021." Somalia is scheduled to hold elections in 2021 during which its national forces will be tasked with ensuring security. Al-Shabaab is fighting to overthrow the internationally backed government in Mogadishu, but has also carried out attacks in neighbouring Kenya, which has deployed troops as part of AMISOM. Members of the Lebanese, Israeli and Syrian Druze communities share a meal in the Syrian Druze city of Sweida on September 12, 2007 Syria's Druze minority, whose men are being called up for military service by Damascus, is struggling to insulate itself from the conflict that has engulfed the country since 2011. Here is a summary of the community's profile, its role in Syria's conflict and the attacks it has faced. - Secretive minority - The Druze community accounted for around three percent of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million. They are located mainly in the southern province of Sweida with smaller pockets around Damascus and in the northwest, although some have fled jihadist-held parts of the latter area. Druze are monotheistic and considered Muslim, but the sect is otherwise highly secretive, includes mystical elements such as reincarnation, and does not allow new converts. Some 200,000 Druze are located in neighbouring Lebanon and over 100,000 are in Israel, while 18,000 live in the Israeli-occupied Golan. - Split by war - Map of Syria locating the southern city of Sweida Syria's Druze have been split by the uprising that erupted in 2011 against President Bashar al-Assad, who had long portrayed himself as a protector of the country's minorities. Druze should not be seen "as being neutral in this war -- it's more multifaceted and the Druze are not a monolithic bloc", said Tobias Lang, an analyst focused on Druze populations in the Middle East. One of the first soldiers to defect from Syria's army in protest at its handling of demonstrations was Druze officer Khaldun Zeineddine, who later died in clashes against regime forces. Others remained firmly loyal, like General Issam Zahreddine, one of the highest-ranking Druze army officers who died last year in a mine blast after battling the Islamic State group in Syria's east. Druze leaders have often tried to maintain a relationship with the regime to keep their areas autonomous and spare them from government attacks. One symbol of that complex relationship was Wahid al-Balous, a Druze religious authority who pushed for the sect's soldiers to be deployed near their hometowns, rather than in other provinces. Balous, who died in a car bomb attack in Sweida in 2015, spoke out against both jihadists and Assad. - Druze defence - Syria's Druze have protected their heartland in Sweida with their own forces. The most powerful has been the Sheikhs of Dignity, which was headed by Balous and included fighters and other religious figures. Sheikhs of Dignity has fought fierce battles against the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate. Other militias have been closely linked to the regime, including the Dareh al-Watan (Shield of the Nation), a Druze force founded in April 2015 with 2,000 fighters. Such groups appear to have protected Sweida's sons from compulsory military service, with authorities turning a blind eye so long as young men fight in units not opposed to the regime. But with the regime hungry for fresh conscripts, that deal appears to be coming apart at the seams and Assad has now called on young Druze men to serve. His appeal came after Damascus announced the release this month of Druze women and children who had been kidnapped during a July attack by IS. - Targeted by rebels, jihadists - That onslaught by the jihadists left more than 260 people dead, mostly civilians. It was the worst attack against the minority so far but not the first. A car bomb in 2012 ripped through Damascus' Jaramana suburb, which is mostly Druze and Christian. In 2013 and 2014, fierce fighting between Syrian rebels and pro-regime Druze forces rocked Sweida province and Druze areas closer to Damascus. IS began attacking Sweida province in 2015, first targeting Khalkhalah military airport. The same year, 20 Druze Syrians were killed in a shoot-out with Al-Qaeda jihadists in the village of Qalb Lawzah in northwestern Idlib province. Druze residents of Qalb Lawzah had come out against the regime a year into Syria's uprising. In 2016, IS beheaded four labourers in an area it controlled outside Damascus, accusing them of being Druze. And in 2017, a car bomb killed nine people in Hader, a regime-held village in the southwestern province of Quneitra mostly populated by Druze. Andrew Brunson, who ran a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir, was moved to house arrest last week after nearly two years in prison on terror-related charges The Turkish lawyer for a US pastor at the centre of a diplomatic row between NATO allies Ankara and Washington on Monday appealed to a court for his client's release. Andrew Brunson, who ran a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir, was moved to house arrest last week after nearly two years in prison on terror-related charges. But his lawyer Cem Halavurt told AFP that he had submitted an appeal for Brunson's "house arrest and the ban on him leaving the country to be lifted". The court must give a response within three days, Halavurt added. The next hearing in Brunson's trial is only on October 12. The moving of Brunson from jail to house arrest last week stoked tensions rather than defusing the crisis with US media reports accusing Turkey of reneging on a deal to free him, which Ankara has denied. US President Donald Trump then threatened to impose "large sanctions" on Turkey if the pastor was not freed, echoing comments from his Vice President Mike Pence. "He is suffering greatly," Trump on Thursday said of the 50-year-old pastor. "This innocent man of faith should be released immediately!" But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the threats and said sanctions would not force Ankara to take a "step back". "The US should not forget that it could lose a strong and sincere partner like Turkey if it does not change its attitude," Erdogan was quoted as saying in Turkish media on Sunday. Turkey's National Security Council, which Erdogan heads, issued a statement late Monday criticising as "inacceptable" what it said was "threatening language" from the United States. Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted of carrying out activities on behalf of two groups Turkey deems to be terror groups, namely, the movement of US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara says was behind a 2016 failed coup and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Singapore during this week's meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a Turkish official told AFP. Ties between Ankara and Washington are already tense over US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia which Ankara says is linked to the PKK as well as the failure to extradite Gulen. Turkey has also angered the US by imprisoning two Turkish employees of American consulates in the country and holding another under house arrest on terror-related charges, which Washington has strongly rejected. Syrian opposition leader Riad Turk during an interview with AFP in Paris in 2006 Riad Turk, a Syrian dissident who spent years in prison for his fierce opposition to the Damascus regime, has arrived in France, after being exfiltrated out of the country by militants into neighbouring Turkey, sources told AFP on Monday. Turk, 88, had gone into hiding in recent years after being freed from his last spell in jail in 2002, for declaring "the dictator is dead" after the death of former president Hafez al-Assad. In total he spent 17 years imprisoned, often without trial, on claims of various offences under Hafez al-Assad and later his son Bashar when he became Syria's president. "He arrived in France two or three days ago," a Syrian opposition figure now living in Paris told AFP, calling it "very good news". Another Syrian source, exiled in France, also confirmed Turk's arrival, first reported in the Lebanese daily L'Orient - Le Jour. According to the Syrian journalist Ala Atassi, quoted by the newspaper, Turk "was able to leave Syria thanks to militants who helped him reach the Syria-Turkey border, and is now safe and sound in France," where one of his daughters lives. Turk was the longtime leader of the dissident Syrian Communist Party - Political Bureau, which was outlawed by Bashar al-Assad and later renamed the Syrian Democratic People's Party. He quickly supported the peaceful opposition which broke out in 2011 and later backed the Syrian National Council which brought together opponents of Assad as the country's civil war intensified. "Our revolution is peaceful, popular and rejects sectarianism, and the Syrian people are one," he declared in October 2011. "There will be no compromise nor negotiations about our goal of toppling this despotic regime." US President Donald Trump (R) and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte shake hands as they hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House US President Donald Trump traded smiles, handshakes and compliments with Italy's populist leader Giuseppe Conte Monday, as the two rightists presented a united front on everything from Russia to immigration. Trump welcomed the novice prime minister to the White House with outstretched arms, hailing him as a kindred spirit -- a fellow political outsider with an admirably tough line on immigration. "We got along very well right from the beginning," said Trump, lavishing praise on the 53-year-old Conte. "I applaud the prime minister for his bold leadership, truly bold, and I hope more follow this example, including leaders in Europe." After years of Italy living in the political shadow of its larger European neighbors, Conte seized on a White House visit to boost his country's profile -- and his own. Describing the "special invitation" from Trump as a great tribute to Italy and himself, Conte said Rome now wanted to become a "privileged interlocutor" of the United States. In return, the Italian leader seemed ready and eager to provide political cover for Trump, who is struggling to smother multiple crises at home ahead of crunch November mid-term elections. A recent Economist/YouGov poll showed a scant 40 percent of American voters approve of how Trump handles foreign policy. The controversial 72-year-old Trump has been pilloried by Democrats and Republicans alike for his cozy relationship with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and his rows with allies at recent summits. The suave Italian painted those summit talks as "fruitful," insisted there must be dialogue with Russia, expressed "envy" at the US economy under Trump and praised his host as a "great negotiator." - In sync on immigration - The visit began with a handshake and a smile from Conte at the West Wing portico. The two leaders then held a one-on-one Oval Office meeting and more extensive bilateral discussions before facing the media. Trump and Conte met in the Oval Office before facing the media Trump -- who has pursued a "zero tolerance" policy at the US border, a crackdown that led to hundreds of children being separated from parents who crossed into the country from Mexico without papers -- praised Conte's approach on the issue. "I agree very much (with) what you're doing with respect to migration and illegal immigration, and even legal immigration," Trump said, encouraging other European countries to follow suit. Conte was chosen to lead the Italian government by the leaders of parties that won elections in March: the euro-skeptic Five Star Movement and the far-right League party. The Italian press has suggested the White House meeting will boost Conte, who is often overshadowed by his deputy prime ministers, who are also those parties' exuberant leaders: Matteo Salvini of the League party, and Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement. Salvini stole some of the attention on the eve of the White House meeting by posting a controversial message on Facebook -- "many enemies, much honor" -- that echoed a well-known saying by Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini on the anniversary of the latter's birthday. Conte won Trump's support for his effort to reform European Union migration rules and the apparent establishment of a joint monitoring center in the Mediterranean. Italy argues that the bloc's current law places an unfair burden on countries that border the sea, and its new populist government has stepped up pressure on other EU countries to share responsibility. It has closed Italy's ports to migrants and turned back several ships carrying refugees rescued at sea, threatening the future of those operations. - US not budging on Russia sanctions - Both Trump and Conte also favor better relations with Russia, although Trump had one eye on domestic opinion when he insisted sanctions would stay "as is" for now. There were more signs of tension below the surface when Trump complained about America's trade deficit with Italy, before he quickly added: "We'll work something out." According to Nick Ottens of the Atlantic Council, Trump "may not find the ally he expects" in Conte. On trade, the new Italian government's skepticism of multinational agreements could complicate Trump's desire to see all EU tariffs eliminated, according to Ottens. Meanwhile, in the defense realm, Italy has said it has no chance of reaching the target spending of two percent of GDP -- let alone Trump's stated goal at the latest NATO summit of four percent. In early July, Italy's defense minister Elisabetta Trenta announced a freeze on purchasing F-35 fighter aircraft, of which the US is the primary contractor. Conte stressed that the contract was agreed more than a decade ago, but vowed to proceed cautiously in a way that is "fully transparent with our partner, the Trump administration." The pair also brushed over differences over Iran, where sanctions have hurt Italian-Iranian commercial relations. Trump said he was willing to meet Iran's leaders without preconditions but did not say what Tehran had to do to have sanctions lifted. Somalia and Eritrea Eritrea, which signed Monday a deal with Somalia to establish diplomatic ties, has long been accused of supporting Islamic militants who are seeking to topple the interim government in Mogadishu. The agreement follows another recent flurry of diplomacy in the region, between Eritrea and Ethiopia, marking a new era for relations between countries in the Horn of Africa. Here is some background on more than ten years of tensions. - Islamic tribunals in Somalia - In July-August 2006 Somalia's transition government accuses Eritrea of sending troops and weapons to the Islamic tribunals militia that have taken control of Mogadishu and a large part of southern and central Somalia, which shares a large part of its border with Ethiopia. Eritrea rejects the accusations, which claim it is backing Islamists in Somalia to carry out an indirect fight against its Ethiopian rival. Ethiopia supports the Somali transitional government. Its relations with Eritrea have been very tense since a bloody war between the two countries from 1998 to 2000. A report from the UN in November 2006 states Eritrea sent 2,000 fighters to Somalia to join forces with the Islamic tribunals. In December the Ethiopian army invades Somalia and pushes out the Islamic tribunals in a matter of days. Leaders and supporters of the tribunals take refuge in several countries in the region. The Ethiopian invasion crushes the Islamist administration but sparks a bloody uprising and spurs the emergence of the even more radical Al Shabaab militants. In January 2009, Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed becomes president of a transitional administration in Somalia, turning against the regime in Eritrea that had once been an ally. In May that year for the first time he accuses Eritrea of arming and financing Islamists that have launched a major offensive to topple him. - UN sanctions - The UN Security Council in 2009 imposes an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Shabaab militants. In 2011 a UN surveillance team affirms that Eritrea arms and assists the Shabaab. Asmara denies it is backing the rebels. In 2016 the UN Security Council renews sanctions on Eritrea, but five members from the 15-member council abstain. China, Russia, Angola, Egypt and Venezuela point to a report by sanctions monitors who say there is no evidence Eritrea is backing Shabaab militants in Somalia. Ethiopia calls on the UN to lift the sanctions on Eritrea. - 'New chapter' - On July 28, 2018 Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed arrives in Asmara for an official three-day visit. "Somalia is ready to write a new chapter of its relations with Eritrea," a spokesperson for the Somali president says on Twitter. Two days later Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed sign in Asmara a deal to establish diplomatic ties after more than a decade of tensions. New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger -- shown here in April 2018 at the Matrix Awards in New York -- took the helm of America's most prestigious newspaper in January, and is now taking on President Donald Trump In rebuking Donald Trump for his "dangerous" attacks on the media, the new 37-year-old publisher of The New York Times spotlights his newspaper as the vanguard of a free press challenging a hostile president. Arthur Gregg Sulzberger, or A.G. as he is known, took the helm of America's most prestigious newspaper in January, becoming its sixth publisher from the Ochs-Sulzberger family since Adolph Ochs bought the title in 1896. In releasing a public statement after the president divulged their July 20 meeting at the White House, Sulzberger spoke up not only for a newspaper considered a nemesis of Trump, but for the US press in general. It was his most high-profile public intervention since fending off competition last year from two cousins to replace his father, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, as publisher, even if the elder Sulzberger remains chairman. "He's lived and breathed The New York Times since birth so I think he's in a position that he's born to be in, and I think he's doing the right thing," said Jeffrey Morosoff, associate professor of public relations at Hofstra University. "I think Mr Sulzberger was not only right but I hope other publishers and journalists will join him in pushing back," he added. From condemning critical coverage as "fake news" and denouncing journalists as the "enemy of the people," Trump's overt hostility to the media surpasses the criticism levied by any of his predecessors. The New York Times occupies a unique platform as the pre-eminent publication in a country where journalism is considered a higher calling. "I am an unapologetic champion for this institution and its journalistic mission," Sulzberger was quoted as saying by the Times when his appointment was announced last December. "And I'll continue to be that as publisher." After Trump's Twitter broadside attacking "anti-Trump haters in the dying newspaper industry" and again invoking the phrase "enemy of the people," Sulzberger announced that his "main purpose" in meeting Trump had been "to raise concerns about the president's deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric." Sulzberger said Trump's "inflammatory" language was "contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence." He said he had "implored" the president to reconsider his "dangerous and harmful" attacks on journalism. - 'Responsibility' - The warning -- issued in a statement from the Times -- came a month after an aggrieved reader killed five employees at a newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. "As publisher of the leading American newspaper, Sulzberger -- like his family predecessors -- always speaks with an eye toward the responsibility he has for the press in general," said Dan Kennedy, associate professor of journalism at Northeastern University in Boston. Born in Washington, Sulzberger grew up in Manhattan and graduated from Brown University in 2003 with a degree in political science. He worked as a reporter at regional newspapers in Rhode Island and Oregon before joining the Times metro desk in 2009 and working in the Midwest, where being a vegetarian apparently posed something of a challenge. Before becoming publisher, he was best known for writing the paper's 2014 Innovation Report, which looked at ways to grow its online audience. "He is very thoughtful. He is very forceful," executive editor Dean Baquet was quoted saying of Sulzberger last year. The Times has long been a thorn in Trump's side. Its reporting has provoked his ire, yet its prestige makes its approval something that he reportedly craves. This year, the Times shared, with The Washington Post, a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its alleged connections to the Trump campaign. Trump has repeatedly called an ongoing special investigation into whether his campaign team colluded with Russia a "witch hunt." Tensions between the White House and the press are not exactly unheard of. Bill Clinton complained about Times editorials. George W. Bush tried to stop the paper writing about the National Security Agency monitoring phone calls. But Trump has taken it to a new level. Morosoff says criticizing the press as "the enemy of the people" is basically "messing with our democracy." "Journalism and a free media are essential to any democracy. I don't think Trump understands that," he said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addresses the Indo-Pacific Business Forum at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2018. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region Monday, taking aim at China ahead of a trip to Southeast Asia to promote America's strategic vision for Asia. Pompeo will depart later this week on a trip to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to hammer home the Trump administration's commitment to the region, and also press for denuclearization in North Korea. The trip comes at a time of tension with Beijing over its moves to assert sovereignty over disputed areas of the South China Sea, which Pompeo alluded to in a speech in Washington to business leaders from the region. "When we say 'free' Indo-Pacific, it means we all want all nations, every nation, to be able to protect their sovereignty from coercion by other countries," he said, adding that it also meant good governance to protect citizens' rights. "When we say 'open' in the Indo-Pacific, it means we want all nations to enjoy open access to seas and airways. We want the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes," Pompeo said. The State Department said Pompeo will expand on the "free and open" theme at an annual meeting in Singapore with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Pompeo's first stop on the August 1-5 trip will be in Malaysia, where a historic opposition victory in May elections returned former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to power, and resulted in the release from prison of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. The 92-year-old Mahathir has promised to turn over the reins to Anwar within two years. Citing "our strongly shared democratic values," the State Department said Pompeo will hold talks with senior Malaysian government officials on security and economic interests during the visit to Kuala Lumpur Thursday and Friday. From Kuala Lumpur, Pompeo will travel to Singapore for the ASEAN meeting, set for Friday and Saturday. "The secretary will discuss our shared commitment to the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK, upholding the rules-based order in the South China Sea, and countering terrorism," the State Department said. It did not say whether he will meet with his North Korean counterpart to discuss the implementation of the commitments US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made at their June 12 summit. His last stop will be in Jakarta, where he will seek to "reinforce the US-Indonesia Strategic Partnership as we look ahead to celebrating 70 years of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2019," the State Department said. In this screen grab handout from the Minneapolis Police Department, police chase Thurman Blevins, who was armed with a handgun and was shot dead by officers, prosecutors said A US prosecutor declined Monday to file criminal charges against police officers involved in the fatal shooting of an armed suspect who led them on a foot chase while yelling "don't shoot me." Authorities' release on Sunday night of officers' body-camera footage from the June shooting in Minneapolis, involving a black suspect and white officers, raised tensions in the Midwestern city. It is the latest case to highlight the fraught relationship between black communities and law enforcement agencies across the US. The footage showed 31-year-old Thurman Blevins, armed with a handgun, running away from officers and yelling "please don't shoot me" and "leave me alone." Blevins took the gun out of his pants pocket and turned towards the officers just before they fired 14 shots, according to the Hennepin County prosecutor's office. Blevins then collapsed and blood began to pool beneath his body, as an officer kicked away a handgun that had fallen to the ground. "Mr Blevins represented a danger to the lives of (the officers)," County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a written statement. "Their decision to use deadly force against Mr Blevins under those circumstances was authorized." Freeman had planned to announce his findings during a news conference, but was shouted down by activists as it appeared from his initial remarks that he was declining to prosecute. "We came here for justice," yelled one unidentified man. "Black people are tired of being hunted down like deer." The president of Minneapolis's police union stepped into the fray, admonishing critics and alleging that Blevins had fired at officers. "(Blevins's gun) was fired. There was a casing recovered," union president Bob Kroll said at a separate news conference. "We challenge community activists who are critical of police to place themselves in the officers' shoes. Tell us what you would have done different or better," he said. The shooting was the latest involving an African-American by a white police officer, a string of cases that has fueled outrage across the United States and given rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. According to a database maintained by The Washington Post, 584 people have been shot and killed by on-duty US police in 2018. The database showed that 112 of those killed were black. US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte US President Donald Trump said Monday he is happy to meet with Iran's leaders "any time" and without preconditions, one week after tensions soared between Washington and Tehran. "I would meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know if they are ready yet," Trump told a White House press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at his side. "No preconditions," he added. "They want to meet, I'll meet. Any time they want. Good for the country. Good for them. Good for us. And good for the world." Trump's offer comes after a provocative warning a week ago from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who said the US should not "play with the lion's tail" and warned that any conflict with Iran would be the "mother of all wars." Trump responded with an all-caps tirade on Twitter: "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE." In May, Trump -- who has made Iran his public enemy number one -- announced the US withdrawal from what he called a "defective" multinational nuclear deal with Tehran, and moved to reinstate punishing sanctions. The 2015 agreement came in response to fears that Iran was developing a nuclear bomb. Washington's European allies maintain their support for the deal and have vowed to stay in it, though their businesses fear US penalties. "I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal," Trump said. "If we could work something out that's meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet." Trump has repeatedly shown a willingness to cast traditional diplomatic protocol aside and meet with leaders shunned by other administrations, including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "I believe in meeting," Trump said Monday. "Speaking to other people, especially when you are talking about potentials of war and death, and famine and lots of other things, you meet." On July 23, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was not afraid to sanction top-ranking leaders of the "nightmare" Iranian regime. Security experts fear that 3D guns could evade metal detectors used in public buildings and airports Eight US states are filing a lawsuit Monday to block a Trump administration decision enabling 3D printers to make plastic handguns that opponents say will be almost impossible to control. Democratic Party attorney generals of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have joined the petition, to be filed in federal court. The suit will seek a temporary restraining order nationwide and argue that the decision violates states' rights to regulate firearms, officials said. "This decision is unconstitutional. It is unlawful. Frankly it is terrifying," said Bob Ferguson, Washington state attorney general, taking the lead on the suit to be filed in Seattle. "This unprecedented move is not only disastrous for public safety but undermines our state laws meant to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals." After a lengthy legal battle, the government reached agreement last month with Cody Wilson, a militant gun rights advocate from Texas. He successfully argued that the US Constitution's Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to private gun ownership, should extend to a person's right to make guns at home -- uncontrolled by authorities, since they will bear no serial number. It means anyone with a 3D printer -- which costs around $2,000 and can be programmed to build objects of almost any shape -- will be able starting next week to make plastic-bodied guns at home for just a few hundred dollars each. Security experts fear that the guns could evade metal detectors used in public buildings and airports. But gun enthusiasts say that without some metal parts, the guns will be unreliable -- and might even explode in a user's face. Democratic lawmakers have decried the settlement and demanded an explanation from the Republican administration, which has supported gun owners' rights. Six women said Leslie Moonves sexually harassed them between the 1980s and late 2000s US television giant CBS announced Monday that it would select outside lawyers to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct lodged against CEO Leslie Moonves but declined to take further immediate action on his fate. Moonves, who transformed CBS into a ratings winner after joining the network in 1995, is one of the most powerful American men implicated in the #MeToo era that ignited last year after the career implosion of Harvey Weinstein. A New Yorker article published Friday revealed allegations from six women who said Leslie Moonves sexually harassed them between the 1980s and late 2000s. Four described forcible touching or kissing during business meetings, and two said Moonves physically intimidated them or threatened to derail their careers. "CBS Corporation announced today that its board of directors is in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation," it said in a statement. "No other action was taken on this matter at today's board meeting." The board also postponed the corporation's annual meeting of stockholders, which had been scheduled for August 10. No new date or location was announced. Moonves, 68, acknowledged Friday that "decades ago" he "may have made some women uncomfortable... Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely." But he also denied having ever retaliated by harming anyone's career. His wife, "Big Brother" show host Julie Chen on CBS has come out publicly in his support, as have several women executives at CBS. Last week, the board of directors issued a pre-emptive statement before The New Yorker article was published, saying that upon conclusion of its investigation, it would "promptly review the findings and take appropriate action." Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh (L) arrives for a meeting in the office of Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat who voted to confirm President Donald Trump's first Supreme Court nominee last year President Donald Trump's US Supreme Court nominee finally met with a Democrat on Monday, as Senator Joe Manchin bucked his party and welcomed Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill. The appeals court judge offered smiles but no remarks to reporters as he entered Manchin's office and left two hours later -- the longest of his meetings to date with senators who will decide whether he gets confirmed to the nine-justice bench. Manchin, who could be pivotal in the confirmation vote, said the pair had a "productive meeting," but he did not hint at how he will vote. "I won't make a final decision on the nomination until I complete a thorough and fair examination of his candidacy," the West Virginia Democrat said. Republican leaders want Kavanaugh confirmed by early October, when the high court sits for its next session. But Democrats are demanding that Republicans release thousands of pages of documents from when Kavanaugh served as a senior official in George W. Bush's White House before he became a judge. The dispute has become a focal point in the confirmation process, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accusing Republicans of "hiding" something in Kavanaugh's record. Democrats have branded Kavanaugh, who would replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, as a deeply conservative jurist who would shift the court to the right jeopardizing critical rulings on the constitutionality of abortion rights and the legality of Barack Obama's health care reforms. Kavanaugh's confirmation may go down to the wire. With Senator John McCain away from Washington battling cancer, Republicans hold a slim 50-49 majority. Democrats can sink Trump's nominee if they hold together and convince a single Republican to vote no. Republican Senator Rand Paul had been publicly waffling over Kavanaugh but announced his support for the nominee, earning thanks from the president. "Your vote means a lot to me, and to everyone who loves our Country!" Trump tweeted. The Emirati armed forces say Huthi rebels used these Iranian-made anti-tank missiles, seen on June 19, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, in Yemen in battles against the coalition forces led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia Yemen's Huthi rebels are still arming themselves with ballistic missiles and drones that "show characteristics similar" to Iranian-made weapons, a report by a UN panel of experts has found. In a confidential report to the Security Council, a copy of which was seen by AFP on Monday, the panel said it "continues to believe" that short-range ballistic missiles and other weaponry were transferred from Iran to Yemen after an arms embargo was imposed in 2015. Iran has repeatedly denied that it is arming the Huthis in Yemen, but the United States and Saudi Arabia have accused Tehran of providing military support to the rebels. Recent inspections of weaponry including missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used by the Huthis "show characteristics similar to weapons systems known to be produced in the Islamic Republic of Iran," said the 125-page report. During recent visits to Saudi Arabia, the panel was able to inspect debris from 10 missiles and found markings that suggest an Iranian origin, said the report spanning January to July this year. "It seems that despite the targeted arms embargo, the Huthis continue to have access to ballistic missiles and UAVs to continue and possibly intensify their campaign against targets in KSA (Saudi Arabia)," said the report. The panel said there was a "high probability" that the missiles were manufactured outside of Yemen, shipped in sections to the country and re-assembled by the Huthis. - Iran denies backing Huthis - In a letter to the panel, Iran maintained that the missiles, which the Huthis have dubbed the Burkan, are a domestic upgrade of SCUD missiles that were part of Yemen's arsenal before the start of the war. The experts are also investigating information that the Huthis received from Iran a monthly donation of fuel valued at $30 million. Iran has denied providing any financial support to the Huthis. During the inspections of the missile debris, the experts mandated by the council also found power converters produced by a Japanese company and Cyrillic markings on components that suggested a Russian link. The investigation of those findings continues. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council in a separate report in June that some components from five missiles fired at Saudi Arabia were manufactured in Iran but that UN officials were unable to determine when they were shipped to Yemen. The panel has opened an investigation of seven airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition that hit civilian buildings, a gas station and commercial vessels, in a possible violation of international humanitarian law. The Huthis are accused of widespread and indiscriminate use of landmines. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has been leading a military campaign to push back the Huthis and restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has left nearly 10,000 people dead in Yemen, which the United Nations considers the world's worst humanitarian crisis. VATICAN CITY (AP) - In a move seen as unprecedented, Pope Francis has effectively stripped U.S. prelate Theodore McCarrick of his cardinal's title following allegations of sexual abuse, including one involving an 11-year-old boy. The Vatican announced Saturday that Francis ordered McCarrick to conduct a "life of prayer and penance" before a church trial is held. Breaking with past practice, Francis decided to act swiftly on the resignation offered by the emeritus archbishop of Washington, D.C., even before the accusations are investigated by church officials. McCarrick was previously one of the highest, most visible Catholic church officials in the United States and was heavily involved in the church's yearslong response to allegations of priestly abuse there. Francis received McCarrick's letter offering to resign from the College of Cardinals on Friday evening, after a spate of allegations that the 88-year-old prelate had for years sexually abused boys and had sexual misconduct with adult seminarians. FILE - In this Wednesday, March 4, 2015, file photo, Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick speaks during a memorial service in South Bend, Ind. Pope Francis has accepted U.S. prelate Theodore McCarrick's offer to resign from the College of Cardinals following allegations of sexual abuse, including one involving an 11-year-old boy, and ordered him to conduct a "life of prayer and penance" in a home to be designated by the pontiff until a church trial is held, the Vatican said Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune via AP, Pool, File) The pope then ordered McCarrick's "suspension from the exercise of any public ministry, together with the obligation to remain in a house yet to be indicated to him, for a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial," the Vatican said. The McCarrick case posed a test of the pontiff's recently declared resolve to battle what he called a "culture of cover-up" of similar abuses in the Catholic church's hierarchy. McCarrick had already been removed from public ministry since June 20, pending a full investigation into allegations that he fondled a teenager more than 40 years ago in New York City. McCarrick has denied these allegations. Another alleged victim, James , says McCarrick exposed himself to him when he was 11 and continued a sexually abusive relationship with him for more than two decades. McCarrick has not responded publicly to these accusations. Asking to be identified by only his first name to protect his family's privacy, James told The Associated Press on Saturday that he hopes the pope's approval of McCarrick's resignation will help other victims "become free." "Basically, truth always prevails," said James, who lives in Virginia. "Thankfully, everybody in today's world is more understanding of the harm done by individual priests, and now we can start to heal," he added. McCarrick's alleged sexual misconduct with adults was reportedly brought to the Vatican's attention years ago, including before McCarrick was appointed to the prestigious archbishop post in the U.S. capital in 2000 by then-pontiff John Paul II. Two dioceses in New Jersey, Newark and Metuchen, say they have settled two of three complaints of misconduct by McCarrick toward adults. The Vatican on Saturday didn't say where McCarrick would be confined nor when a church trial might begin, and its brief statement did not even allude to the grave accusations against the prelate. McCarrick rose steadily and swiftly up the U.S. church's ranks, from auxiliary bishop in New York City, to bishop in Metuchen, to archbishop of Newark, and then to Archbishop of Washington, D.C. A Catholic University canon law expert, Kurt Martens, noted this was the first time an order of penance and prayer had been issued before a church trial. Other U.S. Catholics who follow sexual abuse scandals hailed stripping McCarrick of his cardinal's rank as an unprecedented shift in how the Vatican has dealt with allegations against top churchmen. "The Vatican almost never moves at this speed," said Terence McKiernan, of BishopAccountability.org.Inc., a Massachusetts-based group that tracks clergy sexual abuse cases. The pope appears to "understand the gravity of the situation and further harm to the Catholic church's status," he told the AP. McKiernan wondered if the church investigation will reveal who among its hierarchy knew about the sex allegations against McCarrick and whether the Vatican will move to punish those clerics as well. He noted that the Vatican statement didn't spell out why the pope was disciplining the cardinal. "We're still in the old world," McKiernan said, referring to the Vatican's avoidance of details about the abuse allegations against McCarrick. "(Still) it's a remarkable development." In the case of Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, accused by former seminarians in 2013 of sexual misconduct, Francis only accepted his resignation after the Vatican's top abuse prosecutor conducted a full investigation, two years after the first revelations, and after the prelate himself relinquished the privileges that come with a cardinal's rank. O'Brien, who died earlier this year, still remained a cardinal, however. The Rev. James Martin, editor-at large at America Magazine, which covers church issues, noted in a tweet that Bernard Law was allowed to stay a cardinal after he resigned as Boston archbishop, following revelations that he had sanctioned the systematic cover-up of pedophile priests while presiding over that U.S. diocese. After resigning from his Boston post, Law was transferred to a prestigious job at a Rome basilica, an appointment that triggered outrage from many abuse survivors. That happened under Pope John Paul II, who was widely considered to have underestimated the scope of the sex abuse scandals worldwide. One of Francis' closest advisers, Cardinal George Pell, is the highest-ranking Catholic in the world to be charged in the church's global abuse scandal. The 77-year-old faces trial in his native Australia on decades-old child sex abuse allegations. Pell has denied wrongdoing. Details of the allegations haven't been made public. Bishops have been implicated in the sexual abuse scandals that have stained the Catholic church's reputation worldwide for decades, most often for their roles in covering up for pedophile priests by shuffling them from parish to parish and keeping the faithful in the dark about the allegations. Earlier this month, an Australia bishop became the most senior Roman Catholic cleric to be convicted of covering up child sex abuse. Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson was sentenced to 12 months in detention by an Australian court in a landmark case seen as a strong warning to institutions that fail to protect children. Critics of the Vatican's handling of abuse cases point out that despite recommendations from its advisory panel, the Holy See still hasn't set up a tribunal or other system to deal with accused bishops or cardinals. It still is unclear just what church tribunal would decide McCarrick's case. "That system is going to (have to) be created exactly for this most embarrassing and prominent case," McKiernan said. ___ Richmond, Virginia-based reporter Sarah Rankin and Rome-based reporter Nicole Winfield contributed to this report. ___ Frances D'Emilio is on twitter at www.twitter.com FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2011 file photo, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick prays during the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' annual fall assembly in Baltimore. Pope Francis has accepted U.S. prelate Theodore McCarrick's offer to resign from the College of Cardinals following allegations of sexual abuse, including one involving an 11-year-old boy, and ordered him to conduct a "life of prayer and penance" in a home to be designated by the pontiff until a church trial is held, the Vatican said Saturday, July 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Funerals for the victims of Greece's lethal wildfire began Saturday with the burial of an elderly priest who drowned as he sought safety from the flames in the sea off the coastal community of Mati. Hundreds of people attended Father Spyridon Papapostolou's funeral in his parish of Halandri, a northern suburb of Athens, the Greek capital. Papapostolou, his wife and daughter were among hundreds who entered the water to protect themselves from the fast-moving flames. But the 83-year-old cleric passed out and drowned, while his wife and daughter survived. In this Monday, July 23, 2018 image from video provided by Elia Kallia, people escaping wildfires wade into the waters of the "Silver Coast" beach in Mati, Greece. Dozens were either killed by flames or drowned as they tried to flee the fire into the nearby sea, waiting for hours in the water for rescue from local fishermen and other boat owners. (Elia Kallia via AP) "Father Spyridon was certainly ready for this trip, but not in this way, he didn't deserve it," his niece, Ifigenia Christodoulou, told The Associated Press. "I hope that he prays for all us from up there, just as he has done all these years." Dimitra Bavavea directed her anger at the "unjust" way that so many people - 86 - had lost their lives. The fire was the deadliest wildfire in Europe since 1900, according to the International Disaster Database run by the Centre for the Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters in Brussels. "My sorrow is great as is my rage for those who left people to burn to death so unjustly," she said. "I hope that those who died are in heaven and I thank you Father Spyridon for all that you have offered us." Greece's public order minister continued to defend authorities' response to Monday's blaze. Minister Nikos Toskas told state broadcaster ERT it was impossible to evacuate the area's 15,000 people in the 90 minutes that Monday's blaze roared through the area. In more sad news, the bodies of twin girls who their father initially believed had survived the fire have been identified, private investigator George Tsoukalis told the AP. He said nine-year-old twins Sophia and Vasiliki Philipopoulos were found in the arms of their grandparents, who also perished in the fire. A day after the fire, Yiannis Philipopoulos issued a public appeal to try to locate his missing daughters, saying that he had spotted them alive in TV news footage among a group of people getting off a fishing boat that had rescued them. The twins' tragic death was also confirmed by Smile of the Child, an independent child welfare agency that also confirmed the death of 13-year-old Dimitris Alexopoulos, whose body was among those found by firefighters. Coroner Nikolaos Kalogrias told the AP that identification of the fire remains continues at a steady pace. Greek authorities haven't given an account of exactly how many people are still missing. Toskas said fire crews did all they could to save as many lives as possible, but that town planning errors over the last 60 years had created conditions that made it difficult for fire crews to do their job. Toskas said over half of buildings in the Mati area, 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Athens, were constructed without permits. In addition, some beaches were fenced off, blocking people fleeing the flames from reaching the water. He said the government's priority now is to take measures so that something like this never happens again. Toskas did not appear to heed the call of his boss, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, to follow his lead in accepting political responsibility for the disaster. But locals in the stricken resort of Mati were unimpressed by Tsipras' declaration. "I want to know what 'I accept political responsibility' means ... Will he go to jail? What's the payback?" Vissarion Pantelides, 79, said Saturday. ___ Demetris Nellas, in Athens, and Adam Pemble, in Mati, contributed to the story. In this Monday, July 23, 2018 image from video provided by Elia Kallia, people escaping wildfires wade into the waters of the "Silver Coast" beach in Mati, Greece. Dozens were either killed by flames or drowned as they tried to flee the fire into the nearby sea, waiting for hours in the water for rescue from local fishermen and other boat owners. (Elia Kallia via AP) In this Tuesday, July 24, 2018 photo, a pet bird lies dead in its cage on a beach in Mati, east of Athens. More than 86 people were either killed by the flames or drowned on Monday's wildfire as they tried to flee the fire into the nearby sea, waiting for hours in the water for rescue from local fishermen and private boat owners who saved many. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A worker transports a burnt car following a wildfire in Neos Voutzas, east of Athens, Friday, July 27, 2018. Greek authorities said Thursday there were serious indications that a deadly wildfire that gutted a vacation resort near Athens was started deliberately, while experts warned that the devastated coastal town had been built like a "fire trap," with poor safety standards and few escape routes. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) In this Thursday, July 26, 2018 photo, a damaged air condition unit stands at a destroyed house with another burnt building in the background, in Mati, east of Athens. More than 86 people were either killed by the flames or drowned on Monday's wildfire as they tried to flee the fire into the nearby sea, waiting for hours in the water for rescue from local fishermen and private boat owners who saved many. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) In this Thursday, July 26, 2018 photo, a burnt post box and bell outside a damaged house in Mati, east of Athens. More than 86 people were either killed by the flames or drowned on Monday's wildfire as they tried to flee the fire into the nearby sea, waiting for hours in the water for rescue from local fishermen and private boat owners who saved many. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) In this Wednesday, July 25, 2018 photo, broken artifacts stand on a radiator of a burnt house in Mati, east of Athens. More than 86 people were either killed by the flames or drowned on Monday's wildfire as they tried to flee the fire into the nearby sea, waiting for hours in the water for rescue from local fishermen and private boat owners who saved many. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, yogurts and milks in a burnt refrigerator at a supermarket in Mati, east of Athens. More than 86 people were either killed by the flames or drowned on Monday's wildfire as they tried to flee the fire into the nearby sea, waiting for hours in the water for rescue from local fishermen and private boat owners who saved many. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (AP) - A black man yelled at former White House press secretary Sean Spicer in a bookstore and accused Spicer of calling him a racial slur when they were students at a prep school decades ago. Spicer was "taken aback" by the man's "outrageous claim" and had no recollection of him or of being in school with him, his publicist said on Saturday. Spicer was at a book signing in Middletown on Friday to promote his new book reflecting on his time at the press podium for President Donald Trump. FILE - In this Tuesday, June 20, 2017, file photo, then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer smiles as he answers a question during a briefing at the White House, in Washington. A black man has accused the former White House press secretary of calling him a racial slur when they were students at a Rhode Island prep school. Spicer was at a book signing in Middletown on Friday, July 27 to promote his new book reflecting on his time at the press podium for President Donald Trump. Cambridge, Mass., resident Alex Lombard yelled out Spicer's name and accused Spicer of calling him the N-word and trying to fight him when they attended Portsmouth Abbey School.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Alex Lombard, who was standing behind a small group of people waiting in line to meet Spicer and get him to sign the book, called out Spicer's name and said they went to Portsmouth Abbey School together. Spicer waved to him and said, "Hey. Yeah. How are you?" Lombard, a Newport native who now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, then accused Spicer of calling him the N-word and trying to fight him when they were at school. "You don't remember that you tried to fight me?" Lombard asked. "But you called me a (N-word) first." A security guard approached Lombard and led him away as he kept talking: "I was 14 then. I was a scared kid then, Sean. I'm not scared to fight you now." The Providence Journal reported Saturday that Lombard said he was a member of Portsmouth Abbey's class of 1990. It said Spicer was a member of the class of 1989. Phone and email messages left by The Associated Press for the school were not immediately returned. A Newport Daily News video of the encounter doesn't show how Spicer, who was seated at a table signing books, reacted to being accused of using the racial slur. But his publicist said he was shocked by the allegation. Spicer "can't recall any incident like this happening" and was "not sure if this was just a stunt this man was pulling," Regnery Publishing publicist Lauren McCue said. She said Spicer has been in the news a lot the last couple of years and it was "a very odd time" for an accusation like this to be made. Spicer has been promoting "The Briefing: Politics, the Press, and the President," which just came out. The book paints a rosy if sometimes thorny picture of Trump, describing him as "a unicorn, riding a unicorn over a rainbow" and a man to whom the regular rules of politics don't apply. SODUS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Authorities say a fire that killed five children and their mother at a Michigan motel appears to have been an accident. The Berrien County sheriff's office says experts found no evidence of an accelerant that would have started the deadly blaze early Saturday at the Cosmo Extended Stay Motel in Sodus (SO'-dis) Township. The precise cause still is under investigation. The fire began in a first-floor room of the two-story motel, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Chicago. Twenty-six-year-old Kiarre Curtis and five of her children died in a room on the second floor. The sheriff's office said Sunday that autopsies confirmed all six died of smoke inhalation. Officials investigate at a fire at the Cosmo Extended Stay Motel in Sodus Township, Mich., on Saturday, July 28, 2018. A fire swept through the southwestern Michigan motel early Saturday, killing several members of the same family, including a woman and her children, authorities said. (Michael Caterina/South Bend Tribune via AP) Curtis' husband and a 1-year-old child survived. The sheriff's office says investigators are also examining the motel's fire alarms and smoke detectors. Hotel residents gather as firefighters investigate a fire at the Cosmo Extended Stay Motel in Sodus Township, Mich., on Saturday, July 28, 2018. A fire swept through the southwestern Michigan motel early Saturday, killing several members of the same family, including a woman and her children, authorities said. (Michael Caterina/South Bend Tribune via AP) A Michigan State Police fire investigator walks past apartments damaged by a fire Saturday, July 28, 2018, at the Cosmo Extended Living Motel, in Sodus Township, Mich., that claimed the lives of a 26-year-old mother and five of her children. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP) Berrien County Sheriff Deputies walk past the scene of a fire Saturday, July 28, 2018, at the Cosmo Extended Living Motel, in Sodus Township, Mich., that claimed the lives of a 26-year-old mother and five of her children. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP) A firefighter walks past apartments damaged by a fire Saturday, July 28, 2018, at the Cosmo Extended Living Motel, in Sodus Township, Mich., that claimed the lives of a 26-year-old mother and five of her children. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP) Firefighters take a break after responding to a fire Saturday, July 28, 2018, at the Cosmo Extended Living Motel, in Sodus Township, Mich., that claimed the lives of a 26-year-old mother and five of her children. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP) Crews investigate a fire Saturday, July 28, 2018, at the Cosmo Extended Living Motel, in Sodus Township, Mich., that claimed the lives of a 26-year-old mother and her five children. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP) Darcia Knutson reacts after talking about her friend, Kiarre Samuel, the 26-year-old mother, and her five children who died in a fire early Saturday, July 28, 2018, at the Cosmo Extended Living Motel, in Sodus Township, Mich. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP) Hotel residents Cassundra Clements, left, and Sarah Sanders comfort one another after a fire at the Cosmo Extended Stay Motel in Sodus Township, Mich., on Saturday, July 28, 2018. A fire swept through the southwestern Michigan motel early Saturday, killing several members of the same family, including a woman and her children, authorities said. (Michael Caterina/South Bend Tribune via AP) REDDING, Calif. (AP) - The deadly Northern California wildfire that has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes slowed down Sunday after days of explosive growth, giving officials hope even as they announced the discovery of a sixth fatality. Meanwhile officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree and killed while working as part of a crew removing brush and other fuel near the so-called Ferguson fire's front lines, national parks officials said. In Redding, officials stuck a hopeful tone for the first time in days. San Bernardino County Fire Department firefighter James Lippen takes photos of the damage caused by a wildfire, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Keswick, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) "We're feeling a lot more optimistic today as we're starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time," said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident commander on the blaze around Redding, a city about 230 miles (370 kilometers) north of San Francisco. Gouvea spoke at a news conference with fire and law enforcement officials. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The victim's identity was not released. The sheriff's department is also investigating seven missing persons reports, Bosenko said. Redding police have an additional 11 reports of missing people, though many of them may simply not have checked in with friends or family, said Redding police Sgt. Todd Cogle. The so-called Carr Fire that affected Redding - a city of about 92,000 people - was ignited by a vehicle problem on Monday about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. The latest tally showed at least 657 homes destroyed and another 145 damaged, with the fire having consumed 149 square miles (386 square kilometers). After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they didn't know whether their homes were standing or were destroyed. Authorities had not reopened any evacuated neighborhoods where fires raged due to safety and ongoing investigations and urged people to be patient, saying they would soon let residents back. Fed up, on Sunday morning Tim Bollman hiked 4 miles (6 kilometers) on trails up steep terrain to check on the Redding home he built for his wife and two sons 13 years ago. He found rubble. "There's not even anything to pick up," he said. "It's completely gone." He took hundreds of photos, recorded video and texted his wife. "It's the craziest frickin' thing you have ever seen," he said, his eyes filled with tears. But then he composed himself. "It is what it is," he sighed, and then hiked off. Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, was reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smoldering rubble. The San Bernardino County Fire Department was called in to tamp down smoking piles of debris that were scattered around the town amid downed electricity lines. "What we're seeing here is an incomplete burn situation," Capt. Doug Miles said as his crew used picks, shovels and rakes to open up piles that just days ago were family homes. The flames laid waste to about 25 blocks, and the "mop up" work was likely to take days. He said his crew would be looking for anything salvageable, but there was little left standing. The fatalities included two firefighters and a woman and her two great-grandchildren. "My babies are dead," Sherry Bledsoe said through tears after she and family members met Saturday with sheriff's deputies. Her two children, 5-year-old James Roberts and 4-year-old Emily Roberts, were stranded with their great-grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70, when flames swept through the family's rural property Thursday on the outskirts of Redding. The sixth victim, who was not identified, did not evacuate despite receiving an evacuation warning, Bosenko said. It is the largest fire burning in California, threatening more than 5,000 structures. The flames were just 5 percent contained, though Gouvea said he expected that number to climb. "We're here till the end, and we will get to an end, and we will bring some peace to this chaos," he said. The firefighters killed in the blaze included Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire. Redding Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, but details of his death were not released. The fire around Redding was among 17 significant blazes in the state on Sunday that had forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a Cal Fire spokeswoman. About 12,000 firefighters were battling the fires, she said. "We are well ahead of the fire activity we saw last year," she said. "This is just July, so we're not even into the worst part of fire season." About 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Redding, one of two blazes that started in Mendocino County forced the evacuation of Lakeport, a city of about 5,000 people, after destroying four homes. More than 4,500 buildings were under threat, officials said. The two fires had blackened 39 square miles (101 square kilometers) and were each 5 percent contained. Authorities also issued evacuation orders in Napa County, famous for its wine, when a fire destroyed eight structures. The blaze had blackened 150 acres, but was 50 percent contained on Sunday. Hughes, the firefighter killed near Yosemite, was originally from Hawaii. He had been with California's Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots for four years and reached the rank of captain. Earlier this month, firefighter Braden Varney was killed when the bulldozer he was operating overturned while he was fighting the flames near the national park. At least seven other firefighters have been injured since that blaze broke out July 13. Some evacuations were lifted but officials said Yosemite Valley, the heart of tourism in the park, will remain closed until August 3. A big fire continued to burn in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs, but officials lifted evacuation orders for several communities after reporting significant progress by firefighters. The Yosemite and Southern California blazes had burned nearly 100 square miles (260 square kilometers). ___ Thanawala reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Martha Mendoza in Redding and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Boats sit at California's Whiskeytown Lake, Sunday, July 29, 2018, near where the Carr Fire originated. The so-called Carr Fire that affected Redding, a city of about 92,000 people, was ignited by a vehicle problem on Monday about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the city. (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) A burned bowling ball lies in the mountain community of Keswick, Calif., Sunday, July 29, 2018. On Sunday, the San Bernardino County Fire department pulled in to tamp down smoking rubble. Piles of wreckage were still smoking amid downed electricity lines. (AP Photo/Martha Mendoza) Capt. Scott Fisher, with the San Bernardino County Fire Department, surveys a wildfire-damaged neighborhood, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Keswick, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Capt. Scott Fisher, with the San Bernardino County Fire Department, surveys a wildfire-damaged neighborhood, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Keswick, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A thank you to fire crews and first responders is shown on a van in Redding, Calif., Sunday, July 29, 2018. Fire crews faced many uncertainties Sunday as they struggled to corral a deadly blaze in Northern California that left thousands of dazed evacuees reeling as they tried to take care of themselves and their pets. Crews endured hot temperatures and remained wary of the possibility of gusty winds, said Anthony Romero, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (AP Photo/Martha Mendoza) Burned vehicles sit in front of a wildfire-ravaged home, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Redding, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A firefighter walks along a containment line while battling a wildfire Saturday, July 28, 2018, in Redding, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Burned trees and homes are juxtaposed in a neighborhood in the aftermath of a wildfire, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Redding, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A California scrub jay perches on a burnt branch at California's Whiskeytown Lake, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in an area devastated by the Carr Fire. (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) A California FIRESCOPE card is seen burned in the mountain community of Keswick, Calif., Sunday, July 29, 2018. On Sunday, the San Bernardino County Fire department pulled in to tamp down smoking rubble. Piles of wreckage were still smoking amid downed electricity lines. (AP Photo/Martha Mendoza) The completely wiped out mountain community of Keswick, Calif., is seen Sunday, July 29, 2018. On Sunday, the San Bernardino County Fire department pulled in to tamp down smoking rubble. Piles of wreckage were still smoking amid downed electricity lines. (AP Photo/Martha Mendoza) Otis Bershers, 75, of the city of Shasta Lake, sits in a chair at the Shasta College evacuation center, on Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Redding, Calif., were he has slept outside with his wife, Carol, and cat Smokey since Thursday. (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia's foreign minister was visiting East Timor on Monday to repair bilateral tries after a bitter dispute over energy revenue and spying allegations. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she is the national capital Dili to meet newly elected leaders. She is the first Australian minister to visit the near neighbor in five years. Australia, a wealthy nation of 25 million people, ended an acrimonious dispute with the poor, half-island nation of 1.5 million people in March with the signing of a bilateral treaty that shares oil and gas revenue from the Timor Sea which separates them. East Timor had challenged the validity of a revenue-sharing agreement signed in 2006 because it alleged Australia had bugged government offices in Dili in 2004 to gain an unfair advantage in negotiations. "The signing of our historic maritime boundary treaty has opened a new chapter in relations between Australia and Timor-Leste," Bishop told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday, referring to East Timor by its preferred name. "It was a matter of ongoing tension, it was a concern for us in terms of our relationship with Timor-Leste and I'm pleased that we were able to commit to a process that led to a fair and balanced outcome and now we can get on with supporting Timor-Leste in achieving its economic potential," Bishop added. East Timor dropped its case against Australia in the United Nation's highest court last year as an act of goodwill ahead of their agreement on the new treaty that gives most of the Timor Sea revenue to Dili. Australia last month confirmed that it had charged a former Australian spy, who cannot be named, and his lawyer Bernard Collaery with conspiring to reveal secret information in relation to the espionage allegation. The spy was to testify in East Timor's case against Australia in The Hague, but secret service agents raided his Canberra home and took his passport in 2013. Bishop said the charges were not a cause of tension between the two governments. "The Timorese government has been asked about it and they have said quite rightly that it's a matter for Australia," Bishop said. The spy and lawyer will make their first court appearances on the charges in September. JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (AP) - Comedian Billy Crystal asks the question in a video that welcomes visitors to the National Comedy Center. "Everybody else has a place," he says. "Why not us?" It may be as good a reason as any for the construction of the high-tech new center devoted to what has made people laugh from Vaudeville to now. In this July 24, 2018 photo, Bonnie Tangalos of Charlotte, N.C., reviews a comedy profile created for her during her visit to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. The center that is marking its grand opening Aug. 1 was inspired by the late comedian Lucille Ball, who wanted her hometown of Jamestown to become a destination for the celebration of comedy as an art form. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) But there's more to it. The nonprofit center in Jamestown was inspired by hometown hero, Lucille Ball, who envisioned a place where comedy would be celebrated as an art form. The city of about 30,000 people in the southwest corner of New York already is home to the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum. "But it was always (Ball's) preference that Jamestown become a destination for the celebration of all comedy in a way that would foster and inspire the next generation of artists," says National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson. "What we've done here is finally bring her vision to fruition." Located in a repurposed 1930 art-deco train station, the center is part museum, part hall of fame and part video arcade, keeping visitors smiling as they move through displays of comedic artifacts. There's the "puffy shirt" from a 1993 "Seinfeld" episode and scripts from the 1960s "Dick Van Dyke Show" along with lively immersive exhibits that invite visitors to explore sound effects and props and make cartoons and memes. The bravest can take the stage in "Comedy Karaoke," trying out lines from Jeff Foxworthy or others, or sit at a game show-like set and try to crack up an opponent. But there also are plenty of chances to laugh at the pros in action. A club-like comedy lounge shows stand-up bits, and a movie theater has clips of classic scenes with celebrity commentary. A hologram theater initially will feature Jim Gaffigan's evolution as a performer. The grand opening celebration starts Aug. 1. "I'm stunned by the technology," says Andrew Tangalos of Charlotte, North Carolina, who with his wife, Bonnie, was part of a group invited to test the exhibits on Tuesday before the official opening. They started by selecting preferred comedians, shows and movies at a lobby kiosk. After tapping computer-chip enhanced bracelets at exhibits, the couple's last stop was a station that revealed their comedy profile. It told Bonnie she leaned toward satire and observational humor. The 37,000-square-foot (3,437-square-meter), $50 million center received $9 million in funding from New York state, along with private and federal support. The House of Representatives on July 23 unanimously approved a bill designating it as the nation's official comedy center. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, whose cousin, comedian Amy Schumer is in the opening week lineup, is working on Senate action. "Comedy is important to celebrate as an art form because it's not been celebrated at all, ever," comedian Lewis Black says on the center's welcoming video. He is part of the center's largely celebrity advisory board, along with Gaffigan, Carl Reiner, Laraine Newman, W. Kamau Bell, Paula Poundstone and others. Board member Kelly Carlin, daughter of the late George Carlin, gave the center seven trunks full of her father's materials, including his creative files, handwritten journals and arrest records resulting from his "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" routine. Those seven words get star treatment in the center's lower-level, adults-only "Blue Room," reserved for the material that's gotten comedians into trouble over the years. "Down in the Blue Room it's completely uncensored and we actually address a lot of topics like the history of taboo, censorship, seven dirty words and things like that," Gunderson says. Among displays is the trench coat Lenny Bruce would wear in anticipation of going from stage to jail. "There's enough content in here that you could spend a week and not see everything," says Stephen Platenberg, creative director of Cortina Productions, the McLean, Virginia, interactive design firm for the project. The grand opening week also includes events with Lily Tomlin and original "Saturday Night Live" cast members Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris and Newman. "I hope people leave here having a great time, seeing some cool content that's nostalgic or makes them laugh, doing some things they never thought they'd do," Platenberg says, "but then also learn about something about their sense of humor and comedy in general." In this July 24, 2018 photo, Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center, stands in front of windows decorated with comedians' one-liners at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. The 37,000-square-foot center, which is celebrating its grand opening starting Aug. 1, has more than 50 interactive exhibits that allow visitors to explore comedy as an art form, from its origins to present day. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) In this July 24, 2018 photo, the famed "puffy shirt" from a 1993 episode of the television show "Seinfeld" is among comedy artifacts on display at The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. The center's grand opening celebration starts Aug. 1. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) In this July 24, 2018 photo, the George Carlin exhibit is seen inside the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. Visitors to the center can explore the late comedian's archives of notes and other material, which the center acquired from Carlin's family. The center's grand opening celebration starts Aug. 1.(AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) In this July 24, 2018 photo, a file box full of notes is part of the George Carlin exhibit at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. Visitors to the center can explore the late comedian's archives of material, which the center acquired from Carlin's family. The center's grand opening celebration starts Aug. 1. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) In this July 24, 2018 photo, a script from the 1960s television series "The Dick Van Dyke Show" is displayed inside the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. In addition to comedy artifacts, the center has 50 interactive exhibits that let visitors learn about comedy as an art form, from its origins to present day. The center's grand opening celebration starts Aug. 1. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) In this July 24, 2018 photo, the lobby of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y., invites visitors to stop at a kiosk, swipe their wristband and create a profile about their comedy preferences. After swiping the wristband at various exhibits, visitors receive a personalized comedy analysis on the way out. The center's grand opening celebration starts Aug. 1. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) In this July 24, 2018 photo, the main entrance to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. is shown. The center was inspired by the late Lucille Ball, who wanted her hometown to be a destination for people to learn about and celebrate comedy as an art form. Its grand opening celebration starts Aug. 1. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) This July 24, 2018 photo shows the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. The center, starting its grand opening celebration Aug. 1, was inspired by the late Lucille Ball, who wanted her hometown to be a destination for people to learn about and celebrate comedy as an art form. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) - A man was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a rookie Arizona state trooper still in training, state officials said. Isaac King, 20, was charged with several counts including first-degree murder, said spokesman Raul Garcia in a statement Sunday. The shooting occurred after troopers responded to reports late Wednesday of a person throwing rocks at vehicles on Interstate 10 roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of downtown Phoenix. Motorists had also pulled over to try to get the suspect off the road, according to Arizona Department of Public Safety officials. FILE - This undated photo provided by the Arizona Department of Public Safety shows Isaac D. King. Arizona's public safety officials said Sunday, July 29, 2018, that King has been charged in the murder of a rookie state trooper still in training. (Arizona Department of Public Safety via AP, File) A fight ensued when troopers tried to get 20-year-old Isaac D. King off the roadway. Trooper Tyler Edenhofer, 24, was shot and killed during the struggle. He was in his last week of field training. "He'd been one of my troopers for 52 days," said DPS Col. Frank Milstead. King was transported to a hospital, but authorities would not say why he was hospitalized. He was charged after he made a remote appearance before a judge Sunday from his hospital room. It was not clear if he has an attorney to speak on his behalf. King, who lives in Avondale, was on medication for anxiety and depression and has no criminal record, Milstead said. "We've talked to his parents, his mother particularly who has been cooperative and thought he was in the backyard during this event," Milstead said. "She said at about 9:30 p.m., he'd been outside on the trampoline." Six officers, including some local police, were struggling with the suspect for several minutes when he somehow got a hold of the Trooper Sean Rodecap's weapon. Rodecap is a field training officer who was not wearing a uniform. King then fired two shots, Milstead said. One hit Edenhofer in the shoulder but ricocheted downward, DPS spokesman Capt. Tony Mapp said. Trooper Dalin Dorris was shot through the shoulder, treated at a hospital and released. Rodecap was injured, but not shot, in the fight. Whether the weapon became dislodged or how King was able to fire it is under investigation, Milstead said. It was in a standard leather holster tethered to the officer's belt. "We're all in a little bit of a state of shock," said Milstead. "The DPS family is in mourning." Edenhofer was killed just two months after graduating from the Department of Public Safety academy. The U.S. Navy veteran was engaged to be married. A candlelight vigil was scheduled for Monday night on the lawn of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Latest on Minneapolis officials releasing policy body camera footage of a June shooting that killed a black man, 31-year-old Thurman Blevins (all times local): 10:20 p.m. A relative of a black man shot by Minneapolis police in June says newly released body camera video confirms her belief that he wasn't a threat to officers. Sydnee Brown tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune that her cousin, Thurman Blevins, didn't deserve to die. She says he wasn't a threat when officers approached, adding they "didn't view him as a human being." Blevins was shot June 23 after a brief foot chase with officers who were responding to a 911 call of a man firing a gun into the air and ground on the city's north side. The video released Sunday night showed Blevins sitting on a curb when officers pulled up, with one officer saying, "He's got a gun!" Enhanced video appeared to show Blevins with a gun in his hand as he jumped up and ran away. The shooting is being investigated by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. ___ 9:55 p.m. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the fatal shooting of a black man in the city was "tragic," but he's refusing to comment on newly released body camera video from the officers who shot the man. The city released the video footage Sunday night in the June 23 shooting of 31-year-old Thurman Blevins. The shooting is being investigated by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Frey says Blevins' family watched the video about an hour before it was released. Blevins' family and other community members had pushed for the prompt release of the footage, and Frey had pledged to do so as soon as possible. Video from past high-profile police shootings in Minnesota has usually not been released until after long investigations by the BCA. Frey says he knows "there's a lot of pain" in the city. ___ 9:21 p.m. Authorities in Minneapolis have released body camera video from two police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old black man. The videos released Sunday night show Officers Justin Schmidt and Ryan Kelly chasing Thurman Blevins on foot June 23. Blevins was shot after the pursuit turned down an alley. Both officers fired their weapons, and a handgun appears on the ground next to Blevins after he's shot. Some witnesses had disputed that Blevins was armed. The officers were responding to a 911 call of a man firing a handgun outside. Blevins' death prompted demonstrations and community advocates had urged the swift release of bodycam video. Mayor Jacob Frey had said the footage would be released after the Blevins family was consulted and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had finished interviewing key witnesses. Wildfires barrel toward Northern California lake towns LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP) - A pair of wildfires that prompted evacuation orders for nearly 20,000 people barreled Monday toward small lake towns in Northern California, and authorities faced questions about how quickly they warned residents about the largest and deadliest blaze burning in the state. Ed Bledsoe told CBS News he did not receive any warning to evacuate his home in the city of Redding before the flames came through last week and killed his wife, Melody, and his great-grandchildren, 5-year-old James Roberts and 4-year-old Emily Roberts. "If I'd have any kind of warning, I'd have never, ever left my family in that house," Bledsoe said. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told the network there's an investigation into whether the Bledsoe home received a warning call or a knock on the door. The sheriff cited evidence that door-to-door notifications were made in the area. Bosenko did not return a message from The Associated Press on Monday. The dispute came as authorities on Sunday ordered evacuations around twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties, including from the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport, a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake, about 120 miles (195 kilometers) north of San Francisco. The blazes have destroyed six homes and threaten 10,000 others. So far, the flames have blackened 87 square miles (225 square kilometers), with minimal containment. ___ Trump says 'no problem' shutting government, dismaying GOP WASHINGTON (AP) - Unnerving fellow Republicans, President Donald Trump declared Monday he would have "no problem" shutting down the federal government this fall if Congress won't come up with more money for border security. Trump's threat, his second in two days, put him further at odds with his own party in Congress, where many Republicans are facing tough re-election fights this November. A shutdown when government funding expires at the end of September, just weeks before the midterm elections, would be the second under unified Republican control of Washington, following a weekend stoppage in January. "I would have no problem doing a shutdown," Trump said during a joint press conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. "It's time we had proper border security. We're the laughingstock of the world." The president's comments suggest he continues to believe that an election-season showdown over immigration would fire up his base and boost his party's chances of holding power in Congress. Republican leaders disagree, hoping they can avoid a high-profile display of dysfunction and focus their message on the GOP tax cuts and the strong economy. Trump has made no secret of his belief that his hard-line immigration policies boosted him to the Oval Office, and he launched an aggressive push for additional border security measures early this year. They include $25 billion toward construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, but he acknowledged on Monday his demands are a starting point. ___ No charges against Minneapolis officers in black man's death MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Two Minneapolis police officers who shot and killed a black man last month were justified in using deadly force, a prosecutor announced Monday, saying the man was fleeing police and turned toward them with a loaded gun before he was shot. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Thurman Blevins had refused commands to stop and show his hands, and was clearly a danger to the officers and community. "Their decision to use deadly force against Mr. Blevins under those circumstances was authorized," Freeman said, adding that the officers will not be criminally charged. His statements were in prepared remarks that were handed out to the media. Freeman had tried to make the announcement during a news conference, but he was shouted down by Blevins' friends and family members. They argue Blevins was no threat to anybody and was just sitting with a woman and his child. "He was forced to run away from his family so they wouldn't shoot him down in his own community in front of his kid," said Sydnee Brown, a cousin. ___ Trump says he would 'certainly meet' with Iran's Rouhani WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump said Monday that he'd "certainly meet" with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and without preconditions, if the Iranian leader were willing. Speaking during a joint news conference with Italy's premier, Trump said he would meet with the Iranians "anytime they want to." "I'll meet with anybody," he said. "There's nothing wrong with meeting." The overture marks a significant shift in tone and comes as Trump and the Iranians have been escalating their rhetoric following Trump's May withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear accord. The administration is set to begin reimposing sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 deal next month and has been ratcheting up a pressure campaign on the Islamic republic that many suspect is aimed at regime change. And it's unclear whether Rouhani has any interest in meeting. Rouhani's chief of staff claimed earlier this month in Iran's state-owned newspaper that Rouhani had rejected eight requests from Trump for one-on-one talks last year. ___ CBS keeps Moonves in place during sexual misconduct inquiry NEW YORK (AP) - CBS will keep CEO Les Moonves in place during an investigation of sexual misconduct charges against him, the company said. It will hire an outside counsel to conduct the probe. On Friday a New Yorker article quoted six women who accused Moonves of sexual misconduct over a span of three decades. The alleged behavior included forced kissing, unwanted sexual advances and career retaliation against women who rebuffed him. CBS issued a statement even before the article was published saying it took the allegations seriously and would begin an investigation. The CBS board on Monday also voted to postpone the shareholder meeting that had been scheduled for Aug. 10 to a later date yet to be determined. It reports its quarterly earnings on Thursday. Shares closed down 5 percent at $51.28, and were largely unchanged in after hours trading. If its CEO is suspended or departs altogether, CBS would lose its chief amid rapid change in the entertainment industry and a corporate battle with media mogul Shari Redstone, who controls both CBS and its corporate sibling Viacom. Moonves joined CBS in 1995 as president of CBS Entertainment and quickly climbed the ranks, becoming CEO of CBS Television in 1998 and CEO of the newly created CBS Corp. in 2006 after it split from Viacom. He revived the company, which operates the CBS network, Showtime and other entities, with hit shows like "NCIS" and "The Big Bang Theory." ___ Counting starts after Zimbabweans vote in pivotal election HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - With hope and pride, millions of Zimbabweans voted peacefully Monday in an election that many believe is their best chance to escape the toxic politics and dead-end economics of the era of Robert Mugabe, who wasn't on the ballot for the first time in the nation's nearly four-decade history. But opposition activists used to the violence, intimidation and vote-tampering that marred elections under Mugabe called for vigilance against the same kind of skullduggery this time around. Western monitors noted some problems at polling stations, but said it wasn't yet clear whether they reflected a deliberate effort to manipulate the elections. "They may be peaceful, but we don't know how credible they are," said 51-year-old Classified Chivese, a voter who, like many Zimbabweans, is unemployed. Zimbabwe's political climate has opened up since 94-year-old Mugabe, who once said he would rule for life, resigned in November after a military takeover and ruling party move to impeach him. Throngs celebrated the removal of Mugabe, in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980, but many Zimbabweans view Monday's election as an equally important milestone. More than 5.5 million people were registered to vote in an election featuring a record more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties vying for parliamentary seats. If no presidential candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held Sept. 8. ___ Former FEMA head of personnel accused of sexual misconduct WASHINGTON (AP) - The former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's personnel office had improper sexual relationships with subordinates and created a "toxic" work environment that included giving preferential treatment to his fraternity brothers, according to a summary of an internal investigation obtained Monday by The Associated Press. FEMA officials said Corey Coleman resigned June 18 amid the probe. The preliminary investigation began in January and was completed Friday. FEMA administrator Brock Long said in a statement Monday that he was referring the case to the internal watchdog of its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, which could investigate any claims of possible criminal sexual assault. But victims would have to go to police for any charges to result. "Anyone who disagrees with this zero tolerance approach will not be welcome at FEMA," Long said. "Employees at FEMA devote their careers to caring for disaster survivors in their time of greatest need. We must care for our own with the same respect, compassion and advocacy that we bring to our external operations." Coleman is not named in the summary, but officials at the agency confirmed details in the report referred to him. A call to his home Monday wasn't returned. ___ States suing Trump administration, company over 3D guns Eight states are filing suit against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety. The suit, filed Monday in Seattle, asks a judge to block the federal government's late-June settlement with Defense Distributed, which allowed the company to make the plans available online. Officials say that 1,000 people have already downloaded blueprints for AR-15 rifles. "I have a question for the Trump Administration: Why are you allowing dangerous criminals easy access to weapons?" Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday. "These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors, and will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history." Joining the suit were Democratic attorneys general in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia. Separately, attorneys general in 21 states urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday to withdraw from the settlement with Defense Distributed, saying it "creates an imminent risk to public safety." People can use the blueprints to manufacture a plastic gun using a 3D printer. But gun industry experts have expressed doubt that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns are very expensive, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by. ___ Orca carries dead calf for week during 'deep grieving' SEATTLE (AP) - An endangered orca that spends time in Pacific Northwest waters is still carrying the corpse of her calf one week after it died. Experts with the Whale Museum on San Juan Island have been monitoring the 20-year-old whale, known as J35, since her calf died shortly after birth Tuesday. For days now, the whale has been balancing the dead calf on her forehead or pushing it to the surface of the water. Jenny Atkinson, the museum's executive director, says the orca was still carrying her dead calf Monday afternoon. Atkinson says the orca and her pod are going through "a deep grieving process." The calf was the first in three years to be born to the dwindling population of endangered southern resident killer whales. There are only 75. ___ AP FACT CHECK: Collusion not a crime? Not exactly the point. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump denies any "collusion" with the Russians, while his lawyer Rudy Giuliani says it's not even a crime. Case closed? Not exactly. Giuliani is right that the term "collusion" isn't a precise one when it comes to U.S. law. But that doesn't change the potential legal fallout stemming from the Russia investigation, which could touch on laws against computer hacking, election fraud and conspiracy against the United States. A look at the buzz term "collusion" and what we're really talking about: GIULIANI on Fox News on Monday: "I have been sitting here looking in the federal code trying to find collusion as a crime...Collusion is not a crime." TRUMP on Twitter on Sunday: "There is No Collusion!" GOSHEN, Indiana (AP) - The sermon had been preached, the last prayers offered. Now, Mike Yoder decided, the time had come to share unsettling news. As congregants at Silverwood Mennonite Church chatted around a potluck spread, Yoder, a Republican county commissioner, huddled with Pastor Jeremy Shue. There was a good chance, Yoder confided, that a 1,200-bed immigration detention center would soon rise north of town. "One of the only positives is that it would be less of a drive to protest," Shue said. An Amish family rides their horse and buggy past a storage lot for recreational vehicles in Goshen, Ind., on Friday, June 1, 2018. In the county that voted nearly two-thirds for Donald Trump, a grass-roots campaign by local residents voiced enough opposition to scuttle the building of an immigration detention center nearby. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Yoder had paid attention when Elkhart County voters backed Donald Trump for president after a campaign lambasting immigrants. He knew, too, that the county seat and the largest employers had made a place for thousands of immigrants, a number in the U.S. illegally. The detention center proposal was "a microcosm of all the different issues of immigration, right here in this county," he said. Since 2011, contractors have proposed detention centers in seven communities near Chicago, with activists pushing a number to defeat. But demand has increased as the Trump administration steps up arrests . Immigration and Customs Enforcement doesn't own most of those facilities, instead contracting with companies whose for-profit lockups hold two-thirds of immigrant detainees; others are held in local jails. Last fall, ICE requested new detention sites. CoreCivic Inc., one of the largest private prison companies, proposed Elkhart, two hours east of Chicago and the hub of the booming recreational vehicle industry. With 9,000 local job openings, immigrants have helped fill the gap. Yoder recognized some residents would object to a detention center. But new jobs and taxes would make it hard to reject. Many Republican voters would back it. If a facility was likely, Yoder told Mennonite pastors, maybe it would be best to have it where clergy could minister to detainees. He also was mindful of the growing Latino population, about 16 percent countywide and twice that in Goshen. So the same day he spoke to clergy, Yoder met with Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, immigration activist Richard Aguirre and others. "I'd really like your help communicating calmness," the commissioner said. "My reaction was, 'No way!'" said Aguirre, a Goshen College administrator. Aguirre recast a pre-Thanksgiving rally, planned to celebrate new ID cards for immigrants, as a protest. "I want you to raise your hands if you believe that we do not want an immigration detention facility in Elkhart County, Indiana!" attorney Felipe Merino urged the crowd. "No!" they shouted. On Dec. 17, worshippers from many congregations filled an Elkhart church. "Whether or not our government builds a bigger wall to keep immigrants out, God's church is about breaking down dividing walls," preached Neil Amstutz, pastor of Waterford Mennonite Church. But many immigrants were apprehensive. When 19-year-old Lizeth Ochoa first heard about the detention center, she imagined a lockup filled with criminals. "Then I realized, oh, it's for people like me," said Ochoa. When Ochoa was 9 months old, her mother paid a smuggler to spirit them from Mexico. They joined her father, who had found work in Elkhart. President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative had eased worries about deportation, but Trump was pulling the plug. Ochoa and her parents avoided talk of the detention center. But quietly, she considered what they would do if ICE officers knocked on their door. To others, though, a detention center was just what the county needed. A decade ago, Bob Schrameyer and fellow Goshen residents lobbied police to partner with ICE and pushed employers to vet workers' legal status. The problem, Schrameyer contends, is that many immigrants don't pay their share of taxes, while collecting welfare benefits. The detention center "was a no-brainer," Schrameyer said. "We have a Constitution founded on the principles of God, and a lot of them, the illegals, they don't have that," said Roland Weaver, who lives near the project site. "That's what waters down what this country was founded on." At a holiday gathering, Mayor Stutsman talked with retired cardiologist Mark Smucker and poultry company owner Galen Miller. "The argument I made was if we ever solve our problems with immigration in this country ... at some point we aren't going to need an immigration detention center," Smucker said. "It seemed to me that the people in the RV manufacturing community would not like to see even more of their workers drift away." Stutsman, a Democrat, proposed a letter of opposition. Miller agreed to reach out to RV executives. Many are conservative but count on immigrant workers, some in the U.S. illegally, said Jim Siegmann, former owner of a printing company. "They know they couldn't run their businesses without them," he said. On Jan. 17, CoreCivic officials met with executives from RV companies and other big employers. Local executives declined to comment or did not respond to calls or emails. But people who attended or spoke with those who did said they were very direct. "I do business here. I've been here my whole life, and I don't want you to come here," Forest River Inc. CEO Peter Liegl is said to have told the visitors. The next day, Stutsman released his letter: "Any tax dollars generated by the project wouldn't be enough to offset the long-lasting damage such a facility would do to our county." Yoder counseled CoreCivic to think things over. "After careful consideration," a company official wrote, "CoreCivic has decided to withdraw its application." "We won!" Aguirre posted on Facebook. "We won!" ___ Geller can be reached at ageller@ap.org or at https://twitter.com/AdGeller Read more of AP's coverage of the reverberations of the Trump administration's policies on immigration here . Pepe Urzua, a roofer who arrived from Mexico eight years ago, cradles his two-month-old daughter, Luna, as his wife, Betty, holds their daughter, Scarlet, during the First Fridays street festival in Goshen, Ind., on June 1, 2018. "It's a place where you want to raise your kids." Urzua said. But his wife, who came to the U.S. when she was two, said opposition to the proposed ICE facility does not mean immigrants are accepted. "I've seen a lot of people with Trump stickers on their trucks. They're a lot of people here who don't like us," she said. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Residents of Goshen, Ind., in Elkhart County listen to a band on the lawn of the county courthouse during the First Fridays street festival in Goshen, on June 1, 2018. Participants in the monthly gathering represent the diversity of the county. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) The logo of President Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign fades on a barn in Elkhart County, Ind., on Friday, June 1, 2018. In the county that voted nearly two-thirds for Donald Trump, a grass-roots campaign by local residents voiced enough opposition to scuttle the building of an immigration detention center nearby. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Elkhart County, Ind., commissioner and dairy farmer Mike Yoder smiles as one of his cows nibbles his elbow in Middlebury, Ind., on Friday, June 1, 2018. As a Republican, he had paid close attention when nearly two-thirds of Elkhart County's voters backed Donald Trump for president after a campaign in which he lambasted immigrants. He knew just as well that the more liberal county seat and the largest local employers had made a place for thousands of immigrants from Mexico _ a significant, but uncertain, number of them in the U.S. illegally. "It was like a microcosm of all the different issues of immigration," Yoder said, "right here in this county." (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Elkhart County, Ind. commissioner and dairy farmer Mike Yoder, speaks at his farm in Middlebury, Ind., on Friday, June 1, 2018. He recalled tensions stirred by a proposal to build an immigration detention center in his community, where nearly two-thirds of voters backed Donald Trump for president even as local employers made a place for thousands of immigrant workers. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Bob Schrameyer stands next to his truck decorated with a "Build The Wall - Vote Trump" sticker in Goshen, Ind., on Thursday, May 31, 2018. A decade ago, Schrameyer and fellow Goshen residents lobbied police to partner with ICE, and pushed employers to vet workers' legal status. The problem, Schrameyer contends, is that many immigrants don't pay their fair share of taxes, while collecting welfare benefits. (AP Photo/Adam Geller) Goshen College student and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals participant Lizeth Ochoa, 19, poses for a portrait at the Goshen, Ind., campus on Friday, June 1, 2018. Ochoa was 9-months old when her mother paid a smuggler to bring her across the U.S.-Mexico border, where she joined her father and uncles who had landed jobs in Elkhart, Ind., factories. When Ochoa first heard about the proposed detention center, she imagined a lockup filled with criminals. "But then I realized, oh, it's for people like me," Ochoa said. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Pastors Jose Luis Gutierrez, left, from the Comunidad Cristiana Adulam church and Neil Amstutz from the Waterford Mennonite Church, pose for a portrait at Gutierrez's church on Friday, June 1, 2018. In late 2017, they invited clergy from around the county to Adulam and the group made plans for a community-wide service to oppose the immigration detention center. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) A woman carries multicolored balloons that she gave away to kids during the First Fridays street festival in Goshen, Ind., on Friday, June 1, 2018. Attendance at the gathering reflects the county's growing racial and ethnic diversity. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Children play on the grounds of the Elkhart County, Indiana Courthouse during the monthly First Fridays street festival on June 1, 2018. Attendance at the street festival reflects the county's growing racial and ethnic diversity. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) A woman is silhouetted in smoke as she sells barbecue during the First Fridays street festival in Goshen, Ind., on June 1, 2018. Participants in the monthly street festival represent the diversity of the county. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) The lead guitarist from a local latino band leads a conga-style line of couples during the First Fridays street festival in Goshen, Ind., on June 1, 2018. Participants in the monthly gathering represent the diversity of the county. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. companies seeking to be exempted from President Donald Trump's tariff on imported steel are accusing American steel manufacturers of spreading inaccurate and misleading information, and they fear it may torpedo their requests. Robert Miller, president and CEO of NLMK USA, said objections raised by U.S. Steel and Nucor to his bid for a waiver are "literal untruths." He said his company, which imports huge slabs of steel from Russia, has already paid $80 million in duties and will be forced out of business if it isn't excused from the 25 percent tariff. U.S. Steel and Nucor are two of the country's largest steel producers. "They ought to be ashamed of themselves," said Miller, who employs more than 1,100 people at mills in Pennsylvania and Indiana. FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2016 file photo, a truck carries a load at the Nucor Steel plant in Seattle. U.S. companies pursuing exemptions from President Donald Trump's tariff on imported steel are accusing American steel manufacturers of spreading inaccurate and misleading information, and they fear it may torpedo their requests. The president of one company calls objections raised by U.S. Steel and Nucor to his waiver request "literal untruths."(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) Miller's resentment, echoed by several other executives, is evidence of the backlash over how the Commerce Department is evaluating their requests to avoid the duty on steel imports. They fear the agency will be swayed by opposition from U.S. Steel, Nucor and other domestic steel suppliers that say they've been unfairly hurt by a glut of imports and back Trump's tariff. U.S. Steel said its objections are based on detailed information about the dimensions and chemistry of the steel included in the requests. "We read what is publicly posted and respond," said spokeswoman Meghan Cox. Nucor did not reply to requests for comment. The 20,000-plus waiver applications that the Commerce Department has received illustrate the chaos and uncertainty ignited by Trump's trade war against America's allies and adversaries. It's a battle that critics of his trade policy, including a number of Republican lawmakers, have warned is misguided and will end up harming U.S. businesses. Trump and European leaders agreed this past Wednesday not to escalate their dispute over trade, but the tariff on steel and a separate duty on aluminum imports remains in place as the U.S. and Europe aim for a broader trade agreement. The metal taxes would continue to hit U.S. trading partners such as Canada, Mexico and Japan even if the U.S. and the EU forge a deal. Miller bristled over insistence by Nucor and U.S. Steel that steel slab is readily available in the United States. "That's just not true," he said. His company isn't the only one looking overseas for a product described as being consistently in short supply. California Steel Industries, a mill east of Los Angeles in Fontana, described the slab shortage as "acute" on the West Coast and declared that its waiver request is critical to its survival. Aiming to rebuild the U.S. steel industry, Trump relied on a rarely used 1962 law that empowers him to impose tariffs on particular imports if the Commerce Department determines those goods threaten national security. He added a twist: Companies could be excused from the tariff if they could show, for example, that U.S. manufacturers don't make the metal they need in sufficient quantities. But there are hurdles to clear on the path to securing an exemption. A single company may have to file dozens of separate requests to account for even slight variations in the metal it's buying. That means a mountain of paperwork to be filled out precisely. If not, the request is at risk of being rejected as incomplete. All this can be time-consuming and expensive, especially for smaller businesses. The requests are open to objections. The Commerce Department posts the exemption requests online to allow third parties to offer comments - even from competitors who have an interest in seeing a rival's request denied. But objections are frequently being submitted just as the comment period closes, undercutting the requester's ability to fire back. Willie Chiang, executive vice president of Plains All American Pipeline, told the House Ways and Means subcommittee on trade last week that his company had no opportunity to respond to objections that contained "incorrect information" before the Commerce Department denied its exclusion request. Chiang didn't say who submitted the inaccurate information. "The intent here is to restrict imports on a broad scale," said Richard Chriss, executive director of the American Institute for International Steel, a free trade group opposed to tariffs. "It wouldn't make sense from the administration's perspective to design a process that readily granted exclusions." The Commerce Department declined to comment for this story. Department officials have so far made public only a small number of their rulings. An analysis of the numbers by the office of Rep. Jackie Walorski, an Indiana Republican and one of the most vocal opponents of the steel tariff on Capitol Hill, shows that 760 requests have been approved while 552 have been denied. The department hasn't yet approved a waiver request that triggered objections, according to Walorski's review. The congresswoman's office also examined the more than 5,600 publicly available comments and found they were submitted on average about four days before the end of the 30-day comment period. More than 50 percent of the comments weren't delivered until 48 hours or less before the comment window closed. It took department an average of nine days to post comments online after receiving them, according to the analysis. The most prolific commenters were Nucor and U.S. Steel with 1,064 and 1,009, respectively. A waiver request Seneca Foods Corporation submitted for tinplated steel it had already agreed to purchase from China was among the denials. U.S. Steel had objected, calling the tinplate a "standard product" that's readily available in the United States. In fact, U.S. Steel said it currently supplies the material to Seneca Foods, the nation's largest vegetable canner. The New York-based Seneca Foods declined to comment. But in its waiver application, the company said domestically made tinplate "is of inferior quality to imported material." Seneca Foods also said it's unclear, at best, if U.S. suppliers have the ability or willingness to expand their production in the long term to meet the company's annual demand for the material. Philadelphia-based Crown Cork & Seal, a manufacturer of metal packaging for food and beverages, submitted a sharply worded attachment to its waiver application that anticipated pushback from domestic manufacturers. American steel mills, the document said, cannot meet aggregate demand for tinplate and have no plans to increase their capacity. "We anticipate the U.S. mills will attempt to rebut this statement when they object to this exclusion request, but we encourage the Department of Commerce to see through their manipulative attempt to exploit the rules of the exclusion request process," the application said. Daniel Shackell, Crown Cork & Seal's vice president for steel sourcing, said he's not optimistic about the company's chances of getting all 70 of its waiver requests approved. Eight have been granted so far primarily because the metal specified in those requests is not made in the United States. Twelve others have been denied, leaving 50 still to be decided. "It's hard not to interpret that the Commerce Department wants domestic suppliers to have an edge," Shackell said. Jay Zidell, president of Tube Forgings of America, a small company in Portland, Oregon, said he's filed 54 exclusion requests and U.S. Steel has objected to 38 of them. U.S. Steel declared it is "willing and ready to satisfy" Tube Forgings' demands for carbon steel tubing. But Zidell said the comments ignored past problems with metal quality and workmanship that led his company to sever a prior relationship with U.S. Steel. Still, he's worried the Commerce Department won't approve all of the requests. Tube Forgings already has spent $600,000 on tariffs, he said, and may be on the hook for much more than that. "The entire system is just screwed up," Zidell said. SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) - Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh says he recognizes that gun, drug and gang violence "has plagued all of us." Still, he believes the Constitution limits how far government can go to restrict gun use to prevent crime. As a federal appeals court judge, Kavanaugh made it clear in a 2011 dissent that he thinks Americans can keep most guns, even the AR-15 rifles used in some of the deadliest mass shootings. Kavanaugh's nomination by President Donald Trump has delighted Second Amendment advocates. Gun law supporters worry that his ascendancy to America's highest court would make it harder to curb the proliferation of guns. Kavanaugh has the support of the National Rifle Association, which posted a photograph of Kavanaugh and Trump across the top of its website. FILE - In this July 18, 2018, file photo, Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh smiles during a meeting with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Kavanaugh says he recognizes that gun, drug and gang violence "has plagued all of us." Still, he believes the Constitution limits how far government can go to restrict gun use to prevent violent crime (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) The Supreme Court has basically stayed away from major guns cases since its rulings in 2008 and 2010 declared a right to have a gun, at least in the home for the purpose of self-defense. Gun rights advocates believe Kavanaugh interprets the Second Amendment right to bear arms more broadly than does Anthony Kennedy, the justice he would replace. As a first step, some legal experts expect Kavanaugh would be more likely to vote for the court to hear a case that could expand the right to gun ownership or curtail a gun control law. Kavanaugh would be a "big improvement" over Kennedy, said Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. Kennedy sided with the majority in rulings in 2008 and 2010 overturning bans on handgun possession in the District of Columbia and Chicago, respectively, but some gun rights proponents believe he was a moderating influence. "Kennedy tended to be all over the map" on the Second Amendment, Pratt said. Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, the Arizona Democrat who was gravely wounded in a 2011 shooting at a constituent gathering, said in a written statement that Kavanaugh's "dangerous views on the Second Amendment are far outside the mainstream of even conservative thought." She predicted that Kavanaugh would back the gun lobby's agenda, "putting corporate interests before public safety." In his 2011 dissent in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Kavanaugh argued that the district's ban on semi-automatic rifles and its gun registration requirement were unconstitutional. That case is known as "Heller II" because it followed the Supreme Court's 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller striking down the city's ban on handguns in the home. Kavanaugh said the Supreme Court held that handguns are constitutionally protected "because they have not traditionally been banned and are in common use by law-abiding citizens." "Gun bans and gun regulations that are not longstanding or sufficiently rooted in text, history, and tradition are not consistent with the Second Amendment individual right," he wrote in a point rejected by the majority. Critics contend Kavanaugh's analysis is flawed because AR-15s were not around during the early days of the republic. In his dissent, Kavanaugh wrote that he had lived and worked in Washington for most of his life and was "acutely aware of the gun, drug, and gang violence that has plagued all of us." He said few government responsibilities are more significant than fighting violent crime. "That said, the Supreme Court has long made clear that the Constitution disables the government from employing certain means to prevent, deter, or detect violent crime," he wrote. He said it was unconstitutional to ban the most popular semi-automatic rifle, the AR-15, since it accounted for 5.5 percent of firearms by 2007 and over 14 percent of rifles produced in the U.S. for the domestic market. He said semi-automatic rifles had been commercially available since at least 1903, "are quite common in the United States" and the Supreme Court said in a 1994 ruling that they "traditionally have been widely accepted as lawful possessions." Semi-automatic rifles were used in several mass shootings in recent years, including the February killing of 17 people at a Florida high school. Kavanaugh rejected the majority's reasoning that semi-automatic handguns were sufficient for self-defense, saying: "That's a bit like saying books can be banned because people can always read newspapers." He belittled the description of the guns as "assault weapons," saying that handguns could be called the "quintessential 'assault weapons' because they are used much more than other guns in violent crimes. He was equally dismissive of Washington's gun registration protocol, saying it had not been traditionally required in the nation and "remains highly unusual today." Still, Kavanaugh supported the ban on full automatics or machine guns, reasoning that they "were developed for the battlefield and were never in widespread civilian use." In 2016, Kavanaugh dissented when two of his colleagues lifted an order blocking the city from enforcing a limit on issuing licenses to carry concealed firearms. The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence said the dissent shows Kavanaugh believes the district's "good reason" requirement for concealed-carry permit applicants is unconstitutional. His views on that subject drew more scrutiny after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 days ago in a Hawaii case that people have the right to openly carry guns in public for self-defense. Phil Mendelson, a Democrat and chairman of the D.C. Council, said Kavanaugh's dissent made clear that "his views on gun control are on the extreme side." Councilmember Mary M. Cheh, a Democrat and professor of constitutional law at George Washington University, said she's "worried about the shift to the right, for sure." Some legal experts believe Kavanaugh's confirmation would make it more likely the court would hear another potentially groundbreaking Second Amendment case. Only four of nine justices need to vote in favor of reviewing a case. UCLA law school professor Adam Winkler, author of "Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America," said Kavanaugh could become that crucial fourth vote because three justices - Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito Jr. - all have voiced support for the court to take on Second Amendment cases. Still, it takes five justices to win a case and Chief Justice John Roberts may turn out to be as reluctant as Kennedy to further define the law. Georgia State University law professor Eric Segall said the court's recent silence on gun laws has fueled speculation that neither the conservative justices nor their liberal colleagues knew how Kennedy would vote. Segall suspects the Supreme Court would be more likely to review a Second Amendment case if Kavanaugh is confirmed because there is less uncertainty about where he stands compared to Kennedy. "The lower courts are just all over the place, reaching different results on different gun laws. The court has to provide guidance at some point, and it will," Segall said. ___ Neumeister reported from New York. ___ More reporting on the Supreme Court and Kavanaugh can be found at: http://apne.ws/IHcZXad WASHINGTON (AP) - The publisher of The New York Times says he took President Donald Trump to task for "deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric" that is "not just divisive but increasingly dangerous" when the two met privately at the White House this month. Trump disclosed the meeting on Twitter on Sunday, saying he and A.G. Sulzberger "Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, 'Enemy of the People.' Sad!" "Enemy of the People" is the phrase Trump uses to broadly describe most journalists. He said the July 20 meeting was "very good and interesting." FILE - In this Dec. 13, 2017, file photo, A.G. Sulzberger poses for a photo on the 16th floor of the New York Times building in New York. Trump met with the publisher of The New York Times to discuss media coverage of his administration, including the president's oft-repeated accusation that the media is the "enemy of the people," Trump and the newspaper said Sunday, July 29, 2018. The meeting with A.G. Sulzberger occurred July 20, the White House and Times said. (Damon Winter/The New York Times via AP, File) Sulzberger, who succeeded his father in the role on Jan. 1, said his main purpose for accepting the meeting was to "raise concerns about the president's deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric." "I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous," he said. Sulzberger said he told Trump that while the phrase "fake news" is untrue and harmful, "I am far more concerned about his labeling journalists 'the enemy of the people.' I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence." Sulzberger said he stressed to Trump that leaders of other countries have adopted his rhetoric to justify cracking down on journalists. He was accompanied to the meeting by James Bennet, the Times' editorial page editor. "I warned that it was putting lives at risk, that it was undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our country's greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press," the publisher said. Sulzberger added that he made clear to Trump that he was not asking him to soften his attacks on the Times if he thinks the newspaper is being unfair. "Instead, I implored him to reconsider his broader attacks on journalism, which I believe are dangerous and harmful to our country," he said. Trump reads the Times and gives interviews to its reporters, but regularly derides the newspaper as the "failing New York Times." The Times ownership company in May reported a 3.8 percent increase in first-quarter revenue compared to the same period in 2017. The president, who lashes out over media coverage he thinks is unfair, has broadly labeled the news media the "enemy of the people" and regularly accuses reporters of spreading "fake news" - his term for stories he dislikes. Hours after the tweet about the Sulzberger meeting, Trump lobbed fresh attacks against the media in a series of posts that included a pledge not to let the country "be sold out by anti-Trump haters in the ... dying newspaper industry." Trump also accused reporters of disclosing "internal deliberations of government" that can endanger "the lives of many." He cited no examples but wrote "Very unpatriotic!" and said freedom of the press "comes with a responsibility to report the news ... accurately," a sentiment journalists share. Trump also claimed that 90 percent of the coverage of his administration is negative, leading to an "all time low" in public confidence in the media. He cited the Times and The Washington Post, two repeat targets, and claimed, "They will never change!" Last week, Trump told hundreds of people attending the annual Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Kansas City, Missouri: "Don't believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news," as he gestured toward journalists at the back of the room. He also told them to remember "what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening." Sulzberger said he accepted the invitation to meet Trump because Times publishers have a history of meeting with presidential administrations and other public figures who have concerns with the publication's coverage of them. He said he decided to comment after Trump revealed that they had met. The White House had asked for the meeting to be kept off the record. ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap Advertisement The last thing Ed Bledsoe heard from his family trapped in their home by Californias deadly Carr Fire last week was his five-year-old great-grandson begging him to come get them and saying that he loved him. Bledsoe, who left the house to go to the doctor last Thursday, was standing just down the road from his home in Redding as a wall of flames closed in on it, but he said police stopped him from going inside. All he could do was stay on the phone with his wife, 70-year-old Melody Bledsoe, and their two great-grandkids, four-year-old Emily and five-year-old James, until their lives were snuffed out by the raging inferno. He just kept saying, Grandpa, come and get me," Bledsoe said, referring to his great-grandson. 'The fire's coming in the back door. C'mon Grandpa.' Little Emily told her great-grandfather that she loved him, as did his wife and James, who kept begging his grandpa to rescue them. Scroll down for video Nothing left: Ed Bledsoe (left and right) sobs while talking about his wife and two great-grandchildren, who were killed by the Carr fire in Northern California on Thursday Melody Bledsoe, 70, and her great-grandchildren James Roberts, 5, and Emily Roberts, 4, were killed in the California wildfire Police tape blocks the Bledsoe home in Redding, California, where firefighters found the woman and her great-grandkids I said, I'm on my way He talked until he died, Bledsoe said of the boy, whom he and wife Melody had been raising since birth and who looked up to him. Then, the line went dead. Bledsoe said he tried to dial the number again, but there was no response. Initially, Bledsoe told CNN he was led to believe that the sheriffs deputies rescued him family and brought them to safety. A fire crew was sent in to look through what was left of the family's home and reported back that no bodies were recovered. The next day, a second search was conducted, and this time firefighters discovered the bodies of Melody Bledsoe and her two great-grandkids. The woman and children had wrapped themselves in wet blankets in a desperate, and ultimately futile, attempt to protect themselves from the searing heat. 'She wet a bunch of blankets and put them down at the side of the bed,' Bledsoe told CBS Sacramento. 'She got a wet blanket and put one on her. Got over the top of them, and they lay there until the fire took them.' The grieving man said his family were never told to evacuate by the local authorities, but he does not blame anyone but himself for what happened. I shouldn't have left my family in harm's way, Bledsoe said. Don Kewley, whose girlfriend is one of the Bledsoes granddaughters, said Ed lost everything in the fire, leaving him with little more than clothes on his back. Kewley said the family believed the area was not in imminent danger and Melody Bledsoe had no car. Jason Decker, who is the boyfriend of another Bledsoe granddaughter, took the day off work Friday and drove his motorcycle to the home to look for members of the family but only found the smoldering remains of the house. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE CREATES ITS OWN WEATHER SYSTEM The wildfire tearing through northern California is so hot it's formed its own weather system, with strong winds creating 'firenados'. The phenomenon occurs when high temperatures drive the air upward, creating gusts of wind in three directions and pushing the smoke vertically. The winds within the firenados are so strong they can flip cars like toys, according to fire service spokesman Scott McLean. At the height of the blaze on Thursday a firenado sent large, fiery chunks of debris into the air, landing on buildings, homes and trees, advancing the spread of the flames. 'The fire created its own wind. It looks an awful lot like a tornado,' UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain told the Sacremento Bee. 'These fire-induced winds were very strong and unpredictable and drove this fire from dry brush and trees into urban areas.' Advertisement A day later, what remained of the Bledsoe property was surrounded with crime scene tape. Decker said his own children played with James and Emily and they had trick-or-treated together. I dont even have any more tears to cry, Decker said. But I keep finding them. As of Monday morning, wildfires in Shasta County and near Yosemite National Park have claimed eight lives, among them two firefighters and six civilians, including the Bledsoe family. Residents of the waterfront town Lakeport fled Sunday after a major flare-up of two fires that combined across Mendocino and Lake counties destroyed at least four homes. Lakeport, home to about 5,000, is around 120 miles north of San Francisco. More than 4,500 buildings were under threat, officials said. The two fires had blackened 47 square miles, with minimal containment. About 100 miles northeast, officials near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as a massive fire slowed following days of explosive growth. 'We're feeling a lot more optimistic today as we're starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time,' said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident commander on the blaze around Redding, a city about 230 miles north of San Francisco. The sheriff's department is investigating seven missing persons reports, County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said. Redding police have an additional 11 reports of missing people, though many of them may simply not have checked in with friends or family, said Redding police Sgt. Todd Cogle. Carla Bledsoe, facing camera, hugs her sister Sherry outside of the sheriff's office after hearing news that Sherry's children died in the fire Sherry Bledsoe (left) confirmed Saturday that her grandmother and two children died in the blaze Family members said James called 911 begging for help but was told that rescue workers could not get to them The so-called Carr Fire that affected Redding - a city of about 92,000 people - was ignited by a vehicle problem on Monday about 10 miles west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. Redding Police Chief Roger Moore kept up an around-the-clock work schedule despite learning that his home was one of those destroyed. He was finally able to shave on Saturday when his wife brought him a razor, he said. Moore was helping evacuate people from his River Ridge neighborhood in western Redding when the flames became unbearable. 'I saw everything around it ignite, and I go, "It's gone,"' Moore said. At least one person was arrested on suspicion of stealing from evacuated homes and authorities were keeping watch for other potential looters, said Deputy Travis Ridenour, whose home also burned. 'Lost our house like so many others,' Ridenour wrote on Facebook. 'Still out watching over the ones still standing. No looting on my watch.' Underbrush burns on the south edge of the Carr Fire near Igo, California, on Sunday Boats sit at the Whiskeytown Lake, Sunday, July 29, 2018, near where the Carr Fire originated a week ago Hellscape: Hills are bare after being burned in the Carr Fire near Igo, California, on Sunday A California scrub jay perches on a burnt branch at California's Whiskeytown Lake, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in an area devastated by the Carr Fire Family members said Melody and the two kids were at the home alone without any transportation when the fire engulfed their home. Pictured is where the home once stood. Police have the area blocked with red tape San Bernardino County Fire department firefighters assess the damage to a neighborhood in the aftermath of a wildfire, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Keswick Burned vehicles sit in front of a wildfire-ravaged home, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Redding, California Capt. Scott Fisher, with the San Bernardino County Fire Department, surveys a wildfire-damaged neighborhood in Keswick The latest tally showed at least 657 homes destroyed and another 145 damaged, with the fire having consumed 149 square miles. After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they didn't know whether their homes were standing or were destroyed. Authorities had not reopened any evacuated neighborhoods where fires raged due to safety and ongoing investigations and urged people to be patient, saying they would soon let residents back. Fed up, on Sunday morning Tim Bollman hiked 4 miles on trails up steep terrain to check on the Redding home he built for his wife and two sons 13 years ago. He found rubble. 'There's not even anything to pick up,' he said. 'It's completely gone.' Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, was reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smoldering rubble. The terrain surrounding nearby Whiskeytown Lake - usually filled in July with vacationers swimming in the clear water - was burned, burning or seemingly about to burn Sunday. A heavy haze hung low over the water, where some of the docked boats had melted. Firefighters and utility repair crews drove up and down the once-scenic highway, while California Department of Transportation water trucks sprayed roadsides in hopes of preventing potential wildfires from burning across the road, which can cost several million dollars to repair. It is the largest fire burning in California, threatening more than 5,000 structures. The flames were 17 per cent contained as of Sunday night. The firefighters killed in the blaze included Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire. Redding Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, but details of his death were not released. The fire around Redding was among 17 significant blazes in the state on Sunday that had forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a Cal Fire spokeswoman. Otis Bershers, 75, of the city of Shasta Lake, sits in a chair at the Shasta College evacuation center, on Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Redding, Calif., were he has slept outside with his wife, Carol, and cat Smokey since Thursday Carol Bershers, 75, of the city of Shasta Lake, sorts her clothes at the Shasta College evacuation center, in Redding, Calif., Sunday, July 29, 2018, where she and her husband, Otis, and cat Smokey have been sleeping since Thursday after they were evacuated because of wildfires San Bernardino County Fire Department firefighter James Lippen hoses down hot spots left behind by a wildfire, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Keswick A burned bowling ball lies in the mountain community of Keswick, Calif., Sunday, July 29, 2018. On Sunday, the San Bernardino County Fire department pulled in to tamp down smoking rubble. Piles of wreckage were still smoking amid downed electricity lines A California FIRESCOPE card is seen burned in the mountain community of Keswick, Calif., Sunday, July 29, 2018. On Sunday, the San Bernardino County Fire department pulled in to tamp down smoking rubble. Piles of wreckage were still smoking amid downed electricity lines About 12,000 firefighters were battling the fires, she said. Meanwhile officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree and killed while working as part of a crew removing brush and other fuel near the so-called Ferguson Fire's front lines, national parks officials said. Originally from Hawaii, Hughes had been with California's Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots for four years and reached the rank of captain. Earlier this month, firefighter Braden Varney was killed when the bulldozer he was operating overturned while he was fighting the flames near the national park. At least seven other firefighters have been injured since that blaze broke out July 13. Some evacuations were lifted but officials said Yosemite Valley, the heart of tourism in the park, will remain closed until August 3. A big fire continued to burn in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs, but officials lifted evacuation orders for several communities after reporting significant progress by firefighters. LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on fires in California (all times local): 8 p.m. A fire official says a Northern California wildfire is now the ninth most destructive in the state's history. A structure is destroyed by an advancing wildfire, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Finley, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) State fire spokesman Scott McLean says the blaze rampaging in the area of Redding has destroyed 818 homes and 311 outbuildings. Another 165 homes have been damaged by the fire, which also killed two firefighters and four civilians. More than 27,000 people remain evacuated because of the blaze, which has burned for more than a week. However, another 10,000 were allowed to return home today as fire crews managed to reinforce some containment lines. The huge blaze is now 23 percent surrounded. It's one of three that have burned homes in the north. Seven homes have been torched and more than 10,000 are threatened by a pair of fires in Mendocino and Lake counties. ___ 4:35 p.m. Hundreds of people have been forced from their homes as a fire caused by a lightning storm burns near Grants Pass, Oregon. The 39-square mile (101-square kilometer) blaze is moving toward the Rogue River. The fire in southwest Oregon has caused people to evacuate in the Merlin and Grants Pass areas, but no structures or homes have been lost. 4 p.m. Northern California fire officials have added residents of two towns near Clear Lake to the list of those ordered to evacuate. The notice was issued Monday for the towns of Kelseyville and Finley and brought the number of people affected by the Mendocino fires to about 18,000. The fire's push to the east and north forced evacuees from a shelter that had been set up at Kelseyville High School. Sixty-three-year-old Michelle Mata says she is already tired and drained and now has to evacuate a second time. Cal Fire Division Chief Charlie Blankenheim said he expected significant growth as the fire pushed into the Mendocino National Forest. ___ 12:10 p.m. Derick Hughes II remained at his property in Nice (nees), California, despite mandatory evacuation orders prompted by a wildfire threatening the area. Hughes said Monday that he is using sprinklers to wet his roof and removing yard plants that could catch fire. The 32-year-old Marine Corps veteran says he sent his wife and two daughters to safety Sunday along with three carloads of belongings. Hughes says he and about five of his neighbors chose to protect their homes against fire and looters, despite an evacuation text alert they got Sunday evening. Lake County officials said Monday about 14,000 people are under evacuation orders. Another 1,000 have been displaced in neighboring Mendocino County. Two blazes are encroaching on several towns that surround Clear Lake. __ 11:15 a.m. An official says at least 14,000 people are under evacuation orders in an area of Northern California that has been hit by deadly wildfires in the past four years. Another 1,000 people have been displaced in neighboring Mendocino County. Lake County sheriff's Lt. Corey Paulich said Monday that two blazes are encroaching on Lakeport, Upper Lake and Nice but have not yet reached heavily populated areas. Paulich says residents have been heeding evacuation orders because they have seen the destruction caused by past fires. The impoverished county about 110 miles (180 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento has been hit by several wildfires since 2015 that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least four people. ___ 9:20 a.m. Some evacuations orders have been lifted around a Northern California wildfire area near the city of Redding. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said people can return to several neighborhoods in western Redding as of Monday morning. The huge blaze near Redding has displaced 38,000 from their homes and killed six people. Fire officials say the deadly blaze has slowed its growth after days of rapid expansion. The blaze burning for more than a week has scorched 155 square miles (400 square kilometers) and destroyed 723 homes. It has killed two firefighters and four civilians. ___ 8:30 a.m. Police say five people have been arrested on suspicion of entering areas of Northern California evacuated due to an explosive wildfire, including a man dressed in camouflage and carrying a loaded handgun. The Record Searchlight reports Monday that police arrested Mitchell Stuebgen late Saturday in an evacuated zone of Redding, California, where a massive wildfire has displaced 38,000 from their homes and killed six people. Police say Stuebgen was dressed in camouflage and was carrying a loaded handgun, a billy club, nunchucks and a concealed dagger. Authorities on Sunday arrested 44-year-old Brian Cordoza and 37-year-old Frank Webber, both of Redding for being in an evacuated zone. The Sacramento Bee reports that 25-year-old Jade Ball and 19-year-old Jack Fannin, of Redding, were also arrested Sunday after police found what they said was evidence tying them to several burglaries. ___ 8 a.m. A man whose wife and two great-grandchildren were killed by the huge wildfire in Redding, California, says he did not receive any type of warning to evacuate. Ed Bledsoe tells CBS News he did not know his home was in danger when he left his wife, Melody, and the 4- and 5-year-old children to run an errand on Thursday. Bledsoe says he received a phone call from his wife 15 minutes later saying he needed to get home because the fire was approaching. He says one of the children told him the fire was at the back door. Bledsoe says he tried to return but the road was blocked with cars and flames prevented him from returning on foot. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko tells the network there's an investigation into whether the Bledsoe home received a warning call or a knock on the home's door. The sheriff says there is evidence that door-to-door notifications were made in the area. ___ 7:15 a.m. More than 10,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders as two blazes rage 30 miles (50 kilometers) apart in Northern California. Mendocino County Undersheriff Matthew Kendall says 1,000 people were order to evacuate in his county. The rest are in Lake County, where residents of the town of Lakeport with a population of 5,000 were ordered to leave Sunday night. The blazes that started Friday are about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Redding, where California's largest wildfire is burning and has killed six people. Officials said Monday that 723 homes have been destroyed by that fire, up from a previous count of 657 homes lost. California fire officials say that blaze grew overnight to 153 square miles (395 square kilometers). ___ 11 p.m. Authorities have arrested two people on suspicion of looting homes that had been evacuated due to an explosive wildfire. The Sacramento Bee reports that 25-year-old Jade Ball and 19-year-old Jack Fannin, of Redding, were found with what police said was evidence tying them to several burglaries. The Carr Fire prompted mandatory evacuations for tens of thousands of people in Redding, a city hundreds of miles north of San Francisco. It has destroyed over 650 houses. Authorities say a homeowner who stayed behind flagged down an officer after he noticed evidence that people had been in his house. Officers found a nearby home with evidence of a broken-in door and discovered electronic items stacked by the front door. Police say they do not believe the homeowners placed the items like that before evacuating. ___ 10:45 p.m. Thousands more are fleeing their homes after wildfires surged near a small lake town in Northern California while farther north firefighters made progress in a battle against a deadly blaze. Crews stretched to their limits across the state are fighting flames that have claimed the lives of two firefighters and six civilians. Residents of the waterfront town Lakeport fled Sunday after a major flare-up of two fires that combined across Mendocino and Lake counties destroyed at least four homes. Lakeport, home to about 5,000, is around 120 miles north of San Francisco. To the northeast, a massive fire near Redding slowed for the first time since days of explosive growth. Meanwhile officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. A firefighter with Pacifica Fire Department stands in front of a burning barn to prevent it from reaching a residence, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Finley, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A pick-up truck burns as the River Fire tears through Lakeport, Calif., on Monday, July 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) The setting sun is reddened by smoke from a wildfire over a vineyard Monday, July 30, 2018, in Finley, Calif. Northern California fire officials have added residents of two towns near Clear Lake to the list of those ordered to evacuate. The notice was issued Monday for the towns of Kelseyville and Finley. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A helicopter carries water to drop on an advancing wildfire Monday, July 30, 2018, in Finley, Calif. Northern California fire officials have added residents of two towns near Clear Lake to the list of those ordered to evacuate. The notice was issued Monday for the towns of Kelseyville and Finley. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A firefighter monitors hot spots while battling a wildfire as it approaches a residence, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Finley, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A wildfire crests over a ridge, threatening a home, bottom right, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A plane drops retardant over a property threatened by a wildfire, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) GAUHATI, India (AP) - India on Monday released a final draft of a list of its citizens in the northeastern state of Assam, leaving some 4 million people on edge to prove their Indian nationality. India says hundreds of thousands of people have illegally entered the country from neighboring Bangladesh over decades and settled down in the northeast. Bangladesh rejects the claim. The application process for inclusion in India's national register started in 2015. Of 32.9 million applicants, the names of 28.9 million have been approved and included in the draft, Sailesh, India's registrar general, told reporters in Gauhati, the capital of Assam state. Sailesh, who uses one name, said more than 4 million left out can file appeals by Sept. 30 and prove their Indian nationality by providing documents. Until then, no one will be declared an illegal migrant. "Adequate and ample scope will be given to people for making objections. No genuine Indian citizen should have any fear," said Sailesh. Allegations of illegal movement of people from India's porous border with Bangladesh have triggered sectarian tensions between the state's indigenous population and Bengali-speaking Muslims. Hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims whose nationality is suspect are living in half a dozen detention camps in Assam state. People were asked to provide documents proving that they or their family members lived in India before March 24, 1971, but excluded those who arrived during and after the 1971 war leading to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan. The final national register containing the names of only Indian nationals after weeding out illegal migrants will be published after the disputed claims are settled. "Nowhere else in India have we carried out such an exercise to have a list of (Indian) nationals," said National Register of Citizens Coordinator Prateek Hajela. YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - One of two Reuters journalists charged with possessing official information testified Monday that he knew nothing about documents that police allegedly found on his phone and had no idea where they came from. Kyaw Soe Oo and colleague Wa Lone have pleaded innocent to violating Myanmar's Official Secrets Act, under which they could get up to 14 years in prison if convicted. They were arrested in December and have been detained since then after being denied bail. The two and their supporters say they were framed by police, apparently because of their reporting on the brutal crackdown by security forces on minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state. About 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh after the crackdown began last August. Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo, center, talks to journalists as he leaves the court after their trial Monday, July. 30, 2018, Yangon, Myanmar. The two reporters, Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone, are accused of illegally possessing official information. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw) Their lawyer, Than Zaw Aung, told reporters after Monday's court session that documents presented as prosecution evidence were neither secret nor sensitive - one was the agenda of a trip by the vice president which had already been publicized and the other was about a development project. He said Kyaw Soe Oo's phone was not in his possession during two weeks of interrogation. Several additional witnesses are to testify in August, after which the lawyers will deliver their closing arguments and the judge is to give his verdict. The court so far has held about 30 sessions over seven months. Kyaw Soe Oo said Monday that under cross-examination by the prosecutor he testified that he did not know where the documents on his phone came from, and he had conducted his work according to ethical standards for journalists. He said he was not allowed to meet lawyers or family members during his two weeks of interrogation and was made to kneel for about four hours while being interrogated. Wa Lone, who was cross-examined last week, said the interrogation process was abusive. "We were not allowed to sleep. The weather was too cold at that time. We were handcuffed. There was no blanket or pillow or mosquito net. We were not allowed to sleep for three or four nights. I think we were not beaten up physically but our minds were being tortured," he said. Reuters journalist Wa Lone, center, talks to journalists during a lunch break of their trial Monday, July. 30, 2018, Yangon, Myanmar. The two reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, are accused of illegally possessing official information. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw) Reuters journalist Wa Lone, center, thumbs up as he walks along with his pregnant wife Pan Ei Mon upon arrival for his trial in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, July 30, 2018. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are accused of illegally possessing official information. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw) SOUTHPORT, N.C. (AP) - All police operations have been suspended in a North Carolina town in the aftermath of public corruption charges levied against its chief and an officer. Southport Mayor Jerry Dove tells WECT-TV that he and the city board last week asked the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office to assume all law enforcement functions until further notice. Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David said Thursday that Police Chief Gary Smith and Lt. Mike Simmons had a "habitual and repeated pattern" of leaving their police posts for work at a trucking company. They were arrested Thursday, the same day multiple search warrants were executed at the police department, town hall and trucking company. This undated photo provided by Brunswick County Sheriff's Office shows Southport Police Chief Gary Smith. Smith was arrested following what authorities say was a "long-term investigation" by the FBI and State Bureau of Investigation. (Brunswick County Sheriff's Office via AP) The department's website says six others make up the force. David says some officers were whistleblowers. All officers are on paid administrative leave. LEWISBUG, Pa. (AP) - Bucknell University has removed some references on its website to alumnus and CBS chief executive Les Moonves amid sexual harassment allegations against him. The New Yorker magazine published the allegations from several women Friday. PennLive.com reports Bucknell President John Bravman said in a letter to the university community that the school "will not stand for sexual misconduct - on campus or beyond." FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2017 file photo, Les Moonves, chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation, poses at the premiere of the new television series "Star Trek: Discovery" in Los Angeles. Bucknell University has removed references on its website to alumnus and CBS chief executive Moonves amid sexual harassment allegations against him. The New Yorker magazine published the allegations from several women Friday, July 27, 2018. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) According to the school's website, Moonves, a 1971 graduate, gave the school's commencement address in 2016. Bravman says web pages that celebrate Moonves' relationship with the university have been removed. Moonves has acknowledged he may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances years ago, but that he never misused his position to hinder anyone's career. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the university has removed some, not all references to Moonves from its website. ___ Information from: Pennlive.com, http://www.pennlive.com CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - A former Virginia governor's grandson accused of raping a fellow University of Virginia student has avoided prison time. The Daily Progress reports Stephen Dalton Baril's charges were reduced from felony rape and felony sodomy to misdemeanor sexual battery and felony unlawful wounding Friday as part of his Alford plea, which acknowledges sufficient evidence for conviction without admitting guilt. The student told police Baril took her to his apartment and raped her instead of walking her home from a bar in January 2017. Judge Humes J. Franklin sentenced the 21-year-old former UVa student to five years' supervised probation. Baril is the grandson of John Dalton, a Republican who served as governor from 1978 to 1982. His father, Steve Baril, is a Republican who ran unsuccessfully in 2005 for attorney general. ___ Information from: The Daily Progress, http://www.dailyprogress.com CAIRO (AP) - A Sudanese official says a woman has been killed in heavy flooding that also damaged or destroyed dozens of homes. Governor Hatem el-Wasila said Sunday that the woman was killed when water flooded her home in the northern state of River Nile. He says heavy rains and floods have damaged many houses and buildings in the state, and that more heavy rainfall is expected. Video footage obtained by The Associated Press shows leveled homes and dead livestock in the states of Kassala and West Kordofan. Monsoon rains in Sudan regularly cause the Nile and its tributaries to overflow. WASHINGTON (AP) - The State Department is announcing $113 million in investment initiatives in Asia focusing on digital economy, energy and infrastructure. In remarks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Forum in Washington Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the investments represent America's engagement in the region and dedication to promoting independence there. The announcement comes as fears are escalating of an all-out trade war between the U.S. and China over import tariffs. A more confrontational approach to China has been central to the Trump administration's policy in Asia. Early in his presidency, Donald Trump pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, a key free trade deal in the region. Pompeo says despite withdrawing from the deal, American companies are continuing to advance U.S. economic interests in the region. RABAT, Morocco (AP) - Moroccan King Mohammed VI has criticized the North African kingdom's social development programs as overlapping, uncoordinated and missing target populations, in a speech from a northern town that has been the epicenter for social unrest. The king's remarks on Sunday during the annual Throne Speech has special significance because he spoke in Al-Hoceima, where the Hirak Rif social movement was born and a month after 53 activists were given tough prison sentences. The monarch said that ministries and public agencies spend time enforcing welfare programs but they "overlap, lack proper coordination and don't target the populations that actually deserve help." In this photo dated Sunday, July 29, 2018, released by the state news agency, Moroccan News Agency (MAP), and provided by the Moroccan Royal Palace, King Mohammed VI, is flanked by his brother Prince Moulay Rachid, right, and Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, during the annual Throne Speech, in Al-Hoceima, Morocco. Mohammed VI has criticized the North African kingdom's social development programs as overlapping, uncoordinated and missing target populations in a speech from the northern town that has been the epicenter for social unrest. (Moroccan Royal Palace via AP) He did not mention Hirak but warned against "nihilists and other merchants of illusion" who use disfunctions "in order to strike at Morocco's security and stability." The speech marked the 19th anniversary of Mohammed's accession to the throne. Al Hoceima is in the neglected northern Rif region, where the current king's father never set foot. In 1959 and 1984, Hassan II crushed uprisings in the Rif. Son Mohammed, 54, has traveled there in the past. But holding his Throne Speech in Al Hoceima was a bold way to dissuade the population against the protest movement while telling public servants to fix the problems. "I call on the government and all stakeholders concerned to undertake an in-depth, thorough restructuring of national social welfare programs and policies," the king said in the nationally televised speech. The Harak Rif movement has demanded that the king fulfill promises he made last year to build a school, a university and a hospital in the region. The seeds of the protest began in October 2016 when an impoverished fish seller in the region was crushed to death while trying to retrieve a valuable swordfish seized by police, who had tossed it into a garbage truck. Hirak Rif leader Nasser Zefzafi, who launched the campaign for development and job creation, was convicted in June of threatening state security and sentenced to 20 years in prison, along with three activists. Fifty other activists received sentences ranging from one to 15 years for lesser charges. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - An Afghan official says a suicide car bomber has killed four people, including a tribal leader, in the eastern Nangarhar province. Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, says Monday's attack targeted Haji Hayat Khan, a tribal leader who also commanded a local militia battling insurgents. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in the province. In a separate development, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack against a midwives training center in Nangarhar. The attack killed three people and wounded seven. MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican police and soldiers have arrested a suspect in the disappearance of three Italian men in the western state of Jalisco. The federal prosecutors' office said Monday the suspect and another man were arrested with marijuana, amphetamines and guns. Jose Guadalupe Rodriguez Castillo allegedly paid municipal police in the Jalisco town of Tecalitlan to turn the Italians over to the Jalisco drug cartel. Some local police have been detained in the case. The victims have been identified as 60-year-old Raffaele Russo, 60, his 25-year-old son Antonio Russo and 29-year-old nephew Vincenzo Cimmino, from the Naples area. They vanished on Jan. 31 and there has been no word on their fate. In early July, the mayor of Tecalitlan was gunned down by assailants. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the case occurred in the state of Jalisco. FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) - Authorities are offering up to $20,000 in reward money for tips that help solve the slaying of woman at a military base in Georgia. Army investigators say 24-year-old Abree Boykin was found dead July 10 at her home on Fort Stewart southwest of Savannah. She was the wife of a soldier who was deployed to Afghanistan at the time of her death. The Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI announced the reward in news release Monday. The cash is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Boykin's death. Authorities are also looking for Boykin's 2018 black Honda Accord that was missing from her home when her body was found. Army CID spokesman Chris Grey said investigators think Boykin may have known her killer. Authorities are accused of not warning thousands of residents fast enough about a massive wildfire barreling towards their homes. Almost 20,000 people were order to evacuate from small lake towns in Northern California, but they came too late for some families. Ed Bledsoe said he received no warning about the fire that destroyed his house in Redding with his family trapped inside. Ed Bledsoe said he received no warning about the fire that destroyed his house in Redding with his family trapped inside Melody Bledsoe, 70, and her great-grandchildren James Roberts, five, and Emily Roberts, four, were killed in the California wildfire His wife Melody and his great-grandchildren, five-year-old James Roberts and four-year-old Emily Roberts, all perished in the blaze last week. 'If I'd have any kind of warning, I'd have never, ever left my family in that house,' he told CBS News. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said there was an ongoing investigation into whether the Bledsoe home received a warning call or a knock on the door. She cited evidence that door-to-door notifications were made in the area. The fire that threatened Redding - a city of about 92,000 - was ignited by a vehicle problem a week ago about 10 miles west of the city. Ed said he got a call for him to hurry and come back because the fire was approaching but he was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. He said he stayed on the phone 'until the fire got them' Sherry Bledsoe (left) confirmed Saturday that her grandmother and two children died in the blaze On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. 'It wasn't expected to travel that far that fast,' California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Scott McLean said said. The fire slowed down as winds subsided, and crews were able to get into neighborhoods to prevent embers from taking out additional homes, he said. Mr Bledsoe said he did not know his home was in danger when he left his wife and great grandchildren to go to the doctor on Thursday. He said he received a phone call from his wife 15 minutes after he left saying he needed to get home because the fire was approaching. Almost 20,000 people were order to evacuate from small lake towns in Northern California, but they came too late for some families A firefighter walks through smoke while fighting to save Olof Cellars winery in Lakeport, California Firefighter Wyatt Belden from Gold Ridge Fire Protection in Sonoma County, monitors a fire burning off Keck Road, just west of Lakeport He said one of the children told him the blaze was at the back door. When he tried to return, the road was blocked and flames prevented him from returning on foot. Mr Bledsoe was standing just down the road from his home as a wall of flames closed in on it, but he said police stopped him from going inside. All he could do was stay on the phone with his wife, and their two great-grandchildren until their lives were snuffed out by the raging inferno. 'He just kept saying, 'Grandpa, come and get me,' he said, referring to his great-grandson. 'The fire's coming in the back door. C'mon Grandpa.' Little Emily told her great-grandfather that she loved him, as did his wife and James, who kept begging his grandpa to rescue them. 'I said, 'I'm on my way' He talked until he died,' Mr Bledsoe said of the boy, whom he and wife Melody raised since birth and who looked up to him. Authorities on Sunday ordered evacuations around twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties about 120 miles north of San Francisco. The El Dorado Hotshots battle wildfire near Buckhorn Summit on Highway 299 in Trinity County, California An air tanker passes behind a smoke plume while battling the River Fire in Lakeport County Heights resident Kenny Campbell returns home after his neighbor was given the clear sign during the Carr Fire on Monday in Redding Fire Marshall Craig Wittner adjusts a plastic fire hat to returning resident Cayden Campbell, six, during the Carr Fire on Monday in Redding The fires have destroyed seven homes and threaten 10,000 others. So far, the flames have blackened more than 68,000 acres - well over 100 square miles - with minimal containment. By early evening, the town of Lakeport seemed to be completely deserted, while a few miles away embers, ash and smoke swirled through vineyards where at least one home had gone up in flames. Firefighters set blazes at the bottom of hills in order to burn up the tinder-dry brush before flames cresting the ridge tops could feed on it and surge downhill. A fleet of aircraft made continuous water and fire retardant drops on the blaze. Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit. 'We have experienced fires the last four years, and so we're very aware of what can happen with fires and the damage they can cause,' Lake County Sheriff Corey Paulich said. A firefighter with Pacifica Fire Department stands in front of a burning barn to prevent it from reaching a residence in Finley, California The fires have destroyed seven homes and threaten 10,000 others. So far, the flames have blackened more than 68,000 acres - well over 100 square miles - with minimal containment A firefighter runs away from a burning building in Finley Fire crews also have battled numerous small brushfires this summer, most charring only a few acres but still threatening homes in built-up areas along parched foothills. A 10-acre fire damaged 11 units of an apartment building Monday in Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles, county fire officials said. Derick Hughes II did not heed the order and remained behind at his property in Nice, California, where he ran sprinklers on his roof and removed yard plants that could catch fire. The 32-year-old Marine Corps veteran sent his wife and two daughters to safety along with three carloads of belongings. But he said he had too much at stake to leave himself. He bought his three-bedroom house last year using a loan from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 'This is everything I bled for, and I've worked really hard to get to where I am, and I'm just not willing to give it up so easily,' he said. 'Some people may think that's selfish of me, and I have insurance. But the way things go, I'd rather not start over.' The setting sun is reddened by smoke from a wildfire over a vineyard in Finley A helicopter carries water to drop on an advancing wildfire in Finley A plane drops retardant over a property threatened by a wildfire in Lakeport Hughes said about five of his neighbors also disobeyed the evacuation text alert they got on Sunday evening to protect their homes and keep looters out. Farther north, police said five people were arrested on suspicion of entering areas evacuated due to the explosive wildfire around Redding. That blaze is now believed to be the ninth most destructive in state history, Mr McLean said. The blaze, which killed two firefighters and four civilians including two children, has destroyed 818 homes and 311 outbuildings and damaged 165 homes, he said. More than 27,000 people remained evacuated from their homes although another 10,000 were allowed to return on Monday as fire crews reinforced lines on the western end of the blaze. Authorities on Sunday ordered evacuations around twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties about 120 miles north of San Francisco Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit The blaze, which killed two firefighters and four civilians including two children, has destroyed 818 homes and 311 outbuildings and damaged 165 homes Fire officials were hopeful that they could make progress containing the blaze, which was 23 percent contained. The fire's northwestern end continued to be active. 'It's still putting up a fight,' McLean said. The sheriff said the Redding fire was moving fast, but authorities still alerted residents in a variety of ways, including going door-to-door and using loudspeakers on emergency vehicles. Authorities also use electronic warning systems, including an emergency alert system that is repeated by local news media and an automated calling system that can be targeted to phones within a geographic area. Another method known as the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System can be directed to any cellphone within reach of a particular transmission tower, said Sherry Bartolo, operations manager for the Shasta County dispatch center. The drawback of the automated calling system is that it is designed to dial landlines, but cellphone users must register their phones if they are to receive alerts, she said. The dispatch center put out more than 18 emergency alerts between Thursday evening and midday Friday, Bartolo said. The center usually has eight dispatchers on duty, but overnight on Thursday had at least 12, along with four supervisors and three managers who worked through the night, she said. MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican federal police have issued a video warning people against dancing alongside their cars, saying federal highway law prohibits exiting a moving vehicle. In the viral "Kiki challenge" based on Drake's latest No. 1, "In My Feelings," people get out of their cars and dance alongside the cars' open doors. In Mexico's version, people dance to the Tucanes de Tijuana's norteno hit, "La Chona." In Mexico, videos have become popular of people falling, failing to get back in their cars, or getting in trouble with authorities. Federal police commissioner Manelich Castilla tweeted over the weekend that "there are challenges that aren't worth accepting. Getting out of a moving car will never be a good idea." In Egypt, authorities have threatened to fine or jail people for the practice. BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - A former Penn State University fraternity brother faces a potential jail term after becoming the first of more than 20 defendants to plead guilty in the death of a pledge who was fatally injured during a night of heavy drinking and hazing. Ryan Burke of Scranton is due in court for sentencing Tuesday. Prosecutors are asking for a jail term of 90 days. Burke pleaded guilty to hazing and other charges. Engineering student Tim Piazza, of Lebanon, New Jersey, drank a dangerous amount of alcohol and suffered fatal head and abdominal injuries in a series of falls during a bid acceptance ceremony and party in February 2017. Burke was accused of giving Piazza a bottle of vodka at the party. More than 20 other members of the now-closed Beta Theta Pi fraternity face trial in February. A former Dover Air Force Base reservist has pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree rape after impregnating a 14-year-old girl. Staff. Sgt. Byron White, 34, entered the plea Thursday, just days before he was scheduled to go to trial. His sentencing is set for September 13. An investigation began in December 2017 after someone complained about White on a Division of Family Services hotline. Staff. Sgt. Byron White (left and right), 34, has pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree rape. He was accused of having sex with and impregnating a young girl White was a reserve loadmaster assigned to an Air Force Reserve Command unit at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware The airman was arrested at the military base in February on nine counts of third-degree rape and continuous sexual abuse of a child. Authorities said White had been in a sexual relationship with his victim since May 2017. Court documents cited by Delaware News Journal show that the teen told police she was 13 years old when the abuse started. In the documents, the teen said she met White on Facebook and the relationship gradually became sexual. White is the fourth airman from the Air Force base to be charged with such a crime. Airman First Class Zepplin Taylor-McGinness, 21, was sentenced in June for having sex with a runaway 14-year-old girl She told police that she would sneak White into her house while her great aunt was asleep, according to the The News Journal. The teen told authorities that she became pregnant last May and White, a reserve loadmaster assigned to an Air Force Reserve Command unit at Dover Air Force Base, knew. Authorities said the teen had initially told them that a man broke into her home and got her pregnant, but the case was closed after a negative pregnancy test. She told investigators she had lied because she did not want White to get in trouble. But later that month, she did end up pregnant. Investigators said she told them White was the only person with whom she had sex, and Facebook messages confirmed they had sex at least nine times from May to December, according to the Journal. White was previously listed on the Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation as a staff member. In April 2017, Airman First Class Dalian Washington (left), 26, and Airman First Class Akeem Beazer (right), 22, were charged with sex abuse of a 15-year-old girl According to its website, the nonprofit focuses on educating kindergarten through 12th-grade students the value of STEM. White was the fourth Dover airman to face child sex abuse charges in the past year. In late June, Airman First Class Zepplin Taylor-McGinness, 21, was sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to child endangerment and two counts of fourth-degree rape involving a runaway 14-year-old girl. In April 2017, Airman First Class Dalian Washington, 25, and Airman First Class Akeem Beazer, 21, were charged with sex abuse of the same 15-year-old girl. Washington later pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child and Beazer pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor. HOUSTON (AP) - Associated Press journalist Michael Graczyk, who witnessed and chronicled more than 400 executions as a criminal justice reporter in Texas, will retire Tuesday after nearly 46 years with the news service. Graczyk, 68, may have observed more executions than any other person in the United States since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. Millions of readers in Texas and beyond relied on his coverage of capital punishment in America's most active death penalty state. He built a reputation for accuracy and fairness with death row inmates, their families, their victims' families and their lawyers, as well as prison officials and advocates on both sides of capital punishment. He made a point of visiting and photographing every condemned inmate willing to be interviewed and talking to relatives of their victims. Over time, he became widely known as an authority on the death penalty and a witness to history. In this June 12, 2013, file photo, Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk stands outside the Huntsville Unit before witnessing the execution of confessed killer Elroy Chester in Huntsville, Texas. Graczyk, who witnessed and chronicled more than 400 executions as a criminal justice reporter in Texas, will retire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, after 45 years. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File) Even after retiring, Graczyk will continue covering executions for the AP on a freelance basis, an arrangement he suggested. Long ago, Graczyk said, he stopped keeping count of how many executions he observed. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice's list of media witnesses includes his name 429 times, though that list is not exhaustive. "It has given me a greater appreciation for life," he said. "You get a real sense of life and how fast it can be taken." Noreen Gillespie, the AP's deputy managing editor for U.S. news, said the significance of Graczyk's work "can't be underestimated." "Mike's description of what happens in an execution is how the world and most of the country knows how that happens," she said. Graczyk joined the AP in 1972 in Detroit, shortly after graduating from Wayne State University. He moved to Houston in 1983 with his wife, Mary, and their two children. Executions became his beat by happenstance. In 1982, Texas executed its first inmate since the Supreme Court allowed states to resume capital punishment. When the state prepared to conduct its second execution in 1986, Graczyk, as the Houston bureau manager, took the assignment. Over time, he built a routine. He learned what to watch and listen for, and how to spot if something was wrong. In most cases, he said, observing an execution is "essentially watching someone go to sleep and they don't wake up." The beat could be macabre and occasionally absurd. In a 2013 piece to mark Texas' 500th execution since resuming capital punishment, Graczyk recounted how one inmate called his name and said hello when he walked into the chamber. Another inmate strapped to the gurney spit out a handcuff key. And a third, for his last words, sang the Christmas carol "Silent Night." "Christmas, for me, never has been the same," Graczyk wrote. Hundreds of media outlets counted on Graczyk to cover each execution without an agenda. "A lot of people do a lot of hard things in journalism, but what he's done, the commitment he's made to see those stories through, is amazing," said Debbie Hiott, editor of the Austin American-Statesman. "You never saw a slant one way or the other," said Jason Clark, chief of staff of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. "People picked up on that." Graczyk has been asked many times whether he believes the death penalty should be legal. He said he's a practicing Catholic and respects the church's teachings against capital punishment, but that he has not made up his own mind. "I'm not dodging the question," he said. "I don't know." The job involved being more than an execution writer. He covered hurricanes, interviewed former President George H.W. Bush several times and had an eye for feature stories that explained Texas to the world. He also reported on the 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr., a black man who was chained to a pickup truck in Jasper, Texas. In retirement, Graczyk said, he might write a book of fiction inspired by the characters he's met. And he will keep covering executions, in part to stay busy, but also because he still enjoys the work. "I found just the whole idea of covering these things to lend itself to really good stories, compelling stories," he said. In this July 27, 2018 photo, veteran Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk looks through some of many media credentials he has collected over his career with the AP, in Montgomery, Texas. Graczyk, who witnessed and chronicled more than 400 executions as a criminal justice reporter in Texas, will retire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, after 45 years. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) In this July 27, 2018 photo, veteran Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk poses with some of many media credentials he has collected over his career with the AP, in Montgomery, Texas. Graczyk, who witnessed and chronicled more than 400 executions as a criminal justice reporter in Texas, will retire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, after 45 years. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) FILE - In this June 12, 2013, file photo, Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk leaves the Huntsville Unit after witnessing the execution of confessed killer Elroy Chester in Huntsville, Texas. Graczyk, who witnessed and chronicled more than 400 executions as a criminal justice reporter in Texas, will retire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, after 45 years. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File) In this July 27, 2018 photo, veteran Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk poses for a photo in Montgomery, Texas. Graczyk, who witnessed and chronicled more than 400 executions as a criminal justice reporter in Texas, will retire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, after 45 years. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) FILE - In this May 7, 2004, file photo, former President George H.W. Bush, left, talks about skydiving during an interview with Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk, in Houston. Graczyk, who witnessed and chronicled more than 400 executions as a criminal justice reporter in Texas, will retire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, after 45 years. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Bill Cosby's lawyers are challenging the legality of the process under which a Pennsylvania board recommended he be classified as a sexually violent predator. They also claimed in a court filing last week that the state's recently revised sex offender registry law is unconstitutional and should not be applied retroactively. The 81-year-old Cosby is due to be sentenced Sept. 24 on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He was convicted in April of drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia mansion 14 years ago. He plans to appeal. FILE - In this April 4, 2018, file photo, Bill Cosby arrives at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. Cosby's lawyers are challenging the legality of the process under which a Pennsylvania board recommended he be classified as a sexually violent predator. They also claimed in a court filing that the state's recently revised sex offender registry law is unconstitutional and should not be applied retroactively. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File) A judge must decide whether to accept the finding he is a predator. The designation would require the former TV star to receive sex offender counseling by a state-approved provider at least monthly for the rest of his life. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's meeting with Italy's Giuseppe Conte (all times local): 12:45 p.m. President Donald Trump is praising Italy's new premier for his handling of immigration issues and says the two leaders will discuss trade and the military. President Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Trump says at the start of his meeting with Italy's Giuseppe Conte at the White House that Italy "has taken a very firm stance on the border." Trump says other European countries should follow Italy's lead on migration issues. Under Conte's new government, Italy has pushed for the European Union to accept tens of thousands of migrants coming across the Mediterranean Sea every year. Trump is noting the U.S. trade deficit with Italy and says he's sure "we'll straighten that out pretty quickly." Conte thanked Trump for his "warm hospitality." In response, Trump told him "you'll always be treated warmly." __ 11:54 a.m. President Donald Trump is meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the White House as the U.S. is kicking off new trade talks with the European Union. Trump will welcome Conte to the Oval Office for the Italian prime minister's first trip to Washington since he took over the country's new populist government. Trump and EU officials averted escalating a trade dispute last week and are expected to start negotiations aimed at avoiding tariffs on automobiles and removing trade barriers. Conte leads the euroskeptic coalition of the 5-Star Movement, which considers itself anti-establishment, and the right-wing, north-based League party. The White House has noted that Italy is an important NATO ally and a key partner to U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The signing ceremony. (Photo: CPV) The cooperation program will last one year. The document is the initial start for the cooperative relation between the two sides, of which activities will be realized in order to meet the requirements of the two parties; contributing to ensuring security and facilitating global trade. In the long term, both sides will discuss and agree to propose the Governments consider and approve the negotiation of Government-level agreements on mutual cooperation and administrative assistance in the customs field. The event is one of the highlights tightening the cooperative relations between Vietnam and the UK in all fields, on the occasion of celebrating the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-UK diplomatic ties. Over the past time, Vietnam-UK relations have developed positively, especially in economics and trade. In 2017, bilateral export turnover reached USD6.2 billion and increased regularly over the years. The UK is Vietnams third largest trade partners in the EU. Earlier, the two sides signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) on cooperating to prevent and fight against cross-border smuggling and customs in 2007 and capacity building in 2008. At the same time, they proposed some mutual activities to assist verification, anti-smuggling and trade fraud, and exchange survey delegations and learn from each others experiences./. LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The University of Kentucky says a student studying abroad went missing while swimming with friends in the Mediterranean Sea. A statement from the school says 19-year-old TeNiya Elnora Jones of Fort Myers, Florida, was swimming with two other Kentucky students when they got caught in a strong current and were pulled out to sea. Officials said the other students were able to make it back to the shoreline. A spokesman for Israeli police confirmed that a person was reported missing in the sea on Saturday and a body was found Monday. He said the body has not yet been identified. The university says Jones was part of a group of students studying the Arabic language. The school is sending a representative to Tel Aviv and is making travel arrangements for Jones' mother and grandfather. BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Powerful former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is mounting his defense against allegations of bribery and witness tampering. In an hour-long press conference outside his residence near Medellin on Monday, Uribe said yet-to-be-released audio recordings will vindicate him. The Supreme Court is investigating Uribe for allegedly pressuring witnesses in a protracted legal dispute with another Colombian senator, Ivan Cepeda. Former Colombian President and Sen. Alvaro Uribe speaks during a press conference at his home in Rionegro, Colombia, Monday, July 30, 2018, a week after Colombia's Supreme Court ordered him to testify on allegations of witness tampering. Uribe gave a detailed explanation in refuting the accusations against him. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides) Uribe accused Cepeda of offering money to witnesses who testified that the former leader had ties to a violent paramilitary group. The court found no evidence to support Uribe's accusation but did find grounds to investigate him for witness tampering instead. Uribe's lawyer is requesting that three Supreme Court judges be recused from the case. He questioned their impartiality and said there is evidence of irregularities like leaking information to journalists. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama's Roy Moore fell short in his quest to become a U.S. senator, but voters this November could install one of his longtime allies as the state's chief justice. Associate Justice Tom Parker says in a campaign ad that he won't "sit back while liberals destroy our law and liberty." Like Moore, he sees Alabama's courts as a key battleground for overturning U.S. Supreme Court decisions that legalized abortion and same-sex marriage. "President Trump is just one conservative appointment away from giving us a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court and they are going to need cases that they can use to reverse some of those horrible decisions of the liberal majority from the past that have no constitutional foundation whatsoever," Parker told The Associated Press in an interview. FILE - In this April 5, 2006, file photo, Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker announces plans to run for chief justice on the steps of the state judicial building in Montgomery, Ala. Parker's wife, Dottie, is by his side. Alabama firebrand Roy Moore fell short in his quest to become a U.S. senator, but one of his longtime allies could soon take over as the state's chief justice. And like Moore, Justice Parker sees the state courts as a battleground for reversing U.S. Supreme Court decisions legalizing same-sex marriage and abortion. His Republican primary win sets up a November contest against county circuit judge Bob Vance, who if elected would become the only Democrat on Alabama's top court. (AP Photo/Jamie Martin, File) Parker's rallying cries to social conservatives propelled his primary win over a rival he dismissed as too "moderate:" Chief Justice Lyn Stuart, a better-funded incumbent who had taken over chief justice duties after Moore was suspended from the bench for a second time. Now he faces Bob Vance, a county circuit judge who would become the only Democrat on the Alabama Supreme Court. The race has undertones of a rematch. It was Vance's strong showing against Moore in the 2012 race for chief justice - he lost by just 62,000 votes with support from moderate Republicans - that helped inspire U.S. Sen. Doug Jones last year in his defeat of Moore for the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. After years of upheaval - no chief justice has completed the six-year term since 2001 - both Parker and Vance emphasize the need to address systemic funding and staffing shortages. Parker says he would draw on his lobbying experience to secure funding. Vance said judges are "grappling every day" with defendants plagued by addiction and mental health issues. Vance, 57, a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Virginia law school, has been elected three times since his appointment in Jefferson County in 2002. He says Moore was a "divisive" justice, and he fears more of the same if Parker takes charge. "The chief justice really should stand there for everyone, because the courts should be there for everyone," Vance told the AP. Vance says personal ideologies have no place in the judiciary. He cites his father - federal appellate Judge Robert Smith Vance Sr., who was assassinated with a mail bomb in 1989 - who said his religious opposition to the death penalty couldn't influence his legal decisions. "He emphasized to me that if you do your job as a judge, and do it well, you've got to put aside your personal beliefs sometimes and just stick with what the law tells you to do," Vance said. Parker, 66, graduated from Dartmouth College and Vanderbilt University law school, then worked as an assistant attorney general and director of a conservative think tank tied to James Dobson's Focus on the Family. Moore hired him as deputy administrative director of courts, and he served as Moore's spokesman during fights over a Ten Commandments monument Moore erected in the state Supreme Court building. Those court fights ended in 2003 with Moore's first ouster from the bench. Parker was elected as justice the next year, and Moore was re-elected chief justice in 2012. Bill Stewart, a political scientist and long-time observer of state politics, said Parker could be viewed as "Moore- light." He hasn't been directly involved in Parker's campaign. But neither has Parker sought to put any distance between him and Moore. Parker contends Moore was wrongfully suspended in 2016, after an ethics panel ruled he was urging probate judges to defy the Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage. He says Moore was treated unfairly because of his Ten Commandments fight. Moore remains embroiled in defamation lawsuits over the allegations of sexual misconduct with teens decades ago that doomed his Senate race. In 2014, they were the lone voices against a 7-2 ruling denying a "birther conspiracy" effort that had sought to keep President Barack Obama's name off Alabama's 2012 ballot. Parker wrote that the state had "received notice sufficient to raise a duty to investigate" Obama's qualifications. Parker says now that he wasn't commenting on the "truth" of the accusation. But Parker is not just Moore's judicial acolyte. He has now been on the state Supreme Court twice as long as his former boss. And while Moore was twice ousted for violating judicial ethics, Parker cites his defeat of an ethics complaint as a victory for free speech. The Southern Poverty Law Center had complained about comments Parker made on a Christian radio show criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling. The same group had criticized him a decade earlier for posing with rebel battle flags alongside white extremists at the funeral of a Confederate widow; Parker said at the time that he had only just met the men, and that the criticism from a group like the SPLC showed he "must be doing the right things." The complaint about his radio comments was dismissed, but Parker kept fighting until the Judicial Inquiry Commission agreed not to enforce the rule against off-the-bench comments unless they impact the fairness of impending proceedings. A Parker campaign ad says he's "unafraid to stand up to bullies like the SPLC in defense of our Judeo-Christian heritage." He told the AP that the victory allows judges to speak their minds and voters to learn the positions of "the judicial candidates that they are voting on." COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The conservative Koch brothers' network declared Monday that it will not help elect the Republican Senate candidate in North Dakota, turning its back on the GOP in a marquee election - at least for now - after determining that the Republican challenger is no better than the Democratic incumbent. The decision sends a strong message to Republican officials across the country that there may be real consequences for those unwilling to oppose the spending explosion and protectionist trade policies embraced by the Trump White House in recent weeks. And little more than three months before Election Day, it leaves a top-tier Republican Senate campaign without the assistance of one of the conservative movement's most powerful allies as their party fights to maintain control of Congress. "For those who stand in the way, we don't pull any punches, regardless of party," Tim Phillips, who leads the Kochs' political arm, told hundreds of donors while outlining their midterm election strategy on the final day of a three-day private Rocky Mountain retreat. FILE - In this June 27, 2018, file photo President Donald Trump hugs Senate candidate Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., during a campaign rally in Fargo, N.D. The conservative Koch brothers' network declared July 30, that it will not help elect Cramer, the Republican Senate candidate in North Dakota, turning its back on the GOP in a marquee election - at least for now - after determining that the Republican challenger is no better than the Democratic incumbent Heidi Heitkamp.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) The announcement marks a new chapter in the strained relationship between the Trump administration and the expanding conservative network created by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch, who refused to endorse the Republican president in 2016. Trump has effectively taken over the modern-day Republican Party on almost every level, even after ignoring long-held conservative beliefs on government spending, free trade and foreign policy. The billionaire Kochs and their nationwide army of conservative activists, however, are not giving in. That's not to say they're punishing every Trump loyalist in the 2018 election season. The Kochs' political arm, Americans for Prosperity, still plans to focus its resources on helping Republican Senate candidates in Tennessee, Florida and Wisconsin. It remains unclear how hard the group will work to defeat vulnerable Senate Democrats in West Virginia, Missouri and Montana. The midterm strategy could change in the coming weeks, but the Kochs currently plan to ignore North Dakota's high-profile Senate contest, where three-term Republican Congressman Kevin Cramer is trying to unseat Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. She's considered among the most vulnerable Senate Democrats in the nation. "He's not leading on the issues this country needs leadership most right now," Phillips said of Cramer, specifically citing spending and trade. "If Cramer doesn't step up to lead, that makes it hard to support him." Ahead of the announcement, Charles Koch told reporters that he cared little for party affiliation and regretted supporting some Republicans in the past who only paid lip service to conservative principles. Network leaders over the weekend repeatedly lashed out at the Republican-backed $1.3 trillion spending bill adopted in March, which represented the largest government spending plan in history. The Trump White House budget office now predicts that next year's federal deficit will exceed $1 trillion, while reaching a combined $8 trillion over the next 10 years. The Kochs were equally concerned about the Trump administration's "protectionist" trade policies, which have sparked an international trade war and could trigger a U.S. recession, Koch said. "We're going to be much stricter if they say they're for the principles we espouse and then they aren't," Koch vowed. "We're going to more directly deal with that and hold people responsible for their commitments." The Koch network has demonstrated in recent months - albeit on a limited basis - a willingness to praise Democrats and condemn Republicans in specific situations. After first running attack ads against Heitkamp earlier in the year, the Kochs last month launched a digital ad campaign thanking the North Dakota Democrat for voting to roll back Obama-era banking regulations. At around the same time, they launched an advertising blitz to criticize 10 Republican House members, including Pennsylvania GOP Senate nominee Lou Barletta, for supporting the massive spending bill. Following Monday's announcement, Julia Krieger, a campaign spokesperson for Heitkamp, said, "When it comes to leading on the pocketbook issues North Dakotans care about - from strong trade markets to responsible spending and cutting red tape for North Dakota businesses - Heidi has always been consistent: North Dakota comes first." The development marked a dramatic escalation in the Kochs' willingness to buck partisan loyalties. And some Trump loyalists were furious with the Kochs' work to undermine Trump and his agenda even before Monday's news dropped. Former White House counselor Steve Bannon questioned the true influence of "the Koch network management," seizing on the lack of accountability in the organization's spending in recent years given that most of the details are not publicly available. "Where did the money go, what do they really spend it on, and how much, if anything, do they really put into the network?" Bannon asked in a brief interview with The Associated Press. And prominent Texas-based Trump donor Doug Deason, who attended the weekend retreat, said Republican candidates should not be punished for embracing the Republican president's agenda. "That's not right," he said before Monday's announcement, condemning the Koch network's recent decision to praise Heitkamp. "Heitkamp, we're going to knock her out of the water. She's gone," Deason predicted. The decision to ignore the Republican candidate in North Dakota certainly caught some by surprise, but there appeared to be overwhelming support from others - even if the plan hurts the GOP's push to maintain its House and Senate majorities. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, among a handful of elected officials who mingled with donors at the weekend confab, said there should be political consequences for those who deviate from conservative principles. "If in fact you have people espousing these in name, but not in practice, yeah, they're not going to be supported, nor should they be," Bevin said in a brief interview. "I think this network supports people who truly respect those principles. And I think they're agnostic, from what I've seen, with respect to what party a person is." At the same time, Bevin defended Trump's push to apply billions of dollars in tariffs on goods from China, Canada, Mexico and the European Union. He dismissed the outcry from businesses in Kentucky and elsewhere as a short-term problem. Colorado-based energy investor Chris Wright, a longtime Koch donor, said the Republican Party may have lost its way in the age of Trump. He and his wife, Liz, encouraged the Koch network to ignore Republican candidates who turn their back on key conservative principles out of loyalty to Trump. "They don't deserve to be funded if they don't uphold our values," Liz Wright said. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump denies any "collusion" with the Russians, while his lawyer Rudy Giuliani says it's not even a crime. Case closed? Not exactly. Giuliani is right that the term "collusion" isn't a precise one when it comes to U.S. law. But that doesn't change the potential legal fallout stemming from the Russia investigation, which could touch on laws against computer hacking, election fraud and conspiracy against the United States. A look at the buzz term "collusion" and what we're really talking about: President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) GIULIANI on Fox News on Monday: "I have been sitting here looking in the federal code trying to find collusion as a crime...Collusion is not a crime." TRUMP on Twitter on Sunday: "There is No Collusion!" THE FACTS: Giuliani is technically right that election collusion isn't a precise legal term. (While we're at it, election "meddling" isn't either.) The U.S. code mostly uses the term "collusion" in antitrust laws to address crimes like price fixing. But there are plenty of specific laws on the books that could apply if Trump's presidential campaign is found to have collaborated with Moscow, including a conspiracy to defraud the United States. There are also laws against election fraud, computer hacking, wire fraud and falsifying records, if those apply. So far, special counsel Robert Mueller has accused the Russians of hacking into Democrats' computers and stealing emails, as well as trying to stoke U.S. tensions before the 2016 election using social media. Mueller has already accused Trump's former campaign chairman and another top aide of working as foreign agents for Ukrainian interests and funneling millions of dollars from the work into offshore accounts used to fund lavish lifestyles. Mueller might decide, for example, that a crime was committed if he finds evidence that an American was involved in the hack of Democrats, either by soliciting it or paying someone to do it. The investigation also has exposed Moscow's aggressive outreach to the Trump campaign, including a promise of "dirt" on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in a meeting attended by Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr. If Trump or his aides knew in advance that Russia had the trove of stolen emails and did nothing to alert federal authorities, they could be accused of covering up the crime of stolen emails or working as foreign agents. Although it's rare for the Justice Department to charge people for not reporting illegal behavior, it's also not often that a special counsel team, with a wide-ranging mandate to find wrongdoing, is on the case. As well, a conspiracy to defraud the United States can be used to refer to any two people using "deceit, craft, or trickery" to interfere with governmental functions, such as an election. In other words, "collusion" might be shorthand. But if it relates to Russia and U.S. elections, it can still be very much against the law. ___ Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report. __ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's meeting with Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte (all times local): 2:20 p.m. President Donald Trump and Italy's new premier are stressing what they have in common as they stand side-by-side at the White House at a joint press conference. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte during a news conference at the White House, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Trump noted Monday that he and Italy's Giuseppe Conte were "both outsiders to politics" when they began their campaigns. And Conte is describing the U.S. and Italy as "almost twin countries," adding: "There are so many things that bring us together." The two leaders in particular share similar views on immigration. Trump has tried to crack down on illegal immigration and pushed Congress to overhaul the legal immigration system. And under Conte's new government, Italy has pushed for the European Union to accept tens of thousands of migrants coming across the Mediterranean Sea every year. ___ 11:55 a.m. President Donald Trump is meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the White House as the U.S. is kicking off new trade talks with the European Union. Trump will welcome Conte to the Oval Office for the Italian prime minister's first trip to Washington since he took over the country's new populist government. Trump and EU officials averted escalating a trade dispute last week and are expected to start negotiations aimed at avoiding tariffs on automobiles and removing trade barriers. Conte leads the euroskeptic coalition of the 5-Star Movement, which considers itself anti-establishment, and the right-wing, north-based League party. The White House has noted that Italy is an important NATO ally and a key partner to U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump said Monday that he'd "certainly meet" with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and without preconditions, if the Iranian leader were willing. Speaking during a joint news conference with Italy's premier, Trump said he would meet with the Iranians "anytime they want to." "I'll meet with anybody," he said. "There's nothing wrong with meeting." President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the White House, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) The overture marks a significant shift in tone and comes as Trump and the Iranians have been escalating their rhetoric following Trump's May withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear accord. The administration is set to begin reimposing sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 deal next month and has been ratcheting up a pressure campaign on the Islamic republic that many suspect is aimed at regime change. And it's unclear whether Rouhani has any interest in meeting. Rouhani's chief of staff claimed earlier this month in Iran's state-owned newspaper that Rouhani had rejected eight requests from Trump for one-on-one talks last year. Rouhani recently warned the U.S. that "war with Iran is the mother of all wars," prompting an all-caps retort from Trump. "To Iranian President Rouhani," he wrote on Twitter. "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH." He ended the message with a warning: "BE CAUTIOUS!" Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back with his own message that began, "COLOR US UNIMPRESSED." Trump tempered his threatening rhetoric two days later when he said his administration stands ready for Iran to come back to the negotiating table. "We're ready to make a real deal, not the deal that was done by the previous administration, which was a disaster," he said. Trump has long cast himself as a master negotiator who is most effective when he meets with his counterparts face-to-face. He pointed to his recent one-on-ones with North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin as examples of the benefits of such get-togethers, though both drew bipartisan criticism. "I believe in meeting," he said, talking up the benefits of "speaking to other people, especially when you're talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things." Asked whether he would set any preconditions for the meetings, Trump was clear. "No preconditions, no. If they want to meet, I'll meet anytime they want, anytime they want," he said. "Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNBC on Monday that he was onboard with the president's invitation, but he appeared to add several qualifications. "If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, can agree that it's worthwhile to enter in a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he's prepared to sit down and have a conversation with him," he said. Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the president's National Security Council, later said in a statement that the U.S. would not be lifting any sanctions or re-establishing diplomatic and commercial relations until "there are tangible, demonstrated, and sustained shifts in Tehran's policies." "Until then," he said, "the sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change course." Reaction among Trump critics in both parties on Capitol Hill was mixed, with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., telling reporters: "I actually think that's a good idea." Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., characterized the overture as "fine," but only "as long as they are willing to talk about being a normal country in the future." Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was more skeptical, calling it "another recipe for bad outcomes." "It's the same as North Korea," he said. "No preconditions, no preparation. And what do we have? We have Kim Jong Un was elevated from an international pariah to someone who seems like a legitimate statesman." ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Alan Fram contributed to this report. OCALA, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man has been convicted of planning to place bombs on the shelves of Target stores in an attempt to drive the company's stock price down. Federal prosecutors said Monday that a jury found Mark Barnett guilty of attempted arson and other charges. The Ocala man faces up to 40 years in prison at his scheduled sentencing in October. Authorities say Barnett offered a confidential source $10,000 to place homemade bombs disguised in food packaging on Target store shelves from Florida to New York. Investigators found bomb-making materials at his house. The devices never made it to the stores since the confidential informant turned them over to authorities. Authorities say he had purchased options on Target stock that would pay out when the share price dropped. WASHINGTON (AP) - For more than a decade, audiences and interviewers have had one pressing question for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: When will you retire? The question used to be whether the now 85-year-old liberal justice would let President Barack Obama choose her successor. Now it's whether President Donald Trump might, giving conservatives an even stronger hold on the court. Ginsburg, the court's oldest current member, has used a variety of practiced answers to the retirement question over the years. They all boil down to the same thing: She isn't ready to go. On Sunday, Ginsburg reminded a New York audience that her former colleague Justice John Paul Stevens was 90 when he retired in 2010. "My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years," Ginsburg said, according to a CNN report . FILE - In this Jan. 30, 2018, file photo Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg answers a law student's question as she participates in a "fireside chat" in the Bruce M. Selya Appellate Courtroom at the Roger William University Law School in Bristol, R.I. For more than a decade, audiences and interviewers have had one pressing question for Ginsburg: When will you retire? (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File) Ginsburg has referenced Stevens in discussing retirement before, going back to at least 2015 . Here are some of the other ways she's answered the retirement question over the years: THE LOUIS BRANDEIS ANSWER Before making Stevens part of her retirement question response, Ginsburg used a different justice: Louis Brandeis. Questions about retirement began when she turned 70, Ginsburg has said, and Brandeis became part of her "stock answer." Ginsburg would note that she and Brandeis, the court's first Jewish justice, were both appointed at 60. He stepped down at 82. She'd say she intended to stay at least that long. Shortly before her 82nd birthday, Ginsburg said that using Brandeis as a comparison was "getting a little uncomfortable." Having outlasted him, it's Ginsburg who now holds the record as the longest-serving Jewish justice. If she serves on the court through her 91st birthday in 2024, she'll hold another record: the oldest person to ever serve on the Supreme Court. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., the current record holder, retired two months shy of his 91st birthday in 1932. ___ THE ARTWORK ANSWER A lover of the arts, Ginsburg for a time used a painting to talk about her future on the court. Her Supreme Court office is decorated with borrowed artwork, and some years ago, one of the paintings was used as part of a traveling exhibition. The work by German emigre artist Josef Albers was gone about eight years but has since returned, Ginsburg has said. During that window, she would say things like: "If anyone asks how long I'll be here, at least until my Albers comes back." ___ THE FULL-STEAM ANSWER As she approached her 80th birthday in 2013, Ginsburg told an audience : "I will stay in this job as long as I can do it full steam." For the last five years, it has been one of her go-to phrases in discussing retirement. She has also said she will do the job "as long as I think I have the candlepower." But the full-steam answer has had staying power. Earlier this year, during an appearance in Washington, she noted that many people have asked when she intends to step down. She detailed some of her previous canned responses, noting her Brandeis and painting answers. Those answers no longer work, she said, before adding: "So I'm just candid, and I say: 'As long as I can do the job full steam, I will be here.'" ___ Follow Jessica Gresko on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko A pediatrician allegedly molested 26 young patients over several decades - some while their parents were in the room. Dr Johnnie Wilson 'Jack' Barto, 70, was in January charged with abusing a 12-year-old girl in his care, which prompted a torrent of other complaints. Barto used his bare fingers to penetrate girls and fondle the genitals of boys at his Johnstown, Pennsylvania, practice, court documents said. Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the accused doctor used his position 'to feed his own, sick sexual desires,' as he announced the new charges on Monday. Dr Johnnie Wilson 'Jack' Barto, 70, allegedly molested 26 young patients over several decades - some while their parents were in the room Police said he molested both girls and boys, though most of the alleged victims were girls. The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat has reported that in 1998, Barto was accused of sexually molesting two girls during office visits. He was never charged criminally and denied the allegations. Two years later the Board of Medicine determined he could keep his license, ruling the allegations lacked evidence. A woman confronted Barto in 2017 after the doctor made her wait outside the room while he examined her son's genitals, although the 12-year-old was only suffering from the flu, police said. The woman returned to see the doctor fondling her son, police said, so she 'immediately confronted' Barto, who walked away without offering any explanation. A girl of about 16 told her mother, herself a physician, that Barto had inappropriately touched her during an exam in 1997, police said. When the mother confronted Barto in the presence of the office manager, he 'promised he would never examine a female patient again,' police wrote. The attorney general's office filed 69 additional counts against Barto, whose license has been suspended since January. Bail on the new charges, which included indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault and child endangerment, was set at $1 million and a hearing scheduled for August 10. He was already in jail when the new charges were announced, having been accused following his January arrest with also fondling two female relatives when they were girls. Barto used his bare fingers to penetrate girls and fondle the genitals of boys at his Johnstown, Pennsylvania, practice, court documents said Phone messages left for the defense attorney listed for him in online criminal records were not returned. The attorney general said Barto 'violated every tenet of his oath as a doctor and as a decent human being - violating the trust of his victims, their parents and of the entire community.' The doctor was charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse involving the treatment of a girl, about age 12, in the mid-1990s. The girl came in for treatment of an ear infection. She told investigators he fondled her and never examined her infected ear. In at least two cases, police said, Barto's body blocked the mothers' view as he molested their daughters. The mother of two alleged victims, a 10-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother, complained to the family's regular pediatrician after Barto reached inside both children's underwear 'and began feeling around each of their genitals,' police wrote. The family's regular pediatrician, who worked in the same practice as Barto, told the mother that Barto 'has an 'odd bedside manner'and she believed he possibly suffers from Asperger's disease,' police said in the arrest affidavit. Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth during his friendly visit to the country in Port Louis, Mauritius, July 28, 2018. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) PORT LOUIS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Saturday that China is willing to always be a good friend and a good partner of Mauritius and promote the bilateral friendly cooperative ties to continuously reach new heights. Xi made the remarks when meeting with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth during his friendly visit to the country. Xi spoke positively about the remarkable achievements Mauritius has made since it gained independence 50 years ago, and expressed appreciation for the friendly policy the successive Mauritian governments have followed toward China. He pointed out that the two countries and two peoples enjoy profound friendship and cherish a close bond of affection for each other. Since China and Mauritius established diplomatic ties 46 years ago, the two sides have witnessed increasingly deepened political mutual trust and fruitful results in exchanges and cooperation in various areas, Xi said. Both as developing countries, China and Mauritius have similar development processes and tasks, he said. The two countries now face new important opportunities for the development of their relations, Xi pointed out. The Chinese president said that the two countries should maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, strengthen exchanges between government departments, legislative bodies and at sub-national level, and continue to understand and support each other on issues involving respective core interests and major concern. The two sides should explore the potential for practical cooperation, improve the standard of bilateral trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, negotiate about and sign a bilateral free trade agreement at an early date, leverage the unique geographical advantage of Mauritius in participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen communication and aligning, and deepen cooperation in a wide range of areas, Xi said. The two countries should also enhance people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding, he said. China stands ready to strengthen South-South cooperation on climate change with Mauritius, increase coordination in international affairs and safeguard the common interests of developing countries, he said. On China-Africa relations, Xi said that China and Africa are a community with a shared future in which the two sides go through thick and thin together, and are also a community of shared interests in which the two sides carry out win-win cooperation. No matter how the international landscape changes, and no matter how much progress China has made in development, China will always stand together with Africa and other developing countries, and will be a sincere friend and reliable partner of Africa forever, Xi said. He said that China and Africa have decided to hold the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September, and he looks forward to discussing the China-Africa cooperation plan in the new era with African leaders including Prime Minister Jugnauth. Jugnauth again extended his warm welcome for President Xi's stopover in and historic friendly visit to Mauritius, saying that the two countries enjoy a long history of friendship based on historical inheritance and people-to-people bond. He said that since the two countries established diplomatic ties, the two sides have developed a close and vigorous relationship on the basis of mutual trust and mutual respect. Mauritius thanks China for its long-term strong support and assistance, pays high attention to China's development in the new era, admires China's tremendous achievements, and speaks positively of President Xi's proposal to build a community with a shared future for mankind, he said. Mauritius will continue to firmly uphold the one China policy, welcomes the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to deepen mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation with China, Jugnauth said. The prime minister said that he eagerly looks forward to attending the FOCAC Beijing Summit to jointly build an even closer Africa-China partnership. Mauritius is the last stop of Xi's five-nation Middle East and Africa tour. He has visited the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa, and attended the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg. 2 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (all times local): 6 p.m. The first Democratic senator to sit down with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh says he's not ready to make a final decision on how he will vote. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's choice to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, arrives for a private meeting with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a member of the Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, July 30, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia says in a statement released after the meeting that he won't make a final decision until he has completed a "thorough and fair examination" of Kavanaugh's candidacy. Manchin represents a state that President Donald Trump won by 42 percent points and is up for re-election himself this year, increasing the stakes of the vote. Manchin met with Kavanaugh for about two hours Monday. He says they discussed Kavanaugh's views on health care, but is not elaborating. Manchin has stressed that he wants the courts to protect the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with pre-existing health conditions. __ 3:55 p.m. The Senate's top Democrat says Republicans are trying to rush Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court without fully vetting the judge's record from his years in the Bush White House. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Republicans are declining to seek documents from Kavanaugh's time as staff secretary to President George W. Bush. Schumer asks: "What are they hiding? Why shouldn't we see what that record's about?" Late last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee chairman, announced he was requesting documents from Kavanaugh's time at the White House counsel's office, not the staff secretary job. Grassley said he's not going to waste taxpayer money on millions of documents Democrats want. Republicans hope to confirm President Donald Trump's nominee by fall. __ 1:30 p.m. Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who had publicly wavered as to whether he would support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, endorsed him Monday. Paul of Kentucky says he will back Kavanaugh despite misgivings about the judge's views on surveillance and privacy issues. Few had expected Paul would oppose President Donald Trump's choice in the end. The endorsement gives Kavanaugh a boost as he prepares to sit down Monday afternoon with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, one of a handful of Democratic senators seen as potential swing votes in the confirmation fight. SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) - A Maryland police officer has been cleared by investigators after he fatally shot a man who reportedly attacked him, officials said Monday. Montgomery County Police announced that prosecutors in neighboring Howard County determined that Officer Anand Badgujar's actions during the June 11 encounter with Robert White were justified. Police have said body-worn camera footage shows White assaulting Badgujar twice in a townhouse community's parking lot. "After reviewing all of the pertinent evidence and after a thorough review of the law, by myself and the members of our Senior Staff, we have, unanimously, concluded that Officer Badgujar's actions were justified under the circumstances," Howard County State's Attorney Dario Broccolino said in a July 27 letter to Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger. Broccolino notes that investigators reviewed video and other evidence and Badgujar responded to questions prosecutors posed to him through his attorney. Manger said in June that White, a 41-year-old black man, was unarmed, but he assaulted Badgujar after the officer "attempted to speak" with him. Badgujar ended up in the area of the Silver Spring townhouse community on an unrelated call, but it wasn't initially clear why he focused on White. With the situation quickly escalating, the officer tried to pepper spray White, police said, and then requested assistance after the man moved away. When Badgujar returned to his cruiser to switch off the ignition, White "began approaching" him, according to police. They assert White started "running at the officer," forcing Badgujar to back-pedal away. They say White "knocked him down as the officer discharged his weapon." "White fell, got up, stood over the officer who was still on the ground, and continued to assault the officer, at which time the officer fired additional rounds," the statement reads. Officials expect to release body-worn camera footage from Badgujar and a backup officer later this week. Badgujar, a patrolman who has been with department in the Washington suburbs about two years, has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting. Montgomery County Police say Assistant Chief Marcus Jones and Major Crimes Capt. Michael Wahl are meeting with White's relatives Monday in North Carolina. WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress is producing an unusual outpouring of bills, resolutions and new sanctions proposals to push back at President Donald Trump's approach to Vladimir Putin, shore up relations with NATO allies and prevent Russian interference in the midterm election. But it remains uncertain if any of their efforts will yield results. Lawmakers are struggling with internal party divisions as well as their own onslaught of proposals as they try to move beyond a symbolic rebuke of Trump's interactions with the Russian president and exert influence both at home and abroad. And while many Democrats are eager for quick votes, some Republicans prefer none at all. As Trump and Putin weigh another face-to-face meeting, lawmakers in both parties - particularly in the Senate - appear motivated to act. FILE - In this July 28, 2018, photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the State Prize awards ceremony in Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Congress is producing an unusual outpouring of bills, resolutions and new sanctions proposals to push back at President Donald Trump's approach to Putin. They want to shore up relations with NATO allies and prevent Russian interference in the midterm election. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, Pool) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a rare warning that Russia "better quit messing around" in U.S. elections as he tasked two Senate committees to start working on sanctions-related legislation and other measures to deter Russia. In the House, Speaker Paul Ryan joined McConnell in saying that Putin would not be welcome on Capitol Hill, though he did not push forward any Russia-related legislation before his chamber recessed for August. Still, the past few weeks have been one of the rare moments in the Trump era that Republicans and Democrats have jointly asserted the role of Congress as a counterweight to the administration. "You look at the action of Congress since the summit in Helsinki, you find Democrats and Republicans both standing up and saying no," said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., in an interview on C-SPAN with The Associated Press and The Washington Post. For starters, there's a bipartisan push from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and others to "explicitly prohibit" the president from withdrawing from NATO without Senate approval. Other senators are debating action to prevent meddling in the midterm election. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., call the protection of the election system a "national security priority." Graham said it's "extremely important that Congress recognize the threat to our electoral system coming from Russia and act in a decisive way." In addition, legislation from McCain and Cardin would require approval from Congress before Trump could reverse sanctions issued under the Sergei Magnitsky Act, which bans visas for travel and freezes assets of key Russians involved in alleged human rights abuses. Russia's displeasure at the 2012 Magnitsky Act played into what Trump initially called an "incredible offer" from Putin at the summit to allow U.S. questioning of Russians indicted by the Justice Department for hacking Democratic emails. In return, Putin requested the ability to investigate Americans involved in the Magnitsky Act. McCain called it a "perverse proposal" and Trump has since backed away from it. With some 100 days before the midterm election, some say Congress is not acting fast enough. One bill that has been given a go-ahead nod from McConnell is legislation from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., that attempts to warn Putin off more election interference by setting up tough new sanctions on Russia if it does try to intervene. The measure is slowly making its way through the Senate Banking Committee, but some lawmakers in the House and Senate have raised concerns it casts too wide a net and could cause problems for allied nations that do business with Russia. Rubio says he's willing to adjust the legislation to meet concerns, but says the goal is for Russia to understand there will be a price to pay for further election interference. He adds the legislation was introduced months before the Helsinki summit and isn't intended to embarrass or attack the president. "I'm deeply concerned about their ability to interfere in our politics," Rubio said in an interview. "We want them to know what the price is going to be to make that choice." The legislation would likely see overwhelming support, lawmakers in both parties say. But a vote is not scheduled. Some symbolic measures on Russia have failed to make it out of the starting gate. Already, the Senate has blocked a symbolic resolution from Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., to reaffirm the findings of the American intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Twice over the past two weeks, Republicans objected to motions to advance the measure, saying they prefer a more strategic approach that goes beyond symbolic resolutions. House Democrats were similarly thwarted in their attempts to slap new sanctions on anyone who has interfered in U.S. elections and bolster election security funds to the states as Republicans blocked those votes. Key Republicans are panning more federal spending on election security. The GOP chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, said Monday that he worried federal funds would come with "strings attached" that would interfere with elections operations he believes should be left to the states. Ryan says the U.S. has "learned a great deal" about Russian interference. "So, I think we're far better prepared today than we were just a couple of years ago." But the Speaker added there's more for Congress to do. ___ Follow Mascaro on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lisamascaro SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A Mormon man has launched a hunger strike to bring attention to a campaign calling on church leaders to bring an end to closed door, one-on-one interviews where youth are asked by adult lay leaders if they are following the religion's strict rules on sexual activity. Sam Young of Houston said he started his hunger strike on Friday and is in Salt Lake City holding nightly chats with supporters across the street from the Mormon temple. It marks the latest protest taken by Young and his group over questions asked during the interviews about whether young Mormons are following the religion's law of chastity. He said he's prepared go without food for three weeks to spotlight what he and his supporters think are interviews that include inappropriate questions that can lead to shaming of youth. About 1,000 people marched to the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in March demanding change. FILE - In this March 30, 2018, photo, Sam Young, center, speaks to a group of people demanding an end to one-on-one interviews between Mormon youth and lay leaders during a march to church headquarters, in Salt Lake City. Young, a Mormon man has launched a hunger strike that started Friday, July 27, 2018, to bring attention to a campaign calling on church leaders to bring an end to closed door, one-on-one interviews between youth and lay leaders where sexual questions sometimes arise. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) The church changed its policy earlier this year to allow children to bring a parent or adult with them. Parents were only allowed in a hallway or adjacent room under old rules. Youth can still go in alone if they choose. The church also for the first time last month posted a list of questions lay leaders are supposed to ask during the interviews, which usually happen twice a year starting at age 12. One of the questions asks directly: "Do you live the law of chastity?" Mormons are taught under that code not to have sex before marriage, engage in passionate kissing, touch another person's private parts or arouse "emotions in your own body" that are supposed to be reserved for marriage. Church officials say the interviews allow bishops to get to know youth better and determine their religious habits and obedience to God. The bishops are instructed how to handle the meetings and swear to keep the conversations confidential. The church noted in a statement Monday about the hunger strike that it had taken steps to improve relationships between young people, their parents and leaders. The religion said it shares a desire to protect children and that it's familiar with Young's position and noted leaders have met with him. Young said the changes made so far don't go nearly far enough to protect children from being asked inappropriate sexual questions. Despite the rule change allowing parents in the interviews, most youth are still choosing to go in alone, he said. "The changes they've made are minimal and meaningless in most wards (congregations) around the world," said Young, a 65-year-old father who said his daughters were asked inappropriate questions when they were young. "What kid is going to say they want somebody in the room? It's accomplished nothing." The movement to end the interviews comes as others push the religion be more accepting of LGBT members. The Mormon church has shifted its tone to be more welcoming and compassionate toward gays and lesbians but hasn't changed its doctrinal opposition of same-sex marriage and belief that homosexual relations are a sin. Dan Reynolds, singer of the rock band Imagine Dragons, recently held a concert in Utah to raise funds to support LGBT youth in the Mormon church. FILE - In this March 30, 2018, photo, Sam Young speaks to a group of people demanding an end to one-on-one interviews between Mormon youth and lay leaders during a march to church headquarters, in Salt Lake City. Young, a Mormon man has launched a hunger strike that started Friday, July 27, 2018, to bring attention to a campaign calling on church leaders to bring an end to closed door, one-on-one interviews between youth and lay leaders where sexual questions sometimes arise. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump isn't telling the straight story on NATO. He spoke of NATO on Monday as if it's "essentially" a business, and a failing one until he came along. That was the latest twist on one of his most enduring fictions. It's not remotely a business but rather a military alliance. It wasn't going bankrupt, and Trump hasn't performed a turnaround. A look at his comments at a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte: President Donald Trump waves after a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in the East Room of the White House, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) TRUMP: On the recent NATO meeting: "I went to NATO. And NATO was essentially going out of business 'cause people weren't paying and it was going down, down, down." On NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: "He said we couldn't collect money until President Trump came along. And he said last year we collected $44 billion. And this year the money is pouring in. ... So the bottom line is the NATO countries are now paying a lot more money." THE FACTS: Countries don't pay to be in NATO and don't owe the organization anything other than contributions to a largely administrative fund that Trump is not talking about. Member countries are not in debt to NATO. Money is "not pouring in" now. Collections have not increased, as he asserted. Trump's actual beef is with how much NATO countries spend on their own military budgets. The Trump administration is not the first to push countries in NATO to spend more on their own armed forces to lessen their dependence on the U.S. In fact, it was in 2014, during the Obama administration, that NATO members agreed to move "toward" spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product on their own defense by 2024. The somewhat-vague commitment was made as a response to Russia's actions in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea. No one expected all allies would immediately move to 2 percent; the increases were to be gradual. It's possible, though not established, that Trump's hectoring may have spurred some countries to increase their spending faster than they planned or to become more serious about moving to the 2 percent goal. But at the NATO summit this month, when Trump claimed that he wrung a new commitment out of NATO partners on their military spending, those partners did not back him up. Several European leaders said they merely agreed to keep doing what they've been doing - raising military spending under the goal set in 2014. Trump's faulty claim that NATO "collected" $44 billion in 2017 refers to one estimate of how much Washington's partners in the alliance collectively raised their own military spending by last year. ___ TRUMP: We're shouldering anywhere of 70 to 90 percent of the cost of NATO. That's not fair. That's not fair. Especially when you take Germany and Germany's paying 1 percent, a little more than 1 percent." THE FACTS: That's not right. The U.S. military budget comprises about 70 percent of the military spending of NATO countries together, but that's for worldwide military commitments, not just Europe. Although he called out Germany for spending only 1 percent of its economy on its armed forces (actually an estimated 1.24 percent in 2017 and 2018), he did not mention with his "new friend" Conte at his side that Italy spends even less: an estimated 1.15 percent in 2017 and 2018. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) - A panel of senior judges in Greece has accepted a new Russian extradition request for bitcoin fraud suspect Alexander Vinnik, further complicating an international legal battle surrounding the 38-year-old computer expert. The court in the northern city of Thessaloniki ruled in favor of the Russian request Monday. Vinnik is also sought for extradition by the United States and by France on more serious fraud charges. His fate is likely to be decided by Greece's justice minister. Vinnik is a Russian former bitcoin operator and was arrested in northern Greece last year on a U.S.-issued international arrest warrant. In court Monday, he denied the allegations of fraud and told the panel of judges that he was committed to fighting U.S. dominance of the global financial system. ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) - The Paraguayan government expressed "discomfort" Monday over a tweet by Britain's ambassador that reacted to the acquittal of peasants convicted in the killing of police officers in a land dispute. The Supreme Court overturned the 2016 conviction of the 12 poor farmers Friday citing a lack of evidence. Six police officers and 11 peasants were killed in 2012 when clashes broke out during the forced eviction of peasants occupying a disputed soy farm. British Ambassador Matthew Hedges tweeted: "How beautiful is the smile of freedom," above a photo of one of the freed men who is seen smiling and embracing a woman. FILE - In this June 3, 2013 file photo, Dolores Lopez, holding her baby Jorge, left, Luis Olmedo, second from left, and Raquel Villalba third from left, attend their court hearing in the "Curuguaty" case, in Asuncion, Paraguay. On June 15, 2012, 11 landless farmers and six police officers were killed in a shooting during a violent eviction of farmers by police from the Marina Cue lands near Curuguaty. The country's Supreme Court on Friday, July 27, 2018 acquitted the group of small farmers who had been convicted for the assassination of the six police officers, citing not enough evidence. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File) Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga said at a news conference that he called in Hedges to express his discomfort over the message. Politicians opposed to then-President Fernando Lugo seized on the "Massacre of Curuguaty" to vote him out of office, saying he mismanaged the dispute that led to bloodshed on June 15, 2012. More than 300 farmers had occupied land owned by a rich politician that they insisted wasn't legally his. Shooting broke out during negotiations, leaving the 17 dead. Hedges told reporters he was only reacting to a "human moment" after the defendants were freed by the top court's decision. He said that he was surprised by the Paraguayan government's comments, but that he will keep communicating directly with the people, because that's "modern diplomacy." Farmers and their supporters argued the official investigation focused only on the deaths of the police officers in a one-sided effort to make an example of the protesters and protect the interests of powerful landowners. Authorities charged the defendants with criminal association, trespass and murder. The dispute was decades in the making. The area's poor residents allege the land was stolen from the state by Sen. Blas Riquelme, a leader of the Colorado Party that backed dictator Alfredo Stroessner from 1954 to 1989 and has dominated the nation's politics almost uninterruptedly ever since. Riquelme, who died of a stroke in 2012 at age 83, took over the property in 1964, benefiting from a Stroessner law that granted free title to any adult male willing to farm fallow land. So many military officers, politicians and businessmen took advantage of the law that nearly all of Paraguay's rural state-owned land was in private hands by the end of the dictatorship. After years of legal fights challenging Riquelme's claim, local farmers lost patience and invaded a forested corner of the 135-square-mile property. "The Curuguaty case overall shows the profound injustices and violence behind the concentration of land in a few hands," Simon Ticehurst, Oxfam's regional director in Latin America and the Caribbean, said in a statement. He called for the government to pursue "a comprehensive, impartial and independent investigation into the Curuguaty case without delay. MOSCOW (AP) - Four tourists traveling through Tajikistan on bicycles were killed when a driver allegedly rammed his car into them and joined his passengers in going after the cyclists with knives, U.S. and Tajik officials said Monday. Authorities in the ex-Soviet republic in Central Asia were considering an extremist plot among the possible motives for the attack, the country's interior minister said. A Daewoo sedan plowed into a group of seven foreign bicyclists about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, on Sunday, according to local police. The people in the vehicle then "exited the car and stabbed the cyclists with knives," the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan said in a statement Monday. Four of the cyclists died and three others, including a woman from Switzerland, were injured, Tajik officials said. Two of the victims were American, one was Swiss, and another was from the Netherlands, foreign and Tajik officials said. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon sent the leaders of each country a telegram expressing condolences Monday. Interior Minister Ramazon Rakhimzoda told reporters that one of the survivors had knife wounds and police found knives and guns with some of the suspects. He described the car crash as "an attack," and said investigators were examining all possibilities, including a road accident, murder and terrorism. Rakhimzoda said one suspect was killed while resisting arrest, his ministry said two suspects were killed and the U.S. Embassy reported three. The discrepancy could not be immediately explained. Four suspects have been detained, according to the Interior Ministry. The State Department issued a statement Monday condemning what it called a "senseless attack" and expressing "deepest condolences" to the families of the people killed. The department said it could not provide more information about the U.S. citizens due to "privacy concerns," but that U.S. officials were working closely with Tajik authorities. Swiss Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Silvia Mueller said that while the circumstances of the crash were unclear, the Swiss government's travel advice for Tajikistan notes there is a risk of attacks and poor road travel conditions in the Central Asian country. "Should it turn out to have been a terrorist act, this would be recorded in the travel advice," Mueller said. The State Department encouraged Americans headed abroad to monitor government advisories for updated information on where it is safe to travel. ___ Matthew Lee contributed from Washington. LOS ANGELES (AP) - An appeals court has upheld a judge's ruling that a California museum can keep two German Renaissance masterpieces were seized by the Nazis in World War II. U.S. District Court Judge John Walter ruled in 2016 that Pasadena's Norton Simon Museum is the rightful owner of "Adam" and "Eve." The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday agreed. FILE - This Jan. 21, 2015 file photo shows the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif. An appeals court has upheld a judge's ruling that the museum can keep two German Renaissance masterpieces seized by the Nazis in World War II. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed on Monday, July 30, 2018, with Judge John Walter's 2016 ruling that Pasadena's Norton Simon Museum is the rightful owner of "Adam" and "Eve." The oil-on-panel paintings dating from 1530 have been at the museum for decades. Marei von Saher alleged they were seized from her father-in-law after he fled during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/John Antczak, File) The two oil-on-panel paintings dating from 1530 have been at the museum for decades. Marei von Saher alleged that the works were seized from her father-in-law, a Jewish art dealer, after he fled Holland during the Holocaust. The Norton Simon says it legally acquired the works in the 1970s from the descendant of Russian aristocrats who had them wrongly taken by the Soviet Union in the 1920s. WASHINGTON (AP) - The first Democratic senator to sit down with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said Monday he's not ready to say how he'll vote, but Kavanaugh did pick up the backing of Kentucky's Rand Paul, the only Republican in the narrowly divided Senate to have outwardly wavered in possible support. Paul said he will back Kavanaugh despite misgivings about the judge's views on surveillance and privacy issues. Few had expected Paul would oppose President Donald Trump's choice in the end. The endorsement gave Kavanaugh a boost as he sat down for two hours with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, one of a handful of Democratic senators seen as potential swing votes in the confirmation fight. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's choice to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, arrives for a private meeting with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a member of the Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, July 30, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Manchin said afterward that would not make a final decision on Judge Kavanaugh's nomination until "I complete a thorough and fair examination of his candidacy." Manchin said they talked about health care, but did not elaborate on specific questions and responses. Manchin has stressed that he wants the courts to protect the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with pre-existing health conditions. "The Supreme Court may ultimately decide the fate of pre-existing conditions protections for nearly 800,000 West Virginians and will personally impact everyone who knows somebody with a pre-existing condition," Manchin said. Brianne Solomon, a teacher from Ashton, West Virginia, was one of a handful of constituents who met with Manchin shortly after the Kavanaugh visit. She said an aide told the group that Manchin spent most of the meeting stressing to the nominee the importance of health insurance coverage for West Virginians with pre-existing conditions. Solomon is working with the coalition Protect Our Care, which is defending the health care law put into place under President Barack Obama. Solomon said she suffers from three pre-existing conditions, including asthma, which is an illness her son has as well. "He doesn't deserve to be denied access to health care because I passed something onto him genetically," Solomon said. Manchin was one of three Democrats who voted to confirm Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota were the others. All three are up for re-election in states Trump easily won in 2016. Republicans have a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate. With the absence of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is fighting brain cancer, they cannot afford to lose a single Republican vote if all Democrats vote "no." Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are the only two Republicans viewed as possible no votes on Kavanaugh's confirmation. Both say they haven't made a decision yet. Both senators support abortion rights, and liberal advocacy groups are arguing that Kavanaugh's confirmation would undermine Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision. Paul had let Trump know he preferred other potential Supreme Court nominees he viewed as more conservative. He had expressed concern over Kavanaugh's record on warrantless bulk collection of data and how that might apply to important privacy cases. Paul, who met with the nominee last week, said he hoped Kavanaugh "will be more open to a Fourth Amendment that protects digital records and property." Yet he also said his vote doesn't hinge on any one issue. "I believe he will carefully adhere to the Constitution and will take his job to protect individual liberty seriously," Paul said. Trump thanked Paul with a tweet "for your YES on a future great Justice of the Supreme Court." Republicans hope to confirm Trump's nominee by fall. Democrats are objecting to holding a vote without being able to review all of the records from his tenure at the White House. Late last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee chairman, announced he was requesting documents from Kavanaugh's time at the White House counsel's office, not the staff secretary job, which could entail millions of documents. Democrats say that could leave out some of Kavanaugh's most important work. "What are they hiding? Why shouldn't we see what that record's about?" Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday on the Senate floor. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (C), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visits local residents of a village in Nyingchi, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 25, 2018. Li made an inspection tour to Nyingchi, Shannan and Lhasa in Tibet Autonomous Region on July 25-27. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) LHASA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang has stressed sustainable development and the improvement of people's livelihood while visiting southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. During his visit from July 25 to July 27 to Nyingchi, Shannan, and Lhasa, Li talked with officials and residents, learning about local economic and social development, and extending his good wishes to people of all ethnic groups in Tibet. In a village of Nyingchi, where residents enjoy better housing and more incomes thanks to poverty alleviation programs, Li said development is key to increasing people's wealth and achieving prosperity in Tibet. People's livelihood should be improved through sustainable development, which should be based on actual conditions of Tibet, he said. At the confluence of the Yarlung Zangbo River and its tributary Nyang River, Li was briefed on the conservation of water resources and eco-system. He said that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the "water tower" of China and Asia, where ecological conservation should be strengthened to support sustainable development in the whole country. At the construction site of the Lhasa-Nyingchi section of the Sichuan-Tibet railway, Li stressed the importance of the project to the development of Tibet and to ecological protection. The railway project is beneficial for Tibet to cultivate new growth drivers, and it is the right thing that must be done. Full construction work should be accelerated, Li said. At present, infrastructure development in the country's central and western regions is relatively weak, and promoting effective investments to improve weak links will not only narrow the gap in regional development but also helpful for the country to cope with economic downturn, he said. China should avoid strong stimulus and take targeted measures that are beneficial in both short and long terms, Li said. At Tibet Autonomous Region People's Hospital in Lhasa, Li said that the government will step up support to hospitals in Tibet and colleges for traditional Tibetan medicine to meet the needs of local residents. In Lhasa, Li also interacted with young makers at a startup base. The premier said entrepreneurship and innovation in Tibet are very important to high-quality growth. The country will create better environment to support the education of skilled workers and train more talented workers that are in high demand. While visiting Jokhang Temple, a renowned temple for Tibetan Buddhism in Lhasa, Li said Tibet has been an inalienable part of China ever since ancient times and he hoped that religious circles will continue to make contributions in safeguarding national unity and promoting ethnic solidarity as well as social harmony. At the Potala Palace, a UNESCO world heritage site, Li said that the government will step up support for the research on precious documents and push cultural inheritance and exchanges. Li expressed the hope that Tibet can stick to strategies and policies of the Communist Party of China to achieve development and prosperity, safeguard national unity, enhance solidarity among ethnic groups, promote social and economic development, and maintain lasting peace and stability in Tibet. 4 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] SEATTLE (AP) - An endangered orca that spends time in Pacific Northwest waters is still carrying the corpse of her calf one week after it died. Experts with the Whale Museum on San Juan Island have been monitoring the 20-year-old whale, known as J35, since her calf died shortly after birth Tuesday. For days now, the whale has been balancing the dead calf on her forehead or pushing it to the surface of the water. Jenny Atkinson, the museum's executive director, says the orca was still carrying her dead calf Monday afternoon. In this photo taken Tuesday, July 24, 2018, provided by the Center for Whale Research, a baby orca whale is being pushed by her mother after being born off the Canada coast near Victoria, British Columbia. The new orca died soon after being born. Ken Balcomb with the Center for Whale Research says the dead calf was seen Tuesday being pushed to the surface by her mother just a half hour after it was spotted alive. Balcomb says the mother was observed propping the newborn on her forehead and trying to keep it near the surface of the water. (Michael Weiss/Center for Whale Research via AP) Atkinson says the orca and her pod are going through "a deep grieving process." The calf was the first in three years to be born to the dwindling population of endangered southern resident killer whales. There are only 75. PINEDALE, Wyo. (AP) - The Latest on a 13-year-old Utah boy found safe after getting lost in the Wyoming wilderness (all times local): 4:45 p.m. A 13-year-old Utah Boy Scout who survived partly on bugs and bark for nearly 37 hours in the Wyoming wilderness says he worried whether he would see his family again. A helicopter brings Garrett Hunter, of Draper, Utah, to the Pinedale, Wyo., Airport after he was rescued from the Bridger Wilderness the previous night. Hunter became lost on Saturday morning and spent nearly 37 hours alone, surviving in part on bugs and tree bark. (Sgt. Travis Bingham/Sublette County Sheriff's Office via AP) Garrett Hunter of Draper, Utah, says his first thoughts after he realized he had been found Sunday night were "Hallelujah! I'm home free." Sublette County sheriff's Sgt. Travis Bingham says Garrett was found safe by volunteer searchers who happened to camp that night near where the boy had stopped to wait for rescuers. The boy was flown out by helicopter Monday morning. Bingham says Garrett became separated from his Boy Scout group Saturday morning when he went off the trail to go to the bathroom. ___ 11:30 a.m. A 13-year-old Utah Boy Scout survived partly on bugs and bark during the nearly 37 hours he was lost in the western Wyoming wilderness. Sublette County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Travis Bingham says Garrett Hunter was found safe at about 10:15 p.m. Sunday by volunteer searchers who happened to camp that night near where the boy had stopped to wait for rescuers. Rough terrain and darkness forced the search group to camp for the night and wait until Monday morning to take the boy out of the mountainous Bridger Wilderness. Bingham says the boy became separated from his Boy Scout group about 9:30 a.m. Saturday when he went off trail to go to the bathroom while they were on the way out from a weeklong backcountry hiking trip. ___ 8:50 a.m. A 13-year-old Utah boy who became separated from his Boy Scout group during a backcountry hiking trip in western Wyoming has been found and is in good health. Sublette County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Travis Bingham says Garrett Hunter was found about 10:15 p.m. Sunday by volunteer searchers. Rough terrain and darkness forced the search group to camp for the night and wait until Monday to take the boy out of the mountainous Wind River Range. The scout group had been on a 50-mile (81-kilometer), multi-day hike in an area about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the western Wyoming town of Pinedale when the boy was reported missing about 2 p.m. Saturday. The boy is from Draper, a city south of Salt Lake City. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Latest on a rare vintage car damaged by bear that broke into it in Alaska (all times local): 2:50 p.m. Tom Cotter says he'll leave the dents in his rare vintage car for a while to relish the Alaska vacation story behind it. It's not every day that a pricey collectible car is damaged by a bear breaking in to steal cookies. Tom Cotter stands near his red Shelby Cobra on Monday, July 30, 2018, in Anchorage, Alaska. The classic convertible was damaged when a bear broke into it last week while Cotter was touring the state with a group of friends also driving classic Shelby Cobras. (AP Photo/Rachel D'Oro) Cotter, of Davidson, North Carolina, tells The Associated Press he'll hold onto the experience because "it's bar room talk." Cotter's red 1965 289 Shelby Cobra sustained major damage to the vinyl roof and dents on the body when the bear broke into it last week at Alyeska Ski Resort, south of Anchorage. Fellow traveler, Woody Woodruff of Charlotte, North Carolina, had left a package of Fig Newtons in the car, and the cookies were missing after the break-in. Cotter was leaving Alaska Monday after he toured the state for two weeks in his Cobra with several other car collectors, including Woodruff. Cotter says he expects his insurance to cover the damages. ___ 10:15 p.m. A North Carolina man driving a classic convertible through Alaska has learned his car isn't impenetrable to bears. KTUU-TV reports Tom Cotter found his red Shelby Cobra with a gaping hole in the roof and claw scratches all over the body after staying the night last week at Alyeska Ski Resort, southeast of Anchorage. Cotter has been touring the state with three friends in classic Shelby Cobras. He says the car's value is "approaching seven figures." Cotter says the 53-year-old roof was able to survive all these years, but it "couldn't manage to survive 11 days in Alaska." The bear likely entered the car for a snack. A friend of Cotter's admitted to leaving Fig Newtons behind the seat. ___ Information from: KTUU-TV, http://www.ktuu.com ___ Information from: KTUU-TV, http://www.ktuu.com PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities used a stun gun but it failed to subdue a 20-year-old suspect who has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of a rookie Arizona state trooper, according to court records released Monday. The stun gun was used as six officers, including local police, struggled with suspect Isaac Damon King for about eight minutes after callers said he was throwing rocks at passing cars on Interstate 10 near Phoenix, the records state. Trooper Tyler Edenhofer, 24, died during the roadside struggle Wednesday when the attacker somehow got hold of another trooper's gun and fired two shots - killing Edenhofer and wounding another trooper in the shoulder, authorities say. FILE - This undated photo provided by the Arizona Department of Public Safety shows Isaac D. King. Arizona's public safety officials said Sunday, July 29, 2018, that King has been charged in the murder of a rookie state trooper still in training. (Arizona Department of Public Safety via AP, File) King was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault, three counts of endangerment and resisting arrest. He has not entered a plea. Seth Apfel, an attorney for King, didn't immediately return a call Monday seeking comment. King was admitted to a hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries after the shooting and was in a medically induced coma for a time. He was charged Sunday when he appeared via a video link before a judge. King, who lives in Avondale, was on medication for anxiety and depression and had no previous criminal record, DPS officials said. Just how the attacker got hold of the weapon and was able to fire it remained under investigation, said DPS Col. Frank Milstead. He said the weapon was in a standard leather holster tethered to the officer's belt. Edenhofer was killed just two months after graduating from the Arizona Department of Public Safety academy. The 24-year-old U.S. Navy veteran was engaged to be married. Several hundred people turned out Monday evening on the lawn of the Arizona State Capitol for a candlelight vigil. Most help up cellphone lights instead of flames, per DPS request. Gov. Doug Ducey offered his condolences and praised the way Edenhofer lived his life in service to others. Edenhofer's funeral is set for Friday in Peoria. A number of Britons have been confirmed safe after an earthquake on Indonesias Lombok island killed at least 15 people and injured more than 160 others, the Foreign Office has said. Officials said on Monday that they would continue to monitor the search and rescue operation on Mount Rinjani amid reports that there are more than 500 tourists trapped on the mountain. Indonesia Earthquake More than 1,000 homes were damaged on the island after the 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit on Sunday morning at a shallow depth, which tends to inflict greater devastation. Rescuers were trying to reach a suspected more than 500 people trapped after climbing up the active volcano, according to reports. Indonesia Earthquake A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: Embassy officials are in close contact with Indonesian authorities about the search and rescue operation on Mount Rinjani. A number of British nationals are confirmed safe; we are continuing to monitor the situation. Indonesia earthquake The spokeswoman was unable to immediately confirm whether the Britons were rescued from the mountain. Mobile Bali Lombok, which lies east of Bali, attracts tourists from across the globe with its hiking trails and beaches. Thousands more people have fled their homes after wildfires surged near a small lake town in northern California as fire crews across the state fight flames that have claimed the lives of firefighters and civilians. Residents of the waterfront town Lakeport fled after a major flare-up of two fires that combined across Mendocino and Lake counties destroyed at least four homes. Lakeport, home to about 5,000 people, is around 120 miles north of San Francisco. More than 4,500 buildings were under threat, officials said. The two fires had blackened 47 square miles, with minimal containment. About 100 miles north east, officials near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as a massive fire slowed following days of explosive growth. Were feeling a lot more optimistic today as were starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time, said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections incident commander on the blaze around Redding. Firefighters assess the damage in the aftermath of a wildfire in Keswick, California County sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The sheriffs department is also investigating seven missing persons reports, Mr Bosenko said. Redding police have an additional 11 reports of missing people, though many of them may simply not have checked in with friends or family, said Redding police sergeant Todd Cogle. The so-called Carr Fire that affected Redding a city of around 92,000 people about 230 miles north of San Francisco was ignited by a vehicle problem on Monday about 10 miles west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fuelled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. Redding police chief Roger Moore kept up an around-the-clock work schedule despite learning that his home was one of those destroyed. He was finally able to shave on Saturday when his wife brought him a razor, he said. Mr Moore was helping evacuate people from his River Ridge neighbourhood in western Redding when the flames became unbearable. A burned vehicle in the mountain community of Keswick, California I saw everything around it ignite, and I go, Its gone,' Mr Moore said. At least one person was arrested on suspicion of stealing from evacuated homes and authorities were keeping watch for other potential looters, said deputy Travis Ridenour, whose home also burned. Lost our house like so many others, Mr Ridenour wrote on Facebook. Still out watching over the ones still standing. No looting on my watch. The latest tally showed at least 657 homes destroyed and another 145 damaged, with the fire having consumed 149 square miles. After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Mr Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they did not know whether their homes were standing or were destroyed. Authorities had not reopened any evacuated neighbourhoods where fires raged due to safety and ongoing investigations and urged people to be patient, saying they would soon let residents back. Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, was reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smouldering rubble. The terrain surrounding nearby Whiskeytown Lake usually filled in July with tourists swimming in the clear water was burned, burning or seemingly about to burn on Sunday. Boats on Whiskeytown Lake (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) A heavy haze hung low over the water, where some of the docked boats had melted. Firefighters and utility repair crews drove up and down the once-scenic highway, while California Department of Transportation water trucks sprayed roadsides in the hope of preventing potential wildfires from burning across the road, which can cost several million dollars to repair. The fatalities included two firefighters and a woman and her two great-grandchildren. My babies are dead, Sherry Bledsoe said through tears after she and family members met with sheriffs deputies. Her two children, five-year-old James Roberts and four-year-old Emily Roberts, were stranded with their great-grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70, when flames swept through the familys rural property on Thursday on the outskirts of Redding. The sixth victim, who was not identified, did not evacuate despite receiving an evacuation warning, Mr Bosenko said. It is the largest fire burning in California, threatening more than 5,000 structures. The flames were just 5% contained, though Mr Gouvea said he expected that number to climb. The firefighters killed in the blaze included Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire. Redding fire inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, but details of his death were not released. With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke. Jeremy died while battling the Carr Fire. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for his family and the RFD as we process this tragic loss. More information will be released as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/3adHIkDepV Redding Firefighters (@reddingff_1934) July 27, 2018 The fire around Redding was among 17 significant blazes in the state on Sunday that had forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a Cal Fire spokeswoman. About 12,000 firefighters were battling the fires, she said. Meanwhile officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree and killed while working as part of a crew removing brush and other fuel near the so-called Ferguson Fires front lines, national parks officials said. We are saddened beyond words to report the death of Captain Brian Hughes of the Arrowhead Hotshots. Hughes' crew was on the #FergusonFire on @Sierra_NF when he was struck and killed by a tree. We grieve his loss. Photo courtesy of Brad Torchia pic.twitter.com/Lwy2MyH1jN Sequoia & Kings Cyn (@SequoiaKingsNPS) July 30, 2018 Originally from Hawaii, Mr Hughes had been with Californias Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots for four years and reached the rank of captain. Earlier this month, firefighter Braden Varney was killed when the bulldozer he was operating overturned while he was fighting the flames near the national park. At least seven other firefighters have been injured since that blaze broke out on July 13. Some evacuations were lifted but officials said Yosemite Valley, the heart of tourism in the park, will remain closed until August 3. A big fire continued to burn in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs, but officials lifted evacuation orders for several communities after reporting significant progress by firefighters. Jeremy Hunt admitted to a terrible mistake after describing his Chinese wife as Japanese during a diplomatic mission to Beijing. The Foreign Secretary was hoping to use the visit to boost trade links and address sensitive issues including the human rights situation in Hong Kong. He may have hoped that his personal connection to China through his wife Lucia could help forge strong links with the Beijing government, but that was undermined when he got her nationality wrong. At a meeting with Chinese counterparts, Mr Hunt said: My wife is Japanese my wife is Chinese. Sorry, thats a terrible mistake to make. In a Twitter post several hours later, the Cabinet minister appeared to see the funny side of the blunder. He wrote: Rule #1 as a new Foreign Sec: when reflecting in English with the Chinese on a conversation you had with them in Japanese about your Chinese wife, dont get any of those mixed up! Apologies to the long-suffering Mrs H! Mr Hunt was using visit to show Britains commitment to deepening ties post-Brexit between the nations. Trade, North Korea, nuclear weapons and climate change were among the topics up for discussion. Rule #1 as a new Foreign Sec: when reflecting in English with the Chinese on a conversation you had with them in Japanese about your Chinese wife, dont get any of those mixed up! Apologies to the long-suffering Mrs H...! Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 30, 2018 At a press conference with counterpart Wang Yi, Mr Hunt was asked about the situation in Hong Kong, which the UK handed back to China in 1997. Under the one country, two systems model, Beijing promised to let Hong Kong maintain wide autonomy and civil liberties, but fears are growing that Chinas leaders are backtracking by oppressing the political opposition. Mr Hunt said: We had extensive discussions about one country, two systems and the current situation in Hong Kong, and we had a very open and frank discussion about the concerns raised by a number of people. We also of course discussed our trading relationship, and I think the best way to continue to grow our trade and strength and trust between Britain and China is to be able to have the kind of open and frank discussions we had this morning. Brexit, China's rising power, boosting trade, important consular cases & human rights on the agenda for my meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing today pic.twitter.com/pORvaJgRJL Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 30, 2018 Hong Kong is part of China but of course we signed the joint declaration and we, as the United Kingdom, are very much committed to the one country, two systems approach, which we think has served both Hong Kong and China extremely well. Mr Wang pointedly responded: Hong Kong affairs are the domestic affairs of China. We do not welcome nor do we accept other countries to interfere in Chinas domestic affairs. But he insisted that China will continue to support and will stay committed to one country, two systems. Asked if Theresa May was worried about her Foreign Secretarys confusion over China and Japan, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said: No, I think he is very clear on that. Zimbabwe is voting in a historic election that is the first without Robert Mugabe. He had led the southern African nation since independence from white minority rule in 1980 but stepped down last year under military pressure amid a ruling party feud. Here is a look at milestones in the countrys troubled history. Robert Mugabe March 4 1980: Robert Mugabe wins the post of prime minister in the independent Zimbabwes first elections. 1982: A deadly, years-long military offensive begins in Matabeleland against supporters of Mr Mugabes former ally Joshua Nkomo, with thousands of civilians killed. 1987: Mr Mugabe becomes president after changes to the constitution. Villagers and their donkeys walk on a forest road near the village of Whitewater in the Matobo hills of Zimbabwe 1998: Zimbabwes once-prosperous economy spirals into a crisis from which it has never recovered. 2000: Mr Mugabe launches a deeply unpopular campaign to seize land from white farmers, leading to international condemnation. The opposition MDC party gains momentum. 2002: Mr Mugabe is re-elected as foreign observers call the vote badly flawed. The European Union imposes sanctions. 2003: The United States imposes sanctions for undermining democratic institutions or processes. 2005: US secretary of state nominee Condoleezza Rice calls Zimbabwe one of the worlds six outposts of tyranny. Morgan Tsvangirai 2008: MDC opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai claims a first-round election win but boycotts the runoff vote as violence against his supporters increases. Mr Mugabe is declared the winner. The two enter a fragile powersharing deal under which Mr Tsvangirai will become prime minister. 2013: A new constitution that strengthens human rights is approved in a referendum amid scepticism that Mr Mugabe will loosen his grip on the country. He wins another term a few months later as the MDC claims the election was fraudulent. Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace at their residence in Harare (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP) 2016: The influential liberation war veterans turn on Mr Mugabe after years of acting as his enforcers. Social media fuels large anti-government protests. First lady Grace Mugabes profile continues to rise with a younger-generation following in the ruling party called the G40, while some say she has no experience to succeed her husband, who is now in his nineties. August 2017: Mrs Mugabe is accused of assaulting a young woman at an upscale hotel in neighbouring South Africa but is granted diplomatic immunity. Emmerson Mnangagwa November 2017: Mr Mugabe fires deputy and longtime ally Emmerson Mnangagwa after a growing campaign against him by the first lady. Mr Mnangagwa flees the country. The military moves into the capital and puts Mr Mugabe under house arrest. Tens of thousands rally in the capital for Mr Mugabe to step down. Ruling party support crumbles. November 21 2017: Politicians begin impeachment proceedings and Mr Mugabe resigns after 37 years in power. November 24 2017: Mr Mnangagwa, 75, is inaugurated, urging Zimbabwe to let bygones be bygones. Nelson Chamisa (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP) February 14: Opposition leader Mr Tsvangirai dies, leading many MDC supporters to rally around 40-year-old lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa as their presidential candidate. June 23: The EU deploys its first election observers in Zimbabwe in 16 years as Mr Mnangagwa pledges a free and fair election while seeking the lifting of international sanctions including US sanctions on himself. Vivienne Westwood has designed a new T-shirt in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The T-shirts display a slogan which reads I fought the law. Assange has been living inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for more than six years, believing he will be extradited to the US if he leaves. Vivienne Westwood T-shirt The Ecuador government granted him asylum but recently cut off his communications and denied him visitors. Ms Westwood said: The United Nations define Julian as a political prisoner who should be released immediately with compensation. How can the British people maintain a degree of patriotism and belief in democracy when our Government has abandoned rule of law and imposed misrule? The American government claims its a crime to publish war crimes against America and they set up a court which is still working on how to convict him, once they have him, once he is extradited. Britain and Sweden conspired to trap him by means of misrule of law by government, constantly moving the goalposts and eventually denying his human right to asylum by Ecuador. All other anti-WikiLeaks spin or personal spin against Julian is just a confusion, the only issue they can use is that its a crime to publish war crimes against America. It is vital that Ecuador continues to protect him and that the UK Government drops their manufactured petty charges regarding bail, and abandons their plan to extradite him. The Pope has accepted the resignation of an Australian archbishop convicted of covering up the sexual abuse of children by a priest. Francis move followed mounting pressure from Australian priests and even the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull. Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson was convicted in May of failing to report to police the repeated abuse of two altar boys by a paedophile priest in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney during the 1970s. The Pope He became the highest-ranking Catholic cleric ever convicted in a criminal court of covering up abuse. Wilson had declined to resign pending an appeal of his case. Mr Turnbull added his voice to those calling for his sacking in an appeal to Francis on July 19. The Vatican said that Francis has accepted Wilsons resignation. It is the second major announcement of a sex abuse-related resignation in as many days, after Francis dramatic sanctioning this weekend of a US cardinal, suggesting he is keen to clean up before he heads to Dublin next month for a Catholic family rally. Wilson, who denied the accusations, had immediately stepped aside after he was convicted but refused to resign pending an appeal. Francis has appointed a temporary administrator to run the diocese in the meantime. Malcolm Turnbull In a statement issued by the archdiocese, Wilson said he had submitted his resignation to Francis of his own will on July 20 a day after Mr Turnbulls call and said he hoped his decision would help abuse victims and the rest of the Catholic community heal. He said: I had hoped to defer this decision until after the appeal process had been completed. However, there is just too much pain and distress being caused by my maintaining the office of archbishop. Wilson was sentenced by the Newcastle court to 12 months in detention. Francis decision to accept the resignation is significant given he has previously refrained from taking action against accused bishops that might be perceived as prejudicing outcomes in civil or criminal cases. Another Australian prelate, Cardinal George Pell, for example, has been on leave as the Vaticans finance czar while he faces criminal trial on accusations of sexual abuse. Theodore McCarrick But Pell, who denies the charges, remains a cardinal, head of the Vaticans economy secretariat and a member of Francis core group of nine cardinal advisers. Francis, though, is under increasing pressure to sanction bishops who have abused, botched handling abuse cases or otherwise covered them up. There are calls for a full-fledged church investigation in the United States, and criminal probes are under way in Chile as the next phase of the abuse scandal accountability for bishops who failed to protect their flocks from abusive priests is gaining momentum. In the United States, bishops and cardinals are coming under fire for failing to reveal what they knew and when about the abuse of adult seminarians and minors allegedly committed by Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington. Francis on Saturday accepted McCarricks resignation as cardinal, and imposed on him unprecedented penalties for a cardinal even before his canonical trial is completed, including living a lifetime of penance and prayer and living isolated from others. Who doesnt want to look fit and perfect, right? I mean, almost all of us have been running in this... Great Tide Surges in Pearl River -- National Art Works Exhibition Celebrating held at the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) in China's Beijing. (photo: Zhao Naiming/Guangming Picture) A total of 278 works will be put on display in this exhibition, including 100 traditional Chinese paintings and oil paintings on reform and opening up, collected by China Artists Association from across the country. Relevant departments of Guangdong Province list important events and figures in Guangdong's reform and opening up in various periods. Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangdong Painting Institute, Guangzhou Painting Institute, Guangzhou Sculpture Institute, and artists in Shenzhen selected 78 topics for artistic creations. Guangdong Province also selected 100 excellent works created since the reform and opening up. More than 4,000 pieces of works were received in the nationwide draft collection. 3 1 [ Editor: zyq ] Celebrities including Great British Bake Off presenter Sandi Toksvig have set off on a 117-mile hike to raise money for girls education. The five-day walking challenge along the Fife coastal path is spearheaded by charity campaigner Sarah Brown, with Ms Toksvigs wife Debbie, actress Arabella Weir and author Kathy Lette also taking part. The group arrived in Aberdour, Fife, in sunshine after walking from North Queensferry on the first day of the challenge. They have already raised more than 15,000 for Mrs Browns charity Theirworld, which works to bring better health and education to the worlds most vulnerable children. Mrs Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, said: Theirworld is a super charity thats been doing so much work for children around the world, really trying to unlock the opportunity for education, to have the right youth skills and to give these kids who would otherwise miss out the best chance in life. Some of our early projects when we started 1 5 years ago were here in Fife, so its lovely coming back here to be able to do the walk and raise funds. Its been 15 years, so we started with a 15,000 pot but weve got the Justgiving page up and were keeping going. Kathys our fastest walker and were a bit too slow for her, so she shot off ahead, but seems to have gone in a circle. Charity walk Sandi Toksvig said she had prepared for the challenge by eating lots of cake. Im having the best time, I think this is wonderful, I dont know why I havent done it before, she said. Ms Lette, a keen hiker, said she was surviving on haggis power while Ms Weir said: I expect our feet will start getting really sore in a few days, but Im not a quitter. People have been urged to turn up and support the walkers as they pass through towns and villages on the route. A four-year-old boy killed in a crash in Moray which claimed the lives of four others filled our lives with joy, his family has said. Lorenzo Ciociola was travelling in a minibus with his parents, three-year-old brother and two other Italians when it crashed with a car on the A96 just before midnight on Thursday. His mother, 33, is in a critical condition in hospital while his father, 45, remains in hospital with serious injuries. His brother was treated for minor injuries. In a statement, his family said: The Ciociola and Passanisi families have been devastated by the tragic and untimely death of little Lorenzo. Crash victim Frances Saliba Patane Although your life has been cut short you have filled our own lives with joy now you are our little angel in heaven. You will be forever close to our hearts and will continue to live on in the fond memory of your mum, dad and little brother Federico. Tributes were also paid to other victims of the crash, including Frances Saliba Patane, who was visiting Scotland to celebrate her 63rd birthday when she died. Her family said the English teacher, who moved from Malta to Sicily after marrying an Italian, was a loving wife and a caring mother and grandmother. Crash victim Ted Reid Both families thanked the emergency services and staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The family of Ted Reid, 63, from Macduff, Aberdeenshire, who was killed in the Nissan X-Trail along with Evalyn Collie, 69, from Aberchirder, Aberdeenshire, and Audrey Appleby, 70, said they are heartbroken. They said: Ted was a devoted husband, dad, granda, brother and friend. He will be remembered for his selfless loving nature and will be sorely missed by all. Ms Collies family said they have lost a beautiful lady and thanked those who helped. They added: We wish to pass on our condolences and deepest sympathy to all the families who lost family members in this horrific and tragic incident, and hope those injured make a speedy and full recovery. Crash victim Evalyn Collie. The driver of the Nissan, named locally as Morag Smith, 39, from Aberchirder, is receiving treatment for serious injuries. She was driving back from a country music night in Elgin at the time of the crash and the club president has paid tribute to the members killed, saying they were just very nice people. A 70-year-old male passenger from the Fiat minibus also remains in hospital. Deputy head of road policing Superintendent Louise Blakelock said: This has been a difficult and distressing time for everyone affected by this tragedy and the sympathy expressed by communities over the past few days has been overwhelming. We have learned of countless individuals going above and beyond to provide assistance and comfort to those in need from acts of bravery and compassion at the scene of the collision to invaluable support in the aftermath. On behalf of Police Scotland and our partners, a sincere thank you. Bruno Mancuso, an Italian senator from Sicily, said Lorenzos father Alfredo was a coastguard officer and that their local community was in deep grief. Audrey Appleby He wrote on Facebook: I am deeply saddened and dismayed by the tragedy that has struck lieutenant Alfredo Ciociola, commander of the maritime district office of SantAgata Militello, who in a tragic road accident in Scotland last Thursday, lost his four-year-old son. His wife is in a coma. The whole of the community tightens up to him and his family and expresses pain and deep grief. The Italian Honorary Consulate in Aberdeen is supporting the families of the Italian citizens caught up in the tragedy. Officers investigating the crash have appealed for any witnesses and for dashcam footage. Thousands more people have fled their homes after wildfires surged near a small lake town in Northern California. In all, more than 10,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders from the two blazes in Mendocino and Lake counties. Those fires are among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews are stretched to the limit although the advance of the states largest, deadliest blaze has now slowed slightly after days of explosive growth. A man whose wife and two great-grandchildren are among the six people who died in the so-called Carr Fire, near Redding, California, said he did not receive any warning to evacuate. Ed Bledsoe told CBS News he did not know his home was in danger when he left his wife, Melody, and the four- and five-year-old children to run an errand on Thursday. Mr Bledsoe said he received a phone call from his wife 15 minutes later saying he needed to get home because the fire was approaching. He said one of the children told him the blaze was at the back door. When he tried to return, the road was blocked with cars, and flames prevented him from returning on foot. Firefighters assess the damage in the aftermath of a wildfire in Keswick, California Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told the network there is an investigation into whether the Bledsoe home received a warning call or a knock on the homes door. The sheriff said there is evidence that door-to-door notifications were made in the area. The latest evacuations included about 1,000 people in Mendocino County. The rest are in Lake County, where residents of the town of Lakeport, which has a population of 5,000, were ordered to leave on Sunday night. Two other towns with about 5,000 people are also under mandatory evacuation. A burned vehicle in the mountain community of Keswick, California The two blazes have destroyed six homes and are threatening 10,000 others. The fires had blackened 87 square miles, with minimal containment. The wildfires that started on Friday are about 100 miles south-west of Redding. Crews handling the blaze near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as the massive fire slowed after days of rapid expansion. Boats on Whiskeytown Lake (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) Were feeling a lot more optimistic today as were starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time, said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections incident commander on the blaze around Redding. As of Monday, the Redding fire had destroyed 723 homes, up from a previous count of 657 homes. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The victims identity has not been released. Authorities are also investigating at least 18 missing persons reports, though many of them may simply be people who have not checked in with friends or family, police said. A commemorative plaque to telescope-maker extraordinaire Thomas Grubb has been unveiled in Dublin. John Halligan TD, Minister of State for Skills, Training, Innovation, Research and Development, unveiled the plaque in praise of Grubbs contribution to astronomy in Ireland and worldwide. Minister @JohnHalligan has unveiled a plaque commemorating the work of Thomas Grubb at Construction House, Dublin 6. Thomas Grubb pioneered telescope technology in the 1830s. pic.twitter.com/yL0PI40HOe Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (@DeptEnterprise) July 30, 2018 In the 1830s, Grubb pioneered telescope manufacturing from his base close to Charlemont Bridge on Dublins Grand Canal. Mr Halligan said: Like myself, Thomas Grubb was a Waterford native, hailing from Portlaw. He first began producing telescopes in Dublin in 1837, and became one of the leading telescope manufacturers in the world. Grubbs contribution to astronomy was immense: his firm contributed to telescopes in India, Australia, South Africa and the Crimea, as well as Greenwich and Dublin. I am delighted to be commemorating his significant achievements by unveiling this plaque today. Unveiling of the new Thomas Grubb Plaque at the site of the old Grubb Factory beside the Construction Industry Federation near Rathmines. pic.twitter.com/UeC5jbhqk1 DIAS Dunsink Observatory (@DIASDunsink) July 30, 2018 The National Committee for Science and Engineering Commemorative Plaques, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (Dias) and the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) came together to erect the permanent marker at the site of Grubbs first engineering works in Dublin. The site is now Construction House, the headquarters of CIF. Professor Tom Ray, of Dias, said: A fine example of his work can be seen in Dunsink Observatory, part of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. Despite being 150 years old, its Victorian clock mechanism and mechanics function perfectly. The instruments developed by the Grubb firm were critical in proving Einsteins Theory of Gravity and revealing the presence of Dark Matter. It is fitting that a permanent marker has now been erected to commemorate Thomas Grubb, Irelands telescope-maker extraordinaire. John Halligan In addition to Mr Halligan and Prof Ray, todays unveiling was attended by Dr Eucharia Meehan, chief executive and registrar of Dias, Tom Parlon, director-general of the CIF, and members of the history of science and astronomical communities in Ireland. A poll on Irish unity should not be held while uncertainty around Brexit remains, the leader of Sinn Fein has warned. Mary Lou McDonald said she disagreed with those who argued that a hard or chaotic Brexit should be the trigger for a referendum on unification. The Sinn Fein president insisted that would be the wrong climate for a substantive debate on the constitutional issue. The obvious thing would be to say well have the border poll and remove the border, if the border is the problem, simply take it away and there is a certain logic to that, she said. I am very, very conscious that you cant come at this issue in that simplistic way. Its very important when we come to addressing the issue of partition we do it in the best possible climate and we do it in a way that maximises consent. It is not my preferred option or our preferred option that we deal with the issue of Irish unity in a climate that is unsteady or unstable or chaotic, in other words in the context of a crash Brexit or a very hard Brexit. In an interview with the Press Association, Mrs McDonald said the border poll question should be put to one side until the dangers posed by Brexit are mitigated. I would prefer, it is my strong preference, that we have sequencing that firstly delivers a level of economic and social certainty, in as much we can be certain, and stability and from that base we then continue the conversation about Irish unity, she said. Mrs McDonald also said unionists who failed to countenance the possibility of a united Ireland in the future were burying their heads in the sand. Mary Lou McDonald interview She was reacting to the fallout from remarks by former Democratic Unionist leader Peter Robinson, who said unionists should prepare for what would happen if they were to lose a future border poll. Mr Robinsons party colleague Sammy Wilson was among a number of unionists to criticise the former first ministers comments, accusing him of giving encouragement to the republican narrative. Mrs McDonald said it was common sense to look at possible constitutional changes, even if you did not support them. Reflecting on what accommodations might be made for unionists if a united Ireland was to come to pass, the Sinn Fein president also indicated she would be prepared to accept a different flag and national anthem. The Convention Centre Dublin Peter Robinson certainly is not raising a banner for Irish republicanism or for a united Ireland but I think its good to hear a senior unionist talk in terms that are simply grounded in realism, she said. Peter Robinson is a unionist clearly, and he will argue passionately for the maintenance of the union, as will others, and thats fine, but it would be a case of really burying your head in the sand for unionism generally if they were not to raise their gaze and look to the future horizons and say if it were to happen, it doesnt have to be your first option, but if that comes to pass what is it that we need as citizens, as a political tradition, as a cultural tradition, what are the things that we want to secure in a new Ireland? There are some that think if you just keep shouting no loud enough that you can make change go away, you can be that boy with your finger in the dam trying to hold back social change but thats not how life works, its not how history works. Brexit On the prospect of standing below a new flag and singing a new anthem in a reunified Ireland, she said: I, as with every other person who argues for a new united Ireland, will honour the flag of that island, will honour the dawning of that new opportunity and I would be proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my fellow citizens, irrespective of religious creed, political background cultural background irrespective of everything that has gone before and I would proudly sing the anthem or anthems of that Ireland. Earlier on Monday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar restated his view that it was currently the wrong time for a border poll. I think its not helpful to be talking about a border poll in Northern Ireland, he said. Really hard to keep up with SF's position on a border poll. They've been calling for 1 every 5 minutes for the last 2 years now they want to see what Brexit will bring. Sensible change - we've been saying exactly that for 2 years. Colum Eastwood (@columeastwood) July 30, 2018 We are in a situation whereby there is huge uncertainty in Northern Ireland because people dont know whats going to happen in terms of Brexit but also the Northern Ireland parties havent been able to come together and form an executive. For me to start talking about a border poll in that context wouldnt be helpful. Mrs McDonald said the party policy of having a poll within five years remained but she insisted the first priority had to be dealing with the out-workings of Brexit in a non-political way. Reacting to her remarks, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood tweeted: Really hard to keep up with SFs position on a border poll. Theyve been calling for 1 every 5 minutes for the last 2 years now they want to see what Brexit will bring. Sensible change weve been saying exactly that for 2 years. Heatwave temperatures similar to those that set the UK sizzling this summer could become normal by the end of the century if carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to rise, say scientists. A new study predicts that without action to curb greenhouse gas emissions the climate of Western Europe could revert back to what it was 50 million years ago. At that time, during the Paleogene period, average annual land temperatures soared to between 23C and 29C. Weather conditions were hot, steamy and tropical. Professor Rich Pancost, one of the researchers from the University of Bristol, said: Our work adds to the evidence for a very hot climate under potential end-of-century carbon dioxide levels. Importantly, we also study how the Earth system responded to that warmth. For example, this and other hot time periods were associated with evidence for arid conditions and extreme rainfall events. RT New study led by scientists [@]BristolUni warns unless we mitigate levels of carbon dioxide emissions, W. Europe and New Zealand could revert to hot tropical climate of Paleogene period 56-48 mill. yes ago https://t.co/X1ZNLG6Lye #ClimateAction #MondayMotivaton #WakeUp EnviroEdgeNews (@EnviroEdgeNews) July 30, 2018 The scientists studied fossil microbes in ancient peat to estimate land temperature 50 million years ago. They found that annual land temperatures in Western Europe, as well as New Zealand, were significantly higher than previously thought. Study leader Dr David Naafs, from the University of Bristols School of Earth Sciences, said: We know that the early Paleogene was characterised by a greenhouse climate with elevated carbon dioxide levels. Summer weather July 27th 2018 Most of the existing estimates of temperatures from this period are from the ocean, not the land. What this study attempts to answer is exactly how warm it got on land during this period. The findings appear in the journal Nature Geoscience. Next the researchers want to investigate the effect of Paleogene heat in the tropics. Dr Naafs said: Did the tropics, for example, become ecological dead zones because temperatures in excess of 40C were too high for most forms of life to survive? Some climate models suggest this, but we currently lack critical data. Mary Lou McDonald has said the British Government should intervene to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland if the Stormont deadlock cannot be broken. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK or Ireland which has not legalised what supporters term marriage equality. Polls suggest a public majority back the measure, but the Democratic Unionists espouse the argument that marriage can only be between a man and a woman and have used a petition of concern to veto proposed change at the Assembly. Mary Lou McDonald and Billy Hutchinson The Sinn Fein leader attended her first Pride Talkback event in Belfast and said: If it is the case that Westminster has to intervene then so be it. In a reference to the powersharing impasse she added: That wont be a badge of success that will be a mark of failure. She said the best solution would be legislation brought through the Stormont Assembly, rather than Westminster where the DUPs 10 Brexit-supporting MPs are propping up Theresa Mays minority Government. We all have different views, religions and thats ok. But it is not ok to dogmatically impose your views to block the rights of others. There must be marriage equality. #pridetalksback @MaryLouMcDonald pic.twitter.com/qRXX3b23S7 Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) July 30, 2018 Ms McDonald added: In the absence of the political institutions, it is a matter for both British and Irish governments to ensure that the rights of the LGBT-plus community in the North are fully vindicated. The British Irish Intergovernmental conference met last week, it will meet again in the autumn and it must resolve the outstanding rights issues including the right to marriage equality. The Sinn Fein president said any change to the petition of concern as part of powersharing reforms needed to be handled carefully. Right across Ireland we have a problem with inclusion. A problem of real inclusion of valuaing and respecting each other. The reality is human rights are universal - the DUP will delay but never stop rights" Sinn Fein President @MaryLouMcDonald at #PrideTalksBack pic.twitter.com/cjbLj7hIEF Sinn Fein LGBTQ (@sinnfeinlgbtq) July 30, 2018 The real perversion here is that a mechanism intended to protect minorities and basic rights gets turned on its head and abused and misused. The Ulster Unionists, SDLP, Green Party, Alliance and Progressive Unionists were represented at Monday nights Pride debate at the Mac theatre. The DUP were invited but declined to attend. DUP MLA Jim Wells was notified but said he would rather walk up the Falls Road in a Rangers shirt, the organiser said. Mrs McDonald said: Those who wish to push back the tides of change can disrupt and delay but it will never stop the vindication of those rights. This is us. We are proud and we are not going away you know. Billy Hutchinson, PUP leader, said Northern Ireland needed the same LGBT rights as the rest of the UK. His party has supported same-sex marriage since 2013, doubling their vote soon afterwards. The politicians are way behind the community. It is two people who love each other. This is not about religious beliefs, this is about peoples equality. It is British rights for British citizens. UUP Assembly member for Upper Bann Doug Beattie leads a taskforce within his party addressing the issue. He said he thought none of his colleagues at Stormont would support a petition of concern veto on marriage equality because they were democrats. We are moving in the right direction but like that super-tanker in the ocean the turning circle is very large and we are moving very slowly. German pilots at budget airline Ryanair have voted to strike unless a dispute over pay is resolved in the coming days. The Vereinigung Cockpit union said 96% of the pilots who voted supported the stoppage. It accused the airline of playing for time in talks since January on a collective pay agreement. Ryanair The union said it is offering Ryanair a final deadline to submit a workable proposal by August 6 2018. Europes second-biggest airline by passenger numbers has seen staff in Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Belgium strike over pay in recent months. Ryanair said it has invited union representatives to meet next week. A strike next week would coincide with the end of summer holidays in parts of Germany. The Manchester Arena suicide bomber was rescued from the civil war in Libya by the Royal Navy three years before he killed 22 people at a pop concert. Salman Abedi was 19 when he boarded the HMS Enterprise in Tripoli in August 2014 with his younger brother Hashem and more than 100 other British citizens. It is understood Abedis name was on a list of stranded citizens handed to the crew in charge of the evacuation. The vessel took them to Malta where they caught a flight back to the UK. Hashem Abedi In May last year, he killed 22 people including seven children at an Ariana Grande concert with a homemade suicide vest. A Government spokesman said: During the deteriorating security situation in Libya in 2014, Border Force officials were deployed to assist with the evacuation of British nationals and their dependants. Abedi was being monitored by security services when he travelled to Libya, but his case was closed a month before his rescue. The Anderson review into the Manchester attack found that the decision to close Abedis case as a subject of interest was sound, based on the information available to security services at the time. A Government source told the Daily Mail: For this man to commit such an atrocity on UK soil after we rescued him from Libya was an act of utter betrayal. Hashem Abedi is held in jail in Libya by a militia group, but the British Government has requested his extradition to face trial for his involvement in the attack. The request has so far been refused. Last year was the fifth warmest for the UK in records dating back more than a century, the Met Office has confirmed. Figures show the UK climate is warming, with average temperatures over the last decade around 0.8C above the 1961 to 1990 average, while the country has also seen 8% more rain and 6% more sunshine. UK's warmest years graphic The annual state of the UK climate report also revealed that, in contrast to this summer, UK summers have been notably wetter over the last decade from 2008 to 2017, with 20% more rainfall compared to 1961-1990. Nine of the 10 hottest years in the UK have happened since 2002 and 2017 was the fifth warmest on record, figures dating back to 1910 show, the Met Office said. And the Central England Temperature (CET) record which dates back to 1659 for an area of central England reveals the 21st century, since 2001, has so far been warmer than the previous three centuries. The report also found that average sea levels have risen around 1.4mm a year since the start of the 20th century equivalent to a rise of about 16cm (6.3 inches) since 1900. Dr Mark McCarthy, manager of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said: Our climate is changing, globally and here in the UK. People may not recall 2017 as having been a particularly warm year, with a relatively wet summer and snow in December. Despite this, when looking at the longer term perspective, 2017 was still more than 1C above the 1961-1990 baseline and ranks as the fifth warmest year overall for the UK. Rainfall in 2017 was around average for the UK, but regional differences saw much of Highland Scotland and lowland England were considerably dry, while west Wales, north-west England and parts of south-west and north-east England were wetter, the Met Office said. It's officially the coldest night of the year so far with a freezing minus 13 C at Shawbury in Shropshire #brrrr pic.twitter.com/wMiM1rGv2E Met Office (@metoffice) December 12, 2017 Last years extremes included a temperature high of 34.5C on June 21 at Heathrow, and a low of minus 13C at Dalwhinnie, Scottish Highlands, on December 11 and Shawbury, Shropshire, on December 12. The highest daily rainfall was 212.6mm (8.37 inches) in Ennerdale, Cumbria, on Christmas Eve, while the deepest snow recorded was 40cm (15.75 inches) in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Wrexham, on December 11. And the sunniest spots were Whitby, North Yorkshire, Hastings in East Sussex and Morecambe in Lancashire, which all recorded 16.2 hours of sunshine on June 17 or 18, the reports shows. Dr Stephen Cornelius, chief adviser for climate change at WWF, said: Climate change is not just a problem for others this report shows that it affects us here in the UK. Were in the age of consequences extreme weather such as weve experienced this summer threatens our health, our water supplies and our natural world. These extreme events will become normal if we dont heed these warnings and act with urgency. The UK Government needs to work harder to cut our carbon emissions and build a cleaner, greener economy. A Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department spokesman said: The UK is a world-leader in cutting emissions and driving investment in low carbon technology. Since 1990, carbon emissions are over 40% lower, while the UKs GDP has increased by more than two-thirds. BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Lu Wei, former deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was charged with taking bribes, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate Monday. The Municipal People's Procuratorate of Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang Province filed the case to the Intermediate People's Court of Ningbo recently. Lu was charged with taking advantage of his own positions and using other officials to seek profits for others as well as accepting a huge amount of money and property. The SPP also announced the prosecution of two other former officials, Mo Jiancheng, former chief of the disciplinary inspection team sent by the CCDI to the Ministry of Finance, and Zhang Jiehui, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress. Both Mo and Zhang were charged with taking advantage of their positions and using other officials to seek profits for others and accepting a huge amount of money and property. Mo's case was filed by a branch of the Municipal People's Procuratorate of Beijing to the No. 1 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing, while Zhang was prosecuted by the Municipal People's Procuratorate of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province and will be taken to the Intermediate People's Court of Taiyuan. Prosecutors have informed the defendants of their rights, interviewed them and heard their lawyers' opinions, the SPP said. [ Editor: Xueying ] Tough talk on Brexit, betrayal by the Manchester Arena bomber and MPs criticism of charities over sex abuse top the agenda for Tuesdays papers. Several front pages also feature images of Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham after the couple won ITVs Love Island. On Brexit, The Times says Britain has warned the EU it must agree to a trade deal for the City of London or put thousands of European investment funds at risk. What the papers say The Financial Times reports the EU has grown more accepting of Theresa Mays Brexit proposals after a clarification on financial services suggested Brussels will retain ultimate control over UK access to the single market. Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition for July 31https://t.co/gLatA9Rjmo pic.twitter.com/0mxqTTVWap Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) July 30, 2018 Meanwhile the Daily Express places reaction to comments about Leave voters by Lord Mandelson on its front page. Salman Abedi, the Manchester Arena bomber who killed 22 people, was rescued by the Royal Navy while on a gap year in Libya in 2014, the Daily Mail says. The Guardian leads with a report by MPs that has accused charities of showing complacency verging on complicity in responding to endemic sexual abuse in the sector. The report, which also criticised charities for being more concerned with repairing their reputations than addressing the scandal, is also on the Metros front page. In other news, rail Delivery Group chief Robert Nisbet has apologised after he said many countries in Western Europe could only dream about levels of punctuality and performance seen in the UK, the Daily Telegraph reports. The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: 'Rail boss: our trains are envy of Europe' #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/FoNd3hAUPe The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 30, 2018 The i leads with a Supreme Court ruling on end-of-life care that will allow people to die without their families having to go to court. A teenage boy attempted suicide after growing obsessed with the video game Fortnite, the Daily Mirror reports. The Sun says a group of teenagers suspected of covering a vulnerable woman with eggs and flour have been given protection by police. By Ali Sawafta NABI SALEH, West Bank, July 29 (Reuters) - A Palestinian teenager released by Israel on Sunday after completing a prison term for kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier said she wanted to become a lawyer so she could continue her struggle against the occupation of the West Bank. Ahed Tamimi, 17, became a hero to Palestinians after the incident last December outside her home in Nabi Saleh, a village that has for years campaigned against land seizures by Israel, leading to confrontations with the Israeli military and Jewish settlers. Israelis regarded the incident, which Tamimi's mother relayed live on Facebook, as a staged provocation. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described Tamimi as "a model of peaceful civil resistance ..., proving to the world that our Palestinian people will stand firm and constant on their land, no matter what the sacrifice". He made the statement published by the official news agency Wafa after he met Tamimi and her mother. Wearing her trademark black-and-white chequered Arab scarf when she returned home, Tamimi greeted dozens of well-wishers. Outside the home of a villager killed by Israeli forces, she urged continued struggle against Israel's occupation. At a news conference later, she spoke in front of a bare two-pronged tree that had been shaped like a giant slingshot, with the trunk covered in a Palestinian flag and with a tyre at its base. "I will continue my university tuition and I will study law so that I can address the cause of my country in all of the international forums and to be able to represent the prisoners' cause," Tamimi said. "Prison taught me a lot of things, I was able to figure out the right way to deliver the message of my homeland." Tamimi, who was 16 at the time of her detention, faced 12 charges but in March pleaded guilty to a reduced charge sheet that included assault. She was sentenced to eight months, dating back to her arrest in December. Israeli police said two Italian artists arrested by border police on Saturday after they drew a mural of Tamimi on the wall in the West Bank town of Bethlehem must leave the country within 72 hours or be deported. The two and a Palestinian were arrested while trying to escape in their car "on suspicion of defacing the wall on the Palestinian side after they were seen painting on it while their faces were covered", a police statement said. Palestinians want the West Bank for a future state, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Most countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal, something Israel disputes. U.S.-sponsored negotiations on founding a Palestinian state alongside Israel have been stalled since 2014. Tamimi's case drew global attention and Amnesty International said her sentence was at odds with international law. Separately on Sunday, an Israeli naval vessel intercepted a civilian boat bound for the Gaza Strip that had set off from Europe. Israel maintains a maritime blockade of the Strip and said the boat was being towed to the port of Ashdod. (Additional reporting by Rami Amichay Writing by Dan Williams and Ori Lewis Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) BEIJING, July 29 (Reuters) - Police in the northeastern Chinese city of Changchun said on Sunday they had asked prosecutors to approve the arrest of 18 people at Changsheng Bio-technology Co Ltd, a vaccine maker at the centre of a safety scandal. Calls to the company seeking comment went unanswered. China has launched sweeping spot checks on vaccine makers after Changsheng was found to have falsified data and sold ineffective vaccines for children, a case that has ignited public anger. China's drug regulator has accused Changsheng of fabricating production and inspection records related to a rabies vaccine regularly given to infants. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Tina Qiao Editing by Mark Heinrich) By Ezgi Erkoyun ISTANBUL, July 29 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey will stand its ground after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to slap sanctions on Ankara if it does not free an American pastor, broadcaster Haberturk reported on Sunday. Relations between the United States and Turkey are on the line in the dispute over pastor Andrew Brunson, Erdogan was quoted as saying by TRT Haber and other media. Trump on Thursday threatened to impose "large sanctions" on Turkey unless it freed Brunson, who has worked in Turkey for more than 20 years and has been accused of helping the group Ankara says was behind a failed military coup in 2016. The pastor, who has denied the charges, is now under house arrest and faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty. "We will not step back when faced with sanctions," Erdogan was quoted as saying. "They should not forget that they will lose a sincere partner." Brunson, who is from North Carolina, was transferred to house arrest last week after 21 months of detention in a Turkish prison. Diplomats have been working to settle the tense dispute and on Saturday U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed the status of the pastor with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, the State Department said. Brunson's detention has deepened a rift between Washington and Ankara, which are also at odds over the Syrian war and Turkey's plan to buy missile defenses from Russia. It was not clear what would be the nature of sanctions threatened by Trump but Washington was already working on bills related to Turkey due to other issues of concern. The U.S. Senate has demanded a block on sales of F-35 jets to Turkey unless Trump certifies that Turkey is not threatening NATO, purchasing defence equipment from Russia or detaining U.S. citizens. Also, a U.S. Senate bill to restrict loans to Turkey from international financial institutions passed through a committee, an important early step for the bill to become legislation. Erdogan said that Turkey would resort to international arbitration if the United States does not deliver an agreed sale of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara, broadcaster Haberturk reported. "(If the U.S. blocks F-35 jets) We said we would go to international arbitration. If it comes to that point, there are other alternatives," Erdogan was quoted as saying. Israel confirmed on Friday that Trump had requested Israel to release a Turkish woman it accused of ties to Hamas. Israel deported Ebru Ozkan on July 15 and media reported that Washington was hoping that Turkey would release Brunson in exchange. Erdogan confirmed that Turkey had asked for U.S. help in securing the return to Turkey of Ozkan, broadcaster Haberturk reported, but denied any form of deal to release Brunson in exchange. "We told the U.S. that they might help for released and innocent Ebru to get back her passport and return to Turkey," Erdogan was quoted as saying by Haberturk. "However, we did not say we will give you Brunson in return." (Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul and Patrick Rucker in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler and Susan Fenton) CAIRO, July 29 (Reuters) - Islamic State claimed responsibility on Sunday for an attack on a midwife training centre in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Saturday that killed three staff. The ultra-hardline militant group, which cited no evidence for its claim in a statement issued via its Amaq news agency, said the attack was carried out by two gunmen. Islamic State has a stronghold in the province of Nangarhar surrounding Jalalabad, bordering Pakistan. (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba Editing by Mark Heinrich Editing by Mark Heinrich) The Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland would arrive in Sri Lanka on Wednesday for a four-day official visit, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Monday. In a statement, the ministry said this would be Dame Scotlands first visit to Sri Lanka since she assumed the Office of Secretary-General in April 2016. On August 1, the Secretary-General will call on Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and meet Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana. She will meet Ministers Malik Samarawickrama, Faiszer Musthapha, Sagala Ratnayake, Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan on August 2 and 3, it said. The main objective of the Secretary-Generals meetings will be to explore greater cooperation and collaboration in the implementation of the agreed outcomes at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, including promoting intra-Commonwealth trade. Discussions will also include the implementation of the Commonwealth Blue Charter, under which Sri Lanka holds the role of a champion country to lead the Commonwealth effort towards the restoration of mangroves. The Attorney General today (30) furnished a draft Rule before the Supreme Court against Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake complaining of him for having committed an alleged offence of Contempt of Court. The Bench comprised Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, Justices Vijith K. Malalgoda and Lalith Dehideniya, who will peruse it and make a decision on September 5. The Court on June 18 directed the Attorney General to furnish a draft Rule against Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake to show cause as to why he should be charged for in respect of two petitions complaining of him for having committed the alleged offence of Contempt of Court. Presidents Counsel M.A.Sumanthiran with Jerusha Crossette Thambiah appearing for Ranjan Ramanayake submitted that the procedure should be followed in all courts according to Section 793 of the Criminal Procedure Code in Chapter 9 which reads the procedure shall be followed in all courts. Accordingly, it is the person who complains who should forward the summons containing the charges to be served on the respondent and the Attorney General has no role in the proceedings. Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Navana had cited that the proceedure followed in former Minister S.B. Dissanayakes case was that it was the Attorney General who drafted the Rule for Contempt. However, Counsel Sumanthiran submitted that this case could not be followed because the expressed provision of the law was not followed in that case and that the practice of the Court cannot override the expressed provision of law. Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Navana with Senior State Counsel Shuharsho Herath appeared for the Attorney General. (S. S. Selvanayagam) Video by Prasanna From left - M.E.C. Akbar Flight Instructor, Captain W.P.L.K Premachandra Chief Flight Instructor, Captain Chira Fernando Head of training and Standards, Ayodya Liyanwela Chief Ground Instructor/ Manager Safety, Jessica Lewis Ground Instructor/ Course Coordinator An aviator is a unique and skilled individual with years of training and hard work as the foundation of his career. To become a military pilot it takes twice as much skill and training. Being an air force pilot takes thinking-on-your-feet and making critical decisions in seconds to a whole new level. In the cockpit where the smallest error can cost lives, one is forced to rely on ones training, experience and skills. It takes well qualified mentors and facilities of the highest standard to hone the skill and implement the training to produce pilots who will be the pride of the nation. Thus it is with great pride that the Fairway Aviation Academy announces its selection as a place of training for flight cadets of the Sri Lanka Air Force. A subsidiary of Fairway Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, the Fairway Aviation Academy consists of a team of dedicated and expert instructors, who follow a time proven curriculum that has been developed to cultivate the necessary thinking-methods, instincts and skills in a pilot. From left : Captain Sanjaya Adikari CEO Aviation Sector Fairway Holdings, Captain Chira Fernando- Head of training and Standards, Rifa Mustapha Executive Director Aviation Sector, Imal Fonseka Group CEO Fairway Holdings, Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathi Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Director Air Operations, Air Vice Marshal Priyantha Weerasingha, Director Training, Group Captain Herath, Chief Procurement Officer The academy is extremely grateful to the Sri Lanka Air Force for placing such confidence in them. This is a testimony to the fact that the Fairway Aviation Academys resources, aircraft and facilities are of the highest standard. A batch of flight cadets will complete their basic training of 92 hours under the guidance of the academys Chief Executive Officer and the Head of Training & Standards. Both gentlemen are former air force pilots and are thus well-aware of what is required and expected of a military aviator. A special curriculum has been implemented for the Air Force cadets, one that differs from that which is followed in the training of civilian pilots. The Fairway Aviation Academy is confident that when these cadets graduate, they will have a place among the best of the best aviators in Sri Lanka. For more details please visit www.faa.lk A source of great shame for Canadians, residential schools were meant to make indigenous children more British. From 1883 until 1996, the children were taken from their homes and placed in church-run schools far from their communities. The goal of the government-led residential school policy was to destroy the indigenous culture and language. During this time, it is estimated that 150,000 children were placed in residential schools and 6,000 of those children were killed. At the schools, indigenous children faced physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse from the staff. The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) between residential school survivors, Ottawa, and the Crown was announced in 2006. IRSSA recognises the need for reconciliation and is made up of five components: the Common Experience Payment (CEP); Independent Assessment Process (IAP); the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC); Commemoration; and Health and Healing Services. IRSSA allocated $1.9 billion USD for CEP to be distributed out to former residents of the schools. Additional funds have been set aside for the IAP, which deals with sexual, physical and psychological abuse claims, as well as for collective reparations, such as commemorative projects and health services. Supporting the need for a reparations process, the TRC visited hundreds of indigenous communities across Canada from 2008 to 2015 to document the experiences of residential school attendees. They declared that the residential school policy was in fact cultural genocide and the schools had been filled with unimaginable horrors. It was discovered that the government had been able to fill the schools by threatening the parents with jail time. This left the families with very little choice in the matter. Either the children are left alone while their parents go to jail or they go to the residential schools. In some testimonies, such as Isaac Daniels statement to the TRC, children decided so their parents would not have to. I heard my dad talking to my mom there, and he was kind of crying, but he was talking in Cree now. He said that, Its either residential school for my boys, or I go to jail. He said that in Cree. So, I overheard him. So I said the next morning, we all got up, and I said, Well, Im going to residential school, cause I didnt want my dad to go to jail. TRC, AVS, Isaac Daniels, statement to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 22 June 2012, Statement Number: 2011-1779. The abuse suffered in the residential schools highlighted the need for reparations. Throughout the Truth Commission, survivors spoke of the terror they faced in the schools from staff and their peers. Every day was, you were in constant fear that, your hope was that it wasnt you today that were going to, that was going to be the target, the victim TRC, AVS, Timothy Henderson, Statement to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 28 June 2011, Statement Number: 2011-0291. Today, the after-effects of the residential schools are apparent. The trauma experienced by older generations and passed down to their children has left a large age gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous people, high poverty rates, high suicide rates, and a high percentage of indigenous children in foster care. Through their work, the TRC made a list of recommendations for the Canadian government called the 94 Calls to Action. The 94 Calls to Action relate to child welfare, education, language and culture, health, and justice. As of March, 2018, the Canadian government and communities have proposed projects for 31 of the Calls to Action, are implementing 18 of them, and have yet to start 35 of the recommendations. So far, Canada has completed 10 of the 94 Calls to Action, such as Calls for more inclusive media and education about the past and why apologies are necessary. The IRSSA-started reparations process for residential school survivors is widely seen as an ongoing success story, however, Canada has only just begun righting the wrongs of its past against indigenous communities The IRSSA-started reparations process for residential school survivors is widely seen as an ongoing success story, however, Canada has only just begun righting the wrongs of its past against indigenous communities. Canadians and the international community are calling for more reparations for groups harmed by discriminatory policies throughout Canadas history. Most recently, for the indigenous children who survived the Sixties Scoop adoption programme, which forced thousands of children into child welfare services and global adoption from the 1960s to the 1980s. On 6 October, 2017, the Canadian government agreed to pay out $640 million CAD in legal settlements for those affected by the adoption programme. Canada is still facing its own challenges in the impartiality of the TRC, providing reparations that are acceptable to all victims, and implementing all of the Calls to Action. Despite this, the reparations process emphasises the needs of victims when deciding what remedies are appropriate. In Sri Lanka, there will be similar challenges in providing reparations appropriate to all victims who were harmed, purposefully or not. However, there is an opportunity for inclusiveness, victim-centrality and healing by addressing all experiences of civil unrest and conflict. Indian forest department plans to send back a consignment of exotic turtles to Sri Lanka, mostly red-eared sliders, that was seized from a passenger at airport recently. According to sources, officials are planning to send it back to Sri Lanka as it came from there, the Indian Express reported. Sources added that SriLankan Airlines also failed to notice the consignment carrying the turtles during security check with the reptiles kept in different boxes inside a stroller bag.Last year, Customs caught hold of another Sri Lankan passenger with 3,000 red-eared sliders at Chennai International Airport. In many such cases, the Forest department was helpless in taking tough action against such illegal importers as these non-native species are not listed under the scheduled lists of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. These foreign turtles are popularly known as Singapore turtle or American turtle in the pet market in India and is widely imported without proper documents as many people believe that keeping it would bring luck. The growing demand for these exotic species has encouraged many people to illegally import these reptiles from illegally operating breeding units in several Asian countries. These baby turtles would be brought from a captive breeding facility as most of them are of the same size. Otherwise, it is impossible to get these many turtles of similar size, said Muralidharan M, an eminent turtle biologist and marine researcher. Even in this case, experts confirmed that the Forest department will be able to take action against the passenger only for importing it without proper documents. PHNOM PENH, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen won Sunday's general election, according to National Election Committee (NEC)'s preliminary results released on Monday. Broadcast live on the state-owned National Television of Cambodia (TVK), the results indicated that the CPP earned 4.86 million, or 77.5 percent, of the total valid votes. According to the calculation table by the CPP based on the NEC's preliminary results, the CPP won all the 125 seats in the National Assembly. "We can say that this is a bright and historic success for the CPP," CPP spokesman Sok Eysan told Xinhua. "This clearly reflects the confidence of the Cambodian people in the leadership of the CPP, and they believe that only the CPP can lead Cambodia to a prosperous country." In the last election in 2013, the ruling CPP won 68 out of 123 seats. With the victory, Hun Sen, who has been in power for 33 years, will continue to lead the government for another five years. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the prime minister expressed his gratitude to the compatriots for overwhelmingly turning out to vote. "The siblings have really chosen the path of democracy and exercised your rights as stated in the constitution, which is the country's highest law," he said. "I thank all the people for voting to elect the lawmakers and ticking political parties that you like on the ballot-papers." Seng Sokheng, president of the Cambodian Nationality Party, which also joined the race, said on Monday that Sunday's election went smoothly without any disturbance, violence and intimidation. He said in a statement that the election was "free, fair, just, transparent, acceptable and better than that of previous elections." Twenty political parties contested in Sunday's election. According to the NEC, some 6.88 million, or 82.17 percent, of the 8.38 million eligible voters cast their ballots at all 22,967 polling stations across the country. NEC chairman Sik Bun Hok said Sunday that the voter turnout was much higher than that in the 2013 election when the voter turnout was recorded at 69.61 percent of the eligible voters. "This is the success of our election," he said in a press conference. "This reflects that the Cambodian people know democracy, and express it through their ballot-papers once every five years." Sunday's election ran smoothly without any violence or intimidation, Bun Hok said, adding that the provisional results will be released on Aug. 11, and the official ones will be publicized on Aug. 15. The election was monitored by more than 500 foreign observers from 52 countries and nearly 80,000 locals, according to the NEC. In a press conference on Sunday evening, representatives of the foreign observers highly praised the election, saying that it was conducted smoothly in a free and fair manner and without any incident or violence. According to Article 82 of the kingdom's constitution, the first session of the new National Assembly will be convened no later than 60 days after the election. The Southeast Asian country holds a general election once every five years. Sunday's general election was the sixth of its kind since 1993. [ Editor: Xueying ] Malaysia has expressed its strong interest in moving forward on the free trade agreement (FTA) with Sri Lanka that was initially contemplated in 2013, a communique from Sri Lankas Industry and Commerce Ministry said yesterday. The communique said Malaysias International Trade and Industry Minister Darell Leiking has expressed strong interest in moving towards an FTA between the two countries initially entertained in 2013. I welcome your interest in an FTA with Sri Lanka about which we agreed in principle. Such an agreement will boost Lanka-Malaysia trade in a great way, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathudeen, who was in Kuala Lumpur last week, had said. During the Second Session of the Joint Commission in Kuala Lumpur in October 2013, both sides agreed in principle to explore the future possibility of an FTA, which would boost bilateral trade further. According to the Commerce Department of Sri Lanka, bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Malaysia in the five year periodbetween 2013 and 2017increased by 20 percent. The bilateral trade between the two nations in the first six months of this year stood at US $ 361 million. Malaysia was the seventh largest source of imports for Sri Lanka in 2017. About 92 percent of the total trade between the two countries, which amounted to US $ 642 million in 2017, were imports from Malaysia. The main imports from Malaysia in 2017 were wood, portland cement, plastics, petrol, synthetic rubber and gas oil/diesel. Sri Lankas leading exports to Malaysia in the same year were food preparations, meslin flour, tea and apparel. While pledging that he would inform President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe of the keenness shown by Malaysia for an FTA, Bathiudeen invited the Malaysian private sector to explore investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. We invite the Malaysian official and private sectors to explore investment and trade potentials in Sri Lanka. Major economic reforms are planned under our unity government. I welcome your interest in an FTA with Sri Lanka about which both countries agreed in principle earlier, he said. We understand that there are training opportunities for our small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to be available in Malaysia and we will be thankful for provision of such opportunities to Lankan SMEs as well, he added. Sri Lanka currently has FTAs with India, Pakistan and Singapore and is negotiating a bilateral trade deal with China along with an extension to the existing FTA with India. Some solid growth in new loans and better margins lifted the profits of National Development Bank PLC (NDB) but the hefty provisioning against the possible bad loans and the resulting asset quality weakening stood out by June 30, 2018. Releasing its interim accounts just before the start of trading yesterday, NDB said it reported earnings of Rs.7.15 a share or Rs.1.27 billion for the April-June quarter (2Q18), up 70 percent from the same period last year. The net interest income was up 41 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs.3.51 billion, supported by better margins. The bank managed to stretch its net interest margin to 3.43 percent, from 3.00 percent in December 2017. The fees and other incomes rose by 17 percent YoY to Rs.947 million, which was also assisted by the banks capital market and investment banking business. However, the profits of this business segment declined by 5.5 percent YoY to Rs. 146.6 million for the six months ended on June 30, 2018, due to weak capital market and investment banking activities during the period. NDBs capital market cluster runs the countrys largest investment bank. Meanwhile, for the six-month period, the bank reported earnings of Rs.13.64 a share or Rs.2.42 billion, up 63 percent from the same period, last year. The net interest income rose 41 percent YoY to Rs.6.9 billion and the fees and commission income grew by 23 percent YoY to Rs.1.87 billion. The main drag on the bottom line was the hefty individual impairment provision, which rose to Rs.749 million, from Rs.338 million during the same six months in 2017. Further, the collective impairments rose to Rs.544.2 million, from Rs.195.6 million a year ago. This is despite the bank expanding its loan book by Rs.27.9 billion for the six months. Poor asset quality had a strain on the banks non-performing loans as the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio rose to 2.54 percent, from 1.83 percent in December 2017. The industry NPL ratio hovers around 3.3 percent levels. Meanwhile, the bank had raised Rs.23.8 billion in new deposits and a further Rs.8.7 billion in term borrowings. Lately, NDB was seen quoting off market rates to woo deposits as the bank appears to be gearing up for aggressive growth. This June, NDB announced a rights issue to raise Rs.6.2 billion in fresh equity to meet BASEL III regulations on capital requirement. By June 30, 2018, the government had a 30 percent stake in NDB through Bank of Ceylon, the Employees Provident Fund and Sri Lanka Insurance. The controversial primary dealer, Perpetual Treasuries Limited, the licence of which is currently under suspension, had a 4.45 percent stake in NDB being the seventh largest shareholder. The Perpetual group company, Perpetual Equities (Pvt.) Ltd, also had 1.29 percent in NDB being the 18th largest shareholder of the bank. PromoLanka Group Chairman and Managing Director Azad Mansoor, CEO & Director of Promo Lanka Holdings Adil Mansoor, and Vice President of PromoLanka Marketing Lyn Boteju accept the Brand Leadership Award at the Best Brand Awards PromoLanka Marketing (Pvt) Ltd. -Sri Lankas premier hospitality solutions provider- walked away with top honours after being awarded the Brand Leadership Award at the esteemed Best Brand Awards presented by the CMO Asia Council. The ceremony took place on Thursday 19 July at the Taj Samudra hotel in Colombo. PromoLanka was notably the only hospitality solutions provider to be nominated, and subsequently win. A reputed body in the trade, CMO Asia is dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange through leadership and networking amongst senior CMOs and brand decision makers across industry segments. The Brand Leadership Awards in particular is an independent brand recognition exercise initiated to give due credence to those brands and marketers who have achieved extraordinary success through innovative and effective marketing practices in Sri Lanka. Held every year with the intention of fostering marketing awareness and inspiring marketing excellence in the professional community, the mission at the forefront of the Brand Leadership Awards is to educate and disseminate the importance of branding in Sri Lanka. This is the third consecutive year that the awards have been held in the island. A member of the extensive PromoLanka Holdings portfolio, PromoLanka Marketing was established in 2004, with the intent to provide the best global products to the Sri Lankan Market. PromoLanka Marketings combination of technical and functional expertise, together with decades of relevant industry know-how, positions the brand to outperform all competitors by setting the benchmark in the relevant market segment. Working with multiple international names in the industry, the company is able to supply premium quality glassware, crockery, cutlery, buffet solutions, kitchen & bar utensils, and table-top accessories making a complete table top dining solution provider to hospitality and domestic markets, both locally and to the Maldives. Present at the ceremony to accept the award was PromoLanka Group Chairman and Managing Director Azad Mansoor, Adil Mansoor CEO, Director of Promo Lanka Holdings, and Vice President of PromoLanka Marketing Lyn Boteju. Parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said that he will not act as a Presidential Advisor from now on as there has been no advice sought from him so far and claimed he feels ashamed about holding the title. I have a title before my name which reads Presidents Advisor though there no advice has been sought from me so far. I only feel shame when my name is mentioned with the title Presidents Advisor put in front. I have no connection to the Presidents Advisor title and will no longer hold that post," said MP Rathana Thera on Saturday (28). The thera made these comments at the 30th Anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Womens Development Co-operative Society that was held at the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo. In parting Rathana Thera said that earlier political parties robbed the public separately. "But now they have got together and formed a unity government and are robbing from the public," the thera said.(Ariyaratna Ranabahu and Priyantha Jayalath) Representatives of Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena on Monday visited the Kauvery hospital in Tamil Nadu to meet the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, ANI news agency reported. Wishing speedy recovery to ailing Karunanidhi, the delegation also handed over a letter from President Sirisena to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin. Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital following a drop in his blood pressure last week. The DMK chief, who is on intravenous antibiotics, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. The Body Shop in Sri Lanka is ensuring that you dont neglect your skin this Summer, with the introduction of free skincare consultations at all three of its stores in Sri Lanka. Trained beauty specialists will be on hand to offer their expertise on how best to take care ofskin during the dry and dusty period, with an extraordinary new product that not just effectively deep cleanses but also moisturisesand vitalises dull skin. Through The Body Shops one on one consultations, customers will receive personalised advice on how to implement cleansing into their daily morning skincare routine, or even when removing make-up at the end of the day. The Intensely Revitalising Cleansing Oil-in-Gel from The Body Shop is a matchless new addition to the nourishing Oils of Life skincare range; an essential upgrade to an everyday skincare routine during the hot Summer months. Suitable for all skin types, its unique texture undergoes a sensorial transition from a rich, gel-like texture on application, into a light, milk lotion once in contact with water; removing residual impurities and leaving skin feeling supple and moisturised for an entire 72 hours. As its name suggests, the Intensely Revitalising Cleansing Oil-in-Gel is in essence a rejuvenator. The cleanser is infused with a blend of three precious seed oils; black cumin oil from Egypt, rosehip oil from Chile and camelia oil from China; rich in antioxidants, oleic acid, and omega 3 and 6 respectively. This exceptional formula, additionally enriched with 18% Community Trade olive oil, protects against free radical damage, helps nourish, and also protects the skins natural moisture barrier. For skin that looks as smooth and radiant as it feels, the new Intensely Revitalising Cleansing Oil-in-Gel and entire Oils of Life skincare range will be made available at The Body Shop flagship store at the Fairline Building near Bagatale Road, and outlets at Odel Alexandra Place and at the Kandy City Centre. For free consultations customers are advised to contact the store on 011 5765656 (Bagatale Road Outlet) 081 2233008 (KCC Outlet) 0772102777 (Odel outlet)to schedule an appointment in advance. This school of thought discounts the Buddhist revival of the 19th century on the basis that it did not do away with the separation between the clergy and the laity Secondly, the Amarapura Nikaya was the first sect to emerge from an entrepreneurial class Even with the setting up of the Amarapura Nikaya, its primary objective was to reform the order in line with the historical antecedents of Buddhism Its a mistake to suggest that the British did away with feudal structures in the societies they colonised. Far from it. In societies advancing towards capitalism, as Marx correctly surmised, such archaic structures would give way to an industrial class, which is why and how the Tories yielded to the Whigs. Such a transformation didnt come about in the colonies. The reason is obvious. The British didnt want to be the catalyst for the sort of change that would empower a nationalist bourgeoisie in the countries they had conquered. The one link with the past that those countries had which would hold back such a transformation was those feudal structures. In India, Africa, and of course Sri Lanka, the conqueror resorted to them, and in resorting to them, he found the perfect way of keeping us locked in the past. Those who believe that feudalism is retrogressive would be surprised to learn that the British didnt really combat it. Instead, they encouraged it. That was their game, after all. Divide and rule. I was thus a little wrong to suggest in my article on the Amarapura Nikaya (Sketches from the South: A history of schisms) that caste militancy figured in the politics of this country even before the arrival of the British. Prior to the annexation of Kandy, caste structures derived from one source; the whims of the kings. But while its true that these structures existed and had a decisive influence on the lives of the subjects of those kings, its nevertheless a fallacy to suggest that feudalism in Sri Lanka was the foundation of a harmonious utopia (which is what historians opposed to colonialism, particularly the romantic historians, contend). A more balanced and moderate reading of the processes which engulfed this country after the Kandyan annexation, especially in relation to the shifts in the Buddhist order, is called for. Since I stopped or paused in my earlier article at the point of the founding of the Amarapura Nikaya, what is now needed is an exploration into how that Nikaya itself fell victim, at least for a brief period of time, to the same caste politics that had earlier invaded the Siyam Nikaya. New sect inaugurated To recap; in 1799, a contingent of monks from the Salagama caste, financed by a leading Salagama entrepreneur, Dines de Zoysa, and led by Ambagahapitiye Nanavimala, set off to Amarapura in Burma, where the new sect was inaugurated. They returned four years later. However, given that official recognition from the Colonial Office was not forthcoming, another monk, Ven. Kapugama Dhammakhanda Thera, financed by another Salagama entrepreneur, Adrian de Abrew, set off to Amarapura, to return two years later in 1809. By the time official recognition did come, through an Act of Appointment issued in 1825, Ven. Dhammakhanda Thera, nine years earlier, had renounced Buddhism and accepted Christianity. This is where we should resume. Historians and sociologists tend to view colonial Sri Lankan society in terms of a series of encounters between Govigama and Karava, or between the landowning aristocracy and the arrack renters. Consequently, the evolution of the Salagama as a distinct caste has been neglected in scholarship, with the result being that even such seminal works as Kumari Jayawardanas Nobodies to Somebodies fails to account for the rise in Salagama consciousness during the Dutch occupation. This is a rather curious omission, and reasons for it are hard to find. Regardless of those reasons though, I believe that such an omission is unpardonable when assessing the divisions of the Buddhist order during the early decades of British rule. Since the Siyam Nikaya were adamant on not opening the Upasampada to members of outside castes, two upasampada ceremonies predating the Amarapura Nikaya were conducted in 1772 at the Thotagamuwa Raja Maha Viharaya in Thelwatte, Galle, and in 1798 at Tangalle. What was so significant about the Amarapura Nikaya, then? First and foremost, it marked the first time that a rebel sect had been inaugurated with the express consent of the powers at the time. Its reasonable to assume that the British would have had a vested interest in segmenting the Buddhist order, in the hopes of fragmenting a belief that had already taken on a caste-ist character, but it is a mistake to think that such an act of segmentation would not have occurred without British intervention. Even without them, the pressures on the order from caste interests could not be withstood. Secondly, the Amarapura Nikaya was the first sect to emerge from an entrepreneurial class. Those who view colonial history in terms of a rift between Govigama and Karava fail to consider or omit altogether the fact that the Salagamas forged ahead as a capitalist class long before the Karavas began to prosper through the arrack rent. What this obviously necessitated was a shift in the way the new Buddhist order, built on the patronage of powerful Salagama headmen and entrepreneurs, especially with regard to its complete autonomy from a monarch, Sri Lankan or British. Given this autonomy, it had virtual carte blanche to move forward with a reformist agenda. In other words, as Prof. Kitsiri Malalgoda has argued in his book Buddhism in Sinhalese Society, It successfully questioned for the first time the right of secular authorities to regulate the affairs of the order. Changes in economic landscape It was as reformist as it was sectarian, and like the Protestant Reformation in Europe, it coincided with changes in the economic landscape; the decline of the traditional elite (soon to morph into a landowning class courtesy of the British), and the rise of a new elite (though the Salagamas had more or less consolidated economic power before British rule). Where it differed from the reformist and sectarian movements in Christian Europe, however, was that it wasnt inaugurated with the objective of establishing a religion and priesthood for all, i.e. for the peasantry. It was defined in relation to and against the Establishment, but this didnt mean that it flirted with radicalism the way that, for instance, Thomas Muntzer did when he rebelled against both the Catholic Church and Martin Luther. In fact, as Regi Siriwardena argued in a reply to Kumari Jayawardana, it is difficult to ascertain whether the Buddhist priesthood in Sri Lanka ever produced the equivalent of a Muntzer or for that matter Martin Luther. Even with the setting up of the Amarapura Nikaya, its primary objective was to reform the order in line with the historical antecedents of Buddhism, as reflected (or refracted) through its tenets. Where are the radical Buddhists? Siriwardena once asked. It is a question which has invited both censure and praise, and has divided scholars over the decades. From one standpoint, it has been argued that Buddhism here was infected with the remnants of feudal society. This school of thought discounts the Buddhist revival of the 19th century on the basis that it did not do away with the separation between the clergy and the laity. Personally, I do not think that the contention that Buddhist radicalism as understood by Western scholars didnt come about totally is reason enough to conclude that the Buddhist order sought to preserve feudal structures at whatever cost. This is where we must credit the Amarapura Nikaya, because for the first time in the history of the Buddhist order, it brought forth (as Professor Malalgoda observes) closer cooperation between the monks and their devotees. This had less to do with an overt objective by those monks to erase caste distinctions than with the fact of their own meagre historical condition; given that it had no royal patronage, the Amarapura Nikaya was compelled to rely on the lay devotee. As an anthropologist once wrote, moreover, this had an impact on the way even the Govigamas saw it: I know many villagers of the Govigama caste who prefer to give alms to monks of the Amarapura or Ramanya Nikaya rather than those of the Siyam Nikaya because they believe that the former are less worldly. Here, then, was a Buddhism that promised people salvation in this present birth, as opposed to the more conservative Buddhism which gained prominence among urban followers in the latter part of the 19th century. Salvation, in other words, would come about through this birth and this world, not ones next birth. It encouraged affirmative action and dissension, gave equal weight to prathipaththi (principles) and amisa pooja (making offerings), and encouraged a new spirit and culture of revivalism. Its here that we see the seeds that were later sown by the Anagarika Dharmapala, with a monastic order that, while certainly not radical like its counterparts in the West, sought to combat the other-worldliness the domineering sects had encouraged in their devotees. What this resulted in was a sharp awareness of the need to oppose external forces which had harmed the faith, and the Amarapura Nikaya took this point to heart so much that one Christian missionary contended that it was At present the most prominent in controversy, street preaching, and all that is aggressive. But long before this anti-imperialist streak came about, the Amarapura Nikaya had to wade through decades of infighting; something I intend on exploring in my next piece on the subject. UDAKDEV1@GMAIL.COM Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited today said flying kites within a radius of five kilometres from any airport was illegal and a punishable offence and requested people to refrain from such acts. In a statement it said flying kites within five kilometres from an airport could damage wings of the flights and other parts causing even plane crashes. The statement said flying kites at the area close to the 14 airports in Sri Lanka have been restricted. (Ajith Siriwardana) SriLankan Airlines yesterday welcomed its newest and final addition to the Airbus A321 Neo fleet. The aircraft arrived from Hamburg via Abu Dhabi on July 29, 2018. Religious observances were held yesterday morning at the engineering A320 hangar in Katunayake to bestow blessings on the new aircraft before it embarks on its maiden commercial flight. SriLankan Airlines now has six Airbus Neo aircraft and 27 aircraft in total in its fleet with the newest acquisition. The university protests carried out by the university students were politically funded, Higher Education & Cultural Affairs Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said yesterday. Addressing a news briefing, he said it had become an issue to maintain the discipline at the university education due to the intervention of the political groups whose aspiration was to create political turmoil. There are groups who fund in millions for these university students to organize their protest march. Majority of the students who are involved in these protest campaigns, are not university students, Minister Rajapakshe said. He said much of the protest marches are not carried out with pure intention to meet out justice but to fulfill political aspirations. Meanwhile, he said the ragging had become a major issue in the universities where a lot of students had been inconvenienced owing to physical and sexual harassment. We are to carry out stringent actions on ragging in line with the Ragging Act, he said. He said a phone line 011-212 3700 is available 24 hours to lodge complaints in relation to ragging incidents. (Sheain Fernandopulle) Video by Buddhi GAZA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations official warned Sunday that schools for Palestinian refugees, run by the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA), may not reopen as scheduled due to its financial crisis. Director of UNRWA operations in the Gaza Strip Matthias Schmale said in a press statement that "there are political reasons behind the financial cuts in our budget." "I can't promise that schools will reopen on Aug. 22 and it might be postponed for one additional month due to our financial crisis," said Schmale. "The United States has clearly informed us that they won't give us the money for political reasons," Schmale added. Around 1,000 UNRWA employees have been going on a general strike at the agency's main headquarters in Gaza city in protest of the layoff measures recently declared by UNRWA. "We have 1,000 employees on the emergency program; 100 of them will complete lose their job on Sept. 1, while 300 will remain in their job and 500 will be moved to the part-time job system," said Schmale. Schmale was severely slammed by the employees who even threw shoes at him. "I reiterate that it is the right of UNRWA's employees to peacefully protest and demonstrate," Schmale said. "We are trying to keep the basic and important services of UNRWA in spite of not having enough money in our budget for our emergency program," said Schmale. Meanwhile, Amir al-Mesehal, head of UNRWA Employees Union announced Sunday that 1,000 UNRWA employees will go on a hunger strike within the coming few days in protests of UNRWA's financial cuts. "UNRWA will be fully responsible for the life and security of the striking employees," said al-Mesehal, adding that "our protests against UNRWA's decisions will go on until its goals are achieved." He warned that "no one could imagine the humanitarian catastrophe that would strike the Gaza Strip in case UNRWA insists on its measures against the Palestinian employees." UNRWA provides services to about 5 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development. The agency's services include education, health care, relief, social services, infrastructure, camp improvement and microcredit. [ Editor: Xueying ] SL bound to face the worst debt-crisis in 2025 *The private sector even covers farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs, retailers, wholesale traders, importers and exporters They all had a bitter attitude towards the private sector. They vented their anger against the private sector in that manner Government has got everything confused. With only a tax revenue of one trillion, the Rajapaksa Government financed the war... against terrorism The reports submitted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding debts are totally false. Joint Opposition MP Bandula Gunawardane, in an interview with the Daily mirror , speaks on the economic situation of the country and the impact of recent tax reforms. Excerpts: QThe Government has introduced a new tax policy. It is to increase the percentage of direct tax revenue for the State coffers. How do you view it? It is an unfair strategy to raise revenue. According to my knowledge, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera lacks theoretical knowledge on direct and indirect taxation. In the countries such as those in the SAARC region, it is economically unrealistic to maintain direct taxation at 40 per cent and indirect taxation at 60 per cent. QWhy do you say so? There is a tax base. Direct taxation is done proportionate to peoples income and profit levels, and their properties. We do not have a large social segment here in Sri Lanka with a firm economic footing to pay direct taxes as a large percentage. Sri Lanka made an economic leap after the end of the war in 2009 under the Mahinda Rajapaksa rule and became a lower middle-income country. Until such time, our annual Gross Domestic Production (GDP) remained at less than the US $ 25 billion, be it under a closed economic system or an open economic system. In the post-war era, the GDP rose to US $ 82 billion by 2014 when the Rajapaksa era ended. Only in a higher middle-income country or a developed country, can 40 per cent ratio direct taxation be expected. It is realistically possible in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Switzerland. These countries have their tax bases which are economically well-off. Our tax base is small. If we increase direct taxation, our industrialists and landed proprietors will be liable for taxes more and more. If the Government heaps them with a tax upon taxes, they will get a severe beating in the economic sense. The private sector is the engine of growth in the economy. When we mention the private sector, a petty-minded JVP member would think of company giants. The private sector even covers farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs, retailers, wholesale traders, importers... QIn contrast, the increase of indirect taxation will result in the price hike of food commodities and all. Isnt it an advantage to have a higher ratio direct taxation? If we levy Rs. 25 on a kilogramme of sugar, it will be a huge tax burden for someone earning Rs.1,000 per day, for example. Yet, for someone with a daily income of Rs.100, 000, it is not a burden. That is the end result of indirect taxation. There is a heavy tax burden on the lower-income groups and less burden on the high-income groups. If we exempt essential items from taxation altogether, we can avoid such impact. Another measure to mitigate the impact is high taxation on luxury items. Or else, subsidies should be given to low-income groups. In the developing countries, the increase of direct taxation is not economically advisable in the long run. The private sector is the engine of growth in the economy. When we mention the private sector, a petty-minded JVP member would think of company giants. The private sector even covers farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs, retailers, wholesale traders, importers, exporters and service suppliers. If you burden the private sector with large taxation, investment will be discouraged. It will reduce employment opportunities eventually. We have to implement the tax policy in a manner that will not discourage investments. The United National Party (UNP), in a clear departure from their past attitude, launched a scathing attack on the private sector after assuming office in 2015. The entire country was bustling with economic activities before 2015. Those, engaged in such private sector economic activities, were dubbed fraudsters by then Minister Ravi Karunanayake. They were accused of having ill-gotten wealth. He imposed the Super Gain Tax with retrospective effect. Investment dropped by Rs. 50 billion as a result during that year. There were a few other similar taxes such as Mansion Tax imposed totally out of venom, targeting the private sector. The directors of leading companies were hauled before the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID). The Government implemented the 100-Day-Programme. It is a programme worked out by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the NGO representatives and the UNP. They all had a bitter attitude towards the private sector. They vented their anger against the private sector in that manner. QTaxation is needed to raise revenue for the Government. Yet, people are also burdened by taxation. What do you propose to reconcile both of them if you are opposed to tax reforms in this manner? The management of expenditures as proportionate to the income level is what matters here in economics. That is the fiscal management that applies even to a family, individual or any company. It is macro-prudential economic management needed in this regard. There are families with a monthly income of Rs.40, 000. Yet, they manage their household incomes well. They sometimes do not borrow even a single cent from anyone. They are very economical in their expenses. Many such families cannot afford to dine out. They do not consume bottled water. For a middle-income family with a monthly income of Rs.100, 000, it is different. Such a family can afford to do so many things. Yet, even if the family with such a high income is not frugal enough in its expenses, it will be compelled to make borrowings from friends and relatives to make ends meet. There are persons with their monthly incomes running to the tune of millions of rupees. Yet, they sometimes are addicted to gambling and betting. Then, life will be more difficult for them than for the two income categories I mentioned now. So, what matters is striking a balance between the income and expenses. If you burden the private sector with large taxation, investment will be discouraged. It will reduce employment opportunities eventually. We have to implement the tax policy in a manner that will not discourage investments QFor the Government, it is different. It has to spend on essential services somehow or the other. What is your response? This Government has got everything confused. With only a tax revenue of one trillion rupees, the Rajapaksa Government financed the war against terrorism. It successfully warded off the impact of the world fuel crisis at that time. Now, there is an increase in tax revenue due to the latest tax reforms. Alongside, the present Government has two advantages. There is no need to finance the war effort. Also, the fuel prices have dropped in the world market. Despite all these advantages, the Government cannot manage the economy today. During the last three years, the Government was able to save only US $ 5.1 billion from its oil import bills because of low prices in the world market. QThe Government says it has to spend a lot on debt-servicing. According to the Government, the repayment of some of the loans raised during your tenure has started only now. What do you say about it? It is a fiction. The reports submitted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding debts are totally false. I never believed that the Prime Minister would tell such lies. The Prime Minister said the State revenue was insufficient to pay loan instalments. In 2014, the State revenue accounted for Rs.1,195 billion. For debt-servicing, that Government spent Rs.1,076 billion. Under the new Government in 2016, the State revenue rose to Rs.1,454 billion. It costs Rs.1,317 billion only for debt servicing. The trend continued. The State revenue in 2016 was Rs.1,686 billion. For debt servicing, Rs.1,352 billion was spent on the repayment of loan and loan instalments. In 2017, the Government gained Rs.1,837 billion. Debt-servicing cost Rs.1,603 billion. It is incorrect to say that income was insufficient to pay taxes. It is clear that the Government imposed unfair tax hikes not to settle loans. When the Rajapaksa Government assumed office, the total debt component stood at Rs. 2 trillion. When his term ended by 2015, it was Rs.7 trillion. There is an increase of five trillion rupees during the ten-year period. The debt component is as high as Rs.11 trillion. It has shot up by Rs.4.5 trillion during the last three and half years under the new regime. Otherwise, there is an unrealistic fear whipped up by the Government about a debt burden. Debt burden is cited as the reason for all the economic ills of the country. Yet, it is not the real case. Actually, Sri Lanka is bound to face the worst debt crisis in 2025 according to economic forecasts. We will be compelled to grapple with it. The United National Party (UNP), in a clear departure from their past attitude, launched a scathing attack on the private sector after assuming office in 2015 QYou have been subjected to humiliation because of your remarks that Rs. 2,500 would suffice for anyone to live for one month. How can you support your remarks? Actually, I put a Cabinet Paper asking for the increase of allowances being given to students of the National Colleges of Education from Rs.2,500 to 3,000. What I said was that such a student was making a hand-to-mouth living with Rs.2,500 without dying. Critics interpreted it in different ways. I was politically slandered. QYou are critical of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Singapore. It has already been signed as a bilateral agreement. How can it be reversed? Professional groups have moved the court in this regard. It was worked out and signed with educating people and Parliament. This has been signed without amendments being incorporated. It was done hastily. There are conditions stipulated by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to be fulfilled in signing a service agreement. There are six aspects. One is the mandate. Others include transparency, human rights, accountability, and interface. In this instance, there are no transparency, accountability and the employment of human resources. The service sector will be opened in this instance. This agreement is proposed to be valid for an indefinite period. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Japan Launches First Next-Gen Destroyer The page you requested is only available to subscribers. 1. If you are a Premium Service subscriber, please log in here to access this story: Log-in : Password : 2. If you are not a subcriber, you can: -- buy access to this page: unlimited access for seven days costs 3.00 EUR + VAT (at 20%) if applicable. Clicking on the "Ok" button below will place the item in your shopping cart and return you to our home page, where you will be able to select additional stories. -- select additional stories and services from our home page and pay for them at the same time. -- see your shopping cart. 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Subscriber content preview HEYBURN, Idaho (AP) Officials in the south-central Idaho city of Heyburn have agreed to move toward a judicial confirmation rather than ask voters to approve a bond to cover the cost of a major wastewater treatment upgrade. The Times-News reports that the Heyburn City Council on Wednesday approved the plan rather than ask voters to pass a bond of between $7 million to $8 million. . . . CAIRO, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed on Sunday and 18 injured in a collision in Egypt's Suez Canal city of Port Said. A bus collided with a trailer near the toll station in southern Port Said, state-run MENA news agency reported. The wounded were all workers of one of the factories in city, MENA said. Ten ambulances rushed to the scene to carry the wounded and an investigation was launched into the accident. Egypt suffers a high rate of traffic accidents that kill thousands of people every year due to lack of highway monitoring systems, inadequate road maintenance and negligence of traffic rules. Traffic accidents in Egypt declined by 24.5 percent in 2017 to 11,100 cases compared to about 14,700 in 2016, according to a report from the country's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics released in March. The report pointed out that road accidents left 3,700 people dead and 14,000 injured in 2017 while killing 5,300 and wounding 18,600 in 2016. [ Editor: Xueying ] Subscriber content preview LAKEWOOD Two Pierce County apartment complexes have sold to LLCs associated with developer George Webb's Stratford Co. Brokers were not announced. The Sandman 4 Apartments, at 10102 Sales Road S., sold for $10.7 million, according to Pierce County records. The sellers were three LLCs, including Tyroda Royal View LLC, which acquired the property in 2016 for $4.4 million. . . . WSDOT boss blames traffic on housing SEATTLE (AP) Washington state's transportation chief says it would be impossible to cure the traffic congestion, blaming the actual cause of car-clogged highways on the region's affordability crisis. Roger Millar, the state's transportation secretary overseeing the Department of Transportation, said at an American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials meeting last week that building more highways isn't the answer because traffic congestion is a problem we simply cannot solve. He said it's because too many people have to drive hours to get to work because the only housing they can afford is far away. Millar said executive housing and Walmart jobs is a housing solution that only puts more people on the road. Seattle's grappling with its housing affordability and homelessness crisis as it's become the fastest growing city in America. First batch of Ugandan beef exported to Egypt Chief Executive Officer of the Egypt-Ugandan Food Security (EUFS), Sherif el-Kallini announced that EUFS exported the first 50 tonnes of Ugandan beef shipment to Egypt on Saturday. In a press statement, Kallini assured that the high quality of Ugandan meat outstrips the quality of Brazillian meat imported to Egypt. Earlier this year, Ugandan President YoweriMuseveni paid a visit to Egypt with an aim to discuss ways to promote bilateral relations between the two countries. During the visit, Egypt President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and the Ugandan President signed three memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the fields of electricity, industrial and agriculture sectors, resulting in the meat trade partnership. Museveni reiterated that both leaders are keen to support the establishment of mutual projects aimed at realising food security for the people of both countries. He also pointed out that Uganda produces the finest types of beef, obtained from livestock fed on organic food. The Ugandan president inaugurated Africa's largest slaughterhouse, theEgypt-Uganda Food Security Company in 2016. Head of Export Development Authority (EDA), Sherine el-Shorbagy shared that the trade exchange between Egypt and Uganda increased 27% year-on-year, reaching US$66 million. Simultaneously, Minister of Foreign Affairs, SamehShoukryalso stated during a press conference that Egyptian private sector is willing to increase its investments in Uganda. The 'new face' of the Democrat Party? By Mark Alexander The Democrat Party announced its 2018 election motto: "For the People," apparently an ironic excerpt from Republican Abe Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which referred to "government of the people, by the people, for the people." Ironic, I note, because while Lincoln is credited with having emancipated our nation's slaves, Democrats have spent the last half-century enslaving poor urban blacks on the poverty plantations of their so-called "Great Society." Indeed, Democrats have a long and sordid record of masterful hypocrisy. Given their latest efforts to transform a once-noble party into the Socialist Democrat Party, their motto would more appropriately be "For the People's Republic." The weedy seeds of socialism were mostly dormant until the election of Barack Obama, who, along with his sidekick Hillary Clinton, cultivated those seeds and, in protest to the 2016 election of Donald Trump, are now seeing them sprout around the country. The net result is, predictably, that fewer Democrats are proud to be American and more are identifying with the anti-American tenets of socialism being propagated by the Left. The contrast between Republican optimism and Democrat pessimism has rarely been so starkly defined. The 2016 emergence of socialist Bernie Sanders, himself a card-carrying member of the rich and famous leftists, is a testament to the "success" of the ultra-radicalization of our political discourse over Obama's tenure. And, consequently, the Demos have unleashed a beast that they will have difficulty taming. On Sanders's coattails comes the surprise rise of the socialist darling de jour, 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, after the Millennial's shocking upset of 10-term Demo incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley in New York's 14th congressional district. Crowley, the fourth-ranking House Democrat, was at the head of the line to succeed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and he led Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, by 35 points two weeks ahead of the primary. But in a district with almost 215,000 active registered Democrats, only 13% turned out, and that tiny subset gave Cortez a 4,163-vote win over Crowley 57% to 42%. So energized were Cortez's "useful idiots" that she also won the Reform Party's write-in primary (among a field of 22 candidates) in the neighboring 15th congressional district of Democratic incumbent Rep. Jose Serrano. Fortunately, she can't occupy two seats at once. Leftist DNC Chief Tom Perez immediately declared that Cortez "represents the future of our party," thus displacing Maxine Waters as yesterday's arbiter of the Democrat Party's future. But Cortez is just the latest manifestation of the socialism deniers who have infested the Democrat Party. The Sanders/Cortez duo is obviously a play for idealistic (read: "uninformed") Millennial voters who can then be rolled into general election campaigns. But is she something more, given that all the hate-filled Demo rhetoric has stirred up a broader spectrum of their base? There is a surge in young voters, who now account for 61% of new voter registrations. One thing is certain, however: Cortez is no smarter than her nescient national fan base, as a brief video montage of her remarks reveals. Declaring, "Call me a socialist; I don't give a dn," Cortez offered this insight on why socialism is best: "When we talk about democratically socialist economies, first of all, they're done with the full input of everybody. You vote. It's democratic. So if something is not a good idea, it doesn't get voted for, ideally." Actually, that's the definition of a "dumbocracy." Apparently she doesn't realize that the subjugated masses in Red China and the former USSR also "voted" for their tyrannical communist regimes. The fact is, "democratic socialism" is nothing more than communism lite, and the consequences are the same. Cortez says, "For me, democratic socialism is about really ... no person in America should be too poor to live." But she can't name a country where socialism has been successful, and democratic socialism will ensure that all people in America are "too poor to live." She dodges questions about Sanders's socialist paradise, Venezuela, where statism has degraded what was once a wealthy country into a cesspool of corruption where 90% of the people now live in utter poverty and starvation is rampant. On her advocacy for socialism, she insists, "I do think that, absolutely, capitalism was the most efficient and best economy, perhaps, for the time that it was at, perhaps. ... Ultimately we are marching towards [socialism]. I do think that we are going to see an evolution in our economic system of an unprecedented degree." Her abjectly ignorant claim about jobs "Unemployment is low because everyone has two jobs. Unemployment is low because people are working 60, 70, 80 hours a week and can barely feed their family." won her the "Liar Pants on Fire" rating from the leftist "fact-checkers" at PolitiFact. The less-than-erudite Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) also lit her pants on fire by doubling down on Cortez's myth, telling a national audience that most Americans have "two, three, or four jobs to try to pay the rent and keep food on the table." Challenged on her socialist credentials, Warren responded, "I am a capitalist. Come on! I believe in markets!" Of course, economic illiteracy is a staple of Demo Party socialists such as DNC Deputy Chairman Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), who believes that open borders will lead to prosperity and that undermining American wages will result in prosperity. And on the hot topic of immigration, the following war cry was central to Cortez's platform: "It's time to abolish ICE. We must abolish ICE." In fact, Democrat leaders don't care about immigrant children unless they can be used as political fodder. Apparently, Cortez isn't aware that 74% of those arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year had prior criminal records, or that only 25% of registered voters support abolishing ICE. Walking back her absurd assertion that Israel is the occupier of Palestine, Cortez confessed, "I am not the expert on geopolitics on this issue." That was a colossal understatement. In fact, Cortez is not an "expert" on anything except perhaps rallying the leftist mob. That notwithstanding, could she be the "the future of the Democrat Party"? Unfortunately, given the party's leftward transformation under Obama, the answer may be yes. Economic illiteracy has never deterred most Democrat voters. Notably, several other Demo primary results were equally stunning. Voters in Maryland selected Bernie Sanders-backed former NAACP leader Ben Jealous to take on popular Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. And the California Democrat Party spurned long-time party stalwart Sen. Dianne Feinstein, instead endorsing hard-leftist Kevin de Leon by a whopping 65% to Feinstein's 7%. (Feinstein nonetheless won her state's "jungle primary" and will appear as usual on November's ballot.) All may not yet be lost, however. There are still a few voices of reason in the Demo wilderness. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) insisted, "The reality is that if we are going to be a majority party if we are actually going to win in November we've got to have a diversity of views and I think that's one of the things that's made our party strong in the past. But if we become narrower if we become more divided then we can do that as Democrats. We are just not going to win." Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said, "If we as a Democratic Party are going to move from a minority at every level that is dedicated to resistance to a majority that is capable of governing, we have got to move from grievance to optimism. And we've got to abandon a politics of anxiety that is characterized by wild-eyed proposals and instead deliver ideas and practical solutions." Former Connecticut Senator and Demo veep candidate Joe Lieberman asked, "What is the Democratic party going to be? I am still a Democrat and when I see somebody that really says she is a socialist... If you look at the policies, those are not policies that will be supported very many places across America. If her win makes her into what [DNC chairman Perez] calls 'the new face of the Democratic Party,' the Democratic Party will not have a bright future. ... [She talks] from the Democratic-Socialist organization policy book." Another of the Left's temporary darlings, disgraced former FBI Director James Comey, got roasted by social media for his appeal to sanity: "Democrats, please, please don't lose your minds and rush to the socialist left. This president and his Republican Party are counting on you to do exactly that. America's great middle wants sensible, balanced, ethical leadership." Even Obama's former secretary of state, leftist John Kerry (D-MA), insists, "We have got to get away from this constant effort to destroy a presidency, whoever's it is. It is tearing our country apart, and I think it is very, very dangerous for our democracy." By way of trying to explain the recent emergence of Democrat socialists, political analyst Dennis Prager surmised that this is the result of leftist hysterics: "If you vote Democrat this November, you are voting for hysteria, lies, socialism, and even the cheapening of the Holocaust. But more than anything, a vote for Democrats in November is a vote for hysteria the greatest and darkest in American history." But Democrats have always capitalized on hysteria, betting that the majority of their constituents (women voters) are emotional incontinent dupes. Conversely, conservative female voters demonstrate the courage to think for themselves rather than being swept up by the groupthink of emotive masses. The Democrat Party has long passed its expiration date. The high-water mark for reasonable and rational Democrats was in 2005, when Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA) retired. In his 2003 book, A National Party No More, Miller wrote, "In the eyes of Middle America, the Democrat Party has become a value-neutral party. ... Today our national Democrat leaders look south and say, 'I see one-third of a Nation and it can go to hell.' Either the party is not a national party or the candidates were not national candidates. ... There was a time when the leaders of the Democrat Party understood both the policy and political value of cutting taxes." If the Sanders/Cortez road show reflects a core directional shift for the Democrat Party, the volume of "impressionables" they compel to vote may be offset by those who are disenchanted with the "new face" of the party and are now walking away. A recent reputable year-over-year poll sponsored by NBC/Wall Street Journal indicates some significant shifts in loyalty to the Demo Brand. Notably, polls tend to be lagging indicators, and the recent socialist uprising and calls to abolish ICE probably aren't fully reflected in this survey. There are a lot of metaphors that could rightly describe what's going on with Democrats, but my preference would be the inimitable words of Forrest Gump: "Stupid is as stupid does." In The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien writes, "Handsome is as handsome does," meaning that true handsomeness is a matter of deeds, not appearances. In the context of Forrest Gump, it means that true stupidity is a matter of deeds, not appearances. Bottom line: If this surge of socialist sentiment plays out in deeds rather than appearances, that may be costly for Democrat midterm hopefuls, but it most assuredly will be bad for the future of American Liberty. Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post. The social cost of nonprofit lawyers By Michael R. Shannon Recently the Washington Pravda caused me to start thinking about lawyers. This is not a favorite topic. I resent the fact lawyers can file a frivolous lawsuit, on behalf of a dishonest client, and be completely untouched by any repercussions. On the contrary, theyre handsomely paid while aiding an injustice. Meanwhile, the subject of the suit spends thousands fighting a lie. In most instances, even if he wins, hes ruined financially. I can count the number of times Ive hired a lawyer on the fingers of one hand. My first was an incompetent who didnt understand the specific performance clause of a real estate contract. The second lawyer was hired 14 years later when I bought another house. In between I joined the Monkey Wards legal plan. (Monkey Wards is redneck for Montgomery Wards, once a retailing powerhouse rivaling Sears and J. C. Penny, but now existing mainly as a shrunken web retailer and occasional reference in opinion columns.) The monthly fee entitled members to a one-hour consultation on any civil matter, document reviews and stern letters written on my behalf to anyone who dared to cross me in a legal manner of speaking. If a problem needed more than one hour of legal advice, plan members go on the clock at what was guaranteed to be a discounted rate. Thats the entirety of my contact with lawyers as a client. Its the total contact for most Americans. What prompted this brief bout of soulsearching was the mention of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless in connection with the demolition of a building near Washington, DCs main homeless shelter. A staff lawyer for the clinic supported a bill by Councilman Trayon White Sr. the Maxine Waterslike political wizard, whos convinced Jews control the weather. Before it was diluted by a thunderstorm, Whites bill would have required the city to put the homeless in new housing before demolition could begin. My first thought was why on earth would homeless people need an entire legal clinic at their disposal? I could understand being on the lookout for doctors, cooks, haberdashers, carpenters and cobblers, but if I could get by for decades without paying for a lawyer, why do DCs homeless need one for free? Well, theres that crime thing. In Portland, OR the homeless made up half the people arrested in 2017. Thats a lot of lawbreaking for less than one percent of the population. Homeless arrest percentages arent reported in DC, but regardless the clinic only handles civil matters, not criminal. The organization has 15 staff members, 9 of whom are lawyers. Funding comes from donations and grants from the annual United Way charity drive and the Combined Federal Campaign. So, what do these legal eagles do all day? The homeless, by definition, arent buying homes and I doubt their days are a whirlwind of wills and living trusts. That leaves news conferences and social justice, which is very expensive for the public. The clinics existence, funding and social approval is a byproduct of what Russell Moore calls moralistic sentimentalism. Meaning someone sees a problem, decides the problem shouldnt exist and makes it their goal to eliminate the problem. What they never do is ask what caused the problem in the first place. Moralists arent big on responsibility. They feel sorry for the homeless and then use them as a blank slate to demonstrate their commitment to being a good person. Some of the sympathetic go to work for the clinic and others fund to it. With the ironic result that the homeless legal team is funded by the same people who cant afford a lawyer of their own and whose lives are degraded by the clinics legal victories. Dont like aggressive panhandlers? Thank a lawyer. Dont like stepping in human waste on the sidewalk? Thank a lawyer. Dont like derelicts camping in front of your business? Thank a lawyer. Dont like worrying about stepping on a syringe with your flipflop? Thank a lawyer. Dont like being forced to roll up your window when a panhandler confronts you in the left turn lane? Thank a lawyer. The homeless industrial complex likes to describe the homeless as outcasts, like its our fault theyre on the street. When the truth is many are on the street because they cant obey simple rules, cant resist drugs and alcohol or they are criminals. Instead of building a society that reinforces cultural norms, organizations like the clinic employ the force of the law to coddle a tiny minority at the expense and safety of the vast majority. The only homeless who truly benefit are the handful that are powerwashed before their brief court appearance as a token plaintiff. The rest continue their downward spiral and the lawyers, as usual, suffer no repercussions. Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). Home A pair of male-female panda twins were born to both captive and wild parents in China's Sichuan Province Wednesday afternoon, announced the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda on Sunday. Panda Cao Cao, 16, gave birth to the twins at the Hetaoping panda base in Wolong, with the male cub weighing 215 grams and his younger sister weighing 84 grams, said Wu Daifu, director of the panda base. The mother was released into the wild in February ahead of the mating season this year and started to show signs of pregnancy in late June. [ Editor: Xueying ] Place Your Advert Thousands of Active jobseekers are looking for new agricultural positions in 2020. Call us now to discuss the options for advertising your vacancy in our job section. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category China saw 297 million air passenger trips during the first half this year, a 12.4 percent year-on-year increase, according to Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Monday. The country's air cargo traffic reached more than 3.55 million tonnes in the same period, a 6.4 percent year-on-year increase, said CAAC in its latest released statistics for the first half of 2018. To date, air passenger traffic volume represents 31 percent of the country's comprehensive transportation system, a two-percentage-point year-on-year increase. By the end of June, the flight punctuality rate of China was 79.52 percent, representing an 8.33-percentage-point year-on-year increase, while its flight volume increased by 8.38 percent compared with the first half last year. China recorded 549 million air passenger trips and 7.12 million tonnes of air cargo in 2017, a 12.6 and 6.6 percent year-on-year increase respectively. CAAC forecasts that number of China's air passenger trips is expected to reach 612 million in 2018, an 11 percent year-on-year increase. M12, Microsoft Corp.s venture fund, in collaboration with the EQT Ventures fund and SVB Financial Group, launched the Female Founders Competition. The competition seeks to accelerate funding for top women-led startups focused on enterprise technology solutions. Two winners will share $4m in venture funding, as well as access to technology resources, mentoring and more. Submissions will be accepted from July 26, 2018, to Sept. 30, 2018, and open across Europe, Israel, and North America (U.S., Canada and Mexico). Companies will be eligible to apply if they have at least one woman founder, have raised less than $4 million in combined equity funding and/or loans at day of application, and offer or intend to release a product, service or platform that addresses a critical business problem. Up to 10 finalists will pitch in person for the chance to be one of the two startups that earn a $2 million investment as well as access to technology resources, mentoring and additional support. For addition info click this link: https://m12.vc/female-founders/ FinSMEs 30/07/2018 Olive, Inc., a Columbus, Ohio-based healthcare-focused robotic process automation and artificial intelligence company, raised $32.8m in Series D funding round. The round was led by Oak HC/FT and Ascension Ventures with participation from existing investors. In conjunction with the funding, Billy Deitch, Principal at Oak HC/FT, and John Kuelper, Investment Director at Ascension Ventures, will join the board of directors. The company intends to use the funds to scale its AI solution, Olive, throughout healthcare organizations nationwide, and invest in new capabilities such as Pupil, its process mining tool, which will be launched at alpha sites this summer. Led by Sean Lane, Founder and CEO, Olive is a healthcare-specific artificial intelligence and process automation company that allows organizations to improve efficiency and patient care while reducing administrative errors. Its AI solution acts as the intelligent router between systems and data by automating repetitive, high-volume tasks and workflows, providing interoperability. FinSMEs 30/07/2018 Waldo, a London, UK-based direct-to-consumer contact lens brand, secured 3.7m/US $5m in Series A venture capital funding. Backers included PROfounders Capital, YYX Ventures, Tectonic Capital and Tinder co-founders Sean Rad and Justin Mateen in the United States. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate ongoing international expansion in Europe and the US. Founded by Ashleigh Hinde, 29, Waldo is a direct-to-consumer brand that delivers daily contact lenses at an affordable price via an innovative and flexible online subscription. Launched in the UK on 1 August 2017, the company ships its ultra-breathable daily lenses to customers within 48 hours. Then, each month, the company replenishes a customers supply of lenses as needed. Customers can accelerate, pause or cancel their subscription at any time or upgrade to Waldo Vitamin, a Vitamin enriched lenses designed to replenish especially dry and itchy eyes. After launching in the United Kingdom in August 2017, Waldo has sold 50,000 daily lens wearers across 27 European countries. FinSMEs 30/07/2018 Wild Earth, Inc., a Berkeley, Calif.-based biotech startup developing clean protein pet foods, raised $450k in seed funding. Backers included Pathfinder, the early stage investment vehicle of Founders Fund, and Peter Thiel. The investment brings Wild Earths total funding to just under $5m. Led by CEO Ryan Bethencourt, chief science officer Ron Shigeta, Ph.D., and and Dr. Ernie Ward, Wild Earth is a biotech startup developing clean high-protein pet foods. The company is developing koji-based protein, followed by cultured meat derived humanely from animal cells. All products and ingredients are sourced, formulated, and made in the United States. Wild Earth cultivates koji in fermentation tanks, and uses proprietary technology to optimize it for nutritional content, texture, and flavor. Wild Earths first product, a koji-based dog treat, will be available in late summer. Its koji dry food for dogs is scheduled for release in 2019, and cultured meat for cats from mouse cells is in development. FinSMEs 30/07/2018 1912 . (1912-1913 .) 7- 28 ( ) . - . 29 , "". ... Exports during the period were estimated at US$133.69 billion, up 15.3% annually, while imports were valued at US$130.63 billion, up 12.7% over the same period of 2017. The first seven months of 2018 saw domestic enterprises record a trade deficit of US$15.1 billion, while the foreign-invested sector, including crude oil revenues, ran a surplus of US$18.2 billion. Foreign enterprises remained the main export driver of the Vietnamese economy, accounting for 70.8% of the countrys total export revenues during the January-July period. A breakdown of the export markets shows that the US was the largest buyer of Vietnamese goods with US$25.5 billion, up 8.9%, followed by the EU and China, with their imports from Vietnam worth US$24.2 billion and US$19.5 billion respectively. Exports to the ASEAN market also recorded strong growth at 16.2% to US$14.2 billion, while exports to the Republic of Korea surged by 32% to reach US$10.2 billion. On the other side, China remained the largest source of Vietnams imports with US$35.8 billion. The Republic of Korea came second with US$26.5 billion and ASEAN third with US$18.1 billion. This week in industry news, DSM completed its acquisition of First Choice Ingredients for an enterprise value of US$453 million. Tate & Lyle opened a technical... Read More According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, over 750,000 cars are reported stolen in the United States each year. Even though about half of those cars eventually get recovered, theres a lot of hot metal left over that ends up on the black market. Many of the cars that slip through the cracks are chopped up and sold for parts, while others are smuggled overseas. However, more than a few end up in the classifieds as used cars with bogus background stories. Since Los Angeles region sees the most thefts of any metro area in the United States, the L.A. County Sheriffs Department has put out a list of six tips avoid having your money stolen and your new car returned to its rightful owner. 1 - Prices that sound too low probably are. Crooks are looking for a quick buck, and often let stolen vehicles go for well below market rates. Cut rates = red flags. 2 - If theres only one set of keys, you should ask where the other is. Thieves dont always go to the trouble and expense of making phony spares, especially with today's expensive remote key fobs. 3 - Be wary of any sketchy-looking documents and check closely that the names and dates look correct. 4 Regardless of what information is provided by the seller, you should do your own Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) search with a government agency or vehicle history report service to get a better look at the cars background and make sure everything matches up. 5 Keep copies of all of your digital communications with the seller and any paperwork involved in the transaction. If possible, get a copy of their ID and screenshot the original advertisement, too. Even if everything is fake, these are all valuable clues for investigators if things go wrong. 6 Dont do it alone. Whether you found the car on Craigslist, or a flyer stuck to a telephone pole, its smart to bring someone with you when you go to check it out. Better yet, have the seller meet you near a police station for an extra level of security. Websites like safetradestations.com and safedeal.zone offer listings of departments that are happy to accommodate. Hollywood stars Jonah Hill and Emma Stone have teamed up for a Netflix show coming out this fall. A teaser clip for the program, called Maniac, came out Sunday; it will be available on Sept. 21. Netflix has offered some details in the lead-up to the shows release. Hills and Stones characters are two strangers drawn to the late stages of a mysterious pharmaceutical trial, each for their own reasons, the streaming company says on its website. Hills character Owen is diagnosed with schizophrenia. Stone plays Annie, who is fixated on broken relationships with her mother and her sister. NETFLIX FOCUSED ON BUILDING FAITH AND FAMILY SHOWS, EXEC SAYS Both people sign up to test pills which can supposedly cure anything about the mind, be it mental illness or heartbreak, according to the release. Things do not go as planned, Netflix says of the show. Cindy Holland, vice president of Netflix original series, announced its debut date during a panel at the Television Critics Associations summer meeting. NETFLIX EXEC COY ON HOUSE OF CARDS RETURN, SAYS SHOWs ENDING WAS PLANNED BEFORE KEVING SPACEY SCANDAL Holland called the program a thought-provoking, fever dream of a show. Cary Joji Fukunaga is directing the soon-to-be released limited series. Back in April, Vulture reported the show is adapted from a Norwegian program. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Charlie Sheen "can relate" to the unwanted attention Roseanne Barr is receiving following a controversial tweet the comedian sent out. Barr made headlines after she tweeted in May that Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, who is African-American and was born in Iran, was as though the "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby." Sheen, who is used to bad press himself, spoke about Barr's current situation in a new interview on Monday. ROSEANNE BARR DISPUTES RACIST CLAIMS: 'I'M NOT THAT PERSON' "I can relate to that tone of absolute despair because its not just about herself its about the people that she knows she affected as well," Sheen said on Australias "Kyle and Jackie O" show. "What I hear in her voice, trying not to focus on the words but the emotion, is I hear the frustration, pain, theres such a sadness there. He continued, "The thing that is a little bit sad is that when someone does melt. Everything good they have ever done that has entertained millions of people is always forgotten." The 52-year-old also apologized for tweeting "adios 'Roseanne'" n May after ABC axed her show. ROSEANNE BARR: I TOLD ABC, 'I'LL GO AND GET MY MEDS CHECKED' "I shouldnt have said 'Roseanne good riddance because whatever happened shes been nothing but nice to me in the past so that part I would delete," he shared. Speaking in her first national television interview since the scandal, Barr told Fox News' Sean Hannity last week that she was "so sad that people thought" her tweets about Valerie Jarrett were "racist." "I've apologized a lot, it's been two months," Barr said. "I feel like I have apologized and explained and asked for forgiveness and made recompense, that's part of my religion." Heath Ledgers father is happy to hear that his late sons ex, Michelle Williams, has found happiness with a new man. After the Dawsons Creek star revealed to Vanity Fair that she had tied the knot in top secrecy to musician Phil Elverum, fans were quick to bring up her previous relationship with the famed Dark Knight actor, who died just a few months after their split in 2008. They have a daughter, Matilda, who was a toddler at the time of her dads death. However, those worried that there were hard feelings between the Ledgers and Williams can breathe a sigh of relief. We are terribly happy, it is great," Heath's father, Kim Ledger, told the Sydney Morning Herald's The Goss about his former daughter-in-laws big news. Shes very private and I dont really like to make too many comments about her, but we are very happy [for her], he continued. According to E! News, Kim and Heaths mother, Sally, divorced when the actor was young. However, the remained close and continued to remain close with Williams and Matilda throughout the years. As previously reported, Williams had nothing but nice things to say about her ex, despite the fact that their relationship ended prior to his death. I always say to Matilda, Your dad loved me before anybody thought I was talented, or pretty, or had nice clothes, Williams told Vanity Fair. Williams said she believed she found love again with Elverum. Obviously Ive never once in my life talked about a relationship, but Phil isnt anyone else, Williams explained. And thats worth something. Ultimately, the way he loves me is the way I want to live my life on the whole. I work to be free inside of the moment. I parent to let Matilda feel free to be herself, and I am finally loved by someone who makes me feel free. CBS Board of Directors is expected to meet Monday and discuss, among other things, the accusations against CEO Les Moonves that emerged in a Friday expose published by the New Yorker in which six women accused the media mogul of sexual misconduct. Even if CBS elects to cut ties with Moonves, the exec may be looking at a sizeable pay day. His contract as CBS CEO was extended in 2014 through 2019 after which he was slated to remain in an advisory role for an additional five years. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Moonves earned $69.6 million in 2016. The New York Times reported in 2014, Mr. Moonvess previous contract also stipulated that he receive a total package of about $295 million should he be terminated for good reason or without cause. The new contract is expected to include similar terms. Multi-million-dollar contracts like Moonves' often include morality clauses to protect the company from having to pay out large sums should the contracted individual be fired for misbehavior. It's not clear whether or not Moonves' contact contains such a clause. Moonves joined CBS in 1995 and became CEO following the split from Viacom in 2006. Viacom and CBS are seemingly moving toward a merger once again, and a January report stated Shari Redstone, who runs both companies, was apparently trying to move the companies forward sans Moonves. Media experts have speculated the accusations against Moonves could push CBS to merge with Viacom. According to The Wrap, Moonves contract includes a golden parachute that is estimated to be anywhere between $181 million and $315 million. In 2006, Moonves was described by The Guardian as residing in an all-powerful cavernous corner office on the 35th floor of CBS headquarters. His 14 years at the company has not been without controversy. Back in 2005, Moonves made headlines for some questionable comments he made about the future of CBS Evening News. The New York Times reported the executive said, "On the one hand, we could have a newscast like 'The Big Breakfast' in England, where women give the news in lingerie. Or there's 'Naked News,' which is on cable in England. I saw a clip of it. It's a woman giving the news as she's getting undressed. And then, on the other hand, you could have two boring people behind a desk. Our newscast has to be somewhere in between." Also while discussing the future of news, he said he would find the right formula and added, It's like pornography -- I'll know it when I see it. The Bucknell University graduate said back in 05 that Americans did not like to hear dark, disturbing stories. Americans do not like dark, he said. I understand why creative people like dark, but American audiences don't like dark. They like story. They do not respond to nervous breakdowns and unhappy episodes that lead nowhere. They like their characters to be a part of the action. They like strength, not weakness, a chance to work out any dilemma. This is a country built on optimism.'' CBS stated Friday independent members of its board of directors are "investigating claims that violate the company's clear policies" regarding personal misconduct. Moonves acknowledged in a statement that there were times decades ago when he may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. He stated, "Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely." He said that he never misused his position to harm or hinder anyone's career. The Associated Press contributed to this report. After graduating from Ho Chi Minh City's National Music and Drama School (now HCM City Music Academy), Tri Nguyen continued his studies at the Paris Music Teacher's Training School (Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris). In 2015, his debut zither album, Consonnances (2015), won the USA Global Music Awards (GMA) gold medal for World Music. He went on to win a gold at the GMA two years later for his third album, Beyond Borders (2017), which was selected for the final round of the Independent Music Awards (IMA) 2018 and the first round of the Grammy Awards 2018. In his below interview with Nhan Dan Weekly Newspaper, Tri Nguyen shared how he developed such a deep attachment with the Vietnamese dan tranh and his upcoming musical projects in the near future. Question: Why do choose to develop your musical career with Vietnamese dan tranh instead of the piano, which you are pretty good at? Zitherist Tri Nguyen: When we talk about the piano, everyone knows what it is, but when I introduced dan tranh to the public, most of them had to asked me whether it was a Koto (traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument) or not. This has unveiled that Vietnamese music is not yet fully or properly known on the global stage, therefore, I long to introduce Vietnamese music to an international audience. I am lucky enough to have received musical training which was shared between the apprenticeship of western classical and traditional Vietnamese music. This has created a firm foundation and favourable conditions for me in the journey to bring Vietnamese music and dan tranh to the world. I have also played the piano on the stage, but my highest aspiration is to establish a proper position for Vietnamese dan tranh in world music. You were nominated for the final round of the IMA 2018 and the first round of the Grammy Awards 2018 but failed to go further. Do you get discouraged after the failures? For some one, not winning a prize is a failure. But it is a big success for me to make it to the final round of the IMA 2018 and the first round of the Grammy Awards 2018. Winning or losing, it doesnt matter to me. Being named in such prestigious musical awards is a remarkable triumph, as it has helped to bring me a lot of attention and care from my colleagues, experts, and those working in the music industry. How are the international audiences reactions to dan tranh? During the voting round for the Grammy Awards, as well as my tours abroad, many international audiences have told me that it was a fresh and beautiful experience for them to listen to my dan tranh performances. They are excited to explore Vietnamese music through my dan tranh compositions. My music has sold well on iTunes and Amazon and has been enthusiastically streamed on Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music. My co-workers call my favourite musical instrument in its Vietnamese language, dan tranh, rather than Vietnamese zither as they did in the past. It is a well-deserved reward for me. You have shown your passionate interest and dedication to traditional music. However, the facts show that the majority of listeners in Vietnam are now less in favour than international audiences in welcoming traditional music. What do you think about this? It happens to youngsters in every country. They seem to prefer foreign music to traditional melodies. The youth now is also provided with less opportunity to enjoy traditional music in a new approach. I think we should keep the ancient root of traditional music alive, while blending a fresh breath into it. However, I believe that young people are still in support of traditional music. Do you think it is a tough challenge for traditional music artists? It is not a challenge if we are willing to embrace every hardship in the journey to realise our goals and dreams. Nothing is impossible. An artist must equip himself with a strong will and genuine passion, and above all, dedication. Can you share us about your future projects? I have received much appreciation and notice from international artists and music producers after my success at the Grammy and IMA Awards. They have invited me to work with dan tranh. It is heartening for me that they exactly use the Vietnamese word dan tranh. I am working on a project with renowned Italian composer, Roberto Diana. I recently signed a contract with a prestigious UK company to popularise dan tranh to international audience and listeners. I am also working on four more projects with artists and producers from the US, the Netherlands, Argentina, and Spain. I am looking forward to more opportunities to perform in Vietnam. Thank you for your sharing! Chrissy Teigen just wants Meghan Markles father to be happy for the Duchess of Sussex. Teigen slammed Thomas Markle after the 74-year-old called Meghan cold and criticized the royal family again in an interview with The Mail on Sunday. The cookbook author said Markles comments were embarrassing. this guy...this guy sucks. what is wrong with him? let your daughter be happy, please. this is embarrassing, Teigen tweeted Sunday along with screenshots of the interview. Thomas Markle continued to slam his daughter, saying she has cut him off completely since her wedding to Prince Harry. "I'm really hurt that she's cut me off completely. I used to have a phone number and text number for her personal aides at the Palace, but after I said a few critical words about the Royal Family changing Meghan, they cut me off, Markle told the Daily Mail. Markle added that he has no way of contacting his daughter and fears he wont be able to meet his future grandchildren. He also mentions Harrys late mother Princess Diana and claimed Diana would have loathed the way the royal family was treating him. They [the Royal Family] have Meghan treating her father in a way that Harrys mother, Princess Diana, would have loathed. Thats not what Diana stood for, Markle said. Princess Diana is credited with changing the Royal Family, but she wasnt perfect. She was still very much one of them. Markles scathing remarks against Meghan and the royal family on Sunday are just a few hes made in recent weeks. Markle initially vowed he was done giving interviews, but later reversed his decision. "I was silent for a full year and the press beat me up every day saying I was a hermit hiding in Mexico, so I gave my story, Markle told TMZ earlier this month. Apparently that interview put the Royal Family in their silence mode ... so, I gave another interview to break the silence. All they have to do is speak to me. Markle, who lives in Mexico, was forced to drop out of Meghan and Harrys wedding in May due to emergency heart surgery. He also dealt with a staged paparazzi photo scandal just days before the royal wedding. Meghan Markles father, Thomas Markle, lambasted the Duchess of Sussex for ignoring him, claiming he made Meghan the woman she is today and fears he wont be able to meet his future grandchildren in his latest tirade against his daughter and the royal family. Speaking with The Mail on Sunday at his home in Mexico, Markle said his daughter has cut off all communication with him after he spoke out against the royal family. "I'm really hurt that she's cut me off completely. I used to have a phone number and text number for her personal aides at the Palace, but after I said a few critical words about the royal family changing Meghan, they cut me off, Markle told the site. He added, Those numbers were disconnected, they no longer work. I have no way of contacting my daughter. MEGHAN MARKLE'S DAD SLAMMED BY CHRISSY TEIGEN FOR 'EMBARRASSING' COMMENTS Markle previously said the royal family stopped speaking to him after the staged paparazzi photo scandal just days before Meghan and Harrys wedding in May. On Sunday, Markle admitted the pictures were a huge mistake but accused his daughter of being cruel despite everything he did for her while she was growing up. I tell you, I've just about reached my limit with Meghan and the royal family. They want me to be silent, they want me to just go away. But I won't be silenced, Markle said. I refuse to stay quiet. What riles me is Meghan's sense of superiority. She'd be nothing without me. I made her the Duchess she is today. Everything that Meghan is, I made her. MEGHAN MARKLE'S DAD BELIEVES HIS DAUGHTER IS 'TERRIFIED' ADJUSTING TO NEW LIFE, CALLS ROYAL FAMILY 'OUTDATED' The 74-year-old recalled raising Meghan with his ex-wife Doria Ragland until she was 6. Meghan moved back in with her father from age 11 to 17, according to Markle. She became the woman that she is today thanks to everything I did for her, Markle said. And did I get any recognition for it? Any thanks? She doesn't even speak to me now. How cold is that? Markle predicted Meghan and Harry will have a baby by next year. What's sad is that sometime in the next year Meghan and Harry will have a baby and I'll be a grandfather, and if we're not speaking I won't see my grandchild, Markle said. How tragic is that, to deprive a child of its grandfather because I said a few things critical of the royal family? MEGHAN MARKLE'S DAD WANTS TO FLY TO LONDON TO MAKE PEACE WITH HIS DAUGHTER The former lighting director claimed Harrys late mother Princess Diana would have loathed the way he was being treated by the royal family. They [the Royal Family] have Meghan treating her father in a way that Harrys mother, Princess Diana, would have loathed. Thats not what Diana stood for, he said. Princess Diana is credited with changing the Royal Family, but she wasnt perfect. She was still very much one of them, he said, adding Meghan will bring the royal family to the 21st Century, if they let her. Sundays interview was the latest in a series of scathing remarks against the royal family. Markle had skipped the May 19 wedding to undergo emergency heart surgery. Mo'Nique defended her "sister in comedy" Roseanne Barr and asked her the public to forgive the former sitcom star for her controversial tweet. Barr made headlines after she tweeted in May that Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, who is African-American and was born in Iran, was as though the "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby." "Roseanne Barr is my sister in comedy and she is my universal sister and what I won't do...is throw her away for making a mistake," Mo'Nique argued on KTLA. "We've all said and done things, baby, that we wish we could talk back and swallow and say ['oops'] but when you're in the public eye, you can't, and it's out there but to put the title of racist on her [is not true]." Comedian and Oscar Winner Monique said @therealroseanne is her sister and we should not label her racist and throw her away. This is the best interview ever. Monique is currently blacklisted in Hollywood for keeping it real. Please RT I want everyone to see this clip! So real pic.twitter.com/3XLNFjpNBO Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) July 27, 2018 The former talk show host went on to share her past experience with Barr and said she had nothing but nice things to say about her. "When I had the 'Mo'Nique' show and there were big, major, black superstar talent that had white representatives and they told their talent that show was 'too black' and we really don't want you to go on there," Mo'Nique recalled. "But there was a white woman named Roseanne Barr that showed up for me when people that looked like me [didn't]." The 50-year-old said Barr didn't hesitate to come on her show and offered her advice at the time that stuck with Mo'Nique all these years. "That woman was giving me some beautiful words and she told me, 'Mo'Nique, I'm going to tell you right now baby, they're going to consider you difficult. They're going to call you the B-word because you're a woman who won't lay down and take that foolishness." ROSEANNE BARR DISPUTES RACIST CLAIMS: 'I'M NOT THAT PERSON' Mo'Nique went on to say while Barr "made a mistake" and "said something out-of-line" we should forgive her. "Yes, my sister made a mistake and she said something that I know she wishes you could take back," she shared before adding,"But what I would ask you is that we don't throw her away...I know what it is...to be thrown away based on a lie." Speaking in her first national television interview since the scandal, Barr told Fox News' Sean Hannity last week that she was "so sad that people thought" her tweets about Valerie Jarrett were "racist." "I've apologized a lot, it's been two months," Barr said. "I feel like I have apologized and explained and asked for forgiveness and made recompense, that's part of my religion." Kids screamed in terror as a giant tarantula crawled toward a pool over the weekend but Nicole Kidman remained calm. After all, the American-Australian actress is no stranger to large critters. "Get back, mom! Step back!" one of Kidman's children can be heard instructing in the background of a video Kidman posted on Instagram Sunday. It's unclear where the video was taken. The video, which has garnered more than 280,000 views as of Monday morning, shows the black, hairy spider walking into the pool as Kidman moves closer. Kidman, 51, later gives fans a close-up of the trapped arachnid inside a glass. "I'm having to take care of this spider. Help," said the smiling "Big Little Lies" star, holding up the glass with the spider inside. NICOLE KIDMAN SURPRISES BUS FULL OF TOURISTS ON HER WAY TO THE OSCARS Kidman confirmed on Instagram that the unexpected "house guest" was released "unharmed and healthy." Hundreds of people congratulated the brave mom for stepping up and saving the spider. "Full credit Nicole! WOW! #spidermom," one Instagram user commented. "Braver than I girlfriend!" another exclaimed. NICOLE KIDMAN ON THE ONE THING SHE AND KEITH URBAN WON'T DO "Oh my GOD!!!! That thing is HUGE!!! And you are unfazed! Thats amazing!" one user wrote. Kidman has been married to Keith Urban, 50, for 12 years. The couple has two daughters: Sunday Rose, 9, and Faith Margaret, 7. Kidman also shares two children with ex-husband Tom Cruise: Isabella, 25, and Connor, 23. Tarantulas are solitary creatures that hunt large insects, frogs and snakes. Venom in their fangs helps kill their victims instantly, though their bite isn't as dangerous when it comes to humans. "Though people are often afraid of tarantula bites, the reality is that most have venom with potency comparable to that of a bee," the San Diego Zoo explains in a post online. "And remember, a tarantula would rather hide from you than bite you." Like any bride-to-be, Lady Diana Spencer wanted to make sure she would fit into her wedding dress except the 19-year-old was tying the knot with Prince Charles, Englands future king. Designer Elizabeth Emanuel, who created Princess Dianas iconic wedding dress for her royal wedding on July 29, 1981, told People Magazine Sunday the then-19-year-old was eager to shed her puppy fat before walking down the aisle. Most brides do lose weight, Emanuel told the magazine. So we werent that worried when she did. She was looking fantastic. She ended up with a 23-inch waist from a 26-to 27-inch. "She just walked more confidently. She just was suddenly growing up, you know? But I think she felt very good about how she looked. Emanuel recalled how she and her husband and designing partner at the time created the majestic gown in total secrecy for the shy schoolteacher. She was just lovely, really kind of easygoing, said Emanuel about the future Princess Diana. We never had any special instructions about how to make the wedding dress. That added a bit to the fun of it all, made it a bit of an adventure. The designing duo decided to make Dianas bridal train as long as possible because St. Pauls Cathedral is a really big area to fill. On the big day, Diana casually wore jeans and watched TV while having her jewel-encrusted tiara added to her freshly done hair. She was incredibly together and wasnt panicking, recalled Emanuel. But I was really worried about all things that could possibly go wrong. Wed taken smelling salts, glucose tablets what if she feels faint? What if she passes out? Spills something down her skirt? "I had this kind of horror that maybe the train would drop off. We sewed her into things, we pinned her into things. But when the big moment came, the dress easily cascaded out of the royal carriage as Diana took her place alongside her proud father John, 8th Earl Spencer. Town & Country reported the ivory taffeta dress was embroidered with sequins, frilled lace and 10,000 pearls. The designers attached an 18-carat gold trinket studded with white diamonds, a symbol of good luck. The veil was 25 feet and the silk shoes were reportedly covered in 542 sequins and 132 pearls. Emanuel even created an umbrella with matching pearls in case of rain. And while Diana accidentally spilled some Quelques Fleurs perfume on the dress, she managed to hide the stain during the ceremony. Its always been about a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, said Emanuel. And that is her story, really. She was emerging into a new world, a new lifes adventure. Diana and Charles officially divorced in 1996. Since the gowns original unveiling in 1981, it has traveled all over the world for appearances. People reported the dress was passed down to the couples two sons, Princes William and Harry, as reportedly requested on Dianas will. Diana passed away in 1997 at age 36 from a tragic car crash in Paris. Season three of the Netflix show Stranger Things isnt going to be available on the subscription-based streaming service until next summer, it was revealed over the weekend. A Netflix executive spoke about the sci-fi show program during a Sunday event. Well, its a handcrafted show, Cindy Holland said after being quizzed about the holdup at the Television Press Association tour. The show's second season ended in October 2017. Series creators the Duffer Brothers and executive producer Shawn Levy have worked really hard and they understand the stakes are high, the vice president of original content said. LINDSAY LOHAN TEASES NEW MYKONOS-BASED REALITY SHOW LOHAN BEACH CLUB They want to deliver something bigger and better than what they did last year," Holland said. "And so, they really want to take the time to get it right." The executive said she believes it will be a fantastic season and worth the wait. Hollands comments come less than two weeks after Netflix published a teaser for the show. "Coming to Hawkins in the Summer of 1985...the Starcourt Mall!" Netflix wrote on YouTube. "Starcourt Mall will be one of the finest shopping facilities in America and beyond with options for the entire family." Viewers can expect some new faces in Hawkins, Indiana when the show makes its 2019 debut. In April, Netflix announced actors Cary Elwes and Jake Busey will appear as new characters. Elwes will join the cast as Mayor Kline, who is described as handsome, slick and sleazy. Hell be a classic '80s political stereotype, valuing his public image over the people hes supposed to govern. NETFLIX EXEC DEFENDS INSATIABLE AFTER ALLEGED FAT-SHAMING DRAWS CRIES FOR CANCELLATION Additionally, Busey will explore the story from the point of view of a local journalist. According to Netflix, hell play a reporter for The Hawkins Post with questionable morals and a sick sense of humor. Netflix chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, made the casting announcement at the networks See Whats Next event in Rome. Fox News Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report. A communications executive at Anheuser-Busch tells Fox News that the companys new initiative to infuse the beer industry with more diverse photography has been really positive. Anheuser-Busch has recently launched two new libraries of stock footage and photography as part of its Elevate initiative, which seeks to replace the overabundance of photos that allegedly depict a lack of diversity and unsanitary beer serving, according to the company. BARBACK CLAIMS EXPLODING CORONA BEER BOTTLE BLINDED HIM Specifically, the company says it is looking to make photos of women, and people of color, enjoying beer, rather than just white males. There is also a push to depict the use of clean and proper glassware. Anheuser-Busch first revealed to The Takeout last week that both of its new collections hosted on Pexels and Unsplash would be available royalty-free for designers, marketing firms, business owners and journalists. The photos were taken in partnership with four Anheuser-Busch InBev craft breweries including Veza Sur Brewing Co. (Miami), Four Peaks Brewing Co. (Tempe, Ariz.), 10 Barrel Brewing Co. (Bend, Ore.) and Karbach Brewing Co. (Houston). COCA-COLA RAISING SODA PRICES; CEO SAYS CONSUMERS LIKELY TO FEEL EFFECT Megan Lagesse, the head of communications of craft at Anheuser-Busch, told Fox News the industry has been largely supportive since the announcement. Weve had a lot of folks from across multiple industries including consumers, media and associations like The Beer Institute reach out to praise the initiative and say its long overdue, Lagesse said. This has been a passion project for us thats been in the works for awhile so we're thrilled to see it come to life alongside our partners at Pexels and Unsplash. Diversity and inclusion is really important to us so youll start to see more in that area soon as part of our Elevate program." FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The companys efforts to produce and make more inclusive stock photography available to the industry comes following in-house studies that reportedly determined non-white and female customers make up a large portion of craft beer drinkers. Less than two months after IHOP temporarily changed its name to IHOB to market its new line of burgers, Dennys has announced a revamped burger menu which theyre calling Burger Town USA starting at $6.99. Unlike IHOP, however, Dennys has not announced any plans to shoehorn a B into its name (Debbys? Bennys?) for the purposes of publicizing its offerings. RECOVERING ADDICT PICKS UP IHOP TAB FOR EMT WORKERS Burgers have long been a part of our DNA as Americas Diner and continue to be one of the most popular dishes among our guests, stated John Dillon, chief marketing officer for Dennys, in a press release. And with our new youre-going-to-need-two-hands-to-enjoy lineup of made-to-order, 100-percent beef burgers, were giving our guests even more ways to enjoy this iconic American dish at Dennys, home of Burger Town, U.S.A. Among its new burgers, Dennys is offering: an Americas Diner Cheeseburger, with caramelized onions, American cheese and all-American sauce; a Spicy Sriracha Burger, featuring cheddar, bacon, jalapeno and sriracha sauce; and a Bacon Avocado Cheeseburger, with bacon, avocado and cheese. All three are served on a brioche bun. Dennys former burger offerings, including its Bourbon Bacon and Classic burgers, will still be available. A representative for Dennys was not immediately available to confirm whether Burger Town USA was developed in direct response to IHOPs Ultimate Steakburger menu, which features similar offerings starting at $6.99. CHICK-FIL-A'S CANADIAN EXPANSION SPARKS PRO-LGBTQ PROTESTS IHOP first began teasing its Steakburgers in early June, after hinting that the chain would be changing its name to IHOB, but remaining mum on what the B would stand for until June 11. Following the announcement, social media users slammed IHOPs marketing strategy as an epic failure, and called for the people responsible to be fired ASAP. Fellow restaurant chains responded by mocking IHOP on Twitter, with burger joints like White Castle promising to never change its name to Pancake Castle, and Burger King officially changing its Twitter handle to Pancake King for the day. At the time, Dennys, too, appeared to joke that it would be taking a backseat to all of the drama, saying that one day, the world would refer to this backlash as the Great Burger Wars. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Dennys new Burger Town USA burgers are currently available morning, noon and night at nationwide locations. Fox News' Alexandra Deabler contributed to this report. An Australian boy has already looked death in the face twice after he was bitten by a venomous snake on two separate occasions within eight days of each other. Joel Canning, 6, reportedly approached his mom calmly shortly after the first bite occurred seven months ago and asked about heaven, 7 News reported. [He] asked me, if you get bitten by a venomous snake in Australia, do you go to heaven? Pippa Canning, the boys mother, told the news outlet. I said Yes, and then he went down. Canning said she and her husband then performed CPR and rushed the boy, who was allegedly struggling to breathe, to a local hospital where he received anti-venom. He was then flown to Perth for further treatment, News.com.au reported. 'HOT WATER CHALLENGE' REPORTEDLY LEAVES TEEN WITH SECOND-DEGREE BURNS Less than eight days later, Canning said her son came close to death again when he was bitten what is believed to be a Western brown snake for a second time. Joel told 7 News that he prayed he would survive the ordeal for a second time. I did, I prayed for that and my prayer came true, he told the news outlet. Western brown snakes are found largely throughout Australia and while its believed to be less aggressive than the Eastern brown snake, its still considered highly dangerous, according to Australian Geographic. The species delivers three times as much venom as the Eastern brown snake, but bites are typically difficult to see. While Canning said her son now suffers from anxiety attacks at school about snakes, she said his emergencies have reinforced their belief in the importance of knowing First Aid. A 15-year-old teen suffered second-degree burns to his face and body after his friends allegedly poured boiling hot water on him as he slept in a bid to complete the Hot Water Challenge. Kyland Clark, of Indianapolis, said that he and his friends were watching videos of the challenge last week on YouTube before he fell asleep, and that his friend had attempted the challenge as a joke, Fox 59 reported. Clark said he was startled awake, and that his injuries were immediately apparent. My skin just fell off my chest, and then I looked in the mirror and I had skin falling off here and, on my face, he told the news outlet. EBOLA SCARE AT DENVER HOSPITAL AFTER MAN JUST BACK FROM CONGO EXHIBITED SYMPTOMS He was hospitalized for a week, and while doctors are hopeful that the pigment will return in his face in a few months, they warn that the challenge can cause permanent injuries or even death. If your friends are telling you to do this, they arent good friends, Dr. Ed Bartkus, of Indiana University Health, told Fox 59. Bartkus said the burns could cause permanent disfigurement or damage the airway. Last summer, an 11-year-old girl in New York suffered burns to her face and chest after her friends had poured hot water on her. The 12-year-old who reportedly dumped the water on her was charged with felony assault. In Florida, a variation of the challenge tragically killed an 8-year-old girl last summer after she attempted to drink boiling hot water through a straw. Kiari Pope and her cousin had allegedly been watching videos of the challenge, and the scalding hot water caused fatal injuries to her throat. Theres a limit to what you should do in a challenge and what you shouldnt, Clark told Fox 59. Dont take it overboard. According to the Ambassador, during his stay, Deputy PM Minh will meet with Singaporean President Halimah Yacob and PM Lee Hsien Loong, and hold talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan. The meetings look to discuss measures to implement agreements reached during PM Nguyen Xuan Phucs visit to Singapore in April, accelerate bilateral cooperation, and promote collaboration between the two countries in the ASEAN framework as well as on regional and international issues of mutual interests. Deputy PM Minh and his spouse will attend the Vietnam Culture Day in Singapore to mark 45th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, Ambassador Huong said, adding that the event is a vivid illustration for the joint efforts in enhancing mutual understanding and cultural exchange. The diplomat affirmed that the Vietnam-Singapore bond is developing in a practical and effective manner in all pillars of the strategic partnership. In that context, the visit by Deputy PM Minh will continue to nurture the bilateral relations, meeting the needs and interests of both peoples, and contributing to regional and global peace, sustainability, and development. Vietnam and Singapore are celebrating 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and 5th anniversary of strategic partnership. In the past more than four decades, the bilateral ties have been fostered by generations of leaders and people from both sides. Regular exchanges and meetings at all level have taken place, Ambassador Huong said, adding that Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong visited Vietnam twice in 2017, one in March and the other in November to attend the APEC Leaders Week. This year, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid an official visit to Singapore and attend the 32nd ASEAN Summit in April, and he will visit the country again to attend the 33rd ASEAN Summit in November. Singapore has become Vietnams most important economic partner in the ASEAN with more than 2,000 investment projects worth US$43 billion, and two-way trade reaching US$8.3 billion in 2017. Federal air marshals have secretly monitored a small number of U.S. passengers who raised red flags under a program called Quiet Skies, according to a recent report. The Boston Globe on Sunday first reported on the program, which started in 2010. There are reportedly a number of factors that could raise suspicions for the agents, including travel histories and in-flight behavior which could include activities such as using the bathroom for an unusual amount of time or changing clothes during a flight, The Washington Post reported. When a person is placed on the list, a team of air marshals is placed on the persons next flight, according to the Globe, and the team receives a list of personal information about the target. Targets are not told when they are placed on the Quiet Skies list. A spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration downplayed the program, and likened it to tactics employed by the cop on the corner who is placed there because there is an increased possibility that something might happen, the Post reported. In a statement to Fox News on Monday, the TSA said passengers were not singled out by race or religion. The agency did not go into specific details about the program, but said it did not follow flagged passengers around airports. It said the program was necessary to keep the skies safe. In the world of law enforcement, this programs core design is no different than putting a police officer on a beat where intelligence and other information presents the need for watch and deterrence, the TSA said in a statement. The federal agency said it examines travel patterns through a system of checks and balances. [It] effectively adds an additional line of defense to aviation security, the statement said. It was not clear if there were any arrests as a result of the program. But the program has come under fire, including from people within the agency, who told the Globe it diverts resources from legitimate threats. The program, critics said, was a waste of time and money. At least one air marshal reportedly filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security Inspector Generals Office about the program. The American public would be better served if these [air marshals] were instead assigned to airport screening and check-in areas so that active shooter events can be swiftly ended, and violations of federal crimes can be properly and consistently addressed. John Casaretti, president of the Air Marshal Association, told the Globe in a statement. Critics also said the program raises a host of civil liberties and profiling concerns. If this was about foreign citizens, the government would have considerable power. But if its U.S. citizens U.S. citizens dont lose their rights simply because they are in an airplane at 30,000 feet, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley. There may be indeed constitutional issues here depending on how restrictive or intrusive these measures are. London Mayor Sadiq Khan is under increasingly heavy fire from his predecessor, residents and even President Trump over rising crime in the city though Khan says police cuts from the Conservative government are to blame. Boris Johnson, the former mayor who recently resigned as U.K. foreign secretary, tore into Khan in a recent Op-Ed for The Daily Telegraph for glamming it up at movie premieres while crime spirals out of control. Sadiq Khan may be a twinkle-toed mover on the movie premiere red carpet, but his pirouettes on the subject of knife crime are a positive wonder. He blames funding (when he was left with a large war chest by me); he blames the Tory Government; he blames society. He blames everyone but himself, when it is his paramount duty to keep Londoners safe, Johnson wrote. It is a pathetic performance. Johnson is the latest high-profile figure to dive into the debate over London crime. During his trip to the U.K. earlier this month, Trump doubled down on his long-standing feud with Khan, an outspoken Trump critic. You have a mayor who has done a terrible job in London. He has done a terrible job, Trump said in an interview with The Sun, blaming Khan on both terrorism and crime. I think he has done a bad job on crime, if you look, all of the horrible things going on there, with all of the crime that is being brought in. As of March, London accounted for 17 percent of all recorded crime in England and Wales in the year prior, as well as 42 percent of all recorded robberies. A third of all knife crime took place in London as well. London temporarily overtook New York in the number of murders in early 2018. In February, Londons police investigated 15 murders while New York saw 11 homicides. In March, the Metropolitan Police murder numbers increased further to 22, while the NYPDs jumped to 21. New York has since recorded more murders. London also is facing a rise in acid attacks, skyrocketing by more than 78 percent over the past two years, with 465 such offenses in 2017, up from 260 in 2015, according to police figures obtained by the Evening Standard. 'I cant remember the last time I saw a copper walking the streets along here.' London local Pat Mackie There is little disagreement that rates have been on the up for years in the nations capital and Khan has been the focus of much of the resulting ire. In June, he was blasted at a town hall by a hostile crowd unhappy with the rising crime in London since he took office. There are no bobbies on our street, Londoners dont feel safe, our communities dont feel safe, a resident shouted at a recent town hall event. You give me statistics Mr. Khan, but for me as a parent, Im telling you, we do not feel safe. We do not feel safe in London and we want you to do something about it! But Khan has responded by noting that violent crime is rising across England and Wales as a whole, and has blamed Prime Minister Theresa Mays government, and that of her predecessor David Cameron, for cutting police funding. Its no coincidence that violent crime has steadily risen nationally within a few years of the 2010 election when investment reduced, he said in an article for The Independent in response to Johnsons broadside. Cuts really do have consequences. He argued that police numbers are now below 30,000 for the first time since 2003 and blamed an absent home secretary and a prime minister distracted by Brexit for rising crime levels. London residents who spoke to Fox News this month were unanimous that crime is escalating in various parts of the capital, but were mixed about where the blame falls. Its gone diabolical, Gerry Lewis told Fox News, adding that crime -- particularly knife crime -- had gotten worse, with many calling for the re-establishment of so-called stop and search. They need more ... police search. I think they are too soft, I really do, theyve got to crack down on it, its as simple as that, he said. Benyam Tadewse, a cab driver, said his windows have been broken twice. He blamed the government, not Khan. You can blame the mayor but it is not only the mayors problem. If he doesn't have the budget, whats he going to do? Others disagreed. Pat Mackie, wearing a Tottenham Hotspur F.C. cap, was particularly blunt in his criticism of the mayor and appeared to endorse Johnsons criticism that Khan is more interested in turning up to glitzy events than fixing Londons problems. The man is a despicable, two-bob w---er. Hed turn up for the opening of an envelope, that geezer, he said. He also blamed Khan and other politicians emphasis on political correctness, a rise in crime committed by Muslim immigrants and also the replacement of police officers with Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). PCSOs, introduced in 2002 across the country, have limited powers compared with regular police officers and are frequently mocked as plastic bobbies for their ineffectiveness. I cant remember the last time I saw a copper walking the streets along here, Mackie said. You had the PCSOs for a while, but they dont know their a-- from their elbow. Andy King, drinking in a pub in Hackney, told Fox News that while he recognized there were cuts, he noted that under Khan, the police have introduced a hate crime unit with 900 dedicated officers that King says could be used for fighting crime instead. He says that while he lives out of the city, he works within it and notices the effect it is having on Londoners every day. Its clearly worse, he said about the crime situation. People are scared. Fox News' Lukas Mikelionis contributed to this report. One-hundred-and-fifty-five years after the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery still exists on the books in Colorado sort of. Buried in the Centennial States 1876 constitution is a provision that technically permits a person to be sentenced to slavery or indentured servitude if convicted of a crime. The archaic language has rankled lawmakers and voters for years -- and in November, Coloradans will have the chance to strike the language for good. A ballot measure, known as Amendment A, has been certified for the November ballot by the Colorado legislature. It aims to scrub the language by clarifying the wording of a similar initiative that was defeated in 2016, amid apparent confusion over the text. I believe that this is going to get passed and for the reasons that appear on the ballot, said Kamau Allen, an organizer at Abolish Slavery Colorado. Colorado is hardly alone in having this language on the books. Almost identical in its phrasing and certainly in sentiment to the 13th Amendment, Colorados constitution currently states that: There shall never be in this state either slavery or involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime. The exception for those convicted of a crime is what has residents concerned -- though the slavery or involuntary servitude mentioned in the state constitution refers more to penal labor like stamping license plates, working in the kitchen and other jobs that inmates are tasked with and not compensated for. Still, in Colorado -- and most states outside of Alabama, Georgia, Texas and a few others -- inmates are currently compensated for the work they do, though not a lot. Pay is between $0.84 and $1.75 per day. Amendment A is more about changing the language to remove the slavery reference than about actual prison reform. This wont have a direct impact on prison reform or how inmates are treated, Allen said. But it is definitely more impactful than removing something like a Confederate monument, because this will actually change the text of a living document. The failure to pass the 2016 amendment that sought to scrap the same exception and also enjoyed wide bipartisan support from lawmakers in Denver has been blamed on the way the ballot measure was written. Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning the removal of the exception to the prohibition of slavery and involuntary servitude when used as punishment for persons duly convicted of a crime? the ballot measure stated. The wording led to widespread confusion, with post-election data indicating that many voters just left the question blank on their ballots and declined to answer. The no votes eventually garnered 50.2 percent compared to 49.7 percent for yes. The language is so confusing, said Lynn Bartels, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Secretary of States Office, told the Denver Post after the election. My own sister called me and said, Im a no vote, right? Because I dont want slavery. And I said, No, youre a yes vote.' To make sure there is no confusion this time around, lawmakers have put on the ballot the entirety of Section 26 of Article II of the states constitution with except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted struck through in the text. It will then ask voters to answer yes or no to whether the text should be deleted. Two years ago we lost by a slim margin and it was because of the language on the ballot and the placing on the ballot, Allen said. This time around, I dont see that happening. Allen also said that with similar language in the constitutions on numerous states and in the 13th Amendment he believes that passing this ballot measure in Colorado could spur changes elsewhere. This could be a watershed moment for changing the language of the 13th Amendment, he said. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh broke a political firewall Monday afternoon by meeting with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin -- the first Democrat to sit down with President Trump's pick for the high court. The Manchin meeting could set the stage for other swing-vote Democrats to talk with Kavanaugh or even support him, despite fierce pressure from party leaders and activists. Manchin said earlier this month that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. can "kiss my you-know-what" if he tries to pressure the West Virginia Democrat into opposing Kavanaugh. Manchin is facing a tough re-election battle in a state that went for Trump by double-digits in 2016. In a statement to Fox News, Manchin's Republican challenger, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, accused Manchin of making a "craven political calculation" by delaying his decision on Kavanaugh's nomination until "the outcome has already been decided." "Sen. Manchin needs to quit waffling and support President Trump's Supreme Court nominee," Morrisey said. "Clearly, Sen. Manchin is holding out his support for Judge Kavanaugh in order to assist liberal Chuck Schumers obstructionism." Manchin's office released photographs of Kavanaugh talking and smiling with the senator late Monday. The senator has said he's interested in Kavanaugh's views on the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. He has also asked his constituents to send him questions for the meeting. I'M AN EDUCATOR. HERE'S WHY I WANT BRETT KAVANAUGH ON THE SUPREME COURT After Manchin said he would talk with Kavanaugh, another red-state Democrat, Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., last week announced he also would meet with Kavanaugh. That sit-down is scheduled for Aug. 15. Manchin was one of three Democrats who voted to confirm Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. Donnelly and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota were the others. All three are up for re-election in states Trump easily won in 2016. Manchin has said he regrets backing Hillary Clinton in 2016, and hinted that he could support President Trumps re-election in 2020. With the absence of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is fighting brain cancer, Republicans cannot afford to lose a single GOP vote to confirm Kavanaugh if all Democrats vote "no." Only a simple majority is needed to confirm Kavanaugh, after Republicans eliminated the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees last year. Democrats had previously eliminated the filibuster for other judicial nominees under the Obama administration. There were new signs early Monday that Republicans were falling in line to support the nominee. Sen. Rand Paul announced after he met with Kavanaugh that he would support the nominee, despite earlier voicing reservations about Kavanaugh's commitment to privacy rights. The Kentucky senator was one of the few Republicans considered possible swing votes on Kavanaugh's confirmation. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who voted to confirm Gorsuch last year, also are being watched closely. Both senators support abortion rights, and liberal advocacy groups have argued that Kavanaugh's confirmation would undermine Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision. But with Paul voicing clear support -- and Collins and Murkowski signaling potential support in recent weeks -- Kavanaugh's prospects appear to be improving as GOP leaders aim to engineer a swift confirmation by the fall. Fox News' Judson Berger and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Monday said the agency had a "systemic problem going on for years" after its former personnel chief was accused of facilitating sexual harassment in the workplace. Brock Long, who's led FEMA since June 2017, told The Washington Post that a seven-month-long internal investigation found that Corey Coleman, who oversaw the personnel department from 2011 until he resigned in June, operated a "toxic" environment within the agency. A summary of the investigation was released Monday; it did not name Coleman but FEMA officials told The Associated Press the report referred to him. TAXPAYER PIGGY BANK LETS CONGRESS SETTLE SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES IN SECRET Coleman, the former deputy personnel chief of the U.S. Secret Service, reportedly hired his friends and romantic interests, and promoted them "without going through proper federal hiring channels" despite their lack of qualifications. The former chief allegedly shuffled women across departments so that his friends could have sexual relationships with them, employees and a FEMA official told the newspaper. The Post reported it could not reach Coleman for comment. "What we uncovered was a systemic problem going back years," Long said, adding that "the biggest problem I may solve here may be the eradication of this cancer." He continued, "How many complaints were not heard? I've got to make sure we have a safe working environment for our employees." Long noted he's referred several cases to the inspector general of Homeland Security to investigate what could be criminal sexual assault. Agency officials said the inspector general's office had received complaints about Coleman previously -- Long said the alleged misconduct dated back to 2015 -- but the complaints were forwarded back to FEMA to investigate. Many of the friends or others whom Coleman hired remain at FEMA, according to the report. Long said many human resources department employees left the agency because of Coleman's "unacceptable leadership style." In addition to hiring his friends, Coleman also allegedly had sexual encounters with two subordinates who accompanied him on work trips. LES MOONVES, TOP CBS EXEC, ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT IN BOMBSHELL REPORT One of the women, after she rejected a relationship with Coleman, reportedly was denied a promotion at the agency and attempts to fire her were subsequently made. The woman reportedly told Coleman she might be willing to see him again, and she was able to keep her job. The second woman with whom Coleman allegedly had a relationship told investigators he created a job within the agency for her and admitted she was unqualified, the newspaper reported. House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings, D-Md., responded: "We are outraged and appalled by the revelations in today's FEMA report." They continued, "Following the conclusion of the investigation, our Committee plans to hold a hearing to fully examine the results and to determine what role Congress can play in assuring this never happens again." Coleman reportedly was transferred to other FEMA offices during his tenure at the agency because, according to Long, the morale within his department was "so bad." Fox News' Jason Donner and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Rudy Giuliani tore into Michael Cohen on Monday over his secretly recorded conversation with President Trump, questioning whether someone tampered with the tape and calling the former Trump Organization attorney one of the biggest liars in America. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York who now serves as Trump's attorney, said on Fox & Friends Monday morning there is no doubt one of [the tapes] were cut off. He erased them, sure, Giuliani said, explaining that the Trump legal team has experts going through it. Is this a recording of a recording? Did he cut it off at the time? Or go to a laboratory or whatever the hell he had and cut it off? Giulianis comments come after he suggested over the weekend that the tape, released by Cohens attorney Lanny Davis, was played with. GIULIANI SAYS EXPERTS THINK 'SOMEONE MESSED' WITH COHEN TAPE The tape is a recorded conversation between Trump and Cohen discussing a possible payment for the rights to Playboy model Karen McDougal's story claiming an affair with Trump. The 2016 conversation came weeks after the National Enquirer's parent company reached a $150,000 deal to pay McDougal for her story of a 2006 affair, which it never published, a tabloid practice known as "catch and kill." But Trump's legal team says such a transaction on their end never happened. The key moment in the tape is when Cohen talks about financing and Trump asks, "What financing?" What comes next is garbled. Cohen says theyll have to pay something, and Trump can be heard saying pay with cash after which Cohen repeatedly says no, no, no. A transcript provided by the Trump legal team, though, asserts that Trump said: Dont pay with cash . . . check. Giuliani has claimed the rest of the recording -- had it not stopped -- would have been exculpatory. Trump and Giuliani have both questioned why it cut off. Giuliani said Monday that the Trump team actually knows of 183 recordings from Cohen, but many of them involved people having nothing to do with Trump. Giuliani said the now-public Trump-Cohen tape is the only one involving the president. The others, Giuliani explained, are recordings where Cohen is speaking with third parties and describing his version of what happened in regard to payments to McDougal and adult film star Stormy Daniels, who has also said she had an affair with Trump before his election as president. That will give you an idea of what a scoundrel he was, Giuliani said of Cohen. Also last week, Cohen claimed the president had knowledge of the controversial June 2016 Trump Tower meeting involving his son Donald Trump Jr., campaign members, and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who supposedly promised dirt on Hillary Clinton. Trump last week blasted Cohen, maintaining that he did NOT know of the meeting. TRUMP FIRES BROADSIDE AT MICHAEL COHEN, DENIES CLAIM ON MEETING WITH RUSSIAN LAWYER Giuliani on Monday stood by the presidents claim, saying that there are at least four separate witnesses who say the president was not involved in the meeting. People say he was never there. There are at least four separate witnesses who say that against a guy who has kinda proven to be one of the biggest liars in America, Giuliani said on Fox & Friends. The Giuliani comments about the meeting, though, stirred some confusion as nobody has alleged the president was at the Trump Tower meeting. Giuliani later called into Fox News Outnumbered Monday afternoon to clarify a few points. He said there was another alleged meeting, not yet made public, where top campaign officials discussed the sit-down with the Russians but Giuliani said this discussion never, ever took place. Further, he disputed Cohens claim that Trump was informed of the Russian offer in another meeting. He also stirred controversy on Fox & Friends by claiming collusion is not a crime; he later stood by the remarks but stressed that their position is the campaign did not collude with Russia. Giuliani also criticized Cohen Monday morning for recording his conversation with Trump without his consent, noting that it was a disbarrable offense. MICHAEL COHEN COULD FACE TROUBLE WITH STATE BAR, FUTURE CLIENTS, COURT OVER TAPE LEAK Davis, though, said over the weekend that Giuliani was confused. Mr. Giuliani seems to be confused, Davis said in a statement. He expressly waived attorney client privilege last week and repeatedly and inaccuratelyas proven by the tapetalked and talked about the recording, forfeiting all confidentiality. But Giuliani said on Monday that he waived privilege only after [Davis] released the tape. The presidents innocence, having done nothing wrong, has been proven over and over again, Giuliani said. This is theater of the absurd. Fox News' Ellison Barber and Matt Leach contributed to this report. A journalism professor at the University of Georgia apologized for offending people after calling the Republican candidate for governor a nice guy on Twitter. Charles Davis, dean of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at UGA, tweeted-then-deleted a message about the President Trump-endorsed candidate for Georgia governor, Brian Kemp, on the night he won the Republican primary. I went to high school with GOP guv candidate @BrianKempGA, Davis wrote in the now-deleted tweet. We played YMCA ball from childhood. Politics be damned. He is a nice guy, always was. Kind to a fault. Hes a friend, always has been, and will be when were old(er) and grey(er). Thats how all this should work, people. Liberals on Twitter labeled Davis a racist and one user said Youd never vote for a black woman and would much rather vote for the white racist, as reported by CampusReform.org. Three days after the tweet that put him under fire, Davis issued an apology. Id like to apologize to anyone offended by my tweet shout out to Brian Kemp, Davis wrote. It was ill-timed and poorly written. Ive read and learned so much from you all and will endeavor to be more thoughtful. The public university professor told Fox News he deleted the tweet because it was not intended as a political endorsement and it was misinterpreted as such. He added that the decision to delete it was entirely mine and not a result of pressure from the university. To clarify, neither UGA nor its administration had any role in the retraction of my earlier message, Davis tweeted Monday. I should not have used a social media account associated with UGA to post a message that some construed as political. A new court ruling that allows Florida college students to vote early on campus could shake up the states Senate and governors race, political observers say. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled that a 2012 decision by the states secretary of state that prohibited early voting on college campuses was lopsided, discriminatory and unconstitutional. State law allows early voting in government facilities but prohibits them on educational sites. But the question remained: What is considered an educational facility? The answer is murky. The interpretation of the law sparked a tug-of-war between Republicans and Democrats over whether college campuses long thought to be a bastion of political liberalism should be considered an educational site. The ruling comes just five weeks before the swing state's primary, where already heated gubernatorial and senatorial races are being closely watched. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., applauded the decision on Twitter, calling the ban a direct assault on student voting. Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who is running against Nelson for the Senate seat, said in a statement that his office will review the ruling, but declined to say whether the state will appeal the decision. The fight over early voting locations began in 2014, when Secretary of State Ken Detzner, a Republican, told Gainesvilles election officials that they could not use the University of Floridas student union as an early voting site because it did not meet state guidelines. Several college students and the League of Women Voters of Florida challenged the ban, signing on as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Detzner filed in May. We certainly want to make it easier for our young people to vote especially when they live on college and university campuses and there are polling places that are not necessarily convenient to them, they may not have a car, you know student life is very different from off campus life, said Patricia Brigham, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida. The ruling is important because Florida is a critical swing state and because early voting is popular among college students. According to court documents, nearly 830,000 students are enrolled in public universities and colleges statewide. About 43 percent of college students participated in early voting during the 2016 primary. Early voting also serves another purpose, having an early voting site on campusreminds people Oh yes, I need to do that, and I can do it in between classes, in the evenings, or whenever, said political analyst Susan MacManus. It can remind people if theyre not registered that they need to register by the general election so they can participate. On campus, students said they were happy with the ruling. It makes me feel really excited knowing that its going to be so much easier for myself and my peers to vote, considering how important of a right it is to be able to, said freshman Spencer Gorelick. I think its going to be a really big change. In the 40-page ruling, Judge Walker denied being the "early voting czar but said "throwing up roadblocks in front of younger voters does not remotely serve the public interestabridging voter rights never does." The decision does not require each of the states 67 counties to use college campuses as early voting sites, but allows election supervisors to use campus buildings if they wish to do so. Its unclear how many campuses will hold early voting this year because it is allowed up to 15 days before an election, meaning in some counties, campuses will need to have sites ready as early as August 13. Each county will be responsible for funding the early voting sites. Five years ago, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature tightened up early voting ahead of the 2012 election, expanding voting hours and sites, only to backtrack after people waited for hours in long lines during both the early-voting period and on Election Day. The law changed again in 2013 to expand the definition of early voting sites to include government-owned community centers. The Sunshine States election laws have come under heavy criticism since the chaotic presidential election in 2000. A top Tennessee Democratic Partys communications official made disparaging comments about President Donald Trump and lashed out against a suggestion to reach out to his voters, describing them as idiots. Mark Brown, a top communications official for the Tennessee Democratic Party currently working as the leading spokesperson to help Democrat Phil Bredesen win the Senate race against Republican Marsha Blackburn, has made a number over-the-top comments on social media, including calling the president f---stik and Putins b----, the Washington Free Beacon revealed. Exactly, f--- reaching out to Trump voters. The idiots aren't listening, Brown wrote in one of the tweets from 2017. In other tweets he also called Trump a f---ing moron and insane f---. The revelations Browns troubling remarks on social media came as Bredesen complained about Vice President Mike Pence's name-calling after he endorsed his Republican opponent and called him a liberal. We need @VoteMarsha in the Senate. If Marsha Blackburns opponent wins, Tennessee will have a liberal in the Senate who supports single-payer health care and wants to repeal our tax cuts, which he called crumbs. Hes too liberal for Tennessee, wrote Pence on Twitter earlier this month. Browns online comments about ignoring Trump voters may hurt the partys Senate candidate in the state, who promised to go beyond party lines and work with everyone, as Trump won Tennessee by 26 points. Scott Golden, the chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, told the Free Beacon that the hateful comments from the Democratic Partys official were reprehensible and called him a professional Twitter troll who just said what his party thinks about Trump. "Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Mark Brown has been doing Bredesens dirty work and expressing his partys true sentiments about President Trump." Scott Golden, the chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party "Phony Phil Bredesen is complaining about the Vice President calling him out for what he is: a liberal," he said. "Meanwhile, professional Twitter troll and Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Mark Brown has been doing Bredesens dirty work and expressing his partys true sentiments about President Trump. The Tennessee Democratic Party did not return to immediate Fox News request for a comment. President Trump said Monday he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani with no preconditions, on the heels of a fiery exchange of threats earlier this month. I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I dont know if theyre ready yet, Trump said, when asked at a White House press conference about a possible meeting with Rouhani. Trump said he would set no preconditions, and, If they want to meet, Ill meet, anytime they want. The president already has held summits with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Koreas Kim Jong Un. While Trump drew bipartisan criticism for his Putin summit specifically for initially appearing to accept Putins denial of U.S. election meddling the president maintained Monday that they had a great meeting and stressed that hes willing to meet with anybody. US NAVY: NO SIGN OF IRANIAN HARASSMENT OF AMERICAN WARSHIPS IN 2018 The president was asked about Iran after he and the Iranian president traded threats earlier this month. Rouhani had warned the U.S. that hostile policies could trigger the mother of all wars, after which Trump tweeted in all-caps: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS! Any such meeting, if ever scheduled, would surely tackle Trumps decision earlier this year to pull out of the Obama-era pact calling on Iran to scale back its nuclear program in exchange for reduced sanctions. Trump has suggested he could be laying the groundwork for a new nuclear deal. Late Monday, National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis stated that Trump "is open to dialogue and negotiation as a means of resolving important national security issues. If the Iranian regime changes its behavior and commits to doing what is in the best interest of its people, the United States is prepared to take actions to end sanctions, reestablish full diplomatic and commercial relations, permit Iran to have advanced technology, and support the reintegration of the Iranian economy into the international economic system. "However, this relief is only possible if there are tangible, demonstrated, and sustained shifts in Tehrans policies," Marquis added. "Until then, the sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change course." In contrast with his tweet, Trump assumed a more measured tone during the joint press conference Monday, alongside visiting Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. He said such a meeting would be the appropriate thing to do, and would come neither from a position of strength nor weakness. Ironically, his willingness to entertain such a meeting echoes statements made by then-candidate Barack Obama during the 2008 campaign. As for the continuing fallout from the Putin summit, Trump stressed Monday that sanctions on Russia will remain as is. Trump, at the press conference, also reiterated his weekend threat of a government shutdown if Congress does not meet his demands on border security measures and funding for a wall. I would have no problem doing a shutdown. Its time we had proper border security, Trump said, as both he and Conte underscored the need for strong immigration enforcement. Ill always leave room for negotiation, Trump later added, when asked to clarify. Asked if his call for $25 billion for a border wall is a red line, Trump said, I have no red line, unlike President Obama a reference to his predecessors infamous statement about chemical weapons use in Syria. Earlier Monday, Trump endorsed Italy's handling of immigration issues as he welcomed the countrys new premier to the White House for talks on trade and the military. Trump said at the start of his meeting with Conte that the country's new populist government "has taken a very firm stance on the border." The president said other European countries should follow Italy's lead on migration issues. Italy under Conte's new government has pushed for the European Union to accept tens of thousands of migrants coming across the Mediterranean Sea every year. Trump welcomed the prime minister to the White House for the first time since the Italian leader came to power in June, bringing together two outsider leaders who have emerged from populist waves within their countries. Conte leads the euroskeptic coalition of the 5-Star Movement, which considers itself anti-establishment, and the right-wing, north-based League party. Fox News' Kristin Brown and The Associated Press contributed to this report. During his reception for Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu on July 30, Moon Hee-sang said Vietnam-RoK relations have been developing strongly in all spheres since the two nations officially established diplomatic ties in 1992. The Speaker took this occasion to thank Vietnam for its arrangement for President Moon Jae-ins visit to the country in March. Tu congratulated Moon Hee-sang on his new position and wished him success and having contributions to the development of the bilateral relationship. Relations between Vietnam and the RoK as well as between the two legislatures have been growing fruitfully, he said. The RoK is currently Vietnams largest foreign investor, with total registered capital of over US$60 billion by the end of July 2018, Tu noted, adding that the RoK is now the second-largest trade partner of Vietnam, with two-way trade exceeding US$60 billion in 2017. Last year, around 2.5 million Korean tourists visited Vietnam while the number of Vietnamese holidaymakers to the RoK surged by 70%, he said. The ambassador added that people-to-people exchanges have been held at all levels and in all fields. Tu proposed the RoK parliament and the Speaker pay more attention to developing bilateral relations, create favourable conditions for the exchange of delegations at all levels, and support the Vietnamese community, including Vietnamese women who get married to Korean men and Vietnamese guest workers, as well as facilitating the Vietnamese Embassys operations. New satellite imagery reveals thick blankets of smoke over California and Oregon from the raging wildfires that have incinerated hundreds of thousands of acres across the U.S. this summer. Persistent, record-breaking heat and an extremely dry landscape set the stage for the Carr Fireone of the most dangerous infernos that has claimed six lives and destroyed 874 structures across more than 98,000 acres. In an image taken by a NASA satellite, there arent many clouds visible and those that can be seen are bright and white. The thick patches of smoke from the wildfires, typically grayish and tan in color, can be seen across a wide area of California and Oregon. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 90 fires have already burned nearly 1 million acres of land in 14 different states. California, Oregon and Colorado account for about half of the land where fires are still blazing. The Carr fire has been particularly ferocious. It's ripping trees off the ground and throwing them across the street into homes, Chad Carroll, a spokesman for CalFire, said Friday. That's pretty strange and unusual. Although wildfires are a regular feature in the western U.S., scientists have said that climate change is impacting the frequency and severity of the blazes. You see roads melting, airplanes not being able to take off, there's not enough water, Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University, told the Chicago Tribune. Climate change hits us at our Achilles' heel. In the Southwest, it's water availability. On the Gulf Coast, it's hurricanes. In the East, it's flooding. It's exacerbating the risks we already face today. The Associated Press contributed to this report. An incredible 1,700-year-old ancient mosaic has been uncovered by archaeologists in Israel. Earlier this month, experts discovered the stunning Roman-era artifact in the city of Lod in central Israel. Ironically, the excavation was made prior to construction of a museum to showcase other ancient mosaics found at the site. In 1996, road workers found a Roman mosaic floor, which subsequent excavation revealed was part of a luxurious 4th century A.D. Roman villa. We found evidence for Mediterranean luxury that characterized the Roman Empire, including attributes such as fresco wall paintings, said Dr. Amir Gorzalczany, who is directing the current excavation for the Israel Antiquities Authority. STUNNING BIBLICAL 'SPIES' MOSAIC DISCOVERED IN ISRAEL Rectangular marks on the mosaic may denote where couches were placed. The recently discovered mosaic will be displayed at the new museum, The Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Archaeology Center, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. Similar to the mosaic first discovered in 1996, animals feature in the newly-excavated piece. The figures, many similar to the figures in the earlier mosaics, comprise fish and winged creatures, explained Gorzalczany. A fairly similar mosaic was found in the past in Jerusalem, on the Mount Zion slopes. The Lod mosaics, however, do not depict any human figures that are present in the Mount Zion mosaic. ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE MOSAIC DEPICTS BLOODY JEWISH LEGEND It is quite probable that the same artist produced both the mosaics, or that two artists worked from a similar design, he added. Other mosaics have also been uncovered in Israel. In a separate project, researchers discovered a stunning mosaic depicting a biblical scene at the site of an ancient synagogue in Northern Israel. Archaeologists are continually shedding new light on the countrys rich history. Experts, for example, recently unearthed an extremely rare ancient clay amulet with a blessing in Arabic. RARE MOSAIC DEPICTING NOAH'S ARK DISCOVERED IN ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE Earlier this year experts also announced the discovery of a site that may offer fresh insight into the ancient biblical kingdom of David and Solomon. In another project, a trove of bronze coins, the last remnants of an ancient Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire, were recently discovered near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In February, archaeologists announced the discovery of a clay seal mark that may bear the signature of the biblical Prophet Isaiah. Last November, new evidence dated Christs tomb in Jerusalems Church of the Holy Sepulchre to the Roman era, matching historical records. MYSTERIOUS POOL AND FOUNTAIN DISCOVERED AT ANCIENT CHRISTIAN SITE IN ISRAEL Other finds include the skeleton of a pregnant woman, dating back 3,200 years, in Israels Timna Valley, at a place once called King Solomons Mines. At the site of an ancient city on the West Bank, archaeologists are also hunting for evidence of the tabernacle that once housed the Ark of the Covenant. Some experts also believe they have found the lost Roman city of Julias, formerly the village of Bethsaida, which was the home of Jesus' apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers A mourning orca whale continued to carry her dead calf for a fifth straight day on Saturday, which is a rare occurrence in nature and is believed to be grieving. J35, a member of the critically endangered southern resident family of orcas, gave birth to her calf Tuesday only to watch it die within half an hour. "The baby was so newborn it didn't have blubber. It kept sinking, and the mother would raise it to the surface," Ken Balcomb, a senior scientist with the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island, Washington State, said Since then, she's been carrying the calf's body around on her nose, diving to pick it up again when it falls off. She was last sighted in the early evening on Saturday in Canadian waters. Scientists have documented grieving behavior in other animals with close social bonds in small, tightly knit groups, observed carrying newborns that did not survive. The baby orca was the first calf born in three years to the endangered orcas, the Center for Whale Research said. Seven species in seven geographic regions covering three oceans have been documented carrying the body of their deceased young, including Risso's dolphin in the Indian Ocean; the Indo-Pacific bottle-nosed dolphin and the spinner dolphin in the Red Sea; and pilot whales in the North Atlantic. But more than 24 hours of grieving is a rare occurance, says Deborah Giles, research scientist for University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology and research director for the nonprofit Wild Orca. "It is horrible. This is an animal that is a sentient being," Giles told The AP. "It understands the social bonds that it has with the rest of its family members. She carried the calf in her womb from 17 to 18 months, she is bonded to it and she doesn't want to let it go. It is that simple. She is grieving." J35's news came just as researchers were also tracking a 4-year-old in the southern residents that is emaciated, and whose survival may be in doubt due to loss of body fat. Researchers have been growing more concerned about the fate of the southern residents, who face three major challenges to their survival as a species: toxins, vessel traffic and lack of adequate food (their primary food source being chinook salmon The most recent census of the orcas has found that they number just 75 in the area, across three southern resident pods. For the last three years there have been no new calfs born to the shrinking killer whales in the Pacific Northwest. The Associated Press contributed to this report A Bronx man was arrested for bashing his girlfriend with a Bible on Sunday, police told The Post. Daniel Laforge, 36, got into an argument with his girlfriend at his Parkside apartment on Bronx Park East at about 7 a.m., police said. He began to punch the 41-year-old woman, then grabbed the Good Book and smacked her in the head and shoulder with it, cops said. The woman called 911, and told police she suffered significant pain on her head and shoulder after the beating. Laforge was arrested at the scene and charged with felony assault and harassment. Two people were arrested Sunday on suspicion of looting homes that had been evacuated earlier due to an explosive wildfire. Jade Ball, 25, and Jack Fannin, 19, of Redding, were found with what police said was evidence tying them to several burglaries. Authorities said Fannin told deputies that the pair went into three homes looking for water, The Record Searchlight reported. The so-called Carr Fire prompted mandatory evacuations for tens of thousands of people in Redding, a city hundreds of miles north of San Francisco. It has destroyed over 650 houses. Authorities said a homeowner who stayed behind flagged down an officer after he noticed evidence that people had been in his house. Officers found a nearby home with evidence of a broken-in door and discovered electronic items stacked by the front door. Police said they do not believe the homeowners placed the items like that before evacuating. Fire crews, in the meantime, were stretched to their limits across the state fighting flames that have claimed the lives of two firefighters and six civilians. Residents of the waterfront town Lakeport fled Sunday after a major flare-up of two fires that combined across Mendocino and Lake counties destroyed at least four homes. Lakeport, home to about 5,000, is around 120 miles north of San Francisco. To the northeast, a massive fire near Redding slowed for the first time since days of explosive growth. Meanwhile officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. The Associated Press contributed to this report Authorities are offering up to $20,000 in reward money for tips that help solve the slaying of woman at a military base in Georgia. Army investigators say 24-year-old Abree Boykin was found dead July 10 at her home on Fort Stewart southwest of Savannah. She was the wife of a soldier who was deployed to Afghanistan at the time of her death. The Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI announced the reward in news release Monday. The cash is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Boykin's death. Authorities are also looking for Boykin's 2018 black Honda Accord that was missing from her home when her body was found. Army CID spokesman Chris Grey said investigators think Boykin may have known her killer. President Donald Trump isn't telling the straight story on NATO. He spoke of NATO on Monday as if it's "essentially" a business, and a failing one until he came along. That was the latest twist on one of his most enduring fictions. It's not remotely a business but rather a military alliance. It wasn't going bankrupt, and Trump hasn't performed a turnaround. A look at his comments at a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte: TRUMP: On the recent NATO meeting: "I went to NATO. And NATO was essentially going out of business 'cause people weren't paying and it was going down, down, down." On NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: "He said we couldn't collect money until President Trump came along. And he said last year we collected $44 billion. And this year the money is pouring in. ... So the bottom line is the NATO countries are now paying a lot more money." THE FACTS: Countries don't pay to be in NATO and don't owe the organization anything other than contributions to a largely administrative fund that Trump is not talking about. Member countries are not in debt to NATO. Money is "not pouring in" now. Collections have not increased, as he asserted. Trump's actual beef is with how much NATO countries spend on their own military budgets. The Trump administration is not the first to push countries in NATO to spend more on their own armed forces to lessen their dependence on the U.S. In fact, it was in 2014, during the Obama administration, that NATO members agreed to move "toward" spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product on their own defense by 2024. The somewhat-vague commitment was made as a response to Russia's actions in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea. No one expected all allies would immediately move to 2 percent; the increases were to be gradual. It's possible, though not established, that Trump's hectoring may have spurred some countries to increase their spending faster than they planned or to become more serious about moving to the 2 percent goal. But at the NATO summit this month, when Trump claimed that he wrung a new commitment out of NATO partners on their military spending, those partners did not back him up. Several European leaders said they merely agreed to keep doing what they've been doing raising military spending under the goal set in 2014. Trump's faulty claim that NATO "collected" $44 billion in 2017 refers to one estimate of how much Washington's partners in the alliance collectively raised their own military spending by last year. ___ TRUMP: We're shouldering anywhere of 70 to 90 percent of the cost of NATO. That's not fair. That's not fair. Especially when you take Germany and Germany's paying 1 percent, a little more than 1 percent." THE FACTS: That's not right. The U.S. military budget comprises about 70 percent of the military spending of NATO countries together, but that's for worldwide military commitments, not just Europe. Although he called out Germany for spending only 1 percent of its economy on its armed forces (actually an estimated 1.24 percent in 2017 and 2018), he did not mention with his "new friend" Conte at his side that Italy spends even less: an estimated 1.15 percent in 2017 and 2018. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck Welcome to FOX News First. Not signed up yet? Click here. Developing now, Monday, July 30, 2018 President Trump slams 'haters' in the media after the publisher of the New York Times calls the president's rhetoric divisive and 'increasingly dangerous' Trump tweeted Sunday he would be willing to 'shut down' the government if Democrats do not support immigration measures such as funding for his border wall A northern California wildfire has now left six people dead, but has started slowing down after days of growth, authorities say The trial of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is expected to begin Tuesday, and it could give a glimpse into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation In an exclusive interview with FOX News' Maria Bartiromo, Vice President Mike Pence touts the Trump administration's economic accomplishments and predicts Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will be confirmed in the fall THE LEAD STORY - TRUMP VS. 'TRUMP-DERANGED' MEDIA: President Trump ripped "haters in the dying newspaper industry" Sunday after the publisher of The New York Times criticized Trump's rhetoric as "not just divisive but increasingly dangerous" ... In a series of tweets, the president complained that the media had been "driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome." "[Ninety percent] of media coverage of my Administration is negative, despite the tremendously positive results we are achieving, it's no surprise that confidence in the media is at an all time low!" Trump wrote. Trump posted the tweets a few hours after New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger detailed a July 20 meeting between himself and the president. Sulzberger said Trump's aides had initially requested the meeting not be made public, but added he decided to comment after Trump discussed it in another tweet earlier Sunday. Sulzberger said he told Trump that while the phrase "fake news" is untrue and harmful, "I am far more concerned about his labeling journalists 'the enemy of the people.'" Trump's labels, he said, were fueling the rise of threats against journalists. ICYMI: TRUMP TO DEMS: BORDER WALLS OR ELSE - President Trump said on Sunday that he would be willing to shut down the federal government if the Democrats do not agree to Republican demands about funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border ... Trump wrote on Twitter that border security "includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!" The White House has been embroiled in controversy over the ongoing efforts to reunite families separated at the border who were attempting to enter the United States illegally. During his most recent weekly address, Trump cited the 9/11 terrorist attacks to justify strong enforcement of immigration laws and the continued necessity of Immigration Customs & Enforcement, the agency which has come under fire from Democrats in recent months. A GLIMMER OF HOPE: A deadly northern California fire has now left six people dead but has slowed down, giving authorities new hope ... The North California Carr wildfire, which has grown to just under 90,000 acres since exploding Thursday, has taken six lives, including two firefighters, a woman and her two great-grandchildren, ages 4 and 5. In addition, seven missing persons reports remain outstanding, according to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. Still, in Redding, officials stuck a hopeful tone for the first time in days. "We're feeling a lot more optimistic today as we're starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time," said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident commander. Two arrested for alleged looting during California wildfires THE TRIAL OF PAUL MANAFORT: The trial of President Donald Trump's onetime campaign chairman Paul Manafort is expected to begin Tuesday and will focus on Manafort's business dealings and lifestyle, not Russian collusion allegations. But it will give a glimpse into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation ... Manafort's financial crimes trial, the first arising from Mueller's investigation, will center on his Ukrainian consulting work and only briefly touch on his involvement with the president's campaign. Jury selection begins Tuesday in Alexandria, Virginia. The trial will give the public its most detailed glimpse of evidence Mueller's team has spent the year accumulating. It will feature testimony about the business dealings and foreign ties of a defendant Trump entrusted to run his campaign during a critical stretch in 2016, including during the Republican convention. FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE: VICE PRESIDENT PENCE ON 'DRAMATIC' ECONOMIC GROWTH AND MORE: Vice President Pence touted the Trump administration's economic progress and slammed reporters who forgo "decorum" at the White House in a wide-ranging interview with FOX News' Maria Bartiromo on "Sunday Morning Futures" ... "The reality is, in the last two administrations, the economy grew by less than 2 percent," Pence said. "And in the first 18 months of this administration -- we were a little shy of 3 percent last year -- we're on track to be at 3 percent or better this year." The "dramatic increase" in business investment and exports are a testament to the policies of the Trump administration, Pence said. On Friday, the Commerce Department released a long-awaited estimate showing that the gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.1 percent in the second quarter of 2018, marking the fastest economic expansion in nearly four years. In addition, despite extreme division on Capitol Hill, Pence predicted that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will be confirmed soon. "We remain confident that before the fall is out that Judge Brett Kavanaugh will be Justice Brett Kavanaugh," Pence said. AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS WEEKEND THE TRUTH ABOUT DEMOCRATS AND OPEN BORDERS: "The Obama folks called it a healthy economy, but there was barely a pulse." Judge Jeanine Pirro, in her "Opening Statement" monologue on "Justice with Judge Jeanine," praising President Trump for the fastest expansion of the U.S. economy in about four years. WATCH TRUMP'S 'FRIENDLY' POLITICAL FOES: "The biggest enemies here are not necessarily the open-borders Democrats. They're doing what they always do. It is those Republicans in Washington, D.C. who are willing to throw President Trump and his voters and supporters under the bus to preserve their own power." Michelle Malkin, on "FOX & Friends Weekend," arguing that Congressional Republicans looking to retain power are standing in the way of President Trump's border security agenda. WATCH TRENDING Great white shark caught in Rhode Island waters. Deputy's graphic Facebook post describing fight with suspect goes viral. If you use Amazon, change these five settings immediately. THE SWAMP Top Tennessee Dem Party official snubs 'reaching out' to Trump voters, calls them 'idiots.' Rep. John Lewis released from hospital with 'clean bill of health.' Prankster puts Putin's portrait in Trump's place at Colorado Capitol. ACROSS THE NATION Missing University of Iowa student may have returned to home after jog: report. Teen seriously injured after plastic bottle thrown from car explodes in her hands: report. Burned-out millennials quitting lucrative jobs to live their best life. MINDING YOUR BUSINESS CBS brass grapples with Moonves' fate amid Redstone feud. Fiat Chrysler chief's death focuses spotlight on CEO health. Senate looms as big test for changes to U.S. fishing laws. FOX NEWS OPINION Kyle Smith: Trump's demise has been greatly exaggerated. Peter Morici: I'm an educator. This is why I want Judge Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. Timothy Head: The unhinged anti-Kavanaugh left gears up to attack a Christian family man who feeds the homeless. HOLLYWOOD SQUARED 'Big Bang Theory' boss Chuck Lorre comments on safe work environments after Les Moonves sexual harassment allegations. Netflix focused on building faith and family-based shows, exec says. Mark Hamill responds to news that Carrie Fisher will appear in next 'Star Wars' via old footage. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? Mourning orca mother carries dead calf for fifth day. Polar bear killed after attacking cruise ship employee near North Pole. Bridesmaid begs JetBlue for refund after bride asks her 'to relinquish' title, 'duties.' STAY TUNED On Facebook: Check out 'FOX News Update,' our new Facebook-exclusive news program hosted by Shepard Smith, Carley Shimkus and Abby Huntsman! On FOX News: FOX & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: President Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani; Larry Winget, the "Pitbull of Personal Development"; and Greg Gutfeld, who discusses his new book, "The Gutfeld Monologues." Plus, reaction after Philadelphia takes another step toward hindering ICE; Analyzing the geopolitics of China; and a look at the best backyard toys for summer fun. On FOX Business: Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: More of Maria Bartiromo's exclusive interview with Vice President Mike Pence as he takes her behind closed doors to show the Bronze Star Medal being awarded to his late father for his service in the Korean War. On FOX News Radio: The FOX News Rundown podcast: The GDP report for the second quarter shows the strongest level of economic growth in the last four years. FOX Business reporter Adam Shapiro discusses what this means moving forward for the economy. Last week, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture announced $12 billion in emergency relief for farmers affected by President Trump's recent tariffs. Andy Petersen, the morning farm news anchor at FOX News radio affiliate WHO-AM, discusses how the tariffs are impacting farmers. Plus, commentary by FOX News; Gregg Jarrett. Want the FOX News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: FOX News White House correspondent Kevin Corke on Trump lashing out at the New York Times, media and being willing to "shut down" the government over his promised border wall. Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson on being spied on by the Obama administration. #OnThisDay 2013: U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is acquitted of aiding the enemy the most serious charge he faces but is convicted of espionage, theft and other charges at Fort Meade, Md., more than three years after he spilled secrets to WikiLeaks. (The former intelligence analyst, now known as Chelsea Manning, would be later sentenced to up to 35 years in prison. The sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in his final days in office.) 1975: Former Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa disappears in suburban Detroit; although presumed dead, his remains have never been found. 1956: President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a measure making "In God We Trust" the national motto, replacing "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of many, one). FOX News First is compiled by FOX News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your Monday! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday morning. Prosecutors have declined to file charges against major Democratic donor Ed Buck in the case of Gemmel Moore, a male escort who was found dead inside Bucks West Hollywood home last summer. The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office said the admissible evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Buck gave Moore drugs or is responsible for his death in a document dated July 26 obtained by Fox News. Moore, 26, was found by police on July 27, 2017, inside the apartment of Buck, 63. Buck, a well-known figure in LGBT political circles, has given more than $500,000 to a range of Democratic groups and candidates including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The document also cited an inadmissible search and seizure, but did not provide details. Although Moore's death was initially considered an accidental drug overdose, detectives in the Homicide Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department opened an inquiry ten months ago due to writings in Moore's journal and pressure from his family, friends and community advocates. The investigators' findings were presented to the district attorneys office on July 10 and authorities reportedly reviewed and rejected four charges: murder, voluntary manslaughter, and furnishing and possessing drugs. JUSTICE FOR GEMMEL MOORE? FAMILY WANTS ANSWERS IN ESCORT'S DEATH AT DEM DONOR'S HOME With all the interviews and evidence that we have, we presented that to them, Lt. Joe Mendoza, a spokesman for the LA County Sheriffs Office homicide bureau, told Fox News. Were like fact finders. To the best that we could, we compiled everything. Mendoza also said that investigators were unable to make contact with some witnesses they wanted to reach, while others witnesses did not want to speak with detectives. Greg Risling, assistant media chief in the district attorneys office, told Fox News that a deputy may file criminal charges only if the following four requirements are satisfied: There must be legally sufficient, admissible evidence of the crime and of the accuseds identity as the perpetrator; the deputy must be satisfied that the evidence proves the accused is guilty of the crime to be charged; and the deputy must have determined that the admissible evidence is of such convincing force that it would warrant conviction of the crime charged by a reasonable and objective fact finder. The criteria are detailed in the DAs Legal Policies Manual. SOME DEMOCRATS DISAVOW DONOR AMID PROBE OF GEMMEL MOORES DEATH After Fox News published a report on the incident, a number of candidates and elected officials, including California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey, returned their donations to Buck or gave the money to various nonprofits. Buck's attorney, Seymour Amster, has maintained that his client did nothing wrong. Theres nothing there. As we always stated, this was an accidental overdose that Ed Buck had nothing to do with and its a tragedy, Amster said. The suspect in a rape and kidnapping was arrested Sunday after allegedly leading Georgia cops on a high-speed chase -- during which he crashed into another driver, officials said. The Marietta Police Department said the collision occurred Sunday morning near the intersection of South Cobb Drive near Fairground Street in Marietta. During the chase, Andrew Head, 27, merged into oncoming traffic and hit another car head-on, police told FOX5 Atlanta. Both drivers were sent to Kennestone Hospital for medical attention. He absolutely put several motorists lives in danger, Marietta Police Officer Chuck McPhilamy said. The chase began around 9:00 a.m., after a woman locked herself in the bathroom of a local Texaco station and called 911 to report she had been kidnapped and raped numerous times inside her van, FOX5 reported. Cops say the alleged attacker, Head, stole her van and fled. Authorities tracked down the van later in the day and instructed the driver to pull over. But instead of being cooperative, Head sped away and, at one point, drove directly toward officers, officials said. We are just glad this violent suspect was taken into custody and wont be able to hurt anyone else, McPhilamy told FOX5. Head faces several charges, including rape, robbery by force and kidnapping. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the draft document and assigned Deputy PM Minh to sign the MoU with a representative of the Singaporean Government. He is on an official visit to Singapore from July 30 to 31, which is expected to deepen the cooperative and strategic partnership between the two countries. The countries founded diplomatic ties on August 1, 1973 and set up a strategic partnership in September 2013 during Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loongs official visit to Vietnam. Singapore has been one of Vietnams biggest trade partners since 1996, ranking second amongst ASEAN and eighth in terms of global trade partners. Bilateral trade last year rose by 8.9% from 2016 to reach US$8.3 billion. Direct investment from Singapore into Vietnam has also been on the rise. The former is now the biggest ASEAN and the third largest international investors in the latter. As of the end of last May, Singapore had 2,048 investment projects worth US$43.53 billion in Vietnam. Their businesses have been present in 48 of the 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam. A Marine veteran who was returning from visiting his wife and newborn at the hospital was one of two people who died in a head-on car crash on Cape Cod, police said. Barnstable Police responded to reports of a head-on collision along Route 28 shortly after midnight on Saturday. Officials said 32-year-old Kevin Quinn, of Mashpee, was traveling west when his GMC SUV crashed into a Toyota sedan that was headed in the opposite direction. The driver of the other vehicle, Mickey Rivera, 22, of Fall River, was killed after his car split in two and caught fire, Boston 25 reported. Officials said Quinn was pinned inside his car and had to be extracted with the Jaws of Life. He was transported to South Shore Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, Boston 25 reported. The Cape Cod Times reported that police were apparently pursuing Riveras car before the crash because he was allegedly driving erratically and speeding. According to the paper, Rivera was due to appear on court Tuesday on a series of charges in connection with a 2015 murder in his hometown of Fall River. He had been in custody for two years on charges including armed assault with intent to rob and attempted armed robbery, but was released in September 2017 after his bail was reduced from $35,000 to $1,000. Prosecutors had objected to the reduced bail for Rivera, citing the seriousness of the charges and his criminal history as a juvenile. Family say Quinn, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, had just spent the evening with his wife, Kara, and their first child, Logan Audrey, who was born on Wednesday. Mother and daughter were supposed to go home on Sunday. Very excited about the new baby, and starting a new adventure in their life [and] all of a sudden, a car comes out of nowhere. Nobodys prepared for that, Rob Dinan, Quinns friend who served with him in the Marines, told Boston 25. Today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of their life, and unfortunately it turned into a sad day for all of us, he added. A passenger in Riveras car remains hospitalized. A GoFundMe page set up for the Quinn family had raised nearly $195,000 as of Monday evening. Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain contributed to this report. The two Minneapolis police officers seen in bodycam footage shooting an armed man during a frantic foot chase won't be charged in the incident, a prosecutor announced in a Monday statement -- issued minutes after protesters forced officials from a live press conference, threatening "consequences" if the cops weren't arrested. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Monday in a press release that charges will not be filed against officers Justin Schmidt and Ryan Kelly in the June 23 shooting, saying 31-year-old Thurman Blevins was a danger to them and the community. When Mr. Blevins fled from the officers with a loaded handgun, refused to follow their commands for him to stop and show his hands and then took the gun out of his pocket and turned toward the officers, Mr. Blevins represented a danger to the lives of Officer Schmidt and Officer Kelly, Freeman said in a statement. Their decision to use deadly force against Mr. Blevins under those circumstances was authorized by Minn. Stat. 609.066 and as such there is no basis to issue criminal charges against either officer. Freeman made his announcement in a news release after he was shouted down by community members at a news conference. Family members and activists demanded the officers be arrested in the next 48 hours or else "there will be consequences," Blevins' cousin, Sydnee Brown, told reporters. A transcript of the 911 call previously released by the city included pleas from a caller to send help because a man with a bottle of liquor was firing a handgun in the air and into the ground, the Star Tribune reported. The bodycam video released Sunday shows the two officers pulling their cruiser up to Blevins, who's seated on a curb near a woman with a child in a stroller. As the officers pull up, one says, "He's got a gun!" Blevins jumps up and runs, as the officers yell "Stop, stop! Put your hands up! I will f------ shoot you!" During a chase that takes less than a minute, Blevins yells back, "I didn't do nothing, bro," ''Please don't shoot" and "Leave me alone." An enhanced version of the video has a red circle drawn around Blevins' hand to highlight a gun. After the chase continues down an alley, Blevins is shot while still running. Investigators said both Kelly and Schmidt fired their weapons and an autopsy showed Blevins was shot multiple times. Lt. Bob Kroll, president of Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, said in a seperate news conference on Monday that officers were forced to fire" at Blevins "only after he pointed a gun and fired at the officers. "The officer's deserve the Minneapolis Police Department's highest honor, the medal of honor, and they deserve the respect of the population they were sworn to protect," he said. Kroll said that Blevins gave the officers pursuing him no other option when he ran from them while pointing a gun at the officers and firing a shot. "You shoot until the threat ends," he told reporters. Investigators have said the officers arrived to find Blevins sitting with a woman on a curb before he ran, carrying a black and silver gun. A gun was recovered at the scene, but some witnesses had disputed that Blevins was armed, saying he was only carrying a bottle or a cup. Brown told the Star Tribune family members were shown the video before public release, and that it showed to her that Blevins wasn't a threat to police. "He didn't deserve to die," Brown said. "He wasn't a threat when [the officers] approached him. They didn't view him as a human being." ACCOUNTS OF FATAL MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-INVOLVED SHOOTING VARY AMID UNREST A protest of Blevins' death was planned for Tuesday afternoon at the Hennepin County Government Center, according to FOX9. Blevins' death prompted earlier demonstrations and community advocates demanded transparency and urged the swift release of body camera footage. Minneapolis has been rocked by two high-profile fatal police shootings in recent years, including the November 2015 shooting of Jamar Clark, 24, and last year's shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40. Officers in the Clark case were not charged, and a trial is pending for the officer who shot Damond. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mollie Tibbetts, the 20-year-old University of Iowa student who vanished earlier this month after heading out for a jog, may have returned to her boyfriends house and evidence reportedly suggested she was doing homework late on the night she disappeared. Family members told local CBS affiliate KCCI the new information on Saturday, but authorities did not give any new timelinein order not to hurt the search. She was last seen on July 18 running in Brooklyn, Iowa. She was staying at her boyfriends home at the time of her disappearance. She was there to watch his dogs because he had a construction job about 100 miles northeast in Dubuque. Authorities said theyve put together a pretty solid timeline of what Tibbetts was doing prior to her disappearance. Friends and family say Tibbetts, an avid runner, was usually wearing her Fitbit. Authorities reportedly searched cornfields and a nearby pig farm, but there has been no sign of the girl. Tibbetts was born in San Francisco and lived in Oakland until she moved to Iowa with her mother when she was in second grade, the Des Moines Register reported. Her father, who lives in Fresno, reportedly flew to Iowa to assist the search. Rick Rahn, a special agent in charge at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), told Fox News Friday that they "anticipate additional sites" will come into the picture. Were looking at anybody and everybody that would lead us to locating her," he said, noting that her missing is suspicious and that authorities are hoping to locate her sooner than later." Rahn also told Fox News that investigators have received "zero information" indicating that Tibbetts was a runaway or had a medical reason for her disappearance. Fox News' Bradford Betz, Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report Investigators probing the disappearance of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts were keeping details of the mystifying case close to the vest Monday, refusing to elaborate on the condition of the house where she'd been staying, even amid new information suggesting the home was her last known location. Rick Rahn, a special agent in charge at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, would not go into specifics as to whether or not officials found any signs of forced entry at the Brooklyn, Iowa, home she'd been staying at on the date she vanished, or if investigators found indications of an unknown person or persons on the property. Rahn, noting details about the home were part of the ongoing investigation, did say authorities were not aware of any link between Tibbetts disappearance and the ongoing search for a man in Pella -- a city about an hours drive away who was captured on surveillance video Friday morning taking pictures of high school-age female joggers. Tibbetts, a college sophomore, was last seen jogging on July 18. Ongoing searches for her, which have included properties such as a hog farm, have turned up short. Police have not announced any suspects in her disappearance. But the case appeared to take a twist over the weekend when KCCI reported her family members told the station evidence showed Tibbetts was doing homework on her computer late into the evening on July 18. That would suggest she returned to the house after her jog and didn't disappear while running, as had been previously thought. The home is owned by her boyfriend, whom cops have formally excluded as a suspect. Tibbetts was staying there to watch his dogs as he worked a construction job in Dubuque, about 100 miles northeast. She was reported missing July 19 after she failed to show up for work. Tibbetts' father, Rob, told Fox News' Sandra Smith on "The Story" Monday night that anyone with information should contact the police tip line at 641-623-5679. "We have to put our faith in [the authorities]," Rob said. "Have the courage to call that number. It's totally anonymous." The missing woman's father said that while their family "feel[s] about the way you'd expect a family to feel" in this situation, their loved ones are "tough" and are "fighting" for Mollie. What we need is for people to tell their friends and neighbors that if they saw anything that seemed even remotely out of the ordinary to call the authorities and they will run that down, Rob told ABC's 'Good Morning America' on Monday. The authorities have told us again and again and again that all the similar cases like this are always solved by some tip. Authorities are offering a $1,000 reward for any information that would lead to an arrest or conviction in the case, Rahn said. The T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative is also offering their own $1,000 reward, according to the Des Moines Register. The Poweshiek County Sheriffs Office, which is working the case alongside state investigators, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News. In the case of the man being sought in Pella, Lt. Shane Cox told Fox News his department has been speaking with the Poweshiek County Sheriffs Office but at this point we dont have anything that says anything is related. Surveillance footage broadcast by WHO-DT showed the driver parked Friday outside an auto body shop in what reportedly is a 2008 silver Honda Accord. After two women run by, the driver is seen raising an object outside the window of his car, then taking off. Cox told Fox News there is nothing illegal about taking a picture of somebody, if thats what he did. But he said police would like to talk to the driver to to find out, number one, what he was doing exactly, and see if that information leads to any signs of current or future criminal activity. Fox News' Nicole Darrah contributed to this report. Hundreds of gun owners in Florida have been ordered to give up their guns under a new law that took effect after the deadly Parkland shooting in February, according to a report published Monday. The Risk Protection Order, signed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott just three weeks after a gunman killed 17 people at Stoneman Douglas, aims to temporarily remove weapons from gun owners who have been deemed by a judge to possibly be a threat to themselves or others. Roughly 200 firearms have been confiscated in the state since the law was enacted, Sgt. Jason Schmittendorf, of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, told WFTS-TV. "Around 30,000 rounds of ammunition" were also taken, he said. A five-person team in the county that's worked solely on the risk protection law reportedly has filed 64 risk protection petitions in court. Broward County, according to the news outlet, has filed 88 risk protection petitions since March. "Its a constitutional right to bear arms and when you are asking the court to deprive somebody of that right we need to make sure we are making good decisions, right decisions and the circumstances warrant it, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told the station in defense of the task force. Every petition filed under the order in Pinellas County has so far been granted by the judge, according to the report. FLORIDA GOV. RICK SCOTT SIGNS GUN BILL FOLLOWING PARKLAND MASSACRE, IN BREAK WITH NRA ALLIES The first gun seizure under the law occurred in April when Florida authorities confiscated an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle from an Army veteran. Jerron Smith's gun was seized when he refused to surrender it voluntarily, the Broward County Sheriff's Office said at the time. The officers also seized a .22 caliber rifle he owned, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a bump stock and numerous other weapon-related items. In addition to confiscating guns, the law also raised the age to buy a rifle to 21 and established a three-day waiting period on gun purchases. A former Virginia governor's grandson accused of raping a fellow University of Virginia student has avoided prison time. The Daily Progress reports Stephen Dalton Baril's charges were reduced Friday from felony rape and felony sodomy to misdemeanor sexual battery and felony unlawful wounding as part of his Alford plea, which acknowledges sufficient evidence for conviction without admitting guilt. The woman told police Baril took her to his apartment and raped her instead of walking her home from a bar in January 2017. Judge Humes J. Franklin on Friday sentenced the 21-year-old former UVa student to five years' supervised probation. Franklin accepted the plea agreement, deeming it a fair compromise, in part because neither party was happy. In a victim statement, the woman condemned the "year and a half of hell," Baril put her through. She has rebuilt her life over 17 months and said she agreed to a plea deal to avoid reliving the trauma. "You raped me whether you want to hear it or not," she said. "You robbed me of feeling safe in a city I called my home." Baril is the grandson of John Dalton, a Republican who served as governor from 1978 to 1982. His father, Steve Baril, is a Republican who ran unsuccessfully in 2005 for attorney general. Defense attorney Rhonda Quagliana said she was confident Baril would have been acquitted. But since he faced a 10-year minimum sentence if convicted, she said they opted not to pursue a trial. "It is hard to predict and in the face of even the possibility he could have been convicted, he chose to enter an Alford plea," she said. Areshini Pather, a deputy commonwealth's attorney for Charlottesville, thanked the woman for her courage and said she hoped the plea agreement helps bring her closure. "When there is the ability to reach out across the courtroom and find some commonality in a plea agreement, it's the responsible thing to do," she said. ___ Information from: The Daily Progress, http://www.dailyprogress.com Republicans who helped craft and pass Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law have reportedly joined a chorus of critics challenging the Pinellas County sheriff who cited the law as a reason he couldn't charge a man in a deadly shooting. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri recently said his hands were tied in deciding whether to charge a man in a shooting outside a convenience store because the "Stand Your Ground" law created a standard, that is a largely subjective standard for the use of deadly force by a shooter. Gualtieri also noted another new state law could mean his office may be civilly liable simply for arresting the shooter. But not so, say experts -- including lawmakers who wrote "Stand Your Ground," criminal lawyers and a National Rifle Association lobbyist -- who were interviewed by POLITICO about Gualtieri's controversial remarks. Nothing in either the 2005 ["Stand Your Ground"] law or the 2017 law [about immunity from prosecution] prohibits a Sheriff from making an arrest in a case where a person claims self-defense if there is probable cause that the use of force was unlawful, Tallahassee NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer told Politico. Hammer helped pass "Stand Your Ground" through the GOP-led Florida Legislature. FLORIDA SHERIFF SAYS 'STAND YOUR GROUND' LAW PREVENTS ARREST IN FATAL SHOOTING IN PARKING SPOT Nothing in the law says a person can sue the Sheriff for making an arrest when there is probable cause, she said in an email, according to POLITICO. State Sen. Dennis Baxley, a Republican who sponsored "Stand Your Ground" in 2005 told Politico he also disputed Gualtieris assertion that, in passing the law, lawmakers created a standard that was largely subjective. 'Stand your ground' uses a reasonable-person standard. Its not that you were just afraid, Baxley said. Its an objective standard. Gualtieri's remarks -- and the swift repudiation of them by Republicans -- underscore the tensions in the middle of an election year. Democrats have seized on the case to renew calls for an end to "Stand Your Ground" and say it has racial overtones. Gualtieri did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News. Markeis McGlockton, 28, a black man with three young children, shoved Michael Drejka, 47, a white man, to the ground on July 19 at a Clearwater convenience store and then was shot and killed when Drejka, from a sitting position, pulled out a gun he legally owned and opened fire. The bullet struck McGlockton in the chest. FAMILY WANTS GUNMAN CHARGED AFTER FATAL PARKING LOT DISPUTE The incident was captured on surveillance video and drew national attention. The argument began when Drejka questioned McGlocktons girlfriend about parking in the handicapped parking space without a permit while McGlockton went inside the store. He told deputies that he had to shoot to defend himself. Those are the facts and thats the law," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri was quoted as saying. No matter how you slice it or dice it that was a violent push to the ground. Supporters of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump who were met with flying eggs and punches from counter protesters during a June 2016 San Jose campaign rally can sue the citys police for allegedly failing to protect them, a new court ruling said. Trump supporters many sporting red Make America Great Again hats who were attending a rally at the McEnery Convention Center were met with hundreds of anti-Trump protesters as they were shepherded out of the building via a single exit. The suit's 20 plaintiffs claim in a lawsuit that police knowingly ordered them to leave through an exit where protesters were waiting, despite the existence of a safer route and other exits, the San Francisco Chronicle reported last week. The plaintiff's said they were beaten or struck by objects thrown by the protesters. Initial accounts of the events also said at least one woman was pelted by an egg after a crowd of demonstrators surrounded her, as seen in video of the incident. One plaintiff claims an officer told her police had been instructed not to intervene in the melee. The lawsuit says police arrested three people for allegedly assaulting officers at the scene, but no one for attacking Trump supporters, the Chronicle reported. On Friday, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said, if the allegations are true, the officers acted with deliberate indifference to a known and obvious danger and violated the constitutional rights of Trump supporters. San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia praised the officers after the rally for their effectiveness and their restraint, while the citys lawyers said officers did not create the danger and should not be second-guessed for legitimate law enforcement decisions. However, the court said the officers on duty, according to the allegations, had known about violence at past pro-Trump rallies. The attendees allege the officers shepherded them into a violent crowd of protesters and actively prevented them from reaching safety, Judge Dorothy Nelson said in the 3-0 ruling that upheld a federal judges refusal to dismiss the suit. The officers continued to implement this plan even while witnessing the violence firsthand. The court said that if the plaintiffs can prove their allegations, they would show police increased the danger to Trump supporters and knowingly exposed them to risk. San Jose City attorney, Richard Doyle, told the Chronicle the city disagrees with the courts view of the law on police liability and his office would consult with the City Council on a possible appeal. A Canadian man was reportedly charged after he appeared to shout he'd kill an Indian couple's children during a confrontation in a Walmart parking lot. The white man, only identified by CBC News as a 47-year-old from Stoney Creek, Ontario, appeared in a video posted to YouTube by user Patryk Laszczuk, who said his co-worker filmed the incident on Friday around 1 p.m. WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE According to Laszczuk, the confrontation started over a parking spot in the lot of the Walmart Supercentre in Stoney Creek. The man is seen getting into his silver pick-up truck, while the Indian man says, "What kind of example are you setting for your children?" The person behind the camera, who Laszczuk said was the Indian man's wife, walks toward the driver's car, seemingly to capture his license plate number, when he apparently hits her. NAZI FLAG, ANTI-SEMITIC SYMBOLS SPRAY-PAINTED AT INDIANA SYNAGOGUE "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" the driver shouts toward the couple, before the man appears to grab the driver's arm. "You put your f---ing hands on me I will break your leg," the driver shouts. The man tells him to "stop it," to which the driver says: "You're the one trying to harass me I'm driving away!" "I'm trying to harass you? You want me to go to my country?" the man asks the driver. "I'm a Canadian citizen." "Show me. Prove it. I don't believe you," the driver exclaims. He then appears to mock the Indian man's accent, and says, "You don't talk like a Canadian." The man, Laszczuk told the news outlet, is a Canadian citizen, as is his wife, and moved from India seven or eight years ago. The situation gets more heated as the driver of the truck tells the man: "I'm racist as f--k. I don't like you. I don't like her. I would kill your children first." The video soon cuts off as the driver leaves the area as both parties continue to shout at each other. MASSACHUSETTS MAN BEATEN, HELD CAPTIVE FOR FOUR DAYS BECAUSE HE WAS GAY, POLICE SAY Lasczcuk said he posted the video online so the truck driver could be "brought to justice." "I was horrified," he told CBC. "That's disgusting, whether it's a fight or not, that's disgusting." The Hamilton Police Service did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment. The man was reportedly charged after the encounter with threatening death, dangerous driving and failing to remain at the scene of an accident. The news outlet reported the incident is being reviewed as a possible hate crime. The statement was made by Hoang Binh Quan, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations, at a reception in Hanoi on July 30 for Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Jorge Faurie. The Vietnamese official spoke highly of developments in bilateral collaboration, especially in economy, with two-way trade increasing nearly tenfold in a decade, from US$316 million in 2007 to over US$3 billion in 2017. He expressed his wish that both sides will make efforts to tap their potential for stronger relations, actively implement reached agreements and promote the efficiency of existing cooperation mechanisms. The two sides need to boost comprehensive cooperation in various spheres, focusing on exchanging delegations at all levels through all channels, he added. Binh urged Argentina to support the enhancement of ties between the CPV and political parties in the Latin American country and people-to-people exchange, considering it an important channel to bolster the bilateral relationship. He suggested both sides continue supporting each others standpoints in the resolution of territorial disputes through peaceful negotiations in line with international law. For his part, Jorge Faurie, who is visiting Vietnam for the first time, stressed that the two nations should maintain trustful political ties via regular meetings and visits, particularly by high-ranking leaders. Effective economic cooperation is a driving force to bilateral relations, he said, noting great potential for the two countries cooperation and measures to foster their trade and investment ties in the time to come. Hundreds of tourists remained stranded Monday on a mountain in Indonesia after a large earthquake struck an island near the popular tourist destination of Bali a day earlier, officials said. More than 500 hikers from 26 countries were stuck on Mount Rinjani on Lombok island after the 6.4 magnitude earthquake triggered a landslide, Sky News reported. Military officials said more than 250 people had reached a relief point on the mountain by Monday afternoon, and a team of rescuers had reached hundreds more near the crater lake. Some of the tourists had minor injuries, with many traumatized by the ordeal, a military spokesman told Sky News. INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE IN POPULAR TOURIST AREA RESULTS IN MULTIPLE DEATHS, OVER 160 PEOPLE INJURED The earthquake early Sunday killed 16 people, including an Indonesian student who was among the Mount Rinjani climbers. The shallow quake set off landslides on the mountain that's carpeted in boulders and rocks, blocking usual paths out. It damaged more than 1,400 houses and was felt on neighboring Bali island, where no damage or casualties were reported. Anci, a villager from near the quake's epicenter, told the Associated Press that he and his family spent the night in a makeshift tent, worried aftershocks could cause more buildings to collapse. "We slept here at the roadside because our house collapsed in the quake," he said. "There have been many aftershocks, although they are not strong so far. But we heard that quakes as strong as the one early in the morning may occur and that makes my family and I very nervous and scared." Indonesia's president, Joko Widodo, visited the area on Monday and promised money for people who had lost their homes. "We must be aware that our country is in the Ring of Fire, so people need to be prepared to face any disaster," he said. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. The Associated Press contributed to this report. More than 700 polling stations across Mali were not able to operate in Sunday's elections, which took place under the threat of attack by extremists, the government said Monday. The vote elsewhere was carried out under "satisfactory conditions," the government said. No voting results have been announced; results are expected within the week. It was not yet clear how many of the West African nation's 8 million registered voters took part in the election in which 73-year-old President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita seeks a second five-year term. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent, a second round is Aug. 12. The 716 stations that did not operate represent just over 3 percent of the country's total. Al-Qaida's Mali branch had warned voters against going to the polls. "There were security incidents but they weren't major and didn't affect the credibility of the elections," said Gilles Yabi with the Senegal-based think tank Wathi, saying Mali in general has lower voter participation than other countries in the region. Extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State organization roam Mali's north and have pushed into the central part of the country in recent months, targeting Malian and French troops and other high-profile targets including the headquarters of a new regional counterterror force. Keita's main challenger is 68-year-old Soumaila Cisse, his rival in 2013, who has criticized the president for not addressing Mali's rising insecurity. No polling stations opened in some of central Mali's ethnic Fulani villages under the control of jihadists. The region has been troubled by deadly communal clashes between ethnic groups amid suspicions of villagers being recruited by extremist groups. Meanwhile, a more assertive response by Mali's security forces to recent attacks has led to accusations by human rights groups of extrajudicial killings. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa Missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was likely steered off course deliberately by someone and flew over the Southern Indian Ocean for over seven hours after communications were severed, according to a safety report into the disaster released Monday. The report by a 19-member international team provided no firm conclusions about what happened, and the head of the MH370 safety investigation team said that more definitive answers could come if the plane's wreckage and black boxes are found. The Boeing 777 carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished March 8, 2014, and is presumed to have crashed in the far southern Indian Ocean. The report noted that it was difficult for the aircraft's course change to be attributed to mechanical or system failures. "It is more likely that such maneuvers are due to the systems being manipulated," the report said. The report released Monday added that there was insufficient information to determine if the aircraft broke up in the air, or during impact with the ocean. Chief investigator Kok Soo Chon said during a media briefing there was no evidence of abnormal behavior or stress among the two pilots Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah and co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid that could lead them to hijack the plane. All the passengers were also cleared by police and had no pilot training, the investigator said. We are not of the opinion it could have been an event committed by the pilots, Kok said, adding that investigators were not ruling out any possibility since the aircraft's change in course was manually done and the systems in the plane were also manually turned off, according to Reuters. We cannot exclude that there was an unlawful interference by a third party, Kok said. The chief investigator added that no group said it hijacked the plane and no ransom demands have been made, which would be up to police to investigate. MH370 CAPTAIN WAS SUICIDAL, AVIATION EXPERTS SAY Officials said Monday's report is still not a final accounting because the plane hasn't been found. Malaysia's government has said it is open to resume searching if credible evidence of the plane's location emerges. The "rogue pilot" theory still arises in public discussions despite Malaysian authorities saying there was no evidence linking Zaharie or Hamid to any wrongdoing. Kok said it was "human nature" to speculate on sensational conspiracy theories but that the team relied on facts. Authorities retrieved over 2,700 coordinates from various file segments found in Zaharie's home flight simulator. This included seven "manually programmed waypoint coordinates" that when linked could fly from the Kuala Lumpur airport to the southern Indian Ocean, but police could not determine if the coordinates were found in a single file or from different files, he said. Police didn't find any data that showed a similar route flown by Flight 370 and concluded that there were "no unusual activities other than game-related flight simulations," Kok said. MH370 DISASTER: HOW NEW SPACE TECH CAN KEEP TRACK OF AIRCRAFT He said investigators couldn't find any flaws with the plane and dismissed the theory that it was remotely controlled. Boeing has such technology to foil plane hijacking but hasn't used it on any commercial planes, he added. Scattered pieces of debris that washed ashore on African beaches and Indian Ocean islands indicate MH370 crashed in a distant stretch of the ocean, but a multi-government search by Australia, Malaysia and China failed to pinpoint a location. A second, private search by U.S. company Ocean Infinity that finished at the end of May also found no sign of the wreckage. Relatives of the 239 people who were on board the flight expressed frustration Monday that the report into its disappearance revealed nothing new." "It's difficult because we have to live with not knowing why my wife has gone missing," Calvin Shim told Sky News. Shim's wife, Christine Tan, was a member of the flight crew. "We need closure. I can't even tell my children what happened to their mother," he said. "We can't even have a proper ceremony or a proper place to remember my children's mother." "We want the answer of why the plane has gone missing and where it has gone," he told Sky News. "As soon as all my questions are answered it will be finished for me. As long as there is still some hope, I will still pursue it." The Associated Press contributed to this report. A University of Kentucky student on an exchange program in Jordan was found dead Monday, two days after she went for a midnight swim during a weekend trip to Israel, her family said. The body of TeNiya Jones, 19, was discovered Monday when it washed up on the shore in Tel Aviv, two days after she was reported missing, Times of Israel reported. Her family confirmed to the Fort Myers News-Press that the Florida native was found dead. Jones mother, Tosha Thomas-Mora, told the news site she received a call that night about her daughters disappearance less than eight hours after texting her. She said Jones told her she was in for the night. "She's a decent swimmer," Thomas-Mora said, but added that Jones usually liked walking along the shore. "The furthest I've known her to go is to stand and wade at the shore of the water and take pictures. University of Kentucky officials said Jones and four other students traveled to Tel Aviv by bus for the weekend. She and two other students on Saturday went for a swim in the Mediterranean Sea when they got caught in a rip current. The two people alerted local authorities after Jones did not return for nearly three hours, the university said in a statement. Jones was doing an international program in Amman, Jordan, with the Council on International Educational Exchange, or CIEE, through the University of Kentucky. The program began in June and was scheduled to end this week. Our thoughts and prayers are with TeNiya, her family and the students and others impacted, University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said in a statement. We are in continual contact with TeNiyas family, officials in Israel, officials from the State Department and our Congressional delegation, to provide all the support we can for the family, students and others involved. "We are doing everything possible to provide whatever support is needed," the statement added. Family members said it seemed out of character for Jones to go for a midnight swim. "That's not like her," Jones cousin Jean Davis said. "She wouldn't take a risk like that." The university said it is making arrangements to bring Jones family to Tel Aviv. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 One of two Reuters journalists charged with possessing official information testified Monday that he knew nothing about documents that police allegedly found on his phone and had no idea where they came from. Kyaw Soe Oo and colleague Wa Lone have pleaded innocent to violating Myanmar's Official Secrets Act, under which they could get up to 14 years in prison if convicted. They were arrested in December and have been detained since then after being denied bail. The two and their supporters say they were framed by police, apparently because of their reporting on the brutal crackdown by security forces on minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state. About 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh after the crackdown began last August. Their lawyer, Than Zaw Aung, told reporters after Monday's court session that documents presented as prosecution evidence were neither secret nor sensitive one was the agenda of a trip by the vice president which had already been publicized and the other was about a development project. He said Kyaw Soe Oo's phone was not in his possession during two weeks of interrogation. Several additional witnesses are to testify in August, after which the lawyers will deliver their closing arguments and the judge is to give his verdict. The court so far has held about 30 sessions over seven months. Kyaw Soe Oo said Monday that under cross-examination by the prosecutor he testified that he did not know where the documents on his phone came from, and he had conducted his work according to ethical standards for journalists. He said he was not allowed to meet lawyers or family members during his two weeks of interrogation and was made to kneel for about four hours while being interrogated. Wa Lone, who was cross-examined last week, said the interrogation process was abusive. "We were not allowed to sleep. The weather was too cold at that time. We were handcuffed. There was no blanket or pillow or mosquito net. We were not allowed to sleep for three or four nights. I think we were not beaten up physically but our minds were being tortured," he said. Four tourists traveling through Tajikistan on bicycles were killed when a driver allegedly rammed his car into them and joined his passengers in going after the cyclists with knives, U.S. and Tajik officials said Monday. Authorities in the ex-Soviet republic in Central Asia were considering an extremist plot among the possible motives for the attack, the country's interior minister said. A Daewoo sedan plowed into a group of seven foreign bicyclists about 60 miles south of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, on Sunday, according to local police. The people in the vehicle then "exited the car and stabbed the cyclists with knives," the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan said in a statement Monday. Four of the cyclists died and three others, including a woman from Switzerland, were injured, Tajik officials said. Two of the victims were American, one was Swiss, and another was from the Netherlands, foreign and Tajik officials said. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon sent the leaders of each country a telegram expressing condolences Monday. Interior Minister Ramazon Rakhimzoda told reporters that one of the survivors had knife wounds and police found knives and guns with some of the suspects. He described the car crash as "an attack," and said investigators were examining all possibilities, including a road accident, murder and terrorism. Rakhimzoda said one suspect was killed while resisting arrest, his ministry said two suspects were killed and the U.S. Embassy reported three. The discrepancy could not be immediately explained. Four suspects have been detained, according to the Interior Ministry. The State Department issued a statement Monday condemning what it called a "senseless attack" and expressing "deepest condolences" to the families of the people killed. The department said it could not provide more information about the U.S. citizens due to "privacy concerns," but that U.S. officials were working closely with Tajik authorities. Swiss Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Silvia Mueller said that while the circumstances of the crash were unclear, the Swiss government's travel advice for Tajikistan notes there is a risk of attacks and poor road travel conditions in the Central Asian country. "Should it turn out to have been a terrorist act, this would be recorded in the travel advice," Mueller said. The State Department encouraged Americans headed abroad to monitor government advisories for updated information on where it is safe to travel. A van carrying a wedding party collided head-on with a truck Monday morning in Vietnam, killing the groom and 12 other people who were part of his extended family, officials said. The van, which was carrying 17 people, was heading to the wedding venue where the brides family was waiting in Binh Dinh city when it crashed, provincial Mayor Dinh Van Thu said. The van collided with the incoming container truck around 2:30 a.m. in Quang Nam province. Four passengers, including two 6-year-old children, survived the crash, local news website VNExpress reported. The drive to the brides family was about 280 miles. Photos of the accident posted on VNExpress show the fronts of both were smashed and the van windshield was shattered. Police have launched an investigation into the incident, Thu said. Road traffic accidents claim about 14,000 lives every year in Vietnam, according to the World Health Organization. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Tariq Lacy, the ex-Area 35 employee that accused CEO and Tiny Metal creator Hiroaki Yura of embezzling funds from the Project Phoenix Kickstarter to fund another game last year, now says his accusation was contrary to the truth. The retraction comes at the close of a legal dispute between the two parties that USGamer reports has now ended in a settlement. The original case sprung out of a comment Lacy made on the Kickstarter and Facebook pages for Project Phoenix, which was funded via Kickstarter in 2013 and originally slated for a 2015 release. In those posts, Lacy alleged that the funds raised for Project Pheonix were, in fact, being used to fund a completely different project, Area 35s tactical war game Tiny Metal. Yura fired back in a conversation with Kotaku, calling the claims factually incorrect noting that the company was looking at taking legal action over the comments. According to court documents received by USGamer, that resulting legal battle has now ended in a settlement. The two sides have agreed on a resolution in which Lacy admits that the post/article/comment written on the 20th of November 2017 on the Project Phoenix Facebook Page, managed by the complainant company, is contrary to the truth and agrees to publicly apologize for original embezzlement allegations. Lacy has since made that apology in a public Facebook post. The settlement also sees Lacy paying 410,611 yen (~$3,700) to Area 35 vice president Masamichi Eguchi while noting that Area 35 is still obligated to pay Lacy 600,000 yen (~$5,400) per an earlier contract agreement. [This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press.] Vienna, Austria, 30th of July, 2018: Like they did with its predecessor de Blob, THQ Nordic has remastered and released de Blob 2 on PC and consoles. Now they are announcing the release of de Blob 2 on Nintendo Switch, again like they did with the first game. The digital and retail version of de Blob 2 for Nintendo Switch will be out on August 28, 2018 for an SRP of USD/EUR 29.99. About de Blob 2 Comrade Black is back and so is his war on Color. There will be no stopping him or his brainwashing new cult from taking over Prisma City-that is, until de Blob comes back to re-ignite color revolution! de Blob 2 is a platformer which utilizes unique painting functionality as the main game mechanic along with classic platforming actions and low gravity space. Set a few years after the events of the first de Blob game, action in de Blob 2 revolves around another attempt to wipe all colorful individuality from Prisma City and its residents. It's up to the player to join the Color Underground and bring color back to the world. Features include: multiplayer support, 12 new single player levels, new power-ups and epic boss battles. Imagine - Set off on an action packed color adventure with 12 new single player story levels where custom paints, patterns and music bring the world to life any way you want Laugh - Only the colorful prankster Blob can foil Papa Blanc's evil hypno plot to steal all the color from Prisma City Power - Speed smash through walls, jet jump over skyscrapers and slam squash Inkies with all new power-ups that turn you into a super Blob Explore - Paint your way past icy outposts, tropical bio domes and distant space stations to free the fair citizens of Prisma City Transform - Inside, outside, above the Earth and below it, Blob embarks on mini missions and epic boss battles to restore color and music back to this rich universe Share - Recruit your friends to join the color evolution in the 2 player split screen coop mode About BlitWorks, S.L. Based in Barcelona and founded in 2012, BlitWorks is a porting and digital publishing studio notorious for the outstanding quality of its ports. Recent works include the conversion of acclaimed games such as Sonic CD, Jet Set Radio, FEZ, Spelunky, Bastion and Dont Starve to all brands of consoles and mobile platforms. The two sides showed their delight at the growth of Vietnam-Argentina cooperation over the past 45 years across all fields, with strengthened political ties and trust through visits and meetings between their senior leaders. Bilateral trade increased to over US$3 billion in 2017, 10 times higher than the figure from a decade ago. FM Minh thanked the Argentine side for supporting Vietnams candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure. He lauded Argentinas signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), while asking the Latin American country to promptly finalise procedures to open its market for Vietnamese fruits such as lychee, dragon fruit, longan, and mango. Argentine FM Faurie affirmed that Argentina considers Vietnam an important partner in the Southeast Asian region, while also lauding the role and position of Vietnam in the region and the world. He said his country is keen to expand friendship and all-round cooperation with Vietnam, especially in economy, trade, and technology, thus creating optimal conditions for closer links among businesses of both sides and balancing bilateral trade. Both sides agreed to continue maintaining and increasing the exchange of high-level visits and among ministries and sectors, while effectively implementing the mechanisms of Inter-Governmental Committee and Political Consultation at the deputy foreign ministerial level. The two countries will push the negotiations, signing, and implementation of specific cooperation programmes in the fields of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, processing and manufacturing industry, information and technology, biotechnology, security and defence, and tourism. Vietnam and Argentina will also continue to work closely together and support each other at international organisations and multilateral forums. At the talks, the two sides also discussed regional and international issues of shared concern, including matters relating to the East Sea. The same day, Faurie, who is on her first visit to Vietnam from July 28-31, had working sessions with Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and Head of the Party Central Committees Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan. He and leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also co-chaired a regional conference on technology cooperation in agriculture and industry in Hanoi. After Kippah attack in the Hofgarten : Police denies reports about prior investigation of Bonn policeman Bonn Media reports since the Kippah attack in Bonns Hofgarten have stirred new outrage. In an interview with the General-Anzeiger the police in Bonn outlines their viewpoint. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken A media report in connection with the controversial police operation after the attack on a Kippah wearing man in the Hofgarten in Bonn has stirred new outrage over the weekend. Several newspapers had picked up on the fact that one of the involved officers has been investigated internally years ago. In the reports the circumstance that all previous accusations against the officer in question were dropped has been moved entirely to the background. Based on this, a spokesperson of the Bonn police has said that it can be concluded that the authority cannot confirm the described connection. Heres what happened: In 2015, officers of the Bonn riot police were accused of issuing the call Do you want Total War? over private radio units in preparation of the G7 summit in Elmau, a reference to national socialistic minister of Propaganda, Joseph Gobbels. Back then, one of the officers involved in the Hofgarten case has indeed been investigated. But according to General-Anzeiger information it was clearly stated in the investigation report that he had not been the person who issued that radio phrase, as current reports tried to suggest. A disciplinary action against him was thus closed, the public prosecutors office in Munich did not see any punishable action by the officer in question. Also, according to GA information, the officer in the former case has not been the one who hit the man wearing the Kippah. He was only present during that operation. The connection between both cases was only mentioned in a report between the North Rhine-Westphalian committee on internal affairs and the Federal committee on internal affairs. As reported, Bonn police officers had wrestled down a Kippah-wearing Professor in the Hofgarten. According to their own statement they mistook him for the perpetrator of a prior violent encounter. Original text: Rudiger Franz High temperatures on board, low water levels : Weather affects cruiseship guests in Bonn BONN A Rhine river cruise in the sunshine - who wouldnt like that? But the heat of the past few days affects the guests of the Bonn river cruises (BPS). The low water levels in the Rhine dont cause any problems though. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Ill go up to have a look, you better stay inside, an elderly lady advises her friend. The two women are taking part in an afternoon offer for seniors aboard the Filia-Rheni. Four hours on the water during the hottest hours of the day. Underneath the sundial behind the captains cabin theres a light breeze. Here, the heat is bearable. But the white tables at the bow of the ship, where normally photographers and curious guests take a seat, stay empty. Captain Clemens Schmitz has started the engine a long time before departure. Operating at full capacity, the air conditioning gets the salon cooled down enough, so that coffee and apple tart taste good again. The land power connection, which is used by four ships of the BPS at the Alte Zoll, does not suffice. It would burn through, is Schmitz convinced. So the fleet of ships uses an innovative fuel which replaces the smelly sooty ship diesel with fluid natural gas. The so-called GTL fuel (Gas to Liquid) is only being made by Shell in a special plant in Qatar. It burns cleaner than common diesel - which is based on mineral oil - and thus produces less local emissions of nitrogen oxides, NOx, sulphur oxides and Sox, the Dutch refinery giant writes on its website. Environmentally friendly fuel Schmitz was impressed after a test run around Easter: The engine works smoother and isnt loud at all anymore, he says. Black smoke and diesel smells are a thing of the past now. And its not even necessary to convert the engines. Buses, ferries and trucks could be operated more environmentally friendly, Schmitz thinks. The higher price of about 10 cents more per litre is worth it, he and his BPS colleagues think. The only draw back do far: The fuel produced in the Middle East is only available in Arnheim, where Shell has a warehouse for it. But the captain is more worried by the situation of the Rhine in the coming weeks. The absent rain has minimised the river considerably. The ships channel is only about 2.70 meters deep at the moment, 1.1 metres less than the official Bonn levels. For the BPS ships this doesnt pose a problem here. But the bottle necks are the jetties outside the channel. We have reacted with new, longer piers and we got diggers to work on the ground, Schmitz explains. But the stops in Mondorf, Bad Breisig and Sankt Goarshausen near the Loreley cannot be accessed anymore already. Soon, Bad Honnef and Unkel might join that list. The main stops in Konigswinter, Linz and the Late Zoll in Bonn have not been affected yet. Rheinnixe zigzags up the river The Rheinnixe is struggling more, because it has to navigate while zigzagging across the stream to reach its pier at the Beuel side during low river levels. We have to go backwards in Beuel for a while already, says director Max Dornau. So far the service runs mostly on schedule, despite many potential guests avoiding boat trips in the heat, he says. As most people regard the BPS ships as cruise boats and not a means of transport, the cooperative remains relaxed upon this development. The continuous good weather has brought an increase of 10% of visitors in comparison to last year, estimates Schmitz. The heat wave shouldnt continue for much longer though, because people might not leave their homes anymore then. During the record-breaking summer in 2003, after a few weeks the ships were operated practically empty, and not just on the sundeck like now. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech titled "Turn Our Vision into a Reality" at the Plenary Session of the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 26, 2018. The session, hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, was also attended by Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) PORT LOUIS, July 28 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping is leaving Mauritius on Saturday, the last stop of his visit to the Middle East and Africa. During his 11-day trip, Xi paid state visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa and a friendly visit to Mauritius during a stopover. He also attended the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg. The visit opens new prospect for the South-South cooperation and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. ENHANCE CHINA-ARAB TIES Xi's visit to the UAE brings bilateral ties to a higher level and gives a demonstration for cooperation between China and Arab countries, Wang said. It is Xi's first visit to the UAE, and the first by a Chinese head of state in 29 years to the Arab state. During the visit, the two countries issued a joint statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership, which provides political guidance and overall plans for the development of bilateral relations in the next stage. They signed a memorandum of understanding on implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, and decided to dovetail their development strategies and strengthen communication on industrial policies. China and the UAE will accelerate the establishment of the first Belt and Road international exchange in Abu Dhabi, which will provide financial services to the construction of Belt and Road in the Middle East and the Gulf region. Earlier this month, Beijing hosted the eighth ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum at which China and Arab countries agreed to establish a "future-oriented strategic partnership of comprehensive cooperation and common development." Xi told the conference that China is willing to join hands with Arab states to build the Belt and Road, and to build a community with a shared future for China and Arab countries. Xi's UAE visit is a lively interpretation and a successful roadshow of China's policy toward Arab states, Wang said. DEEPEN CHINA-AFRICA FRIENDSHIP Xi has attached great importance to China-Africa relations. He chose Africa as the destination of his first foreign visit both after he was first elected Chinese president in 2013 and after his re-election this year. China and Africa are sincere partners on their path of development and natural allies in international affairs, Wang said. During his African tour, Xi emphasized that it is China's long-term and firm strategic choice to develop ties with African countries. No matter how the international situation changes, China will continue to uphold its African policy and concept of sincerity, concrete results, affinity and good faith, uphold justice and pursue shared interests, promote the construction of a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, so as to realize win-win cooperation and common development, Xi said. During the visit, China and the four African nations have agreed to strengthen the alignment of their development strategies, further tap their economic complementarities and expand the scope of cooperation. Another key achievement of Xi's African tour is the signing of cooperation documents regarding the Belt and Road Initiative. Senegal and Rwanda respectively signed memorandums of understanding with China on the initiative and Mauritius reached agreement with China to sign the cooperation accord on the initiative at an early date. Senegal is the first West African country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China, and it is expected to have a driving effect in the region, said Wang. During his visit, Xi and his African hosts have seen the signing of some 40 cooperation documents, he added. At every stop of his African tour, Xi was given grand welcome ceremonies by the governments and was received with exceptional hospitality by the local people, which is a valid proof that China's role in Africa is by no means neo-colonialism, according to the Chinese foreign minister. EXPAND BRICS COOPERATION During his visit to South Africa, Xi attended the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, which opened up the second "Golden Decade" for BRICS cooperation. The summit of the bloc of emerging market economies from Wednesday to Friday gathered leaders from its members -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- to discuss ways in seeking common development and prosperity amid new global challenges. While addressing the BRICS Business Forum at the summit, Xi said that the next decade will be a crucial one in which new global growth drivers will take the place of old ones, seeing faster changes in the international landscape and the international alignment of forces, and witnessing a profound reshaping of the global governance system. Xi also called for building an open economy, rejecting unilateralism and protectionism, boosting international exchanges and cooperation in innovation, easing the impact of application of information technology, automation and smart technology on traditional industries, as well as pursuing inclusive growth to deliver benefits to people of all countries and promoting international development and cooperation. He also urged to uphold multilateralism, support multilateral trade regime and fully observe collectively adopted international rules. "A trade war should be rejected, because there will be no winner. Economic hegemony is even more objectionable, as it will undermine the collective interests of the international community; those who pursue this course will only end up hurting themselves," Xi said, in response to the rising unilateralism and trade protectionism. The Johannesburg summit has yielded fruitful outcomes, with the BRICS countries confirming to forge a partnership on the new industrial revolution. The establishment of such a partnership will become a flagship project that will push forward cooperation among the BRICS countries, Wang said. Meanwhile, he said, the Johannesburg Declaration voiced the bloc's determination to pursue common development, preserve equity and justice, stick to multilateralism and improve global governance, injecting positive energy to the world amid great uncertainties. The BRICS summit also invited other developing countries including other emerging market economies and African nations to participate in the "BRICS Plus" dialogue, further expanding the BRICS circles and strengthening the partnership between the BRICS and African countries, Wang added. It is a historic visit during which China has strengthened strategic cooperation with developing countries and emerging economies, and which will have significant and positive impact on the transformation of international landscape and the progress of mankind, Wang said. Governments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation. On Aug. 5, 2014, Bob McCulloch was nominated for a seventh term as St. Louis County's prosecutor. Four days later, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson, Mo., by a police officer named Darren Wilson.Despite his controversial handling of the Brown case, McCulloch hasn't had to answer to voters for nearly four years. He had no opponent in the 2014 general election, although 11,000 people wrote in other names. Now, McCulloch -- currently Missouri's longest-serving elected official -- faces perhaps his most serious challenge since first winning the job back in 1990."This is the event that has marked our region, that is literally in the history books already," says Wesley Bell, a member of the Ferguson City Council and McCulloch's opponent in the Aug. 7 primary. "Most people don't agree with the way that he handled Ferguson."Still, McCulloch remains a favorite for reelection.At the end of June, he reported a fundraising total of nearly $250,000, which was more than six times the size of Bell's campaign treasury. The incumbent is a close ally of leading area politicians, including U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill and County Executive Steve Stenger. He's also backed by a number of labor unions, which are running a sizable get-out-the-vote effort in support of a ballot measure that could overturn Missouri's right-to-work law. And he has the endorsement of every living former police chief in St. Louis County."Since taking office in 1991, McCulloch and his team have removed many of the most dangerous criminals from our streets and always put the needs of crime victims first," the police chiefs' endorsement read.Nonetheless, Bell argues that McCulloch is vulnerable because of policies that predate the Michael Brown shooting. Homicide and violent crime rates, he notes, are on the rise in the county."That antiquated model of focusing on conviction rates and looking strong, that model is not working and is not making us safer," Bell says. "In fact, it's making us less safe."Bell argues that because most people who come into contact with law enforcement have mental health or addiction issues, treating their underlying conditions would do more to reduce crime than simply locking up more offenders. His support for criminal justice reform has won him the backing of national civil rights groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and Color of Change.Over the past couple of years, reform-minded candidates have won races for district attorney in major jurisdictions that include Chicago, Denver, Houston , Philadelphia and the city of St. Louis, which is separate from the county."Bell's campaign, whether or not it is successful, does seem to be a reflection of a nationwide trend in DA races," says David Sklansky, a Stanford law professor who has studied district attorney elections. "It is increasingly common for incumbent DAs running for reelection to face challenges by candidates who, like Bell, are positioning themselves as criminal justice reformers. Several of Bell's themes -- ending mass incarceration, reforming cash bail, ending the death penalty -- echo the themes of other candidates in recent DA elections around the country."To some extent, McCulloch has recognized the need to change his message to suit the times. He points out that he's already put reforms in place, such as not seeking cash bail in misdemeanor cases and diverting some offenders into drug or mental health treatment programs."You have to earn your way into prison in Missouri, and certainly in St. Louis County," McCulloch told St. Louis Public Radio. "No one goes to prison on a nonviolent offense their first time."But Bell argues that McCulloch's record in this regard is woefully inadequate, noting that the county puts only a few dozen prisoners into diversion programs a year -- out of more than 5,000 cases filed. McCulloch says he's fighting for more resources.While running on a platform of criminal justice reform has helped some candidates, it's tended to work better in open-seat races. It's still difficult to unseat an incumbent DA.Because of how he handled the Brown case, McCulloch has an unusually high profile for a county prosecutor. Rather than deciding himself whether to file charges against Wilson, he turned the decision over to a grand jury. While most grand juries sit for perhaps an hour, Ferguson's met for more than three months. Unusually, they heard evidence from the defense. And while prosecutors generally make a strong recommendation, in this case, McCulloch made none.The grand jury decided not to indict Wilson. While jurors deliberated and after McCulloch announced their decision, calling it correct, protests flooded Ferguson's streets, sometimes turning violent and sparking what has been called "the new civil rights movement."A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation found that Ferguson police had engaged in discriminatory practices, but it did not find credible witnesses or physical evidence that corroborated the popular "hands up, don't shoot" narrative suggesting that Wilson had killed the unarmed Brown in cold blood."Wilson fired at Brown in what appeared to be self-defense and stopped firing once Brown fell to the ground," the DOJ concluded For many St. Louis County residents, McCulloch's lack of prosecutorial zeal in the case remains suspect nonetheless. McCulloch, whose father was a police officer killed in the line of duty, has a history of refusing to prosecute law enforcement officers. In 2001, for example, he brought no charges against officers who shot two unarmed black men a total of 21 times, saying that the shooting was justified because "those guys were bums.""People in North County, particularly in black neighborhoods, who have suffered under the prosecutorial power of Bob McCulloch, are definitely ready to see him go," says Kristine Hendrix, vice president of the University City school board.McCullough faces some other potential vulnerabilities. The size of his pension has become an issue, as has the funding source for raises for McCulloch and his staff. There are voters who believe that it's simply time for him to leave."It is staggering to me that someone can hold power for the better part of 30 years," says Rachel Parker, a writer and marketing strategist.But Bell may lack the resources and support to deny McCulloch an eighth term."Bell will have scant support in either South County or West County," says Terry Jones, a political scientist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. "That makes McCulloch the odds-on favorite." Known as both the "father of Texas" and the namesake of the state's capital, Stephen F. Austin carved out the early outlines of Texas among his many accomplishments.He also opposed an attempt by Mexico to ban slavery in the province of Tejas and said if slaves were freed, they would turn into "vagabonds, a nuisance and a menace."For that reason, the city of Austin's Equity Office suggested renaming the city in a report about existing Confederate monuments that was published this week.Also on the list of locales to possibly be renamed: Pease Park, the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, Barton Springs and 10 streets named for William Barton, the "Daniel Boone of Texas," who was a slave owner.To be sure, the identified streets and parks are only suggested for reconsideration. And the city, Bouldin Creek, Pease Park and the Barton-related landmarks -- a group that includes Barton Springs -- were included in a lower-tier list of "assets for secondary review" in the report. Still, the report did identify several streets staff consider related to the Confederacy and worthy of more immediate action. Those streets are:--Littlefield Street--Tom Green Street--Sneed Cove--Reagan Hill Drive--Dixie Drive--Confederate Avenue--Plantation RoadThe city estimates that it would cost $5,956 to rename the seven streets.While the cost of such changes might appear reasonable, opposition to similar renamings has tended to revolve around the inconvenience and expense faced by longtime homeowners and business owners who must deal with a new address. Complaints along those lines surfaced earlier this year when the Austin City Council changed the names of two streets recognizing Confederate leaders.Before the council renamed Robert E. Lee Road as Azie Morton Road and Jeff Davis Avenue was changed to William Holland Avenue, the city gathered input from residents along those streets. A majority opposed the changes, which occurred in April.Some accused the city of whitewashing history.The latest report acknowledged the likelihood of opposing viewpoints and nodded to inconveniences to businesses and residents and the view that changing the names could be considered a threat to historical preservation. It also asked whether the proposed changes reside on a slippery slope."What's next and where do we stop?" the report asks.Any changes to road names would require public hearings and action from the City Council. Before the city changed the two street names in April, the city's staff had reached out to all residents to seek their input.A change to the city's name, meanwhile, likely would require an election since "Austin" would have to be struck from the city charter and replaced.The report also identified numerous historical markers related to the Confederacy on city property that could be targeted for removal. Those include a marker for the Confederate States of America that's located at Congress Avenue and Cesar Chavez Street.However, the city would need approval from the Texas Historical Commission and the Travis County Historical Commission to move them.Any new street names might fall in line with a 2017 recommendation from the Austin Commission for Women that called for the city to address gender and racial disparities in the naming of public symbols. The commission also suggested preference should be given to individuals connected to Austin and having a "positive relationship and history with the community.The Equity Office's report concludes, "It is essential to acknowledge that societal values are fluid, and they can be and are different today compared to when our city made decisions to name and/or place these Confederate symbols in our community."It is also important to acknowledge that nearly all monuments to the Confederacy and its leaders were erected without a true democratic process. People of color often had no voice and no opportunity to raise concerns about the city's decision to honor Confederate leaders." GOP reaction Constitutional amendments Supreme Court race Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, has vetoed the two bills the Legislature passed earlier this week that would affect November's midterm elections."Legislative Republicans want to roll back checks and balances in order to pick their own judges and put special interests in charge of education, voting, clean water and more," Cooper said in a press release announcing the vetoes. "Republican legislators are shamefully attempting to mislead voters in order to undermine our state's constitution and weaken the separation of powers between the branches of government."One of the bills revoked the authority of a state commission to write short captions for the six proposed constitutional amendments that will be on the ballot this fall.The other bill would keep a Republican candidate, Chris Anglin, from having his party affiliation on the ballot even though the other two candidates -- Democrat Anita Earls and Republican Barbara Jackson -- would have their party affiliations beside their names. The N.C. GOP has labeled Anglin "the enemy" and suggested he is secretly a Democrat trying to split the Republican vote.Republicans had defended the two new pieces of legislation earlier this week when they came back to Raleigh for a surprise session to pass the bills. Lawmakers gave the public less than 24 hours advance notice about the session and passed both bills within a matter of hours on Tuesday, after changing rules so they could fast-track the process. Democrats objected to the rule changes to no avail.And on Friday, N.C. GOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse criticized Cooper for vetoing the bills."To me, it's further proof that he's always only interested in politics and not in governing," Woodhouse said. "A fair question to ask the governor is, 'What's wrong with how the ballot questions are being presented to the voters?' There's nothing deceiving about it."The bill called for labeling each of the six proposals simply as "constitutional amendment" without a number or a title. Instead each will include a brief description previously written by Republican legislators that Democrats have said are misleading.Cooper's vetoes do not necessarily mean he will be able to stop the bills from becoming law.Republican legislators hold veto-proof majorities in both the N.C. House and Senate, and have successfully overridden nearly all of Cooper's vetoes so far in his first 18 months as governor. And on Friday, House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger sent out a joint statement saying they intended to do just that."The governor's outlandish claim that labeling proposed constitutional amendments as 'Constitutional Amendments,' and conforming the filing requirements for judicial candidates to every other public office in the state, is somehow "rigging the system" is a poor attempt to protect political gamesmanship by his party," the legislative leaders wrote. "We will override these vetoes to deliver clear and consistent voter information on ballots this November."The Legislature could vote to override the vetoes as soon as Monday.There are time pressures for state officials to print the ballots for this November's elections. Elections officials want all ballot information finalized by Aug. 8. They have to have the ballots ready by Sept. 7, which is when absentee-by-mail voting begins.The six proposed amendments cover various topics, some more controversial than others.One would create a new voter ID law -- replacing the 2013 law that was struck down as unconstitutional in federal court for targeting African American voters with discriminatory intent -- and another would lower the cap on how high the state's income tax rate can be.Two amendments would take away the governor's power and give those powers to the Legislature -- one concerns judicial vacancies and the other appointments to boards and commissions.Another amendment would give crime victims additional rights, and another would protect the right to hunt and fish.The bill that affects the race for a state Supreme Court seat didn't target Anglin by name; it instead targeted any judicial candidate who had switched parties within 90 days of entering an election.Anglin was a Democrat until shortly before switching to the GOP and entering the race, although he has repeatedly maintained that he is a legitimate conservative candidate. Investments Contracts MacKenzie Murdoch says she was surprised to learn that her state's university system receives money from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).The 18-year-old rising sophomore at Northern Vermont University decided to reach out to school officials to voice her concern. She also started a petition calling for the state's public colleges to end their ties with ICE.I didnt understand why we would have any connection to ICE, says Murdoch. I think that the mission Vermont State Colleges has for its schools doesnt line up with any connection to family separations and the treatment of immigrants being detained.Murdochs campaign comes amid a sea of calls from students and immigration activists who want state and local governments, public colleges and politicians to sever their financial ties with companies and agencies involved in detaining immigrants. There is also a movement growing to abolish ICE.While some of the politicians and institutions have given in to public pressure, others continue to defend their relationships with ICE and private prison organizations that operate detention centers.Last week, hundreds of educators petitioned the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), a public pension fund, to divest from private prison operators CoreCivic Inc. and the GEO Group. Both organizations operate immigration detention centers.Across the country, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli earlier this month divested state pension fund holdings from GEO Group and CoreCivic. California's pension fund, however, is unlikely to follow New York's lead.CalSTRS prefers engagement over divestment, said Michelle Mussuto, a CalSTRS spokesperson in an email. We believe that, as a responsible investor, active and direct engagement is the best way to resolve areas of concern and a more effective tool to reduce risk than divestment.CalSTRS has "met with executives of both companies regarding their policies and procedures to prevent human rights abuses within their facilities," she added. "CalSTRS staff will continue to communicate with management, review policies and procedures, and visit facilities to see firsthand how they comply with policies, laws and standards."Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner of Illinois is also facing scrutiny after reported this month that he profits from a private equity fund owned by a health care group servicing ICE detention centers.According to, the governor "said he relinquished investment decisions to a third party and has no direct ties to Correct Care Solutions."The news raised some eyebrows, particularly because Rauner signed the Illinois Trust Act last year, which limits how local authorities can cooperate with federal immigration agencies.Rauner is not the only politician caught up in seemingly conflicting messages.The city of New York -- a sanctuary for immigrants -- is in the middle of a five-year $112,000 contract with ICE for firing range facility rental, according to a government database . Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for abolishing ICE.The mayor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In the health care world, the government-funded Denver Health and Hospitals system has held two contracts with ICE this year -- one for roughly $15,000 and another for $9,000 . The latter, which ends in September, is described as funding for detention guard service for ICE detainees admitted to Denver Health and Hospital." Denver is also considered to be a sanctuary city.Other cities and counties receiving heat for contracts associated with detaining immigrants have moved to end them. The list includes counties in California, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. Sacramento County, Calif., for example, voted in June not to renew a multimillion-dollar contract it had with ICE to hold undocumented immigrants awaiting hearings."Our budgets must reflect our values," Sacramento Supervisor Phil Serna reportedly said at the time. "I do not value jailing immigrants, some of whom have not committed any criminal violations."As for public colleges, Vermont's state school system isn't the only one caught in the immigration fight. Three other state schools held contracts with ICE over the last year: the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Maryland College Park and Virginia Tech.Vermont Technical College, part of Vermont State Colleges, has been awarded contracts with ICE totaling just over $34,000 since 2014. ICE has a finance center in the state for processing criminal fines and bonds, and the technical colleges most recent contract provided accounting courses to the ICE employees who run it. The contract ended in May of this year.The president of Vermont Technical College, Patricia Moulton, defended the contracts in an emailed statement.Providing leadership and financial accounting training to the employees of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement falls within the scope of the colleges value to the state in providing workforce training and development to the people of Vermont and the region," she said.Virginia Tech held a 10-month , $12,000 contract with ICE that ended in June. The lab was contracted to conduct tests on solid aluminum pallets confiscated by ICE at a port of entry, according to a university spokesperson, Mark Owczarski. The lab did its tests and issued a report for ICE.The University of Alabama at Birmingham held a contract last year for $73,000. According to university spokesperson Savannah Koplon, the contract allowed UAB cyber-crime experts to directly conduct digital forensic and criminal justice activities to aid in preventing harmful drugs -- both counterfeits and opioids -- from being smuggled into the country illegally.The University of Maryland's ICE contract is set to expire in September. The minimum award amount is $125,000, and the agreement provides counter-terrorism instruction and hazmat certification and training, according to an email from ICE spokesperson Matthew Bourke.None of the schools indicated, when asked, whether they would continue to use contracts with ICE in the future. The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that the Ann Arbor and Clio school districts have a right to ban guns from their schools -- in a closely watched case that deals a blow to gun rights advocates who had argued state law prohibits schools from enacting such policies.Both districts had adopted policies that barred the possession of guns on school property and at school-sponsored events. They each were sued by separate gun rights groups. Michigan Gun Owners, along with parent Ulysses Wong, sued Ann Arbor Public Schools. Michigan Open Carry, along with parent Kenneth Herman, sued Clio Area Schools.Friday's 4-3 ruling upholds a 2016 ruling by the Michigan Court of Appeals, which came to the same conclusion. It came after the court held oral arguments in April. The ruling comes nearly six months after a deadly school shooting in Florida left 17 students and adults dead and sparked nationwide conversations about school safety."I'm very happy. I think our board will be very happy," said Fletcher Spears, superintendent of the Clio district in Genesee County. "We believe in the position that we took."Said Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Jeanice Swift: "It appears that school districts and boards of education will have the latitude to adopt policies like those we've adopted. We think that's a win for children across Michigan. We think that's a win for local boards of education and local control."But Jim Makowski, the attorney for Michigan Gun Owners and Wong, said the decision saddens him because he believes it will do nothing to improve school safety."Now criminals can be confident that most school districts are not going to allow firearms on property," Makowski said. "Now we've just created a whole bunch of soft targets that are not going to be protected by an individual with a firearm."It's an argument that doesn't sit well with Spears, a life member of the National Rifle Association and a concealed pistol license holder."There have to be some common sense limitations," Spears said.Many school districts have developed policies banning guns in schools, concealed or not, saying they have the right to ensure the safety of their students.The state law prohibits a "local unit of government" from, among other things, banning the possession of firearms. A key issue in the case was whether that applies to a school district. The Michigan Legislature defines a local unit of government as a city, village, township or county,the Michigan Court of Appeals noted in a ruling in 2016.Here's what the Michigan Supreme Court said in Friday's ruling:"The Legislature has the authority to preempt school districts from adopting policies like the ones at issue that regulate firearms on school property; however, not only has the Legislature not done so, it has expressed its intent not to preempt such regulation."Because an unambiguous statute showed a legislative intent not to occupy the field of firearms regulation, the districts' policies were not impliedly field-preempted."The opinion was written by Justice Bridget Mary McCormack, who was joined by Justices David Viviano, Richard Bernstein and Elizabeth Clement.Chief Justice Stephen J. Markman wrote a dissent, arguing that the majority failed "to address the threshold inquiry of whether the school districts possessed the authority to adopt these policies in the first place."Markman wrote: "Because school districts do not possess the authority to adopt policies that conflict with state law and the policies at issue here clearly conflict with state law, these policies are plainly invalid. Accordingly, I would reverse the judgments of the Court of Appeals."Justices Kurtis Wilder and Brian Zahra also dissented.Makowski said there are no options left for the court case."It's a state law issue. We are done. We're done with this."But he said, "the state Legislature should take a moment to address this.""To think that putting a sign in front of a school saying no guns are allowed is going to keep schools safe is obtuse," Makowski said. "Unfortunately the powers that be don't seem to realize or don't seem to care."Swift, though, said the idea that guns "can come and go inside the schools ... was just counter to everything we believe and stand for, in regard to creating safe and welcoming environments in our classrooms where students can learn and grow and thrive."That's why the district, and its board, pushed the policy."Safety is our first and our primary duty, even before our critical mission of teaching and learning," Swift said.Spears said the court's ruling that Michigan schools were purposely left out of definition of "local units of government" can have broader implications and means that schools "can indeed enact policies for the safety and welfare of the children." In the border region of Southwest Chinas Guizhou and Sichuan Province, three major cities of Yibin, Luzhou and Zunyi home to some of the countrys landmark liquor brands, such as Moutai, Wuliangye, Langjiu and Luzhou Laojiao - are now building up in the region to create a Liquor Golden Triangle, as the Chinese equivalent of the French Bordeaux region. (A statue of a wine gobblet stands on the street of Luzhou, southwest China's Sichuan province. Photo by Yang Yang/People's Daily Online) Good water brews good wine Although grain-based spirit, or baijiu, is produced throughout China, the triangle region accounts for the largest proportion of production facilities and baijiu distilleries. Situated in the Sichuan Basin, the regions subtropical climate, humid weather, clean water, rich soil and basin landscape create ideal environment for brewing good baijiu made from sorghum, wheat or rice, forming centuries-old of wine culture and tradition of brewing history. As the Chinese saying goes, good wine is brewed where there is good water. Since the Tuo River, Chishui River, Min River and the Yangtze River all flow through the triangle area, its abundant and clean water resource serves as fundamental material for wine making in the area. This natural environment is a special ecosystem with various contributing factors and therefore is unduplicated and inimitable, said Peng Zhifu, deputy Chief Manager of liquor giant Wuliangye Group Co Ltd in Yibin. Moutai would not have existed without the healthy ecosystem along the Chishui River. The river is Moutais life, agreed Li Baofang, chairman and general manager of Moutai Group in Guizhou. Bacterial and archaeal diversities in Maotai section of the Chishui River and the grain cultivated with the river water produce the unique flavor of Moutai. The precious ecosystem that breeds the wine is also under careful protection by these companies along with local authorities. In an effort to protect the ecosystem along the river, Moutai company has invested 468 million yuan to build five sewage-processing plants with an annual capacity of over two million tons. Since 2006, Luzhou began to build the China Liquor Golden Triangle Wine Industry Park, inviting in qualified upstream and downstream enterprises related to the liquor industry. The industrial cluster enjoys joint and standardized improvements in sorghum planting, wine brewing, wine storage, packaging, supply and logistics distribution. Meanwhile, by providing infrastructure and supporting services such as sewage-processing plants and national-standard quality supervision center at the industry park, it also helps guarantee that the whole chain is eco-friendly. For the local cultivation of high-quality glutinous Southern Red Sorghum, a particular grain used as the raw material to make spirit, currently major wine companies such as Luzhou Laojiao (laojiao means old cellar), a well-known Luzhou-based baijiu producer, have started to build their own organic raw material base, a move not only help protect the quality of spirit products, but also to promote local agricultural industry, helping farmers to increase their incomes. (City view of Luzhou, Sichuan Photo by Yang Yang/People's Daily Online) Wine culture, another business card The history of baijiu brewing along the Yangtze River dates back to centuries ago when history record of Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), while the nations wine drinking history can be traced back even further to Shang Dynasty (1600-1046BC). Baijiu, the most famous kind of liquor and spirits in China, rules almost every festive occasion in China, where it's the tipple of choice for everything from wedding receptions to business banquets. Many ancient Chinese poets such as Li Bai and Du Fu also had their legendary life and all-time popular works associated with drinking baijiu. The unique wine culture has made the companies brewing techniques and materials a must-see for tourists traveling in the region. They are also listed as national intangible cultural heritage. Luzhou Laojiao is one of the oldest producers in the triangle region, whose biggest attraction is its legendary liquor cellars, which dates back to the year of 1537. Using techniques and even brewing pits that originated in the Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) dynasties, the brand continues to make baijiu the same way 23 generations later. The older the cellar is, the better the brewed liquor is, said Zeng Na, the 23rd generation inheritor of Baijiu tasting at Luzhou Old Cellar. By 2013, the city of Luzhou has 1,615 century-old brewing cellars, 16 baijiu workshops which date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, and 3 natural wine caves, making the city a special tourism destination for wine culture experience. (A worker inside a cellar of a wine maker in Luzhou, Sichuan Photo by Yang Yang/People's Daily Online) Baijiu going global Although it is the most widely drunk hard liquor in the world, baijiu takes up less than 10 percent of the global market and is rarely found on cocktail menus along with other spirit. In an effort to attract a wider range of consumers, especially in the overseas market, Chinese wine makers are introducing new technology and creativities products besides carrying on the ancient tradition of wine brewing. In Yibin, the home city of Wuliangye, an academy has been set up to train talents for the industry, while in Luzhou Laojiao, wine taste masters like Zeng Na are developing spirit and fruit juice mixed cocktails to cater the lighter taste of beginners. In recent years, Luzhou Laojiao has been dedicated to rejuvenating the fine traditional Chinese culture and promoting the spread of traditional culture on a global scale. In 2017, Luzhou Laojiao launched a series of global charity events such as Guojiao 1573 "Let the World Feel the Taste of China" and an international poetry culture conference, and actively participated in the national events to promote the outstanding Chinese traditional culture on the world stage. Foreign markets are still wide-open for Chinese liquor producers, and Chinese baijiu will make a breakthrough in the global market in the next five to ten years, said Lin Feng, general Manager of Luzhou Laojiao. The police chief in a small Eastern North Carolina town was arrested Thursday, along with one of his lieutenants, and charged with corruption and other crimes, according to multiple news reports.Southport Police Chief Gary Lee Smith and Lt. Michael Simmons were both charged with obtaining property by false pretense, according to Wilmington television station WWAY. Smith was also charged with obstruction of justice and willful failure to discharge the duties of his office, WWAY reported.According to WRAL, Smith and Simmons were accused of working for a trucking and shipping company at the same time they were supposed to be working in their jobs leading the local police force, sometimes leaving the city or even the state while on the clock for the city police.The entire police force has been put on leave because of the allegations against its top leaders, according to Wilmington TV station WECT, and the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office is taking over the police department's duties.WECT also reported that Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David said the investigation into the police chief and lieutenant began when local police officers began filing complaints.Southport is home to about 3,600 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It's about 28 miles south of Wilmington. For years, Caseca Stegall, a Fulton County IT manager suspected that she was paid less than some of the men who held the same job but had less experience and education than her. Proof came after she filed an open-records request, which revealed that her salary was 20 percent less than some of her male counterparts in the department.I was frustrated, and I felt that things were not fair, she says.But there were no county rules or policies at the time, around 2010, that could help her.That changed in February 2017, when Fulton County, the largest county in Georgia, implemented a new policy that allows county employees to ask for a personal pay study and receive a pay adjustment if it shows any kind of inequity. By November, her salary was raised from $76,300 to $90,000 -- the same as a male colleague parallel in all other ways but pay.Since the new policy took effect, about 30 percent of requests have resulted in raises, according to Kenneth Hermon, the county's chief human resources officer. No salaries have been reduced.Across sectors, full-time female employees earn only 83 percent of what full-time male employees earn, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . The pay gap is even bigger for public administration jobs, according to the online salary data firm Pay Scale After years of attacks on the gender pay gap, governments across the country are pursuing ways to reduce the historical discrepancy between mens and womens salaries.Theres an incredible outgrowth of new legislation and municipal regulations, says Pamela Coukos, the chief executive officer and co-founder of Working Ideal, which advises local governments and private-sector companies on pay equity.In California and Oregon, for instance, public and private employers are now required to conduct more rigorous pay analysis to detect pay disparities. In Oregon, the assessment must happen at least every three years, according to the state's HR office.Other laws seek to bring down the barriers that keep employees from learning about pay gaps in the first place. New Jersey banned employers from retaliating against employees for discussing their salaries with coworkers."For a long time in professional workplaces, it was standard that you weren't supposed to talk about what you made. You weren't allowed to disclose that information or to share it with other employees," says Coukos. "But salaries don't need to be secret, and if they are secret, that creates barriers to finding and fixing pay equity problems." More than a dozen states and cities have also addressed one of the most pernicious causes of pay inequality: the reliance on salary history to set new employees pay. There is strong evidence that women start their careers at lower salaries than men and that their salary history depresses progress over time, says Coukos. The fact that women often stay in public-sector jobs for long periods exacerbates this phenomenon.To break that cycle, governments are making it illegal for either public or private, or both, employers to ask salary history questions either on job applications or at any time during the hiring process.Implementation of this change isnt easy. Everyone is very accustomed to base where youre at on where youve been, says Coukos.The process of rolling out D.C.s new policy presented a cultural shift for people who had been working in government for a long period of time, says Justin Zimmerman, a human resources official for the District of Columbia, which banned salary history questions for public-sector job applicants at the end of 2017. Some hiring managers, he says, feared offending an applicant with a salary offer that was too low without knowing their salary history.Without past salary as a benchmark, pay studies need to be rigorous and updated frequently, with firm rules set as to how education, experience, credentials and responsibilities are combined to set salary levels, says Coukos. Fulton County already developed a more formulaic way of deciding compensation.It ensures that decisions are consistent, says Hermon, the countys HR chief. Before it was like the Wild West.One concern about closing pay gaps is that it costs employers more money. While that is true, Hermon believes more equitable salaries will save costs down the road on litigation and make labor costs more consistent and predictable. Not to mention the boost in employee morale.Employees, he says, have a great appreciation that the county is looking out for their best interest. (TNS) The death toll from the states wildfires continued to mount Sunday, with eight fatalities now reported from blazes burning in Shasta County and near Yosemite National Park.In Mariposa County, where firefighters have spent weeks battling the Ferguson fire, officials reported that a firefighter based at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks died after being struck by a falling tree. Meanwhile, crews attacking the Carr fire in and around Redding said they had located another body the fourth civilian to perish in that blaze and reported that hundreds more structures were destroyed.Firefighters are battling 17 wildfires across the state, which have consumed more than 200,000 acres combined in terrain stretching from Southern California to the Oregon border, said Jonathan Cox, battalion chief and information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. With so many burning near populated areas, resources are obviously stretched thin, he said.Weve had 17 fires before, Cox said. But these are impacting communities and theyre large fires, not small.About 12,000 firefighters have responded to the wildfires from within California. Another 800 personnel have been deployed by the California National Guard. And 150 fire engines were on the way from as far away as Florida, officials said Sunday. Theres a finite number of resources in California, and obviously were employing them at the highest-priority incidents, Cox said.The Carr fire the largest wildfire currently burning has consumed more than 95,000 acres, destroyed 874 structures including 657 residential structures and damaged 175 others. Six people, including a 70-year-old woman and two of her great-grandchildren, ages 4 and 5, were killed in the fast-moving fire. Two belonged to the crews fighting the fire. Authorities were also investigating seven missing persons cases.The devastation astounded Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty, who represents much of the area that burned. Ive been a lifelong resident of this community. Ive never seen a fire with such destruction here in this area ever before, said Moty, appearing at a news conference with other public safety officials.One of those who experienced the destruction firsthand was Redding resident Hannalora Lewis, who was woken up by her mother Thursday morning and told to evacuate.While her parents grabbed photos and corralled their dogs, the 16-year-old scooped up her phone, an outfit and a new pair of sneakers she bought while back-to-school shopping. She said she almost grabbed a box of mementos trinkets, diaries, ticket stubs from her favorite movies but then thought it would take up too much room in the car.Within days, she learned the familys house had been destroyed. I didnt think for a second that we would lose our home, she said.Firefighters on Sunday offered their first optimistic assessment of their battle against the Carr fire, which has forced more than 38,000 residents to evacuate. Cal Fire unified incident commander Bret Gouvea said cooler temperatures and increased humidity had given firefighters a window of opportunity to attack the massive fire.The blaze, which was 17% contained Sunday evening, was mostly burning north into remote and inaccessible areas. Fire crews also managed to halt the spread of the Carr fire within the city of Redding, Gouvea said.Weve had no movement on the fire over the last day inside the city limits, so things are looking very good, he added.Craig Shoemaker, a meteorologist in the National Weather Services Sacramento office, said temperatures right over the fire are expected to reach highs of up to 105 degrees Monday, a few degrees cooler than it would have been without thick smoke acting as a cloud cover.An incredible amount of smoke has been put into the air, and thats helping to hold down temperatures a little bit, said Tom Dang, another meteorologist with the weather service.While the smoke provided some relief for crews on the ground, it complicated the aerial assault on the fire being waged by helicopters and air tankers, limiting their visibility. Theres a lot of low-level smoke, which means missions are having to be aborted, said Cox, the Cal Fire spokesman.Investigators said Sunday they had recovered the body of a sixth person from the Carr fire. Although he declined to identify the person, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said the latest fire victim had been in a location where residents had been told to clear out for their safety.We have confirmed that the person did receive evacuation notices and did not evacuate, he said.Officials also said there have now been two fatalities in the Ferguson fire, which has consumed more than 54,000 acres near Yosemite. That fire, which started July 13, claimed the life of a Cal Fire bulldozer operator, whose vehicle tumbled down a hillside during the building of a defensive line.On Sunday, Brian Hughes, captain of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots, was killed when he was struck by a tree while he and his team were setting a backfire in an area with many dead trees on the east side of the fire, according to the National Park Service. He was treated at the scene but died before he could be taken to a hospital. He was 33.Hughes, who was originally from Hilo, Hawaii, had worked with the Arrowhead hotshots for four years. They are an elite crew of 20 firefighters based at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.They go into the steepest of the steep, the most rugged of the rugged areas, said Mike Theune, a spokesman with the parks. The Arrowhead team, one of two hotshot crews within the National Park Service, was working on a two-week rotation when Hughes was killed, he said.The team at Sequoia and Kings National Parks is devastated by this terrible news, parks Supt. Woody Smeck said in a statement. Our deepest condolences go out to the firefighters family and loved ones. We grieve this loss with you.The Ferguson fire has left seven others injured. Yosemite National Park remains closed while thousands of structures are threatened.In Mendocino County, two other wind-driven wildfires had grown to more than 30,000 acres by Sunday evening, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. The Ranch and River fires, known together as the Mendocino complex fires, began Friday afternoon and exploded over the weekend, destroying six homes as residents in Mendocino County and some neighboring Lake County communities were told to flee, Cal Fire officials said.Authorities said 10,200 structures were threatened. By Sunday evening, the Mendocino complex fires were 10% contained.2018 the Los Angeles TimesVisit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Max Verstappen has lashed out at Renault. In Hungary, the Dutchman was the latest to suffer due to a reliability problem with his Renault power unit. For 2019, Red Bull is switching to Honda. "We pay millions for this engine. But what we get is just sh-t," Verstappen told Bild newspaper, following his foul-mouthed radio tirade. The 20-year-old said that, in addition to poor reliability, "We lack power". Also furious was Verstappen's boss Christian Horner. "I guess we shouldn't be surprised anymore," he said in Hungary. "But we pay Renault many millions for these engines and it's not a premium product." (GMM) Plans to move winter testing for 2019 to Bahrain appear to have been derailed. We reported recently that, after the new track surface and freezing temperatures in Barcelona badly affected the 2018 pre-season, moves were afoot to transfer the winter running next year to Bahrain. Liberty Media was reportedly even on board to help with the extra transport costs. But it then emerged that several teams were opposed to the idea. And now Spain's Marca reports that Jerez is being touted as a new option, so that winter testing can remain in Europe but avoid the problems of Barcelona and the costs of Bahrain. When asked about the Bahrain proposal, Williams' Paddy Lowe said: "As far as I know, it's not going to happen for now. "I think it was clear during the course of last week that there is not enough support to do it. "I think Barcelona is on the table and Jerez is an option and there may be other places to consider as well, but those are the two most likely," Lowe added. (GMM) In March 2017, the Belgian organization WaterstofNet received approval for the 3.52-million () project H2-Share from Interreg North-West Europe (NWE). TNO, the Netherlands Organization for applied scientific research TNO, has now joined in this partnership as an evaluation partner. The project aims to build and demonstrate a 27-ton rigid hydrogen fuel cell truck along with a mobile refueler. H2-Share stands for Hydrogen Solutions for Heavy-duty transport Aimed at Reduction of Emissions in North West Europe. The objective of H2-Share is to facilitate the development of a market for low-carbon heavy-duty vehicles run on hydrogen for logistic applications. It will develop practical experience in different regions in North-West Europe (NWE), creating a transnational living lab. This in intended to support the formation of a basis for the development of a zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle industry in the area. The project will demonstrate the readiness of hydrogen technology for heavy-duty applications in real life conditions. The logistics sector shows a strong growing interest in zero-emission vehicles as a means of mitigating a negative environmental impact. This is particularly the case in the EU where the logistics sector contributes approximately 25% of total transport sector CO 2 emissions. While battery-electric trucks can operate efficiently in urban areas, hydrogen technology is one of the options for zero-emission logistics over longer distances. Heavy-duty distribution vehicles with a fuel cell range extenderwhile not yet commercially available in the EUare demonstrated in H2-Share and their potential is assessed in this project by TNO. H2-Share will join forces with four front-runner NWE regions in three member states (BE, NL, DE). The 27 -ton rigid truck run on hydrogen will be built by VDL and the mobile H 2 refueler will be built by Wystrach GmbH. The goal is to test the truck at six locations in Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and France. Based upon the demos and strong cooperation with sector-related associations, a joint roadmap for zero-emission heavy-duty trucks in NWE will be developed, along with cooperation from other EU regions. The project aims to realize knowledge sharing between regions and stimulate technology and market development in NWE. The project will run until September 2020 and will be coordinated by WaterstofNet. Primary partners are VDL ETS (The Netherlands), Wystrach (Germany), VDL Bus Chassis (The Netherlands), Automotive NL (The Netherlands), TNO (The Netherlands), Hydrogen Europe (Belgium), e-mobil BW (Germany), and WaterstofNet (Belgium). Associated partners are Deutsche Post DHL Group (Germany) & DHL International BV (The Netherlands), Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (The Netherlands), BREYTNER BV (The Netherlands), CURE (The Netherlands) and Colruyt Group (Belgium). Subpartners are the Municipality of Helmond (The Netherlands), VIL (Belgium), provincie Antwerpen (Belgium), Provincie Noor-Brabant. A year ago, Edouardo Jordan was a locally renowned Seattle chef and owner of two restaurants: Salare, a restaurant specializing in French and Italian cuisine, and the three-month-old JuneBaby, a more deeply personal project featuring food anchored in the black southern experience. The Florida native knew his new restaurant was special, but even he couldnt have predicted what would unfold next, including appearances on several national Best New Restaurants lists, two James Beard awards (Best Chef: Northwest and Best New Restaurant), and a three-star review from Times critic Pete Wells, the first such review for a black chef in 20 years. Grub caught up with Jordan who is in New York to discuss his newfound fame, the continued lack of diversity in food media, and that life-changing Times review that seemingly came out of nowhere. Its been a very big year for you. JuneBaby was been named Best New Restaurant by Esquire, Food & Wine, and Eater. You won two James Beard awards, including Best New Restaurant. Its just wild. Nothings changed. Same ol thing. Just running. Nothing has changed besides the speed of the run. Everything really culminated with the James Beard awards, which took place just after JuneBabys one-year anniversary. How did you feel in that moment? When my name was announced first for the regional, the first thing I thought was, Holy shit, I just won! Then I was like, Holy shit, were gonna probably win two! I felt really good about JuneBaby, but my chances were fifty-fifty for the regional award because weve got a lot of talented chefs here doing a lot of talented things. At the same time, I was freakin busting my butt and Im glad I got recognized. Since then, everyone seems to want a piece of you. They always wanted a piece. I just never gave them anything. But yeah, theres some cooler, exciting things that have come around, like offers and events and things. Its a blessing. Also a curse because it keeps me extremely busy. Youre doing a pop-up dinner at Olmsted. And youre bringing your son along, right? Yeah, hes coming with me to New York. Its summertime so it allows me to get him out. I want to be a good father to him. I want him to see the world that I didnt get to see. My food allows me to see things that I would have never seen before in my life, so I need to share that with my little offshoot. Hes my right-hand man. Hes my boss. This trip is more about him than it is about me. I was excited to talk to you again because a few months ago Grub asked Where are the black restaurant critics? and your success at the James Beard awards played a big part. Is the lack of representation in food media something you care about or are you just trying to focus on your mission? I care about all of that. I care about doing my thing because I decided to open up my own business, and business comes first, beyond ethical and moral things that happen along the way. Ideally, I need to protect and take care of myself and my investors and my investment. But I do care about the fact that we dont have many people of color that are actually out there and have opinions beyond a blog or their own personal website about the foods that have shaped America. It does resonate with me how broken our critic system is as well. We cant say the culinary world is great yet. We had one stellar year and that was just the James Beard awards. That doesnt mean next years going to be great. Lets look at some of the other magazines and other publications that do the top ten every year. We might be surprised. Were still at 0.003 percent. James Beard did do their part this year. Great. Hopefully, they can do it next year or follow suit in some way. Hopefully, theyre purposely taking the time to get out there and explore and discover. Whos going to give a real opinion of some of the foods that black people grew up on or even just knew? I dont know. Its a different opinion from a different perspective of what food is and what food should be. You said last year that for a long time you avoided opening a restaurant like JuneBaby because you didnt want to get pigeonholed as a soul-food chef. How do you feel about the fact that JuneBaby still earned you more attention and recognition than the French and Italian food at Salare? I mean, Salare was in probably 70 percent of the publications that JuneBaby was in. I think just the importance of JuneBaby allowed it to have a bigger voice. Salare can get mixed up with any other restaurant that was opened during that same period. There are plenty of French restaurants, there are plenty of Italian restaurants, there are plenty of European restaurants out there. But there werent any southern restaurants opening at the same caliber, the same chef, and the same mind-set as JuneBaby. So, its hard to compare that to anything. So, its the fact that JuneBaby Is a novelty, yeah. The novelty of it ended up getting Pete Wells to drop by. Did you freak out when he reviewed the restaurant in the Times? Do you feel like he got it and understood that JuneBaby is about food steeped in the black southern experience? Yeah, it was over the top because, I never thought I would ever get a New York Times review. I love New York. Im doing my own thing on the West Coast, a little more chill over here. And then to actually get that without truly seeking a review, it pretty much amazed me. Just talking to him, he definitely got it. He asked good questions about the food, the history, and why and what. What amazes me is we definitely got a three-star review, but we werent pretentious. We werent trying to do frou-frou food. Were delivering it as is, but clean, sexy, chef-driven. Oxtails, on the bone, roasted properly and braised properly. The worst he would have had was a chewy oxtail on the bone and he would have called us out on that, but we did our job. I feel like the best part is that you didnt catch him. Correct. It was just a raw night, just as-is. And you know what? It was probably better for me so I didnt have to fucking freak out. This interview has been edited and condensed. Photo: Melissa Hom New Yorks increasingly pricey, fraught dining landscape is filled with many challenges these days, but for lovers of that old totem of the local dining scene, Chinese food, the eating has never been better. Thanks to an influx of sophisticated young chefs and restaurateurs from the old country, the city is awash in more traditional and fusion delicacies than at any time since the Great Sesame Noodle Awakening of the mid-1960s. This is especially true down in the East Village, a region that my colleagues at the Underground Gourmet have christened Chinatown North. Wander the avenues below East 14th Street and youll find Yunnanese rice-noodle restaurants (Little Tong, Dian Kitchen), Taiwanese beef-soup parlors (the Tang, Ho Foods), newfangled dry pot and shellfish-boil establishments (Mala Project, Le Sia), and one-stop shops serving a veritable festival of the kind of dumplings, rice pots, and sticky-sweet desserts that are popular on the streets of booming food capitals like Taipei, Beijing, and Hong Kong. The latest and in many ways most-accomplished addition to this vibrant new East Village community is a poshly appointed little establishment on lower First Avenue called Hunan Slurp. Hunan is a South China province famous, among history scholars, as the birthplace of Chairman Mao, and among American Chinese-food scholars as the home of the immortal General Tso, for whom New Yorks favorite addictive, crispy-sweet carryout chicken dish is named. Theres no record of General Tsos chicken in the actual Hunanese culinary canon, of course (like many beloved local Chinese favorites, it was invented in Taiwan), although the province is well known for its bounty of rich, gently simmered pork dishes, its impressive repertoire of mi fen rice noodles, and a taste for the kind of spicy pyrotechnics favored by the louder, more rambunctious neighbors to the west, in Sichuan. Hunan Slurp. Photo: Jemma Hinkly/New York Magazine Hunan Slurps proprietor is a young artist turned chef named Chao Wang, who, as the restaurants website explains, seeks to cure his homesickness through cooking. His artistic touch is evident in the elegant storefront space, which is decorated along the walls with moon mirrors and a pattern of blond-wood beams and has communal tables lined with shiny golden metal stools. As the name indicates, the specialty of the house is mi fen, which Wang has presumably been pining for during his time subsisting on containers of carryout food in New York. There are ten varieties on the menu here, presented in stylish porcelain bowls, each topped with nourishing combinations like chopped chicken thighs (with wood-ear mushrooms), carefully arranged fans of tofu and sliced beef, and numerous varieties of barnyard pork, including chunks of deliciously gelatinous bone-in trotter. These are next-level Hunan noodles, said a woman at the next table, who noted that she was from the city of Hengyang, where Wang grew up, and was slurping her dinner dressed in a rakish summer straw hat. Rice-noodle devotees consider the lighter, white noodles to be more refined than the wheat-heavy, sauce-covered noodles up north, and the lady in the hat was enjoying what she called the specialty of my hometown, which was a bowl of steamy mi fen threaded with pickled vegetables and pork and topped with a single fried egg. Other elaborate home-style specialties that evening included the delicately milky Fish Fillet (its color comes from a combination of pork bone and fish broths) and the bountiful Hometown Lu Fen, which the kitchen constructs with layers of tofu and beef and char siu pork and serves, just like in the noodle stands around Hengyang, with a little saucer of fiery chile oil on the side. Hometown lu fen with beef, pork, and bean curd. Photo: Melissa Hom Hunan Slurp is much more than another random East Village noodle shop, however. If you dont want to fill up on mi fen, its possible to make an excellent meal out of the artful, tastefully plated cold dishes alone, which, on the evenings I visited, included nuggets of bony sweet-and-sour spare ribs, helpings of cool cucumber poured with a tangy garlic vinaigrette, and dainty little towers of softly braised chicken feet tossed in chile oil and topped, like many of Wangs creations, with a colorful garnish of edible flowers. His Hunan Charcuterie is an offal lovers dissertation on the pleasures of Chinese-style cold smoked meats (youll find tripe, pigs ear, and beef shank in the mix), and the more familiar hot dishes, like stir-fried chicken (tossed with bulbs of garlic and ginger) and pork with smoked bean curd, have the deeply flavored, just-cooked quality of a first-rate Chinese home kitchen. Wang fills his restaurant website with all sorts of wistful, Proustian associations to the markets and street stalls of old Hunan, and much of his elevated, home-style cooking is clearly designed for homesick expats like himself. There werent many takers at my table for the small mountain of sweet, impressively peppery frogs legs that I ordered one evening (These bones are a little creepy, Dad), but the equally bony whole fish, which is purchased fresh in the morning and served in a dish brimming with a smooth, bracingly fiery chile sauce and crowned with green scallions and a mash of ginger and garlic, is worth a special pilgrimage. The traditional desserts squares of almond jelly, cold mung bean, and barley soup are designed to soothe the palate after these fireworks, but if you want to feel like youre back in New York again, ask for the ice cream, which was flavored with avocado when we ordered it, purchased down the street at Il Laboratorio del Gelato. Spare ribs at left; at right, Hunan Salad with grilled pepper and eggplant. Photo: Melissa Hom Stir-fried chicken with young ginger. Photo: Melissa Hom Skewed beef with cumin. Photo: Melissa Hom Fish Fillet mi fen. Photo: Melissa Hom Steamed fish with chile sauce. Photo: Melissa Hom Rating: 2 stars Hunan Slurp 112 First Ave., nr. 7th St.; 646-585-9585; hunanslurp.com Open: Lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Sunday. Prices: $6 to $38. Ideal Meal: Sweet-and-sour spare ribs, smashed cold cucumbers and/or Hunan charcuterie, Fish Fillet and/or Hometown Lu Fen mi fen, whole fish and/or stir-fried chicken. Note: Theres no liquor license yet, but a tallboy or two of Zywiec Polish beer from the bodega across the street is the perfect complement to your spicy noodles. Scratchpad: One robust star for the elevated Hunanese noodles; another for the next-level non-noodle dishes, several of which are worth a special trip. *This article appears in the August 6, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now! Opinion UAE effectively harnesses AI potential The UAE just does not go all out for full-on care of its residents, it also maps new frontiers in futuristic technology. Artificial intelligence is the order of the day. The UAE is moving towards an artificial intelligence economy. Ambassador Zhang Xiangchen, Chinas permanent representative to the WTO and Ambassador Dennis Shea, the US permanent representative to the WTO, exchanged views just before the meeting. (File photo) Geneva (Peoples Daily) - The General Council of the World Trade Organization commenced its third meeting of the year in Geneva on Thursday. The US permanent representative to the WTO, Ambassador Dennis Shea, criticized Chinas economic model on the basis of documents submitted by the US before the meeting. Ambassador Zhang Xiangchen, Chinas permanent representative to the WTO, responded comprehensively and resolutely refuted the accusations. The General Council is the WTOs highest-level decision-making body in Geneva, meeting regularly to carry out the functions of the WTO. It has representatives (usually ambassadors or equivalent) from all member governments and has the authority to act on behalf of the ministerial conference which meets roughly every two years. The two-day general council meeting has a total of 10 items on the agenda, the sixth of which is to discuss a paper entitled Chinas trade-disruptive economic model, submitted to the WTO by the US before the meeting. In a speech at the meeting Shea elaborated on the paper, saying, "In the paper that we submitted for todays meeting, we focus on Chinas economic model, which has proven to be particularly trade disruptive. In a subsequent half-hour speech, Zhang not only responded to the remarks of the US representative, but also made a legal evaluation of the US paper. He said in his remarks, Dennis referred to the non-market nature of Chinas economy. Zhang said, However, we can't find the definition of market economy throughout the WTO rule book. There is no one-size-fits-all market economy standard in the world. The WTO rules never authorize any member to use its own economic model as the template of a market economy, and to accuse any other member who would not copy it as a non-market economy. If there is any relevance in the topic of non-market economy, it reminds us once again that there are certain members, including the US, who, disregarding the WTO rules and their own commitments, are still using the notorious surrogate country methodology in anti-dumping investigations according to the market economy standards of their domestic laws. I would like to take this opportunity to urge these members once again, pacta sunt servanda. Please honor your commitments 17 years ago, Chinas envoy said. The General Council of the World Trade Organization commenced its third meeting of the year in Geneva on July 26. (Photo: Ren Yan) If a paper has flaws in its footnotes, then its evidence may be called into question and its arguments will be put into doubt. Paragraph 1.3 of the paper says that China limits the power of the market and cites in its footnote Chinas Property Law as a source. But the fact is that the Property Law clearly says that China encourages, supports and guides the development of the non-public economy. In the eyes of the US, the very words encourage, support and guide could be misread as suppress, limit and intervene. Section 3A of the paper refers to the non-reciprocal and protected market of China. But one particularity about this section is that it has not a single footnote. I presume it is difficult to find evidence that can support this argument. However, if we reverse the argument, we can find plenty of evidence. Let me just offer some, Zhang said. In 2017, Chinas contribution to the growth of the world economy was 34 percent. China is the largest trading partner for over 120 countries and regions. There is plenty more evidence in the white paper on China and the World Trade Organization that China recently submitted to the General Council in the document 19WT/GC/W/749. The 2013 Report to Congress of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission co-signed by Ambassador Shea stated that growing demand from China has supported American exports in certain sectors of the US economy, such as aerospace, the auto industry and agricultural products. If China had been a non-reciprocal and protected market, how did those US products enter the Chinese market? asked Zhang. The United States is demonizing China and attacking its economic model to divert attention from itself, but China will never bow to US efforts to tie its hands with a new set of trade rules, Zhang said to the Peoples Daily. At the present moment, the paramount task for the WTO is to curb the spread of unilateralism and protectionism, to bring the dispute settlement mechanism to its full function and to stop the trade war. We should not waste our time finding scapegoats or look away from these fundamental challenges. China is not Americas scapegoat. National flags of both China and Mauritius are waving on street of Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius, to greet Chinese President Xi Jinpings friendly visit. (Photo by Li Man from Peoples Daily) The five-star red flags are now waving on the streets of Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometers off the southeast coast of the African continent, to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinpings friendly visit during a stopover. Mauritius is a small island nation, while China is one of the most important players in the world. President Xis visit will attract more worlds attention to my country, and will definitely bring surprises to us, said Jonas, a teacher with the University of Mauritius. Known for its picturesque scenery, Mauritius is among the few African nations whose GDP per capita can exceed $10,000. The safe environment, complete law and financial system, as well as harmonious coexistence of diversified races and cultures have made the country a glittering pearl on the Indian Ocean. The elements of Chinese culture resounds in the country even though the population of Chinese living there is less than 20,000. A Chinatown, with decorated archway in antique flavour and rows of shops, stands in the busy downtown area of Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius to brace for bustling visitors every day. Signboards in Chinese stand on streets or beaches, and many locals would say hello in mandarin to Chinese people, which is a vivid reflection of Mauritians amity towards Chinese people. Mauritian children are watching a Chinese show. (File photo) Over the years, Chinese enterprises have been playing an active part in efforts of Mauritius to construct airports, highways, bridges and water conservancy facilities. The Jinfei Economic, Trade & Cooperation Zone, invested and built by China, is on its way to be a smart city of Mauritius that bridges China-Africa cooperation and serves as an overseas cultural and tourism base. China Road and Bridge Corporation, relying on its primary business, also actively engaged in environment treatment, photovoltaics, sewage disposal, garbage processing and other projects to improve locals livelihood, paving new fields for Belt and Road construction. The black tea developed by Chinese business has lifted the tea industry of the island nation out of plight by pushing them to global stage. The tea is now often chosen by Mauritian government as official gifts to a foreign guest. Mauritian officials and scholars told the Peoples Daily that the Mauritian government will persist in its friendly policy towards China, one of the first countries that established a diplomatic relationship with Mauritius. Describing China as a reliable cooperative partner in the oriental world, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth said that his country respects the Belt and Road Initiative as it represents the development direction of economic globalization and open world economy. The two countries have inked a memorandum on establishment of free trade zone, and their economic and trade ties will embrace leapfrog growth once the agreement is finally reached. "Good friends feel close to each other even when they are thousands of miles away." reads a Chinese poem. In 2013, Xi set sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith as Chinas policy principle when developing ties with Africa. As good friends, brothers and partners of Africa, China is glad to see the latters rapid development and progress, and also ready to lend a helping hand as much as it can. The year of 2018, which marks the 50th anniversary of Independence of Mauritius, will be of milestone significance in China-Mauritius ties. Mauritians believe that Xis trip will usher bilateral friendship into a new chapter in the new era. Haiti - FLASH : General strike, Government fears violence Several organizations including some close to the opposition, launched a call to the general strike on Monday, July 30, throughout the territory and asked the people to stay at home. Far from being the bearer of a single and common claim, this strike with multiple demands concerns in bulk: the resignation of President Moise, the expensive life, the liberation of the rioters, justice in the PetroCaribe file, a minimum wage to 1,000 Gourdes and is also against the Executive at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) etc... The strike, which targets all sectors, particularly the public transport sector, provoked an immediate response from the Government. As early as Sunday, the Commander of the Corps of Motorized Intervention Brigades (CBIM) began to mobilize his men. In a note Jacques Joel Orival, the CBIM Commander informs "The Commander of the Corps of Motorized Intervention Brigades, informs all police officers that, following the announcements of strikes launched for the beginning of the week of July 30, they are convened in uniform, this Sunday, July 29, 2018 at CBIM Base from 4:00 pm. This, to strengthen its workforce and ensure the deployment during the day of Monday, July 30, 2018." For his part, Jean Roudy Aly, the resigning Minister of Justice in a statement "vehemently condemns the behavior of some ill-intentioned individuals who seek, at any cost, to create a climate of widespread panic in the country and make threats against the citizens for the day of Monday " He assures to have passed formal instructions to the National Police of Haiti (PNH) "to guarantee the safety of the lives and the goods and to put the hand in the collar of all those who would think to create a climate of intimidation, to the among the population," asserting "No act detrimental to public order will be tolerated and troublemakers, including performers and intellectual authors, will be prosecuted and punished, in accordance with the law." Justice Minister Aly who does not seem to see the risks for citizens, or too confident about the police "[...] invites the population to go free to his customary activities Monday, July 30." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25055-haiti-flash-heavy-balance-of-riots.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - DR : More 80% of Haitians controlled in Santiago, illegal On the orders of Lieutenant General Maximo William Munoz Delgado of the Directorate General of Migration (DGM), a vast migratory control operation was carried out in coordination with the Mayor of the city of Santiago in the Dominican Republic. On Thursday morning in the early hours of the day, teams of inspectors, agents of the DGM and the town hall of Santiago, were deployed simultaneously in several areas of the city, with the support of the military, the National Police and in coordination with the Public Ministry. During these operations 451 Haitians were arrested and controlled. After verification, 386 Haitians (more than 85%) were in an irregular migration situation and were taken to the Dajabon border post to be deported to Haiti. Most of our arrested compatriots were dedicated to the sale of various products in the streets, avenues and public squares, an activity prohibited by the mayor who wants to free the sidewalks, both of traders Haitians and Dominicans who exercises more without a license in good standing, a license out of reach for Haitians in an irregular situation. Recall that it is more and more frequent since the beginning of the year, that migration control operations are executed in Santiago and each time, it is by hundreds that our compatriots in an irregular situation are arrested and deported to Haiti. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25041-haiti-dr-nearly-70-000-haitians-deported-or-returned-in-haiti-during-the-1st-semester.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24224-haiti-dr-hundreds-of-haitians-arrested-in-santiago-and-deported.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23522-haiti-flash-more-than-250-haitians-arrested-in-santiago-dozens-of-false-documents-seized.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21503-haiti-flash-deportations-recommendations-of-the-consulate-of-haiti-to-the-haitians-in-dr.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20555-haiti-dr-88-illegal-haitian-migrants-arrested.html SL/ HaitiLibre (Reuters) Hedge funds betting Qualcomm (QCOM.O) would succeed in a $44 billion bid for NXP Semiconductors (NXPI.O) face steep losses after the deal fell through taking the shine off a strong start to the year for many funds. Qualcomm, the worlds biggest maker of chips for mobile phones, called off the deal on Thursday after the Chinese regulator failed to approve it by a Wednesday deadline. To read this full story: (Reuters) London copper slipped on Monday as investors shrugged off a potential strike at the worlds largest copper mine and focused instead on a raft of economic reports that may indicate slowing growth in top metals consumer China. The prices of industrial metals could take a hit early in the week as we expect both the official and Caixin China manufacturing PMIs to have fallen in July, Capital Economics said in a report. Chinas official purchasing manager index (PMI) guage which is mostly concerned with orders at state-owned enterprises, is due on Tuesday while the Caixin report, an indicator of the health of smaller firms, will be released on Wednesday. Growth in Chinas factory sector is expected to have slowed for a second month in July amid softer domestic investment and as the worsening trade dispute with the United States clouds the outlook for external demand. To read this article: The review found that the square-metre prices of old, two-room residential units were on average four per cent higher than in the corresponding six-month period one year earlier. The sales of old dwellings in housing companies decreased by three per cent year-on-year in Finland between January and June, indicates a market review conducted by Huoneistokeskus, a real estate broker based in Helsinki. In Greater Helsinki, the number of old two-room residential units sold fell by five per cent from the corresponding period last year. The square-metre prices of old, two-room units increased by eight per cent while the average time it took to them lengthened by five per cent, according to Huoneistokeskus. This may be an indication that the prices of two-room flats have reached a point where demand is falling or supply simply isnt sufficient, analyses Ari-Matti Purhonen, the managing director of the real estate agency. Huoneistokeskus market review is based on data gathered from real estate agencies by the Central Federation of Finnish Real Estate Agencies (KVKL). Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Jarmo Stenmark Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi A DISABLED woman says she has been fined 160 for parking illegally at Townlands Memorial Hospital despite asking reception staff to register her car. Ann Dayton, 79, of Kennylands Road, Sonning Common, was fined after parking in a disabled space at the hospital in May. Mrs Dayton, who often uses either a wheelchair or crutches to get around, says a member of staff entered her details in the keypad as she couldnt reach but she still received the fine in the post almost two weeks later. She refused to pay the fine, which has now been increased from the original 60 to 160, and has received a threatening letter from debt collectors. She has also contacted NHS Property Services, which owns the hospital, to complain. Mrs Dayton is among dozens of patients who have complained to the Henley Standard about being issued with unfair fines, with many having been sent letters threatening them with court action if they refuse to pay. This has led to calls for NHS Property Services to sack Smart Parking, the enforcement company which has already lost its contract for the neighbouring GP surgeries following dozens of complaints. Smart uses automatic number plate recognition cameras to log vehicles entering and leaving the hospital car park. Visitors have to enter their car registration details on a keypad at reception to receive free parking and there is meant to be a 20-minute grace period for those passing through or dropping off patients. Mrs Dayton spent about 45 minutes at the hospital for an appointment. She said: The fine letter had a photo of my car arriving and one of it leaving and you can see my disabled and wheelchair stickers in the back. They know me quite well at reception. I use a wheelchair and crutches and I was on crutches that day, so I find it quite difficult to punch in the numbers on the screen. As a pensioner its really obscene to expect me to find that amount of money when I had done nothing wrong. Smart Parking ought to have their contract cancelled. Mrs Dayton said she was shocked to receive the fine and has struggled to get in touch with Smart Parking to contest the notice. She said: When I got the letter I thought get stuffed. I phoned the hospital and asked whats the point of booking a car in if this happens? I was there legitimately with an appointment but I might as well talk to the man on the moon with Smart Parking. Royal Berkshire Hospital has a system that allows the ticket you get on entering their car park to be cancelled at their reception, as long as you have your blue badge or equivalent. Then you can use the cancelled ticket to get out. Maybe Townlands should have a similar system? Douglas Featherstone, 82, of Swiss Farm, Henley, was also fined 60 after visiting the hospital in September. He says he originally thought he had entered his details correctly but couldnt be sure as the system used a small screen touchpad at that time. Mr Featherstone said: I must have messed it up but Im not used to these machines. I thought Id put it in but they didnt have the big screens then so maybe I didnt press the accept button. Despite sending copies of his appointment letters to Smart Parking, Mr Featherstones appeal was refused and he decided to pay the fine after being told it would be increased to 100 if he didnt. Terry and Janet Smith were fined after visiting Townlands in April. The couple, who live in Whitehall Lane, Checkendon, and run TS Cars & Son in Woodcote, spent about 45 minutes at the hospital as Mrs Smith had an eye appointment. Mr Smith entered his cars details on the keypad but still received the notice in the post. They refused to pay and received a letter telling them the fine had been increased to 160 and they will face court action if they do not pay. However, the fine was cancelled this week after Mr Smith contacted NHS Property Services directly to complain. The couple returned to the hospital earlier this month and had trouble entering their registration as the system would not recognise it. Mr Smiths car has a personalised registration number which wasnt accepted by the system. It was successfully entered by reception staff on their seventh attempt. A spokesman for NHS Property Services said: We have asked Smart Parking to change its processes in light of issues such as the one highlighted by Mrs Dayton. Have you been unfairly fined for parking at Townlands? Call Henley Standard reporter Jamie Presland on (01491) 419444 or email him at jpresland@henleystandard.co.uk The 2018 Liupanshui Belt and Road & ASEAN Media Tour closed yesterday, July 29, after a conference at the Zhongshan Economic Development Zone. The tour has seen a group of over 100 ASEAN and international journalists, students and experts travel Guizhou over the course of a week, to see how the local government is implementing poverty alleviation methods and learn about the businesses thriving in the province. The tour closed at the new Zhongshan Economic Development Zone, which opened in 1992. The zone holds an important position in the integration of Guizhou province into the Belt and Road. Two years ago, the zone received 12 million yuan in investment. In 2018, the investment stands at 14.2 billion. Through investment, the zone in the city of Liupanshui hopes to build further connections with Belt and Road and ASEAN countries in five areas: biopharmaceutical, agricultural processing, new energy, education and medical support as well as tourism. By 2019, the total industrial output value of the Zhongshan Economic Development Zone is expected to reach 17 billion yuan, and by 2021, the total will reach more than 20 billion yuan. Its hoped that through this media tour, more people will become aware of the great leaps made in Guizhou province in terms of both industry and tourism. RESIDENTS of a village which was left with little or no running water for more than three weeks have had their supply restored. Northend ran dry on Monday, June 25, when nothing came out of the taps for most of the day, and the village was hit with low pressure and intermittent outages in the following days. Households were forced to stock up on bottled water and some residents say they had to avoid using their showers and toilets at certain times of the day. Thames Water provided daily tankers of water to top up the mains in the village but residents say these did not always turn up on time. One tanker, which came from Macclesfield, arrived empty, forcing the driver to wait until 4am for instructions from Thames Water on where to fill up. Complaints have also been made about a lack of information from the company as well as not being provided with bottled water. Thames Water had been working on the nearby Wormsley Estate to identify the problem, which was finally resolved on Wednesday last week. Residents say they were told the issue was down to a valve installed several months ago which was not fully opened, meaning it could only cope with a low demand for water and not when the demand increased. The company has now offered to meet with residents in Northend to explain the outages and answer any questions. Dan Wels, who runs a management consultancy business from his home in the village and is also a Turville and Northend parish councillor, said: It would all appear to be back to normal. Thames Water said they identified the issue on Wednesday and let the articulated truck go on Thursday. No problems have been reported since. It somewhat beggars belief that somebody didnt think to look at the job sheets of local work when investigating. Goodness knows how much this would have cost Thames Water for, essentially, a tap that wasnt properly opened. Mr Wels added that a meeting was due to take place with Thames Water liaison officer Cyril Mitkov next week. A spokeswoman for Thames Water said: Following an investigation weve reconfigured the way water flows around the pipe network serving the village and to help improve water pressure for the wider area. Were sorry for the intermittent problems residents have experienced. Were planning to hold a meeting in the village soon to explain our findings to them and get their feedback. A LIFELONG Hambleden resident has criticised plans to fence off the village brook along both sides of its entire length. Michael Elliott says the scheme, which landowners are carrying out at their own expense to comply with laws that protect chalk streams, will spoil views along the Hambleden valley. The 77-year-old claims the measures are unnecessary because the brook, which runs for about 7km from the top of Watery Lane at Turville to the River Thames at Mill End via Skirmett and Hambleden, runs dry more often than not and is rarely in full flow. Dr Elliott, who served for many years as the villages GP, says the metal wire fencing is unsightly and will eventually be entwined with vegetation, which will obscure the brook from view. Two weeks ago a tenant on land owned by Peter Jensen, of Hambleden Manor, installed a fence along a 1.2km stretch of the brook which adjoins his field immediately south of the villages flint bridge, which a public footpath runs through. Others will soon have to follow suit in order to avoid enforcement action from the Environment Agency, which is acting for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is understood that it has contacted several landowners over the past few months and is surveying the area. The proposal was first announced at a public meeting at St Marys church in Hambleden in 2015, which 62 people attended to raise concerns about the effect on views and the cost to landowners. The agency says Hamble Brook is a rough diamond but chronically sick as the banks have been trampled by years of cattle grazing, which leaks both soil and manure into waters that should run clear. This also covers the gravel bed in a layer of dirt, making it harder for fish to breed, while the chemicals in manure make it easier for plants and algae to establish themselves. The agency says the brook must be restored to good ecological status by 2027 to comply with British and European law and landowners could be fined or lose their basic farm payments for failing to comply. It says it will help farmers find sources of funding and fencing will soon blend into its surroundings as it becomes weathered. But Dr Elliott, who also owns land adjoining the brook where he grazes horses, says fish could never establish a habitat in the watercourse because they would die once it dried out again. He said: This seems to be an extreme case of putting the cart before the horse the problem being that the stream is hardly ever running, almost never in its full length and only very rarely, as at present, along a short section and even then only for a short period of time. If that problem could be solved by DEFRA, everyone would be delighted. However, unless and until they can achieve that, it seems a pointless waste of money to erect fences along the banks of the stream which is soon to run dry. In addition, the proposed fencing would spoil certain views which are among the best to be seen anywhere in the country. In large open fields where the stream has no fence or hedge on either side, it can be seen from a long distance when it is running and then makes a natural and valuable contribution to the view. I understand that this scheme originated from Brussels. With the result of the Brexit vote and silence from DEFRA I rather assumed that this scheme had been dropped but no such luck. With the first trickle of flow in the stream, DEFRA are back and I wonder if they were waiting for this to happen. They could hardly have defended their case for fencing off a dry stream bed. An Environment Agency spokesman added the fencing was necessary to comply with new rules to prevent water pollution that were introduced in April. He said the agency had liaised with various groups including the Chilterns Conservation Board and the National Trust, which has held a protective covenant over the village and its surroundings since 1944. He said: Were following a soft, advice-led approach in ensuring compliance as we are still in the early days although enforcement action will remain a possibility. It is ultimately our job to protect and improve the environment and this legislation will do that, which is essentially good for everybody, from the farmers to their livestock and local wildlife. The brook was completely empty throughout 2011 and 2012 but sprang back into life following heavy rain in 2013. It has been intermittently dry ever since and was in drought for most of 2017 but is currently in flow. Mr Jensen did not wish to comment when contacted by the Henley Standard. A TEENAGER has returned to the UK after spending three months in Zambia as a volunteer. Calum Hawkes, 18, of Rufus Isaacs Road, Caversham, was helping to raise awareness and offer education on reproductive health, including lessening the spread of HIV. He stayed with a host family the Ngambis and worked in the countrys Samfya district as a volunteer with the International Citizen Service, a government-subsidised scheme which is part of UK Aid. Calums team specialised in health, dealing with issues such as AIDS and tropical diseases as well as dispelling superstition, taboo, and pseudoscience. He said: Within the team of ICS volunteers, I was assigned to work with the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia with four other fellow volunteers. My team and I peer educated in schools, clinics, and rural communities most of which were isolated and ill-educated about a number of health issues, as well as debunking local superstitions about traditional medicine. We always encouraged people to seek professional palliative care. In addition, we also peer-educated about the dangers of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, the steps to avoid transmission and discussing this taboo topic with adolescents who did not wholly understand the graveness of contracting the disease. Calum said he enjoyed living there, although it did have its challenges. He said: Samfya is a gorgeous place to live, and sits on Lake Bangweulu. The lake is usually alive with fishing boats, but a countrywide fishing ban had been implemented during our stay. Power outages were commonplace, especially at night, and the state energy company, Zesco, was extremely unreliable. In the early evening, clouds begin to gather as the humidity falls, and flashes of lightning on the horizon could be seen almost every night. As part of the trip, Calum worked in three schools and is hoping to link one of them with a school in the Berkshire/Oxfordshire area. He explained: The potential for positive cultural exchange is surmountable, and I envision not only pen-pals, and the trading of letters and photos, but also ideas, traditions and a shared history. I believe a correspondence between a local English school and Kasoma Bangweulu would have many far-reaching advantages for all parties involved, and the idea has the support of my local MP, Matt Rodda. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend volunteering abroad to anyone willing to undertake gruelling, but fulfilling work overseas. ICS is a brilliant way to broaden ones horizons, and a fantastic addition, not only to ones CV, but also in demonstrating leadership qualities, teamwork, and commitment to a really great cause. The Government paid for his trip but Calum raised almost 1,700 for international development charity Voluntary Service Overseas. The teenager, who is on a gap year and lives with his parents Gavin and Margaret, signed up for the scheme in August after completing his A-levels at The Henley College. He is now looking into applying to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for a fellowship, which funds UK citizens to travel overseas, and hopes to go on and study law. FORMER Henley police chief Ali Dizaei seems to now be living a life of luxury. The 56-year-old has called a 5 million mansion in Surrey his home since 2016 and been driving around in a 200,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead. Dizaei and his wife Shaham regularly post updates from their trips abroad with locations for their trips including Monte Carlo, Marrakech, Sorrento, Beverly Hills and Marbella. This is a far cry from six years ago when he was jailed for a second time for perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office. Dizaei, who was head of Henley police for five years from 1994 to 1999, was found to have tried to frame website designer Waad al-Baghdadi in a row over money when he was commander in the Metropolitan Police in 2008. Following his release from prison he has since reinvented himself as a jet-setting businessman, with his interests including a security firm and an import-export company specialising in his native Iran. The company Dizaei founded is called DKW Ltd and is said to have an expert knowledge of business opportunities in Iran, which has benefited from the lifting of economic and trade sanctions in 2016. It was incorporated in July 2016 and he is its non-executive chairman. The firm promotes itself as leader in the field of import and export to Iran. Its website says: Reassuring, transparent and cost-efficient route to market strategy to Iran and a solid Iranian market connection that we leverage on behalf of our clients. Following the landmark Nuclear Accord agreed between Iran and world powers, the lifting of long-standing sanctions means the economy, generating $400billion (270billion) a year, will finally be fully open for business. The website also promotes Dizaeis qualifications, including a doctorate in law from the University of Cambridge. It also lists his previous roles as legal advisor to the National Black Police Association and completion of the strategic command course for chief officers specialising in leadership, management of policing operations and strategic thinking. A search team led by Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen has discovered the storied wreck of the 610-foot heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, which was torpedoed and sunk in the closing days of World War II after delivering to the Pacific island of Tinian a top-secret cargo of components for the Little Boy atomic bomb. Indianapolis rests more than 18,000 feet below the surface of the Philippine Sea. Indianapolis was en route to the Philippines when torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-58 just after midnight on July 30, 1945. The ship sank in 12 minutes, leaving its crew little time to deploy lifeboats, don life jackets or secure provisions. Radio operators sent distress signals, but they were dismissed, and more than three days passed before a patrolling U.S. bomber spotted men adrift. Some 900 of the 1,196 sailors and Marines aboard had survived the sinking. Of those only 316 were rescued, the rest having succumbed to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and horrific shark attacks. Fewer than two dozen remain to carry on the memory of their crewmates [ussindianapolis.org]. In 2016 the Naval History and Heritage Command [history.navy.mil] announced a breakthrough discovery in the decades-long search for Indianapolisa log entry from the tank landing ship LST-779 indicating it had passed the cruiser 11 hours before it sank. The reportwhich corroborated the account of Indianapolis Captain Charles McVay III and included coordinatesnarrowed the hunt to a still daunting 600 square miles of ocean. With that information Allen deployed his 250-foot research ship, R/V Petrel, which pinpointed the wreck on Aug. 19, 2017. To view a PBS documentary about the sinking and discovery of Indianapolis, including a tour of the wreckage, visit Allens website [paulallen.com]. An employee is working at a workshop at the Hisense Industrial Park in South Africa. (Photo by Guan Kejiang from Peoples Daily) With the establishment of an industrial park in Cape Town, South Africa, Chinese home appliance brand Hisense has delivered a remarkable performance on local market and greatly benefited the local community. The Hisense Industrial Park, located in the Atlantis region 50 kilometers north of downtown Cape Town, was jointly invested and built by Hisense Group and China-Africa Development Fund in 2013. Thanks to the complete production line that Hisense has developed there, the industrial park produced a total of 261,000 refrigerators and 389,000 televisions in 2017. The high production comes from the well-managed workshops of the Hisense factory where local employees work in an intense but orderly manner. Every link of the production is running smoothly, including part processing, assembling, final assembly, performance test and packaging. Refrigerators and televisions are boxed up here and directly transported to the malls and stores across South Africa. In order to better serve the local market, the Chinese brand has made specific adjustment to its designs. For example, Hisense refrigerators are equipped with water dispensers on the door to cater for South African consumers, most of whom prefer cool water. Such thoughtful design is well received in the country. Employees are working at an assembling line at the Hisense Industrial Park in South Africa. (Photo by Guan Kejiang from Peoples Daily) It is only one of the many localized designs that not only established closer ties between the manufacturer and the users, but also attributed to the birth of multiple hot sellers. In 2017, four of South Africas top 10 best-selling refrigerators came from Hisense, and so did three of the top 10 best-selling televisions, Deng Hongsheng, deputy general manager of the factory introduced, adding that the key to reliable products lies in strict quality control. Deng added that all workshops in the factory are well-marked with operation procedures, standards and tips, so that the workers can be made into manufacturing masters and thus produce high-quality appliances. Local employees are engaged in every step of the production, from initial design to assembly and sales. A total of 700, or 90 percent of the factorys employees are hired from local communities, and they have created harmonious working atmosphere. The photos of them laughing hung on the wall of a workshop are a best example. Shade Weeth, who started working at Hisense when the factory was set up, has been promoted to the administrative director of the factory. She told Peoples Daily that working at Hisense is a pretty decent job in local community, and what satisfies her is not only the payment, but also the friendly working atmosphere. My Chinese colleagues have set good example for us by their hard-working, devotion and efficiency, she said, adding that they are both friends and families to her. Hisense products are always placed at conspicuous places at House & Homes, a local chain store of appliances and furniture. According to a shop assistant, Hisense enjoys a high reputation in South African market, and its products are very much recommended. Hisense is one of the most favored brands of local consumers. Its televisions and fridges are in high sales thanks to their reliable quality and affordable prices, sales assistant Martha said. Such successful investment and contribution from Chinese enterprises have won positive evaluation from South Africa. Former Mayor of Cape Town Patricia de Lille commented in an article published on Cape Times that Hisenses factory in South Africa not only creates numerous jobs and promotes local economy, but also showcases Cape Towns investment potential to the world through exportation to more than a dozen African countries and regions. Hisense has now become a leading brand on South Africas home appliance market, and the market shares of its televisions and fridges are among the best for years. The Hisense Industrial Park has brought tangible benefits to South Africans, which is a vivid depiction of the common development and the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and South Africa, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian noted. World Breastfeeding Week will be celebrated Aug. 1-7. World Breastfeeding Week: Support Nursing Mothers CHP Family Services and South Berkshire WIC celebrate World Breastfeeding Week with a gathering on Thursday, Aug. 2, 10 a.m-noon, at Family Services, 444 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington. Children are welcome and refreshments will be served. RSVP to wic@chpberkshires.org or call 413-528-0457. In a world filled with inequality, crises and poverty, breastfeeding can be a building block for lifelong health for babies and mothers. Even an hour or a day of breastfeeding after birth delivers benefits to mother and baby; nursing exclusively for six months offers even greater health rewards for both mother and child. Support for breastfeeding in the United States and around the world has continued to mount in recent decades. Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of breastfeeding in the United States, and our own community's hospitals, medical providers and family support programs recognize nursing's benefits. Although breastfeeding initiation rates are fairly strong in the United States, infants in rural areas (like ours) are less likely to be breast-fed. And in general, breastfeeding duration declines as mothers face the stress and logistics of returning to work; they may also lack adequate family and workplace support. And some mothers are not aware of the of breastfeeding's health benefits: breastmilk provides all the nutrients needed for an infant's first months. Breastmilk can provide up to half or more of a child's nutrition during the second six months and up to one-third during the second year. According to the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization: * Breastmilk protects infants against infectious and chronic diseases such as earaches and asthma. * Exclusive breastfeeding reduces infant mortality due to common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea or pneumonia and speeds up recovery from illness. * Breastfeeding contributes to the health of mothers by reducing the risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer and protecting against hypertension, heart attack and even Type 2 diabetes. Partners, family, friends and employers can best support nursing mothers by asking, "How can I help you?" Equally important: new mothers need practical support in setting aside time and space for nursing or pumping breast milk, at home and at work. Still, breastfeeding simply does not work for all mothers and babies. Certain medical conditions can preclude nursing, or a mother's medication may not be safe for nursing babies. Some mothers do not have the support needed to breastfeed exclusively while working or raising other children. Just as nursing mothers need help from families and workplaces, women who cannot breastfeed need support in providing alternative nutrition to their growing babies. Nursing and non-nursing mothers can tap an array of local support resources: pediatric health care providers, nutritionists and breastfeeding counselors, Berkshire Nursing Families, or any local Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs. CHP Family Services also maintains a library of information, classes and parent groups. Fairview Hospital and Berkshire Medical Center offer excellent encouragement and education to new mothers as they begin breastfeeding their infants. CHP's family playgroups provide solid connections for parents and children. So, what can you do to help? Family and friends are key to helping women to breastfeed their children, and they can help most by providing logistical and emotional support for a womans breastfeeding routine. Employers can provide break time and space for nursing mothers. Yes, it does take a village --and the village here in Berkshire County is growing stronger. MaryElizabeth Merrit, Ph.D, CLC, is a breastfeeding peer counselor and pre- and perinatal health educator at Community Health Programs Family Services in Great Barrington. Eden Espinosa portrays Tamara de Lempicka in the production of "Lempicka" at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Photo by Daniel Rader. Review: 'Lempicka' Beautifully Painted at Williamstown Theatre Festival For the first few minutes of "Lempicka," the stunning world premiere musical at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the music level was so assaulting, I wanted to wave a white flag of surrender as happened perhaps apocryphally during an early performance of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. But very soon thereafter, either the music level was lowered, or I got used to it and it was I who surrendered to this wonderful, beautifully realized musical. If you wear socks to "Lempicka," be prepared to have them knocked off. The show is the story of a strong woman named Tamara de Lempicka (Eden Espinosa). She was an Art Deco painter who had two periods of success and fame: first when she was working in Paris in the period between World War I and World War II and then when she was "rediscovered" in the 1960s while she was living in California. She was born in Poland but met and married her wealthy, prominent husband, Tadeusz Lempicki (Andrew Samonsky), also Polish, in Petrograd (St. Petersburg). During the Russian revolution, Lempicki was arrested. Tamara used her jewelry and her body to bribe his jailers and thereby bought his release. After her husband was freed, they fled to Paris. He didn't want to work and dragged his feet before taking a low-level job at a bank. Tamara, being a realist and survivor, started to paint for a living. Her work became very popular. She met and had a longtime affair with a bohemian prostitute, Rafaela (Carmen Cusack), who became her muse as well as her lover, inspiring even stronger work. Eventually, Tamara and her husband split. Tamara's father was Jewish so when Nazism and antisemitism spread across Europe and France she once again had to flee to America for a new life this time with her Jewish art-dealer patron, The Baron (Nathaniel Stampley). Carson Kreitzers book and lyrics for the story of Tamara's life are fiercely intelligent. (For example this sentence that Tamara speaks upon arriving in California: "It's a bitch to outlive your own context.") "Lempicka" is a musical with something to say about art, about creativity, about the passage of time and especially about strong women. Three of the songs are titled "Woman Is," "The New Woman" and "Women." The award-winning composer Matt Gould is responsible for the propulsive, irresistible music. There are more than 20 songs, and most of the spoken scenes are underscored. Gould has won the Richard Rodgers award twice and other prestigious awards as well. Remy Kurs supervised and arranged Gould's score. Charity Wicks conducted an outstanding, hard-working orchestra of nine people. They sounded like a far bigger ensemble. Rachel Chavkin, who directed the breakthrough show "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812," is responsible for making this story of epic scope flow smoothly. We always know where we are and when. Chavkin has elicited outstanding performances as well. (More about them below). She has imagination to spare and the skill to make us see and feel what first happens in her mind. The choreographer Raja Feather Kelly used his ensemble the way Andy Blankenbueler used his in "Hamilton" as a crowd to set the feeling of a time, place, artwork and mood. And the few times he choreographed actual dances, they were original and exciting. The ensemble also moves the sets really terrific pieces by Riccardo Hernandez to suggest places and times. A suggestion of the Eiffel Tower that rises to the top of the theater is beautifully wrought. "Lempicka," at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, until Aug. 1. Tickets at WTFestival.org or 413-458-3200. Book and Lyrics by Carson Kreitzer; Music by Matt Gould; Directed by Rachel Chavkin; Choreography by Raja Feather Kelly; Music Supervision and Vocal Arrangements by Remy Kurs; Scenic Design by Riccardo Hernandez; Costume design by Montana Levi Blanco; Lighting design by Bradley King; Sound design by Nevin Steinberg; Music Direction by Charity Wicks; Orchestrations by Cian McCarthy Starring: Carmen Cusack; Eden Espinosa; Natalie Joy Johnson; Steven Rattazzi; Andrew Samonsky; Nathaniel Stampley; Alexandra Templer and Rachel Tucker. Walkin w/ WordXWord kicked off the WordXWord Festival on July 29 at The Mount. WordXWord Festival Kicks Off in Pittsfield PITTSFIELD, Mass. The 10th annual WordXWord Festival will present a wide range of poetry and spoken word events from July 29 through Aug. 5. Celebrating home-grown poetry and spoken word, as well as the work of visiting artists, the festival includes poetry and story slams - including the second annual invitational team poetry slam; themed events; a haiku competition; a day supporting and celebrating the voices of youth poets; outdoor events; and WordXWord's own twist on the celebration of Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday. Festival events will take place in the Downtown Cultural District of Pittsfield as well as at The Mount in nearby Lenox. WordXWord events are free and open to the public. The festival kicked off Sunday, July 29 with Walkin with WordXWord presented in partnership with The Mount, Jacobs Pillow, and Lift Evry Voice. The festival wraps up back at The Mount on Sunday, Aug. 5, with the second annual Team Poetry Slam in which four nationally ranked Slam Teams - from Boston, Lowell and Albany - will go head to head in a spirited competition. Between the two stops at The Mount, the festival will present two workshops and sevem events in downtown Pittsfield at venues including the Hotel On North, Dotties Coffee Lounge, the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, the Berkshire Athenaeum, and the Berkshire Museum. The complete schedule is as follows: * July 30, 7 p.m.: Summer In America / Poets Creating Conversation, Berkshire Museum, 39 South St., Pittsfield. There have been summers of love and summers of unrest. It's summertime and it's the 10th annual WordXWord Festival. The Poets Creating Conversation series invites poets to focus on themes in the national discourse. * July 31, 7 p.m.: Story Slam / Impeachable Offenses, Berkshire Athenaeum, 1 Wendell Ave, Pittsfield. First person, true stories, scored Olympic-style. * Aug, 1, 6 p.m.: Poetry sCrawl, starts at Dotties, 444 North St., Pittsfield. Wear your walking shoes as poetry takes a walk Uptown with stops along the way for poetry al fresco. Letter: Recent Article on BRTA Cuts To the Editor: This past BRTA meeting was my first as a returning board member and it is very hard to see BRTA contending with the same basic problems there were when I left the board three years ago: lack of funding to cover its service area to meet the demand for more routes, evening and weekend service. So much money from Berkshire County goes to fund eastern Massachusetts transportation and so little comes to BRTA, even after our Berkshire delegation has secured increased funding. What we need to focus on now is making sure Berkshire County and Western Mass. have strong representation on the RTA Performance and Funding Task Force and that our unique transportation needs and challenges are taken into account. Let's not let this Task Force be eastern Mass. focused, as many state task forces seem to be. Hopefully, our Berkshire delegation will lobby the governor to make sure Western Mass., and especially Berkshire County, are well represented. Rene C. Wood Sheffield, Mass. Filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar is looking forward to performing with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in the US and Canada next month. Farhan on Friday took to his Instagram account and shared a picture with the popular Indian music composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, announcing their reunion ahead of the tour. In the photograph, they are seen at an airport lounge. Along with the photo, the "Rock On!!" actor wrote: "Bumpity bumped into my favorites Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy at Delhi airport, many airport moments await us gentlemen, US and Canada tour coming up. Happy reunion." From movies "Don 2", "Karthik Calling Karthik", "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" to live concerts, the collaborative work of Farhan and the trio has been widely appreciated. As known to all, filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar on Friday took to Twitter to share about Priyanka Chopra's unexpected exit from his directorial 'Bharat'. This created a lot of buzz about Priyanka's engagement and the audience was quick enough to contemplate about Katrina replacing Priyanka for this project. And guess what? Katrina Kaif has been taken on board for 'Bharat' and will be playing Salman's love interest in the film. After the blockbuster success of Tiger Zinda Hai, the super hit trio of the film Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Ali Abbas Zafar are all set to collaborate again for Bharat. The much loved jodi of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif will be recreating the magic on screen yet again with Ali Abbas Zafar for Bharat. Ali is immensely excited to collaborate with Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan once again after the roaring success of Tiger Zinda Hai. The director shares, "I am extremely excited to work with Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan once again for Bharat. We have had exciting collaborations in the past and it is very interesting to work with the duo once again. It is very delightful to work with the immensely talented actress yet again." The film that went on floors earlier this month has already begun the first schedule including a grand circus sequence featuring Salman Khan and Disha Patani. Katrina Kaif will be joining the shoot in the upcoming schedules beginning in September. Earlier, director Ali Abbas Zafar shared a sneak peek from the film sets giving a glimpse of Salman Khan performing a daredevil stunt on motorbike amidst a ring of fire raising the excitement of the audience. The mother of Blac Chyna has slammed the star once again. This time she is accusing her of being disrespectful, ignoring her family and taking her father and his family on a yacht ride. Read her posts below: Blac Chyna and her mom Tokyo Toni are known to have an interesting relationship. The relationship can be described as tumultuous at time as the two are always at odds. Blac Chyna is rumored to be fed up with her mother and wants nothing to do with her. Toni thinks that Chyna is being childish and has been speaking out a lot lately saying that she wants to see her grandchildren. Recently Tokyo Toni reached out to Chynas bff Amber Rose via Instagram to try to get her to talk some sense into Chyna. Hey @amberrose you are the only person that I know that knows my daughter who does not fear her. Can you do me a favor if its anywhere deep in your heart can you please tell her I said let me see those kids! Im so very sorry to come at you in this way on social media but theres no other way., said Tokyo Toni. Wow, but if that wasnt enough Tokyo Toni would continue her plea to Amber. She continued, All of her employees make up artist and hairstylist all of those people are sorry ass chumps, she wrote. The NANNY IS A BUM B##CH!! That fat Nick square Bob Square pants and his body b####h is a loser. She has nothing but yes people around her and I hate every last one of them. If you could do this OK, if not OK love you kiddo. Leave a Comment comments Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye has raised the alarm he has been without security since April. The lawmaker who says he recently escaped from assailants, who almost set him ablaze after firing shots at his car but didnt hit him because his was a bullet proof car said he is a vulnerable Nigerian and cant go about without having his personal security. Mr Melaye said he has even applied for armed civil defence but there is no response yet. He made this known via his Twitter account on Monday. He wrote: A former Aviation minister, Mr Femi Fani Kayode has reacted to the news that 121 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa in the last 18 months. The former minister said it would have been the proper for the Nigerian government to severe all ties with the country. However, Mr Fani Kayode says that is something only a normal country would do but the reverse is the case in Nigeria. He made known via his Twitter account on Monday afternoon saying a country that kills its own at home wouldnt bother if they were been slaughtered outside. He wrote: (File Photo) President Trump and other G7 countries leaders. Scholars of international relations are worried that the United States under President Donald Trump is creating a dangerous place for America. In The New York Times, 35 scholars of international relations signed a statement titled Why We Should Preserve International Institutions and Order (later an online petition titled Preserving Alliances"), calling on scholars in the field to defend the US-led alliance system, but ignoring the fact that alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are Cold War relics and should be relegated to the dustbin of history. The signatories of the statement argue that the post-World War II worlddefined largely by the Western system of military and political alliances, provides important benefits to the United States and its allies, and they warn that Trumps recklessness poses a threat to the future security and prosperity of America and its allies. The statement warns that Trump is hurling a wrecking ball at the strategic alliances that underpin American influence, but it also acknowledges that the international system needs reform. We should reform but not destroy the system that has served the United States and its allies well for over seven decades, the statement reads. The global order is certainly in need of major changes, it adds. It goes on to say that institutionsthe rules that govern cooperative behaviorare much harder to build up than they are to destroy. Almost nobody benefits from a descent into the chaos of a world without effective institutions that encourage and organize cooperation, the statement reads. Without question, it is much easier to undermine trust and cooperation among countries and regions than it is to build up partnerships and institutions for cooperation. Take for example the Paris Agreement. For the first time in history, almost every country in the world joined together to combat climate change. It was a history-making agreement that took years to negotiate and a great achievement in international politics, and the world was shocked and angered when America undermined it. Trumps assaults on multilateralism are indeed reckless, and countries should push back against his attempts to kill multilateralism and weaken cooperation. Not only did he pull out of the historic Paris Agreement, but he also abandoned the multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran, among other things, and his trade policies are a menace to the global economy. Utter disdain for the mechanisms and principles of multilateralism, as enshrined in the UN-based international order, will not keep the world safe or create a more prosperous future for all. Nevertheless, Trumps disdain for, or at least his questioning of whether it is worth preserving the US-led alliance systema relic of the Cold War, is a positive development, because it shines a spotlight on the need for reform of the international system. We should move beyond the traditional theories of international relations and build on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter to make the world a better place for all countries and not just for America. Preserving US alliances is not the best way to encourage and organize cooperation among countries and regions. What is needed is a new type of international relations that better reflects the interests of all countries and that values partnerships over alliances and win-win cooperation over zero-sum competition. Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom has said he now fully understands why United States president, Donald Trump called African countries sh*t hole countries. Although the US President had denied using those words, which sparked global outrage, with various African leaders calling for an apology, Gov Ortom, says he now knows why President Trump referred to Nigeria as a shithole country. Ortom said this, while reacting to the impeachment notice, he was served by eight lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC). According to the governor, all these are because he left the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The governor said the inspector-general of police and director-general of police are responsible for this wickedness being perpetuated against him, and begged President Muhammadu Buhari to weigh in on the matter. George Akume, a serving senator from the state, was also fingered by the governor as being behind the political crisis in the state. Now I know why Trump called Nigeria a shithole country. Its only in a shithole country that eight house of assembly members can suspend 22 lawmakers. We will bring you more details as story develops. Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West, yesterday narrated how he escaped being burned alive by some unknown assailants as he headed for court in Lokoja from Abuja. Malaye, while speaking with some journalists on Sunday said he climbed atop a tree and stayed there for hours in order to conceal himself from the men after his life. He said; When I got into the bush, I climbed a tree and stayed there. While on the tree, I saw two of the policemen coming to look for me, but they didnt know I was on the tree. I was in the bush for 11 hours. A lot of Nigerians have trolled Mr Melaye for what they have termed a badly written script. They mocked the senator for making a mockery of their collective intelligence, and even asked the Nigerian army to learn Melayes tree climbing skills to effectively combat Boko Haram. See how some Nigerians on social media users reacted. Nigerian Armed forces should learn from Dino Melaye. When Boko Haram begins to shoot sporadically, they should just climb trees. Plant a tree today in ur house, who knows when it might be useful.Bulletproof trees. DINO IN IGBO IRUMOLE CBN Gov Akinsola Ak (@cbngov_akin1) July 30, 2018 Shouldnt Ben Murray Bruce make a statement on the role he played in the tree climbing escape of Dino Melaye? HENRY Okelue (@4eyedmonk) July 30, 2018 Watching too much movies really helped @dino_melaye in narrating his ordeal in the wilderness. Chai, the man really suffered. 7 whole hours? Chai. No food, no drink. I really feel for Uncle Dino. Elekwa Harrison Ochie (@Elexharry) July 30, 2018 Ladies and gentlemen , please meet our senator : Senator Dino Melaye pic.twitter.com/q9CweAduDB brotherDoGood (@jenrade_olamide) July 30, 2018 No scratch, no ransom, no injury, no dislocation of bones, no bruises, Dino Melaye escaped from his kidnappers. pic.twitter.com/zpzkEpi8WP Kemi Ariyo (@d_problemsolver) July 27, 2018 The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, on Friday claimed that the governors of Sokoto and Kwara states, Aminu Tambuwal and Abdulfatah Ahmed respectively, would leave the All Progressives Congress. Im speaking out because today Nigeria is bleeding and wobbling. Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has said that the recent defection of a former governor of Kano State, senator Rabiu musa Kwankwaso, and lawmakers from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) will not any way affect the partys chances and as such lost relevance politically in the state. Guardian Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu returned to the warm embrace of his supporters in Enugu, yesterday, insisting that using security operatives against him would not stop him from exercising the responsibilities of his election. Daily Trust Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke, Osun state PDP gubernatorial candidate, does not have the West African School Certificate and he did not graduate from Jacksonville State University (JSU) in the United States, as he claimed. DailyTimes The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator, Shehu Sani says some of the APC Senators are revolting because they are being unjustly and politically suffocated by the party. Tribune THE police have arrested the owner of the truck that allegedly caused the multiple accident on the Otedola Bridge along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway. Vanguard Punch President Muhammadu Buhari says the gale of defection currently being witnessed in the ruling All Progressives Congress is not bothering him. According to a statementon Mondayby his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spokeon Sundaynight while responding to a question during an interactive session he had with Vanguard Mon, 30 Jul 2018 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is, this week, set to receive and celebrate defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in a high profile celebration. The Nation Fears that last weeks defection by some senators and House of Representatives members will affect President Muhammadu Buharis re-election were dispelled yesterday.Eleven senators defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Two joined the former President Obasanjo driven African Democratic Congress (ADC).Thirty Seven members of the House of Representatives also defected. But the ruling party keeps its majority in both lawmaking chambers. ThisDay In an effort to curtail abuse of Codeine containing cough syrup, the federal government has recalled about 2.4 million bottles of codeine from circulation. The move, according to the Ministry of Health, demonstrates the federal governments determination to stem the abuse of Codeine containing cough syrup and other substances across Daily Times The Federal Government has assembled 1000-strong military force, comprising the Nigerian Army (NA) Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Guardian First, we have to be thankful to God for the gift of the democratic tradition. It may not be Uhuru, but it could also have been worse. If you follow the Afrobarometer surveys you will surely find a trend of Nigerians being less and less happy or satisfied with their democracy . Daily Trust Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has said that the emergence of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole as chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) saved the party from collapse. Tribune Aheadof the 2019 governorship election in Oyo State, several aspirants with different professional backgrounds and strong financial war chests have been declaring their intention to occupy the Agodi Government House, raising the question on Leadership The Ekiti State council of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has advised the state government led by Governor Ayodele Fayose to look for an alternative way to offset backlog of salaries, pension and gratuities before leaving office in October this year. The union said the decision was taken at the NLCs State Executive Council Meeting. An Abuja High Court has fixed 8th August, 2018 for Runtown to appear and give reasons why he should not be sent to prison for disobeying a Court Injunction made on 10th May, 2018. According to a statement by Eric Many, he said: Recall that we served a Contempt Warning from Court on Runtown on 4th July, 2018 after he defied Court Order and released a song. Rather than heed the Contempt Warning and retrace his steps, he issued a Press Release in which he argued that the Injunction had expired. The Injunction was to stop things until the hearing of our Motion seeking to freeze activities until a decision on his status (whether he had discharged his obligations to us or not) is taken. It barred him from performing or releasing songs for the time being. The statement went on to add that, the legal advice we received was that Runtown was wrong in his interpretation of the Rules of Court he relied on since he was already served with our Motion and was represented in Court on 31st May, 2018 when the Court adjourned to 27th September, 2018 to hear the Motion and the one filed by Runtown himself! To turn around after that day to proceed to do what the Order barred him from doing, and what the Motion served on him (adjourned in his presence) seeks to stop, is unjustifiable under the 7-Days Rule he relied upon. That could probably apply to a person against whom an interim injunction was obtained without more. Based on this, we have done two things: One, we have obtained a FORM 49 against him to explain why he should not be sent to prison, especially when he continued to publicize fixtures for shows in Canada, Namibia, Europe etc and threaten to release more songs, both actions in defiance of the Court Order. The application (now fixed for 8th August) has been served on him in the Punch as ordered by the Court. Two, since we will not allow him to continue to mock the Court Order we have applied and obtained a new Injunction to stop his actions to protect the Contempt Case. The new injunction bars him from his threatened defiant actions in Canada, Namibia, Europe etc. We believe the new Injunction has not also expired and hope he respects the Court this time. Please bear in mind that our main case in Court boils down to whether Runtown has discharged his monetary obligations to us and delivered one Album to us as spelt out in our Contract. He has responded, so it will be good to allow the Court to decide what each party filed. Let both sides apply restraint. As we always say, Ericmany Limited will continue to follow the judicial process. We have confidence in the Rule of Law and will continue to patiently follow the due process until the wrong done to us by Runtown after our heavy investment on him is redressed. See photos of court orders below: Leave a Comment comments For fans of Kizz Daniel, there is no better time to bless the music industry with another album considering the challenges that faced his career in recent times. The Fly Boy INC front-man has been thinking the same way and we could tell from the strings of hit songs and collaboration he has strategically dropped. Kizz Daniel has just unveiled the album art for his sophomore studio album. It is titled No Bad Songs. The art designed by celebrity photographer and graphic artist Amazing Klef will leaving you thinking ad wondering what is going on in Kizz Daniels mind. No Bad Songs is scheduled to hit the stores in October 2018. Abuja big girl, Cynthia Burton got her brand new BMW 5-Series car with customised plate no from her British man. Oh my goodness! Its customised, C_burton for real.cheeee the young mother captioned the photos. She is presently promoting the news online as she has reportedly paid some media platforms to announce the car gift for her. The identity of the British man is presently unknown but reports have it that his pocket is really loaded with cool cash. See the pictures of the exotic car below: https://instagram.com/p/BlzzWm5Bzhg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_loading_state_control Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has been served an impeachment notice by eight of 30 lawmakers of the State House of Assembly. Mr Tahav Agerzua, the governors spokesman reportedly told Premium Times that the eight lawmakers also took control of the premises of the state parliament with the support of the police. In his words: They have taken over the House of Assembly and served the governor an impeachment notice despite a court order forbidding them from doing so. In their reaction, many Nigerian social media users totally condemned the move, saying 2/3 majority is needed for this move to be legal. They wrote: See reactions Alleged move by 8 out of 30 members of Benue Assembly to impeach Gov. Ortom is ludicrous. By Sec. 188(2) of the Constitution, a minimum of one-third of ALL members must sign an impeachment notice. This means at least 10 members of the Assembly must sign a notice to impeach Ortom. Inibehe Effiong (@InibeheEffiong) July 30, 2018 The illegality being perpetrated in Benue by 7 House members should STOP. Benue is just coming out of a debilitating crisis. The state needs every sane voice to speak up now than ever 7 over 22 can NEVER be the majority Let Gov Ortom be! Let there be peace in Benue!! Madness!! Major General Eneji (@iameneji) July 30, 2018 Under the change govt, 8 assembly members escorted by the @PoliceNG into the chamber in a bid to impeach Gov Ortom is serious dent on our democracy. This illegality will not stand. we call on all well meaning Nigerians to condemn this rascality. Kola Ologbondiyan (@officialKolaO) July 30, 2018 American rapper, Azealia Banks has taken to her Instagram page to say Nigerian Artiste, Tiwa Savage is probably a child of Chango and Oshun, her fans recommend some Nigerian songs to her. According to Azealia Banks, daughters of Chango try hiding their witchiness but it seeps right through their pores. She also warned her followers never to lend money to a daughter of Oshun because they wont get it back. She concluded her post by stating that seeing an African female popstar gives her a different kind of confident powerful vibe. Read screenshots from her insta-story; Azealia Banks had before the post on Tiwa Savage, slammed comedian DC Young Fly specifically for calling her out on a show. Nollywood Actress, Uche Ogbodo has taken to her social media page to celebrate her daughter To celebrate her 4th birthday, actress Uche Ogbodo had a photo session with her daughter, Mildred, in matching outfits and the pictures are absolutely beautiful. Uche who shared the photos on her IG page, wrote 4 years Don Waka , we still dey carry go , nobody waka no body go solo, Baba God ooo nah your gracey ooo nah your gracey oooo, adukpe ooo {styleplus } Four years ago I could never have pictured you as pretty and smart as you are Today Mildred. No feeling in the world can be compared to the feelings of love and pride I feel when ever I look at you. You have grown so much in these four years and I dont care what the world may see, but I think you are the coolest most beautiful baby girl in the whole wide world . I love you just the way you are @mildredshine Happy Birthday my baby Leave a Comment comments Enhanced international cooperation advocated by BRICS countries is contributing to a world order that is fairer and more open, analysts stressed on Thursday as the world's largest developing countries voiced strong opposition to protectionism during their ongoing summit in South Africa. BRICS leaders and business delegates, including members of the BRICS Business Council, were present at the opening session of the bloc's 10th summit in Johannesburg on Thursday, which is expected to rally behind concerted efforts to revitalize Africa's industrialization agenda, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The 10th BRICS Summit was scheduled to run from Wednesday to Friday at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Liu lingling from Peoples Daily BRICS countries should advocate win-win cooperation to build an open economy, pursue innovation and seize development opportunities, seek inclusive growth to deliver benefits to all countries, uphold multilateralism, and improve global governance together, Chinese President Xi Jinping said when addressing the BRICS Business Forum on Wednesday, Xinhua reported. "BRICS countries should keep abreast of the historical trend, seize development opportunities, jointly meet challenges, and play a constructive role in building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi said in front of about 1,200 government officials and business people on Wednesday. Cooperation among BRICS countries will serve as an engine for globalization amid rising protectionism, Shen Yi, director of the Center for BRICS Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Thursday. US protectionism is disqualifying the country from being the leader of the current global order, which offers a chance for emerging countries that have the ambition to seek a fairer, more open order, said Shen. It's not about building a new order and forming a group against the US, but promoting the positive evolution of the existing world order in a direction favoring greater fairness and openness, Shen stressed. According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xi met with Brazilian President Michel Temer on Thursday. "China stands ready to join hands with Brazil to advance China-Latin America cooperation and push the economic and trade cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries to a higher level," Xi said. Competitor or partner Xi was also expected to meet with other leaders of the bloc, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the sideline of the summit. This will be the third meeting between Xi and Modi since April, showcasing the positive momentum in China-India relations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. As the two largest developing countries and emerging markets in the world, both China and India are willing to help Africa accelerate its industrialization and achieve self-driven development, said Geng, adding that China and India are on the same page when it comes to deepening cooperation with African countries. However, economic cooperation between China and India is unlikely to progress if India maintains a skeptical or holds a negative attitude toward China-proposed projects, such as the Belt and Road initiative, said Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow with the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. "India should not allow nationalistic sentiment to hold back its cooperation with China. Having too big of an ego, and perceiving China as a threat to its growth, will hurt the country over the long term," said Hu. While India is keen to invest in African countries, it should not turn into a competitor of China's and should be more prudent in choosing projects to avoid overlap and waste, said Hu. China and India have both been impacted by US trade protectionism, pushing New Delhi to hike tariffs last month on 30 US products in retaliation for US President Donald Trump's decision to slap additional taxes on Indian steel and aluminum, Indian's NDTV reported. Speculators in India, especially among the country's elite, hold an "unrealistic idea" if they believe trade friction between China and the US is a good opportunity for India to cozy up to the US, said Shen. "The Trump administration won't last long if the US continues to see shrinking exports and soaring deficits," Shen noted. WETASKIWIN, AB (July 28, 2018)- Andrew Ranger and the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge team looked to regroup after a disappointing start to the annual NASCAR Pintys Series western swing. For round number seven at Edmonton International Raceway on Saturday night what looked to be a promising night turned into an evening of exasperation. Ranger would qualify the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge in the fifth starting spot and felt positive about his opportunities in the 300-lap feature event. The car felt good but we dont see the full potential in just a couple of laps, we were set up to be good for longer runs the driver explained. Soon after the green flag waved Ranger was hustling the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge forward in the field and had climbed up to second in the running. A recurrence of the power steering issues that surfaced at the previous event caused Ranger some inconvenience but he was dealing with it. I wasnt slowing anyone else down, I was working through it, he stated. For a couple of laps there was some smoke coming from the car which prompted NASCAR officials show Ranger the black flag and ordered him to bring the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge to pit road to survey the problem. By the time Ranger had made his way to the pits the smoke was no longer an issue. However officials ordered him to make a second stop to ensure the problem was resolved. As a result of two mandated green flag pit stops the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge was out of contention for any kind of meaningful result. That was it for us said a frustrated driver afterwards. The smoke was gone after a couple of laps, there was no fluid leaking on the track, but we had to stop. I dont understand it. I was the one who had to struggle with the car but I wasnt getting in the way of anyone else. Its very discouraging to have this kind of ruling against us, he added. Andrew Ranger will next be behind the wheel of the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge team at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres. Ranger is a four-time winner of this event and has been the runner up seven other times that he has raced this event. The races from Saskatoon can be seen on TSN Saturday August 11that 1:30PM ET. Race fans can get more information and follow the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge team news during the off-season by going to www.mopar.caand clicking on Motorsports. Prepared by, TL Sports & Entertainment, todd@tlsportsent.com(239) 961-2618 PETERBOROUGH, ON (July 28, 2018)- Canadas Toughest 1/3-Mile Paved Oval wrapped-up another month of its 2018 schedule on Saturday, July 28th under a full moon with an exciting night of action, featuring the hometown Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stock, Jiffy Lube Mini Stock, Super Stock and Late Model divisions. Feature race action for the night got underway with a 30 lapper for the Late Model division, with Mark Gordon and Dan McHattie on the front row. McHattie took the lead from his outside line starting spot and pulled away from the pack. The veteran campaigner from Cavan, Ontario began putting backmarkers a lap down with just over a handful of laps complete and quickly built-up an advantage of nearly half a track. James Horner who has been having a strong season moved into the runner-up spot just past the halfway mark, with Amanda Balson coming-up fast. Try as they might, no one had anything for McHattie in the caution-free affair. Balson, Horner, Chris Mitchell and Gordon rounded-out the top 5. Late Model heat races were won by Balson, Horner, McHattie and Mitchell. For the Super Stock A main, Mark Gordon lined-up alongside Tim Burke for the Great Canadian RV green flag. Gordon took the lead early, with Marlie Owen taking 2nd. As the leader moved-out to a strong, 10-car length advantage, Rob Richards claimed the runner-up position. Lapped traffic came into play with about 7 laps on the board and Tim Burke grabbed the 3rd spot a lap later. A late race yellow flag shuffled the deck and gave everyone a last shot at Gordon. The driver of #25 machine was strong enough to hold-off the charge and took the win over Burke, Bailey Jacobs, Richards and Dan Archibald. Super Stock preliminary round checkered flags went to Owen, Burke, Gordon and Richards. With 20 laps to settle the score, Alex McGibbon and Corey Strawn brought the Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stock field from the staging area for their feature tilt. McGibbon led through the early stages and caught the tail end of the field with 6 laps showing on the scoreboard. A 3-wide move going into the tight 3rd turn got everyones attention, as Ryan Oosterholt used the outside line to take 2nd with 10 complete before moving to the lead a couple of circuits later. A pair of late race yellows bunched the pack, but it was another win for Oosterholt. Rob Crick, Chris Tubman, Corey Strawn and Jake Kelly completed the fast 5. In addition to his feature win, Oosterholt had a pair of Bone Stock qualifying event victories. Jeremy Kelly, Crick, Strawn and Dave Feeney had the others. George Novis and Ember Junkin paced the pack of Jiffy Lube Mini Stock runners to the line for a 20 lap feature dance. Nolan Gould moved into 2nd with only a few circuits complete and took the lead a lap later. The #28 ride caught backmarkers and began working through traffic at lap 9, but a yellow flag for an incident in the 2nd turn at lap 14 slowed his charge. Gould remained in control on the restart and held-off a hard-charging Ryan Oosterholt for the win. Kevin Strutt, Ember and Marilyn Junkin completed the top 5. Oosterholt picked-up a couple of Mini Stock qualifying round victories, with Gould and Ember Junkin also finding their way to the winners circle. All feature event finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review, as well as post-race safety and technical inspection. Bullring bullet points: Track officials announced a change in the posted schedule for the August 11th show with the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series. All advertised times have been moved-up by an hour. Pit gates will open at 1:00, with grandstand admission at 4:00 and racing at 5:00The 50/50 draw in support of the Millbrook Legion was won by Sean OGrady of Harwood, Ontario who took home $625 Rob Robinson made his 2018 Peterborough Speedway debut in the #4 Late Model machine, with Kenny McNichol Jr. doing the same in the #17M Ontario Legends ride. Dave Marco joined his son Ethan in the Bone Stock ranks, while Alex Lees returned to the Mini Stock field with a 6th place finish. The 2018 Hot August Nights Series gets underway Saturday, August 4th with the OSCAAR Modifieds and Pro Midgets joining the hometown Bone Stock, Mini Stock and Super Stock divisions. There will also be a Pre-Race Corn Roast. Pit gates open at 2:00, with spectator grandstands unlocked at 4:00 and racing at 6:00. Check www.peterboroughspeedway.com or look to the tracks social media platforms for the latest news and schedule updates. There is also a free app available for Smartphone users. Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com, www.facebook.com/clarkemotorsports 613.968.6410 Maria Figueiredo 100 x 90 Figueiredo has been with Miranda since 2006. Her expertise lies in Portuguese and international taxation, areas in which she provides commercial and disputes advice to clients from the oil and gas and energy sectors, as well as in relation to real estate, banking and finance and M&A transactions. Marias practice is intrinsically cross-border and she is head of tax for Timor-Leste. She is one of three managing associates to have joined the partnership. The appointments bring the number of partners at Miranda to 23. The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQ. Share this article firms_thumbnail Following the firms expansion into Bulgaria, as well as mergers in Germany, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, Ireland and Great Britain, Schmidt will continue to drive the firms global strategy within the European region. Before joining RSM, Schmidt was at RSMs German member firm as chief operating officer in 2012 before becoming chief officer of strategy, markets and communications in 2016, where he played a key role in in the merger of RSMs German firms. The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQ. Share this article July 30, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The following is the unofficial transcript of a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview with Harley-Davidson CEO Matthew Levatich and CNBC's Morgan Brennan. Clips from the interview are airing today, Monday, July 30th throughout CNBC's Business Day programming. The following is a link to video of the interview on CNBC.com: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/07/29/harley-davidson-ceo-on-new-strategies-trade-wars-and-going-electric.html?play=1. All references must be sourced to CNBC. MATTHEW LEVATICH: I don't want anyone to think that we're running away from our core customer, and the strength that the company has today. This needs to be thought of all of that plus more. So we're gonna be doubling down on existing products. We're gonna invest in an all new middleweight platform, which is a modular chassis and a very-- core-- engine technology-- to go in three dramatically different spaces. Adventure touring, custom and street fighter. And do that with multiple models, all this coming within the next two or three years. And then E.V. is that additional component, which really allows us to reach out and inspire a whole generation of people that aren't even yet thinking about freedom on two wheels. MORGAN BRENNAN: And what you say here is, Comprehensive cost reduction and reallocation of previously planned investment and resources. So how does that look? -- Especially because when I hear something like cost reduction I can't help but think job cuts. MATTHEW LEVATICH: Yeah, so what we really are challenging ourselves as an organization, and we-- we call it self-funding, but to do all of this in the same investment return and capital allocation profile that investors are accustomed to. So we're challenging ourselves internally, how do we need to think about how we approach the business differently, given times have changed and we have to accelerate our pace. One of the easiest examples is capital investment. Motorcycle product development takes a lot of capital investment. When you look at the investments that we've made to really solidify leadership in touring and soft tail in particular, a lot of that investment is behind us. So we have the capacity to invest in these new products, and we have the capability, because we've really refined and dialed in our product development excellence over the last several years. So a lot of this seems like big stuff, and it is big stuff, but we're very confident-- we're gonna be able to execute it as planned. MORGAN BRENNAN: Given the fact that you're growing international to 50% of sales over the coming years, how much of the production of these new motorcycles is gonna happen in the U.S. versus other places? MATTHEW LEVATICH: So, our preference in all cases is to supply the world from the United States. That's been our mantra since day one. And most of our customers around the world, they value that in the brand. We've invested in international manufacturing over the last 20 years, really, for the single reason that there are trade and tariff situations in certain markets that make it prohibitive of-- prohibitive of us to be relevant in those markets without that investment. We're only doing that because these are important growth markets for the company that without those investments we wouldn't have access to those customers, at any kinda reasonable price. And that's an important part of growing the company, and growing where the brand has tremendous appeal, but those prices that we would pay with all those tariffs are simply-- untenable for customers in those areas. MORGAN BRENNAN: There's a lot of talk, a lot of debate right now about the whole idea of fair and free trade- MATTHEW LEVATICH: Sure. MORGAN BRENNAN: --but it doesn't sound like, at least from a motorcycle perspective, that that's been the case. MATTHEW LEVATICH: Yeah, and-- and we-- we are committed-- to the idea of free and fair trade. And we have been dealing with these tariff situations for decades, in many cases, as I mentioned. So we're-- we continue to work with, you know, our administration, as well as other governments around the world, around reducing these-- economic and-- and frankly, in a lot of cases, non-economic trade barriers that make it difficult for us to compete. We still sell motorcycles in India that are shipped from the United States at full 100% duties. Right? They're very expensive, and we still sell them. Obviously that duty elimination would allow us to sell many more, and that is our prime path. And we're gonna continue to work on that path as we go forward. MORGAN BRENNAN: With that this accelerated strategy that you've just announced-- the fact that you're gonna be funding it in house, this real-- reallocation of resources, et cetera-- I can't help but think that after you announced the shift in some production of motorcycles destined for the European market to overseas, that that move, in light of the tariffs in that market, that this played a part in that? MATTHEW LEVATICH: We've been working on this for the last six months. This is an unfortunate-- condition in the middle of work that we would like to do. We'd like to invest that money differently. We'd like to spend our time differently. But we have to do what we have to do based on the facts and circumstances before us. MORGAN BRENNAN: And I think-- I-- that's kinda the point I'm trying to get to. Is that when you're talking about $2,200 more for a motorcycle in a key market like Europe, which is such a growth point for Harley-Davidson, that money, that capital is-- you're looking to put it to use in other ways. So all of a sudden it becomes even more difficult of a conversation, I would imagine, with you and your board. MATTHEW LEVATICH: Right. Well, it becomes-- a decision that carrying-- the-- the first decision is protecting our customers in the market. So that is us carrying that $2,200 per bike cost. And then obviously we have to figure out ways to mitigate that cost, because we'd rather invest that money in things that'll help us grow the business, not just maintain the business. We have to do what we have to do based on the facts and circumstances before us, and we're doing that. Rather not be spending our time and our money this way right now, but we're doing what we have to do. MORGAN BRENNAN: Were you surprised by President Trump's reactions, the anger-- to your decision to-- MATTHEW LEVATICH: Well - MORGAN BRENNAN: -- shift some of this production? MATTHEW LEVATICH: You know, I-- I think of it as a business. We-- we-- we just deal with what we have to deal with, and this-- we are not a political organization. We've worked very hard to be apolitical in how we approach our business and our consumers, everywhere in the world. So we do what we have to do to maintain that integrity as a company and as a brand-- facing difficult decisions as we do. As we had in this case. And that was just an unfortunate-- you know, attention around-- a set of decisions that we made that where rational under the circumstances. MORGAN BRENNAN: In light of that, it-- it seems like there's been a lot of information, a lot of suggestions, be it by union leaders, by the administration, by other folks that have come out very strongly against the decision to shift some of that production. The ar-- their argument being that this was potentially in the works for Harley-Davidson, even before the tariffs. I mean, you've got to have a response to that. MATTHEW LEVATICH: Well I -- I would simply say that if we had planned this all along it sure wouldn't take us nine to 18 months to do it. We're doing a lotta tearing up to figure out how to-- we-- we don't have it actually all figured out yet. We're working very hard to figure out how we get and protect that market and eliminate that cost from our business as quickly as possible. And again, if circumstances change, we'll evaluate and course correct if we can. MORGAN BRENNAN: You haven't been the only company to announce some shifts in production. Polaris, one of your rivals, has actually also said that they might shift some of their production of the Indian motorcycles to Poland in light of those tariffs. Why do you think-- why do you think Harley has experienced so much more attention over this than maybe some of the other companies? MATTHEW LEVATICH: Well, you know, number one, we're a 115-year-old-- great American company, and we've manufactured our engines in Milwaukee since day one. Every one of our motorcycles is gonna con-- for the U.S. is gonna continue to be made in the U.S. We'd rather not do this, but faced-- faced with the significance and the durability of a lot of these tariffs, again, as I mentioned, Brazil, 20 years-- we can't see those important growth markets for the company and deny those customers the opportunity to get on a Harley-Davidson. So we do-- the best we can to preserve and protect the integrity of the American qualities of Harley-Davidson, 'cause it's very important to our customers and it's very important to us. MORGAN BRENNAN: Certainly here in the US it's very important that Harley-Davidson is made in America. It's pro-- you probably don't get more iconic in terms of an American brand. How important is that to your international customers? MATTHEW LEVATICH: You know, it's important, but at some point if a product is twice as expensive or it-- or there's the potential for it to be half as expensive, and Harley-Davidson is the manufacturer, which we are. When you-- if you walk into our plants in Brazil or in India, and ultimately when we start up in Thailand, you will see the same exact methods, same exact equipment, the same approach to quality and safety that we have in every one of our U.S. factories. These are Harley-Davidson plants and Harley-Davidson employees. And so people gain a lot of confidence in that. And when-- you know, when this is made by Harley-Davidson and they can afford it, more than-- they otherwise would be able to, they're accepting of it. MORGAN BRENNAN: What does electric mean for Harley moving forward? What's the opportunity there? MATTHEW LEVATICH: You know, to me- the biggest opportunity-- with electric is the-- is the ease of use. It is a different feeling, the-- the combination of the power and the torque and the sound, even, creates a different feeling for the rider. Almost like you're flying. And that-- that to me was the moment where I said, "There's is something sort of incrementally valuable here in this technology." It's not-- instead of. It's in addition to. This motorcycle's easier to ride than a bicycle. No clutch, no gears, no heat. I'm-- I'm navigating. No pedals to pedal. You know? So the enabling technology of E.V. for-- creating new riders, inspiring them with cool product, meeting them where they are-- in the-- in-- largely in the cities, with technology and ridership that is much more tar-- twist and go. MORGAN BRENNAN: So in light of the strategy that you've unveiled today, what does the Harley-Davidson of the future look like? MATTHEW LEVATICH: I think one thing motorcycles-motorcyclists-- identify with is other riders. So this is about opening up-- that community, making that community broader. Using product as a way to do that, but also distribution. We have this tremendous dealer network. And you walk into a Harley dealer anywhere in the world, and they are dedicated to this brand and to our product, and to the customers and to the experience of riding. And-- and leveraging that community of dealers and riders, existing riders and new riders, to just build the sport. And that to us is what this strategy's all about. MORGAN BRENNAN: One of the things we didn't touch on yet was China and the growth opportunity there. How are you approaching that market, especially given the fact that there does seem to be some trade uncertainty? MATTHEW LEVATICH: Yeah. So-- China is-- a very important market for us, as it is for a lot of companies and brands. And we see a lot of opportunity to invest differently to grow China. Number one, leveraging what the Thailand investment can do for us from-- an affordability perspective is a big help. MORGAN BRENNAN: Would you have built this facility in Thailand if the U.S. had stayed in TPP? MATTHEW LEVATICH: Depending on what that would have actually-- materialized as it was looking at the time, I think-- it was looking favorable to us. It certainly would have made the economics a lot more favorable to Harley-Davidson, as it would a lotta companies. Both candidates during the election were talking about existing TPP, and that's where we started looking at. Again-- I think TPP was in negotiation for seven or eight years. These are very durable arrangements, and they're complicated. Certain commodities like, you know, grain and soybeans are traded off against other things like motorcycles in the basket of trade between nations. And so picking on one specific thing like motorcycles and-- and assuming it's gonna be easy to change, that's where it gets very complicated and very difficult. And the administration's working very hard on this very issue. We have endured-- tremendous-- economic and non-ec-- economic trade barriers in our international growth. We have competed on our merits. We've done very well. We're in over 100 countries now around the world, and we're doing well, despite some of these things. We would like a little bit more of a level playing field, because we think we can do even better. MORGAN BRENNAN: Do you think we'll ultimately get that? I mean the administration has signaled that all of this is to get to that place. Do you think MATTHEW LEVATICH: Yeah, and- MORGAN BRENNAN: --it happens? MATTHEW LEVATICH: They are absolutely in line with what we all want, free and fair trade. Both. We've been consistent on that point and I think they've been consistent on that point. It's a little hard to tell now-- with the direction things are going, where it will all land. And again, as a business, we're obviously paying very close attention to it. We're talking to-- as many governments as we can about what we're interested in as a business and a brand. And we'll make those best decisions when the time comes with-- when the facts and circumstances change. MORGAN BRENNAN: Are you talking to anyone in the Trump administration? MATTHEW LEVATICH: We're actually- MORGAN BRENNAN: To the president directly? MATTHEW LEVATICH: --you know, the-- the administration has been very-- engad-- we have been very engaged, they've been very engaged, since the election, in-- in particular in India. The USTR, our ambassador to India, the prime minister-- himself, I think with the president. I wasn't there, but there were discussions around-- the duties that we faced in India. And there have been discussions about how that could be changed. Again, we exist in a complex trading equation with India. So one piece is hard to move without some of the other pieces. And again, this has just reinforced that some of these things are very durable and difficult to change. Which is why when they do change, we have to take-- action and make decisions in the best interests of the company and our stakeholders. For more information contact: Jennifer Dauble CNBC t: 201.735.4721 m: 201.615.2787 e: jennifer.dauble@nbcuni.com Emma Martin CNBC t: 201.735.4713 m: 551.275.6221 e: emma.martin@nbcuni.com More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp July 30, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) More funds are flowing into this company's treasury at the same time as it has intersected a new mineralized zone at its Ootsa copper project, writes Rick Mills of Ahead of the Herd. Vancouver-based Surge Copper Corp. (SURG:TSX.V) stated on Wednesday it closed a non-brokered private placement consisting of 2.3 million units priced at 10 cents a share, raising $230,000. Comprised of a share and a warrant, unit holders can buy common shares for the next 36 months at an exercise price of $0.18 per share. Surge was trading at 11.5 cents a share at the close of trading Friday in Toronto. Meanwhile at Ootsa, where a 3,000m drill program is underway, the second hole intersected a new zone of mineralization 500m northeast of the East Seel deposit. East Seel is considered to be the deposit with the highest grades, where 40- to 50-meter intersections of nearly 0.75% to 1% copper grades have been assayed. Surge Copper has plans to expand the current mineralized zones and its 2018 exploration plan involves exploring around the edges of the East and West Seel deposits. The goal is to add another 20 to 24 million tonnes to the current 224 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources in the ground, which would enable Surge to comfortably run a stand-alone operation, i.e., a mine that could function without any involvement from neighboring Huckleberry Mine, owned by Imperial Metals but currently on care and maintenance. Hole S18-212 was drilled at a 135-degree angle to a depth of 483 meters, and is said to contain zones of mineralization containing pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite along with carbonate and quartz. More details are contained in a July 26 press release: The mineralization occurs as a sulfide rich breccia matrix and in sulfide veins and veinlets and is best developed between about 218 and 296 metres depth. Hole S18-214 is a 100 metre step out from hole S18-212 and was also drilled at an azimuth of 135 degrees and a dip of -50 degrees. Hole S18-214 intersected the same mineralized sulfide breccia as hole S18-212 and has traced the mineralized zone closer to surface. Hole S18-214 encountered 55.3 metres of overburden prior to hitting highly altered bedrock, and intersected sulfide breccia mineralization from 91 to 120 metres depth with weaker breccia below. Hole S18-214 is still being drilled. The style of mineralization encountered in holes S18-212 and 214 is distinct from the porphyry style mineralization that occurs at the East and West Seel deposits but this style has been intersected at Ootsa previously. Hole S06- 42 encountered this style of mineralization and highlights its potential to host high grades as the hole returned 138 metres grading 0.84% copper and 22.1 g/t silver, including 42 metres grading 1.24% copper, 32 g/t silver, and 0.13 g/t gold (previously released). The proximity of Surge Copper to the currently-shuttered Huckleberry Mine means it is an ideal takeout target for Imperial Metals should Imperial need more mineralization to feed its aging mine, which is estimated to only have about five more years of minelife. However, Surge also has enough potential reserves for a stand-alone operation, which could either interest an investor wanting to partner with it if Surge Copper goes mining, or a major who buys the company outright. All three scenarios are good for Surge investors, who are bound to see a dramatic share price rise if any of these possibilities takes place. And takeouts ARE taking place in northwestern BC, in the Golden Triangle, home to some of the largest and richest mines in Canadian history as well as a bevy of exploration projects that have yet to yield pay dirt. Yesterday Newmont Mining, a U.S. gold major, acquired a 50% interest in the Galore Creek Partnership from NovaGold Resources and Teck for $275 million. Galore Creek is around 150 km northwest of Stewart, BC. A 2011 prefeasibility study outlines 9 billion pounds of copper (measured and indicated), 8 million ounces of gold and 136 million ounces of silver. As part of this week's deal, Newmont will also get 40% of the adjacent Copper Canyon property. NovaGold noted the stake sales will allow the company to focus on its flagship Donlin Gold project in Alaska, which contains an estimated 39 million ounces of measured and indicated gold grading 2.24 grams per tonne. We reported recently that big copper deals are drying up, and that large copper companies best look to exploration companies to obtain new supply. A deficit in the copper market is predicted in two short years, by 2020. That means juniors like Surge Copper are well placed for a buyout. If success at the drill bit continues, their interest in SURG is likely to be piqued. Richard (Rick) Mills aheadoftheherd.com Just read, or participate in if you wish, our free Investors forums. Ahead of the Herd is now on Twitter. Newsletter Archives. Richard (Rick) Mills, AheadoftheHerd.com, lives on a 160-acre farm in northern British Columbia. Richard's articles have been published on over 400 websites, including: WallStreetJournal, USAToday, NationalPost, Lewrockwell, MontrealGazette, VancouverSun, CBSnews, HuffingtonPost, Beforeitsnews, Londonthenews, Wealthwire, CalgaryHerald, Forbes, Dallasnews, SGTreport, Vantagewire, Indiatimes, Ninemsn, Ibtimes, Businessweek, HongKongHerald, Moneytalks, SeekingAlpha, BusinessInsider, Investing.com, MSN.com and the Association of Mining Analysts. Legal Notice / Disclaimer This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified. Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to change without notice. Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within this Report. Richard owns shares of Surge Copper (TSX.V:SURG). Disclosures: 1) Rick Mills: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Surge Copper. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company currently has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: None. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. Additional disclosures/disclaimer above. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. 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More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp TAIPEI, Taiwan - July 30, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Marking the 60th anniversary of the integrated circuit, SEMICON Taiwan 2018 takes aim at the future with the latest technologies and developments in smart manufacturing and smart automotive, Internet of Things (IoT), smart medtech, MEMS and sensors, and other industry growth drivers. Themed the "Future Starts Here," SEMICON Taiwan, 5-7 September, will be held at Taipei's Nangang Exhibition Center, featuring over 1,900 booths, 650 exhibitors, and more than 45,000 attendees from the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. To register for SEMICON Tawian, click here. Today, ICs are at the heart of every electronic device consumers use in their daily lives including PCs, laptops, mobile phones, refrigerators and televisions. To commemorate the IC, SEMICON Taiwan, working with MOST (Ministry of Science & Technology), will feature the "IC 60 years - Master Forum." Taiwan semiconductor industry luminaries including Dr. Morris Chang, founder of TSMC, will highlight the pioneering spirit and tenacious pursuit of smaller, faster, lower-power devices that have given rise to today's ICs and are critical to future advances. According to the SEMI Mid-Year Forecast, Taiwan is in the top three regions for equipment market consumption with expectations for solid growth in 2018 and $12.3 billion in investments in 2019. According to the SEMI Material Market Data Report, Taiwan's semiconductor materials consumption totaled US$10.3 billion in 2017 the highest of any region in the world - as the semiconductor industry expansion continues on the strength of demand for leading-edge technologies and applications including autonomous driving and artificial intelligence (AI) as well as mainstay products such as smartphones and PCs. "As SEMICON Taiwan celebrates its 23nd year, the exhibition area will focus on the five major semiconductor market applications: Smart Manufacturing, Smart Transportation, Smart Data, Smart Medtech and IoT," said Terry Tsao, president of SEMI Taiwan. "Spanning the entire electronics manufacturing ecosystem, this year's SEMICON Taiwan will provide key insights into market trends and trailblazing technologies while offering forums and business-matching activities for collaboration and new opportunities." Theme and Regional Pavilions Focus on Innovation and Opportunities SEMICON Taiwan features 12 theme pavilions, two new pavilions and eight regional pavilions to promote cross-border collaboration. The 22 pavilions include: Smart Manufacturing and Smart Workforce Pavilions Debuting at SEMICON Taiwan, the Smart Manufacturing Journey pavilion will highlight future trends and opportunities in smart semiconductor manufacturing with demonstrations by TSMC, UMC and ASE. Artificial Intelligence (AI), other key enabling technologies and best smart manufacturing practices will be showcased by industry leaders including ABB, Advantech, GPM, nVIDIA, Qualtera, Sony, UPS. To help the semiconductor industry build its talent pipeline, the Smart Workforce Pavilion, in conjunction with SEMI High-Tech U, will offer insights from leading companies on the latest trends in the supply, cultivation and retention of skilled workers. For more information about SEMICON Taiwan 2018, please visit www.semicontaiwan.org or follow us on Facebook. About SEMI SEMI connects over 2,000 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Association Partners, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Since 1970, SEMI has built connections that have helped its members prosper, create new markets, and address common industry challenges together. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley (Milpitas, Calif.), Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.semi.org and follow SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter. Association Contact SEMI Taiwan Amy Lee Email: alee@semi.org Phone: 886.3.560.1777 ext. 207 TechSectorStocks.com - investing ideas in tech stocks - mobile payments, social media, AI and Robotics, Drone Stocks, GPS, Internet of Things (IoT) Like Tech Stocks? View our Tech Stocks Directory Get News Alerts on Tech Stocks More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp EdgeX Foundry continues its momentum with a new release of the software, aptly named California, a land defined by pioneering, openness and a sea of possibilities. Shortly after turning one, the EdgeX project is gaining traction with two releases in 2018, and a growing number of projects and testbeds, including one in concert with the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), Wanxiang Group, and Thingswise (supported by Dell Technologies, Xilinx, China Unicom, and China Academy of Information and Communication Technology). According to Jim White, Vice Chair of the Technical Steering Committee and Distinguished Engineer and Project Lead of the IoT Platform Development Team within Dell Technologies IoT Solutions Division, the California release, which follows Barcelona, shows the commitment and dedication of many who see the importance and potential of developing a flexible, open source, IoT software platform for the edge that provides connectivity and interoperability while still allowing value add. Security is a focal point in the California release. According to a blog post on the EdgeX Foundry site: The first security elements include a reverse proxy that helps protect the REST API communications and a secrets store. With the EdgeX reverse proxy in place as provided by incorporating an open source product called Kong any external client of an EdgeX micro service must first authenticate themselves before successfully calling on an EdgeX API. The secure storage facility was provided by incorporating the open source Vault (Hashicorp) product, and it allows items such as username/password credentials, certificates, secure tokens, etc. to be persisted and protected within EdgeX. These types of secrets will allow EdgeX to, for example, encrypt data, make HTTPS calls to the enterprise, or connect EdgeX to a cloud provider in a secure manner. EdgeX Foundry decided it needed to be smaller and faster to better function effectively at the edge which the largely-Java code from the seed donation was going to make difficult. To do this, we needed to rebuild the EdgeX microservices in Go Lang and do so by our spring 2018 release, White said. This was not a small endeavor and it was made at a time when the EdgeX Foundry developer community was just coming on board. We knew it would take a bit more time, but we were committed to this, and added two more months to this release cycle. With the California release, EdgeX lowered the footprint, startup time, memory and CPU usage, and it is now possible to run all of EdgeX on something like a Raspberry Pi 3. In addition to the initial security capabilities and reducing the size and latency of the platform, this release includes other work some visible to the user while some features are more hidden but improve the overall quality of EdgeX. Several additions were made to the export services to provide additional northbound connectivity, to include connectors for XMPP, ThingsBoard IoT, and Brightics IoT. EdgeX Foundrys next release, named Delhi, will come out in October 2018. Due to the extended release cycle for California, the Delhi release cycle is going to be short. The significant features planned for Delhi include: Initial manageability services and capability Device Service SDKs (Go/C) and at least one example device service The next wave of security features to include access control lists to grant access to appropriate services and improved security service bootstrapping Better/more unit testing and added performance testing Adding the last of the refactored and improved Go Lang microservices Outlining options and a potential implementation plan for alternate or additional database support We would like to thank the talented men and women who are working very hard to turn the vision announced when the EdgeX project launched in April 2017 into the product we see emerge and improve with each release, White said. In the past six months, we have seen the number of unique authors contributing to the project code base double to more than 50. The California release follows EdgeXs first software release, called Barcelona, which came out in October 2017. As an open source project hosted by The Linux Foundation, plans for upcoming releases are shared with the community. Find details about the roadmap, planned upcoming features and updates about the next Technical Steering Committee Face-to-Face on the EdgeX Foundry wiki page. The US has initiated Section 301 investigations against China for six times in April 1991, October 1991, June 1994, April 1996, October 2010 and August 2017, respectively. Except the 2nd and 5th one, the rest four investigations cited the so-called theft of intellectual property as excuses. The first five investigations all ended up with solutions after consultations and negotiations as the US had made clear the specific products and industries it targeted at, its demands as well as the agreements and laws it relied upon. Though the 2nd investigations, slightly different with the other four, targeted at a wider range, it focused on a specific chain of market access, to which a solution was finally found after talks. But in the latest Section 301 investigations, the US raised boundless questions and appeals by shooting fire at all the trade and commercial fields of China. Asking Beijing to reduce US trade deficit with China by $100 billion in a year at first and later on by $200 billion, Washingtons demands are absolutely irresponsible and unreasonable. Legal basis matters in launching such investigations. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) claimed that the investigation, brought under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, sets out three categories of conducts: (i) trade agreement violations; (ii) acts, policies or practices that are unjustifiable (defined as those that are inconsistent with US international legal rights) and that burden or restrict US Commerce; and (iii) acts, policies or practices that are unreasonable or discriminatory and that burden or restrict US Commerce. The third category of conduct is most relevant to this investigation, the office added at the beginning of its report. The legal basis for the first category is bilateral or multilateral agreements and the second category can be defined as those inconsistent with the US laws. But the third category is purely based on the so-called burdens or restrictions the US commerce has received. Launching an investigation because of the third category of conducts sounds reasonable to some extent, but its application should be confined to new circumstances and problems beyond the reach of the international trade agreement and the American laws. Under no circumstance should it become a basis to solve all issues. What the Donald Trump administration did was putting aside all international trade agreements and its own domestic laws and overturning the trade order of China and even the whole world. But Trump doesnt have a new system to replace the international trade agreements and US laws for policy-making. In fact, his administration is doing nothing but using willpower and tactics to solve problems. The US has made the latest investigations so complicated and disturbing because it didnt launch the latest one based on bilateral or multilateral agreements or US laws like it did with the previous five. A comparison of the previous investigation documents and the recent investigation report points to the reasons why the latest Section 301 investigations are so disturbing. Patience is needed to read and analyze the 215-page report. If excluding those unfair and unjustifiable words, the report turns to be a summary of Chinas experience in promoting technological and trade development through fair and legal activities. The so-called abundant evidence to the alleged technology transfer and intellectual property theft turns out to indicate the process of how Chinese government and enterprises learning from developed countries especially the US and how they turned the knowledge into Chinese experience through strict execution. Chinas advantage in competition lies in the diligence of the Chinese people and their thorough implementation of the management experience learned from the US and Japan. The report didnt reveal the fact that Chinese scientific and technical personnel grow faster than their American peers because they spend much longer on work than the latter. It didnt mention the fact that the Chinese people are better than their American peers at practicing the management theories invented by the Americans. Only ways of succeeding and no excuses for failing is what the US follows in business management. However, some business chiefs are still reaching out to the US Congress for subsidies by corporate jets even when their companies are in bankruptcy proceedings. Both facing challenges, China is introspecting on itself, while the US administration is taking the lead in finding excuses and passing the buck. The reports accusations on China are completely illogical. The clause D. Chinas Acts, Policies, and Practices Are Unreasonable in part II. Chinas Unfair Technology Transfer Regime for US Companies in China is one such example, which is nothing but a repetition on the definition of unreasonable under the Section 301. The definition can be interpreted as that China is to be blamed or China has taken unreasonable actions as long as US enterprises are losing the competition. Therefore, the Section 301 investigation report is exactly a government-led act of finding excuses, which proves that the US management theories and philosophies just sound nicer than they actually are. (The author is a guest professor at Minzu University of China.) A replica of Rocket of China, the first steam locomotive assembled in China. 1876, Shanghai. A hurtling locomotive pushed its way through paddy fields, ignoring the apprehension and disapproval of locals. Forcibly built by the British, the Woosung Railway, Chinas first commercial railroad, served as an accomplice to plunder Chinas wealth, which dissipated as clouds of steam faded into the horizon. Neither the rancorous Chinese or the supercilious British could ever dream that within a century, Chinas once humiliation-laden rail industry could become a symbol of its global influence, making an astonishing reversal of the story. 2018, London. A glittering bullet train darts on a 3D screen, drawing public attention. For the last few decades, Chinese tech-behemoths have studied, mastered and improved rail technologies, becoming front-runners in the bid to build High-Speed 2, the U.K.s most significant high-speed railway. I have quoted the examples of Chinas high-speed rail (HSR) in my parliament speech. I am looking forward to China participating in the bidding for the U.K.s high-speed railway project, said Michael Bates, former deputy chairman of the House of Lords in Record China High-Speed Railways, a book compiled by the People Rail Newspaper. He further added that the era of Britain solely leading the global railway industry is no more. According to governmental statistics, as of 2017, China has 127,000 kilometers of railway, making it the second longest network in the world after the U.S., while the total length of Chinas HSR network reached 25,000 kilometers, accounting 66.3 percent of the worlds tracks. Criticizing the U.K.s current indolent development in HSR, Bates noted that China now holds the most advanced HSR technologies, with all of their associated advantages. The history of Chinas railway industry is the nations century-long development in miniature. Starting from scratch, China is now a leading power in railway design and manufacturing, said Zhou Wei, vice director of the China Railway Museum. Rising from the ashes Contractor Certificate of Chengdu-Chongqing Railway Engineering Bureau 1864. Thirty-nine years after the U. K.s first railway, the 27 km Stockton Darlington line began operation, a British merchant built a 600-meter long railroad in Beijing to demonstrate the technology to the Chinese. The novelty spooked both the public and the imperial court, who dismantled the railway later, finding the technology exceedingly strange. The late arrival of rail in China was due both to the lack of industrialization and the publics skeptical attitude towards modern technology. Ever since, foreign countries have built their own railway networks in China despite the countrys objection, marking the start of Chinas humiliating railway history, said Gou, a historian from China Railway Museum. The lack of modern railway technologies meant that China heavily relied on foreign assistance. As of 1949, China possessed 4,069 locomotives, all of which were imported from nine foreign countries. Different technologies and railway standards were adopted in China in the 19th century. Though the Chinese authorities wanted to set a unified railway standard, its weakness and technical disadvantages gave it no say in such matters, Zhou noted. Educated in the United States, Zhan Tianyou was the chief engineer responsible for the construction of the Peking-Kalgan Railway (Beijing to Zhangjiakou), the first railway constructed in China without foreign assistance. The rapid expansion of foreign railroad ownership and operation in China led to public resentment and calls for domestic rail development. In 1905, Chinese authorities decided to construct the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, the first railway to be designed and built indigenously. The decision was mocked by foreign engineers, but Zhan Tianyou, the father of Chinas railroad, completed the work two years ahead of schedule and under budget, proving Chinas capability of building its own railway. Following this successful tryout, Chinese engineers went on to create many historic firsts in railway construction. Building on barely permanent permafrost and anoxic highland, the 1,956-kilometer-long Qinghai-Tibet railway, which is the worlds highest and longest plateau railroad, successfully began service in 2006. The construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway has created a great example of building railroads under complex geographical conditions. No worker died due to altitude sickness during construction, while the local environment has hardly been disrupted, which is an engineering miracle, Zhou added. Chinas train research is also fruitful. When DF, Chinas first domestic-made motor car, was released in 1958, the country accumulated rich experience, as well as absorbing new technologies from foreign tech-giants. China Railway Museum In 2006, China started manufacturing its high-speed EMU from scratch, finishing the nations first high-speed line from Beijing to Tianjin just two years later. Within a decade, Fuxing, the worlds fastest commercially-used bullet train, has cut the journey between Beijing and Shanghai to a mere 4 hours and 28 minutes, with a maximum speed of 350 kmph. Among all the 254 key standards used in Fuxing, 84 percent are Chinese. China is taking lead in core technologies including security monitoring and power supply. Speed is not the only advantage we have, and we are now setting the standard for the global HSR industry, Zhou noted. Looking to the future, Chinas role in the foreign market will be ably supported by its impressive technology, engineers and scientists with high skill levels that are involved throughout the development and delivery process, said Jon Lamonte, CEO of Transport for Greater Manchester in the U.K. Peaceful railway to joint prosperity China is now a leading power in HSR. Serving as one of the most influential industrial products in modern China, HSR has expanded its popularity to foreign countries, promoting the Chinese standard and made in China worldwide. In 2017, a century after Chinas first commercial railway was built by U.K. merchants, a train from Yiwu, China, arrived in London. British media outlets, including The Guardian, said it heralds the dawn of a new commercial era. Chinas thriving HSR industry has brought both opportunities and benefits to itself and its global partners. According to a report released by the UN Economic Commission for Europe in 2017, Chinese exports, including high-tech products and automobile parts, are expected to grow faster during the period of 2015-2019 than they did during 2012-2014, thanks to the stretching China-European railroads. Furthermore, in July, a shipment of 160 Chinese-manufactured wheels for high-speed trains arrived in Germany, marking Chinas first exportation of such products to Germany, a traditional tech-giant in HSR. As for developing and underdeveloped nations, China has provided both railway technologies and training to help the growth of the local economy. In June, 63 railway executives from 13 countries including Thailand and Laos visited a training base for HSR in Wuhan to study HSR technologies, while conductors and workers from Kenya have also been invited to China for training as part of the Chinese-led MombasaNairobi Standard Gauge Railway project. Railway is the artery of a nations economic development. Unlike foreign countries which used railway to exploit China in the 19th century, we are offering the world a win-win solution, as well as promoting the idea of joint prosperity, said Zhou. GRANTS PASS, Ore. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) has announced several evacuation orders and notices for areas threatened by the Taylor Creek Fire west of Merlin and the Klondike Fire west of Selma. Announcements are sometimes preceded by deputies delivering the news door-to-door in the affected areas. Announcements from JCSO generally do not include maps of the affected areas, but NewsWatch 12 will try to provide maps when possible. An interactive map of fires and evacuation zones made by cooperating fire, forestry and law enforcement agencies may be viewed here. Please call 541-474-5305 with specific questions related to evacuations near youNewsWatch 12 will be supplying you with all information that authorities have made available, but law enforcement and fire officials can tell you the evacuation level at your address if there is any ambiguity. The following evacuation zones are now in effect, separated by the major fire regions, new additions will be highlighted: (Updated on 09/5/18 at 4:20 p.m.) Level 3 "GO" - (None) Level 2 "Be Set" - (Curry County) The south side of the Rogue River along the Agness Road #33 at Spud Road and those residents on Spud Road just west of the Illinois River Bridge and east to the Coon Rock Bridge that crosses the Rogue River just above Agness. Down river on the north side of the Rogue River from junction #33 to the #375 road into Old Agness and all residences along the #375 road. All residents along Oak Flat Road #270 will be notified of the Level 2 Closure. Level 1 "Be Ready" - All areas near the Hugo Road Fire are being downgraded to a Level 1 BE READY. Level 1s will remain in effect until the end of the fire season. - Illinois River Road from Milepost 2.5 (edge of National Forest) up to and including the Oak Flat community. - (Curry County) East of the Coon Rock Bridge where the #33 Road meets the #375 Road will remain a Level 1 at this time. The area west of Spud Road off the #33 Road to Wildhorse will remain Level 1 at this time. All areas in Josephine County previously under an evacuation zone due to the Klondike Fire or Taylor Creek Fire that are not listed above will remain at a Level 1 notice until the official close of the 2018 Fire Season. Road Blocks Due to the Taylor Creek wildfire, JCSO says that road blocks have been established to prevent non-essential vehicle traffic from getting in the way of residents trying to evacuate and crews with emergency services traveling to and from the fire line. Those roadblocks are located around the following areas: - Briggs Valley Rd at US Hwy 199 - A roadblock will remain in place on Illinois River Road to restrict traffic to residents and fire personnel. Residents will need to show proof of residency when returning home. - Bear Camp Road will be closed from the Josephine County/Curry County line to Agness, to all traffic except for holders of special use permits (effective 12 a.m. 8/28/18). "Where can I go?" A Red Cross Shelter has been established at the Grants Pass High School Commons, 830 NE 9th St, Grants Pass, OR 97526. An animal evacuation center is open at the Josephine County Fairgrounds Floral Building located at 1451 Fairgrounds Road, Grants Pass, OR. "What do the evacuation levels mean?" A Level 3 "GO" evacuation order means to leave the area immediatelydo not stop to gather belongings. This level means that you are in imminent danger. There may not be time for emergency personnel to respond in time to deliver this notice door-to-door, nor time for them to help save structures, belongings or livestock. You should be packed and ready to leave before this order is issued. A Level 2 "BE SET" evacuation warning means that you must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. According to the Josephine County Sheriff's Office (JoCSO), this level indicates there is significant danger to your area, and residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or with family/friends outside of the affected area, or if choosing to remain, be ready to evacuate at a moments notice. Residents MAY have time to gather necessary items, but doing so is at their own risk. A Level 1 "BE READY" evacuation notice means residents should be aware of the danger that exists in their area, monitor emergency services websites and local media outlets for information. This is the time for preparation and precautionary movement of persons with special needs, mobile property and (under certain circumstances) pets and livestock. If conditions worsen, emergency services personnel WILL MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT TO CONTACT YOU. You may be contacted via an emergency notification system. To sign up for Josephine or Jackson County's Citizen Alert system for emergency notifications, visit the website here. Rogue Valley Fire Information telephone number: 541-474-5305 Chronograph chronology Chronograph chronology Since the acclaimed premiere of the Datograph 16 years ago, the Saxon watch brand has continuously leveraged its expertise in this domain... Since the acclaimed premiere of the... PLEASANT HILL, Ore. -- Power has been restored to nearly 1,300 homes after a car crashed into a power pole, completely destroying it. "It blew through the whole pole. The pole was split in half, laying down," said area resident Nick Guy. "Then they shot through here and it looks like they split the gap between those two trees there, and they finished up in that driveway over there." Around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Pleasant Hill-Goshen Fire Chief Andrew Smith said crews were called out to the scene for that wreck and fire. RELATED: Car wreck causes extensive power outages "Our crews responded quickly and located both the vehicle that hit the power pole, the power pole was down," Chief Smith said. "There was a small grass fire. Fortunately, that grass fire was in short, mowed grass, so it hadn't spread very far." Guy said it was an unbelievable thing to see. "It was kind of crazy. We were all caught up in the excitement, but this was kind of torched," Guy said. "It was just something you see in a movie, with the field kind of lighting on fire a little bit, and then the car piled up. But, luckily, nobody got hurt and the drivers were on scene still. For a bad situation, people made the best out of it." Guy and his roommate are members of power line crews. He works on underground lines, and his roommate is a lineman apprentice. His roommate was able to help keep bystanders safe while fire crews and Emerald People's Utility District worked to get the situation under control. "There was some people that were walking pretty close to the power lines and stuff as they were laying on the ground," Guy said. "A lot of people don't realize that even though they're laying on the ground, it doesn't mean they're still not hot. So, just trying to keep people away from them so nothing happened to them." Fire officials said the driver of that vehicle was sent to the hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries. Power was restored around 4 a.m. on Sunday. Chief Smith said with the extreme fire danger levels that we're seeing right now, make sure you're taking extra precautions to not cause any potential fires. EUGENE, Ore. --Thousands flooded the streets of downtown Eugene on Sunday to bike, walk and play at Sunday Streets. The Eugene Police Department was patrolling the streets by bike, but also could be found at tents teaching the community about safety. Officer Bo Rankin with the Eugene Police Department said events like Sunday Streets are always good for the community. I just like to see more people down here, you know, whenever we have these events, it's a nice balance, Officer Rankin said. You get a really nice balance of people coming down here and it seems to really shift things in a positive way when we get people down here so I like seeing this, and Id like to see more of this." One of the main things the police department was focusing on was bike security and safety. Debbie Janecek, Program Manager for Crime Prevention at the Eugene Police Department, said over thirty bikes were registered throughout the day. She said registering your bike allows the police department to document the serial number on your bike which can help them find it if it's ever stolen. The Police Department was also handing out bait bike decals as a part of the bait bike initiative, which Janeck said has been extremely successful. Its not a Sunday Streets without the Eugene Slug Queens, of course. Stella Slimalotta, the 1995 Slug Queen said this event is a great way to celebrate life. She said the Eugene Police Department does a great job of keeping the community safe. "Ive never felt unsafe here, Slimalotta said. Ive lived in Eugene for 40 some years. I came from Michigan, grew up in Detroit and I have never felt unsafe." Officer Rankin said in the three years he's been at Sunday Streets, theres never been any issues. Additional officers and volunteers were called in to assist with the event. Rankin said extra security measures were put in place leading up to the middle of the summer to make downtown an overall safer place to be. HAMPTON, Iowa A Franklin County man has been charged with 1st degree kidnapping and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. Juan Pavon Garcia, 47 of Hampton, was arrested Sunday around 3 am after Hampton Police were called to the Coonley building on an unrelated matter. Officers were contacted by a man who told them a woman was being held prisoner in her apartment. After getting to the apartment, law enforcement says there was blood all around the door knob and door frame and it sounded like a female was sobbing inside the apartment. Officers tried to force open the door but say it was being pushed closed from the inside. Authorities say they eventually got the door open and that began a struggle in the hallway with Garcia. After Garcia was tased and handcuffed, a woman in the apartment accused Garcia of pinning her to a futon and fondling her breasts. The woman says she repeatedly tried to leave the apartment but Garcia would not let her. The woman says she was able to send a text message to a man, who then contacted police after he was unable to free her himself. The man says he saw Garcia shove the woman back into the apartment and away from the door. Law enforcement also says a methamphetamine pipe fell out of Garcias clothes and was destroyed during the hallway struggle. According to court records, Garcia is being held on $110,000 cash only bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for August 7. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Police say a homeless man came to the rescue of a woman and pulled her from the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Authorities say the man was camped under the Washington Avenue bridge when he heard the woman fall into the swirling currents of the river early Saturday. The man jumped in to save her. She was taken to a hospital for treatment. The Star Tribune says first responders from Minneapolis offered the man shelter for the night, but he declined and returned to his camp. No identities were released. ___ Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com MASON CITY, Iowa A man is facing felony charges after allegedly fighting with officers and being found with a loaded gun in his pocket. Marcus Hughes, 24, of Mason City, is facing charges for assault on persons in certain occupations, interference with official acts firearm, possession of a controlled substance, carrying weapons and forgery. Police say they were investigating a possible domestic disturbance when they located Hughes, who had a valid warrant for his arrest, at 875 4th St. SW. Hughes began fighting with officers and resisting arrest, the criminal complaint states. Hughes had in his possession a loaded black 9 mm handgun. The officers suffered minor injuries, according to court documents. Hughes is also accused of having a fake $100 bill and methamphetamine in his possession. He is being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail. NASHUA, Iowa Nashua Police are warning people about a Facebook profile that is targeting local youth. One person interacted more with the person, who ultimately was solicited for sexual images under threat of public shaming through dirt the person supposedly had on the person. No images were provided and she did the right thing by contacting the police, the police department said on Facebook. Police are urging parents to talk to their children about predators such as these. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi urged Administrative Control Authority officials on Sunday, during the second day of the youth conference, to transform Egypt into a digital country within four years. He said that parties working on the issue would be granted "all support." El-Sisi spoke about the potential of the changes, stating that success could be transformative for Egypt. The president's comments came during the last panel concerning a national project to develop the IT and information infrastructure of the state. This panel witnessed developmental presentations by officials from the Administrative Control Authority. El-Sisi highlighted that improvements in IT and information infrastructure would help the state to reach to lower income citizens. "Procedures carried out by the [administrative control] authority as per [their] presentations helped us to reach 58 families," said the president, adding that without these procedures the families "couldn't reach us for pensions from Takaful and Karama (Solidarity and Dignity)," referring to the state's financial aid programmes. Meanwhile, head of the Administrative Control Authority Mohamed Erfan spoke during the session, to add that the authority has renewed all citizens' information in cooperation with the interior ministry. During his presentation, Erfan highlighted that improved IT and information infrastructure also aims at to reclaim taxes and to control fraud and corruption. According to Erfan, state lands reclaimed over the recent period generated EGP 5.4 billion in fines. The final part of the two-day conference is expected to comprise of a question and answer session, where the president is set to field questions asked in advance through the online "Ask the President" initiative. Search Keywords: Short link: MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) A new health center in Mason City is expected to provide much-needed medical and dental care to low-income residents of the community who currently need to travel to other cities for help. The Community Health Center of Fort Dodge is set to open another location in Mason City in October, the Globe Gazette reported. Start-up costs for the new center total $2.4 million, said center CEO Renae Kruckenberg. Center funds, fundraising and federal, state and private grants have provided the money. The center will charge patients on a sliding fee scale based on income and household size, Kruckenberg said. One of the center's main goals is to help those who've been incarcerated or are facing social challenges, she said. "It's a non-judgmental, open environment," Kruckenberg said. "We're not worried about what kind of past you have, we want to make you feel welcome and that it's a safe place to receive health care." The downtown location will also help with overall access, Kruckenberg said. Other health organizations in Mason City are discussing partnerships with the new center. The Prairie Ridge Treatment Center may move some of its services to the center, said Jay Hansen, executive director of the treatment center. "We see them as another good resource for patients and another partner to collaborate with health care," he said. Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa may also work with the new center. The center will help increase local dental care options, said Debbie Abben, community health manager and community benefit ministry officer at Mercy Medical. "Collaboratively, we'll be working arm-in-arm," she said. "We all serve patients of North Iowa, so if we're not able to access-wise get somebody in, hopefully we're make a referral ... hopefully in our community, and keep them here." CHARLES CITY, Iowa A Rudd man accused of stabbing his wife with a screwdriver is pleading not guilty. Matthew John Stiles, 32, is charged with 1st degree burglary and domestic abuse with intent to inflict a serious injury. Authorities say Stiles violated a no contact order on July 18 and attacked his wife, throwing her to the ground, hitting her in the head, and stabbing her in the back. No trial date has been set. ROCHESTER, Minn. An accused armed robber has pleaded guilty. Dezmon Lee Johnson, 24 of Rochester, was arrested in January for robbing Jeffs Little Store on Highway 52 at gunpoint. Authorities say Johnson robbed the store on January 19 and then crashed his van near the intersection of Countrywood Drive and 45th Avenue SE. Johnson was caught after breaking into a garage. He is pleading guilty to 1st degree aggravated robbery. Johnsons sentencing is scheduled for September 17. DODGE CENTER, Minn.- A project in Dodge County is gathering the attention of some concerned citizens. Saturday, a public informational meeting was held to discuss the Dodge County wind LLC. Put on by the Dodge County Concerned Citizens, organizers tell KIMT they want people to know the project is already proposed and now is the time to speak up. The group wants to inform residents about a proposed wind project. The Concerned Citizens Group said the project would bring 71 wind generators to Dodge County which would impact residents quality of life. Carol Overland is a utility regulatory attorney and said it's important for residents to voice their concern to the state. She adds once a need for the wind farm is determined, it's a matter of where it is installed. People need to take a look at this and see if they want this as their neighbors, said Overland. The State public utilities commission is asking for your comments. Click here, for the link. The deadline for comments is August 10. TULARE, Calif. (Reuters) - Stephen Mancebo, a fourth-generation California dairy farmer with 2,300 cows, has battled ups and downs in his temperamental industry for a quarter-century only to find himself a casualty of a U.S trade war with one of his biggest customers - Mexico. Mancebo, 47, represents one of approximately 1,300 dairy farm families eking out a living in California on the narrow margins of an enterprise that increasingly relies on exports. For Mancebo and other U.S. dairy farmers and processors who turn milk into cheese, butter and other products, the trade war is threatening to snuff out a nascent rebound from three years of slumping prices that have driven nearly 140 California dairies out of business. In retaliation for tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed on imports of steel and aluminum, Mexico in late May announced duties on cheeses, other farm products and metals from the United States. Milk and cheese prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, a key part of the formula that determines what dairy producers are paid, faltered immediately on expectations Mexico's tariffs would translate into U.S. surpluses. The extent of export disruption has yet to be quantified. But sudden downturns in demand are challenging for dairy farmers, whose means of production need to be fed and milked on a daily basis. "Our product is perishable. I can't sit on my milk for a month or two months," Mancebo told Reuters outside his dairy in Tulare, in California's Central Valley. "These cows can't be shut off." After several years of showing little if any profit, Mancebo said he had been looking forward to a turnaround in prices that might have netted his operation $50,000 to $80,000 a month later this year, allowing him to break even for 2018. "Most months I don't make anything, so to take that, it's a considerable loss at this time," said Mancebo, whose support for Trump has been undiminished despite the effect of the trade policies. CALIFORNIA MOST VULNERABLE The United States is Mexico's leading foreign supplier of dairy goods, including nearly $400 million in cheese last year. Dairy operators in California, the nation's top milk-producing state, are especially vulnerable to Mexico's 25 percent cheese tariffs. California dairies, like Mancebo's, export 30 percent of all they produce, compared with 17 percent for U.S. dairies on average, and Mexico is their No. 1 buyer. California accounted for 35 percent of U.S. cheese exports to Mexico alone last year, estimated at 33,600 metric tons (74 million-plus pounds), said economist Annie AcMoody of the trade group Western United Dairymen. But beyond immediate price swings, U.S. dairy exporters worry about losing hard-earned market share to the European Union, which has just reached a free-trade accord with Mexico. In a letter sent to the White House last month, 65 dairy producers, processors and cooperatives from around the country urged Trump to reach an accommodation with Mexico. The $12 billion aid package Trump announced this week to offset damage to farmers from the trade war could potentially replace some short-term income losses, but it will do nothing to rebuild any market share seized by foreign competitors, said Bill Schiek, economist for the Dairy Institute of California. Concerns also are growing that China could retaliate against U.S. tariffs with a fresh set of duties on U.S. dairy. Schiek said anecdotal evidence shows orders are being canceled in anticipation of export demands softening as Mexico's duties add to the cost of made-in-America cheese, and buyers there turn elsewhere for supplies. AcMoody said that even minor fluctuations can undercut American dairy producers because international pricing is so competitive. Mancebo said that even as Trump's policies are hurting him, he backs the measures: "Our trade deficit needed to be addressed."And it was going to be a struggle whenever it happened," he said. "So it's kind of like holding our breath. Problem is, we're holding our breath underwater." LUFKIN, Texas/LONDON (Reuters) - In the pine forests of eastern Texas, oilfield workers equipped with virtual-reality goggles are helping BP's (BP.L) shale business turn a profit for the first time. Thousands of automated wells feed data on their performance into the firm's supercomputers each evening. If they show a need for maintenance, an Uber-style system summons a subcontracted repair firm to keep the shale wells flowing at optimal output and minimal cost. Such technology has helped slash BP's shale oil and natural gas production costs by 34 percent over five years. The shale business turned a profit for the first time in 2017, BP said, although the company declined to disclose the figure. BP's progress in shale underpinned its $10.5 billion acquisition last week of BHP Billiton's (BLT.L) U.S. shale operations. The deal highlighted BP's newfound confidence in a sector that has challenged oil majors, which initially struggled to adjust to the quick pace and fast-evolving methods used to tap shale with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. BP and other majors that had traditionally focused on large, multi-year conventional drilling projects - such as Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.AS) and Chevron (CVX.N) - were left behind when the shale boom took off a decade ago. The British energy giant is now catching up with smaller rivals, using technology and its institutional knowledge from global operations to push shale into a second phase that it hopes will reward its massive scale over the agility of smaller competitors. "We spent the last four years retooling our business and getting ready for this opportunity," David Lawler, who heads BP's shale business, said in a call with analysts after the BHP deal announcement. "We're at the lowest production costs we've seen in many years. We'll take that model, put that to work on these (BHP) assets and dramatically improve production and performance." BP faces other large rivals in the race to grow U.S. shale production and profits, including Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), Chevron, Shell and Norway's Equinor (EQNR.OL). All are expanding drilling and acquisitions, particularly in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, the largest U.S. oil field and the center of the shale revolution. They aim to capitalize on the vast resources unearthed by new drilling technologies, which also allow companies to start and stop production quickly in response to market shifts. That's a key advantage over the long-term commitments of billions of dollars required by offshore oil or liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects. The BHP deal will transform BP into one of the world's biggest shale oil and gas producers. BP's total shale output will increase from 315,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) to more than 500,000 boed. Its reserves will jump 57 percent to 12.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent. BP's output of shale oil - which is worth more than natural gas - is poised to rise from about 10,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) to about 200,000 bpd by the middle of the next decade. The deal, BP's first major acquisition in 20 years, also marked a watershed moment for the company in the United States as it looks to leave behind the $65 billion fallout from the deadly 2010 explosion of its Deepwater Horizon rig in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The BHP deal will also re-establish BP as a major player in the Permian Basin. BP had sold all of its assets there to Apache Corp (APA.N) in August 2010, right after the Gulf disaster. UBER, POKEMON AND OIL Today, BP operates more than 1,000 shale wells that produce mostly natural gas in the Haynesville basin, which straddles eastern Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. It has used the data from its automated wells to create a streamlined system that farms out maintenance to a fleet of lower-cost contractors. The firm now orders up repairs much in the same way a homeowner uses a mobile app to hire a maintenance person or a passenger summons an Uber for a ride. BP puts repair work out for bid to pre-approved contractors, who then compete for jobs. Each contractor is rated after completing the work, and those with high rankings have a better chance of getting hired again. "This means we're not hiring and firing staff all the time depending on market conditions," said Brian Pugh, chief operating office of BP's shale division, which the company created as a stand-alone unit in 2015. BP equips field staff and contractors with augmented reality goggles to make repairs more efficient, modeling its methods in part on "Pokemon Go," a popular video game where virtual images appear to be in real-world surroundings on the player's screen. The field workers are connected through their headsets to BP's Houston offices, where experts can see and show staff how to perform repairs while they work. BP has started to collect many of these fixes in a video library so staff can call up videos, much like YouTube, to fix problems themselves without expert consultation. The company's algorithms crunch data compiled from its wells each evening. Operators wake up each morning to a report telling them which wells may need repair, a task that once took hours each day as workers drove from well to well in search of problems. The systems, BP said, cut downtime for wells needing repairs by 50 percent, boosting production last year by 70 million cubic feet of natural gas across its shale portfolio. The technology provides a panoramic view into the ongoing needs of the oilfield, said Kimberly Krieger, who overseas BP's shale operations in eastern Texas. "It's like looking into a crystal ball," Krieger said. SLASHING COSTS, TURNING PROFITS The firm's success in reducing costs reflects its ability to spend money automating its oil fields and overhaul work processes to drive down service and equipment costs. BP also separated its shale business from the main company to allow the business, now headquartered in Denver, to form its own culture. "We're able to leverage the best parts of our global business to boost our shale operations," Pugh said. "Our smaller shale rivals in the U.S. don't necessarily have that." Other majors are shooting for the same results. Exxon expects its shale operations to produce $5 billion in profit by 2022, compared to a $2 billion loss in 2016. Chevron expects 10 percent of its profit to come from the Permian by 2020 after it lost money there during the oil downturn of 2014 to 2016. Shell forecasts that shale operations will make money for the first time next year and cash flow will hit $1 billion by 2020. "We use our global size to our advantage when we negotiate with suppliers." Greg Guidry, who recently retired as Shell's shale boss, told Reuters in March. "Costs keep coming down." Reporting by Ernest Scheyder and Ron Bousso; Editing by Brian Thevenot WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican senator who had been a holdout threw his support behind U.S. President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Monday, improving chances the judge will win Senate confirmation despite a pitched battle by Democrats to block him. U.S. Senator Rand Paul had expressed concerns over Kavanaugh's positions on privacy issues, but said Kavanaugh had eased them when the two met. "After meeting Judge Kavanaugh and reviewing his record, I have decided to support his nomination," Paul said in a series of Twitter posts explaining his decision. Paul's support could prove critical to the White House's effort to secure the votes needed for Kavanaugh to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Trump's fellow Republicans hold a 51-49 Senate majority, leaving them little margin for error. No Democrats so far have said they would support the nominee. Kavanaugh planned to meet later on Monday with Senator Joe Manchin, who was one of three Democrats to support Trump's first nominee to the high court, Justice Neil Gorsuch. Manchin will be the first Senate Democrat to meet with Kavanaugh, a conservative appeals court judge, since his nomination earlier this month. In his posts on Twitter, Paul said he was confident Kavanaugh would be more open to constitutional Fourth Amendment protections involving digital records and property. Paul said Kavanaugh has a strong record of property rights and "reining in the administrative state," and has issued strong defenses of the First and Second Amendments involving the rights of free speech and to bear arms. "My conversation with Judge Kavanaugh reinforces my belief that he will evaluate cases before the Supreme Court from a textual and originalist point of view," he wrote. El-Sisi stated that Egypt would accept what the Palestinian people accept and that its position is based on UN Security Council resolutions and international law Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi answered Sunday, on the second day of the Sixth National Youth, questions sent by Egyptian youth on the situation in Palestine, Libya and Syria as part of the Presidential initiative, "You ask and the president will answer." In the session, El-Sisi answered several questions about the Middle East peace process and the so-called "Deal of the Century." "The [Deal of the Centry] term only surfaced in the media. Egypt's stance on Palestine has been constant," said El-Sisi. El-Sisi stated that Egypt would accept what the Palestinian people accept and that its position is based on UN Security Council resolutions and international law. "Egypt supports a Palestinian independent state based on the borders of pre-June 1967 with a capital located in East Jerusalem," he said. The Egyptian president also spoke about how Egypt has a clear stance on the situation in Gaza, saying that there are people there, above and beyond Hamas and Fatah. Egypt has declared its support for reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza and has been hosting rounds of talks between the two fighting Palestinian factions. It also has opened recently Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt to allow the movement of passengers and goods for longer times. Rafah is the only crossing that it is not controlled by Israel in besieged Gaza. Concerning the situation of Libya and Syria, El-Sisi said that Egypt does not support the existence of militant militias in neighbour countries and that it supports Libya's national army. The Egyptian president also expressed his wish that Libya would have elections as soon as possible. Concerning Syria, El-Sisi said that Egypt supports the talks between the Syrian government and opposition forces. "We do not interfere in other countries' internal issues, nor do we plot against other countries," he said. The "You ask and the president will answer" initiative received over 700,000 questions with over two million visits since the announcement of the latest round of the initiative that allows citizens to question the president directly. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki inspected armed forces security units in North Sinai governorate on Monday, to follow up on developments in Operation Sinai 2018, a comprehensive counter-terrorism operation underway since February. He passed on greetings to the troops from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, praising their success and victories over terrorism in northern and central Sinai. Zaki also inspected Arish airport in North Sinai, praising soldiers and officers high morale and battle readiness. He also inspected the permanent headquarters of the North Sinai army command. Operation Sinai 2018 was launched on 9 February with the aim of targeting "terrorist and criminal elements and organisations" in northern and central Sinai, as well as parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert, the military said at the start of the operation. Zaki, formerly head of the Republican Guards, was sworn in as Egypt's 25th defence minister in June. On Saturday, El-Sisi approved Zaki's promotion from lieutenant general to general. Search Keywords: Short link: Michael Tilson Thomas / Courtesy of Mast Media American youth orchestra to perform in Seoul By Kwon Mee-yoo Conductor, pianist and composer Michael Tilson Thomas will bring young American musical talents to Korea for a concert at the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Wednesday. Tilson Thomas will lead the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), a youth orchestra program organized by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute founded in 2012. The program invites gifted teen classical musicians from all over the U.S., who are superstars in their own communities, and guide them through the experience of playing as an orchestra. "I can remember when I was a member of an all-star orchestra as a teenager, and what an astonishing experience it was to play with an orchestra that could really play," Tilson Thomas said during an email interview with The Korea Times. "The level was so high that there was no question about technique. We could immediately make the music personal. It's a significant moment in the life of a musician, and, in my case, it was the moment that convinced me to dedicate my life to music. One of my goals with NYO-USA is to guide these young musicians through this pivotal moment." As the collaboration is important, each applicant's technical ability, musicianship, passion, willingness to collaborate, intellectual curiosity, willingness to travel, and social and emotional maturity are taken into account during the audition for NYO-USA. This year, 106 talented musicians have been selected for the NYO-USA and they tour major Asian cities including Seoul, Daejeon, Taipei, Shanghai and Beijing after three weeks of training. The NYO-USA's concert tour provides the orchestra a chance to play American music abroad, while experiencing and communicating with other cultures. French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet accompanies this year's tour. "It's something I believe that people around the world very much want to hear, not just because of how the notes sound, but because it's a way to better understand the American experience," the conductor said. In Seoul, NYO-USA will play familiar classical music, such as George Gershwin's "Piano Concerto in F Major" and Jean Sibelius' "Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43" and a new work commissioned for the orchestra Ted Hearne's "Brass Tracks." "Carnegie Hall commissions a new work each year for NYO-USA, and this year I was asked to pick the composer. I chose Ted because he's one of the brightest American composers today who has experience in the world of pop music, and whose work reflects that. The language of his music is filled with excitement and gestures that come right out of the musical culture of our day. It's something that I think young people relate to and enjoy playing," he said. Tilson Thomas also strives to expand the boundaries of classical concert experiences, which is often considered difficult and high art for few connoisseurs. "A common misconception just as common within the classical music world as it is outside of it is that the music itself is why a larger audience does not come to classical concerts... I think that most people who hesitate to buy a ticket are, deep down, reacting less to the music itself, and more to the unfamiliar and, for some, intimidating experience of a traditional concert. While I happen to love the concert hall environment, many people don't know how wonderful it can be, and to reach them we have to try different strategies," the conductor said. "In addition to preserving the classics and the traditional way of presenting them, we also have to be creators and innovators who offer a new kind of experience more directly in tune with our modern world. It doesn't have to be one or the other." Tilson Thomas, known for his efforts in music education as well as for his conductorship, believes that education is an investment in the future of the art in the big picture. "Carnegie Hall's NYO programs help to ensure the artistic excellence of the next generation of musicians. That was also my mission when co-founding the New World Symphony in Miami, which is partnering with Carnegie Hall this year for its NYO2 program for younger musicians," he said. "It is inspiring to work with young musicians, to share their enthusiasm, and to see things in a new light through them. Musical relationships between musicians of different generations and experience are good for the future, and it makes for a healthy music community." Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Choi Jong-ku shakes hands with an employee of Woori Bank's YMCA branch in Seoul, Monday, during his visit to attend the opening ceremony of the branch's in-house shelter for the vulnerable amid a record-breaking heat wave. / Courtesy of FSC By Laurie Chen Beijing will soon launch a multilingual emergency services hotline so expats will be able to speak to an English-language operator, the local health authorities announced on Monday. Beijing will soon launch a multilingual emergency services hotline so expats will be able to speak to an English-language operator, the local health authorities announced on Monday. Foreigners in need of emergency medical help, fire services or the police will be immediately transferred to a third-party English-language operator if they do not speak Chinese, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning. It represents an attempt to internationalise the city's health services to cater towards its estimated 140,000 expats. The commission added that hospital signs will be made multilingual, and medical services such as consultations and doctor registrations will be offered in English. To run the hotline, the commission has said it will train "high-level foreign language talent" through local institutions such as the Beijing Language and Culture University, and may add further languages including Japanese and French. Beijing has been cracking down since April on signs that use incorrect English or "Chinglish", with the help of volunteer spotters, the state-backed Xinhua news agency reported. The services are part of a drive to make the city more accessible to foreigners ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. In December, the Chinese government introduced national guidelines for the use of English on public signs, including standardised translations for 3,500 commonly used phrases for public information. eBay Korea CEO Byun Kwang-yun, left, and SK Planet CEO Lee Inn-chan By Park Jae-hyuk EBay Korea, which runs Gmarket and Auction, has filed a lawsuit against SK Planet for the 11st operator's alleged practice of unfair competition, according to the two e-commerce companies Monday. Legal disputes among e-commerce firms here are unusual, industry officials said, adding eBay's recent move is an attempt to dominate the nation's e-commerce market which has pursued peaceful coexistence among a small number of big companies eBay Korea, SK Planet and Interpark. EBay Korea has been claiming 11st's new service that it started earlier this year is the same as eBay Korea's, which was introduced in May 2017. Saying SK Planet has infringed on its intellectual property, the Korean unit of the U.S. e-commerce giant has urged the Seoul Central District Court to order the Korean firm to stop providing the service. EBay Korea also wants 100 million won ($89,600) in compensation from SK Planet. "We cannot explain this issue in detail for now, but it is true that litigation is underway," an eBay Korea spokeswoman said. "We discovered several similarities between SK Planet's new service and ours." SK Planet has reportedly refuted eBay Korea's claim, saying it just improved its previous service. "Because litigation is still underway, we cannot make further comments on this issue," an SK Planet spokeswoman said. "We are taking a wait-and-see attitude to this case." EBay Korea started its new service in May last year to show a fixed price for a single item. Before then, sellers in online marketplaces were criticized for misleading ads and prices. For instance, a consumer who accesses a webpage for jeans priced at 30,000 won had to pay additional costs to buy them in different colors or designs. SK Planet has also begun demanding sellers in its 11st e-commerce platform minimize options for a single item starting this year. The company cited the Fair Trade Commission's (FTC) strict regulation under the previous administration as the reason for the measure, according to industry officials. In March 2016, the FTC fined eBay Korea and SK Planet for unfair practices which may have significant impact on consumer purchases. The government has since urged the e-commerce companies to improve their services for consumers. SK Planet reportedly argued that eBay Korea was just a bit quicker in complying with the government's request. SK Planet posted 991.5 billion won in sales and suffered 249.6 billion won in operating losses. EBay Korea posted 951.8 billion won in sales and 62.3 billion won in operating profit. Egypt's interior ministry has approved 21 Egyptian nationals requests to acquire alternative nationalities and relinquish their Egyptian citizenship. The decision was published in Egypt's official gazette on Monday, and came upon request of the citizens in accordance with Law 26 of 1975, which concerns Egyptian nationality. Among the 21 were Egyptians acquiring citizenship in Germany, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Austria. The decision didnt specify the new nationalities of the other 14 people. Article 10 of the nationality law stipulates an Egyptian may not acquire a foreign nationality except after obtaining permission issued by decree of the minister of interior; otherwise he shall continue to be regarded in all cases as Egyptian. According to the law, an Egyptian who acquires a foreign nationality should forfeit his Egyptian nationality. However, he may be allowed permission to acquire foreign nationality while retaining Egyptian citizenship for himself, his wife and his minor children. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church has announced that the funeral of a bishop who was found dead inside a monastery will be held on Tuesday. A post on the churchs official Facebook page said the funeral for Bishop Epiphanius, the head of Anba Makar Monastery in Beheira governorate, will take place at the monastery at noon. The church said the bishop passed away on Sunday in "shadowy circumstances", adding that official investigations by formal parties have commenced and questioning is now underway regarding this matter. "We await what the results of these investigation will reveal," the church said in the statement. Bishop Epiphanius, 64, headed the monastery, located in Wadi El-Natroun, about 90km north-west of Cairo. The monastery was founded in approximately 360 AD by Saint Macarius, who was the spiritual father to more than four thousand monks of different nationalities. The monastery has been continuously inhabited since the fourth century. No official statements from Egyptian investigation authorities have yet been issued regarding the bishops death. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced a number of initiatives on Monday aimed at empowering Egyptians with disabilities, and highlighting the states efforts to integrating them into society. In a speech during the seventh annual Cairo Information Technology Convergence and Services for People with Disabilities conference, El-Sisi announced the establishment of the National Academy for Information and Communication Technology for People with Special Needs. He said the academy would operate to the highest standards to train those with special needs to help them secure job opportunities. El-Sisi also announced the establishment of a technological institute for people with disabilities, which he said would be the first of its kind in Africa. The centre will make use of technologies to assist those with hearing and communication disabilities, El-Sisi said, adding that he hoped the centre would become a regional hub. We aspire to be a society whose sons are all equal in rights and duties, and there is no mean to accomplish this except through using technology as a pathway to help us reach a realistic applicable model, he said. He also announced an initiative which would provide easy access to government online portals. The conference saw video presentations highlighting the achievements of several young people with disabilities as well as calls by some attendees for more rights for those with disabilities. Several young people were then honoured by the president. Today is the happiest day of my life...as I stand with my sons with disabilities, El-Sisi said in a speech following the presentations, adding that the achievements made by some of the speakers had given him a positive push. He said that state efforts to support people with special needs come under the plan whereby Egypt seeks to build the Egyptian person, and added that the state is working on integrating people with special needs into its national strategy on sustainable development. He said Egypt will exert more efforts to meet the demands of people with special needs, including the implementation of a plan to ensure 5 percent of job vacancies are allocated to those with disabilities. According to Article 81 from Egypts 2014 constitution, the state must provide work opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and allocate a percentage of these opportunities to them, in addition to adequate equipping public utilities and the surrounding environment. I thank you for the messages of hope you delivered to us through your abilities to overcome hardships and turn them into points of strength, El-Sisi concluded. Monday marked the first time the president had participated in the conference. The president designated 2018 as the Year of People with Disabilities. Search Keywords: Short link: UK trade envoy Sir Jeffrey Donaldson arrived in Cairo on Monday accompanied by a British delegation to take part in Egypt's MENA Innovation 2018 Conference, the British embassy in Cairo announced. According to the British embassys statement, the UK delegation is the biggest foreign delegation participating in the conference, which focuses on education technology and is being hosted by Egypt for the first time. The delegation is also participating in the official ministerial summit for ICT innovation in education and digital inclusion, which is also being hosted for the first time in Egypt. The summit is being organised by British company Brains Innovation Summits in collaboration with the Egyptian ministries for education an technical education, communication and information technology, and higher education and research. According to the statement, 22 government ministers from across the Midle East and North African and sub-Saharan Africa are participating in the summit, as well representatives of ministries responsible for education, high education and information and communication technology from at least 30 countries. A total of 54 exhibitors are featured at the summit, including 14 British companies. The statement also highlighted the British companies that are currently working in the field in Egypt, including Kortext and Encyclopedia Britannica, who support the Egyptian Knowledge Bank, a project aimed at making education available to all Egyptian students through an online portal. Donaldson will meet with Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and a number of cabinet ministers. "This visit will focus on specific proposals in education, as well as in healthcare and infrastructure to support Egypt's development," Donaldson was quoted as saying in the statement. He will also be a keynote speaker at the innovation conference. "Britain leads the world in using technology to transform education and so we are working closely with Egypt to make sure Egyptians can benefit from exciting new ways to access education and take control of their learning," John Casson, Britains ambassador to Egypt, is quoted as saying in the statement. Search Keywords: Short link: Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe The term "summer melt" has nothing to do with global warming -- it's when incoming freshmen who have committed to a college or university don't show up in the fall. At Cal State Northridge, the summer melt rate is 23 percent. In actual numbers, that means CSUN lost 1,523 students to the phenomenon last year. To help fix the problem, administrators are turning to the less-than-human. Enter CSUNny the Chatbot (pronounced "Sunny"). The university said it's the first in the 23-campus system to use a chatbot that is programmed to guide, nag and hold (metaphoric) hands with students on their way to that first day of class. And students appear to trust it/him/her. "[Students] are more willing to ask the bot questions than they are to ask humans," said Elizabeth Adams, associate vice president, undergraduate studies at CSUN. "They know that the bot isn't going to judge them for not knowing things and they don't like making phone calls." CSU Northridge hopes to cut summer melt of incoming students with CSUNNY the chatbot. (Photo courtesy of AdmitHub) CSUNny is programmed to ask and answer about 2,000 questions on topics ranging from financial aid deadlines to the best student parking to trivia about the 60 year-old campus. "It'll joke around with them. It has a bit of a personality," Adams said. "And we're hoping that it helps students feel more like CSUN is a place that cares about them." For now, the incoming class is having fun with CSUNny. About 98 percent of them, Adams said, chose to get texts from the bot, and between 30-60 percent of those students reply to CSUNny's texts. The bot texts once a week, and, yes, real humans are poised to step in when more sophisticated thinking is needed on issues like taking out a loan, dropping out, depression, and suicide. "We're mandatory reporters, so that gets escalated to the proper people, either the student's counselor or, at worst, the police, immediately," said Andrew Magliozzi, CEO of AdmitHub, the company that created the bot. AdmitHub modeled CSUNny after a so-called virtual assistant or mascot bot that is credited with helping cut the summer melt rate at Georgia State University by 22 percent. News happens every day. Here at LAist, our goal is to cover the stories that matter to you and the community you live in. Now that we're part of KPCC, those stories (including this one you're on right now!) are made possible by generous people like you. Independent, local journalism isn't cheap, but with your support we can keep delivering it. Donate now. Happy birthday to Emily Bronte, born July 30, 1818. Despite a short bibliography she wrote only one novel, Wuthering Heights shes still considered one of the towering figures of 19th-century British literature. Bronte was born on July 30, 1818, in Thornton, West Yorkshire, England. After a brief career as a teacher, in 1947 Bronte published what would be her only novel, Wuthering Heights. The story of a doomed romance between Heathcliff, a complicated and tortured foundling, and his beloved Catherine, who spurns him for a man of higher class, has endured through the years as a powerful reflection on jealousy, love and class. The novel has been adapted for film and television several times. The first film adaptation, directed by A.V. Bramble and released in 1920, has been lost to history. The most recent film version, directed by Andrea Arnold, came out in 2011. Advertisement The book also inspired an iconic song. Kate Bushs Wuthering Heights, written when she was just 18, hit the top of the charts when it was released in 1978, told from the point of view of Catherine. Bronte had five siblings, two of who also became celebrated authors Anne, author of Agnes Grey, and Charlotte, who wrote Jane Eyre. Her brother, Branwell Bronte, was an artist who died at 31 from tuberculosis worsened by his addiction to alcohol and laudanum. Two sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died of tuberculosis at the ages of 11 and 10, respectively. The adult Bronte sisters published a collection of poetry together in 1846 under the pen names Ellis, Acton and Currer Bell. Emily Bronte's most famous poem, No Coward Soul Is Mine, is still widely read today. The poem ends with this stanza: There is not room for Death Nor atom that his might could render void Since thou art Being and Breath And what thou art may never be destroyed. Rachelle Lewis, 66, spends about 60 hours a week caring at home for her 40-year-old daughter, who suffers from schizophrenia and a learning disability. For this Lewis receives $11.18 an hour via Californias Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. From that she pays a dollar a month for a union-sponsored healthcare plan. Now shes worried that this benefit, along with others she receives via the union, might disappear. Thats because Medicaid authorities have launched a new attack on unions serving home healthcare workers like herself, aimed transparently at depriving their unions of financial resources. If this goes through, that means Ill have to find insurance elsewhere, and I cant afford any other type of health insurance, she told me. Why is it that theyre only penalizing home healthcare workers? Thats a good question, and the answer appears to be: Because they think they can. Advertisement Home care workers have fought really hard to be even recognized as workers. April Verrett, SEIU Fresh from victory in a Supreme Court case aimed at undermining public employee unions, the Trump administration has opened a new front in its war against those unions and their members this time targeting some of the most vulnerable and low-paid Medicaid beneficiaries. Home healthcare workers earn an average of about $11 an hour, barely higher than minimum wage, paid mostly through Medicaid. Theyre engaged in backbreaking work with few benefits and unpredictable hours. Years ago, most such workers were family members like Rachelle Lewis caring for close relatives. But with the aging of the U.S. population, today the vast majority of these workers are employees on contract with public or private agencies. Homecare is an occupationand one that is expanding rapidly, a group of home healthcare experts told the Supreme Court in a friend-of-the-court brief last year. About 2.5 million people are engaged in the field now, they said, and its likely to double over the next decade. Union organizing of these workers, which began in the 1960s, has brought them higher pay and benefits, better training and improved working conditions, while preserving labor peace. So its unsurprising that the administration would have its knives out for those unions. The workers themselves? Theyre just collateral damage. The administrations weapon is a proposed change in Medicaid regulations, issued formally on July 12. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wants to eliminate the authority of state agencies to deduct union dues, as well as health insurance premiums, from the Medicaid reimbursements the care providers receive via the states. They were specifically legalized by a 2014 federal regulation, even though many states had been making the deductions before then. CMS, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, proposes to repeal the 2014 regulation. These deductions typically are made at the care providers request, and cover their own benefits. Home care workers have fought really hard to be even recognized as workers, says April Verrett, executive vice president of local 2015 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents some 400,000 California home healthcare workers predominately women of color. And now that we are beginning to build power, the powers that be are trying to whittle away at their rights. Make no mistake: This is nothing but another step in a 40-year attack on public employee unions and their members. The attack finally bore fruit on June 27 when the Supreme Court outlawed agency fees, through which nonmembers typically paid for services they received from unions, such as contract negotiations and oversight of working conditions. The effect of that decision will be to allow, even encourage, public workers to quit their unions, since that will allow them to stop paying union dues and relieve them from the cost of nonmember fees, too. The underlying goal of the right-wing backers of the lawsuit that produced the decision is to deprive unions of the resources they need for organizing and negotiating. The CMS rule has precisely the same goal. One of the giveaways is the unseemly haste with which its trying to bull the regulation through. Rule changes of this nature typically are subject to a 60-day comment period; CMS is allowing only 30 days for this one. (The comment period ends on Aug. 13.) That truncated schedule drew an objection from California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, who observed in a July 23 letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar that his agency issued its proposal without any data that justifies the need for this rule in the first place or its impacts on home health care workers, beneficiaries, or states. Becerra urged Azar to withdraw the proposed rule or extend the comment period for the full 60 days. Massachusetts Atty. Gen. Maura Healey filed a similar letter. As Becerra notes, HHS conducted no economic analysis before issuing its rule. The agency did, however, offer a back-of-the-envelope estimate that as much as $71 million in annual union dues might be at stake. Nothing in the proposed rule change would prevent workers from continuing to pay union dues or healthcare fees out of their own pockets, but of course the point of allowing direct deductions at the paycheck level is to make matters easier for the states, the benefit providers and the employees, and to ensure that no one inadvertently falls behind. Cynically, HHS says in its rule making document that it lacks information to reliably estimate the proportion of homecare providers likely to stop making [union] payments versus those likely to continue making payments through alternative means. In California, SEIU dues for home health workers come to a maximum of $45 a month. In addition to the $1-a-month basic health insurance, dues-paying members can sign up for a dental plan for up to about $36 a month and vision coverage for about $6 a month. If the government takes its responsibility to consider public comments seriously, it will run screaming from this rule change. HHS has logged 1,767 comments on the rule so far; of those, all but about a dozen are in opposition. Most of those are form letters, but even so they swamp the comments in support. For its proposed regulation, the agency ginned up a transparent rationale without bothering to support it with any legal research. It says its concerned that the 2014 rule is overbroad that is, that states may be making deductions that dont conform to the Medicaid law. But it offers nothing but conjecture for that suspicion. There are no signs that home healthcare workers are clamoring for relief or claiming that theyve been shortchanged. Indeed, the deductions typically are made at their request. Indeed, Medicaids rules governing deductions originally were designed to keep collection agencies from trying to garnishee individuals reimbursements, not to prevent the workers from having deductions made for their own benefits. The governments hiding behind legalisms shouldnt obscure what its really up to: layering new difficulties for now discernible reason on people who can barely afford what theyre shouldering now, and make sure they cant make the sort of gains that come from collective action. All were asking for is dignity, Lewis told me. We have had to fight for every little inch we get. Weve had to lobby, and give up our time. They didnt give it to us because they wanted us to have it. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. Leslie Moonves future as chairman and chief executive of CBS Corp. took a precarious turn Monday after the companys board of directors took the extraordinary step of launching an independent investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed several women more than a decade ago. The board stopped short of suspending Moonves while the review is ongoing, a move that could pave the way for an eventual settlement with the longtime executive. However, the decision to keep him at the helm was immediately assailed by legal experts. Even without stepping aside, the ongoing investigation will cast a long shadow over Moonves reign and add to the turmoil already gripping the company. In a terse statement, CBS board said it was in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation. No other action was taken on this matter at todays board meeting. Advertisement The 14-member panel also postponed CBS annual meeting with shareholders, which had been set for Aug. 10, marking the second time in three months the event was delayed. The first time was in May when a legal fight broke out between the majority of board members and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, who has become critical of management and pressed for a merger with Viacom Inc., which her family also controls. And now there are concerns about the conduct of CBS leader following an explosive report published Friday in the New Yorker magazine. Six women accused Moonves of forcibly kissing them. Some of the women said they believe their careers were hampered when they spurned Moonves advances, according to the article. The incidents were alleged to have occurred in the 1980s, 90s and 2006. CBS has a significant problem with its CEO, said Debbie Katz, a Washington attorney who specializes in sexual harassment. Its crucial that CBS send a strong signal that it is going to conduct a full and thorough investigation and that cant happen while he is serving as the CEO. CBS board was in a bind. Directors have long respected Moonves for turning CBS into a TV juggernaut, but they cannot give short shrift to investigating serious claims against him, particularly in a climate that encourages women to report abuse. Boards are under heavy pressure to act swiftly to deal with allegations of misconduct while also providing due process to the accused. This [decision] shows shortsighted cowardice on the part of the board, said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at Yale School of Management. They might have thought they were showing backbone by circling the wagons, but they are being blinded by their own personal loyalties. [Moonves] is supposed to stand for the character of the firm and he has lost his legitimacy to lead. A majority of CBS board members have served for many years, and the board currently is fractured. Eleven members have been supporting management, but Redstone and her two allies are opposed. Redstone, through a spokesperson, declined to comment Monday. Columbia Law School professor John C. Coffee said CBS board might have muddied the outcome of the investigation because it did not ask Moonves to go on leave. If the investigation ultimately fails to substantiate the issues raised in the New Yorker story, critics probably will speculate that the conclusion was predetermined, he said. Whats more, some people might be afraid to step forward to talk to investigators if they are concerned that their allegations will not get a fair hearing. You have to have a scrupulous investigation, Coffee said. Whats under attack here is not just Moonves, but the entire culture at CBS. The New Yorker article also raised questions about the leadership of 60 Minutes and whether the company tolerated inappropriate behavior by top executives. We do not know the magnitude of the harassment or whether most [incidents] happened decades ago, Katz said. There might be other people out there who have yet to come forward and maybe their experiences are more recent. The drama adds to the volatility of CBS stock, which is down 12% this year. Shares fell 5%, or $2.73, to $51.28 on Monday. The board made its announcement minutes before trading ended, prompting the stock to rally a bit. Wall Street has long considered Moonves key to the companys success. The market value of CBS is tied closely to its management, Todd Juenger, media analyst with Bernstein Research, wrote in a report earlier Monday. What would be the value of CBS, without the current management? If CBS loses its CEO, it increases the probability CBS gets sold. The board already had been scheduled to meet via telephone conference call Monday for a briefing on the companys earnings, which are to be released this week. For Moonves, the allegations could bring an inglorious end to otherwise spectacular career, which saw the former actor become the most powerful man in television. Over the years, he has helped develop such hits as Survivor, Friends, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The Big Bang Theory. CBS has been Americas most-watched network for 10 years. Moonves is one of the highest-paid executives in corporate America, earning a $69.3-million compensation package in 2017, according to a regulatory filing. One question is how much money CBS would have to pay Moonves if he leaves before his contract expires June 30, 2021. Under his contract, which was extended last year, Moonves is eligible for a golden parachute should he leave before that date. However, the amount depends on the circumstances of his departure. On Monday, Bloomberg News estimated that Moonves could lose as much as $300 million in forfeited wages, bonuses and other awards if he is terminated for cause, such as a finding that he violated the companys sexual harassment policies. It is unclear whether the allegations contained in the New Yorker report rise to the level of cause for termination, but if so, CBS would owe him a much smaller severance. There is also the potential for the board to hammer out a settlement with Moonves. CBS has said there have been no reports of sexual harassment during Moonves long tenure. Over the weekend, several prominent female executives at CBS voiced their support for the embattled chief, noting that he has had a strong record of promoting women into high level jobs. Moonves on Friday offered his own statement: I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances, he said. Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected and abided by the principle that no means no, and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyones career. Bucknell University in Pennsylvania quickly scrubbed its website to remove references to its most famous alumnus, Moonves, who graduated in 1971. In light of the allegations against Mr. Moonves, we removed certain pages from our website that celebrate his relationship with the university, and we are evaluating any additional actions that may be appropriate, said a university spokesman. In Los Angeles, the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism did not respond to questions about whether its cutting-edge student newsroom would still be called the Julie Chen/Leslie Moonves and CBS Media Center. Moonves and his wife of more than a decade, Chen, who hosts a popular CBS daytime talk show, made a donation to help USC build the center in 2015. Staff Writer Ryan Faughnder contributed to this report. meg.james@latimes.com @MegJamesLAT UPDATES: 6:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from analysts. This article was originally published at 12:55 p.m. After a weekend of behind-the-scenes discussions, CBS board members on Monday are expected to decide how to respond to allegations that Chief Executive Leslie Moonves sexually harassed women decades ago, according to several people familiar with the matter. The 14-member board already was planning to meet in a previously scheduled telephone conference call. But now, the group must decide how best to investigate explosive allegations that were contained in a story published by the New Yorker on Friday. Six women accused Moonves of forcibly kissing them, and some of the women believe that their careers were hampered when they spurned Moonves advances, according to the article. The fate of Moonves, one of Hollywoods highest-profile media figures, hangs in the balance. The Wall Street Journal late Sunday reported the board would discuss whether the longtime chief executive should take a leave of absence during the investigation. However, that outcome, while possible, has not been formally broached, said people close to the board who were not authorized to comment on the deliberations. Advertisement Board members on Saturday and Sunday discussed among themselves how best to achieve a full and fair investigation of the allegations, one person familiar with the matter said late Sunday. CBS Vice Chair Shari Redstone and her allies will probably demand strong action during Mondays board meeting, sources said. All the board members are expected to support an in-depth investigation into the allegations. Already, independent members of the board said they would hire an outside law firm to investigate the Moonves allegations and whether the culture at CBS tolerates abusive behavior by high-ranking executives. The crisis comes at a time when CBS board already is fractured over an ongoing battle with Redstone, who has been pressing to reunite CBS with Viacom Inc., which her family also controls. Moonves has long enjoyed the support of the majority of the board, and independent board members on Friday pledged their continued support. But that was before the article detailing the accusations of six women was published. Since November, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, rumors have been rampant that journalists at various news outlets including Ronan Farrow, the author of the New Yorker report were looking into allegations about Moonves behavior. After learning of the reporting efforts, Redstone urged the board to get to the bottom of the allegations, according to one person familiar with the situation. After years of a collaborative relationship, Redstone late last year began agitating for changes at CBS. She believes Moonves and other members of senior management have become too staid at a time of upheaval in the media industry, sources say. For several months, Redstone has been vocal as she has questioned the boards commitment to changing the culture at CBS. But Redstone has only two strong allies on the board, attorneys David Andelman of Boston and Robert Klieger of Los Angeles. In May, CBS sued to dilute the Redstone familys voting stake in the New York company, when Redstone was pushing for a merger with Viacom. Redstone countersued, and a trial in October is expected to decide who will control CBS. meg.james@latimes.com @MegJamesLAT Troy Carter, the executive in charge of Spotify Technology S.A.s artist relations, will leave the company, injecting uncertainty into the streaming services uneasy relationship with the record industry. By all measures, Troy has made a tremendous impact at Spotify, co-founder and Chief Executive Daniel Ek said Monday in a statement. When he joined our team, there was skepticism from the artist community on streaming overall. Troy has been instrumental in changing that perception. Music executives have speculated about Carters departure for months, especially after the company instituted a controversial policy over his objections. He protested a short-lived rule that penalized musicians who were accused of domestic violence and talked openly with colleagues in the music industry about leaving. The company appointed an executive over him as chief content officer in late June. Hell remain an advisor through years end. Advertisement Im very proud of what weve achieved but with so much accomplished, it was the right time to move out of the day to day into an advisory role, said Carter, whose title was global head of creator services. Carters departure creates a vacuum just as the company is about to enter a new round of negotiations with the three major record labels. Spotify has sought to reduce the rate it pays to labels so that it can become profitable. Carter, 45, joined Spotify a couple of years ago to help repair the companys often-fraught relationship with artists, who have assailed the streaming service for generating billions in revenue and paying artists in pennies. A former manager to pop stars Lady Gaga and John Legend, Carter built a team to work more closely with different acts. Spotify has transformed the music industry with its paid service, which offers more than 35 million songs, customized playlists and podcasts for a monthly fee. Music industry sales have climbed three years in a row after almost two decades of decline. The stock has climbed since the company went public in April, and Spotifys market capitalization now exceeds $30 billion. Carters departure was announced on a day when internet stocks such as Facebook Inc. and Netflix Inc. were already under pressure. Spotify, based in Stockholm, fell as much as 5.9% to $175.31 in New York. A bishop who was found dead at the monastery he headed in northern Egypt was not killed as an act of terrorism, a monk at the monastery has said. Bishop Epiphanius was found dead on Sunday, in what the Coptic Orthodox Church described as strange circumstances. Father Shenouda, a monk at Anba Makar monastery in Wadi El-Natroun, told Coptic television channel CTV on Monday that they had "ruled out" the possibility that the incident was an act of terrorism. The church announced on Sunday that the authorities would carry out an official investigation. "All scenarios are possible; as soon as the authorities learned about the incident around 60 officials came to the monastery and around 12 slept over inside the monastery," Shenouda said. Father Shenouda said that the late bishop would usually attend midnight prayers before mass, but that someone must have waited for him from a distance of 20 metres away, and then hit him on the head. He said that Epiphanius had died as soon as he was hit. "We dont know who the perpetrator is but we are all praying for him," he added. According to the monk, there isnt a full system of camera surveillance inside the monastery, but there are some CCTV cameras located in different areas. "We are living very hard days in the monastery. This kind of incident has never happened in the history of the church...for a bishop to die in such a harsh way," said the monk. He added that the bishops body is currently in Damanhour, the capital of Beheira governorate, where the monastery is located, and will be returned to the monastery on Tuesday. "We live here in peace, simplicity and silence and we have never witnessed such an incident in our Coptic church. Our beloved father is loved by everyone and we will truly miss him," he added. No official statements have yet been issued by the Egyptian authorities on the bishops death. Anba Makar monastery is located about 90km northwest of Cairo. It was founded in approximately 360 AD by Saint Macarius (Anba Makar), and has been continuously inhabited since the fourth century. From 1969 to his death in 2006 the monastery was headed by Father Matta El-Maskeen, a renowned monk and theologian who was known for his liberal teachings. The monastery remains associated with his followers. Search Keywords: Short link: Elsie Fisher is just trying to enjoy her lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., but her waiter wont stop telling jokes. And theyre really bad jokes. Painful, in fact. Every time he stops by the table roughly every seven minutes or so he offers up another: Hey, you guys know why seagulls like to go to the sea? Because if they go to the bay bagels. Hey, you know why ants dont get sick? Because they have little antibodies. You know what Forrest Gumps password to his email is? 1Forrest1. Advertisement At other tables, this shtick is met with grimaces and uncomfortable silence. But not Elsies. With every pun, the 15-year-old smiles and gives a generous chuckle. Sure, the server is awkward. But nobody knows awkward like Elsie Fisher. As the star of Eighth Grade, writer-director Bo Burnhams critically acclaimed teen dramedy that has emerged as a breakout hit on the art-house circuit, the actress serves as the embodiment of embarrassing, often heartbreaking discomfort. She plays Kayla, a 13-year-old who desperately wants to be popular but is so overcome with social anxiety that she only feels comfortable expressing herself in confessional YouTube videos. Elsies performance is raw: Kayla wears no makeup to cover her acne, often trips over her words and has to escape into the bathroom to quell her panic attacks. Elsie stars as Kayla, an awkward teenager who struggles to fit in and turns to YouTube to express herself in Eighth Grade, (Linda Kallerus / A24) Reviewers have been uniformly taken with her turn in the film, which premiered at this years Sundance Film Festival and will go into wide release on Friday. The film has grossed $6.6 million since it opened last month. Writing in The Times, Justin Chang called Elsies performance funny, watchful and utterly persuasive, noting she gives precise form and delicate feeling to emotions and experiences that, despite the specificity of the circumstances, most everyone will recognize. In the New York Times, Manohla Dargis said she was visceral and unforced, a convincing teen who looks and moves like an actual underage human being. Of course, some of that is partially due to the fact that Elsie wasnt that far removed from her own eighth-grade experience. She had just graduated from middle school in Thousand Oaks a few weeks before Eighth Grade began filming in New York last summer. Like Kayla, she found the school year difficult. She went on the eighth-grade trip to D.C. and had an absolutely miserable time, recalled her father, Chris Fisher, a server at Flemings Prime Steakhouse and California Pizza Kitchen. She loved the historical aspects, but the three people she had to bunk with were absolutely terrible to her. She would text me from there. She had to take solace in some of the chaperones. Elsies father had accompanied her to Universal CityWalk for this interview earlier this month, setting no parameters on where she chose to go other than a massive candy store. Im pretty lenient, but she has to work after this, he explained. The actress surveyed her options and settled on Bubba Gump, where her grandmother used to take her after visits to the Long Beach aquarium. I just really like shrimp, she said with a shrug, sitting one table away from her dad. Elsie, 15, had recently graduated from eighth grade when she shot Eighth Grade. Like her character, she found the school year difficult. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Elsie spent the majority of her youth in Idyllwild, where her father noticed her proclivity for performing at age 4. One night, she came to visit him during a shift at a local jazz cafe, and jumped on stage and started acting. The entire restaurant the jaws dropped, her father said. And one of my regular guests said, Hey, I have a friend whos an agent. Have you ever thought about having her try out to be an actress? Six months later, he sent a headshot of his daughter to Kazarian, Measures, Ruskin and Associates, a small but legitimate talent agency that represents Joey Lawrence and Ian Ziering. The company signed her as a client, and within a month she had done a national commercial for Toys R Us. She would soon land a major gig, voicing young Agnes in the animated film Despicable Me. I couldnt read, so I literally memorized the script by heart, said Elsie, digging into her shrimp mac and cheese. They would repeat the lines back to me the way they wanted me to say them, and I would be a parrot. Soon, the family was commuting on average 35,000 miles a year to auditions in Los Angeles roughly four hours each way, most of which the actress spent playing games on her Nintendo DS. Eventually, when Elsie was in fifth grade, her father decided to move her and her younger brother to Ventura County to be closer to Hollywood. But as she aged, she found she wasnt booking as many roles. Fewer people stopped her on the street to tell her she looked like Dakota Fannings young clone. Veering ever closer to high school, counselors were already pressuring students to start thinking about what they might like to study in college, and Elsie became overwhelmed by anxiety. I was going through a rough place mentally, because I didnt have a lot of friends and I wasnt working. It was like, Oh, God, what am I gonna do for the rest of my life? she said. I know I didnt really have to figure it out then, but it felt like I did, because they put so much pressure on you. I was freaking out, and then this movie basically just came along and swept me off my feet, like, We got you. When Elsie walked into the audition for Eighth Grade, Burnham said, he was immediately struck by how honest she seemed. Hed spent weeks watching teenagers squishing down all of their awkwardness to present themselves in that performative kid way, and Elsie didnt do that. She could translate the chaos of what it meant to be a kid into a scene, the filmmaker said. On set, Burnham observed, Elsie refreshingly wasnt self-conscious about her looks. She told me she would go into auditions and casting directors would say, Why isnt your acne on your headshot? Burnham said. The worst, more violent thing is telling a kid that, the way [you] are is not OK, and in order to be in this film we need you to cover up. She wanted to see someone in the movie who felt real, like her. Even on the day when she had to just wear a bathing suit, our costume people were running around with a robe and she kept pushing them away because she thought she looked cool. Elsie says she considers director Burnham among her closest friends. Honestly, all my best friends right now are adults, she says. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Elsie said she considers Burnham, his girlfriend screenwriter Lorene Scafaria and Eighth Grade producer Christopher Storer among her best friends. Honestly, all my best friends right now are adults, she said earnestly. She has three friends from school who are juniors, so theyre close to adulthood and said she gets along better with her dads work colleagues than her school peers. Shes allowed to date, but isnt really interested in children, so no thank you. Ill just wait until Im 18. And shes considering starting home-schooling this year instead of returning to 10th grade in Thousand Oaks and would like to test out of high school early, if shes able. I dont want to say Im ahead of my years, but Ive always felt more mature than people in my grade not to say that was necessarily the truth, but thats just how I felt, she said. I was always in a position where I was allowed to be friends with adults and they actually listened to the things I said, so that was nice. I spent a lot of my life being either a quiet kid who got interrupted every time I tried to talk, or a weird, spastic kid who would actually drink puddles. True story, she insisted. Once, after a rainstorm at school, a classmate dared her to drink from a puddle. I was thirsty for friendship, and I quenched that thirst with some puddle water, she said with a laugh. I didnt get sick, thankfully. Elsie, right, stars in a scene from Eighth Grade with Emily Robinson. When Elsie walked into the audition, Burnham says, he was struck by how honest she seemed. (A24) As an adolescent, that kind of behavior wasnt out of the norm for Elsie. She would often do strange things to get attention on or off herself, such as passing gas in public, or wearing frameless glasses when she had perfect vision. Internally, she was so anxious that it began to cause bowel problems; at one point, her stomach caused her so much trouble that she thought she was lactose intolerant. Im still not over it, she acknowledged, admitting she wont eat before any type of public appearance for fear of getting sick. I act cool about it or whatever, but I feel constantly terrible in my stomach. But Im getting through it and pushing past it. Elsie would still like to pursue acting as a career she looks up to Winona Ryder but said she also enjoys art and once had a YouTube channel where she posted videos of herself digitally drawing characters from Steven Universe. (Shes since deleted it because she doesnt think the drawings were very good, and her classmates found the channel and spammed it with comments.) I tell Elsie all the time, Dont feel like you have to capitalize off of anything right now, Burnham said. Youre a kid. Youre still growing. But shes incredibly, deeply humble. Her biggest stress right now is that she thinks shes not that good, and everyone keeps saying shes that good. Burnham and Elsie on the set of Eighth Grade. The teen actress says she would like to pursue acting as a career. (Linda Kallerus / A24) amy.kaufman@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @AmyKinLA Social justice, personal loss, systemic racism and national reckoning are explored in Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, a potent, moving six-part documentary offering fresh insight into the 2012 killing of unarmed teen Martin by 28-year-old vigilante George Zimmerman. The docu-series chronicles why this slaying of a young black man a crime that often goes uncovered in the media made headlines, inspired protests, moved a president and forced a national reckoning. Premiering Monday on BET and the Paramount Network, Rest in Power delves deep into the specifics of the 17-year-olds homicide, the police investigation, the trial and the acquittal. But its the way in which directors Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason connect new and old details of the case with its wide-spread effect that makes Rest in Power a comprehensive, emotional and brutally honest look at America since that fatal shooting. And its been a wild ride through one of the more tumultuous periods in modern American history. Martins killing and Zimmermans acquittal helped ignite social justice movements such as Black Lives Matter, galvanized alt-right advocates around issues of white separatism and ultimately influenced the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Advertisement The series, inspired by a 2017 book by Martins parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin (they co-produce the series along with Shawn Jay Z Carter), uses the scope of history to string together all these events as well as the ensuing protests over the shootings of unarmed black men and women across the country. Perhaps its no coincidence that PBS is airing the POV documentary Whose Streets? about the uprising in Ferguson, Mo., after the killing of unarmed Michael Brown by a law officer, police brutality and justice on the same night as Rest in Power. But for all the interviews in Rest in Power with Martins parents, Zimmermans friends (he and his family refused to participate in the film), cops, prosecutors, lawyers and civil rights advocates, its a few seconds of the 911 recording from that night in February 2012 that prove to be the most haunting. They reveal the last brutal moments before Martins hoodie became a symbol of injustice and Zimmerman became a hero of white separatists. Its a recording of Zimmermans 911 call from his car as he follows Martin, who is walking through the gated Florida community where Zimmerman lived and where Martin is visiting. Zimmerman was armed with a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun. Martin was armed with a bag of Skittles and a can of Arizona ice tea hed just purchased from a 7-Eleven. Zimmerman tells the 911 operator: Hes got his hand in his waistband. Hes wearing a hoodie. Hes a black man. These ..., they always get away. Hes running! Are you following him? asks the operator. Zimmerman answers yes. The operator advises him not to do that. He does anyway. Martins terrified, guttural scream of Help!, heard in the background of another 911 call made by a concerned resident, is the sound of homicide in real time. The last moments of a young mans life. Its brutal. Ive got the shooter, and Ive got the gun, says a police officer who was on the scene that rainy night. An arrest seemed imminent. Yet it took months, so Martins parents enlisted civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who advised them that they better make it as public as possible or theyre just gonna sweep it under the rug like all the other slain young black men whose families never got justice. And so began the media blitz to draw attention to their case. As for Zimmerman, we learn that his wife left him days before the shooting partly due to his anger issues that hed made dozens of other 911 calls in the past about suspicious black men in his neighborhood and that hed been arrested before for resisting arrest. Yet it was largely Zimmermans version of the story that became the narrative for what happened that night, and it was Martins reputation that was put on trial. The teen smoked weed. He flipped the bird in a photo posted on social media. He wore a gold grill like those rappers wear. Its infuriating and hard to watch. There is no way around the heartbreak and pain here, and thats likely the point. Its this lopsided sense of justice that drove the better part of America to march and rekindle a kind of activism not seen since the 1960s and 1970s. Facing one of the ugliest chapters in a decade full of them probably doesnt sound all that appealing right about now, but Rest in Power is worth the watch. Martins parents, however, are reminders of resilience in the face of adversity. They not only lost their son but they also were and still are threatened by Zimmerman supporters. The docu-series reveals that Zimmerman, who auctioned off the gun he used to shoot Martin for a reported $250,000, made numerous threats to the shows producers and a private investigator hired by the production. When Martins mother says, It took my son being shot down for me to stand up, she and this series make it clear that her boys death was not in vain. Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story Where: BET and Paramount When: 10 p.m. Monday Rating: TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14) lorraine.ali@latimes.com @lorraineali Police are searching for a gunman who fled on foot after carjacking a pregnant woman and opening fire on officers late Sunday evening in South Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a female victim who is 18 weeks pregnant was driving near Olympic and Washington boulevards at 10 p.m. Sunday when a male suspect carjacked her blue SUV. The suspect opened fire at the officers, continued driving west and then jumped out of the car and fled on foot, Brown said. No one was injured in the incident but police are still searching for the suspect. Advertisement melissa.etehad@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad By the end of July, fires in California had claimed at least eight lives this year. Here are some of their stories. Melody Bledsoe, 70; James and Emily Roberts, 5 and 4 Carr fire Emily Roberts, 4, and James Roberts, 5. (Courtesy of Amanda Woodley) Advertisement Melody Bledsoe, 70, and her great-grandchildren Emily and James Roberts, ages 4 and 5, died when the Carr fire ripped through Bledsoes Redding home July 26 . Bledsoes granddaughter Amanda Woodley confirmed the news in a public Facebook post. Woodley said Bledsoe did everything she could to save the children. She was hovered over them both with a wet blanket, she wrote. My heart is crushed, she said on Facebook. I cant believe this is real. I just keep seeing all of their beautiful faces. According to news reports, the children called their great-grandfather while he was at the store, saying the fire was approaching. Speaking to the Sacramento Bee, Ed Bledsoe wept as he recounted trying to get back to the house, and said his two great-grandchildren were absolutely angels. She took care of me and them kids like we were a team, Ed Bledsoe told the Record Searchlight. Every day, every day of her and my life, I told her, I want to thank you for being my lady. Andrea Castillo Brian Hughes, 33 Ferguson fire Brian Hughes (Courtesy of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks) It takes skill and perseverance to become captain of a hotshot crew, but also patience, leadership and positivity. Those are the characteristics that Brian Hughes, captain of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots, embodied, according to his colleagues. He was just a wonderful human being, Woody Smeck, superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, said during a press conference Monday. He was caring, kind, positive. His personality was infectious. People were drawn to him. Hughes was killed July 29 when he was struck by a tree while working with his crew to set a back fire a tactic designed to limit a fires spread on the east side of the Ferguson fire in late July, according to the National Park Service. He was treated at the scene, but died before he could be taken to a hospital. The team at Sequoia and Kings National Parks is devastated by this terrible news, Smeck said in a statement. Our deepest condolences go out to the firefighters family and loved ones. We grieve this loss with you. Hughes, who was originally from Hilo, Hawaii, had worked with the Arrowhead hotshots for four years. They are an elite crew of 20 firefighters based at Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. They go into the steepest of the steep, the most rugged of the rugged areas, said Mike Theune, a spokesman with the parks. The Arrowhead team, one of two hotshot crews within the National Park Service, was working on a two-week rotation when the fatality occurred, he said. Melissa Etehad and Alene Tchekmedyian Don Ray Smith, 81 Carr fire Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines was a private bulldozer operator who was overtaken by flames in the Carr fire in Redding. Emergency personnel found his body in the area of Benson Drive and Rock Creek Road on July 26. Ruben Vives Jeremy Stoke, 37 Carr fire Jeremy Stoke (Associated Press) Jeremy Stoke was a Redding fire prevention inspector who died fighting the Carr fire. His death was announced on July 27. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for his family and the RFD as we process this tragic loss, the Redding Fire Department said in a statement. Stoke had served as a firefighter for 17 years, 14 with the Redding Fire Department, according to a statement from Gov. Jerry Brown. He died while working to ensure the residents of west Redding had a chance to escape the flames and left behind his wife, a 13-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter, according to the statement. Sonali Kohli Braden Varney, 36 Ferguson fire Braden Varney died trying to protect a Mariposa County community from the Ferguson fire on July 14. Varney was driving a bulldozer cutting firebreaks when the machine overturned in treacherous terrain, Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) said in a tribute before the House of Representatives. Varney was from Mariposa and had worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for a decade, according to a statement from Gov. Jerry Brown. He was a second-generation bulldozer operator, and he left behind a wife, a 5-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. Braden is known by everyone in Mariposa County and is a star in our community and is a friend of everyone, Mariposa County Sheriff Doug Binnewies told the Associated Press. Sonali Kohli Authorities on Monday were hoping that a slight break in the heat this week could help them gain control of a number of wildfires that have so far scorched more than 200,000 acres and killed eight people across California. The Carr fire, which erupted in Shasta County a week ago and spread into the city of Redding, grew to 103,772 acres and was 23% contained as of Monday evening. The fire has destroyed more than 1,000 structures and claimed six lives, including a fire inspector, a bulldozer operator, a great-grandmother and her two great-grandchildren. Two other deaths have been attributed to the Ferguson fire near Yosemite. The terrain is just awful and difficult to access, its just inaccessible in a lot of areas, Dominic Polito, a spokesman for fire authorities, said of the Carr fire. If you were to walk up it, youd be looking at your knee on every step. The focus Monday will be to prevent the fire from spreading farther into Trinity County, Polito said. Advertisement Firefighters worked through the night to build control lines. Today crews will work to mitigate potential spot fires as shifting winds, dry fuels and steep drainages exist below control lines, according to an incident report on the Carr fire. (L.A. Times Graphics) Some evacuations were lifted in Redding on Monday morning, but mandatory evacuations remained in place in Shasta and Trinity counties, and authorities are warning people to stay away from blocked off areas. In Redding, law enforcement agencies patrolled the 17 square miles that were vacant over the weekend and arrested two men Sunday night on charges of unauthorized entry into an enclosed area, according to Redding police. Authorities also arrested two other people Sunday afternoon in Shasta County on suspicion of looting, after deputies found that the front door to a home had been forced open in an evacuated area, and electronic items were stacked by the door, according to a Shasta County sheriffs statement. RELATED: What you need to know about the 17 wildfires across California 1 / 62 Cattle graze on the grassland near the Ranch fire outside of Lodoga. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 62 A man fishes in Clear Lake as the smoky haze shrouds visibility in Clearlake Oaks. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 62 A plume of smoke rises from the Mendocino Complex fire near Lodoga. The Mendocino Complex Fire, which is made up of the River Fire and Ranch Fire, has surpassed the Thomas Fire to become the largest wildfire in California state history with over 300,000 acres charred. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 4 / 62 Firefighters battling the Mendocino Complex blaze monitor a burn operation on top of a ridge near the town of Ladoga on Aug. 7. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 62 Crews battling the Mendocino Complex fire supervise a burn operation near the town of Ladoga on Aug. 7. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 62 Firefighters keep an eye on a burn operation as part of the battle against the Mendocino Complex blaze on Aug. 7. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 62 Arnold Lasker looks over the remains of his girlfriends house in Spring Valley, near Clearlake Oaks, on Aug. 7. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 62 Evacuated during the Ranch fire, Jay Michael and Gretchen Fritsch rest in their car in the parking lot of the Moose Lodge in Clearlake Oaks on Aug. 7. This is the eighth time they have been evacuated since living in the area, and the third time this year. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 62 Burned out cars sit in the remains of a home that was destroyed by the Medocino Complex fire in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 62 A sign warns people to stay out of a burned area in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 62 Helicopters enroute to pick up water at the Mendocino Complex fire in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 62 A Buddha statue is seen at a burned home in Spring Valley, near Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (JOSH EDELSON / AFP/Getty Images) 13 / 62 Image taken from the International Space Station shows the wildfires burning in Calif. In the upper left portion of the image is the Carr and Mendocino Complex fires and to the right is the Ferguson fire. (ALEXANDER GERST / AFP/Getty Images) 14 / 62 Crystal Easter comforts her dogs in Spring Valley as they flee a wildfire. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 15 / 62 Crystal Easter uses a pot of water to put out spot fires around her home, as her neighbors home burns in the background in Spring Valley. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 16 / 62 Jim Bolander hoses down the roof of his home for the sixth time in eight years as the Ranch fire spreads in Spring Valley. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 17 / 62 The Ranch fire spots out ahead of the main fire in Spring Valley, burning two homes. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 18 / 62 Evacuees from Lucerne, from left, Ken Bennett with Ember Reynolds, 8, and Lisa Reynolds watch the sunset as smoke from the Ranch fire rises at Austin Park Beach in Californias Clearlake with Mt. Konocti in the background. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 19 / 62 Resident Lane Lawder carries a water bucket while fighting to save his home from the Ranch fire burning along New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 20 / 62 A tree burns from the inside during the Ranch fire in Clearlake Oaks. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 21 / 62 An air tanker drops retardant on the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, burning along High Valley Rd near Clearlake Oaks. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 22 / 62 A fire truck passes a vineyard while battling the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, near Clearlake Oaks. (NOAH BERGER / AFP/Getty Images) 23 / 62 Flames erupt from the River fire near Scotts Valley Road in Lake County. (Mark McKenna / TNS) 24 / 62 A hillside smolders after flames passed through during the Ranch fire in Clearlake Oaks. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 25 / 62 The Ranch fire burns a home on New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 26 / 62 A firefighter gathers water from a pool while battling the Ranch Fire near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 27 / 62 A deer flees as the Ranch fire tears down New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 28 / 62 Dan Kissick, 60, left, shown with his son Jeff Kissick, searches the remains of his home on Kellinger Street on Saturday after the Carr fire hit Redding. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 62 Maureen Kissick examines china from her wedding 36 years ago as she sits in what was once the dining room of her home on Kellinger Street in Redding. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 62 A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. crew repairs power lines Saturday near the damaged home of Jose Briones along Baker Road in Redding. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 62 Smoke clouds rise from the Ranch Fire portion of the Mendocino Complex Fire in Lakeport on Aug. 1. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 62 Buzz Craddock carries a pack tied with antlers covered in fire retardant as firefighters work to stop the progression of the River fire in Lakeport, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 62 The charred remains of a truck sit in the ash in Lakeport, Calif., on Aug. 1. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 62 Firefighters watch as air tankers drop fire retardant ahead of the River fire in Lakeport, Calif., on Aug. 1. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 62 Helicopters make water drops as flames from the River fire advance towards Lakeport, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 62 A West Covina firefighter works as a barn in the background is destroyed by the Mendocino complex fires near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 62 A barn is engulfed in flames as the Mendocino complex fires spread with the wind near Hendricks Road in Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 62 Chickens near a home being destroyed by the Mendocino complex fires in a neighborhood near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 62 Firefighters work to keep flames from the Mendocino complex fires from destroying a home as evening winds kick in near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 62 A helicopter makes a water drop near the raging Mendocino complex fires west of Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 62 Firefighters work to keep flames from the Mendocino complex fires from destroying a home as evening winds kick in near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 62 A firefighter monitors a controlled burn along California 20 in Upper Lake on July 31. The Ranch and River fires are burning together as the Mendocino complex fires. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 62 Firefighters from S&R Contracting in Oregon dig into the ground as they make sure all residual flames are put out near Redding, Calif., on July 30. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 62 The Carr fire destroyed and sunk boats docked at the marina in Whiskeytown, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 62 The Carr fire swept through and destroyed property and structures in Shasta, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 62 A Cal Fire firefighter waters down a back burn on Cloverdale Road near the town of Igo on Saturday, July 28, 2018. The back burn kept the fire from jumping toward the town. Scorching heat, winds and dry conditions complicated firefighting efforts. (Hector Amezcua / Associated Press) 47 / 62 A deer stands in the middle of a road covered in fire retardant as the Carr fire continues to threaten structures near Redding on Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 62 Mark Peterson, who lost his home in the Carr fire, gives water to goats that survived the blaze on Saturday, July 28, 2018, in Redding. (Noah Berger / AP) 49 / 62 Wildfire destroyed homes overnight in Lake Keswick Estates near Redding on July 27. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 62 A woman covers her face while viewing her grandmothers home, burned in the Carr fire in Redding, on July 27. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 51 / 62 A firefighter sprays water on whats left of a Redding home damaged by the Carr fire on July 27. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 52 / 62 A firefighter lights backfires during the Carr fire near Redding on July 27. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 53 / 62 A burning home is reflected in a pool during the Carr fire in Redding on July 27. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 54 / 62 A home burns along Sunflower Road in Redding during the Carr fire on July 27. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 55 / 62 A structure burns as the Carr fire races along State Route 299 near Redding on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 56 / 62 Firefighters transport a Carr fire evacuee to the Mercy Medical Center emergency room on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 57 / 62 Firefighters discuss plans while battling the Carr fire in Shasta County on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 58 / 62 Firefighters regroup while battling the Carr cire in Shasta County on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 59 / 62 A structure is engulfed in flames as the Carr fire burns along State Route 299 near Redding on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 60 / 62 A water tender operator helping to battle the Carr fire drinks a beverage after trying to save a burning structure in Shasta on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 61 / 62 The Carr fire burns near Shasta on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 62 / 62 A historic schoolhouse burns as the Carr fire tears through Shasta on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) An infrared satellite image from July 29 shows the burn area northwest of Redding. Satellite image 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company. (Jon Schleuss / Los Angeles Times) Redding residents Jack Fannin, 19, and Jade Ball, 25, were arrested and booked at Shasta County Jail. Two fires in Mendocino County the River and Ranch fires also continued to grow Monday. Combined, they covered more than 68,000 acres, with 5% containment by Monday evening. Firefighters battled extreme fire weather throughout the night, and weather conditions will continue to challenge firefighters as hot, dry and windy conditions persist, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection incident report. Weather over the Carr fire around Redding, as well as over the two fires in Mendocino County, was expected to be hot and dry Monday, with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s above the Carr fire and in the low 90s in Mendocino County, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Cory Mueller. Though the fires are not wind-driven, expected gusts up to 20 mph Monday afternoon could affect firefighting efforts in both areas, Mueller said. By midweek, forecasters expect temperatures to drop slightly, though it will still be hot, Mueller said. The massive Ferguson fire that has accounted for two firefighter deaths and prompted the closure of portions of nearby Yosemite National Park, grew to 57,041 acres, and remained 30% contained. Authorities lifted some evacuations in Mariposa on and around East Westfall Road, warning that they could be placed under mandatory evacuation again if conditions change. We are saddened beyond words to report the death of Captain Brian Hughes of the Arrowhead Hotshots. Hughes' crew was on the #FergusonFire on @Sierra_NF when he was struck and killed by a tree. We grieve his loss. Photo courtesy of Brad Torchia pic.twitter.com/Lwy2MyH1jN Sequoia & Kings Cyn (@SequoiaKingsNPS) July 30, 2018 Authorities announced Sunday that Capt. Brian Hughes, of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots, was struck and killed by a falling tree when his crew was preparing tactical firing operations, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks said in a statement. Hughes was with the Arrowhead Hotshots for four years and will be dearly missed by everyone at the parks. We grieve his loss. In Southern California, the Cranston fire near Idyllwild was 82% contained Monday, after burning 13,139 acres last week. The fires have also affected air quality across the region, including areas of Nevada. Fires in California and western Nevada continue to produce heavy amounts of smoke region wide. While air quality is worse closer to fires all western Nevada and Sierra valley locations are experiencing diminished air quality to some degree, according to a National Weather Service alert from Reno. Word that police had arrested possible looters near the Carr fire had shaken some area residents. Lake Redding resident James Anderson had placed multiple motion sensors throughout his yellow wood-frame home on Hartland Drive. I put one by the porch so that I know whos coming, he said Monday. I put one on the side gate. The other day it had been left open and I had it closed. Anderson, 74, said home burglaries are already a problem in the area. Although evacuations were ordered for his neighborhood, Anderson said he decided to stay behind to make sure his home was safe. He said firefighters brought him cans of soup during the first few nights of the fire, but now his food supply was dwindling. Hes now contemplating using his mountain bike to take side trails into town to pick up food and sneak back in. Hes not sure what will happen if he runs into any authorities. If they hassle me, Im just going to tell them to go to hell, Anderson said. Los Angeles Times staff writer Joseph Serna contributed to this report. sonali.kohli@latimes.com Twitter: @Sonali_Kohli UPDATES: 9:45 p.m.: This article was updated with new fire figures. 1:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Anderson. 10:30 a.m.: This article was updated with information about evacuation orders. This article was originally published at 9:05 a.m. One rendering shows a courtyard accented by contemporary planters and cafe tables. The tents where recently homeless people would live are shaded, and almost hidden, under wooden trellises. It is one of three designs depicting shelters of 50, 100 and 150 beds produced by a group of architects working pro bono in support of Mayor Eric Garcettis $20-million initiative to build shelters in all 15 of Los Angeles City Council districts. For the record: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that Councilman Herb Wesson had withdrawn a Koreatown site from consideration for a homeless shelter. He is considering that site and others. The goal is to come up with standard designs that could be placed on a lot anywhere in the city, and are pleasing enough to help the shelter plan overcome its two biggest obstacles: First is the reputed aversion homeless people have for the dreary conditions in shelters. Then theres the almost inevitable community opposition that shelter proposals encounter. The architects were recruited by the nonprofit Urban Land Institute. Working independently, all three teams came up with similar ideas for easing the isolation and regimentation of traditional shelters, where cots are lined end to end in a large building with limited access to the street. Advertisement An artists rendering shows a temporary shelter designed by JFAK Architects. (JFAK Architects) One of the things they all had consistently was that the front door shouldnt be a landscaped fence or a solid art wall that segregates the now newly housed residents from the community members that are living there, said Clare De Briere, chairwoman of the Urban Land Institutes Los Angeles District. Their designs contrast with the prototype shelter soon to open near downtowns El Pueblo. Hastily developed by the city for Garcettis A Bridge Home program, its a collection of trailers backing up to busy commuter streets and the 101 Freeway. If we do it again like that, we havent learned anything, said Marty Borko, executive director of the institutes L.A. district. Everybody will be much smarter now about how to do this because theyve gone through that process at El Pueblo. De Briere said the architects were asked to come up with plans that could be built for less than $1 million. Now, officials need to find a suitable lot in all 15 council districts. An artists rendering shows a temporary shelter designed by SWA and Studio One Eleven. (SWA and Studio One Eleven) Real estate services firm CBRE and architects Gensler Los Angeles have their summer interns working on that problem. The interns are sifting through CBREs real estate database looking for sites preferably on land owned by federal, state or local governments or churches that would accommodate one of the three plans, said Lewis Horne, president of CBREs greater Los Angeles-Orange County region. De Briere said Urban Land Institute is offering to assist any council office with suggestions of sites where one of the designs could work. So far, Council President Herb Wesson and Councilmen Paul Krekorian and Jose Huizar have requested help, she said. The design challenge and land search grew out of a report the institute produced in December that foreshadowed Garcettis Bridge Home program. The institute, a global network that advocates for better urban planning, set up a panel that included housing officials from New York and New Orleans and the former mayor of Pittsburgh to seek solutions to L.A.s homelessness crisis. After interviewing about 100 local officials, the panel concluded that more should be done quickly to address the crisis of unsheltered homeless people while longer-range housing solutions are in the works. Its first recommendation called for the city within two years to open 60 temporary shelters of 50 to 150 beds and widely dispersed geographically. The idea roughly tracked the plan Garcetti laid out in his state of the city speech in April. Mayoral spokeswoman Anna Bahr said Garcetti already had developed his plan before receiving the groups report, but credited the institute with helping to flesh out designs. They have been excellent support in using their network of experts to help us with design components, Bahr said. A Bridge Home has had a rocky start. The El Pueblo project, opening in August, ballooned beyond its budget when designers added a $700,000 interior deck to compensate for its unwelcoming configuration. A project proposed by Wesson on a lot near Vermont Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard didnt even get to the design stage. After a protest by Koreatown residents and business owners, Wesson is now considering other locations in his district in addition to the original site. The opposition highlights the importance of good design up front, De Briere said. Im not saying you wouldnt still have some community concerns about having temporary homes built there, she said, pointing to the renderings on display in the institutes office. But if they had seen something that was more like some of these images, I think you would have a more positive reaction. An artists rendering shows a temporary shelter designed by the DLR Group and EPT Design. (DLR Group / EPT Design) The three designs came out of workshops with the architecture firms DLR Group, Studio One Eleven and JFAK Architects and landscape architecture firms EPT Design, RELM and SWA. They worked with large, steel-ribbed tents, which are relatively inexpensive, come in different sizes and can be quickly set up on vacant land or in a parking lot. The architects set a minimum space for each resident with room for dressers and armoires for storage and privacy. All three teams came up with similar ideas to blend personal and public space, De Briere said. The plans all have courtyards that invite community interaction, with semi-secluded areas where residents can engage one another, and more private living spaces inside the tents. It was a really interesting way to look at the organization of that space and really making these newly housed people feel that they are a part of the community they are in, De Briere said, as opposed to this big foreign tent thats been blocked off and segregated from the community. doug.smith@latimes.com Twitter: @LATDoug The death toll from the states wildfires continued to mount Sunday, with eight fatalities now reported from blazes burning in Shasta County and near Yosemite National Park. In Mariposa County, where firefighters have spent weeks battling the Ferguson fire, officials reported that a firefighter based at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks died after being struck by a falling tree. Meanwhile, crews attacking the Carr fire in and around Redding said they had located another body the fourth civilian to perish in that blaze and reported that hundreds more structures were destroyed. For the record: An earlier version of this article said that Yosemite National Park was closed due to the fire. Only parts of the park, including Yosemite Valley, are closed. (L.A. Times Graphics) Firefighters are battling 17 wildfires across the state, which have consumed more than 200,000 acres combined in terrain stretching from Southern California to the Oregon border, said Jonathan Cox, battalion chief and information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. With so many burning near populated areas, resources are obviously stretched thin, he said. Advertisement Weve had 17 fires before, Cox said. But these are impacting communities and theyre large fires, not small. RELATED: What you need to know about the 17 wildfires across California About 12,000 firefighters have responded to the wildfires from within California. Another 800 personnel have been deployed by the California National Guard. And 150 fire engines were on the way from as far away as Florida, officials said Sunday. Theres a finite number of resources in California, and obviously were employing them at the highest-priority incidents, Cox said. The Carr fire the largest wildfire currently burning has consumed more than 95,000 acres, destroyed 874 structures including 657 residential structures and damaged 175 others. Six people, including a 70-year-old woman and two of her great-grandchildren, ages 4 and 5, were killed in the fast-moving fire. Two belonged to the crews fighting the fire. Authorities were also investigating seven missing persons cases. 1 / 62 Cattle graze on the grassland near the Ranch fire outside of Lodoga. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 62 A man fishes in Clear Lake as the smoky haze shrouds visibility in Clearlake Oaks. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 62 A plume of smoke rises from the Mendocino Complex fire near Lodoga. The Mendocino Complex Fire, which is made up of the River Fire and Ranch Fire, has surpassed the Thomas Fire to become the largest wildfire in California state history with over 300,000 acres charred. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 4 / 62 Firefighters battling the Mendocino Complex blaze monitor a burn operation on top of a ridge near the town of Ladoga on Aug. 7. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 62 Crews battling the Mendocino Complex fire supervise a burn operation near the town of Ladoga on Aug. 7. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 62 Firefighters keep an eye on a burn operation as part of the battle against the Mendocino Complex blaze on Aug. 7. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 62 Arnold Lasker looks over the remains of his girlfriends house in Spring Valley, near Clearlake Oaks, on Aug. 7. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 62 Evacuated during the Ranch fire, Jay Michael and Gretchen Fritsch rest in their car in the parking lot of the Moose Lodge in Clearlake Oaks on Aug. 7. This is the eighth time they have been evacuated since living in the area, and the third time this year. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 62 Burned out cars sit in the remains of a home that was destroyed by the Medocino Complex fire in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 62 A sign warns people to stay out of a burned area in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 62 Helicopters enroute to pick up water at the Mendocino Complex fire in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 62 A Buddha statue is seen at a burned home in Spring Valley, near Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (JOSH EDELSON / AFP/Getty Images) 13 / 62 Image taken from the International Space Station shows the wildfires burning in Calif. In the upper left portion of the image is the Carr and Mendocino Complex fires and to the right is the Ferguson fire. (ALEXANDER GERST / AFP/Getty Images) 14 / 62 Crystal Easter comforts her dogs in Spring Valley as they flee a wildfire. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 15 / 62 Crystal Easter uses a pot of water to put out spot fires around her home, as her neighbors home burns in the background in Spring Valley. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 16 / 62 Jim Bolander hoses down the roof of his home for the sixth time in eight years as the Ranch fire spreads in Spring Valley. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 17 / 62 The Ranch fire spots out ahead of the main fire in Spring Valley, burning two homes. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 18 / 62 Evacuees from Lucerne, from left, Ken Bennett with Ember Reynolds, 8, and Lisa Reynolds watch the sunset as smoke from the Ranch fire rises at Austin Park Beach in Californias Clearlake with Mt. Konocti in the background. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 19 / 62 Resident Lane Lawder carries a water bucket while fighting to save his home from the Ranch fire burning along New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 20 / 62 A tree burns from the inside during the Ranch fire in Clearlake Oaks. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 21 / 62 An air tanker drops retardant on the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, burning along High Valley Rd near Clearlake Oaks. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 22 / 62 A fire truck passes a vineyard while battling the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, near Clearlake Oaks. (NOAH BERGER / AFP/Getty Images) 23 / 62 Flames erupt from the River fire near Scotts Valley Road in Lake County. (Mark McKenna / TNS) 24 / 62 A hillside smolders after flames passed through during the Ranch fire in Clearlake Oaks. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 25 / 62 The Ranch fire burns a home on New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 26 / 62 A firefighter gathers water from a pool while battling the Ranch Fire near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 27 / 62 A deer flees as the Ranch fire tears down New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 28 / 62 Dan Kissick, 60, left, shown with his son Jeff Kissick, searches the remains of his home on Kellinger Street on Saturday after the Carr fire hit Redding. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 62 Maureen Kissick examines china from her wedding 36 years ago as she sits in what was once the dining room of her home on Kellinger Street in Redding. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 62 A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. crew repairs power lines Saturday near the damaged home of Jose Briones along Baker Road in Redding. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 62 Smoke clouds rise from the Ranch Fire portion of the Mendocino Complex Fire in Lakeport on Aug. 1. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 62 Buzz Craddock carries a pack tied with antlers covered in fire retardant as firefighters work to stop the progression of the River fire in Lakeport, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 62 The charred remains of a truck sit in the ash in Lakeport, Calif., on Aug. 1. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 62 Firefighters watch as air tankers drop fire retardant ahead of the River fire in Lakeport, Calif., on Aug. 1. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 62 Helicopters make water drops as flames from the River fire advance towards Lakeport, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 62 A West Covina firefighter works as a barn in the background is destroyed by the Mendocino complex fires near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 62 A barn is engulfed in flames as the Mendocino complex fires spread with the wind near Hendricks Road in Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 62 Chickens near a home being destroyed by the Mendocino complex fires in a neighborhood near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 62 Firefighters work to keep flames from the Mendocino complex fires from destroying a home as evening winds kick in near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 62 A helicopter makes a water drop near the raging Mendocino complex fires west of Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 62 Firefighters work to keep flames from the Mendocino complex fires from destroying a home as evening winds kick in near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 62 A firefighter monitors a controlled burn along California 20 in Upper Lake on July 31. The Ranch and River fires are burning together as the Mendocino complex fires. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 62 Firefighters from S&R Contracting in Oregon dig into the ground as they make sure all residual flames are put out near Redding, Calif., on July 30. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 62 The Carr fire destroyed and sunk boats docked at the marina in Whiskeytown, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 62 The Carr fire swept through and destroyed property and structures in Shasta, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 62 A Cal Fire firefighter waters down a back burn on Cloverdale Road near the town of Igo on Saturday, July 28, 2018. The back burn kept the fire from jumping toward the town. Scorching heat, winds and dry conditions complicated firefighting efforts. (Hector Amezcua / Associated Press) 47 / 62 A deer stands in the middle of a road covered in fire retardant as the Carr fire continues to threaten structures near Redding on Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 62 Mark Peterson, who lost his home in the Carr fire, gives water to goats that survived the blaze on Saturday, July 28, 2018, in Redding. (Noah Berger / AP) 49 / 62 Wildfire destroyed homes overnight in Lake Keswick Estates near Redding on July 27. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 62 A woman covers her face while viewing her grandmothers home, burned in the Carr fire in Redding, on July 27. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 51 / 62 A firefighter sprays water on whats left of a Redding home damaged by the Carr fire on July 27. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 52 / 62 A firefighter lights backfires during the Carr fire near Redding on July 27. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 53 / 62 A burning home is reflected in a pool during the Carr fire in Redding on July 27. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 54 / 62 A home burns along Sunflower Road in Redding during the Carr fire on July 27. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 55 / 62 A structure burns as the Carr fire races along State Route 299 near Redding on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 56 / 62 Firefighters transport a Carr fire evacuee to the Mercy Medical Center emergency room on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 57 / 62 Firefighters discuss plans while battling the Carr fire in Shasta County on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 58 / 62 Firefighters regroup while battling the Carr cire in Shasta County on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 59 / 62 A structure is engulfed in flames as the Carr fire burns along State Route 299 near Redding on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 60 / 62 A water tender operator helping to battle the Carr fire drinks a beverage after trying to save a burning structure in Shasta on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 61 / 62 The Carr fire burns near Shasta on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 62 / 62 A historic schoolhouse burns as the Carr fire tears through Shasta on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) The devastation astounded Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty, who represents much of the area that burned. Ive been a lifelong resident of this community. Ive never seen a fire with such destruction here in this area ever before, said Moty, appearing at a news conference with other public safety officials. One of those who experienced the destruction firsthand was Redding resident Hannalora Lewis, who was woken up by her mother Thursday morning and told to evacuate. While her parents grabbed photos and corralled their dogs, the 16-year-old scooped up her phone, an outfit and a new pair of sneakers she bought while back-to-school shopping. She said she almost grabbed a box of mementos trinkets, diaries, ticket stubs from her favorite movies but then thought it would take up too much room in the car. Within days, she learned the familys house had been destroyed. I didnt think for a second that we would lose our home, she said. Firefighters on Sunday offered their first optimistic assessment of their battle against the Carr fire, which has forced more than 38,000 residents to evacuate. Cal Fire unified incident commander Bret Gouvea said cooler temperatures and increased humidity had given firefighters a window of opportunity to attack the massive fire. The blaze, which was 17% contained Sunday evening, was mostly burning north into remote and inaccessible areas. Fire crews also managed to halt the spread of the Carr fire within the city of Redding, Gouvea said. Weve had no movement on the fire over the last day inside the city limits, so things are looking very good, he added. Craig Shoemaker, a meteorologist in the National Weather Services Sacramento office, said temperatures right over the fire are expected to reach highs of up to 105 degrees Monday, a few degrees cooler than it would have been without thick smoke acting as a cloud cover. An incredible amount of smoke has been put into the air, and thats helping to hold down temperatures a little bit, said Tom Dang, another meteorologist with the weather service. While the smoke provided some relief for crews on the ground, it complicated the aerial assault on the fire being waged by helicopters and air tankers, limiting their visibility. Theres a lot of low-level smoke, which means missions are having to be aborted, said Cox, the Cal Fire spokesman. Investigators said Sunday they had recovered the body of a sixth person from the Carr fire. Although he declined to identify the person, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said the latest fire victim had been in a location where residents had been told to clear out for their safety. We have confirmed that the person did receive evacuation notices and did not evacuate, he said. Officials also said there have now been two fatalities in the Ferguson fire, which has consumed more than 54,000 acres near Yosemite. That fire, which started July 13, claimed the life of a Cal Fire bulldozer operator, whose vehicle tumbled down a hillside during the building of a defensive line. On Sunday, Brian Hughes, captain of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots, was killed when he was struck by a tree while he and his team were setting a backfire in an area with many dead trees on the east side of the fire, according to the National Park Service. He was treated at the scene but died before he could be taken to a hospital. He was 33. Hughes, who was originally from Hilo, Hawaii, had worked with the Arrowhead hotshots for four years. They are an elite crew of 20 firefighters based at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. They go into the steepest of the steep, the most rugged of the rugged areas, said Mike Theune, a spokesman with the parks. The Arrowhead team, one of two hotshot crews within the National Park Service, was working on a two-week rotation when Hughes was killed, he said. The team at Sequoia and Kings National Parks is devastated by this terrible news, parks Supt. Woody Smeck said in a statement. Our deepest condolences go out to the firefighters family and loved ones. We grieve this loss with you. The Ferguson fire has left seven others injured. Parts of Yosemite National Park, including Yosemite Valley, remain closed while thousands of structures are threatened. In Mendocino County, two other wind-driven wildfires had grown to more than 30,000 acres by Sunday evening, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. The Ranch and River fires, known together as the Mendocino complex fires, began Friday afternoon and exploded over the weekend, destroying six homes as residents in Mendocino County and some neighboring Lake County communities were told to flee, Cal Fire officials said. Authorities said 10,200 structures were threatened. By Sunday evening, the Mendocino complex fires were 10% contained. Vives reported from Redding and Zahniser, Jennings and Tchekmedyian from Los Angeles. ruben.vives@latimes.com david.zahniser@latimes.com angel.jennings@latimes.com alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com UPDATES: 9:30 p.m.: This article was updated with missing persons investigations. 8:50 p.m.: This article was updated with new figures for the Mendocino complex fires. 8:10 p.m.: This article was updated with new figures for the Carr and Mendocino complex fires. This article was originally published at 7:15 p.m. The Norton Simon Museum will keep two Renaissance masterpieces looted by the Nazis during World War II under a unanimous decision Monday by a federal appeals court. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Pasadena museum in a battle with an heir to a Dutch Jewish gallery owner who left the paintings behind when he and his family fled the Nazis. Jacques Goudstikker, the gallery owner, had purchased the paintings Adam and Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder from the Soviet Union in 1931 at an auction in Berlin. As the Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, Goudstikker and his family fled to South America, leaving behind his gallery of more than 1,200 artworks. Goudstikker died aboard ship after a fall. Advertisement His wife, Desi, kept a black book listing all the paintings in the gallery, including the Cranachs. Hitler deputy Hermann Goering and cohort Alois Miedl later forced a remaining employee of the gallery to transfer them the assets through a series of involuntary written agreements, the 9th Circuit said. The allied forces returned the paintings to the Dutch government after the war, and the Netherlands established a claims process for people to recoup property stolen by the Nazis. The family of Goudstikker, the gallery owner, decided on the advice of a lawyer not to reclaim the masterpieces for business reasons, the 9th Circuit said. The family did file claims for other artworks and for real estate and settled them with the Dutch. The Dutch government then sold the paintings in 1966 to George Stroganoff-Sherbatoff. He later sold the paintings to the Norton Simon Museum, which has displayed them for nearly 50 years. Marei von Saher described by the court as the only living heir of Desi Goudstikker tried to get the paintings back in the 1990s. She eventually recovered 200 paintings still in the possession of the Dutch, but the government turned down her requests for the Cranachs. The government said her family had decided previously not to try to recover the Cranachs and had informed the government of that decision in writing. Von Saher then sued in federal court in Los Angeles. The district court eventually considered evidence in the case but ruled for the museum, saying the Dutch state validly owned the paintings when it sold them. The 9th Circuit agreed that the case should end in favor of the museum. The Dutch government acted with authority to convey the paintings after von Sahers predecessors failed to file a claim, Judge M. Margaret McKeown, a Clinton appointee, wrote for the panel. She said the court was avoiding embroiling our domestic courts in re-litigating long-resolved matters entangled with foreign affairs. The 9th Circuit applied the act of state doctrine, which requires actions taken by foreign sovereigns within their jurisdictions to be deemed valid. Without question, McKeown wrote, the Nazi plunder of artwork was a moral atrocity that compels an appropriate governmental response. But the record ... reveals an official conveyance from the Dutch government. Von Saher may ask a larger panel of the 9th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider her case. Lawrence M. Kaye, her lawyer, said she has not decided whether to appeal. Mrs. von Saher is disappointed by the decision, and she is considering her next step in her long, frustrating battle to achieve justice in this case, Kaye said. maura.dolan@latimes.com Twitter: @mauradolan Officials identified one of two men killed Saturday night during a drive-by shooting outside a liquor store in South Los Angeles. The gunfire started about 8 p.m. Saturday in the 800 block of Vermont Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department. Two male victims went inside the liquor store and when they walked outside, three armed males got out of a dark-colored sedan and began shooting, Sheriffs Department officials said. During the shooting, 23-year-old Juan Lopez was struck in the torso and died at the scene. Advertisement The second victim was a bystander who was shot and transferred to a local hospital. He later died from his injuries, officials said. Four other people were injured during the shooting, including a 45-year-old male who was wounded in the leg and transferred to a local hospital as well as a 49-year-old male who suffered a grazing wound and declined treatment. After the incident, Los Angeles County sheriffs officials said the suspects entered their vehicle and drove south on Vermont Avenue. The motive for the shooting remains unclear and officials are asking anyone with information to contact the L.A. County Sheriffs Departments Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 melissa.etehad@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad Two at a time, the vehicles blasted down a Compton roadway scarred by skid marks from past races. Drivers playfully mocked each other, placing small bets on each contest. Then, someone shouted. Cops! Drivers and onlookers scurried into the nearest car, tearing away from the area as the blue and red flashes of a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department cruiser reflected off their back windows. Inside one of the fleeing vehicles, the driver barked out a new location. In the back seat, another man typed on his cellphone, alerting a Facebook group. Advertisement Minutes later, most of the racers reassembled on the other side of Compton. The police were nowhere to be seen. Popular Instagram accounts, YouTube channels and other forms of social media have served as a bullhorn for Los Angeles street-racing community in recent years, said law enforcement officials and members of the racing community. The larger a car club or race organizers online following, the easier it can draw large crowds to illegal events. The platforms have helped expand Los Angeles reputation as a proving ground for car clubs from as far away as San Bernardino and Oakland, allowing regional rivalries to gain steam through online wars of words and video clips of racers performing on their home turf. CHP investigators suspect street racing was to blame in a fiery crash on the 5 Freeway that killed three people in City of Commerce in 2016. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) But authorities say social media is also one of several factors that have turned the racing culture more violent in recent years, with some racers more inclined to perform dangerous stunts or turn aggressive toward police in the hopes of creating a viral racing video. Earlier this month, seven men were charged with assaulting Los Angeles police officers who were trying to chase a suspect at a street-racing incident in South L.A., authorities said. Last December, Los Angeles Fire Department officials said an ambulance responding to an emergency call was also attacked by racers at a street takeover, in which racers block off an intersection or stretch of road in order to perform burnouts and other stunts. A group of racers also shot a firework at a police helicopter in the Los Angeles area earlier this year, CHP officials said. In years past, street racers would do whatever they could to avoid police, said Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Jesse Garcia, one of the agencys top racing investigators. Now, he believes they crave conflict, hoping controversial footage will lead to more likes and followers. The more outrageous the acts that are captured on these videos, the more notoriety that they get, he said. A lot of these individuals will try to get themselves stopped for something very minor so they can air it ... just to add to their fan base. Earlier this year, a Los Angeles Times analysis of coroners records, police reports and media accounts found that at least 179 people had died in suspected street races in Los Angeles County since 2000. There were 984 street-racing incidents in Los Angeles County last year including spontaneous races and organized events, according to data tracked by the California Highway Patrol accounting for a little more than 40% of the incidents statewide. Police say street-racing incidents in the area are on the rise, driven in part by racers ability to promote meet-ups, fuel regional rivalries and adapt to police responses through Instagram accounts. Abraham Kim, an investigator who took part in a recent CHP task force targeting street racers, said Instagram stories have become the preferred method of communication for race organizers in recent years. The feature enables users to create photo and video slideshows that disappear after 24 hours. Because they vanish quickly, police must constantly monitor accounts that can set up sporadic rally points across Los Angeles County, he said. California Highway Patrol officers look for street racers in South Los Angeles. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) They just have one guy who is the organizer and hes followed by a bunch of people and hell post, Hey, next spot is at this street, be quick about it, Kim said. Once thats posted, then hell take it off. Though investigators believe social media is a driving force in the racing scene, it is not clear how adept police are at monitoring such activity. Both the CHP and the LAPD refused to discuss how they track racing activity online. On a recent evening, two Times reporters shadowed a CHP street-racing task force for several hours. The investigators drove to several known hot spots across South L.A. and Torrance, but found no racers or screeching brakes only skid marks left by fleeing drivers. Two Los Angeles residents who have been active in the takeover scene said Instagram has made it much easier for someone to set up either a large takeover or a quick cash race with just a dozen cars. Anyone can be an organizer as long as youve got enough followers, said one man, who declined to give his name for fear of reprisal from police or fellow racers. A Santa Ana-based racer, who asked to be identified only as Richard, said that although Instagram has made it easier to organize races and sideshows, its also made it more likely that large, rowdy crowds will show up and cause the kinds of problems that draw police attention. The problems are the ones on Instagram where they invite everyone and their mother and their mothers friends, he said. In recent months, investigators say car clubs from San Bernardino, Orange County and the Bay Area have been drawn to Los Angeles to hash out rivalries. Instagram and other social media accounts displaying videos of races and other competitions can sometimes fuel conflict, Kim said. It just hypes up the other groups to come out more often and kind of show that this is how we do it here in L.A., he said. Its almost a north-south competition kind of deal. Viewing some of the more popular Los Angeles-based racing accounts can provide a snapshot of the citys risky, and sometimes violent, street-racing scene. One Instagram account dubbed MJ420_MonteCarlo_SS is home to dozens of videos showing cars performing burnouts, with vehicles swerving just a few feet from spectators. One clip, posted in April, shows an argument breaking out while cars are lined up to race. The screaming match quickly devolves, and several people can be seen kicking and swiping at a vehicle as it tries to flee. Other clips show the woman who runs the account engaging in takeovers. The account is operated by a prominent Los Angeles street racer who goes by the nickname Mary Jane because she often smokes marijuana while driving in her videos, said an anonymous law enforcement official who wasnt authorized to speak publicly about investigations. The Times reviewed several videos on the account earlier this year, but it was made private in July. The operators of similar YouTube and Instagram accounts declined requests for interviews. When asked about street-racing content on its platform, YouTube released a statement saying it has clear policies on potentially harmful or illegal content, and we quickly remove videos violating these policies when flagged to us. Videos that encourage dangerous or illegal activities where serious injury may result are subject to review and removal under this policy, the statement read. An email to Instagram seeking comment was not returned. A spokeswoman for Facebook did not respond to questions about street-racing content on the social media site. A pair of cars jump off the starting line during a drag race at the Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale. The track hosts weekly racing and drifting events on Thursdays, which attract hundreds of car enthusiasts and spectators. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) Though police are concerned that social media has exacerbated some of the local racing circuits worst aspects, activists who want to curtail illegal racing are trying to use Instagram and Facebook to communicate with organizers. Kevin Stevens, marketing director at Irwindale Speedway, a legal racetrack, said hes been monitoring racing-related social media accounts since he became part of the tracks new ownership team earlier this year. When he notices trash talk between rival car clubs on a Facebook or Instagram post, Stevens tries to persuade the racers to face off in the safer confines of a legal drag strip. In just the short time that weve been managing the facility, weve seen probably four or five of these grudge races that otherwise would have occurred out on the streets, he said. Instead, theyve chosen to take it to the track. For all of the access social media might provide to police or activists looking to better understand the countys racing scene, an Instagram or Facebook account can also give racers a huge numbers advantage when they cross paths with cops offline. Well have one or two available units, said Kim, the CHP investigator. But thats not enough to deal with 500 people. Spectators watch drag races at the Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) james.queally@latimes.com nicole.santacruz@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT & @nicolesantacruz for crime and police news in California. The international arms embargo is making it harder for the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar to defeat Islamist militants in Libya, LNA spokesperson said on Sunday. "When you win a battle, you have to immediately move to the next stage of the operation, but this didn't happen," said Colonel Ahmed al-Mismari, chalking this outcome up to the arms embargo. Speaking in a media briefing organised by weekly magazine Al-Ahram Al-Arabi, which was attended by Egyptian and Libyan diplomats and military experts, al-Mismari noted that roughly 21 million "pieces of weapons" have either been smuggled out of Libya or sold to militias in the country since 2011. He described the embargo as "very harmful" for the LNA, saying it caused a shortage in weapons and affected "our ability to protect our borders with Egypt, Sudan, Chad and different parts of Libya." On 26 February 2011, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1970, which prevents "direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer" of weapons to Libya. The embargo included "weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned, and technical assistance, training, financial or other assistance, related to military activities or the provision, maintenance or use of any arms and related materiel." In May 2014, Haftar launched Operation Dignity against Islamist militants in the port city of Benghazi on the Mediterranean Sea and eastern parts, mainly Derna, of Libya. The LNA, in 2016, started another operation entitled "Swift Thunder" to gain control over the Oil Cresent. Al-Mismari said the LNA with the support of the "Libyan people" successfully finalised its operations in these areas, even though the victory needed more time than usual due to ammunition shortages. However, al-Mismari stressed, the LNA is still facing challenges in terms of dealing with threats posed by smugglers and militias located on the western coast of Libya, which is a "threat to Egypt, Sudan and Chad as well." He said that a "dear price" has been paid, citing thousands of people who were injured, suffered paralysis and lost limps in the Benghazi battle. This situation, according to the spokesperson, has also increased the ability of Islamist militants groups such as the Islamic State (IS) militant group, Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood to expand their control over Libyan territories. Meanwhile, al-Mismari referred to external support for the Islamist militias, saying that "some states are backing the terrorists, while the international community is not standing with us [LNA]." In specific, al-Mismari accused Qatar, Turkey, Iran and Sudan of providing political, financial and military support to the armed groups, a situation that, he argued, increased their ambition to expand their control over many parts of Libya. Al-Mismari played a video in which Al-Qaeda's personnel receive medical treatment in Turkish capital Ankara and Qatari army officers train "terrorists" on shooting inside Libyan territories. The footage also showed Al-Qaeda militants, who were fighting in Libya and are currently located along the Syrian-Turkish borders, as well as other Islamist militants coming from different African states take part in the Libyan war. Al-Mismari stated that some of Al-Qaeda's militants moved from Afghanistan to Libya, even though arrest warrants had been issued against them in several countries. "There are states that help terrorists move from Libya to countries like Syria, Somalia and Mali and offer them money and weapons," he said. "Is that what the international community wants? Is Libya being destroyed over oil? Who has an interest in killing Libyan soldiers and army officers and seeing this destruction happen in Libya?" Said al-Mismari. The Libyan colonel said if it hadn't been for the LNA's ongoing operations, the Islamist militants would have been fighting each other over political power in Libya. "We managed to weaken them [Islamist militants] and turn them into smaller groups, but they continue to attack the army forces. Two days ago, we killed 13 terrorists, and clashes are still ongoing." Al-Mismari stressed that no other state offered more support for Libya than Egypt, hailing Cairo for providing political, logistical, and medical support for the LNA. Search Keywords: Short link: The Metropolitan Transportation Authoritys passenger rail system stretches deep into the corners of Los Angeles County, drawing commuters to downtown from Long Beach, Azusa, North Hollywood and Santa Monica. But only a handful of the Metro systems 93 stations intersect with a second line, a design that often forces riders to travel miles out of the way to change trains. A rail extension Metro is planning through Hollywood, Beverly Grove and West Hollywood would address that problem, serving as a north-south spine through central L.A. and creating transfer points with three other rail lines. But the line is not slated to open for another three decades. Citing the lines high ridership numbers, West Hollywood officials and transit advocates are pushing to speed the projects construction, aiming instead for a ribbon-cutting before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Advertisement The project is so strong, and so compelling, said Joanna Hankamer, a principal planner at the city of West Hollywood. Its filling a gap in the regional network. Crenshaw Line extension possibilities (Ellis Simani/Los Angeles Times) The route would be an extension of the 8.5-mile Crenshaw Line, which will run from Westchester to Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw when it opens late next year. The line would extend north from the Expo/Crenshaw station, terminating at the Hollywood/Highland subway station. The area studied for the route a crescent shape that includes West Hollywood, Mid-City, Miracle Mile and Arlington Heights has a higher population density per square mile than San Francisco, Boston and Chicago. Six of Metros 10 most popular bus lines cross through the area, the agency said. The agency said ridership on the extension could top 90,000 trips per day, which would make it the busiest light-rail line in the United States. Its a good line in a dense part of town, said David Mieger, a Metro executive officer for mobility corridor planning. It could provide a very strong north-south connector through the central part of Los Angeles. Metro riders would be able to travel from Hollywood to Westchester without changing trains. From there, they could board a smaller airport circulator train, expected to open in 2023, to reach Los Angeles International Airport. The route would also eliminate the need for San Fernando Valley and South Bay rail riders to transfer through downtown to reach Santa Monica, Koreatown or USC. The line is slated to receive nearly $2 billion in funding through Measure M, the sales tax for transportation projects that county voters approved in 2016, in 2041. The extensions estimated ribbon-cutting is in 2047. Thirty years is too long to wait for a project that could have the highest ridership of any U.S. light-rail line, West Hollywood officials say. The city has lobbied for years for rail access, saying strong nightlife, high employment figures and the distance from any freeway makes the city a strong contender. Under the proposal, the Crenshaw Line would be extended north from its current terminus at the Expo Line station on Crenshaw Boulevard, adding two stops in Jefferson Park and Arlington Heights. There, the plans for the line diverge, with a route proposed parallel to most major north-south streets in the area. One option would follow San Vicente Boulevard for 9.5 miles through Mid-Wilshire, Carthay, Beverly Grove and West Hollywood. The line would add nine stops to the Metro Rail network, including one near the Beverly Center and Cedars-Sinai, and would carry an estimated 90,800 daily trips. A similar route option would run at street level and on aerial tracks along San Vicente, then curve onto La Cienega, where the tracks would be elevated. That 9.2-mile route would take 19 minutes and would carry a similar number of riders as the San Vicente route, Metro said. A rail tunnel beneath Fairfax Avenue would be the most expensive, at an estimated $4.7 billion. Metro estimates the 8.1-mile route would carry 88,700 daily riders through Mid-Wilshire, Fairfax and West Hollywood, and would stop near the Grove, the Original Farmers Market and the La Brea Tar Pits. The $3-billion, 6.5-mile route along La Brea Avenue is the most direct path between the Expo Line and Red Line stations. The line would have six stops, and would run on elevated tracks between San Vicente and Fountain Avenue. The Vermont Avenue route is the only option that would not run through Beverly Grove and West Hollywood. Instead, the $3.6-billion route would run underground for 10.2 miles between Baldwin Hills and Koreatown, with stations in Arlington Heights and Harvard Heights. The price tag for the route runs from $3 billion to $4.7 billion. The biggest known variable is Metros choice to build the line at street level, above ground or as a subway. Building at street level is the cheapest option, at about $150 million per mile, but it can create operational problems. The traffic congestion at many of the major intersections in the study area is too severe to accommodate a train at street level, Mieger said. Metros Blue Line, which runs at street level along much of its route, has one of the highest fatality rates of any U.S. light-rail line. Commuters frequently face delays when trains strike vehicles or pedestrians on the tracks. An aerial line along a major boulevard or avenue, similar to Chicagos L, would cost about twice as much per mile, but would not face the same conflicts with drivers and traffic lights. Tunneling and excavating stations for underground lines are far more costly, pushing the price tag for subway construction to at least $700 million per mile, Metro said. Metro requires that cities cover 3% of the costs for any portion of a major transit project build within the city limits. Depending on the route selected, West Hollywood would be asked to provide $42 million to $66 million, officials said. A new policy at Metro also allows cities and other groups to attempt to accelerate construction for projects, if they can secure 5% to 25% of the projects total cost. Depending on the route Metro selects, that could be at least $550 million. West Hollywood agreed in May to hire a consultant to locate other sources of funding, including raising the citys sales tax, bonding against the local sales tax revenue from Measure M, or securing a partnership with a company that could pay for part of the construction. The lines high ridership estimates make it a strong contender for a federal funding match of up to 50% of the total cost, Hankamer said. I think well have to see how that develops, Mieger said. The line is still in the early planning stages, he said, and several other communities slated to receive a major Metro line are also looking to accelerate their projects. Metro will begin public outreach for the line this fall in Los Angeles and in West Hollywood. Officials there know, Mieger said, that the Westside is never shy about telling us what they think. laura.nelson@latimes.com Twitter: @laura_nelson Asylum seekers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry may find out more quickly whether theyll be allowed to pursue their cases in immigration court because of a new program being piloted at the border crossing. Through the program, people who are afraid to return to their home countries but do not have permission to enter the United States will stay in the ports temporary holding cells until officials decide whether their stories have a chance at winning in court. The screening process, known as a credible fear interview, is run by asylum officers from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The program is meant to speed up processing of asylum seekers, letting them know more quickly whether theyll be able to pursue their cases in the U.S. Since at least December, the San Ysidro Port of Entry has had more arriving asylum seekers than it can process smoothly, causing long lines to form on the Mexican side of the border. Migrants from Central America, parts of Africa and even states across Mexico have waited for weeks for their turns to ask the U.S. for help. Advertisement Bardis Vakili, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in San Diego, didnt think the program would move the line of asylum seekers more quickly. This seems much more likely to back things up than speed things along, he said. Vakili also worried the program, paired with a recent decision from Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions that limits the ability of people fleeing domestic violence or gang violence to ask for asylum, could quickly shuttle people needing protection out of the country. Normally, Customs and Border Protection officers transfer asylum seekers from the ports temporary holding cells to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency responsible for long-term immigration detention. Asylum officers interview the migrants while they are in ICE custody, often by phone. After each interview, the asylum officer makes a decision, and a supervisor at USCIS reviews the officers justification. The agencys goal is to get results back to waiting migrants within about a week. Under the pilot program, asylum officers stationed at the port conduct credible fear interviews, and arriving asylum seekers stay at the port of entry until they receive their results. USCIS deferred to CBP for comment on the pilot program. CBP declined to comment on specifics about the new process. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at the San Ysidro Port of Entry are open to exploring alternatives that might be able to shorten the timeline for individuals, particularly families, who have entered the asylum/credible fear process, a spokeswoman for CBP said. At this time, it would be premature to discuss which possibilities may be tested or may end up working given our limitations, such as infrastructure, space, workloads, etc. The asylum officers union said a couple of its members have been on rotating details to the San Ysidro Port of Entry for about a month. The union has opposed some of the Trump administrations recent changes to asylum policy, including a memo telling asylum officers to follow Sessions guidance on who qualifies for asylum. When it comes to the pilot program, however, the union has a more positive outlook. President Michael Knowles and other union officials said they hope that the program streamlines processing of asylum seekers and that migrants spend less time waiting in detention for decisions about whether their cases will move forward. Union officials said conducting credible fear interviews at the port could shorten that wait time to two or three days. They said ICE sometimes has delays when notifying USCIS about people needing interviews, so having officers on the ground at the port could also speed up that part of the process. We want to help people get out of that limbo as quickly as possible, a union official said. To do interviews at the port of entry, asylum officers need private interview rooms where migrants will feel safe enough to share some of their most traumatic experiences. Because the team detailed to the port is based out of an office in Arlington, Va., officers also have to work out logistics to have their decisions reviewed by supervisors on the East Coast. Knowles and other union officials pointed out that the program is still in its beginning stages and is being tested with only a subset of those coming through San Ysidro. It may or may not become a more permanent process that affects all asylum seekers coming through the port. The union hasnt yet gotten sufficient feedback from its members to take a position about how the pilot program is going. But it is adding more travel time to its already-strained members, the union said. Our workforce is feeling very taxed by the amount of cases and the work theyre being asked to do, Knowles said. The union said as a general rule, its members can most effectively complete about four cases a day. Some are being scheduled for five or six cases to account for potential cancellations or rescheduling, union officials said. Knowles said because of the workload and emotional nature of the testimony, union members experience burnout and high turnover rates. Asylum officers last, on average, between 18 and 24 months, he said. The subject matter, if you have a beating heart, it takes a toll, Knowles said. For those of us whose names are on the decisions, we want to make sure theyre the right decisions. Asylum seekers who do not pass credible fear interviews can request a judicial review of the asylum officers decision. Through the pilot program, migrants can also remain at the port of entry to speak with a judge over video conferencing. The National Assn. of Immigration Judges didnt have a stance on the pilot program in particular. Union President Ashley Tabaddor said its members have concerns about the use of video conference technology in general in immigration court. Video conferencing has been used for years to connect judges to immigrants for various kinds of hearings. Any time you have a [video teleconferencing] connection, it certainly isnt the same thing as being in person, Tabaddor said. She said that judges experience a lot of technical issues with the devices and that the technology complicates logistics. For example, almost all immigration court proceedings still happen on paper. Depending on where the judge, attorneys and immigrant are physically located, passing paperwork among the parties can be difficult, she said. Sometimes judges have a hard time seeing people appearing on the courtroom TV, Tabaddor said, which raises questions for the union about whether the televised immigrants surroundings make it possible for them to feel comfortable telling their stories. You need to make sure the person that is beaming in, that theyre in a setting where they feel comfortable enough and safe enough to share traumatic experiences, Tabaddor said. Vakili, the ACLU attorney, said he worried about the implementation of the pilot program and about its intent, given the Trump administrations recent changes restricting who is able to get asylum. Its very concerning that a secret pilot project is being used to implement a law without any public awareness, particularly when the attorney general has unilaterally attempted to overhaul the asylum laws on his own, Vakili said. We worry about asylum applicants rights being protected, particularly the right to have someone present, including an attorney, at their credible fear interview, which is required by law. CBP does not generally allow attorneys to access people held in the port of entry, Vakili said. He worried about how long asylum seekers might end up staying at the port of entry, especially if they ask for judicial review of their cases in backlogged immigration courts. The holding area isnt meant to house people for long periods of time, Vakili said. CBPs own policy says people should be moved out of its facilities within 72 hours. Attorneys who, under a court settlement, were recently allowed to review conditions at the San Ysidro Port of Entry found issues with overcrowding and lack of basic hygiene. The fact that immigration officials want to speed up the process did not bother Vakili, he said, but he urged officials to be more transparent about the program and about conditions at the port. Its not a problem to want to handle the cases of people youre incarcerating expeditiously, but you can never sacrifice due process when you do it, Vakili said. Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com Ron Dellums, a fiery antiwar activist who championed social justice as Northern Californias first black congressman, died Monday of cancer, a longtime advisor said. He was 82. Dellums died at his home in Washington. A former Marine who got his start in politics on the City Council of the liberal enclave of Berkeley, he defeated a labor-backed Democrat to win his first election to Congress in 1970. He retired in 1998 and was elected mayor of his native Oakland in 2006. He was absolutely committed to what was right and what was just and believed that you had to do whatever you could to fight for that, said Dan Lindheim, who learned of Dellums death from his wife, Cynthia Dellums. Advertisement A self-identified democratic socialist, Dellums was at the center of most major liberal movements of the 1970s and 80s. He led the drive to sanction South Africa during apartheid, challenged U.S. entry into wars, opposed increased military spending and helped start the Congressional Black Caucus. During Dellums first campaign for Congress in 1970, then-Vice President Spiro Agnew branded him an out-and-out radical. Later in his victory speech, Dellums wryly referred to Agnew, a Republican, as his public relations agent, according to the U.S. House of Representatives archives. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Dellums, said U.S. sanctions and divestment from South Africa during apartheid would not have happened without Dellums, who pushed legislation for nearly 15 years to place economic restrictions on that nation. Legislation didnt pass until 1986, and Congress had to override a veto from then-President Reagan. It was his voice that brought the sanctions on South Africa, Jackson said of Dellums. He opposed almost every U.S. entry into military conflict during his tenure in Congress and, as head of the Congressional Black Caucus, began submitting his own version of a scaled-back military budget. He rose through the ranks of the House Armed Services Committee to become its first black chairman in 1993. Lindheim remembered Dellums as a gifted orator with a photographic memory who could speak without notes and never needed a word of his remarks to be corrected in the Congressional Record. Sometimes, Lindheim said, Dellums would take speech notes onto the House floor just so he didnt intimidate his colleagues by speaking without them. Dellums jokingly referred to himself the way his critics did as a left-wing, antiwar, commie, pinko activist from Berkeley, Lindheim said. Dellums retired from Congress in 1998, a move that surprised his colleagues. To get up every day and put on your uniform and put on your tie and march on the floor of Congress knowing that, in your hands, in that card, in your very being, you have life and death in your hands, it is an incredible thing, he said in one of his final speeches, according to the Congressional Record. Dellums became a lobbyist before returning to politics as mayor of Oakland in 2006, a seat he narrowly won. His return wasnt without controversy; some viewed him as an absentee mayor and he did not seek a second term. U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), who replaced Dellums in Congress after working in his office, called him a great warrior and statesman. The contributions that Congressman Dellums made to our East Bay community, the nation and the world are too innumerable to count, she said in a statement. news.obits@latimes.com The White House announced Monday that it has confiscated U.S.-donated vehicles from Nicaraguan security forces and suspended future donations and sales in response to President Daniel Ortegas deadly crackdown on opponents. In the administrations strongest condemnation yet, the White House accused Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, of having brutalized their own people with indiscriminate violence that has killed more than 300 people in three months. Hundreds more have been jailed, tortured or have disappeared, human rights organizations say. Ortega, a revolutionary hero for the leftist Sandinista Front when it toppled Nicaraguas U.S.-backed dictator nearly 40 years ago, must immediately end the state-sanctioned violence perpetuated by police and para-police forces, the White House said in an unusually detailed statement. Expanding on demands made by the State Department and the U.S. delegation at the United Nations, the White House called for early free, fair and transparent elections as the only way to put the Central American country back on the path to democracy. Ortegas current term his third consecutive period after he rewrote the constitution to allow his reelection is scheduled to end in 2021. Advertisement Much of the widespread protest by students, teachers, Sandinista dissidents and ordinary citizens targets what they see as a deeply corrupt government well on its way to building a family dynasty to hold on to power indefinitely. Ortega made his wife his vice president last year and is grooming her to succeed him, and several of their eight adult children run lucrative state businesses or media companies. Ortega has also spurned efforts by the Catholic Church to hold a dialogue between the government and its opponents, attending only one meeting aimed at starting talks; later police attacked churches where protesters were holed up. The United States until recently had worked to train and equip Nicaraguan security forces. In a region known for corrupt, poorly trained police, the Nicaraguan force was seen as one of the better ones. Now in addition to cutting off access to vehicles to the police, the administration said it would funnel another $1.5 million to freedom and democracy groups as a critical lifeline to the Nicaraguan opposition movement arrayed against Ortega Though slow to emerge, the White House criticism of Nicaragua now mirrors its policy toward Venezuela and largely comes out of the playbook of conservative Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a hawk on Latin America. The administration has invested so much in attempting to shape events in Venezuela, it cant be silent when it comes to Nicaragua, said Daniel Erikson, who was a White House advisor on Latin America in the Obama administration. As it did with Venezuela, where the government is also accused of massive corruption and egregious human rights abuse, the Trump administration has sanctioned several Nicaraguan officials close to Ortega, restricted visas, ratcheted up rhetoric and called for regional pressure on Managua from the Organization of American States and other countries. Finally, outside pressure is beginning to appear after a delay by both the United States and the OAS, said Michael Shifter, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue and a veteran expert on the region. Both were quite slow to react. Why it has taken so long for Washington to act is up for debate. For one, Nicaragua was probably not on the administrations radar. Until recently. Nicaragua had been a relatively stable country, thanks in part to the control that Ortega and his police exercised over society. Moreover, the country, unlike the so-called Northern Triangle of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, was not generally a source of migrants fleeing toward the United States, and in that sense, did not raise alarm in Washington. All of the political attention and pressure was focused on the Northern Triangle countries, Shifter said. Washington also gave Ortega a pass because over the years he had shrewdly struck deals with the private sector, Catholic Church and non-Sandinista political parties. But most of that has collapsed. Inaction became untenable, Shifter said. The administration also may have sought to avoid putting emphasis on the plight of besieged Nicaraguans at a time it was advocating deportation of Central Americans back to the region and routinely refusing to grant asylum. Vice President Mike Pence, at a State Department-sponsored international conference on religious freedom last week, singled out the clerics of Nicaragua for special praise and solidarity in the persecution they were suffering at Ortegas hands. The government of Daniel Ortega is virtually waging war on the Catholic Church, Pence said, applauding a Nicaraguan priest, Father Raul Zamora, who was invited to the conference and whose church in Managua was attacked. Let me say to you, Father, said Pence. Our prayers are with you, and the people of America stand with you for freedom of religion and freedom in Nicaragua. That persecution, however, does not seem likely to translate into asylum claims for Nicaraguans. The administration made it clear at the end of the religious conference that it was not eager to welcome more refugees. Officials said their goal, throughout Central America and elsewhere, was to improve freedoms and conditions at home to keep populations in their own countries. Rubio and a bipartisan group of senators this month proposed legislation to impose even tougher sanctions on a broader range of Nicaraguan officials, and for the State Department to certify annually whether human rights and other elements of better governance were being upheld. Rubio, who has raised Nicaragua with both Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and national security advisor John Bolton, said there is a direct national security interest for the United States in Nicaraguas stability. As Nicaragua follows Venezuelas dangerous path, Rubio said, the U.S. should be prepared to take further action with our regional allies to address the threat of Ortegas regime. Some of the outrage coming out of Washington can backfire. Ortega blames American governments for fomenting unrest in Latin America for decades, and paints dissidents with a brush of imperialism. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter Fishermen and environmentalists are at odds over a suite of changes to U.S. fishing laws that was approved by the House of Representatives, and the proposal faces a new hurdle in the Senate. The House passed changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, a 42-year-old set of rules designed to protect fisheries from over-harvest, on July 11, largely along party lines. Environmental groups have derided the changes as antithetical to the purpose of the act, which many fishermen and conservationists credit with saving seafood stocks such as New England sea scallops and Bering Sea snow crab. Supporters of the House bill and several commercial and recreational fishing groups have said the changes merely provide managers with flexibility and refocus the Magnuson-Stevens Act on sound science. The big question is whether a bill will also pass the Senate before the midterm election. No bill has been proposed yet, and the election could bring changes that make it more difficult for such a bill to pass. Advertisement Sen. Daniel Sullivan, an Alaska Republican and the chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Oceans, atmosphere, fisheries and Coast Guard, is pursuing a Senate version of the bill, but no timeline is in place yet, a spokesman said. Theres healthy agreement across Capitol Hill that reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act is long overdue, the spokesman, Matt Shuckerow, said. Sullivan has already held numerous hearings on the subject, he said. The Magnuson-Stevens Act guides the U.S. fishing industry, which generated more than $200 billion in sales in 2015. It touches every fishery from Washington states salmon to Maines lobster. Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this year that the number of U.S. fish stocks that can be described as overfished has hit an all-time low under the stewardship of the act, which last underwent major changes in 2006. Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska guided new changes to passage in the House this month. The House Committee on Natural Resources, led by bill supporter and Utah Republican Rep. Rob Bishop, released a statement that the bill gets rid of unscientific time frames that unnecessarily restrict access to fisheries. One of the most controversial portions of the bill would take away a requirement for annual catch limits for some fish species. It would also change rules about requirements to rebuild overfished stocks. The bill is also designed to give fishery regulators more alternatives in how they manage fish stocks. It doesnt authorize any new federal spending, and supporters say it would save about $100 million over a similar bill that passed the House in 2015. Supporters have also said the bill modernizes the management of recreational fishing, an industry that employs thousands. Anglers are leading conservationists, said Mike Leonard, conservation director for the American Sportfishing Assn., which supports the changes. But environmental groups have painted a dire picture and described the reauthorization as a rollback of a landmark conservation law. Ted Morton, director of federal ocean policy for the Pew Charitable Trusts, said he is already looking to the Senate to prevent the bills passage. This bill increases the risk of overfishing in ocean waters, delays the rebuilding of depleted fish populations and undercuts the important role science plays in management decisions, he said. We hope the Senate will take a different tack with legislation that reflects our countrys commitment to healthy fish populations and coastal communities. The bill passed by a vote of 222 to 193 in the House. Only nine Democrats voted in favor of passage. Republicans have a much slimmer edge in the Senate, where they control 51 seats and 35 seats are being contested this fall. Two armed individuals walked up to a crowd outside a strip mall in New Orleans and opened fire, killing three people and wounding seven, the citys police chief said. The shooting occurred late Saturday on a busy thoroughfare about three miles from the French Quarter, police said. Police Supt. Michael Harrison, speaking to reporters in televised comments, said the two suspects believed to be wearing hoodies had a rifle and a handgun. He said they appeared to have fired indiscriminately into the crowd. Before fleeing, they took time to stand over one person. We believe that they actually stood over one of the individuals and fired multiple rounds and then after that fled, he said. Advertisement Police found three victims two men and one woman who were pronounced dead at the scene. Seven other victims five men and two women were taken to two hospitals. Four of them were driven in private vehicles, and three were transported by ambulance. Harrison said that one underwent surgery and was in critical condition. The six others were in various conditions, but none of their injuries were considered life-threatening, he said. Harrison spoke with family members and friends at the scene of the volatile and tense situation. He called on people to come forward and help police find the killers and also asked people not to take matters into their own hands. This was an extremely tragic incident. A lot of people were out here tonight. A lot of people, we know, saw what happened, heard what happened. And we need more than anything for people to come forward to help the [police] right now solve this case, Harrison said. He said police do not know whether it was gang-related. Lawrence Russo was buying a scratch-off lottery ticket at gas station when he heard what he at first thought were firecrackers before he realized they were gunshots. He told NOLA.com/Times-Picayune that he heard 13 to 16 shots fired. They never stop killing each other, he said, shaking his head as he spoke. Near the scene of the shooting, beyond the police tape, people could be seen crying and hugging one another in comfort. The New Orleans Advocate news site reported that a woman stood behind the crime scene tape shouting, Pick my brother up, as two bodies lay uncovered. NOLA.com/Times-Picayune reported two men were trying to console two sobbing women as one of the women shouted, Thats my baby! Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a statement: There is no place in New Orleans for this kind of violence. I speak for everyone in our city when I say we are disgusted, we are infuriated, & we have had more than enough. Three more lives gone. It has to end. Its unacceptable anywhere. Five years ago, Gov. Jerry Brown used these words in his veto of a bill: Jury service, like voting, is quintessentially a prerogative and responsibility of citizenship. At the time, the issue was legislation that would have allowed noncitizens who were legally in the country to serve on juries. Brown probably didnt foresee a day when not just noncitizens, but immigrants in the country illegally would be registering to vote for school board candidates. Yet thats whats happening in San Francisco, thanks to an initiative voters passed in 2016 that temporarily opened the ballot box in school-board elections to all adult residents of the city who have children younger than 19. The philosophy behind the expanded voting rights is easy to understand. Parents have a personal stake in the schools their children attend, and its frustrating when school leaders dont listen to them. The power of the vote would take them one step closer to having their voices heard. Browns words should prevail nonetheless. Voting is one of the great privileges of citizenship. Its a privilege that too few Americans appreciate or consider a responsibility, thats for sure. But voting acts as a vital form of oversight for all three branches of government in California, and that check on governmental power should be reserved for those who have the formal, binding tie to the nation and each other of citizenship. Advertisement Who gets a say in the running of public agencies and governments the users of those services or the voting public? The answer should be the latter. California already gives noncitizen parents a form of school oversight via the parent trigger law. That trigger has a greater and more direct effect on schools without giving noncitizens the authority to change governmental leadership. If enough parents sign a petition to force drastic change at their childrens low-performing schools, their petition has the force of law. In contrast, a school board might or might not listen to the concerns of parents. Noncitizen parents also have the right to form parent organizations and join the PTA and school advisory boards. Besides, if the rationalization is that people should be able to vote on matters that directly affect them, why stop at schools? Noncitizens have a clear interest in transportation, healthcare, environmental protection, land use, taxes and law enforcement, to name just a few issues. The deeper question is: Who gets a say in the running of public agencies and governments the users of those services or the voting public? The answer should be the latter. Communities are built on the very idea the word implies that we are not just an assortment of individual interests but a larger entity with a communal interest in a well-functioning society. Parents concerns about schools obviously count and should be taken seriously, but dating back to the early settlers, entire towns understood the importance of educating new generations and contributed collectively to provide that for all children. Noncitizens are welcome to contribute to U.S. society and to benefit from its policies and public services. But governance of those public matters belongs with the citizenry. In response to San Franciscos experiment with school board voting, which will expire after the 2022 election unless that countys supervisors extend it, former Republican congressman Doug Ose is trying to qualify an initiative for the 2020 ballot barring noncitizens from voting in Californias state and local elections. We agree with the goal, although we suspect Ose is motivated mainly by a desire to increase GOP turnout that year. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion In ways it is easier to rationalize giving the vote to undocumented immigrants than to noncitizens who are here legally. Intransigence at the federal level continues to leave the country without a long-overdue overhaul of our immigration laws. People who are in the country illegally have no current path to citizenship, no matter how long they may have lived in the United States, how devoted they might feel toward the nation and their individual communities, or how much they already participate in public life. But even giving the vote to noncitizens who could be naturalized if they chose to go through the process is problematic it would provide a disincentive for them to dedicate themselves to that task. The right way to begin extending voting rights would be to provide a path to citizenship for those who lack one now and encourage those who have such a path to use it. The nation relies on its voting citizenry, a system that should be strengthened rather than diluted. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook Im very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming Election, President Trump tweeted last week. Based on the fact that no President has been tougher on Russia than me, they will be pushing very hard for the Democrats. They definitely dont want Trump! At first glance, this might seem like typical presidential trolling. It might look like it at second glance too. The president does have a point, though. Two points, actually. First, Trump has been tougher on Russia than many of his detractors will allow. No, he hasnt been tougher than any president in American history, but such exaggerations are a hallmark of his rhetoric. (He isnt the most popular president among Republicans ever, nor is this the best economy ever.) Advertisement Second, it would be rational for the Kremlin to favor Democrats in the midterms though not because theyre soft on Russia. Although there are many theories for why Russian President Vladimir Putin put his thumb on the scales in favor of Trump in the 2016 election, the rough consensus among national security types goes something like this: We know Russia is interested in sowing discord across the West. Thats why it mucks about in almost everyones elections. Its also why it funnels support to various nativist, populist and nationalist groups throughout Europe. Like pretty much everyone else, the Russians didnt expect Trump to win, but they figured he could damage the Clinton presidency before it started. And they bet that if he lost, his inevitable claims that the election was rigged or stolen from him would be a strategic bonanza. Trump has been tougher on Russia than many of his detractors will allow. Heres the thing. If Russia wants to stay true to its original strategy of fueling the dumpster fire that is American politics right now, it very well might want the Democrats to take back Congress. Many normal administrations have been crippled after getting shellacked in their first midterm elections. Thats because the incoming party, which ran against the incumbent president and his policies, believes that it has a mandate to investigate and check the party in the White House. Andrew Johnson was impeached in large part because the Radical Republicans boosted their numbers in the 40th Congress. If the Democrats take back the House in November, which looks increasingly likely, many will pursue impeachment. Even if that goes nowhere which is also likely given what we know now and the fact you need two-thirds of the Senate to remove a president the Democratic-run oversight committees will gain subpoena power and the ability to compel testimony. If you think the White House is lawyering up now, just wait. Its hard to game out what the spectacle would look like, but it would surely be a spectacle. Perhaps Trump would insist that the midterms were rigged, even blame the Russians for the rebuke. His legislative agenda would certainly be dead. With no chance of getting legislation through the Senate and the presidents veto, the Democrats would turn to intrusive investigations of proctological proportions. A riot of hypocrisy would also unfold, as Republicans who once insisted that the White House must provide whatever documents Congress wants would suddenly discover the merits of executive privilege, while Democrats would start to sound like the Freedom Caucus threatening to impeach officials who did not comply with their demands. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Meanwhile, the fight over the speakership would be a glorious exercise in dysfunction. (Many Democrats have said they would refuse to vote for Rep. Nancy Pelosi.) And lets not forget all of the inevitable posturing from Democrats seeking the 2020 nomination. Im not predicting the Russians will or can do anything significant to affect the midterms. Nor am I arguing that people should vote for the Democrats. Indeed, the prospect of such a crazy 2019 might be an argument for Trump-skeptical but drama-weary and impeachment-wary Republicans to vote to keep the GOP in control. My argument is that if the Russians want our political climate to get yet more unhealthy, they could do worse than switching sides this time around. jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.com Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook I got my drivers license renewal notice from the DMV the other day. This time, I was informed, Id have to renew in person, although I could make the process easier by completing my application online. When I tried, however, I got an error message. I could not submit an online application if I wanted a license that was also a Real ID. If you dont know about Real ID, youre not alone. It was mandated in 2005 by Congress after the 9/11 Commission recommended federal standards for identification. But the whole notion of a national-type ID card was derided by civil libertarians and privacy activists rightly, Id suggest as un-American. Real IDs carry the same information as your old drivers license, along with a variety of safeguards to make them more difficult to counterfeit. To receive one, however, you must meet a new federal standard proving you are who you say you are and you live where you say you do. Real ID wont make us safer, it will only divide us. Advertisement In July 2017, then-Homeland Security director John Kelly announced a 2020 deadline for compliance. It is a critically important 9/11 Commission recommendation that others have been willing to ignore, Kelly scolded, but I will not. Just what every Californian needs: More complications at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Here is a list of what I was told to bring to my appointment: an identity document, such as a passport or a certified birth certificate; verification of my SSN in the form of a Social Security card or an income tax return; and proof of California residence a utility bill, for instance, with my name and address. As it happens, I have these items, although Im not thrilled about showing my taxes to the DMV when the president hasnt done the same to the American people. But what about those who cant put their hands on such documents? Passports are expensive: $110 for the application and an additional $35 execution fee. And lets be honest, identity documents have everything to do with citizenship and immigration status. (If you werent born in the U.S., you have to provide a certificate of naturalization or a green card equivalent.) As for proof of residence, that will be hard to produce for those who cant afford a stable living situation, who stay with friends or family, or pay weekly or monthly rates at a motel. There is an option: Get an un-enhanced license. California, along with many other states, still offers licenses that are non-compliant, although after October 2020, they wont be accepted at airports or get you into many federal buildings courthouses, for example. Over time, who knows who else will demand Real ID. Employers? States that pass voter ID laws? So, lets review. As of 2020, if you want to travel within your own country by air, you will have to have Real ID or a passport. If you want an ID that isnt stamped Federal limits apply, you will have to document your legality. The government expressly claims this isnt a national identification system, but please: You either will have the proper papers or you wont. A federal law that aims to conscript the states into creating a national ID system is precisely the kind of scheme that the framers expected that federalism would guard against, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the World Privacy Forum argued in 2007 against the first iteration of the law. Equally troubling is the further development of what we might call a two-tier America, based on immigration status and economic opportunity. Even the Department of Homeland Security acknowledges that noncompliant IDs could be a red flag for discrimination. DHS cautions against assuming that possession of a noncompliant card indicates the holder is an undocumented individual, reads the answer to an FAQ on the agencys website. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion The issue is particularly relevant in California, where by law more than a million residents who are in the country illegally have already gotten drivers licenses. This is good policy, enhancing road safety among other benefits. Can anyone question that it will be compromised by IDs that single out citizens and legal immigrants by design? Not long after the attack on the twin towers, I saw a news report in which a man stood in a security line at LAX and complained about having to show ID at all. This is America, he said. No one had the heart to tell him America had changed. Without Real ID, the U.S. has not experienced another 9/11-scale attack, and terrorism remains (thankfully, fortunately) an abstraction to most of us. If another strike is brewing, IDs will not protect us. The 9/11 hijackers, remember, had passports, and all but one had legal visas that would have allowed them to travel freely in the United States even under Real ID rules. Real ID wont make us safer, it will only divide us. Federal limits apply? Can there be a redder flag in these dark and distrustful times? David L. Ulin is a contributing writer to Opinion. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook A suicide bomber in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar killed at least four people, including a prominent local militia commander, considered a leading opponent of Islamic State fighters in the region, officials said on Monday. The bomber targeted Hayat Khan, a local tribal elder and commander of local militia forces in the Behsood district of Nangarhar, Attaullah Khogyani, the provincial governor's spokesman said. "Haji Hayat Khan was a prominent tribal elder and he was playing a important role in the fight against Daesh," said provincial council member Sohrab Qaderi, using the term often employed for Islamic State group in Afghanistan. "He was a strong barrier against Daesh expansion in Nangarhar." The incident follows a series of attacks on targets in Nangarhar, the province on the border with Pakistan where Islamic State group first appeared in Afghanistan in late 2014. Search Keywords: Short link: Newsoms budget proposes $3 million for Alzheimers research, brain task force By Melody Gutierrez Amyloid plaques, shown here in human brains, are a hallmark of Alzheimers disease. (UCLA School of Medicine) Gov. Gavin Newsom will call for the creation of a brain health task force and dedicate $3 million annually from the states general fund to Alzheimers disease research in the budget proposal he will release Thursday, a source close to the administration said. The money for Alzheimers research would target the new grants at understanding why the disease is more prevalent in women and people of color. Former California first lady and Alzheimers activist Maria Shriver pushed for the funding to be included in the state budget. Shriver said in a statement Wednesday that the funding would make California the first state to make understanding our brains a priority. The states former first lady, whose late father Sargent Shriver was diagnosed with Alzheimers, founded the Womens Alzheimers Movement, an advocacy group raising awareness about womens increased risk for developing the disease. In 2011, she wrote a comprehensive assessment on the disease, to which Newsom then mayor of San Francisco contributed a portion called What one city is doing. This is personal to me, just like it is to millions of California families, Shriver said. Alzheimers is one of the largest medical, social and economic crises in our state, and of our time. I am so proud that, once again, California is leading the way. Wiping out Alzheimers is going to require bold thinking, and there is no doubt in my mind that California is home to bold thinkers who can make this happen. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Gavin Newsom orders reinvention of troubled California DMV By Patrick McGreevy A line of people stretches around the South L.A. location of a California Department of Motor Vehicles Office on Aug. 7. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered an overhaul of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which has been plagued by hours-long wait times at field offices, computer crashes and voter registration errors involving tens of thousands of customers. Just a few days after taking office, Newsom appointed a top advisor to a new DMV Reinvention Strike Team to revamp the beleaguered agency over the next six months. By any metric, California DMV has been chronically mismanaged and failed in its fundamental mission to the state customers it serves and the state workers it employs, Newsom said in a statement, adding Its time for a reinvention. The governor appointed state Government Operations Agency Secretary Marybel Batjer to lead the strike team with a goal of modernizing the agency and enacting changes that improve customer satisfaction, employee performance and transparency. Newsom also ordered an accelerated review of initial findings of an ongoing audit ordered last year by Gov. Jerry Brown. The action was welcomed by lawmakers who have been critical of the DMV, including Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield). The egregious management failures of the DMV have been self-evident, which is why I have been calling for new leadership and a comprehensive independent audit of this troubled state agency over and over again as the problems grew significantly worse, Fong said. Last summer, Californians seeking new driver licenses complained of wait times of four to six hours at DMV offices, which the agency blamed partly on snafus caused by a rush of people trying to get Real IDs, a new identification card design required for airline passengers starting in late 2020. Delays were also blamed on computer crashes at DMV offices as the agency struggled to update its aging automation systems. The DMV also admitted that there were an estimated 23,000 errors as people either were unknowingly registered to vote or mistakes were made in their registration status as part of the states new motor voter program. The agency registered to vote as many as 1,500 people with legal U.S. residency but no citizenship. Last month, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto retired from the agency. Legislators were angered earlier this week when the DMV said it needed an additional $40 million to prevent the return of long lines at its field offices. In addition, the agency has been under fire for issuing driver licenses in the last year that do not comply with the federal Real ID standards requiring two forms of identification by applicants. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California police unions are preparing to battle new transparency law in the courtroom By Maya Lau Just as a landmark police transparency law is going into effect, some California police agencies are shredding internal affairs documents and law enforcement unions are rushing to block the information from being released. The new law, which begins to unwind Californias strictest-in-the-nation protections over the secrecy of law enforcement records, opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. But the lawsuits and records destruction, which began even before the law took effect Jan. 1, could tie up the release of information for months or years, and in some instances, prevent it from ever being disclosed. The fact that police unions are challenging this law is on some level not surprising, said Peter Bibring, director of police practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, one of the principal supporters of the new law. They have a long history of fighting tooth and nail against transparency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Secretary of State Alex Padilla begins second term with challenge to ensure every Californian is counted By Jazmine Ulloa Secretary of State Alex Padilla takes the oath of office as his family stands by his side on Monday in Sacramento. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) Secretary of State Alex Padilla was sworn in for a second term on Monday, saying he would continue the battle to protect the right to vote at a time when voter suppression efforts, online disinformation campaigns and interference from foreign adversaries have polarized the public and threatened to undermine trust in U.S. elections. I am doubling down on our fight here in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C., to defend our democracy, he said. Working on the front lines with so many of you, I know that our collective resolve has never been stronger. But the loudest applause came when Padilla promised to fight back against the Trump administrations changes to the U.S. census, saying he will ensure every Californian gets counted. Padilla, a former state senator and Los Angeles City Council member from the San Fernando Valley, led the cause for a new motor voter registration law in 2015, and a new system for online business registrations. But the programs have had experienced problems: More than 23,000 Californians were registered to vote incorrectly by the state DMV, the agency reported last year. On Monday, Padilla said he would continue to push back against false claims of voter fraud in California and pointed to the states voter turnout as proof that his office was involving more people in the democratic process, a promise he made when he was first sworn in four years ago. More than 12.7 million voters cast ballots in the Nov. 6 midterm election, representing roughly 65% of the states registered voters, the highest number of any midterm election since 1982, according to state certified results. I made that promise based on a shared belief that we are a stronger democracy and a better California when we hear all voices from all corners of California, and when those voices are not just heard but counted, Padilla said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Ricardo Lara, Californias first statewide officeholder to come out as gay, sworn in as insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara on the floor of the state Senate in 2016. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Ricardo Lara took the oath of office as California insurance commissioner on Monday, pledging action to boost healthcare coverage and combat climate change. Lara, a Democrat from Bell Gardens, is the first elected statewide officeholder in California who has come out as gay. He began his speech in downtown Sacramento by thanking LGBTQ leaders who came before him and celebrated the occasion. Today, because of you, weve shattered the pink ceiling, Lara said. In his inaugural speech, Lara announced the creation of an executive position in his office to address climate change. There is no other industry that has the necessary expertise to ensure that California is prepared to mitigate and reduce risk to our communities and our environment, Lara said. Our planet cant wait. Im ready, and I hope you are too. Lara served as a state legislator and in 2017 introduced a bill to create a single-payer healthcare system in the state. He promised to work with new Gov. Gavin Newsom to expand coverage across California. Lara was sworn in by retired U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who declared unconstitutional Californias Proposition 8 gay marriage ban. State Sen. President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) was on hand for the ceremony along with multiple other state lawmakers. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis says she will help expand access to universities in the state New Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, center, is shown in June talking with attendees at the Power to the Polls rally in Sacramento. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) More Californians should be given access to public universities, Eleni Kounalakis said as she took the oath of office Monday to become the states first woman elected lieutenant governor. Kounalakis was given the oath of office by Gov. Gavin Newsom, her predecessor in the job, who pledged they would work together. As lieutenant governor, Kounalakis serves on the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees, she noted in a speech at her swearing-in ceremony at the main Sacramento Library. In that role, she said, she will be committed to expanding access to affordable public higher education here in our state. Its wise, its smart and it is the best way to address our rapidly changing digital economy. Kounalakis is former president of a development company founded by her father, Angelo Tsakopoulos, and served during the Obama administration as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary. In November, she won her first run for statewide office. Also attending the ceremony were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California meets Dutch Newsom, who steals the show at his fathers inauguration By Taryn Luna Gov. Gavin Newsom gives his inaugural address while holding his youngest son, Dutch. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) In the California political world, all eyes were on Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday until his 2-year-old son stole the show. Dutch, the youngest of four children in the Newsom brood, climbed onstage in the middle of his fathers inaugural address in a tent outside the Capitol on Monday. The unplanned moment saw the 51-year-old governors big day interrupted by the toddler, bringing levity to the ceremony. Newsom was recounting Gov. Jerry Browns last inaugural speech and reference to the Sermon on the Mount, a biblical story about two men who built separate homes on sand and rock, when Dutch approached his father, a pacifier in his mouth and blanket in hand. Now more than ever we Californians know how much a house matters and children matter, Newsom said, improvising as he scooped the boy into his arms. The governor kissed Dutch on the cheek and held him for several minutes as he continued with the speech. This is exactly how it was scripted, Newsom joked. Newsom eventually put his child down and Dutch walked to the edge of the stage before retreating behind the podium to hide from his mother, First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The crowd roared. Siebel Newsom was able to briefly divert her son only for him to return to the stage minutes later. She grabbed him again and this time, the crying toddler did not reemerge. When fires strikes, when kids cry and the earth shakes, well be there for each other, Newsom said. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said the moment humanized Newsom, threw cold water on any theories that Dutchs cameo was planned. No, I know it was not, Garcetti said with a laugh after Newsoms speech concluded. I could see that look of absolute abject terror [on Newsoms face]. Weve all been there. Kids always think its about themselves and theyve proved it. California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) agreed. I worked in early childhood education for 20 years and theres no way you can ever get a child to do anything when you want them to do it, Rendon said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fiona Ma takes oath as Californias new treasurer By Liam Dillon State Treasurer Fiona Ma. Fiona Ma took the oath of office in Sacramento on Monday as the states 34th treasurer, promising to boost Californias economy. Ma previously served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, in the state Assembly and on the California Board of Equalization. I want to thank everyone for entrusting me with this important job. I understand my role here as your state treasurer is to build that financial wall around California so that we will remain the fifth-largest economy, Ma said in brief remarks. That is my promise to you. California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye administered the oath to Ma. Following the ceremony, Ma held an ice cream social for guests. On Wednesday, she will host a public event in San Francisco to celebrate her swearing-in. State Treasurer Fiona Ma takes the oath of office. (Liam Dillon / Los Angeles Times) Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Expectations are high for newly sworn-in state schools chief Tony Thurmond Tony Thurmond shakes hands with retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco after taking the oath of office. (Melody Gutierrez / Los Angeles Times) Tony Thurmond took the oath of office as Californias state superintendent of public schools on Monday, promising a labor-friendly agenda before the teachers, students and Democratic officials who filled an auditorium at McClatchy High School in Sacramento to watch him being sworn in. We cant close the achievement gap without a great teacher at the head of every class, Thurmond said Monday to applause. We have to make sure we provide quality compensation and support to our teachers and our classified staff and all the educators who support our kids. Thurmond, a Bay Area Democrat who served in the state Assembly, won a hotly contested and expensive race with the help of labor leaders against charter school executive Marshall Tuck. The race took several days to sort out after Tuck held an initial lead in early returns on election night before falling behind thereafter. Thurmond was sworn in Monday by retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco. He was joined on stage by labor rights leader Dolores Huerta and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount). Thurmonds former colleagues in the state Assembly took turns praising him and promising to be an ally in improving schools. Many said they expected Thurmond would be a strong leader focused on improving student outcomes. We know we are going to work hard to give you the money you need and the budget you need to fully fund education and our schools so we can put our money where our mouth is and make sure our children have everything they need, Assemblywoman Connie Leyva (D-Chino Hills) said. As state superintendent, Thurmond will oversee the education of 6.2 million students at 10,000 schools. Thurmond was a member of the West Contra Costa County School Board and a Richmond city councilman before he was elected to the state Assembly. Tony is the right man at the right time to fight the federal, Donald Trump, Betsy DeVos anti-child, anti-education, anti-civil and -human rights agenda, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said. Tony is going to do that for us. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State Controller Betty Yee takes oath of office with call for more affordable housing and healthcare State Controller Betty Yee California Controller Betty Yee took the oath of office Monday for a second term, saying she still has work to do addressing problems that include a lack of affordability in housing, healthcare and higher education. A San Francisco native, Yee is the chief financial officer of California the fifth-largest economy in the world having first won election to the post in 2014 before winning reelection in November. No region is spared from the widening inequality and increased poverty that plague our state, fueled by the lack of affordable, stable housing, the cost of healthcare and transportation, limited educational opportunities, student loan debt, displacement caused by disasters and more, she said. Yee was administered the oath of office by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento before an overflow crowd that included state Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. As a public official it is about governance that delivers results and stays accountable while upholding the underlying value of dignity for all, Yee said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra begins new term promising to fight Trump policies California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Monday took the oath of office for a new term, saying he would continue his role as a leading challenger to Trump administration actions that he believes are counter to the states interests. Becerra, a former 12-term congressman, has become a national opposition figure to Trump, having sued the federal government 45 times since he was appointed as the states first Latino attorney general in 2017. Weve been a little busy stopping the dysfunction and insanity in Washington, D.C., from infecting California, Becerra told an audience during a swearing-in ceremony at the California Museum in Sacramento. Whether its the criminals on our streets or the conman in the boardrooms or highest office of the land, Becerra said, the California Department of Justice, well, weve got your back. Becerra won his first statewide election as the states top cop in November, two years after he filled the post vacated when predecessor Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has peppered the Trump administration with lawsuits challenging federal policies on healthcare, the U.S. census, the environment and immigration. Our state builds dreams, not walls, he said in a direct criticism of Trumps proposal to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Just last week, Becerra led a coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general in announcing an appeal of a federal judge in Texas that ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. The ACA has been the law for nearly a decade and is the backbone of our healthcare system, Becerra said last week. This case impacts nearly every American workers covered by employers, families, women, children, young adults and seniors so we will lead the ACAs defense as long and far as it takes. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California Democratic Party Vice Chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall announces bid to lead group By Christine Mai-Duc Daraka Larimore-Hall. (Dominic Parisi / Courtesy of Daraka Larimore-Hall) Daraka Larimore-Hall, a top official at the California Democratic Party, said Monday hes running to replace former chairman Eric Bauman, who resigned abruptly in November after being confronted with allegations of sexual misconduct. Larimore-Hall, a longtime state party activist and former chairman of the Democratic Party of Santa Barbara County, was one of the party leaders who urged Bauman to resign following the allegations. In an email to supporters announcing his bid, he urged both structural and cultural change at every level of our Party. He also repeated his call for a top-to-bottom investigation of the allegations, the party and its culture. In a Times investigation, 10 party activists and staff members said Bauman made crude sexual comments and engaged in unwanted touching and physical intimidation in professional settings. In order to be where we need to be for 2020, we have to confront the culture of abuse and fear that allowed someone to behave in such a vile way for so long, Larimore-Hall said in an interview. We cant brush it aside or think that our activists or our candidates or our donors are going to forget about this overnight. Larimore-Hall said his first priority would be to fully investigate the allegations and restore rank-and-file confidence in the partys leadership. The second would be to refocus the party on political priorities as the 2020 presidential election nears. The Bauman episode, Larimore-Hall said, threatens to derail the Democrats plans to help defeat President Trump and keep the seven congressional seats gained in the midterm elections. Its definitely a crisis, Larimore-Hall said. But the component parts the energy, the enthusiasm, the volunteers, the infrastructure its still there. We just need to direct it toward something. Larimore-Hall was elected vice chairman of the state party in February following Baumans razor-thin victory over Bay Area activist Kimberly Ellis. Ellis has announced another bid for the chairmanship and former state Senate leader Kevin de Leon is also mulling a run. The vote will take place at the partys May convention in San Francisco. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom will vow to seize this moment, and swipe at Trump in Monday inaugural address By Melanie Mason Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family attend an Inauguration Family Event at the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Building on the theme of California exceptionalism that defined his campaign, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will depict the state as a guardian of progressive values and a counterweight to President Trump in his inaugural address Monday, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks. What we do today is even more consequential, because of whats happening in our country, read the excerpts obtained by The Times. Peoples lives, freedom, security, the water we drink, the air we breathe they all hang in the balance. The country is watching us. The world is waiting on us. The future depends on us. And we will seize this moment. The speech casts Californias political stakes in a decidedly national scope, promising an agenda that will unify and be an example to the rest of the country. It contrasts the governing goals of Newsom, a Democrat, with that of Trump, the incoming governors perennial foil. We will offer an alternative to the corruption and incompetence in the White House, the excerpts say. Our government will be progressive, principled, and always on the side of the people. Newsom campaigned on an ambitious and wide-ranging platform, promising sweeping solutions on housing, healthcare, education and other issues that rank among Californians top concerns. In the weeks after his election, he struck a more muted tone, taking pains to emphasize his fiscal caution and need for patience in achieving those goals. The inaugural excerpts indicate a return to lofty pledges. While Newsom will vow to prepare for uncertain times ahead by building budgetary reserves and paying down debt, the prepared remarks quickly turn to a vow to be bold. Newsom has already floated several proposals for his first budget that carry significant price tags, including a nearly $2-billion plan to boost early childhood development for low-income families and a dramatic expansion of paid family leave from six weeks to six months. When asked for a preview of his inauguration speech during a news conference Sunday evening, Newsom predicted pundits would criticize his address as short on specifics. Well, of course, Im at an inaugural, Newsom said. But Ill be very detailed in the budget, a few days later. And then we will architect, in much more nuance and detail, in state of the state. I really see this as three opportunities to communicate over the next few weeks our agenda, our vision for the state. Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom-hosted benefit concert raises nearly $5 million for wildfire victims By Taryn Luna Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom speaks at a concert to benefit wildfire victims at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) On the eve of the gubernatorial inauguration, Californias political class rubbed elbows in Sacramento for a benefit concert hosted by Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and headlined by the rapper Pitbull. Newsom told the crowd gathered at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday evening that the fundraiser brought in nearly $5 million for the California Wildfire Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that supports the families of fallen firefighters and communities affected by wildfires. You know, a lot of folks feel anxious about not just politics, but government, Newsom said on stage before introducing the rapper and activist Common. But those firefighters, they are the antidote to the fear and cynicism; they are the manifestation of why government matters and why you should care. Top sponsors, including Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente and other interest groups, paid up to $1 million each to support the cause and curry favor with the new administration. Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom, said organizers sold more than 7,000 tickets. Several state lawmakers attended the concert alongside Capitol staff, lobbyists and business types, who mingled on the floor of the arena and offstage in private VIP areas. The rock band X Ambassadors and a duo called the Cold Weather Sons from the town of Paradise, which was destroyed by fire in November, were among several performers who entertained the crowd during the four-hour event. The California Rises concert is the final in a series of festivities held Sunday to celebrate the inauguration of Californias 40th governor. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum and his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront. Newsoms inauguration is set to begin at 11 a.m. Monday on the steps of the Capitol. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Inauguration fever hits Sacramento as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom prepares to take office By Phil Willon Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom holds his son, Dutch, as he and his family attend an inaugural event at the at the state Railroad Museum Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom doesnt officially take the oath of office until Monday, but the parties celebrating his inauguration were in full swing all day Sunday. Newsom and his family were mobbed by well-wishers at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront in the afternoon, where his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families. He just has charisma. Hes able to really connect with people, said Rosielyn Pulmano, an attorney from Elk Grove who came to see Newsom with her husband, two sons and her niece. I think he cares about working Californians and a lot of their issues. Newsom arrived with his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and their four young children, and the governor-elect spent a good deal of his time wading through crowds, taking selfies with supporters and signing autographs as music boomed in the background. As the family toured the inside of the museums locomotives and the bevy of exhibits, Newsoms two-year-old son, Dutch, was wide-eyed, impressed by all the train cars and seemingly a little overwhelmed by the crowd. Newsom said that for his son, all that was missing from the museum was Thomas the Train, popular fictional locomotive in childrens books and cartoons . If theres one thing I can contribute to Sacramento maybe its getting a Thomas the Train exhibit for the two years olds, Newsom joked when talking with reporters afterward. Newsom said he wanted to include such an event in his inaugural festivities to highlight families and children, whose wellbeing will be among the top priorities of his administration. Youll see that not only as a preamble to the inaugural and the budget that well be submitting next week, but I think itll be a big part of the administration, Newsom said. The museum event followed a private, high-dollar brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum. A steady rain failed to dissuade as many as 200 guests who sipped wine and dined on chicken and salmon while waiting for a photo with Californias new first couple. Seen at the event were representatives of some of the states most powerful political interests, among them organized labor, healthcare companies and tribal gaming interests. A few other high-profile guests attended, too, including Larry Baer, CEO of the San Francisco Giants, and Erika Jayne, a singer and cast member of the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Im excited to see someone like Gavin young, vibrant taking over the state and leading us into the future, Jayne said after attending the brunch with her husband, attorney Tom Girardi. Hes got a lot of great plans. Attendees said the event, which was closed to reporters and held under a tent in the museums outdoor atrium, did not include prepared remarks by Newsom. Among those seen leaving the event were representatives of AT&T, the California Medical Assn., Uber, Kaiser Permanente and the State Building and Construction Trades Council. A fundraising invitation obtained by The Times offered bundled tickets to all of the inauguration events, including those on Sunday and the Monday ceremony, ranging in price from $25,000 to $200,000. The money will be collected by a committee specifically organized to pay for Newsoms inaugural weekend. Sundays festivities are scheduled to end with a benefit concert headlined by Pitbull at the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBAs Sacramento Kings, to raise money for the victims of Californias recent deadly wildfires. Among the attendees at @GavinNewsoms pre-inaugural leadership brunch: Real Housewife of Bev Hills @erikajayne. Im excited to see someone like Gavinyoung, vibranttaking over the state and leading us into the future. Hes got a lot of great plans. pic.twitter.com/561NHiy2XQ Melanie Mason (@melmason) January 6, 2019 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement As Newsom inaugural events begin, he unveils more state budget promises on education and paid family leave Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, seen here last April, will propose new state budget efforts on paid family leave and education subsidies. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Californias incoming governor, who must send his first state budget plan to the Legislature this week, has already signaled a significant new focus on programs to help families and children from infancy to college. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom campaigned on a platform that included a number of child-focused efforts specifically aimed at helping lower-income families. The price tag for the initial efforts is expected to approach $2 billion a cost paid out of an unrestricted tax revenue windfall that could be one of the largest in state history. Newsom may also seek help for families through new subsidies paid by California employers. The governor-elect is expected to propose a dramatic expansion of paid parental leave from six weeks to six months according to an internal document provided by a source close to the Newsom transition team, first reported on Sunday by the New York Times. The document doesnt offer a full explanation for how the program will be funded, saying instead that the budget will set a goal of ensuring that all newborns and newly adopted babies can be cared for by a parent or a close family member for the first six months. Employers across the state are currently assessed a payroll tax that helps offer a subsidy to parents who temporarily leave their job to care for a newborn. Newsoms plan, according to the document, would pay for some of the new costs by shrinking the mandated cash reserve of the state fund that administers the program, allowing more of the money to be paid in benefits. The increase in paid leave would not all happen at once but instead be phased in over a multi-year period. A task force to help implement the expanded care plan is also envisioned, according to the document. It would determine whether two parents could split the six months of paid leave and whether an extended family member could be enlisted to help care for the child of a single parent over the six-month period. The incoming administrations focus on young children will also include $1.8 billion in new spending on early childhood education programs, with a particular focus on training childcare workers and pushing for more California schools to offer full-day kindergarten. Those costs, according to an overview memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times, are considered to be a one-time expense while leaving the long-term costs of the effort to be determined later. More community college students would get free tuition under a third initiative expected in the new governors budget plan. Newsom will propose spending $40 million to offer a second year of tuition-free college to California students, according to an outline provided by a transition official, first reported by Politico. Students are already eligible for a single year of paid tuition under a plan agreed to by Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers in 2017. The incoming governor embraced the idea of free community college during the 2018 campaign as part of a broader focus on additional investments in higher education. Education is an economic development strategy, Newsom said at a higher education forum last spring. We need to significantly increase the investment from the general fund of this state on higher education. Theres no greater higher return on investment. Whether the proposal would be targeted to students based on a familys financial need is unclear. Many low-income students are already eligible for fee waivers at community colleges. The new governor must submit his full state budget plan to lawmakers no later than Thursday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gavin Newsom and his family decide Sacramento is the place to be The Old Governors Mansion State Historic Park in Sacramento. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will move his family into the mansion. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family will give up the Marin County life and move to the Victorian-style governors mansion in Sacramento after he takes the oath of office Monday. Newsom and his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, had debated whether or when to relocate to the state capital since his election in November. The couple have four young children and expressed reservations about moving in the middle of a school year. To best serve the people of California while also maximizing family time together, the Newsoms have therefore decided to move to Sacramento, said Newsoms spokesman, Nathan Click. On Monday, they will move into the Governors Mansion along with their four children, their two family dogs, and their family bunny rabbit and reside there for the immediate future. The Newsoms currently live in Marin County. Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife, Ann Gust Brown, moved into the grand house in 2015 after it underwent $4.1 million in renovations to update electrical and plumbing systems, as well as to remove lead-based paint and install a fire sprinkler system and other security features. The mansion was built in 1877 and has been home to 14 governors, but before Brown it had not housed a California governor for nearly half a century. The state bought the mansion from a wealthy Sacramento hardware merchant, Albert Gallatin, in 1903 for $32,500. It was one of the few California homes at that time to have indoor plumbing. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom announces top labor, business liaisons as he prepares to take office Julie Su will be secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency for Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday named two advisors on issues related to the California economy, each recognized for their expertise on business and labor. The incoming governor will appoint Julie Su as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and Lenny Mendonca as chief economic and business advisor and director of the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development. Su, 49, has served as state labor commissioner under Gov. Jerry Brown since 2011 and has led an office tasked with the enforcement of Californias labor laws. She won a MacArthur Foundation genius grant in 2001 and previously worked as a civil rights attorney representing low-wage workers. In her new position, Su will be tasked with coordinating the work of several workforce departments in state government, including those that administer unemployment benefits and oversee the relationship between agriculture workers and employers. Mendonca, 57, has been a longtime advocate for rethinking government operations as co-chairman of the nonprofit organization California Forward. Previously, he was partner at McKinsey & Co., a global management consulting firm. While he will be a key advisor to Newsom on the states economy, Mendonca will also lead the office often referred to as Go-Biz, designated as a high-level way to encourage job growth and economic development. In his new role, Mendonca will help ensure that California is rolling out the welcome mat to current and future California businesses and growing a sustainable economy for every Californian, said a statement from the Newsom transition team. Newsom will take the oath of office as governor Monday. He has previously selected key advisors on the state budget, legislative affairs and the executive branchs wide array of agencies and departments. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Joshua Groban, aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, sworn in to California Supreme Court By Taryn Luna California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban gives remarks after he is sworn into the court by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday. (Taryn Luna) California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban, a lawyer and longtime aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, was sworn into the states highest court Thursday in Sacramento. The ceremony marked Browns fourth appointment to the state Supreme Court and gave the seven-member bench a Democratic majority. We live in a highly chaotic, ever-changing and ever-confusing world, Groban said in prepared remarks at the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building. But Im happy to report that Im joining an institution whose fundamental purpose, at core, is to provide stability and consistency amidst this chaotic place we live. I look forward to doing that with a sense of reflection, respect, fidelity to the law and compassion. None of Browns appointees, Groban included, have judicial experience. Groban served as legal counsel to Browns 2010 gubernatorial campaign and joined the administration as a senior advisor to the governor, overseeing the appointments of some 600 judges over the last eight years. Prior to working with Brown, Groban, 45, practiced law for more than a decade. In perhaps his final public appearance before his successor, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, takes office next week, Brown pushed back on notions that he stacked the court. I dont want this to be known as a Brown court, the governor said before administering the judicial oath of office. First of all, the so-called Brown appointments do not agree with themselves and nor should they. They are individuals. They will differ. Its not anybodys court. The governor called the court a high calling and said Groban possesses the values for the job. Probably, next to my wife, Ive talked to no person as much as Ive talked to Josh Groban, Brown said. I think youve talked to him more, Californias First Lady Anne Gust Brown interjected. I cant tell you what the hell hes going to do, Brown later quipped. I warned him, dont screw up, at least not at first. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California campaign watchdog agency seeks law barring use of campaign funds to fight harassment claims Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). ( (Steve Yeater / Associated Press)) Elected officials accused of harassment or discrimination would be barred from using political contributions to cover their legal defense costs under legislation proposed by Californias campaign watchdog agency. The state Fair Political Practices Commission has agreed to pursue a law change to clear up confusion after an attorney for one former state lawmaker argued political funds could be used in such legal defenses. Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said putting a prohibition into the law would provide some much needed clarity. As chair, I would like to show the public their lawmakers are held to a standard that is above reproach, Germond said in a statement. People dont give money to campaigns for lawmakers to use it to defend their own bad behavior, so lawmakers shouldnt be able to use it in that manner. The issue came up a year ago when an attorney for former Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) sought a formal opinion from the FPPC after the Senate launched an investigation that later concluded Mendoza likely engaged in a pattern of harassment against female aides. Mendoza resigned in February under threat of expulsion by the Senate. In a Jan. 10, 2018, letter, Cassandra Ferrannini, an attorney for Mendoza, wrote to the FPPC that she believed Mendoza should be allowed to establish a legal defense fund able to defray his legal expenses in defending himself against the allegations. The use of campaign funds for attorneys fees under these circumstances would fall squarely within the scope of legislative matters, since it involves the alleged conduct of a legislator with regard to legislative staff that he supervised, Ferrannini wrote. The commission staff originally issued an advice letter that said Mendoza may use campaign and legal defense funds to defend himself from claims of sexual harassment that arose directly out of his activities or status as a candidate or elected officer. But the panel later rescinded the letter after some members questioned using campaign funds to fight sexual harassment claims. That left uncertainty about what was allowed, which Germond said could be cleared up by a new law. The FPPC is still looking for a legislator to carry the bill, a spokesman said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias landmark police transparency law takes effect after court denies police union effort to block it California Supreme Court building (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) A new state law allowing the public disclosure of internal police shooting investigations has gone into effect after the California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a bid by a police union to block it. The law opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. challenged the law last month, asking state Supreme Court justices to decide that the law only apply to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. The court rejected that request Wednesday, allowing members of the public to seek all applicable records held by police departments. Union president Grant Ward said in a statement that his organization was disappointed with the decision and is now seeking other legal options. We feel this is a statewide issue and should be considered accordingly, Ward said. Last month, the city of Inglewood authorized the destruction of more than 100 police shooting investigations and other records in advance of Jan. 1, when the disclosure law was scheduled to take effect. California law requires police departments to keep such records for five years, and Inglewood City Council voted to destroy records older than that. Mayor James T. Butts has said the decision had nothing to do with the new law. In Los Angeles, Police Chief Michel Moore has said that complying with the new disclosure rules could take hundreds of thousands of hours of work. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of the transparency law, has said she has no immediate plans to propose changes to it. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Few complaints of racial profiling are sustained by police agencies in California, state panel finds CHP Officer J. Nelson stands outside the office of Gov. Jerry Brown as activists in 2015 support requiring the tracking of police stops. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Law enforcement agencies in California sustain few citizen complaints of racial or identity profiling, according to a report Wednesday by a state panel set up to help reduce bias in policing. The states Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board recommended in its annual report that law enforcement agencies improve training and adopt clear guidelines for tracking and reporting data on who is stopped by officers. The panel said that 453 law enforcement agencies in the state received 9,459 civilian complaints in 2017, including 865 complaints alleging racial or identity profiling. Of the racial and identity complaints that reached a disposition that year, 1.5% were sustained, 14.6% resulted in officers being exonerated and 83.9% of complaints were not sustained or were determined to be unfounded, the report said. A clearer picture of the issue is expected from a 2015 law that requires police agencies to report demographic data on all detentions and searches. The first reports by the eight largest agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, are due to be submitted in April. California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, whose office oversees the board, said tracking of all detentions and searches will be helpful to understand the scope of the issue. The Boards recommendations will help make our law enforcement agencies more transparent and promote critical steps to enhance, and in some cases, repair the public trust, Becerra said in a statement Wednesday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California housing crisis podcast: What Minneapolis decision to end single-family zoning might mean for California A view of downtown Minneapolis in 2014 (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images) Theres a national movement brewing to roll back zoning rules in cities that only allow one house on a plot of land. The epicenter of that movement is Minneapolis, which passed a plan last month to eliminate single-family zoning citywide and let landowners build duplexes and triplexes on residential property. On this episode of Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast, we talk about the reasons why Minneapolis leaders took this action, including their desire to combat a history of racial exclusion and spur more housing density to fight climate change. We also debate how Minneapolis decision might affect housing politics in California. Our guest is Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender, who helped shepherd the new zoning rules to passage and a former San Francisco city planner. The episode also crowns 2018s Avocado of the Year the most ridiculous story exemplifying Californias housing woes and includes our predictions for the most under-the-radar important themes in housing politics in 2019. Gimme Shelter, a biweekly podcast that looks at why its so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times Sacramento bureau, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CALmatters. You can subscribe to Gimme Shelter on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Google Play and Overcast. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement How young immigrant Dreamers made flipping control of the House a personal quest By Jazmine Ulloa Gabriela Cruz, who was brought to the U.S. illegally when she was 1, couldnt vote, but in the final hours before the Nov. 6 election, she was making one last run to get people to the polls. The sun was setting in Modesto when she found Ronald Silva, 41, smoking a cigarette on a tattered old couch behind a group home. He politely tried to wave her off until she reminded him he had a right that she as an immigrant without citizenship didnt have. It could really make a change for us, said Cruz, 29. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose almost $2 billion for early childhood programs (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Seeking to frame his new administration as one with a firm focus on closing the gap between children from affluent and poor families, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose spending some $1.8 billion on an array of programs designed to boost Californias enrollment in early education and child-care programs. Newsoms plan, which he hinted at in a Fresno event last month, will be a key element in the state budget proposal he will submit to the Legislature shortly after taking office Monday, a source close to the governor-elects transition team said. The spending would boost programs designed to ensure children enter kindergarten prepared to learn, closing what some researchers have called the readiness gap that exists based on a familys income. It would also phase in an expansion of prekindergarten and offer money to help school districts that dont have facilities for full-day kindergarten. The fact that hes making significant investments with his opening budget is really exciting, Ted Lempert, president of the Bay Area-based nonprofit Children Now, said Tuesday. Whats exciting is the comprehensiveness of it, because its saying were going to focus on prenatal through age 5. A broad overview document reviewed by The Times on Tuesday shows that most of the outlay under the plan $1.5 billion would be a one-time expense in the budget year that begins July 1. Those dollars would be a single infusion of cash, an approach favored by Gov. Jerry Brown in recent years. Most of the money would be spent on efforts to expand child-care services and kindergarten classes. By law, a governor must submit a full budget to the Legislature no later than Jan. 10. Lawmakers will spend the winter and spring reviewing the proposal and must send a final budget plan to Newsom by June 15. Though legislative Democrats have pushed for additional early childhood funding in recent years a key demand of the Legislative Womens Caucus those actions have typically come late in the budget-writing season in Sacramento. Quite frankly, to start out with a January proposal that includes that investment in Californias children reflects a new day, state Sen. Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) said. The governor-elect will propose a $750-million boost to kindergarten funding, aimed at expanding facilities to allow full-day programs. A number of school districts offer only partial-day programs, leaving many low-income families to skip enrolling their children because kindergarten classes end in the middle of the workday. Because the money would not count toward meeting Californias three-decades-old education spending guarantee under Proposition 98, which sets a minimum annual funding level for K-12 schools and community colleges, it will not reduce planned spending on other education services. Close behind in total cost is a budget proposal by Newsom to help train child-care workers and expand local facilities already subsidized by the state, as well as those serving parents who attend state colleges and universities. Together, those efforts could cost $747 million, according to the budget overview document. An expansion of prekindergarten programs would be phased in over three years at a cost of $125 million in the first year. The multiyear rollout would, according to the budget overview, ensure the system can plan for the increase in capacity. Lempert said the Newsom proposal is notable for trying to avoid the kinds of battles that in recent years pitted prekindergarten and expanded child care against each other for additional taxpayer dollars. The reality is we need to expand both simultaneously, he said. Another $200 million of the proposal would be earmarked for programs that provide home visits to expectant parents from limited-income families and programs that provide healthcare screenings for young children. Some of the money would come from the states Medi-Cal program, and other money from federal matching dollars. Funding for the home visits program was provided in the budget Brown signed last summer; the Newsom effort would build on that. Emphasizing a policy area with broad appeal in his first state budget could reflect Newsoms political sensibility about the challenges ahead. Democratic lawmakers and interest groups will be especially eager to see how Newsom addresses the demand for an overhaul of healthcare coverage in California especially after a 2017 effort to create a single-payer, universal system fizzled. The path forward on healthcare is complex and costly, making early childhood education a more achievable goal in the governor-elects early tenure. Newsom is likely to face considerable demands for other additional spending. In November, the Legislatures independent analysts projected that continued strength in tax revenues could produce a cash reserve of some $29 billion over the next 18 months. Almost $15 billion of that could be in unrestricted reserves, the kind that can be spent on any number of government programs. Kim Belshe, executive director of the child advocacy organization First 5 LA and a former state health and human services secretary, said the initial Newsom budget proposal suggests the next governor will focus on a comprehensive approach to improving outcomes for children from low-income families. School-ready kids deserve quality early learning, strong and well-supported families, and access to early screening services, Belshe said. Newsom understands the whole child, multifaceted needs of our kids and is clearly ready to lead. Mitchell, the chair of the Senate budget committee, said shes eager to see the details of the governor-elects proposal to determine whether it might signal the beginning of an even broader expansion of early education efforts. Similar efforts have been hindered by a lack of money and ongoing debate over which services to help children 5 and younger need state funding the most. Universal preschool, in particular, has been debated for more than a decade. California voters rejected a ballot measure to fund a full prekindergarten system in 2006. Its clear theres a new movement afoot trying to engage on investment for universal preschool, Mitchell said. How we invest, and how we prioritize that investment, is going to be a great conversation for the coming months. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Politics Podcast: A final conversation with Gov. Jerry Brown No Californian has served longer as governor, signed more laws, granted clemency to more felons or waged more high-profile campaigns than Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown will leave behind a unique legacy when he packs his last belongings for the trip from the governors mansion in Sacramento to his Northern California ranch. His final two terms in office could be his most consequential. The governor reviewed some of the more notable moments from the past eight years in a far-reaching interview with The Times on Dec. 22. This weeks podcast episode includes extended portions of that conversation. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A sagging economy could doom a 2020 ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes, Gov. Jerry Brown says Gov. Jerry Brown, at his Colusa County home on Saturday, said a ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes could struggle in 2020. (Randall Benton/For The Times) An effort to remove commercial property in California from the tax limits imposed by the landmark Proposition 13 could be felled by an economic slowdown, Gov. Jerry Brown said. In a Saturday interview with The Times at his Northern California ranch, Brown said liberal activist groups that have successfully placed the proposal on the November 2020 statewide ballot shouldnt read too much into early poll numbers showing support for the plan. That isnt as easy as you think, Brown said. Because youre going to be in a downturn of the business cycle. And youre talking many kinds of business. And the cost of doing business in California is already high. The ballot measure would allow counties to more frequently assess the market value of commercial property in California than allowed under Proposition 13, a 1978 ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to place strict limits on assessing property values and taxation for both homeowners and businesses. An analysis of the new measure, which qualified in October for the 2020 ballot, estimates it could bring in some $10.5 billion a year in new tax revenue. The business community will fight it, Brown said. And the minimum wage, the family leave, the environmental rules business[es] have left California, thats going to be the big argument. And I think thats something you really have to think a lot about. The governor, who leaves office early next month due to term limits, declined to either endorse or oppose the ballot measure. He said Californias economic health in two years time could be a key factor in how voters weigh the proposal. Well be in a recession by then, Brown said. So its anybodys guess. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Inglewood to destroy more than 100 police shooting records that could otherwise become public under new California law By Jack Dolan Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times) The city of Inglewood has authorized the shredding of more than 100 police shooting and other internal investigation records weeks before a new state law could allow the public to access them for the first time. The decision, made at a City Council meeting earlier this month, has troubled civil liberties advocates who were behind the state legislation, Senate Bill 1421, which takes effect Jan. 1. The law opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The legislature passed SB 1421 because communities demanded an end to the secrecy cloaking police misconduct and use of force, Marcus Benigno, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said in a statement. Inglewood PDs decision to purge records undermines police accountability and transparency against the will of Californians. California law says police departments must retain records of officer shootings and internal misconduct investigations for five years. The city of Inglewood, however, had kept records longer than that, including case files of police shootings dating to 1991. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of SB 1421, intended for her bill to allow public access to all qualifying records held by a department, no matter the date of the incident. Inglewood City Council approved the destruction of records that have been in the police departments possession more than 100 cases longer than required by law. The city staff report and council resolution describing the action makes no mention of the new police transparency law. Instead it says the affected records are obsolete, occupy valuable space, and are of no further use to the police department. It added the traditional method of destroying such records is to shred them. It is unclear whether the records have since been destroyed. A spokesman for the Inglewood Police Department along with Inglewoods city manager, attorney, clerk, four council members and Mayor James T. Butts, a former Santa Monica police chief, did not respond to requests for comment. Inglewoods City Hall is closed the last two weeks of December. The Inglewood Police Department has a reputation for secrecy and using excessive force. In 2008, the departments officers fatally shot four men in as many months, three of whom turned out to be unarmed. The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights probe and found significant flaws in the way the department oversaw use-of-force cases and investigated complaints against officers. Civil rights advocates still question why Inglewood police opened fire on a couple found sleeping in a car in 2016, killing them both. California police have a long history of shredding records to avoid scrutiny of their actions. In the 1970s, the LAPD famously destroyed more than four tons of personnel records after defense attorneys began requesting them as part of criminal cases against their clients. The move resulted in the dismissal of more than a hundred criminal complaints. In response, the Legislature demanded that records be preserved but then took other measures, supported by police unions, to ensure the public had very little access to them, making California the most secretive state in the nation when it comes to police misconduct. Skinners legislation begins to unwind those laws, which have been on the books since 1978. No video or audio of the Dec. 11 council action is available on the citys website and neither are meeting minutes or any record of the decision. A city spokeswoman, Courtney Torres, confirmed that the council had voted in favor of the police records purge, and said all the relevant reasons for the decision were included in the city staff report. The Jan. 1 implementation for SB 1421 has prompted other police officials to act. A police union in San Bernardino is asking the state Supreme Court to determine that Skinners bill only applies to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner earlier this month warning that complying with the law in regard to older records in the departments possession could take hundreds of thousands of work hours. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Federal officials question California DMVs process for issuing Real IDs (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has notified the California Department of Motor Vehicles that its process for providing residents with federally recognized identification cards is not adequate. DMV spokesman Armando Botello said Friday that 2.3 million residents who received Real IDs under the current process will have to submit additional documentation when their cards are renewed in five years but will be able to use them in the meantime. The DMV is developing a way for residents to submit more documentation online or via email to comply with the stricter federal requirement, he said. But some state legislators are upset about delays in notifying them of the problem and say Homeland Security could eventually require additional documentation provided by current holders. The DMV has known for a month that millions of Real IDs theyve been dolling out are potentially invalid, Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) said. The DMVs only hope is that the Department of Homeland Security takes pity on California and gives the DMV more time to fix this mess. Real IDs are a new kind of driver license and identification card that federal law will require legal residents to present when boarding domestic flights or visiting military bases and other federal facilities starting Oct. 1, 2020. The DMV has only been requiring one form of documentation, including a current lease or utility bill, to verify the residence of a card applicant. But the federal government said in a Nov. 21 letter to the agency that two such documents are needed. On Friday, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto released a letter defending the current process but said her agency will start requiring a second document to prove residency in April. In order to minimize confusion among our customers, the CADMV will work to inform individuals who have been issued a Real ID under the current process that their card will be accepted for official federal purposes, even if their renewal occurs after the October 1, 2020, final enforcement date for Real ID, Shiomoto wrote to the federal agency. Legislative officials worry there is still a possibility that those issued Real IDs in the past might be required to present a second document to have their cards designated as compliant. The more complex process for obtaining Real IDs has led to hours-long waits for customers at DMV field offices this year, although wait times have been reduced recently by an increase in staffing. Shiomoto last month announced that she is retiring amid problems with the motor voter registration system and after the governor ordered an audit of her agency in response to the long wait times. On Friday, Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido blasted the DMV for waiting a month to tell legislators of the problem. This is unacceptable and flies in the face of security for our citizens, which is what Real ID was created for in the first place, she said in a statement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom taps Keely Bosler to be his finance director Keely Bosler, the director of the California Department of Finance, will continue in that role under Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (California Department of Finance) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday appointed Keely Martin Bosler as director of the California Department of Finance, continuing the role she has served under Gov. Jerry Brown since August. Bosler will become Newsoms chief fiscal advisor, and will play a pivotal role in shaping Newsoms spending plan for the state that will lay the foundation for his top policy priorities. Newsom must roll out his first budget plan within days of taking office on Jan. 7. Californias brighter future depends on a strong, stable fiscal foundation, Newsom said in a statement released Friday afternoon. Keely is an accomplished public servant of sound fiscal judgment. She understands that state budgets are more than numbers on a page they are value statements affecting the fate and future of millions of families reaching for the California Dream. We are fortunate to have her on our team. Prior to being appointed finance director, Bosler served as Browns cabinet secretary for two years and, before that, as the chief deputy director for budget in the Finance Department for three years. Earlier this year, Brown picked Bosler to lead an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles, which had come under fire for long wait times at DMV field offices and numerous computer problems, including errors in the new motor voter program that registered Californians to vote. As we have discussed, long wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles do not reflect the high standards of service that Californians expect from their state government, Bosler wrote in a letter in September to DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. The audit is still ongoing, but Shiomoto has since announced she will retire at the end of the year. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias legislative analyst, after decades of nonpartisan research for lawmakers, calls it a career Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor, who has led the state research unit since 2008, will retire on Dec. 31. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Only five people have led the independent research office of the California Legislature since its creation in 1941. And each of them has had a pretty simple mantra to live by in reviewing public policy proposals and government programs: Call it like you see it. The job of any analyst, to me, is you maintain that nonpartisanship, Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor said. Taylor, 65, will retire from the post at the end of December after a four-decade career with the research team that began, as he likes to tell it, just after the passage of the landmark property tax rollback, Proposition 13, in 1978. He became the leader of the office, with the title of legislative analyst, in October 2008. Two months later, state government found itself in arguably the worst fiscal crisis in its history a projected shortfall that ultimately grew to $42 billion by the following winter. There were forces beyond our control, Taylor said of that time. But dont underestimate the policy changes that were made afterward. Those changes, most notably a boost in taxes paid by high-income earners and a robust state budget cash reserve fund, have helped lead to successive years of fully funded government services. The state is projected to have some $24 billion in reserves by the end of the current fiscal year. Taylor announced his intention earlier to step down this year. Leaders from both houses of the Legislature select the analyst, who leads a staff of almost five dozen researchers. The office provides in-depth reports on pending legislation, as well as on broader policy topics like education and healthcare, and produces an independent analysis for every proposed ballot measure. A succession of lawmakers and governors alike have praised or panned the work of the Legislative Analysts Office based on their own political worldview. Taylor said his staff is mindful that they work for legislators, but try to ignore the rhetoric that follows the release of a major report. People are going to do what theyre going to do with our information, he said. They dont always like it, but they appreciate that we give them our best advice. Taylor oversaw a transformation in the way the Legislative Analysts Office distributes its information, embracing the release of research reports through social media instead of relying on traditional printed copies and journalist roundtable events. But he said the work of the researchers has remained largely unchanged through the decades. Having an independent take on things, I think, is good for the Legislature, he said. No replacement for Taylor has been announced, which means a short transition for his eventual successor before Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom sends his first budget proposal to lawmakers in early January. Taylor, who lives in the Sacramento suburbs, said he will honor the tradition of his predecessors in stepping away from public policy debates in order to give the new analyst space to lead the team as he or she sees fit. He said he hopes to travel in the coming years and spend time with his children who have moved to the East Coast. Forty years in state government, Taylor said in why he was stepping aside now. Isnt that enough? Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Jerry Brown sues to save California sentencing laws By Don Thompson, Associated Press (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown sued Thursday to protect one of his signature actions in office, a voter-approved measure that allows most prison inmates to seek earlier release and participate in rehabilitation programs. His administration filed a lawsuit challenging a pending 2020 initiative that seeks to toughen criminal penalties as part of an effort to roll back reforms adopted by voters within the last decade. Browns lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court contends the measure lacked enough valid signatures to overturn a previously approved constitutional amendment. County officials and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla certified the signatures in July but said they were submitted too late to qualify for last months election. The lawsuit names Padilla and the ballot measures official proponent, Nina Salarno Besselman, president of the advocacy group Crime Victims United. Padilla said the measure exceeded the required roughly 366,000 valid signatures, equal to 5% of votes cast for governor in 2014. Browns lawsuit says he used the wrong threshold. It says changing the state Constitution requires 8%, or more than 585,400 signatures. That makes the pending initiative more than 150,000 signatures short, the lawsuit says. Hes wrong, said Jeff Flint, a spokesman for the campaign backing the measure. He predicted a judge will be reluctant to reject a measure that already has qualified for the ballot. The secretary of state told us how many signatures are required, and thats how many we collected, Flint said. Padillas office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The measure would reverse reforms adopted by voters through Proposition 47 in 2014 and Proposition 57 in 2016. Proposition 57 allows most inmates to seek earlier paroles, and Proposition 47 reduced some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. The combination has helped keep Californias inmate population below a population cap set by federal judges. Corrections department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said the measure gives corrections and parole officials broad discretion to protect our communities and fashion a rational system of rehabilitation and punishment. This new initiative unlawfully seeks to supplant the departments constitutional authority to implement these critical reforms to our criminal justice system. The pending initiative would shorten the list of crimes that qualify for earlier parole and change some theft crimes from misdemeanors back to felonies. It would also increase the number of crimes for which DNA is collected, a list that was limited when some crimes went from felonies to misdemeanors. Those supporting the tougher penalties say easing criminal penalties has increased the number of dangerous criminals on the streets, but those backing the changes say they have helped reduce mass incarceration and rehabilitate convicted criminals. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Supreme Court orders records unsealed in pardon of ex-state Sen. Roderick Wright Former state Sen. Roderick Wright (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) The California Supreme Court has granted a request to unseal court records involving Gov. Jerry Browns decision last month to pardon former state Sen. Roderick Wright for felony convictions involving lying about living in his legislative district, officials said Thursday. The court order was in response to a request by the nonpartisan First Amendment Coalition, which argued that the public has a right to know what information went into the governors decision to grant clemency to Wright. This is an important victory for public access to court files involving the exercise of executive clemency, said coalition spokesman Glen A. Smith. We are gratified the court has recognized that these decisions should be subject to the same public access rules that apply to other judicial records under California law. The court gave Browns office until Jan. 2 to redact confidential material before giving the court documents that can be released to the public. The court files submitted by the governors office include letters of support for a pardon and an internal review of Wrights case. The court denied a motion to unseal the records of all clemency cases but left open consideration of requests on other individual cases. Browns office is currently evaluating the courts decision, said spokesman Brian Ferguson. The governor argued against unsealing records in a recent court filing that said confidentiality is consistent with historical practice and is supported by state law. In pardoning Wright on Nov. 22, the governor wrote: He has shown that since his release from custody, he has lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law abiding citizen. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California political watchdog agency fines BART, urges prosecution over using public funds for campaign A Bay Area Rapid Transit train leaves the station in Oakland in this 2013 file photo. (Ben Margot / AP) Californias state political watchdog agency on Thursday imposed a $7,500 fine against the Bay Area Rapid Transit District and called for a possible criminal or civil prosecution over allegations the district used public resources to campaign for a 2016 bond measure. The state Fair Political Practices Commission levied an administrative fine against BART for its failure to disclose spending on YouTube videos, social media posts and text messages to promote Measure RR, which authorized $3.5 billion in general obligation bonds. Though the panel lacks authority to seek criminal charges over the misuse of public funds, it also urged county district attorneys in the BART service area and the state attorney general to pursue possible criminal or civil charges over the spending of taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes, Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said. It is the concept of misusing public funds that I think we all here are very disturbed about, and we want to send a warning and not create a precedent that is a minor, little slap on the wrist, Germond said, adding that the referral to criminal prosecutors would further send a message that this is wrong. Commissioner Brian Hatch also called for the state Legislature to consider granting the FPPC power to go after public agencies that spend taxpayer money on campaigns. Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) called on the agency to increase the fine to the maximum level of $33,375. The proposed $7,500 fine represents a slap on the wrist for a very serious violation of the law and the publics trust, Glazer said in a letter to the panel. In supporting the fine recommended by the staff, Germond said BART has agreed to pay the penalty. Somebody did something wrong and they have admitted it, she said. A staff report said there were factors in favor of a fine below the maximum. Although the Commission considers BARTs violations to be serious, the absence of any evidence of an intention to conceal, deceive, or mislead; the voluntary filing of the delinquent campaign statement; and the absence of a prior record are mitigating, the report said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California police union seeks state Supreme Court review of new law disclosing internal investigation records Los Angeles Police Department officers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A police union is asking the California Supreme Court to block the release of internal officer investigations before a new state law takes effect next year. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. filed a petition Tuesday asking justices to rule that only investigations of incidents that occur after Jan. 1 would be available under the law and not those the department has on file from years prior. The litigation comes after this years passage of Senate Bill 1421, which opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, and the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department has told the union it intends to make available in response to public records requests all the information it has. The union is very concerned about any plans to retroactively apply Senate Bill 1421, Grant Ward, the unions president, said in a statement. We believe retroactive application violates our members rights and we hope the California Supreme Court will consider the serious issues raised by our legal challenge. The bills author, Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), does not agree with the unions interpretation. She has said her legislation should apply to all the records in a police departments possession because the law simply declared that affected records were no longer confidential. If the record exists, its disclosable, Skinner said. A decision on what records will be available under the law is key to how far-reaching it will be. If the court restricts access to incidents that occurred prior to 2019, those cases will not be subject to public scrutiny. The police union in San Bernardino County is not the only one raising concerns about the law. Earlier this month, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner expressing concern that his agency would be overwhelmed if the law required the department to disclose older incidents. Even if the law only applied to the previous five years, Moore wrote, it could take nearly 300,000 hours of work to comply with its provisions. The LAPD operates with a guiding principle of Reverence for the Law; as such, we will diligently comply with SB 1421, Moore wrote. We maintain, however, that a retroactive implementation of SB 1421 will be exceptionally burdensome and would require significant reallocation of front-line investigative personnel. Skinner said if complying with the law becomes untenable for law enforcement agencies that maintain records for a long time, she would consider modifications. But she said agencies did not raise this concern during discussion over the bill. SB 1421 went through multiple committee hearings, multiple floor debates, extensive opportunity for all parties to weigh in on concerns with its structure, she said. That was not an issue that was raised by law enforcement at the time. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Brown warns of backlash for Republicans in 2020 if Obamacare repeal is upheld Gov. Jerry Brown at the National Press Club in April. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Gov. Jerry Brown warned Republicans on Tuesday that repeal of the Affordable Care Act would devastate the partys political chances in the 2020 election. Brown, speaking at a Sacramento Press Club event moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton and Brown family historian Miriam Pawel, said a federal judges ruling last week to strike down the 2010 law if upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court will build such a backlash that the Democrats will not only take over the Senate, theyll win the presidency and will win with the kind of momentum, particularly on the issue of healthcare, that [the law] will be replaced probably with something even better. The governor, who leaves office in less than three weeks, said he did not believe the ruling by a Texas judge would ultimately prevail. I think the decision will probably be overturned, Brown said. Few states have embraced the law championed by former President Obama more than California, both through its healthcare exchange, Covered California, and by expanding access to government-funded services under Medi-Cal. Some 12 million Californians now receive healthcare through Medi-Cal, and Brown said a final ruling affecting the federal dollars that subsidize that care would be a serious blow. California would not be able to afford it without the subsidy, the governor said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Bars in Los Angeles, San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks (acuna-hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses, and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors, and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Bars in Los Angeles and San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks. (Acuna-Hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias DMV director announces retirement amid problems with motor voter program (Kent Nishamura/Los Angeles Times) The director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles will retire at years end with a number of questions unanswered about the implementation of a major voter registration system and long wait times experienced by customers for much of the past summer. Jean Shiomoto will not continue in her current role as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom takes office, and announced to staff several weeks ago her intent to retire at the end of the year after 38 years in state service, spokesman Armando Botello said in an email to The Times on Friday. Newsoms transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on who might lead the department in 2019. Shiomoto was appointed DMV director by Gov. Jerry Brown in the fall of 2013, having served in prior leadership roles with the department. DMV officials have been sharply criticized by lawmakers in recent months for delays in serving customers at its field offices across the state. Last week, DMV officials revealed errors in registering California voters for the November election mistakes that followed a series of problems in the rollout of the states new motor voter registration system. Secretary of State Alex Padilla last week said he had lost confidence in Shiomotos leadership as a result of the voting registration problems. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement New law could break the stalemate over housing on the site of a near-vacant Cupertino mall By Liam Dillon For more than a decade, developers have tried to build new housing on the site of an all-but-empty mall in Cupertino, a city in the heart of Silicon Valley and home to Apple headquarters. A well-organized group of neighbors, upset about traffic, building heights and the potential loss of the communitys suburban lifestyle, turned away every plan. Now, for the first time, the stalemate might be broken thanks to a decision made in the state Capitol. In an effort to address Californias housing affordability problem, legislators passed a law last year that requires cities and counties to approve housing projects if they comply with local zoning rules and other standards, forcing some resistant communities to agree to new homebuilding. In September, the city of Cupertino, citing the state law, approved developer Sand Hill Property Co.s proposal to build an office park and more than 2,400 homes where the Vallco Shopping Mall sits. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Local government was a last bastion for struggling California Republicans. Not anymore By Mark Z. Barabak Theres no shortage of watery metaphors to describe the disaster that befell California Republicans this midterm election. A blue wave. A Democratic tsunami. But the most apt may be a flood, with the casualties steadily rising as the vote count climbed in the days and weeks following Nov. 6. Eventually half the GOP congressional delegation was washed away, along with the entire slate of statewide Republican candidates. In Sacramento, Democrats claimed 29 of 40 state Senate seats and seized three-quarters of the 80-member Assembly the largest number since 1883, when Chester A. Arthur was serving in the White House. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For the Republicans left in Californias Legislature, fewer lawmakers will have to do more work By John Myers From January to late summer every year, the California Legislature is a perpetual motion machine. And in the new year, the people most likely to struggle in keeping up will be Republicans, vastly outnumbered but still responsible for representing millions of the states residents. There are 22 standing committees in the state Senate, plus at least a dozen more subcommittees or special committees. And after Novembers election, only 11 Republican senators will be left to divvy up the work. To the victors go the spoils. To the vanquished go the extra assignments. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Californias DMV failed to finish registering 329 new voters before November election (Los Angeles Times) Officials at the California Department of Motor Vehicles said Friday that the agency failed to send information for 329 new voters to state elections officers in time for the November election, the latest revelation in a string of mishaps regarding voter registration. Secretary of State Alex Padilla responded with a blistering letter, calling on Gov. Jerry Brown or Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom to replace Jean Shiomoto, the DMV director. The Director of DMV has lost my confidence and trust, Padilla wrote. In all, the agency revealed that 589 mailed voter registration records that should have been processed under election deadlines werent sent to Californias secretary of state until late November, including forms from 260 drivers who had intended to update their address on existing voter registration records. The DMV had been instructed to not send registration forms that came in after Oct. 22, but the voters in question had forms that were postmarked before the deadline. In some cases, when the postmark wasnt legible, the agency said, documents inside indicated the voter had intended to finish their registration in time for the Nov. 6 election. The DMV recognizes the pause in transmittals was an error and affected the timing of the registration of the 589 individuals referenced above relative to the November election, Shiomoto wrote in a letter to Padilla on Friday. The pause was due to a misunderstanding on the part of the department, for which we take responsibility. Those who were trying to update their address for voter registration would not have been blocked from casting ballots. But officials said its unclear whether any of the 329 new voters were able to participate in the election. Shiomoto said in her letter that DMV will work with elections officials. The errors were not related to previous DMV mistakes about registering voters, problems associated with the rollout of the states new motor voter law. In those cases, multiple registration forms were sent to local elections offices for some voters, some people were assigned the wrong political party preference and others who are noncitizens were incorrectly placed on the list of registered voters. DMV officials have yet to respond to questions posed by The Times over the last several weeks about who knew of those mistakes and when. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom appoints a labor advocate and a former staffer as his chief deputy Cabinet secretaries By Taryn Luna A labor advocate and a San Francisco political operative have accepted positions in Gov.-elect Gavin Newsoms new administration. Angie Wei, a Capitol insider with deep ties to organized labor in California, will serve as a chief deputy Cabinet secretary with a focus on policy development. As a legislative director and chief of staff at the California Labor Federation, Wei has represented more than 1,200 unions and 2.1 million workers in Capitol fights over a host of policy issues, including drug-pricing transparency and paid family leave. The governor-elect also tapped Jason Elliott, a policy advisor to Newsom during his time as mayor of San Francisco and a chief of staff to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, as another chief deputy Cabinet secretary overseeing executive branch operations. Elliott and Wei will serve under Ana Matosantos, Newsoms previously Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause. #Georgia Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush. The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump as recently as Tuesday continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops You really are our heroes, he said as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see. James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes he last won reelection by a 14-point margin suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election again, in blowout fashion but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10. Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history. Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters... Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice. Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children the older ones are 5 and 2 about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican she the race felt m A major legal test for President Trump is now only hours away, but its not one that directly invokes the ongoing investigation into the 2016 election. Thats not to say, of course, that the presidential contest and Russian interference wont loom large over the proceedings. THE COURT CLASH OVER CASH Paul Manafort, who served as Trumps campaign chairman in 2016, has pleaded not guilty to charges of bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy. His trial was delayed for a few days after some last-minute arrangements between witnesses and Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating the Russia allegations. Advertisement A dozen charges center on his work as a highly paid advisor to the Russian-backed government in Ukraine, but the conspiracy continued through the Trump campaign, prosecutors allege. The trial that begins on Tuesday is the first of two that Manafort faces this year. In September, he is set to appear in federal court in Washington on charges that include acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. Manafort had once bragged of his jail conditions, before being moved closer to the location of the trial in the Virginia suburbs outside Washington. And yes, there was even a summertime hint that Trump might consider pardoning Manafort. Our team will be watching the trial with updates on our Essential Washington news feed and full stories online from what appears to be a big first test for the Mueller investigation. COMING SOON: THE POLITICS OF FIRE Meanwhile, several California communities have found panic creep in alongside a series of deadly wildfires over the past week. Its been especially tense in Redding, the biggest city in Shasta County and now the scene of a blaze thats left hundreds of homes destroyed and thousands who were forced to evacuate with only minutes to gather belongings. I was in Redding on Friday in just such a neighborhood, where families were running back and forth between their homes and their cars to pack up for a quick retreat. Fire season often leads to serious policy discussions. Starting next week, expect it to be especially tense in Sacramento. Thats because the dominant item on the California Legislatures to-do list is an effort to overhaul wildfire prevention and liability rules. An initial hearing on the topic last week lasted hours and saw a sharp debate over one question in particular: When a utility companys equipment is found to be responsible, should investors or even ratepayers be the ones on the hook? Sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter Utility companies, led by Pacific Gas & Electric Co., are insisting they could face bankruptcy over the worst of the fires. PG&E has already warned as much in the face of expected costs from the 2017 fires that swept through Napa and Sonoma counties. The primary bill for the negotiations to come is being carried by state Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa). If the Legislature fails to act, avoidable fires will continue to happen, he said at last weeks hearing. TODAYS ESSENTIALS -- The White House said Trump is open to visiting Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Friday. -- The president celebrated strong economic numbers released on Friday. Yet his own numbers for the publics approval remain unusually low for a leader presiding over good times. -- In what has become a hallmark of Trumps presidency, two very different versions emerged Sunday of a face-to-face discussion behind closed doors between the president and A.G. Sulzberger, the publisher of the New York Times. -- A federal judge said Friday that he was inclined to deny the request by Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, for a gag order to stop attorney Michael Avenatti from attacking him in the news media. -- Millions of Californians are poor and they dont always live where youd expect, as a new report unveiled last week makes clear. -- Gov. Jerry Brown will keep his imprint on the states powerful climate change agency beyond his time in office after an agency vote Thursday. -- Its Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom by a wide margin in a new statewide poll. Newsom was supported by 55% of likely voters compared with 31% favoring GOP businessman John Cox. -- Nor was the lead small for Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the polls survey of her race against state Sen. Kevin de Leon, a fellow Democrat. -- After San Franciscos decision to remove citizenship status as a requirement for those voting in school board elections, a former Sacramento congressman said last week that he wants voters to change state law in hopes of blocking such efforts. -- Former state legislator David Hadley was unanimously appointed vice chairman of the California Republican Party last week by its board of directors. LOGISTICS Essential Politics is published Monday and Friday. You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Miss Fridays newsletter? Here you go. Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox. It is unfortunate that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) has not yet committed to the Feet to the Fire candidates forum on Sept. 2 (Arguments over ballot arguments; Sacha Baron Cohen satirizes Dana Rohrabacher, July 26). If he doesnt show, Rohrabacher will evade the press questioning him on important issues in his campaign against challenger Harley Rouda. Rohrabacher needs to explain why he allowed a comedy show to spoof him into announcing support for arming school kids, whether this is his true position, and, if not, what his true position is. Rohrabacher needs to explain why his actions caused Politico to name him Vladimir Putins favorite congressman. He needs to explain why he traveled to Russia and has dined with the deputy governor of the Russian central bank. Rohrabacher needs to explain why he traveled to London to meet with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Perhaps there are reasonable explanations. Perhaps there are not. However, voters will never hear Rohrabacher explain whether he intends to do anything constructive if voters return him to Congress, and voters may never hear him answer to his past conduct, unless he is willing to put his feet to the fire at the Feet to the Fire Candidates Forum on Sept. 2. Randy Curry Newport Beach * Construction will increase density I just drove down Jamboree Road from Costco, through a long corridor of buildings. It is lined with condos, apartments and businesses. No California sunshine. And this is what I am afraid of happening to Newport Beach. Seems like this is what developers and some of our City Council members want to happen. We have lived in Newport Beach for years and seen our neighborhoods change. However, somehow people are moving here because they dont want an Irvine-Los Angeles kind of community They want Newport Beach. Not overbuilt, not long dark corridors, not huge traffic jams on the way to work or going home. They want to pay the extra money to live in Newport Beach. I am thinking that if the Koll Center gets built as a mega-build, it will just be the beginning. This is not a high rise, high-density kind of community with long dark corridors. Carol Anne Dru Newport Beach * Campaign signs are passe Why must the citizens of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa endure the detritus that are leftover campaign signs strewn along our roadways, often weeks after the election has passed? In todays digital age, who even looks at these eyesores anymore? Save some money, politicians, especially since your signs sway no one, along with the straight-to-wastebasket mailers on which you also waste your money. The campaign signs time has long since passed, and even more so because you fail to pick them all up after the election. Mike Aguilar Costa Mesa * How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length. For 41 years, members from Church Women United of Glendale have put on their Meals on Wheels all-you-can-eat benefit salad bar luncheon for the community. For a mere $8, anyone can belly up to the bar and load their plate with all kinds of salad fixins. But after those four decades, these church women have learned a thing or two. They would have a riot on their hands if the deviled eggs ran out. Tray after tray of the little devils were served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 24 at First United Methodist Church in Glendale. Second in popularity were the salads. They included red jello and green ambrosia for those with a sweet tooth. Others were caprese, macaroni, potato, and salami and cheese. Accompanying the salads were breads and pastries. The food was a combination of homemade recipes and donations by restaurants. Dozens of hungry customers stormed the tables laden with salads donated by the Spot Gourmet, Foxys, Arts Meat Market and Georges Italian. Portos pastries were also gobbled up. Leading the charge was Karil Drake, secretary of Church Women United. She made sure the serving dishes stayed filled and the pitchers of tea, coffee and water were at the ready. Her daughter, Celeste, helped out, along with Celestes boyfriend, Ben Camacho. The three also helped collect donated paper goods for YWCA of Glendales domestic violence program. Meals on Wheels salad bar volunteers, from left, Karil Drake, Church Women United secretary; daughter Celeste; and her boyfriend Ben Camacho are laden with donated paper goods. (Ruth Sowby Rands / Glendale News-Press) Early to arrive and have their pick of the most popular dishes were Glendale residents Lorena Holland and her daughter, Whitney, who is 8 years old. Whitneys favorite was the deviled eggs, natch. Mother and daughter attend Incarnation Catholic Church. Ive come for over 10 years, said Diane Bernhardt of Burbank. She attends Saint Marks Episcopal Church. No church affiliation, however, was needed to gobble the goodies. About a dozen members of Glendales homeless population were invited to sup for free. Many heaped a plate or two, since the luncheon may have been their only meal of the day. Ten local artists and their paintings were the stars at the third USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Healing Arts Exhibit, which opened this past Thursday. All were from the Verdugo Hills Art Assn. The artists were present to support the goal of Keith Hobbs, the hospitals chief executive, to enhance and beautify the healing environment for our patients, families and staff. To that end, two floors of the hospital are adorned with framed art of acrylics, watercolors or oils. Artist Barbara Thorn-Otto, longtime student of Brand Park art classes, has worked in all three mediums for 20 years. Thorn-Otto is exhibiting her acrylic painting titled Lonesome Road and a watercolor titled Wilderness Road. Artist Barbara Thorn-Ottos Lonesome Road is on display at the USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Healing Arts Exhibit. (Ruth Sowby Rands / Glendale News-Press) Im a watercolor person, she said, but watercolor is not very forgiving. You cant make mistakes. Too much water and youre sunk. As an added incentive to support the exhibit, 20% of any paintings she and the other artists sell goes back to the hospital. Exhibit co-chairs were Glendale resident Sue Wilder, hospital foundation board chair, and Julie Shadpa, hospital art therapist. Positive images of nature reduce stress and lessen pain, Shadpa said. Besides Hobbs, more hospital VIPs present were Kerrie Yoder-Hubbard, foundation executive director, and Barbara Jordan, foundation systems administrator. The next healing arts exhibit at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital will be in October. RUTH SOWBY RANDS may be reached at ruthasowby@gmail.com. Your perfect beach day may await you somewhere along Californias 840 miles of coastline. Mine looks like a long stroll along Stinson Beach in Marin County, where an all-terrain wheelchair gets me right to the shoreline to comb for heart-shaped pebbles. You can borrow beach wheelchairs free at dozens of locations up and down the Golden State. Lightweight and sporting big tires that move across sand, these chairs allow people with mobility disabilities to experience the beach in ways that werent possible a generation ago. Theyre a game changer, said Bonnie Lewkowicz, a travel access specialist who reviewed beaches throughout the state for WheelingCalsCoast.org, a visitor guide for wheelchair riders funded by the California Coastal Conservancy. Advertisement She provides details on trail routes and key features such as terrain, restrooms and pathways so people can decide what might work for them. Although the website hasnt been updated in at least five years, it still holds up as the most comprehensive information online about Californias accessible beaches. Recently, Someone sent me an email saying, Im bringing my father from Arizona, hes in a wheelchair and we need an accessible pier, a beach wheelchair and a place where we can bring the dog, Lewkowicz said. Beach wheelchairs are just the most visible evidence of Californias commitment to make the coast accessible to all visitors, said Amy Hutzel, deputy executive director of the Coastal Conservancy. Using state bonds, the conservancy issues grants to public agencies and nonprofits to acquire beach wheelchairs, improve parking lots and build accessible restrooms, trails and visitor centers. Its important to be improving facilities but then also making sure the information is available, Hutzel said. So Bonnies work is important so people can make that decision to visit a site and know what they are going to experience when they get there. Before you go, do a quick research on the beach youd like to visit. Find out the process for borrowing a beach wheelchair. In most cases, its first come, first served. There may be time limits, reservation systems or other requirements that call for planning. Long Beach residents Catherine Campisi and Ralph Black want to get as close to the water as possible so that Ralph, who is blind, can get in and Catherine, whose beach wheelchair Ralph pushes, can be nearby to enjoy the ocean up close and help guide him. For the ultimate experience, they said, they head south to San Diegos Mission Beach, one of the few sites where you can borrow a motorized beach chair. It was great I could go on my own, said Campisi, adding that people who have difficulty with balance should be mindful of the bumps. Be aware that any borrowed piece of equipment, such as a beach wheelchair, will not be customized to your needs. Campisi requires leg support, so she brought a box to use as a foot rest on their second visit to Mission Beach. You have to know what you need and adapt yourself to the chair, she said. But just to be able to do it yourself and get down by the water was totally awesome. San Diegos beaches generate a lot of buzz for their great accessibility and thats by design, said Jon Richards, supervising therapeutic recreation specialist with San Diegos Parks and Recreation Department. Richards is passionate about making beaches work for a variety of people with disabilities and always asks himself: What would I want? The result is two motorized chairs at Mission Beach, a variety of manual beach wheelchairs including some that can get completely submerged sprinkled around other beaches, and nine locations with beach mats. This provides a lot of independence and this is what people are looking for, Richards said. Just being able to roll up and literally roll on the beach. As you explore Californias coastal trails, you may find that some accessible paths are no longer, thanks to drifting sand or simple wear and tear that can damage wooden boardwalks as I discovered recently at Bodega Dunes Beach in Sonoma Coast State Park. As youre planning your outing, dont rely solely on website information. Check access conditions before you go by calling the ranger station or visitor center. Ask to speak with someone who has working knowledge of the accessibility features, such as a maintenance manager. If your travel plans take you to Hawaii, its Disability and Communication Access Board offers traveler tips for each island. Heres the one for Kauai, the place I return to again and again: lat.ms/hawaiiaccess. We wanted to see what were our most accessible beaches made by nature and then add on to that, said Linda Nuland-Ames, ADA coordinator for the county of Kauai. On Kauai, nature and human ingenuity combine to make Lydgate, Salt Pond and Poipu beach parks tops for wheelchair access. You can get down to the water with an all-terrain manual beach chair borrowed from the lifeguards. The process has always gone smoothly for me. Resources From all-terrain wheelchairs that get you close to the water to access mats that put you in the middle of the action on the sand, California and Hawaii beaches have a lot to offer wheelchair users. To plan your California beach excursion, start here with A Wheelchair Riders Guide to the California Coast, a good site for finding locations of beach wheelchairs and exploring coastal access across the state. Browse by county. Some information may be out of date, but the site includes links and phone numbers to each beach so you can check ahead. The California Coastal Commission website can direct you to an extensive list of which beaches offer wheelchairs. California State Parks also has beach accessibility information on its website. Visitors can ask questions or report accessibility concerns to the Accessibility Section at (916) 445-8949, toll free at (800) 777-0369, Ext. 5 (711, CA Relay Service), or by email at access@parks.ca.gov. San Diego boasts a couple of jewel of experiences with two motorized beach chairs available to rent at Mission Beach. You can watch a video to see how it works, Reservations can be made by calling (619) 980-1876. Heres more on San Diego beach accessibility. In Hawaii, sand mats, paved paths and beach wheelchairs are a thing. Knowing exactly which beaches offer which types of access will help you plan. Find island-specific travel tips on this website. travel@latimes.com @latimestravel Your medications are such an ingrained part of your life that you hardly give them a second thought. But when youre traveling abroad, you must give them a second and even a third thought, not only because you must maintain your routine but also because you need to stay out of trouble with the authorities. You want to spend time in the country, not in the clink. A reader brought this to my attention by asking a question about Adderall, a medication often prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. She was traveling to Asia and had learned that the commonly prescribed medication is not allowed in her destination. Huh? Adderall is a stimulant, Dr. Glenn Hardesty, an emergency room physician with Texas Health Plano, reminded me. But, he said, it is technically different, although customs or other officials and a countrys law may not see it that way. Advertisement Thats just one of the medications that might set off alarm bells. Another: Sudafed, which can be used in the production of methamphetamine. But mostly, Hardesty said, Its the narcotics and psychotropics that cause concern, and its hard to know what countries will have problems [with their import] and which will not. Therein lies the problem. There is no central place to find out which country will allow Xanax, Ambien, Valium or other drugs and which will not. The International Narcotics Control Board, which describes itself as an independent, quasi-judicial expert body for the implementation of the United Nations international drug control conventions, can be a starting point. It has information on countries policies, but some of that information is ancient or incomplete, and some countries are absent. Whats a traveler to do? Here are some tips from professionals. Routine medications such as those for blood pressure generally arent a problem, Hardesty said. But, he added, As a general rule, medications that are considered problematic here probably will be problematic elsewhere. Those are the ones, he said, that you cant walk into a drugstore and buy off the shelf. Call the embassy or consulate of the country you are planning to visit and ask specifically about that drug. Find out also whether there is a limit to the amount you can bring into the country, said Victoria Sowards, director of wellness and nursing resources for Passport Health, which offers immunizations and counseling to people who travel internationally. Too much of a medication may make it appear as though you are trafficking, Hardesty said. Carry with you a letter from your doctor that gives the name of the medication brand as well as generic names the dosage and why it is prescribed. If youre carrying syringes for insulin injections, a letter explaining why you have them may be helpful. Having a copy of your prescription with you is also a wise move, said staff of the International Assn. for Medical Assistance for Travelers, a nonprofit organization focused on traveler health. You may not be able to fill that prescription, but the organization can provide information about local doctors who may be able to write you a prescription. If your medication could raise eyebrows, talk to your doctor to see whether theres another medication that can help. In no case should you go without that medication, said IAMAT staff, who noted that the nonprofit can help you find a doctor at your destination. We maintain a list of reputable English-speaking doctors around the world, its email said. Our members can contact a doctor before or during their trip to confirm availability of a medication or make an appointment. When you pack your medications, make sure they are in their original bottles with the patients name on the bottle, Sowards said. And you should carry only your own. Mrs. Jones should not be carrying Mr. Jones prescriptions, she said. When you pack those medications, make sure they are in your carry-on bag in case your checked bag goes astray. Even though you wont let your carry-on bag out of your control, affix a luggage tag just in case. One final thought: If you have a chronic condition, Sowards said, consider medical evacuation insurance. Medications and evacuation insurance can keep you going in the right direction. travel@latimes.com Twitter: @latimestravel The United States condemned on Monday a violent crackdown on street protesters by Nicaraguan forces and said it was revoking visas of officials connected to the violence. International condemnation of President Daniel Ortega grew sharply this month over the deployment of police and allied paramilitary forces to squash the unrest, which has led to nearly 300 deaths and many more people injured since protests against began three months ago. "The United States strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Nicaragua and human rights abuses committed by the Ortega regime in response to protests," the White House said in a statement. The demonstrations were triggered by a plan by Ortega's government to trim pension benefits, but the government's heavy-handed response sparked a wider protest against Ortega's rule. The Nicaraguan protesters are demanding democratic reforms after years of fraudulent elections and repression of opposition parties and independent media, the White House said. "These demands have been met with indiscriminate violence, with more than 350 dead, thousands injured, and hundreds of citizens falsely labeled 'coup-mongers' and 'terrorists' who have been jailed, tortured, or who have gone missing," it said. The United States is revoking or restricting the visas of Nicaraguan officials connected to the violence against protesters, the statement said. Washington secured the return of vehicles donated to the Nicaraguan national police that have been used to suppress the protesters and cut off additional sales and donations of equipment that might be used against protesters, it said. Washington blamed Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla leader, and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, for the situation. "President Ortega and Vice President Murillo are ultimately responsible for the pro-government parapolice that have brutalized their own people," the White House said. Last month, the United States imposed sanctions against three top Nicaraguan officials, citing human rights abuses. "These are a start, not an end, of potential sanctions," the White House said. Ortega, who ruled the country from 1979 to 1990, has held elected office as president since 2007. The current violence comes after years of calm in Nicaragua and is the worst since his Sandinista movement battled US-backed "Contra" rebels in the 1980s. Search Keywords: Short link: In 1942, U.S. Office of War Information photographer Alfred T. Palmer took color images at the Douglas Aircraft Plant in Long Beach and the North American Aviation Plant in Inglewood. Today, these images are available through the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog. These 20 images are from a subset of color images from the U.S. government's Farm Security Administration and later the Office of War Information. From the Library of Congress website: Photographers working for the U.S. government's Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI) between 1939 and 1944 made approximately 1,600 color photographs that depict life in the United States, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The pictures focus on rural areas and farm labor, as well as aspects of World War II mobilization, including factories, railroads, aviation training, and women working. The original images are color transparencies ranging in size from 35 mm. to 4x5 inches. They complement the better-known black-and-white FSA/OWI photographs, made during the same period. Palmer worked for the Office of War Information from 1942-43. Palmer was born in 1906 and passed away in 1993. For more on Palmer, check out his official website: Alfred T. Palmer: 20th Century American Photographer. Part of the cowling for one of the motors for a B-25 bomber is assembled in the engine department of North American Aviation's Inglewood plant in October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information P-51 ("Mustang") fighter planes being prepared for test flight at the field of the North American Aviation Inc. plant in Inglewood in October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information Woman working on an airplane motor at North American Aviation Inc. plant in Inglewood in June 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information Two female employees of North American Aviation Inc. assembling a section of a wing for a P-51 fighter plane in October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information A young female employee of North American Aviation Inc. working over the landing gear mechanism of a P-51 fighter plane in Inglewood. The mechanism resembles a small cannon. October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information On North American's outdoor assembly line, a painter cleans the tail section of a P-51 fighter before spraying the olive-drab camouflage of the U.S. Army, North American Aviation Inc. in Inglewood in October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information P-51 "Mustang" fighter in flight over Southern California. Built by North American Aviation in Inglewood. October 1942. Early version of the aircraft. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information Female workers trained in precise aircraft engine installation duties at Douglas Aircraft Co. in Long Beach. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information On North American's outdoor assembly line, employees rush a B-25 to completion, North American Aviation in Inglewood. October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information Mounting motor on a B-25 bomber at North American Aviation Inc. plant in Inglewood in 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information An experimental scale model of the B-25 plane is prepared for wind tunnel tests in the plant of the North American Aviation Inc. in Inglewood. The model maker holds an exact miniature reproduction of the type of bomb the plane will carry. October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information North American B-25 bomber rolls off the final assembly line to join other ships on the outdoor assembly line at North American Aviation plant in Inglewood in October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information View of the B-25 final assembly line at North American Aviation's Inglewood plant. 1942 Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information F.W. Hunter, Army test pilot, Douglas Aircraft Co. plant at Long Beach. October 1942 Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information Female inspectors at the Long Beach plant of Douglas Aircraft Co. make a careful check of center wings for C-47 transport planes. October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information Female worker at lunch in the California sunshine, Douglas Aircraft Co., Long Beach in October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information This woman in a glass house is putting finishing touches on the bombardier nose section of a B-17F Navy bomber, Long Beach in October 1942. Pictured is Phyllis Ann Marxson Clark, a North Dakota native who was 18 at the time. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information Female workers install fixtures and assemblies to a tail fuselage section of a B-17 bomber at the Douglas Aircraft Co. plant in Long Beach in October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information Huge drop hammers day and night forming sheet metal parts for B-25s and P-51s built at the North American Aviation Inc. plant in Inglewood in October 1942. Alfred T. Palmer / U.S. Office of War Information See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here The town of San Teodoro does not look like the front line of any battle, much less one that is threatening to tear Europe apart. What it looks like is a holiday makers dream of an Italian resort. Rising out of the Mediterranean on the island of Sardinia, it is breezy and hilly and lined with shops selling sharp, knee-length yachting shorts, sparkly flat sandals and crocheted bikinis. Distracted visitors can find themselves paying $115 for what Americans might consider a scrawny lobster, but the shock of the bill is mitigated by a tiny, icy shot glass of mirto, the local liqueur, which, like Sardinians, is reputed to be both prickly and alluring. According to regional tourism authorities, the province of Gallura, spanning popular San Teodoro and the flashier enclaves of the Costa Smeralda, 35 miles to the north, where George and Amal Clooney vacationed earlier this month, is the most visited part of Sardinia, which gets about 3 million tourists a year. Advertisement In winter, only 5,000 people live in San Teodoro, but in the summertime, it is thronged by vacationers enjoying the villages easygoing luxury, the famously wide, white beaches, or, for the more adventuresome, some of the longest hiking trails in Europe, which wind up and around Sardinias unforgiving craggy hills. La Cinta beach in San Teodoro. (Noga Tarnopolsky / Los Angeles TImes) La Cinta, a local beach that takes the form of an elongated C, is heaven for kite-surfers. It is in many ways the heart of San Teodoro, and it is here where a new sort of foreign guest stands out. Standing amid the chaise longues and parasols and trendy sun-screening mini-tents, dark-skinned men are at work selling everything from ultra-light microfiber towels to billowing eyelet summer dresses. As evening falls, shuttles from the various San Teodoro hotels arrive at the beaches to pick up their guests, often chatting in French or German. A few feet away, clusters of men from Somalia, Senegal, Yemen or Bangladesh shuffle around in silence, waiting for transportation to bunks in crowded dormitories. Their legal status is unclear, and locals are uncertain what to make of them. In Italys recent elections, Sardinia voted for the Five Star Movement, a populist, anti-immigrant party established almost 10 years ago by a comedian and a Web strategist. It is a member of the coalition government that took over in June. We voted for them, says Antonio Debertolo, a 71-year-old who raised himself out of poverty and now owns a thriving business as well as an apartment building. We were tired of what we had before. It was a protest vote. They hadnt resolved any of problems in Europe in general, not just with immigrants. Italy was once considered relatively welcoming to refugees and immigrants. But it has been at loggerheads with much of Europe since its anti-migrant interior minister, Matteo Salvini, barred rescue ships from docking at Italian ports and accused them of operating as taxi services for refugees. Last month, Salvini blocked the Aquarius, a vessel carrying 629 migrants, from docking in Italy, leading to outrage from fellow European leaders and a standoff at sea. The United Nations refugee agency in Libya reported that more than 200 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean in the first three days of July, bringing the death toll for 2018 to more than 1,000. Antonio Debertolo outside his shop in the town of San Teodoro on the island of Sardinia, Italy. (Noga Tarnopolsky / Los Angeles TImes) The number of arrivals in Italy has gone down by as much as 80% compared with 2017, but international refugee agencies believe that Italys hard-line policies may also be prompting human traffickers to take greater risks, with a resulting rise in fatalities. Debertolo says the problems of the refugees must be resolved in their home countries, not principally in Italy. We can help them here, but the politicians need to help them first there, in Libya, in Syria, where there are wars, he says. We cant let them die, but they have to be integrated here, and integration here is difficult. Having once been an economic migrant himself, Debertolo has a singular perspective. In 1966, when he was 19 years old and life in Sardinia was very hard, Debertolo left San Teodoro, his parents and 11 siblings, and headed to Switzerland, where for 10 years he worked in anything from coal to cattle -- and saved. He is uneasy with the migrant crisis, but he does not consider the men selling things on San Teodoros beaches, or pushing trolleys with crates of local wines into bar kitchens at night, a particular burden. They work, he said. Sardinia has long been proud of its reputation for toughness. According to local lore, the harsh rocks of Sardinias interior were so forbidding that the Romans took one look and turned away. Its reputation for glamour is barely 50 years old. When the sun goes down, San Teodoro fills with the scent of the hardy herbs that thrive on the rocky elevations: helichrysum, which emits a sweet, musky aroma popular in the American fragrance industry, fennel, thyme and myrtle. Myrtle is especially celebrated, and it is impossible to end any meal here without being offered a shot of purplish black mirto. It is invigorating and rugged, sweet with a slight astringent kick at the end. Berries are harvested from wild bushes in winter, but the drinks mysterious earthiness comes from the bitter leaves and twiggy stems of the myrtle bush. They steep for at least a month alongside the fruit in Filu e Ferru, a sharp local grape distillate. Mirto is locally considered something of a cure-all, an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic tonic. At nearly midnight, Debertolo, working the cash register at his Enoteca Debertolo, an emporium of Sardinian products, counsels a wary tourist to select a bigger bottle. She wavers. You pay more for the small bottle and youll be back here tomorrow for more, he says with practiced resignation. Hes right; the next night she returns and buys a large bottle. Debertolo said he sells more than $200,000 worth of mirto per season. Sardinia is an island, Debertolo says, over sheep cheeses and bottles of local red wines. Sardinians are not open people. But they have heart. You can count on a Sardinian. Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent. The barricades have come down, the masked insurgents have vanished, and an edgy sense of calm has returned to the streets. Red-and-black banners of the ruling Sandinista front are ubiquitous, as the federal government has regained control of this volcano-rimmed town, about 15 miles southeast of Managua, the capital. Still, plentiful graffiti denounce the fronts leader President Daniel Ortega as a murderer and dictator, among other, earthier epithets. Signs spray-painted on walls warn against the ever-present sapos literally, toads the vernacular here for informers, loyalists to Ortega and his Sandinista government. When visitors come to Masaya, wary eyes monitor them. On a recent day, residents gathered outside homes to chat in the stifling heat about their proud city. Masaya was long celebrated for its revolutionary past, but now has emerged as an emblem of what some are calling the new Nicaraguan revolution of 2018. Advertisement This is not over, vowed one anti-government militant, Jorge, 26, who said he was on the run from police and declined to provide his last name for security reasons. We have just seen the beginning, Jorge added, gazing suspiciously at passersby as he spoke in a lush park overlooking the majestic tableau of the Masaya Lagoon. We will be back. This is the fragile scenario today in Masaya, Nicaraguas picturesque City of Flowers, the countrys handicrafts and folklore hub and a bastion of the Sandinista revolution that ousted dictator Anastasio Somoza almost 40 years ago. Ortega was then a young commander of the Sandinista brigades, a dedicated fighter who had survived Somozas prisons. Before the final victory in July 1979, Sandinista guerrillas reeling from government bombardment in the Managua area fell back to Masaya in a tactical withdrawal that is now celebrated in revolutionary lore. Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, the vice president, in the past marked the anniversary of the maneuver before cheering crowds while traveling in a bus with family members along the route of the retreat. Even Ortega, now 72, never known for his charisma or oratory skills, seemed to savor the event, basking in the sense of public acclaim for a historic triumph in which Masaya played a heroic role. There was no such celebration this year, however. For weeks, several Masaya districts especially the central Monimbo neighborhood and adjacent San Miguel area became fortified citadels of resistance to Ortegas government. Militants pried paving stones from the ground and piled them into barricades, effectively blocking police advances. Police stations were besieged. Anti-government militants, some armed, often with homemade mortar launchers, most wearing handkerchiefs to conceal their identities, manned the blockades. Masaya, they proclaimed, no longer recognized the legitimacy of Ortegas government. Pro-government forces mounted an offensive and retook the disputed districts in mid-July, amid heavy fighting. Police arrested scores. The opposition says some three dozen protesting civilians have been killed in Masaya, many by government snipers, since the conflict erupted in April. Among the victims, the opposition says, was Alvaro Alberto Gomez, 23, a finance student at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua shot in the chest and killed on April 20 in the Monimbo district. What bothers me most is the way they killed my son, said Gomezs father, Alvaro Gomez Sr., 48, who lost his right foot fighting as a Sandinista solider in the 1980s war against the U.S.-backed Contra forces. My son had a stick, a stone, but the person who shot him was different: He had a rifle, a pistol. More than three months of violence and political turmoil have convulsed this Central American nation of 6 million, leaving some 300 dead nationwide, according to human rights and opposition groups. Opponents are demanding the resignation of the president. Critics accuse Ortega, who has served as president for more than 11 consecutive years, of autocratic, dictatorial rule. The revolutionary leader, opponents charge, has betrayed the revolution. Ortega refuses to step down and accuses the opposition of engaging in a satanic campaign to kill police and government loyalists. The one-time global leftist icon has blamed his longtime adversary, Washington, for fomenting violent opposition to his administration, a strong ally of U.S. antagonists Cuba and Venezuela. The government says that many police and others loyal to the leadership also were killed during the unrest in Masaya. Demonstrators demand the resignation of President Daniel Ortega and the release of political prisoners in Managua, Nicaragua, on July 22. The sign, which reads Long live Masaya, refers to the city of Masaya, considered an opposition stronghold. (Arnulfo Franco / Associated Press) For the time being, at least, Masaya is back in government hands. On the streets, workers in blue smocks gather up the piles of paving stones, known as adoquin, that the opposition used to erect barriers. Small bulldozers aid in the tedious cleanup process. On occasion, pickups filled with plainclothes, armed government security forces referred to as paramilitaries rumble down the streets. Some suspects picked up in large-scale sweeps that accompanied the government offensive here could face terrorism charges under new laws passed by the national legislature. In recent days, relatives of some of those detained in Masaya have gathered outside the city jail downtown. They are a forlorn group seeking any word on the fate of their loved ones. We have no idea why he was taken prisoner, said Jose Cristobal Davila, referring to his incarcerated nephew, Marlon Davila Sotano, 34. According to his family, Davila Sotano was arrested by security forces as he participated in a pro-government rally on July 19. He is a refrigerator repairman and is a supporter of Ortega, the family said. We dont get it, the uncle said. My nephew is a militant Sandinista. Relatives of the detained assailed what they labeled unjust arrests. Police went house-to-house during Operation Cleansing in an effort to round up anti-government ringleaders. But many opposition militants are reported to have fled the town and gone underground. They are arresting everybody, without even investigating to see if they committed any crime, complained Eveling Sofia Moreno Espinoza, who was also among those waiting outside the jail. She said her brother, Francisco Moreno Espinoza, 42, who owns a handicrafts shop outside town, was arrested on suspicion of being part of the revolt. His family says he had nothing to do with it. My brother is a simple artisan, his sister said. Down the street from the jail, the church of Saint Miguel remained shuttered on a recent Sunday. The parish priest here became well known for having provided shelter in his church to wounded protesters. Some say the priest, too, is on the run. The Roman Catholic Church has denied allegations by Ortega that churches were used as bases for armed gangs. Potholes are left in the streets of Masaya, Nicaragua, after the paving stones were used to assemble anti-government barricades. (Arnulfo Franco / Associated Press) Some shops in once-barricaded areas are finally opening their doors. I had to close my place for two months because of the violence and insecurity, said Alex Espinoza, who just reopened his pizza kiosk in the plaza in front of the San Miguel church. The neighborhood, usually bustling on weekends, had a ghost-town vibe. There was little traffic, few people in the plaza. We all want peace, said Socorro Poveda, 43, a mother of five who reopened her corner clothing emporium the other day after weeks of being closed. But there is still a great sense of insecurity. You can feel it in the streets. Hopefully, though, real peace will come soon. But signs of the recent unrest are inescapable. Bullet holes sprinkle some buildings around town. A few structures were burned. Many homes and stores remain vacant, the owners and residents having fled. And giant potholes mar streets where the paving stones were yanked from the ground to be employed as raw materials for barricades. Many roadway stones are now piled vertically at strategic sites, in columns 6 feet or more in height. These have become makeshift sentry posts, mini-forts in the midst of town. Armed government security men are ensconced in the shelters, peeking out through openings at the desultory cityscape of Masaya, where friend and foe are no longer so easily discernible. Special correspondent Wilfredo Miranda in Masaya contributed. patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com Twitter: @PmcdonnellLAT The street market in Jaramana, Syria, is a bargain hunters paradise. Shoppers might find an ornate, 43-square-foot wool rug made by hand in Aleppo and pay less than $5 for it, rather than $100 or more. A refrigerator, normally $400, could be bought for half that much. For the record: An earlier version of this article described the Syrian government as Shiite-dominated. It is not. The items are a steal because they were, in fact, stolen. Theyre part of the haul from the looting that has become routine after government victories in Syrias seven-year civil war. Government-friendly militiamen, in many cases, strip vanquished rebel bastions of anything not destroyed by airstrikes, artillery and close-quarters urban fighting. So prevalent is the looting that the word tafeesh, which means furniturization, has gained a new definition: to steal furniture. Advertisement Markets such as the one in Jaramana, a suburb of the Syrian capital, Damascus, have sprung up over the years near war-torn areas such as Aleppo, Ghouta and Dara. Many residents and observers say that government loyalists have long treated the looting as their right as they defeat rebel forces, and that Syrian President Bashar Assad and his allies allow it to continue virtually unchecked. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition group based in Britain, said recently that its monitoring of the situation in some communities indicated the looting culture is worsening. The group said local sources reported that forces loyal to the government in recent weeks looted most of the homes of the eastern, southeastern and western countryside of Dara, where they steal household appliances, furniture, blankets, cars and cattle. The rebels too have taken advantage of opportunities to claim goods during the war. Aleppo, once Syrias economic engine, was eviscerated when rebel factions blitzed through the industrial zones ringing the city in 2012. From a besieged Syrian suburb, tales of love, death and survival They ransacked warehouses and transported entire factories across the border to Turkey, where rebel groups had set up rear-guard bases. Occasionally, they would sell the equipment back to the original owners. Industrial machines worth tens of thousands of dollars were melted down to be sold as scrap metal. They even ripped out the wiring from the walls for the copper, said Moustafa Kawaie, an Aleppo business owner, as he walked through his factory during a government-organized trip to the city late last year. Fighters with the militant group Islamic State took a more bureaucratic approach, grounded in an extreme interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence. After taking over a city, the militants would scour neighborhoods for homes and businesses owned by Christians or Shiite Muslims the jihadis consider the latter apostates who are to be killed. They would stencil on the building Property of Islamic State, then sell or rent the businesses to the Sunni Muslim populations under their grip. The fighters took the doors, fridge, freezer, ovens, generators, even the wiring. Nothing was left, and the army was watching them do it. Abu Ahmad, a villager from Saida But it was the paramilitary factions bolstering Assads troops that turned looting into a high-stakes business, the total value of which remains unknown. Once they seized rebel-held areas, the militiamen would engage in an orgy of tafeesh: Washing machines, refrigerators, satellite dishes, the furnishings of entire living rooms, even mismatched sets of cutlery would appear in markets such as the one in Jaramana. As the government has picked off the oppositions bastions over the last two years, fresh offensives have brought new supplies of goods to be sold. The fridge in the Jaramana market had come from the governments April campaign against the former rebel holdout of Ghouta, the rug from the last offensive on Dara. Government-controlled areas havent been immune. In Ramouseh, a loyalist neighborhood outside Aleppo, fighters with the Tiger Forces, a unit of the states air force intelligence directorate, tied up guards and emptied their factories, local media reported. As the vanguard of most government offensives, the Tiger Forces are the first to get to the spoils. They assign the duties to different groups, said one activist who, like many of those interviewed for this story, declined to be named because of safety concerns. One group gets fridges, another takes [air conditioners], another one deals with furniture. No one encroaches on the goods of the other. Local media outlets, both pro-opposition and pro-government, have reported on dozens of workers strong-armed by paramilitary groups into stripping wires and electric cables from devastated neighborhoods. When theyre done, lower-level paramilitaries go in and snatch up the crumbs. There are several options for vendors hoping to cash in on the trade, one merchant explained in an interview this month. Some pay a fixed sum for an entire truckload, sight unseen, and sell whatever they get. Others contract with a dozen or so militiamen working under a commander to get their spoils or ransack a certain area. Those whose homes were emptied trudge through the markets to try to buy back what they lost. Abu Ahmad, a villager from the southern town of Saida, said he left home this month to escape the governments latest offensive on Dara. A week later, he came back to a house pillaged to its foundation. The fighters took the doors, fridge, freezer, ovens, generators, even the wiring. Nothing was left, and the army was watching them do it, he said in a recent Facebook chat. He headed to the nearby city of Sweida to recover what he could, but all he found from his home was a single rug. The merchant told me that was all that was left from the truck. Everything had been sold within two days, said Abu Ahmad. The markets are an open secret, said an activist who runs a Sweida-based Facebook group that exposes tafeesh vendors and tries to get authorities to stop them. No one needs to show you where they are. Theyre on the edges of the street, selling goods without any bill of sale or documentation, said the activist in a Facebook chat. Although looting has been reported in pro-government media outlets, authorities were in paralysis, the activist said, and havent gone beyond issuing poorly enforced injunctions against militiamen or market vendors. Theres also concern that anyone protesting too loudly may face retaliation. Rida Basha, a reporter with the pro-government Lebanese news broadcaster Al Mayadeen, was barred from working as a journalist in Syria after covering tafeesh in a widely shared article in early 2017. In the article, he had reported that a paramilitary group called Liwa al-Quds, as well as the Desert Falcons, once the largest private militia in Syria, had blocked medicine shipments from entering Aleppo until they could sell drugs they had looted from rebel warehouses. Both factions, Basha said, worked under the umbrella of the armys elite 4th Division, headed by Assads younger brother Maher. The unit has long been suspected of involvement in shakedowns at checkpoints as well as tafeesh, many Syrians say. Basha later said in a series of posts on Facebook that his report had enraged 4th Division commanders, and that his ban was ordered by Maher Assad. Tafeesh has also sparked tension with Russia, Bashar Assads top ally, which has deployed its military police as guarantors of surrender deals between the government and the rebels. In May, a video emerged of three Russian military officers arresting three government fighters when they tried to leave Babbila, a suburb near Damascus, with two truckloads of furniture. A crowd gathering around them breaks into applause when the Russians force the looters to lie on the ground. But its little more than a continuation of the prewar trend of corruption, said Aymenn Tamimi, an expert on Syrian factions, in a Facebook chat this month. There are chances for new guys to become middlemen but theyre still part of the same system. Its part of the way Assads Syria works: Concessions are made at the lower levels but the top of the system essentially remains as it is, he said. Although many Syrians have protested against tafeesh, many others see it as the just reward for soldiers whose pay, already a pittance, had been further whittled down by a weaker Syrian pound and higher prices. It also provides a vehicle for revenge. Residents in government-friendly neighborhoods, especially in the early days of the war, lost homes and businesses, or were kidnapped by the rebels. With the opposition now weakened, they see the looting as payback for the damage they endured. Theres inevitably a sectarian element. Tafeesh markets appearing in religiously mixed cities such as Homs are often called souq al-Sunnah (the Sunnis market). The name reveals a truth the government is reluctant to acknowledge: Its fighting an almost completely Sunni opposition, and its battles have ravaged and emptied mostly Sunni areas. None of that mattered much to Abu Ahmad, the man from Saida whose house was ransacked. He had lost hope of getting his belongings back and was considering leaving Syria. I have nothing left for me here, he said. And the carpet, the last remaining item from his old house? He didnt buy it back. A special correspondent, who is not being identified for security reasons, reported from Jaramana and Times staff writer Bulos from Beirut. nabih.bulos@latimes.com Twitter: @nabihbulos Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of an Australian archbishop convicted of covering up the sexual abuse of children by a priest, after coming under mounting pressure from Australian priests and even the prime minister. Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson was convicted in May of failing to report to police the repeated abuse of two altar boys by a pedophile priest in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney during the 1970s. He became the highest-ranking Catholic cleric ever convicted in a criminal court of abuse cover-up. Wilson had declined to resign pending an appeal of his case. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull added his voice to those calling for his sacking in an appeal to Francis on July 19. In a statement Monday, the Vatican said Francis had accepted Wilsons resignation. Millions of Zimbabweans waited in line for hours on Monday to vote in a historic election that, for the first time since the nations independence from Britain in 1980, did not include former President Robert Mugabe on the ballot. With observers expecting a high turnout, voters embraced the chance to cast their ballots in an atmosphere that they said was peaceful, after years of elections marred by intimidation, violence and fear. Its a very big change, said Tsitsi Muchela, a 27-year-old from Harares Mbare neighborhood. Last time it was hard. People were not able to show which party they were voting for. Now I have no hesitation these are free and fair elections. The two candidates vying to lead Zimbabwe into its post-Mugabe future are President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the 75-year-old war veteran nicknamed the Crocodile who took over when Mugabe was ousted in November, and Nelson Chamisa, the 40-year-old opposition leader whose supporters compare him to Barack Obama. Advertisement The men have hinged their campaigns on the same fundamental promise: to usher in a new era of prosperity after Mugabes long years of misrule left Zimbabwe isolated, broke and with rampant unemployment. But Zimbabweans appear divided over who can deliver that change, according to a recent poll, though it gave Mnangagwa a slight edge. Zimbabwe candidates President Emmerson Mnangagwa, left, the 75-year-old war veteran who took over when Mugabe was ousted in November, and Nelson Chamisa, right, the 40-year-old opposition leader whose supporters compare him to Barack Obama. (From left: Jekesai Njikizana / AFP/Getty Images; Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Late Monday, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that voter turnout was as high as 75% in some areas. Final results are not expected until the end of the week, and a close vote could lead to a runoff, which would be held Sept. 8. Although the weeks before the vote were largely peaceful, rights groups flagged some reports of voter intimidation, particularly in rural areas. Chamisa has repeatedly raised questions over the credibility of the vote, and on Monday several of his supporters vowed to take to the streets if his Movement for Democratic Change party loses, claiming only a rigged election could result in a win for the ruling ZANU-PF party. As Chamisas black SUV pulled up to a polling station in Kuwadzana, the Harare suburb he represents in parliament, his supporters rushed to get a look at the candidate. Chamisa! Chamisa! the crowd chanted. My president! My president! Victory is certain for the people, Chamisa told reporters after casting his ballot. Its clear that the vote is a vote for freedom, a vote for a new Zimbabwe, a vote for a new direction. Takudzwa Mushipe, a 25-year-old MDC supporter who was standing in line to vote when Chamisa arrived, said it was obvious the candidate should win. As a trained accountant who hasnt been able to find any work, Mushipe said that hes fed up with how things are in the country and that hes not alone. You study. You get everything right. You do everything by the book. But at the end of the day, you have nothing to show for it, he said. At another polling station in the suburb of Highfield, MDC supporter Previous Luanda said she was prepared to protest if the party didnt prevail in Mondays vote. I am ready. I am ready 100%, she said. Since taking over after Mugabes ouster, President Mnangagwa a longtime Mugabe ally in ZANU-PF has worked hard to present himself as a break from the past, promising to bring investors to Zimbabwe and revive the flagging economy, using the catchphrase Zimbabwe is open for business. ZANU-PF supporters say that the changes they have seen under the new president more efficiency, less corruption, increased investor interest and more jobs are proof that Mnangagwas long years in government have left him better prepared for the job than his younger, less experienced opponent. Mnangagwa knows all the problems we are having in Zimbabwe, said Sanganu, a ZANU-PF supporter in Highfield who asked to be identified by one name. RELATED: On eve of Zimbabwe election, ousted leader Mugabe turns on the ruling party he founded We teach our kids where we came from, and what these leaders did for our country, she continued, referring to the fight for independence. We need a leader who understands the suffering we went through. Election observers, some of whom have been allowed in for the first time since 2002, gave mixed reviews of how the highly anticipated vote went on Monday. There have been no incidents of violence, and its been quite orderly, said Lizwe Jamela, the programs manager for Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, a civil society group helping monitor the polls. He added, however, that there were scattered reports during the day of people being left off voter lists, polling stations being inexplicably closed and some monitors not being allowed into their assigned polling sites. U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), who is in Zimbabwe as a co-leader of the joint observer mission of the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, said she saw some polling stations that were very well organized and others where things were not as orderly. She said that voter turnout appeared to be huge. Even in the remote polling places, there were lines, Bass said. People seemed very committed to their participation. But, she added, somebody has to lose. The genuine sense of uncertainty over the election outcome is a testament to fairness at the polls, U.S. Ambassador Brian Nichols said on the eve of the vote. The environment for this election is the most open it has been in recent memory, he said. The fact that people really dont know whos going to win speaks volumes. In Mbare, Fortunate Dube, 45, walked with her husband and two daughters through a large clearing of yellowed grass, where lines of voters snaked around several tented polling stations. In 2008, Dube said, she was coerced into voting for ZANU-PF after she and others in the area were threatened with beatings if they didnt do so. Today, she said she cast her vote for the opposition. This time it was so nice, she said. Maybe God is with us. Maybe God wants us to have a change. Mahr is a special correspondent. UPDATES: 3:05 p.m.: This article was updated with turnout estimates for some areas. This article was originally published at 1:40 p.m. In 1913 on the outskirts of Cairo, an inventor from Philadelphia named Frank Shuman built the worlds first solar thermal power station, using the abundant Egyptian sunshine to pump 6,000 gallons of water a minute from the Nile to irrigate a nearby cotton field. World War I and the discovery of cheap oil derailed Shumans dream of replicating his sun power plant on a grand scale and eventually producing enough energy to challenge the worlds dependence on coal. More than a century later, that vision has been resurrected. The worlds largest solar park, the $2.8-billion Benban complex, is set to open next year 400 miles south of Cairo in Egypts Western Desert. It will single-handedly put Egypt on the clean energy map. Advertisement That is no small feat for a country thats been hobbled by its longtime addiction to cheap, state-subsidized fossil fuels and currently gets more than 90% of its electricity from oil and natural gas. But the prospects for green energy here have never been better as the government has been scaling back fossil-fuel subsidies in line with an International Monetary Fund-backed reform program that aims to rescue an economy ravaged by political upheaval. Meanwhile, the rapidly falling cost of equipment for solar and wind power has increased their allure. This is a big deal, said Benjamin Attia, a solar analyst with U.S.-based Wood Mackenzie, talking about the Benban complex. I cant think of another example where so many big players have come together to fill the gap. Officials and international finance organizations tout the potential of Egypts renewables sector to create jobs and growth as well as reduce emissions in a country whose capital was recently named the second-most polluted large city on Earth by the World Health Organization. The governments aim is that by 2025 Egypt will get 42% of its electricity from renewable sources. The Benban complex, which will be operated by major energy companies from around the world, is expected to generate as much as 1.8 gigawatts of electricity, or enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses. It will consist of 30 separate solar plants, the first of which began running in December, and employ 4,000 workers. The U.S. government is backing a local program to train hundreds of technical school students in solar and wind energy. Hatem Tawfik of Cairo Solar with the solar flowers his company installed in the courtyard of a bank in New Cairo. As energy prices have gone up, so has demand for solar. (Rachel Scheier / For The Times) Last week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi inaugurated several big electricity projects, including the expansion of massive wind farms on the gusty Gulf of Suez in the Red Sea. Russia has promised to help build and finance a $21-billion nuclear power plant on Egypts north coast. Driving all these projects is the not-so-distant memory of the electricity crisis that gripped Egypt in the years following the 2011 revolution. Factory and shop closures from rolling blackouts fed mounting public anger that culminated in the 2013 ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, whose prime minister once infamously suggested that Egyptians confront the power shortage by wearing cotton and sleeping in one room. Today residents no longer face nightly outages, but Egypt once a gas exporter must import expensive liquefied natural gas to meet the energy needs of its 96 million people. And power demand is expected to more than double by 2030, much faster than in any other country in the region, according to Victoria Cuming of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. In preparation, Egypt launched a scheme in 2014 to enable private players to sell power to the public grid, jump-starting its clean energy market, which last year saw a 500% increase in investment. But if flashy green energy megaprojects like Benban are drawing much of the attention, small businesses are responsible for 80% of private-sector jobs, said Khaled Gasser, who founded the Solar Energy Development Assn., a local industry group. This is the real market, he said. Driven by the idealism and lack of compelling job opportunities that followed the 2011 revolution, several clean-energy entrepreneurs have quietly established a grass-roots market in Egypt. Ahmed Zahran, 38, started KarmSolar with four friends working out of a cafe after his old bosses fled the country. He had tried in vain to persuade the private equity firm to invest in clean energy. We were fired by an who represented everything we hated about this country, so we decided, lets do it ourselves, said Zahran, who figured solar power was a no-brainer in a nation that is more than 90% desert. With private investments, the company began by making solar water pumps for off-grid desert farms that traditionally rely on diesel to pull water from beneath the sand. Now with more than 80 employees, it also builds solar stations to power poultry factories and malls under so-called power-purchasing agreements. Zahran has also delved into green architecture, designing off-grid eco-lodges and a sustainable workers village for seasonal farmhands in Egypts Bahayira Oasis, a desert outpost of olive and date groves. As the government has made good on its promise to gradually cut energy subsidies on July 1 electricity prices rose an average of 26% more companies are exploring the possibility of adding solar systems to the apartment buildings where most of the countrys urban population lives. The countrys green energy start-ups are grappling with the same problems that have bedeviled small businesses here for years. In an effort to confront a big one lack of financing the Central Bank launched a low-interest loan program in 2016 that aimed to encourage small players, especially in key industries like renewable energy. Hatem Gamal used it to grow his waste-to-energy startup, Empower, which currently operates two plants, in a wastewater treatment facility and a beef farm, that turn human sludge and animal waste into biogas that he sells to the government. The company has four more plants under construction. One thing that hasnt changed: the layers of bureaucracy that businesses must navigate. Gamal had to get licenses or permissions from at least 10 government agencies. Hes become so adept at dealing with red tape that he has a printer in his car. People say, You must know someone or You must have bribed someone or That 5% loan isnt real, Gamal said. But the opportunities are there. I just never take no for an answer. Scheier is a special correspondent. The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation has signed an agreement with British Petroleum to drill in the Gulf of Suez region, Al-Ahrams Arabic website reported. The agreement was signed by Abed Ezz El-Regal, CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, and Hesham Mekkawy, regional president of BP, North Africa. Exploration will take place at North-East Ramadan in the Gulf of the Suez region, with $46 million investment and a $4 million grant to dig three wells. Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla said at a press conference that the ministry has ambitious plans to raise investment in the petroleum sector in Egypt, which will increase the domestic production of petrol and natural gas, as well as increasing the country's reserves. He said that the new agreement is a result of the global bidding for oil exploration issued by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in 2016. This agreement is the 88th since 2014, and the EGPC is working on signing 13 more. BP CEO Bob Dudley said earlier this year the company is looking to invest over $1 billion (EGP 721.66 million) in Egypt this year. Search Keywords: Short link: Stock Market News US Economic Data - US Treasury yields edge higher ahead of economic data 30-07-2018 04:06 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Attapeu, LaosRescuers battled thick mud and flood waters across a swathe of remote southern Laos to find survivors of a dam burst that submerged entire villages, as an official suggested more than 1,100 people may still be unaccounted for. The exact number of dead and missing from Mondays dam collapse remains a mystery because of the complexity of the rescue operation in an inaccessible area and the secretive reflexes of Laoss Communist authorities in the face of an unprecedented crisis. The search is very complicated, many areas cannot be accessed by cars or boats. Also, we have limited modern equipment to bring to the field, deputy secretary of Attapeu province committee Meenaporn Chaichompoo told reporters Friday. She also said hundreds still have not been located, five days after the dam burst. We cant find 1,126 people, she said, adding that 131 have been confirmed missing by relatives. Initially, officials said 27 people were confirmed dead, but Meenaporn reduced that to six, without explanation. The remoteness of the disaster zone and slow trickle of often contradictory information has sparked fears the death toll could rise sharply. A stretch of land dozens of kilometres long and wide was submerged when the Xe-Namnoy dam collapsed after heavy rains. Slowly retreating floodwaters have cut off access to villages and covered much of the area with thick, sticky mud. This is one of the worst (disasters) Ive ever seen. Especially because were not a very strong country in terms of rescue operations, a volunteer rescue worker told AFP, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media.Days into the treacherous search for survivors, questions are being raised about the quality of the construction of the $1.2 billion dam, a joint venture between South Korean, Laotian and Thai firms. Operators said it burst after heavy rains in a country regularly battered by monsoons. But Laos Minister of Energy and Mines Khammany Inthirath said poor design contributed to the accident, according to state media. One of the Korean firms involved in the project, SK Engineering & Construction, said it was investigating the cause of the dam break and would donate $10 million in relief aid. The accident has kicked up criticism of Laos ambitious dam-building scheme as it bids to become a major power exporter, billing itself the battery of Asia with more than 50 projects set to go online by 2020. Villagers have complained of being displaced, while river waters crucial for fishing and farming have been diverted, destroying livelihoods in one of Asias poorest countries. The accident has prompted fears over the safety of other dams in the country. Most of the dams are built by foreign companies and Laos authorities dont have expert knowledge and management to check for weaknesses or problems, thats our worry, villager Si Wonghajak told AFP Saturday. US Q2 GDP vs. TechnologyStocks Concerns vs. Foreign Markets This past week has been very interesting in the US markets for a couple of reasons. It is time we took a hard look at what to expect going forward and ho in the US. 4.1% GDP for Q2 is massive compared to the previous administrations GDP levels. Granted, these levels may not be sustainable in the long term above 4%, but we can only assume levels above 3% are going to last for a while unless something dramatic changes the economic footing within America.w this news will likely drive future market moves. First, the Q2 GDP number came in as a huge boost to the US economy and for the future expectations of economic growth Secondly, Facebook and Twitter both missed on earnings and growth numbers. These two stocks got crushed in the process. One thing to consider is that Facebook is within a transitional phase with the Federal government and the SEC investigating the company for illegal activity and for illegally allowing external firms to data-mine the user base. These issues have likely resulted in a decrease in the total user base for Facebook and in a general dissatisfaction for existing users. A certain group of people will simply stop using Facebook because they dont agree with or condone these activities and dont want to be a part of these issues. Twitter, on the other hand, has had a rough go of it for years. With a failure to properly monetize the company and users on top of recent concerns that shadow banning and political bias has infiltrated the SOP (standard operating procedures) of the companys leadership, it appears Twitter is not being targeted as a biased social platform that could result in further headwinds for success. The end result is that these two stocks dont make up the entire stock market they are just relatively large components of a much bigger market of stocks. As we have been stating for months, the capital migration from foreign sources into the US markets have been a major driving force over the past 24 months. This capital is searching for safe and equitable growth opportunities. We are certain that a large portion of this capital found a home in Facebook and Twitter as well as other stocks. These investors may be shocked by the recent collapse of FB and TWTR, but we are relatively certain that these investors will likely continue to hold their positions for one reason the expectations that the US economy is strong and the recovery of these two stocks will likely take place over the next 6 to 12+ months without much issue. When we take a look at the longer term charts, we can see a fairly clear picture of the recent price rotation (January 2018) and the most recent upswing in prices. This, our Custom US Index Weekly chart, shows exactly what we see in terms of trend and expectations. The Std. Deviation channel is key to understanding future price rotation, if it happens. As long as the lower Std. Dev channel is nor breached, price should find support and rotate higher as expectations continue to drive prices higher and as foreign capital continues to rush into the US markets. This Weekly SPY chart shows a similar price channel setting up from 2016. Actually, there are two price channels at play. The Blue levels originate from the lows in 2009 and track price trends all the way through 2015~2016. The upper Blue channel is currently creating support for prices moving forward. The Green channels are more recent and originate from 2016. Ideally, as long as price stays above the lower Green price channel, the trend is Bullish and we should expect mild price rotation. Lastly, this NQ Weekly chart shows a bit more detail including our Time/Price cycles that indicate we should see some moderate price rotation over the next few weeks. We dont expect this rotation to be deep or excessively volatile, but we do expect some type of narrow price rotation to occur. You can see from the arrows weve drawn on the chart that we expect prices to hover below or near 7400 for the next 3~5+ weeks as weve been warning about for the past 30+ days. The NQ will likely become range bound below 7400 for the next few months possibly throughout the end of 2018. The price channels shown on this chart, in Blue, are still critical to the longer term trends. Once these channels are broken to the downside, then we would be more concerned of further and deeper downside price pressures. As of right now, nothing is showing us any real concern and the Q2 GDP numbers will act as a booster rocket for the US economy unless something derails over the next 3~6 months. The short sellers that have been setting up for a massive and deep price correction may see a bit of profits in some stocks that rotate lower, like FB and TWTR, but our analysis is showing these traders are taking a risky position getting setup for a deeper and broader market rotation downward. At this point, with incredible GDP growth, strong earnings, a strong US economy and foreign capital rushing into the US market/stocks we just dont see the downside potential that others seem to see. For months we have been posting our analysis stating the markets would push higher from the February lows. We have stood by our analysis and weathered some criticism over the past few months. Still, the markets continue to push higher and the news just seems to support our predictive modeling systems analysis. Currently, a unique sector rotation is taking place that traders need to be aware of. This will likely not become a broad market rally where everything goes up for weeks of months. This will likely become a select sector rally in the markets based on expectations and opportunities. Last week to locked in 12% profit on the financial sector using FAS, and we feel its still headed higher! If you want to learn more about our analysis and our opinions regarding what will move and when, then visit www.TheTechnicalTraders.com to learn how we can help you find greater profits in these markets. Our predictive modeling systems have been calling these markets almost perfectly for the past 8+ months. Isnt it time you invested in your future success and take advantage of the features and benefits we can offer to you? Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. The agreement is the first step toward getting a signed consent decree, the legal document that will carve into stone the final steps of the Smelter Citys cleanup. Doug Benevento, EPA Region 8 administrator, had said previously that he intends for Anaconda to have a consent decree with the ink dry by the end of the year. The EPA, the Atlantic Richfield Company, the state of Montana, and Anaconda-Deer Lodge County were locked in closed-door negotiations last week. The EPA had given Anaconda until Tuesday to reach an agreement in principle over the Smelter Citys Superfund cleanup threatening to impose a unilateral cleanup order if the negotiations were unsuccessful. SUSAN DUNLAP [email protected] https://mtstandard.com/news/local/agreement-reached-on-anaconda-superfund-cleanup/article_4744c296-ebdb-58d0-9788-bd745050b37a.html#tracking-source=home-top-story We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. July 30, 2018 U.S. Negotiates Retreat From Afghanistan The United States seems ready to give up on Afghanistan. After the World Trade Center came down the U.S. accused al-Qaeda, parts of which were hosted in Afghanistan. The Taliban government offered the U.S. to extradite al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden to an Islamic country to be judged under Islamic law. The U.S. rejected that and decided instead to destroy the Afghan government. Taliban units, supported by Pakistani officers, were at that time still fighting against the Northern Alliance which held onto a few areas in the north of the country. Under threats from the U.S. Pakistan, which sees Afghanistan as its natural depth hinterland, was pressed into service. In exchange for its cooperation with the U.S. operation it was allowed to extradite its forces and main figures of the Taliban. U.S. special forces were dropped into north Afghanistan. They came with huge amounts of cash and the ability to call in B-52 bombers. Together with the Northern Alliance they move towards Kabul bombing any place where some feeble resistance came from. The Taliban forces dissolved. Many resettled in Pakistan. Al-Qaeda also vanished. A conference with Afghan notables was held in Germany's once capital Bonn. The Afghans wanted to reestablish the former Kingdom but were pressed into accepting a western style democracy. Fed with large amounts of western money the norther warlords, all well known mass-murderers, and various greedy exiles were appointed as a government. To them it was all about money. There was little capability and interest to govern. All these U.S. mistakes made in the early days are still haunting the country. For a few years the Taliban went quiet. But continued U.S. operations, which included random bombing of weddings, torture and abduction of assumed al-Qaeda followers, alienated the people. Pakistan feared that it would be suffocated between a permanently U.S. occupied Afghanistan and a hostile India. Four years after being ousted the Taliban were reactivated and found regrown local support. Busy with fighting an insurgency in Iraq the U.S. reacted slowly. It then surged troops into Afghanistan, pulled back, surged again and is now again pulling back. The U.S. military aptly demonstrated its excellent logistic capabilities and its amazing cultural incompetence. The longer it fought the more Afghan people stood up against it. The immense amount of money spent to 'rebuild' Afghanistan went to U.S. contractors and Afghan warlords but had little effect on the ground. Now half the country is back under Taliban control while the other half is more or less contested. Before his election campaign Donald Trump spoke out against the war on Afghanistan. During his campaign he was more cautious pointing to the danger of a nuclear Pakistan as a reason for staying in Afghanistan. But Pakistan is where the U.S. supply line is coming through and there are no reasonable alternatives. Staying in Afghanistan to confront Pakistan while depending on Pakistan for logistics does not make sense. Early this year the U.S. stopped all aid to Pakistan. Even the old Pakistani government was already talking about blocking the logistic line. The incoming prime minister Imran Khan has campaigned for years against the U.S. war on Afghanistan. He very much prefers an alliance with China over any U.S. rapprochement. The U.S. hope is that Pakistan will have to ask the IMF for another bailout and thus come back under Washington's control. But it is more likely that Imran Khan will ask China for financial help. Under pressure from the military Trump had agreed to raise the force in Afghanistan to some 15,000 troops. But these were way to few to hold more than some urban areas. Eighty percent of the Afghan people live in the countryside. Afghan troops and police forces are incapable or unwilling to fight their Taliban brethren. It was obvious that this mini-surge would fail: By most objective measures, President Donald Trumps year-old strategy for ending the war in Afghanistan has produced few positive results. Afghanistans beleaguered soldiers have failed to recapture significant new ground from the Taliban. Civilian deaths have hit historic highs. The Afghan military is struggling to build a reliable air force and expand the number of elite fighters. Efforts to cripple lucrative insurgent drug smuggling operations have fallen short of expectations. And U.S. intelligence officials say the presidents strategy has halted Taliban gains but not reversed their momentum, according to people familiar with the latest assessments. To blame Pakistan for its support for some Taliban is convenient, but makes little sense. In a recent talk John Sopko, the U.S. Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), made a crucial point: We keep referring to Pakistan as being the key problem. But the problem also was that the Afghan government at times was viewed very negatively by their local people and what you really need is to insert a government that the people support, a government that is not predatory, a government that is not a bunch of lawless warlords, observed Sopko. He went on to say that the U.S. policy of pouring in billions of dollars in these unstable environments contributed to the problem of creating more warlords and powerful people who took the law into their own hands. In essence, the government we introduced, particularly some of the Afghan local police forces, which were nothing other than warlord militias with some uniforms on, were just as bad as the terrorists before them, said Sopko ... This was the problem from the very beginning. The U.S. bribed itself into Afghanistan. It spent tons of money but did not gain real support. It bombed and shot aimlessly at 'Taliban' that were more often than not just the local population. It incompetently fought 17 one-year-long wars instead of a consistently planned and sustained political, economic and military campaign. After a year of another useless surge the Trump administration decided to pull back from most active operations and to bet on negotiations with the Taliban: The shift to prioritize initial American talks with the Taliban over what has proved a futile Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process stems from a realization by both Afghan and American officials that President Trumps new Afghanistan strategy is not making a fundamental difference in rolling back Taliban gains. While no date for any talks has been set, and the effort could still be derailed, the willingness of the United States to pursue direct talks is an indication of the sense of urgency in the administration to break the stalemate in Afghanistan. ... Afghan officials and political leaders said direct American talks with the Taliban would probably then grow into negotiations that would include the Taliban, the Afghan government, the United States and Pakistan. In February the Taliban declared their position in a public Letter of the Islamic Emirate to the American people (pdf). The five pages letter offered talks but only towards one aim: Afghans have continued to burn for the last four decades in the fire of imposed wars. They are longing for peace and a just system but they will never tire from their just cause of defending their creed, country and nation against the invading forces of your warmongering government because they have rendered all the previous and present historic sacrifices to safeguard their religious values and national sovereignty. If they make a deal on their sovereignty now, it would be unforgettable infidelity with their proud history and ancestors. Last weeks talks between the Taliban and U.S. diplomats took place in Doha, Qatar. Remarkably the Afghan government was excluded. Despite the rousing tone of the Reuters report below the positions that were exchanged do not point to a successful conclusion: According to one Taliban official, who said he was part of a four-member delegation, there were very positive signals from the meeting, which he said was conducted in a friendly atmosphere in a Doha hotel. You cant call it peace talks, he said. These are a series of meetings for initiating formal and purposeful talks. We agreed to meet again soon and resolve the Afghan conflict through dialogue. ... The two sides had discussed proposals to allow the Taliban free movement in two provinces where they would not be attacked, an idea that President Ashraf Ghani has already rejected. They also discussed Taliban participation in the Afghan government. The only demand they made was to allow their military bases in Afghanistan, said the Taliban official. ... We have held three meetings with the U.S. and we reached a conclusion to continue talks for meaningful negotiations, said a second Taliban official. ... However, our delegation made it clear to them that peace can only be restored to Afghanistan when all foreign forces are withdrawn, he said. This does not sound promising: In a first step the Taliban want to officially rule parts of the country and use it as a safe haven. The Afghan government naturally rejects that. Participation of the Taliban in the Afghan government is an idea of the Afghan president Ghani. It is doubtful that this could be successfully arranged. Norther Alliance elements in the Afghan government, like the 'chief executive' Abdullah Abdullah, are unlikely to ever agree to it. The Taliban also have no interest to be 'part of the government' and to then get blamed for its failures. Their February letter makes clear that they want to be the government. The U.S. wants bases in Afghanistan. The Taliban, and Pakistan behind them, reject that and will continue to do so. It is difficult to see how especially the last mutually exclusive positions can ever be reconciled. The Taliban are ready to accept a peaceful retreat of the U.S. forces. That is their only offer. They may agree to keep foreign Islamist fighters out of their country. The U.S. has no choice but to accept. It is currently retreating to the cities and large bases. The outlying areas will fall to the Taliban. Sooner or later the U.S. supply lines will be cut. Its bases will come under fire. There is no staying in Afghanistan. A retreat is the only issue the U.S. can negotiate about. It is not a question of "if" but of "when". The Soviet war in Afghanistan took nine years. The time was used to build up a halfway competent government and army that managed to hold off the insurgents for three more years after the Soviet withdrawal. The government only fell when the Soviets cut the money line. The seventeen year long U.S. occupation did not even succeed in that. The Afghan army is corrupt and its leaders are incompetent. The U.S. supplied it with expensive and complicate equipment that does not fit Afghan needs. As soon as the U.S. withdraws the whole south, the east and Kabul will immediately fall back into Taliban hands. Only the north may take a bit longer. They will probably ask China to help them in developing their country. The erratic empire failed in another of its crazy endeavors. That will not hinder it to look for a new ones. The immense increase of the U.S. military budget, which includes 15,000 more troops, points to a new large war. Which country will be its next target? Posted by b on July 30, 2018 at 18:49 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. Les lunettes de marque ne sont pas ce qui manque dans les commerces. Il y en a de toutes les sortes dont les lunettes de [] Lelectricite est devenue, de nos jours, un besoin dune importance majeure, et cela, dans tous les domaines dactivite. Que ce soit dans les maisons ou [] MERIDEN A five-year-old program helps young children and their caregivers develop the skills needed to cope with trauma. Child First was introduced to the greater Meriden region through the Child Guidance Center for Central Connecticut on Pratt Street after workers saw more young children in distress, said Karen Delane, the centers program director. We reached out to Child First and the program was identified as a community need, Delane said. The Child Guidance staff saw more children struggling in pre-school, including discipline problems. The issues they were dealing with included domestic violence, substance abuse, physical abuse, and mental illness. The field in general has become much more aware of the impact of trauma and how significant that impact is on their development, said Leeora Netter, the centers clinical director. The program, designed for children from infancy to age six, is also helping young weather refugees from hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. All services are provided by a two-person team who work inside the home. A care coordinator identifies the familys basic needs and potential stress points, including making utility payments, the need for food stamps, child care, job training, medical care. Providing solutions allows the family to focus on therapy, Netter said. A clinician offers treatment to both caregiver and child. Were helping the parents heal from their own trauma, Netter said. Referrals to Child First come from the state Department of Children and Families, community agencies, and the Birth to Three program. Some clients come directly to the center for help. There are 11 Child First centers in the state. Funding comes from the U.S. Office of Early Childhood and state grants. Families typically receive services for one year. Children may need follow up therapy as they age, but studies have shown that the earlier a child gets treatment, the greater the impact on the children. They have the skills to manage it better than they had before, she said. We encourage people to make the call. Its better to err on the side of caution. Clinicians have found that children who complete the program are more comfortable talking about issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicide. In young adults, social media and bullying can contribute to those feelings and world events are creating more stress, said executive director Jim Maffuid. mgodin@record-journal.com 203-317-2255 Twitter: @Cconnbiz Using state of the art CGI and the latest underwater technology and working alongside divers, wreck investigators and archaeologists, Ocean Wreck Investigation tells the stories of the final moments of ships and those on board. Thursdays from 9:30pm AEDT. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: In a breather for taxpayers, the government has extended the Income Tax Return (ITR) filing deadline by one month till August 31, 2018 from the earlier July 31, 2018. However, for a beginner, ITR filing may seem like a big deal. If this is your first time at it, here are some pointers to help you sail. Checklist before e-filing If you are a salaried employee and have no means of income, things are very easy. Register yourself with a valid email id and phone number at Income Tax departments exclusive web portal for e-filing. Avoid last-minute registration as technical glitches due to surge in return filing are likely. Getting documentation right Salaried employees require PAN number, Form-16 issued by your employer, Form 26 AS to match how much tax is actually deducted, bank statement to calculate interest paid on quarterly basis. If you trade in stocks markets, then you would require statement for that also. Tax exemptions The next step is to calculate your exemptions. If you have invested in your PPF account, have invested in a tax saver mutual fund, have any health insurance policy or life insurance policy in your name, you can claim exemption under 80C. All investment made under PPF, NSC, ULIPS, ELSS, LIC qualify for deductions under Section 80C. The maximum amount that can be claimed under Section 80C is Rs 1.5 lakhs. Also if you have paid for the health insurance of your parents, you can claim exemption. Premiums paid on health insurance can be claimed as an exemption from tax. If the premium is paid for parents who are senior citizen (above 60 years) the limit of exemption is Rs 50,000. However if the age of parents is below sixty, the limit of exemption is limited to Rs 25,000, says Archit Gupta, founder and CEO- ClearTax. Even payment of interest on education loan will also come under exemption. However you will require proof of investment for all the categories listed above. Once you have all the papers its easier for you to calculate all you income based on your salary break up and file your return. It is always a good idea to read all the instructions carefully. Do the calculations first before filling the form and submitting it. By PTI NEW DELHI: India requested authorities in Antigua and Barbuda to detain PNB scam fugitive Mehul Choksi after it received information about his presence in the Caribbean island, government sources said today. They said India was in touch with the island nation following reports of Choksi's presence there and requested the authorities there to restrict his movements by land, sea and air. "As soon as MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) received information of the likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, our High Commission in Georgetown had alerted the A&B (Antigua and Barbuda) government, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea," a government source said. Last week, Choksi reportedly claimed he had taken Antigua citizenship last year to expand his business as the passport of the Caribbean nation provides visa-free travel to 132 countries. "Our high commissioner is meeting the relevant authorities in A&B government today. We continue to liaise with relevant GOI agencies and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to follow up on this matter," the source said. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation after it was detected that they allegedly cheated the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,400 crore with the purported involvement of a few of the lender's employees. The scam, which reportedly began in 2011, was detected in January this year, after which PNB officials reported it to the probe agencies. Choksi and Nirav Modi fled India in January this year nearly a fortnight before the scam was detected. Choksi's valid passport was revoked in February 2018. By PTI NEW DELHI: To map real-time congestion on toll plazas, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will install CCTV surveillance system on 210 toll plazas, Parliament was informed today. These systems will be installed initially at 10 toll plazas to be rolled out to another 200 toll plazas, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L Mandaviya told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. "NHAI had invited e-bids from the eligible bidders for setting up Central Command & Control Centre at NHAI-HQ connected with regional offices and CCTV Surveillance and monitoring of vehicular congestion on 210 toll plazas on National Highways," the minister said. The project will be executed on service model and the period of engagement shall initially be five years, he said. "After successful demonstration of proof of concept at 10 plazas, the system will be rolled out to another 200 toll plazas where daily traffic flow is more than 10,000 vehicles," he said. MG Chetan By Express News Service BENGALURU: Shortage of instructors, lack of weapons, and poor infrastructure at Police Training Centres (PTC) in the state are resulting in poor basic training to police personnel, notes the recently released Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report. The report has revealed that even Police Sub-Inspectors are passing out of academies without any training to handle modern weapons such as AK-47. Apart from district training centres, the state has 13 police training academy/schools. Three training institutes (Karnataka Police Academy Mysuru, PTC Kalaburagi and PTC Khanapur) were test-checked during the audit and it was found that except for 12 Bore pump action weapons at KPA Mysuru, all were short of essential weapons for trainees. Even the Drill Purpose Rifles required for arms drill and passing out parade were unavailable in all training centres. The government had directed them to borrow arms and ammunition from the respective District Police/Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) on temporary basis as and when required, the report stated. At PTS Khanapur, the obstacles used for outdoor training such as climbing rope, manila rope, monkey crawl and Burma Bridge were in unserviceable condition. Though the situation was reported by the Chief Drill Instructor to Superintendent oof Police and Principal in August 2016), no action was initiated for its repair. Hence, the obstacle classes, which were vital for enhancing the endurance and physical strength of the trainees were not conducted, the report said. The report also revealed that police training institutes have acute shortage of indoor and outdoor training instructors. It should be ensured that training institutions are equipped adequately with modern systems and outdoor instructors to impart quality training to state police personnel, the report recommended. Fire arms simulators in unserviceable condition Fire arms simulator training is a cost-effective means of teaching individual/police force a broad range of modern weapons and cognitive skills. Fire arms simulator (one each) provided during 2002-2005 to the three test-checked training institutes were not functioning and since the Annual Maintenance Contract was not renewed, the required repair works were not carried out. This resulted in the trainees not being trained in various modern weapons. The Government replied that since the existing simulators were very old and unserviceable, the proposal for purchase of new simulators for training institutions was in progress, the report said. PSIs untrained too Though the state was procuring AK-47 Rifles since 2004, the training syllabus for PSIs was revised only in December 2015 to include training and firing of modern weapons. However, we observed that the firing practice for PSI trainees during October 2015 to October 2016 was conducted in KPA Mysuru using 7.62 mm SLR, .303 Rifles and 9 mm pistol only and not with modern weapons even though AK-47 Rifles were available. Thus, the basic training of PSIs were completed without providing exposure in handling of modern weapons. The government replied that the number AK-47 and INSAS (group of infantry arms that includes assault rifle and light machine gun) available in the training institutions were meagre, the report said. New centres functioning without basic infrastructure The six newly set up training centres are reportedly functioning with basic infrastructure. An amount of `65 lakhs sanctioned to procure obstacles under the Modernisation of Police Forces scheme, were used to procure ineligible items such as writing boards, water purifiers and desk with benches. Drill Purpose Rifles were also not available in these centres. In the training syllabus, minimum of 15 rounds of firing with .303 Rifles/7.62 SLR was prescribed. However, in the three new PTS (Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad and Aimangala), ammunition required for the said training in firing were not supplied. Hence, after almost two years since inception of these institutions, the department has failed to provide basic infrastructure for effectively imparting the basic training, the report stated. Dia Rekhi By Express News Service CHENNAI : I walked through the gates of the Vepery Gospel Hall on Sunday to be enveloped by a surreal sense of calm and wonder. It was a place where the sound of vehicles whizzing by, and angry drivers honking without respite were replaced by the low hum of music in the background and soft banter between people with bright, and happy faces. There was an unmistakable sense of familiarity and community among those who had gathered at the Tangkhul Baptist Church in the city. The Tangkhuls are a Naga ethnic group from the Indo-Burma border area, who occupy the Ukhrul district in Manipur and the Somra tract hills, Layshi township, Homalin township in Upper Burma and Tamu Township in Burma. But most Tangkhuls who participate in the Sunday service are from Manipur. When I came to Chennai two years ago, I did not see too much of my people. Language was a huge obstacle and something as basic as food habits were vastly different. I often ordered in, or went to a friends place to eat, or cooked. Coming here every Sunday and seeing my people and speaking my language is so comforting, said 26-year-old Asing Leisan, who is pursuing her PhD in a city college. It is this feeling that brought 18-year-old Vikevee Rungsung to the church as well. She shifted to Chennai two months ago from Manipur, and was introduced to the church by her aunt who has been a regular for the last 15 years. It reminds me of home. The service here is in our dialect, Tangkhul, and that makes me feel so happy. I really like Chennai but I dont have many friends so I am looking to make new friends through the church as well, she said. The pastor of the church, Nimlei Khamrang, has lived in Chennai for six years. He belongs to the Ukhrul district in Manipur. I did not understand his sermon, but I managed to catch a few words patience, discipline, hard work, commitment, responsibility, self-control, and happiness. We gather here to study the Bible. We come together for a sense of belonging, unity, harmony, and also to promote our culture and tradition. We learn the word of God and focus purely on scriptures, he said. Many travel long distances with their families to be part of the service. One of them is Pongkhum Vasha, who is a teacher at a private school and resides in Palavakkam. Sunday is a busy day for Vasha. I have been in Chennai for seven years and I did not find it hard to adjust. I go to a Tamil church in Injambakkam in the morning, play Tamil songs and come here in the evening. It is one day a week and it is good to make the effort because I think it is important to gather together and worship God. It shows we care and that we are one in Christ, he said. His daughter, Pummi Vasha, a college student, accompanies him every Sunday. I love coming to church. I think it is my responsibility to take the Naga church forward, she said. One of the senior members, who teaches journalism at a city college said that people from the tribe flock the church because the service is in their own dialect. We sing hymns in our own dialect so it creates a sense of oneness. Most of the other churches have the service in English which many of our people do not understand much and they prefer speaking in our own dialect. During important days, the church gets extremely crowded, he said, adding that Tangkhul is a widely spoken dialect, and does not come under the list of endangered languages. While I did not comprehend a word of the service, the soothing music, the melodious hymns, the warm church-goers and the reassuring voice of pastor Khamrang were enough to make me want to go back. By IANS NEW DELHI: All eight accused involved in the elopement of a teenager and her subsequent rape and confinement have been arrested, including her boyfriend and two human traffickers, police said on Sunday. Accused Abhishek, 18, Ravi, 32, Rinki, 30, Rohit, 22, Mukesh, 25, Intezar, 33, Heena, 27, and Ashok Goyal, 38, were arrested from Delhi, Gurugram and Ghaziabad during raids on Saturday and Sunday. They had sexually assaulted her, confined her at various places in the National Capital Region and later sold her to a spa owner here over a period of one month. "The 16-year-old girl had eloped with her friend Abhishek on June 30 from west Delhi's Sultanpuri area. He took her to Haridwar where he raped her. They returned to Delhi four days later and stayed at the Old Delhi railway station where they met Ravi," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajender Singh Sagar told IANS. "Ravi promised Abhishek help to land a job and sheltered them at his house in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad. Ravi left Abhishek at Gurugram the next day and returned home to rape the girl in the absence of his live-in partner Rinki," Sagar said. "Ravi and Rinki later sold the girl to two traffickers Heena and Intezar, who contacted spa owner Ashok Goyal and sold her to him in Rohini," the ADCP said. Ashok Goyal allegedly confined her at his spa and sexually assaulted her and forced her to sleep with his clients. "Dissatisfied with Ravi's response on whereabouts of the girl, Abhishek approached police on Friday, following which a case was registered at the Sultanpuri police station," he added. The girl, rescued from the spa, is undergoing counselling. Police is trying to ascertain the involvement of more persons in the crime. By Express News Service KOCHI: A college girl in Perumabvoor has been brutally murdered allegedly by migrant labourers, evoking memories of the 2016 sensational rape-murder of Jisha, a law student, for which an Assam native was convicted. Nimisha, 22, a native of Malayidamthuruthu, in Thadiyittaparambu police station limits, in Perumbavoor, was murdered by 10.30 am on Monday. The incident occurred on Monday morning. when Nimisha, a final year graduate student of Vazhakulam MES College, was about to leave for her college. The assailant entered the home and tried to snatch necklace from Nimishas grandmother. When Nimisha tried to prevent the attack, the assailant stabbed her neck. Nimishas father and his brother were also injured during the incident. Nimisha was rushed to the hospital, but died on the way. The body is kept at Perumbavoor Taluk Hospital. An Odisha native has been taken into custody in connection with the murder. The murder has created tension in Perumbavoor, a hub of migrant workers, with irate locals ransacking their areas. A large posse of police personnel under Perumbavoor CI Baiju Paulose is camping in the area. "A detailed interrogation is underway. Right now the details of the suspects cannot be divulged", said an officer. It may be recalled that Jisha, a 30-year old law student, was raped and murdered at her ramshackle home at Vattolippadi, near Perumbavoor on April 28, 2016. Ameerul Islam, an Assamese migrant, was arrested after two months, from Kanjeepuram in Tamil Nadu. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Madras Regiment will celebrate the 277th anniversary of Colachel Battle, which saw Marthanda Varma defeating the Dutch forces, on Tuesday at Colachel. The event will be attended by Indian Army officers from the Pangode Military Station, civil authorities, police officials, retired armed forces officers and local dignitaries. The victory of King Marthanda Varmas Tranvancore Army against the Dutch Naval Forces in 1741 is celebrated every year on July 31 as Colachel Day. Colachel is situated 68 km from Thiruvananthapuram in Kanyakumari district. July 31 marks the day of the victory of Travancore forces over a vastly superior European naval force, a landmark event in Indian history. On July 31, 1741, in a most unique amphibious battle the forces of King Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch, both at sea and land. This earned the House of Travancore the unique distinction of being the only Asian military power to ever have defeated a leading European sea power at sea and land, a defence spokesperson said. To mark his victory, Marthanda Varma erected a victory pillar which stands to this day. Till the Madras Regiment adopted it, the memorial was in a neglected condition. The 9th and the 16th battalions of the Madras Regiment trace their history back to the Travancore forces which was merged with the Indian Army after Independence. The highlights of Tuesdays event will be a wreath laying ceremony at the Colachel war memorial followed by a military band display by the pipe band of the Madras Regiment. In memory of this historical battle, the military station at Pangode had also named its stadium after the venue of the famous battle. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will leave for treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, next month. The CM will leave for a two-week visit to the US on August 19 and is expected to be back by September 6. Though the Chief Ministers Office confirmed the visit, the exact nature of Pinarayis illness has not been revealed. The CM has been consulting doctors at Apollo Hospital in Chennai and had underwent treatment there in March. Hes going to the US based on a collective decision taken by doctors treating him. As of now, its planned that he would be back by September first week once the treatment is over, said sources. During his visit to the US, the CMs treatment cost would be borne by the state government. The CM will be accompanied by his wife Kamala Vijayan. As advised by doctors, his medical records were sent to Mayo Clinic, seeking an appointment. As soon as they got back with the dates, the state government sought clearance from the Centre. As a clearance was issued, the General Administration (Political) issued an order saying sanction was given for the CMs foreign visit for undergoing medical check-up and treatment, said the CMO. A decision on who will be given charge during his absence will be taken soon. Recently, the CM visited the US along with Health Minister K K Shylaja, and received an award from the Institute of Human Virology in Baltimore for the effective handling of the deadly Nipah outbreak. By IANS LOS ANGELES: Actor Chris Pratt has shared an open letter, co-signed by the stars of "Guardians Of The Galaxy", in support of James Gunn, who has been ousted as director of "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3" Gunn was fired after some of his old offensive tweets on pedophilia and rape resurfaced. "Although I don't support James Gunn's inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a good man," Pratt wrote Monday in an Instagram post in which he shared a letter co-signed by the cast, reported The Hollywood Reporter. "I'd personally love to see him reinstated as director of Volume 3. If you please, read the following statement- signed by our entire cast." In the open letter, signed by Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn and Pom Klementieff, the cast referenced a Change.org petition asking for Gunn to be reinstated. Although I dont support James Gunns inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a good man. Id personally love to see him reinstated as director of Volume 3. If you please, read the https://t.co/FWBXkZilB7 chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) July 30, 2018 Disney severed its business ties with Gunn on July 20. "We fully support James Gunn. We were all shocked by his abrupt firing last week and have intentionally waited these ten days to respond in order to think, pray, listen, and discuss," began the letter. "In that time we have been encouraged by the outpouring of support from fans and members of the media who wish to see James reinstated as director of Volume 3, as well as discouraged by those who were so easily duped into believing the many outlandish conspiracy theories around him." Gunn's offensive tweets were resurfaced by conservative personalities, and the "Guardians..." stars referenced political division in the US in the letter. "There is little due process in the court of public opinion. James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial. "Given the growing political divide in this country, it's safe to say instances like this will continue, although we hope American from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality," the letter continued. Before this letter, various cast members had taken different approaches to publicly addressing Gunn's firing. Bautista, Rooker and the director's brother Sean Gunn had been the most outspoken in their support of the filmmaker, The Hollywood Reporter said. While announcing Gunn's firing, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn had said: "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him." By Online Desk The Parliament reconvened today for the eight sitting after passing the Anti Trafficking Bill amidst objections from the Opposition in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 calls for punishment ranging from 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine not less than Rs 1 lakh. The NDA government is likely to table the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill in the Parliament today which has been facing backlash from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for allegedly being 'pro-rich' in nature. Meanwhile, TMC MP Sougata Roy has given an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over the Assam NRC list draft which was released today. Assam, on Monday, came up with the first draft of its first National Register of Citizens, in which, 2.89 crore people, out of the state's 3.29 crore population, have been included. Here are the live updates of today's Parliament Monsoon Session: By UNI KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said a controversial Indian Islamic preacher allegedly wanted in his home country for terror-related activities and hate speech would not be sent back, said the media reports here. Zakir Naik, a radical television preacher, reportedly left India in 2016 and subsequently moved to largely Muslim Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency. According to Indian media reports, New Delhi asked for him to be extradited in January. The two countries have an extradition treaty. "As long as he is not creating any problem, we will not deport him because he has been given permanent residency status," Mahathir said at a news conference in administrative capital Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur when asked about the reports. Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir has said that Naik will be brought back eventually if not immediately. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRI NAGAR: Even though Pakistani channels have been banned in Kashmir, people here watched the election-related developments on the Internet, while both mainstream and separatist leaders welcomed the statement of Pakistani Prime Minister-elect and PTI chief Imran Khan that Kashmir is the core issue between India and Pakistan and the two countries should resolve it through dialogue. Former Chief Minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah re-tweeted many comments on Pakistani election results. Another former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti expressed hope that the election in Pakistan would lead to a stable government in the country as a democratic Pakistan is in the best interests of its neighbourhood, especially India. ALSO READ | PTI chief Imran Khan plays his opening shot by reaching out to New Delhi On Pakistani voters rejecting Hafiz Saeed and other extremists, she said, It is heartening to know that the people of Pakistan have rejected extremist forces in the elections. That is the strength of democracy. One always gets to choose. Independent MLA from Khansahib in Budgam, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen expressed optimism that the new government would work towards bringing peace in the region. ALSO READ |Army's days are over in Pakistan: Imran Khan in 2012; now military's favourite We welcome the statement of PTI chief Imran Khan calling for resolution of Kashmir dispute through dialogue in view of huge human cost of this long-standing dispute, especially being borne by the people of Kashmir. Hope the two neighbors give real peace a chance, moderate separatist leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tweeted. ALSO READ | PTI chief Imran Khan wins Pakistan elections; promises to fight corruption Former Hurriyat Conference chairman Professor Abdul Gani Bhat termed Imrans statement as a positive start. Rocky ties India-Pakistan ties nose-dived in recent years with no bilateral talks taking place. The ties between the two neighbours became strained after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based groups in 2016. By IANS LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Sunday laid the foundation stones of 81 projects worth Rs 60,000 crore whose MoUs were signed in February this year at the UP Investors summit, lauded the state government and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for making this happen in a period of fewer than five months. "I have been Chief Minister of Gujarat, an industry is driven state and can well understand the number of difficulties and problems the team of Yogi Ji must have faced and hence kudos that you all made this happen," he said. "It is a big, significant and an inconceivable thing where everyone from the Chief Minister to the last revenue official is involved," he added. "This is the exceptional success... I am speaking on basis of experience," Modi said while nothing that the ground-breaking ceremony which he was presiding over should ideally be called "record-breaking" as the state had completed the journey from "intent to investment". "My heart says that UP would soon be a one trillion dollar economy," he said while stressing how the changes would open new vistas for the people of the state, including the unemployed youth. "When I was elected an MP from UP I had promised the 22 crore people of the state that I will give back their love and trust with interest and this event is a part of it," the Prime Minister added. He also informed that gathering that due to proactive policies of his government, the energy deficit in the country, which stood at 4.2 per cent in 2013-14 had now narrowed down to less than one per cent. A sum of Rs 50,000 crore has been saved by the people by way of replacing the conventional electric use by green energy like LED and solar energy, he said. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was also present, said that he too had been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh but had never expected such fast work as that the Yogi government had rolled out. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) has disclosed that about 23 insurance companies havent disbursed policyholder money worth nearly Rs 15,167 crores on account of not being claimed by them. PSU insurance major Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has Rs 10,509 crore out of the total unclaimed amount, as on March 31, 2018, while the 22 private sector insurers account for the remaining Rs 4,657.45 crore. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co has been piling up Rs 807.4 crore of unclaimed insurance claims followed Reliance Nippon Life Insurance (Rs 696.12 crore), SBI Life Insurance Co (Rs 678.59 crore) and HDFC Standard Life Insurance Co (Rs 659.3 crore). The responsibility of timely disbursal to policyholders or nominees had earlier been entrusted to policyholder protection committees of individual account holders by the IRDAI. Apart from asking the policy providers to update information regarding unclaimed amounts on their websites on half-yearly basis, the regulator has also instructed them to provide a search facility on their website for policy holders or beneficiaries to identify any such unclaimed amount in the future. Policyholders/beneficiaries are required to enter the details like policy number, PAN of the policyholder, name of the policyholder, date of birth or Aadhaar number, in a window provided on the website of the insurer to find out the unclaimed amount. IRDAI has asked insurance companies to identify the policyholders, beneficiaries and nominees of the Rs 15,167 crore of unclaimed funds and payout all dues to them. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: As widespread anxiety grew in Assam a day before the complete draft of the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) was to be published, the authorities on Sunday enforced prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in eight districts. The draft will be put up at all NRC Seva Kendras (NSKs) at 9:45 am on Monday, and will also be available online. On the eve of the publication of the list, 52 Bangladeshi illegal immigrants were deported through Assams South Salmara-Mancachar district. All of them were declared foreigners. They had entered illegally and were arrested from different parts of the state, South Salmara-Mancachar Superintendent of Police Amrit Bhuyan told TNIE. They were sent back after the Guwahati-based office of the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh issued them travel permits. As panic has set in among people on whether their names would be in the draft, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, This is not the final NRC. As such, there is nothing to panic about. People whose names do not figure will get to file objections. The complete draft of the NRC will decide the fate of citizenship of 1.39 crore of 3.29 crore applicants. The first draft, published on December 31 last year, had the names of 1.9 crore people. NRC out today: Army on standby Anticipating a breakdown of law and order, the authorities enforced prohibitory orders for an indefinite period in Barpeta, Darrang, Sonitpur, Dima Hasao, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Karimganj and Golaghat districts. As many as 22 localities in Guwahati are sensitive, said Police Commissioner Hiren Nath. The updation of NRC has been in deference to the Assam Accord of 1985 which the then Rajiv Gandhi government had signed with the All Assam Students Union at the end of six-year bloody Assam Agitation. As per the exercise, which is being directly monitored by the Supreme Court, people, who entered Assam after March 24, 1971, will be viewed as illegal immigrants. However, they will get a window of 30 days to file claims and objections. Eventually, the final NRC will be published. So far, there has not been any untoward incident but police are on high alert and 220 additional companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed. They are fanned out across the vulnerable districts. Assams Director General of Police, Kuladhar Saikia, said, We have taken all steps. The sectoral deployment of the forces is already in order. If anyone is found trying to break the law, we will go very hard on him. We are ready to face any eventualities. Defence sources said the Army had been asked to be on standby. A senior Army official told TNIE, We are anticipating agitations against civil administration. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Outrightly rejecting any move to change the present status of Panjab University, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh has written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying his government was open to increasing the Grant-in-Aid for the varsity, through a mutually consultative process. In the Demi Official letter, Singh asserted that the Haryana government could not take advantage of the ongoing proceedings in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The transitory Financial Resources problem and its resolution by the statutory stakeholders do not permit the Government of Haryana to turn back the clock. The proposal of the Haryana Government for the restoration of its share in the University is "historically, logically, rationally and culturally unsustainable," said the Chief Minister, adding that "the State of Haryana cannot arrogate to itself the privilege of altering history as and when it wishes." As per Sub-section (4) of Section 72 of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, the maintenance deficit grants to the university were shared and paid by the states concerned, i.e., Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh UT administration in the ratio of 20:20:20:40, respectively, he pointed out. "The states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh decided to withdraw from this sharing arrangement. The Government of Haryana also withdrew the affiliation of its colleges from the Panjab University and transferred the same to the other Universities within Haryana State. These decisions of the Haryana Government were unilateral and unconditional. Thus from 1976 onwards the State of Punjab and Chandigarh UT administration paid the maintenance deficit grants to the University in the ratio of 40:60, respectively. Thereafter, the Government of India vide its notification dated October 27, 1997 ceased the representation of Haryana in various governing bodies of the Panjab University," he further said in the letter. Elaborating further, Amarinder Singh said notably, the University has been managing and conducting its financial affairs unilaterally. "The State Government has increased the Grant-in-Aid from Rs. 20 crores to Rs. 27 crores during the current financial year, which amounts to an increase of 35 per cent. This substantial increase may not be commensurate with the needs of the Panjab University, but this is due to the reason that there is no bilateral consultative process in place through which the University's financial management is affected," he added. The need of the hour, said the Chief Minister, was to create a financial balance through a consultative process, vis-a-vis the university and the Punjab Government, so that a concrete plan or vision document for reasonable period, say 10 years, may be charted out collectively. "Notwithstanding the alleged change in the character and composition of Chandigarh City into a 'Tri-City', as claimed by Haryana, the unalterable fact is that the 'Tri-City' was always in existence even when the state of Haryana decided to de-affiliate its colleges from this university and severed its all linkages with the university. There has been no change in the character of the Tri-City since that time. The Haryana government withdrew from the arrangements existing at that time on its own will and unilaterally, and it cannot be allowed to reverse its stand arbitrarily now. The argument of Tri - City is implausible and is an afterthought," asserted Captain Amarinder Singh. "In view of the aforementioned circumstances, the Punjab government is of the firm view that no change in the nature and character of this university should be considered," he added. Amarinder Singh said historically, the people of Punjab have been very intimately associated and have identified themselves with this university right from its inception. The Panjab University occupies an emotional place in the minds of Punjabis on account of historical, regional and cultural reasons. Right from the beginning it has emerged as an educational and cultural symbol of Punjab's legacy and inheritance to an extent that it has almost become synonymous with the state of Punjab, he said. After independence, the Panjab University was re-commenced with an Act of the Punjab State namely the Panjab University Act 1947, and subsequently, with the reorganization of the State of Punjab in 1966, it was declared as an Inter-State Body Corporate under Section 72 (1) of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, enacted by the Parliament. Since its inception, the Panjab University has been continuously and uninterruptedly functioning in the State of Punjab. It was shifted from Lahore, the then capital of Punjab, to Hoshiarpur and then to Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab. As many as 175 colleges of Punjab, which are situated in the districts of Fazilka, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Moga, Sri Muktsar Sahib and S.B.S Nagar, are affiliated with the Panjab University. Thus the entire territorial jurisdiction and the populace, which the Panjab University is catering to, falls primarily, in the Punjab State, in addition to the area under Union Territory of Chandigarh, the DO letter further stated. Amit Agnihotri By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Congress is miffed over the BJPs alleged attempts to erase the legacy of the countrys first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. While the proposed museums of former prime ministers at the Nehru Memorial Library and Museum in Delhi is the latest trigger, recent attempts to replace Nehrus picture with that of BJP icon VD Savarkar in Goa textbooks and the missing reference to him in social science books in Rajasthan were protested by the partys youth wing, NSUI. For the Congress leaders, Nehru remains the one who allowed parliamentary democracy to take roots in free India, something which contributed to his detractors coming to power at the Centre.Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot feels there is nothing wrong with the idea of a museum for former prime ministers, but doubts the intention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modijis intention behind it is not so much to preserve the legacy of former PMs but to erase the legacy of Nehruji. While doing so, BJP forgets that Nehruji holds a special place in the hearts of people. His memory is everlasting, Gehlot said. Gehlot feels the textbooks controversy is a systematic campaign led by the BJP to wipe out the name of Nehru. But they do not know such an exercise would be totally futile because Nehru lives in the heart of every child and his sacrifice and good deeds can never be forgotten, he said. Another senior party leader, Jairam Ramesh, had shot off a missive to NMLM director Shakti Sinha to register his protest. In February, PM Modi had blamed Nehru for the countrys partition, while attacking the Congress in Parliament. By IANS NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday said the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Dawoodi Bohra community is violative of Article 21 and Article 15 of the Constitution that guarantees protection of life and personal liberty and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. "It is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution as it puts the female child to the trauma of FGM," said the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud as the Centre told the court that it supports the petitioner's plea that it is a crime punishable under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act). "When we are for affirmative push to women's right, how can it be reversed?" said Chief Justice Misra, adding that a woman has other obligations and cannot be expected to submit to the whims of the male. The court said this in the course of hearing of a PIL seeking to ban female genital mutilation (FGM) or "Khatna", as it is commonly called, and declaring it illegal and inhuman. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told the court that the practice has been banned by 42 countries out of which 27 countries are in Africa. He said that World Health Organisation (WHO) too has called for banning it. As senior counsel Rakesh Khanna appearing for PIL petitioner Sunita Tiwari told the bench that the practice prevailing in Dawoodi Bohra community is violative of the constitutional guarantee of right to life, Justice Chandrachud said besides Article 21, it is also violative of Article 15 guaranteeing protection discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Appearing for another petitioner from Dawoodi Bohra community, who suffered the trauma of FGM, senior counsel Indira Jaising said that it is a part of woman anatomy and practice is punishable under the law. She referred to a resolution passed by the Dawoodi Bohra community saying that their practice can be subject to the law of their host country and said it is banned in Australia and other countries. "Those who want to perpetuate the practice may argue that IPC and POCSO talk about vagina and penetration to constitute an offence," Jaising said, "but any touching of genital with the exception of for medical reasons is an offence." At this Justice Chandrachud said that "legislation need not read all evils to curb some evils". The Centre had in April told the court that the practice of FGM is a "crime under existing laws" and had urged it to "step in and issue directions" on the issue. "It is a crime punishable with imprisonment of seven years under the existing law...," the Centre had told the court. The hearing will continue on Tuesday. Mukesh Ranjan By Express News Service RANCHI: In yet another incident of mass suicide in Ranchi, two brothers hanged themselves after killing other five members, including two children, in the family allegedly due to financial crisis emerged out of the illness of the 18-month-old son Jangu who was undergoing treatment since he was born. Police has recovered a 15-page suicide note which mentions about the economic problems and financial crisis being faced by the family, besides loans taken from various sources in the market. The family includes Deepak Jha who worked in a private company, his old age father Sacchinand Jha, mother Gayatri Devi, wife Soni Devi, daughter Drishti, son Jangu and his brother Rupesh Jha. The incident took place on Sunday night at Arsande under Kanke Police Station in Ranchi. Notably, six members of a family in Hazaribagh had also committed suicide on July 15 leaving suicide notes stating that they had to take such a harsh step after the family could not bear the pressure brought by the prolonged illness of the only earning member of the family, which further lead to enormous debts on them. Though the reasons of suicide are yet to be ascertained, it is believed that that the family committed suicide after they could not bear the pressure of prolonged financial crisis. "Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide where the two brothers Deepak and Rupesh first killed other family members by strangulating them, and hanged themselves out of financial crisis, emerged out of prolonged illness of the youngest member of the family, who was undergoing treatment in a hospital in Ranchi," said DIG (Ranchi Range) AV Homkar. A special team of State Police, CID and FSL, headed by SSP Ranchi, has been roped in to get into the details of the case, he added. "Today a joint inspection of the place of occurrence was done and all the physical evidences were collected on the basis of which investigation will be done taking all aspects into consideration," said the DIG. A 15-page suicide note has also been recovered from the place which explains economic problems being faced by the family, besides a financial misappropriation done in the company they were working in, and they were apprehending that their names might also come into it, he added. "It has also been mentioned in the suicide note that they were not been able to pay school fee of the child and the payment of the milkman who used to supply milk or the grocery bill forcing them to take such a harsh step," said the DIG. Two brothers were found hanging while the other five members of the family were lying dead on the bed when police entered the house, which was kept open from inside. The family hailed from Bhagalpur in Bihar and was living on a rented accommodation. The elderly father was a retired railway employee who was living with his two sons. Deepak and Rupesh have a sister Sandhay, who was ousted by the family after she married to a man of another cast and has been living separately with her husband. The incident came to light when the driver of the school van sounded the horn to take the girl child to school but no one responded from inside. The landlord also confirmed that the family was debt-ridden who had not even given the house rent for the last few months after more than Rs 20 lakh was spent in the treatment of the youngest son Jangu. Chief Minister Raghubar Das, expressing his condolences over the alleged mass suicide, has ordered Ranchi SSP to look into the matter and unveil the truth as soon as possible. By UNI KOLHAPUR: To extend the support to the Maratha agitation, district lawyers on Monday refrained from their daily judicial works in the court. Today was the seventh day of indefinite 'Thiyya Andolan (squatting down at one place for the demand) of Sakal Maratha sanghatana seeking for reservation in education and jobs. Advocate Prashant Chitnis, president of Kolhapur District Bar Association (KDBA) said in a statement that lawyers remained abstained from daily judicial proceedings in their respective courts to support to ongoing Maratha community agitation. The KDBA also passed a resolution that other five district bar associations including Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri districts, should support to Maratha agitation and decided to fight law suits of Maratha agitators in free of cost. Rajya Sabha MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati sought that proposed state assembly special session for Maratha reservation should be held 'open door' and not in 'close door'. He further warned that if the state government do not withdraw criminal cases against Maratha youth agitators, he would take them to the streets. Meanwhile, the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has cancelled his today's tour to Sangli city, he supposed to come in Sangli for election meeting for corporation election of sangli city, as today is the last day of the campaign. Maratha Kranti Morcha, Sangli unit had warned CM not to come here in Sangli. On backdrop of cancelled of his visit, BJP district unit has released a six minutes video address on social media, in which Mr Fadnvis appealed citizens to vote for BJP, vote for development. It also said, that the government has given Rs 242 crore to the corporation in last three and half years. By PTI NEW DELHI: A crucial bill seeking to provide death penalty to those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years was passed by the Lok Sabha today. The bill seeks to replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another woman at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Although the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was supported by most members across the political spectrum and passed by a voice vote, some in the Opposition objected to the government adopting the ordinance route to enact the law. Several amendments moved by the opposition members were also negated by voice vote. Replying to an over two-hour discussion on the measure, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the stringent law was aimed at providing safety to minor girls. He said the existing Indian Penal Code provided for punishment to those convicted of raping a woman, but there was no provision for rape or gangrape of minor girls below 16 or 12 years of age. These are "very important provisions" which the government has proposed, Rijiju said. He said the recent incidents of rape and gangrape of women below the age of 12 years has shaken the conscience of the entire nation. Therefore, the offences of rape and gangrape of women under the age of 12-16 years require effective deterrence through legal provisions of more stringent punishment, he said. During the debate, Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai, who was in the Chair, suggested that the provisions of the legislation be given maximum publicity, which would act as a deterrence. The Minister agreed to it. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. The minimum punishment in cases of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, Rijiju said. According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life". The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict. Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death. The measure also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed, the bill says, adding that there will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gangrape of a girl under 16 years. It has also been prescribed that a court has to give notice of 15 days to a public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding on bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. Participating in the debate, BJP member Kirron Kher said the bill was "well-timed" and provides hope for safer future for women. She said the opposition should not selectively highlight the case of child rape but speak about how to deal with the henious crime. She was referring to the issue of Kathua rape case which was raised by N K Premachandran (RSP) who had moved a statutory resolution to disapprove the ordinance promulgated by the President on April 21 this year. Premachandran said it was apalling that a minor girl was gangraped in a temple and brutally murdered thereafter. Kher said the bill deals with the current reality and lesser than death penalty in case of rape of minor girl cannot be justified. CPI(M) member P K Sreemathy Teacher asked the Centre to suggest to the state governments to utilise the Rs 3,000 crore Nirbhaya Fund to compensate the child victims. By PTI NEW DELHI: A bill seeking to replace the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) with a board of governors and aimed at bringing accountability and quality in homoeopathy education system was passed by the Lok Sabha today. Replying to the debate on the Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill 2018, Aayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik assured the Lower House that the government would come up with comprehensive bills to promote homeopathy, Ayurveda and Siddha. The Bill, which seeks to replace an Ordinance promulgated by the President in May, was approved by a voice vote after the House rejected several unofficial amendments while Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury withdrew his statutory resolution disapproving the ordinance. The government, the Minister said, will reconstitute the CCH within a year and restore the democratic process. During the debate, Opposition members questioned the ordinance route taken by the government to bring the amendment in the 1973 Homoeopathic Council Act and "undermine" Parliament's powers and asked it to explain the "extraordinary situation" which compelled them to do so. In his reply, Naik said the government had to come out a law to abolish the CCH as it did not have powers to deal with the erring chief and other members who faced grave charges of corruption. The CCH chief was arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting bribe of Rs 20 lakhs as part payment for granting approval to a homoeopathy college. On the urgency to come up with an ordinance, the Minister said the government had to adopt the ordinance route to ensure that academic sessions at homeopathic colleges start on time. As per the bill, the members of the board of governor will replace the existing functionaries of the CCH and comprise seven eminent homeopathy practitioners and administrators who will be appointed by the government. Participating in the debate, K Kamaraj (AIADMK) questioned the intent of the government to bring the ordinance and said when the standing committee had made the recommendation to amend the Act in 2015, what was the reason for a delay of three years and then taking the ordinance route. He asked the Minister to explain the "extraordinary situation" that led to the government to bring the ordinance "undermining the power of Parliament". "What is the guarantee that Board of Governors which will replace the CCH will correct all anomalies," Kamaraj said. When allegation of misappropriation and corruption against members and president of CCH were made in 2016, the government had enough time of one and a half years to bring amendments through Parliament, Rabindra Kumar Jena (BJD) said. He said the government had enough power under the existing Act to supersede the CCH if it was not functioning properly. P Ravindra Babu (TDP) said the government has made a "mockery of Parliament" by bringing ordinance even though there was no extraordinary situation. Ratna De (TMC) also wondered what was the urgency to bring the ordinance. She asked the government to include eminent homoeopathic doctors in the board of governor. Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena) asked the government to constitute comprehensive commission for alternative medicines on lines of Allopathic medicine. Karan Singh Yadav (Congress), Dhanajay Mhadik (NCP), Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav (RJD) N K Premachandran (Revolutionary Socialist Party) also questioned the use of the ordinance route to bring in the legislation. Yadav said attempts were being made to make the council a "rubber stamp" and "toe the government line". Accusing the government of saffronisation, the Alwar Congress MP said the government has already resorted to lateral entry by appointing a person as the secretary in the ministry who is not a civil servant. Yadav said instead of bringing the ordinance, the bill should have been referred to a select committee. Nihalchand (BJP) said his constituency has been reporting increasing number of cancer patients and demanded that a central government team be sent to look into the matter. By Express News Service MUMBAI: A young farmer Gajanan Jaybhaye from Buldana district in eastern Vidarbha committed suicide by consuming insecticide and setting himself on fire by riding wooden pyre in his own farm. Gajanan Jaybhaye (35) from Savkhed Tejan village in Sindkhed Raja taluka of Buldana district had three acres of land. He had taken a loan of Rs 70,000 from the Maharashtra bank, which he couldn't repay due to drought. Also, as his loan wasn't waived off, he couldn't get new loan and hence he was under depression. He had taken some private loans for sowing in this season but, the rains disappeared and he was worried that the dry spell may extend and burn his crop this year too, and in the fit, he committed suicide, Gajanan's father Arjun Jaybhaye has said. Gajanan's other relative Dnyaneshwar Jaybhaye reported the incident to the police. Gajanan had left home to go to the field on Sunday morning. He had carried with him a bottle of insecticide and a can of kerosene for spraying it. However, when Arjun reached the field later in the morning, he found that Gajanan had gathered wood from the field, set his own pyre and had burnt himself after consuming the insecticide, Dnyaneshwar has said in his complaint registered at the police station. Gajanan is survived by his wife and a five-year-old son, the report said. Gajanan's clothes, kerosene can and an empty bottle of insecticide have been collected from the site and the investigation is on, Santosh Nemnar from Sindkhed Raja police station has said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis CM Devendra Fadnavis appealed bankers to speed up disbursement of loans under various schemes to farmers and take the initiative to branch level. He also instructed the district collectors to coordinate with the banks to ensure that loans are disbursed in time. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The names of over 40 lakh people did not figure in the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) the complete draft of which was published in Assam on Monday. Publishing the document, Register General of India, Shailesh, gave an overall figure. He said out of the 3,29,91,384 applicants, the names of 2,89,83,677 people had figured in the draft. The deficit was of 40,07,707. The part draft, published on December 31 last year, had the names of 1.9 crore people. Later, the cases of 1.5 lakh people, whose names had figured in it, were kept in abeyance. The citizenship fate of 1.39 crore applicants was to be decided in the complete draft. However, Sailesh and NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela refused to give figures of the complete draft. 40 lakh names ineligible is a very high figure and very surprising. There are lot of irregularities in the report. We will raise this issue with the Govt and in the Parliament. Political motive of BJP is also behind this: Ripun Bora,Assam Congress Chief on #NRCAssam draft pic.twitter.com/nwFdZ7GqWI ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 People, whose names have not figured in NRC, need not worry. Neither they will be branded foreigners nor will punitive action be taken against them. They will get an opportunity to file claims and objections. The names of no genuine Indians will be left out, Sailesh said. He added: We will maintain status quo as regards the fate of those whose names have not figured in NRC till the final draft is published. Even someone whose name is not in the final list can approach the foreigners tribunal. No coercive action will be taken against anyone, hence there is no need for anyone to panic: Home Minister Rajnath Singh #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/FID1naBChb ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have remained in force in several districts. The orders were enforced following the apprehension of a law and order problem. The Centre dispatched 220 additional companies of central paramilitary forces to the state. So far, there has not been any report of untoward incidents anywhere in the state. The state yesterday also deported 52 Bangladeshi illegal immigrants through South Salmara-Mancachar district. All of them were declared foreigners. They had entered illegally and were arrested from different parts of the state, South Salmara-Mancachar Superintendent of Police Amrit Bhuyan told TNIE. They were sent back after the Guwahati-based office of the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh issued them travel permits. Prohibitory orders were enforced for an indefinite period in Barpeta, Darrang, Sonitpur, Dima Hasao, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Karimganj and Golaghat districts. As many as 22 localities in Guwahati are sensitive, said Police Commissioner Hiren Nath yesterday. The updation of NRC has been in deference to the Assam Accord of 1985 which the then Rajiv Gandhi government had signed with the All Assam Students Union at the end of six-year bloody Assam Agitation. As per the exercise, which is being directly monitored by the Supreme Court, people, who entered Assam after March 24, 1971, will be viewed as illegal immigrants. However, they will get a window of 30 days to file claims and objections. Eventually, the final NRC will be published. By PTI MUZAFFARPUR/PATNA: The number of minor girls allegedly sexually abused at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur has increased to 34, with fresh medical reports confirming rape of five more girls, a senior police officer said today. On July 24, Director General of Police K S Dwivedi had said 29 inmates of the state-funded home were raped. Muzaffarpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harpreet Kaur told PTI over phone today that fresh medical reports of 13 girl inmates have confirmed that five of them were sexually abused. Two of the 44 shelter home inmates were not presented before the medical board as one of them, a four-year-old mentally challenged girl, was at Madhubani, while the other, who had been shifted to Mokama in Patna, was unwell, the SSP said. The issue of the alleged sexual exploitation of girls at the shelter home, run by an NGO, was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, to the state's Social Welfare Department in April. An FIR was lodged on May 31 against 11 people, including Brajesh Thakur, the owner of the NGO which ran the government-funded shelter home for destitute girls. On July 26, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recommended a CBI inquiry into the matter. The opposition - RJD, Congress and CPI(ML) - had sought a probe into the case by the CBI with the high court monitoring it. The CBI has taken over the investigation, an official said today. The SSP said a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, which had already visited the place earlier, was called again to visit the shelter home yesterday. A magistrate, videographers and a team of doctors accompanied the FSL team in light of allegations levelled by the inmates that they were administered drugs at the shelter home, Kaur said. The doctors have seized some drugs from the room where the girls had their weekly check ups. The doctors' team is likely to submit its report in this regard tomorrow, she said, adding that Muzaffarpur Zone Inspector General Sunil Kumar and Muzaffarpur Range Deputy Inspector General Anil Kumar Singh also visited the place yesterday. Police have already submitted a charge sheet against 10 accused persons on July 26 before a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Court, the SSP said. A proclamation notice issued by the special court has been pasted at the house of another accused, Dilip Kumar Verma, who has been evading arrest. Ten out of 11 accused people have been arrested till now. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has made it clear that the state government, during the next hearing, would itself request the high court to monitor the CBI inquiry into the matter. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: An MBA student from Pulwama district became the latest in the list of young and educated youths joining the militant ranks in restive Kashmir. Ishfaq Wani, 26, from Koil village of south Kashmir joined Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba and given the code name, Abu Turab. His picture with an AK-47 rifle has gone viral on social media. His family had registered a missing complaint after Ishaq went missing on July 22. The police are ascertaining facts after Ishfaqs picture surfaced on social media. We are confirming from our sources whether he has joined the militancy, a police officer said. It is a pattern among the youths joining militancy to post their pictures with guns on social media for announcing their decision. Many educated youths, including engineering passouts, MBA degree holders, post graduates and graduates, have joined the militancy this year. In January, PhD scholar Mannan Bashir Wani of Kupwara joined militancy. Junaid Ahmad Sehrai, the son of separatist leader Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, also took up gun. Like Ishfaq, Sehrai had done MBA. According to official sources, over 100 youths have joined militancy in the first six months of this year. The trend picked up after Hizbul commander Burhan Wani was eliminated in 2016. In 2015, 66 Kashmiris joined militancy. The figure rose to 88 in 2016 and 126 in 2017. Despite the killing of militants in encounters with security forces, the recruitment of local militants has not stopped. Security forces have failed to find out a way to tackle this trend and to prevent the young and educated youth from joining the path of violence. By PTI NEW DELHI: The process of claims and objections to the draft NRC in Assam will start from August 30 and continue for a month, a senior Home Ministry official said. The process if required can be also extended by another month, he said. The National Register of Citizens (NRC), a list of Assam citizens, published today with the names of about 40 lakh residents of the state not being included in it. The process of claims and objections to the NRC will start on August 30 and the date was fixed taking into consideration that those whose names are not part of the draft NRC can gather documents in the next one month and prepare to approach NRC authorities, the official said. The window of claims and objections will be from August 30 to September 30 and if required NRC authorities may extend the period by another month -- till October 30, he said. During the period, no coercive action will be taken against anyone, the official said. At a press conference in Guwahati, Registrar General of India Sailesh announced that 2,89,83,677 people were found to be eligible for inclusion in the draft of the NRC out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants. The updating of the NRC is a Supreme Court-monitored process being carried out in Assam. By UNI NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 1400 hrs for the second time on Monday within a minute before the Question Hour could be taken up over ruckus on National Register of Citizens in Assam. No sooner did Chairman M Venkaiah Nadu take his seat that some of the opposition members were on their feet continuing their protest over the draft of the NRC in Assam which was released on Monday. Also Read: Parliament Monsoon Session Day 8 LIVE UPDATES Immediately the Chair adjourned the House till 2 pm after lunch. As a consequence the Question Hour could not be taken up. Earlier the Rajya Sabha was adjourned soon after it met till noon on Monday after the opposition members created a ruckus over National Register of Citizens (NRC). Just after laying the papers during the Zero Hour, the AITC lawmakers raised the issue of NRC and entered into the Well, which forced Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the House till 1200 hrs. Mr Naidu told the agitating members that some members had met him over NRC issues and he had sought clarification from Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the matter. "The Home Minister is in the House and he will clarify over the issue," he said. The members from Congress, AITC, SP, CPI, TDP and RJD, however, started shouting relentlessly against the government. The government on Monday released the final draft of NRC list. The final draft contains names of 28,983,677 citizens and around 40 lakh people have been left out of the list. The first draft of the NRC process was released in December 31, 2017 in which names of around 1.9 crore people out of the total application of 3.29 crore people were included. Mr Singh said, "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be spread. This is a draft and not the final list." By PTI LUCKNOW: Veteran politician and former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh today attended an event addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here, dropping hints of joining the saffron party. Modi launched as many as 81 investment projects worth over Rs 60,000 crore in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. The prime minister today said he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists playing a key role in the nation's development, as he slammed the opposition parties for the "mistakes" made during 70 years after India's independence. "You cannot have blot on you simply by standing with anyone if your intentions are good and clear. Gandhiji's intentions were so pure that he never hesitated in staying with Birla family," he said. "Public mey milna nahi, parde ke peeche sab kuch karna hai. Woh dartey rahtey hain. (Those who do not meet publicly and do everything behind curtains remain scared)," he said. Amar Singh, former SP leader, is sitting here and he can give you all the details, Modi said with a laughter. Singh was also seen at the inauguration and flagging-off of electric buses by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence later in the day. On July 23, Singh had met Adityanath, triggering speculation in political circles that he might be planning to join the BJP. Though the meeting was confirmed by official sources, it was not immediately known what transpired between them. Rumour is rife that Singh, who was a Rajya Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party but was expelled from the outfit last year, has been toying with the idea of embracing the saffron party. Singh had recently said that he was not averse to joining the BJP, but he had not got any invite from it, nor had he applied to it. "The BJP is a very big political party. I won't say that I will not join the BJP if I get a chance, but who is giving me the chance? I have not sent them any request letter either," he said. By Express News Service MUMBAI: After a series of meetings throughout the day on Monday, the Shiv Sena and the Congress supported the demand of immediate implementation of quota for Marathas, while the NCP expressed a need for reassuring the community and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed bankers and government officials for speedy implementation of welfare schemes for the community. After a meeting of Shiv Sena legislators and ministers party president Uddhav Thackeray told the media that the government should not wait for the report of the backward commission and convene a special session of the state legislature to grant quota not just to Marathas but all other communities like the Dhangars and Muslims, who have been demanding it. Party legislators and ministers them called on CM Fadnavis to hand over a memorandum in this regard. During the meeting, party legislators expressed displeasure over former Chief Minister Narayan Rane and Saharad Pawar's statements and urged the party leadership to make a quick move over the issue. While Rane had a meeting with CM Fadnavis on Sunday and said that the community would get the quota within three months, Pawar had on Saturday said that he would support BJP government if it decides for a constitutional amendment to facilitate the quota. The state NCP towed the same line while saying that the community needs to be reassured that their demands are being met in a systematic way. Party leaders met backward classes commission Chairman Justice (retired) MG Gaikwad and Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to appraise them of the party's views. At the Congress legislature party meeting the MLAs said that looking at the extreme rage amongst the Maratha community, they are ready to resign for the cause. In a memorandum handed to the governor, the party said the government would be to blame if law and order deteriorated because it did not announce a decision on the quota demand immediately. On the other hand, CM Fadnavis in the SLBC meeting urged the bankers to speed up process of disbursement of various loan schemes meant for Maratha youths wherein loans between Rs 10 lakh and 50 lakh can be availed to start new businesses. He also instructed all the Bankpercolate the schemes down till branch level and treat all the cases with topmost sensitivity and assist government in giving encouragement to youths to make them job givers instead of job seekers. In another meeting at Mantralaya Fadnavis also interacted with representatives of educational institutions for smooth implementation of government's fee reimbursement scheme that assures 50 percent reimbursement of fees for Maratha students. (EOM) Kumar Vikram By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India has been battling the food adulteration malaise for decades now, but to no avail. From mixing urea and water in milk to add volume, starch in cottage cheese to make it thicker and fluffier and hydrogenated oils in vegetable oils, unscrupulous manufacturers and vendors do it all. An online survey by LocalCircles revealed that 39 per cent citizens found the maximum adulteration in fruits and vegetables while 21 per cent found adulteration in milk. Ninety-seven per cent people want the Government to disclose the identity of anyone engaging in food adulteration. Use of Calcium carbide and ethylene gas to artificially ripen fruits faster is becoming rampant despite the government trying to stop this practice. Asked if the malpractices of artificially ripening fruits and colouring vegetables with hazardous chemicals should be considered food adulteration and what the punishment for it should be, 20 per cent said it should attract three years imprisonment without parole and Rs 1 lakh penalty, 39 per cent wanted seven years imprisonment with Rs 10 lakh penalty, while 38 per cent favoured life imprisonment with Rs 10 lakh penalty. ALSO READ | 85 per cent adulteration in loose edible oil A whopping 97 per cent people said the government must disclose the identity of those engaging in food adulteration. According to citizens, awareness is key and FSSAI and state food departments must take active steps in ensuring the community knows about non-compliant businesses and brands. By UNI KOLKATA: The State Public Works Department has launched a WhatsApp number where citizens can send complaints regarding bad road conditions. The number designated for the purpose is 9073362000 and it is applicable for anywhere in Bengal. If a person notices any problem with any road 'big roads or small lanes' and even culverts, flyovers, overbridges, etc., contacting this number will ensure help. With this step, the West Bengal Government has once again reiterated its commitment towards citizen-centric governance. It will be much easier for people to alert the administration about any damage to roads, buildings or bridges in their area. By IANS NEW DELHI: Of over 60 lakh children aged 6-13 who were reckoned as 'out of school' in 2014, more than 75 per cent belonged SC, ST and other minority groups, the Lok Sabha was told on Monday. Quoting a 2014 survey done by International Market Research Bureau (IMRB), Minister of State for HRD, Upendra Kushwaha said in Lok Sabha that there were 20.41 crore children in the age group of 6-13 years in the country and, of which 60.64 lakh or 2.97 per cent were out of school. Another set of data given in Parliament by the Minister revealed of these 60.64 lakh, 19,66,029 came from Scheduled Caste, 10,07,563 from Scheduled Tribe and 16,61,813 from minority groups, across the country, totaling 46,35,405. The minister said there has been a "consistent reduction" in the number of such children and cited independent surveys commissioned by MHRD over the years in support. As per the data provided by the minister, compiled by IMRB, the number of out of school children came down from 134.6 lakh in 2005 to 81.5 lakh in 2009 and further to 60.64 lakh in 2014. Amit Agnihotri By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Congress alleged that the current NRC updation exercise was intended to harass people and asked that the issue be resolved politically in the spirit of the Assam Accord, signed in 1985 during the tenure of then prime minister late Rajiv Gandhi. The affected people will now have to run around lawyers and government offices getting the corrections done, the party said. READ | In the wake of NRC final draft publication, TMC delegation to visit Assam The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singhji to fulfill the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985. However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP governments at the Centre and in Assam leaves much to be desired. There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis, said Congress president Rahul Gandhi and asked party members to help those against whom an injustice has been done in the draft NRC, no matter what their religion, caste, gender, linguistic group or political affiliation. Sushmita Dev, Congress MP from Silchar told Express, The NRC authority issues new circular every week Its completely haphazard This is a political issue and should be resolved in the spirit of the Assam peace accord. Dev alleged that the move to exclude 40 lakh people from the NRC draft reflected a frenzy to identify foreigners in Assam while genuine citizens were being left out. The identification process is deeply flawed, full of human error and discriminatory. Genuine citizens are going to be left out 40 lakh in a population of three crore is big, she said. The state Congress unit plans to hold camps across Assam to provide legal help to the affected persons. Besides the tedious legal fight, the bigger challenge for the country was to figure out what would it do with the people eventually left stateless, asked Dev. Congress veteran Anand Sharma slammed the draft NRC saying the exclusions raised questions over the credibility of the process. The move would have interstate repercussions as it involves humanitarian aspect and Indias relationship with neighbouring Bangladesh, Sharma said. By IANS NEW DELHI: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday slammed Prime Minister, saying the journalists reporting the Rafale scam are being threatened. "Supreme leader's minions are now sending threatening messages to journalists reporting on the #RafaleScam asking them to 'back off or else...'," wrote Gandhi in Twitter. "I'm really proud of the few brave press people who still have the guts to defend the truth and stand up to Mr 56 (a reference to Modi)," he tweeted. READ | Rafale deal conflict explained: Here's what Congress and BJP said over the past three years Gandhi on Saturday claimed that owing to the Rafale fighter jet deal, the Indian taxpayers will have to pay the "Prime Minister's friend's joint venture Rs 1 lakh crore over five decades to maintain the aircraft". The Congress has earlier accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of "lying" on Reliance Defence Ltd -- which, he claimed, did not have experience in manufacturing fighter jets -- for having secured an offset contract from Dassault Aviation for Rs 30,000 crore and a consequent Lifecycle Cost Contract of Rs 1 lakh crore in the Rafale deal. Kalyan Chakravarthy By The man largely responsible for keeping alive the demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh, one of the brains behind the recent no-confidence motion against the Modi government, and the person who undoubtedly hastened the exit of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu from the NDA camp, ought to be happy. Everything went as per script. Special status is now high on the agenda of all parties, Andhras concerns were debated, if not in the Lok Sabha, at least in the Rajya Sabha, and the TDP is out of the NDA. Yet, YSR Congress president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy appears exasperated at the turn of events and losing the plot. He dropped two bombshells in less than a week, leaving his supporters stunned and opponents in raptures. Having made the tactical mistake of directing his MPs to quit much before the debate on Andhra, indirectly handing the TDP yet another chance to claim to be the sole champions of the state in Parliament, the YSRC leader tried to wrest back the initiative by calling for a statewide bandh on July 24. It evoked partial response. The same evening at a press conference, Jagan, in reply to a query, charged Jana Sena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan with polygamy a below the belt personal attack that prompted even TDP leaders to condemn. And, on Saturday, Jagan compounded the issue by refusing to endorse the long-standing demand of the Kapu community for reservations. Though some see a pattern, it could well be a case of Jagan being Jagan. The attack on Pawan, a Kapu leader, came on the day the actor embarked on his tour of the Godavari districts a stronghold of Kapus, the numerically strong community expected to be the kingmakers in 2019. It was a classic I-dont-care nonchalant Jagan, who is also incidentally touring the Godavari districts, undermining Pawan. His refusal to endorse quota for Kapus is consistent with his stand of not making promises he cannot keep. He did the same in 2014 when he refused to announce crop loan waiver terming it impractical. He sticks by his policy even now. But, his supporters are worried. His implosion, as some YSRC leaders see it, could anger Kapu voters who are otherwise likely to vote for him to throw the TDP out of power. TDP leaders hope Jagan, who has been on a padayatra across the State, will score a few more self-goals and believe that the debate in Parliament and Chandrababu Naidus ongoing Dharma Porata Deeksha have put the party on a firmer footing vis-a-vis Jagan. Interestingly, Naidu has been making positive statements on the Congress in the last few weeks. The buzz in the capital is about a possible tacit understanding with the grand old party in exchange for a few seats in Telangana. Seen as the original sinner, the Congress is also the sworn enemy of the TDP right from the latters inception. A U-turn of that magnitude would be worthwhile only if the rewards are surely more than just a few seats in Telangana. Naidu is looking at the big picture, eyeing a national role which depends on the number of MP seats he wins while cosying up to the Congress. He could even be angling for the top job. Even otherwise, Naidu would need strong backing from the Centre, more so if he retains power in the State. The reason ironically is the special status issue. Even a rudimentary understanding of the special status promised to AP by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh, reiterated by him eloquently with brevity in the Rajya Sabha recently just in case the State forgot, makes it clear that the special package announced by the Centre if implemented in letter and spirit brings the State more funds and projects. Singh promised special status only in the case of Central schemes, not including industrial incentives! It means the state would stand to get just about `17,500 crore over a five-year period. No one knows this better than Naidu himself. Though he has been insisting on inclusion of industrial incentives for some time now, it is unlikely anybody beyond the state borders would support such a demand. It is a tragedy that none of the parties are debating the states future and are instead, clamouring for special status without exactly spelling out what it actually means. And it is the greatest of ironies that the BJP, which has the best orator in Parliament, is unable to articulate what its government has announced. Kalyan Chakravarthi Deputy Resident Editor, Andhra Pradesh Email: chakravarthy@newindianexpress.com Nejma Sulaiman By Express News Service IDUKKI: An orange alert is out, with the District Collector Jeevan Babu K issuing it at 9.10 pm on Monday. Should the rain remain incessant, people settled downstream of Cheruthoni Dam - particularly in the Thadiyampadu, Karimban and Injivarakkuth areas on the banks of the Cheruthoni River - have two or three days to move out of their homes and shelters. While clarifying there was no need to panic, the district administration issued the alert after the water level touched 2395 ft. With the catchment areas of the dam receiving heavy rainfall over the past several days, the water level in the dam has been increasing considerably. "The water level is inching towards the full reservoir mark," said a Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) officer. "It has now reached ....... 2,395 ...... ft and is going up by 0.06 to 0.08 ft every two hours. The rise in the level by two more feet will lead to declaration of the Red Alert. The full reservoir level is 2,403 ft, but we will start opening the shutters when the water level goes above 2,397 ft. If the inflow into the reservoir continues at the current rate, we may have to open the shutters within two days." The district administration said that four relief camps have already been set up to accommodate people in case of evacuation. "Of the 200 families living downstream, preparations are under way to evacuate 40 of them to relief camps," Jeevan Babu said. "A control room has been functioning from Sunday night and red alert message signifying the extreme gravity of the situation will be issued 24 hours before the opening of the shutters." The District Collector has also assured people living downstream that water will be released only during the day time, with all necessary precautionary measures having been taken to ensure security. People have been restrained from visiting the area to see the opening of the Cheruthoni shutters. As estimated, the opening of the shutters at Cheruthoni - part of the Idukki dam project - will lead to water gushing to the Lower Periyar Dam and on to the Bhoothathankettu Dam. From there, water will flow through River Periyar along Kalady and Aluva before merging with the Arabian Sea. Water is estimated to take nearly six hours to reach the Arabian Sea once the Cheruthoni shutters are opened. First such situation during Southwest monsoon If the shutters were to be opened, it will be the first time during the Southwest monsoon since the construction of the dam in 1973. Twice in the past, the shutters had to be opened. But they were during the Northeast monsoon (October to December). The first instance was in 1981 (when the shutters were repeatedly opened and shut between October 29 and November 13) and the second time in 1992 (when they were kept open for 12 days from October 12 to 23). On both occasions, the water level in the dam touched the brim only when the storage built up during the Southwest monsoon (June to September) was augmented by the inflow received following heavy downpour early in the Northeast monsoon. Warning issued The Idukki district administration has issued warning notices to the households and shops located downstream of the Cheruthoni Dam. Many people who have cultivated crops on their agricultural land near the banks of the Cheruthoni River have started harvesting them, even though they have not reached maturity. Others have started to pack up their essentials to leave their houses, in case the red alert is issued. Ali, a resident of Cheruthoni town told Express he had to shift his family to a relative's house at Kattappana the last time (1992) water from the reservoir was released, and that he is ready to send them there this time too. Similar is the case with many other families on the banks of the Cheruthoni and Periyar rivers. The District Collector said officers have been instructed to shift people living downstream in case of an emergency. "Evacuation will be conducted only if the situation further intensifies with heavy rain," he said. He said a public warning will be issued prior to the opening of the dam shutters. "The water will be released in small amounts only 15 minutes after sounding the siren," he said. By PTI SANTIAGO: Easter Island is known for its unique Moai monumental statues carved by the Rapa Nui people, believed to have arrived on the remote landmass in the southeastern Pacific Ocean in around the 12th century. Despite its isolated location some 3,500 kilometres (2,000 miles) from the coast of Chile, the island is a popular tourist destination, not least due to its remarkable collection of around 900 tall human figures with distinctive features and standing up to 10 metres (32 feet) tall. However, it is those very tourists, alongside mainland migrants, who have become a threat to the island's well-being. Chile, which annexed the territory in 1888, has decided to act. In 2007, Easter Island was designated a special territory while back in March, Congress voted to limit the number of tourists and foreign or mainland residents allowed on the island, and the time they're allowed to stay. As of Wednesday, new rules will come into effect that reduces the time tourists -- Chileans not part of the Rapa Nui people and foreigners -- can stay on the island from 90 to 30 days. "Foreigners are already taking over the island," Mayor Pedro Edmunds told AFP. At the last census in 2017, there were 7,750 people living on Easter Island, almost double the population of a few decades ago, before the island was hit by a tourism boom and the real estate development that accompanied it. Edmunds says that number is 3,000 "too many". "They're damaging the local idiosyncrasy, the thousand-year culture is changing and not for the good," he added, saying that "customs from the continent" were infiltrating the island and "that's not positive". Crime and domestic violence figures are also rising. It's not just obnoxious people from the mainland causing problems, though -- the increase in tourism is harming the environment. All basic services are straining under the pressure, not least waste management, Ana Maria Gutierrez, the local government's environmental adviser told AFP. A decade ago the island generated 1.4 metric tons (1.5 US tons) of waste per year per inhabitant, but that figure has almost doubled to 2. 5 tons today, with a population that recycles very little. "Environmentally the island is very fragile," said Gutierrez. The new laws, however, impose stricter rules on those who wish to live on the island, amongst them a requirement to be related to someone from the Rapa Nui people: either a parent, partner or child. Others who will be allowed to stay are public servants, employees of organisations that provide services to the government, and those who develop an independent economic activity alongside their families. On arrival, tourists must present their hotel reservation or an invitation from a resident. The rules will also establish a yet-to-be-decided maximum capacity. But Edmunds isn't happy, as he feels the rules don't go far enough to protect the island's culture, heritage and singularity. "I don't agree with these rules, it's not enough because it doesn't reflect all the aspirations of the island," he said, admitting that like "many other Rapa Nui" he favours a "total" ban on the arrival of new residents. However, he said the legislation was at least "a good start". Rapa Nui are a Polynesian people closely related to those on Tahiti, whereas the majority of Chileans have European ancestry, with a minority of indigenous peoples. Anusha Ravi By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Congress-JD(S) alliance for the Lok Sabha polls is giving sleepless nights to grassroots level workers in Old Mysuru region and also leaders themselves in districts of North Karnataka. As if the JD(S) caste and vote consolidation in parts of South Karnataka, especially Old Mysuru region, wasnt enough, the growing perception of the coalition government being biased against North Karnataka is threatening the Congress in the region. In both parts, workers and leaders believe Congress will be the ultimate loser if the party doesnt act immediately. The going is getting already tough for Congress in Mysuru, Mandya, Bengaluru Rural, Hassan, Chamarajnagar, Tumakuru and Ramanagara districts. JD(S) is already strong in these regions and the voter base that we have carefully built is drifting, thanks to the Vokkaliga consolidation. By offering them seats, we are gifting them our voters, resources and most importantly cadres- those who cant see eye-to-eye with JD(S) workers, said a Congress district unit officer bearer from Old Mysuru region. A Congress worker said the biggest fear is having a tie-up with JD(S) for the Urban Local Body elections, which, she believes, will be a death blow to the partys structure. The Congress is not on the safe ground in North Karnataka either, at least not with Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy making statements that have instigated a bandh on August 2 demanding separate statehood. In North Karnataka, the Congress problem is of perception. The lack of equal representation for MLAs from the region in the ministry, the Vokkaliga and South Karnataka-heavy cabinet, Kumaraswamys add-on budget and more importantly, his statements, deliberate or otherwise, have not gone down well for the government in 16 districts. It (the perception) will negatively impact Congress if they are identified only as Kumaraswamy government. Very few important North Karnataka leaders are part of this government. Satish Jarkiholi, M B Patil, H K Patil, SR Patil etc., arent in the cabinet, observed political analyst Prof Narendar Pani. He added how the north-south divide is economic in nature. But it is not just the economics of it. The Congress, which burnt its hand over the Lingayat separate religious status row, could very well find itself more distanced from the politically powerful community. For the first time, you see a clear Vokkaliga dominance in Karnataka politics and this is threatening Lingayats. That the Congress has aligned with a so-called Vokkaliga party like JD(S) have made Lingayats insecure further, said A Narayana, political analyst. While it is the workers in South Karnataka, it is the leaders that are a worried lot in North Karnataka. When there is a triangular fight, anti-Congress votes get divided between BJP and JD(S). But now, BJP will get the consolidated backing of all anti-Congress votes. The CMs statements and the Congress refusing to distance itself from it will definitely hurt its prospects, said a senior Congress legislator from North Karnataka. Leaders from the region are pressing the party to act immediately before the tide turns against them, especially with BJP seeing an opportunity to exploit in its favour. The Congress now needs a plan to keep its voter and cadre base intact while fighting off a negative perception and keeping its leaders from North Karnataka in good humour. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Almost a month after he announced a partial crop loan waiver, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday said that the notification for the same will be issued within five days. Kumaraswamy was addressing a conference of District Commissioners and Zilla Panchayat CEOs from across the state, appealing to them to ensure effective implementation of the waiver without the intervention of middlemen. The notification, when issued, will be the first concrete official step towards implementation of the massive Rs 49,000-crore loan waiver. Banks have been awaiting the notification after which the process of listing out beneficiaries will begin. "District Commissioners have a huge role in the successful implementation of the waiver scheme. Ensure that middlemen do not misuse the scheme," the CM appealed to the bureaucrats. Acknowledging that development works had taken a back seat due to elections and stalling of funds, Kumaraswamy asked for works to be taken up immediately. Transfer of officials and delay in the release of funds have impacted ongoing works across the state, especially those undertaken by the rural development and irrigation departments and PWD. Considering reports of district-wise rainfall and crop sowing progress, Kumaraswamy asked DCs to adhere to National Disaster Response Force norms while deciding on compensation for losses to farmers. A range of topics, including identification of 12 drought-hit districts, the reason for farmer suicides despite government's backing and urgent report on the procedures to disbursing compensation to the family of the farmer who has committed suicide were discussed at the meet. Dont pay attention to media reports: CM In the first of such conferences after the new JD(S)-Congress coalition government came into power, DCs have been asked to provide skill development training to unemployed youths and place them in jobs in local industries. Miffed with the way media has reported his recent statements, Kumaraswamy appealed to bureaucrats not to pay heed to reports. Give preference to developmental works over reports about this government in the media. This government will complete its full ter, he said. The CM earlier in the day accused media of twisting his statements and misquoting him. The clear anger spilled on to the conference of bureaucrats. By Express News Service BELAGAVI: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamys recent statements against the larger interest of North Karnataka region are set to backfire as the stage is set for a massive agitation to be staged in front of Suvarna Soudha. Seers and leaders of various organisations from North-Karnataka will protest against the continued neglect of the region. Leaders of Uttara Karnataka Horata Samiti (UKHS) are ready with a separate North Karnataka flag which they plan to hoist on Tuesday, provided they get permission from prominent seers who will attend the dharna. Although the dharna by more than 100 seers from different religious mutts of North Karnataka has gained massive support from local organisations, leaders from Hyderabad-Karnataka region are yet to rally behind it. However, many seers from noted mutts from Belagavi and Dharwad region have confirmed their participation and said they will pressure the government until it takes a decision for the development of North Karnataka. UKHS state president Bheemappa Gadad, also an RTI activist, said, Our prime objective is to urge the government to shift important offices from Bengaluru to Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi to make the soudha a power centre. The way the CM issued statements about North Karnataka clearly shows the lack of political will amongst leaders to make way for development of this region. We will not stop until the government changes its stance and focuses on development of North-Karnataka. We will fully support the seers dharna tomorrow and want the government to take their demands seriously to avoid intense protests in the coming days, UKHS general secretary Nagesh Golashetty said. Gadad challenged the government to furnish records of funds so far released by all governments in the past to North and South Karnataka and said South Karnataka got the major share of funds in all sectors. Govt must respond: Forum Uttara Karnataka Vikas Vedike (UKVV), which is organising the seers dharna is confident that the government will wake up to respond to the seers demands for development of North-Karnataka. UKVV president Ashok Pujari said hundreds of seers will urge the government to bolster Suvarna Soudha which the government utilises only to hold a 10-day legislature session annually. North Karnataka will automatically develop once the government starts utilising the Soudha. Besides holding cabinet, the government should also hold legislature sessions and important programmes, he said. Not statehood, they want shifting of capital Raichur: Jana Sangram Parishat held a press conference on Monday and said that they want Hospet, which is in the centre of Karnataka, to be the capital of the state. Raghavendra Kushtagi, leader of the Parishat hit out at BJP MLA Umesh Katti and said these BJP leaders have snatched technical universities from Hyderabad-Karnataka and now they say they want a new state. He said shifting the capital to Hospet will help people of Hyderabad-Karnataka to frequently travel and implement developmental programmes swiftly. Amravati is a fine example of a new capital, he said. Forum opposes separate statehood demand Kalaburagi: Hyderabad-Karnataka Kannadapara Sanghatanegal Okkuta opposed the Thursdays bandh call by some organisations demanding separate statehood for North Karnataka. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, convener of the Okkuta Sachin Fartabad alleged leaders of Uttara Karnataka Pratteka Rajya Horata Samiti (North Karnataka Separate State Action Committee) has a selfish motto. It has not come to the support of Hyderabad Karnataka when this region was going through tough times. It has not supported us in the agitation for amendment to Article 371 (J). Now, when we are reaping benefits of Article 371 (J), they are demanding a separate state, Sachin alleged. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the water level in Idukki reservoir touched 2,394.36 ft on Sunday, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) made it clear water will be released on a test basis if the level goes up by another three feet. READ | With rising water levels, Kerala's Idukki dam to open after 25 years At 2,397 ft, water will be discharged in a controlled manner at 50 cubic metres per second for four hours. This is to assess the condition of the channels and impact on their banks, said KSEB chairman N S Pillai. The Board will issue Orange Alert if the water level touches 2,395 ft and Red Alert at 2,398 ft. Water will be released 24 hours after the alert is sounded. The full level of the Idukki dam, the reservoir for the 780 MW Moolamattam power station, is 2,403 ft and the maximum level 2,408 ft. However, KSEB will not wait for the water level to touch it. ALSO READ | Water level rises in Idukki dam, panic grips the people residing downstream On Friday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened a meeting in which it was decided to hold a joint survey by the KSEB, Revenue and Water Resources Department to ascertain the number of people who would be affected by the release of water and the condition of the channels. Water from the Idukki dam was last released in 1992. This is also the first time since then that such high level has been recorded. KSEB had issued the first alert regarding rising water level in the dam when the levels touched 2,390 ft. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a move aimed at improving the quality of investigation as well as to keep the higher ups in the loop, the police department has been asked to file progress reports in connection with probes. The directive was issued by State Police Chief Loknath Behera on Sunday. The reports will be filed by officers supervising the investigations. As per the section 36 of Criminal Procedure Code, the supervisory officer provides directives to the investigative officers so that the probe could be carried out more efficiently and conviction rates enhanced. As per the new directive, the first supervisors are required to prepare the progress cards. This should be done on the basis of the case diary as well as the discussion they had with the officers of the probe team. The first progress report will have the allegations mentioned in the FIRs, the investigative methods approved by the higher officers and the deadline for completion of the probe. In the subsequent reports, the summary of the allegations as well as the progress of the investigation should be mentioned. The opinion of forensic experts and shortage of evidences should be mentioned on priority basis. The report will also include the reasons for the delay in completion of the probe, new allegation that crop up during investigation, her problems faced by the officers during the probe and the steps taken to overcome those hurdles, a statement released by Behera read. The higher officers, who are authorised to check the report, can comment as to whether the investigation is on the right track and also the directives for further probe. The reports should be send from the start of investigation till filing of the chargesheet or final report in the court. In criminal cases, the reports should be filed two weeks from the registering of the cases. The new system will be first implemented in the Crime Branch and later in murder case investigations done by the local police. In case of local police, the progress report made after consultation with the officer in charge of the investigator (Inspector/DYSP/ASP) should be handed over to Range IG by via the Superintendent of Police or District Chief. The Range IG can write his suggestions and observations on the report and send it back to the investigator. In case of major criminal cases being investigated by the Crime Branch, the reports should be forwarded to the State Police Chief for scrutiny. By Express News Service MALKANGIRI:Even as security has been tightened, a large number of people gathered at a public meeting organised by CPI(Maoist) in Ralegada forest area in Swabhiman Anchala bordering Korukonda of Andhra Pradesh, on the second day of Martyrs Week on Sunday. Addressing the gathering, Andhra-Odisha Border Zonal Committee secretary Ravna declared that the outfit opposes Gurupriya bridge as it would help corporate houses loot minerals from the region. The bridge has been constructed as a part of conspiracy to loot the minerals, he said. The Gurupriya bridge was recently inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The rebel leaders later paid homage to their slain comrades at a red building constructed at Garasetu in the vicinity of Panasput in the erstwhile cut-off region.The structure has been erected in memory of 30 Maoists who were killed in a fierce encounter with the police in Ramguda forest in 2016. The rebels also took out a procession in which hundreds of villagers from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh participated. The rally culminated at Korukonda village on Andhra-Odisha border, sources said. Around 30 top Maoist cadres, including Ramkrishna alias RK and Ganpati, were present in the meet, sources added. Lights go off on bridge Days after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the much-awaited Gurupriya bridge, the lights and CCTV cameras on it went off due to some technical reasons, sources said. The bridge, under threat from Maoists, was plunged into darkness putting it at grave risk, sources added. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu met ailing DMK President M Karunanidhi at Kauvery hospital in Chennai on Sunday. The 94-year-old DMK Supremo has been undergoing treatment since Saturday after his blood pressure dropped. Doctors at Kauvery Hospital stated that former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's health condition is stable and constantly monitored by the panel doctors. The Vice President was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan. "Visited Kaveri Hospital and met former Chief Minister Thiru Kalaignar Karunanidhi. Met his family members and doctors and enquired about his health. Doctors said he is stable. Wish him a speedy recovery. @kalaignar89 " said official twitter handle of Vice President of India. Thousands of anxious DMK cadres from various parts of Tamil Nadu continued to throng Kauvery Hospital on Sunday. By Express News Service CHENNAI: The health condition of DMK president M Karunanidhi on Sunday suffered a transient setback, according to a medical bulletin issued by Kauvery Hospital late Sunday night, even as the large crowd of DMK supporters, braving the elements for news of their leader, grew restless outside the hospital in Alwarpet. With the active medical support, his vital signs are normalising. Karunanidhi continues to be closely monitored and treated by panel of expert doctors, the bulletin said. Shortly after the bulletin was issued, former union minister and party propaganda secretary A Raja, addressing media outside the hospital, said the health of the former chief minister had suffered a temporary setback but his condition had improved with treatment. Dont believe rumours, Raja urged supporters. Karunanidhi health UPDATES: DMK chief's health normalising after setback; son Stalin appeals for peace among party cadres Rumours that the DMK chiefs health had deteriorated intensified all all members of Karunanidhis family, including DMK working president MK Stalin, Rajya Sabha MP M Kanimozhi, her mother Rajathi ammal, reached the hospital in the evening. Further, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami was expected to reach Chennai by 12.30 am on Monday morning and come directly to the hospital. Visuals of heavy security outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment. pic.twitter.com/6wQYmeEmlZ ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 The anxious cadres were heard chanting elunthu va (rise and come) and praying for their leader. With the strength of the crowd greater than on previous days, police security was beefed up with an IPS officer manning the entrance of the hospital and allowing very few people inside on Sunday evening. After the hospital bulletin was released close to 10 pm, the relieved crowd, nonetheless did not disperse, leading to tense moments with police resorting to mild lathi-charge. Meanwhile, as members of the family started leaving the hospital, they were thronged by followers and media persons. DMK workers continue to gather outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment. pic.twitter.com/Y98hwdh0RZ ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 M K Alagiri, the DMK chiefs elder son, assured followed that his father was fine, as did Kanimozhi. Stalin, in a party statement, urged the cadre to remain calm, reiterating what was said in the hospital bulletin and asking that they cooperated with police. Nonetheless, well past midnight, the crowd stayed put, as Raja and other party leaders returned to the hospital. The setback came as a shock to many as earlier in the day, DMK had released a photo of Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, with Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, visiting the former chief minister at the hospital. (Top) An elderly woman among other DMK supporters outside Kauvery Hospital in the city on Sunday; police dispersing the crowd in front of the hospital | (Ashwin Prasath, Martin Louis | EPS) Photo with Naidu brings hope to fans While the DMK chief K Karunanidhi was seen sleeping, followers noted that he did not appear to be on any life support and became hopeful. This was the first time since Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital at 1.30 am on Saturday that the outside world was able to see the leader. Naidu, who was in the city to participate in various events, stepped into the hospital, at noon. Accompanied by Purohit, Union Minister of State for Finance and Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan and Tamil Nadu Minister for Fisheries D Jayakumar, he enquired about the health of Karunanidhi with Stalin, Kanimozhi and the doctors attending to him. Later, the Naidu tweeted, Visited Kaveri Hospital and met former Chief Minister Thiru Kalaignar Karunanidhi. Met his family members and doctors and enquired about his health. "Doctors said he is stable. Wish him a speedy recovery, he added. Rajya Sabha Member TKS Elangovan told Express at the time, he is stable. Blood Pressure has come back to normal level. A DMK MLA, who has been in the hospital for long, said his party leader was likely to be discharged in two days as per the advice of the doctors. Through the day, a host of political leaders from various parties trooped to Kauvery Hospital to share wishes for a speedy recovery. I have come here to convey my wishes for him to overcome the present crisis in health, CPM general secretary Sitharam Yechury told reporters after visiting the hospital. The partys Rajya Sabha Member L Ganesan also visited the hospital. BJP leaders visit DMK chief BJPs national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao, after visiting Kauvery Hospital, wished Karunanidhi a speedy recovery and hoped he would return to active politics. His contribution and leadership is needed to the country, he said. Muralidhar Rao was accompanied by State BJP president Dr Tamilisai Soundarrajan and senior leader CP Radhakrishnan. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and senior ministers including KA Sengottaiyan called on ailing DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Monday. The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister spent around 20 minutes in the Kauvery Hospital, where Karunanidhi is admitted. Palaniswami, while addressing the media outside the hospital, said, "saw Karunanidhi in ICU. His health condition is stable." Party men wait at Kauvery Hospital where ailing DMK president Karunanidhi is recovering in Chennai on Monday. | (P Jawahar | EPS) Karunanidhi's son and DMK working president MK Stalin explained the treatment being given to his father to Palaniswami and Paneerselvam. Meanwhile, Isha founder Jaggi Vasudev and MDMK general secretary Vaiko also visited Kavery hospital to inquire about the health of Karunanidhi. They met Stalin, Kanimozhi and others. After visiting Kavery hospital, Palaniswami and Panneerselvam visited the government general hospital where veteran CPI leader D Pandian is being treated for respiratory problems. Both enquired his health. On Sunday evening, the health condition of Karunanidhi suffered a transient setback. The last medical bulletin issued by Kavery hospital said, with the active medical support, his vital signs are normalising. Karunanidhi continues to be closely monitored and treated by a panel of expert doctors. By PTI NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal today refused to grant any interim relief to mining major Vedanta, which has challenged the Tamil Nadu government's order to permanently shut down its Sterlite copper plant in Tuticorin, even as the firm termed the government action as "political". A bench headed by NGT chairperson A K Goel allowed the state government to file its reply on Vedanta's plea by August 9, when it will next hear the matter. The tribunal adjourned the matter after the counsel, appearing for the state, sought time, saying "there are certain developments that needs to be brought before the court". The submission, however, was opposed by senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for Vedanta, who said the issue was "political". "This is complete political issue. Now the agitation is starting the other way where around 25,000 people are sitting on protest," the counsel said. The senior advocate, while seeking tribunal's permission to enter the premises, said there was leakage of sulphuric acid from the factory, which had to be taken care of since it may lead to some disaster. "The factory was locked by the state. At least let us remove the sulphuric acid," the counsel said. At this, the counsel appearing for the state government, said, "Things are being taken care of for the last one month and entire sulphuric acid has been removed. "The state's plea, seeking time to file the reply, was opposed by Vedanta, which said that the situation was critical. However, the bench said it will hear the matter in detail and posted the case for final hearing. On July 5, the tribunal had issued notices to the state government and the pollution board seeking their responses after Tamil Nadu raised preliminary objection with regard to the maintainability of Vedanta's plea. The Tamil Nadu government had, on May 28, ordered the state pollution control board to seal and "permanently" close the mining group's copper plant, following violent protests over pollution concerns. Earlier in April, the Tamil Nadu pollution control board had rejected Sterlite's plea to renew the Consent To Operate certification, saying the company had not complied with the stipulated conditions. Following this, the government had issued a permanent closure notice to the plant. Vedanta's plea in the NGT seeks permission to operate the unit and a direction to declare as unlawful and illegal the exercise of powers by the Tamil Nadu government in passing the closure order under section 18(1)(b) of the Water Act. Sterlite's factory had made headlines in March, 2013, when a gas leak led to the death of one person and injuries to several others, after which the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure. The company had then appealed to the NGT, which had overturned the government order. The state had then moved the Supreme Court against it and the case is still pending. The Supreme Court had then ordered the company to pay Rs 100 crore as compensation for polluting environment. Following the latest protests and police firing, the plant was closed on March 27. After Sterlite announced its plans to expand the Tuticorin plant, villagers around it started fresh protests that continued for over 100 days, culminating in the May 22 police firing on protestors that claimed 13 lives and left scores injured. By Express News Service KARAIKAL:Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy welcomed the Cauvery river, which entered the boundary of Karaikal district on Sunday, praying for farmers as the arrival of water was delayed by more than a day. We pray for a good samba season for farmers who sow their seeds in the Tamil month of Aadi. We pray for the prosperity of farmers and good yield at the end of cultivation. We are glad they would be cultivating the samba crop in time without any difficulties, said Narayanasamy while addressing reporters. Accompanied by Agriculture Minister R Kamalakkannan, Puducherry Development Commissioner A Anbarasu, Karaikal Deputy Collector A Vikranth Raja, PWD officials, and farmers, the Chief Minister stood atop Madhur Head on Sethur bridge, showered flowers and grains welcoming the Cauvery which enters Karaikal as the Noolar river. The CM had originally planned to welcome the river at Nallambal regulator on Saturday morning when he arrived in Karaikal. However, water came in slowly while travelling towards Karaikal due to percolation into the ground. The water still did not reach Nallambal regulator, where the Chief Minister traditionally awaits its arrival. Having figured the water would not reach soon and be stored in the regulators catchment area, Narayanasamy decided to go to the neighbouring village of Sethur on the border of Nagapattinam and Karaikal. Five swept away by strong currents Tiruchy: Three youngsters from Villupuram district were swept in the fast-flowing Cauvery on Sunday. Fire and Rescue Services personnel have instituted a search team to find the three victims. In another incident, an 18-year-old youth from Kattur drowned in the Kollidam river on Saturday. Five youngsters - Jeya Kumar, Suresh Babu, Sasi Kumar, Vignesh (14) and Sasi (19) - from urban Villupuram district, were returning from a visit to Kutralam. While crossing the Cauvery bridge in Tiruchy, on viewing the Cauvery in full flow, Sasi, Vignesh and Sasi Kumar decided to bathe in the ghats near Thiruvalarsolai leaving the other two in the car. Since the river current was strong, all three youths were swept away. River reaches last regulator Nagapattinam: After ten days of journeying from Mettur, Cauvery finally reached the last regulator in Melayur in Sirkazhi on Sunday. The PWD has hinted that a regulator would be built downstream of Melayur to recharge groundwater. When Express questioned about a possible way to extend the length of the river beyond the last regulator in Melayur, PWD officials said, We have submitted a proposal to build a regulator in Poompuhar at the cost of D8 crore. The spot is five kilometres from Melayur and 500 metres from the river mouth in Poompuhar. The water stored in Poompuhar will help recharge the groundwater and for people who are unable to use their groundwater due to salinity caused by seawater intrusion. By PTI NABI SALEH: Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi, who became an international symbol of resistance to Israeli occupation after slapping two soldiers, walked out of an Israeli prison today and told throngs of journalists and well-wishers that she now wants to study law to defend her people. In a news conference in the courtyard of her family home, the curly haired 17-year-old briefly raised her fist and said the "occupation must leave," speaking against the backdrop of a large model of a slingshot meant to symbolize Palestinian stone-throwing protests. However, the once feisty teen appeared to be subdued, stopping short of committing to continued acts of protests and saying her eight-month prison stint had taught her to appreciate life. Underlying her case are clashing narratives about Israel's half-century rule over the Palestinians, the extent of permissible Palestinian resistance to it and the battle for global public opinion. Tamimi's supporters see a brave girl who struck two armed soldiers in frustration after having just learned that Israeli troops seriously wounded a 15-year-old cousin, shooting him in the head from close range with a rubber bullet during nearby stone-throwing clashes. In Israel, she is seen by many either as a provocateur, an irritation or a threat to the military's deterrence policy even as a "terrorist. " Israel has treated her actions as a criminal offense, indicting her on charges of assault and incitement. In liberal circles, the hard-charging prosecution of Tamimi was criticized as a public relations disaster because it turned her into an international icon. Her release comes at a time when Palestinian hopes for an independent state appear dimmer than ever. Israeli-Palestinian talks on setting up a state in lands captured by Israel in 1967 the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem have been deadlocked since hard-line Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to power in 2009. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suspended contacts with the US after President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December in what Palestinians denounced as a display of blatant pro-Israel bias. Abbas, meanwhile, has stepped up financial pressure on Gaza, controlled since 2007 by his bitter domestic rival, the Islamic militant Hamas. Many Palestinians are disillusioned by their leaders in both political camps and feel exhausted after years of conflict with Israel. Alternatives have arisen, including calling for a single state for both peoples between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, but haven't gained a mass following. In this context, the idea of so-called popular resistance, regular demonstrations, including stone-throwing by unarmed protesters, has only caught on in a few West Bank villages, including Nabi Saleh, home to the extended Tamimi clan. Since 2009, residents of Nabi Salah have staged regular anti-occupation protests that often ended with stone-throwing clashes. Ahed has participated in such marches from a young age and has had several highly publicized run-ins with soldiers. One photo shows the then 12-year-old raising a clenched fist toward a soldier towering over her. In a sign of her popularity, a pair of Italian artists painted a large mural of her on Israel's West Bank separation barrier ahead of her release. Israeli police say they were caught in the act along with another Palestinian and arrested for vandalism. Ahed and her mother Nariman, also arrested in December in connection with the same incident, were released Sunday morning from a prison in northern Israel. They were driven by bus to the West Bank and were given a hero's welcome in Nabi Saleh. "The resistance continues until the occupation is removed," Ahed said upon her return. "All the female prisoners are steadfast. I salute everyone who supported me and my case." From her home, Ahed headed to a visit to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. She laid a wreath, kissed the headstone twice at the request of photographers and recited a prayer from the Quran, the Muslim holy book. She was then taken with her family to a meeting with Abbas at his headquarters in Ramallah. The 83-year-old Abbas praised her as a symbol of resistance to occupation even as he faces growing domestic criticism for not walking away from continued security coordination between his forces and Israeli troops against Hamas, a shared foe. In an afternoon news conference in the courtyard of the family home, Ahed said that she completed her high school exams in prison, with the help of other prisoners. Palestinian inmates typically organize study courses to complete high school and even university degrees. "I will study law to defend my people and defend my Palestinian cause in international forums," she said. She said her prison experience was tough, and that she missed her old life in the village and her friends. She said she underwent three lengthy interrogations without a female officer present, in violation of Israel's own rules. At one point Sunday, Ahed received a call from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who congratulated her on her release, said her father. Tamimi's scuffle with the two soldiers took place December 15 in Nabi Saleh. At the time, protests had erupted in several parts of the West Bank over Trump's recognition 10 days earlier of the contested city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. She was arrested at her home four days later, in the middle of the night. By AFP SYRIA: The Islamic State group kidnapped dozens of Druze women and children when it attacked their village last week in Syria's Sweida, residents of the southern province and a monitor said Monday. Sweida, which is mainly government-held and populated with members of Syria's Druze minority, had been largely insulated from the conflict raging in the rest of the country since 2011. But on Wednesday, a string of suicide blasts and shootings claimed by IS left more than 250 people dead in the provincial capital and nearby villages, most of them civilians. After the attack IS jihadists also abducted several dozen women and children from one village, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Sweida residents. The Britain-based Observatory said 36 Druze women and children were abducted, but that four women had since managed to escape while another two had died. ALSO READ | Syria Conflict: United Nations verifies over 7,000 child casualties in Syria since 2013 That left 14 women and 16 children in IS captivity, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. Another 17 men were unaccounted for, but it was unclear if they were also kidnapped. IS has not claimed the kidnappings and no details on them could be found on its propaganda channels. According to news outlet Sweida24, the 36 civilians were kidnapped on Wednesday from the village of Al-Shabki, in the eastern hinterlands of Sweida province. Sweida24 and other online outlets published a video that appeared to show one of the hostages making demands of the Syrian government, purportedly on IS's behalf. AFP could not independently verify its authenticity, but several Sweida residents confirmed that a woman appearing in the footage was among those missing after the attacks. - Talks over hostages - The hostages mainly hail from two large families in Al-Shabki, said reporter Nour Radwan, who heads Sweida24. The remote village lies in the eastern edges of Sweida province and suffered some of the deadliest violence from Wednesday's attacks, with more than 60 civilians killed in Al-Shabki alone, Radwan said. "Most of its residents are farmers and don't have much more than hunting rifles in terms of weapons, so there was little resistance from Al-Shabki compared to other villages," he told AFP. "When IS saw that, it kidnapped a first batch of people from their homes and took them east towards the Badiya, according to survivors," Nour added. The Badiya is Syria's vast desert, which stretches from the country's centre to its eastern border with Iraq and includes several isolated IS-held pockets. IS has also reached out to the families of those abducted with pictures and videos. The jihadists are demanding the release by the Syrian government "of detained IS-linked people, whose numbers are now being negotiated", said Radwan. IS also wants a halt to a Syrian regime offensive on jihadist positions, he said. Religious leaders from the Druze community have since stepped in, Radwan and another local source with knowledge of the talks told AFP. "As of Sunday, the hostages were still being held in the Badiya. Negotiations are happening between Daesh and Druze sheikhs," said the source, using the Arabic acronym for IS. - 'Massive massacres' - "The massacres were massive, and so is the pain. There are families that were entirely wiped out," said Noura al-Basha, an activist from Sweida. "One young man from the Abu Ammar family in Al-Shabki lost his father and brother in the attacks. His mother was unaccounted for until they found her two days ago near the village, and his cousins are among those kidnapped," Basha told AFP. In addition to territory it holds in the Badiya, IS also controls a pocket in Daraa province, directly west of Sweida. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops have been waging an assault on that IS-held patch for nearly two weeks. On Monday, they overran the jihadist-controlled town of Ash-Shajara just a few hours after beginning to bomb it, Syrian state media said. That has left just three villages under IS contol in Daraa, said the Observatory, but there are fears that hundreds of jihadists may have slipped away unharmed. Since its bloody rise in 2014, IS has carried out multiple mass abductions in Syria and Iraq, including of minorities. It kidnapped more than 220 Assyrian Christians in northeast Syria in 2015 and another 270 Christians from a central village the following year. Most of the hostages were released after negotiations. Under the group's ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam, minorities are considered "infidels" but IS also politicises them as regime loyalists. More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011. Wednesday's violence was the worst Sweida had seen since the war began, and one of the deadliest attacks by IS across the country. IS attackers detonated suicide bombs in Sweida city and villages to the north and east, while others shot and stabbed residents. A total of 139 civilians were among more than 250 people killed, according to the Observatory. The other dead were pro-government fighters or residents who picked up arms to defend their homes. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif's personal physician has advised the interim government to "seriously consider" sending him to London for further treatment, a media report said today, a day after Pakistan's former prime minister was admitted to a top hospital after his health deteriorated. Sharif, 68, was yesterday shifted to the Cardiac Centre of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here after his health deteriorated due to heart trouble in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The News International reported that the former premier could be sent to London on August 2. Sending Sharif to London for treatment is being seriously considered, the report said. His personal physician Dr Adnan Khan examined him and evaluated his medical test conducted over the past few days and advised Shari'f treatment abroad, it said. Sharif had earlier stayed in London for three months for cardiac surgery. His wife Kulsoom Nawaz, 68, is also in a London hospital undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Meanwhile, his private hospital ward in Islamabad has been declared as a sub-jail by the authorities. The capital's police will provide security to the convicted premier, according to the government notification. Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court last year in the Panama Papers case. The three-time Pakistan premier is serving a 10-year jail term in a corruption case over his family's purchase of luxury apartments in London. ALSO READ: Chronology of the major events leading to Nawaz Sharif's arrest He has been lodged in the Adiala Jail since July 13. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Ailing Nawaz Sharif's hospital ward has been declared as a sub-jail, a day after Pakistan's former prime minister was admitted to the premier Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences following health complications, a media report said today. Sharif, 68, was yesterday shifted to the Cardiac Centre of the country's top hospital in Islamabad after his health deteriorated due to heart trouble in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. He is said to be in a stable condition, a hospital official said last night. The three-time Pakistan premier is serving a 10-year jail term in a corruption case over his family's purchase of luxury apartments in London. Journalists waiting outside the cardiac ward Nawaz Shariff is admitted to. (Photo | AP) He has been lodged in the Adiala Jail since July 13. "A notification issued by the office of the Islamabad chief commissioner yesterday said that the capital city's administration had decided to declare premises of the PIMS Cardiac Centre's private ward as 'sub-jail' for keeping Nawaz Sharif, convicted prisoner in NAB case, with immediate effect," Dawn newspaper reported. The private ward will serve as sub-jail until the time Sharif is kept there for medical treatment, the paper said. ALSO READ | Nawaz Sharif on the verge of kidney failure, medical board urges immediate transfer The capital's police will provide security to the convicted premier, according to the notification. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's chief Imran Khan, whose party has emerged as the single largest side in the National Assembly after the polls, prayed for Sharif's recovery and directed party workers to stay away from the premises of the PIMS and not to hold any demonstration against the ousted premier. Dr Naeem Malik, head of the PIMS cardiology department, had suggested that authorities shift Sharif to the hospital as his blood tests showed clotting which, according to the doctor, was an alarming sign considering his medical history. The PML-N supremo lives with diabetes and has also undergone bypass surgery. ALSO READ | Pakistan polls 'stolen', results 'tainted': Jailed former PM Nawaz Sharif He currently takes medication for his heart condition, cholesterol and diabetes. Supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chant slogans outside the cardiac ward of a hospital, where Sharif was moved, in Islamabad. (Photo | AP) Later, a meeting between Sharif and his daughter Maryam and son-in-law retired Capt Mohammad Safdar took place to discuss his health condition. Extraordinary security arrangements were made ahead of Sharif's arrival. Walk-through gates, CCTV cameras and mobile jammers were installed in the hospital, along with the deployment of security forces. By Hou Jianyu, Li Sikun, and Chen Xin Heads of the US Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House Armed Services Committee announced that they had agreed on the final draft version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 on July 23, local time. The act contains several provisions that are "tough" on China and Russia. At present, the $716 billion bill is still subject to approval by both the House and the Senate and it needs to be signed by the US President Donald Trump. The final version of the 2019 NDAA calls on the Trump administration to formulate a strategy to counter China's activities in many areas and strengthen military partnership with countries (including Chinas Taiwan) in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a report by Cable News Network (CNN) on Tuesday. Among the five national defense authorization acts from 2015 to 2019, China was mentioned 67 times in 2015 and 57 times in 2017. The draft in 2019 mentions China 29 times. However, from the content, the earlier acts have focused on more specific areas, such as prohibiting the inclusion of the Chinese missile defense system into the US missile defense system and China's regional influence in the South China Sea and East China Sea. The 2019 version focuses more on strategic contents. Wu Xinbo, Dean of the Institute of International Studies of China's Fudan University, said on Tuesday that this reflects some of the latest changes in US policy towards China. This year's draft focuses on various aspects of politics, economy, and security. It is comprehensive and has increased its defense against China in the latter two aspects. The draft also emphasizes the introduction of a comprehensive strategy to deal with the so-called challenges from China. The Daily Beast, an American news and opinion website, reported that Hong Lei, consul general of the Chinese consulate general in Chicago, sent a letter to Hultgren, a Republic member of the House of Representatives, objecting to nine sections in the House version of the 2019 NDAA. These sections are related to Chinese tech giants, Taiwan, the so-called Chinese intervention, and so forth. Hong also criticized the NDAA's designation of China as a strategic competitor of the US and said this move reflected Americas cold-war and zero-sum game mentality. In addition, the 2019 NDAA will also provide support for the Trump administration in the development of small equivalent ballistic missile warheads to deter Russia. According to a report from the Russian Sputnik News on Tuesday, the 2019 NDAA claims that the US plans to prohibit military cooperation with Russia, ensure that its strategic partners and allies replace Russian weapons with American weapons flexibly, and prohibit the US government from recognizing Crimea's assimilation into Russia, in a bid to confront Russia. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said the US will never trust Russia in an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) News on Monday. "Theyre never going to be our friend," said Haley. The Defense News website concluded that military hardware, ultimate strength, and sanctions against China and Russia are the main elements to watch in the 2019 NDAA. Wu Xinbo said that the National Security Strategy Report released last year by the US called China and Russia the main strategic competitors and the latest draft also reflects such a kind of mood and attitude. It is inevitable that the US will strengthen pressure on China and Russia in economy, diplomacy, and military terms in the future. However, Trump hasnt officially signed the act, and the executive departments and Congress still have room for bargaining. The executive departments of the US still have some flexibility in implementation after the signing, Wu said. Disclaimer: The authors are Hou Jianyu, Li Sikun, and Chen Xin with Global Times. The article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity. By AFP KENYA: The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties after over a decade of animosity, in the latest lightning rapprochement between Horn of Africa rivals. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," read a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed. The declaration came just three weeks after Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to two decades of conflict, rapidly restoring diplomatic ties and flights between their capitals. The history of the three nations, and their fallouts, have been intertwined. Somalia and Eritrea were once close. Under Somali dictator Siad Barre, the military regime in Mogagishu backed Eritrea's long fight for independence from Ethiopia, which was attained in 1993. In 1998 Ethiopia and Eritrea began a bloody two-year war over their shared border which left 80,000 dead before settling into a bitter cold war. After the fall of Barre in 1991, Somalia fell into chaos. By around 2006, it became the site of what observers called a proxy war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Ethiopia backed backing a weak interim government in Mogadishu while Eritrea was accused of backing the Islamic militants fighting to overthrow it, a charge it denied. The United Nations Security Council in 2009 imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militants, which continue to launch regular deadly attacks despite losing territory in recent years. The declaration placed special emphasis on its support for the Somali government. "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the countrys rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," it said.The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." - End of 'epoch of conflict' - At a state banquet on Sunday, Afwerki bemoaned the gloomy post-Cold War history of the Horn of Africa. He said the region had been destroyed by "ethnic and clan cleavages" and "external pillage and internal thievery" in the speech which also lashed out at the "micromanagement of anarchy" by the United Nations and NGOs. "Under these bleak realities, interventionist and expansionist regional agendas in the name of religion, cultural intoxication under various extremist ideologies, terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, as well as trade in weapons and narcotics became the new normal," he said, according to a speech posted on the information ministry's website. "But this epoch of crises, conflict and instability is not inherently sustainable. As such, it is nearing its end. We are indeed entering a new, transitional, phase." Ethiopia, which is undergoing lightning reforms under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has already formally requested that sanctions be lifted against Eritrea. And in the wake of Ethiopia's peace with Eritrea, its other neighbour and rival Djibouti asked the UN Security Council for help mediating a long-standing border dispute that has soured relations with Asmara. By PTI MELBOURNE: A teenage girl was charged with murder in Australia today for killing an Indian student she had met through a dating app. Jamie Lee Dolheguy, 18, was arrested last week over an attack on Maulin Rathod at her home in Sunbury on Monday, which left him with fatal injuries. The 25-year-old student died in a hospital the following day. Dolheguy sat impassively with her head slightly down as she appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates Court via a video link from custody. The teenager was charged with attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury and recklessly causing serious injury after her arrest, and also faced a charge of murder. Dolheguy and Rathod reportedly met through a dating app and decided to meet each other. She was remanded to custody to appear before the court again on November 19. The Indian mission here confirmed that the Indian is in constant touch with his family in India and local friends as well as relevant Australian authorities. "Considering the unusual circumstances surrounding the tragic death, the Australian authorities would need to complete extra-legal formalities before the mortal remains are released, and hence the transportation of the mortal remains of Maulin back to India may take slightly longer time," the Indian Consulate here said. It said that all efforts were being made by the Consulate, in coordination with the Australian authorities, to expedite the completion of the required formalities, so that the mortal remains of Rathod were repatriated at the earliest. Rathod had arrived in Australia four years ago on a student visa to study accountancy. By PTI ISTANBUL: Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government would not back down and was willing to "go its own way" if the United States imposes sanctions over an American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges. Erdogan ended his silence yesterday on the escalating diplomatic dispute involving Andrew Craig Brunson, 50. The evangelical pastor was arrested in December 2016 and jailed until he was released to home detention last week. "They cannot make Turkey back down with sanctions," Turkish media quoted Erdogan saying during an official visit to southern Africa. "The US should not forget that unless it changes its attitude, it will lose a strong and sincere partner like Turkey," he warned. On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced possible sanctions against Turkey, a crucial NATO ally, for its treatment of Brunson. READ|Turkey slams Israel's controversial 'Jewish nation-state' law The pastor, who is originally from Black Mountain, North Carolina, has lived in Turkey for 23 years and led Izmir Resurrection Church. Brunson was detained in the aftermath of a failed 2016 coup on charges of "committing crimes on behalf of terror groups without being a member" and espionage. He faces a prison sentence of up to 35 years if he is convicted on both counts at the end of his ongoing trial. In an interview that aired today, US Vice President Mike Pence reiterated that there would be consequences if Erdogan's government did not free Brunson and drop the charges. "Transferring Pastor Andrew Brunson to home arrest is just not good enough, and the United States of America is prepared to bring sanctions against Turkey until Pastor Andrew Brunson is free," Pence said in the interview on Fox's "Sunday Morning Futures. " Erdogan denied speculation that there had been an agreement to swap Brunson for Turkish citizens being held abroad, particularly 27-year-old Ebru Ozkan. Ozkan had been detained by Israel on terror-related charges but was deported this month. The Turkish leader previously linked Brunson's return to the US to the extradition of Fethullah Gulen. Ankara blames Gulen for the coup attempt, while the cleric denies involvement. Erdogan also warned that Turkey would seek international arbitration if the United States refused to deliver F-35 fighter jets in retaliation. By AFP LONDON: Britain's new foreign minister begins his first major international trip with a visit to China today, bidding to strengthen trade ties with Beijing ahead of Brexit next year. "The UK and China are both major powers with a global perspective", said foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt in a statement issued ahead of the visit. "As the UK leaves the EU and becomes ever-more outward-looking, we are committed to deepening this vital partnership for the 21st century." Following the China summit Hunt is scheduled to travel to Paris and Vienna for further talks with his European counterparts on Brexit. It was revealed last week that May was despatching ministers to the 27 member states of the EU in a bid to broker back-door agreements after Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier shot down her Brexit plan. An agreement on Britain's divorce from the trading bloc -- set for 29 March 2019 -- must be forged in principle within at least three months, before a European summit in mid-October. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials said that in China Hunt -- who replaced Boris Johnson after his dramatic resignation over Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit blueprint earlier this month -- will hold "extensive discussions" with Chinese state counsellor and minister of foreign affairs Wang Yi. Further topics on the table are expected to be "the importance of multilateralism and free trade and ways the UK and China can work together on global challenges such as climate change, development, security and non-proliferation and enforcing UN sanctions on North Korea". In France and Austria "international security issues such as the threat from Russia, the war in Syria, and the Iran (nuclear) deal," will also be under discussion according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. By IANS WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that crossing the US border illegally has consequences whether accompanied by children or not, and urged Congress to change the current migratory law, which he referred to as the world's "dumbest and worst". "Please understand, there are consequences when people cross our Border illegally -- whether they have children or not -- and many are just using children for their own sinister purposes," the President said on Twitter. Please understand, there are consequences when people cross our Border illegally, whether they have children or not - and many are just using children for their own sinister purposes. Congress must act on fixing the DUMBEST & WORST immigration laws anywhere in the world! Vote R Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 The Trump administration has come under heavy criticism since the enforcement of its "zero tolerance" policy against immigrants entering the country illegally through Mexico, which was suspended last month after a fierce backlash, Efe reported. Several government officials have said that the president is using zero tolerance as a bargaining chip to garner support for the border wall, as well as the tightening of immigration laws -- such as catch and release and the visa lottery -- despite the fact that Republicans control both houses of Congress. In a later tweet, Trump said that he is "willing to shut down" government if Democrats refuse to vote for changes in the immigration system, including funding for the wall. By PTI WASHINGTON: Unveiling President Donald Trump's economic strategy for advancing a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today announced USD 113 million in new regional investments focused on digital connectivity, infrastructure and energy, amidst China flexing its military muscles in the region. In an apparent dig at China's ambitious One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR) initiative, Pompeo said the US believes "in strategic partnerships, not strategic dependence" and added that it is clearly in America's strategic interest to deepen its engagement in the region. The US recently renamed its oldest and largest military command - the Pacific Command - to Indo-Pacific Command, in a largely symbolic move to signal India's importance. "President Trump will strike while the iron is hot, because there are clear economic benefits at hand for the American people. Our Indo-Pacific vision excludes no nation," Pompeo said in his address to the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum organised by the US Chambers of Commerce. "We seek to work with anyone to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, so long as that cooperation adheres to the highest standards that our citizens demand. The US is committed to growing our presence in the region because we want Americans and all people of the Indo-Pacific to share in the economic growth of 2020, 2030, 2040, and beyond," he said. Last year, President Trump said in Vietnam, the Indo-Pacific is "a beautiful constellation of nations, each its own bright star, satellites to none - and each one a people, a culture, a way of life, a home." To burn brightest, this constellation needs the fuel of innovation and sustainable growth, he had said, adding that this is what America's Indo-Pacific strategy will promote. "I am announcing USD 113 million in new US initiatives to support foundational areas of the future: digital economy, energy, and infrastructure. These funds represent a down payment on a new era in US economic commitment to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," Pompeo said. He asserted that it is clear a big part of America's international economic future is in the Indo-Pacific. "Our strategy seeks to catalyze American businesses to do what they do best in the region. President Trump also expects our commitment to generate greater support for a free and open Indo-Pacific from all countries that share the vision of a region rooted in sovereignty, the rule of law, and sustainable prosperity," he said, in an apparent reference to China, which claims almost all of South China Sea and resorted to aggressive patrols in recent years. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the South China Sea. Pompeo said the US will initially invest a USD 25 million to improve partner countries' digital connectivity and expand opportunities for US technology exports. Under this the US will support communications infrastructure development through technical assistance and public-private partnerships; promote market-driven digital regulatory policies; and build partners' cybersecurity capacity to address common threats, he said. "We do this because we recognise the tremendous economic and social benefits that come with an open, secure, and reliable internet," he said. Through Asia EDGE (which stands for Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy), US will invest nearly USD 50 million this year to help Indo-Pacific partners import, produce, move, store, and deploy their energy resources. America's energy bounty includes vast natural resources, world-leading private firms, sophisticated development-finance tools, and peerless technical expertise. "We will draw on all of these to grow sustainable and secure energy markets in the Indo-Pacific," he said. Pompeo announced the launch of an Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network to boost the development of infrastructure. "This whole-of-government initiative, seeded with nearly USD 30 million, establishes a new interagency body to coordinate, strengthen, and share US tools for project scouting, financing, and technical assistance. It also establishes a new Indo-Pacific Transaction Advisory Fund to help partners access private legal and financial advisory services," he said. "In all these areas - digital economy, energy, and infrastructure - we look forward to working with allies and partners," Pompeo added. Headed to the region later this week, President Trump will make further announcements on security assistance. Noting that government spending alone can never address the Indo-Pacific's needs, and referring to the Asian Development Bank figure that developing countries in the region will need USD 26 trillion for infrastructure alone by 2030, Pompeo said no government or combination of governments has that kind of money. Only the private sector does, he added. "And only if countries make themselves welcoming to private investment will those trillions of dollars get off the sidelines, into their economies, and into productive enterprises that bring jobs and prosperity to their people. For that to happen, Indo-Pacific leaders must prioritize transparency, anti-corruption, and responsible financing," Pompeo added. By AFP BAMAKO: Malians voted Sunday in a crucial presidential election as attacks disrupted polling in areas already beset by deadly ethnic and jihadist violence. Counting has started in some of the 23,000 polling stations which closed at 1800 GMT. First results are expected within 48 hours and the official outcome is set to follow on Friday at the latest. Despite the deployment of 30,000 security personnel throughout the country, several incidents were reported in the north and centre. Rockets were fired on the UN mission (MINUSMA) camp in Aguelhok, in the northeast, according to a UN security source who added that "there are no casualties and the rockets did not fall into the camp." Elsewhere, the burning of polling stations and violence against election officials halted the vote. In total, 105 polling stations stayed closed because of security concerns, according to state TV ORTM citing the ministry of security. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, 73, leads a crowded field of 24 candidates -- including one woman -- bidding for re-election to the post he has held since 2013. He voted in Sebenicoro, near the capital Bamako, surrounded by journalists and supporters. Keita's record on security has been a dominant theme, with opponents, including several former ministers, accusing him of incompetence. The international community hopes the poll will strengthen a 2015 accord that Mali, a linchpin state in the troubled Sahel region, sees as the cornerstone for peace. On the campaign trail, Keita -- commonly known by his initials IBK -- highlighted the achievements of the peace agreement between the government, government-allied groups and Tuareg former rebels to fight jihadist fighters in the country's north. Polling station, ballots burned Armed groups severely disrupted voting in central Mali's Mopti region. In Fatoma village, voting was halted after election officials were assaulted, according to Malian observers and the regional governor. Violence also struck the village of Gandamia, further east, where polling stations were destroyed and staff were attacked, the sources said. "Four villages could not vote after armed groups banned state administrators" in the same region, the mayor of Bourema Napo town told AFP. And there was no voting in the village of Lafia, in the northern Timbuktu region, after the ballot boxes were set on fire, local authorities said. "Overnight Saturday, armed men arrived at the town hall where the ballot boxes and electoral material were held," a local official told AFP. The source added the boxes were burned after men he said were jihadists fired shots into the sky. "One of them said 'God does not like elections'." Violence also marred the lead-up to the vote, despite the presence of 15,000 UN peacekeepers and 4,500 French troops and a heralded five-nation anti-terror G5 Sahel force. A state of emergency will enter its fourth year in November. More than 300 civilians have died in ethnic clashes this year, according to UN figures and an AFP toll. Many deaths have occurred in the Mopti region involving the Fulani nomadic herder community and Bambara and Dogon farmers. Jihadist violence, meanwhile, has spread from northern Mali to the centre and south of the country and spilled over into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, often inflaming communal conflicts. The main Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist alliance made its presence felt on the final day of campaigning Friday, dubbing the election a "mirage" that would do nothing for the Malian people. In Mali's north, where the state is barely present, armed groups who signed the peace accord helped to ensure security. Main challenger Cisse Voter participation was low throughout the day, according to electoral observers and AFP journalists. Official participation figures are yet to be published. Turnout has never exceeded 50 percent in a presidential election first round since the advent of democracy in 1992. Observer teams are in place from the European Union, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the International Organisation of La Francophonie. "The European observer mission calls for the Malian authorities to publish the list of polling stations where voting did not take place," Cecile Kyenge, the mission's head, told reporters late Sunday. In Mbera, the world's biggest Malian refugee camp in southeastern Mauritania, more than 7,000 voters were registered at 28 polling stations, Ahmedou Ag Boukhary, a camp official, told AFP. Keita's challengers are led by Soumaila Cisse, 68, a former finance and economy minister, who lost by a wide margin in the second round of the 2013 election. Cisse urged all sectors of society to prioritise better health care and education as motors of development, while rejecting all-pervasive corruption. Cisse's team have warned of possible election fraud, claiming that there are two electoral lists and hundreds of fake polling stations. If no candidate gains more than 50 percent of the vote in Sunday's first round, a second round will take place on August 12. By Associated Press WASHINGTON: The White House is condemning months of violent conflict in Nicaragua that has left hundreds dead. White House Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says in a statement that President Daniel Ortega and his vice president are "ultimately responsible for the pro-government parapolice that have brutalized their own people." She adds that the United States supports efforts by the Roman Catholic Church to mediate. More than 300 people have been killed and 2,000 wounded in more than three months of unrest against Daniel Ortega's administration. Pro-government paramilitaries have targeted those demanding Ortega and his powerful vice president, wife Rosario Murillo, resign. Doctors have been attacked for treating the wounded. The administration has imposed sanctions on three Nicaraguans, including the national police commissioner, for human rights abuses and corruption. Sanders said "these are a start, not an end, of potential sanctions." Sanders said the U.S. is revoking or restricting visas for officials and their families responsible for police violence against protesters and others, and when "they have prevented victims from receiving care." Ortega, aged 72, is a long-time bete noire of the US government. He headed a left-wing Sandinista government during the Cold War, and returned to power in 2007. "The United States stands with the people of Nicaragua, including members of the Sandinista party, who are calling for democratic reforms and an end to the violence," said the White House. The unrest is posing the biggest challenge to Ortega's authority since he returned to office in 2007, not least because the business sector that had underpinned previous economic stability is now spurning him over the violence. (with inputs from AFP) By PTI WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump today said he is willing to meet the Iranian leadership without any "pre-condition", anytime they want to. The tension between Washington and Tehran increased a week ago after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani asked the US not to "play with the lion's tail". Following which, Trump replied on Twitter, saying never, ever threaten the US again or you will suffer consequences which few throughout history have ever suffered before. "I think it's an appropriate thing to do," Trump told reporters at a White House joint news conference with the visiting Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, while responding to a question if he was willing to meet the Iranian counterpart, now that he has met the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. ALSO READ | Has taken note of US sanctions on Iran: Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Trump said he has "no pre-condition" for holding talks with the Iranian leadership. Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pose for a photo at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit | AP "Any time they want" to meet, he said, he is ready. "I will certainly meet with Iran(ian leadership), if they want to," the US President said. ALSO READ | US not 'afraid to tackle' Iran regime at 'highest level': Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Early this year, Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal and has asked other countries to stop importing oil from Iran by November 4 or face the prospects of the US sanctions. India is among a major buyer of Iranian oil. Any talks between Iran and the US would have a direct impact on India. It's unclear whether Rouhani has any interest in meeting with Trump. Rouhani's chief of staff claimed earlier this month in Iran's state-owned newspaper that Rouhani had rejected eight requests from Trump for one-on-one talks last year. Rouhani recently warned the U.S. that "war with Iran is the mother of all wars," prompting an all-caps retort from Trump. "To Iranian President Rouhani," he wrote on Twitter. "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH." He ended the message with a warning: "BE CAUTIOUS!" ALSO READ | Why Donald Trump gets away with tweets threatening nations like Iran Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back with his own message that began, "COLOR US UNIMPRESSED." Trump tempered his threatening rhetoric two days later when he said his administration stands ready for Iran to come back to the negotiating table. "We're ready to make a real deal, not the deal that was done by the previous administration, which was a disaster," he said. Trump has long cast himself as a master negotiator who is most effective when he meets with his counterparts face-to-face. He pointed to his recent one-on-ones with North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin as examples of the benefits of such get-togethers. (With AP inputs) Tourists from all over the country stand in front of a military hardware exhibition at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing on June 22. Photo: VCG Chinese students and young people are flocking to military-themed attractions - theme-parks, former battle sites, and military museums - during the summer holidays, as the government promotes red tourism for patriotic education. The recent development of China's military, including its domestic-made aircraft carriers, further boosts the interest of the public to know about military affairs, experts noted. Sightseeing sites The visits to military-themed tourist areas saw a 30 percent increase in July compared to the same period last year. Reservations doubled since last week and will peak during Army Day, the 91st anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), online travel agency Lumama told the Global Times. Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing, Qingdao and Nanchang topped the lists. The most favored military sites are Tianjin's Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park, featuring the retired Kiev aircraft carrier, and Nanjing National Defense Park, featuring the history of China's Diaoyu Islands, according to Lumama. "The public has long been intrigued by China's military," Song Zhongping, a military expert, told the Global Times. The development of the country's domestically built aircraft carriers is driving the popularity of aircraft carrier-related attractions, Song said. China's first domestically built aircraft carrier completed sea trials in May. The second domestically built carrier is reportedly under construction. Military-themed tourist attractions are most favored by families and children, accounting for more than 60 percent of visitors, an increase of 13 percentage points over last year. Most visitors are in their 20s and 30s, Lumama said. Camps for kids Unlike sightseeing, military-themed camps organized by Tan Edong, a former marine, offer short-term training targeting students. Tan told the Global Times that about 3,000 students join Tan's camp every month for short-term training. In recent years, increasing numbers of students are choosing military-themed camps and the market is promising. "Many parents send their children to my camp in an attempt to exercise their bodies, change their bad habits, and strengthen their self-discipline," Tan said. As Army's Day approaches, Tan's camp based in Hubei Province's Enshi, which also has branches in Hubei's Wuhan and Yunnan Province's Lijiang, has prepared special military-themed activities for participants. Participants have chances to use a gun, and ride in a helicopter and a tank. The training programs are simulations of a real military camp. The price of these programs ranges from 1,800 yuan ($265) to nearly 10,000 yuan, Tan said. Military-themed tourism attractions are a form of tourism that features sightseeing and allow tourists to experience things, Li Mingde, former vice president of the Beijing Tourism Society, told the Global Times. Military-themed tourism has been widely supported by the government for the purpose of national defense and patriotism education. Over the years, red tourism, including military-themed tourism, has become a major part of the tourism market, Li said. China's Ministry of Finance spent 1.55 billion yuan ($228.3 million) to support red tourism in 2016. The funds were mainly used to promote themed tours to historical sites which educate tourists on the history of the Communist Party of China, and on the renovation of such sites. Local governments and PLA units were asked to organize educational activities as Army Day approaches, including visits to memorial halls of revolutionary history, performances, contests, and military camp open days, according to a circular recently issued by the Ministry of Veteran Affairs and the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission. Both defense awareness and skills are key to the nurture of military talent, Song pointed out, suggesting museums catch up with the newest military developments, offering the most up-to-date exhibits which will further spark the interest of the public in military affairs and boost their knowledge of defense issues. The development of technology is also boosting military-themed tourism, experts said. Some military equipment can be experienced by visitors by using VR technology, Song noted. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Partly cloudy skies. High near 60F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy in the evening, then off and on rain showers after midnight. Low 46F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. This Might Be the Most Expensive Thanksgiving Ever (Newser) If there's a third vacancy on the Supreme Court during President Trump's first term, it won't be the result of Ruth Bader Ginsburg stepping down. The 85-year-old justice said Sunday that her senior colleague, John Paul Stevens, stepped down when he was 90, so she thinks she has at least five more years, CNN reports. Ginsburg, speaking after a New York City production of The Originalist, a play about Antonin Scalia, said the dissenting opinions of her conservative colleague helped her form her own arguments. "Sometimes it was like a ping-pong game," she said. story continues below Ginsburg said there was no chance of term limits being introduced for Supreme Court justices because that would require amending the Constitution. "Article 3 says ... we hold our offices during good behavior," she said. "And most judges are very well behaved." Ginsburg, who was appointed to the court by Bill Clinton in 1993, described herself as a "flaming feminist" and said the most important case of the last 20 years was the ruling that legalized gay marriage in 2015, the Guardian reports. Asked what keeps her hopeful, Ginsburg spoke of her late husband. "My dear spouse would say that the true symbol of the United States is not the bald eagleit is the pendulum," she said. "And when it goes very far in one direction you can count on its swinging back." (Read more Ruth Bader Ginsburg stories.) (Newser) Zimbabweans are voting Monday for president, and the name Robert Mugabe is not on the ballot. But that doesn't mean the 94-year-old former ruler, who was ousted in a military coup last year, won't have a say in the outcome. At a surprise news conference Sunday, Mugabe announced that he would not support the man who replaced him as president after the ouster and who represents his own Zanu-PF party, reports the BBC. "I cannot vote for those who tormented me," said Mugabe, referring to incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa. The comments could make a difference: Polls suggest a tight race between Mnangagwa, 75, and his 40-year-old challenger, a pastor and lawyer named Nelson Chamisa, reports Reuters. story continues below Mugabe's comments prompted Mnangagwa to fire back: "It is clear to all that Chamisa has forged a deal with Mugabe, we can no longer believe that his intentions are to transform Zimbabwe and rebuild our nation," he said. The Guardian, meanwhile, reports that long lines have been reported at polling stations throughout the country. This is a critical moment in Zimbabwes democratic journey, says Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia who is leading an international observer mission for the election. "The elections today provide an opportunity to break with the past." (Read more Zimbabwe stories.) (Newser) It's a job-seekers' market, apparently. With unemployment low, the Wall Street Journal reports that employers in a wide range of fields around the US are loosening up on job requirements in order to fill positions. For those without a college degree or experience in a particular field, it means the door is no longer automatically shut. This is the opposite of what happened after the financial crisis of the aughts, when well-educated workers with loads of experience were laid off in huge numbers, and employers could afford to be pickier and raise the bar on job requirements. No more. story continues below "Candidates have so many options today," an Adecco Group executive tells the Journal. "If a company requires a degree, two rounds of interviews, and a test for hard skills, candidates can go down the street to another employer who will make them an offer that day." The story is based on more than just anecdotal evidence. Postings on popular jobs sites requiring a college degree fell from 32% last year to 30% in the first half of 2018, while entry-level positions requiring three or more years of experience have fallen to 23%, down from 29% back in 2012. Some examples in the story: Those with only a high school diploma now have better odds of becoming a manager at Bank of America and Terminix pest control, while Intel and GitHub are hiring self-taught programmers. Read the full story. (Read more jobs stories.) (Newser) Drake's "In My Feelings" is catchy enough to make people want to get up out of their seats and dance. But some should be staying in their seats, specifically those who are behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. The Guardian reports many aren't heeding that sage piece of advice, instead taking part in what's now known as the "Kiki Challenge," which involves cranking up the Drake tune, jumping out of a car (while it's slowly moving alongside the dancer), and taping oneself doing so to share on social media. Comedian Shiggy jump-started the craze by posting a video on Instagram of himself, and now others have followed suitand tripped, crashed, and even gotten hit. More on this odd (and illegal) sensation: Mashable already has at least one story of someone who's come face-to-face with a vehicle. Jaylen Norwood appears to have only suffered a few scratches from his ordeal, but the video showing his close encounter is frightening. Law enforcement officials around the worldincluding in the US, India, Spain, and the UAEare warning folks not to partake in this stunt on their watch. In Florida, violators could be hit with a $1,000 fine, per the Guardian; Cairo police have arrested a university student who decided it would be fun to try, Egypt Independent reports. story continues below Jalopnik notes that even the National Transportation Safety Board is jumping into the fray, making at least two recent Facebook posts about the dance craze and penning a piece dedicated to driver distraction on its blog. "Here's a reminder we thought we'd never have to give: Don't jump out of a moving vehicle to dance in the street," is the summary of that write-up. A mental health expert tells the Times of India why teens are especially prone to participate in this potentially dangerous activity. It comes down to "raging hormones" that they channel into thrill-seeking antics, as well as egocentrism that makes them think they're all-knowing and invulnerable. So what's Drake's take on all this? He doesn't appear to have made a public statement, but per the Evening Standard, he did post a picture of himself and Shiggy to Instagram on the day "In My Feelings" took the top spot on the charts in mid-July. (Read more dancing stories.) (Newser) Authorities in California have arrested two people on suspicion of looting homes that had been evacuated due to an explosive wildfire. The Sacramento Bee reports that 25-year-old Jade Ball and 19-year-old Jack Fannin, of Redding, were found with what police said was evidence tying them to several burglaries. The Carr Fire has prompted mandatory evacuations for tens of thousands of people in Redding, a city hundreds of miles north of San Francisco. It has destroyed more than 650 houses. story continues below Authorities say a homeowner who stayed behind flagged down an officer after he noticed evidence that people had been in his house, the AP reports. Officers found a nearby home with evidence of a broken-in door and discovered electronic items stacked by the front door. Authorities say the Carr Fire is slowing after days of explosive growth, though thousands more people are fleeing their homes due to another fire near the town of Lakeport in northern California, and another firefighter has died fighting a huge blaze near Yosemite National Park. (The six people confirmed dead in the Carr Fire include two young children and their great-grandmother.) Source: FiJi Sunonline Captain Eroni Duaibe, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces chief staff officer coordinator A military technical team from the Peoples Republic of China has returned home after visiting the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF). This was confirmed to the Fiji Sun by RFMF Chief Staff Officer Co-ordination Captain Eroni Duaibe. When asked to elaborate on the visit, he said the team visited the Black Rock Camp in Nadi and the Queen Elizabeth Barracks (QEB) in Nabua. He declined to comment on the extent of discussions between the team and Fijian military, but said the RFMF was thankful for the visit because it strengthened military ties. The team, he said, was made up of six officers from the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and led by a Senior Colonel, the equivalent rank to Brigadier in the RFMF. Capt Duaibe said the military ties between Fiji and China are very strong. (Newser) Rescuers are trying to evacuate hundreds of tourists stranded on Mount Rinjani on the Indonesian island of Lombok after an earthquake that killed 16 people triggered landslides. Mount Rinjani National Park chief Sudiyono said Monday a team of about 165 rescuers is expected to reach a crater lake where the foreign and Indonesian trekkers are trapped by late afternoon, the AP reports. "Providing food and medicine to them as soon as possible is now our priority," said Sudiyono, who uses one name. story continues below The landslides on Rinjani killed an Indonesian student, raising the death toll from the magnitude 6.4 earthquake to 16. The shallow quake early Sunday damaged more than 1,400 houses and was felt on neighboring Bali, where no damage or casualties were reported. Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency has recorded more than 270 aftershocks. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency says more than 680 people are stranded on Rinjani based on figures from its entry gates where visitors are registered. Most are foreignfrom 26 countries, including more than 330 from Thailand. (Read more Lombok stories.) (Newser) He was on probation in Connecticut; eyed as a suspect in a New York murder; and now has been busted across the country for rape and attempted murder. Danueal Drayton offered some other crimes to cops in Los Angeles when he was arrested and charged there last week, per the Hartford Courant: He may be responsible for the deaths of up to seven others. Police aren't sure Drayton, 27, is being truthful about those killings, but they are sure he's wanted for the slaying of 29-year-old Queens nurse Samantha Stewart, who police say Drayton met on Tinder, per the New York Daily News. And authorities believe the woman they say Drayton was holding in a North Hollywood apartment also met him on Tinder, and that he may have used other dating sites to lure victims as well, CBS New York reports. Per the Washington Post, Drayton's brushes with the law date back to at least 2011. story continues below Charges against him in Connecticut have included strangulation and harassment, for which he received a year on probation after pleading guilty in March. On June 30, he was arrested for allegedly choking an ex but released without bail on July 5. Stewart was found dead on July 17, strangled in her apartment. Authorities say he bought a plane ticket to California shortly after that and soon set up a date with the woman he's accused of holding in the North Hollywood apartment. Police say Drayton's use of Tinder was linked to both Stewart and to a Brooklyn woman who'd been raped on June 17 and who allegedly knew him from the dating site. "My body did this, not my mind," a police source says Drayton told LA investigators, per the Daily News. Drayton, who's set to appear in California court Monday, will face charges of attempted murder, forcible rape, and false imprisonment by violence, among others. (Read more murder suspect stories.) (Newser) A prominent Syrian actress who became even more well-known as a voice of opposition to Bashar al-Assad has died in exile in Paris at age 49. A colleague tells the New York Times that Mai Skaf had a heart attack, though her cousin, author Dima Wannous, cites "mysterious circumstances," per al Arabiya. The latter's headline refers to Skaf as a "Syrian scream of hope." Skaf first joined the opposition while living in Syria in 2011 and had been "a constant thorn in the side" of Assad ever since, as Newsweek puts it. She served time in jail, regularly endured harassment, and left the nation for good amid death threats in 2013. She continued her anti-Assad work from abroad. story continues below "I will not lose hope," she posted to Facebook two days before her death. In a TV interview, she once recounted being detained in Syria in 2013 and telling her interrogator why she had gotten involved with the opposition. My wish is that my son will not be led by the son of Bashar al-Assad! she said. Skaf had been a familiar face in Syria as a TV and film actress, with her role in the 1993 movie Echoes of Slides one of her biggest. She is survived by her son, who followed her into exile. (Read more Syria stories.) (Newser) Roy Moore's Who Is America? segment aired on Sunday night's episode of the Showtime series, and it featured the former Alabama chief justice and failed US Senate candidate storming off the set after supposedly failing a "pedophile detector test," AL.com reports. Sacha Baron Cohen's Israeli anti-terrorism expert character, Col. Erran Morad, told Moorewho has been accused of molesting teen girlsabout the newly developed test that detects a hormone from a pedophile's sweat. When waved in front of "Morad" and another man on set, the device didn't go off, but when waved in front of Moore, it beeped every time. "I've been married for 33 years, I've never had an accusation of such things," Moore said. "If this is an instrument, then it's certainly ... I'm not a pedophile, OK? Maybe Israeli technology hasn't developed properly." story continues below Moore released a statement in early July explaining he agreed to the Baron Cohen interview because he thought he was receiving "an award for my strong support of Israel"; he said he'd sue if the episode aired. "I don't need Sacha Cohen to tell me who America is," the statement adds. "As an American, I would never hide my identity and deceive others only to mock and ridicule them." Meanwhile, "Morad" posted on Twitter he "was honored that ladies man Roi Moore took time away from his busy schedule of hanging round shopping malls to talk to me." Vulture ranks the segments in this episode from least to most damning: rappers Ness Lee and Bone Crusher, Moore, ex-member of the South Carolina House of Representatives Chip Limehouse, and three "old white conservatives" Baron Cohen duped into thinking they were being trained to "bait and then trap undocumented immigrants." (Read more Roy Moore stories.) (Newser) There will be no charges filed in the fatal police shooting of a Minneapolis man that sparked protests across the city last month. The Minneapolis Police Department on Sunday night released body camera footage of the incident that led to the death of Thurman Blevins, a black man killed by white police officers. There had been conflicting reports as to whether the 31-year-old had a gun, but the footage shows an officer kicking away what police say is a handgun that falls to the ground after Blevins is shot, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Blevins "fled from the officers with a loaded handgun, refused to follow their commands for him to stop and show his hands, and then took the gun out of his pocket and turned toward the officers," the Hennepin County Attorney said Monday in his announcement that the officers would not be charged. story continues below The Washington Post has background on the June 23 incident: Police were responding to reports of a man firing a gun in public when they came across Blevins, who was reportedly sitting on the curb with his girlfriend and baby, and saw that he allegedly had a gun. As they exited their patrol car and approached him, he fled; as they chased him on foot and ordered him to stop, he yelled, "Please don't shoot me. Leave me alone." He also insisted he hadn't done anything wrong and denied having a gun. The county attorney's announcement that no charges would be filed was interrupted by protesters, CBS Minnesota reports, and reaction to the video has been mixed. Per the Post, some say the officers should have done more to de-escalate the situation and accuse them of shooting Blevins in the back as he ran from them. "He didnt deserve to die," says a cousin. (Read more police shooting stories.) (Newser) President Trump has extended an olive branch to Iran's leaders just days after a tweet he wrote appeared to say he was ready to use military force should they "ever threaten the United States." Per CNN, the president was at a news conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte when he told reporters he "would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet." The president said he believes Iranian leadership will eventually want to meet with him and added that he would set "no preconditions" for such a meeting. Speaking to other people, especially when you are talking about potentials of war and death, and famine and lots of other things, you meet. There is nothing wrong with meeting," the president said. story continues below As the AP notes, Trump struck a decidedly different tone on Twitter when he issued an all caps threat to Iran a week earlier. "YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE," the president wrote in an apparent response to a recent warning from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that a war with the country would be the "mother of all wars." Rhetoric out of Iran has ratcheted up since Trump's decision in May to withdraw the US from the nuclear accord and reinstate sanctions. (Read more Iran stories.) New Delhi: DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who was rushed to the Kauvery hospital following a complaint of urinary tract infection on Saturday, is now better and recovering well with active medical support, Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Monday. Palaniswami's statement came moments after he visited the hospital to inquire about Karunanidhi's health. "I have just met him in Kauvery hospital, he is better and is recovering well," the chief minister was quoted outside the hospital. "A medical team is attending on him... Me and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam along with DMK party working president M K Stalin and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi visited him in person," Palaniswami added. I have just met him in Kauvery hospital, he is better and is recovering well: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami after meeting M #Karunanidhi pic.twitter.com/Vxln0zEfc4 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Several state ministers along with Law minister C Ve Shanmugam were also present in the hospital and enquired his well being. Earlier, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu also paid a visit to Karunanidhi in the hospital. Read | Warring superstars spice up Tamil Nadu politics On Sunday, a medical bulletin released by the Kauvery hospital stated, "There was a transient setback in the clinical condition of DMK president M Karunanidhi. With active medical support, his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors". The hospital is scheduled to release another bulletin on Monday. Meanwhile, scores of anxious DMK workers continue to throng the hospital and have been praying for a quick recovery. Anticipating a breakdown of law and order, the security has been beefed up outside the hospital. On Sunday, Police also resorted to a mild baton charge as cadres did not disperse from the area to make way for DMK leaders to leave the hospital. Read | PM Modi meets former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi in Chennai Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of Saturday after his blood pressure dropped. On July 18, he underwent a surgery at the same hospital for replacement of a tracheostomy tube to help him breathe normally. New Delhi: The Rail traffic on the old Yamuna bridge, which was affected following the heavy rains across Delhi, has been restored as the water level of the river is currently safe enough for the passing of trains, the Northern Railway said on Monday. However, Railways engineers are monitoring the site and bridge health in order to avoid any untoward incident. "Rail traffic on old Yamuna bridge has been restored as the water level of Yamuna is safe enough for the passing of trains. Railways engineers are continuously monitoring the site and bridge health," Nitin Chowdhary, CRPO Northern Railway told ANI. In the wake of rising water level of Yamuna, the old Loha Pul bridge on the river was temporarily closed leading to a cancellation of 27 passenger trains and diversion of seven others on the route. "The old Yamuna bridge 'Loha Pul' has been temporarily closed for rail traffic as the water level has reached at 205.53 marks," a statement released by Indian Railways stated. "Due to the closure of Yamuna bridge, 27 passenger trains have been cancelled and 7 trains diverted," the statement added. The national capital is on high alert in view of this flood-like situation due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas for the last couple of days. #UPDATE Due to closure of Yamuna bridge, 27 passenger trains have been cancelled and 7 trains diverted. https://t.co/4z9EnccX1C ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Read | Flood scare in Delhi as Yamuna water level crosses danger mark; evacuation begins Meanwhile, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar conducted an aerial survey of Hathnikund barrage and directed another survey of flood-affected areas. Khattar has also assured compensation to the farmers who have lost their crops following the incessant rains in Delhi-NCR from the last few days. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar conducted aerial survey of Hathnikund barrage yesterday. He has instructed the concerned officers to conduct a survey of flood affected areas. Farmers who have lost their crops to the flood will be provided compensation by the state govt. pic.twitter.com/1cADfzkGm8 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 On Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held an emergency meeting with the Chief Secretary and the Flood Control Department on the possibility of flood in the city due to the release of 5 lakh cusecs water from the Hathnikund barrage. The AAP minister has also directed adequate supply of power, food and drinking water. Medical emergency teams are also put in service to complete the evacuation process. Read | Taj Mahal area should be no-plastic zone: UP government to Supreme Court Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been taking stock of the ongoing evacuation work in the low-lying areas around Akshardham and Pandav Nagar. He had appealed to the people to move to safer areas fast. The water level had reached 205.53 metres so far, prompting authorities to rescue people from the low-lying areas. Earlier, hundreds of people living on the river bed and low-lying areas are being shifted out as a flood threat loomed following the sharp rise in the water level of Yamuna. New Delhi: Deaf and mute students of a school on Monday took out a protest against the Rajasthan government, saying it is ignoring their needs. we want those who understand our language, a placard of the protesting students read. Students of the state-run Seth Anandilal Poddar Senior Secondary school on JLN Road in Jaipur demanded replacement of their principal with one capable of understanding sign language. They carried out the protest outside the school. The new arrangement of two shifts in a single day was taxing and that it should be reverted back to the setup of a single shift per day, they demanded. A parents' body of the students also submitted a letter in this regard to Rajasthan Education Minister Vasudev Devnani on Monday. The demand for single shift classes and change of the incumbent principal was mentioned in the letter. Several students come to the school from far off places, beyond 60 km, and the two-shift arrangement was not feasible for them, they explained. Read | Maratha Reservation Protest: Maratha Kranti Morcha calls off Mumbai bandh Yogendra Kumar Joshi, secretary of the parents' association, claimed that the principal and some of the newly-recruited teachers have no knowledge of sign language. "The students cannot take up the matter with the principal as she does not understand sign language. There is one interpreter which is insufficient. Some of the newly recruited teachers also cannot communicate with the students," he said. "They are special children and they cannot be treated as normal kids. It is important that there is proper communication between students and faculty," Nivita Devyani, whose son studies in class 9, was quoted as saying in PTI. Ashok Kumar Sharma, assistant district education officer, Jaipur, said the two-shift system was introduced after the school principal asked for it. Read | Amit Shah, Bhagwat meet in Mumbai amid Maratha quota stir However, following the students' demand the decision was withdrawn today, Sharma said, adding that teachers who do not know sign language are being trained separately so that the issue can be resolved. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday termed the BJP governments execution of the National Register of Citizens in Assam tardy. Amid reports that the names of many Indian citizens are missing in the draft National Register of Citizens, Rahul said that the whole exercise is leading to insecurity among the people in Assam. The government should resolve the crisis in Assam at the earliest, he said. Read More | Highlights | Assam's final NRC draft released; 2.89 crore people included in the list Rahul also asked Congress members to help maintain peace and help those, irrespective of their caste, religion or group, against whom injustice was done in the draft NRC. He said, in a Facebook post, that the NRC was started by the UPA under Manmohan Singh to fulfil the commitment made in the 1985 Assam Accord. However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP Governments at the Centre and in Assam leaves much to be desired, he said. Also Read | What is the Centre's role in Assam NRC: Rajnath Singh to Opposition There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The Government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis, he added. Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in the state. The Congress has demanded that government convene an immediate all-party meeting to address the issue. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The opening ceremony of the International Army Games 2018 is held in Moscow, Russia, July 28, 2018. The International Army Games 2018 kicked off at the Alabino training ground on the outskirts of Moscow on Saturday. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) MOSCOW, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The International Army Games 2018 kicked off at Russia's Alabino training ground in the Moscow region on Saturday with 189 teams from 32 countries taking part, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "It will certainly contribute to the development of international military technical cooperation and the promotion of military service," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a welcome letter read out by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the opening ceremony. A number of major war equipment in active service, including infantry fighting vehicles, battle tanks and helicopter gunships, conducted live-fire drills. Teams from China, Uganda, Kazakhstan and Kuwait participated in the opener of the Tank Biathlon contest, a key competition held annually at the event. This year, 28 contests will be held during the tournament underway till August 11, and in seven countries, including China, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran. The team of China attends the opening ceremony of the International Army Games 2018 in Moscow, Russia, July 28, 2018. The International Army Games 2018 kicked off at the Alabino training ground on the outskirts of Moscow on Saturday. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) New Delhi: In a bid to identify the illegal Bangladeshi migrants, the government on Monday released the second and final draft of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC), mandated by the Supreme Court. Its been a quite long that an unanswered question has been mongering across Assam, raising significant doubts over the citizenship of people living in the state. It seems like the decade-old mystery is closer to the solution as NRC features the names, addresses and photographs of all Indian citizens, living in the north-eastern state before March 25, 1971. A large number of security-personnel have been deployed in Assam ahead of NRC release in all the NRC Sewa Kendras (NSK) at 10 am across the state. Deputy commissioners and SPs are also directed to maintain a strict vigil, anticipating a breakdown of law and order in the state. Though the new NRC list will successfully weed out illegal immigrants from Assam, there is also a threat to the "genuine citizens" in the state. With no clear estimate of how many people will be able to make it to the list, several citizens are fearing a throw out from the draft. Here are the Highlights on Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC): # 16:04 pm: Assam is a very peaceful state and we are confident that all sections of society will come forward to maintain peace and tranquillity in the time to come. We will always abide by the direction of Supreme Court: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal. Assam is a very peaceful state and we are confident that all sections of society will come forward to maintain peace and tranquillity in the time to come. We will always abide by the direction of Supreme Court: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal on #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/0JmUFCb2qY ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 14:20 pm: Home Ministry categorically said that government has no role in it, the entire process was carried out under SC's direction. The draft is not final, people can still file their claims. Opposition particularly Congress is trying to politicise the issue: MoS PMO Jitendra Singh. Home Min categorically said that govt has no role in it, the entire process was carried out under SC's direction. The draft is not final, people can still file their claims. Opposition particularly Congress is trying to politicise the issue: MoS PMO Jitendra Singh on #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/Mgbt6oL4O5 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 13:26 pm: I will also try to go to Assam, my MPs are already going. Let's see if they are restricted or not: Mamata Banerjee says on NCR Assam. I will also try to go to Assam, my MPs are already going. Let's see if they are restricted or not: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/O5hMJMFOxY ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 13:19 pm: Where will the 40 lakh people whose names have been deleted go? Does Centre have any rehabilitation program for them? Ultimately it is Bengal which will suffer. Its just vote politics by BJP. Request Home Minister to bring an amendment - says the West Bengal chief minister. # 13:15 pm: People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also: Mamata Banerjee. # 13:05 pm: There were people who have Aaadhar cards and passports but still their names are not in the draft list. Names of people were removed on the basis of surnames also. Is the Government trying to do forceful eviction? - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. There were people who have Aaadhar cards and passports but still their names are not in the draft list. Names of people were removed on the basis of surnames also. Is the Govt trying to do forceful eviction?: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/AmMfo46kDQ ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 12:24 pm: I am very happy and relieved, my name and the names of my family members have been included in the draft list: Rinju Hussain, local on NRC Assam draft list. # 12:21 pm: I want to ask the Opposition, what is the Centre's role in this? It is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Such sensitive issues should not be politicized: Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha on NRC Assam. I want to ask the Opposition, what is the Centre's role in this? It is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Such sensitive issues should not be politicized: HM Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha on #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/vwWTGoJMs9 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 12:13 pm: People checking their names on the draft list at a National Register of Citizens Centre in Guwahati. Out of 3.29 crore people, names of around 40 lakh people were found to be ineligible. People checking their names on the draft list at a National Register of Citizens Centre in Guwahati. Out of 3.29 crore people, names of around 40 lakh people were found to be ineligible. #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/ZwcSfJscg7 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 11:45 am: Central Government has intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh religious and linguistic minorities from NRC (National Register of Citizens) which will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam, PM Narendra Modi should come to the house and clarify it: Sougata Roy, TMC. Central Govt has intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh religious & linguistic minorities from NRC(National Register of Citizens) which will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam, PM should come to house & clarify it: SS Roy, TMC pic.twitter.com/Byga4aCQt7 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 11:19 am: 40 lakh names ineligible is a very high figure and very surprising. There are a lot of irregularities in the report. We will raise this issue with the Government and in the Parliament. The political motive of BJP is also behind this: Ripun Bora, Assam Congress. 40 lakh names ineligible is a very high figure and very surprising. There are lot of irregularities in the report. We will raise this issue with the Govt and in the Parliament. Political motive of BJP is also behind this: Ripun Bora,Assam Congress Chief on #NRCAssam draft pic.twitter.com/nwFdZ7GqWI ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 11:15 am: Even someone whose name is not in the final list can approach the foreigners' tribunal. No coercive action will be taken against anyone, hence there is no need for anyone to panic, says Rajnath Singh. # 11:10 am: Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be spread.This is a draft and not the final list: Rajnath Singh. Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be spread.This is a draft and not the final list: Home Minister Rajnath Singh #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/w1AN6bGfO9 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 10:24 am: Every person whose name was in the first .draft but is missing from the final draft will be given an individual letter to file a claim for her/his non-inclusion during claims and objections: Sailesh, Registrar General. Every person whose name was in the first draft but is missing from final draft will be given an individual letter to file claim for her/his non-inclusion during claims and objections: Sailesh, Registrar General #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/psEi1IhLtU ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 10:19 am: Based on this draft there is no question of any reference to Foreigners Tribunal or any person being taken to the detention centre: Satyendra Garg Joint Secretary (North East). Based on this draft there is no question of any reference to Foreigners Tribunal or any person being taken to the detention centre: Satyendra Garg Joint Secretary (North East) #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/riw2H248wG ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 10:06 am: This is just a draft and not the final list. The people who are not included can make claims and objections: State NRC Coordinator. # 10:00 am: Two crore eighty-nine lakhs, eighty-three thousand six hundred and seventy-seven people have been found eligible to be included in the National Register of Citizens: State NRC Coordinator. # 09:54 am: National Register of Citizens draft released Assam. Read | India in talks with Bangladesh on Rohingyas refugee deportation In case a person's name does not appear in the draft, they should apply in prescribed forms in their respective NSKs. These forms will be available from August 7 to September 28. The next step will be to file the claim in another prescribed form which will be available from August 30 to September 28. These claims will be finally disposed of after proper hearings. The concerned authorities will also inform citizens the reason for their names being left out. The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has also taken a special initiative to set up a 24-hour control room in order to help and inform people regarding the same. Read | Keep Rohingya refugees confined to their designated camps: Centre to states The applicants can also call 24x7 toll free numbers - 15107 from Assam and 18003453762 from outside Assam - by referring to their 21-digit Application Receipt Number (ARN). The candidates are welcome to check their names by visiting the NRC website and through SMS. The NRC is being updated under the Supreme Court supervision with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for genuine Indian citizens in Assam. The first draft of the ongoing NRC process was released at the midnight of December 31, 2017. It comprised 1.9 crore names out of the total application of 3.29 crore people in Assam. (With inputs from agencies) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: With heavy rains lashing parts of the national capital, the Parliament Monsoon Session 2018 resumed on Monday and adjourned amid uproar by the Opposition on National Register of Citizens in Assam. While the controversial bill seeking to amend the six-decade-old Citizenship Act has been shifted to the Winter Session, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh tabled another crucial bill to further amend The Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act, 1872, The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. During the Day-eight proceedings of the ongoing Monsoon Session, Parliament also considered the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act. Other key bills include State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017, The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018. Another bill seeking to replace the existing Central Council of Homoeopathy with a board of governors and aimed at bringing accountability and quality in homoeopathy education system has been moved in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage. Here are the Highlights on the Monsoon Session of Parliament: # 14:28 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day after uproar by the opposition on National Register of Citizens in Assam. # 13:21 pm: I want to ask the Opposition, what is the Centre's role in this? It is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Such sensitive issues should not be politicised: Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha on NRC Assam. I want to ask the Opposition, what is the Centre's role in this? It is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Such sensitive issues should not be politicized: HM Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha on #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/vwWTGoJMs9 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 11:19 am: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12:00 noon after uproar by TMC MPs over the National Register of Citizens (NRC Assam). Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12:00 noon after uproar by TMC MPs over the National Register of Citizens #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/51psZP7O8m ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 11:00 am: TDP MPs continue their protest in Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. TDP MPs continue their protest in Parliament demanding special status for #AndhraPradesh. pic.twitter.com/lnFeJ1VpSO ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 # 10:39 am: TMC MP Sougata Roy has given an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over the NRC Assam list draft which was released on Monday. Read | Assam's final NRC draft released; 2.89 crore people included in the list On Thursday, during its day 7 proceedings, the lower house passed the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018. The new bill calls for punishment ranging from 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine not less than Rs 1 lakh. Besides prevention, rescue and rehabilitation, it covers aggravated forms of trafficking such as forced labour, begging and marriage. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: As many as 41 security personnel were killed and 907 others injured in militancy-related and stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir valley this year, officials said on Monday. The officials said in the first six months, 39 security personnel, including 17 Army personnel, 20 policemen and two CRPF personnel, were killed and 96 others injured in militancy-related incidents. The injured included 28 Army personnel, 31 CRPF personnel and 37 policemen. Also Read | Dissolve JK assembly; prepare ground for fresh elections: Abdullah In stone-pelting incidents, two CRPF personnel were killed and 811 others injured during the same period. Of these, 592 policemen and 219 CRPF personnel were injured in 734 incidents of stone-pelting in the valley, the officials said. Also Read | Hope new Pakistan government will ensure terror free South Asia: India on poll outcomes And as many as 32 civilians were also killed and 117 others injured in militancy-related and stone-pelting incidents. Twenty-five civilians were killed and 54 others injured in militancy-related incidents while seven civilians were killed and 63 others injured in law and order incidents, they added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who is on a three-day visit here, is likely to meet Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to invite her for the federal-front rally in Kolkata on January 19. Mamata is likely to meet Gandhi and other opposition leaders while in the national capital, TMC sources said. Also Read | Mamata Banerjees first response on being Oppositions PM face in 2019 Stepping up efforts to take on the BJP, Banerjee now appears more open to joining hands with the Congress party to strengthen the opposition forces. There could be certain circumstantial meetings with leaders of opposition parties when Mamata Banerjee would visit Parliament on August 1. She may meet Sonia Gandhi, and also RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as he will be in Delhi during Banerjees visit, said a senior TMC leader. Mamata is likely to personally invite opposition party leaders for her rally of federal forces in Kolkata on January 19. Also Read | Significance of PM's move against treating industrialists as 'chors' During the visit here, TMC leader Derek OBrien said that apart from opposition leaders, Mamata will also meet Ram Jethmalani, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha. Arun Shourie, a bitter critic of the Modi government, would meet Banerjee later in Kolkata, OBrien said. The TMC leader recently met National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on the issue of cobbling an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP. Abdullah has maintained that the Congress has to be the backbone of the opposition unity with its chief Rahul Gandhi at the forefront of the campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Also Read | Assam's final NRC draft released; decides fate of 32 mm population Mamata will be delivering a lecture at the conclave organised by Catholic Bishops Conference of India on July 31. She is expected to attack the BJP on incidents of violence against members of minority communities. The West Bengal chief minister, who has strongly criticised National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft for Assam, has also sought an appointment with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue. (With inputs from agencies) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In an effort to address the issue of sexual assault in shelter homes, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Monday directed officials to set up a safety mechanism to enable women and children at shelter homes to reach out to them for help. Deeply anguished by the incident of sexual assault on minor girls at a Muzaffarpur Shelter Home, I have directed ministry officers to put in place a mechanism so that the women and children at all such institutions are able to reach out to us for help, the minister said in a tweet. The ministers direction came days after the alleged sexual assault of 34 minor girls at a shelter home run by an NGO in Bihars Muzaffarpur came to light. Also Read | Maneka Gandhi says sorry over the other ones The victims at the shelter home for destitute girls were allegedly sexually abused with medical reports confirming rape of them. I also urge each citizen to be vigilant and flag any such case of harassment against women and children by calling on the two numbers. You can also mail the details at min-wcd@nic.in or tweet with #HelpMeWCD, she tweeted. A telephone would be made accessible to the shelter home inmates so that they can call either 1098 or 181 for help, Maneka said. Also Read | 34 girls raped in Bihars government shelter home: Medical reports She also said posters in local languages will be put up at all shelter homes, housing women and children, so that they can call up Childline-1098 or Women Helpline-181, if they face any form of harassment. The case was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, to the Bihar Social Welfare Department in April. The FIR in the case was filed on May 31 against 11 people, including Brajesh Thakur, the owner of the NGO. On July 26, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recommended a CBI probe into the case. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Monday apologised for using the term the other ones for transgenders in the Lok Sabha, saying she did not snigger but was embarrassed by her own lack of knowledge. Talking about the inclusion of information on prevention of human trafficking in school textbooks, Maneka Gandhi, on Thursday, called transgenders the other ones in Lok Sabha. Also Read | Mamata likely to meet Sonia Gandhi, invite her to Federal Front Rally in Kolkata The minister drew flak from the transgender community for using the word, with Meera Sanghamitra, a member of the National Alliance for Peoples Movements and a trans woman, saying that Maneka Gandhi and all the MPs who thumped and laughed must apologise. The minister on Monday apologised for using the term during the debate, saying she did not snigger. I sincerely apologise for using the term other ones during the debate on the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, in Lok Sabha. I did not snigger, I was embarrassed at my own lack of knowledge, Gandhi said in a tweet. Also Read | Anna Hazare to launch hunger strike from October 2 I was not aware of the official terminology for the transgender community, she added. She also announced that in future all official communication will use the term TGs for transgenders. I would like to assure that the Anti-Trafficking Bill 2018 is gender neutral and provides protection to the aggrieved, she added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and congratulated him after his party emerged as the largest political party in the National Assembly of Pakistan in the recent elections. PM Modi in his conversation with the PTI chief, expressed hope that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistan, according to an official statement. Also Read | Will take oath as Pakistan Prime Minister on August 11, says Imran Khan Modi also reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighbourhood. Khan, who will take oath as prime minister of Pakistan on August 11, had earlier said he would like to sit across the table with his Indian counterpart to resolve the Kashmir issue. Read More | Want to hold talks with India to resolve Kashmir issue, says Imran Khan after poll victory We have to resolve Kashmir issue by sitting across the table, If Indias leadership is willing then the both of us can solve this issue through dialogue. It will be good for the subcontinent also, the PTI said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kamlendra Kanwar: The final draft of Assams National Register of Citizens (NRC) released on Monday has found 40-41 lakh people in Assam as technically not Indian. With this, the BJPs long-standing demand of identifying illegal immigrants has been met at least in regard to this eastern state thanks to an initiative by the Supreme Court, but the problem now arises of how to deal with them. Opposition parties in Parliament and outside are up in arms but they seem to have no clear-cut solution to the problem. The government on its part has promised a review mechanism to those who can produce genuine documents to prove their citizenship before the cut-off date of December 24, 1971. Read More | NRC: The political hot potato in Assam That these migrants came in to escape persecution and extreme poverty in erstwhile East Pakistan that later became Bangladesh and became vote banks and thus a convenient tool for some political parties, especially the Congress and the CPI (M), to use for their own ends is a hard reality. In the process, they created problems for the indigenous people in parts of Northeast in terms of social and economic tensions. They came without any documents and therefore as illegal migrants and through touts and political agents acquired documents that allowed them to pass off as Indian citizens. That the NRC has completed a colossal job of identifying them is a tribute to the work that was put in. Of the 3.29 crore who applied for citizenship authentication, 2.89 crore were accepted as genuine citizens with the cut-off date being December 24, 1971. Also Read | Significance of PM's move against treating industrialists as 'chors' An estimate made in the year 2000 placed the total number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India at 1.5 crore, with around three lakh entering every year. The rule of thumb for such illegal immigrants is that for each illegal person caught, four get through. During the UPA regime, Sriprakash Jaiswal, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, had made a statement in Parliament on July 14, 2004, that there were 12 million illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators living in India, and West Bengal topped the list with 5.7 million Bangladeshis. More recently, Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs in the NDA government, put the figure at around 20 million. The trip to India from Bangladesh is one of the cheapest in the world, at about Rs.2000 (around $30), which includes the fee for the Tour Operator. As Bangladeshis are culturally similar to the Bengalis in India, they are able to pass off as Indian citizens and settle down in any part of India to establish a far better future than they could in Bangladesh. Also Read | Reasoning vacant seats in professional courses in India Since the illegal migrants, predominantly Muslims, are deeply beholden to parties that help them settle in India they vote for them in election after election. It is the BJPs effort now to disenfranchise them so that they no longer form the backbone of these parties voters. It is in that light that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees offer to these migrants to settle down in that state must be seen. What Banerjee is not foreseeing is the plethora of problems that these refugees would create for the Bengalis, sharing their jobs and disturbing the law and order in the state. The rate at which these people multiply is also a cause for concern. Also Read | In Andhra, Chandrababu Naidu takes a calculated risk by dumping BJP Illegal immigrants in Assam pose a serious threat both to the identity of the Assamese people and to national security. They threaten to reduce the Assamese people to a minority in their own state, as happened in Tripura and Sikkim. Politically, the Bangladeshi migrants are in a position to influence the results of the elections in a large number of constituencies in the Northeast (about 32 per cent of the constituencies in Assam). Economically, increased pressure on land, resulting in depletion of forest wealth, undercutting of wages of unskilled jobs, forcible occupation of government land by the migrants and a host of other such issues, generate a ripple effect in the entire Northeast which the Modi government in New Delhi is worried about. Mere identification of illegal migrants would solve no problem. The government must now move beyond to finding alternative rehab means for them. New Delhi: It is significant that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clarified that industrialists have an important role to play in nation-building just as other categories of people like farmers, labourers, bankers, workmen, financiers and government employees and that if ones intent is good and clean one can stand with anyone and no taint will attach to oneself. Right since the Nehruvian era and the days of the licence-permit raj there is a taboo attached to industrialists being seen with politicians and bureaucrats, which has lingered on, though to a reduced extent. It was, therefore, important that the Prime Minister declare that all industrialists must not be painted with the same brush. In the early decades of independence, the highest rate of taxation on income was a whopping 95 per cent which meant that the businessman who earned Rs 10 lakh had to part with Rs 9.5 lakh of that to the government. It is undeniable that people were forced into dishonesty because of such unrealistic expectations and lop-sided rules. Later, realisation dawned on finance ministers and the highest rate of taxation was scaled down. Tax compliance improved even as the tax net widened. There is still a lot of tax evasion but tax laws are undoubtedly more realistic. Also Read Opinion | How Modi punctured the Oppositions power bubbles Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been shouting at public meetings that Modi fraternises with businessmen. That now-tainted businessman Nirav Modi of the Allahabad bank scam was seen in a group photograph with Prime Minister Modi in Davos was made a big thing of. Likewise, Gujarat industrialist Gautam Adani being on the prime ministers business delegations to several countries is frowned upon. This is the tendency that Narendra Modi is alluding to in public while making an impassioned plea not to treat industrialists as pariahs. As Modi has pointed out, Mahatma Gandhi had an open and transparent relationship with then leading industrialist GD Birla during the freedom struggle. He almost invariably stayed at Birla abodes but that was never misinterpreted. The Prime Minister said his transparency was in sharp contrast to the back room and shadowy dealings of the Opposition leaders. However, a section of the Opposition has been critical of the way the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) was removed from the controversial Rafale deal and replaced with Anil Ambanis newly-created company in the field. Modis sharp response at his meeting with industrialists in Lucknow came amidst criticism holding him personally accountable for the re-negotiation of the Rafale deal. With general elections less than a year away, the Prime Minister is particular that Rahuls charge of association with some industrialists and his lack of transparency must not stick. There is also ambiguity about the secrecy clause in the Rafale deal with India, which is sowing confusion in the public mind. Read More Opinion | Reasoning vacant seats in professional courses in India The Prime Ministers visit to Lucknow apparently also had to do with the announcing of new projects that would seek to quick-start an economy that has been on a slow path. With projects worth Rs 60,000 crore announced, there is an attempt to re-energise the Uttar Pradesh economy. By reposing his trust in industrialists in general, Modi attempted to wipe off the stigma on them of use of unfair means across the board. The Prime Minister claimed that the projects launched on Sunday would generate direct employment to at least two lakh people while Uttar Pradesh would soon become a trillion dollar economy. That such figures are dished out without due authentication on election-eve is a malaise of our system but surely some development would accrue from the investment. He said, we humiliate industrialists, call them thieves, robbers.... how is that right? He, however, qualified his remarks by saying that those who did any wrong would have to either leave the country or end up in jail. All in all, it was an election-inspired visit that Modi was trying to capitalise on. Bengaluru: Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Telugu Desam chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, is among the shrewdest students of contemporary national politics. The uncharitable of the critics describe him as a dependable political weathercock. So, when he pulled away from the NDA alliance and the Modi government at the Centre, it did not surprise many given the prevailing anti-BJP sentiments in Andhra Pradesh due to the central government failure to confer special category status to the truncated state. Telangana was carved out of the United Andhra Pradesh in 2014 after a central government promise to confer special category status to the state for five years and special funds to enable it catch up in terms of infrastructure and industry. Since Andhra Pradesh had to build its own capital city, assistance was also to come from the Centre. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will be facing simultaneous elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha. Read Opinion | Significance of PM's move against treating industrialists as 'chors' The BJP, trying to expand and annex new territories in South India, has been targeting the two regional parties the TDP in Andhra Pradesh and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) in Telangana to an extent that Naidu chose to break free of his alliance with the BJP and walked out of the NDA coalition. Andhra Pradesh will elect 25 Lok Sabha members and Telangana would send 17 members to the Lower House. In Telangana too, TRS head and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is wary of BJPs expansionist designs and is hobnobbing with non-Congress anti-BJP forces with an intention to bring about a coalition of non-Congress and non-BJP forces. In Andhra Pradesh, opposition YSR Congress party headed by YS Jaganmohan Reddy is snapping at the heels of Chandrababu Naidu and his party and it is the aggressively competitive politics over Special Category status that eventually forced the hand of Naidu. It was also his game of one-upmanship with YSR Congress party that Telugu Desam forced a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha. Its blistering attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government is proof of political positioning of Naidu at a time when the BJP is also likely to face anti-incumbency in North India. Also Read Opinion | Inevitable casualties of war: Truth and civilians In the last 2014 general elections to the Lok Sabha, the BJP and the NDA gained on the strong performance of the TDP, which now is no longer the case. Given the public perception of the BJP as seemingly anti-Andhra, anyone associating with the BJP can be expected to fare badly as well. Which is why the political situation in Andhra Pradesh has become more fluid now than before after Naidu stormed out of the NDA on the issue of the central governments attitude towards the new state. The BJP asserts that it has given much more assistance and grants to Andhra Pradesh than what was conceived of in the special category status. Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured people of Andhra Pradesh that the Centre will do everything to ensure to their welfare and development. Lanka Dinakar, senior TDP leader in Andhra Pradesh, is confident that the party will return on the strength of host of welfare schemes and development programmes. But the BJP has mounted a shrill campaign against Naidu and his alleged corruption in every conceivable arena of governance and projects in the state. Just like Naidus proverbial eleventh-hour withdrawal from NDA coalition is suspect in the eyes of the people, the BJPs corruption campaign against Naidu has few takers in Andhra Pradesh. Read More Opinion | How Modi punctured the Oppositions power bubbles The BJP is trying to work out a coalition of forces, along with YSRCP and film star-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan who has launched a diatribe against Naidu. But he sends out confusing signals with his attack on the central government on the special category status. Both the YSRCP and Pawan Kalyan are perceived to be B team of the BJP. Incidentally, the BJPs tirade against Naidu is helping him given the sentiments on the ground that Andhra Pradesh and its people were cheated by successive governments at the Centre led by both the Congress and the BJP. The TDP was aligned with the BJP and the Jana Sena of Pawan Kalyan in the 2014 general elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly, it was in a tight fight against the YSRCP in Seemandhra. The difference in vote share was a mere two per cent and the TDP came to power by winning 102 of the total 175 seats. The YSRCP won 67. At that time, Naidus experience as a CM who worked and his alliance with Modi. The promise of special category status too helped him and his alliance with BJP then. Naidu had also managed to hand the corrupt tag on Jaganmohan with the help of the Congress party, which was completely wiped out. More Opinion | South India against theory of one nation, one poll People of Andhra punished the Congress for the way it divided the state and this time they could punish the BJP for betraying the people of the state. But Naidus failure to fulfil his 2014 election promises could cost him. Progress on Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravathi too could haunt him, as farmers had given up lands for the new capital unconditionally. On the farm loan waiver too, Naidu has not been able to win the trust of the farming community. He has also failed to create job opportunities. Source: Manila Bulletin The Philippine Navy (PN) Sunday said China has recently donated four patrol boats to help the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in modernization efforts. In a statement, Navy spokesman Commodore Jonathan Zata said the four units of patrol boats came with 30 units of Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Launcher (40MM) with corresponding ammunition. The equipment was sent during the third week of this month. Zata ssid the equipment provided are being assessed as to How this can be integrated within the organization and supported in the long term in terms of logistics. Likewise we have assigned personnel to train on its operation and maintenance, Zata said. For his part, Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Arsenio Andolong said these assets are part of Chinas US$14-million grant to the Philippines. Ir is (also) a manifestation of the warming relations between our two countries, he said. President Duterte earlier said he is inclined to seek military assistance from China rather than the United States if a full-blown war against terrorists erupts in Mindanao, The President said he could rely on Chinas help since it is closer to the Philippines, and he expressed doubts the United States would rush to the countrys aid. Duterte recalled the government recently tried to purchase weapons from the US but the sale was halted due to the opposition by some lawmakers. The President and Congress seem to be in parity, not co-equal. They are really in parity of powers, he said. China, on the other hand, provides weapons to the Philippines for free amid improving ties between the two nations. China previously offered more than P500 million worth of military equipment to augment the Philippine arsenal in battling Islamic State-linked militants. Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan has sought a written reply from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, who voted in violation of the code of conduct during the polls, a media report said on Monday. Khans counsel Babar Awan appeared before the ECP on Monday, after the electoral body issued a notice to Khan for violating the secrecy of ballot, Geo TV reported. Also Read | Will take oath as Pakistan Prime Minister on August 11: Imran Khan Instead of going behind the voting screen to cast his vote in secrecy, Khan was seen publicly stamping the ballot paper on the table with TV cameras filming him. Neither the presiding officer nor other polling staff objected to the violation in the NA-53 constituency on July 25. After hearing Awans argument over the matter, the ECP ordered a written reply from the PTI chairman and adjourned the hearing till August 16, the channel said. Also Read | Shoaib Akhtar congratulates Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf According to Section 185 of the Election Act, a person can be given a six-month jail sentence and/or fine of Rs 1,000 for violating secrecy while voting. PTI leader Naeemul Haque earlier placed the blame for Khans controversial vote on the polling staff. Haque argued that there was no place to cast vote in private as the polling booth had become crowded far beyond its capacity, for which the polling staff are to be blamed. Also Read | How Pakistan gave Imran Khan and his PTI a chance Khan-led PTI won 116 National Assembly seats, but fell short of a simple majority and was striving to get required numbers to form a government. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Manama : Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, affirmed that under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Kingdom has become one of the best models of religious coexistence in the world. This, he said, was attributable to His Majestys care and pioneering initiatives to promote peaceful coexistence and consolidate tolerance and dialogue among all religions, cultures and civilisations at all levels. The ministers remarks came as he participated in the ministerial conference on promotion of religious freedom, held in Washington DC and attended by representatives of numerous governments and civil societies from all over the world. His Majesty the King is keen on accomplishing the initiatives and exerting all efforts to establish peaceful coexistence between all human beings, Shaikh Khalid pointed out, referring to the recently established King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence that made of Bahrain an important international hub for interfaith understanding and dialogue. He was also hinting at the establishment of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas Chair for peaceful coexistence at the La Sapienza University of Rome to teach interfaith dialogue and peace in an initiative aimed at spreading these noble values. Shaikh Khalid affirmed Bahrains pride to have been and will remain an incubator of various religions and beliefs while mosques, churches and temples are constructed side by side and the national constitution guarantees religious and personal freedoms. The Kingdom, he said, allows freedom of expression, belief and worship, which have enriched the local society, asserting that Bahrain will maintain this approach, whatever challenges it may face. Manama : With an aim to solve the issue of stray dogs ruling the streets at various places in the Kingdom, especially at nights, authorities have issued tenders so that private veterinary clinics could provide neutering to dogs. The tender is for neutering as well as treatment of stray dogs in veterinary clinics. The Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning stated that it would follow the best international practices in tackling the stray issue. It added that the deadline for submission of applications for the tender is on 8 August. The ministry also said that adequate help would be sought from the Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals (BSPCA) for the project. The tender will then be closed to prepare for the next steps. It is worth noting that the neutering and treatment of these dogs will be supervised by the ministry in coordination with the BSPCA. The ministry explained that it would continue to be involved in the project by monitoring the clinics. The work of veterinary clinics regarding the neutering and treatment of stray dogs will be assessed to ensure best practices. Individuals will be able to bring dogs to veterinary clinics to be neutered free of charge, and all expenses related treatment and neutering will be borne to the ministry. The ministry confirmed that the project is subdivided into two; the second step after the collaboration with veterinary clinics will be the establishment of a permanent shelter for the dogs. However, no dates have been announced on when the shelter will be established, neither has a tender been issued for it. Efforts will be channelled in two directions. The first one relates to trapping the dogs, neutering them and then releasing them. The second aspect is where efforts are concentrated is in the establishment of a special shelter which will be built following all technical specifications required to house the dogs, the ministry stated. The ministry stated that all permits, licences required for establishment of this permanent shelter has already been obtained. A tender for the construction of the shelter will soon be issued. Bahrain will join the International Community in marking the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, approved by the UN General Assembly in 2013, and observed worldwide every July 30. Bahrains celebration follows its success in proving to the world its serious endeavours to counter such a phenomenon and become a role model in fighting such a crime by international standards. The kingdoms major strides in combating trafficking in persons have earned it international praise, as reflected in the US State Departments 2018 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, which upgraded it to Tier 1 status in recognition of its long-standing commitment to combatting human trafficking and reinforcing expatriate workers protection. Saying no to plastic bags, TFEngineering locks deal with Sain Bags from Oman to import IM NOT PLASTIC bags to Bahrain Saying no to plastic bags, TFEngineering locks deal with Sain Bags from Oman to import IM NOT PLASTIC bags to Bahrain A local engineering company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sain Bags from Oman, in order to reduce the plastic consumption in the Kingdom. TFEngineering and Sain Bags signed a cooperation agreement to import IM NOT PLASTIC bags to the Kingdom as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags. Speaking to Tribune, Kai Miething, Managing Director of TFEngineering said, Sain Bags headquartered in Oman with its manufacturing unit based in the Republic of Indonesia, is into manufacturing organic bag made from cassava starch and other materials from renewable resources. A GCC national woman, allegedly deserted by her husband, has been granted divorce by the court. The plaintiff got married to her Bahraini husband but lived in her hometown after the latter pledged to visit her regularly. However, he didnt live up to his commitment, forcing the woman to seek a divorce. My client had a tough time because of her husbands wrong attitude. He would cite financial excuses for not visiting her regularly, said the plaintiffs lawyer Ibtisam Al Sabagh. Thirty masked men attempted to attack police officers stationed close to the Sitra Police Station by hurling firebombs at them, the court heard. Twelve men, including a young boy, have been identified in connection with the attack, but only three of them were arrested. The detainees confirmed to prosecutors that they had taken part in the assault along with other nine men, charged with attacking police officers with firebombs. They were tried before the High Criminal Court, which sentenced the four convicts to three years behind bars, while the remaining men were given two years in prison. A Pakistani barber was jailed after being convicted of stealing BD1,500 from his employer. He also stole a refrigerator and other material owned by his employer while the latter was visiting abroad. I was abroad for one month, and when I returned I discovered that my employee had stolen BD1,518 and a refrigerator worth BD60 and other materials worth BD50, the owner told prosecutors. The Pakistani man admitted to committing the crime. He was tried before the High Criminal Court, which awarded a three months jail. The convict will be deported once he completes the sentence. Riyadh : A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia said yesterday it had destroyed sites used by Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen to launch missiles at the kingdom. The coalition announced in a statement the destruction over the past 24 hours of ballistic missile sites run by the Houthi militias in Saada, a northern Yemeni province bordering Saudi Arabia and controlled by the Houthis. Riyadh and its allies are fighting alongside Yemens government against the Iran-backed Houthis in a war that has killed thousands and pushed impoverished Yemen to the brink of famine. Saudi Arabias government-run Al Ekhbariya TV aired a 49 second clip showing black and white ariel footage of what it said was a coalition strike on Saada. The footage could not be independently confirmed. Saudi Arabia has come under increasingly frequent missile attacks launched by the Houthis from northern Yemen this year. The kingdoms air defence forces say they intercepted all missiles, and only one casualty has been reported. Saudi Arabia, the biggest crude exporter in the world, last week announced it had temporarily suspended oil shipments through the Bab Al Mandab Strait after a Houthi missile attack on an Aramco vessel. The strait connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea and is a crucial passage for oil and trade. Manama : Al-Hilal Healthcare Group, Bahrain, announced launching a special subsidized Vitamin-D check-up package with specialist consultation for BD3. The event was launched by Shaikha Noora Al-Khalifa Al-Khalifa on 19th at Al-Hilal Manama along with CEO of Dr Sharath Chandran, Regional BDM Asif Mohammad and Other dignitaries. The check-up is offered to all for a period of one month from 19th July to 19th Aug from 7.00am to 11.00pm. The programme is specifically intended to screen Vitamin D deficiency followed by counselling, guidance to prevent its deficiency. Revealing how timely diagnosis helped her beat vitamin D deficiency, Shaikha Noora Al-Khalifa during the event launch said she had joint pains and few health issues for a long time. When I approached a private Hospital, vitamin D deficiency was found to be the reason. My doctor gave me the right treatment. So many people have vitamin D deficiency in the Kingdom due to lack of natural Vitamin D supply and lack of awareness. Al-Hilal is offering a great opportunity and I urge people to use this golden chance, said Shaikah Noora Al-Khalifa. We will be coming up with many more initiatives that would be financially accessible to everyone, said Dr Sharath Chandran, CEO of Al-Hilal healthcare group, Kingdom of Bahrain. Cost has always been a mental block for everyone to be screened. Since the screening of Vitamin D is very expensive (around BD 20-30) the majority are not even taking the initiative to do the test. Hence, we at Al-Hilal Hospital took the initiative to offer the same for just BD 3/- Vitamin D Test. The Vitamin-D Check-up offer is available only at Al-Hilal Medical Centre Manama. For more information call: 17824444 or 32172444. Asif Mohammed, Regional Business Development Manager +973 3360 1403 The Liberty Times of Taiwan reported Sunday that Washington has informed senior officials of Taiwan's "Ministry of National Defense" that the US will in September post Marines at the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) new complex in Taipei. This has triggered collective follow-up reports by Taiwan media. The speculation that US Marines might be sent to the new AIT site for security work emerged a few months ago. Only US embassies and consulates are guarded by Marines. Posting US Marines to the AIT would mean a public US declaration that the AIT is equivalent to a US embassy or consulate instead of a non-governmental institution. But Washington has not confirmed the report. AIT responded that security arrangements at its new office compound will be the same as at the current site. The information about possible new security arrangements of the AIT was mostly reported by Taiwan media. They usually quote sources anonymously. Most of these reports bedimmed one detail: If the Marines are to be stationed at the AIT, will they wear Marine uniforms or casual clothes? Will they publicly manifest their identities, change to another identity or simply blur the issue? Taiwan's pro-independence activists strongly hope that US Marines will fully showcase their identity so as to proclaim that the AIT is no different from other US embassies and consulates as well as to prove that the island is an "independent sovereign country." The separatist forces in Taiwan have suffered from multiple strikes from the Chinese mainland recently. They are hoping to lift the morale of their camp through hyping topics related to the AIT. Whether to send Marines to the AIT, under what name the US should send them and what should they wear: The tactical initiative is in Washington's hands. But the strategic initiative is not necessarily in its hands. If the US stirs up trouble over the case and makes extreme arrangements, it knows how Beijing will respond. Beijing has an increasing number of countermeasures which Washington will have to confront. It could then turn into an escalation of Sino-US friction and the White House cannot be certain about effective control. If the US Marines publicly station at the AIT in their uniforms, that would be treated by Beijing as a severe subversion of the one-China policy or even an invasion of the US military of Chinese soil. The AIT would also be regarded as a primary stronghold for the US invasion of China. Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen's administration would be defined as a traitorous group. That being said, from a strategic perspective, the AIT would become the most insecure place in Taiwan and a blasting fuse for clashes. The AIT has never been a real non-governmental institution. Many US people who stationed there are diplomats, intelligence staff, military officers and experts. The new AIT complex is larger and will play a more important role in a tough China strategy by the US. But there is still a difference between offending openly and not doing so. The status of Taiwan and posture of China-US relations are not shaped by a few petty tricks. A major fireworks festival was held on Sunday evening along one of Tokyo's rivers after being postponed on Saturday due to an approaching typhoon. The annual Sumida River Fireworks Festival took place with about 20,000 fireworks set off. Typhoon Jongdari forced the postponement of the annual event scheduled for the last Saturday of July. Tokyo police stepped up security measures at fireworks shows in the capital since a 2016 terrorist attack on the Bastille Day fireworks in the southern French city of Nice. This summer, about 3,000 police officers were on duty at the Sumida riverfront event. Large riot police vehicles were also mobilized at 30 locations around the venue to prevent the entry of suspicious vehicles. Crowds of people cheered and took pictures when the spectacle started at 7 PM. One teenager told NHK that she is sorry that a friend of hers couldn't join her for the event because of the postponement. But she said she was glad she could watch beautiful fireworks under the clear sky. A man said he had been worried whether he and his children would be able to watch this year's event, but that he was glad they were able to enjoy the dynamic show of lights. Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has criticsed the federal government for allegedly not taking steps to end the extrajudicial killing of ... Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has criticsed the federal government for allegedly not taking steps to end the extrajudicial killing of Nigerians in South Africa. In a statement on Sunday, the lawyer said the government has not gone beyond the regular condemnation of the killings while also accusing the South African government of inaction. At least 121 Nigerians are reported to have been killed in South Africa in the past 18 months, usually in xenophobic attacks, the most recent being Chibuzo Nwankwo who was murdered last week. Falana said despite the killings, governments of Nigeria and South Africa have deliberately refused to accept the jurisdictional competence of the African court on human and peoples rights by making a declaration in line with article 34 (6) of the protocol for the establishment of the court. for their nationals whose human rights have been violated by state actors to seek legal redress in the court, the statement read. Thus, by refusing to make the declaration, both countries have made it impossiblefor their nationalswhose human rights have been violated by state actors to seek legal redress in the court, the statement read. On its own part, the government of Nigeria has not gone beyond the regular condemnation of the brutal killings. Up till now, the government has not deemed it fit to take bold diplomatic measures to guarantee the security of the life and property of every Nigerian citizen living in South Africa. killing of innocent citizens at home by terrorists, herders, armed robbers, kidnappers and other bandits. However, the lackadaisical attitude of the Nigerian government to the brutalisation of Nigerian immigrants in South Africa is not surprising in view of the impotence of the State to curb the incessantkilling of innocent citizens at homeby terrorists, herders, armed robbers, kidnappers and other bandits. to bring all culprits to book forthwith and compensate victims. The senior advocate of Nigeria added that to stop the extrajudicial killings, government must pressurise the South African governmentto bring all culprits to book forthwith and compensate victims. He urged the current administration to stop exposing Nigeria to ridicule by making the declaration to facilitate access to the African court without further delay. Ex-Senate Majority Leader, Senator Muhammed Ndume (APC, Borno South), has said he was fully aware of seven senators elected on the platfo... Ex-Senate Majority Leader, Senator Muhammed Ndume (APC, Borno South), has said he was fully aware of seven senators elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that have concluded arrangements to dump the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.Speaking with newsmen yesterday, Ndume, who noted that PDP was dead and a taboo in Nigeria, said following strong political maneuvering and discussions still on-going, information reaching him showed that at least seven of the PDP senators would defect to APC soon. Ndume noted that the defection of some of the APC senators to the PDP had consolidated the ruling party.He said: The defection of our colleagues made us to consolidate ourselves. Before we were scattered, we had some of us that are following Saraki and those that are following Saraki neck deep have been posted to PDP by Saraki.Now, we have senators who Saraki was thinking he had in his pocket, not knowing they were following him maybe for personal reasons or the like, but when he said we are leaving the party, they said no we are APC and we are still standing with our party. Now we know that we have a confirmed simple majority that we would be able to do whatever we want to do in that Senate.If it is going to be voting, we can write peoples name and even say 52 senators are of APC who are in support of whatever Mr President wants. Of course, two senators that are even in APGA are in support, working with the APC and, of course, two seats that are vacant and elections are to be done on August 11, we are very confident that the seats belong to APC by Gods grace. So, we would have a comfortable majority.Also speaking on the failed attempt to remove Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, following the siege on their residence by the Police, personnel of Department of State Services, DSS, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Senator Ndume said there was nothing like planned coup to remove anybody.But in a swift reaction, PDP senators said it was blatant lie that their members were planning to leave the party for APC. According to them, it is not possible and it will not be true that PDP senators will leave the comfort zone they are at the moment to a sinking ship. According to Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, (PDP, Taraba South), I have no idea of defection from our caucus.Similarly, Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo West), said: It is not true, APC is a sinking ship. On his part, Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South), said Ndume was in the best position to know the PDP senators who want to defect to APC.He said: However, I doubt this very much in the face of present happenings in the APC. Some governors in the states and party leaders at the centre have shown so much intolerance and lack of understanding of our democratic practice. Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the All Progressives Congress of playing politics of vindictiveness, intimidation and illegality while Nigerians are being denied the dividends of democracy.Wike was making reference to the position of the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, on the defection of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party.The governor, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Saturday shortly after inspecting some projects, decried the allegations by the ruling party against Ortom on the killings by herdsmen in the state, describing such claims as unfounded.This is politics of vindictiveness; this is politics of vengeance. There is an extent to which you can push people. You can intimidate people, but not all the times. When you push people to the wall, they tell you enough is enough. That is what you are seeing today in Nigeria.The APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said in one breadth that Ortom is the best that they have. The following day, because he had defected, Oshiomhole said fielding Ortom would have been a calamity. This double-speak is laughable.I think it is unfair for the APC National Chairman to begin to do the work of the security and the judiciary. For him to indict the aides of Ortom for Benue killings when the APC never took that position when he was in their party is most unfortunate.Now that the Benue State governor has defected, they are throwing up these allegations. These are the people who claim they want to fight corruption, but they are always acting illegally, he said.Wike described the gale of defection that hit the APC as an indication that the Federal Government, which is a product of the ruling party, had failed Nigerians.The governor stated that more high profile defections were in the offing across the country.Politics is all about alignments and re-alignments. We expected these defections, knowing that the ruling party at the national level has completely failed the people. Immediate past Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Eugene Odoh has said President Mohammadu Buhari should not be blamed for the vexed issue of restructuring the Nigeria polity.Odoh said restructuring involves amending the constitution, which he noted is in the purview of the legislature and not in the executive arm of government.He also traced the frequent crises between the National Assembly and the Executive arm to lack of political engagement, noting that if national assembly has quality representation, such feud will disappear.Odoh made the remarks at Ukehe, weekend, when he declared to contest for Enugu North Senatorial seat.Odoh said: Restructuring could be gotten easily through quality representation. The President has no power to restructure; it is the national assembly. Restructuring is amending the law to give more powers to the states with a view to creating true federalism and the only people vested with such powers are the legislators at the national level.When you talk about Executive/legislative feud, you merely talk of absence of political engagement. President Muhammadu Buhari says the gale of defection currently being witnessed in the ruling All Progressives Congress is not bothering him.According to a statement on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke on Sunday night while responding to a question during an interactive session he had with the Nigerian community in Togo at the Nigerian Embassy, Lome.Buhari was quoted as saying that he was not bothered by the defections because most Nigerians appreciate his administrations performance.I am not bothered about the defections. Ordinary Nigerians have developed confidence in us and are defending us. I assure you, majority of Nigerians back home are appreciative of our efforts, the President was quoted as saying.Expressing delight in seeing the Nigerians who had travelled from the five regions of Togo to welcome him in Lome, Buhari said he was pleased to hear them commend the performance of his administration.He assured them that his administration had remained steadfast in keeping to its three campaign promises of providing security, improving the economy and fighting corruption.The President noted that if past governments had utilised even 25 per cent of the huge oil revenue available to them, Nigerians would not be complaining today.He cited the $16bn reportedly spent on electricity and yet Nigerians could not see the power.Restating his administrations commitment to providing critical infrastructure, providing loans to farmers thereby cutting rice importation by more than 90 per cent, Buhari said all recovered illegally acquired assets would now be sold and the money paid into the treasury in the administrations renewed anti-graft campaign.I assure you that we are making progress in security as some displaced farmers are returning to their farms. We will continue to work very hard for our dear country, he said.In his welcome address, the Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Joseph Iji, said the close to two million Nigerians in Togo were law-abiding and peaceful.Iji drew attention to the inability of the Nigerian Mission in Lome to issue Nigerian passports, making applicants to go to Ghana or Benin Republic. Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the campaign of the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari, says demographics have shown that the All Progre... Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the campaign of the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari, says demographics have shown that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the 2019 presidential poll. In a statement on Sunday, Keyamo said the exodus that hit the ruling party at the national assembly and Benue state will not affect the chances of Buhari in the election. Last week, 52 APC federal legislators moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, also reigned his membership of the ruling party but Keyamo said this poses no threat to Buhari even if Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto, and Abdulfatah Ahmed, governor of Kwara pull out of the APC. He said Buharis record in office will also speak for him in the election. The latest defections by some national assembly members and the governor of Benue state WILL NOT harm the re-election of President Buhari in 2019. This would even be so if the much-rumoured two more governors also defect from the APC, he said. The president won with large margins in the past in some states without the support of majority of the politicians from those states who moved recently to join the opposition party. Also, we are all witnessing the significant gains Mr President is making in several places where he lost in the past, notably in the south-south and south-east. From the demographics we have now, the historic figures and the present realities that we know, these defections will have little or no impact on the chances of Mr. Presidents re-election. The following 12 States, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe and Niger, with over 30 million registered voters, are States the President had consistently won with considerable large margins in past elections, especially in 2011 and 2015. This was achieved despite the fact that most of those States were being controlled by political parties other than his own. As we can see, any defection within these States would have little or no consequence on President Muhammadu Buharis chances as he had always won those States, irrespective of the Party in power in those States. For example in the much-touted Kano, in the 2011 Presidential election, President Buhari scored One Million, Six Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty Three (1,624,543) votes as CPC candidate, while in 2015, he had 1,903,999 One Million, Nine Hundred and Three Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine (1,903,999) votes as APC candidate. The vote difference of about Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand (280,000) votes may be attributed to elements of ANPP, negligible ACN and Senator Kwakwanso, then Governor of the State that came into APC. Keyamo also analysed Buharis chances in the south-west, saying the emergence of Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti is a boost. The following nine States, Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Adamawa and Benue, are states the president lost in 2011 but won in 2015. The five south-western states have registered voters strength of more than 14 million out of the about 20 million voters in these nine States. Today, those five states are being controlled by the APC. Ekiti will join before the 2019 election after Governor Kayode Fayemi is sworn in for a second term in office. All the political gladiators in those south-western states that helped to tilt the election in favour of the President in 2015 are still solidly with him and more have joined. The entire defunct ACN structures that moved into APC are solidly behind the President. In terms of defections in the western states, the Party has gained more than it has lost as the likes of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Senator (Mrs) Fatima Raji-Rasaki, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Senator Gbenga Kaka, former Governor Adebayo Akala, to mention a few, are now with APC. To underscore the rising profile of the Party in these States, the people of Ondo State and Ekiti State decided to entrust their States in the hands of the APC by voting out the previous PDP governments. Furthermore, these States are well represented in government with a sitting Vice President, important ministerial portfolios and prominent membership of the economic team. So, we can only expect MORE votes, not less, from the west. In the remaining four States of Ekiti, Plateau, Taraba and Nassarawa, where the President lost in the 2015 election with a margin of 260,000, all the States had sitting opposition Governors except Nassarawa. Ekiti and Plateau States will have sitting APC Governors in February 2019 to help sell his candidacy and we have also seen defection of some serving and past Senators from Ekiti State to the APC. With this we expect a reduction in the margin or an outright victory. Even if there are going to be defections from APC in these four States, we dont see the margin of loss expanding beyond the 260,000 given that the States had majority opposition Governors at the point the President suffered these loses. Femi Kuti, Afrobeat legend, says his bassist disappeared 20 minutes before a concert in the US on Sunday. Femi Kuti, Afrobeat legend, says his bassist disappeared 20 minutes before a concert in the US on Sunday. The Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and his Positive Force band performed at the SummerStage concert in New York. According to Kuti, the missing band member is a bassist whose name is Aghedo Andrew. The musician said Andrew nearly ruined his concert. He disappeared 20mins before show time. I want to thank the rest of the band for standing strong and giving one of the best shows of the tour, Kuti wrote on Instagram. Yeni Kuti, his sister, also posted about the development on Instagram, describing Andrew as the face of betrayal. She wrote: The face of betrayal! Deserted Positive Force 20 mins before (the) show in New York but he is not up to who can bring us down. In another post, Yeni said she hopes the US authorities catch Andrew. The face of betrayal. I hope @realdonaldtrump catches you and deports you!!! Deserted band 20mins before concert because he wants to stay in America, she wrote. Femi Kuti is currently on a tour of the US, promoting his One People, One World album. The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has reacted to the report of the impeachment notice served him by eight meembers of the States Ho... The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has reacted to the report of the impeachment notice served him by eight meembers of the States House of Assembly on Monday. Crisis in the State House of Assembly took a new turn on Monday as eight lawmakers served an impeachment notice on the governor. The lawmakers, Adanyi Benjamin, Terhemba Chabo, Benjamin Nungwa, Bem Mngutyo, Adams Okloho, James Okefe and Nick Eworo were among members that moved for the governors impeachment. The plot was coordinated by Terkimbi Ikyange who was removed as speaker of the Assembly last week. Speaking on the development through his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, Ortom said he was still the governor of the State, adding that the lawmakers lack the constitutional powers to remove him from office. He said, Ortom is still the Chief Executive of the State. You cant just impeach a Governor in a flash. You have to go through all the legal and constitutional processes. They have not been able to form a quorum, so it is not possible. Only eight people served the governor the notice, even at that, 2 other members who were part of the cangaroo sitting were on the side of the governor, so how can anybody call that an impeachment notice. Its laughable and must be ignored completely. And for the record, there is a court injunction restricting the impeached Speaker from parading himself as the Speaker of the House and that court injunction has not been vacated. He has been suspended for 6 months, he doesnt have any constitutional right to go back to that Assembly. Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the campaign organization for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, has said that two more Governors ... Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the campaign organization for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, has said that two more Governors under the All Progressive Congress (APC), might leave the party in the coming days. In a statement on Sunday, Keyamo, however, insisted that the defections from the ruling party at the National assembly and Benue state, will not affect the chances of Buhari in next years general election. Last week, 52 APC federal legislators moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Samuel Ortom, Governor of Benue, also resigned his membership of the APC. Keyamo is confident this posed no threat to Buhari, even if Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto, and Abdulfatah Ahmed, Governor of Kwara pull out of the APC. The latest defections by some national assembly members and the governor of Benue state WILL NOT harm the re-election of President Buhari in 2019. This would even be so if the much-rumoured two more governors also defect from the APC, he said. The president won with large margins in the past in some states without the support of majority of the politicians from those states who moved recently to join the opposition party. Also, we are all witnessing the significant gains Mr President is making in several places where he lost in the past, notably in the south-south and south-east. From the demographics we have now, the historic figures and the present realities that we know, these defections will have little or no impact on the chances of Mr. Presidents re-election. The following 12 States, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe and Niger, with over 30 million registered voters, are States the President had consistently won with considerable large margins in past elections, especially in 2011 and 2015. This was achieved despite the fact that most of those States were being controlled by political parties other than his own. As we can see, any defection within these States would have little or no consequence on President Muhammadu Buharis chances as he had always won those States, irrespective of the Party in power in those States. For example in the much-touted Kano, in the 2011 Presidential election, President Buhari scored One Million, Six Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty Three (1,624,543) votes as CPC candidate, while in 2015, he had 1,903,999 One Million, Nine Hundred and Three Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine (1,903,999) votes as APC candidate. The vote difference of about Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand (280,000) votes may be attributed to elements of ANPP, negligible ACN and Senator Kwakwanso, then Governor of the State that came into APC. Keyamo also analysed Buharis chances in the south-west, saying the The following nine States, Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Adamawa and Benue, are states the president lost in 2011 but won in 2015. The five south-western states have registered voters strength of more than 14 million out of the about 20 million voters in these nine States. Today, those five states are being controlled by the APC. Ekiti will join before the 2019 election after Governor Kayode Fayemi is sworn in for a second term in office. All the political gladiators in those south-western states that helped to tilt the election in favour of the President in 2015 are still solidly with him and more have joined. The entire defunct ACN structures that moved into APC are solidly behind the President. In terms of defections in the western states, the Party has gained more than it has lost as the likes of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Senator (Mrs) Fatima Raji-Rasaki, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Senator Gbenga Kaka, former Governor Adebayo Akala, to mention a few, are now with APC. To underscore the rising profile of the Party in these States, the people of Ondo State and Ekiti State decided to entrust their States in the hands of the APC by voting out the previous PDP governments. Furthermore, these States are well represented in government with a sitting Vice President, important ministerial portfolios and prominent membership of the economic team. So, we can only expect MORE votes, not less, from the west. In the remaining four States of Ekiti, Plateau, Taraba and Nassarawa, where the President lost in the 2015 election with a margin of 260,000, all the States had sitting opposition Governors except Nassarawa. Ekiti and Plateau States will have sitting APC Governors in February 2019 to help sell his candidacy and we have also seen defection of some serving and past Senators from Ekiti State to the APC. With this we expect a reduction in the margin or an outright victory. SUVA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese naval hospital ship Ark Peace, which is on Mission Harmony - 2018, left Vanuatu's capital city of Port Vila for Fiji on Monday after wrapping up an eight-day visit for humanitarian medical service to the South Pacific Island nation. During the visit from July 23 to July 30, Ark Peace dispatched on-site medical teams to local hospitals, villages, communities, schools and the center for the disabled for medical treatment, health knowledge dissemination, anti-epidemic and equipment repairs while conducting all-weather consultation and treatment at the major platform onboard. The ship provided consultation and treatment for a total of 4,696 persons and auxiliary examinations, such as CT, DR, ultrasound and ECG, for 2,137 persons and surgical operation for 25 persons and admitted 22 inpatients. July 30, 2018 marks the 38th Independence Day of Vanuatu. At the invitation of Vanuatu's President Tallis Obed Moses, the commanders of Mission Harmony - 2018 and 30 medical staff participated in the celebrations held at the Independence Square. Local Vanuatuans expressed warm welcome to the Chinese guests from Ark Peace, saying that Ark Peace's second visit is the most valuable festival gift from the Chinese people to the people of Vanuatu. Vanuatu's leaders attached great importance to Ark Peace's second visit. Both President Moses and Prime Minister Charlot Salwai met with the commanders of Mission Harmony2018 and their entourage separately, visited the medical staff and local inpatients onboard and attended the deck reception, and expressed welcome and appreciations to the hospital ship's visit on several occasions. Ark Peace is currently heading for Fiji, the third stop of the mission. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore those who recently dumped the All Progressives Congress... The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore those who recently dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties. The group described the development as regrouping of thieves, urging the current government to focus on developing the country. A gale of defections had hit the ruling party last week with some National Assembly members and Benue Governor Samuel Ortom declaring for the opposition. MURIC, in a statement on Monday by its Director Ishaq Akintola, said the defectors never really belonged to the ruling party. It described them as distractors, who only possess nuisance value, and politicians who find it difficult to operate in a transparent political environment because the corruption virus is not only in their blood, but is domiciled in their DNA. MURIC said, They have found an easy solution by defecting to the same party which prioritized corruption, idolized kleptomaniacs and rewarded criminality and impunity. These are the true enemies of the Nigerian people. Thieves are regrouping to loot again. We must congratulate Buhari for ridding his team of moles, pests, hypocrites and parasites. Majority of political liabilities and cogs in the wheel of progress are out of the way. But it is not over until the two big masquerades unmask and jump the fence into the traitors mafia camp. We voted for these defectors because of Buhari. We did not vote for them on personal merit. We pity the defectors. They are victims of collective amnesia. Have they forgotten that they rode on the back of Buhari in 2015 to get into what later turned out to be a den of thieves? Buhari was the magic name in 2015. He has not lost that magnetic aura. The records show that he has performed creditably well in spite of the deadly mines laid by traitors in that notorious den. Buhari is still the dot in the com. We are not moved by the number of defectors. The questions we should be asking is What is their quality? How much moral fiber do they possess? What has been their contribution to party followership? How loyal have they been to their party? Have they ever been supportive of presidential initiatives? Are they the type that will pass the integrity test? Have they been playing positive roles in the war against corruption? Progressives who support President Buharis anti-graft fight should heave sighs of relief if the answers to the above questions are all negative. In fact Mr. President should be congratulated that traitors and clogs in the wheel of progress have finally shown their faces. When the going was good, they were only good as alternatives to Nollywood, court jesters and boot-lickers of corrupt hill-top political godfathers, sleeping on duty, blocking presidential nominees, budget padding and delaying budgets for seven months. These people never really belonged ab initio. They came with a mission to protect their stolen booty and to protect their superrich and corrupt godfathers by debilitating and retarding the war against corruption. National Assembly members from Benue state have condemned the actions of the Police and the DSS who they accused of aiding eight members of the Benue State House of Assembly led by the impeached Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange, take over the floor of the Assembly to make sensitive pronouncement of impeaching Governor Samuel Ortom despite a Makurdi High court order restraining him.Speaking through Senator Barnabas Gemade, the Federal Lawmakers also frowned at the action of the state lawmakers whom said claimed to have raised a motion of impeachment on the Governor despite their failure to form a quorum.According to the Federal Lawmakers Seeing us here during our recess is as a result of the event that took place here this morning.We are on vacation, we heard this and so we rushed here to see for ourselves what has happenedAnd we have learnt with great shock and disbelief with what had taken place here today, where in a commando style, the Nigerian security forces made up of Police and DSS would storm the state and cause the minority group of the legislators to meet, loyal to one political party and allow them to make pronouncement on issues which are supposed to be deliberated by every member of the 8th Assembly.This is an illegal action and we are extremely surprised that under democracy, a minority group can be given this kind of unimpeded access with security to cause illegally.And we members of the National Assembly frown against this extremely and we came here to pay our solidarity to the governor and the people of Benue state.Defection from a political party is not a crime and therefore those of us who have left one political party to the other have not done anything wrong therefore nobody should be vilified for the step we have taken because democracy is about freedom of choice.People have made their choices, they should be left with their choices. When we stood election we chose the party we stood election in and when we operate we also operate for the people who elected us.The prime duty of a legislator is to represent his people and therefore he should never be stopped from representing his people.So 22 members that formed the majority, because they belong to a particular political party were stopped from exercising their fundamental rights in attending Assembly and doing what they should do.Its absolutely wrong and we condemn it with all seriousness. And we will ensure that when we go back to Abuja, we will inform the National Assembly, leadership and members and where possible they will take action as is expected of them following the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, they stated.The eight lawmakers had earlier in the day sat in the House with Police protection, suspended 15 members of the House and raised a motion of impeachment of the Governor with the impeached speaker promising to serve the Governor the notice within seven days.Meanwhile a Makurdi High Court, presided over by Justice Adam Onum had on the July 27, 2018 issued an ex parte interim order restraining the impeached speaker from parading himself as the speaker of the House pending the hearing of the substantive suit brought before the court by 22 members of the House of Assembly the day he was impeached. Igbo elders and intellects led by renowned constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, on Saturday, in Enugu declared that Ndigbos maj... Igbo elders and intellects led by renowned constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, on Saturday, in Enugu declared that Ndigbos major desire was Nigeria to be restructured and not the 2023 presidency. They also demanded the removal of the ban on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group seeking autonomy for the Igbo South-east. The elders met under the umbrella of Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT). Addressing journalists, Deputy National President of ILT, Professor Chinweite Ejike, stated that restructuring of Nigeria would ensure good governance, independent development, and healthy competition among the countrys federating units. Ejike said: What is the need asking for power in a disintegrated and disunited country being foisted on us by the day with the present system? What we are asking for and interested in is the restructuring of the country to usher in true federalism. With that, there will be less tension over leadership and people will no longer be bothered about where the leader is coming from or who the leader is. The way the country is structured, it is bound to continue to witness more frictions if it is not restructured. We need to restructure to attend true federalism and a good governance system based on rule of law. The ILT deputy leader added that the meeting reviewed the security situation in the country, especially the frequent killings in parts of the country and herdsmen/farmers clashes over control of land and resources. He noted that the meeting observed that enough was not being done by the federal government to stop the killings and that intelligence gathering must be intensified to check the challenge. Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, Itse Sagay, SAN, has dismissed claims that the All Progressives... Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, Itse Sagay, SAN, has dismissed claims that the All Progressives Congress, APC-led Presidency was working towards reconvening the Senate. Sagay maintained that the Presidency lacked the power to reconvene the Senate ahead of the September 25 resumption date. Following the alleged clampdown on Saraki and Ekweremadu by security operatives last week, the Senate has embarked on an emergency recess. However, while speaking with Daily Independent, the PACAC Chairman said if the Presidency feels the Senate should reconvene in order to deliberate on an urgent matter, it will be done with a court order. He said, No, the APC cant reconvene the Senate. If the Senate decides to shut down for that period they decided to shut down, which is September 25, the executive arm of government cannot reverse it on their own. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ekiti chapter, has declared that the workers in the State would no longer tolerate payment of one sala... The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ekiti chapter, has declared that the workers in the State would no longer tolerate payment of one salary per month from Governor Ayodele Fayose. The Congress told Fayose to be prepared to pay two month salaries and pension per month till the expiration of his tenure in October. NLC added that workers were beginning to be hopeless about the possibility of Governor Fayose, whose tenure is gradually winding up, to defray backlog of salaries and pension, as well as gratuities owed the state workers. It said it was becoming clearer by the day that the government was not committed to the payment as earlier promised with the way things were going. This decision was reached at the NLCs State Executive Council Meeting held in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, which was made available to newsmen in a statement signed by its Chairman, Com. Ade Adesanmi in Ado Ekiti on Sunday. Adesanmi said the labour union was finding it extremely difficult to convince the workers that the present government would adhere strictly to its promise to pay up before the Governor elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi takes over on October 16, 2018. The union demanded that the government should look for alternative way to offset outstanding salaries, pension and gratuities before situation goes out of hands by paying at least two salaries per month commencing from July. Adesanmi pleaded with stakeholders not to read any political moves to this action, assuring that workers in the State remain apolitical and wont shy away from ensuring that the welfare of members are treated with priority. He said: The Ekiti State Government appeared not to be ready to fulfill its pledge of defraying the longstanding gratuity, pension , salaries and deductions for workers before the end of the tenure of the present government. That the situation about the outstanding salaries is even worse with the local government workers and primary school teachers in the state. That the situation has reached an unbearable level with workers of Ekiti State as thereby put the name and integrity of the labour leaders at stake, hence, they could not stand and fold their arms. With just two months left behind for this government to finish its tenure, workers of Ekiti State are now hopeless about the payment of the outstanding of salaries, pension, gratuity and deductions owed by the state government more so that there are no convincing strategies in place to fulfill the promise that this administration will not leave as a debtor. Sequel to this, leaders are now in difficult position to convince workers of the State on the need to endure further. Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, on Sunday insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari was part of the Northern officers who plott... Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, on Sunday insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari was part of the Northern officers who plotted the coup and assassination of former Head of State, Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi in 1966. Aguiyi-Ironsi was a senior Nigerian military officer and the first Nigerian Military Head of State. He took over power in the ensuing chaos following the 15 January, 1966 military coup, serving as the Nigerian Head of State from 16 January 1966 until his assassination on 29 July 1966 by a group of mutinous Northern army soldiers who revolted against his government in what was popularly called the July Counter Coup. However, Fani-Kayode challenged Buhari to apologize to Nigerians for the role he allegedly played in the coup and subsequent assassination of Aguiyi-Ironsi . In a tweet, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain wrote, Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) was one of the officers that organised the northern officers revenge coup of July 29th 1966 in which the Head of Sate, Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi, Col. Adekunle Fajuyi and 300 Igbo officers were murdered. Will Buhari apologise for the killings and the role he played that night? U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he recently told the publisher of the New York Times how he came to describe the mainstream news media as the "Enemy of the People," but the news executive said he in turn told Trump his language was "inflammatory" and "increasingly dangerous" for journalists around the world. In a Twitter comment, Trump described his July 20 meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger as "very good and interesting." The U.S. leader said he "spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, 'Enemy of the People.' Sad!" Sulzberger, perhaps the most prominent publisher in the U.S., said that in keeping with the "long tradition" of Times publishers meeting with past U.S. presidents, the conversation was "off the record," at Trump aides' request, meaning it was not intended for publication. But the publisher said that with Trump's tweet putting the meeting on the record, he decided to respond to give his account of the conversation from notes he took, along with those of the newspaper's editorial page editor, James Bennet, who also attended the meeting. "My main purpose for accepting the meeting was to raise concerns about the president's deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric," Sulzberger said. "I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous." U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Sunday to shut down the government if Congress does not fund construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to thwart illegal immigration. The U.S. leader claimed opposition Democrats need to give him "the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!" and other tougher national immigration policy changes. But it was a splintered Republican majority bloc of lawmakers, along with unified Democratic opposition, that twice in recent weeks rejected immigration changes Trump supported. Trump, in a Twitter comment, called for the U.S. to "finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!" Trump's call for a wall, a favorite vow from his 2016 presidential campaign, would likely cost more than $20 billion, but Congress so far has allocated only $1.5 billion for extra border security. Democrats have often assailed the wall proposal, along with some Republicans. Trump, meanwhile. has long claimed Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican leaders have adamantly said they would not, leaving the U.S. president to plead with Congress to fund it. Trump's threatened government shutdown would come as spending authorization runs out again at the end of the current fiscal year at the end of September, about five weeks before nationwide congressional elections on November 6. U.S. lawmakers usually, but not always, reach a spending accord shortly before funding runs out or after a short funding hiatus, as occurred last year. As he continued to lobby for a border wall, Trump issued a new warning to migrants looking to illegally cross the Mexican border into the United States, saying they would face "consequences" even if they are accompanied by children. He said that many of the border crossers "are just using children for their own sinister purposes." Sombra, a drug-detection dog with the Colombian National Police has been causing such problems for drug cartels that theyve recently started putting bounties on her head, forcing authorities to move her to a safer airport and have more officers accompanying her on her rounds. The 6-year-old German shepherd has been a thorn in drug traffickers side for quite a while now. Over the past few years, her strong sense of smell has helped Colombian police make over 200 arrests and seize around nine tons of illegal drugs. Sombra, which translates as shadow has become somewhat of a hero of the fight against drug cartels, but for the criminals losing money because of her radar-like nose, she is a threat that needs to be eliminated. To that end, the Urabenos, also known as the Gulf Clan, have reportedly put a prize on Sombras head, with reports on the reward for killing her varying between 20 and 200 million Colombian pesos ($7,000 and $70,000). Photo: Twitter The fact they want to hurt Sombra and offer such a high reward for her capture or death shows the impact shes had on their profits, a police spokesperson told The Telegraph. That Sombra has become the face of Colombias anti-drug efforts thanks to her accomplishments has made her the target of one f the countrys most dangerous organisations. Originally a paramilitary outfit, the Urabenos are now the countrys largest criminal organization and control much of the drug trade. Photo: Twitter In the last three years shes become the torment of Otoniel, a recent tweet from Colombias Anti-Narcotics Police revealed. Otoniel is the nickname of Dairo Antonio Usuga, the leader of the Urabenos, who apparently like nothing more than to be rid of Sombra for good. To protect Sombra, Colombian authorities have temporarily moved her from Turbo airport in the Uraba region, at the heart of the Urabenoss sphere of influence, to Bogotas El Dorado airport, which is considered safer. Still, they are taking no chances, so along with her usual handler, Sombra will also be accompanied by extra security detail when she does her sniffing rounds. Sombra first made news headlines in 2016, when she led her human colleagues to a container of bananas that secretly contained 2,958 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. In May of last year, she discovered another 1.1 tons of cocaine heading for Belgium, and a month later she discovered another 5.3 tons of cocaine ready to be shipped out of the country. In total, Sombras busts led to 245 arrests, so its not hard to see why the Urabenos are willing to pay to have her out of the picture. A Peruvian man recently got his five minutes of online fame after his curious signature went viral on social media. Instead of the typical scribble or just a simple X, this guy always signs his name with the childish drawing of a kitten. The mans signature went viral after a photo of his ID next to an official police document signed by him were posted online by police in the coastal town of Huarmey. He along with five other had been arrested on July 18 on charges of gun possession, and after being taken to the local police station and signed into jail, one signature drew the attention of officers on duty. Instead of a name or a simple scribble, 31-year-old Juan Carlos Varillas Bazan had drawn a childish doodle of a kitten. Only after checking his ID and seeing that it featured the same drawing as a signature did they realize that they were not being trolled and that that was really the guys signature. They thought it was hilarious so they posted the documents on the stations Facebook page for everyone to see. Photo: Facebook It didnt take long for the post to go viral on multiple social networks and for the jokes to start rolling in. Soon, even national news networks were posting the photos and some even contacted Varillas Bazan, who had since been released, to ask him about his peculiar signature. While some Facebook and Twitter users joked that the man couldnt write, it turns out that the kitty doodle actually has a touching story behind it. The 31-year-old Peruvian told La Republica that when he was 16 he had a kitten that he loved very much, so when he got his first ID card, he decided to honor its memory by signing his name with the now famous doodle. Photo: Facebook The man told reporters that the staff at the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC) advised him to chose a more common way of signing himself in order to avoid trouble in the future, but he just stuck with it. He admits that the doodle does make things harder for him whenever he needs to sign an important document. For example, banks always ask to see his ID to make sure the signatures match. Juan Carlos Varillas Bazan is now preparing to sue the police station in Huarmey for disclosing private information about him without first asking for permission. He also claims that he was detained for no reason, as he was only driving the five men accused of illegal gun possession. Photo: Facebook In cultures all across the globe, animals are revered, and even worshipped. In Hinduism, for example, cows are valued for their gentle nature. But not every sacred animal is quite so harmless; crocodiles were worshipped in Ancient Egypt, as they were believed to be living representations of the god Sobek. You may be surprised to learn that the deification of crocodiles is far from ancient history. In Burkina Faso, just 30 kilometers away from the capital of Ouagadougou, there is a small village of Bazoule, where its people descendents of Mossis warriors have chosen the Crocodylus suchus as its totem. Although Bazoule is located in a landlocked country, it does have its own pond, where 150 of these unusually docile creatures reside. Despite the fearsome reputation of crocodiles, the villagers have no problem living alongside them. In fact, the Mossi boldly approach the crocodiles to play; they even sit on and lie next to them. Photo: Marco Schmidt/Wikimedia Commons How did this come about? Local legends from the 15th century credit these reptiles with the villages salvation. While in the throes of a serious drought, the Mossi were led to an undiscovered pond by the crocodiles. This not only allowed the Mossi to survive, but also led to the founding of Bazoule. Because the villagers were so grateful towards the crocodiles, they now care for and live side by side with them, having funerals and burying them after death, as they do for their human companions. The Mossi also throw a celebratory festival every year in their honorKoom Lakre. Not only are the crocodiles regarded as protectors of Bazoule, but they are also seen as soothsayers that grant wishes, especially during Koom Lakre. It seems as though the veneration of the crocodiles has paid off; in over 70 years, there hasnt been a death from a crocodile attack, not even one. Its normal for women to wash their clothes in the water and gather plants nearby, as is it a normal sight for children to play around the water as well. Any bites that occur are seen as punishments from their ancestors, not as a sign of aggression from the honored reptiles. Naturally, this strange relationship has attracted a lot of attention. Over the years, tourists have flocked to the village, looking to catch a glimpse of this unlikely bond between human and reptile. Visitors have the opportunity to purchase a chicken, which a guide will use to lure the crocodiles out of the water. You can pose for pictures, and if you feel brave enough, you can imitate the local children by sitting on a crocodiles back. The village thrives on tourism, but unfortunately, in recent years, a Jihadist insurgency in the area has driven a lot of potential visitors away. And this is not the only problem Bazoule faces; the village also finds itself threatened by global warming. Lower annual rainfall means that the pondwhich the sacred crocodiles call their homeis at risk of simply evaporating. Perhaps the legends are true, and when this happens, maybe the crocodiles will lead the Mossi to a new water source? In philosophy, it has been suggested that there is no such thing as objective and definitive truth, and that what we consider the truth is simply a matter of perspective. While we may consider crocodiles to be fearsome killing machines that should be avoided at all costs, the Mossi have formed a genuine bond with these reptiles, going so far as giving them proper funerals when they die. This strange relationship highlights how our interactions with the world are a result of cultural upbringing and circumstanceone mans monster is another mans salvation. Interestingly, this is not the only place where people and crocodiles live side by side, in harmony. The people of Paga, a small village in Ghana, are also famous for bathing in a nearby pond with over 100 crocodiles. Locals claim that no one in the village has ever been killed by the crocs. The U.S. said Sunday it did not give any money to North Korea in exchange for the recovery and return of the remains of 55 American soldiers killed during the Korean War. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that while U.S. code grants it the authority to reimburse a country for expenses related to the recovery and storage of remains, adding, "In this instance, North Korea did not ask for money and no money was exchanged." Last week, a U.S. transport plane carried the remains of the American soldiers to Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province here. The handover was part of an agreement between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump during their summit in Singapore in June. North Korea handed over the first set of 50 remains the day earlier under an agreement reached at the summit with the U.S. in June. "That is certainly under consideration. Absolutely," Mattis told Pentagon reporters when asked if Washington could send personnel. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis on Friday said the Pentagon could send officials to North Korea to help with the search for the remains of American soldiers killed in the Korean War. U.S. President Donald Trump said, "I'm sure that [North Korean leader Kim Jong-un] will continue to fulfill that promise as they search and search and search." Some 5,300 American soldiers were killed in North Korea during the Korean War, according to the Pentagon. "It's a very important political project for the U.S., which honors military casualties and veterans, to search and carry home remains of its soldiers killed overseas," a government official here said. "The Trump administration considers this issue a chance to regain public trust." But many are skeptical that North Korea will keep its promise without demanding anything in return. "They'll give a certain amount of remains for free right away," former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who worked on the repatriation of remains in the past, told the Washington Post. "But then they'll say, 'The next ones, we need to find them, locate them, restore them.' And then they'll start charging, and they'll milk this." The U.S. has made it clear that talks about declaring a formal end to the Korean War can begin only after North Korea submits details of its nuclear weapons program. "The U.S. State Department is demanding that North Korea fully denuclearize as a precondition for the talks," a diplomatic source said. "The top priority is for Pyongyang to submit a complete list of all the details of its nuclear weapons program, including locations of nuclear weapons and missile stockpiles." During a visit to Pyongyang early this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly urged the North to submit the details in response to demands for a peace treaty from the North. North Korea promptly accused him of "gangster-like" tactics. "Washington believes that it can only gauge how serious North Korea is about denuclearization when it submits the full details of its nuclear program," a government official here said. Recent U.S. media reports have highlighted instances where the North has apparently been trying to hide its nuclear and missile capabilities. The NHRC said Sunday that it decided to investigate without a complaint from victims, which normally triggers investigations. The South Korean government says they defected of their own accord, but their former manager has been giving conflicting accounts of the women's suspiciously smooth escape. The aim is to determine whether the North Koreans defected of their free will or were coerced by the South Korean National Intelligence Service, as some reports have suggested. It will allocate six investigators to the case. Only a few of the women have been interviewed, but the commission intends to talk to all of them. Investigators will also question the National Intelligence Service and Unification Ministry, which are believed to have been involved in the operation, as well as the Foreign Ministry. An NHRC official said, "We decided to launch an ex-officio investigation because of comments made by the UN special rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights." Tomas Ojea Quintana told reporters in Seoul earlier this month, "It's clear that there were some shortcomings in regards to how they were brought to South Korea." He added that the defectors were "subject to some kind of deceit in regard to where they were going" and urged on the South Korean government to launch a thorough investigation. The NHRC will spend three months probing the defection and then decide whether it needs more time. But neither the defectors nor government officials are legally bound to answer questions. "Asking the North Korean workers whether they defected voluntarily or if they intend to return to the North could place some of them in danger as they already settled in South Korea," said Nam Sung-wook at Korea University claimed. "We need to approach this very cautiously." An NHRC official said, "We have not decided whether to go public with the results of our probe due to the sensitive nature of the matter." TEA approves new Summer Creek schedule As a result of the forced accommodation of both Kingwood and Summer Creek high schools in one location following Hurricane Harvey, many Summer Creek students, parents, teachers and administrators discovered they preferred the condensed class schedule instituted for scheduling all the students. In addition, the schedule seemed to be advantageous in both operational efficiencies and the academic performance of the students. As a result, surveys of Summer Creek High School parents and staff were conducted to determine if they would support a waiver from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to continue utilizing the innovative bell schedule as a pilot program during the 2018/19 school year. Of 719 survey questionnaires returned, 87 percent were from parents and 13 percent from staff. Once totalled, 85 percent of the respondents preferred the pilot program and 15 percent preferred the regular school hours.The Summer Creek community expressed strong support for a continuation of a modified schedule this year, said Jamie Mount, director of public communicaations for Humble ISD. Principal Brent McDonald and the Summer Creek staff developed a schedule that they are excited to implement. The schedule includes an enrichment period built into the school day and optional tutoring that begins at 1:55 p.m. to meet individualized student needs. This schedule is unique to Summer Creek, developed based upon input from the Summer Creek community, she said. At the July 10 meeting, the board authorized the waiver to be submitted to the TEA for approval. TEA Commissioner Mike Morath provided verbal approval to Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen July 26, to be followed in writing. When Fagen announced the approval, she said. Necessity is the mother of invention, and Hurricane Harvey pushed us out of normal comfort zones. Summer Creek High School implemented a non-traditional schedule last year because of Harvey. This year, they are implementing it by choice. I want to thank Commissioner Morath for being open to flexibility. I also want to thank State Representative Dan Huberty for his support of educators working in ways that they believe best serve their students. This pilot schedule was strongly supported by the Summer Creek community. The Summer Creek Bell Schedule for 2018/2019 is available to the public at the Humble ISD website, humbleisd.net, on the front page of the Summer Creek High School page. The July 10 Humble ISD Board of Trustees meeting resulted in numerous items being approved in one fell swoop via a Consent Agenda. It was packed with authorizations and approvals and its approval was done with a single vote. In that agenda were four items from which questions have arisen. Mount provided additional detail about some of the approved items. Is anything new in the Code of Conduct? There are no substantive changes from last year, said Mount. She added that the Code of Conduct is approved by the board of trustees and submitted annually as a requirement of the TEA. She noted that it is contained in the Humble ISD Parent/Student Handbook toward the end and is listed as Code of Conduct in the index. The handbook is in the process of being updated for the coming year now that it is approved, but it is unchanged in terms of the Code of Conduct, said Mount. What is the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) and how is it funded? The Memorandum of Understanding regarding the program was also approved July 10. The memorandum is an annual renewal of the interlocal agreement between the Harris County Juvenile Board and the district regarding the operation of the program. Every expelled student in Harris County must be placed in the program or its equivalent. Humble ISD does not expel students when expulsion is discretionary and only places students who have engaged in conduct requiring mandatory expulsions into the JJAEP program. In the event the district expels a student on a discretionary basis, the cost will be $110 per student per day for discretionary seats. Some school districts take advantage of an option in the memorandum to prepay for those seats based on their past history. Humble ISD will not purchase any discretionary spaces from the program, but in the event that the district does expel a student on a discretionary basis, the cost would be paid at that time. Humble ISD does not pay for JJAEP. If a student from Humble ISD is assigned to JJAEP, the state covers the cost, said Mount. Why was the superintendents contract already renewed and did she get a pay increase? The superintendents five-year employment contract was also renewed July 10. Mount explained that the contract with Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Fagen is for five years but is reviewed and extended on an annual basis. This is the same procedure that has been used with prior district superintendents. The review usually occurs in the summer months. Regarding any salary change, Mount said, This year, Dr. Fagan received the same two percent raise that the teachers and staff did. Is the district still hiring? Also noted at the July 10 board meeting was the fact that more than 400 teachers and staff have already been hired for next year. Some have asked if there are still jobs available for the coming year. Mount said there is always some level of hiring in progress in a school district as large as Humble ISD, with more than 3,000 full-time teachers and all of the other staff and administrative requirements. She said the district uses a single employment process for all positions. It starts with the initial application on the districts web page at humbleisd.net. Also listed on that page are the specific employment opportunities currently available. She encouraged interested people to review the opportunities posted on that page. Celine Dion has made her mark as a true style icon over the past few years, recruiting stylist Law Roach who took her larger-than-life image and refined it just to the intersection point between eye-catching and elegant right before a look goes too far over the top. This past weekend, Dion kicked off her tour in Sydney Australia wearing a golden suit that we can't stop looking away from. The suit was designed by Schiaparelli Couture, featuring high-waisted gold brocade pants and matching structured shoulder blazer with a classic white tuxedo shirt underneath that boasted two panels of sheer lace on her chest. On her feet were a pair of metallic pointed-toe booties with stiletto heels. Related | Celine Dion's Lemon-Yellow Suit Sparked a Giant Meme It was Dion's first time performing in Australia in more than a decade, which means that it was also the first time she had been seen there with her new high-fashion look. It's safe to say that she knocked it out of the parkand then a little further. Dion has tried out nearly every silhouette to-date, perfectly walking the line between refined and other-worldly. From her white gown with gigantic sculptural sleeves from Stephane Rolland for her performance at this spring's BBMAs to her uber casual Titanic hoodie and jeans for a daytime stroll (because, why not?), she's a true force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to her fashion iconship. This is not the first time Dion has opted for bright suiting, as another one of her much-discussed looks as of late was a canary yellow boxy-cut style from Ribah Kayrouz which she struck a pose in while in Bangkok, wrapping up the Asia-Pacific leg of her tour just a few days ago. Here's hoping Dion's next few appearances feature bright suitingheavily. Photo via Getty If you've been at a loss as to what shows to watch next, September is going to prove a great month for you. Reuniting over a decade after they appeared in Superbad, former teen sensations Jonah Hill and Emma Stone will appear in a new dark comedy for Netflix. Maniac is adapted from a Norwegian show, and focuses on a deluded psychiatric patient whose world is a paradise. True Detective's Cary Fukunaga was tapped to direct the 10-episode series, which Netflix executive Nancy Holland describes as a "a thought-provoking fever dream." Justin Theroux will also star, playing a doctor who believes he has created a pill to rectify any illness, while Emma Stone portrays a women obsessed with her past relationships and Jonah Hill a wealthy, potentially schizophrenic New Yorker. Oh, and Sally Field will appear too. Check out the trailer below and ready yourself for September 21. A bulletin board at the North Korean Embassy in China now features photographs leader Kim Jong-un meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump, a change from the pictures of missiles that adorned last year. The board is next to the main entrance of the North Korean embassy in Beijing and previously only featured pictures of Kim meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping during his first visit to China. Other photos show Kim meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. Last year, the board was festooned with photos of North Korea's ballistic missiles. Antwerp-based fashion brand Botter made a unique, environment-centric fashion statement at Berlin's Spring/Summer 2019 Fashion Week. The Dutch menswear label came up with a unisex collection, which used fish-shaped pool inflatables, nylon nets, and strips of plastic to accessorize their fashion-forward collection of boxy suits and streetwear. The designers behind Botter Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh wanted to use their platform to draw attention to the Caribbean ocean's pollution, the waste washing on their shores, and how consumerism and oil exploration are destroying that region of the world. The duo also said that they also drew inspiration from the lotto houses in Curacao and the Dominican Republic. Botter told architecture and design magazine de zeen, "I see my grandma going to these lotto houses and spending her last money in hope she would win. But the reality is that most of these organizations are corrupt and will never give a prize away. They play with the hope of the poor for their own fortune and we wanted to translate this aspect into the garments." Photos via Getty As previously reported, Lindsay Lohan's upcoming reality show detailing her current entrepreneurial endeavors in Greece is underway. What we didn't know before is who would distribute and produce the new series (my money was on Bravo), until now: MTV has announced that the working title of the show is Lohan Beach Club, which has been thus far described as "Vanderpump Rules in the Mediterranean," will premiere in 2019. The series will apparently be a documentary-style affair executive produced by Lohan. Shooting begins this week on-location in Mykonos, Greece. According to a press statement outlining the series, Lohan will "lead a team of handpicked brand ambassadors to make her mark on the vacation capital of the world," who are also aiming to prove "their expertise, ambition, and charm" while helping Lohan realize her vision. Sounds interesting, but who is ready to see Lohan as a tyrannical but charming boss who yells at her seaside employees over their footwear choices backed by an aggressively dramatic soundtrack, among other heightened reality-show sturm und drang? All of you should be raising your hands. "Lohan Beach Club offers viewers VIP access to one of the most exclusive destinations in the world, and a behind the scenes look at how a young, successful entrepreneur runs her empire," says Nina L. Diaz, MTV's president of programming and development. "We are thrilled to have such a passionate and creative partner in Lindsay to help explore this intriguing culture, all through the eyes of her brand." The stakes are high, but we can only assume Lohan and her cohort will more than rise to the occasion. I guess now's as good a time as any to break a plate not one from her luxe resort, of course but one our measly own, and say "Opa!" From its roots in New York and Japan to a proliferation around the world thanks to the connectedness of social media, intricate, over-the-top nail art is alive and well and has never been more inventive. Each day, Nailed It will highlight a manicure or style we love, from both celebrity and underground nail artists. Login Instagram What's better than regular manicure? A Beyonce manicure. Japanese nail artist Yukaco of New York City created special On The Run Tour II nails for a fan that included a tiny hand-painted Yonce and the skull imagery from the tour's merch. This look makes putting your middle finger up so much more satisfying. Photo via Instagram Twenty one-year-old model and Rihanna muse Slick Woods recently shared the news of her pregnancy with a casual poolside Instagram, and a less-casual Elle UK cover shoot, and now she's revealed that Erykah Badu will be guiding her through childbirth. "She's a mommy role model. A mother I look up to, who kills her shit and is a boss-ass bitch," Woods told Elle of her decision to ask Badu to be her spiritual guide through the birthing process. Related | Erykah Badu Is Fashion's Most Important Nonconformist The neo-soul legend, mother and Instagram fave is actually a trained doula with a long history of helping women during their births and has assisted in over 40 births since 2001. In the interview, Slick also talked about how she believes her relationship with her child will help erase some of the trauma she experienced growing up while her mother was in prison. "At 14, 15, I never expected to ever be giving any type of life; to be this happy with having a child. From not having family to being able to create your own," she said. "Things you lacked, things you missed out on, traumayou can erase that by creating new life. All those things you didn't get, all those hugs and kisses. I can retract those things with my son's life. In giving him that childhood, it heals you as well. In hugging your son, it's giving a piece of that back to you, too. I need him as much as he needs me." She also spoke about what raising a black son in America, who will be named Saphir after his birthstone, means to her: "I'm going to stand up for my son. I want him to feel proud as a black man. Everyone is telling men it's wrong to express their feelings, but I will not let him feel like his feelings are wrong." Photo via Instagram Earlier today Patently Apple posted a report titled "Speed Leaps offered by 5G Networks in 2019 will require High-Performance Thermal Solutions for Smartphones." The report pointed to Huawei preparing their 5G smartphone that will debut next summer that will integrate a copper based thermal solution to keep their smartphone running cool while pushing leaps in speed on 5G networks. Now we're learning that Samsung is getting ahead of Huawei on that front. According to new information, Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 debuting next week may surprise the market by introducing a very large and effective thermal solution in order to maintain the performance of the Galaxy Note 9 when playing games and likely a test prior to releasing a 5G network ready smartphone next year. With rumors that Samsung has landed an exclusive for Fortnite on Android, the tech site WccfTech further reports that "the phablet will be able to maintain those processor and GPU clock speeds, allowing Fortnite to run seamlessly, even in graphically demanding areas. Additionally, the Note 9 will be able to get attached to an external monitor without the need for a dock." A second rumor today claims that Samsung's new Note 9 will have a long battery life with more storage space and a faster processor. Samsung released a teaser video on the Note 9 on Friday as presented below supporting the rumor. The Galaxy Note 9 reportedly will feature a huge 4,000 mAh battery, which will be the largest among Samsung's smartphones. The upcoming premium phone is also reportedly to come with an industry leading 512 GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. The last Samsung news of the day claims that Samsung and Tencent have forged an Alliance to take on Apple and Google. According to the investment banking industry on July 28, Samsung Electronics and Tencent are jointly investing in AI speakers and game development. "At the beginning of this year, Samsung Electronics and Tencent agreed to jointly invest in AI speakers and game solutions. The two are now discussing practical business affairs," an IB industry official said. "They are expected to set up a joint venture company." Samsung Electronics is expected to seek to recover its share of the smartphone market in China, which dropped to 3%, by using Tencent as its partner. Tencent is also looking to find a breakthrough in online gaming which accounts for more than 70% of its sales. Tencent earned 167.5 billion yuan in online games, more than 70% of its estimated sales of 239.4 billion yuan last year. The cooperation between Samsung Electronics and Tencent will meet the two companies' needs. Samsung Electronics is expanding its Bixby service, an AI assistant, not only into mobile phones but into home appliances, displays and more. Tencent is leading the global market as well as the Chinese market in internet platforms, an area where Samsung Electronics is weak. Mobile messenger Wechat of Tencent has 980 million monthly active users (MAUs). Tencent is currently using its AI technology in the news sector and plans to expand it into autonomous vehicles in the future. The ultimate goal of the alliance between Samsung Electronics and Tencent is to take the lead in the smart home market. In particular, AI speakers are the core of the smart home sector that could make or break IT companies. AI speakers are expected to play the role of a hub for indoor and outdoor home appliances with smartphones in the future. The cooperation between Samsung Electronics and Tencent, the two world-class IT players, started with a common understanding that they are late comers in the smart home market. Tencent's cooperation with Samsung Electronics is intended to take a leap in AI, an area where it lags behind its Chinese rivals Baidu and Alibaba. This year, Samsung Electronics will load its voice recognition service Bixby into its AI speaker. According to a rumor emerging last week, it may be introduced as early as next week. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. My wife and I have reached that point in our lives where many of our friends are retiring and/or serving missions. This afternoon, we attended a sacrament meeting in another ward and stake where former neighbors of ours spoke. It was their missionary farewell. Theyre heading off for two years to Berlin, Germany, where he will serve in a mission office and she will serve as (presumably among other things) the mission nurse and medical person. I noticed that this ward, probably a fairly typical Mormon congregation in Utah, has three other missionaries younger ones in these cases, I presume already out in the field. One is in Korea, another is in Sierra Leone, and the third is in Guatemala. So, with the addition of our friends, this ward will have missionaries out serving in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe. Again, I marvel at the reach of the Church, and at the quite extraordinary experiences routinely had by those who serve faithfully in it. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) *** I find myself thinking, yet again, of Alma 29:1-3 1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! 2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. 3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me. Theres a song, very familiar to Latter-day Saints (at least of my generation) based on the first two verses above. For a long time, candidly, I really disliked that song. But its grown on me, and its message is, if anything, more powerful and urgent to me now than it ever has been. I hear about and read about and sometimes see suffering almost every day that, in my view, could be eradicated by faithful adherence to the teachings of the Gospel. While Im at it, though: Roughly five years ago, I wrote a column for the Deseret News in which I briefly touched upon one (to me, intriguing) feature of Alma 29:1-2: The Book of Mormon was very carefully written Iran says impossible to engage with current US government 07/30/18 Source: Press TV Iran says it is impossible to engage in talks with the US under the current administration which has adopted a fiercely hostile policy toward the Islamic Republic. "With current America and these policies, there will definitely not be the possibility of dialogue and engagement, and the United States has shown that it is totally unreliable," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Monday. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of an international nuclear deal known as the JCPOA with Tehran in May and announced his intention to impose the strictest regime of sanctions on the country. Qassemi, speaking to reporters in Tehran during his weekly news briefing, dismissed calls for negotiations by US leaders, including by Trump who said recently that he was ready "to make a real deal" with Iran. "Given the current circumstances and hostile actions of the United States, the country's withdrawal from the JCPOA and continuation of hostile policies, its efforts to put economic pressure on the Iranian people and its sanctions, I think there are no conditions for such a discussion at all." Qassemi further brushed aside reports about a policy of regime change or collapse having been instituted by the Trump administration toward Iran, calling them "irrelevant" and a "raw dream which will never come true." The spokesman also said a military confrontation between Iran and the United States was out of the question, but that Tehran had prepared itself for any eventuality. "America's hostile policies against Iran continue, and Iran has prepared itself for this behavior, doing what it takes to thwart these conspiracies and hostile policies," he said, adding that "Iran and its brave people will be victorious in this battle." Qassemi further shrugged off reports that the Trump administration was quietly pushing ahead with a bid to create an "Arab NATO" with the participation of six Persian Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan to counter Iran. "What we have seen from the overall inter-Arab relations, and the current situation and the lack of coherence and consensus and the gap that exists among these countries, this issue should be viewed as no more than a slogan," he said. The spokesman, however, acknowledged that Trump was taking advantage of the weakness of Muslim and Arab states to use their oil revenues to his own benefit through various machinations. "Over the past four decades, the Islamic Republic has shown how it has been able to stand alongside the people and with the support and resistance of the great people of Iran resist foreign conspiracies and pressures," he said. "We will certainly pass through this stage as well, and these reports and allegations are not worthy of attention," Qassemi added. The official also pointed to ongoing talks between the Islamic Republic and European countries, saying Tehran has asked the European signatories to the nuclear deal to give it assurances about the deal's continued existence. "Constant communication with the European parties continues and this is a reason for optimism," Qassemi said, stressing that the overall situation is positive. The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has asked Ghanaians not to pay when registering for the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). We have received reports of people collecting money. Nobody should fall prey to fraudsters who claim they work for the GRA. Those who want to register should go to our offices and it will be done free of charge, Mr Gyimah-Asante said. Mr Kwasi Gyimah-Asante, Commissioner, Domestic Tax Revenue Division was part of a strong team of commissioners who stormed the studios of Peacefm on Monday morning to educate Ghanaians on the need to honour their tax obligations, revenue generation and mobilisation, tax amnesty and measures by the GRA to clamp down on some businesses and individuals evading taxes in the country among others. Other members of the delegation that were hosted by Kwami Sefa Kayi on the "Kokrokoo" show included Emmanuel Kofi Nti, Commissioner-General GRA, and Isaac Crenstil, Commissioner, Customs Division. TIN Number TIN is a unique number generated by GRA for persons including corporate entities. The number is generated within 48 hours upon application accompanied with a valid national identification number such as Drivers license, Passport, Voters ID. TIN numbers are used to process passports, process land at the Lands Commission, transact business with the Registrar Generals Department, secure contracts from governments, secure payments from governments e.g. Controller and Accountant General Department, clear goods from any port or factory, file a case in court, and renew practicing license. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Nigerian traders in the country have lauded the government for suspending its directive to sack foreign retailers from the various markets in the country. The Trade Ministry last month issued a directive to foreign traders operating in the market to move out by July 27. But the ministry later suspended the directive, citing low education and inadequate consultations. The Ghana Union of Traders Association(GUTA) has expressed its disappointment over the current development and has asked members to defend their businesses. Local traders in the retail industry have been calling for the removal of their foreign counterparts. The Association has accused the foreigners of selling fake and substandard goods to the Ghanaian consumers. It has also accused the foreigners of evading taxes. A leader of the Nigerian Traders Group in Ghana, Yahaya Alhassan has assured that it has begun an advocacy to ensure that all Nigerian traders fulfil their tax obligations. Alhassan told Citi Business News that the pressure being mounted on Government by GUTA is Unnecessary. He said the Nigerian traders are many so we cannot control all of them but we will make sure that they all do the right things. He added that we are very law abiding and we mean no evil. I understand their frustration but they should understand that God gives and will give all of us our share of the market. The group also lauded the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana Olufemi Abikoye for the diplomatic discussions with the Ghanaian government for the suspension of the directive. Source: citinewsroom.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Defense Ministry will slash 118,000 ground troops and shorten military service by two to three months as well as drastically slimming down the military's top-heavy command structure. The defense reform plans announced last Friday and now approved by President Moon Jae-in also discard a two-week scenario to seize the North Korean capital in case of a war. The plans envisage reducing ground troops, slimming the command structure by getting rid of some 18 percent of idle generals and shortening mandatory military service from 21 months to 18 by the end of 2021. The number of Army divisions will be cut from the current 39 to 33, while frontline divisions will be slashed from 11 to nine, which means that each division will have to defend 1.2 times more of the frontline. Standing forces will shrink from the current 618,000 to 500,000 by 2022, only about 39 percent of North Korea's 1.28 million. But troop reductions will occur only in the Army, which plays a smaller role in modern warfare than it used to, from the current 483,000 to 365,000. "The ministry plans to make up for the troop reduction by reinforcing unmanned surveillance, including dronebots and unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, and augmenting firepower," an Army officer said. Tourists heading to Amsterdam are being warned to go home after dark because it is becoming a "lawless jungle." The city becomes dangerous at night - with groups of unruly young men prowling the streets, drag racing, stealing, shouting with drunkards peeing in the streets. But police are powerless to stop the gangs and "no longer have a handle on the situation". Arre Zuurmond, the official city ombudsman, said these men are from the UK and other parts of the Netherlands. They cause trouble during stag parties and pub crawls, particularly in the red light district. Read Full Story .... mirror.co.uk >>> : Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Police administration had denied reports suggesting that the police officer at the center of the Midland Savings and Loan customer battering video had committed suicide in custody. Unconfirmed reports making rounds on social media and other new portals had suggested that Lance Corporal Fredrick Amanor Godzi was found hanging at the Ministries Police station where he had been on remand since Thursday. Fake News? The website Firstnews360 had claimed that the police man who is currently facing an assault charge before an Accra Circuit Court had died keeping social media buzzing. As at press time yesterday efforts to read the story provide futile as the story had been pulled down from the said website. When contacted for confirmation, the Director-General of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP David Eklu, rubbished the story wondering what purpose the source of the story sought to achieve. While describing the whole story as fake news he stated that the accused was okay on remand and was alive. Fredrick aka skala was hauled before an Accra Circuit Court on last week for assault. It is the case of the prosecution that Skala on July 19 this year at Shiashie the assaulted the victim, Patience Sarfo, 36 with a baby. Lance Corporal Amanor made headlines after a video recording capturing him assaulting Patience in the banking hall of the Midland Savings and loans company went viral on social media. Frederick was seen pounding the head of the victim with an umbrella several times before resorting to slaps and punches of the woman who was still carrying her baby. Not even the cry of the baby would deter the police officer from going ahead with his assault. In Court The incident which received widespread condemnation from all Ghanaians, including the police administration and civil society groups has landed the accused in court. Appearing in a court presided over by Jane Akwele Quaye, the accused denied the offence and was remanded into police custody until August 9. Source: the publisher Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Many sympathisers were saddened as daughter of late Statcy Offei-Darko could not hold back her tears upon arrival at the funeral grounds of her late mother. The 6-year-old-daughter of late Deputy CEO of the National Entrepreneurship Innovation Program (NEIP) and MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong broke down in tears after realising that her mother is truly no more when the body was laid in state. The grief-stricken young girl wailed holding tightly on to her dad - Kennedy Agyapong who consoled her in the process. Final burial rites for the late Statcy Offei-Darko took place at the forecourt of the Statehouse in Accra on 28th July 2018. The service attracted top ranks from the country's political landscape including Chief of staff, Frema Osei-Opare who paid their final respects to the former Deputy NEIP boss. News about the demise of the Deputy CEO of NEIP, Statcy Offei Darko shook many as she was not reported sick, according to the family. Statcy was reported dead at the Obengfo hospital on May 21, 2018 while undergoing liposuction. It was however reported that owner of the facility, Dr Dominic Obeng Andoh, better known as Dr Obenfo, ordered the body of the deceased to be deposited at the morgue without the familys knowledge. The embattled medical practitioner who has since been charged with murder was yesterday granted bail by an Accra High Court. VIDEOS- Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Hundreds of young Spanish volunteers were last Thursday evacuated from Ghana after a disagreement with an aid project they signed up for via Instagram descended into chaos. Yes We Help, founded by self-styled entrepreneur Yago Zarroca, signed up more than 1000 young people for its promised summer programmes in far-flung destinations such as Ghana and Sri Lanka - or so the Barcelona-based group claimed. Lured by Instagram pictures of smiling volunteers embracing African children and promotional posts from a handful of Insta-Celeb influencers, the volunteers paid 850 each for their stays - not including travel, visas or vaccinations. But participants complained they had arrived in the Ghanaian town of Winneba to find the projects either in a state of complete disarray, or non-existent. According to Telegraph.co.uk, supposed leaders were either absent or drawn from the volunteers themselves, while materials or funds needed for projects were missing. Volunteers complained of being left without beds or food and in some cases accommodation entirely as promised stays were cut short. On Thursday, more than 130 volunteers - most aged between 16 and 24 - were evacuated out of Ghana by the Spanish Embassy after being threatened by a group of armed men - allegedly sent by Yes We Help itself. Those in Ghana mounted a protest with a banner denouncing "fraud", while a participant in Sri Lanka posted to Instagram a song calling on Mr Zarroca to "come out of his hotel" and explain himself - a move which, he told Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, drew a threat of legal action. Mr Zarroca himself appeared concerned only with filming and urging them to recruit other volunteer "influencers", Itziar, an 18-year-old from Madrid, told The Telegraph. Another 17-year-old, who wished to remain anonymous, said the volunteers believed Mr Zarroca himself had called in the "mercenaries", while Spain's foreign ministry also blamed Yes We Help. Rafael Jariod, head of Catalonia's Small and Medium NGO Alliance which has taken up the case, told The Telegraph Yes We Help was a profit-making business facing allegations of questionable practices. Neither Mr Zarroca nor Yes We Help - which since removed its claim to be an NGO from its webpage - responded to repeated requests from the Telegraph, while a main contact number was no longer active. Meanwhile, the Spanish Embassy in Ghana has declined comment on the matter due to the "data protection law in Spain". "Sorry we cannot disclose any information about Spanish nationals due to the data protection law in Spain," the Spanish Embassy said in an emailed response to GraphicOnline. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video National Organiser of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Sammi Awuku has joined distinguished African statesmen in the call for the empowerment of the youth on the African continent. Mr. Awuku who is currently attending the 7th Africa Students and Youth Summit in the Rwandan capital of Kigali joined distinguished personalities including pan-Africanist and Kenyan law professor, PLO Lumumba, the Hon. Musoni Protais, chairman of the Pan Africanist Movement of Rwanda among other high profile African personalities to discuss the African agenda. Speaking to MyNewsGh.com from far away Rwanda, Mr. Awuku said myself and the other distinguished panel members were unanimous in our call for African youth to be empowered and supported to ensure the achievement and attainment of Agenda 2063 Mr. Sammi Awuku was at the Summit as the current Prize Winner of the Continental Youth Icon for 2016/2017. Both Sammi Awuku and Prof. PLO Lumumba were unanimous in condemning what has become known as Franco Africa and Anglo Africa, making a strong case that this was indirectly a way of maintaining colonial names of African countries and offering the opportunity for former colonial masters to maintain their grip on the continent Mr. Awuku bemoaned the culture of some African leaders not giving enough opportunities to the younger generation and thereby limiting their potentials, encouraging them to learn from Presidents Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Paul Kagame of Rwanda who have enacted youth-friendly policies in their respective countries aimed at empowering the younger generation. The Iconic young politician used the occasion to espouse President Akufo-Addos quest to create a Ghana Beyond Aid, adding that the free Senior High School programme was one that is aimed at offering equal educational opportunities for the youth in Ghana. The inspirational former National Youth Leader of the NPP dazzled his audience and fellow panelists at the summit, as he urged African youth to play a pivotal role in the AU Agenda 2063. He said this can only be done when African Youth are empowered and also see themselves as a collective group fighting poverty, neo colonialism and corruption. The Summit which is under the theme: Pan Africanism; A Paradigm Shift towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and African Union Agenda 2063, the role of the youth, saw some two thousand (2000) youth from thirty three (33) African countries in attendance. He was full of praise for the All Africa Students Union (AASU) and organisers of the summit for leading important and fruitful discussions aimed at building robust and solid Africa that will offer hope to the younger generation. The Summit which was organised by the All Africa Students Union in Collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Rwanda and the Pan Africanist Movement of Rwanda ends on 28th July. Source: MyNewsGh.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah has accused the Akufo-Addo government of 'degrading' secondary education in the country with the introduction of the Double Track System. Secondary level education in Ghana is being degraded with every passing decision of the President Akufo-Addo Government. And Im worried about the socioeconomic implications thereof for current and prospective students, parents and indeed the entire nation" Dr. Boamah wrote on Facebook. According to him, yes, the 1992 constitution supports Free education but how free is the current Free SHS? It is neither free nor fair. Several well-meaning Ghanaians advised this Government while in opposition and in government about the (un)intended consequences of its wholesale Free SHS wild promise; yet the advice was treated with contempt. Theres no gain in seeking vindication when education in Ghana is being diluted and destroyed. also think about the implications for tertiary education including universities few years from now. The Double Track System if implemented will be similar to the semester mode of learning applicable in the universities at the SHS level. With this system, each track will be in school for specific days for each semester and go on vacation and come back for the second semester. While the first track is in school, the second track will be on vacation and vice versa. The objectives of the Double-track School Calendar are to create room to accommodate increase in enrolment, reduce class sizes, increase contact hours and to increase the number of holidays. The Double-track calendar is an intervention that allows schools to accommodate more students within the same facility and is often motivated by its potential to improve overcrowding as well as to save costs relative to new school construction in the short term. It is very popular in Australia, Costa Rica, Japan, some schools in the US and Kenya. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video With many going for the head of the widow of late Vice President Amissah-Arthur for reason of a very hard/touching tribute she delivered to her late husband last friday at the Conference Center during the final funeral rites. Ningo Prampram MP Samuel Nartey George thinks otherwise, he has said the tribute by Matilda Amissah-Arthur, widow of late former Vice-President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur at his funeral, was rather a wake-up call to the nation and that of politics but not an abuse as many has seen it. Mrs Amissah-Arthur expressed shock over the wonderful tributes given about her deceased husband by some people she claimed vilified and maligned him when he was alive. In her tribute at the final funeral rites ceremony at the Accra International Conference Centre on Friday, 27 July, Mrs Amissah-Artur said: Over the last few weeks, I have been amazed at the number of people who have come to show appreciation and I ask myself: Is this Ghana? Are all these people in Ghana because of the maligning, the lies, the treachery, the wickedness, the mischievousness? I ask myself: Is this Ghana? I ask myself is this my own husband that you have come to say tribute to? And today, I ask the same question: Did people really know my husband? Did they take time to know him? The false accusations, the lies the maligning, did they know him? My dearest, me, your children, we know you. Commenting on his Facebook wall, Mr Nartey George, said: Heartfelt and extremely powerful tribute by Her Excellency former Second Lady, Madam Matilda Amissah-Arthur. Delivered extempore with so much passion and a wake-up call to the conscience of our nation and politics. We are a pretentious people who malign and destroy people whilst alive and celebrate their true persons in death. May the healing balm that flows from Emmanuels veins heal our nation. Source: the publisher Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video After lashing out at the judge in the Larry Nassar child molestation sentencing earlier this year, Michigan senatorial candidate Michael Saari initially denied he made comments appearing to defend pedophilia and eventually admitted comments were indeed published to his social media accounts attacking the judge. He insisted his social media accounts were hacked. Though improbable especially as similar comments littered his Facebook account spanning the course of at least two years he maintained he did nothing wrong as he announced he was dropping out of the race. It appears Saari never actually officially exited the race for the Michigan Senate. As of today, he still appears on the official candidates list running in Michigans 15th District for the upcoming Republican primary set to take place a week from tomorrow on August 7, 2018. This conflicts with his official announcement in February in which he publicly announced he would be dropping out of the race. In that announcement, he said: I am going to recuse myself. Im dropping out of the race, Saari said. On the news, my explanation was clear that this has nothing to do with Nassar, this has everything to do with the judge because she left open the possibility of appeal. It would cost taxpayers more money because of her, the judges, ineptness. It was never to protect Nassar. The sentencing was proper. Background In February 2018, Larry Nassar the well-known sports physician who treated multiple Olympic athletes was sentenced to prison for sexually abusing patients. At his trial, over 150 women and girls testified that hed sexually abused them. During his sentencing, after announcing that he would serve 40 to 175 years in prison, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said, Ive just signed your death warrant, adding, I find that you dont get it, that youre a danger. That you remain a danger. Judges have the purview and discretion to make such statements after sentencing takes place. In fact, judges routinely admonish criminals during sentencing. Knowing this, it struck a chord nationally when Michigan senatorial candidate Michael Saari published a series of inflammatory social media messages attacking Judge Aquilina while seemingly defending Nassar. We wrote earlier this year, Michigan senatorial candidate Michael Saari responded on Facebook to the sentencing portion of Nassars trial by lashing out at the judge for offering an opinion on Nassars sexual abuse of children calling Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina a feminazi and more. Since going viral for the remarks, Saari either deleted or made his personal Facebook page private. While it was still open, screenshots of the comments were taken for posterity. In a now-deleted comment made from his personal Facebook account, Saari said: Judge was wrong for her personal vocal opinions on record That should be a crime against jursiprudence [sic] itself Lastly, what do you think this feminazi judge would say if her husband asked for a BJ? In another (also deleted) comment from his campaign page (which was also taken down or made private), he went on to say: Woman dont seem to understand that from the very beginning of time men have taken young girls (Prior to periods) as wives and concubines. Even the bible talks of this so dont make it sound like men that are attracted to 12 year old girls are sick Its you woman that cant get a grip on reality is whats sick Its only normal and you cant change normal or a persons DNA Initially speaking to local news media, Saari continued his attack on the judge for engaging in legal, routine courtroom behavior. Everything was about her. She could have opened the door for an appeal for Nasser. The reason I made that post was I was angered, he told ABC 7, adding If I was to do it all over again, I probably would not have used such derogatory terminology. Yes. Probably not. He would later claim that while the comments were definitely publicly posted to his Facebook accounts, he was the victim of a hacker. This doesnt necessarily hold up under further scrutiny, however. Hacking Claim Snopes examined Saaris social media accounts while they were still public and noted: Facebook users also uncovered several troubling earlier posts he appears to have published, including one from 2016 in which he appears to defend adult men marrying and having sex with pre-pubescent girls. We received several enquiries from readers about the authenticity of these remarks. According to several screen shots the posts included: Woman [sic] dont seem to understand that from the very beginning of time men have taken young girls (Prior to periods) as wives and concubines. Even the bible talks of this so dont make it sound like men that are attracted to 12 year old girls are sickIts you woman [sic] that cant get a grip on reality is whats sick Its only normal and you cant change normal or a persons DNA In a 1 February interview with a Michigan-based Patch site, Saari denied having written those words. According to Patch, Saari said he believed someone had fabricated the screen shots, and added: Ive never made those comments. Its not my character. On 5 February, however, Saari told us by phone that the post was authentic and was published by his Facebook account, but that it was the result of a hack, and that he personally did not write it. Saari said: When I ran for Congress as a Democrat in 2014, my Facebook was hackedThe biblical thing [the post about young girls] did not come from me. However, the post in question was published in 2016. When we asked Saari whether his Facebook account had remained hacked for two years, he replied From what I can understand, yes, adding Im not a computer guy. Ian Bancroft, a financial advisor and like Saari a fishing enthusiast, took part in the 2016 Facebook exchange, and told local Fox News affiliate WJBK It was definitely him. Snopes added: For his part, Saari told us he does not defend or support the practice of adult men marrying or having sex with pre-pubescent girls. Absolutely not. If I had a daughter, I think Id go berserk if anyone was even looking at my daughter. Saari said he believes the post was designed by hackers to portray him as a child molester and thereby inflict the maximum possible damage on his political career. The Democrat party or whoever it was who sabotaged my campaign knew there could be nothing heavier than that. Alleged hacking wasnt Saaris only problem; his campaign was plagued by accusations of historical racism as well. Racism Saaris social media presence also contains repeated racist references. Snopes noted the controversy: Facebook users have also condemned a series of posts from Saaris account which contained racially charged, derogatory language and appeared to support racial segregation. In one 2016 post, Saari appeared to speculate that an African-American U.S. navy veteran who runs a Michigan fishing non-profit was a butler and in another, he sent the same man a diatribe in which he castigated black people for struggling to imitate and shadow what Saari called white people activities. Saari denies writing either of these posts and attributed them to the alleged hacking of his account. He told us the butler post was the first time I suspected my computer had been hacked, after he received messages from Facebook friends asking whether he had really written the derogatory post himself. When asked, the former candidate told us he supported racial equality, saying: Im a Christian. Im no better than a Filipino or a black person or an Indian. When asked if he supported racial mixing, Saari said I dont advocate racial mixing, Im not advocating it. Ive never given it a whole lot of thought. On the right to marry a person from a different race, Saari told us his position was If theyre in love it doesnt matter. I dont care if theyre gay, lesbian, black or white. I dont care. People have the freedom to do what they want to do. This is America. When asked, Saari said he had not notified Facebook that he believed his account had been hacked, and told us the damage to his reputation was so extreme that such efforts would be a waste of time. Despite all of that, Saari appears to be continuing his bid to become the Republican state Senate candidate for Michigans 15th District. Still in the Race After receiving a tip that Saari was indeed still in the race, a quick Facebook search turned up a brand new Saari campaign page one in which he admitted he never intended to drop out of the race. In a post made to the new campaign page on May 29, 2018, Saari said: Michigan Senate Candidate Mike Saari (District #15) is not recusing himself from the 2018 elections! Our campaign has actually had increased endorsement and support after our facebook page was compromised (Hacked) to discredit our campaign for law reform and other important issues as well! The fraudulent facebook page still exists today under three different group page names all containing the name SAARI posing as Mike Saari to discredit our campaign! Mike SAARI for Michigan Senate 2018: THIS IS THE ONLY VALID SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCE ON FACEBOOK. Saari still has not explained the discrepancies in his stories about the hacking of his account nor explained why he never contacted Facebook to notify them his account(s) were allegedly hacked. He additionally has not explained why, if he knew for several years that his account was hacked, he simply did not delete or otherwise hide the racist and misogynistic posts made by alleged hackers in 2016 going forward rather than leaving the posts live and public for years only to take down his page when the national media took notice. We reached out to Saari for comment, but have not received a response. The Republican state Senate primary for Michigans 15th District is scheduled for August 7, 2018. [UPDATE] Saari lost his primary bid receiving only 2,998 votes versus his primary opponents 25,640 votes. PREVIOUSLY Michigan: Senate Candidate Lashes Out at Larry Nassar Trial Judge Peacock Panache readers: Tim Peacock is the Managing Editor and founder of Peacock Panache and has worked as a civil rights advocate for over twenty years. During that time hes worn several hats including leading on campus LGBTQ advocacy in the University of Missouri campus system, interning with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and volunteering at advocacy organizations. You can learn more about him at his personal website. Like this: Like Loading... Related We hope you enjoyed reading this article! If you would like to support our ongoing work, please consider buying us a cup of coffee. It's not much, but we don't do this for the money. We do, however, need caffeine to keep going some days!If you do donate, send us a message through our Contact Us page or via social media so we can thank you! Under the guise of religious liberty and Christian values, the Trump administration is emboldening African countries seeking to criminalize LGBTQ identity. Speaking at the three-day Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom conference, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Mick Mulvaney argued the United States will no longer use its power to pressure African nations to treat LGBTQ equally (or, in some places, as human beings). The Conference While Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated during the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom conference that his intentions were to discover concrete ways to combat religious persecution and discrimination, the facts surrounding the event tell a different story. The groups mission statement claims to advance religious freedom around the world through uniting members of civil society groups, including religious leaders and survivors of religious persecution. In reality, the event invited predominantly anti-LGBTQ groups and organizations to the table in an effort to coordinate attacks on LGBTQ protections. Three of the organizations invited are fairly well-known players: the Liberty Counsel, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the Family Research Council (FRC) all designated anti-LGBTQ hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). During his speech at the conference, Mulvaney said in part, Our US taxpayer dollars [were] used to discourage Christian values in other democratic countries. He added: It was stunning to me that my government under the previous administration would go to folks in sub-Saharan Africa and say, We know that you have a law against abortion, but if you enforce that law, youre not going to get any of our money. We know you have a law against gay marriage, but if you enforce that law, were not going to give you any money. Thats a different type of religious persecution. () That is a different type of religious persecution that I never expected to see. I never expected to see that as an American Christian, that we would be doing that to other folks. I am here to let you know there are many people in our government who care about [these issues]. There are a lot of people in this government who want to see things done differently. They want to do something. In addition to mischaracterizing the actions of the Obama administration, Mulvaneys words have the effect of placing African LGBTQ people at a higher risk of violence and/or death. Being LGBTQ in Africa Contrary to Mulvaneys stated beliefs, the Obama administration didnt work to promote LGBTQ marriage equality across Africa. African LGBTQ people are nowhere near ready to begin that stage of the battle for equality. Rather, theyre fighting for basic human rights. Theyre fighting against laws that criminalize being LGBTQ. Theyre fighting laws that prescribe the death penalty for being gay or transgender. (LGBTQ people can be legally killed in four African countries, in fact: Somalia, parts Nigeria, Mauritania, and Sudan.) And now they have another enemy in the battle to survive. During his eight years in office, President Obama used his platform to speak out against violence against LGBTQ people. His final speech focused not on marriage, but on basic equality and human rights for LGBTQ people. Thats why we cannot withdraw from global fights to expand democracy, and human rights, womens rights, and LGBT rights, no matter how imperfect our efforts, no matter how expedient ignoring such values may seem. Thats part of defending America, he said. During his time in office, Obama only ever sanctioned African countries that actively worked to harm LGBTQ people. Characterizing his administrations efforts to save LGBTQ lives as imposing on the religious freedom of African countries isnt just wrong, its disingenuous. History of Hate Mulvaneys speech isnt the first time hes launched an attack on the LGBTQ community. Writing for Gay Times, Matt Moore noted, Mick Mulvaneys comments dont come as a surprise, given that he has a terrible track record when it comes to LGBTQ rights. He co-sponsored a bill which would have permitted anti-LGBTQ discrimination on the grounds of religion, and scored zero on the Human Rights Campaigns Congressional Scorecard for both of his terms. Its not just Mulvaney, though. The reason these anti-LGBTQ laws and norms exist across Africa is because of evangelical missionary work. The Nation published an extensive article about American Christian influence four years ago. They reported in part: As the gay rights movement has gained traction in the United States, the more virulently homophobic ideologies of the religious right have been pushed further out of the mainstream and into fringe territory. But as their influence has waned at home, right-wing evangelists from the United States have been flexing their sanctimonious muscles influencing policymakers in Africa. For years now, evangelical activists from the United States have been injecting themselves into African politics, speaking out against homosexuality and cheering on antigay legislation on the continent. The influence of these groups has been well documented in Uganda. The now-defunct Exodus International, for example, sent Don Schmierer, a board member, to Uganda in 2009 to speak at a conference alongside Scott Lively, a pastor who was later sued by a Ugandan gay rights group for his role in promoting human rights violations against LGBTQ people. The two participated in a disturbing antigay conference, where speakers blamed homosexuals for the rise of Nazism and the Rwandan genocide, among other abhorrent acts. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, a hard-right Christian group that is active in US politics as well, similarly supported antigay laws in Uganda. At the peak of the controversy over the kill the gays bill, Perkins praised the Ugandan president for leading his nation to repentance. The article is lengthy and details the efforts of several groups to harm LGBTQ people in the name of religious freedom. Its worth a read in its entirety. Suffice to say, the religious freedom Mick Mulvaney referred to in his speech is the right to literally harm (and sometimes legally murder) LGBTQ people. Its a Pattern This isnt the first (nor will it be the last) time the Trump administration masked attacks on LGBTQ people as religious freedom. Trump and members of his administration have repeatedly used the moniker as cover for efforts to marginalize LGBTQ people, roll back protections and partner with organizations like ADF. Whether theyre targeting transgender student rights, attempting to ban transgender people from active service, harming efforts to fight the AIDS epidemic, or even supporting discrimination against same-sex couples in places of public accommodation, the Trump administration consistently sides with oppressive organizations using religion as a weapon. Writing for Hornet, said it succinctly: The fact that the Trump administration has said that denying services to LGBTQ people is an expression of religious freedom, Mulvaneys comment provides insight into just how much anti-LGBTQ violence America will permit in the name of religious freedom. Hell, Tony Perkins president of the Family Research Council, a hate group attending the Ministerial, who himself was also recently appointed to a U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recently said that hed like America to return to a time when same-sex sexual relationships in America were illegal too. Zack Ford at ThinkProgress added: But Mulvaneys implication that the Trump administration would turn a blind eye to anti-gay persecution around the world is consistent with actions it has already taken. For example, last year the U.S. rejected a United Nations resolutioncondemning the use of the death penalty to target LGBTQ people. The administrations excuse was that it didnt want to appear to oppose the death penalty in other matters. Attorney General Jeff Sessions also announced earlier this summer that the U.S. would stop granting asylum to people who are victims of gang violence or domestic abuse and would likewise add many other barriers to the asylum process. LGBTQ people fleeing persecution in their home countries already wait years to find safety in the U.S., and these new policies will only make it harder for them to escape. Dont take their word for it, though. Sean Spicer said it himself in his new book. Trumps pledge in his acceptance speech to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of the hateful foreign ideology came as part of an effort to get delegates to remove their names from a petition opposing his nomination, reports People, which obtained an advance copy of Spicers book. [Trump campaign chairman Paul] Manafort and his lieutenants went one by one down the list of people who had signed the petition and persuaded them to remove their signatures, Spicer writes, according to People. The last one to be removed was that of Robert Sinners, a delegate from Washington, D.C. Sinners told Jason Miller, Trumps senior communications adviser, that he wanted the nominee to support LGBT rights. Jason assured Sinners that Trump would be the most inclusive candidate the Republican Party ever had, Spicer writes. Jason told Sinners Donald Trumps acceptance speech would acknowledge the LGBT community, which no other Republican acceptance speech had done, the former press secretary continues. And it did. Trump is not and has never been an LGBTQ ally. His administrations latest move to literally put the lives of African LGBTQ people in danger for the sake of political favor with American evangelicals further demonstrates that. Peacock Panache readers: Tim Peacock is the Managing Editor and founder of Peacock Panache and has worked as a civil rights advocate for over twenty years. During that time hes worn several hats including leading on campus LGBTQ advocacy in the University of Missouri campus system, interning with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and volunteering at advocacy organizations. You can learn more about him at his personal website. Like this: Like Loading... Related We hope you enjoyed reading this article! If you would like to support our ongoing work, please consider buying us a cup of coffee. It's not much, but we don't do this for the money. We do, however, need caffeine to keep going some days!If you do donate, send us a message through our Contact Us page or via social media so we can thank you! We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The government announced plans last Friday to downsize the number of drafted soldiers by 118,000 and shorten the mandatory draft from 21 to 18 months as part of defense reforms. No sooner had the plan been announced than Chinese, Japanese and U.S. military jets and warships engaged in a war of nerves in South Korean skies and seas. China sent yet another surveillance aircraft into South Korea's air defense identification zone without the customary warning. It flew around 90 km east of Gangneung, Gangwon Province and stayed inside the zone for no fewer than four hours and 17 minutes. At the same time, Chinese Navy boats also approached too close to Korean shores. This was the fourth time this year alone that a Chinese surveillance aircraft breached the identification zone. At the same time, the U.S. and Japan were holding joint military drills on the East Sea. Two American B-52 bombers that took off from Guam joined Japanese F-15 fighter jets for the drills. Russia has also been testing the limits. On July 13, two Russian bombers breached the South Korean ADIZ four times without warning. The ADIZ does not delineate official air space, but it is customary for aircraft to identify themselves to the host country before entering it. Russia and China continue to snub this perfectly reasonable practice. Also, China last week deployed the S-400 Triumph, which is a Russian version of the U.S.' Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery, and plans to conduct test launches soon. The S-400's radars have a maximum range of 700 km, enough to spy on the entire Korean Peninsula. By contrast the THAAD batteries deployed in South Korea have yet to become fully functional due to resistance from local residents and environmental red tape. The security dynamics in Northeast Asia can fluctuate violently. In this environment a rock-solid defense is essential. But the government here has such a starry-eyed outlook for the Northeast Asian political landscape that it is willing to slash troops even though North Korea has no intention of scrapping its nuclear weapons. And even if North Korea does denuclearize, South Korea remains surrounded by superpowers with their own designs on the region and its sovereign territories. Seoul cannot afford any mistakes when it comes to defense. Washington Nationals' Trea Turner reacts after being hit by the ball during an at-bat in the third inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Miami. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) New sign in the window of The Rooster, 1526 Sansom St. Read more Rooster Soup Co. the subterranean Center City luncheonette with a philanthropic mission has been converted into a Jewish diner-style deli called The Rooster. The change is effective immediately. The Rooster (1526 Sansom St., eight steps below the street) will maintain its practice of donating profits to Broad Street Ministries, which provides meals to homeless and hungry Philadelphians. It is still a partnership between Broad Street Hospitality Cooperative and restaurateurs Steven Cook, Michael Solomonov, and fellow Federal Donuts founders Tom Henneman, Bob Logue, and Felicia D'Ambrosio. The menu is still anchored by matzo ball soup made from the unused backs and bones of Federal Donuts' chicken. Cook and Solomonov had hatched the idea of turning FedNuts' trimmings into something salable, whose profits would be donated to charity. A Kickstarter campaign raised nearly $180,000. Rooster Soup opened in January 2017. But, as the partners learned, the word soup proved to be a tougher sell in the summer. They needed to boost business. Rooster's menu now hews to the Jewish stylings of their other restaurants, including Zahav, Abe Fisher, and Dizengoff. The Rooster's abbreviated deli menu carries the essence of Yehuda Sichel, chef of the nearby Abe Fisher. Montreal-style pastrami the most popular dish on Abe Fisher's menu inspires Rooster's smoked-meat sandwich, which is topped with a horseradish sauce and onion and served on a Martin's potato roll. The sandwich list also includes hot corned beef on house-made rye, patty melt, smoked whitefish bagel, turkey club, and beet Reuben. (The beet Reuben, by the way, is vegetarian, subbing beets for corned beef.) The wine list has been shuffled; the beer list continues to focus on local drafts. Cocktails include Dirty Martini, Deli Manhattan (with Pastrami Rye), and Spicy Margarita. The concept change helps to explain the recent departure of chef George Sabatino, who joined Rooster Soup in February. Jarrett O'Hara, Sichel's former sous chef at Abe Fisher, is now Rooster's chef. (On Sunday, Sabatino said he was taking a break from executive chef's work as he plots his future.) Rooster Soup, which opened to a blizzard of national media attention, was named to both Food & Wine and GQ's lists of best new restaurants in America. It also received a two-bell review from The Inquirer's Craig LaBan under opening chef Erin O'Shea. Despite the accolades, Cook and Solomonov have not been shy about tweaking the operation. Three months after opening, they eliminated weekday breakfast. In April 2017, they opened Goldie, a falafel shop, above Rooster Soup. Two fun facts: The partners apparently unwittingly unearthed a pun in naming their Jewish diner-deli. The Yiddish word for rooster is pronounced "hon" same as the greeting dished out by diner waitresses everywhere. Also, old-timers surely will remember one of The Rooster's previous incarnations as Charlie's Water Wheel, a Jewish deli at heart, bringing this story full circle. The "seven-month nightmare" that would cost Jeffrey Armstrong his job and his home all started when Wawa spoiled his lunch. Armstrong, a 40-year-old former Wawa worker, thought his store's lunch break policy violated Delaware state law, since it didn't guarantee employees a half-hour uninterrupted break for every 7 hours worked. He raised the issue with his boss, who wrote him up in December because he "gossiped" about the matter with co-workers. He contacted human resources, which he said never returned his calls. He filed an internal ethics complaint, all to no avail. In the end, Armstrong was fired four days before Christmas last year after donating food to a church. Wawa offered shifting reasons for his dismissal, ranging from stealing to mishandling food. Delaware officials, in assessing whether he qualified for unemployment, found that Armstrong was fired "without just cause." Armstrong believes his termination was really retaliation for blowing the whistle on a legally dubious lunch break policy. Armstrong filed charges against Wawa in February through the National Labor Relations Board, alleging the company fired him for protesting policies he had the right to contest. The NLRB, a federal agency that enforces labor laws, is now trying to facilitate a settlement, according to emails and documents. Wawa was willing to sign a proposed settlement last week that would have given Armstrong $8,630 of back pay, but only if he waived his right to seek his old job back, according to a copy of the proposal and an email Armstrong received from an NLRB official. Armstrong, who earned about $400 per week at Wawa, rejected the offer. "I'm not comfortable with that at all because it's not true. They're not offering me my job back and I'm not turning them down," said Armstrong, who worked for Wawa for 4 years and was cross trained to work throughout the store. >> READ MORE: Wawa to pay $25 million to settle employee stock suit A Wawa spokesperson declined to comment, citing active litigation. The Wawa store, located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, gave workers 15 minutes in paid break for every four hours worked, but the breaks could be cut short depending on staffing needs, according to a copy of the policy. Delaware state law says all employees must receive a meal break of at least 30 consecutive minutes if the worker is scheduled to work 7 or more hours per day. There are some exemptions granted, such as if only one worker performs the duties of a job or there are fewer than five employees on a shift. Wawa did not answer questions about the store's lunch break policy and whether it complied with Delaware state law. >> READ MORE: African valets who park the cars at Penn Medicine say they got fired after trying to unionize According to his affidavit, Armstrong said he asked the store manager, Alexa Houston, for a half-hour uninterrupted, unpaid break promised by Delaware state law. But Houston, who did not return a message seeking comment, instead instituted a new policy that said workers "may not clock out and do what you please on your break," according to a memo she sent to employees in November. In addition, the policy prevented workers from going to their cars during break, something Armstrong wanted to do. At the same time, the policy permitted smokers to light up twice a day for 15 minutes at the front of the building or near the store's trash area. Armstrong contacted Wawa's ethics hotline twice about the break policy, according to his affidavit. The confrontation between Armstrong and Houston escalated as he became more vocal about the break policy. On Dec. 12, Houston wrote him up for "creating conflict with associates," according to a report she drafted. Among other things, Houston wrote that Armstrong "gossiped" with a coworker about a conversation that he had with his manager about the break policy. Armstrong, she wrote, was telling coworkers he was out to get her job, according to the write up. Armstrong was fired more than a week later on Dec. 21 ostensibly over an unrelated issue. In Armstrong's telling, he was called into Houston's office and accused of stealing food by a person from loss prevention who didn't identify herself. The issue stemmed from Armstrong taking food donations to the Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach. After he was fired and escorted from the store, he said he obtained a note from the church proving that he dropped off food donations at the church. Then, he said, Wawa's story changed. >> READ MORE: Japanese American woman finds slur on Philly hotel bill According to company documents, Armstrong was fired for mishandling not stealing food donations he took to the church. In a January decision upholding Armstrong's termination, a Wawa senior associate relations specialist wrote that Armstrong was not food certified and suggested he may have improperly stored and transported the food since, among other reasons, the "temperature of his storage unit was not monitored" and "it is not known if the cardboard box he used was clean and free of any possible contaminants." In February, Delaware's Division of Unemployment Insurance said Armstrong was fired without just cause and could apply for unemployment benefits, according to government records. The division reported that Wawa at first indicated Armstrong was fired for contributing to unsanitary or unsafe conditions, but later told the division he was fired for theft when asked for more information. "I was just stunned. Absolutely numb. I couldn't believe what just happened to me. I knew none of it was true," Armstrong said. "And I knew I could prove it and it didn't matter." Armstrong's mother was dying of cancer when he was fired just before the holidays, so he initially kept the bad news from his family. "My whole world fell apart and I had to pretend that it didn't for five days because I wasn't going to lay it on my parents in my mom's condition," he said. Armstrong said he had to abandon the trailer he bought for himself in Delaware because he could no longer afford the rent for the land it sat on. He now lives in Philadelphia in his parents' house and is a waiter at a Texas Roadhouse in Bensalem. He says it's the best job he's ever had. Philadelphia grandparents support each other as members of SOWN, Supportive Older Womens Network, as they raise their grandkids for adult children addicted to drugs. Read more Judy Baughn thought she was done raising children her three sons and daughter are all adults now. But the West Philadelphia resident now cares full time for her granddaughters, ages 9 and 11, due to the city's ever-expanding opioid epidemic. Her son and his wife are addicted to heroin. "My son was supposed to go to rehab, but he never did," and his two young girls were sent to foster homes in 2015, she said. Baughn petitioned to adopt them from foster care, a process during which "I literally had a heart attack from the stress." Baughn is raising the girls by herself. Now, however, she has some help. "My oldest granddaughter has special needs, so I quit my teaching job and devoted all my time to caring for them," said Baughn. "I love them so much, but I had to get used to having two little people in the house and a guinea pig." Last year, Baughn found out about SOWN Supportive Older Women's Network which provides support groups, telephone conference calls, and respite care for grandparents who have taken in their children's children. More than 100,000 Pennsylvania children are being raised by grandparents or other relatives. About 2.6 million children in the U.S. are being raised in grandfamilies, and experts told Congress last year the number is rising as the opioid epidemic devastates communities across the country. Grandfather and Pittsburgh resident Martin Sirbu told lawmakers at the hearing that at 71, "I'd been thinking about retirement, but now I have to put it off because I need health insurance for my granddaughter." He's raising the children in place of his adult daughter, who has struggled with addiction for a dozen years. Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) cosponsored legislation asking a task force to centralize resources for America's "grandfamilies." Put forth with Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine), it's called the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act (S. 1091) and proposes a one-stop-shop of information for seniors. The bill was signed into law this month. Drug abuse increasingly affects older residents as addiction in the younger generation tears families apart. Pennsylvania had 4,600 overdose deaths between 2015 and 2016, and the cost in 2016 from the epidemic was over $53 billion, Casey said in an interview. That included costs in fatalities, health care spending, addiction treatment, criminal justice and lost productivity. In Ohio and Pennsylvania, fatal opioid overdoses rose by more than 400 percent from 2006 to 2016, while Oregon and Washington actually saw decreases over the same period. Nationally, the White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates the cost at $504 billion, or 2.8 percent of GDP, in 2015 alone. When addicts stop parenting, grandparents often pick up the pieces. Generations United's 2017 State of Grandfamilies Report found that 30 percent of children in foster care nationally (or 127,819) were being raised by relatives. That's up from 24 percent in 2008. For every child in foster care with relatives, there are 20 children being raised by grandparents or other relatives outside the foster-care system. That's why SOWN operates the GrandFamily Resource Center, a place for older caregivers, including the grandparents who increasingly are stepping in to raise their grandchildren instead of leaving them in foster care. "No grandchild lives with a grandparent for a happy reason whether it's opioids, incarceration, illness, the economy, or foster care," said Arlene Segal, program coordinator of the GrandFamily Resource Center, part of SOWN. "We help 'grands' figure out how they can parent at age 75, everything from potty training to talking to kids about sex. There's power in meeting other 'grands.' They're tigers in getting services for their kids." Instead of spending time at a senior center or going to the movies, "they don't fit in with their friends who are retired," Segal said. SOWN's oldest member is 93, a great-grandmother to a 17-year-old boy whom she's raising. Grandparents don't receive financial assistance in Pennsylvania for taking in grandchildren, Segal noted. "The opioid epidemic has a much greater impact on older adults than you might think," said Kevin Ryan, an Ambler-based private investigator hired by families of addicts. Ryan has been working with the parents of Amanda DeGuio, a heroin addict whose disappearance he's helping investigate. DeGuio, a 28-year-old mother of two, was last seen in June 2014, and her parents, Joanne and Jon DeGuio, care for Amanda's children at home in Drexel Hill. "The hardest thing about having a grandparent kick in all over again is the way times have changed. There's so much friction now with social media and gaming, whereas years ago we didn't have the internet. It's that much more difficult for the generation gap. I applaud the people who step up and become guardians," Ryan said. Families break up quickly due to the speed of the addiction, he added. "It's easy to get hold of pills, like Percoset or Oxycontin, which is how the addiction starts. Any addict will tell you, they start with a routine surgery, they're suddenly addicted and try something more like street heroin, which is cheap," Ryan said. Heroin laced with fentanyl is also killing addicts in Philadelphia more rapidly than in previous years. What would Baughn, 67, tell other grandparents raising young grandkids? She spoke at a roundtable hosted by Casey last month, and "I was able to tell my story. The goal is to put all the information for grandparents, everything in one place if you need help." "It might be scary at first, but I look at those little faces, and I rely on God to help me through. When they're yours, they love you back," she said. Her older granddaughter suffers from cerebral palsy and learning disabilities, so Baughn acts as the parent seeking help from the school system for her issues. Baughn encourages other grandmothers and grandfathers to "keep up your hobbies, like crocheting and making jewelry are mine. Take time for yourself, some alone time, or getting your nails done or being in nature. That makes you whole again." If you're concerned about yourself or a loved one facing drug addiction, call the PA Get Help Now Hotline, 1-800-662-HELP. In New Jersey, call 9-1-1 or for addiction related services call the state's 24-hour hotline: 1-844-ReachNJ (1-844-732-2465). For information about SOWN, call 215-487-3000 or visit the website: sown.org. Tim Piazza died after falling down a flight of stairs during pledge night. More than 20 students were charged in his death. The first is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday. Read more Sentencing for the first defendant in the fraternity hazing death of Pennsylvania State University student Tim Piazza is scheduled for Tuesday, and the Attorney General's Office is asking for up to three months of jail time. Ryan Burke, 21, who pleaded guilty in May to misdemeanor counts of hazing and unlawful acts relative to liquor and one count of consumption of alcohol by a minor, is scheduled to appear before Judge Brian K. Marshall in Centre County Court at 9 a.m. Standard sentencing guidelines for such a misdemeanor conviction normally would not include jail time, especially in the case of a first-time offender, such as Burke. But, in a memo to the judge, prosecutors argued that the circumstances were "aggravated" and require a stiffer penalty. "The fact that the act of hazing was a direct link to Mr. Piazza's death is an aggravating factor that warrants sentencing in the aggravated range of 90 days incarceration," the Attorney General's Office said in court papers filed last week. Burke, of Scranton, also could face fines, loss of his driver's license for 90 days, community service, and probation. Lawyer Philip Masorti, who has represented Burke, could not be reached for comment. Piazza, a sophomore engineering major from New Jersey, died in February 2017 after a booze-fueled hazing ritual including a drinking gauntlet at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He fell down a flight of stairs and was left to languish for nearly 12 hours before anyone called for help. The case became high profile after former Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller charged eight fraternity members with aggravated assault and involuntary manslaughter and 10 others with hazing and/or other offenses. Centre County Judge Allen Sinclair threw out the aggravated assault and involuntary manslaughter charges, but 14 members were bound over for trial on other offenses. In November, Parks Miller refiled some charges and charged more fraternity members, including Burke, in connection with Piazza's death. The Attorney General's Office, which inherited the case after a new district attorney took over in Centre County earlier this year and said he had a conflict, decided not to pursue aggravated assault, a felony, against any of the fraternity members, including Burke. The office also withdrew simple assault and involuntary manslaughter charges against Burke. But, in the court papers filed in Burke's case, the office notes that the judge should take into consideration that Piazza was repeatedly handed drinks by fraternity members, including Burke, and ultimately died. "This is a case where the defendant's actions are captured on video," the office said."He is highly identifiable and the circumstances are undeniable." The office also cited two other hazing deaths in the last decade that have resulted in jail time. Piazza's father, Jim, in a statement filed with the court, said he was pleased that Burke "stepped up and pleaded guilty." "However, I do question his remorse," Piazza wrote. "He had more than a year to come forward to cooperate with and help the prosecutors. He did not do anything until charges were carried over against him." More than a dozen other fraternity members are awaiting trial on charges including hazing and liquor offenses. The Trump Administration is promoting short-term health insurance products as an alternative to coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Much of the news coverage and political debate surrounding short-term products has emphasized that they threaten the viability of the ACA's unified risk pooling and exclude coverage of certain essential health benefits. However, a closer look at the scant publicly-available details of these products raises worries of a more basic problem: many appear to be low-value products that won't pay out the benefits consumers need and expect in a time of crisis, and will pay amounts that are disproportionately low in relation to their premium. I reviewed short-term health product descriptions found on the eHealth and Agile websites. These websites are structured as aggregators of products, much as Orbitz and Expedia offer multiple travel services. The products described are those displayed as available to a 50 year-old non-smoking male in Philadelphia PA. The two websites advertise offerings from seven different insurance companies; four of the seven's products are offered on both sites. Prices range from a low of $102.39/month to a high of $1478.74/month. (The average full price of an ACA plan in Pennsylvania is $700/month.) Survey research suggests that only a quarter of consumers are willing to pay more than $200 per month for health insurance, and the average subsidized premium for ACA plans is under $200. Because this is also the upper range of the worker contribution for employer plans, we can surmise that most consumers ineligible for subsidies are looking for products priced below $200/month, so that was the focus of my inquiry. Products in the $100-200/month range tend to be indemnity-type products that pay fixed amounts for needed services. Three of the seven companies advertise fixed-dollar indemnity products; a fourth had a fixed-dollar indemnity schedule posted among its form filings. A plan from company L (I have kept the names of companies anonymous), priced at $128.43/month, has a benefit of $1,000/day for hospitalization. However, the average hospital day charge in the US is $5,220/day and the average inpatient length of stay is about 5 days. If the purchaser of this product goes to the hospital for 5 days he can expect a bill for $26,000. This product has a $5,000 deductible and 20% coinsurance. The maximum payout for the hospital stay is 5 x $800 or $4,000; but because that number is below the deductible, the consumer gets nothing. Pre-existing condition exclusions in these products represent a limitation of unknown, but likely severe, scope. They typically exclude coverage not only for illnesses resulting from conditions for which the consumer received medical treatment, diagnosis, care or advice over the past five years but also "conditions that produced any symptoms which would have caused a reasonable person to seek diagnosis, care or treatment" within that five year period. History has shown that insurers can sometime be aggressive in denying claims related to heart attacks, strokes, and even conditions more tenuously related to the cardiovascular system when the consumer has a history of high blood pressureand 40 percent of adults aged 45 to 64 have been told they have hypertension. A consumer might assume that sudden and unanticipated acute occurrences of previously asymptomatic illnesses, such as kidney stones, gallbladder disease, or appendicitis might be saved from this exclusion. But Plan L lists all three among five "conditions or procedures limited to the specified amounts shown in the Schedule of Benefits." That schedule is not included in the document containing that limitation, nor is it available on the online System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing (SERFF) on which the Pennsylvania Insurance Department posts policy forms. However, we can get some idea of what limited amounts might be paid from a document posted by a competing insurer, Plan S, which limits benefits for kidney stones to $1,500 and appendectomy to $2,500. An appendectomy costs, on average, $13,910. Incidentally, another paragraph in the Plan L document states that the 3-month policy offers no coverage, "during the first 6 months after the Certificate Effective Date," of cholecystectomy, which is gallbladder removal. The average cost of this procedure is $12,600. It is the dream of the Trump administrationand nightmare of ACA defendersthat these products could be offered for longer terms, and become an attractive alternative to ACA products. But these hopes and fears are based solely on the legal status of short-term insurance as an exception to ACA regulation, not on the expressed desires of actors like Plan S or Plan L. My impression after this review is that the companies offering these products would have little enthusiasm for the increased risk of longer terms, since one reason they can expect low losses, and offer seemingly low prices, is the truncation of their responsibilities at the 90-day mark. It's difficult to imagine that the professionals who advise farmers and small business proprietors with assets to protect would recommend these products to clients. Consumers buy insurance for peace-of-mind, with an expectation that their losses will be covered in the event of a costly accident or illness. Short-term health products offer no such assurance. The challenge for regulators is to devise rules to protect unsophisticated consumers and, in so doing, spur competition so insurers offer products with greater value. They should be limiting these products, not expanding access to them. Jackson Williams is director of regulatory affairs at Dialysis Patient Citizens, an advocacy organization for patients with kidney disease, and is a National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Funded Consumer Representative. He previously worked on health care quality and payment reform issues at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A replica of the stained glass Nipper greets residents and guests at the Victor Building apartments Read more A federal judge opted to pass on a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against Camden by developer Carl Dranoff over the pending sale of a waterfront apartment building after Dranoff's attorneys revised their original complaint against the South Jersey city. Judge Noel L. Hillman declared last week that Camden's motion had been rendered moot because it applied to a complaint that was later amended, an official with the U.S. District Court clerk's office in Camden said Monday. The official declined to be identified by name citing court policy. The judge's decision came after Dranoff opted to amend his complaint, rather than respond to Camden's motion for its dismissal, attorney William Tambussi, who is representing Camden in the suit, said in an email. The city's time window for responding to the amended complaint began anew when it was served, he said. In his original suit alleging breach of contract, Dranoff accused city officials of endangering his deal to sell the Victor Building apartment tower to a Denver-based real estate company by refusing to process the transfer of tax breaks connected to the project. The amended suit, filed July 20, added to those claims an allegation that Camden also broke an agreement with him to develop another building that had been part of the RCA Victor factory complex on Camden's Delaware River waterfront into a residential project known as Radio Lofts. Dranoff alleges in the revised complaint that the city terminated his option to buy the building for development after it shirked an obligation to complete environmental remediation that had been a precondition to its sale. A Dranoff spokeswoman said the developer was traveling Monday and unavailable for comment. The serious consequences of sleep deprivation perennially capture society's attention. And, as kids head back to school, sleep and a lack of it are of particular concern. Compared to historical norms, how have our contemporary expectations of sleep changed? What are the effects of inadequate sleep? What can be done to optimize the experience of sleep, especially in the context of insomnia? I am a clinician and sleep researcher who treats people with sleep problems. I think there is little reason to suspect that our collective sleep needs have dramatically changed in the recent past, rooted as they are in immutable physiological processes. We should, however, be paying attention to our sleep needs, and that isn't as hard as it sounds. What is sleep anyway? From a clinical perspective, sleep is defined as a reversible behavioral state of unresponsiveness and perceptual disengagement from the environment. It is dependent on the balance between sleep drive the desire for sleep that builds during wakefulness and is linked to the accumulation and clearance of chemicals within the brain like adenosine and the circadian alerting signal. The circadian rhythm coordinates processes of the body to the environmental patterns of light and darkness. Adequate sleep is and always has been restorative to the body. Giving sleep respect, and preserving it to the benefit of health, has not been so permanent. Researchers have learned more about sleep in the past 100 years than in all the preceding millennia combined. The advent of, and inexpensive access to, artificial light no doubt marked a significant shift in this history. Scientific understanding of sleep continues to evolve and remains incomplete. Nevertheless, it does seem that people are sleeping less now than they have in the past several decades. Recent self-reported national polling among American adults consistently suggests that Americans are not getting adequate sleep. This begs the question: How much sleep do people really need? Sleep needs change over the lifespan Sleep needs change over one's lifetime. Toddlers may require 11 to 14 hours of sleep to feel rested and typically take naps. Through adolescence, the need for sleep diminishes until it approaches the adult average. A typical adult requires from seven to nine hours of sleep nightly to avoid the effects of sleep deprivation. Adults older than 65 years may require just seven to eight hours of sleep. Surveys suggest that 35 to 40 percent of the adult population sleeps less than seven to eight hours on weekdays. This self-reported sleep data may overestimate the objectively measured sleep obtained by up to one hour, due to time spent falling or getting back to sleep. We are in trouble. If someone eats too many calories, or too few, the effects on the body become apparent. Unfortunately, there is no "sleep scale" to step onto to gauge the physical tolls of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation, either from not allotting enough time to get sufficient sleep or due to sleep disorders like insomnia, may have important consequences. Bad for the brain? Beyond sleepiness, sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on the brain, affecting mood and worsening depression, exacerbating pain and undermining executive functions that affect judgment, planning, organization, concentration, memory and performance. Hormones influencing weight and growth become imbalanced. Immune dysfunction, leading to an increased susceptibility to illness, and a pro-inflammatory state develop. Sleep deprivation can become deadly, too. The increased risk of fatal traffic accidents associated with lost sleep parallels that linked to alcohol consumption. Those who sleep fewer than five hours per night have two to three times the risk of a heart attack. Chronic sleep loss may slowly undermine the central pillars of health. Ditch the digital devices, keep a routine How can we avoid the perils of inadequate sleep? First, prioritize sleep and ensure that you are obtaining sufficient hours to feel rested. Ensure an easy transition to sleep by maintaining an hour to unwind with relaxing activities before going to bed. Reserve the bedroom as a space for sleep: leave electronic devices elsewhere. Keep a regular sleep-wake schedule, especially fixing the wake time, including on weekends. Get 15 to 30 minutes of sunlight upon awakening, or at sunrise. Always go to bed feeling sleepy, even if that means delaying bedtime a little. As needed, consider reducing the time in bed if more than 30 minutes is consistently spent awake. Be physically active. Moderate the use of alcohol and caffeine. When sleep problems persist, get help. If these do not work, consider evaluation by a board-certified sleep physician. Chronic insomnia may respond well to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. This treatment is increasingly accessible via trained therapists, workshops, online courses and books. Symptoms such as frequent or early awakenings, excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing, frequent peeing at night, night sweats, teeth grinding, and morning headaches may suggest the presence of sleep apnea. A comprehensive evaluation and appropriate testing may lead to an effective treatment. Sleep should come naturally. It should never become an additional source of stress. Simple adjustments can yield benefits quickly. Brandon Peters-Mathews is a clinical faculty affiliate at Stanford University. This article was originally published on The Conversation. In Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer," the ruminative vocalist and cool cofounder of the quintessential dark Californian band the Eagles sang of a man's aging process, reminiscing about friends lost and left behind. Henley's great loss, and that of Eagles Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, was the death of bandmate Glenn Frey in 2016, leaving a creative hole akin to the Rolling Stones' Jagger losing Richards. "I don't see how we could go out and play without the guy who started the band," Henley told the Washington Post in 2016. Two summers later, the Eagles have seemingly healed and filled that void, bringing Frey's singing son Deacon into the fold along with smoldering country-blues guitarist Vince Gill and touring with genial, melodious James Taylor. Such California melancholy country/rock/soul and blissful, mellow pop was the perfect soundtrack to a breezy Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. Opening with the opulent vocal harmonies of "Seven Bridges Road" might have seemed odd, as it came from a band outsider (outlaw composer Steve Young). But Saturday's finest moments radiated the plight of the insular outsider ("New Kid in Town" and dusky "Desperado"), and from songwriters J.D. Souther ("How Long"), Tom Waits (a noirish "Ol' 55"), and Jackson Browne ("Take It Easy," cowritten with the late Frey). Despite the inclusion (infusion?) of young Frey and Gill ("the new guy at 61," he announced), much was the same about the Eagles' live sound. Their harmonies were so clean you could operate on them. At 71, Henley's clarion rasp and cutting falsetto on groovers like "One of These Nights" sounded like that of a 20-year-old. Schmit's high voice on ballads like "I Can't Tell You Why" made him sound like a baby Barry Gibb (Schmit is also pop's most underrated bassist, with a signature fluidity that gives the Eagles their soulful heft). The group has been criticized for its live, rote, note-by-note perfection, but precision like that was to be applauded. Frey wearing a Phillies shirt, cheering Philadelphia's Eagles for the team's Super Bowl victory looked exactly like his old man on the cover of 1973's Desperado. Deacon's plaintive voice sounded like pop's as he warbled through the country-like "Take it Easy" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling." The surprise was how many Glenn Frey songs Gill sang (they were pals for 35 years), and how soulful and comfortable he sounded coursing through the louche "Tequila Sunrise" and "Lyin' Eyes." Where things were different was how expansive several of the Eagles' hits have become, such as the diabolical Morricone-esque take on "Hotel California." When it came to loosening rules, blame Walsh and country-jazz guitarist Steuart Smith for giving "Witchy Woman" its bluesy rattlesnake rumble, crafting a series of unbound, expressive solos, and adding massive doses of dusty funk to the proceedings. All that was topped with a surprising number of aggressive solo Walsh numbers ("Life's Been Good"), slide guitar, and talking, box-driven tracks from his James Gang days ("Funk #49"), and his disco-sounding Eagles hit, "In the City." It's weird to think the future of the Eagles could be in the hands of Walsh and Gill doing more of their thing within the legendary band's framework (Gill performed his own "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away"), but, to partially quote Henley at the show's start, "we'll keep playing these touchstones, because things are changing fast." While a vast understatement to the Eagles' big show, Taylor offered a lovely, lively and supple opening set. Filled with his unmistakably understated and vibratoless crooning on smartly literate and sweet ballads such as "Sweet Baby James," "Fire and Rain," and the quaintly tender "Carolina on My Mind," Taylor turned a huge stadium into a back porch on a quiet morning. Yet, he and his large ensemble didn't shy away from grooving, horny R&B as they tackled the dirty blues of "Steamroller" and the playful "Mexico." For a sound so intimate, Taylor's rich, gentlemanly tenor, his kind, cool demeanor, and the curvaceous chord changes of his memorably melodious songs filled up every inch of Citizens Bank Park. It was an elegant start to a perfect evening. China's smartphone shipments bounce back in Q2: report From:ChinaDaily | 2018-07-29 19:31 BEIJING - Smartphone shipments in China bounced back to above 100 million units in the second quarter of 2018 after a marked decline in the first three months, a new industry report showed. The recovery provides much needed relief to vendors and channel partners after shipments fell by more than 20 percent to 91 million units in the first quarter, according to the report released by tech industry analysis firm Canalys. On yearly basis, the Chinese market has shown signs of improvement as the rate of decline eased from 22 percent in the first quarter to 8 percent in the second quarter, the report said. Huawei, including its sub-brand Honor, saw its market share grow to a record 27 percent, the biggest share for any smartphone vendors in China since the second quarter of 2011, according to the report. Canalys noted that smaller vendors are finding it tougher to compete, as the top five vendors now account for 90 percent of shipments, against 73 percent a year ago. "The market is expected to decline in the following quarters as well, mainly owing to harsh declines in shipments from smaller vendors," said Canalys analyst Mo Jia. This marble replica of August Rodin's "The Kiss" stands in the Parkway galleries of Philadelphia's Rodin Museum. On Monday, a West Deptford woman was sentenced for her role in the bizarre tale behind the disappearance of a rare bronze cast of the original. Read more George Hadley was baffled five years ago when he discovered a treasured family heirloom listed on the website of the auction house Christie's before he had even noticed it missing. But Monday in Philadelphia, the mystery of how his 2-foot bronze cast of The Kiss one of sculptor Auguste Rodin's most recognizable works landed in the hands of the South Jersey woman offering it up for sale moved one step closer to a solution. At a hearing in federal court, Karina Walton, 35, of West Deptford, who had claimed that the statue had been given to her by her father, was sentenced to a day in prison and a year of house arrest after admitting the story she told the auction house in 2013 was a lie. "I'm sorry to Mr. Hadley," the single mother of two told U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick. "I had no idea that it was his, and I had no idea that it was stolen. I screwed up big." The Inquirer and Daily News spotlighted the bizarre tale of the missing Rodin last year and traced its path from the home of Hadley, a Boston airline pilot, to the art collection of a Philadelphia real estate heiress and eventually into the possession of a flea market vendor from Fishtown who was dating Walton at the time. The story exposed shattered friendships and highlighted a string of improbable events that one lawyer likened to a Hollywood movie script. But it ended with an unsatisfactory conclusion. Although Hadley managed to convince judges in New York and Philadelphia that he was the Rodin's rightful owner, he wasn't able to do so in time to stop its sale. An anonymous buyer in Hong Kong bought the statue for $965,000 the majority of which Walton later agreed to hand over to Hadley. Still, it was never quite clear how a woman whom Hadley had never met had come to possess the Rodin in the first place. In court Monday and at a similar sentencing hearing in June for Walton's onetime boyfriend, James Davis, 58 their lawyers filled in the gaps. Davis, who was sentenced to eight months, routinely bought the contents of foreclosed storage units sight unseen from Tacony-based Superior Moving and Storage, hoping he might find valuables inside that he could resell at local flea markets. It was in one such lot that Walton found the Rodin in early 2013, later to discover its value. The statue depicting an illicit embrace of the adulterous characters Paolo and Francesca from Dante's Divine Comedy was one of a limited series of highly prized replicas of one of Rodin's most famous works. Hadley's grandfather George Washington Hill, the president of American Tobacco Co., purchased his copy from a foundry in Paris in 1913. Neither Walton nor Davis was aware of the statue's true origins at the time, Davis' lawyer, Felicia Sarner, wrote in court papers prior to her client's sentencing. "Intoxicated by their good fortune, the pair threw all of their good judgment out the window and agreed to invent a story to [prove its] provenance," she said. Walton took it to Christie's, claiming that her father had given her the piece when she was a teenager but that it had spent years in a cardboard box in her family's garage because she knew little about it. When Hadley came forward to claim it was his, Walton's first instinct was to dig in her heels and perpetuate her lie. She asked family members to back up the tale she had spun and persisted with her falsehoods even after Hadley sued her after the auction. "As the incident drew on and she got deeper and deeper into it, she became scared to acknowledge her mistake," her lawyer Leonard J. Grasso said. "She reached a point where it was difficult for her to extricate herself from it." Still, she did eventually confess, soon after the FBI began investigating the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney K.T. Newton said. Surrick, the judge, credited that move with his decision to grant her a one-day sentence Monday. He also ordered her and Davis to jointly pay Hadley $25,000 in restitution. Court filings from a string of legal actions that the fight over the statue spawned over the last five years reveal the rest of the tale. (All parties involved, including Hadley himself, declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.) When Hadley last saw his Rodin, it was on display in the Newtown Square home of Elaine Moranz, a former Fox Rothschild lawyer and a close family friend to whom he had lent it in 1994. But only after Hadley spotted his statue on the Christie's website did he learn that Moranz had died of ovarian cancer in 2011. According to her husband, Joel, the Rodin had disappeared when a Philadelphia heiress who had been living with them at the time moved out shortly after his wife's death. Like Hadley, Jana Paley had been a former client of Elaine Moranz's and quickly grew into a close personal friend. She maintained in a 2015 deposition that it was Joel Moranz's decision to remarry that drove a wedge between them. She hired Superior Movers to ship her belongings out of the house in 2012 and took the Rodin with her. Paley later claimed in an email to Hadley that she wanted to protect the statue from Joel Moranz's new wife, whom she described as a gold digger. But when Superior delivered Paley's belongings to her house in Society Hill, the Rodin along with hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of Paley's own art and personal belongings was missing. And yet, as a Common Pleas Court judge in Philadelphia noted after Hadley sued Paley, Joel Moranz, and Superior in 2014 for failing to protect the statute from theft, several elements of Paley's story failed to add up. She claimed that she had spent months searching for Hadley to tell him what happened to the statue. Yet she had taken possession of Elaine Moranz's phones, which had Hadley's contact information. She also had failed to mention the Rodin in her complaint with the moving company about her own missing belongings and never reported its apparent theft to the police or the FBI. "Paley hoped that Hadley would never come looking for the Rodin," Judge Gene D. Cohen wrote in a 2016 ruling ordering Paley and Superior to pay Hadley more than $1.8 million in damages. "Paley's ultimate goal before the Rodin went missing was to keep [it] for herself." But even after Walton's sentencing Monday, some questions linger including how Superior came to sell the Rodin to Davis in the first place. Did someone at the company mistakenly sell Paley's belongings, believing them to be abandoned property? Or did something more nefarious happen? Prosecutors said Monday that they had investigated a third person, whom they didn't identify, in connection with the Rodin's disappearance but were unable to bring charges. Regardless, Sarner, Davis' lawyer, said in court filings last month that "there is no evidence that Mr. Davis did anything wrong in acquiring it." "Everyone dreams of winning the lottery or finding their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow," she wrote. "It seems clear that he and Ms. Walton were intoxicated by the excitement and lost sight of all good judgment." FILE This May 10, 2013, file photo shows a plastic pistol that was completely made on a 3D-printer at a home in Austin, Texas. A coalition of gun-control groups has filed an appeal in federal court seeking to block a recent Trump administration ruling that will allow the publication of blueprints to build a 3D-printed firearm. Read more In an emergency hearing in federal court in Philadelphia on Sunday evening, a Texas nonprofit agreed to block Pennsylvania internet users from downloading its files for making firearms with a 3D printer for now. The hearing before U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond came in response to a lawsuit filed by state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Gov. Wolf, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The Texas nonprofit, Defense Distributed, had put the plans for an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle on its website Friday, and as of Sunday, 1,000 people nationwide already had downloaded them, according to Shapiro's office. Had officials not gone to court to try to block downloads in the state, Shapiro said in a statement, "the harm to Pennsylvanians would have been immediate and irreversible." In New Jersey, officials also had sought to block downloading of the plans for that state's residents by means of a cease-and-desist letter. But Defense Distributed challenged that effort on Sunday by filing a federal lawsuit in Texas. In a telephone interview, Defense Distributed director Cody Wilson said that although the company had temporarily agreed to prevent downloading of any gun files in Pennsylvania, it would fight any effort by state officials to seek a permanent ban. "Americans have the right to this data," Wilson said. "We have the right to share it. Pennsylvania has no right to come in and tell us what we can and can't share on the internet." In its statement, Shapiro's office said it would continue to pursue a more lasting solution in the form of an injunction. 3-D printers allow a user to "print" objects in plastic, with a heated nozzle that can travel left, right, up, and down, following specific instructions contained in a computer file. Defense Distributed was making its gun plans available to anyone who obtained a membership by paying a nominal fee, according to the lawsuit filed by Shapiro and Wolf. GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner is under heavy fire from the Wolf campaign. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) Read more This just in: Mild-mannered Gov. Wolf authorized his minions to mess with Scott Wagner's mind. Shedding his image as the Mr. Rogers of Pennsylvania politics, Wolf, I'm betting, said something like, "Drive him nuts. Shouldn't take much. He's already halfway there." At least that's my working theory. It's based on swarms of daily, sometimes hourly, campaign emails, fund-raising emails, and Democratic Party emails tagging Wagner over and over as, among other things, anti-education, anti-women's rights, and anti-transparency for refusing to release his tax returns. It's endless: Wagner is "lying" about Wolf's record; Wagner uses "deceptive tactics"; Wagner is "hiding from the people" on taxes. Wolf even has Democrats at either end of the state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa of Pittsburgh; Philly Sen. Vincent Hughes demanding Wagner's tax returns "immediately." (As if Wagner, or anyone, might say, "Well, if those guys want them ") And there's a second Wolf TV ad calling Wagner "the very worst of Harrisburg," which as I noted a couple weeks back after the first one aired just ain't so. Historically and presently, Harrisburg offers way worse than Wagner. Doesn't matter. Wolf wants Wagner in the pit of misery. It's the only explanation. The incessant, repetitive barrage can't be aimed at voters. Who sees such stuff other than campaign principals and political nerds? What is its impact in the dead of summer in a 24/7 news cycle owned by President Trump? No. This is personal. The Wolfies know Wagner's default setting is irritation striding toward rage. They know how short his fuse is. (Remember his physical run-in with a political tracker at a York County country club?) So, Wolf pokes Wagner to raise his ire, distract him, force responses, keep him on defense. And maybe hurt his traditional GOP fund-raising, which, as my colleague Andrew Seidman reported earlier this month, isn't exactly off like a rocket. Wolf hammers Wagner for saying schools get too much money and have too many teachers. And for saying Wolf wants to cut funding to most districts with a formula to help larger and poorer districts. He doesn't. Wolf always pushed for more school funding, and consistently and clearly says the formula in question only works with a large increase of state support. Wolf hits Wagner's anti-abortion stance. Fund-raising emails call Wagner a "Republican extremist." One has first lady Frances Wolf seeking donations so her husband "can continue defending the rights of women." And the tax returns thing? Wagner and Wolf are multimillionaires. Wolf, in the past, released returns from 2010 through 2016. His campaign says he now has an IRS extension but will release 2017 returns this fall. Wagner says he won't release returns, arguing what he does with his money is "a privacy thing." Candidates aren't required to release returns. But it's common practice in Pennsylvania. So, for Wolf's campaign, Wagner's resistance is a chew toy that never wears out. I don't suggest these issues aren't valid. I do suggest they're currently used as part of a plan to keep a firehose in Wagner's face. These campaigns, like these candidates (who genuinely dislike each other), are very different. And they're run that way. Wolf has the resources for anti-Wagner excess. And his incumbency allows statewide travel on official business to make news, contacts, even raise funds anywhere he goes. Last week, he was in Philly welcoming a national education conference at the Logan Hotel. He also was in central and western Pennsylvania visiting small businesses in Union, Juniata and Beaver Counties. Wagner's schedule resembles that of a door-to-door salesman scrambling to meet a quota. In a recent 10-day period, 36 stops in 21 counties. From Pocono Pines to Punxsutawney. From Macungie to Monessen. Wagner is not lazy. He has populist appeal. And his grind-it-out ground game could well bring rewards. In fact, Wagner supporters say Wolf is pummeling Wagner now because the race is tighter than it seems. (It seems, for those not paying attention, that Wolf is well ahead, likely to win in November). But I think Wolf is trying to bait Wagner into a mouth-frothing frenzy. We'll see whether that works. Or backfires. CNN host Jake Tapper (left) took a swipe at former president Barack Obama over the current standing of the Democratic party. Read more These days, Jake Tapper is usually forced to deal with angry Trump supporters over his reporting and criticism of the president. But on Sunday, it was Democrats who were riled up by Tapper over a tweet mocking former President Barack Obama. Tapper, a Philadelphia native who hosts both The Lead and State of the Union for the network, used an appearance of the former first couple at a Beyonce and Jay-Z concert in Landover, Md., on Saturday night to point out the historic decline in the number of Democrats holding office during his presidency. "The Democratic Party is the weakest it has been since the 1920s," wrote Tapper, in response to HuffPost's story of the Obamas' appearance Saturday night. Tapper's tweet quickly went viral Sunday afternoon, garnering over 9,000 replies and over 8,000 likes as of Monday morning. Most of the replies were from Democrats angry over Tapper's remarks, to which he responded in a subsequent tweet. "Glad he's enjoying his life; he's entitled. Also, FYI, as we begin focus on Nov 2018 and 2020, he presided over a historically precipitous decline of his party," Tapper responded. "Some Dems seem angrier at my tweet than at that fact." Back in June, Tapper's CNN colleague Fareed Zakaria made a similar point on Fareed Zakaria GPS, noting that during both of Obama's two terms as president, Republicans made substantial political gains everywhere outside of the White House. "Unless Democrats face up to this reality and devise a strategy to reverse this tidal wave of defeat, they might find themselves surprised one more time this November," Zakaria said. "When you tally up their representation in Congress, state legislatures and governorships, the Democrats almost have their lowest representation in about 100 years." Zakaria was basing his comments on analysis of data from both Real Clear Politics and FiveThirtyEight, and Politifact rated Zakaria's claim as "true" in an analysis done last month. "Democrats wield less power than Republicans in each of these offices. In the 1920s, they had an even weaker standing relative to the GOP than they do today," Politifact's John Kruzel wrote. "But Zakaria hedged his bets by saying Democrats almost have their lowest representation in about 100 years and the numbers appear to back him up." From 2008 to 2016, Democrats lost more than 1,000 elected offices, including congressional and state legislative seats and governorships. They also lost the presidency, as Obama-endorsed Hillary Clinton was unable to defeat businessman and reality TV star Donald Trump. Despite that, Democrats are increasingly optimistic that a blue wave in the upcoming midterm elections will force out many vulnerable Republicans lawmakers. According to the Cook Political Report, Democrats are "substantial favorites" to take control of the House, and some experts say control of the Senate could be within reach, despite facing a map that heavily favors Republicans. "We know the wind is going to be in our face," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters back in April. "We don't know whether it's going to be a Category 3, 4, or 5." Obama has largely remained out of the spotlight since exiting the White House in 2017, and has been reluctant to publicly engage or criticize his successor. Earlier his month, in a speech delivered in South Africa to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth, Obama offered his toughest words yet about Trump without naming him directly. "Politicians have always lied, but it used to be if you caught them lying, they'd be like, 'Aw, man,' " Obama said. "But now if you catch them lying, they'll just keep on lying!" HARRISBURG A senior judge known for his work and ultimate recusal on the Jerry Sandusky case has been appointed to oversee the planned redactions to a controversial grand jury report outlining decades of child sex abuse by Catholic clergy across the state. The state Supreme Court, in a two-sentence order Monday, appointed Judge John M. Cleland of McKean County to serve as a special master in the clergy abuse case. The court offered no insight into how it selected Cleland. As special master, Cleland will preside over any legal disputes regarding redactions to the more than 800-page report documenting sexual abuse and cover-ups in six Catholic dioceses across the state. It is expected to be released next month. The report's release has been the subject of intense legal wrangling in recent weeks, much of it under seal. Lawyers for roughly two dozen current and former clergy members have asked the high court to block the release of portions of the report pertaining to them, saying that the sections are inaccurate or unfairly tarnish their clients' reputations. The court on Friday ordered a redacted copy of the report released while it weighs larger arguments pertaining to that group of clergy members. In recent weeks, the state Supreme Court has ordered that redacted versions of some arguments in the case should be released, with Cambria County Judge Norman Krumenacker who supervised the grand jury's work serving as arbiter for disputes about whether secret grand jury material had been properly shielded from public view. But when the high court ordered the release of a redacted grand jury report, it was critical of Krumenacker's recent orders questioning whether he had sufficiently addressed some of the clergy members' concerns. In that order, the court announced plans to appoint a special master to handle disputes over redactions to the grand jury report. The justices wanted to "continue to proceed with the unwavering objective that fairness must be consistently administered to all parties in the context of grand jury reports," Chief Justice Thomas Saylor wrote on behalf of the court. The court ordered Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office, which led the investigation, to present a proposed redacted version of the report to Cleland by Friday afternoon. Lawyers for the clergy members will have until the afternoon of Aug. 7 to challenge any redactions. If they don't, the report will be released Aug. 8. If they do file challenges, Cleland has until Aug. 14 to sort through those arguments and release a redacted report. Cleland, 70, has frequently been praised by colleagues for his measured demeanor while presiding over contentious, emotionally fraught cases. He came out of retirement to preside over the Sandusky sex abuse trial but recused himself when the coach's lawyers questioned his impartiality accusations that Cleland considered groundless. Cleland also played a key role in the investigation into the "kids-for-cash" scandal in Luzerne County that sent two judges to jail in 2011. This May 10, 2013, file photo shows a plastic pistol that was completely made on a 3D-printer at a home in Austin, Texas. Read more I am not fearful of firearms. I believe the Second Amendment was written with purpose and with sensitivity to generational circumstances. But what I am extremely concerned about is who has access to firearms and the devastation firearms are capable of in the wrong hands. Imagine a world in which anyone including terrorists, convicted felons, and domestic abusers has immediate access to untraceable guns. Now imagine that many of these guns are made entirely of plastic or other materials not recognized by traditional metal detectors. This unmanageable scenario may soon become a reality. In fact, as soon as Aug. 1, anyone with an Internet connection and a 3D printer readily available in stores and online will be able to make an untraceable handgun, rifle, or assault weapon with just a few clicks. This is because the State Department has decided to allow a private company to post gun blueprints online for anyone to access. This is a reckless and dangerous action that will enable the uncontrolled distribution of downloadable, do-it-yourself firearms. >> READ MORE: No 3-D gun plans in Pennsylvania, company agrees for now As sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., the fourth-largest and fastest-growing county in the nation, I know first-hand the threat such weapons pose to society. But it doesn't require my 25 years of experience in law enforcement to know how dangerous firearms in the wrong hands can be. Downloadable guns undermine our federal and state gun-violence prevention laws, which help prevent people who pose a danger to themselves or others from accessing firearms. These laws are effective when law enforcement can conduct background checks and identify firearms through legally required serial numbers leading to a first point of purchase. The ability to circumvent lawful and reasonable processes for purchase will undermine the work of all law enforcement. Our ability to trace guns recovered at crime scenes is a critical step in catching criminals and getting killers off our streets. Untraceable firearms will ultimately cripple investigations and provoke further violence by criminals. Until recently, the State Department shared these concerns about the threat of downloadable, untraceable guns. For years, the agency had been fighting back a lawsuit from an online, open-source company that was forced by the department to pull down downloadable gun blueprints. That's because the department considered the online posting of the technology a violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. >> READ MORE: Instagram's No Gun Zone is out to make Philly's mean streets safer | Jenice Armstrong But the State Department reversed course a few months ago, unjustifiably and irresponsibly settling with the company and giving them a license to publish. And now, the company has scheduled to make its gun blueprints available online yet again on Aug. 1. On that date, drug cartels, arms traffickers, and terrorists will be able to increase their revenue and the volume of weaponry at the expense of our safety through an untraceable and unlimited method of firearms manufacturing and distribution. Ultimately, it is uncontrolled, irresponsible and unconscionable. The State Department can stop this from happening by standing by its original decision to prevent digital, downloadable gun files from being posted online. This is absolutely a clear and present danger to public safety. Paul Penzone is sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz. KAMPALA- Telecommunication Company Airtel Uganda has started refunding customers who paid the 1% mobile money tax. At the beginning of this month telecom companies were directed to start charging 1% on mobile money transactions including on withdrawals, sending, and deposits. The mobile money tax had triggered a massive outcry in the country. Consequently, on July 13, President Yoweri Museveni in a statement ordered that Ugandans who paid the 1% per cent mobile money tax be refunded as the 1% levy was passed by parliament and signed by him in error. He also ordered the tax be reduced to 0.5 per cent and be charged on only withdrawals. Government also brought an amendment bill currently before parliament to effect the changes. Following such a background, Airtel customers have started receiving their refund. Airtel public relations officer, Sumin Namaganda confirmed that the refund process started Saturday, July 28. It is not yet immediately clear whether other telecoms; MTN and Africell have also adhered to the directive. Different Airtel customers have confirmed receiving the refund. Junior finance minister David Bahati recently said that government had raised Shs 5bn from mobile money tax and Shs 2bn from the social media tax in less than two weeks after the new taxes were introduced. Related China railway line resumes service after 16-day disruption From:Xinhua | 2018-07-29 02:22 Video PlayerClose Rescuers work at the accident site in a section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway caused by rain-triggered landslides in Lueyang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 28, 2018. After 16 days' of arduous efforts, the blocked section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway in Shaanxi Province following several rain-triggered landslides was repaired and reopened to traffic by 5:00 p.m. Saturday. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang) XI'AN, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A railway line in western China resumed operation Saturday, 16 days after rain-triggered landslides disrupted its service. The Baoji-Chengdu railway line resumed full service at 5 p.m., according to China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd. A section of the line in Shaanxi Province was blocked after several landslides brought 75,000 cubic meters of dirt and rocks to bury the tracks on June 12 and 13. More than 1,100 workers with the help of 60 rescue vehicles were involved in the clearing work. "We will continue to beef up monitoring of the section due to frequent rains in the following days," said Yin Chaoyang of China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd. During the period, the group added more bullet trains on the Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed railway to reduce the impact on passenger flows. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Video PlayerClose Aerial photo taken on July 28, 2018 shows rescuers working at the accident site in a section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway caused by rain-triggered landslides in Lueyang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. After 16 days' of arduous efforts, the blocked section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway in Shaanxi Province following several rain-triggered landslides was repaired and reopened to traffic by 5:00 p.m. Saturday. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang) Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Video PlayerClose Rescuers work at the accident site in a section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway caused by rain-triggered landslides in Lueyang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 28, 2018. After 16 days' of arduous efforts, the blocked section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway in Shaanxi Province following several rain-triggered landslides was repaired and reopened to traffic by 5:00 p.m. Saturday. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang) Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Video PlayerClose Rescuers work at the accident site in a section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway caused by rain-triggered landslides in Lueyang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 28, 2018. After 16 days' of arduous efforts, the blocked section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway in Shaanxi Province following several rain-triggered landslides was repaired and reopened to traffic by 5:00 p.m. Saturday. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang) Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Video PlayerClose A train passes through a section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway repaired after it was blocked by rain-triggered landslides in Lueyang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 28, 2018. After 16 days' of arduous efforts, the blocked section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway in Shaanxi Province following several rain-triggered landslides was repaired and reopened to traffic by 5:00 p.m. Saturday. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang) Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Video PlayerClose Rescuers work at the accident site in a section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway caused by rain-triggered landslides in Lueyang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 28, 2018. After 16 days' of arduous efforts, the blocked section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway in Shaanxi Province following several rain-triggered landslides was repaired and reopened to traffic by 5:00 p.m. Saturday. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang) Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Video PlayerClose Aerial photo taken on July 28, 2018 shows rescuers working at the accident site in a section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway caused by rain-triggered landslides in Lueyang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. After 16 days' of arduous efforts, the blocked section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway in Shaanxi Province following several rain-triggered landslides was repaired and reopened to traffic by 5:00 p.m. Saturday. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang) Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 KAMPALA- The lawyer representing Church of Uganda in a case in which a consultancy firm Land Coin Ltd is demanding Shs7.3 billion has asked the mediator for more time so that they can come up with a proper position on how the money will be paid. Mr Barnabas Musinguzi the churchs lawyer appeared before the meditator Mr Jonhson Kwesigabo, however the consultancy firms lawyer Mr Ronald Oine was not present as he was handling another matter. Mr Kwesigabo adjourned the mediation to August 27 informing the parties that he will communicate to the trial judge about the outcome of the mediation. Land Coin Ltd in its commercial suit against Church of Uganda that it filed on April 10, contends that in April this year, the latter contracted it to carry out an investigation to recover its 15 acres of land located at old Entebbe, plot 90-102 on Sebugwawo Drive and one acre of land located at Luzira, all worth Shs48.9billion from government. According to one of the court documents dated July 7, 2015, the Arch Bishop on behalf of the Trustees of Church of Uganda, wrote to Coin Land Ltd, authorizing the firm to carry out the necessary investigation of the church land in question. The firm was also given powers of attorney to act on behalf of the church to recover this land. Court documents also indicate that it was agreed that the parties that would carry out the investigations, would be given a commission of 10% of the value of the land if investigations were done up to submission of the consultancy report. It was also agreed that should extra work be done, a 15% commission would be paid to the consultancy firm. The consultancy firm contends that it carried out its obligations under the contractual arrangement to the satisfaction of the Trustees of Church of Uganda and that as such, they are entitled to a 15% commission which they have not been paid, hence this legal suit. Related JOHANNESBURG President Yoweri Museveni has told the new economic block BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa) that they or their companies can realize a high rate of return if they invest in some of the infrastructure elements such as building electricity generating units, the modern railways, some of the roads, some health units and some tourism units in the East African Region. The President was speaking at the BRICS Africa Outreach Summit in South Africa on Friday. East Africa is, of course, part of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), which comprises most of the 1.25 billion people of Africa. The EAC has already achieved the Common Market and the Customs Union status. This has helped businesses in East Africa grow. There are quite a number of Industries that greatly benefit from this integration of the East Africa Markets: cement, steel, milk, grain and cereals, veterinary drugs, just to mention a few of them. It will also benefit auto-mobiles manufactured or assembled in East Africa, the pharmaceuticals, some of the electronic machinery, etc., Mr Museveni said. He said the BRICS countries could easily find investment opportunities in East Africa in value addition to cereals, fruits, milk products, fish products, forest products, beverages, minerals such as iron ore, copper, nickel, tungsten, cobalt, coltan etc. We no longer want to export raw-materials for which we get only 10% of the value and also export jobs. The good example in this area is the Chinese Company Guanzhou DongSong Energy Group, that has invested US$ 650 million in using Ugandas huge deposits of phosphates and iron-ore to produce fertilizers and steel. The whole spectrum of other opportunities exist. The steel and phosphates complexes will save East Africa US$420 million in imports and create 1.2 million jobs. There is also a huge market of electronics and other heavy and light engineering products, he added. The President said the BRICS countries or their companies could invest in some of the Infrastructure elements such as building electricity generating units, the modern railways, some of the roads, some health units and some tourism units. The rate of return on investment for the companies in East Africa is always of a magnitude of 11%, compared to 9 % in Europe, 8 % in Latin America and 13 % in Asia. The rate of return in East Africa will improve with improved infrastructure which means lower costs of production. On the side of infrastructure, I particularly point out the plan we have for the Railway from Kenya, through Uganda to Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Ethiopia. Tanzania is also developing a Standard Gauge Railway line from Dar-es-Salaam to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and through Lake Tanganyika to Congo. Such good infrastructure would enable us to trade more easily with Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, as well as linking more easily with the outside World through the Ports of Mombasa, Dar-es-Salaam, Lamu, Tanga, etc. He also said the economic-political integration of East Africa, as enshrined in its treaty, is assisted by the similarities of our peoples in terms of languages and customs, geographical proximity and inter-dependence and the historical linkages of our Peoples which the progressive forces in our area have been working hard to enhance. Above all, we are assisted by the heritage of a lingua franca, in the form of Swahili, which is easy to learn and is already historically spoken in Tanzania, Kenya, Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Northern Mozambique and in even parts of Zambia and the Comoro Islands, he said. Finally, I salute the BRICS Countries for starting this forum. Three of the forum members were our partners in the anti-colonial struggle. These were: the Soviet Union (Russia), China and India. One of the five, South Africa, was part of the resistance effort. Brazil has a huge section of their population being people of African descent. We salute, commend and encourage the BRICS Countries to continue and, when we need to, we co-ordinate. I am amazed to see some People who describe themselves as Africans demonstrating against BRICS. Those Africans seem not to know who their enemy is. If you do not know, ask; do not kutomera (bump into some situations). The BRICS Countries have always been part of our struggles, or they are part of us (Brazil) or were, actually, part of the struggles (South Africa). The BRICS and ourselves have every right to organize ourselves for mutual support. The BRICS Summit is an international relations conference attended by the heads of state of the five member states including H.E Michel Temer of the Federative Republic of Brazil, H.E Vladimir Putin of the Russia Federation, the Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Republic of India, H.E Xi Jinping of the Peoples Republic of China and H.E Cryil Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa. The Summit seeks to strengthen the relationship between BRICS member states and Africa. The BRICS leaders will tomorrow have time to interact with African leaders during the BRICS Africa Outreach on how best they can bring about inclusive growth and shared prosperity. Related #Unacceptable! Youths turn heat on @mofpedU Minister Kasaija over reappointment of Bagyenda to FIA Board Readhttps://t.co/kEFur5XGdw pic.twitter.com/WFbVdAuGHj PML Daily (@pmldailynews_UG) July 24, 2018 KAMPALA A youth advocacy group on Monday July 23 asked Parliament to prevail on Finance Minister Matia Kasaija over his reappointment of Justin Bagyenda to the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) Board of governors. The group,Youth Power Research Uganda, wrote a letter saying that the committee is mandated to monitor the operations of government agencies and that Mr Kasaija should be summoned to explain the circumstances under which he reappointed Bagyenda to FIA, the same agency that is investigating her over allegations of money laundering. Besigye, FDC pull massive crowd on return to #Sheema as campaigns enter final lap Readhttps://t.co/Wk1BFN79Bt pic.twitter.com/CjtkV53rNy PML Daily (@pmldailynews_UG) July 24, 2018 SHEEMA Opposition leader Kizza Besigye on Monday July 23 pulled a massive crowd as he returned to Sheema Municipality in Ankole sub-region to campaign for FDC candidate Plan Virginia Mugyenyi. Many businesses in Kabwohe Town came to standstill as tens of thousands of people gathered at Kabwohe playground to listen to Dr Besigye and a cohort of other opposition leaders. In his usual self, Besigye criticized NRM for frustrating developing in the country and asked residents to accept bribes from the NRM candidate but vote for FDC. NAGURU Meanwhile, on Tuesday July 24 Police declared Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Jonathan Baroza, a deserter. Mr Baroza was posted to Algeria as Uganda Police Force attache by detained Gen Kale Kayihura, after some sections of the society linked him to the murder of police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi but, he allegedly disappeared in Turkey while in transit to Kampala, prompting police to issue a five-day ultimatum on July 17 for him to report without fail. NEWS: @KagutaMuseveni , Modi agree on Health Care KAMPALA Visiting Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi has promised to make sure that Indias health care becomes affordable and accessible to Ugandans. Read.https://t.co/rCqRwFJUEh pic.twitter.com/HGJb8pBlb1 PML Daily (@pmldailynews_UG) July 25, 2018 ENTEBBE Indian Prime Minister Mr Nerandra Modi on Tuesday July 24 arrived in the Uganda for his three-day state visit that ended on Thursday, July 26. Mr Modi was to hold bilateral talks with President Museveni on Wednesday July 25 address Parliament and also officially open the convention Center in Entebbe. Modi met his host President Museveni, and on his arrival, he announced credit of Shs 740 billion to Uganda, among others. Mr Museveni in a statement on Tuesday evening said he had interested Mr Modi in India cooperating with Uganda in trade and tourism. Visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday July 25 promised to make sure that Indias health care becomes affordable and accessible to Ugandans. Mr Modi made the remarks while addressing Parliament in a special sitting as part of his program during the two-day state visit to Uganda on his Africa tour. However President Museveni commended Mr Modis proposal saying You know how many Ugandans go to India for healthcare so if the Indians can invest here to deal with some of those issues than take people to India that will be very big support. GULU Besides that, a 68-year-old Charles Onekgiu, a businessman in Gulu town was on Monday July 23 arrested by Police after nude photos he took with a young girl suspected to be his wife leaked. In the photos Mr Onekgiu was sitting on a bed at what is thought to be his home, together with a girl aged between 13 to 14 while naked. It was confirmed that the 68-year-old dealer in merchandise was arrested after a concerned citizen leaked a photo showing Onekgiu with a minor sitting on a bed, posing for photos while naked. BANGALORE- Finally, Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze who had been reported stranded in India underwent a knee surgery on Tuesday July 24. Doctors reconstructed the legislators left leg to build back the damaged part that exposed the cartilage and used to send spasms through the left side of her body, occasioning a painful leg. The operation was handled by Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Sunil Kini. PARLIAMENT In the aftermath, Cabinet on Tuesday July 24 approved the payment of Shs58.5 billion in arrears for the salary enhancement for lecturers and non-teaching staff in the five public universities. The money, which accrues from the financial year 2017/2018, is part of the Shs234 billion that was supposed to be paid to the lecturers in installments of three years of Shs78billion per financial year. KAMPALA However, only Shs19m was released in the last financial year, which forced the lecturers to go on strike. However, Mr. Ofwono Opondo, the executive director of Uganda Media Centre, on Tuesday revealed that Cabinet had ordered Finance Minister Matia Kasaija to release the money. PARLIAMENT Meanwhile, the sugarcane growers across the country on Tuesday July 24 rejected the decision by Government to amend the Income Tax Act to impose a 1% tax on all agricultural produce calling on Parliament to prevail over the tax. Under their umbrella body, the Uganda National Association of Sugarcane Growers, the farmers called for exemption from this tax arguing that sugarcane growing is a risky venture that is susceptible to extreme weather and the decision by Government is likely to impoverish the growers. The group petitioned Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, saying the newly introduced withholding tax on their sales is likely to drive the sugar prices higher. KAMPALA However, the Anti-Corruption Court on Tuesday July 24 charged and remanded a statistician working with the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters Mr Wilfred Nsubuga over allegations of abuse of Office, Corruption and unauthorized disclosure of Information contrary to the Computer Misuse Act. Nsubuga was charged with developing and managing the complaints Data Base, in abuse of his authority disclosed confidential information on two file numbers registered at the Commission. With the aim of helping the complainants to have their files expeditiously resolved in their favour, Nsubuga used contents of the said files belonging to the Commission, for his benefit. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) on Tuesday July 24 removed from the leadership of parliamentary committees all its MPs who opposed the age limit bill last year and instead appointed to the same positions those legislators that supported the controversial amendment. Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa on Tuesday read out the names and Kampala Central MP Mohammad Nsereko, was sacked as chairman of the Equal Opportunities Committee and replaced by Ms Hellen Asamo [PWDs Eastern].In the changes, Bukenya Michael [Bukuya County] was declared the head of Health Committee and Spellanza Baguma [Kyejonjo Woman MP] as his deputy. Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago on Tuesday July 24 skipped a meeting that was meant to reconcile differences between him and Kampala Minister Beti Kamya. Ms Kamya on Tuesday, was meant to resolve longstanding differences between the two political leaders that have crippled service delivery. However, Mr Lukwago chose to keep away and instead sent a letter through Deputy Lord Mayor Sarah Kanyike, indicating that the Minister was out of order to call him for a meeting when there is a longstanding suit that he has against her in Court. He added that at the moment he cannot reconcile with a minister who re-tabled the KCCA Amendment Bill to Parliament last year that is intended to strip the office of the Lord Mayor of all powers. BUGIRI Police and Military in the wee hours of Wednesday morning sealed off and raided a hotel in Bugiri town where Kyandondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine was staying arresting several members of his team. Reports reached this website indicating that a combined force including the Uganda Police and Military Police raided a hotel in Bugiri and arrested many supporters of Asuman Basalirwa who were forced to open their rooms. On that very Wednesday 25, security was tightened in Bugiri as Museveni, Besigye and Kyagulanyi were to comb municipality in last minute hunt for votes. The three crossed paths in Bugiri on that day. According to a statement from the NRM Communications Officer Rogers Mulindwa, Museveni, the partys national chairman was to hold one rally at Bukooli Technical School in Bugiri on Wednesday afternoon for Mr Francis Oketcho. Police in Rubanda District on Wednesday July 25 arrested 22 Rwandan and Congolese nationals over illegal entry into Uganda. The suspects were on intercepted on Wednesday by security officials while travelling in a Bismarkan Bus as they were heading to Kagadi and Kabarole districts to work in tea plantations but none of them had any travel documents. Police had netted 70 illegal entrants but some of them later run away. The Indian government on Wednesday July 25 donated a mobile mammography van to the Uganda Cancer Institute. The van was handed over by the consul of the Republic of Uganda to Mumbai in India HE. Madhusudhan Agrawal at the Institute in Mulago. It was donated by Samta Foundation, the Hope Express a mobile mammography unit detects the early presence of breast and cervical in women. However, the Ministry of Education on Wednesday July 25 set on a collision course with the Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox establishments in the country after officials went ahead to launch the adolescent health and sexuality education in schools to equip students with information to sexual related content, without the approval of the church. This came after the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) the assembly of Catholic Bishops in the country vowed to block the programme in all their schools unless the government made changes in the new policy saying sex education contradicted Christian values. NEWS: Outright bribery! NRM under fire as Museveni delivers ambulance to Njeru Municipality ahead of polls. Read ..https://t.co/VZHDu7a0WJ pic.twitter.com/fv5QbUA83k PML Daily (@pmldailynews_UG) July 25, 2018 President Museveni on Wednesday July 25 came under fire from members of the opposition for donating an ambulance to Njeru Municipality in Buikwe District ahead of parliamentary elections on Friday, July 27.After receiving complaints from residents at the rally, including Mr Kyazze, that the newly created municipality has no ambulance,Museveni promised to deliver it and he came good on his promise when the ambulance, registration number UG 4648 M was handed over to Mr. Kyazze. However, the move attracted condemnation and protests from the other contestants who termed it as outright bribery and against the rules set by the Electoral Commission. Fortunately, the long awaited judgment in the consolidated presidential age limit petitions was on Thursday July 26 delivered in a matter of hours and Ugandans were eagerly waiting for the Constitutional Court verdict. The Court, headed by the Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, delivered the verdict of the panel of the five justices in Mbale, eastern Uganda after two months of waiting. On April 19, the justices concluded the hearing official the petitions in Mbale and reserved the judgment on notice. The petitioners demanded that the Constitutional court overturns the controversial amendment on the argument that it was passed out of a violation of the Constitution, the supreme law of the land. KAMPALA Bad news on Thursday July 26 dominated Kawempe when fire gutted the market for Timber merchants in Bwaise, Kawempe Division in Kampala leaving them counting losses. Over 300 traders lost their businesses in the fire that burnt a timber and furniture mart in causing damages worth billions of shillings. Traders say an estimated 2 billion shillings worth of timber was burnt and according to eye witnesses, the police fire brigade lost time in putting out the fire because it was difficult to access the place. Residents said that over 300 workshops filled with timber, furniture and carpentry machinery were reduced to ashes. MBALE However, two justices of the Constitutional Court Cheborion Barishaki and Elizabeth Musoke on Thursday July 26 quashed sections of the constitutional amendment act in which MPs extended their tenure of office from five to seven years. In the ongoing ruling on the age limit petition in Mbale, Justice Barishaki explained that expanding the term of MPs and Local Government officials was smuggled into the bill without consulting the people. Justice Barishaki therefore declared that the Act of Parliament extending its tenure of office is unlawful. MPs must face regular elections and people will be robbed of an opportunity to choose who should govern them after 2021. Surprisingly, Justice Kenneth Kakuru on Thursday July 26 become the first judge to rule that the entire Amendment Act (Age limit) was unconstitutional and must be expunged from the constitution. Delivering the ruling at around 7.05pm Justice Kakuru ruled that the constitutional amendment process was unfair. He added that the two months given to the MPs to consult all Ugandans were not be enough and that the group of people consulted was not representative enough to cause amendment of the constitution. Finally, in a 13 hour judgment, the 4 justices of the Constitutional Court upheld the presidential age -limit amendments nullifying the extension of MPs term from 5 to 7 years. The four out of five justices including the deputy chief justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo, Remmy Kasule, Elizabeth Musoke and Cheborion Barishaki ruled that there was nothing inconsistent with the constitution for MPs to lift the restriction of years against one aspiring to be elected to the highest office of the land. In their ruling, the justices noted that the fact that there is no mandatory requirement to subject the said amendment to a public approval through a referendum. Meanwhile, a group of Members of Parliament on Thursday July 26 started what they described as a campaign to block the reappointment of Justine Bagyenda to the Board of the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA). On May 7, Minister Matia Kasaija wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, indicating that Bagyenda, who was in February sacked as director for supervision at Bank of Uganda (BoU), is being re-appointed to the board of FIA. However, MPs vowed to pressure Parliaments Appointments Committee to block Bagyendas reappointment. Army and police officers on Thursday July 26 deployed heavily in Sheema Municipality ahead of the hotly contested Friday election. On Thursday evening, truckloads of soldiers and police officers were seen offloading their weapons and other equipment at Sheema District headquarters. Among the seven candidates in the race, the stiff competition was between NRMs Elioda Tumwesigye and FDCs Virginia Plan Mugyenyi. Other five candidates on Independent ticket were Benjamin Ruyombya, Ambrose Mwesigye, Jonas Tumwiine, Meshach Katusiime and Raymond Kamugisha. Mr. Abel Kahara (NRM) and Mr George Tumwebaze (Independent) who were the contenders for the mayor seat. Meanwhile, on Thursday July 26, Police in Ndejje arrested fraudsters alleging to be police officers calling residents and threatening to arrest them with intent to con them of their money. The suspects were found in possession of exercise books filled with a number of phone contacts of victims and were apprehended in an operation by the OC Ndejje ASP. Hillary Tugume.Residents informed police and while acting on information, police raided the house arrested and carried out a search. On that very day, Police in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District arrested a middle-aged man who was parading himself as a catholic priest and extorting money from unsuspecting members of the catholic community. The fake priest, identified as Mr. Anthony Sewanyana, 30, has been posing as a catholic priest from Rubaga Cathedral and he was arrested at Kasangati Magistrates Court where he reportedly went to stand as surety for a suspect who had swindled money worth 131 million Uganda Shillings. The Anti-Corruption Court on Friday July 27 denied bail the jailed statistician working with the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters Mr Wilfred Nsubuga who was charged last week over charges of abuse of Office, Corruption and Unauthorized Disclosure of Information contrary to the Computer Misuse Act. Chief Magistrate Agnes Alum based on the affidavit filed in court by IGGs prosecutor Thomas Okoth indicating that Nsubuga had built a data base for the land probe led by justice Catherine Bamugemereire whose password is only known to him, and if released he can access it from anywhere and continue from where he stopped. Nsubuga also had an elaborate network of agents through whom he was giving information, and receiving money and so if he is granted bail he will interfere in the said investigations. BUGIRI The opposition JEEMA candidate, Mr Asuman Basalirwa, clinched the Bugiri Municipality parliamentary seat in an election marked by shades of violence. Basalirwa, who was declared winner at around 12.30am on Saturday morning, garnered 3,928 votes, beating his closest rival, NRMs Oketcho, who polled 3,267 votes. FDCs Eunice Namatende polled 928. However in Sheema, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye was at 2.36am on Saturday morning declared winner of the hotly contested the Sheema Municipality parliamentary seat, coming from behind to lead his closest rival, Ms Virginia Plan Mugyenyi of FDC. Dr Tumwesigye, who is also the minister for Science and Technology, garnered 13,590 votes, while Ms Mugyenyi got 11,489 votes. Other independents scored as follows: Raymond Kamugisha (276), Ambrose Amanyire (32), Benjamin Luyombya (867) and Meshash Katusiime 756. With that aside, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate in the Njeru Municipality parliamentary election, Mr Amos Kivumbi, on Saturday July 28 vowed to petition court challenging the victory of the NRM candidate, Mr Yasin Kyazze. In the Friday election, Mr Kyazze was declared winner of the highly contested election, garnering 15,248 votes, followed by an Independent, Diana Mutasingwa Nakunda, who got 5,343 votes while Kivumbi polled 4,286. Other Independents scored as follows; Ceaser Kalema got 3,838 votes, Aziz Jjunju 2,151 votes, and Joseph Opondo Opondo 261 votes only. However on Friday July 27, the motorised patrol Police in Kajjansi intercepted a truck with 12 stolen cattle. The thieves attacked the patrollers with pangas and in the process, one was put out of action. The two thieves were identified as Moses Nsubuga and Hassan Kashumba. As the thieves approached the barricades, they jumped out their vehicle with pangas and attacked the police officers. This act prompted the armed personnel lying in wait to put out of action one suspect who has been identified as Moses Nsubuga. Gospel musician who also doubles as the Woman Member of Parliament for Buikwe district, Hon. Judith Babirye officially introduced her spouse, Mr Paul Musoke Sebulime on Saturday July 28, amid controversial reports regarding her former unresolved marriage. However, lawyers said, the two law makers will not legitimise their marriage according to the country laws that govern marriage. Provia Nangobi, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) spokesperson, said Babirye is still registered as married to her first husband, Samuel Niiwo and the marriage has not been dissolved. Related Police have arrested three individuals in connection to a shootout in Falmouth, MA, that left Officers Donald DeMiranda and Ryan Moore injured on Friday afternoon. The gun battle broke out after Officers DeMiranda and Moore responded to a disturbance call. Investigators said that 21-year-old Malik Antonio Koval "produced a gun and began shooting at the officers." Officers returned fire, striking Koval several times. During the gunfight, shots struck Moore in the neck, causing a grazing wound, and DeMiranda was struck in the chestthe bullet was reportedly stopped by his ballistic vest. Officers DeMiranda and Moore are both in good condition, according to MassLive. In addition to arresting Kovalthe main suspect who allegedly shot the officerspolice also arrested 38-year-old Kimberly Koval and 18-year-old Marcus Maseda, who allegedly interfered with the officers. Kimberly Koval and Maseda were charged with the obstruction of justice, interfering with the duties of a police officer, and assault and battery on a police officer. The entire force on the Southport (NC) Police Department have been suspended and placed on paid administrative leave after the chief and a lieutenant were arrested "and charged with double-dipping at a second job while on the clock at the police department," according to WECT-TV. Chief Gary Smith and Lieutenant Michael Christian Simmons were "charged with conspiracy to obtain property by false pretenses, willful failure to discharge duties, and obstruction of justice," according to reports. State investigators said Smith and Simmons were driving overnight shifts for an unnamed local trucking company during the same hours they had claimed on their daily activity reports for the Southport Police Department. District Attorney Jon David said that although all police have been temporarily suspended, the public should not assume that all are guilty of misconduct, and that the investigation continues. David added that some of the officers who are now suspended were, in fact, the whistleblowers who alerted him to the problem. "A lot of these officers have done absolutely nothing wrong. Some of them are the ones that first came forward," David said. "This stain should not be extended to the officers who take seriously their duty to serve and protect." Ryanair cancels flights from Budapest Portfolio Save article Share Hungarian Ryanair has cancelled three of its flights flying from Budapest on the weekend without notifying passengers in advance. On Saturday, it cancelled the flights to Rome and London and its Sunday flight to London also did not take off. Hungarian news portal index.hu reported that passengers that should have left for London at 13:15 on Saturday were notified only at 2 P.M. that they should make other plans the 6th Edition of Target Ka Badshah ( Read 3845 Times) 30 Jul 18 Share | Print This Page Udaipur : Kamdhenu Paints, the fastest growing brand of decorative paint segment of India, recently recognized the best performing channel partners at the 6th edition of Target Ka Badshah held at Bintan and Singapore. Sachin Paint took home the prestigious Award for Excellence trophy presented by Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor. Target Ka Badshah is an innovative scheme / program to reward the dealers who have achieved sales target and hence complimented growth of Kamdhenu Group. Under this scheme, dealers not only get all paid vacation at a foreign location but they also get a chance to meet number of Bollywood celebrities. Under this program / scheme, Kamdhenu Limited, high-performing dealers from all over the country are rewarded under different categories like Award for Excellence, New Rising Star, Award for Achievement etc. This year Target Ka Badshah was graced by Bollywood stars Madhuri Dixit, Sonam Kapoor and Anil Kapoor. Mr Satish Kumar Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director, Kamdhenu Ltd and Mr Saurabh Agarwal, Director, Kamdhenu Ltd. addressed the event. Approximately, 600 dealers / channel partners from all parts of India attended the event and were rewarded under various categories. Speaking at the event, Mr Satish Kumar Agarwal said, At Kamdhenu, we treat channel partners and dealers as an individual and member of the Kamdhenu family. They play a key role in making Kamdhenu a household name and we therefore incentivize them through innovative schemes like Target Ka Badshah. This also provides us with an opportunity to not only thank our channel partners for their continued patronage, but also obtain a better understanding of their needs, and the best ways to support and collaborate with them. Addressing the dealers, Mr Saurabh Agarwal said, We have enjoyed a long standing relationship with our channel partners. Events such as these are vital towards strengthening these ties as well as keeping them well informed about the latest technological innovations and products introduced by us. It also provides us with an avenue through which we can explore additional partnership opportunities. We are encouraged by the tremendous response to the Target Ka Badshah initiative and we are looking into organizing more such innovative events to encourage our channel partners Source : This Article/News is also avaliable in following categories : Udaipur News Your Comments ! Share Your Openion Whetting your whistle in withering weather From:Shine | 2018-07-30 01:29 A young man carries a dozen bottles of water to a refrigerator set outside a Lawson store near Caoyang Road Metro Station in Putuo District on Saturday. The fridge was offering free drinks for people who had been working under the scorching sun. Shanghai is enduring a July scorcher. The mercury hit 35 degrees on Saturday for the fifth consecutive day. Gao Mingli, 56, a city sanitation worker, felt the heat like everyone else as he parked his bike near an exit of the Caoyang Road Metro Station. He walked to a Lawson convenience store, grabbed a bottle of refrigerated water and left without paying. About the same time, several bicycle deliverymen came to the refrigerator and likewise left with free water. Their savior is a refrigerator that appeared last Wednesday outside the shop, after word spread online about a shop in the city of Hangzhou that was offering complimentary free drinks for deliverymen, sanitation workers and traffic police forced to work in the heat. I saw the video last Tuesday and thought it was really a good idea, said Wang Chongjun, one of the organizers of the free water. Why cant we do something similar? Wang and a group of volunteers found a secondhand refrigerator, bought about 800 yuan (US$118) worth of cold drinks to fill it and got the permission of the Lawson store to install outside there. A fried chicken eatery granted power to the refrigerator. Wang and his team posted a video of the free drinks refrigerator online, and the information went viral. By Saturday, the original video his team filmed and posted on a WeChat account was viewed more than 10 million times. At the end of the first day, all free drinks in the refrigerator had been taken, and people were showing up to restock it with donations. Good Samaritans came from across Shanghai to bring water, including second-grader Du Yichen and her grandmother from Minhang District. The young girl even gave a bottle to an old woman hobbling past. The refrigerator quickly became a symbol of community compassion. People took pictures and posted them on social media. On Friday, a Shanghai Daily reporter went down to the site at around noon. While there, he saw more than 20 deliverymen take drinks from the refrigerator within an hour. Each took only one bottle. A bottle of water doesnt save me much money, said Chen Chunlin, a take-out deliveryman with Ele.me, but I am grateful that people care about us. We went to district market authorities and did the paperwork to make this project totally legit, Wang explained. He told Shanghai Daily that his team originally meant to leave the refrigerator unattended, but that became a problem when well-wishers also started bringing soup and congee to put in it. That raised food-safety concerns, so volunteers took turns tending the fridge. Wang Li, who works in a nearby bank, said she donated a bottle of orange juice. When I went back later in the day, I saw it was gone, said Wang. Im glad someone took it. Wang Rongjiang / SHINE A deliveryman grabs bottled water on Saturday from the refrigerator outside Changning Raffles City, while a police officer peers into the donated appliance. The air temperature that day reached 35 degrees. Wang Rongjiang / SHINE The idea caught on. More refrigerators appeared around the city. On Friday, outside Changning Raffles City near Zhongshan Park, staff from the shopping mall put water and watermelons in a refrigerator they commandeered. Zhang Yanbo from Raffles City said some restaurants in the shopping mall were also offering free mung bean soup and lemon juice to deliverymen. The staff left a blackboard next to the freezer, where people could write whatever they were thinking. Donors praised the hard work of deliverymen, sanitation workers and police. Liu Lian, a deliveryman who has just picked up a slice of watermelon, wrote shank you in misspelled English. Sometimes people treat me badly if I didnt deliver their meals on time, Liu said. But this proves that most people are very kind-hearted. In suburban Jiading and Jinshan, people are also setting up refrigerators with free drinks for those who have to work outdoors. Of course, there are those who take advantage of the goodwill. On Saturday morning, a Shanghai Daily reporter saw a teenage girl take four bottles of different drinks from the freezer at Raffles City, stash them in a backpack and ride off on a BMX bike. Lian Pei, another organizer of the refrigerator, said such misuse in minimal, and its hard to keep a close eye on people all the time. He also said his group had to accept a refrigerator donated by a convenience store after the one they originally were using broke down. Some netizens have begun to question the motives of the free-drink phenomenon after videos posted on social media seemed to favor certain drink brands. Wang shrugged off the suggestion of a commercial motive. His biggest worry now, he said, is the volume of donated drinks that are piling up. Theres no place to store all the bottles. I received calls from as far away as Hubei and Guizhou provinces, asking me for advice on setting up similar refrigerators, said Wang. I told them it would probably be more effective if companies installed their own fridges downstairs. Both Wang and Lian said they arent planning to make the refrigerators a business and will end the practice later this week, though forecasts still predict temperatures in the 30s. ( Read 8821 Times) Source : The company installs two RO plants, four water ATMs and one mobile van ATM to provide safe drinking water in two panchayats in Debari, near UdaipurSafe drinking water has always been one of the major concerns especially in rural India. To address to this critical issue, Hindustan Zinc installs two water purifying RO plants in 2 Panchayats of Udaipur namely Maharaj Ki Khedi and Mandesar in Tus Dangiyan covering 4 villages. Each plant will function with a purification rate of 1000L/ hour, benefitting over 10,000 rural people of these villages.These plants were inaugurated by the Chief Guest - MLA of Vallabhnagar, Maharaj Randhir Singh Bhindar on 30th July, 2018. During the event, he said The rural areas face a lot of issues related to safe drinking water and this initiative of Hindustan Zinc was indeed exemplary.Mr. Sunil Duggal CEO, Hindustan Zinc and Mr. Amitabh Gupta CFO, Hindustan Zinc, also visited the plant. During his visit, Mr. Duggal, discussed about the operations of the plant and availability of drinking water in the village.In association with Water Life, these installed RO plants with a capacity of 3000 litres, are built with the advanced membrane technology with the help of which the water is processed via 10 stages of purification before being dispensed and are backed up by the solar power to prevent its dependency on electricity. 20 litres of water can be dispensed at minimum amount of Rs.5.Under this project, 4 water ATMs are also installed in the areas of Peepli Kuan and Garrivas in Maharaj Ki Kedi, and slums of Mandesar and Gomati in Tus Dangiyan. The water from these ATMs is available 24x7 and can be dispensed by the people with the help of a prepaid ATM card which were given to the villagers while registering them. Apart from these ATMs, an individual mobile ATM van with a capacity of 2000 litres was also inaugurated to reach out to the remote areas of the villages to which the plant is not accessible.The opening of the event took place in a Government School of Maharaj Ki Khedi. During the opening event, Mrs. Neelima Khetan CSR Head, Hindustan Zinc, briefed about this initiative and the future course of action related to these plants.Mr. Pavan Kaushik Head Corporate Communication said People are benefiting from various projects run by the Hindustan Zinc and the company will always be committed towards the areas of education, health, cleanliness and empowerment.Also present during the event were, Mr. Pravin Kumar Jain Head Corporate Relations, Mr. Manoj Nashine Unit Head Debari, Mr. Devilal Gurjar - Deputy Mininster, Mr. Nirmal Jain Sarpanch, Mr. Mohan Ranbaore - Co-Founder of Water Life and other village members. MUMBAI, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Offers Fully Furnished Offices With Required Amenities and Support Staff at Zero Branch Management Cost Over the last couple of decades, urban metros led the growth story of India Inc. The next round of growth will be led by the untapped markets of Tier II and Tier III cities of India. To kick-start business operations in cities of potential growth, Narayan Bhargava Group introduces 'My Branch'. It offers fully furnished office spaces with high-speed Internet, telephone connections, staffed reception and various utilities to ease business in the city of one's choice. My Branch eliminates all hassles and costs related to property scouting, leasing, compliance, office furnishing, set-up, maintenance and support staffing. It provides instant presence to one's business by opening its own branch with ready-to-move in premium office spaces and best-in-class amenities. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/724111/My_Branch_Logo.jpg ) The office spaces are equipped with trained support staff such as receptionist, office admin, security and housekeeping to cater to the daily business needs. My Branch enhances employee convenience by providing ample parking space, cafeteria and fully equipped conference rooms. IT support, compliance services, document storage space, meeting/training rooms with an array of desks and cabins are provided for smooth functioning of businesses. My Branch adds zero branch management cost to business expansion budgets by eliminating expenses towards brokerage, electricity and maintenance. It gives a strategic impetus to business expansion plans by setting up business branch offices at key locations barring the high investment of establishment. Currently My Branch spans over 16 locations in India with 16 fully operational offices. It covers major domestic corners of the country with offices in Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Jamshedpur, Jaipur (2), Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Panaji, Pune and Ranchi. It has served 18 clients across various functions such as BFSI, BPO, equipments, event management, FMCG, insurance, media, NBFC, retail, wealth management and more. It plans to spread its presence across 40 more cities in the coming year. My Branch comprises of young and motivated individuals who help drive business expansion plans in the right direction with operational efficiency. Visit http://www.mybranch.co.in to tap potential markets of business with My Branch. About Narayan Bhargava Group Founded in 1979, the Narayan Bhargava Group is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra and is India's most dependable business support and growth partner. Its pan India network of associates and affiliates comprises global multinationals, large private enterprises and governmental institutions spread across 350+ locations in the country. The group employs a highly credible workforce of experienced and respected professionals who deliver the best solutions in quick succession and drive remarkable customer experiences. For more details, visit http://www.narayanbhargavagroup.com or write to us at [email protected] or [email protected]. Media Contact : Neelam Solanki [email protected] +91-9136907558 My Branch Services Private Limited SOURCE Narayan Bhargava Group BANGALORE, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vivaldis joins hands with Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences, Inc. (Nutramax), a global leader in supplements to support the health of companion animals. Nutramax is committed to research and development with products backed by efficacy, bioavailability and safety trials conducted at leading veterinary schools. Nutramax also has a number of patents and revolutionary products to their credit. With the collaboration with Nutramax, Vivaldis stands committed to its dictum to contribute to the prosperity of the pet healthcare industry by introducing pioneering products in India. The first Nutramax product being launched is Denamarin, the #1 veterinary recommended supplement in the U.S. for liver support for dogs and cats. Denamarin is a patented formula of SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) and silybin. Formulation of SAMe is always a challenge as it is a very unstable compound and also sensitive to moisture. Nutramax, being committed to quality, safety, and efficacy, has effectively combined SAMe with SPC (silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex) by combining silybin and phosphatidylcholine, the bioavailability of silybin is increased and a more consistent absorption is achieved. The first formal Denamarin launch meet was held in Bangalore on the 15th of July 2018. The seminar was arranged in association with Pet Practitioner Association of Karnataka (PPAK). This was a very successful event with more than 80 eminent veterinarians attending. Dr. K. Jeyraja, Ph.D., Professor, Veterinary Clinical Medicine Madras Veterinary College, addressed the group on the topic, 'Diagnosis and Management of Common Hepatic Diseases in Dogs'. Various types of liver diseases of dogs, evaluation parameters and their effective management were the main focus of the entire session. About Denamarin The 'two actives - one patented formula' of Denamarin is recommended for dogs and cats to support healthy liver function. SAMe helps to increase glutathione levels, protects liver cells and protects RBCs from oxidative damage. Silybin promotes hepatocyte protein synthesis and stimulates bile flow. The combination of SAMe and Silybin makes Denamarin a multi-faceted approach to liver support. Denamarin Indications 1. Chronic liver disease 2. Acute liver disease 3. Canine hepatitis 4. Infectious liver disease 5. Lipidosis Composition Denamarin is available in two strengths: 1. S-AdenosylMethionine (SAMe) 225 mg with Silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex 82 mg providing 24mg of Silybin A+B 2. S-AdenosylMethionine (SAMe) 425 mg with Silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex 120 mg providing 35mg of Silybin A+B About Vivaldis Health & Foods Pvt. Ltd Vivaldis is a leading animal healthcare company based in Pune. It was born out of the vision of professionals who are passionate about animal and human healthcare. The company plays an active role in the care, cure and management of animal health by introducing innovative and ground-breaking treatment options. The product portfolio comprises global brands like Cosequin for joint health, other unique formulations for gastrointestinal problems and dermatological conditions, and range of lifestyle disease management products with Molecular Activation Technology. Enzyme-based novel formulations, duly supported by the routine formulations for infection and infestation control are also available that maximise health, agility, productivity and performance of companion animals. Media Contact : Ms. Sharvari Raut [email protected] +91-7741978949 Vivaldis Health & Foods Pvt. Ltd SOURCE Vivaldis Health & Foods Pvt. Ltd. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- JSC National company 'Astana EXPO-2017' delegation made a working visit to the city of Bangalore, India. Representatives of the national company visited India International Travel Mart exhibition, where they presented the EXPO 2017 Astana complex of facilities to journalists and leading Indian travel agencies. Moreover, members of the delegation met with the Minister for Tourism & Sericulture Govt. of Karnataka, Sri. SA. RA. Mahesh; Minister of Skills Development & Vocational Training of Sri Lanka John Amarathunga and Minister (Commercial) of the Democratic Social republic of Sri Lanka Yasantha De Silva Yaddehi. Astana EXPO exhibition has already become the new symbol of the Kazakh capital. The unique architectural site is attracting citizens of Kazakhstan as well as foreign visitors to the world's youngest capital city. For this reason, tourism development is among top-priority aspects in preservation of the exhibition's legacy. During the presentation of opportunities offered by the facilities of EXPO 2017 legacy at India International Travel Mart, a compelling point was made regarding the potential for the development of tourism in Kazakhstan, its main attractive features both for tourists from all over the world and the business community. A representative of JSC National company 'Astana EXPO-2017' noted that Kazakhstan is actively engaged in expanding its travel potential. Everyone now realizes that tourism plays enormous role for the country's economy and its image on global stage. This visit followed previously established relationships between the two countries. In 2017, India was among the participants of the International Specialized Exposition EXPO 2017 held in Astana. Besides, in 2015, EXPO commissioner Rapil Zhoshibaev travelled to India with a working visit. The Kazakh delegation headed by Mr. Zhoshibaev discussed various issues related to cooperation in the spheres of tourism and commerce. Currently, the complex of EXPO 2017 facilities is an architectural landmark and a symbol of Astana. The complex is developing comprehensively, being smoothly integrated into the city structure. On July 5, opening ceremony of the Astana International Financial Center took place on EXPO 2017 premises with the participation of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. It will become the new business center of Astana, and will bring even more international companies to Kazakhstan. Other important projects implemented at EXPO 2017 facilities are the Astana Hub and the IT University, the Center for Green Technologies, a business center and the congress and exhibition venue. The complex is ready to host international events of any level and complexity. SOURCE Astana EXPO-2017 TORONTO, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- (In United States dollars, except where noted otherwise) First Quantum Minerals Ltd. ("First Quantum" or the "Company") (TSX: FM), today reported comparative earnings[1] of $128 million ($0.19 per share[1]), net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Company[1] of $135 million ($0.20 per share) and cash flows from operating activities of $407 million ($0.59 per share[1]) for the three months ended June 30, 2018. The results include a $45 million loss realized under the copper sales hedge program for which no tax credit is available. SUMMARY: Solid Operations: Record Quarterly Copper Sales of 152,403 tonnes; Low Unit Cost of Production Maintained Produced 150,950 tonnes of copper [ 2] : 28% increase year-over-year at the Sentinel mine. Maintenance shutdown at Las Cruces deferred to the third quarter while Kansanshi commenced its previously announced maintenance shutdown of its high pressure leach circuit. Unit cost of copper production [ 3] : All-in sustaining cost ("AISC") = $1.76 per pound; Cash cost ("C1") = $1.28 per pound; Total cost ("C3") = $2.11 per pound. Strong Operating Cash Flows and Liquidity Generated $407 million of cash flows from operating activities. Almost double that of the comparative quarter in 2017 on a higher realized copper price and sales volume. Extended the copper hedge program: 25,000 tonnes of unmargined copper forward sales contracts at an average price of $3.15 per lb with periods of maturity to December 2018 ; 98,000 tonnes of zero cost collar unmargined sales contracts at weighted average prices of $3.04 per lb to $3.45 per lb with maturities to June 2019 . Ended the quarter with $682 million in net unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, $1,500 million of committed undrawn facilities and in full compliance with all financial covenants. Key Milestones Achieved at the Cobre Panama Project Towards Phased Commissioning in 2018 Synchronized set 1 of the power station and started supplying power into the national grid. Started receiving and unloading full coal shipments at the port. Began first commissioning activities at the process plant. Recorded over 10 million continuous hours worked without incurring a Lost Time Injury. Other In July 2018 , the Company's Zambian operations were advised by the country's state-run power company of its plans to reduce power supply to the Kansanshi complex and Sentinel for about a 31-day period, beginning late July, to facilitate maintenance and upgrades to the electricity network. Plans are in place at both sites to optimally manage operations during this period. Market production guidance is currently unchanged. Further to the assessment, received in March 2018 , from the Zambia Revenue Authority ("ZRA") regarding import duties, the Company has provided to the ZRA the relevant documentation in its rebuttal of the assessment and remains engaged with the agency and committed to ensuring transparency in all discussions between the parties. On June 1, 2018 , ZCCM International Holdings PLC sought to amend its application for additional grounds on which to challenge a February 22, 2018 Arbitral Tribunal's ruling that denied it permission to continue Arbitration proceedings against Kansanshi Holdings Limited and Kansanshi Mining PLC. A hearing on the application is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2019. Corporate Developments: Elected, with Northern Dynasty Minerals, to terminate the framework agreement, announced on December 15, 2017 , in accordance with its terms after being unable to reach agreement on the contemplated option and partnership transaction on the Pebble project. Declared an interim dividend of CDN$0.005 per share, in respect of the financial year ending December 31, 2018 . [1] Net earnings (loss) attributable to shareholders of the Company has been adjusted to exclude items which are not reflective of underlying performance to arrive at comparative earnings (loss). Comparative earnings (loss), comparative earnings (loss) per share, comparative EBITDA and cash flows per share are not measures recognized under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company has disclosed these measures to assist with the understanding of results and to provide further financial information about the results to investors. Refer to the "Regulatory Disclosures" section in the MD&A for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 for further information. [2] Production is presented on a copper contained basis, and is presented prior to processing through the Kansanshi smelter. [3] AISC, C1 and C3 costs per pound are not recognized under IFRS. Refer to the "Regulatory Disclosures" section in the MD&A for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 for further information. CEO'S COMMENTS "We are pleased with the results for the quarter and first six months of the year. Our operations performed well and in line with plan while several important milestones were achieved at Cobre Panama," noted Philip Pascall, Chairman and CEO. "The start of power supply into the national grid from the first of two generating sets at the power station is significant as it will eventually provide the requirements for that entire operation. Equally important is the project's safety record. Throughout our Company, one of our top priorities is to continually strengthen and improve our safety culture. We are heartened to see this fully embraced by the predominately Panamanian workforce at Cobre Panama. "While metal prices are being negatively affected by global political concerns, demand for copper remains robust. We continue to sell all of our production into a market where there is excess demand. This supports our belief that the pressure on the copper price is not driven by fundamentals. Nevertheless, in light of current conditions, we think it is prudent to extend our copper sales hedge program on a limited basis. The intent is to ensure a certain level of cash flow during Cobre Panama's commissioning and ramp-up phases that precede commercial operations," Mr. Pascall concluded. OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS Three months ended Six months ended June 30 June 30 (U.S. dollars where applicable) 2018 2017 2018 2017 COPPER - Production (tonnes) 150,950 141,912 296,308 274,268 - Sales (tonnes) 152,403 139,521 290,424 279,331 - Cost of production: o AISC (per lb) $1.76 $1.50 $1.74 $1.54 o C1 (per lb) $1.28 $1.12 $1.28 $1.19 o C3 (per lb) $2.11 $1.95 $2.13 $2.00 - Realized price (per lb) $2.95 $2.24 $2.85 $2.22 GOLD - Production (ounces) 46,467 50,040 92,396 100,619 - Sales (ounces) 48,172 52,020 96,987 98,924 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Three months ended Six months ended June 30 June 30 (U.S. dollars millions, except where noted otherwise) 2018 2017 2018 2017 Sales revenues 1,049 782 1,934 1,548 Gross profit 271 66 452 135 Net earnings (loss) attributable to shareholders of the Company 135 (35) 182 (149) Basic earnings (loss) per share $0.20 ($0.05) $0.27 ($0.22) Diluted earnings (loss) per share $0.20 ($0.05) $0.26 ($0.22) Comparative EBITDA 466 267 829 532 Comparative earnings (loss) 128 (18) 177 (47) Comparative earnings (loss) per share $0.19 ($0.03) $0.26 ($0.07) Cash flow from operating activities 407 205 1,203 444 CONFERENCE CALL & WEBCAST Conference call and webcast details are as follows: Date: July 31, 2018 Time: 9:00 am (EDT); 2:00 pm (BST); 6:00 am (PDT) Webcast: http://www.first-quantum.com Dial in: North America: (toll free) (877) 291-4570 North America and international: 1 (647) 788-4919 United Kingdom: (toll free) 0-800-051-7107 Available from noon (Eastern) on July 31, 2018 until 11:59 pm (Eastern) on Replay: August 14, 2018 North America: (toll free) (800) 585-8367 North America and international: 1 (416) 621-4642 Passcode: 6282328 COMPLETE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS The complete consolidated financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 are available at http://www.first-quantum.com and should be read in conjunction with this news release. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of First Quantum Minerals Ltd. G. Clive Newall President For further information visit our website at http://www.first-quantum.com CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements include estimates, forecasts and statements as to the Company's expectations of production and sales volumes, and expected timing of completion of project development at Cobre Panama and Enterprise and are subject to the impact of ore grades on future production, the potential of production disruptions, capital expenditure and mine production costs, the outcome of mine permitting, other required permitting, the outcome of legal proceedings which involve the Company, information with respect to the future price of copper, gold, nickel, zinc, pyrite, cobalt, iron and sulphuric acid, estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, First Quantum's exploration and development program, estimated future expenses, exploration and development capital requirements, the Company's hedging policy, and goals and strategies. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about continuing production at all operating facilities, the price of copper, gold, nickel, zinc, pyrite, cobalt, iron and sulphuric acid, anticipated costs and expenditures and the ability to achieve the Company's goals. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to, future production volumes and costs, the temporary or permanent closure of uneconomic operations, costs for inputs such as oil, power and sulphur, political stability in Zambia, Peru, Mauritania, Finland, Spain, Turkey, Panama, Argentina and Australia, adverse weather conditions in Zambia, Finland, Spain, Turkey, Mauritania and Panama, labour disruptions, potential social and environmental challenges, power supply, mechanical failures, water supply, procurement and delivery of parts and supplies to the operations, and the production of off-spec material. See the Company's Annual Information Form for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause actual results, performances, achievements or events not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Also, many of these factors are beyond First Quantum's control. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. All forward-looking statements and information made herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. North American contact: Sharon Loung, Director, Investor Relations, Tel: (647)346-3934, Fax: (604)688-3818, Toll Free: 1(888)688-6577, E-Mail: sharon.loung@fqml.com; United Kingdom contact: Clive Newall, President, Tel: +44-140-327-3484, Fax: +44-140-327-3494, E-Mail: clive.newall@fqml.com SOURCE First Quantum Minerals Ltd. LONDON and WASHINGTON, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed that it does not intend to take any regulatory action against Hogan Lovells International LLP in relation to a complaint made by Lord Peter Hain in January of this year. The peer had made a series of allegations against the firm in the House of Lords in January this year which claimed that Hogan Lovells in South Africa had been complicit in supporting corruption in that country through its work for the South African Revenue Service (SARS). According to a spokesperson for Hogan Lovells: "Hogan Lovells has consistently rejected the allegations made by Lord Hain. This was a piece of work carried out in South Africa for a South African client by South African qualified lawyers and we are pleased that the SRA, with whom we have fully co-operated, agrees with this. The appropriate forum for resolving any dispute is and always has been in South Africa with the Law Society of the Northern Provinces. We proactively brought this matter to their attention when Lord Hain raised his complaint and we are working closely with them. In addition, the chair of our practice in that country has twice given evidence to the South African parliament and fully accounted for the work that we undertook." "We understand the need for transparency and we are very happy for our work to be scrutinized by the appropriate authorities. We remain committed to supporting investment in South Africa at this time and to continuing to contribute locally to our capacity building and pro bono programmes in collaboration with other key stakeholders." About Hogan Lovells Hogan Lovells is a leading global legal practice providing business-oriented legal advice and high-quality service across its exceptional breadth of practices to clients around the world. "Hogan Lovells" or the "firm" is an international legal practice that includes Hogan Lovells US LLP and Hogan Lovells International LLP. For more information, see www.hoganlovells.com. Related Links http://www.hoganlovells.com SOURCE Hogan Lovells Home Just In China NGO Network to provide assistance to Nepals social development Kathmandu, July 30 The Government of China is going to provide assistance through various projects to social development endeavours of Nepal. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Social Welfare Council and the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) to run projects in the field of community development, livelihood, disaster management, skills-oriented training, education and health services. The MoU was signed on Sunday evening, according to the Council. The MoU was signed by Minister for Women, Children and Elderly Citizens Tham Maya Thapa on behalf of the Council and visiting Chinese Deputy Minister for External Affairs Wang Yajun on behalf of China. Minister Thapa also chairs the Social Welfare Council. On the occasion, Minister Thapa stressed the need for strengthening age-old relations between the two countries at the people-to-people level, while saying the agreement would help the countries establish cooperation and coordination for their socioeconomic development. Deputy Minister Wang expressed happiness over being able to support the development and prosperity of neighbouring Nepal. Meanwhile, the Councils legal advisor Nisha Baniya shared that Chinese government donated two broomer machines to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. RSS The delay of Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee in deciding whether to endorse or reject the name of Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshee for the vacant position of Chief Justice has been the most discussed issue on the front pages of major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Monday. Some newspapers have informed that Joshees nomination for the top judicial job has become uncertain as many members of the Committee do not want to see him as the Chief Justice. On the other hand, officials of the Tribhuvan University have issued a statement against a recent agreement signed between the government and medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC as it has promised to take action against some of them. A couple of newspapers have covered the issue on the front pages. Few other sociocultural, political and financial issues have also been featured on the cover pages. Important Parliamentary committee to decide Joshees fate today Following two postponements, the Parliamentary Hearing Committee has scheduled its next meeting for Monday afternoon and it is expected to make a decision about whether to endorse, reject or further probe Deepak Raj Joshees nomination for the Chief Justice, according to Naya Patrika lead story. Gorkhapatra says members of the Committee have consulted top political leaders including Prime Minister Oli as they found some errors in Joshees certificates. Likewise, most of the members are not satisfied with Joshees dealing with their questions during the hearing last week. Kantipur says members of the Committee representing the ruling Nepal Communist Party are waiting for a directive from the party on whether to endorse or reject his name. Naya Patrika explains that two parties in the governmentincluding the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepalhave two-thirds majority in the Committee, the number of votes required to reject his name. TU officials defend themselves against possible actions Kantipur and Republica report that officials of the Tribhuvan University on Sundnay issued a public statement threatening they will not abide by a recent agreement signed between the government and medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC. As the government has agreed with Dr KC to take action against university officials for their involvement in various anomalies in the medical education sector as recommended by a probe commission led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, the University has opposed possible actions, according to the reports. However, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has been studying the report of the Medical Education Probe Commission to chart the possible course of action against 43 officials, reports Republica. Ignored Nepal renews visit invitation to Xi Jinping The government-run Gorkhapatra reports that Nepal has once again extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Nepal at his convenient time. As Vice Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China, Wang Yajun, called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Kathmandu yesterday, Oli told the guest that he was desperate to welcome Xi in Nepal, stressing such high level visits are essential for strengthening the ties between two countries.. 113 Nepal-India border pillars lost Naya Patrika informs that as many as 113 border pillars on Nepal-India border land have been found lost recently. Earlier, there were 552 such pillars in the no-mans land bordering Banke and Bardiya districts of Nepal. But now, 13 pillars of Banke and 100 of Bardiya have gone lost, according to the report. OPMCM launches probe against Forest Ministry officials The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has launched an investigation into recent foreign visits made by 59 officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives as their visits breached the governments good governance policy, according to a three-column story of Rajdhani. Officials of the Ministry including Secretary Yubak Dhoj GC have claimed that the visit did not breach any rule. Govt fails to make public tiger census report The Kathmandu Post anchor story reports that the government of Nepal has failed to make public a report from recent tiger census as scheduled for it feared an outcry from stakeholders and public about the decrease in the number of wild cat. The report was expected on the occasion of World Tiger Day yesterday, but the release was cancelled at the last hour, reportedly because the number of tigers in Chitwan National Park has significantly decreased in past one year. Interesting Nepals royal crown will be exhibited soon The lead story in Nepal Samacharpatra informs that the Narayanhiti Palace Museum is preparing to exhibit the royal crown too. Though the museum was opened few years ago, the crown of the king has not been made public till date. The report informs that the museum is planning to install a new electronic security system before letting members of the public see the crown. It has been expected that the crown will be exhibited within next four months. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Home Just In Joshees CJ nomination: Parliamentary panel postpones meeting for the second time Kathmandu, July 29 The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee on Sunday postponed its meeting scheduled for this morning till Monday afternoon. The meeting called for 8 am today will now convene at 2 pm tomorrow, according to Rastriya Janata Party Nepals Laxman Lal Karna, who chairs the meeting as the seniormost member. The meeting was called to decide whether to endorse or reject the nomination of Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshee for the position of Chief Justice. Though parliamentary hearing in Nepal has so far been a mere formality, the panel consisting of members of both houses of the Federal Parliament is delaying its decision this time. The Committee had summoned and interviewed Joshee on Thursday. His performance during the hearing was reportedly below expectation and he had failed to answer many questions of the lawmakers. In the meantime, his academic certificates are found to have mentioned contradictory data about his examination roll numbers among others. Therefore, the Committee had earlier decided to carry out a further probe. This is the second time the meeting was postponed. Immediately after the hearing session, the meeting was called for Friday for the decision, but it was postponed till Sunday later. Meanwhile, members of the Committee representing the ruling Nepal Communist Party have demanded that the party leader provide them with a clear direction about if they can reject Joshees name if the probe finds errors on his part. If the party wants to endorse the name, we will not probe his papers. Otherwise, we will do that, a PHSC member says. RZD Logistics and China Railway Corp have delivered an initial shipment of goods from Beijing to Moscow in a van attached to a passenger train, following the signing on June 8 of a memorandum for the development of cross-border express freight services. The shipment of LED lights and office supplies ... Head of St. Petersburg venture capital fund found guilty of funneling assets RIA Novosti, Vladimir Trefilov 10:59 30/07/2018 MOSCOW, July 30 (RAPSI) The head of the fund for support of St. Petersburgs small businesses Rifat Islyayev had been sentenced to 3 years on probation for abuse of office and deliberately placing 200 million rubles (about $3.3 million) in a bank on a brink of closure, the St. Petersburg Prosecutors Office has told RAPSI. According to prosecutors, Islyayev admitted guilt and his case was reviewed under a special procedure. Earlier, investigators stated that heads of Fund for Assisting Venture Investments in Small Enterprises in the Scientific-Technical Sphere in St. Petersburg NGO brought attention of law enforcement to Islyayev, who was believed to transfer money between banks without consulting anyone else in December 2016. He allegedly cashed in 200 million rubles from Bank St. Petersburg and placed the money in Taftobank with the latter losing its license soon afterwards. The Fund was unable to return money frozen on the account and its activities came to a halt as a result. The applicants believe that Islyayev was acting deliberately. The Fund was created by the St. Petersburg government and was tasked with support of small innovative enterprises. Moscow court overturns sentence for alleged accomplice of Komi Republics ex-head Gaizer RIA Novosti 13:59 30/07/2018 MOSCOW, July 30 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court has overturned the sentence for Demyan Moskvin, found guilty of embezzlement, money laundering and participation in a criminal organization, related to the criminal case of ex-governor of Russias Komi Republic Vyacheslav Gaizer, the press-service of the court has told RAPSI. The defendant was also released from detention and put under house arrest. The Zamoskvoretsky Moscow District Courts ruling passed on May 3 sentenced Moskvin to 6 years in a high security penal colony and fined 2 million rubles ($32,000). His case was reviewed separately due to him admitting guilt. According to investigators, Moskvin controlled offshore financial flows of the gang and testified against his accomplices. Investigators believe that a criminal gang involving Gaizer, another Komi Republics ex-head Vladimir Torlopov, ex-deputy head Alexander Chernov, ex-Chairman of the Republican State Council Igor Kovzel and 10 other people, was organized in 2006. Depending of their involvement and role in crimes, they are charged with taking bribes, embezzlement and money laundering. According to investigation, the gang leaders and members committed crimes aimed at occupation of the regions highly profitable enterprises or instituting control over them for the purposes of unlawful enrichment. They allegedly caused a 4.5-billion-ruble (over $70 million) damage to the republic. Investigators also accuse the gang members of taking bribes totaling to 160 million rubles in 2013. Moreover, Gaizer himself received 37.5 million rubles in bribes for assignment of a person identified by investigators to the post of the Syktyvkar liquor producers director. In August 2016, one of the defendants, businessman Anton Faershtein died in a Moscow detention center. Putin signs law on appeals courts Lyudmila Klenko, RAPSI 11:32 30/07/2018 MOSCOW, July 30 (RAPSI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed law on establishment of independent cassation and appeals courts of general jurisdiction in Russia, the official website of the legal information reads. The State Duma, the Parliaments lower house, adopted the bill in the third and final reading on July 17 and the Federation Council passed it on July 24. The law has been drafted by the Supreme Court of Russia. Amendments are proposed to laws "On the Judicial System of the Russian Federation", On Courts of General Jurisdiction of the Russian Federation, On Military Courts of the Russian Federation, and On the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. The law envisages creation of 9 cassation and 5 appeals courts of general jurisdiction within the relevant judicial circuits that involve territories of several subjects of the Russian Federation. According to the Supreme Court, it is necessary to create certain judicial levels for establishment of independent courts considering appeals. Currently, the legality of judgments is being considered by courts issuing these rulings. President Vladimir Putin earlier supported this initiative stating that creation of cassation and appeals courts would give new opportunities for appealing judicial acts and enhance independence of these instances. Russian President signs law on extending disciplinary sanctions against judges RIA Novosti, Igor Zarembo 14:41 30/07/2018 MOSCOW, July 30 (RAPSI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law extending disciplinary sanctions against judges, the document published on the official website of legal information reads. The law envisages introducing such punishment as reduction of judges in qualification category for serious disciplinary offenses. This disciplinary penalty would allow qualification board of judges to take disciplinary actions against judges more accurately and differentiate liability for committed violations depending on the situation. Amendments are proposed to the laws On the Status of Judges in the Russian Federation and On Bodies of the Judiciary in the Russian Federation. They are aimed at the shift in the role of court chairmen in judge appointment and improvement of the order of judges disciplinary responsibility, an explanatory note to the bill reads. Russias business ombudsman Boris Titov has backed the bill. He has said that it is also necessary to give the Supreme Court a mandate to reverse patently illegal rulings delivered by lower courts. The law will come into force on September 1, 2019. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate Kathmandu, July 30 Though Nepal is still compelled to buy electricity from India during the dry season, the country now claims that its monsoon production already exceeds the demand. Therefore, Nepal Electricity Authority says it will export electricity to India during the monsoon season. The Authority informs that the Nepal has been producing more power than needed during this monsoon season too. However, exporting it to the southern neighbour has not been possible this time for the want of an agreement between two countries to begin an energy banking project. The Authority leadership says it is making efforts to sign the agreement at the earliest so that the country needs not waste power. Currently, Nepal has been wasting 30 to 40 megawatt power every night, according to the Authoritys officials. Nepal imports as much as 500 megawatt energy form India during the dry season. Meanwhile, India is also positive about purchasing power from Nepal, according to the officials. Posted by Jeremy on at 05:28 PM CST "When purchasing LEGO Star Wars products worth a total of 65, there is the Han Solo Mudtrooper (40300) in a polybag for free." Photo credit: Promobricks.de While shopping at the Big Store at LEGOLAND Germany and enjoying the selection of Summer 2018 sets that were released early a Promobricks.de reader also noted that the park is also running a special offer:For a good look at this soloSolo minifig simply head over to Brick Fanatics where they have a fully disected photo guide for your review. Unfortunately there isn't any sign of the imminent arrival of 40299 Kessel Mine Worker polybagged minifig yet.While many retailers have put the new LEGO Star Wars sets out ahead of the embargo they haven't been listed forpurchase on ELGO.com yet - check back tomorrow for all the links you need! Already a fifth of the nearly Rs 8,000 crore toothpaste market in India (around Rs 1,500 crore) is herbal with the segment estimated to become a fourth (or Rs 2,000 crore) in the next few years. Oral care major Colgate-Palmolive, which is facing stiff competition from rivals such as Patanjali in India, is now putting more heft behind its domestic naturals portfolio, Global Chairman, President and chief executive officer (CEO), Ian Cook said in an investor call. Speaking to analysts over the weekend, Cook said brands such as Colgate Swarna Vedshakti, launched last year, were an adequate foil to local brands. He said the brand was doing well in modern trade, adding that the company would put more investment behind it. Market shares are moving up on an ongoing basis. In modern trade, share is already up beyond 3 percentage points. So, we know the product (Swarna Vedshakti) will be effective in the marketplace. We will remain committed to putting advertising might behind it, he said. In the past two years, Colgate has built its naturals portfolio quickly with the launch of its first indigenously developed toothpaste Cibaca Vedshakti. Simultaneously, the company raised awareness of brands such as Colgate Active Salt and Colgate Herbal toothpastes, launching variants of the former to broad base its portfolio. In between, the company also launched a charcoal variant of its Colgate Total toothpaste and a clove variant of its Colgate Sensitive brand. Cook said that more products would be added to the portfolio as the naturals trend gained ground. Already a fifth of the nearly Rs 80-billion toothpaste market in India (around Rs 1,500 crore) is herbal with the segment estimated to become a fourth (or Rs 2,000 crore) in the next few years. Cook said naturals-based products would be led by local units across the world owing to high level of innovation involved. Naturals is a global trend and each market has its own interpretation of it, whether it is ingredient-based as in India or a specialised portfolio such as Toms of Maine in the US and Canada, Cook said. Colgates urgency to beef up its naturals portfolio in India comes amid rapid share loss. In the past two years, the company has lost 350 basis points in toothpaste market share even as Patanjali and Dabur have gained at its cost. According to analysts, for the April-June period, Colgates toothpaste market share stood at 52.4 per cent even as Dabur and Patanjali are estimated to have touched shares of around 12.6 per cent and 8.4 per cent, respectively. Hindustan Unilevers (HULs) share in toothpastes is estimated to be around 17 per cent, they said. In the previous conversation with analysts, Cook had said that the firm would rapidly roll out naturals-based products across markets such as China, Russia, US, West Asia, and all principal markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Cook gave an update on the initiative in his latest call, saying that these products were now available in 44 markets and would be rolled out in an additional 32 markets by the end of the 2018 calendar year. In toothpastes, we have launched naturals in every hub in Asia and broadly across Europe. We will launch naturals offerings in Latin America and Africa-Eurasia through the balance of the year, he added. Tata, who attended the annual gala event at the National Centre of Performing Arts after five years, was alluding to Chandras presentation on the performance of the Tata group of companies. Ratan N Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata group, expressed gratification with regard to the direction in which group companies were headed under the leadership of N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons. Addressing the annual gala event at the National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA), which is celebrated every year on the birth anniversary of J R D Tata, Ratan Tata said after hearing Chandra (as Chandrasekaran is addressed) that he was confident Tata Group is in safe hands. Tata, who attended the event after five years, was alluding to Chandras presentation on the performance of the Tata group of companies. Earlier in the day, marking the 114th anniversary of J R D Tata, Ratan Tata had inaugurated the group headquarters, Bombay House, which was reopened on Sunday after restoration and renovation for the first time in its 94-year-old history. The headquarters was reopened after nine months. The new office space boasts a modern look with well-designed common and collaborative spaces to meet the requirements of todays business, Tata Sons said. The new technology set up in the building has been designed to create digital workplaces with seamless integration. Each floor has digital meeting rooms with immersive technology to enable seamless collaboration. A custom-made app has been developed to bring together all the technology controls, the holding company said. It is a historic occasion and a great tribute to reopen the new Bombay House on JRD Tatas birth anniversary, said Chandra. The renovation has revolved around designing for the employees a more modern, collaborative and informal workplace, equipped with the best of technologies and security systems, he added. Bombay House was built on two plots of land bought by Sir Dorabji Tata, the groups second chairman and Jamsetji Tatas elder son, from the civic body of Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1920. The Tata group seems to be ready for the future, Tata said in his remarks at NCPA, which saw a congregation of Tata Sons directors, current and former managing directors of Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, including S Ramadorai, B Muthuraman and Ravi Kant, said a person who attended the event. The mood was upbeat, and the event was well attended. Quite a few former managing directors and Tata Sons directors marked their presence, said this person. In his address, Chandra goaded the chief executives of all the group companies from India and abroad to set higher goals and take the group to a newer height. Michio Kaku, an American theoretical physicist, futurist and populariser of science, was the keynote speaker at the event. A dance performance by the tribals of seven regions added a dash of colour to the evening function, said the person. Photograph: PTI Photo 'Fear of the Other stalks our lives as it did in ancient times and the mobs are just as easy to incite as it was then,' says Arundhuti Dasgupta. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com Murderous mobs are on the rampage. In Dhule, Maharashtra, a family of five was beaten to death; and before that, lynch mobs ran riot in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Bengal and Manipur. Mere suspicion has been enough to get the crowds thirsting for blood, their fury fuelled by false news of child kidnappings, rape or perceived insults to religious affiliations. At the receiving end of such mindless violence is a group of outsiders -- nomads, tourists, migrant labour and settlers from other regions. Fear of the Other stalks our lives as it did in ancient times and the mobs are just as easy to incite as it was then. Greek myth tells us of the maenads, followers of Dionysus who were often roused to fury by the god. One story goes about his visit to Thebes, which was ruled by Pentheus at the time. The king did not worship Dionysus and did not receive him with the respect due to a god. Angered, Dionysus is believed to have compelled the women of Thebes to quit their houses and indulge in riotous celebrations on Mount Parnassus. When the king went after them, the women assaulted him, and his mother Agave, in her Bacchic fury, mistook him for an animal and tore him to pieces. Mob fury backfired in the Indian tale about Kacha, son of the guru of the gods, Brihaspati. Kacha was sent to Shukracharya (teacher of the asuras) to learn the art of reviving the dead. Shukracharya did not turn away Kacha even though he was the son of the enemy. But the asuras were annoyed with their guru and, in their fury, killed Kacha several times. Each time Shukracharya brought him back to life. Frustrated by what they saw as their teacher's weakness, the asuras killed Kacha, dissolved his bones and fed them to Shukracharya. However, Shukracharya's daughter Devayani was in love with Kacha and begged her father to bring him back. When the guru tried to do that he found Kacha in his stomach. And thus, much against his own wishes, he taught him the secret mantra so that Kacha upon coming out of his guru's stomach, could revive Shukracharya. Myths also show that mob fury is often driven by a fear of the Other. One such story is about Babir, told by the Gavlis of Maharashtra. Babir was born to a tribe of cowherds. His mother had wrested a special boon from Shiva so that she could bear a son. Shiva gave her a choice: She could have a son who would be wise and brave but only live till he was 12 or one who was stupid but endowed with a long life. Much to the god's chagrin, she chose the wise one. Shiva tried hard to convince her otherwise and, finally, left with no choice, he decided to be born as her son. Babir grew up a gifted flute player. At age 12, he was out in the fields when his cows strayed into the fields of another tribe, the Ramoshis. Angered, the Ramoshis tried to steal his cows but when Babir played his flute, the cows always returned to him. The Ramoshis killed him and stuffed his body into a porcupine's den. The spot immediately turned holy and sprouted a neem tree. That night, Babir's mother had a dream. Her son came to her and pointed out the spot where he had been left to die. That spot was then turned into a shrine for Shiva who protects the community, especially the poor and helpless. The story is open to multiple interpretations. Babir's shows just how the fear of outsiders usurping one's wealth could trigger violent inter-tribe wars, his killing by the entire clan a grim indicator of the legacy of mob fury that we have inherited and the association with Shiva, a reminder of how majoritarian cultures absorbed minor local gods. Social harmony has been a hard-fought battle and its principles of liberty, goodwill and humanism are always changing. John Stuart Mill, in his essay On Liberty, wrote how the meaning of liberty has changed over time. When the role of a ruler changed, from being the master of his people to their servant (or watchman, as our prime minister has famously pointed out), it brought forth a new threat to liberty: The tyranny of the majority. Majoritarian policies do the most damage when they fuel anger against the Other -- be it for the food they eat, the clothes they wear or the gods they follow. As Yudhishthira told the yaksha in one of the most memorable passages from the Mahabharata, anger is the invincible enemy within us. Unfortunately, we are still under its thumb. 'Against the backdrop of difficult administrative, political and economic problems, Imran's temperament and staying power will be the subject of intense expectation and public scrutiny,' says Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan Desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency. IMAGE: Imran Khan speaks to the media after casting his vote in Islamabad, July 25, 2018. Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters Armed with a fairly comfortable mandate, youth expectations of nepotism/corruption-free governance and army support, Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf leader Imran Khan nevertheless faces formidable political and economic challenges to convert his promise of Naya Pakistan into a stable, democratic and functioning State. To begin with, Imran may start with the advantage of having a temporary respite from the chronic instability of civil-military dissonance which has plagued every recent civilian government in Pakistan. The military obviously wanted a civilian facade and an elected government which would follow its dictates. The outcome of the 2018 election suits the generals to a 'T', with their protege left just short of near majorities, both at the Centre and in Punjab, yet able to form governments, after horse-trading with Independents and turncoats. The honeymoon may last as long as Imran does not venture on independent foreign policy initiatives pertaining to India, Afghanistan and the United States. He is unlikely to display any alacrity on these subjects though he may appear, in the English media, as a better communicator making amenable noises compared to his immediate predecessors. His first problem will be to lower the atmosphere of intense polarisation in the political diatribe which built up to the 2018 election, ever since his dogged pursuit of the anti-corruption agenda against the Sharifs. Though he has spoken about desisting from victimisation, immediate pre-election rhetoric may inhibit him from following a too benevolent or statesman-like an approach in this regard. He may prefer, instead, to allow the law to take its course. It remains to be seen if the higher courts in Pakistan now play a more even-handed role, so that justice is not only done but seen to be done. A former prime minister sitting in jail, with his narrative of victimhood not having been totally rejected by the mandate, especially in Punjab, cannot be a factor of comfort either for the army or Prime Minister Imran Khan. A way would have to be found to douse the antipathy of an injured Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership, with Nawaz and Maryam eventually allowed bail, so that the new regime can get on with tasks of governance. Pressures from a strong -- even combined -- Opposition in the national assembly, and in Punjab, if he is able to form a government there, would need to be tackled with finesse. The Muttahida Majlis e Amal of the religious parties has not accepted the poll and threatened street agitations though unanimity escaped deliberations in the all parties conference on July 27. The Pakistan Peoples Party has said it will sit in the Opposition in the national assembly. PML-Nawaz leader Shahbaz Sharif has sought time to decide, but many senior party leaders favoured this option. Reviving the process of working with a strong Opposition in a strong parliament can only be a desired but difficult objective. Cabinet formation and choosing an acceptable politician to head the provincial government in Punjab can cause a few minor glitches. Senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Quereshi went public on not wanting to be foreign minister again, preferring to throw in his hat for the post of Punjab chief minister. While he won his Multan seat for the national assembly, he lost from PP-127 in the Punjab provincial assembly. Pervez Khattak, chief minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Kpk), is credited for the resounding mandate from the province, historically bucking anti-incumbency. He prefers to stay on as CM, Kpk, but there are reports that Imran may want him at his side as a loyal, trusted, interior minister. The mercurial Shireen Mazari is being mentioned for defence. Known to be anti-Indian and anti- American, she may yet be seen as somewhat unpalatable for both the army and Pakistan's Western benefactors. Asad Omar, former chief executive of Engro, Pakistan's biggest conglomerate, is likely to become finance minister. Chaudhry Sarwar, a recent returnee from the UK, also features as a contender for this portfolio. President Mamnoon Hussain's term ends on September 9, 2018. This would barely give Imran's senior party managers enough time to home in on an acceptable/suitable (read pro-PTI) distinguished persona for this prestigious post. Gubernatorial appointments follow. The PML-N appointed Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair -- though he is Asad Omar's brother -- has already announced his resignation. The other three governors may follow suit. While this may provide some leeway to accommodate disgruntled party aspirants, Imran's mandate may dictate the need to find eminent, impartial, appointees with a proven record of public service instead of party loyalists to fill these slots. Much is made about the emergent contradictions between Imran's professed agenda of reform and his complicated re-engagement with religion, not least in his personal life. In the past, Imran opposed military action against the Tehrik-e Taliban, but changed his line after the Peshawar army school attack on December 16, 2014. This time, to counter the MMA, he sided with the Akora Khattak seminary's Maulana Samiul Haq (Jamiat-e Ulema Islam, JuI-S). Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil of the Harkat ul Islami has also announced support for Imran. Though the army blessed the mainstreamed religious fundamentalists of Muhammed Saeed's Jamaat ud Daawah contesting under the Allah Hu Akbar Tehrik platform, they did not do too well in the Punjab vote. The Tehrik e Labaik Ya Rasool did better with its Barelvi support, winning three seats in provincial assemblies, two in Sindh and one in Kpk. As PTI satraps settle into governance in the provinces, it will be interesting to observe how they deal with sensitive sectarian issues like Khatme Nabuwat, which can crop up unexpectedly in the political discourse. Also, what would be the PTI's response to the army's continuing Radd ul Fassad operations, especially (if any) inside Punjab ? Imran will inherit an economy in crisis. Though growing at 5.8 percent -- the fastest pace in 13 years -- pressures on Pakistan's current account show no signs of abating. Gross Domestic Product is forecast to rise by 6%, yet there is a vicious debt trap to be surmounted. So far, Pakistan has met its debt servicing requirements only by borrowing more. Pakistan's current account deficit widened 43% to $18 billion in the fiscal year ending June 2018 while the fiscal deficit ballooned to 68%. Pakistan's central bank devalued the rupee four times since December, weakening it by more than 20%, amid efforts to avert a balance of payments crisis in the $305 billion economy. Its foreign reserves are dwindling and plunged to just over $9 billion last week from $16.4 billion in May 2017. All these issues will figure in the next painful round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, which Pakistan will perforce have to enter. The IMF will likely insist not only on structural reforms, but at the least, on measures requiring spending cuts to reduce the fiscal deficit, which could imperil Imran's populist promises to improve the state of the country's schools and hospitals used by the masses. Pakistan imports about 80 percent of its oil needs. Electricity economics has also caused persistent headaches because it was being sold at a price lower than the cost it was generated. Circular debts were written off in the past, but proved to be temporary relief. With the Chinese coming in a major way -- via the China Pakistan Economic Corridor power projects -- but not being very benevolent in allowing deferred payments for their loans -- this problem may not be easily resolved, especially if the law and order situation and the investment climate do not improve due to the persistent impact of terrorism, extortion, kidnapping crimes. On his campaign trail, Imran repeatedly castigated Pakistan's culture of tax evasion. Only 1% of the population pay income tax. Many loopholes exist, which have enabled the rural rich and corporate big wigs to evade the tax net. Increasing that figure would be a major achievement. Imran has vowed to reform the Federal Bureau of Revenue in his first six months in office. This could be a tall order. Gimmicks like not occupying government buildings like the PM/governor houses or converting these to public places may not help. Another immediate focus will be on reforming State giants such as Pakistan International Airlines and various power utilities, which the previous government struggled to privatise. Imran has also promised to step up an anti-corruption drive, though this risks triggering capital flight in a country where vast wealth is undocumented and a parallel black economy continues to prosper. Over-zealous measures could ruffle the feathers of Pakistan's 'MilBus' -- the sector catering almost exclusively to the greed of retired generals. Against this backdrop of difficult administrative, political and economic problems, Imran's temperament and staying power will be the subject of intense expectation and public scrutiny. The military leadership's obsession with India, its continuing support of jihadi terrorism and international isolation resulting from these policies may prove obstacles on Imran Khan's path, seriously inhibiting his capacity to substantially alter the country's progress as a troubled State in the short term. 'The central and Assamese governments want to get 35 lakh to 40 lakh Bangladeshis (Hindus) to come to Assam and make the Assamese people a minority.' 'They want to make Assam a Bengali state.' 'Bengalis by nature are BJP supporters whereas the Assamese people don't support the BJP.' IMAGE: People wait to check their names on the final draft of the National Register of Citizens at the NRC Seva Kendra, Goroimari, Kamrup district, Assam, July 30, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo When the first National Register of Citizens list came out in December 2017, All India United Democratic Front chief Badruddin Ajmal's name was not in it. The NRC was an exercise conducted under the Supreme Court's guidance to detect illegal Bangladeshis who had settled down in Assam. Ajmal, a Member of Parliament from Dhubri, Assam, is also the founder of the AIUDF, which is a political force to reckon with in the north eastern state. The AIUDF has 13 MLAs in the Assam assembly and three MPs. On the release of the second and final NRC draft list on Monday, July 30, Ajmal, on one hand, expresses satisfaction that the process has finally concluded; and on the other, is concerned about the 4 million people whose names are not in the list. "It is sad that the issue became political two months ago; a lot of names were cancelled from the list after that. This needs to be challenged now (in court)," Ajmal tells Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf. Your first reaction on the draft NRC list. I am thankful to the Supreme Court for putting pressure on the state government and monitoring the NRC so that they could come out with the list. Every Muslim in Assam was considered a Bangladeshi. This was the opinion about Assamese Muslims for the last 40 years, which was not true. Even today there are 40 lakh (4 million) people whose names have not come in the list. But at this moment we do not know how many of them are Hindu Bengalis and how many Muslims. We wanted this list to be over soon, but that never happened. Tarun Gogoi, chief minister for 15 years, did nothing on this issue. If the Congress wanted, they could have solved this problem, but they did not. Now the Congress is taking credit for this, but that is not true as the Supreme Court intervened and told them to do their job. Despite that, the Congress kept the NRC issue alive till 2015 when they were in power in Assam. And they did only because of vote-bank politics. What about the 40 lakh people who have not been included in the list and declared as non-citizens? We will study the list and look into the matter. It is sad that the issue became political two months ago; a lot of names were cancelled from the list after that. This needs to be challenged now (in court). Our party (the AIUDF) is now going to keep lawyers at various centres (the NRC Sewa Kendras) who can help (such) people and guide them. They will also see that if there is indeed an illegal immigrant, s/he needs to be caught. Many with Aadhar and PAN cards are missing from the list. This issue, even our lawyers are highlighting. The Supreme Court's order was not implemented properly as there is a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government in Assam. RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) workers worked in the field (as volunteers). IMAGE: People wait to check their names on the NRC final draft in Nagaon, Assam, July 30, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo There is a damoclesian sword hanging over these 40 lakh people as they are not Indian citizens now. It is not necessary. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Assam chief minister (Sarbananda Sonowal) have said it is not necessary that if your name is not in the NRC list you become a Bangladeshi (foreigner). This is a matter of inquiry and not the final list. It will take at least six months for the final list (to be released) as a lot of work still needs to be done. It can take more time too. We are consulting our lawyers on this issue. I want to appeal to all Muslims of Assam and (the rest of) India that there should be no violence. Has your name appeared in the second list? Yes, my name has come in the second list. My family (members') names have (also) come and so does that of all MLAs and MPs (of our party). West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleges that this NRC list is meant to evict Bengalis from Assam. She is the first politician so far to comment on this issue. Even today (July 30) in Parliament, Trinamool Congress MPs raised this issue and after their statement now, the issue has gain national political significance. We hope the people who have not got justice will get justice. Where will these 40 lakh people go? Bangladesh has refused to accept them. It is not clear what will happen to these 40 lakh people. The government has so far denied that these 40 lakh people will be sent to detention camps or they will no longer be Indian citizens. This will be clear only after the government makes a policy on this issue. I spoke to Harsh Mander... (Interrupts) He was so disturbed to see the conditions in the detention camps of these illegal immigrants in Assam that he resigned from the NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) in protest. How many illegal immigrants are in detention camps now? We do not know the numbers as we are not allowed to enter those detention camps. I said this in Parliament too. Illegal immigrants are kept like animals in detention centres. They are kept with criminals. After I told Parliament, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he would ensure that criminals do not stay in those detention centres. When Donald J Trump packs off illegal immigrants, it leads to worldwide anger and condemnation, why is that not the case here? The national media is not interested in Assam and, therefore, there is no knowledge about the ground situation. This time though, I am seeing the national media is taking interest in this issue. So now the news will spread around the world. I only want this issue to be solved peacefully. You have been highlighting this point again and again that so many people peacefully registered themselves for the NRC and not a single incident of violence was reported. Yes, that is the truth, but some VHP and RSS workers worked on the NRC list and then they expedited the whole process. You have said the NRC list will end vote bank politics. Can you explain? The BJP wants to play politics by reducing the Assamese people into a minority. The Delhi (central) and Assam governments are hand in glove in this. They want the Assamese people -- be it Muslims or Hindus -- to be reduced into one unit of minority. They want to get 35 lakh to 40 lakh Bangladeshis (Hindus) to come to Assam and make the Assamese people a minority. They want to make Assam a Bengali state. Bengalis by nature are BJP supporters whereas the Assamese people don't support the BJP. If that is the case, how come the BJP is ruling Assam? It happened because of 'anti-Congressism'. It was a negative vote. Now the BJP wants to bring a bill after which they can get Bangladeshi Hindus into Assam. This issue is leading to protests across the state. The Assamese people are not appreciating this move. It is said that the NRC list does not exclude Hindus. Let us first get the list and only then can we comment on the Hindu-Muslim question. It is not the right time to speak on this particular aspect of the NRC list. Do you feel Muslims in Assam will no longer be branded Bangladeshis? It all depends on what they do with these 40 lakh people. Bangladesh is not ready to accept these 'illegal immigrants'. Ever since Bangladesh came into existence, the rulers of both countries have met more than 18 times. The home ministers have also met several times. But our country never raised this issue. This is what Bangladesh says -- that the NRC was never an agenda between the two countries. 'He will be constrained if and when he tries to set the foreign policy agenda that is not to the liking of the army.' IMAGE: The poster in an Islamabad market, July 27, 2018, says it all. Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters For the first time in Pakistan's 70-year history, two successive civilian governments have completed their terms in office and a third is all set to assume power. Not one Pakistan analyst has so far contested the claim that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has been catapulted to power largely with the army's blessings. As Pakistan was preparing for the election, Tilak Devasher, former special secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat and author, released his second book on Pakistan. Devasher's book Pakistan at the Helm provides fascinating insights into the lives and politics of leaders who have ruled Pakistan over the years: From Mohammad Ali Jinnah to Nawaz Sharif. "Since he (Imran Khan) does not have a majority of his own and would be dependent on independents, it would be easy for the army to manipulate them and ensure that Imran does not cross any red lines," Devasher tells Rediff.com's Utkarsh Mishra in an e-mail interview. This would be the third consecutive civilian government in Pakistan, something that has never happened in its history. Have the generals finally learnt their lesson from Ayub, Yahya Khan and Pervez Musharraf? Or has it become easier to rule from behind the curtains? As Pakistan's polity evolves, the army too has become subtler in manipulating the levers of power. They still don't trust the politicians to do the right thing in matters that the army considers to be in the vital interests of Pakistan. However, instead of openly taking on governance, the army finds it expedient to rule indirectly. With no leader as strong as Nawaz Sharif or Benazir Bhutto, how likely is it that this government will complete its term? Difficult to say as of now. Will have to wait and watch how Imran Khan governs and the policy options he chooses to exercise. Since he does not have a majority of his own and would be dependent on independents, it would be easy for the army to manipulate them and ensure that Imran does not cross any red lines. Though he is backed by the army is it likely that once in power, will Imran Khan feel constrained by the limited authority, the way Benazir felt during her first term? A lot would depend on Imran himself. In case he focuses on domestic issues like the economy, education, health and so on, he is unlikely to be constrained by the army. He will be constrained if and when he tries to set the foreign policy agenda that is not to the liking of the army. Even if not constrained by the army, will Imran not try to cut the strings attached to him just like Nawaz Sharif did? Imran has issued statements against the army in a couple of interviews recently. Nawaz started doing it after he felt he had a mandate of his own and that he no longer needed the army's crutches. At least initially, Imran is unlikely to cut the strings because he would be dependent on the army's help to get a majority. Over a period, Imran has changed his views about the Modi government. However, he has avoided endorsing terrorism in Kashmir so far. Will this change subsequently under pressure, like in Benazir's case? Or will he take the defeat the extremists suffered in polls as public opinion against meddling in Indian affairs? I don't think the two are directly connected. The main plank of the religious extremists was not anti-India or pro-Kashmir, though, of course, India-bashing is par for the course. Hence, their rebuff at the hustings in terms of seats is not really indicative of a public opinion that is opposed to Pakistan's Kashmir policy. What would be interesting is to see the vote share of these parties. You have written about how even elected PMs like Sharif and Benazir grew more and more dictatorial and intolerant of opposition over the time. Given Imran's detestation of the two main parties -- the PML-N and the PPP -- will he also follow the same path? Yes, he will. The manner in which he distributed tickets for the elections clearly indicated his temperament in his own party. His attitude towards the PML-N and PPP has been hostile. Even discounting electoral rhetoric, tolerating the Opposition is not something that any politician relishes in Pakistan. What would be the role of the United States now, given the Donald J Trump administration's tough attitude towards the Pakistan military? In case of a confrontation, will the US back the civilian government, unlike in the past? I don't think so. The US knows if they are to get anything done in Pakistan, they have to go to the army and not the civilian dispensation that continues to be weak. Can it be said that it is this strained relationship with the US that is forcing the Pakistani army to conduct its business with a civilian government as a shield? To an extent only. When it comes to the core national interests, the army is not likely to listen to the US as it has demonstrated in the past. Today, due to the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) pressures, the army would make gestures of accommodation, but ultimately they will be just that -- gestures. IMAGE: Imran Khan, Pakistan's next prime minister. Photograph: Naseer Ahmed/Reuters Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was one leader who dislodged not one but two military dictators from power and kept the army at bay. However deceitful his designs might be, isn't he the kind of leader Pakistan needs? Imran has been praising Bhutto as the only strong leader who could resist the army. Is it a sign of a lurking conflict? Bhutto was able to dislodge Yahya Khan because the army had been decimated in the 1971 War with India and half the county had been lost. The circumstances were very different then. However, even he did not put into place mechanics and procedures that could have whittled down the army's influence. If anything, he gave the army space by deploying it in Balochistan and crafting a political role for the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). In the present circumstances, Imran would find it difficult to resist the army given its present strength and domination of the polity. It will be a succession of civil governments that provide good governance that will ultimately be able to whittle down the army's influence. This, however, is not a realistic possibility in the near or medium term. Why didn't you include Liaquat Ali Khan in the list of leaders you have written about? Liaquat Ali had too short a tenure and did not really move out of Jinnah's shadow before he was assassinated. You also write that the plan to infiltrate Kargil was shelved earlier on two occasions -- during the regimes of Zia-ul Haq and Benazir Bhutto -- with Musharraf being the DGMO (director general of military operations) in the latter case. Given that information, Sharif's side of the Kargil story, that he had no idea about the operation, seems stronger than that of Musharraf, that he had briefed Sharif about it. It is more likely that Sharif was not told about the plan as Musharraf would have expected a Benazir-like reaction from him too. Moreover, it was the handiwork of Musharraf only as he was associated with the plan for long. Would any other army chief have gone ahead with it? I don't think that Nawaz can be absolved of the blame for not putting a stop to the operation at least after the May (17, 1999) briefing (by the then director general of military operations), even if he was not aware of it fully before that. Musharraf, by all accounts, was far more reckless than any other army chief. Not only was he associated with it for long, but was also swayed by the reckless enthusiasm of the other three generals -- Mehmood (Lieutenant General Mehmood Ahmad), Aziz (Lieutenant General Mohammad Aziz Khan) and Hassan (Major General Javed Hassan). You call Nawaz Sharif 'a comeback kid' in your book. But you also mention that in case of conviction in the corruption case -- which eventually happened -- his political career is all but over. Will this 'comeback kid' be able to bounce back? Or will we see a tussle for his legacy between his brother Shabaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in the coming days? As of now, Nawaz making a comeback this time seems very difficult. However, in politics, and especially in Pakistan, strange things can happen. So while I would not write off Nawaz just yet, the road ahead for him is extremely tough. Apart from the judicial imbroglio, the army seems determined to keep him out. Additionally, with the baton of leadership having been passed on to Shahbaz, it would be natural for him to foster his own nest and family (Hamza), making it difficult for Maryam to assume leadership in the future. However, Shahbaz, too, has cases pending against him. So who knows? The citizens register in Assam does not get to the bottom of things, reports Nibir Deka. IMAGE: A National Register of Citizens centre in Sonitpur district in Assam. Photograph: @NRCupdateAssam/Twitterm The part draft of the National Register of Citizens in Assam was released online at midnight on December 31 in accordance with the Supreme Courts directive. The next day people flocked to NRC kendras (centres) to check if their names were in the draft. Security forces were deployed at every corner of the state and no untoward situation was reported. However, a crack has appeared in the ruling alliance on this. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys ally, the Asom Gana Parishad, is unhappy about the contradictions between the NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Bill (2016). But what is the NRC? Read on to find out. Who is included in the first draft? The first draft of the NRC has listed 1.9 crore people of the 3.29 crore applicants in Assam as legal Indian citizens. The process of verification continues. The authorities will take up verifying the 76 lakh people whose cases were kept in abeyance while the first part draft NRC was being finalised. We will place our progress before the Supreme Court on the date of the next hearing (February 20), and continue with our work in accordance with its directive, said state NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela. The issue of missing names A total of 1.39 crore applicants did not find their names in the draft. There are multiple reports of missing names within the same family due to documentation and data entry error. Hajela has clarified that due to the complicated procedure, families may find names of certain members missing and such discrepancies will be addressed. Some major names have failed to make it to the first draft. Among politicians, Assam United Democratic Front chief and MP Badaruddin Ajmal, his brother MP Sirajuddin Ajmal, and BJP leader Shiladitya Devs name have not featured in the first draft. Ajmal has responded calmly. Speaking to Protidin Times, he said: Many VIPs have not been added (to the list). I am expecting my name on the next list. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has clarified the matter and told PTI: No one should have any apprehensions. If the name of a genuine Indian citizen is missing in the part draft of the NRC, he or she will get a proper chance to incorporate it. Brief history IMAGE: People stand in a queue outside an NRC kendra to check if their names were in the draft. Photograph: @NRCupdateAssam/Twitterm Illegal immigration in Assam has been defined using the Assam Accord and the base year of 1971 without any religious categorisation. According to the accord, all those foreigners who had entered Assam between 1951 and 1961 were to be given full citizenship, including the right to vote. Those who had done so after 1971 were to be deported; the entrants between 1961 and 1971 were to be denied voting rights for 10 years from the date of detection but would enjoy all other rights of citizenship. The politics of things The NRC base year of 1971 is tricky for the BJP in terms of its Bengali Hindu vote bank and also to carry the agenda for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The bill is being reviewed by a joint parliamentary committee and is expected to be tabled in Parliament. But there is a mismatch between the Citizenship Amendment Bill and the base year of the Assam accord and this threatens to undermine the NRC. BJP North East Development Authority Convener and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma summed up the government position: We want Bengali-speaking Hindus to remain with the Assamese people. That is the BJPs viewpoint. It has not changed. It has been the same, both before and after the elections, said Sarma. When he was asked if it was the BJPs policy to differentiate between Hindu and Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Sarma said: Yes. After all, the country was divided in the name of religion. Thus, it is not a new thing. This guarantee of safeguarding Hindu Bengali interests was well received in the Barak Valley. Aminul Haque Laskar, the lone minority BJP MLA, told The Sentinel: Our partys election manifesto has clearly spelt out protection and shelter to all those Hindu Bengalis who have had to desert their hearth and home under repression and oppression in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, and forced to take shelter in this country. IMAGE: The NRC staff busy in updation work. Photograph: @NRCupdateAssam/Twitterm However, the AGP has refuted the claims of the election manifesto promise. AGP leader Utpal Dutta told local TV channels: They (BJP) did not show us the election manifesto before the elections. He further accused the BJP of doublespeak. Responding to the allegations, Sarma said: We have briefed them during our meetings and answered all their queries. How the BJP proposes to handle this hot potato remains to be seen. The sticking point: Is there any difference between the National Register of Citizens and the Assam Accord? The NRC is the registry of citizens, first done in 1951. This is an update on the registry. However, the base year considered by the NRC is 1971, which was accepted when the agitation leaders of the All Assam Students Union and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad signed the Assam Accord with the Indian govt then, following the Assam agitation. What is the difference between the register and the citizenship Bill? The register considers people coming after 1971 as illegal immigrants. The Citizenship Bill would provide exceptions to cases, mostly Hindus. And, the proposed base year will shift to December 2014 (if the bill is passed the next parliamentary session). What is the difference between the AGP and the BJP on this? The AGP wants 1971 to be the base year, while BJP leaders are backing the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The Sublette County Sheriff's Office(SUBLETTE COUNTY, Wyoming) -- Police said they have found a Utah teenager who disappeared over the weekend while hiking with a Boy Scout troop in western Wyoming. Garrett Hunter, 13, of Draper, Utah, had been missing for nearly two days when searchers located him early Monday morning, police said in a statement. "Garrett has been found, he is in good health and will stay put with volunteer searchers until morning. More to follow," the Sublette County Sheriff's Office said. Hunter was hiking in a mountainous area near Pinedale, Wyoming, on Saturday when he somehow got separated from his Boy Scout group, according to police. Hunter, who has Asperger's syndrome, disappeared at around 9:30 a.m. local time in the Wind River Range area, about 10 miles northeast of Pinedale, according to the Sublette County Sheriff's Office. The group, which consisted of about 20 Boy Scouts, was partaking in a 50-mile, multi-day hike when the teenager went missing, police said. Its unknown when exactly Garrett became separated from the group. Police said they were worried that Hunters condition could keep him from approaching anyone for help. Garrett is equipped with a sleeping bag, some food and a water filter, the sheriffs office said in a statement Sunday night. We are receiving numerous offers for help and resources in this effort. At this time we have plenty of resources available and our disposal and will be used. Our focus is and will continue to be the safe return of Garrett to his family. The Sheriff's Office said search efforts ramped up on Sunday morning when more than 30 volunteers from Utah, including members of Hunters family, arrived to help out. Tip Top Search and Rescue, Teton County Search and Rescue, the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and Wyoming K-9 Search and Rescue out of Jackson Hole had been assisting with the search, the office said. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Home Just In Nepal Rastra Bank deploying aeroplanes to supply notes to remote areas Kathmandu, July 30 The central bank of Nepal has called for applications from airline companies to supply banknotes to remote areas of the country. The Nepalgunj office of Nepal Rastra Bank has issued a notice for the airline companies urging them to submit sealed tender to provide the service. The companies have been given 31 days to submit the tender. Aircraft will be used to supply banknotes to Jumla, Mugu, Humla and Dola districts of Karnali province. The applicants have to deposit Rs 120,000 as the bid bond or anything recognised by the central bank worth equal value as the guarantee, according to the bank. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal urged people not to panic if their names did not appear in the second draft as 'genuine Indian citizens would get full opportunity to make claims and objections'. IMAGE: People check their names on the final draft of the states National Register of Citizens after it was released at an NRC Seva Kendra in Nagaon on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo The fate of over 40 lakh people remains in limbo with the Centre on Monday declining to comment on their citizenship status after their names were excluded from the final draft of National Register of Citizens. At a press conference in Guwahati, Registrar General of India Sailesh announced that 2,89,83,677 people were found to be eligible for inclusion in the complete draft of the ambitious NRC out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants. Around 40.07 lakh applicants, however, did not find a place in the document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity. "This is a historic day for India and Assam. The exercise is unparalleled in the size. It is a legal process done under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court," Sailesh said. Asked about the reasons for excluding names of around 40 lakh applicants, NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela, who was also present at the press meet, said, We are not going to make the reasons public. It will be informed individually. They can find the reasons by visiting NRC Sewa Kendras (NSK)." IMAGE: Villagers wait outside the NRC centre to get their documents verified by government officials at Mayong Village in Morigaon district in Assam. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters He, however, clarified that people belonging to four categories were not included in the draft as their eligibility were put on hold by the Supreme Court. These four categories are D (doubtful) voters, descendants of D voters, references pending at Foreigners Tribunals and descendants of the references pending at Foreigners Tribunals, Hajela said. Without sharing further details, he stated that there are names which were included in the first draft but have been deleted from the complete one and they will be intimated through individual letters in the coming days. When inquired if any person, who appeared in the complete draft, could be excluded from the final list once the process of claims and objections were over, the RGI replied in the affirmative. Talking about the status of people who were excluded from the list, Union Home Ministry Joint Secretary (North East) Satyendra Garg said, "We are not calling them Indians or non-Indians. At present, no action will be taken as the claims, objections and correction process has to be undertaken." The authorities will not forward any name to the Foreigners Tribunals on the basis of the complete draft and the government's focus is to maintain peace and order in the society, he added. IMAGE: Maya Devi Sonar, left, and Malati Thapa, residents of Hatigaon, show documents outside the NRC Seva Kendra claiming that their and their family members names were not included in the final draft of the states NRC, in Guwahati on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo Allaying fears, Sailesh also said, It is only a draft NRC, not the final one. The claims and objections process will begin on August 30 and continue till September 28. Adequate, ample scope will be given to people for their objections. No genuine Indian citizens should have any fear. He also said that a status quo will be maintained until the final NRC is published, the timing of which will be decided after assessing the volume of review applications. Another senior MHA official said that the process of claims and objections to the draft NRC will start from August 30 and continue for a month. The process if required can be also extended by another month, he said. The process of claims and objections to the NRC will start on August 30 and the date was fixed taking into consideration that those whose names are not part of the draft NRC can gather documents in the next one month and prepare to approach NRC authorities, the official said. The window of claims and objections will be from August 30 to September 30 and if required NRC authorities may extend the period by another month -- till October 30, he said. During the period, no coercive action will be taken against anyone, the official said. Assam is the first Indian state where the NRC is being updated after 1951, with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date, to include names of genuine Indian citizens. The first draft of the NRC was published during the intervening nights of December 31 and January 1 this year, containing 1.9 crore names. IMAGE: Women queue-up outside NRC Seva Kendra in Nagaon. Photograph: PTI Photo Hajela accepted that some documents, which were sent for verification to other states, did not return and the NRC authorities had to device their own mechanism for confirming the details. Asked about alleged campaigns against the NRC, RGI Sailesh said, We have taken up this propaganda issue against NRC with the Centre. The government has informed the agencies concerned, which are taking necessary steps." The RGI also told reporters that the Centre had approved a total outlay of Rs 1,220 crore for the NRC. The groundwork for this mammoth exercise began in December 2013 and so far over 40 hearings have taken place in the Supreme Court in the last 3.5 years. The process of filing applications started in May 2015 and altogether 6.56 crore documents were received from 68.31 lakh families across Assam. During the updating process of the NRC, a total of 62,614 people were involved, of which 52,038 were government employees. Over 50 software applications were developed for the process by IT professionals, while 102 people in the NRC call centre received 10.68 lakh calls during the application phase. IMAGE: Security personnel guard in front of the NRC office at Bhangagarh in Guwahati on Sunday. Photograph: PTI Photo Minutes after release of the final draft, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the exercise was carried out in an impartial and transparent manner. "No coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence, there is no need for anyone to panic," he told reporters in New Delhi. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the Centre, accusing it of resorting to vote bank politics. "This divide and rule policy will finish the country", she said. Banerjee also claimed that names of people who have passports, Aadhaar and voter cards have also been excluded from the final draft. Chief Minister Sonowal said that no one should spread misinformation about the NRC. "No one should spread misinformation. No one should also give any importance to misinformation," Sonowal said, when asked about his Banerjee's concern. "A government is there in Assam to look after people's interest. You have seen all are living here with unity and honour," he added. "Assam is a very peaceful state. We are confident that all sections of society will come forward to maintain peace and tranquillity. "We have always been abiding by the directions of the Supreme Court (in the NRC process), and whatever direction the Supreme Court will pass on to us, we will sincerely follow it and observe it," Sonowal said. "It (NRC) is a draft only, it is to be remembered," he said. "For this remarkable feat, I extend my heartiest congratulations to the 55,000 officials engaged in the NRC updation process and the people living across the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys, plains and hills of the state," he said. The chief minister expressed confidence that the NRC, which has become the instrument to safeguard the interest of greater Assamese society, would be able to pave the way for realising the hopes and aspirations of the genuine Indian citizens. Sonowal also urged people not to panic if their names did not appear in the second draft as genuine Indian citizens would get full opportunity to make claims and objections. The NRC will include the names of all Indian citizens who have been residing in Assam before March 25, 1971. The agitation by Marathas for job quota saw one more man committing suicide and protesters resorting to violence and arson at separate places in Maharashtra on Monday. IMAGE: Maratha Kranti Morcha activists set ablaze buses during their bandh called for reservations in jobs and education, near Pune, Maharashtra. Photograph: PTI Photo Four police officials were injured in stone pelting, while nearly 70 vehicles, including state and civic-run buses and those of police, were damaged or torched during the violence in Chakan near Pune, a senior police officer said. Inspector General of Police (Kolhapur Range) Vishwas Nangare Patil said that 30 vehicles, mostly buses of the state transport undertaking and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd, were torched by the protesters, while around 40 other vehicles, including private ones, were vandalised. "The protesters torched vehicles of police outside the Chakan police station and pelted stone. However, police personnel dispersed the mob. "Four police officials, including a senior inspector and Deputy Superintendent of Police Ganpat Madgulkar, sustained injuries in the stone pelting," said Patil. In nearby Rajgurunagar town, protesters, numbering 3,000 to 4,000, gathered outside the main police station, and pelted stones, but the police force successfully dispersed them, the IGP said. The police fired tear gas shells and resorted to lathicharge at several places to disperse the mob. Patil said since protests were simultaneously taking place at several places in Pune district, the police force had to spread out. "We are trying to bring the situation under control," he added. IMAGE: Police personnel clash with the Maratha Kranti Morcha protesters in Maharashtra's Solapur. Photograph: PTI Photo Due to the violence at Chakan, the traffic on the Pune -Nashik road was crippled. Several Nashik as well as Pune-bound buses were cancelled due to the stir, officials said. DySP Madgulkar said he was escorting a fire tender when a mob started pelting stone at the police van. "While tackling the stone pelting mob, I received injuries in my leg," said Madgulkar, who is undergoing treatment at the hospital. Quick Response Teams have been moved to the violence-affected area, the police said. Some Maratha organisations had given a call for a bandh on Monday in the Chakan area and a rally was taken out. Protesters clashed with the police in Solapur district, south-western Maharashtra, during a bandh on the issue. IMAGE: Maratha Kranti Morcha activists burn a tyre to stop traffic in Solapur. Photograph: PTI Photo The Solapur bandh call was given by prominent Maratha organisations, including the Maratha Kranti Morcha and Sakal Maratha Samaj. The police cane-charged protesters after they pelted shops and some vehicles with stones, an official said. Maratha outfits said a mega rally will be held in Mumbai on August 9 in support of their quota demand. "We will hold a mega rally in Mumbai on August 9, August Kranti Din. We want to show our strength and endurance to the government," Maratha Kranti Morcha leader Vinod Pokharkar said. Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train in Aurangabad in central Maharashtra over the Maratha quota demand, police said. The man, Pramod Jaising Hore, had posted a message on his Facebook page and shared a message on WhatsApp on Sunday, saying he would be ending his life in support of the quota demand, Mukundwadi police station's Senior Inspector Natha Jadhav said. Hore allegedly jumped before the running train in the Mukundwadi area on Sunday night, he said. IMAGE: Maratha Kranti Morcha activists set ablaze buses in Solapur. Photograph: PTI Photo He became to fourth person to lose life during the agitation over the last one week. The politically-influential community, constituting around 30 per cent of the state's population, has been agitating to press their demand for reservation in jobs and education. Amid the continuing agitation, the opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party on Monday approached Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao, urging him to direct the Devendra Fadnavis government to announce a decision on the reservation issue immediately. A senior state Congress leader said some of his party's legislators are mulling resigning from the assembly to force the government to take a quick decision on the issue. In separate meetings with Rao at Raj Bhavan here, delegations of the parties asked him to instruct the government to announce its decision on reservations for Maratha, Muslim, Dhangar and Mahadev Koli communities. IMAGE: Damaged bikes after Maratha Kranti Morcha protesters clashed with police personnel in Solapur. Photograph: PTI Photo In its memorandum submitted to the governor, the NCP pitched for the government to recommend Constitutional amendment to give 16 per cent reservation to Marathas. "The position of the BJP and the Shiv Sena over quota is vague," said the Congress memorandum submitted to the governor. In Aurangabad, after learning about Hore's suicide, a large number of people gathered outside his house. His family members said they will not take possession of the body till the state government takes a final decision on the issue of reservation, over which the Maratha community has been agitating. Pro-reservation activists staged a 'rasta roko' (road blockade) on the Jalna Road. Prior to this, two men had committed suicide over demand for the quota last week, while another died during violence by the agitationists. The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation. However, their latest round of agitation has taken a violent turn. Catch up on everything that happened in the country, in images. Kashmiris attend the funeral of Bilal Ahmed, a suspected militant who was killed in a gunbattle with security forces, in Khudwani, in Kulgam, even as one of the ultras tries to do crowd control with a stick and gun. Photograph: Danish Ismail/Reuters Women cover themselves with plastic sheets as it rains in New Delhi. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters Policemen detain an activist of the youth wing of the Congress party during a protest demanding from government to disclose the details of Rafale fighter planes deal, in New Delhi. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters People hold placards and block a road during a protest against, what the demonstrators say, recent mob lynchings across the country, in Kolkata. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters A man waves a flag as he blocks a road during a protest, organised by Maharashtra state's Maratha community, to press their demands for reserved quotas in government jobs and college places for students in Mumbai. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters A State Disaster Response Force member searches for a man who drowned during flash floods in Tailbal, on the outskirts of Srinagar. Photograph: Danish Ismail/Reuters A woman lies on a road as she touches holy ropes tied to a "Rath", or the chariot of Lord Jagannath, to seek blessings on the last day of the week-long celebration of Lord Jagannath's "Rath Yatra". Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters A man walks on a garbage-strewn beach in Mumbai. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters Vendors sell fish at a retail fish market in Kolkata.t. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters IMAGE: PTI chairperson Imran Khan with Narendra Modi in New Delhi during his visit in December 2015. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Imran Khan, who is set to become Pakistan's next prime minister, and hoped that democracy will take deeper roots in the neighbouring country. He congratulated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader for his party emerging as the largest political party in the National Assembly there in the recent elections. The prime minister expressed hope that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistan, a PMO statement said. He also reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighbourhood, the statement said. Meanwhile, in Islamabad, the PTI said in a statement that Khan thanked Prime Minister Modi for his good wishes. "The solution to conflicts should be found through dialogue," Khan was quoted as saying in the statement. Khan, during his conversation with Modi, also suggested that the governments of Pakistan and India "should devise a joint strategy to free their people from the trap of poverty". He also said that "war and bloodshed instead of resolving conflicts give birth to tragedies". According to media reports, Khan had said he will take oath as the prime minister on August 11. Although the PTI has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly in the July 25 polls, it is short of numbers to form its government independently. While noting there needed to be a balance between the two fundamental rights, the Srikrishna panel stated there was an inherent conflict. However, disclosure of information from public authorities may lead to private harms being caused. It is thus important to recognise that, in this context, there is a conflict of fundamental rights, between transparency and privacy, the report stated. The fears that the Justice Srikrishna panel report would give importance to individual privacy over the fundamental right to information and disturb the RTI (Right to Information) framework do not seem to have been allayed. The report on data protection, along with a draft privacy bill, was submitted to the government on Friday, and seeks to strengthen Indias data protection laws and provide for individuals right to privacy. However, there were concerns about the reports recommendation of amending the RTI Act. Activists say it could dilute the RTI law further and make it difficult to access information from the government. The RTI Act was passed in 2005 to guarantee the right of citizens to access information from public authorities. While noting there needed to be a balance between the two fundamental rights, the panel stated there was an inherent conflict. However, disclosure of information from public authorities may lead to private harms being caused. It is thus important to recognise that, in this context, there is a conflict of fundamental rights, between transparency and privacy, the report stated. But the report examined the RTI Act, specifically Section 8(1)(j), which deals with unwarranted invasion of privacy and allows for requests for information to be denied if they breach it. This section is often cited to deny information about public servants. The report, however, clarified there could not be an oversight of the provisions of the RTI law in the garb of privacy rights. It wanted the RTI Act to specifically spell out the circumstances in which disclosure of personal information would be a proportionate restriction on an individuals privacy. Even as the committee said that privacy could not become a stonewalling tactic to hinder public accountability, it prescribed amendments to the RTI provisions by including a test which specified which information could not be provided under the law. The committee is of the view that if disclosure of a certain piece of information causes more harm to the data principal than the public interest in that information, it can be denied. This is a very dangerous sign for public accountability that RTI provisions are sought to be weakened through this law. Now we will have to prove when we seek information that it doesnt remotely have any element of someones identity as the definition of personal information is broad, said Anjali Bhardwaj, co-convener of the National Campaign for Peoples Right to Information. Any piece of information relating to a natural persons attributes, characteristics that can directly or indirectly help establish their identity, is classified as personal information by the Justice Srikrishna panel. If the draft law is passed as is, RTI requests pertaining to information about ration, welfare delivery, social services, students scholarships and healthcare could be denied because they will contain elements of some individuals identity, said Bhardwaj. Section 8(1)(j) deals with such requests currently and it is not clear whether the proposed amendment will make the RTI law weaker. Framing the privacy law and ensuring data protection do not require an amendment to the RTI Act, said a statement released on Friday by Save Our Privacy, a collective of lawyers and activists working on the right to privacy. Amba Kak, lawyer and policy advisor with Mozilla, told Business Standard it was clear that the Bill had gone through different iterations based on the difference between media leaks and actual clause in the bill, specifically on RTI. The problem, however, is not peculiar to India. Other countries like the UK and Australia have also found themselves in the middle of this tiff between the right to transparency and privacy. But, their solutions often did more harm than good, said Raman Chima, lawyer and policy director, AccessNow. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com. IMAGE: People gather at the accident site where a bus carrying a group of staff members of an agriculture university fell into a 500-ft gorge in Raigad. Photograph: PTI Photo Rains and fog could not dampen the spirit of rescue personnel engaged in recovery of bodies in the Poladpur bus accident which claimed 33 lives, a senior district administration official said on Monday. "The rescue personnel did not rest till all the bodies were recovered from the 800-feet deep gorge where the bus fell on Sunday," Raigad district collector Dr Vijay Suryawanshi said. The accident site, near Poladpur in Raigad district, is around 180 km from Mumbai. All the bus passengers were from the Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth at Dapoli in Ratnagiri district. "At one moment, all those in the bus were laughing and having fun and the next moment everything was over for them, except for the lone survivor," Suryawanshi told PTI. "As soon as the news of the tragedy reached us, the district administration swung into action. We deployed 15 ambulances and five trekking groups and started the rescue operation," the collector said. Suryawanshi, who reached the accident site soon after the tragedy, said, "On seeing the (accident) spot, it looked like a Herculean task because of the vertical valley drop of almost 800 feet." "However, the trekking groups were trained to carry out a rescue operation in such harsh terrain," he said. A team of 25 doctors was rushed to the Primary Health Centre at Poladpur and the National Disaster Response Force was requisitioned. Till Saturday evening, 14 bodies were recovered by trekking groups. "We also rushed generator vans to the spot as darkness was approaching, which would have hampered the rescue operation. The entire rescue stretch was lit up and the operation continued during the night," he said. The remaining 16 bodies were recovered by Sunday morning by the NDRF, he said. "Relatives of the deceased thronged in from Dapoli. We made their staying arrangements in hotels and provided them dinner. A help desk with police and revenue department officials was set up at Poladpur," he said. A nayab tehsildar or mandal (bloc) official was assigned to relatives of each deceased to facilitate taking possession of the body. The post-mortem was expedited and bodies handed over along with papers in maximum 20 minutes, he said. The district administration requisitioned 35 ambulances to enable relatives of each victim to carry the body to their native place. Tehsildars and sub divisional officers were called from neighbouring sub divisions to assist in rescue operation, he said. "We had kept all necessary equipment ready before the NDRF team reached the spot at 7 pm on Sunday. As a result, there was no time loss for want of equipment or manpower. "The rescue operation continued throughout the night without halt for a minute. Rains or fog could not discourage the brave volunteers who worked tirelessly," Suryawanshi said. Suryawanshi, who camped at the accident spot till all bodies were recovered after 24 hours of rescue operation, said relatives of the deceased expressed their gratitude towards the district administration for the prompt response. IMAGE: The US President Donald Trump's comment came after he tweeted about his meeting with A G Sulzberger, publisher of the New York Times. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images United States President Donald Trump has called American journalists unpatriotic as he accused them of putting lives at risk by their reporting. When the media -- driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome -- reveals internal deliberations of our government, it truly puts the lives of many, not just journalists, at risk! Very unpatriotic! Trump said in a series of characteristic tweets. Freedom of the press also comes with a responsibility to report the news accurately, he said accusing the mainstream media of wrongful coverage. Ninety per cent of media coverage of my administration is negative, despite the tremendously positive results we are achieving, its no surprise that confidence in the media is at an all time low! he said. I will not allow our great country to be sold out by anti-Trump haters in the dying newspaper industry. No matter how much they try to distract and cover it up, our country is making great progress under my leadership and I will never stop fighting for the American people! Trump said. He alleged that the failing New York Times and the Amazon Washington Post do nothing but write bad stories even on very positive achievements -- and they will never change! Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted that he had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A G Sulzberger, publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, Enemy of the People. Sad! he said. The account of the meeting was challenged by Sulzberger. My main purpose for accepting the meeting was to raise concerns about the presidents deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric. I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous, said the NYT publisher. The meeting between the two took place at the White House on July 20. Sulzberger said the meeting was off the record, but Trump by tweeting about it had made it on the record. I told him that although the phrase fake news is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labelling journalists the enemy of the people. I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence, he said in a lengthy five-paragraph statement. I repeatedly stressed that this is particularly true abroad, where the presidents rhetoric is being used by some regimes to justify sweeping crackdowns on journalists, he said. Sulzberger said he warned Trump that it was putting lives at risk, undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our countrys greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press. Throughout the conversation I emphasised that if President Trump, like previous presidents, was upset with coverage of his administration he was of course free to tell the world, he said. I made clear repeatedly that I was not asking for him to soften his attacks on The Times if he felt our coverage was unfair. Instead, I implored him to reconsider his broader attacks on journalism, which I believe are dangerous and harmful to our country, he said. Between 2014 and March 3, 2018, 45 people were killed in 40 cases of mob lynching across nine states, and at least 217 persons had been arrested, data compiled by the home ministry show. IMAGE: People shout slogans during a protest against the recent mob lynchings across the country. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters The Supreme Court recently ordered that Parliament create a special law against lynching, asserting that fear of law and veneration for the command of law constitute the foundation of a civilised society. The court said: We think it appropriate to recommend to the legislature, that is, Parliament, to create a separate offence for lynching and provide adequate punishment for the same. We have said so as a special law in this field would instil a sense of fear for law amongst the people who involve themselves in such kinds of activities. Last year, the apex court had reminded the Centre and states that they cannot remain silent while vigilantes take the law into their hands in the name of cow protection. What are the dimensions of this problem? The National Crime Records Bureau does not maintain specific data with respect to lynching incidents in the country, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir told the Rajya Sabha on July 18, when asked whether the government keeps record of incidents of lynching by mobs which are increasing across several parts of the country. However, in its March 2018 response to the Lok Sabha, the home ministry did furnish some data on mob lynchings recorded by states. Source: Data submitted by the home ministry to Lok Sabha Please note: States of Meghalaya and Jammu-Kashmir did not provide the data on arrests Between 2014 and March 3, 2018, 45 people were killed in 40 cases of mob lynching across nine states, and at least 217 persons had been arrested, the data compiled by the home ministry show. Details on the motive -- whether cow vigilantism, communal or caste hatred, or rumours of child-lifting, etc -- location of the attack and identity of the attacker, and victim, were not available. Fourteen states and Union Territories -- Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delhi, and Puducherry -- had not provided data. Photograph: Naseer Ahmed/Reuters Imran Khan said on Monday that he will take oath as prime minister on August 11, even as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was striving to get the required numbers to form a government. The PTI, led by 65-year-old Khan, has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the July 25 elections, but it is still short of numbers to form the government on its own. Khan's party yesterday announced that it is trying to reach out to smaller parties and independents to form the next government. Khan said he will take oath as Prime Minister on 11th of next month (August), state-run Radio Pakistan reported. "I have also decided about chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which I will announce in the next 48 hours. Whatever I have decided in this regard is in the best interest of people," he said while addressing PTI members of provincial assembly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, the PTI has won a two-thirds majority by bagging 65 seats in the assembly of 99 members. He said alleviation of poverty from interior Sindh will be among top priorities of his government. On Saturday, PTI spokesman Naeemul Haque told reporters that the party chief will take oath as the prime minister before August 14. Haque said that he hoped the president would call an assembly session and Khan would take oath as premier before the Independence day. He said Khan would prefer a peoples' ceremony of oath-taking where thousands can watch him take the oath as prime minister. "Perhaps D-Chowk area may be the right place to do it," he said, referring to Islamabad's famous D-Chowk where the party had staged its 126-day sit-in in 2014 against alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections. Although the PTI has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the polls, the final results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan show that the party is still short of numbers to form its government independently. According to the results, the PTI has bagged 116 general seats -- 22 short of simple majority -- whereas the PML-N and PPP have won 64 and 43 seats, respectively. Pakistan's National Assembly comprises a total of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected. To meet the required number of votes, the PTI leadership has reportedly been approaching the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, the Grand Democratic Alliance, PML-Quaid, and the Balochistan Awami Party, as well as independents. Meanwhile, two main parties -- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party -- have agreed on formulation of a coordinated joint strategy if the PTI manages to form its government at the centre. The understanding on cooperation was reached during the first direct meeting between the leaders of the PML-N and PPP after the general elections. "It was an ice-breaker," said PML-N's Mushahid Hussain Sayed, when asked about the outcome of the meeting. "It was a very good meeting and you can call it a meeting of the minds." He said that there was complete unanimity of views between the two main parties that the July 25 elections have been stolen. The PPP delegation comprised former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Farhatullah Babar while the PML-N side was represented by Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Sardar Mahtab Ahmed Khan. Later, the PPP leaders also held talks with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also heads the MMA, and tried to persuade him to reverse his decision of boycotting parliament. Since the MMA has 12 seats, the combined seats of the PPP, PML-N and MMA become 117 -- two more than Khan's party. The Indian Army, placing traditional weapons above high-technology, says that equipping the army's 800-plus combat units with a Battlefield Management System would cost an unaffordable Rs 500 billion to Rs 600 billion, reveals Ajai Shukla. On July 27, the army officially shut down a project that was aimed at transforming it into a 21st century force, which leverages digital communications and information technology to swiftly detect, identify and destroy its foes. Senior generals, including the army's vice-chief, want to scrap the revolutionary Battlefield Management System to save Rs 30 billion it will cost to develop. Instead, they want legacy weapons like rifles and light machine guns. The official foreclosure of the BMS project was declared last Friday, ironically, by the Defence Production Board -- a defence ministry body charged with promoting the development of futuristic defence platforms. The battlefield efficacy of a digitally networked force was first demonstrated in the 1991 Gulf War, when Saddam Hussein's vaunted Iraqi army was overwhelmed in 96 hours by a United States military that had married sensor technology with real-time networking, across combat and support units. Stunned by that demonstration of force application, all major militaries began developing networked battlefield systems. A Chinese version of BMS, the Qu Dian, began deployment a decade ago. Pakistan is developing its own BMS, named Rehbar. But the Indian Army, placing traditional weapons above high-technology, says that equipping the army's 800-plus combat units with BMS would cost an unaffordable Rs 500 billion to Rs 600 billion, going by prototype development costs. Industry sources counter that prototype development costs far more than industrial production, where scale would dramatically drive down prices. After the BMS project was okayed in 2007, the defence ministry chose two Indian consortia to develop competing versions of the BMS. In one, Tata Power (Strategic Engineering Division) is partnering L&T, while Bharat Electronics has joined hands with Rolta India in the other. The BMS project is one of only three 'Make' category platforms that India's defence industry has been asked to develop, with the defence ministry reimbursing 80 per cent of the costs. BMS seeks to leverage India's IT skills and talent to equip individual soldiers and commanders -- each carrying a high-tech 'software defined radio' -- as 'digital entities' that can receive information from battlefield sensors, such as unmanned aircraft, radars, ground sensors and lookout posts. In turn, each soldier transmits battlefield information in front of him, feeding into a comprehensive 'battlefield picture' available to every combatant. The principle on which BMS works is the same as Google Maps, which gets drivers to their destinations quicker by 'crowdsourcing' traffic information from numerous sources, including drivers' mobile phones. BMS similarly 'crowd-sources' battlefield information from its own soldiers, through their SDRs. A networked military is faster on what military jargon calls the OODA loop -- the cycle of observing (detecting the enemy), orienting (locating him), deciding (the type and location of a weapon to engage him most effectively) and acting (to launch the weapon to destroy the enemy). Engagements are usually won by the force that 'closes the OODA loop' quickest. That is what the BMS enables. An industry executive says the technologies that would be developed for BMS -- which involve connecting numerous entities on a single network -- are the same as those that drive an Internet of Things. "BMS would galvanise IoT knowhow in India. This would be a classic case of technology 'trickle-down' from defence to civilian applications," he says. Paradoxically, BMS, which networks the army's frontline combat echelons, is being shut down even as work continues on networking higher headquarters through projects like the Tactical Communications System, Command Information and Decision Support System, Artillery Command, Control and Communications System and Battlefield Surveillance System. Junior army officers, who are far more tech-savvy than the digitally-uncomfortable generals, scoff at the logic of a 21st century command and control network that controls an old-style combat force. "Every military worth its salt will be networked in a decade or two. We will have no choice but to be networked too. Foreclosing BMS today will only mean that, instead of Indian companies, it will be the Israelis or the Americans who network us," says an officer who is part of BMS. Kathmandu, July 30 Nepali engineers currently living and working in various places of the United Kingdom have expressed their concerns over ongoing development projects in Nepal including post-earthquake reconstruction works citing the government and stakeholders cared least about heritage conservation. During an interaction organised by the Society of Nepalese Engineers in UK (SONEUK) in London on Saturday, the professionals also discussed how they could contribute to the restoration and preservation of historical and cultural monuments of Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the country. Speaking on the occasion, the organisations Vice-President Birendra Shrestha said engineers of Nepali diaspora could publish a good practice guideline collecting information and experiences from various projects abroad. He added that organisations like SONEUK could play the role of a whistle blower for reminding the government and stakeholders about preservation. The professionals also discussed solutions to messy traffic in Kathmandu among others. State party leaders admit that Hindu consolidation by itself was not good enough to unseat Didi. Radhika Ramaseshan reports. IMAGE: BJP members protest against the killing of their party workers allegedly by Trinamool Congress, in Kolkata on Saturday. Photograph: PTI Photo 'Saffron' or 'secular'? The dilemma facing the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal arises from the state's distinct political traits, some of which the party's central leaders have yet to fathom, accustomed as they are to working with the paradigms evolved in north and west India. Therefore, in March this year, when the BJP in West Bengal organised serial processions to observe Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti, its exertions unleashed violence but left no political imprint on a region that embraced eclectic forms of Hinduism contained in the lives and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah realised they needed to connect the BJP with provincial symbols and icons. The Union culture ministry was directed to assemble a permanent exhibit at Kolkata's National Library, themed around Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Subhas Chandra Bose, even as Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee never missed an opportunity to commemorate Bankim, Tagore and Bose. However, while competing on the turf of cultural regionalism was relatively simple, the BJP found the going in the other areas tougher. A senior BJP source said that the 'root' cause was like in Kerala, the West Bengal party had not extricated itself from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's clutches, a circumstance that until recently stunted its political growth. "In the districts bordering Bangladesh, the RSS is stronger than the BJP and willy-nilly, we absorbed the RSS's agenda. But slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram' didnt leave a popular impact. It was (K N) Govindacharya (the former BJP general secretary and strategist) who advocated the need to relate to 'Vande Mataram', and icons such as Bankim and Swami Vivekananda to find a foothold," the source said. The BJP spotted green shoots of improvement after losing the little advantage it gained in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. It secured two out of 42 seats and polled 17.02 per cent votes then, as against the Trinamool Congress's 34 seats and 39.79 per cent vote share. Two years later in the assembly elections, the BJP picked up just three of the 294 seats, while its vote share dropped to 10.16 per cent (the Trinamool won 211 seats and got 44.91 per cent votes). In the assembly by-polls and panchayat elections held after 2016, the BJP beat the Congress and the Left Front to second place, albeit as a distant number two. Jayprakash Majumder, a former Congressman who helms the BJP's political programmes department, said: "If you see the political dynamics, the BJP's growth has been at the cost of the CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) and the Congress and not the Trinamool. "There's a vacuum in the Opposition and the BJP must accept the challenge. Have we broken Mamatas stronghold in any poll? No. Majumder cited the 2008 and the 2018 panchayat polls to make a point about how the 'several lakh missing' voters (allegedly disallowed from voting) in 2008 got back at the then Left Front government with a 'vengeance' in a subsequent poll. "In 2008, the CPM's booth-capturing ensured about 6.5 million voters couldn't exercise their franchise. They voted spiritedly against the Left in the 2009 polls where from one, the Trinamool jumped to 19 MPs. "In the 2018 panchayat polls, Mamata stopped nearly 20 million voters from voting. Almost 34 per cent of the seats went uncontested because nominations were enforced by Mamata. In 2019, even if 50 per cent of these 20 million vote against Mamata, it will be advantage BJP, because the CPM and the Congress are not in a position to leverage," he claimed. An onerous job on hand? Some in the BJP did not think so. General secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, the party's West Bengal minder, said, "Like Tripura, the West Bengal results will be surprising. If there was anger against the Left, there's rage against Trinamool." Former state unit president Rahul Sinha's understanding was: "The gap you see is because of vote bungling and goondaism, and not popular support." Although state general secretary Sayantan Basu identified the BJPs growing organisational spread and a 'youthful' leadership at all tiers as its 'assets' -- 'the average age of our leaders is between 40 and 45', he claimed -- his colleagues conceded the Hindu-Muslim divide will be the partys leitmotif, in discourse and as strategy. National secretary Suresh Poojari, who assists Vijayvargiya, said: "The state government and the Trinamools approach and functioning are underpinned on discrimination against and appeasement of the Muslims at the cost of the majority," even as Majumder admitted Hindu consolidation by itself was not good enough unless Mamata's Muslim vote bank was 'breached'. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, the Trinamool's Rajya Sabha MP and spokesman, acknowledged the BJPs tactics were worrisome. "We can't be complacent because while the challenge from the Congress and CPM is political, the BJP is more religious than political and plays on emotions," he said. Kathmandu, July 30 Over 30 parliamentarians from various countries of South-East Asia Region have expressed their commitment to health and wellbeing of women, children and adolescents, to further reduce preventable diseases and deaths among them. The lawmakers of 11 countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Lesteexpressed the commitment at the end of the two-day South-Asia Regional Parliamentarians Meeting A renewed commitment to womens, childrens and adolescents health organised by the World Health Organisations South-East Asia Office in New Delhi. Adopting a Call to Action at the end of the two-day meeting, the participants said they were committed to contributing towards increasing national budgets for health services for this key population; ensuring access to and financial protection for quality reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services within the provision of universal health coverage; and deploying skilled workforce, especially in rural areas. The health of women, children and adolescents is critical to sustainable development economic as well as social development. This population should be at the centre of our efforts to achieve universal health coverage with quality health care provided to everyone, everywhere, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said. The Region, which accounts for one-fourth of the global population, one-third of newborns, and has over 360 million adolescents, the largest number of young population ever, has been making progress in advancing health of women and children. Between 1990 and 2015, maternal mortality rates declined by 69%, deaths in children less than five years of age reduced by 67 % and newborn deaths rates declined by 57% here. Sohu.com Inc. (SOHU), a Chinese online media, search, gaming, community and mobile service group, while announcing its second-quarter results, said Monday that it expects third-quarter net loss attributable to Sohu.com to be between $58 million and $68 million, and loss per ADS to be between $1.50 and $1.75. For the third quarter, non-GAAP net loss attributable is expected to be between $55 million and $65 million, and adjusted loss per ADS is expected to be between $1.40 and $1.65. Total revenues would be between $445 million and $470 million. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect loss of $1.12 per share on revenues of $557.93 million for the quarter. Brand advertising revenues would be between $60 million and $65 million, down 13% to 20% from last year. Sogou revenues would be between $275 million and $285 million, an annual increase of 7% to 11%. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Oil prices edged higher on Monday after a draft proposal by federal regulators to rollback U.S. automobile efficiency requirements contended that new U.S. mileage targets would increase U.S. fuel consumption by 500,000 barrels per day. U.S. regulators have proposed a dramatic overhaul of tough efficiency rules set during the Obama administration - freezing mileage targets from 2020 through 2026 instead of raising them each year, the Bloomberg reported. October Brent crude futures were up 13 cents or 0.17 percent at $74.88 a barrel while U.S. crude futures for September delivery were up 76 cents or 1.11 percent at $69.45 a barrel. In addition, investors remained cautious over the supply outlook amid looming sanctions on Iran. The first set of sanctions will hit on August 6. It remains to be seen how OPEC and other producers will compensate for the withdrawal of Iran from the oil market. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD) and Services Group of America announced a definitive agreement under which US Foods will acquire five operating companies collectively known as SGA's Food Group of Companies, for $1.8 billion in cash. SGA's Food Group of Companies has combined 2017 net sales of $3.2 billion and approximately 3,400 employees. US Foods will finance the acquisition primarily with $1.5 billion in fully committed term loan financing from J.P. Morgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch and will fund the balance of the purchase price through its existing liquidity resources. US Foods expects to achieve approximately $55 million in annual run-rate cost synergies by the end of fiscal 2022. Excluding amortization, the transaction is expected to become accretive to US Foods' adjusted EPS in the second full year following closing. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News President Donald Trump indicated Monday he is willing to meet with Iran's leadership "anytime they want" with no preconditions. Speaking alongside Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at a press conference, Trump stated he is willing to meet with anybody. "Especially when you're talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things, you meet," Trump declared. "There's nothing wrong with meeting." "I believe in meeting," he added. "I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet." Trump cited his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June as well as his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he described as "great." The president said Iran's leaders will "probably end up wanting to meet" but noted he does not know if they're ready yet. "I'm ready to meet anytime they want to," Trump said. "And I don't do that from strength or from weakness. I think it's an appropriate thing to do." Meanwhile, Trump continued his criticism of the nuclear deal former President Barack Obama's negotiated with Iran, which he called "ridiculous" and a "waste of paper." (Photo: Michael Vadon) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Oil prices rose on Monday amid speculation of increased fuel demand in U.S., and on concerns over supply outlook due to imminent sanctions on Iran. According to reports, the federal regulators' draft proposal to rollback U.S. automobile efficiency requirements contends that their preferred plan would reduce "societal costs" by roughly half a trillion dollars through 2029, while increasing U.S. fuel consumption by 500,000 barrels per day. The regulators have proposed a dramatic overhaul of tough efficiency rules set during the Obama administration - freezing mileage targets from 2020 through 2026 instead of raising them each year, according to Bloomberg. Crude oil futures for September delivery ended up $1.44 or 2.1%, at $70.13 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Meanwhile, Brent oil futures for October were up $0.69 or 0.91% at $75.45 a barrel. Natural gas futures for September were up $0.015 or 0.54%, at $2.797 per million btu. Concerns about supply disruptions in Saudi Arabia and lower output from Venezuela and Libya too contributed to oil's rise. According to a report from independent research centre JBC Energy, crude oil supplies from Iran, Libya and Venezuela fell to their lowest since January. Saudi Arabia announced last week that it would suspend shipments of oil through the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked a pair of oil tankers in the Red Sea. Also, there are concerns that Canada's Suncor Energy's Syncrude oil sands facility might not be fully operational anytime soon. With the first set of sanctions on Iran to come into force on August 6, it remains to be seen how OPEC and other oil producers plan to make up for the supply shortage. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis SACI News June 2018 This month we have news from the Western Cape Section. We would also like to remind everyone of the forthcoming National Convention of the Institute to be held in December 2018 in Pretoria. Make sure that you register and submit your abstracts soon as this promises to be a very exciting conference. Bice Martincigh Content SACI office address and times Advertising in the SACI newsletter SACI Members 21 to 25 years of membership Congratulations to Grace! Sections and Divisions News Western Cape Section SACI/RSC Lunch - North and Central Green Chemistry Division North Section RSC News NSTF News IUPAC CAIA Newsletter South African Journal of Chemistry African Journals of Chemistry SACI and SACI related conference events 43rd National Convention of the South African Chemical Institute 5th International Symposium on Electrochemistry Other Conferences Equipment Vacancies SACI office address and times The SACI office, run by Laila Smith is located on the 1st Floor of Gate House, room 124. The telephone number is 011 717 6705 and e-mail address is: saci.chem@wits.ac.za. The cell number is 061 282 3477. Office hours are from 8.30 am till 1.00 pm. She can be contacted at any time during her office hours. Advertising in the SACI newsletter The newsletter provides a means of getting messages to our membership. Currently the SACI membership stands at over 1000. This newsletter thus provides a means of advertising employment opportunities, conferences and workshops, and even for companies/Universities to promote themselves. We encourage members to use the Newsletter for advertising purposes. All SACI related conferences and events are advertised for free; if not a SACI related event there could be a small charge. For advertising costs contact Laila at the SACI office. SACI members 21 to 25 years of membership Each month we would like to honour our loyal members of the Institute. Last month we listed those that have been members for twenty years or less. This month we would like to feature our members who joined the Institute between twenty one and twenty five years ago. Their names are displayed below. We wish to thank all our members for their contributions to the livelihood of SACI. Without you, our Institute could not exist. Anderson, Dr AN Jansen, Mev M Arderne, Dr C Jordaan, Mr LJ Arendse, Dr MJ Kemp, Mr M Barnett, Mr JW Khan, Dr AA Billing, Dr DG Krause, Dr RWM Bourne, Prof SA Leader, Mr JP Britz, Mnr AJJ Malan, Mr D Bunn, Ms V Mali, Miss TN Combrinck, Mrs CG Muller, Mrs SD Cukrowska, Prof E Naidoo, Prof EB Darkwa, Prof J Newby, Mr J De Kock, Dr SS Nyokong, Prof T De Koning, Prof CB Rollnick, Prof M de Vos, Mrs BJ Senabe, Mr JV Dekker, Mr PL Swart, Prof P Duvenhage, Dr DJ van der Mescht, Mnr C Fatoki, Prof OS van Eeden, Dr N Finney, Mrs S Van Otterlo, Prof W A L Forbes, Prof PB Zeevaart, Prof JR Green, Mev JA Congratulations to Grace! We congratulate Grace Nomthandazo Ngubeni (28), one of our SACI student members and an Associate Lecturer and PhD candidate at Wits University, for being selected as one of the 200 influential Young South Africans for 2018. This is a wonderful achievement! For the full article see: Sections and Divisions news Western Cape Section The 37th Annual General Meeting of the Royal Society of Chemistry (South Africa,Southern Section) and 19th WARREN MEMORIAL LECTURE On the 10th April 2018, the RSC South Africa (Southern Section) held its 37th AGM, which was combined with the prestigious 19th Frank Warren Memorial Lecture at the University of Cape Town in the Chemistry Department. The guest speaker for this event was Professor Willem van Otterlo from the University of Stellenbosch, who was also the Chairperson of the SACI Western Cape section between 2015 and 2017. The event was well supported by staff and students from the academic institutions in Western Cape. The lecture was very well received by the audience of around 50 people and enjoyed by all. Prof van Otterlo gave an overview of his research work, concentrating on his development of facile syntheses of mimics of podophyllotoxin and rigidin, by way of multi-component reactions, and synthesis of substituted 6-oxa-allocolchicinoids by way of a biaryl couplingintramolecular transacetalization route. After the public lecture all were invited to refreshments where further discussions with staff and students alike were held with Prof van Otterlo about his work presented at the Lecture. By Sophie Rees-Jones RSC/SACI Annual Lunch - 2018 Green Chemistry division competition In an effort to increase the visibility of the Green Chemistry that is already taking place in South Africa and at the same time highlighting possible opportunities for more people to green their research. The Green Chemistry Division would like to invite nominations for the best green chemistry paper by a South African chemist/group. The prize will be a sponsored talk at the SACI National Convention in 2018. Nominations should be sent to Rosa Klein ). Contributor: Rosa Klein News from SACI North Section The 43rd Convention of the South African Chemical Society is upon us and we are looking forward to an exciting event. The 2018 SACI website is live and registration is now open for the Early bird movers . The Conference is set to offer multiple platforms for chemists to exchange ideas through more than ninety oral presentations and to socialise through the activities that caters for both laidback and adrenaline enthusiasts. The 2018 SACI LOC is privileged to host the 2016 Nobel Laureate, Professor Sir F Stoddart, many eminent international and local speakers including multiple award winner Prof Kelly Chibale. Please watch the website for more exciting news as we approach the conference date. Even better, there will be opportunities for our young chemists to win prizes in the student categories of Best Oral and Best Poster Presentations. Please join us in numbers to experience the beautiful summer season in the Capital City of the country. Looking forward to sharing the moment with you: Dr RM Mampa (Conference Chair) RSC News 1. The Pan Africa Chemistry Network exists to support African science; events, training, access to resources and a strong community; full details are here: . 2. There are a few ways that you access Royal Society of Chemistry journals and books our entire archive is available free of charge across Africa, and to all RSC members. Simply register online: 3. Our Funding Options are here: 4. I welcome you to the community: a. Join the LinkedIn Group: b. Sign up to our newsletter for updates and opportunities: c. On twitter, please look up @hvdriver or #PanAfricaChem to find out more. 5. All our events in Africa are listed here: including conferences and our programme of GCMS and LCMS training across the continent. 6. We are holding our annual Congress in Ghana in November discussing sustainable agriculture, and we would welcome you to the event. Registration will open next Thursday Helen Driver NSTF News For the latest news see: Of interest to members: The nominations for the 2017/2018 NSTF-South32 Awards have been released ( ) and feature a number of our fellow Chemistry colleagues. They include Prof John Bradley (Wits), Prof Eno Ebenso (NWU), Prof Nosipho Moloto (Wits), Prof Daniela Bezuidenhout (Wits), Prof Charles de Koning (Wits), Prof Leslie Petrik (UWC), Prof Titus Msagati (UNISA) and many others. WE wish to congratulate them and wish them well on their magnificent achievements. IUPAC For the latest news see: Invitation Dear Chemists from all over the world, dear Friends from Academia and Industry, On behalf of the Academy of Sciences and of its National Committee for Chemistry, the French National Adhering Organization to IUPAC, gathering the main academic and research institutions, learned societies and industrial organizations relevant to Chemistry, we are very pleased and honoured to invite you to participate and contribute to the IUPAC 47th World Chemistry Congress to be held at the Palais des Congres, Paris, July 7-12, 2019. This IUPAC-2019 Congress and the joint 50th General Assembly will present an exceptional character as both will celebrate the Centenary of the Union. Special events will be organized all week long, encompassing a Celebration plenary session organized together with the IUPAC100 Committee, a celebratory evening organized by the Young Scientists at the Maison de la Chimie, the Celebration gala dinner, and an official Ceremony organized at the Sorbonne in presence of the French authorities, IUPAC Council, NAOs diplomatic delegations and prestigious scientists and guests [...] Clement Sanchez Professor at College de France Chair of IUPAC-2019 WCC and Centenary Events Nominations Open for Periodic Table of Younger Chemists! 2019 has been declared as the International Year of the Periodic Table. This is also the time when IUPAC is turning 100! As part of the celebration of IUPAC100, IUPAC and the International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN) announces the creation of a Periodic Table of Younger Chemists. Beginning in July 2018 and ending in July 2019 at the World Chemistry Congress and IUPAC General Assembly, we will honor a diverse group of 118 outstanding younger chemists from around the world who embody the mission and core values of IUPAC . The resulting periodic table will highlight the diversity of careers, creativity, and dedication of the young chemists leading us into the next century. See details here: . Winners will be profiled on the IUPAC100 website and will receive a certificate from IUPAC. Elements of the Periodic Table of Younger Chemists will be revealed over time in order of scientific discovery ( see Wikipedia ). Approximately eight elements will be revealed each month beginning in July 2018 with the final elements being awarded at the IUPAC General Assembly and World Chemistry Congress in Paris , France in July, 2019. Nominations are now being accepted. The deadline for nominations for the first 8 elements Copper, Lead, Gold, Silver, Iron, Carbon, Tin and Sulfur is 11 June 2018 at 5:00 EDT (UTC 21:00). Nominations received but not selected for the first group of elements will carry over for consideration for other elements. For criteria and to submit your nomination follow the link below: For more activities associated with IUPAC100 and the Periodic Table see Watch the Video to find out more about IUPAC100 from our Younger Chemists!: * Nominate a Younger Chemist! * Check out IUPAC 100 Activities! * Pass this along and keep watching for further news Video by 2017 IUPAC-Solvay Award Winner and IUPAC100 Member, Dr. Scarabelli. See more videos on IUPAC YouTube Channel! 2019 is the centenary of IUPAC. A number of celebrations and events are planned. During the 49th IUPAC General Assembly held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2017, it was officially announced that the 2019 IUPAC Summer Schools on Green Chemistry will be held in Tanzania. This is the first time this event is being held in Africa managed by the IUPAC (ICGCSD). The 2019 summer school is further special in being held during the 100th Anniversary of IUPAC. As local organizers (University of Dar es Salaam,Tanzania Bureau of Standards,Tanzania Chemical Society, etc.) we have planned the event to be held in Dar es Salaam from 12th to 19th May 2019. The event will provide the participants (mainly post graduate students) with an understanding of the latest developments of the concepts and management of green and sustainable chemistry. We, therefore,would like this event to have an all African face and would like to invite you and your institution to be part of the event in planning, organization and participation. You can circulate this information to other peers, organizations and institutions in the continent so that they also may join us in making this summer school a success. The topics for the summer school will be, but not limited to: 1. Exploitation of Natural Resources 2. Green Methodologies 3. Green Analysis 4. Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles 5. Other green chemistry topics are welcome! More information will be posted on a website which will be launched soon. CAIA Newsletter The latest issue of CAIA news is available. Go to: or e-mail: for pdf files of news and information. Responsible Care Award South African Journal of Chemistry The South Journal of Chemistry is turning 100 years. As part of the 100th celebration of the journal, we are inviting special reviews that can be published later this year. Interested authors can get in touch with the chief editors Prof Luke Chimuka and Prof Tricia Naicker on the journal website, https://www.sabinet.co.za/sajchem/. Already a special issue from electrochemistry division from their 2018 symposium is planned. The analytical division is also planning a special paper on the status of analytical chemistry in South Africa. More review papers are still needed in various areas of chemistry. Journal submission details can be found at . Details of the journal and the editors can be seen at . All manuscripts since 1918 are electronically available online at There will be one special (additional) issue this year on South African Marine Natural Products under the leadership of Dr Denzil Beukus. This will be announced on the journal website in due course. This Journal is published electronically. The webpage is: . The South African Journal of Chemistry, published by the South African Chemical Institute, has been publishing high quality papers, in all fields of Chemistry for 100 years. The Journal went fully electronic in 2000 and is freely available through open access online ( ). It is a CAS-abstracted publication and is listed in Current Web Contents. It is also part of the Scielo group. It has retained its status as an accredited publication with the South African Department of Higher Education and Training. We encourage South African chemists to publish in the journal especially in this centenary year! African Journals of Chemistry African Corrosion Journal (online). Commenced in 2015 a peer reviewed corrosion journal. This journal may be of interest to the practical chemists amongst the SACI membership. African Journal of Chemical Education Enquiries and manuscripts should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief: email , PO Box 2305, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. AJCE, 2016, 6(1) ISSN 2227-5835 The online version appears in the FASC website ( ) and in the AJOL website ( ) African Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry Submit manuscripts: ; Editorial office: Nanonews in South Africa SAASTA newsletter. . Prof Janice Limon, NPEP Nano News Editor South African Journal of Science Journal of the Chemical Society of Nigeria ; ; Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia South African Journal of Chemical Engineering A fully open access journal in 2016, all authors can publish their papers on an open access basis in the South African Journal of Chemical Engineering at the reduced rate of $400 (USD). SACI and SACI related Conference events 43rd National Convention of the South African Chemical Institute Registrations are open - 5th International Symposium on Electrochemistry Others 8th Annual Analytical Science Symposium Nanosmat-Africa 2018 You are invited to participate with your postgraduate students. Each participant is entitled to publish two ISI publications in Applied Surface science (IF=4). Indaba 9 ICOMC 2018 ; Africa Food Safety Workshop 5th International Conference on Material Science and Smart Materials (MSSM 2018) XXII International Mass Spectrometry Confernece (IMSC 2018) 13th International Conference on Advanced Polymers via Macromolecular Engineering Spring School on Solar Energy and Photosynthesis 2nd International Symposium on Catalysis and Specialty Chemicals ISCSC-2018 1st International Conference on Sustainable Management of Natural Resources African Traditional and Natural Product Medicine Conference CATSA2018 CATSA holds an annual national catalysis conference with the aim of promoting widespread interaction among practitioners in the field and this event is rotated around the country. The 29th annual conference is being hosted by the North-West University and will take place at from the 11 - 14 November 2018. The 2018 Eminent Visitor is from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. International Conference on Chemical Education 18, July 10-14 2018, Sydney ) ACRICE-3 Algeria October. The website is . The conference is under the aegis of IUPAC and FASC. Post-graduate Summer School on Green Chemistry, 7th to 14th of July 2018 in Venice The 23rd International Workshop on Quantum Systems in Chemistry, Physics and Biology (QSCP-XXIII) will be held in the Kruger park are, South Africa, on September 23-29, 2018. It will be hosted by the University of Venda. QSCP is a prominent conference series that covers a wide range of topics, bringing together researchers from around the world with cutting-edge contributions to the description of a broad range of quantum systems and phenomena. For further details, please visit the web page: . If you have any queries, please contact the local organisers at . XXIII Workshop on Quantum Systems in Chemistry, Physics and Biology (QSCP) Registration and abstract submission are now open. QSCP is a prestigious international conference series that covers a wide range of topics, including: Concepts and methods in quantum chemistry Relativistic effects in quantum chemistry Molecular structure, dynamics and spectroscopy Reactive collisions and chemical reaction Complexes and clusters; surfaces and interfaces; catalysis Molecular and nano-materials Computational chemistry, physics and biology. Please, visit our conference website for more information. Equipment Anton Paars new Cora Raman spectrometers Let Anton Paar be of assistance to you With our premium characterization instruments: Bruker Vacancies Any interested candidates can send their details to or POST DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY - UCT content Mehul Choksi (file photo) India has asked Antigua and Barbuda to detain Mehul Choksi, an accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, and to prevent him from leaving the country. Informed sources here said on Monday that the External Affairs Ministry had asked the Antigua and Barbuda government to confirm Choksi's presence in their territory. "Our High Commissioner is meeting the relevant authorities in the Antigua and Barbuda government today (Monday)," a source said. "We continue to liaise with government agencies here and the government of Antigua and Barbuda." Choksi, wanted in the Rs 13,500-crore PNB case along with nephew and diamond trader Nirav Modi, has admitted to taking Antigua citizenship last year. The Yamuna, already flowing above the danger level in the capital, is expected to swell further on Tuesday as authorities in Haryana will release more water from Hathnikund barrage following incessant rains in the neighbouring states. Over 3,000 people living in the low-lying areas of the national capital have so far been shifted after the Yamuna crossed the red mark on Saturday, officials said. The movement of trains was, however, restored on the old Yamuna bridge on Monday after being suspended since Sunday night due to the rising level of the river. The water level in the Yamuna was recorded at 205.76 metres on Monday. The danger mark is 204.83 metres. The water level is expected to rise to 206.50 meters on Tuesday, an official said. The old Yamuna Bridge connects north and east Delhi. Rains continued to lash many parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, forcing authorities to release more water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage. "More water is being released from the barrage every hour, which will have an impact on the Yamuna level in Delhi. We are keeping a close watch," a Flood Control Department official told IANS. The water released from the Hathnikund barrage, which provides drinking water to New Delhi, normally takes 72 hours to reach the city. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday directed his Cabinet Minister Kailash Gehlot to visit the people affected by the flood waters and ensure arrangements for the displaced. The authorities, meanwhile, continued to evacuate the affected people to safer places. Till Monday evening, about 3,000 people had been shifted. The evacuation started on Saturday. East Delhi's District Magistrate K. Mahesh also visited the low-lying areas and said the situation was under control and that the government was fully prepared to tackle any emergency. "As many as 67 boats have been deployed at 23 locations. We have made arrangements to shift the affected persons to school campuses and night shelters," an official said. He said that although the river level was flowing above the danger mark, the situation, as of now, was not worrisome. Quick response teams have been activated, the official said. The National Disaster Relief Force too was on standby. The Government and the Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, have got a legitimate point about the need to address the growing violence attributed to easy access to cheap and locally made spirits. Weve seen in the recent past how destructive and deadly such spirits can become when they are consumed by the wrong people under all sorts of circumstances. You see, over the years and especially more recently, this newspaper has highlighted countless stories of violent incidents, fights, killings and the issue of domestic violence involving alcohol. One of the most common factors in all these stories is the involvement of cheap liquor anyone can buy off the shelves of the local shops. One of the scariest aspects is the poor enforcement of laws that are supposed to prevent easy access to them. In this country today, one can just send a child to buy alcohol and no questions will be asked. That is not normal but this shows the extent of the problem. Not only are these lethal alcohol products readily available, there is absolutely no control being exercised over who can buy what and how. During Parliaments most recent session, the former Speaker of Parliament, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, raised an extremely valid point when he had asked the Minister of Health, Tuitama Dr. LeaoTuitama, to look into the emergence of new alcohol products locally produced. Claiming that these alcohol products are wreaking havoc on families, villages and in gatherings of young people, Laauli said the Government needs to pay attention to the issue. These bottles are not alcohol, he said about whats available in the market. They are not vodka, they are basically industrial spirits that shouldnt even be available out there. The former Speaker went on to say that one of the biggest problems is that members of the public have easy access to these spirits because they are widely available and cheap. Can we find out who is bringing these into Samoa? he asked. These things are cheap but they pose a big risk to our country in the long run. We couldnt agree more with Laauli. This is a conversation that needs to continue and we need to pay serious attention to it. The fact is that when we look at some of the domestic problems happening in Samoa today, we dont think there is enough attention being given to how much these alcoholic products are contributing factors. That said, we accept that it would be foolish to blame all our problems on alcohol. Of course there are many other factors. Besides, we know different people react differently to alcohol. We also know people go through so many different things in life and when those things involve stress and suffering, alcohol will no doubt bring out the worst in them including violence. This is why this conversation needs to continue. Now today, according to Minister Tialavea, the Government has imposed a 100 per cent increase in excise tax on locally-producedspirits as part of an attempt to address alcohol-related violence. The police made a report to the Liquor Board, and there seems to be just one main road that are the cause of these issues (in the villages) to occur and that is the locally-produced vodka, said Tialavea. Minister Tialavea added that the data was based on information collected by the police, which led to the compiling of the report and the decision to impose a tax increase. Is the Government genuine about its motives for imposing this tax? That is the question. From a public relations point of view, the Government can be seen as the responsible authority thats stepping up to the right thing. Nothing wrong with that. But is the concern for peoples welfare the true motive or is this just another money-making venture so that this Government continues to suck money out of people who are already poor? We know for a fact that the top 20 per cent of the population in terms of wealth dont drink any of this stuff. It is the poorest of the poor who do. And they are the ones who are going to pay. Interesting, isnt it? What do you think? Write and share your thoughts with us. Have a fabulous week Samoa, God bless! A civil lawsuit brought by a senior lawyer against a Judge of the District Court, Talasa Atoa Saaga, has been struck out by Supreme Court Justice Mata KeliTuatagaloa. Lawyer Unasa Iuni Sapolu had sued Judge Saaga in relation to a criminal matter where the lawyer had appeared before the District Court Judge in 2016. Unasa was charged with uttering the insulting word b***h whereby Judge Saaga found her guilty. She was discharged without conviction. But Unasa, who was represented by lawyer, D.Shahtahmasebi, turned around and sued Judge Saaga, alleging apparent bias and violation of her Constitutional rights. She went on to claim that the Judge had breached Articles 9 (1) and (3) of the Constitution, Articles 14 (1) and 3 (c) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (I.C.C.P.R.) and Section 13 of the District Courts Act 2016 (Oath). She claimed, among other things that the Judge deliberately delayed her decision several times in favour of the prosecution. She also accused the Judge of not pronouncing her judgment in public and that the hearing and its determination was not done within a reasonable time. In filing the lawsuit, Unasa also sought $10,000 worth of damages. She asked for $5,000 for compensatory damages, $4,000 for exemplary damages and $1,000 for the cost of the action. In response, the Attorney Generals Office filed a motion to strike out the claim. Lawyers Sefo Ainuu and A. Seiuli argued that Judge Saaga was protected by the principle of judicial immunity and that there is no Constitutional remedy because Unasa failed to show a breach of Constitutional right. They also told the Court that the cause of action was untenable at law with no prospects of success. But that wasnt all. The Attorney Generals Office argued that Judge Saaga has jurisdiction to hear the matter and was acting within her jurisdiction. They further reminded that Judge Saaga was acting bona fide in discharging her judicial function and therefore the principle of judicial immunity applies. In her decision dated 28 February 2018, Justice Mata Tuatagaloa struck out the claim. The adjournments referred to as alleged delays by the Plaintiff were not deliberate on the part of the Judge but were necessary to await the availability of transcript of evidence, both the Plaintiff and the prosecution also contributed to the alleged delays, Justice Tuatagaloa ruled. There is no rule that the prosecution is to file submissions first and serve upon the defendant before the defendant then files his submissions unless specifically ordered or directed by the Court. In this case, the allegations by the Plaintiff of the numerous adjournments by the Judge alleged to be in favour of the prosecution to be motivated by the hope of predetermined decision, other than a not guilty verdict is fanciful and without a backbone. The Defendant as the trial Judge is entitled to decide the case on the evidence she heard, who to believe and not to believe but not on whether the prosecution files submissions or not. In this case, without any submissions from the prosecution the Judge went ahead and made her decision. According to Justice Tuatagaloa, Unasa argued that the defendant was not presiding as a Judge dispensing her judicial duties at the times outlined in the Statement of Claim. This view of the Plaintiff is too literal simplistic and vague. The actions or orders of the Judge complained of in paragraph 4 of the Claim are done in her capacity as a Judge and within her jurisdiction (criminal) as a Judge of the District Courts of Samoa, Justice Tuatagaloa found. That is, at all relevant times the Defendant was discharging her judicial functions as a Judge. How the matters complained of can be said of the Judge acting in excess or without jurisdiction is beyond me. Even if the Judge acted in excess or without jurisdiction the Judge must not have acted in good faith or without gross negligence otherwise if she has immunity applies. For reasons discussed earlier I am of the view that the Judge was acting in good faith and without gross negligence. Applying the two tier approach the claim is also struck out in its entirety for the following reasons: i. The Judge has jurisdiction to preside over the criminal matter before her; and (ii) The acts of the Judge complained of did not amount to the Judge having acted outside her jurisdiction. In any event the acts complained of were done in good faith and withoutgross negligence. It follows then from all of this that judicial immunity under the two tier approach also applies. The Plaintiffs claim is plainly and obviously untenable and cannot possibly succeed. The claim in its entirety is struck out. Taumeasina Island Resort celebrated its second year anniversary by throwing a mid-year beer festival featuring Samoas local breweries and new kid on the block, Budweiser Beer. The beer fest was an opportunity for beer companies, Samoa Breweries, Taula Beverages Company Ltd and Budweiser to showcase the other products they offered in the first ever beer fest at Taumeasina. Samoa Breweries, maker of Vailima beer is celebrating their 40th year in Samoa and representative from the company, Seteuati Mau said: It is a great opportunity for us to engage with our people and since its our 40th year in Samoa.It started with the people and when it comes to events like this, its about our people as well. The first factor to it is our people; secondly Taumeasina has always been a good partner with Vailima in terms of what we do together. Adding to the beer-scape of Samoa is the American beer brand, Budweiser, which is available in more than 80 countries including Samoa. The beer fest gave the company to showcase their unique qualities in the Samoa beer market, according to their Operations Manager, Faasao Mulivai. Budweiser is an American brand that has been around for many years so its overseas beers that we can bring into Samoa. Its not only American beer but also different varieties, so we are bringing the world to Samoa. We are showcasing Shock top, Land shark, Stella Artois, Bud light and of course Budweiser. We already have this relationship with a lot of resorts and hotels, and so we were invited to join and we were keen to come. We are bringing classic beers. We hope to gain awareness from this festival and to proclaim that we are here to stay in Samoa. Mr. Mulivai added they have been in Samoa for four months and they were pleased with the response so far. We want a bit of the share of the market of course and even though it is dominated by the local beers, but we are not here to take over, we are here to offer another taste of beer and in our case a classic beer. On hand to feature as the main act on Friday night was New Zealand Samoan hip hop artist, Dei Hamo, who took to the stage on the evening. Food and Beverages manager for Taumeasina Island resort, Bob Michael Pasana said this was a great opportunity for beer companies to promote their products but more importantly bring people together. We got lucky due to our Guest artist Dei Hamo who was in Samoa and we took advantage of that. It is not so much as a celebration for us, but it gives a great opportunity for everyone to come enjoy themselves. Usually it doesnt happen between companies, its either one beer company at an event but this a new thing for us being together with other beer companies. Samoa Stationery and Books (S.S.A.B.) trade road show in Tokelau has been hailed a success. S.S.A.Bs International Manager, Marlene Kathleen Mulipola, said the President and owner of the company, Tofilau Fiti Leung Wai, is pleased to have been able to initiate the roadshow, which has paved the way for future ventures. We started our road show on Monday 16th July and finished on Friday 20th July, said Lupematasila. Fakaofo was a bit different from Nukunonu, but the people were just as supportive of the road show. We had our filecorp presentation done by our Assistant Manager-Electronics, Titilua Moors on Thursday (19th July) evening and had a good turnout. We received a lot of interest from different departments of Tokelau in the Filecorp Filing System as it is a very capable and effective system for managing and archiving records. Lupematasila said they sold a lot of appliances and home utensils as well as electronic products. We are looking at taking a second road show to Nukunonu before the end of this year, she said. One of the challenges that we had to face was the heat. We were set up outside of the General Fono area and we had to be quiet and out of the way, which is unlike S.S.A.B. because our spirit is happy all the time. She acknowledged the Ulu o Tokelau and all the people for their support. Our Pacific Ocean, Our Stories an Ocean Toolkit for Pacific Media has been launched recognising the role of the media in empowering informed Pacific conversations and decision making for the better of our environment. The Ocean Toolkit is funded by the European Unions Capacity Building related to Multilateral Environment Agreements in African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries Phase II Project known as ACP MEAs 2. The Project is implemented by UN Environment with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as the Pacific hub. Our Media Outreach Programme at SPREP undertakes a wide range of activities spanning regional and national training, support with internal media organisation processes such as development of climate and disaster resilience plans, as well as the production of resources, said Easter Galuvao, Director of Environmental Monitoring and Governance of SPREP. This was just one of many different ways that we work to support our Pacific media and help them tell our Pacific stories in the hope of raising awareness of environmental issues, bringing about informed discussion and positive actions for environmental sustainability. We are grateful for the partnership with the EU and the ACP MEA 2 Project for their support. The Pacific Ocean is the worlds largest ocean covering nearly one-third of the Earths surface, and is home to many of the worlds marine species. Our ocean health is under threat as it faces challenges from marine debris and plastic pollution as well as climate change. Through this Ocean Toolkit for Pacific Media, it is envisaged that Pacific media become familiar with the ocean issues telling our stories of challenges and successes as we work towards ocean conservation. It is also through this toolkit that an understanding of the overall linkages between all environment concerns are realised, that you cannot address one environment issue along without addressing them all. The e-toolkit was launched with a series of four initial factsheets that span the topics of our Pacific Ocean, Marine Debris, Marine Plastic Pollution, and our Coral Reef. Once a month two more factsheets will be added to this e-toolkit which is available online. The media is crucial in terms of passing information and raising awareness about the causes of climate change or pollution and what can be done about it. These issues can be complex, thats why its useful to have these types of tools with Pacific perspectives, said Mr Christoph Wagner, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific. We are very happy that SPREP has helped make this happen. Also launched this year on World Ocean Day was the Our Pacific Ocean Media Award, a partnership between the Pacific Community, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, SPREP and the EU ACP MEA2 Project and the Pacific Islands News Association. The Media Award calls upon submissions from Pacific reports on ocean news developed and shared. This Ocean Toolkit for Pacific media is available to help empower and encourage more news stories on this issue. While the Ocean Toolkit was envisaged as a resource to be developed over 2018, growing interest from other partners may see it grow further, with future factsheets to span ocean science, ocean acidification and the range of regional and international agreements committing countries to protect our ocean. As the toolkit evolves and is updated on a monthly basis, we hope it will become a one-stop shop; for us journalists who are keen to cover ocean issues here in Fiji and in the Pacific, said Mr Pita Ligaula of the PACNEWS Agency and the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA). PINA is pleased to support this resource which will be a living document available online for our Pacific media. It contains information of Pacific relevance, citing Pacific examples as well as some prompts for us all to develop more news about our ocean. Our Pacific Ocean, Our Stories, the Ocean Toolkit for Pacific Media was launched on 24 July on the sidelines of the Strengthening Media Capacity on Climate Change Reporting in the Pacific Islands Workshop. Held over 24 and 25 July, the Pacific reporters will then provide media coverage on the Climate Action Pacific Partnership in Suva, Fiji. The workshop is a partnership between Internews, Earth Journalism Network, Climate Action Pacific Partnership and SPREP. To access the Ocean Toolkit for Pacific Media please visit: https://www.sprep.org/ocean-toolkit-pacific-media-our-pacific-ocean-our-stories/factsheets Should you wish to know more on this please contact Ms. Nanette Woonton at [email protected] The recent launching of the Samoa First Political Party has attracted a lot of interest from the public as well as the countrys political leadership. Our reporter Adel Fruean went out and asked people for their views on the establishment of the new political party. Mereane Evili 19 Mulifanua In my opinion, I like the sound of the name of this new upcoming party. The reason being is, they claim that they will put our country first, meaning its people first. I hope that they will bring a good change for Samoa, not in a negative way but a way where our nation will be united in peace instead of being divided by different causes. With that being said, they should focus on the people especially those who are poor and struggling to survive through poverty. Pesega Junior 37 Lepea I am for this new party, due to the fact that their name has great meaning but I would like to wait and see what they will be able to offer to the table. There have been so many numerous parties that have gone against the Human Rights Protection Party but all have failed, so I hope that they stick to the meaning behind their name and hopefully own up to it. We need a strong coalition party that will stand for its people not just use words but no actions. Losivale Fuimaono 37 Siusega I fully support the new party becomes who knows this could be a new opportunity for our country to be blessed by new leaders to have a different yet positive change of direction. It is all for the benefit and better future of our nation especially its people. I am more curious about how this party would come about and deliver on such a bold name called Samoa First Party so they should do everything in their power to put the people first. Michael Michael 40 Faleata In my perspective this new party is just a disturbance to our present government. I support our current government because of the many years they have served our country; you cant compete with that kind of experience. I applaud our government for all their hard work in developing our small nation. This new party has no proof of what they have offered to the people of Samoa yet, they have just begun, they have a long way to go. Sefulutasi Elisala 65 Moamoa I am very happy with this new party called Samoa First Party. The name itself is quite intriguing that it screams out change. And that is why I like the idea of this new party, there have been so many things happening to our country, the changes have been quite advanced so I think that with modern changes should also scream the fact that a new government should take over to see new developments or what they can do for the people of its own country. Enjoy access to over a thousand articles per month, on any device as well as feature-length investigative articles. Ready to signup? The Office of the Attorney General will appeal the decision by the District Court to discharge Manu Samoa Sevens captain, Alatasi Tupou, without conviction. The rugby player was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a valid license, which he pleaded guilty to when he appeared before the Court in June. Appearing before His Honour, Chief Justice Patu Tiava'asue Falefatu Sapolu, lawyer Fuifui Ioane representing the Office of the Attorney General told the Court that they will be appealing the decision. Chief Justice Patu then asked the lawyer if she had the appeal record or was ready to proceed with the appeal. Do you have any application counsel for the Attorney General or are you ready to proceed with the appeal? I dont see any appeal record and the file contents only has a note of appeal but there is no appeal record, he said. Tuatagaloa Shane Wulf, who appeared on behalf of Tupous lawyer Donald Keslake, told the Court that they were yet to be served the appeal documents. I appear on behalf of Donald Kerslake as he is currently overseas. I do confirm that we havent been served with any application of an appeal and so we would like to make an application for the prosecution to file and serve the documents to our office, he said. Chief Justice Patu granted the application by prosecution and adjourned the matter to August 14. This matter is adjourned to Tuesday 14th of August for the prosecution to serve the notice of appeal on the respondent and to file and serve the appeal record, he said. During the district court proceedings Donald argued that a conviction would harm his clients international rugby career, and added that Tupou had already faced intense public scrutiny in the wake of the charges. District Court Judge Alalatoa Rosella Papalii, who presided over the matter, accepted the argument but still ordered court costs against the rugby player. McDonalds is fighting to hold onto customers as the Big Mac turns 50, but its not messing with the makings of its most famous burger. The company is celebrating the 1968 national launch of the double-decker sandwich whose ingredients of two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and a sesame seed bun were seared into American memories by a TV jingle. But the milestone comes as the company reduces its number of U.S. stores. McDonalds said Thursday that customers are visiting less often. Other more trendy burger options are reaching into the heartland. The Golden Arches still have a massive global reach, and the McDonalds brand of cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets and french fries remains recognizable around the world. But on its critical home turf, the company is toiling to stay relevant. Kale now appears in salads, fresh has replaced frozen beef patties in Quarter Pounders, and some stores now offer ordering kiosks, food delivery and barista-style cafes. The Big Mac remains unchanged, showing just how much McDonalds and the rest of fast-food have evolved. Advertisement Clearly, weve gotten a little more sophisticated in our menu development, McDonalds CEO Steve Easterbrook said in a phone interview. As with many of its popular and long-lasting menu items, the idea for the Big Mac came from a franchisee. In 1967, Michael James Jim Delligatti lobbied the company to let him test the burger at his Pittsburgh restaurants. Later, he acknowledged the Big Macs similarity to a popular sandwich sold by the Big Boy chain. This wasnt like discovering the light bulb. The bulb was already there. All I did was screw it in the socket, Delligatti said, according to Behind the Arches. McDonalds agreed to let Delligatti sell the sandwich at a single location, on the condition that he use the companys standard bun. It didnt work. Delligatti tried a bigger sesame seed bun, and the burger soon lifted sales by more than 12 percent. After similar results at more stores, the Big Mac was added to the national menu in 1968. Other ideas from franchisees that hit the big time include the Filet-O-Fish, Egg McMuffin, Apple Pie (once deep-fried but now baked), and the Shamrock Shake. The company has benefited from the ingenuity of its small business men, wrote Ray Kroc, who transformed the McDonalds into a global franchise, in his book, Grinding It Out. Franchisees still play an important role, driving the recent switch to fresh from frozen for the beef in Quarter Pounders, Easterbrook says. They also participate in menu development, which in the U.S. has included a series of cooking tweaks intended to improve taste. Messing with a signature menu item can be taboo, but keeping the Big Mac unchanged comes with its own risks. Newer chains such as Shake Shack and Five Guys offer burgers that can make the Big Mac seem outdated. Even White Castle is modernizing, recently adding plant-based Impossible Burger sliders at some locations. A McDonalds franchisee fretted in 2016 that only one out of five millennials has tried the Big Mac. The Big Mac had gotten less relevant, the franchisee wrote in a memo, according to the Wall Street Journal. McDonalds then ran promotions designed to introduce the Big Mac to more people. Those kind of periodic campaigns should help keep the Big Mac relevant for years to come, says Mike Delligatti, the son of the Big Mac inventor, who died last year. What iconic sandwich do you know that can beat the Big Mac as far as longevity? said Delligatti, himself a McDonalds franchisee. Saying it wasnt in line with the citys vision for its downtown area, the El Cajon City Council turned down a mortuary owners request to add a crematorium to his funeral parlor business. Robert Zakar, who owns East County Mortuary and Cremation Service, was asking the City Council to overturn a June decision by the El Cajon Planning Commission and grant him a conditional-use permit to open a crematorium inside his mortuary at 374 N. Magnolia Ave. The council voted 4-1 on July 24, with City Councilman Ben Kalasho dissenting, to uphold the Planning Commissions findings that a crematorium is not in line with El Cajons downtown master plan or the citys general plan. Zakar told the City Council that there are only five crematoriums in San Diego County to serve its more than 3 million residents and that it is a much-needed service. He said because of its lower cost (typically around $1,000) and for religious and other reasons, 65 percent of Californians and 70 percent of Americans choose cremation, and that the number is growing. Advertisement He compared San Diego County to San Bernardino County, where there are 11 crematories for more than 2 million people, Orange County with 13 for 3 million people, Riverside County with 15 for 2.5 million people and 27 in Los Angeles County for 10 million people. City Councilman Steve Goble asked Zakar rhetorically, Is it El Cajons responsibility to house the sixth one? Goble peppered Zakar with concerns relating to a fire several months ago at a crematorium in National City, saying the city could not afford to take a chance on something similar happening in El Cajon. In May, a furnace door was not closed while the system was being operated at Cortez Family Crematorium, sending plumes of smoke upwards. City Councilman Gary Kendrick told Zakar that he was also concerned about the National City incident, that the city needed to protect its master plan, be consistent in its permit allowances, and that downtown El Cajon and a crematory are incompatible. El Cajon is on the precipice of entering a Golden Age, especially in downtown, said Kendrick, citing new car dealerships, the coming East County Performing Arts Center and the new Marriott Courtyard hotel. Weve spent millions of dollars in downtown especially to rebrand our city. I can see one accident happening and destroying anything, everything that we have worked so hard for in this city. El Cajon records say a funeral parlor has been at the Magnolia site since 1952, when it was given a legal nonconforming status by the city. Zakar said a mortuary has been on the premises since 1942. Zakar told the City Council that the mortuarys footprint would remain the same with nothing new coming to the outside and all changes inside of the building. More than $100,000 of new cremation equipment was to be put in a garage attached to the mortuary, unseen by the general public. Several neighboring businesses and residents told the City Council that they had no problem with cremations happening nearby. Zakar told the City Council about a survey he took of people in the area around Magnolia showing that few took issue with a crematorium on site, with many believing cremations were already taking place at his mortuary. But the City Council was not swayed. Zakar was told he needed to find another place outside the citys Specific Plan 182 area for a crematorium. SP 182 is part of a 2-square-mile area bordered by Main Street and Magnolia Avenue that the city feels should be reserved for administrative, civic and cultural activities, with commercial establishments carefully integrated with the surrounding area. Zakar expressed frustration with the city because he had previously been turned down last year for a site on Marshall Avenue that he had chosen for a crematorium that had been given city staffs OK. Zakar said he spent upwards of $60,000 renting an empty industrial building in the citys manufacturing zone near the citys new Animal Shelter thinking he would be approved. City Councilman Bob McClellan, who had given the mortuary his blessing last year when it was looking to open on Marshall, said he was not comfortable with a crematorium opening up downtown near other businesses. He said he was concerned about odors he said emanated from a crematorium in Blossom Valley that has been closed since 2011. That year, the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District closed the Neptune Society of San Diego crematorium not because of smells, but due to concerns about aging equipment. Neptune, operating locally since 1973, has been using off-site cremation services since the cremation part of its business was shuttered. McClellan recommended Zakar move his mortuary and cremation business offsite and said he would support it if was near Gillespie Field. McClellan related a story about how he was forced to move his familys car business after 42 years on University Avenue in La Mesa to a lot off state Route 94 in Lemon Grove in 2001. I think you have the right business, its just in the wrong location, McClellan said. I dont think downtown El Cajon is the right place for a crematorium. I think theres a place for it in El Cajon, but not this place. And I think that in the industrial area, we would have no problem with it. When pressed by Mayor Bill Wells about looking for another location, Zakar told Wells, there wont be a crematorium in El Cajon. Look, Im not new to business, but youve got to know when to fold em, he said. But the following day, Zakar indicated he was having a change of heart and that he may not yet be through looking. Im not officially done, Zakar said. karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com Chula Vista neglected to send sewer bills to more than 12,500 residents for about six months, failing to collect $1.8 million in revenue. While the error didnt impact service, the city is billing customers monthly rather than bimonthly to correct the oversight. Bills average $80 every other month. Residents who cannot afford to pay monthly bills can sign up for an interest-free payment plan, the city said. City officials expect to be caught up in September. Advertisement City Manager Gary Halbert disclosed the issue to the public during the July 17 City Council meeting. Our heartfelt apologies to the community on that, Halbert said. Two factors that contributed to the issue are unusually high turnover and the roll-out of a new point-of-sale system, said David Bilby, the Finance Director for Chula Vista. Between June and August of 2017, three front-counter employees at the citys Revenue and Recovery division either retired or were promoted. That turnover accounted for 60 percent of the units staff. The divisions managers took time out of their work to train new employees and help assist customers, Bilby added. During that time, Chula Vista implemented a new computerized financial system that required hours of training. The combination of those two factors put stress on the billing department and the sewer bills fell through the cracks, Bilby said. It was like we were buried in the work and we didnt see that we were falling behind and what that impact is going to be until it was down the road, Bilby said. As the citys Finance Director, Bilby said he accepts responsibility for the oversight. Im ultimately responsible to make sure that our citizens are taken care of and I think were correcting it the right way, he said. City staff discovered the mistake in December, while calculating new sewer rates for the upcoming fiscal year. As soon as the city was made aware of the issue, they began taking steps to ensure it doesnt happen again. Bilby looked into staff training, data collection, and more open communication and accountability, such as weekly staff meetings and checklists. Additionally, Bilby went over various tools managers can use if they need help completing tasks online. Those tools involve hiring a temp agency, creating internships, approving overtime, or redirecting staff to ensure work is completed on time. The thing that weve learned is, as we start falling behind and we see we have more work than we can handle, we need to be communicating about what resources we have available, Bilby said. Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter American author Flynn Berry will take you back in time to fictionally resolve a real-life mystery in her second book, A Double Life. The plot revolves around the 1974 murder of Sandra Rivett and disappearance of a British peer, John Bingham, Seventh Earl of Lucan. Did Lord Lucan commit this heinous crime? Berrys debut novel, Under the Harrow, was a 2017 Edgar Award winner for Best First Novel and was translated into 17 languages. She will be at Mysterious Galaxy on Aug. 10 for a discussion and signing. Q: Why did you want to write a fictional account about an unsolved case that happened 44 years ago? A: I remember reading, years ago, about a woman running into a pub on a quiet road in Belgravia, covered in blood, and asking for help. That image has always haunted me, and the more I learned about the rest of the case, the more complicated and thorny it seemed. Lucan has, of course, been missing for 44 years, and I wanted to work out a fictional account of what had happened and where he had gone. Advertisement Q: Were there challenges writing Claires voice? A: Claires voice came pretty easily; in an odd, slanted way, this book is much more autobiographical than my first. The tricky part was figuring out how to tell the parts of the story that she hadnt been present for, like her parents early marriage, and the massive police search of the South Downs. Q: Is this a story of mistaken identity? A: My favorite books blur the line between crime and traditional literary fiction. They have a dark undertow but also a strong sense of character and setting, so thats always my goal. With this book, I was most interested in how the effects of a crime ripple out for decades afterwards. Q: Were there true-life plot ideas that got edited out of the book? A: Yes, so many. Its the funny thing about writing something inspired by a true case. You end up having to edit out some of the most fascinating pieces because theyd stretch belief in fiction. One example is that Lord Lucan was invited to screen test to play James Bond, even though he wasnt an actor. Another is that one of his friends skipped part of the coroners inquest because he had tickets to the Royal Ascot horse race. And the strangest, most macabre is that during the search for Lucan in the South Downs, the police found the remains of another body, a judge who had been missing for decades. Q: How did you decide to fictionalize characters? A: I based the book on the circumstances of the crime but not the real-life individuals themselves. One exception is Colin, who shares some broad traits with Lucan, like being charismatic and handsome. Claire and her brother are absolutely fictional. And Colins friends arent based on specific people but they do play the role that Lucans friends did in real life, in that they seem to be obstructing the police inquiry and aiding him in escaping. Q: Is the social context important? A: Yes, hugely. Lucan became a sort of legend in Britain very quickly, which has everything to do with his class. Up until the 1940s, someone like Lucan, who was an earl, would have been tried for murder in the House of Lords, not in a criminal court. Im so interested in how that sort of privilege can warp justice, how people in the establishment can play by different rules than everyone else. One common theory is that someone among Lucans powerful, wealthy friends helped him flee the country after the murder. Q: What are your favorite questions from readers? A: I always like being asked about my favorite books and authors, since so many come to mind. Some absolute favorites are Kate Atkinson, Kamila Shamsie, Ian McEwan and Claire Messud. I write longhand, and I like to commiserate with others about that terrible phase of having to type up all the pages. Q: Is a second book harder to write than your first one? A: The research on this one was really satisfying. Writings always hard for me; I usually end up doing about 20 drafts. Q: Can you talk about what you are working on next? A: Im working on a new novel and keeping it close to the vest at this stage. Though I can say that the narrator is pregnant, which has been fun to write, since I am too at the moment. A Double Life by Flynn Berry, Viking, 272 pages. Conversation with Flynn Berry When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10 Where: Mysterious Galaxy, 5943 Balboa Ave., Suite 100, San Diego Phone: (858) 268-4747 Online: mystgalaxy.com Davidson is a freelance writer. Whether you slurp, chew, take them straight or douse the slippery molluscs in lemon and cocktail sauce, the gender-bending oyster is the stuff of foodie addiction. With over 100 species and historically revered as an aphrodisiac, the sea-salty bivalve has been featured in art, literature and music for centuries. Aug. 5 marks National Oyster Day and restaurants around San Diego are primed to celebrate. Here are some of the hot spots to hit this weekend. Whisknladle Oysters at Whisknladle. (Courtesy photo) Keep it dry, salty and bubbly with an unbeatable combo of $1 oysters and $5 glasses of Cava all day on National Oyster Day at this neighborhood classic in La Jolla. Advertisement 1044 Wall St., La Jolla, 858.551.7575, whisknladle.com Pacifica Del Mar Why wouldnt you enjoy the fruits of the ocean while gazing out over the Pacific? Head to this veteran seafood restaurant with a spectacular view for $2 local Carlsbad oysters on the half shell and all-day happy hour. 1555 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, 858.792.0476, pacificadelmar.com Oysters at Pacifica Del Mar. (Brogen Jessup) Blue Point Coastal Cuisine Try something different and head down to the Gaslamp for a special oyster and wine pairing. For $30 enjoy six pairings of the restaurants oyster dishes and wines from 1-3 p.m., or start slurping $1 oysters from 5 p.m. till close. Or both, really. 565 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp, 619-233-6623, cohnrestaurants.com/bluepoint Verandina Oysters at Verandina. (Courtesy photo) Whats better than oysters and bubbles? Oysters, bubbles, and the ocean. Head to the beachside Italian eatery for $1 oysters all day. Dont forget your glass of Prosecco or bottle of bubbly. 710 Seacoast Dr., Imperial Beach, 619.271.6795, verandinarestaurant.com Stake Chophouse + Bar Speaking of bubbles, head over the bridge and slurp in high style. Offering $1.25 oysters all night long and Veuve Clicquot by the glass for $12, its a deal not to be missed. Keep the oyster love going with other bivalve options from the menu including Oyster Shooters and Woodfired Oysters Rockefeller. 1309 Orange Ave., Coronado, 619-522-0077, stakechophouse.com Cafe La Rue Located at the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, this cafe will offer $1 oysters from 3-6 p.m. for prime outdoor seating and people watching. 1132 Prospect St., La Jolla, 855.818.6857, lavalencia.com/dining/cafe-la-rue.aspx Oysters at Cafe La Rue. (Courtesy photo) Curadero Take your bivalves Mexican-style for the holiday, with Buttermilk Fried Oyster Tacos. Available at lunch and dinner, the tacos are served with lemon aioli, Mexican slaw and smoked tomatillo salsa. 5101 1047 Fifth Ave. #100, downtown, 619.515.3003, curadero.com Water Grill Oysters at Water Grill. (Courtesy photo) Shucking up over 15 varieties daily, this downtown locale offers a choice of local Carlsbad, deep Pacific Summerstone, and Discovery Bay oysters, to name a few. Sample six different varieties for $17.10 or get a dozen for $32.20. 615 J St., downtown, 619.717.6992, watergrill.com/wgsd/home.html The Oceanaire Seafood Room Keeping the celebration going throughout the holiday weekend, the downtown classic will be offering $1 chef-selected oysters from open to close all weekend on August 4 and 5. 400 J St., downtown, 619.858.2277, theoceanaire.com Hello Betty Fish House Head to Oceanside for two variations of oyster shooters, the Cuervo Oyster Shooter with bloody Mary pico, scallions and tequila, or the classic with spicy bloody Mary mix and cocktail sauce. For National Oyster Day, the restaurant offers happy hour pricing on all oyster shooters, $3 for classic and $4.25 for Cuervo. 211 Mission Ave., Oceanside, 760.722.1008, hellobettyoceanside.com Charles & Dinorah Get there quick, this new concept at The Pearl Hotel will be shucking out $1 oysters on National Oyster Day until they run out. For $10, try the Bloody Mare complete with gin mare, Cutwater bloody Mary mix, an oyster on the half shell and a bacon rim. 1410 Rosecrans St., Point Loma, 619.226.6100, thepearlsd.com/dining Osetra Seafood & Steaks Known for its raw bar, seafood, handmade pastas and aged meats, Osetra is featuring $1 oysters on Sunday. If single oysters just arent enough, nab the summer-long deal of 10 oysters and a bottle of select wine from its 3-story wine tower, from 4 p.m. to close (price varies). 904 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp, 619.239.1800, osetraseafoodandsteaks.com Fishbone Kitchen Grab a spot at the 12-seat raw bar in Liberty Public Market for $1.50 oysters alongside a mouthwatering array of sustainable seafood including ceviche, poke and fresh sea urchin. 2820 Historic Decatur Rd., Liberty Station, 619-643-2261, fishbonekitchen.com Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood A veteran of the Gaslamp scene for almost 20 years, the downtown restaurant will be serving up its famous Oysters Rockefeller, with sauteed spinach, applewood bacon, pecorino cheese and dill sauce, and $1.50 oysters during happy hour, 4-6:30 p.m. 658 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp, 619.232.0225, greystonesteakhouse.com Oysters at Greystone. (Courtesy photo) Waterbar If a laid back beach scene is your jam, head down to this ocean-front spot for floor-to-ceiling window ocean views and slurps. With $1 Oysters and $5 Oyster Shooters all day long, new records for oyster consumption might be set. 4325 Ocean Blvd., Pacific Beach, 858.888.4343, waterbarsd.com Oysters at Waterbar. (Courtesy photo) Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine Enjoy $1 freshly shucked oysters from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday at this restaurant inside the Pendry Hotel. 435 Fifth Ave., downtown, lionfishsd.com New to San Diegos dining and brewing scene are Surf Rider Pizza Co., a mixed-use Mercado del Barrio and Everbowl. Surf Rider Pizza Co. has added Mission Beach (3770 Mission Blvd.) and Crown Point (3453 Ingraham St.) to its inventory. Specializing in East Coast-style pizzeria, the Mission Beach outpost will serve signature pizzas by the slice or whole, salads, stromboli and homemade desserts, as well as cocktails, beer and wine. The Crown Point storefront will not serve beer or wine and doesnt have a dine-in option; itll offer a slightly edited menu for take-out and delivery only. A fourth location is planned in downtown La Mesa (8381 La Mesa Blvd.) this fall. 3770 Mission Blvd., San Diego. surfrider.pizza (Courtesy photo) Shea Properties announced it will open three new eateries at the Mercado del Barrio, a mixed-use center in Barrio Logan. Attitude Brewing Companys 22-tap tasting room offers a range of craft beers, including a Mexican-style lager, Bavarian-style Hefeweizen, Indian Pale Ale and coffee stout. Gourmet wraps and burgers can also be purchased. Opening its second San Diego location, Maggies Cafe will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner menus with dishes ranging from eggs Benedict and breakfast burritos to tortas and burgers. Italian eatery Dough Nation will serve unique Italian-Mexican options like Al Pastor pizza, as well as classics like pizza rolls and meatball sandwiches. 1101 Cesar E. Chavez Parkway, San Diego. (619) 236-5555. facebook.com/MercadoSD Advertisement Everbowl, a San Diego-based fast casual chain, announced it will open six new locations in Encinitas (now open at 114 Encinitas Blvd.), Mission Valley, San Elijo Hills, Carmel Valley and Menifee (now open at 30024 Haun Road). An outpost near San Diego State University will open later this summer. Its founded by healthy lifestyle advocate and San Diego serial entrepreneur Jeff Fenster, who said that as a parent and fitness enthusiast, he wanted to be on the right side of history to encourage healthy eating habits. I decided to open Everbowl locations in multiple, high traffic areas to ensure that everyone has the ability to access superfoods, fresh fruits and vegetables in the hopes that consumers will integrate these foods into their everyday lives, Fenster said. Each storefront will offer a menu of its craft superfood fresh fruit-filled layered parfaits made from one of four superfood base options: acai, pitaya, graviola or acerola. Customers select from a list of fruit toppings to create a custom bowl with healthy add-ins such as spirulina (algae powder) and bee pollen. Each bowl is $8, and includes unlimited ingredients. Also offered: smoothies and grab-and-go salads. everbowl.com Everbowl. (Courtesy photo) Read more from Carolina Gusmans The Dish here. Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Monday, July 30, and heres whats happening across California: TOP STORIES The grim losses of human life in Californias brush fires came into focus Sunday, as the death toll from the Redding fire rose to six and a second firefighter was killed battling the fire near Yosemite. The loss of life underscored the devastation of fires that are burning from Riverside County to the Oregon border. Los Angeles Times -- She desperately covered her two great-grandchildren in a wet blanket as the fire swept into their home. All three died. Los Angeles Times Advertisement -- With so many fires burning across California, resources are being stretched thin. Firefighters are coming from as far away as Florida. Los Angeles Times -- Is the Redding fire a terrifying look into the future? Sacramento Bee Mass evictions in Long Beach Driven by a white-hot real estate market, investors are snatching up older apartment buildings and clearing out tenants to renovate units and re-market them at sometimes double the rent. Los Angeles Times -- The incredible vulnerability of being a tenant in L.A. Curbed Los Angeles Too poor to leave Guatemalan native Claudia Calderon is trying to figure out a way to leave the United States and return to Guatemala with her two sons so they can be reunited with her husband. Many parents who were separated from their children at the border under the Trump administrations zero tolerance policy the majority of whom, like Calderon, are from Central America hope to make their case in court for why they should be allowed to stay in the U.S. Calderon has found herself pleading with lawyers to help her leave. Los Angeles Times -- With more than 1,800 migrant families now reunified under a court-ordered deadline, the question turns to how fast immigration authorities can deport those with final orders of removal. It looks increasingly likely those families will remain in limbo, at least for now. Los Angeles Times Get the Essential California newsletter At Beverly Hills highest point, a 157-acre land parcel with a storied history is hitting the market with the highest price tag L.A. has ever seen: $1 billion. (Beth Coller) L.A. STORIES The Metropolitan Transportation Authoritys passenger rail system stretches deep into the corners of Los Angeles County, drawing commuters to downtown from Long Beach, Azusa, North Hollywood and Santa Monica. But only a handful of the Metro systems 93 stations intersect with a second line, a design that often forces riders to travel miles out of the way to change trains. A rail extension Metro is planning through Hollywood, Beverly Grove and West Hollywood would address that problem. But when will it happen? Los Angeles Times -- Does downtown L.A. really need a streetcar? Maybe just better bus service? Curbed Los Angeles The $1-million challenge: The Urban Land Institute is offering Los Angeles officials help finding sites for homeless shelters and has enlisted a group of architects and landscape architects to design them. Los Angeles Times Death during a training exercise: Lawyers for the Los Angeles Fire Department are at odds with workplace safety regulators over their investigation into the death of a firefighter last year, the first fatality during a department training exercise since 1985. Los Angeles Times Whoa! On a summit above Beverly Hills, a sweeping 157-acre property touted as the citys finest undeveloped parcel is hitting the market with L.A.s first-ever 10-figure asking price: $1 billion. Los Angeles Times CRIME AND COURTS Everyone is vulnerable: The cycle of senseless, random violence in Fresno. Fresno Bee Border incident: Border Patrol agents shot a 19-year-old man who is suspected of hitting an agent with a rock and then stealing his ATV, prompting a brief chase early Sunday in the Tijuana River Valley north of the U.S. border with Mexico. San Diego Union-Tribune Brutal killer: The death of a California Aryan Brotherhood leader closes a chapter. Mercury News POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Steve Lopez weighs in: If Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is serious about running for president, doesnt he need to get his own house in order? Los Angeles Times Train talk: When California voters approved construction of a bullet train in 2008, they had a legal promise that passengers would be able to speed from Los Angeles to San Francisco in two hours and 40 minutes. But over the next decade, the state rail authority made a series of political and financial compromises that slowed speeds on long stretches of the track. Los Angeles Times Eye-opening: Californias greatest contradiction is almost Dickensian: In a state often cited as home to scores of billionaires, almost 4 in every 10 residents are living at or near the poverty line. Los Angeles Times Opinion: How Rep. Devin Nunes became the man Washington loves to hate. Wall Street Journal CALIFORNIA CULTURE Paying tribute: To mark what would have been Jonathan Golds 58th birthday, several buildings and monuments around Los Angeles were lit up gold Saturday night in honor of the late restaurant critic. Los Angeles Times Goodbye, hello: Kenya Barris, the creator of Black-ish, is saying goodbye-ish to his home at ABC Studios, with speculation that he is the next high-profile TV producer making the jump to Netflix. Is this another big blow to network TV? Los Angeles Times Perspective: I grew up a cerebral, effeminate child in a farm town in Northern California. You may assume when I say Northern California, I mean the vineyard and lesbian-sous-chef-laden lands of the Napa Valley. I do not. I am from the Sacramento Valley. California writer Guy Branum on the gay voice. New York Times Who knew? The story of some rare books found in the Sierra and their link to an ex-president. Sacramento Bee Know the name : Since S. Preston started posting his artwork several years ago on social media specifically a collection of 30 major league ballparks that could be turned into a modern-day Rorschach sports knowledge test decision-makers have taken notice. Los Angeles Times now play the game: Can you guess the ballparks? Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles area: Mostly sunny, 86, Monday. Sunny, 86, Tuesday. San Diego: Mostly sunny, 81, Monday. Partly cloudy, 80, Tuesday. San Francisco area: Partly cloudy, 64, Monday and Tuesday. San Jose: Sunny, 82, Monday. Sunny, 81, Tuesday. Sacramento: Sunny, 97, Monday. Sunny, 96, Tuesday. More weather is here. AND FINALLY This weeks birthdays for those who made a mark in California: Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (July 30, 1947), Treasurer John Chiang (July 31, 1962), Angels owner Arte Moreno (Aug. 1, 1946), state Sen. Toni Atkins (Aug. 1, 1962), L.A. City Controller Ron Galperin (Aug. 1, 1963) and rapper Coolio (Aug. 1, 1963). If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad. Border Patrol agents shot a 19-year-old man who is suspected of hitting another agent with a rock and then stealing his all-terrain vehicle, prompting a brief chase early Sunday in the Tijuana River Valley north of the U.S.-Mexico border. San Diego homicide detectives, who are handling the investigation, said the incident happened near Monument Road and Saturn Boulevard an area often referred to as Spooners Mesa about 2:35 a.m. An agent was patrolling the area when he came across a man and tried to make contact with him, San Diego homicide Lt. Matt Dobbs said. A fight ensued, in which the man is suspected of hitting the agent with a rock and knocking him off his ATV. The suspect then stole the ATV and was quickly pursued by other agents in the area before crashing into a fence, Dobbs said. Advertisement During the incident, two Border Patrol agents fired at the man, hitting him at least once. He was taken to a hospital with injuries that werent believed to be life-threatening, Dobbs said. The lieutenant did not say when the shooting occurred. No agents were seriously hurt. Anyone with information about what happened was asked to call detectives at (619) 521-2293 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (888) 580-8477. Winkley writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com A father convicted of assault and voluntary manslaughter in the 2012 death of his infant daughter lost his bid Monday to have his lengthy sentenced reduced. The request for a lower sentence was the latest round in a legal battle over the sentence for Lee Trahan, who lived in Escondido with his wife and family at the time his eight-week-old daughter Willow died. In 2015, a North County jury cleared Trahan, now 31, of second-degree murder but found him guilty of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. It also found him guilty of assault on a child causing death. At his sentencing, the prosecutor argued for a 25-years-to-life punishment for the assault conviction harsher than the 11-year maximum sentence that voluntary manslaughter carries. Advertisement The defense asked for probation, which is allowed under the law. Vista Superior Court Judge Harry Elias found both options inappropriate, and instead opted for the 11-year sentence. Related Did a bump kill a baby, or was it a beating? The prosecution filed an appeal challenging the sentence, arguing that the law required Elias to go with the potentially tougher sentence. Last year, a three-judge panel from the 4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego agreed. In January, Elias resentenced Trahan, this time to 25 years to life. On Monday, Elias rejected a request that he reconsider the sentence. Its been a long fight, Deputy District Attorney Michelle Ialeggio said after the hearing. Justice was finally served for Willow. Trahan, a former Marine who had been stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, contended at the trial that the fatal injury had been an accident he had unintentionally banged Willows head on a door frame as he went to feed in the early morning hours of April 24, 2012. Prosecutors said the injuries were too severe to be accidental, and also said the newborn had been injured before while in her fathers care. Neither of Willows parents sought medical help the day of the head injury. She was rushed to the hospital three days later when she stopped breathing. The baby who, with her twin brother, had been born six-weeks premature died nearly two weeks after the head injury. The babys mother, Jessica Trahan, was convicted of misdemeanor child neglect for failing to quickly get medical help for the infant. teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com (760) 529-4945 Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the 78-year-old civil rights icon and veteran congressman from Georgia, was released from a hospital Sunday evening after his weekend admission for an undisclosed reason. Lewis spokeswoman, Brenda Jones, said in an emailed statement that Lewis left the hospital a day after he was admitted for routine observation. All tests have been completed, and doctors have given him a clean bill of health, Jones said. He thanks everyone who shared their thoughts, prayers and concerns during his stay. Jones had told the Associated Press that Lewis, after being admitted to the hospital Saturday night, was resting very comfortably during the day Sunday. She did not release Lewis condition or elaborate on what exactly brought him to the hospital. Advertisement Lewis, a Democrat, played a key role in the civil rights movement and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 in Selma, Ala. He was the youngest and last survivor of the so-called Big Six civil rights activists, led by King, who engineered one of the greatest moral protests in history. Lewis was best known for leading about 600 protesters in the 1965 Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. At the head of the march, Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by Alabama state troopers. His skull was fractured. Televised images forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South. A veteran Democratic congressman from Atlanta, he won his first U.S. House term in 1986. WASHINGTON The trial of President Trumps onetime campaign chairman will open this week with tales of lavish spending, secret shell companies and millions of dollars of Ukrainian money flowing through offshore bank accounts and into the political consultants pocket. Whats likely to be missing: answers about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election, or really any mention of Russia at all. Paul Manaforts financial crimes trial, the first arising from special counsel Robert Muellers investigation, will center on his Ukrainian consulting work and only briefly touch on his involvement with the presidents campaign. But the broader implications are unmistakable. Advertisement Here are the potential witnesses who could testify in Manaforts trial The trial, scheduled to begin Tuesday with jury selection in Alexandria, Virginia, will give the public its most detailed glimpse of evidence Muellers team has spent the year accumulating. It will feature testimony about the business dealings and foreign ties of a defendant Trump entrusted to run his campaign during a critical stretch in 2016, including during the Republican convention. And it will unfold at a delicate time for the president as Muellers team presses for an interview and as Trump escalates his attacks on an investigation he calls a witch hunt. Adding to the intrigue is the expected spectacle of Manaforts deputy, Rick Gates, testifying against him after cutting a plea deal with prosecutors, and the speculation that Manafort, who faces charges in two different courts and decades in prison if convicted, may be holding out for a pardon from Trump. Perhaps he believes that hes done nothing wrong, and because hes done nothing wrong, hes unwilling to plead guilty to any crime whatsoever even if its a lesser crime, said Jimmy Gurule, a Notre Dame law professor and former federal prosecutor. Obviously, thats very risky for him. Manafort was indicted along with Gates in Muellers wide-ranging investigation, but he is the only American charged to opt for a trial instead of cooperating with the government. The remaining 31 individuals charged have either reached plea agreements, including ex-White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, or are Russians seen as unlikely to enter an American courtroom. Three Russian companies have also been charged. The Manafort trial will give the public its most detailed glimpse of evidence gathered by special prosecutor Robert Mueller. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP) Prosecutors in Manaforts case have said they may call 35 witnesses, including five who have immunity agreements, as they try to prove that he laundered more than $30 million in Ukrainian political consulting proceeds and concealed the funds from the IRS. Jurors are expected to see photographs of his Mercedes-Benz and of his Hampton property putting green and swimming pool. Theres likely to be testimony, too, about tailored Beverly Hills clothing, high-end antiques, rugs and art and New York Yankees seasons tickets. The luxurious lifestyle was funded by Manaforts political consulting for the pro-Russian Ukrainian political party of Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed as Ukraines president in 2014. Lawyers have tangled over how much jurors will hear of his overseas political work, particularly about his ties to Russia and other wealthy political figures. At a recent hearing, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who will preside over the trial, warned prosecutors to restrain themselves, noting the current antipathy toward Russia and how most people in this country dont distinguish between Ukrainians and Russians. He said he would not tolerate any pictures of Manafort and others at a cocktail party with scantily clad women, if they exist. Prosecutor Greg Andres reassured the judge that there will be no pictures of scantily clad women, period, nor photographs of Russian flags. I dont anticipate that a government witness will utter the word Russia, Andres said. While jurors will be hearing painstaking detail about Manaforts finances, they wont be told about Manaforts other criminal case, in the nations capital, where he faces charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and lying to the government. Nor will they hear about the reason hes been jailed since last month after a judge revoked his house arrest over allegations that he and a longtime associate attempted to tamper with witnesses in the case. And they wont learn that Manaforts co-defendant in the Washington case is a business associate named Konstantin Kilimnik, who lives in Russia and who U.S. authorities assert has connections to Russian intelligence. Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly sought to play down Manaforts connection to the president, yet the trial wont be entirely without references to the campaign. Muellers team says Manaforts position in the Trump campaign is relevant to some of the bank fraud charges. Prosecutors plan to present evidence that a chairman of one of the banks allowed Manafort to file inaccurate loan information in exchange for a job on the campaign and the promise of a job in the Trump administration. The administration job never materialized. The trial will afford the public its first glimpse of a defense that so far has focused less on the substance of the allegations than on Muellers authority to bring the case in the first place. At one point, his defense lawyers sued Mueller and the Justice Department, saying they had overstepped their bounds by bringing a prosecution untethered to the core questions of Muellers investigation whether Russia worked with the Trump campaign to tip the election. Ellis rejected that argument despite having initially questioned the special counsels motives for bringing the case. He noted that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, had explicitly authorized Mueller to investigate Manaforts business dealings. Muellers original mandate was to investigate not only potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, but also any other crimes arising from the probe. When a prosecutor looks into those dealings and uncovers evidence of criminal culpability, said Stanford law professor David Alan Sklansky, it doesnt make sense to ask him to avert his eyes. A Superior Court Judge ruled on Monday that San Diego Councilwoman Lorie Zapf can seek a third term in office this year, concluding there is no merit to an opposing candidates recently filed legal challenge based on term limits. Judge Peter Deddeh said Zapfs use of a term limits loophole to seek a third term is legal because preventing her from doing so would violate the San Diego city charter in at least four ways. Bryan Pease, the candidate who filed the challenge, said in a statement on Monday afternoon that he will seek review of the judges ruling by the Fourth District Court of Appeal. Even though city voters limited council members to two four-year terms in 1992, Zapf says she is eligible for a third term because her Bay Ho home shifted from District 6 to District 2 while she was in office restarting the term limits clock for her. Advertisement Deddeh agreed with that in the ruling he issued on Monday morning. Council member Zapf has not yet served two consecutive four-year terms in any particular district, Deddeh wrote. Therefore, she is eligible for re-election as District 2 council member for the 2018-2022 term. Pease contends Zapf began representing District 2 in 2011, when boundary lines were re-drawn in response to the once-a-decade census in 2010, and so is not eligible for a third term in that district. Zapf contends she continued to represent District 6, where she was first elected in 2010, until 2014. She then ran successfully for office in District 2 in 2014 and is seeking a second term in that district this year. Deddeh said concluding that Zapf began representing District 2 immediately upon the redistricting creates multiple legal problems. The most glaring would be that Zapf and then-Councilman Kevin Faulconer would have simultaneously represented District 2 for nearly three years, a period during which District 6 would have had no representative. In addition, the city charter says changing district boundaries cant end a council members term before it expires and cant force a council member to forfeit office. The charter also says council members must be elected by the people they represent, and that they must hold the office they were elected to for a four-year term. Jim Sutton, a San Francisco attorney representing Zapf, praised Judge Deddeh for his ruling. The rules are very clear in this very unique situation, where after redistricting two council members ended up being in the same district, Sutton said during an interview at the downtown courthouse. Here, the city decided to keep then-council member Faulconer in District 2 and keep council member Zapf in District 6, said Sutton, one of the leading election lawyers in the state. The judge very clearly would not allow history to be re-written. Pease, in his statement, reiterated his contention that Zapf couldnt continue to represent District 6 because she no longer lived there after redistricting, and that she began representing District 2 in 2011. The charter defines this as two full terms for term limit purposes, he said. A proposed November ballot measure would prohibit San Diego council members from serving longer than eight years even if they shift districts, but the measure wouldnt apply retroactively to Zapf even if voters approve it. Sutton said the proposed policy revision, which has been propelled by the redistricting loophole Zapf is using, would make San Diego rare. What youre really saying is that the council member can only have one term -- one term in District 2 and one term in District 6, he said. I cannot think of any term limit law that only allows a council member one term, so that would be kind of extreme. The challenge by Pease, who finished third in the June primary, had sought to make the November runoff a contest between himself and Jennifer Campbell, who finished second in the primary. Sutton said that wouldnt have happened even if the judge had declared Zapf ineligible. The losing candidate doesnt get to go on the ballot -- the charter says the top two candidates get to go on the ballot, period, said Sutton, suggesting the city would probably have had to hold a new primary. Sutton said an appeal would require expedited action by the appellate court that would need to conclude by mid-August. That would be an extraordinary thing for the court of appeal to do, Sutton said. John Hoy, Zapfs campaign manager, said on Monday at the courthouse that Peases challenge hadnt been a significant distraction to Zapf, who has continued to perform her duties at City Hall and work on her re-election campaign. Campbell said on Monday by phone that she is ready to move forward with the campaign. david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick Sheriffs deputies and an ASTREA helicpter were searching for a driver who refused to pull over for a traffic stop in Boulevard on Monday morning. Sheriffs Lt. Amber Baggs said a deputy attempted to pull over a car that was eastbound on state Route 94 in Boulevard, a rural area in the southeastern end of San Diego County, at about 11:40 a.m. Baggs said it wasnt clear why the officer was pulling over the car, but the driver sped off with the deputy in pursuit. The car slowed down at one point and the passenger got out and was arrested, Baggs said. The driver then continued eastbound on SR 94. An ASTREA helicopter was called to assist in the pursuit, but as of early afternoon the car had not been found. Advertisement Homeless Playlist On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 A 52-year-old woman who fell asleep under a semi-truck in a Pacific Beach alley was fatally run over Sunday when the driver, who didnt notice her, moved the rig, police An employee of the Trader Joes on Garnet Avenue found the woman in an alley behind the store about 1:20 p.m., police Officer Sarah Foster said. Police and paramedics arrived and tried to revive her, but she died of her injuries. She was not identified. Officers are investigating the incident as an accident. Advertisement Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com A man was shot several times in Logan Heights Sunday evening and police suspect the incident was gang-related Someone called police to report several gunshots near 30th Street and Franklin Avenue about 5:20 p.m., police Officer John Buttle said. Officers found the victim, 32, in a nearby house, and he was taken to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening, police said. Witnesses said the incident began when two men pulled up to the victim in a 2012 silver Nissan Altima and issued a gang challenge. The three men then began fighting, and one of the men from the car pulled out a gun and began shooting. Advertisement The incident remains under investigation. Gary Warth contributed to this story. Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com In the Me Too era with awareness finally growing about the awfulness and pervasiveness of workplace sexual harassment an elected officials decision to make harassment allegations against a colleague is a momentous step. It starts a process that can deliver justice or ruin reputations. That didnt seem to occur to National City Councilman Jerry Cano when he accused Councilwoman Mona Rios of touching him inappropriately during a council photo in April, and saying it wasnt the first time she had done so. The accusation came soon after Rios called for an independent investigation into Canos years of delays in addressing building code violations at his home. That investigation is now done, and attorney William Curley found no evidence Cano, in his sixth year in office, had used his official authority to avoid fines for his violations. But Curley also reported that Cano, who didnt cooperate with the probe, had indicated his allegation against Rios didnt happen. Cano made no comment at Tuesdays council meeting when Curley detailed his findings or in the days that followed. This is disgraceful. The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board rarely calls for anyones resignation, but Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, whose district includes National City, is right to say that Cano should quit. National Citys leaders already have plenty on their plates. Curley cleared Cano of wrongdoing but offered no good reason why he wasnt fined as others have been, raising questions about favoritism and incompetence. The death of a man after an arrest outside the citys police station has led to protests disrupting several council meetings. A rent control measure on the November ballot is likely to add to the citys reputation for infighting. But Canos despicable, petty revenge goes far beyond politics as normal and should not be accepted. He has to go. Advertisement Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion Adrian Morejon is back in the California League. Out for more than a month with muscular soreness in his flexor muscle, the 19-year-old left-hander turned in four scoreless frames in the high Single-A Lake Elsinores 3-0 win over visiting Stockton on Sunday. Morejon struck out three, walked two and allowed one hit in the start, lowering his ERA to 3.36 over 61 2/3 innings in the circuit. He has struck out 69, walked 22 and held opposing hitters to a .232 batting average. Morejons comeback trail also included two earned runs allowed in 2 2/3 innings in the rookie-level Arizona League. Advertisement Right-hander Pedro Avila (6-6, 3.75) followed Morejon with five shutout innings, scattering three hits and three walks while striking out three in the win. Hudson Potts (.293), Allen Cordoba (.194), Chris Baker (.241) and A.J. Kennedy (.667) each had two hits. The Storm are 19-19 in the second half and 53-55 overall. TRIPLE-A EL PASO (58-48) Chihuahuas 4, Oklahoma City 2: LHP Dillon Overton (4-2, 2.80) struck out three and allowed two runs on eight hits in five innings in the win. RHP Rowan Wick (3.18) capped four scoreless innings from the bullpen with a perfect ninth for his first save. Diego Goris (.260) drove in two runs on a pinch-hit double and RF Forrestt Allday (.309) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks. DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (21-15, 63-43) Frisco 3, Missions 1: RHP Jacob Nix (2-3, 2.05) struck out eight and allowed three runs on seven hits and no walks in 7 1/3 innings. 1B Kyle Overstreet (.273) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and C Webster Rivas (.285) went 2-for-4. LF Josh Naylor went 0-for-3 with a walk. LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (16-19, 48-56) Bowling Green 4, TinCaps 0: LHP Aaron Leasher (5-5, 3.44) struck out four and allowed three runs on seven hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings in the loss. 1B Jalen Washington (.241) went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. SHORT-SEASON TRI-CITY (3-3, 21-23) Dust Devils 7, Boise 2: RHP Adrian Martinez (2-3, 6.89) struck out five and allowed two runs one earned on seven hits and a walk in six innings in the win. C Blake Hunt (.231) drove in two runs on his first homer and CF Grant Little (.2620 and DH Owen Miller (.333) both went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. LF Michael Curry (.223) also went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Padres Videos On Now Padres pitcher Chris Paddack on start vs. Mariners and possibility of making rotation On Now Meet the Padres: Ian Kinsler 5:18 On Now Catching up with Padres OF Franmil Reyes 5:18 On Now Meet The Padres: Greg Garcia 5:11 On Now Catching up with Padres reliever Craig Stammen 5:33 On Now Meet the Padres: Logan Allen 6:23 On Now Meet The Padres: Manny Machado 9:08 On Now Meet The Padres: Chris Paddack 5:08 On Now Three things that stood out from Machado's first day with the Padres 1:53 On Now Padres manager Andy Green on Machado joining his roster jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutSanders For a brief few seconds, the Sunday crowd of 11,000-plus at Del Mar went from the usual cheering to a roar. It seemed a warning in unison to Unique Bella as the beautiful gray filly strode toward the finishing line, seemingly on cruise control under jockey Mike Smith in the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes. The ride has been so easy that Smith hadnt even flinched with the whip in his hand, but then German-bred La Force and jockey Drayden Van Dyke were making a furious late charge. Could they pull off a shocker and nip the 1-9 favorite at the wire? Advertisement Nah. Unique Bella and Smith were just toying with the field and fans or at least it seemed that way. The 4-year-old, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and ranked as the No. 4 thoroughbred in America in the NTRA poll, teased out a half-length margin to score her ninth win in 12 career starts and earn a third Grade I victory. Smith revealed afterward that Unique Bella blew a shoe at the start and was a little uncomfortable. The jockey cut short a winners circle photo session when the horse seemed a bit agitated. This wasnt her best race, but it was OK, Smith said. When she heard that other mare (La Force) coming, she surged again. Added La Forces rider Van Dyke, My filly ran the race of her life. She was really trying. But I saw (Unique Bella) jump forward when we got close to her. She dug back in. The win over 1 1/16 miles on dirt earned Unique Bella ($2.20), owned by Don Alberto Stable, an automatic invitation to the Breeders Cup Distaff race through the Win And Youre In program. The daughter of Tapit seems primed to perform better than she did in last years BC Filly & Mare Sprint, when a seventh-place finish marked the only time she hasnt placed first or second. When Hollendorfer scratched Turkish Tabby from the Hirsch, there were only four challengers to Unique Bella. Trainer John Sadler had two of them Yuvetsi and Shenandoah Queen and they finished fourth and fifth. The field size didnt affect how Hollendorfer approached the race. We take every race seriously, and we took this one seriously, he said. She won, and were happy with the way she did it. Shes been off a while (since June 2) and we wanted to get a win so we could plan her next race, which either will be back East or (at Santa Anita). Were not sure yet. Cup negotiations continue Its not unusual for Breeders Cup President and CEO Craig Fravel to be in San Diego at any given time. The former Del Mar Thoroughbred president and general manager is here about three weekends a month because he chooses to commute from Kentucky so that his wife and daughter can live here. This weekend, he was at Del Mar on business, providing the Win And Youre In invitations to the Breeders Cup to the connections of Unique Bella and Saturdays Grade I Bing Crosby winner Ransom the Moon. There was also the matter of continuing negotiations for the next staging of the Breeders Cup at Del Mar after last years record-breaking debut here. Del Mar CEO Joe Harper confirmed that talks are ongoing, while Fravel declined comment. The only thing I ever tell anybody is that Ill let you know when we have something to announce, Fravel said. There has been speculation in horse racing media that an announcement is not far off. Harper said before the summer meet began that 2021 appeared the most likely placing for the Breeders Cup at Del Mar. He offered the opinion that Santa Anita would probably host in 2019, followed by Keeneland in 20. As Fravel left the Del Mar winners circle, he said of last Novembers staging, It was a great event. I cant walk around here without somebody telling me how great it was. Another Baffert star? It was a big weekend for trainer Bob Bafferts promising youngsters. After American Pharoahs half-sister, Chasing Yesterday, won in her debut on Saturday, 2-year-old colt Roadster easily captured his first race in the sixth on Sunday. Smith had the ride and didnt do much urging to win the $60,000 maiden effort by 4 lengths. Roadster, a son of Quality Road, is owned by Speedway Stable, which won the Pacific Classic last year with the Baffert-trained Collected. Good Magic wins Haskell Favorite Good Magic ran to a 3-length victory in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Good Magic won for the third time in eight career races. The 3-year-old was second in the Kentucky Derby. Notable -- The big win came on Saturday with Ransom the Moon, and trainer Phil DAmato got another score on Sunday when Just Grazed Me ($8.40) captured the $150,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for Cal-bred 3-year-old fillies at 7 furlongs. Tyler Baze rode the winner, owned by Nick Alexander. -- A Go Fund Me page has been established for trainer J. Buenaventura Vargas, who lost 40 years worth of equipment in the San Luis Rey Downs fire and recently was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Vargas required surgery on July 18 for heart valve and aortic replacement and is recuperating, but does not have health insurance. Family members and friends are asking for contributions via Go Fund Me. Sports Videos tod.leonard@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutleonard Socialist party presidential candidate Eugene Debs was sent to prison for speaking out against World War I, and thousands of others were charged with speech crimes. Weekly Newsletter The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! Join First-amendment rights hit an all-time low between 1917 and 1919. As the federal government raced to unite the country behind the war effort, it cracked down on any opposition or criticism. Congress passed the Espionage Act, which prohibited any action that would disrupt the countrys military or aid the enemy. Then it passed the Sedition Act, which outlawed any speech or writing that put the governments war program in a negative light. Over the next few years, more than 2,000 people would be charged with violating the new limits on free speech. One of the most famous of these was Eugene V. Debs, a union organizer and socialist. Subscribe and get unlimited access to our online magazine archive. Subscribe Today In 1893, Debs had been president of the American Railway Union when it went on strike after the Pullman Company, maker of railway cars, cut its workers wages by 28%. Union members refused to handle Pullman cars or any cars attached to them. The federal government issued an injunction requiring striking workers back on the job, but Debs refused to comply. Ultimately the army was sent in to break the strike. Thirty strikers were killed and Debs was imprisoned for 30 days. While in prison, Debs came to believe he could do more good as a socialist than a union administrator. Starting in 1900, he campaigned as the socialist candidate in five presidential elections. He never came close to winning, but he raised awareness of the disparity between rich and poor in America and earned some grudging respect from his opponents (as seen in this Post profile from 1908.) On June 16, 1918, Debs had delivered a speech in Canton, Ohio, that caused him to be arrested and convicted under the Espionage Act. Debs appealed to the Supreme Court, but the court upheld his conviction. It believed Debs was guilty not for what he said in his Canton speech but because of a document he had previously written, Anti-War Proclamation and Program, as well as other comments. These showed Debs intention was to disrupt military preparations. A long-time pacifist, Debs had been aware of the Espionage Act and had toned down his speech to avoid making statements that directly opposed the war effort. But Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, who wrote the courts unanimous opinion, noted that Debs had previously said things like the master class has always declared the war and the subject class has always fought the battles the subject class has had nothing to gain and all to lose, including their lives; that the working class, who furnish the corpses, have never yet had a voice in declaring war and never yet had a voice in declaring peace. At this point in his career, Holmes had little tolerance for opposition to the government. He believed Debs represented a serious threat to democratic government and the rights of property. And urging others to disrupt the draft was no different from disrupting it themselves. He believed speech, as much as action, had the power to disrupt public order. It was in this opinion that Holmes gave his famous analogy of unfettered speech: The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man shouting fire in a theater and causing panic. Justifying the right to abridge the first amendment, Holmes wrote that a statement fell outside of free-speech protection if there was a clear and present danger it would bring about a harm that Congress has the right to prevent. On April 13, 1919, Eugene Debs began his ten-year prison sentence. Far from being a lone, angry radical, he entered the federal prison in Oregon a sympathetic figure, jailed for objecting to a war that was now five months in the past. In 1920, he announced his fifth run for the U.S. presidency from his jail cell and that November managed to win nearly a million votes. Had Debs trial come before the Supreme Court after 1918, Justice Holmes might have argued for his acquittal. In the months following his Debs decision, he had changed his mind about the limits of free speech. He presented his ideas in his opinion on Abrams v. U.S. The case involved Russian sympathizers who urged workers to impede the manufacture of weapons for the American troops stationed in Russia. The Court upheld the Espionage Act, but Holmes dissented. This case didnt involve a clear a present danger, Holmes wrote. America was not officially at war. Moreover, a conviction required proof of specific intent to commit a crime a reversal of his interpretation of Debs intentions. Holmes went even further, claiming that Abrams ten-year sentence followed by deportation indicated he was being prosecuted not for his speech but for his beliefs. It was here that Holmes recorded another of his memorable concepts. Free speech was essential and should be protected, he wrote, because the marketplace of ideas produces better thinking. Good ideas will challenge, and overturn more limited concept. Free speech leads us toward the truth. Debs health began to fail in prison. In 1921, President Harding extended clemency to Debs, but did not issue a pardon. The administration still regarded him as dangerous. In a White House statement, Debs was described as a man of much personal charm and impressive personality, which qualifications make him a dangerous man calculated to mislead the unthinking and affording excuse for those with criminal intent. Yet Debs was personally invited to the White House the day after his release from jail. He was greeted cordially by President Harding, who said, Well, Ive heard so damned much about you, Mr. Debs, that I am now glad to meet you personally. Though Holmes distanced himself from the clear and present danger doctrine, the Supreme Court used it as a precedent until 1969. In that year, the court raised its protection of free speech in its Brandenburg v. Ohio decision. The government, it ruled, can only limit speech intending to produce imminent lawless action. Featured image: Debs and Hanford campaign poster from 1904 (Socialist Party of America) Weekly Newsletter The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! Join This article and other stories of the Civil War can be found in the Posts Special Collectors Edition, The Saturday Evening Post: Untold Stories of the Civil War. This account appeared in the August 11, 1962, issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe and get unlimited access to our online magazine archive. Subscribe Today There were more Confederate flags sold during the first year of the Civil War Centennial (1961) than were sold throughout the South during the war itself (1861-1865). One hesitates to estimate the number of Confederate flags that will be sold during the next three years, but the prospects are that the total will be more than all the flags sold in all the wars the nation has fought. Yet the Civil War Centennial is hardly a promotion dreamed up by flag manufacturers. Nor is the centennial merely a project of the enthusiastic city booster to lure the tourist dollar to his hometown. No city booster anywhere in the south or in the north has any intention of proposing a celebration of other conflicts like World War I or World War II or the Korean War. We celebrate no other war because essentially we believe those wars are over, their outcomes final, the course of history decided. But there are centennial committees throughout the south which would have us think the Civil War is not completely done with, that it ought to be refought. These fellows grow beards, wave flags, and charge over the few meadows the housing developers have left hoping somehow by this exertion to sustain the illusion that the South may yet snatch victory from defeat. They do everything to re-create the Old South except save Confederate money. The late bill Polk once showed me a letter from a North Carolina high-school boy which read, in part: I wish I had been born before the Civil War and had died at Gettysburg. The war started again in July 1961 with the grand reenactment of the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run), which the South, not surprisingly, won again. Twenty-three states on both sides sent participants, although a large number of soldiers came from the ranks of the North-South Skirmish Association, an organization founded in 1950 by devotees of the muzzle-loading rifle, whose purpose is to hold shooting contests from time to time. For the First Manassas reenactments the participants wore authentic uniforms and carried old muskets whose blank cartridges often bruised the shoulder, blacked the face, and seared the eyes of the unwary. The son of a friend of mine, a corporal in the Guilford Greys (Greensboro, North Carolina), has been killed three times since First Manassas and is perfectly willing to give his life in a fourth reenacted battle. It is nice , indeed, to have more than one life to give to ones country, although the plane fare to the different battlefields is considerable. The centennial engenders nothing if not sacrifice. The late Bill Polk, editor of the Greensboro Daily News, once showed me a letter from a North Carolina high-school boy which read, in part: I wish I had been born before the Civil War and had died at Gettysburg. These mock recruits, I suspect, secretly hope one day the batteries will load real projectiles in the cannons, and the bayonets will be cold steel, not rubber. And this time they will take Washington, D.C. On To Washington! On To Yesterday! Certain centennialists seem to believe that once they take the capital, they can force upon the Supreme Court the decisions that will restore the old plantations, the crinolines, the dueling pistols, the house on the hill with smoke coming out the chimney at twilight, and little Sambo rolling in laughter under the magnolia. Ah, what a glorious dream! Yet it is not entirely an idle dream. The Civil War centennialists have some vague idea that, if they can mount a sufficient show of force, they may not have to deal with the more aggravating and immediate problems of Southern life the problems that press upon an urban, industrial area that is leaving behind the old, easy agrarian values. Thus the centennial has turned into a party rather than a pageant. I have even seen a few automobiles decorated with the Stars and Bars, filled with black students, each of the occupants therein wearing the butternut-gray dinks of Confederate soldiers. No centennial committeeman, no matter how skillfully he ties his bowstring, is completely unaware of what is going on in the business district of his hometown. He doesnt even have to work behind a store counter to know that, in the states of the old Confederacy, at least one-third of all the purchasing power and one-half of all the credit buying comes from the pockets of grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the black slaves. That realization is why the centennial is something less than a huge success in the big Southern cities. The plan for my own home, Charlotte, North Carolina, by far the largest city of the two Carolinas, was to commemorate the fact that it was the site of the Confederate Navy Yard. It seems that, after the war broke out, the naval stores at Portsmouth, Virginia, were seized and transported inland to Charlotte. The long boardwalk is still called the wharf. But except for the members of the committee itself, few people are even aware of the centennial, let alone a Confederate Navy Yard. Was the Old South A Myth? The chamber-of-commerce fellows are selling the ideals of the modern industrial world because the ideals of the Old South were only make-believe currency. There were Southerners before 1800, but there was no Old South. One of our Southern writers, Wilbur J. Cash, in his book The Mind of the South, recalled that boys who cleared out the Indians in the Carolina backwoods lived to command brigades at Bull Run, which means that the Old South could not have been more than two generations old. The fact is that the Old South was nothing more than a myth and a poem and, as Jimmy Street, another Southern writer, put it, a malady for which there fortunately is a vaccine the industrial payroll. The Civil War started with the Negro in slave cabins. But all of the blanks and muskets and beards will not disguise the truth that Negroes serve today on the Republican and Democratic national committees. The real Confederates found cover behind occasional tar-paper shacks. In their place today, the re-created regiments and brigades have to charge around factories where the skilled workmen inside knock off a few minutes to cheer them on. The time has come to end the Civil War because we are one country with one economy. We cannot take time out from industrial and urban problems of unemployment, housing, schooling, and civil rights to indulge ourselves in silly excess, celebrating a time that no longer is and never was. The truth is that, at best, the centennial provides but a minor amusement. Lets End the Civil War, August 11, 1962 A new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope demonstrates the immense effects of gravity; more specifically, it shows the effects of gravitational lensing caused by SDSS J1152+3313, an enormous galaxy cluster in the constellation of Ursa Major, approximately 4 billion light-years away. Albert Einstein predicted in his theory of general relativity that massive objects will deform the fabric of space itself. When light passes one of these objects, such as a cluster of galaxies, its path is changed slightly. Called gravitational lensing, this effect is only visible in rare cases and only the best telescopes can observe the related phenomena. Hubbles sensitivity and high resolution allow it to see faint and distant gravitational lenses that cannot be detected with ground-based telescopes whose images are blurred by the atmosphere of our planet. Gravitational lenses such as SDSS J1152+3313 possess immense masses that bend the light from faraway objects into rings, arcs, streaks, blurs, and other odd shapes. This lens, however, is not only wrapping the appearance of a distant galaxy it is also amplifying its light, making it appear much brighter than it would be without the lens. Combined with the high image quality obtainable with Hubble, this gives valuable clues into how stars formed in the early Universe. Toxoplasmosis, caused by the globally prevalent parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the most common parasitic infections of man and other warm-blooded animals. In a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, an international team of scientists found that T. gondii-positive individuals were 1.4 times more likely to major in business and 1.7 times more likely to pursue a pursue a management and entrepreneurship emphasis. Toxoplasmosis is widespread in humans, although its prevalence varies widely from place to place. In Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, it is estimated that 9-40% of the population are infected, whereas in Central and South America and continental Europe, estimates of infection range from 50 to 80%. While rarely associated with acute pathology, T. gondii has been correlated with impulsive behaviors and health outcomes such as increased risk of car accidents, road rage, mental illness, neuroticism, drug abuse and suicide. The explanation behind these altered behaviors is as disturbing as it is fascinating: because the parasite reproduces sexually only within wild and domestic cats, any changes in host behavior that make them more likely to get eaten by a feline are hypothesized to benefit the parasite. As humans, we like to think that we are in control of our actions, said study co-lead author Professor Pieter Johnson, from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. But emerging research shows that the microorganisms we encounter in our daily lives have the potential to influence their hosts in significant ways. Professor Johnson and colleagues tested the hypothesis that T. gondii infection influences individual- as well as societal-scale entrepreneurship activities. In a study of 1,495 undergraduate students, they found that the participants who tested IgG positive for T. gondii exposure were 1.4 times more likely to major in business and 1.7 times more likely to have an emphasis in management and entrepreneurship over other business-related emphases. In an additional survey of 197 adult professionals attending entrepreneurship events, infected individuals were 1.8 times more likely to have started their own business compared with other attendees. The team also compiled national statistics from 42 countries over the past 25 years and found that T. gondii infection prevalences proved to be a consistent, positive predictor of entrepreneurial activity, even when controlling for relative national wealth and opportunity factors. Economics research has historically emphasized the importance of rationality in explaining human decisions, with individuals considering benefits and risks before acting in their self-interest, the scientists said. T. gondii exposure, however, might nudge individuals toward higher risk, higher reward activities and deviating from economic theory. The study found that nations with a higher infection prevalence saw a lower fraction of respondents cite a fear of failure as a deterrent to a new business venture. But thats not to say that all of those businesses will work out or that T. gondii necessarily deserves credit or blame for any individual outcome, they said. We can see the association in terms of the number of businesses and the intent of participants, but we dont know if the businesses started by T.gondii-positive individuals are more likely to succeed or fail in the long run, said co-lead author Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson, from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder. New ventures have high failure rates, so a fear of failure is quite rational. T.gondii might just reduce that rational fear. The study authors emphasized that the study is correlational, rather than causal, in nature and that individuals pre-disposed to high-risk behavior could be more likely to be both entrepreneurial in their attitudes and exposed to T. gondii through animal contact. Infectious diseases have strongly shaped human history and culture over millions of years, Professor Johnson said. Today, we like to believe our decisions and destiny are ours alone, but the contributing roles of our microscopic companions are increasingly apparent. _____ Stefanie K. Johnson et al. 2018. Risky business: linking Toxoplasma gondii infection and entrepreneurship behaviours across individuals and countries. Proc. R. Soc. B 285 (1883); doi: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0822 All things considered, we continue to believe that any negative impact the protectionist actions have on the dry bulk trade will be largely outweighed by positive dry bulk supply fundamentals and continued global dry bulk trade growth overall, said ceo Mats Berglund at the minor bulks specialists first half results. Better rates and the companys continued outperformance of the market turned it solidly back to the black with a $30.8m net profit from a $12.0m loss previously. Pacific Basins Handysize and Supramax net daily TCE earnings of $9,750 and $11,730 were up 23% and 32% year-on-year, and outperformed the Baltic Handysize and Supramax spot market indices by 19% and 11% respectively. Meanwhile, the company had current coverage of 54% of Handysize days for the second half at $9,610 and 67% of Supramax days at $11,010 per day net. Pacific Basin said key positive drivers in the first half included 3% and 4% increases in Brazilian export volumes and US export sales of grain and other agricultural products, supported by record soybean volumes from Brazil and corn sales from the US. Meanwhile, Pacific demand benefited from increased trade in bauxite, nickel ore, copper concentrate, forestry products and other minor bulks, the company said. On the key China market, Pacific Basin noted that despite 7% growth in steel output to all-time high levels, Chinese steel exports declined 14% primarily due to strong domestic demand and high prices. Read more: Dry bulk 'largely out of the woods'; Pacific Basin chairman Turnbull Meanwhile Chinese imports of minor bulks grew 8% (excluding bauxite and nickel ore for which data is not yet available). But indications are for strong growth full-year growth in these commodities, helped by Indonesia coming back to exporting large volumes. US-related trade dispute actions to date impact only a small fraction of the trades in which Pacific Basin is engaged, Berglund said, adding that total US soybean exports to China in 2017 represented only about 0.6% of total dry bulk seaborne trade. He pointed out that commodity trading patterns typically tend to shift rather than stop due to the effects of trade tariffs. Berglund warned however that the trade conflict between the US and its key trading partners might get resolved but may also escalate. This uncertainty weakens sentiment which could undermine trade, and a global trade war could impact global GDP and dry bulk demand. Looking ahead Berglund said: Despite on-going trade tensions, we remain cautiously optimistic for a continued market recovery, although with some volatility along the way. Citing Clarksons Research full-year forecasts, he also noted that minor bulk tonne-mile demand is estimated to expand by 4% as longer average distances are forecast to supplement volume growth by an additional 0.7%. Meanwhile, due to the declining orderbook, newbuilding deliveries in the first half of 2018 reduced to about 15.4m dwt, comprising 1.9% of existing dry bulk capacity, the lowest level since 1988 while scrapping dropped to just 0.3% of existing capacity due to the much improved freight market conditions. Looking better for the future, new ship ordering was also limited, with most newbuildings among large bulkers, Berglund said and noted that Handysize and Supramax new ship ordering is down to an historic low of around 1%. Read More: Pacific Basin weighs in against scrubbers On the Sulphur cap issue, Pacific Basin has changed its position somewhat from earlier in the year when Berglund specifically said scrubbers were not an effective solution and called for a mandate to use low Sulphur fuel instead. Apparently conceding to an inability to get this mandate, Berglund said the company is now assessing both options. We lobbied for a mandate for everyone to burn low sulphur fuel as this would be an environmentally more effective solution and supporting a level playing field, lower speeds and lower emissions (including CO2). However, it appears there is now no scope to change the rules, and some owners of larger vessels (including some Supramax owners) are planning to install scrubbers, he said. We continue to assess both the low sulphur fuel and the scrubber options, but continue to believe that the vast majority of the dry bulk fleet (especially smaller ships like Handysize vessels) will comply by using low sulphur fuel, Berglund said. Looking on the bright side however, he said that continuing regulatory uncertainty would complicate newbuilding decisions and in turn cap supply. We believe that, combined, these regulations will over time encourage scrapping of poor quality ships and be positive for the supply-demand balance and benefit larger, stronger companies with high quality fleets that are better positioned to adapt and to cope practically and financially with both compliance and new technology, Berglund concluded. GORDON CONVINCED THAT RESOLUTION WILL PROMOTE, SUPPORT AND ENHANCE PHILIPPINES-ISRAEL RELATIONS Senator Richard J. Gordon, welcoming his colleagues' support, has expressed conviction that the resolution adopted by the Senate on Tuesday will foster closer and enhanced Philippines-Israel relations. Gordon, who sponsored Senate Resolution No. 757, said an association among parliamentarians from the Philippines and Israel will pave the way for regular discussions on matters of mutual interest and areas of mutual cooperation between the two nations. "I was surprised that after more than 60 years since diplomatic relations was formally established between our two countries, with 17 various bilateral agreements forged, we still don't have a parliamentary friendship association. Closer relations between Filipino and Israeli parliamentarians will help sustain the robust bilateral ties and strategic relationship between our nations," he said. Senate Resolution No. 757, which Gordon introduced last May 30, expresses the sense of the Senate to fully promote, support and enhance the Philippines-Israel relations, a Philippines-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Association be established. All 22 senators present at Tuesday's session committed their membership and expressed commitment to work on getting the association off the ground at the soonest time possible. Gordon and Israel's Knesset Deputy Speaker Nava Boker agreed to establish the Philippines-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Association in April 2018. Israel is a developed country, known for its high-technology designs and manufactures, and is considered as the start-up nation; its diverse market economy includes agricultural, service, tourism, high-technology, textiles, and diamond sectors. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that it aspires to be the world's 15th largest economy by 2025. Press Release July 30, 2018 De Lima calls for probe on the plight of IDPs in Mindanao Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has asked the Senate leadership to look into the status of individuals and families who were displaced by the violent skirmishes between the government troops and the Muslim extremist group in Mindanao. De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 798 directing the appropriate Senate committee to inquire into the plight of individuals and families caught in between the armed conflict with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). "As an outcome of this general violence from the tensions between the military and the group identified as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, many of our fellow Filipinos are currently in the throes of massive displacement," she said. Based on official figures, about 5,136 families - or 23,465 individuals -from different municipalities of Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Lanao del Sur have been adversely affected by the ongoing military operations against the BIFF group. As early as June 17, government troops have been running after groups allegedly led by a certain Muslim leader Abu Dar who is widely believed to be rebuilding a group from residual forces which caused the conflict in Marawi. The former justice secretary pointed out that the Senate should find out how these Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) are coping up with their predicament, notably on the issues of security, access to food, shelter and education and livelihood. "There is a need to determine the extent of our compliance with our international obligations on protecting the IDPs in our country," she said. "There is also need to examine our policies and mechanisms to see if they are able to provide practical, rights-based, and sustainable solutions to these recurring concerns in emergency and conflict situations," she added. De Lima, a known human rights advocate, also expressed her deep concern over the vulnerability of women-IDPs to gender-based violence in areas with armed conflicts. According to her, any inaction on the part of the present government, especially for the most vulnerable sector in conflict areas, is unacceptable in clear non-compliance with the country's obligations and commitments to international treaties. "There is need to ensure that the people, whom our international obligations and Constitution seek to protect, are given all possible assistance and protection by our government," she said. In July 2017, De Lima has also filed Senate Resolution No. 420 urging the Senate leadership to look into the plight of IDPs within and outside the evacuation areas in Marawi City and other parts of Mindanao due to military pursuit of the Maute group. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees noted in its report issued last April 16, that about 59,495 out of 77,170 families - or 353,921 individuals -affected by the Marawi siege have remained displaced as of March 6, 2018. Press Release July 30, 2018 Drilon: Anti-political dynasty law key to BOL success Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on Monday called for a speedy enactment of the anti-political dynasty law in order to ensure the success of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. "Our nation's dream for a stable and progressive Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will fail unless we adopt an anti-political dynasty law that will be in place before a Bangsamoro government is installed," Drilon said in his co-sponsorship speech on Senate Bill 1765, which seeks to prohibit political dynasty. "We are not optimistic of good governance in the Bangsamoro region unless a strong and clear anti-dynasty provision is included in the measure," he said. Drilon shared concerns that tremendous power and resources devolved to the Bangsamoro government may only empower and strengthen political kingpins and warlords in the region. He said it can be prevented by enacting an anti-political dynasty law: "The further empowerment of the political kingpins and warlords cited by civic leader and former finance secretary Ramon Del Rosario Jr. need not wait for a federal system to be installed in a new constitution." "It is right before us, with the ratification and effectivity of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), we can indeed prevent further empowerment of political kingpins and warlords," Drilon said. Within the context of public finance, Drilon said that political dynasty breeds conflicts of interest and weakens accountability and auditing mechanisms that are supposed to police the behavior of public officials, especially in managing resources. "The regulation of political dynasties, therefore, is consistent with the aspiration in the country for a more inclusive society, a fairer and more competitive political process, and a more balanced and inclusive political development," Drilon stressed. He added: "The time for debate is over. Thirty-one years ago, the Filipino people mandated us in Congress to enact an anti-political dynasty law. It is time for us to act now. Let us pass Senate Bill 1765 now." "We can rightfully equate good governance, progress, and peace not only in the Bangsamoro but in the entire country, with the speedy enactment of Senate Bill 1765," Drilon added. "I did not succeed in including an anti-political dynasty provision in the BOL. This time, I hope to succeed. I hope this chamber will approve this bipartisan support," said Drilon. The minority leader fought for an inclusion of an anti-political dynasty in the BOL but was prevailed upon. Press Release July 30, 2018 Senate panel studies use of Malampaya funds to reduce universal charge, create consumer savings The Senate Committee on Energy is studying the possibility of using the 204 billion Malampaya Fund to reduce the universal charge (UC) paid by end-consumers on their monthly electricity bills, which could result in household savings as high as 2,033.76 annually. On Tuesday the committee took up Senate Bill No. 924, authored by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, which proposes to allocate the net national government share from the Malampaya Natural Gas Project for the payment of the stranded contract costs (SCC) and stranded debts (SD) of the National Power Corporation. SCC and SD are components used to compute the UC imposed on consumers under the EPIRA Law (RA 9136). According to data presented by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM), applying the remaining 204 billion of the Malampaya Fund would avoid an increase of 0.8474 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in retail power rates. This would result in annual savings of 2,033.76 for an average household consuming 200 kWh per month. "These savings are enough for an underprivileged household to buy two additional sacks of rice every year," noted Senator Win Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate energy panel. The senator expressed support for the measure in principle, subject to further study on precisely how much of the remaining Malampaya funds should be applied for the purpose. Meanwhile, Gatchalian took to task once more the embattled Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for several delays in the approval of SCC and SD rate applications. According to PSALM, the various delays have resulted in an additional 34.78 billion of costs to be shouldered by consumers, equivalent to a power rate increase of 0.1973 per kWh. The senator told ERC representatives at the hearing: "After all of your controversies, dadagdagan niyo pa si Juan Dela Cruz ng 34 billion pesos in costs dahil sa delay. This is absolutely unacceptable. Anong solusyon ang gagawin ninyo?" Atty. Krisha Buela of ERC responded that the regulatory agency was currently conducting a review of its procedures and process flows to improve their work. Gatchalian replied: "I'm telling you that there's a problem in your procedures. It's a 34-billion peso problem to be shouldered by the Filipino people." After the hearing, the senator reiterated the need to pass the ERC Governance Act (Senate Bill No. 1490) to foster transparency and accountability in the deliberations and decisions of the country's independent power sector regulator. Gatchalian is expected to sponsor the substitute version of the bill reported out by the energy committee within the next few months. Press Release July 30, 2018 SPONSORSHIP SPEECH OF AKBAYAN SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS: PREVENTION OF TEEN PREGNANCY ****Please check against delivery Around the globe, 16 million adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years old give birth every year. Over the same period, approximately one million young girls aged 15 years old and below-- a child in every sense of the word-- have given birth. My dear colleagues, by the time we started our session today up until the time we finish it at 7 pm, 240 Filipina girls aged 19 and below gave birth. By the time another day passes, 600 babies will be born to young girls. Our young parents are getting even more younger and growing in a number we have never seen before, Mr. President. In 2012, there were 2,815 girls aged 15-19 years old and 12 girls younger than 15 years old have already given birth to their 3rd child. In the same year, 302 girls aged 15-19 years old have given birth to their 4th child and 60 girls in the same age range are already mothers to 5 children. In an age where they should be busy going to school and worrying about school projects, they are burdened with the heavy responsibilities of parenthood. These are the numbers of the girls who gave birth and lived to tell the tale. The gift of life sometimes come at the cost of death. In 2012 alone, 128 per 1,000 Filipinas aged 15-19 years old have died giving birth while 255 per 1,000 girls aged 20-24 died in birthing rooms around the country. In fact, globally, the number one cost of death for girls age 15 to 19 is not AIDS, not hunger, it's not ever war -- it's child birth. With these horrific numbers in mind, the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality finds it of great importance and necessity to sponsor Committee Report No 400 or SB 1888 entitled the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act. This committee report consolidates Senate Bill 1154 or the the Young Women's Refuge and Assistance act filed by Sen. Nancy Binay and Senate Bill 1482 otherwise known as the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act filed by yours truly. This committee report was carefully written in order to ensure that it is a legislation that pushes for the rights of adolescents and their evolving capacities, one that is rooted in the principles of human rights and supported by interventions backed by evidence. This bill pushes for the social protection of our young parents by ensuring that our young mothers are getting the necessary healthcare they need at all stages of their pregnancy. By providing the services they need such as post-natal family planning and counseling, workshops on parenting, and psycho-social and mental health support for teen mothers, we can prevent repeat pregnancies among our young mothers while ensuring their well-being as they assume the onerous responsibilities of parenthood. The bill also reminds educational institutions and places of employment that suspension, expulsion, dismissal, or denial of admission is prohibited against pregnant girls. This will encourage girls to continue and finish their education. Disrupting a girl's education because of her pregnancy exacerbates vulnerability and poverty, with the young mothers carrying the cost for the rest of their lives. Low educational attainment in girls results in lower future earnings and adversely affects their entry to the labor market. Worse, it translates to poorer health and nutrition outcomes for the young mothers and their children. Moreover, the bill recognizes the fact that young Filipinos are having earlier sexual initiations, usually unprotected. The 2013 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study reported 23% of FIlipino youth are having sex before the age of 18. The median age at sexual initiation was 17.8 for males and 18.2 for females. The median age at first birth for our girls is at 19.3 years old. This bill recognizes this reality and has made measures to equip our children with the knowledge and guidance to make choices that they believe are the best for themselves. Schools, parents, and guardians are recognized as important sources of unbiased and scientifically accurate information on sexual and adolescent reproductive health and as such, are respectively capacitated and trusted to deliver the correct and necessary information to our teenagers. Numerous articles underline the fact that so many girls are strangers to their own bodies, who do not know that it is possible to refuse having sex, that it is not right when you are pushed to have sex, that sex leads to babies. You have the story of DinDin in 2015, who got pregnant at 14 during her forced first intercourse. At 17 years old, she already had 3 miscarriages. We have the story of Angela, whose sexual initiation story also includes a partner who insisted her to have sex, even while she was pushing him away. She is now a mother of four and doesn't want to have any more children, children that she admitted doesn't have anything to eat sometimes. We want to prevent more stories like these from happening, Mr. President. Our failure to address the issue of Teenage Pregnancy is a lose-lose situation for everybody. It perpetuates the intergenerational cycle of poverty and robs our children of their childhood. We want our children to be children and to actually have a childhood, Mr. President. It is our duty, not only as legislators, but also as parents, to equip them with the knowledge they need to navigate the new and seemingly vast terrain of puberty and reproductive health and to guide them as they grow into adulthood that is not jarred by expectations of parenthood. Maraming salamat po. Press Release July 30, 2018 Statement of Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, Partido Liberal president, on the P2.4-B flood damage Recent reports by the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council placed the damage from heavy rains in the last two weeks at P2.4 billion. Many towns remain submerged in flood waters, like in Bulacan, even as the rains have stopped. This calls for immediate aid and assistance to the affected communities. Now that we have the numbers, concerned government agencies should be able to focus their resources and efforts to help the victims recover. The Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units should remain in the frontlines of aid distribution, such as food packs, health kits, and clean water. The Department of Health should help check the condition of the people, and avert the spread of diseases. The Department of Public Works and Highways should clear the roads of obstructions, and immediately fix damaged infrastructures. The Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies should attend to the needs of the farmers who have lost their crops. The DA should help the farmers gain access to free seedlings, loans, and other assistance so that they could plant anew. We ask the Department of Budget and Management to make a report on the available funds that may be tapped for this purpose lodged in the President's contingency fund and in the budget of the departments. The rains may have stopped, but the misery of a number of our countrymen continues. Let us not let their woeful condition be drowned in the noise of politics. Help should reach them faster so that they could rise from this calamity. Press Release July 30, 2018 Transcript of Sen. Grace Poe's Co-Sponsorship Speech On Anti-Political Dynasty bill Mr. President, I rise today to co-sponsor and show my full support for Senate Bill 1765 under Committee Report 367, or "An Act Prohibiting Political Dynasties, Providing Penalties Therefor, and for Other Purposes." My Senate Bill 1137 is integrated into and part of the consolidated bill. Mr. President, it is common knowledge that from the largest province to the smallest barangay, there is a political family that has entrenched itself by undergoing a rigodon of public office every few years. Our country has been called an "Anarchy of Families." Pero sa totoo, I think politics in our country is more like a game of "Trip to Jerusalem"--si Mayor ay makikipagpalit kay Governor, si Board Member ay magiging Congressman. And in doing so, the circle of available "seats" gets smaller every election cycle. This institutional design has unfortunate consequences. First, it leads to the concentration of decision-making powers in the hands of a few families. Sila-sila na lang ang nagde-desisyon. This leads to a culture of palakasan where preferential treatment is given to people who are close to those in power. The net result is the degradation of public services and the underdevelopment of our country. Mr. President, hindi ko sinasabi na masama ang lahat ng political dynasties. Punung-puno ang ating kasaysayan ng mga apelyido ng mga Pilipino na nag-ambag sa ating bayan. Where would our country be without the leadership of the Osmenas, Magsaysays, Rectos, and even the Sottos of generations past? These are good names to remember in public service. Let me state, however, that political dynasties constrict political and economic power in the hands of a few. This is a disservice to a country that is as geographically and culturally diverse as ours. How can a handful of families represent a country of 106 million Filipinos, who speak eight major languages, and who reside in 1,634 different cities and municipalities, based on the latest DILG report? Higit pa, dahil sa mga political families, hindi nakakaupo sa gobyerno ang mga pinakamagaling at pinakamatalinong mga Pilipino. Maraming Pilipino ang gustong maglingkod, pero hindi kaya dahil "reserved" na ang mga puwesto para sa kapatid, anak o asawa ng pulitiko. Mr. President, we have a choice today. We can stick to the status quo or we can take a step toward greater political and economic inclusion by immediately passing this measure. Maraming salamat po. Press Release July 30, 2018 Speech of Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III During the Senate's Flag Ceremony July 30, 2018 Thank you very much, Director Bondoc. Mukhang mas-mahaba pa yung introduction kesa yung sasabihin ko. You know why, when I was in high school, what I hated the most during the flag ceremony was if we have a guest speaker and he speaks lengthily na napaka-haba ng sinasabi. Kaya siniguro ko na yung sinulat namin maikli lang ang ating mensahe. Maikling importante. Secretary Myra Marie Villarica, Deputy Secretary Edwin Bellen, Deputy Secretary Arnel Banas, Deputy Secretary Louie Papa, Attorney Tina Cruz, and Director General Ronald Golding, Director General Rudy Quimbo, at lahat po ng mga Senate employees, my fellow workers in government, good morning po sa inyong lahat. Last week we opened the Third Regular Session of the 17th Congress with renewed commitment and stronger resolve to give the Filipino people the best service possible. On my part, I assure you that I will do my very best to protect and defend the Senate from forces that may be planning to consign this venerable institution to the dustbin of history. Through the years the Senate has zealously guarded its independence, and has remained a bastion of truth, freedom, and democracy. The Senate may have had its fair share of controversies, but history readily attests that it has contributed immensely to the economic, political, and social health of our nation. And under my watch, and with all your help--all of your help, I intend to continue to do so. The Senate will continue to open its doors to the Filipino people from all walks of life, we will always extend a warm welcome to the youth, the students, local government officials and ordinary folks, who visit and learn about the role of the Senate in governance and nation-building. I appeal to all the offices of the secretariat to respond quickly and courteously to the requests or queries from the public. The Filipino people should feel that this is their Senate, that the Senate truly cares for them. Kayo pong mga empleyado rito, luma man o bago, I am proud of you. I have been here since 1992. Some of you have been with me during that time. I am proud of you, the hardworking men and women of the Senate secretariat, for delivering excellent results in all the tasks assigned to you. Please know that your services and the technical and administrative support that you provide to your Senators are very much appreciated. Our plate is full in the Third Regular Session of the 17th Congress and I trust that you will deliver the same quality of service and will have the same dedication to your work. And so I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge your good work, and personally thank all of you for your hard work, dedication and support. Maraming salamat sa inyong suporta at tulong. Ngayon hindi naman po pwedeng puro salita lang. Upang maipakita naman ng inyong liderato sa Senado ang pagkilala sa inyong dedikasyon at kasipagan sa trabaho, at bilang pag-unawa sa mga situwasyon na dulot ng epekto ng pag-taas ng mga bilihin, I would like to announce that we have considered the request of the S.E.N.A.D.O. union, for an increase in the grocery and transportation expense allowance (GRTE). Upon consultation and based on the recommendation of our Chairman of the Committee on Accounts, Senator Ping Lacson, upon studying our financial and budgetary situation, we have decided to give an increase in the GRTE in the additional amount of P5,000 effective July 1, 2018. More than anything else I would like to assure everyone na kahit ano po ang mangyari, at sa abot ng aking makakaya, ay hindi po namin pababayaan ang Senado at ang mga empleyado nito. Together we will face the challenges ahead and head-on. Now, before we end, I have been informed that as part of the Senate's commitment to a drug-free environment and workplace, and pursuant to our revised policy and guidelines, there will be a random mandatory drug testing to be conducted today immediately following the flag-raising ceremony. This will be conducted by the Senate Medical and Dental Service headed by our very capable Dr. Cristeta Cocjin, in coordination with the Human Resource Management Service under Dir. Ulla Tioseco. For the first time, the Senate will be using a five-panel test to screen for all types of illegal drugs. This makes this five-panel test a more sensitive and comprehensive drug test compared to the usual two-panel test. We must set the example as the Senate. Ito ay nilalaman ng Civil Service 2017 Circular No. 13, at ito ay nilalaman ng Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 na ang inyong lingkod po ang principal author, kaya to show my support for the mandatory drug testing program of the Senate, I have decided to undergo drug-testing myself today. I will be the first in line, in the 2nd floor Padilla Room, which has been set-up for this purpose. I have asked my BFF, Senator Gringo Honasan, to join us. He will be second in line. I therefore urge all Senate employees whose names are called, to submit themselves immediately, to the mandatory drug test. Let us clear the way in ensuring that we have a healthy and drug-free workplace and workforce in the Senate. Mabuhay ang Senado! Maraming Salamat, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat. Senate commemorates 104th founding anniversary of Iglesia ni Cristo The Senate adopted today a resolution commemorating the 104th founding anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and commending the religious group's leadership and contributions to society. Voting unanimously, the Senate adopted proposed Senate Resolution No. 806, which was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri. All senators were made co-authors of the resolution. According to Zubiri, every July 27th of the year, the Iglesia ni Cristo, a global Christian church, commemorates its establishment in 1914 with founder Ka Felix Manalo as first executive minister. "With nearly 7,000 congregations in more than 143 nations and territories subscribing to the teachings of the INC, the Iglesia ni Cristo commands a strong influence in strengthening the country's moral and spiritual integrity," Zubiri said in the resolution. Under the resolution, the Senate also commended and leadership of INC Executive Minister, Ka Eduardo Manalo, under whose guidance the INC "continues to constantly expand in number." Zubiri said the Senate recognized the INC's role in "extending assistance through outreach missions which provide aid and services such as the Lingap sa Mamamayan or Aid for Humanity Program and Worldwide Walk To Fight Poverty, to name a few." The Lingap sa Mamamayan or Aid for Humanity Program is an integrated socio- civic service which extended medical and dental services and other forms of assistance to the needy, calamity victims and indigenous peoples, while the Worldwide Walk to Fight Poverty is the INC's Guinness World Record charity walk among multiple venues which benefited Typhoon Haiyan victims, indigenous folk from Visayas and Mindanao, and impoverished communities in South Africa, the resolution noted. (JDC) Press Release July 30, 2018 Senate Random Drug Testing Over 300 officials and employees of the Senate were subjected to random drug testing today, led by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Gregorio Honasan II, who volunteered to undergo the same procedure. The random drug test is done annually at the Senate in compliance with Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular (CSC) No. 13, s. 2017 that requires all government agencies and offices, including constitutional bodies such as the Senate, to submit a regular report to the Dangerous Drugs Board on the conduct of drug tests and the number of personnel who tested positive, if any. Sotto and Honasan subjected themselves to the drug testing after the weekly flag raising ceremony at the Senate and both senators tested negative for any illegal drug substance. The departments of the Senate were randomly selected for today's random drug test in order to ensure its impartiality as well as the element of surprise. Both Sotto and Honasan are veterans of drug testing, having undergone the procedure in almost every election they were part of in the past. In the 2016 national elections, Sotto and Honasan voluntarily underwent drug testing during a leg of their campaign in Cebu City to set an example to the other candidates on the need to be transparent about their medical records and to emphasize the responsibility of public servants to maintain a drug-free lifestyle. Candidates for public office are not required to undergo drug testing as affirmed by the Supreme Court in a 2008 ruling. Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 provides that officers and employees of public offices shall undergo random drug testing. Any officer or employee found positive for use of dangerous drugs could face suspension or termination subject to the pertinent provisions of the Civil Service Law. Based on CSC Circular No. 13, the objective of the random drug testing is to ensure that government agencies remain drug-free. The conduct of mandatory random drug testing also serves as a condition for the retention of public officials and employees in government service. Sotto, who has a strong advocacy against illegal drugs, explained that the drug testing conducted on the Senate personnel is one of the most stringent types available. He also assured that the results of the test would be held confidential as guaranteed by R.A. 9165. Pacific Edge said Manchester Management Company, a US privately owned fund specialising in biotech and life sciences investments, will take a 1.7 percent stake in the company, reflecting growing international investor interest. The Dunedin-based cancer diagnostics company said it has accepted an investment offer of NZ$2.622 million and will issue 8.2 million shares in aggregate to Manchester Management at 32 cents per ordinary share, a 24.75 percent premium over the volume weighted average price for the five day trading period prior to July 27. The shares jumped 21 percent, or 5 cents, to 28.5 cents on the news but are still down 40 percent so far this year. Pacific Edge currently has 466.3 million shares on issue. "The US fund adds further depth to the companys register and is a reflection of the growing international investor interest in Pacific Edge," said Pacific Edge chair Chris Gallaher. The capital will be used to strengthen the company's balance sheet as it continues to grow sales for its Cxbladder bladder cancer diagnostics technology. Gallaher said the company is still focused on achieving a positive net cashflow position and "the new investment provides additional support for Pacific Edge to drive its commercial growth." Pacific Edge, which has a suite of four Cxbladder cancer diagnostics tests, reported a loss of $19.7 million in the year to March 31, or 4.5 cents per share, versus a loss of $22.6 million in the prior year, or 5.7 cents per share, after the prior year was restated in line with the NZ IFRS 15 revenue accounting standards. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. 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Related News: Pictor Limited Announces Start of US Clinical Trials for SARS-CoV-2 Serology Test Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Opening of Rights Offer Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Announces $40m Capital Raise 27th October 2021 Morning Report The a2 Milk Company Limited (NZX: ATM) Investor Day 2021 Contact Energy Limited (NZX: CEN) Considers Green Capital Bond Offer Tourism Holdings Limited (NZX: THL) Sells Mighway and SHAREaCAMPER to Camplify 26th October 2021 Morning Report Harmoney Corp Limited (NZX: HMY) Prices $105m Inaugural ABS Transaction New Zealand Rural Land Company Limited (NZX: NZL) Agreement to acquire large scale dairy asset portfolio Comvita, the NZX-listed manuka honey company, declined to comment on whether it is interested in making a bid for honey company Manuka Health New Zealand which has reportedly been put up for sale by its Australian owner Pacific Equity Partners. The Australian newspaper suggested Comvita or its largest shareholder China Resources Ng Fung as possible buyers of Manuka Health, which was put on the market about six weeks ago for more than A$200 million by PEP and advisers Luminis Partners. Manuka Health was reportedly sold to the Australian private equity firm in 2015 for $110 million. A Comvita spokeswoman said that as listed company, it was unable to comment on its interest or not in any potential acquisitions without first updating the market. While naming Comvita as a potential buyer, the Australian newspaper also said "the current vibe" was that it was not interested in buying Manuka Health. Comvita shares last traded at $5.80, and have shed 30 percent of their value this year, taking its market capitalisation down to $264 million, after poor honey harvests hurt earnings. Demand for Manuka honey has soared in recent years on the back of its antibacterial properties and demand for natural health foods. Other potential buyers for Manuka Health include Chinese private equity firm CDH Investments, which has a controlling stake in New Zealand vitamin brand Go Healthy; Chinese group Primavera which owns Australian vitamin group Vitaco; and global giant Unilever, according to Australian reports, although unidentified sources were cited saying some of those buyers were unlikely and potential Japanese buyers had shied away at the price tag. Te Awamutu-based Manuka Health had revenue of $79.5 million and net profit of $3.5 million in the year ended June 30, 2017, according to its annual filing to the Companies Office. The company was founded in 2006 by Kerry Paul, with 78 percent of sales derived from exports. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. 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Related News: Pictor Limited Announces Start of US Clinical Trials for SARS-CoV-2 Serology Test Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Opening of Rights Offer Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Announces $40m Capital Raise 27th October 2021 Morning Report The a2 Milk Company Limited (NZX: ATM) Investor Day 2021 Contact Energy Limited (NZX: CEN) Considers Green Capital Bond Offer Tourism Holdings Limited (NZX: THL) Sells Mighway and SHAREaCAMPER to Camplify 26th October 2021 Morning Report Harmoney Corp Limited (NZX: HMY) Prices $105m Inaugural ABS Transaction New Zealand Rural Land Company Limited (NZX: NZL) Agreement to acquire large scale dairy asset portfolio National Award-winning actress Kangana Ranaut on Saturday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he deserves to come in power again in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections as he is the "rightful leader of the democracy." "The film has been made beautifully. It shows how Prime Minister Modi being a sensitive child went through such extreme circumstances. But I feel this film is not about him. Rather it is about us - how the society needs to be together to rise. This film is just a small part of his life," Kangana said after the screening. When asked to analyse the last four years of the Prime Minister Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, Kangana said: "He (Prime Minister Modi) is the most deserving candidate. It's not like he has reached this place because of his mother and father. He is the rightful leader of the democracy. We have voted him as our Prime Minister. This cannot be taken away from him. This is his well deserved place which he has earned after sheer hardwork. So, there shouldn't be any doubt about his credibility as a Prime Minister." Does she want Prime Minister Modi to be in power again? Kangana said: "Ofcourse. Why not? Five years are very less to take the nation out of a pit. Our country is in a pit, we need to pull it out." Co-directed by Aanand L. Rai and Mahaveer Jain, Chalo Jeete Hain invited a lot of praise from ministers after it was screened at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre. The trailer reveals the story of a young boy, who keeps on asking his parents and other people as to what it is that they live for after reading a phrase `a winner is one who lives for others'. : The government on Monday released the final draft of National Register of Citizens list. The final draft contains names of 28,983,677 citizens and around 40 lakh people have been left out of the list. The first draft of the NRC process was released at the midnight of December 31, 2017. Names of around 1.9 crore people out of the total application of 3.29 crore people appeared in the first draft published in December last year. Officials asserted that this is only a draft, and no one would be deported and punished based on it. The updated list is seen by critics as a move to target Assam's Muslim population on the pretext of weeding out Bangladeshi migrants. Security has been strengthened and the Centre has sent extra troops to maintain order in the state. "Based on this draft no reference case will be sent to the foreigner tribunal or put in a detention centre," said Satyendra Garg, home ministry officer in charge of the northeast. Of 3.29 crore people who had applied for their names to be included, 2.89 crore are in the citizen's list. Claims and objections from those left out of the citizen's list will be taken up from August 30. The state government has beefed up security across the state and has requested the citizens to not believe in any rumours. Prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in seven districts-- Barpeta, Darrang, Dima Hasao, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Golaghat and Dhubri. The updated register counts only those as Assam citizens who can prove that they were living in the state on or before March 21, 1971. The list has been updated to include the names of descendants of those whose names were in the 1951 list, or those who were in Assam's Electoral rolls till March 24, 1971. The descendants of those who can prove citizenship till March 24, 1971, will also be considered Indian citizens. So will those who came between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971, and registered themselves with the Foreigners Registration Regional Officer. Some 1.9 crore were cleared in the first draft released on December 30. Statistics, though, dont reveal the list of horrors that emerge out of Kannur: A schoolteacher who was hacked to death in front of his 11-year-old students. A mother who lost both husband and son to party violence. Snakes and dogs killed for belonging to the wrong party leader. A youth leader chopped to pieces in front of his elderly parents. A school teacher left disabled for life. How did Kannur, a region famed for its beaches, kalarippayattu and rituals like theyyam, get here? Journalist Ullekh NP attempts to find answers and trace the roots of violence in the district in his new book, Kannur: Indias Bloodiest Revenge Politics. He talks to politicians of all hues, policemen, families of survivors and historians to piece together a fascinating story that touches on the regions martial and religious history, its brush with peasant revolts and uprisings by textile and beedi workers, and the rise of a muscular political culture. The greatest irony in the RSS-CPM fights is that the pro-Hindu Sangh Parivar has no qualms about targeting CPM-dependent Hindus, while the Marxists, the much touted saviours of the proletariat, vehemently go after the working classes who happen to be aligned with the Hindu nationalists, he writes. In an interview with sify.com, Ullekh talks about the mafia-style politics in his hometown, Pinarayi Vijayan and the RSS Redtrocity campaign. Excerpts from the interview: Many reporters and writers who probably couldn't even pronounce 'Thazhe Chovva', turned 'experts' on Kannur when the RSS launched its Redtrocity campaign against the CPM in 2017. As a proud Kannurian, how did you react to the reports that were aired at that time? Utter rubbish was peddled as facts back then. Redtrocity is a campaign managed by some shrewd people, but once a campaign picks up steam, especially in this age of shrill social media debates and hate speak, all kinds of falsehoods get shared and consumed. There was this consistent talk about genocide of Hindus in Kannur, suggesting that Hindus of Kannur are being eliminated by Muslims the way Serbs went about massacring Muslims in the Balkans. What a colorful lie it was! But since there wasnt any effective counter-campaign, such pronouncements clicked outside of Kerala, especially in North India. BJP President Amit Shah had to recently admit in a private chat to select journalists that the RSS-BJPs Kerala strategy was a blunder and that the Sangh had to come up with something new to unseat the Marxists who still pull in a sizeable chunk of Hindu votes in the state. The blitz carried out by the Sangh, however, brought the issue to national mainstream, prompting the CPM to at least consider in principle that violence as a business-as-usual phenomenonis a thing of the past. I have used a lot of police data to prove that RSS is not a victim of CPM violence as it paints itself out to be. In fact, the first martyr in the RSS-CPM violence in Kerala was not an RSS local leader as the Sangh went about saying tirelessly, while linking the current Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to that murder (of Vadikkal Ramakrishnan in 1969). The first victim was PP Sulaiman of the CPM in 1968. I made a reference to it in this book because I was not comfortable with the vehemence and the vicious nature of lies floating around. Even pro-Left journalists and political analysts had begun to believe this. Certainly, Redtrocity deserves praise for forcing a relook at some CPM leaders who thrived on muscular politics that sidelines peaceniks within with great ease. These leaders with affected machismo often found their way into the higher echelons of Kannurs CPM politics. The years you were growing up, party affiliation was as good an identity as religion in many north Malabar families. You mention that even matrimonial alliances were easier if both families supported the same party. Your father, Pattiam Gopalan, was one of the tallest Communist leaders in the region. There's a delightful nugget about your aunt asking you not to play with a relative because "They are Congress". You've tried to be fair in your account of the violence in Kannur - At no point is either party painted as the sole victim or villain. When did it become easy for you to step back and look at events and people around you objectively? Did that happen before you became a journalist? Yes, that happened long before I became a journalist. That my aunt warned me against playing with kids whose fathers had other political affiliations Congress or for that matter the RSSnever stopped me from being in constant touch with them. Sometimes I had greater affinity with them than boys from Marxist families. But I remained committed to my political beliefs even after I joined a boarding school when I was 10 years old. I scoured the library for works on Marx, Lenin and Che Guevara. At the same time, I also had great exposure to anti-Marxist literature thanks to the wonderful library we had in our Sainik School (Kazhakoottam, Thiruvananthapuram). While I gorged on books on World War II, the Soviet Union andLiberation struggles across the world, I also came across books that exposed Lenin (Inside the Soviet Army is one example) and Stalin. We had an excellent librarian in school (the late Solomon sir). When I was in classX or so, I came across the works of Swami Vivekananda and books on Hinduism and Hindutva. Reading Gandhiji around that time was a revelation. He wasnt the one that Marxist leader EMS Namboodiripad said he was. Looking back now, I am sure EMS who came from the Congress background knew only too well the greatness of the Mahatma but his principal opposition was the Congress and political expediency meant that he called out Gandhiji for his conservative views on caste, race and class. But the more I read about Gandhiji the more I realized that not many people understood India as much as he did. His primary goal was to rally all kinds of people back then the kind of groups that he mobilized included who would until then be called the scum of the earth in more ways than one; and they even included criminal gangs who gave up their lucrative vocation to join the freedom movement against British imperialism. I realized while reading him that he was the first and the foremost leader to de-eliticise Indian politics and become a model for the world. One must welcome all kinds of research into the life and times of Gandhiji but if such studies dont consider the context and the primary aim of his struggle they can never comprehend him. It was his de-eliticisation of politics that helped leaders from lower rungs of caste hierarchy to gain a space in the firmament of Indian politics. If you forget it, then it is easy to make him a whipping boy for all ills of Indian society. In college, I became an active student leader and that was when I started mingling with those who believed in Hindutva politics and those from radicalized Islamist groups. Since then, I have followed their activities closely because tracking the trajectory of any religion-based movement is crucial in understanding their designs and goals. Personally, I abhor any ideology based on racial purity and bigotry. There is a lot of focus on the RSS, but much less on insidious outfits such as the Popular Front of India that are not a product of minority assertion against majoritarian politics, but toxic agents of subversion. Coming to journalism and writing, I have always said that I try to be dispassionate and look for data and facts to arrive at a conclusion. The idea is to be fair to all stakeholders, not just be balanced. What would you term as the biggest revelations about Kannur in your book? I have dug up data from police records. I have traced the political culture of North Malabar, that includes Kannur, as an outcome of its militant peasant and trade union movements. In south Kerala, politics was influenced deeply by caste and social reformation movements that acted as a buffer to any militant reaction to inequality and repression. In this book, I have tried to cover all aspects of Kannur violence, the likely causes and consequences. I also put the spotlight on leaders who have flourished (and continue to flourish) thanks to this continual politics of vendetta. Leaders who will argue endlessly that without resistance (their euphemism for murderous attacks on rivals), their parties cannot sustain nothing is more farcical than that. To give you an example, when CPM leader MV Govindan Master was district secretary of the CPM in Kannur, he expelled many goons patronized by his party. At the time he was at the helm, death toll from political violence dipped considerably. A grave concern I discovered is that highly qualified young people hesitate to join politics. They resent the violence. The collateral damage thanks to this trend will be huge. If this continues, the unemployed and anti-social will end up joining politics and they will not question the status quo the way bright,committed young people do. They will go with the flow and perpetuate this culture of violent politics. I have done surveys that signal this emerging trend. That said, I would leave it to the reader to make an informed comment about the book. You write that Pinarayi Vijayan smiles more often these days, and is trying to project a softer image - But that the perception, even within the party, that he's a "Stalinist control freak" remains. CPI leaders and his critics have referred to Vijayan as 'Modi in a Dhoti'. What do you think of this comparison to Modi? I dont think it is true. Modi does things on his own terms; and so does the Kerala chief minister. They both have humble beginnings and the media has had strained (and strange) ties with them both. But the similarities end there. They are products of divergent ideologies and their turfs are quite different. I dont think either of them would want to be compared with the other! I have always believed that this is a mischievous suggestion by people who dislike both Modi and Pinarayi Vijayan. In May, the Chief Minister faced criticism when he visited only the house of K Babu, a slain CPM leader, and skipped a visit to the home of RSS worker P Shamej, who was also killed. Activist Civic Chandran had then remarked that "Pinarayi Vijayan is yet to walk the distance from AKG Centre (the state CPM headquarters) to the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram." Do you agree with this statement? Political leaders tend to be more worried about what their cadres think of their actions than what other people feel about them. Chief Ministers ought to treat all their citizens as equal. This practice has to start at the top for others to follow. Leaders should lead by example. This is the Rajdharma that AB Vajpayee prescribed to Modi who intervened and effectively snubbed Vajpayee for saying that before journalists --- after the 2002 Gujarat pogrom. What is your take on the theory that traces the bloodshed and violence in the region today to Chekhavar tradition of duelling through Kalaripayattu to save the honour of kings and princelings? I dont agree completely with this theory, but I dont wish to dismiss it outright as well. I have friends in Japan who say that places once inhabited by Samurais are more violence-prone than others. Similarly, many regions in the world that have seen widespread violence in the ancient past continue to have high crime records. Understanding history is all about comprehending its dynamics, and such claims are quite acceptable to those who believe in mysticism. I have dwelt on these theories at length in the book to bring up various streams of thought prevalent in the region. Some scholars, not the academic ones, find these theories highly irresistible. You write of three instances where teachers - two from the CPM and one from the RSS - were killed in front of their students. Of these, the one that grabbed national attention is the story of the BJP Yuva Morcha's Jayakrishnan Master, who was hacked to death in a classroom in front of his 11-year-old students. The children were warned, through a message on the blackboard, not to give evidence against the assailants. One of the accused in the attack, Pradeepan, later became the PTA president of that very same school. In your experience as a reporter, how do children in the region get affected by political violence? Yes. I have had a chat with one of the children who witnessed the murder, and with people who know some others, off the record. They didnt want to talk about it. Children either live with trauma all their life or they start seeing this as normal. I think that is what happens the world over. I have seen it in many parts of India from Bastar to Assam to Kashmir. Many of theminternalize it and view these events as par for the course. A lot more study in this direction is in order. The plant 'ChromolaenaOdorata' (ironically of North American origin) is known as Communist Pacha in Kerala - to indicate something that grows fast and spreads rapidly. You dwell in detail about the role of the early communist leaders like AKG and P Krishna Pillai in taking communism to the masses in Kannur. How differently do you think the ideology spread in the rest of Kerala? Both these leaders were pivotal in triggering peasant and anti-establishment movements across Kerala. Pillai was instrumental in shaping the communist party in the south as well. The ideology spread differently, I assume, thanks to the influence of caste organisations in south Kerala which had a sway over leaders across political parties. People might deny it now, but elections in Kerala had various communist leaders covertly align themselves with caste organisations. Overall, caste organisations, I believe, had a kind of sobering effect on the growth of communist parties in the south they made them more pragmatic. But in Kannur, the CPM maintained its militant character even during the tough days of Emergency as opposed to other district units where workers and leaders became passive. Naturally, in the 1977 Kerala assembly elections, the only district where the CPM displayed its electoral prowess was inKannur. You dwell in detail about the colourful M V Raghavan, who introduced a more macho political culture to Kannur's CPM. The one omission I found in your book was of the story of the Parassinikkadavu Snake Park being vandalised after Raghavan's candidates won an election to the A K G Memorial Cooperative Hospital. At least twelve cobras, two king cobras and monitor lizards, painted and grey storks, peacocks, vultures, eagles, mynahs and rabbits were burnt to death. Do you have memories of how you reacted to that incident? Raghavan was a charismatic leader indeed and a colourful character. Yes, I did not talk specifically about this incident, while I talked about how the culture of murderous politics that he promoted came back to haunt MVR after he quit the CPM and joined hands with the Congress. At that time, shortly after the 1993 February incident in which MVR and his men unseated the CPM to wrest control over a hospital named after AK Gopalan in the district, passions ran high. I remember a speech at that time by the legendary communist leader KPR Gopalan (one of MVRs early mentors who was sacked from the CPM in the late 1960s) in which he praised the young people for the attack on the Snake Park, saying MVR was hurt because it was a money-spinning machine for him. I was a college student then, and I remember feeling quite bad about what happened to the animals. CPM patriarch EMS Namboodiripad criticized the act, ruling out any involvement of party cadres. Of course, he knew only too well that his party men were involved. I was a student wing leader of the CPM at that time and so I had no sympathies for MVR. At that time, he was treated like a class enemy. But since I have always been opposed to violent tactics by the party I disapproved of what they did at the Park. RSS leader J Nandakumar uses the term Kannurism (instead of communism) to tell you that it's mostly CPM leaders from Kannur who espouse violence. Considering your interactions with Marxist leaders all over Kerala, what's your take on that? The majority of those who have risen in the CPM in Kannur district have a certain affinity for violence, the way someone plays to the gallery. A peacenik in that scheme of things was/is seen as a coward even by the rank and file who had over time been conditioned into the violent ways of the party.It is not that the CPM is an exception. Many leaders within the RSS and the Congress who have made a name for themselves in the district had similar temperaments and views. You write that violence in Kannur is not just about the CPM and the RSS. The Congress is still a player. And there are relatively new entities like the People's Front of India/Campus Front of India, who have also been accused in the murder of SFI leader Abhimanyu. As someone who was part of the SFI, how do you see these new organizations changing the face of student politics in Kerala? Campus Front of India is a dangerous organization like its parent PFI. I sense that there is a descent into greater chaos in student politics in Kerala with religion-oriented student groups gaining currency and strength. The rise of the Campus Front is a reflection of that. Earlier, organized attacks among student groups were much fewer. Its not that such assaults didnt happen in the past, but they are on the rise today. With political parties increasingly using their student wings to launch agitations and unleash violence on rivals, this was only waiting to happen. And when you have terrorist organisations running student units with impunityand communalizing politics like never before, things are expected to get worse. What books would you recommend for those who want to know more about Kannur and its politics? First, Professor T Sasidharan's Radical Politics of Kannur. I would also recommend autobiographies of AK Gopalan and MV Raghavan; and a recent biography in English of Moyarath Sankaran. Which writers inspired you the most while you sat down to write this book? Svetlana Alexievich and Joseph Conrad. Page Content Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Wycliffe Smith, attended a regional conference of Ministers of Education from Latin America and the Caribbean. The conference was organized and sponsored by UNESCO and was held in Cochabamba, Bolivia from July 25 26, 2018. The meetings were convened to discuss the way forward concerning the 2030 Education Agenda which is a plan to promote the development and the quality of education by the year 2030. Leading up to the two day Ministerial Conference, the UNESCO had also organized high level technical meetings for the leadership of Departments of Education. Minister Smith and the Minister of Education of Suriname were the only ministers in attendance at the high level technical meetings. As a result of attending these meetings Minister Smith was asked to make a presentation regarding Sint Maarten at the plenary session of the Ministers of Education on Wednesday, July 25th. Smith shared with his colleagues and their support teams concerning the challenges and struggles that a small twin-island nation is faced with when trying to implement the educational goals set forth by UNESCO in 2015. Smith highlighted two major challenges, namely the lack of human capacity as well as insufficient funds. Smith was joined on this panel by colleague Ministers of Education, the Honorable Soares da Silva from Brazil and Lopez Rivas from Guatamala. At the end of the two day Ministerial Conference, all Ministers signed on to an agreement to be guided by the UNESCO Roadmap 2018-2030, to promote and develop education in order to insure inclusive and equitable quality education as well as promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030. This will mean adapting local policy and plans and aligning them with the Roadmap. This also means strengthening collaboration between ministries, departments and divisions in order to support and promote the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Minister Smith had the opportunity to network and establish contact with colleague Ministers such as the Hon. Armando Lampe from Aruba, Hon. Lilian Ferrier from Suriname and Hon. Michael Brown from Antigua. Minister Smith said that he was proud to be able to represent Sint Maarten at such a high level and high powered UNESCO Ministerial Conference. 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Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3a92d80)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd42c0148)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3a92d80)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd42c0148)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3aa7b30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd42c0148)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd42c0148)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3096bb8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd402b068)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd402b068)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3a8f4d8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4528028)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3a8f4d8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4528028)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3ab9130)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4528028)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4528028)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3095a98)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd44ffce0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd44ffce0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 EU moving anti-piracy HQ to Spain after Brexit Brussels, July 30 (AFP) Jul 30, 2018 European Union countries decided Monday to move the headquarters of the bloc's anti-piracy Atalanta patrols from London to the Spanish port of Rota on March 29, when Britain exits the EU. The member countries also agreed to transfer at the same time the London-based Martime Security Centre Horn of Africa, which informs shipping about piracy threats off Somalia, to the French port of Brest, an EU statement said. The security centre will remain under the Atalanta command. The EU launched Atalanta in 2008 to fight brazen acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia, including the spectacular hijacking of a Spanish tuna boat in 2009. Although the pirates released the crew after receiving a ransom, two of them were detained days later by European military officers. EU countries "decided to relocate the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Operational Headquarters from Northwood (UK) to Rota (Spain), and to Brest (France) for the Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) as of 29 March 2019," an EU statement said. The member countries also decided to replace Atalanta's operational commander Major General Charlie Stickland with Vice Admiral Anotnio Martorell Lacave, a Spanish navy commander. "During this time ATALANTA will be conducting business as usual with the Force Headquarters and ships remaining deployed and conducting deterrence of piracy and protection of WFP shipping," Strickland said in a separate statement. Italian, German and Spanish navy ships currently patrol the waters near Somalia, ensuring in particular the safe delivery of aid from the World Food Programme to Somalia. EU member states on Monday also extended by one year the mandate of Operation Atalanta until December 31, 2020, they said in a statement. The number of attacks off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean has fallen from a peak of 176 in 2011 to seven in 2017 and only one has been recorded since the beginning of 2018. Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. These numbers are in stark contrast to the 2.6 million heavy horses being used in agriculture and trade at the dawn of the twentieth century. The mechanisation of farming and warfare has meant that the original purposes of heavy horses may be a thing of the past, but these large horses have an essential role to play today, including in the army, policing, equine therapy and commercial logging. The UKs only charity dedicated to preserving rare breed farm animals and horses, Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), is calling for urgent public support to save them from extinction. Jimmy Doherty, the RBST President said; These working class heavy horse heroes need our help now so that they can survive and thrive in the future. Thats why weve launched a new social media campaign. The history of our working-class heroes The UKs Shire, Clydesdale and Suffolk horses have all played crucial roles in agriculture, transport and war in the United Kingdom and across the world. Heavy horses tirelessly worked the land, transported war supplies and even pulled carriages for the Royal family. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. About a month ago, Joya de Nicaragua announced the reintroduction of the Clasico line to the U.S. market. The move to bring back the first Nicaraguan cigar ever seems fitting at a time when the company is celebrating its golden anniversary. Clasico goes back to America at a moment when we have reached the highest quality standards at the factory in our 50-year history, said Mario Perez, sales director for Joya de Nicaragua. But we kept the same blend that the founders of the company created, the blend that once captivated world leaders when it was the official cigar of the White House back in the 70s. In a departure from the powerful smokes for which the company is known, Joya is marketing Clasico as mild and creamy. There are 6 formats, each packaged in 25-count boxes: Churchill (6.9 x 48, $8.50), Toro (6 x 50, $8.15), Consul (4.5 x 52, $7.00), Torpedo (6 x 52, $9.50), Numero 6 (6 x 41, $6.50) and Senorita (5.5 x 42, $5.50). The recipe remains the same as it did decades ago. The wrapper is Cuban-seed Ecuadorian Connecticut, and the binder and filler tobaccos are, of course, Nicaraguan. I sampled the Toro for this review. In addition to traditional, understated, andin my opinionbeautiful bands that nicely highlight the golden color of the smooth, buttery wrapper, this cigar has bright, crisp pre-light notes of sweet hay at the foot. The cap clips cleanly to reveal a smooth cold draw. Once an even light is established, I find a creamy texture and a medium body to the smoke. The flavors include white pepper, oak, and cafe au lait. Roasted peanut comes to the fore after half an inch; this is the most enjoyable segment of the cigar. About a third of the way in, there is a notable decrease in what was already a soft spice, and the creaminess ramps up. The profile teeters between mild and medium once you reach the halfway mark. Here, the roasted peanut is now a creamier peanut, and the former base of white pepper and oak is mostly oak. At times, I can pick up hints of melon. The finale is mellower than I expected. There is no spice, and the overall taste is somewhat papery with a subdued creaminess. As a result, I found myself setting the cigar down earlier than I do with most smokes. The construction is in line with the standards that are characteristic of Joya de Nicaragua: straight burn, smooth draw, sturdy ash, and voluminous smoke production. I enjoy mild cigars, but mild cigars need to have flavor. The Clasico Toro has flavor. At times it shines, and at timesespecially the final thirdit falls a little short. Im going to try the other sizes to see if this is true across the board, or if other formats behave differently in this regard. For now, Im awarding the Joya de Nicaragua Clasico Toro three stogies out of five. [To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.] Patrick A photo credit: Stogie Guys In Iran the radical faction of the religious dictatorship (in power since the 1980s) is again seeking to regain power they lost in the 1990s. Back then an Israeli assassination campaign against Iranian agents in South America and exposure of Iranian illegal activities in South America, Europe and elsewhere was becoming a diplomatic liability for Iran. The Iranian radicals, largely from the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) were forced out of many high government jobs in order to make peace with European nations and achieve a ceasefire in the clandestine war the IRGC had been waging against Israel (and Jews worldwide) for nearly a decade. The more moderate members of the religious dictatorship also feared that the IRGC radicals would trigger another ruinous war which, given the decade long war with Iraq (that Iran, by Iranian standards, lost) in the 1980s the country could not afford. The IRGC had been created to protect the religious dictatorship, not put it in more danger. No IRGC were punished for 1990s wet work (assassinations) since the religious dictatorship still needed its own separate army to protect the 1980s religious revolution that mobilized the country to halt the Iraqi invasion. The war effort, especially when Iraq was on the defensive, was financed by the Gulf Arab oil states (led by Saudi Arabia). This Arab coalition had also played a major role in ending the 15 year Lebanese civil war in 1990, which halted Iranian efforts to expand the power of the Shia minority in Lebanon. Iran saw itself at war with the Sunni Arabs but could not publicize, or turn the IRGC loose on, that yet. In the 1990s the Iranian leaders sensed a more dangerous enemy closer to home, the growing number or radicalized Sunni Arabs. The 1980s also saw the Russian occupation of Afghanistan ended by an army of Sunni holy warriors who made no secret that they considered the Shia heretics and as much an enemy as the Russian infidels (non-Moslems). The Iranians were seen as heretics by this new wave of Sunni Moslem religious extremism but were considered too dangerous to mess with, yet. These Sunni radicals were on the offensive and Shia Moslems (which Iran considered itself the protector of) were ultimately a prime target. By 2018 the Iranian religious dictatorship still saw itself as on a Mission From God and any opposition was seen as un-Islamic and thus punishable by death. Once again, as in the 1990s, a growing number of senior Shia clerics were reluctant to sanction mass murder of fellow Iranians on religious grounds. In this case the IRGC was urging the use of lethal force against the growing number of anti-government demonstrators in Iran. But the opposition the IRGC hard liners was facing, as it did in the 1990s, proved to be useful in other ways. That meant obtaining permission to resume the overseas wet work. This was not a sudden development but one that has been developing for nearly a decade. One could see what was happening after Israel confirmed some of the clandestine actions undertaken in the 1990s. In 2013 a retired Israeli diplomat revealed that Israel had quietly tracked down and killed most of the Iranians or Iranian operatives involved in two terrorist attacks against Jews in Argentina in 1992 and 1994. The Israeli overseas intel and special operations organization (Mossad) had handled assignments like this for decades and making this public was a way of warning the Iranians that Israel still had the edge over the IRGC in this department. Back in the 1990s the two Argentine bombings killed 114 and wounded over 200. Most of the victims were not Jews but nearly all were Argentinians. Israel often quietly goes after those behind attacks like this and kills them. There is rarely any official admission of this activity or the results. But the terrorists do take notice. After the 1990s, as Iran moved forward with its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs the Israelis pushed back by killing key Iranian nuclear scientists inside Iran as well as successfully sabotaging Iran efforts to produce weapons grade uranium. The IRGC still wants some revenge. After the 1990s Iran continued to reward the survivors of the Israeli 1990s assassination program. In 2009 Iranian president Ahmadinejad nominated a wanted (by Interpol) terrorist, Ahmad Vahidi, to be Defense Minister. Vahidi was wanted in Argentina for involvement in a 1994 attack on a Jewish community center. Vahidi is believed to have helped carry out other terror attacks as well. This brought him much recognition and many rewards in Iran. Vahidi served as Defense Minister until mid-2013. Vahidi has long known that the Israelis are gunning for him and takes precautions. Iran and its professional terrorists are still active in South America. For a decade now Iran has been close with leftist Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez (recently deceased) and his successor (under pressure to flee). This led to hundreds of Iranian intelligence and special warfare (terrorism) operatives being dispatched to South America. The Argentine truck bomb attack in 1994 killed 85 Argentineans and this horrified people throughout the region but memories fade. The backlash caused Iranian diplomats and terrorism operatives to run for cover. But with Venezuela as a safe, and hospitable, base, Iranian death squads are again up and running in South America. Apparently Iran is not encouraging attacks, in order to maintain its espionage networks but wants to be ready just in case. The Venezuelan effort has been crippled by the economic collapse in Venezuela and popular opposition to the pro-Iran government. Most of the Iranian foreign terrorist operations are handled by the Quds Force, which is an intelligence and commando operation that supports Islamic terrorism overseas and is part of the IRGC. Quds has always attracted very bright and able people, but also recruited personnel possessing a wide range of views on just what constituted an "Islamic Republic" or the proper role for the Quds Force itself. For over two decades, one of the few things Quds officers could agree on was the need to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Many Quds officers actually warmed to the United States in 2003 for doing the deed for them. But most Quds operatives are still dedicated to Shia Islam becoming the dominant religion on the planet. Thus Al Quds can be found operating nearly everywhere, from South America (because of the new base in Venezuela) to wherever Iran has a diplomatic presence. But the big Quds operations are in southern Iraq, western Afghanistan and Gaza. Because of the success of wet work in neighboring countries Quds Force operatives have been turned loose to carry out assassinations in the West. Quds is at it again, accused of killing enemies of Iran in the Netherlands and attempting to do the same in France and Germany. Israel is believed to be the key source of information on these aborted attacks. The most recent targets have been outspoken members of Iranian minorities (Arabs and Kurds) living outside Iran and accused of responsibility for minority violence in Iran. Iran has used Hezbollah operatives more frequently, but as professional as those often are they cannot pass as Iranian diplomats and get diplomatic immunity. This has also been the case in other parts of the world. Quds Force has long worked with the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah in its South American operations. Iran helped create Hezbollah in the 1980s and has sustained it ever since. Hezbollah has long been involved in the drug business in South America. That gives these Iran backed Islamic terrorists access to the smuggling routes that Mexican gangs use to smuggle drugs and people into the United States. Hezbollah has also been active in narcotics and people smuggling in South America's tri-border (Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil) region. For over a century this area has been a hotbed of illicit activity, and too many politicians and police commanders are on the take from gangsters there to change this. Thus South America, in theory, makes an excellent refuge and base for Islamic terrorists. Particularly worrisome was the cooperation between leftist rebel movements there, and Islamic terrorist groups. But the leftist rebels in South America have been on the skids for over a decade and in no position to help terrorists. Islamic radicals are known to be working in the Arab-descended communities in many Latin American countries, aided by the porous frontiers. The Islamic radicals have been able to raise some money from Latin American Arabs, often through bogus "charities." But the extent to which they have been able to recruit active supporters is harder to gauge and has apparently been unsuccessful. In some countries, such as Bolivia and Paraguay, recruiting efforts have been reported to the police, who took action. One factor hampering the Islamic radicals down there was that many of the Arab immigrants to Latin America were Christians, and those who were Moslems often became secularized, in an environment where they found very few co-religionists. In addition to this resistance the Americans and Israelis have their own intelligence networks in South America and are believed, by Iran, as the unnamed source of so many tips to South American governments about Hezbollah and Quds operations especially which Iranian diplomats (with diplomatic immunity) are actually IRGC members. Africa was seen as a promising area for Quds to make some progress but that has backfired just about everywhere. For example Quds has long backed Polasario, a heavily armed separatist group in southern Morocco (a rare pro-Israel Arab country) that has long had sanctuaries next door in Algeria (an old friend of Iran and enemy of Morocco). Algeria was recently accused of ignoring Quds and Hezbollah efforts to ship weapons to Polasario. This is was generally seen as a hostile act as Polasario has evolved into a criminal gang that does business with local al Qaeda groups that controls most of the drug smuggling routes north and into Europe. Al Qaeda hates Shia and has a hard time doing business with Hezbollah under any circumstances (even of both groups can make a lot of money). Further south IRGC support for the Shia minority in Nigeria went badly. By 2018 Nigerian police managed to eliminate most armed members of the Shia IMN (Islamic Movement in Nigeria). There has not been much violent activity from the Shia since 2016 when the security forces cracked down hard. There are about seven million Shia in Nigeria and since the 1980s a growing number of them have joined IMN, a group founded and quietly supported by IRGC. While relations between Shia and Sunni Moslems have generally been good in Nigeria, local Sunni radical groups like Boko Haram practice the anti-Shia attitudes so common in Sunni terror groups like al Qaeda and the Taliban. IMN always proclaimed itself a peaceful group that welcomed all Moslems but over the years it has become all Shia and a lot more militant. Africa was provided more examples of how setting up religious schools to train fanatical Shia was no more popular than the Sunni version (long financed by Saudi Arabia). Iran made a major effort in Senegal (and Gaza) and in both cases it backfired. Afghanistan and Pakistan, both with Shia minorities under constant attacks by Sunni radicals, are handled many via diplomatic threats. Both nations share borders with Iran making it too easy for cross border operations, going in either direction, to take place. Iraq has a Shia majority, one of the two Arab nations (in addition to Bahrain) to have that advantage. But in Iraq most of the Arab Shia are anti-Iran because of ethnic differences and a long history of not getting along. The Iranians are Indo-European and have more in common culturally with India and Europe than with Arabs. This is reflected in the generally good relations between Hindu majority India and Iran. The same would be true of Europe except for the fact that is where Iranian political exiles (including the ones who returned to overthrow the Iranian monarchy in the late 1970s) prefer to seek asylum and operate from. In 2018 most of the Iranian exiles in Europe are opponents of the Iranian religious dictatorship and targets for Quds assassins. Israel has always been most dangerous to Iran for acts that got no publicity. Currently this consists of quietly providing evidence of which local Iranian diplomats were IRGC. These Iranian diplomats prefer to keep their IRGC affiliation secret and often succeed until the Israelis provide local governments with verifiable evidence that some Iranian diplomats have a decidedly undiplomatic job. While Israeli assassins or sabotage is greatly feared by Iran, its the damn intelligence leaks that hurt the most. The recent Israeli revelation of how Mossad stole huge quantities of Iranian documents in January 2018 and got them out of the country (literally overnight) was a rare event. Mossad could have kept quiet because Iran still insists the documents caper never took place. Iran would have preferred that Mossad had kept quiet about it, as Israel tends to do. But sometimes show and tell is the best approach and the best revenge. Nevertheless IRGC and Quds operatives worldwide have got their license to kill back and people are dying. So far this year most of the violence has not been from Islamic terror attacks but because of clashes involving tribal groups who sometimes proclaim their violence Islamic terrorist related but most of the time it is not. Since the start of the year, nearly 300 have died from this violence with many of the victims unarmed bystanders. There have been about a hundred of these clashes so far, most of them in central Mali (Mopti region) where the pastoral Fulani clash with the sedentary Bambara and Dogon who tend to be farmers. Further north it is one Tuareg clan versus another or Islamic terrorists, especially an ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) faction called ISGS (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara) The ISGS is considered a major threat for the local Tuareg because ISGS, in an effort to intimidate the Tuareg into cooperating (or at least not interfering) with the Islamic terrorists have killed dozens of unarmed Tuareg in the last few months. This is all about survival for ISGS. Islamic terrorists, even the most extreme ones like ISIL need cash because it is simply more efficient to purchase many items (like weapons, ammo, information and sanctuary in areas controlled by local tribes. Northeast Mali (near Gao and the Niger border) is where ISGS operates. As a result, the violence is escalating there but is still infrequent and much of it is Islamic terrorists raiding villages for supplies. This ISIL franchise is frequently encountered in northeastern Mali on both sides of the Niger border. The ISGS personnel frequently clash with pro-government Tuareg militias and usually lose. Its not that these ISGS men are not fanatic enough but that the Tuareg know the area well and have lots of experience in irregular warfare. Since March 2018 ISGS has taken very heavy losses as the Tuareg militias worked with a special French counterterrorism operation that included troops from Mali and Niger and spent enough time searching to find several ISGS camps and forcing the Islamic terrorists to fight. So far ISGS has lost over a hundred dead and captured but groups like ISGS dont surrender but fight harder until they are crushed. ISGS is still up there but in much-reduced circumstances. The Tuareg clans also battle each other over various issues, many of them ancient feuds but also over how to handle the peace deal with the government that ended the 2012-13 war in the north to destroy an Islamic terrorist/Tuareg separatist government. Most of the Islamic terrorists in Mali belong to AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) or JNIM (Jamaah Nusrah al Islam wal Muslimin, or Group for the support of Islam and Moslems). In Mali and neighboring states, most of the Islamic terrorists are not ISIL and are largely united. AQIM concentrates on its fundraising operations (mostly smuggling) while most of the Islamic terrorist activity is the work of JNIM, which was formed in early 2017. In part JNIM was a reaction to the growing threat from ISIL which is hostile to everyone who is not ISIL and will attack or recruit from JNIM members (AQIM factions, Ansar Dine, FLM and al Mourabitoun). Another reason for the merger was to make it easier to pool resources (including information and advice) and coordinate with other Islamic terror groups in the area. This reduces friction and destructive feuding. Making a coalition like this work is always difficult, especially considering the importance of ethnic differences. As a result of this cooperation, there are now connections (supplying information, personnel, supplies) between Islamic terrorists in central Mali and those in the north. These links werent that common before JNIM was formed. July 29, 2018: In the north (Kidal) Islamic terrorists fired ten mortar shells at various targets in the city, including polling places and military bases. No one was killed but normal activities were suspended for hours near areas where shells fell. Since the presidential election is being held today the shelling was apparently meant to disrupt that. The Islamic terrorist violence (mostly in the north) did manage to keep about one out of every 220 voting stations closed. One in seven were closed temporarily because of violence. The vote was completed successfully although the turnout was lower than expected. Voting hasnt brought in honest and effective leaders in the past and most voters are not optimistic. July 28, 2018: In central Mali, there were more clashes between tribal (Fulani, Bambara and Dogon) militias leaving at least 17 dead. Over the last few months, more than fifty have died in this militia violence. July 25, 2018: In the north (Timbuktu) hundreds of Arab residents, many of them armed, demonstrated to protest the continuing Islamic terrorist violence which was making it difficult to do business. Arabs dominate the small business community in the city. July 24, 2018: In central Mali, Islamic terrorists shelled Ambodedjo airport outside Sevare but caused little damage and no casualties. July 23, 2018: The EU (European) has agreed to pay for repairs to the G5 headquarters in Sevare, a city on the Niger River in central Mali where Islamic terrorists attacked a G5 international counterterrorism force regional headquarters on June 29 and heavily damaged the headquarters and base it was in. The organizers of the G5 force are having problems with the Mali contingent, which was in charge of base security. The Mali military has long been a problem because these soldiers were seen, by most Malians, as thugs in uniform rather than a trained, disciplined and effective military force. The problems with the Mali military have always been at the center of whatever national crises developed. This was acknowledged in the wake of the 2012-13 Islamic terrorism crises in the Tuareg north. After that, despite efforts (foreign cash and trainers) to train a new generation of Mali officers and troops the army was still unreliable. The army did show some improvement but not enough to make a major difference. Thus the Mali contingent of the G5 force has problems and makes the entire G5 force look bad and undeserving of long-term support. Trying to persuade donor countries to make a long-term commitment to paying for the G5 force requires examples of G5 success. Donors and supporters earlier responded to calls for money to get G5 going. The G5 force now has over half a billion dollars in aid pledges but few long-term aid commitments. The reason for that is donors want to see how well the G5 force does over time. This is particularly true of the Mali contingent. The G5 troops are supposed to be among the best each nation has but African nations vary quite a lot in the quality of their soldiers. The other four G5 nations provide much more effective troops. A lot of this has to do with corruption and Mali is worse than the other G5 nations in that respect, especially in the military. It was corruption in the military that triggered the separatists and Islamic terrorist violence in the north and the attempted coup by the military when Mali lost control of the north in 2012. Mali troops are still considered poorly trained and led by inadequate (and often corrupt) officers. Mali leaders say they can fix this but they have been saying that about the military and the government in general since 2012 and there has not been a lot of progress. As a result in central and northern Mali French troops and foreign peacekeepers are less likely to be attacked than Mali soldiers. Worse, it is the Mali troops who are most often assigned to guard aid convoys. This gives locals more of an incentive to attack these convoys. Many of the attacks on aid convoys are by bandits or local tribesmen looking for an easy way to make some money. Mali soldiers guarding a convoy not only indicates less dangerous convoy security but also an opportunity to strike back at the hated Mali military. The regional G5 Sahel Joint Force was seen as a better peacekeeping solution because the five Sahel nations (Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad) involved would contribute troops best able to deal with Islamic terrorism throughout the Sahel. G5 just began operations in early 2018 but so far G5 has demonstrated the ability to get organized but not to make a difference in Mali, the most troublesome Sahel nation at the moment. The Mali contingent of the G5 is considered the least capable and the losses from the June 29th attack seem to bear that out. Outside of Mali G5 has been more effective, especially in Burkina Faso and Niger. The idea for the G5 force has been around since 2015 but it was only by the end of 2016 that the countries involved agreed on the details. This included who would provide what in terms of the 5,000 soldiers and police needed and where they would be based. The G5 force will be stationed in three operational areas along with troops familiar with local conditions. Thus Sahel East would consist of troops from Chad and Niger. Sahel Central would be staffed by troops from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso while Sahel West would mainly use troops from Mali and Mauritania. Some of the G5 force was operational by the end of 2017 and by early 2018 the G5 force has already taken part in several counter-terror operations, one of them in the area where the borders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso meet. A successful G5 Force would enable France to shrink and eventually disband the force of 4,000 French troops it has deployed in the Sahel since 2013 and reduce the 13,000 strong UN peacekeeper force in Mali. The recent appearance of ISIL in the area and the October 2017 attack on American Special Forces troops in Niger was related to building the G5 Force. The peacekeepers in Mali are mainly African and mainly stationed in the north and, increasingly central Mali where there is more Islamic terror group activity, not all of it violent. Most of the recent Islamic terrorist violence has been in Mali. July 20, 2018: In the north Islamic terrorists ambushed an army convoy but were pursued, losing 11 dead. One soldier was killed and several wounded. In the northeast, near the Niger border, unidentified armed men attacked a Tuareg village and killed twenty people. July 19, 2018: Three British CH-47 helicopters arrived, along with 90 troops to operate and maintain them, to support counter-terror operations in the north. July 18, 2018: In central Mali and across the border in Burkina Faso, the army and G5 forces there completed a ten-day operation that captured sixty Islamic terrorists and destroyed several bases. In April a similar eight-day counter-terror operation sealed the Mali border and over a hundred suspected Islamic terrorists on the Burkina Faso side of the frontier were arrested. Some of those arrested were known Islamic terrorists and in other locations explosives and weapons were seized. July 15, 2018: In the northeast ISIL gunmen attacked a Tuareg village near the Niger border and killed 14 civilians. July 11, 2018: Three years after placing the order for six Brazilian A-29 Super Tucano aircraft the Mali Air Force received the four Mali could afford. Budget problems reduced the size of the order. The A-29 was seen as an essential purchase because in 2015 Mali has no flyable combat aircraft. The Super Tucano is a single engine turbo-prop trainer/attack aircraft that is used by over a dozen nations, including many in Africa. This aircraft carries two internal 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine-guns and can carry up to 1.5 tons of bombs and rockets. It can stay in the air for 6.5 hours at a time. It is rugged, easy to maintain, and cheap. You pay $15-20 million for each Super Tucano, depending on how much training, spare parts, and support equipment you get with them. Mali purchased some 20mm autocannon pods for its a-29s. July 10, 2018: Algeria expelled another 355 illegal(from Niger) migrants and sent them back to Niger. Algeria has an agreement with Niger to return the illegals, via trucks or busses, to the Niger capital where Niger officials take over. Most 0ther sub-Saharan nations refuse to take their illegal migrants back from Algeria so Algeria takes these illegals to the Mali or Niger border, gives then supplies of water and points them in the direction of the nearest town across the border. Soldiers remain at the release point for a day or so because the illegals were told they would be shot on sight if they tried to double back into Algeria. European media found out about this practice (which was no secret in Algeria and the nations the illegals were forced to return to) and accused Algeria of murder because some of the illegals sent back died along the way. Algeria told the UN that if they wanted to help they could set up aid stations in Niger and Mali near the Algerian border. Whether the UN does that or not Algeria made it clear it would continue the return policy because most of the illegals made it home and reported that Algeria was not a good choice if you were seeking to migrate illegally. Many of these illegals are headed for Europe but will often remain in Algeria if they must to raise more money to pay the people smugglers to get them into Europe. A NEW national campaign to raise awareness of County Lines serious and organised crime has reached Warwickshire, with the backing of the countys Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Seccombe. Independent charity Crimestoppers launched the national campaign last week, with an advertising van touring the country to spread the message about how organised crime groups from the big metropolitan cities are targeting more suburban and rural areas, most often to facilitate the supply of illegal drugs. The campaign reaches Warwickshire today, Monday, with the van visiting areas in Stratford, Leamington Spa and Nuneaton. County Lines gangs often exploit children and vulnerable adults to move drugs and money. The gangs move into a rural or suburban area for a short time, taking over the home of a vulnerable person where they set up a base. Many of those taken advantage of by these gangs have been forced to carry out criminal activity by threats, grooming and extortion and can be described as modern day slaves. Speaking about the campaign, Emily van der Lely, Crimestoppers lead on County Lines, said: We know that the term County Lines might not be widely recognised, which is why we are launching this campaign and asking for your help to support us in tackling this issue. We need help to put a stop to this exploitation and the damage that these criminals are inflicting on our communities and those being taken advantage of. We are asking you to contact us anonymously and safely through our 0800 555 111 number, or via our secure online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org - both methods are 100% anonymous. Always. Together we can put a stop to this. Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said: County Lines is an extremely serious form of crime, in which organised crime gangs from outside our area seek to exploit local and often vulnerable individuals here in Warwickshire, in order to sell drugs or other conduct illegal activities. This causes great harm to those involved and brings misery to communities across the county. Identifying, disrupting and ultimately bringing these gangs to justice is something that Warwickshire Police and its partners across the region are working extremely hard to do, but they need the help of the public to pass on information about suspicious activity. This is where Crimestoppers can be extremely helpful in allowing people to pass on information anonymously that they may not otherwise be able or feel willing to do. It could be the piece of intelligence that makes all the difference to police and thats why Im delighted to fund Crimestoppers through my grants scheme. "Its great to see the County Lines campaign touring the area and I hope it encourages more information to be passed on so that we re-emphasise the point that Warwickshire should not be seen as a soft-spot for criminals. Spot the signs and report concerns. Have you noticed: A child or young person (sometimes as young as 12), during school hours or unusual hours (e.g. early in the morning, late at night)? They might be in a shopping centre or high street, or on public transport. A child or young person who seems unfamiliar with the local area? A child or young person being approached or intimidated by a controlling peer or group? A child or vulnerable person who is deliberately avoiding authority figures such as police officers or security guards? More people calling at a local address than normal? Sometimes at unsociable hours? Suspicious vehicles or people at an address? A neighbour has not been seen for a while? If you recognise any of the signs listed above, you can report your concerns to police by calling 101 or contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through the untraceable online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org. Palestine to lead UNs largest group of developing nations By Thalif Deen View(s): View(s): UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) The Group of 77 (G77) the largest single coalition of developing countries at the United Nations is to be chaired by Palestine, come January. Its a historical first, both for Palestine and the G77, an Asian diplomat told IPS, pointing out that Palestine will be politically empowered to collectively represent 134 UN member states, including China. Created in June 1964, the 54-year-old Group comprises over 80 per cent of the worlds population and approximately two-thirds of the United Nations membership. Traditionally, the G77 speaks with a single voice before the 193-member General Assembly, the highest policy making body at the UN, and also at all UN committee meetings and at international conferences. Under a system of geographical rotation, it was Asias turn to name a chairman for 2019. The Asian Group has unanimously endorsed Palestine, which will be formally elected chair at the annual G77 ministerial meeting, scheduled to take place in mid-September. Palestine will take over from the current chair, Egypt, which is representing the African Group of countries. The chairmanship is a tremendous political boost for Palestine at a time when it is being increasingly blacklisted by the Trump administration which is kowtowing to the Israelis. Although it is not a full-fledged UN member state, Palestine is recognised by 136 UN members, and since 2012, has the status of a non-member observer state as does the Holy See (the Vatican). Nadia Hijab, President, Al-Shabaka Board of Directors, told IPS: At a time when Israel is moving on all fronts to wipe Palestine definitively off the map through relentless colonisation and to muscle in on UN committees despite its flagrant violations of international law it is a source of solace to see Palestine slated for a very visible role at the UN. However, comforting as this may be, she pointed out, it will take a lot more than this to make Palestine a reality on the ground. Sadly, the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership has been unwilling or unable to end security coordination with Israel and to heal internal divisions. Instead, she said, it is cracking down on peaceful Palestinian protests. It is also reshaping the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which has always been recognised as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, in a way that excludes alternative and opposing views, Hijab declared. Martin Khor, Advisor to the Malaysia-based Third World Network, told IPS: I think it will be a historic and a significant development first for the G77 countries to elect Palestine as its chair, and thereby affirm their confidence in its leadership. The election will also prove that the State of Palestine itself has decided it can mobilise its human and material resources to take on the complex task of coordinating the largest grouping in the UN system even though it has to fight its own very challenging battles of survival and independence, said Khor, the former executive director of the Geneva-based South Centre. Both Palestine and the G77 deserve the support of people around the world to wish them success in voicing and defending the interests of developing countries in these very difficult times when international cooperation and multilateralism are coming under attack, he said. Last week, the Trump administration refused to grant visas to a six-member Palestinian delegation that was expected to participate at the UNs High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development which took place on July 16-18. This was clearly in violation of the 1947 US-UN Headquarters Agreement which calls on the US, among other obligations, to facilitate delegates participating at UN meetings. Asked about the visa refusal, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters last week: Well, certainly, were aware of this latest incident, but as far as Im aware, there is a Host Country Committee that deals with disputes involving access to the United Nations and any problems dealing with the host country on that. As of now, the Host Country Committee has not been approached or formally informed of this, so they havent acted on this. But its normally their role to deal with this situation. Of course, we would hope that all of those who are here to attend UN meetings would have the ability to do so, he added. Samir Sanbar, a former UN Assistant Secretary-General who headed the Department of Public Information (DPI), told IPS chairing the G-77 will be an unprecedented role for Palestine. He said leading that large, varied yet collaborative group will require tactful handling by all sides at a time when the rightful Palestinian cause needs every support as the regionand a fragmented conflicted, almost leaderless world is facing serious challenges.It is hoped that Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine and an experienced diplomat with proven UN record, will be given the opportunity and required leeway to operate in an inclusive, patient and fruitful manner to enhance the role of the G 77 while advancing the status of Palestine, said Sanbar, who served under five different UN secretaries-general. At the UN, the Trump administration has been increasingly undermining the Palestinian cause a cause long supported by an overwhelming majority of member states in the world body. In May, the US relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem even though the UN has deemed it occupied declaring that the status of East Jerusalem should be subject to negotiations and that East Jerusalem will be the future capital of the State of Palestine. Last month, the Trump administration also reduced its fundingfrom an estimated $360 million in 2017 to $60 million this year to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), created in 1949 to provide assistance to over 5.5 million refugees resulting from the creation of Israel in 1948. Last year when Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed the appointment of former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as UNs Special Representative in Libya, the proposal was shot down by US Ambassador Nikki Haley, purely because he was a Palestinian. And speaking before the US House Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Haley went even further down the road when she indicated she would block any appointment of a Palestinian official to a senior role at the UN because Washington does not recognise Palestine as an independent state. Suddenly, the Palestinians, for the first time, seem blacklisted and declared political outcasts in a world body where some of them held key posts in a bygone era. Guterres, who apparently submitted to US pressure by stepping back on Fayyads appointment plucked up courage to tell reporters: I think it was a serious mistake. I think that Mr. Fayyad was the right person in the right place at the right time, and I think that those who will lose will be the Libyan people and the Libyan peace process. And, he rightly added: I believe that it is essential for everybody to understand that people serving the UN are serving in their personal capacities. They dont represent a country or a government they are citizens of the world representing the UN Charter and abiding by the UN Charter, he said, pointedly directing his answer at Haley. A former chair of the G77 chapter in Vienna told IPS although the Palestinian issue is fundamentally a political one, centred as well on the legitimacy and legality of Israeli occupation, it no longer remains in the political-legal realms exclusively. He said there are a large number of issues of economic, social and cultural and environmental nature, including health, education, food, water, etc, which arise both directly from conditions of occupation, as well as laterally from other conditions such as denial of humanitarian access, and, very recently, the declaration of Israel as a Jewish state. It is logical that advancing a struggle on these issues calls for a broad forum of solidarity, and the G 77 fits the bill, he noted In an op-ed piece marking the 50th anniversary of the G77, Mourad Ahmia, the G77 Executive Secretary said: When it was established on Jun. 15, 1964, the signing nations of the well-known Joint Declaration of Seventy-Seven Countries formed the largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the United Nations to articulate and promote their collective interests and common development agenda. Since the First Ministerial meeting of the G-77 in Algeria in October 1967, and the adoption of the Charter of Algiers, the Group of 77 laid down the institutional mechanisms and structures that have contributed to shaping the international development agenda and changing the landscape of the global South for the past five decades, he pointed out. Over the years, the Group has gained an increasing role in the determination and conduct of international relations through global negotiations on major North-South and development issues. The Group has a presence worldwide at UN centres in New York, Geneva, Nairobi, Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Washington D.C., and is actively involved in ongoing negotiations on a wide range of global issues including climate change, poverty eradication, migration, trade, and the law of the sea. Today, the G-77 remains the only viable and operational mechanism in multilateral economic diplomacy within the UN system. The growing membership is proof of its enduring strength, he declared. Strip Lanka: You all did love him once, not without cause By Tirantha Walaliyadde View(s): View(s): He comes from a warrior breed gives no quarter and asks for none. Many fear him, others respect him, and yet others would see him fall. I do not call him a great man or a paragon of virtue. At the end of the day, who amongst us are paragons of virtue? In replication, the sound of silence echoes in the corridors of each mans conscience. But, if there be such a claimant let him come forward, and there you will find a humbug. We are now in the days of indecent public exposure: Using a translation in the context of the Sinhala phrase normally used, everyone is stripped naked. These seem to be the catch words of our times. The Government is stripped naked, the politicians are stripped naked, the law enforcement is stripped naked, the judiciary is stripped naked the legal profession is stripped naked, and basically the whole system is stripped naked. There are strippers, counter strippers, belated strippers, round-about strippers, and all sorts of other strippers. We have become a nation of strippers. The international community must be rolling around laughing its sides out at us poor strippers. Very soon Sri Lanka may be renamed Strip Lanka, dont you think? Chameleonic politics: Here today, there tomorrow, and somewhere else the day after. To my mind, the essence of true politics is the courage and the wisdom that a man has, knowing full well the unpleasant repercussions to him, to leave a political agenda that has turned sour and has gone against the interests of the community it purports to govern provided the law permits such a change. A politician, who clings to his party where that party has gone against its own policies to the prejudice of the community it governs, is a traitor to himself, as well as to the community, and to the country. Loyalty to the party can never be reconciled with ones loyalty to ones nation where they are diametrically opposed to each other. As to whether his party is correct or not is a matter of individual opinion and conscience. The basis of the downfall of any government is the hypocritical defence of its wayward policies by its so-called diehard members. Unfortunately, the dying is not done by those valiant members who rally to the party cause, but by the individuals who make up the community who are helpless in the holocaust of political power. I wonder whether an individual who changes sides has committed a mortal sin in changing sides now and again. Or whether he has acted according to the dictates of his own political conscience. Maybe the people who condemn him for his political moves should give these aspects of the issues some little thought in their contemplative moods. Some may say that he did this to get that or that he got that because he did this. They may be correct or yet again they may be wrong. Some may say that certain allegations are demonstrably true, but then again, what is demonstrably true may in fact be false. These are all mind games, the real truth is resident only in the conscience of the doer. Only he knows. Morality has become another burning issue in recent times, especially the morality of the other man and not ones own. Let us dwell a moment on the subject of morality. Morality, which means right or wrong, is qualitative and quantitative in substance. It is qualitative in the sense of right or wrong and quantitative in the sense of how many people say so. In the qualitative sense, except for a few universal constants, morality is a rather unstable value: what is right today is wrong tomorrow, or what was wrong yesterday is right today. Has anyone come across a truly moral man or woman? An immoral man is entitled to call another an immoral man. But, is he also entitled to condemn that second man, he himself being immoral? I believe this entire business of morality can be summed up as: The jury, passing on the prisoners life, May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two Guiltier than him they try. - William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure The latest trend which those who have been stripped indulge in is to gallop into the nearest court howling that his no reference to gender character has been tarnished by the strippers and claiming millions or billions of rupees in damages as compensation for pain of mind, loss of reputation and so on and so forth. There was an interesting comment made by a cynic: many people rush into the legal machinery like pigs and come out as sausages. One wonders as to what yardstick people use to value their characters. If a plaintiff claims one billion rupees as damages then I suppose his character is worth only one billion rupees, and not a rupee more. Can a persons character be reduced to terms of money, or gold or silver? Character is the quality that governs what a person will do or not do in a given situation. From where do these strippers get the right to strip with impunity? Where else, but from the so-called Fountain of Law which is the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka? Let us take a gander at the substance of the relevant Articles of this sacred document: Article 14 guarantees freedom of speech as a fundamental right. At the time this provision came into being, there was a counter provision in the Penal Code in the guise of criminal defamation, which put a check on irresponsible statements being made against any ones reputation or character entailing penal sanctions for its breach. Subsequently that provision was repealed from the Penal Code leaving the field wide open for anyone to slander anyone else with penal impunity the only remedy available being a tame action for damages in a sausage suit. Which is the situation now. So, with the repealing of the check to freedom of speech, the field of defamation of reputation and character opened up like the jaws of the crocodile. Then, with this new found freedom of speech without bounds, save for a few, who, for decades, have been pointing their accusing fingers at various persons of high profile for alleged misdeeds involving their profession and personal lives, a new breed of self-righteous warmongers peddling their wares came into being, like the flood waters of a bursting dam, turning Sri Lanka into a catwalk of strippers and stripped. As in all wars, in this war too, the guilty as well as the innocent, all get shot, and the warmongers roll around chortling in glee. How long can one man endure others making a caricature of his life before striking back or folding over? No man is all good just as no man is all bad. A statement which envelopes the totality of human nature, setting out the tragedy of one mans life, will sum up this article: In the fires dying embers, My only regrets are these: Of what I did right no one remembered, Of what I did wrong, no one forgot So let it be with him. You all did love him once, not without cause (The writer is a Presidents Counsel) The two-week attention span: Simply politricks View(s): You know, Silva observed my old friend and former journalist colleague Kamal most of our readers only remember things for two weeks. He took another sip of his drink while I waited for him to elaborate. You see, he went on, the headlines that grab our attention today, the attention-catching news items that influence the conversations and chattering of most people, will be forgotten in a fortnight. This simple fact is what successful politicians are well aware of and they exploit it to the full. If the people are starting to think and talk about something that is a little too close to these politicians skeleton-filled cupboards, they just change the conversation by planting some new topic that they know will grab the attention of the people. The serious matter which these politicians are worried that right-minded people would talk about and act upon is then pushed off the radar. Just as an example, Silva, can YOU remember what was grabbing the headlines two weeks ago? He paused awhile for his challenge to sink in. I certainly was not in a position to disagree with him. Just take this mad fellow Trump Kamal went on, warming to his subject Only the other day he was in deep hot water after he returned from his meeting with Putin in Finland. His own party people and support-kaarayas were all finding fault with him for contradicting the evidence provided by his own intelligence services like the FBI and for cuddling up to Americas bogeyman Putin. Trump even had to uncomfortably read from a script that had been written for him and confess that he had mis-spoken and had actually said the opposite of what he actually wanted to say at the Putin news conference. Of course anybody who saw him speak at that press conference had no doubt as to what his demeanour and body language was saying. To compound Trumps difficult situation, evidence had just come out that he had lied about paying hush money to a former Playboy model to cover up the affair he was having with her while he was still married to his present wife. When he is wondering how to get out of this quagmire, along comes the Iranian president Rouhani issuing a warning to him not to mess with the Lion that is Iran. What does Trump do? He uses Twitter (oblivious to the fact that Twitter is banned in Iran) to send off a CAPITAL LETTER tweet threatening Iran like one of our schoolboys threatening another child who annoys him on the playground with If you come too much Ill give you tight!. Give the world with its short attention span another few days of tough guy Trump belligerently telling the world DONT YOU EVER TRY TO MESS ABOUT WITH GREAT AMERICA and the world will have forgotten all about Trumps gaffes in Helsinki and his Playboy affairs. And it is not only American politicians, Kamal went on, who capitalise on the fact that world opinion cannot remember things for too long. Even our own politicians here blatantly exploit this tactic of playing to our two week attention span. When the ex-Governor of the Central Bank misused his position to help his son-in-law Arjun Aloysius to profiteer from the nations coffers, this was the topic of conversation all over the country but the peoples attention was quietly diverted by some unrelated attention-grabbing matter. When right thinking citizens were talking about how wrong it was for Ravi Karunanayakes penthouse rent to be paid by none other than this same Aloysius fellow, something else hit the headlines and Ravis disgusting and disgraceful behaviour was forgotten. When the Deputy Chief Priest of the Asgiriya Chapter spoke at Gotabhayas birthday, his simplistic utterances monopolised the headlines for a few days only to be overshadowed by the equally simplistic utterances of Mrs Vijayakala Maheswaran. The huge uproar over her remarks and resignation took centre stage thereby relegating Ven Endaruwe Upalis sermon to the back pages of peoples brains. Politicians do not worry about the major revelations made by us journalists, however well we research our articles and write up our pieces went on Kamal. They know that the attention span of the public only lasts a fortnight and when todays big story surfaces it will be the subject of conversation and consternation only until something new turns up And something new will invariably crop up, or be conjured up to crop up (it always does) that will turn the attention of the voting people away from these important matters. So ensuring that what grabs the publics attention in the two or three weeks before they actually go to the ballot box is all that the politicians need to focus on quite irrespective of all the unholy rackets they get up to in the four or five years before the next election. He stopped to take another sip of his drink. I could only look at him and nod in agreement. What Kamal was saying made perfect sense. The president of the Junta de Andalucia, Susana Diaz, said this week that the regional government had made major efforts in terms of sewage treatment, because the previous Partido Popular government had failed to meet its responsibilities. She said she was also convinced that now, following the fine from the EU, the new government would "set to work" to complete all the outstanding sewage plants. Jose Fiscal, the Junta's Minister of the Environment and Land Regulation, also referred to the fine at a press conference about the works on a new sewage plant in Villanueva del Trabuco. "About 92 per cent of people in Malaga live in places which do treat their sewage, and the others are taking action. The matter hasn't been forgotten and it isn't being ignored," he insisted. This week the Ministry for Ecological Transition issued a statement to announce a National Sewage Treatment Plan, which will also include effective water saving and reuse. The statement said the Ministry is concerned because "time has run out for Spain now, and it is obliged to pay this fine". Greater capacity The works on the new plant in Villanueva del Trabujo will mean that it can treat the waste of up to 6,000 inhaibtants. The project, which is being financed by the Improvement Fund, includes the treatment plant and all its connections, a pumping station and impulsion pipes to move the waste water from the existing plant to the new one. The province still has a long way to go in terms of adequate sewage treatment, and the European Court of Justice has just made this very clear by fining Spain 12 million euros for failing to comply with EU regulations. The decision included Coin, Alhaurin el Grande, Estepona and Nerja as four of the 17 municipalities which have been monitored since 2011 and have not fulfilled their obligations. There will be an additional fine of 11 million euros every six months if the situation does not improve. This case dates back to 2010, when the European Commission found that several Spanish towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants had done nothing towards building collection systems or waste treatment facilities, despite EU regulations which were approved in the early 1990s. The Commission therefore took Spain to court, and the ECJ found in its favour in April 2011. However, in 2017 the Court said that as the Spanish government had still not fulfilled its obligations, it was imposing a fine of 171,217 euros for every day of delay, plus 19,303 euros for every day that passed between the date of the court decision in 2011 and its demands being completely fulfilled. On Wednesday, the court found that Spain has failed to comply fully, because in nine of the 17 municipalities the work required to bring them in line with EU regulations had not been done. In addition to these four in Malaga province, it also applies to Matalascanas, Isla Cristina, Tarifa, Barbate, east Gijon, Santiago de Compostela, Aguino-Carreira-Ribeira, Vigo, Benicaro, Peniscola, Teulada-Moreira, north-east Valle Guerra and Valle de Guimar, the last two being in the Canary Islands. According to the law, local councils are obliged to provide adequate sewage treatment facilities, but the financial circumstances of small town halls has meant that the matter has normally become the responsibility of the relevant regional governments (in most cases) or the government if the treatment plant is considered a matter of General Interest to the State. In the case of Andalucia, since 2011 every household has been paying an Improvement Charge, a tax included in the water bills to pay for the works to improve sewage treatment. Straight into the Guadalhorce In Coin and Alhaurin el Grande, which both have more than 20,000 inhabitants, the sewage goes straight into the Guadalhorce river with no type of previous treatment (the same as the other places in the area apart from Alhaurin de la Torre). This is about to change in Coin, because the Bajo Guadalhorce plant will come into operation at the end of this year, according to sources at the Junta de Andalucia, which is building it. In Alhaurin el Grande it will take longer, because it depends on the future Guadalhorce Norte plant, and the plans for that are only now being drawn up. The mayor of Alhaurin el Grande, Toni Ledesma, says the Junta de Andalucia has already fined these municipalities for their lack of infrastructure: "They were the ones who said they would build the treatment plants, and now they are fining us even though we pay for authorisation to dispose of our sewage into the river," she explained this week. Although Estepona was included in the initial court case, it has now complied with its legal obligations. A year ago its sewage plant tripled its capacity after a reform which cost the State 31 million euros and the Junta four million, to enable it to treat the sewage of more than 400,000 inhabitants. Finally, the government also started work on the Nerja sewage plant again in February this year, ten months after the works stopped. The project first started four years ago and was 76 per cent complete when it was reactivated, according to information from the Ministry of the Environment. The government has classified this project as being of General Interest to the State. The regional government has signed a contract with Sando-Acciona that permits that construction partnership to restart work on the metro line connector outside El Corte Ingles in Malaga on Tuesday, 31 July. The construction work is predicted to take 19 and a half months to complete and is funded by an investment of 27.69 million euros, pending the completion of investigations related to the discovery of the archaeological remains of a wall dating back to the Moorish era. Tuesday will put an end to three years of inactivity, after works were halted in 2015 due to economic discrepancies between the previous construction company, Ortiz, and the regional government. The stretch of metro will consist of 713m of tracks and a station, named Guadalmedina, which will be located in the Plaza Manuel Alcantara on Avenida Andalucia. The work is part of the city's larger metro project and is somewhat complex due to the fact that the delayed Guadalmedina station will house two separate lines. Most of us don't give a thought to the cork we remove from a bottle, unless, that is, the damned thing breaks off halfway or comes out smelling funny. A good-looking cork is considered a guarantee that we are about to drink something worthwhile. This is what the cork producers fight incessantly to maintain as an unconditional element in the presentation of a bottle of wine. WINE OF THE WEEK Vina Tondonia Reserva Most wine drinkers with even the most elementary familiarity with Spanish labels will recognise this iconic Rioja as being one of the best. The Lopez Heredia bodega in Haro (founded 1877) is located in the historic 'Barrio de la Estacion' where the most traditional wines have always been made. This Reserva has six years barrel-age and at a very reasonable 25 euros is too good to miss. What advantages does cork offer over other types of bottle closures? Actually none at all, and it is possibly the least suitable option. Innumerable scientific studies show that crown and screwcaps are much better ways of sealing wine bottles, and superior for maturing wine. The myth we hear so often that runs along the lines of 'If there is no contact between the liquid and the cork, it will dry out and the wine will spoil' is just that - a myth, never proven scientifically or even circumstantially. Nor is it best to store bottles horizontally. Whatever closure is used a bottle can be stored vertically and the results will be the same. New World wines, particularly those from Australia and New Zealand, almost unanimously vote for screwcaps. It is almost impossible to demonstrate that a cork stopper is best for wine, either at the table or in the cellar. Maturing wine sealed with cork is more expensive and less reliable than using the same crown caps that soft drink manufacturers use. Not even winemakers are unconditional fans of cork, but use it across the board because that is what the drinking public expects. The almost mythical reds from the Italian Gaja bodega are sold with corks firmly in place, but Angelo Gaja insists that the vintages stored in his cellars that are destined to be kept for posterity, have crown caps. He is among many winemakers that share the same philosophy. It is one rule for the wine buyer and another for the working bodega. Regrettably it has to be admitted that the cork in a bottle of wine is good for little more than decorative purposes and to keep up a tradition. At home on the range With hunting season now in full swing throughout the State of Iowa, a new business in the Tama-Toledo area looks to ... Posted on Monday, July 30, 2018 Kleberg Bank has made it easier for business students at Texas A&M University-Kingsville to get real-world practice, thanks to a $75,000 donation to develop a Bloomberg Financial Lab in the College of Business Administration. Kleberg Bank believes that supporting our local education efforts is key to helping shape a vibrant and sustainable community and proudly supports Texas A&M-Kingsville and the College of Business Administrations plans to establish a Bloomberg Financial Lab, said Brad Womack, Kingsville Market President. Once completed, the university will be able to leverage this valuable resource the same industry-leading data and technology used by the worlds leading banks, corporations and government agencies along with the College of Business Administrations recent accreditation, to attract the very best students to the university, he added. Our bank, its shareholders and the board of directors clearly value Texas A&M University-Kingsvilles work and continue to invest in its efforts, said Gabe Guerra, Kleberg Bank President and CEO. Kleberg Bank applauds the university for creating a world-class learning environment to support not only its growth, but also the long-term development of the future workforce in our region. True to its mission, Kleberg Banks generous donation to establish a financial lab at the College of Business Administration will spawn leaders in a host of industries, primarily within financial services, both regionally and globally, said Dr. Natalya Delcoure, dean of the College of Business Administration. We are insanely grateful. One of the classrooms in the Business Administration Building is being converted to accommodate the lab, with it scheduled to open for student use in spring 2019. About the Bloomberg Lab The Bloomberg Essentials terminals that will be housed in the lab provide users with an introduction to the Bloomberg Professional Service. The terminals will be used as an educational and research tool in undergraduate classes, community workshops and financial literacy education. Universities and colleges around the globe use Bloomberg to bring the real world of business and finance into the classroom, providing students with access to the same information platform used by leading decision makers. The Bloomberg Professional Service and the Bloomberg terminals seamlessly integrate the very best in data, news and analytics. The terminal is a 24-hour, global financial services system that provides transparent and reliable financial, economic and government information covering all market sectors. It features company financials, market data spanning more than 20 years, charts, statistics, a communications platform and current news reports. Many employers utilize Bloomberg terminals in their businesses and students can develop valuable skills that will improve their competitiveness in the job market. Bloomberg Service also allows students to post their resume and accomplishments on the Bloomberg website, which can then be viewed by all terminal users throughout the world. -TAMUK- Breaking news 27 Oct 2021 CANBERRA, AAP Australian inflation grew by 0.8 per cent in the September quarter, largely driven by the rising cost of new homes and fuel. The Australian Bureau of Statistics said the annual rate of the consumer price index was three per cent, retreating from the spike to 3.8 per cent in the June quarter. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Glenn Polii (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30, 2018 09:30 1185 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df503c765 3 Opinion tax-evasion,tax-amnesty,poverty-rate,poverty-alleviation,economic-inequality Free New data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that as of March, the number of Indonesians living below the poverty line is 9.82 percent. The fact that this is the lowest level ever recorded is viewed by many as a special achievement. However, is a single-digit poverty rate a cause for celebration? First of all, let us be clear about what this statistic means. Data shows 25.95 million people live below the poverty line, which is itself arguably too low. The poverty line in Indonesia is defined as monthly expenditure not exceeding Rp 401,220 or 90 US cents a day. This standard is roughly half the World Banks limit, which is set at $1.90. The issue of threshold aside, let us put the new data into perspective. The number of people living on less than $1 a day in Indonesia is roughly equal to the total population of the 10 eastern provinces, from Papua to North Sulawesi. What if the headline had instead read All residents of Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua Islands live below poverty line? Would this still be a special achievement? The point is, 26 million people living on less than $1 a day is simply unacceptable. This is not to disparage the governments war on poverty. Indeed, the BPS identified a number of government programs as the main drivers in lowering poverty. More importantly, the concerted effort to eradicate poverty has made the reduction of poverty a consistent trend in the Reform Era. Over the last 18 years, the number of poor people in Indonesia declined by 12.79 million, a reduction of 33 percent. But then again, we are talking about abject poverty and therefore this pace of poverty reduction is just too slow. And it is unnecessarily so. A more aggressive approach to combating poverty would be possible if the government had strong fiscal capacity. The problem is that our fiscal capacity is weak and there are troubling signs that it is becoming weaker. One of the most crucial, yet at times overlooked, elements in the effort to boost the ability of the government to generate revenue is its success in detecting and prosecuting tax evasion. Evasion and noncompliance in general is widespread and has robbed the government of its ability to successfully wage its war against poverty. In other words, to eliminate poverty without relying too much on external financing or sacrificing other important priorities, the government must first win the war on tax evasion. Thanks to recent developments in the global arena, including the BEPS Project and exchange of information initiatives championed by the G20 and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Indonesia now has a set of regulations in place, the most important of which is Law No. 9/2017 on access to financial information for tax purposes, which gives the government a much better chance to discover and deter tax evasion. An equally potent, though perhaps underutilized weapon, is Government Regulation No. 36/2017, which allows the government to recover the revenue lost to tax evasion. The regulation, which is a follow up to the tax amnesty, provides that assets discovered by the Taxation Directorate General and deemed to have not been properly disclosed by taxpayers are to be treated as income and subject to a final tax of up to 30 percent and a penalty of 200 percent for a total of 90 percent. So $1 of undisclosed assets could potentially yield the government 90 cents in additional revenue. Although roughly $74 billion in offshore assets were disclosed and a further $11 billion repatriated in the tax amnesty, there are indications that the wealthiest Indonesians have not come clean entirely. But how much assets do Indonesians keep abroad? The Finance Ministry estimates the overall figure is around $785 billion. Consulting firm McKinseys was reported to put the figure at around $250 billion. However, perhaps the best source to derive a more precise figure are self-estimates made by the wealthy themselves. According to a report by Capgemini, another global consulting firm, on average, high-net wealth Indonesian individuals put 37 percent of their assets abroad. The same individuals held 25 percent of their total assets in cash and equivalent. The latest data from the Deposit Insurance Agency (LPS) shows that the aggregate amount of bank accounts with a minimum value of $357,000 (Rp 5 billion) is $183 billion. Combining this information with the Capgemini report, we find that the total assets held by the wealthy (i.e. the holders of at least Rp 5 billion in bank accounts) is around $731 billion of which $270 billion is held offshore. Note that this figure is much closer to McKinseys estimate than to the official government estimate. Deducting $85 billion already declared and repatriated through the tax amnesty, that leaves roughly $185 billion in undisclosed assets, which if discovered could generate up to $167 billion in revenue for the government. This is not including potential revenue from undisclosed assets right here at home. Just imagine what the government could do for poverty elimination with that amount of windfall revenue. As a comparison, the governments revenue target this year is only $136 billion, with around $60 billion allocated for education, health and social protection. The rich and wealthy who evade their fair share of tax, hide their ill-gotten wealth overseas and refuse to come clean through the tax amnesty must know that the government knows this, and is able and willing to go to the trouble to recover its rightful revenue. Successful actions against tax evaders and recovery of lost tax revenue will not only deter potential future evaders but also restore justice to the millions of compliant taxpayers and, more importantly, enable the government to have the resources it needs to reach out to the millions of unfortunate Indonesians and lift everyone to the last person out of the miserable condition we call poverty. Law 9/2017 and Government Regulation 36/2017 are both important, but heres the catch: the latter applies to non-amnesty participants only until June 30, 2019. Political year or not, the time to act is now. *** The writer is a staff member at the Taxation Directorate General. The views expressed are his own. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dean Yulindra Affandi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30, 2018 Although they have the strongest historical and emotional ties to their land, indigenous groups in Indonesia are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to secured land tenure rights and legal access to natural resources. For the greater part of history, indigenous communities have been trying in vain to assert their traditional rights and redefine their role in Indonesian statehood. Indigenous rights have, however, been severely undermined for the sake of development or other national interests. Reformasi has, since 1998, opened the channel for many disenfranchised groups, like indigenous peoples, to demand social justice. A new study from 15 countries, including Indonesia, titled The scramble for land rights by the World Resources Institute, highlights significant disparities between companies and indigenous communities in terms of land ownership and the ease of acquiring secure land tenure to support their livelihood. Currently, only 26 indigenous communities have managed to secure their land rights from the government, covering just over 24,000 hectares of land. This number is far less than over 37 million ha of concessions granted to plantation and timber companies. The report states the problem lies in the fact that the land licensing process for indigenous communities is time-consuming, complex and sometimes ambiguous, while companies can obtain concessions relatively quickly and are anecdotally known to exploit loopholes in regulations. The report concludes there is a discriminatory nature in the steps needed to secure land rights, where legal procedures offer little flexibility. This is evident in the following examples. First, although Constitutional Court Ruling No. 35/2012 says that indigenous forests should be treated as private forests and excluded from state forests, the mechanism to enforce this ruling lacks clarity. For this decision to be implemented, indigenous groups require a local regulation sanctioned by the local legislature that recognizes and acknowledges their rights and indigenous status. Often this process is burdensome and even unattainable for most indigenous groups due to the lack of resources to go through all the steps, and political will from the local government and legislature. Second, procedures are more challenging for indigenous communities to secure land compared to investors. While there is no guarantee for communities to secure land rights after decades of struggle, companies are able to secure their concession rights, on average, within three to five years. Third, indigenous communities lack the resources to mobilize concerted advocacy efforts, unlike companies, which are much better equipped. They mostly rely heavily on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to navigate the legal and political hurdles of securing land rights. Unfortunately, resources to support this type of advocacy work are limited, and not all NGOs can afford to support the entirety of the process. There are three factors that can explain this lack of progress. These factors reinforce one another, and provide a possible explanation for why progress has been very hard to attain for the majority of indigenous communities in Indonesia. First, for it to be effective, the Constitutional Court ruling requires strong collaboration between related line ministries. Unfortunately, we face a deficit of policy synchronization between state institutions on multiple levels of government. Second, although some government policies already in place, such as the social forestry program, have opened up a new range of possibilities for indigenous communities, the process to actually implement the decision is still onerous and heavily reliant on the local government. In other words, making those who are not in favor of indigenous land rights to stop or delay their land rights. The Kajang community in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, and Kasepuhan Karang in Lebak, Banten, are examples where there has been unwavering support from the local government for the legislative process. Both communities are among the first indigenous communities that were able to pass legislation to secure their indigenous rights after the Constitutional Courts decision. Third, the absence of a framework for national recognition makes it hard for indigenous communities at the local level to advance their rights. This is especially prevalent for those communities that face adversity from commercial interests, to force local governments to address indigenous communities issues. Therefore, it is crucial to have a state law that would mandate all levels of government to legally recognize the rights of indigenous communities in their regions to give the communities the much-needed stamp of approval from the state to accelerate, or even just to start the negotiation process. It has been over five years since the landmark court ruling; there has been progress, albeit very slow. Strong leadership from President Joko Jokowi Widodo is crucial to give the necessary legal and political push to accelerate the waiting time for indigenous people to secure their land tenure. Indonesia currently faces a situation where there is downturn in indigenous communities livelihood and even existence due to their inability to gain secure access to the natural resources they depended upon. It is the time for the President to review the system in formalizing indigenous land, as well as ensuring its implementation to level the playing field, which is now lopsided against indigenous communities all over the archipelago. *** The author is a researcher at the World Resources Institute Indonesia. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Kudus-born Triyadi Guntur Wiratmos Jumpa Di Tengah Kota (Rendezvous at City Center) tells a story about guerrilla fighters meeting in the middle of the city after seizing the city of Yogyakarta from the Dutch. Inspired by his teacher Mr. Dullah, Gunturs understanding of the historical narrative is that reconstruction is inseparable from subjectivity. Jumpa Di Tengah Kota is a statement on the unreliability of truth in the writing of history and how it only recognizes the grand narrative. The artwork also celebrates the narrative of shunning the taken for granted mentality in regard to historical narratives. Read also: Between the Lines art exhibition: Redefining history Guntur received his bachelors and masters degrees in visual communication design from the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Bandung Institute of Technology, where he is currently a lecturer. With a string of group and solo exhibitions under his belt, Guntur is also known as an award-winning artist. He was listed as a finalist at the 2008 Akili Museum Awards and won the Recommended Illustrator Award at the 2002 Bratislava International Illustration Biennale. He also participated in a residency at the Art Camp in Toyama in 2012. Actress Dian Sastrowardoyo prefers her diamond jewelry to become an extension of herself, as it merges with her day-to-day outfits throughout different activities. "I'm the kind of person who wears jewelry, something that's really simple, so that I don't need to take it off," Dian said recently. The actress was speaking during a media luncheon on Friday to celebrate the launch of four collections she curated for jewelry brand Miss Mondial. Dian has been appointed the ambassador of Mondial, of which Miss Mondial is an extension. In addition to now also being the face of Miss Mondial, the actress has curated four special collections collectively titled "Sahabat Dian" (Friend of Dian), which reflect her own taste. The launch also coincided with the opening of its newest store in Plaza Indonesia. Read also: Dian Sastrowardoyo to star in Laksmi Pamuntjaks book-to-movie adaptation The 36-year-old actress expressed her enthusiasm at the collaboration, noting that the brand ensures to create high-quality jewelry while maintaining ethical diamond practices. Her ties with the brand, Dian shared, began as a customer. "I've always liked their designs and I would sometimes even ask for the same designs to be customized. Such as recreating a certain structure but in a smaller size, or even getting a ring design made into earrings," Dian said. The four collections include gold tinted Drop of the Sun pendants; square-shaped designs for Jardin Carre earrings, pendant and ring; floral Tournesol rings; and the simple Solace collection of pendant, ring and earrings. "To have jewelry that becomes one with ourselves, that is truly simple, maybe with just one stone, this is what can be found in Solace," Dian said. Miss Mondial, which caters to younger customers and those who are just buying their first set of diamonds, presents a wider range of diamond jewels with a smaller carat count and contemporary designs in comparison to Mondial. The Sahabat Dian collection, for example, comprises diamonds with a largest cut of 1.1 carats for earrings, 0.82 ct for a necklace and 0.714 ct for a ring. Also at the event, Gloria Tobing, Miss Mondial's marketing general manager, said diamonds should not just be for special occasions, but rather could be worn at all times. "For example, I have this ring, and when I take it off, I get that feeling that I've forgotten something or lost something. I even wore this during an outing where I did outdoor activities," Gloria said. Depending on the size, design and quality, Gloria went on to say, jewelry can be widely versatile. "This also speaks to our strength," she said, noting that jewels should also be well-kept to maintain their shine. (mut) Global Tiger Day 2018 was observed with a Car Free Day event on Sunday in the province of Jambi, one of the few places on Earth where the Sumatran Tiger may still be found. The event was aimed at promoting the conservation of the critically endangered species, the only tiger subspecies left in Indonesia. Under the theme Kearifan Lokal untuk Harimau Sumatra (local wisdom for the Sumatran tiger), Jambi commemorated the day with several events, including a coloring competition and tiger-face painting for children. The annual event aims to increase peoples awareness for tiger conservation. Through the commemoration of Global Tiger Day, we remind ourselves that we have to participate in conservation efforts for the Sumatran tiger, so that it wont disappear, Andrew, a resident of Jambi, told news agency Antara. Conservation activists are urging Indonesian authorities not to lose the countrys last tiger subspecies, after both the Javan tiger and the Balinese tiger have already died out. Read also: Sumatran tiger captured after 100 days of hunting Factors threatening the animal include deforestation, poaching and conflicts with humans. According to the latest data from the Environment and Forestry Ministrys Directorate General of Ecosystem and Natural Resources Conservation, the current population of the Sumatran tiger is estimated at 400 individuals, making it a critically endangered species. The animal is also on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement between governments to make sure that international trade of animals and plants does not jeopardize their lives, has prohibited hunting of the Sumatran tiger. (wir/wng) The Romanoffs, a modern-day anthology series by Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, is scheduled to debut on Oct. 12 on Amazon Video. According to The Verge, the announcement came after Amazon Studios revealed a short teaser of the series at the Television Critics Association summer press tour event on Saturday. Written, directed and executive produced by Weiner, the teaser reveals the dozens of stars who will appear in the series, including Mad Men alumni Christina Hendricks and John Slattery, alongside Aaron Eckhart, Amanda Peet, Diane Lane and Hugh Skinner. Read also: Transgender show 'Transparent' to end after one more season The series is set around the world and features eight separate stories about people in contemporary times who believe they are descendants of the Romanovs, the Russian royal family executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Each story takes place in a new location with a new cast, and dubbed foreign language versions are to follow after its premiere. The Romanoffs has been in the works since a year after the conclusion of Mad Men in 2015. Former Mad Men writers Semi Chellas, Andre and Maria Jacquemetton will also contribute as the series writers. Visitor Sri Yuliana chuckled at a displayed comic strip, titled 4 Sehat 5 Sempurna (4 is Healthy, 5 is Perfect), at the Indonesia Senyum (Indonesia Smiles) exhibition at the National Gallery in Jakarta. The drawing depicts two men who look innocently proud of their healthy-looking dishes but do not realize that they are hazardous, because the vegetables are contaminated with pesticides, the white rice is chemically bleached, the tofu and fish contain formalin and the chicken has been injected with hormones. The 42-year-old Sri quickly realized that the comic strip was satire on the New Order regimes problematic nutrition campaign called 4 Sehat 5 Sempurna. For her, the message of the cartoon is that people should not easily believe everything the government or other parties say or promote, even though it may seem convincing. There should be milk in the drawing, Sri said, recalling this years case of sweetened condensed milk that was proven harmful to health, because it was high in sugar and contained little fresh milk. The comic strip was created by Muhammad Mice Misrad, who rose to fame with cartoonist Benny Rachmadi, thanks to Kompas newspaper featuring their cartoons, titled Benny & Mice, in October 2003. Unfriend by Mice (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung) Running from July 21 to Aug. 4, the exhibition celebrates the 20-year career of Misrad, who has published more than 15 comic books, such as Benny & Mice: Jakarta Luar Dalam (Benny & Mice: Jakarta Inside Outside) in 2007, Benny & Mice: Lost in Bali in 2008 and Indonesia 1998 in 2014. Curated by artists Evelyn Huang and Yulian Ardhi, around 50 works are on display, including his old comic strips about the birth of the Reform Era in 1998; Gebuk! (Strike!) and Reformasi Baru Dimulai (The Reform Era is just beginning). According to Misrad, his comic strips that draw attention to political issues aim not only to warn the government in a bold, yet witty way, but also to make his readers more critical. So that they will not keep silent if they are disadvantaged by government policies, the Rakyat Merdeka newspaper cartoonist said. The exhibition also centers on funny, yet pathetic aspects of technology, lifestyle and urban life. A comic strip titled Get Back to Work, for example, is about a physically healthy beggar who joyfully pretends to be disabled in the street to beg for mercy. The gallery also showcases figure cartoons that humorously depict people that Misrad thinks are unique in styles and behaviors. For example, Seniman Gak Jelas (Obscure Artist) that mocks self-acclaimed artists who dress like real artist but like to talk more about politics than about art and often criticize other artists artworks. Muhammad Mice Misrad (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung) Misrad said his future project was to make comic strips about his favorite musician, The Beatles. I have thought about it since a long time ago, but I have no time to make it because of my other projects. I promise I will make it next year, he said. Like his previous works, the cartoon about the English rock band will be humorous, because, he says, smiles and laughter were urgently needed today. Misrad was referring to recent verbal attacks of others, especially in social media, over differences that he said should be celebrated. He said he could not understand why rifts caused by the 2014 presidential election remain until today and look set to worsen ahead of next years election. According to his observation, the threat to the unity of this country are the buzzers, who use social media to spread hoaxes to boost the image of particular politicians or officials. He hopes that his funny drawings can make people relax and calm down. Born on July 23, 1970, in Jakarta, Misrad is a comic lover, who liked to read the Eppo comic magazine when he was about 6. His love for comic books continued to grow after his parents bought him Superman and Batman comic books. Senang (Happy, left) and Sumpel (Clogged). (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung) In junior high school, Misrad started to draw simple animations in his notebooks. After school, he loved to spend his time in book rentals. Inspired by Hai magazine illustrator Wedha, the creator of the Lupus character, Misrad began to draw more seriously in high school. At the time, he often criticized his teachers and headmaster through his cartoons on walls. In 1986, his first cartoons were featured in the Kartini and Humor magazines. When studying graphic design at the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ), he made friends with Benny. It turned out that their bromance ended in 2008, and two years later, Benny & Mice was replaced with Mice Cartoon. They [readers] are disappointed and many of them are angry, Misrad recalled. Whether they like it or not, I have to work alone. Misrad invited Benny to the opening of his exhibition on July 20, but Benny did not show up. When paying tribute to him in his speech, he could not hold back tears. He was reluctant to reveal details on his falling out with Benny, but he said there was some incompatibility in their friendship, which later ended in a big quarrel that exploded when they were doing the Benny & Mice Roadshow in 2008. [The big quarrel] might have been triggered by our physical condition, because at that time, we were so tired that we failed to hold back our anger, he said. Misrad expressed his wish to reconcile with Benny and his expectation that they could work together again. I have learned a lot from him, he said. To the unfamiliar eye, Chinese opera is often seen as the marriage between sharp speech and overstated mime. The thought understates the lack of appreciation of Chinese culture and good storytelling as often the same literary style that brought the world the love and lust tale of Romeo and Juliet brought the eastern world the passionate tale of Liu Mengmei and Du Liniangs love through, and even after, death. Through its poetic language and tone, florid music, coded dance movements and euphemistic gestures, the surviving forms of Chinese opera flourish in the world stage of theater and drama through the works of Tang Xianzu (1550 1616), a Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty. Academically considered to be William Shakespeares contemporary, he wrote over 2,000 poems and essays, of which he is best known for four plays The Purple Hairpin, Record of the Southern Bough, Record of Handan and The Peony Pavilion. The Peony Pavilion is generally considered to be Xianzus greatest masterpiece. Akin to Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, The Peony Pavilions star-crossed lovers Liu Mengmei and Du Liniangs romance is bound to condemnation and social rejection. Their powerful displays of love, however, impress their gods even in the afterlife. Xianzus stories, which have entertained fellow countrymen around its unique folklore, nowadays delight audiences from around the world in his hometown of Fuzhou, China. In an exemplary international showmanship of cultural exchange, the city of Fuzhou, in cooperation with the UK government, announced the third annual Tang Xianzu International Theater Arts Exchange program honoring the Chinese playwright, Shakespeare and other literary masters whose legacies transcend the test of time. From September 28 through late October, the series of programs will pay tribute to some of Tang Xianzus most notable plays as well as set the stage for world-renowned theater and performing troupes, including, most notably, the Tchaikovsky Ballet Theater. During a press conference in Beijing, Xiao Yi, vice chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Peoples Political Consultative Conference and secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal CPC Party Committee, stated : By organizing the Tang Xianzu International Theatre Exchange Month, Fuzhou aims to promote excellent traditional culture, tell Chinese stories in a more engaging manner and carry out Chinese and foreign cultural exchanges and cooperation to bring domestic and global attention to Tang Xianzu, Fuzhou, Jiangxi and Chinese culture, thus increasing Chinese cultures presence and influence. Fuzhous recognition for its quintessential theater and historical achievements are anything but novel. The event, and its city, has drawn international acclaim and recognition for being not only a theater and opera stage but also a land infused with oriental creative undertakings of physical, vocal and pictographic art. The rich repertoire of acrobatics, distinct vocals and performances are even now attracting some of the greatest dramatists of the world. The international community looks to Fuzhou for a China beyond its Belt and Road future and into its Dream and Drama culture. This years exchange month aims to organize an innovative, diverse, dynamic and classic event added Zhang Hongxing, mayor of Fuzhou City. The event also honors modern-day China and its amicable ambitions to build up international relations through shared literature and culture. As part of the growing relationship between China and Europe under President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative, the national initiative to promote each region and its individualistic art form is already proving successful. Read also: China's Wanda opens its answer to Hollywood The city of Fuzhou has seen a great jump in visitors since the programs conception two years ago. In the last year alone, it boasted over 100,000 research and study visits and accommodated over 283 train trips through just two routes. Wu Zhongqiong, deputy governor of the Peoples Government of Jiangxi Province, comments that while the boost is great for the city, its green and sustainable approach to its growth are also a main objective of the city. Fuzhou, nationally acclaimed as Chinas City of Plays, is home to more than just Tang Xianzus Chinese drama masterpieces, it is also the birthplace of some of Chinas most notable politicians, scientists and inventors. To the likes of Cervantes and Shakespeare, whose plays are also being represented and featured throughout the program, their playwriting caliber is best portrayed in the lasting impact their respective plays have had over 400 years after their death. Tang Xianzus artful form of storytelling and deliverance from tragedy mark him to be in league with the greatest. Increasingly, bloggers and academics alike are emphasizing the importance of reading books by minority authors. While a number of definitions such as "people of color" or "BAME" (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) have come under criticism for their generalizations, for the purposes of this piece, minority authors in the literary field refers broadly to anyone who is non-Caucasian and/or non-cis gendered male. Top universities across the United Kingdom fail to establish an inclusive academic scope as illustrated by the student petition seeking the English department at Cambridge to "decolonize" their reading lists. Similarly, a campaign to Decolonise Our Minds was initiated at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Whether in academic or casual circles, a kindred backlash is to be expected whenever the suggestion of making a conscious effort to be more inclusive is voiced. It can be aptly portrayed by students at these elite universities, who would argue that minority writers should not be privileged in such regards but rather that a piece of work should be judged based on its merits rather than the heritage of its author. This age-old argument completely misses the point that minority authors are in fact minorities within the literary field because they do not have the same opportunities as those afforded to more privileged members of society. The 2015 report by Spread the Word illustrates how overwhelmingly white, middle-class and male the community remains, while ethnic minorities feel pressured to write in cultural stereotypes in order to appeal to western audiences. Such authors are frequently overlooked by publishers and agents alike while works in translation incur further costs and arguably are more difficult to publicize internationally. These exact assertions were made by Lionel Shriver in response to Penguin Random Houses goal to diversify its authors and staff to better reflect UK society. However, readers also have a responsibility to be aware of these biases and the importance of reading a greater diversity of authors. While the story itself may not revolve around the authors' unique background, it will inherently reflect a different style of communication and give a tiny glimpse into the otherness of others as stated by Tahmina Anam in her review of Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. Read also: Interview: Kamila Shamsie talks about 'Home Fire', minorities and terrorism It should be noted that there is nothing explicitly wrong with reading books based on the jacket summaries or reviews, however, an awareness that white male authors continue to dominate the literary field is required and for there to exist a genuine equality of work, readers and publishers alike will need to make a deliberate effort in supporting marginalized members of this community. Among the groups and outlets that recognize the value in the voices of minority authors, illustrated by the annual list of POC/BAME must-reads by The Guardian, The Telegraph, Bustle etc., there remains a region that is severely underrepresented, namely, Southeast Asian writers. While a number of published authors in this sector have either been born in or emigrated to the Global North, there is undoubtedly a sincere lack of Indonesian writers that are read internationally. Indonesia has a long history of oral storytelling, while during the 1600s books were more available in China than in Europe as a result of mass printing. The former boasts such masterful works as the Buru Quartet series by Pramoedya Ananta Toer or the more recent, Man Tiger by Eka Kurniawan. ASEAN itself could have a role in the promotion of its diverse range of authors as exemplary illustrations of the immense capacity and variety this region has to offer. Asia is home to a highly literate and engaged society that during periods of history was far more advanced than areas of the Global North. According to Petra Broomans and Ester Jiresch, countries such as Holland and France have historically overlooked ethnic minority authors, possibly because of writing skills or marketability prospects. The ones who were successful in breaking into the literary field tended to be highly educated and possessed geo-linguistic ties with Europe due to the former colonies. Diah Ariani Arimbi, dean of the Faculty of Humanities of Airlangga University (UNAIR) argues that female Indonesian authors are able to execute their own self-definition process through the representation of Muslim women in the country, thereby allowing them to exercise control over their own lives and bodies. The inclusion of literature that remains on the periphery of the field is essential to the portrayal of underrepresented members of our society. Across Southeast Asia, this literary space is one for expression and growth that goes beyond mere words. It is an opportunity to give a voice to the oftentimes overlooked communities in the world and to amplify their sentiments worldwide. It is about returning the power to those who have repeatedly been undermined by colonial regimes and authoritarian leaders alike. There remains fairly little written or explored of this topic even in the academic literature, however, there is a clear growth in individuals who are cognizant of these disparities and endeavor to promote diversity in the authors they read. The goal is not only to support the reach of these books but also to challenge the echo chambers in which all of us, to a certain extent, spend our daily lives. If we only read books by authors who have had the same experiences as us, or who have grown up with the same forms of verbal and non-verbal communication cues, we limit ourselves in the opportunity to learn and discover alternate realities, and isnt that part of the reason why we begin to read at all? *** The author is a recent graduate. She is starting a new blog at http://www.lenamoralwaldmeier.com/ and an Instagram account @thebalidog. As of July 27, cocktail fans can pick up some equity along with their gin martini. After 12 years as a single, award-winning establishment, Death & Co., the famed bar in New Yorks East Village, is in the midst of a serious expansion. To facilitate this, co-owner David Kaplan and his team are fundraising in a way thats unconventional for a drinking establishment. The bar, which was founded on the last night of 2006, and which opened a second location in Denver earlier this year, initiated its first equity crowdfunding round on Friday via the investing platform SeedInvest. Its the first bar or restaurant to fundraise on the platform. Investors will be able to purchase ownership stakes in an umbrella company, Gin & Luck LLC, which owns the Death & Co. bars as well as the book deals, intellectual properties, and the hospitality consulting firm Proprietors LLC. The company is valued at $13 million. The companys East Village bar, named best in America in 2010 at Tales of the Cocktail, recorded $1.8 million in net revenue in 2017, up 71 percent from 2008. The newest Death & Co. location, at the Ramble Hotel in Denver, notched $313,000 in revenue in its first month of operation. Gin & Luck has sold more than 120,000 copies of its book Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, which added up to more than $379,000 in royalties. Consulting firm Proprietors billed $539,000 in revenue in 2017, with clients such as Hilton, Pernod Ricard, and Bacardi USA. A third location, a standalone Death & Co. bar in Los Angeles, is slated to open next year. Unlike a Kickstarter campaignnow omnipresent for small restaurants and coffee shopsin which people contribute money toward a project but dont have stakes in the business, an equity crowdfunding campaign allows investors to buy ownership shares in private companies. Investors make their money back in a range of ways, including if the company is sold or goes public. Gin & Luck is offering a preferred equity note; its essentially a mini-IPO, but the company remains private and the original founders retain control. Gin & Luck is aiming to raise $1.5 million, with a minimum stake of $1,000 per investor. The company is headed by Kaplan (chief executive officer) along with Alexander Day (chief operating officer) and Ravi DeRossi (chief administrative officer). The money it raises on SeedInvest will go toward new-store growth and new hires. According to its investor decks, Gin & Luck projects $385,000 in annual profits at the East Village bar in 2019 and $697,000 at the Denver location. Five revenue streams, including three bars, consulting fees, and a retail arm, are projected to add up to $1.89 million in total annual profits in 2019, and $2.68 million in 2020 via seven projects. The company hopes to open multiple additional locations, starting with L.A. in 2019; anticipated future projects include bars in Chicago, Atlanta, and Nashville, as well as new Ramble Hotel partnerships in Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Boston. Whereas restaurants are generally regarded as bad investments with rising rents and labor costs, bars are considered a safer bet with high profit margins, thanks in part to alcohol, which is nonperishable and easy to mark up. But whether this style of fundraising will take off with other bars remains to be seen. The best part about a crowdfunded project is that you have people who have a vested interest in the success of the company, says Jim Meehan, co-founder of New Yorks legendary PDT. The worst is when you have people you dont know walking into the bar saying they know the owner or that they own the place. Will they see themselves as owners in a respectful way? Or does it give them a sense of entitlement? Crowdfunded investing in small companies is a relatively new development; prior to the JOBS Act, signed into law in 2016 by President Obama, only accredited investors (who had to prove a net worth of $1 million or have an income of $200,000 for at least two years) could buy stakes in promising new ventures. Following the JOBS Act, nonaccredited investors can now buy into emerging businesses. Other companies raising money on SeedInvest include Jason Calacaniss mobile news app Inside.com and Dash, a connected car platform. This spring, buzzy luxury denim line DSTLD raised more than $2.9 million on SeedInvest. Read also: Jakpost Nightlife: Wine hangouts Death & Co. was key to the exploding speakeasy trend in high-end drinking. Its known for ambitious, design-focused takes on cocktails, such as the Dawn Patrol, which is made with Absentroux (an absinthe herbal wine), Bowmore 12-year-old single malt, Granny Smith apple, egg white, and seltzer. The bar has also been a launching pad for bartending talent. Notable alums include Thomas Waugh (now head bartender at the Pool Lounge at the Four Seasons); Jim Kearns (co-founder of New Yorks Happiest Hour bar); Jillian Vose (beverage director at the Dead Rabbit, named Worlds Best Bar); and Brian Miller (head bartender at the Polynesian, recently opened in Manhattan). Asias premier electronic dance music festival ZoukOut will return for the 18th time at Siloso Beach on Sentosa in Singapore on Dec. 1. According to a statement sent to The Jakarta Post, the show will be headlined by the star duos of Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike (DVLM) and W&W. The former were ranked second on the DJ Mag list of top DJs in the world, with songs that include "Chattahoochee", "Higher Place" featuring Ne-Yo and "Complicated" with David Guetta. ZoukOut 2018 marks their debut performance in Singapore. Also performing live on the island are W&W, the stage name for Willem van Hanegem and Ward van der Harst. Renowned for their multi-dimensional sound that includes trance, electro house and progressive house influences, the pair are known for hits such as "Mustang" and "Bigfoot". This year's ZoukOut will be held for one night, as opposed to multiple days as in the past. The statement said the change in schedule was to sharpen focus and deliver a value-driven festival packed with power and memorable experiences. The move is part of its strategy to refresh the 18-year-old concept from 2019 onward, with plans to expand the festival ground beyond Siloso Beach to different parts of Singapore, the statement said. In addition to the headliners, ZoukOut will present a roster filled with top international, regional and local artists with hits across all genres of dance. Read also: Ken Raka: Electronic dance music takes the spotlight Revelers will be able to buy meals and snacks at a curated food village, watch fireworks, take pictures at installations, stargaze and more. Super Early Bird and Early Bird tickets are reportedly sold out, while Advanced and Regular tickets starting at S$148 are still available. The festival is also offering bundles for four and standing VIP tickets. (saz/mut) ---------- Editor's Note: The first version of this article said, "Also performing live for the first time on the island are W&W, the stage name for Willem van Hanegem and Ward van der Harst." It has been corrected that W&W are to perform live in the island, without saying that this is their first time performing live in the island. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30, 2018 12:25 1185 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df504146c 1 National #Indonesia,#earthquake,earthquake,#victims,victims,Mount-Rinjani,#LombokEarthquake,Lombok-earthquake,Rinjani,hikers Free The Mount Rinjani National Park management has revealed around 500 people, including 135 foreigners, are to be evacuated from the volcano area, which was hit by a landslide after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck West Nusa Tenggara on Sunday morning. The 135 foreign tourists were trapped at Segara Anak Lake, a crater lake shaped like a crescent, in the area. "There was one fatality," head of Region II of Mount Rinjani National Park Benediktus Rio Wibawanto said on Sunday night as reported by kompas.com, adding the victim, identified as Muhammad Ainul Taksin, 25, from Makassar, South Sulawesi, suffered head injuries. (Read also: At least 14 killed in Lombok earthquake) An evacuation team was sent out on Monday morning. The team comprises people from the Mount Rinjani National Park Agency, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the nature lovers community of the University of Mataram (Mapala Unram), and medics. (stu) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30, 2018 19:32 1184 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df505bee0 1 City Jakarta-administration,civil-servants,anies-baswedan,dismissal Free Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan will evaluate his decision dismissing four civil servants who used to be high-ranking officials and are currently serving as regular staffers, an official has said. They are: Tri Kurniadi, Sopan Adrianto, Iin [Indrastuty Rosari Okita] and theres another one I forgot, said Jakarta secretary Saefullah on Monday, kompas.com reports. Tri Kurniadi is the former South Jakarta mayor, Sopan Adrianto is the former Jakarta Education Agency head and Indrastuty Rosari Okita is the former Jakarta Goods and Services Procurement Agency head. They were dismissed earlier this month and currently serve as regular staffers. Well assess their working performance. We aim to provide the best service for the people. We cant work with slow workers and unmotivated people, he added. The measure will be taken as a follow up to the State Civilian Bureaucracy Commissions (KASN) recommendation. Alongside the four officials, the commission had also urged the city to reinstate Faisal Safrudin. Faisal was the Jakarta Tax and Levy Board deputy head, who had been inaugurated by Anies as the bodys head, although his rank is unsuitable for the position. Faisal has been reinstated as deputy head, but currently serves as acting head. Hell have his rank promoted in October, Saefullah said. Other than those names, Saefullah said no one would be reinstated, mostly because they have entered their retirement. A total of 16 civil servants were fired by Anies Baswedan for many reasons. The KASN has urged him to reinstate them, arguing that procedures and regulations were violated during the dismissal process. (vla) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30, 2018 15:56 1184 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50519b1 1 World #Indonesia,Indonesia,#Iran,Iran,#women,Women,#children,children,protection Free Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Susana Yembise and Iranian Women and Family Affairs Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar signed on Monday an agreement for womens empowerment, child protection and family resilience. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was the result of previous meetings between the two leaders in May this year and April last year. Through the MoU, the two governments are committed to establishing a number of family resilience programs, as well as intensifying efforts to protect women and children from all forms of violence and harassment, and to involve women in politics and economy. Yohana said the MoU was important to showcase Indonesia-Iran relations, especially on child protection and women's empowerment. "This is especially for women who actively participate in achieving the millennium development goals. Yohana added that Indonesia had three priorities stated in the MoU: ending violence against women and children, ending human trafficking and ending economic barriers against women. Meanwhile, Ebtekar said the protection of girls was a particular concern to Iran, noting the recent policy by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that requires 30 percent of government positions to be filled by women, providing future leadership training in every ministry and government institution. Both parties agreed to immediately implement the programs. On Sunday, Yohana gave a keynote speech at a seminar on womens empowerment held by the Iranian Ministry of Information and Communications Technology in cooperation with the Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Mon, July 30, 2018 11:07 1185 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df503ed8b 2 Business Kertajat-Airport-Majalengka-West-Java,Lion-Air,surabaya,denpasar Free The countrys largest private carrier Lion Air is slated to begin operations at Kertajati International Airport in West Java in mid August, serving two routes to and from Denpasar, Bali, and Surabaya, East Java. The flight to Denpasar will depart from Kertajati at 3:50 p.m. and arrive at 6:30 p.m. local time. Meanwhile, the flight from Denpasar to Kertajati will depart at 10:30 a.m. and arrive at 11:10 a.m. local time. On the Surabaya route, Lion Air will depart from Kertajati at 11:50 a.m. and arrive at 1:10 p.m. local time. The departure from Surabaya is scheduled for 1:50 p.m. and arrive in Kertajati at 3:10 p.m. local time. Lion Air has prepared one flight daily for each route using a Boeing 737 with a capacity of 165 passengers, said Virda Dimas Ekaputra, president director of Bandara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB), the operator of Kertajati airport, on Friday. Virda said the addition of the Lion Air new routes would make Kertajati more attractive, particularly to passengers from the north coast of West Java, such as Cirebon, Indramayu, Majalengka, Kuningan and Subang. Garudas low-cost carrier Citilink began regular flights on the Kertajati-Surabaya route on July 1 to meet Idul Fitri holiday demand. The market demand is higher from Surabaya to Kertajati. The occupancy rate from Surabaya each day is more than 60 percent, more than 100 seats occupied, he said, referring to Citilinks sales record. The operation of several airlines at Kertajati Airport is part of preparations to provide possible international flights in the future, with the airport planning to accommodate umrah (minor pilgrimage) passengers in October. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dean Yulindra Affandi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30 2018 Although they have the strongest historical and emotional ties to their land, indigenous groups in Indonesia are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to secured land tenure rights and legal access to natural resources. For the greater part of history, indigenous communities have been trying in vain to assert their traditional rights and redefine their role in Indonesian statehood. Indigenous rights have, however, been severely undermined for the sake of development or other national interests. Reformasi has, since 1998, opened the channel for many disenfranchised groups, like indigenous peoples, to demand social justice. A new study from 15 countries, including Indonesia, titled The scramble for land rights by the World Resources Institute, highlights significant disparities between companies and indigenous communities in terms of land ownership and the ease of acquiring secure land tenure to support their livelihood. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Brian Knowlton (Agence France-Presse) washington, United States Mon, July 30, 2018 07:41 1185 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5038fe4 2 World #USA,#DonaldTrump,DonaldTrump,media Free The publisher of the New York Times said Sunday he warned Donald Trump in a White House meeting that the president's escalating attacks on the news media are "dangerous and harmful to our country" and "will lead to violence." But the meeting with A.G. Sulzberger, publisher of the prestigious newspaper since Jan. 1, appeared to do little to improve Trump's tense and testy relationship with the press. On Twitter, the president blasted what he called the "anti-Trump haters in the dying newspaper industry," calling them "very unpatriotic!" The president's meeting with Sulzberger took place July 20, following a request from the White House for what appeared to be a routine get-to-know-you session. The meeting, which also included Times editorial page editor James Bennet, had remained secret at the White House's request, according to Sulzberger, until Trump tweeted about it early Sunday. "Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger," Trump said. "Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, 'Enemy of the People.' Sad!" Sulzberger, in a statement released hours later by the Times, said the president's tweet effectively "put the meeting on the record," and he described what appeared to be an unusually blunt session with the president. - 'Dangerous' and 'inflammatory'- "I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous," Sulzberger said. "I told him that although the phrase 'fake news' is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labeling journalists 'the enemy of the people.' I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence." With some foreign leaders using Trump's language "to justify sweeping crackdowns on journalists, I warned that it was putting lives at risk." Sulzberger concluded: "I implored him to reconsider his broader attacks on journalism, which I believe are dangerous and harmful to our country." Beyond confirming that the meeting took place, the White House has provided no details. But Trump issued a string of four tweets a few hours after reports of the meeting emerged. "When the media - driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome - reveals internal deliberations of our government, it truly puts the lives of many, not just journalists, at risk! Very unpatriotic!" Trump tweeted. He added that "the failing New York Times and the Amazon Washington Post do nothing but write bad stories even on very positive achievements." The Post, which like the Times is a regular target of Trump's complaints, is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. When 37-year-old Sulzberger took over leadership of the Times from his father after several years as a reporter and editor, Trump tweeted that the young man's rise gave the paper a "last chance" to prove itself impartial and to report the news "without fear or FAVOR." But since then, as the Times and other news sources have chronicled Trump's personal and political problems and logged his frequent misstatements, the president has repeatedly lashed back. He has tweeted scores of times that the Times is "very dishonest," "failing and corrupt," and that it uses "phony and nonexistent sources." The Times has defended its reporters' work and noted that, far from "failing," it has enjoyed healthy growth, with 2017 revenue of $1.7 billion, up eight percent from the previous year. - Love/hate relationship - Observers say the president has a love/hate relationship with what was his hometown newspaper as he became one of New York's best-known figures, craving coverage but furious when it appeared critical of him. The exchange comes at a time of high tension between Trump and the news media, with the president regularly denouncing critical news reports as "fake news." Trump's latest raft of tweets raised doubts that the meeting with Sulzberger had done much to ease those tensions. As one former Times editor said on social media about the chances of any reconciliation, "don't hold your breath." If anything, Trump's relations with the press seem recently to have hit a new low. The White House barred CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from a press event Wednesday after her persistent questioning at an earlier occasion was deemed "inappropriate." Olivier Knox, president of the White House Correspondents Association, deplored the action as a "wrong-headed" response to a reporter who, he said, was simply doing her job. And Sulzberger's warning of violence came only weeks after the June 28 shooting at a newspaper office in Annapolis, Maryland, in which an aggrieved local man shot and killed five of the paper's employees. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30, 2018 13:35 1184 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50496db 4 Business pertamina,investment,downstream-business,fuel,LPG,distribution Free State-owned energy holding company Pertamina has started a long-term investment program worth Rp 36 trillion (US$2.5 billion) to strengthen its downstream business, with a focus on constructing infrastructure for fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution across the country. Pertamina supply chain and infrastructure director Gandhi Sriwidodo said in Sikka regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Monday that some projects had been completed, while others were under construction or still being planned. The main objectives of the projects is to strengthen the nations energy sovereignty, support the governments single fuel price program, the transition from kerosene to LPG in eastern Indonesia and to support inter-island connectivity, Gandhi said as reported by kompas.com. Gandhi was in Maumere, Sikka regency, to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a fuel terminal. He explained that of the Rp 36 trillion allocated for the program, Rp 20 trillion would be used to finance the construction of 29 strategic projects, consisting of fuel terminals, pipe network projects, LPG terminals, the repair and development of additional facilities at ports as well as the construction of fueling depots for airplanes. Gandhi said Pertamina had spent Rp 4.9 trillion to construct 10 fuel terminals and Rp 10 trillion to finance 12 LPG terminals. For eastern Indonesia, Pertamina will construct four pressurized LPG terminals in Bima, Kupang, Wayame and Jayapura, he said, adding that the development of the facilities aimed to improve the efficiency of LPG distribution, particularly by eliminating the use of floating storage and offloading (FSO). (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30, 2018 12:36 1185 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50416f7 1 Business Papua-terang,electricity-supply,PLN,agreement Free State-owned electricity company PLN has signed a cooperation agreement with a number of institutions to improve the electricity system through the Papua Terang program in Papua and West Papua provinces. The institutions are the Indonesian Military and the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan) as well as five higher educational institutions the University of Indonesia, Bandung Institute of Technology, Gajah Mada University, the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology and Cenderawasih University. With the cooperation agreement signed last Friday, PLN aims to provide electricity to 99 percent of villages in the two provinces in 2019, PLN says in a statement at pln.co.id, adding that to date, PLN had electrified 30.39 percent out of the 4,535 villages in the two provinces. The statement says the company plans to electrify 1,200 more villages this year. After the signing ceremony, PLN also deployed 500 members of an expedition team under the name of Ekspedisi Papua Terang. The team members consisted of student volunteers, PLN, the Indonesian Military and Lapan. The expedition team has visited 415 villages in Jayapura, Wamena, Nabire, Timika and Merauke since Saturday, educating Papua residents and holding a survey to collect data about villages, potential renewable energy and the progress of their electricity development. The statement says that reports based on the survey would be submitted to PLN as input for the company to accelerate electricity development in Papua. (sau/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Terry Daley (Agence France-Presse) Cite du Vatican, Holy See Mon, July 30, 2018 22:08 1184 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5060118 2 World #PopeFrancis,PopeFrancis,#Australia,Australian,paedophile Free An Australian archbishop convicted of concealing abuse by a notorious paedophile priest in the 1970s said Monday that he hoped his stepping down would be a "catalyst to heal pain and distress" after his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis. The Vatican announced on Monday the departure of Philip Wilson, sentenced to a year in detention earlier this month after, in May, becoming one of the highest-ranking church officials to be convicted on the charge. Wilson was found guilty in an Australian court of failing to report allegations against paedophile priest Jim Fletcher. He submitted his resignation, which he says was not requested by the Vatican, on July 20, a day after Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on Francis to sack the 67-year-old. In a statement released by the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide on Monday, Wilson said: "I made this decision because I have become increasingly worried at the growing level of hurt that my recent conviction has caused within the community. "I had hoped to defer this decision until after the appeal process (against the conviction) had been completed. However, there is just too much pain and distress being caused by my maintaining the office of Archbishop of Adelaide, especially to the victims of Fletcher." Turnbull welcomed the resignation in a statement to Fairfax Media on Monday, adding that "there is no more important responsibility for community and church leaders than the protection of children". - 'No remorse' - Wilson had long denied the charges and initially resisted calls to resign pending an appeal against his conviction. His legal team made four attempts to have the case thrown out, arguing that their client suffered from Alzheimer's and should therefore avoid trial. But a magistrate in Australia found Wilson guilty of concealing a serious indictable offence of another person, concluding that his primary motive was to protect the church. He said when sentencing him that Wilson had showed "no remorse or contrition". The court has adjourned the matter until August 14 to assess whether Wilson can serve his sentence under home detention. Wilson's conviction comes amid a host of accusations that the Catholic Church ignored and covered up child abuse in Australia, charges that have also plagued other countries. Cardinal George Pell, the Vaticans third highest ranking official, faces prosecution in Australia for historical child sexual offences. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A national inquiry into the issue was ordered in 2012 to investigate widespread allegations of institutional paedophilia in Australia. Over five years of investigations, the royal commission spoke to thousands of victims and heard claims of abuse involving churches, orphanages, sporting clubs, youth groups and schools. - Scandals - Wilson's departure comes just two days after the pope accepted the resignation of US cardinal Theodore McCarrick, 88, accused of sexually abusing a teenager while working as a priest in New York in the early 1970s. McCarrick is just the second cardinal ever to lose his status. He remains a priest pending the Vatican investigative process. Last month Francis accepted the resignation of five Chilean bishops amid accusations of abuse and related cover-ups. Abuse within the Chilean Catholic Church has proved to be a thorny issue for the pope. He vowed to "restore justice" after admitting the Church failed "to listen and react" to abuse allegations in the country spanning decades. Currently 158 members of the country's Catholic Church are being investigated for carrying out or concealing incidents of sexual abuse of both children and adults that go as far back as 1960. Last week the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, was summoned by Chilean prosecutors to respond on August 21 to accusations of covering up systematic sexual abuse of minors by Chilean priests, 14 of whom were defrocked in May. Less than two week prior prominent priest Oscar Munoz was arrested over allegations of sexual abuse and rape of at least seven children. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30, 2018 17:05 1184 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5056e83 1 National Gerindra-Party,Democratic-party,SBY,Prabowo-Subianto Free The Gerindra Party and the Democratic Party appear to have solidified their coalition for the 2019 presidential election with a meeting between their respective chairmen, Prabowo Subianto and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in South Jakarta on Monday. There is a willingness on both sides to create synergy and close cooperation to deal with the troubles the country faces, Prabowo told reporters after the meeting of more than two hours. We have agreed to cooperate politically, which will, of course, be in the form of a coalition. The two had previously met last Tuesday at Yudhoyonos house in Kuningan, South Jakarta, where they explained that the path to a coalition between their parties was wide open. This is the second meeting. In the first meeting, it was wide open for Gerindra and the Democratic Party to form a coalition, Yudhoyono said. Now the door is even wider, and, God willing, we can come together to improve [the nation] for the next five years. The former president dismissed reports that Prabowo might relinquish his spot as a presidential candidate. We are here with the conviction that Pak Prabowo is our presidential candidate, he said. He added that they had not discussed who would take the slot of vice presidential candidate, saying that he would leave the decision to Prabowo. The important thing is that [the VP candidate] has the support of the people and has the capability to be a leader for the future, he said. (swd) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 30, 2018 15:53 1184 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50516db 4 Business steel,imports,Krakatau-Steel,comments Free Steel producer PT Krakatau Steel has said local steel producers were seriously affected by an uncontrollable inflow of steel from other countries, particularly after the government issued a new regulation on steel imports. PT Krakatau Steel commissioner Roy Makingkas said in Jakarta on recently that Trade Minister Regulation No. 22/2018 on iron and steel imports did not take the side of local steel producers, although the government wanted to improve productivity and competitiveness of the national industries. He said previous Trade Minister Regulation No. 82/2016 was much in favor of the national steel industry. What is the objective of the government in issuing Trade Minister Regulation No. 22/2018, while Regulation No. 82 is already good for the national steel industry? Roy said as reported by kontan.com. He explained that the relaxation to smoothen the import of raw materials to support local manufacturing industries could not be applied to steel because it was a specific product that was not produced on a massive scale. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) had recorded 5.5 million tons of imported steel from last year up to April. The import reached 2 million tons up to April this year. Roy said the increase in steel imports did not only occur in upstream products like hot-rolled coil/plates, cold-rolled coil and wire rods, it also occurred in downstream products like coated sheets. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin PJ Leo (The Jakarta Post) Bogor Mon, July 30 2018 Worlds favorite: Male giant panda Cai Tao enjoys his lunch at his home in Panda Castle in Taman Safari Indonesia, Cisarua-Bogor, West Java. Cai Tao has won silver in the Favorite Panda Outside of China category at the 2017 Giant Panda Global Awards organized by Belgium-based website GiantPandaGlobal.com. (JP/P.J.LEO) Less than a year after arriving in Indonesia and living in his new home in Taman Safari Indonesia wildlife park in Cisarua-Bogor, West Java, the male giant panda Cai Tao has been awarded silver in the Favorite Panda Outside of China category at the 2017 Giant Panda Global Awards. The gold award in the same category was snatched by Meng Meng, who currently resides in Berlin Zoo, and bronze went to Yang Yang of Atlanta Zoo. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kornelius Purba (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 31 2018 Next year, Thailand will get its turn chairing the 10-member ASEAN, replacing Singapore. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is scheduled to hand over his chairmanship to Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha this November. It will be a major political boost for the general. Will Indonesia just let it happen? This time, the change is much more than a regular transfer of chairmanship. The Thai junta does not deserve the position amid strong waves of democratization in this region. We just witnessed how Malaysians responded to a corrupt leader. Myanmar is also undergoing a major transformation of democracy, although de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has not been able to fully control the country. The Philippines and Indonesia belong to a club of democratic nations despite domestic problems. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Hanoi, Vietnam Mon, July 30, 2018 21:48 1184 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df505f647 2 SE Asia #SoutheastAsia,#Vietnam,Vietnam,spy,Germany Free A fugitive spy was jailed for nine years in Vietnam on Monday for "divulging state secrets" after he tried to flee to Europe holding a forged passport in a rare case involving a high-ranking intelligence officer. The runaway spy Phan Van Anh Vu was arrested in Singapore in January with two passports -- one fake, one real -- and swiftly deported back to Vietnam where he was charged with espionage. His lawyer said he was trying to reach Germany to offer information on a former Vietnamese oil executive who was kidnapped from Berlin last year and smuggled back to Vietnam to face corruption charges. Vietnam has not elaborated on the state secrets Vu apparently disclosed, or to whom, but the Cold War-style case has gripped a nation unused to seeing the powerful toppled in public. Vu, working as a high-rolling property developer and secret spy at the time of his arrest, was convicted after a one-day, closed-door trial in Hanoi Monday that AFP was barred from attending. Vu was jailed for nine years, while two former intelligence officials were also convicted for "deliberately divulging state secrets", according to the government's website. Former deputy head of intelligence Phan Huu Tuan received seven years, while ex-police officer Nguyen Huu Bach was sentenced to six years. Local press attending the ultra-secretive trial were only allowed to hear portions of the swiftly-delivered verdict, which offered few details of the trio's misdeeds. Vu's arrest shocked the public in a country where intelligence officials are often shielded from pubic disgrace -- and legal punishment. He was allegedly seeking to share information about another disgraced former official, Trinh Xuan Thanh, who was kidnapped by Vietnamese agents from a Berlin park last year, bundled into a van, and shipped back to Vietnam, according to the German government. Hanoi says he came back on his own will to face trial, but the case has badly damaged diplomatic relations with Germany -- last week a Vietnamese man was jailed for four years in Germany for taking part in the kidnap. Thanh is now serving two life terms for corruption during his time as the head of a state-run construction company, a subsidiary of the country's largest oil firm. Vietnam's conservative communist government in charge since 2016 has taken aim at bankers, businessmen and politicians that it accuses of mismanagement as it vows to stamp out corruption. The unprecedented anti-graft campaign has seen scores jailed, many previously thought to be untouchable in one of Southeast Asia's most corrupt countries. Observers agree the campaign, which has echoes of a similar drive in China, is seeking to clean up corruption -- and also get rid of perceived enemies. Posted Sunday, July 29, 2018 11:00 pm A bank that began in 1869 on Main Street in Hillsboro and has grown to 11 locations is changing its name to honor its heritage. After nearly 150 years of being known by several variations of one name, "National Bank" will become "Bank of Hillsboro" at all 11 branches serving South Central Illinois. National Bank, headquartered in Hillsboro, has branches in Alhambra, Altamont, Carlyle, Edwardsville, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Keyesport, Pana, and Vandalia. Its banking philosophy is focused on supporting the local communities in which it operates, while helping customers meet their financial needs and goals, according to president and CEO Misty Borrowman. "Changing our name wasn't an easy decision for us because we wanted to find a name that meant something to people, without alienating any of our other branches," Borrowman said. "At the end of the day, we decided that we wanted to go back to our roots and choose a name that we felt reflected who we are as a bank. We are hard-working, everyday people, just like the customers we've served for generations here in Hillsboro. 'Bank of Hillsboro' seemed like the logical choice." Borrowman added she believes the name change will help distinguish the bank from its competitors and solidify their focus on community banking. Borrowman said an exact date for the name change has not yet been determined but they are targeting early fall. "Nothing about the way we operate will be changing," the CEO said. "For us, this name change is about focusing our messaging on what we feel we are best atand that's community banking." Bank of Hillsboro is announcing the decision just days before Hillsboro's annual Old Settlers celebration. Borrowman said she thought an event that celebrates Hillsboro's heritage was the perfect time to announce the name change. The bank was founded 149 years ago in 1869 as Montgomery County Loan and Trust Company. Through much of its history, it was named Montgomery County National Bank and was affectionately nicknamed "Middle Bank" by local patrons due to its century-long operation from the same location in the "middle" of the 200 block of South Main Street. More information about National Bank can be found at www.national-bank.com or by calling 217-532-3991. Posted Sunday, July 29, 2018 11:00 pm This year's Old Settlers celebration began with an early 8 a.m. worship service, an effort organized by the Hillsboro Ministerial Alliance in cooperation with the Hillsboro Old Settlers Association, and was forced by wet weather indoors at the Hillsboro Junior High School. After the Rev. Stefan Munker of St. Paul's Lutheran read scripture from Jeremiah 29, Pastor Ian Caveny of First Baptist Church in Hillsboro used verse 11, ("For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.") to encourage the multi-denominational congregation to live up to the "Pride, Progress, Prosperity" signs at the entrance to Hillsboro. "What 'prosperity' means in the Bible is the Shalom of the Lord," the pastor said. "What does it look like to seek the peace for this community?" He described exciting new ventures in dowtown Hillsboro, calling it a town "that aspires to something more than other small towns aspire to," and asked the congregation to share their "Shalom" prosperity with marginalized members of the community. The service included what has become two Old Settlers traditions: a memorial prayer listing those who have passed since last Old Settlers, compiled by Ron Deabenderfer of The Journal-News and read by Mary Herschelman, and induction of the Old Settlers Honor Society. Mary Dagon introduced Marti Benning of the Montgomery County Fair Association, Neoma Boliard of Butler Union Church, Janet Carlyle of the Hillsboro Free Methodist Church, Russell Greenwood of the Hillsboro Sertoma Club, Richard Hewitt of the Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department, Dennis Moler of First Christian Church, Mark Osborn of Mt. Moriah Masonic Lodge, Martha Vallbracht and Jane Chesser of Sew and Show Quilt Club and Old Settlers grand marshal Edie Lowe. Sandy Leitheiser placed a medal around the neck of each honoree, and following the service, a community brunch at the Hillsboro United Methodist Church was served in their honor. After a prelude to worship by pianist Irene Graden and Tammy Moler, the service opened with a choral introit, one of three anthems by the community choir directed by Mary Dagon. Pastor Jeff Hemken of Calvary Baptist led the call to worship and Shawn Huber led the congregational prayer of worship at the beginning of the service and the Lord's Prayer near the end. Dagon led the congregation in the singing of the first of three hymns. Pastor Matt Ferguson of First Presbyterian Church asked a blessing for offerings, and Pastor Randy Sands of Hillsboro Free Methodist closed with blessings and benedictions. The complete memorial prayer is printed in this issue. Earlier this month we told you about the ArtBuilt Mobile Studio in Seward Park, which is featuring a trilingual newspaper project called Round Robin. Through Aug. 15, local artists Sue Jeong Ka and Melissa Emily Liu are hosting open studio hours and a variety of workshops. The organizers just passed on a bit of information about the upcoming programs. Heres their invitation to the community: Join Art Parley, ArtBuilt Mobile Studio in the Parks artists-in-residence in Seward Park (in front of the library), for the last few weeks of free events and workshops this summer. Neighbors in the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Two Bridges are invited to take part in a creative forum and conversations around immigration, neighborhood change, and cultural heritage which will inspire contents for a new issue of their trilingual newspaper to be published in Fall 2018. Through their Round Robin community newspaper headquarters in the mobile studio, artists, organizers, organizations and groups, and neighbors from communities around the park have been sharing their work and stories through free programs for kids, families, and adults. All are welcome to participate, through creative activities that include art, performance, writing, and storytelling. From now until August 15! For more information and a detailed program schedule of events, please visit https://www.facebook.com/ArtBuiltMobileStudios/. On Facebook, flyers are available in English, Spanish and Chinese. The project is a collaboration among ArtBuilt, NYC Parks, Queens Museum, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Immigrant Social Services, and Seward Park Conservancy. Support was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Surdna Foundation, and The New York Community Trust. The chair of the Office for Students (OfS), Sir Michael Barber, has accused UK universities of 'passively waiting' for students from minority groups to apply and not doing enough to encourage applications from under-represented groups. In an interview with The Independent, Sir Barber suggested that British universities should consider emulating the model used by California State University in the US. The American university has sent staff to African American churches on Sundays to reach young people from demographics that traditionally would not consider applying. Barber explained that staff from British universities should consider visiting mosques and churches to attract more black and minority ethnic (BME) students, due to the fact that places of worship can be 'influential.' 'East London mosque has more worshippers on a Friday than St Pauls does on a Sunday,' he explained. He also called on universities to do more to recruit students from white working-class backgrounds. Barber suggested that visits to schools and youth clubs could help boost student recruitment among working class backgrounds. He cited an initiative organised by the University of Wolverhampton to partner with a youth centre attended by young people from white working class backgrounds, which he said had helped raise awareness of higher education among families from this demographic. The comments come a few days after the OfS urged universities to consider student's backgrounds and upbringing as well as their A-Level grades when making admission offers. The regulator suggested that an increase in contextual admissions when making offers could help improve diversity on campus. The OfS chair also explained that the most selective members of the Russell Group of Universities still had a great deal of progress to make on diversity issues. He added that the OfS wanted to see "significant progress...outcomes and results", rather than "just plans for doing these things". He warned universities that the OfS would be monitoring efforts made by institutions to improve diversity over the next few months, and that the watchdog would take a "tough line" if plans were not effective or ambitious enough. Sir Barber has previously threatened that institutions failing to widen diversity risk having their tuition fees slashed by a third. The National Union of Students (NUS) has welcomed his comments. Ilyas Nagdee, the organisation's Black Student's Officer, said that the OfS chair was 'absolutely right' to say that universities had been 'far too passive' on diversity in the past. However, Sir Barber's comments have been criticised by the Principal of St Anne's College at the University of Oxford on social media. Helen King accused him and Universities Minister Sam Gyimah of ignoring the full extent of efforts already undertaken by the institution to widen participation. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, 11.4 per cent of UK entrants to undergraduate courses during the 2016-17 academic year came from "low participation neighbourhoods.' Featured image courtesy of David Antsiss Living on the west coast of Canada for the past two months, I have not managed to get out on the water as often as I would have liked. My internship has focused on protecting the aquatic ecosystem but, ironically, the ocean is still a stranger to me. So, when my boss mentioned that she was taking her grand-niece on a coastal bear-watching trip, I hastily booked on (before the sight of my dwindling bank account could stop me). I have been bear-watching in Alberta, but the experience was always tainted by various stresses. When one car stops along the road after spotting a bear, it takes only minutes for a crowd of cars and tourists to accumulate. I have seen people turn their backs on these beautiful, powerful animals to take a selfie. I have spotted takeaway coffee cups scattered along the road, tossed by people who seem to have no consideration of protecting their surroundings. I have watched in terror as a mamma bear and her cubs crossed the road, holding my breath until they made it safely across. I loved watching the bears in Alberta, but the experience always made my heart ache with concern. Bear-watching on the coast is an entirely different experience. We travelled with Remote Passages, based in Tofino on Vancouver Island, for our afternoon adventure. After watching a short video and donning life-jackets, we clambered onto the boat and set off on our journey, delighted that our trip was taking place on a rare Tofino day when the spectacular mountain ranges are not shrouded in mist. Leaving the pier, it takes very little time to be out of sight of the town and in the midst of pristine rainforest-wrapped mountains and calm inlets glistening in the summer sunshine. Suddenly, you are miles away from all your stresses. Along the way, we spotted a bald eagle perched atop a tree, as well as a huge group of seals enjoying the warmth of the sun. Travelling further along the coast reveals a bit of the history of Clayoquot Sound. Logging roads zig-zag as scars on the mountainside, often stopping abruptly as a result of the famous community-led protests which took place here in the late 1900s. There are areas of clear-cut logging (when the old-growth rainforest was shaved clean) but there are also signs of recovery. Clayoquot Sound is the ultimate environmental activism success story, the little guys standing up to the man and winning. The area still faces a variety of foes, open-pit mines are being planned, fish farms are polluting the waters, and the twinning of the Kinder Morgan pipeline means more and more tankers will weave through these waters. But the local people are still fighting. And amongst this beautiful landscape, unaware of the messy politics surrounding resource extraction in their home, live the bears. The black bears of Vancouver Island can often be spotted by boat because they come out of the forest to search for shellfish to eat. We raced along the coast until suddenly coming to a stop, the engine purring gently. Our guide leant forward. Trusting his expertise, the rest of us took up our places. I perched at the back end of the boat, making sure to soak up the summer rays, and began to scan the shoreline There she was. A tiny black bear ambling along the stone beach, peering under rocks for an afternoon snack. There is nothing quite like watching this wild scene from the safety of a boat, the salty breeze gently whipping through your hair, and the sound of waves lapping against the boat. Our group whispered excitedly, watching this adorable creature. I still felt a little concern for the bear, aware of the threats to her habitat and, in particular, the impact of nearby fish farms on one of her major food sources, wild salmon. But I was glad that at least this bear was getting her fill of shellfish, seemingly unperturbed by our intrusion, and miles from anyone who could harm her. Make sure to travel with an environmentally friendly and culturally aware organisation. Remember, these lands are not only home to the bears, but to the First Nations communities who have lived here for millennia. Try to learn more about how First Nations have co-existed alongside these magnificent creatures for generations, living sustainably before it became a modern trend. My final week approached as quickly as a speeding wave, breaking on top of me before I even saw it coming, but now I am leaving with these memories at the forefront of my mind. Bear-watching was an eloquent ending to my time here, passing the fish farms, forests, and logging sites, which have been so central to my work here. An experience like this, out on the open ocean, is the best way to experience the West Coast of Canada. Get away from the busy towns and discover the 360-degree rainforest panorama of Clayoquot Sound. Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page We missed it because they are being put out by Marvel Source: SDCC 2018: Queens Shadow Revealed and More from the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel Yes, San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) was over a week ago but sometimes things just slip through the cracks. This time, it was the announcement of a whole bunch of new Star Wars comics. You must forgive us though, since these comics were not put out by IDW (who is not owned by Disney), but by Marvel (who is owned by Disney). Yes, while the new IDW Star Wars title announced at SDCC was given a spotlight at starwars.com, these Marvel titles were sort of buried in general coverage of the Lucasfilm Publishing panel during the con. Among the tons of childrens, young adult, adult, and non-fiction book titles announced at the panel, was the introduction of some new titles from Marvel (along with the note that the Star Wars Poe Dameron comic ending with issue #31). First up is the comic adaptation of the recent movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story. This is a five-issue mini-series written by Robbie Thompson with art by Will Sliney. Solo: A Star Wars Story Comic Mini-series Publisher: Marvel Author: Robbie Thompson Artist: Will Sliney, cover art by Phil Noto & Leonard Kirk On-Sale: October 2018 Description: A new five-issue mini-series featuring backstory and scenes not shown in the film! After leaving the Imperial Navy, a young Han Solo seeks adventure by joining a gang of galactic mercenariesincluding a 196-year-old Wookiee named Chewbacca and a notorious gambler named Lando Calrissian. But there's more to the story of the galaxy's most beloved scoundrel than what you saw in theaters. What happened when Han was an Imperial cadet? Why does Beckett trust him? And what is the connection between the woman who stole Han's heart and one of Han's closest friends? Michael Siglain on why Marvel's comic adaption is a must-read: "Read this one closely, because you don't know where this one is going to head to and connect to in the future." Solo: A Star Wars Story Comic Mini-series #1 cover by Phil Noto Solo: A Star Wars Story Comic Mini-series #1 variant cover by Leonard Kirk Also announced was a 30-issue maxi-series, broken up into three parts: Star Wars: Age of Republic, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion, and Star Wars: Age of Resistance. Each of those ages will be written by different authors -- Jody Houser on Republic, Greg Pak on Rebellion, and Tom Taylor on Resistance - featuring a different character each issue, two issues each month. The series begins in December with Star Wars: Age of Republic: Qui-Gon Jinn and Star Wars: Age of Republic: Darth Maul. New Marvel Comics! Age of Republic Written by Jody Houser Age of Rebellion Written by Greg Pak Age of Resistance Written by Tom Taylor On-sale: Beginning December 2018 Description: Journey through the entire Star Wars saga with Age of Republic, Age of Rebellion, and Age of Resistance, a 30-issue maxi-series chronicling the most iconic heroes & villains from across the galaxy. This epic Marvel Comics event starts in December with Age of Republic: Qui-Gon #1 and Age of Republic: Darth Maul #1. Jody Houser on the Age of Republic series, which focuses on iconic heroes and villains of the prequel era: "It's going to be four months, eight issues, and each month is going to have a hero story and a villain story." Release order: Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul; Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jango Fett; Anakin Skywalker and Count Dooku; and Padme Amidala and General Grievous. Star Wars: Age of Republic: Darth Maul #1 cover Prepare your credits accordingly MBABANE If importing a motor vehicle beyond the SACU border or purchase goods which have no VAT, be ready to pay up as from Wednesday. Following the announcement by Minister of Finance to the effect that Value Added Tax (VAT) would be increased from 14 to 15 per cent, the Swaziland Revenue Authority (SRA) has called upon businesses to get their ducks in a row in readiness for the latest developments. Director Communications Vusi Dlamini said businesses must be prepared for the 15 per cent rate. We must also warn that the new rate is only effective on the August 1, 2018 and not immediately and we implore members of the public to alert us if anyone charges them VAT at the 15 per cent before the 1st of August, said Dlamini. The SRA last week convened workshops to engage business on how to deal with the VAT issue after the new rate. All businesses registered for VAT were engaged, but there was an expectation for a bit of complication for those who submit on a quarterly basis because in their reporting period in October, they would have to contend with both 14 per cent and 15 per cent. Businesses and individuals, who had been compelled to incur an extra cost to claim their per cent Value Added Tax difference between Eswatini and South Africa, will cease to pay up as from Wednesday. However, businesses and individuals who may want to claim their one per cent tax difference between today and tomorrow would be allowed to do so at their expense. The tax refund programme will automatically come to an end now that VAT between Eswatini and South Africa will be at par, said Dlamini. Businesses and individuals who imported goods from South Africa that were keen to claim the one per cent difference were expected to incur an extra cost of E50 in respect of administration costs. Following the introduction of 15 per cent VAT by South Africa, while the kingdom remained at 14 per cent, mainly due to legislative delays, the SRA resolved to facilitate the refund process for taxpayers who chose to utilise the Sekulula VAT Easy Scheme. The scheme, which became operational in 2015, allows taxpayers who may have paid VAT in South Africa not to pay what is due to the kingdom at the border gate after producing invoices. The SRA then claims the money from South Africa on the basis of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and SRA, a process which costs the tax collector approximately E3 million per annum, according to Commissioner General Dumisani Masilela. The tax difference affects customers who may have been used to the scheme to cross into Eswatini after producing invoices, had one per cent due to them. This one per cent was being collected by SRA on behalf of taxpayers. However, the SRA claimed posed an administrative and monetary burden for them, considering the forecasted increased numbers of refund claims that were anticipated to be handed in. On another note, Commissioner General Dumisani Masilela yesterday announced that the import levy on non-Southern African Customs Union (SACU) used vehicles of three and six per cent levy would also come into effect as from Wednesday. NHLANGANO It was a typical case of rent a crowd as officials allegedly turned to the church in order to boost numbers at a certain polling station yesterday. It is understood that police officers found themselves rubbing some clerics the wrong way after they barged into their churches unannounced, allegedly to encourage worshippers to suspend their business of worship over politics. The rare episode was played out around Mathendele in Nhlangano yesterday morning. This was reportedly after it was realised that the attendance at the polling station wasnt impressive, way after the scheduled time for the nomination process was set to begin. Worshippers from several churches (close to 10) had to abruptly slash the length of their services after police officers arrived to convince them that the nomination process was also an essential part of their lives. Witnesses said it was shortly after 10am when the officers embarked on the church door-to-door visitations. Onlookers said worshippers showed a mixture of reactions to the impromptu stopovers by the men in blue: great disappointment for some, while others elected to acquiescence. Several interviewed worshippers said the police officers invaded their church while a service was ongoing and accused those gathered there of not taking important national assignments seriously. They simply said yesterday was not a day for worship since it was declared official nomination day. We were asked to cut the service short and leave, explained one of the worshippers from a church which is situated about 200 metres from the polling station. A cleric from another church in the vicinity also confirmed the visit by the police officers. The pastor said the officers requested them to shut down and attend the national assignment. Yes they came and asked us to stop. They said it wasnt a day of worship, he said. The man of God, however, refused to comment further on the subject. Sources revealed that in some of the visited churches, the officers were given a tough time by church leaders, who demanded written proof that worshipping was banned on the day. A bystander narrated how he overheard some frustrated elderly worshippers singing, Eyethu indaba ayipheleli lapha, (meaning, we have committed to the life above, and not on earthly things) as they walked away from the church premises, in visible dissatisfaction. When approached for comment, Acting Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said since people were busy on a national assignment, officers were all out conducting patrols to ensure that order prevailed. Vilakati, however, cast her doubt over claims about officers causing disturbances around some churches yesterday. It could happen that officers might have also gone to places where people had gathered for other purposes, but the intention was to keep law and order. I cant really be sure about cases of causing disturbances to churches because we havent received that kind of information, she said. Meanwhile, Communications Officer at the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), Mbonisi Bhembe, is on record saying voting was voluntary and that anybody above the age of 18 was eligible to exercise their voting rights, save only for a few exceptions. KAPHUNGA Charles Myeza, who was in the company of his lawyer Leo Gama at the nomination centre, is in the run for a parliament seat elections against outgoing Khubuta MP Njabulo Mabuza among others. The former Khubuta Member of Parliament (MP), who alleged that Judge Ticheme Dlamini portrayed a shallow understanding of constitutional issues when the court declared that he does not qualify to join the elections race this year, was nominated at Kaphunga Umphakatsi on Saturday. Other contenders against Myeza apart from Mabuza included, but not limited to, Dumsani Mavimbela, Amos Msibi, Miriam Mamba, Robert Shabalala, Musa Zwane, Mandla Mamba, and Mathoko Mdlovu together with Phonyo Nkabindze. It should be clarified that these are not all the candidates running for MP at the Khubutha Constituency, which has six chiefdoms namely: Ezishineni, Kaphunga, KaNdlovu, Ngobelweni, Nhlalabantfu and Kholwane. Asked why he was at the election centre, Gama said he had come to monitor the nomination process. When quizzed about his nomination yesterday, Myeza preferred to entertain or answer any further questions after certain processes had been completed. On Wednesday, the High Court judge said Myeza would qualify for nomination, as provided for in Section 31(8) (d) of the Elections Act, in June 2022. According to Judge Dlamini, a period of five years had not elapsed since Myeza was released from prison where he was serving a sentence of five years for defrauding government a sum of about E600 000. Myeza filed a notice to appeal on Friday and he stated that Section 31(8) (d) of the Elections Act had the effect of discriminating against convicts which could not be justified by any legitimate government purpose. The former MP mentioned that the judge did not recognise that the five-year period in the provision was allegedly grossly unfair and had the effect of limiting or removing the right to vote. According to Myeza; the court a quo erred in law as he portrayed no deep understanding of constitutional issues and decided the matter on superficial principles of interpretation of statutes devoid of deepened reasoning on the sanctity and legal theory behind the right to vote in a democracy. In his prayers, Myeza also wanted the court to declare that he is eligible to join the elections and to declare Section 31(8) (d) of the Elections Act of 2013 as unconstitutional and inconsistent with Sections 96 and 97 of the Constitution. According to Section 31(8) (d); Where the candidate has at any time been under a (i) the Prevention of Corruption Act of 2006, (ii) Prevention of Organised Crime Act, (iii) Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Act and (iv) any other offence under the fourth and fifth schedules of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act of 1938, cannot stand for elections unless five or more years have passed since their release from prison. PIGGS PEAK Exposed breasts and an exposed belly are some of the things police officers had to put up with when controlling the crowd at a police station in Piggs Peak. Before the nomination, one of the women, dressed in traditional regalia, was seen lifting her kanga in what appeared like a strange dance, exposing her belly. This puzzled some of the officials who wondered among themselves, what the woman was doing. Another woman was also spotted flashing her breasts in excitement as she sang until the Station Commander, Sabelo Methula, quickly intervened and stopped the two women. They however continued dancing but this time, without the strange moves. This was however just the beginning of a tough time for police officers as the crowd went wild when a supporter, Khanyisile Motsa, announced that she would nominate Hlobisile Ndlovu. As soon as she said, Hlobsilie Ndlovu, the large crowd rushed to mob Ndlovu but luckily, police officers appeared to be ahead of the crowd. The police officers had already formed a ring around her fearing that the public would rush to mob her or try to lift her up. Prior to the nomination, the crowd broke into song in which they referred to Ndlovu as intfombi lemhlophe meaning a light skinned woman. They were singing her praises while Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) officials were getting ready to allow the crowd to nominate. At this time, Minister Jabulani Bu Cash Mabuza had also been nominated and was already inside a hall set up for verification. About 15 police officers were around and ensured that they blocked the crowd from getting closer but the excited voters continued to push until some of them by-passed the tight police security. Some of the police officers were in plain clothes and they also joined in preventing the crowd from pushing further. Eventually, the former MP, who is also a former minister, was officially nominated and several others seconded the nomination. By Azernews By Kamila Aliyeva Cooperation of Iran and Azerbaijan in transport sector became a central topic for discussion at a meeting of Azerbaijans Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade and Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi held in Tehran on July 30. The delegation led by Guluzade is paying a visit to Iran, for participation in the 24th International Exhibition of Electronics, Computer and E-Commerce ELECOMP 2018. A deal according to which Baku has agreed to allocate a loan worth $500 million for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway was discussed at a meeting, Iranian media outlets reported. During the talks held in the Iranian capital, Guluzade and Akhoundi explored ways to speed up the allocation of the loan to the project. The Iranian minister asked Guluzade to facilitate the financing process and help make the railway operational sooner. He also said the Qazvin-Rasht project is nearing its completion and will be inaugurated soon. Guluzade, for his part, said that documents with respect to the Rasht-Astara railway are under study at Azerbaijans Finance Ministry and we are hopeful to achieve good results about the financing soon." Akhoundi also invited Azerbaijan to join a new railway that links the border town of Parsabad in Iran's Ardabil Province to Mugan plain in northwestern Iran and the southern part of Azerbaijan. He talked about the details of Parsabad-Mugan rail link and invited Baku to join the railway. This is an important project similar to Astara-Astara railway between the two countries which can help expand transport cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan, the Iranian minister said. During the meeting, Guluzade also said that Azerbaijan and Iran have agreed to reduce tariffs on interstate cargo transit as part of efforts to activate the International North-South Transport Corridor. Iran is keen to activate the International North-South Transport Corridor with the help of Azerbaijan. It has held talks with India and Russia in this regard, he noted. The major transit route is designed to facilitate the transportation of goods from Mumbai to Helsinki, using Iranian ports and railroads, which the Islamic Republic plans to connect to those of Azerbaijan and Russia. He added that transit and customs obstacles need to be removed, noting that the two sides have agreed to facilitate cargo transit between the two neighboring nations. The Rasht-Astara railroad project will be jointly carried out by Iran and Azerbaijan, each providing 50 percent of the required funding. Azerbaijan will fund $500 million and Iran will invest the same amount in the project. To complete the railway links of the transportation corridor, Iran had earlier agreed to construct inland railroad segments in northern parts of the country in order to extend its railways to the border area with the neighboring Azerbaijan through the two Astara cities on both sides. The initial plan included the Qazvin-Rasht and Rasht-Astara railroad segments. In the meantime, Azerbaijan has launched a construction project to extend its railroads into Irans territory, which is going through the final tests and will be implemented soon. The main goal of strategic cooperation between the railways of Iran and Azerbaijan is activating the International North-South Transportation Corridor which will eventually link Russia and Azerbaijan to High-Seas through the Islamic Republic. The INSTC, a 7,200 kilometer-long freight route connecting India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road, is meant to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia. The main objective of the INSTC is to provide an alternative to the traditional routes carried out by sea through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. This means goods could be carried from Mumbai to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and further to Baku. They could then pass across the Russian border into Astrakhan, then proceeding to Moscow and St. Petersburg, before going in the direction of Europe. The corridor is expected to bring huge benefits to the Azerbaijani budget. The route enjoys several advantages compared to other transport corridors, as it is considered to be more profitable for each parameter than other alternative routes, including reduction of the distance and delivery time two or threefold. The route would substantially cut the travel time for everything from Asian consumer goods to Central Eurasias natural resources to advanced European exports. When completed, the INSTC is expected to increase the volume of commodities currently traded between Iran and Azerbaijan from 600,000 tons to 5 million tons per year, dramatically increasing bilateral trade from the current $500 million per year. MERGED QUESTION Question from brendalir70036 : "How to switch my Samsung blu-ray player back to dish network" How do I switch my Samsung blu-ray player back to dish network please describe which remotes to use. I have a dish network remote and a blu-ray remote. Six statues dating back 2,000 years were discovered Saturday in the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Magnesia, situated in southwestern Aydn province's Germencik district, according to Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah. Professor Orhan Bingol, who has been overseeing the excavations in the site since 1984, said four female and one male statues were unearthed in the ruins of a temple to Artemis, adding that one of the statues' gender was unknown. Bingol specified that all statues were found in the same area and were in good condition of preservation, placed face-down next to each other. "We know that, along with the ones being displayed in Istanbul, Izmir and Aydn, there have been nearly 50 statues unearthed from Magnesia ruins. This discovery will not be the end of it and clearly shows we can find more statues in this particular area," he noted. The first excavations in Magnesia were conducted between 1891 and 1893 by a German archaeological team led by Carl Humann. The work lasted 21 months and partially unearthed the theater, the Artemis temple, the agora, the Zeus temple and the prytaneion. Excavations were resumed at the site, after an interval of almost 100 years, in 1984, by Bingol. History of Magnesia on the Meander Magnesia or Magnesia on the Maeander was an ancient Greek city in Ionia, considerable in size, at an important location commercially and strategically in the triangle of Priene, Ephesus and Tralles. The city was named Magnesia, after the Magnetes from Thessaly who settled the area along with some Cretans. It was later called "on the Meander" to distinguish it from the nearby Lydian city Magnesia ad Sipylum. The territory around Magnesia was extremely fertile, and produced excellent wine, figs, and cucumbers. It was built on the slope of Mount Thorax, on the banks of the small river Lethacus, a tributary of the Maeander river upstream from Ephesus. It was 15 miles from the city of Miletus.The ruins of the city are located west of the modern village Tekin in the Germencik district of Aydn Province, Turkey. Magnesia lay within Ionia, but because it had been settled by Aeolians from Greece, was not accepted into the Ionian League. Magnesia may have been ruled for a time by the Lydians, and was for some time under the control of the Persians, and subject to Cimmerian raids. In later years, Magnesia supported the Romans in the Second Mithridatic War. Magnesia soon attained great power and prosperity, so as to be able to cope even with a challenge from Ephesus. However, the city was taken and destroyed by the Cimmerians, some time between 726 BC and 660 BC. The deserted site was soon reoccupied, and rebuilt by the Milesians or, according to Athenaeus, by the Ephesians. The Persian satraps of Lydia also occasionally resided in the place. In the fifth century BC, the exiled Athenian Themistocles came to Persia to offer his services to Artaxerxes, and was given control of Magnesia to support his family. The name "magnet" may come from lodestones found in Magnesia. In the time of the Romans, Magnesia was added to the kingdom of Pergamon, after Antiochus had been driven eastward beyond Mount Taurus. After this time the town seems to have declined and is rarely mentioned, though it is still noticed by Pliny and Tacitus. Hierocles ranks it among the bishoprics of the province of Asia, and later documents seem to imply that at one time it bore the name of Maeandropolis. The existence of the town in the time of the emperors Aurelius and Gallienus is attested to by coins. Landmarks of Magnesia Magnesia contained a temple of Dindymene, the mother of the gods; the wife or daughter of Themistocles was said to have been a priestess of that divinity. Strabo later noted the temple no longer existed, the town having been transferred to another place. The change in the site of the town alluded to by Strabo, is not noticed by other contemporary authors, however some suggest that Magnesia was moved from the banks of the Meander to a place at the foot of Mount Thorax three miles from the river. The new town which Strabo saw was remarkable for its temple of Artemis Leucophryene, which in size and the number of its treasures was surpassed by the temple of Ephesus, but in beauty and the harmony of its parts was superior to all the temples in Asia Minor. The temple to Artemis is said by Vitruvius to have been built by the architect Hermogenes, in the Ionic style. Following a theophany of the goddess Artemis in the 3rd century B.C., the temple and the city were recognised as a place of asylia by other Greek states. Little remains of either temple today. The site of Magnesia on the Maeander was once identified with the modern Guzelhisar; since then the ruins of a temple to Artemis were found at Inck-bazar, and the latter is considered a more likely site. Modern excavations The first excavations at the archaeological site were performed during 1891 and 1893 by a German archaeological team conducted by Carl Humann, discoverer of the Pergamon Altar. These lasted 21 months and partially revealed the theatre, the Artemis temple, the agora, the Zeus temple and the prytaneion. Excavations were resumed at the site, after an interval of almost 100 years, in 1984, by Orhan Bingol of the University of Ankara and the Turkish Ministry of Culture. Findings from the site are now displayed in Istanbul and Aydn, as well as in Berlin and Paris. Copies of the portico (pronaos) of the Zeus temple and of a bay of the Artemis temple can be visited in the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin. Much of the architectural remains of Magnesia were destroyed long ago by local lime burners. The well preserved remains of the Zeus temple have been destroyed by local residents even after Humann's excavation campaign. In July 2018, six Greek statues discovered. Four female, one male and one with unknown gender were unearthed in the ruins of a temple of Artemis. Photo Source: dailysabah.com/AA The EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu reaffirmed European Union's solidarity for Greece after the devastating fires that saw the destruction of an entire seaside town. We stand side by side with the Greek in such difficult moments. We have a permanent dialogue with the Greek authorities and, through the services of the DG Regio, we provide the necessary assistance in order to speed up the procedure for accessing the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF), noted Cretu. Currently, the Greek authorities make an estimate of the damage caused by fires, on the basis of which they will send the application for EUSF to the European Commission. As soon as the necessary conditions for accessing this fund are met, we are ready to do everything possible to pay an advance as quickly as possible, she stressed in a statement. Moreover, once the requirements for accessing the EUSF are met, there is also the possibility for Greece to benefit from a 95% co-financing rate for reconstruction work financed through Cohesion Policy. And, last but not least, as I have already written to Prime Minister Tsipras and Minister Haritsis, both myself and my services are prepared to change the operational programs dedicated to Greece under the Cohesion Policy, based on a request from the Greek authorities. This will enable us to redirect European funds and to relaunch economic activity in affected areas, Cretu concluded. Read more at greekcitytimes.com RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Despite an upswing in interest and growing reputation as a hip place for the young, tourists are still shunning Athens in favor of Greek islands, spending almost half of what the sector brings in on the Cyclades, Dodecanese and Crete. The Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE), citing 2017 figures supplied by the Bank of Greece, said those regions brought in 6.91 billion euros ($8.01 billion,) including 3.26 billion ($3.81 billion) on the popular Crete along. That combined for 48.6 percent of the total tourism spending in a record year that was on course to be broken this year although there are concerns the deadly July 23 wildfire and reports of government negligence in seaside towns might discourage people. Athens, the countrys Capital, brought in only 2 billion euros ($2.33 billion,) less than Crete even though the city is rapidly gaining favor and upgrades to the port of Piraeus by the operators, the Chinese company Cosco, is aimed at bringing more luxury cruise ships. The area with the least interest was Western Macedonia, bringing in only 45 million euros ($52.53 million,) from visitors, just 0.3 percent of the countrys total, although the neighboring Central Macedonia had the highest numbers due to its bordering on Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which reached an agreement with Greece to be renamed North Macedonia. The area also was popular because its close to the second-largest city and major port of Thessaloniki and the Halkidiki region, renowned for some of the best beaches in the country and the whole planet. INSETE noted Central Macedonia accounted for 13 percent of total receipts last year, 19.4 percent of all overnight stays and 23.4 percent of visitors, Kathimerini reported. The next most popular area was the Southern Aegean, which accounted for 19 percent of all visits last year. Each tourist visiting Greece in 2017 stayed for an average of 6.8 nights and spent 458 euros ($534.60,) or 68 euros ($79.37) per overnight stay. The average duration of stay increased by 0.8 percent from 2016, and average expenditure was up 1.9 percent, given that average spending per night increased 1.1 percent despite a new overnight tax imposed by the ruling Radical Left SYRIZA-led coalition which promised to cut taxes but raised them. The greatest rises in overnight stays and expenditure by foreign tourists were to be found in the Peloponnese, the Southern Aegean and Attica in 2017, with luxury resort Costa Navarino gaining big draws for the Peloponnese. Read more at thenationalherald.com RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Work on the water-park project in central Manama, Bahrain, is progressing at a steady pace with Phase One of the development set for completion late this year, reported BNA, citing a senior official. The project is being developed by the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning on a 65,700-sq-m area, in co-operation with the Capital Trustees and and the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD), remarked Dr Nabil Abdul Fateh, the undersecretary for municipal affairs at the ministry after inspecting the project progress. He was accompanied by Shawqiya Humaidan, the director-general of Capital Trustees, Ibrahim Al Jowder, the director-general of Muharraq Municipality and other senior officials and project engineers. Dr Fateh underlined the importance of revamping the iconic water project and called upon the authorities to complete the project in time, said the report. He underlined the keenness of Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of His Majesty the King and president of the consultative board of the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) on the project, stated the BNA report. He also highlighted the directives given by Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf to expand public parks and recreational venues countrywide in line with Bahrain 2030 Vision, it added. Oman-based Shams Development Company has started work on its luxurious restaurant complex coming up over more than 4,000-sq-m area at Shatti Al Qurum in the sultanate. The dedicated RO4.5 million ($11.6 million) Shams Al Sarooj project will boast five-star tourist restaurants and organic food outlets besides top international brands, reported Muscat Daily. The project, which is being undertaken by the ministry in cooperation with the private sector, will add new components to tourism in Oman. It is a result of efforts of Shams Development Company and investor Issa bin Mahfoud al Riyami, it stated. Shams Development Company was set up in Oman 10 years ago in bid to develop tourism, real estate and industrial projects, it stated. Maryam Mirabbasi, general manager, Shams Development Company, said that the project has been of interest to the company since it contested in the Ministry of Tourism competition. The company prepared the competition documents and presented engineering proposals and feasibly studies for the project. We worked hard as a team to win the competition of the project, she stated. Resolution Engineering Consultancy is the lead design consultant of the project, she added. BP, a major energy company, has awarded a new contract to Sumitomo Corporation Tubular Solutions Oman (SCTSO) for supply chain services, said a report. Building local content into the supply chain is a key focus area in BPs procurement strategy and this contract is expected to secure the manufacturing of piping and casing from Oman, in turn securing in-country pipe and casing support services, added the Times of Oman report. The contract is expected to help further boost the expanding Duqm Special Economic Zone (Sezad), the report said. BP expects to see increased efficiency in its drilling operations as a result of the move, which will see Sumitomo Corporation take over entire responsibility for inventory sourcing, management and delivery of casing, pipes and tubular for use in drilling of wells at the Khazzan field, it said. This builds on an existing supply agreement between BP and Sumitomo Corporation and will involve the transfer of operations to Duqm, where the array of logistics and materials handling facilities will be crucial to the success of the initiative. Sumitomo Corporation will operate a just in time service out of Sezad, sourcing stock from Oman and Japans Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC), holding it at Sezad and supplying it to BPs rig sites, as and when required. This should result in streamlined inventory for BP in the field and a more cost-efficient overall process. BP is currently developing phase 2 of its Khazzan project, Ghazeer, which is expected to come onstream in 2021 and deliver an additional 0.5 bcf/d and over 15,000 bpd condensate production. Drilling on the first three development wells has begun, following appraisal drilling on Ghazeer last year. An official signing ceremony took place on July 25 between representatives of BP Oman, Sumitomo Corporation and NSSMC, added the report. UK-based Lux Assure, a specialist in the provision of chemical monitoring and management solutions, has appointed Saudi Arabia-based First Style Establishment for Trading to represent the company in the kingdom. First Style is a leading supplier focused in oil and gas, electricity, and petrochemical sectors. The company will act as a sales agent for Lux Assures corrosion management products, CoMic and Ommica, to existing and potential customers in the region, said a statement from the company. Emma Perfect, chief executive officer, Lux Assure said: We are delighted to announce this agency agreement with First Style. This relationship means we will be able to better serve our clients in Saudi Arabia, allowing them straight-forward access to our cutting-edge technologies, she said. We are committed to growing our business in the Middle East and believe First Style is ideally placed to help us do so, through its excellent network and marketing and logistics expertise, she added. Nasser Al-Jumaid, chairman of First Style, said: Breaking into the Saudi Arabian market is an exciting step forward in Lux Assures growth, and we are delighted to have been appointed on behalf of the company. We look forward to representing Lux Assures innovative technologies to our ever-expanding client base, he said. Lux Assures flagship products were successfully deployed in Saudi Arabia for the first time in 2017. One project saw Lux Assure utilise its Ommica MEG (mono-ethylene glycol) in water analysis kit, to evaluate the efficacy of a MEG regeneration unit. Ommica is a detection kit designed for use on or offshore to determine the concentration of methanol or MEG in oil or water. The presence of these chemicals in hydrocarbon fluids can reduce the quality and value of produced fluids. Traditionally, testing for these chemicals involves sending samples offsite to a third-party lab which is costly and causes delays in receiving results. Perfect continued: Securing this deployment was a significant achievement for us. Were pleased to see our products and services recognised by a major operator which is seeking a more cost-effective, accurate and timely solution. CoMic, our innovative technology for monitoring the functional dosage of corrosion inhibitor within a system, was also trialled in the region at the end of 2017 and we are looking forward to building our client base and portfolio in the area with the support of First Style, she added. Both technologies have been successfully deployed across the global oil and gas industry, delivering cost-effective and accurate results in the field, protecting and extending the lifetime of critical assets and enabling informed decision making. CoMic and Ommica together represent a revolution in monitoring and managing difficult-to-detect chemicals in hydrocarbons, condensates and water, specifically the thermodynamic hydrate inhibitors and corrosion inhibitors used to protect oilfield assets, on and offshore, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Audiovisual Media has awarded the third licence for operating cinema theatres in the kingdom to the Al-Rashed Empire Cinema Consortium. The consortium intends to build 30 cinemas in various cities of the kingdom in the coming three years, a Saudi Gazette report quoting Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. Dr Awwad Al-Awwad, Minister of Media and chairman of the authority, handed over the licence to the consortium officials. Global transport disruptors will be in Dubai next month for an event at Expo 2020 where they will share their vision on how people will travel and move goods in future with innovative concepts like Fifteen-Minute City and All-electric Hyperloop. Visitor numbers to the UAE are expected to burgeon following the country's recent decision to refund value added tax (VAT) payments to tourists. This move will not only allow greater flexibility for the visitors but also drive the growth of the economy, an industry expert revealed. The UAE has become a regional magnet for foreign investors and tourists, and the move to refund VAT, yet again shows UAEs strategic ability to drive the growth of the country, said Tejas Goenka, executive director, Tally Solutions - a leading international accounting and compliance software provider. Trusted by more than 1.2 million businesses globally, Tally Solutions includes a list of 50,000 satisfied clients across GCC that use its VAT software - Tally.ERP 9 Release 6.4 for effective compliance with VAT regulations. Since the launch of VAT, thousands of businesses in the UAE have been using Tallys software to comply with VAT regulations. It has been observed that as many as 140 countries around the world have VAT, according to financial firm KPMG. Some Asian countries place dedicated VAT refund stations in international airports, where foreigners can present receipts and get a refund for purchased items. Others provide tax refund desks within stores. Countries like Australia, Germany, France, Singapore, Japan offer overseas visitors tax refunds for purchases made beyond a prescribed threshold and subject to other conditions. The UAEs Federal Tax Authority (FTA) is also working on an advanced integrated digital system to set up a direct connection with points of sale as well as with all UAE ports of entry, allowing the global operator to coordinate among retailers registered with the FTA and enable tourists to submit refund requests for their purchases. Internationally, most countries that implement VAT have an online robust system connecting multiple refund agencies and retailers on a single platform, offering tourists a seamless and hassle-free experience while verifying, processing and disbursing the tax refunds. We are confident that the new digital system to be implemented by FTA will be at par with international standards, offering tourists and retailers easy access to claim and release refunds. Since the launch of VAT, thousands of small companies in the UAE have switched to digital platforms from manual systems, demonstrating the countrys global competitiveness, added Goenka. While the UAEs decision to refund value-added tax (VAT) will boost tourism, it will serve as a buoyant force for the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) industry as well according to Tejas. The UAEs leadership has always pioneered initiatives that contribute to the growth of the country. As such, the decision to refund VAT will significantly enhance the competitiveness of the Mice industry as well and increase the capacity to attract niche global events, exhibitions and conferences, continued Tejas. Tourism contributes heavily to UAEs economy; in 2017, nearly 16 million people visited Dubai, while a further 123 million passengers travelled through the countrys airports. In total, the tourism sector contributed 11.3 per cent to the UAEs GDP in 2017, equivalent to Dh154.1 billion ($41.9 billion). With the latest announcement to refund VAT, UAEs tourism sector will not only witness a boost, but also allow greater flexibility to the visitors, enhancing their overall experience in the country. - TradeArabia News Service MiFID II and Systematic Internalisers: If Only Someone Knew This Would Happen It has been about seven months since the EUs implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) and some early results are starting to come in. In June, the French market regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) voiced disappointment about the impact of MiFID II on market transparency, one of the directives key aims. What is perhaps even more disappointing is that this result was predicted by more or less all stakeholders involved in the MiFID II process. At issue is MiFID IIs ambitious goal of reducing off-exchange trading and improving market transparency. We have previously written about this part of MiFID II, but to summarise: "although broker-crossing networks (which are not pre-trade price transparent) are not allowed under MiFID II, there is a Systematic Internaliser (SI) regime that allows for bilateral trading between a principal (e.g., a market maker or broker) and a client. An SI is a firm that deals using its own account in an organised, frequent, and systematic basis by executing client orders outside of a regulated market (i.e., an exchange) or multilateral trading facility." This regime was meant to allow firms to execute transactions with selected clients in private, which is important for large block trades or other cases where the client does not want to reveal trading intent. Its rules on trading increments, tick sizes, and reporting obligations are more relaxed than those for non-SIs. But the SI regime is problematic because it is easy to design an SI with an automated quoting system that has quote feeds from various sources (including other SIs) going into an execution engine that automatically selects the most desirable execution outcome for the client order. By connecting to one another to create de facto multilateral trading venues, SIs could essentially recreate broker-crossing networks, which MiFID II was intended to prevent. Prior to MiFID IIs implementation, many commentators worried the SI regime would cause a large shift away from trading in lit markets. Today, it appears that this is exactly what has happened, with AMFs recent Risk Outlook noting that MiFID II has so far not been successful in boosting market transparency. Although dark pool volumes are down, order flow has either been aggregated and executed under the large-in-scale exemption, or has migrated to SIs. More than 100 firms are now registered as SIs, compared to only 14 prior to MiFID II. In either case, order flow has not flown to public markets, as was the ambition. Instead, AMF suggests that between 3040% of total market share is now trading on SIs. 1 2 next For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: | By Mary T. Phelan In todays smartphone populated world, one might say Theres an app for that has become as well-known a slogan as Motel 6s Well leave the light on for you or Wendys Wheres the beef? Earlier this month, 17 visitors to the University of Maryland School of Nursing's (UMSON) 28th Summer Institute in Nursing Informatics (SINI), held July 17-20, spent a full day in a hands-on workshop learning about using mobile apps in health care to benefit both patients and nurses and how to go about building apps themselves. Mobile apps finally are entering the front lines of direct patient care, according to Eun-Shim Nahm, PhD '03, RN, FAAN, professor and program director of nursing informatics at UMSON. Selia Monroe, MSN '15, RN, shows a blueprint she drew for a frequently asked questions app as part of a day-long "Mobile Nursing App Prototyping (DIY)" workshop. The session was held as a pre-conference seminar for attendees of the 2018 Summer Institute in Nursing Informatics held at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Clinicians are using the apps to look for information, collect data, and help patients improve their health, she said. Nahm was one of three presenters in the workshop Mobile Nursing App Prototyping (DIY), held July 17 at UMSON as one of the pre-conference offerings. Nahm was joined by presenters Tony Threatt, PhD, MArch, senior user experience designer, health IT, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Deborah Ariosto, PhD, MSN, RN-BC, director of nursing analytics and clinical assistant professor of nursing, also at Vanderbilt. The mobile world is our future. Its here and now, Ariosto said. You know, all of you who work with nurses, they probably all say, well, why cant our EHR [electronic health record] just be on our phone? Why isnt it that easy? You know why. Its really not that easy. Every software product has issues, especially if you are not human-centered enough, Threatt added, referring to the concept of human-centered design, in which solutions are created specifically with the end user in mind. It is really hard to design something that is amazing for someone else. In the workshop, participants were asked to do just that: design a simple app that would meet the needs of someone else. At Threatts instruction, they paired up with each other to talk about the good and bad parts of any recent day. Each partner was then asked to design an app for the other that would make life a little easier using a freely available app development program. Aubrey Hagemann, BSN, RN, who is scheduled to earn her Master of Science in Nursing Informatics from UMSON in May 2019, teamed up with Heather Carter-Templeton, PhD, RN-BC, an assistant professor who teaches informatics to graduate students at the University of Alabama. Carter-Templeton said her challenge was having a full schedule and not feeling as though she had accomplished much at the end of the day. Hagemann, a clinical analyst at Johns Hopkins Medicine, sketched out a time-management app that would help Carter-Templeton assess and survey how she was using her time. In turn, Carter-Templeton designed an app aimed at making one specific meeting during Hagemanns workweek go a bit smoother. My partner shared some details and routines of her day, Carter-Templeton explained. She highlighted what she thought were positives and negatives. She noted that one part of a specific day of the week is often spent in a long meeting. I designed an app to help with managing and participating in this specific meeting. The app would allow attendees to submit agenda items and specific documents or data that would need to be reviewed and discussed at the meeting, Carter-Templeton said. I thought her idea was creative and felt that she had paid close attention to my input, said Hagemann, who also served as a volunteer throughout the SINI conference. Workshop attendees said they wanted to create apps that would encourage young nurses to read work-related emails, something one participant said was not happening with the nurses she oversees; take a nurses voice-recorded notes at a patients bedside and transcribe the information onto the patients chart; and link nurses immediately to available open shifts. Everyone in the class was asked to sketch the design for their idea within a span of only three minutes to caution participants from overthinking the process. Dont underestimate what you know, Ariosto said. You know a little bit about everything. Nurses have the skills. Programmers dont know nursing. Selia Monroe, MSN 15, RN, a nurse informaticist at the management and information technology consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, said she always wanted to learn how to build an app but the thought of learning how to code is a bit intimidating. In the workshop, she designed an FAQ (frequently asked questions) app for her partner, who was asked the same questions time and again by students wanting information about the classes he teaches. This would save him hours of time that he could be spending with his grandchildren, Monroe said. Shannon Cerbas, BSN, RN, who is planning to graduate from UMSON with her masters degree in nursing informatics next May, said she registered for the DIY app session because she is working on a mobile app with a software developer that aims to help patients increase their physical activity. I am the project manager so I do not do any of the coding, she said. I wanted to participate in the DIY app building session to learn about the work that goes into software development. In 1998, UMSON was the first school in the world to offer a masters specialty in nursing informatics and subsequently, the first school in the nation to offer a PhD program with a nursing informatics concentration. The schools masters-level Nursing Informatics specialty is No. 1 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. It prepares nurses to improve patient care and outcomes through the development, implementation, and evaluation of information technology. More than 200 nurse informaticians and health information technology professionals from across the country attended SINI 2018. UMSON Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, offered welcoming remarks to attendees on July 18 in the schools auditorium, saying this years theme, "Balancing Digital Demands: Access, Use, Security," was appropriate for todays times. As I reflect on this years theme, Im struck by how utterly timely it is, she said. It is essential to consider the challenges inherent in managing the very real threats to information security and to develop strategies for responding. On the other hand, we are also at a significant time in our ability to harness individual data to personalize health care and to better engage individuals as active participants in managing their health and well-being. Daniel Nigrin, MD, MS, senior vice president and chief information officer at Boston Childrens Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, provided the keynote address Real-Life Experiences with Cybersecurity: How to Manage and Mitigate Risks on July 18, sharing the challenges the hospital faced when it survived a cyberattack in 2014. Participants were able to attend numerous presentations, including Code Yellow: Mission Continuity Planning for Technology Interruptions; Keeping Our Patients Information Secure and Confidential. What Does it Really Mean?; The Nurse Informaticists Role in Disaster Planning, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation; Is My Organization Ready for a Cybersecurity Threat?; and Three Ways to Master Disaster Simulations Without Breaking a Sweat! According to Charlotte Seckman, PhD, RN-BC, CNE, FAAN, SINI program chair and associate professor at UMSON, participants were able to select various themed tracks of informatics-related content, including a novice track designed to explore the role of the nurse informatician related to access, use, and security of digital data; an intermediate track associated with large-scale disasters and business continuity planning; and two deep-dive tracks discussing issues related to social determinants of health and cybersecurity using mobile devices in health care settings. SINI has a long-standing reputation of offering high-quality educational content along with opportunities to network with experts in the field, reconnect with colleagues, and make new friends, Seckman said. Without a doubt, SINI is where nurses come to enhance their knowledge and skills in informatics. Abou Ahmed, a resident of Al-Mashatiyeh neighborhood in east Aleppo, talks to UNHCR Representative in Syria, Sajjad Malik. Abou, who is disabled, fled his home when the battle to for the eastern neighborhoods erupted. Today he has returned home and hopes for a better future. UNHCR/Bassam Diab LONDON - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on Tuesday committed itself to take new measures to involve people living with disabilities more closely in its work, both within its global operations and as part of the organizations protection work with refugees. The pledges were made by Volker Turk, UNHCRs assistant high commissioner for protection, at a Global Disability Summit in London, hosted by the United Kingdoms Department for International Development (DFID) and supported by the International Disability Alliance and Kenya. Ensuring the protection and wellbeing of those with disabilities in an inclusive and comprehensive way is timely and of critical importance, Turk told the conference. UNHCR is committed to working with donors, asylum countries, international and national partners and all communities to find more effective ways to address their concerns in displacement settings in the Syria situation, and elsewhere. The disabled can be among the most marginalized, and their vulnerability is often exacerbated in forced displacement. Stigmatisation, isolation and perceptions that they are a burden can compromise their dignity, safety, security and access to services, Turk said. For the disabled, there are challenges accessing civil documentation, including birth and marriage registration the absence of which can hinder access to support. The lack of access to proper medical and psychological care prolongs or worsens disabling conditions among children, the elderly and other members in the community. UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi meets residents, including Vlada, at a home for 200 displaced people with disabilities in Svyatogorsk, eastern Ukraine. UNHCR/John Wendle Scaling up cash-based interventions and social support to address vulnerabilities based on disability is an important intervention for the most vulnerable families, including households with disabilities, to help meet their needs, he said. The protection chief committed UNHCR to specific steps to tackle stigma and discrimination and better involve and consult with people living with disabilities when planning operations and activities. For example, there will be a push on education, he said, to improve equitable access for refugee children with disabilities. UNHCR will invest in improving access to jobs for people living with disabilities. The situation for disabled refugees who have fled Syria is particularly alarming, Turk said. Over 5.6 million Syrians are registered as refugees in neighbouring countries. UNHCR data in four of those (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon) show that 3.09 per cent of refugees live with disabilities. Inside Syria, there are an estimated 2.9 million people with disabilities in need of humanitarian assistance. Spend a day with Alya, Syrian refugee and disability rights campaigner. In addition, 2 per cent of the refugee population are children with disabilities. These children are often marginalized and excluded from opportunities, living isolated lives and struggling against stigma, discrimination and an environment that does not accommodate their needs or aspirations. Across the region, rehabilitation services for people living with disabilities are limited. Taking just one example, in Syria, needs for specialized services for people with disabilities have been reported in 72 per cent of assessed communities. As the majority of Syrian refugees some 84 per cent - live in urban and rural settings across the region, there is also a need to support and reinforce community-based protection. In Syria, UNHCR has a network of more than 96 community centres and aims to expand this to 110, reaching 2.6 million individuals. In terms of concrete actions, this year and next, UNHCR will develop a checklist for the inclusion of the disabled in participatory assessments; address the issue of participation in planning, design and implementation with new guidance on working and e-learning programmes; and develop guidance on identification of the disabled in registration and other data collection, while documenting good practice. In the hills above the Honduran capital, a typical school day is underway. The voices of hundreds of elementary school students echo through the little courtyard connecting classrooms. One class is reciting their multiplication tables. Another is repeating words in English. But beneath the appearance of normalcy is an education system under threat. Just this week a boy from the secondary school disappeared, one of the teachers whispers. They say he dropped off his younger sister at school three days ago and has not been seen since. His parents are too scared to report that he is missing. The teachers are too. There is a simple reason: street gang violence. The 18th Street gang controls this neighborhood but MS-13 controls the neighborhood directly above and below us so its pretty conflictive here, says Dolores,* the deputy headmistress at the school, which teaches elementary classes in the mornings and secondary in the afternoons. Just this week a boy from the secondary school disappeared. The rival gangs, known as maras, are fighting for turf where they run rackets ranging from extortion to drug dealing. Criminal incidents around schools remain unreported as family, friends or witnesses fear that gang members will come after them. This school in an informal community above Tegucigalpa one of dozens of irregular, marginalized neighborhoods that sprang up after a hurricane displaced thousands of people two decades ago is a microcosm for the deterioration of Honduras education system. Enrollment at the school has fallen from more than 300 to around 180 in just a couple of years as gangs prohibit many children and youngsters from entering the neighborhood where the school is located. Gang recruitment and drug addiction hit local teenagers hard. The school is understaffed and short on supplies. A once useful technology room is now filled with broken computers. Children attend an education centre in a high-risk area of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Yolani Rios teaches fifth grade students at a UNHCR-supported education centre in a high-risk area of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Elvin Cruz teaches first grade students at a UNHCR-supported education centre in a high-risk area of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo And of course, there is the violence faced by students and teachers alike in the local area, ranging from sexual assault to murder. In addition, some of the parents of pupils are in prison, while the teachers themselves face extortion and threats, leaving them feeling powerless. It really hurts to see all these problems and not be able to do anything but what other option do we have? Dolores asks. She is not alone. Teachers across Honduras are overwhelmed. We are exhausted and worn down to the point of literally becoming sick, physically or mentally, says Reyna Rodriguez, a secondary school administrator from Tegucigalpa. In this fight, it feels like both our hands and our feet are tied. We are exhausted and worn down to the point of literally becoming sick, physically or mentally." Despite the exhaustion, Rodriguez has partnered with two other school administrators, Daisy Zelaya and Carlos Garcia, to speak out in a campaign in support of teachers from hundreds of schools across Honduras. We cant just stand here with our arms crossed and do nothing, says Garcia. The campaign started when UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in coordination with Save the Children, began a survey of public schools. The initial aim was to look at 23 schools in the capital to understand what teachers went through and how UNHCR could support them. But as numerous teachers lined up to be heard, the survey expanded to 253 different schools in the capital and more than 2,300 throughout the country. As work to address their concerns began, Rodriguez, Garcia, and Zelaya were chosen to be the spokespeople for the wider group. Children attend an education centre in a high-risk area of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo The first takeaway from the survey was that educators feel they have nowhere to turn when faced with threats, sexual harassment, extortion and physical assault. The thing we heard first, and then heard over and over again, is that teachers feel like they are alone, like they have no one backing them, says Lorena Nieto, UNHCRs protection officer in Honduras. Rodriguez says reporting students to police is not an option as she puts herself and her entire school at risk. It could be a death sentence, even if their gang involvement was forced. Teachers try to support students to deal with their distress. But few schools have counselors, nurses, psychologists or other support staff. So Rodriguez recently sat down with a student who had been kidnapped by a gang, together with a companion. He was forced to watch as the gang murdered and mutilated his friend. Rodriguez was the only person he could turn to for support. What am I supposed to do in the face of that? I can listen but I dont have the tools to help someone like him, she says. Another major takeaway from the educator survey was the impact of declining funding and resources each year. If we dont prioritize investment in schools ... we cant expect anything to ever change." Class sizes are growing, with up to 50 students per teacher. Adding to their challenges, teachers are asked to instruct students with special needs alongside the general population. The few after school activities on offer are taken by staff on their own initiative, without compensation. If we dont prioritize investment in schools and continue to invest primarily in the military and police, we cant expect anything to ever change, says Garcia. Under a comprehensive regional support and protection programme developed by UNHCR and regional governments - known by its Spanish acronym MIRPS - the Government of Honduras is committed to formulating and implementing a prevention and protection strategy for schools by 2020 within the Ministry of Education. With UNHCR support, teachers have begun working to improve safety and conditions in schools. First, UNHCR is helping them develop protection measures and security protocols both for staff and the students themselves. They are creating communication networks among themselves and school administrators to report issues and warnings to protect teachers and students. A UNHCR-supported youth centre in a high-risk area of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Through a partnership with Doctors Without Borders, dozens of teachers have been trained in psychological first response for students struggling with effects of violence. UNHCR officials have trained teachers how to protect themselves, students or families that have been displaced by violence. See also: Gangs drive Hondurans from their homes and land And the leaders of this teachers group, Rodriguez, Garcia and Zelaya, plus a dozen others across the country, are developing proposals for improving schools, including a country-wide protocol for dealing with violence and threats within schools. The three recently met with the deputy minister of education to discuss the state of public schools and work with government agencies to formalize protection measures for the displaced within the school system. "We know that without better education, our country will never advance. Given the risk levels in the school environment, the government has established response mechanisms that include the increase of security forces presence in critical schools. Recently, it was launched the securing education programme, with support for violence prevention from the United States. We know we have a huge responsibility in educating the new generations of the country, but its hard to do it well with the current state of things, says Rodriguez. But we also know that without better education, our country will never advance. *Some names have been changed for protection purposes Kabul, July 30 (UNI) The Asian Development Bank has chalked out a 12-year strategy to develop and promote investment opportunities in Afghanistan and other Asian countries. The strategy, named as Strategy 2030, aimed at attracting investment of billion of dollars over the next few years in various sectors in Asian nations, including Afghanistan. According to the new strategy, ADB will expand its private sector operations, to reach one-third of its total operations in number by 2024, the Tolo News reported on Monday. GLO.ACT holds interagency and donor meeting in Vientiane Vientiane, Lao PDR - 30 July 2018 - The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT) held an interagency meeting between the European Union (EU) and the three implementing agencies of GLO.ACT, namely UNODC, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Mr. Francois Pravongviengkham, Political Affairs Officer of the EU Delegation to Lao PDR hosted the meeting at the EU House on 11 July 2018. The objective of the meeting was to update each other on the progress made with regard to project implementation and understand each other's challenges, if applicable, with regard to project implementation and be updated on EU priorities with regard to project implementation. During the meeting, the National Project Officer for UNICEF, Ms. Souphavone Dalavong, shared updates about the development of a hotline and on a recent training event conducted at the Lao Women's Union's Counseling and Protection Center for Women and Children. She also provided some insights into other related UNICEF activities, such as their recent work on strengthening the child protection network in Phongsaly, Huaphanh, Bokeo, Savannakhet, Saravane, and Attapeu Provinces. The meeting was also an opportunity for IOM to introduce their newly appointed National Project Officer, Ms. Sourivonexay Phrommala. Ms. Phrommala provided updates on ongoing discussions between IOM and the Lao Women's Union regarding the development of a National Referral Mechanism. In addition, she spoke about IOM's plan of facilitating a study tour for law enforcement officers to Thailand. The objective of this tour would be for officers to gain better insights into the trafficking in persons context in Thailand and any changes that are taking place due to Thailand's new policies on migration. Ms. Siliphaithoun Xayamoungkhoun, National Project Officer for UNODC, reported in brief on the preparations for World Day against Trafficking in Persons. GLO.ACT will actively support the Secretariat of the National Committee on Anti-Trafficking (NCATIP) during public engagements and event management. She also highlighted that activities such as the consultation meeting with Lao lawyers on their role and training them to combat trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants will be organized as soon as GLO.ACT's next 6-month implementation plan has been signed off by the NCAP. In addition, Ms. Xayamoungkhoun also spoke about the study tour with IOM as well as a potential revision of the existing databases on TIP and SOM. This will be done in close alignment with implementing partner agencies to avoid any duplication of resources and to help ensure that the database systems can be harmonized. Concluding the meeting, Mr. Pravongviengkham endorsed these types of cooperation and coordination meetings and went on to explain that they are a good way to deal with cross-cutting issues that may impact project implementation. He also endorsed the idea of having quarterly GLO.ACT meetings and, if needed, ad hoc meetings on hot issues to ensure all agencies are in the loop and any issues can be addressed. The next interagency cooperation and coordination meeting is planned for early October 2018. The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), 11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms. For more information, please contact: Ms. Siliphaithoun Xayamoungkhoun GLO.ACT National Project Officer siliphaithoun.xayamoungkhoun@un.org www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/ Email: glo.act@un.org Twitter: @glo_act GLO.ACT supports workshop for police officers on how to combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking Cairo, Egypt - 30 July 2018 - In collaboration with the National Coordinating Committee on Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling, the Egyptian Homeland Security and the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, UNODC under the framework of GLO.ACT organized a four-day training workshop from 9-19 July for 20 national police officers from different governorates across Egypt. Egypt is a source, transit, and destination country for trafficking in persons (TIP) and the smuggling of migrants (SOM). Primary SOM routes are from the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa, involving migrants seeking passage to Europe. In 2016, Egypt adopted Law No. 82/2016 on Combating Illegal Migration and the Smuggling of Migrants, which merged the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIM & TIP). Together with Law No. 64 of 2010 on trafficking in persons, Egypt has a comprehensive legal framework to combat TIP and SOM. UNODC supports the implementation of the legal framework with a training series for police officers, prosecutors and judges in order to strengthen national capacity to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate crimes of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Under the framework of GLO.ACT, this workshop is the first in a series of upcoming training events to be delivered to law enforcement officers. During the opening ceremony, which was hosted by the Ministry of Interior, General Kahled Showeita commended the efforts by the European Union and UNODC in planning and organizing the series of training workshops specifically adapted to suit law enforcement officers. He also took the opportunity to suggest that additional collaboration would likely benefit national police officers and help in the fight against human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Speaking on behalf of UNODC, Ms. Cristina Albertin, UNODC Regional Representative, stressed that UNODC will continue in its efforts to assist all relevant institutions in Egypt to counter all types of organized crimes, including TIP and SOM. The workshop took place in the police academy, and the training covered the following topics: International legal frameworks; International cooperation in criminal matters; National legal frameworks; Indictment of judgments and regulations relating to the issuance of judgments in TIP and SOM cases under Egyptian Law; Crimes related to TIP and SOM; and Digital investigations and digital evidence in TIP and SOM cases. The workshop was very interactive in nature and lively discussions took place between the police officers and the trainers, especially when groups discussed real TIP and SOM cases from Egypt. Using real cases enabled the trainers to provide relevant feedback, tips and advice that the police officers found very useful. The police officers confirmed that they will now use what they have learnt in future TIP and SOM investigations. After the workshop, participating police officers provided positive feedback in their post workshop evaluation questionnaires. They also highlighted the need to continue this training series and to increase the numbers of officers that can participate in this training. They also commented on the need for law enforcement officers to have solid insights in to national laws as well as relevant international conventions and protocols. The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), 11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms. For more information, please contact: Mr. Faisal Hegazy GLO.ACT National Programme Officer faisal.hegazy@unodc.org www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/ Email: glo.act@un.org Twitter: @glo_act (July 30, 2018) -- The summer is winding down but the fun continues at UTSA summer camps. Throughout the summer, UTSA offers more than 60 camps in science, engineering, architecture, sports, music, writing, language, culture and more. This week, campers will explore water, robotics and coding. Theyll also hit the diamond to work on their baseball skills. UTSA offers these camps for the week of July 30-Aug. 3: Hydrology (All About Water) Camp Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Main Campus A new camp at UTSA this summer, curious minds will explore all the different places water lives around us. Campers ages 6-12 will discover the unique underground water systems in Bexar County and learn about ground water, water cycles, drinking water and the creatures that call the Edwards Aquifer home. iTEC Camps Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., various locations, Main Campus Campers will explore science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on activities. This week, campers in kindergarten through 2nd grade will explore environmental science and programming. Third grade through 5th grade will take a closer look at human biology and try their hands at coding. Sixth grade through 8th grade will gear up for a space race. New this year, UTSA is also offering Texas Workforce Commission Governors Summer Merit Program, a free iTEC program for qualified students ages 14-21. The camp gives students an understanding and appreciation of specific aspects of the science, technology and career opportunities in advanced technologies and manufacturing, particularity robotics. Youth Future Stars Baseball Camp Monday to Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Roadrunner Field, Main Campus This baseball camp provides an intense camp experience for skilled youth players ages 9-14. Camp will mirror a UTSA practice setting. UTSA coaches and players will train campers on a quality stretching and pre-practice routine, focus on defense and playing your position of choice, cover situational aspects of the game and cover a wide range of drills and techniques in the area of hitting and situational offense. Nearly VND310.52 trillion (US$13.5 billion) of bad debts were resolved through VAMC. - Photo vneconomy.vn Deputy governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Nguyen Kim Anh hailed the operation of VAMC over the past five years, saying that the company contributed significantly to lowering the NPL ratio of the entire banking system to below 3 per cent, while supporting enterprises during the debt-restructuring process. According to VAMC chairman Nguyen Tien Dong, until June 30 this year, nearly VND310.52 trillion (US$13.5 billion) of NPLs were resolved through VAMC, accounting for 40 per cent of the entire banking systems total NPLs. Of the total, VAMC coordinated with credit institutions to recoup nearly VND100 trillion. Thanks to the National Assemblys new resolution on NPL effective last year, the company recouped VND30.85 trillion of NPLs in 2017, equal to nearly two thirds of the total NPLs recouped in 2013-2016, Dong said. Besides the purchase of NPLs from credit institutions by using its special bonds, VAMC has so far also bought more than VND3.1 trillion according to the market mechanism. According to Dong, VAMC will gradually reduce the use of special bonds to buy NPLs and increase the purchase according to the market mechanism. However, Dong suggested SBV increase the VAMCs charter capital to VND5 trillion by the end of this year and VND10 trillion by the end of 2020 as approved by the Prime Minister in a move to provide it with more capital to buy NPLs according to the market mechanism. Currently, the companys charter capital is only VND2 trillion. VAMC plans to recover VND24.89 trillion of NPLs in 2018. It also sets to buy some VND30.5-35.5 trillion of NPLs from credit institutions this year. The company is also stepping up its auctions of bad debts in 2018. So far this year, it has sold some VND380 billion in mortgages. These include auctioning the properties of the Tan Quoc Duy Steel Companys property in southern Binh Duong Province, Puzolan Gia Lai Cement Companys mortgage for a loan at Saigon-Hanoi Bank and bad debts belonging to Kim Son Building Material Production Company at the Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam. The auctioned Kim Sons assets, with a starting price of VND8.727 billion, was handed over to the new owner for VND9.427 billion. Many credit institutions this year also expect to increase their repurchasing of NPLs that they sold to VAMC thanks to the countrys macroeconomic stability and a new National Assembly resolution on NPLs which helps institutions to resolve bad debts through real estate assets. Previously, banks had to sell their debts to the VAMC to keep their NPL ratios below 3 per cent as regulated by the central bank, but they still had to make provision for the debts. In fact, banks have identified the VAMC as a bad debt landing as the recovery of the debts at the VAMC is slow. The banks therefore have taken the initiative to handle the debts by themselves. According to banking expert Bui Quang Tin, credit institutions should be capable of dealing with NPLs, fuelled by the warming of the real estate market as most of these debts have collateral in the form of real estate assets. The growth of e-payments in Vietnam is enabling the rapid proliferation of e-commerce platform in the country, Photo: Dung Minh E-commerce grows like grass Browsing Tiki.vn for sun block on an extremely hot summers day in Hanoi has never been so easy and convenient. With just a few clicks of a button and the useful debit or credit card on the side, everything is done and the sun block is on its way to the buyers address in less than a day. It is the combined power of e-commerce and e-payments, with transactions completed entirely through smart devices that are replacing the traditional shopping experience. The shift from bricks to clicks, as Visa stressed in its report entitled Rise of the digitally engaged consumer that incorporating the 4th annual Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Survey conducted last July-August in Southeast Asia, is fundamentally driven by two key factors, namely innovation and changing consumer experience. Technology advances have hastened the innovation process and as a result, consumers have higher expectations when it comes to experience, the report highlighted. The 2017 Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Survey (based on a sample size of 4,160 consumers, including 517 from Vietnam, representing the online populations of seven Southeast Asia economies) showed that 78 per cent of respondents in the region and 84 per cent of Vietnamese respondents, in particular, shopped online at least once a month. According to Statista, Vietnam had around 35.4 million e-commerce users out of a total population of over 90 million in 2017. In 2018, the number of e-commerce users is forecast to reach 37.3 million. By 2021, it could go up to 42 million, representing 58 per cent of the countrys total population. On average, a user spent $62 online in 2017 and the amount is anticipated to rise to $96 by 2021. Statista also revealed that total revenue of the local e-commerce market was estimated at some $2.2 billion in 2017, with a compound annual growth rate for the period of 2018-2022 of 13.5 per cent, resulting in market volume estimated at $4.54 billion by 2022. These figures speak for the solid enlargement of the e-commerce market in Vietnam at present, with ample room for additional growth of the sector, thanks to the nations demographic golden age, growing middle class, and intensifying internet and mobile phone adoption. Online shopping platform Lazada Vietnam, whilst remarking that the local e-commerce market is still in the early stages of development with multiple challenges to overcome, said that it has recorded a growing number of customers on a daily basis. Such promising records are regarded as the impetus for its future growth strategy. With the investment of Alibaba, Lazada is able to provide more products and services and expand our logistics services to serve customers all over the country. Ever since, Lazada has attracted more and more customers every day, now reaching more than 31 million visits every month, said Lazada customer care officer Vu Ngoc Lam. From our perspective, there are three particular elements that are driving our company strategy: a massive number of customer contacts, government policies for e-commerce sellers, and a desire to build a better customer experience. Hello e-payment The rise of e-commerce, ideally, would not rely on cash, but pair up perfectly with e-payments, though this does not always necessarily happen in reality. While Vietnam is reportedly still heavily dependant on cash, the countrys usage rate of device-initiated payment or e-payments is the highest amongst its neighbouring countries at 91 per cent, as per the Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Survey. The availability of smart devices has empowered consumers to demand for things right here and right now. Anything less than that is increasingly perceived as a flaw, read the Visa report. According to Visa, increased connectivity, coupled with new payment methods and form factors, has transformed consumer experience in commerce. The introduction of various payment solutions such as Visa contactless payments, Visa Checkout, and Visa Token Service have transformed the way consumers conduct their daily lives from shopping and booking a taxi to ordering and paying for food in a variety of restaurants. These technologies have enabled consumers to perform device-initiated payments anywhere, at any time, with their smartphones, and are fast becoming the norm as consumers forego cash for a more seamless, reliable, and secure mode of payment, said Visa. Meanwhile, according to Harmander Mahal, head of retail banking at Standard Chartered Bank (Vietnam), the enlargement of e-commerce in Vietnam is paving the way for development of e-payments. I think e-commerce/card-not-present (CNP) platforms are the biggest engine of growth for electronic payments in Vietnam, driven by very high smartphone and mobile device penetration and one of the highest per-capita time spend on social media in Southeast Asia, said Mahal. With clients are increasingly looking to mobile payment solutions and Standard Chartered is very active in this space, the UK-backed lender, as Mahal noted, have partnered with leading local e-commerce merchants like Lazada, Tiki, Agoda, Adayroi, Shoppe.vn, and more to bring attractive offers to their Vietnamese clients. We have also partnered with international e-commerce merchants through our global network to create a specific e-commerce proposition for our credit and debit cards holders, Mahal said. Today, more than 50 per cent of our card transactions are CNP transactions, which helps us to deliver superior client experience and drive business growth. Commenting on the payment ecosystem in Vietnam, Mahal said that it is developing at an accelerated pace both at the issuing and the acquiring end. He told VIR that while there is a proliferation of payment methods and apps, there is some amount of consolidation that is happening globally. There are faster inter-operable platforms being driven by regulators, there are global EMVCO QR code payments, and then there are scheme-based (Visa/Master) card payments that can be done offline and online. The payment apps apply to different use cases and improve client experiences. Referring to retail payments, Mahal noted that there is much innovation happening everywhere. One big shift happening globally is the evolution of faster payments, which is not only enabling 24/7, instant, domestic peer-to-peer (P2P), person-to-merchant (P2M), business-to-business (B2B), and business-to-consumer (B2C) payments, but, as automated clearing houses (ACHs) get faster, this also makes international payments much faster as banks use International ACH as a mode of moving money across borders. Contactless payments, he noted, are expanding, as they enable fast P2M transactions. Transit payments are looking at moving from closed loops to open standards with existing payment methods like cards, emulating developments in the UK and Singapore. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and large local wallets will expand to promote mobile payments. Payments, Mahal said, are a means to an end and everybody wants a share of the transactions as part of the larger ecosystem between individuals, merchants, and businesses. Visitors can light candles in the subterranean caves decorated in the style of mediaeval Armenian churches AFP/KAREN MINASYAN When Tosya Gharibyan asked her husband to dig a basement under their house to store potatoes, she had little idea the underground labyrinth he would eventually produce would prove to be one of Armenia's major tourist draws. Their one-storey house in the village of Arinj outside the capital Yerevan may not look like much but today it brings in visitors from all over the globe after a 23-year labour of love by Tosya's late husband, Levon Arakelyan. They come to see a twisting network of subterranean caves and tunnels known as "Levon's divine underground." In the cold and quiet, Tosya leads tourists through corridors that connect seven chambers adorned with Romanesque columns and ornaments like those on the facades of mediaeval Armenian churches. "Once he started digging, it was impossible to stop him," she said of the project that began in 1995. "I wrangled with him a lot, but he became obsessed with his plan." A builder by training, Levon would toil for 18 hours a day - only pausing to take a quick nap and then rush back to the cave, confident that he was being guided "by heaven". "He never drew up plans and used to tell us that he sees in his dreams what to do next," his widow told AFP. Over more than two decades he hammered out the 280 sq m space, 21m deep into strata of volcanic rocks - only using hand tools. "My primary childhood recollection is the loud knock of my father's hammer heard at night from the cave," said his 44-year-old daughter Araksya. At the start he had to break through a surface layer of black basalt, but at the depth of a few metres Levon reached much softer tufa stone and the work progressed. He pulled out 600 truckloads of rocks and earth, using only hand-held buckets. Levon died in 2008 at the age of 67 from a heart attack after destroying the last wall that separated two tunnels. "AMAZING PLACE" A decade on from the project's completion, Tosya also runs a small museum commemorating her husband's work in the village of some 6,000 people. The underground complex has several analogues in the world. An eccentric man named William Henry "Burro" Schmidt spent more than three decades digging a half-a-mile tunnel to transport gold through a granite mountain in California, beginning his work in the early 1900s during the state's gold rush. In Ethiopia a man named Aba Defar began carving churches on a mountainside after claiming divine inspiration from years of dreams. Today the Armenian cave features prominently in travel brochures, regularly drawing busloads of visitors. Milad, a 29-year-old Iranian tourist, called the maze an "amazing place". He said it made him realise just "how boundless the spiritual and physical capabilities of a person can be". Some stranded people were plucked from the churning inundations by rescuers in boats, while others waded through waist-deep water to escape, carrying children on their shoulders while trying to keep precious belongings out of the water. (Photo: AFP/Ye Aung Thu) Dramatic images showed vast areas of farmland completely submerged in muddy waters stretching to the horizon, with only the rooftops of some houses visible. Some stranded people were plucked from the churning inundations by rescuers in boats, while others waded through waist-deep water to escape, carrying children on their shoulders while trying to keep precious belongings out of the water. "There are more than 54,000 displaced people affected by the flooding around the country," a Ministry of Social Welfare official told AFP. The official confirmed that five people had been killed but said this figure was expected to rise. Evacuation orders had been issued in several areas, while some 163 camps have been set up for displaced people in southern, eastern and central parts country. The floods in Myanmar come as a particularly heavy monsoon continues to pummel the region, bringing downpours that contributed to the collapse of a dam last week in Laos, which left scores dead or missing. Myanmar is hit by severe flooding every year and climate scientists in 2015 ranked it top of a global list of nations hardest hit by extreme weather. That year more than 100 people died in floods that also displaced hundreds of thousands across the country. Myanmar's worst natural disaster of recent times was Cyclone Nargis, which lashed huges stretches of the country's coast, leaving at least 138,000 dead or missing in May 2008. Dragon fruit is one of many Vietnamese products being exported to the US. - VNA/VNS Photo An Hieu However, the US has strict standards that require Vietnamese export businesses to improve their capacity and take the initiative to cooperate and build new supply chains. Tran Quoc Manh, chairman of the Saigon Trade and Production Development Corporation (Sadaco), said the US was home to the highest market mechanism in the world. Its trade remedies such as anti-dumping were being applied strictly so that Vietnamese businesses must grow to promote their products in the market. Wooden furniture is one of the five items from Vietnam that have the largest export turnover in the US. Businesses wishing to export to this market must ensure both productivity and quality, said Manh. In addition, US orders for furniture are usually large with up to several hundred containers per month. Therefore, Vietnamese enterprises need to expand the scale and automate the production line to ensure the quality and quantity of supply, said Manh. According to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai, the new changes in the US trade policy would have a major impact on Vietnams export of many key products, so its not an easy task for Vietnamese businesses to maintain the current export turnover or boost export growth in the US. Hai said the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) encouraged Vietnamese enterprises to jointly build up a production and supply chain for export goods to the US market, thereby bringing more added value for Vietnamese goods. The ministry was ready to assist the businesses in this process, said Hai. James W. Fatheree, former vice president, Asia and acting head of Asia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, appreciated the cooperation between Vietnam and the US. He said the US business community was looking at the Vietnamese market due to the countrys population, growth rate and economic reforms. US businesses highly appreciated the improvements to the business investment environment in Vietnam, where political mechanism reforms and human resources as well as procedural conditions were gradually improving. The changes were a good basis for the two sides to complement and create conditions to increase cooperation. According to Nguyen Thang Vuong, head of the Department of European and American Markets under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, since the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement came into force, two-way trade between the countries had continued to grow highly, up 47 times from $220 million in 1994 to $50.8 billion in 2017. Vietnam is currently the 12th largest exporter of goods to the US and the 27th largest importer. Export turnover of the top 10 commodities to the US in 2017 was approximately $34 billion, accounting for over 80 per cent of total export value. The textile and garment sector continued to lead with $12.28 billion, accounting for 29.51 per cent of total export value to the US. It was followed by footwear with $5.11 billion, phones and components at $3.7 billion, and computers, electronic products and components, wood and wooden products at $3.26 billion. Trade experts said that the US would remain a key export market for Vietnam in the near future, but some strict regulations and standards for imported products would raise production costs. However, in the long run this would promote sustainable development if businesses were adaptable and implementing food safety regulations. A shift to less stringent markets was only a temporary solution, not sustainable and long term, especially for businesses that had established a foothold in the US market. Experts said that in order to reduce difficulties for enterprises, the Government should issue guidelines to minimise administrative costs and support enterprises through trade promotions. The National Trade Promotion Programme should identify those who were capable of adapting to the market, maintaining partnerships, being socially and environmentally responsible, building branding and sustainable development. In addition, changes to US trade policies needed to be quickly understood in order to develop appropriate solutions to assist enterprises as they shift their production and business strategies in order to maintain their export advantage in the market. Vietnam must also step up the process of building a fair and transparent legal system. This was a key factor to attracting foreign investment and creating favourable conditions for domestic enterprises to develop. Investors follow transactions at VNDirect Securities JSC. - VNS Photo Truong Vi The benchmark VN-Index on the HCM Stock Exchange gained 0.58 per cent to close last week at 935.52 points, totalling a two-day increase of 0.85 per cent. The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange added 1.07 per cent to end Friday at 105.70 points. It has risen a total of 2.04 per cent in the last two sessions. The increases of the last two days helped the VN-Index finish last week 0.23 per cent higher than the previous one, but the HNX Index fell 1.78 per cent on a weekly basis. The VN-Index has fallen 2.63 per cent since the end of June, while the figure for the HNX Index is 0.44 per cent. An average of more than 252 million shares, worth VND4.82 trillion, was traded in each session of last week. Large-cap stocks remained among the most important factors to lift the market last week, however, attention was paid to speculative stocks following their positive second quarter earnings reports and business news. Foreign investors continued net-selling a total VND423 billion worth of local stocks. They have totalled VND1.09 trillion worth of net sell value in the last two weeks. According to Nguyen Trung Du, head of the brokerage division at VNDirect Securities Co, trading liquidity in July remained positive compared to June despite the last two-day slowdown. Large-cap stocks are consolidating and speculative ones are becoming more and more attractive to investors in the short term. However, to make a big breakthrough at the moment, large-cap stocks such as banks are required to perform much better, Du told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn. The latest developments of both global and domestic markets might be good for Vietnamese shares to expand their recovery, he said. The number of strongly-volatile sessions had declined, worries about exchange rates and trade wars had eased, and second quarter earnings reports created mixed performances among local stocks, Du said. The prospects of listed companies in the remaining months of the year will put their stocks at lower valuations. Thus, the stocks that have been consolidating like banks are expected to create the momentum to drive the market upwards and help the VN-Index reach the range of 980-1,000 points in August. Investor sentiment had improved after the benchmark VN-Index beat its resistance range of 925-930 points in the previous week, analyst Vu Minh Duc at Viet Capital Securities Co (VSC) said. The market is expected to increase slightly this week with moderate trading liquidity, indicating investors are still cautious with the market conditions, said Duc. Capital tended to flow into large-cap stocks that often released good earnings reports such as steel producer Hoa Phat (HPG), VPBank, Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), MBBank (MBB) and Phu Nhuan Jewellery JSC (PNJ), according to analyst Nguyen Huu Binh. Among those, bank stocks would be the most attractive for their business results and positive prospects with room for improvement, plus their stocks were valued quite low at the moment, Binh said. Book Fairs at Summer Nights The annual Summer Nights are currently being held every Thursday and Saturday, until Saturday 11th August 2018. At the Summer Nights event on Thursday 19th July, the Gibraltar Cultural Services Library Team, held a Book Fair at Casemates Square. All books were free of charge, with the public encouraged to take books at their leisure. Gibraltar Cultural Services library staff were available to answer any questions that people may have had and to discuss their ideas. The event was well attended, and due to its success, a second Book Fair has been scheduled for Thursday 2nd August, at Casemates Square. Children are also encouraged to take books, but they must be accompanied by an adult. For further information please contact the Library Team at Gibraltar Cultural Services on 20075669 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Photo: Focus Features Each month, several films leave Hulus library. We provide a list of departing titles and recommend a few standouts so you can watch them before theyre gone forever (or are just available on a different site). For more coverage of the best titles available on Hulu, including our top picks from last month and updates on whats new on Hulu this month, check out Vultures What to Stream Now hub. This Months Highlights Leaving August 31 If youre still not over Crash winning an Oscar: Brokeback Mountain Theres little that Ang Lees acclaimed movie about two men who fall in love in the mountains of Wyoming does that isnt excellent. With Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, two ranch hands who meet on a shepherding job, the film follows the pair across 20 years as their friendship turns into a love kept secret, while they both marry women and build lives to hide their relationship. Anchored by Lees boundlessly humane direction, a score by the brilliant Gustavo Santaolalla, and cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto, Brokeback Mountain is a classic worth revisiting before it leaves Hulu for other streaming pastures. Leaving August 31. Leaving August 31 For some cult-classic space horror: Event Horizon Director Paul W.S. Anderson has built an incredibly successful career making movies based on video games that you can largely ignore, but there was a blip in his careerbetween the runaway success of Mortal Kombat and the early-aughts kitsch of Resident Evilwhere Anderson looked like he was going to be a director of promising, big-budget sci-fi. Event Horizon was his first film following Mortal Kombat, and its a doozy: a space-horror film about a ship testing out a new form of faster-than-light travel that disappeared, only to reappear seven years later with a new life form possibly onboard. The movies was largely compromised by the studio and was a failure both critically and commercially at the time, but Event Horizon is the stuff of cult legend a strange film with enormous curiosity and great scares that, over the years, finally found an audience. Check it out for foreboding Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne performances, moderately dated special effects, and genuinely creepy vibes. Leaving August 31. Full List New on Netflix: Movies Leaving August 31 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) 2 Days in the Valley (1996) 52 Pick-Up (1986) A Beautiful Mind (2001) A Guy Thing (2003) Across the Universe (2007) Analyze That (2002) Analyze This (1999) Baby Mama (2008) Bad Influence (1990) Barnyard (2006) Beer for my Horse (2008) Blue Like Jazz (2012) Bowfinger (1999) Brokeback Mountain (2005) The Brothers Grimm (2005) The Burbs (1989) Chinese Box (1997) Clue (1985) Criminal Law (1989) Dead Man Walking (1995) Doctor Dolittle (1997) Drive Me Crazy (1999) Drop Zone (1994) East Is East (1999) End of Days (1999) Escape From Alcatraz (1979) Event Horizon (1997) Fatal Instinct (1993) The Frozen Ground (2013) Hard Rain (1998) Hellboy (2004) Hot Boyz (2000) House of D (2005) Immigration Tango (2011) Into the West (2005) Men With Brooms (2002) Mindhunters (2004) Mr. Majestyk (1974) Mutant Species (1995) My Left Foot (1989) Nanny McPhee (2006) Nurse 3D (2014) Over the Top (1987) Panic (2000) Prancer (1989) Primal Fear (1996) Rain Man (1988) Remember the Goal (2016) Restoration (2016) Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) Spawn (1997) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) Tamara (2006) Trainspotting (1996) You Dont Mess With the Zohan (2008) For more coverage of the best movies and TV shows available on HBO, Amazon Prime, Showtime and Hulu, check out Vultures What to Stream Now hub, which is updated throughout the month. Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman making it work on Making It. Photo: NBC/Paul Drinkwater/NBC If Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson of Parks and Recreation came up with their own reality competition show, it would look a lot like Making It. Which makes sense since Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, the actors who famously played Leslie and Ron on the NBC comedy, are the executive producers and hosts of Making It, a new NBC series in which American crafters strive to create clever, beautiful, and practical handmade pieces of art. Life is stressful enough, Poehler says in the introduction to the first episode, which premieres Tuesday night. Lets make a show that makes you feel good. Making It is definitely that, and definitely Knope-ish in that intent. Theres no doubt that Pawnees finest citizen would appreciate the can-do spirit and cleverness possessed by the eight contestants, each of whom claims a different specialty (such as felt work, interior design, paper), while Indianas finest libertarian handyman would love their strong work ethic and the shows forays into woodworking. As an actual woodworker himself, Offerman also brings a valuable understanding and knowledge of craftsmanship to the show, in addition to the chemistry he shares with his longtime co-star. With all due respect to the wonderful Nicole Byer and Jacques Torres of Netflixs Nailed It!, Poehler and Offerman now hold the title of best reality-show co-hosting duo on television. In addition to its affable hosts, Making It shares some other things in common with other comfort-food reality programs. Although its competitors are far, far more accomplished, theres a modest accessibility at the heart of Making It the notion that you could, in fact, try some of these things at home yourself thats slightly Nailed It-esque. The focus on sculpting something stunning out of unexpected materials, from Hula-Hoops to manila-envelope clasps, is a bit Project Runway. The idea that the competitors are learning something important about themselves from the experience is kind of Queer Eye-ish. (Full disclosure: I did tear up at least once while watching the five episodes provided to critics. ) Most notably, the format and the sense of decency that beams out from Making It like a lit bulb inside a handcrafted lamp comprised of natural elements an actual Making It challenge! are very much in keeping with the vibe of The Great British Baking Show. Theyre so close in sensibility that the coveted title on Making It only differs from the one on the PBS series by a single letter: This time, the goal is to become master maker, as opposed to master baker. Basically, Making It is the TV equivalent of something a contestant on Making It would produce: a new, signature piece, sculpted out of bits recycled in an imaginative way. Heres how the show works: Eight contenders from various parts of the country gather in a massive barn on a bucolic farm where, in each episode, they must complete two challenges. The first is a Faster Craft, a smaller-scale project that can be completed relatively quickly (a terrarium or a Halloween costume), and the second is a Master Craft, a grander, more complicated endeavor, like a childs play fort or a tricked-out shed. Every week, patches are given to the winners of each challenge and one person is sent home until, eventually, its down to the final three. Ultimately, a Master Maker will be crowned and given a reward of $100,000 in the sixth and final week. But the real reward is, of course, the artistic process and getting to hang out with Poehler and Offerman, who drop by every workstation to ask questions, offer help, and do some improv comedy. In analogy terms, Amy and Nick are to Making It as Mel and Sue were to The Great British Baking Show, except that theyre even more involved. Thats a good thing because they amp up the shows charm enormously. They seem sincerely interested in the contestants thought processes and backgrounds, and also do exactly the kinds of things you would hope Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman would do if they showed up at your workshop clad in overalls and flannel. Poehler goes off on random, hilarious riffs, including one related to the popularity of the pool noodle as a crafting tool. Pool Noodles, please hold! Pool Noodles, please hold! she chirps, panic-stricken, as if shes responsible for answering the phone at Pool Noodle headquarters. By the way, the fact that pool noodles are a running reference in Making It is, to me, yet another piece of strong evidence that this show is great. Every show would be ten times better if more of the characters talked about pool noodles every once in a while. As for Offerman, hes just as funny, especially in the third episode, when he realizes that very few of the displays in a sports-related edible crafting challenge contain beef or pork. You know what people love dipped in chocolate? he advises one contestant after encountering his third or fourth sweets-focused snack stadium. Meat. Then there are the pun-offs, the back-and-forths in which Poehler and Offerman attempt to outdo each other in lightning rounds of crafting-related puns. During a celebrity edition of this regular feature, they rattle off a stream of reimagined famous names, including Seth Plyers, Michael Felts, and Matthew McConaug-clay. It is nothing short of delightful, and it also gives The Good Place a run for its money as punniest show on television. In a more meaningful sense, whats delightful is the generosity and kindness that the contestants show toward one another. Not only are they congratulatory and supportive, but they actually help each other, sharing materials and sometimes even setting their own projects aside to help a barn-mate whos struggling. I never thought Id say this, but the contestants on Making It may be even nicer to each other than clutches pearls the ones on The Great British Baking Show. At a time when Americans are living in the alleged aftermath of the death of civility, it is so affirming and pleasant to watch people looking out for each other like this. You can actually watch Making It with your kids and tell them that this is how grown-ups behave, without having to sound sarcastic. With Making It, Poehler and Offerman havent just given us another reality program. Theyve conjured a tiny oasis in our combative culture, and a glue-gun-ready glimmer of how society should (and sometimes still does) function. In other words, as promised, theyve made a show that makes you feel good. If for some reason youre still not sure whether to watch or not, Ill leave you with a final piece of Parks and Recreationstyle advice: Go ahead, treat yo self. Orange Is the New Black State of the Uterus Season 6 Episode 6 Editors Rating 2 stars * * Previous Next Photo: JoJo Whilden / Netflix Weve spent five episodes on the Litchfield inmates legal issues; were obviously due an update on their vaginas! A gynecologist is on site but, of course, Pipers not going to see him. Dr. Chin is a specialist in New York who doesnt take insurance but does have an herbal-tea bar in her waiting area, because of course thats the kind of doctor Piper would see, and will see when she gets out in nine months. In the meantime, Alex would like Piper to stay out of petty prison shit and focus on their relationship. Piper agrees that they need to start planning their wedding, and announces that shed like to have one in prison before doing it again on the outside. Alex isnt convinced, but apparently she keeps an open mind. When Mendoza goes in for her pelvic exam, it seems as though she might be menopausal though, as she frustratedly notes, its hard to know for sure: It seems like all the symptoms of The Change could also be symptoms of being incarcerated. The doctor tells her to be aware of possible signs that shes going through changes, and to exercise. Having reconnected with earlier with Sophia (yay!), whos safe but bored in Florida, Mendoza tries joining her in an extremely low-impact Footrobics class. No sooner has Mendoza discovered how pleasant it actually is to sit on a mat and rotate her ankles, the VCR breaks and ejects the tape. One sign that Mendoza might be experiencing hormonal fluctuations is that she cant cope with this setback AT ALL. Blanca, who had spent a recent visit with her boyfriend discussing how much she wanted to get out and have his babies, is surprised to learn that her prime childbearing years might be behind her, not to mention she still has another year left on her sentence. The doctor concedes that she might be genetically blessed with fertility like Geena Davis, who had twins at 48. (Presumably this episode was written and filmed well before the announcement of Brigitte Nielsens pregnancy at 54.) Blancas not familiar with the Davis oeuvre; her culturally literate doctor mentions Marjorie Prime (hee hee) before hitting her with Thelma & Louise. Youre trying to inspire me by talking about a rape and murder movie that has a tragic ending? asks Blanca in disbelief. That movie, the (male) doctor intones, was also about a particularly feminist futility, and the impossibility of justice for women within the patriarchal court system. Look at the big brain on Dr. Critic over here! We dont see Lornas exam, though she does tearfully tell Nicky about having had one and how much she wishes Vinnie had been present. Now shes trying to use her serving for two status to cut lines and stuff. Red meets with her lawyer, who downplays the effect of her taking any plea that adds ten years to her sentence; hes sure she can reduce it with good behavior. More to the point, if she goes to trial, she wont win: Youll die in here. Reluctantly, Red signs. This gets her transferred into C block, where she has no interest in Pipers justifications for selling Red out in her interview. Im sorry that you feel betrayed, says Piper white-womanishly before correcting herself: Im sorry for what I did. Unfortunately for Red, the only one of her girls who isnt on her shit list is Nicky, in D block. By the end of the episode, shes on the phone with her son Vasily, regretful about energy she didnt devote to her (biological) family. Taystee does get to go to court. As her public defender has advised, she pleads guilty to incitement to riot. On the charge of second-degree murder, however, she rejects her public defenders counsel and pleads not guilty, to cheers from a knot of observers in the gallery. They turn out to be representatives from the ACLU, who have taken up her cause but in the meantime, its back to Litchfield Max for her, and a heros welcome from all her new neighbors in D block. Photo: Netflix This includes Black Cindy, though maybe she can avoid the kind of confrontation with her that Piper had with Red if Black Cindy is better at lying, which it seems likely she is. Oh! And! Speaking of liars, we also rejoin Aleida on the outside, getting read for filth by all her children for her failure to get them out of foster care, and hijacking a court-ordered parenting class to try to sell her fellow students Nutri-Health. After the last episode was set entirely in the present day, this one gives us another flashback spotlight, which seems a little extraneous since what were dealing with here is complicated enough. Finally, were introduced to present-day Barb, the D-block boss. Photo: Netflix Mackenzie Phillips! (Excellent older/younger casting, I have to say.) Daddy checks in to share the rationale for the rat prank: since cheese shipments went out covered in rat feces, C block looks dirty and, thus, the cheese operation will be relocated to D block, bringing high-status jobs to inmates there instead. (Sidebar: The cue for the rat release was Litchfield Max DJ Chatty Cathy screaming on mic; shes since been moved to the SHU and, after an exhaustive talent search, Luschek has reassigned radio duty to the team of Flaca and Black Cindy.) If Barb has anything else to say about this plot, she tables it when Daddy gives her some pills. News of the cheese fiasco has made it to the front page of the OITNB-iverses barely disguised Daily News. Photo: Netflix In addition to the PR nightmare, which has sent MCC stock into free fall, cheese revenues were offsetting the cost of housing a significant number of inmates. Linda parks it in Figs office and interrupts her online shopping to collaborate on a solution. For some reason, Fig lets Linda order lunch and hang around for hours before telling her to trick some college marketing students into interning for free and fighting MCCs bad press on social media. CO Hellman tells Daddy they also have an issue that Daddy hasnt foreseen: he was smuggling pills in cheese shipments, and because of her, their supply line has been cut. Its bad, but as we see, shes been through worse: In the past, Daddys job is recruiting hot college girls to be sex workers for drug dealers and sugar barons, one of whom Felipe accidentally kills one of Daddys contractors. Daddy only allows herself a few seconds to be upset about it before she starts managing the situation, giving orders to the clients bodyguard about how to remove the body without any of her other girls finding out what happened or the client risking arrest. At Max, Daddys chaotic evil C-block counterpart Badison comes up with a retaliatory solution: The former cheesemongers are going to defecate on D blocks uniforms while they tumble in the dryers. Alvarez and Copeland are standing just outside and decline to intervene, for draft purposes: Theyll get points if any of their inmates contract pink eye from the contamination. (Another sidebar: When Luschek mentions the draft to fellow CO Young, who is African-American, we learn that he doesnt participate in the inmate draft because he regards it as a slave auction. He does, of course, still make his living from the carceral state, so lets not make Young the grand marshal of the woke parade just yet.) When the D-block laundry crew discovers the soiled dryers full of baked-on shit, Daddy capitalizes on their fury, smoothly lying that the C-block inmates also turned Hellman and cut off the pill supply. DEATH TO C BLOCK!!! Lorna shrieks. Nobody fucks with Daddy, says well, Daddy, who else. And nobody fucks with Daddys girls. Carol, meanwhile, is also furious with her lieutenant. She tells Badison that shitting in the dryers was not a proportional response to the cheese sabotage: I dont want to start anything. I want to end them. Do you understand me? Shanks, not pranks, cracks Badison. Carol, refusing to laugh, dismisses her. Daya finds Daddy crouched, fully dressed, in the shower, water pouring over her. Daya tries to comfort her: Having denied it earlier, she says she did take some of the pills Daddy gave her, and that they helped; she holds Daddys hand and thanks her. Perhaps Daya wouldnt be so friendly if she could see how Daddys flashback story ends: She spends part of an afternoon dodging Felipes texts until he shows up at her place with a fat envelope and orders up the girl Daddy herself was canoodling with just hours before. Anyone can fuck with Daddys girls, it seems, if Daddy doesnt have a backup plan. Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images All week long, Vulture is exploring the many ways true crime has become one of the most dominant genres in popular culture. It is a truth universally acknowledged, at least in the true-crime community, that Ted Bundy would be irritatingly pleased with all the attention hes getting lately. Twenty-nine years have passed since he died in the electric chair, forty since his last murder, forty-four since his first confirmed murder, and seventy-two since his birth, but a brief scan of pop culture seems to indicate that our fascination with the turtlenecked sociopath has reached a new level. Should we be concerned? Lets consider the evidence. Oxygens recent series, In Defense Of, features Teds lawyer John Henry Browne in the finale; the channel has also launched a two-hour special called Snapped Notorious: Ted Bundy, plus a smattering of juicy online content (Where Is Serial Killer Ted Bundys Daughter?). Then, 2017 gave us the haunting short film Fry Day, set during Bundys 1989 execution, and over the past few years, hes been exhaustively covered on most of the big true-crime podcasts. Next, 2019 is shaping up to be the year of the Big Bundy Reveal: Itll bring us Theodore, a documentary by Celene Beth Calderon, the first female documentary director to tackle this subject, and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a feature film starring Zac Efron as the killer with the sociopathic smize. The films director, Joe Berlinger, is also working on a multi-part unscripted series about Bundy using never-before-seen archival material. To be fair, Bundy is not the only true-crime heavy hitter getting revisited these days. (My Friend Dahmer, anyone?) And serial killers have always been creepily popular: When Bundy was incarcerated in the 80s, people snapped up trading cards emblazoned with his face and gobbled Bundy-themed dishes at restaurants. But then he was electrocuted, and his white hearse drove off into the sunrise, and his celebrity faded, at least for a while. So why the sudden renewed interest? There was a real lull in the attention given to Bundy for 20 years, says Browne, Bundys defense attorney. I dont want to be known as Ted Bundys lawyer, but unfortunately thats happening again. He calls todays obsession the Bundy binge, and is totally blown away by it. And hes not the only one who finds the attention disconcerting. When documentarian Calderon tells her interview subjects that Ted Bundys legend is alive and well that there are Bundy-themed bath soaks available for purchase on the internet they recoil. They dont understand why anyone would want to know more about the man who blew up their lives. Part of this Bundy binge is pure practicality: The success of shows like The Jinx, People vs. OJ, Making a Murderer, and Serial incentivizes makers to dredge through old crimes for compelling stories, and since January 24, 2019, will mark the 30th anniversary of Bundys death, its a natural time to reexamine him. Director Berlinger notes that our insatiable appetite for crime-related programming is helped along by technical advances, too: the explosion of TV production in general means that there are more true crime shows to watch than ever before, and the nature of streaming pairs perfectly with the what-happens-next nature of crime stories. In other words, now is the perfect time to glut ourselves on Bundy content, if only for the simple fact that, for the first time in history, we can. Practicality aside, though, a large part of Bundys enduring fascination can be chalked up to his dashing good looks. The Bundy mythos is totally tied up in the idea of handsomeness-as-mask. Elizabeth Munro, an admin for the 223,668-person strong My Favorite Murder Podcast Facebook group, says the cognitive dissonance between his turtlenecks and his atrocious deeds is exactly why were still talking about him. He and Jeffrey Dahmer seem to be the heartthrobs of the serial-killer genre, she says. It just draws in people. Its the weird factor they cant seem to put two and two together. Ted wasnt actually as dreamy as his legend would have it; reporters who worked with him insisted that he was a compulsive nail-biter and nose picker, while on In Defense Of, Browne snipes, He thinks hes very likable, but hes not. But at this point it hardly matters, because were stuck on Bundy like a girl with a crush, forever asking ourselves how evil could wear such a pretty face. Perhaps its precisely that all that questioning and wondering that enables us to keep coming back, too. Theres the philosophical stuff: Why? How could he? What was he really like? (Born evil, says Browne.) But then there are the chillingly pragmatic questions: Was Ted responsible for more murders than he confessed to? Unsolved crimes in California? In Utah? Oregon? Washington? In 2011, the New York Times reported that his DNA profile finally had been extracted from a dusty vial of blood, and so its possible that after decades, certain eerily similar cold cases could be linked to him. If thats the case, why wouldnt we keep on trying to know him? Calderon has been interviewing people whove never spoken up about Bundy before, and theyre getting older. For those who are still working on these cold cases, theres a real urgency to figure things out before its too late. Its as though Bundys still around, taunting us with his impressive escape record, threatening to slip through our fingers yet again. That being said, our relationship to Bundy these days is not one of pure terror. As horrifying as his crimes and methods were, the idea of Ted Bundy is not so petrifying that we cant relax in the tub with a Bundy bath soak, or pop an enamel pin of his infamous beige Volkswagen onto our jean jackets. In fact, his easy commodification indicates that we dont take him as seriously as we do our more modern criminals. But why? Its not that threats like Bundy have gone away its that the Bundy binge is now aesthetically permissible. Serial killers will always feel like a product of the 70s and 80s, when the term serial killer was invented, when serial killing peaked, and when DNA had blessedly (for criminals, at least) not yet made its way into the courtroom. Though we very well might be surrounded by serial killers right now (the homicide archivist Thomas Hargrove estimates that there could be 2,000 serial killers in the U.S. as we speak!), they dont feel like a front-of-mind modern worry. Consider the show Mindhunter, an austerely nostalgic look at the days of serial killing. Or the upcoming film Summer of 84, an 80s daydream with lines like, Theres a serial killer on the loose. What else could possibly be this exciting? Or the retro aesthetic of serial killer glasses. Or the greeting cards. Or the cross-stitch. Or the memes. All of this is only made possible because were scared of other, less knowable monsters these days. Our focus has changed, as far as what were fearful of, says Calderon. She adds that every time she goes to the movies, she looks around, wondering if anyone will open fire. Munro says that shes less afraid of finding a Bundy-esque stranger in her house than she is of seeing an active shooter at the mall, or at work. The 2017 Chapman University Survey of American Fears found that a random mass shooting ranked 35th out of 80 fears (with 28.1% of respondents afraid of it), while murder by a stranger ranked 60th (with 18.3% of respondents afraid of it). Fears of terrorism and nuclear war ranked much higher still. We dont have data on the chief American fears from the 70s and 80s, when Bundy headlined every paper, but the surveys principal investigator, Dr. Christopher D. Bader, reads these stats as an indication that mass shooters have overtaken serial killers as a key boogeyman in the American mind. Of course, most stranger killings are not serial killings, he says, but the murder by a stranger item does give us a window into this fear. It doesnt matter that we were introduced to the phrase mass shooter before we even had the term serial killer (the former term was popularized in 1966 after the University of Texas tower shooting; the later coined in the mid-70s by FBI agent Robert Ressler). Just like it doesnt matter that Ted Bundy picked his nose. What matters, at least in the world of true crime, is how we think of these things, and what we remember of them. We tend to think of the serial killer as an evil that weve already figured out (he collects trophies, he is organized or disorganized, his mother was strict!). In contrast, the mass shooter is someone who might still get us. Uniquely terrifying, the Washington Post calls mass shootings. (Uniquely terrifying in 2018, that is. In 2048, we might be making movies about them.) This is how we can treat someone like Ted Bundy as more of an object of detached fascination than a real threat. We can return to our curious questioning: What was he really like? What did his girlfriend think? Did he have a conscience? Did he have a soul? Because his crimes happened in a time that feels hazier, simpler. We dont wear our hair like that these days. We dont chat with strangers. We dont leave our doors unlocked. Instead, we buy transparent backpacks, and take our shoes off at the airport, and watch for different faces in the crowd furious boys, with guns beneath their trench coats. Bundy was our monster, yes. But hes not our monster anymore. Photo: Maya Robinson/Vulture and Photo by Netflix, HBO, Lifetime and FX All week long, Vulture is exploring the many ways true crime has become one of the most dominant genres in popular culture. While Serial famously inspired a wave of true-crime storytelling on podcasts, HBOs The Jinx and Netflixs Making a Murderer arguably made the boom real on television. Now, after three more years of stories involving murder and mayhem including FXs The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, Netflixs The Staircase, and many, many others TVs true-crime renaissance is obviously here to stay. Over the last few years, cable networks, like USA (Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.) and Paramount (Waco), have begun experimenting for the first time with real-life dark tales that have macabre twists. Others that specialize in those stories have continued the search for the next national obsession. Next week, Investigation Discovery will release Sugar Town, a documentary about the polarizing 2014 case of 22-year-old Victor White III, whose death in police custody while handcuffed in the back seat of a patrol car was ruled a suicide. In October, Oxygen will premiere Dirty John, its documentary based on the record-breaking Los Angeles Times podcast about a man who manipulated women and swindled them out of their fortunes. Two new crime-based anthology shows are also in the works: Bravo kicks off its series with a scripted version of Dirty John starring Connie Britton and Eric Bana later this year, and Hulu will follow suit with The Act, which tells the story of convicted murderer Gypsy Blanchard, who conspired to kill her mother after a lifetime of child abuse. Although the genres success goes back decades as evidenced by the continued success of shows like Dateline or Law & Orders ripped-from-the-headlines style the boom in crime-driven storytelling on TV at this particular moment is undeniable. Vulture spoke with four big players in the true-crime marketplace about working in such a competitive space, how they choose the crimes that make it to series, and what makes for a compelling narrative. The Heavyweight: Investigation Discovery Theres an old saying in TV news: If it bleeds, it leads. Turns out, thats also true when it comes to cable TV audiences. While old-school linear networks have spent the past few years fighting significant ratings erosion, Investigation Discovery has tapped into the cultures true-crime obsession to become not just the king of the genre, but one of the most successful and fasting-growing networks on cable, period. Its average prime-time audience last year was just shy of 1.1 million viewers, triple the tune-in for new true-crime rival Oxygen and more viewers than even established cable heavyweights such as FX, AMC, CNN, A&E, and Bravo. So far in 2018, ID whose overall audience composition is about 60 percent female ranks as the No. 1 cable network in full-day ratings among women aged 25 to 54, the demo group targeted by IDs advertisers. Much the way Netflix has fueled its growth by rapidly increasing its original programming, ID became a powerhouse in part by offering a staggering selection of true-crime offerings: This year, it will program around 650 hours of first-run content, covering lawbreakers and their victims from virtually every conceivable angle and using a variety of formats and storytelling styles. ID didnt invent true-crime TV, nor was it the first to find success with the genre. But years before The Jinx and Making a Murderer made the genre hip, ID established itself as the first major cable network devoted exclusively to criminal activity. We were the first to recognize that maybe owning it as best we could and being a leader in it would be a big potential business, says Henry Schleiff, who oversees ID (and three other Discovery networks) in his role as a group president. We saw the potential to be the 24/7, 365-day diner where people could come regularly and know they were going to get this kind of story. Given how much original content it pumps out, ID doesnt limit itself too much in terms of the variety of crime stories it tells. Because we are 24/7 true crime, there has to be a tapestry of kinds of crime, says Jane Latman, who heads up development for ID and, with Schleiff, helped transform the network into a programming powerhouse. But it does have a formula of sorts. Were looking for high-stakes stories that have twists and turns and a satisfying resolution, Latman explains. Within that, we want to find a mix of cases that people know, and then ones that theyve never heard, so from hour to hour, people come in and find a compelling, sticky story that they cant turn off. ID also tries to avoid cases of random violence chronicled on the nightly news. What really resonates with our audience tends to be crimes between people who know each other, Latman says. Youre gonna have more twists and turns in a story where there is a relationship and a backstory. And where theres a clear motive, its not random. Schleiff says the special sauce that helps ID set itself apart from some of its competitors is that so many of its shows focus less on the lurid details of crimes and more on the quest for justice. Its our name the Investigation part of [Investigation] Discovery that people are most interested in, he says, explaining that audiences flock to the channel because they want to be armchair detectives. Its not the actual crime, but the solving of the crime. We look not so much at the how as the why. What was the backstory? He says that focus sets ID apart from newer rivals such as Oxygen, which jumped into the true-crime space full time last year. I certainly dont look at Oxygen as competition, Schleiff says. Theyre going about telling crime in a different way than we do. Were far more interested in the fundamentals of great storytelling than the more prurient side of the story. While Schleiff doesnt spend much time worrying about other basic cable networks such as Oxygen, he has noticed the uptick in true-crime programming from subscription services such as Netflix and HBO. In a perfect world, youd have no competition, he quips. But he also believes theres a possible upside. The competition is almost a form of marketing for us, Schleiff says. The way to look at it is, those networks have helped to popularize the genre. They bring these incredible resources to the stories. He hopes audiences that watch series like The Jinx or Wild, Wild Country start hunting for more true-crime content and find their new thirst for the genre quenched by ID. Filling IDs 650-hours-per-year pipeline means Latman and her team are constantly reading articles, listening to podcasts both looking for the actual cases or the best way to tell these stories, she says. A lot of times we develop from the ground up. Well send a producer an article, and say, Come back with some ideas about it. Lets talk. Or we see a movie that inspires us just in terms of a kind of format or a way to deal with flashbacks. Were crafting what we know will fit on the network as opposed to trying to just open the floodgates and say, Whatcha got? This is not to say a good deal of Latmans job doesnt still involve hearing pitches from outside program suppliers, whether its production companies or individual filmmakers. In the scripted world, bidding wars are fairly common because agents and producers frequently pit networks against each other when theres an in-demand project. But Latman says IDs strong in-house development team, its deep relationship with suppliers, and its status as the market leader in true crime means it rarely has to worry about producers taking a good idea somewhere else first. Were in this enviable position, she says. People who want to make this sort of content know were going to reach the audience they want to reach So we dont get into bidding wars often. In fact, Latman says the last time ID had to fight for a project it wanted was a bit more than two years ago, when at least one other network wanted the rights to a six-part docuseries called Is O.J. Innocent? The Missing Evidence. The price went up cause someone else wanted it, Latman says. But we got it. The Newcomer: Oxygen Rod Aissa begins his workday with a briefing along the lines of what you might hear in a police stations shift change or a newsroom morning meeting. As executive vice-president of Oxygens original programming, he wants to hear about all the major crimes that happened around the country overnight. He keeps tabs on everything, sometimes in real time, like the recent hostage situation at a local Trader Joes that ended in the death of a store manager. I watch and listen to everything I can, Aissa says. I love Dateline. I listen to podcasts. I scour the Daily Beast for its crime stories. Oxygen rebranded as a 24-hour true-crime network a year ago, and its paying off. The networks audience has grown by 32 percent in total viewers, and this year, it is attracting its largest audience in seven years. The two-part mini-series Aaron Hernandez Uncovered, which aired in March, became the most-watched program since the network moved to full-time true crime, reaching 4.4 million viewers during its premiere weekend. And in the year since his network shifted to focus on true crime, Aissa has noticed more storytellers pitching stories. There is a small group of people who do it really well, he says, and now theres a bunch of other people that are starting to learn how to do it as well. By moving into booming territory, Oxygen understood it would directly be competing with true-crime powerhouse Investigation Discovery and even NBCs prime-time magazine Dateline. But Aissa saw room to stand out by offering a more diverse slate with close-ended shows, where a different crime is tackled in each episode, such as the docu-style Snapped (about felons, usually women, who hurt their partners) or Ice-Ts crime reenactment series In Ice Cold Blood. Cold Justice, which Oxygen bought after TNT cancelled the Dick Wolfproduced crime investigation show, follows former prosecutor Kelly Siegler and investigators as they reopen unsolved murder cases. Working with local law enforcement across the country, the show has helped bring 37 arrests and 17 convictions on over 60 cases. Aissa added that Oxygen doesnt want its audience to be passive. On these shows, he says, we want people to exercise their inner armchair detective. On September 15, Oxygen will premiere its eight-part series Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers about the horrific death of a Mississippi teen who was doused with gasoline and set on fire in 2014. The series follows the first trial, which ended in a hung jury, and its aftermath. Emmy-winner and Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Brothers Keeper and Paradise Lost) is the executive producer. Theres a lot of questioning about whether hes the right guy and the town is divided, so that is the spine that we can wrap the narrative around, Aissa said. Were looking for something in our investigations that allow viewers to invest and get hooked on something besides what happens at the end. The network covers a range of crimes, but Aissa has a particular fascination with stories about missing women which is why hes ordered an unannounced, multiple-episode series about the disappearance of Phoenix Coldon from St. Louis in 2011. Women dont usually jog off into the sunset and go to Mexico and get a face-lift and live a new life, especially mothers. They usually dont leave their babies behind, Aissa said. We usually dismiss these stories or it takes a long time to invest in them, especially women who are African-American or other ethnically diverse women. These stories are heart-wrenching, but they are amazing stories to tell because you want the justice that they deserve. In the case of the 23-year-old Coldon, who disappeared from her parents driveway in the middle of the afternoon, Aissa wanted to know why the family would put themselves through the production after all this time. Their response: What if shes still out there? What if we can get justice? The show will follow the investigation into Coldons disappearance through the work of investigative reporter Shawndrea Thomas and retired deputy police chief Joseph Delia. The justice system is a very layered and tiered system, Aissa said. At the end of the day, there has to be some kind of hope that if Im in that circumstance, somehow its going to work for me. It just makes these stories very immersive because its something we can relate to. The stakes are so high there are no higher stakes than human life. For cases that are either well-known or have a conclusive ending, Oxygens development executives look for parts of the story that remain untold. In the documentary Dirty John which is based on the Los Angeles Times podcast about an Orange County man named John Meehan, who manipulated and deceived a trail of women Oxygen is investigating the rest of the women Meehan defrauded and manipulated. (The Times investigation focused on wealthy Orange County businesswoman Debra Newell, who married him.) Similarly, the network just aired Ted Bundy: In Defense Of, which tells the experience of Bundys lawyer defending the infamous serial killer. In order to tell a story that people know so well we have to find something that gives people a new perspective into that story, Aissa said. If you can do that, its worth taking the viewer down that road again. If its not, its probably not something we really want to do. The Prestige Player: Netflix Because Netflix has lots and lots of everything, fans of old-school shocksploitation-style crime shows think Stalkers Who Kill, Nurses Who Kill or Killer Kids have plenty of options when surfing the streamer. But most of the tabloid titles youll find on Netflix are series which aired on other networks (either in the U.S. or abroad) and are simply getting a second life on the service. For its original productions, Netflix has so far opted to take a very different approach to true crime, positioning itself as the sort of upscale boutique of the genre with critic-friendly docuseries such as Making a Murderer, Evil Genius, and Wild, Wild Country. We have really leaned into a place of very bold and deep storytelling versus [the] sensationalized or reductive, says Lisa Nishimura, head of documentary and comedy programming at Netflix. While a linear network such as Investigation Discovery boasts of churning out 650 hours of true-crime shows every year, Netflixs true-crime brand has mostly been defined by a handful of deep-dive documentary series designed to tell complex, twist-filled stories with far more detail and nuance than found in typical hour-long crime shows. Were really lucky because we dont have to fill a particular quota, Nishimura says. Were driven by the quality of the story [and] we have the great liberty of time. Stories require that amount of time to be able to be told in the full complexity in which they happened, and in which, I believe, the viewing audiences deserve to experience it. Rather than clear heroes and villains, the most successful Netflix true-crime docs have left audiences struggling to figure out for whom they should be rooting. Nishimura argues such moral ambiguity leads to better storytelling. Life is very rarely black and white. It really is all about the complex decisions that each of us have to make every day, she says. Two people can be faced with the exact same scenario and make very different decisions. What is that all about? The exploration of that, I think, is endlessly fascinating. Longform true crime didnt start at Netflix, of course. HBOs The Jinx bowed nearly a year before Making a Murderer premiered. And The Staircase, which arrived on Netflix this summer, was originally a French series that aired in the States on Sundance Channel years before Netflixs expanded 13-episode remix arrived. But Nishimura argues true crime stories are extraordinarily well supported on a platform like Netflix because the streamers binge model gives audiences the ability to fully immerse themselves in a story over the course of a few days, if thats what they want to do. Its fascinating to see how deeply into the forensics some viewers really love to get in some of these stories, she says, adding that some subscribers will go back and rewatch certain segments to analyze evidence themselves. In putting together its true-crime offerings, Netflix has mostly avoided partnering with traditional reality-show production companies in favor of hiring documentary filmmakers such as Errol Morris (Wormwood), Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos (Making a Murderer), and Chapman and Maclain Way (Wild Wild Country). Avoiding the usual true-crime production suspects allows the streamer to differentiate itself from its linear rivals. Theyre not looking to do sensationalistic, ripped-from-the-headlines, heres the gore, Nishimura says of her producers. Their interest level is really trying to deeply understand each of their subjects. Indeed, Netflixs standout true-crime projects have often been as much about the criminal justice system as specific misdeeds. The filmmakers that we have the pleasure of working with want to explore not just the person or the crime, but the surrounding circumstances, Nishimura says. What were the existing biases in the community, in the court system, in the various institutions that were a party to what led to a particular event. Were very supportive of that, because I think that viewers really are quite intelligent and they want to understand. Anytime you look at anything thats a crime, the first question is always Why? That answer is very seldom simple. There are a lot of things at work. Nishimura wont say if she has plans to dramatically increase the number of true-crime docs on Netflix, but it does seem likely therell be at least some uptick in the volume of production, if only because docs of all kinds are doing so well right now. The documentary is really, really enjoying a wonderful moment not just in crime but across the board, she says, pointing not only to Netflix projects but to those being released by rivals and in theaters. All the different genres inside documentary will continue to see an increase in opportunity. She also hints that, much as Netflix has started making original programs in multiple countries around the globe, the streamer might start seeking out crime stories from other countries to bring to its worldwide audience. I cant talk about specifics, but you shouldnt be surprised if you see global stories that are from different geographies than the United States, she says. Is it too much to hope for Wild, Wild Country: Sheelas Swiss Adventure? The Pulp-Fiction Factory: Lifetime Robert Durst, of all people, taught Lifetimes head of movies Tanya Lopez about the way her network should not approach true-crime movies. The real-estate heir and subject of HBOs Emmy-winning The Jinx is now facing a first-degree murder charge in Los Angeles for the 2000 killing of his best friend Susan Berman, who was murdered right before she was scheduled to talk to investigators about the 1982 disappearance of Dursts first wife Kathleen McCormack Durst. Two years after The Jinx aired Dursts apparent confession, Lifetime debuted a movie, The Lost Wife of Robert Durst, focusing on Dursts marriage to Kathleen and her vanishing from their New York home. Although Durst is suspected of being involved in her murder as well, and investigators are on the case again, Lifetime viewers were riled by the fact that there was no definite conclusion. At the end of the movie, we couldnt say that he killed her, Lopez said. We couldnt even say where she was. Although I thought the movie was really well made, the comments we got back werent good: I went on this ride with you and we dont even know what happened to her. It didnt work whereas a documentary is a different format so people respond differently. Unlike its competitors, Lifetime focuses on telling fictionalized versions of true-crime narratives. For that reason, unsolved cases dont play well on the network. About three years ago, Lopez had read about the 1969 death of Baltimore nun Cathy Cesnik and wanted to produce a movie about the case, but couldnt figure out how it would work for Lifetime since it remains unsolved. Netflix released The Keepers, a seven-part Emmy-nominated documentary about the case in 2017. It was fascinating and totally works as a documentary because that becomes more about the investigation, just like podcasts, Lopez said, of the more ambiguous narratives that have worked for competing networks in the true-crime boom. Podcasts, which I listen to a lot, are great for community or dinner-table conversation because you can have the debate. When you come to a movie at Lifetime, youre coming with the knowledge and at least the emotional intelligence that there will be an ending. Unlike Investigation Discovery and Oxygen, the female-centric network delves into many genres, including inspirational and faith-based movies and music biopics. But true crime, about a quarter of its overall business, has served it well: Its highest-rated film in the genre remains Drew Peterson: Untouchable, which registered 5.75 million viewers in 2012 and starred Rob Lowe and Kaley Cuoco. Although The Craigslist Killer and Lizzie Borden Took an Axe also land in the networks top-five true-crime offerings, Lowes memorable delivery of Im untouchable, bitch has proven unbeatable for the network, which reaches more women in prime time than any other female-skewing network. When considering potential projects, like Oxygen, Lopez says she looks for new angles that can be explored. Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret, for example, focused more on the life of the man she killed, Travis Alexander, because the movie aired after the trial, and the nation was very familiar with Arias by then. Last years I Am Elizabeth Smart felt distinct because of its approach. Produced and narrated by the 30-year-old herself, it tells the story of her kidnapping in Salt Lake City at age 14, and the nine months she spent in captivity. It wasnt just her talking to a journalist or what she put on paper, but rather when you see it on film, it is real and tangible and emotional, Lopez said. For Lopez, one of the most important aspects of a Lifetime project is the woman at the center of a tragedy or crime. She still feels the network should have turned down 2017s New York Prison Break: The Seduction of Joyce Mitchell, about the married grandmother and prison staffer who helped two convicts escape leading to a fatal manhunt in 2015. We wrestled with that one but, ultimately, the group said yes, said Lopez. The reason I was disinterested is that she was just so stupid. I dont mind a woman who makes bad choices and figures it out. But I just dont want to be in the business of telling stories of women who are just dumb. This article has been corrected to show that The Staircase first aired in the US on Sundance Channel. Photo: Showtime/SHOWTIME No one comes out of a Sacha Baron Cohen show looking good. Your mere presence on Showtimes Who Is America? means youve already been duped by a guy in a costume. Its an impossible game to win, but some guests make it out relatively unscathed by refusing to play along. The people who look the worst on Who Is America? tend to look that way because they are the worst egged on by Baron Cohens characters, they reveal their own deeply held, morally repugnant beliefs. Or, just as bad, they reveal that theyre willing to say morally repugnant things in order to be on television. Here is a ranking of all the guests in Who Is America? episode three, from those who leave with their reputations intact, to those who do not. 5. Ness Lee Photo: Showtime/SHOWTIME For just one second, Ness Lee actually seems irritated by the cadence and rhyme-challenged rap style of Sacha Baron Cohens milquetoast liberal snowflake character, Dr. Nira Cain-NDegeocello. But it turns out the Atlanta battle rapper is just waiting to deliver another crushing blow to an opponent who never had a chance. And when Cain-NDegeocello manages to conjure up something halfway resembling an actual diss You talk, uh, in bragging terms about the size of your phallus/I believe the inverse is true/I, myself, am ashamed that I have a larger phallus than you Ness Lee and the crowd at the Music Room offer up nothing but love in return. Perhaps a divide was actually healed in this stress-free segment? 4. Bone Crusher Photo: Showtime/SHOWTIME The other Atlanta rapper in this episode was mostly content to just roll his eyes at Cain-NDegeocello, and to kick back bemused but chill while his fellow interviewee got more and more worked up. You cant blame him for getting wide-eyed when Cain-NDegeocello talked about a particular thrusting motion. 3. Roy Moore Photo: Showtime/SHOWTIME Roy Moore looks bad just by virtue of the fact that hes Roy Moore, the disgraced-yet-unashamed former Senate candidate from Alabama who was accused of sexual misconduct against teenage girls. (And who was still fully endorsed by Donald Trump, and who lost by a shockingly slim margin for an accused pedophile.) But there wasnt a ton to disgrace him any further during his interview with Baron Cohens Erran Morad, the Israeli commando. Moore mostly acted as a prop here, with Morad getting him to deliver such hilarious but empty lines as Alabama has always been a place for equality. Moore clearly sees where Morad is headed with his pedophile-detecting technology, and hes not having any of it. If he had seemed more scared of the pedo-wand, it would have been more effective, but he only seemed indignant, and maybe even aware that he was being pranked. Also, Moore has made himself look way worse on TV on a regular basis in recent years, which makes this appearance far less effective. 2. Chip Limehouse Photo: Showtime/SHOWTIME Chip Limehouse, a former Republican State representative from South Carolina, wasnt having it practically from the start of his and Bone Crushers joint Heal the Divide interview. Granted, the Cain-NDegeocello character is deliberately off-putting, but instead of trying to be polite, Limehouse just gets more and more agitated. He scoots his chair away at the mention of gay sex, and condescendingly pats Bone Crusher on the shoulder and defends his right to be called black (rather than Cain-NDegeocellos preferred Afro-marginalized). His true, prickly colors jump out even further when he claims to have three doctorates which sounds like something Cain-NDegeocello would say. Unlike the worst Who Is America? guests, he doesnt reveal himself to be a blatant racist, but he is clearly a blatant asshole. 1. The Quinceanera Commandos Photo: Showtime/SHOWTIME What are old white conservatives so petrified of, and how did they get so ignorant and gullible? In a stunt that feels inspired by the Nathan for You playbook Nathan Fielder is credited as a consulting producer on Who Is America? Baron Cohen recruited three potential commandos to bait and then trap undocumented immigrants. That all three of these truly scary (and scared) candidates go along with everything they did speaks volumes about their sense of blind allegiance: Whatever scenario confirms their worldview, no matter how insane it might seem, is to be embraced without hesitation or analysis. If that means wearing a fake vagina and drugging immigrants, well a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do to make America great again. It would be funnier if it werent so frightening: Each of these three guys is immediately willing eager, even to conflate the innocent idea of a quinceanera with the rape of 15-year-olds, simply because the traditional party is outside of their culture. Its hard to decide which of the three is scariest, but lets hand it to Joe chairman of something called Citizens for Refugee Resettlement who, when asked what they needed to use as bait for immigrants, said, Pussy, pussy, young girls, pussy. He also describes Morads fake vagina as dry, but I get the idea. (If theres a wall to be built, maybe it should be around this guys house.) But lets not forget about John, listed only as Trump supporter, whose desperate need to protect America from its imaginary enemies leads him to dress as the 15-year-old girl, complete with pink party dress, wig, and, yes, fake genitals. (If the cops showed up on their own, great, but hopefully they were part of Cohens vision for this occasion.) Maybe John, Jack, and Joe will see this episode and take some time to reflect on what fractured state of mind led them to be duped into participating in a fake quinceanera featuring a rubber vagina and Rohypnol-laced guacamole. Could there be a lower, more embarrassing point from which to try to gain some perspective? 'Who Is America?' Guests, In Their Most Gullible Moments Serial season one The pod that started it all, Serials first season deals with the disappearance and murder of high school senior Hae Min Lee in 1999 and the subsequent conviction of her classmate and ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, for her murder. Reporter and host Sarah Koenig follows up on thousands of documents and trial testimony while also talking to everyone she can find, resulting in reams of research that raise even more questions about what really happened. The podcasts immense success even led to a popular spinoff, Undisclosed, that continues to follow Syeds battle to prove his innocence. Episodes: 10 in season one Length: 1 hour or less Missing and Murdered The first season centers on the unsolved 1989 murder of Alberta Williams in British Columbia, following reporter Connie Walker as she meets with the person who sent her the tip in the first place. Season two shifts its focus to Cleo, a young Cree girl who was apprehended by child welfare workers in Saskatchewan in the 1970s. Her family tells a different story, however, of how she was stolen, raped, and murdered. Episodes: 18 over two seasons Length: 1 hour or less S-Town From the same producers as Serial, S-Town quickly became the podcast everyone was talking about. Its single season follows John, a man who despises his Alabama town and wants someone desperately to investigate the scion of a wealthy family whos been going around town saying he got away with murder. Episodes: 7 Length: 1 hour Dirty John Debra Newell is a successful interior designer who meets the titular John. Hes handsome, available, and just back from a year serving with Doctors Without Borders. Then things start to unravel. Youll be hooked from the start. Episodes: 6 Length: 1 hour or less Crimetown Season one explores the dark underbelly of Providence, Rhode Island, where organized crime and corruption once ran rampant. Didnt expect a Godfather-style saga of alliances, betrayals, heists, mobsters, and crooked cops from this sleepy New England state? Prepare to be shocked. Season two, focusing on a new city (the sleuths of Reddit seem to think Detroit), will be released in fall 2018. Episodes: 18, plus 7 bonus episodes Length: 1 hour or less West Cork Presented as an Audible Original from Amazon, its no surprise that this audiobook meets true-crime podcast saga was a hit. What we know: Sophia Toscan du Plantier was found murdered on the edge of her property in Ireland, just days before Christmas in 1996. But things just begin there. Follow along with journalist Sam Bungey and producer Jennifer Forde as they try to solve this brutal mystery. Episodes: 1 Length: Almost 8 hours In the Dark In season one, youll learn about Jacob Wetterling, an 11-year-old boy who was kidnapped in rural Minnesota. Picking up 27 years later, reporter Madeleine Baran reveals major concerns with how law enforcement mishandled Jacobs abduction and how this failure fueled nationwide anxiety around stranger danger, not to mention the creation of the sex-offender registry. The lauded second season takes a different path with the case of Curtis Flowers, a black man who, over the past two decades, has been tried six times for the same crime and has maintained his innocence throughout. A great dive into the annals of the justice system. Episodes: 17 over two seasons Length: 1 hour or less A Killing on the Cape From ABC Radio and 20/20, A Killing on the Cape offers a chilling look at the 2002 murder that rocked an idyllic Cape Cod town. Fashion writer Christa Worthington was found stabbed to death with her 2-year-old daughter unharmed by her side, and after a three-year search, the entire community was under suspicion. Ultimately, Worthingtons garbage man was convicted of her murder and rape but it doesnt end there. Episodes: 6 Length: 1 hour or less Someone Knows Something David Ridgen follows a different case each season, starting with the mysterious 1970s disappearance of a 5-year-old Ontario boy. Ridgen is incredibly thorough and his sensitive Canadian approach sets Someone Knows Something apart from the pack. He knows the questions you want to ask and isnt afraid to ask them. Worth noting: Season four offers a fascinating, well-reported deep dive into a mail bomb murder. Episodes: 36 over 4 seasons, plus a few short updates Length: 1 hour or less, although a few tip just over an hour Up and Vanished The entire series of Up and Vanished focuses on the unsolved disappearance of Tara Grinstead. Host Payne Lindsey examines the 11-year-old case the largest case file in Georgia history and re-interviews persons of interest in the case to see whether theres something that was overlooked. Episodes: 25 with many additional follow-up episodes Length: 1 hour Atlanta Monster From the creators of Up and Vanished and HowStuffWorks, Atlanta Monster turns an eye to one of the darkest moments in the citys history: The 197981 Atlanta Child Murders, a two-year period that saw the disappearance and murder of over 25 black children and young adults. Episodes: 10 with a few additional follow-up episodes Length: 1 hour Accused Reporter Amber Hunt digs into the murder of 23-year-old Elizabeth Andes, who was found dead in her Ohio apartment in December 1978. Incredibly well produced and researched, its Cincinnatis Serial. Season two, just released, focuses on the murder of a prison minister. Episodes: 17 over two seasons Length: 1 hour or less Death in Ice Valley Combining two powerhouses, BBC World Service and Norwegian NRK, this series offers a spectacularly dark look into the Isdal Woman, an unidentified woman found in the icy wilds of Norway in 1970. Prepare for constant chills and plenty of mood. Episodes: 10 Length: 1 hour or less After more than a year and a half since the contract was first signed, the next major announcement regarding the Bellefont Nuclear Plant will be made on Monday. In November 2016, Nuclear Development LLC (ND) purchased the plant from the Tennessee Valley Authority for $111 million. Since then, ND has made much progress at the site, according to Shelia Shepard, the president and CEO of the Jackson County Economic Development Authority. Nuclear Development LLC bought the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant back in 2016 for $111 million during and auction. Nuclear Development LLC bought the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant back in 2016 for $111 million during and auction. Last month, SNC-Lavalin was brought on board to manage the completion of the construction project. And on Friday, Huntsville-based Teledyne Brown Engineering announced they would be working under SNC-Lavalin. We are pleased to participate in the completion of Bellefonte in support of renewed interest in nuclear power as an energy source that is necessary for the overall energy portfolio for the United States, Jan Hess, President of Teledyne Brown Engineering, stated in a press release. This project will create opportunities and jobs for the local economy in North Alabama and the Tennessee Valley. Shepard said once completed, the plant will create about 1,500 permanent jobs in addition to the thousands of construction jobs that will be needed. ND officials will address community leaders about their plan Monday morning at 10 a.m. WAAY 31 will have a reporter there and will update this story as we learn more. Two Georgia residents were arrested Monday for their involvement in an interstate jury duty scam. Teiana Marie Taylor, 35, and Orenthial Walker, 42, were indicted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama with conspiring with others to commit wire fraud with false information concerning jury duty. According to authorities, a member of the conspiracy would call a resident of the Northern District of Alabama, falsely claim to be a federal official and claim that a judge issued an arrest warrant for the victim and then demand immediate payment in the form of gift cards or transfer moeny to an account controlled by the conspiracy. Walker and Taylor would then withdraw the money and transfer it as directed by the conspiracy. Victims often described that the scammers sound convincing and speak authoritatively. The scammers may use accurate information about the victim. They can also use real names of court officials, federal judges and law enforcment officers to make the scam seem credible. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a $250,000 fine and 20 years in prison. Citizens who wish to verify a summons for jury duty, an contact the Northern District of Alabama's jury office. Phone call scams can be reported by contacting the FBI Birmingham Field Office. (CNN) Nearly 700 people are trapped on a volcano on the popular Indonesian tourist island of Lombok, after a devastating earthquake killed more than a dozen people. A rescue operation is currently underway for tourists caught in landslides on Mount Rinjani, an area popular with hiking enthusiasts. According to National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, 689 people are still trapped on and around the 3,726 meter (12,224 ft) mountain following the shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Sunday morning. At least 260 people had already been evacuated by Sunday afternoon, Sutopo said on Twitter, while a spokesman for Rinjani National Park said another 109 had been rescued as of 2 p.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) Monday afternoon. According to Indonesia's national disaster management agency, 149 climbers are still believed to be stranded on the volcano itself, while 500 people are trapped in Sembalun Village on the volcano's slopes, and an additional 40 tourists are in nearby Batu Ceper. At least one climber had died after being struck by falling rocks, Sutopo said. Videos from a Thai trekking group, Trekmania, who were on Rinjani when the earthquake struck show enormous clouds of dust covering the slopes of the mountain, triggered by the landslides. Tipatai Phusit, a hiker from Thailand, was on top of Mount Rinjani when the earthquake hit, and said he saw a number of people hit by rocks and debris. "I saw landslides and there were some people falling down. After that I was falling down there too," Tipatai said in a message on Facebook. He added that the group he was with quickly climbed back to the summit and descended the mountain to safety. A rescue team of 184 people set off Monday morning to evacuate the hikers, including special military, police and medical teams. Pictures from the scene of the disaster showed locals picking through the rubble of their collapsed homes, and the injured hastily bundled into makeshift emergency shelters. There has been more than 120 aftershocks recorded by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) as of Sunday afternoon. Jean Paul Volchaert, who owns the Puncak Hotel on Lombok, told CNN that the area gets small earthquakes "every month or so" but Sunday's tremor was the worst he'd felt. "We felt aftershocks for two hours after the initial earthquake, so we're worried that there could be more damage caused," he said. Aid distributed to Lombok. The Indonesian Red Crescent said it was dispatching hundreds of tarpaulins, blankets and hygiene kits to the affected areas as part of their initial response to the earthquake. Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has been working to supply mineral water, tents and food supplies to the affected, according to Antara. President Widodo flew into Lombok early Monday. "The President will meet with the people affected by the disaster and also hand over the aid," government official Bey Machmudin told Antara. Deputy Head of Mission Zamshari Sahaharan at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta said they were encouraging all Malaysian who knew tourists in Lombok to contact consular officials. He said the Malaysian government was ready to provide further aid to their Indonesian counterparts as necessary. Huntsville Hospital released a statement Monday afternoon stating the Alabama Department of Public Health said, "no waterborne bacterium was found in the water sample taken from the whirlpool at the Medical Mall". "There is no evidence to connect the two reported illnesses to the water in the Medical Mall Wellness Centers whirlpool," the statement said. The Huntsville Hospital Medical Mall's Wellness Center voluntarily closed the whirlpool almost two weeks ago after two people reported having a waterborne illness after visiting the Wellness Center's whirlpool. The statement said the Department of Public Health had no other recommendations for Huntsville Hospital other than standard water maintenance and sanitation. REDDING, Calif. (AP) Thousands more people fled their homes after wildfires surged near a small lake town in Northern California, and the advance of the states largest, deadliest blaze slowed slightly after days of explosive growth, authorities said. In all, more than 10,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders from the two blazes in Mendocino and Lake counties. Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit. A man whose wife and two great-grandchildren were among the six people who perished in the so-called Carr Fire, near Redding, California, said he did not receive any warning to evacuate. Ed Bledsoe told CBS News he did not know his home was in danger when he left his wife, Melody, and the 4- and 5-year-old children to run an errand on Thursday. Bledsoe said he received a phone call from his wife 15 minutes later saying he needed to get home because the fire was approaching. He said one of the children told him the blaze was at the back door. When he tried to return, the road was blocked with cars, and flames prevented him from returning on foot. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told the network theres an investigation into whether the Bledsoe home received a warning call or a knock on the homes door. The sheriff says there is evidence that door-to-door notifications were made in the area. A California sheriff says a sixth person has died in a raging wildfire that has destroyed more than 500 buildings. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said Sunday that the remains were found within the boundary of the Carr Fire near Redding. (July 29) The latest evacuations included about 1,000 people in Mendocino County, Undersherriff Matthew Kendall said Monday. The rest are in Lake County, where residents of the town of Lakeport, population 5,000, were ordered to leave Sunday night. Two other towns with about 5,000 people are also under mandatory evacuation. The two blazes have destroyed six homes and are threatening 10,000 others. The fires had blackened 87 square miles (225 square kilometers), with minimal containment. The wildfires that started Friday are about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Redding. Crews handling the blaze near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as the massive fire slowed after days of rapid expansion. Were feeling a lot more optimistic today as were starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time, said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections incident commander on the blaze around Redding, a city about 230 miles (370 kilometers) north of San Francisco. As of Monday, the Redding fire had destroyed 723 homes, up from a previous count of 657 homes. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The victims identity was not released. Authorities were also investigating at least 18 missing-persons reports, though many of them may simply be people who have not checked in with friends or family, police said. The Carr Fire that threatened Redding a city of about 92,000 people was ignited by a vehicle problem a week ago about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. Redding Police Chief Roger Moore kept up a round-the-clock work schedule despite learning that his home was one of those destroyed. He was finally able to shave on Saturday when his wife brought him a razor, he said. Moore was helping evacuate people from his River Ridge neighborhood in western Redding when the flames became unbearable. I saw everything around it ignite, and I go, Its gone, Moore said. At least one person was arrested on suspicion of stealing from evacuated homes and authorities were keeping watch for other potential looters, said Deputy Travis Ridenour, whose home also burned. Lost our house like so many others, Ridenour wrote on Facebook. Still out watching over the ones still standing. No looting on my watch. After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they didnt know whether their homes were standing or were destroyed. Authorities had not reopened any evacuated neighborhoods where fires raged due to safety and ongoing investigations and urged people to be patient. Fed up, on Sunday morning Tim Bollman hiked 4 miles (6 kilometers) to check on the Redding home he built for his wife and two sons 13 years ago. He found rubble. Theres not even anything to pick up, he said. Its completely gone. Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, was reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smoldering rubble. The terrain surrounding nearby Whiskeytown Lake usually filled in July with vacationers swimming in the clear water was burned, burning or seemingly about to burn Sunday. A heavy haze hung low over the water, where some of the docked boats had melted. Firefighters and utility repair crews drove up and down the once-scenic highway, while California Department of Transportation water trucks sprayed roadsides in hopes of preventing potential wildfires from burning across the road, which can cost several million dollars to repair. Meanwhile, officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree while removing brush and other fuel near the so-called Ferguson Fires front lines, officials said. Originally from Hawaii, Hughes had been with Californias Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots for four years and reached the rank of captain. Earlier this month, firefighter Braden Varney was killed when the bulldozer he was operating overturned while he was fighting the flames near the national park. Some evacuations were lifted, but officials said Yosemite Valley, the heart of tourism in the park, will remain closed until Aug. 3. Andrew Tate, who won this year's race in Guntersville, AL, won again. Driving the U-9 Les Schwab Tires, was never threatened in the winner-take-all final of the HAPO Columbia Cup in Tri-Cities, Washington. His victory was his first on the Columbia River 2-1/2 mile course. At the beginning of the race, he was briefly challenged by Brian Perkins in the U-21 PayneWest Insurance, however, Perkins hit a buoy, resulting in a one minute penalty. That dropped Perkins back to fourth place overall. Cal Phipps, driving the U-1918 Oberto Beef Jerky, owned by Charlie Wiggins of Gadsden, AL, finished second. The WIggins boat ran as the U-27 in Guntersville, but was repainted with the green, red, and white of the Oberto company (a longtime hydroplane race supporter) and re-named the U-1918 in honor of the company's 100 years in business. J. Michael Kelly in the U-12 Graham Trucking, who overcame a weekend of issues, placed third. When I came out of turn two near the blue bridge, I let out a sigh of relief, Tate said. We kind of watched what all the drivers were doing this weekend and we were taking notes. I couldnt be happier for Les Schwab Tires, Lori and Mike Jones, and the entire team, said the 28-year old driver Tate. The team worked their butts off. They stayed late Saturday night and were back in the pits at 5:00 a.m. Jimmy Shane, the second place finisher in Guntersville and the fastest qualifier at this weekend's race stop, was in the hunt and crossed the finished line second on the water. However, H1 Unlimited hydroplane officials determined he encroached on Tom Thompson in the U-11 J&Ds, causing him to lose power. "(The action had the result of) affecting the outcome of the race, said Doug Shelton, chief referee. Despite crossing the finish line second, Shane and the U-1 team from Madison, Indiana was disqualified from the final. Thompson, later restarted and finished fifth, and Dustin Echols in the U-440 Bucket List Racing finished sixth. All five boats were going up the back stretch tight, Shane said. "I saw the U-9 moving back and forth in lane two and three, and I needed to make a move before I got boxed in. It was 100%my fault. I feel terrible that I affected the outcome of U-11. I never wanted to do that. I truly apologize. The win for Tate increases his H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Series national points lead over Shane by 1,920. Thompson now takes over second in the standings, but is also far behind Tate by 1,173. The H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series now moves to Seattle, for the Albert Lee Appliance Cup next weekend on August 3-5. 2018 HAPO Columbia Cup Final Results 1) U-9 Les Schwab Tires, Andrew Tate, 145.385 mph avg. 2) U-1918 Oberto Beef Jerky, Cal Phipps, 137.610 mph avg. 3) U-12 Graham Trucking, J. Michael Kelly, 128.455 mph avg. 4) U-21 PayneWest Insurance, Brian Perkins, 116.775 mph avg. 5) U-11 J&Ds, Tom Thompson, 116.230 mph avg. 6) U-440 Bucket List Racing, Dustin Echols, 104.808 mph avg. DSQ U-1 Homestreet Bank, Jimmy Shane H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Series National High Points 1) Andrew Tate, U-9 Les Schwab Tires, 5,280 points 2) Tom Thompson, U-11 Reliable Diamond Tool presents J& Ds, 3,507 points 3) Jimmy Shane, U-1 Miss HomeStreet, 3,360 points 4) Dustin Echols, U-440 Bucket List Racing, 2,221 points 5) Brian Perkins, U-21 PayneWest Insurance, 2,213 point 6) Cal Phipps, U-1918 Oberto Beef Jerky, 2,135 points 7) J. Michael Kelly, U-12 Graham Trucking, 895 points 8) Aaron Salmon, U-99.9 Miss Rock, 225 points 9) Jimmy King, U-3 Ace Hardware, 146 points Additional information from H1 Unlimited #Roh Tae-woo Parties praise, criticize mixed legacy of late leader Roh South Korean political parties expressed condolences Tuesday over the death of former leader Roh Tae-woo, extending both praise and criticism over the mixed legacy of the general-t... Gov't to introduce 5G-equipped buses nationwide by 2023 The government said Wednesday that it plans to introduce 5G-equipped buses across the country by 2023, giving citizens access to free wireless internet that is up to four times fas... Advertisement By WestKyStar Staff Jul. 29, 2018 | PADUCAH By WestKyStar Staff Jul. 29, 2018 | 09:55 PM | PADUCAH David H. Dodd, from McCracken County High School, has won a corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship award financed by the business organization indicated. Nearly all corporate-sponsored Merit Scholar designees of 2018 were announced publicly by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) in April; however, the award this student was chosen to receive became available after that announcement. His Probable Career Field is Nuclear Engineering. Scholarship name: National Merit TTEC Scholarship The National Merit TTEC Scholarship is awarded to outstanding students who are children of TTEC employees. TTEC is a leading global customer experience technology and services provider focused exclusively on the design, implementation and delivery of transformative solutions for many of the world's most iconic and disruptive brands. Funding scholarships in support of education is an integral part of the company s ongoing commitment to the principle that education is the key to a successful community. By the conclusion of the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program, more than 7,500 National Merit Scholarships, worth a total of over $31 million, will have been offered to distinguished high school seniors for college undergraduate study. Approximately 1,000 of the awards, such as the one this student has won, are financed by about 200 companies, foundations, and other business organizations for National Merit Scholarship Program Finalists who meet their scholarship sponsors criteria. Corporate sponsors generally provide National Merit Scholarships for Finalists who are children of their employees, residents of communities the company serves, or have plans to pursue majors or careers the grantor wishes to encourage. Winners are the candidates judged to have the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Funding for corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards is provided by sponsors that recognize the value of supporting the intellectual development of some of our nations most capable students. Sponsors from the business community, representing nearly all sectors of American industry, have underwritten a portion of the National Merit Scholarships offered in all 63 competitions, expending or committing more than $789 million for scholarships awarded through the National Merit Program. Over 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 U.S. high schools entered the 2018 Merit Scholarship competition when they took the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, some 16,000 Semifinalists were named on a state-representational basis, in numbers proportional to each states percentage of the nations high school graduating seniors. Semifinalists were the highest scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of the states seniors. To continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, Semifinalists had to submit a substantial amount of information and fulfill requirements to attain Finalist standing. Each Finalist presented an outstanding academic record; was endorsed and recommended by the school principal; earned SAT scores that confirmed the qualifying test performance; wrote an essay; and provided information about activities, awards, and leadership positions. From the Semifinalist group, some 15,000 advanced to the Finalist level, and by the conclusion of the 2018 competition, more than half of the Finalist group will be Merit Scholarship winners. In addition to corporate-sponsored awards, two other types of National Merit Scholarships were offered in 2018. They included 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships, for which all Finalists competed, and more than 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend one of the 178d colleges and universities financing them. Established in 1955 to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program, NMSC is a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance. The majority of National Merit Scholarships offered each year are underwritten by some 410 independent corporate and college sponsors that support NMSCs efforts to honor the nations scholastic champions and encourage academic excellence at all levels of education. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 29, 2018 | MAYFIELD By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 29, 2018 | 06:31 PM | MAYFIELD A Hickman County man was arrested Friday night on a warrant and other charges. According to Mayfield Police, an officer was dispatched to a business parking lot off Cuba Road because 44-year-old Shannon Barclay of Clinton had been spotted in a vehicle, and he was wanted on a warrant from Carlisle County. When officers approached the vehicle, they say Barclay fled on foot toward Paris Road, but officers tazed him before he could reach the busy road. A search of Barclay reportedly revealed methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Police say a vehicle search led to the seizure of a concealed knife and an open bottle of vodka. Police say Barclay suffered minor injuries in a fall during the foot pursuit, so he was taken to Jackson Purchase Medical Center for treatment. He was then taken to Graves County Jail. Barclay was charged with fleeing or evading police on foot, trafficking in a controlled substance (meth) 1st degree 1st offense, tampering with physical evidence, resisting arrest, DUI 1st offense; possession of open alcoholic beverage, and possession of drug paraphernalia. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 30, 2018 | 12:56 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY Two people face multiple charges after an incident in Marshall County over the weekend. The Marshall County Sheriff's Office says deputies were dispatched on Saturday to Christian Fellowship Road in reference to a disturbance. The investigation led to two arrests. Sylvia A. Cox-Taylor, of Benton, was arrested and charged with public intoxication controlled substance, wanton endangerment, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, menacing and terroristic threatening. Dale Harper, of Grand Rivers, was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and public intoxication controlled substance. Both were lodged in the Marshall County Detention Center. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 30, 2018 | 06:08 PM | MAYFIELD A man charged with murdering a Mayfield woman more than two years ago has a new trial date. Ezell Miller will go to trial March 5 of next year. Miller is charged with the fatal shooting of Lauren Alexander on Feb. 28, 2016. Mayfield police found Alexander inside her West Hale Street home with a gunshot wound. Officers also found Miller at the home. Alexander was taken to Jackson Purchase Medical Center, then to Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, TN where she later passed away. Miller is charged with murder, 1st degree burglary, tampering with physical evidence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and 1st degree wanton endangerment. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 29, 2018 | MAYFIELD By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 29, 2018 | 08:20 PM | MAYFIELD A woman was arrested over the weekend on DUI and drug charges. According to Mayfield Police, officers were called to North 4th Street near East North Street because someone reported a woman was trying to drive a vehicle without a front wheel. When they arrived, officers say they saw a woman in the driver's seat with the vehicle running, and evidence that the vehicle had been driven a short distance. Police say they smelled marijuana and saw the driver, 33-year-old Hayli Gooch, trying to conceal something. She was detained and asked to get out of the vehicle, but police say she began screaming at officers and resisting them. A vehicle search led to the seizure of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Gooch was arrested and taken to a local hospital, where she consented to tests. She was taken to Graves County Jail on charges of DUI, reckless driving, resisting arrest, tampering with evidence, improper vehicle equipment, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Advertisement By The Associated Press/West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 30, 2018 | LEXINGTON By The Associated Press/West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 30, 2018 | 04:10 PM | LEXINGTON The University of Kentucky says a student studying abroad went missing while swimming with friends in the Mediterranean Sea. A statement from the school says 19-year-old TeNiya Elnora Jones of Fort Myers, Florida, was swimming after midnight with two other Kentucky students when they got caught in a strong current and were pulled out to sea. Officials said the other students were able to make it back to the shoreline. A spokesman for Israeli police confirmed that a person was reported missing in the sea on Saturday and a body was found Monday. He said the body has not yet been identified. The university says Jones, a sophomore, was part of a group of students studying the Arabic language. According to a letter from the university's president on Sunday, the other students called Israeli police and then contacted university police and the Council on International Exchange, a well-known education abroad provider that has worked with UK on multiple occasions. The school is sending a representative to Tel Aviv and is making travel arrangements for Jones' mother and grandfather. Wits scientists part of a global coalition to eliminate hepatitis B virus It is World Hepatitis Day on 28 July. Two research entities at Wits University are part of the International Coalition to Eradicate Hepatitis B Virus (ICE-HBV). Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver, which can be caused by viruses including hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is prevalent in Africa. The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person. HBV can cause both acute and chronic disease and it is a root cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis. A persistent infection in Africa At least one-quarter of the more than 250 million chronic carriers of HBV in the world reside in Africa. However, this is probably an under-estimate because of under-reporting and lack of extensive surveillance. Africa is the only continent where HBV infection has a constantly high prevalence in certain regions. Exposure to HBV stands at: 35% to 75% in southern Africa 65% to 85% in eastern Africa more than 85% in western Africa. There is a correspondingly high annual incidence of liver cancer, which ranks second and fifth as the leading cancer-associated deaths for men and women, respectively. Two research entities in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits University are directly involved with research into HBV epidemiology, molecular biology, and antiviral therapy. The Hepatitis Virus Diversity Research Unit at Wits Professor Anna Kramvis directs the Hepatitis Virus Diversity Research Unit (HVDRU), a research entity within the Department of Internal Medicine in the School of Clinical Medicine at Wits. The HVDRU studies the molecular virology of HBV. Specifically, the unit studies uniquely African HBV strains their epidemiology, molecular and functional characterisation, and their role in the clinical manifestation of a disease. No infectious diseases research in Africa can neglect the pandemic of HIV, which causes AIDS. Thus, the HVDRU also researches HBV/HIV co-infection and develops bioinformatics tools to facilitate the study of these infections. Our research has shown that the strains of HBV that prevail in Africa differ both molecularly and functionally from those outside of Africa. We have developed tools that enable us for the first time to be able to screen existing and new anti-HBV therapies against these strains. This is significant because studies on strains that prevail outside Africa do not necessarily always apply here, says Kramvis. The Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit The Wits/South African Medical Research Council Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU), directed by Professor Patrick Arbuthnot, is developing gene therapy to counter serious viral infections such as HBV of public health importance in sub-Saharan Africa. Gene therapy refers to the introduction of genetic material (DNA or RNA) into cells as a mode of treating disease. Because gene therapy is based on rational drug design [the development of medications based on the study of the structures, functions and genetic makeup of target molecules], the technology is very powerful and potentially applicable to many previously undruggable diseases of South African importance. The AGTRU focuses on advancing a cure for persistent infection with HBV. The International Coalition to Eliminate HBV and the search for a cure Both the HVDRU and AGTRU at Wits are part of the International Coalition to Eliminate HBV (ICE-HBV). This global group of researchers, patient representatives, and health organisations calls for the integration of an HBV cure in global plans to eliminate viral hepatitis. A safe and effective vaccine to prevent HBV infection has been available since 1982. The universal delivery of this vaccine is essential for the elimination of HBV as a public health threat. Additionally, those already chronically infected need lifelong treatment, but only some five percent of those who need this treatment can currently access it. Ahead of World Hepatitis Day, members of ICE-HBV published a paper in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology for the need for appropriate cure research and preparedness to complement the World Health Organizations global elimination strategy, the HBV vaccine, and the well-tolerated but poorly accessed therapy. ICE-HBV calls for increased investments in HBV cure research and cure preparedness to save the lives of the 290 million people living with chronic hepatitis B worldwide, most of whom are unaware of their infection. Five facts about Hepatitis B Virus in South Africa UTICA The City of Utica is requesting proposals to develop a landmark section of property along the Erie Canal. The city sent out a news release Monday afternoon announcing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the purchase and development of the Utica Historic Marina located at 16 Harbor Lock Road. That location is off of North Genesee Street, not far from the New York State Thruway. A building on the property which houses Aqua Vino Restaurant is approximately 8,000 square feet and was built in 2001. In the release, Mayor Robert Palmieri says the city has worked with the Canal Corporation and other state agencies to acquire the marina land, so they would be able to sell the land and the building together. The city currently leases the property from the Canal Corp. The benefits of the city purchasing the land surrounding our facility at the marina is a win-win as it enables us to market the entire property which makes it appealing to investors. Selling the property to proven developers will expand our tax base, reduce city expenditures and provide a unique opportunity for economic development, said Palmieri. The city says proposals are due to the City of Utica Board of Contract & Supply by September 6th. A copy of the RFP can be found on the citys website. ROME - Several departments in the City of Rome will soon see improvements because of a $450,000 state grant secured by State Sen. Joe Griffo. Griffo, joined by Mayor Jackie Izzo and members of the Rome Police and Fire Departments, made the announcement at the Rome train station Monday morning. Approximately $250,000 of the grant will go towards train station improvements and repairs. The money will help pay for the costs to repair a hole in the ceiling that developed earlier this month, so the pedestrian walkway can reopen. Mayor Izzo says without this state grant the city would have had to pay for the repairs to the train station. There is no option here. We have to repair this, because we certainly don't want to lose train service to Rome. So one way or the other all this burden would've been on the taxpayers. Now that the senator has opened up municipal funding, this takes much of that $250,000 off the backs of our taxpayers - and that's very much appreciated. The rest of the funding amounts to $100,000 to provide pole cameras for the police department, $50,000 for repairs to the fire department's hazmat storage facility, as well as $50,000 to make improvements to the Rome Art and Community Center. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Rome train station closed for ceiling repairs following partial collapse TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) Indiana's school districts are bracing for big changes approved by lawmakers that will alter how they handle their budgets and school funds. Lawmakers passed the changes last year with the goal of giving school districts greater flexibility in spending and to clarify how much is spent on student instruction versus operations and administration costs. The changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2019. "It's a huge change," said Dennis Costerison, the executive director of the Indiana Association of School Business Officials, who worked with lawmakers drafting the bill. The Legislative Services Agency says the law eliminates the school general fund and replaces it with an "education fund" meant for only expenses related to student instruction. It also creates a new "operations fund" that replaces funds for capital projects, transportation and bus replacement. "Not having a general fund is a cultural shift," Costerison told the Tribune-Star . "It's a major change in how schools will do their accounting." The revenue source for the education fund will be state tuition support based on enrollment, which is similar to the current general fund. School boards can transfer part of that money to the operations fund to cover those expenditures that are transferred. "It will be easier to use money as needed, rather than having it in separate 'silos,'" said Purdue University economist Larry DeBoer, who has studied Indiana government spending for about 30 years. "I can remember governors and legislators wanting to know how much schools are spending directly on classroom instruction, rather than operations or administration. Now with the education fund, we'll have a number that does that." Lafayette, IND (WLFI) - The owners of a local Lafayette restaurant are walking away $16,000 richer after winning Guy Fieris Grocery Games show on the Food Network. Bistro 501 is owned by twin sisters, Theresa and Cheyenne Buckley. What once was a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, Bistro 501 opened about 20 years ago and the Buckley sisters took over the business about two and a half years ago. I started out here at Bistro 501 years ago as a server and I loved it, said Cheyenne. I had always wanted to work here. And once she got her foot in the door, she slowly worked her way up by helping in the kitchen. She then brought her sister into working at the restaurant. Cheyenne says she always remembers having a love for cooking. My mom always had me helping in the kitchen and I just always had a passion for it, she said. And when the restaurant was up for sale, the sisters jumped on the opportunity. Bringing their mom all the way from Vermont to help. When asked what Mary Buckleys title was around the restaurant, she said Mom with a chuckle. Im the Front of House Manager, she then said. Mary was the one who took the call from the Food Network. She recalled that it was a busy Wednesday night when the host came to Mary with a phone call. At first I said take a message because Im on the floor, she said. But then the host responded that it was the Food Network. That next Monday morning they had a skype interview with the casting director and then two months later they filmed the show, she said. The Food Network wanted them to fly out on February 11th, which was a bit of a problem. Valentine's Day is like our Super Bowl, said Mary. So we originally declined. But when the Food Network came back with February 7th, they knew this was too great an opportunity to turn down. We opened this restaurant two years ago, number one so we could spend time together, she said. Its February and its all expenses paid to California, we are going. Cheyenne said every little detail, from landing at the airport to visiting San Francisco, had a lasting impact on her. Even though we all work (at Bistro 501), its usually like ships in the night and we dont see each other, she said. So to have that togetherness and share that moment with them was huge. Filming took 16 hours and then they were back on a plane for Indiana before they knew it. They walked out of filming the show the winners back February, but they had to keep their victory a secret for nearly five months until the episode aired last week. We could not tell anyone, said Mary. And it was very difficult. For Cheyenne, her favorite part of the experience has been seeing friends and familys reaction to the episode. We had people in Texas, we had people in Philadelphia all just texting and messaging me, she said. It made me feel so close to people, and it was just like winning all over again. The episode aired on Wednesday, July 25th. This also happened to be the day Theresa gave birth to Eda Marie. People were congratulating us and we would say for which one, the show or the baby? said proud Grandma Mary. The Buckleys walked away with $16,000 from the show, which they split three ways. Some of the money is going towards a nursery. Some is going into a college fund for Cheyennes daughter. Some is going towards renovating the bathrooms of the restaurant. Mary hopes to buy some land. Cheyenne says the stress and excitement of going through the show was worth it to have some weight lifted off her shoulders now. With the family growing, we have new baby Eda and Sophia my daughter, said Cheyenne. And we have Dominic on the way. September 10th another addition is coming so it really comes in handy managing the stresses of my outside life. But they didnt just do the show for their own benefit, they did it knowing it would help the city of Lafayette in the long run too. People will make their vacations around Food Network shows, said Mary. So this is huge for Lafayette. Click here to learn more about Bistro 501. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - A local museum is the new home of an old locomotive. During the past few days, crews have been moving the 71-year-old railroad locomotive. It's now at the Wabash Valley Railroad Museum in Terre Haute. Harbor Rail Services Company Company in Pasadena, California donated the train engine. Public Service Indiana, now known as Duke Energy, once owned the locomotive. They used it to shuffle coal cars around a power generating station. You can check it out in person at their museum on 1316 Plum Street in Terre Haute. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) UPDATE: Due to the weather the road closure has been pushed back to later this week. WLFI will follow the story and let you know as soon as a time has been announced. More roads are expected to close in West Lafayette starting Monday and it will get noisy for those who live in the area. A portion of westbound State Street and River Road will be blocked off. This intersection is closing between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday and Tuesday night. The eastbound lanes of State Street will remain open to drivers, but no turns are allowed at the intersection. Westbound State Street from River Road to Tapawingo Drive and River Road from Tapawingo Drive to Howard Avenue is closing. City engineer Ed Garrison said there are a lot of repairs that need to be made to the roads. "They've got a lot of concrete work to do through there to get everything up to standards that are going to hold up for the next 23 years," Garrison said. "They have to go in there and get it done and there's really no way around it." The work being done is a part of The State Street Redevelopment Project. Drivers should use Tapawingo Drive and Chauncey Avenue as a detour. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page More than 4,000 council-owned public spaces and facilities are being sold off by local authorities each year, with the majority purchased by private developers, according to the UK local communities charity Locality . Freedom of Information requests were submitted by the charity to all 353 councils in England in January 2018. Based on the data supplied by the 233 councils that responded, Localitys report, titled The Great British Sell Off, revealed that 20,651 public buildings or spaces were sold off between 2012/2013 and 2016/2017an average of 4,131 per year. The council assets sold off include sites such as public parks, libraries, swimming pools and youth centres. The southeast of England sold the highest number of public facilities, offloading an average of 872 every year to the private sector to be used for private profit and short-term speculation. The study also reported the number of buildings identified as surplus by local authorities over the next five years. Some 1,602 buildings in the Yorkshire and Humber region of England were identified by councils as surplus and therefore likely to be sold offthe highest figure in Englandout of a total of 7,280 across the country. The report noted that this figure is almost certainly a significant underestimation of the number of sales that will actually take place. While councils do not publish official data on the number of sell-offs or on the proportion that are purchased by private developers, the report noted that many of these public buildings and spaces are sold on the open market to the highest bidder. Sites sold off in the last five years include the council-owned Temple Cowley swimming pool in Oxford, which was disposed of for just 3.5 million in 2014 to a property developer who plans to bulldoze the building and replace it with 48 new homes. Other sites, such as the Hastings pier in Sussex, have been sold off to private developers for a fraction of the cost of building or rebuilding them. Luxury hotel developer Sheikh Abid Gulzar reportedly paid 50,000 for the pier after it went into administration last November, even though it had been rebuilt in 2013 with 12.4 million of lottery money. This is despite efforts from local community groups, who raised 433,000 to purchase the pier and keep it in the hands of the community. In fact, the report notes that only around two-fifths (41 percent) of local authorities have policies in place for the community ownership of formerly council-owned assets, with the default option for most local authorities being to sell to the private sector. Nonetheless, over the last decade, hundreds of previously council-run facilities have been passed to community groups to operate at their own expense. More than 500 of the UKs 3,800 libraries are now run by community volunteers. Volunteers are forced to step in to keep open valued library services that would otherwise be threatened with closure due to central government and local council cuts. Almost 600 public libraries have been closed since 2010, according to the chartered institute of public finance and accountancy. Despite the reports focus on the benefits of community ownership as a solution to cost-cutting and closures by local councils, community-run spaces and buildings are a difficult financial and labour burden on the often unpaid and untrained community volunteers who endeavour to maintain facilities with little or no funding. This mass sell-off comes in the context of relentless cuts to local authority budgets from central government over the last years. Central government council funding has been slashed by 11.3 billion and by 2020, according to the Local Government Association, local authorities will have lost 75 percent of the central government funding they received in 2015. Almost half of all councils, 168, will receive no central government funding by 2019/20 and will be forced to rely exclusively on local taxesthe Business Rate and Council Taxand local charges, which are expected to rise sharply and cover a wider range of services. According to the Local Government Association, councils face a funding gap of 5.8 billion by 2020. However, in addition to central government cuts, both Labour- and Conservative-run local authorities are complicit in the selling-off of council assets. In Haringey, north London, the Labour-run council planned the largest transfer of local authority assets to a private developer, Lendlease, through a 50:50 partnership: the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV). The proposal would see the transfer of council housing, schools, clinics and commercial buildings worth 2 billion to the private developer. Since April 2016, councils have been permitted to spend the proceeds from the sale of their assets on their day-to-day operations, further incentivising the local authorities to sell. The research noted the terrible impact that the selling-off of public spaces and buildings has on working-class communities, who often rely on them as places to meet, socialise and relax. Importantly it is often the poorest places that are most reliant on these types of spaces, the Locality report stated. Losing them can have a devastating impact on local people and communities. Years of austerity and lack of investment have decimated local services and left many of the places people rely on shuttered up, under threat or falling into disrepair. The selling of public spaces poses significant problems for freedom of assembly. While half of councils surveyed (48.7 percent) for a report by the Heritage Lottery Fund acknowledged that they had disposed of or transferred the management or ownership of urban green spaces in the three years leading up to 2016, the problem of private ownership of previously public spaces in cities goes further than just public parks. According to a Guardian investigation published last year, many apparently public squares and parks in major cities across the UK, particularly in the capital, are owned by private individuals or companies. Over 50 pseudo-public spaces in London are owned and managed by giant corporations such as JP Morgan, including large swathes of Camden, Islington and the City of London. Although the public generally have free access to these areas, these squares and parks are not subject to local authority bylaws, with their private landowners often hiring their own private security services to police them. This private ownership and policing of squares and parks in towns and cities can have enormous repercussions. According to the Guardians report, private security guards working outside the London mayoral headquarters, City Hall, prevented Guardian reporters from carrying out interviews near the premises. The security officers stated that journalistic activity is not permitted on the site as it is privately owned, before escorting the journalists to the security office and forbidding further attempts to conduct interviews with members of the public. Not only are vital and valuable public facilities lost through council cuts and sell-offs, but the offloading of these public spaces to private entities, which are free to restrict access and police them as they see fit, is an attack on fundamental democratic rights of freedom of assembly and speech. Directed by Matteo Garrone; written by Garrone, Ugo Chiti and Massimo Gaudioso Dogman is the most recent work by Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone (The Embalmer, Gomorra). The film was presented at the Cannes film festival in May to a favorable reception, and is yet to be released in the United States. It is a serious attempt to deal with a difficult, and in the present climate not particularly promising subject. Dogman Although it departs from the facts of the original case in significant ways, Dogman is based on a horrific murder that shook the city of Rome and made national news in February 1988. The killer, Pietro De Negri, subsequently became known as the Dogman of the Magliana, the latter at that time being one of the roughest working class neighborhoods on the outskirts of Rome. He committed his deed after being repeatedly subjected to intimidation and abuse by a local hoodlum, Giancarlo Ricci. Having trapped his tormentor by a ruse in one of the cages in his dog grooming shop, De Negri then proceeded to torture and kill Ricci in an exceedingly brutal fashion. The actual details of the story remain somewhat murky and controversial. Most recently, in response to renewed attention to the case due to the release of Garrones film, the mother of the victim stated that the dog coiffeur was merely a patsy who took the blame for a crime committed by others. Nonetheless, the story powerfully affected the consciousness of a certain generation of Italians, particularly in Rome. The murders shockingly sadistic elements, salaciously reported by the press at a time when such stories were perhaps not as commonor, for that matter, as commonly portrayed on filmno doubt played a role. Dogman More fundamentally, the story resonated and was deliberately presented as one of righteous revenge, tapping into the frustrations and anger of ordinary people. The incident took place in the period of the notorious Banda della Magliana, an organized crime group with extensive links to the neo-fascist right, which ran roughshod over the city, and which has been lionized in the cult film and television series Romanzo Criminale. More broadly, this was also a period of rampant political corruption (the clean hands scandal blew the lid on such practices in the early 1990s), rising unemployment rates and a wave of right-wing reforms, including the slashing of redundancy fund benefits the same year as the murder. All of this contributed to enormous frustrations, certainly in working class neighborhoods in cities like Rome. When the dogman carried out his revenge, for a misguided section of the downtrodden population, at last the little guy had stood up to intimidation and abuse. Graffiti praising the dogman appeared on the streets of Rome following the crime. One might have imagined, considering the current cultural atmosphere, that such a story could have attracted exactly the wrong kind of artistic interest. A film about the dogman could have slipped almost seamlessly into the grooves of the well-established torture and porno-sadistic tendencies in contemporary film. Garrone could just as easily have ridden the wave of the often uncritical fascination with criminality and gangsterism in contemporary film, having already done so to a considerable extent in his previous film Gomorra . Instead, Dogman displays unusual and, frankly, unexpected sensitivity, approaching its difficult subject humanely and with considerable restraint. Garrone (born in 1968), who is from Rome and was a young man at the time of the murder, stated that he began working on this project 13 years ago, but could not shoot the film until he found a suitable actor to play the protagonist. Significantly, the director added that what he found in Marcello Fonte, the actor who gives a powerful performance as the dogman, was his great humanity, which enabled the director to finally deal with the story in an appropriate manner. Dogman Visually and narratively sparse, Dogman relies on the ability of the main actor. There are few characters, saying little to each other and operating in a forlorn setting. In fact, there is a certain artificiality to the unspecified seaside location chosen by Garrone. Everything is a bit too neatly run down and desolate. But when the camera is on Fonte, who could conceivably have been asked to portray a monster, the viewer feels his humanity in its emotional complexities, and sympathizes with the impossible conditions in which he finds himself. Marcello is a physically weak man, on that score totally incapable of handling the intimidation and abuse dished out by Simoncino (Edoardo Pesce), his tormentor. Yet long before the horrific denouement, Marcello takes a stand courageously in his own way, and tries to salvage a dignified existence. He deals drugs on the side, and participates more or less unwittingly in petty crimes in the wake of Simoncino. But Marcello loves his job and through it, and his relationship with his daughter, is shown repeatedly to be a decent human being. His relationship with Simoncino is moreover not simply based on violence and crime, bullying and intimidation, but also contains elements of friendship in a setting where it was impossible for it to find anything resembling a productive channel. Marcello at one point saves Simoncinos life, even though his death would have been convenient. At another point he takes the fall for Simoncinoone suspects not simply because he fears the consequences of crossing himand as a result is sent to jail for a year. Dogman merely hints at whats in store for Marcello, in a remarkable scene showing his long walk before entering his cell. One senses the brutality that awaits in the faces of the unsavory fellow prisoners he passes by. But they, too, look like human beings rather than cartoon characters. The face of the last man shown in the scene stays with the viewer. Even Simoncino, while far from a well-rounded character, is not a monster either. He bullies his way around town, at the mercy of his drug cravings and, in a sense, his own physical might, which allows him to get his way too easily. His physical presence is genuinely frightening, and the director is able to make it linger by more subtle means even when he isnt there, such as the dreadful roaring of his bikes engine, first getting fainter, indicating he is leaving, then closer. Simoncino is sadistic and cruel, but here and there one sees glimpses of genuine affection for Marcello. All this is done convincingly and in a manner that actually departs substantially from the real story of the dogmanat least from the manner in which it was reported. This is particularly true of the murder carried out by Marcello. The event featured monstrous acts of mutilation and torture which the actual dogman, Pietro De Negri, apparently freely confessed to without any sign of remorse. These were perhaps made even more disturbing when the autopsy revealed they were carried out for several hours, mostly after the victims death. In the film, Marcello begins to treat Simoncino as he does his dogsslowly gaining his trust, coaxing him with treats in the form of cocaine rocks, and finally succeeding in getting him to grudgingly enter into a cage. But there is a flip side to this, because the dogman actually loves and cares for his dogs, once going to extraordinary lengths to rescue one that had gotten in the way of their criminal efforts. In any case, Dogman significantly blunts the element of vengeance that was apparently so central to the story it is inspired by. Marcellos stated motivation is not revenge, but getting his cut of the money from the robbery for which he did time. He needs it, we surmise, to repair the damage his time in prison did to his relationship with his daughter. Marcello then asks Simoncino for an apology, and demands respect. In Garrones Dogman, the murder is not the result of a calculated plan. Virtually every act of violence that follows Simoncinos entrapment is forced upon Marcello by the circumstances and by his victims sheer physical strength. It is not a question of morally and factually sanitizing an otherwise unspeakable event, but of extracting its essential human content. The people involved did in reality do terrible things, but were themselves the contradictory products of immense social degradation and of a system they did not control. It is rarely reported that Pietro De Negri served his prison sentence for 16 years with time reduced for good conduct, including helping to care for prisoners suffering from AIDS, and assisting foreign prisoners with bureaucratic matters. Upon release in 2005, he returned to his wife and daughter, started working as a delivery man, asking the media to be left alone. Garrones film avoids the low-hanging fruit of mindless violence and revenge, and tries to get a deeper truth. There are problems, to be sure, including a disappointing conclusion that muddles the crucial question of Marcellos motivations. It should also be said that Garrone seems to understand human beings far better than the social conditions that produce them. Yet in Dogman he has made a serious film while swimming against a strong current. Each year in the United States some 700 mothers die giving birth, while over 50,000 are severely injured. According to an investigation published by USA Today last Thursday titled Deadly Deliveries, the majority of these deaths and injuries could have been prevented if hospitals had followed best practices for delivering babies. The Global Burden of Disease Study 2015, put together by researchers at the World Health Organization and published in 2016 in the medical journal The Lancet, reported that maternal deaths in most industrialized countries have either declined or remained flat since the 1990s, with countries in Western Europe falling below 10 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. By contrast, the maternal death rate in the United States has nearly doubled, increasing from 16.9 deaths per 100,000 births in 1990 (for a total of 674 deaths) to 26.4 in 2015 (a total of 1,063 deaths). Based on this data, the USA Todayarticle concluded that the United States is the most dangerous country in the developed world for women to give birth. The investigation by USA Today helps shed light on why this is the case. It found that many US hospitals have failed to implement basic and inexpensive safety standardssuch as weighing bloody pads to measure blood loss or administering medication in a timely fashion to treat spikes in blood pressurethat could prevent the majority of maternal deaths and injuries. The maternal death rates varied by state. California, considered by leading medical societies to represent the gold standard of care, saw maternal deaths decline by half to 4 deaths per 100,000 births. On the other hand, Louisiana, Indiana and Georgia have the highest maternal death rates, exceeding 40 deaths per 100,000 birthssimilar to the rates found in Guam, Egypt and Tunisia. Louisianas maternal death rate of 58.1 deaths per 100,000 births is actually higher than the rate in Central Latin America (55.9). The investigation was based on over 500,000 pages of internal hospital quality records from hospitals in the states of New York, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas, covering 150 women who suffered childbirth complications, along with interviews with mothers, family members and hospital administrators. The newspaper found that US hospitals have been slow to adopt new safety guidelines that have been recommended by medical societies and other health organizations for nearly a decade. There are no national regulations requiring hospitals to make data on childbirth complications public and hospitals are reluctant to release such data, making it difficult to identify facilities with major problems. For example, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services does not require the reporting of any complications in childbirths covered by Medicaid, which pays for almost half of the 4 million births that take place in the US each year. The private hospital accreditation group the Joint Commission requires the reporting of cesarean section rates, but no other information. Our medicine is run by cowboys today, where everyone is riding the range doing whatever theyre wanting to do, Dr. Steven Clark, a leading childbirth safety expert at Baylor College of Medicine, told USA Today. The lack of national regulation means that hospitals can ignore safety recommendations, a problem common to hospitals of all sizes and all levels of technological sophistication. As a result, less than 15 percent of mothers suffering childbirth complications in the hospitals looked at by investigators received the recommended treatment. The primary sources of complications arise from dangerously high spikes in blood pressure that can lead to strokes and excessive blood loss, which can result in organ failure. Medical societies and other health-related organizations have developed guidelines for treating pregnant women and new mothers for high blood pressure, including additional monitoring and treating them with medication within one hour. The newspaper, however, found that many hospitals failed to follow these guidelines. In the dozen or so medial facilities USA Today looked at in Pennsylvania, hospitals failed to follow treatment guidelines 33 to 51 percent of the time, while two hospitals in the Carolinas had failure rates of 78 percent and nearly 90 percent. At one of the largest birthing hospitals in North Carolina, the Womens Hospital in Greensboro, between October 2015 and June 2016, 189 out of 219 mothers were not given timely treatment for high blood pressure, despite medical staff being aware that their work was being monitored. The newspaper estimates that 60 percent of the deaths from hypertension could have been prevented. Other mothers experienced excessive bleeding, resulting in their blood pressure dropping to dangerously low levels and posing the threat of organ failure. This can be prevented by carefully measuring the quantity of blood loss by weighing blood-soaked pads and collecting and measuring blood using a calibrated pouch. When medical staff make only visual measurements, they often underestimate the level of blood loss, while doctors may mistake the excessive blood loss for normal post-partum bleeding. According to a 2016 training webinar put on by the countrys main hospital trade association, the American Hospital Association, 93 percent of the women who bled to death could have been saved had staff paid attention to the level of blood loss. Many of the women interviewed by the newspaper expressed the common complaint that doctors and nurses did not listen to their concerns and were often ill prepared. The mothers experienced excruciating pain and most were never provided with an explanation for what went wrong. Over and over, the article notes, these women said they wanted other mothers to know the importance of finding heath care providers who listen to their concerns, pay attention to warning signs and are trained to deal with complications. Of the 75 hospitals in 13 states contacted by USA Today, half refused to answer questions about their safety practices. Of those that did reply, over 40 percent admitted that they did not quantify blood loss after birth, while the majority had no system for tracking whether women with dangerously high blood pressure were treated in a timely fashion. Unlike other developed countries, the US does not have a national health care system that could mandate the use of best practices, meaning it can take a decade or more before they are widely implemented, resulting in hundreds of unnecessary deaths and tens of thousands of unnecessary injuries, primarily afflicting working class women. While the newspaper indicates some of the problems underlying the preventable deaths and injuriesincluding the lack of national regulations and inadequate training for medical staffit ignores the primary problem of the profit motive in health care. For example, while the article is quick to place blame on medical staff, it ignores the long hours and unsafe patient-to-staff ratios imposed on nurses as hospitals attempt to keep down labor costs at the price of patient safety. Facing mounting anger from UPS workers to its sellout contract proposal released on July 10, the Teamsters union is seeking to slander workers opposition as the work of Internet trolls. Last Thursday, Teamsters Local 174 in Washington State published a three-minute video, complete with Beethoven background music and all the technological sophistication of a high-school animation project, warning workers not to listen to statements by trolls criticizing the UPS agreement on social media. The unions agreement includes the creation of a new, second tier of warehouse-driver hybrid workers, who will be paid less than current drivers. It allows for the continued exploitation of workers for more than 70 hours a week during peak season, and it maintains poverty-level wages for part-time workers who make up more than 70 percent of the workforce. The Teamsters attack on Internet trolls recalls the propaganda campaign waged by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union during the 2015 contract negotiations with the Big Three automakers. After Fiat Chrysler workers rejected the UAW sellout contract by a 2-to-1 margin, the union executives spent almost half a million dollars to hire BerlinRosen, a Democratic Party-aligned New York City public relations firm, to push through the sellout. Its campaign included claims that information spread by workers online, including from the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter, was fake news. The union was widely denounced by workers for stuffing the ballots to eventually push through the deal. It has since been revealed that high-level UAW officials were accepting millions of dollars in payoffs from the automakers throughout the contract negotiations between 2009 and 2015, during which time the union introduced a new second-tier position for new-hires with poverty-level wages, and an alternative work schedule with 10-hour shifts. Last week, it was reported that Dennis Williams, the recently-retired UAW president, personally signed off on such corrupt payoffs. The UAWs attacks on the World Socialist Web Site anticipated the ongoing fake news campaign by the Democratic Party and the intelligence agencies aimed at justifying the censorship of left-wing and alternative news sites. This campaign has been intensified in the wake of strikes by teachers in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona this year, during which teachers used social media to organize independently of the unions. If anything, the Teamsters attack on Internet trolls is even less sophisticated than the UAW campaign over fake news. Its video actually underscores the naked character of the sellout, because it is unable to answer any of the attacks on the agreement that it itself cites. The video includes a series of animated speech bubbles with quotes ostensibly made by trolls, but which are actually attacks on the agreement widely made by workers on social media, including on the Vote No on UPS Contract Facebook page, which has over 20,000 members. These include: I heard you guys sold us out on the 70-hour week; I heard the new [tier] are going to take all our work and do it for less money; I heard the [new tier] are going to be completely abused by the company; and I heard we could have gotten a way better deal if you guys werent afraid to strike! These accusations are not answered with arguments; they are crossed out with red lines and a giant NO, followed by a plea for workers not to trust Internet trolls but only their trusted local union leadership. The business executives who run the corporate-labor syndicate named the Teamsters Union obviously think workers were born yesterday. Among the statements by workers on Facebook in response to the video, Mark, a UPS driver, commented: I only have one thing to say. Where is the power of my union dues that the so-called great union takes each and every month? Why the hell would anyone let UPS put this out for a vote? No one is even mentioning the $1 billion that UPS received this year from president Trumps tax cut, which we as employees [have] seen nothing of [A]s I see it the UNION really screwed us over, 31 years at UPS and I have never once seen a contract go out for a vote and go back as [a] no. There is no way for UPS workers to defend their interests through the Teamsters union. The union does not represent the workers; it is a labor-management syndicate whose role is to provide the company with a low-wage workforce and suppress opposition to wage cuts, speedup and the destruction of workers rights. Workers need new organizations to conduct a fight. Rank-and-file committees should be elected by workers in every depot and warehouse to lead a struggle for a rejection of the contract, to make preparations for a national strike, and to turn out and make contact with other distribution workers in the United States and internationally for a common struggle. We urge all UPS workers to contact us today to discuss this perspective. CLAY COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A Clay County man faces charges after police say he tried to steal a trailer. It happened early Sunday morning. Police say they were monitoring the area of County Road 200 West and Summit Lawn Cemetary in connection to a number of thefts, burglaries, and reports of a suspicious person. According to police, they found three people trying to steal a trailer. That is when police arrested Drew Atkinson. Atkinson allegedly escaped custody while being escorted to the Clay County Jail. Police say they were quickly able to catch him. Atkinson is facing charges of attempted theft, escape, and trespassing. The other two that police caught were not charged. CLAY COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Christmas came a little early in Clay County on Sunday. The Brazil Eagles Lodge hosted its annual Ride With Santa. People dressed up as the man in red or his elves and rode their motorcycles throughout the county. Money raised will go to the Brazil Police Department's "Shop With A Cop" program. The program brings Christmas to families who may not be able to afford it. Exact totals have not been released yet, but organizers told News 10 they already raised more money this year than in years past. EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WTHI) - A student accused of a shooting at an Illinois high school has waived his right to a jury trial. A judge has set a hearing for September 14th. It will be the juvenile court version of the trial. The shooting happened at Mattoon High School in September of 2017. Typically, students in juvenile cases are limited to trial by judge. But a judge recently granted a motion that opened up the possibility for a jury trial. Under the motion, the suspect could get a blended juvenile and adult sentence. GOSHEN, Ind (AP) The sermon had been preached, the last prayers offered. Now, Mike Yoder decided, the time had come to share unsettling news. As congregants at Silverwood Mennonite Church chatted around a Sunday potluck spread, Yoder, a county commissioner for 13 years and a dairy farmer for much longer, huddled with Pastor Jeremy Shue at the edge of the hall. There was a very good chance, Yoder confided, that the nations newest immigration detention center would soon rise from a soybean field north of town. One of the only positives is that it would be less of a drive to protest, Shue said. Yoder needed no reminder of the potential for conflict. The Republican had paid close attention when nearly two-thirds of Elkhart Countys voters backed Donald Trump for president after a campaign in which he lambasted immigrants. He knew just as well that the politically mixed county seat and the largest local employers had made a place for thousands of immigrants from Mexico a significant, but uncertain, number of them in the U.S. illegally. It was a balancing act in this part of northern Indiana, founded on sometimes conflicting views about business and faith, community and law. And the proposal for a 1,200-bed detention center put decision-makers on the tightrope. It was like a microcosm of all the different issues of immigration, Yoder said, right here in this county. ___ Immigration and Customs Enforcement has long sought to consolidate immigrants held in scattered Midwest jails. Since 2011, contractors have proposed detention centers in seven communities near Chicago, from the exurb of Crete, Illinois, to the steel center of Gary, Indiana. This is a game of whack-a-mole, said Fred Tsao of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, who has worked with activists to push a number of those proposals to defeat. Local governments in Texas and California recently canceled agreements to hold detainees for ICE even as other communities seek the jobs and dollars that doing so can generate. But demand for those facilities is rising. Though Trump talks up building a border wall, his administration has focused a large part of its policy on arrests away from the border and is seeking new detention sites. ICE does not own most of these facilities. Instead, it hires companies whose for-profit lockups hold two-thirds of the immigrants detained for being in the country illegally, with others in local jails under contract. The agency spends about $134 a day to hold each detainee, government figures show . Last fall, ICE put out a request for new detention sites near Chicago, Detroit, Salt Lake City and St. Paul, Minnesota, as well as in South Texas, as it sought to expand capacity from 40,000 migrants to 51,000. A proposal by CoreCivic Inc., one of the nations largest private prison companies, put Elkhart County on that list. The county, two hours east of Chicago, is the hub of the booming recreational vehicle industry with around 2 percent unemployment. A large Amish population has long provided many factory workers, but with 9,000 openings, we have a lot of jobs that nobody wants, said Yoder, whose father once led RV manufacturer Jayco Inc. Immigrants have filled much of the gap in the workforce, yet residents remain divided on issues including immigration. More than 7,000 packed an Elkhart school gym in May to cheer Trump. But the county seat of Goshen dotted with multilingual yard signs proclaiming No matter where you are from, were glad youre our neighbor is a counterweight, home to a Mennonite college and large Latino population. The proposal for a detention center would jab at those complexities. Yoder jumped in first, trying for a dialogue instead of a dispute. Commissioners had a mess to deal with, and thats the reason I reached out early, Yoder said. It didnt go as planned. Maybe that was because I was naive. ___ Richard Aguirre had spent months helping start an ID card program for Goshens immigrants, many barred from obtaining drivers licenses because they were in the U.S. illegally. To Aguirre, a Goshen College administrator, it was a victory, however local. On campus, he knew dozens of students brought to the U.S. illegally as children. The grandson of Mexican immigrants, Aguirre had childhood memories of relatives struggling to get by without work papers. It struck me as unfair that depending on which side of the border you were born on, you had a good life or a fairly miserable life, he said. When Yoder heard about the detention center, he knew it might antagonize people like Aguirre. But the project would be difficult to turn down, Yoder said. It would reap jobs and taxes from a site across from the county landfill and jail. Many Republican voters would likely back it. So he asked his pastor to arrange a meeting with Mennonite clergy, many of whom preach a message of welcoming the stranger. If a detention center was going to get built, Yoder said, maybe it would be best where clergy could minister to detainees. He also was mindful of the countys growing Latino population and Goshens more liberal voters. Elkhart County is about 16 percent Hispanic, drawn to a region that produces 4 of every 5 RVs in North America. In Goshen, though, nearly a third of residents are Latino, accounting for more than half of school enrollment. Downtown, taquerias mix with wine bars and antique shops. So the same day he spoke to pastors, Yoder met with Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, Aguirre and others. Id really like your help communicating calmness, the commissioner said. My reaction was, No way!' Aguirre said. That night, he started a Facebook page for the Coalition Against the Elkhart County Immigration Detention Center. Activists had already planned a rally to celebrate the ID cards. Aguirre recast it as a protest. Driving toward the courthouse on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, Aguirre figured icy rain would cap turnout at 60. Then he climbed to the top of the granite steps, handing a microphone to Felipe Merino, an immigration attorney and the president of Goshens school board. I want you to raise your hands if you believe that we do not want an immigration detention facility in Elkhart County, Indiana! Merino said. More than 200 thrust fists from under umbrellas. No! they shouted. ___ Listening to Yoder explain the detention center, Neil Amstutz, pastor of Waterford Mennonite Church, knew it was a proposal he could not abide. Years before, he had served as a missionary in Bolivia and worked in San Antonio, Texas, to settle refugees from El Salvador and Guatemala, becoming fluent in Spanish. After talking with fellow Mennonite clergy, he called a Mexican immigrant pastor, Jose Luis Gutierrez, whose Pentecostal church sits alongside an apple orchard two miles from Amstutzs own. Gutierrezs church, Comunidad Cristiana Adulam, is named for the biblical cave where King David took refuge. Some people from my community find that kind of protection they feel like refugees in the church, Gutierrez said. Its a safe place for worship because of the language, and it doesnt matter if they have documents or not. With another pastor, Gutierrez and Amstutz invited clergy from around the county to meet, and the group made plans for a communitywide service to oppose the detention center. On Dec. 17, in a sanctuary decorated with candles for the holiday, an impromptu congregation filled most of the pews of Elkharts First Presbyterian Church. Why are we here? Amstutz preached. To show that whether or not our government builds a bigger wall to keep immigrants out, Gods church is about breaking down dividing walls! But many immigrants were increasingly apprehensive. When 19-year-old Lizeth Ochoa first heard about the detention center, she imagined a lockup filled with criminals. But then I realized, oh, its for people like me, said Ochoa. When Ochoa was 9 months old, her mother paid a smuggler to spirit them from Mexico. They joined her father, who had already found work in Elkhart. Now, though, her place in the U.S. felt increasingly tenuous. President Barack Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative had eased concerns about deportation, but Trump was pulling the plug on the program. At home, she and her parents avoided talk of the detention center, fearful of upsetting her four U.S.-born siblings. But quietly, she considered what they would do if ICE officers newly assigned to Elkhart knocked on their door. Its been very stressful, (thinking) that my siblings might end up in foster homes because my parents and I would get deported, said Ochoa, who will be a junior next fall at Goshen College. Nearly a quarter of its 900 students are now Latino, many brought to the U.S. illegally when they were children, and so Ochoa was not alone in worrying. Trumps election had already unsettled some in Gutierrezs congregation. Talk of a detention center renewed their uneasiness. If ICE can do that in this county, people are going to go away, said Luis Fraire, a mechanic who came to Elkhart from Mexico 11 years ago, married and started a family and a business. We are all brothers in God, he said, as fellow worshippers filtered out of Adulam one Sunday. We pray to God because nobody else can stop this but him. ___ To others, a detention center was just what the county needed. Make sure you build it big cause its going to be overflowing, George Holiday, a retired forklift driver, posted online. In an interview, Holiday said the county had changed tremendously in recent years, with more signs in Spanish and new arrivals who dont seem to speak English. Immigrants work hard but disregard laws requiring permission to enter or stay, he said. A decade ago, Bob Schrameyer and fellow Goshen residents lobbied police to partner with ICE, and pushed employers to vet workers legal status. The problem, Schrameyer contends, is that many immigrants dont pay their fair share of taxes, while collecting welfare benefits. When he sought tighter controls, those who disagreed argued that enforcement was the federal governments job. But when the Trump administration tried to do it, people complained about that, too, said Schrameyer, a retiree and founder of the local Citizens for Immigration Law Enforcement. The detention center was a no-brainer, bound to bring in new taxes, Schrameyer said. But the loud opponents of it were the supporters of illegal immigrants in the area and, of course, they were worried the storm troopers were coming to town, Schrameyer said. On a recent morning, Roland Weaver put aside the trowel he was using to seal the foundation of his home, down County Road 7 from the proposed detention site. Such a facility would uphold the rule of law, he said, but there was more to it. We have a Constitution founded on the principles of God, and a lot of them, the illegals, they dont have that where theyre from and so they can bring in their beliefs. Thats what waters down what this country was founded on, said Weaver, a tiler at an RV plant. A lot of people say Jesus, he loved illegals and he didnt have borders when he was on this earth. But, hey, its a different world. ___ At a holiday gathering in late December, Mayor Stutsman ran into retired cardiologist Mark Smucker. Talking over the proposal, the men were joined by Galen Miller, owner of a poultry company and a friend of Smuckers since childhood. The argument I made was if we ever solve our problems with immigration in this country, either by reform or by deporting everybody, at some point we arent going to need an immigration detention center, Smucker said. It seemed to me that the people in the RV manufacturing community would not like to see even more of their workers drift away. Stutsman, a Democrat, proposed a letter of opposition. Miller agreed to reach out to executives at Elkharts RV companies. Back when CoreCivic had first called, Yoder said he cautioned a company official that the biggest potential pitfall would be wariness from major employers. But any concerns had largely been kept silent. There is this dilemma, said Jim Siegmann, former owner of a printing company who is active in business and civic circles. Many of Elkharts business leaders, he said, are politically conservative but count on immigrant workers, though some are in the U.S. illegally. They know they couldnt run their businesses without them, he said. When a small group met in Stutsmans office, several executives endorsed his letter. Worries, though, were stretching beyond profits. Civic leaders, wary of recessions and the regions reputation as flyover country, had long invested in projects to make the county a draw for companies and workers. How did a detention center fit that script? On a recent morning, Pete McCown, president of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, pointed from his office window to construction turning an industrial island at the junction of Elkharts rivers into a new hub with hundreds of apartments. Construction workers clambered over a shell that will house a $68 million community center with a natatorium for competitive swimming. Elkhart wants jobs, McCown said. But a detention center would add positions that could be difficult to fill, while potentially labeling the county as a place to lock people up. We dont want that to become our identification, he said. ___ Stopping by the Electric Brew coffee shop in early January, Yoder ran into Aguirre. CoreCivic officials were coming to meet business leaders, the commissioner said. Activists, whose online group had swelled to more than 2,000, organized a news conference, so representatives from the Nashville-based company would arrive to find their proposal in headlines. The next morning, Jan. 17, Aguirre and others held protest signs outside Ivy Tech Community College as visitors in suits filed in. Inside, CoreCivic representatives laid out their plans to executives from Thor Industries Inc. and Forest River Inc., the countrys largest RV makers; parts supplier Lippert Components; and other major employers. They and other executives declined to comment or did not respond to calls or emails. But people who attended the meeting or spoke with those who did said that after listening to CoreCivics presentation, local executives were very direct. I do business here. Ive been here my whole life, and I dont want you to come here, Forest River CEO Peter Liegl is said to have told the visitors. Employers biggest issue was that a detention center would create concern and fear within the Latino community and would lead them to relocate, said CoreCivic spokesman Steve Owen, who attended the meeting. That, to me, was the defining moment, said Yoder. The next day, Stutsman released his letter. Any tax dollars generated by the project wouldnt be enough to offset the long-lasting damage such a facility would do to our county, he wrote, backed by 45 CEOs and civic leaders. Join us in showing all newcomers to our communities how welcoming we are. Yoder counseled CoreCivic officials to think over their next move. It came the following Monday. After careful consideration, a company official wrote, CoreCivic has decided to withdraw its application. We won! Aguirre posted on Facebook. We won! ___ On the first Friday night of each month, Goshen residents gather around the Elkhart County Courthouse for a street festival. In early June, an Amish couple sold kettle corn. Children scribbled their names on the sidewalk with chalk. A local band, Los Ortega, pumped Mexican dance tunes across the grass. I love living here, said Pepe Urzua, a roofer who arrived from Mexico eight years ago, cradling his infant daughter. Its a place where you want to raise your kids. Across the grass, Rob Emahiser, a salesman for a tire manufacturer, looked out over the crowd. Im a Trump-loving Republican, and I love everything about this community, he said. Emahiser raised his beer to the tax cut Trump signed into law. Then he praised Latino co-workers and neighbors for working hard and taking care of their families and pointed out that sometimes he and the president would have to disagree. They wanted to build a detention center in this town, he said as a guitarist led a line of dancing Latino couples through lengthening shadows. Thats just not who we are. BRAZIL, Ind. (WTHI) - This month, some young students will be attending a new school in the Wabash Valley. The Annunciation Catholic Montessori School will open soon in Brazil, Indiana. This will be the first Montessori-based school in Clay County. Preschoolers will make up the first group to attend the new school. From there, school leaders hope to grow by one grade each year. Directors say the Montessori background helps students understand their potential. Students will learn hands-on, while also being guided spiritually. Directors want the school to have a home-like feeling to encourage learning and growth. To learn more, click here. TERRE HAUTE Ind (News Release) -- With the new school year approaching rapidly, The Salvation Army will be giving away backpacks and basic school supplies to families in need. The dates and times the supplies will be given out are: August 1 10:00 am 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm 6:00 pm August 2 10:00 am 12:00 pm, 1:00pm 3:00pm August 3 10:00 am 12:00 pm, 1:00pm 3:00pm Those seeking assistance will need to provide a picture ID, birth certificate for each child, social security cards for everyone in the household, proof of income or benefits in the last thirty days, and proof of address within Vigo County. Items given away will depend on donations received. Bethany Keller, caseworker, states, "We are expecting to assist over 500 children and their families with needed supplies to help them be successful in the upcoming school year. As always, both monetary contributions and in kind donations are greatly appreciated. We appreciate our community partners assistance in helping to provide this program again for the 2018-2019 school year. Thank You in advance for your contributions and for partnering with us in this ministry." Donations of crayons, pencils, pointed scissors, pocket folders, markers, and wide-ruled notebooks are especially needed. Financial contributions also give the flexibility to buy in bulk at reduced prices. School supplies or financial donations can be taken to the office at 234 S 8th St. Please call 232-4081 for more information. CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - Two people were hospitalized Saturday night following an ATV wreck in Chickasaw County. Sheriff Jim Meyers confirms it happened around midnight on Highway 341 close to Atlanta. Meyers says one person was taken to the North Mississippi Medical Center and another was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. Meyers says the cause of the accident is under investigation. Chickasaw County deputies responded to the scene with assistance from the Mississippi Highway Patrol and Calhoun County deputies. NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - Noxubee County School District's interim superintendent will meet with parents and community members Tuesday. This comes after Gov. Phil Bryant approved the state takeover of the school district last week. RELATED: State to take over Noxubee County schools Interim Superintendent Rodriguez Broadnax will be in attendance. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at Noxubee County High School. Editor's Note: This article has been updated. JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal wreck after a south Mississippi woman's car went over a bridge and into the Pascagoula River. WLOX reports an 18-wheeler rear ended a Lucedale woman's car and pushed it over the bridge at Interstate 10, just west of the Moss Point exit. On Monday, the woman was identified as 55-year-old Ladonna C. Rich of Lucedale, reports WLOX in Biloxi. Authorities believe her car hit a concrete piling under the bridge which threw the woman from the vehicle. WLOX reports a boater spotted the body soon after, and they were able to retrieve the victim. Multiple law enforcement spent hours working to tow her car from the water. WLOX reports a two-car crash on the bridge before the 18-wheeler hit the victim's car may have contributed to the accident. CALHOUN COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - A pediatric study found fairs and amusement parks to be the blame for more than half of the injuries that happen to children. A study from the Nationwide Children's Hospital found that over 4,400 injuries happen every year to children under the age of 18. More than 70% of those injuries happen during the summer months at these kinds of packed events. One concern is with pop-up rides according to the study. "Some of these rides start off real fast and are jerky, so you know if you put a small child on those rides that don't have a head support, I see how you can get some injuries there," says Jennifer Nelson, who is a parent and physical therapist from Calhoun County. Nelson says as a physical therapist, her office does not see many injuries caused by these pop-up rides. "I think the safety is pretty good at our local fair," Nelson says. Nelson says she appreciates the seat belts, non-slip padding on ramps and height restrictions as her children enjoy riding. "I don't want them getting on a ride that's not safe for them," Nelson says. "This group that has been coming here with the carnival for years, they've always been very dependable," says Kevin Rowan, a member of the Union County Fair Association. "We've never had an issue. They're very safe." Rowan says he has been coming to the Union County Fair since he was a little boy. He says the public's safety is the fair association's priority. "There's definitely a standard that we go by to make sure that the public is protected," Rowan says. Another concern is the increase in foodborne illnesses during the summertime according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. A statement posted on the organization's website states: "Sometimes the usual safety controls that a kitchen provides, like monitoring of food temperatures, refrigeration, workers trained in food safety and washing facilities, may not be available when cooking and dining at fairs and festivals." The CDC suggested a list of questions consumers should consider before buying food from a vendor. Some of those include: does the vendor have a clean/tidy workstation, a sink for employees to wash their hands or do they use gloves or tongs when handling food? Rowan says the Union County Fair Association has a group that makes sure every food and drinks consumed are safe. These county fairs are a summertime pastime and are meant for people to enjoy and indulge in what these events have to offer. "It's just a really good community involvement type thing," Rowan says. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 02:46:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Head of Libya's Constitution Drafting Assembly Nouh Abdassayed on Sunday announced his resignation, a day before the eastern-based parliament voting session on the referendum law for the country's permanent constitution. "I declare my unwillingness and inability to continue my work with the Constitution Drafting Assembly as head or member," Abdassayed said in a letter addressed to the assembly. "I will not initiate or assume this position, or do any work from this date," he said, mentioning no reasons for his resignation. Abdassayed stressed that he did not belong to a party, group or organization, stressing that he "did not betray Libya." Abdassayed's resignation comes a day before a session of the parliament to vote on the referendum law on the constitution. In July 2017, the assembly voted for a draft constitution and presented it to the parliament. However, the parliament refused to issue a referendum law pending a court ruling regarding the validity of the drafting procedures. A month later, the appeal court ruled that the draft constitution should be suspended, as the assembly held the voting session on a holiday. However, the Supreme Court ruled that the administrative judiciary is not competent to hear cases against the constitution assembly. Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition ever since the fall of the former leader Gaddafi's regime in 2011. The country is plagued with insecurity and political division. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 04:41:44|Editor: zh Video Player Close CAIRO, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi urged on Sunday the Israeli public opinion to make use of an available great chance for peace with the Palestinians. "I address the Israeli public opinion that there is a great chance for real peace and stability in the region by finding a solution to this issue," Sisi said while answering one of the questions at a two-day youth conference held in Cairo University. "This solution will not at all be against your security and stability," Sisi said through the televised event. With regards to circulating media reports about a U.S.-sponsored "Deal of the Century" for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Sisi reiterated Egypt's fixed position that supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital city based on the pre-1967 borders and the relevant UN resolutions. "The 'Deal of the Century' is a media term rather than a political one," Sisi continued, "we cannot accept anything the Palestinians do not accept and we support what they accept." The Egyptian president said that Egypt exerts efforts to achieve inter-Palestinian reconciliation "to have a united leadership for negotiations regarding the Palestinian cause." The decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been going on since the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the Western-backed creation of Israel in 1948. The international community holds Israel responsible for the deadlock of the peace process with the Palestinians due to its settlement expansion policy on occupied Palestinian territories. Israel is the regional number one ally of the United States. The U.S. President Donald Trump has recognized in late 2017 the debatable holy city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital city despite regional and international uproar. by: Evan Duggan VANCOUVER, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Maartje Meijaer sits on the deck of the Thane. It's a 57-foot-long sailing boat built in 1976 in the British Columbian capital of Victoria. The boat sits moored on the Steveston village waterfront in the Metro Vancouver city of Richmond. It's here as part of the 15th annual Richmond Maritime Festival. The Thane, Meijaer explains, is a replica of a sailboat that the legendary Joshua Slocum captained as he became the first man to sail around the world entirely on his own. This boat is now retired after spending years providing tours throughout the nearby Juan de Fuca Strait, Meijaer says. Its owner is now planning his own big trip. "Next month he is heading down to San Diego," she tells Xinhua. "After that, through the Panama Canal and to the East Coast with his wife." The boat is one of about seven others stationed and open to the public here at the festival, including old tug boats, fishing boats and sailboats that are part of the fabric of B.C.'s coastal history. The festival site is also home to a pair of Canadian National Historic Sites, including the Britannia Shipyard, which is Canada's oldest preserved shipbuilding location. "It's over 120 years old," says Ted Townsend, a spokesman with the City of Richmond. "There was a lot of shipbuilding that was happening there, primarily to support the fishing industry," he says. "And a lot of the other buildings that are here were involved with the fishing industry in one way or another." He said Richmond's history of fishing, canning and shipbuilding dates back more than 150 years. Inside one of the massive shipyard buildings, an older couple and a young family peruse the old timber structure, looking at old shipbuilding tools and machinery. The space, which has been preserved as a museum, smells of oil and salt and looks like it could be operational tomorrow. Even its office looks ready for use. At its peak, there were about 15 fish canneries along a two-kilometre stretch of the Steveston waterfront, which rests at the mouth of the Fraser River. "Here are the Steveston waterfront we had all sorts of cultures represented," Townsend says. "There were a lot of Japanese fishermen that immigrated from Japan to fish here. There were a lot of Chinese immigrants that came in to work in the canneries. Of course, of lot of European immigrants were here working, as well as First Nations." Now the waterfront is home to mostly seafood shops, condos and a boardwalk with lovely views of the river. "The heyday of the fishing industry was probably around 1900 through until the 1920s and 1930s when it was still quite the going concern," Townsend says. "And even as late as the 1980s, there were still operating canneries on the Steveston waterfront... A lot of that area has now been redeveloped." He says the two-day festival usually attracts about 25,000 visitors, who come down for a variety of music and food trucks and to wander through the historic seaside buildings and boats. "Every year we've been restoring some of the buildings here on the site and introducing new exhibits on site," Townsend says. "We are continuing to develop it and make it a great place for people to come and visit and learn about the history of Richmond's maritime heritage." Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 06:31:57|Editor: zh Video Player Close RABAT, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Sunday urged Moroccans to safeguard their homeland, protect it and contribute to its development and progress. He made the remarks in a speech on the 19th anniversary of his accession to the throne, in the northern city of Al Hoceima, the epicenter of a mass protest movement that started in October 2016 and lasted for nearly ten months. "True patriotism enhances unity and solidarity, especially in testing circumstances," the king said. "I am confident that Moroccans will not allow the advocates of chaos and nihilism or the peddlers of misconceptions to exploit certain deficiencies in order to encroach upon Morocco's security and stability and belittle its gains and achievements," he said. "We shall continue to move forward together and work hand in hand to overcome transient as well as objective hurdles and bring about conditions that allow us to continue implementing development programs and projects, create jobs and provide for a dignified life," he added. The protest movement started in October 2016 when fish vendor Mouhcine Fikri was crushed to death after climbing into a rubbish lorry to retrieve his swordfish confiscated by police for being caught out of season. The demand for justice for the vendor evolved into a major grassroots movement to protest against government negligence and a call for greater investment and jobs. On the previous throne anniversary, the king granted his pardon to dozens of convicts over protests. He also fired several ministers and senior officials over their involvement in delaying development projects in the region. But in late June, a Moroccan court sentenced 53 protesters in prison in terms between one and 20 years. Many demonstrations and sit-ins were staged to denounce the sentences and call for freedom for the arrested. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 08:27:11|Editor: Liu Video Player Close HICKSTEAD, England, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Ireland won out in a two-way jump-off against old rivals Britain in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup at Hickstead, South England, on Sunday. Wild winds, and the first heavy rain to hit the region for more than 50 days, ensured conditions were seriously challenging in this penultimate qualifier of the Europe Division 1 series. Rodrigo Pessoa's side of Trevor Breen, Richie Moloney, Michael Duffy and Anthony Condon battled through, and Condon clinched it in a third-round showdown against Holly Smith following a tie on 16 penalties after two rounds. Britain were reduced to just three counting scores when former world No 1 and 2012 Olympic gold medallist Scott Brash was eliminated at the open water both times out with Hello Shelby. But team manager Di Lampard has tremendous talent at her disposal with Smith (Heart's Destiny), Amanda Derbyshire (Luibanta BH) and William Whitaker (Utamaro D'Ecaussines) showing true grit to force the jump-off against Ireland. Smith set the target with a lovely clear round from her nine-year-old bay who broke the beam in 43.39 seconds. Condon, who has been based in England for the last 14 years, finised in 41.29 seconds with his 12-year-old stallion SFS Aristio. Ireland has now climbed to third on the Europe Division 1 leaderboard and, with 335 points, the reigning European champions look well-qualified for the Longines 2018 Final in Barcelona in October. Defending champions Brazil finished third, Sweden fourth and the Belgians had to settle for fifth ahead of Italy who lined up sixth of the seven competing nations. With the Europe Division 1 series concluding in Dublin in 12 days time, Britain and Italy will be desperate to move out of the danger-zone at the bottom of the league table, as only seven of the 10 competing nations will make the cut to the Barcelona Final. MEXICO CITY, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Mexico needs to diversify its trade markets given the possibility that its biggest trade partner, the United States, will continue to adopt protectionist measures, a new study said Sunday. "Mexico must aim to strengthen its open trade through ample diversification, in an environment with clear rules and fair conditions that benefit all participating countries," the Private Sector Center for Economic Studies said in its weekly analysis. The center, a research arm of Mexico's Business Coordinating Council, praised the recent summit of the Pacific Alliance, a Latin American trade bloc Mexico belongs to, for underscoring the benefits of free trade and the potentially harmful effects of protectionism. The summit, which Mexico hosted earlier this week, additionally stressed the need for Latin America to expand its commercial markets to counter the protectionist policies "that the U.S. government has unilaterally imposed," the center said. To effectively diversify its trade markets, Mexico will need to develop a more integrated and efficient productive sector, the center noted. Another reason to court new markets for its exports is that a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) may not benefit Mexico as the original version did, according to the center. "For Mexico, the protectionist environment of our northern neighbor is very worrying, since we have developed our export sector mainly as part of NAFTA trade ties," the center said. "While Mexico has one of the world's most open economies, the fact that a little more than 80 percent of Mexican exports are channeled exclusively to the United States is a reason for concern when we have no assurance what conditions the renegotiation of NAFTA will bring," the center said. The renegotiation of the 1994 agreement began in August 2017, but has been slowed by U.S. demands for substantial changes to existing rules of origin in the automotive industry, among others. BANGKOK, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Thai government has called on all Thai people to donate cash or relief items to victims after a dam collapse triggered flash flood in southern Laos. Interior Permanent Secretary Chatchai Promlert has instructed all governors in 76 provinces to set up donations centers to receive cash or material donations to be sent to Laos' southern Attapeu province, where the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy dam burst on July 23. "Please donate goods that are of good quality and will not break or damage during the delivery process," said Chatchai. "We will continue to ship these donated goods to the victims of the dam collapse until the flooding situation in Laos eases." Thai company Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Pcl, one of the dam constructor, said in a statement that the company had given an initial assistance of 1.3 billion kip (154,000 U.S. dollars) to Laos. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) also provided utilities to help with disaster relief for about 3,000 displaced Lao villagers. Egat Director Viboon Rerksirathai said the agency had shipped 500 bottles of clean water, 500 sets of survival kits and an additional 2 million baht (59,000 U.S. dollars) to Laos. Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has met with Lao Ambassador Seng Soukhathivong and handed over around 1.3 billion kip for the Lao victims. Latest report said nine people were confirmed dead while 122 were still missing after the dam collapse. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 10:52:28|Editor: zh Video Player Close HAVANA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian made an official visit to Cuba this weekend, confirming his country's interest in strengthening ties with the Caribbean island country. Le Drian, who arrived in Havana on Saturday and met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other officials, is the first European foreign minister to visit Cuba since elections were held in April to elect a successor to Raul Castro. "In an atmosphere of cordiality, both sides highlighted the good state of bilateral ties and expressed their willingness to continue high-level talks," Cuba's leading nightly show of official NTV news reported. Cuba and France praised their bilateral trade and economic ties, as well as cooperation, and acknowledged the growing role French companies are playing in different economic sectors such as energy, transport and construction. Le Drian also met with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, and described the relationship between the two countries as "very positive." Rodriguez acknowledged France's leadership in the recent development of ties between the European Union (EU) and Cuba, referring to the implementation in November of the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement. The agreement officially ended Europe's so-called "common position" on Cuba, adopted in 1996 to align the continent's foreign policy towards the island with Washington's, which curbed ties citing alleged human rights violations. "Cultural, economic, academic and cooperation ties are going well and there is significant potential to continue expanding them," said Rodriguez, who met with Le Drian in Paris in May. WASHINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to shut down the U.S. government if the Democratic Party does not cooperate on border security issues. "I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!" Trump said on Twitter. The threat came on top of another fiery tweet posted earlier Sunday, which said "please understand, there are consequences when people cross our Border illegally, whether they have children or not - and many are just using children for their own sinister purposes. Congress must act on fixing the DUMBEST & WORST immigration laws anywhere in the world! Vote 'R,'" referring to Republicans. The tweets were in response to attacks on the U.S. government's family separation policy, which saw thousands of minors separated from their parents who entered the United States illegally. The controversy that ensued the family separation policy caused many Republican lawmakers to distance themselves from Trump's tough immigration agenda, and has stalled legislative progress in Congress for comprehensive immigration reform, which had been a major promise for his supporters since his 2016 campaign. However, Trump's menacing tweets were rebuffed even by his own party members, who said shutting down the government will not be helpful. Congressman Steve Stivers, a Republican from Ohio, downplayed the possibility of a shutdown in a TV interview on Sunday, saying: "I think we're going to make sure we keep the government open." The U.S. federal government has been occasionally shut down in recent years, mostly when Congress failed to reach a spending bill due to political fights. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 11:42:39|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close MOSCOW, July 30 (Xinhua) -- About 1.2 million Syrian refugees have returned to their homes since September 2015, when Russia launched an operation against "terrorists" in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry was quoted as saying by Sputnik. According to the country's ministry-affiliated Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper, as many as 1.186 million internally displaced Syrians have returned to their homes from refugees' camps during this period. The Russian Defense Ministry said on July 20 that more than 6.9 million people have left Syria since 2011 when the Syrian civil war broke out, most of whom are living in 45 countries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 11:57:42|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close MANILA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines has welcomed China's donation of four patrol boats and 30 units of 40-mm rocket-propelled grenade launchers to the Philippines Navy. Navy spokesman Cmdr. Jonathan Zata said on Sunday that the boats and the weapons were delivered last week. "The Philippine Navy through the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Headquarters has accepted the donation from (China) four units of patrol boats (and) 30 units of rocket propelled grenade launcher with corresponding ammunition," Zata said. "These are brand new equipment ... The equipment provided are being assessed as to how this can be integrated within the organization and supported in the long term in terms of logistics," he added. Already, the spokesman said the Navy is training personnel on how to operate and maintain the small boats. On Friday, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua said that China has delivered the third shipment of weapons to fight terrorism and violent extremism in the Philippines. "The third batch of such assistance was just turned over last week to the Philippine side in the purpose of sustaining our support to the Philippines to neutralize terrorism and violent extremism," Zhao said in a speech at the reception for the 91st founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army of China. SYDNEY, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Sydney's Monday morning commute was back on track thanks to 400 engineers who worked through the night to fix a problem caused by a scheduled upgrade to the train networks signalling system. Trains were cancelled and thousands were left stranded on Sunday after the replacement of a 39-year-old signal box with a new digital system. Passengers took to social media to vent their frustration at being left to wait for hours as officials tried to compensate with replacement buses and rerouted trains. Chief executive of Sydney Trains, Howard Collins said that the system update was one of the most complex pieces of engineering work to be undertaken on the rail network. Collins said that while people would not be reimbursed for their train fare, Sydney Trains would consider compensating people if they had missed flights because of the delays. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 12:07:45|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close ROME, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A recent report from a children's charity revealed that migrant children from Africa are being sexually exploited to obtain safe passage from Italy to France, local media reported Sunday. The report, issued by the non-governmental organization Save the Children Italy, said that the minors, mostly from Africa, are being required to pay 50 to 150 euros (58 to 175 U.S. dollars) for a safe passage on the border. The children are forced by smugglers to perform sex acts if they cannot afford the fee. The minors are also abused to get food or shelter. The charity group said that about 1,900 girls had been sexually exploited across Italy between January 2017 and March 2018. "These are very young, and particularly at-risk girls, who are among the invisible flow of unaccompanied migrant minors in transit at the northern Italian border who, in an attempt to reunite with their relatives or acquaintances in other European countries, are deprived of the opportunity to travel safely and legally," Raffaela Milano, director of Italy-Europe programs at Save the Children, said in the report. The report said that migrant children were also being sexually exploited in other parts of Italy, including Rome. The organization has called for the protection of the children to save them from exploitation. "At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the anti-trafficking network at the European and international level to target criminal networks that speculate on the suffering of minors and to strengthen law enforcement measures in a widespread way throughout the territory," Milano said. The recent report follows a previous one issued by Oxfam, a Britain-based confederation of 20 independent charitable organizations, which first reported in June that French border police "illegally" sent migrant children back to Italy. According to the Oxfam report, at least 16,500 migrants, of whom a quarter were children, had passed through the Italian border town of Ventimiglia in the nine months to April 2018. "Europe must fix its asylum system, and share the responsibility for hosting asylum seekers. Governments and border officials should protect the special needs and rights of children instead of illegally pushing them back to other countries. Children should never be kept in jail cells or subjected to cruel abuse," said Elisa Bacciotti, a member at Oxfam Italy. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 12:07:45|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close by Yang Zhou SANAMXAY, Laos, July 30 (Xinhua) -- On the muddy yard of Sanamxay District Hospital in southern Lao province of Attapeu, Chinese doctors in military uniform have set up tents as reception for Lao villagers seeking medical service. The banner hung on a canopy read "Bring best medical service to Lao people" in both Chinese and Lao letters. These Chinese are members of a medical contingent from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) who were dispatched here for relief operation after a dam collapse triggered flash flood a week ago. On July 23, a saddle dam of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project, invested by South Korean, Thai and Laos companies, burst, unleashing 5 billion cubic meters of water from the mountain to 13 villages of Sanamxay district downstream the Xe Pian River. Six villages were entirely submerged by the muddy flood with 13,000 villagers being affected. The contingent, which was on the "Peace Train-2018" Humanitarian Medical Rescue Joint Training Mission in the Lao capital of Vientiane, arrived in the flood-hit area on Wednesday. It is the first foreign medical rescue team arriving in Sanamxay district after the disaster. On Sunday, many villagers came to the reception to seek medical service from these Chinese medics, who also checked their heath by using ultrasound and electrocardiography. "Our contingent has 32 members and some of us work here in the district hospital to treat hospitalized patients and patients sent here from disaster-hit areas," said Chen Zhang, a member of the contingent and also chief of the Department of Respiration of Chengdu Military General Hospital. "We receive some 100 patients daily. The main problems of villagers from disaster-hit area are abdominal pain, gastrointestinal diseases, and diseases cause by insect bites and bruises," he said, adding that they also treated villagers rescued from the flood-hit area, who had not have any food for one or two days. On Sunday, they also treated a child with arm fracture. The contingent's mission was not just confined here, according to Chen. It also dispatched doctors to flooded villages, checked the health of villagers in shelters and worked on epidemic prevention. Liu Zhenxiong, a doctor from gastroenterology division, Second Hospital of Fourth Military Medical University, was one of the members that went to flooded villages with Lao authorities on Saturday. "We went to a village called Ban Boc, and there were a lot of villagers there and we treated some 100 villagers in a single day," Liu said. Ban Boc, or formally called Don-Boc (Donbok) village, now is also a temporary shelter for displaced villagers as it lies in a relatively high land. Khamlieng Outhakaisone, deputy director general of the General Staff Department (GSD) of the Lao People's Army and commander of the rescue operation, told a press conference Saturday night that the Donbok village sheltered some 1,086 affected villagers. Liu said they found two children with high fever there so they transferred them to the district hospital where they were in better conditions. "Villagers told us we are the first foreign medical team there in Ban Boc and they gave us a thumps-up," he said proudly. As the flood subsided, stagnant water remained in the disaster hit area and many villagers living just in several shelters with high residential density, combined with the tropical weather in southern Laos, the risk of an outbreak of epidemic diseases is very high. After a disaster like this, there would be cases of enteric infections, insect-borne diseases and food poisoning. The work to prevent any outbreak of diseases among victims should begin as soon as possible, or no later than 72 hours after the disaster, Guo Jinpeng, head of the emergency response team of the disease control and prevention contingent, told Xinhua. The Chinese medical team has established a mechanism to report any suspicious cases in those shelters to eradicate the risk of mass infection among villagers, according to Guo. They also guided villagers and locals to dispose of domestic wastes and make sure they drink clean water and wash their hands before having foods. On Sunday afternoon, Guo and his colleagues along with their Lao counterparts drove a disease control and prevention vehicle to Mitsamphan village to do the pest control work. They sprayed medicines into grass in the area to reduce the pest density there. "To wipe out the risk of an outbreak of insect-borne diseases, it is very important to decrease the pest density here," Guo said, adding that they did it twice a day and they would not spray in the same place in seven days to avoid destroying the environment. The contingent members, who live in a big room inside the muddy district government compound, kept working hard everyday to ensure health of Lao villagers. Latest report said nine people were confirmed dead while 122 were still missing after the disaster. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 12:17:47|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been implemented effectively since its release on July 1, 2017, according to the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Five supporting policies on TCM have been stipulated, providing solid regulations to carry out the law, Yu Wenming, head of the administration, said at a symposium held by the administration in Beijing. TCM has been incorporated into the national economic and social development plans by local governments, and 28 provinces have started formulating local TCM regulations. North China's Hebei Province has completed and enacted the regulation, Yu said. According to Yu, TCM management systems in provincial regions have been enhanced over the past year, with TCM administrations established in prefecture-level cities in the provinces of Gansu, Zhejiang and Jiangxi. Fiscal investment in TCM has increased remarkably in the provinces of Jilin, Zhejiang and Fujian, Yu added. By the end of June, the country had 3,536 registered TCM clinics. CANBERRA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government remains "absolutely committed" to its company tax cuts despite significant by-election losses. The governing Liberal National Party (LNP) failed to win a seat or increase its share of the vote in any of Saturday's five by-elections, raising questions over its legislative agenda. Senior members of the government identified the planned company tax cut as a major reason for Saturday's losses, going as far as to implore Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to either change the policy or abandon it all together. Mathias Cormann, the Australian finance minister, on Monday dismisses those suggestions, saying the government was "absolutely committed to this plan." "It's very important we protect all businesses across Australia from the impact of lower business tax rates in other parts of the world," Cormann told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio on Monday. "Of course at every election we consider carefully what the people have told us ... but when it comes to the central components of our plan for a stronger and more jobs, we remain absolutely and totally focused." Under the plan, the tax rate for companies with an annual turnover exceeding 50 million Australian dollars (36.95 million U.S. dollars) would be cut from 30 to 25 percent by 2027. A similar policy already passed by parliament will cut the tax rate for businesses with a turnover lower than 50 million Australian dollars to 27.5 percent. Turnbull on Sunday left the door open to changing the policy, saying the focus of the government was on securing a "competitive company tax rate" rather than referring to the specifics of the change. HANOI, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam welcomed nearly 3 million Chinese visitors between January and July, or 32.7 percent of the total international arrivals, posting a year-on-year rise of 34.1 percent, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said on Monday. Meanwhile, Vietnam received a total of roughly 9.1 million international arrivals, up 25.4 percent year-on-year, with the highest growth of 56.1 percent in the number of visitors from South Korea, followed by Finland, up 35.2 percent, and China, up 34.1 percent. Of the international arrivals in the first seven months of this year, nearly 7.4 million came to Vietnam by air, up 20.2 percent, over 1.5 million by road, up 63.3 percent and 177,800 by sea, down 0.2 percent. Meanwhile, roughly 7 million visitors were from Asia, up 30.4 percent; over 1.2 million from Europe, up 10.4 percent; 570,800 from the Americas, mainly from the United States, up 13 percent; 266,500 from Oceania, up 8.4 percent, and 24,300 from Africa, up 21.5 percent. Vietnam plans to receive 16-17 million foreign visitors and 78 million domestic ones, and gain tourism revenues of 27.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, said the administration. WASHINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday renewed his attacks against U.S. media, but was warned that his language was "inflammatory" and "dangerous." "Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, 'Enemy of the People.' Sad!" Trump said in one of a series of tweets against the media. "Ninety percent of media coverage of my Administration is negative, despite the tremendously positive results we are achieving, it's no surprise that confidence in the media is at an all time low!" Trump insisted, adding that U.S. media have been "driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome." Sulzberger later issued a statement rebutting Trump's tweets, protesting that under conventional practices, the contents of these conversations should have been off records. "I told him that although the phrase 'fake news' is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labeling journalists 'the enemy of the people,'" Sulzberger said. "I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence," he said. Sulzberger said that his plea was not on behalf of the New York Times, but rather for Trump to dial down his attacks on U.S. media as a whole. Trump has repeatedly bashed U.S. media for allegedly "unfair" reports against his administration. He has labeled news outlets with nicknames, and clashed with reporters. In a most recent confrontation between the White House and the press, a CNN journalist was banned Wednesday from an open press event after she shouted questions at Trump regarding the Russian probe at an earlier event. The White House Press Office said the journalist's questions were "inappropriate." Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 12:32:50|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close WELLINGTON, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The ivory key tops of a 123-year-old family heirloom piano were removed by New Zealand authorities due to violation of ivory trade rules, media reported on Sunday. According to New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DOC), the piano was "illegally exported from the UK and illegally imported to New Zealand" because it was "imported without the required documentation." "Under the Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989, it is the responsibility of the person importing the goods to ensure they have the correct documentation for import and export of items that include endangered species," said Lou Sanson, DOC's director-general, in a statement. The piano belongs to Julian Paton, a professor at University of Auckland, who immigrated to New Zealand from Britain with his family last year. "We are disappointed and horrified as a family at the bureaucracy," Paton told local website stuff.co.nz, adding that if they had known they needed further documentation, they would have completed it. Apart from new key tops, Paton were also told to pay for the ivory removal and dumping. He felt that was unfair and decided to fight DOC's administration fees. New Zealand is part of an international agreement called the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which aims to protect endangered animals and plants. SUVA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A total of 51 bars of cocaine have been found within Fijis borders, Fijian Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho while opening the Fiji Narcotics committee workshop in Suva on Monday. Qiliho said the recent finds were being transported to Suva by the Fiji Navy for analysis. The Fijian Police is working with the Fiji Navy and relevant overseas and local stakeholders after cocaine packets were recently discovered on the shores of Fiji's eastern islands and on Taveuni Island, which is Fiji's third largest island. I can also confirm that the 51 bars have an estimated street value of 43 million Fijian dollars (about 20.4 million U.S. dollars) and that similar findings were made in Tonga where 58 bars in total were found on two of their islands, and have been confirmed to be the same quality of cocaine found here in Fiji. Qiliho said the close proximity of the Tongan group of islands to Fiji was a major concern however, any drug discovery in the Pacific was equally concerning. He said that more than 10 kg of methamphetamine was seized in Fiji from January to June this year. The seizures may seem small compared to the seizures of cocaine and marijuana, but it however does not give it less prominence, because the statistics speak for themselves as there have been numerous seizures, which equates to more people that are indulging in this illicit activity. Qiliho said 10 police officers are in the Lau Group of islands conducting investigation following the discoveries made there. Strengthening collaboration among respective institutions was important to stay ahead on the war on drugs in Fiji, he added. Qiliho said the war on drugs was a never ending battle that evolved at a rapid pace. He reiterated during his opening remarks at the Nacotics committee workshop in Suva on Monday the importance of an integrated, multilateral, and multi-agency response to control drug problems. The workshop aims to discuss current regional and global drug trends. Participants from law enforcement institutions will also gain better understanding of the challenges faced and find ways to stop illicit drug trade from entering the country. Drug experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime are facilitating the one- day workshop. The Matangi Tonga, Tonga's leading news website, reported earlier that police in Tonga had seized 58 kg of cocaine worth around 13 million U.S. dollars amid growing international concern that the Pacific region was becoming a transit point for drugs. SYDNEY, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) personnel are currently undertaking a week of specialized training in the lead up to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting taking place later this year. The training will focus on keeping APEC member economy leaders safe and security when they travel to Port Moresby in November. "It is critical that we prepare and we are ready to provide a safe and secure environment," PNGDF Col. Siale Diro told local media on Monday. This week's activities will prepare elite security units for vital asset protection which includes venue security, traffic control points and vehicle searches. Personnel will also be focused on the clear communication and conducting of orders between task groups on the ground, the PNGDF commander, and the commander of the joint task force security, police commissioner Gari Baki. Speaking to media at a briefing last week Diro told the public not to be alarmed if they see military personnel involved in exercises. The activities this week are for the PNGDF only before they join with security forces from other APEC member economies closer to the meeting. PHNOM PENH, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen won Sunday's general election, according to National Election Committee (NEC)'s preliminary results released on Monday. Broadcast live on the state-owned National Television of Cambodia (TVK), the results indicated that the CPP earned 4.86 million, or 77.5 percent, of the total valid votes. According to the calculation table by the CPP based on the NEC's preliminary results, the CPP won all the 125 seats in the National Assembly. "We can say that this is a bright and historic success for the CPP," CPP spokesman Sok Eysan told Xinhua. "This clearly reflects the confidence of the Cambodian people in the leadership of the CPP, and they believe that only the CPP can lead Cambodia to a prosperous country." In the last election in 2013, the ruling CPP won 68 out of 123 seats. With the victory, Hun Sen, who has been in power for 33 years, will continue to lead the government for another five years. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the prime minister expressed his gratitude to the compatriots for overwhelmingly turning out to vote. "The siblings have really chosen the path of democracy and exercised your rights as stated in the constitution, which is the country's highest law," he said. "I thank all the people for voting to elect the lawmakers and ticking political parties that you like on the ballot-papers." Seng Sokheng, president of the Cambodian Nationality Party, which also joined the race, said on Monday that Sunday's election went smoothly without any disturbance, violence and intimidation. He said in a statement that the election was "free, fair, just, transparent, acceptable and better than that of previous elections." Twenty political parties contested in Sunday's election. According to the NEC, some 6.88 million, or 82.17 percent, of the 8.38 million eligible voters cast their ballots at all 22,967 polling stations across the country. NEC chairman Sik Bun Hok said Sunday that the voter turnout was much higher than that in the 2013 election when the voter turnout was recorded at 69.61 percent of the eligible voters. "This is the success of our election," he said in a press conference. "This reflects that the Cambodian people know democracy, and express it through their ballot-papers once every five years." Sunday's election ran smoothly without any violence or intimidation, Bun Hok said, adding that the provisional results will be released on Aug. 11, and the official ones will be publicized on Aug. 15. The election was monitored by more than 500 foreign observers from 52 countries and nearly 80,000 locals, according to the NEC. In a press conference on Sunday evening, representatives of the foreign observers highly praised the election, saying that it was conducted smoothly in a free and fair manner and without any incident or violence. According to Article 82 of the kingdom's constitution, the first session of the new National Assembly will be convened no later than 60 days after the election. The Southeast Asian country holds a general election once every five years. Sunday's general election was the sixth of its kind since 1993. KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen abducted road construction laborers were freed in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar on Monday, a local official said. "The 13 abducted construction workers were freed by militants early Monday following the latest mediation of local elders and villagers," a provincial official told Xinhua anonymously. On June 21, four Afghan Border Police personnel were killed and 13 laborers were abducted after militants attacked a road construction site in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar. Taliban militants have intensified armed attacks against security forces across the country since April 25 when the Taliban's yearly offensive started. The Taliban also urged civilians to stay away from official gatherings, military convoys and locations regarded as legitimate targets by militants. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 15:18:12|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Lu Wei, former deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was charged with taking bribes, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate Monday. The Municipal People's Procuratorate of Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang Province filed the case to the Intermediate People's Court of Ningbo recently. Lu was charged with taking advantage of his own positions and using other officials to seek profits for others as well as accepting a huge amount of money and property. The SPP also announced the prosecution of two other former officials, Mo Jiancheng, former chief of the disciplinary inspection team sent by the CCDI to the Ministry of Finance, and Zhang Jiehui, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress. Both Mo and Zhang were charged with taking advantage of their positions and using other officials to seek profits for others and accepting a huge amount of money and property. Mo's case was filed by a branch of the Municipal People's Procuratorate of Beijing to the No. 1 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing, while Zhang was prosecuted by the Municipal People's Procuratorate of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province and will be taken to the Intermediate People's Court of Taiyuan. Prosecutors have informed the defendants of their rights, interviewed them and heard their lawyers' opinions, the SPP said. WASHINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday launched a verbal attack on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into allegations of Kremlin meddling in the 2016 presidential election, calling it a "rigged witch hunt." "There is No Collusion! The Robert Mueller Rigged Witch Hunt, headed now by 17 (increased from 13, including an Obama White House lawyer) Angry Democrats, was started by a fraudulent Dossier, paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC. Therefore, the Witch Hunt is an illegal Scam!" Trump said in one of a series of scathing Twitter messages, mentioning the Democratic National Committee, his predecessor Barack Obama, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "Is Robert Mueller ever going to release his conflicts of interest with respect to President Trump, including the fact that we had a very nasty & contentious business relationship, I turned him down to head the FBI (one day before appointment as S.C.) & Comey is his close friend?" Trump continued, referring to Mueller's appointment as special counsel in charge of the Russian probe. The verbal assault is the latest Mueller bashing seen on Trump's Twitter timeline, where it is a recurring theme. So far the Russian probe has not yet produced concrete evidence that Trump knowingly colluded with the Kremlin during his campaign in 2016. However, dozens of Russians as well as key members of Trump's campaign have been charged with various crimes. It is widely believed that Michael Cohen, personal lawyer to Trump during his campaign, may be in a precarious position after a raid on his office earlier this year yielded documentary and video evidence that shed more light on the Trump campaign's alleged interactions with Russia. Reports released by Congress also determined that Russia indeed meddled in U.S. politics in Trump's favor, but stopped short of accusing Trump as a co-conspirator. Pressured by U.S. media, Trump has conceded that Russia meddled in U.S. politics, but vehemently denied any collusion on his part. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 15:28:15|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CHENGDU, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A pair of male-female panda twins were born to both captive and wild parents in China's Sichuan Province Wednesday afternoon, announced the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda on Sunday. Panda Cao Cao, 16, gave birth to the twins at the Hetaoping panda base in Wolong, with the male cub weighing 215 grams and his younger sister weighing 84 grams, said Wu Daifu, director of the panda base. The mother was released into the wild in February ahead of the mating season this year and started to show signs of pregnancy in late June. The cubs are the first panda twins born to both captive and wild parents, marking new progress in China's efforts to increase the genetic diversity of its captive pandas. Captive pandas tend to have a high likelihood of inbreeding, causing a decline in the viability of their babies, according to Zhang Hemin, deputy director of the conservation and research center. The mother will take care of the male cub while experts at the Shenshuping panda base in Wolong will attend to the female cub. Having been rescued from the wild in 2002, Cao Cao grew up in captivity. On July 31, 2017, she gave birth to a male cub, the world's first panda with both captive and wild parents. by Tao Jun, Tai Bao HANOI, July 30 (Xinhua) -- "I have applied for a big university which admits a few students. If many examinees gain high marks due to cheating, I may lose chances to be admitted," Pham Trang, who has just graduated from Thai Ninh High School in Vietnam's northern Thai Binh province, expressed her nervousness. Her nervousness is hardly groundless because many students in several provinces, who attended the national high school graduation exam in June, have received high marks not thanks to their good academic performances, but because of cheating committed by education officers. "According to announcements of the Ministry of Education and Training, among 11 students with the highest marks nationwide, three come from Ha Giang, a poor mountainous province with poor education achievements in recent years, not from Hanoi capital or provinces with tradition of good studies like Thai Binh, our province," Pham Trang told Xinhua on Monday, adding that 65 other students got the mark of nine or higher (10 is the highest) for their physics test. Some 5,400 students from the mountainous northern province of Ha Giang sat for the exam which was taken by over 900,000 students nationwide. Examinees took part in four tests with a total of six subjects, including literature, maths and foreign language, and either a group of three natural science subjects or a group of three social science subjects. The exam is of significance because its results are used for both high school graduation and university entrance consideration. After realizing the existence of too many abnormally high marks gained by students from Ha Giang and the spread of rumors about exam cheating, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc instructed the Ministry of Public Security to probe the incident, Vietnam News Agency reported. On July 20, Ha Giang police detained Vu Trong Luong, 40, deputy director of the Examination and Quality Management Division under the provincial Department of Education and Training on the charge of "abusing position and power while on duty." According to investigators, Luong raised marks in 330 multiple-choice test sheets of 114 students from Ha Giang by at least over 1 point each. Marks of some students were lifted by more than 20 points, even those of few students were adjusted up by 29.95 points, or to nearly the absolute marks of 30, Vietnam News Agency reported. On July 23, the provincial police detained Nguyen Thanh Hoai, 49, director of the division, on the same charge of "abusing position and power while on duty." He was found to have given the key of the room where the test sheets were kept to Luong, Vietnam News Agency reported. His act violated the exam's regulations. Local media reported that people used mobile phones to sent text messages which contained the exam codes of the students to Luong so that he could know who was who to adjust up their marks. Among the students who benefited from the cheating are two nieces and one daughter of Trieu Tai Vinh, Secretary of the Ha Giang Party Committee. According to investigation, the total exam marks of Vinh's daughter were lifted by 5.4 points. Vinh told local media that he did not ask anybody to raise exam marks for his daughter and nieces, and he did not know that their marks had been lifted. "It is hard to know why exam marks of 114 students from Ha Giang were adjusted. Some believed that Luong had received a lot of money from the students' parents to raise their marks," Bui Ngoc Quang, a quality assurance officer at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities under the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, told Xinhua. Other people thought Luong raised the marks free of charge, Quang said, explaining that education officials in Ha Giang might have simply wanted to impress their superiors and other localities that Ha Giang's education quality is much better now. While Vietnamese police were probing the exam cheating scandal in Ha Giang, many people proposed the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Public Security investigated exam results in other provinces, including the two northern provinces of Lang Son and Son La. In late July, Sai Cong Hong, vice director of the Quality Management Department under the Ministry of Education and Training, head of the ministry's working team in Lang Son, told reporters that the team had found no abnormalities in the exam in the province, Vietnam Central Television (VTV) reported. However, the ministry's working team detected wrongdoings in the exam in Son La -- the average mark for the maths test was 3.43, compared with the national average of 4.88. However, 30 students from Son La got marks of nine or higher for their maths test. On July 23 in Son La, Mai Van Trinh, director of the ministry's Department of Educational Testing and Quality Assurance, told reporters that five local people, mostly local education officials, involved in the exam fraud in the province. One of the five is Tran Xuan Yen, vice director of the Son La Department of Education and Training, member of the exam steering board, and head of the multiple-choice test marking group. On July 26, local police started criminal proceedings against the exam cheating scandal in Son La. "Since 2015, the education ministry has merged the high school graduation exam and university entrance exam into one national exam. Students like us as well as our parents highly appreciate that move because it has saved us a lot of time and cost. But cheating scandals this year have worried us a lot. Next month, whether or not will I be admitted to the university I applied?" Trang asked. On July 24, following the mark manipulation scandals in Ha Giang and Son La, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha announced the ministry would review the organization of the previous national high school exams, especially the process of giving marks to tests, to minimize cheating in future exams. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 15:38:19|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close HARARE, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabweans began voting on Monday in the African country's first presidential election since former head of state Robert Mugabe resigned in November. Voting started at 7:00 local time (0500 GMT) at most polling stations in Harare's Warren Park constituency and will end at 19:00 (1700 GMT). Long queues could be seen early in the morning outside the polling stations in Warren Park. Some voters said they started queuing from midnight. They said they want the new government to create jobs, resolve the financial crisis, and improve health services. "We have suffered for too long," 65-year-old Peter Mukumba, one of the early bird voters, said. "We want the new government to create jobs for the people, solve the cash crisis, and give old people cash-outs to help them survive." Zimbabweans are voting to elect a president as well as members of both houses of parliament. President Emerson Mnangagwa is squaring off with 22 other presidential candidates, with his main competitor being the young leader of the opposition MDC Alliance, Nelson Chamisa. Around 5.6 million people registered to vote. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 16:33:30|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close YINCHUAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The aerial view of the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway through the desert represents mankind's efforts against the forces of nature: moving sand dunes tamed by vast stretches of man-made straw structures, a technique originating from Ningxia, now known around the world. The Baotou-Lanzhou Railway, which began operating in 1958, is an artery linking northern China to northwestern regions. It starts from Baotou in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and stretches to Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province. The 990 km-rail link passes through the Tengger Desert in the city of Zhongwei in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region six times. The railway also runs through Shapotou, whose name means high-rise dunes. The region has 16 km of moving dunes, reaching up to 100 meters high. "To ensure the successful operation of the railway, the desert needed to be tamed," said Zhang Zhishan, deputy director of Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences. August 1st marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway. TAMING THE DESERT Every day, 11 sets of passenger trains and 36 sets of cargo trains run along the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway. Protected by seedlings, grass hedges and trees, carriages tear through the southern edge of the Tengger Desert with ease. "Before 1949, the desert was only 200 meters from Zhongwei. Experts from the Soviet Union, invited to design the railway, predicted that the railway would be buried by sand in 30 years," said Gao Yonggui, deputy head of Zhongwei Gusha (Dune-Fixing) Forestry Farm. Sandy weather used to hit Shapotou 300 days out of the year. The year after the railway went into operation, sand buried the rails and suspended operations 11 times, he said. In 1955, the Chinese Academy of Sciences established its first observation station in Shapotou. The next year, China's first forestry station in the desert was founded in Zhongwei. To address the issues the sand was causing, workers and researchers began relentlessly experimenting with desert control techniques. Straw structures, which resemble checkerboards, remain the most convenient, environmentally-friendly and cheapest way of stopping sand encroachment. In Zhongwei, farmers make the straw checkerboards almost every day. Women place the straw on top of the sand, and men use a shovel to partially bury it in the sand, creating a checkerboard pattern spaced one meter apart. Each piece of straw is 10 centimeters below ground and 30 centimeters above ground. Within the checkerboards, the surface of the sand forms a hard crust over time which prevents the sand from moving. Gao said this crust could last for more than 30 years. In Heilin village near Shapotou, around 200 people make a living by working in the desert to make the straw checkerboards. Some work near their homes, while others travel to work in desert areas in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Shaanxi. In Zhongwei, about 10,333 hectares of sand is covered by these straw checkerboards. Shrubs, windshield belts, and grass belts are also constructed to keep the railway safe. Water from the Yellow River was diverted to irrigate the plants and shrubbery. The fight against sand never stops in Zhongwei. Sand has been kept away from the rails since the 1990s, locals said. SHARING EXPERIENCE "It is from Shapotou that China's experience of fighting against desertification began to be known by the world," said Zhang Zhishan. In 1977, China shared the anti-desertification technique used in Shapotou at the UN Conference on Desertification in Nairobi, and in 1994, the Zhongwei forestry farm was elected to the UN Environment Program's Global 500 Roll of Honor for its achievements in sand control. Desert control experts in Zhongwei are often invited by other countries to share their experience, said Zhang. "In 2016, I went to the United States for a meeting on desertification control. They talked about straw checkerboards from China. I was very proud," he said. Shapotou's improved environment has made the city a popular desert tourism destination, receiving over 1.3 million tourists last year. Though the sand has been curbed, the threat is not gone. China has 2.61 million square km of desert, about 27.2 percent of the landmass. According to a regulation to advance ecological progress in 2015, half of China's sandy land will need to undergo treatment by 2020. "If we do not move forward, we will fall back. It is a fight against nature," said Gao. At the Shapotou station, researchers have established models to monitor precipitation, underground water levels, evaporation, and growth of plants in sandy land. The findings will be applied to refine management of plantation in deserts. "Desertification control is arduous work. It requires stamina and generations of hard work," Gao said. 4 tourists killed in Tajikistan Source: Xinhua 2018-07-30 16:48:34 ASTANA, July 30 (Xinhua)-- Four foreign tourists were killed on Sunday by armed attackers in Tajikistan in what was originally reported as a road accident, the Interior Minister said Monday. Editor: xuxin Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 16:53:35|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- As a staunch defender of multilateralism, Britain seeks to work with China to protect free trade, British Ambassador to China Barbara Woodward said. Amid the current tensions over global trade, Britain would like to wirk with China to make sure the World Trade Organization (WTO) becomes an effective part of the dispute-solving process, Woodward told Chinese media on Friday during a joint briefing here. For the moment, as part of the European Union (EU), Britain is pleased to see China and the EU working together on WTO reforms to improve the organization, she said. Woodward said Britain-China relations in trade and investment remain close. Britain welcomes China's further opening-up measures, and is pleased to see progress in the project connecting London's stock exchange with Shanghai's. Britain will send a high-level delegation to take part in the China International Import Expo in November. In the future, "we will be able to export British beef into China, and there will be more UK petrol stations setting up in China," she added. Woodward hailed the good momentum of the Golden-Era relations between the two countries and highlighted the "new chapter" that was opened following Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to China early this year. On Monday, Jeremy Hunt starts his first visit to China as Britain's newly-appointed foreign secretary. He will also attend the ninth round of strategic dialogue between the two countries. At the forum, the two sides are expected to deepen their cooperation in multilateralism, security and foreign policies, as well as free trade. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 17:03:36|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close SUVA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese naval hospital ship Ark Peace, which is on Mission Harmony - 2018, left Vanuatu's capital city of Port Vila for Fiji on Monday after wrapping up an eight-day visit for humanitarian medical service to the South Pacific Island nation. During the visit from July 23 to July 30, Ark Peace dispatched on-site medical teams to local hospitals, villages, communities, schools and the center for the disabled for medical treatment, health knowledge dissemination, anti-epidemic and equipment repairs while conducting all-weather consultation and treatment at the major platform onboard. The ship provided consultation and treatment for a total of 4,696 persons and auxiliary examinations, such as CT, DR, ultrasound and ECG, for 2,137 persons and surgical operation for 25 persons and admitted 22 inpatients. July 30, 2018 marks the 38th Independence Day of Vanuatu. At the invitation of Vanuatu's President Tallis Obed Moses, the commanders of Mission Harmony - 2018 and 30 medical staff participated in the celebrations held at the Independence Square. Local Vanuatuans expressed warm welcome to the Chinese guests from Ark Peace, saying that Ark Peace's second visit is the most valuable festival gift from the Chinese people to the people of Vanuatu. Vanuatu's leaders attached great importance to Ark Peace's second visit. Both President Moses and Prime Minister Charlot Salwai met with the commanders of Mission Harmony2018 and their entourage separately, visited the medical staff and local inpatients onboard and attended the deck reception, and expressed welcome and appreciations to the hospital ship's visit on several occasions. Ark Peace is currently heading for Fiji, the third stop of the mission. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 17:28:40|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close HARARE, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa cast his ballot Monday morning in the first post-Mugabe election in Kwekwe in his home province of Midlands. His main rival Nelson Chamisa of the opposition MDC Alliance also cast his vote in the capital Harare. Mnangagwa told reporters soon after casting his vote that Zimbabwe was enjoying an unprecedented democratic space. He also said former president Robert Mugabe was entitled to express his views. Mugabe, ousted in November last year following a military intervention, said Sunday he will vote for the opposition, dumping the ruling ZANU-PF party which he founded in 1963. "I can assure you that this country is enjoying democratic space which has never been experienced before. The former president has his right to express his views," Mnangagwa said. Zimbabweans are voting to choose a president, National Assembly members and councilors. There are 5.6 million people registered to vote in the polls. Voting is scheduled to end at 7 pm. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 17:58:44|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close by Mohamed al-Azaki SANAA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Known for its purity and therapeutic benefits, Yemen's honey has been hailed as among the best in the world. However, the country's more than three years of civil war has badly paralyzed its traditional honey business. In a farm in the western part of the capital Sanaa, Abdullah Nashir, a well-seasoned beekeeper, is struggling to expand the scale of his beehives or sell his products. "The spread of security checkpoints between cities and turning mountainous forests into military areas have badly damaged my honey farming," said Nashir. "I need to move my beehives at least twice each year, to mountainous forests in the summer and to the valleys in the winter, in order to produce two types of honey products," he explained. "But the war has strictly limited our movement, production and that badly damaged our business," the 50-year-old man lamented. Nashir is also a professor at the Agricultural Faculty in Sanaa University and chief of Cooperative League of Yemeni Beekeepers, a non-governmental syndicate covering 100,000 Yemeni beekeepers. "Before war, the beekeepers across the country used to produce at least 2,650 tons of honey every year, including 900 tons exported abroad," Nashir said, citing an official report issued by the Yemeni Ministry of Trade and Industry in late 2014. The report was the most recent official report on the honey industry in Yemen, which was issued by the ministry three months before the war erupted in March, 2015. The war pitted the exiled Yemeni internationally-recognized government forces, backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, against Iran-allied Houthi rebels. The devastating war has so far killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced around three million others, according to the United Nations humanitarian agencies. The United Nations has been exerting peace efforts for a political settlement between the warring parties in Yemen. Nashir said the journeys of beekeepers in search of areas abundant in trees and flowers to feed their bees have become fraught with danger because of random shelling and airstrikes. "Many families adopt farming and producing honey as a main source of income, particularly in the southeastern provinces of Shabwa and Hadramout. The war, however, has caused big losses in this business," the Yemeni professor noted. "Some beekeepers resort to feeding their bees with sugar mixed with water inside the city rather than risking their life in the mountains and valleys as the war is raging on," he pointed out. Still, many beekeepers take their journeys to produce Sidr honey, one of the world's best types of honey, from jujube trees that bloom in the winter. "Plant diversity in Yemen is the primary source of determining the type and quality of honey," Nashir said, while he was showing his farm, beehives and honey. In a honey shop on a main street in downtown Sanaa, the seller Tareq al-Swari told Xinhua that a kilo of Sidr honey of the best quality can be sold at as high as 100 U.S. dollars. Al-Swari said people come here to buy honey mixed with herbs for therapeutic values. "Many men here resort to honey, a tablespoon of which gives them energy and makes them able to have sex with their wives," he explained. However, the shop owner said the honey sales have decreased since the war broke out as the overseas market has been cut off. Al-Swari said his shop exported at least three tons of honey annually to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Russia and Malaysia before the war. "I now sell at lower prices to local buyers to keep the business going on," he complained. "Honey is a symbol of peace in Yemen's historical tribal traditions ... I'm longing for peace to come back to heal my country and unite the people again," the Yemeni honey dealer hoped. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 18:13:47|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close ABUJA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 villagers were taken hostage by gunmen who attacked Maradun area of Nigeria's northwestern state of Zamfara over the weekend, a local official said on Monday. Speaker of the state parliament Sanusi Rikiji told Xinhua by telephone that the whereabouts of the victims remained unknown following the gunmen's attack. Recently, at least 18 villages and towns across more than three districts in the state have been taken over by gunmen, said Rikiji. He said there was a need for the security situation in the state to be seriously reviewed. "Security agencies should do more to deploy enough security personnel in Zamfara; we need permanent security stations in the affected area," Rikiji said. The Nigerian government on Sunday announced the deployment of more than 1,000 army personnel to curb the spate of attack in Zamfara. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 18:28:52|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close TAIPEI, July 30 (Xinhua) -- An expo to be held in Taiwan will focus on future technology. Taiwan Design Expo 2018 will be held in the city of Taichung. It will have eight exhibition halls and two satellite exhibition areas presenting about 700 exhibits over 33 days, according to the organizer. The expo will highlight the latest technology benefiting people's daily lives, such as 3D printing, smart clothing, and furniture. "We hope that the expo will help provide a glimpse of the future, and give some inspiration for future development," said designer Tseng Shi-kai. Other activities such as seminars will be held during the expo, which will open on Aug. 15. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 18:43:55|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close LONDON, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Vintage Rolls Royce cars used by Queen Elizabeth and members of the British royal family over the past seven decades are to be auctioned next month, at prices expected to reach up to 2.6 million U.S. dollars. Top of the list at the sale by auctioneers Bonhams on Sept. 8 is a 1953 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV State Landaulette, built in celebration of Rolls-Royce's Golden Jubilee and used by Queen Elizabeth. It was kept in the Royal Mews from 1959 until 2002, said Bonhams who have listed the price tag at between 1.3 million U.S. dollars to 2.6 million U.S. dollars. It is one of only 18 of the models ever built by Rolls Royce. The Phathom IV is very similar to the bridal car used to transport Meghan Markle to Windsor Castle for her May wedding to Prince Harry. The car, used by Meghan, now the Duchess of Sussex, and her mother Doria as they travelled from their hotel to St George's Chapel, was another of the 18 models built only for heads of state and the most notable of public figures, the Sunday Telegraph reported. The collection of eight highly important Rolls-Royce motors, includes vehicles used by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, first wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles. Also up for sale is the 1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V "High Roof" State Limousine, which Bonhams has priced at between 1.3 million U.S. dollars and 2 million U.S. dollars. The car was modified with high seats and large windows to enable the public to see the Queen as she was driven past on her visits and tours. The limousine, also used by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh on state occasions, is currently on display on the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh. One of the Rolls Royce's being sold is very similar to the bridal car used to transport Meghan Markle to Windsor Castle for her May wedding to Prince Harry. That car, used by Ms Markle and her mother Doria as they travelled from their hotel to St George's Chapel, was another of the 18 models built only for heads of state and the most notable of public figures, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Malcolm Barber, co-chairman of Bonhams told the Sunday Telegraph that only very rarely would cars like this come onto the open market, saying he could not think of another like it in his career of more than 30 years. Of the Phantom IV, Barber said: "It's a jewel in the collection. Rolls-Royce motor cars have been present at countless historic events in recent British history, and the Heritage Fleet encapsulates the most significant models produced by the marque." Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 18:53:58|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close LONDON, July 30 (August) -- A grand challenge to help shape the future of transport in Britain was launched Monday by the British government. Kick starting the challenge, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it will lead to a wave of electric cargo bikes, vans, quadricycles and micro vehicles replacing delivery vehicles as part of plans to transform "last-mile" deliveries, vastly reducing emissions and congestion in British cities and major towns. Innovators will look at the increasing use of drones and autonomous vehicles for delivery work in busy down-town areas. There are currently 300,000 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and over 4 million delivery vans on Britain's roads and with online sales continuing to increase, this is likely to increase further, said the DfT. New green delivery vehicles could replace the millions of conventionally-fuelled vans currently a common sight in city centers. The plans have been outlined in government documents which offer a glimpse into how technology can transform transport, making it safer, more accessible and greener than ever. "Travel around the UK could dramatically change with the introduction of flying vehicles or widespread use of self-driving cars," said the DfT. The potential increased use of self-driving vehicles and shared travel could also allow the majority of parking spaces to be removed in city centers, opening areas up for redevelopment and potentially hundreds of thousands of new urban homes. The ground-breaking developments are outlined in the government's Last Mile and Future of Mobility call for evidence documents which have been published today. "The documents fire the starting gun on the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, which aims to make the UK the world leaders in the movement of goods, services and people," said the DfT. As part of the initiative the government announced funding worth 16 million U.S. dollars for six projects to aid the development of connected and autonomous vehicles. The call for evidence includes innovations in automation, with improved traffic sensors, increased computing power and the exciting potential of artificial intelligence (AI). It will also span new delivery modes, with some British cities already pioneering the use of drones to support emergency services and improve infrastructure inspections. The introduction of aerial passenger vehicles could also appear in urban areas. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 18:58:59|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Mongolia announced on Monday that it has provided humanitarian aid worth 270 million Mongolian tugriks (110,000 U.S. dollars) to children affected by floods in the western Bayan-Ulgii Province. Relief materials include tents, drinking water, hygiene supplies, as well as educational support and services. Downpours from July 14 to 16 triggered massive flooding in Bayan-Ulgii, affecting more than 2,500 people, including 425 children, according to Mongolia's National Emergency Management Agency. The disaster has caused direct economic losses of 10 billion tugriks (about 4 million dollars). Heavy rainfall across the country is expected to continue until August 3, according to the weather forecast. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 19:04:01|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DAMASCUS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army and pro-government fighters in the southern province of Sweida have consolidated their positions against possible renewed attacks by Islamic State (IS) militants, a monitor group reported Monday. The consolidation efforts come after the IS militant group launched a massive assault on Sweida last Wednesday. The IS kidnapped 36 women during the offensive, which led to the killing of 255 people, including civilians and fighters, who fell defending their towns from the IS attack. After the kidnapping, the IS militants demanded a halt of the Syrian military offensive on the remaining pockets under IS control in the Yarmouk basin area in the western countryside of Daraa Province in southern Syria, in exchange for the kidnapped women, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. But with the help of local fighters, the Syrian forces succeeded in pushing back the IS from some of the areas it infiltrated during the offensive. The London-based monitor group said the Syrian forces continued their airstrikes and shelling on the IS-held areas in Daraa on Sunday morning, sparking fears in Sweida for the lives of the abductees. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 19:24:08|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Youth from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, as well as representatives of mainland enterprises, Monday attended a forum to discuss the new economy and opportunities for Taiwanese youth on the mainland. The forum, aimed at helping young Taiwanese better understand the mainland's 31 preferential policies for Taiwan and other policies supporting their work and entrepreneurship on the mainland, was jointly sponsored by the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. About 200 people attended the event, which also allowed young Taiwan students to share their experiences of internship programs in the mainland's new economy sectors. A new economy workshop for Taiwanese youth opened on July 10. Some of the over 50 college and graduate students from Taiwan started internships in some of the mainland's media organizations and high-tech enterprises from July 16. The rest attended a training program for e-commerce operations. At Monday's event, some of the Taiwanese students said they would like to seek job opportunities on the mainland after graduation. A shop owner scoops honey for sale from a glass in downtown Sanaa, capital of Yemen, on July 29, 2018. (Xinhua/Mohammed) SANAA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Known for its purity and therapeutic benefits, Yemen's honey has been hailed as among the best in the world. However, the country's more than three years of civil war has badly paralyzed its traditional honey business. In a farm in the western part of the capital Sanaa, Abdullah Nashir, a well-seasoned beekeeper, is struggling to expand the scale of his beehives or sell his products. "The spread of security checkpoints between cities and turning mountainous forests into military areas have badly damaged my honey farming," said Nashir. "I need to move my beehives at least twice each year, to mountainous forests in the summer and to the valleys in the winter, in order to produce two types of honey products," he explained. "But the war has strictly limited our movement, production and that badly damaged our business," the 50-year-old man lamented. Nashir is also a professor at the Agricultural Faculty in Sanaa University and chief of Cooperative League of Yemeni Beekeepers, a non-governmental syndicate covering 100,000 Yemeni beekeepers. "Before war, the beekeepers across the country used to produce at least 2,650 tons of honey every year, including 900 tons exported abroad," Nashir said, citing an official report issued by the Yemeni Ministry of Trade and Industry in late 2014. The report was the most recent official report on the honey industry in Yemen, which was issued by the ministry three months before the war erupted in March, 2015. The war pitted the exiled Yemeni internationally-recognized government forces, backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, against Iran-allied Houthi rebels. The devastating war has so far killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced around three million others, according to the United Nations humanitarian agencies. The United Nations has been exerting peace efforts for a political settlement between the warring parties in Yemen. Nashir said the journeys of beekeepers in search of areas abundant in trees and flowers to feed their bees have become fraught with danger because of random shelling and airstrikes. "Many families adopt farming and producing honey as a main source of income, particularly in the southeastern provinces of Shabwa and Hadramout. The war, however, has caused big losses in this business," the Yemeni professor noted. "Some beekeepers resort to feeding their bees with sugar mixed with water inside the city rather than risking their life in the mountains and valleys as the war is raging on," he pointed out. Still, many beekeepers take their journeys to produce Sidr honey, one of the world's best types of honey, from jujube trees that bloom in the winter. "Plant diversity in Yemen is the primary source of determining the type and quality of honey," Nashir said, while he was showing his farm, beehives and honey. In a honey shop on a main street in downtown Sanaa, the seller Tareq al-Swari told Xinhua that a kilo of Sidr honey of the best quality can be sold at as high as 100 U.S. dollars. Al-Swari said people come here to buy honey mixed with herbs for therapeutic values. "Many men here resort to honey, a tablespoon of which gives them energy and makes them able to have sex with their wives," he explained. However, the shop owner said the honey sales have decreased since the war broke out as the overseas market has been cut off. Al-Swari said his shop exported at least three tons of honey annually to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Russia and Malaysia before the war. "I now sell at lower prices to local buyers to keep the business going on," he complained. "Honey is a symbol of peace in Yemen's historical tribal traditions ... I'm longing for peace to come back to heal my country and unite the people again," the Yemeni honey dealer hoped. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 20:19:16|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISTANBUL, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The number of illegal immigrants trying to sneak into Europe via Turkey's sea routes has soared 60 percent year-on-year in 2018, the Turkish Coast Guard Command revealed Monday. Since the beginning of this year, the coast guard has stopped 14,775 migrants from illegally sneaking into Europe from seas surrounding Turkey, including the Aegean Sea, Mediterranean Sea and the northern Black Sea. The figure was 9,221 during the same period in 2017. In addition, 54 migrants have so far lost their lives in sea incidents this year, up from 27 in 2017. The most favorable route for the illegal immigrants this year is the Aegean Sea, with 13,732 refugees attempting to cross it. Turkey and the European Union inked an agreement on refugees in March 2016 to curb the flow of illegal immigration to Europe and improve the conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey. Turkey has already hosted around 3.5 million Syrians. In addition to Syrians, Afghan refugees and people from Asian and African countries have also been using Turkey as a transition point on their way to Europe. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 20:34:17|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Monday asked for the public's opinion on a revised measure concerning foreign investors making strategic investments in Chinese listed companies. "The A shares acquired by foreign investors through strategic investment are not tradable for 12 months," according to the revision on the ministry's website. Currently, working regulations stipulate that such shares are not tradable for three years. The new rule shows the country's intention to relax its grip over foreign strategic investment. The revision also loosens control over the requirements for foreign investors, saying that to make strategic investments in Chinese listed firms, a foreign company must own actual overseas assets of no less than 50 million U.S. dollars or manage actual overseas assets of no less than 300 million dollars. Under current rules, a foreign firm must own assets of no less than 100 million dollars or manage assets of no less than 500 million dollars. The revision was made to "expand the channels of using foreign investment and promote the healthy development of China's securities market," the MOC said. The public is welcome to make suggestions on the draft revision before Aug. 29, 2018, via email, fax, letters or by visiting the ministry's website. As China marks the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening-up policy this year, it has taken a series of measures to expand its opening-up to the outside world. A month ago, the country unveiled a shortened negative list for foreign investment, with the number of items in it down to 48 from 63 in the previous version. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 20:54:23|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Johannesburg High court has set aside the decision to grant former Zimbabwean first lady, Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity after an assault on a local model. Delivering his judgement on Monday, Judge Bashier Vally stated that the decision by the former International Relations minister, Nkoane -Maite Mashabane to grant Mugabe diplomatic immunity was inconsistency with the Constitution and should be set aside. "It is declared that the decision of the minister of August 19, 2017, in terms of the diplomatic immunities to recognize Dr Grace Mugabe immunities is inconsistence with the Constitution of South Africa. The decision is reviewed and set aside," the judgment stated. It is alleged that Grace assaulted model Gabriella Engels and two other women in an upmarket Sandton hotel in August last year. Engels is said to have sustained severe facial injuries as a result of the alleged assault. She also laid a criminal charge of assault against Grace with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. It is believed that Mugabe assaulted them after she had found them in the company of her young sons who are university students. Grace left South Africa for Zimbabwe after she was granted a diplomatic immunity. Following the judgement, International Relations and Cooperation Department under Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said it was still studying the judgment. Former International Relations Minster Maite-Mashabane explained in court that Mugabe automatically qualified for immunity from prosecution by virtue of her status as a wife of a head of state. She also argued that not awarding Grace diplomatic immunity would might have serious implications for relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 20:59:24|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BAGHDAD, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Iraq on Monday called for international help to rescue the lives in the marsh areas in the southeast of the country because of the fire caused by high temperature and drought. According to a statement by the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources, the wildfire raging in the Hawizeh Marshes, a complex of marshes straddling Iraq's eastern border with Iran, spread further into the Iraqi side after dying out on the Iranian side. "The recent fires have appeared in the densely reeded areas of the northern part of Hawizeh Marshes as a result of severe water scarcity and low water flows to the Iraqi marshes, which reached their lowest levels this year," the ministry said. "The unprecedented high temperature contributed to the spread of the fires, and adversely affected the health status of the local population and biodiversity in the region, with significant air pollution caused by the rising smoke from these fires," it added. During the past 20 days, wildfire has consumed more than 16,000 hectares of the Iraqi marshes, as well as some 2,000 hectares on the Iranian side, according to the statement. The Iraqi ministry called on "international agencies and organizations to provide support and relief to the people of these areas, including drinking water, essential foodstuff and livestock feed to help them overcome the crisis." During this summer, there has been little water flow in Hawizeh Marshes from its main tributaries Karkha River in Iran and Tigris River in Iraq, leading to sever shortage of water and the wide spread of dry reed. The Hawizeh Marshes complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2016. The marsh complex is also part of the Ramsar Convention, or the Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Monday named himself as the chairman of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, the country's sovereign wealth fund, days after the en-masse resignation of the board. Azmin Ali, minister of economic affairs, is also appointed as the director of the board, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. Other directors have also been appointed. The appointments will take immediate effect, according to the statement. However, the appointment of the managing director of the fund will be made at a later date, it said. Last week, all nine members of Khazanah's board of directors, including the managing director, offered to resign. Mahathir had said he welcomed the board members' resignation as it is a move to clear the deck to allow the new government to restructure the fund in line with policies of the new administration. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 21:29:33|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIRUT, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has provided Lebanon with 2 billion U.S. dollars for the country's development, the National News Agency reported Monday. "The World Bank is always ready to help Lebanon by funding its development and productive projects," said Farid Belhaj, the World Bank's vice president for Middle East and North Africa. Belhaj's remarks came during his meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun over the World Bank's role in the country. He also praised the political and economic reforms by Lebanon, in order to restore the confidence of the international community in Lebanon. Aoun said Lebanon is keen on implementing economic reforms and reviving productive sectors, highlighting anti-corruption as the priority of all political parties. The Lebanese president also praised the World Bank's support for Lebanon, saying the funding will be given to projects that would increase economic growth and modernize the infrastructure. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 21:39:34|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Ultra-nationalist Israelis sabotaged eight Palestinian cars and spray-painted hatred graffiti in a West Bank village on Monday, Israeli police said. A police spokesperson said in a statement that the incident was investigated as "an apparent hate crime" against Palestinians. The incident took place on Monday morning in the village of al-Mughayyir in the central West Bank. The tires of eight cars were slashed and nationalist Hebrew slogans were painted on the walls of a school. The Times of Israel quoted the village's mayor saying that the Israeli perpetrators also attacked a group of shepherds who were on the way out of the village. The attack was the third hate crime against Palestinians in less than a week. The previous attack took place on Saturday in the village of Immatin, when settlers from the ultra-nationalist outpost of Have Gilad set on fire 150 dunams of Palestinian farmland. Far-right Israelis have carried out thousands of the so-called "price tag" attacks over the past years. The attacks included violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel, and vandalism of mosques, churches, cemeteries, and personal properties. Most of the incidents remain unsolved as the law enforcement authorities usually fail to arrest and charge any suspects. Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and has controlled it ever since, in a move denounced by the international community. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 21:39:34|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ROME, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Strategic support on Libya and the Mediterranean area, and protection of "made in Italy" food products from U.S. tariffs were the key goals of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's visit to the United States, Italian media reported on Monday. The meeting between the two leaders was scheduled in Washington at 12 a.m. local time, to be followed by a press conference, Conte's office said in a statement. For Conte, a 53-year-old lawyer and political novice, this was his first visit to the United States since he was appointed as the leader of Italy's new right-wing government in early June. "Conte aims at getting Trump's support to create a 'permanent control room' between Italy and the United States in the Mediterranean on counter-terrorism, security, immigration, and most of all Libya," Ansa news agency reported citing sources from Conte's office. Such coordination activity should involve foreign affairs and defence ministers from both sides, according to Ansa. "Conte will openly ask president Trump to recognize Italy as a 'privileged interlocutor' of the United States over Libya, and as a point of reference within Europe," Turin-based La Stampa newspaper also reported. The Italian prime minister's primary objective would be "to contain the geopolitical aims of French President Emmanuel Macron" over the war-torn northern African country, according to the report. It added that Trump's support may help Italy to successfully hold a conference on Libya in the next months, and lay down a "safer path towards elections involving all of the Libyan parties and factions from Tripoli to the Cyrenaica." PROTECTION OF ITALY'S AGRIFOOD A second crucial objective of Conte's ongoing visit to Washington would be to shield Italy's agrifood sector from U.S. tariffs, local media also reported on Monday. "Conte wants to be sure U.S. tariffs will not touch the interests of Italian firms, and especially concerning those in the agrifood sector," Italy's leading newspaper Corriere della Sera wrote. "For this reason, the Prime Minister has the intention of asking specific guarantees to Donald Trump," it added. The agrifood indeed plays a crucial role in the Italian economy, being the second most important sector after the mechanical industry. Its turnover accounted for 11.3 percent of the country's gross domestic in 2016, according to Italy Trade agency citing ISTAT data. As for the Italian-U.S. specific ties, the agrifood would cover about 10 percent of Italy's whole exports to the U.S. market, according to national farmers association Coldiretti. Despite the recent rise in protectionist measures, the sector boosted its sales to the United States by some 4 percent in the first quarter of 2018, after exceeding a record high of 4 billion euros (4.67 billion U.S. dollars) in value last year, Coldiretti said in a statement on Monday. As such, the president of the association Roberto Moncalvo praised Conte's will to raise the issue during talks with Trump. According to a report issued by the National Institute for Services to Agricultural and Food Markets (ISMEA) earlier this month, Italian agrifood exports reached the record high of 41 billion euros in value in 2017. (1 euro=1.17 U.S. dollars) Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 21:44:35|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close OSLO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- From Aug. 1, Norway's kindergarten employees will not be allowed to wear face-covering garments like niqab and burka, news agency NTB reported Monday. The new rule will not only apply to kindergartens, but throughout the course of education, from primary schools to universities. The prohibition applies to pupils, students and employees at educational institutions in the private and public sectors. While at schools and universities, it will be permitted to have face-covering garments during breaks and staff meetings, the prohibition in the kindergartens applies throughout the entire working time. However, the Union of Education Norway, the country's largest trade union for teaching personnel, thinks the national ban for kindergartens is not necessary. "I have not experienced that this has either been a problem or that kindergarten employees have expressed the need for a national ban," said Steffen Handal, president of the union. Handal agreed that kindergarten workers should not use face-covering garments when facing children, but he said changes in the regulatory framework are not necessary. Today's rules that allow local prohibition is sufficient, he added. "I think it is interesting that the government believes that face-covering garments prevent dialogue, but one may ask if a ban promotes it," Handal said. Kristin Holm Jensen, State Secretary to the Minister of Education and Integration, said the government introduces a national ban to ensure that children's need for open communication is taken care of in all kindergartens throughout the country. "This is therefore not a symbolic measure, but an important measure for meeting children's needs," Jensen said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 21:44:35|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan security forces have invested in state of the art technology, capacity building and enhanced intelligence gathering to disrupt activities of organized criminal networks involved in human trafficking, a senior official said on Monday. George Kinoti, the director at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), said the government has prioritized action on human trafficking and other transnational crimes that are a threat to peace and stability in the country. "We subscribe to the international conventions on combating human trafficking through partnerships, information sharing and robust surveillance at the borders," Kinoti remarked. "Our investigative agencies have recently managed to unearth criminal syndicates involved in smuggling of children and youth from neighboring countries as part of the wider fight against this vice," he added. Kinoti spoke in Nairobi during an event to mark World Day against Trafficking in Persons whose theme was "responding to the trafficking of children and young people". The UN Office on Drugs and Crime organized the event to mark World Day against Trafficking in Persons amid a spike in the criminal enterprise in Kenya and the greater Horn of Africa region. Kinoti noted that Kenya has emerged as a source, transit and destination country for men, women and children trafficked by criminals for the purposes of forced labor and sexual slavery. "Most of these victims of human trafficking are trapped in abject poverty and wars. We are training our officers to boost their capacity to detect, arrest and prosecute human traffickers," said Kinoti. The International Organization for Migration estimates that 20,000 citizens of Somalia and Ethiopia are smuggled through Kenya annually en route to South Africa. Kinoti said enactment of punitive legislation, training of police and judicial officers as well as investments in community policing has aided Kenya's war against human trafficking. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 21:59:37|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close WUHAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The 2018 Jing Men Aviclub Flight Carnival is to be held from September 21 to 23 in Aviclub Aviation Joy-Town in Jingmen, in central China's Hubei Province. Demonstration teams from the UK, Australia and Spain are expected to perform air shows during the event. A press conference held on Monday revealed that the carnival would feature aerobatic performances, aircraft exhibitions and flight simulator experiences. More than 300,000 attendees are expected. Apart from seeing air shows, skydiving performances and parachuting, attendees will also have the chance to experience hot-air balloon rides and skydiving. In the aircraft exhibition, over 150 models will be shown, representing the full range of China's general aviation and seaplane industry. Other activities will include an aviation science exhibition, the Aviclub music festival and a general aviation industry forum. The Aviclub Flight Carnival is run by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). In 2014, the Jingmen government and AVIC reached an agreement on the construction of Aviclub Aviation Joy-Town, which aimed to provide a new-style industrial cluster, bringing together research, manufacturing, training and leisure. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 21:59:37|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Capital Airlines on Monday announced to launch the first direct air route linking Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, with the Russian capital Moscow. The first flight will depart from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at 9:40 a.m. Tuesday and arrive at Sheremetyevo International Airport at 3:20 p.m. local time, according to Capital Airlines. The round trip flights will be operated every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday by an A330 wide-body aircraft. Beijing-based Capital Airlines operates multiple long-haul intercontinental direct air routes from Hangzhou to destinations including Madrid, Vancouver, and Saipan. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 22:07:10|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close The combined photo taken on July 29, 2018 shows Li Yuhua, an impoverished villager, on her way to attend an Miao embroidery class (R) and practices during the training session (L, top and bottom) in Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Due to harsh environmental conditions, Rongshui has long been a less developed area in China. Up to now, there are still 76,800 impoverished people living in the county. In recent years, the local government carries out effective methods for poverty alleviation, helping local people to build roads, repair houses, improve education and develop industry. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 22:09:40|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BERLIN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Moia, the new ride-sharing subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, has officially progressed from a one-year test phase to regular operations in the German city of Hannover on Monday. A spokesperson for Moia announced that it had obtained regulatory approval to offer mobility services with a fleet of 55 Volkswagen "T6" minibuses with up to 18,500 registered users in the capital of Lower Saxony. "Hannover is the first city in which we want to become a permanent part of public mobility," a statement by Moia chief executive officer (CEO) Ole Harms read. The Volkswagen subsidiary was founded as a digital car-pooling alternative to public transportation providers, conventional taxis services and new market entrants like Uber. Customers use a mobile phone application to order Moia vehicles to a virtual stopping place in their geographical proximity. A specially-developed algorithm hereby ensures that drivers only collect passengers whose destinations all fall along a similar route. In the coming years, Moia aims to raise the number of its vehicles and customers gradually in Hannover. Additionally, the company wants its entire fleet of currently still petrol-powered "T6" minibuses to be electrified by 2023. The development of Moia from a pilot project to a fully-fledged enterprise is only the latest sign of increasing efforts by the German automotive industry to regain footing against international competitors in the areas of electric-, autonomous-, networked- and shared vehicles. Among others, Volkswagen plans to enter the increasingly-crowded carsharing market in Germany as well with its own fleet of purely-electric vehicles. Even suppliers like Robert Bosch and Continental have begun to branch out into new products such as ride-sharing and corporate fleet management. In an unusual move for the two rival carmakers, Daimler and BMW recently announced the merger of their respective car-sharing platforms Car2Go and DriveNow. However, Volkswagen has also encountered resistance against the launch of its ride-sharing subsidiary in Hannover. Local taxi drivers in particular have voiced concerns that Moia will disrupt their traditional business model by exerting downward pressure on prices charged to customers. Taxi firms criticize that Moia enjoys several unfair advantages due to differences in the regulatory regime governing the competing mobility services. Taxi cabs in Hannover must adhere to strict rules regarding their hours of operation and setting of prices and cannot legally refuse to transport customers when otherwise unoccupied. By contrast, Moia only operates during select high-demand periods of the day and can determine by itself how much to charge and whom to collect. As a consequence, the local taxi distribution center Hallo Taxi 3811, which represents 600 vehicles, is currently assessing whether to file a lawsuit against Moia to revoke the license it obtained on Monday. The group had already unsuccessfully sought to prevent the initial granting of regulatory approval to the Volkswagen subsidiary's operations in Hannover during an earlier court case at the Celle Higher Regional Court. "We have not given up yet," Hallo Taxi spokesperson Alex Emmert told the newspaper ZEIT. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 22:09:40|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the U.S. government over the enduring bilateral problems. "The United States has proved that it is unreliable, so engagement and dialogue with the current U.S. government is impossible," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Monday. He added that "hostile policies of the United States, including its withdrawal from the Iranian international nuclear deal, its plans to exert sanction and economic pressures on Iran leave no chance for talks." In the meantime, military confrontation between Iran and the United States is out of question, he said, adding that however, Tehran is prepared for any hostile move of Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump hinted last week that Washington was open to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran ahead of looming deadline for Washington to snap back gold and oil sanctions on Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to Trump's remarks saying that any negotiation with the United States to solve the existing mutual problems was an "obvious mistake." However, Khamenei stressed that negotiations with the Europeans should continue to secure Iran's interests from the 2015 international nuclear deal following the U.S. withdrawal from it on May 8. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 22:24:42|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Monday allocated land to foreign missions and international organizations for their offices and residences in the east African nation's capital of Dodoma. President Magufuli handled 62 free title deeds for the construction of the foreign missions and five title deeds for international organizations accredited to Tanzania to facilitate their shift to the new capital. Magufuli said the shift to Dodoma was part of the government's initiative to honor the dreams championed by the founding father of the nation, Julius Nyerere. He said the allocation of five hectares of land to each foreign mission amounted to showing how Tanzania valued and honored the long cooperation with development partners. "Sincerely the cooperation between Tanzania and development partners is there to stay and I am here to cement that cooperation to," said President Magufuli. Some of the embassies that received the title deeds were the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, France and Kenya, and international organizations including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). The President assured the foreign missions that Dodoma has conducive environment including security and access to the basic social services. "The Vice-President and the Prime Minister have already moved to Dodoma. Almost all ministers and other senior government officials are already in Dodoma. I have planned to shift to Dodoma before the end of this year and I don't want to leave you behind in Dar es Salaam," Magufuli told the envoys. In 2016, President Magufuli announced that he will ensure that his government moved to the centrally located capital of Dodoma before the end of his first five-year term in 2020. In 1973, the Tanzanian government announced that the capital would be moved from Dar es Salaam to a more central location to better serve the needs of the people. In the same year, the government under the leadership of founding President Julius Nyerere, decided to shift its capital city from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, when it was envisaged that the move would take 10 years, and that the cost could be justified when set against a long-term perspective. But four decades later the move could not be implemented on various reasons, including poor infrastructure and economic difficulties. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 22:29:43|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Kenya and Ethiopia electricity transmission interconnector is set to be complete in mid 2019, a Kenyan official said on Monday. Joseph Njoroge, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, told an energy forum in Nairobi that the 1045 kilometer line is 70 percent complete on the Kenyan side and 90 percent complete on the Ethiopian side. "The project is expected to be completed in 2019 and will help to boost electricity trade in the East African region," Njoroge said during the Third Meeting of the Programme Technical Steering Committee of the Project on the enhancement of a sustainable energy market in Eastern Africa-Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Region. The Ethiopia-Kenya interconnector is a 500 kv High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) line, with 612 km on the Kenyan side and 433km on the Ethiopian side which is being funded by the African Development Bank. Njoroge said the transmission line was initially meant to evacuate 400 Megawatts of power from Ethiopia to Kenya but negotiations are ongoing to revise the capacity in line with electricity demand in Kenya. He noted that the Ethiopia-Kenya line is part of the East African power pool that seeks to connect the national electricity grids of eastern African countries in order to ensure energy flows from countries with surplus to regions of deficit. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 22:34:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Monday denounced Taiwan's recent move to obstruct a mainland delegation's participation in an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. Three members of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade traveled to Taiwan on July 17 to attend a forum on digital innovation held by the APEC Business Advisory Council, said An Fengshan, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. However, the delegation was unable to participate in the forum due to deliberate obstruction by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, said the spokesperson. "The DPP administration disregarded APEC practices and rudely blocked the mainland delegation from entering the meeting. Meanwhile, they confused right with wrong and released false information," An said. "We resolutely oppose and strongly condemn such actions." Pedestrians walk past a graffiti mural, depicting scenes of fighters with the Kaaba from the Haram al-Sharif mosque in Mecca and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, painted along Palestine Square in the Iranian capital Tehran on July 24, 2018. (AFP photo) TEHRAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the U.S. government over the enduring bilateral problems. "The United States has proved that it is unreliable, so engagement and dialogue with the current U.S. government is impossible," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Monday. He added that "hostile policies of the United States, including its withdrawal from the Iranian international nuclear deal, its plans to exert sanction and economic pressures on Iran leave no chance for talks." In the meantime, military confrontation between Iran and the United States is out of question, he said, adding that however, Tehran is prepared for any hostile move of Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump hinted last week that Washington was open to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran ahead of looming deadline for Washington to snap back gold and oil sanctions on Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to Trump's remarks saying that any negotiation with the United States to solve the existing mutual problems was an "obvious mistake." However, Khamenei stressed that negotiations with the Europeans should continue to secure Iran's interests from the 2015 international nuclear deal following the U.S. withdrawal from it on May 8. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 23:04:50|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close BERLIN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Demand from businesses for new workers is at an all-time high in Germany, according to Federal Employment Agency figures published on Monday. The vacancies index compiled by the Federal Employment Agency rose by two points to the level of 256 points in July, the highest ever reading of the official barometer since its introduction in 2005. The Nuremberg-based government agency noted that the number of vacancies offered by companies had increased across most sectors of the economy. The highest demand for new workers was measured in the information and communications technology industries. The retail, industrial manufacturing and public administration sectors all reported large annual increases in the number of vacancies as well. Education was the only sector of the economy to witness a decline in demand for labor. The Federal Employment Agency attributed record demand for labor in Germany to the country's lasting economic momentum. Although several official institutes and think-tanks have recently downgraded their forecasts for 2018, strong growth continued to translate into improved employment prospects for the time being. Additionally, low unemployment levels meant that workers currently felt more confident in switching jobs. The government agency reiterated earlier warnings on Monday that some sectors of the economy, such as health-care and nursing, faced a serious shortage of skilled workers. This circumstance was reflected in the record vacancies index as well as many job openings remained unfilled over longer periods of time. The Federal Employment Agency is scheduled to release official unemployment figures for July on Tuesday. Joblessness traditionally rises slightly during the summer months as a consequence of people going on holiday. Back in June, labor market officials counted the lowest number of inhabitants formally-registered as unemployed in Germany since the beginning of nationwide measurements in 1990. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 23:09:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The top anti-graft body of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said that 36,618 officials, including a ministerial-level official, were punished for violating Party frugality rules in the first half of 2018. The officials were involved in 25,677 cases, said the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) in a statement Monday. Awarding an unauthorized allowance or bonus was the most common misdemeanor, followed by giving or accepting gifts and misuse of public vehicles. In June, 9,519 officials involved in 6,692 cases were punished, said the CCDI. The CPC released its eight-point rules in late 2012 to reduce undesirable work practices and maintain close ties with the masses, which include requirements on frugality. The CCDI has a monthly reporting system on the implementation of the austerity rules within provincial-level governments, central Party and government agencies, centrally administered state-owned enterprises, and central financial institutions. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 23:14:51|Editor: yan Video Player Close SOFIA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A multinational military exercise involving army units from eight countries kicked off in Bulgaria on Monday, the country's Defense Ministry said. Up to 700 troops and 100 vehicles from the armed forces of Bulgaria, the United States, Albania, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro would participate in the 12-day drill codenamed "Platinum Lion 18," the ministry said in a statement. The theme of the joint exercise, held at the Novo Selo Training Area, was "A multinational mechanized battalion in support of local authorities by conducting stabilization operations in its assigned area of responsibility," the statement said. Company tactical exercises, tactical exercises with live firing and peacekeeping operations would take place, it added. Novo Selo Training Area is one of the largest military bases in Bulgaria and is one of the four joint U.S.-Bulgarian military facilities in the Balkan country. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 23:19:52|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAIRO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A number of rival Syrian opposition factions signed on Monday an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire deal in Cairo, Egypt's state MENA news agency reported. The agreement, signed between factions from northern and eastern Syria, was sponsored by Egypt and guaranteed by Russia, according to MENA. The deal was also mediated by Ahmed Jarba, head of al-Ghad Movement, a Cairo-based Syrian opposition group. Under the deal, rival groups will join anti-terror activities in Syria as well as work to reach a peaceful political settlement to the Syrian crisis. The signing came two weeks after other Syrian opposition armed groups signed similar agreements in Cairo. The Egyptian leadership has always expressed support for a political settlement for the Syrian crisis in a way that ends bloodshed in Syria and maintains the unity of its territories. Since its eruption in March 2011, the Syrian crisis has claimed the lives of about half a million people and displaced and wounded over 14 million others. Russian troops in Syria have been launching bombing campaigns in support of the government forces, while a U.S.-led international anti-terror coalition has been launching airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) targets in the conflict-stricken country. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 23:29:54|Editor: yan Video Player Close Cai Mingzhao (R, front), president of Xinhua News Agency, meets with Masao Omuro (L, front), president of Japan's Jiji Press News Agency, in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2018. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Cai Mingzhao, president of Xinhua News Agency, Monday met with Masao Omuro, president of Japan's Jiji Press News Agency, in Beijing. Cai said the media has played a unique and vital role in promoting relations between China and Japan. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, said Cai, hoping that Xinhua and Jiji Press will take this opportunity to further their friendly exchanges and cooperation and increase mutual understanding of the two peoples, so as to contribute to the cause of peace and friendship between China and Japan. Noting that China and Japan enjoy close economic and trade exchanges, Cai said the two news agencies share broad prospects in cooperation on economic information. He hoped that the two sides can expand the areas and elevate the levels of their cooperation on the basis of existing achievements to provide more information services for enterprises of the two countries. Omuro lauded the long-term friendly cooperation between Jiji Press and Xinhua, saying Jiji Press hopes to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Xinhua in such areas of the Japanese news service and economic information. Xinhua launched its Japanese news service on Feb. 1, providing news articles, photographs, and video and audio reports in Japanese. The Japanese news service is Xinhua's first multi-media news service intended for an individual country. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 23:39:56|Editor: yan Video Player Close HANGZHOU, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Two men were sentenced to death for killing four people in 1995, a court in east China's Zhejiang Province ruled on Monday. The defendants, surnamed Wang and Liu, were convicted of robbery and homicide by the Intermediate People's Court of Huzhou. They were also deprived of political rights for life, and all of their personal property was confiscated. The court said a family of three, who ran a guesthouse in Shengshe Village, Zhili Township, were killed in the early hours on November 29, 1995. A guest was also killed. The court said the crime was cruel and the consequences were grave. Wang and Liu became suspects after police made a DNA match in 2017. By then, Liu had become a well-known writer in neighboring Anhui Province. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-30 23:39:57|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for global efforts to end the scourge of human trafficking. In a message on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, which falls on July 30, Guterres said that human trafficking knows no borders. "Human trafficking takes many forms and knows no borders. Human traffickers too often operate with impunity, with their crimes receiving not nearly enough attention. This must change." Human trafficking is a vile crime that feeds on inequalities, instability and conflict. Human traffickers prey on the vulnerable and rob them of their fundamental rights, said the UN chief. Children and young people, migrants and refugees are especially susceptible. Women and girls are targeted again and again, he said. "We see brutal sexual exploitation, including involuntary prostitution, forced marriage and sexual slavery. We see the appalling trade in human organs." Guterres said the United Nations is committed to advancing action to bring traffickers to justice while protecting and supporting their victims. The rights of victims must come first -- be they the victims of traffickers, smugglers, or of modern forms of slavery or exploitation, he stressed. "On this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, let us come together around the key issues of prevention, protection and prosecution to build a future where this crime cannot exist," said Guterres. YANGON, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has established an independent commission of inquiry on Rakhine issue, a statement from the President Office said late Monday. As part of the national initiative to address reconciliation, peace, stability and development in Rakhine state, the commission is established to investigate the allegations of human rights violation and related issues following the terror attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). The four-member commission will be assisted by national and international legal and technical experts. The Myanmar government has reiterated that if there is violation of human rights by the security forces in Myanmar with firm evidence, investigations will be made and actions will be taken according to law. The ARSA extremist terrorists launched attacks on police outposts in Myanmar's Rakhine state on Aug. 25 last year, displacing a vast number of residents to neighboring Bangladesh. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 00:00:00|Editor: yan Video Player Close KAMPALA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday said a recent court ruling barring the extension of the term of parliament and local councils was undemocratic. Museveni in a statement said the judges of the Constitutional Court focused on procedure and not substance. The five judges of the court on July 26 ruled that the procedure to extend the term of parliament and that of local council was wrongly done by parliament. They said the legislators did not consult the electorates. They maintained that the term of parliament should remain at five years and not seven years as legislators decided. Museveni argued that with five years, a lot of time is spent on electioneering and less on development. Museveni said if the ruling party National Resistance Movement legislators bond closely with the people, constitutional reforms can be made with or without judges. "The Constitution should facilitate the modernization of Uganda and the economic and political integration of Africa for the survival of the people Africa as free people, not just the theater of democracy of form without addressing substance," he said. Museveni seemed to have sided with the judges in their ruling that the removal of the age cap at which one can run for presidency was constitutional. The judges in a four-to-one ruling said parliaments' removal of the age cap did not contravene the country's constitution. Critics argued that the procedure in parliament to remove the age limit was characterized by violence and that the decision was aimed at paving way for Museveni who has been in power for over 30 years to run again for the presidency in the 2021 elections. Parliament in December last year amended the country's constitution in which it removed the age limit of 75 years as maximum and 35 years as minimum for one to run for presidency. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 00:10:01|Editor: yan Video Player Close Yang Jiechi (R), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2018. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Beijing on Monday. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, called on the two sides to implement the consensus reached by their leaders, strengthen strategic communication, enhance political trust, and expand cooperation. Yang also called for joint efforts to promote economic globalization featuring openness, inclusiveness, universal benefits, balance, and win-win results to inject more impetus into China-UK ties. Hunt said the UK is willing to work with China to boost the development of the "Golden Era" of bilateral relations and safeguard multilateralism and international order. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 00:10:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang underscored improving the country's full-cycle supervision system for vaccines at a State Council executive meeting held Monday. Li made the remarks after hearing a report from a State Council investigation team which shed light on the illegalities of Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Limited in making rabies vaccines for human use. Investigators have found "extremely severe" violations with the vaccine-maker, who had arbitrarily altered the production process, fabricated production records and product inspection records, and destroyed evidence, according to a statement released after the meeting. Police have requested approval to arrest the suspects involved in the vaccine case, according to the statement. Those held responsible should be given higher penalties and subject to hefty fines, while those who have committed felonies should get jail sentences and a lifetime ban from working in the pharmaceutical industry, the statement said. Monitoring of research and development, production, circulation, and usage of vaccines should be improved, and a long-term mechanism should be built to ensure the safety of medications, according to the statement. The meeting called for accelerating the investigation into the entire chain of vaccine production of all 46 vaccine producers in China. A thorough investigation into related regulators will also be conducted with no leniency, according to the statement. Officials found guilty of dereliction or misconduct will be probed thoroughly, those taking bribes will be dealt with seriously, and those who bear the leadership responsibility should also be strictly held responsible according to the law. Local authorities will receive help in recalling and destroying all the affected vaccines, and the exported defective vaccines will be recalled under supervision with timely briefings to the World Health Organization and related countries, the statement said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 00:20:03|Editor: yan Video Player Close Cai Mingzhao (R), president of Xinhua News Agency, meets with Zvi Heifetz, Israeli Ambassador to China, in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2018. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Cai Mingzhao, president of Xinhua News Agency, Monday met with Zvi Heifetz, Israeli Ambassador to China in Beijing, discussing ways to enhance media cooperation in the high-tech and innovation sectors. Cai said Xinhua has always attached great importance to reports on Israel. Noting that innovation cooperation is a highlight of China-Israel relations, Cai said Xinhua is willing to make joint efforts with Israel to increase media coverage in the high-tech and innovation fields, so as to advance the innovative comprehensive partnership between the two countries. Cai briefed Heifetz on the latest achievements that Xinhua has scored in the areas of international news reporting, social media, short videos as well as research and development of new technology. He hoped that media organizations from the two countries can deepen their cooperation in innovation. Heifetz lauded the achievements that Xinhua has made in its development. He said Israel will continue to support exchanges and cooperation between media organizations of the two countries, so that they can better share the benefits brought by science and technological innovation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 00:25:03|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Monday submitted the long-awaited Competition Amendment Bill to Parliament as the country is braced for bold economic transformation. Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel described the bill as a significant policy shift by the government. The amendments provide for an extension of the mandate of the competition authorities and the executive to address high levels of economic concentration and limited transformation in the South African economy and abuse of market power by dominant firms. The bill also allows the executive to intervene in mergers by foreign firms which impact national security interests in the country. Soon after the bill was submitted, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) called on Parliament to fast-track consideration of the bill "as the country urgently needs bold economic transformation." "We note that the bill has been through a thorough process of consultation with business and organised labor. We call on the social partners to work closely to begin implementation of the core elements and to join us in opening the economy to small and medium businesses," ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said. He said many studies on the South African economy have indicated the high levels of economic concentration in different sectors. "This has a negative impact on innovation, investment, growth and job creation. It also leads to higher prices for consumers, and limits the opportunities for small and medium businesses to participate," said Mabe. Therefore, the bill provides the Competition Commission with the powers to conduct market inquiries in sectors where ownership and market share have become highly concentrated. It proposes remedies that can lead to greater economic participation, and lower prices for consumers. Under the bill, the competition authorities can impose conditions on mergers which result in a greater spread of ownership in companies, particular black South Africans and workers in those companies. This is in line with the call by the ANC to promote greater worker ownership in the economy and is part of the bold vision of economic transformation that the country needs, said Mabe. "The ANC once again affirms its policy to deconcentrate the levels of ownership in South Africa and open the economy for greater participation and jobs," he said. But the bill has been met with criticism. Critics argue that it could overload the competition authorities to the point where their effectiveness could be jeopardized. Others have cautioned that the legislation could constrain the space for other policies aimed at supporting industrialization, particularly where greater collaboration might be required to bolster certain manufacturing sectors. The bill would now be subjected to scrutiny by Parliament, which would also determine the schedule for the processing of the legislation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 00:40:05|Editor: yan Video Player Close STOCKHOLM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Swedish government distributes 1.2 billion SEK (130 million U.S. dollars) in support to farmers after the extreme heat wave and forest fires that are still raging in the country, Swedish Television SVT reported Monday. The government's representatives announced the crisis support at a press conference on Monday. "This is a national crisis package to Sweden's farmers and food suppliers. The effects of the long-term drought have us deeply worried about the situation in Sweden," Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson said. According to SVT, the aid will be paid during 2018 and 2019, and it is meant to compensate for losses of crops and livestock animals that have been forced to slaughter. Sweden has also discussed with the EU the possibility of giving farmers an advance payment of 250 million SEK (28.5 million U.S. dollars). EU's decision is expected to arrive at the earliest in September. Sweden has suffered extreme temperatures and drought since May. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 00:40:06|Editor: yan Video Player Close VALLETTA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A court hearing evidence against the captain of an NGO-operated ship Lifeline that rescued 240 migrants from the Mediterranean has been told that the ship was stateless and not licenced for rescue operations. Proceedings against Captain Claus-Peter Reisch of the MV Lifeline continued on Monday, with the court being handed a report prepared by an expert it had appointed to establish a number of things about the vessel. The captain's actions landed him in hot water with Maltese authorities, with the Lifeline finding itself at the centre of an international dispute over where the migrants would be disembarked. Over the course of the dispute, it was alleged that the vessel was not carrying proper documentation. Amongst the court expert's report findings was that the ship, which was only allowed to dock in Malta after an agreement between a number of states for the distribution of the migrants, was registered as a pleasure craft for coastal waters. A number of standard certificates were also missing, stated the report. The captain presented the court with a copy of an award which he had recently received in Germany for saving 240 African migrants from the Mediterranean. The court is expected to pass judgement on the captain in September. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 00:45:06|Editor: yan Video Player Close PARIS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Law commission at France's upper house of parliament, the Senate, envisaged to hear Alexandre Benalla, President Emmanuel Macron's ex-bodyguard after summer break over beating a protester on May Day, that sparked a political crisis for the ruling camp, Philippe Bas, head of the commission said on Monday. "Benalla, during an interview in a newspaper expressed his desire to be heard by our commission ... I will speak again with our rapporteurs and we will have an internal discussion in the commission and then we will see in the autumn what should be done," the conservative senator was quoted as saying by local media. Bas, who leads the investigation into the so-called "Benalla affair" in the Senate, had previously ruled out questioning of Macron's top security aide to respect separation of powers principle and the right of defense. "We must not investigate facts that are subject to prosecution (and) ... It should not be that a questioned person may be brought to testify against itself, which would be totally excluded at the bar of a court," he said. Earlier this month, Paris prosecutor's office opened a judicial investigation against Benalla on charges of violence in meetings and interference in police officer's work after a video showed him wearing a police badge and beating a protester in Paris on May 1. Fired after the scandal, the 26-year-old man stressed in recent media interview he was ready to be questioned over the affair, saying "they want explanations, I have something to give them." Although the government tried to handle the scandal, Macron's disgraced bodygurad fuelled critics of the president's jupiterian ruling style, with lawmakers from the right wing opposition and hard-left party having each filed a vote of confidence. In a further sign that the torment is ahead for Macron who pledges to restore the presidency's dignity, an Ifop poll of nearly 2,000 people for the Journal de Dimanche newspaper (JDD) on Sunday showed the 40-year-old head losing Momentum. He collected 39 percent of positive opinions this month, down by one percentage point from June to his lowest popularity since May 2017. "The impact of (Benalla) case is real even if it does not trigger a break in the French opinion ... This can be part of a logic of slow poison," Frederic Dabi, Ifop Deputy Director General told the JDD. This file photo taken on May 14, 2015 shows Rohingya migrants sitting in a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman Sea. A general is among more than 100 defendants awaiting a verdict on July 19, 2017 at Thailand's largest ever human trafficking trial, accused of running a brutal trade that left desperate Rohingya and Bangladehsi migrants stranded on boats and in jungle death camps. (AFP Photo) UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for global efforts to end the scourge of human trafficking. In a message on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, which falls on July 30, Guterres said that human trafficking knows no borders. "Human trafficking takes many forms and knows no borders. Human traffickers too often operate with impunity, with their crimes receiving not nearly enough attention. This must change." Human trafficking is a vile crime that feeds on inequalities, instability and conflict. Human traffickers prey on the vulnerable and rob them of their fundamental rights, said the UN chief. Children and young people, migrants and refugees are especially susceptible. Women and girls are targeted again and again, he said. "We see brutal sexual exploitation, including involuntary prostitution, forced marriage and sexual slavery. We see the appalling trade in human organs." Guterres said the United Nations is committed to advancing action to bring traffickers to justice while protecting and supporting their victims. The rights of victims must come first -- be they the victims of traffickers, smugglers, or of modern forms of slavery or exploitation, he stressed. "On this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, let us come together around the key issues of prevention, protection and prosecution to build a future where this crime cannot exist," said Guterres. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 01:20:12|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close The emergency relief from Chinese government to Laos is unloaded from a Chinese cargo plane at the Wattay International Airport, in Lao capital Vientiane, on July 30, 2018. The humanitarian emergency relief of the Chinese government's assistance for the flooded southern Laos was handed over to the Lao side on Monday in Lao capital Vientiane. The aid includes 100 boats, 500 tents and 100 water clarifiers. (Xinhua/Zhang Jianhua) VIENTIANE, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The humanitarian emergency relief of the Chinese government's assistance for the flooded southern Laos was handed over to the Lao side on Monday in Lao capital Vientiane. The aid, carried by a Boeing-747 cargo plane of China Eastern Airlines, includes 100 boats, 500 tents and 100 water clarifiers. The relief handover ceremony was held at the airport apron of Vientiane Wattay International Airport. Wang Wentian, Chinese ambassador to Laos, said at the ceremony that China and Laos are good brothers who can go through thick and thin together, and whenever there is hardship, the two nations always share the same hardship, and support each other. The Chinese people are caring a lot about the situation of the Lao people in the disaster-stricken south. To assist the Lao government's efforts to rescue and help the affected people, the Chinese government has decided to immediately provide humanitarian aid to the Lao side, the Chinese ambassador said. "I hope that the relief, full of profound friendship from the Chinese people, will play a useful role in the Lao government's relief efforts," Wang said. In her speech delivered at the ceremony, Lao Deputy Minister for Labor and Social Welfare Baikham Khattiya thanked China for its selfless and generous assistance. After the floods in Attapeu Province in southern Laos broke out, China firstly offered Laos a helping hand, which once again reflects the sound friendship between the two governments and the two peoples, Baikham said, adding that the Lao side will make proper use of the Chinese relief supplies, to help the people in the disaster areas to resume normal production and living activities as soon as possible. On July 23, a saddle dam of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project, invested by South Korean, Thai and Lao companies, burst, unleashing 5 billion cubic meters of water from the mountain to 13 villages of Sanamxay district downstream the Xe Pian River, some 560 km southeast of Vientiane. Six villages were almost submerged by the muddy flood with 13,000 villagers being affected. Till Monday, 11 people have been confirmed dead and 120 others remain missing in the dam collapse accident. Iranian women shop at Tehran's ancient Grand Bazaar in Tehran on July 28, 2018. (AFP photo) TEHRAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian trade official said that Tehran is looking for potential solutions to maintain trade with Africa by bartering oil products for gold, Press TV reported on Monday. Hassan Khosrowjerdi, the president of Iran-Africa Council for Economic Cooperation, said that with the U.S. sanctions in prospect, banking problems would be Iran's biggest challenge for trading with other countries. This could be resolved by establishing barter mechanisms with other countries, including those in Africa, Khosrowjerdi said, adding that using bartering schemes is the best way to facilitate trade between Iran and Africa, specifically when the sanctions return. He said one key item which Iran was specifically interested to the same effect is gold. Khosrowjerdi did not mention any specific country with which Iran was considering to barter its products with gold, however, Ghana, Africa's second biggest gold exporter after South Africa, could be a primary target, according to the report. Iran is exporting a wide range of oil products to Ghana including tar and various kinds of industrial oil. Iran has been primarily buying gold from the UAE and South Africa with some reports already emerging in the media that the country has intensified its purchases of the precious metal over the past few years. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 02:20:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close KHARTOUM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's security service said on Monday that it has freed an Egyptian military force abducted by a Libyan group on the Sudanese-Egyptian-Libyan border, Sudanese Media Center reported. Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) carried out an "effective operation" on early Monday morning, and freed the Egyptian force, comprised of an officer and four soldiers, said the report. The abductees were freed in the special operation under direct supervision of NISS's Chief Salah Abdalla, the report added. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova attends a press conference on July 18, 2018. MOSCOW, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Monday slammed the United States for its refusal to participate in the 10th round of international talks on Syria in Russia's Sochi. Moscow invited Washington to the Syrian talks in the Astana format on Monday and Tuesday as an observer, but the U.S. side declined it, Zakharova said in a statement on the foreign ministry's website. "This response is regrettable, keeping in mind that Washington constantly gives assurances that it is willing to help the political process take place in Syria," she said. "We see the U.S. reluctance to send representatives to Sochi as a desire to lower the importance of the Astana format and discredit the implementation of the mediatory efforts in Syrian affairs that Washington is unable to put under its control," she added. According to Zakharova, the Astana process is in no way an alternative to the UN-sponsored Geneva talks. She said the U.S. call to prioritize the Geneva process "looks disingenuous" as UN secretary-general's special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura is taking part in the Sochi event. In parallel to the Geneva process, nine rounds of Syrian talks had been held in the Kazakh capital of Astana since January 2017, with Russia, Turkey and Iran as the mediators. The negotiations moved from Astana to Russia's Sochi for the first time. The most significant outcome of previous talks was the establishment of four de-escalation zones in Syria. A boy waits for the relief food to be distributed in Harores Wereda, southeastern Ethiopia, April 12, 2017. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday called for more funding to address the humanitarian needs of refugees relocated in Ethiopia. They made the joint call on Monday as the East African country currently struggles in its efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of close to 1 million refugees that are relocated to the country over the past few years, mainly from its neighboring countries South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea. According to the Ethiopian Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA), many of the challenges that the Ethiopian government encounters in its refugee operations emanate from shortage of funding and support. "Shortfall in funding is seriously compromising the quality of protection provided to asylum seekers and refugees in the country," Messeret Debebe, program head at ARRA, told Xinhua on Monday. "Earmarking, unpredictability, untimely release and more notably the shortage of both humanitarian and development finance is one of the key challenges in the Ethiopia refugee operation, which in-turn is resulting in limited potential of the refugees for self-reliance and their high-dependence on humanitarian assistance," Debebe added. Debebe, however, stressed that "even if it is not up to the level needed, we cannot take too lightly the international community's support for the government of Ethiopia in its continued efforts to expanding the refugee protection space in the country." The number of refugees requiring food assistance from WFP has increased sharply in the last few years, in which asylum seekers and refugees in camps across Ethiopia receive a monthly in-kind food assistance being supplied by WFP and distributed by ARRA, according to Debebe. "Comparing to the minimum humanitarian standard there is still a frequent shortage in the food supply, which I believe results mainly due to the lack of resources," she said. Noting Ethiopia is a host to the second largest refugee population on the African continent next to Uganda, WFP officials also said funding is a serious issue. "Our food bill is about 11 million U.S. dollar a month here in Ethiopia as we feed close to 700,000 refugees," WFP Deputy Country Director to Ethiopia, Paul Turnbull, said. Turnbull, who indicated WFP's recent funding-related challenges including ration cut, also noted the need to keep engaging donors so as to sustain the ongoing support as the number of refugees is currently increasing mainly due to the influx from the war-torn East African nation South Sudan. WFP also stressed the need to join hands in addressing the needs of both refugees as well as the internally displaced people who are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) country-wide Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) conducted in May and June, there are 1,776,685 internally displaced people in Ethiopia, of which 1,204,577 are displaced due to conflict while the remaining 536,321 displaced due to climate change-related challenges. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 03:00:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close SKOPJE, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian parliament voted on Monday on the decision to hold a referendum on Sept. 30 on a historic 'name' agreement with neighboring country Greece. Sixty-seven out of the 120 Members of Parliament (MPs) in Macedonia's parliament voted in favor of holding a referendum which if successful will speed up the progress of Macedonia's European Union and NATO integration. On Monday's parliament session the MPs from the ruling parties and some opposition parties strongly supported the referendum, whereas the MPs from the main opposition VMRO DPMNE party were absent. The referendum question for Macedonian citizens will be: "Do you support EU and NATO membership by accepting the deal between Macedonia and Greece?" The VMRO-DPMNE deputy Nikola Micevski called the question "manipulative, imprecise and ambiguous," while the consultative aspect leaves the result open for interpretation. On June 17, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias signed the agreement on the name dispute settlement and the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries, under which Macedonia will be called Republic of North Macedonia. Macedonia is formally called the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) by the United Nations. Macedonia is also the name of a northern province in Greece. Athens is worried that the use of the same name by the neighboring state could lead to territorial claims. The solving of the name row that has existed between two countries is seen as the main obstacle Macedonia has to overcome in order to make progress towards the European Union (EU) and NATO integration. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 03:05:31|Editor: yan Video Player Close GENEVA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Monday reiterated its call for the safety and protection of local aid workers inside Syria. "Syrian aid workers risk their lives on a daily basis and work tirelessly to provide life-saving assistance to fellow Syrians in need in accordance with humanitarian principles," said Panos Moumtzis, UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis. According to the UN, aid workers in Syria are fearing an increased risk of arrest and detention as lines of control shift. In southwestern Syria, the UN said, most humanitarian staff have reportedly already stopped working with Syrian aid organizations, thus significantly impacting the response capacity at a time when they are needed most and leaving a vacuum behind. "It's critical all steps are taken to increase the protection of aid workers and ensure the continuation of services in support of an effective sustainable humanitarian response to the people in need," Moumtzis said. Syria is one of the most challenging and dangerous environments for humanitarians to operate in. Since the start of the crisis in Syria in March 2011, UN figures have showed that hundreds of humanitarian workers and service providers, including health workers, have been killed in the course of duty. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 03:30:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close ALGIERS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Algeria has issued 727 arrest warrants against cross-border crime during the past three years, Minister of Justice Tayeb Louh said on Monday. In an speech at the Superior School of the Judiciary in the province of Tipasa, 40 km western Algiers, Louh noted that "from July 2015 to July 2018, Algeria issued 727 arrest warrants, which led to the arrest of some wanted individuals in foreign countries, and the initiation of their extradition procedures." Louh specified that such procedures are part of the North African nation's effort in the fight against cross-border crime, which "has become one of the most dangerous crimes that threaten social integrity, amid increasing displacement of individuals, illegal immigration, terror activities, as well as drug trafficking." He noted that Algeria has signed agreements with several countries and organizations on judicial, criminal and extradition cooperation, to reach sustainable results. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 04:20:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close ANKARA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States' use of a threatening language against Turkey is "unacceptable and disrespectful," Turkish National Security Council said on Monday. The U.S. stance on Turkey's defense industry projects will cause "irreparable damage" to the strategic partnership between both countries, the council said in a statement. The statement came after the council convened the first meeting under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, since his inauguration early this month, when Turkey's presidential system came into effect. Relations between Turkey and the United States strained over the trial of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson, who was arrested in Turkey in December 2016. The U.S. President Donald Trump described Brunson in his tweet as "a great Christian, family man and wonderful human being," threating to impose sanction on Turkey. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 04:20:40|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council is discussing the possible removal of sanctions against Eritrea given the latest positive developments in the Horn of Africa, said Swedish ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog, president of the Security Council for July, on Monday. "That issue is being discussed," Skoog told reporters after closed-door Security Council consultations on Eritrea and Somalia. The members of the Security Council welcomed the announcement that Eritrea and Somalia would work together to foster regional peace and stability. They reiterated their readiness to support the region in these efforts, Skoog told reporters. Asked whether the council actually discussed the possible removal of sanctions against Eritrea, Skoog said: "That issue is being discussed. As I said in my statement on behalf of council members that there is readiness to support the region in these efforts. I think you should understand with that that there is readiness to move forward on that issue as well." Ethiopia requested the lifting of UN Security Council sanctions on Eritrea after the two countries signed a historic Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship on July 9 and agreed to normalize relations. Ethiopia has offered to help Eritrea and Djibouti to resolve their border dispute and normalize relations as well. The Security Council imposed sanctions in 2009 on Eritrea, including an arms embargo, for its destabilizing role in neighboring countries, particularly its alleged support for al-Shabaab militants in Somalia and its territorial dispute with Djibouti. NEW YORK, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A large-scale public art project is attracting more visitors to one of the oldest streets in Manhattan's Chinatown in New York City. The Song of Dragon and Flowers, opened to public over the weekend, is a large-scale public art project created by Chinese artist Chen Dongfan on the 200-foot-long (61 meters) Doyers street in the heart of Chinatown in Lower Manhattan from July 13 to 20. The asphalt mural directly painted on the 4800 square foot (about 450 square meters) Doyers Street was done with the assistance from the New York City Department of Transportation's Art Program and Public Space Unit, Chinatown Partnership, Fou Gallery, and ArtBridge. The artist chooses to capture the soul and spirit of the dragon, as a visual embodiment of the area and the lasting Chinese cultural heritage. The flowers are a symbol of peace in response to the rich history of Chinatown. Together they compose a song with exuberant and dynamic rhythm. The project is part of New York City Department of Transportation's Seasonal Streets program. Seasonal Streets temporarily transform streets into vibrant public space during warm weather when people use them the most. Doyers Street was infamously known as the "Bloody Angle" in the early 20th century. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 04:30:41|Editor: yan Video Player Close BERLIN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A German government spokeswomen said Monday that an agreement between the United States and the European Union over trade talks was a good signal for all. Despite the lack of a timetable, further negotiation should be done quickly, she said. U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday agreed to avoid an all-out trade war. The two leaders agreed to talk and work together toward zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsidies on non-auto industrial goods. Tanja Alemany, spokeswoman for German Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy, said at a regular press conference that the result was a good signal for all to avoid a possible trade war or an intensifying trade conflict. "The first signs are good. Now follows a process that will be accompanied by a working group in order to eventually have the goal, especially in the industrial sector to reduce tariffs, but also non-tariff barriers between the EU and the U.S.," said Alemany. However, Alemany said the questions about the timetable should be addressed to the European Commission, adding there will be a high-ranking EU working group with America. "When will start work, I do not know. However, the EU should submit a report shortly. Everyone involved knows that things have to be done quickly," said Alemany. The spokeswomen reiterated Germany's stance for free trade and against protectionism, and Germany was happy about all countries that follow this path. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 04:50:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council is discussing the possible removal of sanctions against Eritrea given the latest positive developments in the Horn of Africa, said Swedish ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog, whose country holds the Security Council presidency for the month of July. "That issue is being discussed," Skoog told reporters after closed-door Security Council consultations on Eritrea and Somalia. The members of the Security Council welcomed the announcement that Eritrea and Somalia would work together to foster regional peace and stability. The council members reiterated their readiness to support the region in these efforts, said Skoog. Asked whether the council actually discussed the possible removal of sanctions against Eritrea, Skoog said: "That issue is being discussed. As I said in my statement on behalf of council members that there is readiness to support the region in these efforts. I think you should understand with that that there is readiness to move forward on that issue as well." Ethiopia requested the lifting of UN Security Council sanctions on Eritrea after the two countries signed a historic Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship on July 9 and agreed to normalize relations. Ethiopia has also offered to help Eritrea and Djibouti to resolve their border dispute and to normalize their relations as well. The Security Council supports and encourages Ethiopia's efforts in this regard, said Skoog. Earlier on Monday, before Security Council deliberations, Skoog expressed the hope that the Security Council could decide on Eritrea sanctions as soon as possible. What is happening in the Horn of Africa is truly historic, he told reporters. "It is very important that we support those historically positive developments in any way we can." "The Swedish point of view is that we need to be cautious not to set targets and benchmarks that hinder the current positive momentum, and instead really ensure that we allow Eritrea now to partake in the international arena and let peoples in the region enjoy the peace dividends. We believe that the council should seize this moment to firmly recognize peace and normalize the relations between the international community and Eritrea by deciding to review the sanctions regime as soon as possible." The Security Council imposed sanctions in 2009 on Eritrea, including an arms embargo, for its destabilizing role in neighboring countries, particularly its alleged support for al-Shabaab militants in Somalia and its territorial dispute with Djibouti. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 and the two countries fought a war between 1998 and 2000. Although a peace agreement was singed in December 2000, tensions continued. The July 9 Joint Declaration officially put an end to war between the two long-time rivals. The Security Council members on Monday strongly commended the historic signing of the Joint Declaration and the two countries' joint endeavor to ensure regional peace, development and cooperation, said Skoog. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 05:20:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close BERLIN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- As German farmers lament large deficits in harvests due to particularly hot and dry summer, the German Farmers' Association on Monday asked for 1 billion euros (1.17 billion U.S. dollars) in governmental aids to make up for the losses. According to president of the German Farmers' Association Joachim Rukwied, the lengthy periods of drought in Germany this summer could force many farmers into bankruptcy. Rukwied called on politicians to provide financial support to affected farms, adding "One billion euros would be desirable to compensate for the losses." Farms whose yields are more than 30 percent below the average of recent years should receive direct aid. German Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner said she was "very concerned about the effects of the drought, from which many farmers, especially in northern and eastern Germany, are suffering". According to Kloeckner, the overall situation is alarming. "There are signs of lower grain yields, severe drought damage to potatoes, maize and sugar beet." Many cattle farmers were in need of care for their animals because there was no grass to feed them. Representatives of the German federal and state governments will discuss the consequences of the heatwave on Tuesday. If harvest losses are as high as predicted, some foods could become more expensive. Dairy farmers are demanding significantly higher prices for milk as volume of animal feed has decreased. A decision on whether aid would be paid could only be made after harvesting season is over at the end of August, Kloeckner said. "The first step must be to declare a state of emergency and thus create the legal basis. In a second step, the federal and state governments must provide a budget," Rukwied explained. Germany's conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group responsible for agriculture is in favor of financial support while the Social Democrats (SPD) were against aid for farmers as an economic precedent. "Modern agriculture sees itself as an entrepreneur in our country," said Rainer Spiering, spokesperson for agricultural policy for the SPD faction. Like any enterprise, it is thus exposed to risks, Spiering said. "If we provide support for agriculture, we will have to help other small and medium-sized enterprises, which are regarded as the cornerstones of our economy, in the same way," the SPD politician said. Instead of making short-term aid available, politicians must invest in a future-oriented agriculture strategy, Spiering suggested. To combat dry spells like this in the futures, Joachim Rukwied calls for a tax-free "risk equalization reserve" with which farmers could make provisions for difficult years. "It is imperative that Germany has stable rural areas with stable farms," said Rukwied. Losses of 50 to 70 percent threatened the existence of many farmers. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 05:35:52|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte attend a joint press conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on July 30, 2018. U.S. President Donald Trump said during the press conference that he is ready to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, July 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said here on Monday that he is ready to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions. "I'd meet with anybody. I believe in meeting," Trump told a joint news conference with visiting Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, when asked whether he was willing to meet with the Iranian leader. Touting his "great" meetings with the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Jong Un, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and leaders of NATO, Trump said such meetings had led to good results. "I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know that they're ready yet. I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal," Trump said. "I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet, and I'm ready to meet anytime they want to." "If we could work something out that's meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet," he added. "They want to meet, I'll meet. Any time they want. Good for the country. Good for them. Good for us. And good for the world," he said. Relations of the two nations have been at odds as the Trump administration pulled the United States out of the historic 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May. Washington ramped up political pressure on Tehran and vowed to re-impose sanctions on the nation. In 2015, Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany, signed the deal in Vienna. Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow international inspectors to examine in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions. Hours before Trump's statement, Iran's foreign ministry ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the U.S. government over the enduring bilateral problems. "The United States has proved that it is unreliable, so engagement and dialogue with the current U.S. government is impossible," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said earlier on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 06:40:58|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council is discussing the possible removal of sanctions against Eritrea given the latest positive developments in the Horn of Africa, said Swedish ambassador to the United Nations, whose country holds the Security Council presidency for the month of July. "That issue is being discussed," Olof Skoog told reporters after closed-door Security Council consultations on Eritrea and Somalia. The members of the Security Council welcomed the announcement that Eritrea and Somalia would work together to foster regional peace and stability. The council members reiterated their readiness to support the region in these efforts, said the ambassador. Asked whether the council actually discussed the possible removal of sanctions against Eritrea, Skoog said: "That issue is being discussed. As I said in my statement on behalf of council members that there is readiness to support the region in these efforts. I think you should understand with that that there is readiness to move forward on that issue as well." Ethiopia requested the lifting of UN Security Council sanctions on Eritrea after the two countries signed a historic Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship on July 9 and agreed to normalize relations. Ethiopia has also offered to help Eritrea and Djibouti to resolve their border dispute and to normalize their relations as well. The Security Council supports and encourages Ethiopia's efforts in this regard, said Skoog. Earlier on Monday, before Security Council deliberations, Skoog expressed the hope that the Security Council could decide on Eritrea sanctions as soon as possible. What is happening in the Horn of Africa is truly historic, he told reporters. "It is very important that we support those historically positive developments in any way we can." "The Swedish point of view is that we need to be cautious not to set targets and benchmarks that hinder the current positive momentum, and instead really ensure that we allow Eritrea now to partake in the international arena and let peoples in the region enjoy the peace dividends. We believe that the council should seize this moment to firmly recognize peace and normalize the relations between the international community and Eritrea by deciding to review the sanctions regime as soon as possible." But it appears that not all council members are keen on the lifting of sanctions against Eritrea. Dutch deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Lise Gregoire-van Haaren said Monday that "all the criteria" should be examined in the review of the sanctions regime against Eritrea. The latest positive developments in the Horn of Africa have created "a context in which we will have to review the sanctions regime," she told reporters. But she added: "We have to look very closely at all the criteria in place for the sanctions regime on the basis of which we can decide whether to change them or not." British ambassador to the United Nations Karen Pierce, whose country takes over the Security Council presidency for August, said the issue is something that the Security Council needs to discuss. The developments in the Horn of Africa are positive and welcome, she told reporters on Monday. "At some point that will need to be reflected in what we do on sanctions. But the council hasn't had a full discussion of that yet." Ethiopian ambassador to the United Nations Tekeda Alemu indicated that the Security Council should lift sanctions on Eritrea. "It is Ethiopia's conviction that this welcome development (between Ethiopia and Eritrea) is not meant to be limited to the relations between the two countries," he told the Security Council. "Naturally, this new spirit also demands that no country should any longer be isolated. The council has an obligation here." The Security Council imposed sanctions in 2009 on Eritrea, including an arms embargo, for its destabilizing role in neighboring countries, particularly its alleged support for al-Shabaab militants in Somalia and its territorial dispute with Djibouti. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 and the two countries fought a war between 1998 and 2000. Although a peace agreement was signed in December 2000, tensions had continued. The July 9 Joint Declaration officially put an end to war between the two long-time rivals. The Security Council members on Monday strongly commended the historic signing of the Joint Declaration and the two countries' joint endeavor to ensure regional peace, development and cooperation, said Skoog, the Swedish ambassador. After next years racing weekend, investments as part of the strategic development programme at Hungaroring will begin, Peter Szijjarto, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said at press conference at the 33rd Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. Before the event, Szijjarto met Chase Carey, a representative of Liberty Media which holds the F1 rights, to discuss the future of the Hungarian race. We had positive discussions in which Mr. Carey said that they are proud of the 21 national specials and they want to see these venues in the tournament calendar, and they do not need 21 uniform races, Szijjarto said, adding that augured well for Budapest and Hungary. Careys strategy is for F1 to occupy a full week rather than just a weekend, Szijjarto said, adding that Budapest was ready and capable of holding such an event. The Hungarian Grand Prix next year will follow this rubric, he added. After the 2019 race, we will make all the necessary changes according to the strategic development programme, and as promised, resource allocations and legislative processes will be implemented in a timely manner, the minister said. Hungaroring requires there to be a sustainable plan, and the elections have brought about ... political stability. If the government decides something, it will happen, he added. Szijjarto emphasised the economic benefits of the Hungarian GP, the contract for which is for up to 2026. Last year, 30 billion forints (EUR 93m) of economic activity was realised after the F1 weekend in Mogyorod, he said, adding that the event had had a positive impact on GDP, with an increase in tax revenue and a quantifiable media presence. Tickets sales have increased this year and Formula One is getting more publicity globally, so the economic impact is estimated to be even greater this year compared with last year, the minister said. MTI Photo: Balogh Zoltan XpatLoop Media Partner Since 1995 Hungary Around the Clock has proven to be one of the most comprehensive sources of daily English-language news about Hungary. It covers ongoing domestic politics and foreign relations, as well as business and economic matters. For a free trial of HATC visit www.hatc.hu and click on 'Free Trial Subscription. Hungary has officially announced its exit from the adoption process of the UN Global Compact for Migration, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in Budapest. It has become apparent that there is an irresolvable conflict with relation to migration between Hungarys position and the approach of the United Nations, the Minister explained to reporters. Hungary will continue to uphold its migration policy, no global compact can change this fact, in the interests of which we have taken the necessary official steps, he explained. There is a fundamental difference in approach between the UN and Hungary, we view migration processes from a different perspective, and accordingly we see them differently. While according to the UN migration is an unstoppable and good process that should be supported, Hungary views it as a bad process that is bringing danger to Europe and Hungary, he pointed out, adding: Accordingly, our conclusion is also different: the UN believes migration should be encouraged, but according to Hungarys position it must be stopped. Mr. Szijjarto said that the Global Compact sets out fine goals, such as taking action against people smugglers, but its overall effect is at odds with even these few positive goals in view of the fact that the document, which inspires migration, is only good for people smugglers, who as a result will be able to convince even more people to set out from home because they will definitely be admitted since there are already global guidelines to that effect. According to Hungarys position, it is unnatural to replace the populations of continents, and accordingly global solidarity should be focussing on how to stop migration, the Foreign Minister noted. As he explained, the Global Compact includes obligations that Hungary will not fulfil, including the fact that training courses should be organised for migrants both prior to departure and following their arrival, that they should be afforded preferential terms to allow them to send money home more cheaply, that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) must be given an opportunity to help migrants lodge complaints, that receiving capacities must be increased, and that crossing borders must be regarded as a human rights issue and not a security issue. Hungary has introduced exactly the opposite measures in the interests of the security of the Hungarian people, he stressed. In reply to a question, Mr. Szijjarto also spoke about the fact that the United States had not taken part in the rounds of negotiations on the Global Compact from the very beginning, and several countries expressed their dissatisfaction with the Compact at the end of the series of negotiations; no negative consequences are expected as a result of the Hungarian announcement. Photo: Foreign Ministry In their first reactions to PM Orbans Tusnadfurdo address, liberal and left-wing commentators suggest that Viktor Orban wants to elevate his illiberal politics to the European stage. Pro-government columnist agree with the Prime Minister that liberal elites need to be replaced. In his annual address at the Free Youth University at the Transylvanian resort town of Baile Tusnad (Tusnadfurdo) in Romania, the Prime Minister said that Europe is in what he called a civilizational crisis, and expressed the hope that the current European leadership will be replaced as a result of the 2019 European Parliamentary election. PM Orban said that political correctness has made Western Europe liberal, but not democratic, as facts and opinions disliked by the elite are suppressed by the mainstream media and the internet giants. In order to overcome the deep crisis, Europe needs to return to Christian democratic principles, he suggested. He underscored that Christian democracy is illiberal, as it is based on Christian principles, and opposes multiculturalism and mass immigration. The main aim of Christian democratic politics should be the defence of human dignity, families, nation and religion, PM Orban contended. He hinted that his government will launch a new project of cultural and spiritual renewal in September. 444.hus Peter Magyari believes that PM Orban has announced his bid for Europes leadership. The liberal commentator interprets the Prime Ministers speech as evidence that Viktor Orban could leave the European Peoples Party and join a new coalition of anti-immigration nationalist and anti-EU integration parties. In Merce (former Kettos Merce), Andras Jambor thinks that Mr Orban wants to become the leader of right-wing populist parties in the region. He has elevated his illiberal rhetoric to the European level, and instead of claiming to defend the Hungarians, he now wants to defend what he calls European civilization, the alt-left blogger contends. Jambor accuses the premier of needing of such illiberal politics in order to limit freedom and entrench his authoritarian leadership. 168 Oras Zoltan Lakner accuses PM Orban of declaring war on the European Commisision and blackmailing the European Peoples Party. The left-wing analyst opines that Orban wants to reform the EU according to his illiberal vision rather than abandoning it. As for Hungary, Lakner anticipates that the government will launch an even louder culture war in order to solidify its voting base along ideological lines. In Pesti Sracok, Gyula T. Mate finds PM Orbans message clear: Hungary takes responsibility for Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin, wants to fight the over bureaucratized EU led by the German-French axis, as well as to combat the liberal dictatorship in politics and culture. The pro-government commentator finds absurd the liberal claim that the migration crisis has been overcome, and immigration is no longer an important issue in Europe. Mate attributes the hysterical liberal reactions to PM Orbans Tusnadfurdo address to the Hungarian liberal fear that they will soon lose their European allies in opposing PM Orbans politics. In a lapidary comment on 888.hu, Gabor G. Fodor suggests that PM Orban has announced the beginning of a new era. Liberal elites need to be defeated, the pro-government analyst comments on Mr Orbans Tusnadfurdo address. This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher. Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online Click here to Share Your Story Hungarys opposition parties on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Viktor Orbans keynote speech at the Baile Tusnad Summer University, saying it was a declaration of war on Europe. At the 29th Balvanyos Summer University, in central Romania, a longstanding cultural event for ethnic Hungarians, the prime minister said that every European country had the right to protect its Christian culture and the traditional family model, as well as the right to reject immigration. Commenting on the speech, the spokesman of leftist opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) said Orbans speech was a declaration of war on Europe, Hungarians and freedom. Orban painted a picture of a Europe torn by a political and cultural conflict between nation states and regions, Sandor Ronai told a press conference on Saturday. MTI Photo: Veres Nandor Voters in the European parliamentary elections in 2019 will choose between a Europe that follows the worldview and nationalism of the 1930s or the united, strong European approach of [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel and [French President Emmanuel] Macron, he said. We do not need less Europe, but more of it ... If Hungary wants to live and prosper in peace, Orban must go. Conservative Jobbiks spokesman told MTI that Orbans speech showed that he prioritised his own European political ambitions over Hungarys fortunes. Orban has indicated more than once that he sees himself as a potential leader of Europe, party spokesman Adam Mirkoczki said. Orban, he added, was cynical to declare that western countries are not democratic. It is Orban who has dismantled freedom of speech and the press, as well as abolishing public institutions which are the bedrock of democracy, he insisted. Several allegedly independent institutions are stuffed with party soldiers, he said. Socialist leader Bertalan Toth said that the Christian democracy outlined by Orban in Baile Tusnad was far removed from Hungarian reality. In a video uploaded to the partys Facebook page, he said that tens of thousands of families faced eviction, health care was in a state of devastation and the situation of FX loan-holders was still unresolved. Furthermore, Hungarys public media spouts propaganda and entrepreneurs connected to Orban are fed public funds from the EU and Hungary, Toth said. Orbans Fidesz party is not independent from the European elite but rather belongs to a party family which provides the majority of officials to the European Commission and the European Parliament, he said. The Carpathian Basin cannot be rebuilt without the EU, Toth said. Without the EU, we cannot speak of central European development, an economic region or the cooperation of free states, he said. Toth called for a cooperative, socially engaged Europe that protects its borders and finds common solutions to challenges. The opposition Parbeszed party said in a statement that Orban only offered Hungary isolation and division along cultural divisions instead of openness to explore the world around us. Richard Barabas said that Parbeszed backed Fideszs goal to make Hungary prosper but the route the ruling party was taking was a bad one. Laszlo Lorant Keresztes, the coleader of the green LMP party, said in a statement that the European Unions severe operational problems have to be addressed. Whats really at stake in the coming period is whether Hungary can make changes that make the bloc more effective, Keresztes said. The migration crisis is one of the most serious of these problems, he said. But the government should also take steps against a strengthening Russian influence, he said. Orban continues to build an alternative reality where propaganda determines everything, Keresztes said. Before attempting to rebuild the Carpathian Basin, the government should solve problems such as the emigration of hundreds of thousands of Hungarian youth, he said. This is the real national tragedy. MTI Photo: Veres Nandor Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in his regular Friday interview to public broadcaster Kossuth Radio, said the European Commissions days are numbered, noting that its mandate is set to expire next May Orban reacted to the recently-launched infringement procedures against Hungary over its Stop Soros law and related constitutional amendments as well as the ECs proposal to pay 6,000 euros per migrant to member states that accept them. The prime minister dismissed the ECs decisions, saying that the executive body was out of time to see them through. Now it is all about finding a way to make it to May, he said. Orban said the question of how the EU spends peoples money was one of principle, calling the idea to give the money to migrants a dangerous line of thought. Orban said the new commission should not punish countries that protect the EUs borders. The prime minister called Hungary one of the worlds most politically stable countries. He said there was no other country where a government could secure three consecutive election victories with a parliamentary supermajority. The advantage of political stability can be used to make it clear to the world that the Hungarian governments policies are predictable, Orban said. There have however been dark clouds appearing in the global economy, he said, adding that nobody had the courage to speak publicly about a crisis looming. Orban said the 2019 budget had been drafted with increased reserves to shield the country against possible unfavourable changes in the global economy. He also said that as long as Hungary had a Christian Democratic government, the purchasing power of pensions would be preserved. Orban said his government had given back to pensioners the money that the previous, Socialist-led governments had taken away from them. Speaking about his busy diplomatic schedule over the past month, during which he met a number of world leaders, Orban said the last several weeks had been successful ones for Hungary. The prime minister said his recent high-level meetings would make the country stronger and have a positive effect on the economy. Investors can also rest assured that there are no political risks to their endeavours in Hungary, the prime minister added. When asked about former White House chief strategist Steve Bannons movement aimed at bolstering conservative political groups in Europe and offsetting the activities of US financier George Soros and his organisations, wished success for Bannons efforts. Orban welcomed the spread of American conservative ideas, saying that until now, only the liberal ones could be heard. The prime minister said he could not remember a year going by over the past three decades without the US interfering in Hungarys internal political affairs. The US typically interferes in other countries affairs through foundations, he said, adding that this practice was hard to ward off. Hungary defends against it by asking for transparency, Orban said. Soross foundations finance 67 pseudo-civil organisations in Hungary, he said, adding that voters should be made aware of whom Soros or Brussels are funding with the aim of interfering in Hungarys internal affairs. On another subject, the prime minister noted that on Saturday he is scheduled to address the Balvanyos Summer University in Baile Tusnad (Tusnadfurdo), in central Romania, before starting his summer holiday on Monday. Im at the end of my tether, its high time I recharged my batteries, the prime minister said, assessing his past year. MTI Photo: Mathe Zoltan By JEAN NORDINE [email protected] HURLEY St. Marys Catholic Church in Hurley held their annual summer picnic on the church grounds Sunday. The beautiful weather brought a large crowd to enjoy good food, music, childrens games, bingo and fellowship. Picnic goers relaxed and visited with each other as they were musically entertained by Ray Haapala, former Ironwood resident, now of Hazelhurst, Wis. The church has been inviting Haapala to their picnic for the past four years. A highlight of the day was Gerry Traczyks delicious fry bread. Shes known as Queen of the F... New Delhi: The Crime Branch of Madhya Pradesh arrested a man accused of sending obscene texts to a Bhojpuri actress from Indore. As per a report, the 35-year-old accused, identified as Ravi Joshi, was harassing the actress with a fake Facebook ID he had created by the name of Radhika Jain. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Amarinder Singh said that the accused approached the 30-year-old actress on Facebook with a friendship request. However, the actress turned down the request following which he started harassing her with lewd messages, Singh said. Not disclosing the identity of the actress, Singh said that the victim hails from Indore and frequently visits Mumbai because of her shooting schedule. The police have registered a case against the accused under the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. A detailed investigation is underway. New Delhi: A case has been registered against upcoming Bollywood movie 'Satyameva Jayate' by the Shia community in Hyderabad for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. As per the complainant, a 'Maatam' (mourning) scene in the film has hurt religious sentiments of a Muslim sect. Shia community head, Nisar Hyder, said that a complaint was lodged in regard with the Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Zone, V. Satyanarayana for further action. "We have submitted the complaint against all those concerned in making Satymeva Jayate and hurting religious sentiments. We have requested that the filmmakers should immediately remove the Maatam (Mourning) clipping from the movie and then release it. It is clearly hurting the sentiments of Shia Muslims," said Hyder. The DCP, while speaking to the media, said that immediate action will be taken in this regard. "Shia community members have approached me and lodged a complaint against 'Satyameva Jayate' movie over a clipping of Maatam, which is hurting the sentiments of Shia Muslims. I immediately ordered Dabeerpura police to register an FIR and initiate necessary action," he said. A case has been registered against the makers of the movie under sections 295 (Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), and 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The upcoming cop drama features John Abraham and Manoj Bajpayee in pivotal roles. Directed by Milap Zaveri, the movie is all set to hit the big screens on August 15, alongside Akshay Kumar's 'Gold' and Kangana Ranaut's 'Manikarnika'. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Vidyut Jammwal has a body to die for and is known for her action stunts on-screen. The actor will next be seen in Hollywood director Chuck Russell's upcoming venture titled 'Junglee'. In fact, an international website has ranked him amongst the top martial artists in the world. Noted film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter and shared the new release date of 'Junglee' along with some fresh stills. Vidyut Jammwal is making news... An international website has ranked him amongst the top martial artists in the world... Vidyut's forthcoming film #Junglee readies for release on 5 April 2019... Produced by Junglee Pictures... Directed by Chuck Russell... Glimpses from the film: pic.twitter.com/qxhHsttKbk taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) July 30, 2018 'Junglee' will now hit the screens on April 5, 2019. It tells the story of a family and their relationship with elephants. Earlier, it was scheduled to release on Dussehra, October 19, 2018. The film reportedly revolves around a character named Ashwath, born in the jungles of Kerala. Much to his animal-activist father's disappointment, Ashwath goes on to become a big-shot veterinarian in the big city of Mumbai. When Ashwath returns to Kerala after years he decides to expose and fight against the elephant poaching racket in the country. Vidyut's elephant friend is called 'Bhola' in the film. Director Chuck Russell has previously helmed Hollywood biggies such as 'The Mask', 'Scorpion King'. CHENNAI: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M Karunanidhi is on his way to recovery, said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday morning. He was accompanied by Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, and DMK chief's son MK Stalin and daughter Kanimozhi. I have just met him in Kauvery hospital. He is better and is recovering well, said Palaniswami while briefing reporters about his meet with Karunanidhi who's admitted in Chennai's Kauvery Hospital. Karunanidhi is currently stable and his treatment will continue at the ICU. The Monday medical bulletin updating on Karunanidhi's health is yet to be issued by hospital. The DMK chief's health condition is "stable...He is well...A medical team is attending on him... Me and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam along with DMK party working president M K Stalin and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi visited him in person." State ministers including Law minister C Ve Shanmugam accompanied the Chief Minister to the hospital. The 94-year-old DMK stalwart was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital on Saturday after his blood pressure dropped. His health deteriorated on Sunday evening, leading to well-wishers and party cadres flocking to the hospital. Karunanidhi, who is suffering from fever due to urinary tract infection, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. He is on intravenous antibiotics, reported ANI. A medical bulletin issued at 2130hrs on Sunday night informed that Karunanidhi faced a health setback, but has responded to treatment. "There was a transient setback in the clinical condition of Kalignar Dr M Karunanidhi, DMK President and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. With active medical support, his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors," read a three-line bulletin. Hundreds of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) workers, undeterred by police lathi-charge, continued to stay put outside the Kauvery Hospital at Alwarpet after news of the DMK president's health condition emerged. Security was beefed up at both the hospital premises and Karunanidhi`s residence. Nearly 500 security personnel have been deployed outside the hospital alone. Chennai: Rumours of Anna University declaring a holiday due to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) stalwart M Karunanidhi's detoriating heath, circulated widely on social media on Sunday. However, no official notification was uploaded on the official Anna University website or the varsity campus till Monday morning. A circular of the varsity being closed went viral on Twitter and Facebook. The 94-year-old DMK leader was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Kauvery Hospital around 0130hrs on Saturday, after his blood pressure dropped. On Sunday evening, his health deteriorated. Karunanidhi, who is suffering from fever due to urinary tract infection, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. He is on intravenous antibiotics, reported ANI. A medical bulletin issued at 2130hrs on Sunday night informed that while there was indeed a health setback, Karunanidhi has responded to treatment. Chaos spread outside the hospital premises after hundreds of DMK workers were lathi-charged by police after news his detoriating health condition emerged. Cadres continued to stay outside the hospital on Monday morning. New Delhi: Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists playing a key role in India's development. "A much-needed vote of confidence at a time when only one unfortunate face of industry was being perceived", tweeted Mahindra. A much-needed vote of confidence at a time when only one unfortunate face of industry was being perceived... @narendramodi https://t.co/jZMpb5C7vC anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) July 29, 2018 The prime minister in Lucknow on Sunday said he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists playing a key role in the nation's development as he slammed the opposition parties for the "mistakes" made during 70 years after India's independence. Attacking them for calling industrialists "chor and luterey", Modi said that he did not hesitate in standing with the business community as his "intentions" are clear. The opposition has also been critical of Modi government`s inaction while persons like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Choksi, Jatin Mehta and Lalit Modi easily flew out of the country after being accused of committing huge financial frauds. In his address at a government-industry interface in Lucknow as he inaugurated several development projects for Uttar Pradesh, Modi said industrialists too contribute to nation building and it was not right to label them all as thieves but those who do wrong "will have to leave the country" or live in jail. With Agency Inputs New Delhi: As flood situation worsened in Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took stock of the ongoing evacuation work in the low-lying areas and appealed to the people to move to safer areas. The authorities ordered the immediate closure of traffic on old Yamuna Bridge after the Yamuna crossed the danger level. The national capital has been on high alert following a flood-like situation due to constant rainfall over the last couple of days. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Saturday held an emergency meeting with the Chief Secretary and the Flood Control Department on the possibility of flood in the city due to the release of 5 lakh cusecs water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage. The meeting was attended by MLAs of the vulnerable areas, officials of Delhi Police, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), urban development, Irrigation and Flood Control, Army, MCDs, PWD, Delhi Jal Board, CATS, Health, Revenue, DDMA and other stakeholder departments. The authorities in Delhi have, meanwhile, begun to evacuate hundreds of people living in the Yamuna catchment area as a flood threat loomed following a sharp rise in the river's level. "Over 10,000 persons have been affected. People earlier living on the river bed and low-lying areas are being shifted out," Nodal Officer, Preet Vihar, Arun Gupta said. Commuters said, "Water entered houses, we're on road. There's no arrangement for food and shelter. 'Rain Baseras' are full. We're facing problem.If they had to do this,they should've barricaded it." In the meeting, Kejriwal said that the supply of power, food and drinking water to the people must be ensured. Medical emergency teams will also be on duty for the people who are being evacuated. All power companies have been asked to arrange power in these tents 24*7 once people are shifted into them. The power companies have been asked to deploy their officials at the Flood Control Room round the clock. The availability of motorboats must be ensured, Kejriwal said in the meeting. All the agencies having motorboats were asked to keep them ready for evacuation. DUSIB, Power, Health and other departments have been asked to deploy their officials in the control rooms 24*7 for the next three to four days. The Army has been put on alert along with a team from the National Disaster Management Authority. The Yamuna passes through Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat districts in Haryana before entering Delhi. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: Indian refiners ordered about 12 percent less Iranian oil in June than in May, when the US said it would reintroduce sanctions on Iran, but sales remained around 50 percent higher than a year ago. Refiners in India, Iran`s top oil client after China, are weaning themselves away from Iranian oil after the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal. The first set of sanctions will take effect on Aug. 6, and the rest, notably in the petroleum sector, following a 180-day "wind-down period" ending on Nov. 4. Indian refiners bought around 664,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian oil in June, according to a statement presented by oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the lower house of parliament. Although that represented a fall from the previous month, purchases were still higher than a year ago. "Indian refineries imported 1.9 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in June 2017 and placed orders for 2.82 million tonnes in June 2018," Pradhan said in the statement. India`s state-refiners, which account for about 60 percent of the nation`s overall 5 million bpd capacity, curbed Iranian imports in 2017/18 due to a row over the development rights of a giant gas field. However, the state refiners raised imports in the current fiscal year starting in April after Iran offered free shipping and an extended credit period of 60 days. Iran became the second biggest oil supplier to Indian state refiners after Iraq in the April to June period but India has warned of a drastic cut in imports from the OPEC member. India loaded about 715,600 bpd oil from Tehran in the April-June 2018, a growth of about 45 percent from the previous quarter, the data presented in parliament showed. India`s monthly oil imports from Iran declined by about 16 percent, according to tanker arrival data obtained from sources. Iran is now offering to insure oil cargoes to India after some insurers stopped providing the service in the face of the impending sanctions. Note: A conversion of 7.3 barrels oil in a tonne is used for calculation. Accused of being involved in prostitution and responsible for deteriorating law and order in the area, 10 bars and pubs in Gurugram have been shut down after the district police withdrew their no objection certificates (NOC). All the bars and pubs whose NOCs have been cancelled are situated on MG Road of Gurugram. According to officials, these bars and pubs had become a hotbed of prostitution and also used to witness frequent fights among the customers, bouncers and the employees. Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh claimed that the closure has the support of the local residents. He also made it clear that strict action will be taken against any established which is found to be indulging in such nefarious activities. The residents of nearby apartments took out a candle march in support of the district authority and welcomed the move to shut down the bars and pubs. Haryana Public Works Minister Rao Narbir Singh also took part in the candle march. Several local residents complained that the bars and pubs had become a huge nuisance and they could not move out of their houses after 8 pm as the area was frequented by prostitutes and anti-socials. However, the bar and pub owners and employees protested against the district administration's decision, claiming they were neither informed about the withdrawal of NOCs not served any notice. "They didn't give any notice and say we are being shut as bars run flesh trade. CCTV cameras are installed. How can it be done? People will lose jobs," said one of the bar owners. KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday lashed out at the BJP-led Centre over Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC), calling it an attempt to isolate Bengalis, Biharis and Hindus out of the state. "West Bengal will suffer because of this. There will be huge ramifications of this (Assam NRC). Where will these 40 lakh displaced persons stay? Bangladesh won't take them back," said the Chief Minister. Alleging vote and divisive politics by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mamata said, "For how long will you keep lynching, play divide policy? Where will the 40 lakh people whose names have been deleted go? Does Centre have any rehabilitation programme for them? Ultimately it is Bengal which will suffer. It's just vote politics by BJP." "There were people who have Aaadhar cards and passports but still their names are not in the draft list. Names of people were removed on the basis of surnames also. Is the government trying to do forceful eviction? "Then if you hit Bengalis will they not hit back? If you attack Biharis, Marathis or Gujaratis, will they not hit back?" she countered, adding, "Remember there are Assamese, Biharis in West Bengal too." The Trinamool supremo claimed that the Centre did not even consult West Bengal government before taking this huge step. "Nobody even thought of consulting us (WB). I will appeal to the Home Ministry that these people need to be saved for the sake of humanity. Even the UN resolution says international refugees need to be protected," she said. Mamata further alleged there's no channel of communication between the Centre and the state. "We need to find a channel to raise our objections with the Centre. Our channel of communication is now closed," said the TMC chief, in a veiled attack against BJP. "These people have left their homes and jobs. And they are being forced to shift out of state forcefully," she added. Earlier in the day, the much-awaited second and final draft of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) was released. Out of a total of 3.29 crore people, 2,89,83,677 (two crore eighty nine lakh, eighty three thousand six hundred and seventy seven) people have been found eligible to be included in the National Register of Citizens. Names of 40.07 lakh applicants did not find a place in the historic document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity. LONDON: SCL Elections, the parent company of scandal-hit Cambridge Analytica, helped fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi get a citizenship of Antigua, a report in The Times of India said. As per the report, London-based firm - Henley and Partners - which helped Mehul get his citizenship has close links with SCL Elections. Henley & Partners designs, implements and promotes citizenship-by-investment schemes. SCL elections and Cambridge Analytica are linked to Henley & Partners, a report by the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee disinformation said. SCL also reportedly worked for election campaigns in countries where Henley & Partners ran investment programmes. Henley & Partners on its websites introduces itself as the global leader in residence and citizenship planning. "Wealthy individuals in particular are more cosmopolitan and transnational today than ever before, with roots, networks, assets, properties, and even citizenship spanning multiple countries. In many ways, global connectivity has become an indispensable feature of wealth creation and wealth preservation, and its value will only grow as regional volatility and instability increase," ot states on its website. The DCMS report quotes: "We were told that, behind much of SCL Elections campaigning work was the hidden hand of Christian Kalin, Chairman of Henley and Partners, who arranged for investors to supply the funding to pay for campaigns, and then organised SCL to write their manifesto and oversee the whole campaign process. In exchange, (SCL Group director) Alexander Nix told us, Henley and Partners would gain exclusive passport rights for that country, under a citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programme. Alexander Nix and Christian Kalin have been described as having a Faustian pact. With the exclusive passport rights came a government that would be conducive to Mr. Kalin and his clients. Alexander Nix told the Committee that, at times, SCL Elections would undertake eight, nine or 10 elections a year, 'and we are not limited by geography, so this really could be from the Caribbean to Asia to Africa to Europe or everywhere'." Choksi, wanted in the Rs 13,500-crore PNB case along with nephew and diamond trader Nirav Modi, has taken the citizenship of Antigua. India has asked Antigua and Barbuda to detain Choksi and to prevent him from leaving the country. External Affairs Ministry had asked the Antigua and Barbuda government to confirm Choksi's presence in their territory. "Our High Commissioner is meeting the relevant authorities in the Antigua and Barbuda government today (Monday). We continue to liaise with government agencies here and the government of Antigua and Barbuda," a government source was reported as saying. However, Henley & Partners refuted the 'unsubstantiated allegations' and claimed that they were not invited to take part in the investigation."Henley & Partners is particularly disconcerted that a UK parliamentary select committee chose to publish claims and allegations relating to our firm and the wider investment migration industry without making any effort to contact or engage with either ourselves or the relevant industry body, the Investment Migration Council," it said. "We wish to make it very clear that Henley & Partners does not have, and never has had, any formal working relationship with SCL or Cambridge Analytica. We believe that the interaction between our firm and SCL has been consistently, and at times deliberately, misrepresented by certain parties. The truth is very simple: Henley & Partners was advising governments in the Caribbean on citizenship-by-investment at the same time that SCL was active in the region. It is therefore natural that there would have been a certain amount of interaction among the numerous advisors and consultants. It is entirely incorrect, however, to suggest that Henley & Partners was a formal partner to SCL in any way," it added. New Delhi: The old Yamuna bridge, which was temporarily closed for rail traffic on Monday morning, has now been restored. The old Yamuna bridge or Loha Pul was closed as the water level in Yamuna river breached the danger mark. "Rail traffic on old Yamuna bridge has been restored as the water level of Yamuna is safe enough for the passing of trains. Railways engineers are continuously monitoring the site and bridge health: CPRO Northern Railway," said Nitin Chowdhary, CPRO Northern Railway. The national capital has been on high alert following a flood-like situation due to constant rainfall for the last couple of days. Owing to closure of Yamuna bridge, as many as 27 passenger trains have been cancelled and seven trains have been diverted. Also, 14 express trains were diverted and three have been short terminated, among a few others, NR spokesperson Nitin Chowdhury said. On Sunday evening, the order for closing the bridge was issued by the Delhi Police at 8.25 p.m. after the water level reached 205.52 metres. Meanwhile, evacuation of hundreds of people living in the Yamuna catchment area is going on. Taking stock of the evacuation work in the affected areas, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia appealed to the people to move to safer areas. The water level had reached 205.30 metres at 7 pm on Sunday, prompting authorities to rescue people from the low-lying areas. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Saturday held an emergency meeting with the Chief Secretary and the Flood Control Department on the possibility of flood in the city due to the release of 5 lakh cusecs water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage. Kejriwal had, in the meeting, directed respective authorities to ensure the supply of power, food and drinking water. Medical emergency teams will also be on duty for the people who are being evacuated, he had said. The Yamuna passes through Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat districts in Haryana before entering Delhi. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked former union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran to face trial in connection with the alleged setting up of 'illegal' telephone exchanges to benefit his brother Kalanithi Maran's Sun TV Network. The apex court dismissed Maran's plea in which he had challenged the Madras High Court's July 25 decision setting aside a CBI court order discharging him in the case. A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi and Navin Sinha said it was not inclined to interfere in the matter and all the allegations could be dealt with during the trial. The 'illegal' telephone exchange case pertains to the time when Dayanidhi was minister for communications and information technology in the UPA 1 government. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had alleged that he misused his official position and got an illegal private telephone exchange installed at his residences in Chennai during 2004-06 when he was the telecom minister. The agency alleged that the telephone exchange was used for the business transactions involving the Sun Network owned by Kalanithi. According to the CBI, over 700 high-end telecommunication lines were installed at the Maran's residences in Boat Club and Gopalapuram areas of the city for which bills were not raised, causing the exchequer a loss of Rs 1.78 crore. The CBI had maintained that all charges framed against them were supported by material and documentary evidence. Other accused who were discharged are former BSNL general manager K Brahmanathan, former deputy general manager M P Velusamy, Dayanidhi Maran's private secretary Gauthaman and some Sun TV officials. Nearly four years after receiving complaints regarding the scam, the probe commenced in 2011 and an FIR was filed in October 2013. After a detailed probe, the CBI filed the charge sheet on December 9, 2016. New Delhi: Lok Sabha on Monday passed a crucial bill which promises to not just speed up investigations and trial but stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below the age of 12. The bill sought to replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another woman at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Although the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was welcomed by most members, some in the Opposition objected to the government adopting the ordinance route to enact the law. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. The minimum punishment in cases of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict. According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life". Very stringent measures are being taken. We've to make our provisions&law in such a way that women feel safe in India.We've taken various steps to ensure that its implementation is also effective:Union Min Kiren Rijiju on The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 passed in Lok Sabha pic.twitter.com/CutuOcaDvm ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death. The measure also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed, the bill says, adding that there will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gangrape of a girl under 16 years. It has also been prescribed that a court has to give notice of 15 days to a public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding on bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: The government on Monday finally approved the implementation of guidelines for the defence Strategic Partnership model that incentivises domestic private as well as foreign firms in military manufacturing in the country. And the first project to kick off the long-delayed Strategic Partnership policy will be 111 utility twin-engine helicopters worth an estimated Rs 21,000 crore for the Indian Navy. The decision to implement the policy was taken at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council -- the highest decision-making body on procurement. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the meeting. "In continuation of its efforts to boost indigenous defence industry and to reduce timelines so as to ensure timely delivery of equipment to the Armed Forces, the DAC discussed and approved implementation guidelines for the Strategic Partnership Model," a defence ministry spokesperson said. DAC approves implementation guidelines for Strategic Partnership model + platform specific guidelines for procurement of Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) under the Strategic Partnership model. pic.twitter.com/tOJrvLebUo SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) July 30, 2018 The model promulgated in May 2017 seeks to identify Indian private firms to be designated as Strategic Partners. Apart from allowing private manufacturers, it also keeps the door open for defence PSUs and the Ordnance Factory Board to tie up with foreign original equipment manufacturers to make big-ticket military hardware. In the initial phase, the selection of such partners would be confined to four segments: Fighter aircraft, helicopters, submarines, armoured fighting vehicles and main battle tanks. In each segment, only one partner would generally be selected, according to the policy. The model aims to revitalize the defence industrial ecosystem and progressively build indigenous capabilities in the private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex weapon systems for the future needs of the Armed Forces. "The amplifying guidelines lay emphasis on incentivisation of transfer of niche technology and higher indigenous content. "Global majors, who in collaboration with Indian partners are ready to make India a regional and global manufacturing hub for the platform will also be incentivised." The spokesperson said the move would give a "major fillip towards encouraging self-reliance and aligning the defence sector with the "Make in India" initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In an endeavour to convert policy into implementable directions and to kick off the process, the council also approved platform specific guidelines for the procurement of 111 naval utility helicopters. That ends the Indian Navy`s hunt for a replacement to its ageing fleet of single-engine Chetak helicopters operating from warship decks. According to defence sources, 16 helicopters would be procured in fly away condition from a foreign vendor and the remaining 95 will be built in India by an Indian partner through joint ventures and technology transfers. "All procurements under the SP model would be executed by specially constituted Empowered Project Committees (EPC) to provide focussed attention and ensure timely execution," the spokesperson said. The DAC also approved the acquisition of eight fast patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard under the "Buy Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured" category at an approximate cost of Rs 800 crore. "These vessels will be indigenously designed and manufactured and will strengthen maritime security by undertaking day-night patrolling and policing of the maritime zones of India," the spokesperson said. The vessels will be key to the Coast Guard`s anti-terrorist, anti-smuggling operations and will also boost its search and rescue, medical evacuation and disaster relief capabilities. A Delhi court on Monday issued summons to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and other in connection with alleged irregularities in granting operational contracts of two hotels of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation to a private company. They have reportedly been asked to appear before the court on August 31. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had in May submitted documents related to the alleged scam to the Patiala House Court in the national capital. The documents ran into over 20,000 pages that the agency had collected in the course of the investigation. The agency has in the past questioned former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav. The alleged scam is a quid pro quo deal in which the Yadav family allegedly received real estate kickbacks for awarding contracts to a particular bidder. Apart from Lalu, Rabri and Tejashwi, 11 others stand accused in the scam. As the Union Railway Minister in 2006, Lalu Prasad Yadav had allegedly awarded the maintenance contracts for two IRCTC hotels to a private contractor. According to the CBI, the RJD supremo received a bribe in the form of land. The RJD chief allegedly got three acres of prime land through a benami company in return for the contracts. His family members too are suspected to have been involved. Former union minister Prem Chand Gupta and his wife Sarla Gupta, B K Agarwal, then managing director of IRCTC, and then IRCTC director Rakesh Saxena were also named in the CBI chargesheet. The other names in the chargesheet include then group general managers of IRCTC VK Asthana and RK Goyal, Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel. The case became a bone of contention between the RJD and the JDU, which were both part of the Mahagathbandhan along with the Congress party. When the probe into the allegations gained momentum, Tejashwi was the deputy chief minister of Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided to part ways with the RJD over allegations of irregularities faced by the Yadav family. He later joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to retain power in the state. NEW DELHI: A man named Bandhu Singh, who is reportedly accused in more than 20 cases related to robbery was arrested by the police in Delhi's Sarai Rohilla on Monday. What shook the police was the reason behind his theft. Singh, a 63-year-old bachelor has five girlfriends. On questioning, Singh revealed that he indulged into robbery to sustain his girlfriends. Singh reportedly confessed to becoming a thief in order to bear the expenditure of his girlfriends. The incident came to light when a robbery was reported at a factory in Delhi's Sarai Rohilla area on Saturday. The police checked CCTV footage from the factory and found Singh staging the robbery. Singh's face matched with the police's records of wanted criminal and he was arrested thereafter. He is accused in more than 20 cases of robbery. Police also recovered some cash, two laptops and an LED from Singh's possession. LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan has cautioned the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi against building ties with veteran politician Amar Singh. Voicing his concern over reports that Amar Singh is cosying up to the BJP, Khan advised that they should maintain a distance from him. "This is our polite suggestion, keep your distance from him. Don't allow people, who in the past have counted chairs in others' bedrooms and bathrooms, to enter your bedrooms and bathrooms. You never know, they might even take stock of your bedsheets. If possible keep distance from such people (sic)," he said. "You might get some feedback from them today but in the future, they will give your feedback somewhere else," he added. His comment comes in reference to the PM's speech on Sunday where he mentioned Amar Singh stating that he knows a lot about politicians and their alliances with businessmen. During his speech in Lucknow, the PM slammed the opposition parties for targetting him for getting clicked with industrialists and while making his point, he made a sly reference to Amar Singh who was seen sitting in the crowd. He said: "Amar Singh, former SP leader, is sitting here and he can give you all the details." Soon after, Singh reached Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence to meet him. His meeting with the CM earlier on Monday and on Sunday again have left political circles buzzing over him joining hands with the BJP. Singh had recently said that he was not averse to joining the BJP, but had added that he had not received any invite from it, nor had he applied for it. "The BJP is a very big political party. I wont say that I will not join the BJP if I get a chance, but who is giving me the chance? I havent sent them any request letter either," Singh had said. Singh, who was a Rajya Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party, was expelled from the Akhilesh Yadav-led outfit last year. When his exit was announced from the SP, there were rumours within the party that he had got a special puja performed in Vindhyachal, which led to a feud in the Yadav family. Singh had later claimed that the Mulayam-Akhilesh fight ahead of the UP Assembly elections was a 'scripted' one. NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Human Resource Development on Monday said that the government is considering the prospect of introducing three professional courses to create more employment opportunities. The information released in a written reply by Minister of State (HRD) Upendra Kushwaha mentioned the three courses under consideration are B.A. (Professional), B.Sc. (Professional) and B.Com. (Professional). To further enhance the employability of graduate courses, the government has created a Community College programme to engage school dropouts and other youths. The programme will be offered in educational institutions falling under All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC). The government said in a statement that this programme will help the secondary school dropouts to re-enter three-year courses based on appropriate credit system. Flexible in nature, the programme comprises 40% general and 60% Skill components. B.Voc. is another course where vocational education is imparted in 85 trades of different industry sectors in the country. The offered degree is recognized by UGC. Courses from Levels 1 to 6 in the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) are offered in B.Voc courses. The government is also providing short-term, industry relevant skill training to the youth under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY-TI). AICTE affiliated institutions will be offering these opportunities. Apart from this, there are 63 Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Kaushal Kendras in the country that offer advanced skills of Levels 5 and above in the NSQF. These kendras work as Centers of Excellence in Skill Development in specialised areas. NEW DELHI: An Indian abducted in Malaysia has been rescued by the police there, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday. She also said that three Pakistani nationals have been arrested in connection with the case. The Indian national has been identified as Sanjeev from Madhya Pradesh. He was rescued by the Royal Malaysian Police on Saturday. "Abducted Sanjeev has been rescued. The Royal Malaysian Police has arrested three Pakistani abductors in the case. Indian ambassador Mridul (Kumar) and his team deserve praise," the minister tweeted. The Indian High Commission in Malaysia, in a tweet, said, "Abducted boy Sanjeev got released from the abductors by the Royal Malaysian Police from Johor state on 28 July. Indian High Commission was in constant touch with police during the operation. Heartiest congratulations to the police authorities for speedy action". Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also expressed his happiness over the rescue of Sanjeev and thanked the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian High Commission in Malaysia and the Royal Malaysian Police for their speedy action. "Under the leadership of @SushmaSwaraj, safety & security of Indians living abroad is the topmost priority of our govt," he said on Twitter. NEW DELHI: An Indian national kidnapped by Pakistanis in Malaysia was rescued by The Royal Malaysian Police on Saturday. External Affairs Minister on Sunday said that three Pakistani nationals involved in the abduction have been held. "Abducted Sanjeev has been rescued. The Royal Malaysian Police has arrested three Pakistani abductors in the case. Indian ambassador Mridul (Kumar) and his team deserve praise," the minister tweeted. According to media reports, Sanjeev's family received a ransom demand from the kidnappers. Sanjeev's family contacted the cops after which the Malaysian Police raided the home where the victim was being held captive. The Indian High Commission in Malaysia, in a tweet, said, "Abducted boy Sanjeev got released from the abductors by the Royal Malaysian Police from Johor state on 28 July. Indian High Commission was in constant touch with police during the operation. Heartiest congratulations to the police authorities for speedy action". Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also expressed his happiness over the rescue of Sanjeev and thanked the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian High Commission in Malaysia and the Royal Malaysian Police for their speedy action. "Under the leadership of @SushmaSwaraj, safety & security of Indians living abroad is the topmost priority of our govt," he said on Twitter. (With PTI inputs) Imam Bukhari of Jama Masjid in Delhi has written to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, seeking clarity of the stand of his party over alleged atrocities on Muslims in the country. In his letter to the Gandhi scion, the Imam has said that the condition of Muslims in the country is currently worse as compared to the last seven decades. He has also pointed that as many as 64 innocent Muslims have been killed in cases of mob lynching. Where is your voice against the way the current government is treating us? Imam Bukhari has asked Rahul Gandhi in his letter. According to him, it has become difficult for Muslim youth to walk out of their homes wearing skull caps and sporting beard. We expect that as a responsible opposition, you will pressure the government over this issue, Bukhari further wrote in his letter. The letter from the Jama Masjid Imam Bukhari comes days after a controversy over Rahul Gandhis remark on Congress being a party of Muslims. An Urdu daily reported that Congress chief, in a meeting with Muslim intellectuals, said that Congress was a party of Muslims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked the Gandhi scion over the report, asking him if the grand old party was only for Muslim men or for Muslim women as well. Addressing a public gathering in Uttar Pradeshs Azamgarh, Prime Minister Modi had said, I have read in the newspaper that Congress President has said that Congress is a party of Muslims, I am not surprised by this. All I want to ask is, is their party only for Muslim men or for women too? These people violate laws and attend Parliament sessions. "The take of these parties (including Congress) on triple talaq has exposed them. On one side the Centre is trying to make the lives of women easy, on the other side these people have grouped together to make the lives of women, especially Muslim women, difficult," he had further said. A 22-year-old man was arrested from Mumbai after he allegedly called up the National Security Guard (NSG) control room and warned of a "chemical attack" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the police said on Monday. Kashinath Mandal, who worked as a security guard, was arrested by the DB Marg Police in central Mumbai on July 27, an official said. He obtained the contact number of the NSG control room in New Delhi and called up there on Friday, warning of a "chemical attack" on the prime minister, the official said. The NSG tracked the number to Mumbai and informed the police here about the call. The police then traced Mandal - a native of Jharkhand and staying at a hutment in Walkeshwar area here - and arrested him from the Mumbai Central Railway Station when he was about to board a Surat-bound train, he said. The official said that during interrogation, Mandal told the police that his friend was recently killed in a Naxal attack in Jharkhand and in this context, he wanted to meet the prime minister. Following the arrest, the accused was produced in a court which remanded him in police custody till Monday. He will be produced in the court again later in the day, the official said. Mandal has been booked under IPC sections 505 (1) and (2) (making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumour or report creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and 182 (false information with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person), he added. New Delhi: In a shocking incident reported from Kaushambi, a couple was mercilessly beaten by the girl's father and a mob after they were reportedly found in an objectionable state inside the girl's house. 16-year-old Mamata was reportedly discovered with Raj Kumar inside her house by her father who was informed of the man entering his house by a neighbour. It is learnt that the same neighbour had also called out locals in the area who - with the girl's father - beat the couple using laathis, bricks and stones. When Mamata jumped into a nearby well to save her life, the mob reportedly threw stones at her from above, eventually killing her. Raj Kumar too was mercilessly beaten but was saved in the nick of time when local police officials reached the spot and managed to rescue him. While he was rushed to the hospital where he is in critical condition, cops also took charge of Mamata's body. It has been revealed by Raj Kumar that he had been called by Mamata to her house but when her father found them there, he lost his cool. He, alongwith the gathered mob, relentlessly beat them. While Mamata's father has apparantly been arrested, police personnel say they are probing the entire incident and will take action against other accused as well. Mumbai: A number of members from the Maratha community reportedly resorted to rampant violence in Pune Rural on Monday, leading to Section 144 being imposed in Chakan. Members of the community gathered to demand reservation in government jobs and in the education sector. They joined many across the state of Maharashtra who have been demanding the same for well over a week now. And just like protests elsewhere have turned violent, Monday too saw Pune Rural witnessing scenes of anarchy. News agency ANI reported that protestors burnt tires, broke buses and eventually blocked main as well as arterial roads during the stir. Total 16 vehicles set ablaze & 25 vehicles vandalised by mob during violent protests for #MarathaReservation in Chakan. Situation is under control, peace has been restored. Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in an area) has been revoked: Pune District Collector ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Many of the protestors also decided to create a blockade on major roads by having a sit-down dharna. Pune: Earlier visuals of protests over #MarathaReservation from Chakan area where Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in an area) has been imposed due to the protests. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/vDq2q9I1tA ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Security personnel were present but it has been learnt that they restrained themselves from taking strong measures to control the situation. Section 144 - which prohibits assembly of more than four people in an area - was consequently imposed. State-wide protests across Maharashtra have taken a massive toll on daily life of people. Incidents of stone-pelting, arson and vandalism have been common with police personnel resorting to lathi charge in some places. Hundreds have been injured in a stir which refuses to die down. Earlier on Monday, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray urged the Maratha community to maintain law and order and to keep calm. He also said Sena MLAs would meet CM Devendra Fadnavis to find a permanent solution to the demands being put forth. (Read full report here) People from the Maratha community have been demanding reservation in government jobs and in the education sector. An influential community, they form around 30 per cent of the state's population and want 16 per cent reservation. Mumbai: Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray on Monday called for an urgent and definite solution to the reservation demands made by the Maratha community in Maharashtra. Calling for calm, he also said that Sena MLAs will meet state CM Devendra Fadnavis. The agitation by the community rocked Maharashtra for most parts of last week with rampant incidents of violence, arson and vandalism. In many places, police personnel had to resort to lathi charge and there were injuries reported from both sides. Thackeray took to Twitter and urged that calm be maintained. "Maratha society should give up its aggressiveness and should not be violent anywhere," he urged. "All the MLAs of Shiv Sena will meet Chief Minister Devendra Fanadvis today. Considering all the demands of the community, let's take a firm decision about it." ????? ??????? ???????? ????? ??????, ???? ?????? ???????? ??? ??? ! Uddhav Thackeray (@uddhavthackeray) July 30, 2018 ??????? ????? ??????? ???????, ???????? ?? ????????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ??????????? ???????? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ! Uddhav Thackeray (@uddhavthackeray) July 30, 2018 ???????????? ???? ???? ????????? ??????? ????, ???? ???? ?????????? ??????? ????? ???? ???????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ! Uddhav Thackeray (@uddhavthackeray) July 30, 2018 Previously, Sena has taken a stringent view of how the state government has handled the situation and had even advised Fadnavis to temporarily step down if he was unable to maintain law and order. In an editorial in Saamna, the Sena moutpiece, PM Modi too was accused of being suspiciously silent on the matter. "Why can't CM Fadnavis go to Delhi, meet the Prime Minister and find a solution to the Maratha reservation issue. PM Modi is often not in Delhi and he is not interested in matters related to the state and the country. To crush protests has become the policy of the government," read the editorial. Once firm friends, relations have strained dramatically between Sena and BJP, and many feel Thackeray is trying to gain pilitical mileage from the Maratha issue. People from the Maratha community have been demanding reservation in government jobs and in the education sector. An influential community, they form around 30 per cent of the state's population and want 16 per cent reservation. There seems to be no end to embarrassment for Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chief RS Sharma, who had thrown a challenge to Twitter users by sharing his Aadhaar number on the microblogging site. After his mobile number and PAN were made public by some, another hacker has now deposited Re 1 in the bank account of the TRAI chief to prove his claims. The user with Twitter handle anivar made the deposit using BHIM mobile app. Taking a dig at Sharma over his Aadhaar challenge, he tweeted, My donation to @rssharma3 's aadhaar via BHIM to build Govt systems with better engineering to protect user privacy. You can also join in this #DonateToRSS / #GiveToRamSewak drive. My donation to @rssharma3 's aadhaar via BHIM to build Govt systems with better engineering to protect user privacy. You can also join in this #DonateToRSS / #GiveToRamSewak drive https://t.co/juDHhzGOEs pic.twitter.com/zz6wkyw63i 4|\|1V4r (@anivar) July 28, 2018 The Twitter user further batted for a better engineered government system saying, "Just like pay to Aadhaar in BHIM , you can donate to his Bank account without his consent using #UPI as well . You can even use @TezbyGoogle . #DonateToRSS /#GiveToRamSewak to build better engineered Govt systems. "See what one rupee revealed. His Aadhaar mapped to an account is in Bank of India . (BKID is Bank of India's short code)," he tweeted. Responding to this, another Twitter user, Arjun SR, referred to it as bribe without consent. He wrote: So basically he accepted a bribe even without his own consent. Let's file a case against him for accepting bribe. The challenge by Sharma evoked an immediate response from the Twitterati, with some users claiming to have dug up his mobile number, photographs, residential address, date of birth and even chat threads using the information, while others warned him about the perils of throwing such a dare on the social media platform. While much of the information that was dug out may already be in the public domain, the TRAI official did not verify whether the details pertaining to his PAN were indeed correct. Meanwhile, the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) has dismissed all these claims reiterating that all Aadhaar data is secure. In a statement released on the microblogging site, UIDAI said, Aadhaar database is fully safe and secure and no such information about Mr Sharma has been fetched from UIDAIs severs or Aadhaar database. This is merely cheap publicity by these unscrupulous elements who try to attract attention by creating such fake news. New Delhi: The old Yamuna bridge - Loha Pul - has temporarily been closed for rail traffic as water level reached at 205.53 mark, Indian Railways said on Monday. The national capital has been on high alert following a flood-like situation due to constant rainfall for the last couple of days. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took stock of the ongoing evacuation work in the low-lying areas and appealed to the people to move to safer areas. The water level had reached 205.30 metres at 7 pm on Sunday, prompting authorities to rescue people from the low-lying areas. On Saturday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held an emergency meeting with the Chief Secretary and the Flood Control Department on the possibility of flood in the city due to the release of 5 lakh cusecs water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage. Owing to the closure of Yamuna bridge, as many as 27 passenger trains have been cancelled and seven trains have been diverted. The state authorities have been evacuating hundreds of people living in the Yamuna catchment area as a flood threat loomed following a sharp rise in the river's level. Kejriwal had, in the meeting, directed respective authorities to ensure the supply of power, food and drinking water. Medical emergency teams will also be on duty for the people who are being evacuated, he had said. The Yamuna passes through Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat districts in Haryana before entering Delhi. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov has said that Indian Navy may get Russian-made warships armed with the lethal 3M-14 Kalibr land attack cruise missile (LACM) capable of hitting the enemy 2,500 kilometres away. Borisov said on Monday that Russia's Project 22800 corvettes codenamed Karakurt are likely to be supplied to India, Vietnam, China and other countries of the Asia-Pacific Region. "These ships are very successful: they have a big tonnage, good armament, and Kalibr is the most important thing. The corvette has an acceptable price, it is small, compact and fast. I believe that it has a good export potential for a number of countries, especially from the Asia-Pacific Region - Vietnam, China, India and others," Russian news agency ITAR TASS quoted Borisov as saying. Borisov added that the first three vessels of Project 22800 corvettes (Karakurt) are being built at the Eastern shipyard, which are likely to be of interest to the friendly navies. The Kalibr is an improved version of the 3M-14E Club LACM and is currently the main ground-strike weapon in athe armoury of the Russian Navy. The 6.2 metre long Kalibr can be launched from a ship or a submarine using the turbojet propulsion system and can carry a 450 kilogramme high-explosive conventional warhead or even a nuclear payload. Kalibr has three versions - the ground strike missile, the SS-N-27 (Sizzler) anti-ship cruise missile and 91R anti-submarine missile. All of then can be fired from vertical launch system tubes. Russia has used the Kalibr cruise missiles to target the anti-Bashar Hafez al-Assad regime forces in Syria. Russian warships fired the Kalibr missiles from the Caspian Sea to hit targets inside Syria almost 1,800 kilometres away. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has accused a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Council of threatening to beat up Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik. BJP MLC openly threatening Honourable Bihar Governor because He is acting against education mafia & questioning state govt on deteriorating law & order situation. Isnt BJP is a party of goons who even dont hesitate to threat and beat governor. Such a Shame! pic.twitter.com/kKoJwZuRFP Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 30, 2018 Sharing a video, the RJD leader claimed that the man in the video is an MLC of the BJP and is threatening the Governor as Malik had questioned the Nitish Kumar-led JDU-BJP government over deteriorating law and order situation. The Yadav scion tweeted, BJP MLC openly threatening Honourable Bihar Governor because He is acting against education mafia & questioning state govt on deteriorating law & order situation. "Isnt BJP a party of goons who even dont hesitate to threat and beat governor. Such a Shame!," he added. The man in the undated video shared by the RJD leader can be seen saying, Rajyapal nana ka hain ki jo keh denge so ho jayega, maarenge ghoose ghoose (Is the Governor related to my grandfather that we will do whatever he says? Will punch him). Bihar Health Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mangal Pandey on Sunday evaded questions on water logging inside the intensive care unit (ICU) ward of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna. #WATCH: Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey, who had come to attend a party event in Shimla, evades question on water logging inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH) in Patna following heavy rainfall. (29.07.2018) pic.twitter.com/dRSBtesdiA ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Pandey was in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh to attend an event when reporters asked him about the waterlogging situation in NMCH, Patna, but he refused to speak anything in response and walked away without giving any clarification or assurance on the same. After incessant rainfall in Patna, pictures and videos of waterlogging in wards of NMCH had emerged on social media. Apart from the road outside the hospital the corridors, wards and even the intensive care unit of the hospital was waterlogged. Patna: Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH) waterlogged following heavy rainfall in the city. #Bihar pic.twitter.com/e8p7c8rsYa ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2018 #WATCH: Fish seen in the water logged inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH) in Patna following heavy rainfall in the city. #Bihar pic.twitter.com/oRCnr6f0UJ ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2018 In the pictures and videos, patients could be seen lying on beds submerged in water. In a video released by news agency ANI, fishes could also be seen in the logged water in the ICU. Reacting to the same, Congress leader Salman Khurshid had taken a dig at the authorities over lack of infrastructure saying fishes must have come to the hospital to get treatment. The ruling Janata Dal United (JDU) had dismissed the criticism saying that the level of road along NMCH was higher and hence the water got logged in the hospital premises. The party assured that Nitish Kumar government had taken cognisance of the issue and initiated swift action to resolve the same. This came even as the situation continued to worsen in the Bihar capital dur to continuous rain. Bailley road, which is a lifeline for commuters in the Bihar capital, was closed for commuters as a part of it caved in due to heavy rains. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also visited the site of the incident to take stock of the situation. Speaking to mediapersons, he said that a thorough probe would be conducted and those found guilty would not be spared. NEW DELHI: Amid uproar over the release of the draft National Register of Citizens for Assam, Home Minister Rajnath Singh slammed the Opposition for politicising a sensitive issue. "I want to ask the Opposition, what is the Centre's role in this? It is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Such sensitive issues should not be politicized," he said in Parliament on Monday. Claiming that the draft NRC is completely "impartial", he assured the residents who do not have their name in the data not to panic. He added that they will get an opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship. "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be spread. This is a draft and not the final list. No coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence, there is no need for anyone to panic," he said. Names of over 40 lakh residents have not been included in the NRC that was released by the state government on Monday. Political parties have been lashing out at the Centre for NRC claiming that it will have serious ramifications. The Rajya Sabha witnessed uproar over the NRC with the opposition creating pandemonium over the NRC and terming it "inhuman". Trinamool`s Derek O`Brian wanted to raise the issue but could not speak as the ruckus continued. The Congress and other opposition members were also seen supporting the issue being raised by the TMC. Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu asked the agitating members to go back to their seats as he was ready for a discussion on the issue. But the Trinamool members did not relent even though Rajnath Singh was present in the House. Some TMC members were heard saying that their party has given notice for adjournment over the issue but Naidu rejected the claim, saying that he has not received any notice. As the din continued, the House was adjourned till noon. Trinamool Congress leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said: "Central government has intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh religious and linguistic minorities from NRC which will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam, PM should come to the House and clarify it." The NRC is a list of Assam's citizens and it is being updated following a direction of the Supreme Court. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over the investigation into the alleged extra-judicial killings and fake encounters by the Army, Assam Rifles and police in Manipur. The court asked why no arrests have been made in the case yet. CBI Director Alok Verma, who was asked to appear before the court on Monday, said that some people are being questioned but since the case is very old, there is no new information that can be gathered from the questioning. Slamming the CBI Director, Justice Madan B Lokur asked if that means that those guilty for the fake encounters will be allowed to roam free? The court also said that despite the CBI chargesheets naming the culprits, the agency is not doing anything to arrest them. "According to your chargesheet, 14 (of the 15 accused) murderers are roaming around in Manipur. You want Manipur to be surrounded by murderers? Does your argument mean that if a woman is raped, you will not hold the person accountable because you do not have anything to get from them," the court questioned. Pulling up the central agency, the SC said that it is leaving it to the CBI chief and SIT in-charge to decide whether those chargesheeted for murder need to be arrested. The CBI director assured the court that he will soon take a decision on the same. He said that 14 have been chargesheeted for the alleged murder, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and by August 31, five more final reports will be filed in separate encounter cases in Manipur. He added that the probe in 20 more cases will be completed by December end. The apex court is hearing a PIL seeking probe into 1,528 alleged extra-judicial killings in the north eastern state. The SC had earlier in January chided the investigative agency for not registering the required number of cases in the matter, as directed by it earlier. The top court had on July 14 last set up an SIT comprising five CBI officers, and ordered registration of FIRs and probe into the alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur. It had asked the CBI director to lodge the necessary FIRs and complete the investigation by December 31 last year. NEW DELHI: A writ petition seeking imposition of ban on the practice of female genital mutilation was filed before the Supreme Court on Monday. The petition sought to impose a complete ban on the practice throughout India. It also asked to make the practice a cognizable non-compoundable & non-bailable offence. The apex court reportedly said that a woman does not have to live her life only for a marriage or a husband and the practice violates a women's right to privacy. Earlier on July 9th, the Supreme Court had questioned the practice followed by Dawoodi Bohra Community. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra was told by Attorney General K K Venugopal, representing the Centre, that the practice causes irreparable harm to girl children and needed to be banned. It also stated that the genital mutilation violates the bodily 'integrity' of a girl child. Countries like the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia and around 27 African countries have banned this female genital mutilation, said the Attorney General. "Why should anybody else will have any control over the genitals of an individual," the bench that included Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had earlier said. Senior advocate A M Singhvi appeared for a Muslim group and referred to the practice of male circumcision (khatna) in Islam. He said that it has been allowed in all countries and this is the accepted religious practice. Delhi-based Lawyer Sunita Tiwari filed a plea earlier to seek the Centre and the states to "impose a complete ban on the inhuman practice" of 'khatna' or "female genital mutilation" (FGM) throughout the country. The practice of female genital mutilation resulted in "serious violations of basic fundamental rights of the victims who in these cases are minors," the plea said. The FGM is performed "illegally upon girls (between five years and before she attains puberty)" and is against the "UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which is India is a signatory", the plea said, adding the practice caused "permanent disfiguration to the body of a girl child". "The practice of 'khatna' or 'FGM' or 'Khafd' also amounts to causing inequality between the sexes and constitutes discrimination against women. Since it is carried out on minors, it amounts to a serious violation of the rights of children as even minors have a right of security of person, right to privacy, bodily integrity and the freedom from cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment," the plea said. "It is a ritual performed on every girl child within the Dawoodi Bohra religious community without any medical reason and does not have any reference in the Quran. "It violates the rights of the child and human rights. It also violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is a crime in the United States of America under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and now a crime in Australia and some other countries as well," it claimed. "There is no law in India banning FGM or Khatna to declare it illegal," it added. (With PTI inputs) San Francisco: Twitter is getting tough on those who send abusive comments on its livestreaming platform Periscope as the microblogging site said it would suspend the accounts of such habitual offenders from August 10. The company will enforce its Periscope Community Guidelines more aggressively by reviewing and suspending accounts of repeat offenders, TechCrunch reported on Saturday. "As part of our ongoing effort to build a safer service, we are launching more aggressive enforcement of our guidelines related to chats sent during live broadcasts," according to a Periscope blog post. The Periscope Community Guidelines apply to all broadcasts on both Periscope and Twitter, the post added. Currently, Periscope's comment moderation policy involves group moderation to determine if someone can continue chatting. So when someone reports an abusive comment, Periscope randomly selects a few other viewers to review the comment to determine if it is spam, abuse or appears alright. "Starting on August 10, we will also review and suspend accounts for repeatedly sending chats that violate our guidelines. If you are in a broadcast and see a chat that may violate our guidelines, please report it," the Periscope blog post said. "We're committed to making sure everyone feels safe, whether you're broadcasting or just tuning in. Look out for more changes across policies, product, and enforcement as we continue to make both Periscope and Twitter safer," it aded. Srinagar: Days after parting ways with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir, People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said that the alliance was like drinking poison. She said that she had suffered throughout the course of the coalition government in the state. Referring to her late father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, the former J&K chief minister said that he chose to join hands with the saffron party for a second time because they had a good alliance during the reign of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "Mufti Sahab agreed to join hands with BJP again because we had a good alliance during Vajpayee ji reign. But this time, it was a difficult decision. Forming an alliance with BJP was like drinking poison. I suffered during the two years two months of alliance," Mehbooba Mufti said. Mehbooba's government came under fire after BJP pulled out the three-year-old ruling coalition with PDP and called for Governor's rule in the state, forcing her to resign as the chief minister. The BJP decided to pull out of the coalition government owing to the former's soft posturing towards separatists and stone-pelters. Mufti's party was also reportedly against the Centre's decision to revoke and not extend the temporary suspension of anti-terror operations during the holy month of Ramzan. After the BJP pulled out of the coalition government, Governor's Rule was imposed in the state and the assembly was put under suspended animation. The PDP leadership has since faced rebellion from at least six MLAs and an MLC. COCHIN: Latest in the series of scandalous allegations against Kerala church members, the family of a nun claimed that a priest called up to offer land in return for withdrawing rape case against a Bishop. A purported audio conversation between the priest and a friend of the alleged victim has emerged. The call is now being investigated by the police. The church in Kerala is facing a string of sleaze allegations. In a complaint to the Kottayam district police chief last month, the 46-year-old nun had alleged that Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal raped her and had unnatural sex with her multiple times at a small town near Kottayam between 2014 and 2016. She approached police after the Bishop filed a complaint against her and others, accusing them of blackmailing. Meanwhile, Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reject the National Commission for Women's recommendation that confessions in churches be banned over fears they could lead to blackmailing of women. Observing that confession is the fundamental belief of Christian churches, the Minister of State for Tourism, in a letter to PM Modi, termed the NCW's recommendation to the government, seeking a ban on confession in churches, "immature". "I have written to the prime minister and also to the home minister. I met the home minister and had a discussion with him. I told him this must be rejected", Alphons said. Sharma, while referring to incidents of rape and sexual assault in churches in Kerala, had alleged that priests pressure women into revealing their secrets and exploit them. The NCW's recommendation came following an allegation by the husband of a homemaker that four priests of an Orthodox Syrian Church in Kerala used her confession to blackmail and sexually exploit her. The case is being investigated by the local police. The Kerala Catholic Bishop's Council (KCBC) had termed as "shocking" the NCW's recommendation to the Union Home Ministry to ban the "Sacrament of Confession" among Christians. With agency inputs New Delhi: Age is just a number, they say! And when in love, it simply doesn't matter. It is something to be felt from the heart and when you truly know that the other person is your soulmate, it won't matter how old they are. Some people feel, however, that age difference affects how compatible two people are. However, these couples from Bollywood are challenging all the stereotypes and defying notions! Here are five celebrity couples who are absolutely rocking despite the huge age gap between them! Priyanka Chopra- Nick Jonas The rumoured engagement of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas has sent both Bollywood and Hollywood in a frenzy. The news of the engagement was first reported by the US media and since then people just can't stop talking about the two! Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar's cryptic tweet announcing Priyanka's exit from the movie 'Bharat' further set the rumours ablaze. Priyanka and Nick have a whopping age difference of 10 years! Nick is a decade younger than our Desi Girl but these two together are absolutely winning hearts. Here's wishing them all the very best for the future. Alia Bhatt- Ranbir Kapoor Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's relationship is still the talk of the town. The two actors reportedly fell in love while shooting for Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra'. Alia and Ranbir have not yet officially accepted their relationship but their public appearances and bonding with each other's families are proof that there is something more than what meets the eye! Ranbir almost confirmed his and Alia's relationship by saying that it is 'too new to talk about'. Alia is 10 years younger than Kapoor and two look adorable together. Kareena Kapoor Khan- Saif Ali Khan Our darling Bebo and Nawab Saif are couple goals for everyone! Kareena is 10 years younger than Saif and the two look like a royal couple whenever they step out in public. Saif and Kareena tied the knot in 2012 and were blessed with baby Taimur in December 2016. The adorable little munchkin is one of the favourite babies of the Internet and his pictures and videos go viral in no time! Maanayata Dutt- Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Dutt and Maanayata Dutt tied the knot in 2008. The wedding was a private affair which took place in Goa. The couple dated for about two years before they got married. Sanjay and Maanayata look perfect together and their pictures often go viral on the internet. On October 21, 2010, the couple was blessed with twins, a son named Shahran and a daughter named Iqra. They have a whopping age difference of 20 years! Maanayata is 20 years younger than her husband but that doesn't stop this couple from shining bright and absolutely rocking the marital bliss. Shahid Kapoor- Mira Rajput Shahid Kapoor gave a pleasant surprise to us all when he announced his wedding with Mira Rajput. The couple tied the knot in July 2015 at a private ceremony in Gurgaon. Mira is 14 years younger than Shahid. The much in love couple is blessed with a baby girl named Misha who was born in August 2016. The little one has been named after both her parents - Mi from Mira and Sha from Shahid. Currently, the power couple is expecting their second child! CHENNAI: Hundreds of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) workers, undeterred by police lathi-charge, continued to stay put outside the Kauvery Hospital at Alwarpet after news of DMK president M. Karunanidhi's detoriating health condition emerged. Chants of Yama raja po po (Death God go back) and Thalaiva, come back resonated in the air, as the cadres demanded to know about Karunanidhi's health situation. "For the past three days, we have been waiting here without food and water. We don`t want anything, give us our thalaiva back. Why has nothing been said on him yet? We want him back," a supporter of Karunanidhi told ANI. Supporters also gathered outside DMK chief `s Gopalapuram resident. Tamil Nadu: Latest visuals from outside Chennai's Kauvery Hospital where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is admitted. pic.twitter.com/asHXVBXIKG ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 The 94-year-old leader was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Kauvery Hospital around 0130hrs on Saturday, after his blood pressure dropped. On Sunday evening, his health deteriorated. The DMK stalwart, who is suffering from fever due to urinary tract infection, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. He is on intravenous antibiotics, reported ANI. A medical bulletin issued at 2130hrs on Sunday night informed that while there was indeed a health setback, Karunanidhi has responded to treatment. "There was a transient setback in the clinical condition of Kalignar Dr M Karunanidhi, DMK President and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. With active medical support, his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors," read a three-line bulletin. Meanwhile, son Stalin and daughter Kanimozhi stayed at the hospital till late Sunday night. Stalin issued a statement in which he too confirmed that Karunanidhi's health is improving. In the meantime, Manikandan, personal secretary of A. Raja, urged party cadres to cooperate with security forces and not get provoked by any rumours. "We appeal to the cadre, who have gathered in large numbers, to not believe in rumours," Manikandan said. Security was beefed up at both the hospital premises and Karunanidhi`s residence. Nearly 500 security personnel have been deployed outside the hospital alone. With agency inputs Three people were killed on Monday after a gas leak in a factory in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. The three deceased men were workers in the factory. The incident took place in Durga international factory in Singrosi in Unnao where tents are painted. When the workers got into the tank to repair a nozzle made to mix the colour, they came in contact with the poisonous gas emanating from dirty water. By the time they could be helped, they were killed. The deceased have been identified as Ashish, Bhajanlal and Haroon. Two workers - Hariram and Akhilesh - jumped into the tank to save the three but also got in contact with the gas and are now serious. They have been admitted to the emergency ward of a nearby hospital. Chaos ensued at the factory as well as at the hospital after the mishap took place. The fire brigade was called into to pull the workers out of the tank. All five were rushed to the hospital. Three workers were declared brought dead but Hariram and Akhilesh are undergoing treatment. "The bodies of the deceased have been sent for postmortem, 2 people have got injured and are currently undergoing treatment," Emergency Medical Officer Amit Kumar said. The doctor leading the medical board examining former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif has himself suffered a heart stroke. Dr Ijaz Qadeer, who is the head of the medical board, has reportedly been shifted to the same centre of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad where Sharif undergoing treatment. This comes just hours after the former Pakistan prime minister was moved from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi to PIMS in Islamabad after his health condition deteriorated. According to Dawn News TV, Sharif was admitted to the hospital following serious cardiac complications. The sugar level of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader has also increased, along with stress level. The decision was taken by the doctors to move him out of prison to hospital after ECG and irregular blood reports. The former prime minister had earlier declined to be shifted to hospital despite deteriorating health conditions. Pakistani media had reported that Sharifs kidney was on the verge of collapse. A medical board had also examined the leader last week. Pakistan's Express News had quoted sources as saying that Sharif had kidney-related complications and that a medical board examining him had recommended that he be transferred to a hospital as soon as possible. The doctors reportedly also said that the medical centre within the jail did not have facilities to provide IV fluid to patients. Sharif, daughter Maryam and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar were taken to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi soon after they landed in Lahore from London via UAE, as they were convicted in Avenfield properties case. Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who had earlier refused to move out of Adiala jail despite deteriorating health conditions, has now been shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. Pakistan-based Dawn News TV reported that Sharif was shifted from the Rawalpindi jail to hospital following serious cardiac complications. While Sharifs condition is said to be stable, his sugar level has increased and increase in stress has also impacted the health condition. The decision to move Sharif to hospital was taken on Sunday after ECG and irregular blood reports. According to PTI, a team of doctors had recommended that Sharif was in the need of proper medical care, citing that he had been suffering from acute pain in both his arms possibly because of inadequate blood circulation. The former prime minister had earlier declined to be shifted to hospital despite deteriorating health conditions. Pakistani media had reported that Sharifs kidney was on the verge of collapse. A medical board had also examined the leader last week. Pakistan's Express News had quoted sources as saying that Sharif has kidney-related complications and that a medical board examining him has recommended that he be transferred to a hospital as soon as possible. The doctors reportedly also said that the medical centre within the jail did not have facilities to provide IV fluid to patients. Sharif, daughter Maryam and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar were taken to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi soon after they landed in Lahore from London via UAE, as they were convicted in Avenfield properties case. Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz had alleged that Sharif was being treated as a terrorist and deprived of even basic facilities in the jail. The party alleged that the former prime minister was not being provided newspaper and made to use a washroom which was not in proper condition. A judge of the Islamabad High Court, Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, alleged that Pakistan's ISI did not want Sharif out of jail before the general elections in the country, scheduled for Wednesday. According to the judge, the ISI had asked Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Kasi to ensure that Sharif and Maryam did not walk out of the jail before the elections. (With agency inputs) Read original article at 112.ua A draft law on powers in the field of national defense for 2019, which is abbreviated as "defense law", was drafted in the US Congress. This document defines the financing of the activities of the US Armed Forces, and it proposes the amount of the defense budget for each year. Next year, the US plans to spend a total of $ 717 billion on defense, which is 2.5% more than in 2018 ($ 700 billion). In addition to financial aspects and organizational arrangements in the US Army, the draft law prescribes US priorities in the field of international security. Among them is the Ukrainian question and restraint of Russia's aggression. Like any bill, this document will acquire the highest legal force after the signing by the president. However, the draft law did not dispense with ambiguous points that concern the policy of anti-Russian sanctions. The US continues to restrain Russia US lawmakers consider it necessary to intensify the policy of deterring Russia in Europe for reasons of US security. The bill proposes to increase the defense capacity of European partners and, if necessary, suppress Russia's aggression. Despite the fact that US President Donald Trump advocates the reduction of military assistance to NATO allies, the bill proposes to allocate $ 6.3 billion to finance the European Defense Initiative - a program to enhance the defense capabilities of European countries. America will preserve and increase its military presence in Europe, increase the effectiveness of long-range artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense, engineering, logistics, electronic warfare. No matter how Trump criticized NATO, Congress intends to continue participating in Atlantic Decisiveness Operation aimed to contain Russian aggression in Europe. It is proposed to consider the possibility of the continued presence of US special forces in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, to explore the possibilities of Russia's military actions in the Arctic, to conduct military cooperation with the Balkan countries and to develop a strategy for supporting such European allies as Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. The Congress is considering the possibility of financing a program to develop a low-power warhead for ballistic missiles as a means of containing Russia. US lawmakers are concerned about the latest Russian developments in the field of armaments, including the Burevestnik nuclear cruise missile, the supersonic missile system Avangard, the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the Poseidon submarine drone and the Dagger supersonic missile. The Ukrainian question A special attention in the bill of the Congress is devoted to Ukraine. In 2019, the US will continue to support us in countering Russia's aggression. It is about helping Ukraine in the part of lethal military assistance and carrying out institutional defense reforms. The text of the bill does not specify which specific lethal weapons the Americans will offer. In March of this year, the United States delivered 37 portable antitank guns FGM-148 Javelin and 210 charges to them for $ 47 million. Also, delivery of night vision devices, electronic warfare equipment, medicines for the needs of the Ukrainian army is planned. In 2019, the US intends to conduct military exercises in the Black Sea together with Ukraine and Georgia. The states plan to allocate, according to various estimates, from 200 to 250 million dollars to support security in Ukraine. The bill states that the funds allocated cannot be used in activities related to the spread of Russia's sovereignty to Crimea. Republican senator Rob Portman said that the decision to allocate military assistance to Ukraine confirms the long-term cooperation of the two countries in the field of defense. However, last year's edition of the defense law dealt with a larger amount for Ukraine - $ 350 million. In 2018, the total volume of various US financial assistance to Ukraine amounted to $ 620.7 million. Since 2014, the United States has provided Ukraine with military assistance worth more than 1 billion dollars. Probably, the US is not in a hurry to increase the amount of military assistance until Ukraine completes the reform process. According to the Strategic Culture, the United States requires a number of reforms in the defense sector from Ukraine. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko recently signed a law on national security, which in theory should comply with US law standards and allow the US to open its funds for us. However, according to the former lieutenant colonel of the British army Glen Grant, the shortcoming of the new law is not very clear language, the lack of an accurate distribution of responsibilities in the defense and joint staff at the level of the ministry and the general staff. Loopholes for Russia Some provisions in the US defense bill create loopholes for Russia in the field of arms trade, bypassing existing sanctions. The bill provides for the possibility of abolishing some restrictive measures by members of the presidential administration provided in the act on countering America's opponents through sanctions of 2017. Alternatively, grant the right of lifting sanctions to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. The argument for this decision was the desire of the Trump administration to release from the anti-Russian sanctions countries that previously purchased Russian weapons. In the opinion of US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, these countries will be able to build closer relations with America in the security sphere and continue rearming from Russian equipment to the US one. In fact, the US gives such countries the opportunity to use both American and Russian or Soviet weapons. The Congress is guided by US arms manufacturers, which recently began selling their products to India, Vietnam and Indonesia. These states use a significant amount of Russian weapons, and from the point of view of the policy of anti-Russian sanctions, the US should not sell their weapons to them. As a result, a compromise was proposed. The US will retain the right to impose sanctions on those countries that will conclude new deals with Russia on the delivery of modern weapons, such as the S-400 anti-missile systems, but not to touch those countries that buy Russian spare parts for long-acquired Soviet or Russian equipment, including helicopters. The US expects to break the contract for the supply of anti-missile systems S-400 to Turkey or the Russian-Qatar deal on the acquisition of Kalashnikov assault rifles, grenade cup discharges and anti-tank missile systems Kornet. Russias infamous biker gang the "Night Wolves," which has deep ties to President Vladimir Putin, is on another European tourand this time it has set up a military-style camp inside an EU and NATO member state. The club, occasionally nicknamed "Putins Angels," has settled into an abandoned military camp in Slovakia, a Central Eastern European country that previously made up part of communist Czechoslovakia. The country was part of the Soviet-aligned Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Unions erstwhile answer to NATO. But both of Czechoslovakia's successor states, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, have since joined the EU and NATO, a predominantly Western military alliance. The Night Wolves, which supports Moscow's anti-NATO agenda, now says it wants to open a permanent chapter in Slovakia. The group held an opening ceremony June 23 that was attended by an official from the countrys Russian embassy. The Night Wolves, Russian biker club with ties to the #Kremlin, actively participated in the war in Ukraine. Now they set up a base in Slovakia and partnered with Slovak Recruits (Slovenski branci) paramilitary. #GLOBSECs @DanielMiloSK elaborates @DennikN https://t.co/JQ40MIAxpB GLOBSEC (@GLOBSEC) July 23, 2018 Slovakias Foreign Ministry said it is monitoring the groups activities and is concerned about its presence in the country, but so far it appears the Night Wolves have not done anything illegal. Nevertheless, some activists argue that the group has arrived to stir up trouble and stoke anti-EU and anti-NATO sentiment. "I see the Night Wolves setting up a base in the broader context of Russian support for the extreme right and left in Europe. In this case, members of the paramilitaries that have been training there, calling themselves Slovak Recruits, had previously fought in East Ukraine on the Russian side," Daniel Kral, an expert on Central Europe, told Newsweek. At least 200 public figures in the country signed a petition Tuesday urging the countrys government to take action. At the time of the 50th anniversary of the August occupation of Czechoslovakia by armies of the Warsaw Pact, the Russian motorcycle gang Night Wolves, which has been on the US sanctions list since 2014, is becoming active as part of a Russian hybrid war against the EU, NATO and Slovakia, the letter reads. Photographs of the military compound, which the Night Wolves first occupied in late June, showed that the group had access to tanks and armored vehicles. The equipment belongs to the Slovak Defense Ministry but was rented to the Night Wolves by the head of the Slovak Military History Institute, who has since been suspended over the incident, according to local reports. "The military vehicles spotted in pics were returned to the museum from which they were borrowed, the head of museum who signed lease was suspended, and the Minister of Defense asked the General Prosecutor to assess whether Slovak Recruits are not a threat to national security," Kral continued. "However, excessive moves, for example, targeting Night Wolves themselves, may cause a backlash of pro-Russian sentiment, likely to be echoed by prominent figures in govt and parliament." Kremlin-friendly biker gang Night Wolves set up European base near a small village in #Slovakia (on estate owned by friend of long-time interior minister Kalinak). Drone photos show armored vehicles and tanks inside. Also alleged training camp for Slovak far-right paramilitaries. https://t.co/FiXPT44lOb Daniel Kral (@DanielKral1) July 19, 2018 Jozef Hambalek, the head of the Slovak chapter of the Night Wolves, has close ties to the countrys former interior minister, who is now a parliamentarian from Slovakias ruling party Direction Social Democracy (Smer). Over the past year, its euro-skeptic coalition partner the Slovak National Party has been pushing Smer closer to Russia, analysts say. The Night Wolves are well known for promoting Russian nationalism and ideas of pan-Slavic brotherhood in countries around Eastern Europe, as well as espousing far-right ideologies and anti-gay sentiment. The group was also hit with U.S. sanctions for its involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists have been fighting Ukrainian government forces for the past four years. In recent months, the group went on a tour of the Balkans. Bosnias government banned the leader of the Night Wolves, a man called Aleksandr Zaldostanov, from entering the country, arguing that he poses a national security threat. According to a recent report by think tank Foreign Policy Research Institute, a member of the Serbian chapter of the Night Wolves, Alkdandr Sindjelic, attempted to stage a coup in Montenegro in 2016 with the help of Russian military intelligence. Open source Ukraine should have been a prosperous, middle-income country by now. Instead, it is one of the poorest in Europe. Ukrainians are only slightly richer than Moldovans. Since Ukraines independence, we, as members of the diaspora, have had a keen interest in the countrys development. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there were great expectations that the economic stagnation imposed on Ukraine by the Communist system would be a thing of the past. With its abundance of natural resources and human potential, we thought that Ukraine would evolve rapidly into a prosperous European nation. Read the original article at Atlantic Council. Open source During the day of Sunday, July 29, militants violated the ceasefire three times, firing on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbas. This is reported by the press center of the Joint Forces Operation HQ on Facebook. "The invaders opened fire from large-caliber machine guns and small arms at the positions of the Joint forces in the areas of Krymske and Lebedynske settlements," the report says. No loss among the defenders of Ukraine reported. The information underlines that the situation in the area of the operation remains controlled by the Joint forces. We recall that over the past day, July 28, illegal armed groups opened fire 25 times on the positions of the Armed Forces, three times from prohibited weapons. During the fighting, two members of the Ukrainian military were killed and two were injured. Related: Almost third of trafficking victims are minors, - UNICEF The enemy did not use heavy weaponry On July 29, Russian militants attacked Ukrainian positions in Donbas 30 times; one Ukrainian serviceman was wounded. The HQ of the Joint Forces Operation reported that on Facebook. 'No cases of use of Minsk-banned weaponry were observed', the message says. It is noted that the enemy opened fire from RPGs, heavy machineguns and small arms; the mercenaries attacked Krymske, Pivdenne, Opytne, Avdiivka, Mariinka, Novomykhailivka, Novoselivka, Lebedynske, Hnutove, Shyrokyne, Pavlopol and Vodyane. Since midnight, the militants already landed attacks on the areas of Krymske, Travneve, Svitlodarsk, Opytne, Mariinka and Pavlopol. Earlier, an enemy reconnaissance group of militants tried to seize the positions of Ukrainian servicemen in the area of Krymske and failed. In the course of the battle, two Ukrainian fighters were killed, two more were injured. It is noted that the group of illegal armed formations numbered up to 15 militants. According to the military headquarters, the Ukrainian defenders engaged in a fight an almost fourfold superior enemy. Related: Day in Donbas: Three attacks of pro-Russian militants during the day Related: 24 hours in Donbas: Two Ukrainian soldiers die Oleksandr Kolchenko's mother will see her son during three days in the Russian colony Oleksandr Kolchenko, a political prisoner who is kept in Russia will see his mother Larysa Kolchenko in the colony of Chelyabinsk, as Krym.Realii reports. 'Extended visits are allowed once in four months. According to Larysa Kolchenko, this is the first time she sees her son for the last nine months. Three days they will be in the specialized room for visits. She brought a 20 kg pack with her,' reads the message. Related: Political prisoner Gryb denies his guilt for fostering terrorism Reportedly, Kolchenko declared a hunger strike on May 31, requiring the release of Oleg Sentsov. He had to suspend the strike, as he got very weak. Kolchenko and Sentsov were detained by Russian intelligence services in Crimea in May 2014. They were accused of the organization of a terrorist act on the peninsula. Kolchenko was sentenced to 10 years of the colony, Sentsov to 20 years. Both are denying their guilt. Related: Political prisoner marks birthday: Oleg Sentsov turns 42 Open source U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Special Counsel Robert Mueller to admit the conflict of the interests that does not allow him to hold the objective investigation of Russia' interference to the American election in 2016 as he reported on Twitter. "Is Robert Mueller ever going to release his conflicts of interest with respect to President Trump, including the fact that we had a very nasty and contentious business relationship, I turned him down to head the FBI (one day before appointment as S.C.) and Comey(ex-FBI Head) is his close friend," the president wrote. He also added that Mueller hired only those who worked for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. As we reported Dan Coats, director of National intelligence of the US commented the meeting of Trump and Putin, claiming that the intelligence has made clear on the interference of Russia in the American election. Earlier Russian Foreign Ministry commented the decision of Robert Mueller, the U.S. Special Counsel, to press charges against 12 Russian military intelligence officers. According to the representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the aim of these accusations is to spoil the atmosphere before the Russia-USA Summit. Kyiv reserves the right to impose sanctions against foreign citizens who rudely violate the rules of entry to the occupied territory of Ukraine The Ukrainian Embassy in the Czech Republic is outraged due to Czech MPs visiting the Russian-annexed Crimea. This is mentioned in the official statement recently released by the Embassy. The authority 'decisively protests' against the illegal visit of Czech MEP Jaromir Koglicek and the Czech Senator Jaroslav Doubrava to Crimea, which is considered a temporarily occupied part of Ukraine. The embassy reminded that the UN General Assembly passed the respective resolution (.68/262 from March 27, 2014), in which it confirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and urges the member countries to avoid any actions, which may be interpreted as the change of status of Ukraine's Crimea. The authority added that those who visit the occupied peninsula are a tool in the Kremlin's hands. 'By hiding behind these 'visits', the Kremlin will keep on with the repressions, arrests, tortures and murders of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars in the occupied Crimea - unfettered'. Kyiv reserves the right to impose sanctions against 'foreign citizens who rudely and systematically violate the rules of entry to the occupied territory of Ukraine', the Embassy stressed. Koglicek and Doubrava, the Czech Communists, have previously visited the occupied Crimea; last April, they joined the business forum in Yalta. The stay of Medvedev at the territory of Crimea is a severe violation of the state sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine filed the note of the protest to the Foreign Ministry of Russia due to the visit of the Russian delegation headed by Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to annexed Crimea that was not agreed with Ukraine as its press service reported. "The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine expressed the strong protest due to the stay of Russia's Prime Minister D. Medvedev at the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol on July 28-29, 2018 that is not agreed with Ukraine," the message said. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry emphasized the inadmissibility of the stay of the Russian officials at the sovereign territory of Ukraine in its internationally recognized territories, including Crimea, without the agreement of Ukraine. It is noted in the message that the stay of Medvedev at the territory of Crimea is a severe violation of the state sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine, cynical and demonstrative Russia's disregard of the universally recognized norms of the international right, commitments on the bilateral and multilateral agreements in which both Ukraine and Russia participate, including the UN Charter and UNGA resolutions. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry emphasized that Crimea is an integral part of Ukraine in its internationally recognized borders. Crimea was annexed by Russia by way of the illegal referendum that was held at the peninsula in March 2014. Earlier the Russian militaries that stayed there without any marking conquered all strategic military objects and building of the force and state bodies. The results of the referendum were not recognized by Ukraine and the world society. The number of the European and world countries, including Ukraine imposed the economic sanctions against Russia. The Honda Accord driver provoked an accident in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday night, crashing seven cars at a time. The crash and the subsequent detention took place near the Dream Town mall, Informator news agency reported. 'According to the police, Honda Accord driver who had EU license plates crashed into a parked Skoda Octavia. The impact threw Honda into a moving Volkswagen Passat, which was mowing in the other lane, and then both cars landed at a parking lot of Dream Town. There, they clashed with another four parked cars', reads the message. Honda driver's alcohol test showed the level of 2.92 permille. He tried to flee the scene, but the bystanders detained him until the police reached the site. No casualties are observed in the accident. The perpetrator fell asleep in the police car. When he woke up he said the accident started with the children that were crossing the road, so he turned to avoid the collision. However, the witnesses said there were no children there at the time. The police has not yet provided any comments. A road accident occurred in Kovyari village, Lviv region, western Ukraine. The press service of the regional police branch reported that on Monday morning. The collision occurred at a roadway from Kyiv to Chop. A 37-year-old local resident who drove the Volkswagen Passat was driving the main road when he violated the road traffic rules. The car ran into a BMW, driven by another local resident, and then hit a Mercedes-Benz. Volkswagen's driver, his wife and two daughters were taken to a hospital. The other two drivers and two BMW passengers also suffered injuries and ended up in a hospital. Earlier, a Honda Accord driver provoked an accident in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday night, crashing seven cars at a time. The crash and the subsequent detention took place near the Dream Town mall. According to the police, Honda Accord driver who had EU license plates crashed into a parked Skoda Octavia. The impact threw Honda into a moving Volkswagen Passat, which was mowing in the other lane, and then both cars landed at a parking lot of Dream Town. There, they clashed with another four parked cars. Open source The workers have begun to install the framework of the new section of the international terminal in Zhuliany airport as Avianews reported. "The project of the increasing of the area assumes the construction of the new section in the right wing of the building covering 9,500 square meters. It will allow to increase the number of the registration tables, passport control booths and avia-security points. It is planned to end the works in May 2019. The airport operator "Master-Avia" assessed the expenses for the construction in $18, 724," the message said. As we reported the railway platforms are constructed near the left wing of the landing hall of Boryspil International Airport's Terminal D. It was specified that the two platforms will service the transfers between the Ukrainian capital and the airport itself. Earlier the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to allocate $9.5 million to the construction of a runway strip at the Odesa international airport. The institution points out that the construction of the new runway strip will allow to accommodate heavier types of aircraft including Boeing 767, which could lead to a two-fold increase in passenger flow. The runway capacity of the new strip will be two times greater than that of the current one. Two of them participated in the combat actions in Donbas on the side of the pro-Russian militants The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has published the names of three foreign mercenaries of the Wagner Group who fought in Syria. Two of them participated in the combat actions in Donbas on the side of the pro-Russian militants as the SBU reported on Facebook. "The SBU additionally published the information about another three foreign mercenaries the Wagner Group and at least two of them participated in the combat actions in Donbas on the side of the pro-Russian militants. One of them Grachian Gevorg, the citizen of Armenia died during the so-called "Prigozhyn offensive" in Syria on February 7, 2018," the message said. Radu (Rodion) Donchu Born in Chisinau in January 7, 1975 Citizen of the Republic of Moldova Gevorg Grachyan Born in in Yerevan November 21, 1980 Citizen of the Republic of Armenia Died in Syria on 7.02.2018 Klimov Leonid Leonidovych Born in Almaty in September 30, 1983 Citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan As we reported the SBU identified 26 Russian officers who were seconded as drill instructors in Wagner Group (Russian paramilitary organization). Russian career military servicemen conducted tactical, firearms, engineering and artillery training, tank crews training, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers and air defence. The Wagner Group has been involved in Donbas conflict since May 2014 till August 2015. Then, they moved to Syria, assisting the Syrian army in a number of combat operations. 20 officers of the Israeli police will participate in the events The Ukrainian law enforcers prepare for the holding of Hashanah, the Jewish New Year in Uman; they will ensure the order since the arrival of the first pilgrims until the end of the festive events as the press service of the Interior Ministry reported. "The ensuring of the order during the annual pilgrimage to Uman is an important part of the Ukrainian-Israeli relations. We understand which challenges face us, including under the hybrid war. The events on the ensuring of the security will last since the arrival of the first pilgrims until the end of the festive events," Serhy Yarovy, the First Deputy Interior Minister said. According to him, the Ukrainian law enforcers will cooperate with the Israeli officers. "We should create the joint task group with Israeli police officers. It will significantly increase the efficiency of our work, particularly, in the exchange of the operational information. The Situation Center will be opened for this," Yarovy added. The police officers, the emergency response teams, dog handlers and the bomb squad will work at the places of the events. Viacheslav Abroskin, the Head of the Criminal Police expressed the opinion that the provocations during Rosh Hashanah are not of the anti-Semitic origin, they aim to discredit the Ukrainian police. According to Head of Patrol Police Oleksandr Fatsevitch, the preparation for the ensuring of the order during the pilgrimage has already begun. "We pay the great attention to the places of the arrival of the pilgrims, routes of the movement to the place of the event," he said. It is planned to make the territory of the event's holding pedestrian. In his turn, Eliav Belotserkovsky, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Ukraine emphasized that the annual pilgrimage to Uman is the most import Jewish event outside Israel. He also noted the professionalism of the law enforcers. It is expected that 20 Israeli police officers will come to Ukraine to assist in the ensuring of the order. "They will stay until the end of the events to make sure that everything took place without the incidents," Raphael Cohen, the Head of Emergency Department of the Israeli Police said. As it was reported last year the Hasid pilgrims from around the globe keep coming to Ukraine to celebrate the New Year according to the Jewish calendar. In 2017, Uman hosted about 30,000 Hasidic Jews, who came to honor the memory of their spiritual leader Rabbi Nachman at his grave - on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. Defense of the ex-president did not come to the court The court debates on the state treason case of former Ukraine's president Viktor Yanukovych were postponed to Tuesday, July 31 as the correspondent of 112 Ukraine reported on the results of today's court session. The reason for the postponement is a non-appearance of the lawyers of Yanukovych for the court session. Today it lasted five minutes. The advocates filed the request to the court that they will not come for today's session as the request for the modification of the jurisdiction of the state treason case was considered by Supreme Court the same day. Presiding judge Vladyslav Deviatko predicts that the delivery of the verdict on the state treason case will begin on August 1. As we reported on July 17, the Obolon District Court of Kyiv canceled the questioning of the witnesses and proceeded to the debates on the state treason case of Yanukovych. Yanukovych is charged with state treason, assistance in deliberate actions against Ukraines state border, sovereignty and territorial integrity and assistance in leading the aggressive war against Ukraine. A meditation and sharing support group focused on the practice of Buddhist teachings and the 12 steps of recovery while integrating the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation. The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests. The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests. A hybrid form of yoga that combines traditional yoga postures with modern yoga moves and a silk hammock. Pre-registration required. Please note: Aerial Yoga at the Yoga Art Space studio requires pre-registration through our website at www.YogaArtSpace.com/calendar. If no one registers for a class, the class may be cancelled between 6-12 hours prior to the class start time. Though this event is shown as a regular, weekly class each week on the Alabi calendar, there are occasionally times when the class will be cancelled in advance such as for certain holidays. All updates and cancellations are on the studio calendar at www.YogaArtSpace.com/calendar. What is Aerial yoga? Aerial Yoga is a hybrid form of yoga that combines traditional yoga postures infused with modern yoga moves and an silk fabric hammock. Do I need Previous Yoga Experience? No previous yoga experience is not necessary to enjoy an Aerial yoga class. In fact it can be easier than normal yoga! The silk hammock acts like a support whenever you require it, almost like having your own personal yoga teacher giving you assistance throughout the entire yoga class! Another advantage of having the support of the hammock is that 90% of students are able to complete more challenging poses, such as handstands! Can Everybody do Aerial Yoga? Yes and no. Students who have had a previous injury can find Aerial yoga much easier to participate in then normal yoga. This is due to the the weight being evenly distributed between your body, the hammock and the earth. People who suffer any of following contraindications are advised NOT to participate in an Aerial yoga class: if you have had recent surgery of any sort, if you suffer glaucoma, if you are pregnant, if you suffer a heart condition (including very high or low blow pressure), if you get vertigo, if you have had a recent stroke or a hernia, if you have osteoporosis or any bone weakness, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, or if you have had botox in the last six hours. What Should I Wear? All jewellery items must be removed before participating, a t-shirt must be worn to cover the armpit area and leggings are advised to avoid the silk rubbing on the skin and creating irritation. 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Peruanos en Brasil celebraron asi las #FiestasPatrias (Video: consulado de Peru en Rio de Janeiro) https://t.co/NBGdjbC4ih pic.twitter.com/M2cR1yMnrM El presidente de la Republica @MartinVizcarraC, junto a las principales autoridades y ciudadanos, participa del #DesfilePatrio2018. Sigue la Gran Parada y Desfile Civico Militar aqui: https://t.co/4ShqvJacS1 pic.twitter.com/qi1GBBdYFt Healthy Streets A belated Covid response re-routes traffic. by Jud Branam From the October, 2021 issue There may be 100,000 people cramming into Michigan Stadium's bleachers each Saturday, but Covid precautions are just now playing out on portions of three dozen Ann Arbor streets, where the city is banning through traffic "to promote safe physical distancing." Barriers for the "Healthy Streets" program have been popping up through August and September, after contractor delays pushed back implementation of the $215,000 program approved by city council in June. The signs clearly declare "local traffic only," but police are not ticketing drivers who disregard them. "It's more of an ethos that people should have that space to get outside and that the city is doing things differently than in years past in terms of looking at street usage," says city public works spokesman Robert Kellar. The city isn't monitoring whether pedestrians are actually daring to walk in the streets, but Kellar says citizen surveys show support for the program. The barriers will be removed in November to allow access for snow plows, and it's an open question whether they will return next spring. "It's something we'll have to wait and see," Kellar says. "I would hope that everyone is vaccinated, and we don't have to do this next spring, but that's not up to me." With the closures turning through streets into temporary cul-de-sacs, the newly reworked two-way streets and protected bike lanes, and proliferating condos, one Miner St. resident suggests a possible change in the signage: "Just replace the H with a W--Wealthy Streets." YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. National Democratic Union partys president Vazgen Manukyan, a former Prime Minister of Armenia and incumbent head of the Public Council, has weighed in on the arrests of former President Robert Kocharyan and the investigation of the March 1 case. In a statement, Manukyan expressed concern over what he argues that now, Armenia has become a theater of an actor, counterbalances opposition parties, NGOs and the press - almost dont function. Our party and me personally have been strong opposition during the 10 years of Robert Kocharyans presidency, we blamed the government for many issues, and we opposed many decision. But I firmly disagree with the accusations which have been brought forward against Robert Kocharyan and Yuri Khachaturov, I find it baseless, and [I find] the arrest dangerous, which is a blow to the security of our state. A baseless accusation against the persons who have had priceless roles in the greatest military victory of the last centuries of our people, he said in part in the statement. In the statement Manukyan also called for revealing the events surrounding the fatal incidents during the 2008 unrest. But everything must be done within the law without seeking political goals or vendettas. It is concerning that now Armenia has become an actors theater, counterbalances opposition parties, NGOs, the press and others almost dont function. It seems like everyone are afraid and are waiting. This path will lead us to the year 37 [1937, Soviet Great Purge], war and isolation in the international arena, he said. Former President Robert Kocharyan, currently under arrest, is charged with breaching constitutional order during the final days of his presidency in 2008, in what is known as March 1 the deadly protests which claimed the lives of two police officers and eight demonstrators. CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, the Armenian general who served as deputy defense minister in 2008, is also charged with the same article. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) faction of the Parliament issued a statement over the charges brought against 2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and the decision to remand him into custody, calling this criminal case problematic from the legality perspective. Armenpress presents the full statement: The Republican Party of Armenia faction of the Parliament, getting acquainted with the charges of the criminal case launched against 2nd President of Armenia, 1st President of the Republic of Artsakh Robert Kocharyan and the decision to remand him into custody, announces: -This process has nothing to do with democracy, rule of law and independence of judiciary. -The filed criminal case will deeply harm the domestic political developments of the Republic of Armenia. -By such groundless accusation, the public split trends are promoted in the country which become more dangerous on the background of alarming challenges facing Armenia and Artsakh. -The filed criminal case is problematic from legality, especially from constitutionality perspective which can lead not only to violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, but also can reduce Armenias rating and reputation in international, including legal platforms. -The Special Investigative Service, the Prosecutor Generals Office and courts should properly guarantee the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and be guided by exclusively the requirements and regulations of the Constitution, laws and international agreements. -The RPA faction is going to raise this issue and the developments over it though the parliamentary diplomacy channels in respective international platforms and formats. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. Arthur Tovmasyan, head of the Fatherland (Hayrenik) faction of the Artsakh parliament, has said he is convinced that the investigation and judicial proceedings over former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan will proceed in compliance with the Constitution and the spirit and letter of the legislation, and that everything will be revealed with time. Speaking to ARTSAKHPRESS, the lawmaker mentioned that he was saddened to hear about Kocharyans arrest. I have worked with Robert Kocharyan when he served as President of Artsakh and I was the Speaker of Parliament. Our joint work was difficult, but productive, Tovmasyan said. Most of the Free Fatherland (Azat Hayrenik) partys members said they are convinced that the judicial process will proceed within the legal arena, not political, noting that they trust the current justice system of Armenia. We believe that only this way it is possible to combat crime. And as far as Robert Kocharyans accusations are concerned, we cannot assess the credibility and fairness of it, it is the exclusive function of the court, however we expect that the entire process will process maximally transparent and professionally, in order for justice and wide public trust for the process not to be affected, he said. Former President Robert Kocharyan, currently under arrest, is charged with breaching constitutional order during the final days of his presidency in 2008, in what is known as March 1 the deadly protests which claimed the lives of two police officers and eight demonstrators. CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, the Armenian general who served as deputy defense minister in 2008, is also charged with the same article. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Diaspora minister Mkhitar Hayrapetyans working visit to the United States has kicked off, reports Armenpress. The minister said on Facebook that quite a comprehensive schedule is developed. Meeting is expected with the members of the Board of the Armenian-American Museum, lunch with the members of the Armenian-American business council and businessmen. A number of other meetings are also expected. The minister is also scheduled to meet with the Mayor of Glendale and the Council members, major philanthropists, as well as members of the Los Angeles City Council. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. One of the two victims of the July 25 industrial plant explosion in Yerevan has died in hospital today, five days after being treated for burns. Doctors told ARMENPRESS that the man, Sasun Harutyunyan, suffered severe burns in the blast. 85% of his body was covered in burns, medics said. The other victim, Eduard Hovhannisyan, remains under intensive care. The incident is under investigation. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. A 33-year old convict of Armenian origin has died in a correctional facility in Russia. The convicted criminal is identified as Gor Hovakimyan. The mans sister, Ani Simonyan, has sent a letter to a Russian newspaper asking for attention on the maater. She claims that her brother has been tortured and murdered, and that prison officials have attempted to conceal the circumstances surrounding Gors death. For a long time we didnt have information about Gor, he would usually call once a month. We were very worried, we called the prison on July 11 and we were told that he is healhly and everything is alright. Since my mother was very worried, she went to the prison the next day and asked to see him, and thats only when they said that he has died on July 6. Six days had passed since the death but they failed to notify the family, Ani Simonyan says. She claims that prison officials have intentionally concealed the death in order for the body to remain unclaimed, and then to bury it without notifying the family, thus covering up the cause of death. Simonyan said they have seen multiple trauma, torture and taser traces on Gors body in the morgue. She says the fingers and toes of Gor were broken. She says that her brothers body was entirely battered, with the exception of the face. The family asked for a copy of the coroners report, however they were denied. The Coroner said that the prosecutor and an expert have signed it, with the cause of death being pneumonia. Hovakimyan was serving an 8-year sentence. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. Justice minister of Armenia Artak Zeynalyan participated in the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Washington D.C. from July 24 to 27, the ministry told Armenpres. The meeting has been organized by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and was attended by officials of nearly 70 countries and civil society representatives. During the plenary session on July 27 the Armenian justice minister delivered remarks, in particular, touching upon the new Armenian governments vision on making changes and amendments in the law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations, as well as expressed concern over the cases of elimination of Armenian cultural and spiritual heritage in Azerbaijan and violations of rights of Christians in the Middle East. Minister Zeynalyan also touched upon the April-May velvet, peaceful revolution in Armenia and stated that the tolerance in Armenia created as a result of it is the most important value. The minister said Armenia has a history of independent statehood for yet 27 years, but noted that there is no radical attitude in Armenia towards various religious directions: the evidence of this are the reports of the Armenian Ombudsman, different human rights organizations and especially the State Department on Armenia. Summing up his remarks, the justice minister assured that the new Armenian government will do the utmost to guarantee, ensure and protect the rights and freedoms of each person living in Armenia. Within the frames of his visit to the US, the justice minister met with a number of officials during which issues on deepening the cooperation in the justice field were discussed. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. NATO member and partner states are invited to participate with staff officers or units in the August 1 15 Noble Partner 2018 military exercises in Georgia, however the exercises arent organized by NATO, Armenian defense ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan said on Facebook. A group of 4 officers of the Armenian Armed Forces will participate in the military exercises. The Armenian Armed Forces officers will hold various command positions in the military exercises command. Positions concerning tasks undertaken by Armenian units in international peacekeeping and stability missions were chosen. The exercises will be held jointly by U.S. Army Europe and Georgian Armed Forces in the Vaziani and Norio Training Areas in Georgia. The military exercises are not organized by NATO, member and partner states of NATO are invited to take part with staff officers or units. The participation of the Armenian Armed Forces representatives at the military exercises comes at the invitation of the Georgian defense ministry. In 2017, a 40-man field hospital of the Armenian Armed Forces took part in the same exercises. The participation of the field hospital which was acquired and is being prepared by US assistance in 2018 is not possible in the Noble Partner 2018 exercise, because in July 22-27 it was involved in international evaluation exercises in Armenia, and its re-location to another area in a few days is not possible. The format and conditions of participation of the Armenian military representatives have been agreed upon with Georgian colleagues during a conference of planning the military exercises in early June, he said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. The team of Armenian servicemen captured the first place in the 1st individual race in the tank biathlon being held within the frames of the International Army Games in Russia, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, spokesperson of the Armenian defense ministry, said on Facebook, reports Armenpress. Soldiers Arman Arustamyan, Levon Hovhannisyan and Zohrab Zohrabyan completed their performance in the 1st place by downing the most targets 5 out of 5. Our soldiers have left behind the teams of Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and Myanmar, he said. The International Army Games kicked off on July 28. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. Official welcoming ceremony of President of Italy Sergio Mattarella was held at the Armenian Presidential Palace on July 30, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The Italian President arrived in Armenia on a two-day state visit at the invitation of President Armen Sarkissian. The welcoming ceremony will be followed by a private meeting of Presidents Armen Sarkissian and Sergio Mattarella. Thereafter, an extended format meeting will be held with the participation of the delegations of the two countries. The two Presidents will hold a joint press conference. During the visit the President of Italy will meet with Armenias top leadership and will be hosted by His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The Italian delegation will also visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial. The opening ceremony of the center for protection of the Armenian-Italian cultural heritage will take place which will be attended by the Armenian and Italian Presidents. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. The relations between Armenia and Italy are on a high level and there is readiness to further deepen bilateral cooperation in various spheres, President of Italy Sergio Mattarella, who is in Armenia on a state visit, said in a briefing. I am grateful for the very warm reception. I am happy for this visits that takes place in the period when Armenia marks the 100th anniversary of the first Republic of Armenia and the 2800th anniversary of Yerevan. The links between our peoples date back to ancient times and are based on trust. My visit is a good opportunity to further develop the bilateral relations and deepen friendship, ARMENPRESS reports the Italian President as saying. He mentioned that Italy will support the peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karaback conflict. We will do everything so as the peaceful negotiations resume and will try to find ways for a political settlement but not a military one, which will be lasting, only through the OSCE Minsk Group and based on all the principles of the international law, Sergio Mattarella said. Italy very highly assessed that Armenia-EU agreement, which is a great opportunity for developing relations with the EU. I talked with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian about the ratification of this agreement, which should take place very soon, Sergio Mattarella added. The Italian President noted that Armenia and Italy successfully cooperate in a number of directions, particularly, the servicemen of Armenia and Italy work together in Lebanon. There is active cooperation in the spheres of trade, economy, culture and science, but, according to the Italian President, there is potential to further develop them. I am glad to note that tomorrow the opening ceremony of Armenian-Italian heritage protection center will take place. It will foster the strengthening of cultural relations and will be a support to Armenia for preserving historical heritage, the Italian President said. Armenia and Italy have the opportunity to develop cooperation in other spheres as well, and Armenia can rely on Italys support and friendship, Sergio Mattarella said. Official welcoming ceremony of President of Italy Sergio Mattarella was held at the Armenian Presidential Palace on July 30. . The Italian President arrived in Armenia on a two-day state visit at the invitation of President Armen Sarkissian. The welcoming ceremony will be followed by a private meeting of Presidents Armen Sarkissian and Sergio Mattarella. Thereafter, an extended format meeting will be held with the participation of the delegations of the two countries. The two Presidents will hold a joint press conference. During the visit the President of Italy will meet with Armenias top leadership and will be hosted by His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The Italian delegation will also visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial. The opening ceremony of the center for protection of the Armenian-Italian cultural heritage will take place which will be attended by the Armenian and Italian Presidents. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. In the sidelines of the state visit of President of Italy Sergio Mattarella to Armenia an expanded format meeting took place at the Presidential Residence on July 30 with the participation of the delegations of both countries. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office, greeting his Italian counterpart and the members of the delegation, President Armen Sarkissian recorded with satisfaction that since the re-establishment of Armenias statehood the Armenian-Italian relations have significantly developed. Today Armenia and Italy cooperate in political, economic, military, inter-parliamentary, regional, cultural and humanitarian spheres. Are countries are natural partners. We share the same value system, our peoples have similar lifestyle, family values and often character. The problems and values of each other are understandable for us. We are ready to make extra efforts to develop and deepen our interstate, economic, scientific and cultural relations with the aim to raise it to a much higher level, President Sarkissian said. Thanking for the warm reception President of Italy Sergio Mattarella underlined that the centuries-old friendly relations of Armenia and Italy have a great development potential. I am really proud to be the first Italian President to visit Armenia. I am glad that my visit coincides with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the first Armenian Republic and the 2800th anniversary of Yerevan. This age of Yerevan shows how ancient this country is and our long-standing relationships, the Italian President said. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Two mothers have been left fuming after being kicked out of a local swimming pool for breastfeeding their children. Stephanie Buchanan and her sister-in-law, Mary Davis, visited the Mora Aquatic Center in Minnesota, US for an afternoon of swimming. With six children between them, the mothers were wading in the kiddie pool area, when Stephanies three-month-old son became fussy, and needed to be fed. Theres not really a choice sometimes, Stephanie told local CBS News. I was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, slipped my strap down and just fed him. The mums three-month-old needed to be fed. Photo: Getty Mary had already nursed her baby in the pool earlier in the day, but as Stephanie fed her son, the pair were approached by a woman at the pool. A patron came up, a lady at the pool, and told me that I needed to cover up because her sons were swimming, Stephanie said. A staff member then approached Mary and Stephanie and asked them to either cover up, or continue nursing in the locker room. When the women refused, staff called the police. The reason I didnt get out of the pool to breastfeed is my kids, Mary told reporters. Ive got to watch my kids. Photo: Facebook/Stephanie Ellingson-Buchanan The women were approached by an officer who advised them that they would be asked to leave unless they agreed to be more discreet. After her conversation with the police officer, Stephanie and Mary left the pool and went home. The incident has now prompted the women to file discrimination charges against The City of Mora for violating Minnesota state law which allows all women to breastfeed in any location, public or private. The law explicitly states women are allowed to breastfeed irrespective of whether the nipple of the mothers breast is uncovered. Minnesota state law which allows all women to breastfeed anywhere public or private. Photo: Getty Images. Stephanie shared her experience on social media, prompting a response from The City of Mora. The City of Mora and Mora Aquatic Center (MAC) strive to create an environment comfortable for all, a statement read. While we always have supported nursing mothers, the situation inside of the kiddy pool made many patrons uncomfortable. Story continues Our staff politely asked them to be more discrete or relocate to another area at the MAC. When they did not, it created an untenable situation and our public safety team was brought in to assist the MAC staff. The statement denies asking the women to leave the premises, and offers an apology to Stephanie and Mary if they were offended by how they were treated. The mothers have since organised a nurse-in in protest of what happened. Got a story tip? Send it to tips@yahoo7.com.au Want more celebrity, entertainment and lifestyle news? Follow Be on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram. The Islamic State group kidnapped dozens of Druze women and children when it attacked their villages last week in Syria's southern province of Sweida, a monitor said Monday. More than 250 people were killed on Wednesday when IS carried out a string of suicide attacks and shootings in the provincial capital Sweida and villages to the north and east. "At least 36 Druze women and children were abducted after the attacks," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor with a network of sources inside Syria. Four of the women had since managed to escape and another two had died, said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman. Another 17 men from the areas targeted by IS were still unaccounted for, but it was unclear if they were also kidnapped, he told AFP. Both the Observatory and Syrian news outlet Sweida24 said 20 women and 16 children had been kidnapped. IS has not claimed the kidnappings, and no details on them could be found on its propaganda channels. IS declared a self-styled Islamic "caliphate" in 2014 across Syria and Iraq, but has since lost most of that territory. It still holds small, isolated areas of Syria's remote desert, which includes northeastern parts of Sweida, as well as pockets in the adjacent province of Daraa and further east near the border with Iraq. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops have been waging an assault on an IS-held pocket of Daraa for more than a week. Sweida, which is mostly held by the government and populated by the secretive Druze minority, has been relatively insulated from the violence of Syria's seven-year war. Last week's attacks were the bloodiest ever in the province and among the deadliest waged by IS in Syria. A picture from the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows coffins lined up during a mass funeral on July 26, 2018 following deadly suicide attacks in the southern city of Sweida Cambodia's flawed elections are set to hand the ruling party of strongman Hun Sen all 125 parliamentary seats, a spokesman told AFP Monday, an outcome that would turn the country into a one-party state after a vote devoid of an opposition. Sunday's ballot has prolonged Hun Sen's 33-year rule, but observers say questions of legitimacy may haunt the wily political survivor as frustration sets in over lack of change. The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) "will take all seats across the country," spokesman Sok Eysan told AFP at party headquarters, hailing "a landslide victory". In response the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the country's only real opposition who were disbanded before the poll, issued a statement lamenting "the death of democracy" and a "new, dark day" in Cambodian history. Some 8.3 million people registered to cast their ballots in the vote -- Cambodia's sixth general election since United Nations-sponsored polls were held in 1993 after decades of conflict. Sok Eysan said the predicted clean sweep was based on initial results. Final figures are due August 15. Asked about the country turning into a one-party state, the CPP spokesman said it was "the decision of the people," adding that Cambodia's constitution allows for a multi-party system. But the ballot lacked any serious challengers after Hun Sen cracked down on the opposition last year, leading to the arrest one of its leaders and then the dissolution of the party by the Supreme Court. Opposition figures had urged a boycott of the poll. But election authorities warned they would take action against those pressing for a "clean-finger" campaign and pointed to an 82 percent turnout as evidence that the boycott call had failed. Experts say high turnouts are common in authoritarian states where voter intimidation is more widespread. Yet in a sign of a kickback from unhappy voters, around 600,000 ballots -- around 10 percent of the total -- were spoiled, according to a preliminary count by the National Election Commission. - 'Neither free, nor fair' - Hun Sen came to power in 1985 in a country still plagued by civil war and his CPP has won every election since 1998. But wearied by a culture of impunity and corruption more than 44 percent of voters backed the opposition CNRP in 2013 polls, creating the most serious challenge to Hun Sen in years. This time the Cambodian leader ruthlessly moved against his critics in the election run-up, corralling civil society, independent media and political opponents. That led many western governments to pull their support from the vote. It was "neither free nor fair and failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people," the White House said in a statement. The US would consider a "significant expansion" of visa restrictions introduced last year against some senior Cambodian officials, it warned. The European Union said the outcome of the vote "lacks credibility" and does not reflect the will of the people. In contrast China, a key Cambodia ally which has provided cash and soft loans to Hun Sen's government without raising questions over human rights and democracy, offered its "sincere congratulations" on the poll, according to foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. - 'It's him again' - The 65-year-old Hun Sen is also seen as a stabilising force in the eyes of many in a kingdom with a bloody and bitter recent history that spans civil war, the horrors of the Khmer Rouge and occupation by Vietnam. Hun Sen has cultivated his support base through rural and urban infrastructure and investment schemes that have added malls and condos to the skyline of the once sleepy capital Phnom Penh. The premier also adroitly turned to Cambodia's garment sector, which employs about 750,00 people, showering cash gifts on workers in the months ahead of polls. "I am happy that the Cambodian People's Party won overwhelmingly, more than previous mandates," said supporter Sang Kimson, 38, the morning after the election. But many other Cambodians are despondent at the idea of yet another term for Hun Sen, who is among the world's longest-serving leaders. "It is him again," shrugged one man sitting outside a coffee shop who asked not to be named and who said he felt "hopeless" watching the results come in. Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch, predicted simmering discontent. "I think what we will see here in Cambodia is continued passive resistance and anger by the Cambodian people, they weren't given the opportunity to vote for the people they wanted," he said. Hun Sen has held onto power through political and family alliances in the police, military and media. He was installed as prime minister during the Vietnamese occupation of the 1980s after defecting from the Khmer Rouge, which killed a quarter of Cambodia's population from 1975 to 1979. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen faced virtually no opposition after mounting a crackdown on the opposition last year Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen faced virtually no opposition after mounting a crackdown on the opposition last year Counting began on Monday in a politically explosive referendum in Comoros that could change the constitution and allow President Azali Assoumani to rule beyond 2021, his current term limit. Turnout was weak at several polling stations in the capital Moroni, AFP reporters witnessed, after opposition leaders called for a boycott. One businessman who requested anonymity told AFP he had not voted because he "sensed a scam". But Soilihi Ali Said, a voter in his 40s in the capital Moroni which on Monday was virtually shut down by a general strike, said he voted 'Yes' because "there's the promise of change with new faces and a state that's less bloated." Results are expected either late Monday or early Tuesday. The Indian Ocean archipelago has a long history of instability and risks renewed unrest after Assoumani banned demonstrations and the opposition vowed to fiercely resist the proposed changes to the constitution. Two ballot boxes were destroyed in a polling station in the Hankounou district of Moroni, an AFP team saw, with blood-stained shards of plastic scattered on the ground after an apparent scuffle. A police officer was injured with a blade in the incident and hospitalised, according to a security source. - 'United against the dictator' - "These are isolated cases," said Assoumani who added there had also been "one case" of trouble on the island of Anjouan but played down the incidents when he spoke in his home village of Mitsoudje in Moroni's south. Opposition lawmakers had demanded an "unconditional halt (to) the illegal process" of the referendum, which they say is a power grab by Assoumani. "The people have sent a strong message to those in power by not turning out at the ballot box," Ahmed el-Barwane, secretary general of the opposition Juwa party, told AFP. Under the current constitution adopted in 2001, power rotates every five years between Comoros' three main islands as a means of balancing politics in the coup-prone country. If the government wins the referendum, this arrangement would be scrapped and replaced by a president who would be elected for a five-year tenure, renewable for one term. - 'Reject the dangerous abuse' - Assoumani would also gain the power to scrap the country's three vice-presidencies, another balancing measure of the present constitution. If the referendum is approved, Islam would also be proclaimed the state religion for the first time. Ninety-nine percent of the Comorans are Sunni Muslim. In June, one of the vice presidents, Ahmed Said Jaffar, urged Comorans to "reject the dangerous abuse" of power. He was later stripped of all but one of his ministerial portfolios. If Assoumani wins the referendum, he is expected to stage early elections next year to extend his time in office. But he has vowed to stand down if he loses Monday's vote, according to his spokesman Mohamed Ismailla. - Volatile history - A group of three islands between Mozambique and Madagascar -- and one of the world's poorest countries -- the Comoros has endured repeated coups and political turmoil since independence from France in 1975. Assoumani, a 59-year-old former colonel, was president between 1999 and 2002, coming to power after ousting acting president Tadjidine Ben Said Massonde in a military coup. He won the country's first multi-party elections in 2002, stepping down in 2006 to hand over power democratically to Ahmed Abdallah Sambi. In May 2016, he returned again as president after an election marred by violence and allegations of voting irregularities. In April this year, Assoumani suspended the Constitutional Court saying it was incompetent. Earlier this month, one of the vice presidents, Moustoidrane Abdou escaped an assassination attempt when his car was attacked by gunmen on motorcycles. The three main islands of the Comoros -- Grande-Comore, the largest, and where Azali is from, Anjouan and Moheli -- have a population of around 800,000 people. The fourth island, Mayotte, remains French. Opposition supporters hold a banner saying 'Yes to democracy, no to dictatorship' President Azali Assoumani at a booth in Mitsoudje outside the capital Moroni Police officers at the Hankounou polling station where ballot materials were vandalised Counting was under way Monday in Mali following a key presidential election that saw balloting halted at hundreds of polling stations because of violence in restive regions of the poor Sahel country. Despite the violence, candidates and authorities praised Sunday's first round of voting, relieved that the violence -- which included the torching of polling stations and assaults on electoral officials -- caused no casualties. Security was a central issue during the campaign, in which 73-year-old President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is seeking re-election with the international community hoping the poll will strengthen a 2015 peace accord. On Monday evening, Keita's coalition announced the incumbent seemed "largely ahead" in the results. "He is in a good position to get a second term," Mahamadou Camara, a spokesman for the president, told reporters. Leading the pack of his 23 challengers is Soumaila Cisse, 68, a former finance and economy minister, who lost by a wide margin in the 2013 election that brought Keita to power. Cisse's campaign director said the team was "legitimately satisfied" but criticised authorities for failing to provide adequate security. Some 30,000 security personnel were deployed throughout the country. "Very luckily, there were no casualties," the campaign director said. The polls were observed by teams from the European Union, the African Union, the regional ECOWAS grouping and the Francophonie organisation. - 'God does not like elections' - Cisse's team had warned of possible election fraud, claiming that there were two electoral lists and hundreds of fake polling stations. He and other challengers, who include several former ministers and just one woman -- an entrepreneur -- have accused Keita of incompetence on security matters. Most of the violence on Sunday occurred in the north and centre of the sprawling semi-desert country, regions already hit by ethnic unrest and jihadism. Not a single ballot was cast at 716 polling stations in the two regions following threats and attacks by armed groups, government figures showed -- with no plans announced to give residents a chance to vote. "Very few people were expecting that voting would be able to take place in all of the country," Sean Smith, senior West Africa analyst at risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, told AFP. In Mali's north, where the state is barely present, armed groups who signed the peace accord helped to ensure security. "This is the big difference between the north and the centre of the country: it is possible to negotiate with (armed) groups in the north, but not at all in central (Mali)," said Aurelien Tobie, senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Violence also marred the lead-up to the vote, despite the presence of 15,000 UN peacekeepers, 4,500 French troops and a much heralded five-nation anti-terror G5 Sahel force. The jihadist violence has spread from northern Mali to the centre and south of the country and spilled over into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, often inflaming communal conflicts. Mali, considered a linchpin state in the troubled Sahel region, is one of the world's poorest countries, with most people living on less than $2 a day. The organisation of the vote was "a huge security challenge," Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga said late Sunday, praising the proceedings "despite minor security incidents." Election officials were attacked, polling stations destroyed and state administrators banned from villages by armed groups, according to local authorities and observers. And there was no voting in the village of Lafia, in the northern Timbuktu region, after the ballot boxes were set on fire, local authorities said. One source said the boxes were burned after men he said were jihadists fired shots into the sky. "One of them said 'God does not like elections'." - Low turnout - Elsewhere in the country, however, voting occurred smoothly despite a low turnout, according to electoral observers and AFP journalists. Preliminary estimates by national observer group POCIM, which deployed over 2,000 monitors across the country, put turnout at 37 percent. While still subject to change, the group's spokesman said: "It will not go above 50 percent." The first results are expected by late Tuesday, and the official outcome is set to follow on Friday at the latest. If no candidate gains more than 50 percent of the first-round vote, a second round will take place on August 12. First results are expected by late Tuesday, and the official outcome is set to follow on Friday at the latest Cisse's campaign director said the team was "legitimately satisfied" after the vote, while slamming authorities for failing to provide adequate security -- even though 30,000 security personnel were deployed across the country The international community hopes the poll will strengthen a 2015 peace accord. Here, a Keita campaign billboard reads "Together let's consolidate the peace" A young boy pleaded for rescue before he died along with two others in a California wildfire, an anguished relative recounted Monday, while other shaken survivors told of their flight from a "tornado" of fire. Thousands of firefighters in California made some progress against several large-scale blazes that have turned around 200,000 acres (80,940 hectares) into an ashen wasteland, destroyed expensive homes, and killed eight fire personnel and civilians in the most populous US state. The worst blaze, northern California's Carr Fire, has killed six people since Thursday, including a 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren, aged four and five. They perished when flames swallowed their home in Redding. Local media identified the victims as Melody Bledsoe and the children, Emily Roberts and James Roberts, nicknamed "Junior." "I talked to Junior on the phone 'til he died," Melody's husband Ed Bledsoe told CNN, recounting the last words of the boy, his sister, and Bledsoe's wife. "He said 'Come and get me, the fire's comin' in the back door. Come on, Grandpa,'" Bledsoe said, his voice choking. But he couldn't get there in time to save them. "I've been a lifelong resident of this community, and I've never seen a fire with such destruction here in this area ever before," Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty said of the Carr Fire. Alyce Macken said she had only minutes to flee with her husband Ted from the flames sweeping closer to her home in Redding. A sheriff's officer pounded on the door and gave them 15 minutes to leave, Macken told AFP. "We were out in 10 minutes. I was shaking, it just went by really fast," the retiree said. Macken said she met other panic-stricken neighbors at a nearby shopping center -- and watched from afar as her home went up in flames. "It was almost like a tornado with fire in it and it came over the hill and it wiped out our house, it wiped out our next door neighbor's home," she said. About 38,000 people had been evacuated in Shasta County due to the Carr Fire, officials said, though some evacuation orders have been lifted. Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump approved California's request for federal help to fight the blaze and assist evacuees. A thick smoke haze covered a large part of northern California, severely limiting visibility and contributing to breathing problems. According to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), 12,000 firefighters from as far away as Florida and New Jersey have deployed across the state. - Firefighter killed by tree - A firefighter identified as Brian Hughes died on Sunday while battling the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park, a major tourist attraction partially closed because of the fire. Hughes "was struck and killed by a tree" while fighting the blaze, the Sequoia and Kings National Parks Service said. Another firefighter died days earlier working at the fire around Yosemite. Much of that blaze is in steep, rugged terrain with little or no access roads, officials said. The remains of a person who ignored Carr Fire evacuation orders was found in a burned-out residence on Sunday, said Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko. Two fire personnel were killed late last week battling the Carr blaze. Seven other people were reported missing, Bosenko said, adding that 600 National Guard soldiers had been deployed for support duties such as roadblocks. Police have reported cases of looting from areas emptied of residents -- but then there was also the case of the missing python. Sandra Dodge-Streich, an evacuee forced to move four times, warned that a 14-foot long albino python she owned was lost at her latest stop in south Redding. "She is part of our store family and Reptile Exhibit. Please don't be afraid of her -- she is lost and scared!" Dodge-Streich, the owner of Redding Reptiles, said on Facebook. - Feeling 'optimistic' - The Carr Fire covers more than 103,000 acres (41,682 hectares) and is 23 percent contained, according to Cal Fire, the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 800 homes were destroyed. "Winds will increase late tonight and into tomorrow morning. Hot and dry weather, previously unburned fuels and steep terrain will contribute to fire growth," Cal Fire said in an evening update. Cal Fire incident manager Bret Gouvea earlier told reporters "we're feeling a lot more optimistic... as we're starting to make up some ground instead of being on the defensive." In southern California, where thousands fled the deliberately-set Cranston Fire, Cal Fire said crews had stopped flames from reaching the town of Idyllwild and the blaze was 57 percent contained. Last year was California's deadliest ever for wildfires, with more than 40 fatalities. The remains of an antique car collection lie in a fire-devastated neighborhood near Redding, California A map of California updating with the sites of major forest fires Kambryn Brilz, 12, holds her dog Zoe at her burnt home after the animal was returned safely by a neighbor during the Carr fire in Redding The gentle neighing of horses, some chewing on fodder, some being saddled as trains trundle past sounds like an idyllic rural scene in England -- this though is the Ebony Riding Club in south London. The riders too are not your normal pony club youngsters. Children of all ages, some with behavioural problems and some of the most disadvantaged in the capital, are largely drawn from Brixton, an ethnically diverse area of south London with a large West Indian community. The club, which is overlooked by tower blocks on one side and a railway line on the other -- is a world away from Royal Ascot but it enjoys the enthusiastic patronage of Prince Charles's wife Camilla. She has been involved since 2009, two years before the club moved into its cosy, impressive premises in Brixton. Much to the pleasure of the staff and children, she even once brought along her mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II -- a noted lover of horses -- for a visit. For many of the children, Ebony, which costs 400,000 ($525,000) a year to run, is an oasis and one that has developed hugely from when it first started in 1996. Children can spend a few hours not just riding the horses but also performing the less glamorous tasks of mucking out stables. Some get so taken by it that they go on to pursue a career in racing while others hold different ambitions. Abdus, a very mature 14-year-old, rode in a pony race at Ascot last year and recently spent a week at top trainer James Fanshawe's stables which he told AFP is the best he has visited. "This place (Ebony) is a really important place for some of the people as there is a lot of gang things going on in the area," says Abdus. "Kids that live in these areas don't necessarily want to be members of a gang but if this place wasn't here there would be peer pressure." Abdus, who would like to be an accountant to a trainer, says the difference between Ebony and other riding clubs in London is they take an active interest in careers. "This place gives you opportunity of work experience, you come here every week they look after you," said Abdus, whose two sisters are also enthusiastic members of the club. "Here they care about you and your education and follow you till you are 25 and get you jobs for the future." - 'A different person' - One of the club's two youth workers Radhika Nagar knows first-hand how horses can help those who have troubled upbringings. "A love of horses helped me as a child as I had a difficult background," she told AFP. "Horses are like another human who can feel, touch you and smell you. "They can sense how you are feeling, whether it is a good day or a bad day." David Fleming, the club's Engagement Manager, says his mindset about the impact horses have on children has changed markedly since he arrived with Naomi Howgate as part of a new management team a year ago. "I was a little bit cynical a couple of years back about how therapeutic horses could be in improving people but this has been an eye-opener," he told AFP. "One of the kids as an example has been coming here for 4-5 years. "When he first came here he couldn't speak or make eye contact with anybody and people thought this guy has issues but a youth worker who works here helped him. "He is now a different person and is keen to get a job in the racing industry," added the Irishman. Howard says he has learnt to adapt his behaviour in daily life from interacting with the horses. "One time I got pulled over at school for something I didn't do," he told AFP. "That really annoyed me but I thought to myself I will stay calm like when my horse refused a fence. It has helped me a lot with my behaviour." For Zoe, another 14-year-old, her life has completely changed since she began volunteering at the club -- she goes there four or five times a week -- and has set her sights on becoming a vet. "My friends are most probably sitting at home not doing too much or out with their friends," she told AFP. "I prefer it here as it keeps me out of trouble and l know I am safe here. "If you have problems outside of Ebony you just drop them off at the gates." Prince Charles's wife Camilla is an enthusiastic patron of the Ebony Riding CLub in Brixton London which helps disadvantaged children and some with behavioural problems to learn life skills Horse says Radhika Naqar a youth worker at the Ebony Riding Club in Brixton London can help those like her who have had a difficult background A South African court ruled Monday that former Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe did not have diplomatic immunity when she allegedly beat a young woman with an electrical cord. Mugabe was given immunity from prosecution by officials after she was alleged to have become angry and beaten model Gabriella Engels? who had been with her sons in a luxury Johannesburg hotel. Engels suffered cuts to her forehead and the back of her head during the alleged assault on August 13. Judge Bashier Vally said the decision by officials at South Africa's foreign ministry was "inconsistent with the constitution" and struck it down. Following the incident, police had vowed to prevent Mugabe leaving the country where she had been while her husband was on an official visit -- but backed down after the immunity decision. Grace left shortly afterwards. The foreign ministry had said immunity in the case was important to maintain relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe. South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), supported the legal effort to overturn Grace's immunity. "This is a great day for justice, the rule of law and shows that nobody is above the law," said party chairman James Selfe in a statement after the ruling at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg. "The South African government chose to put the politics of expediency above the rule of law." Engels' legal representative Willie Spies said the ruling "paves the way for... criminal prosecution". The foreign ministry was ordered to pay legal costs in the case. "We have noted the judgement, we are studying it, we will comment in a later stage if it is necessary," said foreign ministry spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya. Mugabe did not comment on the ruling as she cast her vote in Zimbabwe's historic elections on Monday -- the first in which her husband was not a candidate. One of Grace Mugabe's last public appearances as first lady was at a rally in support of her husband, 13 days before his fall from office India on Monday effectively stripped four million people in Assam of citizenship, sparking fears of mass deportations of Muslims from the northeastern state. A new draft register of citizens includes only those able to prove they were in Assam before 1971, when millions fled Bangladesh's war of independence into the state, and their descendants. Critics say it is the latest move by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bolster India's Hindu majority at the expense of minorities. India will hold a national election next year. The Assam government has brought in 25,000 extra security force members from outside the state in case of trouble. News of the draft register sparked opposition protests in the national parliament, forcing the adjournment of upper-chamber hearings for the day. Just over four million of the more than 30 million people who applied to be on the list were excluded from the draft, said Shailesh, the registrar general of India, who uses one name. "No genuine Indian citizens need to worry as there will be ample opportunities given to them to enlist their names in the final list," he told a news conference in Assam's biggest city Guwahati. He said appeals could be made under "well-laid-down procedures" starting August 30. The definitive list is to be finalised in December. "We are going to provide assistance to anyone whose names are not included in the document and whoever wishes to file a claim and objection in this regard," Shailesh added. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won control of Assam in 2016 after promising to expel illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh and protect the rights of indigenous groups. Assam, where one third of the population is Muslim, is the only Indian state to compile a register of citizens. - Migrant fears - Hundreds of thousands fled to India from Bangladesh during its 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Most settled in Assam, which shares a long border with Bangladesh. Migrants have since been accused of illegally entering the state and taking land and jobs, causing tensions with locals. Rights groups have criticised the government move, saying deletion from citizenship lists was similar to Myanmar's removal of rights and protections for its Rohingya community in 1982. Avaaz, a US-based activist group slammed the Indian action. "It's just Muslims who will likely have to go through a complicated, unfair appeal with no right to counsel, ending in no hope of staying if they lose," Ricken Patel, the executive director of Avaaz, said in a statement. Assam, a state of 33 million people known for its lush tea estates, has for decades been racked by violence between indigenous tribes and settlers. About 2,000 suspected migrants were butchered in a single day in Nellie in 1983. Nearly all were Muslim, and many were children. The country's Supreme Court which has been supervising the registration, had initially set June 30 as the deadline to publish the draft list. But this was postponed to July 30 because the massive exercise could not be completed in time. A first draft published last December included only 19 million people as legal citizens. "I am feeling good after seeing the name of mine and other four members of my family in the draft list," Abdul Gani, a journalist based in Guwahati, told AFP. "We were a little worried as the first draft did not include our names. However, we had belief in the system." In New Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh also sought to allay fears about Assam. "No coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence there is no need to panic," Singh said in parliament. Satyendra Garg, a home ministry official who was at the Guwahati press conference, said there "was no question of sending anyone to detention camps based on the draft list". The Assam controversy comes as the government looks at amending the citizenship law to allow certain "persecuted minorities", including Hindus and Christians from neighbouring countries, to obtain legal status after six years of residency in India. Other groups must wait 11 years to become naturalised citizens. People stand in line to check their names on the first draft of the National Register of Citizens in Assam in January US President Donald Trump receives Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday, welcoming to the White House a European populist with like-minded views on immigration and trade. The visit will begin with a one-on-one meeting followed by more extensive bilateral discussions, the White House said. "Italy is an important NATO Ally, a leading partner in Afghanistan and Iraq, and key in bringing stability to the Mediterranean region," the White House said in announcing the visit last month, the new prime minister's first. Trump praised Conte as "great" after meeting him at the recent G7 summit in Canada, where they warmly shook hands during the family photo. Conte is "very strong on immigration -- like I am, by the way," said Trump, who has pursued a policy of "zero tolerance" for illegal immigration, a crackdown that led to hundreds of children being separated from parents who crossed into the United States from Mexico without papers. Conte was chosen to lead the Italian government by the leaders of parties that won March elections: the euro skeptic Five Star Movement and the far-right League party. The Italian press has suggested the meeting will serve to boost Conte's profile, often overshadowed by his deputy prime ministers and those parties' exuberant leaders: Matteo Salvini of the League party, and Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement. Conte wants to reform the Dublin Regulation, the EU law that says asylum requests should be the responsibility of a single member country, usually the one where the refugee first arrived. Italy argues that the law places an unfair burden on countries that border the Mediterranean, and its new populist government has stepped up pressure on other EU countries to share responsibility for arriving refugees. It has closed Italy's ports to migrants and turned back several ships carrying refugees rescued at sea, threatening the future of those operations. - Friend of Russia - Both Trump and Conte also favor better relations with Russia. Already deeply at odds with US allies on trade, the environment and Iran, opened another front in Canada by calling for Russia to be brought back into G7 meetings, ending its isolation over its 2014 annexation of Crimea. "I think it would be good for Russia, I think it would be good for the United States, I think it would be good for all of the countries of the current G7," Trump said. Conte, who was making his international debut at the G7, said he agreed with Trump, setting himself apart from his European colleagues. On trade, the two men share the same skepticism when it comes to free trade: Trump has blasted several international pacts such as NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), while Conte refused to ratify the CETA free trade agreement between the EU and Canada. - Missed target - But according to Nick Ottens of the Atlantic Council, Trump "may not find the ally he expects" in Conte. On trade, the new Italian government's skepticism of multinational agreements risks Trump's goal of eliminating all EU customs tariffs, according to Ottens. Meanwhile, in the defense realm, Italy has said it has no chance of reaching the target spending of two percent of GDP -- let alone Trump's stated goal of four percent at the latest NATO summit. In early July, Italy's defense minister Elisabetta Trenta announced a freeze on purchasing F-35 fighter aircraft, of which the US is the primary contractor. Italy's participation in NATO operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria will be on both leaders' agendas, along with Italy's diplomatic efforts in Libya. But a certain point of disagreement will be Trump's standoff with Iran -- and the sanctions that hurt Italian-Iranian commercial relations. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has similar views on immigration and trade as US President Donald Trump The husband of Melbourne woman Jill Meagher, who was raped and murdered in 2012 as she walked home, has written a heartbreaking letter to his bride marking what would have been their 10th wedding anniversary. Ms Meaghers death is still fresh in the minds of many Australians, especially in recent weeks when it drew parallels to Eurydice Dixons murder. But the loss of the 29-year-old is even more poignant for Tom Meagher who has shared a harrowing open letter to his late wife, who was raped and murdered just 500 metres from the home they shared, six years ago. Mr Meagher shared a photo of his Irish-born bride in her wedding dress, wearing a wide smile of happiness,as he reminisced about their wedding day a decade ago. Jill and Tom Meagher on their wedding day 10 years ago, with the late Granny McKeon. Source: Tom Meagher / Facebook In the emotional message to his wife via Facebook, he described her as full of love, compassion, laughter and a force and energy that was literally breathtaking. I day-dreamed about what we will be doing in five years, in ten years, in twenty or thirty years we never made it to five, he remembered about their special day. Only five weeks ago I stood in the Wicklow mountains where we were married, looking up at the canopy in the woods behind the grounds, as I have done many times in the six years since her death. He continued on, revealing how he was still kept awake at night by the heartbreak of his beloveds murder. The polar contrast between Jill and her killer are so clearly bookends of the extremity of good and evil that it sometimes feels like an ancient tragedy played out in real life. But its the gaping spectrum in between those two opposing ways of living that chills me more. I can hold the polarities of Jill and [her killer Adrian] Bayley in my mind, as light and darkness, as good and evil. Its the deliberately inscrutable, seemingly unreachable void that exists in between to prop up that darkness that keeps me awake at night, he added. Tom Meagher said he is still loves and misses Jill every day since her 2012 murder. Source: Tom Meagher / Facebook Mr Meagher ended the heartfelt message by thanking his late wife for leaving such an unforgettable legacy despite their time together cut devastatingly short. Story continues Slainte Jill. You were a warrior for love, life and liberation Thank you for consistently and persistently teaching me how to live, how to think, how to embrace love wholly, and to bear witness to the fire you lit in me and so many others in your short time on this earth. You are loved at every moment of every day. Adrian Bayley is serving at least 40 years in jail for the 2012 killing of Jill Meagher. WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT: Animal rights activists are furious, after a German cruise ship employee shot and killed a polar bear in an island on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard on Saturday. The company has been widely criticised on social media, with accusations that the cruise line company was irresponsible for killing the animal in the name of tourism. Shame on you. That animal was murdered in the name of your companys profits, posted one user on Facebook. People need to boycott this cruise line! posted another user. The uproar comes after the German cruise line Hapag-Lloyd Cruises sent a polar bear guard team on shore to ensure there were no bears in the area before passengers from the MS Bremen went on land. Animal activists are heavily criticising a German cruise line after an employee shot and killed a polar bear that attacked a colleague. Source: AP The four-person polar bear guard team failed to spot one bear, who attacked a guard. The guard suffered head injuries, however, he was responsive after the attack and was airlifted. He is out of danger, with no threat to life, Hapag-Lloyd Crusises posted. In an act of self-defence, unfortunately, it was necessary for the polar bear to be shot dead, the cruise line said. The outrage continued on Twitter, with British comedian and actor Ricky Gervais weighing in on the debate. British comedian and actor Ricky Gervais weighed in on the debate on Twitter. Source: Twitter/Ricky Gervais Lets get too close to a polar bear in its natural environment and then kill it if it gets too close. Morons, he tweeted. Thats awful and heartbreaking, tweeted one user. Unacceptable!! A tranquilizer I understand but to kill an animal that is in its natural habitat is not right at all!! another said on Twitter. Norwegian authorities said the animal advanced on the group as they disembarked the cruise ship on an Arctic archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The Joint Rescue Coordination for Northern Norway tweeted on Saturday that the man was taken by helicopter to the town of Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen island and that he was in a stable condition after suffering head injuries. A German cruise line company has been criticised after the killing of a polar bear that attacked an employee. Source: Source: Hapag-Lloyd -With AP A Malaysian political cartoonist said Monday that nine sedition charges against him had been dropped after the scandal-mired regime that he had frequently lampooned was booted out of power. Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque -- who goes by the pen-name Zunar -- was repeatedly targeted under the former government for his cartoons, which often mocked ex-prime minister Najib Razak and his luxury-loving wife. Some of his collections were banned. He was hit with nine counts of sedition in 2015, stemming not from his artistic work but Twitter criticism about the jailing of then-opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. It was a record number for a single court appearance in Malaysia, according to his lawyers. But at a hearing in Kuala Lumpur Monday, prosecutors said the attorney-general's office had decided it does not want to pursue the case and was withdrawing the charges against him, the cartoonist confirmed. Zunar, whose cartoons are published by leading news portal Malaysiakini, told AFP he was happy with the decision, but added he would not be "absolutely happy until the government abolishes the Sedition Act". Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, tweeted that Zunar's acquittal was "fantastic news" and also called on authorities to scrap the sedition law. The Sedition Act, a relic of the British colonial era, was one of several laws that critics said were used to gag free speech during Najib's rule. Dozens of government critics, including opposition politicians, activists and journalists, were arrested for sedition and under other laws. Najib launched a brutal crackdown against opponents after allegations emerged that he and his cronies oversaw the looting of sovereign wealth fund 1MDB in a sophisticated fraud that spanned the globe. The scandal was a major factor in the surprise election defeat in May of his coalition, which had ruled Malaysia uninterrupted since independence from Britain in 1957. Since the loss, Najib has been charged with corruption linked to the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB controversy. He denies any wrongdoing. Cartoonist Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, popularly known as Zunar, was repeatedly targeted by the regime of Malaysia's ex-PM Najib Razak A 64-year-old man has reclaimed the Guiness World Record for swimming the furthest distance with his his hands and feet tied while fully wrapped inside a sack. Yane Petkov, Bulgarias answer to Houdini and Michael Phelps combined, swam 3,380 metres in Macedonias Lake Ohrid on Tuesday. He managed to beat the record of Indian fisherman Gopal Kharvi, who in 2013 swam 3,071 metres in the Indian Ocean who had his hands and feet bound but was not in a sack. The Bulgarian swimming instructor already had one entry in the Guinness Book of Records in 2013 with 2,030 metres, but he only held it for three months until he was overtaken by Kharvi. The 64-year-old prepares to undertake the record breaking attempt. Source: Reuters The 64-year-old wriggled his way for more than three kilometres. Source: Reuters Yane Petkov is held by his support team after breaking the record. Source: Reuters Before his latest attempt, Petkov said he had planned to swim 3.5 kilometres, and Guinness observers were present for his swim. Petkov took around three hours to worm his way along through the water, face-up and feet first, before he emerged on the shore in the ancient town of Ohrid, a popular holiday resort. A long-awaited official report into the disappearance of Flight MH370 gave no new clues about why the plane vanished, relatives of those on board the aircraft said Monday, expressing anger and disappointment. Family members had been hoping that the official investigation team's report could provide them with some closure, over four years after the Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people went missing. But grieving relatives said the technical document appeared to contain little new beyond a lengthy description of the plane's disappearance and search efforts, and that officials were unable to answer their questions. Some angry relatives walked out of the briefing. "It is so disappointing," said Intan Maizura Othman, whose husband was a flight steward on MH370, which was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished in March 2014. "I am frustrated. There is nothing new in the report. "Those who gave the briefing from the ministry of transport were not able to give answers as they were not (the ones) who wrote the report." She said that the meeting between relatives and officials descended into a "shouting match" as family members' frustration boiled over. "Many asked questions," said G. Subramaniam, who lost a son on the flight, but added that "unsatisfactory responses left many angry". The report was due to released publicly later Monday. No sign of the jet was found in a 120,000-square kilometre (46,000-square mile) Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led hunt, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January last year. US exploration firm Ocean Infinity resumed the hunt at the start of this year on a "no find, no fee" basis, using high-tech drones to scour the seabed. But that search was called off after failing to find anything. Malaysia's new government, which took power in May, total transparency, including the release of the report by the official safety investigation team -- a 19-member body which includes international investigators. Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon. There have been a host of theories about why the plane disappeared, ranging from an accident to a hijacking or even a terror plot. The family members had been hoping that the official investigation team's report could provide them with some closure over four years after the Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people vanished The Malaysia Airlines jet vanished in March 2014 with 239 people -- mostly from China -- on board, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa is a military-backed veteran hardliner who outmanoeuvered Robert Mugabe and has promised to turn around his country's disastrous economy. Nicknamed "The Crocodile", Mnangagwa on Friday secured a narrow victory in Zimbabwe's historic first elections after the ousting of Mugabe last year. But fraud allegations threaten to dent his hopes that the election would bring him legitimacy after he was appointed president with the generals' support when Mugabe was ousted from power last November. It was his battle to secure the top job ahead of Mugabe's wife Grace that triggered the crisis that finally toppled the long-ruling autocrat. When Mnangagwa, 75, was dismissed as vice president by Mugabe, it looked like he lost out to the first lady. In fear for his life he made a dramatic escape across the border to Mozambique. His son, who was with him, described Mnangagwa sitting at a bus stop wearing a dusty suit and tattered shoes after a nighttime mountain trek into Mozambique. He had no belongings except a briefcase full of dollars. But the situation turned on its head within weeks when the military chiefs launched a brief takeover and Mnangagwa emerged as their chosen successor. With the nation still reeling from Mugabe's downfall, Mnangagwa made a triumphant return home and was sworn in as president after lawmakers in the ruling ZANU-PF party swung behind him. "I never thought he whom I have nurtured, brought into government... that one day he would turn against me," said a mournful Mugabe afterwards. - Mugabe's closest ally? - Mnangagwa's rise to the presidency came after decades of working closely with Mugabe since Zimbabwe won independence from Britain in 1980. He held a string of cabinet positions -- but relations between him and Mugabe were not always easy. In 2004, he lost his post as ZANU-PF administrative secretary after being accused of angling for the post of vice president. But he was soon back in favour, and in 2008 served as head of Mugabe's election campaign. Mugabe lost the first round vote that year, and Mnangagwa allegedly supervised the wave of violence and intimidation that forced the opposition to pull out of the run-off vote. He was targeted by EU and US sanctions, and handed control of the powerful defence ministry in the troubled power-sharing government formed in 2009 before becoming vice president in 2014. On the campaign trail, Mnangagwa stuck to his oft-repeated pledge to revive the moribund economy, tackle the chronic mass unemployment, re-engage with the West and attract foreign investment. "We have opened Zimbabwe to investors," he told one recent rally. "We are now standing on the dawn of a new Zimbabwe our children will be proud of." Since taking office, he wears a striped scarf in Zimbabwe's national colours at almost all public appearances, and has tried to fashion himself as a down-to-earth politician. The target of several apparent assassination attempts in his life, Mnangagwa's electioneering was almost ended by a blast at a rally in June that killed two people as he left the podium. He also nearly died last year after allegedly eating poisoned ice cream made by his archrival Grace Mugabe's dairy, and was urgently flown to neighbouring South Africa for emergency treatment. - Massacres allegation - Laconic and thick-set, he describes himself as a born-again Christian, believes there is some role for evicted white farmers in the new Zimbabwe, and says he abstains from alcohol for six months each year. Born in 1942, Mnangagwa completed his early education in Zimbabwe before his family relocated to neighbouring Zambia. In 1966, he joined the struggle for independence from British colonial rule, becoming one of the young combatants who helped direct the war after undergoing training in China and Egypt. His "Crocodile" nickname can be traced back to his ferocious "Crocodile Gang" guerrilla unit in the conflict. After blowing up a train, he was arrested in 1964 and sentenced to death, later commuted to 10 years in prison because of his youth -- leaving him a life-long vocal opponent of the death penalty. Following independence in 1980, he allegedly was partially responsible for a brutal crackdown on opposition supporters that claimed thousands of lives in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces. The Gukurahundi massacres remain the biggest stain on his reputation. Since coming to power, he has brushed off calls to apologise and questioned the 20,000 death toll estimate, though he said he had already set up a commission to address the allegations. "What has happened has happened," he said, admitting it was "a bad patch" in Zimbabwe's history. Emmerson Mnangagwa was once a right-hand man to Mugabe -- he replaced his boss after a brief military takeover Profile of Emmerson Mnangagwa, former close Mugabe ally and minister who ousted him as president is favourite to win Monday's election Indonesia mounted a rescue operation Monday to reach more than 500 hikers and guides stranded by landslides on an active volcano on Lombok, a day after a powerful earthquake struck the holiday island. Helicopters and search teams on foot have been deployed to scour the slopes of Mount Rinjani, which is crisscrossed with hiking routes popular with tourists, while rescuers have made airdrops of food supplies to those stranded. Tonnes of rock and mud were dislodged on the mountain in the 6.4-magnitude quake, which struck early Sunday and was followed by scores of aftershocks, leaving hikers with no easy way down to safety. "There are still 560 people trapped," said the head of Rinjani national park Sudiyono, who goes by one name. Those believed to be stranded include citizens from the United States, France, The Netherlands, Thailand and Germany, as well as many other countries, search and rescue officials said. At least 16 people were killed in the earthquake across affected areas of Lombok, while hundreds of buildings were destroyed. - Food for two days - The rescue operation on Mount Rinjani is likely to run until at least Tuesday and a military helicopter has dropped supplies at several spots on the mountain, according to search and rescue agency officials. "For supplies, they can still survive for another one to two days," Agus Hendra Sanjaya, spokesman for Mataram's search and rescue agency, told AFP. No hikers are injured, he added. Rising some 3,726 metres (12,224 feet) above sea level, the peak is the second-tallest volcano in Indonesia and a favourite among sightseers keen to take in its expansive views. Hiking trails on the mountain were closed following the quake due to fear of further landslides. The epicentre of the earthquake was 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Lombok's main city Mataram, the United States Geological Survey said, far from the main tourist spots on the south and west of the island. The initial tremor was followed by two strong secondary quakes and more than 100 aftershocks. Some 160 people were injured as a result, said Mohammad Rum, head of West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency. Among the dead are one Malaysian, with six injured, the Malaysian foreign ministry said. President Joko Widodo visited the affected site on Monday and promised financial support for people who had lost their homes. "We must be aware that our country is in the Ring of Fire, so people need to be prepared to face any disaster," Widodo said. Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire', where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the world?s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia. The Lombok quake killed 16 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings Some 160 people were injured by the quake, according to West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency Morocco's King Mohammed VI Sunday urged the government to take "urgent action" to address social issues, in particular health and education in the north African country which has been hit by protests over employment and corruption. Despite the "achievements accomplished (...) I have the feeling that we continue to be lacking something in social matters," the king said in a speech marking the 19th anniversary of his accession to the throne. Mohammed VI pointed to social support and social protection programmes that "overlap each other, suffer from a lack of consistency and fail to effectively target eligible groups". Morocco is marked by glaring social and territorial inequalities, against a backdrop of high unemployment among young people. In 2017, it was ranked 123rd out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index. In his speech, the king called for accelerating the establishment of a national system to register families for social support programmes and invited the government to "undertake a comprehensive and deep restructuring" of existing programmes. He also called for "a strong boost to programmes to support schooling" and a reshaping of the health system, which "is characterised by glaring inequalities and weak management." The king's speech was delivered in the northern city of Al-Hoceima which was the epicentre of the "Hirak" protest movement that rocked the country in 2016 and 2017. The social unrest began in October 2016 after the death of a fisherman and spiralled into a wave of protests demanding more development in the neglected Rif region and railing against corruption and unemployment. Over the past week Moroccan media have said they expect a royal pardon for dozens of demonstrators and activists who were sentenced in late June to up to 20 years in prison. The 54-year-old monarch made no reference to the protests in his speech. Afterwards, an official statement said 1,200 pardons were granted, without specifying if the jailed demonstrators were among them. Moroccan media said none of the "Hirak" protestors was pardoned. King Mohammed VI (C) urged the government to urgently address social issues A mum has died on holiday after she contracted food poisoning expected to have come from a few mouthfuls of uncooked chicken. Natalie Rawnsley, 37, was visiting the Greek island of Corfu with her husband and two children when a bout of gastro caused blood clots to form throughout her body last August. The Hertfordshire Mercury reports the English mum of two was fit and healthy but she rapidly deteriorated 36 hours after dining at a hotel restaurant. Mrs Rawnsleys husband Stewart told the Westminster Coroners Court the family ate dinner at a hotel buffet during their second week on holidays. The mum died while holidaying in Corfu, Greece. Source: Getty Images He said the hotel had two or three restaurants, and at the buffet he and his sons had pasta, bread and sausages while Mrs Rawnsley had a meal of chicken, salad, prawns and vegetables. We were already at the table when Natalie came back with her food. Natalie started to eat hers and as she cut the chicken the chicken oozed red blood to which point I commented it looked bloody, he told the inquest into her death. She got up took it back replaced the chicken with a difference piece and came back and ate it. She had a few mouthfuls of the other piece of chicken. Natalie Rawnsley died after she ate uncooked chicken. Source: Getty/file photo The Hertfordshire Mercury reports Mr Rawnsley told the coroners court his wife started vomiting at 3am the next morning. She was diagnosed with gastro and Mr Rawnsley and his sons were advised to leave her so they did not catch the virus. Mr Rawnsley came back to the room to check on his wife and sought a second opinion from a doctor as she was still ill. She was taken to a medical centre near the hotel before being transported to Corfu hospital. That night the husband was told to rush to the hospital, where he found his wife surrounded by a number of people. She was fully awake and aware and happy to see me, but obviously distressed and concerned, Mr Rawnsley told the court. There was pain in her legs and she also had a number of red blotches all over her. Natalie Rawnsley was taken to Corfu hospital. Source: Getty Images The Hertfordshire Mercury reports the mothers condition deteriorated and she died after her heart became weaker. Story continues Infections expert Professor Sebastien Lucas told the inquest Mrs Rawnsleys sickness turned deadly because she had the wrong genes. Assuming it is an E.Coli infection coming from uncooked chicken this seems like a very reasonable theory, he said. The point I also made in my report is how it escalates. Theres a tipping point when it starts producing [disseminated intravascular coagulation]. By definition, once it starts doing that, you are doomed. The coroner ruled E-Coli infection the cause of death. A mother of four, in a race against time to have life-saving brain surgery, has been forced to turn down a surgery appointment for August because she could not pay the $100,000 bill. I forget what its like to wake up pain free, 35-year-old Sarah Holden told Yahoo7. My quality of life is slowly going. I dont make plans anymore, I dont make arrangements. Sometimes I cant care for the children. Im in pain 24/7. Ms Holden, from Newcastle, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in January after months of migraines, nausea and vomiting. Sarah Holden, 35, (pictured left with her daughters) is in a race against time to raise the funds for life-saving brain surgery. Source: Supplied Her GP sent her for a MRI scan, which confirmed that she had a pineal cystic brain tumour which was about the size of a grape, at 10 by 11 millimetres. The rare and slow growing brain tumour causes constant headaches, migraine-like pain, head pressure, insomnia, hearing loss and blurry vision, and is growing in size. Im getting new symptoms regularly. I had a TIA [transient ischaemic attack] stroke two weeks ago, she said. Its like a short stroke, [with] stroke-like symptoms, she said. I couldnt speak properly, I couldnt say the words that I wanted to say that I was thinking. I had a face drop, l couldnt put four words together. Its what they call a suspected TIA stroke, Ms Holden said. In May, Ms Holden (pictured) met with renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo at the Prince of Wales Private Hospital in Sydney. Source: Supplied At times, her symptoms escalate and she relies on her friends and family to care for herself and her four daughters, aged between 4 and 15. The flare-ups are excruciating, that is when I cant even care for myself. I cant move, I cant speak, she said. I have support here, I have family, I have friends her who come in. They cook, they take the kids to their house, they get them ready for school, they drive me to the doctors, call an ambulance when I need it, she said. Quest to raise $100,000 for surgery In May, Ms Holden met with renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo at the Prince of Wales Private Hospital in Sydney. Dr Teo offered her a last chance for survival after multiple specialists told Ms Holden that the tumour was inoperable or asymptomatic. Story continues An MRI scan (pictured) confirmed that Ms Holden had a pineal cystic brain tumour which is now 10 by 11 millimetres large. Source: Supplied There is no neurosurgeon that can do it in a public hospital, she said. Dr Teo was recommended for the surgery, because he is the only one in Australia that can perform the surgery, Dr Teo has done a hundred of the surgeries on the pineal cystic tumours, He has had a 100 per cent success rate, she said. Ms Holden aims to raise the $100,000 by September. She has a Go Fund Me page, which has raised about $5000 to date. She is also holding a fundraising event at Fitzys Hotel in Loganholme, Queensland from 6.30 pm on August 11. Tickets are $60 and include dinner, music and a chance to win a major door prize. Ms Holden (pictured with her daughters) was diagnosed with a brain tumour in January, 2018 after months of migraines, nausea and vomiting. Source: Supplied I never thought Id be in a position where I had to open up my life to the world. I never thought Id be in a position to have to ask people for money, she said. Ms Holden aims to raise the money for surgery by September so that she can return to health. Just to be able to wake up one morning and say, Im not in pain today. That would be beyond words, she said. I hope that theres going to be some more awareness raised for this, so people dont have to go through what I and the people that are going through it. Nelson Chamisa, who turned 40 in February, is old enough by only a few months to be president of Zimbabwe under the constitutional minimum age limit. But he hopes that his youth will be the force that propels him to election victory on Monday against all the odds. Chamisa joined the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) as a student when it was founded in 1999. He took over as party leader this year after a messy succession battle following the death of hardened veteran Morgan Tsvangirai. Upbeat and energetic, Chamisa faces the task of unseating a ruling party that has held an iron grip on government since Zimbabwe became independent in 1980. But Chamisa believes that the shock ousting of longtime ruler Robert Mugabe last November has reshaped national politics, giving him the chance of victory through the ballot box. The lightly-built Chamisa, a lawyer and church pastor, experienced at first hand the dangers of opposing Mugabe and has been arrested several times for his political activities. In 2007, he was severely beaten with truncheons and an iron bar and left for dead. He spent five days in hospital after the attack, which was widely blamed on ruling ZANU-PF party thugs. In a strange twist, Mugabe hinted Sunday he might vote for the MDC candidate as he rejected his former party. "I can't vote for ZANU-PF... what is left? I think it is just Chamisa," said the 94-year-old ex-president. - Fast-track rise - Despite the risks, Chamisa has continued to challenge the regime and now faces Mugabe's successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, in a presidential race that has a total of 23 candidates. Born in Masvingo, south of the capital Harare, Chamisa studied law and political science at the University of Zimbabwe and holds a degree in theology. He credits his career to his parents' insistence that he value education and excel in school. As head of the Zimbabwe National Students Union in the late 1990s, Chamisa was among organisers of demonstrations against Mugabe's government that resulted in colleges and universities being shut down. He rose through the MDC party ranks, holding posts including leader of the youth wing and party spokesman. Over the years, he has earned a reputation for delivering passionate speeches spiced with humour -- a sharp contrast to the sombre Mnangagwa. In the troubled power-sharing government after the 2008 election, he was the youngest member of cabinet, serving as information and communication technology minister. Chamisa's mentor was MDC founder Tsvangirai, who died from cancer in February. The party's internal rivalries sparked a damaging leadership battle that Chamisa has struggled to repair. On the campaign trail, he led with conviction, speaking at scores of rallies and successfully keeping up his public profile by attacking the electoral authorities and ruling party. - 'Connecting with young leadership' - In an interview with AFP, Chamisa said he would ride a wave of youthful optimism to victory, emulating Barack Obama, Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau. "People are connecting with young leadership," Chamisa, who is married with one child, declared. "Young people are taking charge, look at France, look at Canada... look at the United States," he said. Chamisa has alleged the election is riddled with fraud but vowed not to boycott it, saying he will win and that his party will not resort to violence. "We can't boycott our mandate, winners don't boycott," he said. "Victory is inevitable." Time for a change? Nelson Chamisa hopes he can ride to victory on a wave of optimism after the Mugabe era Profile of Nelson Chamisa, leading opposition candidate for Zimbabwe's presidential elections on Monday Nicaragua's veteran leader Daniel Ortega defended brutal action by his forces against anti-government protesters Monday, as the United States warned he and his wife were "ultimately responsible" for deaths and rights violations. In the latest of a number of foreign media interviews the usually hermetic president is now giving, Ortega told the Euronews and CNN Spanish television channels the unrest was fomented by the United States. He described armed and masked paramilitaries seen cooperating closely with his security forces against the protesters as "volunteer police." And Ortega reaffirmed his rejection of opposition calls for early elections or his resignation. That "would open the doors to anarchy in the country," he asserted to Euronews. The interviews showed that the former leftwing guerrilla who has ruled Nicaragua for 22 of the past 39 years, was digging in despite growing international condemnation. Three months of turmoil have killed more than 300 people, according to Nicaraguan rights groups and the UN. Ortega disputes that count as "not correct." He gave his own death toll of 195, including two dozen police officers, as well as paramilitaries, sympathizers of his ruling Sandinista party and other civilians. - Ongoing protests - Although tensions have diminished in the past week and a half following intense armed operations against protest hubs resentment against Ortega and his wife Vice President Rosario Murillo simmers unabated. On Monday in Leon, a northwestern town that was formerly a bastion of Sandinista support before many turned against the party, demonstrations were held in front of state-run hospitals where some staff have been sacked for treating wounded protesters and expressing sympathy with their cause. Another demonstration took place in the capital, with Nicaraguan journalists demanding an end to assaults against them. Over the weekend, thousands of people marched in Managua to show support for the Catholic Church, which has been mediating unsuccessful talks between Ortega's administration and the opposition. The president has accused the bishops taking part of siding with the "coup-mongers" seeking to topple him, and allowing churches to become shelters for "terrorists." Recent marches have taken place with no sign of police monitoring or confrontation. Ortega said the turmoil is essentially over since mid-July and things are getting back to "normal." Even though he admitted the tourist industry had taken a hard blow, "the country is recovering" overall, he affirmed. - Media coverage - Ortega complains that foreign media coverage of the unrest falsely suggests most Nicaraguans want him gone. "Not all the people" are against him, he told Euronews, only "part of the population." The real root cause of the violence, he argued, were US entities that for the past decade, he said, have been "allocating millions so that Nicaragua upholds 'democracy'... but which are diverted to destabilize the country and encourage armed actions." He said: "The truth is that we are facing a powerful enemy that has intervened militarily in Nicaragua, which is the United States." The allegation echoed anti-US rhetoric advanced by Nicaragua's Latin American allies Bolivia, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as Iran. The accusations from international rights groups and regional bodies, Ortega told CNN Spanish, "is a war through social media." He said he was ready to accept mediation with the United Nations to restart the stalled dialogue with the opposition. - US condemnation - The president rejected any suggestion that his unbending position was pushing the country toward worsening conflict. "I don't believe Nicaragua is on the brink of civil war," he told CNN Spanish. "The people are tired" of the unrest already experienced, he said. Ortega, 72, is a longtime bete noire of the US government. He headed a left-wing Sandinista government during the Cold War, and returned to power in 2007. The United States has been stepping up its scrutiny of the violence in Nicaragua and is considering extra sanctions on top of those already applied to top officials. In a statement, the White House said it "strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Nicaragua and human rights abuses committed by the Ortega regime." It added: "President Ortega and Vice President Murillo are ultimately responsible for the pro-government parapolice that have brutalized their own people." The United States "stands with the people of Nicaragua," the White House said, demanding democratic reform and an end to the bloodshed. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, right, is blaming the United States for violence in his country Portugal said Monday it has mobilised more than 10,000 people and boosted control operations in fire-prone areas of the country ahead of a major heatwave to avoid a repeat of last year's deadly wildfires. "This year, we have in place the biggest plan ever: 10,700 men and women around the country," including "voluntary firefighters, police and soldiers," Interior Minister Eduardo Cabrita told local media. Starting on Wednesday, Portugal will face a four-day-long heatwave when temperatures could reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in places, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Facing this weather outlook, "we are reinforcing control operations especially in the most vulnerable zones" by "already prepositioning the means of intervention" in the event of fires, said Patricia Gaspar, spokeswoman for the national civil protection authority. "This plan allows us to gain time in the initial attack phase," she stressed, adding that this year rescue services have two planes that are currently involved in monitoring operations. In June 2017, 64 people were killed in the deadliest wildfires in Portugal's history. The fires burned for five days in the central Leiria region, breaking out at the height of a summer heatwave. Many of the victims died trapped in their cars by the flames while trying to escape. Record high temperatures around Europe this summer have triggered deadly wildfires from Sweden to Greece. In June 2017, 64 people were killed in the deadliest wildfires in Portugal's history The number of elderly people committing suicide in Singapore reached a record high last year, a non-government group said Monday, urging stronger support for the over 60s in the rapidly ageing city-state. Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), which focuses on preventing suicides, said fear of becoming a burden to family, social disconnection, physical impairment and deteriorating mental health are the most common challenges faced by the elderly. With persistently low birth rates and longer lifespans, affluent Singapore is grappling with a rapidly ageing population which has been described as a ticking "demographic time bomb". SOS said in a statement posted on its website that the number of people aged 60 and above who took their own lives in 2017 rose to 129, which was the highest on record and accounted for nearly 36 percent of that year's total suicides. "It is very worrying that many elderly are turning to suicide as the only choice to end their pain and struggles," said SOS executive director Christine Wong. "The ageing population in Singapore is set to bring more challenges to current available social support services. There is imminent need for stronger support networks as the number of elderly Singapore residents living alone continues to increase." SOS said the rise in cases of elderly people taking their own lives came as the number of overall reported suicides in the country declined in 2017 to its lowest level since 2012. Official projections show the number of Singapore citizens aged 65 and above will double from 500,000 in 2016 to 900,000 in 2030. Other developed nations also face challenges due to ageing populations. Japan said last month it plans to bring in more foreign workers to tackle a serious labour shortage caused by the country's ageing, shrinking population. The number of elderly Singaporeans will double from 500,000 in 2016 to 900,000 in 2030 The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties after over a decade of animosity, in the latest fast-track rapprochement in the Horn of Africa. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," said a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Somali counterpart Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. Once close, Somalia and Eritrea fell out over a decade ago as Asmara stood accused of backing Islamist militants on Somali soil in a proxy war with Ethiopia. Eritrea long denied this, but was slapped with UN sanctions over its alleged backing of Al-Shabaab in 2009. "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the country?s rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," read the declaration. The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (left) and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki celebrate the reopening of the Embassy of Eritrea in Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on July 16, 2018 The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday agreed to establish diplomatic ties after more than a decade of animosity, in the latest lightning rapprochement between Horn of Africa rivals. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," read a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed, who left for Mogadishu shortly thereafter. The declaration came just three weeks after Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to two decades of conflict, rapidly restoring diplomatic ties and flights between their capitals. The history of the three nations, and their fallouts, have been intertwined. Somalia and Eritrea were once close. Under Somali dictator Siad Barre, the military regime in Mogagishu backed Eritrea's long fight for independence from Ethiopia, which was attained in 1993. In 1998 Ethiopia and Eritrea began a bloody two-year war over their shared border which left 80,000 dead before settling into a bitter cold war. After the fall of Barre in 1991, Somalia fell into chaos. By around 2006, it became the site of what observers called a proxy war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Ethiopia backed backing a weak interim government in Mogadishu while Eritrea was accused of backing the Islamic militants fighting to overthrow it, a charge it denied. The UN Security Council in 2009 imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militants, which continue to launch regular deadly attacks despite losing territory in recent years. The declaration placed special emphasis on its support for the Somali government. "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the country?s rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," it said.The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." - End of 'epoch of conflict' - At a state banquet on Sunday, Isaias bemoaned the gloomy post-Cold War history of the Horn of Africa. He said the region had been destroyed by "ethnic and clan cleavages" and "external pillage and internal thievery" in the speech which also lashed out at the "micromanagement of anarchy" by the United Nations and NGOs. "Under these bleak realities, interventionist and expansionist regional agendas in the name of religion, cultural intoxication under various extremist ideologies, terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, as well as trade in weapons and narcotics became the new normal," he said, according to a speech posted on the information ministry's website. "But this epoch of crises, conflict and instability is not inherently sustainable. As such, it is nearing its end. We are indeed entering a new, transitional, phase." Ethiopia, which is undergoing lightning reforms under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has already formally requested that sanctions be lifted against Eritrea. And in the wake of Ethiopia's peace with Eritrea, its other neighbour and rival Djibouti asked the UN Security Council for help mediating a long-standing border dispute that has soured relations with Asmara. Turning the page on the past: Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, left, and Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Time to celebrate: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, left, and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki reopened the Eritrean embassy in Addis Ababa on July 16 Map locating Somalia and Eritrea Syria's Druze minority, whose men are being called up for military service by Damascus, is struggling to insulate itself from the conflict that has engulfed the country since 2011. Here is a summary of the community's profile, its role in Syria's conflict and the attacks it has faced. - Secretive minority - The Druze community accounted for around three percent of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million. They are located mainly in the southern province of Sweida with smaller pockets around Damascus and in the northwest, although some have fled jihadist-held parts of the latter area. Druze are monotheistic and considered Muslim, but the sect is otherwise highly secretive, includes mystical elements such as reincarnation, and does not allow new converts. Some 200,000 Druze are located in neighbouring Lebanon and over 100,000 are in Israel, while 18,000 live in the Israeli-occupied Golan. - Split by war - Syria's Druze have been split by the uprising that erupted in 2011 against President Bashar al-Assad, who had long portrayed himself as a protector of the country's minorities. Druze should not be seen "as being neutral in this war -- it's more multifaceted and the Druze are not a monolithic bloc", said Tobias Lang, an analyst focused on Druze populations in the Middle East. One of the first soldiers to defect from Syria's army in protest at its handling of demonstrations was Druze officer Khaldun Zeineddine, who later died in clashes against regime forces. Others remained firmly loyal, like General Issam Zahreddine, one of the highest-ranking Druze army officers who died last year in a mine blast after battling the Islamic State group in Syria's east. Druze leaders have often tried to maintain a relationship with the regime to keep their areas autonomous and spare them from government attacks. One symbol of that complex relationship was Wahid al-Balous, a Druze religious authority who pushed for the sect's soldiers to be deployed near their hometowns, rather than in other provinces. Balous, who died in a car bomb attack in Sweida in 2015, spoke out against both jihadists and Assad. - Druze defence - Syria's Druze have protected their heartland in Sweida with their own forces. The most powerful has been the Sheikhs of Dignity, which was headed by Balous and included fighters and other religious figures. Sheikhs of Dignity has fought fierce battles against the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate. Other militias have been closely linked to the regime, including the Dareh al-Watan (Shield of the Nation), a Druze force founded in April 2015 with 2,000 fighters. Such groups appear to have protected Sweida's sons from compulsory military service, with authorities turning a blind eye so long as young men fight in units not opposed to the regime. But with the regime hungry for fresh conscripts, that deal appears to be coming apart at the seams and Assad has now called on young Druze men to serve. His appeal came after Damascus announced the release this month of Druze women and children who had been kidnapped during a July attack by IS. - Targeted by rebels, jihadists - That onslaught by the jihadists left more than 260 people dead, mostly civilians. It was the worst attack against the minority so far but not the first. A car bomb in 2012 ripped through Damascus' Jaramana suburb, which is mostly Druze and Christian. In 2013 and 2014, fierce fighting between Syrian rebels and pro-regime Druze forces rocked Sweida province and Druze areas closer to Damascus. IS began attacking Sweida province in 2015, first targeting Khalkhalah military airport. The same year, 20 Druze Syrians were killed in a shoot-out with Al-Qaeda jihadists in the village of Qalb Lawzah in northwestern Idlib province. Druze residents of Qalb Lawzah had come out against the regime a year into Syria's uprising. In 2016, IS beheaded four labourers in an area it controlled outside Damascus, accusing them of being Druze. And in 2017, a car bomb killed nine people in Hader, a regime-held village in the southwestern province of Quneitra mostly populated by Druze. Members of the Lebanese, Israeli and Syrian Druze communities share a meal in the Syrian Druze city of Sweida on September 12, 2007 Map of Syria locating the southern city of Sweida US President Donald Trump traded smiles, handshakes and compliments with Italy's populist leader Giuseppe Conte Monday, as the two rightists presented a united front on everything from Russia to immigration. Trump welcomed the novice prime minister to the White House with outstretched arms, hailing him as a kindred spirit -- a fellow political outsider with an admirably tough line on immigration. "We got along very well right from the beginning," said Trump, lavishing praise on the 53-year-old Conte. "I applaud the prime minister for his bold leadership, truly bold, and I hope more follow this example, including leaders in Europe." After years of Italy living in the political shadow of its larger European neighbors, Conte seized on a White House visit to boost his country's profile -- and his own. Describing the "special invitation" from Trump as a great tribute to Italy and himself, Conte said Rome now wanted to become a "privileged interlocutor" of the United States. In return, the Italian leader seemed ready and eager to provide political cover for Trump, who is struggling to smother multiple crises at home ahead of crunch November mid-term elections. A recent Economist/YouGov poll showed a scant 40 percent of American voters approve of how Trump handles foreign policy. The controversial 72-year-old Trump has been pilloried by Democrats and Republicans alike for his cozy relationship with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and his rows with allies at recent summits. The suave Italian painted those summit talks as "fruitful," insisted there must be dialogue with Russia, expressed "envy" at the US economy under Trump and praised his host as a "great negotiator." - In sync on immigration - The visit began with a handshake and a smile from Conte at the West Wing portico. The two leaders then held a one-on-one Oval Office meeting and more extensive bilateral discussions before facing the media. Trump -- who has pursued a "zero tolerance" policy at the US border, a crackdown that led to hundreds of children being separated from parents who crossed into the country from Mexico without papers -- praised Conte's approach on the issue. "I agree very much (with) what you're doing with respect to migration and illegal immigration, and even legal immigration," Trump said, encouraging other European countries to follow suit. Conte was chosen to lead the Italian government by the leaders of parties that won elections in March: the euro-skeptic Five Star Movement and the far-right League party. The Italian press has suggested the White House meeting will boost Conte, who is often overshadowed by his deputy prime ministers, who are also those parties' exuberant leaders: Matteo Salvini of the League party, and Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement. Salvini stole some of the attention on the eve of the White House meeting by posting a controversial message on Facebook -- "many enemies, much honor" -- that echoed a well-known saying by Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini on the anniversary of the latter's birthday. Conte won Trump's support for his effort to reform European Union migration rules and the apparent establishment of a joint monitoring center in the Mediterranean. Italy argues that the bloc's current law places an unfair burden on countries that border the sea, and its new populist government has stepped up pressure on other EU countries to share responsibility. It has closed Italy's ports to migrants and turned back several ships carrying refugees rescued at sea, threatening the future of those operations. - US not budging on Russia sanctions - Both Trump and Conte also favor better relations with Russia, although Trump had one eye on domestic opinion when he insisted sanctions would stay "as is" for now. There were more signs of tension below the surface when Trump complained about America's trade deficit with Italy, before he quickly added: "We'll work something out." According to Nick Ottens of the Atlantic Council, Trump "may not find the ally he expects" in Conte. On trade, the new Italian government's skepticism of multinational agreements could complicate Trump's desire to see all EU tariffs eliminated, according to Ottens. Meanwhile, in the defense realm, Italy has said it has no chance of reaching the target spending of two percent of GDP -- let alone Trump's stated goal at the latest NATO summit of four percent. In early July, Italy's defense minister Elisabetta Trenta announced a freeze on purchasing F-35 fighter aircraft, of which the US is the primary contractor. Conte stressed that the contract was agreed more than a decade ago, but vowed to proceed cautiously in a way that is "fully transparent with our partner, the Trump administration." The pair also brushed over differences over Iran, where sanctions have hurt Italian-Iranian commercial relations. Trump said he was willing to meet Iran's leaders without preconditions but did not say what Tehran had to do to have sanctions lifted. US President Donald Trump (R) and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte shake hands as they hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House Trump and Conte met in the Oval Office before facing the media The Turkish lawyer for a US pastor at the centre of a diplomatic row between NATO allies Ankara and Washington on Monday appealed to a court for his client's release. Andrew Brunson, who ran a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir, was moved to house arrest last week after nearly two years in prison on terror-related charges. But his lawyer Cem Halavurt told AFP that he had submitted an appeal for Brunson's "house arrest and the ban on him leaving the country to be lifted". The court must give a response within three days, Halavurt added. The next hearing in Brunson's trial is only on October 12. The moving of Brunson from jail to house arrest last week stoked tensions rather than defusing the crisis with US media reports accusing Turkey of reneging on a deal to free him, which Ankara has denied. US President Donald Trump then threatened to impose "large sanctions" on Turkey if the pastor was not freed, echoing comments from his Vice President Mike Pence. "He is suffering greatly," Trump on Thursday said of the 50-year-old pastor. "This innocent man of faith should be released immediately!" But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the threats and said sanctions would not force Ankara to take a "step back". "The US should not forget that it could lose a strong and sincere partner like Turkey if it does not change its attitude," Erdogan was quoted as saying in Turkish media on Sunday. Turkey's National Security Council, which Erdogan heads, issued a statement late Monday criticising as "inacceptable" what it said was "threatening language" from the United States. Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted of carrying out activities on behalf of two groups Turkey deems to be terror groups, namely, the movement of US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara says was behind a 2016 failed coup and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Singapore during this week's meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a Turkish official told AFP. Ties between Ankara and Washington are already tense over US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia which Ankara says is linked to the PKK as well as the failure to extradite Gulen. Turkey has also angered the US by imprisoning two Turkish employees of American consulates in the country and holding another under house arrest on terror-related charges, which Washington has strongly rejected. Andrew Brunson, who ran a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir, was moved to house arrest last week after nearly two years in prison on terror-related charges Twin girls and their grandparents, missing in the Greek fires, have been found dead with the four of them locked in an embrace, a family friend said. Sofia and Vasiliki Philippopoulos and their grandparents were among those who went missing during the deadly fires that raged through the coastal resort town of Mati, east of Athens. The fires have claimed 91 lives, with 25 people still missing. It was revealed on the weekend by a family friend the nine-year-old twins, Sofia and Vasiliki, had been found dead. It follows their fathers desperate search for his girls after he thought he saw them on a rescue boat in TV news footage last week. Child welfare agency Smile of the Child also confirmed the twins had died in the fires. Sofia and Vasiliki Philippopoulos went missing in the Greek fires and were found dead embracing their grandparents. Relative Angelo Kontos posted on Facebook: The epilogue has been written. All 4 found hugging each other. Not even death could tear them apart. The twins father Yiannis Philipopoulos said early Wednesday that he and his wife recognised the nine-year-old girls in the TV news footage after they spent a fruitless day searching for them at area hospitals and law enforcement agencies. He said the girls went missing along with their grandparents amid the fires that engulfed popular resort spots around Mati. The twins father thought he had seen his daughters on a news report on Greek TV but the girls reportedly belonged to another family. But the girls he spotted on TV reportedly belonged to another family. Mr Philipopoulos search highlighted the plight of many families looking for relatives. He said in an appearance on the private television stations Skai and Alpha that the footage gave him hope that his children were alive. Arson the likely cause of fires The vast number of people who died in the fires were killed by flames, though a number drowned in the sea while fleeing the blaze. An aerial photo shows burnt houses and trees following a wildfire in Mati, east of Athens. Source: Antonis Nikolopoulos/Eurokinissi via AP As of Sunday, 59 victims had been identified. Greek authorities said they have reason to believe the fire resulted from arson, and turned so deadly because winds of up to 100km/h buffeted the pine-forested seaside resorts at the time The Greek government has also been criticised for how buildings and roads were laid out in the area and an alleged lack of adequate preparation for the fire season. More than 2000 homes were damaged in the fire and roughly a quarter will have to be demolished, Greek officials said on Friday. The White House said Monday that responsibility for deadly political violence that has destabilized Nicaragua lies with President Daniel Ortega and his wife. In a statement, the US government said it "strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Nicaragua and human rights abuses committed by the Ortega regime" in response to political protests. More than 300 people have been killed and 2,000 wounded in more than three months of unrest against Daniel Ortega's administration. Pro-government paramilitaries have targeted those demanding Ortega and his powerful vice president, wife Rosario Murillo, resign. Doctors have been attacked for treating the wounded. "President Ortega and Vice President Murillo are ultimately responsible for the pro-government parapolice that have brutalized their own people," the White House said. The US has hit top officials with sanctions, tightened visa restrictions and backed church-led efforts to secure peace. Ortega, aged 72, is a long-time bete noire of the US government. He headed a left-wing Sandinista government during the Cold War, and returned to power in 2007. "The United States stands with the people of Nicaragua, including members of the Sandinista party, who are calling for democratic reforms and an end to the violence," said the White House. The unrest is posing the biggest challenge to Ortega's authority since he returned to office in 2007, not least because the business sector that had underpinned previous economic stability is now spurning him over the violence. Washington blames Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega for the deadly unrest that has left more than 300 dead Recently, a young lady asked me, "When do you sleep? You are behind the bar whenever I come in. So I was honest with her and told her that I sleep very little, but when I do, I sleep like a baby. I wake up every hour and cry myself back to sleep. The bar life can be tough, and although I dont really cry myself to sleep, I do stay up and worry a lot. She had a lot of bar business questions, and we had a great conversation. I told her about a girl that was putting on an event in our private room. She was selling jewelry, scarves and such. So she got all set up and ready to open when she said to me, "Well, I have everything looking good and set up just right. I just hope people come in. I looked at her and said, "Honey, thats what I do every day." And thats the truth: You do the best you can and hope for the best every day. I think thats the way most people get through their day. Im so thankful for our patrons without them, I would have to get a real job, buy an alarm clock, fight with my wife over the bathroom every morning. I get chills just thinking about it. But another regular customer just admitted to me that when he heard we were opening a new bar with a craft cocktail theme, he thought we were nuts and would be closed up in a year. To him, I said, "Well, you have to try and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt." Lucky for me, he was wrong. So my whole point to that story is that you cant be afraid of failure. If you work at it hard enough and want it bad enough, it could happen. Or you could lose your shirt. Just sayin'. So, as you can imagine, I overhear a lot of conversations. And I had to remind some friends of an old saying: "If you were made to do just half of the things you said you were gonna do while drinking, you would have to stop drinking." Things like, "Im quitting my job tomorrow," "Im telling my boss where to go," "Im running away with the waitress." We say a lot when feeling warm and fuzzy. Im sure Ive said some crazy things over the years I just cant remember them. I get these two guys that come in regularly. You remember the Muppet show the two old guys in the balcony (Statler and Waldorf)? Well thats them. Its all in good fun, but the one guy Ill call him Comey (not his real name, and hes not related to the FBI guy). Anyway, he used to bartend right after Prohibition, and I overheard his conversation, saying that no matter how screwed up this country is, theres always gonna be more people trying to get in than get out. Sometimes, that guy gets it right. And thats all Im saying as far as politics go. I hope this column gives you a break from all the frustrating, sad stuff that most of us read daily. If you really need a break, stop downtown at the Muppet show. See you at the bar. Jeff Campagnola has been a bartender in Auburn for more than 30 years, and is co-owner and operator of A.T. Walley & Co., 119 Genesee St. If you'd like to ask him a question, email him at jcampagnola@msn.com. No hate mail, please. Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Czech state prosecutor: "To shoot the fucker" is a vague statement, it cannot be prosecuted 30. 7. 2018 cas cteni 1 minuta Social networks in the Czech Republic, as well as many "alternative" websites are full of death threats, but Czech prosecutors refuse to prosecute these. These death threats are usually hurled at politicians and journalists. Ondrej Kundra, a reporter for the Czech Respekt news magazine, has been the subject of many death threats which have been sent to him by concrete individuals. When the editors of Respekt reported these death threats to the Czech police, the police refused to act, saying that the editors "must respect a different opinion". "Many people told us that we should report the death threats to the State Prosecutor's Office, surely State Prosecutors are much more professional than the police," says Eric Tabery in a Respekt editorial, just published. Social networks in the Czech Republic, as well as many "alternative" websites are full of death threats, but Czech prosecutors refuse to prosecute these. These death threats are usually hurled at politicians and journalists. Ondrej Kundra, a reporter for the Czechnews magazine, has been the subject of many death threats which have been sent to him by concrete individuals. When the editors ofreported these death threats to the Czech police, the police refused to act, saying that the editors "must respect a different opinion"."Many people told us that we should report the death threats to the State Prosecutor's Office, surely State Prosecutors are much more professional than the police," says Eric Tabery in aeditorial, just published. However, it transpires that Czech State Prosecutors do not regard death threats as important, says Tabery. The statement "To shoot the fucker", which was sent to Ondrej Kundra, is a very vague statement, says a State Prosecutor in an official response to the Respekt weekly. "Considering where it was published and considering that an infinitive has been used, it is obvious that the statement is not directly aimed at journalist Ondrej Kundra. The statement cannot be seen as incitement to violence in terms of Article 364 of the Czech Penal Code, because when the context and the situation in which the statement was made is taken into consideration it is obvious that the statement cannot incite other people to commit a criminal offence." Such an official statement evidently serves as an encouragement to disseminators of hate speech to do more. 0 6097 Source in Czech HERE Four of the five kittens who were left outside of South Florida Wildlife Center in a closed foam cooler in 90 degree heat. Thankfully they are doing well and will be up for adoption soon. Jessica Sayre Sonzogni/SFWC 284 shares Youre used to reading here and elsewhere about larger cruelty deployments in which The HSUS is involved, and thats an important role we play as an organization with highly trained responders and a full-fledged animal response team. A large-scale animal cruelty case can be costly, and it is sometimes difficult for local societies and municipal animal care and service agencies to take them on without incurring serious expense and hardship. When local agencies reach out to us for assistance, we always look for a way to say yes, because we know our help can decrease the burden on smaller organizations. This work is a part of our historical legacy and its going to continue to be a core element of our commitment. In addition to our Animal Rescue Team deployments, we do our best to strengthen the hand of local societies and law enforcement agencies in their response to cruelty. Our approach is multi-faceted. We push for legislation that will help crack down on cruelty, such as cost of care legislation that removes the financial burden of the care of animals rescued, and placing it on the offender. Through our Law Enforcement Training Center and our Humane State Program, weve trained thousands of law enforcement officials on how to detect cruelty, and enforce their local laws. Our reward program adds yet another facet. While we wish everyone would come forward if they see cruelty or have information on a case, that doesnt always happen, and a financial incentive can make the difference. This July brought a slew of cases to our attention. Weve done our best to respond, offering rewards of up to $5,000 in connection with information needed to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of animal cruelty in a variety of situations around the country. I hope youll help in spreading the word about these cases and finding those responsible. In the days following the 4th of July, I was horrified to read about a cat in Richland County, Ohio, in terrible condition after someone set off a firecracker in her rectum. It was unclear if she would survive the injuries, but she did, and was released from the hospital last week, into the care of the Humane Society of Richland County, and is making headlines around the world. We contributed to the reward fundcurrently at $23,000, and hope that it leads to the conviction of the perpetrator. Not two weeks later, we sponsored a reward in support of the Friends of Louisville Metro Animal Services, for information concerning a Jack Russel Terrier, shot with an arrow in Fairdale, Kentucky. Sadly, she succumbed to her injuries despite the efforts to save her, and the person has not been found. At about the same time, we offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the abandonment of a puppy behind a Target store in Hagerstown, Maryland. She was emaciated and infested with parasites, but thanks to the great care of the Humane Society of Washington County, she survived and is gaining weight steadily. We also recently added $2,500 to the reward being offered by the Office of Law Enforcement of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the case of a pregnant dolphin shot to death and found on a beach at Waveland, Mississippi. These rewards are not the only touches we have with the plight of individual animals abandoned, mistreated, or at risk. It isnt well known, but our own Animal Care Centers experience the same kind of challenges that local groups face when people leave companion animalslike dogs, cats, and even birdsin need at their gates. A couple of Saturdays back, in 90-degree heat, South Florida Wildlife Center staff members discovered five kittens in a closed foam cooler left outside their doors. The kittens were in critical condition and badly dehydrated. Im glad to report that these animals are doing well at the Center, in anticipation of a transfer to Broward County Animal Care and Adoption for adoption in a few days. Our founders saw a special role for The HSUS when they joined together in 1954 to create a new organization. They wanted to focus on the big picture, the large scale threats to animals, and the prevention of systemic cruelty that went beyond what local organizations could easily take on. But they were also involved with local animal care and service organizations, and mindful of the ever-present need for investigation, prosecution, and vigilance in the defense of individual animals at risk of terrible cruelty and neglect. And thanks to you, and your support for all of our programs, we remain involved and committed in such cases. Archprankster Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G, Borat, etc) has a new show called Who Is America? where he disguises himself sits down with US politicians and tries to get them to do something absurd, with some pretty remarkable (and even career-ending) results (though not everybody falls for it). The latest clip released by the show's producers disgraced Trump favorite Roy Moore, whose bid for a senate seat was disrupted by widespread accusations of sexual assaults and sexual harassment, often against young teens (Moore was reportedly banned from a local mall because he kept showing up and hitting on young girls). Baron Cohen appears in one of his standard Who Is America disguises: a hyper-macho ex-Mossad commando who is apparently irresistible to far-right scumbags (not sure if this is because they are ideologically committed to Israel, or because there's a lucrative speaking/consulting circuit there maybe both?). After some banter about Israel's world-beating military contractors and their incredible gadgets, Baron Cohen reveals a "pedophile detector" that can detect trace elements in body odor that reveal the presence of a pedophile and/or sexual predator. Of course Moore nods along with this explanation, and of course the device alarms whenever it gets close to Moore. Moore grows flustered, insists that he's been happily married for decades, and claims, falsely, that he has never been accused of sexual impropriety. But of course, we all know it's a setup. After all, Moore isn't accused of being a pedophile (someone who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children). He's accused of being an ephebephile (someone who is attracted to postpubescent children). I mean, honestly! Former Air Force spy Denver Riggleman is the GOP Congressional candidate for Virginia's 5th district, and he's caught flack for campaigning with the notorious white supremacist Isaac Smith, co-founder of Unity & Security for America. Hanging out with Nazis while trying to get elected to high office in a district that includes Charlottesville is pretty politically charged, but now Riggleman has been caught posting "bigfoot erotica" to his social media accounts. Yesterday, Riggleman's Democratic opponent Leslie Cockburn tweeted a screengrab from Riggleman's Instagram depicting a naked Sasquatch adorned with a black CENSORED bar over the crytid's genital area. Cockburn captioned her tweet: "My opponent Denver Riggleman, running mate of Corey Stewart, was caught on camera campaigning with a white supremacist. Now he has been exposed as a devotee of Bigfoot erotica. This is not what we need on Capitol Hill." Oblivious, Riggleman continued to post sasquatch porn to his feed, including an image with his face superimposed over the poor bigfoot's handsome, hairy phiz. Riggleman is the author of a self-published book called "Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him," which may be a followup to his decade-old, co-authored book "Bigfoot Exterminators Inc.: The Partially Cautionary, Mostly True Tale of Monster Hunt 2006." Both Cockburn and Riggleman are hoping to win the seat previously occupied by the disgraced Republican Tom Garret, who resigned after a scandal about treating his staff like "personal servants." Garret blamed his conduct on alcoholism. "Leslie has been traveling throughout the district meeting with real people about real issues that matter to them," Louise Bruce, Cockburn's campaign manager, told The Daily Progress on Sunday. "Meanwhile, Mr. Riggleman is home scrubbing his social media of 'Bigfoot erotica' and who knows what else." Riggleman refuted Cockburn's characterization of the Bigfoot material, telling The Daily Progress that the drawings unearthed by his opponent are not erotica, but a "joke his military friends played on him." Bigfoot Porn Has Become A Major Controversy In A U.S. House Race. Seriously. [Dominique Mosbergen/Huffington Post] Jacobo Prisco at CNN returns to 1958, when a new symbol appeared at protests against nuclear weapons in the UK. "It's a minor masterpiece with major evocative power," said design guru and cultural critic, Stephen Bayley, in an email. "It speaks very clearly of an era and a sensibility. "It is, simply, a fine period piece: the ordinary thing done extraordinarily well." The design is meant to represent the letters "N" and "D" standing for "nuclear disarmament" as they appear in the semaphore alphabet, which is used by sailors to communicate from a distance with flags. Earlier this month, the United Nations Relief and Works agency for Palestinian refugees in the near-east (UNRWA) warned that it'd have no choice but to make deep cuts to its programs, due to a funding freeze enacted by the United States Government. Last week, in light of a 217 million dollar funding shortfall, UNRWA lowered the boom: employees for a number of vital programs, including housing assistance, medical and mental health support, education and employment programs have either been given drastic pay cuts or told that they no longer have jobs. According to The Washington Post, UNRWA dismissed 154 of its employees, 125 of which are located in Gaza, and downgraded another 580 to contract workers. The head of UNRWA's Palestinian employees union, Amir al-Miss'hal stated that in addition to this, UNRWA has also canceled an additional 1,000 jobs by ordering a hiring freeze of employees destined to fill in for UNRWA workers approaching retirement. Unsurprisingly, shit is now going down: hundreds of UNRWA declared a sit-in, this past Monday, with threats from the UNRWA employee's union of a strike that could throw Gaza into chaos. One UNRWA was so unhinged by losing his to job that he attempted to set himself on fire, this past Wednesday. From The Washington Post: Earlier this year, the U.S. cut around $300 million in funding to UNRWA, resulting in a $217 million budget shortfall. U.N. officials say the cuts are "the largest ever reduction in funding UNRWA has faced." Of the five areas in which the agency operates, Gaza is the most vulnerable given its dire living conditions and devastated economy after more than a decade under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade. More than two-thirds of Gaza's population of 2 million are refugees or their descendants. Chris Gunness, an UNRWA spokesman, said the organization "is prioritizing food security support to the most vulnerable refugees by continuing its emergency food program to nearly 1 million refugees" in Gaza. The 300 million dollars that the United States has decided to withhold from United Nations programming amounts to roughly 30% of UNRWA's annual budget. While food aid is still flowing to the Palestinians, for the time being, there's no telling how long the crisis will continue or what could happen as the ire of the UNRWA's employee union continues to grow. Image via Flickr, courtesy of sanjitbakshi Deep below a mile of ice at the Martian south pole lies a lake of liquid water, according to a team of Italian scientists led by Roberto Orosei. Via NPR: When Orosei and his colleagues analyzed the data, they saw what looked like a lake of water about 12 miles in diameter and a mile below a surface layer made up of water ice and dust. There are hundreds of this kind of subglacial lake on Earth, mostly in Antarctica. "After years, literally a couple of years ofdiscussion, debate, and let's say general head scratching, we really felt confident that any other explanation would fail," Orosei says. Blackstone is the largest private equity fund in the world; when the 2008 crash hit and banks used the trillions in taxpayer bailouts to fund mass evictions of working people who'd been tricked into taking out predatory mortgages, Blackstone started bulk-buying them, creating rent-backed bonds (called Single-Family Rental Securities or SERS) that are the even-shittier successors to the mortgage-backed securities that detonated the world economy in 2008. In many towns, Blackstone has cornered the market on rental properties, meaning that once you've settled somewhere for work or your kids' school, you are going to be renting from Blackstone. They are shitty, shitty landlords. Reuters spoke with dozens of tenants of Blackstone's "Invitation Homes" (Blackstone's business unit that rents out these properties) and the litany of complaints is amazing, and familiar to anyone who's ever rented from a slumlord: floods of raw sewage, rising toxic mold, leaks, problems with heat and AC and everything else. And, of course, tenants face massive, unbearable rent-hikes year after year, as Blackstone squeezes them to ensure that the bonds they've floated continue to generate big returns for investors. But the modern twist here is that Invitation Homes has an all-digital system for reporting maintenance issues, a website that is part of the company's "worry free" environment. According to Blackstone's tenants, you can list as many maintenance issues as you'd like with this portal, and Blackstone's property managers will wait a brief interval, then mark the issues as resolved, without ever visiting your house or dealing with the knee-deep raw sewage. The one part of Blackstone's digital infrastructure that works superbly is a system for assessing fines against tenants if you are one minute late with your rent (even if the delay is caused by their payment portal repeatedly crashing), they assess huge fines against you. There are fines for everything, and the company boasts to its bondholders and to analysts about how much money it's making from fining its tenants. Another important difference between Blackstone and a traditional slumlord is that slumlords were relatively petty grifters, milking tenants in a handful of buildings. Blackstone is giant, and able to coordinate massive lobbying campaigns to relax limits on rent increases and to chip away at tenants' rights. Blackstone disputes all of this and told Reuters it had lots of happy tenants. Reuters asked the company to name five tenants, out of all the tens of thousands the company has, who were happy with the company as a landlord. Three of the tenants Blackstone named wouldn't even return Reuters' phonecalls. The bonds that were spun out of the rents from these 82,000 homes are your basic Wall Street financial engineer junk-paper. Blackstone exploited a regulatory loophole that lets them package up rental properties whose interiors have never been inspected: the unlicensed contractors who do an external visual inspection are "told to assume that the interiors had been remodeled to the standards advertised on the Invitation Homes website." The bonds are taxpayer backed, guaranteed by Fannie Mae. Tenants who live in these 82,000 homes are routinely terrorized by having eviction notices staplegunned to their doors because the company's website didn't record their rent payments (the system for dispatching eviction notices is incredibly well-tuned, the system for deciding whether someone deserves to be evicted is a lot less well-maintained). While Invitation Homes' portfolio represents less than one percent of single-family rental homes nationwide, the figure can be much higher in markets where the company's inventory is concentrated. In some neighborhoods in California, for example, Invitation Homes owns as much as 25 percent of single-family rentals, according to an analysis of Census and property data by Maya Abood, a former researcher with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Urban Planning Program who co-authored a recent study titled "Wall Street Landlords Turn American Dream into American Nightmare." Invitation Homes has been raising rents by as much as an average of 10 percent a year in places like Oakland, California nearly double the norm in that market according to the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), an advocacy group. At the same time, the company has been adding to the types of fees it charges tenants not just for late payments, but for things like rent paid on debit cards, which incurs a $30 charge. Fees have helped lift earnings by 20 to 30 percent a year. In a recent earnings call, the company attributed rising profits in part to its "system" to "track resident delinquency on a daily basis." This system allows the company to start charging fees and penalties the minute a tenant fails to pay on time. The company's stock price has risen about 11 percent since last year's initial public offering. Wall Street analysts have almost uniformly rated the stock a "buy." Spiders, sewage and a flurry of fees the other side of renting a house from Wall Street [Michelle Conlin/Reuters] (via Naked Capitalism) Sharp-eyed ornithologists noticed that some specimens of Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise that they observed looked different enough that they may be a separate species. They captured video of the other kind for comparison. The newly documented kind has more of a frowny face when the males present: Here's the other kind for comparison: The females look significantly different as well. Sometimes a new species is hiding in plain sightmeet the Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise. Learn more about how the distinct song, dance and courtship appearance of the Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise confirms its new species status in our scientific paper. A new species? The Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise (YouTube / LabofOrnithology) On July 24, off the coast of Indonesia, onlookers cheered as a boat rode (and eventually capsized to) some crazy waves. (It's ok to hit 'play,' the boat was unmanned.) Ryan "Chachi" Craig of Surfer.com reports: It was absolutely crazy. I was swimming and shooting photos and the currents were heavy so I only saw it from the back and saw it drifting into the lineup. There's so much water moving todaythere are palm trees and tree stumps in the lineup. I swam by numerous pieces of wood with nails sticking out of them. The water is like black out there. Anyways, the swell is really, really big and that boat is anchored in the same spot every day so I assumed it's always there, anchored in deep water in the keyhole where everyone jumps in. Not sure whose boat it is, but it was even there during the last swell, which was much smaller than today. This morning when we woke up, a lot of people were tripping out that they (whoever owns the boat) didn't move it because the swell is supposed to grow. I've actually been using it as a marker for where I was in the lineup. It was that close to the wave. Eventually, around mid-morning, it lost its anchor or whatever and started drifting into the lineup. Everyone started paddling away with some determination to get anywhere they could other than where the impact zone was, because if a bigger set came and everyone got caught inside there would've been a really bad situation. Then it just got sucked in. That wasn't even a set wave and it still obviously just got destroyed. The lips are legit 6 feet thick out there right now." Given the crushing strength of this machine and the way large chunks of concrete balance atop distressed rebar, this worker might want to consider goggles and not turning his back on the machine. Modern cutting pliers for the piles destroying, clogging and pulling of piles. Primitive jackhammers and manual labor against modern powerful automatic pneumatic and hydraulic cutters, cranes and jackhammers. The latest technology, mechanical engineering, intelligent technology, mega machines and heavy equipment. Video from Russia, America, Europe and Asia. The machine that pushes them in with steady pressure was interesting, too. The tamping kind seem more common, but that seems like a better idea for reducing stress damage to the piling. 10 Extreme Dangerous Biggest Modern Piles Destroyer World's Most Powerful Heavy Equipment Jackhammer (YouTube / Epic Machines) Jeff Whitman, driving a van emblazoned with a company logo and contact number, made it his business to follow another man home to let him "know how much of a N you are." The victim, who was black, filmed the encounter. Whitman, who is white, is laying low. Theodore Decker with The Columbus Dispatch spoke to him on the phone: Whitman called again. He said he chose the wrong word and insists he is not a bigot. He provided a woman's number and urged me to call her. He wouldn't say why exactly, but I get the sense that he sees her as a character witness. He rambled a bit and said a few other things, including one sentiment that would have many of his newfound enemies guffawing: "I just don't understand the intensity of the hate," he said. He just don't understand the intensity of the hate. - Somizi's G-Wagon was stolen in Ridgeway Johannesburg last Monday - He was not driving the car at the time, Leeroy Sidambe was - The car was recovered by the Police but no arrests have been made PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Following' tab to see Briefly news on your news feed. Somizis G-Wagon recently suffered a very traumatic experience. In South Africa, it is not abnormal to hear of a hijacking, but that does not make it any easier to experience. We are all familiar with his R2million luxurious G-Wagon, while this is the car he was in when the incident happened. Briefly.co.za learnt that the car was stolen last week Monday in Ridgeway Johannesburg. Somizi was not driving at the time, his friend and businessman, Leeroy Sidambe, was. The hijackers did not only take the car, they apparently took valuables such as shopping items that were just purchased, bank cards and cash top the value of R21 000.00 Somizi was so proud when he took delivery of his famous G-Wagon, how could we forget. READ ALSO: Special moments that were captured on Thuso Mbedu's 27th birthday As Somizi was not in the car, he was notified of the incident and immediately contacted the police. The vehicle was found in Eldorado Park by the Police. Unfortunately no arrests have been made. Sidambe is still extremely traumatised and he is seeking counselling to deal with the traumatic event. Watch the funny Animated Joke: When Heaven becomes a crowded place and head over to Briefly South Africa's YouTube channel for more hilarious videos. Do you have a story to share with us? Go to our Facebook page and leave a comment. To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play or iTunes today. Source: Briefly.co.za News / National by AP A politician in the Zimbabwean opposition stronghold of Bulawayo says there are numerous reports of "voting going at a snail's pace."David Coltart, a supporter of opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, says he hopes election observers will pay special attention to the pace of voting "as it is a means of suppressing the urban vote."Coltart says on Twitter that Zimbabwe's electoral commission deliberately slowed voting in urban areas in the 2002 election to undermine the opposition, which traditionally has strong support in major cities. Past elections have been marred by irregularities.But Zimbabwe's electoral commission says this election - the first without longtime leader Robert Mugabe - will be free and fair. News / National by Mafu Sithabile Biggest opposition presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa is reportedly no longer eligible to be part of a runoff election should one be required after the 30 July voting, Presidential spokesperson George Charamba has said.Charamba said in a tweet that Chamisa had disqualified himself by campaigning during a restricted period:If none of the candidates secure +50% of vote, I can't see ZEC conducting a run-off if Chamisa is one of the 2 leading candidates. This is thanks to his breach of Para 7 of the 4th Schedule of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] which effectively renders him ineligible for a run-off.Chamisa held a press conference in the afternoon of 29 July which was against the regulations of the Electoral Act. However Emmerson Mnangagwa also sent out a video de-campaigning Chamisa with accusations of working with Robert Mugabe. News / National by Ndou Paul Celebrating Zimbabwean democracy. The voice of the people is the voice of God! pic.twitter.com/Qdv79bAHh3 President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) July 30, 2018 Incumbent President Emerson Mnangagwa who cast his ballot in Kwekwe, in the morning has tweeted this image of himself casting his vote with a caption saying "the voice of the people is the voice of God". News / National by Stephen Jakes Mthwakazi activist Hloniphani Ncube has said Africa needs to invest a lot in voter education."One of the worst programs in Africa is the voting project. In most of the African countries people vote without understanding what voting entails. That is why since the so called independence of African countries we have been signing five year contracts with vultures who become members of parliaments, senators, presidents, cabinet ministers etc to loot our hard earned taxes, signing the so called mega deals for the benefit of the government members and the opportunist investors," he said."The careless voting results in the enhancement of the deceptive politicians families leaving the masses extremely poor and owing the capitalist huge some of money because of failure to account for investments. In this case the poor lives to endure to pay the debts of the Bretton Woods institutions. Those politicians whom you vote for most of them cannot receive their education or medication locally, they prefer going abroad because they know they have done nothing to the poor masses.""As you are signing a five year contact with your preferred candidates ask your self these questions. Are your preferred candidates carrying the mandate to develop you in particular and your constituency? Do they have the capacity and the credentials to implement what they sold to you? Can their approaches be qualified or quantified? Do they have a history of at least managing a spaza shop or any personal development? What motivated them to contest these elections? Are these elections fair?"He said the people need to ask themselves these tough questions."I prefer the freedom of Mthwakazi and that must be ushered by people with a clear vision. We have a lot of economic, political, social and systematic challenges and we need proper people with proper skills to take us out of oppression," he said. News / National by Stephen Jakes THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has availed a copy of the ballot paper with a photograph after an aspiring opposition legislator protested against a defective ballot paper which the elections management body had prepared to be used during the elections scheduled for today.Livingstone Dhlumo, an aspiring opposition legislator who is contesting to be a Member of Parliament for Chipinge Central constituency filed an urgent chamber application in the Electoral Court on Friday 27 July 2018 seeking an order to compel ZEC to reprint the ballot paper for Chipinge Central constituency with his picture appearing on it.Dhlumo, who was represented by David Tandiri and Blessing Nyamaropa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, had protested that ZEC had printed a ballot paper which is not in compliance with the provisions of section 57 of the Electoral Act and section 3 of the Electoral Regulations as his face was not appearing on the ballot paper.Dhlumo indicated that he made the discovery on Thursday 26 July 2018, when he together with other aspiring legislators were requested by the Chipinge District Elections Officer to inspect the ballot papers.The aspiring legislator charged that he noted that the photograph which appeared on the ballot paper is not his and it was also blurred making it difficult to recognise the person appearing on the photograph.This compelled Dhlumo to file an urgent chamber application in the Electoral Court seeking to rectify the anomaly, which he charged prejudiced him and violated section 57 of the Electoral Act and section 3 of the Electoral Regulations.On Sunday 29 July 2018, Dhlumo's lawyers withdrew the urgent chamber application after ZEC regularised the anomaly by availing a ballot paper showing Dhlumo's passport size photograph and which will be used during the elections scheduled for Monday 30 July 2018. News / National by AP The head of the European Union mission monitoring Zimbabwe's elections says his team has seen "huge differences" in the pace of voting at polling stations.Elmar Brok says voters at one location waited less than an hour to cast their ballots while others at a nearby station waited more than half the day."In some cases, it works very smoothly," Brok said. "But in others, we see that it's totally disorganised and that people become angry, that people leave."He also points out a case of the ruling party delivering 100 people by bus to vote in a district where they didn't live.Brok says observers have to check whether it's a single example or part of a pattern "which might have influence on the result of the elections". Opinion / Columnist Looking back at the removal of Robert Mugabe in November last year one can rightly conclude that was the demise of Zanu pf. Mugabe was Zanu pf and Zanu pf was Mugabe, the man was idolized like some demi-god. One would not dare speak negatively about him in the public, stories come that even his ministers dared not challenge him. So, in a way his removal signalled the departure of Zanu pf.The opposition is up against the Junta, the military versus the populace.They will try all tricks to delay real democracy in our country. These few individuals with blood in their hands have little regard for the suffering masses.By virtue of having been to war they think this country belongs to them. This is why they have amassed so much wealth from the country's natural resources with so much abandone. This wealth has given more power that they will try all unorthodox means to delay the people's will.Zimbabwean people have rejected Zanu pf but the Army has thwarted this. Zanu pf all along has been ruling from a deathbed, the Army giving it the much needed life support system to breathe. After the life support system collapsed the Army assumed the role of Zanu pf this is why many institutions now are flooded by former Army men.This was in a way meant to control all the state functionaries vital for them in controlling power and state revenue.Whatever they may call it, the removal of Mugabe was a coup.This was a military takeover of power disguised as restoration project.Restore what when it was just one man removed?The Junta all along knew Zanu pf was on its deathbed, it was a matter of when they would show their true colours. One can look at operations that have been going on. The disappearance of Dzamara has hallmarks of Army involvement.One certain thing the Junta knows is that their frontman, ED, is unelectable. This is obvious, the man known as the godfather of Midlands lost twice to Blessing Chebundo. To have this man now as their candidate is just disastrous, they will thus try all means to wish elections would be postponed.Like l said, the last kicks of a dying horse are dangerous. Presidential candidates should not give the Junta the opportunity to delay or postpone elections.To them, with an unelectable man, the end is nigh. The calls for justice for those that took part in Gukurahundi is their worst nightmare. Don't be fooled that restoration legacy was about you or me, it was about saving their thick skins from justice at the Hague one day. It took years for Nazi leaders to face justice, in the end justice was served and in old ages they found themselves behind bars. This will make the Junta throw everything at its disposal to try and circumvent the will of the people.The Junta with face of Zanu pf will fight like all dictators do until last minute. They have a lot to fight for but the will of the people is much grater than their little imagined power combined. The recent attempt on Biti's life is one of their trademarks. This time it is not individuals but the whole Zimbabwe against a band of old men in army uniforms who should be on pension, or who have taken off their army fatigues. Opinion / Columnist Former President Robert Mugabe gave a rare public speech on the eve of Zimbabwe's general watershed elections. The purpose and timing of the speech is still debatable among Zimbabweans. Yet the Oldman is still shameless, boastful and has no room for humility.After years of ruining the country's bread basket economy to a basket case of Africa and leaving most Zimbabweans in debilitating poverty, Mr Mugabe still amuses in unapologetic swagger.In his speech, Mr Mugabe made no apologies for the prevailing poverty in Zimbabwe, for the abductions and torture on many innocent civilians.Mr Mugabe missed the opportunity to say sorry for introducing divisive, tribal and toxic politics during his political era and for stealing the future of many jobless young people and school leavers.Mr Mugabe is still unrepentant and yet he could have seized the occasion to say sorry for Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina, Itai Dzamara, MDC tortures, abductions, etc.Now Mr Mugabe has left us with a bankrupt Zimbabwean economy which everyone around the world frowns upon. Yet Mr Mugabe never referred to any of his past numerous mistakes.It was, and it is always somebody else's mistake according to Mr Mugabe. At least this time, he did not shift the blame on the British!Zimbabweans should unite and shun Mr Mugabe's style of politics. We are one society and when we do something wrong we should have the decency to apologise to each other and seek reconciliation.We all learn from our past mistakes and the biggest mistake to happen in Zimbabwe was having Mr Mugabe as our president. If we fail to acknowledge that and fail to move on from such type of politics, it means the whole world will say to us "They have learned nothing and forgotten nothing", Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord.Frazer MuzondoROHR ZIM/MDC UK. MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's Jervois Mining has bought almost 5 percent of shares in Ecobalt Solutions Inc , which is developing a high grade cobalt mine in the United States, days after two of its biggest shareholders called for management overhaul. Jervois Mining has bought about 4.54 percent of shares in the company, it said in a filing to the Australian Securities Exchange on Monday. The purchase suggests a bidding war may be beginning for one of a handful of projects outside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which are close to starting production of cobalt, which is in hot demand for use in rechargeable batteries. "Jervois acquired shares in Ecobalt to facilitate discussing how it may support Ecobalt's board and management in the financing, construction and successful commissioning of Ecobalt's advanced primary cobalt development project in the United States," Jervois said in a statement. Ecobalt owns 100 percent of the Idaho Cobalt project, a high grade cobalt deposit with a partially completed mine site and mill, and which has full environmental permitting in what Jervois called "the only near-term domestic cobalt production potential in the United States". Demand for cobalt is soaring for use in batteries for electric vehicles, but around two thirds of the world's supply comes from the DRC which has been tarnished by child labor and political risk concerns. President Donald Trump has also put cobalt on a list of critical minerals that the United States will prioritize developing at home. Two large shareholders, Australia-based funds Tribeca Investment Partners and Regal Funds Management last week called for management change at Ecobalt or the launch of a sales process, saying ongoing mine development delays were wasting a windfall from high battery sector demand. (Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Eric Meijer) Ive long held the view that Canadas banks, particularly the Big Five, are some of the best investments on the market. They pay incredible dividends that far outperform their peers south of the border, have strong growth prospects that are geared to either the U.S. market or Latin America, and perhaps most important, continue to shatter earnings records nearly every quarter. Looking past those Big Five, however, there are other financial investments in Canada that can be just as, if not more impressive than the Big Banks. One such company that warrants a deeper look is National Bank of Canada (TSX:NA). National is often regarded as one of the Big Six, and the Montreal-based lender holds plenty of potential for investors that can be summed up in the following three points. National Bank is a strong growth pick for the local market One thing that few investors realize is the exposure that National Bank has over Quebec. Over half of the banks branches are in the province, and the bulk of its mortgage portfolio is based in Quebec too. Normally that might raise an eyebrow or two on diversifying outside of Quebec, which National is, but the real point here the favourable conditions in Quebec at the moment. The province is experiencing an extended period of growth with unemployment trending lower, and in both Montreal and Quebec City, housing is still vastly more affordable when compared with the white-hot markets of Toronto and Vancouver. To put it another way, Quebecs strong economy and friendlier home prices will continue to provide National with strong results and a steady stream of mortgage clients. In terms of results, National Bank saw a 13% year-over-year jump in net income, which came in at $547 million in the most recent quarter. The bank earned $1.44 per diluted share in the quarter, which surpassed the $1.28 per share reported in the same quarter last year. National Bank continues to diversify outside Canada National Bank is often viewed as a quieter, more subdued bank than any of the Big Five, which leads to the perception that the bank isnt expanding at all, or has few operations outside of Canada, or even outside Quebec for that manner. Story continues This couldnt be further from the truth, as the bank has several promising investment stakes around the world. Back in 2015, National Bank expanded heavily into foreign markets. During that year, National purchased an interest in Ivory Coast-based NSIA Participations SA, as well a stake in Cambodia-based ABA Bank, and then turned to Mauritius-based AfrAsia Bank Ltd. In the most recent quarter, Nationals international segment saw a 43% year-over-year improvement to $174 million over the same quarter last year, with much of that growth attributed to the ABA Bank interest. National Bank has a great dividend While National may not stack up against some its dividend-paying peers that have been paying out to shareholders since before Confederation, National has paid out a respectable and growing dividend consistently for nearly four decades. Speaking of growth, the current quarterly dividend on offer has been hiked an impressive four times in the past two years, leading to its current $0.62 per share, which provides a very impressive 3.91% yield. Final thoughts In my opinion, National Bank remains an excellent option for investors looking to diversify their portfolio with another financial stock. The bank is a great addition for both income and growth-seeking investors, with the stock price appreciating an impressive 63% over the course of the past five years and over 13% in the past 12-month period. National Bank currently trades just below $64 with a P/E of 11.26 at the time of writing. More reading Fool contributor Demetris Afxentiou has no position in any stocks mentioned. Regina city council is set to welcome lawyer and former city councillor Randy Langgard as the city's first integrity commissioner. The appointment is on the agenda Monday at city council's regular meeting. According to city council documents, the integrity commissioner is a "neutral, independent officer appointed by the city to investigate and adjudicate potential violations of the City's Code of Ethics Bylaw," which was implemented in 2017. As the integrity commissioner, Langgard will advise and guide council members on ethical matters that fall within the bylaw. His duties also include investigating and adjudicating complaints relating to the code of ethics, preparing investigation reports, recommending sanctions if need be and providing educational sessions to councillors on the code. Although this position is not a legislative requirement, city council decided to appoint an independent integrity commissioner rather than having city council or the administration investigate complaints. Similar roles exist in other parts of Canada, predominantly in Ontario. Credentials Langgard served three terms as a city councillor in Regina, from 1985 to 1994. As a lawyer, Langgard focused on family law, corporate commercial law, wills and estates, as well as real estate conveyancing. He also worked as a senior policy advisor to the Saskatchewan government on the Cabinet Planning Unit, where he provided education on ethics and other topics. Compensation For his services, Langgard will receive an annual fee plus hourly rates. For 2018, Langgard is set to make $2,000, with that number raising to $5,000 for 2019 and then $2,500 in 2020 plus an hourly rate of $375. BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP) Opener Tamim Iqbal scored another century and Bangladesh successfully defended 301 runs to beat the West Indies by 18 runs and win their one-day international series 2-1 on Saturday. Tamim made 103 from 124 balls and Mahmudullah a lusty 67 off 49 balls as Bangladesh finished on an imposing 301-6. After a good start by openers Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis, the West Indies run rate slowed in the middle overs. Despite a fillip by Rovman Powell of 74 off 41 balls, the home side still fell short on 283-6. After being crushed in the test series, Bangladesh won the ODI series, its first away from home in nine years. Tamim was quiet in the tests but loud in the ODIs, where he scored 130 not out in the first and 54 in the second. He raised his 11th ODI century in the 38th over with a single to long off and was out in the next over when a mistimed slog dropped at square leg. He hit two sixes and seven boundaries. His innings allowed Mahmudullah and captain Mashrafe Mortaza to take a swipe at West Indies. Mortaza hit 36 off 25 balls, and Mahmudullah powered Bangladesh past 250 and 300 for their highest ODI score against the West Indies. It was ominous. The team batting second hasn't won in this series. The West Indies failed to chase down 279 in the first ODI, but defended 271 by three runs in the second. Gayle laid a foundation with 73, including five sixes, and Powell tried his best in the death overs. But the middle overs were clogged with too many dot balls, and the home side paid the price. The three-match Twenty20 series starts on the same Warner Park on Tuesday. Photo - 2018 winning - My home among the gum trees The 2018 winner of the Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize is held Saturday 28 July at The Point Tavern over a morning tea was Midge Point artist Betty Moxham. Bettys winning art work My home among the gum trees was selected from one of nine finalists by the Proserpine art judge who explained that all nine finalist art works were exceptional. Runner up was three time winner of the Basil Sellers Prize Jill Liepertz with her work Petes Boots The nine finalist art works may be viewed on the Midge Point News . The arts community met last November for a country spread cuppa at Gina Passfield's farm setting everything in place. This includes entries, logistics, planning, display and the like. Paintings get delivered. The judging was arranged. The unveiling of the finalists is organised. Past winners 2013 - Jill Liepertz 2014 - Gina Passfield 2015 - Margaret Pearce 2016 - Jill Liepertz 2017 - Jill Liepertz 2018 - Betty Moxham Photo - Dr Mark Tronson with winning artist Betty Moxham with the winning art work Background of the Art Prize This is one of three Basil Sellers Art Prizes the first I established in 2004 in Moruya on the NSW south coast, the second was Basil Sellers $100,000 Sport-Art Prize in Melbourne and this at Midge Point is the third initiated in 2013. My wife and I had established the Basil Sellers Laguna Quays Respite ministry for missionaries and those in ministry at Midge Point on the Whitsundays in 2011. It became apparent to us after two years the community was a small one, people knew each other well, and there was a very active arts community. It seemed to us at least, an art prize would value-add to the community and having approached Mr Basil Sellers AM he agreed to support this small rural region. The Point Tavern likewise saw this as something they would support providing a morning tea and a venue. 2013 set the pace The inaugural art prize was set for the last weekend of July and so it was 24 entries were received the judging took place and the winner was announced at the launch. A month later Basil Sellers visited providing a lunch for the eight finalists which set a pattern for the following years. In recent years the local real estate agent Terry and Cathy McMullen collected Basil Sellers at Proserpine airport and provided a tour of the region including a detailed account of the area's real estate. Photo - Sid Moxham checking out the competition 2018 Art Prize Inas Jackson has been the mainstay of the annual Art Prize in the region - extended to rural regions on the Bruce Highway towards Mackay places such as Calen and Kuttabul. This was broadened the intake of the region's art prize with good will which has allowed this art prize to develop to the joy it has become. This annual art prize is one of the areas that we serve this community there is an annual business meeting and a fancy dress afternoon, a high tea for the art ladies put on by Delma and a weekly online news which replaced the hard copy in 2012 with the same person, Kim Hanson, running it. These are examples of ministry in a small rural community. Photo - Petes Boots 2nd place by previous three times winner Jill Liepertz Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html Photo - A drone can hit a house A great deal has been said, written and shown on television and the Internet on the philosophy of the military un-piloted drone, an instrument of war that can target and send a kill message to anyone, anywhere. Perhaps today it is this instant reality of the Biblical announcement that he who lives by the sword dies by the sword, that who pull the levers of decision making to dish out the wholesale murder of bystanders as a political statement, are now themselves targeted very personally, one by one as it were. This is a new phenomenon, where instant accountability is accredited. We need only look back to the Holocaust and how that evil emerged and evolved from one step to another labour camps, bashings, shootings, carbon-monoxide vehicles and finally gassing and the final solution. Some of the Nazi leaders went through the Nuremberg trial process, but most of the perpetrators escaped any punishment at all. The television series Auschwitz showed how after the WWII many of the guards ended up on a singing tour of Britain and hosted in British homes totally unsuspecting. It detailed one Holocaust survivor returning to his home town in Poland to be bluntly told he was neither welcome and his family's house had somehow been designated freehold and sold. Again, the television series Kessler that follows on (30 years after WWII) from the Secret Army television series illustrates how Kessler the Brussels Gestapo head who ordered the execution of innumerable Belgians, changed his identity and became a wealthy industrialist with a new surname, Dorf. His cover gets broken in a television interview and the rest of the series illustrates his escape to South America and staying one step ahead of those pursuing him until his colleagues murder his own daughter and in the last scene, now a very old man, he finally realises that this world view he held so passionately, was all smoke and mirrors. Indeed we know the passage well, that revenge is mine says the Lord, but it stands in balance with a host of other Biblical teaching where standing for right is a duty of the follower of the Lord. As Edmund Burke exclaimed, evil abounds when good men do nothing. For as long as history has been recorded and as our own memories serve, never has there been a time until now, when accountability has become the weapon of choice against those who have unmistakeably delivered death with mayhem. Photo - A drone can hit a car Another voice The critical issue relates to civilians (non-combatants) being killed when a drone strikes. The rules of thumb are probably the best we can hope for on this question, because we need a policy that makes use of drone strikes while drawing the line when the risks to civilians become too high. The danger is that using them is so convenient for policy makers that we will use them too much. This new type of war is not one where commanders in chief and battalion generals are leaning over a large table with maps and diagrams and making strategic decisions for down the line to follow so as to ultimately defeat the enemy. This is a technological situation where the warrior is a highly trained military technician and so very bright. These operatives are digitally targeting their quarries they press the button - zap! After their shift, they go home to their family, enjoy meals, play with the kids and snuggle up in a warm comfortable bed. Then it's back to the killing field of technology. Photo - A drone can hit a cane train 70 nations now have drones The ultimate problem with all this is that eventually everyone will have drones and all with similar capability. Will there be a drone moratorium as there has been with nuclear weapons? Today, right now, there are 70 nations with drones and it may not be long before they end up in the hands of nastier types. These are questions and issues being raised by a host of theologians and philosophers. Already the US Methodist Church has come out against drones and many other similar church concerns have been expressed. The Israeli's have for some time, using a variety of warfare methodologies have been unafraid of targeting those in military leadership who have come against them, Late last year we saw this very graphically when Hamas' military genius' car was targeted and filmed they got their man, like the Canadian Mounties. That was indeed a case of he who lived by the sword, died by the sword. Was it moral (who determines the morality)? Was it within the United Nations charter of the rules of warfare (what is war today?) Was it inevitable? Was it justice (who determines the justice?) Was it fair (who determines what is fair)? These are questions Christians ponders. They are perennial questions and there will be good men and women on both sides of this ticket. Photo - A drone can hit a building construction Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html What we know from historical accounts is that the 1600s did not seem like the greatest century to be living in Europe. As the Black Plague ravaged nation after nation, sweeping through with little regard for class or culture, a 38-year-old man began to cough and splutter. Bed-ridden and fearful of death, he listened as the church bell announced each new victim of the disease, awaiting his turn. Two months later, he experienced a dramatic recovery from deaths door only in time to witness his 18-year-old daughter contract the contagious killer, suffer and die an agonising death in the presence of her father. In light of these experiences, John Donne penned his famous A Nocturnal Upon St Lucys Day, as both a memory of his daughter and as a way to process his grief. In the midst of this sombre ode, Donne wrote the haunting words, He (Love) ruin'd me, and I am re-begot Of absence, darkness, death: things which are not. Donnes imagination was consumed by despair, and his pen bled black prose, explaining that his identity and dreams were now re-created by loss, darkness and death. He couldnt dream, he couldnt hope all he could think about was an on-going continuation of the misery that surrounded. Dead and Dream-less Three hundred years later, as Nazi Germany became the new destructive force in Europe, a young Viennese psychiatrist named Viktor Frankl found himself confined in one of the Jewish extermination camps. As he witnessed the atrocities around him, he noticed a profound truth among all the prisoners. Many prisoners did not die because of beatings, over-work or direct physical causes. Instead, many of the inmates passed away from a lack of hope. In his fascinating book Mans Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl writes, The prisoner who had lost faith in the future - his future - was doomed. A prisoner would simply wake up, give up hope and refuse to get out of bed no matter how many threats or beatings were made. Usually, according to Frankl, within 48 hours they would expire, dead from a loss of hope in the future. Although most of our circumstances are not in the same scope as Donnes or Frankls, many of us have experienced the same effect of hopelessness on our imaginations. Consumed by an addiction that we cannot shake, we resign ourselves to our future always being trapped in an unending cycle of destruction. Facing physical or mental disabilities, we cease to dream of a life of hope and possibility. Confronted by chaos and oppression, all we see is more of the same. The Little Black Spot Growing up in Sunday School, we were always taught about sin being a black spot on the heart that made God sad. Although this is helpful for teaching children, this view ignores the fact that sin an unpopular word in todays culture is inherently dehumanising. Greed, gluttony, pornography and pride each of these aspects of broken creation blind, bind, deafen and deaden the imagination, and work to trap their victim in a never-ending prison of hopelessness. The Israelites, when taken into captivity into Babylon, were jeered by their captors to sing them songs of their old land and regale them with tales of life back in Judah. In their captivity in a land free of imagination all they could do is lament and grieve How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? How can they imagine, how they can hope when sin has deadened their dreams? Re-sparking The Dream Yet when we turn further back in the Judeo-Christian story, we are confronted by a scene of creative hope. In the earliest pages of the creation narrative we read that this God spoke over a earth that was formless, chaotic and empty devoid of life and brought newness, flourishing and beauty forth with a word. This God chooses infertile couples to be the beginnings of new families and turns a prisoner into the Prime Minister of Egypt. With this God there is always hope, always imaginative possibility. Leadership consultant Sharon Parks Dalaz states in Common Fire that The work of the imagination is to create the real. This observation stands as the antithesis of Donnes lament, that he is being re-created by things that are not, with imagination being a powerful catalyst for change. When we are interrupted by the God who always speaks hope, suddenly our imaginations are re-sparked and our dreams re-ignited, allowing for new possibilities to spring forth. After the restoration of Jerusalem from captivity, the Psalmist wrote these evocative words, When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed!. When before there was weeping, now there was dreaming! Hope had broken into the dry dusty land of Babylonian captivity and now the Jews were free to dream again. This does not mean that Christians are those who whistle in the dark, ignorant of the evils and disappointments of the world. Those who follow Jesus should perhaps be the first to mourn and lament the hurt that surrounds, as they are also the ones who know the potential of what things could be. Imagination does not turn a blind eye to the disappointment of today. It sees what is, it mourns and laments, but then speaks a bold new word of hope into a hurting situation. Two Cries, One Tongue Although I have never suffered from the bubonic plague or been imprisoned, I know what disappointment and hopelessness feels like. This is not because my life has been especially painful, but that disappointment is part of the human condition. Failed relationships, bad decisions, false hopes and waylaid dreams - as painful and unique as they feel to me, they are common, with everyone having their own story of seasons of despair. In such times, it is difficult to imagine a different reality, and easy to resign ourselves to a bleak outlook on life. In the midst of such times, we do well to remember the two cries of the Biblical narrative. First, How long, O Lord? The cry of lament, the cry of suffering which echoes throughout the narrative; the cry of loneliness and hurt that came from the cross from the lips of Christ himself. Pain, disappointment and death are real. They hurt. They blacken our imaginations. But the second cry rings out over top the victorious song that He is risen! Throughout the darkest moments and the most hopeless situations, we recall and remind each other that death doesnt win. The grave does not get the last word. Hope reigns and beckons our imaginations on, to a future that is just around the corner a future full of life, love and eternal colour. Jeremy is a student and Innovation Consultant (www.jeremysuisted.com) who once had their car hit by a dog. Jeremy Suisted previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-suisted.html For a long time I wondered why, given that the Australian Aborigines are purportedly the oldest civilization on earth (45 000 65 000 years old), there was not much evidence of buildings or technology among their culture. I had believed the lie that they were simple, primitive hunter-gatherers and therefore did not need or create technology. That never sat well with me, bearing in mind the many creative and intelligent Aboriginal people in the public eye and others I had met. History is written by victors is a quote that is often bandied about (once attributed to Winston Churchill, but thats doubtful). It basically means that the victors will always portray themselves in a favourable light and gloss over any mistakes, atrocities and such like they may have committed. The more I read, the more I suspect this is true about the European historical accounts of the Aboriginal people. Culture and country Aboriginal people believed that land is held in common and the people were temporal custodians. In this way they adhered to Gods original injunction to Adam . Pascoe (see ref below) calls this dynamic a jigsawed mutualism. People had rights and responsibilities for their particular pieces of the jigsaw, but they were constrained to operate so that it added to rather than detracted from other communities. This also preserved the integrity of the land. There was a big picture perspective: people knew to be good custodians of their bit of land, so that there was no disadvantage to communities they may never meet further down river, or across the range. There were connections that extended beyond their limited knowledge such as is evident in the songlines that cover the country. Studies of language, which is connected to spiritual and social change, have shown that there was great social stability within and among the communities across Australia. There is no evidence of battles and conflict between tribes in the early settler journals, or in any art forms. Even Captain Charles Sturt (1795 1869) comments that the most unfavourable interactions occurred when there was contact with Europeans. Weapons and tools are loaded with spiritual obligation. Their use was not indiscriminate. None of this is acknowledged in the history books. Agriculture Journal and diary accounts from the first explorers in Australia such as Major Thomas Mitchell (1792 1855) and Captain Sturt describe a beautiful land with rich soil which was cultivated and the grain harvested. But even they did not look beyond the superficial in their observations. They noted evidence of agriculture, such as terraced hillsides to prevent erosion, but did not recognize it for what it was. The Victorian Alps originally had fields of yam daisies that were cultivated and harvested. With the Europeans came sheep, which ate the yams to the ground so they couldnt regenerate. So the fields were lost forever and the Europeans didnt even notice. Sturt saw evidence of grain harvest (from grasses such as Themeda species as well as native millet Panicum species) and storage; in fact the grain belt that is surmised before Europeans is about twice the size of the current area and encompasses much of what is now desert. Baked clay vessels and skin bags were used for storage. A range of tools had been developed but again, not recognized by Europeans. Aquaculture and engineering Permanent housing was a feature of pre-European Aboriginals. Many explorers in Arnhem Land noted large buildings that were waterproof, and even different structures for different seasons. The fish traps at Brewarrina have been recognized as advanced technology which trapped enough fish to feed from, but allowed enough to go upstream and continue breeding. The Aboriginal people here knew sustainable practices well before it became a buzz word in our society. Dams, irrigation systems and well trenches are features that have been discovered and documented. Killer whales were engaged to help herd bigger whales at Eden to be harvested by the Yuin people. Ocean and waterway canoes were in common use. Assumptions and prejudices Writings by women such as Dame Mary Gilmore describing dam building, irrigation and harvest were dismissed because she was a woman and a poet! Cooking abalone is an example of European prejudice: it is disgusting when boiled the English way. But they didnt bother to ask how the Aboriginals cooked it: when sliced finely, seared and cooked in the shell, it is delicious. Evidence of permanent settlement was glossed over. If it was acknowledged that Aboriginal people had permanent structures to live in, it meant they had a legal claim to the land around them. This was inconvenient to the Europeans whose rationale was that you cant dispossess hunter-gatherers so its all right for us to take over the land. Even in 1990 the Victorian Archeological Society declared that particular stone arrangements couldnt possibly be deliberate house sites, despite drawings and descriptions of such houses by early settlers! Underestimation of Indigenous achievement was a deliberate tactic of British colonialism to allow them to take dominion over land. References to violence committed on the Aboriginals are conveniently deleted, for example when Governor Burke ordered that a reference to Aboriginals being shot near Mount Dispersion in 1836 be deleted from the record in the Gazette. There is great injustice here what happened to the original acknowledgement that this was the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit? Reference: Pascoe, B 2014 Dark Emu: black seeds agriculture or accident? Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation, Broome, Western Australia Aira Chilcott is a retired secondary school teacher with lots of science and theology under her belt. Aira is a panellist for Young Writers and indulges in reading, bushwalking, volunteering at a nature reserve and learning to play clarinet. Aira is married to Bill and they have three adult sons. Aira Chilcott's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/aira-chilcott.html For 2018, James and Angela Brown brought a new larger booth into IPCPR to showcase their Black Label Trading Company (BLTC) and Black Works Studio (BLK WKS) brands. The booth was not only one of the standout ones in terms of design, but it was one of the most welcoming ones. This year the booth served not only as the home to Black Label Trading Company and Black Works Studio, but also to the Emilio brand. The Browns have made some strategic moves in terms of production and distribution. Back in 2015, they opened their own factory, Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua. A year later, they joined Boutiques Unified (the rebranded House of Emilio), and immediately became an integral part of the alliance. Fabrica Oveja Negra would soon start to assume production responsibilities for both the Nomad and Emilio brands, which are also distributed by Boutiques Unified. In particular, James Brown had put considerable effort into relaunching Emilio (which had been dormant for a while), so it made sense to have Emilio in the booth. Concurrently the operation of Fabrica Oveja Negra has now been sought out by other brands looking for the boutique factory to handle production. The result was the Browns ended up moving into a larger facility for the Fabrica Oveja Negra operation. I consider the Browns long-time friends, and being that they are based in Nicaragua, my immediate concern was how they were doing given the civil unrest that country is facing. While the situation down there is far from being resolved, both James and Angela seemed positive things will get better soon. It was very clear to me they considered the Central American country their home. The situation in Nicaragua didnt deter the Browns from having a few surprises. While much of the attention was on the Black Works Studio Yellow Jacket, there were a few other things that should be quite intriguing to BLTC/BLK WKS fans. The Black Works Studio Yellow Jacket is another offshoot of popular Killer Bee line. It actually is the third offshoot, joining the Green Hornet and Kato lines. All three wrappers are highlighted by a base wrapper along with accents used on the footer and on the cap. The Yellow Jacket is probably the most unique of the Killer Bee releases to date. This cigar is highlighted by an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper and Ecuadorian Maduro is used on a closed footer and in a swirl design around the cap. The remainder of the blend is all-Nicaraguan tobaccos and the cigar comes in one size a 4 1/2 x 46 Petite Corona. Connecticut Shade is also popping up on a limited release under the Black Label Trading Company line. This year, the companys annual Deliverance limited edition release will feature a Connecticut Shade wrapper and it is being packaged as Deliverance Porcelain complete with a very sleek elegant white box. The cigar will be a 5 1/2 x 48 Robusto in a 16-count box. Another of Black Label Trading Companys limited edition lines will also see some changes. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Morphine line. As a result, there will be three versions of the Morphine: Corona (5 1/2 x 42), Robusto (4 1/2 x 50) and Lancero (7 1/2 x 42) The big changes are the Robusto will be a box-pressed (the first in the Morphine line) while the Lancero will be a barber-pole that is a combination of San Andres and Ecuadorian Maduro (its a little hard to see in the picture below) As for Emilio, the return of the Grimalkin was center stage. The original Grimalkin is one of the cigars that put Emilio on the map. Earlier this year, Emilio had brought back the Grimalkin with production this time being handled at Fabrica Oveja Negra. At this years show, Emilio also unveiled a special limited edition that is meant to coincide with the Halloween season. Its a Robusto-sized Maduro version of the blend and will come in special orange colored boxes. Meanwhile, there was a blast for the past as the Emilio AF Suave has been re-launched. This was a line launched back in 2012 by Emilio. This is the Connecticut Shade edition of this cigar. The bands got a much-needed facelift. One thing is quite clear Emilio has Fabrica Oveja Negras footprint on it heavily now. The factory has produced lines such as Emilio Cavatina, and Emilio LJZ. Its a very different brand than when it was spearheaded by brand developer Gary Griffith. The brand seems to be finding itself again little by little and thats a good thing for cigar enthusiasts. Emilio also showcased other brands as well, such as the Emilio Fifteen. The third company under the Boutiques Unified umbrella, Nomad Cigar Company, had separate booth space and we will cover this in a future Spotlight installment. 2018 Product Reports Photo Credits: Cigar Coop MONDAY, July 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A new report details how a measles outbreak tore through two Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2013, ignited by an unvaccinated teen who brought the highly contagious disease home from a trip to London. Before it was over, 58 people came down with the measles, out of more than 3,300 exposed contacts identified by public health officials. It stands as the largest outbreak of measles in New York City since 1992, according to the report. There were no deaths. One child was hospitalized with pneumonia, and an unvaccinated pregnant woman suffered a miscarriage. But New York City spent almost $395,000 and more than 10,000 personnel hours responding to the outbreak and working to keep it contained, according to the case study. The report shows the risk of forgoing vaccination, particularly within a close-knit community, said lead researcher Dr. Jane Zucker, an assistant commissioner with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. "We determined that 71 percent of the cases were members of eight extended families," Zucker said. "Measles is one of the most contagious infections that we have. This is a reminder of how critical vaccination is for preventing disease." The report also displays the effectiveness of a strong vaccination program, said Jason Schwartz, an assistant professor with the Yale School of Public Health. New York City has a measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccination rate near 97 percent, Schwartz explained. This kept the outbreak confined to a group of people who apparently eschewed the vaccine for religious reasons. "Even in the largest city in the world, in densely populated neighborhoods in Brooklyn, those individuals who were vaccinated around these clusters were unscathed," Schwartz said. The measles-infected teenager returned home from London on March 13, 2013. Measles has been endemic in Britain since 2008, thanks to a decline in vaccination rates down to around 80 percent, Zucker noted. The United States declared measles eradicated in 2000. However, unvaccinated Americans still are vulnerable to an outbreak if someone brings measles into the country from another part of the world. "All of these outbreaks are fueled by introduction from either someone traveling to another country or a visitor who brings measles with them," Zucker said. Within about a week of the teen's return, New York City public health officials began receiving reports of suspected measles cases from doctors. The officials swept in and began tracking all known exposures to measles. Most of the identified cases were not immediately placed into airborne isolation. As a result, more people were exposed to measles in 11 health care facilities. Other exposures occurred in schools, on an airline flight, in homes and at a wedding, health officials reported. Measles can remain infectious for up to two hours after a person has left a room, Zucker said. Public health officials gathered detailed data on those present during the exposure period in these locations, and compared the list against an immunization registry maintained by New York City to find those people at risk of contracting measles. "To vaccinate someone who was exposed, we have to do it within 72 hours, so there's a real sense of urgency about that outbreak response," Zucker said. A total of 3,351 exposed contacts were identified by a team of 87 public health officials. Two-thirds of those exposed were protected by full vaccination, and another 11 percent received at least one dose of measles vaccine. But 335 exposures occurred in people completely unprotected against measles, officials found. About 114 unvaccinated children and adults who'd been exposed to measles were given an MMR vaccine shot to ward off infection, the report said. There were 77 infants too young for immunization who received a dose of measles antibodies, Zucker added. These post-exposure vaccinations kept the measles case count from being even higher, Zucker said. Orthodox Jews accounted for all of the 58 identified measles cases, the report said. About half of the infections occurred due to transmission between relatives. The outbreak ran from March through June 2013, and evidence shows there were six waves of transmission. Out of the 58 confirmed cases, 45 were in children and adults who were unvaccinated either because their parents refused vaccination or intentionally delayed scheduled vaccines, the researchers said. Another 12 cases were in infants too young for routine immunization. Vaccination is touted in part to protect those who can't receive immunization, either because they are too young or have compromised immune systems. The report was published online July 30 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. "It illustrates the increased risk of individuals in those clusters of unvaccinated individuals," Schwartz said. "This was an outbreak that was entirely attributable to decisions by individuals to forgo vaccination, and those choices have consequences." More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about measles. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Bangkok, July 30, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the Cambodian governments move to block news websites ahead of yesterdays national elections and called for an end to the states censorship and harassment of the media. The Information Ministry on July 28 ordered local internet service providers to block 17 websitesincluding Voice of Democracy, The Phnom Penh Post, and the U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Asiafor 48 hours ahead of the election because their coverage was perceived as provocative and very political, according to news reports that quoted the ministrys director general of information and broadcasting, Phos Sovann. The block order overlapped with a 24-hour silent period that prohibits reporting on elections in the lead up to polling and which was imposed by the states poll organizer, the National Election Committee, according to the Qatari-funded broadcaster Al-Jazeera. News outlets perceived as friendly to Prime Minister Hun Sens government remained accessible online ahead of the elections during this silent period, according to the same Al-Jazeera report. Independent media outlets, including those whose websites were blocked, have reported critically on the democratic legitimacy of the election after the government last year banned the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. While Cambodia masquerades as a democracy, state officials are busy censoring independent media that might shine light on the nature of its election, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs Southeast Asia representative. If Cambodia truly wants to portray to the world a functioning democracy, it must stop now its crude censorship and harassment of the media. The censorship around the election is consistent with a clampdown on independent media in Cambodia. In May, the National Election Committee issued a code of conduct for covering the election that barred journalists from conducting interviews at polling booths or broadcasting news that could cause confusion and loss of confidence in the election, according to news reports from the time. Last year, authorities shut down several radio stations for carrying Radio Free Asia and Voice of Americas news programs beyond time allowed under their operating licenses, news reports said. RFA shut down its in-country operations in September 2017 after coming under government pressure, CPJ research shows. Two former Radio Free Asia reporters, Uon Chhin and Yeang Socheameta, were detained in November on treason charges of providing information to a foreign state and are still being held in pre-trial detention, according to CPJ research. The English-language newspaper, The Cambodia Daily, also shuttered its operations in September after coming under official threat of closure on tax evasion allegations. Media reports have also raised concerns about this Mays sale of The Phnom Penh Post newspaper to a businessperson with past business ties to the government. Goa: People of Bastora demand blanket ban on fish imports July 30,2018 | Source: The Navhind Times The gram sabha of the Bastora panchayat on Sunday sought a blanket ban on the fish brought in from outside Goa. Villagers also demanded that only the surplus marine fish caught by local trawlers, or that fish which is not consumed by Goans, should be allowed to be exported from the state. Expressing concerns over the formalin episode, the villagers strongly pitched for a blanket ban by the state government on fish imports. The villagers said the authorities should also impose a ban on export of fish from Goa. A proposal to this effect was moved by villagers Andrew DSouza, Aaron Araujo, Agnelo Fernandes and Shantaram Kalangutkar at the gram sabha held on Sunday. Speaking on the proposal, sarpanch Savio Martin said the state government gives subsidy to trawler and boat owners and not to fishmeal plants in the state. If we resolve to have a total ban on the exports of fish then what will happen to the large quantities of fish that we locals dont consume, he asked. The fish will go waste. Hence I would like to suggest that instead of having a total ban on exports we can propose that trawler owners should be allowed to export only the surplus fish or that fish which local dont consume, Martin said. He favoured a detailed study on the matter so that the proposal can be discussed at the next gram sabha threadbare and can be passed as a resolution. The villagers also raised several other issues at the meeting. Andhra Pradesh: Aqua farmers deny using formalin to preserve fish July 30,2018 | Source: The Times of India Aqua farmers across Kaikaluru and Kalidhindi mandals of Krishna district and Undi, Bhimavaram mandals of West Godavari district have opposed the allegations levelled against them on the use of formalin in preserving fish. Kolleru region, which occupies the major share in freshwater fish exports from the state, is facing a tough time with poor exports to North Eastern states. The farmers have requested the state government to respond on the issue. Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and other North Eastern states occupy a major share of exports from Kolleru region and Catla (Bengal Carp), Rohu, Goldfish are major varieties of fish. Farmers say that they are cultivating fish in a scientific way following the directions of officials from fisheries department. Fish culture had taken a new shape in last three years and we are using advanced technology in cultivating and harvesting fish. We are regularly testing the quality of water and completely stopped using unnecessary medications, says Dasari Venkata Narasimha Rao a farmer from Kalidhindi of Krishna district. Farmers say that they are exporting live fish in special tankers to neighbouring states. We take proper care while exporting the fish and the agencies prefer to buy live fish from us. Live Rohu, Catla are exported to Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka in tankers with oxygen cylinders and exporters use cold chains and dry ice to export fish to North Eastern state and abroad, said Saagi Rama Rudhra Raju, a farmer from Elurupadu of West Godavari district. Farmers condemn the allegations on the usage of formalin a highly carcinogenic agent in preserving fish. M. Venkata Rama Raju, an exporter from Bhimavaram said that fish from Bhimavaram and Kolleru region is famous for its quality and they export them to other states in an airtight packing without breaking cold chain. He suspects that local wholesalers are using formalin before taking fish to open market. Eluru MP Maganti Venkateswara Rao (Maganti Babu) condemned the ban imposed by Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya and suspected a conspiracy. Andhra Pradesh is registering rapid growth in fisheries culture and most of our exports are freshwater fish and Vannamei shrimp. There are many processing units and cold chain technologies readily available in this region to facilitate exports and fish is exported after a number of quality checks and lab examinations, said Babu. Some political conspiracy is behind it and we will fight against it and support local farmers, added MP Babu. The letter begins: TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. With that, Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers challenged a major drug company to use the courts to block use of any of its drugs that may be used in the scheduled execution of condemned Nebraska prisoner Carey Dean Moore. Chambers sent the letter Friday to a Pfizer pharmaceutical company executive in an effort to persuade him to go beyond Pfizer's request to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services for return of any lethal injection drugs manufactured by the company. Another drug company, Alvogen, successfully filed a legal objection in Nevada this month to stop one of its drugs from being used in an execution. A judge blocked the use of its sedative midazolam from being used in the scheduled execution of Scott Raymond Dozier. "Does Pfizer's desire to protect its integrity, good name and public image rise to the level of Alvogen's?" Chambers asked Robert Jones, Pfizer vice president of government affairs. Moore is scheduled to die by lethal injection Aug. 14 and has been informed that four drugs, never before used in an execution in this combination, are to be administered to put him to death. They are fentanyl, diazepam, cisatracurium besylate and potassium chloride. Jones sent a letter to Nebraska Corrections Director Scott Frakes in October asking for the return of any Pfizer products to be used for capital punishment. The letter from Jones informed the department that diazepam and fentanyl had been added to the company's list of 11 restricted products from lethal injection for capital punishment. He requested the return of any restricted use Pfizer or Hospira products in the department's possession. "Pfizer makes its products to enhance and save the lives of the patients we serve," Jones said in the letter. "Consistent with these values, Pfizer strongly objects to use of its products as lethal injections for capital punishment." Nebraska, like some other states, has shrouded the source of its lethal injection drugs in secrecy, Chambers told Jones in the letter. ACLU of Nebraska, the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha World Herald have sued the state to compel it to reveal the sources of the drugs. A Lancaster County District judge has ordered the state to release records of communications with its lethal injection drug suppliers, as well as several other documents related to Nebraska's efforts to carry out the death penalty. The court found certain other documents were exempt from disclosure under a state law protecting the identities of members of the state's execution team, including purchase orders and chemical analysis reports. The department appealed the decision and no records were released, so the source of the four drugs is still unknown. In his letter, Chambers told Jones it was a puzzling fact that Pfizer had not initiated any legal action in Nebraska to force the department to return its drugs. "The courts are open for business, as demonstrated by Alvogen; and I am confident that the judicial system will give serious, expeditious consideration to the goal of maintaining intact and unblemished and uncompromised by others Pfizer's declared mission and purpose -- 'to enhance and save the lives of patients' -- if you but initiate appropriate legal proceedings," Chambers wrote. He questioned Pfizer's will to employ its "standing and legal wherewithal" to protect its interests in this situation. Chambers said it might be understandable if a cynic were to suggest that Pfizer is being disingenuous and calculatingly trying to have it both ways, to stave off accusations of being complicit in executions, but by taking no legal action managing to continue active participation in the capital punishment market. "What is Pfizer's good name worth?" he asked. Jones, or a representative of Pfizer, could not be reached immediately for comment. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The cabinet spokesman told the media on July 25, 2018, as reported on Hiru News, that the cabinet has unanimously approved the (presidential) decision to implement the death penalty even if the EU withdraws the GSP+ facility in response as warned. Though I personally do not attach much credibility to the particular person's statement, I thought as a patriotic Sri Lankan that it would be in the national interest to sound a warning before it is too late. (Caveat: It is hoped that no one will get upset by this personal opinion of a non-politician which is being described here for what it is worth.) Beware! The forfeiture of the GSP+ concessions is not the real issue. The real issue is the impact of bringing back the death penalty on the amelioration of the law and order situation in the country. Those who are determined to impose a 'final solution' on Sri Lanka have cynically manipulated for a noose to be slung around her neck in the form of this controversial proposal for implementing the death penalty at this particular juncture after a suspension of over forty years. They are trying to give a dog a bad name and hang it. To elaborate: these very same people who have now begun loudly criticizing the proposed re-implementation of the capital punishment and threaten Sri Lanka with a suspension or total withdrawal of the GSP (The previous government did very well without it, though, and without the death penalty either) were suspected to be behind the 2015 regime change, which was a geopolitics centred exercise; the change, by now, has proved disastrous for the country. Their proteges are in the process of fulfilling their promises against the popular will, but the economic help (investments, financial grants, etc. that they were made to expect) appears to be not forthcoming, understandably because their own economies are in bad shape. Now it is convenient for them to find an excuse for washing their hands of their obligations to their potentially useful third world 'protectorate'. They know, as the saner citizens among us do, that hanging the convicts currently in the death row is no solution for the problem of drugs trafficking. It would be unfair for us to expect outsiders such as Americans, Europeans and Indians, though no doubt they are our friends as they have already demonstrated, to be so deeply worried about this problem as we are, who are the people directly affected by it. They are not worried about whether convicted drug traffickers hang or not, either. The people who are the most worried about the ever growing drug addiction menace among the young are their parents. But these friends in disguise are not worried about that. Neither should we expect them to be. However, the anarchic situation prevailing in all spheres of governance including particularly law and order (whose handiwork that is, let us forget for the moment) seems to have suddenly thrown up this apparent demand for the immediate resumption of executions as a deterrent against serious crime (particularly, narcotics traffic, murder and rape). Desperate but innocent ordinary citizens unaware of the far-reaching implications of the president acting like a reckless autocrat bent on a vindictive crusade on this occasion dealing death to the convicted drug traffickers might hail him as a hero. But he himself is unlikely to resort to such a foolhardy course of action even though he might find it an easy way to try to restore at least some of his lost credibility. His 2 immediate predecessors also came under pressure for re-implementing the death penalty, but they somehow managed to wiggle out of it. It must be admitted, whether we like it or not, that under the previous government, the better maintenance of law and order minimized underworld criminal activity including drugs trafficking, without the help of the judicial executioner. Buddhist monks have already expressed their disapproval. However, many ordinary citizens, in their desperation, appear to be in favour of the convicts being hanged. An old woman of 71 has offered to do the job of executioner for free! Some well meaning civil leaders including a few religious dignitaries seem to endorse the idea as a last resort for controlling serious crime. An outspoken politician of the nationalist camp stated recently that the Buddhist teaching was that the monks and the laity should obey the law of the country, which, of course, is true. However, this politician apparently endorses the bringing back of the capital punishment, considering it as an essential part of the country's law enforcement machinery. My opinion, though, is that even judicial killing is contrary to the Buddhist teaching. The Buddhist stand (i.e., no death penalty) is compatible with the modern secular view of morality that is gaining ground across the world. Out of the 195 countries in the world, according to Amnesty International, 101 countries have abolished the institution of capital punishment; in 39 countries it is in abeyance; so, judicial killing as punishment is not practiced in 140 countries. This means that nearly 72% of the countries do not have the death penalty. I think a Sri Lanka without the death penalty should be in good company. I, for one, am against the re-implementation of the death penalty, which has been suspended since 1976. The capital punishment is an uncivilized, inhuman way of 'exacting' justice. It is not restorative justice; it is retaliatory justice (the savage medieval "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" system of justice). When the resumption of executions was proposed within a few months of the inauguration of the present regime, as it is being done now even more menacingly, I participated in the general exchange of views regarding the subject at the time by contributing an article to this newspaper. It was under the title Abolition of capital punishment: an acceptable absurdity" (The Island/June 10, 2015). The concluding paragraph of that particular write-up was as follows: "There are those who think that death by hanging or other method is 'just deserts' for someone who has been found guilty of murder, rape, or drug dealing. They would argue that it is absurd to worry about the human rights of criminals who have deprived innocents of their human rights. But I feel that our concern for a person convicted of a crime does not actually exceed that for their victim. It is that we tend to extend the same degree of fellow feeling towards both in spite of the stark differences in their circumstances. We share the general unsatisfactory nature of human existence with both. The resultant feeling of compassion for another human being is the essence of humanity. Therefore the abolition of the death penalty should be seen as an acceptable absurdity." So, my position is that not only should the suspension continue, but eventually the death penalty must be totally abolished. Of course, judicial punishment is indispensable in administering the law in any society. But it needs to be applied for the reform of the offender, and in a broader context for the deterrence of crime. Proper administration of the law is the inescapable duty of any government. No excuses can be allowed for a government's remissness in executing this responsibility. To me it appears that the president has been bamboozled (i.e., fraudulently persuaded or bewildered) by someone to take this questionable decision, ignoring the obvious. The immediate circumstance that triggered his seemingly ironclad resolve to hang the condemned for drug trafficking (18 of them as reported) who have been languishing in jail for years now is the alleged discovery that some of them have directed murders and other crimes from their prison cells. There is a problem here. Can executing all of them including those who are suspected of having masterminded crimes from within the prison walls be a good solution? Of course not. A vital question is 'Who is to blame for making it possible for the convicts to do this sort of crime?' Has the minister in charge of prisons resigned over this unspeakable lapse or at least done something about the prison authorities whose failure to prevent such heinous breaches of inmate supervision? Shouldn't that real problem be solved first and remedial action taken to prevent any repetition of similar criminal negligence of duty on the part of prison officials? Of course, this is not the 1st time such a thing happened. It must have happened in the past too. There is also a perception that there is a longstanding link between criminals and politicoes, a deplorable situation for which politicians present and past share direct responsibility. Though that is true, it should not be cited as an excuse for the incumbent administration to perpetuate the pernicious tradition and exploit it for their own ends. Bad politics is largely responsible for the recrudescence of drug related and other types of criminal violence in our society. The question that naturally arises where the death penalty is abolished or not practiced is 'What is the alternative?' Strict enforcement of the law is the answer. If the existing laws are inadequate, let's make new laws. Judicial killing is revenge killing by the society or retaliatory justice. Is there any reformative value in it? None, because the person to be reformed is dead. It could be of some limited deterrence value, though, because it could discourage potential murderers, rapists, etc. But hardened criminals are usually suicidal. Fear of losing the right to live - of risking the death penalty - is nothing for them. In place of the death penalty, appropriately extended life imprisonment can be made so grueling for unrepentant murderers, unpardonable rapists and drug traffickers as to make them rue the day they were born. That will prove a more severe punishment for them than instant death through hanging or other form of execution. But even that kind of extreme punishment in lieu of capital punishment need not be inhuman. Human beings change. Convicted criminals are also human. After serving a prescribed maximum period of time, they should be able to qualify for being considered for parole (temporary or permanent) when they have reformed and when their release from prison is certified to be 100% safe to the society by qualified official psychiatrists. The primary responsibility for this must be shouldered by politicians, but they must be careful not to politicize crime and prison management. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Flogging has been a long-standing practice in Iran. Iran practices flogging and other internationally banned corporal punishments including amputation, stoning, and blinding. Under Iran's criminal laws, more than 100 offenses are punishable by flogging. They include theft, fraud, and drinking or selling alcohol, as well as moral crimes such as kissing in public, homosexual acts, and sexual relationships between unmarried men and women. Flogging sentences for adultery and blasphemy are seen as lenient. During the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, it is not uncommon for Iranians to be sentenced to lashing for eating in public during fasting hours. Iranian courts have also sentenced some journalists to be flogged over their work. Children are exempt from flogging, but women are not. Iranian human rights activist estimate that Iranian courts issue hundreds of flogging sentences each year, and several dozen are carried out. The popular Facebook page My Stealthy Freedom has posted what it describes as accounts and photos of several Iranian women sentenced to lashing. According to one post , a 28-year-old woman from the city of Mashhad was flogged 80 times in 2016 for attending a birthday party and drinking alcohol with men. The woman described it as a horrific experience and the worst day of her life: "I was lashed while my feet were chained, and my hands were shackled." In another 2016 post , the Facebook page published an account by a woman identified only by her first name, Reyhaneh, who claims she was flogged 140 times for having a boyfriend. The punishment left Reyhaneh unable to sit properly at work the next day. "My back was completely littered with dark blue-colored patches due to lashings," she wrote. The woman says that lashing has left her and her family -- she is now married to the boyfriend she was punished for having -- deeply traumatized. "While I was being lashed, my only brother who is 10 years older than me and who was known to have heart problems, was next door. Out of helplessness, he consistently knocked on the door of the room where I was being lashed and cried uncontrollably," Reyhaneh wrote. Each of the women's posts are accompanied with photos of bare backs wounded and bruised after apparent floggings. RFE/RL could not independently verify the authenticity of the photos. Right activists say many people require hospital treatment after floggings, and that some cases end in death. International organizations have repeatedly called on Iran to forbid the practice, but the country has so far ignored the condemnations. Source: Radio Free Europe , Farangis Najibullah, July 12, 2018. Farangis Najibullah is a senior correspondent for RFE/RL who focuses on Central Asia. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde The matter had come to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by a Mumbai-based institute. (Photo: File) New Delhi: The CBI has taken over investigation into the alleged abuse of minor girls at a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, an official said on Sunday. The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur. The CBI has booked officers and employees of the shelter home. "It is alleged that officials/employees of girl's children home run by Seva Sankalp Evam Vikash Samiti used to mentally, physically and sexually exploit the children residing there," a CBI spokesperson said. The matter had come to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by a Mumbai-based institute. The audit report stated that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints. Also Read: More girls raped in Bihar shelter home, Tejashwi Yadav calls it 'rakshas raj' The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani. Women staff members of the shelter home and Brajesh Thakur, who ran the NGO, were among those who were arrested by the local police in connection with the case. While Indias relationship with its immediate neighbours in spite of Prime Minister Narendra Modis neighbours first policy has seen mixed results, our relations with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have improved. But relations with the Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan have worsened. However, Mr Modi deserves to be applauded for his clearheaded, proactive and transformative outreach to Africa. Indias historical, cultural and trade links with the African continent go back centuries. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi are still remembered fondly in many countries for their inspirational anti-imperialist, anti-colonial and anti-apartheid crusade. Africans also appreciate the Indian governments scholarships to African students under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme and its decision to set up IT centres, pan-African E-network and assistance to combat HIV and AIDS. But obviously India didnt take full advantage of prevailing favourable factors to their full potential. Top Indian leaders visited some African countries but these visits were few and far between, and several countries didnt see any Indian leader for decades. Similarly, the bilateral visits by African countries to India were also few, the enthusiasm for receiving African leaders was shallow if not outright negative. In many African capitals we heard the same refrain India remembers us only when it needs our vote for its candidates election to the UN agencies. Fortunately, this mindset has changed. There is a visible paradigm shift. The third India-Africa Forum Summit in October 2015, which saw representation from 54 African countries, in 43 cases at the level of the head of state/government, was a watershed. In the last four and a half years, Indias President, vice-president and PM have visited 25 African countries and 32 heads of states and government from Africa have visited India. Indian companies have invested $54 billion and Indias trade with Africa has risen to $74 billion. During Mr Modis recent successful visit to Rwanda and Uganda, a slew of agreements were signed, credit lines and soft loans of around $200 million each were extended. Mr Modi became the first Indian PM to visit Rwanda, which is becoming a fast-growing economy and offers opportunities for trade and investment in agriculture, food processing, infrastructure, education and healthcare. Gifting 200 locally sourced cows to support Paul Kagames flagship Girinka programme was a smart, innovative, low-cost high-return diplomatic move. Mr Modi, the first PM of India to visit Uganda in the last 22 years and the first to address the Ugandan Parliament, assured that India would continue to support Uganda in the fields of agriculture, healthcare, education, training, infrastructure, energy, capacity building in government and training in defence and referred to Indias ongoing partnership with Africa including implementation of 180 credit lines worth $11 billion in over 40 countries. He announced the setting of a Gandhi heritage centre in Jinja. His enunciation of 10 basic principles that will guide India-Africa relations will have a positive impact: Africa to be Indias top priority with intense, sustained and regular engagement. Indias development partnership to be guided by African priorities, relying on African talent and skills. Open and easier access to Indian markets for African products and support to industrys investment in Africa. Support digital revolution in Africa with Indias digital experience: improvement in delivery services, expansion of education and health services, promote digital literacy and financial inclusion and drawing the marginalised sections in to the mainstream. Improve Africas agriculture. Cooperate with Africa to ensure a just international climate order to protect biodiversity and adopt clean and efficient energy sources. Mutual cooperation in combating terrorism, including cyber crime. Keep the oceans open and free for the benefit of all nations. Ensure Africa doesnt become the theatre of rival ambitions again and help African youth to fulfil their aspirations. Work together to help create a just, representative and democratic global order, which has a voice and role for Africa. Mr Modis speech at the 10th Brics summit held in Johannesburg on July 25-27 was partly a reiteration of his speeches at the World Economic Forum and the Ugandan Parliament recently. His views about globalisation, open markets, multi-polar world and rule-based international trading system similar to the views of the Chinese President have found place in the joint declaration. His stress on new technologies, education, skill upgradation and human values has found wider resonance. Brics, which initially focused on financial, economic, trade and investment-related issues, now devotes as much time on regional and global strategic issues. It associates many non-Brics countries as cooperative partners. At Fortaleza, Brazil invited regional economies; at Ufa, Russia invited Eurasian economies; India invited the Bimstec members in Goa; China invited five major developing economies from around the world and South Africa invited as many as 22 countries from Africa as well as Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia and Turkey. It looked like a mini UN. Johannesburg declarations commitment to foster a more representative, democratic, equitable, fair and just international political and economic order uphold multilateralism respect international law, promote democracy and Sustainable Development Goals is unexceptional. It reaffirms the need for a comprehensive reform of the UN, including the UNSC; China and Russia reiterated their support to the aspirations of India, Brazil and South Africa to play greater role in the UN; it is far from a strong and clear endorsement. Their reiteration to strengthen multilateral institutions, including the WTO, is well meaning but offers no suggestion to address Donald Trumps wont for unilateralism. It talks of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned national peace and reconciliation process and supports an inclusive Syrian-led Syrian-owned political solution of the conflict in Syria. It welcomes the recent developments regarding the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and urges all parties to fully comply with their obligations and effectively implement the JCPOA-Iran nuclear deal. Israeli-Palestrina relations and the conflict in Yemen have been flagged on predictable lines. Need of a universal legal anti-terrorist convention and cooperation in counter-terrorism, including cyber crimes sounds familiar; there was no mention of Pakistan-based terrorists. Has China retracted from its Xiamen declaration? Wishing universal energy access, energy security, energy affordability, and reduced pollution and environment conservations is fine, but how the countries transitioning to more environmentally sustainable energy systems can be helped isnt clear. Collaboration for the preservation of biodiversity, promoting ocean economy and protecting outer space from arms race are welcome, but the emphasis on promotion of democracy sounds ironic, as both China and Russia cant be called democracies. Similarly, if China pursues its territorial claims in the South China Sea with little regard to international laws, its advocacy of a rule-based international order sounds hollow. Above all, Brics should act on what it proposes. Lao Cai Province in the northern highlands has proposed that an airport be built near Sa Pa, one of Vietnams top tourist attractions. Provincial authorities would like the airport to be built in Bao Yen district, about 100 kilometers away from Sa Pa, for both civilian and military purposes. They estimated investment for the airport at over VND5.7 trillion ($246 million), not including military equipment. The project will comprise of two phases. In the first phase, an airport with a capacity of 560,000 passengers and 600 tons of goods a year will be built by 2020. With a budget of VND4.7 trillion for the first phase, the airport will have two runways suitable for Airbus A320, A321 or similar aircraft. The second phase will see an upgrade to increase the airports capacity to 1.5 million passengers and 2,880 tons of good each year by 2030. The upgrade would cost more than VND1 trillion ($42.9 million). Lao Cai has proposed two options for raising the needed capital. In the first, the Ministry of Transport will construct the airport from both government and private funds. The second option is that the province will call for participation from private firms. The airport would mainly serve tourists from southern Vietnam and southwestern China. However, some aviation experts have cautioned that this inflow would be unstable, when compared to the Van Don airport under construction in northern Quang Ninh province, where the Ha Long Bay and other attractions are located. Sa Pa, which is even more popular during summer thanks to its cool climate, is expected to welcome 4 million visitors in 2020, compared to an estimated 2.5 million last year. In the past a large number of tourists traveled to the town by train from Hanoi to Lao Cai. But since the $1.5-billion Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway was opened in September 2014, many have found a five-hour bus ride more appealing than an eight-hour trip on the train. Vietnam's aviation industry has been booming in recent years. The country served more than 94 million air passengers in 2017, up 16 percent from the previous year, including 13 million foreigners. A court in the southern province of Dong Nai sentenced 15 people to jail and ordered probations on five others on Monday for blocking streets during last June's anti-SEZ protest. Tran Nguyen Duy Quang, 35, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for "disturbing public order" during protest against the country's draft law on Special Economic Zones (SEZ) on June 10. Fourteen of Quang's accomplices got 8-16 months in prison on the same charges, while another five, got 12-14 months probation as minors. The defendants were among hundreds of protesters that stormed major streets in the provincial capital town of Bien Hoa, one hour northeast of Saigon, to voice opposition to the draft law, the indictment said. From noon until 4 p.m., Quang and 19 accomplices shouted and urged locals to bring out banners, signs and block the roads, causing traffic jams on many streets including Pham Van Thuan, Duong Tu Giang and National Highway 1A. The protesters also resisted authorities' calls for them to disperse, forcing police to detain 52 of them. Quang and his accomplices were charged following further investigations. Their actions caused several long traffic jams, with one lasting four hours, prosecutors said. At the trial, the defendants admitted to their crimes and claimed they were unaware that their actions, which they had been encouraged to take by "bad people," were illegal. The protest in Dong Nai was one of several that erupted in Vietnam in opposition of the draft law on SEZs, particularly a provision that would allow foreign investors to lease land for 99 years, while the maximum period under the current Land Law is 70 years. Thousands of people took to the streets on June 10 in Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and several provinces, with banners and signs calling for the draft law to be scrapped. The bill which was scheduled to be passed in June has been postponed for further discussions in October. Following the demonstrations, police detained hundreds of violent protesters and said they uncovered evidence that the protests were anti-state actions incited by organizations based in other countries using false, distorted information on the draft laws. Earlier this month, 16 protesters in the south central province of Binh Thuan were sentenced to up to three and a half years in prison for engaging in SEZ law protests which were deemed violent. Ho Chi Minh City put an American protester on trial earlier this month but decided to deport him, saying it was his first-time offense and he was repentant about what hed done. Vietnam has delayed the passing of the law on demonstrations several times, and thus any act of inciting public protests is deemed illegal. A real estate tycoon and two former police officials are to be jailed for 6-9 years for deliberatly disclosing state secrets. At a closed trial on Monday, the Hanoi People's Court sentenced Phan Van Anh Vu, 43, a real estate tycoon in Da Nang, to 9 years in prison, while Phan Huu Tuan, 63, former lieutenant general and former deputy general director of the General Intelligence Department under the Ministry of Public Security received a 7-year sentence. Nguyen Huu Bach, 55, a former defense ministry official got 6 years in prison. As the case involved state secrets, details of the crimes committed by Vu and other defendants were not revealed. Prior to his downfall, Vu was one of the biggest property investors in Da Nang. He was the chairman of three major property companies and a shareholder in a number of other projects in the central city. Last December, authorities conducted a search of Vu's house and issued an international arrest warrant for him after he was found to have left the country. Vu was detained in Singapore later that month for violating the country's immigration laws and deported to Vietnam in early January, where he was arrested upon arrival. In addition to the charge of disclosing state secrets, Vu is also under criminal investigation for "tax evasion" and "abuse of power in performance of official duties" in separate cases, which include a graft case at Dong A Bank and a land management violation case in Da Nang. Investigations into Vu's violations resulted in the arrests of Tuan, Bach and a former Da Nang chairman, and several former Da Nang officials are also under investigation for land management violations. At a meeting last Saturday, the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam also punished Lieutenant General Bui Van Thanh, Deputy Minister of Public Security for signing a decision allowing Vu to travel abroad and for requesting a diplomatic passport for him, although the real estate tycoon was not qualified to get one. Thanh has been dismissed from all Party positions and is facing further disciplinary action by the government, including demotion in the police force. 'My kids are deceased': US wildfire kills two children, four others A wooden structure burns on the south edge of the Carr Fire near Igo, California, U.S. July 29, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Bob Strong A 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren were among six killed when a wildfire raged through an area of northern California. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told a news conference in the city of Redding at the edge of the blaze on Sunday that one more person had died in a residence consumed by fire, bringing the total to six, including two firefighters. He said the latest victim had not complied with an evacuation order. Bosenko said authorities are still looking for seven people after finding nine others who had been reported missing. More than 38,000 people remained under evacuation orders on Sunday in and around Redding, a city of 90,000 people about 160 miles (257 km) north of the state capital Sacramento. The Carr Fire, which has destroyed more than 500 buildings, is the deadliest and most destructive of nearly 90 wildfires burning from Texas to Oregon. The Carr Fire has charred 89,194 acres (36,095 hectares) of drought-parched vegetation since erupting last Monday. Redding Police Sergeant Todd Cogle confirmed that three bodies discovered at a fire-ravaged home on the outskirts of Redding were two children and their great-grandmother. The victims identified by relatives on Facebook and in news media reports were James Roberts, 5, his sister Emily, 4, and their great grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70. Bledsoes granddaughter, Amanda Woodley, said on Facebook the elderly woman desperately put a wet blanket over the children as their home burned. Grandma did everything she could to save them she was hovered over them both with a wet blanket, Woodley said in a Facebook post. The childrens mother, Sherry Bledsoe, was quoted by the Sacramento Bee as saying: My kids are deceased. Thats all I can say. Unpredictable The weather on Sunday is expected to offer no relief for firefighters, with temperatures over 100 Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius), low humidity and gusty winds, the National Weather Service said. We are simply not getting a break, said Chris Anthony, a division chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The blaze remained unpredictable, he said by telephone from Redding. Under these conditions that we are seeing right now, its not going to take much for the fire to have the extreme spread that we saw a couple of days ago. Officials battling the blaze told the news conference in Redding they were feeling more optimistic on Sunday afternoon and starting to gain ground on Carr Fire. They pledged to return people to their homes as soon as possible. An army of some 3,500 firefighters and a squadron of 17 water-dropping helicopters had carved buffer lines around just 5 percent of the fires perimeter as of Sunday. President Donald Trump on Saturday declared the fire an emergency, authorizing federal funds for disaster relief efforts. Officials at the news conference said over 160 fire departments from California and around the country have been deployed to help quell the week-long blaze. At the height of its fury on Thursday night, the fire was whipped into a fire tornado by gale-force winds that drove flames across the Sacramento River into the western end of Redding, as thousands of residents fled for their lives in a chaotic evacuation. The nearby town of Keswick, with a population of about 450, was reduced to cinders. We have seen really extremely explosive fire behavior on this particular fire, but its not unique any more to what we are seeing on fires in California, Cal Fires Anthony said. That is kind of that new normal that we are dealing with in California. Fire-ravaged home Bledsoes husband wept as he recalled trying to get back to the familys house after he had left to run an errand on Thursday, only to learn that the fire was closing in on them. Ed Bledsoe told the Sacramento Bee that he spoke to the children on the phone as he raced in vain to return in time to save them. A Go Fund Me effort, launched overnight to help Ed Bledsoe, had raised almost half its $30,000 goal by midday Sunday. It said the elderly couple had been caring for the great grandchildren for years in their rental home. So far this year, wildfires have scorched almost 4.3 million acres (1.7 million hectares) across the country, less than last year but still more than the 3.7 million-acre (1.5 million-hectare) average for the same period over the last decade. California has been particularly hard hit with several fierce blazes menacing large populated areas. The Carr Fire is among 17 major fires blazing in California with more than 200,000 acres burning, the National Park Service noted during a press conference. One of the California fires prompted a rare closure of much of Yosemite National Park last week, while another forced mass evacuations from the mountain resort community of Idyllwild, east of Los Angeles. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members secure Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat before the consultation. Photo by AFP Muslim rebels have long been battling for independence or autonomy in Mindanao, which they regard as their ancestral homeland. Members or supporters of the Philippines' largest Muslim rebel group gathered in their tens of thousands on Sunday to discuss a landmark law granting them autonomy, with one expressing hope it would make their "dream of peace" a reality. President Rodrigo Duterte last week signed the law, a key step to ending a Muslim rebellion in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines that had claimed about 150,000 lives since the 1970s. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members, supporters and local residents from various parts of the southern island of Mindanao, including women in headscarves and fighters carrying arms, trooped to the main MILF camp there for a consultation. Their leaders are seeking support for the law ahead of a referendum on the measure, which creates an expanded autonomous region and is aimed at ending one of Asia's longest and deadliest conflicts. "This is our dream. If we end this (fighting), hopefully we can live in peace," Nasser Samama, a 61-year-old veteran rebel fighter, told AFP inside MILF headquarters at Camp Darapanan. "Most people want peace and so do we in the MILF forces. What the MILF has achieved is not just for our group but for the whole of Mindanao." Muslim rebels have long been battling for independence or autonomy in Mindanao, which they regard as their ancestral homeland. The law aims to enforce a historic but fragile 2014 peace deal under which the MILF vowed to give up its quest for independence and lay down the weapons of its 30,000 fighters in return for self-rule. Under the law, a new political entity known as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region would replace the current autonomous region created following a 1996 deal with another rebel group, the Moro National Liberation Front. The Bangsamoro is set to have more powers and cover a bigger area. MILF leaders approve of the measure but say its communities would need to back the law for it to pass a plebiscite. On Sunday many of the group's members, who have endured decades of conflict, said they supported the law. "This is the beginning of peace in Mindanao. This is the start of unity between Muslims and Christians," housewife Babaidi Budain told AFP. Some expressed fear the law would not bring development to the resource-rich but poverty-stricken south. "Everyone in Mindanao should avail themselves of the opportunity the region offers. If not, it would be the same, the Bangsamoro would not prosper," said community worker Nasser Sulaiman. Revamped Poltava Airport welcomes first passenger plane (Photo) Several dozen foreign tourists were onboard the plane. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine's defense ministry to raise military pay Insufficient payment is the main reason for resignation from the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the expiry of a contract. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine defeated by Russia in new WTO dispute media Ukraine has the right to appeal. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Monday, July 30, 2018 Cultural Heritage celebration organized by the Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs from Romania Cultural and Spiritual Heritagecelebration atthe International Folklore Festival organized by the Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs from Romania On the 14th and 15th of July, the International Youth Folklore Festival took place in Valea Cerului in Romania. This international festival was organized by a new ECPM Member, the Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs from Romania (DUSCR). Its aim was to promote Slovak traditions in Romania and abroad. It also acted as a gathering of deputies and representatives of the Slovak communities in Romania and representatives from Slovakia. The program started with a tribute to Slovakia, Romania and the European Union. Next, a traditional parade took place to the location of the Festival. It was opened by Adrian Merka, president of the DUSCR, Leo van Doesburg (ECPM Director of European Affairs) and Romanian Deputy and Member of the Advisory Board of ECPM Florica Chereches. Other speakers were amongst others: Furik Iarko, Romanian Deputy on behalf of the DUSC, Lila Debelka (Romanian State Secretary of the Ministry of Romanians in Diaspora), Aurora Caravasile (from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage), Peter Kristof (Consul of the Slovak Embassy in Bucharest), Dan Cordes on behalf of the Environment Minister and Branislav Kuljik vice president of the Slovak Minorities in Serbia. The opening was followed by an extensive program that included different plays, songs and dances highlighting the Slovak character and history. ECPM President Branislav Skripek participated at the dinner. On Sunday, a special church service took place in the Slovak Catholic Church in Valea Cerului. Cultural and Spiritual heritage meet each other here. During his speech, Leo van Doesburg highlighted the importance of the cultural and spiritual heritage in Europe. Despite the fact that the EU called this year the European year of Cultural Heritage, the European Institutions could be more involved to celebrate the cultures and communities of different Member States. The slogan of the EU is Unity through Diversity. However, the EU is focusing more on unity than on diversity of cultures. We do not want a European Union that is focusing on a uniform, progressive culture but on supporting different cultures and communities in Europe and within their member states. The recent Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, hosted by the United States in Washington, discussed ways to combat religious persecution and ensure greater respect for religious freedom. Among the topics of discussion was Iran. In an interview, U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said, Iran has been one of the worst countries in the world on religious persecution: If youre anything but a Shia Muslim in that country, you do not have religious freedom. If youre a Sunni, if youre a Bahai, if youre a Christian, if youre a Jew, if youre a Zoroastrian, any of those, you do not have religious freedom. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described an example of religious persecution in Iran, this time of a Sufi, during his recent speech at the Reagan Presidential Library in California: Last month, a simple man, a bus driver, a father of two children, and a member of the Iranian Gonabadi Sufi Dervish Community, was convicted and sentenced to death. His sentence came on questionable grounds following violent clashes between security forces and the DervishesHe was reportedly denied access to a lawyer before and during his grossly unfair trialSadly, on June 18th, the regime hanged Mr. Salas in prison. Radio Farda reports that verdicts have now been issued against 258 Iranian dervishes charged with national security crimes for participating in the February protests. The International Federation of Human rights Societies has described the trial of the dervishes as a mockery of justice and a blatant violation of international principles and standards. Sentences include exile, lashings and long prison terms. On the opening day of the Ministerial, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote that the Trump administration is passionate about promoting and defending international religious freedom, not just in Iran but everywhere.But the challenge, he added, is too big for any one nation, Others, Secretary Pompeo said, must join us as we fight for the persecuted, speak out for the voiceless, and work together to pave the way for greater religious freedom around the world. The United States is in the midst of its most severe drug epidemic since the 1980s. In 2016, nearly 64,000 people died from drug overdoses, and over 30 percent of those deaths involved a synthetic opioid like fentanyl, Alan Piracha of the State Departments Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs said at a recent Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE conference on the threat of illicit drugs. And while the opioid crisis has hit North America particularly hard, any country with a connection to the internet and international mail could be vulnerable to an overdose crisis like the one we are seeing in the United States today, he said. Thats because increasingly, transnational drug dealers are dealing in highly dangerous synthetic drugs that are produced in a laboratory, purchased by customers online and shipped by mail. Today, we see fentanyl in the United States, but tomorrow it could be synthetic cannabinoids in the [Southern Latin America], or cathinones in Southeast Asia. In short, our international approach must be able to adapt to emerging challenges, said Mr. Piracha. The global community should begin by building an international framework to reduce the demand for illegal drugs. Mr. Piracha suggests a four-pillar approach to reducing global drug demand. First, we must build a capable and knowledgeable prevention and treatment workforce worldwide through evidence-based training. Second, treatment services around the world must be professionally operated to ensure that patients have access to quality care, and so we must develop and support credentialing and accreditation systems. Third, we must build networks to connect the prevention and treatment workforce, researchers, and policymakers. And finally, we must support populations with special clinical needs, such as rural communities. Work within this framework helps partner nations around the world prevent new initiates [to drug use], and build a strong foundation for the provision of treatment and recovery services, said Alan Piracha. We must also diligently share information, experiences and best practices when it comes to keeping our mail and consignment shipping services safe. And we must cooperate to shut down trafficking networks that exploit these essential services. The United States looks forward to continuing the robust suite of supply and demand reduction partnerships we have built around the world, said Mr. Piracha, and to working innovatively with the international community to tackle emerging trends. In 2012, just a year or so after the start of the Syrian civil war and soon after Syrian regime forces began to attack civilian areas under rebel control, a group of some 3,000 volunteers from all walks of life formed the Syria Civil Defense, better known as the White Helmets. This neutral humanitarian organization began to perform tasks such as medical evacuation, search and rescue in response after bombing attacks, and evacuation of civilians from danger zones. Over the six years of their existence, the White Helmets have saved the lives of over 100,000 people. The White Helmet volunteers are heroes. Yet the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad and its Russian allies call them terrorists. So when a number of the White Helmets became trapped between advancing Syrian troops on one side and militants affiliated with ISIS on the other, at the request of a number of countries, including the United States, Israel facilitated the evacuation of 422 White Helmets and their families from Syria to Jordan. The United States welcomes the safe evacuation of more than 400 members of the White Helmets and their families from southwest Syria. The United States and our international partners asked the United Nations to take the central role in this critical humanitarian operation. In response, the UN organized entry into Jordan for these members of the White Helmets and their families, who are fleeing violence in southwest Syria. The White Helmets have consistently been targeted by the Assad regime, said State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert. We deeply appreciate Israel's role in facilitating the transit of the White Helmets and their family members. We commend Jordan's generosity in supporting their processing by UNHCR and the commitment of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany to provide the White Helmets and their families with permanent homes. We renew our call on the Assad regime and Russia to abide by their commitments, end the violence, and protect all Syrian civilians, including humanitarians such as the White Helmets, in areas formerly part of the southwest de-escalation zone and throughout Syria. Hayk Marutyan's biography (video) Hayk Marutyan spent 7 years at the Yerevan Secondary School No. 83. The 8-10th grades he studied at the Anania Shirakatsi School. In 1992 - 1997 he studied at the Yerevan State Engineering University. In 1995 - 2002 he played in the KVN team of the Polytechnic Institute "Armenian Project". In 1996 - 2002 he worked in the company "Sharm" as a screenwriter, director, actor of "220 volts", "Vailur", "Mer Baky", "Mer Baky 2", "Tuyn Kaset", "Urish Kaset", "Banda", "Commercial act"(together with the "Armenia" TV company). In 2002, together with friends, he founded the company "Cool Studio", where he worked as an actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He created the following projects: "Cool Program", "Cool TV series", "7.5", "No Comment", "Ala Bala Nitsa". Also participated in all projects as an actor. He participated in numerous television and film shootings. Starting from May 2018, he actively participated in the "Make a step" movement of the Republic of Armenia. His wife is Iva, Czech by nationality, whom he met in 2004, when the latter was a volunteer in Spitak, as part of the Red Cross mission. He has two children: Alice and Arthur. Hayk Marutyan is a candidate for mayor of Yerevan from the Civil Contract Party. Ameriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees Ameriabank. 62.5% Growth in Taxes YOY Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans have provided 300 million AMD to overcome the infertility in Armenia UCOM has officially launched the sale of IPHONE 13 Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive Ararat Mirzoyan to visit to Minsk Foreign Minister of India visits the Memorial of Armenian Genocide 1217 new cases Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group At UCOM only: Tv sets at 10% discount + 1 month free UMIX package + 4k tv channel Ameriabanks Special Offer for New Clients of Hrazdan Branch "Fall forward": Gurgen Khachatryan, the Co-Founder of the Galaxy Group of Companies, addressed a message to young people in Armenia UCOM hosted interns of Russian CBOSS corporation for a month The 20-episode Bloody bet thriller to be broadcast on Ucom's Armenia Premium TV channel Google Ad Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden. "The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer Generation A 13 your chance to be the change President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev "uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion Ameriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees Ameriabank. 62.5% Growth in Taxes YOY Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans have provided 300 million AMD to overcome the infertility in Armenia UCOM has officially launched the sale of IPHONE 13 Google Ad Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive Ararat Mirzoyan to visit to Minsk Foreign Minister of India visits the Memorial of Armenian Genocide 1217 new cases Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group At UCOM only: Tv sets at 10% discount + 1 month free UMIX package + 4k tv channel Ameriabanks Special Offer for New Clients of Hrazdan Branch "Fall forward": Gurgen Khachatryan, the Co-Founder of the Galaxy Group of Companies, addressed a message to young people in Armenia UCOM hosted interns of Russian CBOSS corporation for a month The 20-episode Bloody bet thriller to be broadcast on Ucom's Armenia Premium TV channel Google Ad Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden. "The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer Generation A 13 your chance to be the change President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev "uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion Stepan Grigoryan: His lawyers, throwing mud at the public, are trying to get the support of the international community, it will cost them dear (video) According to political scientist Stepan Grigoryan, Robert Kocharyan's lawyers throw mud at the people: "I do not see anything more vile, they condemn the velvet revolution. Where is the 37th year? When did you see the officials write the statement and quit? During Rob's presidency? " Stepan Grigoryan considers those who assess the arrest of the second president as political persecution, far from reality: "Was the persecution during Kocharyan's presidency or is it now? Where does he get this wealth from, where are these businesses? Where can vendetta be seen?" According to Stepan Grigoryan, Kocharyan's arrest cannot have a negative impact on Armenia's international rating: "His lawyers, throwing mud at the public, are trying to get the support of the international community, it will cost them dear." The political scientist also refers to the accusation against CSTO Secretary Yuri Khachaturov, saying that this is only Armenia's problem, and Russia cannot interfere. Stepan Grigoryan proposes the investigative body to inspect Khachaturov also on the April events of 2016: "I propose to check his accounts and accounts of his relatives, we are not stupid, they do not rent out territories for free." Even Charlie Chaplin probably does not have the right to become mayor Candidate for mayor from the Civil Contract Party is Hayk Marutyan. The decision on this was taken at a meeting of the party's board. Residents of Yerevan accept it ambiguously. "Even Charlie Chaplin probably does not have the right to become mayor," said one of the citizens. Meanwhile, another citizen of Yerevan wants Hayk Marutyan to be the mayor. "We want to see the city clean, to see people cheerful, we want to develop not only the center. I am sure that he will develop not only the center, but first of all he will develop the suburbs. " The acting career of the candidate does not inspire confidence in residents of Yerevan. Hayk Marutyan, after yesterday's meeting, addressed this issue. "Since 2012, acting takes only 20% of my life," said the latter. "My approaches and approaches of the Civil Contract party will be the same,"Hayk Marutyan assured. He presented his ideas about a mayor. "Of course, he should not be an official. He must be one of you, one of us. If we win this election, I will be one of you." Among the candidates for mayor are the names of the MP from the PAP Naira Zohrabyan and the member of the Yerkir Tsirani Party Zaruhi Postanjyan. Despite the fact that the candidate for mayor of the Ciliv Contract Party is already known, it is not known in which format the Yelk alliance will take part in the elections of the Council of Elders of Yerevan. The Republic and Bright Armenia parties will announce their decision in the near future. The legal merger of Alfa-Bank Ukraine and Ukrsotsbank (Kyiv) will be completed in H1 2019, Alfa Group CEO in Ukraine and Board Chairman of Ukrsotsbank Ivan Svitek has said. "The legal merger is scheduled for the first half of the next year, but before the merger of the two giants as Alfa and Ukrsotsbank, and there have not yet been such mergers in the Ukrainian market, we need to do a lot of preparatory work. We are now trying to transfer all active clients of Ukrsotsbank to the Alfa platform. Our goal, to which we are systematically moving, is the transfer of 75% of all active clients, including in business volumes, to Alfa Bank's balance sheet by the end of 2018," Svitek said in a joint interview with Board Chairperson of Alfa Bank Ukraine Victoria Mykhailo with Interfax-Ukraine. According to Mykhailo, during the preparation for migration, a soft format "2 in 1" was developed, when branches of two banks - Ukrsotsbank and Alfa-Bank are located on the Ukrsotsbank platform. "Using this format, we can immediately tell Ukrsotsbank' clients, while they use the usual service in the convenient branch, about all the benefits of switching to Alfa-Bank. The main argument, of course, is Alfa's technological effectiveness. We took a lot of cool ideas and projects of Ukrsotsbank, including, for example, the Carbon card loved by customers, so clients in the 2-in-1 offices in a convenient format transfer liabilities from Ukrsotsbank to Alfa with a bonus and get more premium cards and products," she said. Mykhailo added that often for a client nothing changes in the current work with the bank: it is served by the same managers as before, but now employed in Alfa Bank. Commenting on the optimization of the regional network, Mykhailo said that currently two banks are entering the final wave of migration, in which from 301 branches of Alfa-Bank and Ukrsotsbank as of the beginning of this year only 241 branches of Alfa-Bank and 8 hubs in different regions, which will work in the "2 in 1" format will remain by the end of the year. The World Trade Organization (WTO) on July 30 will publish a report on the results of a dispute between Ukraine and Russia regarding railway equipment, in which Ukraine's key demands are rejected, the Yevropeyska Pravda edition has reported. "The only issue that Ukraine can attribute to its asset: the WTO called illegal the refusal of Russians to recognize the certificates issued by Belarus and Kazakhstan. The experts also took our side recognizing some procedural violations by the Russian Federation. At the same time, the experts recognized the Russian Federation's refusal from certification of production lawful," the report says. In addition, the group of experts refused to recognize the systemic nature of violations by the Russian Federation, the newspaper notes. The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine declined to comment on this. As reported, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body at the request of Ukraine on December 16, 2016 decided to create a group of experts to consider the dispute regarding unlawful restrictive measures by the Russian Federation to imports of wagons and railway equipment from Ukraine. The dispute was joined by Japan, the United States, the EU, China, Indonesia, and Singapore as third parties. The European Business Association (EBA) insists on the need to adopt a bill on a "single window" at the customs, which the parliament adopted on July 5, but due to a number of amendments it was sent by the president to the Verkhovna Rada for revision. "Our association supports the main idea of the bill. It's a pity that due to some amendments that were introduced to the draft law during the last voting in the Verkhovna Rada, its adoption is somewhat delayed. In this case, the president's veto is clear. At the same time, the issues of optimization of controlling bodies and transparency at customs are becoming more urgent for business to work openly and efficiently," the press service said citing EBA Executive Director Anna Derevyanko. EBA experts insist that the "single window" mechanism will reduce the number of controlling authorities at customs and the time for customs clearance of goods, as well as make customs procedures more understandable, the association said. "I really hope that this draft law will be adopted as quickly as possible," Derevyanko said. As reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko returned to the Verkhovna Rada with proposals the law on a "single window" at the customs, adopted on July 5, 2018. In the proposals to the law Poroshenko noted that the law submitted for signing is extremely important and expressed support for the need to introduce a "single window" mechanism and optimize the implementation of control procedures when moving goods across the customs border of Ukraine. At the same time, the head of state noted that certain provisions of the law cannot be supported. The Supreme Court of Ukraine on July 17 supported the legal position of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in a dispute with the client of PrivatBank, according to the website of the NBU. "The dispute arose out of a lawsuit filed by the individual, who, inter alia, asked to declare illegal the NBU's inaction regarding the recognition of PrivatBank as a problem bank. PrivatBank was the third party in the dispute," the report reads. "Due to the absence of a consistency criterion, the NBU is under no obligation to make decisions on recognition of a bank as the problem bank. A warning letter as the corrective measure taken by the NBU against a failure to submit and publish annual statements within a specified period of time is proportionate to the violation committed by PrivatBank," it says. "The illegal inaction of the authority must be understood as an outward form of the authority's behavior (activity), which constituted the lack of decisions or legally binding and mandatory actions in favor of the concerned parties, which fell within the scope of the authority's competence under a law or a different regulatory legal act, were objectively necessary and practically possible for the implementation, yet not implemented," the Supreme Court stated. "The NBU considers this decision to be an example of how the rule of law is ensured under the current reforms in the justice sector of Ukraine. The NBU also expects that courts will further take into account the legal position of the Supreme Court in similar disputes," according to the document. The White House supports the draft U.S. defense budget for 2019, which foresees the provision of $250 million in security assistance to Ukraine, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has said. "White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders expressed support for a consolidated draft U.S. defense budget, which was adopted on Thursday by the House of Representatives of the Congress by an absolute majority of 359 to 54," reads a report posted on the website of the Ukrainian service of the Voice of America on Friday, July 27. In general, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 envisages $717 billion. "The draft already has support in the Senate, according to Politico, and can be backed by senators as early as next week. Then the document will be submitted to President Donald Trump for signature," the Voice of America reports. It notes that the document includes clauses on the extension of cooperation with Ukraine in the issue of cybersecurity, which provides for assistance to Kyiv in strengthening its own capabilities to protect against cyberattacks. The section on "enhancing deterrence against Russian aggression in Europe" mentions the strengthening of the security policy in helping Ukraine and supporting defense sector reforms. "The draft budget for 2019 proposes to 'develop and implement a comprehensive security cooperation strategy that rationalizes and prioritizes support for allies and partners in Europe, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia' and 'explore increasing the frequency, scale, and scope of NATO and other multilateral exercises in the Black Sea with the participation of Ukraine and Georgia'," the report says. As reported, on July 23, the U.S. Congress recommended extending financial assistance to Ukraine for defense needs in the fiscal year 2019. According to a report on the defense budget for next year, which was published on July 24, the Congress recommended providing $250 million in security assistance to Ukraine. On July 27, the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress adopted the draft defense budget, which foresees $250 million in security assistance to Ukraine. Former Head of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine Roman Nasirov plans to run for the Ukrainian presidency in 2019. "Every day I think about this [participation in presidential elections] more and more. I have already begun to prepare for this. I think that, probably, yes," Nasirov said on the 112 Ukraine television channel. According to the channel's website, when asked whether he will participate in the presidential elections in 2019, Nasirov replied: "We will wait until it is announced that we have elections, when they announce registration." According to Nasirov, he will do everything to become Ukraine's president. The next presidential elections in Ukraine are to be held in the spring of 2019. As reported, NABU detectives on March 2 presented charges against Nasirov and apprehended him in the Feofania hospital outside Kyiv. He is suspected of committing a crime pursuant to Part 2 of Article 364 (embezzlement) of Ukraine's Criminal Code. Investigators believe that Nasirov in 2015-2016, acting in the interests of MP Oleksandr Onyshchenko, took a number of groundless decisions which resulted in damage to the state worth UAH 2 billion. On March 7, 2017, the Solomiansky District Court of Kyiv remanded Nasirov to pretrial confinement for two months, setting bail at UAH 100 million, while prosecutors from Ukraine's Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office had asked the court to set bail at UAH 2 billion. On March 16, Nasirov's wife posted UAH 100 million bail for him. The court obliged Nasirov to transfer all his foreign passports and other travel documents to the State Migration Service. Canada has confirmed its unchanged position regarding the condemnation of Russia's actions towards the violent occupation of Crimea, including by opening a bridge across the Kerch Strait in May 2018, and called for the release of all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens. A statement released on the website of the Canadian government on Saturday, July 28, says that "through its illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea, Russia has violated the international rules-based order and the vital international norm that no country can change another countrys borders by force." "Canada reaffirms its enduring commitment to the territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemns actions taken by Russia towards the forcible integration of the Crimean peninsula into Russia, including through the opening of the Kerch Strait Bridge in May 2018," the statement reads. The Government of Canada notes that since Russia's occupation of Crimea, Canada has witnessed severe human rights violations - committed by state agents of Russia - including the suppression of freedom of expression and association, arbitrary arrests, torture, detentions and disappearances and that many of these grave human rights violations were documented last fall by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "We call for the release of all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens, including Oleh Sentsov, who have been removed to Russia and sentenced by courts whose jurisdiction in Crimea we do not recognize," the statement reads. In addition, the Canadian government says that Crimea's rich cultural heritage has also been targeted by Russia, including through the mistreatment of the Crimean Tatar population and their historic sites. "Canada is steadfast in its support for the people of Ukraine. Together, the international community must maintain its pressure, including through economic sanctions, until Russia respects international law and Ukraine's sovereignty," the statement said. Turkish journalist asks Ukraine not to extradite him to Turkish authorities Turkish journalist Yunus Erdogdu has said he has asked the Ukrainian authorities not to extradite him to Ankara. "We [Turkish citizens] receive at least seven-ten threats every week, not only now, but over the past two years," he told Ukraine's Television News Service (TSN) after two Turkish citizens, including journalist Yusuf Inan, were handed over to the Turkish National Intelligence Organization. According to Erdogdu, he has not left his house since July 17, fearing for his life. According to media reports, Erdogdu is the founder of the first Turkish news site ukraynahaber.com and the editor-in-chief of the Turkish-language Vector News agency. He has been working in Ukraine since 2005. CHICAGO, July 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac, McDonalds today unveiled the MacCoin, a limited edition global currency* backed by the internationally iconic Big Mac that fans across the world can get their hands on starting August 2 to share, collect or redeem. Beginning at lunch time on August 2, customers can receive a MacCoin with the purchase of a Big Mac at 14,000 participating restaurants across the U.S., while supplies last. Starting on August 3 through 2018, customers can redeem their MacCoin for a free Big Mac at participating McDonalds restaurants in the U.S. and in more than 50 participating countries. More than 6.2 million MacCoins will be distributed globally in more than 50 countries while supplies last. These commemorative coins feature five unique designs, each representing a decade of the Big Mac. Each MacCoin design pulls in elements from that time in history, nodding to art, music and pop culture, while the front-side of the MacCoin celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac. The MacCoin highlights: The 70s, showcasing the decades flower power The 80s alluding to pop art The 90s defined with bold, abstract shapes The early 00s specifically focusing on the technology that was at the forefront of the turn of the century The 10s MacCoin calling attention to the evolution of communication Additionally, the seven languages featured across the various designs represent many of the countries participating: Arabic, English, Indonesian, Mandarin, Portuguese, French and Spanish. In its 50 years, the legendary taste of the Big Mac has helped it achieve universal recognition and a lasting legacy. No matter where they live in the world, Big Mac fans recognize the two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun as the iconic burger with a flavor combination thats just as craveable and delicious as the day it was introduced. It has become such a global icon that The Economist even used the price of the Big Mac to create the Big Mac Index, an economic tool that compares the purchasing power of different international currencies year after year. This global connectivity of the Big Mac inspired the creation of the MacCoin. Since it was introduced at a family-owned McDonalds restaurant 50 years ago, the Big Mac has traversed the globe and is enjoyed in cities from Shanghai to Chicago, providing delicious, feel good moments to people all over the world, said McDonalds President and CEO Steve Easterbrook. So we wanted a global celebration as unique as the burger itself. The MacCoin transcends currencies to commemorate our global iconic burger while giving customers all over the world a chance to enjoy a Big Mac on us. When my great-grandfather Jim Delligatti invented the Big Mac at his grill in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, he just wanted to make his local customers happy, said Nick Delligatti, fourth-generation McDonalds owner-operator and great-grandson of Jim Delligatti, the inventor of the Big Mac. August 2 would have been his 100th birthday, and I believe he would be very proud knowing his humble sandwich has made such a lasting impression that people all around the world can enjoy it wherever they find a McDonalds. *MacCoin has no cash value and is only redeemable for one free Big Mac at participating McDonalds restaurants through 2018. About McDonalds USA McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. Media Contacts: Terri Hickey, McDonalds Corp. terri.hickey@us.mcd.com; 773-655-3035 Samantha Klein, Golin sklein@golin.com; 312-729-4329 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/85883ea1-fbdf-4433-a796-dccdea72860f German Ambassador to Ukraine Ernst Reichel has said he hopes that the recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be an important step and will contribute to strengthening the unity of the Ukrainian people. "Ukraine is a country of many religions and confessions. Nevertheless, the 1030th anniversary of the Rus conversion to Christianity was an important event. The expected recognition of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be a very important step. This remains a personal decision of every believer as to how he or she will treat this. But I hope that this event will contribute to strengthening the unity of the Ukrainian people," the ambassador wrote on his Facebook page on Monday. As reported, on April 17, Poroshenko talked about his intention to appeal to Archbishop of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, asking him to issue a Tomos (an official church document) granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, and called on the Verkhovna Rada to support it. On April 19, 268 MPs supported the appeal of the president of Ukraine to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to grant a Tomos about the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople accepted the president's appeal for granting a Tomos about the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and decided to begin the procedure needed to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Ukraine's Embassy in the Czech Republic has protested in connection with a visit to the territory of Russian-occupied Crimea of a number of Czech deputies of the European Parliament. "We express our strong protest over the illegal visit of Jaromir Kohlicek, a member of the European Parliament from the Czech Republic, and Jaroslav Doubrava, a senator of the parliament of the Czech Republic, to the Russian-occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The issue concerns another violation of Ukrainian legislation by the said politicians who, despite repeated warnings, continue to blatantly ignore not only Ukrainian laws, but also international law," reads a statement published on the embassy's website on Monday. The statement notes that most Czech politician, as well as Czech government officials, are unequivocally in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemn Russian aggression, as well as Moscow's occupation of part of Ukrainian territory. "To somehow whitewash their crimes, Russia is chaotically searching around the world for politicians with a lower threshold of political hygiene, who are ready to participate in propaganda voyages to the occupied peninsula. Unfortunately, several such politicians were found in the Czech Republic," the statement says. The embassy recalled that Ukraine reserves the right to apply to the foreign citizens who violently and systematically violate the rules of entry into the occupied territories an entire range of sanctions envisaged by Ukrainian legislation. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree appointing Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Rostyslav Pavlenko director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies. The decree, No. 221/2018 of July 30, has been posted on the website of the head of state. Poroshenko also signed a decree dismissing Volodymyr Horbulin as director of this institute. Horbulin was dismissed due to his switching to work at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In addition, Poroshenko dismissed Pavlenko as deputy head of the Presidential Administration (due to his transfer to another job). Pavlenko, born in 1976, was appointed deputy head of the President Administration at the end of 2014. He is a people's deputy of Ukraine of the seventh and eighth convocations. The National Institute for Strategic Studies was established by a presidential decree of March 4, 1992. By a decree of December 16, 2002 the institute is subordinated to the president of Ukraine and is determined as a basic research institution of analytical and forecast support of the activities of the head of state. Verkhovna Rada Ombudswoman for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has said representatives of certain occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are deliberately dragging out negotiations for the transfer of convicts serving their sentence in non-government controlled areas who seek transfer to prisons controlled by Ukraine's government. "The occupying authorities are deliberately hampering the process of negotiations on the transfer of convicts. Their so-called 'ombudspersons' demand Ukraine's president personally confirm the powers of Viacheslav Petlyovany, who was appointed to be my contact for the talks. The coordinator of the humanitarian subgroup at the Minsk talks [Ambassador] Toni Frisch was repeatedly informed about this decision," Denisova wrote on her Facebook page on Monday. She also noted that Petlyovany repeatedly discussed and sent letters to the head of the UN Monitoring Mission for Human Rights Fiona Fraser about the transfer of convicted persons from the territory of Ukraine that is not controlled by the government. Denisova said representatives of Donbass-SOS NGO Nataliya Melnyk and Anatoly Yagin told her that they, as the case with Denisova, receive statements from the convicts who are in places of deprivation of liberty in the territory of the uncontrolled territories in Donbas, as well as from their relatives who ask to relocate them to the government-controlled territory to serve out their sentences. Denisova said she hopes the situation will change after next meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) scheduled for August 22. "We are waiting for August 22 for the next TCG meeting in Minsk," she wrote. "We continue to cooperate with all who can help to return our children to the territory controlled by Ukraine's government," she said. The text of the Tomos on granting autocephaly to Ukraine's Orthodox Church does not exist, although there is a draft, Yaroslav Kotsiuba, author of an expert analysis for the Institute of World Policy, has said. "A couple of months ago there was information that Tomos was already written. This is incorrect. We managed to find out that it is not yet written. There is not text, only a draft document," Kotsiuba said in Kyiv on Monday. According to the expert, writing Tomos is not a big problem. He said a similar document issued to the Polish Orthodox Church in 1924 could be used as a template. Kotsiuba spoke about three components of the Tomos - the rationale, where it will be said that "the territory of Ukraine is the former territory of the Kyiv Metropolis" and that the Patriarchate of Constantinople gives its consent to the creation of an autocephalous church in Ukraine. "The second part of the document stipulates all the rights and liabilities of the newly created church, and the third part includes the signatures of the Constantinople bishops that's what this document will be three pages of text," the expert explained. The Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency has learned that representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople have almost completed the coordination of the provision of Tomos with local churches, with the exception of Albania. "The single absolute opponent of autocephaly is the Russian Orthodox Church," Kotsiuba said. A coroner in Australia says the death of a 24-year-old Iranian asylum-seeker held on a remote Pacific island immigration-detention center in 2014 was "entirely preventable." In a ruling issued on July 30, the Queensland state coroner blamed the death of Hamid Kehazaei on the "compounding effect of multiple errors" and called on the Australian government to put the health of detainees first. Kehazaei died in an Australian hospital in September 2014 after inadequate treatment of an ulcer on his left leg, the coroner said in announcing the results of a two-week inquest conducted in 2016-17. The man contracted the ulcer inside the detention center on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Kehazaei suffered a heart attack and organ failure after the infection developed into sepsis before he was eventually evacuated to a hospital in Brisbane, where he was declared brain dead. Queensland state coroner Terry Ryan said that "a series of clinical errors, compounded by failures in communication" had led to significant delays in Kehazaei being transferred to Australia. "I am satisfied that if Mr. Khazaei's clinical deterioration was recognized and responded to in a timely way at the Manus Island regional processing center clinic and he was evacuated to Australia within 24 hours of developing severe sepsis, he would have survived," Ryan said. Australia detains asylum-seekers in offshore detention centers, such as PNGs Manus Island and on the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru. The effort is designed to deter migrants from attempting to reach Australia by boat. Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa A website that exclusively reflects news concerning Iranian Sufi dervishes reports that one of the admins of the site, Kasra Nouri has been sentenced to a twelve-year prison sentence, 74 lashes, two-year exile in a remote city and deprived of all social rights. The verdict was issued in absentia by the notorious judge, Mashaullah Ahmadzadeh, the head of Branch 26, Tehrans Revolutionary Court. Ahmadzadeh, as a rule, presides over the courts assigned to trials of religious minorities and people newly converted to Christianity. Two days earlier, the wife of one of the detained dervishes had reported that Sufi prisoners, protesting unjust legal procedures, decided not to attend their hearing. Nevertheless, Judge Ahmadzadeh sentenced five of the protesters to 12/13-year imprisonment, in absentia. The International Federation of Human Rights Societies has described the trial of dervishes as a mockery of justice shrouded in cover-ups and a blatant violation of international principles and standards. Iranian security forces on February 19 arrested Kasra Nouri, while he was covering the violent dispersal of Gonabadi dervishes, protesting the intelligence agents who barricaded a street leading to the residence of their 90-year old spiritual leader, Noor Ali Tabandeh in northern Tehran. Earlier, on February 16, for the second time in less than two weeks, security and intelligence agents swarmed Pasdaran Avenue in northern Tehran, where Tabandehs residence is located. Gonabadi dervishes rushed to the scene to force the agents to leave. After 7 a.m. on February 19, clashes broke out between the supporters of Tabandeh and security and Baseej (the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps militia) forces. Police special units supported by plainclothesmen attacked the protesters and battered dozens of dervishes. Hundreds were arrested. Footage of dervishes with head injuries and broken teeth and jaws were widely circulated on social media. Three policemen and a member of paramilitary Baseej were also killed. While suffering physically, many of the detainees were taken to prisons and kept in unbearable conditions in solitary confinement, according to social media reports and images. The detained dervishes were tried behind closed doors without access to lawyers. At the time and in the heat of clashes with the security forces, Kasra Nouri told Radio Farda, Some 100 policemen attacked the dervishes and fired at them. We are worried about our security in the area, while we are defending our leader, Dr. Nour Ali Tabandeh. Our resolve is to defend him up to the last drop of our blood. Later, Kasra Nouri was among hundreds of Gonabadi dervishes who were battered during clashes in front of Tabandehs residence and placed behind bars. Since February 19, Nouri had been kept in Greater Tehran Central Prison in Fashafouyeh, 132 km (82 mile) south of the capital. Noori had been arrested and spent time in prison before, accused of anti-regime activities. Out of 500 dervishes who were detained during protests outside the residence of Gonabadi Sufis spiritual leader, 360 are still in custody. On July 22, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted Irans ruling elite and its religious leaders for using their positions to line their pockets, while ignoring the rights of Iranian citizens, including dervishes. Dervishes are members of a Muslim (specifically Sufi) religious order who have taken vows of poverty and austerity. Dervishes first appeared in the 12th century; they were noted for their wild or ecstatic rituals and were known as dancing, whirling, or howling dervishes because of the practices of their order. There are various orders of dervishes, almost all of which trace their origins to various Muslim saints and teachers, especially Shiites main Imam Ali bin Abi Talib. Dervishes spread into North Africa, Afghanistan, Balkans, Caucasus, India, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkey. The Central Bank of Iran has attributed unprecedented hype surrounding the country's forex and gold markets "mainly to enemies," adding that the increase in gold prices and rate of exchange of foreign currencies has nothing to do with Iran's "economic realities." A statement released by the bank on July 29 said, "Recent developments in the gold and forex markets are part of the conspiracies hatched by the country's enemies in order to agitate the economy and rob the people of their psychological security," adding that the bank is "closely watching the developments." In the meantime, the Iranian judiciary has announced the arrest of 29 individuals on charges of disrupting markets, adding that more arrests are under way. On July 29, the rate of exchange for the U.S. dollar crossed the 100,000 rial milestone and even neared 110,000 rials in the afternoon, while the price of standard gold coins reached over 40 million rials, the Iranian media reported. But the hype did not stop there, as Iranian media reported the rate of exchange for US dollar reached 120,000 rials for each dollar Monday morning July 30 The hype on the market took place as the central bank's new governor, Abdolnasser Hemmati, took over. He had promised to implement President Hassan Rouhani's plan to improve the situation of Iran's ailing economy. Rouhani had called on Hemmati upon his appointment to "revitalize the banking system." Hemmati's mandate as Central Bank governor also includes "reforming the banking system and financial and monetary policies, and the improvement of banking relationships with the world as well as preserving foreign exchange reserves as the priorities of the new head of the central bank." In a new statement released on July 29, Hemmati said he was planning the bank's new approach based on Rouhani's suggestions. He said the new plan would be implemented within a few days. Iranian officials had talked about their plans to confront the rising price of gold and foreign currency. This is also not the first time they have attributed the banking system's failure to the conspiracies of so-called enemies. The new governor also said on July 29 that "enemies are planning to eliminate the administration's social capital and suggest the government's weakness." On the same day, announcing 29 arrests, judicial spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said that "more arrest warrants have been issued and the charges of some of the suspects are tantamount to corruption on Earth," a charge that would entail the death sentence in Iran's Islamic judicial system. The arrests on the market are nothin new. Only one day before the landmark hike in prices, 18 others were arrested on charges of disrupting the markets. Economic analysts have said violent measures such as arrests might calm the markets in the short run, but this kind of security measure is not effective in the long run. The analysts maintain that such measures have proved to be futile on various occasions in Iran under President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and his successor, Rouhani. Other analysts blame the Rouhani administration for the current economic crisis, adding that the government's policy to inject cash into the markets from the banks channeled money into the forex market, causing the everyday fluctuations that have overwhelmed the market in recent months. Still other analysts say that the tensions between Tehran and Washington are the underlying reason for the Iranian markets' instability. The tensions and their impact on the economy have intensified following the U.S. pull-out from the nuclear deal with Iran and the war of words between Iranian and U.S. officials. During the past four months, the rial has lost nearly half of its value against the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies. One euro is currently being traded on Iranian markets for over 140,000 rials. The upheaval on the markets has led to protest demonstrations all over Iran, with demonstrators protesting economic hardships and chanting slogans against senior government officials and Iran's military presence in the region. The Majles ResearchCenter (MRC) says the number of people who believe in hijab as a religious value, as well as those who believe violating the so-called Islamic dress code is a punishable offense, has been gradually dropping in Iran. Based on polls conducted by state-run institutions, MRC's latest report says the number of supporters of hijab among youth and people with higher incomes and access to media and culture is much lower than in other strata of society. Despite the popular belief, the report says, The number of people who disregard hijab in urban and rural areas is almost the same. The statistics MRC refers to show that nearly 35 percent of people still believe that hijab is a valued principle, while during the first years of the Islamic Republics establishment (after 1979), 50 percent more people accepted it as a respectful religious standard. The report also says that at least half of Irans population believes in conventional hijab or that hijab cannot be measured or restricted by an official definition and different societies should be allowed to decide upon the issue. Before the downfall of Irans monarchy, women were free to wear or disregard hijab. But in a creeping move, the new rulers of Iran, the clergy, laid the groundwork to make hijab compulsory. Women initially resisted but were forced to submit through harsh punishment, including piercing tacks and acid thrown into faces of women who disregarded hijab by reactionary forces or so-called rogue elements clandestinely hired by the new government. Since 1979, the authorities in Iran have sought to suppress any resistance to compulsory hijab. Comments on the changeability of the Islamic regulations, including dress code, made by mid-ranking cleric Hassan Yousefi Eshkevari on the fringes of a controversial conference in 2000, in Berlin, led to his arrest. A former member of the Iranian Parliament, Yousefi Eshkevari was initially charged with apostasy and sentenced to death. Later, the Court of Appeals withheld the death penalty, disrobed him, and sentenced him to five years in prison. There remain Shiite clergy who oppose forcing hijab on women who argue that respecting hijab is a religious edict that is open to change. Iraq-based Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Eshaq Fayyaz declared during a meeting with Irans judiciary chief, Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, in 2016 that forcing women to wear hijab will not make the dress code popular. The comment fell on deaf ears, and the practice continued. In contrast, there are ultraconservative clergy in Iran who believe the dress code should be enforced with more zeal. Nasser Makarem Shirazi, a 91-year-old Shiite cleric, officially recognized as a Grand Ayatollah, reiterated on March 24, Anti-revolutionary elements want to eliminate hijab in order to undermine Islam and the Islamic regime. Referring to Iranian womens recent popular peaceful protests against compulsory hijab, Makarem Shirazi advised, The police should treat women who do not observe hijab in a friendly and decent manner, but a militant campaign against hijab should be dealt with differently. Clergy and other theologians speaking to the media in Iran and abroad do not agree on a dress code for women, and many say it should be up to women to choose what they wear. On social media, Makarem has been the subject of numerous anecdotes for banning anything that feels good, including scratching an itching foot. Lawyers such as Mehrangiz Kar have contended on Twitter that laws cannot be against societys norms and customs. At least 35 women who took off their headscarves in public have been arrested, and some were later freed on bail. Two of those women were sentenced to 23 and 24 months in jail, although the sentence of one of them was commuted to three months. In one of the strongest comments against compulsory hijab, Ayatollah Mohamad Ali Ayazi, a prominent theologian in Qom, quoted renowned Shiite scholars such as Ayatollahs Morteza Motahari, Mohammad Beheshti, and Mahmoud Taleqani as saying that forcing women to wear hijab is not a religious practice and is against the Islamic code, Sharia. Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi says, Iranian law is deliberately vague about the hijab to leave room for harsh sentencing against those who refuse to cover themselves according to Islamic tradition. Speaking to the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), Ebadi said on March 7, The criminal codes mention the hijab in general terms but do not provide precise descriptions of what it is. The formerly Tehran-based human rights lawyer, who now lives in exile, elaborated, I believe the laws are deliberately silent on the hijab to give the courts a free hand to punish women in any way they wish. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: Azerbaijans Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov met with a delegation headed by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar, the Defense Ministry said in a message July 30. During the meeting, where the current situation on the front line was discussed, Hasanov stressed that Armenias destructive position is the main obstacle in the achievement of progress in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In his turn, Klaar stressed the importance of speedy and peaceful settlement of the conflict to ensure stability in the South Caucasus region. The guest expressed hope that the policy being pursued by Armenias new Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is aimed at peaceful settlement of the conflict. The diplomat also stressed that the EU supports further negotiations in this direction. Hasanov updated the guests that the speeches of the new Armenian leadership, containing military rhetoric, directed against Azerbaijan, and in particular the fact that the countrys prime minister and the minister of defense sent their sons to military service in the occupied Azerbaijani territories testify that these new authorities are also not interested in peaceful settlement of the conflict. The Azerbaijani minister emphasized that to resolve the conflict as soon as possible, Armenia must immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Azerbaijans lands by observing the norms and principles of international law. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Dublin, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Organ-On-A-Chip Innovations Fueling Drug Screening Applications" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Organ-on-a-chip technology involves the incorporation of microphysiological systems harboring dynamic living 3D organoids, tissue-culture, or cell cultures on a microfluidic platform. The physiologically relevant Organ-chip models offer a better and more precise insight into the possible in vivo effects of drugs in the human body. The flexibility of Organ-on-a-chip is such that the innovation is not just human-relevant per se but can mimic a wide variety of human functions such as breathing, heartbeats, peristalsis, menstruation, neuronal communication. Animal models and in vitro assays have served as the gold standard for pre-clinical research and study for a long time now. But for all the benefits, animal models and in vitro assays have seen poor results in human translation and prediction due to unsatisfactory human relevance. Organ-on-a-chip innovations are currently making themselves relevant by offering better data for human translation and prediction through their high degree of human-relevant systems. The US are currently the frontrunners in the Organ-on-a-chip technology followed closely by Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Germany. The countries have been capitalized on the need for a better study model in drug screening application to pioneer the development of Organ-on-a-chip innovations which has seen relative success in the pharmaceutical industry as evidenced by the adoption of Organ-chip technology by major pharmaceutical companies such as Roche, AstraZeneca among many others. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Research Scope - Application of Organ-on-a-chip Technology in Drug Screening Process 1.2 Research Methodology - Core Value 1.3 Key Findings: Organ-on-a-chip Technology 2. Technology Snapshot 2.1 A Brief Overview of Organ-on-a-chip Functioning 2.2 Key Factors Empowering Organ-on-a-chip Technologies for Drug Screening Processes 2.3 Current Trends in the Organ-on-a-chip platform 3. Organ-on-a-chip Platforms 3.1 Heart-on-a-chip Platform 3.2 Liver-on-a-chip Platform 3.2.1 High Throughput Capability of Liver-on-a-chip Platforms Integral to Large-Scale Drug Screening Applications 3.2.2 Flow Systems Adopted in Liver-on-a-chip Platforms that Facilitate Stability 3.3 Lung-on-a-chip Platform 3.3.1 Lung-on-a-chip: Platform Overview, Application, Disadvantages, and Features 3.4 Kidney-on-a-chip Platform 3.4.1 Kidney-on-a-chip: Features, Platform Design, Applications, and Challenges 3.5 Gut-on-a-chip/Intestine-on-a-chip Platform 3.5.1 Intestine- and Gut-on-a-chip Serve as Enhanced Study Models 3.5.2 Intestine- and Gut-on-a-chip: The Applications and the Challenges 3.6 Nerve-on-a-chip Platform 3.6.1 Evaluation of Neurotoxicity with the Nerve-on-a-chip platform 3.7 Muscle-on-a-chip Platform 3.7.1 Muscle-on-Chip Platform to Determine Long-term rug effects on Muscle Loss and Toxicity 3.7.2 Muscle-on-a-chipPhysiology, Features and Application Areas 3.8 Brain-on-a-chip Platform 3.8.1 Emulation of Human-Blood-Brain Barrier 3.9 Multi-Organ Chip Platforms 3.10 Human-on-a-chip Platform 4. Drivers and Challenges of Organ-Chip Technology 4.1 Drivers and Challenges Impact Chart of Organ-Chip Technology 4.2 Organ-on-a-chip Technology 4.3 Stem ell henotypes key to unlocking vast otential of Organ-chip Systems 5. Major Organ-on-a-chip Companies 5.1 A Well-defined and Robust Nerve-on-a-chip Platform 5.2 CN Bio- UK's Organ-chip Technology Pioneer 5.3 Emulate propelling Drug Screening and Development through their 5.4 Hesperos facilitates superior Serum-free Media and Pumpless Organ-Chip Systems 5.5 Liver-on-a-chip platforms with High Biological Fidelity 5.6 Scaffold-free Human Relevant Liver-on-a-Chip Systems 5.7 Validated Research-ready Organ-chip Systems 5.8 Organ-Chips that facilitate High Throughput Screening 5.9 Precise Flow-controlled ParVivo Organ-Chip Systems 5.10 Replicating In Vivo Cardiac Biology on an n Vitro Chip Platform 5.11 TissUse pioneering Human-on-a-Chip platform 6. Intellectual Property Landscape of Organ-on-a-chip Technology 6.1. Patent Research Scope and Concepts 6.2 Top 20 Patent Holders in the Organ-on-a-chip Platform 6.3 Patent Office-wise Distribution of Organ-on-a-chip Patent Portfolio, 2008-2018* 6.4 Year-wise Publication Distribution of Organ-on-a-chip Patent Portfolio, 2008-2017 7. Funding Landscape of Organ-on-a-chip Technology 7.1 Funding Strength of Organ-Chip Technology- Global View 7.2 Government Funding for Organ-on-a-chip Development 7.3 Venture Capitalist-based Investment Funding in the OOC Market 7.4.Animal Free Research involved in Funding of Organ-on-a-chip Technology Development 8. Growth Opportunities 8.1 Growth Opportunity 1: Personalized Medicine 8.2 Growth Opportunity 2: Animal Model Replacement 8.3 Growth Opportunity 3: Identification of Biomarkers 8.4 Determinants of Organ-on-a-chip Platform's Impact on Drug Screening Process 9. Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/z4rg28/novel_organchip?w=12 Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Azerbaijan expects Paris to send a serious message to the new Armenian leadership about the need to take a constructive position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani ambassador to France Rahman Mustafayev said in an interview with Trend. Mustafayev was commenting on the results of the recent visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to France. "First of all, I would like to stress that the Azerbaijani president updated the new French president about our position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he said. I think that for the first time President Macron was updated about an objective situation and the conflict assessment. Our position is simple and based on the principles of international law and the corresponding resolutions of the UN Security Council, Mustafayev said. We hope that the new Armenian leadership will not repeat the mistakes of the former president, imitating the negotiation process and making deliberately unacceptable demands, but will return to the negotiating table for a substantive dialogue and real negotiations. By the way, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are also calling for that." As for France, the country is aware of its special responsibility for the establishment of stable peace in the South Caucasus region and it invariably declares its readiness to work to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, he said. "Therefore, we can reasonably expect the new French leadership to continue active and initiatory involvement in the peace process in accordance with the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is based, inter alia, on the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, Mustafayev said. Of course, we expect Paris to send a serious message to the new Armenian leadership about the need to take a constructive stance and return to the peace talks." Strengthening of the political dialogue with the countrys new leadership, first of all, the president of France, the heads of the National Assembly and the Senate, was indeed the most important task of this visit, he said. "It is no secret that trusting relations based on mutual respect and understanding, taking into account each other's interests, are the most important prerequisite for the development of political and economic cooperation between the countries, Mustafayev said. Therefore, from the point of view of further development of our relations, I assess the results of the visit as very positive. Azerbaijans president held substantive talks with his French counterpart, as well as the heads of both chambers of the parliament, and these relations will continue to develop." The diplomat stressed that the visit to Paris was made after several successful European meetings of Azerbaijans president at the highest level, namely, with the president of the EU Council in Brussels and Italys president in Baku. "Other meetings with European leaders are planned to be held, he said. All these facts testify to the strengthening of the international authority of our country, the recognition of the independent nature of its foreign policy, its important regional significance." Mustafayev said that today many European leaders understand that the pro-European orientation of Baku is important not only for the country, but also for Europe itself. "Azerbaijan is a secular Muslim country, an active bridge of dialogue and cooperation between Europe and Asia, Europe and the Islamic world, he said. It is a factor of stability and security for the entire region, struck by the viruses of national chauvinism, religious fanaticism and extremism. It is also a development factor, as Baku initiates and implements projects that connect the continents today and create thousands of jobs in Asia, the Caucasus and Europe, Mustafayev said. This strategic role of Azerbaijan today is more and more understandable and supported in the EU countries, interest of which in dialogue and cooperation with our country is growing. Therefore, the invitation of President Macron addressed to President Aliyev to visit Paris should also be considered in this context, he said. As for the prospects, if our French colleagues manage to preserve this positive atmosphere and dynamics in bilateral political relations and eliminate some existing misunderstandings, we will be able to reach the level of strategic partnership in trade, economic, investment and other spheres." The diplomat stressed that negotiations and meetings in Paris also focused on the issues of economic and investment cooperation. "Azerbaijan is the leading trading partner of France in the South Caucasus region, he added. However, unfortunately, there has been a decline in economic relations recently. Trade turnover decreased from $1.6 billion in 2014 to $492 million in 2017. France is not among the top 10 trade partners of Azerbaijan any more, ranking 12, Mustafayev said. Its share in our market today does not exceed 2 percent. All these figures do not meet either the capabilities of the French business or the needs of the Azerbaijani economy, he added. The non-oil sector, the agro-industry, the sphere of communications, tourism sector, services, that is, those sectors of the economy in which French companies have experience and knowledge, are actively developing in our country today. They could use these opportunities, in particular, use the logistical capabilities of Azerbaijan, which play the role of a bridge between the North and South, Europe and Asia." Mustafayev stressed that French companies may also use the tax-free free trade zones of Baku to establish their production facilities there and export their products to Azerbaijan and neighboring countries. "Taking these factors into account, priority areas for economic cooperation between our countries, such as air and land transport, energy and ecology, banking, infrastructure projects, including the construction of new metro stations, urban planning and architectural projects were considered and outlined during the meetings in Paris, he said. During the visit, Azerbaijans president held meetings with the leaders of more than 10 leading French companies, Mustafayev said. Eight agreements and contracts were signed in the fields of air transport, ecology and cyber security. In fact, the work has already been launched to prepare for signing a big package of agreements and contracts in other spheres and sectors of the economy, he said. The growing economy and population of our country require the presence of strong foreign economic partners and France may hold an important place among them. Mustafayev also spoke about the role of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in strengthening the relations between Azerbaijan and France in the humanitarian sphere. "The Heydar Aliyev Foundation continues to play a huge role in the development of all spheres of cooperation between Azerbaijan and France, primarily in the cultural sphere, and this is the great merit of President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, he said. I will not be mistaken if I say that it was the Heydar Aliyev Foundation that laid the foundation of the Azerbaijan-France relations in the cultural, scientific and educational spheres not only figuratively, but also literally, taking into account beautiful Azerbaijans Cultural Center built in the center of Paris under the Azerbaijani embassy in France. Today, the Cultural Center has become a popular venue in Paris for events and projects involving figures of culture, scholars, politicians and businessmen of France and Azerbaijan, conferences, round tables, presentations, concerts and business meetings, Mustafayev said. The representatives of the diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Paris often appeal to us to conduct their events and projects in our Center. Thus, today, the Cultural Center really fulfills its mission, founded several years ago by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and personally by First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva to serve as an authoritative European platform for strengthening a dialogue and cooperation not only between Azerbaijan and France, but also in a wider international format," he said. Moreover, as for the role of France in the process of European integration of Azerbaijan, the ambassador stressed that this process will be beneficial not only to Azerbaijan, but to the European Union in general, and France in particular. The diplomat reminded that on July 11 in Brussels the presidents of Azerbaijan and the Council of the European Union signed a very important working document entitled "Partnership Priorities between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the EU". "French diplomacy has supported these priorities, Mustafayev said. The signing of this document is intended to speed up the process of coordinating the text of the main agreement between Azerbaijan and the EU, which we expect to sign soon, he said. By the way, in the "Priorities" the emphasis has been made on the fact that our relations with the EU will be based on common values, respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of Azerbaijans borders." Mustafayev stressed that the press-statement published by the Elysee Palace following the Paris meeting of the two presidents, has also implied France's support for a new agreement on Azerbaijan's cooperation with the EU. "Therefore, we are entitled to hope for active support of the European integration process of Azerbaijan and we believe that this process will be beneficial not only to Azerbaijan, but to the EU in general, and France in particular, he said. The EU does not have a more reliable, predictable, economically and politically stable partner in our strategically important region today, a partner who does not create problems, but solves them, which is open to a dialogue and cooperation with all countries and conducts a balanced foreign policy. And as I have already mentioned above, more and more European politicians and leaders now understand these obvious facts. Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: The meeting with the delegation of the Turkish Navy has taken place today at the headquarters of the Naval Forces (Navy) of Azerbaijan, the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement July 30. The successful results and prospects of development of military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey were discussed during the meeting between Acting Commander of the Azerbaijani Navy Captain 1st rank Zaur Hummatov and Deputy Commander of the Turkish Navy for Logistics Vice Admiral Fikret Esin. Noting that the military ties meet the interests of the two countries, the parties stressed the importance of continuing efforts in this direction. Vice Admiral Esin expressed satisfaction with the participation as a guest in the "Sea Cup-2018" international competition. He wished success to Azerbaijani sailors in the competition. Expressing satisfaction with the visit to Azerbaijan, Esin noted the importance of holding such meetings and expanding mutual ties for the sake of strengthening Azerbaijani-Turkish relations. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree July 30 approving a memorandum of understanding between the Government of Azerbaijan and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The memorandum of understanding was signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and WIPO on June 5, 2018. The Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to take measures to implement provisions of the memorandum after its entry into force. Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry was instructed to send a notification to WIPO about the completion of the internal procedures necessary for the memorandum to enter into force. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: The Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles hosted an art exposition of young Azerbaijani-American female artists Aydan Huseynli, Fidan Kim, Dinara Djabieva, Lala Rahimova and Sayyara Neymatova on July 26, 2018. The event was attended by Consuls General of foreign countries in Los Angeles, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry Dr. Arieh Warshel, other representatives of science and culture, journalists, as well as leaders and members of Azerbaijani, Turkish, Jewish and Iranian communities. Opening the event, Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev welcomed the guests and expressed the importance of this cultural event. The Consul General gave detailed information on the rich culture and art of Azerbaijan, including the history and current development of the painting art in the country, as well as well-known Azerbaijani artists, and introduced young female artists to the attendees. After the speech, a short documentary film about the activities of Azerbaijan's YARAT Contemporary Art Space - an initiative that supports young Azerbaijani artists - was screened. The event also featured the performance of musical compositions by Lala Rahimova. Following the performance, the guests got acquainted with diverse artworks created by Azerbaijani-American female artists. The exposition was received with much admiration by the attendees. Video highlights of the event can be watched here: Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: Today U.S. Charge dAffaires William Gill opened a conference in Gusar marking World Day against Trafficking in Persons, calling on everyone to do their part: Each of us has a vital role to play, a voice to add, to the fight against human trafficking. Together, its a fight we can win. The U.S. government, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), funded the conference which was organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to bring together diplomats, government officials and experts in the field to tackle this critical cross-border problem. Charge dAffaires William Gill began his remarks by reminding conference attendees of the magnitude of the problem around the world. The International Labor Organization has estimated that modern slavery around the world claims nearly 25 million victims at any time, he said. The victims of human trafficking are not just groups. They are fellow human beings with names, and faces, and stories, he continued. He told the story of a brave Azerbaijani woman, whom he called Gulnara to protect her identity, who fell victim to traffickers, but with the help of a collaboration between Azerbaijani authorities, USAID and IOM, the shelter and support she needed to recover a life lived with dignity. He highlighted the importance of a collaborative approach. The United States has been working for many years now, with Azerbaijan and other countries around the world, to combat this crime and to address the needs of victims like Gulnara. Our assistance to Azerbaijan is, and always has been, a partnership. Today, U.S. assistance continues to support Azerbaijans efforts to combat human trafficking by funding shelters for victims of human trafficking, including the one that helped Gulnara, providing training for health care professionals to identify and assist human trafficking victims, and helping government ministries strengthen their capacity to handle trafficking-related issues, he said. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: Feel Mistreated? Anxious? Afraid? Share your problem with us! This appeal is referred to all children by Azerbaijan Children Hotline Service Azerbaijan Children Hotline Service operating with the support of Azercell Telecom LLC, has provided psychological and moral assistance to thousands of children from the first day of its establishment. The service has already gained sufficient trust of children in the country. It is supported by the fact that the number of children appealing to the service is increasing day by day. Over 8 years of its operation, Azerbaijan Children Hotline received over 32,000 calls from children and teenagers, as well as parents in various cities and districts regarding different issues. During the first half of this year, the hotline service received 1, 379 calls, including 269 calls on psychological issues, 259 calls on legal issues, 58 calls on healthcare issues, 65 calls on social issues, 650 calls on educational issues and 78 calls on other matters. 914 calls came from individuals above 18 while the remaining 465 were made by 18-aged and younger. The appeals came through landline numbers (570), mobile numbers (792) and SMS and Facebook page (17). It should be noted that Azerbaijan Children Hotline Service is reached by children from other countries, as well. Thus, 65 of incoming calls came from abroad. Currently, the hotline operates from 09:00 till 18:00 and can be reached via landline and Azercell numbers (050-680-22-80 and 051-880-11-80). It also has an email address ([email protected]) and website (www.childhelpline.az). Notably, the service is aimed to support children who face domestic violence, tension in peer relations, need psychological and emotional support and to help them solve their issues and get used to the social medium. Mobile applications of Children Hotline Service for both IOS and Android operating systems were launched in 2017 with Azercells initiative and support. Goygol office of the Service was set up on June 13th, 2018. The Center serves children residing not only Goygol but also the adjacent districts (Goranboy, Gandja, Shamkir, Gazax, Agstafa). For more information, please contact [email protected] The leader of the mobile communication industry, the largest taxpayer and the biggest investor of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48% share of Azerbaijans mobile telecom market Azercells network covers 80% of the territory (excluding 20% of the occupied territories) and 99.8% of population of the country. Currently, 4.5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, mobile internet services, Metro coverage, 24/7 call centre service, 7 day/week Front Office service, M2M services, one-stop-shopping approach Azercell Express offices, mobile customer services, Online Customer Care and Social Media Customer Care services, mobile e-signature service ASAN Imza etc. Azercell deployed first 4G LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality and wireless coverage mapping surveys by international systems, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan. Azercell is the only company in Azerbaijan and CIS region which has been awarded Gold Certificate of International Investors in People Standard. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: The effectiveness of activity of the Agency for development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Azerbaijan will be determined by the level of meeting the expectations of entrepreneurs for the work of this agency, the Chairman of the Board of the Agency Orkhan Mammadov said. He made the remarks July 28 during the event, entitled as "Organization of the production chain from raw materials to finished products." Mammadov presented in his speech a broad information about the activities of the Agency, the carried out activities and plans, assessing the creation of the agency as another indicator of the attention and care provided by the head of state to the development of entrepreneurship. Referring to the measures implemented in such areas as creation of mechanisms by the agency that stimulate the activities of small and medium-sized business entities, protection of the interests of entrepreneurs, further improvement of the business environment, support services that will be provided in connection with the proper organization of work of entrepreneurs, etc., the head of the agency stressed that, special attention will be paid to the needs of entrepreneurs during the organization of work. "One of the priority directions of our activity is to support the small and medium-sized business sector within the framework of organizational models successfully applied in the world practice. From this point of view, the work is being carried out for establishment of clusters and the necessary legal and economic foundations," Mammadov said. In this regard, the head of the agency invited entrepreneurs to close cooperation with the agency. "Sumgait Chemical and Industrial Park" LLC, Agency for development of small and medium-sized enterprises, "SOCAR Polymer" LLC and companies-consumers of polymer products signed a Memorandum of understanding within the framework of the event entitled as "Organization of the production chain from raw materials to finished products". Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: An export-import bank and a national export promotion agency will be established In Uzbekistan in the near future, Uzbek media reported referring to the results of the talks in Tashkent between Foreign Trade Minister Jamshid Khojayev and the World Bank (WB) mission. "The ministry is currently developing a concept for creation of an eximbank, a national export promotion agency and an export credit insurance agency in Uzbekistan, whose tasks will be to fully stimulate foreign trade activity," Khojayev said. In turn, members of the WB delegation underlined the important role played of export-import financing in the process of promoting exports and increasing trade. "Practice shows that no other state has been able to achieve significant results in promoting its exports without using tools to promote domestic products in foreign markets, including through lending and insurance of export operations," WB expert Thomas Vis said. Representatives of the bank expressed their readiness to provide technical assistance in development of the concept, structure and strategy of the work of the Eximbank of Uzbekistan. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Tehran, Iran, July 30 By A. Shirazi - Trend: The head of Association Italiana Marmomacchine, an association which represents Italys marble and stone machinery industries, said it has signed an agreement with Iran to set up a technical center in the country. "We have signed an agreement with Iran to set up a stone technical center in the country," Flavio Marabelli told IRNA news agency on July 28. He did not give further details about the center. Referring to the US returning sanctions, he said all channels of cooperation between Tehran and Europe should remain open after the new sanctions are imposed. "Italy will stand by Iran under any circumstances," he noted. US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May, and Washington now plans to reimpose sanctions on Tehran next month. The first round of US sanctions on Iran goes into effect in August, followed by ones targeting Iran's oil exports in November. Marabelli said the US could not unilaterally exert pressure on Iran, adding, "We will not circumvent the sanctions, but we will maintain our current ties with Iran". He also called for removing all obstacles to trade between Iran and Europe, particularly the banking barriers. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, will host an international conference titled Central Asia in the system of international transport corridors: strategic perspectives and unrealized opportunities on Sept. 20-21, the Foreign Trade Ministry of Uzbekistan stated. During the event, issues of effective and mutually beneficial use of international transport corridors, formation of a single, branched and outwardly integrated transport space in Central Asia will be discussed to strengthen interrelations based on mutual trust and good-neighborliness. The aim of the event will be further development of the dialogue with international financial institutions, organizations, transport unions, as well as representatives of transport and logistics companies to develop existing and form new transport corridors. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov ABC News(REDDING, Calif.) -- Firefighters made progress in battling a deadly wildfire in Northern California on Sunday that has leveled hundreds of homes and forced thousands of residents to flee the area. The Carr Fire was about 17 percent contained by Sunday evening, up from about 5 percent earlier in the day, as fire crews raced to smother the massive blaze, before the weather turned against them. At least six people have died and more than 800 homes and buildings have been destroyed since the fire ignited last week, according to fire officials. Among the dead were two firefighters, and a 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren, who died when the fire swept through their home in Redding, California. The sixth victim, who was not identified, did not evacuate despite receiving an evacuation warning, authorities said. The National Weather Service forecasts more hot and dry conditions for Monday along with high wind gusts, which could fan the flames further. "Extreme fire conditions continued today while Firefighters worked to build control lines," Cal Fire said in a statement Sunday. "Shifting winds, dry fuels, and steep drainages contributed to rapid growth. Red Flag Warning and heat advisory are in effect for the area through Monday 8 a.m. Crews will continue to asses the number of damaged structures as conditions allow." The fire, ignited by a vehicle on July 23, has scorched 95,368 acres of land, destroying 874 homes and buildings and damaging 175 others, authorities said Sunday, adding that about 5,000 structures were at risk. About 38,500 residents were ordered to evacuate. Four evacuation centers have been opened in the area. Nearly 3,400 firefighters are battling the blaze from the ground and in the air, as officials have deployed 17 helicopters, 334 fire engines, 68 bulldozers and 65 water tenders. The Carr Fire was one several uncontained wildfires raging in California as the state deals with brutal temperatures and dry conditions. Another large fire, dubbed the Ferguson Fire, has killed two people, both firefighters, and burned more than 54,481 acres in Mariposa County, California, near Yosemite National Park, authorities said. That fire was about 30 percent contained as of late Sunday. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. TORONTO, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rupert Resources Ltd (Rupert or the Company) (TSX-V:RUP) (FSE:R05)reports an updated regional geology interpretation for the Pahtavaara Project in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt (CLGB) of Northern Finland (the Pahtavaara Project). The Pahtavaara Project comprises a permitted 1,400tpd mill, 35km of underground infrastructure and a contiguous regional land package of 290km2. James Withall, Chief Executive of Rupert Resources said The updated geological interpretation reported today is the culmination of a number of work programs over the past 12 months and is a demonstration of the results of the systematic approach the Company has taken towards exploration at the Pahtavaara Project. The Company acquired a vast amount of existing data with the Pahtavaara asset and has been able to combine that with high resolution UAV magnetic surveys and updated geological and structural mapping, to develop a comprehensive new regional structural geological and mineralisation model. The results demonstrate the potential for further significant orogenic gold occurrences to be discovered within the licence area held by the Company. Summary Ruperts unique situation, having acquired a fully developed mine at Pahtavaara, has been key to the ability to rapidly develop an understanding of the geological and structural controls on mineralisation through the exposure that the underground mine and open pits provide. Furthermore, the acquisition brought with it an extensive licence package that was under application covering 124km2 along approximately 30km of the CLGB. Rupert has had these applications granted along with further licences and reservations currently totalling 290km2. The licence area is outlined in the figures below, demonstrating the Company has contiguous holdings covering much of the interpreted prospective geology. The Pahtavaara Project area lies in a domain hosting the confluence of regional scale faults that likely link to crustal scale fracture meshes. Several orders of faulting are represented, which are necessary for crustal scale fluid flow and focussing that can result in deposit formation. Figure 1 below shows an extract of the regional study that covered an area of over 10,000km2. The grey shading areas indicate the main structural zones defined from fault distributions, alignment of intrusions and geometries of regional foliation and magnetic trend lines. The purple lines show second and third order faults such as the ones bounding the significant strike-slip duplex identified and the faults intermediate to these structures. Figure 1 Regional and Prospect Scale faulting in the Pahtavaara Project area is available at the following address: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b85569e3-4a04-4ad2-9de7-5323e31f37c1 The understanding gained through the studies early in 2018 of the geological history, and structural setting of the Pahtavaara deposit itself, have been important to the regional geological understanding developed in the broader Pahtavaara Project area. Strike-slip duplex formation, kinematics and asymmetric development of strain shadows (areas of low mean stress that facilitate the focussing of mineralising fluids) have been observed at all scales, from drill core and geological exposures in the mine through to the regional mapping and geophysical interpretation evidenced in this study. The known gold occurrences in the Pahtavaara Project area are located coincident with the prospective areas that have been defined, with the Pahtavaara deposit lying at the margin of the main asymmetric intrusion-scale strain shadow whilst the Koppelokangas occurrence is located in the regional scale strike-slip duplex, and Hookana at the confluence of a second and third order structure. Koppelokangas and Hookana were drilled in the 1980s by a GTK reconaissance program, with gold values intersected in both areas. Furthermore, the majority of the targets identified from our 2017 fieldwork and winter drilling, such as Valimaa, Liikamaa, and Paskamaa West (Western Extension), occur at prospective locations identified in the study (see Figure 1). Pahtavaara Project Similarities The scale and lithotectonic associations in the Pahtavaara Project area exhibit some similarities to areas of the Kalgoorlie Terrane, Western Australia. In particular the area around the Scotia-Kanowna Dome, which hosts a number significant gold deposits such as Kanowna Belle and Paddington. The Pahtavaara Project area and Scotia - Kanowna Dome area have many of the same geological and structural features, however the latter area in Western Australia has been actively explored since the gold rush era in the late 1800s. In stark contrast the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt has seen only limited exploration up until recent years and, due to this, currently hosts only two gold mines, Ruperts Pahtavaara mine and Agnico Eagles Suurikuusikko (Kittila) mine. Figure 2 Pahtavaara Project area similarities to the Scotia - Kanowna Dome, Western Australia is available at the following address: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ad5ccf88-3b95-4a70-9dbc-c384e4f3520e Note that mineralisation, resources and/or reserves identified in the Scotia - Kanowna Dome area, Western Australia are not necessarily indicative of the potential for the Pahtavaara Project area to host similar scale mineral deposits. Further to the example presented, the Pahtavaara project area was studied more broadly, to understand if the geological setting hosted the main criteria favourable for orogenic gold mineralisation shown in Table 1 below. It was observed, through the work completed to date, that the area exhibits all the key criteria. Rupert Resources will continue to develop its systematic exploration model utilising a combination of Finnish geological knowledge, highly experienced international management and consultants, and best practice methodology, to further the understanding of the regional geological potential in the years ahead. 2018 Regional Fieldwork Update Our summer fieldwork has been progressing very well with the six field geologists already having covered over 100km2 of our higher priority mapping areas in the western extents of the licence area. Numerous previously unmapped outcrop areas have been found, many bearing similar host assemblages, alteration styles and quartz carbonate veining/alteration as observed at the Pahtavaara deposit. Furthermore, base of till drilling began in June 2018 on the Western Extension target that is located approximately 5km west of the mine and drilling will move to further targets that have been prioritised, based on evidence from the structural study presented here, our extensive geophysical data and the field geologists mapping and sampling programs. Review by Qualified Person, Quality Control and Reports In compliance with National Instrument 43-101, Mr. Mike Sutton, P.Geo., is the Qualified Person who supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. About Rupert Rupert is a Canadian-based gold exploration and development company that is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol RUP. The Company owns the Pahtavaara gold mine, mill, and exploration permits and concessions located in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt in Northern Finland (Pahtavaara). Pahtavaara has an Inferred mineral resource at a 1.5 g/t Au cut-off grade of 4.6 Mt at a grade of 3.2 g/t Au (474 koz) (see Companys release from April 16, 2018). The Company also holds a 100% interest in two properties in Central Finland, Hirsikangas and Osikonmaki; the Gold Centre property, which consists of mineral claims located in the Balmer Township, Red Lake, Ontario; and the Surf Inlet Property in British Columbia. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains statements which constitute forward looking statements, including the statements with respect to those that address potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential for minerals, completion of the proposed Transaction, deadlines, regulatory approvals, business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words may, would, could, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the general risks of the mining industry, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended February 28, 2018 available at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law. For further information, please contact: James Withall Chief Executive Officer jwithall@rupertresources.com Thomas Credland Head of Corporate Development tcredland@rupertresources.com Rupert Resources Ltd 82 Richmond Street East, Suite 203, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1 Tel: +1 416-304-9004 Web: http://rupertresources.com/ Table 1 Criteria favourable for hosting orogenic gold mineralisation Geological Criteria Present in project area? Deposit examples Crustal scale shear zones/fault corridors long strike length Yes Saattopora; Ashanti/Obuasi; Pamour; Kumtor; Macraes Fault jogs extensional or contractional Yes Ashanti/Obuasi; Kundana Lower order faults Yes Suurikuusikko; Fort Knox, Pogo etc with respect to first order Denali-Tintina Fault Chemically reactive rocks Yes Saattopora; Sunrise; Tasiast; Callie; Geita Intersections of major faults with antiforms Yes Golden Mile; Dome; Vasilkovskoye; Sukhoi Log Long-lived faults with history of reactivation Yes Suurikuusikko; Kanowna Belle; Sheba; New Consort Gravity gradients Yes Many of the orogenic gold deposits of the Yilgarn Craton Granite-cored domes and granite-greenstone contacts Yes Kanowna Belle Rheological differences and complex lithological associations strain partitioning Yes Saattopora; Sunrise Dam; Kanowna Belle; Callie; Sukhoi Log Mafic to intermediate lithological associations Yes Saattopora; Sunrise Dam; Geita Medium-grade metamorphic rocks (greenschist to lower amphibolite grade) Yes Most orogenic gold deposits Complexity of fracturing good for permeability Yes All large orogenic gold deposits Steep complexity gradients i.e. very variable expression of deformation-induced structures over short distance Yes Many orogenic gold deposits Protracted history of compression changing to extension. Gold introduced during transpression prior to orogenic collapse Yes Sunrise Dam; Kanowna Belle; Saattopora Strain shadow e.g. associated with syn-tectonic plutons Yes Kanowna Belle; Musselwhite; Red lake; Eleonore; New Consort; Sheba; Yilgarn Star; Sandstone; Marvel Loch Duplex development, either strike-slip or thrust related Yes Kanowna Belle; Sunrise Dam; Muruntau; Tasiast; Plutonic; New Consort; Sheba; Kirkland Lake Note: Data prepared by Dr. Brett Davis, consulting structural geologist to Rupert Resources Ltd Two figures associated with this press release are available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b85569e3-4a04-4ad2-9de7-5323e31f37c1 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ad5ccf88-3b95-4a70-9dbc-c384e4f3520e Tehran, Iran, July 30 By A. Shirazi - Trend: Azerbaijans Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade and Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi held a meeting in Tehran and discussed a deal whereby Baku has agreed to allocate a loan worth $500 million for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway. During the meeting in the Iranian capital on July 30, Guluzade and Akhoundi explored ways to speed up the allocation of the loan to the project, IRNA news agency reported. The Iranian minister asked Guluzade to facilitate the financing process and help make the railway operational sooner. The minister also said the Qazvin-Rasht project is nearing its completion and will be inaugurated soon. Guluzade for his part said, Documents with respect to the Rasht-Astara railway are under study at Azerbaijans Finance Ministry and we are hopeful to achieve good results about the financing soon." The Rasht-Astara railroad project will be jointly carried out by Iran and Azerbaijan, each providing 50 percent of the required funding. Azerbaijan will fund $500 million and Iran will invest the same amount in the project. To complete the railway links of the transportation corridor, Iran had earlier agreed to construct inland railroad segments in northern parts of the country in order to extend its railways to the border area with the neighboring Azerbaijan through the two Astara cities on both sides. The initial plan included the Qazvin-Rasht and Rasht-Astara railroad segments. In the meantime, Azerbaijan has launched a construction project to extend its railroads into Irans territory, which is going through the final tests and will be implemented soon. Tehran, Iran, July 30 By A. Shirazi - Trend: Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi invited Azerbaijan to join a new railway that links the border town of Parsabad in Iran's Ardabil Province to Mugan plain in northwestern Iran and the southern part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. During a recent meeting with Azerbaijans Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade in Tehran, Akhoundi talked about the details of Parsabad- Mugan rail link and invited Baku to join the railway. This is an important project similar to Astara-Astara railway between the two countries which can help expand transport cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan, the Iranian minister said. The highest density of irrigation canals is in the section of the Mugan plain which lies in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is located on the bank of the Aras river extending to Iran. The delegation led by the Minister of transport, communications and high technologies Ramin Guluzade is paying a visit to Iran, for participation in the 24th International Exhibition of Electronics, Computer and E-Commerce ELECOMP 2018. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Ali Mustafayev Trend: The efforts for diversification of Azerbaijans economy will open more opportunities for Romanian companies, Ambassador of Romania to Azerbaijan Dan Iancu said in an interview with Trend. I think that our economic cooperation has a lot of room to grow. Romania has a diverse economy, with a strong manufacturing base and a competitive service sector. At the same time, the economic growth is accelerating in Azerbaijan. Moreover, the efforts for the diversification of the Azerbaijani economy would provide not only a solid engine for sustainable growth, but also more opportunities for foreign companies, Romanian ones included, said the envoy. As for the current status of the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Romania, Iancu said that the statistics show a good dynamic: the bilateral trade has grown without interruption over the past years. He noted that 2017 was a record-breaking year, with two-way trade reaching almost $400 million. This makes Azerbaijan, by far, our biggest trade partner in the South Caucasus Region. We should take advantage of these factors and help our business circles discover this untapped potential. I am sure that the next meeting of the Joint Inter-Governmental Commission, which shall take place in Bucharest, will provide new impetus to our bilateral cooperation in the field of trade and various economic areas, added Iancu. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Ali_Mustafayev_ Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: From Aug. 1, 2018, Uzbek automaker GM Uzbekistan will raise prices for cars, Uzbek media reported citing Chairman of the Board of the automobile company Uzavtosanoat JSC Shavkat Umurzakov as saying at the meeting of the International Press Club. According to Umurzakov, the prices for the company's cars will grow by an average of 14 percent. The chairman of the board, however, noted that the company plans to provide discounts for consumers. Explaining the increase in car prices, Umurzakov noted that such a move is caused not just by monopoly. The production capacity of the Asaka plant is 290,000 cars per year, but we produce only 160,000. Due to the fact that the plant operates only at 50 percent of its capacity, the cost of production becomes high. This affects the buyers' pocket and negatively affects the export potential of the enterprise, the chairman of the board said. Umurzakov's statement aroused a storm of public indignation. Many consider fighting against underproduction by raising prices an illogical move. Some even sound calls to boycott GM Uzbekistan products. Uzavtosanoat has been regularly falling under the flurry of criticism and discussions in the media recently. On July 24, during a speech at the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences dedicated to the tasks and problems of science development, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev touched upon the problem of the low level of localization of products of the Uzbek car industry. "...We are proud to produce cars, although in fact we are assembling them. The first car factory was built over 20 years ago, but spare parts are still purchased abroad. The question is: where is the science, where are the enterprises that implement its results? Why the young people not going into science?" the president said. This was Mirziyoyev's second speech, in which he expressed dissatisfaction with the Uzbek automobile industry. On June 26, Mirziyoyev has delivered a serious blow to the country's auto industry, which has been rather chaotic recently. Mirziyoyev noted that the automobile industry plays a vital role in the country's economy, however, production and exports have recently declined. The head of state criticized the widespread corruption, bribery, nepotism at all levels in the sphere. The president reminded that there are a lot of debts in the structure of Uzavtosanoat JSC (the country's major car manufacturer). Several enterprises of the company completed 2017 with losses. For a number of years the export of cars was carried out at a price lower that the prime cost and no action was taken to actually reduce the latter. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: S&P Global Ratings affirmed its B+/B long- and short-term issuer credit ratings on National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan (NBU), with the outlook remaining stable, S&P stated. The affirmation reflects S&Ps view that despite expectation that the banks capital buffer will be eroded, NBU will continue to play a noticeable role in the domestic economy while benefiting from ongoing state support and a stable funding base. NBU is a government agency that allocates centralized resources to strategic sectors of the economy. As such, it is designed to grant long-term loans for capital investment purposes. S&P believes that its leading position and business stability are well entrenched and unlikely to diminish over the 12-18 month rating horizon. S&P understands that over the next 12-18 months, NBU will target relatively aggressive organic assets growth, which will likely pressure the banks capital, in our view. S&P are therefore revising their capital and earnings assessment to weak from moderate, which, however, is still neutral for the rating. The projected loan portfolio growth is 20-30 percent in 2018 and 40-50 percent in 2019. This expansion could be fuelled by both foreign and local government funding sources. At this stage, S&P does not know the governments exact plans to finance the growth with new capital injections and does not incorporate any capital increase into their forecast. However, S&P will revise their base-case assumptions if a potential capital injection is announced. S&P therefore forecasts that NBUs risk-adjusted capital (RAC) ratio will likely reduce to 3-4 percent over the next 12 months, down from 5.8 percent at year-end 2017. While S&P does see potential for a rise in credit risk due to NBUs high growth rates, S&P believes the government would continue providing direct or indirect support to partly mitigate risks. Given NBUs role as a government agency, S&P also acknowledges that high expansion pace might be reasonable due to the still-limited size of the banking sector compared to the domestic economy, as well as the emerging nature of Uzbekistan, and investors interest. Additional pressure on capital comes from potential credit losses, which might arise from the large amount of foreign currency loans (around 83 percent of the total as of March 31, 2018. The risks are increasingly relevant after exchange regime liberalization on Sept. 5, 2017. Following this event, the government approved the optional restructuring of loans to some strategically important foreign currency borrowers, postponing interest payments for about one year. S&P understands that many of those decided to take advantage of this opportunity and accepted the option. However, all interests continue accruing on the banks accounts and as a result, the NBUs ratio of interest received to interest accrued reduced to 70 percent for 2017, against 100 percent for 2016. Such reduction does not reflect similar deterioration of the actual loan book quality in S&Ps view. NBU is also permitted to postpone payments to the government on the funding, which finances respective loans to strategically important foreign currency borrowers at the terms mirroring those used for above-mentioned foreign currency loans restructuring. This state initiative is designed to preserve the stability of the Uzbek economy and S&P considers it as a form of government support. S&P understands that the normalization of payments on respected projects will gradually start in 2019. Overall, S&P believes that NBUs potentially problematic exposures (individually impaired, restructured loans, and loans overdue but not impaired) are adequately provisioned at the moment and form around 4 percent of total loans. S&P expect this ratio to remain broadly unchanged over the next 12 months. The stable outlook on NBU reflects S&P Global Ratings view of the balance between the continuous expected state support over the next 12 months and the challenges related to high economic and industry risk for banks operating in Uzbekistan. S&P Global Ratings considers state-owned banks creditworthiness to be closely linked to that of Uzbekistan (not rated). Therefore, the agency is unlikely to raise the ratings on NBU over the next 12 months unless S&P Global Ratings view of the sovereigns creditworthiness improves. The agency views an upgrade driven by improvements in bank-specific factors as unlikely over the next year. S&P could downgrade NBU over the next 12 months to reflect heightened economic and industry risk, for example caused by a deterioration of the sovereigns creditworthiness. A material weakening of NBUs currently adequate asset quality, along with deteriorating capitalization (with S&Ps projected RAC ratio declining to below 3 percent) would put pressure on the banks bb- stand-alone credit profile. However, S&P considers a downgrade to be unlikely over the next 12 months. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The market is balanced between several price supportive factors against downward pressure due to concerns the trade war could affect the global economy negatively, Ann-Louise Hittle, vice president, Macro Oils, at global natural resources consultancy Wood Mackenzie told Trend. The concern is the resulting slowdown in oil demand growth would cause an oversupply especially since several key OPEC producers are increasing their output currently in order to offset losses from Venezuela and Iran, she believes. "On the price supportive side is the US effort to remove all of Iran's oil exports from the market by November 2018. We expect Iran's oil production to decline by 0.8 million b/d by the end of 2018 and further downside risk to Iran's oil exports cannot be ruled out," noted Ann-Louise Hittle. The analyst pointed out that those OPEC producers who have spare productive capacity are increasing output to offset the losses as agreed at the 22-23 June 2018 OPEC meeting with its non-OPEC partners. "However, the increases in production reduce the cushion of excess capacity which means less is available to meet future supply outages, if they were to occur in H2 2018 or in 2019. That would be strong upward pressure on oil prices," she added. In December 2016, at a meeting of oil producers in Vienna, 11 non-OPEC member countries, including Azerbaijan, agreed to cut oil production by a total of 558,000 barrels a day. The agreement was concluded for the first half of 2017 and was extended until the end of the first quarter of 2018 at a meeting on May 25, 2017. At the last OPEC meeting in Vienna, the agreement was again extended until the end of 2018. Azerbaijan supported the decision. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The volume of gasoline production at three oil refineries of Kazakhstan, namely, Pavlodar, Atyrau and Shymkent, is expected to stand at 4.102 million tons by late 2018, said the countrys Vice-Minister of Energy Magzum Mirzagaliyev. "It is planned to produce 3.572 million tons and 5.220 million tons of K4 and K5 gasoline at Kazakh refineries in 2018 and 2019, respectively, in accordance with the requirements of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union," he said. Mirzagaliyev noted that after completing the modernization of the refineries, Kazakhstan's domestic market demand will be completely covered by the local oil products. "Kazakhstan's refineries will fully meet the domestic market demand for petroleum products by late 2018. Excess volumes may be exported," he said. Modernization of the Pavlodar petrochemical plant was completed in December 2017. At the same time, the modernization of Atyrau oil refinery has been completed. As for the reconstruction and modernization of the Shymkent oil refinery, the first stage was completed in June 2017, and the second stage was finished on March 15, 2018. Currently, commissioning work is underway there, which is expected to be completed by September 2018. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The price of oil is expected to drop sharply in the remainder of this year, largely as a result of improving supply, the UK-based Capital Economics consulting company said in its report obtained by Trend. "The price of oil has, at least until now, largely managed to shrug off the trade woes but only because of the more immediate risks to supply. OPEC has been under-producing, with a particularly large fall in Venezuelas output. There are also concerns about future supply, following the US decision to re-impose sanctions on Iran," said the company. This is likely to restrict Irans ability to export and lead to lower production there. Last time sanctions were imposed, Irans output fell by about 1 million barrels per day, according to the report. The experts of Capital Economics believe that fears of lower supply will fade. "As expected, OPEC and its allies agreed to raise oil output by up to 1 million barrels per day at their June meeting. At the same time, US shale firms should continue to increase production, incentivized by recent high prices," said the report. On the demand front, Capital Economics anticipates more subdued growth owing to the expected slowdown in economic growth in China (2018- 19) and the US (2019). "Moreover, we think that the risks to our forecast are to the downside. If global trade volumes dip, demand for transport fuel would fall. In addition, China has threatened a 25 percent tariff on oil imports from the US, which could curb demand for US crude," said the report. The current forecast of Capital Economics assumes that Iranian crude output falls by 1 million barrels per day, but the company believes that this will be largely offset by a rise in supply from Saudi Arabia. "As such, the market should be in surplus in 2018-19, with negative implications for prices. We forecast the price of Brent to ease back to $65 per barrel by the end of 2018 and $55 by end-2019," said the report. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: Irans intention to sell its oil via the stock exchange has its own limitations, Francis Perrin, Senior Fellow at the OCP Policy Center (Rabat, Morocco), Senior Research Fellow at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS, Paris), told Trend. Earlier, Eshaq Jahangiri, Irans first vice-president said that the country is planning to offer its crude oil to buyers though the national stock exchange, in a move to circumvent US sanctions targeting the Iranian oil industry. "We have friendly countries to which we sell our oil, and weve started negotiations with them," Jahangiri was quoted by IRNA state news agency as saying. "The private sector can openly buy oil and export it." He said the private sector can purchase oil from the stock exchange and then export it. "Oil exports are essential for the Iranian economy and it is thus very important for the Iranian authorities to try to reduce the impact of future US sanctions on their oil and gas sector. One of the ideas and projects which has been explored so far is the offering of crude oil through Iran's stock exchange, which would allow the private sector to buy oil and to export it. But this option has serious limitations. The goal of the Trump Administration is to reduce Iran oil exports to zero from November 2018. This objective is too ambitious to be realistic but the intent is clear: to deprive Iran from a great part of its export revenues in order to put pressure to bear on the regime. It means that the US will threaten every buyer of Iranian oil, whether this oil is sold by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) or by private companies. Whether this oil comes from NIOC or from other companies does not matter at the end of the day. For Washington this is Iranian crude and it will be targeted and buyers could be sanctioned in any case," noted Perrin. Perrin believes that the option of oil sales through the stock market is not really an efficient and effective way for Iran and for purchasers of Iranian oil to avoid US sanctions. It will not become something very significant in the near future, according to the expert. "Beyond that Iran is working on other ideas: threats (the Iranian authorities said that any attempt to capture part of their market share on the world oil market would be considered as a treason against the Iranian nation - a clear reference to Saudi Arabia), contacts with Asian countries such as China and India to see if they can buy more Iranian oil, negotiations with the European Union in order to save the Vienna agreement on Iran's nuclear program (which means that Iran would go on respecting its commitments and that the EU should put on the table various options and mechanisms in order for Tehran to be able to be economically rewarded for this good behavior), studies on the possibilities to repatriate oil revenues after the implementation date for US sanctions on the energy sector (November 4) and the development of the refining sector in order for Iran to avoid imports of gasoline," noted Perrin. He pointed out that so far Iran did not get very material results from these various options and the clock is running until the beginning of November. "It seems thus obvious that Iran's oil exports and production will fall by the end of this year and in 2019. The key question is: by how much?" US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from Irans nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was reached between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany. Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic. Since the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, European countries have been scrambling to ensure that Iran gets enough economic benefits to persuade it to stay in the deal. The remaining parties have vowed to stay in the accord. --- Follow the author on Twitter:@Lyaman_Zeyn Oil rose on Monday as investors remained cautious over the supply outlook, although the fallout from global trade tensions limited price gains, Reuters reports. October Brent crude futures were last up 36 cents at $75.12 a barrel by 0902 GMT. The September contract expires on Tuesday. U.S. crude futures were up 78 cents at $69.47 a barrel. The oil price has been rallying almost uninterruptedly for the past two weeks, in part as trade tensions between the United States and China have heated up, but also as looming sanctions on Iran have already started to curtail flows of oil from the country. There are a myriad of factors to follow at the moment in the oil market but one way or the other we always arrive at the same conclusion. It is the impact of the U.S. sanctions on Iran that will decide the next $15 a barrel, PVM Oil Associates Tamas Varga said in a note. The best case scenario is that the U.S. provides meaningful sanction waivers in the run-up to the mid-term elections and Iran can get away with a loss of around 500-700,000 barrels per day of exports. In case, however, President Trump plays hardball and puts its allies and foes under maximum pressure the loss of barrels could amount to 2 million barrels per day. The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in nearly four years in the second quarter, but with Washington and Beijing at loggerheads over trade, oil prices could struggle this week, analysts said. Oil prices could struggle this week, said Stephen Innes, head of trading APAC at OANDA Brokerage. Concerns around the U.S.-China trade wars continue to weigh on prices, while the halt in Saudi shipments through the Red Sea waterway has seemingly failed to provide a bullish fillip, he said. Saudi Arabia last week said it was suspending oil shipments through the Red Seas Bab al-Mandeb strait, one of the worlds most important tanker routes, after Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway. U.S. energy companies added three oil rigs in the week to July 27, the first time in the past three weeks that drillers have increased activity, data released on Friday that showed. English French New innovative service model to accelerate cloud-based IT and drive agile transformation Paris (France) and Irving, TX (US), July 30, 2018 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, and CNA Financial Corporation, the eighth largest commercial insurer in the United States, today announced a new multi-year relationship where Atos will manage CNA's Information Technology (IT) infrastructure working with the insurer to transform its IT operations through orchestrated cloud migration and the rapid development of new services. The two companies partnered to create an industry-leading service model where Atos assumes ownership and the associated risk of modernizing the legacy environment. Delivered predominantly as-a-service, Atos will focus on modern, modular and flexible services that improve the operating performance of the infrastructure and enhance the collaborative experience of CNA end users. This involves: Migrating legacy applications to an Atos Canopy Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud platform that shifts workloads to the appropriate cloud resources, providing increased security and stability along with immediate cost savings. Moving the legacy mainframe to a consumption-based model utilizing Atos' unique capabilities and application-by-application path to migrate to CNA's new platform. Deploying a digital workplace , including device-as-a-service, which manages the life cycle of all corporate devices holistically, and a cloud-first way of working, to support the next generation knowledge worker across all IT support channels they prefer. "Partnering with a global leader in digital transformation with deep experience in the financial services market will allow CNA to drive continual innovation for our organization for many years to come," said J. Merten, Executive Vice President, Technology & Operations, CNA. "Atos will help accelerate CNA toward a more modern IT architecture that is anchored in the cloud, less complex and more efficient for employees, insureds, agents and brokers." "We listened to the customer and built a game changing partnership and ecosystem model tied to CNA's business results," said Chad Harris, CEO (acting), North America Operations, Atos. "By sharing in the success of the customer and changing to outcome charging models, you create a paradigm shift in how to meet customer needs cost effectively and efficiently, further reinforcing your commitment to the partnership." Atos counts many of the largest financial services firms among its client base, including six out of the top ten largest global insurers and twelve of the top twenty banks. For more information on Atos' Digital transformation capabilities for the insurance market go to https://atos.net/en/industries/insurance *** About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with approximately 100,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of around 12 billion. European number one in Big Data, Cybersecurity, High Performance Computing and Digital Workplace, the Group provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across various business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Energy & Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline. Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. Press contacts: US: Maggie Montgomery - maggie.montgomery@atos.net - +1 903 262 8169 Global: Sylvie Raybaud - sylvie.raybaud@atos.net - +33 6 95 91 96 71 Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Azad Hasanli Trend: Iran is ready to share its experience in IT sphere with Azerbaijan, the Head of Presidential Office and Chief of Staff of Iran Mahmoud Vaezi said at a meeting with Minister of transport, communication and high technologies of Azerbaijan Ramin Guluzade, Iranian media reported July 30. Vaezi noted that both countries have sufficient potential for further development and strengthening of bilateral relations. He noted the need to intensify the activities of the Azerbaijani-Iranian intergovernmental commission. In his turn, Ramin Guluzade expressed satisfaction with the relations between the two countries and stressed that the Azerbaijani side is interested in strengthening ties with Iran, including in the field of e-commerce, transport, customs. The delegation led by the Minister of transport, communications and high technologies Ramin Guluzade is paying a visit to Iran, for participation in the 24th International Exhibition of Electronics, Computer and E-Commerce ELECOMP 2018. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: The first batch of popular brands of Kazakh ice cream Bomba (Bomb), Bakhroma (Fringe) and Mishka na polyuse (Bear at the Pole) has been sent to China, Kazakh media reported July 30. A truck with 10 tons of Kazakh ice cream will go from Almaty to Shanghai, the media reported. The Shin-Line company is the supplier. The company has its own warehouse in Shanghai. It will become the central hub of the company in China, from which deliveries will be carried out throughout the northern, eastern and southeastern parts of the country. "Entering the market of China was possible through a lot of work carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (NCE) to promote Kazakh products in the Chinese market, in particular, to remove restrictions on the supply of ice cream. Today, we have launched exports to China, which will allow increasing the share of export of our products by 3 percent", said Andrey Shin, founder and director of the Shin-Line LLP. Shin-Line LLP has signed agreements with more than 100 distributors for deliveries to China. The company plans to supply 200 tons of ice cream to the Chinese market by the year end. Four Western cyclists were killed when a car plowed into them in Tajikistan in what may have been a terrorist act in which the attackers also stabbed their victims after injuring them, the interior minister and the U.S. embassy said on Monday, Reuters reported. The tourists, from the United States, Switzerland and the Netherlands, were killed in the Central Asian country on Sunday, the authorities said. Three others, from Switzerland, the Netherlands and France, were injured - one of them also from a stab wound. Security forces pursuing suspects in the attack killed four, including one who resisted arrest, and detained a fifth man, interior ministry said. We are looking into all versions - accident, robbery, including a terrorist act, Interior Minister Ramazon Rakhimzoda told a briefing. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, July 30 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Mukhammetniyaz Mashalov has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to Malaysia, the decree of the President of the country reads. The diplomat led the diplomatic mission of his country in Armenia before that. The activity of the Malaysian PETRONAS Carigali Overseas Sdn Bhd company, which has become the first foreign company to start the development of the Turkmen shelf of the Caspian Sea, is active in the Turkmen market. It was reported in November 2016 that, the government of Malaysia is studying the possibility of participation of its companies in the project of construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. High technologies, banking, urban planning, processing of agricultural products and food industry, tourism are also highlighted among the priority areas of cooperation. Tehran, Iran, July 30 By Kamyar Eghbal, A. Shirazi - Trend: Six Azerbaijani IT firms are attending the 24th International Exhibition of Electronics, Computer and E-Commerce, also known as "ELECOMP 2018", which is underway in Tehran. Representatives of SINAM, Best comp group, Delta, Azin telecom, Azrpoct, and Azrmarka have pavilions at the exhibition. They are offering their latest technologies in a bid to introduce their capacities and capabilities in the sector of information technology, the report said. The 24th edition of ELECOMP was opened in the Iranian capital on Saturday with Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Iran's Minister of Information and Communications Technology, and representatives from local and foreign firms in attendance. According to reports, foreign companies from over 20 countries, more than 400 startups, 24 governmental bodies, and over 30 Iranian game developers are showcasing their products at ELECOMP Games. The 24th edition of ELECOMP provides an exceptional opportunity to the activists of this sector inside the country and abroad, to boost their business through establishing strong business links with their counterparts. The United Kingdom aims to improve partner relations with China, as it becomes more open to the world due to its exit from the EU, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said ahead of his visit to Beijing, which is due to start on Monday and will be his first foreign trip as head of the British Foreign Office since his appointment on July 9, TASS reports. "The UK and China are both major powers with a global perspective. As the UK leaves the EU and becomes ever more outward looking, we are committed to deepening this vital partnership for the 21st century," the British Foreign Office press service quotes Hunt. Jeremy Hunt will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday to discuss strategic dialogue between the UK and China. "The UK-China Strategic Dialogue is an important opportunity to intensify our cooperation on shared challenges in international affairs, ranging from global free trade to non-proliferation and environmental challenges, under the UK-China Global Partnership and 'Golden Era' for UK-China relations," Hunt added. After visiting Beijing, UKs foreign secretary will head to Paris and Vienna in order to discuss the process of Britain leaving the EU, international threats, war in Syria and Iran nuclear deal, the British Foreign Office informs. British Prime Minister Theresa May visited China in February. As a result of the visit, she secured commercial deals worth 9 bln pounds ($12 bln). European online food delivery firm Takeaway.com said it signed a deal to buy Israeli online ordering company 10bis from TA Associates and founder Tamir Carmel for 135 million euros ($157 million) in cash. The transaction strengthens Takeaways tech leadership in food delivery, it said in a statement on Monday. It noted that while Takeaway is predominantly a business to consumer brand, 95 percent of 10bis orders are business to business, enabling Takeaway to expand into this area. In 2017, 10bis processed 15.2 million orders worth more than 140 million euros, resulting in revenue of 13.2 million euros and an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of 5.7 million euros. The transaction, expected to be completed by the end of 2018 and subject to approval by Takeaways shareholders, will be financed by a 150 million euro bridge facility from ABN Amro Bank NV. Tesla Inc is in talks with authorities in Germany and the Netherlands to build its first major European factory, Reuters with reference to the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The electric vehicle maker has had preliminary discussions with two German states vying to host its Gigafactory in Europe to build cars and their batteries under one roof, the Journal reported. The talks are still in their early stages and may not yield an agreement, according to the report. Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said in June that he favors Germany as the location for its first European Gigafactory. "Perhaps on the German-French border makes sense, near the Benelux countries," Musk had said on Twitter, responding to a public tweet. Tesla already has an engineering division in Pruem, Germany, that is about 30 kms from Belgium and about 100 kms from the French border. A Tesla spokesman declined to comment. Earlier this month, the company announced plans to build its first overseas plant in China. Although Musk has said the company will be cash-flow positive this year, analysts have predicted that Tesla will raise capital to fund a long list of projects, including launching an electric semi truck and a pickup truck. Tesla has been struggling to meet its self imposed production goals for its Model 3 sedan. Shares of the Palo Alto, California-based company fell 2 percent at $291.43 on Monday in morning trading. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Paris and Vienna this week to discuss Brexit and warn of the costs to Britain and the European Union of failing to reach a transition deal, his office said on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt attends a joint news conference with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee Hunt was in Beijing on Monday, where China offered Britain talks on a post-Brexit free trade deal, reaching out to London as Beijing remains mired in an increasingly bitter trade war with Washington. On his return to Europe, Hunt will travel to France and Austria, meeting their foreign ministers Jean-Yves Le Drian and Karin Kneissl, and trying to gain support for Brexit proposals set out by Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this month. I will be explaining to my counterparts in Paris and Vienna that it is time for the EU to engage with our proposals, or we potentially face the prospect of a no-deal by accident, which would be very challenging for both the UK and EU, Hunt said. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29 next year, but has yet to finalise a transition deal or agree the outlines of a longer-term trade relationship with its biggest overseas market. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said time was running out for a Brexit deal, and that this was hurting business, when he visited London earlier this month. While in Vienna, Hunt will also meet the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency to discuss the future of the Iran nuclear deal, which the United States withdrew from in May. British PM May met Austrias Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday, discussing Brexit and confirming that the topic would be on the agenda of a meeting of EU leaders chaired by Austria in Salzburg in September. On Monday her official spokesman denied media reports that the government was planning for the army to deliver food if a no-deal Brexit led to delays importing goods from Europe. Nigeria will deploy its air force and 1,000 security personnel to fight banditry in the northwest of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Sunday, Reuters reported. The move underscores how security has broken down across much of Nigeria, where an ineffective police force has exacerbated already-weak enforcement, particularly outside urban areas. The military is now deployed in more than 30 of the 36 states. Nigeria is tackling a nine-year conflict with Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa in the northeast. There is also a conflict across much of its hinterland between farmers and herders that is now more deadly than the war against those insurgencies. In addition, there are oil-fueled militancies in the Delta to the south and banditry and kidnappings through much of the country. Banditry has plagued the northwest for years, particularly around Zamfara state and its border with Kaduna state, though a recent spate of kidnappings and killings in the region has put the region in the public eye. The Federal Government has assembled (a) 1,000-strong military force ... (comprising) the army, air force, police and the civil defense to launch fierce attacks on the bandits terrorizing the villages and towns of Zamfara State, the statement from the presidency said. Under Buhari, Nigeria has often turned to the air force to carry out policing, despite criticism from rights groups. In 2015, Buhari came to power on a pledge to restore security. He is now seeking a second term in elections next February elections, though his critics say the situation has become worse. English French PRESS RELEASE MAISONS DU MONDE: FIRST-HALF 2018 RESULTS A solid first half in a challenging environment Updated full-year 2018 targets _________________________________________ Sales up 11% to 507m including Modani, and up 9.8% at constant scope Like-for-like sales growth of 4.8% at constant scope, reflecting a softer-than-expected trading environment in Q2 2018 Continued strong momentum in online sales (+17.8%) and international business (+13.6%) at constant scope EBITDA up 11.1% to 48m; stable EBITDA margin of 9.5% Net income of 8.1m, up by almost 30% year-on-year Leverage ratio improved to 1.5x vs. 1.8x last year Updated FY 2018 targets: At constant scope, sales growth now expected to be around 8% reflecting a softer trading environment in France and a delay in store openings - 19 net openings planned in 2018, with 6 store openings moved into Q1 2019 Including Modani, sales growth expected to be above 10% and net store openings at 22 EBITDA margin above 13% of sales, unchanged both at constant scope and including Modani _________________________________________ Nantes, 30 July 2018 Maisons du Monde (Euronext Paris: MDM, ISIN Code: FR0013153541), a European leader in affordable and inspirational decoration and furniture homeware, today releases its results for the first half of 2018. Julie Walbaum, Chief Executive Officer of Maisons du Monde, commented: "With sales up close to double-digits and EBITDA up by 11%, Maisons du Monde turned in a solid performance in the first half despite a challenging trading environment in the second quarter, particularly in stores in France, thanks to continued strong momentum in online sales and international business. Moreover, Modani is being successfully integrated and the business is performing in line with expectations. To reflect a softer trading environment and a slight delay in some store openings, which will now occur in early 2019, we have updated our full-year 2018 targets. In this context, we remain focused on our priorities and we are confident in the operating action plan we have defined with the executive committee for the second half, confirming the robustness of the Group's business model and omnichannel strategy." *** Solid sales performance in H1 2018 in challenging market conditions Maisons du Monde posted sales of 507 million in the first half of 2018, up 11.0% year-on-year including Modani and up 9.8% at constant scope. Like-for-like sales growth was 4.8% at constant scope, reflecting a softer-than-expected trading environment in the second quarter, particularly in stores in France. This was due to specific factors such as transport strikes and a stronger-than-anticipated calendar effect in May, which had an unfavorable impact on in-store traffic. Nevertheless, strong momentum continued in online sales, up 17.8% in the first half (up 20.5% in Q2 2018), and international business, up 13.6%, confirming the robustness of the Group's business model and omnichannel strategy. In line with its strategic objective of improving the omnichannel customer approach, Maisons du Monde started to roll out new tools for in-store experience to improve merchandising execution, contactless and mobile payments to improve check-out experience, as well as customer-centric delivery solutions. In the first half of 2018, Maisons du Monde continued to implement its development plan with 7 net store openings, all of them in the second quarter (11 gross openings, of which 4 outside France and 4 shop-in-shops, and 4 closures for relocation). Since its acquisition last May, Modani has performed in line with expectations and commercial synergies have started to be implemented. Three new showrooms were opened in July 2018, bringing the total to 13. Continued robust level of profitability Gross margin stood at 65.0% in the first half of 2018 compared to 65.3% in in the first half of 2017, due to a higher share of furniture sales in Maisons du Monde's product mix, as expected, and the integration of Modani over the May-June period. EBITDA amounted to 48 million in the first half of 2018, up 11.1% year-on-year, resulting in an EBITDA margin of 9.5%, stable compared to the first half of 2017. This performance reflected solid sales growth over the period, positive operating leverage and effective cost management allowing Maisons du Monde to increase advertising expenses and to continue investment in growth initiatives. Net income amounted to 8.1 million in the first half of 2018 compared to 6.2 million in the first half of 2017, increasing by almost 30% year-on-year. Further deleveraging The Group continued to deleverage in the first half of 2018 despite the acquisition of Modani. At 30 June 2018, net debt totaled 213.1m, compared to 230.2m at 30 June 2017. The leverage ratio improved to 1.5x compared to 1.8x at 30 June 2017. Excluding the impact of Modani, Maisons du Monde's leverage ratio would have reached 1.2x at 30 June 2018, an improvement of 0.6x year-on-year. *** H2 2018 business priorities In the second half of 2018, Maisons du Monde will continue to strengthen its omnichannel and international business model, focusing on its 4 strategic priorities: Propose an attractive offer for customers, with the launch of the first lighting catalogue, the autumn-winter decoration collection and the first capsule collection in partnership with Chantal Thomass; Continue to invest in store network expansion, notably with two flagship openings in Madrid & Berlin; Enhance the omnichannel customer approach, deploying in-store and digital Home Decoration Advice Services, including a 3D app allowing customers to visualize their furniture items at home; Accelerate the Group's CRM strategy, based on upgraded store localization and personalized communications. Updated FY 2018 targets Taking into account the softer-than-expected trading environment in the second quarter of 2018, a more prudent stance regarding the business environment in France in the second half of 2018 and a delay in store openings, Maisons du Monde is updating its full-year 2018 targets as follows: At constant scope, sales growth is now expected to be around 8% and net store openings at 19 (compared to sales growth at around 10% and net store openings in the range of 25-30 previously); 6 store openings originally scheduled in 2018 will take place in Q1 2019; Including Modani, sales growth is expected to be above 10% and net store openings at 22; EBITDA margin above 13% of sales, unchanged both at constant scope and including Modani. *** APPENDICES Summary of Q2 2018 sales for Maisons du Monde Three months ended 30 June In million 2017 2018 % change Sales 227.8 246.1 +8.0% % like-for-like change +6.2% +4.2% - Sales by geography France 138.0 144.6 +4.8% International 89.8 101.4 +12.9% Total 227.8 246.1 +8.0% France (%) 60.6% 58.8% - International (%) 39.4% 41.2% - Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% - Sales by distribution channel Stores 177.3 185.2 +4.5% Online 50.5 60.8 +20.5% Total 227.8 246.1 +8.0% Stores (%) 77.8% 75.3% - Online (%) 22.2% 24.7% - Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% - Sales by product category Decoration 116.9 122.7 +5.0% Furniture 110.9 123.4 +11.3% Total 227.8 246.1 +8.0% Decoration (%) 51.3% 49.9% - Furniture (%) 48.7% 50.1% - Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% - Summary of H1 2018 sales for Maisons du Monde Six months ended 30 June In million 2017 2018 % change Sales 456.6 501.2 +9.8% % like-for-like change +9.0% +4.8% - Sales by geography France 279.0 299.4 +7.3% International 177.6 201.8 +13.6% Total 456.6 501.2 +9.8% France (%) 61.1% 59.7% - International (%) 38.9% 40.3% - Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% - Sales by distribution channel Stores 354.6 381.0 +7.5% Online 102.0 120.2 +17.8% Total 456.6 501.2 +9.8% Stores (%) 77.7% 76.0% - Online (%) 22.3% 24.0% - Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% - Sales by product category Decoration 242.9 264.3 +8.8% Furniture 213.7 236.8 +10.9% Total 456.6 501.2 +9.8% Decoration (%) 53.2% 52.7% - Furniture (%) 46.8% 47.3% - Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% - Key Q2 2018 financial metrics Three months ended 30 June In million 2017 2018 % change Sales 227.8 251.9 +10.6% Of which Maisons du Monde 227.8 246.1 +8.0% % like-for-like change +6.2% +4.2% - Modani - 5.8 n/a Key H1 2018 financial metrics Six months ended 30 June In million 2017 2018 % change Sales 456.6 507.0 +11.0% Of which Maisons du Monde 456.6 501.2 +9.8% % like-for-like change +9.0% +4.8% - Modani - 5.8 n/a Gross margin 298.2 329.7 +10.6% As a % of sales 65.3% 65.0% (30)bps EBITDA 43.2 48.0 +11.1% As a % of sales 9.5% 9.5% - EBIT 28.0 30.6 +9.5% As a % of sales 6.1% 6.0% (10)bps Net income 6.2 8.1 +29.7% Free cash flow 0.5 (25.7) n/a Net debt 230.2 213.1 (7.4)% Leverage ratio (x) 1.8x 1.5x (0.3)x Reconciliation of EBITDA Six months ended 30 June In million 2017 2018 Current operating profit 16.6 21.2 Depreciation, amortization, and allowance for provisions 15.2 17.4 Fair value - derivative financial instruments 2.4 0.8 Catalogue-related expenses 6.7 6.9 Taxes (IFRIC 21)6 0.7 0.8 EBITDA before pre-opening expenses 41.7 47.1 Pre-opening expenses 1.5 0.9 EBITDA 43.2 48.0 Reconciliation of EBIT Six months ended 30 June In million 2017 2018 EBITDA 43.2 48.0 Depreciation, amortization, and allowance for provisions (15.2) (17.4) EBIT 28.0 30.6 Reconciliation of free cash flow Six months ended 30 June In million 2017 2018 EBITDA 43.2 48.0 Change in operating working capital requirement (3.4) (44.2) Income tax paid (3.6) (3.2) Pre-opening expenses (1.5) (0.9) Catalogue-related expenses6 (6.7) (6.9) Taxes (IFRIC 21)6 (0.7) (0.8) Change in other operating items 0.4 (0.7) Net cash generated by / (used in) operating activities(a) 27.7 (8.7) Capital expenditure (24.0) (15.9) Acquisition of subsidiaries (net of cash acquired) - (36.3) Disposal of and debt on fixed assets (3.2) (1.1) Net cash generated by / (used in) investing activities(b) (27.2) (53.3) Free cash flow(a)+(b) 0.5 (62.0) FCF before acquisition of subsidiaries (net of cash acquired) 0.5 (25.7) Consolidated income statement Six months ended 30 June In million 2017 2018 Sales 456.6 501.2 Other revenue 13.1 14.9 Total revenue 469.7 522.0 Cost of sales (158.4) (177.3) Personnel expenses (91.0) (102.4) External expenses (183.1) (200.8) Depreciation, amortization, and allowance for provisions (15.2) (17.4) Fair value - derivative financial instruments (2.4) (0.8) Other income and expenses from operations (2.9) (2.1) Current operating profit 16.6 21.2 Other operating income and expenses (0.9) (2.7) Operating profit / (loss) 15.8 18.5 Cost of net debt (3.9) (3.1) Finance income 0.9 0.9 Finance expenses (1.2) (2.3) Financial profit / (loss) (4.2) (4.5) Share of profit / (loss) of equity-accounted investees - - Profit / (loss) before income tax 11.6 14.0 Income tax (5.4) (5.9) Profit / (loss) for the period 6.2 8.1 Attributable to: Owners of the parent 6.2 8.0 Non-controlling interests - 0.1 Consolidated balance sheet As of In million 31-Dec-2017 30-Jun-2018 ASSETS Goodwill 321.2 367.6 Other intangible assets 250.5 267.3 Property, plant and equipment 146.7 146.6 Equity-accounted investees - - Other non-current financial assets 17.0 15.7 Deferred income tax assets 2.7 3.7 Derivative financial instruments - 1.7 Other non-current assets 7.6 7.1 NON-CURRENT ASSETS 745.7 809.6 Inventories 159.7 197.6 Trade receivables and other current receivables 80.5 67.2 Other current financial assets 0.0 0.0 Current income tax assets 12.0 11.7 Cash and cash equivalents 100.1 39.1 CURRENT ASSETS 352.4 315.6 TOTAL ASSETS 1,098.1 1,125.2 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES TOTAL EQUITY 525.0 530.4 Borrowings 51.5 51.7 Convertible bonds 173.6 176.0 Deferred income tax liabilities 37.1 50.5 Post-employment benefits 7.7 8.4 Provisions 13.7 14.2 Derivative financial instruments 19.2 - Other non-current liabilities 12.0 38.9 Non-current liabilities 314.8 339.7 Borrowings 0.5 24.6 Trade payables and other current payables 238.1 214.4 Provisions 0.2 0.1 Current income tax liabilities 0.6 1.3 Derivative financial instruments 18.8 14.8 Current liabilities 258.3 255.1 TOTAL LIABILITIES 573.0 594.8 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 1,098.1 1,125.2 Consolidated cash flow statement Six months ended 30 June In million 2017 2018 Profit / (loss) before income tax 11.6 14.0 Adjustments for: Depreciation, amortization, and allowance for provisions 15.7 18.8 Net gain / (loss) on disposals 0.6 0.7 Fair value - derivative financial instruments 2.4 0.8 Share-based payments 0.7 1.3 Cost of net debt 3.9 3.1 Change in operating working capital requirement: (Increase) / decrease in inventories 11.4 (28.5) (Increase) / decrease in trade and other receivables (3.0) 15.4 (Increase) / decrease in trade and other payables (11.8) (31.1) Income tax paid (3.6) (3.2) Net cash generated by / (used in) operating activities(a) 27.7 (8.7) Acquisitions of non-current assets: Property, plant and equipment (20.5) (14.8) Intangible assets (3.5) (3.2) Subsidiaries, net of cash acquired - (36.3) Other non-current assets 1.8 2.1 Change in debts on fixed assets (5.2) (1.1) Proceeds from sale of non-current assets 0.2 0.0 Net cash generated by / (used in) investing activities(b) (27.2) (53.3) Proceeds from borrowings - 20.1 Repayment of borrowings (10.7) (0.8) Acquisitions (net) of treasury shares (0.3) (1.1) Dividend paid - (19.9) Interest paid (3.9) (0.7) Net cash generated by / (used in) financing activities(c) (14.9) (2.4) Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents(a)+(b)+(c) (14.4) (64.4) Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 59.7 100.1 Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (14.4) (64.4) Foreign exchange gains / (losses) (0.0) 0.3 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 45.3 36.0 Evolution of the Maisons du Monde store network Period ended In unit 31-Dec-17 31-Mar-18 30-Jun-18 30-Jun-18 France 212 213 216 216 Italy 42 42 42 42 Belgium 22 21 21 21 Spain 20 20 20 20 Luxembourg 2 2 3 3 Germany 9 9 9 9 Switzerland 6 6 6 6 United Kingdom - - 3 3 Number of stores 313 313 320 320 Net store openings - - +7 +7 *** Key operating metrics Besides the financial indicators set out in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Maisons du Monde's management uses several key metrics to evaluate, monitor and manage its business. The non-IFRS operational and statistical information related to Group's operations included in this press release is unaudited and has been taken from internal reporting systems. Although none of these metrics are measures of financial performance under IFRS, the Group believes that they provide important insight into the operations and strength of its business. These metrics may not be comparable to similar terms used by competitors or other companies. Sales: Represent the revenue from sales of decorative items and furniture through the Group's retail stores, websites and BtoB activities. They mainly exclude (i) customer contribution to delivery costs, (ii) revenue for logistics services provided to third parties, and (iii) franchise revenue. The Group uses the concept of "sales" rather than "total revenue" to calculate like-for-like growth, gross margin, EBITDA margin and EBIT margin. Like-for-like sales growth: Represents the percentage change in sales from the Group's retail stores, websites and BtoB activities, net of product returns between one financial period (n) and the comparable preceding financial period (n-1), excluding changes in sales attributable to stores that opened or were closed during either of the comparable periods. Sales attributable to stores that closed temporarily for refurbishment during any of the periods are included. Gross margin: Is defined as sales minus cost of sales. Gross margin is also expressed as a percentage of sales. EBITDA: Is defined as current operating profit, excluding (i) depreciation, amortization, and allowance for provisions, (ii) the change in the fair value of derivative financial instruments, and (iii) store pre-opening expenses. Half-year EBITDA is defined the same way as annual EBITDA except that is also excludes, pro rata temporis for the period, (i) the annual catalogue-related expenses and (ii) the full-year impact of IFRIC 21 on costs related to some government levies, accounted for in full in the first half. EBIT: Is defined as EBITDA after depreciation, amortization, and allowance for provisions. Net debt: Is defined as the Group's convertible bonds ("OCEANE"), term loan, revolving credit facilities, finance lease debt, deposits and bank borrowings, net of cash and cash equivalents. Leverage ratio: Is defined as net debt divided by last-twelve-months EBITDA (including Modani on a pro forma basis for the period, excluding the liabilities from the earn-out and the put option). *** 2018 financial calendar 7 November 2018 Third-quarter 2018 sales (press release after market close) *** Disclaimer: Forward Looking Statement This press release contains certain statements that constitute "forward-looking statements", including but not limited to statements that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives, based on certain assumptions or which do not directly relate to historical or current facts. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed, forecasted or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no representation is made that any of these statements or forecasts will come to pass or that any forecast results will be achieved. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and will not give rise to updates or revision. For a more complete list and description of such risks and uncertainties, refer to Maisons du Monde's filings with the French Autorite des marches financiers. *** About Maisons du Monde Maisons du Monde is a creator of inspirational lifestyle universes in the homeware industry, offering distinctive and affordable decoration and furniture collections that showcase multiple styles. The Group develops its business through an integrated and complementary omnichannel approach, leveraging its international network of stores, websites and catalogues. The Group was founded in France in 1996 and has profitably expanded across Europe since 2003. The Group posted sales of 1,011 million and EBITDA of 139 million for the year ended 31 December 2017. In 2017, the Group operated 313 stores in seven countries including France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, and derived over 38% of its sales from outside France. The Group has also built a successful complementary and comprehensive online shopping website, sales from which grew 35% per year on average between 2010 and 2017. The website is available in eleven countries: the seven countries where the Group operates stores plus Austria, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. In 2017, online sales represented 21% of the Group's sales. www.corporate.maisonsdumonde.com *** Contacts Investor Relations Press Relations Laurent Sfaxi - +33 2 51 71 52 07 Clementine Prat - +33 2 51 79 54 08 lsfaxi@maisonsdumonde.com cprat@maisonsdumonde.com Eritrea and Somalia plan to establish diplomatic relations, their presidents said on Monday, the latest sign of thawing relations across the Horn of Africa following Eritreas rapprochement with Ethiopia, Reuters reports. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi arrived in Eritreas capital Asmara on Saturday for meetings with President Isaias Afwerki. The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors, promote bilateral trade and investment, as well as educational and cultural exchanges, the two leaders said in a joint statement. The decision by Isaias to invite Abdullahi marked a new chapter for the countries after years of sour relations, reflecting how regional politics have been transformed since a new Ethiopian leader reached out to Eritrea this year. Past Somali administrations had accused Eritrea of supplying weapons to anti-government Islamist insurgents. Asmara has repeatedly denied this, saying the accusations were concocted by its enemy Ethiopia. In 2007, Eritrea even walked out of the East African bloc IGAD in protest as Ethiopian forces entered Somalia to fight militants. Eritrea and Ethiopia staged a dramatic rapprochement in recent weeks, after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power in Addis Ababa in April and subsequently announced that he wanted to implement a peace deal that ended their 1998-2000 border war. Eritrea and Ethiopia signed an agreement earlier this month to restore ties, ending two decades of hostility. Russia may supply Project 22800 corvettes codenamed Karakurt, armed with the Kaliber missiles, to Vietnam, China, India and other countries of the Asia-Pacific Region, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told reporters on Monday, TASS reports. "These ships are very successful: they have a big tonnage, good armament, and Kaliber is the most important thing. The corvette has an acceptable price, it is small, compact and fast. I believe that it has a good export potential for a number of countries, especially from the Asia-Pacific Region - Vietnam, China, India and others," Borisov said. Currently, the units of Russias Navy, namely the Baltic, the Northern, the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian flotilla are equipped with the Karakurt-class corvettes, he said. "Now the construction of the first three vessels of this class has been launched at the Eastern shipyard. I think the new models production will heighten interest in them." The Project 22800 corvettes (Karakurt) are a series of Russian multirole artillery missile vessels of the near maritime zone developed by the Almaz Central Maritime Design Bureau. The Russian Navy is due to receive a total of 18 small-sized Project 22800 ships, including the first two in 2018. The vessels are armed with high-precision missiles, modern artillery systems and Russian-made power plants. Moldovan President Igor Dodon will officially visit Moscow in the second half of October, he told reporters during his trip to Volgodonsk, Rostov Region, TASS reports. "My official visit to Moscow will take place in the second half of October," he said, adding that ahead of the visit he hopes to meet with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, who was appointed as new Special Presidential Representative for the Development of Trade-Economic Relations with Moldova. The president also reported that he expects to sign a number of agreements with Russia. Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and African Countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Saudi Ambassador to Russia Raed bin Khaled Qarmali have discussed issues on the regional agenda and bilateral relations, the ministry said in a statement, TASS reports. "Some current issues of the further development of extensive Russian-Saudi relations, as well as the current situation in the Middle East region with the focus on the situation in Yemen, Syria and Palestinian territories were discussed at the meeting," the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Some 36 militants including one of their leaders were killed as a part of the operation against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers ' Party (PKK) last week, the Turkish Interior Ministry said in a statement July 30. The operations were conducted in the eastern provinces of the country. Over 100 firearms and hand grenades were seized during the operations. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has lasted more than 25 years, claiming more than 40,000 lives. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the EU. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2018 - 22:28 | World, All Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's party won all seats contested in Sunday's general election, held in the forced absence of a major opposition party, according to election results tallied by the ruling party. Meanwhile, the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was forcibly dissolved before the election, issued a statement in Jakarta declaring that the election "marked the death of democracy in Cambodia" and urging the international community to reject the election results. The results mean the ruling Cambodian People's Party will get all 125 seats in the National Assembly, cementing one-party rule in the country and Hun Sen's continued grip on power that has spanned over 30 years. Preliminary results announced by the National Election Committee showed the CPP winning 76.78 percent of all valid votes cast, or 4,875,189 out of 6,349,389. Voter turnout was high at 82.89 percent, though the results suggest that 8.5 percent of the 6,946,164 ballots cast were spoiled, a sharp increase from the last general election in 2013 which saw 1.6 percent of ballots spoiled. "I thank you all for going out to vote with overwhelming numbers," Hun Sen said on his Facebook page. "You all have truly chosen a path of democracy by using your rights as stipulated in the constitution." The forced dissolution of the CNRP and the banning of its leaders from politics left the ruling party competing with 19 small, mostly newly formed parties -- none strong enough to mount a credible challenge to Hun Sen's party. CNRP leader Kem Sokha, who was arrested last September, remains in jail awaiting trial on treason charges. Sam Rainsy, a longtime CNRP leader who lives in exile and had repeatedly called for a boycott of the election, released a statement Sunday decrying Hun Sen's "hollow" victory, saying "the result of this false election conducted in a climate of fear is a betrayal of the popular will." The United States issued a statement the same day saying it "regrets" an election that was "neither free nor fair" and that "failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people." "We are profoundly disappointed in the government's choice to disenfranchise millions of voters," the White House said, adding that it will consider additional measures against the country, including expanding visa restrictions on Cambodian officials. In the 2013 election, which was contested by eight political parties, the ruling party won 68 of the 123 legislature seats, with the remainder secured by the CNRP. KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2018 - 19:52 | Sports, Arts, All The organizing committee of the 2020 Tokyo Games on Monday appointed Nomura Mansai, an actor of kyogen Japanese traditional theater, to oversee the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics. Nomura, 52, one of Japan's leading traditional stage comedy and film actors, will head the production team for the ceremonies in the role of chief executive creative director. (L-R: Takashi Yamazaki [Credit: SHIROGUMI INC], Nomura Mansai, Hiroshi Sasaki) "I'm very honored, and I also feel the weight on my shoulders. I will do my best to create ceremonies that are full of wit," he said in a statement released by the organizers. The organizing committee of the 2020 Games rubber-stamped the decision at Monday's board meeting in Fukushima Prefecture, where the torch relay for the 2020 Games will start. The organizers created an eight-member team last year to discuss the implementation of the ceremonies. Filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki, 54, best known for his film series "Always -- Sunset on Third Street" that depicts life in a close-knit Tokyo neighborhood after World War II, will take the lead in creating the format and stories for the Olympic ceremonies. The Paralympic ceremonies will be led by creative director Hiroshi Sasaki, 63, who has worked in Japan's advertising industry. Sasaki helped craft Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's role at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, in which the premier appeared dressed as iconic videogame character Mario. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will share the same core value, with the four ceremonies conveying themes such as peace, coexistence, reconstruction and the future. The organizers expect Nomura to take a leadership role and make full use of his acting and directing experience when working with other staff members, expected to be several hundred. "(Nomura) has deep knowledge about many areas. I think we picked the right person," said Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori. "He may be young, but he even has knowledge about my generation," the 81-year-old former prime minister said. Nomura played the main role in the film "Onmyoji" (The Yin-Yang Master). Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu skated to the film's soundtrack for his free skate program at February's Pyeongchang Games. The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to be held between July 24 and Aug. 9, followed by the Paralympics from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6. The apex court had observed orally that it would set up a technical expert committee to inquire into the matter and pass an interim order. Washington, D.C., July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program announces scholarship awards to a new cohort of Ricardo Salinas Scholars- a program created to give Latinos a seat at the table and enrich conversations impacting policy and practice across the country and around the world. The 22 recipients will participate in ten different policy, seminars and public programs. At a time of deep divisions across ethnicity and ideology, it is more important than ever to convene across difference and work toward building a shared future. Thanks to the generous support of Ricardo Salinas and Grupo Salinas, the Aspen Institute has awarded more than 200 Ricardo Salinas Scholarships since its inception in 2015. This cohort of scholars hail from 11 cities from across the US and Mexico. They are emerging leaders as well as seasoned professionals from across sectors. Their diversity and national and international perspectives add value to discussions about the issues and challenges of our times. The Aspen Institute fosters leadership based on enduring values and provides a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The participants are able to engage with world-renowned thought leaders, content, and cross-sector networks of influencers and decision makers to expand their leadership skills and networks. Karlo Rodriguez, CTO of Klustera and Ricardo Salinas Scholar awardee to participate in the Aspen Ideas Festival shared Being a part of the Aspen Ideas Festival was a great experience, because more than ideas, people were eager to meet new people, share ideas and create meaningful connections. As a Latino entrepreneur, having this opportunity is really valuable because it helps me better understand the world, our role in the society and how we can continue giving back to our community in a smarter and more focused way. I am proud to contribute to the efforts of the Aspen Institute to include an increasing number of Latinos in its valuable programs, said Ricardo Salinas, Chairman of Grupo Salinas. Scholarship recipients will be able to exchange ideas and broaden their knowledge in critical issues that are key for the future of their communities. We are grateful for the visionary support of Ricardo Salinas/ Grupo Salinas in championing the meaningful participation of Latino Americans and Mexican citizens across a wide array of Aspen Institute programs, building relationships, expanding networks, and increasing awareness of how Latinos are contributing to a changing nation. In its first three years, the Ricardo Salinas Scholars have greatly contributed to the programs they have participated in offering important perspectives that otherwise wouldnt have been there, said Abigail Golden-Vazquez, Aspen Institute Vice President and Latinos and Society Program Executive Director. The Ricardo Salinas Scholarship awardees are: Carmen Palafox, Make in LA Gerardo Reyes Chavez, Coalition of Immokalee Workers Lorea Canales, Freelance writer Nathalie Molina Nino, Brava Investments Karina Ayala-Bermejo, Instituto del Progreso Latino Cristian Farias, NAACP Legal Defense Fund Celeste Cantu, Water Education for Latino Leaders Simone Leiro, All in Together Bernadette Hobson, PepsiCo Daniela Moctezuma, Value for Women Rafael Alonso Arenas, New Ventures Marcos Lavandera, ProMujer, Inc. Cecilia Latapi, SVX Mexico Karlos Rodriguez, Klustera Luis Raya Campo, USAID Mexico Sergio Stephen, Architect and Designer Carla Sofia Elizundia, Design Week Mexico Arturo Oropeza, Stanford University Herbert Zea, William Blair Victoria Suarez-Palomo, Renovate America The Ricardo Salinas Scholarship aims to increase the participation of Latinos in the Aspen Institutes public events, policy roundtables, leadership seminars and other convenings. In doing so, it provides access to leadership opportunities, networks and social capital. How to applyCandidates should identify a program of interest from the offerings on the Aspen Institute website, reach out to the appropriate point of contact, and mention their potential eligibility for the Ricardo Salinas Scholarship. If the candidate is a good fit, then the program applies for the scholarship on the candidates behalf. The scholarship is managed by the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program, and a committee makes the final selection based on established criteria. Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis, and the committee meets to review and select scholars three times a year. For more details on scholarship eligibility and nomination process, please visit https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/latinos-and-society-program/ricardo-salinas-foundation-scholarship/ The Aspen Institute founded the Latinos and Society Program in 2015 to provide a place for Latinos and non-Latinos to learn about their shared future and jointly explore solutions to the challenges of our times. Its vision is to foster a more informed citizenry and promote the engagement of all people in securing a prosperous and inclusive future for America. This policy program convenes diverse audiences and subject matter experts to advance three important policy areas, civic participations, economic advancement and educational opportunity. The program is also connecting a pipeline of Latino leaders to Institute programs, fostering collaboration, and strengthening their networks. To learn more, follow @AspenLatinos, or visit AspenInstitute.org/policy-work/latinos-society The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Marylands Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org. English French OLEARY, Prince Edward Island, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cavendish Farms announced today that they will be focusing on the frozen potato processing business on Prince Edward Island due to the limited availability of raw product (potatoes). The decision will result in the closure of their fresh produce packaging facility in OLeary, Prince Edward Island at the end of the year. The closure will affect 40 employees. Cavendish Farms has had to make this difficult business decision based on ongoing demand, and limited availability of potatoes on the Island, said Ron Clow, General Manager, Cavendish Farms. The supply of raw product is critical to our business. Cavendish Farms had to make up for a shortage of 150 Million lbs. of potatoes in 2017. As a result, we needed to find other sources on the Island as well as import potatoes from New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta and Maine. Plans are already in place to import 65M lbs. this year. This practice is not sustainable. There simply arent enough potatoes on PEI for both our lines of business. Our Human Resources team will be providing support to all impacted employees by helping with new assignments, assistance to find other positions across J.D. Irving or with post-employment support once operations cease. We are making every effort to assist impacted employees, added Clow. This is an unfortunate consequence of low yields and lack of raw potatoes on PEI. Our contracted potatoes will be used to supply our frozen potato processing plants in New Annan, said Clow. We will continue to use the OLeary facility for raw potato storage and, as such, it will continue to provide some seasonal employment. If farmers are not able to grow more potatoes (by increasing yields, not acres) then the Prince Edward Island industry may not be sustainable as competition in the frozen potato export market intensifies. The PEI industry will require supplemental irrigation as part of the solution. The Island cannot afford to have its largest export product entirely dependent on rainfall. About Cavendish Farms Cavendish Farms is a family-owned company that produces quality frozen potato and appetizer products for the North American and international food industry, supplying customers in the retail, and restaurant sectors. We operate four potato processing plants two on Prince Edward Island, one in Lethbridge, Alberta, and one in Jamestown, North Dakota. We also operate a fifth plant specializing in appetizer products in Wheatley, Ontario. Cavendish Farms is part of the J.D. Irving Group of Companies. For further information please contact: Mary Keith, VP of Communications J.D. Irving, Limited Cell: 506-632-5122 Email: keith.mary@jdirving.com 1. Routine genomic screening could find risks for cancer and heart disease in 3 to 4 million unsuspecting Americans Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-1722 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Unbeknownst to them, at least 1 percent of the U.S. population has an identifiable genetic risk for cancer or heart disease that could be detected and clinically managed through genomic screening. The author of an article published in Annals of Internal Medicine says that identifying those 3 to 4 million persons and effectively mitigating that risk are worthy goals, but more work is needed before genomic screening becomes routine in health care. According to the author from Yale School of Medicine, current implementation models that demonstrate the clinical utility of routine genomic screening are still preliminary, but show promising results. While the majority of people who receive genomic screening would not find anything that would prompt significant changes to current medical management, the benefit to the few who do have a meaningful finding could be significant. Early case reports show that this approach can identify subclinical disease and prompt important medical interventions. Cohesive models for implementing genomic screening in routine care are lacking and opportunities to advance knowledge of clinical utility are being missed, according to the author. If achieving better health is the goal, then functioning implementation models must be developed. Media contact: For an embargoed PDF or author contact information, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To speak with the lead author, Michael Murray, MD, please contact Ziba Kashef at ziba.kashef@yale.edu. 2. Interleukin-1 inhibition associated with unprecedented clinical improvement in patient with dilated cardiomyapathy Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/L18-0315 URLs go live when the embargo lifts A patient with dilated cardiomyopathy experienced unprecedented clinical improvement with use of anakinra to inhibit interleukin-1. Improvement began soon after anakinra administration and was obvious by every measure. Findings from a brief case report are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a severe irreversible form of heart disease characterized by left ventricular systolic dysfunction and liation that are not explained by abnormal loading or coronary artery disease. Interleukin-1 was has been found to suppress cardiomyocyte contractility directly and the chronic inflammation mediated by interleukin-1 in dilated cardiomyopathy also causes progressive loss of contractile tissue and fibrosis. Given this dual role, interleukin-1 suppression may prevent or partially reverse disease progression and fibrotic damage. Clinicians from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy saw a 57-year-old man with a 2-year history of dilated cardiomyopathy whose condition did not improve after initial treatment with diuretics, beta blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The patient was given anakinra to inhibit interleukin-1. Soon after, the patient felt better and was able to lead a more normal life. His arrhythmia improved; serum biomarkers of cardiac dysfunction decreased; and findings on echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging were more normal, including those that measured the LVEF. Based on their findings, the authors believe that anakinra and the role of chronic low-grade inflammation in dilated cardiomyopathy deserve further investigation. Media contact: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To interview the lead author, Giulio Cavalli, MD, please email cavalli.giulio@gmail.com. ### Also new in this issue: When Tissue Is No Longer the Issue: Tissue-Agnostic Cancer Therapy Comes of Age Shiuh-Wen Luoh, MD, PhD, and Keith T. Flaherty, MD Review Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-2832 Southern Ecuador is home to some promising mineral reserves, but the region had been abandoned in early 2000's due to restrictive government oversight. With new legislators, the area is again open to foreign investment, and large companies are making substantial investments in well-explored deposits. One of the most promising mines, Fruta Del Norte, was sold for $1.2 billion, and now a similar concession just 40 km away is being explored by another junior miner, Lucky Minerals (LJ). The company will complete initial exploration efforts, including an aerial geophysical survey in the coming months, which should give investors a good idea of what this concession could be worth. Lucky shares could be worth much more than their current price based on a comparison to another similar public company in the region. Aurania (ARU) is also undertaking exploration in on a similar concession - basically at the same stage of development as LJ. This company is already valued at $60 million, as it is a well-known stock, implying that LJ could be worth 6X more as investors realize the potential here. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 30, 2018 / Ecuador is back on the radar for mining companies and their investors as new, friendlier regulations open up this previously restricted landscape to new foreign investment. It's been years since some of the most promising concessions loomed large in this region, like the Fruta Del Norte mine which was acquired for $1.2 billion in 2008 from its discoverer, Aurelian Resources. The acquirer, Kinross (KGC), has called this mine "one of the most exciting gold discoveries of the past 15 years." But investment lagged until about four years ago when a new government started making things easier on mining and exploration companies. That's changing swiftly as new money pours back into this neglected region. That could mean big things for undiscovered Lucky Minerals (LJ), a Canadian company that recently acquired the promising Fortuna concession in Southern Ecuador. The company has just started modern exploration after the previous owners sat on the reserve for a decade, and these first mineral results - in a region rich in gold and copper - should be released in the next few months. A similar company in the area is already worth 6X more than LJ even at the same stage of development, giving investors an idea of what LJ could be worth as it goes through price discovery this summer. Story continues Ecuador Coming Back Online as a Major New Mineral Source Sadly, Kinross and the government never could finalize terms on an exploitation contract for the Fruta Del Norte concession, and the larger company basically abandoned the project in 2013. It wasn't until December 2014 that they sold it to Lundin Gold Inc. (LUN), who is now making major headway at the site - this could be one of the biggest windfall's of the century now that Lundin is paving a path forward. The Ecuadorian government seems to have taken major action to restore Ecuador's reputation as a premier destination for mineral exploration; in 2015, Ecuador established an independent Ministry of Mining and began to issue new mineral concessions once more in order to turn the area "into a pillar of the economy in the next 5-10 years." For example, the Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources will now let companies perform non-systematic drilling much earlier in the exploration/development of new projects, previously permitted only during advanced exploration and requiring an environmental license. As a result, analysts are getting back on the Ecuador train. According to BMI Research, the mining sector will see its value increase to $7.9 billion in 2021, from only $1.1 billion in 2017. Mining investments are expected to top $4 billion in the next four years! With Fruta Del Norte back in action, this mine is expected to generate 340,000 ounces of gold a year during its life; production is expected in the first quarter of 2020. Chinese companies are making a major push into the region as well, as with the large-scale Mirador copper mine, controlled by the CRRC-Tongguan consortium, and Rio Blanco, a project operated by Junefield Mineral Resources. Ecuador is finally coming back around for mineral companies, and for investors with the right timing, this could be a major windfall. Newly-Backed Fortuna Could Rival $1.2B Fruta Del Norte Southern Ecuador is home to a prolific mineral belt, and a neglected concession at Lucky Minerals (LJ) could be about to land on the mining scene in a big way. Their Fortuna claim is only 40km from Fruta Del Norte and Mirador, and both are at the forefront of the new wave of investment in the region - for good reason. Lucky Minerals recently acquired the Fortuna concession from a private company that sat on the property for about a decade, despite significant exploration in the area. This 550 sq. km concession is situated on a similar N-NE-trending geological structure as Fruta Del Norte, and with no modern exploration or drilling on the site so far, this could be primed for some real discovery. The concessions have had placer mining for gold for hundreds of years, but formal exploration has been sporadic at best. Now, Lucky Minerals is undertaking some first key steps in exploration, which could put this undiscovered explorer on the radars of much larger companies and investors. By way of example, Aurelian Resources Inc was the original owner of the Fruta Del Norte claim. This was a small unknown company before exploration work on Fruta Del Norte began in 2006... the company's stock climbed from $0.40 to over $40.00 as exploration continued, culminating in the $1.2 billion purchase by Kinross. As you know, things stalled shortly after as Ecuador's government stymied investment here, but the takeaway is that Lucky's Fortuna concession could look quite similar if they find the right resources during exploration. The Fortuna property has considerable potential for gold and porphyry mineralized systems, and Lucky is preparing for initial exploration efforts this summer. Lucky will undertake detailed mapping, sampling and assaying of 4 targeted areas starting this month, and this field program will be followed by an airborne magnetic geophysical survey in September to complement previous satellite imagery and identify and prioritize additional targets in all 12 of the Fortuna concessions. This is quite similar to the process that Aurelian went through before the Fruta Del Norte discovery. Direct Comparison to Neighbor Junior Miner Suggests 5-6X of Upside? So how do you value an early junior like this? The market is giving investors a great clue, especially as Lucky Minerals has gone mostly unnoticed since picking up the Fortuna concession. The company is valued at a market capitalization of $10 million. Aurania Resources (AUIAF) (ARU) is an early-stage explorer also pursuing an Ecuadorian concession in the same region as Lucky. Aurania's CEO is Dr. Keith Barron, one of the masterminds behind Aurelian Resources when they first discovered the Fruta del Norte deposit in 2006. He's back for a second run at this region, and Aurania's (ARU) market value should give investors an idea of how LJ could be valued, too. These companies are at almost the same stage of exploration. Aurania's market capitalization is $60 million, thus Lucky Minerals, with a similar promising claim in the region, could arguably be valued the same way. For LJ, that would mean a stock price of $0.60 or more. The company's shares are currently at about $0.12. That's 5-6X of potential upside! Lucky Minerals has risks for sure, as this junior miner is still in the exploration phase of development. They will need to finance their exploration efforts, and the concession could be worthless in the end - an investment in Lucky should be considered high risk/high reward compared to bigger companies like Goldcorp Inc (TSX:G.TO) or Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: ABX). Junior miners are known for big rallies, especially as exploration gets underway. Details on the Fortuna project should be out this summer or fall, and LJ could be primed for some price discovery by mineral investors as a result. About One Equity Stocks One Equity Stocks is a leading provider of research on publicly traded emerging growth companies. Our team is comprised of financial professionals that strive to find the companies and management teams that will outperform the market and deliver investment returns to our readers. We are not a licensed broker-dealer and do not publish investment advice and remind readers that investing involves considerable risk. Readers should look at this piece as an advertisement. One Equity Stocks encourages all readers to carefully review the SEC filings of any issuers we cover and consult with an investment professional before making any investment decisions. One Equity Stocks is a for-profit business and is typically compensated for coverage of issuers. In the case of Lucky Minerals, we are reimbursed for actual costs of this distribution and receive $50,000 CAD per month for up to six months for advisory services. We may receive additional compensation in the future. Please contact us at info@investorclick.net for additional information or to subscribe to our intelligence service. SOURCE: One Equity Stocks, LLC BOCA RATON, Fla., July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADT Inc. (NYSE: ADT), a leading provider of security and automation solutions for homes and businesses, today announced that Jochen Koedijk has joined the company as its Chief Marketing Officer. Koedijk joins ADT from Chewy.com where he served as the Vice President, Marketing. Reporting directly to ADT President Jim DeVries, Koedijk will be responsible for delivering innovative digital and brand marketing strategies and initiatives that drive profitable business growth. Previous to Chewy.com, Jochen held roles at Amazon and Electronic Arts. During his time at Amazon, he led worldwide Social Media and New Channel Advertising, overseeing a cross-functional team of more than 70 people and achieving triple digit year-over-year growth. As a member of Electronic Arts digital business unit leadership team, Jochen led in-house global performance marketing operations for the companys Console, PC, and Mobile games business lines. Customer retention and lead-generation is significantly driven by digital engagement, and Jochens leadership experience with world-class organizations such as Amazon, Chewy, and Electronic Arts is an immediate asset to our organization, said DeVries. Jochen is a marketing innovator, and were excited for him to build upon the ADT brand for our next generation of customers. Given the tremendous innovation in the home security and automation space, I couldnt think of a better time to join ADT, North Americas most recognizable security leader, said Koedijk. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to continue providing world-class customer service and scaling our business through new and disruptive channels. Koedijk holds his degrees in Business Administration and Social Sciences from the VU University in Amsterdam, NL. Jamie Haenggi, who has been overseeing the Marketing function as part of her responsibilities, will become the companys Chief Customer Officer. Customer strategy and retention remains the single most important part of the business, and Haenggis broad and deep experience will be central to enhancing customer engagement. Jamie is one of our most versatile executives. Her passion for the customer, strategic approach and vision for customer experience is instrumental to improving customer retention, maintaining best-in-class customer service and designing a roadmap for further customer engagement and growth, added DeVries. We have made tremendous strides in our customer experience over the past two years, said Haenggi. Im excited to lead the companys efforts to further design and execute the customer strategy to deliver greater value, retention and an experience that continues to differentiate ADT in the marketplace. About ADT ADT is a leading provider of security and automation solutions in the United States and Canada for homes and businesses, people on-the-go and their network. Making security more accessible than ever before, and backed by 24/7 customer support, ADT delivers same-day service and live answer within seconds in customer operations, helping customers feel more safe and empowered. ADT is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida and employs approximately 17,500 people throughout North America. Media Relations Jason Shockley tel: +1 561.322.7235 jshockley@adt.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (EnWave, or the "Company") announced today that it has signed a Purchase Requisition (the "Agreement") with the United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) to supply a 10kW Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) machine for research and development purposes. The acquisition of the 10kW REV machine by NSRDEC aims to facilitate an accelerated path to improved Close Combat Assault Ration deployment. Dr. Tom Yang has been leading the project on behalf of NSRDEC and recently presented a scientific poster at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Food Expo in Chicago on the 17th of July. The NSRDEC also displayed a series of REVTM-dried Close Combat Assault Rations at the IFT Food Expo where featured rations including shelf-stable mini-quiches, high-protein crunchy cheese snacks, a Korean BBQ bar, a chewy banana bar, and cheese cake bites were showcased. After a successful presentation at the Pentagon in May 2018 and confirmed demand for REV dried rations, the NSRDEC has fast tracked the research and development necessary for implementation with close combat warfighters. An additional presentation to NASA will take place in September 2018. This project has been under development for the past year with trials previously being completed at EnWaves pilot plant facility located in Vancouver, Canada. EnWave and the NSRDEC are currently looking to collaborate with potential vendors to manufacture and supply REV-dried nutrient rich field rations moving forward. Any interested parties are encouraged to contact EnWave Corporation at info@enwave.net. About US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) The Soldiers RDEC Ensuring dominance through superior Scientific and Engineering expertise NSRDEC provides the Army with innovative Science & Technology solutions to optimize Soldier/Team performance and improve combat readiness. By focusing on the Soldier domain, NSRDEC incorporates the latest innovations to maximize the Warfighters survivability, sustainability, mobility, combat effectiveness and field quality of life. Using basic science, technology generation/application/transition that enables rapid fielding of the right equipment when it is needed, NSRDEC continues to empower, unburden and protect Warfighters. NSRDECs Portfolios and Focus Areas concentrate on the The Science Behind the Soldier and include Soldier & Squad Performance Optimization, Expeditionary Force Projection, Maneuver and Sustainment, Human Systems Integration, Individual Multi-Threat Protection, and Soldier Systems Engineering Architecture. About EnWave EnWave Corporation, a Vancouver-based advanced technology company, has developed Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) an innovative, proprietary method for the precise dehydration of organic materials. EnWave has further developed patent-pending methods for uniformly drying and decontaminating cannabis through the use of REV technology, shortening the time from harvest to marketable cannabis products. REV technologys commercial viability has been demonstrated and is growing rapidly across several market verticals in the food, and pharmaceutical sectors including legal cannabis. EnWaves strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with industry leaders in multiple verticals for the use of REV technology. The company has signed over twenty royalty-bearing licenses to date, opening up nine distinct market sectors for commercialization of new and innovative products. In addition to these licenses, EnWave has formed a Limited Liability Corporation, NutraDried Food Company, LLC, to develop, manufacture, market and sell all-natural cheese snack products in the United States under the Moon Cheese brand. EnWave has introduced REV as the new dehydration standard in the food and biological material sectors: faster and cheaper than freeze drying, with better end product quality than air drying or spray drying. EnWave currently has three commercial REV platforms: nutraREV which is used in the food industry to dry food products quickly and at low-cost, while maintaining high levels of nutrition, taste, texture and colour; powderREV which is used for the bulk dehydration of food cultures, probiotics and fine biochemicals such as enzymes below the freezing point, and quantaREV which is used for continuous, high-volume low-temperature drying. An additional platform, freezeREV, is being developed as a new method to stabilize and dehydrate biopharmaceuticals such as vaccines and antibodies. More information about EnWave is available at www.enwave.net. EnWave Corporation Dr. Tim Durance President & CEO For further information: John P.A. Budreski, Executive Chairman at +1 (416) 930-0914 E-mail: jbudreski@enwave.net Brent Charleton, CFA , Senior Vice President, Sales and Business Development at +1 (778) 378-9616 E-mail: bcharleton@enwave.net Deborah Honig, Corporate Development, Adelaide Capital Markets at + 1 (647) 203-8793 E-mail: dhonig@enwave.net Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management's expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures, and the expected synergies following the closing are forward-looking statements. All third party claims referred to in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate. All third party references to market information in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate as the Company did not conduct the original primary research. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mundoro Capital Inc. (TSXV: MUN, www.mundoro.com) ("Mundoro" or the "Company") announces it has entered into an earn-in agreement ("Agreement") with Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation ("Freeport"), in which Mundoro has granted to Freeport an option to earn-in to Mundoros Savinac and Bacevica exploration licenses (the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project) located within the southern portion of the Timok Magmatic Complex (Timok) in Serbia. Timok is one of the most prolific metallogenic domains in the Tethyan Belt. Timok hosts the Cukaru-Peki deposit and the Serbian state-operated producing mines: the Bor copper porphyry underground mine (Bor Mine) and the Veliki Krivelj copper-gold porphyry open-pit mine (see Figure 1: Location Map). Teo Dechev, CEO and President of Mundoro commented, This Agreement is our third partnership in Serbia, which reflects the continued industry interest in Timok, the Tethyan Belt and demonstrates the prospectivity of Mundoros land package within this region. Mundoro has approximately C$4.6 million (US$3.5 million) in treasury, an earn-in agreement with JOGMEC for the Timok North Projects, an earn-in agreement with Freeport for the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project, and an option agreement with a private company for the Saje Project in Bulgaria. Realizing value for our mineral property portfolio of over 10 licenses with multiple targets on various license is one of our corporate priorities. Summary of Key Earn-In Terms Pursuant to the Agreement, Mundoro has granted to Freeport an option to earn, over two phases, up to a 75% interest in the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project by sole funding expenditures of up to US$45 million (C$59.2 million) as follows: Phase One: Freeport has the right to earn a 51% interest in the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project by sole-funding US$5 million (C$6.6 million) in expenditures by the third anniversary of the Agreement. Mundoro will be the operator of the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project in Phase One. Phase Two: Following Phase One, Freeport has the right, exercisable within 60 days, to elect to enter Phase Two, whereupon it can earn an additional 24% interest in the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project, for a total 75% interest, by sole-funding an additional US$40 million (C$52.6 million) in expenditures (the Phase Two Option ) by the fifth anniversary of the election date. ) by the fifth anniversary of the election date. If Freeport (a) elects not to enter Phase Two, or (b) does not satisfy the Phase Two Option, then Freeport will, for a period of ten (10) years thereafter, pay to Mundoro an annual fee of US$100,000 (C$131,675) in each year in which the annual work program and budget adopted by the joint venture is a work program and budget proposed by Freeport. Additional Terms: The Agreement is subject to: (i) Freeports satisfaction with, or waiver of, a due diligence condition; and (ii) the transfer of the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project from a current Mundoro Serbian subsidiary to a special purpose Serbian subsidiary wholly-owned by the joint venture. If either partys interest in the joint venture is reduced below 10% through dilution, the diluted partys interest will be converted to a 2% Net Smelter Returns Royalty (NSR) of which up to 1% NSR can be re-purchased. Project Information Savinac license Savinac license is a 90 sqkm area that is located 15 km southwest of the Bor Mine. The property contains a significant area of hydrothermal alteration covering 14 sqkm elongated north-south area which hosts epithermal and porphyry targets marked by Cu-Mo-Au-Ag-Pb-Zn geochemical anomalies. The 9 km of hydrothermal alteration is defined in alteration mapping and coincides with an elongate zone of demagnetization of the host volcanic rocks. Within the hydrothermal alteration, exploration work identified the Tilva Rosh epithermal gold target which contains 12 m of 30 g/t gold and 171 g/t silver. Drill results from Tilva Rosh identified the continuation of the main north-south trending mineralized structure which strikes towards the north and under a lithocap that remains untested. The targets identified to date either require further exploration work or remain untested. Bacevica license Bacevica license totals 148 sqkm and is located directly south of the Savinac license. The property contains 8 km of hydrothermal alteration directly linked to the Savinac hydrothermal alteration to the north. Mundoro has completed geological mapping, rock and soil sampling, ground magnetics and tested various targets with shallow, reverse circulation, scout drilling. The targets identified to date either require further exploration work or remain untested. Further Joint Venture Discussions The Company continues to have ongoing discussions regarding potential joint ventures for Mundoros two Timok South licenses, Sumrakovac and Osnic, and the licenses in Bulgaria. Although there are ongoing discussions, the Company cannot provide assurance that a transaction will be concluded as a result of these discussions. On behalf of the Company, Teo Dechev, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director About Mundoro Capital Inc. Mundoro is a Canadian mineral exploration and development public company focused on building value for its shareholders through directly investing in mineral projects that have the ability to generate future returns for shareholders. The Company currently holds a diverse portfolio of projects in two European countries as well as an investment in a producing gold mine in Bulgaria and a feasibility stage gold project in China. The Company has earn-in agreements with: JOGMEC for the Timok North Projects, Freeport for the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project, and an option agreement with a private company for the Saje Project in Bulgaria. Mundoros common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "MUN". For further information please contact: Teo Dechev, CEO, President and Director of Mundoro Capital Inc. at +1-604-669-8055 Qualified Person Technical information contained in this Press Release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. G. Magaranov, P. Geo., Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This News Release contains forward-looking information and statements (forward-looking statements) under applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included or incorporated by reference in this News Release are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the completion of exploration work on any Projects and licenses and results of that exploration work, the prospect of one or more joint ventures and other statements regarding activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", promising, encouraging or "continue" or similar words or the negative thereof. The material assumptions that were applied in making the forward-looking statements in this News Release include expectations as to the Company's future strategy and business plan and execution of the Company's existing plans. There can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which these forward-looking statements are based will occur. We caution readers of this News Release not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements contained in this News Release, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include general economic and market conditions, changes in law, regulatory processes, the status of Mundoro's assets and financial condition, actions of competitors and the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this News Release are made as of the date of this News Release and Mundoro undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and for a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Figure 1: Location Map A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a59382c9-ec97-4e9c-8acc-bf622c25e48f completing wrote: Remember The Economist is a British magazine. In British English , a collective noun can be either singular or plural. It's correct to say "The family was part of a diaspora" and "The family were part of a diaspora" But in GMAT, we use American English . Only "The family was part of a diaspora" would be correct. fugitive prabsahi aragonn As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ HOUSTON, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LINN Energy, Inc. (OTCQB: LNGG) (LINN or the Company) announced today that it will release its second quarter earnings and file its Form 10-Q on August 8, 2018, and as a follow-up to a previous press release dated July 24, 2018, provides the following updates regarding its previously announced spin-off of Riviera Resources, Inc. (Riviera) from LINN (the Spin-Off): Riviera Resources executive management team will host an Investor Conference Call on August 23, 2018. Riviera Resources management will attend the Barclays and Johnson Rice Investor Conferences in September. The Company anticipates releasing a reasonable estimate of earnings and profits to applicable withholding agents in connection with the spin-off of Riviera of less than $175 million. Second Quarter Earnings Release / Form 10Q The Company will release financial and operating results for the second quarter 2018 and file its second quarter form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 8, 2018. The Company will not be hosting a conference call or webcast in connection with its second quarter 2018 results. Riviera Resources Investor Conference Call Riviera Resources will host a conference call Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 10 a.m. (Central) to discuss additional strategic and financial information related to Riviera and its wholly owned subsidiary, Blue Mountain Midstream LLC. Investors and analysts are invited to participate in the call by dialing (844) 625-4392, or (409) 497-0988 for international calls using Conference ID: 2336839. Interested parties may also listen over the internet at www.RivieraResourcesInc.com. A replay of the call will be available on Rivieras website or by phone until September 6, 2018. The number for the replay is (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406 for international calls using Conference ID: 2336839. Presentation materials will be made available prior to the start of the call on Rivieras website www.RivieraResourcesInc.com under the Investor Relations tab on the date of the events. Riviera Resources Conference Attendances Riviera Resources announces that members of senior management will be available for one-on-one meetings with investors in New York City at the Barclays 2018 CEO Energy-Power Conference September 4 6, 2018 and in New Orleans at the Johnson Rice Energy Conference September 25 26, 2018. Presentation materials will be available on Riviera Resources website at www.RivieraResourcesInc.com under the Investor Relations tab on the date of the events. Taxable Distribution and Potential Tax Withholding As indicated in a previous press release dated July 24, 2018, the Riviera Spin-Off will be treated as a taxable dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent of LINNs current and accumulated earnings and profits. LINN will release a reasonable estimate of such earnings and profits to applicable withholding agents on the date of the Spin-Off. Although this reasonable estimate will remain subject to revision and review until the date of the Spin-Off and no guarantees can be provided regarding the amount of the reasonable estimate, LINN currently anticipates that this reasonable estimate of earnings and profits will be less than $175 million, and may be materially less than $175 million, but greater than zero. As previously indicated, LINN expects that it will publish IRS Form 8937 within 45 days of the distribution. The Form 8937 will include additional information regarding the distribution, including an updated estimate of the amount of LINNs earnings and profits. LINN STOCKHOLDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE SPIN-OFF TO THEM. ABOUT LINN ENERGY LINN Energy, Inc. was formed in February 2017 as the reorganized successor to LINN Energy, LLC. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the Companys current focus is the development of the Merge/SCOOP/STACK in Oklahoma through its equity interest in Roan Resources LLC, as well as through its midstream operations in that area. Additionally, the Company is pursuing emerging horizontal opportunities in Oklahoma, North Louisiana and East Texas, while continuing to add value by efficiently operating and applying new technology to a diverse set of long-life producing assets. Forward-Looking Statements Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations made by the Company, which reflect managements experience, estimates and perception of historical trends, current conditions and anticipated future developments. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied or anticipated in the forward-looking statements. These include risks relating to uncertainties that may delay or negatively impact the Spin-Off or cause the Spin-Off to be delayed or to not occur at all, uncertainties related to the Companys and Riviera' ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Spin-Off, the potential negative effects of the Spin-Off, the availability of sufficient cash flow to execute our business plan, continued low or further declining commodity prices and demand for oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, ability to hedge future production, ability to replace reserves and efficiently develop current reserves, the capacity and utilization of midstream facilities and the regulatory environment. These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Please read Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other public filings as well as the risk factors in Rivieras Registration Statement on Form S-1. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events. CONTACT: LINN Energy, Inc. Investor Relations (281) 840-4110 ir@linnenergy.com A Tale of Vulnerabilities Cisco's threat blog post on VPNFilter provides details on the devices impacted by this vulnerability, which affected "at least 500K networking devices worldwide." VPNFilter in some ways is like Mirai in that it targets IoT devices, specifically home routers. It is also now known that Mirai botnet was powered by four zero-day exploits apart from the typical password guessing method of compromising small IoT devices. Even recently a newer version of Mirai botnet was discovered by Palo Alto networks that target home routers. Among the reported router vendors impacted by VPNFilter, Linksys and Netgear caught my attention because, according to Statistica, these popular home routers make up 77 percent of the home router market. By exploring typical vulnerabilities using these two highly popular devices in the home market, I was able to define some broad recommendations that will reduce the risk from such unmanaged and unnoticed devices. The SEI's CERT Division has been working with many vendors of home networking devices to identify and track vulnerabilities. This collaborative work aims to reduce the impact of such vulnerabilities on the larger Internet. In the diagram below, I have captured and categorized vulnerabilities that were likely to be exploited on these devices. Many of the compromises also take advantage of typical default credentials on these IoT devices. Hackers exploit these vulnerabilities as part of their toolkit to expand their footprint of compromised devices. In its Vulnerability Notes Database, the CERT Vulnerability Coordination Center has published at least two significant router vulnerabilities that broadly impact these two major providers: Multiple buffer overflow vulnerabilities in multiple routers . A popular library used by multiple router vendors exhibits a buffer overflow vulnerability that can be used to compromise a router and install arbitrary programs. . A popular library used by multiple router vendors exhibits a buffer overflow vulnerability that can be used to compromise a router and install arbitrary programs. Arbitrary remote command injection vulnerabilities in Netgear. Multiple Netgear routers are vulnerable to remotely executed arbitrary commands. These vulnerabilities can be traced to a number of exploits that are publicly available at http://www.exploit-db.com. In some ways, they demonstrate that software in these types of devices likely contains remotely exploitable weaknesses. While secure coding is important to mitigating these weaknesses, software vulnerabilities in mass-produced, quick-to-market devices are hard to eliminate. We believe that vulnerability coordination and mitigation to address and recover from these weaknesses are essential activities in making the Internet reliable and secure. More can be done, however, to ensure such weaknesses do not sustain the ongoing compromise and abuse prevalent in the Internet today. The Problem of Close-to-Infinite Uptime I suspect that if I asked the readers of this post to tell me when they last rebooted their home router, many would stop reading to go reboot their device. The close-to-infinite uptime of today's home routers gives an edge to attackers, who can exploit such uninterrupted uptime and maintain long-term access to a compromised system, as detailed in the popular five phases of hacking model. In fact, the Mirai botnet's malware and VPNFIlter stage-2 malware both are non-persistent malicious code that will not survive in the event of a reboot. This fact indicates attackers are confident that these devices will not be rebooted for a long time. The Role of Sloppy Software Maintenance The second factor that makes the home router susceptible to compromise is lack of patching or updating. Updating a home router typically requires a reboot and likely a brief interruption of service. Many home users never reboot their router as they depend on daily, uninterrupted service to the Internet for resources such as media, video, and e even education. In many developing countries where routers are bundled through the Internet service provider (ISP), the ISP recommends that the user not update the device to avoid incompatibility issues. In other locations, where bring your own device (BYOD) has been popularized, ISP's are not able to control what the consumers use as customer premise equipment (CPE) devices. When I visited Cote d'Ivoire recently for a class on DDoS and botnets, representatives from the ISPs explained that popular devices in their customer homes are cheap and may even include unknown models that the ISP will not be able update or change. Here is yet another reason that these devices are poorly managed and never get required updates or security fixes. The Call to Action In my earlier Mirai blog post, I offered some guidelines that are both practical and achievable in the home router and IoT device market. My hope with the following guidelines is to inspire innovative technical solutions among device vendors and service providers to redesign or update home routers to limit the risk that these devices will end up being used for nefarious purposes: Design home routers and IoT devices to operate with read-only filesystems, making run-time installations of malware impractical. Disable any packet crafting/spoofing/promiscuous mode on the firmware level to avoid malicious use of network resource on these devices. Provide automated updates for firmware with either planned downtime or no downtime to resolve vulnerabilities proactively. The purpose of these lightweight, low-cost devices is to transit network data or stream live data (like IP cameras) with little reason for any persistence. In fact, some of the newer home routers do operate within a chroot and a read-only file system, making it hard to both exploit these devices and install third-party software for persistence. Even if a would-be attacker learns or guesses an administrative password, malicious code installation performed by VPNFilter and Mirai would not be successful on these devices. In both cases, the malware is designed to take full control of the network stack, allowing packet crafting, spoofing, interception, and the ability to achieve full-listening promiscuous mode on the infected devices. These capabilities in these lightweight devices are not required or useful in most cases. Eliminating this abuse of promiscuous mode entirely will prevent compromised systems from being used for nefarious purposes, such as DDoS attacks, malware installation, intercepting communications, and modifying network packets. Other Recommendations In addition to my recommendations above, I have other practical recommendations that can help both device vendors and service providers consider more options for actively resolving vulnerabilities. Automated updates have been introduced on many devices, and they have become an essential part of smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Some of these updates are now being performed without any interruption of service to the customer. In cases where a service interruption (such as reboot) is needed, the user should be able to request a preferable time period, such as midnight in the local time zone or a weekend, to ensure minimal service interruption. This type of update capability is essential for devices such as home routers and IoT devices. If vendors and service providers can innovate to provide incremental updates that require no reboots, and if they can further implement newer methods, such as live patching (kpatch), to update a vulnerable system, more home users can transparently receive newer security features and any related performance gains. In cases where a reboot is required, either due to security or non-availability of dynamic software updating features, vendors and service providers can provide their customers with whichever choice causes the least impact, thereby giving users friendly ways to keep their device up to date. Recommendations for Consumers If you are consumer reading this article, our first and most pressing recommendation is that you change default credentials on your home router. Next, update, maintain, and reboot your home router and the IoT devices in your home. A weekly reboot of your home router is not too burdensome and may even improve its performance. If you enjoy a well-secured home, don't forgot to digitally reinforce your home security, beginning with your home router. Additional Resources The warning to Iran is reminiscent of the time he warned Kim Jong Un that he would destroy his regime. Although the force behind Trumps words, especially those written in messages on his Twitter account, may now hold less weight seeing as he and Kim Jong Un have since held warm talks in Singapore, he is nevertheless serious about the Iran threat. He is focusing heavily on Iran and is putting economic pressure on the regime in an attempt to cut it off from funding that is used on terrorism and proxy groups in the region. Sanctions have not yet come into full effect in Iran and already the economy is suffering. The Iranian currency the rial has lost half of its value in less than 12 months. Furthermore, huge deals with major multinational companies have fallen through because not many are willing to take the risk of getting caught up in U.S. sanctions. It does after all control one of the most powerful financial systems in the world. When the Iran nuclear deal was being negotiated, the huge economic advantages were supposed to have a profoundly positive impact on the countrys economy. The regime was handed a huge opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of the people of Iran and to at least contribute to resolving some of the many major and pressing social problems that have been plaguing the country for years. However, this was not the reality because the Iranian regime decided to fund militias and proxy groups across the region. It prioritised terrorism over its own people. The Trump administration is trying to stop this. It has called on foreign countries (with some exceptions) to reduce their imports of Iranian oil to zero by November this year. It is an ambitious objective, but it will have a profound impact on Irans oil revenues. It has been suggested that Iran could face losing one million barrels per day (bpd). The United States is also consciously backing its allies in the region, namely Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) three countries that also share the Trump administrations concerns about Iran. The Trump administration has the advantage over the Iranian regime. And comparing the U.S-North Korean and the U.S.-Iran situation, North Korea had many advantages that the Iranian regime doesnt. Regardless of the war of words between Iran and the U.S., the Iranian regime should be fearing the financial war that is being waged. Civil Rights Icon US Rep. John Lewis Released From Hospital Civil rights icon and US Rep. John Lewis of Georgia was released from the hospital Sunday evening with a clean bill of health, his spokeswoman Benda Jones stated. All tests have been completed, Brenda Jones said in a statement. He thanks everyone who shared their thoughts, prayers and concerns during his stay. Lewis became ill Saturday on a flight to Atlanta, CNN affiliate WSB-TV reported, quoting unnamed sources. Lewis, 78, represents Georgias 5th Congressional District, which includes much of Atlanta, He was elected in 1986. Lewis became the youngest leader of the Civil Rights era as a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He was one of the organizers who joined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to lead the voting rights marches and protest which still provides voting rights for black people today. ADVERTISEMENT The Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) says it has won every seat in the countrys parliament. The party released the statement after national elections on Sunday. The results would effectively make Cambodia a one-party state. The CPP said it now controls all 125 seats in the National Assembly. But rights groups say the election results are misleading because the main opposition party was banned. Sok Eysan is a spokesman for the CPP. He said he could not confirm the official vote count, but I can say that the CPP will get most of the seats at the National Assembly. The result of the election shows that there is a progression of democracy in Cambodia, as people used their right to decide the future of the country, he said. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is now set to extend his already 33 year rule by another five years. Nineteen minor parties took part in the election. They won only a small percentage of the vote. Information released Monday by the National Election Committee (NEC) also suggests the CPP will win every assembly seat. The committee says more than 6.8 million registered voters marked ballots. There were almost 600,000 invalid ballots. The Associated Press news agency reports that they appeared to be cast as protests by voters who wished to keep their identities secret. The CPPs only real opponent in the election, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was dissolved late last year. Its leader Kem Sokha was put in jail. He was accused of inciting an internationally supported plot to overthrow the government. In reaction, the CNRP launched what it called a clean finger campaign, urging voters to boycott the general elections. Hun Sens government threatened criminal action against supporters of the campaign. The government also threatened action against Cambodian citizens if they chose to not vote. Criticism of the elections came from Western governments and other groups. The United States called the vote neither free nor fair. The U.S. government said it would consider punitive measures, including an expansion of visa restrictions on top Cambodian government officials. In a statement, the White House office of the Press Secretary said, We are profoundly disappointed in the governments choice to disenfranchise millions of voters, who are rightly proud of their countrys development over the past 25 years. The statement went on to say that the campaign was marked by threats from national and local leaders to punish those choosing not to vote. Australias foreign minister, Julie Bishop, also questioned the election results. In a statement, she said that Hun Sens actions to remove his political opponents have cancelled more than 25 years of progress toward democracy. Australia, the United States, Canada, the European Union and Japan all said they had no plans to send representatives to observe the voting. The national election commission said it would announce full totals on August 11. The official results will be released on August 15. Im Jonathan Evans. Jonathan Evans adapted this story from VOA News and AP reports. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story disenfranchise v. to prevent a person or group of people from having the right to vote punitive adj. intended to punish someone or something proud adj. very pleased because of something you have done dissolved v. dismissed cast v. to send something in the direction of someone or something; to throw or move invalid adj. having no effect SYDNEY, Australia, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bugcrowd, the global leader in crowdsourced security, today announced its expanded presence in Australia with growth of its APAC customer base and its Sydney-based team. The company hosted Australias Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at its San Francisco headquarters this week to discuss the state of the cybersecurity industry and how nimble startups like Bugcrowd can mitigate the shortage in available security professionals. Bugcrowd is a pioneer, in Australia, and around the world, in improving the security of the Internet and helping companies realise their own vulnerabilities before the cyber criminals do. Bugcrowd is an example of the strong business ties that link Australia and the US and I am delighted to support their continued expansion and partnership, said the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs the Honourable Julie Bishop MP. Founded in Australia in 2012 and working with a large number of Australian organisations across the private and public sector, Bugcrowd has established a strong leadership position in the Australian market. Australian investors Blackbird, Hostplus, and First State Super participated in Bugcrowds $26 million Series-C round of funding earlier this year. The company recently moved to a larger office to accommodate its expanding Sydney-based team, with plans to add additional headcount over the coming year. Bugcrowd has delivered on its commitment to education, working with the University of New South Wales to deliver an innovative course for students to gain real-world experience identifying security vulnerabilities. The company has also added to its portfolio of channel partners in the region to expand their footprint in to various industry segments. As a company that started in Australia and works with some of the largest companies in the country, we are passionate about enabling businesses in the region to adopt the crowdsourced approach to security, said Casey Ellis, Founder and CTO, Bugcrowd. With the excellent growth weve seen in APAC, we felt it was time to grow our team and presence in the region, and what better place to do that than back home. We are proud of our Australian heritage and our leadership in the area. More global organisations such as Atlassian, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Fitbit, Jet.com, Netgear and Western Union trust Bugcrowd to manage their bug bounty, vulnerability and next-generation penetration test programs. For more information visit www.bugcrowd.com/customers. About Bugcrowd Bugcrowd is the #1 crowdsourced security platform. More enterprise organisations trust Bugcrowd to manage their bug bounty, vulnerability disclosure, and next-gen pen test programs. By combining the largest, most experienced triage team with the most trusted hackers around the world, Bugcrowd generates better results, reduces risk through remediation advice, and empowers organisations to release secure products to market faster with no hidden fees. Michelle Dailey Bugcrowd, Inc. press@bugcrowd.com When Betabrand recognized that knitwear was becoming a popular look in running shoes, the company asked users of its website what kinds of footwear they liked. Using their answers, the clothing manufacturer had its version of the shoe available on the website in just one week. What the users saw was a three dimensional (3-D) picture of the running shoe. The image had height, width and depth. Yet no such footwear existed yet. Normally, it would take six to nine months to create a traditional prototype, or model, of the shoe. By waiting so long, the company might have missed out on the interest in the knitwear. The web attention span is short, noted Chris Lindland, chief executive officer (CEO) of Betabrand. So if you can develop and create in a short time, you can be a real product-development machine. Buyers still needed to wait a few months for the real shoe to be manufactured. Yet the use of digital technology in designing and selling means new fashion products are getting to people faster than under the old system. Companies and store owners who welcome this technology are going to be the winners of the future, said David Bassuk, managing director of AlixPartners, a marketing advisory service. Cutting the time in half The use of 3-D imaging is a big cultural change for clothing makers. For years, designers created images on paper, a design got approved, and then images went to a factory that created prototypes. Designers and developers made changes and sent prototypes back and forth. Once a final version was approved, it was sent to the factory to be copied for mass production. From start to finish, the process could take as long as a year. Now, some companies have designers creating images on high-resolution computer tablets. They use software programs that can email 3-D images of clothing with measurements immediately to factories. The goal is to reduce to six months or less the time it takes to get new products to stores. For clothing manufacturers and stores, this change means design decisions can happen closer to when new fashions arrive at stores. Currently, the 3-D technology is only used in just two percent of overall suppliers, says Spencer Fung, CEO of Li & Fung. But he believes that will change as stores realize that reducing design time and prototypes saves money. Li & Fung advises more than 8,000 manufacturers, including Betabrand, and 15,000 suppliers worldwide. You can create an entire collection of clothes before actually making one real product, noted Whitney Cathcart, CEO of the Cathcart Technologies. She said this reduces waste, it reduces lead times, it allows decision-making in real time, so the entire process becomes more efficient. Fung said he imagines a situation where a social media image with a famous person wearing a red dress gets 500,000 likes. A message goes to a clothing manufacturer that the dress is trending. Within hours, a digital version of a similar product is on the companys website. A factory can start to produce the dress in days. Nicki Rector lives in Northern California. Last year, she bought a pair of Betabrands boots based on the 3-D image. It looked real, said Rector. She did not worry about buying from a digital image, she said, because in online purchases, you cannot really know whether you bought the right product until you put it on your feet. Betabrand has sold 40,000 pairs of shoes, priced from $128 to $168 over the past year, all from digital images. The company says it plans to add 15 to 20 more projects this year. Few companies are yet selling directly to buyers off digital images like Betabrand. They are instead showing the images to store buyers or factories. Xcel Brands, which owns several clothing companies, uses them for their womens clothes, as well as for the Judith Ripka jewelry company. Xcels chief, Robert DLoren, hopes to start putting 3-D images on its website next year. Tommy Hilfiger uses a touchscreen table where buyers can see every product in the collection and create special orders. And Deckers Brands is using digital images of its boot in 10 colors, removing the need for 10 prototypes for store buyers. That helps reduce cost and increases speed. Using digital designs also means that companies like Levi Strauss & Company can put information into a machine that can change the color or look of their products. This can shorten a 30-minute-long process, done by hand, to as quickly as a minute and a half. Bart Sights, who works for Levis, said that 30 years ago the companys jeans were only available in three colors. Now, the company can design 1,000 finishes each season. Im Phil Dierking. Anne Dinnocenzio reported this story for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted her story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Would you feel comfortable buying pants from a digital image? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story boot - n. a covering usually of leather or rubber for the entire foot and the lower part of the leg digital - n. showing the time with numbers instead of with hour and minute hands online - adj. connected to a computer, a computer network, or the Internet trending - adj. when a topic is the subject of many posts on a social media website within a short period of time. dress - n. a piece of clothing for a woman or a girl that has a top part that covers the upper body and a skirt that hangs down to cover the legs efficient - adj. capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy tablet - n. a flat, rectangular computing device that is used for connecting to the Internet, watching videos, reading books, etc. fashion - n. a popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people span - v. to continue throughout (a period of time) knitwear - n. knitted clothing A severe lack of rain in the western part of the United States is threatening wild horses. The dry conditions have led several groups to use extreme methods to protect the animals. Volunteer groups in Arizona and Colorado are bringing thousands of liters of water and truckloads of food to hard-to-reach areas in their states. But the local water supplies, called springs, have run dry and plant life has disappeared. Volunteers say this is the first time they have ever had to bring water to these areas. Federal officials have begun efforts to quickly gather groups of horses in desert areas of Utah and Nevada. In May, more than 20 horses were found dead on the edge of a dried-up watering hole in northeastern Arizona. Simone Netherlands is the president of the Arizona-based Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. She told the Associated Press, Weve never seen it like this. Drought conditions in areas across the west As spring turned to summer, an extreme lack of rain, or drought conditions, turned from bad to worse, Netherlands said. Parts of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico are under the most severe kind of drought. Government experts say extreme conditions also are present in areas from California to Missouri. Bryan McInerney is a water researcher with the National Weather Service, the government agency responsible for studying and predicting the weather. He said parts of the southwest region have witnessed some of the driest conditions on record. At the same time, there are high temperatures and low levels of water from melting snow. Federal officials: horse population too high The federal Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, controls large areas of public land, mostly in the West. Agency experts say the problem facing wild horses is a result of their large population. The region is home to about 67,000 wild horses. The droughts have worsened the effect the horses have on their environment. Jason Lutterman is a BLM representative. He says there will likely always be problems with drought because it is common in the dry environment of the western U.S. What really exacerbates things is when were already over population, because then you already have resource issues, he noted. The agencys emergency efforts to collect wild horses in western Utah began in the middle of July. They aim to remove about 250 wild horses from a population of almost 670. The operation is expected to take several weeks. Once the horses are gathered, the government gives them medical treatment and offers them for sale or adoption. Those that are not sold or adopted are sent to private organizations that can care for the horses for a long time. A similar emergency collection began this month in central Nevada. Officials said some horses in a group of 2,100 could die from lack of water in coming weeks. Activists, volunteers act to save horses Volunteers are also taking action. Since late spring, Simone Netherlandss Salt River group has brought hay to a many places near Phoenix, Arizona to feed starving horses. About 320 kilometers to the north, people near Gray Mountain, in the Navajo Nation, have started an effort to leave water and food for horses. The people say the horses would die without human assistance. Cindy Wright helped establish the Colorado environmental activist group Wild Horse Warriors for Sand Wash Basin. In western Colorado, her group of volunteers say they are preparing to bring up to 18,900 liters of water a day to a group of 750 horses. Springs are drying up that have never dried up, Wright said. If we dont have a very good fall with a lot of rain and its also warm so that our fall vegetation grows were going to lose horses. Aletha Dove helped Wright establish her group. Dove notes that areas of the Sand Wash Basin are low on food for wild horses. Dove said this is because the land is used to feed farm animals. So the group is bringing the water to others areas that have a lot of grass. Activists criticize federal actions Activists supporting wild horses have criticized the Bureau of Land Managements suggestions that wild horse populations are too big. Critics say the agency is using dry conditions as an excuse to reduce horse populations because of pressure from farmers. The farmers animals compete with the horses for the land and food. I do have a concern about the larger numbers that theyre pulling off, and then a bigger concern about the BLM under this administration using all kinds of excuses to pull off horses, said Suzanne Roy. She is the executive director of the American Wild Horse Campaign, an activist organization. The agency is currently not permitted to kill wild horses it gathers. But the administration of President Donald Trump has proposed permitting the animals to be killed or sold for their meat. Activists in Nevada held a demonstration earlier in July at the BLMs office in Reno. They were protesting a horse collection planned for later this year. Activists want the government to use birth control to control wild horse populations. However, the horses must receive the fertility treatment yearly. And the treatment must be fired from a special gun at close distance. The bureau says is too difficult for use. BLM officials say the only exception is in cases where groups are easy to approach and the horses have markings making them distinguishable from one another. But, volunteers warn their efforts cannot go on forever. They say bringing in water and food could cost several thousand dollars each month and make horses dependent on humans. Im Caty Weaver. And Im Pete Musto. Julian Hattem reported this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. What do think is the best way to help the wild horses? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Quiz Quiz - Dry Conditions Threaten Wild Horses in Western US Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story region n. a part of a country or of the world that is different or separate from other parts in some way exacerbate(s) v. to make a bad situation or problem worse adoption n. the act or process of taking an animal legally as your own hay n. grass that has been cut and dried to be used as food for animals distinguishable adj. able to be noticed or recognized as different from other things Twenty-seven-year-old Debottam Saha remembers how he became a victim of blackmail earlier this year. Saha is a gay man. One night, he went to meet a man who seemed kind to him, at first. But, as he told VOA, that soon changed. The man started making demands. He threatened to cut Sahas throat unless he gave him money. In the end, Saha gave him money and left unharmed. Yet he could take no legal action: An Indian law dating back to colonial times says sex between members of the same sex is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Saha is doing research at the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi. He recently joined an effort to overturn the anti-gay law. He is working with a group of current and former students from the countrys top engineering schools, called the IITs. Hopeful court will reverse law Anjana Pasricha, VOAs reporter in New Delhi, says many Indians are hoping that the Supreme Court will do away with the law. Earlier this month, the court heard several petitions disputing its 2013 ruling to uphold the measure. One of the petitions came from members of an IIT group called Pravritti, or Different Thoughts. These engineers say the decision to add their voices is meant to demonstrate that Indias LGBT community has some of the countrys best minds. Indians compare the IITs to Americas best colleges and universities. Many IIT graduates now work for technology companies in Californias Silicon Valley. Saha says their stories exemplify what the gay community suffers from discrimination, trauma, threats, dishonor and violence. The anti-gay law has made it difficult to change opinions in a country that is still mostly conservative. Saha recalls that his father treated him poorly after his mother read his diary, a book in which he kept notes about his day-to-day experiences. In the book, he had written about his interest in boys. Saha was in the seventh grade at that time. After Sahas mother told his father, his father told him to seek medical help. And then he asked me to consult a doctor so that, you know, I can change myself. And he went through school afraid that other students would learn his secret. He knew that another boy was severely punished because of his interest in boys. He was put behind the class and the doors were closed and I dont know what hell used to happen with him. And often, at that point of time, we were really scared, and we didnt know. It may happen the next day with us also. Support group's help During his studies at IIT, an LGBT support group at school helped Udai Bhardwaj leave behind the uneasiness he had felt for years about his interest in boys. That is the biggest problem, says the 23 year old: Having to live with this secret while growing up. He admitted to himself that he was gay when he was 13. But, he was afraid to tell anyone else. Bhardwaj is another petitioner against the anti-gay law. He has battled depression twice, the first time in grade school and later at the university. One of my friends told me that he thought that gay people should be set on fire. I had to hear that and that really affected me because I thought, OK, this guy was supposed to be my friend. In his final year of undergraduate studies, Bhardwaj struggled a lot. I was quite depressed. I took counseling. I took medication and I got off medication only a few months ago. So, yeah, I mean... and this is something thats very, very common in the LGBT community. But now, Bhardwaj works for an international company that is LGBT-friendly. He only told his family about his sexual preferences two years ago. His parents were hugely supportive. This helped him join the petition and talk freely to the media. He admits he is the exception: He has many friends who can never hope for that kind of support. I just thought that with this petition it would be easier for kids to start coming out. It would be easier for kids to you know, accept themselves. It would be easier for families to accept their kids. The fact that only 20 of the 350-member group Pravritti could come out is a sign of Indian public opinion on the issue. Battle for gay rights The battle for gay rights has taken a complex path in India. The law criminalizing sexuality was ended in 2009 by the Delhi High Court. But, then in 2013, it was restored by the Supreme Court, making India one of the few countries that outlaws gay sex. However, the hearings in July come 10 months after the top court defended privacy as a basic right, and that includes sexual preference. Some observations by judges have also raised hopes in the community that things are finally changing. The activists also hope that their petition will increase sensitivity among university officials about the need to support student LGBT groups. Im Alice Bryant. Anjana Pasricha reported this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story blackmail n. the crime of threatening to tell secret information about someone unless the person being threatened gives you money or does what you want gay adj. sexually attracted to someone who is the same sex petition n. a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something LGBT adj. lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender graduate n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university trauma n. a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time consult v. to go to someone, such as a doctor or lawyer, for advice hell n. the place where the devil lives and where evil people go after they die according to some religions come out v. to say openly that you are a homosexual The United States and Russia urgently need to restart cooperation to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, a new report says. The International Institute for Strategic Studies, or IISS, based in London released the report. It is called Once and Future Partners: The United States, Russia and Nuclear Non-Proliferation. The study uses formerly secret documents to show incidents in which the U.S. and Western countries cooperated with Russia to limit the spread of nuclear weapons in the past. Cold War competitors worked together to limit nuclear arms One important example of cooperation during the period known as the Cold War took place in August of 1977. Soviet spy satellites showed preparations for a nuclear weapons test at a military base in South Africa. At the time, South Africa was ruled by a system of racial separation known as apartheid. The Soviets consulted with the U.S. before publicly announcing their findings. Nicholas Redman is with the IISS. He spoke about relations between the U.S. and Soviet Union. He said the incident shows that, even during the tense period of the Cold War, the two sides could work together. Redman said, The Soviets took the risk of sharing this intelligence with the United States. South Africa denied it planned to carry out a nuclear weapons test. However, U.S. intelligence soon confirmed the presence of the test site. It helped pressure South Africa to cancel its plans. Another example was the cooperation between U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Redman says that personal relationships were important, but other supports needed to be in place to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. The fact that there were arms control specialists and scientific specialists in both governments, the fact that they met regularlythis was actually vital in building the entire regime, he said. The development of a plan for limiting the spread of nuclear weapons took about 10 years of talks in Geneva during the 1960s. The result was the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It remains important to nuclear arms control. But the NPT is being questioned more than at any time in its past. Redman noted: So theres a need for an investment to rebuild these habits of cooperation because the threats havent actually gone away. There are still a lot of nuclear weapons that arent as secure as we would like them to be. There are even more nuclear materials A new arms race? Some experts are concerned that a new nuclear arms race is developing. They point to Russia developing so called tactical atomic weapons and American efforts to modernize nuclear weapons. The United Nations has tried to support nuclear arms control with the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. However, no nuclear powers have been willing to sign the treaty. Redman said, Unless the United States and Russia cooperate, the problem is they could very quickly lose the initiative they have held up till now. Im Mario Ritter. Henry Ridgewell reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story regime n. 1. a form of government 2. a system of managing something vital adj. very important initiative n. the ability to do something before other do We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Recently, Baltimore, Maryland, became the largest city in the United States to ban restaurants from including sodas and other sugary drinks on their menus for children. Now, Baltimores restaurants can only offer milk, water or 100 percent fruit juice as drinks with meals meant for children. At places to eat in the city, boys and girls can still drink soda. But an adult will have to order it for them. Restaurants failing to obey the new law face a $100 fine. Doctor Leana Wen is Baltimore's Health Commissioner. She said that the "law will help families make the healthy choice the easy choice." "The science is clear, Wen said. One of the biggest contributors to childhood obesity is sugary drinks." She added that "childhood obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and early death. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, in Baltimore, one in three school-aged children is obese. CDC officials define obesity as weight that is higher than what is considered as a healthy weight for a given height. A federal study of Baltimore showed that about one in four schoolchildren drink soda every day. The America Heart Association suggests that children two years of age and older drink no more than one 227-gram soda per week. The CDC website states that nationwide "the percentage of children and adolescents affected by obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s. Records from 2015 and 2016 show that nearly 1 in 5 school-age children and young people (6 to 19 years) suffer from obesity. The Restaurant Association of Maryland opposes the new law. It says Baltimores restaurants are already facing enough business challenges. It warns the law will make those challenges even worse. Other smaller U.S. cities seven in California and one in Colorado -- have already banned sodas from children's restaurant menus. However, Baltimore is the first large city to take this step. Whether or not such bans are approved in other cities, both large and small, remains to be seen. I'm Anna Matteo. Kenneth Schwartz wrote this story for VOA News. Anna Matteo adapted his story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story juice n. the liquid part that can be squeezed out of vegetables and fruits contributor n. someone or something that contributes something or that contributes to something factor n. something that helps produce or influence a result: one of the things that cause something to happen adolescent n. a young person who is developing into an adult : a young person who is going through adolescence tripled v. to cause (something) to become three times as great or as many challenge n. a difficult task or problem: something that is hard to do Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cannabix Technologies Inc., (CSE: BLO) (OTC PINK: BLOZF) (the Company or Cannabix) the developer of the Cannabix Marijuana Breathalyzer for law enforcement and the workplace provides the following statement related to the government of Canadas authorization of roadside saliva-testing devices under bill C-46: It has been well signalled for some time by the Canadian government that a roadside saliva-testing device would be used when Canada legalizes marijuana later this year. The move to use saliva testing, we believe, is because no court accepted breath test device currently exists on the market. This the chief objective of Cannabix and our ongoing advanced product development work. Saliva testing is not a new technology and has been available for many years. There are well documented issues with saliva testing including its ability to effectively identify impaired individuals and operate in cold weather conditions, to name a few. Of note, the Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee recently rejected a bill authorizing the use of saliva testing in traffic enforcement, amid concerns of scientific validity, accuracy, and infringement on civil liberties. Cannabix believes that an accurate breath test for THC is the future for law enforcement and workplace testing, as it is less invasive and will look to provide superior sensitivity to better determine impairment. The Company has received significant interest for its technology from police and companies in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere. As the issue of drugged driving becomes increasingly acute, Cannabix is committed to using its technology, R&D and scientific experience to provide effective tools to aid law enforcement and help governments and the public transition to marijuana legalization in various jurisdictions. Cannabix is a well funded Canadian company that is rapidly developing is FAIMS-based marijuana breathalyzer. Furthermore, Cannabix wishes to confirm that the Company's management is unaware of any material change in the Company's operations that would account for the recent increase in market activity. About Cannabix Technologies Inc. Cannabix Technologies Inc. is a leader in marijuana breathalyzer development for law enforcement and the workplace. Cannabix has established breath testing technologies in the pursuit of bringing durable, portable hand-held tools to market to enhance detection of marijuana impaired driving offences on roads at a time when marijuana is becoming legal in many global jurisdictions. Cannabix is working to develop drug-testing devices that will detect THC- the psychoactive component of marijuana that causes intoxication- using breath samples. In particular, Cannabix is focused on developing breath testing devices for detection of recent use of THC, in contrast to urine testing for THC metabolite that requires an invasive collection and reflects usage, days or even weeks earlier. The devices will also be useful for other practical applications such as testing employees in the workplace where impairment by THC can be hazardous. We seek Safe Harbor. On behalf of the Board of Directors Rav Mlait CEO Cannabix Technologies Inc. For further information, contact the Company at info@cannabixtechnologies.com The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company, such as final development of a commercial or prototype product(s), successful trial or pilot of company technologies, no assurance that commercial sales of any kind actually materialize; no assurance the Company will have sufficient funds to complete product development. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and the Companys plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information, including: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) risks regarding protection of proprietary technology; (iii) the ability of the Company to complete financings; (iv) the ability of the Company to develop and market its future product; and (v) risks regarding government regulation, managing and maintaining growth, the effect of adverse publicity, litigation, competition and other factors which may be identified from time to time in the Company's public announcements and filings. There is no assurance that the marijuana breathalyzer business will provide any benefit to the Company, and no assurance that any proposed new products will be built or proceed. There is no assurance that existing patent pending technologies licensed by the Company will receive patent status by regulatory authorities. The Company is not currently selling commercial breathalyzers. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements. Following public outcry over the greyhounds welfare, the Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome has partnered with animal rights group Anima Macau to accommodate the remaining 553 greyhounds at the Canidrome a project which will cost some MOP25 million a year to operate. In a press conference on Friday, the two parties announced the submission of The International Center for the Rehoming of Greyhounds plan to the government. According to the plan, the facility will be located on a private lot in Largo de Pac On. Angela Leong, executive director of the Canidrome, made a financial commitment to subsidize the rent for the standalone building which costs MOP800,000 per month. The two parties believe that the center, which will be a non-profit organization, and its environment will provide better living conditions for the greyhounds in accordance with international standards. During the press conference, it was noted that the center would have 10 vets, along with the current 129 Canidrome employees if the proposal is approved by authorities. This is a place where they can rest and enjoy their life. They can rest there before they are adopted and we also have professionals who can take care of them in the center, said Albano Martins, president of Anima Macau. The animal rights activist described the project as very good news for the greyhounds, adding that the two parties are leaving behind their previous disputes. Anima Macau had previously slammed the Canidrome for failing to provide their plans for the retired greyhounds before. Now we are happy because we are involved, and we are involved in good faith. I expect that everything will go on in good faith. []. I dont want to talk about the past, now we are looking at the future, said the animal rights activist. All expenses incurred during the period for feeding and caring of the greyhounds will be borne by the Canidrome. Meanwhile, Leong stressed that the project is the Canidromes promise to the public on its responsibility to take care of the retired greyhounds. From the first day, [we] have been indicating [to the public] the responsibility we have to our greyhounds, that we will take care of them until the end of their lives. And this is what we insisted, said Leong. That is why we have this new scheme. We fulfill the promises we had made and [our] full responsibility. Leong expressed that the center is willing to work with international organizations and receive suggestions and evaluations on the facilities standards and services. Leong, who had been threatened with a fine under animal protection laws earlier, reiterated that the Canidrome would cover the operations cost of the center. Love is the bridge between people, and love is also the bridge between people and animals [thus] whatever the cost, the Canidrome will cover it, said Leong. I trust that Mr Albano and his team can take care of them well.Martins, who will run the center for a minimum of two years, also announced that those whose adoption applications have been approved are required to pay MOP1,500 per month while waiting for the greyhounds quarantine periods to end. He also added that the new facility would be open to the public and prospective adopters so they could bond with the dogs in the centers activity area. In a statement issued yesterday, Albano Martins said that Anima and Angela Leong are now partners and that the period of fight has finished. Claiming that Anima works for free in this partnership, Martins said that the decision of putting an end to the difficult past was by Animas own initiative, not forced by anyone, not paid by anyone! IACM gives preliminary approval to plan THE CIVIC and Municipal Affairs Bureau has preliminarily approved a new plan for the relocation of the greyhounds from the Canidrome racing track, which means that the dogs can stay on the current premises during this period. Officials have given the Canidrome until today to accept the new conditions for a 60-day extension. The Canidrome previously said it will take at least 60 days to complete improvement work on facilities at the new center Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is looking for a strong showing for his Liberal-National coalition in special by-elections being held in Australia this weekend as he looks to bolster his leadership ahead of a nationwide election to be held within a year. Polls show the coalition has a chance to win as many as two of the five electorates up for grabs in the so-called Super Saturday by-elections, the bulk of which have been triggered because incumbent Labor candidates were deemed ineligible due to holding citizenship of other nations at the time of the last election in 2016. Should Labor lose a seat to the government, it will place pressure on party leader Bill Shorten and give the prime minister bragging rights: The last time an incumbent government won a seat from the opposition in a by-election was 1920. While his coalition marginally trails Labor in national polls, some political pundits say a strong showing may embolden Turnbull to call an election as early as this year, months before it must be held by May. There could be significant consequences from these elections, said Nick Economou, a political analyst at Monash University in Melbourne. A poor result for Labor may tempt Turnbull to go to the polls as soon as possible to lock the opposition in with an unpopular leader. Labor, which is campaigning on its promise to bolster health and education spending, holds two of the seats one in Brisbanes northern fringes and one in rural Tasmania by a 2.2 percent margin or less, and Turnbulls government has been campaigning heavily to win them back. Another electorate the government is aiming to reclaim is in Adelaide, which is held by an independent. Its not contesting the other two Perth-based seats safely held by Labor. Bolstered by a strengthening economy and surging employment, Turnbulls government has improved its performance in opinion polls this year and has a reasonable chance to win re-election. The prime minister has shrugged off gaffes that threatened to derail his coalition, including an extramarital affair by his then-deputy Barnaby Joyce, allowing him to better focus voters attention on his core message of providing economic and defense security. Still, Turnbull, 63, has downplayed the chances of winning a seat on Saturday and says he remains committed to holding the national ballot next year. He won the last election by only one seat. It is very clear that they are close, obviously, but you have to remember that the last time a government won a by-election from the opposition was 100 years ago, Turnbull told reporters last week. A poor showing on Saturday for Labor would weigh heavily on Shorten, 51. Polls show hes less popular than Turnbull as voters preferred prime minister. It is not about me or Malcolm it is about more of the same from the Turnbull government, Shorten told reporters on Tuesday. What we are going to do is keep focusing on the issues. Bloomberg Vicente Bravo has passed away on Saturday, as confirmed by friend and architect Maria Jose de Freitas to Radio Macau. Born in Luanda, Angola in 1946, Bravo worked in Macau for many years, namely during the 80s and 90s, after arriving in the territory to work with Manual Vincente, another great name of local architecture. Among the many projects for which Bravo was responsible, was the Macau Handover Ceremony Pavilion, which was built before the handover of the region to the Chinese administration. After the handover, the Pavilion gave way to the current Handover Gifts Museum of Macao. First Greater Bay Area conference of physical societies The first Joint Annual Conference of Physical Societies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was held on Friday at the University of Macau (UM). Co-organized by UM, Physical Society of Macau, Physical Society of Hong Kong, and Guangdong Physics Society, the event attracted over 350 experts, scholars, researchers, and industry practitioners in the field of physics from the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, and other parts of China. During the event, participants discussed the latest developments and research findings in physics, and explored opportunities for further collaboration and joint development in research and technology in the area. Philippines wants daily charter flights to Subic The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) said that it is now working with Royal Air Charter Service to operate charter flights between Macau and Subic Bay International Airport seven times a week. The agreement is expected to produce an additional 697 international air seats, or about 35,308 seats per year for flights from China. Royal Air is among our airline partners which the DOT is working with to bring in tourists from China, said a DOT spokesperson, as cited by the Manila Bulletin. Through our Route Development Team, we are providing marketing support to air carriers to increase tourist traffic to underutilized international gateways in the Philippines, such as Subic Bay International Airport. Subic Bay is a special economic zone that permits the entry of foreign nationals without a visa for a maximum stay of 14 days. Health Bureau wants hospital built faster Commenting on the sidelines of the completion of the foundation for the long-delayed Islands Hospital, the director of the Health Bureau said he hopes that the next stages of construction will be finished quicker. According to public broadcaster TDM, Lei Chin Ion said that authorities were studying whether or not it would be possible to carry out construction 24 hours a day so the hospital could be completed sooner. Following the pile foundation is the tender for the buildings, said Lei, cited by TDM. We aim to see if the construction [of the] Islands Medical Complex project, as it is far from residential areas, has the conditions to be carried out 24 hours a day. Unemployment holds steady The general unemployment rate for the three-month period of April to June 2018 held stable at 1.8 percent, as in the previous period from March to May, according to the latest information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). The unemployment rate of local residents for April to June 2018 was 2.4 percent, down by 0.1 percentage points. Meanwhile, the underemployment rate remained unchanged at 0.5 percent. In the second quarter of 2018, the general unemployment was also 1.8 percent and that of local residents stood at 2.4 percent, decreasing by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points respectively from the first quarter. Median monthly employment earnings of the employed held stable in the second quarter at MOP16,000 when compared with the first. The median earnings of employed residents stood unchanged at MOP20,000. As Cambodians voted yesterday, a win is all but assured for strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen in an election that highlights Chinas growing influence in Asia over the West. Polls closed at 3 p.m. local time, but the election commission announced that preliminary results wouldnt be known until Aug. 11. Results were known immediately after the 2013 election, which generated protests from the opposition. After that narrow win over Sam Rainsy and his opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), Hun Sen whos been in power for 33 years has since disbanded the party, silenced his critics and forced the closure of most independent media. In that time hes grown ever closer to China, accepting cash from Beijing in return for supporting its geopolitical aims in the region particularly regarding disputed territory in the South China Sea. When the U.S. and European Union pulled funding for the election, China stepped in with USD20 million for equipment, including polling booths, laptops and computers. As a staunch supporter of Hun Sens regime, Beijing has billions of dollars at stake. This month, U.S. security-research firm FireEye said it found evidence of a Chinese hacking team infiltrating computer systems belonging to Cambodias election commission, opposition leaders and the media. Still, the U.S. and EU have some leverage left: Low tariffs for Cambodias garment industry, the largest employer in the country. The EU is now reviewing those benefits, citing the current political climate. Now, the biggest destination of export from Cambodia are the EU and U.S, said Hiroshi Suzuki, chief economist at the Business Research Institute for Cambodia. If the EU were to pull out of its trade incentive schemes the effect to Cambodian economy, especially the garment sector, could be serious. Cambodia has experienced a median growth rate of 7.6 percent over the past two decades, outpacing other Southeast Asian nations. China was by far the biggest investor in Cambodia, outlaying $12.6 billion in foreign investment since 1994, according to the Council for the Development of Cambodia. Its also Cambodias biggest trade partner. Chinese support has allowed them to be much more open and confident in their spurning of human rights norms, so there is some enabling effect, said Sebastian Strangio, author of the book Hun Sens Cambodia. While that benefits Beijing while Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party is in power, it also poses a risk if he ever leaves. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is now reconsidering tens of billions of dollars in Chinese projects after a surprise election win in May. There is a widespread popular disaffection with the CPPs crackdown, Strangio said. The CPP government may not be seen as legitimate. International observers and institutions including the United Nations have questioned the state of democracy in Cambodia and declared the elections not genuine. Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watchs Asia division, called it a farce and a mockery of democracy by a prime minister keen to ratify his seizure of absolute power with a rubber stamp election. Despite the lack of opposition, Hun Sen and his Cambodian Peoples Party have campaigned hard. On Friday, they entertained tens of thousands of supporters waving flags and chanting as they rode on trucks into Phnom Penh for the mass rally. During his speech, Hun Sen branded the CNRP who secured 45 percent of the vote in the last election as traitors and defended its dissolution as a necessary for the countrys stability. If we didnt eliminate them with an iron fist, maybe by now Cambodia would be in a situation of war, he said. The exiled CNRP leadership, meanwhile, has asked Cambodians to boycott the election. They stopped short of calling for mass protests as they did following the 2013 election, when demonstrations in the streets of the capital turned deadly. We do not want bloodshed. Hun Sen is ready to use the armed forces to kill. He has done it before, said Mu Sochua, deputy leader of the CNRP. Keep your finger clean, she said referring to the indelible ink used as proof of voting. Do not legitimize this sham election. Still, many Cambodians are willing to excuse Hun Sens attack on the opposition and fundamental rights while the economy continues to improve. I am a fan of Hun Sen and the CPP, said Tita, a 20-year-old university student in Phnom Penh. I think he has developed my country and I dont have to depend on him. I can now depend on me. Even as an avid Hun Sen supporter, she said shed rather the CNRP was allowed to participate. I am sad about it. I think it is not a totally happy election, but thats okay. Philip Heijmans, Bloomberg The Macau Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) has opened an investigation into Viva Macau at the request of the Industrial Development and Marketing Fund (FDIC), in relation to a MOP212 million loan to the now- defunct air carrier. The CCAC will investigate whether there was any illegal transfer of assets from Viva Macau to external companies or individuals prior to its bankruptcy eight years ago. Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong took the decision to forward the case to the CCAC, just a few days after he told reporters that the government is asking its lawyers to continue the case against Viva Macaus guarantor, Eagle Airways Holdings Limited. He said that the government was not prepared to have the debt forgiven and would pursue civil means to reclaim the funds. The total debt of Viva Macau amounts to some MOP1.14 billion. The FDIC was the second largest creditor after Eagle Airways, which loaned around MOP470 million. In total, there were some 1,800 known creditors including airlines, airports of several cities, travel agencies and banks. The bankruptcy proceedings for the low cost airline concluded last month and left creditors without a means to recover their investments. The Court of Final Appeal has already ruled that Viva Macau no longer has any other property or funds with which to pay creditors. That came after just MOP98,000 worth of assets was seized from the company. Accordingly, the court said prosecutors must pursue its Hong Kong-based guarantor, Eagle Airways, in order to recover the debt. However, the court was unsure of whether the current period for prosecuting such an offence has or has not already expired. The CCAC is now investigating the case, seeking to determine whether there were any illegal transfers of assets from Viva Macau, prior to its bankruptcy. Viva Macau was operational between 2006 and 2010, when, after an accumulation of debt and the cancellation of flights, local authorities canceled the airlines license. In November 2010, the government filed a lawsuit against the airline to recover the MOP212-million loan. More recently, some legislators have requested that the government provide information on the make-up of the committee that initially approved the loan. Secretary Leong indicated that the FDIC would work closely with legislators as the case develops. Businessman Kevin Ho was a director at the guarantor company, Eagle Airways. However, authorities have been unable to locate any of the assets pledged as collateral by Eagle Airways, a Hong Kong-registered company which never directly undertook any aviation activities. Kevin Ho is the nephew of Edmund Ho, who was Chief Executive of Macau between 1999 and 2009. Ho also owns KNJ investment, who recently bought 30 percent of Portuguese group Global Media. The special prizes competition for the 36th Macao Young Musician Competition was held earlier this month at the Institute for Tourism Studies, where Chan Wai Chon was awarded the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) Prize during an evening of musical performances from local students. Aged 18, Chan is the first prize winner of both the saxophone advanced category and the woodwind concerto advanced category. He began learning how to play the saxophone at the age of 10 and subsequently joined the Macau Youth Symphonic Band. According to the IC, Chan performed a difficult concerto during the competition, with a subtle and precise interpretation of tones as well as a rich sense of rhythm and musicality, receiving high acclaim from the jury. Chan will receive a scholarship from the IC for first year of tuition fees for a related undergraduate or pre-college music course. Various other winners of the competition may collect their award certificates in mid-September at the IC building, located in Tap Seac Square. The jury of the special prizes competition was comprised of the music director and principal conductor of the Macao Orchestra, Lu Jia, the principal conductor of the Chinese Orchestra of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Dai Luqing, and the conductor of the Taipei Youth Chinese Orchestra, Chen Ju-Chi. The Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) signed four co-operation memorandums at the opening ceremony of the Guangdong & Macau Branded Products Fair 2018 on Friday, all with the aim of promoting Macaus role as a platform for trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The memorandums were also signed by various entities in Guangdong province, namely the Bureau of Commerce of Huizhou Municipality, the Bureau of Commerce of Dongguan City, the Bureau of Commerce of Zhaoqing City, and the Jiangmen Bureau of Commerce. Moreover, the Investment Promotion Bureau of Congjiang County used the opportunity to sign a Strategic Cooperation Agreement with China Products Company. According to a statement issued by IPIM, Fang Shaoming, an associate researcher of Bureau of Commerce of Dongguan City, said that the areas of co-operation covered in the scope of the memorandum between Dongguan and Macau are related to industry, research and the development of Macau as a platform between China and Portuguese- speaking countries. He further said that foreign capital in Dongguan used to be invested in the U.S. and European countries mainly, however, since Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, Dongguan has seen a surge in its exports to countries along the Belt and Road and to Portuguese-speaking countries. Nine enterprises from Dongguan participated in this years Fair, mainly exhibiting food and spices. Meanwhile, Zhao Ruisi, Director of Jiangmen Bureau of Commerce, revealed that he believed the signing of the Economic and Trade Cooperation Memorandum with IPIM could elevate economic and trade co-operations between Jiangmen and Macau. According to IPIM, Zhao added that co-operation between Macau and Jiangmen was always close, but recently the jurisdiction has been able to tap into Macaus links with the Portuguese-speaking world to explore new business opportunities. Jiangmen organized for 11 enterprises to join the Fair this year, many of which were return exhibitors. Here's how the Luna Park website boasts of the famous attraction, the "Big Momma" of Coney Island, the Cyclone: "Get ready to shake, rattle, rumble and roll over 2,640 feet of track featuring 12 drops and 27 elevation changes that still has the stuff to take your breath away. Slowly rise to panoramic heights and grip the bar tight as you go over the ledge on an exhilarating 85-foot, 60-degree plunge at speeds of 60 mph." But on Saturday afternoon, after climbing 85 feet and slightly dipping, riders experienced a different sort of exhilaration when the roller coaster ground to halt. The Cyclone Roller Coaster temporarily lost power today due to an electrical issue and the cars slowed to a stop on the track. Cyclone personnel safely guided guests from the cars without incident. Power has been restored and inspectors have inspected the ride to certify that everything is fully safe and operational. The Cyclone is running and open for guests, a Luna Park spokesperson said in a statement to CBS NewYork. The statement did not mention whether any guests boarded the cyclone after the incident. This wasn't the first time that the Cyclone, built in 1927, stopped mid-ride. On the 2015 opening day, the Cyclone got stuck on the tracks. Less than three months later, the Cyclone got stuck once again. Summer Guan, 29, was sitting in the fourth or fifth row of the Cyclone with her boyfriend when it suddenly stopped, after climbing to the peak. She told Gothamist that around 10 minutes after the ride stopped, staff started climbing up and evacuating the riders, but would not tell them what had happened. She estimates that there were between 12 and 20 passengers, including young children. "The kids were having trouble getting onto the tracks," said Guan. The staff brought each person over onto the outside wooden steps and walked them down. "The staff was holding hands with me as I was climbing down," said Guan, who had to descend in flip flops. "It was a crazy hot day." People climbing off the Cyclone (Summer Guan) Guan said that even after they got down, Cyclone staffers refused to explain what happened. Since then, Guan said she has contacted Luna Park twice and emailed them to try and get a refund, but has not heard back. She and her boyfriend had bought day passes for $51 each. Asked if she would continue to ride roller coasters, Guan said she would, but probably not the Cyclone. Should be fine. A tropical storm in Japan disrupted transportation and knocked out power to thousands of homes in its path as it headed west toward a region still recovering from devastating rains earlier this month. At least 16 people have been injured, according to a tally by Japans public broadcaster, NHK. Tropical Storm Jongdari made landfall about 1 a.m. yesterday in central Japan after dumping heavy rain on Tokyo and other parts of eastern Japan the previous day. Downgraded from a typhoon, it had maximum sustained winds of 90 kilometers per hour with gusts up to 126 kph. Airlines cancelled many flights to and from the affected regions Sunday for the second day in a row, and train service was delayed or suspended. Electric utilities reported scattered power outages as the storm moved from east to west, NHK said. Residents and workers piled up sandbags Saturday to guard against flooding in Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures, the two states hit hardest by landslides and floods that killed more than 200 people during record rains in western Japan in early July. Authorities issued evacuation advisories throughout the affected areas. AP Chinese regulators appear to have rejected a possible attempt by U.S. airlines at a compromise over Beijings demand to call self-ruled Taiwan a part of China, an order Washington opposed. The communist mainlands latest effort to use Chinas growing economic clout to isolate Taiwans democratically elected government is further straining ties between Beijing and the U.S. amid a deepening trade dispute. The Chinese airline regulator says United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Hawaiian Airlines missed a Wednesday deadline to change their websites while 40 other carriers obeyed. The U.S. carriers had hoped that listing Taipei without a country would be good enough because Korean Air took a similar approach. Korean Air, however, began changing its website far ahead of this weeks deadline, while the U.S. carriers waited until the last minute. Before the deadline, U.S. airline officials had cautioned that it could take several days to make changes across their websites including drop-down menus, search-result pages and maps and other sales outlets. On Friday, American Airlines was in the process of implementing changes, said spokeswoman Shannon Gilson. The other U.S. airlines declined to comment or did not respond. The industrys main U.S. trade group, Airlines for America, said the carriers made initial changes to address Chinas concerns. All flights are operating normally, and we do not anticipate any service disruptions to occur, said Alison McAfee, a spokeswoman for the group. Taiwan and China separated in 1949 following a civil war on the mainland but Beijing claims the island, formally known as the Republic of China, as part of its territory. The Civil Aviation Administration of China acknowledged on its website that the U.S. airlines had made some changes but rectification of the content still is incomplete. It gave no details and phone calls to the agency went unanswered. Beijing demanded airlines call Taiwans capital Taipei, China. Three of the U.S. carriers cited by CAAC switched to saying only Taipei, with no country, on their websites. Other destinations have city and country names. We complied within the deadline with what we thought was a nice solution for everyone, American Airlines chairman Doug Parker said in a conference call this week to discuss the airlines financial results. The Trump administration rejected the order in May as Orwellian nonsense and expressed dismay that airlines obeyed. Other airlines including British Airways, Air Canada and Lufthansa started using Taipei, China to avoid Chinese penalties. Hawaiian Airlines doesnt fly to Taiwan. It has a code-sharing agreement with Taiwans China Airlines but its website has no mention of Taipei. Last week, an airline from the Pacific nation of Palau said it shut down due to a drop in tourism from China. Chinese officials last year reportedly told tourist agencies to stop booking trips to Palau to punish the tiny nation for having diplomatic ties with Taiwan. In January, hotel chain Marriott was ordered to shut down its China website and app for a week after it sent out a customer survey that included Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong in a list of countries. News reports said Marriott executives were questioned by police. The government also criticized fashion brand Zara and other countries for referring to Taiwan as a country on their websites. Joe McDonald, Beijing, AP Two Hong Kong students who started a coin collection business for small change plan to open a kiosk in Macau to serve the local population. In the two SARs, small change under 1 Hong Kong dollar or 1 pataca namely the 10, 20 and 50 cent pieces can be difficult to spend as many businesses refuse to accept the coins. Students Adam Lau and Eddie Rong started their Heycoins business in 2016, with the view to converting unwanted coins into electronic currency. They have set up several permanent kiosks for converting coins on their Tap & Go wallet, or into Heycoins credit to purchase gift coupons or make charitable donations online. Citing the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that there is approximately HKD6.7 billion worth of small coins in the neighboring SAR. The company has thus far converted more than HKD7.6 million worth of small coins, serving more than 30,000 people in Hong Kong. By the end of the year, they aim to have 50 machines installed across the city. Now, they are expanding into Macau, as well as several other jurisdictions in Asia mostly notably, Singapore. We were contacted by Macau residents via our social media, asking if we would go there, Lau told the SCMP. Macau is a similar market and there is clearly a demand for our service. Our kiosk there accepts both Hong Kong dollars and Macau patacas. The company has already won a series of innovation awards, including first-prize from the Alibaba Cloud-SUSS Entrepreneurship Programme, partly run by the Singapore University of Social Sciences. I dont want to say if weve made it yet were going through a process, said Lau when asked by the SCMP about his successful enterprise. Were going to try to expand more and see how it goes. The prime ministers of Greece and Turkey and the British Foreign Secretary have signed a peace agreement to settle the Cyprus crisis. After five days of talks in Geneva, Constantine Karamanlis of Greece, Bulent Ecevit of Turkey and James Callaghan of the UK have agreed a deal to end weeks of fighting on the Mediterranean island. Mr Callaghan said: It creates conditions under which Greece and Turkey can draw back honourably from making war on each other. He has described it as a common sense agreement, but Greek diplomats say it leaves Turkey which invaded the republic of Cyprus on 20 July in a stronger position. Under the ceasefire, Turkish troops are prevented from making further advances and a UN-patrolled buffer zone will be established to keep warring Greek and Turkish factions apart. Representatives from Greece, Turkey, the UK and the UN will determine the precise location and size of the buffer zone tomorrow morning, according to the positions of the opposing forces at 2000 GMT this evening. The agreement is in line with UN Security Council Resolution 353 demanding withdrawal of all unauthorised troops and seeks to restore the terms of the peace agreed in Nicosia in 1960, which established independence and power-sharing. Greece breached the 1960 treaty ten days ago by instigating a coup against elected Cypriot president Archbishop Makarios. Turkey responded by sending in troops, since the Greek puppet regime threatens its minority on the island. Turkish soldiers were still arriving on the island last night, swelling their force permitted under the 1960 treaty to 35,000 men and 300 tanks and other armour. Speaking in London, the exiled president said he was pleased with the peace as long as all parties kept to it. Greek, Turkish and British ministers will meet again in Geneva on 8 August to discuss further details of the settlement. Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot delegates will be invited to the conference on 10 August. Courtesy BBC News In context The United Nations continued to demand the withdrawal of unauthorised troops. But as further talks in Geneva collapsed, the Turkish army advanced eastward and by August 16 they had taken over 40% of the island. Thousands were forced from their homes as Greeks in the Turkish zone and Turks in the Greek zone fled to opposite sides. Glafkos Clerides acted as Greek-Cypriot president in the south, until Archbishop Makarios returned in December 1974. Makarios remained as president until his death in 1977, when Spyros Kyprianou succeeded him. Former vice-president of pre-partition Cyprus, Rauf Denktash, became president of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, proclaimed by Turkey in February 1975. Northern Cyprus remains unrecognised by the international community, and the UN continues to protect the buffer zone or Green line separating the Greek and Turkish populations. A UN plan put to a referendum on 24 April 2004 to reunite the island was rejected decisively by the Greek Cypriots but accepted by the Turkish Cypriots. EU membership only applies in the Greek sector. The U.K. government should increase oversight of social media like Facebook and election campaigns to protect democracy in the digital age, a parliamentary committee has recommended in a scathing report on fake news, data misuse and interference by Russia. The interim report by the House of Commons media committee said democracy is facing a crisis because the combination of data analysis and social media allows campaigns to target voters with messages of hate without their consent. Tech giants like Facebook, which operate in a largely unregulated environment, are complicit because they havent done enough to protect personal information and remove harmful content, the committee said. The light of transparency must be allowed to shine on their operations and they must be made responsible, and liable, for the way in which harmful and misleading content is shared on their sites, committee Chairman Damian Collins said in a statement. The study was due to be published today [Macau time], but a copy was leaked on Friday by Dominic Cummings, the director of the official campaign group backing Britains departure from the European Union. Social media companies are under scrutiny worldwide following allegations that political consultant Cambridge Analytica used data from tens of millions of Facebook accounts to profile voters and help U.S. President Donald Trumps 2016 election campaign. The committee is also investigating the impact of fake news distributed via social media sites. Collins ripped Facebook for allowing Russian agencies to use its platform to spread disinformation and influence elections. I believe what we have discovered so far is the tip of the iceberg, he said, adding that more work needs to be done to expose how fake accounts target people during elections. The ever-increasing sophistication of these campaigns, which will soon be helped by developments in augmented reality technology, make this an urgent necessity. The committee recommended that the British government increase the power of the Information Commissioners Office to regulate social media sites, update electoral laws to reflect modern campaign techniques, and increase the transparency of political advertising on social media. Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to address the issue in a so-called White Paper to be released in the fall. She signaled her unease last year, accusing Russia of meddling in elections and planting fake news to sow discord in the West. The committee began its work in January 2017, interviewing 61 witnesses during 20 hearings that took on an investigatory tone not normally found in such forums in the House of Commons. The report criticized Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg for failing to appear before the panel and said his stand-ins were unwilling or unable to give full answers to the committees questions. One of the committees recommendations is that the era of light-touch regulation for social media must come to an end. Social media companies can no longer avoid oversight by describing themselves as platforms, because they use technology to filter and shape the information users see. Nor are they publishers, since that model traditionally commissions and pays for content. We recommend that a new category of tech company is formulated, which tightens tech companies liabilities, and which is not necessarily either a platform or a publisher, the report said. We anticipate that the government will put forward these proposals in its White Paper later this year. The committee also said that the Information Commissioners Office needs more money so it can hire technical experts to be the sheriff in the Wild West of the internet. The funds would come from a levy on the tech companies, much in the same way as the banks pay for the upkeep of the Financial Conduct Authority. Our democracy is at risk, and now is the time to act, to protect our shared values and the integrity of our democratic institutions, the committee said. Danica Kirka, London, AP King Mohammed VI delivered Sunday an address on Throne Day from the northern city of Al Hoceima in which he stressed the need for social and economic reforms that would guarantee better living conditions for Moroccans in a climate of unity, security and stability. From the beginning, the King made it clear that True patriotism enhances unity and solidarity, especially in testing circumstances. He said hardships enhance the faith of Moroccan patriots and increase their resolve to tackle difficulties and rise to challenges. I am confident that Moroccans will not allow the advocates of chaos and nihilism or the peddlers of misconceptions to exploit certain deficiencies in order to encroach upon Moroccos security and stability and belittle its gains and achievements, the Monarch said on the occasion of the 19th anniversay of his coming to power. Social reforms The King urged coordination and convergence between different government agencies and the multi-billion social development programs. We can be satisfied with and take pride in what Morocco has achieved and what Moroccans have accomplished over the last two decades. Yet, I cannot but feel that something has been missing in the social domain, the King said. After calling for joint action in addressing shortcomings, the King commended the new initiative to set up a consolidated social register as a promising start for the gradual improvement of social welfare programs over the short and medium terms. In the same vein, the King called on the Government and all the stakeholders concerned to undertake an in-depth, thorough restructuring of national social welfare programs and policies and to submit proposals for their evaluation. Economic Reforms King Mohammed VI recommended provisional social measures to be taken by the government in the field of school enrollment programs and combating school drop-out, launching the third phase of the national initiative for human development, tackling dysfunctions in the health coverage program RAMED and facilitating social dialogue with labor unions with a view to promoting the competitiveness of Moroccan companies and the interests of workers. The King also called for adoption of legislation that aims at facilitating investments through the simplification of administrative procedures. I hope these crucial measures will provide a strong, unprecedented incentive to boost investment, create job opportunities, improve the quality of services offered to citizens and reduce foot-dragging which, as all Moroccans know, leads to corruption, the King added. The King also stressed the need to preserve Moroccos water resources. He said the national water plan should address the various issues relating to water resources for the next 30 years. Because I have keenly sought to continue with that policy, we have managed to build thirty dams of various sizes in the country during the last 18 years, underscored the King. July 30, 2018 13:48 Kelli Mulhollen Dumas is seen with her son Michael. Michael has been fighting a hookworm infection for more than a month after leaving a Florida beach, his mom says. A mother concerned for her son, who she said contracted hookworms from a Florida beach, said her first calls to health officials weren't taken seriously. After sharing a now-viral Facebook post and contacting national and state officials, she's been told an investigation is underway. Kelli Mulhollen Dumas said her son Michael developed a painful infection after returning from a mission trip that included time at Pompano Beach on June 18 and 19. Each visit lasted about 20 minutes. "He was buried in the sand for fun and it has become our nightmare," she posted on Facebook, with graphic images of her son's inflamed skin. When her son contracted hookworms from a Florida beach, Kelli Mulhollen Dumas said her first calls to health officials weren't taken seriously. By Michael's 17th birthday on June 20, he was fighting a terrifying parasitic infection on his feet and legs. And he's still struggling. He's developed a staph infection and is bathing in bleach daily, his mom told USA TODAY. He has trouble walking and is virtually house-bound. Hes a groomsman in my daughters wedding on August 11," she said. "I just hope he can wear shoes by then. Six out of 17 people traveling with her son were infected with hookworms, Dumas said. One case was just diagnosed July 23, she said. Dumas told USA TODAY she called the Florida Department of Health in Broward County on July 16, a week after a doctor confirmed Michael's hookworm infection. Dumas said she left three messages that went unanswered and finally spoke with a supervisor on July 17, who told her a warning would not be issued. Dumas, a dentist for more than 30 years, said a few days later, she called the Centers for Disease Control and the main office of Florida Department of Health. The state department told her they have now opened an investigation and requested to speak with all of the individuals who were infected. This is a photo of Michael Dumas' foot on July 25, This is a photo of Michael Dumas' foot on July 25, more than a month after he was buried in the sand on a Florida beach. His mother said he contracted hookworms than have since turned into a staph infection. (Photo: Courtesy of Kelli Mulhollen Dumas) Candy Sims, a public information officer with the Florida Department of Health in Broward County, said the department is looking into this inquiry, but did not comment further. Hookworms burrow into the skin, causing a red and itchy reaction that can last weeks until the larvae die and in rare cases, can inflame the intestine, according to the CDC. Dumas, a single mom, said shes had to pay over a thousand dollars for medication. "We have no idea how long this is going to take to heal but he has taken four antibiotics, two antiparasitics and a steroid pack and he is going to be permanently scarred from this situation," Dumas told USA TODAY. "I dont want anyone else to unknowingly have the same disease happen to them." Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter Credit: University of Western Ontario A new study led by a team of Western University neuroscientists has debunked claims that getting better at a brain training game can translate to improved performance in other, untrained cognitive tasks. This study, published in the journal Neuropsychologia, set out to test whether hours of 'brain training' in one game could give someone an edge in a second game that uses the same area of the brain. If that result was found, it would lend credence to claims that 'brain-training' apps can improve working memory, which is vital for learning and retaining information and in staving off memory loss. But researchers found such transference simply didn't happen: participants' high scores in the first game (the one they trained on) didn't improve performance in the second game, and were equivalent to scores attained by the 'untrained' control group. "We hypothesized that if you get really, really good at one test by training for a very long time, maybe then you'll get improvement on tests that are quite similar. Unfortunately, we found no evidence to support that claim," says Bobby Stojanoski, a research scientist in the Owen Lab at Western's world renowned Brain and Mind Institute and lead author of the paper. "Despite hours of brain training on that one game, participants were no better at the second game than people who tested on the second game, but hadn't trained on the first one." A groundbreaking 2010 study led by renowned Western neuroscientist Adrian Owen, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging, monitored cognitive performance in 11,000 people who 'brain trained' for six weeks. It found that getting good at brain games doesn't improve working memory or enhance IQ. Owen is the senior author of the new study, which was supported by BrainsCANWestern's $66 million Canada First Research Excellence Fund program in cognitive neuroscience. The new study was designed to search for any transference between two specific and similar games but instead, the results reinforce and extend his previous findings. Stojanoski concludes, there are other, proven ways to improve memory and brain health: "Sleep better, exercise regularly, eat better, education is greatthat's the sort of thing we should be focused on. If you're looking to improve your cognitive self, instead of playing a video game or playing a brain training test for an hour, go for a walk, go for a run, socialize with a friend. These are much better things for you." More information: Bobby Stojanoski et al. Targeted training: Converging evidence against the transferable benefits of online brain training on cognitive function, Neuropsychologia (2018). Journal information: Neuropsychologia Bobby Stojanoski et al. Targeted training: Converging evidence against the transferable benefits of online brain training on cognitive function,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.07.013 UK doctors think Britain's exit from the European Union (EU), dubbed Brexit, will be very bad for the NHS, reveal the results of an anonymised survey of their political beliefs and voting patterns, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. As a group, they are predominantly left-wing and liberal-minded. But high earners tend to lean more to the right of the political spectrum, while surgeons are twice as likely as other specialties to express right-wing views, the responses show. Against a backdrop of major upheavals in health and social care as well as the political landscape in the UK, the researchers wanted to find out about the political beliefs and voting behaviours of this publicly trusted and highly influential group of professionals. To reach as representative a sample of the UK medical workforce as possible, the researchers collaborated with the online professional network, Doctors.net.uk, and validated proportionality of respondents against records from the professional regulator, the General Medical Council. Those logging on to their Doctors.net accounts were directed to the survey link, which was open for a week following the 2017 UK general election. This link was also sent to a wide range of specialty associations and relevant Facebook groups. In all, 1172 respondents, representing 0.4 percent of the 282,304 doctors licensed to practice in the UK in 2016, were included in the final analysis. Nearly half (45%) were women. Most respondents had qualified in the UK, lived in England, and worked in the NHS. One in three (36%) was a consultant; around one in five was a GP. Just under 30 percent were junior doctors. When respondents rated their political beliefs on a scale of 0 (extremely left wing) to 10 (extremely right wing), the average score was 4. But the higher the income bracket, the more likely was the respondent to lean to the right. Surgeons were twice as likely to register a right wing score, while psychiatrists and public health doctors were half as likely to do so. And junior doctors at specialty training entry level (ST3) and above were less likely to express right wing views relative to all other grades. Nearly two thirds (just over 62%) of respondents described themselves as liberal while nearly one in four (23.6%) said they were conservative. There was a shift to the left between the 2015 and 2017 elections, with the proportion of doctors voting Labour rising from just over 29 percent to just over 46 percent, while the proportion voting Conservative fell from just over 26 percent to just under 20 percent. Among those who were ineligible/unable to vote in 2017, nearly a third (just under 30%) said they would have opted for a Labour candidate. Voter turnout among doctors for both elections was significantly higher than among the electorate. Doctors overwhelmingly backed staying in the EU, with nearly eight out of 10 voting to remain in the 2016 referendum. Among those ineligible/unable to vote, more than 85 percent said they would have voted to remain in the bloc. Only 2 percent of respondents didn't vote compared with nearly 28 percent of the electorate. Virtually all respondents agreed that EU nationals working in the NHS should be allowed to stay in the UK after Brexit. And most thought Brexit would be very bad for the NHS, irrespective of grade, income, or specialty, giving it an average score of 2 on a 0 (worst outcome) to 10 (best) scale. Nearly 83 percent scored it below 5. In terms of their views on health policy, most backed minimum unit pricing for alcohol (74%); charging patients not eligible for NHS treatment for non-urgent care (71%); and protected funding for the NHS (87%). And two thirds (just under 66%) thought there was too much private sector care funded by the NHS: only surgeons were half as likely to agree. This is the first large scale study look at the political opinions of UK doctors, say the authors, but they acknowledge that despite their best efforts, the sample may not be fully representative, so should be taken as an indication only of the views of the UK medical workforce. "Further work is essential to obtain a better understanding of UK doctors' political identities, particularly the economic and societal differences," write the authors. "This is important as the political ideology of doctors has been shown to influence clinical decisions on contentious issues in other contexts," they conclude. Explore further Patients care about the clothes doctors wear More information: Political views of doctors in the UK: a cross sectional study, Political views of doctors in the UK: a cross sectional study, DOI: 10.1136/jech-2018-210801 Dr. Tania Moujaber. Credit: Westmead Institute for Medical Research New research has shown that ovarian cancer patients with a tumour mutation in the BRAF gene respond exceptionally well to treatment with targeted drugs, known as BRAF inhibitors. BRAF inhibitors block the activity of mutated BRAF gene. They are currently used to treat patients with melanoma, which often have mutations in the BRAF gene. The study showed that BRAF inhibitors may be effective at treating a rare type of ovarian cancer, called low-grade serous cancer, which more commonly affects younger women. Ph.D. student Dr. Tania Moujaber from the Westmead Institute for Medical Research examined information from more than 1,000 ovarian cancer patients across Australia, including from the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study, to identify cases of low-grade serous cancer. Dr. Moujaber identified nine women with the BRAF mutation. Four of these patients relapsed soon after regular primary treatment. "Two of these women went into a clinical trial to test BRAF inhibitors, following our research which identified their BRAF mutations," Dr. Moujaber explained. "Both have had excellent, long-lasting responses. "In contrast, the other two women received standard treatment several years before our analysis, and sadly rapidly deteriorated and died." Professor Paul Harnett and professor Anna deFazio. Credit: Western Sydney Local Health District Dr. Moujaber said the findings are encouraging for women with BRAF-mutated ovarian cancers, who may not respond to conventional chemotherapy. "This treatment may not be effective for all cancers with a BRAF mutation, but we are optimistic that a positive response is likely in patients with ovarian cancer," she said. The research was conducted by the ovarian cancer research team at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), led by Professor Anna deFazio and Professor Paul Harnett, together with collaborators in Melbourne and Brisbane. Outcomes for women with ovarian cancer are slowly improving, but the 5-year survival rate is still only 40 per cent. Professor deFazio said that one barrier to improving outcomes is that ovarian cancer is currently treated as a single disease. "Chemotherapy and surgery are the standard treatment for women with ovarian cancer, but each patient responds differently," Professor deFazio said. "Ovarian cancer is a complex and diverse disease, so we can't assume the same treatment will work for everyone. "This research highlights the importance of using targeted therapies for rare ovarian tumor types, such as those with BRAF mutations," Professor deFazio concluded. Professor deFazio and her team are leading a longitudinal study, called INOVATe, which aims to integrate this level of precision medicine into routine care for all women with ovarian cancer. Explore further Can our genes help predict how women respond to ovarian cancer treatment? More information: Tania Moujaber et al, BRAF Mutations in Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer and Response to BRAF Inhibition, JCO Precision Oncology (2018). Tania Moujaber et al, BRAF Mutations in Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer and Response to BRAF Inhibition,(2018). DOI: 10.1200/PO.17.00221 Provided by Westmead Institute for Medical Research The Gowanus restaurant owned by a celebrity chef who was arrested last month for allegedly attempting to poison his neighbor's beloved maple tree appears to have closed. Neighbors say Bar Salumi, located at 4th Avenue and 15th Street, has been shuttered for at least the last two weeks, with no sign on the door and furniture "stacked haphazardly" inside. Calls to the restaurant yielded a disconnected number. Yelp also claims that the location has been closed. The restaurant's owner and chef Adam Harvey made headlines last month after he was allegedly caught terrorizing his leafy Brooklyn neighborhood of Windsor Terrace. Witnesses say they saw him drilling into his neighbor's 60-year-old maple tree, and filling the holes with herbicide. It's believed that Harvey, a Union Square Cafe alum who also appeared on the 12th season of Top Chef, was allegedly trying to kill the tree in order to direct more sunlight toward his solar panels. "The tree has a right to be and has a right to survive," the tree's owner, a retired school teacher, told the Daily News. Why would you have solar panels and try to take down a tree? That to me is the linchpin of everything. It says a lot." "The neighborhood is in mourning because of that tree suffering," the owner added. Despite his alleged tree-killing tendencies, Harvey has previously highlighted his own restaurants' commitment to eco-friendly sourcingBar Salumi touted its farmers market ingredients, and a previous version of the space, called A&E Supply Co., boasted of a "farm to party" ethos. The current iteration of Bar Salumi had been around for only three months. We've reached out Harvey, as well as co-owner Ennio Di Nino, and we'll update if we hear back. (HealthDay)Following quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV4) vaccination, girls age 12 to 17 years do not have increased risk of autoimmune disorders, according to a study published recently in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association. Erin Y. Liu, from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, and colleagues conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using Ontario's administrative health and vaccination databases from 2007 to 2013. The rate of a composite end point of autoimmune disorders diagnosed during days seven to 60 post-vaccination ("exposed") was compared to that at any other time ("unexposed"). A total of 290,939 girls aged 12 to 17 years who were eligible for vaccination were included in the study cohort. The researchers found that following HPV4 vaccination, there was no significant risk for developing an autoimmune disorder (rate ratio, 1.12, 95 percent confidence interval, 0.85 to 1.47), and the correlation was unchanged by a history of immune-mediated disorders and time since vaccination. No significant risks were seen in exploratory analyses of individual autoimmune disorders, including Bell's palsy, optic neuritis, and Graves' disease. "We did not observe an increased risk of autoimmune disorders following HPV4 vaccination among teenaged girls," the authors write. "These findings should reassure parents and health care providers." Explore further No link between HPV vaccination and risk of autoimmune disordersstudy Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Six days after activated microglia (red) were added to the outer chamber of the new microfluidic device, the inflammatory cells migrate through channels into the inner chamber, containing cultured neurons and astrocytes (green) with gene variants associated with familial Alzheimer's disease. Upon arrival in the inner chamber, the microglia directly attack neurons and raise levels of key inflammatory factors. Credit: Joseph Park, Ph.D., Doo Yeon Kim, Ph.D., Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D., and Hansang Cho, Ph.D.; Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease Building on their development of the first culture system to replicate fully the pathology behind Alzheimer's disease, a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team has now produced a system that includes neuroinflammation, the key biological response that leads to the death of brain cells. The investigators describe their system, which incorporates the glial cells that that not only surround and support neurons but also provide some immune system functions, in a paper published in Nature Neuroscience. "Our original 'Alzheimer's in a dish ' system recapitulated the plaques and tangles typically seen the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, but did not induce neuroinflammation," says Rudolph Tanzi, Ph.D., director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit in the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) and co-senior author of the current paper. "Studies have shown that we can have many plaques and tangles in our brains with no symptoms, but when neuroinflammation kicks in, exponentially more neurons die and cognitive impairment leading to dementia is induced. A complete model of Alzheimer's pathology needs to incorporate that 'third leg of the stool'." In their 2014 Nature paper, the MGH team described using a gel-based, three-dimensional culture systemdeveloped by Doo Yeon Kim, Ph.D., of the Genetics and Aging Unit, also a co-senior author of the current studyto induce the formation of both amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in human neural cells carrying gene variants associated with early-onset, familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). That study confirmed that amyloid deposition was the essential first step leading to the formation of tangles containing the pathogenic form of the protein tau The updated system also brings in technology developed by co-senior author Hansang Cho, Ph.D., now of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, when he was a postdoctoral fellow in the MGH BioMEMS Resource Center . In a 2013 Scientific Reports paper, Cho and his co-authors reported using a microfluidic device consisting of two circular chambers, one inside the other, to measure the migration of microgliaglial cells that function as nervous system immune cellsfrom the outer chamber into the amyloid-loaded inner chamber by means of connecting channels. For the current study Cho and lead author Joseph Park, Ph.D., of the MGH Genetics and Aging Unit, used the 'Alzheimer's in a dish' system to culture neural stem cells with FAD variants in the central chamber of Cho's device. Several weeks later, the neurons and astrocytes, glial cells that support and insulate neurons, that had differentiated were found to contain elevated levels of amyloid-beta and tau, as well as inflammatory factors known to contribute to the neuroinflammation seen in Alzheimer's disease. When human microglia were added to the outer chamber of the device, they soon began to show structural changes signifying their activation and migrate through the channels into the inner chamber. Once the microglia arrived in the inner chamber, they directly attacked neurons, causing visible damage to key structures, while levels of inflammatory factors like TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 rose significantly. Six days later the central chambers had lost 20 percent of both their neurons and their astrocytes. "We also found that blocking two receptors in microglial cellsinterferon receptor gamma and toll-like receptor 4could prevent neuroinflammation, which opens up new opportunities for drug discovery," says Tanzi, who is the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. "This system should help us better understand the timeline by which these pathological events lead to dementia and enable us to screen for drugs that stop plaque deposition, tangle formation and the resultant neuroinflammation." More information: Joseph Park et al, A 3D human triculture system modeling neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease, Nature Neuroscience (2018). Journal information: Scientific Reports , Nature Neuroscience Joseph Park et al, A 3D human triculture system modeling neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0175-4 Real-time 3D confocal time-lapse movie of Twist1-expressing epithelial cells (red) invading into the surrounding extracellular matrix and then being restrained and pulled back by normal myoepithelial cells (green). Credit: Katarina Sirka Johns Hopkins researchers report they have demonstrated in mouse tissue grown in the lab that the cell layer surrounding breast milk ducts reaches out to grab stray cancer cells to keep them from spreading through the body. The findings reveal that this cell layer, called the myoepithelium, is not a stationary barrier to cancer invasion, as scientists previously thought, but an active defense against breast cancer metastasis. Results of the scientists' experiments are published online July 30, 2018, in the Journal of Cell Biology. "Understanding how cancer cells are contained could eventually help us develop ways to predict a person's individualized risk of metastasis," says Andrew Ewald, Ph.D., professor of cell biology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a member of the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Most breast tumors begin in the cells that line the interior of breast milk ducts. These cells in turn are surrounded by myoepithelial cells, Ewald says, which work together to contract and move milk through the ducts when a baby is nursing. This myoepithelial layer is used clinically to distinguish contained breast cancers from invasive cancers in humans. When breast cancer cells breach the myoepithelial layer, the result is so-called invasive carcinoma, which is associated with higher rates of recurrence and the need for more aggressive treatment, says Ewald. "If you think about metastasis as a long race, breaking through this layer is the exit from the starting gate," says Ewald. For their study, Ewald and his team engineered cells taken from the lining of mouse breast ducts to produce the protein Twist1, which works by altering gene expression and which has been linked to cancer metastasis in multiple tumor types. To their surprise, the researchers saw that when the invasive Twist1 cells broke through the myoepithelial layer, the myoepithelial cells grabbed the cells that had gone astray and successfully pulled them back within the breast duct lining 92 percent of the time through 114 observations. "These findings establish the novel concept of the myoepithelium as a dynamic barrier to cell escape, rather than acting as a stone wall as it was speculated before" says Katarina Sirka, a Ph.D. student from the Ewald laboratory. To confirm that their findings were active behaviors, Ewald and his team altered two key characteristics of myoepithelial cellstheir ability to contract and their numerical ratio to the invasive cells. First, the researchers genetically engineered mouse myoepithelial cells to deplete their smooth muscle actin, a protein that allows the cells to contract. Under that condition, the number of escaped invasive cells that broke through the myoepithelial layer increased threefold compared to control cells with a normal myoepithelium. Likewise, the researchers found that decreasing the proportion of myoepithelial cells to invasive cells increased the number of escaped cancer cells. By adding just two myoepithelial cells for each invasive cell, the escape rate decreased fourfold compared with the spread of invasive cells with no defending barrier. "This is important to know because it suggests that both the physical completeness of the myoepithelium and the gene expression within the myoepithelial cells are important in predicting the behavior of human breast tumors. Anywhere this layer thins or buckles is an opportunity for cancer cells to escape," says Eliah Shamir, M.D., Ph.D, who is currently a surgical pathology fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. In the future, Ewald and his team plan to study the cellular mechanisms prompting the myoepithelial layer to react so dynamically and what makes it fail during invasive progression. Explore further Cells lining milk ducts hold key to spread of common form of breast cancer Britain's Supreme Court ruled Monday that families of patients who are in a long-term persistent vegetative state do not need to seek a court's permission to have life support removed, in a case seen as placing the right-to-die decision back in the hands of loved ones and doctors. The landmark ruling comes in a case involving a man identified as Mr. Y, a 52-year-old financial analyst who had suffered severe brain damage after a heart attack. Experts agreed that even if he had regained consciousness, he'd have profound cognitive and physical disabilities. The case landed in the courts because as a matter of practice, doctors have sought the approval of a court before removing food and water from a patienteven if the family agreed that this was in the ill person's best interest. Such cases can be costly and take months or years to resolve. In November, a High Court judge ruled that it was not mandatory to bring the matter to the courts since there was no dispute between relatives and specialists. But the Official Solicitor, which represents those who are incapacitated, appealed. "This case is not about whether it is in the best interests of a patient to have (life support) withdrawn," said Richard Gordon, the lawyer representing the Official Solicitor. "It is about who decides that question." The court rejected the appeal. The ruling means that families making agonizing decisions over the care of unresponsive loved ones can avoid lengthy court battles. "Today we decide such an application is not obligatory and we dismiss the solicitor's official appeal," Judge Jill Black said as she announced the ruling. She emphasized that although an application to court was not necessary in most cases, there would undoubtedly be some in which the courts would get involved. Mr. Y died before the case was heard by the Supreme Court, but it proceeded because of its importance. Explore further Top US court to rule in Apple case over app monopoly (Update) 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. (HealthDay)A new report details how a measles outbreak tore through two Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2013, ignited by an unvaccinated teen who brought the highly contagious disease home from a trip to London. Before it was over, 58 people came down with the measles, out of more than 3,300 exposed contacts identified by public health officials. It stands as the largest outbreak of measles in New York City since 1992, according to the report. There were no deaths. One child was hospitalized with pneumonia, and an unvaccinated pregnant woman suffered a miscarriage. But New York City spent almost $395,000 and more than 10,000 personnel hours responding to the outbreak and working to keep it contained, according to the case study. The report shows the risk of forgoing vaccination, particularly within a close-knit community, said lead researcher Dr. Jane Zucker, an assistant commissioner with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. "We determined that 71 percent of the cases were members of eight extended families," Zucker said. "Measles is one of the most contagious infections that we have. This is a reminder of how critical vaccination is for preventing disease." The report also displays the effectiveness of a strong vaccination program, said Jason Schwartz, an assistant professor with the Yale School of Public Health. New York City has a measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccination rate near 97 percent, Schwartz explained. This kept the outbreak confined to a group of people who apparently eschewed the vaccine for religious reasons. "Even in the largest city in the world, in densely populated neighborhoods in Brooklyn, those individuals who were vaccinated around these clusters were unscathed," Schwartz said. The measles-infected teenager returned home from London on March 13, 2013. Measles has been endemic in Britain since 2008, thanks to a decline in vaccination rates down to around 80 percent, Zucker noted. The United States declared measles eradicated in 2000. However, unvaccinated Americans still are vulnerable to an outbreak if someone brings measles into the country from another part of the world. "All of these outbreaks are fueled by introduction from either someone traveling to another country or a visitor who brings measles with them," Zucker said. Within a week of the teen's return, New York City public health officials began receiving reports of suspected measles cases from doctors. The officials swept in and began tracking all known exposures to measles. Most of the identified cases were not immediately placed into airborne isolation. As a result, more people were exposed to measles in 11 health care facilities. Other exposures occurred in schools, on an airline flight, in homes and at a wedding, health officials reported. Measles can remain infectious for up to two hours after a person has left a room, Zucker said. Public health officials gathered detailed data on those present during the exposure period in these locations, and compared the list against an immunization registry maintained by New York City to find those people at risk of contracting measles. "To vaccinate someone who was exposed, we have to do it within 72 hours, so there's a real sense of urgency about that outbreak response," Zucker said. A total of 3,351 exposed contacts were identified by a team of 87 public health officials. Two-thirds of those exposed were protected by full vaccination, and another 11 percent received at least one dose of measles vaccine. But 335 exposures occurred in people completely unprotected against measles, officials found. About 114 unvaccinated children and adults who'd been exposed to measles were given an MMR vaccine shot to ward off infection, the report said. There were 77 infants too young for immunization who received a dose of measles antibodies, Zucker added. These post-exposure vaccinations kept the measles case count from being even higher, Zucker said. Orthodox Jews accounted for all of the 58 identified measles cases, the report said. About half of the infections occurred due to transmission between relatives. The outbreak ran from March through June 2013, and evidence shows there were six waves of transmission. Out of the 58 confirmed cases, 45 were in children and adults who were unvaccinated either because their parents refused vaccination or intentionally delayed scheduled vaccines, the researchers said. Another 12 cases were in infants too young for routine immunization. Vaccination is touted in part to protect those who can't receive immunization, either because they are too young or have compromised immune systems. The report was published online July 30 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. "It illustrates the increased risk of individuals in those clusters of unvaccinated individuals," Schwartz said. "This was an outbreak that was entirely attributable to decisions by individuals to forgo vaccination, and those choices have consequences." Explore further Measles outbreak in Ukraine kills two More information: Jane Zucker, M.D., July 30, 2018, JAMA Pediatrics, online, Jane Zucker, M.D., July 30, 2018,, online, jamanetwork.com/journals/jamap pediatrics.2018.1024 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about measles. Journal information: JAMA Pediatrics Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Most students underestimate the impact of female and male age on fertility, new research published in Human Fertility finds. Less than half could correctly identify the age when a woman's fertility declines and even fewer knew when male fertility declines. The studybased on a large-scale survey of Australian university studentsalso found that having children was equally important to male and female students, and that many wanted to complete their families before a significant decline in fertility occurred. However, they also expected to achieve many other life goals before becoming parents. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Eugenie Prior of the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority in Melbourne, surveyed 1,215 students, via an anonymous online questionnaire, about their intentions and expectations for parenthood, and knowledge of fertility. 38% of men and 45% of women correctly identified 35-39 years as the age at which female fertility declines significantly. However, only 18.3% of men and 16.9% of women correctly identified 45-49 years as the age when male fertility declines. Fewer than 10% of the students did not want children, and of those who did, 75% wanted two or more. Being in a stable relationship, having a partner with whom they could share responsibility and feeling sufficiently mature were rated by both men and women as the most important conditions prior to having children. While roughly equal percentages of male and female students considered these three conditions to be 'important' or 'very important' (over 90% in each case), women were more likely than men to rate completing their studies, advancing in their profession, having work that could be combined with parenthood and having access to childcare as such. Dr. Prior comments, "Our study shows that university students overwhelming want to be parents one day. However, most also have an unrealistic expectation of what they will achieve prior to conception, whether that be in their career or financially. We need to educate young people about the limits of fertility and support them to become parents at a point that is ideal biologically, while balanced against the life goals they want to achieve." Many male and female students wanted to complete their families within the biological limits of fertility but, considering the other life goals they wished to accomplish prior to parenthood, it was questionable whether they would be able to achieve this, the authors warned. The study highlights the universal difficulty that many young people, particularly university-educated women, face in balancing the competing aspirations of study, career and other personal life goals with achieving parenthood at the age when they are most fertile. Explore further Major depression in males may lower chances of conception NOTICE: TO BE CLEAR: WE HAVE OUTLINED UNDER OUR RECORD MAINTENANCE POLICY WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE A FAIR PROCESS FOR ALL. SIMPLY PUT: IF THE COURT SAW FIT TO EXPUNGE YOUR RECORD,SO WILL WE, FREE OF CHARGE. ARRESTS DO NOT IMPLY GUILT AND CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE MERELY ACCUSATIONS,EVERYONE IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW AND CONVICTED. 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OUR CONTENT REVOLVES AROUND CRIME, ARRESTS AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT. WE BELIEVE IN THE CONSTITUTION AND OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO PUBLISH UNPOPULAR SPEECH. OPEN RECORD LAWS WERE WRITTEN TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC; BY INFORMING THE PUBLIC OF ARRESTS AND TO HOLD LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ARRESTEES. MOST OF, IF NOT ALL MUGSHOT LAWS WERE CRAFTED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM FEES FOR REMOVAL OF ONLINE MUGSHOTS AND TO FURTHER PROTECT THE PRESS FROM THOSE VERY SAME "MUGSHOT LAWS".WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYMENT FOR REMOVAL OF ARREST INFORMATION AND/OR BOOKING PHOTOGRAPHS. MORE... The Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) is going to make adjustments to the way debit order fraud is reported to ensure they gather the necessary evidence to convict rogue users. It has been difficult to build cases against debit order fraudsters, and PASAs senior legal counsel Charl Ackerman said they have learnt much in the last few months. There have been arrests. The wheels of justice turns at its own time, said Ackerman. Certain rogue operators being prosecuted are out on bail, with hearings scheduled for later dates. Part of the problem with successfully prosecuting a debit order fraudster is that it is easy for them to claim that a rogue debit order was a mistake. If you confront the rogue user, they generally give the money back, Ackerman said. From there, very few consumers will go to the police and submit an affidavit. Even if they do, the police laugh at them. Why are you bothering them over debit order fraud of R99 or R45? Establish a trend Ackerman explained that to build a case against a suspected debit order fraudster, you have to establish a trend. For this reason, PASA is developing a more robust system of reporting rogue debit orders to gather the documentary evidence needed for a successful prosecution. No one will launch a class action case against rogue debit order operators, and it is up to PASA to compile a docket of disputes against an entity, he said. The docket is then provided to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre to take the prosecution forward. DebiCheck PASAs work to prosecute debit order fraudsters is running in parallel to its rollout of a new authorisation system called DebiCheck. DebiCheck will require that debit orders processed in the early payment window be confirmed by the consumer whose bank account is being debited. Banks may elect to perform the debit order confirmation via SMS or their banking app. The early payment window is a priority timeframe in the mornings every day when certain debit orders are allowed to go off. Some companies find it beneficial to use the early window as they can collect payment right after salaries are paid into peoples bank accounts. However, with DebiCheck only affecting the early window, fraudsters may migrate to the late window. Walter Volker, the CEO of PASA, said they are expecting that migration. That is why the work Charl and his team are doing is so important, said Volker. We are developing proactive measures to secure the ecosystem. We have not underestimated the effect of rogue users migrating to the late window. Among the initiatives underway at PASA is working with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission to get access to information on the directors of companies suspected of debit order fraud. Ackermans team is also working on publishing a list of rogue users. Businesses and individuals will then be able to consult the PASA database to ensure they steer clear of a known rogue debit order user. We just have to get through some legal ticks, then we can make it available, said Ackerman. Microsoft has outgrown its top cloud platform competitors in the second quarter of 2018, growing its market share by three percentage points to 14%, CNBC reported. At the end of Q2 2018, Amazon had 34% market share, while Google had 6%. Amazons market share is bigger than its next four closest rivals combined. The findings come from new data released by Synergy Research, which stated that Amazon and Google grew their shares of the cloud market by one percentage point each. According to the report, Amazon grew its cloud revenue by almost 49% during the quarter to $6.11 billion. Microsoft did not reveal its quarterly revenue for Azure, but said revenue for its cloud platform grew by 89%. Google did not release any figures for its cloud business for the last quarter, but Synergy said that the revenue growth at Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba was far greater than the overall market growth rate. Now read: Google to add blockchain technology to its cloud platform First of all, Vogue has never hired a black photographer to shoot its cover. That's just one of the things in HuffPost's scoop about the magazine's September issue, and even if you could not care less about the fashion glossy, the rest is pretty interesting, too. Yashar Ali reports that editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has, pretty shockingly, given Beyonce "unprecedented control over the cover of the upcoming September issue." One of her first orders of business was hiring a black photographer, Tyler Mitchell, to shoot the cover a first in the publications 126-year history. (The last time Beyonce was on the September cover was just three years ago, and for that she was shot by Mario Testino, just one of the many men recently accused of sexual misconduct.) In the past, Beyonce has been known to ask publications to take down unflattering photos of her. So it's not too surprising that she also got it in her Vogue contract that she will control all of "the photos of her inside the magazine, and the captions, which she has written herself and are in long-form." The captions are in lieu of a traditional interview, which she did not grant the publication (she didn't grant an interview in 2015 either). Also coming to the pages of Vogue: Adult film star and Trump lover-turned-adversary Stormy Daniels, who will make her Vogue debut in either September or October; Ali reports she was photographed by Annie Leibovitz. Some sources say this could be Wintour's last September issue. Others say you'll have to wrench that magazine from her cold dead hands. The Direct Marketing Association of South Africa (DMASA) is an organisation which represents the interactive and direct marketing industry, with its member list comprising hundreds of South African companies. Joining the DMASA is voluntary, however, and requires companies to adhere to a strict set of rules or face heavy consequences. These rules aim to protect South African consumers from invasive direct marketing practices which could violate local regulations. Direct marketing includes SMSs advertising products, cold calls, emails, and many other segments. Do not contact me The DMASA also offers a Do Not Contact list, which allows South Africans to opt out of all direct marketing conducted by member organisations. DMASA members are not allowed to target South Africans registered on the opt-out list with any direct marketing, and users must contact the DMASA to cancel their opt-out. Many prominent South African companies are members of this association, including Vodacom, Cell C, Outsurance, Bidvest Insurance, Standard Bank, Absa, and FNB. Companies who violate the ethics code of the DMASA are penalised with a number of consequences, including suspension or even blacklisting the offending company on its website. There are a number of companies which are not members of the DMASA and still engage in direct marketing, though, and the association told MyBroadband that it hopes they will consider joining in future. These companies are not required to abide by the Do Not Contact list on the DMASA website, as they are not part of the association and are not restricted by its rules. Subscribing to DMASAs membership is at the discretion of the businesses, said the DMASA. Businesses have not stated any particular reasons for not subscribing to DMASAs membership. We hope it is something they will consider in the future. MyBroadband spoke to the prominent companies which are not members their feedback is below. Discovery Discovery told MyBroadband it does not send SMSs to users who are not already customers. Discovery does not contact non-Discovery clients directly, in other words, Discovery does not SMS non-Discovery clients, the company said. It added that Discovery Life adverts are sent to Discovery customers through a third-party marketing provider. While Discovery Life does not deploy any SMS marketing directly to the Discovery client base, we work with a select set of highly reputable marketing providers, chosen because of their ethical processes and sophisticated databases. A pre-requisite with our partners is that they comply with all applicable legislation and standards. Telkom Telkom said it sends marketing SMSs to existing clients and notes that while it is not a DMASA member, it follows international best practice when initiating direct marketing. Telkom has initiated direct marketing campaigns to existing customers and adheres to direct marketing best practice and principles, said Telkom. We have strict controls, including the ability for customers to opt-out. In addition to this, Telkom makes use of leading international agencies to advise on direct marketing best practice and several suppliers are members. MTN MyBroadband reached out to MTN for comment, but the company did not provide feedback by the time of publication. CalSTRS chief investment officer, Christopher Ailman, put it this way in a statement that accompanied its earnings report: We will rank high compared to similar funds, but it is only one year. We need to repeat that performance year in and year out, on average, over the next 30 years. As they lower investment expectations, CalPERS and CalSTRS have turned to the state and other public employers to close their asset gaps, requiring them to raise their contributions by billions of dollars. CalPERS is increasing its bite on employers on its own, as it is empowered to do, while the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown adopted a plan to prevent CalSTRS from slipping into insolvency by increasing payments from the state and teachers modestly while hitting school districts hard, more than doubling their mandatory payments into the fund. Making the increased payments has caused financial turmoil in local governments, especially cities, and in school districts. As CalSTRS was reporting its 2017-18 earnings, CALmatters published a deep dive into how pension payments are clobbering the states school systems, focusing on those in Los Angeles, Fremont and Sacramento. The states iconic Loktak Lake and its floating islands (phumdis), the last natural refuge of the critically endangered Sangai deer, are losing ground to mushrooming agricultural practices and human settlements, reports a study. Changes in land use patterns may be linked to the construction of the Ithai barrage in 1979, downstream of Manipur river, for the Loktak Hydroelectric Project. There is a need for regular monitoring and implementing proper land use practices in and around the lake in order to restore the degraded ecosystem plagued by pollution and an altered aquatic regime. The 246.72 square km lake is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance cradled in the floodplain of the Manipur river. About an hour and a half from Manipurs capital Imphal, the lake and the resident Sangais are the principal attractions for travellers. A source of water for hydropower generation, irrigation and drinking water supply, the lake has become a hotbed of tourism and related developmental activities. Using satellite data from 1977 to 2015 (from the pre-barrage to post-barrage period), scientists have mapped the decline of the phumdis that are critical in supporting the weight of these animals (also called dancing deer for their dainty gait) as they negotiate their way through the floating islands. We have observed a loss in phumdi area that is equivalent to more than double the increase in agricultural areas in a span of 38 years from 1977 to 2015, Rajiv Kangabam, from Assam Agricultural University and lead author of the study, told Mongabay-India. Protecting the wetlands ecosystem with the phumdis is crucial to conserve the Sangais, because the beautiful animals are concentrated in the 40 square km Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), that is a floating meadow. It is considered as the only floating reserve in the world. Only 260 dancing deer remain, as per the forest department while biologists from Wildlife Institute of India say the figure is less than 100 adult breeding individuals. The Sangai was believed to have gone extinct until a remnant population was discovered in the early 1950s. Ubiquitous in folk art and lore, the Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii) is also the state animal of Manipur. The phumdis are floating mats of soil, plants and organic matter at various stages of decomposition, all naturally bundled together. Part submerged, part floating they are the elements that impart uniqueness to the Loktak ecosystem. Two-thirds of the saucer-shaped lake is dotted by these floating meadows. It was estimated that 20,000 ha (83,000 ha unofficial) of arable land was submerged resulting in the loss of employment of the local people. This led to increase in human pressure on the lake resources leading to increase in human settlement and a high demand for fish, Kangabam said. The authors of the study also identified the need for the proper implementation of the Manipur Loktak Lake (Protection) Act, 2006 in order to guide the increasing anthropogenic activities in the area, to protect the Loktak through sustainable management and conservation of the rich biodiversity. There is a need to balance ecological protection and human needs. Without provision of alternative livelihood options, the human pressure on the lake will go up and this will be disastrous for the lake, Kangabam said. Oinam Rajen of All Loktak Lake Areas Fishermens Union Manipur agreed with the inference. At least two lakh people are directly dependant on the lake for fishing. The demand for fish has increased. However, adequate fish is not available in the lake. This is mainly because the migratory fish from Chindwin-Irrawaddy river system to Manipur river system have declined steadily after the barrage came up, said Rajen. However, he demanded scrapping of the 2006 Act. We are prevented from carrying traditional fishing equipment inside the lake as per provisions of the Act. Rights of fisherfolk are being curtailed in the name of conservation. We are importing fish from other states to make up for the deficiency, rued Rajen. By absorbing the annual monsoon flood, the lake plays an important role in flood control and conserves water through the dry months. In 1986, the Manipur government constituted Loktak Development Authority (LDA) to check the deteriorating condition of the lake and to bring about improvement of the lake ecosystem. Gradual degradation of the lake and associated swamplands sparked international concern with the water body being included in the Montreux Record in 1993 as a result of problems such as deforestation in the catchment area, infestation of water hyacinth, and pollution. Earlier, during the monsoons when the water level would go up, the phumdis would float on the lake surface and in the dry season they would sink to the lake bed and sponge off the nutrients there which were essential for the growth of vegetation. However, the Ithai barrage (10.7 metres high and 58.8 metres long) for the Loktak hydroelectric project has resulted in permanent flooding of the lake. Now, there is continuous storage of water in the park area as a result of the barrage and islands float throughout the year even during the winter season. This has prevented nutrient uptake by the islands, thereby reducing their thickness, said Kangabam. Kangabam and co-authors of the study have flagged this reduction in thickness as a major concern for the Sangai. Oinam also pointed out that water pollution and resulting enrichment of nutrients, fuelled the growth of the aquatic weeds and led to the proliferation of the phumdis at a certain point in time after the barrage came up. Beset with dwindling water quality and ecosystem, the lake has been battleground between the LDA and a section of fishermen with both parties trading charges on who is responsible for destroying the wetlands. The fishermens union claims that in the name of cleaning the lake, the LDA is damaging lake while the authority alleges the fishermen and their floating huts are the ones harming the lake. According to activist and researcher Ram Wangkheirakpam of Indigenous Perspectives, the Loktak Protection Act requires a proper review for the fact that it does not conform to the requirement of the Ramsar Convention nor to the more recent National Wetland Convention Rules 2017. It is clear that this Act has been twisted to fit in certain kind of activities while putting traditional users as victims, Wangkheirakpam said. The article originally appeared on Mongabay.com. Sikh men use their turbans to rescue hikers in Canada Newspaper: What do we have on Armenia parliament fatal shooting case 3 years after change of power? Newspaper: All accused to remain in custody in Armenia ex-defense minister criminal case Istanbul changes name of street named after famous Armenian engineer again US supports Taiwan's participation in the United Nations' system Armenia's economic activity indicator continues to decline Armenia President Armen Sarkissian pays historic visit to Saudi Arabia Turkey's Erdogan: If Armenia "solves problems with Baku", there will be no other obstacle for normalization of relations Honorary Citizen of Yerevan title bestowed upon cultural figures on occasion of city's 2,803rd birthday Yerevan Council of Elders decides to place memorial plaques for four famous people Mayor: There are three times more vaccinated citizens in Yerevan than in the whole country Yerevan mayor: There is no alternative to conservation of trash chutes in apartment buildings Latvia President recovers from COVID-19 Armenia Health Ministry: Foreigners and stateless persons can receive AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines Tert.am: Resident of Armenia's Goris: Azerbaijanis stopped my car, hit it and used swear words Australian MP talks about Azerbaijan's aggression, calls for maintenance of ceasefire Yerevan mayor says he has never made exception for anyone since first day of office Armenia Deputy PM presents Government's Action Plan to ambassadors and representatives of international organizations Trade turnover between Eurasian Economic Union countries grows by 31.3% in eight months of 2021 armtimes.com: Armenia ruling party's candidate in Vedi is ex-governor of Ararat Province Garik Sargsyan MP says only 7% of Armenia's population is vaccinated Turkish FM threatens to resign due to scandal over ambassadors Armenia opposition MP: 11% increase of military budget is rather low indicator in post-war period Armenia removed from list of countries whose citizens are permitted to enter Italy Armenia emergency situations minister receives Poland Ambassador New generation business is founded in Armenia Ameriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees Armenian legislature speaker meets with Cyprus-Armenia parliamentary cooperation committee chair Aliyev, Erdogan attend groundbreaking of Zangezur corridor in occupied territories of Artsakh Driver of Armenia MOD truck runs over female pedestrian in Yerevan who dies at hospital China FM calls on US to lift sanctions against Afghanistan Armenia legislature concludes closed discussion of situation on line of contact with Azerbaijan Armenia former deputy PM, now MP Gevorgyan not ruling out petitioning to international courts to protect his rights Armenia Police: Criminal case is launched in regard to police beating citizen in front of his children's eyes Dollar stable in Armenia How 2 sisters died in Armenias Aragatsotn Province? Armenia opposition MP candidate not elected vice-chairman of parliamentary committee for ninth time Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan, ex-deputy PM and now MP Gevorgyan criminal case judge denies self-recusal motion Substitute for General Affairs of Holy See to visit Armenia Armenia PM sending deputy environment minister to Great Britain for 16 days Armenia Gegharkunik Province governor has new deputy Armenia PM dismisses head of one of divisions of Office of High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Armen Sarkissian: Armenia-Uzbekistan cooperation will be further strengthened through joint efforts Fotis Fotiou: Armenia-Cyprus-Greece trilateral relations are one of Cyprus' priorities Armenia parliament holding closed discussion on situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact Aliyev, Erdogan launch international airport in Artsakhs occupied Varanda-Fizuli Tense situation in Armenia parliament Government proposes to reduce Armenia citizenship application review period World gold prices dropping Armenia ex-President Kocharyan, former deputy PM and now MP Gevorgyan criminal case court hearing resumes 2 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Dead body of Armenia village girl, 11, taken to hospital Lawyer: Armenia military given time to either submit vaccination certificate or resignation from service World oil prices going up 1,517 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia State minister: It will be possible to reach final settlement of Karabakh conflict through long, difficult struggle Armenia official on reducing New Year holidays: I saw every day how unprepared we were for war Azerbaijan border issue to be discussed in Armenia National Assembly behind closed doors Russia MFA: Moscow is optimistic about prospects of investing in Armenia Armenia opposition MPs greet released fellow opposition lawmaker with applause in legislature 2 foreigners get lost in forest near Armenia lake 3 dead, 1 injured after SUV falls into gorge in Armenia Armenia parliament kicks off regular sessions Elephant tramples poacher to death in South Africa's famed Kruger National Park Newspaper: Amnesty to be declared in Armenia Newspaper: Opposition Armenia bloc to run in Vanadzor local elections? Famous Istanbul Armenian linguist is deported from Greece Erdogan renounces threats to expel ambassadors of 10 countries Official: Armenia universities to hold classes online, schools to extend autumn break for a week Commemorative fountain unveiled in memory of Armenia serviceman who fell in 44-day Karabakh war Armenia army's General Staff deputy chief's attorney on client's case over missiles, demands that they are fired Earthquake hits 8 km east from Armenia's Bavra, felt in Shirak and Lori Provinces China FM to meet with the Taliban in Qatar Armenia Parliament Speaker, Cyprus FM discuss issues on regional and bilateral agendas Armenia Parliament Council holds session, 18 items on agenda for plenary session on Oct. 26 Armenia Deputy Prosecutor General discusses nature protection rights in basin of Araks River and cooperation with Iran Armenia parliament sets up committee to lead probe into facts impeding fair trial Armenia Deputy PM Suren Papikyan visits Zangezur Copper-Molbydenum Combine Erdogan to leave for Azerbaijan to attend opening of airport in seized Varanda of Karabakh Armenia Parliament Speaker-led delegation meets with Cyprus defense minister Armenia Parliament Speaker holding meetings in Cyprus NATO Secretary General: Too early to comment on Turkey's decision to declare 10 countries' envoys 'persona non grata' Earthquake hits Armenia, felt in Gyumri, Spitak and Tashir Dollar goes up in Armenia Azerbaijan defense minister receives NATO delegation Iran, Armenia reach agreement on use of alternative routes for transport of goods EU is closely following situation created after Turkey decided to expel envoys Turkey offers Russia to join NATO Armenia National Security Service left several examinations incomplete in ex-defense minister case, says his lawyer Armenia Finance Ministry: Construction and industry might become main engine of economic growth in 2022 Finance minister: Armenia government national debt payment spending will continue to increase in 2022 Opposition 'Armenia' faction MP: Rallies and marches might be held sooner than Nov. 9 Azerbaijans levying of tolls from Iranian trucks is against trilateral agreement, says Iran ambassador to Armenia Direct passenger flights between Yerevan, Vilnius to kick off mid-December Artsakh offers to return Azerbaijani paintings in exchange for Armenian ones remaining in now-occupied Shushi Armenia ruling party, opposition ARF to run for post of Ijevan mayor One more person dies of coronavirus in Karabakh Artsakh state minister, US lawmaker discuss cooperation Armenia opposition MP, ex-defense minister: 'Unblocking of transport roads' will lead to deeper blockade Premier: Armenia has no intention to conquer territories The US President Donald Trump repeatedly tried to ban reporters because they ask questions that he considers impertinent, and their behavior is disrespectful, The Washington Post reported referring to several current and former officials from the presidential administration. At various moments throughout his presidency, Trump has sought to punish journalists for the way they ask him questions, the source said. These people shouting questions are the worst. Why do we have them in here? Trump said, according to an administration official. According to WP sources, Trump's senior aides resisted his orders and convinced the President that these steps could have unpleasant consequences and further complicate the relationship of the White House with the journalistic pool. Meanwhile, the White House took actions against CNN correspondent. On July 25, the White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins was not allowed to cover one of the events involving the US President Donald Trump. However, these move immediately provoked a wave of protest in all the media, including Fox News- Trumps favorite television network. Olivier Knox, president of the White House Correspondents Association said that the organization will challenge any further efforts by Trump to limit the access of journalists who "offend him. President of Italy Sergio Mattarella has arrived on a state visit to Armenia at the invitation of President Armen Sarkissian. Within the framework of his state visit, the Italian president will meet with Armenias top leadership, and he will be hosted by the Catholicos of All Armenians. Mattarella-led delegation will also visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial. The presidents of Armenia and Italy will attend the opening ceremony of the Armenian-Italian Cultural Heritage Preservation Center. Famous Armenian comedian Hayk Marutyan has been nominated for the post of Yerevan mayor by Civil Contract party, member of the party Alen Simonyan said on Sunday. The decision was made during the meeting of the Civil Contract party board. The party voted to choose the first number in their list. A body of six-year-old child who was killed in a fire in one of the Yerevan districts was found. The fire alert was received at 11 a.m. on Monday. It was reported that grass caught fire, and there is an injured person. The firefighters discovered a body of six-year-old child. Armenia will take partwith a four-member teamin NATOs Noble Partner 2018 multinational military drills in Georgia, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan said. These drills, in which more than 3,000 military servicemen will participate from NATO member and partner countries, will formally kick off Wednesday and conclude on August 15. Soldiers from Georgia, US, UK, Germany, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Armenia will partake in these military exercises. An Armenian citizen has died in a fire in Sochi, Russia. Armenias Emergency Situations Ministry established contact with the crisis management center of Russias Krasnodar Krai (region) where it was informed that one of the fire casualties was Armenian citizen Nirvard Harutyunyan (born in 1950). China develops a laser gun that can shoot down drones from 800 meters away China is now offering a laser weapon that can clear the skies of those pesky flying drones, an article in The Asia Times stated. Developed by the countrys biggest state-owned arms dealer, it can swat down small unmanned aerial vehicles at distances of up to 800 meters. The new laser is called Silent Hunter. It is developed by Chinese defense manufacturing company Poly Technologies, a subsidiary company of the China Poly Group Corporation that deals in missiles and other weapons. The parent company is known for selling weapons and auctioning artworks. Silent Hunter was described as a cutting-edge laser weapon intended for use by military and police forces alike. It is intended to defend an airspace against hostiles and to suppress terrorism. The laser can engage small, slow-moving aerial vehicles that are flying at low altitudes. It is powerful enough to burn through 10 millimeters of steel at a range of 800 meters. It has a claimed maximum range of 4,000 meters. It was one of the products at the International Exhibition of Weapons Systems and Military Equipment in Kazakhstan during March 2018. The Poly Technologies booth featured a simulated interception of its new product in action. In the display, Silent Hunter successfully shot down an airborne drone at a range of 300 meters. (Related: U.S. Military creating non-lethal laser that projects screaming balls of plasma in the air to scare enemies.) Chinese laser weapon can bring down drones used by terrorists and paparazzi During the defense fair, Poly Technologies spokespersons warned that aerial drones are carrying increasingly large payloads. These small UAVs can be acquired or even built by terrorists with growing ease. Terrorist drones could potentially be used to drop bombs, poison gas, or bioweapons on civilian targets. Poly Technologies promoted Silent Hunter as the best tool for police forces to stop terror attacks that use drones. The laser can shoot down terrorist drones, thereby preventing any potential aerial attack and ending hostile observation. In addition to police use, Silent Hunter will also serve as a tactical weapon for defending airspace from intruders. A civilian version will feature a weaker laser that will not destroy drones outright. Instead, the laser can jam the communication systems of its target, which prevents the drone from being controlled by its user. This reduced-capability version of Silent Hunter is being offered to celebrities, government officials, and other prominent people who wish to protect their privacy. It is intended to be used against the aerial drones employed by paparazzi to spy on their celebrity targets. Chinas laser weapons are getting more capable A 2017 article by U.K. military magazine Janes Defence Weekly reported that Silent Hunter was deployed during the 2016 G20 Summit held in China. The laser was used to secure the airspace of the venue from unauthorized drones. Silent Hunter has undergone significant improvements since its successful debut. The original version is a fixed emplacement made up of several modules that are assembled on site. Each module weighed no more than 200 kilograms to make it easier to haul around. Starting in 2017, the newer iteration can be fitted aboard a ground vehicle or a naval ship. The mobile version of Silent Hunter can fire while the vehicle is on the move. It can also track and engage multiple targets, taking just six seconds to shift from one target to another. Silent Hunter uses a new fiber-optic laser system instead of the more traditional chemical lasers. The strength of the laser beam can be adjusted from five, 10, 20, and 30 kilowatts. Each shot costs less than $1, and the entire system only consumes power when the laser opens fire. Learn more about the threat posed by aerial drones and lasers at NationalSecurity.news. Sources include: ATimes.com ArmyRecognition.com This has turned out to be another game-changing year for the legal marijuana industry. According to cannabis research firm ArcView, sales of legal pot in North America surged by 33% to $9.7 billion in 2017, and they're on pace to grow by an average of 28% per year through 2021. That'd put North American sales on track for almost $25 billion in annual sales by the end of 2021. But it's not just the sales figures that have enthusiasts and investors in awe. It's the progress being made at the legal level. On June 19, Canada's Parliament, after months of debate in the Senate, and just shy of two weeks of back-and-forth between the House of Commons and the Senate over bill C-45, passed the Cannabis Act. This marked the first time an industrialized country passed legislation to give recreational marijuana a green light. Per Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, sales are expected to begin on Oct. 17, 2018. A tipped over jar filled with cannabis, lying next to a clear scoop with a bud inside. Image source: Getty Images. Legalizing adult-use cannabis has its perks Giving the thumbs-up to adult-use pot comes with a number of possible perks. For example, the sale of recreational marijuana will carry an excise tax rate of roughly 10% of the per-gram price. Three-quarters of this collected tax will go toward provinces, with the remaining 25% headed to the federal government, according to a two-year tax-sharing agreement forged in December. In other words, the sale of recreational cannabis will be a tax boon for provinces and the federal government. Legalizing marijuana also means an influx of jobs in Canada. Not only will direct players benefit, such as growers, processors, distributors, and retailers, but the ancillary market could see its own job boom. Think about the role marketing and packaging companies will play in developing cannabis brands, or how financing companies will aid in providing capital for capacity expansion and hiring. More jobs might mean more income, which leads to a healthier economy. Story continues And, of course, there are the investors who hope to take advantage of the $5 billion in added sales that'll likely be generated by legalizing recreational marijuana in Canada. Here's who's worried about legalizing adult-use marijuana A lit cannabis joint in front of the Canadian red maple leaf. Image source: Getty Images. According to a recently released survey of more than 2,600 people by the National Post, a conservative publication, Canadians have serious concerns about the expediency with which legalization has been proceeding. The survey asked Canadian residents to agree or disagree with three statements: "We should delay the introduction of marijuana for up to a year because we're not ready for it to happen." "Our province has plans in place to deal with automobile drivers who have used marijuana." "I'm concerned that despite best efforts, there will be a large black market for lower priced marijuana." In total, 55% agreed that marijuana's legalization should be delayed by up to a year, with 60% of female respondents and 68% of seniors aged 55 and older agreeing with this statement. Comparatively, just 49% of males and 44% of those aged 18 to 34 agreed with the first statement. Overall, only 45% of respondents agreed that their province had regulations in place to deal with drivers who are under the influence of cannabis. Persons aged 18 to 34 were the only group where a majority of respondents (57%) believed driving under the influence plans are in place in their respective province. Lastly, 69% of all respondents are in agreement that the black market will be difficult to expel. This included 57% of young adults aged 18 to 34, as well as 85% of seniors aged 55 and over. As is consistent with most surveys on marijuana, seniors had a decidedly negative take on pot relative to younger adults. A police officer holding a breathalyzer device, with his patrol vehicle in the background. Image source: Getty Images. A lack of regulation and the black market are serious concerns While this poll isn't going to change Canada's recent vote to legalize marijuana, it does raise two very valid concerns about the legal pot industry. First, despite the passage of the Cannabis Act, legalization designed to broaden the authority of peace officers with regard to screening drivers for cannabis use and impairment has yet to be passed. This could put the public's safety at risk. Building on this point, measuring impairment is a lot harder to do with marijuana use compared to alcohol consumption. Alcohol stays in a person's system for less than a day, and a breathalyzer device can be used in determining a level of impairment via a blood alcohol content reading. The guidelines for alcohol impairment behind the wheel are pretty clear. But with marijuana use, there are no line-in-the-sand guidelines, and no approved breathalyzers, even though multiple companies have these products under development. Additionally, since tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can stay in a person's system for days or weeks, recency of use, and therefore impairment behind the wheel, becomes difficult to decipher. The second major concern here is that the black market may not relinquish sales as expected. Even though the excise tax rate is a mere 10%, black market providers aren't paying this tax, and don't have licensing fees or store rent to contend with. The gap in pricing between legal marijuana and black market pot might be wide enough to keep consumers in illicit channels. That'd be terrible news for the federal government, provinces, and investors. A street sign that reads, Risk Ahead. Image source: Getty Images. The big takeaway for investors So, what's the big point here? Namely, that with all of the unknowns associated with the rollout of recreational cannabis in Canada, we could very well see some choppiness in sales and demand after the Oct. 17 launch date. In many ways, marijuana stocks have been priced as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE: CGC), the largest marijuana stock by market cap, and the first pot company to uplist to the prestigious New York Stock Exchange, has seen its share price rise nearly 1,000% (on Canadian exchanges) over the trailing two-year period. Yet in spite of its $5.6 billion market cap, and 5.6 million square feet in eventual growing capacity, Canopy Growth Corp. might lose money in fiscal 2019. Since Canopy has been reinvesting every cent of operating cash flow, as well as diluting investors via bought-deal offerings in order to raise cash, any chance at meaningful profits are still a few years away. Canopy Growth's profit expectations could become even more strained if consumers don't move into legal channels as expected, or if Canada doesn't move quickly to pass resolutions to protect drivers. It's concerns like these, raised by Canadian citizens, that'll be paramount to monitor in the months and years that lie ahead. More From The Motley Fool Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. When he arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2011, Renee Mushaga was a helpless teenager, who had survived the unending war in his home country. Without the support of his family, whose whereabouts he did not know, Mushaga was taken to Rwamwanja refugee camp, Kamwenge district. However, having been a student, the 17-year-old was able to join a secondary school in Hoima, in senior three. Three years later, he joined Uganda Technical College Kyema in Masindi, where he was able to secure a diploma in mechanical engineering, specializing in metalwork. Today, he lives outside Kasese town with his Mukonjo fiancee, where he runs a metal workshop. South Sudanese refugees cooking in a camp in northern Uganda Mushagas story is part of a study by the dean of the school of Civil Service at the Uganda Management Institute, Dr Sylvester Kugonza. In his study, Dr Kugonza thinks Ugandas refugee framework needs to be improved to address some peculiarities. The refugee law of 1964 makes it illegal for anyone to host a refugee outside a camp. However, the 1994 arrival of thousands of refugees, fleeing the genocide in Rwanda and the subsequent troubles in Congo, brought several professionals into the country and these could not fit properly in the camps, he says. Many of these eventually found their way into the urban areas, where some are working. The circumstances under which many of these refugees work are usually vague. Some procure work permits, while others prefer to take advantage of Ugandas weak regulations to work under the radar, usually pretending to be indigenous Ugandans. This usually applies to those who are operating their own businesses or those in low-level jobs, such as agriculture, shoe repair, watch making or masonry. Dr Kugonza quotes UNHCR statistics, which show that by 2017, there were 68.5m displaced people around the world, the largest since the Second World War. Of these, Uganda hosts 1.5m. ORIGINS Uganda first started hosting refugees in 1942, when 80 Polish refugees were settled near the present-day Nyabyeya Forestry Institute in Masindi. The next major batch of refugees arrived in 1959 from Rwanda. Among them was a toddler, known today as Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda. Most of these have initially settled in various camps, around the country, where they have free access to vital services such as healthcare and education. Uganda has allocated 350 sq miles (900 sq km), almost the size of Buikwe district. On paper, the law provides that once the situation stabilizes, they should be able return to their countries of origin, but most never do. According to minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hilary Onek, that is how Ugandas refugee population has swollen to over 1.5million. If you look at the situation in South Sudan or DR Congo, it is not improving; these people cant go back, Onek says. And those who eventually start working here become economic migrants, technically posing as refugees. Minister Hillary Onek Onek says the peculiarities of the situation led to a request from cabinet for a review of Ugandas 2006 comprehensive refugee response framework. Our policy has been commended as the most progressive. But there is a need to integrate it into the national development plan and deal with some of the inconsistencies, he explains. We are considering a policy change, where refugees who return to their country, should not be allowed back in the same status, since they are not unsafe in their countries. They are no longer refugees. Onek is also aware that the way refugees are counted may be at question. As the number of refugees increases, the cost of hosting then has continued to rise. Pius Gumisiriza, a lecturer at the UMI, believes that Uganda is actually hosting only 800,000 refugees, and not twice that number, as the government states. Some of the refugees register several times, so that they can access more food, Gumisiriza said. These people are starving so they get children who they register several times so that they can get a card that entitles them to 10kg of maize for a family for three weeks that is how we end up with such a huge number of refugees. To this, Onek says the government is aware and is presently registering refugees. We are doing a comprehensive audit of all refugees, including their biometric data, so that we can tell how many we actually have, Onek says. The minister also wants the matter of naturalization for refugees who stay for longer than 20 years resolved. If you go to my district of Lamwo [in northern Uganda], we never had light-skinned people, but our residents find them in the refugee camp and intermarry, and suddenly we have a situation where these people are now part of us we need to resolve that, he said. Responding to the call, the chairperson of the UMI governing council, Francis X Lubanga, says the institute is ready to work with the ministry on this policy. We are ready to work with you, aware that government is encouraging evidence-based research in order to inform policy development for the good of all Ugandan residents, including refugees, he says. But all these issues seem so far away from Mushagas mind as he goes about his daily work in Kasese. His fiancee is expecting a child by the end of the year, and the prospect of returning to Congo seems far from his mind. The people here have been like family to me; so, I hope I can settle here, Mushaga says. mtalemwa@observer.ug President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has in a post on his Facebook page attacked the judges of the Constitutional court for rejecting the 7-year tenure for MPs and Local Government councils. Last week, the five justices; Justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo, Remmy Kasule, Cheborion Barishaki, Elizabeth Musoke and Kenneth Kakuru in separate judgments delivered at the Mbale High court quashed the constitutional amendment through which the term of office of the current parliament had been extended from 5 to 7 years. The judges said that the extension was erroneous and that the Constitution only provides for the extension of parliament during emergencies, even then, for only six months. The judges agreed that members of parliament erred in law and principle when they voted to extend their term of office and that of Local Governments without consulting the people of Uganda. The judges delivering their ruling last week The majority judgment means that unless it is successfully challenged in the Supreme court, the term of the 10th parliament will end in 2021 and not 2023 as the amendment stated. Now in his letter issued through his senior press secretary Don Wanyama, Museveni who is currently in South Africa says that it is unfortunate that the judges spend more time on form and not substance, on procedure and not substance. "My freedom fighter's sense of justice, in this matter (the age limit ruling) focuses more on the convenience of 7 years rather than 5 years. With the 5 years, a lot of time is spent on electioneering and less time on development; the 1st two years settling in, the 3rd year some work in the constituency and, then, by the 4th year, electioneering again," reads part of Museveni's letter. He further states that the judges are not the ones in charge of the country and if the NRM MPs follow his guidelines and bond closely with the people, through wealth and job creation, they can, together with the people, make the necessary constitutional reforms with or without court. "The Constitution should facilitate the modernization of Uganda and the economic and political integration of Africa for the survival of the people of Africa as free people, not just the theatre of democracy of form without addressing substance," Museveni further writes. He says that judges should have taken into consideration the recent Local Council 1 and Women Councils and Committee elections which gave massive victory to the NRM, soon after the age limit and the seven years' debate. Museveni opines that this was more or less a referendum since there was open participation by millions of Ugandans. "We shall harmonise and galvanize our position. The undemocratic age limit nonsense was clear. "Nibagaya Engabo oti mwihemu abagurusi? How can you say old soldiers should be disqualified when everybody's efforts are needed because the good soldiers are not enough?" he questions. Besides the rejection of the 7 year tenure, the Constitutional court upheld the amendment of the Constitution that lifted the cap on the presidential age with four of the five members of the panel saying that the amendment of Article 102 (b) of the Constitution did not contravene the Constitution, neither did it contravene parliament's rules of procedure. Officials in Mali say more than 700 polling stations were not able to operate during Sunday's presidential election because of attacks or threats of violence. Authorities said Monday the counting of ballots is underway, but said no ballots were cast at 716 polling stations representing just over 3 percent of the country's total because violence forced the stations to stay closed. The affected polling stations are located in the country's central and northern regions, areas that have already been troubled by Islamic extremism and ethnic unrest. Electoral officials count ballot papers at the polling station on July 29, 2018 in Bamako, during Malian presidential elections Reports of violence included election officials beaten up, ballot boxes burned and election supervisors stopped by armed groups from entering polling stations. Security was a central issue during the campaign in which President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is seeking a second term against 24 challengers. The government said the vote across much of the country was peaceful and was carried out in an orderly way. However, the disenfranchised voters could turn into a flashpoint for Mali if the result is close. Keita's main challenger is Soumaila Cisse, a former finance and economy minister, who lost against the president in the 2013 election. Cisse has already complained about the vote being disrupted, as well as possible election fraud. The international community is hoping for an overall successful presidential election in Mali. A positive outcome would help solidify a peace agreement between the government, pro-government forces and former Tuareg rebels in combating Islamic extremists in the largely lawless north. The atmosphere was calm in the capital but instances of violence were reported in other parts of the country. Voting was slow in the Malian capital Bamako. At 8am, there were very few people at the voting stations, in keeping with the low rate of voter card collection by the Bamako electorate. And some were even less lucky. "Im Eli Togo. I never got my voter card," says this voter. "I went to look for it, but it was not available. Thats a shame because I would have loved to cast my vote for my candidate. But let the best win and rule with love for our country in his heart." There also were other reasons why Malians could not vote. By early Sunday afternoon, there were reports of attacks in the north and central regions of the country. Timbuktu, Kidal and Mopti reported violent incidents that prevented some people from casting their votes. UNCLE MO, real name Moses Kiboneka, is a youthful engineer, actor and comedian whose satirical take on trending issues has turned him into an online sensation. It is quite easy to settle into bad sexual habits, especially as newlyweds, setting the pace for the rest of your marriage. Those are hard to break once the... Ooh rest in power girl! Reply Thread Link I often feel like celebrities (specially in movies and sports) get paid ridiculous amounts because producers/bosses are laundering money Reply Thread Link I don't follow Chinese media super closely but I got interested in her family while watching Idol Producer this spring since her brother was on there (and I'm 90% sure he's lying about his age, significantly lmao) lol they seem kind of shady to me if I'm entirely honest so tax evasion would not surprise me. Reply Thread Link Really Chengcheng is the only reason Im following this news lmao. idk why you think hes lying about his age he seems very childish to me. Reply Parent Thread Link He's hilarious, he seriously made that entire show LOL I went in expecting to not like any of the Yuehua kids since they're in such a privileged position compared to idols from other companies, but I really adore them. I just find it super odd that an alleged 17 year old (I know he turned 18 a couple days ago, but) would have like seven tattoos LOL and since he went to school in America for quite some time it'd be easier to get away with knocking a couple years off. Plus he just looks way older to me even though he does act like an annoying teenage boy (as many men do their entire lives lmao). I would not be surprised to find out he's actually like 19-21. Reply Parent Thread Link lol i that's my only reference on FBB now, as his sister. although all I cared for was Linong, Chengx2 was my second fav. everyone else was meh. Reply Parent Thread Link LOL his age would be the last thing people go after and I think C-netizens would call it out. There's been so many rumours about their family and one of the most recurring was FCC was FBB's son, not brother since she disappeared from the spotlight after doing My Fair Princess/Princess Pearl. I've seen many young Asian kids in my city getting tattoos underaged, so it's not impossible. Seems likely he got them when he was studying abroad in the US before he became a trainee. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Damn, I hope she's okay. Reply Thread Link The Chinese government are not anyone Id ever want to fuck with Reply Thread Link This. There are lesser crimes you could get away with but tax evasion?? Good luck leaving the country now Reply Parent Thread Link dual*, OP. Anyway, this is actually really interesting. I don't know too much about the Chinese entertainment industry but I definitely know who Fan Bingbing is. Tax evasion by the rich never fails to annoy me but this whole thing seems super shady. Hopefully she's okay and is just laying low or something. Reply Thread Link Thanks! Its super shady but actually I kind of feel like the article about the travel ban disappearing might be good for her? Because theyre not announcing anything official? idk Reply Parent Thread Link I hope she's okay Reply Thread Link Hair laid like fan bing bing is goals Reply Thread Link Im sorry WHAT Reply Thread Link is she..going to..like vanish or something scary :/ Reply Thread Link I like Fan BingBing and I hope she's okay. Reply Thread Link so she got in trouble for tax evasion? that is good, right? Reply Thread Link Not in China Reply Parent Thread Link apparently it's ok as long as you're chinese? what is this post Reply Parent Thread Link the chinese government can make people disappear so I wouldn't be down with pissing them off Reply Parent Thread Link why don't they go after their own government officials for corruption? my mom just read an article about how ppl are even faking flu vaccines to make a few bucks, like come on. Reply Thread Link tax evasion? jail ha Reply Thread Link Hope they allow sheet masks in jail cells Reply Parent Thread Link The fastest-growing oil region in the U.S. is fueling not only the second American shale revolutionits fueling a subculture of drug and alcohol abuse among oil field workers. The Permian shale play in West Texas is once again booming with drilling and is full of oil field workers, some of which are abusing drugs and alcohol to help them get through long shifts, harsh working conditions, and loneliness and isolation. Drugs are easily accessible in the Permian, which is close to highways and to Mexico. For oil field workers making six-figure salaries, money is not a problem to buy all kinds of illegal substances to shoot, snort and swallow to get through 24-hour-plus shifts. The physically exhaustive work also sometimes causes aches for workers, making them susceptible to getting hooked on prescription painkillers. The drug and alcohol abuse subculture in the Permian is a knownyet rarely reported or discussedissue in the most prolific U.S. shale play, where oil production is booming, and relentless drilling attracts oil field workers from all over Texas and all parts of the United States. In Midland, in the very heart of the Permian oil boom, The Springboard Centera drug and alcohol addiction treatment facilityhas many clients from the oil fields, Christopher Pierce, director of marketing for center, tells Rigzones Valerie Jones in an interview. We get a lot of clients who work in the oilfield because of where were located, says Pierce, 35, a former oil field worker, and a former addict. Pierce and The Springboard Center in Midland are now working on building a gated living camp community free of drugs or alcohol for people who want to be in a safe place. Related: The Three Best Oil Majors Of 2018 Oil workers are not speaking up at work about their addiction for fear of getting fired, Pierce said, adding that he doesnt have anything negative to say about the oil industry, which is the backbone of the economic growth in the Permian. Some oil field workers and contractors use drug cocktails or various substances depending on the condition they seek to achieve during their 24-hour-plus shifts. At the beginning of a long or overnight shift, they would use uppers like cocaine and methamphetamines, and finish the shift with downers such as prescription medication or alcohol, Kayla Fishbeck, regional evaluator for Prevention Resource Center Region 9, a data repository for 30 counties in West Texas, told Rigzone. In Region 9, the most screened drug last year was amphetamines and that was largely in the oilfield, she said. Thanks to the oil boom, the unemployment rate in Midland is at a record low 2.1 percent, and the unemployment rate in Odessa is also a historically low of 2.8 percent. According to law firm Sutliff and Stout, Midland and Odessa are the top two Texas cities for drunken-driving fatalities. We hear stories of guys getting off their shift, getting a six-pack or 12-pack on their way home and start drinking in their truck, Fishbeck told Rigzone. Related: The Most Important Waterway In The Oil World The Permians drug of choice is crystal meth, a stimulant increasingly supplied by Mexican drug cartels, according to law enforcement officials who spoke to the Houston Chronicle in May. There is a strong correlation between the rise of drilling activity and the number of crystal meth seizures by authorities in the Permian area, Houston Chronicles cross-analysis of data from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the rig count shows. Eddy Lozoya, a former oil field trucker and a recovering addict at 23, has recently found a job at a local department store selling shoes. At least for the next few months, he doesnt plan to return to the oil field. I dont see myself being able to work 100 hours a week sober, he told the Houston Chronicle. The oil field is tough. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Iraqs security troops have dispersed two sit-ins in southern Iraq, one at a key oil field, local media report. The field is West Qurna-1, one of the biggest in this part of the country. Iraqi News cited an unnamed source as saying that protesters had gathered at the field and at the provincial council in Basra and had started preparing for sit-ins before the security troops interfered and forcibly dispersed them. The sit-ins come a day after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on his Twitter account the firing of Electricity Minister due to poor performance. Blackouts are one of the reasons for the widespread protests that began three weeks ago in Basra and spread across Iraq. At least two previous electricity ministers, Deutsche Welle notes, have been accused of corruption. Besides corruption, protesters have cited unemployment, poor governance, and alleged Iranian interference in Iraqs internal affairs. Earlier this month, protesters gathered at three fields in southern IraqRumaila, West Qurna-1 and West Qurna-2but were quickly dispersed by the police. Related: Coke, Meth And Booze: The Flip Side Of The Permian Oil Boom The Basra province, where a lot of the protests are taking place, is home to Iraqs largest oil fields and accounts for more than 95 percent of the countrys state revenues thanks to oil exports. However, it is also as underdeveloped as most of the rest of Iraq, Al Jazeera notes in a recent overview of the protests, with chronic blackouts, lack of access to clean drinking water, and unemployment. In fact, what sparked the protests was a sudden cut in Iranian electricity supplies to Basra in early July. The cut came during a heat wave that prompted thousands of locals to take to the street, also prompting them to share their other grievances. According to Al Jazeera, Iran cut exports to force Baghdad to pay its dues for electricity supplied. Since then, protests have been growing despite efforts by the government to quash them and its promise to address the grievances. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Aramco is unlikely to suspend West-bound crude oil exports after the Houthi missile attacks against two Saudi tankers in the Bab el Mandeb strait, The National reports citing oil analysts. Riyadh announced that it would stop shipments via the chokepoint after the attacks, and this sparked worry that Saudi exports would be disrupted, raising prices. However, it is unlikely that Saudi Arabia would allow such a dent in exports. Overall Saudi export volumes should not be reduced by this decision, although there will be some short-term disruptions and the announcement has created concerns in the crude market and related areas such as shipping insurance, Richard Mallinson from Energy Aspects said. Some of the alternative routes that Saudi oil could be shipped through include the maritime route via the Horn of Africa, which is longer and more expensive, and the East/West Saudi pipeline to the Yanbu refinery on the Red Sea. From Yanbu, the crude could be shipped via the Suez Canal, Iman Nasseri from Facts Global Energy told The National. In any case, for a while Saudi exports to the West will be more expensive, but this should not be a major problem for Aramco. The company only ships around half a million barrels daily via the Bab el Mandeb chokepoint, compared to an average daily total of 6 million barrels. Related: Ford Starts Up $4B Autonomous Vehicle Unit Whats more, Saudi Arabia has built substantial oil inventories in Egypt that it can now use to keep its European clients supplied until the shipment suspension lifts. Bab el Mandeb is one of the most important oil chokepoints globally, accounting for as much as 5.8 million barrels of oil and oil productions daily as of 2016, and probably more today. While in the past the main risk in the area came from African pirates, the war in Yemen has added the risk of missile attacks from the Arabian Peninsula as well. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: OPECs oil production jumped to a 2018 high in July, as Saudi Arabia and its close Gulf allies boosted production, a Reuters survey showed on Monday. OPECs production was also increased due to the acceptance of a new member, the Congo Republic, which has been a member now for more than a month. According to the survey, OPECs crude oil production rose by 70,000 bpd from June to stand at 32.64 million bpd in Julythe highest production level for 2018 so far. At the end of June, Saudi Arabia and Russia had OPEC and its Moscow-led non-OPEC partners agree to cut compliance rates to 100 percent from the very high compliance of more than 150 percent in previous months. According to Saudi Arabia, the cut in compliance would translate into a production boost of around 1 million bpd by OPEC and its non-OPEC partners. The Saudis and their Gulf allies the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait, plus non-OPEC Russia, are basically the only oil-producing countries part of the deal capable of boosting their oil production. According to the Reuters survey, Saudi Arabias production in July so far has been 10.65 million bpd, up from 10.60 million bpd in June, but exports were close to Junes levels because the Saudis increased domestic use at power plants and refineries. Kuwait and the UAE have increased their respective production by 80,000 bpd and 40,000 bpd this month, following the OPEC+ decision to boost output. Production in Nigeria has also recovered after Shell lifted the force majeure on Bonny Light exports, and Iraq also increased its exports from the southern oil ports. Related: How U.S. Shale Flipped The Script In Global Oil Markets The biggest drop in production was in Iranby 100,000 bpd, as U.S. sanctions loom, serving as a deterrent for buyers, the Reuters survey found. The other OPEC members with drops in production were Venezuela, Angola, and Libya, according to the survey. OPECs compliance rate dropped to 111 percent in July from a revised 116 percent in June, still above the 100-percent compliance rate agreed upon at the June meeting. Saudi Arabia had opened the taps even before the agreement to ease the production cuts to respond to the high oil prices and supply disruptions, judging from OPECs Monthly Oil Market Report that showed the Saudis boosted their oil production in June by more than 400,000 bpd. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A visit from Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, to Washington last week resulted in an agreement between two of the biggest economic blocs in the world, which is a rare thing these days. It also marks a success for President Donald Trump, who famously claimed that trade wars are good and easy to win. The EU and the U.S. struck a preliminary deal on trade, which has the potential to prevent a major economic conflict between the allies and strengthen the transatlantic pact. Under the deal, Juncker declared that the EU will buy more products from the U.S., highlighting U.S. LNG as one key product in the agreement. A quick look at the economics of the global gas market, however, raises some serious questions about the viability of this agreement. Although the Juncker and Trump meeting represented a cooling of tensions between the transatlantic partners, the lack of details to have come out of the meeting so far does not fill observes with optimism. On the infrastructure side, Juncker declared that the EU would construct more facilities across Europe in order to import U.S. gas. This promise seems an odd one considering that three-quarters of Europes existing import facilities already lie empty. Furthermore, the U.S. is facing bottlenecks as liquefaction facilities cannot cope with surging production, which is likely to be solved in the coming years as more facilities are being constructed. It is highly unlikely that these U.S. facilities will serve European markets as LNG landing prices in Asia are significantly higher than those in Europe. Due to Chinas push for cleaner air, demand for gas is expected to rise significantly over the coming years. Furthermore, the market economy of the EU and the U.S. is based on a liberal economic model, raises questions about how these goals can realistically be achieved. As described above, the problem does not lie with infrastructure as there is more than enough capacity across Europe currently. During the Cold War, Russia built an extensive network of pipelines in Eastern Europe and, in recent years, several major projects have increased alternative routes and capacity to the northeast and southeast of Europe. Although recent geopolitical events have damaged Russias reputation as the most important supplier of natural gas to Europe, Moscow and Brussels remain perfectly positioned to collaborate in energy markets. Political differences aside, energy relations with Russia have been improving in the last couple of years, with 2017 being a record year in which a total of 193 bcm has been imported from Russia. Related: Oil Prices Slip As Rig Count Inches Higher Pipelines have proven more important than geopolitics in recent times. Russian natural gas is being traded for an average of $4.5 per million British thermal units, which is far lower than prices on alternative markets and LNG shipped gas (see figure below). Ben Beurden CEO of Royal Dutch Shell does not exclude U.S. gas, but it has to adhere to economic rationale: Will US LNG reach Europe? Yes, but only if there is an arbitrage opportunity to make sense. (Click to enlarge) The detente between the EU and the U.S. on trade is a welcome sign. The agreement, however, is weak and ill-defined, which extends the risk of a trade war indefinitely. Although both sides have pledged to work towards a more positive economic relationship, the deal itself stands on weak ground. Very few details have been worked out, and even those that have dont appear to make economic sense. Although the easing tensions between the western allies has been a welcome development, no tangible outcomes have materialized. Only time will tell how resilient this deal is going to be. By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil and gas rig workers started a 12-hour strike today at platforms in the North Sea operated by Total, in the latest industrial action by the employees who are in a dispute over pay and shifts with Frances oil and gas major. Some 45 workers at platforms in the UK North Sea began the 12-hour strike at 11:00 GMT today, a spokesman for the UKs biggest trade union, Unite, told Reuters. Currently, there are no talks planned with Total over the dispute causing the strikes, the spokesman noted. Last Monday, oil and gas rig workers staged a 24-hour strike at Totals oil and gas platforms Alwyn, Elgin, and Dunbar. The strike ended as planned early last Tuesday, but the platforms needed up to 24 hours to resume full production. Due to the strike, gas flows to the UK shores were disrupted last week, but stored crude oil was expected to offset any impacts on oil supply at a time when supply disruptions around the world abound, spare capacity is thinning, and another disruption is looming with the reduction of Irans oil exports with the return of the U.S. sanctions. The fields hit by the 24-hour strike account for some 10 percent of the UKs gas production. Crude oil production at Alwyn, Elgin, and Dunbar pumps up to 50,000 bpd to the Forties and Brent Blend crude streamsthe key components of the Dated Brent benchmark. The dispute arose after Total wanted to place workers at the platforms on a three-week rotation system instead of two. The dispute concerns the companys wage review and its plans to force workers to increase their offshore working time, Unite union said earlier this month, when it announced it would go on a strike. The 24-hour stoppages were planned to begin early morning local time on July 23, August 6, and August 20. The 12-hour stoppages were set to start at noon local time on July 30 and August 13. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Phuket, 30 July 2018 Amari Phukets Breeze Spa launches a special Mothers Day promotion to celebrate mothers month in Thailand throughout August 2018. Guests will receive a special 90-minute treatment of Jasmin N Melon product. Jasmine is a symbol of motherhood, and the treatment consists of a 60-minute body scrub and mask for an extra boost to reveal satiny smooth and refreshed skin, and a 30-minute back massage to help relax the muscles from tension and strain. The Mothers Day promotion is priced at 3,290 THB net (normal price is 4,350 THB net) per person. Guests will also receive a giveaway Jasmin product valued at 650 THB net to use at home with three products available for selection, including Jasmin N Melon Scrubbing Mask, Jasmin N Melon Shower Cream and Jasmin N Melon Hand & Nail Cream. Amari Phukets Breeze Spa is open daily from 11:00 to 21:00. For more information, please call +66 (0) 7634 0106-14 ext. 8809, email phuket@breeze-spa.com or visit www.breeze-spa.com/amari-phuket. Address: Amari Phuket, 2 Muen-ngern Road, Patong Beach, Kathu, Phuket 83150 Like a Bundt cake tin: The burner sits inside the jug of the kettle (view from above). Credit: ETH Zurich / Peter Balicki Szczesiak Students and a doctoral candidate at ETH Zurich have developed a camping stove with the flame on the inside, greatly reducing the negative effects of wind and heat loss. The new design was made possible by additive manufacturing. Summertime is camping time a perfect opportunity to give up our everyday luxuries for a while and instead cook a simple dinner on a gas camping stove. If only the gusts of wind would go away instead of constantly blowing out the flame on the stove. Now an ETH doctoral candidate and students from the ETH Zurich Design and Technology Lab and from the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) have developed a novel stove that can cope even in strong winds: a kettle shaped like a Bundt cake tin encloses a gas burner, protecting it from the wind. Practical tests on the mountaintop Meanwhile, other design features make the kettle extremely energy efficient: the wall of the gas burner is rippled, like a citrus juicer. "This increases the contact area between the flame and the jug," explains Julian Ferchow, the project leader and a doctoral student in ETH Professor Mirko Meboldt's group. "That," ETH student Patrick Beutler, who wrote his Bachelor's thesis on the project, adds, "plus the fact that the wall is very thin, makes heat transfer to the contents of the jug ideal." A prototype kettle jug and burner. Credit: ETH Zurich / Julian Ferchow The interior of the burner is also packed with engineering expertise: the gas nozzles are what are known as Venturi nozzles. "Their geometry causes a localised drop in pressure. This increases airflow, which improves the quality of the flame and boosts efficiency," says Ferchow. The researchers built a prototype of the kettle together with "inspire", the organisation at the interface of ETH Zurich and the Swiss mechanical industry. They call their kettle "PeakBoil". Appropriately, they tested the prototype this spring while on a ski tour of Santis, the highest mountain in the Alpstein massif in northeastern Switzerland. "It was windy and it was lots of trouble to get a conventional stove to work. But we had no difficulty heating water with our prototype," Ferchow says. The burner is rippled to increase its surface area; the complex interior structures enable efficient air and gas supply to the combustion chamber. Credit: ETH Zurich / Patrick Beutler Layer by layer PeakBoil's special design wouldn't be possible without additive manufacturing. Ferchow and his colleagues built the gas kettle layer by layer out of stainless steel using selective laser melting. In this technique, a layer of fine metal powder is spread onto a substrate plate. A computer-controlled laser beam then selectively melts the metal in a precise pattern. When the molten metal solidifies, it binds to the substrate plate. Then the next layer of powder is applied and locally melted. In this way, complex objects are built up from the base in layers each just one-thirtieth of a millimetre thick. "This technique gives us a huge amount of design freedom, which you just don't get with conventional manufacturing techniques; with metal casting, for instance, we could never achieve channels that are as thin as the ones inside our gas burner," Ferchow explains. Selective laser melting was originally developed as a fast way to manufacture prototypes. "Nowadays, this rapid prototyping technique is so mature that it can also be used for large-scale manufacturing," Ferchow says. Winners of a design prize PeakBoil recently won a prize in the 3-D Pioneers Challenge competition. An international jury of design experts and engineers honoured the kettle in the competition's Design category. According to its organisers, this competition, which is sponsored by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society of the German state of Thuringia, is one of the most generously endowed awards in the field of 3-D printing innovation. The prototype being tested. Credit: ETH Zurich / Julian Ferchow "The jury admired our idea for a resource-saving burner with a particular view to how the outdoor application we realised could serve as an example for industrial applications of additive manufacturing, which holds great potential," Ferchow says: "We can use PeakBoil as a demonstrator to show companies just what additive manufacturing is capable of and what you need to pay special attention to in your design." With further development, PeakBoil's design could be used in gas-fired tankless water heaters or even gas turbines. But first, Ferchow and his colleagues want to stick with their gas kettle and improve it in the Design and Technology lab, which is what they will spend their prize money on. "I think we should be able to further increase the efficiency of the burner by optimising the flows of gas and air. We also hope to find industry partners who will work with us to further develop the product," Ferchow says. Explore further A digital world you can touch Funerary goods are displayed in Meckenheim, Germany, Monday, July 30, 2018 during a press conference on a sarcophagus of the third century that was found in the German city of Zuelpich. (Oliver Berg/dpa via AP) Archaeologists say a 3rd century sarcophagus found in what is now western Germany contained the remains of a young Roman woman who was buried along with perfume bottles, a makeup palette and a silver hand mirror. The Landesmuseum in Bonn said Monday that the massive stone coffin contained an unusual wealth of beauty products, jet jewelry, pins and a folding knife with a handle in the shape of a Hercules figure. The 4 1/2-ton sarcophagus was discovered along the route of an ancient highway connecting the Roman empire settlements of Trevorum and Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensiumnow the German cities of Trier and Cologne. Archaeologists kept their discovery last year secret until further graves in the area had been investigated. Funerary goods are displayed in Meckenheim, Germany, Monday, July 30, 2018 during a press conference on a sarcophagus of the third century that was found in the German city of Zuelpich. (Oliver Berg/dpa via AP) A funerary good is displayed in Meckenheim, Germany, Monday, July 30, 2018 during a press conference on a sarcophagus of the third century that was found in the German city of Zuelpich. (Oliver Berg/dpa via AP) Explore further Archaeologists find ancient pottery workshop in Egypt 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The remains of an antique car collection lie in a fire devastated neighborhood near Redding, California, as firefighters from across the country battle a blaze known as the Carr fire The death toll in California's wildfires rose to seven as shaken survivors recounted the horror of watching fast moving flames whip through neighborhoods and devour their homes. An army of firefighters from across the country struggled in California Monday to control 17 large-scale blazes that have reduced expensive homes to smoldering piles of rubble, and turned tens of thousands of acres into ashen wastelands. "I've been a lifelong resident of this community, and I've never seen a fire with such destruction here in this area ever before," said Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty commenting on the Carr fire, one of the largest. Alyce Macken said she had only minutes to flee her home in the town of Redding with her husband Ted as the flames swept closer. "At six o'clock in the morning there was a knock on the door, a pounding, and it was the sheriff telling us that we had 15 minutes to get out," Macken told AFP. "We were out in 10 minutes. I was shaking, it just went by really fast." Macken, who is retired, told AFP that she met other panic stricken neighbors at a nearby shopping centerand watched from afar as her home went up in flames. "It was almost like a tornado with fire in it and it came over the hill and it wiped out our house, it wiped out our next door neighbor's home," she said. Some 38,000 people have been evacuated in Shasta County due to the Carr fire, officials said. A thick smoke haze covered a large segment of northern California, severely limiting visibility and contributing to breathing problems. According to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), 12,000 firefighters from as far away as Florida and New Jersey have deployed across the state. Firefighter dies near Yosemite A firefighter identified as Brian Hughes died on Sunday while battling the Ferguson Fire, which is near Yosemite National Park. A map of California updating with the sites of major forest fires Hughes "was struck and killed by a tree" while fighting the blaze, the Sequoia and Kings National Parks Service said. "We grieve his loss," they wrote on Twitter. The remains of a person who ignored Carr fire evacuation orders was found in a burned out residence on Sunday, said Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko. Two firefighters were killed earlier battling the Carr blaze and three peoplea 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren aged four and fiveperished when their Redding home was swallowed up by flames. Firefighters and police are searching for seven people reported missing, Bosenko said. He also said that 600 National Guard soldiers had been deployed to help in support duties such as roadblocks. 'Just unbelievable' Donna and Billy Gill were forced to flee their Redding home and did not know when they would be allowed to return. "Just the not knowing is probably the hardest part," Donna Gill told the Redding Searchlight newspaper. "This is just unbelievable. I don't know. You don't know what to say. We're all in it together, that's for sure." Redding police chief Roger Moore warned that looting has become a problem since evacuations began. "Everyone we come into contact in those neighborhoodsif they don't have a legitimate reason to be there, if we don't arrest them for looting they'll be arrested for something else," he said. Two people, a man and a women, were later arrested on suspicion of looting evacuated homes in Redding. The alleged burglars were tracked down and found with electronic items stacked by their front door, the sheriff's department said. One evacuee who had been forced to move four times warned that a 14-foot long albino python that she owned was lost at her latest stop in south Redding. Kambryn Brilz, 12, holds her dog Zoe in front of what remains of her burnt home in Redding, California "Eres is a beautiful, friendly snake," said Sandra Dodge-Streich, the owner of Redding Reptiles, on Facebook. "She is part of our store family and Reptile Exhibit. Please don't be afraid of hershe is lost and scared!" Feeling 'optimistic' The Carr fire covers more than 95,000 acres and was just 17 percent contained, the state authority Cal Fire said late Sunday. Nevertheless authorities "are very encouraged with the fire status" in Redding, said Cal Fire incident manager Bret Gouvea. "We're feeling a lot more optimistic... as we're starting to make up some ground instead of being on the defensive," he told reporters. Gouvea however said he was wary of unpredictable weather. The National Weather Service issued a "Red Flag" warning for the Shasta county area through Monday morning, warning of low humidity and possible strong gusts of wind. It described the Carr blaze as "a large and dangerous" fire "in which spreading is not driven by the wind, but rather the fire itself." Dangerous and irregular fire-generated wind "and fire induced whirlwinds are possible ... threatening life and property," it said. California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Shasta County, as well as in the counties of Lake, Napa and Mendocino. US President Donald Trump earlier signed an emergency declaration to make federal aid available to county authorities. 2018 AFP French schoolchildren will have to leave their smartphones switched off or at home as the new academic year begins in September, after lawmakers voted for a ban on Monday. The ban on smartphones, tablets and other connected devices, which will apply to pupils up to the age of 14-15, fulfils a campaign promise by centrist President Emmanuel Macron, while being derided as "cosmetic" by the opposition. MPs of Macron's centrist LREM party and its allies gave final approval to the bill, while lawmakers on the left and right abstained from the vote, calling the law a "publicity stunt" that would change nothing. Under the new law, schools may make exceptions for "pedagogical use", extra-curricular activities, or for disabled pupils. Secondary schools for their part can decide individually whether to impose a partial or total ban on connected devices. A previous law, passed in 2010, already prohibited smartphone use during class. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said the earlier law did not apply across the board and lacked teeth, while the new law moves France "into the 21st century". "It sends a message to French society" as well as countries around the world, he said. Nearly nine in 10 French teens aged 12 to 17 own a smartphone. Explore further France closes in on phone ban in schools starting in September 2018 AFP The unprecedented temperatures seen over Summer 2018 are a sign of things to come, and are a direct result of climate change, according to new Oxford University research. Credit: Shutterstock The unprecedented temperatures seen over Summer 2018 are a sign of things to comeand a direct result of climate change, according to new Oxford University research. In the newly published report, researchers from the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at the School of Geography and Environment, Oxford University, who worked in collaboration with the World Weather Attribution network (WWA), reveal that climate change more than doubled the likelihood of the European heatwave, which could come to be known as regular summer temperatures. Dr. Friederike Otto, Deputy Director of the ECI at the University of Oxford, said: "What was once regarded as unusually warm weather will become commonplace in some cases, it already has." The research compares current temperatures with historical records at seven weather stations in northern Europe two in Finland, one each in Denmark, the Irish Republic, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. These stations were selected because current temperature data could be accessed in real time, and they possess digitised records extending back to the early 1900s. The scientists also used computer models to assess the impact of man-made climate change. For each year in the historical record, the team looked at the hottest consecutive three-day period. For 2018, it was the hottest three days of the year so far either observed or in the short-term forecast. The findings show that the planet is definitely heating up, and for some of the weather stations, current temperatures are unprecedented in the historical record. "We found that for the weather station in the far north, in the Arctic Circle, the current heat wave is just extraordinary unprecedented in the historical record," said Dr. Geert Jan van Oldenborgh, Senior Researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI). "And while that is a striking finding, it's hard for us to quantify the increase in likelihood accurately because summer temperatures vary a lot from year to year, making it impossible to estimate the trend from the observations. The same is true for the other three northern stations. "But for the three stations further south in the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland the historical record does allow us to make a calculation, and it shows that climate change has generally increased the odds of the current heatwave more than two-fold." The findings show that for the three stations further south in the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland climate change has more than doubled the likelihood of the current heatwave. Of these three stations, the one showing the lowest increase in likelihood due to anthropogenic climate change is Dublin, with a factor of 1.2-3.3 and a best estimate of 2. For Copenhagen the odds have increased by a factor 2.4-12, with a best estimate of 5; and for De Bild (Netherlands), 1.6-16, best estimate 3.3. For the four stations further north, observations and models indicate an increase in likelihood, but it has much harder to quantify. The team stress that the report is based on preliminary analysis, and since it being published before the end of the Summer 2018 heatwave, the definition of the period as an 'extreme event' is based on forecast temperatures rather than actual quantitative results. These more robust measures can only be collated after the summer has ended. However, the team say the potential environmental and social implications of the findings are undeniable and that action should be taken sooner rather than later. Dr. Otto explains: 'this is something that society can and should prepare for but equally there is no doubt that we can and should constrain the increasing likelihood of all kinds of extreme weather events by restricting greenhouse gas emissions as sharply as possible." The WWA team plans to publish these results formally in a scientific journal. This will form part of a more in-depth analysis of this extraordinary summer; the team will also assess whether climate change played a role in the prolonged high pressure seen in northern Europe since May, and if so, to what extent. Previous published studies by the group have shown that climate change increased the chances of the heavy rainfall experienced in northern England in the 2015-16 winter and in Houston due to hurricane Harvey, and that climate change has not changed the likelihood of the 2014 Sao Paolo drought. More information: Attribution of the 2018 heat in northern Europe. Attribution of the 2018 heat in northern Europe. www.worldweatherattribution.or -in-northern-europe/ Credit: Villanova University Two Villanova University astrophysics professors led a research team that has discovered the long hidden physical properties of Polaris, popularly known as "The North Star." Until now, scientists' wide-ranging estimates of the star's distance from the Earth (322-520 light years), made determining its physical makeup difficult. But, equipped with precise distance measurements recently made by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia Mission (447+/- 1.6 light years), the Villanova team has been able to determine Polaris's radius, intrinsic brightness, age and mass. Polaris is our nearest Classical Cepheid, one of a rare and important class of very luminous supergiant stars that pulsate. The relation between intrinsic brightness (luminosity) and pulsation period permits Cepheids to be used as "standard candles" for measuring the distances to galaxies both near and far. "The previous large uncertainty in the distance to Polaris was a real impediment to pinning down the properties of our nearest (and dearest) Cepheid. The Gaia Mission measured its distance to better than one-half percent," said Guinan. "Working with a precise distance measurement opens up new paths for research into the structure and evolution of Polaris and other Cepheids." The research team, consisting of principal investigators Research Assistant Professor Scott Engle, Ph.D., and Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Edward Guinan, Ph.D., in Villanova's Department of Astrophysics and Planetary Science, as well as Petr Harmanec, DrSc., from the Astronomical Institute at Charles University, Prague, CZ, published its findings in the July 16 issue of Research Notes of The American Astronomical Society. The article, "Toward Ending the Polaris Parallax Debate: A Precise Distance to Our Nearest Cepheid from Gaia DR2," explains the importance of this breakthrough for further study of Polaris, which it says, "serves as an important astrophysical laboratory" for studying stellar pulsation, Cepheid properties, evolution and structure." "Our study of Polaris provides a clearer understanding of Cepheid variable stars as a class," continued Guinan. "Cepheids are fundamentally important for determining the distances to galaxies and the expansion rate of the universe. All but a few are too far away to determine their fundamental physical properties with the precision now provided by Polaris." "It's always exciting when new technology or tools are able to settle old debates," said Engle. "Cepheids are such fundamentally important stars to begin with, and Polaris in particular has long been of great interest. Determining its distance and stellar properties with such precision is exciting in regard to the star itself, but is a great example of what further studies can be expected with the current (and future) Gaia data." Explore further Astronomers clash over the distance to the famed North Star More information: Scott G. Engle et al. Toward Ending the Polaris Parallax Debate: A Precise Distance to Our Nearest Cepheid from Gaia DR2, Research Notes of the AAS (2018). Scott G. Engle et al. Toward Ending the Polaris Parallax Debate: A Precise Distance to Our Nearest Cepheid from Gaia DR2,(2018). DOI: 10.3847/2515-5172/aad2d0 During a special one-day run, LHC operators injected lead "atoms" containing a single electron into the machine. Credit: Maximilien Brice/Julien Ordan/CERN Protons might be the Large Hadron Collider's bread and butter, but that doesn't mean it can't crave more exotic tastes from time to time. On Wednesday, 25 July, for the very first time, operators injected not just atomic nuclei but lead "atoms" containing a single electron into the LHC. This was one of the first proof-of-principle tests for a new idea called the Gamma Factory, part of CERN's Physics Beyond Colliders project. "We're investigating new ideas of how we could broaden the present CERN research programme and infrastructure," says Michaela Schaumann, an LHC Engineer in Charge. "Finding out what's possible is the first step." During normal operation, the LHC produces a steady stream of protonproton collisions, then smashes together atomic nuclei for about four weeks just before the annual winter shutdown. But for a handful of days a year, accelerator physicists get to try something completely new during periods of machine development. Previously, they accelerated xenon nuclei in the LHC and tested other kinds of partially stripped lead ions in the SPS accelerator. "This special LHC run was really the last step in a series of tests," says physicist Witold Krasny, who is coordinating a study group of about 50 scientists to develop new ways to produce high-energy gamma rays. Accelerating lead nuclei with one remaining electron can be challenging because of how delicate these atoms are. "It's really easy to accidentally strip off the electron," explains Schaumann. "When that happens, the nucleus crashes into the wall of the beam pipe because its charge is no longer synchronised with the LHC's magnetic field." During the first run, operators injected 24 bunches of "atoms" and achieved a low-energy stable beam inside the LHC for about an hour. They then ramped the LHC up to its full power and maintained the beam for about two minutes before it was ejected into the beam dump. "If too many particles go off course, the LHC automatically dumps the beam," states Schaumann. "Our main priority is to protect the LHC and its magnets." After running the magnets through the restart cycle, Schaumann and her colleagues tried again, this time with only six bunches. They kept the beam circulating for two hours before intentionally dumping it. "We predicted that the lifetime of this special kind of beam inside the LHC would be at least 15 hours," says Krasny. "We were surprised to learn the lifetime could be as much as about 40 hours. Now the question is whether we can preserve the same beam lifetime at a higher intensity by optimising the collimator settings, which were still set-up for protons during this special run." Physicists are doing these tests to see if the LHC could one day operate as a gamma-ray factory. In this scenario, scientists would shoot the circulating "atoms" with a laser, causing the electron to jump into a higher energy level. As the electron falls back down, it spits out a particle of light. In normal circumstances, this particle of light would not be very energetic, but because the "atom" is already moving at close to the speed of light, the energy of the emitted photon is boosted and its wavelength is squeezed (due to the Doppler effect). These gamma rays would have sufficient energy to produce normal "matter" particles, such as quarks, electrons and even muons. Because matter and energy are two sides of the same coin, these high-energy gamma rays would transform into massive particles and could even morph into new kinds of matter, such as dark matter. They could also be the source for new types of particle beams, such as a muon beam. Even though this is still a long way off, the tests this week were an important first step in seeing what is possible. Explore further Xenon in the Super Proton Synchrotronfirst tests for a photon factory UNESCO established the "Memory of the World" program to promote the preservation of important historical documents globally. However, this program's validity has been questioned in the wake of controversy over the inclusion of documents about the Nanjing Massacre, with China asserting the global historical importance of these documents but Japan questioning their authenticity and the capacity of UNESCO to appropriately evaluate documents for potential inclusion in this program. In a new paper published in the journal Contemporary Politics, Ryoko Nakano from the Faculty of Law at Kanazawa University sheds light on this controversy from a novel perspective. She analyzes the background of the establishment of this UNESCO program and the form in which it is currently administered, and proposes that a failure to consider and accommodate the tension between universal, global and individual-state-led approaches to heritage and history is at the root of the program's current difficulties. The "Memory of the World" program deals specifically with preserving documents and works of art from all over the world. One of its aims is to encourage states to revisit their own history and redefine it in ways that enable a single, universal history of humankind to be established. The inclusion of documents about the Nanjing Massacre in the "Memory of the World" register has drawn attention and criticism of this program, particularly from Japan. This incident, which occurred in 1937-1938, is acknowledged to have involved a large number of deaths of Chinese at the hands of Japanese soldiers, but there is disagreement between the two countries about the number of those killed and the overall significance of the event for global and in particular East Asian history. Professor Nakano asserts that deficiencies in the current set-up of the "Memory of the World" program are at the heart of this controversy. She says that these deficiencies can be understood by focusing on the tension between "solidarist" forces that led to the establishment of the program, associated with efforts to promote a common global heritage with an emphasis on human rights, and "pluralist" forces maintaining that individual states have a right to sovereignty, including in framing their own histories. "The failure to resolve the tension between solidarist and pluralist forces has brought the legitimacy of the whole 'Memory of the World' program into question," Professor Nakano says. "This failure is based on factors such as the absence of a treaty or convention on which this program is based, a lack of means for negotiation or objection to nominated 'memories' or documents by state members of UNESCO, and a lack of expertise on East Asia in the assessment panels." The professor claims that efforts to alleviate this tension, such as by providing more scope for state participation and increasing the transparency of the process by which nominated documents are judged to warrant inclusion in the program, will strengthen it and its ability to continue to defend the world's documentary heritage. More information: Ryoko Nakano, A failure of global documentary heritage? UNESCO's 'memory of the world' and heritage dissonance in East Asia, Contemporary Politics (2018). Ryoko Nakano, A failure of global documentary heritage? UNESCO's 'memory of the world' and heritage dissonance in East Asia,(2018). DOI: 10.1080/13569775.2018.1482435 Researchers release a balloon carrying instruments to measure ozone levels above Antarctica. Credit: Kelli-Ann Bliss/NOAA, CC BY The headlines in recent months read like an international eco-thriller. At Mauna Loa Observatory, perched high on a Hawaiian volcano, researchers measure unusual levels of CFC-11 in the atmosphere. The measurements baffle the scientific community: CFC-11, a potent ozone-depleting gas, has been carefully monitored since it was banned under the 1987 Montreal Protocol. But the measurements are soon confirmed by observing stations in Greenland, American Samoa and Antarctica. The evidence points to illegal production of the banned chemical, threatening the fragile recovery of Earth's UV-shielding ozone layer. But the identity of the environmental super-villain remains a mystery. Then, a breakthrough. By running global climate models backwards, a team of scientists in Boulder, Colorado, trace the source of CFC-11 to East Asia. The trail is picked up by the Environmental Investigation Agency, a tiny activist organisation based above a coffee shop in Islington, London. EIA dispatches investigators to China and uncovers rampant illegal production of CFC-11 for insulation foam used in the Chinese construction industry. "This is an environmental crime on a massive scale," says Clare Perry, EIA's climate campaign leader. Meanwhile, scientists and diplomats from around the world converge on Vienna for a meeting of the United Nations working group on the Montreal Protocol. EIA's blockbuster report is high on the agenda. But can the international community band together once more to protect the ozone layer and save "the world's most successful environmental treaty?" The 1981 Slip! Slop! Slap! ad campaign by Cancer Council Victoria (Australia). A model of cooperation The last time the ozone hole was front-page news, President Ronald Reagan was still eating jelly beans in the Oval Office. In 1985 British scientists announced the discovery of a shocking decline in atmospheric ozone concentrations high above Antarctica. The "ozone hole," as it became known, was caused by ozone-eating chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used as refrigerants in air conditioners and propellants in aerosol spray cans. The discovery galvanised public opinion, particularly over concerns about the risk of skin cancer, cataracts and sunburn associated with increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation. In Australia and New Zealand, popular ad campaigns featuring a dancing seagull encouraged the beach-goers to "Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat!". Although many uncertainties over the science remained which were eagerly exploited by the chemical industry President Reagan recognised the danger posed by the ozone hole and vigorously backed international negotiations to ban CFCs, including CFC-11. On January 1 1989, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer became law. In his signing statement, Reagan heralded the Montreal Protocol as "a model of cooperation" and "a product of the recognition and international consensus that ozone depletion is a global problem." It remains his signature environmental achievement. Darryn Waugh on the ozone threat. An enduring impact on Earth's climate Three decades after Montreal, the ozone layer is showing signs of recovery. In January 2018, a NASA study found that the ozone hole was the smallest it had been since 1988, the year before the Montreal protocol went into effect. But a full recovery will take decades. "CFCs have lifetimes from 50 to 100 years, so they linger in the atmosphere for a very long time," said NASA scientist Anne Douglass, one of the authors of the study. "As far as the ozone hole being gone, we're looking at 2060 or 2080." In the meantime, CFCs continue to impact Earth's climate in some unexpected ways. CFCs are powerful greenhouse gases, with more than 5,000 times the warming potential of an equivalent weight of carbon dioxide. It is estimated that banning CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals has delayed global warming by as much as a decade. However, those gains are threatened by the ozone-friendly, but heat-trapping, chemicals that have replaced CFCs in our air conditioners and insulation. The latest amendment to the Montreal Protocol will phase out the use of this new class of chemicals by 2028. Even more surprising is the complex influence of the ozone hole on Earth's atmosphere and oceans. The loss of UV-absorbing ozone over the South Pole has changed the pattern of winds around Antarctica. Strengthened winds blowing over the Southern Ocean draw more deep water towards the surface, where it is "ventilated" by contact with the atmosphere. Lessons from the World Avoided: Dr Sean Davis at TEDx Boulder 2017. Deep Antarctic water is rich in carbon, making it a poor absorber of atmospheric CO. That means that the ocean has become less efficient at removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reducing its ability to offset global warming. Lessons from a world avoided The success of the Montreal Protocol holds lessons for today's efforts to confront human-induced climate change. Vigorous leadership by Reagan and the then British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, a trained chemist, was crucial during the negotiations of the treaty. The protocol began modestly and was designed to be flexible so that more ozone-depleting substances could be phased out by later amendments. Developing countries were also provided with incentives and institutional support to meet their compliance targets. But perhaps the most important lesson is the need for action, even when the science is not yet conclusive. "We don't need absolute certainty to act," says Sean Davis, a climate scientist at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "When Montreal was signed, we were less certain then of the risks of CFCs than we are now of the risks of greenhouse gas emissions." Explore further Report accuses China firms over ozone-depleting gas This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. The solar wind blows past Earth in this illustration. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio/Greg Shirah This summer, humanity embarks on its first mission to touch the Sun: A spacecraft will be launched into the Sun's outer atmosphere. Facing several-million-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, NASA's Parker Solar Probenamed after Eugene Parker, the University of Chicago physicist who first predicted the solar wind's existencewill directly sample solar particles and magnetic fields in an attempt to resolve some of the most important questions facing the field of solar science today. Among those questions: What is the origin of the solar wind and how is it accelerated to speeds of up to 1.8 million miles per hour? The solar wind fills our entire solar system. When gusts of solar wind arrive at Earth, they can set off dazzling aurorabut also expose astronauts to radiation, interfere with satellite electronics, and disrupt communications signals like GPS and radio waves. The more we understand the fundamental processes that drive the solar wind, the more we can mitigate some of these effects. In 1958, Parker developed a theory showing how the Sun's hot coronaby then known to be millions of degrees Fahrenheitis so hot that it overcomes the Sun's gravity. According to the theory, the material in the corona expands continuously outwards in all directions, forming a solar wind. A year later, the Soviet spacecraft Luna 1 detected solar wind particles in space, and three years after that, the observations were confirmed by NASA's Mariner 2 spacecraft. All those years ago, Mariner 2 detected two distinct streams of solar wind: a slow stream travelling at approximately 215 miles per second and a fast stream zipping through space at twice that speed. Then, in 1973, the origins of the fast solar wind were identified. X-ray images of the corona taken from Skylabthe U.S.'s first manned space stationrevealed that the fast wind spews from coronal holes, which are dark, comparatively cool regions on the Sun. "The slow solar wind is, in many respects, a larger mystery," said Jim Klimchuk, solar physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "It offers great promise for revealing fundamental new understanding." Dark coronal holes rotate into view in this image of the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO The origins and acceleration mechanisms of the slow solar wind remain mysterious. It is a matter of a decades-long fierce debate between scientists. But we're not without clues. NASA's Ulysses mission, launched in 1990 to fly around the Sun's poles, observed that during periods of minimum solar activity, the slow solar wind is confined to the Sun's equatorright where Parker Solar Probe will fly. As the solar cycle progresses toward its maximum, the structure of the solar wind changes from two-distinct regimesfast at the poles and slow at the equatorto a mixed, inhomogeneous flow. The debate about the origins of the slow solar wind hinges on a distinction between what's known as the closed and open corona. The closed corona refers to regions of the Sun where its magnetic field lines are closedthat is, connected to the solar surface at both ends. Bright helmet streamerslarge loops that form over magnetically active regions, shaped like a knight's pointy helmetare one such example. The plasma, or ionized gas, travelling along the closed loops of a helmet streamer is for the most part confined to the area near the Sun. The open corona, on the other hand, refers to regions where the magnetic field lines anchor to the Sun at only one end, stretching out into space on the other, thus creating a highway for solar material to escape into space. Coronal holesthe cooler regions at the source of the fast solar windare the habitat of open field lines. By the time the slow solar wind leaves the solar corona, it is also flowing on open magnetic field lines, as that's the only way to get so far from the Sun. But theories differ on whether it started off there, or was instead born on closed field lines only to switch to open field lines somewhere along the way. The expansion factor theory, for example, claims the slow solar wind originates on open field lines, just like the fast wind. Its (comparatively) slow speed results from the expanding path it takes on its way out of the corona, as magnetic field lines skirt the borders of helmet streamers. Just as water coursing through a pipe slows to a trickle as the pipe expands, plasma traveling along these widening magnetic paths slows down, forming the slow wind. Closed magnetic field lines loop back to the Sun to form helmet streamers, surrounded by open field lines that reach out into space, as depicted in this illustration. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Lisa Poje/Genna Duberstein Other theories claim the slow solar wind originates on closed field lines and later switches to open field lines. Accordingly, the slow wind forms when the open field lines from coronal holes bump into the closed field lines at the edges of helmet streamers, explosively rewiring themselves in an event called magnetic reconnection. Like a train changing tracks after the operator flips a switch, the plasma formerly on the streamer's closed field lines suddenly finds itself on an open field line, where it can escape out to space. The idea that slow solar wind plasma was once on closed field lines is supported by evidence that it once faced the kinds of extreme heating we know happens there. "It's not about the temperature of the plasma when we measure it; it's about the temperature history of that plasma," said Aleida Higginson, a University of Michigan research scientist working at Goddard. "We can tell that the slow solar wind was much hotter in the past." In addition, the particular mix of elements that make up the slow solar wind matches well with those seen in the closed coronabut not with plasma that we know has always been on open field lines. Current efforts to test these theories by spacecraft near Earth are stymied by the great distance between their measurements and the solar wind's origins (a lot can happen in 93 million miles). The key is getting close up, tracing the solar wind back to its sourceand Parker Solar Probe will do just that. "If we can measure the slow solar wind, and find it comes from the boundary between open and closed magnetic fields, then that supports the idea that magnetic reconnection gives rise to the slow solar wind," Klimchuk said. Parker Solar Probe's instruments will collect downstream evidence of magnetic reconnectiona tell-tale sign that the closed-field-to-open-field theory is at play. Specific kinds of reconnection twist the resulting magnetic field in different ways, and Parker's instruments will measure the twists in these fields early on, before they have had much time to be distorted. In addition, close-up images of the nascent solar wind will tell us how coronal structures evolve as they propagate outward. This will help us answer a long-standing question whether the solar wind is a continuous or intermittent flow. For scientists who crave data to test their theories, accurate measurements of the solar corona's magnetic fields will be invaluable. "That's why Parker's mission is so important," Higginson said. "It all traces back to understanding the detailed magnetic structure on the Sun." Explore further Send your name to the sun aboard NASA's Parker Solar Probe Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new tool is drastically changing the face of chemical research artificial intelligence. In a new paper published in Nature, researchers review the rapid progress in machine learning for the chemical sciences. Almost every technological advance in human history is accompanied by the discovery or development of new materials, from the blending of copper and zinc to form bronze to the fabrication of high-quality silicon microchips that power digital technology. Designing materials for a specific demand is a mind-boggling task; a random mix-and-match of atomic building blocks could yield any one of an infinite number of possible compounds. Historically, the discovery of materials has involved a combination of chance, intuition, and trial and errorbut this could all be set to change thanks to artificial intelligence. An international team of scientists from the UK and the USA, including Ph.D. student Daniel Davies from the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies and Department of Chemistry, published a review on the growing potential of machine learning for chemical design. Daniel said: "Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence where computers are programmed by learning from data. These methods have been around for a while, used extensively by Google, Yahoo, Amazon etc, for targeted advertising, translation and spam filtering for example. "More recently they are being used to realise self-driving car and human-like robot technology. They are only just being applied to the physical sciences in a big way and have huge implications for the role that computers take on in science. In fact, the use of 'big data' and artificial intelligence has been referred to as the fourth industrial revolution or the fourth paradigm of science. Machine learning is now being used to speed up the scientific process, designing crucial materials and molecules that we need for sustainable development, more rapidly. "The main purpose of the article is to explain where machine learning is starting to rise to specific challenges in molecular and materials research that simply cannot be solved without it. We also identify some key barriers that need to be overcome next. For example, finding ways in which chemicals and compounds are represented to computers that only 'think' in 1s and 0s, is a big challenge. "Our final summary is: 'As scientists embrace the inclusion of machine learning with statistically driven design in their research programmes, the number of applications is growing at an extraordinary rate. This new generation of computational science, supported by a platform of open source tools and data sharing, has the potential to revolutionise the molecular and materials discovery process.' I think this reflects the take-home message well which is that we predict this area will become an integral part of the scientific methodnot just a separate area of research." Humans have always enjoyed reasoning and intuition capabilities that far exceed those of machines. But scientists are now starting to turn to artificial intelligence driven solutions to accelerate their own materials discovery and optimisation processes. Dr. Keith Butler from ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, lead author of the review, said: "In traditional computational approaches, the computer is little more than a calculator, employing a hard-coded algorithm provided by a human expert. By contrast, the performance of machine learning techniques improves by seeing more and more real examples." Machine learning and artificial intelligence offer the possibility of training computers by using the properties of materials that we already know, to help identify the champion systems of the future. Artificial intelligence approaches consider all available data equally and find trends that a human researcher may miss due to bias towards a given interpretation. But what's fuelling the progress in this field? An important driver for the explosion of artificial intelligence in chemistry is the growth of open-source databases. "This is particularly exciting in the context of a facility like ISIS where we produce vast quantities of data, we are sitting on a data goldmine and now we are beginning to be able to leverage that," added Dr. Butler. Explore further Eagle-eyed machine learning algorithm outdoes human experts More information: Keith T. Butler et al. Machine learning for molecular and materials science, Nature (2018). Journal information: Nature Keith T. Butler et al. Machine learning for molecular and materials science,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0337-2 Illinois geology professor Xiaodong Song is a co-author of a new study that suggests rips in the upper mantle layer of the Indian tectonic plate are responsible for the locations of earthquakes and the surface deformation seen in southern Tibet. Credit: L. Brian Stauffer Seismic waves are helping researchers uncover the mysterious subsurface history of the Tibetan Plateau, possibly lending insight to future earthquake activity in the region. The specifics of the deep geologic processes that occurred roughly 50 million years ago, when the Indian and Asian tectonics plates collided, have remained elusive. By collecting high-resolution earthquake data, geologists have generated a model that provides the clearest picture so far of the geology below the surface of the Tibetan Plateau. They report their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The continental collision between the Indian and Asian tectonic plates shaped the landscape of East Asia, producing some of the deadliest earthquakes in the world," said Xiaodong Song, a geology professor at the University of Illinois and co-author of the new study. "However, the vast high plateau is largely inaccessible to geological and geophysical studies." Song and his colleagues reveal that the upper mantle layer of the Indian tectonic plate appears to be torn into four pieces that dive under Asiaeach at a different angle and distance from the origin of the tear. The team gathered geophysical data from various sources to generate seismic wave tomographic images of Tibet that extend roughly 160 kilometers deep. They found that these newly modeled images match well with historic earthquake activity and with geological and geochemical observations. Seismic wave velocity images of the Tibetan Plateau in image a (map view) and image b (cross-section view). In image b, T1, T2 and T3 mark mantle tears, the circles indicate earthquakes deeper than 40 kilometers and the white contours show earthquake density. Credit: Graphic courtesy Xiaodong Song "The presence of these tears helps give a unified explanation as to why mantle-deep earthquakes occur in some parts of southern and central Tibet and not others," Song said. The intact regions of crust between the tears are strong enough to accumulate strain to generate earthquakes. The crustal areas above the torn regions are exposed to more of the heat from the mantle and are therefore more ductile, the researchers said. That ductile flexibility makes warmer crust less susceptible to earthquakes. "What were previously thought of as unusual locations for some of the intercontinental earthquakes in the southern Tibetan Plateau seem to make more sense now after looking at this model," said graduate student and co-author Jiangtao Li. "There is a striking correlation with the location of the earthquakes and the orientation of the fragmented Indian upper mantle." The model also explains some of the deformation patterns seen at the surface, including a series of unusual north-south rifts. Together, the earthquake locations and deformation patterns are evidence of a strongly coupled crust and upper mantle in southern Tibet, the researchers said. Armed with this new information, geoscientists now have a clearer picture of what role the Indian upper mantle plays in shaping the Tibetan Plateau and why earthquakes happen where they do in this region. This could help assess earthquake risk, the researchers said. "Overall, our new research suggests that we need to take a deeper view to understand the Himalayan-Tibetan continental deformation and evolution," Song said. Explore further Strength of tectonic plates may explain shape of the Tibetan Plateau, study finds More information: Jiangtao Li et al, Tearing of Indian mantle lithosphere from high-resolution seismic images and its implications for lithosphere coupling in southern Tibet, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jiangtao Li et al, Tearing of Indian mantle lithosphere from high-resolution seismic images and its implications for lithosphere coupling in southern Tibet,(2018). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717258115 The Sun erupted in class X-9.3 and x-2.2 flares on Sept. 6, 2017, visible to NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory in extreme ultraviolet (171 angstrom wavelength) light. Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO An unlucky coincidence of space and Earth weather in early September 2017 caused radio blackouts for hours during critical hurricane emergency response efforts, according to a new study in Space Weather, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. The new research, which details how the events on the Sun and Earth unfolded side-by-side, could aid in the development of space weather forecasting and response, according to the study's authors. On September 6, three hurricanes advanced in a menacing line across the Atlantic Ocean. Category 5 Hurricane Irma ravaged Barbuda in the Caribbean's Leeward Islands in the early morning and churned onward to St. Marin, St. Barthelemy, Anguilla and the Virgin Islands, causing massive damage. Tropical Storm Katia hovered in the Gulf of Mexico and Tropical Storm Jose approached from the open ocean. Both were upgraded to hurricane status later that day. On the surface of the Sun, 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) away, another storm was brewing. A class X-2.2 and major class X-9.3 solar flare erupted on the morning of September 6 at about 8 a.m. local time. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center warned of a strong radio blackout over most the sunlit side of Earth, including the Caribbean. Amateur radio operators assisting with emergency communications in the islands reported to the Hurricane Watch Net that radio communications went down for most of the morning and early afternoon on September 6 because of the Sun's activity, according to the new study. French civil aviation reported a 90-minute loss of communication with a cargo plane, according to the study's authors, and NOAA reported on September 14 that high frequency radio, used by aviation, maritime, ham radio, and other emergency bands, was unavailable for up to eight hours on September 6. Another large class-X flare erupted from the Sun on September 10, disrupting radio communication for three hours. The disruption came as the Caribbean community coped with Category 4 Hurricane Jose's brush with the Leeward Islands and the Bahamas, and Irma's passage over Little Inagua in the Bahamas on September 8 and passage over Cuba on September 9. "Space weather and Earth weather aligned to heighten an already tense situation in the Caribbean," said Rob Redmon, a space scientist with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in Boulder, Colorado, and the lead author of the new study. "If I head on over to my amateur radio operator, and they have been transmitting messages for me, whether it be for moving equipment or finding people or just saying I'm okay to somebody else, suddenly I can't do that on this day, and that would be pretty stressful." Bobby Graves, an experienced ham radio operator who manages the Hurricane Watch Net from his home near Jackson, Mississippi, said the flares caused communications to go down for hours. The Hurricane Watch Net is a group of licensed amateur radio operators trained and organized to provide communications support to the National Hurricane Center during storm emergencies. "You can hear a solar flare on the air as it's taking place. It's like hearing bacon fry in a pan, it just all of a sudden gets real staticky and then it's like someone just turns the light completely off, you don't hear anything. And that's what happened this last year on two occasions," Graves said. "We had to wait 'til the power of those solar flares weakened so that our signals could actually bounce back off the atmosphere. It was a helpless situation." The new study detailing the activity on the Sun and its effects on radio communications from September 413 serves as an overview to a collection of journal articles in Space Weather investigating the solar activity of September 2017. The collision of Earth and space weather in September delivered a reminder that solar events can happen at any time and may coincide with other emergencies, according to the study's authors. The information in the study could help scientists improve space weather forecasting and response, according to the study's authors. By understanding how the events on the Sun and Earth unfolded, scientists can better understand how to forecast and prepare for future events, they said. The new study shows the solar flares affected shortwave radio communications, which were being used by amateurs and professionals in emergency response efforts, although it does not detail how emergency efforts may have been affected by the radio blackout. "Safeguards put in place to prevent dangerous disruption to GPS from solar events worked," said Mike Hapgood, head of space weather at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the United Kingdom, and a scientist not connected to the new study. "In many ways, we were ready. Some things that could have caused big problems didn't, but shortwave radio is always tricky to use during solar events. But good radio operators are aware of the events and will work hard to overcome problems." "It's the Sun reminding us that it's there," Hapgood added. "The Sun's been very quiet for the last 10 years. It reminds people not to be complacent." Unexpected space weather The 2017 flares were the largest since 2005 and the best documented solar storm to date, observed from a fleet of spacecraft between the Earth and the Sun, in Earth's orbit, on Earth and Mars. Solar flares release bursts of X-rays from the Sun that travel outwards in all directions at the speed of light. Strong flares can disrupt radio and aviation communications. Space weather forecasters have only minutes to broadcast warnings to spacecraft, aviation and other administrators before affects are felt on Earth. X-rays from solar flares interact with Earth's atmosphere 50-1000 kilometers (30-600 miles) above the Earth, in a region called the ionosphere. Shortwave radio communication works by bouncing signals off the ionosphere and refracting them back to Earth. When the Sun releases a burst of x-rays, like the flares released in early September, the extra energy delivered to the ionosphere can cause it to absorb high frequency radio signals, like those used by ham radio enthusiasts. The September 6 and 10 flares were also accompanied by bursts of high energy solar material explosively ejected from the Sun in an expanding bubble much larger than the Earth. Such coronal mass ejections, which arrive within one to three days, have the potential to wreck the most havoc on human technology. The geomagnetic storms generated by coronal mass ejections can damage power grids, confuse GPS systems and damage or disrupt communication with spacecraft, including weather satellites. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued warnings for potentially severe geomagnetic storms for September 7-9. An unlucky coincidence The unexpected burst of space weather coincided with high hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean. Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record with sustained winds of 287 kilometers per hour (175 miles per hour), hit the tiny island of Barbuda at maximum intensity, razing 95 percent of its buildings. The storm destroyed most homes and much infrastructure on St. Martin, Anguilla, Great Inagua and Crooked Island in the Bahamas, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It caused power outages and damage in the Cuban Keys, Turks and Caicos and the southeastern United States. Wind and rain from the storm killed 37 people in the Caribbean and 10 on the U.S. mainland, according the National Hurricane Center. During the September crisis, the Caribbean Emergency and Weather Net logged many "radiograms" relaying survival notes between anxious family members on the islands and the mainland via ham radio operators, Redmon said. "Seeing that logbook really brought home to me the human dimension of the storm," Redmon said. "It put the humanity in the science." Ham radio hobbyists routinely volunteer to disseminate hazard information from the National Weather Service to island communities and ships during major storms, report real-time ground conditions and damages back to the National Hurricane Center, and assist the Red Cross with communications. Graves, the ham radio operator, said many people trapped by storms appreciate hearing a friendly voice over amateur radio relaying the latest weather update, even if they are not able to reply. During a storm, ham radio volunteers strain to listen for lone stations in the affected area that may still be transmitting, Graves said. "A lot of folks in the area were asking us: We heard there's Jose coming behind Irma, what's this thing going to do?" he said. Explore further Massive sunspots and huge solar flares mean unexpected space weather for Earth More information: R. J. Redmon et al, September 2017's Geoeffective Space Weather and Impacts to Caribbean Radio Communications during Hurricane Response, Space Weather (2018). R. J. Redmon et al, September 2017's Geoeffective Space Weather and Impacts to Caribbean Radio Communications during Hurricane Response,(2018). DOI: 10.1029/2018SW001897 The network of satellites dubbed COSMO-SkyMed (COnstellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation) has analyzed 49 km2 within the territory containing an ancient Roman city: Mellaria, located within the township of Fuente Obejuna, in the province of Cordoba, whose habitants are still called melarienses [Mellarians] today. The satellites were designed to carry out military espionage and ended up becoming one of the greatest allies of cultural heritage. Created by the Italian government, they now work for a Spanish university. In their new mission, however, they maintain a certain poetic link to their Italian origin. The Upper Guadiato Archaeological Ager Mellariensis project headed by the University of Cordoba's Professor Antonio Monterroso Checa has been working on the Mellaria analysis for the past two years, using the constellation of four radar satellites. Its commercial use in Spain is managed by E-Geos-Telespazio Iberica, a Leonardo/Thales aerospace partnership company. Monterroso explains that, in Spain the Mellaria project is pioneering the application of this technology to the analysis of its territory. The results were recently published in Archaeological Prospection, and have reported many important findings, including: the detection of invisible moist and floodable areas around the city groundwater flow that passed through Mellaria a possible stretch of the Roman road from Cordoba to Merida nearby visual and topographical recovery of lost or destroyed stretches of medieval roads between the towns of Fuente Obejuna and Belmez and between the villages of La Granjuela and El Hoyo the development of some crops in the area Few archaeology sites in the world have worked with this satellite constellation. Most of the ones that have were analyzed by the Italian-Chinese consortium, made up of the Istituto di Metodologie per lAnalisi Ambientale at Italy's National Research Council and the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In fact, the Italian pennisula and China are, to date, the areas with the highest coverage of images and applications from an archaeological perspective. Apart from those places, the Saqqara pyramids in Egypt, the Incan site of Pachacamac in Peru and the ancient cities of Sabratha (Libya) and Hierapolis (Turkey) are other examples of the few places where patrimonial proof was found using this image system. The territory of the Roman city Mellaria can now be added to this short list of cultural heritage. These radar satellites carry out other civil missions apart from archaeology. The COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) network is also used to prevent emergencies and manage environmental and humanitarian issues, such as observing human trafficking in the Mediterranean. CSK offers the best resolution in Europe and the world for civil use, at 1m/pixel spatial resolution. Professor Monterroso says, "In a military aspect, this technology can detect objects even in sandstorms at a precision of 0.40 m/pixel. That means a five-meter-long object can be analyzed pretty precisely." This last aspect "is a huge accomplishment considering that these satellites operate from a distance of 620 km." In addition, CSK is able to take 1,800 images a day and monitor a surface area of 400,000 square kilometers in 15 days at a spatial resolution of 3m/pixel. CSK shares data with the French optical platform Pleiades and with NASA, forming one of the most powerful consortia for Earth observation in the world. Explore further Boeing launches second COSMO satellite More information: Antonio Monterroso Checa et al, COSMO SkyMed X-Band SAR application - combined with thermal and RGB images - in the archaeological landscape of Roman Mellaria (Fuente Obejuna-Cordoba, Spain), Archaeological Prospection (2018). Antonio Monterroso Checa et al, COSMO SkyMed X-Band SAR application - combined with thermal and RGB images - in the archaeological landscape of Roman Mellaria (Fuente Obejuna-Cordoba, Spain),(2018). DOI: 10.1002/arp.1709 Provided by University of Cordoba Recent satellite images and photos taken from helicopters show the king penguin population on Ile aux Cochon has collapsed, with barely 200,000 remaining The planet's largest colony of king penguins has declined by nearly 90 percent in three decades, alarmed researchers said Monday. The last time scientists set foot on France's remote Ile aux Cochonsroughly half way between the tip of Africa and Antarcticathe island was blanketed by two million of the flightless birds, which stand about a metre (three feet) tall. But recent satellite images and photos taken from helicopters show the population has collapsed, with barely 200,000 remaining, according to a study published in Antarctic Science. King penguins are home bodies. While adults will set to sea for days at a time foraging for food, the species does not migrate. Why the colony on Ile aux Cochon has been so decimated remains a mystery. "It is completely unexpected, and particularly significant since this colony represented nearly one third of the king penguins in the world," said lead author Henri Weimerskirch, an ecologist at the Centre for Biological Studies in Chize, France, who first set eyes on the colony in 1982. Climate change may play a role. In 1997, a particularly strong El Nino weather event warmed the southern Indian Ocean, temporarily pushing the fish and squid on which king penguins depend south, beyond their foraging range. "This resulted in population decline and poor breeding success" for all the king penguin colonies in the region, Weimerskirch said. El Nino's are cyclical events that occur every two to seven years. But they can be amplified by global warming, which itself produces many of the same results, albeit on a longer timescale. Indeed, Weimerskirch and colleagues showed in an earlier study that climate change, on its current trajectory, will likely make the Iles Crozetthe archipelago that contains Ile aux Cochonunviable for king penguins by mid-century. Migration is not an option because there are no other suitable islands within striking range. Other factors may be contributing to the decline of the Ile aux Cochon colony, including overcrowding. One egg at a time "The larger the population, the fiercer the competition between individuals," noted a statement from France's National Centre for Scientific Research, which funded the study. "The repercussions of lack of food are thus amplified and can trigger an unprecedented rapid and drastic drop in numbers." But this so-called "density-dependent effect" can also be made worse by climate change, the study notes. Another possible culprit is avian cholera, which has affected seabirds on nearby Marion and Amsterdam Islands, including some king penguins. But until Weimerskirch and other researchers return to Ile aux Cochonshopefully, he said, in early 2019they won't know for sure. It is also possible that invasive species such as rats, mice or cats, have found their way onto the island. The Red List of Threatened Species conservation status for king penguins is currently "least concern," but the new data may prompt a reevaluation. King penguins are the second-largest penguin species after the Emperor. They do not make a nest, but rather lay one egg at a time and carry it around on their feet covered with a flap of abdominal skin, called a brood patch. Parents take turns incubating the egg, switching every couple of weeks over a two-month period. There are two sub-species of kings. Aptenodytes patagonica patagonicus inhabits the Falklands and South Georgia Island, while Aptenodytes patagonica halli resides in the southernmost reaches of Indian Ocean and South Pacific. Explore further Distinguishing males from females among king penguins 2018 AFP A fossil heterostracan, Errivaspis waynensis, from the early Devonian (approximately 419 million years ago) of Herefordshire, UK. Credit: Keating et al. 2018 Scientists at The University of Manchester and the University of Bristol have used powerful X-rays to peer inside the skeletons of some of our oldest vertebrate relatives, solving a 160-year-old mystery about the origin of our skeletons. Living vertebrates have skeletons built from four different tissue types: bone and cartilage (the main tissues that human skeletons are made from), and dentine and enamel (the tissues from which our teeth are constructed). These tissues are unique because they become mineralised as they develop, giving the skeleton strength and rigidity. Evidence for the early evolution of our skeletons can be found in a group of fossil fishes called heterostracans, which lived over 400 million years ago. These fishes include some of the oldest vertebrates with a mineralised skeleton that have ever been discovered. Exactly what tissue heterostracan skeletons were made from has long puzzled scientists. Now a team of researchers from the University of Manchester, the University of Bristol and the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland have taken a detailed look inside heterostracan skeletons using Synchrotron Tomography: a special type of CT scanning using very high energy X-rays produced by a particle accelerator. Using this technique, the team have identified this mystery tissue. An international team of scientists from the Univeristy of Manchester, Univeristy of Bristol and Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland have studied the skeletons of heterostracans using high energy x-rays. This technique allowed the researchers to create detailed models of the skeletal tissue. Credit: Keating et al. 2018 Lead researcher Dr. Joseph Keating, from Manchester's School of Earth of Environmental Scientists, explained: "Heterostracan skeletons are made of a really strange tissue called 'aspidin'. It is crisscrossed by tiny tubes and does not closely resemble any of the tissues found in vertebrates today. For a 160 years, scientists have wondered if aspidin is a transitional stage in the evolution of mineralised tissues." The results of this study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, show that the tiny tubes are voids that originally housed fibre-bundles of collagen, a type of protein found in your skin and bones. These findings enabled Dr. Keating to rule out all but one hypothesis for the tissue's identity: aspidin is the earliest evidence of bone in the fossil record. By examining the microscopic structure of these skeletons, they were able to identify the mysterious tissue 'aspidin' and provide new insight into the evolution of our skeleton. Credit: Keating et al. 2018 Co-author, Professor Phil Donoghue from the University of Bristol concludes: "These findings change our view on the evolution of the skeleton. Aspidin was once thought to be the precursor of vertebrate mineralised tissues. We show that it is, in fact, a type of bone, and that all these tissues must have evolved millions of years earlier." Explore further Sinking teeth into the evolutionary origin of our skeleton More information: "The nature of aspidin and the evolutionary origin of bone" Nature Ecology and Evolution (2018). Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution "The nature of aspidin and the evolutionary origin of bone"(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0624-1 Subsequent to the Global Financial Crisis, U.S. GDP has grown, in the aggregate, 37%. During the period of the Great Depression, U.S. GDP grew, in the aggregate, 40%. In the 1930s, the U.S. economy declined 26% between 1930 and 1933 and unemployment rose to 25%. During the Great Recession the U.S. economy declined 3% and unemployment rose to 9.8%. The early 1930s recession lasted three years and seven months. The Great Recession lasted a mere one and a half years. In other words, although economic conditions in the 1930s were vastly worse than they were following the Financial Crisis, central bankers and government policymakers managed to grow the economy faster then than now. If the facts are as they are, why do we remember the Depression period as being so awful? The reasons the Depression was so difficult are many and complex, but here are a few of them: The earlier, worse recessions experienced by Americans occurred when we were overwhelmingly poor. Following the long economic boom of the 1920s, many Americans, for the first time, had become much more affluent. Its easy to go from being poor to being affluent, but its hell to go the other way. The Depression sent us back where wed come from. It was an unlucky decade. Just as the economy was crashing, the environment also turned nasty. What we now call the Dust Bowl was a series of dust storms that clobbered farmers and ranchers in the Great Plains. It was partly a natural phenomenon (recurring droughts hit the plains in 1934, 1936 and 1939) and partly man-made (the failure to use dry-land farming methods). Bankrupted families formed up in caravans (the Okies) and headed for California, where there were also no jobs. It was a politically nasty decade. During the 1930s most of Europes population lived in countries governed by extreme political ideas: Communism (the USSR) and fascism (Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal). Every other country, including the U.S., lived in fear that one or the other of these plagues would engulf them. War clouds were everywhere. In 1931, Japan seized Manchuria from China; in 1935 Italy invaded Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia); in 1936 Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland and the Spanish Civil War began; in 1937 Japan and China went to war; in 1938 Germany occupied Czechoslovakia; in 1939 Germany attacked Poland, launching World War II. It doesnt get much worse than that. Countries hit by the Depression had no social safety nets. Most Americans lived from paycheck to paycheck or from crop to crop. When the paychecks stopped or the crops failed, the wolf was at the door very quickly and governments didnt consider it part of their jobs to do anything about it. But my broader point isnt about how terrible the Depression was or wasnt; my point is that it was a much more complex phenomenon than we usually give it credit for. Its certainly true that in the 1930s central bankers erred on the side of providing too little support for the economy. The reason for this, though, is interesting: there was abroad in the land at the time an idea known as liquidationism (not to be confused with the appalling Leninist theory of the same name). The essence of liquidationism was that the people who had profited mightily during the 1920s boom, and whose bad behavior had caused the crash, should suffer the consequences of their actions. This would wring the excess out of the economy, would rid the country of zombie companies, and would remind people of the importance of behaving themselves. There would be a brief period of pain, which would clear the way for a robust and durable recovery. This may seem unduly harsh, but its exactly how the American people feel today about the bankers and others whose greed caused the Financial Crisis. The failure to punish the firms and executives whose behavior had caused the Crisis, and the decision by the Fed to lavish money on those institutions and to punish, instead, savers and workers, led, inter alia, to the election of Donald Trump. Central bankers in the 1930s believed that, following a period of temporary pain as the economic bad actors were liquidated, the economy would roar back to life, better than ever. They were both wrong and right about this. They were wrong because they greatly underestimated the pain that would follow the inevitable collapse of the 1920s boom. Instead of a recession lasting 12 or 18 months, we got a recession that lasted three and a half years. But they were right that, once the bad actors were purged, the economy would roar back to life. Instead of the Fed-induced secular stagnation weve endured following the Financial Crisis, the U.S. economy grew 11% in 1934, 9% in 1935, an astonishing 13% in 1936, and 5% in 1937. At that point the Roosevelt Administration, worried about the deficit, raised taxes, and in 1938 the economy shrank 3%. But then it grew 8% in 1939 and 9% in 1940. (And 18% in 1941, goosed by defense spending). In other words, a hypothetically perfect central banker in the 1930s, acting with the benefit of 90 years of hindsight, would have been far more accommodative immediately following the Stock Market Crash in an effort to ease the pain following the end of the 1920s boom. But that perfect central banker would then have stopped interfering in the economy so that the thousands of weak firms that had prospered during the boom could fail or be acquired. Central bankers and government policymakers in those days understood, as their modern counterparts do not, that the destruction part of the creative destruction that characterizes free markets is every bit as important as the creative part. Leaving thousands of zombie firms and other bad actors alive and taking up space and resources condemns an economy to permanent slow growth. Next week we will review modern central bankers complaints about their 1930s predecessors and cast a revisionist eye on them. Next up: Central Bankers Then and Now, Part III By Jeff Murphy, July 23, 2018 WARRENSBURG, MO To help meet a training need in the medical field, the University of Central Missouri and the Full Employment Council, Inc. (FEC) are partnering to make possible a new short-term certificate program in Sterile Processing. The program meeting International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management (AHCSMV) standards is going to be launched in August as a pilot initiative. We believe the program is needed because of the work conducted locally by the Full Employment Council, said Scott Boyce, who represents Workforce Central at UCM. He added that it also is in response to the needs of Kansas City area hospitals as expressed by Shawn Petersen, who serves as Sterile Processing Department Manager at The University of Kansas Health System and president of the Kansas City Metro Chapter of the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management (IAHFCSMM). The collaboration between the FEC, which is the designated Kansas City area workforce development agency, UCM - Professional Education, and IAHCSMM, the Kansas City occupational association, ensures students are positioned to succeed through industry-informed curriculum and supportive service for those who are eligible. UCM is designing the Sterile Processing certificate program. FEC, which convened the partnership, has been working with hospitals to confirm the need and interest in the program, and is assisting with scholarships for students. "This is another creative, out-of-the-box, just-in-time, industry-informed training collaboration between the University of Central Missouri and the FEC, said Shelley Penn, senior vice president/chief operations officer for the FEC. It is developed in response to current and future workforce needs as indicated by area hospitals." According to Boyce, the university is still seeking hospital partners that are willing to host clinical experiences for students. Interested medical facilities are urged to contact him, preferably by email at boyce@ucmo.edu, or they may call 816-875-3927 ext. 110. Sterile processing relates to service within a hospital in which medical and surgical supplies and equipment, are cleaned, prepared, processed and stored, and issued for the treatment of patients. Boyce noted that data from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics shows positive job growth in this employment sector. The projected employment change from 2016 to 2026 is 6,000 new jobs, a growth rate of 11 percent, which is faster than average. To learn more about tuition assistance for current employees and new hires or to interview students in training, contact the FEC by email at both, Shelley Penn at spenn@feckc.org and Rohina Behmann, director Employment Development, at rbehmann@feckc.org. Individuals can call Penn at 816-471-2330 ext. 1299 and Behmann at 816-471-2330 ext. 1480 or call her cell phone at 816-716-8454. About the University of Central Missouri The University of Central Missouri is a comprehensive state university that serves nearly 12,500 students between its main campus in Warrensburg and its metropolitan area programs, UCM-Lees Summit, which are housed in the new Missouri Innovation Campus. UCM offers many undergraduate and graduate programs in addition to working with organizations such as the Full Employment Council and numerous business partners to provide short-term training to meet specific needs. Learn more at ucmo.edu. About the Full Employment Council, Inc. (FEC) The Full Employment Council, Inc. (FEC) is the designated strategic workforce organization for the Greater Kansas City Missouri Area and Managing Entity/Fiscal Agent for the Kansas City & Vicinity Workforce Development Board and the Eastern Jasckson County Workforce Development Board. By Ruth Dickson, July 30, 2018 Inside the walls of the Full Employment Council building, located in the heart of Kansas City, something remarkable is happening. Led by Clyde McQueen, CEO of 32 years, this office serves 40,000 people annually and, in addition to helping individuals find employment, also serves as a convener for the development of training programs. These programs specifically train job-ready skills to reduce the skills gap in the Kansas City market, identified by local employers, and are facilitated by the University of Central Missouri in the state-of-the-art Missouri Innovation Campus in Lees Summit. The partnership is one that some might consider unusual: a three-way collaboration between a public workforce system, employers and industry associations, and a higher education institution; but its a model that has worked effectively since 2005, when UCM and the FEC first partnered on a security guard training program in cooperation with security firm Pinkerton Security. Since that first program, many more certificate programs have been developed, with some programs exceeding many hundreds of graduates over multiple years. These certificate programs, developed for in-demand, high-growth industries such as healthcare and information technology, are taught by employer-based faculty, and are a result of FECs vision and UCMs long-standing commitment to providing accessible education to any individual that seeks it. Scott Boyce, a representative of Workforce Development at UCM, explains how important these opportunities are for program graduates: These certificates allow individuals who are underserved, or who have barriers to work, an opportunity to gain an employer-recognized credential to launch or re-start a family-sustaining career. Crucially, these certificates also train soft skills such as Communicating for Success and Self-Leadership in addition to technical curriculum to ensure each graduate is fully prepared for the challenge of their new career. Its the complete training of the individual that is so unique in this approach, Boyce continues, most colleges dont provide soft skills as part of a curriculum, but we aggregate technical skills, soft skills, and workforce readiness to provide an experience students cant find elsewhere. For Clyde McQueen and his team at the Full Employment Council, the challenge frequently faced is meeting the need for just-in-time solutions to industry challenges. Things change very rapidly, so something that may have been a business model even 12 or 18 months ago can be outdated, so that puts a strain on businesses trying to stay competitive in a global market, McQueen explains; adding when a company discovers a skills gap in their organization or industry, the need for new talent is an immediate one, If you dont have the right workforce, you cant meet the production demands of the industry because you can only produce as much product as you are able to staff. To meet these demands, the challenge for employers becomes accessing a talent pool with industry-relevant skills so that they can re-skill their workforce and stay competitive, for job seekers, the challenge is finding skills training that provides real-time industry insight, so that employees are equipped to meet the challenges of their new roles. To ensure that the certificates issued by UCM meet the demands of both the employer and the job seeker, the FEC and UCM developed a model for recruiting faculty talent to ensure the curriculum is a direct reflection of the needs of the current workforce. We wanted a different model, where we use a combination of work-based learning and classroom instruction, [and] we could identify an instructor that could work with us in making the classroom more relevant to the workplace itself. One of the innovative business practices that we worked with in partnership with UCM was to find instructors that were familiar with the market how it presently stands, not 15 years ago, McQueen says, and this is where the role of industry partners is crucial, as the instructors teaching these highly specialized, technical curriculum are often working professionals currently employed by the organizations seeking a new skilled workforce. The role of these skilled instructors is pivotal, as they work seamlessly as part of the FEC-convened partnership to deliver the curriculum developed by UCM, and train the talent they need to future-proof their own organizations and industries. The result is that UCM can meet the needs of high-growth industries in as little as a month once a skills gap is identified. This workforce development model is progressive when compared to traditional academic calendars, as it is created to re-skill workers rapidly and at the point that employers are seeking new talent. For the FEC, this is a crucial link in the development of successful workforce training: When we work with UCM our whole approach is to accelerate the training and education calendar, McQueen explains, because many employers are frustrated at the rate in which skilled persons exit the training and education system. This accelerated approach has allowed UCM and FEC to partner on many large-scale, large-impact, just-in-time training solutions. The future of this partnership is limitless, as the FEC continues to identify the crucial skills gaps that exist within our local employers, and future initiatives include an upcoming product series that focuses on the need for bilingual workforce talent in IT and office support roles. Developed in conjunction with the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation and FEC, UCM is starting facilitation of a new certificate project on Bilingual Computer Support Specialist training in August 2018, with further certificates planned for the immediate future. For UCM, the goal is always to provide access to education where it is needed. By continuing to provide training and support to underserved individuals, the UCM and FEC partnership is one that benefits the entire Kansas City community. For McQueen, Boyce and their colleagues, whether its within the walls of the busy, brightly decorated conference room at the FEC, or the cutting-edge classrooms of UCM - Lees Summits space at the Missouri Innovation Campus, this partnership will continue, united in a common goal to serve students who seek new opportunities, and employers who look for agile education products to meet their rapidly evolving workforce needs. International community calls Cambodia's vote a setback to democracy The United States says it will take further action against the government of Cambodia following a landslide victory for the ruling party. The European Union, Canada and Australia also condemn the election. Cambodia set to become one-party state Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling party says it now controls all 125 seats in the National Assembly after an election slammed by rights groups as a sham due the lack of a viable opposition, Polls open in Cambodia's sixth national election Cambodians head to the polls for an election from which the government has banned the only viable opposition party. Government blocks 15 independent news sites over poll disruption The Cambodian government orders internet service providers (ISPs) to block the websites of 15 news websites of independent outlets including Voice of America for two days before and during the countrys election. Government fines former opposition officials over clean finger campaign Five former CNRP officials in Battambang province are found guilty of obstructing the vote and fined $2,500 each over a Facebook post supporting an election boycott campaign. Election campaign ends as Cambodians prepare to vote Cambodian political parties wind up their campaigning ahead of a general election expected to be an easy victory for the ruling party. U.S. House passes Cambodia sanctions bill U.S. House of Representatives passes the Cambodia Democracy Act, paving the way for sanctions to be imposed against members of Prime Minister Hun Sens inner circle. Japan opts out of sending election monitors to Cambodia Japan says it won't send election monitors to Cambodia for the July 29 vote even though Tokyo, a major donor to the Southeast Asian nation, has sent observers to many previous elections. Cambodia threatens legal action against non-voters The government orders fines or even the arrest of people who uploads images on social media as part of an opposition-organized campaign to boycott the vote. Cambodian government institutions face cyberattack Cyberattackers are caught hacking key Cambodian government institutions in what is strongly believed to be a coordinated Chinese government assault ahead of the July 29 national elections, according to an investigation by FireEye, a U.S. cybersecurity firm. Election campaign kicks off Electioneering kicks off for the July 29 national elections. Twenty political parties are registered to participate. 50,000 observers to monitor July election, NEC says Cambodias National Election Committee (NEC) says 50,000 observers -- some from China, Myanmar and Singapore -- will monitor July 29 election. U.N. calls political climate in Cambodia not conducive to a free and fair election At the U.N. Human Rights Council, New Zealand and other nations issue a statement calling on the Cambodian government to reverse course, saying the current political environment in Cambodia is not conducive to holding free, fair and genuine national elections. U.S. sanctions Hun Sens top bodyguard United States imposes sanctions on Hing Bun Heang, the head of Hun Sens bodyguards, citing human rights abuses. Government forms task forces to monitor online content ahead of July election The government issues an order that it will work with telecommunication firms to monitor and control online news deemed to cause instability, as part of the governments crackdown ahead of July 29 election. NEC sets controversial Journalist Code of Conduct on election coverage Cambodia's National Election Committee (NEC) issues a controversial code of conduct for journalists covering the July 29 election. It includes a ban on asking detailed questions about results. 20 political parties registered Despite dissolution of CNRP, 20 political parties, including the ruling CPP, register to participate in July 29 election. Election monitoring group backs out of observing July election The respected Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel) says it will not observe and monitor the July election, citing the Cambodian governments accusation against the group and other organizations in promoting a color revolution in Cambodia. U.N. calls for release of Kem Sokha The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the International Federation for Human Rights issues a statement demanding the immediate release of Kem Sokha, leader of the dissolved opposition CNRP party, calling his imprisonment inhumane and shameful. Phnom Penh Post sold The countrys last remaining independent English-language newspaper, the Phnom Penh Post, is sold to a Malaysian investor whose company has links to Hun Sen. PM Hun Sen threatens legal measure against election boycott Prime Minister Hun Sen describes Sam Rainsys call for an election boycott as a violation of electoral law. Sam Rainsy calls for July election boycott Former CNRP leader Sam Rainsy calls on his supporters and voters to boycott the July election. Sam Rainsy launches the CNRM Former CNRP president Sam Rainsy launches the Cambodia National Rescue Movement (CNRM), which he envisions as keeping the CNRP alive from abroad. He says it cannot be dissolved because it is not registered with the government in Cambodia. Sam Rainsy said the movement's plan includes ensuring free and fair elections in Cambodia in July. Supreme Court orders CNRP dissolution The Supreme Court dissolves the CNRP, a move that causes some opposition members to join Hun Sen's ruling CPP, while opposition leaders flee the country or are forced out of politics. Mu Sochua flees country Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua flees Cambodia after Prime Minister Hun Sen threatens to arrest opposition politicians in the wake of Kem Sokha's arrest in September. RFA ceases operations in Cambodia Radio Free Asia ceases operations in Cambodia after nearly 20 years, citing the governments crackdown on media. Dozens of radio affiliates in Cambodia that sold airtime to RFA and VOA are shut down, with the government citing licensing issues. Other remaining licensed radio affiliates stop broadcasting RFA and VOA content. Cambodia Daily newspaper shuts down The independent Cambodia Daily newspaper announces it will cease operations in Cambodia after 24 years when it is slapped with a $6.3 million tax bill, which its publishers said was politically motivated and impossible to pay. Kem Sokha arrested Opposition leader Kem Sokha is arrested at his Phnom Penh home for alleged treason. The government accuses him of conspiring with the U.S. to bring down the Cambodian government. Prime Minister Hun Sen warns the CNRP not to defend Kem Sokha at the risk of being dissolved. National Democratic Institute halts operations The Cambodian government forces the U.S.-funded National Democratic Institute to halt its operations in Cambodia, saying the group is not legally registered. National Assembly bars parties from affiliating with criminals The National Assembly passes bill barring political parties from having any formal affiliation with convicted criminals. Fourth commune council elections The CPP wins the majority of seats, but loses ground to the CNRP. Kem Sokha succeeds Sam Rainsy Kem Sokha succeeds Sam Rainsy as the CNRP president. Sam Rainsy resigns from CNRP Sam Rainsy, the self-exiled leader of the CNRP, resigns in an attempt to save the party from dissolution after Prime Minister Hun Sen threatens to change the law to enable the government to dissolve parties with officials who have committed criminal offenses. King Sihamoni pardons Kem Sokha King Norodom Sihamoni pardons Kem Sokha, as requested by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Kem Sokha sentenced to five months in prison Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentences Kem Sokha to five months in prison over a case involving prostitution charges that are believed to be politically motivated. Kem Sokha does not appear in court. Government critic Kem Ley killed Kem Ley, a well-known political activist and government critic, is shot dead in broad daylight at a petrol station in central Phnom Penh, in what police say is a personal dispute over money, a claim his wife denies. Kem Sokha in hiding Kem Sokha goes into hiding at the CNRP headquarters to avoid arrest after being accused of procuring a prostitute. Five officials arrested for alleged involvement in the case against Kem Sokha Four officials with the human rights group Adhoc, as well as the deputy secretary-general of the National Election Committee, are arrested for involvement with the alleged prostitution case against Kem Sokha. Sam Rainsy stripped of position, immunity The government strips Sam Rainsy of his lawmaker status and immunity while the opposition leader is traveling outside Cambodia. The move paves the way for arresting him in connection with a defamation case. Mob beats two CNRP lawmakers Pro-government mob beats two CNRP lawmakers in front of the National Assembly; the mob demands that National Assembly Vice President Kem Sokha step down. National Assembly OKs crackdown on civil society groups Cambodia's National Assembly approves a controversial law that critics say gives authorities sweeping power to crack down on civil society groups challenging the government. Bipartisan election committee formed An overhauled National Election Committee, created by bipartisan agreement, moves to spearhead electoral reform. CNRP, Hun Sen strike deal The CNRP strikes deal with Prime Minister Hun Sen, ending yearlong boycott of parliament. Opposition leaders charged with 'insurrection' The Cambodian government charges six opposition politicians with leading an insurrection after a clash with security forces that prevented opposition supporters from rallying in a public park. Military police crack down on CNRP Military police crack down on CNRP and garment worker protest, ending months of street demonstrations that leave at least four people dead. CNRP supporters protest election results The CNRP and its supporters hold mass protests in Phnom Penh over the contested election results, calling for Hun Sens resignation and an election restaging. Fifth national elections Cambodia holds its fifth national elections, and the opposition CNRP wins 55 of 123 seats in the National Assembly. The CPP wins the remaining 68 seats. The CNRP rejects the results and launches a high-profile boycott of parliament. Sam Rainsy returns ahead of elections After King Norodom Sihamoni pardons Sam Rainsy at Hun Sens request, the opposition leader returns to Cambodia days before the national elections. King Sihanouk dies King Norodom Sihanouk dies of a heart attack. He was 89 years old, and had spent most of his time after abdicating in 2004 outside Cambodia, favoring Beijing and Pyongyang. CNRP was established in Manila Top officials from the SRP and HRP meet in Manila to finalize their merger into a new party: the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). Third commune elections Cambodia holds third commune elections and the CPP wins 61.8 percent of communes. Sam Rainsy flees Cambodia Sam Rainsy flees the country again, facing charges of disinformation and falsifying maps after criticizing the governments handling of the Vietnamese border demarcation. CPP wins majority in national elections Hun Sen's CPP wins a majority of votes in the national elections. Kem Sokha establishes HRP Kem Sokha, who founded the human rights organization Cambodian Center for Human Rights in 2002, establishes the Human Rights Party (HRP). Second commune elections Cambodia holds its second commune elections. The CPP wins 98.2 percent of communes, while the SRP wins 1.7 percent. FUNCINPEC ousts Ranariddh The royalist FUNCINPEC party ousts Prince Ranariddh as president following an accusation by Hun Sen that the prince was appointing unqualified individuals to political positions.Ranariddh was sentenced by the lower court to 18 months in prison and fined $150,000 for alleging breach of trust for buying land with $3.6 million taken from the sale of FUNCINPEC headquarters. Ranariddh resigns, flees to France Prince Ranariddh resigns as president of the National Assembly after Hun Sen fires then-Co-Minister of the Interior Norodom Sirivudh and Co-Minister of Defense Nhiek Bun Chay. Ranariddh flees to France. Sam Rainsy receives royal pardon Rainsy returns to Cambodia after months of exile to avoid imprisonment on a defamation conviction over his criticism of the governments border policy with Vietnam. He joins with the CPP to change the electoral law to require a simple majority rather than a two-thirds majority, leaving the royalist FUNCIPEC party less important in the coalition government. Under pressure, king signs border treaty Hun Sen threatens to abolish Cambodias monarchy as King Sihamoni delays in signing a controversial border treaty with Vietnam, Cambodia's historic enemy. The king agrees to sign the treaty. Norodom Sihamoni becomes king Norodom Sihamoni succeeds his father King Norodom Sihanouk after a surprise abdication. Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly Speaker Prince Norodom Ranariddh endorse Sihamoni. CPP wins national elections Hun Sen re-elected as prime minister. First commune elections held Cambodia holds its first-ever commune elections. The CPP wins a majority of seats on local administrative bodies known as commune councils, and thus appoints the majority of commune chiefs. Hun Sen and Ranariddh agree to form a coalition government Hun Sen and Ranariddh agree to form a coalition government, allowing Hun Sen to remain as the prime minister and Prince Ranariddh to become the president of the National Assembly. FUNCINPECs agreement with CPP left the SRP as the countrys main opposition party. CPP wins national elections Hun Sen's CPP wins a majority of seats in national elections, followed by FUNCINPEC and the SRP. Prince Ranariddh returns Prince Ranariddh returns to Cambodia to run in the national elections. Troops clash in Phnom Penh; Prince Ranariddh exiled Troops aligned with the CPP and the FUNCINPEC clash in Phnom Penh after public arguments between Hun Sen and Prince Ranariddh become increasingly heated. The prince goes into exile and is ousted from his position a month later. Sam Rainsy founds KNP Sam Rainsy founded the the opposition Khmer Nation Party (KNP). FUNCINPEC and CPP form coalition government With King Norodom Sihanouk's intervention, FUNCINPEC and the CPP agree to form a coalition government, with Norodom Ranariddh as first prime minister and Hun Sen as second prime minister. First post-war elections held Cambodia holds first post-Khmer Rouge-era presidential elections under the auspices of the U.N. Hun Sens Cambodia People's Party, a linear descendant of the Kampuchean Peoples Revolutionary Party, which gave birth to the Khmer Rouge, loses to Norodom Ranariddhs royalist FUNCINPEC. Paris Accords Accords signed Nineteen nations sign the Paris Peace Accords, formally ending Cambodia's civil war. Vietnam leaves Cambodia Vietnamese troops leave Cambodia after a decade of occupation. Hun Sen becomes prime minister National Assembly appoints Hun Sen prime minister. Khmer Rouge regime ends A group of former Khmer Rouge soldiers, including Cambodia's future prime minister, Hun Sen, end the Khmer Rouge regime. Backed by the Vietnamese military, the group liberates Cambodia and Vietnam sponsors formation of a new Cambodian government. Khmer Rouge takeover Cambodia The China-backed Khmer Rouge occupy Phnom Penh. Over the next three years, eight months and 20 days, the regime will cause the deaths of at least 1.7 million people. Coup topples Sihanouk U.S.-backed Gen.Lon Nol leads coup that topples Sihanouk. King Suramarit dies Sihanouk accepts role as head of state. Sihanouk becomes prime minister King Sihanouk becomes prime minister after abdicating in favor of his father, Norodom Suramarit. As things stand, the bitcoin ETF is widely considered to be the biggest news story in the cryptocurrency industry this year. We have recently seen a decision on the Direxion Investments ETFs announced for some time in September, while Bitwise Asset Management has become the latest venture to go down the route of lodging a cryptocurrency ETF application with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The application that has caught the attention of the cryptocurrency industry though is that which was unveiled in June from VanEck and SolidX. Both ventures have had previous applications shut down by the SEC, and decided this time to join forces and submit what is increasingly looking like a successful bitcoin ETF. In general, an ETF (exchange-traded fund) - is an instrument for a passive investment that allows to track bonds, indexes, commodities or assets. In practice, investors interested to trade their holdings together, join their funds and outsource it on professionals that manage the process for them. If accepted by the SEC, a Bitcoin ETF could similarly allow cryptocurrency enthusiasts to invest in the shared pool to be traded like a common stock on exchanges, without directly engaging in buying, trading, saving or safekeeping it. While the community is understandably enthusiastic about this situation, the one question that no one seems to be asking is, what really happens next? What happens after a decision is made? If, as most seem to believe, the VanEck and SolidX application meets with official approval sometime this year, its expected that were going to see a rush of fresh investment, which will signal the opening of the floodgates to what will undoubtedly be widespread exposure to bitcoin and cryptocurrency at a level never before seen. Related: U.S. Economic Growth Surges In Second Quarter This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Obviously, increased interest and investment in the crypto space can only be a really good thing for all concerned. This is what we in the industry have been striving for, after all. However, along with the deluge of investment comes added responsibility in the form of ensuring people and investment companies arent putting their funds at risk. Regulation and compliance Long considered to be in direct contrast to the very building blocks that the cryptocurrency industry has been built on, regulation is seen by many as the work of the devil, so to speak. Is it really, though? In an industry that sees billions of dollars traded on a daily basis, can we really see widespread acceptance and use without some form of official regulation to protect those who invest their money? Weve already seen such steps taken in the securities industry, helping to stamp out fraud and thus creating a safer environment for the public. The truth is, some form of regulation may be required, and there are already digital currency startups who have taken the lead in this regard. Regulation within the industry already Although there is no official governmental regulation in place for the cryptocurrency space, we have seen a small number of startups look to implement self-regulation in an attempt to appeal to traditional investors who are undoubtedly more at ease working with a venture that shares some of the familiar rules and regulations that we see in the traditional finance arena. Many times those startups are headed up by individuals or groups who have experience in the traditional financial industry. One such company is London-based Archax, headed by Graham Rodford, a qualified accountant and former COO at a billion dollar hedge fund in London. Archax calls itself a new institutional-grade exchange, that is built for institutions and run in a regulated manner with them in mind, which embodies the idea of a regulated digital currency exchange. Related: UK Motorists Not Interested In EVs While Archax still seems to be in the preliminary stages of launching, they have a pretty detailed whitepaper available on their site. Another company who have been making some waves lately is ETERBASE, self-described as Europes Premier Digital Asset Exchange. Again, much like Archax, ETERBASE is headed by a person with substantial experience within the traditional finance world: Robert Auxt, who was a member of the supervisory board of the European Investment Fund in Slovakia. At this stage, ETERBASE is pre-listing and assessing applications from projects that wish to participate, but both of these startups are taking the lead as far as regulation and compliance go. If the ETFs brought forward, by VanEck and SolidX in particular, are given the green light, we may see more movement officially as far as regulation goes. Considering the boost that a favorable ETF decision would give to the cryptocurrency industry, regulation is a small price to pay I think, and a step that will have to be taken sooner or later. By Aubrey Hansen via Crypto Insider More Top Reads From Safehaven.com The State of New York is moving to evict its largest internet and cable provider for failing to deliver on fast connection promises that had won it approval two years ago for a merger with Time Warner Cable. The deal was that rural areas would get high-speed internet access as a result of the merger, but the companySpectrum (of Charter Communications)didnt make it happen on time. New York is livid, and not only is it revoking Spectrums contract, but its also revoking its approval of the merger and seeking $3 million in penalties. In the meantime, in order to cover the gap in internet services for customers, the state is requiring Spectrum to continue to operate for two months while the state seeks a replacement company. Spectrum ended up getting its broadband network to around 86,000 homes and businesses in New York, but the deal was 145,000 additional addresses. And while the State of New York is lashing out at Spectrums non-compliance with the deal, its also playing hardball over what it has called the companys brazenly disrespectful behavior toward New York State and its customers. That combination, said Public Service Commission chair John B. Rhodes, necessitates the actions taken today seeking court-ordered penalties for its failures, and revoking the Charter merger approval. But things are about to get trickier. The state is demanding that Spectrum handle the transition itself and figure out a smooth way to hand over its operations to another provider by selling its assets, according to Fortune. Related: Steel Stocks Struggle Following Trumps EU Tariff Concession Spectrum, in the meantime, seems to think this is a Trump-style negotiation: Grave threats designed to light a fire under its high-speed commitment. The company has also suggested the move was politically motivated, though no clear logic was presented for this argument. The latest moves follow the Public Service Commissions $2-million fine for Spectrum in June, citing failure to meet expansion goals. That fine was sparked by what local officials say was false reporting by Spectrum when the company illegitimately added 12,000 NYC addresses to its expansion list. Now that fine is up to $3 million as of Friday, when upped the ante for missed deadlines. While claiming that the whole thing is politically motivated, Spectrum/Charter is also blaming giant rival Verizon, saying that the company is limiting its access to telephone poles. "In the face of Verizons intransigence, Charter has been unable to satisfy the milestones in the Buildout Condition," Charter said. Essentially, Spectrum/Charter is claiming that Verizon is illegally blocking its use of telephone poles and hindering Charters ability to attach wires to poles owned or co-owned by Verizon. Charter is the second-largest cable company in the U.S. after Comcast, but its own customers rank it poorly. More than anything, the states battle with this giant internet and cable provider is a sign of the times: Theres a serious slack of competition in this field, and customers who have been paying the price now seem to have the support of their state governments. The message is this: deliver or pay the price, and if you dont there are increasing cord-cutting options out here. According to Fortune, the first quarter of this year saw a new cord-cutting record, with over 780,000 customers ditching their cable subscriptions. America now has more than 20 million households without cable, as streaming services become more attractive. By Michael Kern for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com Armenian President Armen Sarkissian today hosted Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who is visiting Armenia for the first time, at the presidential palace in Yerevan. Sarkissian, according to a government press release, described the meeting as historic, and stressed that relations between the two ancient peoples are based on a shared value system. The two are said to have discussed crafting an expanded cooperation agenda. Sarkissian awarded Mattarella with the Order of Glory, a state award honor those who have made a significant contribution to the strengthening and development of inter-state relations, peace and international security, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to the promotion of spiritual and cultural values promoting the development of economic ties. A SingHealth polyclinic in Singapore. (Photo: REUTERS/Edgar Su) By Andy Mukherjee Singapores banks should watch the fallout from the islands healthcare-data breach. This could get ugly for them. The National Electronic Health Record project is taking a pause after hackers stole data on 1.5 million patients including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was specifically and repeatedly targeted. Immediate repercussions for banks have already become obvious, with the Monetary Authority of Singapore cautioning lenders not to rely only on full name, national identification number, address, gender, race and date of birth for customer verification. While introducing additional layers of security such as one-time passwords or biometric identification means additional costs, most Singapore banks have such basic technologies already in place. Their bigger worry should be MyInfo. In April, Standard Chartered Plc and the three homegrown Singapore banks DBS Group Holdings Ltd., Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. and United Overseas Bank Ltd. began a pilot program to tap this state-built digital repository of citizen information for know-your-customer, or KYC, checks required to open bank accounts. The idea is to eventually use MyInfo profiles to issue credit cards, home loans and insurance policies. Every digital customer of DBS is three times as valuable to the bottom line as a brick-and-mortar customer. Singapores Smart Nation project, which envisions paperless KYC and a cashless society, has made OCBC commit to cutting bank teller jobs in the city by half and retraining the surplus staff for digital banking by 2020. Should the authorities be forced now to rethink Smart Nations security features, investor expectations of shareholder returns at Singaporean banks may also have to be lowered. The other impact could be on commingling. To enable them to compete with fintech players, Singapores regulators have relaxed post-1998 restrictions on banks ownership of non-financial businesses. DBS has invested in a property marketplace and in a digital platform for buying and selling cars; UOB has gone into holiday planning, while OCBC is pampering new mothers online. Story continues The banks primary aim is to own rich and varied customer data. However, following the SingHealth breach, privacy and security are bound to get a closer regulatory look. Its one thing for Facebook Inc. to hit a speed bump over such concerns, and quite another for systemically important banks in a major financial center to run into similar issues because of their dalliance with e-commerce. Now that a widely publicized hack has materialized, other incidents are also coming to light. The Straits Times has reported that data on 70,000 members of the islands Securities Investors Association were stolen five years ago and they came to know of it only this week. Theres a silver lining in all this, though. To safeguard citizens trust and preserve the reputation of its financial industry, Singapore will scale up investments in cybersecurity. Thats good news for startups that will be spawned by initiatives like the one between Israels Ben-Gurion University and Singapores Nanyang Technological University. Their researchers goal is to fend off cyber-attacks by mimicking how the human body fights germs. Seven years ago, global banks running large front- and back-office operations in Singapore failed to grasp the seriousness of anti-immigration angst among Singaporeans even after voters sent a strong message in the 2011 general elections. Strict controls on foreign-worker visas since then have affected all industries, including banking. The theft of the prime ministers health records may be another such defining moment. If theyre reading the tea leaves right, banks should set up private equity funds that invest in cutting-edge cybersecurity startups. It would be a far better use of their resources than hawking used cars and diapers. To contact the author of this story: Andy Mukherjee at amukherjee@bloomberg.net 2018 Bloomberg L.P (File photo: AFP) Singapore saw its highest recorded number of elderly suicides in 2017, with 129 individuals aged 60 and above ending their lives. They accounted for more than a third of the 361 reported suicides in the Republic last year, said suicide prevention centre Samaritans of Singapore (SOS). Ironically, the total number of suicides was also at its lowest since 2012 this amounted to 9.14 deaths by suicide per 100,000 residents. In a press statement, an SOS spokesman called the elderly suicides a worrying trend, noting that the number of such cases in 2017 had more than doubled from 2011. It is very worrying that many elderly are turning to suicide as the only choice to end their pain and struggles, when they should be enjoying their lustre of the golden years, said SOS executive director Christine Wong, who added that Singapores ageing population means there is an imminent need for stronger support networks. The SOS spokesman noted that its 24-hour hotline is favoured by the older demographic group. Of those who disclosed their age, more than a fifth of incoming calls to SOS in 2017 were made by callers aged 60 and above in 2017. However, calls made by the elderly also dropped by 18 per cent from 2016. Wong noted that the elderly may fall through the cracks as they may be unaware of the resources available to help them. Some common struggles cited by elderly callers were social disconnection, the fear of becoming a burden to family and friends, and impairments to daily functioning due to physical challenges and deteriorating mental health. These concerns predispose the socially isolated elderly to depression and suicidal thoughts when struggles go undetected and unaddressed, said the SOS spokesman. When the elderly are less aware of the available resources that they can approach, they may feel a strong sense of helplessness which may exacerbate social isolation, he added. If you are having suicidal thoughts or know someone who is suicidal, call the SOS 24-hour hotline at 1-800-221-4444. Story continues More Singapore stories: SAF regular found dead at Nee Soon Camp Opposition politicians that I met are not 3rd rate: Tan Cheng Bock Julie Tan reveals abuse by ex-boyfriend as Hong-Pan spat puts her love life under spotlight Fourteen members of the same family were killed in a car crash in central Vietnam Monday en route to a wedding party, including the groom who died instantly when their van hit a container truck, police said. Road accidents are the leading cause of death in Vietnam, where traffic laws are loosely obeyed and road infrastructure is patchy. The victims of Monday's car crash in Quang Nam were members of an extended family, including the groom, who were heading to the bride's family home in a neighbouring province, a police officer told AFP. Their 16-seater van collided with a container truck at around 2:30 am (1930 GMT Sunday), killing 13 people instantly. Another died later in hospital. "All victims' bodies were brought back to their home for burial. We are treating some of the injured in a local hospital," the policeman said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press. Local authorities said Monday they were investigating the cause of the deadly crash. Around 8,200 people died in traffic accidents across Vietnam last year, down from about 8,600 the year before. Most of those killed were on motorbikes. Vietnam's densely packed cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are crowded with motorbikes and cars competing for space with pedestrians and street vendors. Meanwhile, transport trucks increasingly line newly built highways delivering goods across Vietnam, or into neighbouring countries. Four tourists, including two Americans, were killed in Tajikistan on Sunday by armed attackers in what was originally reported as a hit-and-run road accident, the interior minister said Monday. "(The suspects) had knives and firearms," minister Ramazon Hamro Rahimzoda said of the attack that left tourists from the United States, Switzerland and the Netherlands dead and two others injured. The dead were on a cycling tour in the impoverished ex-Soviet nation, in a group with three other tourists from Switzerland, the Netherlands and France. "One tourist received a knife wound and is being given medical assistance. The victim's condition is stable," said Rahimzoda without mentioning nationality. Another was being treated in hospital, while the French citizen survived without injury and was being questioned by the police, he added. Two suspects in the case were killed after they "resisted arrest" and a further four have been detained, the minister said. Police are also pursuing other suspects. "We are considering all possibilities," Rahimzoda said of the criminal investigation. "We can't say if it is an act of terror," he added. However the minister said that "state institutions are being guarded...to provide safety for citizens and tourists". Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon on Monday sent notes of condolence to the US, Switzerland and the Netherlands over the deaths. The US embassy in Tajikistan confirmed two of the fatalities were US citizens, but did not disclose names. The incident took place in the district of Danghara, 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of the capital Dushanbe. Tajikistan is the poorest of the ex-Soviet republics and has been ruled by the iron hand of Rakhmon, 65, since 1992. As Aum cultists are hanged, Japan asks if it still needs the death penalty. For most, the answer remains clear The execution of the last members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult on death row last week has triggered debate in Japan over the use of the death penalty, with the left-leaning Asahi newspaper demanding that Tokyo follow the lead of European nations and abolish hanging and author Haruki Murakami weighing in on the discussion. The vast majority of Japanese people, however, appear to be solidly behind the death penalty for those convicted of serious crimes, such as the sarin gas attack that Aum members carried out on the Tokyo subway system in March 1995. In an editorial on Friday, just hours after the final six Aum members were hanged, the Asahi newspaper declared the executions to be shocking. Three weeks earlier, Aum founder Shoko Asahara and six other followers had met the same fate. The news has come as a fresh reminder of how Japan has been left far behind in the global trend concerning the issue, the editorial stated, repeating the joint statement issued by the European Union on July 26, in which it called for a moratorium on the death penalty because it is cruel and inhuman and fails to act as a deterrent to crime. A spokesman for Amnesty International said The taking of a life in retribution is never the answer. It is high time for the Japanese authorities to establish an immediate moratorium on all executions and promote an informed debate on the death penalty as first steps towards its abolition. Murakami, who interviewed dozens of survivors of the sarin attack and relatives of those who died for his book Underground, wrote in an editorial for the Mainichi newspaper that he is opposed to the death penalty because it is wrong for the state to kill and there are numerous documented case of wrongful convictions. Murakami bends his own rules in the very next paragraph, however, to say that he saw the misery the sarin attacks had inflicted on thousands of people. After witnessing their sadness, agony and fresh anger with my own eyes, I cannot publicly state, as far as this case is concerned, I am opposed to the death penalty. Story continues Th eJapanese government has brushed off international criticism of its retention of the death penalty and insists that more than 80 per cent of the Japanese public supports hanging for heinous crimes. Of course we should keep the death penalty, said Kanako Hosomura, who was a young girl in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, at the height of the public panic over The Little Girl Murders in the late 1980s. There are some people who are just evil and nothing will change that, I believe Kanako Hosomura Four girls, aged between four and seven, were abducted in the space of 10 months from August 1988, raped, killed and mutilated by Tsutomu Miyazaki. He dismembered the girls, kept some of their limbs as trophies, drank their blood and cooked and ate other parts of their bodies. He cremated some of the girls remains and posted them in boxes to their parents, adding taunting notes. Miyazaki was executed in June 2008. There are some people who are just evil and nothing will change that, I believe, Hosomura said. Im a mother and I cannot begin to understand how the parents of his victims felt. There is no point in a person like that staying alive and wasting taxpayers money by sitting in prison for the rest of his life, she said. I feel the same way about the Aum cult members; they felt no remorse for the people they killed. Or maybe they did after they were caught. Yoichi Shimada, a professor at Fukui Prefectural University, says it is not important whether the death penalty acts as a deterrent. I believe that retribution is necessary in order to maintain stability in society and show that justice is being carried out, he said. When the crime is so vicious and there is no other way for the individual to atone for his actions, then the death penalty is completely appropriate. This article As Aum cultists are hanged, Japan asks if it still needs the death penalty. For most, the answer remains clear first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. More from South China Morning Post: The skyscrapers of the Central Business District rise behind the capital's embassy neighbourhood in Beijing, China, July 28, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Peter SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's capital Beijing will shut around 1,000 manufacturing firms by 2020 as part of a programme aimed at curbing smog and boosting income in neighbouring regions, state media said on Monday. Beijing will focus on dynamic, high-tech industries and withdraw from "ordinary" manufacturing, the Communist Party paper People's Daily reported, citing a recent policy document published by the Beijing municipal government. The city has already rejected registration applications from 19,500 firms, and shut down or relocated 2,465 "ordinary" manufacturers, the paper said. China launched a plan to improve coordination in the smog-prone Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in 2014 amid concerns that competition between the three jurisdictions was wasting resources and creating overcapacity and pollution. It plans to strip Beijing of manufacturing and heavy industry, as well as relocating universities and some government departments into Hebei's new economic zone of Xiongan. The government also wants to create an integrated transport network and unify standards in areas such as welfare and education to make Hebei, known for its heavy industry, more attractive for investors. An official with Hebei province earlier this year said the plan has helped drive average incomes in Hebei up 41 percent since 2013, although they are still only half the level in Beijing. (Reporting by David Stanway; editing by Richard Pullin) Reuters BENGALURU (Reuters) -Indian shares rose on Tuesday in a volatile session, led by gains in metal and auto stocks, with investors focusing on commentaries from companies over the impact of higher input costs on margins in an earnings-heavy week. The metals index rose 2.9%, lifted by higher steel prices, while the auto index gained 2%. Markets took strength from some marginal profit-booking on Tuesday and managed to close higher, with support from strong corporate earnings and global cues, said Siddhartha Khemka, head of retail research at Motilal Oswal Securities in Mumbai. AFPTV In Iraq's vast western desert, some 200 families live in a hamlet largely cut off from the rest of the world, their only neighbour one of the country's biggest military bases. Lost in rocky ochre hills and surrounded by humble palm groves, Al-Sahls only education facility is a primary school, and residents rely on livestock and farming to survive. How a creative Chinese drunk driver tried to evade arrest ... and failed A drunk drivers ham-fisted attempt to evade traffic police in northern China landed him in hot water after he ran into a restaurant and pretended to be a chef. Police in Handan, Hebei province, said the motorist was driving a red car and failed to stop at a breath-test roadblock at about 1am on Friday, prompting officers to give chase, according to a report from the Handan traffic police departments official WeChat account on Sunday. The police soon found the car parked at a nearby food street, with the engine running and a woman seated in the vehicle, the statement said. Officers tried to question the woman but she only shook her head repeatedly. They then entered the only restaurant still open in the street and after scanning the room found nothing suspicious. The officers were about to leave when the restaurants tattooed chef suddenly put down his cleaver and let out a huge sigh of relief. They then turned around to see the mans panicked face and uneven pieces of chopped meat. Im just the chef, not the driver! the man blurted out, before the officers had even had time to explain why they were there. The man was confirmed as the motorist, detained and found to have a blood alcohol limit well above the legal limit. He was also found to be driving without a licence his had been revoked for drink-driving in 2012, the statement said. Police said the motorist was punished but did not say how. This article How a creative Chinese drunk driver tried to evade arrest ... and failed first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. BAR ELIAS, Lebanon (Reuters) - As a Syrian refugee in Lebanon, Nour knows life can be tough. So the 15-year-old leapt at the chance to train as a hairdresser with L'Oreal, hoping one day to open her own salon in whichever country she ends up. "Sometimes life can knock you down, so you need to be able to stand on your own feet," she said, keeping water out of the eyes of a training mannequin having its hair washed in a classroom in Lebanon's Bekaa valley. Around 20 Syrian and Lebanese girls and women will study hairdressing for six months under the L'Oreal Foundation's Beauty for a Better Life programme, earning an internationally recognised certificate if they are successful. "The certificate will support us. We don't know what could happen to us, especially me. Maybe I won't be able to continue my education," said Nour, who grew up in Syria's Idlib before war forced her out. She declined to give her full name for safety reasons. Lebanon has the world's highest share of refugees compared with its population, with around one in four people a refugee. Syria's war has killed an estimated half a million people, driven some 5.6 million people out of the country and displaced around 6.6 million within it. Many Syrians moved to the Lebanese town of Bar Elias where the training salon is located, just 10 km (6 miles) from the Syrian border, doubling its population and putting pressure on services and squeezing job opportunities. The United Nations classifies Bar Elias as one of the areas in Lebanon with the most vulnerable refugee and host communities and aid has been directed there to help Syrians and Lebanese. The salon sits within an all-girls school built by the Kayany Foundation, a Lebanese educational charity. "The (L'Oreal) academy gives them the chance to be able to take their lives back in their hands and build a better future anywhere in the world, especially if one day they manage to return to Syria," Nora Jumblatt, head of the Kayany Foundation, told Reuters. Story continues As the Syrian army, backed by Iran and Russia, has recovered more territory, some Lebanese officials have stepped up calls for refugees to return to parts of Syria where violence died down. However, U.N. officials and foreign donor states to Lebanon have said conditions for returns are not yet right, and many refugees say they are too scared to go home. But it is difficult for Syrians to find legal, secure work in Lebanon, with many scraping by on aid and low-paid jobs in sectors such as agriculture and construction. Manal, 30, who lost her husband to Syria's war and fled to Lebanon with her children, is determined to get her certificate from the beauty academy and do the best for her family. "I'm not educated and that's the biggest blow for me ... I can't work as anything," she said, using a false name to protect her identity. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Alison Williams) Reuters New Zealand's shock abandonment of their Pakistan tour last month created bad blood between the sides but captain Kane Williamson expects "right spirit" to prevail when the teams clash in Tuesday's Twenty20 World Cup contest in Sharjah. New Zealand abruptly ended their Pakistan tour minutes before the first match in Rawalpindi citing a security alert, and England followed suit in a double whammy to the south Asian country's hopes to host international matches regularly. Furious Pakistan players vented their frustration on social media while cricket board chief Ramiz Raja advised them to channel their anger to improve their on-field performance. The rumbustious street performers who have long claimed one of Hong Kong's busiest shopping districts as their informal stage took their final bow Sunday night after local authorities caved to noise complaints over their legendary cacophony. Under the glow of Mong Kok's famous neon signs, buskers have been entertaining crowds -- and irking neighbours -- for nearly two decades in Sai Yeung Choi Street South, an area which has been regularly closed to traffic to make way for pedestrians and performers since 2000. Over the years, a motley line-up including an acrobat in his sixties performing stunts to Michael Jackson and karaoke bands surrounded by fans clapping along on plastic stools gave ear-splitting shows to tinny music blasted from amplifiers. Drawing cheers and consternation equally, the street performers have received 320 noise complaints in just the first half of the year, according to police, with local media reporting 1,200 complaints last year. The pedestrian zone will be fully abolished and reopen to traffic starting on August 4. But while some will be relieved that the plug is being pulled, others fear authorities are killing off the city's vibrant street culture with over-regulation. Just next to the freestyle performance area, official attempts in 2016 to remove unlicensed hawkers triggered some of the city's worst clashes for decades as protesters used the occasion to express their anger towards Hong Kong's dwindling autonomy. Ahead of the shutdown of the busking zone, bands in glittery outfits, elderly men and women dancing the cha-cha, and "singing aunties" from mainland China -- who have joined the pack over the years to the displeasure of some locals -- came out over the weekend. The pedestrianised strip's last days have also attracted higher-profile entertainers like actor Bobby Yip, who visited on Saturday and was instantly recognisable with his blunt bowl-cut hair. "This is like a nightclub for ordinary people... I hope the government will support this street culture," Yip told local newspaper Apple Daily. But residents and shopkeepers nearby say the constant cacophony has given them a headache, at times literally. "It does create trouble in our daily lives, including disturbing my son's study," Gabriel Wai, who lives in the area, told the South China Morning Post. The local district council passed a motion in May to scrap the zone. WiFi Band, who have performed in the area for the last few years, say the group might relocate to Causeway Bay's Times Square or Tsim Sha Tsui -- also busy commercial districts thronged with tourists and shoppers. Drummer Miss Cheng from the band told local news site HK01 she was sad about the busker community's dissolution as performers could get more interactive with the audience in Mong Kok. "Perhaps we would only bring guitars (over there), because transportation is less convenient, plus you can't be as loud," she said of the new locations. By Sankalp Phartiyal and Aditya Kalra MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is considering asking e-commerce and social media firms to exclusively store customer data locally, a move that could affect global giants that operate in the country such as Amazon, Facebook and its messaging service WhatsApp. The plan, which has also raised some concerns among privacy advocates, is laid out in an undated Draft National Policy document seen by Reuters that is mainly aimed at streamlining regulation of the country's burgeoning e-commerce sector. It comes at a time when deep-pocketed foreign players are rapidly investing in India's e-commerce market, which Morgan Stanley estimates may be worth $200 billion in a decade. The draft policy, which was floated last week according to an e-commerce industry source, also mulls tightening scrutiny of mergers in the e-commerce sector so that even small deals that potentially distort competition are compulsorily examined by the country's anti-trust regulator. Vinay Kesari, an independent Bengaluru-based lawyer who has advised global technology companies, said the plan was bound to "unsettle" the e-commerce industry "because it is at odds with the fundamental character of the internet". The Indian e-commerce market is currently dominated by Amazon and local rival Flipkart that is in the process of being bought by U.S. retail giant Walmart - in a deal opposed by some local traders who fear it could drive mom-and-pop stores out of business. Other players include Snapdeal, backed by Japan's SoftBank, Paytm E-Commerce backed by SoftBank and Alibaba Group, and Tiger Global-backed ShopClues. Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, ShopClues, Google and Facebook did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on the draft policy. The government, according to the draft, will take steps to incentivize the storage of data of Indians locally. "Data generated by users in India from various sources including e-commerce platforms, social media, search engines etc," would have to be stored exclusively in India, the draft said, adding companies could be given time to "adjust before localization becomes mandatory". It also said the government "would have access to data stored in India for national security and public policy objectives subject to rules related to privacy, consent etc". Raman Chima, global policy director at internet advocacy Access Now, said it was beyond the mandate of an e-commerce policy to begin talking about how all internet players should store data in India. "It is very troubling because it would quite likely lead to intrusion on people's privacy, especially since the legal measures regarding surveilling and accessing data of people online have not been specifically reformed," Chima said. DATA PROTECTION The draft policy follows a proposal last week from a government-appointed panel that all critical personal data on people in India should be processed within the country. The recommendations by the panel will go before parliament, which is formulating a data privacy law. Other measures listed in the e-commerce draft policy include mandating that home-grown card network RuPay be included as a payment option for online transactions. The company owned by a group of banks competes with global payment firms like Visa, MasterCard and American Express. India's central bank in April said payments firms such as Mastercard and Visa should within six months store data only in the country for "unfettered supervisory access". But U.S. firms protested and India's finance ministry has recommended relaxing the directive. On Monday, a senior federal commerce ministry official, Anup Wadhawan, told reporters the e-commerce policy would help strike a balance between promoting business and enhancing security using data localisation. But some disagreed. Pratibha Jain, a partner at law firm Nishith Desai Associates, said the tone and tenor of the draft was "more protectionist", rather than being balanced. "By doing this we are playing to the domestic gallery and it will send out a protectionist message," said Jain, whose firm counts tech companies among its clients. The draft also said India would move to boost participation of micro, small and medium enterprises in online retail and proposed banning the bulk purchase of branded goods, such as mobile phones, by "related party sellers which lead to price distortions in a market". Currently, sellers like Cloudtail, a joint-venture between Amazon's India unit and Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, make up the bulk of the sales on Amazon's online marketplace. "Companies and sellers buying in bulk will be prohibited, killing the market and hampering the Indian e-commerce boom," an executive with an e-commerce firm said, declining to be named. (Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal and Aditya Kalra; Additional reporting by Tanvi Mehta, Aditi Shah and Manoj Kumar; Editing by Euan Rocha, Himani Sarkar and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) In short, the industries that will define Southeast Asia often get started or compete first in Indonesia While Indonesias tech ecosystem already boasts of four unicorns Go-Jek, Traveloka, Tokopedia, and Bukalapak there are several new entrants well on their way toward disrupting their respective industries. Its worth taking a closer look at them because they may foreshadow of regional and even international business trends, given Indonesias primacy as a tech player in Southeast Asia. Go-Jek, for example, was founded in 2010, auguring the competition in mobility that continues to rage on in the region until the present day. Their market entrance occurred a full two years before Grabs founding in 2012, then still known as taxi-hailing company by the name of My Teksi and GrabTaxi as well EasyTaxis foray in 2013, a Rocket Internet-backed platform that would eventually leave in defeat just three years later. In short, the industries that will define Southeast Asia often get started or compete first in Indonesia, and with the government doing its role to close the series B gap, this trend is poised to continue only further. Founders throughout the region should look to the island nation as much as they do their own market: Indonesia may just give them a preview of the road that lies ahead. 1. The rise of specialized content marketplaces If content is king, there will be a war for the throne in the next few years. With a growing audience of digital natives and a rising smartphone penetration, more publishers, platforms, and media outlets will arise in Southeast Asia. Indonesias GetCraft wants to be the main pipeline for all this content production. On GetCraft, brands and agencies can avail of any of their content needs, from writers and photographers to designers and influencers. As of this March, the company has assembled a pool of 4,000 total content creators, and already maintains operations across the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Story continues Also read: Invest in Indonesia yesterday, says DailySocial Founder Rama Mamuaya GetCraft augurs the increasing specialisation of marketplaces in Southeast Asia. If brands were once content with broad horizontal platforms like Upwork, they are now looking for more niche marketplaces, where the creators are pre-vetted, reviewing relevant work is easier, and the providers have more experience with content marketing, thought leadership, and everything in between. When content production matures, in short, so, too does the content platform. 2. The blockchain goes mainstream Pundi X is one of the most well-funded tech companies in Southeast Asia, a feat achieved by CEO Zac Cheah leading a public token sale that raised $35 million earlier this year. This kind of capital is essential as Pundi X is going after a big market: retail point-of-sales. They want to make transacting with cryptocurrency as easy as buying a bottled water. The company has created the Pundi X POS, a blockchain-based, point-of-sale device that can sell or accept payment in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and NPXS through either fiat money, a mobile wallet, or a Pundi X Pass card. The Pundi X POS was launched this July at FAMA Group restaurants in Hong Kong SUPAFOOD, Locofama, Sohofama, and the Hive Cafe and coincided with a promotion at RISE where ambassadors gave away topped up Pundi X Pass cards to some attendees. The roll-out of the Pundi X POS was a significant one for both the company and the industry. The company will become the first in Southeast Asia to give people a wide store network where they can transact in cryptocurrency, potentially helping bring these digital currencies into wide usage and circulation. The industry will then benefit from Pundis success: Other founders will see the potential of blockchain-based products not just for niche segments, but for mainstream consumers in Southeast Asia. 3. The on-demand economy comes to car owners With the attention that ride-hailing gets across Southeast Asia, you might assume that the vast majority of people are moving away from car ownership and participating exclusively in the sharing economy. This transformation, of course, is not happening, at least not anytime in the immediate future. For all the popularity of ride-hailing platforms, people still like their cars. And now companies like Indonesias Montir wants to cater to them. The startup is both a service provider and a retailer through its web or mobile app, users can avail of automotive service or even car parts. Montir recently raised an undisclosed Series A from East Ventures, which will serve the company well in its battle with Go-Jeks own Go-Auto, which offers similar services. That both startups and unicorns are going after this space is telling on-demand services that target car owners could be as big a sector as ride-hailing. The logic here is simple: If people like their cars, they like taking care of them even more. All founders in Southeast Asia must acknowledge Indonesias market leadership in Southeast Asia and look to it for inspiration: What industries are they springing up next? - e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here. Photo by Rezal Scharfe on Unsplash The post Is Indonesia a crystal ball? Take a look at 3 companies that may define the regions future appeared first on e27. Low-resolution photo transmitted from the Al Awda during its final hours of navigation (left) and Singaporean Jason Soo (right). (PHOTOS: Freedom Flotilla Coalition website) Two Singaporeans who were involved with a flotilla planning to break the Gaza blockade have been reportedly detained by the Israeli authorities since Sunday (29 July). In response to media queries by Yahoo News Singapore, a spokesperson from Singapores Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in an email on Monday night that MFA has called on Israeli authorities to accord the Singaporeans involved due legal rights, without specifying the nature of their involvement. The MFA spokesperson added, All Singaporeans should comply with the laws of the countries they are visiting. The email did not reveal the number of Singaporeans involved or their identities. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an activist group that is aiming to break the blockade, said in a statement that Jason Soo, a Singaporean independent film-maker, was onboard its boat Al Awda (The Return), when it was intercepted by Israeli forces on Sunday. Soo, 42, is best known for his documentary 1987: Untracing The Conspiracy, about detainees arrested during Operation Spectrum under the Internal Security Act in 1987. According to the groups website, the other Singaporean on board is orthopaedic surgeon Ang Swee Chai, 69, who holds both Singapore and British citizenships. The self-imposed exile, who is a strong advocate of the Palestinian people, is the widow of Francis Khoo, an activist who fled Singapore in 1977 to evade arrest by the Internal Security Department. Dr Ang had previously planned to return to Singapore but did not do so over fears that she would be stripped of her Singapore citizenship. Under Singapore law, citizens are not allowed to hold dual citizenship. According to the group, Soo was on board Al Awda to document the efforts of Dr Ang. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Palestinian militants from obtaining weapons or military-related materials. United Nations officials and human rights activists, however, have called for the blockade to be removed, given the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Story continues The group said in a media statement on its website on Monday that two people on board the boat have been released, though most of the crew and at least 18 participants remain in detention at the Givon prison in Israel. The duo, identified as Israeli citizens, have been charged with attempting to enter Gaza and conspiracy to commit a crime, and were released on bail on Sunday, the group added. We are still gravely concerned for their safety and well-being as we had no contact with most of them as of 14:00 CEST (8pm SGT, Monday) today, the statement said. We call on national governments, civil society and international organisations to demand that Israeli authorities immediately release our boat so that we can deliver our much-needed medical supplies on Al Awda and the fishing boat itself to the rightful recipients in Gaza. Al Awda, a former fishing boat from Norway sailing under a Norwegian flag, was carrying 22 people from 16 nations, as well as 13,000 (S$20,721) worth of medical supplies when it was captured near Palestinian waters on Sunday, according to the group. Apart from the two Singaporeans, the participants comprised human rights supporters, journalists and crew members from countries including Malaysia, Sweden, Norway, Spain, and USA, according to the groups website. In its statement, boat leader Zohar Chamberlain Regev, who was one of the two released on bail, reported seeing blood on the deck of Al Awda. People on board were tasered and hit by masked IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers. We did not get our passports or belongings before we got off the boat, the statement quoted her as saying. According to an earlier media statement by the group on Sunday, the Al Awda was reportedly 49 nautical miles from the port in Gaza, when it was warned by the Israeli naval personnel that it was breaking international law and that they will use any measures necessary to stop them. The boat, however, maintained its course towards Gaza, where the crew and participants were due to arrive around 3am Singapore time. The group lost contact with Al Awda later on the same day, with a number of warships sighted near the boat. Al Awda is being followed by the Swedish-flagged yacht Freedom, which is also carrying medical supplies along with people from a number of nations, said the group. The group had posted a one-minute long audio clip on YouTube that was purportedly a recording of Soos voice. The clip said, I was supposed to leave the boat, at least before it reached Gaza, but it did not happen, and I am at an Israeli prison. Please do whatever you can to free me and the other participants. Facebook user Kai Lam posted on Monday morning to appeal to members of the public to write to the MFA and the Israeli embassies to demand the safe release of those imprisoned. Jason was filming and had planned to get off the boat much earlier. However, he was unable to do so and is now uncontactable. Id be grateful if you could look into this matter and help get Jason home safely, added Kai Lam. Other Singapore stories: Yahoo Poll: Should Tan Cheng Bock lead an opposition alliance? Top values of Singapore society include kiasu, complaining, self-centred: survey I suppose its a step forward. Nobody is seriously claiming that the rampage killer who recently opened fire in a street lined with cafes in Toronto, killing two (including a young child) and hurting many, was a terrorist. For example: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/world/americas/islamic-state-mental-health.html and https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/toronto-mass-shooting-suspect-struggled-with-psychosis-depression-family-1.4023591 Note (because neither of these reports does) that one of the activities most commonly correlated with mental illness in the modern world is consumption of Marijuana. Note that this ghastly horror took place in the greatest city in Canada, a country which has just very foolishly decided to legalise Marijuana. Does its Parliament have any clue what it is doing? In the New York Times story, which doesnt of course mention drugs as a direct influence on the crime, or the shooter's mental state, , we learn, very near the bottom, that the shooters brother Fahad overdosed on unnamed drugs last summer, ending up in a vegetative state at a hospital. Fahad, it notes, had twice been arrested, once on charges of drug dealing, a crime very rarely committed by people who do not also take drugs. Well, what implications might that have for his brother Faisal's mental illness, now beyond doubt? Not a word. In fact, it is almost as if the NYT (it is not alone in this) has some kind of repeller device, which keeps it from even examining any link between drug abuse and rampage killing. For instance, it mentions in this story the Nice killer, Bouhlel, whose drug use I have detailed here http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2016/07/is-the-latest-mass-murder-really-incomprehensible-.html but seems unaware of this widely reported fact. It mentions Omar Mateen, the Orlando mass-killer, whose use of steroids I detail here http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2016/06/some-reflections-on-the-orlando-horror.html but seems unaware of this widely-reported fact. It mentions Martin Couture Rouleau, whose undoubted marijuana use I note here http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2016/04/that-list-in-full-violent-major-criminals-who-have-used-cannabis.html .but also seems unaware of this fact. This begins to look like carelessness, especially in a newspaper that prides itself so much on thorough fact-checking. Last month, I might add, I contacted two reporters at the New York Times whose names were on a story about the Annapolis shooting, asking the following question: Dear X and Y, I am a British journalist, a columnist for the London Mail on Sunday. I try to follow through on rampage killings and other mass outrages in the USA and Europe, and have found a strong correlation (details on request) suggesting that an extraordinarily large number of perpetrators in these cases have been taking psychotropic drugs, legal or illegal. These include, purely for example, marijuana (Jared Loughner, the Tucson shooter, plus all the Charlie Hebdo and Bataclan killers in Paris, and Bibeau, the killer of a Canadian soldier in Ottawa), steroids (Breivik, the Norwegian mass murderer, the Westminster murderer Masood, the London Bridge murderers Redouane, Zaghba and Butt and the Orlando shooter Mateen) ; antidepressants (the Unabomber, Kaczinski, and Harris, one of the Columbine killers, as well as Lubitz, the German Wings pilot who flew his plane into a mountain); benzodiazepines and Adderall, an amphetamine (Malik and Farook, the San Bernardino killers) . I note from your June 29 report that Ramos, the alleged Annapolis killer, was ordered not to contact the woman and to continue getting therapy in return for the suspension of his 90-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to harassment in July 2011. I wondered if you had any idea what the therapy was, and if it included any medication. Also if there was any suggestion that Ramos is a user of marijuana or steroids. Sincerely, Peter Hitchens. I received this acknowledgement: THANK YOU for writing The New York Times newsroom. We are grateful to readers who take the time to help us report thoroughly and accurately. Your message will reach the appropriate editor or reporter promptly. No doubt it did. But I never heard another thing. Although the idea that he might have been a terrorist is still sort-of being toyed with, its obvious that Faisal Hussain was unhinged. So far they haven't even been able to find an eyewitness who sears he heard him shout 'Allahu Akhbar!, and theres yet to be one of those uncheckable claims that he had at some stage and in some way pledged allegiance to Islamic State (How can people in the West do do this? Are there booths on high streets?) Even if there were, Id caution against drawing too many conclusions. I detail here a very clear example of how a crazy person (also in this case a marijuana user) can try to dignify his fantasies by dressing them up in grand political clothing: http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2016/08/the-man-who-thought-tony-blair-was-his-guardian-angel-yes-really.html It is frustrating that all this material is readily available to a diligent searcher, and points so strongly in the direction of an inquiry. But the worlds of politics and journalism just dont seem interested. Indeed, I get abused and misrepresented (most absurdly and insultingly, as an apologist for Islam) when I detail these facts. Anyone like to hazard a guess as to why this happens? The death of an asylum-seeker held at a remote Australia-run Pacific camp from an infection was "preventable" and Canberra should improve healthcare services for detainees, a coroner ruled Monday. Under Canberra's harsh immigration policy, asylum-seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat are sent to detention centres in Papua New Guinea and Nauru for processing. They are blocked from entering Australia even if they gain refugee status. The government contracts a medical provider to deliver health services at the camps, but doctors have previously criticised the facilities as inadequate. The Iranian detainee, Hamid Khazaei, died aged 24 in September 2014, two weeks after he contracted a leg infection and was transferred from PNG's Manus Island to the capital Port Moresby and then a Brisbane hospital. Queensland state coroner Terry Ryan said his death "was the result of the compounding effects of multiple errors", including delays in treating or moving him. "Mr Khazaei's death was preventable," Ryan wrote in his findings. "If Mr Khazaei's clinical deterioration was recognised and responded to in a timely way at the (Manus) clinic, and he was evacuated to Australia within 24 hours of developing severe sepsis, he would have survived." Ryan said similar deaths could be avoided if asylum-seekers were relocated to less remote regions where there were better healthcare services, such as Australia or New Zealand. He acknowledged this was "highly unlikely" given Canberra's policies, and called on the government to provide them with higher standards of healthcare. He recommended regular audits of the clinics, for critical units to be set up near camps and for the Port Moresby hospital's intensive care facilities to be upgraded to Australian standards. Australia's Home Affairs department said was reviewing the findings. Human Rights Watch claimed medical care on Manus had got "worse not better" since Khazaei died while the Doctors for Refugees advocacy group called the findings an "indictment of Australia's substandard and dangerous health care provisions" for detainees. The Manus camp was shut late last year after a PNG court ruled it was unconstitutional, with the then 600 detainees sent to transition centres. More than 240 men, women and children remain on Nauru, according to recent Australian immigration detention figures. Canberra has sought to send those recognised as refugees to third countries such as the United States, and more than 100 have been resettled there, according to reports. Morocco's King Mohammed VI arrives for a lunch at the Elysee Palace as part of the One Planet Summit in Paris, France, December 12, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/Files RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's King Mohammed VI called on Sunday on the government to do more to address the country's social and economic problems, as the North African country struggles with social disparities. He delivered the speech from the northwestern Rif region in the city of Al Hoceima where popular protests over poverty and neglect erupted in 2016 after a fishmonger was crushed to death inside a rubbish truck while trying to recover fish confiscated by police. The speech also came almost a month after 53 Rif activists including protest leader Nasser Zefzafi were sentenced to up to 20 years in jail on charges of undermining state security and attacking law enforcement members. Billions of Moroccan dirhams allocated to social development plans could better yield results had there been proper coordination and better targeting of those in need, the king said. "I attach special importance to and take a keen interest in social affairs both as a King and as a person," he said. Morocco is struggling to attract investments to curb rising unemployment as the economy has been hit by rising oil prices. (Reporting by Ahmed ElJechtimi; Editing by Ulf Laessing) Family members and international media waited with bated breath this afternoon, as investigators gathered to announce the release of a new report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Very little new information was shared, barring the fact that officials confirmed that the Boeing 777 was intentionally taken off course, manually turning off the autopilot, though they could not determine who was responsible, nor why, nor where the plane ultimately went. MH370 disappeared with 239 passengers on board, traveling between Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Its called the worlds greatest modern aviation mystery, as no clues as to why the plane diverted so sharply off course have allowed investigators to reach any kind of conclusion. Kok Soo Chon, tasked with being the head of the NH370 safety investigation team told reporters that answers were only likely to come if and when the wreckage is ever found. Search teams called off their latest endeavor, a three-month search lead by an American firm called Ocean Infinity. It covered over 112,000 sq km of the southern Indian Ocean, and turned up no new findings. This is the second search that investigators have attempted in recovering any wreckage, the last being a joint effort between Australian, Chinese and Malaysian authorities last year. Costing nearly RM600 million (US$150 million), it spanned an area of 120,000 sq km, and also proved fruitless. Experts believe that the Boeings transponder was deliberately turned off, before it was flown towards the Indian Ocean. However, they cannot confirm who turned it off, or why. Veering thousands of miles off course, investigators believe that the plane eventually plunged into the Indian Ocean. The last communication from the plane was from the Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah who signed off with Good night, Malaysian three seven zero, while leaving Malaysian airspace. Copies of the MH370 safety investigations report are seen on the floor during a media briefing in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, on July 30, 2018. Relatives of people aboard Flight MH370 said on July 30 they hoped a long-awaited report into the planes disappearance might give them answers about one of the worlds most enduring aviation mysteries. / AFP PHOTO / Mohd RASFAN A 440-page final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) last year showed that Zaharie had flown a route on his home flight simulator six weeks earlier that was initially similar to the one actually taken by MH370, something that many have been keen to point out when the topic of a premeditated flight path deviation comes up. Story continues Kok says that investigators were satisfied with the mental health and training of both the pilot, and his first officer. Although saying that the transponders could only have been turned off manually, Ko stopped short of assigning blame to the pilots, saying that they are not of the opinion that the events would have been perpetrated by the crew. However, that possibility is not being ruled out, nor is that of an unlawful interference by a third party. Passengers were also screened, and none raised the suspicions of the authorities. Grace Subathirai Nathan (C), daughter of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 passenger Anne Daisy, speaks during a press conference after being presented with the final investigation report on the missing flight, in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, on July 30, 2018. Relatives of people aboard Flight MH370 said on July 30 they hoped a long-awaited report into the planes disappearance might give them answers about one of the worlds most enduring aviation mysteries. / AFP PHOTO / Mohd RASFAN Voice 370, a group representing the relatives of the passengers on the flight, had called on the newly formed Malaysian government to review the flight, including looking at any fudging of records related to MH370, or its maintenance. They asked not for blame to be assigned, but for the cause of the disappearance to be determined so that there was no re-occurrence in the future. Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement, saying they hope that investigators will follow-up on their work, although they did not explain exactly what that referred to. Only three wing fragments from the plane have been recovered, after washing up along the coasts of the Indian Ocean. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said Malaysia would only consider resuming the search for MH370 if new clues were to come to light. The post MH370 Report: No new news, investigators believe transponders intentionally turned off appeared first on Coconuts. Morocco's King Mohammed VI Sunday urged the government to take "urgent action" to address social issues, in particular health and education in the north African country which has been hit by protests over employment and corruption. Despite the "achievements accomplished (...) I have the feeling that we continue to be lacking something in social matters," the king said in a speech marking the 19th anniversary of his accession to the throne. Mohammed VI pointed to social support and social protection programmes that "overlap each other, suffer from a lack of consistency and fail to effectively target eligible groups". Morocco is marked by glaring social and territorial inequalities, against a backdrop of high unemployment among young people. In 2017, it was ranked 123rd out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index. In his speech, the king called for accelerating the establishment of a national system to register families for social support programmes and invited the government to "undertake a comprehensive and deep restructuring" of existing programmes. He also called for "a strong boost to programmes to support schooling" and a reshaping of the health system, which "is characterised by glaring inequalities and weak management." The king's speech was delivered in the northern city of Al-Hoceima which was the epicentre of the "Hirak" protest movement that rocked the country in 2016 and 2017. The social unrest began in October 2016 after the death of a fisherman and spiralled into a wave of protests demanding more development in the neglected Rif region and railing against corruption and unemployment. Over the past week Moroccan media have said they expect a royal pardon for dozens of demonstrators and activists who were sentenced in late June to up to 20 years in prison. The 54-year-old monarch made no reference to the protests in his speech. Afterwards, an official statement said 1,200 pardons were granted, without specifying if the jailed demonstrators were among them. Moroccan media said none of the "Hirak" protestors was pardoned. Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-07-30 Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review-28-30.07.18 No. 145/18 [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS Contents [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Cavusoglu shares Turkey's vision on the Cyprus settlement with Lute [02] Forty five persons wanted in Turkey for relations with FETO "arested" in the breakaway regime [03] Ataoglu says discussions are under way to create a new "national carrier" [04] More than 4,000 unfinished constructions in the breakaway regime [05] Three more "universities" to operate in the breakaway regime [06] The Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce opens a contact office in Ankara [B] Turkish Press [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS [01] Erdogan: Turkey 'won't take step back' against US [02] Turkey to convene summit to take up regional issues with Russia, Germany, France [03] Erdogan calls on the leaders of the five-country block BRICS to let Turkey join the group [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Cavusoglu shares Turkey's vision on the Cyprus settlement with Lute According to illegal Bayrak television (30.07.18, http://www.brtk.net/lutecavusoglu-ile-gorustu/), Jane Holl Lute, who has been appointed as Special Adviser of the UNSG on Cyprus, went to Ankara today within the framework of UN's initiative to resume Cyprus talks. Lute, during her visit, met with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Cavusoglu posted in his social media account today: "We shared our vision on the settlement of the Cyprus issue with Ms Lute, the official assigned by the UN Secretary-General." Lute has launched her visits to the guarantor countries after visiting Cyprus. She is expected to travel to Greece after her visit to Turkey and later to Britain. (DPs) [02] Forty five persons wanted in Turkey for relations with FETO "arested" in the breakaway regime Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (29.07.18) reported that 45 persons, 19 men, 9 women and 17 children who were wanted in Turkey for relation with the FETO organization were "arrested" at a boat which was getting ready to sail for Greece. The boat was located in a marina yacht in occupied Keryneia. The paper wrote that "a three-day warrant was issued" for the arrested persons. Reporting on the same issue and noting that the "arrests" were a "great success", Volkan (30.07.18) writes that during a press conference he gave on July 13, the "ambassador of Turkey to Cyprus" Derya Kanbay said that many members of FETO went to the occupied area of Cyprus to hide and "arrests" towards them were on the way. He also claimed that many FETO members escaped to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus adding that measures should be taken towards this direction as well. (CS) [03] Ataoglu says discussions are under way to create a new "national carrier" Under the title "Govt in talks to create new national carrier, slash fares", Turkish Cypriot weekly Cyprus Today newspaper (28.07.18) reported that self-styled minister of tourism and environment minister Fikri Ataoglu, speaking to the paper, said: "Discussions are under way between the government and a trio of airlines to create a new national carrier and slash air fares to and from Ercan airport [occupied airport of Tymbou]". He explained that airline bosses would visit the occupied area of Cyprus in the next few days to talk about taxes, tariffs and increasing the number of existing flights. Ataoglu further said: "We are currently speaking to three airlines, including Turkish Airlines, over formation of a private-public airline. () it is indeed the dream of every Turkish Cypriot to see the rebirth of a national carrier for North Cyprus, so we are discussing how we can bring it to life and how it will operate". Meanwhile, the paper reports that Turkish Airlines (THY) this week increased the number of its daily flights from seven to eight after Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci informed visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of problems being faced by the tourism industry in the occupied area of Cyprus. [04] More than 4,000 unfinished constructions in the breakaway regime Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (30.07.18) reports that there are around 4,000 unfinished buildings in the breakaway regime as a result of unplanned constructions and investments that were not under control. The paper, which notes that "the country is full of concrete chunks", writes that no-one knows the exact numbers of the buildings the construction of which started after the Annan Plan period, mainly between 2004-2007 and adds that 4,000 is just an estimation since there is no official data by the "government" for the exact numbers of the unfinished buildings. In the period that followed, between 2007-2011 and while the hopes for a solution were fainted as well, the works of the constructions stopped leaving the "country" with unfinished houses and apartments. Commenting on the issue, Cafer Gurcafer, the chairman of the "Turkish Cypriot Constructors' Union" said that the unfinished buildings belong to foreign investors and firms like Gary Robb or Bulut Insaat which were not able to follow the "alternation of laws" regarding the buildings and abandoned their investments. He also added that measures must be taken towards for fixing the problem. (CS) [05] Three more "universities" to operate in the breakaway regime Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (30.07.18) reports that the number of the illegal universities operating in the breakaway regime will increase to 19 from 16 for the new academic year. The paper writes that among the three new "universities" will be the "Rauf Denktas "university" which will be located in the occupied part of Lefkosia. The "university rector" will be Pr. Dr. Hasan Ali Bircak. The other two universities are "ARUCAD Universitesi" which will be located in occupied Keryneia and the "West of Cyprus University" in occupied Famagusta. (CS) [06] The Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce opens a contact office in Ankara According to illegal Bayrak television (30.07.18, http://www.brtk.net/?english posts=ktto-ankara-office), the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) after Brussels has opened its second contact office in Ankara. According to a press release by the KTTO, the KTTO Ankara Office, which was opened with the aim of helping businesspeople residing in the "TRNC" in their export and trade opportunities search in Turkey, was established under the Turkish Economy Ministry's Directorate General of Incentive Implementation and Foreign Investment. The contact office is set to work towards carrying cooperation and trade demands mutually with Turkey, providing information now from Turkey for market, research and development and promotion researches, further developing relations with government agencies in Turkey, supporting joint projects and works, representing the KTTO and its members and carrying out coordination and organization of business contacts of the KTTO members in Turkey. [B] Turkish Press [01] Erdogan: Turkey 'won't take step back' against US According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (29.07.18, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-wont-take-step-back-against-us-135166), the spat between Turkey and the United States over imprisoned American pastor Andrew Brunson and the threats of sanctions coming from Washington "will not intimidate Turkey", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said. "You [the U.S] cannot make Turkey take a step back through sanctions", he told reporters in Zambia before returning to Ankara, referring to statements from U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and the U.S. Defence Ministry. The latest remarks from Washington amount to "psychological warfare," according to Erdogan. "In my opinion, these are all [parts of] psychological warfare," he said. On July 26, both Trump and Pence threatened Turkey with "sanctions" if Brunson, who was given house arrest on July 25 after staying behind bars for nearly two years on terrorism charges, was not freed. () The President said Turkey may seek to resort to international arbitration if the sale of the F-35 jets to Ankara is blocked. "If it comes to that point, there are alternatives," he said. "We will continue with patience. But it should not be forgotten that we are not living in a world without alternatives," he said. () "If the U.S. does not change this attitude they should not forget they will lose a sincere and strong partner like Turkey," he added. Referring to the reports, which alleged a deal, had been brokered between Turkey and the U.S. for the release of Turkish national Ebru Ozkan from an Israeli prison in return for the release of Brunson, Erdogan said Turkey "had never made Brunson a subject of bargain". () "We told the Americans they could help Ebru, who was released and is not guilty, and facilitate her return to Turkey by giving her back her passport," said the President. "But we never said we would give them Brunson in return," Erdogan added. () [02] Turkey to convene summit to take up regional issues with Russia, Germany, France According to Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (29.07.18, https://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2018/07/29/turkey-to-convene-summit-to-take-up-regional-issues-with-russia-germany-france), President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking to reporters early Saturday in Johannesburg after the BRICS summit in South Africa, said that the summit on Syria and the wider region scheduled for Sept. 7 in Istanbul will be attended by the most senior representatives of Russia, France and Germany. () The meetings in Istanbul and Ankara will allow Russian President Vladimir Putin and himself to maintain a proper channel of communication with respect to Syria, Erdogan said. "We had the opportunity to discuss Syria on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in South Africa. I asked him [Putin] to take the necessary precautions against the possible regime attacks on Idlib, which we would find unacceptable. As you know, we have established 12 military observation posts around Idlib". () The Istanbul summit on Sept. 7 will allow all four countries to take up a wide-ranging set of issues, including Iraq, he said, while noting that the Syria-focused Tehran meeting was the continuation of the Astana process. () [03] Erdogan calls on the leaders of the five-country block BRICS to let Turkey join the group Under the title "Erdogan suggests adding 'T' to BRICS", Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (29.07.18, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-suggests-adding-t-to-brics-135160?News) reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the leaders of the five-country block BRICS to let Turkey join the group. "If you take us in the name of the platform would become BRICST, I said," he told reporters in South Africa's capital Johannesburg on July 27. The BRICS group, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, invited Turkey to 10th annual meeting as the term chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Erdogan travelled to Johannesburg along with the country's Foreign Minister, Finance and Treasury Minister, Defense Minister, Commerce Minister and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials on July 26. Erdogan also said that the BRICS members welcomed his suggestion warmly. "Especially China says that it stands in favour of enlargement. I have seen that they are considering involving other countries in this platform. They are not opposed to it," he said. "We are in the G-20 with five of those countries. I wish they take the necessary steps to let us in and we take our place in the BRICS," he added. Pointing to the potential of partnering in economy, investments and development projects with the BRICS countries, Erdogan said: "I believe that it is not right to stay away from such groupings". TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION (DPs / AM) Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article Social Light raises US$470K to bring WiFi advertising to the Philippines, Singapore and more The company says its WiFi advertising platform allows businesses to provide free and sustainable WiFi service Philippines-based WiFi advertising startup Social Light Inc announced today it has raised PHP 25 million (US$470,000) in a Pre-Series A round led by Cerebro Labs. The funding will spur the companys expansion plans in its core market Philippines, as well as its other markets including Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, South America and Africa. Besides the investment, Social Lights CEO Francis Simisim said that Cerebro has connected with the company with strategic corporations and portfolio companies that will enable the company to grow faster. Social Light also appointed its new Chairman, Januario Jesus JJ Atencio, who will be charged with growing the business in the Philippines. Internet connection in the Philippines is expensive and spotty, and while there are several parties in the country that provide free WiFi service, it isnt sustainable to them as they burn cash with no means of ROI, said Simsim. Social Lights business proposition is its WiFi advertising platform, Vayafi, monetise their networks while giving free WiFi away to users. The platform sells ad space to advertisers who use it deliver digital ads to the services consumers. This in turn incentivises businesses to maintain an optimal and sustainable WiFi network. Also Read: In Amazing Fabless personalised story book, your kid is the hero It helps our stakeholders, venues and advertisers alike, give free WiFi sustainably by earning revenues and getting their desired marketing outcome, said Simisim. For advertisers, this below-the-line advertising is similar to flyering (distribution of flyers) but in the users device. Comparing to other below the line advertising channels, our solution enables them to deliver an ad to the right person, at the right place at the right time on their own mobile device. Social Light plans to deploy around 1,000 access points in the Philippines. It is targeting businesses of all sizes, from shopping malls to corner shops or cafes. Story continues In Singapore, Social Light has already rolled out its service to the Singapore Sports Hub. Simisim said the company is looking for partners such as systems integrators, telcos, ISPs, Ad Agencies and Marketing firms. Image Credit: Social Light The post Social Light raises US$470K to bring WiFi advertising to the Philippines, Singapore and more appeared first on e27. The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties after over a decade of animosity, in the latest fast-track rapprochement in the Horn of Africa. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," said a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Somali counterpart Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. Once close, Somalia and Eritrea fell out over a decade ago as Asmara stood accused of backing Islamist militants on Somali soil in a proxy war with Ethiopia. Eritrea long denied this, but was slapped with UN sanctions over its alleged backing of Al-Shabaab in 2009. "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the countrys rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," read the declaration. The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday agreed to establish diplomatic ties after more than a decade of animosity, in the latest lightning rapprochement between Horn of Africa rivals. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," read a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed, who left for Mogadishu shortly thereafter. The declaration came just three weeks after Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to two decades of conflict, rapidly restoring diplomatic ties and flights between their capitals. The history of the three nations, and their fallouts, have been intertwined. Somalia and Eritrea were once close. Under Somali dictator Siad Barre, the military regime in Mogagishu backed Eritrea's long fight for independence from Ethiopia, which was attained in 1993. In 1998 Ethiopia and Eritrea began a bloody two-year war over their shared border which left 80,000 dead before settling into a bitter cold war. After the fall of Barre in 1991, Somalia fell into chaos. By around 2006, it became the site of what observers called a proxy war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Ethiopia backed backing a weak interim government in Mogadishu while Eritrea was accused of backing the Islamic militants fighting to overthrow it, a charge it denied. The UN Security Council in 2009 imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militants, which continue to launch regular deadly attacks despite losing territory in recent years. The declaration placed special emphasis on its support for the Somali government. "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the countrys rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," it said.The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." - End of 'epoch of conflict' - At a state banquet on Sunday, Isaias bemoaned the gloomy post-Cold War history of the Horn of Africa. He said the region had been destroyed by "ethnic and clan cleavages" and "external pillage and internal thievery" in the speech which also lashed out at the "micromanagement of anarchy" by the United Nations and NGOs. "Under these bleak realities, interventionist and expansionist regional agendas in the name of religion, cultural intoxication under various extremist ideologies, terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, as well as trade in weapons and narcotics became the new normal," he said, according to a speech posted on the information ministry's website. "But this epoch of crises, conflict and instability is not inherently sustainable. As such, it is nearing its end. We are indeed entering a new, transitional, phase." Ethiopia, which is undergoing lightning reforms under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has already formally requested that sanctions be lifted against Eritrea. And in the wake of Ethiopia's peace with Eritrea, its other neighbour and rival Djibouti asked the UN Security Council for help mediating a long-standing border dispute that has soured relations with Asmara. DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Four Western cyclists were killed when a car ploughed into them in Tajikistan in what may have been a terrorist act in which the attackers also stabbed their victims after injuring them, the interior minister and the U.S. embassy said on Monday. The tourists, from the United States, Switzerland and the Netherlands, were killed in the Central Asian country on Sunday, the authorities said. Three others, from Switzerland, the Netherlands and France, were injured - one of them also from a stab wound. Security forces pursuing suspects in the attack killed four, including one who resisted arrest, and detained a fifth man, the former Soviet republic's interior ministry said. "We are looking into all versions - accident, robbery ... including a terrorist act," Interior Minister Ramazon Rakhimzoda told a briefing. Among the four suspects killed was the owner of the car, which police believe hit the group as they cycled through a rural area 90 km (55 miles) southeast of the capital Dushanbe. A purported video of the incident published online by Radio Free Europe and credited to an anonymous source showed a car doing a U-turn on a narrow road after it had already run into the group and then running over several of the cyclists. A "wanted" notice disseminated by Tajik authorities named two suspects aged 18 and 19 from the same village close to the Tajik-Afghan border, and a third one, 21, from the town of Nurek located not far from the site of the attack. The U.S. Embassy said it could not name the two U.S. victims due to privacy concerns, but indicated that it also considered the incident to be an intentional attack. "We strongly condemn the cruelty of the attackers and recognise that they in no way represent the kindness and hospitality of the Tajik people," it said in a statement. "According to multiple sources, on July 29 Tajik citizens hit seven foreign cyclists with their vehicle, exited the car, and stabbed the cyclists with knives," the embassy said in another statement issued later on Monday. Story continues Still, the embassy said it had "no evidence that indicates a heightened level of threat to U.S. citizens". It also commended the Tajik authorities "on their professional and quick response to the incident". Switzerland's Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of one Swiss national and said it was in contact with the second tourist, who has been injured. "If it is established that this was a terrorist attack, it will be noted in future travel advice for Tajikistan," the ministry said in a statement. Britain's Foreign Office urged UK tourists in Tajikistan, particularly those hiking or cycling in its south, "to exercise extreme caution and vigilance during their visit", citing "the first incident of this kind in Tajikistan". The government of Tajik President Imomali Rakhmon - who expressed condolences to the U.S., Swiss and Dutch authorities on Monday - fought Islamist guerrillas in a 1992-1997 civil war which claimed tens of thousands of lives. Some Tajik Islamists then joined a coalition government but in 2015 the state outlawed their political party, accusing its leaders of being behind a failed coup, a charge they deny. Thousands of people from the mainly Muslim region have joined Islamic State militants in recent years. Several men from Central Asia were detained last year over a bombing of the metro in Russia's St Petersburg, and over truck attacks in New York and Stockholm. (Reporting by Nazarali Pirnazarov; Additional reporting by Michael Shields in Zurich; writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Richard Balmforth) Britain's new foreign minister made an awkward debut in China on Monday when he sought to curry favour with his hosts by mentioning his Chinese wife, but accidentally referred to her as "Japanese". China and Japan have been traditional rivals for centuries. Although relations have improved somewhat recently, they remain touchy due to issues such as Japan's bloody occupation of parts of China in the 1930s and 40s. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, on his first official visit to China, quickly acknowledged the "terrible" error. "My wife is Japanese -- my wife is Chinese. Thats a terrible mistake to make," he told his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. "My wife is Chinese and my children are half-Chinese and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xian and strong family connections in China," he added, referring to the ancient city of Xian in northern China. A former health minister, Hunt is married to Lucia Guo, with whom he has three children. He succeeds the gaffe-prone Boris Johnson -- who once referred to Africans as "flag-waving piccaninnies" with "watermelon smiles" in a newspaper column -- after Johnson dramatically resigned over Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit blueprint earlier this month. Hunt is in China in a bid to strengthen trade ties with Beijing ahead of Britain's exit from the European Union next year. Other topics on the table are expected to be "the importance of multilateralism and free trade and ways the UK and China can work together on global challenges such as climate change, development, security and non-proliferation and enforcing UN sanctions on North Korea", his office said ahead of the trip. A Vietnam court convicted 20 people on Monday of joining nationwide protests last month against a draft economic law that sparked anger in the communist nation where demonstrations are banned. The protests against a proposed bill to grant lengthy leases to foreign investors in special economic zones erupted in several cities across the country, including in some areas where police headquarters were stormed and officers attacked. Scores were detained after the demonstrations, which were fuelled by anti-Chinese sentiment. They included an American citizen convicted of causing public disorder and deported earlier this month. On Monday 20 people were found guilty on similar charges in southern province of Dong Nai and given sentences ranging from 18 months' jail to a 12-month suspended sentence, according to the province's official newspaper. They were accused of holding up banners, shouting slogans and blocking traffic for hours in the city of Bien Hoa, it said. "(Their) behaviour caused social disorder... and negatively impacted society. Some committed crimes because they were not aware of the laws or were instigated by others," the judge was quoted as saying. The draft law on special economic zones initially proposed granting 99-year leases to investors in special economic zones, which the government said would create jobs and spur economic growth. It reduced the length of the leases after online opposition, but this was not enough to quell anger that had been brewing for weeks. Many against the draft bill accused the government of planning to hand land over to China, even though it was not named in the law. The communist neighbours have a long and complicated history -- punctuated by a bloody border war in 1979 -- and still frequently spar over disputed territory in the resource-rich South China Sea. The June 10 protests drew thousands to the streets and paralysed several areas, including in the southern hub Ho Chi Minh City where American citizen Will Nguyen was arrested. Seventeen people have been convicted in separate trials in Binh Thuan province, where demonstrations spun out of control when protesters attacked riot police and damaged government buildings and cars. Protests are officially banned and are rare in the one-party state. The government has vowed to punish those accused of inciting unrest in the June gatherings. HANOI (Reuters) - Thirteen people were killed and four injured when a minibus carrying guests on the way to a wedding in central Vietnam collided head-on with a large container truck on Monday, the government said in a statement. The bus was carrying the groom and his family members from Quang Tri province to the bride's home in Binh Dinh province during the early hours of the couple's wedding day. "The accident killed ten of them instantly. Three, including the groom, died on the way to the hospital," the statement said. The truck driver suffered minor injuries in the crash, according to the statement, which said police had launched an investigation. Traffic accidents are common in Vietnam, where traffic laws on busy and badly maintained roads are loosely enforced. More than 8,200 people were killed in road accidents in the Southeast Asian country last year, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee. (Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by James Pearson and Paul Tait) An erupting volcano, ruthless love scammers and deadly snorkelling accidents: those are just a few of the dangerous and dishonest schemes that Chinas embassies are alerting its nationals about as the summer travel season kicks into high gear. Some 131 million tourists went out on trips from mainland China last year, up 6.9 per cent from a year earlier, spending more than US$115 billion, according to the China Tourism Academy (CTA), a state-run think tank. Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand were the top three destinations last year, while other hotspots included the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Russia and Australia, according to the CTA. The risks of travel for Chinese tourists were highlighted when a boat capsized in Phuket, Thailand, killing 47 Chinese nationals. Here are five risks on the warning list: Hawaiian lava Hawaiis erupting Kilauea Volcano has become one of the worlds top tourist attractions, but the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles said Chinese tourists should to keep a safe distance from the peak. Kilauea has been active since May, attracting many lava tourists to the Pacific island. Terror as lava bomb hits Hawaii tour boat, injuring many As lava tourism catches on, the consulate has directed Chinese tourists to read its Volcano Disaster Response Guide, a Chinese translation of US government advice on volcano safety. Twenty-three tourists were hurt when a lava bomb crashed into their tour boat as they watched lava flow from Kilauea into the sea, according to Reuters. Taiwan-based international scammers Chinas Public Security Bureau said reports from several Chinese embassies suggested the a Taiwanese group was behind scammers posing as embassy staff and calling Chinese tourists in the US, demanding personal and banking information, Xinhua reported. Chinese tourists accused of taking Vladivostoks crown jewels The Chinese consulate in San Francisco said last week that phone scams were extremely rampant and warned travellers to be wary if contacted by people claiming to be embassy officials with news of kidnappings, or making other fraudulent claims. Story continues The latest warning echoes the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs alert in April to Chinese travellers to the US about people claiming to be embassy or consulate staff demanding personal information and saying a relative of the traveller had been in an accident. Snorkelling deaths, from Australia to the Bahamas Chinese embassies in both Australia and the Bahamas have urged Chinese tourists to be aware of the risks of snorkelling. The Chinese embassy in Australia said snorkelling accidents killed Chinese tourists each year, particularly at the Great Barrier Reef, usually because the snorkeller was not a strong enough swimmer or was not adequately prepared. Is the media to blame for overtourism? Or the travellers? In 2017, 20 international tourists drowned in Australia , according to an annual government water safety report. A Chinese tourist drowned in the Bahamas while snorkelling on July 16, according to the local Chinese embassy website. The embassy told tourists to choose quality companies for water activities, and to stay away from areas without lifeguards. Fake romancers in Japan Chinas embassy in Japan warned tourists to be wary of handsome men and beautiful women involved in passion scams. Chinese visitors to US told to beware of shootings, costly medical care The embassy said the scammers used chat apps to engage tourists in conversation, feigning feelings for the traveller or proposing romantic relationships. Tourists are then coaxed into lending money and giving gifts to the fake lovers. The embassy warned of similar scams involving friend introduction services. No VIP access in New Zealand New Zealands Chinese embassy warned travellers against using travel agencies that claimed to have VIP channels at the embassy to help them obtain travel visas. In a statement last week, the embassy rejected claims that it had granted agencies cooperative partnerships or official authority to provide the purported VIP service. This article From volcano lava to love scams, five risks for Chinas growing band of overseas tourists first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. By Prak Chan Thul and Tom Allard PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) said on Sunday that it had won a general election that rights groups said was neither free nor fair due to voter intimidation and the absence of any significant challenger to Prime Minister Hun Sen. With no real opposition to speak of, Hun Sen was widely expected to win. But the election was widely criticized as a sham because of a campaign of intimidation by Hun Sen and his allies against critics and the dissolution of the main opposition last year. CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said the party won an estimated 100 out of 125 parliamentary seats. "The CPP won 80 percent of all the votes and we estimate we will win not less than 100 seats," Sok Eysan told Reuters in a telephone interview. Results from around the country were still being announced by the National Election Commission on Sunday and official results aren't expected until mid-August. Hun Sen's opponents had called for an election boycott. The National Election Commission (NEC) said in a statement that voter turnout was 82.71 percent. Earlier in the day it put the figure at 80.49 percent. In the previous general election in 2013 turnout was 69.61 percent. "This is the success of the election," Sik Bun Hok, chairman of the NEC, said in a televised news conference. 8.3 million people were registered to vote on Sunday. "This time is higher," he added. "Cambodia should be proud." Yoeung Sotheara, an election analyst and legal expert who previously worked as a poll monitor in Cambodia, said Sunday's result was best compared with the result of the nationwide local government elections in 2017, where turnout was 90 per cent, or 7.1 million voters. Electoral reforms in 2016 made it easier for people to register where they lived and cleaned out dead people and "ghost" names from the voter list, he said. Scenes on the ground in the capital Phnom Penh painted a different picture than that presented by the government. At a polling station near the river, election workers outnumbered voters and a slow trickle of people arrived throughout the day. Story continues Another polling station at a school was quiet, with a handful of voters casting their ballots in the mid-afternoon heat. Critics say the election is a backward step for democracy in Cambodia, marred by intimidation by the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the dissolution last year of the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and the jailing of its leader, Kem Sokha, on treason charges. The number of spoiled votes will be closely watched amid reports of Cambodians being told to vote or face adverse repercussions from employers and local government officials. Some Cambodians told Reuters they planned to enter the voting booth, have their finger stained with ink but file an incomplete ballot paper as a protest. The United States, the European Union and Japan all said they would not be sending observers to the election. Cambodia said this week that observers from 52 countries would monitor the election. Many of the foreign observers spoken to by Reuters - some of which were from European populist and far-right parties - expressed support for the election. 'HOLLOW' VICTORY The 2018 election is the country's sixth since 1993 when it emerged from decades of war, including the 1975-1979 rule of the Khmer Rouge, which is blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people. Sam Rainsy, a self-exiled former opposition leader who lives in France, said in a statement that the election would hand a "hollow" victory to Hun Sen. "A victory without contest is a hollow one," he said. "For the first time in the 25 years since the elections organized by the United Nations in 1993, Cambodia lacks a legitimate government recognized by the international community," he added. Hun Sen, a Khmer Rouge commander who defected, has ruled Cambodia for more than 30 years and is the world's longest serving prime minister. Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division, told Reuters in an e-mail that many voters grudgingly went to the polls out of fear. Authorities have warned that anyone boycotting the vote will be seen as a "traitor". One voter at a polling station by the river at Preap Sisowath Quay in Phnom Penh said not voting was "too much trouble". "I did not want to vote but I did vote," said the man, who asked not to be identified. CPP is banking on a high voter turn-out to bestow a veneer of legitimacy on the election. The NEC's Sik Bun Hok said the high voter turnout on Sunday put to rest doubts about the election's legitimacy. "This answers the international community's question about whether Cambodia loves democracy," he said, adding that all polling stations in the country "operated without any obstruction." In a message on Facebook after polls closed Hun Sen thanked Cambodians for voting in "overwhelming numbers". "You have truly chosen the path of democracy," said Hun Sen. Nineteen political parties ran against Hun Sen's ruling CPP, but none are strongly critical of the government. The opposition CNRP, appealing to younger voters and those seeking change, narrowly lost the last general election in 2013. (Additional reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, Juarawee Kittisilpa and Tom Allard in PHNOM PENH; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre in PHNOM PENH; Editing by Michael Perry and Philip McClellan) A screengrab from the video posted on the SAFs Facebook page. A war relic discovered at a construction site in Woodlands on Sunday (29 July) was disposed of by officers from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team. According to a post on the SAFs Facebook page, the EOD team was activated at 11am after an Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) was found at the site along Woodlands Road. The team found the UXO to be a 15cm high-explosive projectile, which was safely disposed of at around 9pm at the site. In its post, the SAF also included video footage of the area where the UXO was found and its personnel piling sandbags around the object ahead of it being detonated. Separately, the police also closed off a segment of Mandai Road from 8pm to 9pm in order to facilitate the disposal of the UXO. More Singapore stories: Opposition politicians that I met are not 3rd rate: Tan Cheng Bock SAF regular found dead at Nee Soon Camp Man allegedly threatens to blow up pawn shop outside Boon Lay MRT after failing to rob it Please call your State Representative and State Senator and tell them to vote against legislation repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion ... Sam Roberts got married earlier this year, so to celebrate we rounded up a few carloads of idiots to take over Camp Hillcrest for the Hamstag 2018 weekend. Stopping at Hereford on the way down and Bradley Stoke on the way back, three days of skating, boozing and Craig Questions constant barrage of Youtube videos left surprisingly minimal mental scarring through the same cant perhaps be said for the locals at the sleepy Gloucestershire pub who gazed on in bewilderment as twenty plus skateboarders descended on a drinking establishment which would normally see that amount of footfall in a week. Camp Hillcrest is definitely a one off in the UK, with an indoor DIY bowl/street course set up boasting one of the best bank to wall features that Ive had the pleasure of skating. A visit there will also see you finding a frankly terrifying outdoor kinked hubba ledge, a stone pizza oven, an axe throwing stump and plenty more activities aimed at those keen to escape the concrete and steel metropolis to get in touch with nature, without giving up the chance to go put down a few frontside grinds when the mood takes you. We had a shitload of fun there and youre bound to if you go as well. Congratulations Sam and Shelley! Sorry this video took so long, I am not the most organised human in the world Featuring Max Roton, Matt Tozer, Ben English, Alex Middleton, Louis Antoine, Jono Coote, Parky, Egon Reynolds, Craig Questions, Stevie Thompson and Sam Roberts. For more on Camp Hillcrests back story, hit the words below taken from our recent interview with camp mastermind Thomas Seaton; Skateboarding gave me a real sense of meaning in life, because its art and culture is so rich and rebellious and the actual act of skateboarding teaches you strength and perseverance its pretty hard to be good at and it hurts when you fall down. I believe its rebellious culture is a great tool for young people. This mixed together with the fact that you are rolling around on a piece of Canadian maple ply, just lent itself to what weve created at camp. A space to ride wood, sculpt wood by making boards, chop wood and burn wood for fuel and cooking, share music and make art, all in the middle of the of trees in the Forest of Dean. Chris Pratt made his support for James Gunn explicit on Monday, posting that he would love to see Gunn reinstated as director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Fans have been petitioning for Disney to rehire Gunn, who was fired from the production after right-wing personalities unearthed a series of his old tweets that made light of rape and pedophilia. Pratt, who previously posted a somewhat vague Bible quote that seemed to side with Gunn, made his allegiance clear, writing that although I dont support James Gunns inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a good man. Advertisement Pratt made the comment in an Instagram post containing a letter, signed by nine members of the Guardians of the Galaxy castPratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, and Gunns brother Sean Gunnall expressing their support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were all shocked by his abrupt firing last week and have intentionally waited these ten days to respond in order to think, pray, listen, and discuss, they wrote. In that time we have been encouraged by the outpouring of support from fans and members of the media who wish to see James reinstated as director of Volume 3 as well as discouraged by those so easily duped into believing the many outlandish conspiracy theories surrounding him. That statement seems to be a reference to several prominent conservatives, including Ted Cruz, suggesting that the jokes mean Gunn might be an actual pedophile. Advertisement The letter goes on to tie Gunns apology for the tweets, some of which are almost a decade old, to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies theme of redemption, and asserts that his career is not over and that they will continue to work with him in the future despite the controversy. Given the growing political divide in this country, its safe to say instances like this will continue, the letter continues. Although we hope Americans from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality. The full letter can be found below: The East Village culture scene, as it developed through the late 1970s into the 80s, sought to decapitalize art. The art was taken out of the sterile, inhumane gallery/museum space and integrated into the crowded, teeming East Village: small storefronts, former tenements, and basement dance floors. The art was not precious, rarely archival, and often unsellable, whether because the work was installation based or so concurrent with living that it couldnt be isolated and packaged for sale. Thats a stance that seems unimaginable in our current moment, in which the supposition that value delivers meaning is granted in our culture, in our politics, and in our art. For us to pay any attention at all, the precondition is monetary value. The contextualization of art as capital dominates how we buy art, how we look at art, how we own art, how we discuss art, and how we historicize art. The auctions, the white walls, the celeb-fetishistic projection of the artist: The present-day art world reserves art for those who understand that art can be art only if it is worth something. Once, Keith Harings Pop Shop, which sold small pieces and fabricated baubles, exemplified the the East Village challenge to the art market. Today, that challenge is little more than a perceived liability to the normative market, leading to a welter of authentication problems and online offerings of forgeries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement David Wojnarowicz was indicial of the East Village temperament: a damaged, radical contrarian whose work nevertheless manifested an achingly open and optimistic sensibility, as is evidenced by the current retrospective at the Whitney, David Wojnarowicz: History Keeps Me Awake at Night. The Whitneys long-expected look at Wojnarowicz is the first major museum exhibition for the artist in New York since the New Museums in 1999. Wojnarowicz, who died in 1992 of AIDS, worked in mixed media, painting, photography, film, music, and performance. He was a shy yet central player in the East Village and exemplified a community that shared ideas, images, culture, and even money. The attitude first took discernable form in Wojnarowiczs work in the 197879 series, Rimbaud in New York; a selection of the photographs and an Arthur Rimbaud mask are at the Whitney. In the photographs, the 24-year-old Wojnarowicz posed his friends, wearing a photocopied Rimbaud mask, around the city: Times Square, late-night diners, Coney Island, and other locations evoking the artist as romantic. Wojnarowicz venerates and deconstructs the artist as hero, bringing the conceit, deeply felt but deeply distant, to the immediacy of his city. The Rimbaud of Wojnarowiczs mask is a cutout, a crime-scene body outline; the life in the images comes from the people Wojnarowicz photographs. Advertisement Advertisement Within New York, the East Villagethe location and the momentwas a superhub of intersections. Tribeca and SoHo had offered big lofts and empty streets to previous decades of New York City artists: zoning and the types of spaces, warehouse and light industry, hadnt supported a local community. Priced out of those neighborhoods, younger artists were discovering the East Village, as well as the Bronx, where they encountered urban populations with their own contemporary take on the arts. Graffiti was part of the aesthetic (the posterized sensibility of the Rimbaud mask summons street art) and a new nightlife adopted attitude and characteristics from a midlife punk scene, disco, and the political happenings, often performance, of the later 60s and 70s. The misfits of the city had found each other, and a creative arena that allowed them not just to make a particular kind of painting or sculpture, but form bands (Wojnarowicz was a part of the proto-punk band 3 Teens Kill 4; songs are available on the Whitney website, and the band remains together to this day), stage fashion shows, and put on spectacles where and while people drank and danced. Art was part of the celebration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The milieu was one of collective creation and an insistence that having fun, and largely outside the parameters of presumed social constructs, was art at its most legitimate. This is an argument that, sadly, the East Village did not winand even in the Whitneys thoughtful, extensive exhibition of Wojnarowicz, the impression is one of singular achievement. In retrospect, the familiarity of Wojnarowiczs iconography is shocking: the falling man, the ink-boy figure, the dog-headed walkerwe know these forms from Keith Haring, as well as from other artists of the period. The development of the images was shared; the reflex to attribute creation to a lone author is a contemporary anachronism. Advertisement Advertisement Connecting Wojnarowiczs work pre-AIDS/HIV diagnosis with his work post-AIDS/HIV diagnosis is not intellectually difficult. The urgency and fury of the later work is brought on by an epidemic that was homicidally neglected by state, federal, and local government in the United States. Emotionally, its much harder to bridge before and after. Not only has the tone of the work changed, but a viewers perception is profoundly recast. Wojnarowiczs Peter Hujar Dreaming/Yukio Mishima: Saint Sebastian, a sensitive portrait of a gay man dreaming, seems, after AIDS/HIV, like a portent, a man entering his own night terror. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement History Keeps Me Awake at Night places examples of pre-HIV and post-HIV work together, seeking to overcome the chasm. For example, the exhibition pairs photographs of Wojnarowicz taken by Peter Hujar early in the 1980s with photos of Hujar taken by Wojnarowicz, just moments after Hujars death due to AIDS-related pneumonia in 1987. The Hujar portraits of Wojnarowicz capture Wojnarowiczs odd majesty; Hujar was a maestro of portraiture and photographic technique. The sensitive Wojnarowicz portraits of Hujar, his lover and mentor, testify to the friendship, the artistic exchange, and the shared horror of AIDS and the death-dealing intolerance of the nation. Advertisement Advertisement Theres a great deal of work exhibited at History Keeps Me Awake at Night, more than one expectsbut perhaps most surprising is the immediacy and originality of Wojnarowiczs color, and the meticulous technique in everything he did. Wojnarowiczs multimedia approach was not haphazard; in later works, he carefully stitched panels into panels, much in the same way that he stitched together his own lips in the 1989 work, Silence=Death, or two halves of a loaf of bread in his film, A Fire in My Belly (1986). Though the film would remain unfinished, he would repeatedly elaborate on its images and themes: cartography, disembodied heads, injuries, and a kind of melding of the human and animal spirit. Through his personal and political writings, and his responses to his controversial and national status, Wojnarowicz honed his use of text, which he incorporated into his compositions. Later works at the Whitney, viewed in tandem with works on view at a concurrent Wojnarowicz show at New Yorks PPOW gallery, also attest to a totemic kinship with Georgia OKeeffeskulls and flowerswho passed away in 1986. Advertisement Advertisement If Wojnarowicz had lived, hed be almost 64, and wed still be going to shows of new worktalking about his latest. Wojnarowicz himself resisted categorization as a purely political artist, telling Terry Gross in 1990, two years before his death at 37, that AIDS was a part of his work but not his only concern: Ive always painted what I see, and what I experience, and what I perceive, so it naturally has a place in the work. I think not all the work I do is about AIDS or deals with AIDS, but I think the threads of it are in the other work as well. The reduction of art for political purposes was something Wojnarowicz objected to enough to sue the American Family Association for reproducing decontextualized details of his work that were misrepresented as the works in their entirety. (He won and was awarded a check for $1, which is on display in the Whitneys exhibition.) In the essay Wojnarowicz contributed to the catalog for Witnesses: Against Our Vanishing, a show curated in 1989 by Nan Goldin at Artists Space that gave artists a platform to respond to the AIDS crisis, he wrote: When I was told that Id contracted this virus it didnt take me long to realize that Id contracted a diseased society, as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That the Whitney now occupies the once Meatpacking District is a bizarre irony of the show. The seedy site was one of the locations of Wojnarowiczs Rimbaud photos, and into the late 80s was the citys red-light district for trans prostitution. Now, New York Citys misfits are supplanted by international tourists, vendors selling trinkets, and Diane von Furstenbergs flagship store. And the 2018 art world is even better defended against the democratization of art than it was in 1980. Wojnarowicz had a spanning vision, in medium, subject matter, and humanity. He emerged from a New York City oeuvre that had an insight into the value of art, which of course was not a price but a better experience of living, a better way to be dynamic and forceful and courageous, and a better way to ask for a future. As he wrote in his 1991 memoir, Close to the Knives: All I want is some kind of grace. The main attraction in this new segment from Showtimes Who Is America is definitely the bit where Sacha Baron Cohen, in character as his kryptonite-to-Republicans Israeli anti-terrorist expert Erran Morad, demonstrates a top-of-the-line Israeli pedophile detector to onetime Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore. You can probably tell where this is going, so lets cut to the chase: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a big comic moment, so big that Moore pretty quickly realizes hes being had, but Cohen manages to convey embarrassment and distress at the pedophile detectors malfunction well enough that Moore stays in the chair a lot longer than he probably should. But the most telling part is earlier in the interview, when Moore unintentionally reveals some pretty big blind spots when it comes to his states history: Sacha Baron Cohen: Why [does] Alabama have this strong connection with Israel? Roy Moore: Its just, Alabama has always been a state that valued freedom, that valued liberty SBC: Of course. RM: And appreciated what people went through to get it. And I think that SBC: Alabama has always been a place for equality. RM: It has. And weve, weve, celebrated throughout our history things like this. SBC: In Alabama, people have always been free, whatever their religion, or race, or sexuality RM: Well, its part of our heritage. Advertisement In any other country, that would mark the end of Roy Moores political career. Of course, in any other country, being credibly accused of dating teenagers would also have marked the end of Roy Moores political career. Roy Moores entire political career consists of doing things that should have ended his political career, and yet we all know this isnt the last well hear of him. The most telling thing about the segment, more than anything Moore said, is the fact that he sat down for this interview to begin with; that he believed, and not incorrectly, that there were people who wanted to hear more from him. If youre trying to figure out who America is, that seems like a pretty good place to start. This article is published through a partnership with New York Medias Strategist. The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected by New York Media. If you buy something through our links, Slate and New York Media may earn an affiliate commission. Between staring at monitors and hunching over cell phones, most modern office workers end up with some poor posture. The characteristic desk-jockey poseshoulders hunched forward, neck jutting out like a turtlecauses muscle and joint pain, has been linked to migraines and bad digestion, and isnt going away. Posture is a worsening problem, says Jan Lefkowitz, a chiropractor at New Yorks Body in Balance Chiropractic. I have noticed that younger people are getting much more back pain and neck pain than they used to, and I feel its from the fact that screen time starts at a much earlier age than it did for older generations. Advertisement Assuming you cant change the hours you spend at your desk every day, we decided to look into other methods for feeling better. Small breaks are an obvious start, but combining them with desk accessories, pillows, and exercise equipment designed to improve your posture while youre stuck sitting can have a huge effect on aches and pains. Below, three experts share their recommendations for posture-saving products for home and the office. Best Posture-Correcting Products for the Office Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sitting for prolonged periods of time in front of a computer can cause significant upper-back and neck pain, says chiropractor David Perna of Back & Body Medical. Fortunately, there are ways to make your desk setup more ergonomic. Perna says, A standing position often puts less stress on the lower back and helps a person achieve a more upright position. For adding more standing time to your day, Lefkowitz likes the Varidesk that easily switches between sitting and standing heights. BUY: Varidesk Height-Adjustable Standing Desk $395, Amazon Advertisement When going the standing-desk route, Lefkowitz says investing in an anti-fatigue mat is worth the extra money because it helps cushion and take stress off the joints of your knees and back when standing for long periods. BUY: Casa Pura Anti Fatigue Mat $35, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Both chiropractors recommend using monitor risers while youre sitting down. When I talk to people about proper ergonomics, the first thing I ask them is what is the height of their computer screen, says Perna. Typically, I want to hear the top of the screen is two inches above their eye level. Most office workers screens are too low, which leads to neck strain. An adjustable riser lets you find that just-right height. BUY: AmazonBasics Adjustable Monitor Stand $19, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement If your job requires you to look up and down between your screen and papers on your desk, Lefkowitz recommends a monitor document clip to reduce head and eye movements when working on your computer. Keeping everything at eye level cuts down on posture-disrupting motions. BUY: 3M Monitor Mount Document Clip $9, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Lumbar support cushions are also very important, says Lefkowitz. Maintaining the natural inward curve of your lower backthe lumbar regionwill naturally improve the position of your neck. Writer Maureen OConnor told Strat that she loves how this lumbar support gives her a gentle nudge to sit up straight and can be strapped onto the chair of your choice. And in a pinch, yoga instructor Rachel Potasznik, founder of BetterBodyLab and a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method of movement awareness and injury-prevention, says a pillow or towel can give your back the support you need. BUY: Easy Posture Lumbar Back Support Mesh $19, Amazon Advertisement For those of us with shorter legs, sitting all day is even more detrimental. If your legs dont quite reach the ground comfortably when you sit, it can worsen posture and cause back pain, says Lefkowitz. Potasznik agrees that its important to have something to allow your feet to rest comfortably on the floor, like this portable, foldable footrest. With a sliding panel for adjustable surface area, it can also be made small enough to fit in tight spaces like under an airplane seat. Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Econo High Innovative Compact Portable Footrest $39, Amazon Best Posture-Correcting Products for the Home Advertisement Advertisement Foam rollers arent just for massaging sore muscles. Lefkowitz says, A foam roller can be your best friend for fixing posture. She recommends laying the foam roller down perpendicular to your body and rolling out your back. Think of what your middle and upper back look like when you slouch and you are essentially doing the opposite with this stretch, she says. If youre used to a very rigid roller, try one like this thats a bit softer and will be more comfortable in this position. BUY: OPTP Pro-Roller Standard Density Foam Roller $50, Amazon Advertisement Another item borrowed from the gym strategy for helping posture. Perna says resistance-band exercises work by activating muscles that tend to slack off when slouching. Certain stretches also improve proprioception, or the awareness of your body in space, which he says allows you to keep a better posture through the day. Perna demonstrates his recommended moves and proper form in this video. BUY: TheraBand Resistance Bands Set $12, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to relieving neck and back pain, a pillow that encourages proper spinal alignment positively affects your posture during the day. A heavier-density pillow like the one Tempur-Pedic can help a person relearn proper head and neck position while they sleep, Perna says. Keep in mind, though, that because the pillow stretches muscles that may be tight in those with poor posture, it may take a few nights to adjust to sleeping with it. BUY: The NeckPillow by Tempur-Pedic $82, Amazon Advertisement For a customized sleeping experience, the firmness of this water-filled pillow can be adjusted by adding or removing water. The pillow uses technology thats been clinically proven to reduce pain and improve sleep quality, and is Lefkowitzs pick for supporting the neck while sleeping. The water will provide support and naturally fill in the space of your neck curve, she says. BUY: Chiroflow Pillow $55, Amazon Best Posture-Correcting Products for Travel Advertisement Advertisement While there are lots of braces and posture correctors on the market to wear on the go, the chiropractors we spoke with dont recommend relying on one. Forcing your body to have good posture by wearing a brace can lead to more muscle weakness as you become dependent on it, says Lefkowitz. A techy alternative, the Upright Go is a small sensor worn on the back linked to an app that will alert you when you need to adjust your position, and tracks your posture throughout the day, wherever you are. Perna says the device is preferable to a brace because it creates active use to achieve the results, actually making the person improve themselves. BUY: Upright Go Posture Trainer and Corrector $80, Amazon For the first time in several elections, the Illinois Congressional District once represented by Henry Hyde could fall into Democrat hands, political analysts are saying. Indeed, the current 6th CD map is starkly different that the one Henry Hyde represented. It contains a substantial part of Democrat-controlled Cook County and a portion of Lake County in addition to the eastern part of DuPage County. CHICAGO - The Democrat seeking to oust GOP Congressman Peter Roskam believes abortion is a medical procedure like gall bladder surgery - a comment Roskam immediately rejected during a debate last week in Chicago. But this time, Republican Peter Roskam faces the toughest challenge in 12 years - since he defeated now-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth - the first runoff after Hyde stepped down. Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in the district in 2016 and Democrats smelled blood in the water. Last week, Roskam and his Democrat challenger Sean Casten debated on several issues, including abortion. Casten made an off-the-cuff remark that is likely to come back and haunt him during the last 100 days of the campaign. After Roskam confirmed that he was pro-life, Casten said abortion is like "gall bladder surgery" - and should be a woman's choice. The debate comments set off a firestorm, with prolife organization Susan B. Anthony's Tweet: Moderator: "Do you favor any limits at all on when or how an abortion should be available?"@SeanCasten: "For me this is entirely a matter of choice." WOW. Casten is so out of step with 68% of Americans who want abortion to be illegal in some or all circumstances. #IL06Debate pic.twitter.com/QfulCYt9hL Susan B Anthony List (@SBAList) July 27, 2018 And Chicago NOW contributor Dennis Byrne wrote: A gall bladder doesn't have its own DNA separate from his or her mother's. Gall bladder surgery doesn't end a human being's life. A mother can live without a gall bladder; "terminating a pregnancy" ends a human life. A gall bladder doesn't continue living as a person after the mother dies. Casten is not alone in denying the humanity of a fetus. The callousness of those who claim they are the exemplars of compassion and sensitivity, but who treat a fetus--even up until birth--is stunning. Their claim to be the guardians of the "most vulnerable" among us is staggering hypocritical. Sean Casten is endorsed by National Abortion Rights Action League and taxpayer-funded Planned Parenthood, who protested outside the debate venue. This story was originally published on Chalkbeat. After decades of training teachers in largely the same way, professors at the University of Michigan are making a radical change. Theyre moving to end the longtime practice of sending educators into their own classrooms after just a few months of student teaching. In its place, theyre creating a new methodone based on the way doctors are trainedthat will extend teacher training through the first three years on the job, supporting them as they take on the daunting responsibility of educating children. Advertisement It was very nerve-racking, said Lisa Murray, who just finished her second year as an English teacher at Detroits Munger Elementary-Middle School. Before starting at Munger, shed spent 14 weeks as a student teacher in a fourth-grade classroom but suddenly found herself teaching seventh-grade English. She had a supportive mentor at her new school, she said, but ultimately you kind of have to figure it out. Its kind of trial and error. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats how teacher training has been for generations, said Elizabeth Moje, the dean of the school of education at the University of Michigan. Thats what I did, Moje said of her intimidating first teaching job when she was 21. Its what teachers doand its ludicrous. Moje hopes her new approach will not only lead to better outcomes for kids but will keep teachers in the classroom longer at a time when 1 in 10 are leaving the profession after their first year. Advertisement The new approach involves this: a K12 teaching school, similar to a teaching hospital, where future teacherscalled internswill train together under a single roof. Theyll complete their student teaching there. Then, instead of heading out in search of a job in another school, theyll stay on for three more years as full-time, fully certified teaching residents. Moje hopes her new approach will not only lead to better outcomes for kids but will keep teachers in the classroom longer. Residents wont be trainees. Theyll be real classroom teachers working with real children and making a real salarythe same as any other first-, second-, or third-year teacher. But, unlike their peers in traditional schools, theyll continue to learn from their professors and will work closely with the veteran teacherscalled attendingswho will make up most of the schools teaching staff. Advertisement Advertisement Moje hopes to launch the teaching school as a partnership with a school or district in or near Detroit as soon as the fall of 2019. Once its up and running, she said, she expects that between half and two-thirds of the faculty will be veteran teachers. The rest will be residents. Moje is not the first to call for teacher training to look more like medical training. Some schools have hired new teachers as associates before letting them fly solo in a classroom. A Denver school district has a new program that lets a handful of new teachers spend their first year working part time in a classroom and using the rest of their time to plan, observe, and hone their craft. Advertisement Advertisement Mojes teaching-school concept began in earnest around 2010 when Jonathan Zimmerman, who was the residency director for internal medicine at Beaumont Hospital-Dearborn, reached out to Moje and her colleague Bob Bain at Michigans education school for help developing a new evaluation tool for medical residents. A partnership soon emerged that had Moje joining Zimmerman on medical rounds in the hospital and Zimmerman joining Moje to observe teachers training at Detroits Cody High School. The two soon noticed key differences in the way their students are taught. At Cody, for example, Zimmerman noted a classroom where a seasoned teacher was working with four student teachers. The classroom teacher had divided her high school students into four groups and had assigned a student teacher to lead each group. Advertisement Advertisement I saw them doing the very best they could to get the students to pay attention to a project, Zimmerman said of the student teachers, but while all of the student teachers were focused on the teens they were working with, none of them were watching each other. The classroom teacher circulated to each of the small groups, but she could only see one group at a time, so the other three student teachers were largely on their own. They were all engaged in independent practice, which is great, Moje said. But all of the student teachers were in the first semester of their training. Most had not yet developed much skill, so three of them at any time could have been doing something wrong and no one would know, she said. Advertisement In contrast, medical students, interns, residents, and attendings visit patients together in daily hospital rounds. Everyone has a role to play that includes learning from the person ahead of them in their training and teaching the person coming up behind them. When Moje and Zimmerman were on rounds one day last month at Beaumont-Dearborn, they were accompanied by a fourth-year medical student, a first-year resident (called an intern), and a second-year resident. Advertisement Advertisement As the team visited a patient with a severe inflammation of the pancreas, Zimmerman asked David Dimcheff, the medical student, what he thought the patient needed next. We treat with antibiotics, Dimcheff responded. OK, Zimmerman said, but what are the other options? Dimcheff froze for a minute, thinking, then glanced across the patients bed to where the two residents, Pooja Modi and Ahmed Ali, were making a hand gesture that looked like pulling a thread from a piece of fabric. Advertisement Dimcheff hesitated until the gestures made sense. We could get a sample with a fine needle aspiration and determine what bacteria is causing the infection, he said. That would help us tailor our antibiotic treatments. Yes, Zimmerman said, and it would also help us ascertain whether or not [the pancreas] is actually infected. Moje noted later that her student teachers at Cody didnt have residents to turn to if they were struggling. They were working independently and not having the kind of support that [Zimmermans] team has, Moje said. His fourth-year med student, David, always has somebody more senior to him and our students dont. Moje believes her teaching school can change that. Shes designing the school so that as resident teachers improve, theyll help train teachers coming up behind them. Theyll attend classes and workshops that could be held in the school building. And theyll participate in meetings similar to what hospitals call grand rounds, where doctors, residents, and medical students gather to discuss the conditions of patients and the best courses of treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One day you might be in a classroom with a student teacher and an attending, and a [university] field instructor might also be present, and a faculty member would show up, especially if were teaching classes there, Moje said. The next day, you might be in the exact same classroom and the student teacher is in a different classroom, but the attending is there. Advertisement The new model will simplify a lot of things for the universitys school of education, which last year had student teachers working in 356 classrooms scattered around southeastern Michigan, Moje said: The advantage of the teaching school is that theyll be in one location so well be able to concentrate a lot more of our time and attention on these interns. Thats also why we can continue to support the residents, because theyll all be in one place. Advertisement When interns first start out, theyll rotate to different teachers classrooms and slowly take on more responsibility. After three years on staff in the teaching school, residents will leave as fourth-year teachers who have been trained to weather the intensive challenges of teaching in urban schools. The new teaching school could be a tough sell for some parents who might fear that the new model is too experimental or that educating their children would take a back seat to the demands of training teachers. But Moje said children will get a lot more attention in this school than they would in a typical school. And she believes children will benefit from efficiencies like those created in the hospital when doctors and med students work together. Advertisement Advertisement Murray, the English teacher at Detroits Munger Elementary-Middle School, was intrigued by the idea of teachers getting more support in their first years. She fondly remembers the support she had from her college professors and liked the idea of formal support continuing into a teachers first years. Teaching is one of those careers that no one can ever really prepare you for, she said. But once youre in a school, doing the work, to be able to have all these connections, all these professors, and all the people I had the support from in college that could be really powerful. When Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Supreme Courts crucial swing vote on many matters, announced his plan to retire last month, it was suddenly clear that Roe v. Wade, the decision guaranteeing a womans right to abortion, could be substantially eroded or even overturned. News of Kennedys retirement caused many women to consider what life without choice might look like and that a post-Roe America might really come to pass. In the days that followed Kennedys announcement, the journalist Cindi Leive published an op-ed in the New York Times called Lets Talk About My Abortion (and Yours). In the 1970s and 80s, she noted, prominent women told the stories of their abortionson TV and in the pages of People magazine. But in the decades since, the right to choose has become one that most women exercise silently. Advertisement The reasons women choose not to talk about their abortions are obvious: Its a personal decision, made about the interior of our bodies and the consequences of our most intimate acts. And the people who oppose abortion can be vehement and even violent in expressing their objections. But here at Slate, we thought that Cindi Leive had a point: We might better understand what abortion is, and what that right means, if we talked about it more. And so we asked the people who write and podcast for Slate if any of them have abortion stories theyd be comfortable sharing. Six of us do. The women who will tell their stories below are alike in many ways: Were all journalists of one stripe or another whove ended up in Slates orbit and felt able to describe our experiences, which means these stories dont represent all abortions. But one of Cindi Leives points was that women you know have had abortions they dont talk about. If you read our work or listen to our podcasts, you know us, in a way. Here are the stories we havent told you. Julia Turner Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Listen by clicking the arrow on the audio player below, or via Apple Podcasts. The transcript that follows has been lightly edited for legibility. Rebecca Lavoie: Im a journalist, a podcaster with Slate and other places, and the author of several true-crime books. I had an abortion when I was 15. I was in my first sexual relationship with my second boyfriend after my first boyfriend had broken up with me because I didnt want to have sex with him, which is a really terrible reason, obviously, to start having sex with somebody, but thats 15. That certainly was 15 for me. I was inexperienced, probably not ready, but I was in this sexual relationship and hiding it from my family. I didnt have the kind of parents that I could talk to about anything, much less, Can you take me to the doctor for birth control? Im sexually active. Advertisement And so, when I was 15, I got pregnant and I hid it. I found out I was pregnant just a couple weeks along, as one does, and I knew that I wanted to have an abortion. I remember my boyfriend and I not really talking about options other than abortion. It was obvious. This is what we both wanted. If it hadnt been what he wanted, it would have been what I wanted anyway. It felt very much just like a practical, pragmatic choice, both to keep my sex life private from my parents and from the rest of the world and also to not become a parentto have a sophomore year that was not marked by being the pregnant girl at my high school. It wasnt even for a minute an option for me to not have an abortion. Advertisement Where I grew up, there was a clinic a couple towns over that just through the grapevine my friends told me about. You had to have cash. It was something like $400 in cash. My boyfriend and I at the time, I dont really remember where we got the money from. But we somehow did. I think we borrowed it from friends. One thing I remember really clearly was the day before I was supposed to go for the abortion. I had been really nauseous for a couple of weeks, and I was in the kitchen of my house and I was about to leave for school and I got sick. I ran over to the kitchen sink and threw up. My mother turned to me and said, Are you pregnant? I was just like, No, no, Im sick because Im about to get my period. And of course, I wasnt. I was pregnant and I couldnt talk to her. I just couldnt. It was not an option. But I knew I had the abortion scheduled for the next day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I skipped school the next day. I think I faked a note from my parents or something. My boyfriend drove me to the clinic. I had the abortion. I remember him driving me home afterward and getting into bed and just taking a nap. And then I remember when my mom came home from work that night saying to her, See? I got my period. I told you. Thats why I was sick yesterday. That was it. It was as simple as that. I could not be a parent at that point, and I certainly could not talk to anybody about any other options. I havent really given it a tremendous amount of thought since then. Advertisement Dana Stevens: Im the movie critic at Slate and also a co-host of the Slate Culture Gabfest podcast. I had an abortion when I was 24. OK, this is the most Ive talked about it in 27 years. So the details may be rusty and may take awhile to come back. But it was in 1991. I was 24 years old and a second-year grad student in a program that I knew was going to take many years to complete. As it turned out, it took me almost a decade to finish that program. I had a boyfriend I was madly in love with, but with whom I had a very tempestuous early-20s kind of relationship. He was quite a bit older, actuallyhe was in his early 30s. It was one of those relationships where you almost break up every weekend and have dramatic fights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Looking back, it was probably not a very healthy relationship. It was one that was very important to me at the time. But how I got pregnant was probably a combination of birth control failure and birth control sloppy usage. I was on the pill at the time, and for whatever reason, I just didnt pay close enough attention to my body that month and found out that I was pregnant. If wed had a more mature relationship, we probably would have sat down and talked about, Well, what does this mean for us? Will we have children someday? How do we feel about all of this? I think a part of me was A) maybe embarrassed that I had let that happen, and B) wanting to continue in the good graces of this eight-years-older boyfriend, a guy in some ways I think I perceived myself as being lucky to be with. That he was sort of too cool for school and I was lucky to be in that relationship in the first place. I didnt make a big deal out of it on purpose. Advertisement I remember my student insurance didnt cover it at all. I remember an embarrassing visit to the Student Health Center where I was talking to some receptionist and giving her papers and trying to see if the abortion was covered, and she wasnt understanding what I was asking. It was right in front of this big room full of people waiting to be seen. And then she kept asking, But what is this? And then finally, I said in this sort of overly loud voice, Its about an abortion. And then theres this part of me that felt kind of punk rock about it. Like, Screw you. Im not going to feel bad about this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I remember a lot of details from the procedure that are sort of poignant now. Although it doesnt particularly make me sad to remember them, I see that they are kind of sad. For one thing, I didnt have him come into the room with me to get the procedure. Even though they offered it and he was willing to go in, he wasnt exactly pressing to go in. I think I just felt somehow that it was something I wanted to tough out alone. Some of that may have been, like I said, a sense of embarrassment or shame. But I think some of it was honestly just wanting to remain hot and cute and appealing to him. It would have been like him coming into a gynecology appointment or something like that. It sort of felt like, well, I dont want to gross him out with anything too hardcore. Advertisement I remember that the aide who came into the room held my hand without asking me, which seemed like a little bit of an importuning gesture. I didnt ask her to take my hand. But it also seemed sort of weird to snatch my hand away. It did, I guess, feel good to have someone there supporting me. But I couldnt look at her. Something about looking at a total stranger whos holding your hand when youre in this awkwardto say the leastposition just felt wrong. So I remember looking at the wall on the other side, which had a magazine rack on it. And the magazine that was visible in the front of the rack was something about Why Cher Hasnt Aged, which is particularly funny because now its 27 years later and she still hasnt aged. But I just remember thinking of the sad irony of contemplating Chers aging process as I was getting my abortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was such a momentous event in my life, not because it was a particularly hard decision to make, but just like, thats a big moment in your reproductive life, right? You start your period in your teens, and then you maybe have that experience. And then maybe later you have a baby. Then maybe later you go into menopause. Those are the few things that are sort of the flagship events of your reproductive life. In that sense, I think it was important to me. And then it made me realize, Oh, all this stuff is for real. Its not just lectures about how important birth control is. If I didnt walk into that clinic on that morning, my life would have been completely different. April Glaser: Im a staff writer at Slate, and I cover the technology industry. I had an abortion scheduled but miscarried before that, when I was either 24 or 25. It was in Washington, D.C., and I slept with a guy, because thats how that happens. He was a friend, and we hooked up and used a condom. We were not dating. I had no intention of ever dating him or even sleeping with him again afterward. When I was back in Philadelphia, I had not gotten my period. I went to the store, and you know how you can buy two tests at once just in case? I love the way they sell multipacks. I dont know if thats because people have scares regularly or if its because after you test positive, you want to test yourself like 50 times. But I bought the double pack and tested positive twice and was terrified. So I made the appointment, and I was feeling pregnant until then. Kind of glowy, kind of bloated, kind of like I am not getting my period like I should be. And I was also feeling just incredibly anxious, because I did not want to deal with this at all. I didnt have a lot of money. I was at a place in my career where I wasnt sure if I was going to be a waitress my whole life, or if I was even going to have a career. There was no question that I was going to have to get an abortion no matter what because I didnt have the money to have a baby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My abortion was scheduled just a couple weeks after I realized I was pregnant. And a day before I was scheduled to go to the fancy abortion clinic, I had started bleeding that morning around 6 a.m. My few close friends, people Im super close with, were out of town. I tried to go to walk-in clinics. I went to one and a woman looked at me like I was insane. And she was like, We dont do pregnancy here. We definitely dont give abortions. I was like, OK, well, Im bleeding and this is an emergency and I dont know what to do. She was like, You should go to the emergency room. I just didnt want to go to the emergency room because I was afraid of that whole experience, of just it potentially being incredibly expensive, or being kind of shuffled around, or sitting around for hours. For some reason, I had it in my head that I could deal with it in a walk-in clinic. I dont know why. And so I went to another clinic, and they also looked at me like I was unwell mentally and were like, You need to go. Im wearing sweatpants and theres, like, blood spotting on my underwear. I put a pad on and finally I went to Hahnemann Center in Philadelphia. Went in and got triaged and was by myself the whole time. I got brought back and they said that I was miscarrying. I felt relief when I found out I wasnt pregnant anymore, because thats exactly what I wantedto not be pregnant anymore. I was happy that I wasnt going to have an abortion, but then they told me right away that they would have to do the exact same thing that they would have done if Id had an abortion, which is to vacuum it out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And then the man who got me pregnantI told him maybe about a week after the whole mess with the emergency room happened, and he was just like, Well, that sounds awful. I was like, Yeah, it was awful. He was like, How much was it? And I was like, I dont know, just give me 500 bucks. It wasnt even half of what it cost for the emergency room, but I didnt want to deal with it or deal with him or put money on it. I just wanted it all to be over. I told my three friends who had been ready to help. After it was over, I never talked about it. Anna Holmes: Im the editorial director of the digital magazine Topic.com and a contributor to the Slate podcast the Waves. I had an abortion when I was 18. I had another one when I was about 22, maybe 23, and I had a third when I was 26 or 27. I got pregnant the summer after my first year of college. I went to NYU. I had a college boyfriend. Maybe this is normal for 18-year-olds whove just started having sex regularly, but we had a lot of sex. A lot. Hed actually come out to spend a month with me in California, where I was from. Thats where I was going that summer. Thats where I got pregnant. I knew I was pregnant pretty much immediately, within a couple of days. He had left at this point. I just felt different. So I was totally unsurprised when I did the peeing-on-the-stick thing and found out that I was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was upset. I contacted him. He had gone all the way back to Europe, where he was from. Thats where he was going to spend the summer. So he got on a plane and came all the way back to California, which meant a lot that he came back to be with me. There was about, as I said, a week-and-a-half delay between the confirmation of the pregnancy and when the abortion was scheduled. Thats when he came back. But I had to keep this a secret from my mother, whom I was staying with that summer. Which meant that he couldnt come stay with me because shed be like, Why is he coming all the way back from Austria? He was just here. Im not going to use his name. Lets just call him Andrew. Andrew came back to my hometown and stayed with a friend of mine. The day of the abortion, the three of us drove to the nearest city, which was Sacramento, so I could have the procedure. I just recall riding in my friends convertible VW Bug and the top was down. Us in the car with our hair flying everywhere, which felt like a romantic young moment of freedom and abandon, but were going to go get one of us an abortion. What I remember about the abortion is that I waited in the waiting room with my boyfriend and my friend. They called me in. I probably got a gown. They probably did a last exam just to talk to me about what it was going to feel like. I had researched the procedure so that I would know what was going to happen, and I also asked questions before they began the procedure, because maybe thats how I deal with nervousness. Im also just genuinely curious about medical stuff. I remember that one of the women in the roomone of the nursesheld my hand. I dont think I cried. I just think I felt frozen in the moment and stiff and calcified in pain, and then it was over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After they were done, I was given underwear with a big pad and was brought to a recovery room where there were, I would say, four to five other mostly young women who had also just had abortions. I probably was somber and I was definitely very, very, very relieved. I just recall getting back in the VW Bug with the top down and driving back to my hometown about 15 miles away, with the hair flying everywhere, all of us. My boyfriend had very long hair. That experience was not traumatic in the sense that I felt alone. Of course, its a very alone thing to do. Youre very alone in that moment. But I had people around me. My boyfriend was supportive and was there. There was never a discussion about, Well, what are you going to do? Allison Benedikt: Im the executive editor of Slate, and I had an abortion when I was 26. I got pregnant on my honeymoon. I left my birth control pill back in Chicago where I lived, and then we went to get married in California and then went on to our honeymoon in Mexico. I realized immediately that I didnt have my birth control with me. I actually dont remember realizing it at my wedding, but I must have. I do remember at the resort in Mexico thinking, Im just gonna put this out of my mind because I just want to have a really fun and carefree honeymoon, and nothings gonna happen, nothings gonna happen. I have no idea why I thought at age 26, spending a week having a lot of sex, that nothing could happen, and something happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I feel like when I got home, I was immediately pregnant. Like I immediately knew. But Im sure thats not true. Thats just how I remember it. I remember getting five home pregnancy tests and probably taking them all, crying, feeling in my gut like I knew immediately what I was going to do, but going through the motions of having a conversation about it over a couple of days. My husband, John, really wanted the decision to be mine in a way that I think he was sort of trained to think was the right thing to do and was the right thing to do. But I do remember feeling like I didnt want the decision to just be mine. That was a lot to carry and figure out. I remember crying, and saying over and over again, I want to have those young, carefree married years. I wanted to have that experience together. I wanted to figure out my career. We decided after a couple of days. But again, I think I knew right away what I was going to do. I remember calling my gynecologist. I was on a cellphone under the L train in Chicago, my finger to my ear so I could hear her, and trying to make an appointment, which is insane. She told me that I should go to Planned Parenthood. I must have known at the time that you cant make an appointment with your OB-GYN to have an abortion. But for some reason, I think I thought I was different than all the other girls having abortions, which strikes me as ridiculous now. I remember telling my parents and my sister, and making that a very conscious decision. I thought if we kept it just between me and John, it would be this secret that would cause me to feel shame, and I really didnt want to feel shame about this. So I thought if I shared it with my family, it would somehow be more open. Talking about it with them made me feel like I was confident in the decision, that I didnt think anything was wrong with it, because I wouldnt want to tell them something that would lead them to judge me, so if I told them this, it must mean there was nothing to judge me about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont remember making the appointment at Planned Parenthood. Maybe John made that appointment. But I do remember parking and walking into this Planned Parenthood clinic and there were protesters out front. It was in the middle of Chicago, so it was not many. But I felt like I was in a movie, like this was some abortion movie and Im walking past people holding signs and yelling things. I couldnt believe this was me. When the procedure is done, youre in a reclining chair in a sort of waiting room with other women for like an hour, maybe. John went and got the car and I sat in the vestibule and waited for him to pull the car around. On the way home, I felt super nauseous, maybe from whatever they gave me or from the procedure. Im not sure, but we had to pull over and I threw up out of the side of the car, which also felt very much like Im in this dramatic movie, like Im a teen who just had an abortion in a movie, when I wasnt. I was an adult and I was fine. I rested for a couple of days, and then I later went on to have three children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Julia Turner: Im the editor in chief of Slate, and I had an abortion when I was 34. When I got pregnant, I was very excited to have children with my husband. Wed been trying, we were ready, we thought. I remember having the thought as we were trying, I think Im ready to have a kid. It feels a little soon, but Im 34. Its time. Im just not sure we could handle twins. I remember going to the ultrasound technicians office six or so weeks into the pregnancy. The ultrasound technician looked at the contents of my stomach and said, Its a party in there, and then left the room. I just remember sheer terror at what that meant. And then the doctor came in and said I was pregnant with triplets. I remember immediately feeling fear and confusion. It was different than the path I thought I was on. I wasnt sure it was safe. I wasnt sure Id be able to withstand it medically and was also just afraid as the hypothetical future parent of three simultaneous children. I changed out of the gown, went into the doctors office, and sat there with my husband by my side as she talked through what it meant to be pregnant with triplets. Amazingly, no one used the word abortion. I think maybe the entire time we were going through the process of learning what the options were in deciding what to do. The term they used was reduction. From the first gynecologist we were with originally to two or three maternalfetal medicine specialists she then sent us to, everybody used the term triplet reduction and talked about essentially how advisable it was to have one. They certainly gave the impressionsome of them through doodling statistics on a notepad, some through telling stories about past anonymized patientsthat their medical recommendation was to reduce at least to twins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was honestly my first instinct, when I found out, to wonder if that was possible. And then I sort of immediately felt bad for wondering if that was possible. Hearing all of these nice sober people in white coats say, Yes, yes, of course. Fertility treatments, modern life, multiples, common, blah, blah, blah. This is advised, I felt slightly absolved of some of the moral weight of the choice because it felt like I was making a proactive choice for the health of the fetuses who would remain, and for my own health. But it was an abortion, and they never used the word. Once we decided to do it, they did a set of genetic testing on the fetuses to help figure out exactly how its safest to proceed, whats the way to do it that has the best potential health outcome. As it turned out, one of the fetuses had some genetic abnormalities. We received counseling about those results, but it made it clear, sort of, what course the procedure should take. And so we decided to do it. Theres a specialist doctor in Manhattan who is an expert at doing it with good outcomes. We scheduled the appointment. We went to him. I remember it being done with a needle through my stomach. Im not 100 percent sure Im remembering correctly. But I think there was an insertion of some kind of chemical into one of the fetuses. And that was the end of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rebecca Lavoie: I havent told my kids about the abortion I had when I was a teenager, but I would, and maybe I will. I dont know, its not something that Ive really thought about. I think Id be more likely to tell them if they found themselves in a situation where they had a girlfriend or friend, or if my stepdaughter, for instance, wanted to have an abortion, I would probably share the experience to make them feel less alone, less unique, less ashamed, perhaps. Anna Holmes: I did feel a certain amount of pride in the fact that I was living my principles. Id grown up pro-choice, I had gone to pro-choice rallies with my mother when I was a kid in San Francisco. But being pro-choice in theory and being pro-choice in actionIm not really trying to make a meaningful distinction between those two things. I just felt like I lived my stated principles, that my body was mine to control, that womens bodies are theirs to control. I never felt guilty about it. Dana Stevens: I didnt make a big deal out of it on purpose. I think even looking back on that whole experience now, thatbecause of my pro-choice beliefs and how strongly I felt about them, in the way that dumb 24-year-olds doI collapsed that, somehow, with the idea that I had to be very tough and not emotionally vulnerable about this experience. That I somehow would not be strong in my beliefs if I didnt just power through it and not complain about it or analyze it too much. Julia Turner: I dont think about it very often, and the fact that I had a healthy pregnancy and a good set of outcomes after following this medical adviceIm the type of person who thinks, Great, I followed the good medical advice and I had a good outcome. Great. Theres certainly a version of me, or a type of person, who could have that experience and think, Well, jeez, I was born with a great twin-bearing body. Maybe I could have handled it or I should have done it differently, or this or that or the other. But no, I dont revisit it very often. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Allison Benedikt: You can probably hear in my voice that I have some mixed emotions about having had an abortion. I think, at the time, it made perfect sense. I dont want to use the word regret, because its kind of a loaded word in the abortion debate. Im really glad I had the choice to do this back then, and I have a wonderful life. But I think I feel differently about it when I see what the fetus becomes. I have a bunch of kids. Theyre beautiful and awesome, and its not nothing to me that I might have had another one. But I think its also really OK to look back on the past and question some of your decisions. Thats life. Being honest about those feelings doesnt change my mind at all about whether or not I think that choice should exist. I absolutely do, and thats not a position that moves. April Glaser: I put the abortion behind me so quickly, or I dont know if it was an abortionthis miscarriage slash abortion, whatever it was. I had just moved on. I never had feelings about it afterward because I didnt have the privilege, really, to meditate on it. It was just something that had to be done and I did it. And then two days later, it was like, OK, you took a couple days off. Now youve got to show up. That was that. Anna Holmes: The second and third abortions I had took place in hospitals in New York City in a surgical room, and I was given anesthesia. So I dont remember them. I remember feeling sick from anesthesia when I woke up, but I remember nothing about the procedure at all. It was very much invisible. My memory of having an abortion is very much rooted in that first one, where I was wide awake [and] there was not anesthesia. It was also the first time. The other two were relatively easy compared to that first one. Maybe thats another reason why the first one has made more of an impression. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Julia Turner: One thing my experience makes me think about is the fact that when you follow these debates, you hear about medically necessary abortions or medically indicated abortions to preserve the life and health of the mother and child or whatever the language is in some of those bills and laws. I dont know if mine would count. Did I have a medically indicated abortion, or did I have an elective abortion? I dont know. I chose to have a medically recommended abortion. I dont know what someone in circumstances like mine, how their decision or options would be adjudicated under different legal systems. Thats confusing too. I think the question of what is medically indicatedmedically necessary, or for the life and health of the mother and the fetusesis more medically complicated than it necessarily seems when youre just reading a news story that has that clause in it. Having lived through that particular byway of the medical establishment, I feel very lucky now, and was totally oblivious then. Dana Stevens: I wouldnt say that my feelings about abortion, as far as my own experience, have changed. I dont really have any regrets about that decision, and I can go back and revisit it without a lot of emotion now, with more curiosity about who I was and how I navigated that. I might have navigated it more healthily if it happened to me a few years later in life or with a different partner. I dont know. But it wasnt the great trauma of my 20s by any means. That guy provided the great trauma of my 20s, but not in that experience. Anna Holmes: If Ive had trouble talking about having an abortion, its been in the context of having multiple abortions. Because one is just a mistake. Two is, I dont know, bad luck and a mistake. And more than that, in my mindeven today to a certain degree, although less so nowis being just purely irresponsible. Ive had three. I think thats been the harder thing to talk about: the number of abortions, not the fact that I had one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Allison Benedikt: I havent talked about the abortion much. There have been times when Ive thought about it, but my husbands parents are very religious conservatives and pro-life, and weve both been wary of being public about this because we dont want to hurt our relationship with them, and I dont particularly want to feel judged by them. I know that they would be deeply disappointed to know that we had done this. I also know that theyll hear this, because they hear everything that I do because they love me and have a Google Alert set up for my name. So Im a little scared about that, but I also feel like I dont feel ashamed about it. And so theyll have to come to terms with their reaction, and I know theyll love me anyway. Rebecca Lavoie: Ive never talked to my mom about having the abortion. I dont think I ever will, honestly. There are a few topics that I just cant imagine talking to her about. Because to this dayand our relationship is fine, but she is the kind of person who is very fraught, and really reproach is her default setting when you confide anything personal to her. We have the kind of family where you dont share information that you dont want to then hear back a million times in conversation. If she does read this or listen to the podcast, maybe it could spark a conversation, but its not one Im ever going to start. Julia Turner: Ive hardly talked about it at all. Ive probably told my immediate family and a handful of friends. It feels like its a medical event that didnt just happen to meit also happened to my two children. I went on to have a healthy twin pregnancy and have twins. In some ways, this is something that happened to them too. So its not only my story. And telling the story means Ill tell them someday, which I wasnt sure whether I would. But it also isnt something people talk about that much. Even with people theyre really intimate with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement April Glaser: I realized I didnt mind sharing because it was such Id almost forgotten about it. I dont even want to use the word bury, because thats as if its still under the surface and its something that I contend with. Really, its something I just dont even think about anymore. Its something I did that I have no reservations about having done. I dont think I mishandled it in any way. I think its important to share stories about your experience in case other people could benefit from that shared realityfrom knowing that theyre not alone. With about 100 days to go until the 2018 elections, I spoke by phone with Dave Wasserman, the U.S. House editor of the Cook Political Report. I wanted to get a sense of where the race for the House stoodas well as whether what appeared to be increasing Democratic optimism about capturing a House majority was warranted. During the course of our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, we also discussed what we can and cant learn from Trumps approval ratings, why House and Senate races are so distinct from one another this cycle, and why the conventional wisdom about what makes a good presidential candidate may be wrong. Advertisement Isaac Chotiner: In the last month or so, in a lot of commentary and even your Cook Political Report rankings, theres been an increasing bullishness on Dems taking the House. Has something changed, or is the conventional wisdom catching up to the actual state of play? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dave Wasserman: Democrats have had a good month. I have seen enough waves to know that they ebb and flow. There are usually moments of doubt for the party benefiting from a wave, and it usually turns out to be larger than most people anticipate. I found that to be the case in 2006 and 2010 and to some extent 2014. And at this point, Democrats are 60 to 65 percent favorites, Id say, to take back the House based on what we know. If you just go by generic ballot polling, it suggests a pretty tight race for the House. Id estimate Democrats need to win 7 to 8 percent more votes than Republicans to break even, and Democrats have averaged a 7- to 8-point lead in most aggregators. Advertisement But what gives Democrats the edge is their intensity advantage. Weve seen this over and over again in special elections. On most measurements of engagement, Democrats are running well ahead of Republicans. In that respect, its a lot like 2010 or 2014 in reverse. What led you to change a lot of your Cook rankings in the last month toward the Democrats? Weve changed ratings because campaigns have developed into some serious challenges in more places. When one sides base is angrier about the status quo, they give more money. They have more candidates running. Those candidates are of a higher caliber. Many times, they have competitive primaries because lots of people are interested in running, but it makes the party more competitive in more places. Problems are cropping up for Republicans in some unusual placessouthern West Virginia, rural Kansas, even Cathy McMorris Rodgers district in eastern Washington. These are all telltale signs of a wave. Advertisement Advertisement Theres been some concern that polls like the recent NBC News/Marist poll, which had extremely favorable numbers for Democrats in the Midwest, were not rating by education and therefore might be making a similar mistake that some of the polls last time around did in undercounting less educated white voters. Is that a concern of yours? Advertisement Im concerned about that too, but keep in mind that this electorate is going to be the most college-educated in the history of American elections. The college-educated share of the electorate goes way up in midterms, and thats never had much of a partisan consequence before, but in the Trump era, theres simply a massive education gap between the parties. The switch to a much more college-educated electorate benefits Democrats a lot. If I had to put a name on 2018, itd be the Year of the Angry Female College Graduate. Advertisement As a casual poll watcher, I have not perceived much of a relationship between Trumps approval rating and the generic ballot polls. Is that your sense also, and if so, why? They havent always moved in concert with each other, but the correlations not too bad. Keep in mind that Democrats largest lead on the generic ballot was last December, and thats when Trumps approval rating was lowest. Keep in mind that was around the time of the congressional debate on the tax bill. There is still a disconnect between what the Democratic base is talking about in D.C. and on MSNBC and what Democratic voters and independents are concerned about in a lot of the most competitive districts, which explains why the health care and tax issues are still big deals for voters in most of these competitive districts even though theyve faded from the debate on television. Advertisement Advertisement You said 60 to 65 percent chance for Dems to take the House. What number do you have for Dems in the Senate? Have they had a noticeably good month in terms of the Senate as well? I would put it this way: In my 11 years of covering races professionally, Ive never seen as little overlap between the House and Senate. If every single election result on November 6 were an 8-point uniform swing in Democrats direction from the 2016 presidential result, then Democrats would win 44 House seats, which is almost double what they need, but they would simultaneously lose four Senate seats. Theres a tendency to underestimate just how different the terrain in the House is versus the terrain in the Senate. Its possible were headed for a divergent outcome on election night. Few people have lost money betting on a growing rural versus urban divide this year. This really is a tale of two midterms. I would put Republicans odds of holding the Senate even higher than Democrats of taking over the House. Advertisement Advertisement You had a tweet that surprised me about a month ago when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won, where you said that if she were eligible to run for president in 2020, she would be a better candidate than Joe Biden. Political activists often think that the way to appeal to voters is by going after their base, but people like yourselfand I say that lovinglywho look at things through a generally nonpartisan lens, tend to think that appealing to the middle is smarter. Has your view on this stuff changed? Yeah, I have changed. Now, look, I dont think Democrats would be wise to field Ocasio-Cortez in every competitive House race. Clearly, a big advantage of being the out party is your party can have multiple personalities. The face of your party can be Brendan Kelly in southern Illinois, who would fit right in with the Blue Dogs, or Jeff Van Drew in New Jersey, who also won. Or it can be Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Katie Porter in California, or progressive Democrats elsewhere. Advertisement If I had to put a name on 2018, itd be the Year of the Angry Female College Graduate. Dave Wasserman But for the purposes of winning the presidential election, Democrats need to do a much better job of motivating two groups: young voters and Latinos. And we saw that in 2016. After all of the things that Donald Trump said and did, the turnout rate of 18- to 29-year-olds and Latinos was lower than it was in 2012. I think a common error of the punditocracy in D.C. is to think about politics on a left-right spectrum, when in fact more voters these days are thinking about it on an outsider vs. insider spectrum or a canned vs. I dont give a fuck spectrum. I dont mean to argue that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be Democrats ideal nominee, even if she were eligible. But I do think someone of her profile, a young charismatic woman, would energize the base in a way someone like Joe Biden would not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know Hillary was to some degree unable to motivate people by saying Trump is a danger. My feeling is that after four years of Trump, Democrats will be motivated regardless of who the candidate is, but maybe thats naive just the way that optimism about Hillary was naive. Yeah, what 2016 proved was that in presidential elections, these parties need a candidate people are enthusiastic about. I dont think Republicans could say that about Mitt Romney even though he was thought of by the D.C. press as a more moderate candidate than Donald Trump. Voters did not perceive Romney to be a more moderate candidate than Trump. They perceived Trump to be a more moderate candidate than Romney. Ill just go back to this point. In 2014, how many of us thought that Donald Trump would be a serious contender for the presidency if he won the nomination? Youre making two points, I think. One is its about outsider/insider, not just moderate versus partisan. What you also seem to be saying, which I think is slightly different but connected, is that if you are an outsider, people may just see you as more moderate regardless of your policy positions, which is helpful to know. Or theyll see you as not bound to one of the corrupt party establishments. Thats very valuable in an age when the proportion of unaffiliated voters is setting new records every year. Billionaire Charles Koch says he and his network of big political donors dont want to be automatically associated with the Republican Party anymore. In a rare on-the-record interview with reporters, Koch said he would be happy to work with Democrats if they share the same values. I dont care what initials are in front or after somebodys nameId like there to be many more politicians who would embrace and have the courage to run on a platform that aligns with his values, Koch said. Advertisement The industrialist seemed to suggest the conservative network he leads could be a bit more strict about where it puts its cash, noting that he regrets supporting some politicians who didnt come through with their promises. They say theyre going to be for these principles that we espouse and then they arent, Koch said. Were going to more directly deal with that and hold people responsible for these commitments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Koch spoke to reporters during a retreat with some 500 donors who are part of the billionaires conservative network in large part to criticize President Donald Trumps moves on trade and tariffs, which he fears could trigger a recession. It depends on the degree, he said when asked whether a trade war could lead to a recession. Yeah, if its severe enough, it could. Despite the evident dislike for the presidents trade policies and protectionist instincts, Koch avoided directly criticizing the president. We agree with some things and we disagree with others, Koch, who didnt back Trumps presidential campaign, said. Koch wasnt the only one espousing the message that the powerful donor network could support Democratic lawmakers. During a seminar with donors Sunday, Emily Seidel, the CEO of Americans for Prosperity, said conservatives would have to get used to working with Democrats, particularly when it comes to cutting government spending. I know this is uncomfortable, Seidel told the donors. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of a Religious Liberty Task Force on Monday that will ensure that the Justice Department is prioritizing the rights of religious people and groups in its policies and legal battles by enforcing his religious liberty memo issued last fall. Sessions told a crowd attending the Religious Liberty Summit at the Department of Justice headquarters that there was a dangerous movement eroding religious liberties and that we have gotten to the point where courts have held that morality cannot be a basis for law; where ministers are fearful to affirm, as they understand it, holy writ from the pulpit; and where one group can actively target religious groups by labeling them a hate group on the basis of their sincerely held religious beliefs. Advertisement He cited the legal challenge by the Little Sisters of the Poor over its religious objections as a Catholic organization to paying for health insurance that covers contraception and the Masterpiece Cakeshop Supreme Court case dealing with a baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sessions mentioned the Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu religions and proclaimed that the DOJ would protect all adherents from discrimination. But in arguing that it was an unease over a changing cultural climate that motivated Trump voters and the administrations religious-liberty policies, Sessions seemed to refer more to the complaints of the Christian right. [Trump] said he respected people of faith and he promised to protect them in the free exercise of their faith, Sessions said. He declared we would say Merry Christmas again. Advertisement In October 2017, Sessions released a vague memo that instructed federal agencies to observe 20 principles of religious liberty. Activists for LGBTQ and womens rights worried at the time that the proclamation gave broad permission for religious groups to ignore federal civil rights laws. But in reality, as Slates Mark Joseph Stern wrote months later, Sessions did not seem to have the authority to undermine anti-discrimination laws, and the memo seemed to have no legal force behind it. In Mondays announcement, Sessions said that the DOJ would work to ensure its employees know their duties to accommodate people of faith and put the 2017 memo into action. Under this administration, the federal government is not just reactingwe are actively seeking, carefully, thoughtfully and lawfully, to accommodate people of faith, he said. Religious Americans are no longer an afterthought. Democrats long-shot bid to scuttle Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination had hinged on converting at least one of the following Republican holdouts: Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, or Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. For Paul, the potential objections centered on Kavanaughs opinions regarding the Fourth Amendment and executive power. Kavanaughs position is basically that national security trumps privacy, Paul told Politico last week. And he said it very strongly and explicitly. And that worries me. He was undecided and met with Kavanaugh shortly thereafter. Advertisement But being a holdout is no fun, and Paul is now fully on board. He announced his support for Kavanaugh in a statement on Monday morning. No one will ever completely agree with a nominee (unless, of course, you are the nominee), Paul said. Each nominee, however, must be judged on the totality of their views, character, and opinions. On the whole, Paul concluded, Kavanaugh will carefully adhere to the Constitution and will take his job to protect individual liberty seriously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pauls declaration, which comes weeks (at least) before Kavanaugh faces his confirmation hearings, is wholly unsurprising to both the Hill and sarcastic Twitter users whove never viewed his holdout status as a tenable position. Though Paul did hold steadfast in his opposition to multiple high-pressure health care bills the Senate considered last year, hes been less resolute in his opposition to President Donald Trumps nominees. He infamously crumbled earlier this year in his opposition to the confirmations of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and CIA Director Gina Haspel. Advertisement Paul conspicuously hoarded some Trump kiss-ass points earlier in July, following the presidents Helsinki summit with Vladimir Putin. Paul was one of the presidents few unequivocal backers in the days after the disastrous meeting, and the president took notice. But even that accrued stash of goodwill wouldnt have covered a lone Republican vote to kill Trumps Supreme Court nominee just before the midterms. A vote like that would have been Pauls legacy, and it would have put a hard ceiling on his career in Republican politics, to whatever extent advancement was still in the picture. Joining Democrats to defeat Kavanaugh could have cost Republicans control of the Senate. The pressure on all 50 actively voting Republicans to back Kavanaugh is greater than any pressure theyve faced on any legislation this Congress, which is why Republicans leaders are so confident theyll have the votes. As theyll surely appreciate, Collins and Murkowski will now have somehow even more reporters stalking their every move in the Capitol until they, too, announce a position on the nomination. As of now, though, those two are on their way to yes. It will take some unknown bombshell buried within Kavanaughs long paper trail to stray them, and a few more buddies joining them for cover wouldnt hurt either. Last week, Republican congressional leaders Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell visited the White House to discuss with President Trump, among other things, their strategy to secure the next round of government funding. The appropriations process in Congress has been moving along at an unusually normal pace this summer, and the only thing that could truly foul it up ahead of the Oct. 1 funding deadline is a fight over the presidents border wall. McConnell and Ryan tried to convince the president to be patient and to put off that demand until after the midterms. Advertisement According to Ryan, that meeting was successful. Trump, the speaker said at a press conference last Thursday, was willing to be patient. That seemed to indicate that the president was willing to back a stopgap measure that will be needed to fund at least some of the more contentious areas of the governmentsuch as the Department of Homeland Security. The House has moved forward with a bill that includes $5 billion for wall funding and additional border security, while the Senate version would offer $1.6 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps supposed receptiveness to the idea of kicking the wall fight down the road, though, wasnt on display in his Sunday airing of grievances on Twitter. As with any delicate congressional negotiation where the president is said to be enthusiastically on board, Trump maybe isnt, and he times his denials for maximum embarrassment to allies in Congress whove just announced otherwise. Advertisement I would be willing to shut down government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 In another Monday morning tweet, the president reiterated his desire for these policies but didnt link them to shutting down the government. Advertisement This isnt a complicated one. Republicans do not want the government that they control to shut down a month before the midterms over the unpopular presidents demand for an unpopular physical barrier. It is a shutdown fight that Republicans would lose, and once lost, Trump would deflect blame onto the weak-willed congressional Republicans who need the presidents base to turn out for them in a difficult election cycle. As Ryan and McConnell stressed to Trump, the shutdown fight would distract from the big pre-election win that McConnell should be able to deliver for the base: Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Trump, according to Politico, has said in private that a shutdown might be politically beneficial for him, arguing it could rally his base. These two talking points arent necessarily in conflict. It would rally his basefor him, the one who isnt up for re-election this cycle. Thats the tension that makes this back-and-forth about whether to press for wall funding in September worth watching: On the one hand, he could help congressional Republicans defend their majorities by not insisting on this fight. On the other, he could temporarily plug one of his gaping insecurities by giving a rush to the roughly one-fifth of the population that already loves him. In the end, one shouldnt expect the government to shut down before the midterms. Theres some wiggle room in his tweet. He doesnt say when he would be willing to shut down the government, so he could only be entertaining it for when the stopgap bill expires after Election Day. Hell totally get that big wall-funding request, hes saying. The unsaid part is that hell do so later. (He wont, by the way.) President Trump today said he would be willing to meet without precondition with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, adding yet more confusion to the increasingly risky brinkmanship of recent weeks between the U.S. and Iran. During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy, Trump was asked by a reporter if he would be willing to meet with Rouhani just as he has recently held summits with North Koreas Kim Jong-un and Russias Vladimir Putin. Trump replied, There is nothing wrong with meeting. After touting the great meetings with Kim and Putin as well as NATO leadersimplicitly putting them in the same categoryTrump continued, I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I dont know that they are ready yet. They are having a hard time right now. Asked if he would have any preconditions for such a meeting, he replied, No preconditions. No. They want to meet, Ill meet. Any time they want. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such a meeting would be as historic as the Kim summit. No U.S. president has met in person with an Iranian president since the 1979 revolution. Barack Obama was pilloried by both Republicans and the Hillary Clinton campaign for saying he would do so without precondition during his 2008 campaign. Obama did eventually speak to Rouhani by phone in 2013 during the negotiations for what became the 2015 nuclear deal. Advertisement Trump, of course, pulled the U.S. out of that deal. Today he said, If we could work something out thats meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet. Advertisement Its not quite clear what Trump means by that, given that the 2015 deal was far more detailed, specific, and binding than, for example, the vague communique he signed with Kim. Trump is right about one thing. Its far from clear that Rouhani would want to meet with him. Rouhani has previously rebuffed proposed meetings on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly with Obama in 2013 and (according to Irans state media) Trump in 2017. Rouhani, who unlike Kim is not an unquestioned supreme leader and whose position is far less secure, staked a great deal of his credibility on the 2015 deal and would have little to gain politically from sitting down with Trump to agree to a tougher deal. Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administrations conditions for a new deal, as laid out by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, include an array of conditionsincluding full halt to all uranium enrichment, withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria, and an end to support for Shiite groups throughout the Middle Eastthat Iran will never agree to. This has led many to the conclusion that the administration is not actually serious about reaching a new deal and is instead hoping tough economic sanctions will hasten the collapse of the Iranian regime. A number of administration officials, notably national security adviser John Bolton, reportedly believe that recent economic protests in Iran are a sign that such a collapse is imminent. One source recently told Haaretz that Bolton believes one little kick and theyre done. Advertisement Advertisement If this is the prevailing view in the administration, its hard to see what the point of a Trump-Rouhani summit would bethough at this point, its hardly news when the president publicly contradicts his own officials. It would also alarm Trumps friends in the region, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Sunni Gulf leaders who have cheered his tough stand against Iran and withdrawal from the deal. (One leader who would be quite pleased, for what its worth: Putin.) Its important to remember that Trump has shown a tendency to create or inflame crises in order to step in and solve them by returning things to the status quo. If Rouhani were willing to get in a room with Trump, its not impossible to imagine a deal being hammered out, and a high-profile meeting between the two leaders would allow Trump to claim he has averted a catastrophic war and replaced the worst deal ever, while Iran more or less continues doing what its been doingperhaps with one or two token concessions. After the events and remarks of the last three months, the notion of Trump and Rouhani meeting is preposterouswhich is to say, theres no reason to assume it wont happen. The Trump administrations daily assault on truth is testing our civil structures in ways they havent been tested in decades. Perhaps the central challenge for democratic institutions that are usually predicated on civil disagreement, open dialogue, truthful inquiry, and multiple viewpoints is this: How do you remain faithful to these ideals of truth seeking as an exercise in openness to multiple perspectives without giving cover to the anti-democratic and truth-destructive values of a demagogue like Donald Trump? Long after Trump is gone, well be thinking through issues around reasoned discourse and collusion. Advertisement Even before Mondays resignations, that position had been challenged by prominent historians and political scientists at UVA . This challenge has already stymied the court system, the free press, city and local governments, and public debate. The academy, though, has sought as best it can to avoid this dilemma altogether. A good many academics to whom I have spoken in recent months have told me their best hope is to keep to themselves, work in their limited fields, be good teachers and scholars, and count on something larger than themselves to change things in government. More often than not, university leaders tell me that it is best for the academy to stay as neutral as possible, and to count on the Trump moment to be fleeting. That may no longer be a tenable approach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday morning, two prominent historians, professors William Hitchcock and Melvyn Leffler, resigned from the University of Virginias prestigious Miller Center to protest that institutions decision to offer a yearlong paid academic fellowship to a senior member of the Trump administration. (Disclosure: I am a friend of Lefflers.) Advertisement Earlier this month, the well-regarded institute for the study of political history, which focuses particularly on presidential oral histories, announced that former White House director of legislative affairs Marc Short would be given a fellowship at the school. As was the case when Harvards Kennedy School offered Sean Spicer and Corey Lewandowski prestigious visiting fellowships, the reaction on campus was swift and largely negative. A petition signed by UVA alums and faculty seeking revocation of Shorts offer has now garnered more than 2,500 signatures. On Friday, Miller Center director and CEO William Antholis was compelled by the backlash to defend the hire in a letter. (Disclosure: I am friends with Antholis.) In that letter, Antholis noted that Shorts contributions to the centers research would help scholars understand how the presidency, Congress, and political polarization are combining to create policy and legislative gridlock. Advertisement Even before Mondays resignations, that position had been challenged by prominent historians and political scientists at UVA. Nicole Hemmer, an assistant professor at the Miller Center who has written extensively about conservative politics, recently argued in an essay for Vox that welcoming Short to UVA invites a defender of illiberalism into an institution that depends on renouncing those values. Advertisement For their part, Hitchcock and Leffler, who are no bomb throwers, stepped down as two of the centers most prominent historians. In their joint resignation letter to Antholis, they argued that the appointment runs counter to the Centers fundamental values of non-partisanship, transparency, openness, a passion for truth and objectivity, and civility. It would be reasonable, they contend, for the Miller Center to offer to host Short in any other capacity. But offering a fellowship is different. They argue that Short has used his position in the administration to launch attacks on the free press, the nations law enforcement forces, and the right to vote, actions which should be disqualifying from any academic post. The two historians conclude that by associating himself with an administration that shows no respect for truth, [Short] has contributed to the erosion of civil discourse and democratic norms that are essential to democratic governance and that are central to the mission of the Miller Center. Advertisement Advertisement Hitchcock and Leffler will stay on as tenured faculty at UVAs history department. But their departure from the Miller Center will be keenly felt. Leffler is the former dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at UVA and former president of the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations. He has been a fellow at the Norwegian Nobel Institute and the United States Institute of Peace, and is the author of multiple award-winning books about foreign policy. Hitchcock is a New York Times best-selling historian. His book The Bitter Road to Freedom: A New History of the Liberation of Europe was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Advertisement In their letter of resignation, both scholars point to the upcoming anniversary of the Nazi march on Charlottesville, Virginia, and President Donald Trumps ongoing refusal to denounce the alt-right and its street thugs, in the wake of the violence. (Short has claimed that Trump was clear and outspoken in his condemnation of the Nazi violence.) By not speaking out at the time, by not emphasizing the threats to human decency posed by the public display of Nazi symbols and racist diatribes in our own neighborhood, Mr. Short was complicit in the erosion of our civic discourse and showed an appalling indifference to the civility of our own city and university, the pair writes. Short has recently been more outspoken in his condemnation of the white supremacists. Advertisement There are other, more recent concerns about Short as well, particularly among faculty who feel that their very communities are threatened by the policies of an administration the new Miller Center fellow has sought to defend. Siva Vaidhyanathan, a media studies professor at UVA, told me in an email that the issue of truthfulness is only a part of the equation: Advertisement Marc Short has endorsed the immoral policy of putting children in concentration campsbasically torture. He alsoby associating naturalized immigrants who sponsor relatives for immigration (the ugly neologism chain migration) with terrorismpushed to undo the anti-racist foundation of the 1965 Immigration Act. [H]ow can Bill [Antholis] expect faculty of coloror any faculty with a conscienceto participate in Miller Center events? I know I cant be in the same room as Short. He doesnt want my family in this country. Advertisement Advertisement (Disclosure: I am friends with Vaidhyanathan.) Short decried the uproar as an attack on free speech, telling the Washington Post that there is an irony at Thomas Jeffersons university that professors are seeking to silence debate instead of fostering civil conversation. During a lengthy interview, Antholis offered that the Miller Center is undertaking a unique study of polarization in the executive, which requires a deep understanding of the Trump administration. He also says that he had engaged in an extensive vetting of Short precisely because he understood that this would be controversial. He added that Short has been described to him as the grown-up in the room and a normal Republican working in an abnormal environment. There remains a deeper problem, though: Whether he behaved as an adult or a gentleman, Marc Short has assisted in the purposeful White House effort to destroy truth. Examples abound. Short has parroted White House falsehoods in defense of family separation, including the source-free claim that 80 percent of those that are coming here illegally never show up for court and are never deported and the false claim, recently rejected in the federal courts, that the Trump separation policy was merely a lawful effort to enforce the law already on the books. Short has repeated the widely debunked claim that there is a crisis at the border. He has defended the presidents firing of James Comey and disputed reports from the New York Times that Trump had sought to fire special counsel Robert Mueller while at the same time refusing to rule out the president firing Mueller in the future. He repeated chief of staff John Kellys incredible claim that he had no idea of the extent of Rob Porters alleged abuse of his former wives until the night before Porter departed the White House. And in an impressive act of whataboutism, Short once attempted to blame Chuck Todd and NBC for Matt Lauers alleged sexual abuse as a defense of White House cover-ups of Porter. Short also shared the White House claim that Trumps views on such matters were shaped by a lot of false accusations against him in the past. In November, Short cited Trumps decision not to campaign for Roy Moore as evidence that the president found the many allegations of sexual abuse against young girls by Moore generally credible. But shortly thereafter, Trump fully endorsed Moore. Short said former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt was doing a great job amid a series of escalating scandals, which eventually forced Pruitt to resign. Short also reportedly blamed civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis when Lewis declined to attend the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum opening because of Trumps attendance. In short, Short is part of the machinery of Trump fabrication, and the academy needs to reckon with that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taken one by one, each little fib and falsehood can seem benign, or erroneous, or the result of a chaotic communications strategy and a president who cannot keep his story straight. But taken in the aggregate, these are defenses of falsehoods and cover-ups. Sure, thats what White House spokesmen do. But when the president is a serial liar and you lie to cover for him, youre part of an attack on truth. Leffler may have said it best. I am told he is a good man, he told me. History tells me that many good people wind up doing terrible things. They dont intend to; they have their own goals in mind; but they become complicit, at best, and enablers, at worst. I am resigning because I think what is going on is morally reprehensible. I think the Miller Center must NOT normalize, legitimize, reward, and honor behavior that is reprehensible. Advertisement Antholis argues that Short has not himself personally attacked the press. He says that he draws a line at Trump administration officials who attack core democratic freedoms including a free press but that Short is not that. In his view, Short has denounced last years white supremacist march on Charlottesville and has done his best with a president whose messaging can be fluid. Advertisement A simple response might be this: If you are out on the hustings helping to sanitize and rationalize Trumps constant prevarications, you are not the real victim here. And when universities lift these sanitizers into positions of academic prominence, they are abandoning an obligation to further truth and knowledge. When Harvard gave academic cover to former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and his absurd lies, it wasnt inviting in a plurality of diverse viewpoints. It was welcoming fabricators as Harvard scholars on par with faculty truth tellers. Thats suggesting that there are good people on both sides of the truth. Advertisement Advertisement When the academy fails to distinguish between those who trade in truthful observable facts and those who spin out demonstrable lies, that has nothing to do with tolerance of different viewpoints. It has everything to do with blurring the line between what is known and knowable and what is just false. There is no reason to believe that someone who has dissembled on behalf of this president will truthfully teach, speak, and write about this administration going forward. Donald Trump differs from other presidents in that he does violence to empirical and provable fact on a daily basis. His administration is actively attempting to establish the argument that institutions that exist to determine truthfrom the national security apparatus, to the courts, to the free pressare all liars. He talks about the free press as would any tin-pot dictator. The attacks on those institutions are so protracted and so endemic we almost dont notice them anymore. (On Sunday, Trump again referred to the media as the enemy of the people.) If any entity still has the capacity to take notice, its the academy. In their letter of resignation, Leffler and Hitchcock close by saying it is incumbent upon those who believe in institutional values like factual inquiry and basic civil debate to step forward: As teachers, we have often told our students that the defense of democracy and its basic idealsrespect for truth, inquiry, reason, decency, civility, and humanityrequires constant vigilance and active engagement. Universities are the last places that should lift up and glorify those who have enabled this presidents attack on truth. History should not be written by those who have shown no regard for reality. The Carr fire currently spreading through Northern California began last Monday and has scorched nearly 100,000 acres over the course of the week. At least six people have died and another seven are missing. The Carr fire, which was ignited on the Carr Powerhouse Road in Whiskeytown, is the largest of more than a dozen major fires engulfing the state right now. In the frenzy of evacuating to escape the flames, some residents have reportedly become technologically stranded and are unable to get into contact with one another. As Redding Police Sgt. Todd Cogle told CNN, We spoke with several people who left their cell phones at their residences and in this day and age people dont remember peoples phone numbers. Advertisement In the event of an emergency that leaves you phone-less, there are several ways to retrieve contact information that you dont have memorized. iPhones by default sync contact information to the iCloud. Users can sign into iCloud.com on an iOS device with their Apple ID and click on the Settings app in the main menu. At the bottom of the page there is an Advanced section that gives you the option to Restore Contacts onto the device, which will replace the current contact list with an older version. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Android users who have synced their phones with their Gmail accounts can similarly download their contacts through the email service. Users can navigate to their contact list by clicking on the Google apps icon at the top right of the Gmail interface. The dropdown menu will have an icon for Contacts, which will lead you to a list of emails addresses and phone numbers. Clicking on the More menu will also allow you to restore the contact list to the state is was in at any point in the past 30 days. Advertisement In natural disasters, there is also the possibility that users will become incapacitated and unable to use their phones to contact people they know. Its useful to set up the Medical ID feature on an iPhone so that, if this is the case, first responders and others who are trying to help can get in touch with emergency contacts without having to unlock the phone. Users can do this by navigating to the Health app, which comes pre-downloaded on iPhones, and tapping the Medical ID button on the bottom right of the interface. Once there, you can enter in phone numbers for emergency contacts along with info about any conditions, medications, allergies, and anything else that may be useful to a first responder. Android phone users also have the option to display important info on their lock screens by navigating to the Settings app. In the Users & Accounts section, theres an emergency information feature. There, you can add emergency contact numbers and need-to-know health info. Nothing epitomizes the American Lefts intellectual dishonesty better than its use of the word free to accompany some government giveaway. Be it free college or free health care, there is nothing remotely free about the transfer of costs from one group of Americans to another. Additional Democrat-sponsored wealth transfers are on the horizon. In Chicago, Alderman Ameya Pawar has proposed legislation that would provide 1,000 families with a universal basic income (UBI) of $500 per month. Nearly 70 percent of Americans dont have $1,000 in the bank for an emergency, Pawar declared. UBI could be an incredible benefit for people who are working and are having a tough time making ends meet or putting food on the table at the end of the month. UBI is not a new concept. As columnist Nathan Heller points out, magistrates from the English village of Speenhamland tried a version of it in 1795, spurred by a price rise in grain that was increasing poverty, even among the gainfully employed. By 1834, for a variety of reasons, everyone agreed the program had failed. In modern day America, the bogey man is automation. Citing companies like Tesla, Amazon, and Uber, Pawar posited that many jobs sustaining middle-class employment will become obsolete, and that more unemployed Americans will fuel political polarization. We have to start talking about race and class and geography, but also start talking about the future of work as it relates to automation. All of this stuff is intertwined, Pawar asserts. Pawar should also be talking about how a nearly bankrupt Illinois has the worst credit rating in the nation; its Democrat-led legislature has failed to address retirement-system debt that has skyrocketed to nearly $11,000 for every man, woman, and child in the state; and that Moodys Investors Service stripped Chicagos bonds of their investment-grade status prior to the UBI giveaway Pawar envisions. More HERE Tower of Katarinka is accessible every day during summer holiday Katarinka used to house a Franciscan Monastery. More information about travelling in Slovakia Please see our Please see our Spectacular Slovakia travel guide The lookout tower at the ruins of Katarinka, near Dechtice, is open daily from 10 to 17:00 during the summer holiday thanks to the volunteers who care for the tower, which is part of the former Church of Saint Katarina Alexandrijska. Entrance to 30-metre high tower is possible only with a guide. Last year, about 3,000 visitors came to wander around the spectacular environment. The tower is rarely accessible outside of the summer holiday and completely closed in the winter. Peter Herceg from the citizens association Katarinka came up with the idea of reconstructing in 2000. The tower only had perimeter walls with eroded stability, so that was the first problem to solve. Volunteers cooperated with preservationists, so they succeeded in building an exact replica of stairs in the tower. Visitors can reach the ruins of Katarinka by turning between Nahac and Dechtice and travelling the last part of the road by foot. The monastery of Saint Katarina Alexandrijska was established in 1618 and belonged to Franciscans. The tower was built about 100 years later. In 1786, the monastery was closed and became dilapidated after the monks left. video //www.youtube.com/embed/sRmQLJAwOYA 30. Jul 2018 at 13:46 | TASR, Compiled by Spectator staff Australian in Slovakia: Bratislava has a great vibe A book detailing a single mothers eventful first year living in Bratislava started out as a joke. Christy Morgan moved to Bratislava with her two sons, aged 6 and 5, in April, 2017. Born in Australia, she went on to live and work in several countries, including Scotland, Ireland, Ukraine, Germany, and Canada. She is now self-employed, providing job-seeking consultation along with workshops and lessons in business English throughout Slovakia. Her recently published book, With Love from Bratislava, chronicles her first year living in the Slovak capital. The Slovak Spectator (TSS): What was the catalyst for moving to Bratislava from Prince Edward Island? Christy Morgan (CM): I was feeling kind of trapped in life. We moved to Canada because thats where my husband at the time was from. We planned on moving back to Germany in a couple years but my husband grew complacent, I didnt. Canada is a really great country but where we were living was very quiet. I started a food charity and tried to find opportunities that would help me make a difference but I knew I still wanted to get back in Europe. I was feeling trapped in a lot of different ways and I wasnt sure what I was going to do. Then, as I talk about in the beginning of the book, an ex-boyfriend contacted me. We had this very complicated history and hadnt been in contact for a while but he contacted me just at that moment when I was emotionally vulnerable and not sure what I wanted to do. It got me thinking about years ago and I thought, thats a long time, ten years, and thinking about the future, I realised I can only do something in the present and I should just do it. It was now or never. TSS: And was it scary? Exciting? CM: It was a lot of things. And it was a process that took a few months from deciding Im going to do this to getting here so I went through everything from excitement to fear; Im still scared sometimes. TSS: When you moved to Slovakia, you were in the process of separating from your husband, had two small children, and knew only three words in Slovak. How did you handle this situation? 30. Jul 2018 at 11:00 | Anna Fay Kotleba of LSNS charged with extremism The leader of the parliamentary party LSNS was charged for donating 1,488 to charity, a symbolic sum among Neo-Nazis. On July 26, a prosecutor from the Special Prosecutors Office (USP) pressed charges against the far-right Peoples Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) leader Marian Kotleba for demonstrating sympathy for a movement directed at suppression of fundamental rights and freedoms. Kotleba now faces a sentence of up to eight years in prison. This goes back to the donations that Kotleba made last year, in the form of vouchers worth 1,488, to three families at an event marking the founding of the (Nazi-Germany inclined) wartime Slovak state in Banska Bystrica, the Sme daily wrote on July 28. Why is the amount a problem? The number 1,488 is widely known in Neo-Nazi circles: 88 is the Nazi code for Heil Hitler (as H is the eighth letter of alphabet), and the number 14 signifies the Fourteen Words coined by prominent white nationalist and Ku Klux Klan member, David Lane: (We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children). Read also: Read also: Extremist MP sentenced for racism again Read more By publicly using (neo)Nazi and extremist symbols, he expressed his sympathies to racist and Nazi ideology aimed at suppressing fundamental rights and freedoms and declaring racist and ethnic-based hatred, USP spokesperson Jana Tokolyova told the TASR newswire. Read also: Read also: Extremist MP Mizik acquitted by court in defamatory status case Read more Several LSNS members have faced various lawsuits at different courts. Recently, MP Stanislav Mizik was tried by the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok (Bratislava Region) for a defamatory status update he made on a social network. The court eventually dropped the indictment against him on July 4. 30. Jul 2018 at 13:10 | Compiled by Spectator staff Slovak and Czech presidents mark centenary with a vintage train ride The presidents also visited sights connected to the first president of Czechoslovakia,Tomas Garrique Masaryk, to commemorate the centenary. The Czech and Slovak presidents rode on a vintage train to mark the centenary of Czechoslovakia on July 29. (Source: SITA) Slovak President Andrej Kiska and his Czech counterpart, Milos Zeman, took a symbolic ride on a vintage train from the Czech town of Hodonin to the Slovak town of Topolcianky (Nitra Region) on July 29. Both towns have a symbolic meaning, as Hodonin was the birthplace of first Czechoslovak President Tomas Garrique Masaryk, and Czechoslovak presidents used to have a summer residence in Topolcianky. The steam train has a vintage Aza 80 carriage that was made for president Masaryk in 1930, the TASR newswire wrote. Before they boarded the train, the two presidents laid wreaths at T.G. Masaryks statue in Hodonin. I want to thank the Czech president for the opportunity to travel jointly on part of the ride from T.G. Masaryks birthplace [Hodonin] to Topolcianky, which he [Masaryk] visited for the first time 95 years ago, Kiska said, as quoted by TASR. From Czechia to Slovakia In Topolcianky, they dropped in at a first-republic-style fair, and visited the National Stud Farm and Topolcianky Castle. Kiska and Zeman laid flowers at Masaryks statue there and signed commemorative papers to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Czechoslovak Republic. The joint train ride is part of celebrations marking the centenary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia; the date of the event was also symbolic as Masaryk visited the Topolcianky Castle for the first time on July 23, 1923. The predecessor If this [the establishment of Czechoslovakia] hadnt happened at that time, Slovakia wouldnt have existed in the form we currently know it, the Slovak president said, according to the newswire. One hundred years ago, the founders of the Czechoslovak state, Masaryk and Milan Rastislav Stefanik, accomplished their efforts so that we could have our own state, our territory, our statehood. We can only thank them for what they did at that time, as it wasnt easy. Topolcianky Castle is a national cultural monument. It served as a summer residence for presidents of the Czechoslovak Republic between 1923 and 1951. Masaryk was a frequent guest at the castle, where he received several diplomatic visits and cabinet members, including the prime minister. 30. Jul 2018 at 13:19 | Compiled by Spectator staff Heatwave continues in Slovakia Temperatures will stay in the mid-30s through Wednesday, at the very least, experts warn. The heatwave in Slovakia will continue until at least Wednesday, August 1, with the highest temperatures expected in the south and southwest of Slovakia, as well as the southeast on Wednesday, the Slovak Hydro-meteorological Institute (SHMU) warned on July 28. SHMU issued a 2nd-degree warning, as quoted by the SITA newswire, for these areas, forecasting temperatures of up to 35C for July 30, 31 and August 1. For the rest of the country, a 1st-degree warning has been issued, with expected temperatures of 33 to 34 C. On Sunday, July 29, the hottest spot in Slovakia was Biely Kostol, near the city of Trnava in western Slovakia, where the temperatures amounted to 35.3C, SITA cited SHMU. So far, this figure is the highest air temperature measured on Slovak territory this summer, the Institute informed on its Facebook profile. Other sites with high temperatures were Hurbanovo (34.9C), Ziar nad Hronom (34.9C), Nitra (34.8) and Levice (34.7C). 30. Jul 2018 at 13:32 | Compiled by Spectator staff German should not be neglected in Slovakia German businesses struggle to find staffers who speak the language. What are the ways of solving this problem? Though German language offers a tangible advantage, not many students are speaking it. (Source: TASR) Before the 1989 Velvet Revolution, German was considered the language of freedom. Families in particular who lived close to the Austrian border used to listen to the radio to learn more about what was happening in the western world. However, times have changed and the popularity of German among Slovak schoolchildren has dropped, mostly to the dislike of business from German-speaking countries established in Slovakia that are searching for staffers who speak the language. Companies are struggling to find people who speak German at a sufficient level, Ivana Sladekova-Ondrejkova, head of the language courses department at the Goethe Institute in Bratislava, told The Slovak Spectator. If the situation continues to worsen, potential investors might invest in other countries. German still important The worsening situation with graduates possessing sufficient German skills has been confirmed by a poll carried out by the Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce (SNOPK) and Advantage Austria in June 2017 on 141 German and Austrian investors in Slovakia. Nearly every second participant (47.5 percent) claimed that German is the most important foreign language used in their company. English has become the most important international business language in Slovakia, Guido Glania, then-head of the SNOPK, commented on the results. Our survey has shown that German skills offer a tangible advantage for a career in Slovakia. The survey also showed that 27.7 percent of respondents want their employees to speak German and English at an equal level. (Source: Profesia) However, the number of job ads requiring German that are published on the Profesia.sk job portal is decreasing. The data for the first half of 2018 indicate that only one-tenth of the total number of job ads required the applicants to speak German. 30. Jul 2018 at 14:53 | Radka Minarechova Slovakia is doing well, rating agencies confirm S&Ps and Fitch Ratings agencies confirmed Slovakias A+ rating. The construction of the Jaguar Land Rover plant in Nitra started in September 2016 in the presence of global director of Jaguar Land Rover, Ralf Speth, and then-Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. (Source: Sme) Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings agencies confirmed Slovakias rating at A+ with a stable outlook on Friday (July 27). Slovakias ratings reflect its sound macro-economic performance, supported by sustained, foreign capital inflows and European Union and Eurozone membership, reads the Fitch rating action commentary. Real GDP growth is in line with the current peer median and is expected to increase to 3.9 percent in 2018 and 4.2 percent in 2019, from 3.4 percent in 2017, writes Fitch. Solid household consumption will be bolstered by rising investment stemming from EU funds, and most significantly, the start of production at a new, large vehicle facility towards the end of 2018. Slovakia is the largest car maker on a per capita basis in the world, which could be damaged by potential US tariffs on imports of cars from the EU. Read also: Read also: Jaguar Land Rover will move all production of Discovery to Slovakia Read more In its reaction, the Finance Ministry said that the rating confirmation is a result of long-term and fast economic growth, stability of the banking sector, as well as a healthy fiscal policy. With regards to the fact that Slovakia is the worlds leading per-capita carmaker, agencies see potential risks in the sector and geographic concentration, external factors stemming from the Slovak economys openness and potential overheating of the economy, writes the Finance Ministry. The rating agencies visit Slovakia regularly once a year in order to assess the countrys credit reliability. Based on meetings and relevant information provided to them, agencies assign a rating to the country that has a direct impact on the activities of investors, debtors, issuers and individual governments, recalled the ministry. 30. Jul 2018 at 23:08 | Compiled by Spectator staff Slovakia's electricity consumption reached record highs last year The country needs to import almost one tenth of its electricity. Font size: A - | A + Electricity consumption in Slovakia exceeded the historical level when the country needed to import almost one tenth of its total consumption. After exceeding the level of 30 TWh in 2016, electricity consumption in Slovakia reached a historical maximum of 31.06 TWh, up 3.5 percent year-to-year, the Slovak Electricity Transmission Network (SEPS) informed in its annual report for 2017, as cited by the TASR newswire. In 2017, we again registered a high import of electricity from abroad. The share of import of electricity consumption increased to 9.8 percent, up from 8.8 percent in 2016. The share of imported electricity was the highest since 2007 when the electricity system of Slovakia became an importing one. Until 2006, Slovakia was self-sufficient in electricity and had been exporting about 5 percent of the power it produced but in 2007, Slovakia was no longer self-sufficient in electrical production. In late 2006, the country switched off the first V1 double-reactor block at Jaslovske Bohunice to comply with European Union regulations on decommissioning outdated, Soviet-designed nuclear plants. The second block was powered down by the end of 2008. Read also: Read also: Is the completion of Mochovce nuclear plant close? Read more Slovakia will become self-sufficient again after the second two blocks of the Mochovce nuclear power plant are put into operation. Based on the latest information, the third block should definitely be completed in the second quarter of next year. The fourth block should be completed within one year after the third block is completed. 30. Jul 2018 at 22:53 | Compiled by Spectator staff Coffee production in Guatemala is facing a new crisis. No, its not roya, climate change, or low coffee prices. Its all of them, and they are causing greater numbers of workers and some landowners to abandon the coffee farms and migrate north to the United States. You have two options in this part of Guatemala: grow coffee or migrate, says Cipriano Juventino Niz Chilel, the president of the Entre Rios coffee cooperative in San Pablo. According to a recent article in Time, Guatemala has undergone three decades of migration. Civil war in the 80s, economic crisis, grinding poverty, and natural disasters in the 90s and 00s, and gang and domestic violence in current years have all led of hundreds of thousands (of a population of 16.5 million) with no option but to relocate north. And now troubles with the coffee industry are causing even more to leave. The roya outbreak in 2011 decimated 20 percent of the coffee crop, having a particularly devastating effect on higher-end Arabica varieties. The leaf rust outbreak has only been exacerbated by climate change, with warmer temperatures spreading the disease to higher altitudes and also [increasing] the frequency of droughts, floods, and cold shocks, which can decrease, or at times completely destroy, production. At the same time, countries like Brazil, Vietnam, and Honduras had particularly good yields, leading to a drop in the price Guatemalan coffees could fetch. Whereas producers were at one time able to get $170-180 per 100 pounds of coffee, prices today stand around $110, lower than the cost of investment it takes to produce the coffee. With no money to be made in the coffee field, many Guatemalans are forced to migrate. And according to Time, whereas many would head for Guatemala City, low wages and gang violence have made the journey to the United States much more appealing. To stay afloat, many coffee farms are taking the advice of ANACAFEGuatemalas national coffee associationand diversifying their crops to include bananas, plantains, and macadamia nuts. This, the article notes, will help the farms survive the current price dip, but it does little to affect employment, as the new crops dont require near the same number of people to harvest as coffee does. Its easy to forget, especially for those of us not living with the circumstances everyday, that these issues dont exist in a vacuum. Climate change, unrest, violence, immigration, untenable coffee prices: they are all connected. Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge. Top image via Time. Breaking today here on Sprudge, Stumptown Coffee Roasters is now open in Cobble Hill. The Portland-based brand launched a new cafe today inside of an 1860s Brooklyn firehouse, located at 212 Pacific Street. Theyll be celebrating all day long with a series of events, readings, and the occasional impromptu drumline, so if youre reading this from Brooklyn, get thee to the Hoyt-Schermerhorn stop, served by the A, G, and sometimes C trains. In the works since late 2017, Stumptown marketing director Mallory Pilcher describes the cafe as a singular vision driven by several different people within Stumptowns national team. There were a lot of chefs at the table, Pilcher says, and we collaborated in this project across departments to achieve a soulful creation. To be clear, this is not an imagined interpretation of a pre-Civil War firehouse based on preserved architectural documentsit is an actual 150-year-old building, which first served the neighborhood as a fire department way back in the 19th century, and had most recently functioned as an indoor archery studio. Through the spaces gorgeous white brick foyer, past the flowers, you enter a grand cafe main room with retail wall, coffee bar, and marble floating tables with intricate brass work underneath, evoking a vintage subway car. Continuing towards the back of the space you pass through a middle corridor, featuring more flowers, a water and magazine station, and finally into the back room, featuring wrap-around banquette seating offset by an original work from renowned Brooklyn artist Marcel Dzama. This is Stumptown first proper cafe in Brooklyn, following their roasting HQ and tasting room in Red Hook. The spaces design is a fusion of Brooklyn and Portland elements, featuring architecture from NYCs own TBD Architecture + Design Studio paired with the vision of Portlands Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, alongside custom design work by Zachary Marvick, also of Portland. The cafes drinks menu includes a standard battery of established Stumptown offerings, including espresso via an eye-catching La Marzocco Linea PB, with customization work by Pantechnicon and hand-drawn art by Melanie Nead. Gear by Curtis and Mazzer help anchor the bar, which also features cold brew taps and pour over drinks, along with a few more Portland favorites like Woodblock Chocolate and Steven Smith Teas. Theres a significantly expanded food offering here in partnership with Lalito, chef Gerardo Gonzalezs lauded San Diego (by way of Meso-America) restaurant in lower Manhattan. Think carnitas burritos, coconut rice bowls, and chefs ever-popular banana tahini bread. A series of community events celebrate todays launch, including readings from Books are Magic, sweeties from Dus Donuts, and a performance from Brooklyn United Music & Arts Program. But youll be forgiven if youd like to simply walk in and wander about, picking out little details across the spacethe classic brass fittings, antique retail shelves and converted fridges, and white subway tile everywhere. But when queried on her favorite element of the design, Pilcher told us candidly, The bathrooms! Her pick is hard to argue withthese loos feature sweeping arches overhead, and include a host of little design quirks like horsey coat hangers and whimsical peepholes. New York is so chaotic and insane, says Pilcher, and it can feel like the restroom is the only solace you get all day here. These ones are really beautiful and I love them. Check out one of those special peephole designs below, then peruse out even more images from inside the new cafe, with photos by Sprudge contributor and Brooklyn resident D. Robert Wolcheck. The new Stumptown Cobble Hill is located at 212 Pacific Street , Brooklyn, New York 11201. Hours daily from 6:30am to 7pm. Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge. Photos by D. Robert Wolcheck for Sprudge Media Network. Disclosure: Stumptown Coffee Roasters is an advertising partner on the Sprudge Media Network. Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy Melbourne is an amazing city, over the 7 months we lived there we completely fell in love with it, so much so weve vowed to move there when we decided to settle down! The city itself is the beating heart of Victoria and feels so alive with people, culture and spirit. But one of the other reasons we fell in love with Melbourne so much is the fact that outside of the city and out into wider Victoria there is also so much to do and see, and being the smallest state on the Australian mainland, around the size of the UK, most of those places are within easy reach for a half day, full day or weekend trip! Here are our favourite Melbourne day trips! St. Kilda Just outside of the CBD, St. Kilda is a great place to head for a quick trip outside of the city if you dont have much time on our hands or dont want to go too far. Its just a short tram ride from outside Flinders Street station and the closest beach to the city. St. Kilda is a classic seaside town which is becoming more and more trendy with many little bars and its famous cake shops to explore. If swimming isnt your thing then you can head for Luna Park, this 1912 theme park is an icon of the city and a fun place to either take a wander or go on some of the old rides. Out here it is also possible to see some of the cute Little Penguins that call this area home, even during the day its possible to spot some but as the sun goes down many come in from a day out fishing! St Kilda is an ideal if you dont have time for any of the longer Melbourne day trips. How to get there: No. 16 tram from Swanston Street, No. 96 from Bourke Street, or No. 12 from Collins Street (around 25 minutes) to St Kilda; No. 3 from Swanston Street to Carlisle Street (around 35 minutes) and Alma Road (around 40 minutes). Brighton Another spot thats very close to the city is the trendy town of Brighton. This wonderful seaside town is home to another icon of Melbourne, the Brighton bathing boxes that line the golden sandy beaches area beautiful sight. The colourful and photogenic boxes fetch a fortune and date back to bygone era of public bathing in the early 1900s. Every time I go down here I am mesmerised by these beautiful boxes and the stunning backdrop of the beach and skyline beyond. On a hot summers day its also a great place to go for a swim just a short train ride from the city centre. Heading to Brighton is another one that is ideal if you dont have time for the longer Melbourne day trips. How to get there: Take the Sandringham Line train from Flinders Street Station, which is usually on platform 13 and takes around 25mins. Bendigo Victoria was a state founded on the Australian Gold Rush and that money created not only the incredible architecture of Melbourne, but many other towns and cities around the state. Bendigo is a beautiful and historic city in the centre of the state that almost seems to spring out of nowhere in the fields paddocks of country Victoria. The discovery of Gold in the soil around Bendigo during the1850s made it one of the most significant boomtowns in Australia. Visiting Bendigo is a one of the best Melbourne day trips, the architecture of the city and the laid back vibe of a small country city makes it a great place to wander around. The view over the city from the old mining tower is wonderful on a clear day and the buildings along the Pall Mall stunning example of Victorian Gold Rush era architecture. Another great place to visit is the Central Deborah Gold mine that operated from 1939-1954. The mine extracted 929kg of gold, almost one ton, which would be worth around $50 Million today! How to get to Bendigo: Driving is the best way to get to Bendigo however its easy to get up here on public transport too. You can take the train on the regional lines from Southern Cross. The V/Line express service takes around 90 minutes. Geelong Another one of the best Melbourne day trips is the port city of Geelong, which is the second largest city in the state and home to the Geelong Cats, the second oldest AFL team in Australia! On a warm and sunny day walking along the Geelong waterfront is a wonderful way to spend the day. Along here there are beaches, swimming pools, The Cunningham Pier that dates back to 1850s. One of the most fun things to discover in Geelong are the Bollard Sculptures, commissioned in 1995 they are dotted around the city and explore the cities colourful history through these quirky sculptures of traditional seaside characters and intriguing figures from the 1930s! The city itself, which was surveyed just 3 weeks after Melbourne, has a historic and lively city centre that is also much more laid back than the hustle and bustle of Melbourne. The CBD had many wonderful examples of beautiful Victorian architecture to explore and can be covered in a day. How to get to Geelong: The V/Line regional services run from Southern Cross to Geelong and take around an hour. Torquay and Bells Beach If you love your surfing then heading out to Torquay and the famous Bell Beach, the home of Rip Curl, for a chilled out day at the beach or a ripper day on the waves. Bells beach is the home to the Rip Curl Pro, the worlds longest running surfing competition and where some of the biggest names in the sport have competed and conquered some incredible waves. Whether you plan on hitting the big waves at Bell Beach, swimming at the more tranquil beaches of Torquay, shopping for a bargain in the surf outlets, taking a coastal walk or just escaping the city, its a cool and chilled out spot to head to. Bells beach is a must on our list of best Melbourne day trips if you love surfing and the beach! How to get to Torquay from Melbourne: The best way to visit Torquay and Bell beach is with a car if you have one and as part of a trip down the Great Ocean Road. However if you only have access to public transport you have to take a train and bus. The best way is to take the V/Line regional service to Geelong and then take the bus route 51. The Grampians Moving a little further afield is the incredible Grampians National Park. Around 3 hours north of Melbourne this is a place where you can truly escape the congestion of the city and explore the best of the Victorian countryside. This mountainous region offers something for everyone from short walks in the valleys, to impressive lookouts, incredible hikes, stunning waterfalls and even world class rock climbing and bouldering. The Grampians is one of the best Melbourne day trips but can also be done over a few days too. There are plenty of campgrounds up here too for those who want to explore for longer as well as climbing shops in the main town of Halls gap that lend out equipment, For those less adventurous there are also short walks in the valleys and the small towns and villages are delightful to visit. The oval in the centre of Halls Gap is also home to wild kangaroos who come out every evening to graze! Weve written a full post about here: The awe inspiring Grampians National Park How to get to the Grampians from Melbourne: Though there are public transport links via a train to Halls Gap via a train to Ararat and a bus to Halls Gap. The best way to make the most of a trip up here is in your own transport. If you do go via public transport then you can still see many of the viewpoints but of course each will take you much longer to hike! Another option is to take an organise tour from Melbourne. The Great Ocean Road The highlight of a trip to Melbourne and Victoria is no doubt the legendary Great Ocean Road. Built to commemorate those who died during the First World War, it is the largest war memorial in the world. The road stretches for 243 kilometres (151 mi), winding its way through some of the most beautiful coastline in the world. From the sleepy town of Lorne to the towering sea stacks of the 12 apostles, the road is home to wild koalas, incredible views and stunning scenery. A day trip is possible to see the main sights but a multi day trip is really the best way to take is all the road has to offer. Our favourite section is the Loch Ard Gorge and London Arch area as well as the views from Teddys Lookout in Lorne and weve been lucky enough to visit many times whilst living in Melbourne! Great Ocean Road is a must do on our list of Melbourne day trips but if you have longer then we suggest doing it over 3 days. We wrote a more in depth post here: A 3 day camping trip on Great Ocean Road How to get to The Great Ocean Road Having your own transport is a must for the Road as it is by its very nature a road! The road itself starts just after Torquay which is around an hour from Melbourne and ends near the 12 Apostles from which it will take around 3 hours to get back to Melbourne. The best way to do it for us is to get an early start and drive straight to the 12 Apostles on the higher roads and then work backwards towards the city. If you dont have your own transport then there are many tours leaving from the city, some day trips and some multi day. In theory it might be possible to take regional buses from Torquay and then camp but this would take some time. A good option is to rent a car for the day through someone like GoGet. Mornington Peninsula The Mornington Peninsula is around an hour out of Melbourne and it situated on the opposite side of Port Phillip to Geelong, in fact you can get a ferry across! The peninsular is yet another example of the incredible coast of Victoria but unlike the Great Ocean Road it is much more low key and gets far fewer visitors. The lack of people and closer proximity to the city make it one of the best Melbourne day trips. From the sleepy town of Sorrento there are endless coastal walks, empty beaches, rugged cliff faces and even historic war remnants to explore. The small towns of Rye and Portsea offer incredible beaches to swim, London Bridge offers a striking sea stack to explore and Point Nepean National Park is a wonderful place to take in the history of this region from ships wrecks to the Second World War and even missing Prime Ministers. We wrote a more in depth post here: The most incredible day on Mornington Peninsula How to get to Mornington Peninsula from Melbourne: Like many of the other further a field destinations the best way to get the most out of a trip is to have a car. The drive is around an hour from Melbourne so its perfect for a day trip. However. You can take the train from Melbourne out to Frankston and then connect to many regional buses that do visit all the small towns along the Peninsular. If you visit this way it would be good to plan the day out more and pick a few main stops to make the most out of your time. What are your favourite Melbourne day trips? See our guide to backpacking Melbourne here: 16 FREE things to do in Melbourne Also check out our The Ultimate Melbourne 5 Day Itinerary post too Book a Tour Here Book Your Accommodation Here Booking.com Hey, youve got your Travel Insurance sorted havent you? Travelling and especially backpacking is a wild adventure, but make sure you are covered just incase something goes wrong, which if youre living it up to the fullest its always a possibility! Check travel insurance prices with World Nomads here! See more from this country: See more from our backpacking adventures: Pin for later: Mountain Shadows in Wayanad is just the place for a dreamy vacation In the Back Roads season final tonight, Heather Ewart travels to the surprising little town of Nyngan, in the dead centre of New South Wales. Nyngan is the gateway to the outback, but more memorably the town sits on the banks of the Bogan River. Some ideas locals have come up with to boost the towns profile have divided the community. Some love their giant bogan statue, others cant stand it! In this sheep and wheat growing country, locals know how to laugh at themselves. Theyre big hearted and full of big ideas. From this isolated spot on the map, Nyngan locals are changing the lives of others. Nyngan is on a mission to help people on the other side of the planet. Anna Carter helps her mum run a charity out of Nyngan, which is changing the lives of children in Uganda. Anna has been to Uganda twice and says what strikes her about it is how much Ugandans value education. Annas parents sponsored a young boy, Moses, for decades and through their support he was able to attend private school and university. Anna helps organise an annual charity ball to raise money for the school in Uganda. You can be in your own home and help people on the other side of the world, says Anna. 8pm tonight on ABC. Andrew Denton flew to San Francisco to meet with Keith Urban for this weeks Interview (who also just happens to announce an Aussie tour). On a concert stage they discuss early days in Queensland, his big break in Nashville, marriage with Nicole Kidman, rehabilitation and a performance on a Tamworth baggage carousel. At least we are spared another Gene Simmons-style satellite interview. 8:30pm Tuesday on Seven. NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City is moving toward becoming the first major U.S. municipality to cap ride-sharing services, sparking a tsunami of protest on Friday from Uber [UBER.UL] and others, which warned that those living in far-flung neighborhoods will suffer most. The City Council is considering five bills aimed primarily at reducing traffic congestion and increasing driver paychecks in the wake of explosive growth of for-hire vehicles and a rash of suicides among financially challenged yellow taxi drivers. "We are pausing the issuance of new licenses in an industry that has been operating without checks, Council Speaker Corey Johnson told reporters on Friday. The council's move to vote on the measures as soon as Aug. 8 is the city's second try to restrain an industry that has grown exponentially since Mayor Bill de Blasio's failed 2015 attempt to rein it in. Resurrection of the effort in New York - Uber's largest U.S. market - outraged ride-hailing businesses, including Uber, Lyft and Via. In an email barrage to nearly 5 million New Yorkers on Friday, Uber said riders would be hurt most by the squeeze, facing higher prices, longer wait times and less service in the city's outer reaches by drivers more heavily dependent on higher demand in Manhattan, only adding to, rather than reducing, congestion. "@NYCCouncil I'm a New Yorker, and I rely on @Uber to get around the city, especially when public transit isn't available. Don't leave me stranded and #DontStrandNYC," tweeted thousands of New Yorkers, some using a link provided in the Uber email. Since Uber and other app-based services debuted in New York City about five years ago, the industry has grown to more than 100,000 cars, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission. At the same time, less demand for New York's iconic yellow cabs has decimated that one-time route to middle-class income. Six struggling professional drivers - including three yellow cab drivers - have killed themselves in recent months. Story continues The New York Taxi Workers Alliance cheered the City Council's pledge to move ahead with the bills. The impending New York City limits come amid a worldwide effort to crack down on ride-hailing companies, including a move by Honolulu's city council to cap fares charged when demand spikes. London, in a test of Uber's new senior management, in June, issued a probationary license to operate as long as Uber can show it has improved on safety and other concerns. (Reporting by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Dan Grebler) FILE PHOTO: Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki (L) walks besides the Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed during a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival for a three-day visit to Eritrea, in Asmara, Eritrea July 28, 2018. Courtesy of the office of President of the Republic of Somalia/Handout via REUTERS Thomson Reuters NAIROBI (Reuters) - Eritrea and Somalia plan to establish diplomatic relations, their presidents said on Monday, the latest sign of thawing relations across the Horn of Africa following Eritrea's rapprochement with Ethiopia. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi arrived in Eritrea's capital Asmara on Saturday for meetings with President Isaias Afwerki. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors, promote bilateral trade and investment, as well as educational and cultural exchanges," the two leaders said in a joint statement. The decision by Isaias to invite Abdullahi marked a new chapter for the countries after years of sour relations, reflecting how regional politics have been transformed since a new Ethiopian leader reached out to Eritrea this year. Past Somali administrations had accused Eritrea of supplying weapons to anti-government Islamist insurgents. Asmara has repeatedly denied this, saying the accusations were concocted by its enemy Ethiopia. In 2007, Eritrea even walked out of the East African bloc IGAD in protest as Ethiopian forces entered Somalia to fight militants. Eritrea and Ethiopia staged a dramatic rapprochement in recent weeks, after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power in Addis Ababa in April and subsequently announced that he wanted to implement a peace deal that ended their 1998-2000 border war. Eritrea and Ethiopia signed an agreement earlier this month to restore ties, ending two decades of hostility. (Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Aaron Maasho and Peter Graff) See Also: The army is on standby to help deliver food, medicines and fuels if there are shortages in the wake of a "no deal" Brexit, it has been reported. Plans for the armed forces to help civilian authorities in the event of civil emergencies have been dusted off as part of contingency preparations for Britain leaving the EU without an agreement, according to Sunday Times. This would see helicopters and army trucks being used to get supplies to vulnerable people outside the South East who were having difficulties getting the medicines they require, according to the newspaper. An unnamed minister told the Sunday Times that the military would be drafted in if problems at Britain's ports caused shortages of food, fuel and medicines. They said: "There is a lot of civil contingency planning around the prospect of no deal. That's not frightening the horses, that's just being utterly realistic." A Ministry of Defence source said there had been "no formal request" to supply aid, but acknowledged there is a "blueprint for us supporting the civilian authorities that can be dusted off". The newspaper's report also said there would be a significant impact on the NHS, with the health service moving onto a year-round "winter crisis footing". Prime Minister Theresa May - who has repeatedly said no Brexit deal is better than a bad deal - said earlier this week that the British public should feel "reassurance and comfort" over the government's preparations for a no deal scenario. Mrs May did not deny stockpiling was taking place, but said Downing Street was being "responsible and sensible" whilst simultaneously trying to strike a good deal with Brussels. She told 5 News: "Far from being worried about preparations that we are making, I would say that people should take reassurance and comfort from the fact that the government is saying we are in a negotiation, we are working for a good deal - I believe we can get a good deal - but... because we don't know what the outcome is going to be... let's prepare for every eventuality. Story continues "This is not just about stockpiling. "That concept, what it is, is about making sure that we will be able to continue to do the things that are necessary once we have left the European Union, if we leave without a deal." Chancellor Philip Hammond echoed the PM's words, saying it was "sensible and responsible" for the government to be working in conjunction with industry to stockpile certain vital supplies for the event of no deal. He said: "That's a sensible and responsible thing for a Government to do and large businesses who are importing or exporting large volumes of products or produce will be making contingency plans, and we would encourage them to do so and work closely with them as they are putting those plans together." Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs on Tuesday he had asked officials to "work up options for stockpiling" by the pharmaceutical industry, while Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said the government would be taking steps to make sure there is an "adequate food supply". Ministers said last week that the government would be putting out roughly 70 "technical notices" in the coming weeks, which would lay out the necessary preparations in the UK for exiting without a deal. According to the Sunday Times, these reports will be published all together on one day in late August, rather than throughout the summer, because of fears this would alarm the public. A man looks at an electronic board showing market indices outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, March 2, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Peter Thomson Reuters By Wayne Cole SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asian share markets drifted lower on Monday while currencies kept to familiar ranges ahead of a busy week peppered with central bank meetings, corporate results and updates on U.S. inflation and payrolls. Technology and energy shares led Japan's Nikkei <.N225> down 0.4 percent in early trade, while tech also featured in South Korea's <.KS11> 0.2 percent decline. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan <.MIAPJ0000PUS> eased 0.03 percent. The week ahead features quarterly earnings from more than 140 S&P 500 companies, including Apple Inc . Disappointing results from Intel Corp and Twitter Inc soured the mood on the Nasdaq <.IXIC> on Friday, though the S&P 500 <.SPX) and Dow <.DJI> still ended firmer for the week. Analysts at JPMorgan cited relatively aggressive moves into "value" stocks - in particular banks - and away from shares particularly leveraged to growth. "Tech really began cracking on Tuesday before the floodgates opened on Friday," they wrote in a note. "The rotation will likely continue, benefiting value categories at the expense of momentum/tech as rates are biased higher," they added. "Europe's higher weighting to banks/resource will help it vs the U.S." CENTRAL BANK WATCH The U.S. Federal Reserve meets on Tuesday and Wednesday and is widely expected to stand pat while reaffirming the outlook for further gradual rate rises. The market is almost fully priced for a hike in September and leaning toward a further move before year-end. A policy meeting by the Bank of Japan on Tuesday has taken on greater importance amid talk it could tweak its massive asset-buying campaign. Elias Haddad, a senior currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, doubted the BoJ would move just yet, but felt it may abandon the negative interest rate applied to accounts held by financial institutions at the central bank. Story continues The BoJ could also modify its annual objective of accumulating 80 trillion yen ($720 billion) of Japanese government bonds, as well as potentially lifting its target yield for 10-year JGBs. Those yields recorded the highest close since January 2016 last week. "Any of these policy changes would be interpreted as a step toward less monetary policy accommodation, dragging USD/JPY lower," Haddad said. Just the chance of such a shift has sent the yen higher in the last week or so, pulling the dollar down to around 110.96 yen from a peak of 113.18 earlier in the month. Against a basket of currencies the dollar was hovering at 94.680 <.DXY>, having repeatedly failed to clear resistance around 95.652 this month. The euro has had problems of its own as the European Central Bank emphasized that rates would not be rising until the second half of next year. On Monday, the euro was flat at $1.1658 , corralled between support around $1.1570 and resistance at $1.1750. In Asia, eyes will be on China's yuan after it suffered its longest weekly losing streak since November 2015. It hit a 13-month low at 6.8369 per dollar last week . In commodity markets, oil prices were supported by easing trade tensions and Saudi Arabia's temporary shutdown of a key crude shipping lane. [Q/R] U.S. crude added 25 cents to $68.94 in early trade, while Brent rose 1 cent to $74.30 a barrel. Spot gold eased a touch to $1,222.52. (Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Joseph Radford) See Also: By Prak Chan Thul and Amy Sawitta Lefevre PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) said on Monday it had won all 125 parliamentary seats up for grabs in a general election a day earlier that critics said was neither free nor fair. Cambodia woke to another chapter of rule by strongman Hun Sen a day after an election that was heavily criticised by rights groups, the United States and other Western countries. "The CPP won 77.5 percent of the votes and won all the parliamentary seats," CPP spokesman Sok Eysan told Reuters by telephone. "The other parties won no seats." The White House said it would consider steps, including an expansion of visa restrictions placed on some Cambodian government members, in response to "flawed elections" in which there was no significant challenger to Hun Sen. Critics say the election was a backward step for democracy in Cambodia following the dissolution last year of the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and the jailing of its leader, Kem Sokha, on treason charges. Former CNRP president Sam Rainsy, who lives in exile, said the election was a "hollow" victory for Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander who has ruled Cambodia for nearly 33 years. The United States has imposed visa curbs on some Cambodian government members over a crackdown on critics and levied sanctions in June on a high-ranking official close to Hun Sen. The European Union has threatened Cambodia with economic sanctions. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Sunday's vote "failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people". "The flawed elections, which excluded the country's principal opposition party, represent the most significant setback yet to the democratic system enshrined in Cambodias constitution," Sanders said. The election campaign was marred by threats from national and local leaders, she said. Story continues "The United States will consider additional steps to respond to the elections and other recent setbacks to democracy and human rights in Cambodia, including a significant expansion of the visa restrictions announced on December 6, 2017," Sanders said. Government spokesman Phay Siphan said the White House statement was an attempt to intimidate Cambodia. "This is against the Cambodians who went to vote to decide their own fate," Phay Siphan told Reuters. Even as the West criticised the process, Hun Sen still has one important ally, China, which offered warm congratulations for a smooth election. China has poured billions of dollars in development assistance and loans into Cambodia through bilateral frameworks and its Belt and Road initiative to build a new Silk Road. "I believe that the Cambodian parliament election is an internal matter for Cambodia," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing in Beijing on Monday. "We hope that the international community can provide constructive help for Cambodia to remain stable and achieve development." 'DEATH OF DEMOCRACY' CNRP Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Monovithya Kem told a news conference in Jakarta on Monday the party welcomed the White House statement and hoped others would follow suit. The CNRP also called on the international community to reject the result of the election. "29 July 2018 marked the death of democracy in Cambodia, a dark new day in recent history," said CNRP vice president Mu Sochua. "The result announced by the CPP and the National Election Committee must be fully rejected by the international community." Newspaper headlines in Cambodia on Monday greeted Hun Sen's victory. "CPP Dominates Election: Unofficial results show ruling party will increase its majority in the National Assembly," said the pro-government Khmer Times newspaper. Some independent media were targeted by Hun Sen and his allies in a pre-election crackdown. More than 82 percent of those registered to vote cast a ballot, according to the National Election Committee. Turnout was 90 percent in the 2017 local election and 69.61 percent in the previous general election in 2013. Polling stations visited by Reuters in the capital, Phnom Penh, were quiet on Sunday and some voters said they voted because not doing so would land them in trouble. The CNRP had called on voters to boycott the election but authorities warned anyone doing so would be seen as a traitor. At the Kapkor Market in Phnom Penh, Meas Sinuon, 60, said she was pleased with Sunday's result. "This government has done good things already," she said as she shopped for groceries. "But I want the new government to do more to help the people." Another voter, a Phnom Penh tuk-tuk driver who declined to be identified, described the result as "same". Unofficial election results are expected in mid-August. (Additional reporting by Mike Stone in WASHINGTON, Fanny Potkin in JAKARTA, Chantha Lach and Juarawee Kittisilpa in PHNOM PENH, Martin Quin Pollard in BEIJING; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Paul Tait and Nick Macfie) A logo of drug manufacturer Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd is seen at a pharmaceutical products fair in Shanghai, China, June 24, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer By Brenda Goh and David Stanway SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's health regulator has ordered local medical institutions to stop using a heart drug from Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, in a directive that comes just days after another case of a tainted medical product. Public confidence in domestic-made drugs has been shaken since Huahai's case came to light at the beginning of July, followed by a government investigation concluding Changsheng Bio-technology Co Ltd sold a substandard rabies vaccine. The prices of healthcare shares have since dropped. In the Huahai case, the European Medicines Agency found the firm's valsartan blood and heart drug tainted with an impurity linked to cancer, saying the issue likely dated to changes in the firm's manufacturing processes in 2012. Huahai has since halted production and recalled the product. On Monday, it said its other products did not contain the impurity - NDMA - and that there was not enough data to categorically conclude it has carcinogenic effects on humans. China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, also on Monday, said on its website that the drug must not be used for diagnosis or treatment. It was not clear whether medical institutions could be penalised for non-compliance. The regulator also said six local firms used the drug in their own products, of which five have issued recalls. It said the sixth, a subsidiary of Zhuzhou Qianjin Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, had not distributed its products. Qianjin in a statement said it returned its stock of valsartan after Huahai halted production, and that none of its products were affected by Huahai's recall. Alex Jiang, a Hong Kong-based analyst at UOB Kay Hian, said the Huahai incident could affect China's roughly three-year effort to export locally made drugs, impacting not just drugmakers but also other firms involved in the push. "Their drug products could receive stronger supervision from the (United States') Food and Drug Administration," he said. Story continues An index tracking the share prices of major Chinese healthcare firms closed 2.9 percent lower on Monday, for the index's third consecutive day of loss. In the Changsheng case, police on Sunday said it had applied for arrest warrants for 18 people at the firm, which the government investigation found had falsified data and sold ineffective vaccines for children. Changsheng previously apologised for the incident. Calls to the company seeking comment on Sunday went unanswered. (Reporting by David Stanway and Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Christopher Cushing) David Cassidys former home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been listed for $3.9 million. Casa De Mayan, the 7,016-square-foot estate in the exclusive Harbor Beach area, is up for sale following Cassidys death in November 2017. The actor, widely known for his starring role as Keith Partridge on the 1970s series The Partridge Family, died from organ failure. He was 67. David purchased [the house] around 2000. It was an older home and did lots of remodeling to it and added lots of square footage, Thomas White, who is the realtor and co-owner of the estate, tells PEOPLE. Cassidy lived in the home with his girlfriend Maura Rossi before the couple moved to a nearby apartment prior to his death, says White, who helped transform the estate as a private rental property in 2015. He says that Cassidy wanted specific personal possessions to stay with the house. RELATED: David Cassidys Son to Receive Upwards of $1.68 Million More Than 10 Times Initial Estimate David Cassidy David Cassidy The six-bedroom, six-and-a-half bathroom, two-story house sits on a 0.44-acre lot with amenities including oversized closet space, an exercise room and private office/bedroom as well as a heated pool, hot tub, oasis area with seating for 16, a BBQ outdoor grilling kitchen and a dock, which has a 10,000-pound automatic boat lift. The asking price also includes all high-end furnishings. RELATED: David Cassidys Estate Sued for Over $120,000 Claimed as Unpaid Legal Bills David Cassidy David Cassidy White also reveals the property will continue to be rented for $1,389 per night during off-season and $1,789 a night until it is sold. Currently, the house contains pieces of nostalgia of Cassidys career placed throughout, including an array of his personal memorabilia such as autographed and personal photos Cassidy family-crest throw pillows and wall plaques, and various home furnishings when Cassidy resided in the estate. Douglas Almendarez, 37, a deportee from the U.S. who was separated from his son Eduardo Almendarez, 11, at the Rio Grande entry point under the Trump administration's hardline immigration policy, poses with his wife Evelin Meyer, 38, as they hold a photo of their son, in La Union, in Olancho state Honduras July 14, 2018. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido Thomson Reuters By Delphine Schrank LA UNION OLANCHO, Honduras (Reuters) - Ten days after being separated from his 11-year-old son Eduardo by U.S. immigration officials, Douglas Almendarez was put on a plane back to Honduras, he says, with a promise he would be reunited with his son there. "They told me: 'He's ahead of you'," said Almendarez, 37, speaking in the overgrown backyard of his modest soda shop several hours drive from the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa. "It was a lie." When he got home on June 13, he says, no one could tell him where his son was, and it took him a month to learn that Eduardo was still in the United States, in a shelter for immigrant children at a former Walmart in Brownsville, Texas. As of Thursday, Almendarez and his wife said they still had received no word about when - or even whether - their son will be returned to them. More than 450 immigrant parents have left the United States without their children, after being separated from them by border officials, according to a joint filing this week by the U.S. government and the American Civil Liberties Union in a San Diego lawsuit challenging the separations. Their futures remain uncertain, even as the government scrambles to meet a court-ordered deadline of Thursday for reuniting many of the 2,500 families separated under President Donald Trumps zero tolerance immigration policy. Many of those families, like Almendarez and his son, were apprehended entering the United States illegally; others had sought asylum at U.S.-Mexico border crossings. U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw, who ordered the reunifications, said in court that once Thursdays deadline has passed, he will examine the process for reuniting families in which the parent has been returned home. But such reunions are likely to take time. Its so hard to find people after they have been deported, said Clara Long, a researcher at Human Rights Watch who has interviewed several Honduran parents sent home without their children. It just shows the complete lack of a plan for redress for these families. Story continues U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman Adelina Pruneda declined to respond to detailed questions about Almendarez's case, including what the father was told about his son prior to boarding the plane. Pruneda did provide a statement on efforts by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reunify families. "DHS and HHS are working tirelessly to reunite parents and children within the court-ordered timeline," the statement said. HHS, which oversees the care of migrant children separated from their parents, did not respond to Reuters questions about the specifics of Almendarez's case. Saying it had a backlog of media inquiries related to the family reunification deadline, HHS instead referred Reuters to its "frequently asked questions" page. On the page, the agency expresses confidence that it will successfully reunite the children in its care with their families, both across the United States and around the world. 'WHERE IS MY SON? Some details of Almendarezs story are difficult to independently verify without government confirmation, since he has no documents pertaining to his removal from the United States or his sons whereabouts. Long, the Human Rights Watch researcher, said it is common for people who are quickly deported not to be provided with paperwork. Whats more they are often told, sign here, and they dont know what they are signing, she said. Almendarez says the only official paper he brought home was a crumpled government pamphlet bearing a toll-free number he had been told to call to find out where his son was taken. He tried the number many times while in detention, he said, but never got through. In Honduras, the number would do him no good, since it does not work outside the United States. Almendarez said he began a desperate search for his son the moment he deplaned in Honduras and realized Eduardo was not there. In his debriefing interview at the Center of Attention for Returning Migrants in San Pedro Sula he tried to explain his situation to Honduran officials. They told him his son would be on the next flight, he said, and gave him a ticket to the local bus station, where he could arrange transportation home. When the next flight came with no Eduardo, he began frantically calling the Belen Center in San Pedro Sula, which receives deported children, but they could provide no information about his son. He called so many times that administrators began hanging up on him. "I asked if they were mothers, too, he said, and how would they feel if they had lost their child. Exhausted after three days of fruitless searching, he headed home to his self-built adobe house and soda store, where he had struggled to earn a living for the last ten years, sinking deeper into debt and unable to repay a bank loan. Eduardo's mother, Evelin Meyer, 38, had been reluctant to let the boy go to the United States, and when her husband returned alone, she had a single question for him: "Where is my son?" THE TRAIL TO EDUARDO On June 21, a neighbor who hosts a local news show on Facebook, Joel Mejia, invited Almendarez to tell his story for the broadcast. A Tegucigalpa-based friend called after seeing it with the name of someone in the Honduran Foreign Ministry who might be able to help. That person, Almendarez said, provided him with a contact in the Honduran consulate in Los Angeles, and the man was able to locate Eduardo at the Texas shelter for migrant boys, Casa Padre. The consulate did not respond to requests for comment. About two weeks after Almendarez returned to Honduras, Meyers cell phone rang. It was Eduardo, calling from the shelter. Her son said he couldn't sleep, Meyer said, growing teary at the memory. He felt very alone and wanted his parents. Later, the family was able to reach their sons case manager, and they have since talked with Eduardo from the shelter twice a week. Casa Padre would not provide information about Eduardo, referring all inquiries to HHS. Reuters reached the person identified by Almendarez as Eduardos case worker at Southwest Key Progams, the private contractor that operates Casa Padre. She also declined to answer questions. Honduran officials say they have had difficulty getting information from the U.S. government about detained Honduran children. Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Nelly Jerez told Reuters that officials from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico would meet on Thursday to officially request from the United States a list of names of separated Central American families, including those in which the parents were sent home without their children. In his initial phone calls home, Eduardo was sustained by one hope, his parents said: He had heard he would be released by July 26, the day of the court-imposed deadline. Last week, he phoned again, panicked. "A mountain" of other boys had been released, Eduardo told his mother, presumably to be reunified with their parents. Why hadnt he? (Additional reporting by Kristina Cooke; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Sue Horton) See Also: Molten lava and boulders rained down from the sides of Anak Krakatau dubbed the child of the legendary Indonesian volcano on July 18. A tour group from Aventure et Volcans were on hand to witness the spectacular eruption, with Guy De Saint Cyr and Daniel Brazillier capturing video of the moment. The footage shows plumes of steam and ash emerging from the crater on Anak Krakatau, and rock and lava being violently ejected. Rocks could be seen splashing down near the tour boat in the waters of the Sunda Strait which divides the islands of Java and Sumatra. Anak Krakatau emerged from the sea around half a century after its parent Krakatau erupted in 1883, killing tens of thousands of people in one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history. Credit: Guy De Saint Cyr and Daniel Brazillier via Storyful U.S. President Donald Trump and Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Monday he was organising a conference to look for ways to stabilise Libya, a main departure point for migrants from North Africa trying to reach Europe. "In agreement with President (Donald) Trump, I'm going to organise a conference on Libya," Conte told reporters at the White House after meeting with the U.S. president. "We would like to deal (with) and discuss all of the issues related to the Libyan people, involving all of the stakeholders, actors, protagonists in the whole of the Mediterranean," said Conte, who took office last month promising a crackdown on immigration. Italy has told its allies it wants to hold an international conference on Libya this autumn and Conte was eager to get Trump's blessing for the gathering at their meeting on Monday. Italy is competing with neighbouring France over how best to deal with Libya, which has been wracked by violence for years. Conte believes a conference in Rome, backed by the United States, will help Rome establish itself as the major interlocutor for Libya's warring factions. After their meeting, Conte said Trump had agreed Italy would become "a reference point in Europe and the main interlocutor for the main issues that need to be faced ... with particular reference to Libya." "We are going to discuss economic aspects, but also social aspects: the need for protection of civil rights; the problem of constitutional process - of issuing and passing laws so as to enable Libya, in particular, to get to democratic elections in a condition of the utmost stability," Conte said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Additional reporting by Crispian Balmer in Rome; Writing by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Frances Kerry) LUXEMBOURG (AP) _ Magnachip Semiconductor Corp. (MX) on Monday reported a loss of $21.5 million in its second quarter. On a per-share basis, the Luxembourg-based company said it had a loss of 62 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 23 cents per share. The chip products maker posted revenue of $199.7 million in the period. For the current quarter ending in October, Magnachip said it expects revenue in the range of $200 million to $210 million. Magnachip shares have climbed 13 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $11.25, a drop of nearly 1 percent in the last 12 months. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MX at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MX By Rozanna Latiff KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Investigators released a report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Monday, saying the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course but they were not able to determine who was responsible. The 495-page report draws no conclusion about what happened aboard the plane that vanished with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, leaving one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries unsolved. "The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found," Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters. On May 29, Malaysia called off a three-month search by U.S. firm Ocean Infinity, which spanned 112,000 sq km (43,243 sq miles) in the southern Indian Ocean and ended with no significant findings. It was the second major search after Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200 million (112.8 million) search across an area of 120,000 sq km (46,332 sq miles) last year. Malaysian and international investigators have been looking into why the jet veered thousands of miles off course from its scheduled route before eventually plunging into the Indian Ocean. The last communication from the plane was from the Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah who signed off with Good night, Malaysian three seven zero, as the plane left the Malaysian airspace and later turned off course. A 440-page final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) last year showed that Zaharie had flown a route on his home flight simulator six weeks earlier that was "initially similar" to the one actually taken by MH370. The Malaysian police previously concluded there were no unusual activity on the home simulator. Kok said the investigators examined the history of the pilot and the first officer, and they were satisfied with their background and training and mental health. "We are not of the opinion it could have been an event committed by the pilots," he said, but added they were not ruling out any possibility since the in-air turn back was done manually and the systems in the plane were also manually turned off. Story continues "We cannot exclude that there was an unlawful interference by a third party," Kok said. He added all the passengers of the 15 countries had their backgrounds checked by their respective countries and all came back with a clean bill of health. CONSPIRACY THEORIES The inability to locate MH370's crash site has fuelled conspiracy theories and online debates over the last four years. Theories range from mechanical error or a remote-controlled crash, to more bizarre explanations like alien abduction and a Russian plot. Kok said they looked into each theory and rumour raised on social media. "We had over 60 allegations...we removed them one-by-one and saw what remained behind," Kok said. The report said there was no sign the plane was evading radar detection or that it was taken over by remote control. No irregularities were found in the on-board cargo, which included items like lithium batteries and about 2,500 kgs of mangosteen. MISTAKES MADE In all, 27 pieces of aircraft debris have been collected from various places around the world but only three wing fragments that washed up along the Indian Ocean coast have been confirmed to be from MH370. Malaysia's newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said Malaysia would consider resuming the search only if new clues come to light. Investigators highlighted some mistakes made by the Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control centres and made safety recommendations to ensure such incidents do not occur again. Transport Minister Antony Loke said in a statement that the Malaysia would investigate any misconduct committed based on the findings. The next-of-kin of the passengers were briefed on the final report by investigators earlier on Monday. "We hope that these mistakes will not be repeated and that measures are put in place to prevent them in the future," said Grace Nathan, a lawyer whose mother, Anne Daisy, was on the plane. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing had paid close attention to the MH370 investigation. "We hope that all sides can continue to remain in close contact and coordination, to properly carry out relevant follow-up work," he told a daily news briefing, without elaborating. The majority of passengers on board were Chinese. (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Writing by Praveen Menon; Editing by Jamie Freed and Nick Macfie) CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's military said on Monday that Sudanese security forces had helped to locate and return an Egyptian patrol which had gone missing in the Egypt-Libya-Sudan border area. Sudan's embassy in Cairo said in a statement that the Sudanese security and intelligence branches had rescued early on Monday five Egyptian soldiers who were captured by a Libyan armed group. The Egyptian army did not immediately respond to questions over whether the soldiers had been captured or say how they had disappeared. "The Egyptian armed forces extend their thanks and appreciation to the Sudanese armed forces and the security services for helping return the missing patrol," the Egyptian military statement said. It gave no further details. The Sudanese statement did not say when the soldiers had first gone missing. Egypt is fighting an Islamist insurgency in its Sinai Peninsula, but has also fought militants coming across its long Western border with Libya. It has carried out air strikes against militants inside Libya occasionally since its neighbour descended into factional fighting in the years following the 2011 civil war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi. Cairo supports the Libyan National Army (LNA) of commander Khalifa Haftar who dominates eastern Libya. (Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Hugh Lawson) US President Donald Trump has said he is willing to meet Iran's leader "with no pre-conditions". During a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Mr Trump was asked if he would be willing to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. In recent days he and the Iranian leader have traded insults , with Mr Rouhani warning the US to stop "playing with the lion's tail" and Mr Trump threatening "consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before". Despite this, Mr Trump said on Monday: "Speaking to other people, especially when you are talking about potential of war, death and famine, you meet." He added that he had recently had a "great" meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with representatives from NATO. He also met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June, and claimed that due to this "we haven't had a missile fired in nine months and we got our prisoners back". "I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet," he added. "I don't know if they're ready to meet - they are having a hard time right now. "I ended the Iran deal - it was a ridiculous deal. "I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet and I am ready to meet any time they want to. "I don't do that from strength or from weakness - I think it is an appropriate thing to do." He said: "If we could work something out that is meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet." Mr Trump was criticised for his performance during the summits with North Korea and Russia. The former was dismissed by critics as resulting in little of substance , and the latter saw a number of gaffes, including Mr Trump appearing to say that he trusted Mr Putin's denial of election meddling over the opinion of US intelligence agencies. Sky News US correspondent Mark Austin said: "Donald Trump knows the pressure is on Iran, sanctions on Iran are due to be restored in the coming week and the Iranian currency - the rial - has plummeted to its lowest level ever, sparking fears of civil unrest there, so Donald Trump knows the timing may be right. "Iran's foreign ministry has said over the last 24 hours that they don't want talks with the US, saying the US was unreliable so engagement and dialogue with the current government is impossible. "It remains to be seen whether Donald Trump's new offer will change their minds." Oil and gas producer and explorer Amerisur Resources has signed a farm-in agreement with Gulfsands Petroleum for the acquisition, subject to Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos (ANH) approval, of the 100%-operated working interest in the Putumayo 14 block in Colombia, it announced on Monday. The AIM-traded firm said the Put-14 block covered 46,361 hectares in the Caguan-Putumayo basin, and is located contiguously to the south of its 100%-owned Terecay block. It said the contract was an exploration and production contract held with the ANH, carrying an x-factor of 5%. The x-factor is the percentage of gross production after royalty offered by a contractor to the ANH state agency during the bidding process for Colombian assets. Amerisur said the contract was currently in phase 0, and was in the process of performing a previous consultation with a single indigenous community within the block as required by law before operations commence. Gulfsands indicated Put-14 was non-core to its forward strategy, and in light of the company's strategic focus on the Putumayo basin, Amerisur undertook a review of the contract area, which it said indicated attractive follow-on prospectivity associated with the Terecay acreage. Under the terms of the FIA, Gulfsands would make a contribution to the previous consultation and operational costs of $1.25m. Additionally, Gulfsands would also transfer the required guarantee for the phase 1 work programme in favour of Amerisur in the amount of $1.7m. There was no consideration payable from Amerisur to Gulfsands. Subsequent to the previous consultation, phase 1 commitments would be the acquisition of 98km of 2D seismic data, and the drilling of one exploration well. The period of phase 1 would be 36 months from the end of phase 0. Amerisur and Gulfsands would now apply to ANH for the transfer of operatorship, and the 100% working interest in the contract. This is an attractive deal for the Company, further consolidating our strategic position in the Putumayo and adding additional prospective acreage to our Terecay-Tacacho play fairway, where we see significant potential in multi-layered reservoirs, proven in our existing operations, in legacy wells and within Ecuador, said Amerisur chief executive John Wardle. The block has further strategic importance in that it extends south towards the Putumayo river and Ecuadorian border. This brings benefits in terms of accessibility for operations and eventual evacuation of produced crude by providing a pathway to access the pipeline systems of Ecuador, in a similar way to the existing OBA system in our Platanillo field. Dutch brewer Heineken disappointed investors by cutting full-year margin forecasts due to currency weakness in some more profitable markets and expansion in Brazil. The brewer of alcoholic beverages such as Heineken lager, Sol and Strongbow cider recorded first half earnings per share of 1.89 that missed consensus by 3.7%. Moreover, management expected full year operating margins to trickle 20 basis points lower, a far cry from the previous forecast of a 25 basis point increase. Overall beer sales exceeded expectations, with net sales up 5.6% on an organic basis, with Vietnamese and Mexican markets contributing the most growth and being the most profitable. Beer volumes grew 4.5% organically in the first half, up 4.6% in the second quarter and better than expected. However, the company lowered its guidance because of the negative translational hit from currencies concentrated more in its higher margin countries, such as Vietnam, and the effects of its expansion in Brazil, where the company has seen double digit growth in beer volumes after taking over the lossmaking operations of Japans Kirin. Laurence Debroux, chief financial officer, said: Were bringing the margin up [at Kirin] but its not yet at group average and at the same time we have double-digit growth of volumes and revenue, which frankly we had not expected. The beer behemoth reported that increased revenue growth was offset by higher expenses and input costs, while first half operating profits before one offs grew to 1.75bn, below the consensus forecast of 1.89bn. Nik Oliver, analyst with investment bank UBS, said that, despite strong overall volume growth, growth in underlying profit had disappointed due to the companys performance in Africa, the Middle East & Eastern Europe. He noted that guidance for the translational headwind from FX of 179m is actually lower than the 200m previously guided. "We expect investors to react negatively given the lowered margin guidance which implies a ~3% cut to FY18 earnings, all else equal." Heinekens shares were down 4.53% at 87.98 at 1016 BST. Customers of South African bank VBS are still queuing outside local branches to try and access their funds after five bankers took at least 1.5bn rand causing the bank to collapse in March this year. The collapse left dozens of people lining up to try and get their life savings back with a few having suffered anxiety attacks over the issue. Not only customers are suffering from the bank fraud, the scandal claimed the jobs of senior managers at KPMG South Africa and the Public Investment Corp (the largest African money manager). Its also put at risk 1.65bn rand of illegal deposits made by 13 municipalities, which the government has said wont be bailed out. The VBS fraud, one of the biggest bank heists in South Africa by bankers, was blamed on chairman Tshifhiwa Matodzi and four others. They defrauded depositors by fabricating accounts and fictitious deposits, bribing officials and transferring funds to themselves. South Africas fourth-largest bank, Nedbank Group, with support from the central bank, stepped in to help with payouts for the VBS customers. The clients are being migrated to Nedbank so they can access more of their money. British web hosting provider UKFast is said to be eyeing up a 350m pay-day from a proposed flotation on the London Stock Exchange. UKFast, which employs 350 people across five data centres, plans to list its shares "before the year is out", likely in or around October, according to The Register. Lawrence Jones, the Manchester-based firm's founder and chief executive, told the Register that the float would gives UKFast the "funds necessary to capitalise on the opportunity" of the expansion of the UK tech market. "There are some fantastic businesses in the UK right now that we are interested in talking to," Jones added. Jones said that, while there are "of course slight concerns around Brexit and what that may do for the market", UKFast believed it shouldn't affect the firm given its "very UK focused" product. "However, if there was a significant downturn it would be sensible to wait until the market bounces back," he said. UKFast has around 5,000 clients including hotel booking service Laterooms.com, salons operator Regis, Chester Zoo, NHS Health Education Yorkshire, and the North West Ambulance Service. In addition to hosting, UKFast also sells public, private, and hybrid cloud services to customers. Jones invested 1m in AIM-listed Outsourcery, the communications-focused cloud service provider, less than a year before it was forced to call in the administrators and de-list from London's junior market. Engineering services company Babcock updated the market on Monday over what it called a misleading article published by the Sunday Times at the weekend. In the article, now removed from the Times website, it was reported that the Ministry of Defence told Babcock in recent weeks that it would not proceed with a deal to maintain about 2,300 armoured vehicles, including the Mastiff and Jackal. The FTSE 250 firm said the article confused its existing DSG contract, which runs until 2025, with an entirely separate tender for Protected Mobility Strategic Support Supplier (PM SSS) which initially came to market in 2015 but which did not proceed to competition following a decision to halt the procurement process in December 2016. DSG is a long term service provision and transformation contract for a wide range of equipment, maintenance, spares supply and platform overhaul with the UK Ministry of Defence, Babcock said on Monday. As part of this long term partnership contract Babcock is able to make further proposals for transformation and performance improvement to the customer. The company said one such recent proposal related to putting a number of different vehicle types onto an availability service, which was designated Strategic Support Supplier (SSS). Following discussion, the MOD has decided instead to focus on deepening the transformation and the relationship with Babcock on the core contract, which continues to offer the Army significant flexibility. The existing contract offers Babcock significant exclusivity over the various service categories. With regards to its trading, Babcock said its trading statement of 19 July reiterated its underlying earnings guidance for the 2019, despite forecasting slightly lower underlying revenue growth than had initially been expected. It noted that the statement also reported that the bid pipeline had increased by 1bn to around 14bn. There has been no change to the company's expectations for underlying revenue and underlying earnings as detailed in its recent trading statement, and no change to the bid pipeline, Babcock added. The impact of slower than anticipated spares procurement activity relating to DSG was included in the guidance issued at the time. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Army and MOD to deliver the transformation in vehicle availability and performance which is at the core of our long term Babcock DSG transformation contract. The death of three persons at the hands of hooded gunmen in New Orleans on Saturday night is yet another example of the dangers of guns. People who carry these lethal weapons and use them to dominate others are a threat to society. A spokesman of the City police has said that the shooting incident happened some distance from the French Quarter. It left three persons dead and another seven injured and was a case of indiscriminate firing into a crowd. The Daily Mail UK reports that in the opinion of New Orleans police superintendent Michael Harrison, this is a case of some personal issues. One of the suspects had a rifle and the other a handgun. Michael Harrison has added that whoever did this, you should know that the law enforcement takes it personally and we're coming for you. FOX NEWS ALERT: Deadly gunfire across the nation as two men open fire on a crowd in New Orleans, as a drive-by shooting leaves two dead in LA pic.twitter.com/WgWAFx84gz FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) July 29, 2018 The crime scene After the shooting, the gunmen fled from the scene on foot. There was panic among the people, and the police authorities have revealed that two of the victims were men and one was a woman. Bodies of two victims were found in the strip mall parking lot, while the third was located some blocks away. The breakup of the seven who suffered injuries is five males and two females who were rushed to the hospital. The condition of one of them is believed to be critical but none of them had any 'life-threatening' injuries. The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office will determine the official cause of death after which they will disclose further details and complete the formalities. Discuss this news on Eunomia The police are trying to identify the suspects. Mayor LaToya Cantrell has said that there is no place in New Orleans for this kind of violence. I speak for everyone in our City when I say we are disgusted, we are infuriated, & we have had more than enough. Three more lives - gone. It has to end. It's unacceptable anywhere. Police launch a manhunt The Huffington Post adds that the police have launched a manhunt for the suspects. The location of the shooting is significant because the area has witnessed gang wars in the past. However, it is not known whether the shooting in the New Orleans strip mall falls in this category. This incident of gun violence has once again highlighted the dangers of easy availability of firearms in the United States. There have been several instances in the past of indiscriminate shooting in crowded places that resulted in loss of lives. This is a matter of concern because such weapons in the wrong hands mean tragedies that could have been avoided. It is necessary that the authorities evolve a suitable system to check incidents of gun violence. The North America Free Trade Agreement was signed into law by President Clinton. One of Trumps campaign promises was to renegotiate the agreement. It now seems they are close to signing a new arrangement. The negotiations are only involving representatives from the United States and Mexico. They include representatives from the incoming president, Lopez Obrador. White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett announced, according to Bloomberg, that we should see something in the fall. Negotiations between United States and Mexico progressing to resolution It has been slow progress. Trump has increased tariffs on both Canada and Mexico during the negotiations. Trumps tariffs will negatively impact car prices. The original deal was supposed to be free trade agreement which would eliminate tariffs but used them until they could renegotiate a new deal. Trump eyes Mexico for speedy NAFTA deal https://t.co/UglfUOaOZS FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) July 30, 2018 Lopez Obrador will take over as president of Mexico December 1. All parties involved believe the deal will be approved before that date. Representatives of Obrador are involved in the current negotiations. Their involvement is important to ensure the new regime is in agreement of the new deal to avoid a possible withdrawal of Mexico when Lopez Obrador takes his new position. Justin Trudeau and Canada have not been a party to the negotiations. Conflicting views between bilateral or trilateral agreement for the future Donald Trump has stated that he would consider an agreement between the United States and Mexico. This would create a scenario where basically NAFTA would be voided and the United States would enter into separate agreements with both Canada and Mexico. Discuss this news on Eunomia .@POTUS on trade: "We're talking to China very seriously. We're talking to Mexico on NAFTA and think we're gonna have something worked out." pic.twitter.com/spKfKDUx1H FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) July 28, 2018 Canada is meeting with Mexico about NAFTA Canada has sent a trio of representatives to Mexico ahead of Mexicos meeting with the United States. Those representatives are Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, Finance Minister Bill Morneau, and International Trade Minister Jim Carr. They are meeting with Lopez Obrador, the incoming Mexican president. Mexico and Canada insist on NAFTA as a three-way deal https://t.co/rxsoMrj3Du pic.twitter.com/f1nxj2ldLp Reuters Top News (@Reuters) July 25, 2018 At least they are willing to negotiate about NAFTA. In order for them to be a part of the new deal, they must be willing to sit back down with the United States. One reason for the stalled negotiations was the slight they felt after Trump left the G7 summit to go to the summit with North Korea. If negotiations restart with the United States, then the chances of a trilateral deal increase. If Canada cannot get past the differences reported by Global News with the United States, then the most likely outcome will a bilateral agreement and separate agreements among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Is NAFTA vital to trade in North America? Free trade promotes competition. For example, if Canada can produce steel cheaper than in America, then companies will purchase it from Canada. This motivates American companies to reduce their manufacturing costs to produce cheaper steel. This competition increases innovation for all companies and countries involved. This will help the nations compete globally. The agreement has to involve both Canada and Mexico. The agreement has to be free trade, period. There can be no tariffs on any goods or services. This is the only trade agreement that will be fair to all the participating countries. It will lead to cheaper goods and manufacturing helping all economies. It will also make the goods produced in the United States, Canada, and Mexico more competitive in the global marketplace. This deal needs to get done. The latest details and spoilers for the live-action "Aquaman" movie reveal rumored details of the film's post-credits scene. Discussing Film claim that the scene will focus on the second antagonist, Black Manta played by Yahya Abdul Mateen II. Mateen also announced that Aqualad will not feature in the movie. The film will take place after the events of "Justice League" as Arthur Curry has been summoned back to Atlantis to stop his haft-brother Orm (Ocean Master) from instigating a war against the surface world. Arthur must also confront his past and accept his rightful place as King of Atlantis. Post-credits scene details revealed According to Discussing Film, the post-credits scene for "Aquaman" reveals that Black Manta will meet Dr. Stephen Shin. He goads Black Manta into forming an alliance against Arthur Curry, setting events in motion for a possible sequel. Warner Bros. Pictures first showed the film's official trailer at San Diego Comic-Con and video showcased Arthur's childhood, parentage, and his destiny as ruler of Atlantis. In the DC comics, Stephen Shin is a marine biologist and a family friend of Tom Curry, Arthur's father. He helped Arthur discover the source of his powers and is obsessed with finding the sunken kingdom of Atlantis. Shin eventually betrays Arthur for not telling him about the location of Atlantis and since then both men had a bitter and complicated relationship. The post-credits scene will also elevate Black Manta's status as an even bigger threat to Arthur in the future sequels. Manta's motivation will come from his father's death and he will not stop hunting him to satisfy his revenge. He will join Ocean Master to stop Arthur and Mera from finding the legendary Trident of Poseidon. Discuss this news on Eunomia The trident can be wielded by a descendant of King Atlan and it gives them the power to command the creatures of seas. No Aqualad cameo in 'Aqualad' movie According to Comic Book.com, cast member Yahya Abdul Mateen II confirmed on Twitter that Aqualad will not appear in the live-action "Aquaman" film. Aqualad aint gon be in the movie yall. Lol Confirmed!! Yahya Abdul-Mateen 2 (@yahya) July 26, 2018 Two DC characters have used the name Aqualad: Garth and Kaldur'ahm. Garth was Arthur's first sidekick and a founding member of the Teen Titans. He changed his name to Tempest and had solo adventures in the comics. Kaldur'ahm made his debut in the "Young Justice" animated TV series and he is the main leader of the team. He is also the biological son of Black Manta, making him haft-human just like Arthur. Both characters reside in Atlantis and have studied Atlantean magic. However, comic book fans were hoping that Kaldur'ahm would appear in the movie due to his status as a fan-favorite in the animated show. After fans enjoyed back-to-back seasons of Marvel's Netflix offering "Daredevil," they were disappointed by what they saw with "The Defenders." The standalone series featured Daredevil, along with his fellow superheroes from Netflix. Unfortunately, it didn't quite garner the critical acclaim that many expected. Now, based on comments made by the Netflix vice president of original content, it appears they'll get back to what they loved with "Daredevil" Season 3. Holland comments on new 'Daredevil' season Netflix vice president of original content, Cindy Holland, told Deadline that she believes the third season of the "Daredevil" series is "fantastic" and a "real return to form" in her view. That's good news for fans that enjoyed Steve DeKnight's take on the series. Holland mentioned that there was a timing issue in terms of being able to launch "The Defenders," as they needed all of the actors from the Marvel Netflix shows available. That included Charlie Cox, who plays Daredevil. He teamed up with Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones). "The Defenders" wasn't a complete failure for Marvel's Netflix shows. It received a 77 percent aggregate rating from Rotten Tomatoes. While there were criticisms, most were toward the Iron Fist's role and portrayal in that series, as well as the first season of "Iron Fist." Cox has been busy with the filming for the third season, which is a bit of a spoiler for those who missed the final scene in "Defenders." During the series, his Daredevil character appeared to have perished. However, he woke up being cared for in another country. That means he's likely to be back in Hell's Kitchen for more adventures in his third season. Other possible show details As Heroic Hollywood said, the plot details for the show are quiet right now. However, they believe "Daredevil" Season 3 could rely on material from Frank Miller's "Born Again." That particular storyline was featured in Marvel's "Daredevil" comic books from issue No. Discuss this news on Eunomia 227 through No. 233. It was later assembled into a graphic novel. This could lead to the introduction of Bullseye. For those who don't want to possibly spoil Season 3, it's best to avoid reading that comic. However, it should be known that it involves a popular villain who superhero Daredevil is quite familiar with: Wilson Fisk (aka Kingpin). That foe made life a lot rougher for Murdock in Hell's Kitchen, across the comic books, and in the show. On the Marvel Netflix shows, Vincent D'Onofrio plays the sinister villain. He was the main nemesis in the first season and was shown briefly in the second season, intertwining with the story of The Punisher. If he becomes the main villain, once again, it could go a long way toward restoring fans' faith in the Marvel show following "The Defenders." He could even be involved in a behind-the-scenes role while another villain causes issues in NYC. Cox discusses D'Onofrio's role Cox has praised D'Onofrio for his acting chops and rightfully so. He delivers in pretty much every role he takes on, ranging from his time on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," through feature films, and "Daredevil." Cox called his castmate a "tour de force," saying when he works with him it means less acting on his [Cox's] part. He added that Vincent D'Onofrio is big and creates a scary villainous presence to work against. Basically, Cox said, "so much of the acting is done for you" based on what D'Onofrio gives in the scenes. Right now, there aren't any other plot details known for "Daredevil" Season 3, apart from what was seen at the end of "The Defenders." Fans will have to wait to see when the third season is released as the expectations are it will be sometime in 2018. The previous seasons came in April and March, respectively, leaving the door open for a Fall release. Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson will mark their one-month wedding anniversary on July 30, which is the same date that the new season of Counting On premieres on TLC at 9 PM EST. So far, married life has been a joy, according to Cafe Mom. Lauren is quoted as having stated, What a joy it is to be husband and wife. She described her wedding day as absolutely perfect. They told Us Weekly that they are loving every minute of the life they share as a married couple. Keeping in step with the courtship rituals that the Duggar family follows, 21-year-old Josiah waited until his wedding day before kissing Lauren, his bride. The couple granted an interview to Us Weekly, which was published on July 27. Brides father officiated the wedding in Arkansas Josiah stated that his marriage proposal happened at the same location where Laurens father asked her mother to get married. Josiah and Lauren knew each another for several years before courting. After their six-month courtship, the couple exchanged wedding vows. Laurens father officiated their wedding, which was held in a cathedral at John Brown University located in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Wedding was perfect and time has flown by, planning future As well as describing their wedding as perfect, Josiah topped that by saying Laurens walk down the aisle was even better. After their wedding, the couple was excited to start their lives together. They have reportedly been busy planning their future. Beyond planning what they hope to see become reality in times ahead, the duo told Us Weekly that they enjoy dreaming and thinking about their future. According to Josiah, time has flown by, since their wedding day, Cafe Mom reported. Discuss this news on Eunomia Their marriage seems to measure up to the couples aspirations, judging from another statement that Josiah offered. He assessed, We now understand why God considers marriage such a beautiful thing. A topic that the couple did not broach in their interview with Us Weekly is whether they plan to have children sometime soon. With the Duggar Family siblings who have married, it generally has not taken a great amount of time after marriage for pregnancy news to follow. Josiahs sister, Jinger Vuolo, however, gave birth to her first baby (Felicity Nicole), on July 19 nearly two years after her wedding. Josiahs former fiance making her own news and future plans While Josiah and Lauren enjoy, plan, and build their lives together, there has also been some recent news about Marjorie Jackson, formerly engaged to marry Josiah. She has stayed plenty busy, traveling and sharing photos of her ventures on social media. In addition to visiting Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Josiahs ex, Marjorie, also traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, which is also known by its moniker Sin City. For Marjorie, though, it seems the trip was more about connecting spiritually with a friend named Madyson. The two women seem to have an affinity for Jesus in common based on how Marjorie captioned the Instagram photo she shared earlier in the week. Marjorie also appears to be making plans for the future. Her goals include quite a bit of travel. She mentions, on Instagram, wanting to see the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and New York City. When Josiah and Marjorie broke off their engagement, their announcement sounded as if it was a mutual decision. From the appearance of everything, it seems like the future is looking good for the couple, as well as it is for Marjorie. Be sure to catch the new season of TLCs Counting On at 9 PM EST on July 30, as well as follow Blasting News for the latest information. Bike parking around Squires Student Center just got a little easier thanks to a recently-installed bike parking corral. The five new bike racks (three eight-loop and two five-loop racks) located at the Haymarket Theatre entrance along Alumni Mall, are the culmination of a student-run project funded through the Virginia Tech Office of Sustainabilitys Green RFP Program. Each year, the office seeks proposals from students and student groups for campus sustainability projects that support Virginia Techs Climate Action Commitment, with a strong focus on energy conservation and efficiency. The program was established in 2010 to give students an opportunity to help trailblaze Virginia Techs campus sustainability efforts. Since 2010, the program has approved 65 student proposals totaling more than $654,000. The new bike corral is a tangible reflection of Virginia Techs biking culture and commitment to enhancing alternative transportation options. According to the Alternative Transportation Department, over 55 percent of the campus population uses alternative transportation methods, such as bicycles, to commute to and from campus. The new bike corral is a testament to students hard work and dedication to building a more sustainable future at Virginia Tech, said Chris Kiwus, associate vice president and chief facilities officer. Were elated by the continued success of the Green RFP program and look forward to more projects being put into action across campus. The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine welcomed its ninth class to be part of Virginia Techs ninth college in Roanoke, Virginia, on July 30. It is the first new class to join since the medical school became an official college of Virginia Tech on July 1. In addition, the new Hokies will be part of Virginia Techs sesquicentennial class, as their graduation year in 2022 marks the universitys 150th year since its founding. The medical schools Class of 2022 has 43 members selected from almost 4,000 applications. They are almost evenly split between men and women with 22 men and 21 women. Once again, we continue to attract competitive students, who are not only academically qualified, but also have diverse backgrounds and experiences that lend well to our patient-centered, team-based curriculum, said Cynda Ann Johnson, founding dean of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Members of the class average more than 2,000 hours of research and more than 1,600 hours of clinical experience per person. The class represents 11 states and 32 undergraduate institutions. Almost half 20 are Virginia residents. The most represented undergraduate institution is the University of Virginia with four students. Two students received their undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech. Seven others received their undergraduate degrees from other Virginia colleges and universities, including Emory and Henry (1), James Madison University (1), Radford University (1), the University of Richmond (1), Washington and Lee University (1), and William & Mary (2). The colleges eight previous classes represented 106 undergraduate institutions. The Class of 2022 brings the total to 116 with 10 new schools, including Chapman University, Colombia University, Emory University, Emory & Henry University, Radford University, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of New Mexico, University of North Carolina Wilmington, University of Vermont, and Williams College. The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine received 3,972 total applications. From that, 312 participated in the schools Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) process, held on seven Saturdays throughout the fall and winter months. The VTC School of Medicine uses a hybrid MMI process, with applicants rotating through 10 interview stations. Nine of the stations have scenarios and one is a traditional interview. In the scenario stations, the applicant reads a story, case, or ethical question on the door. When they enter the room, they discuss the scenario with the trained interviewer inside. The scenarios are designed to evaluate behavioral competencies such as communication, ethical and moral judgment, management, problem-solving, responsibility, and teamwork. The MMI scenario interviewers represent a mix of backgrounds. Some are affiliated with the medical school, Carilion Clinic, and Virginia Tech, but many 75 out of last years 117 active volunteer interviewers have external roles in the surrounding community. The traditional interview station allows the applicant to talk about their accomplishments and why they want to attend medical school/VTCSOM with a member of the colleges admissions committee. The committee includes 24 physician faculty members and four third-year VTCSOM students. The faculty members conduct the traditional interview stations. The school adopted the MMI to assess applicants abilities to function in team settings, which is important for VTCSOM students to thrive in the schools small-group learning curriculum. FLORIDA Florida Pagan Gathering has been rescheduled again and will be held during the original dates, Nov. 7-11. As previously reported, the Florida board of directors of the Temple of Earth Gatherings had moved the dates of their popular Samhain Florida Pagan Gathering to Oct. 31 through Nov. 4 due to an unexpected need to relocate the festival. According to a June 23 media statement, board members said, The first week of June we were informed by the city of St. Petersburg that construction projects in the Boyd Hill ESA were going to start in October and that, for safety reasons, no overnight camping would be allowed during the construction period. The event was moved to Maddox Ranch on the nearest available dates. This move set off a chain of reaction due to scheduling conflicts with other events, something that is forbidden by the community not competition initiative as maintained by the Florida Pagan Alliance, and board members of that organization sent out a public notice informing the community that FPG organizers had not complied and that ties were being severed. TEG board members followed suit, announcing that the ties were being severed at both ends. Then, the next day, July 24, a second TEG announcement indicated that FPG was back to its original dates, Nov. 7-11. The media statement reads: We have since found out through contact with Maddox Ranch that the event scheduled for our original date has been canceled, leaving that date open. FPA president Michele Webster wrote, We are very happy to hear that the communitys collective voice was heard and applaud the board of directors for TEG/FPG its work to benefit the entire Pagan community. * * * COLUMBIA, S.C. Christina Taylor Beard-Moose is the newly-appointed chair of the department of theology and religious history for Cherry Hill Seminary. Beard-Moose holds a doctorate in feminist anthropology from the University of Iowa. She is currently a professor of anthropology at Suffolk County Community College in New York. She has been on the Cherry Hill Seminary faculty for five years. Beard-Moose said, I will work toward greater student activity and recruitment, which also means building community within the current student body and to new students. Cherry Hill Seminarys newly-appointed academic dean Candace Kant said, I am thrilled that Dr. Beard-Moose has accepted the position of chair of the theology and religious history department. She brings a wonderful depth of academic knowledge, experience and wisdom. Executive director Holli Emore said, We are fortunate to add Dr. Beard-Moose to this vital leadership team, particularly as we continue to work on our application for accreditation. Beard-Moose begins Wed, Aug. 1. * * * The organizers of the online JaguarMoon Coven have announced the addition of a statement of inclusion. High priestess Maat said, It is no longer acceptable to presume that a magickal group is a safe place. We need standards we can point to, that our students can look at, and we all need to hold one another accountable. The statement, which is now published on the website, begins: JaguarMoon Coven is inclusive. We utterly reject racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, ableism, sizeism, jingoism, classism, and transphobia. We believe diversity strengthens us as individuals and as witches; we embrace all facets of the human condition. The action of JaguarMoons leaders follow a trend in Pagan communities, making their stance on membership inclusivity clear. JaguarMoon, which unlike other covens is based online only and is billed as a cyber coven, has also made it clear that violators will be banned from classes and rejected as a member. Maat added, We welcome feedback from the community, and sharing of this as far and wide as you can. We also welcome people borrowing from it or use it entirely for your own group. In other news The Covenant of the Goddess annual business meeting and conference is only two weeks away. The event, which is open to the public, is being sponsored by Everglades Moon Local Council and will be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Merry Meet is the name of the entire weekend long event, with the meeting being called grand council. It is held every summer in a different location around the country. The 2018 Merry Meet begins Thursday, Aug. 9 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 12. The Satanic Temple has announced that it is taking its colossal Baphomet statue to Arkansas, where the legislature has erected a ten commandments statue on state grounds. TSTs Baphomet monument, which currently resides in Michigan, will travel to Arkansas Aug 16, along with spokesperson Lucien Greaves. The statue was originally built for the Oklahoma state house, which was home to a ten commandments monument. However, the state legislature backed down and removed it before Baphomet could be erected. Since that point, TST has been using a same tactic to force Arkansas to remove its biblically-based monument. However, the Arkansas state legislature has not complied, and therefore the Baphomet statue is being sent to the Little Rock. TST is raising money for the trip. Ashmolean, the University of Oxfords museum of art and archeology, is hosting a Witchcraft exhibit beginning Aug. 31. Explore the history of magic over eight centuries in this immersive and thought-provoking exhibition. The intriguing objects on display show how our ancestors used magical thinking to cope with the unpredictable world around them . . . . The exhibition asks us to examine our own beliefs and rituals, and aims to show how, even in this sceptical age, we still use magical thinking and why we might need a bit of magic in our lives. The exhibit is called Spellbound, and runs form Aug. 31 to Jan 6, 2019. You may have noticed some recent team changes at The Wild Hunt. In July, Storm Faerywolf joined the columnist team; his column will focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and related news and commentary, and will appear monthly on the third Saturday. Longtime columnist Eric O. Scott has taken the position as columnist editor. Despite the new responsibilities, Scotts monthly column, which appears on the second Friday of the month, will continue. Additionally, we are happy to announce that columnist Alan D.D. will be joining us from Venezuela to share Pagan news and stories out of his region. His column, like that of Jaime Girones, will be published in both Spanish and English, and is the latest addition to our international team that publishes the first Saturday of every month. Remember the Wild Hunt is always looking for new voices to join us as a onetime guest, or to join the news or columns team when a position opens up. Contact us if you think are interested. Tarot of the week with Star Bustamonte Deck: Celestial Tarot by Kay Steventon and Brian Clark, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc Card: ace of wands This week could find one poised to jump off into a journey of creativity fueled and limited only by the depths of imagination. If we choose to embrace this new identity forged in fires of our own creative desires, we will need to maintain a certain level of humility and reverence. Otherwise, we run the risk of crossing over into arrogance and allow our shadow side to undermine whatever it is we are trying to create. Decks provided by Asheville Raven & Crone The document was adopted at the session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on 14 July 2018 (Journal No 42). Today the plenitude of our Church is commemorating the Holy Grand Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and recalling with gratitude how 1030 years ago, thanks to this chosen man, mighty in spirit, a watershed event in the history of the Slavic peoples took place. By the action of the Omnibenevolent Holy Spirit, the Prince freed himself from pagan delusions, embraced in faith the Only-Begotten Son of God Jesus Christ and, having received the holy Baptism with his brothers-in-arms, brought the salvific light of the Gospel to Rus. Why do we call the Baptism of Russia the watershed in the history of our peoples? We do so because it changed forever the entire Slavic civilization and predestined the further course of its development. It was indeed the decisive turn from darkness to light, from wandering in the dark of false ideas to finding the divinely revealed truth and salvation. Stavropol is ready to settle up to 50 Boer families, according to the regions Deputy Commissioner for human rights Vladimir Poluboyarenko. He told RT exclusively there is already a plan for settlement of roughly 500 families with their own cattle near Stavropol. The official also said that out of the four million Boers, representing eight percent of South Africas population, fifteen thousand Boers want to move to Russia. A Russian delegation is due to come to South Africa to work out a more detailed Source: First 50 families of farmers from South Africa may soon resettle in Russia RT Business News I have been watching this progress. It is interesting to me and I think it can be a win win for all. The situation in South Africa has gotten very bad for white farmers and it looks to get much worse. Russia has to weigh and measure the situation and we will see what happens New South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa communicated in an address to the South African nations parliament in Cape Town and made it clear that his priority is to heal the divisions and injustice of the past, going all the way back to the original European colonists in the 1600s taking land from the indigenous tribes Lets see what happens. Russia is talking with them right now Boers are good people, yes they are farmers WtR Anil Ananthaswamy in Quanta: The theoretical physicist John Wheeler once used the phrase great smoky dragon to describe a particle of light going from a source to a photon counter. The mouth of the dragon is sharp, where it bites the counter. The tail of the dragon is sharp, where the photon starts, Wheeler wrote. The photon, in other words, has definite reality at the beginning and end. But its state in the middle the dragons body is nebulous. What the dragon does or looks like in between we have no right to speak. Wheeler was espousing the view that elementary quantum phenomena are not real until observed, a philosophical position called anti-realism. He even designed an experiment to show that if you hold on to realism in which quantum objects such as photons always have definite, intrinsic properties, a position that encapsulates a more classical view of reality then one is forced to concede that the future can influence the past. Given the absurdity of backward time-travel, Wheelers experiment became an argument for anti-realism at the level of the quantum. But in May, Rafael Chaves and colleagues at the International Institute of Physics in Natal, Brazil, found a loophole. More here. by Joan Harvey When the bobbling, babbling, unhinged conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones, warned of a second Civil War starting on the 4th of July, most of us laughed, people marked themselves Safe, and we enjoyed the holiday. But one thing weve learned in these times is that both the Civil War and WWII are still underway. Not the second Civil War, but a continuation of the first. While both wars seemed to have had clear endings, in reality they continue, but until now mostly buried underground. How could we have been so oblivious? So complacent? I think of Freud and the unconscious, Jung and the shadow. Psycho-history. Our country is mentally ill. Politicians, it seems, think the answer is in being led by the nose by the Russian government. Oh, that and arming toddlers. But America is changing. Across the West on the 4th of July this year fireworks displays were cancelled. Fire danger was too high. Every year is like this now. And every year, we too act mentally ill, behaving as if this year were aberrant. We get through fire season crossing our fingers, a fire season that extends for more months every year. Every year we hope a fire wont burn too close to us, we hope it wont force us out, we hope it wont destroy our homes. Wiser politicians talk of turning to green energy to slow climate change, while the others push for more fossil fuel development. But no one addresses the fact that were past the tipping point. Even if were able to slow climate change, its still too late. Every year we burn. Then the floods come to finish the job. I look out at snowy peaks, up at fluffy clouds. Bright flowers grow nearby, pines and aspens surround me. But its another dry, hot, tinderbox day. If I were sensible Id cut down all the pines. Trees are the enemy, we are told. We should strip these mountains bare to be more safe. Trees, of course, are a main part of why I live here. Clearly Im an imbecile like all the others, trying to live in a world that no longer exists. Last year we received our second mandatory evacuation. In the first one 168 homes were lost. A week ago my brother was forced to evacuate. My young nephew in Santa Barbara was trapped in a house after fire and flood until he was rescued. Every year friends in the hills of California wait anxiously as fires burn below them. 10,000 structures were destroyed or damaged last year in California alone.[1] My partner, on a road trip with his German nephew, has just had to leave Yosemite due to fire. Women working for the little town of Castle Valley in Utah tell me that the last lightning started four fires. On July 26 of this year the National Interagency Fire Center reported 88 large active fires. Friends post photos theyve taken of flames nearby, of giant plumes of smoke. This is not aberrant. This is normal. The latest big fire in Colorado, the one from which my brother was evacuated, was started by people at a firing range. Guns are one of the main causes of wildfires, though almost no one realizes this. A 10-year study of fires on U.S. Bureau of Land Management public lands showed shooting as the highest cause of wildfires, 34.1 percent of the time. The next highest percentages were arson at 15 percent, and electrical or birds at 10 percent. Campfires came in at 3.2 percent. [2] Gun lovers are outraged at the idea that guns can cause fires. Impossible, they insist, fake news. As usual, they fear their guns will be taken away. And naturally government officials are unwilling to get into gun debates, and so dont sufficiently regulate shooting on public lands. Only a good guy with a gun can put out a fire started by a bad guy with a gun. If a person had indulged in enough self-destructive habits to cause herself a fatal disease, a doctor would not prescribe more bad habits. And a good doctor wouldnt just tell the patient to stop her bad habits, but would also give appropriate medicine to extend her life. We would think it insane if she were to spend a fortune defending against a disease that she doesnt have, while ignoring the medicine that might allow her a few more years. But as America, as a society, thats exactly what we do. There is one supertanker equipped for fighting fires in the whole United States.This year it has not been allowed to fly due to a problem in paperwork.[3] The 2018 defense budget is just under $700 billion, $61 billion more this year than last, and that must be spent in 6 months. [4] If the government were to take just $1 billion of that $700 billion for fire fighting it would more than double the current budget, but this seems to occur to no one. In addition, the Presidents plan is to eliminate the Forest Service budget for fire science entirely.[5] The Joint Fire Science Program, started in 1998 in response to the new wave of megafires, has been crucial in helping researchers exchange field knowledge and science about wildfire behavior.There is no other entity in the nation that does what they do. So, naturally, it has been decided that now is the time to cut their funding. Another war were fighting against knowledge. Because clearly science is the enemy. We displace our fears of the danger we ourselves have caused onto external sources: immigrants or foreign powers or an incomprehensible God. Displacement behavior is a term used to describe animal behavior when the animal is confronted with two conflicting drives or desires; for instance to stay or go, cower or fight. Unable to do either, they will instead groom or scratch or drink or eat. We do the same. We dont leave, nor do we really defend ourselves. We stay more or less frozen, and drink a lot. Until fire displaces us. With so many fires raging, firefighters on the ground are already occupied and stressed. There arent enough for all the fires. We dont pay them well. The median annual wage for firefighters in the United States in 2016 was $48,030 or $23.09 per hour. Is this really enough for men and women who risk their lives again and again? Meanwhile the Air Force has ordered 90 F-35s at a unit cost of $96 million, and a program cost of $1.4 trillion, even though evaluation has shown it to be an aircraft with an astounding number of serious flaws, making it so far almost unusable, and much worse to fly than earlier planes.[6] My house was built in the 60s in such a way we joke about what kind of acid they must have been on. Its never too late to put a foundation under your house, the building inspector told me. But when I first moved here 12 years ago, I felt so safe. Moving through my house with its views, its light, its colors, its long years of remodeling by my partner who works in construction, felt like moving through a dream. Then came the fires, then came the floods. Then our country turned toward overt fascism. Safety, of course, is always an illusion. Among the most effective firefighting tools are slurry planes.They dont stop global warming, but they do save houses, and even whole towns. But in America there is no political will to defend homes from real instead of imaginary threats. To have an Air Force of ready firefighting planes for defense. In fact the complete opposite: each year the President proposes cutting the budget for fire fighting aviation. In 2018 Forest Service contracts for large firefighting helicopters decreased from 34 to 28. In 2018 Forest Service contracts for the number of large air tankers was 13, down from 20 in 2017.[7] More fires, more destruction, less equipment, no backup plan. Here in the mountains most of us do not witness our children dragged away and locked in cages. But during the recent Lake Christine fire, in which many immigrants had to flee their homes, there was a rumor, fortunately untrue, that ICE would be waiting at the evacuation shelters. Most (though not all) of us are not at risk of being shot by the police for walking or driving while black. Congress so far hasnt passed the law sentencing people to jail for protesting fascism, though that has been proposed. We are a wealthy country and we still have the resources to recover, unlike much of the world. Fires now rage even above the Arctic Circle. But every day the news is filled with horror stories which disturb us far more than the weather. We wake up stressed and go to sleep stressed. Were all paralyzed. Fearful. Angry. Thinking often of the terrorized. We have a chainsaw ready if we have to cut trees.We have a generator so that if the power goes out we can still get water. We have covered the house in steel. When were out of town our neighbors send joyous photos of rain and clouds. The county works on publicizing fire bans. We live each year as if next year will be different. We hope next year the temperatures wont be close to 100 degrees in the high mountains. We hope next year well go back to the regular afternoon rains. We live in denial, holding our breaths. Even with the dryness, the great heat, our stress level is due more to our government than to the weather. But these fires, and the floods that are much worse post-fire, dont just affect those in the burn area. Everyones insurance rates will go up. Fire is also used by the timber industry as an excuse to log more, which in turn causes more greenhouse gases. Fires give them a reason to log wilderness, even though heavily logged areas and tree plantations often burn at higher severity than intact forests. Naturally, too, this government uses fire as an excuse to eliminate environmental review of logging projects. The usual profit before sanity. When there is a fire, as with school shootings, everyone offers thoughts and prayers. Then we offer more guns to combat school shootings, more global warming to fight fires, more missile defense instead of fire defense. We increasingly defend ourselves against science, against knowledge, against reality. We dont want to know the truth. Its all too frightening. Meanwhile we are trapped in our own heat, the earth surrounded with a life-destroying blanket of our own creation. Were a country whose whole system runs on not just magical, but completely deranged thinking. We watch Fahrenheit 451 on TV. Its the right time for it, with everything burning, with a head of state who doesnt read. In emergencies people cope, make do, help each other. After the Four Mile Fire one friend told us about all his burned books, still lined up as they had been on their shelves, but now turned completely to ash, ghost books, hauntingly beautiful to him. Another friend whose surrounding property and shop buildings burned in that same fire lost his house the following year when it filled with mud. But like most, he rebuilt, studied ways to reroute water, and now even has a moat complete with drawbridge. Other friends made heroic escapes, running through the woods, scratched and singed, and yet others went to extreme measures to save their houses. Were attached to place. We go on. The first time I was evacuated I saw a huge plume of smoke from the window and Peter, whod been evacuated before, talked his way up from town even though the road was already closed. We loaded his pickup with art and photos and clothes and computers. We could see flames on the nearby hills. It was hard to know what to takethe clothes one wears every day, or the special ones that are in some ways more valuable. The things we chose to save were almost random. For the first five days we slept on the floor of Peters sons tiny apartment until his girlfriend got sick of us, and then we moved into the house of a friend away at a yoga workshop. We were joined there by my visiting friend, a stone-deaf Native American whod been staying with another friend, a Holocaust survivor whod been in both Auschwitz and Dachau as a boy, and whose house had just burned down. Then the yoga teachers stoned 13-year-old son turned up, decided we were harshing his mellow, and threw us out. Luckily just at that point the evacuation ended and we were allowed back to my house, which fortunately had survived. For us it was a funny story; for the people in the 168 houses that were destroyed, not so funny. The Holocaust survivor, of course, took losing his house in stride. What is a burned house compared to a burned and gassed family? he said afterwards.[8] Just one more loss, one more catastrophe. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_California_wildfires [2] https://elkodaily.com/news/local/fire-in-the-barrel-how-shooting-causes-wildfires/article_1960c624-d60a-11e1-bba5-001a4bcf887a.html [3] https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/wildfire/why-isn-t-the-colorado-supertanker-helping-fight-the-fires-burning-across-the-state- [4] https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/03/26/596129462/how-the-pentagon-plans-to-spend-that-extra-61-billion [5] http://nafsr.org/docs/2018/021218-USFS-FY-2019-Budget-Justification-R.pdf [6] https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-f-35-14-trillion-dollar-national-disaster-19985 [7] https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/aerial-firefighting-asset-availability-risk-contractual-cutbacks/ [8] https://www.ijn.com/walter-plywaski/ by Gerald Dworkin Having taught Philosophy for 46 years in three Universitiestwo State and one privateand never taught a Critical Thinking course one might have some questions about my choice of topic. My response is two-fold. First, there is a sense in which no matter what the topic of a particular course philosophy is always about critical thinking. Ones lectures are intended to model careful, reflective thought, sensitive to both the considerations favoring ones views as well as the strongest objections. Second, because it is always going to be essential to use and define essential logical terminology. So in the first week of my course on BioEthics I would discuss what is an argument, the difference between a valid and a sound argument, (illustrating this with the offer to produce 100 valid arguments for the existence of GOD), what is wrong with circular arguments, what it REALLY means to beg the question. I also discuss the difference between refuting an objection to your claim and presenting an argument proving the claim. But the focus of my class is on particular ethical issuescloning, genetic engineering, informed consent, etc. It is not on the broader issue of the various ways that our search for the truth can flounder, or be led astray, or be hijacked. We need courses devoted to such matters because we are living in a time where the dangers to informed and rational thought are not so much bad or sloppy thought but a poisoning of the flow of reliable information. It is not the transition from premises to conclusion that is often at fault but the premises themselves. Philosophers who teach Critical Thinking courses need to adjust their syllabi to take this into account. It is important to keep two issues separatecybersecurity and the spread of false information. Much of the discussion of Russian interference with the 2016 election has been in terms of their hacking into the DNC servers. But, for our discussion, the crucial issue is the the way that false information is created and disseminated. This is what students need to be informed about and learn to recognize. There is by now a considerable literature on the ways in which, in the U.S. and other countries, false and/or misleading claims are spread to a wide number of people. There are two main flaws in the information spread. First, there is intentional falsity. Second, such false claims are disseminated to a wider audience than ever before. Why people are spreading completely false information is a complicated question. In the case of Russian interference it is obvious. They have a goalto disrupt and cause chaosand their lies are a means to that end. In other cases people may simply be ignorant or uncritical. But the main question for students is not why people are spreading falsehoods but determining that they are false. A second issue is what allow such crackpot stories as Pizzagate to spread so widely. Here students have to learn the details about how social media such as facebook interact with bots to promote even wildly improbable claims. A useful exercise for students would be to examine the path by which Pizzagate arose and was disseminated. Here is the answer but one would want the students to try and find it themselves. Another exercise for the class: Im Jewish, and theres a set of people who deny that the Holocaust happened. I find that deeply offensive. But at the end of the day, I dont believe that our platform should take that down because I think there are things that different people get wrong. I dont think that theyre intentionally getting it wrong, but I think its hard to impugn intent and to understand the intent. I just think, as abhorrent as some of those examples are, I think the reality is also that I get things wrong when I speak publicly. Mark Zuckerberg I actually think that this is a hard question to think about. But it will raise questions such as: Can we be certain that some proposition is false? Even if we are certain does that justify censoring the expression of such a proposition? Does it make a difference that the statement appears on Facebook where it will be widely circulated? Ideally, one would want students to learn and think about new developments on the horizon that threaten to poison further the wells of information. For example the issue of what has been called Deep Fakes. It refers to digital manipulation of sound, images, or video to impersonate someone or make it appear that a person did somethingand to do so in a manner that is increasingly realistic, to the point that the unaided observer cannot detect the fake. The technology is now available, and improving every day. The most prominent example so far involved Evelyn Gonzales, the Parkland student who became a spokesperson for the students. She appeared in a video tearing up a piece of paper with a target printed on it. Shortly thereafter a fake video of her appeared with the piece of paper being torn as the Constitution. This was reproduced on social media many times over. Students could be asked to suggest ways in which this threat to veracity could be checked or discouraged. Students could be encouraged to think about how AI is used to devise ways to spread misleading and false information. For example, machine-learning algorithms using social-media can prioritize information that the user is likely to accept, based on past information. How might we use AI to counter this use of our own cognitive weaknesses? I do not wish to suggest that the only courses that deal with these issues are those in Philosophy Departments. Librarians have been training students in how to find reliable sources of information. Departments of rhetoric have also taught such courses. But for many students, their access will be via a course in Critical Reasoning. And for such students, as important as it may be that they learn the difference between modus ponens and affirming the consequent, it is still more important they learn about targeted propaganda and deep fakes. There is a double meaning of Critical in Critical Reasoning. I never noticed it before but it is the sense of urgency and importance that has come to the fore. by Thomas R. Wells At the heart of liberalism is the idea of personal sovereignty. There is some domain of thought and feeling that is essentially private, for which we are not answerable to others because it is no one elses proper business. Privacy is the metaright that guarantees this right to think our way to our own decisions in our life, whether that be how to follow our god, or what to make of our sexual inclinations, or how to grieve for someone we have lost. It prevents others demanding justifications for our every thought and feeling by veiling them from their view. It is the right to be mysterious to others. More specifically, privacy is the right to choose how we are known and by whom. For example, we may confide the details of an embarrassing problem with a particular friend but not just any friend and certainly not a stranger. We do so because of the mutually trusting, caring relationship we have with that person. They may still criticize us for our faults, but not like a stranger would, whose knowledge of us lacks that special relational context. A friends criticism could actually help us do better. And if it doesnt, they will respect our confidence. They wont turn around and share it with all the people who might find it interesting. Of course, the right to control how you are known is not unlimited. You cant control exactly what people know about you and you certainly cant control what they make of it. And like other rights, such as speech or property, it may be curtailed in particular cases to protect other rights held by other people. For example, a convicted fraudster should not have the right to hide that fact from prospective business partners. On the other hand, his neighbours dont have such a need to know. And even his business partners dont need to know his sexuality or religion. The fact that people are curious enough about such things that they will ask google, and that google can sell more advertising by telling them, is not enough to justify disrespecting peoples privacy. These days lots of people are talking about the value of privacy and its limits in the internet age. But few note its political significance. I. Privacy and Democracy The right to privacy is a mark of a liberal society, one in which individuals matter for ourselves and other things matter because they matter to us. It contrasts with totalitarian regimes in which every individual thought and action has a political implication for which the government may hold you answerable. And to communitarian regimes in which individuals must answer for everything to the social group. In both of these regimes, privacy means secrets and secrets mean disloyalty. There is thus a political dimension to privacy. Democracy depends on an asymmetry between the privacy of a people and the publicity of their government. The government should be transparent. Its officers, organization, policies, reasoning, and so on must be laid bare so that it can be effectively held answerable for its actions and values. Even necessary secrets should be clearly delineated so we can see the space where they would be, rather than left as a murky fog. For example, the CIA should operate within a legal structure and be subject to legislative oversight even if some parts of what it does are hidden from general view for operational reasons. In contrast, the people should remain mysterious to their government. Governments seem to have all the power, but in a democracy those who rule are kept accountable because the people retain the ultimate political power sovereignty, the right to make decisions without being held answerable for them. We judge the government based on our values, which we find good for reasons that need only persuade ourselves. The government has no right to judge the people. Wherever governments are mysterious, this relationship flips around. The government has the sovereignty and the people dont. We dont even know what questions to ask or where to direct them. In China for example, the constitution means nothing. There is an official government and a parallel one made up of party officials that works who knows how. Likewise in the private sector, all corporations are required to collaborate with the party, but not to speak of it. All official communications and statistics are propaganda. Unofficial communications are subject to censorship. Citizens cannot trust anything they hear and are reduced to fumbling around in the dark wondering how much of what they heard about the latest vaccine scandal is true and what danger their child is in. Although the Chinese government dislikes scrutiny of its own workings or actions, it is anxious to get to know its citizens. It is rolling out a horrifying Social Credit System that scores people on how virtuous they are according to the logic of the party (parents good; gamers and dissenters bad) and rewards or punishes them accordingly. In China the relationship between people and government is asymmetrical in the wrong way. The government judges the people but bans the people from judging the government. II. The End of Privacy? The right to privacy evolved slowly in a virtuous entanglement of ideas and social changes in western Europe. The reformation established the fact of religious diversity. The enlightenment philosophers shattered the idea that individuals could be held accountable for their religious convictions as if they were moral choices [previously]. Religion became the core of the new idea of individual sovereignty, a small space in which whatever you thought was no one elses rightful concern. Then shifts in the economy sent millions of people from the land to the cities, where they exchanged the continuous mutual surveillance and policing of village life for the relative anonymity of city life. People had a new freedom to decide for themselves how to live, but also to decide with whom to confide those intimate choices. Privacy fulfills a deep human need, but it is not an inevitable feature of the human condition. It is contingent on the institutional context in which we live. In just 10 years we have built an economy of mass for-profit surveillance that threatens to strip away our mysteriousness and turn us into universally known objects subject to social and political policing. The motivation is different from the Chinese governments, but in the long run the outcome may be similar. Already there is ample evidence of how the loss of privacy undermines our agency as free citizens. To be known by a friend is a blessing. To be known by an adversary is to be vulnerable to attack. We can be deceived and manipulated by those able to crunch the data and figure out which buttons to press. The system was designed to help companies sell more junk by showing us the adverts we would be most likely to fall for, and to tailor the prices we see so that more of the gains of each transaction stay with the seller. These techniques and the underlying advertising infrastructure turned out to be highly useful to political operators in the Brexit and Trump-Clinton elections. We can be individually targeted with lies or disinformation we are most likely to believe due to our biases and desires. Algorithms track what does and doesnt work and automatically revise and improve the most effective lies. For example, a racist politician can pay for a targeted advertising campaign. It sends you messages about the one policy you are likely to agree with, and when you click on the link it takes you to a version of their website specifically tailored to satisfy your concerns. Or, if that political campaigns big data analysis determines that you are committed to voting for the non-racist candidate, they can reduce your interest in voting by bombarding you with false opinion polls that show your candidate has a huge lead and your vote isnt necessary. Politicians can reduce the value of votes cast against them by gerrymandering drawing district boundaries so opposition voters are usually a minority. In America, the big data sets and mapping systems are now so precise that politicians can gerrymander districts block by block. *** We have been complacent, not noticing as our privacy was chiseled away by internet companies hoping to turn it into gold. We forgot the old adage that knowledge is power. The more we become universally known objects, our preferences, relations, and history mapped and published to the world, the less free we become to live our own life. As with Chinas Social Credit System the metric becomes the goal. When everyone can see straight through us and judge us, we reorder our lives to meet their standards. We return to the mutual social policing of the pre-industrial revolution village. Of course Facebook and Google and the like dont share everything they know about us. Instead they sell access to their knowledge of us to advertisers, or anyone else who pays. Unfortunately our politicians have already discovered that lies are an extremely effective means of persuasion and motivation when they have the chance to talk to us one at a time rather than submit to the public scrutiny of a public broadcast. We are moving from the ideal of democracy as government by discussion to a form of retail politics modeled on fraudulent affiliate marketing. Ken Roth at the website of Human Rights Watch: The endgame of the war in Syria is likely to come down to the northwestern province of Idlib, on the Turkish border, where some 2.3 million people are now trapped. As Russian-Syrian forces now finish retaking the smaller southwestern province of Daraa, Idlib will be the last significant enclave in anti-government hands. If Russian-Syrian forces resume pummeling the city and surrounding area from the air, its civilians could face the horrible choice of bunkering in place or desperately trying to cross the Turkish border, which has been effectively closed since 2015. Recently, however, there is some evidence that Russia might be willing to act more constructively. Russian officials have been seeking reconstruction aid for Syria from Western donors. According to sources close to United Nations-brokered negotiations among the parties to the Syrian conflict, Russia has floated the idea of stopping the military advance on Idlib, and perhaps handing over to Turkey a degree of control similar to that now exercised by Turkey over the neighboring region of Afrin, in return for a major Western commitment to help reconstruct Syrias devastated cities and infrastructure. That may give the West new leverage to stop the atrocities taking place in Syria. The question is how to use it. More here. by Shawn Crawford For a Baptist, the Bible exists like gravity. Not believing in gravity will not change the outcome if you step off a building; not believing the Bible will not change the consequences if you ignore its precepts and commands. Both are laws of nature, fixed and unchanging. To really understand what it means to be Baptist, you must understand the unique place the Bible holds in every facet of life. The central reality of existence is not God but rather the words he left behind to guide our decisions, our relationships, and our behavior. Baptists create a world that revolves around The Book to a degree that can easily be termed idolatry. In a religion that shuns all iconography, the Bible becomes the one object that can be revered. But not because it symbolizes the presence of Gods word among us: it is Gods Word, infallible and unchangeable. The Southern Baptist statement of beliefs, The Baptist Faith and Message, begins with the Bible, not God. It states in part, [The Bible] has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. The close reading of scripture allowed you to extract the meaning God intended. That meaning could be discovered, not interpreted, and it could be agreed upon and then applied to how you lived your daily life: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path (Psalm 119.105). The Book of Psalms is in the middle of the Bible, and can best be translated praises or songs from the Hebrew. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter of the Bible, clocking in at 176 verses. Writers of Psalms often used an acrostic method employing the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 119 is a tour de force, with each of eight verses in a stanza opening with the same letter, moving through all twenty-two letters of the alphabet. As you might have guessed, I spent a lot of time with the Bible. Or rather Bibles. At my zenith as a teenager in the 80s, I probably owned around a dozen, all serving a unique purpose. I had two go-to Bibles: the Sunday church Bible and a study Bible. Since you had to put on a decent shirt and pair of pants for Sunday, you wanted your Bible to look respectable as well. Mine had a leather cover with my name engraved on it, gold, gilt-edged pages, and the words of Jesus in red ink. A Bible known as a Thinline was all the rage. At less than an inch thick, the Thinline had paper as light and delicate as an angels wings. You had to be careful not to crease the pages, and you couldnt even highlight your favorite verses because it would bleed through the Gospel of John all the way to the Acts of the Apostles. The study Bible was where you went to work deciphering all the messages God wanted to relay to you. I had the immensely popular Ryrie Study Bible, named for Charles Caldwell Ryrie, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. A study Bible generally contained introductions to the books of the Bible, cross-references to other scripture, and commentary on the verses, ranging from historical information to Dont Get the Wrong Idea when the passage seemed confusing. When the rich young man comes to ask Jesus how to obtain eternal life, Jesus responds, If you want to enter life, obey the commandments (Matthew 19.17). The NIV Study Bible (you didnt think I had just one study Bible did you?) tells us, The requirement to obey the commandments is not to establish ones merit before God but is to be an expression of true faith. The Bible always teaches that salvation is a gift of Gods grace received through faith (see Eph. 2:8). To recap: The Bible always teaches salvation through grace except when it doesnt, but thats not what Jesus meant even though Jesus always spoke the truth; you just heard him wrong. That was a close one. Thank you NIV Study Bible. You couldnt use just any old study Bible. A scholar had to arrive at the conclusions Baptists had decided the Bible contained. Even if they couldnt formulate it, I think most Baptists of my youth believed there existed somewhere in history an Ur Bible, without blemish or error, that despite the intervening years and variant texts and insidious Catholics, had reconstituted itself in the Bible they now read. In addition to study Bibles, themed Bibles were coming into vogue. I had a Youth Bible with commentary for teens written by forty-something Evangelical men trying to sound hip. Mainly it told you God was awesome and to obey your parents and not have sex. Just like the actual Bible, but with way more exclamation points and antedated slang. Soon there would be Bibles for moms and athletes and brands, like the Chicken Soup for the Soul Bible. Then there was the tricky and contentious question of translations. I grew up just as the King James Bible was finishing its remarkable run of nearly 400 years as the unquestioned Authorized Version of the Bible in English, both in name and reality. Commissioned by King James VI of England, a group of forty-seven scholars began working in 1604 and finished the translation in 1611. Using the best Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts available, the scholars worked to produce the most accurate translation possible while also affirming the doctrine of the Church of England. Re-edited by Benjamin Blayney in 1769, this would become the King James Version (KJV) most Americans knew and owned. What allowed the KJV to endure was its gorgeous language and style. Later translations would prove more faithful to the original texts, but none would ever be more beautiful. The KJV was how God and Jesus sounded when they spoke in English. Period. The cadences and structure and allusions of the KJV would echo in literature and daily correspondence for centuries. But the KJV proved tough sledding until you got the hang of it. The thees and thous and verilys are what people remember, but the real challenge resided in the syntax. Layers of subordinate clauses result in the subject searching longingly for its verb. Not unlike the father awaiting the return of the prodigal son. Even a simple verse like For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6.21), requires some work, but the reward of the balance and rhythm make it worth the effort. Like poetry, the KJV shines brightest when read aloud. But lo, the winds of change were blowing. The counter-culture of the sixties made its way to churches with an emphasis on modernizing the Gospel message, and nothing exemplified that need like the KJV. After centuries of unquestioned authority, the KJV would have competition from an onslaught of new translations and paraphrases. The first wildly popular of these was Good News for Modern Man, a translation of the New Testament produced by the American Bible Society. Published like a paperback novel, Good News had a grey cover with tiny newsprint and the mastheads of newspapers from around the world splashed jauntily across it. Inside, simple line drawings by the Swiss artist Annie Vallotton illustrated key passages. The entire production feels like your square uncle showing up for the family reunion in 1969 wearing a Nehru jacket. But after years of reading seventeenth-century English and looking at William Holman Hunts The Light of the World, reading Good News suddenly made Jesus seem kind of happenin. Good News employed a theory of translation called Dynamic or Functional Equivalence, developed by the linguist Eugene Nida. This expounded an idea of translation as thought for thought rather than word for word, phraseology still often employed by the Catholic church. As a Structuralist, someone that views language as a system of units that connects in different ways, Nida believed each system to be unique and therefore a literal translation would always remain illusionary. But Nida and the American Bible Society still went back to the best original texts they could find to translate. In 1971, Kenneth N. Taylor, a veteran of several Christian publishing firms, and the founder of his own, Tyndale House, released The Living Bible. Using the American Standard Version translation of 1901, Taylor employed the Dynamic Equivalence approach to paraphrase the ASV into contemporary English. The Living Bible would become the best-selling book of 1972 and 1973. My copy, with its padded, green cover, had the gold lettering nearly rubbed off. The easy style made it ideal for trying to read the Bible straight through, although Leviticus, which really should be retitled Gods Guide to Slaughtering and Sacrificing, still destroyed my resolve every time. The Living Bible could get some of the faithful pretty riled up. My grandmother despised it. Exhibit A was I Samuel 20.30. King Saul flies into a rage, convinced his son Jonathan and David are conspiring against him. You son of a bitch! Saul shouts right there in the holy scripture, although in Taylors defense thats a pretty fine translation of you son of a perverse, rebellious woman as rendered in both the ASV and KJV. Grandma would have none of it. Just look at that! shed complain. Look at what? Id slyly reply. Just reading the words thrilled me, but the thought of her saying them delighted me in a way that just confirmed my need for much more Bible study. Newer editions of The Living Bible have changed the verse to You fool! (yawn) and consigned the offending words to the footnotes. In the KJV Adam knew Eve, but in The Living Bible they have sexual intercourse, which was more than many Baptists wanted to know about people in the Bible. This uneasiness gets to the heart of the complexities of translation and religion itself. Part of the comfort of the KJV for me resided in the fact the strangeness of the language created a distance between me and the characters in the Bible. I wanted Jesus to be like me, but not too much like me. That distance helped to preserve the mystery of my faith, but it also subtly argued that no matter how hard I tried, I couldnt really be expected to achieve the perfection the Bible demanded. Allowances had to be made, not just for my sinful nature, but for the fact the people in the Bible were another degree of humanity entirely. Adam and Eve didnt have sex; they just knew it was time for a family and the kids showed up. This was the distance my grandmother craved: a world where people never cursed, and children appeared ex nihilo, and the beautiful language you read helped to minimize the blood and the gore and the harsh realities that ran rampant through the Bible. In 1978 the International Bible Society released a new translation in English called the New International Version. Working for over a decade, a group of Protestant scholars consulted the most reliable texts available and combined a literal approach with Dynamic Equivalence to produce a translation that quickly became the standard in Evangelical churches. Except for the diehards, yea verily I say unto thee, the KJV hath died. Regardless of the translation, I needed to study my Bible systematically through daily devotions. Entire conferences existed to help you in this endeavor; devotional journals allowed you to track your progress and record your insights; books guided you through important topics in the Bible like discipleship and prayer. All of this culminated in discerning the Application. What was God trying to say to me through the verses I read? The Application made daily devotions thrilling. What might happen? Where could I end up if I heeded the call I found? Sharing the Application produced the second-most repeated phrase of the Baptist, I just feel the Lord is telling me . . . . The first being commencing every public prayer with, Father, we just wanna . . . When I felt reluctant about what the Lord was relaying, I generally figured I was on the right track. This also sped up the guilt process. What you found in the Bible got into questions of Gods will. We generally adhered to the idea of General and Specific will when it came to our lives. General will outlined what God expected of everyone and revealed itself readily: The Ten Commandments, Salvation, the Golden Rule. But God had also crafted a special plan just for you, and depending on how specific you thought Specific will got, this could include the person you should marry, your job, where to live, and every other detail of your life. Specific will tied me up into knots. Just how chatty should God get in your daily devotions? Was he going to reveal lunch plans or paint in broader strokes? And what if I was following Gods will and the person chosen to marry me wasnt? Did God have a plan B? Was I out of luck? Did one wrong turn lead to an eternity of regret or could you merge back onto the path? This wasnt a game; I honestly believed I had to crack the code to live a contented life. Finally, late in high school, someone told me if I just lived up to Gods General will, all the choices I made would be good choices. That was pretty much it. But we wanted complications and enigmas and knowledge others didnt possess. Harold Bloom had every right to call religion in America Gnosticism. We swore obedience to the Book and in return received enlightenment not available to everyone else. The Bible presented the opportunity to consider infinite scenarios, to always ask What If instead of What Is. I interpreted and imagined and fretted over what God wanted me to do at the expense of ever doing anything. The Baptist imagination remained buried in the words of the Book. Our entire culture dedicated itself to its secrets and meanings. The Bible supposedly guided the actions of your life, but I had time for little else but the parsing of what exactly those actions should be. I believed in the Bible because otherwise the world threatened to run amok. All choices became binaries: either God or chaos; either obedience or a libertine life; the Bibles formulation of morality or a meaningless world where I immediately felt like shanking someone that looked at me crosswise. The Bible as examined through the lens of the Baptist microscope only fostered further faith in the Bible; it never increased my faith in humanity or the course of events outside of the carefully cultured slide of scripture under my gaze. I never brought the rest of the world into focus. by Evert Cilliers So our pussy-grabbing porn-star-banging supplier-stiffing majority-vote-losing Mexican-Muslim-hating Charlottesville-excusing family-separating racist Liar-in-Chief goes to Europe and trash-talks our allies. But when he summits with Vlad the Journalist Killer (50 dead so far), Trump goes softer than a marshmallow on a stick over an open fire. A weak bully. Trumps up-sucking to Putin was best summed up in the former CIA Director John Brennans tweet: Donald Trumps press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of high crimes & misdemeanors. It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trumps comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you??? Where indeed? And Trumps walk-backs were a joke. He says he meant to say wouldnt instead of would. That mustve been his sixth lie of the day (he averages around six a day in public; who knows how many lies he tells in private). And when he replied no to the question whether he thinks Russian election meddling is still happening, his press lady said he said no to answering any more questions, when he in fact answered many more questions, and said no to that question twice because the reporter asked him that question twice. What are we to make of all this? Heres my simple three-point explainer of the whole post-surrender-treason-summit truth. 1. What Does Putin Have On Trump? Its not the pee tape, though Putin does have that, but putting it out would make no difference to the pussy-grabbing porn-star-bonker (unless maybe it shows those prostitutes peeing on Trump himself). Does Putin have something hes blackmailing Trump with? Something criminal? Probably. But thats no matter, really. Because heres whats for sure the absolute truth, folks. Remember what Deep Throat said: Follow the money. When Trump couldnt borrow money anywhere else to stay solvent, he got money from Russian oligarchs. Recall what son Eric Trump Jr once said: Well, we dont rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia. Trump is up to his eyeballs in debt to rich Russians. All Putin has to do to ruin Trump is to tell his oligarch pals to take back their money from Trump, and Trump will be totally screwed. The Donald is in hock to the rich Russkis, and the rich Russkis do what Putin tells them on pain of death, so Putin has Trumps nads in his pocket, because Trumps wealth depends on Putins say-so. Its that simple, folks. Forget about the pee tape, forget about blackmail, forget about kompromat, just understand that the self-acknowledged king of debt is in debt to Putins pals (perhaps thats why Trump hides his tax returns: they show his big creditors are Russians). Putin could render our pussy-grabbing porn-star-banging supplier-stiffing majority-vote-losing Mexican-Muslim-hating Charlottesville-excusing family-separating Putin puppet Russian asset Siberian candidate racist Liar-in-Chief bankrupt overnight. Trump has no choice but to brown-nose Putin. 2. Why Dont The GOP Leaders Dump Trump When He Crosses The Line? Because Trumps base loves him. At this time, I would like to quote my favorite political commentator, The Rude Pundit, about the weak bullys performance at the Helsinki press conference: Republicans have put out mighty statements of outrage, but until GOP senators say, No more judges, nothing, until we can figure out, as the man himself said, what the hell is going on? and GOP representatives say, Yeah, this sucks. Time to get impeachy, then all their words are bull. As was once explained to me by a Republican consultant, one big reason that the GOP wont cross Trump is that they get pummeled with not just angry emails from his hordes, but death threats and rape threats, along with doxing of them. Plus, lets face it, its not as if Trump is some kind of crazy outlier. As noted by a NY Times reader John M from Oakland: Donald Trump is a true Republican, who merely says out loud what other Republicans merely whispered, or implied. From Nixons Southern Strategy and Reagans Welfare Queens to Lee Atwaters famous dog whistle observation, the modern Republican Party has always been a party of racism and bigotry. Donald Trump has merely ripped away the mask to show the true evil of the Republican Partys soul. So why would the GOP leaders turn against their leader? Especially when his base follows him with lemmings-like devotion? So even when Trump sides with Putin against our entire intelligence establishment, the GOP leaders have no choice but to play at being Trumps puppets. Along with the Koch brothers, the Mercers, the Adelsons and the Uihleins. To one degree or another, all are now puppets to Putin, as long as they get their tax cuts out of it. Now you might think thats a very, very bad thing. But I think its wonderful. 3. Trump Is The Death Of The GOP Trump is ruining Americas standing and reputation in the world, hes hurting our farmers and workers with his trade war, hes inspiring white nationalism, hes making us more racist than we already are, he makes nice with Putin, Erdogan and Duerte and makes nasty with our allies in Europe and Canada and Mexico, he rips kids from their parents seeking asylum, but what the GOP leaders dont realize is this: Hes ruining your party, dudes. Just watch what happens this November. The Dems will take the House, maybe even the Senate. That will render the GOP agenda useless. Plus, now the Dems can launch every imaginable investigation into Trumps multifarious misdeeds. Which will madden our Putin puppet Liar-in-Chief so much, hell get even crazier than he already has. How crazy? Well, cast your mind back over the past two years. Just when you thought Trump has run out of crazy things to say or do, and he has finally crossed the line, he comes up with something new. Could you possibly have foreseen kids being ripped from their asylum-seeking parents? (BTW, in their effort to reunite the torn-asunder families, an HHS official admitted on the witness stand that they dont know who the parents of 71 kids are.) Lets face it, the orange dude never fails to deliver. As commentator Benjamin Wittes put it impeccably: Trump is malevolence tempered by incompetence. Forget about pussy-grabbing and porn-star-banging and supplier-stiffing and Muslim-banning and NFL-baiting and Charlottesville-excusing and tearing little kids from their parents and the Helsinki surrender treason summit press conference. Thats all just for starters, my friends. Weve got two more years and-a-bit left of Trump, and with Robert Mueller breathing down his neck, and the Dems launching nasty investigations into all things Trump, our Putin puppet Liar-in-Chief is going to go bonkers psycho paranoid volcanic de luxe extremis all the way up to and past eleven. Trump will have two more years and-a-bit of wild and crazy tweeting and horrendously insane lying in front of him to disgrace not only himself, but his party, his country, his family, and what matters most to him his brand. Trump is going to dig himself a hole so deep, his tiny hands will never be able to pull his big butt out of it. He will go down to a thundering defeat in 2020, together with the entire GOP a calamity from which they will never recover. 4. The Dilemma Facing The GOP Leaders Can you imagine the dilemma facing GOP leaders in 2020? If they distance themselves from Trump, his base will torch them. But if they dont, the Dems will scorch them. The GOP leaders will be stuck between the rock of Trumps base and the hard place of the Dems, losing bigly whichever way they go. This is your choice, GOP leaders. You either distance yourself from Trump and you might have a chance of surviving his presidency. Or you keep playing your puppet game with Trump and you will reap the whirlwind. If you choose your party, you might have half a chance your party survives. Not that your party has much of a chance anyway. Our up-and-coming young voters are mostly Dems. The GOP voters are older white dudes who will be dead in 20 years time. Plus, the Latinos are our fastest-growing population group, and the Republicans will never get them on their side ever again. So maybe, my dear Republicans, your choice is this: Go down covered in crap with Trump. Or go down covered in a semblance of dignity with your party. Lets face it, folks. Come voting time in 2020, the GOP will be toast. Ashes. Done. Deader than that parrot in the Monte Python sketch. Why? I would like to quote an answer to conservative NY Times columnist David Brooks, who tried to give advice to Dems recently: Bill Abbott of Oakland California writes: David: You write, We post-Cold War Americans havent really settled on what story we are a part of. Really? Im pretty clear what story Im part of. Objective truth exists and is important. We are measured by how we treat the least among us. Science works because it is based on reality. Hope can overcome fear. Do unto others as we wish to be done to ourselves. The challenges we face mean we have no-one to waste, yet too many people are poor, marginalized and left behind. Womens rights are human rights. Black lives matter. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Love wins. We dont educate our neighbors children because of charity, we educate them because we will have to live with them. We are not perfect, we have never been perfect, but we can always get better. Thats my story. Thats the story of my country, and of humans in general. Brilliant, right? Come 2020, when the GOP loses totally, utterly and completely, that is what will prevail. Sane Americans will at long last feel like weve rid ourselves of everything thats wrong with America (which is what the Republican Party mostly is). Mark my words, America. Its gonna happen. Or Trump is not a pussy-grabbing porn-star-banging supplier-stiffing majority-vote-losing Mexican-Muslim-hating Charlottesville-excusing family-separating Putin puppet Russian asset Siberian candidate racist Liar-in-Chief. Donald Trump recently ignited yet another firestorm by hedging when asked whether protecting the newest NATO member, tiny Montenegro, might be worth risking a war. Of course, the keystone of NATO was always the idea all members, strong and weak, are in theory equal. A military attack against one, meant an attack on all. Such mutual defense is the essence of collective deterrence. An aggressor backs off when his intended target has lots of powerful friends willing to defend it. But what happens when an alliance becomes so large and diverse not all of its members still share similar traditions, values, agendas or national security threats? NATOs original European members considered themselves kindred neighbors under the nuclear umbrella of the U.S. With the inclusion of West Germany in 1955, NATOs original mission was altered It was no longer tasked just with keeping the U.S. in and the Soviet Union out, but also with raising Germany up NATO collective defense was designed to offer breathing space against the superior forces of the Soviet Red Army until the United States could bring in reinforcements or threaten to use its superior nuclear forces against would-be aggressors. The alliance worked because the United States accepted that Europe needed American help to deter enemies in order to avoid repeats of the disasters of 1914 and 1939. With the exception of Turkey, older NATO members were generally seen as sharing the geographical space of Western Europe. That is no longer quite true. Many of NATOs newer members are not integrated into Western Europe. They are now spread all over the continent, and they include former Russian allies such as Albania, Bulgaria and Montenegro. Many are small, vulnerable and in crises would need far more help than they could provide others. The idea of NATO has changed as well. Instead of deterring a Soviet invasion of Europe while rehabilitating Germany, NATO (is) less a defensive military alliance, more a de facto cultural institution to homogenize Europe along Western lines. For some in Europe, NATO is envisioned not so much as a collection of planes and tanks, but an expanded European Union. The more diverse NATO has become, the less unified, especially with the demise of the original threat of the Soviet Union. As post-Cold War Europe grew calmer and more affluent, members became less likely to believe they would ever need to sacrifice to invest in their mutual defense. In the aftermath of the Cold War, NATO was eager to enlist eager Eastern European and Balkan nations that rightly feared Russia even after the Soviet Union ended. But southeastern Europe and the Balkans were also home to age-old feuds and surrogate wars between rival empires from World War I to the Bosnian War. The lessons of NATO expansion? One, vastly increasing membership can only make NATO weaker In some sense, when everyone is in an alliance, no one really is. Vladimir Putin may gamble (on) whether affluent Dutch or Belgian youth will be willing to die fighting for the territorial integrity of distant Bulgaria. If not, NATO will be finished. If Albania and Montenegro are in NATO, why not Austria, Finland, Kazakhstan, Macedonia and Serbia? Two, the borders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are now ill-defined. Recep Tayyip Erdogans Turkey is an enemy of the Kurds and Israel, both staunch U.S. allies. If Turkey gets into a defensive conflict with Israel, would young soldiers from Kansas want to risk death to defend an anti-American, authoritarian NATO theocracy from a pro-American liberal democracy? Tough decisions, not more weary and sanctimonious rhetoric, are needed to revitalize NATO. The alliance must insist all members quickly meet their military obligations of spending 2 percent of their GDP on defense. If a rich country in peace reneges on its promise of military readiness, why would anyone expect it to fulfill its pledge of assistance in wartime? NATO should insist on common values and agendas, and members should formally identify likely collective enemies. The alliance must ensure any nation in NATO belongs in NATO and is worth risking what could be nuclear war on its behalf. CHICAGO Everything old eventually becomes new again, and the call to end birthright citizenship is no exception. In a recent op-ed in The Washington Post, Michael Anton, a former national security official in the Trump administration, suggested we have been deliberately misreading the 14th Amendment to the Constitution the one that says that anyone born or naturalized in the U.S. is considered a citizen. He calls this an absurdity historically, constitutionally, philosophically and practically. This is the sort of bluster you might expect from someone who proudly claims credit for coining the term Trumpism. But its probably not a position youd anticipate from a person who claims Greek, Italian and Lebanese ancestry. After all, Antons push for President Trump to simply issue an executive order to specify to federal agencies that the children of noncitizens are not citizens could backfire. But what can you expect from people who put too much stock in their own exceptionalism and not enough in the simple fact that every single person who is born in the U.S. is privileged? And thats because they were lucky, not because they are better than others or because someone in their family got into the country the right way. There are more than 300 million people in the United States, and were all just fortunate to be here, in the land of the free and the home of the biggest economy in the world. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves. So take these pleas to stop citizens from other countries from taking advantage of our foolishness (and) continue to allow our laws to be flouted and our citizenship debased with a big, fat grain of salt. Weve heard it all before: One side argues that pesky immigrants are using the 14th Amendment to subvert borders, and the other side argues that restrictionism is an excuse to scare new immigrants into believing they and their children could never become citizens so they should just scram already. When nativists start talking about revamping the Constitution to keep certain people out of the country, we dont hear enough about what a mess it would be to end birthright citizenship. The last time this hare-brained idea was seriously floated, it was 2012 about a year after Donald Trump told multiple outlets that he was skeptical of President Obamas citizenship. Some prominent conservatives, anti-immigration groups, and even an adviser on immigration issues to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney proposed ending birthright citizenship in the months leading up to the election. In response, the nonpartisan National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) released a policy brief analyzing the issue. It found that changing the 14th Amendment would cost new parents in the United States approximately $600 in government fees to prove the citizenship status of each baby and likely an additional $600 to $1,000 in legal fees. This represents a tax of $1,200 to $1,600 on each baby born in the United States, while at the same time doing little to deter illegal entry to the United States. Direct fees to the federal government would reach $2.4 billion a year, based on current (2012) estimates. And that would be a cost to all parents including more bureaucracy for all Americans to fund because, The parents status will have to be verified by a government official, who will then determine whether a newborn is a U.S. citizen or not. After making the determination, the official will then issue different documents to the two different groups of children, resulting in a two-tier caste system for babies born in America. Distinguishing between the babies in each category will necessarily require more bureaucracy than what exists today. Conservative hero Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, was part of the NFAPs press conference on this policy brief at the time. He said that any proposals to end birthright citizenship would create huge problems from a free-market, limited-government perspective, and that politicians were merely reaching out for quick-fix immigration solutions without any grasp of the freedom and financial implications. Listen to proponents of small government and everyone else who doesnt want our already Gordian immigration system to get even more complex and difficult to navigate: Stuff the idea of ending birthright citizenship in the trash bin of history once and for all. E-mail: estherjcepeda@washpost.com. Twitter: @estherjcepeda. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal When Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo Enterprise crashed in the Mojave Desert in 2014, the shock waves blasted through Spaceport America in southern New Mexico. The crash killed one pilot and injured another, thrusting Richard Bransons commercial space venture into a prolonged recovery period that has pushed the promise of suborbital passenger flights in New Mexico back by nearly four years. With Virgin Galactic as the anchor tenant, the Spaceports future is fundamentally linked to that companys success, and the Mojave disaster cast a broad shadow on whether the states $220 million investment in the facility would ever pay off. But New Mexicos space industry leaders hunkered down, plodding forward with facility development and designing new plans to rope in more business. Those efforts are beginning to bear fruit, boosted by exploding growth in the commercial space industry. New Mexicos Spaceport is now a leading contender for business, and with Virgin Galactic hurtling again at Mach speeds to suborbit, things are looking up. Were not just a Virgin Galactic spaceport, were a general spaceport, Spaceport America CEO Dan Hicks said. Were sending a more holistic message because the space industry is so much more. The future is very bright from our perspective. That message is beginning to resonate among public entities and private operators now that the Spaceport is fully operational, Hicks said. Previous administrators were more focused on just getting the spaceport built, a monumental task given its location in the middle of empty desert near Upham, about 50 miles north of Las Cruces. But all the basic infrastructure is now in place, including a 12,000-foot runway for horizontal launches by Virgin Galactic and possibly others, a three-story space terminal and hangar for the anchor tenant, a separate vertical launch area, and on-site emergency services and fuel storage facilities. The first fully paved southern road to the Spaceport was completed this month, stretching 24 miles from the Upham exit on Interstate 25. The $14 million project will shave off about 45 minutes of travel time for visitors from Las Cruces, who until now had to continue north to Truth or Consequences and then 20 miles back south to the Spaceport. The administration is now building and planning additional infrastructure with $6 million in fresh funding approved by the Legislature this year. That includes $5 million to upgrade fuel storage facilities to handle a lot more anticipated Spaceport activity, $500,000 for upgrades to the horizontal launch area, and $500,000 for planning and design of a new payload processing and integration facility. The Legislature also approved $10 million to build a hangar in the horizontal area to house a prospective tenant now in negotiations with the Spaceport. That money will be delivered once the contract is signed, Hicks said. Administrators are aggressively recruiting both suborbital and orbital space operators who serve all three sectors of the space industry defense-related institutions, civilian entities like NASA and commercial customers. Most launch providers are working across the spectrum, and were set up to support all three sectors, Hicks said. A half-dozen companies are already working on suborbital and orbital launches, projects and ground-testing activities at the Spaceport. They include the Boeing Co., Pipeline2Space, ARCA Space Corp., EXOS Aerospace, Cesaroni Aerospace and UP Aerospace. The last two built their own co-owned and co-operated solid-fuel rocket motor manufacturing and test facility last year at the vertical launch site. It supplies motors on site for UP Aerospaces suborbital rocket and for a new orbital vehicle UP is building in partnership with NASA. Cesaroni is also manufacturing more than 100 military grade solid rocket motors at the facility under two contracts, including one with Sandia National Laboratories. UP Aerospace, meanwhile, has three launches scheduled for this fall. Were getting ready now for two back-to-back launches on Sept. 12 and 17, both of them for NASA, said UP Aerospace President and CEO Jerry Larson. Spaceport administrators believe a lot more business could soon be headed their way. When the Wright brothers started flying early last century, it took 30 or 40 years for commercial flights to take off, Hicks said. The commercial space industry is already well past that point, with technologies now in place for it to go big time in the next five to 10 years. Were in a perfect place to capitalize on it as the industry moves forward. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal As Virgin Galactic rockets closer to the edge of space, suborbital tourist flights from Spaceport America appear nearer than ever before. Its a promise more than a dozen years in the making and riddled with skepticism by critics who question whether the company will ever fly paying passengers into suborbit from southern New Mexico. The fatal 2014 crash of Virgins first SpaceShipTwo rocket greatly intensified those doubts, thrusting Spaceport America into a nearly four-year battle to remain afloat while waiting for its anchor tenant to recover and eventually launch operations. But Virgin has more than recovered, and its now closer to its goals than ever before. The company moved from glider to powered flights this spring with its newly reconstructed rocket, the SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity, putting it on a test-flight trajectory that could take it into suborbit in the next few months. Virgin Galactic is still testing all aspects of ship performance before, during and after the vehicle fires up its rockets to shoot into space at supersonic speeds, CEO George Whitesides said. Its performed as planned during three powered flights since April, propelling the company into new territory well beyond the milestones it reached in 2014, before the first spaceship Enterprise broke apart in flight. Weve made good strides forward with the test flights, Whitesides said. We have more to go during the course of this year, but the most important thing is were now into powered rocket flights again. The company no longer gives a timeline for when commercial operations may begin. But with powered Unity test flights underway, Whitesides said the companys long-anticipated move to New Mexico is drawing near. That will happen once the rocket safely reaches suborbit in repeated flight demonstrations that show all systems are working as theyre supposed to. We need to continue the test flight program to fully demonstrate the rocket burn needed to reach space altitude safely, Whitesides said. We also need to prove out operations inside the cabin all the mechanical components, seats, and safety features for our customer experience. Once weve done those things, thats when we feel ready to move down to New Mexico. In the latest test flight, on Thursday, the Unity flew more than halfway to space at Mach 2.5 velocity, or more than double the speed of sound. To reach space, it must reach Mach 3, or about 2,300 mph, Whitesides said. The rocket is actually carried into the air on the belly of a mother ship, the WhiteKnightTwo, before separating from the larger craft at about 50,000 feet. Once separated from the mother ship, the Unity fires its rockets to propel it into space. To do that, the rockets must burn for up to 60 seconds, or 20 seconds more than they burned in the latest flight, Whitesides said. That puts major stress on the vehicle, so the company is carefully assessing impacts on everything during each test flight before moving to longer-duration burns and faster speeds. A lot of shock waves are coming off the vehicle when it reaches Mach speed, which happens in just a few seconds after firing the rocket, Whitesides said. It really cooks. The main test priorities are focused for now on the vehicle structures, rocket engine burn time and handling qualities. We havent encountered anything yet, or nothing we cant handle, Whitesides said. Were constantly learning more about the vehicle and how she flies, and the pilots are getting used to all the handling characteristics. Were doing it all incrementally to explore the entire flight envelope. To date, the Unity test flights have included two pilots in the cabin. Later this year, flight-test engineers will join them in the rear of the vehicle, where passengers will eventually sit, to verify all mechanical components and safety features during flight, Whitesides said. As the test flight program progresses, the company is simultaneously building two more SpaceShipTwo rockets as part of an initial fleet of five rockets that Virgin expects to operate at Spaceport America. Were well underway in the structural fabrication of the next two spaceships, Whitesides said. The cabins and assemblies are all coming together. Were building it like a Lego, making all the parts and then assembling them to later build in the controls and avionics. Virgin Galactic spun out a separate firm, The Spaceship Co., to build all its rockets and related components at the Mojave Air and Space Port, where Virgin has its headquarters. With the foundational rocket and mothership now up and operating, The Spaceship Co. is transitioning into a more mature design, test and manufacturing organization. The company is exploring automated processes, for example, to rapidly produce the hybrid rocket motors used on the SpaceShipTwo vehicles, which is the only non-reusable element on the spacecraft, according to the online publication Aviation Week & Space Technology. When Virgin Galactic begins commercial operations, it may need hundreds of hybrid motors, which The Space Co. is currently assembling at a rate of two per month. We are starting to work on how to productionize the rocket motor, because when we have three spaceships flying, we will need a lot of them, Spaceship Co. President Enrico Palermo told Aviation Week in April. Last year, Virgin Galactic spun out another company, Virgin Orbit, to build an entirely new rocket to launch small satellites into low Earth orbit. Like the SpaceShipTwo, Virgin Orbits LauncherOne will lift off into the sky on the belly of a mothership in this case, a modified Boeing 747-400 before breaking away and firing its motors to shoot into low Earth orbit. The company signed an agreement on July 16 with the U.K. Space Agency to conduct Virgin Orbit launch operations from a spaceport at Newquay Airport in Cornwall in southwestern England. But the company is seeking more locations for satellite launch operations, because the plane-based horizontal takeoff system means Virgin Orbit could offer services in many places, providing unprecedented flexibility for payload customers. Spaceport America could eventually capture some Virgin Orbit business, apart from the suborbital passenger flights and payload services that Virgin will offer at the Spaceport, CEO Dan Hicks said. Small-satellite launch capability to low Earth orbit is a huge part of the emerging commercial space industry, and we want to go after it, Hicks said. We have the basic infrastructure in place to support it. Were looking at upgrades that may be needed in the future. With progress rocketing forward in the Mojave Desert, Virgin Galactic is steadily building its presence in southern New Mexico. It has 40 employees there now, up from 21 last summer, and plans to eventually ramp up to about 150, Whitesides said. It rented a 30,000-square-foot warehouse in Las Cruces this year to aggregate parts for transport to the Spaceport when operations begin. Theyre actively preparing to move their team out here, Hicks said. Its a reflection of all the progress being made in Mojave. Five-and-a-half years ago in Berlin, a 15-year-old girl was hit by a subway train. She died instantly. Her distraught parents struggled to come to terms with her death, and in particular sought to understand whether it was an accident or suicide. The website of the Alliance of Hope for suicide survivors describes the shock, excruciating grief and complex emotions that accompany the loss of a loved one to suicide. Survivors experience what may well be the worst pain you will ever feel. For the German parents, that pain was cut through with whipsawing ambiguity. Perhaps she just slipped and fell, after all? They hoped to find a clue in their daughters Facebook chats. They had her user name and password, but Facebook wouldnt let them log in. That was in keeping with company policy. Facebooks English-language help pages explain that, as soon as the company learns of a users passing, the persons account is memorialized. When that happens, the word remembering is added next to his or her name. The account holders privacy settings remain effective, but the account is locked. No one can log in to it. Not even a deceased teenagers only heirs. The German parents sued to gain access to her account. Facebook fought back stubbornly. Eventually, the litigation reached Germanys highest court, where Facebook argued that it was fighting to protect the privacy of the daughters friends, the people with whom she chatted. Now, admittedly, Facebook has a somewhat complicated relationship with its users privacy. As reported by The Washington Post in April, the companys chief technology officer told British lawmakers that it never read the terms and conditions for an app that ultimately allowed Cambridge Analytica to access 87 million users names, likes and other personal information. Just the other day, Facebook suspended another data-mining firm, Crimson Hexagon, for suspected misuse of data. Crimson Hexagon vigorously denies harvesting private data, although that only raises the question of what is truly private on the web. Most office workers are familiar with the dummy thermostats some companies install to give workers a comforting illusion of control. Ive often wondered if the privacy settings on social media work the same way, creating an illusion without delivering on the reality. If the social media giants cheated, how would we know? Who could stop them? And how much money would they make? The German high court didnt buy Facebooks concerns about the privacy of the dead girls friends. Those friends were in the same position as anybody who sends a private letter, and the girls parents were in the position of any other heir, who gains ownership of letters, diaries and everything else a deceased person leaves behind. In the German courts analysis, as reported in Stern, it wasnt even a difficult legal issue. A German heir inherits everything, from houses and cars to bank accounts and chat transcripts. Not so in New Mexico. Last year, our Legislature enacted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, a package of 18 statutes governing the inheritance of digital property, including photos, documents and social media accounts. Generally speaking, uniform acts are a good thing. When the same law is enacted in many states, companies can expect the same treatment across the country and courts profit from one anothers experience. But the Digital Assets Act is strangely one-sided, allowing online platforms to demand sworn statements from heirs for no particular reason, and to impose fees with no set limit, and otherwise to act at their sole discretion. The act provides that if a user clicks on a special form provided by an online platform, that click overrides the persons last will and testament. Wills are usually the product of careful thought and discussion, which is not the usual state of mind with which we click on pop-up boxes blocking our access to a website. The fact that the click overrules the will is a pretty good indication that the Digital Assets Act was written by Silicon Valley for Silicon Valley, designed to let bots make all the really important judgments about our digital legacies. One section of the Digital Assets Act deals specifically with electronic communications, such as chats. If the deceased executed a legal document explicitly granting access to his or her heirs, the online platform must comply. But who does that? The only other option is a court order. So a New Mexico family in the nightmarish position of the German parents could, probably, obtain access to their deceased childs online communications, but only by cajoling a judge into granting them permission. May you never find yourself in that position. Joel Jacobsen is an author who recently retired from a 29-year legal career. If there are topics you would like to see covered in future columns, please write him at legal.column.tips@gmail.com>href=http://legal.column.tip>legal.column.tips@gmail.com NEW YORK Erika Wasser and her staffers arrived for a big appointment hair and makeup for a bridal party of 11 to realize someone had goofed and the salon space they share in a Miami hotel wasnt available that day. And the bride was expected in an hour. We messed up HUGE, is how Wasser, owner of nine Glam+Go salons in three cities, remembers the Saturday a year ago. She quickly pulled out her credit card, reserved a suite in the hotel, and the bridal party and our team literally transported everything dryers, chairs, everything basically not nailed down from our salon and re-created an en suite Glam+Go. If theres ever a day you dont want dont want to mess up, Wasser says, its a wedding. Misunderstandings, mistakes and breakdowns can happen at any company including a giant like Amazon, which had the embarrassment of its website not working properly at the recent start of its much-advertised Prime Day. Small-business owners know they might not be able to survive negative reviews on social media, so when they have customer service disasters they need to try to not just mollify customers but please or even thrill them. Luckily for Wasser, the bridal party wanted to help, so the move was accomplished quickly. When the bride arrived, everyone told her shed gotten a free upgrade. Wasser, who usually charges for champagne at bridal appointments, paid for as much as everyone wanted. A disaster became a memorable party. Facing a disaster of their own, Davis Smith and Brandon Carter fielded a phone call that Smith calls panic-inducing. The young entrepreneurs, who were cleaning grills in Austin, Texas, last year while preparing to start their company, inadvertently scratched a customers backyard grill. He was furious because we had ruined his grill, he said. We tried to offer a refund or a free cleaning but nothing consoled his loss, Smith says. The two realized the solution was buying the customer a new $600 grill. Although their College Grill Cleaners business had made only $2,000, the new grill turned out to be an investment in the future. The customer was extremely understanding, happy with how we handled the situation, Smith says. The man also posted a positive review online and referred neighbors to the company, which now has branches in the Dallas area and Houston. When they mess up, companies should focus on building relationships rather than apologizing profusely, says Paul Fombelle, a marketing professor at the DAmore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University. At the same time, owners shouldnt ask, What can we do to make you happy? the equivalent of a blank check. Fombelles suggestion is to say, We screwed up. We want to keep you as a customer. Here are two options for what we can do now. In trying to mitigate the damage, owners also shouldnt make promises they wont be able to keep. Youll be failing two times in a row, Fombelle says. When an angry customer calls or shows up, owners or employees should listen, not be defensive or condescending and not say, I cant help you, says Nancy Friedman, who runs The Telephone Doctor, a customer service consulting firm. Staffers who dont know how to respond should say, Ill get someone to help you. And no one should ever make customers feel like theyre being a pain. You need to make someone feel that they matter, Friedman says. Sometimes, even good service cant get the resolution a customer wants. John Holloways insurance brokerage, NoExam.com, was honest with a customer from the get-go: He might not get a life insurance policy because hed had cancer 10 years earlier. Holloway and his business partner, Jonathan Fritz, searched for an insurer they thought would be a good match and helped the customer with the application. After he was rejected, the customer called to vent once or twice a week for several weeks, and kept Fritz on the phone for up to half an hour. He (Fritz) would explain to him over and over again what the situation was, that we did our best, says Holloway, whose company is based in Roswell, Ga. While the calls were difficult, Fritz persevered. We easily could have avoided him, but that could have led to online complaints, Holloway says. Eventually, the customer stopped calling. When trying to right a wrong, late can still be better than never. Kimberly Marek discovered that a staffer assigned to monitor a customer service phone line didnt for two months. Marek, co-owner of online jewelry retailer 7 Charming Sisters, the other owners and employees combed customer records to see if any of the 25 people had also emailed the Fredericksburg, Va.-based company and gotten what they needed. All but three did. Marek called them, including one who had been waiting seven weeks. They were frustrated but understanding, and they were taken aback by me calling personally and apologizing, Marek says. She followed up with gift bags and handwritten notes. And sometimes, a crisis resolved can have a bonus in the end. After the wedding party was on its way to the ceremony, Wasser invited her salon manager to spend the afternoon and evening in the suite shed paid $800 for. We stayed there drinking wine and watching movies, Wasser says. WHY DONT WE HAVE HOV LANES? David emails hes curious if the New Mexico Department of Transportation or city of Albuquerque has looked at HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes for I-40/I-25 through town in the mornings and evenings, as well as for Montano, Paseo del Norte and Alameda, as a way to help facilitate river crossings and moving people through town? NMDOT has, and the volume just isnt there yet. Kimberly Gallegos, who handles public information for the District 3 Albuquerque office, says there is just not enough sustained congestion in Albuquerque to justify HOV lanes. Most of our studies have identified capacity improvements. For example, the recent widening of Interstate 25 from San Antonio to Jefferson and the future Montgomery/I-25 project. We are looking at congestion management ideas along I-40 and PDN, which could include more Intelligent Transportation System-type projects, such as shoulder usage and ramp metering rather than capacity projects, such as adding lanes. WHERES THE AIRPORT? Linda Worcester emails that the overhead sign northbound on I-25 for the Sunport exit has been defaced and is very hard to read. We locals know this is the exit for the airport, but travelers may not be able to read this. Surprised this hasnt been reported. Thank you. Dont thank me yet. Gallegos says the sign will be removed, but will not be replaced. There is still the sign at a mile on the sign bridge and the exit sign at the exit. Both are in good shape. WHATS WITH THE TOW TRUCK LIGHTS? Laura Horton asks in an email why do tow trucks continue to use their flashing lights while driving with loaded vehicles? Its very distracting. Its also allowed by state law. Statute 66-3-835 Section D says tow cars standing on highways for the purpose of removing, and actually engaged in removing, disabled vehicles, and while engaged in towing any disabled vehicle, may display flashing lights. DEFENDING DRIVERS WHO OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT: And in a recent column, a driver expressed frustration at pokey drivers who dont keep up with the flow of traffic. And that got Bill Demints engine revving. Re: the guy that was trying to justify his road rage. How dare someone drive down his private racing lane at a speed slower than he wants to go? I looked in vain in the drivers manual and traffic laws stuff, and nowhere does it say one can ignore speed limits to keep up with the traffic flow. What is it about limits that these clowns dont seem understand? A limit is defined a line or point beyond which someone cant go. That is pretty clear. I guess I am of the old school where a yellow signal means slow down and prep for a stop. In ABQ, its (automatic) for drivers to speed up with a yellow and turn left on a red arrow. What can be done, if anything, to re-educate drivers nowadays? Great question. In fact, N.M. statute 66-7-301 states: A. No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than: (1) 15 mph on all highways when passing a school while children are going to or leaving school and when the school zone is properly posted; (2) 30 mph in a business or residence district; (3) 55 mph on a county road without a posted speed limit; (4) 75 mph; and (5) the posted speed limit in construction zones posted as double fine zones or other safety zones posted as double fine zones as designated by the department of transportation. Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103. WASHINGTON Unnerving fellow Republicans, President Donald Trump declared Monday he would have no problem shutting down the federal government this fall if Congress wont come up with more money for border security. Trumps threat, his second in two days, put him further at odds with his own party in Congress, where many Republicans are facing tough re-election fights this November. A shutdown when government funding expires at the end of September, just weeks before the midterm elections, would be the second under unified Republican control of Washington, following a weekend stoppage in January. I would have no problem doing a shutdown, Trump said during a joint press conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Its time we had proper border security. Were the laughingstock of the world. The presidents comments suggest he continues to believe that an election-season showdown over immigration would fire up his base and boost his partys chances of holding power in Congress. Republican leaders disagree, hoping they can avoid a high-profile display of dysfunction and focus their message on the GOP tax cuts and the strong economy. Trump has made no secret of his belief that his hard-line immigration policies boosted him to the Oval Office, and he launched an aggressive push for additional border security measures early this year. They include $25 billion toward construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, but he acknowledged on Monday his demands are a starting point. Ill always leave room for negotiation, he said. Republican leaders believed they had secured Trumps patience last week when they huddled at the White House to discuss strategy ahead of the budget year that starts Oct.1. After the meeting, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told a radio interviewer that a shutdown so close to the Nov. 6 midterm elections wont happen. He said the border funding issue in particular would probably have to wait until after the elections. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Capitol Hill after the meeting with Trump: The presidents willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so that we can get that done. He added that money for the wall was not a question of if, its a question of when. But on Sunday, Trump reversed course in a surprise tweet: I would be willing to shut down government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! he tweeted. With time so short, lawmakers appear most likely to approve a short-term funding measure to keep the government open through Election Day. That would set up another fiscal showdown during a lame duck session. Trump on Monday said he had no red line for precisely what he would require from Congress, and he made no comment on timing. The president has pledged to campaign aggressively, starting after Labor Day, to help Republicans retain control of the House and Senate, but GOP lawmakers dont appear to be rallying to his side this time on immigration. Senate Appropriations Committee chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are working to fund the government and that Trumps threat is not good for anything. He added: It might help him. It might not help him. It doesnt help us right now. Trump campaigned on a promise of building a wall to deter illegal immigration and to make Mexico pay for it. Mexico has refused, leading Trump to look to U.S. taxpayers to fund the endeavor instead, at least for now. Trump has gotten some wall money from Congress, and likely will get more, though the total is well short of the $25 billion he has requested. He also wants changes to legal immigration, including scrapping a visa lottery program. In addition, Trump wants to end the practice of releasing immigrants caught entering the country illegally on the condition that they show up for court hearings. And he wants to shift the U.S. immigration system to one based more on individual merit and less on family ties. Democrats and some Republicans have objected to those proposals. Both chambers will have a short window to act before government funding expires at midnight Sept. 30. The House is in recess and wont return until after Labor Day. The Senate will stay in session for most of August, except for a weeklong break scheduled to begin Aug. 6. McConnell canceled most of his chambers recess to give senators time to work on the annual spending bills. House Republicans released a spending bill this month that would provide $5 billion next year to build Trumps wall, a plan Trump supports. Democrats have long opposed financing the wall but dont have enough votes by themselves to block House approval of that amount. They have the strength to derail legislation in the closely divided Senate. The $5 billion is well above the $1.6 billion in the Senate version of a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security. The higher amount matches what Trump has privately sought in conversations with Republican lawmakers. At last weeks White House meeting, Trump, Ryan and McConnell agreed that Congress was on track to enact more than half of federal spending before the new budget year begins Oct. 1, but that DHS funding, including the border wall money, doesnt have to be settled before then, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and insisted on condition of anonymity. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Matthew Daly, Catherine Lucey and Darlene Superville contributed to this report. ___ Follow Zeke Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ZekeJMiller In a speech drawing on his own blue-collar background, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce said Monday that he would push the state to invest more in promising local companies as part of a plan to keep them in New Mexico and promote economic growth. And he called a surprise guest up to the podium during his speech Jeff Apodaca, a Democrat who lost a campaign for his partys gubernatorial nomination last month. Apodaca didnt endorse Pearce, and he said he would push both Pearce and the Democratic nominee, Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham, to commit to investing in New Mexico. But he met with Pearce recently for two hours to talk jobs and the economy, he said, and I think he has a pretty good plan. Pearce, meanwhile, said he wouldnt let New Mexicos $220 million investment in Spaceport America go to waste. He said the Roswell boneyard for old airplanes has unrealized economic potential. And he floated a variety of other ideas aimed at promoting job growth and addressing poverty in one of the poorest states in the nation. Pearce, a congressman from Hobbs, drew on his own background during the 30-minute speech, suggesting his own dad hadnt realized his dream of becoming a veterinarian, instead working two jobs, because he didnt trust himself. I grew up in fear, Pearce told about 40 business leaders invited to hear him speak in Downtown Albuquerque. Eventually, I said, Im not going to live in the shadows. Im not going to live afraid. So I stepped out. It is that grit and determination that are going to be the hallmarks of a Pearce administration. As part of his economic plan, he said, he would work with the State Investment Council to help finance businesses in New Mexico. There is about $100 million more that could be invested in local companies, Pearce said. He said he would focus on the middle round of financing when local businesses have a proven concept but need funding to hire employees and get their product to market. Its at that stage, he said, that companies often leave New Mexico to find capital elsewhere. Lujan Grisham unveiled her economic plan during the primary campaign. Her proposals include raising the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour and eliminating or lifting the cap on spending for film tax incentives. Campaign spokesman James Hallinan said Lujan Grisham has real, detailed solutions, in contrast with Pearce. After developing 12 detailed policy plans to make New Mexico a safer and more prosperous place, Hallinan said, Michelle Lujan Grisham is glad to see Steve Pearce has finally taken the time to read her plans and seems to have endorsed many of her ideas. However, just reciting a few talking points is not what its going to take to grow and diversify New Mexicos economy. TEMPE, Ariz. Amkor Technology Inc. (AMKR) on Monday reported second-quarter earnings of $32.6 million. The Tempe, Arizona-based company said it had profit of 14 cents per share. The chip packaging and test services provider posted revenue of $1.07 billion in the period. For the current quarter ending in October, Amkor Technology said it expects revenue in the range of $1.1 billion to $1.18 billion. Amkor Technology shares have fallen 11 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $8.99, a fall of 14 percent in the last 12 months. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on AMKR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/AMKR Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Albuquerques controversial vehicle-seizure program is likely to undergo changes after a U.S. district judge ruled that the program is unconstitutional, according to attorneys for a woman who filed a lawsuit against the city. The city for years has allowed police to take cars from anyone arrested on suspicion of a second or subsequent drunken-driving offense, or someone arrested for driving on a revoked license. The vehicles were seized regardless of whether the driver was the owner. U.S. District Judge James Brownings 105-page opinion, filed over the weekend, found problems with the citys policy of making vehicle owners prove their innocence when their car was seized after being driven by someone else. And the judge said it was improper that the money the city collected from the program was used to pay the salaries of employees who work in the program. The forfeiture program violates procedural due process, because owners have to prove that their cars are not subject to civil forfeiture, Browning wrote. The city probably will have to change its ordinance to bring its program in line with the judges ruling, said Robert Everett Johnson, an attorney for the Institute for Justice, which worked on the case. If the city were to continue operating the (seizure) program the way its run now, that would be like saying I triple-dog dare you to the court, he said. Mayor Tim Kellers administration previously said it would give vehicle owners who werent driving when their cars were seized more protections than the previous city administration. But no changes have been made in the law. This ruling confirms our concerns with the past approach and the need to protect the constitutional rights of people in our community, Alicia Manzano, a spokeswoman for the Mayors Office, said in a statement. At the Mayors direction, the Citys Legal department has been working to update the program, including limiting it to cases where there has been a conviction based on the new state law. The Citys legal team will analyze the impact the ruling will have, she said. Meanwhile, APD is focusing efforts on effectively combating drunk driving by doubling the number of traffic stops and increasing DWI checkpoints and saturation patrols. Under the current ordinance, owners who were not driving would be faced with fines, fees and administrative hearings to get their cars back. The city often would agree to release the vehicle for thousands of dollars and a boot agreement. The judges ruling came in a case brought by Arlene Harjo, an Albuquerque woman who lent her Nissan Versa to her son, who then took her car to Clovis without permission and was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, according to court filings. The city demanded that Harjo pay it $4,000 and agree to have her car booted for 18 months before it would release it to her, according to the lawsuit. The city has since returned her vehicle. Browning found the program unconstitutional, partly because it required vehicle owners to prove their innocence after their cars were taken. The City of Albuquerques interest, however, in keeping the car after the initial seizure is not all that great when confronted with an innocent owner or an owner not involved in the DWI, because there is little to no evidence that the car is dangerous in that owners hands at least the car is no more dangerous than a car is in anyones hands, he wrote. Browning also took issue with the way the city used funds from the seizures and forfeitures to pay salaries of employees who worked in the program. He said the funds should go to the citys general fund, then be appropriated for seizure program operations. Johnson said Brownings ruling could affect municipalities around the country that run vehicle seizure programs similar to the one in Albuquerque. A few cities in New Mexico including Santa Fe also have vehicle seizure programs. Brad Cates, a New Mexico attorney who worked on the case, said Albuquerque needs to provide innocent owners a quick way to get their vehicles back if they were seized when being driven by somebody else. Cates said Albuquerque also needs to have proceeds from forfeitures and seizures go to the general fund instead of directly to employees who work in the program. None of us involved in the case want drunken drivers on the streets, he said. But theres a right, constitutional way to do vehicle seizures. In March, Browning ruled that Albuquerques vehicle seizure program was not in line with New Mexico forfeiture laws, which were changed in 2015 to prohibit municipalities from benefiting financially over civil forfeiture actions. New Mexico law does allow for criminal forfeiture. Browning didnt take action against any New Mexico programs, saying he wanted state courts to first rule on ongoing litigation. Brownings recent ruling found broader constitutional problems with the way Albuquerque seizes vehicles. Civil forfeiture is one of the most serious assaults on private property rights in the nation today, attorney Robert Frommer, who is also an attorney for the Institute for Justice, said in a statement. For decades, civil forfeiture has lured officials away from impartial enforcement of the law and toward policing for profit. Todays ruling striking down Albuquerques forfeiture program is a major step towards ending forfeiture across not only New Mexico, but throughout the United States. HOUSTON Weingarten Realty Investors (WRI) on Monday reported a key measure of profitability in its second quarter. The results matched Wall Street expectations. The real estate investment trust, based in Houston, said it had funds from operations of $74.3 million, or 57 cents per share, in the period. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for funds from operations of 57 cents per share. Funds from operations is a closely watched measure in the REIT industry. It takes net income and adds back items such as depreciation and amortization. The company said it had net income of $78.3 million, or 61 cents per share. The real estate investment trust posted revenue of $142.1 million in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $138.5 million, surpassing Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $127.5 million. Weingarten Realty expects full-year funds from operations in the range of $2.27 to $2.33 per share. The companys shares have dropped roughly 9 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $30.03, a decrease of nearly 8 percent in the last 12 months. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on WRI at https://www.zacks.com/ap/WRI LAS VEGAS A maker of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl joined a bid Monday to block the use of its product in what would be the first execution in Nevada in more than 12 years using a three-drug combination never before tried in any state. Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA overcame sharp objections from the state to win a judges OK to intervene in New Jersey-based Alvogens lawsuit seeking to stop the use of an Alvogen sedative for the twice-postponed execution of twice-convicted killer Scott Raymond Dozier. Its ironic that the maker of fentanyl, which is at the center of the nations opioid crisis and is responsible for illegal overdoses every day is going to claim reputational injury from being associated with a lawful execution, Deputy Nevada state Solicitor General Jordan T. Smith protested. Hikma attorney Kristen Martini cited what she called the identical legal issues, the duplicate claims and substantially similar factual background alleged by Alvogen and Hikma in gaining entry into the case. The companies share common questions of law and fact, Martini argued, in contentions that they publicly declared they didnt want their products used in executions and that Nevada improperly obtained their drugs for the planned lethal injection. Alvogen attorney Todd Bice did not object to Hikma joining the case. The lawsuit is on a speedy track toward a possible mid-November execution date, after the Nevada Supreme Court last week agreed to quickly consider the states appeal of Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalezs final-hours decision to delay the July 11 execution so she could consider Alvogens case. Gonzalez is scheduled to begin hearing arguments in September. Attorney General Adam Laxalts office said in Supreme Court filings that a high court ruling is needed by Oct. 19, or useful prison stocks of a needed drug, the muscle paralyzing agent cisatracurium, will expire. The maker of that drug, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, is still deciding whether to join the Alvogen-Hikma case, said Colby Williams, an attorney representing the Novartis subsidiary. Nevada wants to use the Alvogen sedative midazolam to render Dozier unconscious, then administer a lethal dose of fentanyl to slow his breathing and follow with cisatracurium to ensure that breathing stops. The expiration of drugs would set state prison officials back to the beginning of a planning process that has made Nevada a model of the trouble that many of the 31 U.S. states with the death penalty have had in recent years obtaining drugs for lethal injections. Nevada last conducted a lethal injection in April 2006. Dozier, 47, has said repeatedly that he wants to die and doesnt care if he suffers. He is not appealing his convictions for separate killings of drug trade associates in Phoenix and Las Vegas in 2002. He has been on death row since 2007. Customer Logins Obtain the data you need to make the most informed decisions by accessing our extensive portfolio of information, analytics, and expertise. Sign in to the product or service center of your choice. CAIRO As the systematic demolition and alteration of architectural heritage continues in old Egyptian neighborhoods, residents of the Bulaq Abul Ela district in central Cairo fear the loss of their homes and shops. On July 29, the deputy governor of Cairo, Maj. Gen. Mohamed Ayman Abdel Tawab, said in statements to the local press that Cairo governorate demolished several real estate properties on July 26th Street in Bulaq Abul Ela district, including building No. 54. Tawab said the buildings residents had been evicted and demolition was underway. Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Abdel Hadi, the head of the Bulaq Abul Ela neighborhood, had announced in June the start of the demolition of 123 housing units and 86 shops on July 26th Street and in the area behind Sultan Abu Ela Mosque in the middle of the Bulaq Abul Ela. The demolition is part of the Maspero Triangle development project. The Egyptian government is seeking to modernize this highly valued area adjacent to the Nile in central Cairo and turn it into a cosmopolitan investment and residential hub. During a recent tour of July 26th Street, Al-Monitor met some residents who live or work in buildings constructed in the 19th century as part of Khedival Cairo. They relayed their anger and frustration at the arbitrary demolition decisions they say were made without any consideration for the status or history of the buildings. Essam Sayed is the owner of one of the oldest watch shops in Cairo S. Hinhayat, founded in 1907 located in building No. 54. He said his building is a unique architectural landmark registered with the Ministry of Cultures National Organization for Urban Harmony and its demolition is prohibited. However, the executive authorities for the Bulaq district have been pestering residents to leave their apartments in a bid to show that the buildings are in a state of severe despair and are dangerous to their inhabitants. No compensation deals have been offered so far. We will not leave our homes; we are not living in slums. Our buildings have a history, and we will stay here to preserve them and keep anyone from destroying them, Sayed told Al-Monitor. We will also pursue all legal procedures to challenge the Cairo governors decision and all measures by the executive authorities. Atef al-Sawy, a resident of the same building, said, We submitted a complaint to the attorney general against the executive authorities, accusing them of destroying and distorting the architectural heritage in the area in violation of the law. He added, We also resorted to competent and accredited architectural expert committees to prove the safety and durability of our buildings. We refute all arguments raised by the district authorities to justify the demolition of our buildings. The historic buildings on July 26th Street and its surrounding area are now impeding the governments efforts to complete the Maspero Triangle development project. Ninety percent of the demolitions have been completed. Unlike the 123 buildings and 86 shops on July 26th Street, the demolished areas consisted of slums and not heritage properties. The people living in these slums were evicted and displaced to the Asmarat project in Mokattam district and other projects allocated by the state for slum dwellers. The Cairo governorate is trying by all peaceful means to convince the residents of this district to leave their homes. It promised to build a residential area for those who want to return to the same area again, but no real guarantees have been provided. So far, our fate is unknown, said Tahani al-Jamal, 60, who lives in a building registered on the Culture Ministry's heritage list. She told Al-Monitor, The government has not informed us of the development project, and there is no guarantee that we will return to this area after the completion of the project. Abdel Hadi said the district authorities are bound to execute instructions from the government to demolish all buildings located within boundaries of the development project. So far, we demolished nearly 90% of the buildings in the area, he told Al-Monitor. We have called on residents to vacate 86 shops and 123 housing units overlooking July 26th Street. Acknowledging the residents objection to the orders to demolish historic buildings, Abdel Hadi said, We do not have instructions to stop the demolition process. We will try to convince the residents to leave. The demolition excludes several buildings, including the Foreign Ministry building on Corniche El Nile, the Maspero television building, the Sultan Abu Ela Mosque on July 26th Street and the Royal Chariots Museum. The residents of July 26th Street and the area behind Sultan Abu Ela Mosque launched a social media campaign called Residents of July 26th Khedival Cairo. The campaign aims to mobilize all affected residents to instigate legal proceedings to stop the demolition of historic buildings. This initiative is added to a list of initiatives by architects and activists keen on protecting Egypt's architectural heritage. The law is hindering the protection of archaeological heritage, said Michel Hanna, a member of the Heliopolis Heritage Initiative. He told Al-Monitor that a 1996 decision by the prime minister banned the demolition of historic mansions and palaces, but in 2006 the Constitutional Court saw this decision as unconstitutional and gave the owner of the real estate property the right to obtain a license to demolish it. Hanna added, The National Organization for Urban Harmony was established in 2001 and tasked with preparing a comprehensive database of all heritage buildings; however, the state has yet to take any action to protect Egypts architectural heritage. The demolition of old mansions and their transformation into towers brought about distortions in values and aesthetics within the overall architectural fabric of Cairos neighborhoods. On the destruction of historic buildings in Maspero Triangle, he said the state has been engaged in battles with the residents for years to get them to evacuate the area in favor of investors and affluent people wanting to live on the Nile. The protests of the residents and the appeals of architects and activists failed to keep the government from issuing a decision to demolish the entire area. Hanna further said that the destruction of heritage cannot be part of development. Heritage buildings, especially on July 26th Street, are not slums but rather part of a unique architectural heritage of Khedival Cairo. Historian and architectural photographer Ahmed Bandari, who works at the Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, told Al-Monitor, Heritage protection can only be guaranteed by the law. Documentation centers have no executive or judicial authority to stop the demolition. Under Egyptian laws, a building is only recognized as historic when it is at least 100 years old. He added, We have documented the historic buildings of the Bulaq district, most of them were built in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. They are not slums that must be removed to pave the way for development as the state claims. Bandari lamented the government's actions, saying, The state ought to preserve the architectural and historical heritage and not help destroy this heritage. Despite all calls and movements by activists seeking to protect the architectural heritage in Egypt and their attempts to stop the continuous destruction and alteration of historic buildings, the Egyptian state has yet to issue legislation to prevent the demolition of national heritage buildings. Whats worse, the state has become a partner in demolishing part of this heritage by executing the Maspero Triangle project, details of which have yet to be officially published. On July 7, the conservative-dominated Iranian state broadcaster aired the confessions of social media influencers, including 18-year-old Maedeh Hojabri. Her crime was that she took photos and videos of herself dancing and posted them on Instagram, where she had gained a relatively large following. The confessions were aired as part of a documentary aimed at "raising awareness about confronting social harms and threats, which is nothing new in itself. But what happened next is novel. Indeed, the fierce public outcry demonstrates how Iranians, whether the general public or state officials, have considerably less tolerance for hard-liner excesses than in the past. Thousands of social media posts heavily criticized Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) for seemingly terrorizing a young girl simply because she was happy. More unexpectedly, a wide range of government officials, conservative figures and even some clerics joined the rapidly growing chorus of angry critics. "What destroys faith and religion and ruins the establishment is not the quivering of a teenage girl's waist, but the slip of the old judge's pen! wrote Islamic cleric Mohammadreza Zaeri on his Instagram profile. But it turned out that a radical judge was not the issue, as the judiciary spokesman said no judge had signed off on Hojabris arrest and that the state broadcaster had, counter to instructions, in fact failed to seek permission from the media arm of the judiciary to air the documentary. Shortly afterward, the judiciary issued a formal warning to IRIB, which albeit weak is rare by Iranian standards. As pressures mounted, IRIB was forced to respond, but the reaction was not what was sought. The state broadcaster's head of public relations Mohammad Hossein Ranjbaran claimed that the confessions were aired at the Iranian peoples behest. "It's the intrinsic duty of the national media and popular demand, especially by families, to have more information about social media," he said, stressing that the program was ordered by a social division of the police force. Coupled with widespread backlash in the media, the cyber police, known as FATA, were forced to issue a statement saying that Hojabri had done nothing illegal, has no criminal case and that it was not behind the summoning and interviewing of the named person. I think it was very significant that this time, so many officials supported what the people were thinking and saying about this and didnt let IRIB get away with it very easily, Reza, a 28-year-old social media specialist, told Al-Monitor. Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar publicly called on IRIB to review the adverse effects of airing the confessions. Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidances Media Deputy Mohammad Soltanifar also supported the public outcry. Both administration officials said this sort of behavior will only serve to alienate more people. In his interview with Al-Monitor, Reza also highlighted how social media platforms have proven to be game changers, especially in light of how popular they've become in Iran. This has occurred despite the fact of Instagram remains the only large social media platform not to be filtered. "A huge part of our population consists of young people born after the [1979] revolution and a lot of them are on social media. These days news travels fast and within days, if not hours, many people have the 'Hey, have you heard they've arrested a teenager for dancing?' conversation," he said. In the past, local newspapers and activists would cover such issues as best they could, but many such incidents would soon be forgotten. Now, Reza said, "hard-liners will have to be more cautious since their actions will have higher consequences because things like this just don't go down well with the younger generation. Indeed, online condemnations continued to grow. Tehran-based Society for Protecting the Rights of Children decried the confessions as a clear example of "mental torture" and said it would pursue the matter. Amnesty International posted a group dance video using the hashtag #DancingIsNotACrime and a Persian hashtag to express support for Iranians posting dancing videos of themselves in solidarity with Hojabri. Information and Communications Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi suggested there was another side to the issue. In an interview, he said the whole thing could be a public relations stunt to distract the publics attention from recent transparency drives concerning foreign currency allocation. But Nasim, a 53-year-old with an extensive background in media, rejects the notion that Hojabris arrest was a choreographed distraction simply on the basis it was too bizarre even for IRIB. I really dont understand why they would do something like this and who would sign off on this, its simply ridiculous, she told Al-Monitor. But at the same time, I dont think it was done to divert our attention, because they know this sort of thing doesnt really work anymore. It will come and pass and the big issues will still be there, so it will only piss more people off. Azar, a 25-year-old painter and designer, agrees that maneuvers like the arrests and parading of the teens are futile and regressive, and said that IRIB might have learned a lesson. Weve coped with a lot of things over the years and built up tolerance, but you cant simply tolerate something like this, she told Al-Monitor. On the other hand, progress in education and social media has meant that most people, a lot of whom are millennials, recognize based on simple common sense that this is just wrong. Hard-liners are persisting in their unapologetic approach at least for now. Eight female Instagram models and 38 behind-the-camera crew members were arrested in the southern Hormozgan province on July 16. The arrests will likely continue, but hard-liners would be much better off if they listened to the publics frustration instead of brushing it off. As many have pointed out in recent weeks, Irans main and pressing problems stem from corruption and external pressures, and not from the youth who wish to have what limited fun they can have under conditions characterized by high unemployment, acute water shortages and a currency crisis, among many other issues. Forty years after revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini described the Iranian Senate as a stupid entity, certain political figures are saying that such a chamber now is a necessity for the country. Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Senate was part of the political structure of Iran. But the new constitution written by the revolutionaries abolished it and introduced unicameral government. What is notable today is that those who are speaking of the importance of reviving this assembly hail from both sides of the political spectrum. This means there is hope for an agreement to emerge. On the other hand, one key issue is that the majority of the political figures inside Iran have chosen not to express an opinion regarding a senate, since they do not consider it a priority, and more importantly, some influential high-ranking officials have publicly expressed their opposition to such an idea. During the past 40 years, the Iranian Constitution has only been revised once, in 1989, by the orders of Ayatollah Khomeini. Since then, the Iranian government has not shown any serious interest in revising the constitution, which would require the consent of the supreme leader. In recent years, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has only once spoken about the possibility of changing the political structure of the country, back in 2011, when he mentioned the possibility of replacing the president with a prime minister. Even then, he had said such a move would only take place under special circumstances. Now, seven years later, there are no signs that the Iranian leader, or indeed the countrys political establishment, is interested in taking such a step. Mid-level political forces, however, have called for the country to have a senate again. Mohammad Reza Bahonar, one of the more influential figures of the Principlist movement, and Mohammad Javad Fathi, a Reformist member of parliament, have both spoken of the importance of such a step. Fathi even resigned about a month ago in protest of the parliaments inability to exert any influence. In an interview with local media, Fathi, whose resignation was not accepted by parliament's presiding board, said one of the main reasons why he decided to resign was the interference of parallel organizations in affairs of the parliament. He said that instead of all these parallel organizations, the country needs a senate. Only two weeks later, Bahonar, who is one of the veteran members of the Principlist camp, made a similar comment, saying, After serving for seven terms as an MP, I say that the constitution should be revised and that we should have a senate working alongside the parliament. He emphasized that one assembly is not enough to govern a country. In the summer of 2017, one of the lawyers of the Guardian Council, Nejatollah Ebrahimian, flatly stated, We need a senate. Ebrahimians words are important since he is one of the 12 members of the Guardian Council, one of the most influential and powerful political organizations in Iran. All the bills passed by the parliament need to be approved by the Guardian Council before they can become law. Moreover, all the candidates for parliamentary and presidential elections must first be approved by this council. The importance of reconstituting a senate also has been discussed in various academic and scientific meetings. However, this is just one side of the story. On the other side, there are powerful forces who are not only not interested in a new senate but have not shied away from clearly expressing their disapproval of such an idea. For example, in a TV program last year, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, the chairman of the Expediency Council, said the body he chairs in effect acts as a senate in Irans political structure. Shahroudi said that he believes that after the revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini had assigned some of the key duties of the old Senate to the Expediency Council so that, if need be, the council could participate in the legislative process, and that thus there is no need for a senate. One of the duties of the Expediency Council is to act as a mediator when the parliament and the Guardian Council are in serious disagreement with each other. Shahroudis comments, however, were met with criticism inside Iran. Some said the Expediency Council has no legislative role, while others mentioned that the council could only take the place of a senate if its members were elected by the people. Currently, the members of this council are chosen by the supreme leader. Certain political figures such as Abbas Salimi Namin, an analyst with ties to the Principlist movement, say that while the Expediency Council cannot take up the role of a senate, it would be possible to reshape this council into such an assembly. He also said the country needs something similar to a senate. At the same time, certain supporters of the idea of forming a senate, such as Reformist political activist Mohammad Naimi Pour, are worried that since Iran is currently a semi-democracy and because there are no strong political parties in the country, forming a senate might have negative consequences. In reality, the only certainty is that there is regret over the dissolution of the Senate after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The existence of such a regret could result in this upper chamber being reinstituted at some point in the future, but for now, one can only wait and see whether the debate on this will have practical consequences. Of course, such an outcome would require one major condition: the supreme leader would have to give his consent for the constitution to be revised and for a senate to be formed. A Fatah delegation led by PLO Executive Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad, the movement's chief negotiator with Hamas, arrived in Cairo on July 29. Its mission is to discuss the statement of principles prepared by Egyptian intelligence on ending the split between the two rival movements. A senior Fatah source told Al-Monitor that the delegation will respond favorably to most of the proposals and that a deal is likely to be sealed within the coming weeks unless new obstacles emerge or Hamas reconsiders its acceptance. The main point of contention that has thus far precluded agreement between the sides is control of the security forces in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Fatah chief and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has in the past adamantly refused to countenance a Hezbollah-type Lebanese model that would allow Hamas to maintain an armed militia in Gaza while Abbas exerts control only over Gaza's civilian affairs. Abbas has refused to conduct a dialogue with Hamas for almost a year, since October 2017, for as long as it has refused to compromise on the matter of security control and to disarm its armed wing. The Palestinian source said Abbas has given the go-ahead for the Fatah delegation to agree to the Egyptian document in principle, without preconditions, and to now delay resolution of the security issue to a later date. According to the senior Fatah source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Abbas has agreed to have a committee headed by Majid Faraj, intelligence chief for the Palestinian Authority (PA), and Tewfiq Abu Naim of Hamas to discuss the implications of gradually transferring security control to the sovereign source of the Palestinian Authority on the ground. In other words, control of the security forces in Gaza would gradually be handed over to the PA, or commanded jointly, as trust between the two sides is rebuilt, patching up the bitter and violent split that erupted in 2006. Hamas has already endorsed the plan. A source in Gaza confirmed that the movements leaders had responded two weeks ago in the affirmative to the road map drafted by Gen. Kamal Abbas, the new head of Egyptian intelligence, and are awaiting Fatahs response. After much deliberation and soul searching, Abbas has given his team sufficient room to maneuver that will, senior Fatah officials believe, allow for an immediate deal. Most of the hurdles have been removed, and with the issue of security forces set aside, we can go ahead, said the senior Fatah source. The catalyst for the surprising decision by Abbas is his desire to step down in the coming months, the source added. Abbas seems intent on announcing his retirement once the Palestinian people are reunited under one authority. Interestingly, one authority, one weapon, the motto minted by Abbas himself, will be set aside until a later date, if ever. Abbas appears to be operating according to his own, personal goal, unwilling to end his 18-year term without bringing an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the internal Palestinian split. Having despaired of reaching an agreement with the Israelis, his only feasible goal is to end the rift between the West Bank and Gaza, even at the cost of a very painful compromise. The Egyptian proposal does not contain any magic bullets omitted from the previous draft proposals that failed to achieve the hoped-for reconciliation. Hamas is willing to immediately hand the PA full control over all economic matters in Gaza, such as tax collection and energy sources. This is nothing new. Hamas' leaders are more than happy to let the PA deal with these headaches. Let the PA find ways to supply Gazas 2 million residents with power, fuel and gas. Let it figure out how to collect taxes with half of Gazas residents unemployed and its traders and merchants barely managing to stay afloat. After all, Hamas' leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, announced publicly in December 2017 that his movement was ceding civilian control of the territory and would not take it back. This is a strategic decision, he said at the time, hoping to persuade Abbas to assume the reins. Abbas declined, until his personal interests aligned with the complex web of Palestinian interests. Regarding control of the security forces, Hamas had agreed in the past that once it joins the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and its various institutions and becomes part of the political Palestinian wing, its armed forces would be subject to PLO control. Such reasoning reflects part of an attempt by Hamas to outmaneuver Fatah. Hamas hopes to gain eventual control of the Palestinian umbrella organizations, or at least become the leading force within PLO institutions, which would allow it to regain control over the security apparatus. In any case, that issue has been shelved, for now. This is the source of the optimism displayed by top Fatah officials, who are convinced that by the end of the summer, work will have been completed on forming a Fatah-Hamas unity government. The future government will comprise not only technocrats, as previous short-lived ones did, but also senior representatives of both sides. The two camps remain undecided about the identity of the future prime minister, however, and will have to compromise on a candidate. Senior Fatah officials privy to the negotiations are already setting a timetable for Abbas retirement. According to the senior Fatah source, Abbas would like to see the appointed ministers move into their offices in Gaza in mid-September if the understandings are formalized and a unity government is sworn in. A month later, if the reconciliation is working, and the rift has been healed, Abbas will announce his resignation and prepare for PA elections. The timetable sounds highly optimistic. The Egyptian mediators are taking advantage of both Hamas and Abbas being exhausted and desperate and of the organizational and personal interests driving them toward an inevitable reconciliation with which neither is wholeheartedly pleased. What should worry all sides, however, is that rather than arriving at a true reconciliation, the resolution of core issues is being postponed. This is somewhat reminiscent of the 1993 Oslo Accord between Israel and the PLO that left key issues to be resolved at a later date, with ensuing tragic repercussions. Abdullah was driving back to Sulaimaniyah from Erbil in the evening of July 2 to avoid the sweltering heat wave that had brought life to standstill during the day. As he approached the hills of Tasluja to the west of the city just after 9:30, he saw a fire raging. Soon he heard deafening explosions that sent what appeared to be missiles and mortar shells into the air, lighting up the sky and sending Tasluja's bewildered residents running for their lives. Abdullah, not his real name, knew that a weapons and ammunition depot was on fire. Two days earlier there had been another terrifying explosion at a peshmerga ammunition depot in Bahrka just outside Erbil. The authorities ruled out foul play and blamed the heat wave and the peshmerga's lack of expertise in storing explosives and arms. No one bought the explanation, including Abdullah. Abdullah knew the depot well. From 1981 until the end of Iran-Iraq War in 1988, the Baathist authorities forced him and many other truck drivers to carry small munitions and mortar shells from the British-built Al-Rasheed base in southeast Baghdad to Sulaimaniyah. "All these years, there was no incident except in 1986 when the Iranian air force bombed the depot," Abdullah told Al-Monitor a week after the explosion in Sulaimaniyah. "I have seen it. It is a solid depot built into the hill and It is difficult for me to believe that it could just catch fire because of high temperatures." A high-ranking peshmerga officer who worked for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) confirmed that while the depot was old, it was built according to international standards and high temperatures cannot explain the explosion. The explosion in Sulaimaniyah was followed by another at an ammunition depot in Dahuk on July 3. Two days later, another fire in Chwarqurna, in Sulaimaniyah province, broke out in the depot of an arms dealer that burned for over 45 minutes. In 2017 there were at least two other explosions at peshmerga ammunition and arms depots in Erbil. These mysterious explosions have brought to surface a deep lack of trust between the rank-and-file peshmerga and their senior commanders loyal to their political parties at a time when advisers from the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany are trying to help the Kurds to reform the force that was an essential component of the coalition against the Islamic State. "It is obvious the peshmerga commanders stole the weapons the coalition gave us and now they are trying to cover their tracks," claimed a junior officer in an artillery brigade belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) peshmerga command. "I don't believe the official line." The PUK fighters Al-Monitor spoke with were also dismissive of the official line and pointed to missing guns and equipment. This distrust was echoed by former peshmerga commander and current Change Movement (Gorran) parliamentarian Mahmoud Haji Omar. He is a member of the peshmerga committee of the Kurdistan parliament. Our committee asked the acting peshmerga minister to come to the parliament and answer our questions, but he did not, Omar told NRT on July 4. If the committees found evidence of foul play, would the political parties allow proper measures to be taken against the conspirators? he asked, then answered his own question. If the previous committees are anything to go by, no. In the early days of the IS attacks on the Kurdistan Region in August 2014, various members of the international coalition against IS provided training, equipment and weapons including anti-tank guided missiles, to the peshmerga forces. Germany, for instance, provided training, rifles, military equipment and anti-tank weapons systems with 500 missiles in October 2014. But soon the German rifles became available in the weapons markets across the region. The commanders accused the low-level peshmerga of selling their rifles and the peshmerga fighters blamed their commanders. When I traveled the length and breadth of the Kurdistan Region from Zakho to Halabja, in every weapons market I visited I was told that German G36 and G3 rifles, pistols and equipment such as binoculars were available in abundance for the right price. The arms dealers laughed when I said the peshmerga officials blame the peshmerga fighters for selling their guns. Some dealers suggested that they could even get MILAN missiles if there was a customer. When the controversy found its way into the German press, there was a crackdown and dealing in coalition equipment and weapons went underground. But the missing military hardware is not limited to small arms and equipment. Al-Monitor has obtained an official document signed by the acting Peshmerga Minister Karim Sinjari dated June 26, a week before the explosion at the depot in Sulaimaniyah, ordering a committee of five officers to investigate the missing MILAN system of the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Peshmerga Ministry. The 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades are commonly referred to as the American Brigades, considered elite as they were trained and armed specifically by the Americans except for their MILAN system, which was provided by Germany. We ordered the formation of an investigative committee consisting of the officers named below for the missing MILAN weapon of the 1st Infantry Brigade, read the document, signed Karim Sinjari, acting peshmerga minister, June 2018. Three peshmerga near Duhok told Al-Monitor that during the clashes with the central government forces in October following the referendum for independence, a senior Zeravani commander sold a MILAN system to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Sinjar. The Zeravani officer pretended that he lost the system in fighting with the Popular Mobilization Forces, said one of the fighters. According to them, a PKK fighter originally from Iraqi Kurdistan abandoned the PKK group and returned to Dahuk. When interrogated, the former PKK guerrilla revealed that a senior Zeravani commander sold the MILAN weapon to the group. The three peshmerga said an investigation had been launched but they do not know about the outcome. I have heard of a MILAN system going missing, but the main issue is that some American-supplied guns, including M16s, have gone missing in the American Brigades, an intelligence officer in the Peshmerga Ministry told Al-Monitor. Around 12 officers, as senior as colonels, are under arrest for the missing guns. The secretary-general of the Peshmerga Ministry, Lt. Gen. Jabar Yawar, denied that any MILAN weapons were unaccounted for. The MILAN gun is not small [where it can easily] go missing. You can mount it on a pickup; [weapons] that go missing are generally either pistols or small arms that are lost in battles when the individual is surrounded, or drowned, or martyred or wounded," he told Al-Monitor, adding, "A MILAN gun can not go missing. We have not had any cases of a Milan gun going missing. Meanwhile, Al-Monitor contacted Col. Dlshad Mawlood, head of communications of the Zeravani Peshmerga Command, for comment about the missing system. Mawlood referred Al-Monitor to Maj. Gen. Aziz Waisi for this matter, but Waisi was not available for comment. The Peshmerga Ministry maintains that the explosions were caused by the high temperatures and claims to have formed a number of committees to investigate the causes of the explosions. A mid-ranking peshmerga officer who is familiar with the committees as well as with the investigations into the missing German rifles in 2016 is not hopeful. Germany told the peshmerga officials then, either clean up your acts or we wont deal with you anymore, recalled the officer. Unless there is external pressure from the coalition, the results of these investigations will be whitewashed. There are indications that the Syrian army will launch an operation against rebel forces in Idlib in September, after completing operations in the south of the country in Daraa and Quneitra. The possibility of such an operation against Idlib, where more than 100,000 militants have amassed following rebel evacuations from all over Syria, has made Turkey nervous. On July 14, in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that such an operation will be the end of the Astana process that Iran and Russia initiated with Turkey. On his way to the BRICS summit in South Africa, Erdogan repeated that he will raise the issue with Putin during their meeting there. Current developments in Syria regarding both Tel Rifaat and Manbij are not progressing in the desired direction as of now," Erdogan said. "The only areas where the events are going as desired are Afrin, Jarablus and al-Bab. All these [areas] are fully under our control in the terrain of 4,000 square kilometers [1,545 square miles] we control. We have also held some talks and reached some agreements regarding Manbij and Tel Rifaat. We will certainly discuss all these thoroughly during our one-on-one meeting. One of the challenging issues here is the Daraa issue, and there is also the Idlib issue. Anything can happen in those places. While conveying his concerns to Putin in Johannesburg, Erdogan had many cards in his hand to play: the future of the Astana process; Turkeys efforts to incorporate the Syrian opposition into the political process; the cooperation of the Turkish government in delivering stability to liberated areas of eastern Aleppo and the eastern Ghouta region; providing assistance in evacuating armed groups; and the presence of Turkish troops at 12 observation posts established in Idlib. Erdogan also expressed his concerns about possible civilian casualties and a new wave of immigrants, as the population of Idlib has already surpassed 2 million due to the influx of internally displaced persons. However, developments on the ground make such scenarios avoidable. Ankara was not expecting the Daraa and Quneitra fronts to collapse so quickly after the United States and Israel changed their course. Turkey was hoping to at least add Tel Rifaat and Manbij to its holdings to boost its bargaining power before Idlib moved out of its reach. In addition to Turkeys reactions, other factors changed the situation in Idlib. Above all, with the continuous collapse of opposition fronts, not many forces were prepared to stall the Syrian army, which now feels encouraged to recover Jarablus, Azaz, al-Bab and Afrin territories that are under Turkish control as well as areas near the Euphrates front line that have been under the control of the predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces. On July 26, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the military priority is Idlib. No matter what Russia has promised to Turkey, the Idlib operation will be carried out," Syrian media reported, citing sources close to Damascus. "Russia and Syria have agreed on opening safe corridors for the civilians in Idlib to relocate to government-controlled areas." Reports from Hama and Latakia suggest that military preparations are already underway. Jihadi groups had besieged the Shiite settlements of Fuah and Kefraya in the Idlib region, but those settlements were evacuated July 17 as a result of a prisoner swap between the government and opposition groups besieging the area. Thus the armed groups lost their deterrent power in the face of an Idlib operation. Following the evacuations, Russias need for Turkeys help diminished considerably compared with previous years, meaning that Putin has fewer reasons to ease Erdogans concerns. One also has to bear in mind that Turkeys moves around Manbij, such as making deals with the Americans, strengthened the impression that Turkey was playing both sides whenever possible, and that should Ankara obtain more concessions from the United States regarding the Kurds, then Turkey might revert to its original pro-West axis. Turkeys tendency to return to factory settings and to its efforts to strengthen ties with NATO allies, such as during the July 11 NATO summit in Brussels, was also noted by Moscow. Moreover, the Russians are increasingly determined to take a firm position against opposition groups after attacks by homemade unmanned aerial vehicles have increased against the Russian air base at Khmeimim near Latakia. Another important factor is that all the anti-Russia Northern Caucasus fighters have assembled in Idlib. Russia was hoping from the outset to settle its accounts with these homegrown enemies away from home territory. Despite all these developments, it is still too early for Russia and Turkey to dismantle the Astana process. While the bilateral relations that had deteriorated due to the Syria crisis are normalizing, the economic ties between the two countries have just started to gain the upper hand. Despite their discord over Idlib, both Putin and Erdogan are aware they need each other. Everyone is now wondering how these two leaders will tackle what has become the Achilles heel of Russia-Turkey relations. Everyone is aware that Idlib cannot be left in the hands of al-Qaeda-minded organizations. It is clear there will be an operation, but how? Tough battles are unavoidable in Idlib, and the Daraa model of opposition handing over heavy weapons and agreeing to a regime of non-hostility will not work. Turkey is alarmed by the possible consequences of an operation against a region that it had promised to defend. Turkey expects a new wave of immigration as well as an influx of armed groups along the Turkish border, possibly even penetrating Turkish territory. What are Turkeys options for the impending operation? The first question is whether those 12 Turkish army observation posts will actually be a deterrent against the operation. It wont be possible for Turkey to indefinitely postpone an operation with its limited presence in Idlib. The option, then, is to implement the Afrin scenario in Idlib. It should, however, be remembered that the militant groups gathering in Idlib are fervently motivated by Islamic ideology and refuse to participate in the reconciliation process advocated by the Russians. These groups also firmly reject any dialogue with the regime and consider the Astana and Geneva processes as treason. These factors will make for a tough mission full of risk factors for Turkey in Idlib. Another scenario is for Turkey to end its partnership with Russia and to turn to the United States. Yet looking at the performance of the Donald Trump administration, this doesnt sound promising. Washington wants Ankara on its side unconditionally in an economic and political embargo against Iran, and would therefore not be too concerned about Ankara's worries. Moreover, as long as the Pentagons support for Kurds continues, a consistent and comprehensive American-Turkish partnership is not likely to take hold in Syria. Ankaras most critical hope is for the United States to sever its ties with Kurds. Ankara has another serious worry: If the Kurds distance themselves from the Americans and develop a dialogue with Damascus, their de facto autonomy in Rojava could gain legal recognition. This is not all that far-fetched, given the reported dialogue efforts between the Kurds and Damascus. The most recent was on July 26, when the Kurds sent a delegation to Damascus headed by Ilham Ahmed, the president of Syrian Democratic Council, and Ibrahim Kaftan, the president of the Future Syria Party. Prior to that meaningful visit to Damascus, Aldar Khalil, the chairman of the influential Movement for a Democratic Society, indicated that Kurds could join the Idlib operation. Turkey must leave Syrian territory," he said. "If we are asked to play a role at Idlib that would contribute to the liberation of Afrin, we are ready. In other words, an alternative to the cooling of the Turkish-Russia partnership could mean a new equation of an Idlib shared by the Kurds. In sum, Turkeys claim of sponsorship of armed groups in Idlib is forcing Ankara to choose between bad and worse options. Turkey's sponsorship aspirations in Idlib are also proving difficult to achieve due to the clandestine efforts of the Islamic State to find openings for its affiliates in Idlib; the growing strength of al-Qaeda-associated groups; and escalating clashes between all these factions. The following al-Qaeda-linked groups are striving to increase their influence in Idlib and make the area ungovernable: Huras al-Din (Guardians of Religion Organization), which was set up Feb. 27 with a pact among Jaish al-Malahim, Jaish al-Badiya, Jaish al-Sahil, Saraya al-Sahil and Jund al-Aqsa. Although certain groups insist on Turkey acting as a guarantor at Idlib, Ankara may one day opt to give up Idlib. But that doesnt sound feasible. The current rulers of Idlib are among the most irreconcilable and fanatic factions of the war, making the likelihood of an operation a strong possibility. The drama over a North Carolina pastor detained in Turkey showed no signs of abating as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to not bow before the threat of US sanctions over the affair. With both sides refusing to de-escalate, salvaging battered relations between the two NATO allies will be harder than ever. You cannot force Turkey to cave to sanctions, Erdogan told reporters in Zambia before heading home, warning, If the [United States] does not change this attitude, they should not forget they will lose a sincere and strong partner like Turkey. Erdogan added Turkey had other alternatives and noted that Iran had not collapsed when it was slapped with US sanctions. The Turkish leader was responding to last weeks unexpected salvoes from President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence over the plight of Andrew Brunson, who is being held on what US officials call bogus espionage and terrorism charges. Trump took to Twitter on July 26, a day after a Turkish court allowed Brunson to be moved out of prison and placed under house arrest, to threaten Turkey with large sanctions unless Brunson was released immediately. Pence had struck a similarly bellicose tone during a conference on religious freedom in Washington earlier that day. Pence renewed the threat of sanctions in a July 29 tweet. Transferring the pastor to house arrest wasnt good enough, Pence wrote. The United States of America is prepared to bring sanctions against Turkey until Pastor Andrew Brunson is free. Congress has a slew of sanctions already in the pipeline over what it calls Turkeys unlawful detention of US citizens and its plans to acquire Russian S-400 missiles, which the United States insists imperils NATO security. These include language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that says the Pentagon must provide a series of reports on the status of the S-400 deal and provide assurances that it's been nixed before Turkey can take delivery of F-35 fighter jets. DoD [Department of Defense] can provide this report if it wants the planes to go, a well-informed US source speaking on condition of strict anonymity told Al-Monitor. If it doesnt, it can sit on it and blame Congress for the lack of delivery. The decision has been taken out of POTUS [president of the United States] direct hands. Another tougher provision in a draft appropriations bill spearheaded by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, makes it impossible for Turkey to have the F-35 planes delivered if they are still dabbling with the S-400s and bilateral issues are still the way they are, the source noted. The amendment has real teeth because it empowers Congress to freeze financing for the F-35 jets that comes out of the Pentagon and the State Department. The president could decide not to sign the spending bill. However, I doubt hes going to shut down the US government for the Turks, but the bill is not law it sequentially comes after NDAA so theres time to change the appropriations if the Turks give reason to, the source said. But if anything, US pressure now coming loudly and publicly from the very top may have the reverse effect. Erdogan said Turkey might resort to international arbitration if the F-35 delivery is blocked. Meanwhile, as things currently stand, it seems less likely that Brunson will be permitted to return home, at least not before his fourth courtroom hearing on Oct. 12. In an ominous sign, far-right nationalist leader and a key Erdogan ally Devlet Bahceli has waded into the debate. He fumed in a series of tweets that Turkey would not bow to blackmail and suggested that Turkey might consider freeing Brunson only if the United States were to provide Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based preacher who is accused of orchestrating the failed July 2016 coup, in exchange. Even mainstream pro-government columnists are now suggesting that Brunson is not the blameless political hostage the United States paints him to be. Nagehan Alci went as far as to claim in Haberturk, A dark hand from the United States may want to kill Brunson in order to deepen the impasse in relations and to be able to say, Look this is how deep anti-Americanism in Turkey has sunk. Just what prompted Trumps outburst is a matter of frenzied debate. Until that moment, the US president was widely perceived in Turkish eyes as Erdogan's biggest ally in Washington. Ankara blames Pence, according to pro-government news reports. With an eye on midterm elections and the GOPs evangelist base, the vice president stirred the hornet's nest for political gain and Trump spontaneously jumped on the bandwagon with his tweet. Otherwise, negotiations with the Americans were proceeding nicely, the Turkish narrative goes, with a deal that would have allowed Brunsons extradition in exchange for Mehmet Hakan Atilla, a senior executive for Turkeys state-owned HalkBank. But well-informed sources speaking on condition of strict anonymity told Al-Monitor that this story was a simplified version of the negotiations. Bargaining down a multibillion-dollar fine on HalkBank from the US Treasury was likely on the table and of greater urgency, among a host of other Turkish asks. Atilla was sentenced by a New York federal court in May for his role in evading US sanctions on Iran. But Adam Klasfeld, a reporter for Courthouse News who became a celebrity in Turkey with his tweets about the Atilla trial, cast doubt over those claims via Twitter. He noted that Atilla, who had been convicted on massive money-laundering charges, would not have been eligible for transfer under the Department of Justices prisoner-exchange program because he has a pending appeal and prosecutors have a pending cross-appeal. In any case, that sort of swap would have been politically off the charts, even for the Trump White House, Klasfeld argued. Might the administration have promised to send Atilla home, in the full knowledge that it couldnt deliver, in a cynical bid to secure Brunsons immediate release? And might Ankara, having realized this, decided to hold onto Brunson? Its impossible to know. But according to one of the sources familiar with the substance of US-Turkish negotiations, the US government confuses the Turks." The source told Al-Monitor. "They tell them what they want to hear and they think the Turks will be thankful. Instead, the Turkish government doesnt understand whats going on and takes all this as an opening to push harder. The Brunson affair took a further bizarre turn when The Washington Post, quoting White House officials, reported that the prisoner swap in question involved Ebru Ozkan, a Turkish national who had been arrested in Israel on charges of secretly funneling money to Hamas. Ozkan was freed pending trial and allowed to fly back home on July 16. Trump secured her release after a July 14 telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Post reported. Erdogan confirmed that Turkey had sought Washingtons help in the matter but that it had no connection to Brunson. A well-informed Israeli source contacted by Al-Monitor confirmed that Ozkan had been freed at Trumps request. Had Israel gotten anything in exchange? Zero. But when Trump asks the source responded. Either way, the source said, Ozkan would have been released very soon, but declined to elaborate. Eric Edelman, a former US ambassador to Turkey, told Al-Monitor, The fact that POTUS thought he could wrangle a bank shot via Israel is a bit disappointing. Edelman argued that if Trump believed that he had mastered the art of the international deal and could size up" interlocutors like Erdogan, leading to a harder-edged approach" with Turkey, that would be "salutary. More likely, Edelman concluded, I suspect the bureaucratic instinct that the US-Turkey relationship is too big to fail and that the US must appease Erdogan in order to do business with Turkey will likely reassert itself. A clandestine speakeasy with a typographical theme is preparing to open at Founder's Station in downtown Birmingham. Pilcrow Cocktail Cellar from West Coast transplant Joe Phelps is opening in the basement of the mixed-use building on Aug. 3. "We're thrilled to be part of downtown Birmingham's revitalization," Phelps said. "The timing of our opening and location couldn't be better." Founder's Station is on 1st Avenue North between 20th Street North and Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard in the historic Caldwell-Milner building. The Essential from chefs Victor King and Kristen Hall is already open at Founder's Station. The neighborhood cafe and bar serves seasonal, New American fare featuring local produce. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. King and Hall previously launched Feast & Forest and Bandit Baking Co. Cayo Coco, new downtown concept from the owner of The Collins Bar, is expected to open in September. The chef-driven menu is centered around South American/Cuban cuisine and served in the style of Spanish tapas/Basque pintxo. Pilcrow Cocktail Cellar, named after the typographical character used to indicate a new paragraph or section of text, is in the 130-year-old basement of Founder's Station and has a secluded alley entrance. The bar will offer a full craft cocktail menu, with a focus on agave spirits, Phelps said. Visible from the Morris Avenue side, the first clue to the bar's subtle entrance, according to Phelps, is a neon red pilcrow () with a descender arrow pointing into an alley. Another red symbol on a black door in the alley opens to a descending stairway. A long, open barroom is downstairs. Phelps said the bar is minimalist and features old, exposed brick. The bar was designed and built by Birmingham design and construction firm Creature. "When you're in here, you could be anywhere," Phelps said. "This is a place to relax, defragment, let your mind wander." Drinks such as Ampersand Collins and Interrobang Punch continue the theme of the bar's moniker and its eponymous logo. Phelps said the theme and logo honors the buildings' history since it housed a printing press around the end of the 19th century. Pilcrow Cocktail Cellar's hours of operation will be Tuesday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and closed Sunday and Monday. Two Georgia residents were taken into custody Monday on charges they took part in an interstate jury-duty scam. The arrests of Teiana Marie Taylor and Orenthial Walker, both of Decatur, Ga., were announced by U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. and U.S. Marshal Martin Keely. The one-count federal indictment charges the pair with conspiring together and with others to commit wire fraud with false information concerning jury duty. They were arrested in Georgia. According to the indictment, a member of the conspiracy would call a resident of the Northern District of Alabama, falsely claim to be a federal official, falsely claim that a judge had issued an arrest warrant for the resident, and then demand immediate payment of money. If the resident agreed to pay, the caller would demand that the victim transfer the money by means of gift cards or through commercial money transfer services to an account controlled by the conspiracy. Walker, 42, and Taylor, 35, would then withdraw the proceeds of the fraud and transfer them as directed by the conspiracy, according to the indictment. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Federal authorities do not release mugshots. "Scammers like these undermine the authority of the courts and federal law enforcement agencies dedicated to the rule of law," Town said. "It is important for everyone to understand, in an effort to avoid becoming a victim, that federal agencies will never call you on the phone and demand money. We do not, typically, call ahead." Victims of this fraud commonly report that the scammers sound convincing and speak authoritatively. The scammers may use real information about the victim and accurate court addresses. They may also use the real names of law enforcement officers, court officials, and federal judges to make the scam appear more credible. They may even "spoof" the phone number on caller ID so that it falsely appears to be from the court or a government agency. Citizens can protect themselves by knowing these facts about federal jury service: *The court will always send a jury summons by U.S. Mail. *The court and law enforcement will never demand payment over the phone. *The court and law enforcement will never demand a gift card number to satisfy an obligation. *A prospective juror who disregards a jury summons will be contacted through the mail by the court clerk's office and may, in certain circumstances, be ordered to appear before a judge. Such an order will always be in writing and signed by the judge. *A fine will never be imposed until after the individual has appeared in court and been given the opportunity to explain his or her failure to appear. If a fine is imposed, it will be in open court and reduced to writing (and will not be payable by gift card number). Citizens who wish to verify whether they were summoned for federal jury duty may contact the Northern District of Alabama's jury office at 1-800-222-8715. Citizens can report a scam phone call by contacting the FBI Birmingham Field Office at 205-326-6166. An investigation is underway after two people were shot in downtown Birmingham Sunday afternoon. The shooting happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. in front of the Church of the Reconciler in the 100 block of 14th Street North. Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Bryan Shelton one of the victims was shot in the back. Both victims were taken to the emergency at room at UAB Hospital. Their conditions weren't available. Authorities have not said what led up to the shooting. No suspects are in custody. Though police listed the incident location as 112 14th Street North, Senior Pastor Adam Burns said the gunfire was not related to the church and instead stemmed from a nearby rap concert. "According to my community, the violence and gunfire came from concert goers or those looking to hurt the concert goers,'' Burns said in an email to AL.com. "This had absolutely nothing to do with Church of the Reconciler or our ministry." It's not the first time gunfire has erupted outside the downtown church, which services the homeless. In 2016, shots rang out, injuring one person who later showed up at the hospital. That shooting happened about 10 a.m. after an argument apparently broke out following breakfast. The investigation is ongoing. This story will be updated if more information is released. Updated to include that Church of the Reconciler officials say the gunfire stemmed from a nearby rap concert. The Lipscomb police chief has been placed on leave following his arrest on misdemeanor drug charges. Chief Brian "Scott'' Martin, 37, was taken into custody Friday on charges of second-degree marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, authorities said. The case against the chief was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency which then obtained the warrants against him. ALEA Lt. Jon Riley said Martin's arrest followed a search at his home on Dove Drive in Odenville on July 27, 2018. Investigators have not yet said what led to the raid at the chief's home. A second person was also arrested on the same charges: 33-year-old Crystal Lynn Tindle of Pell City. He was arrested by Odenville police and booked into the St. Clair County Jail. He was released a short time later after posting $1,500 bond. Efforts to reach Martin for comment have been unsuccessful. Lipscomb is a small city in western Jefferson County. Martin is an Odenville resident. The case is being handled through St. Clair County District Court. Riley said the investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are possible. Lipscomb Mayor Brenda Renz released this statement Monday: "Lipscomb police chief Brian Scott Martin has been placed on leave pending an investigation. The Council and I will make a statement after the investigation is complete." Former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore is the latest person to face a prank by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Moore appeared on Cohen's Showtime series "Who Is America?" Sunday night. After failing what Cohen's character called a pedophile detector test, Moore walked off the fake interview set. Moore, a Republican, lost a special election for U.S. senate last year to Democrat Doug Jones. Several women made accusations during the campaign that Moore had made unwanted romantic or sexual advances towards them throughout his career, including one woman who said she was 14 years old when the former Alabama Chief Justice approached her. Cohen posed as an Israeli anti-terrorism expert Col. Erran Morad, who was interviewing Moore when he mentioned a new piece of technology-- a device that detects a hormone from pedophile's sweat. "Sex offenders and particularly pedophiles secrete an enzyme for DDHT, which is actually detectable," Cohen's character told Moore. "In Israel they've developed a machine that is used in schools to detect anyone coming in and if they detect the pedophile it alerts the law enforcement." Cohen took out the supposed device, and waved it in front of himself. The machine didn't alert. Then, Cohen waved the device in front of Moore-- and it beeped. "Obviously a problem, must be faulty - malfunctioning," Cohen said. Cohen also waved the machine in front of another man on the set, and the device stayed silent. Again, it beeped in front of Moore. "I've been married for 33 years, I've never had an accusation of such things," Moore said. "If this is an instrument, then it's certainly... I'm not a pedophile, okay? Maybe Israeli technology hasn't developed properly." Moore walked off the interview set, saying he was "cutting this conversation." He said, "I support Israel, I don't support this kind of stuff." In a statement sent out before the episode aired, Moore threatened legal action against Cohen and criticized its satire of American values. "I am involved in several court cases presently to defend my honor and character against vicious false political attacks by liberals like Cohen," Moore said. "If Showtime airs a defamatory attack on my character, I may very well be involved in another. As for Mr. Cohen, whose art is trickery, deception, and dishonesty, Alabama does not respect cowards who exhibit such traits! It's been a long time since I fought for my country in Vietnam. I'm ready to defend her again!" An Alabama man was among three who died early Saturday when a car that may have been traveling more than 100 miles per hour ran off a road outside Lillington, N.C. The wreck killed 23-year-old Austin Luke Banks of Fort Mitchell, Ala., who had been sitting in the back seat. Also killed were the front seat passenger, 21-year-old Cerridwen Samantha Alaimo of Bunnlevel, N.C. and the driver. Authorities haven't yet released the driver's name because his family hasn't been notified of his death, according to WSLS 10 News. Authorities said the car, a 2005 Honda Civic, appeared to be traveling more than 100 miles per hours when it ran off the road on a curve and hit several trees. The driver's seat belt ripped from impact. Troopers said everyone inside was ejected from the car, according to My Fox 8. Alcohol and speed were considered factors in the crash. An Alabama woman charged in the fatal 1988 beating of a pregnant South Bend, Indiana, woman is being held without bond following her initial hearting. A St. Joseph County judge entered a not guilty plea Monday for 56-year-old Barbara Brewster of Weaver, Alabama. A public defender will be appointed for her. Brewster and 76-year-old George Kearney both were charged with murder earlier this month in the slaying of 28-year-old Miriam Rice. Court documents say a son of Brewster has told investigators that Kearney abducted Rice while she waked her dog on June 24, 1988, and Brewster fatally beat her with tools in a van. Rice's body was found with multiple skull fractures four days later, 2 miles from her home. She was four months pregnant and had a 3-year-old son. Paper. Pencils. Notebooks. Crayons and markers. And vaccinations. Back-to-school means vaccine updates for many students. Physicians at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have answered some of the most commonly asked questions about immunizations. Here's what you need to know: First, vaccine benefits: Vaccines are the most important way to protect your infant, child and teenager from harmful diseases, physicians said. "The best way to treat diseases is to prevent them in the first place, and the diseases on the vaccine schedule are all preventable for the vast majority of our population," said David Kimberlin, vice chair of UAB's Department of Pediatrics, co-director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and also the American Academy of Pediatrics liaison to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. "The scientific evidence and public health statistics are comprehensive and compelling -- properly scheduled and dosed vaccines are safe and effective, and they're the reason we don't see diseases like measles or whooping cough running rampant across our country." Are vaccines required for child to go to school? In many states, including Alabama, state law requires an updated Certificate of Immunization be presented prior to entering any public school or child care center. As of Aug. 22, 2014, all 50 states and D.C. require vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, polio, measles, and rubella; 49 states and D.C. also require mumps vaccination; 48 states and D.C. require varicella (chickenpox) vaccination (Montana and Pennsylvania do not); and 45 states and D.C. require hepatitis B vaccination (Alabama, Maine, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota do not) to enter kindergarten. Some states require Hib, PCV, flu and Hep A vaccines to enter kindergarten. Are school vaccinations free? "Vaccines are part of standard care for children and are covered by insurance," said Rachael Lee, M.D., assistant professor in UAB's Division of Infectious Diseases. "Here in Alabama, our state has created a vaccines for children program to ensure cost is never an issue for families." If you do not have access to health insurance, Lee recommends contacting the state health department for information on low-cost or free immunizations. Where do I take my child to get their vaccinations? You can take your child to their pediatrician to get their necessary vaccinations; but vaccinations are also available at local pharmacies, health centers and local health departments. What about students entering college? Specific vaccinations are required for enrollment at most colleges. Check with your school for specific requirements. What if my child has not been previously vaccinated? Is it too late to start? If you have not vaccinated your children previously, it is important talk with your child's pediatrician about getting caught up, because it is possible and is highly recommended. The CDC has also developed a "catch-up" schedule that parents can work with their pediatrician to follow. How can I pull my or my child's immunization records? According to the CDC, there are a few places to look to find immunization records. They recommend starting with the following agencies or organizations, as they should have a copy of their records on file: Your child's pediatrician or public health clinic Your child's state health department Your child's school or day care center Your child's college, if they are of adult age What if vaccinations are against my religious beliefs? While most states offer medical and religious exemptions to vaccinations, and some states allow philosophical exemptions, the American Academy of Pediatrics views nonmedical exemptions to school-required immunizations as inappropriate for individual, public health and ethical reasons and advocates for their elimination, physicians said. "It's difficult for me to understand fully why someone would reject a medical miracle for their child, and that's what vaccines are," Kimberlin said. "The very success of the vaccination program is probably a big part of why we as physicians face these obstacles today, because parents don't see measles, polio and rubella the way they did 30, 40, 50 and 60 years ago. So, they don't have the perspective that their mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers had when it was common to lose a child to one of these now-preventable diseases." What about the the HPV vaccine? According to Isabel Scarinci, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Division of Preventive Medicine and associate director for Globalization and Cancer at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 31,000 people will be diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer this year. Many of these cancers occur in both men and women and could be prevented by the HPV vaccine. The Center for Disease Prevention and Control recommends the HPV vaccine for boys and girls between 11 and 12 years of age but they can start as early as 9 years of age. If they are between 9 and 14, they only need two shots six-months apart. If they are older than 14, then three shots are required. Vaccine schedule Kindergarten Booster doses for Annual flu shot Grades 1-5 Annual flu shot 6th grade Tetanus/ Diptheria and Pertussis (TdaP) Meningitis (Menactra) HPV (Gardasil) No. 1 of 2 Annual flu shot 7th grade HPV (Gardasil) No. 2 of 2 Annual flu shot 8th-9th grade Catch up on Gardasil (missed dose) Annual flu shot 10th grade Booster dose of Meningitis (Menactra) Annual flu shot 11th grade Annual flu shot 12th grade Eleven environmental groups are calling for Alabama Department of Environmental Management Director Lance LeFleur to resign or be fired due to what they contend is bias and corruption. In a letter to the personnel committee of the Alabama Environmental Management Commission, which oversees ADEM, the Black Warrior Riverkeeper group claimed the recent bribery and corruption trial of a Drummond Co. executive and lawyer from Balch & Bingham exposed conflicts of interest between ADEM and those they regulate. The groups allege public trust in AEMC and ADEM has "severely eroded over the past weeks. "In order to repair that trust, there must be new leadership at ADEM. When an organization like ADEM stumbles, its director must take responsibility," the letter states. "Director LeFleur has failed to lead the department in a manner that advances the mission of ADEM 'to assure for all citizens of the State a safe, healthful and productive environment.' He must resign or be terminated." ADEM released this statement to AL.com on Tuesday in response to calls for LeFleur's resignation: "There are numerous false statements in the letter to the personnel committee. A detailed response is being prepared." The following environmental groups signed Black Warrior Riverkeeper's letter: Alabama Rivers Alliance, Cahaba River Society, Cahaba Riverkeeper, Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper, Environmental Defense Alliance, Friends of Hurricane Creek, Friends of the Locust Fork River, Gasp, Little River Waterkeeper, and Tennessee Riverkeeper. In his capacity as ADEM director, LeFleur sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency opposing cleanup of toxic pollution at the 35th Avenue Superfund Site in north Birmingham. That letter was drafted at least, in part, by Balch & Bingham attorney Joel Gilbert, who represented Drummond Co., the environmental groups contend. LeFleur also testified that it was not uncommon for lobbyists/consultants to draft letters for him to sign, and that he sees nothing wrong with the practice, according to the environmental groups. Gilbert, a former partner at Balch, and David Roberson, a vice-president at Drummond, were each convicted of conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and honest services wire fraud in connection with their efforts to oppose expanding or expediting the cleanup of north Birmingham, which Drummond could be forced to pay for. The environmental groups' letter was emailed to AEMC on Monday, according to Black Warrior Riverkeeper. According to ADEM, public comments for LeFleur's annual job evaluation and public comments were due by end of Tuesday. The letter also claimed LeFleur, his staff and others leaked a proposed presentation submitted by Gasp with parties outside ADEM. Gasp is an environmental nonprofit whose mission is to reduce air pollution through education and advocacy. Gasp had made a request to EMC to address the commission about expanding the North Birmingham 35th Avenue Superfund site and placing it on EPA's National Priorities List. Gasp provided EMC with a copy of the presentation prior to a Dec. 12, 2014 meeting so that they might be better informed, according to the environmental groups. The contents of that presentation were leaked directly to the affected industry and their lawyers. The environment groups also claim LeFleur failed to lobby the state Legislature for adequate funding. ADEM ranked last in per capita funding among state environmental agencies in a recent study published by the Environmental Council of States, according to Black Warrior Riverkeeper. They say this lack of funding is having real consequences, such as the state not having the money to clean up the Colonial Pipeline diesel spill in 2016. The state had to turn over emergency response to EPA. The environmental groups letter also references EPA's investigation of ADEM's civil rights policies. Earlier this year, LeFleur abruptly rescinded the department's policies for accepting civil rights complaints. The change came in the midst of a court battle challenging the substance of the policies, and the process by which they were adopted. Updated on Tuesday with comments from ADEM. President Trump has signed 77 executive orders since taking office in 2017, according to tracking provided by the American Presidency Project. Trump signed 63 executive orders from January 2017 through March 20, 2018 and an additional 14 from March 21 through June 20, the tracker shows. The executive orders cover everything from improving mental health treatment for veterans to stopping the practice of separating immigrant parents and children at the U.S. border. Executive orders are official legally binding mandates from the president. Executive memoranda are essentially the same, except they do not have an established process on how they are issued. Proclamations are another form of executive action and usually are for ceremonial purposes that don't carry any legal effect. As with all presidents, many of the executive actions deal with relatively mundane tasks, such as establishing tasks forces and proclamations that recognize holidays or special events. Trump has signed roughly 4.27 executive orders in each month of his presidency through June. His predecessor, Barack Obama, signed 276 executive orders in his eight years in office, or roughly 2.9 per month. George W. Bush signed 291 orders, or slightly more than 3 per month during his two terms in office. According to the White House, Trump signed 30 Executive Orders in his first 100 days, 11 more than signed by Obama during the same time frame and 19 more George W. Bush. The closest president in terms of Executive Orders in the first 100 days was Lyndon Johnson, who put his signature to 26 actions. War-time president Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the greatest number of executive orders at 3,721. He averaged 307 orders a year during each of his three full terms and abbreviated fourth term. Gathered around a road map laid across the tiled classroom floor, children watched robotic cars navigate the twists and turns of a street. With one final day to perfect their codes, the young computer programmers analyzed every command to drive forward, turn and reverse. "I've really liked learning how to program robots. I like working as a team. When we mess up, we work together to fix it and find a solution," said 11-year-old Quiyah Harris, of team QTSSS. Harris and 29 other rising sixth-graders will present the science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills they learned during Decatur-Morgan County Minority Development Association's inaugural STEM Camp at West Decatur Elementary. "One of the passions I have is to make sure our minority students have exposure to some of the things that I had exposure to. They have to see what is possible and experience it," said Claudette Owens, who holds a doctorate in physics and retired in February as director of the Space and Missile Defense Command's Future Warfare Center Operations Directorate. Partnering with Murphy Brown, president of the Minority Development Association, Owens' passion came to life. Over the past three weeks, Decatur City Schools' students, many from underserved areas, learned about binary coding, cybersecurity, budgeting and computer programming. They built lunar rovers out of found materials, programmed robots, learned from scientists, engineers, physicists and college math professors and visited NASA, the Robotics Center and GE. "My favorite part of camp has been science," said Xoey Mangum, 11. "I love inventing things and making my mind work in different ways. I like being creative." Brown and Owens decided to target rising sixth-graders after talking with Decatur City Schools Superintendent Michael Douglas and learning that the first year of middle school marks the turning point for many minority students. "That is when our young minority men and women start to go awry," Owens said. "We thought if we could catch them and expose them to science, engineering and robotics on a different level, let them see what it looks like in real life, we might pique their interest. They just need that one person or thing to connect with." As a child growing up in rural south Alabama, Owens' connection with science and technology came in the form of "Star Trek." "I like to say I was exposed to STEM by able, not cable. We didn't have cable, so the only thing we were able to watch was 'Star Trek.' It was intriguing to me and I wanted to be a part of all of it. I wanted to learn about holodecks and phasers," Owens said. Watching the students explore computers and robots, Owens wonders what lifelong connections are being made. Beyond STEM, the students practiced soft skills, including how to introduce and present themselves. Datie Priest, an administrator with Decatur City Schools, witnessed the students grow their communication skills during the camp. "Some came in and would barely whisper their name. Some looked down. Now, not only are we seeing a change in them, they are seeing a change in each other," Priest said. "It's important for kids to learn these skills at a young age because practice matters and kids learn best from each other." Along with Priest, teachers, principals, community leaders and professionals in STEM fields volunteered for the camp. "People want to help, they want to give back to the community, they want to see the children succeed. The question wasn't will we have enough people. It was how will we be able to fit in the schedule everyone who wants to come," Owens said. Responsibility for teaching the robotics classes rested with Cassandra Thrower, who led the Brookhaven Middle School robotics team to state and won. "It is hugely important to give students hands-on experiences with STEM to start preparing them for STEM careers and give them a fun way of implementing science, technology, engineering and mathematics," Thrower said. The STEM Camp represents one of a handful of summer activities focused on exposing children of all ages to science, technology, engineering and math. Decatur Youth Services implemented Girls STEAM, also a first-year program, for girls ages 9-13 to explore robotics, drones and programming. In Camp Invention, held at Priceville Junior High, campers designed smart homes and interacted with self-driving robots. At First Baptist Church in Decatur, 30 students participated in Seize the Brain Summer Camp. And Athens Center for Lifelong Learning introduced children to engineering through a Dr. Seuss STEM Camp, which featured building a tower for Yertle. "I hope the kids take away a better image of who they are and the possibilities for their life," Owens said of the STEM Camp. "I hope that they know they can achieve anything they want. I hope they realize the world is much bigger than what they thought it was. The sky is the limit." Paul Manafort, who served as President Trump's campaign chairman from March to August of 2016, faces criminal charges in federal courts in Virginia and D.C. Here's what to expect from his Virginia trial, which begins July 31. Q: What is Paul Manafort accused of doing? A: In Virginia, Manafort is accused of failing to pay taxes on millions of dollars he made doing work for a pro-Russian political party in the Ukraine between 2006 and 2015 by having the money wired to foreign shell corporations and then sent to him as "loans." He lied about having offshore bank accounts, according to prosecutors, while using those bank accounts to buy expensive properties, fancy clothing and antique rugs. Manafort is also accused of lying to banks about his income and debt to get millions more in loans after the Ukrainian party lost power in 2014, using his real estate properties as collateral. He claimed one loan was for construction while he was actually using it to pay off another mortgage, according to prosecutors. He also claimed a condo in SoHo he was renting out on AirBNB was a "second home" and not a rental property to save money on taxes, the court filings allege. Q: Where does this fit into the Russia investigation? A: Manafort was Trump's campaign chairman for several months, and he took part in the Trump Tower meeting that brought Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner together with a Russian attorney who had promised incriminating information about Hillary Clinton. He also was included on emails where foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos said he trying to arrange a meeting between then-candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Manafort is charged with obscuring his work for a political party backed by Russian oligarchs and, according to the FBI, got a $10 million loan from one oligarch. But prosecutors say the issue of Russian involvement in the U.S. election will not be raised at Manafort's Virginia trial. "I don't anticipate the word 'Russia' will be uttered by a government witness," one member of the special counsel team said in a pre-trial hearing. The only Trump connection they have highlighted does not involve Russia: It is an allegation that Manafort received a favorable loan because the chairman of the lending bank wanted a job in the Trump campaign and White House. Judge T.S. Ellis III has repeatedly declared that the special counsel is only interested in Manafort because they believe he could provide incriminating information on the president. But he also ruled that the case is well within the scope of the special counsel's mandate, given that Manafort worked on the campaign and had ties to Russia. The judge has told Manafort's attorneys he likely will not allow them to raise the motive of the special counsel at trial, although he will rule on such attempts as they arise. "Even though I've said what I think the motive is, doesn't mean it's admissible at trial," Ellis said at a pre-trial hearing. Q: How many charges is Manafort facing? A: Manafort faces 18 counts in U.S. District Court in Alexandria: five counts of filing false income tax returns, four counts of failing to report foreign bank accounts, five counts of bank fraud conspiracy and four counts of bank fraud. He also faces seven charges in D.C. federal court in connection with his work in Ukraine: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, failure to register as a foreign agent, making false statements about working as a foreign agent, false statements, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Q: For how long could he go to prison? A: If found guilty on all charges in Alexandria, Manafort could face decades in prison. The bank fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 270 years in prison, the false tax return charges a maximum of 15 years and the failure to report foreign bank accounts, 20 years. He "faces the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison," Ellis wrote in one filing. But sentencing gudelines call for about four to five years on the bank fraud and eight to 10 years for the tax offenses, according to prosecutors. In Washington, Manafort faces higher guideline sentences - prosecutors calculated the range at roughly 15 to 20 years, before new witness tampering allegations were added to his indictment. Q: How much money is involved? A: From 2008 to 2014, prosecutors allege, Manafort funneled about $30 million through offshore accounts, including $6.4 million he spent on real estate in New York and Virginia, $5.4 million to renovate his Hamptons home, $1.3 million to improve his house in Florida, a million to an antique rug store and $850,000 at a New York clothing store. Of that, $13 million was disguised as loans to Manafort-controlled companies to lower his tax burden, according to prosecutors. From 2014 through 2016, Manafort fraudulently obtained $26 million in loans, according to court filings. Q: How long will the trial be? How many witnesses will testify? A: Prosecutors most recently suggested their case would last three weeks, but Ellis has asked them to trim their case as much as possible. They plan to call about 30 witnesses. Defense attorneys have given no indication of how long their rebuttal case will last. Tourism in Nairobi slum is rising but many residents are angry at becoming an attraction for wealthy foreign visitors. Kibera, Kenya Sylestine Awino rests on her faded brown couch, covering herself with a striped green shuka, a traditional Maasai fabric. Its exactly past noon in a noisy neighbourhood at the heart of Kibera, Kenyas largest slum, and the 34-year-old has just finished her daily chores. Directly opposite Awino, her two daughters are busy studying for an upcoming math exam. The family will not have lunch today. We dont afford the luxury of having two consecutive meals, says Awino, a mother of three. We took breakfast, meaning we will skip lunch and see if we can afford dinner. Up until five years ago, Awino made a living selling fresh food in Mombasa, Kenyas second largest city. There, she interacted with tourists who came to enjoy the sandy beaches of the Indian Ocean. But in 2013, she decided to move to Kibera, in the capital, Nairobi, aiming for new opportunities only to meet camera-toting tourists again, this time eager to explore the crowded slum where many are unable to afford basic needs. {articleGUID} This was strange. I used to see families from Europe and the United States flying to Mombasa to enjoy our oceans and beaches, says Awino, who is now a housewife her husband, a truck driver, provides for the family. Seeing the same tourists manoeuvring this dusty neighbourhood to see how we survive was shocking, she adds. Awino recalls one incident a few months ago when a group of tourists approached her, with one of them trying to take a picture of her. I felt like an object, she says. I wanted to yell at them, but I was afraid of the tour guides accompanying them. Some residents say tourism in Kibera is morally wrong, while others are taking advantage of the trend by becoming tour guides [Osman Mohamed Osman/Al Jazeera] Kibera has seen a sudden rise of tourists over the past decade, with a number of companies offering guided tours showcasing how its residents live. The slum faces high unemployment and poor sanitation, making living conditions dire for its residents. According to Kenyas 2009 census, Kibera is home to about 170,000 people. Other sources, however, estimate its population to be up to two million people. {articleGUID} Because of the high population, housing is inadequate. Many residents are living in tiny, 12ft by 12ft shack rooms, built in some cases with mud walls, a ridged roof and dirt floor. The small structures house up to eight people, with many sleeping on the floor. Last week, thousands of families were left homeless after the government demolished homes, schools and churches to pave way for a road expansion. Strolling through the dusty pathways sandwiched by the thin iron-sheet-walled houses, Musa Hussein is angry to see the growing popularity of the guided tours. Kibera is not a national park and we are not wildlife, says the 67-year-old, who was born and raised here. The only reason why these tours exist is because [a] few people are making money out of it, he adds. The trade of showing a handful of wealthy people how the poor are living, Hussein argues, is morally wrong and tour companies should stop offering this service. We created employment for ourselves Kibera Tours is one of the several companies that have been set up to meet the demand. Established in 2008, the company has between 100 to 150 customers annually. Each client is charged around $30 for a three-hour tour, according to Frederick Otieno, the cofounder of Kibera Tours. {articleGUID} The idea behind it was to simply show the positive side of Kibera and promote unique projects around the slums, he says. By doing this, we created employment for ourselves and the youth around us. The tour company employs 15 youths, working in shifts. Willis Ouma is one of them. Midmorning on a cloudy Saturday, the 21-year-old is wearing a bright red shirt. Accompanied by a colleague, he stands at one of the slums entrances, anxiously waiting to greet a group of four Danish tourists who have registered for the days tour. I have to impress them because tourists recommend to each other, he says. For three years, Ouma has been spending most of his weekends acting as a tour guide for hundreds of visitors. They enjoy seeing this place, which makes me want to do more. But some locals do not like it all, he says, adding that he often has to calm down protesting residents. Ouma earns $4 for every tour. This is my side hustle because it generates some extra cash for my survival, he says. I used my earnings to start a business of hawking boiled eggs. What would happen to an African like me in Europe or America, touring and taking photos of their poor citizens? Sylestine Awino, Kibera resident One of the Danish tourists is 46-year-old Lotte Rasmussen, a Nairobi resident who has toured Kibera more than 30 times, often with friends who visit from abroad. I bring friends to see how people live here. The people might not have money like us, but they are happy and thats why I keep on coming, she says, carefully bending down to take an image of a smiling Kibera toddler. The tour includes stops at sites where visitors can buy locally-made craftwork, including ornaments and traditional clothing. We support local initiatives like childrens homes and womens groups hence I do not see a problem with ethical issues, says Rasmussen. But Awino remains adamant. She maintains that it is morally unfair that tourists keep on coming to the place she calls home. Think of the vice versa, she says, What would happen to an African like me in Europe or America, touring and taking photos of their poor citizens? At least six people, including two firefighters and two children and their great-grandmother, have been killed in a wildfire that continues to rage through parts of northern California. According to officials, the death toll reached six on Sunday after the remains of an individual were found in a burnt-out residence. They added the individual had not complied with an evacuation order. Authorities said they were still looking for seven people after finding nine others who had been reported missing. More than 38,000 people remained under evacuation orders on Sunday in and around Redding, a city of 90,000 people about 257km north of the state capital Sacramento. Redding Police Sergeant Todd Cogle confirmed that three bodies discovered at a fire-ravaged home on the outskirts of Redding on Saturday were two children and their great-grandmother. The victims identified by relatives on Facebook and in news media reports were James Roberts, five, his sister Emily, four, and their great-grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70. Bledsoes granddaughter, Amanda Woodley, said on Facebook the elderly woman desperately put a wet blanket over the children as their home burned. Grandma did everything she could to save them, Woodly wrote. The Carr Fire, which has destroyed more than 650 structures, is the deadliest and most destructive of nearly 90 wildfires burning from Texas to Oregon. The blazes have killed four firefighters in California in a little more than two weeks. Jordanians have shown that they will no longer accept austerity without major political changes and accountability. The streets of Amman today appear calm and everyone seems to be going about their business as usual. But just two months ago, the country faced massive protests which mirrored others it had seen before. The script of the May-June events developed along the usual lines: public protests over price increases made the king dismiss the government, freeze price increases, name a new prime minister, and ask for fresh reforms. For the past 40 years, such events have recurred regularly, while Jordans major problems remained the same: corruption, unemployment, poverty, poor government services, and increasingly difficult living conditions for middle and lower-income Jordanians who make up the majority of the population. In that time, the state adjusted its fiscal policies to accommodate growing public spending. It reduced subsidies and raised taxes and fees, which the citizenry grudgingly accepted, even after short-lived protests. This time, though, the situation is very different, and the same old government response will not work, because the scale, depth, and consequences of Jordans economic stresses are unprecedented. The May-June events represent a broad-based, nationwide popular tax rebellion that, unlike past demonstrations, brought together all sectors of society poor and middle-income people, professionals and private businesspeople, men and women, young and old, rural and urban folk, and Jordanians of all ethnic and geographic origins. After former Prime Minister Hani Mulki had proposed in early May reforms to address a multiyear economic adjustment plan agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donors, it became clear that the government had pushed past the limit of what citizens could bear financially or accept politically. Jordanians are and feel poor after years of gradual austerity, according to the recently published 2016 data from the Arab Barometer survey. This shows that only 35 percent of Jordanians can meet their families needs without difficulty, while 64 percent face difficulty or cannot meet their expenses. At the same time, the state has exhausted existing ways to raise enough revenue to cover its core current expenses of salaries and loan interest payments. The Mulki government had to increase taxes for 2019 because the country faced bankruptcy if no extra income were found to bolster state coffers. This reflected Jordans tighter situation the past few years when it could not easily obtain the high levels of foreign grants, loans, and guarantees that it had secured over previous decades. Yet the states recent fiscal performance has been impressive in many ways. Between 2012 and 2017, according to IMF data and interviews with several former officials who dealt with these issues, domestic income from taxes and fees increased from covering 67 to 95 percent of current expenditures (this covers loan interest payments, but does not cover loan principal repayments, which annually require billions of grant dollars). The May tax measures and price rises aimed to close that last five percent gap, and set Jordan on a sustainable growth path that would see new jobs created and incomes increase or so the theory of economic adjustment said. But the theory did not account for falling standards of living, recent slowing down of economic growth, and rising expenses which have brought the general population to the brink. The Jordanian people made it clear that they refuse to accept more austerity, when they feel they have no say in political decisions, corruption remains unchecked, and the political elite continues to enrich itself. How to introduce meaningful changes The new Jordanian government must respond with simultaneous meaningful changes in four areas: expand real citizen participation in the top-heavy political system, jolt the weak economy onto a growth path, reduce polarisation between rich and poor, and reduce the chronic need for large-scale foreign aid grants (which is the basic aim of the IMF plan that is being implemented). New Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz government got the message. In its policy statement it promised the parliament to act in its first 100 days on a wide range of issues, including corruption, a national dialogue on tax justice, improving health, water, transport, and other public services, and opening direct electronic communication channels with citizens. The $3bn emergency aid that came into the treasury this summer gives Razzaz some breathing space to formulate new policies that bridge the massive gap between the states fiscal needs and the citizens demand for political dignity and material well-being. One of his biggest challenges is citizens large distrust in his government and the system, in general. Recent polls by the respected local NAMA Consultants and the University of Jordan Strategic Studies Center indicate a steady decline in how citizens view the governments track record in serving the people from around 65 percent in 2011 to just 35 percent today. Equally troubling are Arab Barometer findings that a large majority, 79 percent, feel that corruption exists in state institutions, and the two biggest concerns of Jordanians are the economy and corruption. The demonstrators from all walks of life took to the streets because they all felt that none of these issues were being equitably addressed in the Mulki government proposals. Rebuilding citizen trust in political institutions will require both economic and political measures in a genuinely consultative context, rather than the usual top-down edicts from the government or benevolent gestures from the monarchy. What would ordinary citizens see as signs of success that promise to improve their lives? These could include a more egalitarian tax law, social services improvements, more serious anti-corruption measures, and genuine citizen-state consultations that reduce the pervasive polarisation and marginalisation that are among Jordans biggest threats today. The Razzaz government must do this while it reduces the states steep fiscal pressures. For example, the national debt-to-GDP ratio has risen in recent years to 95 percent, instead of declining, but should start to drop in 2019, according to the IMF. The economy has slowed to just two percent average annual growth, which is below the population growth rate. Citizens who already suffer low living standards cannot withstand more chunks of their low incomes being grabbed by new taxes (85 percent of Jordanians make less than $720 per month, according to existing wage labour data at state institutions). Only about five percent of Jordanians pay income tax, which the economic adjustment programme aims to increase to 11 percent, while also lowering the thresh-hold for tax exemptions. The Mulki measures announced in May would have increased the financial burden on most Jordanians, due to the combined tax increases, lower taxable thresh-holds, less tax evasion, higher indirect taxes, fewer subsidies, and other related measures. Because nearly 80 percent of the state budget covers salaries, pensions, and debt service payments, and about half of all employed citizens depend on the state for their wages and pensions, the state has little room to lower expenditures. The agreed government-IMF programme anticipates the need to raise nearly $2bn every year in foreign loans or grants to cover repayment of debt principal, which requires huge Arab and international aid that is often exacerbated by current political conditions in the region. This is the most serious challenge of King Abdullahs reign, because along with the domestic economic/political stresses, several senior analysts and former officials said in interviews, it might include a controversial new foreign policy twist: in return for long-term cash-aid, Saudi Arabia and the US might pressure a vulnerable Jordan to join their deal of the century proposal on Palestine-Israel, which Jordan has resisted to date. The king has not indicated how he plans to reconcile these conflicting demands, beyond broad generalities in his letter appointing Razzaz. The demands of his restless citizens include political reforms based on genuine participation and accountability, which have been rare in the entire Arab regions recent history. Jordan is not moving towards a constitutional monarchy this is not a serious populist demand, in any case but neither can it continue doing business as usual. Forced by the circumstances of its difficult external shocks in energy imports, war-closed borders, lower transit trade, and erratic Arab budget support, along with its own domestic political and economic mismanagement, Jordan must soon indicate its direction. Will it boldly make the structural political and economic changes its citizens seem to seek, but that all other Arab states have furiously resisted? Or will it remain hobbled in the shaky authoritarian bargain of the corruption-riddled rentier states that dot the Arab landscape? Decisions made in the coming six months will be crucial to the future of Jordan, and perhaps a sign of the future of other Arab states. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. The US exaggerating and obsessing about foreign threats seems quite similar to what is happening in Russia. Russian meddling may or may not have had an impact on the outcome of the US election in 2016, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has definitely succeeded in one thing: He has infected the United States with the same collective paranoia about the threat from an external enemy and the fifth column, which Russia has been suffering from for years. Just like much of Europe these days (and Russia two decades ago), the US is succumbing to rabid illiberalism and a significant chunk of the movement against US President Donald Trump is part of that process, not a bulwark against it. The besieged fortress complex, which the Kremlins propaganda has managed to implant in the minds of millions of Russians, is now very much part of the American psyche particularly on the anti-Trump side. The medias favourite buzzword these days is war. It is being shouted at every corner by the likes of MSNBCs anchor Rachel Maddow, who declared the disappearance of reporters question from the White House transcript of the Trump-Putin press conference a form of information warfare and hate-mongering lobbyist Molly McKew, who dubbed the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails a new Pearl Harbour. There is even talk about war beyond information warfare. In one surreally apocalyptic piece for Politico, McKew wrote about an Estonian military officers dream about a bloody battle with the Russians in the streets of Tallinn, while Newsweek warned that NATO could lose a war with Russia. A readers letter published by the Chicago Tribune declared that the US is in fact at war with Russia. This war-themed delirium is quite dangerous because hawks in the US and Russia desperately need a perpetual escalation to prove their point: that the other side is inherently aggressive and measures need to be taken in that regard. This, in turn, leads to the degradation of democracy and could potentially provoke a real conflict. When you convince the entire population of a country that it is at war even if, truly, there is none in sight demands for democratic procedure, due process, deliberation and nuance vanish into thin air. The Kremlins propaganda has succeeded in achieving that over and over again, like it did in 2014, when it persuaded most Russians and Crimeans that the annexation of the peninsula is an act of defence against the existential threat posed by Ukrainian nationalists and their Western backers. Now, the US has been sucked into the whirlpool of collective hysteria and it is gradually adopting Stalin-esque language of espionage and foreign agents. The use of this new rhetoric was particularly spectacular in the case of Maria Butina an unregistered Russian lobbyist who liaised between the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Russian Senator Aleksandr Torshin. The latter has been trying to replicate the NRA on Russian soil as part of the Kremlins campaign to promote conservative values. On the other hand, as follows from Butina indictment, he hoped to revive Russo-American relations after the election of Donald Trump by establishing a backchannel of communication with the new administration via NRA. At least for now, it appears that Butina has been involved in what thousands of Americans are doing all around the world notably in Russia and neighbouring countries trying to establish links with like-minded political forces and influence the local political process. Reading Butinas indictment, you wont find anyone stealing classified information, adopting false identities, employing sophisticated spying equipment or doing anything that feels remotely illegal, apart from not registering as a foreign agent under the 1938 Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) a badly outdated anti-Nazi legislation. More recently, the Kremlin pointed to FARA when it was criticised for adopting a foreign agent law and using it to persecute independent NGOsmonitoring elections or defending political activists in Russia. Yet, Butina was charged not even under FARA, but under subsequent Cold War era legislation that applies vaguely worded terms such as espionage-like activities inviting for a great deal of arbitrariness in delivering judgement. Of course Putin must now be feeling completely vindicated for reviving the Stalin-era phraseology, now that his adversary is using it infinitely more frequently than he could have ever allowed himself in Russia. Worse than that, Butina case gives the Kremlin a free rein in applying the same loose definition of espionage to opposition-minded Russians and those Americans who they have ever interacted with them. It also indeed kills the possibility of informal diplomacy, which has traditionally been the strongest side of American soft power on the post-Soviet space. This entire phenomenon stems from the stubborn denial by some Americans that we live in a highly globalised world, where the domestic politics of old sovereign nation-states are considerably less important than transnational political alliances that unite people on either side of the global political barricade, which cuts through each nation. The alliance of Trump, Putin and the European far right is a prominent example. They are also infinitely less important than transnational business interests which unite Russias oil mafia state with banking and real estate industries in Britain, Switzerland and the US. The 1930s language simply fails to accurately define the actions of Russians politically involved in the US or Americans in the former USSR. For example, Russias turn to largely fake conservatism and traditional values, undertaken by Putin in response to the mass protests of 2011-2012, was largely inspired by and copycatted from American Bible Belt conservatism. Does this mean that when Jack Hanick a founding producer of Fox News set up the transnational media empire of the ultra-right, pro-Kremlin oligarch Konstantin Malofeev and helped to promote pro-Kremlin narratives in Russia and Europe, he was part of a conspiracy to keep Putin in power? Was self-professed information warfare expert Molly McKew working as an agent when she advised ostensibly pro-Western Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat on whose watch Kremlin-linked oligarchs laundered over $20bn through Moldovas banking system? And for whom? The US? Russia? The mafia state? The situation is even more surreal with Paul Manafort who is facing charges of working as an unregistered foreign agent on behalf of no, not Russia or Putin but Ukraine. Manaforts work in Ukraine was largely aimed at steering the country towards the EU until his boss, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, abruptly suspended the process of European integration in favour of a union with Russia. In that case, whose interests was Manafort defending, apart from his own financial ones? And then there is George Soros, who hired Soviet dissident Gleb Pavlovsky to lead one of his key civil society projects when he visited the USSR just before its collapse in 1990. In the 2000s, Pavlovsky went on to become a key architect of Putins regime and the Kremlins main spin doctor. So following the logic of the New York Magazines article alleging that Trump was recruited by the KGB during a 1987 visit to Russia, should we suspect Soros of being a secret Putin ally? The texture of modern global society, where no country apart from North Korea enjoys a hermetic political isolation, renders this rhetoric about foreign agents and conspiracies both irrelevant and misleading. The first step towards creating a new language that reflects our reality is to stop imagining the world as a set of separate and independent nation-states and realise that there are global political, economic and cultural dimensions that trump obsolete national divisions and alliances. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. US president says no preconditions for talks but top Iranian official says meeting must include return to nuclear deal. President Donald Trump, who has pulled the United States out of a multinational nuclear deal with Iran and has repeatedly attacked the government in Tehran, has said he is willing to meet the Iranian leadership with no preconditions. Trump made the comments on Monday during a joint White House news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I dont know that theyre ready yet. I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal. I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet and Im ready to meet any time that they want to, he said in Washington, DC, after being asked whether he would be willing to meet his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani. {articleGUID} Trump said he had no preconditions for a meeting with the Iranians, adding: If they want to meet, Ill meet. His remarks come amid heightened rhetoric in the wake of the US withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal with world powers in May and its reimposition of sanctions against Iran. Washington has since threatened countries with financial consequences if they did not halt all imports of Iranian oil from November 4. An adviser to the Iranian president said on Tuesday that any talks with the US had to start with reducing hostility and a return to the nuclear deal. Respect for the great nation of Iran, reduction in hostilities, US returning to the nuclear deal That will open the rocky path of the moment, wrote Hamid Aboutalebi on Twitter. Earlier this month, Rouhani hinted that Iran may block regional oil exports if its own sales are halted following the US withdrawal from the deal, which was signed in 2015 by the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union. Do not play with the lions tail or else you will regret it, Rouhani said in a speech in Tehran, reiterating that the US cannot prevent it from exporting its crude oil to the international market. Peace with Iran would be the mother of all peace and war with Iran would be the mother of all wars, he added. In response, Trump said sent out a late-night tweet directed at Rouhani and written entirely in capital letters: Never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before. To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2018 Trumps post on Twitter resembled ones he issued last year to warn North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme before he met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in the first US-North Korean summit, where both sides declared a new friendship and made vague pledges of nuclear disarmament. Al Jazeeras Alan Fisher, reporting from the White House, said Trumps comments at the news conference came as a surprise. Some people would say this is classic Donald Trump he has been under pressure over the last couple of days and suddenly he is giving the American media this bone to pursue, which is a possible meeting with Rouhani, said Fisher, citing Trumps verbal criticism of Kim before meeting him. There are voices in this White House, senior voices, who have been highly critical of the Iranian government, who have called for its removal but if they are told by Donald Trump, I want this to happen, then there is a real possibility that this could happen. Some of these voices include US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, who have used aggressive rhetoric towards Iran. Trump has previously suggested that Iranian leaders would request a new deal, but Iran has rejected talks on several occasions. Iran stated its interest in keeping the nuclear deal alive, but only if the remaining powers could guarantee that it would not face economic isolation under Washingtons sanctions. In May, Pompeo set out 12 tough demands for inclusion in a new nuclear treaty with Iran. Those came across more as conditions of surrender [to the Iranians] than the beginning of new talks, said Al Jazeeras Zein Basravi, reporting from Tehran. Commenting on Trumps statement, Basravi said his no preconditions remark was a departure from Pompeos speech. Iranian leaders here, one and all, do not believe in the fact that they can trust Trump or anyone from the Trump administration, he said. Its not so much a trust gap as it is a gorge. Authorities say 28.9 million people out of total 32.9 million population included in final draft citizenship list. Guwahati, India The names of about four million people in Indias Assam state are not included in the final draft list of citizens published by authorities on Monday. The draft list, called the National Register of Citizens (NRC), was announced on Monday by the Registrar General of India (RGI), which said that out of the 32.9 million population of the border state, 28.9 million names were included in the final draft of the NRC. No genuine Indian citizens need to worry as there will be ample opportunities given to them to enlist their names in the final list, Shailesh, the registrar general of India, told reporters Guwahati city. The definitive list will be announced in December. In the first list announced on December 31, 2017, 19 million people were designated as legal citizens. The NRC has been updated after nearly seven decades as part of a campaign to identify undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh, but critics say those who are not included on the list may be rendered stateless. The list can be checked online or by visiting one of the 2,500 NRC Seva Kendras (service centres) set up across the state. The results can also be accessed via SMS on request. Retired army officers name missing A retired army officer who served for around 30 years has found his name missing from the final draft. Im hurt. This is what I had to see after serving the nation for three decades. I have no words to say, said Azmal Haque, 50, a resident of Chhaygaon in Kamrup district, who retired as a junior commissioned officer (JCO) in 2016. This is very unfortunate if the system runs like this. If it can happen to a retired army officer what will be the fate of common people, Haque told Al Jazeera. Haque was served a notice to prove his citizenship by the Foreigners Tribunal in 2017. Later Assam police had said that it was a case of mistaken identity. I had submitted all the documents that was required. Haques son and daughter too failed to make it to the final draft. Women stand next to police as they wait to check their names on the draft list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) [File: Anuwar Hazarika/Reuters] The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) General Secretary Aminul Islam said his party was shocked to see the number of people left off the list. Its quite a huge number. We are shocked, said Islam from the AIUDF party, which fights for the rights of people of Bengali origin in the state. There are several objections. The update process was being done under the supervision of the Supreme Court but it was unfortunate to see the intervention of the state government on several occasions. We will approach the court later, Islam told Al Jazeera. But for the time being, we appeal to the people to maintain peace and harmony. Human rights activist Suhas Chakma dubbed the NRC list the biggest exercise for disenfranchisement in human history. The National Register of Citizens is the biggest exercise for disenfranchisement in human history. This NRC has few parallels such as expulsion of 300,000 Indian origins persons by General Ne Win of Myanmar in 1960s, expulsion of over 80,000 Indian origin people by Idi Amin of Uganda, the denial of citizenship to over 500,000 Indian origin Tamils by successive governments of Sri Lanka and in the last three decades, the expulsions of the Rohingyas by Myanmar, Chakma, Director of the Rights and Risks Analysis Group, said in a statement. Time for corrections Rajnath Singh, Indias interior minister, said those whose names are not included on the list should not worry. {articleGUID} Even if someone didnt find their names in the final NRC, they can go to the foreigners tribunals, Singh told local media. All individuals will be given a fair chance. On Sunday, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda also said there would be time to file objections to the list. They will get adequate opportunities to file claims and objections pertaining to their rights, he wrote on Twitter. I reiterate that no genuine Indian citizen will be devoid of their citizenship rights. So no one should panic after publication of the final draft of NRC. I also urge people not to make any communal statements and remain watchful against falling prey to rumours. Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) July 29, 2018 NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela had earlier told Al Jazeera that people can apply for corrections from August 30 to September 28. If their names are not in the final draft, it doesnt mean that these people are illegal, Hajela said. This is just a draft and Im telling you that these people will be given ample opportunities for claims and objections. So, there is no reason to fear. All Assam Minority Students Union President Rezaul Karim Sarkar said that no genuine Indian citizens should be left out. We want to appeal to the NRC coordinator and also the government to be very careful in verifying these people who are left out, Karim said. I appeal to all, including the political parties, not to play politics with these 40 lakh [4 million] people as the final list is yet to come out. Security tightened Security has been put on high alert, with section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code imposed in seven of the states 33 districts. Under section 144, the assembly of more than four people is prohibited. More than 22,000 additional paramilitary personnel have also been deployed across the northeastern state. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel stand guard at a temporary camp ahead of the publication of the first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) [File: Anuwar Hazarika/Reuters] The countrys Supreme Court which supervised the entire process had initially set June 30 as the deadline to publish the final list. But this was postponed to July 30, as the massive exercise could not be completed. Unique to Assam state, the NRC document was first prepared in 1951 to distinguish Indian citizens from undocumented immigrants from then-East Pakistan (which later became Bangladesh in 1971). The cutoff date to be eligible for Indian citizenship is March 24, 1971, as per the Assam Accord signed in 1985. The people or their descendants whose names appeared in the NRC 1951, or in any of the electoral rolls up to March 24, 1971, or in any of the other recognised official documents issued up until midnight of the same day are eligible to be included in the final draft. Assam has witnessed prolonged protests against so-called foreigners, which includes both Hindus and Muslims. The arrival of millions of refugees in 1971 when Bangladesh seceded from Pakistan after a bloody civil war brought the issue of these so-called foreigners in national focus. After declaring four million people illegal, Al Jazeera takes a closer look at controversial draft citizenship list. India has effectively stripped four million people in Assam of citizenship, sparking fears of mass deportations of Muslims from the northeastern state. But authorities assured that those who could not make it to the draft list will not face immediate deportation or be arrested. People will be given time to file for corrections, Indian officials said. The definitive list will be announced in December. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) published its final draft of citizens on Monday, and ruled that of the 32.9 million population of the state, only 28.9 million names were included in the final draft. The right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power on the promise to expel the so-called illegal foreigners and protect the rights of indigenous groups. Critics say the move to strip the citizenship of Bengali origin people, most of whom are Muslims, is similar to Myanmars removal of rights and protections for its Rohingya community. Muslims form one-third of the states population. What is the NRC list and who can be included? Unique to Assam state, the NRC document was prepared in 1951 to distinguish Indian citizens from undocumented immigrants from what was then East Pakistan (which later became Bangladesh in 1971). The cutoff date to be eligible for Indian citizenship is March 24, 1971, as per the Assam Accord signed in 1985. The people or their descendants whose names appeared in the NRC 1951, or in any of the electoral rolls up to March 24, 1971, or in any of the other recognised official documents issued up until midnight of the same period should be included in the final draft. Assam has witnessed prolonged protests against so-called foreigners, which includes both Hindus and Muslims. The arrival of millions of refugees to Assam in 1971 when Bangladesh seceded from Pakistan after a bloody civil war brought the issue of these so-called foreigners into national focus. It ignited Assams biggest and deadliest anti-foreigners agitation between the late-1970s to the mid-1980s. About 2,000 Muslims, including children, were massacred in a single day in Assams Nellie village in 1983 at the height of the anti-foreigners agitation. The Assam Accord, which was signed between the government and the protesters, was able to bring a consensus on the eligibility criteria for citizenship. What happens to those who arent on the list? Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the Indian citizens whose names are not included in Mondays list need not worry. READ MORE As Assam counts its citizens, Muslims fear they may be left out They will get adequate opportunities to file claims and objections pertaining to their rights, Sonowal wrote in a post on Twitter. NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela said that people can apply for these claims, objections and corrections from August 30 to September 28. If their names are not in the final draft, it doesnt mean that these people are illegal, Hajela told Al Jazeera. This is just a draft and Im telling you that these people will be given ample opportunities for claims and objections. So, there is no reason to fear. Aman Wadud, who practices at Guwahati High Court, said that people will get a chance through the claims and objection process. This is only a draft, not the final NRC. No one is becoming stateless. No one is becoming a foreigner. There is nothing to be worried about, he said. But I believe most of the people who have been dropped, will be included. You have cases where one sibling is there and the other isnt. The parents names are there, the childrens names are not. Husbands names are there, their wives are not. Why this has happened the NRC will answer. But as of now, this draft does not render anyone stateless. Will the NRC resolve the citizenship issue? Activists and experts say the NRC process is not likely to solve the contentious citizenship issue as tens of thousands of people who have been marked as Doubtful or D voters, their descendants and those With pending cases in the Foreigners Tribunal are not being considered by the NRC authorities. Indias Election Commission introduced the concept of D voters in 1997 under which a persons citizenship rights are stripped. There are around 125,000 D voters and more than 131,000 cases pending in the Foreigners Tribunal. In many cases, earlier documented by Al Jazeera, people have faced harassment and discrimination, with several individuals falsely marked D voters or declared foreigners. Under the BJP government, which came to power in 2016, some 15,000 people were declared foreigners last year alone which means more than 1,000 per month. Around 90,000 people were declared foreigners between 1985-2016. Brazil: Many alarmed over boost to pesticide use in agriculture Families slam commission recommendation on easing restrictions on deadly pesticides that are contaminating the environment and causing sky-high cancer rates and other health crises. Phnom Penh There were 20 parties running in Sundays election in Cambodia, but for Leakhana, who asked that her real name not be used, the choice was obvious. All, she said, admitting that she spoiled her ballot by ticking every box. Preliminary results suggest that the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) won about 77 percent of the vote, with more than 82 percent turnout. Party spokesman Sok Eysan said the results suggest that the ruling party likely won every seat in parliament, though he could not yet confirm. The win solidifies Prime Minister Hun Sens grip on power, after serving for more than three decades. But as the results were tallied Sunday night, in polling station after polling station the second highest vote was like Leakhanas: no one. While the final results have yet to be released, the latest figures collected by the CPP suggest Sundays election saw a more than 500 percent increase in the number of spoiled ballots from the 2013 election, from 1.6 percent to 9.11. The election commission put the figure closer to 8.5 percent. In Phnom Penh, 14.4 percent of votes cast were invalid. In 2013, that figure was just 0.99 percent. In all, hundreds of thousands of Cambodians spoiled their ballots yesterday, quietly protesting what many have deemed to be the countrys least free election yet. Crackdown on opposition The governments main opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was dissolved last year, leaving 19 small parties many of them little known to contest the CPP. When the CNRP called for a voting boycott, the government retaliated with heavy-handed threats against abstainers. {articleGUID} Pressured by local authorities who vowed to withhold basic services from nonvoters, bosses who warned they would dock wages, and senior officials threatening that boycotters would be arrested as traitors, many Cambodians said they were afraid to stay home on election day. Once inside the polling booth, however, they lodged a silent objection. Now that theyve dissolved the CNRP, I dont know what to do or who to vote for, said Lyda, who like many opposition supporters interviewed asked that her real name not be used. Her village ramshackle temporary housing located off a dusty street on the outskirts of Phnom Penh skewed heavily CNRP in both the 2013 national election and last years commune election. After the CNRP was dissolved and its president imprisoned on treason charges, however, the newly elected commune councillors were forced to defect to the CPP or step down and be replaced by ruling party members. Over the past few months, the ruling party officials here have drilled into voters precisely which number to tick. They come by and say, look, we provided you good roads and schools. If you dont vote for us, you wont get good services. And then they give us 20,000 riel ($5) and say dont forget to vote number 20, Lyda explained a few days before the election. She grudgingly admitted she would likely spoil her ballot. Back then I was so enthusiastic and wanted to go vote. Now I dont have any interest but I need to go. Difficult to boycott Katrin Travouillon, a Cambodian politics researcher at the Australian National University, said the pressure on people to turn up Sunday was enormous. {articleGUID} It was especially difficult for the people in the countryside [to boycott.], she said. The CPPs control over all details of the administration down to the village level means that repercussions are swift and with devastating impact on peoples daily lives: Marriage licenses are being denied, land registrations get lost etc Everyone knows of or has heard of such examples. On his Facebook page, Prime Minister Hun Sen applauded the turnout and the results. Thank you, dear compatriots, for casting your votes today! You did choose the democratic way and used your right as stipulated in the constitution, the supreme law of the country, he wrote. Echoing other party and government statements, Hun Sen touted the turnout as an indication of democratic support. People line up to vote at a polling station during a general election in Phnom Penh [Darren Whiteside/Reuters] But turnout, too, likely represents a drop from previous elections. While turnout in the last national election was just 69 percent, those figures came before the voter list was cleaned of duplicates and ghost voters. In the 2017 commune elections, turnout was over 90 percent. The drop was particularly marked in former CNRP strongholds like Phnom Penh, in which turnout appears to have decreased by 13 percent since 2017, based on preliminary results. It was a sham election and we knew it from the very beginning, Mu Sochua, CNRP deputy president, speaking at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday morning. It was a scenario set from Mr Hun Sen way ahead when it was clear from the 2013 elections, that 2017 elections, that the CPP would totally lose [the election]. The people of Cambodia in 2018 would have never given Mr Hun Sen a chance to lead the country. Additional reporting by Len Leng from Phnom Penh. The armed drones are currently deployed to Nigers Air Base 101 in the capital, Niamey. The United States militarys Africa Command has confirmed that its forces began deploying armed drones in Niger earlier this year. The West African countrys government granted American forces permission in November 2017 to arm their drones but neither side had previously confirmed their deployment. In coordination with the Government of Niger, US Africa Command has armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft already in Niger to improve our combined ability to respond to threats and other security issues in the region. Armed ISR aircraft began flying in early 2018, Samantha Reho, spokeswoman for US Africa Command told The Associated Press on Monday. The armed drones are currently deployed to Nigers Air Base 101 in the capital, Niamey. Reho said the effort was supported by Nigers government, describing it as part of the long-term strategic partnership between the two countries to counter armed groups in the region. In 2013, Niger gave permission for US surveillance drones to be stationed on its territory with the intention of improving intelligence on al-Qaeda-linked fighters in northern Mali and the wider Sahara. The US military presence in Niger has expanded in recent years to an 800-strong force that accompanies Nigerien troops on intelligence gathering and other missions. An ambush claimed by a local Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) affiliate in western Niger last October killed four US soldiers. Groups based in neighbouring Mali have also struck military and civilian targets as far afield as Ivory Coast. MQ-9 drones currently flying out of Niamey will eventually be moved to Nigerien Air Base 201, which is being built in Agadez, on the edge of the Sahara Desert, according to The Associated Press. The $110m project is the largest troop labour construction project in US history, according to Air Force officials. The drones range enables them to reach a number of West and North African countries. US drone attacks The military views the drones as a cost-efficient way to counter armed groups, but the US programme has been heavily criticised for many of its operations one example is the ones that have taken place in Pakistan. The New America Foundation tracks US drone raids in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. According to its data, the US has carried a total of 414 drone attacks in Pakistan since 2004, with 245 to 303 civilian casualties, and an overall estimation of 2,366 to 3,700 people dead. In Yemen, there has been a total of 267 drone attacks since 2002, with 111 to 142 civilian casualties, and an overall estimation of 1,330 to 1,716 people dead. And in Somalia, there have been a total of 92 drone attacks since 2003, with 22 to 37 civilian casualties, and an overall estimation of 666 to 743 people dead. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which tracks US drone raids and other covert actions operations in several countries, says the US has carried out a minimum of 4,076 attacks in Afghanistan since 2015, with 3,594 to 4,879 people reported killed, including 150 to 313 civilians and 36 to 77 children. The move comes weeks after Eritrea and Ethiopia signed an historic peace deal, establishing relations between the two. The presidents of Eritrea and Somalia have signed an agreement to restore their countries relations after years of animosity. Yemane Meskel, Eritreas information minister, shared a joint statement on Twitter as Somalias President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed concluded an historic three-day visit to Eritrea. The countries have not had diplomatic ties for nearly 15 years. The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors, read a joint declaration on brotherly relations signed in the capital, Asmara, by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed. After signing the agreement, Somali president called for the lifting of sanctions on Eritrea, imposed over the countrys alleged support for the al-Shabab armed group in Somalia. We urge all economic sanctions and embargo imposed on the people of Eritrea must be lifted so that the economic integration of the Horn of Africa region can be realised, Mohamed said. President Isaias Afwerki and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed today signed in Asmara the "Eritrea-Somalia Joint Declaration on Brotherly Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation"; https://t.co/Zf3dK5yBSg pic.twitter.com/E2WSZcvsPy Yemane G. Meskel (@hawelti) July 30, 2018 Matt Bryden, chairman of Sahan, a think-tank covering the Horn of Africa, described Mondays development as good news. {articleGUID} Eritrea and Ethiopia have had poor relations because of Eritreas support for groups like al-Shabab and other opposition groups in Somalia, Bryden told Al Jazeera. That support has diminished in recent years, and there really hasnt been a confrontation between the two governments, he said. Its a thawing of relationships, but its not as direct or as important as the Ethiopian-Eritrean truce. That peace deal was signed earlier this month, when Ethiopia and Eritrea declared their state of war over, ending a decades-long frozen conflict over border disputes that hurt both countries. The region has been destroyed by ethnic and clan cleavage and external pillage and internal thievery, Isaias said on Monday, referring to the deals. But this epoch of crises, conflict and instability is not inherently sustainable, he added. As such, it is nearing its end. We are indeed entering a new, transitional, phase. However, Bryden said it still remains to be seen what will actually change in the wake of Mondays agreement. Eritrea has been in a state of virtual isolation for two decades and Somalia is rebuilding after two and a half decades of horrific civil war and still faces a widespread insurgency by al-Shabab, he said. Neither country is in a position to help the other. {articleGUID} Bryden believes the rapprochement between the two countries could partially be an attempt to attract foreign investors. Some of this is public diplomacy to show the region, one another and international partners, that the Horn of Africa is more stable, that its leaders are less polarised and becoming more pragmatic and open, he said. Bryden also raised the issue of the political relationship Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia have with Gulf countries. Eritrea and Ethiopia both have fairly close ties with the United Arab Emirates and Eritrea hosts a UAE military base which is actively involved in the conflict in Yemen. Somalia, on the other hand, has a very poor relationship with the UAE, according to Bryden. Mogadishu is more closely aligned with Qatar, so its not clear how Somalia is going to walk this tightrope between these two camps and where its going to take Somalia next. Ethiopia, which is undergoing lightning reforms under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has also requested that sanctions be lifted against Eritrea. After Ethiopias peace agreement with Eritrea, its other neighbour and rival Djibouti asked the UN Security Council for help mediating a long-standing border dispute that has soured relations with Asmara. Latest report into missing MH370 fails to unravel mystery Lead investigator into disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight, with 239 people on board, is not ruling out foul play. A yes vote would pave way for resolving a long-running row with Greece and clearing the path to join NATO and the EU. Macedonia will hold a high-stakes referendum on a proposed name change for the country on September 30, legislators have decided. Last month, Skopje and Athens signed an historic deal to rename the small landlocked country to Republic of Northern Macedonia, in an effort to bring an end to a 27-year bitter dispute. Greece has objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia because it has a northern province of the same name, accusing Skopje of territorial ambitions and appropriating its cultural heritage. Apart from resolving the long-running fight with Greece, a name change would also pave the way for the former Yugoslav republic to join NATO and start accession talks with the European Union. On Monday, a total of 68 out of the 120 Macedonian legislators approved the referendum question supported by the socialist government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, which, however, does not spell out the new name clearly. {articleGUID} On September 30 the public will be asked: Are you for EU and NATO membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece? The nationalist opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, which opposes the referendum, boycotted the parliamentary vote by leaving the room, signalling a rocky road ahead. The question is ambiguous and multifaceted, and above all manipulative, said Igor Janusev, a leading member of VMRO-DPMNE. A yes vote would involve more than changing the constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Zaevs socialist government will have to remove references to the Macedonian people as an indigenous race, implying ancient heritage. He will also have to remove references to past struggles to unite all Macedonians from Skopje to the Aegean, implying irredentist claims on Greek territory. {articleGUID} Then, by the end of the year, Greece would have to ratify the agreement in Parliament, and lift its veto on the countrys entry into the EU and NATO. Official entry would happen well in advance of elections scheduled for the autumn of 2019 in both countries. Macedonia lies north of Greece, west of EU-member Bulgaria, and east of non-EU member Albania, which signed a cooperation deal with the bloc in February. Macedonia and Greece have had a dispute over the formers name for decades. The historical region of Macedonia, includes the modern Greek region and some territory within what is now the sovereign state of Macedonia. The Greek region was the birthplace of Alexander the Great born in Pella 356BC, northwest of Greeces second-biggest city of Thessaloniki whose empire stretched from Greece to India. Report says controls possibly manipulated to take Malaysian Airlines off course but remains unknown who is responsible. Investigators have released a report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, saying that the Boeing 777s controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course but they were not able to determine who was responsible. Published on Monday, the 495-page report draws no conclusion about what happened on board the plane that vanished with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, leaving one of the worlds greatest aviation mysteries unsolved. The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found, Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters. On May 29, Malaysia called off a three-month search by US firm Ocean Infinity, which spanned 112,000 sq km in the southern Indian Ocean and ended with no significant findings. It was the second major search after Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless $147m search across an area of 120,000 sq km last year. Malaysian and international investigators have been looking into why the jet veered thousands of miles off course from its scheduled route before eventually plunging into the Indian Ocean. The last communication from the plane was from the Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah who signed off with Good night, Malaysian three seven zero, as the plane left the Malaysian airspace and later turned off course. A 440-page final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) last year showed that Zaharie had flown a route on his home flight simulator six weeks earlier that was initially similar to the one actually taken by MH370. The Malaysian police previously concluded there was no unusual activity on the home simulator. Kok said the investigators examined the history of the pilot and the first officer, and they were satisfied with their background and training and mental health. We are not of the opinion it could have been an event committed by the pilots, he said, but added they were not ruling out any possibility since the in-air turn back was done manually and the systems in the plane were also manually turned off. We cannot exclude that there was an unlawful interference by a third party, Kok said. He added all the passengers of the 15 countries had their backgrounds checked by their respective countries and all came back with a clean bill of health. Conspiracy theories The inability to locate MH370s crash site has fuelled conspiracy theories and online debates over the past four years. Theories range from mechanical error or a remote-controlled crash, to more bizarre explanations like alien abduction and a Russian plot. {articleGUID} Kok said they looked into each theory and rumour raised on social media. We had over 60 allegations we removed them one-by-one and saw what remained behind, Kok said. The report said there was no sign the plane was evading radar detection or that it was taken over by remote control. No irregularities were found in the onboard cargo, which included items like lithium batteries and about 2,500kg of mangosteen. Mistakes made In all, 27 pieces of aircraft debris have been collected from various places around the world but only three wing fragments that washed up along the Indian Ocean coast have been confirmed to be from MH370. Malaysias newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said the country would consider resuming the search only if new clues come to light. Investigators highlighted some mistakes made by the Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control centres and made safety recommendations to ensure such incidents do not occur again. Transport Minister Antony Loke said in a statement that Malaysia would investigate any misconduct committed based on the findings. The next-of-kin of the passengers were briefed on the final report by investigators earlier on Monday. We hope that these mistakes will not be repeated and that measures are put in place to prevent them in the future, said Grace Nathan, a lawyer whose mother, Anne Daisy, was on the plane. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing had paid close attention to the MH370 investigation. We hope that all sides can continue to remain in close contact and coordination, to properly carry out relevant follow-up work, he told a daily news briefing, without elaborating. The majority of passengers on board were Chinese. Nicaragua forces continue to patrol protest city of Masaya International and local human rights organisations in Nicaragua say that paramilitary groups working for the government are kidnapping and killing citizens with impunity. Officials have summoned one of the Ukraines biggest gas tycoons for questioning over his links to $1.5bn that was found by prosecutors to have been stolen by former President Viktor Yanukovych. An investigation by Al Jazeera revealed Pavel Fuchss connections to the dirty money in January. The oligarch, communicating via his Telegram channel, confirmed that he will meet prosecutors on August 22 and says he will answer all the investigations questions. Fuchs will face questions about a case opened in May last year that focuses on assisting the unidentified persons of a criminal organisation whose actions could have compromised the seizure of the $1.5bn. After Ukraines revolution in February 2014, asset-tracing experts uncovered $1.5bn held in bonds in a number of Cyprus-based shell companies. They said the bonds had been illegally issued and linked the money to people close to Yanukovych, the overthrown president. A Ukraine court ordered an asset seizure in March last year, but prosecutors suppressed the court documents under secrecy laws. Al Jazeera released the 99-page order in January, which specified the companies involved and relied on information gleaned from a straw-man a proxy or nominee director of one of the Cyprus shell companies. Anti-corruption campaigners in Ukraine are concerned that the secretive legal process used to seize the $1.5bn was flawed. That might give Yanukovychs associates grounds for a legal challenge aimed at getting the money back. Documents released by Al Jazeera in January show that Fuchs negotiated to buy a Cyprus company that held $160m of stolen assets linked to Yanukovych. They were a part of the total $1.5bn. It sounds like an agreement between criminal bosses, said anti-corruption campaigner Daria Kaleniuk at the time. You can sign it with your blood. Fuchs negotiated the deal alongside another energy tycoon already facing separate corruption charges, Alexander Onyschenko. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Onyschenko denied the deal went ahead. It was like normal business, but this has not happened. We didnt buy. Fugitive businessman Al Jazeeras Investigative Unit exposed the prospective seller of Quickpace the $160m company as fugitive businessman Sergey Kurchenko. We tracked him down to Moscow, where he travels to work in a bulletproof, chauffeur-driven car and is guarded by former special-forces soldiers. Neither Fuchs, nor Kurchenko responded to Al Jazeera requests to comment on the deal. Fuchs later told Ukrainian journalists he had not been involved. A gas and real estate mogul, Fuchs built his political connections and business empire in Russia. In recent years, he has moved many of his business operations from Moscow to Kiev, where he has built up a huge portfolio of gas production licences. In April, Ukraines Anti-Corruption Action Centre reported that he had taken control of 19 permits, making him the second biggest operator behind former Yanukovych minister Mykola Zlochevsky. He has negotiated several times with Donald Trump and his son about building a Moscow hotel, although it has never materialised. Fuchs was photographed meeting the US presidents lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, last year. Despite his powerful friends, the oligarch was arrested and denied entry to the US late last year. He is also reported to be the focus of renewed investigations by law enforcement agencies in numerous countries, including the US and is said by one such agency to be aligning himself with criminal figures in Ukraine and laundering Yanukovych assets into the country. Opposition leaders called for a boycott of the vote, which critics say is a power grab by President Azali Assoumani. Votes are being counted in Comoros highly controversial referendum that could replace the current system of rotating power between islands and extend the rule of President Azali Assoumani. Comorans were asked to vote on Monday on changes to the constitution put forward by Assoumani, a move critics say is a power grab intended to extend his presidential term, which is due to end in 2021. But turnout was low at several polling stations in the capital, Moroni, according to AFP news agency, after opposition leaders called for a boycott of the poll, which has been marred by a crackdown on dissent. Ahmed el-Barwane, secretary-general of the opposition Juwa party, told AFP that people were sending a strong message to the government by not turning out at the ballot. Two ballot boxes were destroyed at a polling station in the Hankounou district of Moroni, located on the island of Grande Comore. A police officer was injured with a blade in the incident and taken to hospital. Speaking in his home village of Mitsoudje on Monday, Assoumani called the incident an isolated case, adding that there had been one case of trouble on the island of Anjouan. Under the current constitution, power rotates between the countrys three main islands every five years as a means of power balancing in the country, which ranks among the worlds poorest. {articleGUID} If the reform passes, this system would be replaced by a president who can serve a maximum of two five-year terms. Assoumani would also gain the power to scrap other constitutional checks and balances, including the countrys three vice presidencies and a clause on secularism, which would be replaced by a statement confirming Islam as the religion of the state. Ninety-nine percent of Comorans are Sunni Muslims. If Assoumanis reforms pass, he is expected to hold early elections next year, but has promised to step down if he loses Mondays vote, according to his spokesman Mohamed Ismailla. Having taken power in a military coup, Assoumani served as president between 1999 and 2002. He stepped down in 2006, after winning the countrys first multiparty elections in 2002. He returned to the countrys top post in 2016, following an election blighted by violence and allegations of voting irregularities. Results are expected by late Monday or early Tuesday. Crushing opposition The referendum takes place amid a crackdown on dissent on the Indian Ocean archipelago, which has suffered numerous coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In April, Assoumani suspended the Constitutional Court over incompetence. His spokesperson said at the time that the institution had become useless, superfluous and incompetent. {articleGUID} Assoumani outlawed demonstrations in May and the former President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi was placed under house arrest after returning from abroad. While in the following month, Ahmed Said Jaffar, one of the countrys vice presidents was stripped of all but one of his ministerial roles after urging Comorans to reject the dangerous abuse of power in the referendum. On July 22, gunmen on motorcycles attempted to assassinate one of the countrys vice presidents, Moustoidrane Abdou, who escaped the attack. Saudi halts oil shipments through key strait after Houthi attacks Oil shipments through strategic Red Sea lane suspended after Yemens rebels attack two tankers in the waterway. Meetings in Black Sea resort city held within the framework of Astana diplomatic track also attended by UN officials. Delegations from the Syrian government and the political opposition have arrived in the Russian city of Sochi for talks on the war in Syria, which are spearheaded by Russia, Turkey and Iran. The meetings, which began on Monday and will end on Tuesday, are held within the framework of the Astana diplomatic track, which is sponsored by the three nations and is separate to UN-led efforts in Geneva. Among those attending the 10th round of the Astana-format talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi are Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, and officials from Jordan. Ahmed Tumah, the former head of the Syrian interim government, is representing the High Negotiations Committee, the main opposition bloc. Bashar Jaafari, Syrias ambassador to the UN, is present on behalf of the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad. The talks will address various humanitarian issues, as well as the latest situation in the so-called de-escalation zones that once included four provinces. Idlib, the last rebel-held stronghold in the country, is part of the Russian-brokered de-escalation agreements aiming to shore up ceasefires in parts of western Syria. The province bordering Turkey is home to nearly three million people, including opposition fighters and their families. The focus of the talks will also be on the return of Syrian refugees to the country, the release of detainees and the establishment of a committee tasked with rewriting the Syrian constitution. Failed negotiations {articleGUID} The main aims of both diplomatic tracks Astana and Geneva have been to achieve a political transition and a military ceasefire in Syria, but the main sticking point has been the fate of Assad. While the Syrian government has consistently refused to agree to Assad stepping down, the opposition says his removal is a prerequisite to peace. Talks for nearly years have utilised a two-year-old UN Security Council resolution endorsed by de Mistura as the basis for achieving a political transition plan. The Geneva talks have been at a standstill for the past six months. During the ninth Astana meeting held in May, all parties agreed to maintain the de-escalation zones that were meant to observe a ceasefire. But since the start of 2018, forces loyal to Assad have retaken large swaths of land from armed opposition groups. Backed militarily by Russia, the government launched two main offensives in Eastern Ghouta, near the capital, Damascus and southwest Syria despite both being designated as de-escalation zones. The government has since managed to relocate rebels to the north via a series of evacuation deals. High turnout in presidential poll seen as two-horse race between Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa. Harare, Zimbabwe Vote counting has started in Zimbabwes first general election since long-term President Robert Mugabe was pushed out of office last year. Electoral officials said turnout at Mondays vote averaged 75 percent. It is our view that the high voter turnout is indicative of the sound voter education and publicity conducted on a receptive electorate, Priscilla Chigumba, electoral commission chief, told reporters in the capital, Harare. More than five million people registered to take part in the closely contested elections. {articleGUID} The electoral body said 90 percent of the polling stations had opened on time by 8am local time (05:00 GMT). In the capital, Harare, long queues of voters were formed for several hours prior to the opening of the polls, before easing by mid-afternoon. Polls closed at 17:00 GMT. Twenty-three candidates are competing for the presidency, with incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, of ZANU-PF facing stiff competition from the youthful Nelson Chamisa, the 40-year-old leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Emmerson Mnangagwa casts his ballot in Kwekwe [Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters] Previous elections in Zimbabwe were marred by intimidation and threats but campaigning and voting this time have been relatively peaceful. For the first time since 2002, election observers from the European Union and United States were allowed to monitor the process. Elmar Brok, the EUs chief observer, told Al Jazeera that voting went smoothly in some cases but was disorganised in others. We have seen cases where people waited for six hours because of bad organisation, he said from Harare. {articleGUID} We have seen this in urban areas, in the poor neighbourhoods. We have to check whether thats organised in a certain way or thats the way because of the huge amount of people that came. Brok said there was a lack of transparency in the preparation of the elections, citing the voters list. Also, there was unfairness in the public media in the time of the elections and we have to check whether that had impact on the final outcome of the elections. He added, however: If I compare it to past elections, it is a progress. Meanwhile, the regional body the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) said it was satisfied with the Mondays voting process. So far the elections are going well. The voting has been taken, generally, in a peaceful environment and [an] orderly manner, Manuel Domingos Augusto, Angolas external affairs minister, who is part of SADCs election observation mission, told Al Jazeera. We must congratulate, in advance, the people of Zimbabwe. It looks like it will be a free and fair election, he added. Nelson Chamisa cast his ballot in Harare [Mike Hutchings/Reuters] Earlier in the day, both Mnangagwa and Chamisa were optimistic and promised to deliver change. This country is enjoying democratic space which has never been experienced before, Mnangagwa said after casting his vote in the central city of Kwekwe. For his part, Chamisa went a step ahead. I have no doubt by the end of the day here, we should be very clear as to an emphatic voice for change. And I represent that, Chamisa said after voting in Harare, surrounded by enthusiastic supporters. Voter turnout was high in the countrys first election since Robert Mugabe was pushed out of office last year [Mike Hutchings/Reuters] A presidential runoff will be held on September 8 if a candidate does not secure more than 50 percent of the votes. Official results are expected to be released by Saturday. Parliamentary and local elections are also taking place in the southern African country. Armed attacks or other violence halt voting in three percent of the countrys polling stations, government says. Vote counting is under way in Mali, where violent incidents halted the polling process in about three percent of the countrys voting stations during Sundays presidential election, according to official figures. The crucial vote took place amid a volatile security situation in the countrys north and central regions in the face of continued attacks by armed groups and ethnic clashes. According to figures released on Monday by the Ministry of Territorial Administration, 644 of the roughly 23,000 polling stations were upset by armed attacks or other violence. Voting in 4,632 other sites was also disrupted. The process was briefly suspended at a polling station in a village in the northern region of Kidal after about 10 mortar shells were fired at the village. A Mali-based al-Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack. Separately, gunmen burned polling stations and ballot boxes in the village of Lafia, in the northern Timbuktu region. No one has been reported killed. Soumaila Cisse, the main challenger to incumbent President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, has pressed the government to release a list of the places where voting was disrupted. {articleGUID} Despite these incidents, voting went smoothly in most of Mali. Official results expected to be announced by Friday at the latest. Keita, who is seeking a second five-year term, congratulated the people of Mali on the largely peaceful vote. It is the start of a victory for the people of Mali, who have voted in calm and serenity. This vote will have demonstrated our democratic maturity and our status as a great people, he told reporters. Opinion polls have suggested a tight race between Keita and former economist Cisse, which may result in a runoff vote on August 12. We came here for peace Some 30,000 security personnel were deployed throughout the country before the vote amid security concerns. Al Jazeeras Mohamed Vall, reporting from the Malian capital, Bamako, said that security was a key issue for voters in the face of continued attacks by armed groups and ethnic clashes, mainly in the countrys north and central regions. Opponents of the president blame him for the failure to defeat armed groups and end ethnic violence. His main rival Cisse has gained tremendous support from those who say they are unhappy with the status quo, he said. {articleGUID} Speaking to Al Jazeera, voters said they went to cast their ballots for Mali and for peace, said Vall. Theres a consensus among them that for any democracy to be meaningful, it has to bring peace and stability to the nation. During his campaign, Keita suggested that peace had already been restored to Mali, saying he had toured all over the country and nowhere did I feel afraid. In the past three years, attacks have tripled and violent deaths have doubled, according to civil society website Malilink. More than five million have registered to vote in first poll since 1980 without Robert Mugabe on the ballot. Harare, Zimbabwe Millions of Zimbabweans voted in the countrys first elections since independence in 1980 without the name of long-time leader Robert Mugabe on the ballot. Polling stations opened at 7am (05:00 GMT) on Monday and closed at 7pm (17:00 GMT). Long queues were reported at several polling stations across the country. More than five million Zimbabweans have registered to take part in the landmark elections and pick their next president and members of parliament. A total of 10,985 polling stations have been set up across the country. Twenty-three candidates, 19 men and four women, are running for the presidency all for the first time. The figure marks the highest number of presidential hopefuls since the end of white minority rule in the country of 16 million people. {articleGUID} President Emmerson Mnangagwa, of the ruling ZANU-PF party, and Nelson Chamisa, of the opposition MDC Alliance, are seen as the top two contenders. This country is enjoying democratic space which has never been experienced before, Mnangagwa said after casting his vote in the city of Kwekwe on Monday. https://twitter.com/nelsonchamisa/status/1023872245209460737?ref_src=twsrc^tfw His rival, MDC leader Chamisa said victory for his party is certain barring any ballot mischief. There seems to be a deliberate attempt to suppress and frustrate the urban vote, Chamisa said on Twitter. Good turnout, but the peoples will is being negated and undetermined due to these deliberate and unnecessary delays. A presidential runoff will be held on September 8 if a candidate does not secure more than 50 percent of the votes. Official results are expected to be released by Saturday. Mnangagwa (L) and Chamisa (R) are seen as the top two contenders [Reuters] Peaceful polls Many started to queue long before polls opened despite the chilly weather. Rudo Mhlanga, 32, unemployed [Hamza Mohamed/Al Jazeera] Rudo Mhlanga, 32, arrived at her polling station in the capital, Harare, at 5:30am local time and voted at 7:30am. The queue was a bit long I feel very happy. I really hope for a good outcome, she told Al Jazeera. Elson Gakaka, 59, said: This election is important and Im hoping now is the time that the people will be able to express their wishes and choose their own leader for this country. In the past, elections have not always been good; there would be pre- election violence between parties, there would be people dressed in regalia singing songs, but this time its different, it is peaceful here, he added. Elson Gakaka, 59, self-employed [Hamza Mohamed/Al Jazeera] But for others casting their vote was not a smooth process. I have been told to go to another polling station because my name is not here, Naomi Shoriwa, 32, told Al Jazeera. I came here because it is where I registered. Theres nothing I can do. She was trying to cast her vote in the Mbare area of the capital, Harare. Mugabe breaks his silence Previous elections in Zimbabwe were marred by intimidation and threats but campaigning this time has been relatively peaceful. Elections observers from the European Union and the United States have also been allowed to monitor the vote the first time since 2002. {articleGUID} Mugabe, who ruled the landlocked southern African country for nearly four decades, cast his ballot with his wife, Grace, in the Highfield district of Harare. He was forced to resign in November 2017 following an intervention by the army. Days before the armys move, Mugabe had dismissed his then-vice president and close aide Emmerson Mnangagwa. The 75-year-old Mnangagwa was later named ZANU-PF leader and was sworn in as Zimbabwes president. On the eve of the vote, Mugabe said he would not back his successor in the polls, accusing the ruling partys leadership of tormenting him. I cant vote for ZANU-PF. I cant vote for those in power. I cant vote for those who brought me into this state, Mugabe, 94, told reporters gathered at his residence in the capital, Harare, on Sunday. Mugabe said he would vote for 40-year-old Chamisa. Follow Hamza Mohamed on Twitter: @Hamza_Africa No country in the world is more reliant on remittances than Nepal, where it makes up 32 percent of the GDP. Will Jordan Will Jordan is a London-based reporter specialising in corruption and illicit financial activity. He has won the One World Media Award for Corruptio... more n Reporting for Stealing Paradise, an expose of gangsterism, bribery and money laundering in the Maldives and its international nexus. His work in Ukraine, The Oligarchs, exposed a shadow trade in the $1.5bn of frozen assets linked to former president Viktor Yanukovych. Broken Dreams: The Boeing 787 revealed serious safety concerns with Boeings flagship aircraft, including undercover footage inside a factory. It was an Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Award finalist, won the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) Award and was nominated for a number of other accolades including the Royal Television Society (RTS) Awards. Once the sick man of Europe, Germany weathered the financial crisis and the Great Recession better than its neighbours. Most US employees on average want to work from home at least two days per week after the pandemic ends, research finds. A South Korean court has fined him for his illegal use of a sedative that he said was on a doctors prescription. The American Civil Liberties Union once deserved respect. The organization got a lot of issues wrong, but it consistently backed civil liberties. Today the ACLU appears to be just another left-wing interest group. Civil liberties deserve protection if theyre favored by the left. Free speech for conservatives? Not so much. Many of the Founders saw no need for what became known as the Bill of Rights. After all, they said, the Constitution gave the federal government only limited authority. Why forbid action that isnt allowed? However, those who insisted on adding the Bill of Rights proved prescient. It didnt take long for politicians to claim and judges to rule that there was an ocean of federal government power with only a few islands of state authority and individual liberty. Today freedoms not safeguarded by the Bill of Rights essentially dont exist. The current Supreme Court occasionally limits Uncle Sams reach, but those opinions, unfortunately, are the exception rather than the rule. Judges need to give the Bill of Rights full effect to protect Americans. For the First Amendment that means safeguarding religious liberty and free speech. The truest test of these provisions comes when they are applied to views and practices which are unpopular, even reviled, by those in power. In todays world that rarely means people who spout left-wing nostrums. Liberals are more likely to be oppressors in charge of government than victims of government. When is the last time conservatives controlled a major university and prevented a progressive from speaking? The ACLU made its reputation defending civil liberties irrespective of viewpoint. Four decades ago the organization famously backed the legal right of neo-Nazis to march through the Chicago suburb of Skokie. The case cost the group members, but thats when the group believed in its principles. Unfortunately, the ACLU was less supportive of religious liberty. And now its commitment to free speech is wavering. In an internal memo leaked to former board member Wendy Kaminer, ACLU employees admitted that they believe free speech only means some speech. They see themselves as liberal activists first, and only then defenders of civil liberties. Explained the memo: Our defense of speech may have a greater or lesser harmful impact on the equality and justice work to which we are also committed. Thus, noted the memo, decisions to intervene legally will be based on factors such as the (present and historical) context of the proposed speech; the potential effect on marginalized communities; the extent to which the speech may assist in advancing the goals of white supremacists or others whose views are contrary to our values; and the structural and power inequalities in the community in which the speech will occur. In short, they will defend speech they like or believe to be inoffensive or ineffective. Otherwise, Americans will be on their own defending their constitutional rights. Beyond the pale will be any connection between the First and Second Amendments. If speakers intend to speak or march armed, even if legally entitled to do so, the organization will generally not represent them. After all, they essentially are to blame for the expanded government power they oppose. Gun rights activists should strongly consider how much government intrusion and expanded power theyre willing to trade for those rights, contended the ACLUs Jay Stanley. Of course, as a private organization the ACLU is free to decide its own policies. But the memo is not simply a clarification of current policy. Or a minor shift in emphasis. It formally repudiates a storied if at times misguided heritage. The memo is the latest evidence, observed Kaminer, that the ACLU has already lost its zeal for vigorously defending the speech it hates. Unfortunately, the groups shift away from principle signals how the liberal establishment is giving way to a far more radical grassroots Left. Progressive demonstrators now routinely disrupt events on college campuses. While the victims usually are conservative, no one is safe. For instance, at William & Mary last year Black Lives Matter assaulted an ACLU event. Protestors insisted that liberalism is white supremacy and stated the obvious, that the revolution will not uphold the Constitution. (No word on whether those who believe in the rule of law would be shot or merely pushed aside.) Liberty increasingly is under siege in America, including by its one-time friends. The ACLU staff reassuringly declared that no civil liberties or civil rights value should automatically be privileged over any other. But political activism obviously now trumps civil liberties. It is a disappointing retreat for an organization that in the past demonstrated real courage even when its judgment otherwise lagged. Ken Blackwell is a member of the Policy Board of the American Civil Rights Union. He an adviser to the Family Research Council, in Washington, D.C. Scores of Democrat activists disguised as journalists have had their hair on fire since Donald Trump won the election. Every week brings another outrage, from the travel ban to separated illegal immigrant families. From Stormy Daniels to Robert Mueller. From President Trumps meeting with Kim Jong-un or Vladimir Putin to his slap-down of the EU. Each manufactured outrage is another potential way to damage Trump, to chip away at his base of support, lame attempts to separate Trump from his supporters. If his tweets, demeanor, or personal life decades ago were enough to turn voters away, he would be polling in the teens and his rallies wouldnt fill a high school gymnasium. Instead his support is quite the opposite. Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen is the latest Willy Wonka golden ticket for the cable news magpies to salivate over. They finally got Trump. Fire up the impeachment panels, prepare the gallows. The Hill provides a glimpse into the wishful thinking that Michael Cohen is their winning lottery ticket with this headline, If Cohen is telling us the truth, Trump may end up like Flynn. Im not sure who reads The Hill other than the Washington DC branch of NeverTrump Club. Good luck with that premise. The reality is that its Cohen who might end up like Flynn. Flynn was indicted for lying to the FBI about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador during the Trump transition period. He discussed sanctions against Russia and UN Security Council resolutions, all appropriate conversations for an incoming administration to have with a foreign power. Thats what the transition is for, to provide time for the new administration to get up to speed for the job ahead. Flynns problem is that he didnt remember what he said to whom on separate occasions, hence he lied to the FBI. Ask me on different days who I spoke to and details of my conversation from weeks ago and I may provide a slightly different answer each time. Is that a lack of a photographic memory or am I a liar? What did Michael Cohen say last year, before he developed new memories about the infamous Trump Tower meeting? Did his new Clinton-fixer attorney Lanny Davis refresh his memory or did he insert a new memory chip into Cohens spine? Or did someone make him an offer he couldnt refuse? Lets go back almost a year to when Michael Cohen was a guest of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. on September 19, 2017. I am presuming he was under oath and that as an attorney, he understands what that means. Cohen adamantly denied his own involvement with Russia. I have never engaged with, been paid by, paid for, or conversed with any member of the Russian Federation or anyone else to hack anyone or any organization. I have never engaged with, been paid by, paid for, or conversed with any member of the Russian Federation or anyone else to hack or interfere with the election. I have never engaged with, been paid by, paid for, or conversed with any member of the Russian Federation or anyone else to hack Democratic Party computers; and I have never engaged with, been paid by, paid for, or conversed with any member of the Russian Federation or anyone else to create fake news stories to assist the Trump campaign or to damage the Clinton campaign. He then went further in his Senate testimony, exonerating President Trump. Given my own proximity to the President of the United States as a candidate, let me also say that I never saw anything - not a hint of anything - that demonstrated his involvement in Russian interference in our election or any form of Russian collusion. I'm certain that the evidence at the conclusion of this investigation will reinforce the fact that there was no collusion between Russia, President Trump or me. He then provided a concise summary of the entire Russian collusion story including the Mueller witch hunt. I'm also certain that there are some in this country who do not care about the facts, but simply want to politicize this issue, choosing to presume guilt - rather than presuming innocence - so as to discredit our lawfully elected President in the public eye and shame his supporters in the public square ... this is un-American. You can oppose the President's points of view and his policies, but not raise false issues about the validity of his victory. I'm very proud to have served Donald J. Trump for all these years, and I'll continue to support him. So was Michael Cohen lying before the US Senate or is he lying now with his Clinton attorney pulling his strings? If he was lying before the Senate, thats called perjury and he could indeed find himself in the same predicament as Michael Flynn. If he is lying now, he is simply making a fool of himself and discrediting anything else that comes out of his mouth. Besides, Special Counsel Robert Mueller handed off the Michael Cohen case and raid on his office to the US Attorney of the Southern District of New York. This is the same office of the ethically challenged Chuck Rhoades on the television show Billions and his recent real-life counterpart, fired US Attorney Preet Bharara. If Mueller had the goods on Cohen or thought he would be useful in his case to bring down Trump, why would he pass him off to another jurisdiction rather than keeping Cohen as his own personal John Dean? Back to this week when Michael Cohen claimed, Trump knew in advance of 2016 Trump Tower meeting. After the breathless CNN headline, based on unnamed sources, they begrudgingly admit, To be clear, these sources said Cohen does not have evidence, such as audio recordings, to corroborate his claim, but he is willing to attest to his account. Great, the account of a man who said the exact opposite under oath less than a year ago, with no corroborating evidence. Such a credible witness. Now what? Was Cohen committing perjury when he exonerated President Trump late last year? Or is he talking a good game in the hopes of making a favorable deal now with the SDNY? Would he rather honorably protect his former client and attorney-client privilege or become the darling of cable news in similar fashion to Michael Avenatti? Mr. Cohen is playing a dangerous game. Those falsely accusing or maligning Donald Trump have not fared well, from his primary opponents to his modern day detractors. Cohen wont be an exception. His exoneration of Trump last September in front of a US Senate committee, while under oath, should put this issue to rest. The Trump Tower meeting is a nonsensical distraction, one of many meetings, some with foreigners, most without Trumps knowledge or involvement. No crime, only noise, confirmed by Michael Cohens sworn testimony. Case closed. Brian C. Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver-based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Graphic montage by Monica Showalter. Image credits: IowaPolitics.com, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0 and Martin Durrschnabel, via Wikipedia // CC BY-SA 2.5 The tragedy of American conservatism is that its only electoral home is in a party most of whose funds come from those who agree with the globalist agenda and whose privileged position insulates them from its disastrous cultural consequences. In short, Americas corporate elite is making tons of money from globalism -- chiefly, mass immigration and manufacturing outsourcing -- while they experience no negative effects in their privileged and insular world. Oh sure, they advocate a bit of border protection here, a little improvement in US trade deals there, but basically theyre on board for free trade, relaxed borders and mass immigration. They have a wealthy persons distaste for excessive government regulation and high taxes -- hence, they are Republicans -- but, stem the flood of cheap labor immigrants? Why on earth would they want to do that? The first economic consequence of mass immigration is lower labor costs across the economy, from lettuce pickers to computer programmers, and that pushes historic quantities of money up to Americas corporate owners and executives. The working and middle classes endure the economic downside in the form of fewer jobs and much lower wages. This has all been discussed ad nauseam before. But it cant be repeated too often: Mass immigration has been an economic bonanza for major owners and executives and an economic disaster for the other 80% of the population. Looking away from the economic to the cultural consequences of mass immigration, the divergence between Americas wealthy decision makers and the other 80% is even greater. Put bluntly, the American upper classes have yet to see the those consequences, let alone to feel pressured by them. They are Peggy Noonans protected classes. It has been said before but cannot be said too often: Americas upper class hypocrites who have brought the joys of mass third world immigration to middle and working class America are, as yet, absolutely immune from its baleful cultural concomitants. They live in elegant neighborhoods, behind gates and walls, protected as often as not by private security; their children attend the finest private schools where a learning environment still exists and the risk of being beaten up or shaken down for lunch money is zero; their family members and friends dont have to ride BART, or the subway, or the bus in the middle of the night to or from poorly paid jobs; the members of their swank clubs look like they did in 1980 and all speak English; and their mode of transport is the first class cabin or private jet. I begrudge them none of this. My quarrel is that much of their wealth and ease comes from a globalism whose detriments are inflicted solely on the bottom 80% of Americans. But the cultural concomitants of mass third world immigration are well known to that bottom 80% of Americans. All over urban America, parents struggle to scrape together the money to buy a house in a neighborhood where the public schools have not been destroyed. In small town America, parents warn their kids about drug pushers from South of the Border who have discovered and targeted the once-safe American countryside. Illegal immigrants commit crimes at rates hugely in excess of those legally present. For 2014 the Sentencing Commission of the US Justice Department reported that of all crimes for which convictions were obtained and sentences imposed, illegals made up 13% (if the 11.2 million figure for US illegals is correct, illegals constitute slightly more than 3% of the population) And on and on. None of this reaches the neighborhoods of those who brought it to us. But It is the decision-making elites of these neighborhoods that fund the Republican Party. And therein lies the rub for this falls election: The Democratic Party, in its lunatic, massively unpopular stands on illegal immigration and border protection, has been leading with its chin as perhaps never before. Abolishing ICE, opening Americas southern border, and supporting sanctuary cities that shelter criminals and drug dealers may be the most toxic brew of Democratic Party electoral poison that party has yet concocted. It begs for brutal, repeated, brass knuckle exposure. This well could be the issue that turns an off-year election into a historic Democratic wipeout. Will the funders of the Republican party seize one of the most inviting opportunities in US electoral history to deliver a knock-out blow? Or will they wuss out? What do you do when your state is booming and people are moving in in droves? You can enjoy it or dwell on the past. According to news reports, the left-wing island of Austin wants name changes: Known as both the "father of Texas" and the namesake of the state's capital, Stephen F. Austin carved out the early outlines of Texas among his many accomplishments. He also opposed an attempt by Mexico to ban slavery in the province of Tejas and said if slaves were freed, they would turn into "vagabonds, a nuisance and a menace." For that reason, the city of Austin's Equity Office suggested renaming the city in a report about existing Confederate monuments that was published this week. Also on the list of locales to possibly be renamed: Pease Park, the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, Barton Springs and 10 streets named for William Barton, the "Daniel Boone of Texas," who was a slave owner. To be sure, the identified streets and parks are only suggested for reconsideration. And the city, Bouldin Creek, Pease Park and the Barton-related landmarks a group that includes Barton Springs were included in a lower-tier list of "assets for secondary review" in the report. Still, the report did identify several streets staff consider related to the Confederacy and worthy of more immediate action. Can't wait to hear what Beto thinks of that! He'll have a chance to make himself clear when he debates Senator Cruz soon. Name changes again? What could go wrong? First, changing names could confuse future suitors looking to move their companies to Austin. They may move somewhere else in Texas, and left-wing Austin will lose tax revenue and property taxes. Second, how out of touch with reality are these people? Have you ever met anyone in Texas dwelling on what Stephen Austin said about Mexico in 1836? I have not, and I know a lot of Mexican-Americans. In fact, most Mexicans that I've known in Mexico love Austin, Texas! So what do we have here? We have a frustrated bunch of people who hate themselves and the country that they are super-fortunate to be living in. Move to Cuba! They don't have any streets or cities named after Confederates. They also have a lousy economy and no Starbucks to stage a protest in, and the regime locks you up when you speak your mind! PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Bare-knuckle politics from the Club for Growth, a conservative PAC focused primarily on tax cuts. In Missouri, a state that voted for Trump by an 18-point margin, the Club for Growth is attacking Senator Claire McCaskill as unresponsive to female victims of domestic violence as she was to accusations of domestic violence from the ex-wife of her husband. McCaskill is presented as feathering her wealthy husband's nest with federal dollars. Not that the Club for Growth is against wealth, per se. But Joseph Shepard, McCaskill's husband, has been on the receiving end of 131 million federal dollars, mostly for subsidized housing (Section 8), and his business has flourished while his wife is in the Senate. Businesses tied to U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's husband have been awarded more than $131 million in federal subsidies since the Missouri Democrat took office in 2007, an analysis by The Kansas City Star found. Joseph Shepard's personal income from his investments in those businesses has grown exponentially during his wife's two terms in the Senate. The federal payments don't go directly into Shepard's pocket. Most of the money goes toward operating costs for government-subsidized housing projects Shepard is invested in. Those companies then distribute the profits to Shepard and other investors. McCaskill currently holds a margin-of-error lead in polling in Missouri. Here is the ad from the Club for Growth. Oh, for a million Devin Nuneses! Sadly, we have just one, but fortunately, he's industrious. The California congressman who blew the lid off the corrupt Deep-State effort to spy on President Trump, with all its flawed FISA warrants and pattycake with foreign opposition research firms, now says he's looking for "legal remedies" to Twitter's shadowbanning. According to the Daily Caller: Twitter's censorship problem looks like it's here to stay. The company faced a sharp backlash last week after a Vice News investigation revealed that Twitter was hiding several prominent Republicans from its search bar. Those affected included four House Republicans: Rep. Devin Nunes of California, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Mark Meadows of North Carolina. All four are members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Democrats weren't affected in the same way, Vice found. Nunes is looking at taking legal steps against Twitter, he said in a Fox News interview on Sunday. "It sure looks to me like they are censoring people and they ought to stop it," the California Republican said. "We are looking at any legal remedies to go through." There certainly appears to be evidence of Twitter censorship in the case of Texas GOP sen. Ted Cruz as well. We don't see any leftists getting shadowbanned. It's kind of a job for Nunes, because Twitter is now denying that it ever shadowbans, which means a lot of obfuscations are about to be thrown his way, given the evidence that it does. Even ABC News is skeptical of Twitter's claims, and that is saying a lot. The problem here is that censoring Republicans without censoring comparable Democrats amounts to in-kind campaign donations, same as free ad spots would be in the case of television. Squelching conservative voices, even though doing so reduces traffic and readership for Twitter's bottom line, is obviously an anti-competitive business practice, comparable to dumping in the trade world, and suggests that Twitter is an undeclared PAC for the Democrats. If that can be proven, it can either force Twitter to get out of the censorship business and declare itself a public utility, similar to the phone company (which isn't responsible for the conversations of its customers), or else deliver to it the fines and prison terms for undeclared campaign activity the kind that got Dinesh D'Souza thrown into prison it deserves. It's one or the other, and Twitter is going to have to decide what it wants. Nunes is after Twitter, and we all know that Nunes gets to the bottom of things. Twitter can make it as difficult as it wants, but Nunes will find out and expose what's going on, because he always does. It's never smart to be a weasel around a guy like Nunes. Image credit: Screenshot from Natural News via Vimeo. The terrible wildfire in Greece, which destroyed the seaside village of Mati and killed, at last count, 91 people, was all the more awful because it need never have happened. Unfortunately, it did, and it was a problem of not having free markets. The New York Times, in an op-ed from a Greek journalist who knows the place, points out that scores of unpermitted buildings and a non-working property registry, along with the corruption that makes its home in any such setting, were at fault. What neither government nor opposition parties acknowledge, however, is that many communities across the country may be death traps, wherever homes are built without permits, with town planners trying to catch up later. Instead of being demolished, illegal buildings are usually accommodated by law, as politicians fear losing votes by destroying people's homes. Unpermitted buildings? You know, like the shacks and shantytowns of the Third World? Sounds like it. The Independent of London is even more direct with the blame: A large, centrally controlled state can be a source of secure employment (as in Greece), yet is often grossly inefficient. With all that chaos, people couldn't get out, and that was why so many perished. The Independent continues: State power, wrongly exercised, can inhibit legitimate business, and its regulatory functions have little effect in societies where illegality and a shadow economy are prevalent. Look at post-communist countries that suffer from a legacy of a large yet weak state. Greece may never have been part of the Soviet bloc, but successive weak governments, coping badly with the country's underdevelopment, have created a series of distortions that are unseen in western Europe, but common in the east. Does Greece's problematic historical development contribute to this particular type of disaster? The short answer is yes, it does. What we are looking at here is a state with massive spaghetti bowl of regulations, regulations so tangled and specific and full of exceptions, as well as so numerous, that they couldn't be enforced except selectively. These contributed to the chaotic position the little town of Mati was in. Most of the buildings were done without permits, numerous news reports say, obviously because getting one was too hard. The other problem was the lack of a working property registry, which meant that people were unable to properly buy and sell and improve their properties. Net result: chaos again and, in Greece, a deadly firetrap. These are the very problems discussed by free market economist Hernando de Soto, whose brilliant work on the importance of property rights and rule of law is The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else. Lack of property rights, lack of title deed, lack of rule of law, and spaghetti bowls of regulations are why third-world countries are always brimming with shantytowns, poverty, illiteracy, and illegals. People fail to pay their taxes not because they want a tax holiday, I recall that de Soto wrote. They don't pay because the situation is so bad that it's impossible to figure out what the taxes are, or else it's impossible to pay 110% rates amid all the layers upon layers of regulation, as happens in such places. What is emerging here is the picture of socialism, the Obama kind, the millions and millions of regulations along with the selective enforcement of them, which leads to corrupt, politically motivated enforcement. Sure enough, Greece has a socialist government, a radical one, Syriza, which, sadly, the residents of Mati voted for. I'm not blaming their votes for the terrible thing that happened to them after all, in every election, around 40% of the people vote the other way. But socialism has been big in Greece for years, always promising to get the rich guy and always striking out at virtually everyone in the name of a government elite, which is exactly what the Independent described. Large weak state, government the only employment out there, nobody hiring, no property rights all of these things are byproducts of socialism. As President Trump dismantles Obama's and other presidents' vast pools of regulations, obviously, free markets are strengthening. The net result will be not only prosperity here, but, ultimately, some protections from disasters like Greece's. Greece's disaster was man-made and demonstrates just one of the disasters wrought by socialism. The only way to ensure the integrity of our elections is a return to paper ballots, a "back to the future" scenario that somehow doesn't seem to excite many Democrats. They would rather wail about "Russia hacking the election" to delegitimize President Trump, even though Rod Rosenstein recently assured us that not one vote was changed. The fact that no electronic voting system can be reliably protected against hackers was once again demonstrated this weekend at "Defcon," a computer gathering in Las Vegas. Defcon last year (via CBS screen grab). Hackers there took on the challenge of hacking into 30 voting machines and made quick work of it. CBS News reports: Hackers from around the world had the rare opportunity to crack election-style voting machines this weekend in Las Vegas and they didn't disappoint. After nearly an hour and a half, Carsten Schurmann, an associate professor with IT-University of Copenhagen, successfully cracked into a voting machine at Las Vegas' Defcon convention on Friday night, CNET reports. Schurmann penetrated Advanced Voting Solutions' 2000 WinVote machine through its Wi-Fi system. Using a Windows XP exploit from 2003, he was able to remotely access the machine, CNET reports. Voting technology was thrust into the political spotlight when election systems in several states were targeted by Russian cyber attacks. The convention purchased more than 30 voting machines for the event, although, organizers didn't specify how many models those units represented. The solution is very simple. Paper ballots now! And since we're worried about election fraud, voter ID, too. New Hampshire has a problem. A big one. The state is 94% white. Business leaders claim they have trouble filling jobs, so they are trying to attract people to the state blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities. Just not white people. They claim that Hispanics don't feel welcome because most people in New Hampshire speak English. Unwelcoming? Photo via Wikipedia. "I went from being able to speak Spanish every day to not speaking Spanish at all because there wasn't anybody to speak Spanish to," said Mrs. Celentano [a trainer who moved from Lynn, Mass. to New Hampshire[.] ... "The only person I spoke Spanish with was a cleaning lady and she moved back to Colombia." A region of the country is considered inhospitable if everyone speaks English. So why is Mexico so inhospitable to English-speakers? And El Salvador and Honduras? Are they not inclusive societies? It has also posed problems for employers in these states, who find that their homogeneity can be a barrier to recruiting and retaining workers of different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. If minorities don't feel comfortable around white people, why is it the problem of the white people? The issue prompted about 100 business leaders, government officials and members of nonprofit organizations to meet Thursday to search for ways that New Hampshire which is 94 percent white might lure other racial and ethnic groups, as well as younger people. Will Arvelo, New Hampshire's director of economic development, said the gathering appeared to be the first broad-based effort in New England, if not the country, to focus on how to diversify an entire state. The project grew out of informal talks over the last few years among a racially diverse coalition of people, including Mrs. Celentano, who say they want to change New Hampshire's demographics. The way they are so honest about what they are doing, so blatant, shows how far the culture has tilted. Making the country browner or blacker, at the expense of white people, is seen as a desirable goal. What if we started a program in California and New York to change their demographics as well to make them more white? Would anyone object? For Jerri Anne Boggis, executive director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, in Portsmouth, N.H., the participation of major companies is a sign of the urgency of the mission. "It's not just the social justice groups that are doing this, it's the businesses," she said. "We're talking about the economic engine of our state, and we can't move forward without them." ... The group is launching a program to reward businesses who hire non-white ("a more diverse array of") workers. It's a very public form of discrimination against white people. How much longer are white people going to take being treated like second-class citizens? 1. White people are discriminated against in schools, for jobs in the private sector, and especially for jobs in government. 2. Whites are subject to multiple campaigns to dilute their numbers in America under the code words of "diversity" and "inclusiveness." 3. Universities have black studies and Hispanic studies, but white studies are considered racist (unless they are critical of "whiteness"). Why? 4. Black and Hispanic caucuses in just about every field are considered progressive, but white caucuses are considered racist. Why? 5. Black men can say "n" until they are blue in the face, but if the founder of Papa John's says someone else said the word, he's out of a job. And we desperately need to investigate to find out if Sean Spicer said the N-word when he was 14 years old. 6. Whites are racist, even if they don't know it ("unconscious racism") and must sit through racial sensitivity training as if they were criminals. 7. Minorities are vastly overrepresented in the advertising, film, and television world because of their perceived superior virtue. We live in a country with a profound hostility to white people, working actively to reduce their numbers and influence through open borders and discrimination. White people are too afraid to say anything about it. I think nothing will change until they stop being afraid and speak out. Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com. This is the headline on the AOL homepage that greeted me when I switched on this morning: "Tariffs force price hike on Trump's favorite drink." Coca-Cola has hiked prices on its carbonated drinks because President Donald Trump 's 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum has made cans for Coke and other sodas more expensive to make. The price boost for Coke, which Trump loudly ordered during a secretly recorded conversation with his former personal attorney Michael Cohen, was "disruptive" but necessary given the extra cost of the tariffs, Coca-Cola CEO James Quigley said. Specific increases will depend on individual stores, a company spokesman told CNN Money. This increase is just one of a number of price hikes on goods including boats, motorcycles, campers, furniture and beer bringing the high cost of the tariffs home to American consumers. Now, here is the dictionary definition of "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder": Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead to compulsive behaviors. OCD often centers on themes such as a fear of germs or the need to arrange objects in a specific manner. Symptoms usually begin gradually and vary throughout life. We see this kind of stuff every day from the media. They are obsessed with every small detail of Trump's existence. They compulsively feel the need to point to not only something negative, but also the sinister, the unbalanced, or what they see as "evil." Headline seen on Axios: "Scoop: Trump's obsession with the 'terrible' FBI building." This is a "scoop"? This is "news"? The only rational conclusion that we can reach from media coverage of this president is that they are collectively suffering from some sort of untreatable mental disorder. They either need an intervention or should be gently led off to a mental health facility where they can be put in isolation and weaned from their obsessive behavior toward the president. Did he have to do that? Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron made a benefit concert for the victims of the terrible Capital Gazette shooting attack another opportunity to blast Trump. Which was rather inappropriate, given that it was an event that should have celebrated the lives of the people who died, some heroically, with politics just kept out of it. According to the Associated Press: The five Capital Gazette employees killed in an attack in their newsroom last month were friends of the people, and not one of them deserved to be seen as an enemy, the executive editor of The Washington Post said Saturday at a benefit concert for the victims families and colleagues. While Martin Baron didnt mention President Donald Trump by name while speaking to an audience from the concert stage, he clearly had the president in mind. Trump has repeatedly denounced the press as the enemy of the American people. See, what's going on now is a sniping back and forth between A.G. Sulzberger of the New York Times and President Trump, who's often tweeted that the press is the 'enemy of the people.' While I don't like that phrase, given that it was the sort of thing Lenin or Mao would say, and given its presumption that leftists who love the media's output aren't part of 'the people,' too, it's the sort of thing the Times and Trump can fight about among themselves. The 'mainstream media,' however, continues to take Trump literally but not seriously, as Salena Zito put it, so of course they're having a cow about it. Now this editor, kind of ineptly, decides to declare these dead newsroom employees "friends of the people" in a veiled rebuke to Trump. Which is a problem in itself because if the Trump characterization has awful historic reverberations, the Baron one has historic reverberations just as bad. "L'ami du peuple" is the icky, icky, creepy, hideous phrase used by one of the French Revolution's bloodiest characters, Jean-Paul Marat, that guy who got stabbed in his bathtub in the famous Jacques-Louis David painting (admittedly a masterpiece) for ... putting so many other people to death. Marat was a journalist as you can imagine, ran a paper called 'L'ami du peuple' and before he got into the beheading business, specialized in what would later be called yellow journalism - libel, calumny, horrible stuff, all while calling himself "the friend of the people." He was a proto-socialist, mad at the world, and drooled about by socialists ever since. He's the one who gave Lenin and Stalin their ideas. La Mort de Marat, by Jacques-Louis David // Wikipedia You don't want to use a phrase like that again, especially about some member of the press, after Marat got done with it. But it's likely he didn't know this, because not that many Americans know much about the French Revolution, which is the origin of all leftism. You'd think he might, but on the other hand, he might have assumed his audience would not. The bottom line is, it's tasteless to bring up Trump, who had absolutely nothing to do with this terrible crime, the work of a disgruntled reader, and who expressed decent words of condemnation of the act as well as condolences. He said reporters didn't deserve this, a big thing, given his general animosity to the press. Was that not good enough? Why bring Trump into it now, given that he hasn't given any fodder for it? It goes to show how steeped these WaPo guys are in politics that they can't even offer words of support and celebration for completely non-political incident without bringing up Trump, at what should have been an event focused solely on the lives of the lost. For more than 30 years, between 1962 and 1996, a nuclear reactor sat at the heart of London tantalizingly close to a busy thoroughfare and to peoples homes and public buildings. Its existence so close to the metropolis was kept a secret from the public, because to tell the truth would have been extremely controversial. The reactor was located at the basement of King William Building at the old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. The Royal Naval College was established in 1873 and was housed in a 17th century building complex designed by the highly acclaimed English architect of the time, Sir Christopher Wren. The buildings originally housed the Greenwich Hospitala retirement home for disabled sailors of the Royal Navy. The word hospital merely meant a place providing hospitality. After the hospital closed in 1869, these buildings became the Royal Naval College where navy officers were trained. The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, the site of the worlds only reactor ever installed inside a Grade I-listed 17th-century building. Photo credit: Mark Ramsay/Flickr In the beginning, the Royal Naval College was only a staff college where military officers were trained in the administrative duties of their profession. Later, with the transfer of the Royal Naval War Colleges activities from Portsmouth to Greenwich in 1914, the Royal Naval College began to provide technical trainings in tactical and strategic naval warfare as well. As the years rolled by, these trainings became more and more sophisticated. In the early 1960s, the Royal Naval College acquired a low-power nuclear reactor nicknamed JASON to educate and train military and civilian personnel involved in the naval nuclear submarine propulsion program. The Argonaut series 10 kW research reactor was previously operated by the Hawker Siddley Nuclear Power Corporation at Langley. Compared to those in nuclear power stations, JASON was a small reactor measuring 12 feet high and was surrounded by more than 300 tons of steel and concrete cladding to prevent stray neutrons from escaping. Despite its small size, Jason was potent. According to the Independent, JASON used weapons-grade uranium 90 per cent enriched, which made it thirty times more radioactive than that used in commercial reactors. It was like a ticking time bomb. Surely, the Navy wasnt going to tell Londoners they have a nuclear bomb for a neighbor. So JASON was kept a secret. Control panel for the JASON nuclear reactor. Photo credit: Royal Naval College, Greenwich For a long while he was part-myth, writes The Greenwich Phantom. The weird thing is that I had heard from someone who worked with it directly (and who had no reason to lie) that it was just a model that there was never any radioactivity in it, they just told the trainees there was to make them deal with it seriously. The funny thing is, Greenwich was declared, and continue to be a nuclear-free zone since 1963, a year after the nuclear reactor JASON went critical. In 1996, the Navy decided to decommission the Naval College and hand the property over to civilian use, which meant that JASON had to go. But getting rid of him completely proved to be no easy task. First they had to disable the reactor itself and remove the operational equipment, which was the easy part and was completed swiftly. The hard part was removing the fuel, and dismantling the reactor and the concrete cladding that had become irradiated by neutrons over the years. At that time, no nuclear reactor had ever been dismantled in Britain, so everything had to be learned from scratch. In the end, which took three years, a total of 270 tons of nuclear waste was removed from the area. In November 1999, the Environment Agency finally gave the radiological clearance. Today, live reactor training is carried out at the Imperial College Consort reactor at Ascot. The Royal Navy also uses simulators to impart education and training of military and civilian personnel in the naval nuclear propulsion program at the Royal Navys School of Marine and Air Engineering at HMS Sultan, Gosport, Hampshire. The magnificent buildings of the Royal Naval College, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a popular attraction in Greenwich. Pictured above is the interior of the Royal Naval College Chapel. Photo credit: Diliff/Wikimedia One of the architectural highlights of the Old Royal Naval College, the Painted Hall, which was painted between 1707-1726 by Sir James Thornhill. Photo credit: Radek Lat/Flickr The Painted Hall served as the dining hall for the Royal Naval College. Photo credit: kaysgeog/Flickr Ceiling of the Painted Hall. Photo credit: Maciek Lulko/Flickr The Royal Navy College cafeteria located in the basement under the Chapel. Photo credit: Nick Garrod/Flickr Amazon has discounted the Sony SRS-XB41 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker today, bringing the price down to $148. That is good for $100 off of the regular price and this also marks the lowest price ever for the Sony SRS-XB41 model. Making it a great time to pick up a very capable Bluetooth speaker with some stunning looking LED lights. The Sony SRS-XB41 is part of the companys latest line of Bluetooth speakers. It has live sound mode which gives you an immersive 3D sound experience, and when paired with the Extra Bass here, your sound will really come alive. Like with most Sony speakers, this one is also waterproof and dustproof, rated at IP67, so you can take it into the pool or to the beach with you this summer. Sony quotes the SRS-XB41 as lasting around 24 hours on a single charge. Which means that you can use this all day long at the beach and never have to worry about it running out of juice. With the SRS-XB41, you do also have the ability to daisy-chain more of them together and really keep the party going. Sony will turn it into a stereo setup if you pair another SRS-XB41, which is going to provide some great audio. Finally, the SRS-XB41 also has LED lights, which bump with the music, or you can set it to do something else. Which is going to be a lot of fun at parties this summer. This item is also eligible for Amazon Primes free shipping. Which includes free two-day shipping, and pretty cheap (usually $3.99) next-day shipping if you need it extra fast. If you are not an Amazon Prime member yet, you can sign up for a free trial of Amazon Prime. Youll get 30 days free (if youre a student, you get 6 months), and then its $119/year (or $59/year for students). Prime members do get a whole lot more than just free shipping though, so be sure to check out the full benefits. Googles top lawyer, Kent Walker, has just been promoted to run Global Affairs at the company. Walker has been with Google for quite some time, and recently served as general counsel within the company. His official title now is senior vice president of global affairs. In this new role, he will be overseeing Googles policy, legal, trust and safety and corporate philanthropy teams. This move is likely in response to the number of lawsuits and antitrust probes that Google and other tech companies have been involved in lately. Walker will also be representing Google publicly on a few other broader issues including the future of work, artificial intelligence and the role of tech companies in society. This move is important, because Google, along with other tech giants like Facebook and Twitter, have all been summoned to Capital Hill in recent years, to discuss data privacy. The European Union has also been eye-balling Google lately, and recently slapped its biggest fine on the company, for anti-competition abuse on its Android platform, at $5 billion. So moving its long-time, and top lawyer, into the head of global affairs is a good move for Google, and it should allow the company to better prepare itself for these legal troubles. While Google is announcing this move today, Walker has actually been in this role for a few months, doing many of the day-to-day duties already. So the transition wont be a tough one for Walker. Google also noted that the position of general counsel has not yet been filled. Its currently unclear whether the company will promote another lawyer that is already within the company to that position, or look to hire another lawyer to take over Walkers previous role. Google does typically promote from within, whenever possible. Walker will now be leading a larger team of lawyers at Google, which include Karan Bhatia who is Googles head of policy, and Jacquelline Fuller who runs the philanthropy arm of Google, google.org. Huawei announced a new engineering certification program meant to bridge the gap between academic talent in the field of artificial intelligence and enterprises seeking to utilize AI for commercial purposes. Called HCNA-AI, the program will help pave the way for young academics to enter the world of commercial AI development, testing their existing knowledge and providing them with new skills that should be of assistance in those efforts in the future. Besides existing talent, the initiative is also meant to help develop new AI engineers and hence address the relative lack of skilled workers in the emerging segment, the company said. Huawei has been rather vocal about the shortage of talented AI developers in the world over the last several years but the HCNA-AI certification program marks one of the companys first attempts at tackling that issue head-on. Besides allowing the firm to continue profiling itself into one of the global AI leaders, the initiative is also likely to help Huawei keep a close eye on a lot of emerging talent in the field and possibly hire some of it moving forward. The Shenzhen, Guangdong-based technology juggernaut said as much, having directly related the program to its ambition to attract top AI talent as part of its HCNA-AI announcement. The training and certification process is still being finalized and will be fully detailed at the next iteration of the Huawei Connect conference which is taking place in Shanghai this October, the company said. The latest development marks yet another step on Huaweis path to become an AI-first company by implementing machine learning and related solutions into the entirety of its product and services portfolio. Its efforts to infuse hardware with AI capabilities are presently largely concentrated on Project Da Vinci, a secretive endeavor thats as much of a company-wide brainstorming effort as it is a long-term technology initiative, industry sources claimed earlier this summer. Samsungs Galaxy A (2019) lineup of Android mid-rangers may partially embrace triple rear cameras, The Korea Heralds Investor reports, citing sources close to the Seoul-based tech giant. While Samsung traditionally waits for at least one full flagship generation until its high-end mobile features such as IP68-certified elements resistance and Bixby start trickling down to its non-premium devices, the company is now understood to be considering a more aggressive approach, possibly as many competitors are now undercutting its offerings in the mid-range and entry-level product segments. As a result, at least some members of the Galaxy A (2019) series might adopt both a triple-camera setup and an in-display fingerprint reader, whereas the rumored Galaxy S10 Lite is likely to offer neither. Such a move would mark an unprecedented technology jump for Samsungs mid-range devices, with the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8 Plus (2018) both debuting with a single rear camera only eight months ago, whereas one of their successors may now use a trio of modules on the back. One of the three lenses that Samsungs R&D team is currently said to be considering for implementation is of a super-wide variety, as per the same report. As the Galaxy S10 line should still be the first product family from Samsung to embrace such technologies, the Galaxy A (2019) series may end up being announced later than its previous generations launched, with Samsung usually unveiling them near the end of every calendar year. Both the triple-camera setup and the in-display fingerprint reader that might find their way to Samsungs upcoming mid-rangers should still be significantly less advanced than the hardware implemented into the Galaxy S10. Regarding the latter, while the new flagships are expected to feature ultrasonic scanners that offer unprecedented accuracy and speed, in addition to being capable of recognizing wet fingertips, Samsung is reportedly considering a simpler solution for the next-generation Galaxy A lineup. The South Korean electronics juggernaut is now also said to have turned to Chinese component suppliers in a more prominent manner in an effort to cut production costs and consequently do a better job at competing with value-oriented handset manufacturers such as Xiaomi, OPPO, Honor, and Vivo, all of which are based in the Far Eastern country. Samsungs upcoming Galaxy Note 9 flagship will retain the base price of its predecessor, according to a newly leaked poster detailing the smartphones pre-sale availability in Indonesia. The 128GB variant of device thats suggested to be the base model of the device is listed as being available for the equivalent of $930, which is approximately the same price tag thats still attached to the Galaxy Note 8 in the Asian country. The poster that can be seen below also mentions the 512GB model, priced at around $1,200. Both figures are in line with other recent reports about the upcoming Android phablet, including the one that claims the 512GB version of the Galaxy Note 9 will be the most expensive Samsung-made handset ever. Indonesian consumers will also receive a complimentary mobile data package from wireless carrier Indosat, as well as a 32-inch or 40-inch Smart TV from Samsung, depending on the Galaxy Note 9 model they pre-order. A product render obtained by AndroidHeadlines earlier this month suggested some of Samsungs pre-order promotions in other countries will include bundles with the Gear S3 smartwatch, DeX Station, and IconX wireless earbuds, also depending on the variant of the device. The only detail casting some doubt over the validity of the latest leak is the list of available Galaxy Note 9 colors that it references Mystic Black, Engineered Blue, and Artisan Copper. None of those are expected to be the official names of any Galaxy Note 9 models, with numerous previous reports suggesting the device will be available in Midnight Black, Deep Sea Blue, Teddy Brown, and several other colors, but not copper. The South Korean tech giant will unveil the Galaxy Note 9 on August 9, with the handset being expected to become available for pre-orders shortly thereafter. The Samsung-made phablet is expected to debut an improved dual-camera setup, higher-capacity battery, and an enhanced S Pen stylus compared to the Galaxy Note 8. Bixby 2.0 should also be part of the package, together with Android 8.1 Oreo-based Samsung Experience 9.5. T-Mobile and Nokia struck a new wireless deal that will see them deploy a 5G network in the United States, the two companies announced earlier today. The agreement, valued at approximately $3.5 billion, will allow T-Mobile to accelerate its 5G buildout efforts while simultaneously strengthening Nokias presence in the stateside wireless market thats becoming increasingly more competitive with the advent of 5G due to new players such as Samsung who already struck some major partnerships of their own, hence limiting Nokias commercial potential in the segment. T-Mobile now agreed to buy an end-to-end 5G solution from Nokia, including its AirScale radio platforms, SON services, CloudBand software, and AirFrame infrastructure announced earlier this year, the company confirmed. The Finnish technology giant will assist T-Mobile in its efforts to deploy a nationwide 5G network based on the 28GHz millimeter-wave band, as well as the firms vast 600MHz holdings. The mobile service in question will be fully compliant with the 3GPPs 5G New Radio standards, both existing and incoming. The development is in line with T-Mobiles previous vow to continue pursuing 5G on its own while waiting for the U.S. government to conclude its review of its proposed merger with Sprint. Its presently unclear how the newly disclosed partnership would be affected should the consolidation between the two wireless carriers be greenlit and completed. The only mention of Sprint in todays announcement was made by T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray who said the duo will be able to further accelerate their 5G deployment endeavors once combined, once again suggesting the firm already has a plan to integrate Sprints spectrum portfolio and infrastructure into its 5G agenda. In the meantime, the two are pursuing the next-generation of connectivity separately, with T-Mobile even filing to participate in the FCCs upcoming mmWave auction in November on its own. The two telecom giants previously said theyre hoping their proposed tie-up will be approved by mid-2019. With an instantly recognisable livery featuring a whale-type smile that was chosen by Airbus employees in a vote that attracted almost 21,000 participants the no. 1 BelugaXLs 19 July maiden takeoff initiated a 10-month, 750-flight hour certification campaign that will use two of the highly modified derivates of Airbus A330-200 freighter. "The aircraft behaves really well in flight," said Christophe Cail, Airbus Chief Test Pilot and captain for the four-hour, 11-minute first flight from the companys Toulouse, France headquarters site. "It's impressive how close the BelugaXLs performance is to what we experienced in the ground-based flight simulators. First flights take a lot of preparation and we are just the tip of the iceberg, so thank you to the entire team. It's only together that we can make it fly." As the replacement for Airbus current Beluga ST airlifters which were derived from earlier-production A300-600 jetliners the BelugaXL features a fuselage that is seven metres longer and an enlarged upper fuselage that is one metre wider. BelugaXLs greater size enables the new-generation airlifter to accommodate a set of A350 XWB wings, for example, speeding up their transport from the Broughton, UK production site to the programme's final assembly line in Toulouse. The aircraft also can carry the A350 XWB's largest fuselage section with room to spare. Additionally, the BelugaXLs 30 percent extra capacity compared to the Beluga ST provides potential to meet ramp-up needs in meeting the global customer demand for Airbus single-aisle and widebody jetliners. Once in service, the fleet of five BelugaXLs will replace the similar number of Beluga A300-600 ST airlifters operated by Airbus Transport International Airbus' fully-owned oversize transport subsidiary. Each aircraft will perform between 900 and 1,000 flights per year, logging some 1,700 to 1,800 hours annually in servicing 11 line stations at locations across the companys European industrial network. The initial BelugaXL to enter operation in 2019 with Airbus Transport International will be the second-built aircraft, followed by two BelugaXLs during 2020, and one each in 2021 and 2022 enabling the Beluga STs to be retired during the 2021-2023 timeframe. This week Washington Post arts journalists Anne Midgette and Peggy McGlone published results of their six-month investigation of sexual harassment in the classical music business. Some of the stories they put on the record were new; others have been open secrets for years. One of the latter stories about Cleveland Orchestra concertmaster William Preucil is not new at all. Back in 2007, the Cleveland Scene published an article questioning Preucils behavior and reporting an incident with a female student at the Cleveland Institute of Music in which the student claimed Preucil had harassed her. The school, said the article, had investigated, and responded by transferring the student to another teacher and paying for her to audition at another school. The Cleveland Orchestra did nothing, at least publicly. After this weeks story, the Cleveland Orchestra quickly suspended Preucil and the Cleveland Institute of Music circulated an internal memo saying that Preucil had resigned. There will doubtless be other announcements from other institutions announcing suspensions and investigations. There has been a flood of #MeToo revelations in the ten months since The New York Times Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey published their explosive story about Harvey Weinstein. Several prominent artists have had to step down from their positions of power, including James Levine, Charles Dutoit and Peter Martins. In classical music insider circles, there has been little surprise the words open secret greeting most revelations. That seems to be the case with Preucil. Two observations: Why did the dam of #MeToo stories break with the Weinstein story? It certainly didnt after the Bill Cosby revelations or other prominent stories over the years. The Cleveland Scene story, for example, didnt spark a Preucil suspension. Journalists had been trying to get the Weinstein story for years. I know several journalists who had repeatedly attempted to nail down the Levine story but never could pre-Weinstein. I wonder if in the Trump era, where documented misbehaviors of the president have had seemingly no consequences, frustrations have emboldened victims to step up and for more people to not just take notice but treat their stories seriously. Its happened with gun violence too. Columbine and Sandy Hook didnt get the traction that Parkland has. Sexual harassment and gun violence seem less tolerable when the harasser-in-chief gets away with bad behavior. People seem more motivated to stand up for things they believe in. Fine to flush predators out of the system. But what about the institutions and the people who run them who looked the other way? Where are the consequences for them? Levines behavior at the Met was known for years. Its outrageous for Met officials to say they didnt know. The predators are frankly less to blame than the institutions that looked the other way because the bad guys had talent. If there was zero tolerance (something like how we treat embezzlement) there would be less bad behavior. So the Cleveland Orchestra suspended Preucil after the story broke, but why did it take public exposure before it was investigated by the orchestra? The fact that this seemingly went on for years is a Cleveland Orchestra failure as much as it is Preucils. Until there are consequences for the institutions and the people who look the other way, things wont change. These institutions have to have clearly defined policies and procedures for dealing with accusations. No, people shouldnt be convicted based merely on accusations, but because these institutions clearly arent invested in curbing bad behavior, the lines are blurry about how to investigate, let alone deal with it. One last personal note: When I was an arts reporter at a large metro paper, I discovered that one of the big arts institutions in town had settled with an artist who had come forward with a story of sexual misconduct against the artistic director. The company had subsequently encouraged her to retire and bought her a house to compensate. I dug around a bit and pitched the story to editors who quickly killed it. They didnt want the controversy. He stayed on for several years more, retiring with full honors. Even though the behavior was an open secret it was never confronted publicly and there were no public consequences for the enabling institution beyond payoffs to victims. How many careers were ruined or cut short because of it? It has always bothered me that I didnt push harder, but in truth it was an icky sordid story, and I was acutely aware that exposing this person in the newspaper would end his career and damage his organization. While I cared nothing about him, I understood the precariousness of his institution. And it wasnt I rationalized like the victim (or others I had tracked down with similar stories) was willing to talk on the record. When no one is clamoring for a story to come out, its easy to rationalize not doing it. But by making that choice, I helped perpetuate a system that ensured there surely were more victims. Saying nothing has long-lasting, corrosive consequences not only for victims but for institutional culture. All of which is to say that Anne and Peggy, two of the best arts journalists working today, did a very brave, very important service with this first step. It will be a shame if it stops with outing the predators and not holding the institutions themselves to account. _________________________ Full disclosure: In 2014-15 I worked as a consultant for the organization in Miami that ran the Cleveland Orchestra residency in South Florida, and was paid through the Cleveland Orchestra Miami for that work. COP26 may be a cop-out in the making COP26 is just about a month away. Delayed for a year by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference has built up even more expectations and momentum during the intervening months Pinsent Masons banking and finance group will get bigger tomorrow as the firm welcomes a new partner in Australia. Jeremy King will join the firms Australian practice from Corrs Chambers Westgarth, where he has been a partner in the banking and finance practice for more than seven years. He also became the chairman of the firms pro bono and community program in 2016. The firm said that he will be based in Melbourne, but will also support Perth and Sydney offices and bolster the firms banking and finance offering across the entire Asia-Pacific region. Sarah Webb was pulled over in April on the suspicion of speeding. She drove past a police cruiser and was summoned to pull over, which she did. Officers Courtney Brown and Kristee Wilson lectured her on speeding, especially on the wet asphalt, and then arrested her and placed her in the back of the cruiser.They also giggled throughout procedures and made fun of her, all of which was captured on their bodycams. The police report shows that Webb was arrested and charged with speeding, reckless driving and driving too fast for conditions.In reality, the cops had no way of telling how fast she was going. One of them estimated Webb was doing 85mph in a 45mph zone, and the other suggested using an app that simulates a coin toss to decide whether to arrest her or let her go.It was just last week that footage of the scene was leaked to the public, prompting an internal investigation. The 2 officers were sent on unpaid leave until it concluded NBC News says that it did, and they were terminated. All charges against Webb were dropped, with the leading prosecutor refusing to pursue a case where police officers dispense justice by flipping coins, be they virtual or not.In an open letter posted to NBC, Roswell Police Chief Rusty Grant says the 2 cops engaged in conduct on or off duty which adversely affects the efficiency of the department and has a tendency to destroy public respect for the employee or the department.He also accuses the 2 of violating department policies of treating members of the public in a kind, considerate and patient manner. Instead, they mocked the crying woman they pulled over, giggled over her misfortune and decided her fate by tossing coins.It was appalling, Grant says of watching the video. This isn't a police procedure, to bring a coin flip - whether it's an app or an actual coin toss - thats not part of that decision making to decide to take someone's freedom. Yes, she drove herself to the bar, where she planned to get drunk and then (probably) drive herself back home. Yes, she left her infant locked inside the hot car while she got her drink on. People Magazine reports that Rachel Vanwagner, the 26-year-old woman in question, parked her car in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant on Highway 70 in Arlington and went inside. Deputies from the Shelby County Sheriffs Office were called on the scene by a couple passing by, who heard the cries of the baby in the car, at around 7 oclock in the evening.They arrived with EMTs and proceeded to remove the child from the vehicle. The baby was sweating and appeared distressed, but was otherwise unharmed. Meanwhile, the temperature outside was of 92 degrees, which means it was at least 100 inside the vehicle. The car was not running, but the mother had left the windows opened a crack.While policemen and ETMs were working to remove the baby from the car, the mother appeared, running out from the bar barefoot. She started crying, telling responders that shed only been inside for 30 minutes, during which time shed had just 1 drink. Cops arrested her either way.She seemed almost hysterical, the man who called 911 said. Maybe that she got caught or maybe that her baby was in the arms of a paramedic. I dont know, tough to tell, hard to put yourself in the mind of someone that would leave a baby in a car.When you walk outside you dont expect to hear a baby in a car and when you do immediately as a parent you perk up. The child was hot. We could tell that she was sweating, but we knew she wasnt in immediate danger yet, he added.The mother has been charged with child abuse and neglect, and is now out on bond. Traveling from Bulacan to Quezon City is now made easier. Today, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched two new routes for their Point-to-Point (P2P) premium buses coming from the Bulacan area to Quezon City. To be specific, the two new P2P bus routes will be from Santa Maria, Bulacan to Trinoma North Avenue in Quezon City and from Robinson's Place Malolos, Bulacan to Trinoma North Avenue, Quezon City. For those planning to use the P2P bus to travel from Bulacan to Trinoma or vice versa, the service is free today. Similar to other routes, the first trip of the P2P from Bulacan to Trinoma will begin at 5AM with the last bus departing at 8PM. The DOTr says there will be 15 buses plying the route with a fixed schedule of trips that leaves every 30 minutes regardless of passenger count. The bus will then travel directly from terminal to drop-off point without frequent stops. As of writing, the DOTr has not released any information regarding fare prices the new P2P routes. The premium buses use a cashless system with the reloadable Prime Tap cards. All of the buses air-conditioned and come with a host of features such as Wi-Fi, TV's, and CCTV to name a few. They also have a retractable wheelchair ramp to give PWDs easier access. Both Bulacan to Trinoma routes help exand the P2P network further. The addition of new routes are expected to help decongest traffic and encourage private vehicle users to take the P2P bus instead. More routes for the P2P bus are currently being planned in Metro Manila and other areas. Commuter Craft is ready to welcome the first builders of the companys two-place homebuilt Innovator to Commuters Cartersville, Georgia, factory to begin construction. The planes will be built at the factory where the company says it will take two to three weeks for owners to complete their 51 percent of the aircraft with the plane ready to fly in three months. Commuter Craft founder and president Richard Hogan told AVweb more about the aircraft and the building process in this podcast interview at AirVenture 2018. Hogan says that first group of builders have all had experience building aircraft before. These Alpha Builders have been chosen to vet Commuter Crafts Builder Assist Program in addition to putting together new airplanes. Once those planes are finished, the company will tweak the program if needed and then bring in a group made up of both new and experienced builders for a second round. General production is scheduled to begin next year. The Innovator is a composite design with options that include folding wings, a ballistic parachute and seatbelt airbags. The engine options are both Continental Titan modelseither the 180-HP IO-340 or the 200-HP IO-370. The 200-HP version has an 850-pound useful load, range of 940 miles and is expected to cruise at an estimated 194 MPH. Pricing runs from approximately $150,000 to $210,000. It is likely the flying days of an Atlas Air Boeing 767 are over after hard landing at Portsmouth Airport in New Hampshire on Friday. The old airliner, filled with troops returning home, hit the ground hard enough for the fuselage to buckle and leave a crease in the skin. There were also reports that the collision with earth ripped fixtures from the ceiling inside the cabin. There were no reported injuries among the troops. The number of passengers aboard wasnt immediately released but the aircraft, a 300 model, can carry up to 351 people in all economy configuration and the troop flights normally fly full. As of Sunday, accident websites were reporting the aircraft was still on the ground in Portsmouth. The sites are reporting that an inspection revealed serious damage to the aircraft. Despite an international effort to discover why Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 crashed in March 2014, the accident investigation team has concluded in a report (PDF) released Monday that it was unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance. The team said they were hampered by the lack of evidence, since the airplane has never been found. About two dozen pieces of wreckage have washed ashore in southeast Africa, but only three have been confirmed as part of the lost B777. The report concludes, Without the benefit of the examination of the aircraft wreckage and recorded flight data information, the investigation was unable to identify any plausible aircraft or systems failure mode that would lead to the observed systems deactivation, diversion from the filed flight plan route and the subsequent flight path taken by the aircraft. The report also declines to suggest the crew was to blame, noting there was no evidence that either the pilot-in-command or the first officer had experienced recent changes or difficulties in personal relationships or that there were any conflicts or problems between them. Communications with ATC prior to the disappearance were routine, and no evidence of anxiety or stress was detected. There had been no financial stress or impending insolvency, recent or additional insurance coverage purchased or recent behavioral changes for the crew, according to the report. The leader of the investigation, Kok Soo Chon, said at a news conference, We are not of the opinion that it could be an event committed by the pilot. Kok also said the report is not considered final, since it was not possible to examine the wreckage or flight recorders. Re-enactments of the final flight, undertaken in a simulator using the available flight data, established that the aircrafts turn off course was likely made while the aircraft was under manual control and not the autopilot. It could not be established whether the aircraft was flown by anyone other than the pilots. The report noted that air traffic controllers who were monitoring the flight didnt follow procedures and failed to watch radar displays as required. They also delayed activating emergency processes, which delayed the start of search-and-rescue operations. The investigative team included experts from the U.S., China and Australia. Kok said the report is not considered final, since it was not possible to examine the wreckage or flight recorders. Malaysias transport minister, Anthony Loke Siew Fook, said the government would review the safety recommendations in the report and take steps to prevent similar future air accidents, according to The Wall Street Journal. The government will also conduct a thorough investigation and punish those found guilty of any misconduct, he said. Big manufacturers are running into an uphill battle persuading President Trump to back an Obama-era climate deal. The big picture: It's proving hard for them to convince a Republican who abhors regulations, dismisses climate change and dislikes global accords to embrace a policy that combines all three. Its also the latest example of industry running into surprise trouble convincing Trump to back policies businesses support, like free trade. The intrigue: Trump administration officials are concerned about costs to consumers who use appliances affected by the policy, including air conditioners and refrigerators. They're also critical of some of the tactics industry has employed in lobbying, according to multiple current and former government officials. The details: The policy at hand is an amendment to the Montreal Protocol, a global treaty first created 30 years ago to protect the Earths ozone layer. The amendment reduces greenhouse gases, known as hydrofluorocarbons or HFC's, emitted from refrigerants in everyday appliances. With leadership by the Obama administration, world leaders agreed to it in Kigali, Rwanda, less than a month before Trumps election win. Theres no question that the administration is working to reduce regulation, said Kevin Fay, executive director of The Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy. Weve interpreted that as reduce or rely on smart regulation, and we put this in the latter category. Fay represents companies like Carrier, Honeywell and Dow that make or use chemicals and equipment that contain the gases. HFC's a replacement for other gases that depleted the Earths ozone layer. But since they're contributing to climate change, they're now targeted for reduction. Fays member companies will be hit by the policy shift, but they have invested millions over many years planning for it . So in a twist on conventional wisdom, industry is pushing for regulation So in a twist on conventional wisdom, industry is Weve been reminded numerous times that this administration is not here to regulate greenhouse gases, Fay said. Backers of the policy, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and Americans for Tax Reform, are seeking to persuade the president by soaking their pitch in Trumpian language. Last week, a new industry coalition launched list of support statements The coalition has enlisted the strategic advice of George David Banks, a former top White House official under Trump who worked on this issue. Kigali furthers the presidents trade agenda, Banks said. Theres a perfect alignment of what Kigali accomplishes and what the president and his trade team want to see happen. Not so fast. The administration is still weighing whether to take the necessary next step: Sending the amendment to the Senate for a ratification vote. This uncertainty indicates a shift since November, when a career-level State Department official said the administration supported the policy. The administration has two main concerns, according to multiple current and former government officials: A perception common across the executive branch that the industrys advocacy push has been ineffective and slow to materialize. One administration official said companies didnt do enough to change their strategy after President Obama left office. They changed their talking points and scrubbed them of climate change and global warming to say this is all about jobs and innovation, said the official. Its a little bit of a lazy tactic. Concerns about economic and consumer costs persist. The Environmental Protection Agency is conducting an internal study about consumer costs. The administration has also asked backers of Kigali to provide their own numbers, which Fay said theyre pursuing. Also at the request of the administration, industry groups issued a study in May touting the broad economic benefits of the policy. For the record: Fay and other industry officials involved said the coalition was purposefully quieter last year as attention focused on Trumps campaign promise to withdraw the U.S. from the higher-profile Paris climate deal. Kigali goes into force for countries that have ratified it in January. Conversations with the administration and Senate Republicans have been constructive and positive, Fay said: That doesnt mean there arent skeptical people out there who are concerned about any relationship to climate." The White House's National Security Council, which is leading the administration's review, declined to comment. The Kigali amendment features two attributes that make it far less politically polarized than the Paris deal. This could be pivotal to a final decision. Historical precedent: The Montreal Protocol has a record of success and GOP origins. President Ronald Reagan who Trump likes brokered the original treaty in 1987. Kigali backers also say the amendment process actually started in the final years of the George W. Bush administration. The Montreal Protocol has a record of success and GOP origins. President Ronald Reagan who Trump likes brokered the original treaty in 1987. Kigali backers also say the amendment process actually started in the final years of the George W. Bush administration. Procedure: Kigali would face a vote in the Senate. Paris didn't. In that 2015 deal, Obama knew the GOP-controlled Senate wouldnt ratify a climate treaty. So he struck what amounted to a political agreement without legally binding reduction requirements. The bottom line: Will these differences be enough to get Kigali across the Trump finish line? Compared to Paris, maybe it has a lesser chance of failing," said an administration official. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will lay down an important marker for China in a speech on Monday at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Indo-Pacific Business Forum. Pompeo won't say this explicitly, but he'll subtly tell China's neighbors they don't have to choose Chinese investment over American investment. The big picture: Axios has been briefed on the speech from a source with direct knowledge of its latest contents, as of early Sunday evening. Pompeo is expected to frame the speech as a discussion of the Trump administrations "economic strategy for advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific." The key line: "I am here to say emphatically that the Trump administration is expanding our economic engagement in the Indo-Pacific." (The Trump officials are expected to announce new initiatives to promote U.S. private sector investments in Asia, especially in energy, infrastructure and the digital economy, the source told me.) Expect Pompeo to say that "America will be there and American businesses will be there. The American people and the whole world have a stake in Indo-Pacific peace and prosperity. That is why the Indo-Pacific must be free and open." Between the lines: Pompeo has a tough job selling the Trump administration's economic engagement in Asia. One of Trump's first acts as president was withdrawing the U.S. from the region's biggest trade deal the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Many smaller Asian nations worry about an American retreat from the region and have begun to see an emboldened China fill the vacuum. A similar dynamic is occurring in Europe. But most countries around the world would still, if given the choice, far prefer to deal with America over China. China has been operating like a pay-day lender as it aggressively expands and lays down major investments around the world. Pompeo's speech will highlight the U.S. business advantages of reliability and transparency: "Thanks to [our] history of economic and commercial engagement, Americas relationships throughout the Indo-Pacific today are characterized by mutual trust and respect. American friendship is welcomed, and American businesses are recognized for their ingenuity, reliability, and honesty." Behind the scenes: About a half-dozen Cabinet secretaries and agency heads, including Wilbur Ross and Rick Perry, will lay out the administrations economic and commercial strategy for the Indo-Pacific, the source said. President Trump said Monday that he is willing to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions. "I believe in meeting...I had a great meeting with President Putin of Russia. ... I would certainly meet with Iran if theyre ready to meet." Why it matters: The Trump administration has employed destabilization and delegitimization versus the Iranian regime, encouraging its citizens to pile pressure on their government and showing tacit support for regime change. Rouhani has reportedly rejected meeting in the past. Now, Trumps willingness to meet is a stated U.S. position. Tensions between Tehran and Washington are building as new sanctions approach on August 6, the first set since the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's scathing indictment of the Iranian leadership in a July 22 speech came amid threats from President Rouhani, backed up by Supreme Leader Khamenei and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, which then precipitated a twin salvo of fiery counter-threats by President Trump and National Security Advisor John Bolton. Yes, but: This doesn't mean war is imminent between Tehran and Washington. The Trump administration's strategy still centers on economic pressure, rather than military measures. And Iran's leadership is nothing if not the master of snappy responses to threats from Washington, which offer a welcome distraction from mounting economic pressures at home. The background: U.S. military restraint over multiple administrations, Republican and Democratic, has been a constant when it comes to Iran. Even the Bush Administration while losing troops in Iraq to Iranian-trained and -equipped militias and terming the country a member of "the axis of evil" was no more inclined than its predecessor to make the fight with Iran a military one. Trump has largely hewed to this convention, repeatedly stating his desire to withdraw the only U.S. troops in close proximity to Iranian forces in the Middle East, in Syria, where Iran is constructing an ambitious and far-reaching power projection effort into the Arab Middle East. Pompeo has offered two major elaborations of the administration's Iran policy in the past two months, but he made crystal clear in his July 22 speech that crushing economic sanctions, not U.S. military force, remain at the heart of the approach. What to watch: We've seen much worse over the course of the 39-year non-relationship between Tehran and Washington. Syria, on the other hand, provides plenty of opportunities for uncontrolled escalation between Iran and Israel. Barbara Leaf is a former U.S. ambassador to the UAE and the Rosenblatt Distinguished Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The Trump White House labeled Sunday's general elections in Cambodia as a sham, lambasting the exclusion of the countrys principal opposition party, "the governments choice to disenfranchise millions of voters" and cautioned that the U.S. will consider additional steps to respond to the contest. The backdrop: The Cambodian Peoples Party declared victory on Sunday night, giving Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985, a landslide victory in an election that had no serious challengers, reports BBC News. The country had its first multi-party elections in decades in 1993 after years of bloody war, thanks to a U.N. peacekeeping mission. Cambodia faced years of horror and upheaval when roughly 2 million people died between 1975 and 1979 under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. Sen was a former soldier in the Khmer Rouge, but later opposed them. Sen has long been accused of using the judicial system and security forces to intimidate his critics, but allowed political opposition to his CPP party. In November, Cambodia's Supreme Court dissolved the country's main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, after it was accused of plotting to overthrow the government. CNRP had denied the charges and said it was politically motivated. Flashback: In February, the Trump administration said it would cut or suspend "several Treasury, USAID, and American military assistance programs" in Cambodia, citing "deep concern" over "recent setbacks to democracy. " By Trend Six Azerbaijani IT firms are attending the 24th International Exhibition of Electronics, Computer and E-Commerce, also known as "ELECOMP 2018", which is underway in Tehran. Representatives of SINAM, Best comp group, Delta, Azin telecom, Azrpoct, and Azrmarka have pavilions at the exhibition. They are offering their latest technologies in a bid to introduce their capacities and capabilities in the sector of information technology, the report said. The 24th edition of ELECOMP was opened in the Iranian capital on Saturday with Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Iran's Minister of Information and Communications Technology, and representatives from local and foreign firms in attendance. According to reports, foreign companies from over 20 countries, more than 400 startups, 24 governmental bodies, and over 30 Iranian game developers are showcasing their products at ELECOMP Games. The 24th edition of ELECOMP provides an exceptional opportunity to the activists of this sector inside the country and abroad, to boost their business through establishing strong business links with their counterparts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Tobacco production in Azerbaijan may increase by 30 percent by late 2018, Chairman of Azerbaijans Tobacco Producers and Exporters Association Telman Hasratov told Trend. "Tobacco picking started relatively recently, but we already expect significant growth in production by the end of 2018," Hasratov said. "Presently, the biggest volumes of tobacco production are concentrated in Balakan, Shaki, Ismayilli, Gabala, Lerik and Masalli districts." The main directions of export of Azerbaijani tobacco are Belarus and Russia, he said. The bulk of the tobacco produced in Azerbaijan, in turn, goes to the domestic market, he noted. In parallel with production, it is planned to increase the export of tobacco as well by late 2018, he said. Speaking about the purchase price of tobacco, which is presently unprofitable for producers, Hasratov said that this issue will be resolved at a meeting scheduled for July 27 by Azerbaijans Agriculture Ministry in Zagatala district. "At the same meeting, issues of lending to tobacco producers will be discussed," he added. "In 2017, 600 hectares of land were used for tobacco production in Zagatala district, while in 2018, the area increased to 800 hectares." He noted that tobacco producers also plan to upgrade their equipment. Azerbaijan exported tobacco and its industrial substitutes worth $5.52 million in January-June 2018, and imported tobacco and its industrial substitutes worth $60.1 million, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee. When compared to the same period of 2017, exports decreased by 9.06 percent and imports by about 17 percent. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Sara Israfilbayova Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park LLC, Agency for development of small and medium-sized enterprises, SOCAR Polymer LLC and companies-consumers of polymer products have signed a Memorandum of understanding in Baku on July 28. The signing took place during the event, entitled Organization of the production chain from raw materials to finished products. The signing of agreements on the production of polymer products with 18 companies took place on July 30. The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Niyazi Safarov, Chairman of the Board of the Agency for development of small- and medium-sized enterprises Orkhan Mammadov, Director General of the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park Nazim Talibov, and Director General of SOCAR Polymer company Farid Jafarov. Addressing the event, Azerbaijani Deputy Economy Minister Niyazi Safarov said that SOCAR Polymer is the largest project implemented in recent years in the non-oil sector of the economy of Azerbaijan. It is planned to create clusters around the enterprise, and local companies will be able to use the products manufactured by those clusters. The project is important in terms of creating a production chain, he noted. Safarov went on to say that the role of industry in the development of the economy is invaluable, adding that Azerbaijans non-oil industry has grown by nine percent in the first six months of 2018. In turn, Farid Jafarov stressed that some 200 million manats ($117.65 million) were saved during implementation of the SOCAR Polymer project. Azerbaijani enterprises will be able to use the factorys products as final products. We are ready to provide them with technical support and establish partnerships with them, he said. The SOCAR Polymer project is being implemented at the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park. The production capacity of SOCAR Polymer factory at the first stage will amount to 120,000 thousand tons of polyethylene and 180,000 tons of polypropylene. The total capacity of the factory can reach 570,000 tons of products by 2021. The factory will produce 19 types of products made of polypropylene and 12 types of products made of high-density polyethylene. The products will be used, in particular, in the food and medical industry, as well as in agriculture and automobile production. The total investment costs of the project are estimated at $816 million. The credit in the amount of $489 million has been allocated to SOCAR Polymer by Russian Gazprombank for a period of 10 years. Speaking at the event, Nazim Talibov said that the total amount of investments in five industrial parks on the territory of Azerbaijan is $2.6 billion. Talibov noted that it is planned to create an additional 7,500 new work places. In 2011, it was expected that about 10,000 people will be employed in industrial parks, today this figure is 11,000.In the future, in industrial parks, an additional 7,500 new work places will be created, he explained. Touching upon the activities of the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park, Talibov noted that currently the investment in the park is about $2 billion, while at the initial stage this figure was $860 million. Today there are about 8,000 people working in the industrial park, although at the initial stage this figure was several hundred. The turnover of the industrial park is growing every year, if in 2015 this figure was 24 million manats ($14.12 million), in 2017 it was 140 million manats ($82.35 million). This year we expect a turnover of about 200 million manats ($117.65 million), Talibov underlined. Taking his turn, Orkhan Mammadov stressed that the effectiveness of the Agencys activities in the development of small and medium-sized businesses will be determined by the level of justification of the expectations of entrepreneurs from the work of this structure. Speaking of the measures implemented in such areas as the Agencys creation of mechanisms that stimulate the activities of small and medium-sized businesses, the protection of the interests of entrepreneurs, further improvement of the business environment, support services that will be provided in connection with the proper organization of work of entrepreneurs, etc., the head of the Agency stressed that special attention will be paid to the needs of entrepreneurs. One of the priority areas of our activity is to support the small and medium business sector within the framework of organizational models successfully applied in the world practice. From this point of view, work is being done to create clusters and the necessary legal and economic bases, Mammadov said. In this regard, the head of the agency invited entrepreneurs to close cooperation with the structure. --- Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov Joint projects being implemented in the Jojug Marjanli village are further evidence of the Azerbaijani-Turkish friendship, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said on July 27. He was speaking at an event dedicated to the creation of greenhouses and bee farms in the village, which were provided for the use of the inhabitants of Jojug Marjanli. Mustafayev stressed that thanks to the response of the Azerbaijani army under the leadership of President of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev to the provocation of the enemy and the liberation of the Leletepe height as a result of successful military counteroperation in April 2016, favorable conditions were created for the restoration of life in the Jojug Marjanli village of Jabrayil region. The minister noted that Azerbaijan is able to carry out construction and creative work on all its lands, which will be liberated from occupation. A clear evidence of this is the return of life in Jojug Marjanli after 24 years after the rapid restoration work, Mustafayev said. He informed about the work ongoing in the country under the leadership of President on the development of the non-oil sector and diversification of the economy, the continuous improvement of the business environment and the acceleration of business development. Stressing that Azerbaijan pays great attention and shows concern for the development of regions, in particular of the frontline ones, the economy minister noted the importance of joint projects in the socio-economic development of Jojug Marjanli and employment of the village residents. Mustafayev said that the products will be produced there under the Jojug Marjanli brand name. He also invited the heads of associations and entrepreneurs to implement projects in the village. Can Memduh Erdem, the Economic Counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan, and Adem Urfa, the program coordinator at the Baku Office of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, in turn, stressed the successful development of Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, implementation of joint projects, as well as noted the importance of the joint projects being implemented in Jojug Marjanli for the development of agriculture in the region. Currently there are tunnel-type 15 greenhouses with plastic coating and area of 160 square meters each in Jojug Marjanli. The greenhouses are equipped with drip irrigation system, and the users are provided with seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, tools and equipment for plant care. In addition, the project participants for three months will be provided with training and advisory services on growing vegetables. Moreover, within the joint projects in Jojug Marjanli, 15 families received 150 honeybee colonies. Each bee farm is provided with 10 two-storeyed beehives, the beekeeping equipment, materials and medicines. More than 30 residents of Jojug Marjanli are provided with work within the first phase of the joint project. In addition, the implementation of another project the construction of an enterprise for the production of souvenirs has started in the village. The construction of the enterprise is planned to be completed by the end of this year. Its products will be put up for sale under the brand name Jojug Marjanli. Along with this, work began on creation of a livestock complex on the 150 head of pedigree cattle within another Azerbaijani-Turkish joint project in Jojug Marjanli. The experience of Turkish specialists will be used in the project. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov Turkmenistan and Romania have agreed to intensify political and diplomatic efforts to sign in the future a political declaration on the creation of the Caspian Sea-Black Sea transport and transit corridor, Turkmengas state concern informed on July 29. In this regard, it is planned to hold quadripartite talks with the participation of Azerbaijan and Georgia in the near future. This was one of the important results of the meeting of the Turkmen-Romanian working group on cooperation in the field of transport, held recently in Turkmenbashi. Romania needs to use every opportunity to turn its Black Sea port of Constanta into one of the important parts of the transport and transit corridor connecting the Caspian and Black Seas, State Secretary of the Romanian Foreign Ministry Maria Magdalena Grigore said at the meeting. It is expected that Constanta can become a point of transshipment to the EU of goods transported from the Turkmen port of Turkmenbashi, as well as from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the context of ensuring access of goods from Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries to European markets. In recent years, the State Service of Maritime and River Transportation of Turkmenistan has been exploring the possibility of transporting goods, including liquefied gas to Constanta. The supply route involves the use of special containers and runs through the Caspian Sea to Baku, then by rail to Batumi or Poti (the Black Sea coast of Georgia) and from there to Romania by sea. In early May 2018, the opening ceremony of the international seaport was held in Turkmenbashi. The cost of the project is more than $1.5 billion. The commissioning of the seaport brought great opportunities for sending cargoes arriving in Turkmenbashi on the Silk Road route from the countries of Asia and the Pacific to Europe through the ports of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva Cooperation of Iran and Azerbaijan in transport sector became a central topic for discussion at a meeting of Azerbaijans Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade and Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi held in Tehran on July 30. The delegation led by Guluzade is paying a visit to Iran, for participation in the 24th International Exhibition of Electronics, Computer and E-Commerce ELECOMP 2018. A deal according to which Baku has agreed to allocate a loan worth $500 million for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway was discussed at a meeting, Iranian media outlets reported. During the talks held in the Iranian capital, Guluzade and Akhoundi explored ways to speed up the allocation of the loan to the project. The Iranian minister asked Guluzade to facilitate the financing process and help make the railway operational sooner. He also said the Qazvin-Rasht project is nearing its completion and will be inaugurated soon. Guluzade, for his part, said that documents with respect to the Rasht-Astara railway are under study at Azerbaijans Finance Ministry and we are hopeful to achieve good results about the financing soon." Akhoundi also invited Azerbaijan to join a new railway that links the border town of Parsabad in Iran's Ardabil Province to Mugan plain in northwestern Iran and the southern part of Azerbaijan. He talked about the details of Parsabad-Mugan rail link and invited Baku to join the railway. This is an important project similar to Astara-Astara railway between the two countries which can help expand transport cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan, the Iranian minister said. During the meeting, Guluzade also said that Azerbaijan and Iran have agreed to reduce tariffs on interstate cargo transit as part of efforts to activate the International North-South Transport Corridor. Iran is keen to activate the International North-South Transport Corridor with the help of Azerbaijan. It has held talks with India and Russia in this regard, he noted. The major transit route is designed to facilitate the transportation of goods from Mumbai to Helsinki, using Iranian ports and railroads, which the Islamic Republic plans to connect to those of Azerbaijan and Russia. He added that transit and customs obstacles need to be removed, noting that the two sides have agreed to facilitate cargo transit between the two neighboring nations. The Rasht-Astara railroad project will be jointly carried out by Iran and Azerbaijan, each providing 50 percent of the required funding. Azerbaijan will fund $500 million and Iran will invest the same amount in the project. To complete the railway links of the transportation corridor, Iran had earlier agreed to construct inland railroad segments in northern parts of the country in order to extend its railways to the border area with the neighboring Azerbaijan through the two Astara cities on both sides. The initial plan included the Qazvin-Rasht and Rasht-Astara railroad segments. In the meantime, Azerbaijan has launched a construction project to extend its railroads into Irans territory, which is going through the final tests and will be implemented soon. The main goal of strategic cooperation between the railways of Iran and Azerbaijan is activating the International North-South Transportation Corridor which will eventually link Russia and Azerbaijan to High-Seas through the Islamic Republic. The INSTC, a 7,200 kilometer-long freight route connecting India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road, is meant to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia. The main objective of the INSTC is to provide an alternative to the traditional routes carried out by sea through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. This means goods could be carried from Mumbai to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and further to Baku. They could then pass across the Russian border into Astrakhan, then proceeding to Moscow and St. Petersburg, before going in the direction of Europe. The corridor is expected to bring huge benefits to the Azerbaijani budget. The route enjoys several advantages compared to other transport corridors, as it is considered to be more profitable for each parameter than other alternative routes, including reduction of the distance and delivery time two or threefold. The route would substantially cut the travel time for everything from Asian consumer goods to Central Eurasias natural resources to advanced European exports. When completed, the INSTC is expected to increase the volume of commodities currently traded between Iran and Azerbaijan from 600,000 tons to 5 million tons per year, dramatically increasing bilateral trade from the current $500 million per year. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles hosted an art exposition of young Azerbaijani-American female artists Aydan Huseynli, Fidan Kim, Dinara Djabieva, Lala Rahimova and Sayyara Neymatova on July 26, 2018. The event was attended by Consuls General of foreign countries in Los Angeles, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry Dr. Arieh Warshel, other representatives of science and culture, journalists, as well as leaders and members of Azerbaijani, Turkish, Jewish and Iranian communities. Opening the event, Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev welcomed the guests and expressed the importance of this cultural event. The Consul General gave detailed information on the rich culture and art of Azerbaijan, including the history and current development of the painting art in the country, as well as well-known Azerbaijani artists, and introduced young female artists to the attendees. After the speech, a short documentary film about the activities of Azerbaijan's YARAT Contemporary Art Space - an initiative that supports young Azerbaijani artists - was screened. The event also featured the performance of musical compositions by Lala Rahimova. Following the performance, the guests got acquainted with diverse artworks created by Azerbaijani-American female artists. The exposition was received with much admiration by the attendees. Video highlights of the event can be watched here: --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Sara Israfilbayova Oil prices of the reference marks do not show a single dynamics during the Asian trading on July 30 after Fridays decline on fears that OPEC+ could increase oil production more than expected. Brent crude futures were up 65 cents at $75.12 a barrel, U.S. crude futures West Texas Intermediate (WTI) were up $1.39 at $70.08 a barrel, Reuters reported. After fluctuations on Monday morning, oil prices moved to the green zone, within the correction after a significant decline on July 27 against the backdrop of data on the increase in the number of drilling rigs in the U.S. over the past week. According to the American oil and gas service company Baker Hughes, a GE Company (BHGE), for the week of July 27 total number of oil drilling rigs in the country increased by three, to 861 units. The U.S. Department of Commerce estimated real GDP growth in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2018 accelerated to 4.1 percent in annual terms from 2.2 percent in the first quarter. This is the fastest growth rate since 2014. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak did not exclude that at the next meeting of the ministerial committee of OPEC+ the parties can discuss and increase oil production in excess of 1 million b/s. Everything can be discussed on the basis of what will be on the market at the moment. The decision is now made for one million barrels until the end of the year. With the condition that in September we will see how the balance of production, consumption taking into account the factors including Libya, and production in other countries. We have any opportunities, based on the parameters that are in the agreement today, he said. OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached an agreement in December 2016 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1. Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from January 1, 2017. OPEC and its partners decided to extend its production cuts till the end of 2018 in Vienna on November 30, as the oil cartel and its allies step up their attempt to end a three-year supply glut that has savaged crude prices and the global energy industry. --- Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva The design capacity of the South Korean Hyundai plant, which is planned to be built in the Namangan region of Uzbekistan, will be 3,000 trucks and buses, Podrobno.uz reported. The company will assemble trucks with a carrying capacity from 1 ton to 50 tons, intercity, international and tourist buses, as well as special vehicles. At the first stage, 8-20 cars a day, 1,000 cars a year will be produced here. Within three years, this figure will be brought to 3,000, that is, 2,000 trucks and 1,000 buses. If in the beginning the spare parts will be imported from the Republic of Korea, then in accordance with the localization program for three years, the production of components will be gradually mastered here, a source in the South Korean company said. With the launch of the new enterprise, about 1,000 jobs will be created. In the future this number will grow to 6,000. The Korean side said that after the construction and operation of this plant, it is planned to establish cooperation with the educational institutions of the republic in order to provide the industrial area with professional qualified personnel, workers and technologists. Car industry occupies one of the leading places in the economy of Uzbekistan. A significant number of the country's population is employed in this sector of industry. The vast majority of automotive enterprises in Uzbekistan are joint ventures with foreign partners. This shows that the country is successfully working to create a favorable investment climate. The main production companies are GM Uzbekistan, SamAvto, JV MAN Auto-Uzbekistan and GM Powertrain Uzbekistan. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on improving the system of protection of rights and legitimate interests of business entities. The document specifies the cancellation of the fixed tax debt and the interest accrued on the debt data, as well as the financial sanctions and court expenses incurred at the time this decree came into force. According to the document, the debt will be written off for individuals who have lost the status of an individual entrepreneur before April 1, 2018, and by individual entrepreneurs who have not carried out financial and economic activities since April 1, 2018. In addition, the debts will be written off of individuals who are credited with an annual amount of a fixed tax for the implementation of entrepreneurial activities without state registration. The debt will be written off in case of restoration of entrepreneurial activity or state registration in the manner prescribed by the legislation by the above-mentioned persons before January 1, 2019. In addition, the procedure for the simultaneous collection of a fixed tax from individuals carrying out activities without state registration as individual entrepreneurs, calculated on the basis of the established rate for the relevant activity at an annual rate, was abolished. The Uzbek President also canceled separate planned and control checks of business entities from September 1, 2018. In particular, scheduled inspections that are not related to financial and economic activities of companies are canceled. Starting from September, the initiation of inspections of the activities of business entities is carried out on the basis of the results of the risk analysis system, which involves the initiation of inspections, based on the degree of risk that the relevant entrepreneurial entity violates the law. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said that attempts to bring regime change to Iran would all fail, noting that this dream would never come true. (Calls for) regime change (in Iran) are pointless and irrelevant. It is a distant naive dream that will never come true, Qassemi said on July 30 during his weekly press briefing in Tehran, Tasnim news agency reported. He added that Iran has proved this in the past four decades that it has been able to resist against plots and pressure with the help of the resistance of its people. Eventually, we will pass this stage and I think such claims are not serious and do not deserve attention, the spokesman further said. Earlier, US President Donald Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, appeared at an event held by MKO (People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran) in Paris. Addressing the annual rally, the former New York mayor and White House cyber security adviser called for regime change in Iran and said he would like to have this convention in Tehran next year. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva GM Uzbekistan will increase prices for cars from August 1, 2018. This was stated at the meeting of the International Press Club by the chairman of the board of Uzavtosanoat Shavkat Umurzakov. The prices for the company's cars will grow by an average of 14 percent. He said that the company plans to provide discounts for consumers and reduce prices. Explaining the increase in car prices, Umurzakov noted that this is not only related to the monopoly. He went on to say that the production capacity of the Asaka plant is 290,000 cars per year, but only 160,000 cars is being produced. Due to the fact that the plant only operates at 50 percent of its capacity, the cost of machinery becomes high. This affects the buyers' pocket and negatively affects the export potential of the enterprise, he said. The chairman added that GM Uzbekistan plans to hold a presentation of the Spark car with an electric motor in September 2018. It is not known when the company will arrange the production of cars. This is due to the fact that new technologies must be introduced and staff trained. The release of cars with an electric motor can start throughout in five years or earlier. During this time, the company intends to carry out preparatory work. GM Uzbekistan, formerly known as UzDaewooAuto, was created in 1996 on a parity basis by Uzbekistan and South Korean Daewoo Motors. In 2005, Uzbekistan acquired Daewoo's shares in UzDaewooAuto. Two years later Uzavtoprom (Uzbek Association of Automotive Industry Enterprises) and the U.S.-based General Motors signed an agreement to establish the GM Uzbekistan with an authorized capital of $266.7 million. GM had previously held a 25 percent stake in the joint venture. Previously, it became known that Uzavtosanoat bought the 15 percent of shares. Currently, 10 Chevrolet and Ravon car models are being produced at three production sites of the company. The production of cars by General Motors Uzbekistan Ltd decreased by 7.4 percent in 2017 and amounted to more than 82,000, whereas in 2016, the production decreased by 52.5 percent, and in 2015 by 24.5 percent. In the coming years, the company intends to take a dominant role in the automobile market of Kazakhstan through an alliance with the Kazakh Allur Group of Companies JSC, and also to strengthen its position in the Russian market, including through the possible creation of an assembly plant near St. Petersburg. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Naila Huseynli The simplification of visa procedure between Azerbaijan and a number of Arab countries opens new tourism destination for overseas coming from this part of world. The past three years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of Arab tourists arriving in Azerbaijan. However, a decline in the number of tourists from the United Arab Emirates is reported for this year, Nahid Bagirov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Tourism Association told Sputnik.az The reason for this is a competition for tourists between Azerbaijan and Georgia, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Kazakhstan, as well as European countries. Bagirov noted that tourists from the UAE are considered as the best tourists. They are rich and spend money. But in the meantime they have begun to tend to more Balkan countries. Even so, this did not affect that much overall situation in Azerbaijani tourism market, Bagirov says, since tourists from other countries fill this gap. For example, the number of tourists coming from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait has increased in the country. In January-June, the growth of people visiting Azerbaijan from the Persian Gulf countries (except for Iran) was observed most. Compared with last year, the number of Kuwaiti nationals increased by 5.1 times, citizens of Bahrain - by 2.6 times, citizens of Qatar - 2.1, citizens of Saudi Arabia by 3.5 times, citizens of Oman - by 1.6 times, citizens of Iraq - 1.6 times, citizens of the United Arab Emirates - by 1.2 times. The number of arrivals from Iraq decreased by whopping 44.3 percent, the UAE by 8.8 percent. Meanwhile, tourist influx brings to lack of space in Baku hotels amid room glut, if to consider 19 percent rise in the number of overseas between January and June 2018. The same situation is highly noticeable in the countrys regions in the recent days. The number of tourists in the Azerbaijani hotels was 1.28 million for the first six months of the year, the report of the State Statistics Committee says. As much as 62 percent of the countrys guests stayed in Baku, 9.7 percent in Gabala, 5.1 percent in Gusar, 4.5 percent in Naftalan, 3.6 percent in Guba, 3.4 percent in Nakhchivan, 5 percent in Khachmaz, 1.1 percent in Agstafa and 9.1 percent of them in the other regions and cities. As a result, tourism income in the first half of 2018 amounted to 167 million manat ($98 million). A total of 66.3 percent of the amounts paid only for the use of hotel numbers. The growth of tourism in Azerbaijan and increasing number of tourists has necessitated construction of more hotels in the country. Availability of 575 hotels in the country (some 155 located in the capital) is very small and it is necessary to build new ones, according to some experts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A Beaumont plant maintenance company agreed to pay $135,000 to settle a federal disability discrimination lawsuit after it fired three brothers with a family blood disorder. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Signature Industrial Services, a mechanical contracting firm, violated federal law by terminating three laborers all brothers because of a blood disorder that runs in the family. The federal agency sued Signature Industrial in federal court in Beaumont for disability discrimination earlier this year on behalf of the trio. Signature Industrial denies the allegations and any liability, according to the agreement the company signed with the EEOC. The company would not comment. FRONT LINES: Sex, race, disability claims remain EEOC's chief focus Anthony West, a boilermaker, and his two brothers - both mechanics - Drew and Raymond, worked for Signature Industrial at the Exxon Mobile refinery in Beaumont, according to court records. Signature Industrial has a contract to perform mechanical services at the plant. The trio have hemophilia A, a blood disorder that does not stop them from working but requires expensive medicine if they have an on-the-job scrape that causes bleeding, according to the EEOC. The government's lawsuit said top management at Signature Industrial instructed lower-level managers to fire the Wests once they learned how the company's insurance costs could increase by having them on the payroll. But the project manger refused to fire the West brothers because of their excellent work history, according to the EEOC. When the project manager stopped working at the plant, the West brothers' direct supervisor was ordered to fire them. On July 3, 2013, all three West brothers were told they were being laid off. No other workers were laid off that day, according to court records. As part of the settlement, Signature Industrial agreed to provide annual training programs on disability discrimination to all managerial employees. Police are searching for a man suspected of robbing a Tractor Supply in Orange and threatening the employee with a crowbar. At approximately 11:19 a.m. Sunday, officers responded a reported robbery at 2020 Interstate 10, according to information from the Orange Police Department. Decades after shifts in nursing education caused their school to close, graduates of the former Baptist Hospital School of Professional Nursing say they set a trail for many to follow. The group reunited this weekend to remember their beloved alma mater, which stood at the current site of the H-E-B store at 11th Street and College. "We're kind of a special group," said the reunion's organizer, Valorie Wise Jones. At its inception in 1954, the Baptist diploma program was the only licensed nursing school in the Southeast Texas area. The advent of advanced nursing degrees changed the nature of nursing education and forced students away from the old model. RELATED: Beaumont high schools of the past Martha Anderson, a 1958 graduate, said she "knew we were setting a trail." Nursing students worked "around the clock" year-round. The full-time program did not include summer breaks, and most lived together in the dorm. "We were a family, more or less," Anderson said. "We really depended on each other." "Traditionally in this country, the way you became an RN was you went to diploma school and they (the student nurses) would run the hospitals," according to Iva Hall, director of undergraduate nursing at Lamar University. "But in the '70s, things changed." When Mary Byerly Williams entered the nursing program, she didn't know she would be one of its last graduates of the school, which closed its doors in 1974. A trend toward professional nursing degrees emerged, Hall said, with Lamar's bachelor of nursing program starting in 1976. Williams said the former diploma program "was one of the best programs there ever was." She and Melinda Campisi lived in the same dorm and spent most of their time in the hospital working and learning alongside their nurse colleagues. Williams said they probably averaged about five hours a week in the classroom. "When we graduated, we could do everything," said Williams, who became a charge nurse immediately after completing the three-year program. While learning nursing skills in real time with patients was "scary" at times, Williams said it got easier as time went on. Anderson recalled that patients were "glad to see" the students because they were often able to provide a more "personal" level of care than other nurses. Reba Murphy graduated from the program in 1958, returning to the school to teach shortly after earning her bachelor's in nursing. Four-year nursing degrees are more focused on theory, Murphy said, while diploma programs included both theory and practice. Diploma program graduates were "the very best nurses in their day," Hall said. "They taught us a lot," she said, adding that the educational "switch-over" was difficult for the nursing field. However, today's programs are "more balanced," she said. Lamar's undergraduate nursing program includes two years of nursing after students finish their basics, Hall said. "In that two years, even in the summers, our students go to school and go to practicum at least two days a week, getting good hands-on experience," she said. Where today's four-year nursing programs emphasize "critical thinking along with skills and research," Hall said, bachelor's programs of the past were geared toward administrative work, according to Jones. "It was a different world back then," Anderson said. Nursing students had to be in their rooms by 9 o'clock sharp, Williams recalled, and their "dorm mother," nicknamed "Ma," faithfully ensured each woman was accounted for. For Iris Robertson, one of the few married students in the class of 1967, the diploma program was a perfect fit. As a married woman with three children, career options were few at that time, Robertson recalled. She could either become a teacher or a nurse. She chose nursing and went to in the operating room immediately upon graduation. Jones, a 1966 graduate, said the three-day reunion "really seems to be hitting the hearts of a lot of graduates because we don't have our school anymore." Both Williams and Robertson salvaged bricks from the former Memorial Hermann Baptist Beaumont Hospital when it was demolished in 2013. "It breaks my heart" to know that the original hospital is gone, Murphy said. "It was a symbol of care, taking care of our community...and part of our heart and soul. We spent the best years of our lives there." Phoebe.Suy@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/PhoebeSuy Days after the city's ninth homicide this year, Beaumont community activists and leaders convened at the steps of the Jefferson County Courthouse on Friday afternoon to "lift up the city" in prayer. "This killing's got to stop," said Beaumont native Ricky Jason. More than 1,300 violent crimes were reported in the city in 2016, according to the latest available data from the FBI, in addition to 14 murders. With two young Beaumont men dead after two shootings within four days, Jason said the time is now for people to "step up." "No more waiting for next week," he said. Gariyon Coleman, 19, was fatally shot at Sunlight Manor Apartments on July 19, according to previous Enterprise reporting. Days later, this past Tuesday, Olajuwon Vaughns, 23, was shot and killed at Autumn Oaks Apartments. Vaughns' was the ninth homicide in Beaumont in 2018. "This is serious, not a game," said Jason, who wore a cardboard sign advocating for change around his chest as he joined hands to pray for Beaumont. "It'll take God to stop this," he said. Reports of recent violence "hurt my heart," said Treva Johnson, which prompted her to gather others to "commune and pray at the staple of the city, the courthouse." Despite last year's gun buyback program, which collected 153 guns in almost three hours at five different locations around the city, Johnson said she believes Beaumont is no better off. Crimes are "just more vicious," according to Johnson. "Something has to give," she said. "And it has to give quick." Authorities are seeing a trend of younger, more violent offenders, according to Capt. Crystal Holmes, who attended the Friday prayer on behalf of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office "There's too much violence in our county," Holmes said. Although not everyone is religious, Holmes said it was likely that prayer could inspire others within the community to take a stand. "Law enforcement in Southeast Texas has a unique relationship to the community," Holmes said. "We're more involved, people know us by name. We're in the churches, in the homes." The majority of young men arrested in connection with violent crimes have a record, Holmes said, meaning it was likely that family members or friends might have been the first to "see and know the problem." Holmes said the uptick in violence stems from a lack of family or community involvement. "It starts in the home," she said. A former inmate and now aminister of the gospel, the Rev. Larry Lewis of St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church said he understands "the plight in our community." "It's gotten bad," said Lewis, adding that he believes peer pressure among young men was a driving factor toward violence. Two teenage suspects were arrested and charged Thursday in connection with Vaughns' shooting death, according to Beaumont Police Department. A 16-year-old male and Matthew Marque Dwain Clevenger, 18, of Lufkin, were charged with murder, BPD reported. In cases like this, three "sets of parents lose," Lewis said. Lewis was imprisoned in 1991 for something he said didn't do, later fueling him to rebel and join a prison gang, which at the time offered "camaraderie." Because of his Christian upbringing, Lewis said he continued to read the Bible while incarcerated and later joined a prison church. "Thank God for that," he said. With the City of Beaumont's unemployment rate nearly 2 percent higher than the rest of the state, Lewis said he believes that employers spending a little more time "one-on-one" with potential hires could make a difference in job opportunities and perhaps lower crime. "There's a stigma that once you've been incarcerated, you have an Xon your back," said Lewis. "I've changed my life around." "We all live here and we all need to try to shift the tide toward something positive together," Johnson said. Phoebe.Suy@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/PhoebeSuy Kelli Mulhollen Dumas said she thought the small, red bumps on her son's skin were bites from chiggers or mosquitoes. Her son, Michael, had just returned from Florida, and she knew he had spent a lot of time outdoors. But within days, she said, the 17-year-old had several more spots - then "his whole backside" was covered. Ultimately, Dumas said, areas on her son's feet, legs and buttocks were covered in a red, itchy rash - the telltale sign of certain type of hookworm, a parasite that can infect both animals and humans. Dumas said the doctor confirmed that it was cutaneous larva migrans, a skin condition caused by larvae from animal hookworms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "I can't stress enough how traumatic it is for a teenage boy - and his mother - to know that there are worms living in his body," Dumas said Wednesday in an interview The Washington Post. Dumas, from Memphis, said she believes that her son contracted the parasite in mid-June on a beach in South Florida. Hookworm is spread through the feces of animals or humans who have the parasite, and people can contract it by simply walking barefoot on sand or soil that has been contaminated, according to the CDC. Michael had been buried up to his neck in sand. The state and county health departments in Florida did not respond to requests for comment on potential contamination. Dumas said the doctor gave Michael an antibiotic and an anti-parasitic but the medication "wasn't working fast enough," so she made an emergency appointment with a dermatologist earlier this month. Dumas said the dermatologist used cryotherapy, a treatment in which liquid nitrogen is commonly used to "freeze" lesions off the skin. But during treatment, the teen's mother said that her son urged the doctor to stop, saying he felt as though he could "feel it running from the liquid nitrogen." "It's disgusting," she said . "It's beyond disgusting." More for you Want to be a wildlife biologist? Beware the eyeball leeches... There are two main types of hookworm - human hookworms and animal, or zoonotic, hookworms. But Bobbi Pritt, director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory in Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, said both kinds can be transmitted to people, and it happens in a similar way - animals or humans infected with the parasite defecate into sand or soil and, because their feces carry the parasite's eggs, the ground then becomes contaminated. Once in the ground, Pritt said, the eggs hatch into larvae, or immature hookworms, and when people come into contact with them, they can penetrate the skin. The results vary based on the type of hookworm. Hookworm is an intestinal parasite, so when human hookworms penetrate a person's skin, they migrate into the bloodstream and take up residence in the gut. However, animal hookworms cannot adapt to the human body, so the larvae usually never make it into the person's intestines, Pritt said. Instead, Pritt said, the larvae, which are microscopic, roam around in the person's skin - causing those red, squiggly marks - trying, but unable, to mature or to reproduce. Pritt said that eventually the larvae die. That itchy and sometimes painful rash is called cutaneous larva migrans - the same one that Michael's mother said he was diagnosed with - and it's caused by the animal form of hookworms. Susan Montgomery, epidemiology team lead of the Parasitic Diseases Branch of the CDC's Center for Global Health, said that animal hookworm infections in humans are typically treated with medications, such as an anti-parasitic. But even without treatment, Montgomery said, the parasite will die within several weeks. She said people do not usually report feeling larvae move in the skin. Dumas said her son's ordeal " has been a nightmare." The mother said that her son has also developed a staph infection from the hookworms. He is on medications to treat not only the parasite but also the staph, a bacterial infection that, when not promptly and properly treated, can become life-threatening, according to the Mayo Clinic. Last week, Dumas posted a prayer request - and a warning to other parents - on Facebook: "Urgent prayer request!! Michael went to Miami June 20 for a mission trip. He was buried in the sand for fun and it has become our nightmare. Four of our people contracted a parasitic infection, hookworms, from the Pompano Beach. Michael has the worst case, by far. He has taken Clindamyacin, Ivermectin, a steroid dose pack, and Albenza which cost $1356 for 6 pills (yes that is with insurance and yes I had to pay it!). But you can get them for $0.30 per pill in Honduras. Thank you, FDA. We have been to the pediatrician 4 times, to a dermatologist and have a follow up appointment today. He is in pain and this is AWFUL. Never be buried in sand or allow your children to be either! I am only showing a few pictures because it is so disturbing. Please, please pray for him to heal. Also feel free to SHARE THIS POST AND WARN OTHERS. The Health Department in Pompano Beach said "Everyone knows to wear shoes on the beach because you can get parasites." I assured them everyone does NOT KNOW THAT!!" Although some people may not experience symptoms with hookworms, the most common symptoms are itchy skin and rashes, according to the CDC. People with more severe infections may also have abdominal pain, diarrhea, a decreased appetite and weight loss, among other things. To avoid potential infection, the CDC recommends "not to walk barefoot in areas where hookworm is common and where there may be human fecal contamination of the soil" or to ingest the soil. Montgomery, with the CDC, said that people should wear shoes on the beach and then sit on a towel. She said it's also important for pet owners to have their dogs and cats regularly dewormed. Dumas told The Post on Wednesday she wants others to be aware of hookworms because "I don't want anyone else to go through what my son has been through." "I'll never walk on the beach again without shoes," she said. --- Video Embed Code Video: Michael Dumas, 17, got hookworms when his friends buried him in the sand at a Florida beach on June 20.(Allie Caren/The Washington Post) Embed code: Four ASC administrators and executives share their observations on the payer landscape and where they see the best opportunities in the future. Join all four leaders featured in this article at the Becker's ASC 25th Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs in Chicago, Oct. 18-20. Click here for more information and to register. Benita Tapia. Administrator of 90210 Surgery Medical Center (Beverly Hills, Calif.): There has been a tremendous change in the payer landscape and value-based care is definitely the trend. Payers are making it difficult for ASCs to sustain out-of-network, and we are seeing max per day rates on OON cases some as low as $350 with some paid at a percentage of Medicare, which means larger deductibles and a larger coinsurance that the patient has to pay. This makes it not cost effective for the patient or the ASC to do the case OON. We are seeing more and more bundled payments and incentives for surgeons to bring eligible patients into the ASC environment, and payers are sometimes stating if the patient is eligible, to go to the ASC for some procedures. The procedure may only be reimbursed in the ASC and not the hospital environment. I would predict that in the future we will see more incentives for the patient to go to an in-network facility, especially if the bundled payment methodology is chosen. There would be less deductible and copayments for the facility and increased reimbursement for physicians using the in-network facility and participating in the bundled payment methodology. Joy Taylor, JD. COO of Polaris Spine & Neurosurgery Center (Atlanta): While the out-of-network opportunity has narrowed, it hasn't altogether disappeared, depending on the geographic region. We are learning all we can about how to continue to maximize that, where it makes sense to, while we still can. CollectRX has been a valuable partner in that area. We have also worked to expand some of our more "niche" work in workers' compensation and personal injury. While these will never be the bulk of what we do, they are a nice complement to our other payers, often having appreciably higher reimbursements, in addition to expanding our market. We also find ourselves in the complex intersection of having multiple physician owners opted out of Medicare, which has proven a great strategy from an opportunity cost standpoint, but also means we do no Medicare cases in the surgery center at all. As the government is increasingly enmeshed in healthcare, we vigilantly monitor these developments. Catherine Ruppe, RN, CASC. Executive Director of Proliance Highlands Surgery Center (Issaquah, Wash.), Overlake Surgery Center (Bellevue, Wash.) and Redmond (Wash.) Surgery Center: You have to be much more cost-conscious today when you are scheduling cases than you did in the past. Some of the orthopedic procedures used to have multiple codes involved, such as ACL surgeries, and now they are bundled to just one code, which hurts the reimbursement rate. We have also noticed that for some of the big payers, there is more preparation work to do and paperwork to fill out to show the conservative treatment has been done. Our mountain of paperwork grows every day and adds cost to the case because our staff is taking another 10 to 15 minutes than usual to schedule the case. That time all adds up. Michael McClain. Executive Director of Proliance Orthopedic Associates (Renton, Wash.): Payer consolidation is a huge challenge for us. Payers are moving in as operators such as Kaiser or Optum; what does that mean for ASCS? Does that help drive reimbursement or make it more likely a small subset of centers will excel based on who they affiliate with in terms of operations? There is a potential for payer partnerships to go very well if the payers are involved directly, such as co-businesses that are involved with ASCs, because payers may finally understand the significant savings with surgery centers. But you do have to worry about whether payers are coming to the table with a value proposition for the center or just because it would further define the exclusivity of their narrow networks. This has the potential to give the payer a huge amount of direct information about what makes a successful ASC and practice, and what doesn't, as well as what value really is. If a payer has access to all contracts in a particular market and knows what everyone is paid, it's difficult to successfully negotiate a new facility because the payer knows more than you do. Payer consolidation represents all sorts of potential risks. A successful administrator today is a lot more savvy, or needs to be more savvy about the greater healthcare environment considering payers, politics and the relationship between healthcare facilities in the community than they used to be. You have to be much more astute and educated about what is going on around you today. What used to be your competitor might be your partner in the next month, or an enemy might partner with another one of your enemies. A rural Tennessee hospital announced plans to close July 27, the same day its parent company, Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health, revealed plans to sell the facility. Quorum Health revealed plans to sell 45-bed McKenzie Regional Hospital to Memphis-based Baptist Memorial Health Care July 27. However, McKenzie Regional officials said later the same day it will discontinue most patient services, including its emergency department, by Sept. 15, and will begin reducing inpatient admissions during the coming weeks. Once the hospital closes, Baptist Health Care will operate the facility as an outpatient diagnostic imaging center and sleep center. The health system will also transition ambulance services to another provider. Hospital leadership met with the roughly 200 physicians and staff July 27 to discuss transition plans. Employees will receive assistance from the hospital to find opportunities with other regional employers, and will continue to receive pay and benefits until Sept. 29. "It has been our privilege to care for this community and we are extremely grateful to our dedicated team of employees, nurses, physicians, volunteers and board members for their tireless service to our patients and their families. Most of all, we are grateful to our neighbors and friends for allowing us to serve as your trusted healthcare resource for more than 40 years," said McKenzie Regional CEO Michael Morrical in a prepared statement. McKenzie Regional's closure reflects a national trend of rural hospitals closing due to falling admissions and declines in revenue. Officials noted patients will have access to care at nearby facilities, including 70-bed Baptist Memorial Hospital-Huntingdon (Tenn.), 10 miles away from McKenzie Regional, and Paris, Tenn.-based Henry County Medical Center, a 142-bed facility 15 miles away from McKenzie Regional. Four Florida emergency medical workers have been put on paid leave after the mother of a dead woman said medics told her an ambulance trip to the hospital was too expensive for her, reports The New York Times. Here are five things to know about the situation: 1. Nicole Black learned via phone early July 4 that her daughter Crystle Galloway had fallen in the bathroom at her home in Tampa, Fla., and hit her head. Ms. Black went over to her daughter's home, saw Ms. Galloway's condition and that she had collapsed, and called 911, according to the report. Ms. Galloway went into a coma later July 4 and died five days later. 2. Now, Ms. Galloway's mother is raising concerns about how emergency medical workers responded to her daughter. She alleges medics told her the $600 ambulance ride to transport Ms. Galloway to the hospital was unaffordable for her, according to the report. Ms. Black also alleges workers directed her to drive her daughter to the hospital herself, and said she believes race played a role in how medics treated her daughter, who is black and had recently given birth via cesarean section. 3. Officials in Hillsborough County, where the emergency medical response took place, challenged Ms. Black's claims, said race was not a factor in the situation, and said Ms. Black told medics she wanted to transport her daughter to the hospital, reports the NYT. Derrik Ryan, president of Hillsborough County Firefighters Local 2294, told the publication medical workers also did not discuss details of the cost of the ambulance trip with Ms. Black. 4. However, officials acknowledged mistakes were made on the call, including failing to take Ms. Galloway's vitals at the scene; not getting Ms. Black's signed confirmation that Ms. Galloway would not be going to the hospital in an ambulance; and a medical worker reporting by mistake they didn't reach Ms. Galloway, according to the report. 5. Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill put four medical workers on paid leave in connection with the call. According to the report, a disciplinary hearing is also scheduled for July 31. Read the full NYT report here. More articles on healthcare finance: Healthcare responds to CMS' proposed outpatient payment rule This week's 5 must-reads for hospital RCM leaders UF Health Jacksonville could get $120M for capital improvements CMS Administrator Seema Verma signed off on Wisconsin's innovation waiver July 29, approving the state to implement a plan to lower ACA premiums next year, according to a report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The approved Health Care Stability Plan championed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker will cost $200 million total, with $34 million paid for by Wisconsin taxpayers and $166 million by federal taxpayers, according to the report. The plan aims to lower premium costs for Wisconsinites who buy individual coverage on the exchanges but do not qualify for federal subsidies. Their premiums went up 44 percent this year, according to the report. The Health Care Stability Plan will cover half the cost of care for patients with claims ranging from $50,000 to $250,000, helping lower premiums, according to the report. Premiums are expected to decline 3.5 percent on average from 2018 levels and come in 11 percent lower than 2019 projections without the plan in place. However, ACA enrollment is expected to decline under the plan. The model earned support from the Wisconsin Hospital Association but received criticism from Democrats who want Mr. Walker to further expand the state's Medicaid program. They say the innovation waiver is an election-year strategy, according to the report. Read the full story here. More articles on leadership and management: Dr. Anthony Tersigni: We must ensure value-based reimbursements continue to help, not hinder Saint Luke's Health System CEO to chair AHA in 2020 Trump administration will continue approving Medicaid work requirements despite court loss Technology is a crucial part of hospitals and health systems across the U.S. It is used by clinicians during medical procedures, plays an increasing role in the patient financial experience, and helps document care to ensure appropriate payment for services. At these organizations, as well as health IT vendors, there are women who have expertise in various technology areas, including EHRs, analytics and telemedicine. Here, we highlight female leaders dedicated to health IT. Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order. For questions or comments, contact Kelly Gooch at kgooch@beckershealthcare.com Sponsored by CSI Healthcare IT has been assisting healthcare organizations with the implementation of IT solutions for over 24 years. Today, CSI Healthcare IT is a leading national provider of healthcare IT talent, from customized EHR solutions to ongoing staff augmentation for the rapidly evolving healthcare IT market. Our experienced professionals have assisted hundreds of clients in achieving meaningful outcomes in the advancement of information-driven healthcare. Laura Adams. President and CEO of Rhode Island Quality Institute. Ms. Adams helms the Rhode Island Quality Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to improving health and healthcare. Under her leadership, the institute has won several major HITECH health IT grants and a national 2018 Healthcare Informatics Innovation Award for work related to the opioid epidemic. Ms. Adams' health IT experience is vast, including participating on ONC's HIT Policy Committee's governance panel for the Nationwide Health Information Network and the HIMSS Center for Patient and Family Centered Care Advisory Group. She currently serves as co-chair of the National Academy of Medicine's Health Data Trust Initiative. Robin Adams. Vice President of Business Development at Urac. Ms. Adams brings more than 20 years of experience in pediatric academic and community-based health systems to Urac. Before joining Urac, she worked at Children's National Health System in Washington, D.C., where she played a key role in the population health-based strategy supporting the development of the system's regional outpatient center strategy. She also was chief growth officer at Falls Church, Va.-based Inova Health System. Lisa Archer. Senior Vice President of People and Culture at American Well. Ms. Archer joined health IT provider American Well as the senior vice president of people and culture in March 2017. Most recently, she was Dynatrace's chief human resources officer. At Dynatrace, Ms. Archer built a global human resources team responsible for supporting 1,800 employees. Before joining Dynatrace, she held executive human resources roles at Microsoft, EMC and Parametric Technology Corp. At American Well, Ms. Archer plays a key role in human resources strategy in support of the organization's overall business plan and direction. She also offers guidance in talent acquisition, leadership development, succession planning and total rewards. Pamela Arora. Senior Vice President of Information Services and CIO of Children's Health (Dallas) Ms. Arora brings more than 30 years of IT experience to Children's Health. She directs the organization's information services groups and oversees systems and technology, health information management and biomedical technology and support. Ms. Arora joined Children's Health in 2007, and the three-hospital health system achieved the HIMSS Stage 7 EMR Adoption designation three years later and earned the HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award for innovative use of EHRs in 2013. Her previous jobs include senior vice president and CIO of Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Health Care and CIO of Dallas-based Perot Systems. Robyn Baek. Vice President of Analytics and Insights at SOC Telemed. At SOC, Ms. Baek leads the company's financial planning and analysis. The role involves forecasting, budgeting, corporate development and strategic planning. Before joining SOC, Ms. Baek was an investment banker at Citigroup and a management consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, a global management and IT consulting firm. Denise Basow, MD. President and CEO of Clinical Effectiveness at Wolters Kluwer. At Wolters Kluwer, Dr. Basow helms the information services and solutions provider's clinical software solutions business unit. She took over the position, which is part of the healthcare division, in August 2015. Before that, she was vice president and general manager of clinical decision support at Wolters Kluwer. Ann Marie Beasley. Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Allscripts. Ms. Beasley joined Allscripts in 2013 as vice president of market strategy. She then served as vice president of marketing for the company before becoming senior vice president and chief marketing officer last year. She is responsible for developing marketing initiatives. Kelly Bliss. Chief Client Officer at Teladoc. Ms. Bliss focuses on Teladoc's global client services strategies. She is a former chief of staff at Best Doctors, a global health benefits provider that integrated with Teladoc. She also helped build and manage global teams at InterSystems and TRO-Design. Jenna Bourgeois. CEO of Dynamics Intelligence (U.S. and Canada). Ms. Bourgeois helms Dynamics Intelligence, a software company that specializes in the Microsoft technology stack. She brings 25 years of technology consulting experience, as well as Microsoft trainer experience, to her role. She has several technical certifications. Michele Brown. Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Leidos. Ms. Brown joined Leidos is 2008. Her current responsibilities include administering the company's ethics and compliance program. She also is deputy general counsel with a focus on issues involving government and commercial contracting and regulatory compliance. She previously worked in private practice at Holland and Knight. Julie Bushman. Executive Vice President of International Operations at 3M. Ms. Bushman is a veteran of 3M, joining the company more than three decades ago. She began her tenure there as a materials control analyst in 1983 and became CIO in 2003 after serving in various divisions and IT roles. Before becoming executive vice president of international operations last year, she also held roles including division vice president, executive vice president of 3M's safety, security and protection services business, executive vice president of the safety and graphics business group and senior vice president of business transformation and IT. Her current responsibilities involve operations in 70 countries with more than 55,000 employees. Bobbie Byrne, MD. CIO of Advocate Aurora Health (Downers Grove, Ill., and Milwaukee). Dr. Byrne serves as CIO of Advocate Aurora Health, the organization formed by the merger of Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care and Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care. Before the merger, she was Advocate's CIO. Before Advocate, she was executive vice president of consumer-driven health and chief medical and quality officer for Naperville, Ill.-based Edward-Elmhurst Health. Kelli Castellano. Chief Marketing Officer at TigerConnect. Ms. Castellano serves as chief marketing officer at TigerConnect, a provider of clinical communication and collaboration technology software solutions. An experienced marketing and communications strategist, she brings more than 15 years of business-to-business marketing experience to the role. Ms. Castellano has served as senior vice president of marketing and communications for NextGen Healthcare. She also worked at technology companies, including Affiliated Computer Services and Companion Technologies. Christine Chapman. Vice President of InterSystems TrakCare. Ms. Chapman has nearly 15 years of experience at InterSystems. She currently serves as vice president of the company's unified health information system, TrakCare. She began her tenure as a service executive director at InterSystems, before becoming COO of InterSystems TrakCare. She also was executive vice president and COO of international healthcare company Picis, as well as vice president of the eHealth services division for Superior Consultant. Eve Cline. Vice President of Marketing at TriBridge. Ms. Cline has more than 20 years of marketing experience. Her current responsibilities at tech services firm TriBridge include demand creation, product marketing and brand management, corporate communications, and digital marketing, among various other marketing functions. During her tenure at TriBridge, Ms. Cline has worked to develop and implement strategic programs and campaigns with the firm's practice, product and solution groups. Rhonda Collins, DNP, RN. CNO of Vocera Communications. Dr. Collins' nursing career spans about three decades. Since January 2014, she has served as chief nursing officer for Vocera. Before joining the mobile healthcare communications company, she was vice president and business manager for Fresenius Kabi, USA. She also has served as vice president of women's and children's services at Dallas-based Baylor University Medical Center, as well as vice president of nursing at global medical technology company Masimo Corp. Melinda Costin. Senior Vice President and CIO at JPS Health Network. Ms. Costin has more than four decades of healthcare and IT experience. Throughout her career, she has focused on healthcare informatics and the development of products that support EHRs. Her healthcare experience began with directing information systems at hospitals. She then moved to the vendor side of healthcare organizations, consulting, back to the hospital provider arena, and eventually to her current role as senior vice president and CIO at JPS Health Network since 2013. She has been active in the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, as well as the College of Health Information Management Executives in various positions. She was named been named one of the most powerful women in health IT by Health Data Management in 2016. Janet Dillione. CEO of Bernoulli Health (Milford, Conn.). Ms. Dillione has more than 25 years of healthcare technology and services experience. Since 2014, she has helmed Bernoulli Health, a provider of clinical surveillance, medical device integration and real time data analytics solutions. She previously served as executive vice president and general manager of the Nuance Communications healthcare division, as well as CEO of Siemens Health Services, where she was responsible for 5,500 employees. Ellen Donahue-Dalton. Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Medecision. Ms. Donahue-Dalton serves as executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Medecision. In this role, she is responsible for company's solution development and strategic marketing. he founded Dalton Marketing Group, which partners with for-profit and nonprofit organizations nationally in various sectors, including healthcare, insurance, professional services and technology. She is former vice president of worldwide marketing and former divisional president of Gtech Corp., a provider of global systems, software and services. Karen Drenkard, PhD, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical and Nursing Officer at GetWellNetwork. Dr. Drenkard serves on the leadership team at GetWellNetwork, a patient engagement tech company. She is responsible for the development of a nursing model to improve patient experience through clinical practices and technology. She was chosen as co-chair of the Beryl Institute Nurse Executive Council, was executive director of the American Nurses Credentialing Center and is former director of the Magnet Recognition Program that recognizes nursing excellence. Chiny Driscoll. Founder and CEO of MetiStream. Ms. Driscoll has vast experience in enterprise IT and as a business executive. In 2014, Ms. Driscoll launched MetiStream, a health IT company specializing in big data and analytic solutions. Before that, she was global head of services for IBM's Information Management's big data services practice. She previously served as vice president and general manager of global professional services at Netezza, which was acquired by IBM, as well as vice president of services and solutions at Tibco Software. Bridget Duffy, MD. CMO of Vocera Communications and Co-founder of Experience Innovation Network. Dr. Duffy has more than 25 years of healthcare experience. Prior to taking on her current role, she co-founded and was CEO of ExperiaHealth, which was acquired by Vocera. ExperiaHealth is now known as the Experience Innovation Network and provides healthcare solutions and technologies focused on humanity. Throughout her career, Dr. Duffy has focused on the patient experience, and she established the first chief experience officer role in healthcare at the Cleveland Clinic in 2006. Barbara Dumery. Senior Vice President of Product Management at Imprivata. Ms. Dumery brings about two decades of healthcare experience to Imprivata. During her tenure at the company, she has led product management for its single sign-on solution and its identity and multifactor authentication platform. She previously led product management at Verscend Technologies and spent seven years at Nuance. Cheryl Lee Eberting, MD. Founder and CEO of Azova Health. Dr. Eberting, a board-certified dermatologist, brings strategic planning, e-commerce and health IT experience to Azova. She is a former clinical research fellow of the dermatology branch of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health and a member of the American Contact Dermatitis Society. She founded CherylLeeMD Sensitive Skin Care and invented TrueLipids Skin Barrier Optimization and Repair Technology. Carina Edwards. Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at Imprivata. Ms. Edwards has more than 20 years of healthcare technology experience. At Imprivata, she focuses on operational areas, including global professional services, global customer support and advocacy, business development and corporate IT. She also serves on the board of trustees of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. Judy Faulkner. Founder and CEO of Epic Systems. Ms. Faulkner founded Human Services Computing, now known as Epic Systems, in 1979 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a master's in computer science. The first office of Epic was in the basement of an apartment in Madison. The EHR giant has since grown to more than 9,000 employees and reported revenues around $2.6 billion in 2016. Ms. Faulkner made Forbes' annual list of "The World's Billionaires" for 2018, with worth of nearly $3.5 billion. Virginia Feldman, MD. Co-founder and CEO of Nexus Health Resources. Dr. Feldman helms Nexus Health Resources, which provides transitional care software, services and patient engagement to healthcare organizations. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic direction of the company's operations and product design. She also co-founded Middletown, N.Y.-based Hudson Valley Ambulatory Surgery Center, staffed by 33 independent surgeons and physicians. Helen Figge, PharmD. Co-founder and Chief Communications and Public Relations Officer of CareFully. Ms. Figge is an industry expert with vast health IT experience. Before joining CareFully, she was senior vice president of global strategic development for LumiraDx USA, a healthcare solutions care management company. She also served as vice president of global clinical integrations accountable care solutions with Alere. In 2018, she was named among Health Data Management's most powerful women in health IT for the third consecutive year. Additionally, Ms. Figge consults for organizations that have an interest in positioning healthcare technology solutions with product development and go-to-market strategies. She is passionate about mentoring other health IT professionals and volunteers for several philanthropic organizations. Deborah Gage. President and CEO of Medecision. Ms. Gage helms Medecision, a population health management and software-as-a-service company. She oversees the company's mission and operations and directs its growth She worked at Medstat, now Truven Healthcare, and has served as CEO of various venture-backed healthcare IT firms. Kourtney Govro. Founder and CEO of Sphere3. Ms. Govro helms Sphere3, which provides a patient data analytics platform called Aperum. An expert in nurse call design and point of care analytics, she founded the company after a hospital experience with one of her children. She has advised U.S. hospitals on patient communications platforms and was involved in published research notes in clinical nursing studies with the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Kylanne Green. President and CEO of Urac. Ms. Green has 45 years of healthcare experience. She currently helms Urac, a healthcare accreditation organization. Before taking on that role in 2013, she was on the Urac board of directors, two years as chairman. Other experience includes: executive vice president at Falls Church, Va.-based Inova Health System; COO of Health Insurance Association of America; COO of Aetna Health Plans of the Mid-Atlantic; and area administrator of Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic. Nat'e Guyton. PhD, MSN, BSN, RN. CNO of Spok. Dr. Guyton brings to Spok more than 15 years of healthcare experience. Prior to joining Spok, she was chief clinical informatics officer for Conshohocken, Pa.-based Trinity Health-Mercy Health System, where she directed IT integrations and was responsible for clinical workflow redesigns, among other duties. Previous positions include CNO of East Norriton, Pa.-based Mercy Suburban Hospital, now Suburban Community Hospital; senior director of nursing operations at Wilmington, Del.-based St. Francis Hospital; and nurse manager of cardiac transplant and telemetry at Philadelphia-based Temple University Hospital. Kyra Hagan. Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Influence Health. Ms. Hagan has served in leadership at Cerner and Influence Health, a company specializing in numerous healthcare areas, including consumer experience, content management, hospital website strategy and design and digital marketing. In her current role at Influence, she creates marketing strategy and oversees various programs. Ms. Hagan also is a blogger, guest columnist and industry speaker. Lindsay Hanrahan. Vice President of Product Management at Surgical Information Systems. Ms. Hanrahan is a professional with an array of health IT, software development and portfolio management experience. At SIS, she oversees product direction and strategy and ASC management and clinical software solutions. Previously she was director of product management at SourceMed, now part of SIS. Michelle Harmon. Vice President of Client Services and National Accounts at Ludi. Ms. Harmon is an entrepreneurial, performance-based executive with 25 years of healthcare experience, Before joining Ludi, a healthcare technology company that helps hospitals and health systems improve their relationships with physicians, she worked at international and national healthcare executive search firm BE Smith. Rebecca Hellmann, Chief Marketing Officer at Olive. Ms. Hellmann joined Olive, formerly CrossChx, in January. Prior to joining the healthcare artificial intelligence startup, she was vice president of marketing for pharmaceutical distributor Cardinal Health's hospital solutions and global supply chain division. During her tenure at Cardinal Health, she was a member of the acquisition and integration team for a radio-frequency identification, data- enabled technology product for operating rooms and catheterization labs, and she introduced an end-to-end generation and management program. Ms. Hellmann also previously served as vice president of marketing at MedPlus, the healthcare IT subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics. Kathleen Hogan. Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Microsoft. Ms. Hogan is a veteran of Microsoft, joining the company in 2003. She is responsible for making the company an exceptional place to work for 100,000-plus global employees and creating a culture that draws top talent. Previously, she was corporate vice president of Microsoft Services, as well as corporate vice president of customer service and support. She also worked at McKinsey and Co. and Oracle Corp. Dawn Howarth. Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Nuance. At Nuance, Ms. Howarths focus includes the companys talent management programs, as well as its strategic organizational initiatives and its acquisition diligence and implementation strategy. Before joining Nuance, she worked at UFP Technologies and Future Electronics in human resources management jobs. She is also active in NEHRA, one of the largest human resources organizations in the Northeast, and the Society for Human Resource Management. Renee Hulen. Senior Director of IT and Clinical Informatics at SBH Health System (New York, N.Y.). Ms. Hulen has served in her current role since January 2016. She is responsible for various IT functional areas across SBH, including applications, clinical informatics, training, customer support, technical services and healthcare analytics. She also plays a key role in the development of clinical informatics projects and oversees hospitalwide applications and training. Previously, she was IT director over applications and clinical informatics at SBH. Karen Ignagni. President and CEO of EmblemHealth. Ms. Ignagni has helmed EmblemHealth since September 2015. In this role, she leads a neighborhood health plan formed from Group Health and Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York. Before joining EmblemHealth, she was president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans for more than 20 years. She also has been heavily involved with healthcare policy and was the director of the AFL-CIO's employee benefits department. Rhonda Jorden. Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and CIO at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock). An IT professional for more than 30 years, Ms. Jorden was named to her role in 2014. Before that, she was director of technical operations and chief technology officer at the university. Her other previous roles at the university were in management of patient systems, software development, clinical systems operations, and a brief stint as interim CIO. Erin Karam. Chief Technology Officer at PreparedHealth. Ms. Karam has served as CTO of PreparedHealth since June 2015. She is heavily involved in the execution of product vision of the company's enTouch platform, which allows hospitals and home care providers to communicate about patients' at-home care. Before joining PreparedHealth, Ms. Karam was director of solution delivery at Solstice Mobile. Mara Kaufman. Vice President of Client Services at Doctor.com. Ms. Kaufman joined Doctor.com, a marketing automation platform for physicians and health systems, in April 2014 as director of client success. She now oversees post-sale teams including client success, operations and analytics. She began her healthcare technology career at ZocDoc. Janice Kelly, RN-BC. President of AORN Syntegrity. Ms. Kelly helms AORN Syntegrity, an evidence-based perioperative documentation solution. In this role, she offers evidence-based perioperative content for EHRs,\ and plays a key role in the strategic plan for the AORN Syntegrity solution. A board-certified clinical informatics leader, she also serves as a clinical informatics advisor to C-suite members at healthcare organizations. Karlene Kerfoot, PhD, RN, CNO of GE Healthcare. Dr. Kerfoot is a healthcare veteran, publisher and speaker. She has served in corporate chief nursing and patient care officer positions at some of the nation's largest health systems, as well as in healthcare consulting and academic roles. Throughout her career, she has focused on retention, Magnet Recognition, patient safety, evidence-based staffing/scheduling, shared governance and staff and leader development. Lisa Khorey. Executive Vice President and Chief Client Delivery Officer for Allscripts Healthcare Solutions. At Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Ms. Khorey plays a key role in delivering Allscripts professional services, managed services, support and hosting solutions to healthcare organizations. She previously was executive director in Ernst & Youngs healthcare advisory services practice, specializing in analytics. Ms. Khorey also served in technology leadership roles at Pittsburgh-based UPMC, including time leading UPMCs enterprise analytics program and time as a UPMC hospital CIO. Liz Kirk. Senior Vice President of Client Services and Continuous Improvement Solutions of Strata Decision Technology. Ms. Kirk brings more than 15 years of hospital administrator and consulting experience to her role at Strata. She leads Strata's client services team, and helps in product and strategy for the company. Ms. Kirk previously worked at Chicago-based Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she played a key role in a $220 million costreduction project. Erin Kitchen. Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Doctor.com. A marketing communications strategist, Ms. Kitchen provides her expertise to marketing automation platform Doctor.com. In her current role, she helps healthcare providers and organizations engage patients in the evolving digital landscape. She previously served as Doctor.com's director of brand and communications. Astrid Larsen. Director of Care Coordination at Centegra Health System (Crystal Lake, Ill.). Ms. Larsen is responsible for care management functions of Centegra Health System including Illinois hospitals in McHenry, Huntley and Woodstock, as well as medical offices and physician practices, the Centegra Health and Wellness Network insurance product, and ancillary clinics and wellness facilities. Prior to her current role, she was manager of crisis services for Centegra. She was also previously clinical manager of Pioneer Center for Human Services. Patty Lavely. Senior Vice President and CIO for Gwinnett Medical Center (metro Atlanta). Ms. Lavely serves as senior vice president and CIO at Gwinnett Medical Center, a 553-bed nonprofit healthcare network serving the Atlanta metropolitan area. A leader in healthcare IT, she has served as CIO for multiple regional health systems in Georgia and as an interim CIO in New Jersey. At Gwinnett, she developed and implemented a strategy to improve overall accessibility and technology usage while enabling the health system to meet business goals. Currently, she serves on the Technology Association of Georgia board of directors, Georgia CIO Leadership Association advisory board, Georgia Chapter HIMSS board of directors and CHIME Opioid Task Force. Melissa Leigh. General Counsel for Intermedix, an R1 company. Ms. Leigh has more than 25 years of healthcare legal and compliance experience. In 2012, she joined Intermedix, now part of R1 RCM. She has served in various roles at the company, including associate general counsel and chief compliance officer. She is currently general counsel at Intermedix, where she plays a key role in corporate, strategic and tactical legal initiatives. Michelle Lichte. Executive Vice President of Client Partnerships at Nordic. Ms. Lichte brings to Nordic nearly 30 years of health IT experience. A veteran healthcare IT leader, her expertise includes managing EHR projects, implementation planning, solutions, and mergers and acquisitions. Before joining Nordic in July 2017, she held implementation executive roles at Epic, Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare, and an Epic consulting firm. Kate Mays. Division President of CSI Healthcare IT. Ms. Mays was promoted to her current role in 2017 after serving as vice president of operations for the CSI Healthcare IT division. She first joined CSI in 2006, serving as sales director for healthcare staffing clients before joining the health IT division. During her career with the company, the health IT division grew 150 percent over three years. Amy Merlino, MD. Enterprise Chief Medical Information Officer at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Merlino, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, has served as enterprise chief medical information officer at Cleveland Clinic since 2017. Before taking on that role, she served as director of clinical informatics, as well as associate chief medical information officer at Cleveland Clinic. She also continues to practice obstetrics and gynecology. Pam Murphy. COO of Infor. Ms. Murphy joined Infor in December 2010. At the enterprise software provider, she served as senior vice president of corporate operations before becoming COO in October 2011. She previously worked at Oracle Corp., where her responsibilities included global sales operations and running consulting operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Kristin Myers. Senior Vice President of Technology at Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). Throughout her career as a health IT professional, Ms. Myers has worked as a vendor, independent contractor, consultant and hospital executive. She has served as senior vice president of technology at Mount Sinai Health System since April 2017. Prior to that, she was a vice president at the system, where she helped implement a $100 million Epic EHR program at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She also played a key role in developing a community physician EMR strategy and an interoperability strategy at the medical center. Ashley Needham. Director of Corporate Initiatives at Validic. In her role, Ms. Needham is responsible for Validic's marketing, branding, public relations, communications and clinical research initiatives. She began this position in July 2016 after serving as the company's marketing manager. Prior to joining Validic, Ms. Needham was a marketing communications specialist at Innovative Learning Solutions, a business simulation company. Jamie Nelson. Senior Vice President and CIO of Hospital for Special Surgery (New York City). Ms. Nelson brings about 35 years of healthcare experience to her CIO role, specifically in areas such as IT leadership and consulting, hospital operations, and performance improvement. At Hospital for Special Surgery, she played a key role in developing and implementing an IT strategy supporting the hospital's strategic plan, as well as in the hospital's Epic implementation across inpatient and ambulatory settings for clinical and revenue cycle applications. Before joining Hospital for Special Surgery, she held roles at Norwalk (Conn.) Hospital, New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, also in New York City. She also worked at First Consulting Group, Ernst & Young and Innovatix. Kristi Payne, LPN. COO of MDabstract. Ms. Payne, an SAS computer programmer and a certified NextGen Professional, has more than 23 years of healthcare experience. She has worked for UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida on cost containment and network development. She was also business office manager at Jacksonville (Fla.) Heart Center, now Baptist Heart Specialists, before becoming systems manager to oversee EHR implementation, training and programming. Most recently, she played a key role in growing MDabstract from a startup with one client into a multimillion-dollar organization that works with national clients including St. Louis-based Ascension and Boston-based Steward Health Care. Gail Peace. Founder, President and CEO of Ludi. Ms. Peace helms Ludi, a healthcare technology company focused on helping providers with physician alignment. Before founding Ludi in 2012, she was vice president of business development for Vanguard Health Chicago, which was part of Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanguard Health Systems before VHS was acquired by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare in 2013. Ms. Peace also previously served as vice president of client solutions for WebMD Health Services, formerly Subimo. Lindsay Phan. Director, Enterprise Project Management Office at Northwestern Medicine (Chicago). Ms. Phan has 12 years of health IT experience. Most recently, she led the systemwide Epic clinical implementation at Northwestern Medicine. Ms. Phan now leads an enterprise project management office at Northwestern Medicine with responsibility for IT implementations. Susan Pouzar. General Manager of the North America Division at Genesis Automation Healthcare. Ms. Pouzar is the new general manager of Genesis' North America division, where she leads the value-chain solutions provider's operations, sales and marketing teams in the U.S. and Canada. Prior to her current role, she was vice president of sales at Genesis, leading the company's sales and account management teams for the U.S. Before joining Genesis, she was vice president of sales and marketing, clinical, and MorCare solutions at Herndon, Va.-based Harris Healthcare. Jan Powell. CEO of Alpha II. Ms. Powell has more than 30 years of healthcare software development experience. At Alpha II, a provider of software as a service solutions and developer toolkits, she plays a key role in corporate development and business strategy, with an emphasis on product design and development. During her tenure with the company, she has directed Alpha II's focus on professional and institutional reimbursement rules, fee schedules and electronic data interchange. Alpha II has also experienced significant growth in recent years under her leadership and partnered with multiple prime contractors on national products licensed by the Veterans Health Administration. Anita Pramoda. Founder and CEO of Owned Outcomes. Ms. Pramoda helms Owned Outcomes, a software company that helps healthcare organizations tackle the challenges of value-based care. She is also an executive adviser and venture partner to Technology Crossover Ventures and serves as a board director at Health Catalyst and Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in Los Angeles. Previously, she was the CFO of Epic and served on the board at Allscripts. Pamela Pure. Founder and CEO of Pure Advisory. Ms. Pure founded Pure Advisory, a provider of strategic planning and advisory services, business consulting, and support for mergers and acquisitions and transactions. She brings more than 25 years of experience in health IT and services to the company. Before founding Pure Advisory, she was CEO of HealthMEDX, as well as president and executive vice president at McKesson Provider Technologies. During her time at McKesson, the business grew from $900 million in revenue to $3 billion. Laura Quatela. Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Lenovo. At Lenovo, Ms. Quatela focuses on the company's legal strategy. She joined the company in 2016 after co-founding a global consulting firm in 2014. She was executive vice president of intellectual property for Alcatel-Lucent and previously worked at Eastman Kodak, where she served in various roles, including president, chief intellectual property officer and co-COO. Susan Ragon. Vice President of Finance, Administration and Recruitment at InterSystems. For more than 30 years, Ms. Ragon has worked at InterSystems. Currently, she is responsible for finance, recruitment and human resources across the organization's global network. She also played a key role in constructing the core infrastructure of InterSystems. Her previous roles at the organization include director of finance, administration, marketing and documentation. Sheela Ramamurthy. Chief Client Officer at VirtualHealth. Ms. Ramamurthy serves as chief client officer of VirtualHealth, which develops end-to-end technologies designed for value-based care. In this role, she focuses on product development strategy, prioritization and implementation. While at VirtualHealth, she has been involved in healthcare organizations improving the health of more than 6 million patients. Ms. Ramamurthy also spent more than 10 years at PwC's health industries practice. Angela Rivera. Executive Vice President of Operations at CynergisTek. Ms. Rivera has 24 years of healthcare experience. She held various roles at Computer Task Group, an international IT solutions and services company, including vice president of health solutions. In her current role as executive vice president of operations at cybersecurity and information management consulting firm CynergisTek, she helps set the company's strategic direction and is responsible for its cybersecurity and information management consulting services. She also oversees the sales, marketing and professional services teams. Alana Ward Robinson. President and CEO of Robinson Group Consulting. Ms. Robinson has more than three decades of technology leadership and innovation experience. She currently helms Robinson Group Consulting, where she began serving as a founder and managing principal in 2004. In this role, she advises healthcare organizations on strategic technology solutions. Her past positions include interim CIO at Madden Communications and strategic technology adviser to the president at Augusta, Ga.-based Paine College, among many others. Fidelma Russo. Chief Technology Officer of Iron Mountain. Ms. Russo focuses on technology's role in Iron Mountain's current and future products, service delivery and overall business. Before joining Iron Mountain, she led Dell EMC's enterprise storage and software solutions team. She also was COO of Sepaton/HDS, a provider of storage and software products and services. Additionally, she has worked at Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems/Oracle, Data General Corp. and Digital Equipment Corp. Deirdre Ruttle. Vice President of Strategy at InstaMed. Ms. Ruttle began her role in October 2017 as vice president of strategy for InstaMed, where she oversees the company's strategic objectives, corporate brand and thought leadership activities, including the publication of the Trends in Healthcare Payments Annual Report. Prior to her current role, she held leadership positions in product management and marketing at InstaMed, where she worked closely with U.S. payers and providers on launching healthcare payment solutions. She previously held senior marketing roles at alphabroder and Collages.net, where she led marketing strategy to drive use of business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce platforms. Pamela Saechow. Associate CIO at Cleveland Clinic. Before joining Cleveland Clinic in October 2017, Ms. Saechow was a vice president IT executive at New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals, one of the nation's largest public health systems. There, she was senior assistant vice president of the system's Epic program. She also was responsible for implementation, optimization and support of NYC Health + Hospitals' financial IT systems. Vicki Schmanske. Chief Administrative Officer at Leidos. At Leidos, Ms. Schmanske oversees IT services, enterprise business operations, communications and marketing, corporate real estate and facilities, security, and strategic sourcing. Previously, she was deputy president and COO of Leidos' health group. During her 35-year career, she also was vice president of operations for Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions programs under strategic review in the civil, defense and intelligence solutions business lines. Ms. Schmanske was honored this year with a leadership award from the nonprofit Women in Technology. Brenda Schmidt. Founder and CEO of Solera Health. Solera contracts with insurers to connect patients to a network of preventive health services, such as diabetes prevention and management programs and food insecurity interventions, as covered medical benefits. A social entrepreneur, she focuses on improving quality and costs. She is president of the Council for Diabetes Prevention and previously served on the board of the Population Health Alliance. Lisa Shah, MD. Chief Innovation Officer of Sound Physicians. In her role as chief innovation officer of Sound Physicians, Dr. Shah is focused on designing innovative care delivery models, as well as technology-enabled clinical workflows and clinically integrated solutions. She previously was senior vice president of clinical operations and network for Evolent Health. Rita Sharma. Vice President of Product Management for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Salesforce. Ms. Sharma brings more than 15 years of leadership experience to Salesforce, a provider of customer relationship management software. Experienced in enterprise, digital health and wellness, she currently serves as the company's vice president of product management. Before that, she was Salesforce's head of product, healthcare and life sciences. She was also vice president of marketing and product management at Glooko, a company that offers a unified diabetes management platform. Jennifer Sheets. Chief Clinical Officer at Bayada Home Health Care. Ms. Sheets is chief clinical officer at Bayada, a provider of home nursing, rehabilitative, therapeutic, hospice and assistive care services. In this role, her responsibilities include a focus on clinical guidelines and procedures, along with growth and development opportunities. Ms. Sheets previously served as corporate chief clinical officer at Cornerstone Healthcare Group. She also was senior vice president of clinical operations at Gentiva Health Services, an affiliate of Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred Healthcare. Shelly Spiro. Executive Director of the Pharmacy Health Information Technology Collaborative. Since 2012, Ms. Spiro has served as executive director of the Pharmacy Health Information Technology Collaborative, a health IT-focused organization founded by nine pharmacy groups. A national pharmacy leader, she also serves as president of health IT consulting firm Spiro Consulting. She has served as a pharmacy clinician, teacher, operations manager and corporate administrative executive in many healthcare settings throughout her career. Erica St. Angel. Chief Technology Innovation Officer for Access Physicians (Dallas). Ms. St. Angel is CTIO for Access Physicians, a physician-founded medical group practicing inpatient telemedicine. Her experience also includes serving as an executive for publicly traded companies, digital health startups and a digital marketing agency. Additionally, she was policy adviser on health, commerce and education in the administrations of former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar and former Wisconsin governor and HHS secretary Tommy Thompson. Tamara StClaire, PhD. Vice President of Innovation at GuideWell. Dr. StClaire has vast healthcare innovation experience. Before joining GuideWell, she served in various roles at Xerox, including CEO of Merisight the company's corporate digital health startup and chief business officer of its Palo Alto (Calif.) Research Center. Most recently, she served as chief innovation officer of Xerox's healthcare business. She also worked at Abbott Labs and Roche, and was COO of predictive health platform BaseHealth. Lynne Stockstad. Chief Marketing Officer for Optum. Since December 2014, Ms. Stockstad has worked at Optum, UnitedHealth's health IT and services arm. She began her tenure at the company as senior vice president of product and consumer marketing. She is now chief marketing officer, responsible for Optum's strategic brand and marketing initiatives. At the company, Ms. Stockstad has led product, marketing and branding efforts and played a key role in company growth. She previously worked at Microsoft for 12 years. Lisa Suennen. Senior Managing Director at GE Ventures. Ms. Suennen is an experienced venture capital investor and healthcare industry adviser. She currently serves as healthcare venture capital investor at the corporate venture capital arm of GE. Previously, she was an adviser on corporate venture capital and digital health strategy while operating Venture Valkyrie Consulting. She was also a partner at healthcare-focused venture capital firm Psilos Group. Outside her role at GE, Ms. Suennen is the managing partner of Venture Valkyrie, is a co-founder of women's leadership nonprofit C-Sweetener and has a digital health-focused podcast called "Tech Tonics." Natalie Sunderland, Vice President of Marketing at Qventus. In her current role, Ms. Sunderland is responsible for leading marketing at Qventus, which provides an artificial intelligence software platform. Her responsibilities also include educating the market on the company's offerings. She leads the company's industry council and education programs with key healthcare forums. Previously, Ms. Sunderland led marketing at Castlight Health. She also held senior marketing roles at Citigroup and American Express. Christina Sung. Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Product Marketing at Health Fidelity. At healthcare tech startup Health Fidelity, Ms. Sung focuses on product development and market strategy. She brings to the role vast experience in healthcare and technology. She has worked for Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, as well as for Vocera Communications, where she managed the development of existing and new products for the Vocera Care Experience web-based tool. Lisa Stump. Senior Vice President and CIO of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health and Yale School of Medicine. Ms. Stump has worked at YNHH since 1996. Throughout her career, she has held a number of jobs at YNHH, including director of pharmacy, administrative director in clinical informatics and vice president of the system's Epic project. She also previously served as associate CIO before taking on her current CIO role. At YNHH, she led integration of IT services staff systemwide, as well as consolidation of multiple technology platforms in bed management, infection control, laboratory information and YNHH's blood bank, among other accomplishments. In December 2017, she was chosen for the Carol Emmott Fellowship. Jessica Sweeney-Platt. Executive Director of Enterprise Strategy at athenahealth. In her current role, Ms. Sweeney-Platt focuses on physician and care team burnout. Prior to this role, she was executive director of athenaResearch at the EHR vendor. She also was managing director of The Advisory Board Co., where she obtained healthcare expertise in areas such as accountable care strategy, medical group growth strategies and inpatient care redesign. Sheila Talton. President and CEO of Gray Matter Analytics. Ms. Talton helms Gray Matter Analytics, which offers advisory services and analytics solutions for healthcare organizations. A global leader and big-data strategist, she has worked at Cisco Systems, EDS and Ernst & Young, and founded a consultancy focused on communications network integration. At Cisco, she built the company's globalization strategy for China, Brazil and Mexico. Anncy Thomas, DO. CIO of Episcopal Health Services (Far Rockaway, N.Y.). Dr. Thomas, a board-certified family physician, has served in her current role since July 2017. In this position, she oversees the hospital's IT and services department, among other duties. She previously served as chief medical information officer at Far Rockaway-based St. John's Episcopal Hospital and has served as an adjunct clinical assistant professor of the family medicine program at EHS for both Erie, Pa.-based Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and Portsmouth, Dominica-based Ross University School of Medicine. Tanya Townsend. System Senior Vice President and CIO of LCMC Health (New Orleans). Ms. Townsend brings an array of healthcare technology and administrative experience to her role at LCMC Health. Before joining LCMC Health in November 2014, she was vice president and CIO of Greater Baltimore Medical Center. She has also served as CIO of Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System's eastern Wisconsin division, where she oversaw IT, biomed and clinical engineering, and health information management for St. Mary's, St. Vincent and St. Nicholas hospitals, including provider practice Prevea Health. Anna Turman. CEO of Chadron (Neb.) Community Hospital and Health Services. For nearly 20 years, Ms. Turman has worked at Chadron Community Hospital, a critical access hospital serving people in the panhandle of Nebraska and surrounding areas. She served as CIO for 10 years, COO for four years and interim CEO for six months before becoming the hospital's permanent CEO in 2017. During her tenure with the hospital, she has advised the U.S. Cyber Security Task Force. Her specialties include leadership, management of information systems, security and risk assessments, and IT and EHR implementation. Lorraine Vargas Townsend. Senior Vice President of Human Resources at athenahealth. Ms. Vargas Townsend's early life has played a key role in her career. Experiences like having an immigrant single mother and battling bone cancer when she was 18 influenced how she approaches her human resources role. During her tenure at athenahealth, she has promoted a growth mindset and inclusiveness. She also played a key role in athenahealth's people-first strategy, which, according to the company, "empowers employees to bring their entire selves to work." Jeanne Venella, BSN, DNP. Chief Nursing Officer of Bernoulli Health. Ms. Venella is an experienced leader in healthcare management, with expertise in emergency nursing, throughput, patient flow and efficiency, process improvement, and change management. Since 2015, she has served as Bernoulli's CNO. In this role, she focuses on developing strategic nursing workflow plans, data analysis and systems. Stephany Verstraete. Chief Marketing Officer at Teladoc. At Teladoc, Ms. Verstraete's responsibilities include leading global marketing and communications efforts, overseeing market positioning of the company's brand, and product growth. Before joining Teladoc, she held marketing leadership roles at Match.com, Expedia, Kraft and Frito Lay. She also was chief marketing officer at healthcare technology company Truveris. Emmy Weber. Chief Marketing Officer for Surgical Information Systems. Ms. Weber has more than 20 years of marketing and product management experience. In her current role, she is responsible for SIS' corporate marketing strategies, client experience and partnerships. Previously, she was vice president of product management at MedQuist, now M*Modal, and held various product and marketing roles with Lanier Worldwide. Linda Whitley-Taylor. Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Change Healthcare. Ms. Whitley-Taylor has extensive healthcare experience. Before joining Change Healthcare, she was executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Amerigroup Corp., a provider of health insurance and managed healthcare. She was also previously senior vice president of human resources operations for Genworth Financial, formerly GE Financial Assurance. During her time there, she was involved in taking the company public in 2004. Leigh Thomas Williams. Administrator of Business Systems, Health Information and Technology at University of Virginia Health System (Charlottesville). Ms. Williams is a senior health IT leader at UVA Health System. In this role, she manages enterprise financial and operational applications, is responsible for web and mobile app development and strategy, and focuses on the system's service management strategy. Outside of the system, she teaches for the department of health informatics and information management at Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center. She is also president-elect of the Virginia chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Karley Yoder. Director of Product Management and Artificial Intelligence at GE Healthcare. Ms. Yoder serves as director of product management and artificial intelligence at GE Healthcare. She moved into the role in April 2018 after serving as the company's senior product manager of AI analytics. She received a master's degree in business administration from Harvard Business School in 2016. While working on that degree, she interned at Apple, with a focus on digital health devices and services. Cleveland-based Judge Dan Polster, overseer of about 800 opioid-related lawsuits in federal court, ruled July 26 that opioid distribution data cannot be made public, according to Las Vegas Now. The decision for state and local governments to not publish federal government data of opioid distribution strikes a blow to news outlets and organizations seeking to report thoroughly on the nation's opioid overdose and addiction epidemic. The Associated Press, The Washington Post and HD Media, owner of The Charleston Gazette-Mail of West Virginia, are just some examples of news organizations seeking distribution records. The newspapers told Las Vegas Now they are considering appealing the July 26 decision. "We are disappointed, but we remain committed to fighting for records that shed light on the causes and costs of the opioid epidemic records that the drug companies and federal government want to keep secret from the public," Gazette-Mail Executive Editor Greg Moore said in an email to Las Vegas Now on July 27. The drug industry is asking judges to dismiss lawsuits filed against them, arguing local governments do not have legal standing to sue. They dispute causing the opioid epidemic, as their drugs require federal government approval and physician prescriptions. Lead lawyer, Paul Farrell, overseeing 400-plus opioid lawsuits where local governments are suing over drugs, said the unpublishable data would show the public which pharmacies sold huge amounts of drugs. Washington Post lawyer Karen Lefton told Las Vegas Now, "keeping the specifics secret does nothing to give victims' families faith that this deadly crisis is being adequately addressed." Mr. Polster has since scheduled the first trials for March 2019. More articles on opioids: Washington county faces 57 opioids overdoses in 1 week Breastfeeding proves difficult choice for mothers battling addiction: 5 things to know Addiction treatment too expensive & short, says expert UnitedHealth Group's Optum division is opening more urgent care centers in Texas, according to a Star Tribune report. Here are three notes about the expansion: 1. Optum's urgent care business, MedExpress, opened two urgent care centers in Texas this month. The company has plans to build a third by October. 2. The new centers bring the statewide total of MedExpress urgent care clinics to 14. This is compared to the two MedExpress clinics operating in Texas as of December 2017, according to the Star Tribune. 3. Optum also runs two large medical groups in Texas. The health services company likewise acquired 20 surgery centers in the state through its Surgical Care Affiliates deal. More articles on payers: Idaho hospital's ER physicians out of network with state's largest insurers Centene CEO: Physician acquisition spree not in playbook Blue Cross to offer North Carolina members up to $500 rebate for choosing cheaper physician Le patron du New York Times, Arthur Gregg Sulzberger, a vivement mis en garde le president americain en qualifiant ses attaques contre la presse de dangereuses et nuisibles. Le directeur de la publication du NYT et Donald Trump se sont rencontres a la Maison Blanche, le 20 juillet dernier, pour discuter des fausses informations , les fake news . Donald Trump qualifie regulierement de Fake News (fausses informations) les medias generalistes americains qui, pour la plupart, se montrent tres critiques sur sa presidence. La nouvelle de la rencontre etait restee confidentielle jusqua ce que le president americain ne la rende publique, par un tweet. M. Sulzberger a alors publie un communique, dont le texte integral en anglais est publie ci-dessous. (Avec a suivre une traduction en francais des principaux elements) ------------------------ Statement of A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times, in Response to President Trumps Tweet About Their Meeting July 29, 2018 Earlier this month, A.G. received a request from the White House to meet with President Trump. This was not unusual; there has been a long tradition of New York Times publishers holding such meetings with presidents and other public figures who have concerns about coverage. On July 20th, A.G. went to the White House, accompanied by James Bennet, who oversees the editorial page of The Times. Mr. Trumps aides requested that the meeting be off the record, which has also been the practice for such meetings in the past. But with Mr. Trumps tweet this morning, he has put the meeting on the record, so A.G. has decided to respond to the presidents characterization of their conversation, based on detailed notes A.G. and James took. Statement of A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times: My main purpose for accepting the meeting was to raise concerns about the presidents deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric. I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous. I told him that although the phrase fake news is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labeling journalists the enemy of the people. I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence. I repeatedly stressed that this is particularly true abroad, where the presidents rhetoric is being used by some regimes to justify sweeping crackdowns on journalists. I warned that it was putting lives at risk, that it was undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our countrys greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press. Throughout the conversation I emphasized that if President Trump, like previous presidents, was upset with coverage of his administration he was of course free to tell the world. I made clear repeatedly that I was not asking for him to soften his attacks on The Times if he felt our coverage was unfair. Instead, I implored him to reconsider his broader attacks on journalism, which I believe are dangerous and harmful to our country. -------------------------------------------- Mon objectif principal en acceptant cette rencontre etait de soulever mes inquietudes au sujet de la rhetorique anti-presse extremement troublante du president , a explique celui qui a succede debut 2018 a son pere Arthur Ochs Sulzberger comme directeur de la publication du Times. J'ai dit franchement au president que je pensais que son discours n'etait pas seulement facteur de division mais qu'il etait de plus en plus dangereux. Je lui ai dit que bien que l'expression +Fake News+ soit fausse et nuisible, j'etais beaucoup plus preoccupe par sa facon de caracteriser les journalistes comme des +ennemis du peuple+ . Je l'ai prevenu que ce langage incendiaire contribuait a une augmentation des menaces contre les journalistes et allait inciter a la violence , a poursuivi le patron du NYT, precisant avoir insiste sur le fait que "c'est particulierement vrai a l'etranger". La rhetorique du president est utilisee par certains regimes pour justifier des repressions d'ampleur contre les journalistes , a-t-il denonce. Je l'ai implore de revenir sur ses vastes attaques contre le journalisme, que je pense etre dangereuses et nuisibles pour notre pays , a ajoute M. Sulzberger tout en precisant que le president americain avait bien sur le droit comme ses predecesseurs de critiquer la facon dont la presse relate son action. Trump ne pouvait pas laisser le New York Times avoir le dernier mot: dans une serie de tweets dimanche apres-midi, le president americain a lance de nouvelles attaques contre la presse, affirmant que ce sont les medias qui "mettent des vies en danger, et pas seulement celles de journalistes (...) en revelant des deliberations internes de l'administration". Le defaillant New York Times et le Washington Post d'Amazon ne font rien qu'ecrire de mauvais articles, meme sur des reussites tres positives, et ils ne changeront jamais! , a-t-il ajoute. The American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines on how physicians can clearly communicate infertility and sexual dysfunction information to younger patients and their families, according to APP News and Journals. Here are seven things to know: 1. Infertility and sexual dysfunction have a significant effect on a patient's quality of life, causing distress and anxiety among pediatric patients that has long-lasting effects on how they form romantic relationships, intimacy and self-esteem. 2. Due to many pediatric conditions and treatments that can impair reproductive capacity and sexual function, the APP urges general pediatricians and pediatric medical subspecialists to provide ongoing counseling and or care management options, including psychological support. 3. The APP suggests counseling about fertility and sexual function for at-risk pediatric populations is paramount and should start with the parents in infancy or at the earliest point possible when a patient maybe affected. 4. Physicians should provide full information about their patient's conditions while using developmentally sensitive approaches as the patient matures. Physicians should keep in mind the patient's perspective, comprehension and concerns may change with maturity. 5. Fertility and sexual function treatment risks and interventions should be evidence based. When e evidence is not available, this information needs to be relayed for the families to make the decision. 6. Physicians using interdisciplinary teams need to develop a strategy that addresses fertility and sexual function issues sensitively, allowing time for patient questions and considerations. 7. Strict and clear documentation about the discussion held with the patient, family and the conversation's outcome is crucial to keep clear lines of communication among healthcare teams, which also establishes a smooth transition from pediatric care to adult-patient care. More articles on clinical leadership and infection control: Massachusetts hospital cited for lapses in high-risk pregnancy care Viewpoint: It's time to rethink breathing machines This Maryland hospital wants physicians to discuss gun safety with patients CMS cited Springfield, Mass.-based Mercy Medical Center after the hospital mishandled several high-risk obstetrics patients, including a failure to transfer a patient at risk for pregnancy complications to a facility for complex maternity patients, The Boston Globe reports. Six things to know: 1. The patient admitted to Mercy Medical Center showed clear signs of pregnancy complications. She had high blood pressure, was overweight, smoked and had preeclampsia. She was admitted to the hospital the morning of Feb. 12 to induce labor, and was having difficulty breathing and experiencing pressure in her chest by 11 a.m. 2. When the patient's condition quickly deteriorated, Mercy Medical Center did not transfer her to a hospital specializing in treating complex maternity patients. Mercy, which is owned by Hartford, Conn.-based Trinity Health of New England, does not have state designation to treat high-risk pregnancies. The woman suffered a fatal heart attack just hours after she had a cesarean section. 3. An April investigation found another mishandled case involving a high-risk obstetrics patient at the hospital. Federal regulators deemed the hospital in "immediate jeopardy" of harming patients, putting its Medicare contract at risk. 4. The immediate jeopardy designation was lifted in May after Mercy improved care procedures. A group of hospitals, public health officials and medical professionals plan to make statewide recommendations on maternity care levels in the next few months, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association said. 5. Mercy "took decisive and effective action" after the problems, bringing in national perinatal experts from its corporate office to recommend improvements, hospital executives told the Globe. Actions included identifying obstetrics patients in physician practices who should be referred to high-risk practices and hospitals and adopting a warning system for Mercy's maternity patients at risk for life-threatening complications. 6. Mercy declined to say if it had transferred high-risk patients to other practices since the inspection. "Safety and quality of care are our top priorities at Mercy Medical Center," a news release stated. "It is important to note that women in labor can develop complications abruptly and without sufficient warning to initiate a safe interfacility transfer." Nearly 1,400 of the nation's nursing homes or 1 in 11 have received lower Medicare star ratings for inadequate staffing levels, reports Kaiser Health News. Nursing homes with lowered ratings did not have enough registered nurses or did not provide payroll data showing they met requirements for nursing coverage, the report states, citing federal records released last week. Medicare recently implemented a new approach to calculating average staffing ratings at nursing homes, as required by the ACA. Medicare payroll records now provide data on staffing levels at nursing homes. Previously, such evaluations had been based on unverified, self-reported data from facilities. A recent KHN analysis showed 25 percent of nursing homes submitting payroll records did not report registered nurses at work during October, November and December 2017. Federal officials do not require a minimum resident-to-staff ratio at nursing homes, but they do require facilities to have a registered nurse for eight hours daily and a licensed nurse around the clock, according to the report. Overall, 1,387 of 15,616 U.S. skilled nursing facilities received one star out of a possible five from CMS for staffing on July 25, KHN's analysis of the latest Medicare data showed. Medicare said the facilities did not have a registered nurse for "a high number of days" over three months, provided unverifiable data or failed to provide their payroll data, according to KHN. David Grabowski, a professor of healthcare policy at Boston-based Harvard Medical School, told the publication the Medicare action on nursing home star ratings for staffing represents "a real positive that they actually are taking the payroll-based system seriously, that they're using it to punish those nursing homes that either aren't reporting staffing or those that are below the federal limit." Katie Smith Sloan, president of LeadingAge, a Washington, D.C.-based association of aging services providers, expressed disappointment in Medicare's action and cited a workforce shortage as the primary contributing factor. "Our members are battling on multiple fronts to recruit and retain all types of qualified staff, and nurses in particular," she told KHN. According to the report, CMS acknowledged challenges with reporting data for salaried staff in the payroll system, which focuses on reporting hourly work, but said nursing homes were notified in April of potential downgrades if they showed no registered nurses on the clock. Read the full KHN report here. More articles on workforce: Atrium Health bumps pay for 9,000 nurses Cardiologist shortage is coming: 5 things to know UnitedHealth Group has the most work-from-anywhere positions, according to FlexJobs Hendersonville, N.C.-based Park Ridge Health is the first hospital in the region to offer the Mazor X Robotic Guidance System for spine surgery. Here are four things to know: 1. The Mazor X system offers 3D surgical planning, intraoperative guidance and verification for minimally invasive spine procedures. 2. Stephen David, MD, the medical director of Park Ridge Health's orthopedic program and Total Spine Center, was the first surgeon to perform robot-assisted spine surgery in the region. 3. In 2017, Park Ridge Health became the first health system in western North Carolina to earn The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for the Spine Center of Excellence Certification. 4. Park Ridge Health employs 223 physicians. Board-certified neurosurgeon Roland Torres, MD, joined the University of Miami Health System. Here are three things to know: 1. Specializing in neurotrauma and neurocritical care, Dr. Torres comes to UM Health from Stanford (Calif.) Health Care. 2. Dr. Torres received his medical degree from Universidad Central del Este in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, and underwent neuro-oncology fellowship training at UC San Francisco Neurosurgery. 3. Dr. Torres' research involves traumatic brain injury treatment. Belfast International Arts Festival will be welcoming Italian actress Isabella Rossellini to the Grand Opera House later this year. The screen icon will appear on the Belfast stage on October 31 2018 with her new one-woman show Link Link. An Irish premiere, the brand new one-woman (and one dog) show by the Golden Globe-nominated actress and filmmaker, Link Link is a monologue inspired by the animal world, based on scientific research with a comic twist. The audience will get to see enduring style icon Rossellini transform herself into Aristotle, Rene Descartes, a medieval theologian, Harvard Professor BF Skinner and Charles Darwin to explore, in her own intriguing way, what distinguishes humans from animals. Rossellini's monologue will be accompanied by projections of her short comic films, home movies, photos, and drawings whilst her dog Pan, an outstanding supporting artist plays various animals assisted by puppeteer and animal handler Schuyler Beeman. Belfast International Arts Festival Director, Richard Wakely, said: The Festival is honored to host one of Europes most versatile and celebrated female performers. "Isabella Rossellini has graced the screen and stage for many years and her new work, Link Link is an exquisite and comical tour de force that is also thought provoking in its approach to enhancing our appreciation of the animal world. Tickets are available now at www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com. With over 120 event including 12 premiers, the full programme will launch on the 16 August 2018. Eamonn Holmes has been told by a weight-loss expert he is a "heart attack waiting to happen" if he did not shed some pounds. Steven Miller, appearing on Monday's Good Morning Britain (GMB), told the broadcaster he was "too fat". GMB was hosting a debate on whether the doctor who called patients "fat and lazy" in his medical notes was correct to criticise their weight. However, the Northern Irishmen said he agreed with Mr Miller's comments about his weight. Co-host Kate Garraway asked Mr Miller what he would say to Eammon if he was his doctor. Ms Garraway said: "What would you say to Eamonn? Eamonn comes in and says he's got a bit of a sore throat and he's having tummy ache or whatever your moan might be." Eamonn then asked him if he would tell him to lose two or three stone to fix his health problems. Expand Close Eamonn Holmes Hosting General Election 1983 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Eamonn Holmes Hosting General Election 1983 Mr Miller said: "I would say that but I would also say to Eamonn that he is too fat and he is a heart attack waiting to happen. He's about to clonk me for that." Eamonn replied that he wasn't offend, responding: "I'm not because you know I agree with you." The debate occurred after an unnamed male doctor was brought before the General Medical Council after bosses found his patients' medical records. He wrote of one patient: "Like me cos I didn't ridicule her for being a fat smoker- even though she is". Here's our pick of the top events taking place across Northern Ireland this week. 1. Belfast Pride Festival Belfast, July 27 August 5 Expand Close Belfast Pride / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Belfast Pride Belfast Pride is one of the biggest festivals in Belfast celebrating the LGBTQA+ community and runs over 100 events across 10 days. The week includes a range of activities from workshops to social events and much more, with the main parade held on Saturday 4 August. For more information, visit www.belfastpride.com. 2. Evita Grand Opera House, Belfast, July 31 - August 11 Bill Kenwrights production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webbers Evita is set to thrill audiences once again at The Grand Opera House. Telling the story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, Evita follows Evas journey from humble beginnings through to extraordinary wealth, power and iconic status which ultimately lead her to be heralded as the spiritual leader of the nation by the Argentine people. For more information, visit www.goh.co.uk. 3. A Night with George Lyric Theatre, Belfast, August 1-12 Not every woman gets to spend a night with George Clooney... but Bridie Murphy does! Over the course of one night, Bridie takes George on the journey of her life. From the terrible lows to the hilarious highs and charts the course to her unlikely future. For more information, visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk. 4. Hog n Bog Weekend 2018 Newcastle, August 3 - 5 The Hog n Bog weekend will see hundreds of Harley Davidson motorbike fans descend on Newcastle, Co. Down, for the chance to ride-out through the stunning surroundings of the Mourne Mountains. This years event will be based at the Burrendale Hotel and will feature a custom bike show, live music and much more. For more information, visit www.belfasthog.com. 5. The Wickerman Gathering 2018 Armagh, August 4 As the Celts celebrate the festival of Lughnasa, marking the beginning of the harvest season, join the clan in their preparations for the ceremonial burning of the 30ft Wickerman. Music, dancing and face painting will all be available at this event alongside the great ceremony of burning the Wickerman. For more information, visit www.visitarmagh.com. 6. Bianca Del Rio Waterfront, Belfast, August 4 After a sold out UK tour in 2017, RuPaul's Drag Race alumni and international hateful clown in a gown, Bianca Del Rio returns to the UK with her brand new show, Blame It On Bianca Del Rio. For more information, visit www.waterfront.co.uk. 7. Ulster Military Vehicle Club Show The Paddock, Portrush, August 4 - 5 This annual event gives the public the opportunity to see up close a range of historic military vehicles. The Ulster Military Vehicle Club exists to promote the restoration, preservation and display of ex-military vehicles. There will be re-enactments and display stalls alongside the exhibition. 8. Improv Comedy Festival Belfast, August 4 - 5 Improv acts from as far afield as Shanghai and as close to home as Dublin will be performing their unique form of comedy over the course of five evenings at the Accidental Theatre. For more information, visit www.accidentaltheatre.co.uk. 9. Kite Festival Castlerock, August 4 - 5 This high-flying spectacle offers fun for all the family as a kaleidoscope of kites of all sizes take to the skies over the iconic coastal estate of Downhill Demesne. There will be award-winning kite displays, stunt kite teams, and other kite related activities, all of which will make this a weekend not to miss. For more information, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/downhill-demesne-and-hezlett-house. 10. Teddy Bears Picnic Falls Park, Belfast, August 5 The Teddy Bears Picnic will have arts and crafts, a petting farm, graffiti wall art and a few other surprises. Bring along a picnic, a blanket, your teddy and its owner. There will also be a competition for the best dressed teddy bear and owner. For more information, visit www.feilebelfast.com. Caroline Flack has said she does not fear being single. The Love Island presenter (38) and fiance Andrew Brady (27) split earlier this month after getting engaged in April. Flack told Fabulous magazine some of the happier times in her life have been when she was unattached. She said: "When I was younger I did fear being single because people tell you that you have to have done this and that by a certain time. "You should have kids by this time and you should be married and we're kind of taught that by books and fairy tales. "But actually as you get older and experience life, you realise that it's not about that. Love comes in all different shapes and forms - from friendship and sisters and mums - and as I've got older I've definitely learned that some of my happiest times have been when I've been on my own." She said if everyone was "doing things at the same time then life would be so boring". A Russian View on Gun Ownership By Stanislav Mishin. December 27, 2012 (Thanks to Michael.G who passed this along to us. While written six years ago it is still valid and gives an interesting insight into a Russian's views on guns and 'gun control' - although it seems, not overly impressed with the U.S.A. apart from the Second Amendment!) These days, there are few few things to admire about the socialist, bankrupt and culturally degenerating USA, but at least so far, one thing remains: the right to bear arms and use deadly force to defend one's self and possessions. This will probably come as a total shock to most of my Western readers, but at one point, Russia was one of the most heavily armed societies on earth. This was, of course, when we were free under the Tsar. Weapons, from swords and spears to pistols, rifles and shotguns were everywhere, common items. People carried them concealed, they carried them holstered. Fighting knives were a prominent part of many traditional attires and those little tubes criss crossing on the costumes of Cossacks and various Caucasian peoples? Well those are bullet holders for rifles. Various armies, such as the Poles, during the (Times of Troubles), or Napoleon, or the Germans even as the Tsarist state collapsed under the weight of WW1 and Wall Street monies, found that holding Russian lands was much much harder than taking them and taking was no easy walk in the park but a blood bath all its own. In holding, one faced an extremely well armed and aggressive population Hell bent on exterminating or driving out the aggressor. This well armed population was what allowed the various White factions to rise up, no matter how disorganized politically and militarily they were in 1918 and wage a savage civil war against the Reds. It should be noted that many of these armies were armed peasants, villagers, farmers and merchants, protecting their own. If it had not been for Washington's clandestine support of and for the Reds, history would have gone quite differently. Moscow fell, for example, not from a lack of weapons to defend it, but from the lieing guile of the Reds. Ten thousand Reds took Moscow and were opposed only by some few hundreds of officer cadets and their instructors. Even then the battle was fierce and losses high. However, in the city alone, at that time, lived over 30,000 military officers (both active and retired), all with their own issued weapons and ammunition, plus tens of thousands of other citizens who were armed. The Soviets promised to leave them all alone if they did not intervene. They did not and for that were asked afterwards to come register themselves and their weapons: where they were promptly shot. Of course being savages, murderers and liars does not mean being stupid and the Reds learned from their Civil War experience. One of the first things they did was to disarm the population. From that point, mass repression, mass arrests, mass deportations, mass murder, mass starvation were all a safe game for the powers that were. The worst they had to fear was a pitchfork in the guts or a knife in the back or the occasional hunting rifle. Not much for soldiers. To this day, with the Soviet Union now dead 21 years, with a whole generation born and raised to adulthood without the SU, we are still denied our basic and traditional rights to self defense. Why? We are told that everyone would just start shooting each other and crime would be everywhere ... but criminals are still armed and still murdering and too often, especially in the far regions, those criminals wear the uniforms of the police. The fact that everyone would start shooting is also laughable when statistics are examined. While President Putin pushes through reforms, the local authorities, especially in our vast hinterland, do not feel they need to act like they work for the people. They do as they please, a tyrannical class who knows they have absolutely nothing to fear from a relatively unarmed population. This in turn breeds not respect but absolute contempt and often enough, criminal abuse. For those of us fighting for our traditional rights, the USA's "2nd Amendment" is a rare light in an ever darkening room. Governments will use the excuse of trying to protect the people from maniacs and crime, but are in reality, it is the bureaucrats protecting their power and position. In all cases where guns are banned, gun crime continues and often increases. As for maniacs, be it nuts with cars (NYC, Chapel Hill NC), swords (Japan), knives (China) or home made bombs (everywhere), insane people strike. They throw acid (Pakistan, UK), they throw fire bombs (France), they attack. What is worse, is, that the best way to stop a maniac is not psychology or jail or "talking to them", it is a bullet in the head, that is why they are a maniac, because they are incapable of living in reality or stopping themselves. The excuse that people will start shooting each other is also plain and silly. So it is our politicians saying that our society is full of incapable adolescents who can never be trusted? Then, please explain how we can trust them or the police, who themselves grew up and came from the same culture? No it is about power and a total power over the people. There is a lot of desire to bad mouth the Tsar, particularly by the Communists, who claim he was a tyrant, and yet under him we were armed and under the progressives disarmed. Do not be fooled by a belief that progressives, leftists hate guns. Oh, no, they do not. What they hate is guns in the hands of those who are not marching in lock step of their ideology. They hate guns in the hands of those who think for themselves and do not obey without question. They hate guns in those whom they have slated for a barrel to the back of the ear. So, Americans listen up, do not fall for the false promises and do not extinguish the light that is left to allow humanity a measure of self respect. Stanislav Mishin Back to Top Breedagh decided on her career after seeing the smiling faces of midwives and deciding it must be a brilliant job Princess Anne is greeted by Health Minister Edwin Poots; Mayoress of Lisburn, Margaret Tolerton and Breedagh Hughes at the opening of a new midwifery-led unit at Lagan Valley Hospital in November 2013 After 21 years at the helm, Breedagh Hughes, director and regional organiser of the Royal College of Midwives is retiring on her 60th birthday, on August 12. As "the voice of midwives" in Northern Ireland, Breedagh has been an outspoken critic of abortion legislation here. She's faced considerable online abuse and at one point was even "arrested". With an increasing number of local women now sourcing abortion pills online, she warns: "I have nightmares over that. Some of these days a woman is going to die." Here she pays tribute to the work of midwives in Northern Ireland, pointing up the challenges facing frontline staff due to the continuing impasse at Stormont. And with a pay deal in limbo, she says she believes that there will be a public sector strike "before Christmas". Q Where did your family come from originally? A My mother was Stella Byrne, from Dublin, and my father, Fred Heatley, was from Belfast. They both died in the last couple of years. They met in Omeath when they were both youth hostelling. I was born in Dublin but there wasn't any work there for daddy at that time so they moved back to Belfast to live with my paternal grandparents in the Docks. Then we got one of the then new houses in Rathcoole which was just being built. That was my earliest memory; living in Rathcoole and meetings, meetings, meetings. Other people have claimed to be, but my father actually was, a founding member of the Civil Rights Association. He was their treasurer. So our house was always full of comings and goings. My father was also a lifelong trade unionist. We have a very strong family history of trade unionism. My sister Siobhan is very active in Unison. My other sister Bronagh, who lives in England, got an MBE for service to the community where she lives. And we have two brothers, Fintan and Conal. Conal works for the Commonwealth Games. He is absolutely devastated that, because we have no Assembly, the 2021 Youth Games for which he worked so hard were lost. Q What made you decide to become a midwife? A My father and I were two very strong characters and we didn't always see eye to eye, so I left home at 16. I went to work in an office but also had a part-time job as a youth worker in the New Lodge. I got married at 19 (the marriage later ended in divorce) and I had my first son at 21. My son was born in a GP unit. But that was a complete misnomer. It was a midwife-led unit. I remember looking at these girls and they came into work with a smile on their faces and they left at the end of the day with a smile on their faces and I was thinking 'What a brilliant job must this be?' I trained as a nurse in the City Hospital in Belfast in 1982 when my first son Ciaran was 18 months old. But I was totally focused on being a midwife. Then I had my second son Aidan, and when he was 18 months old, I started my midwifery. They're both married now. Ciaran is married to Rosa and Aidan is married to Rosie. Two fabulous daughters-in-law. And Aidan and Rosie have one wee boy Reuben (2), who is the love of my life. I trained in the Jubilee and then went to work in the Royal. I just loved clinical midwifery. I loved being with women. That's what midwife means - it's an old Anglo Saxon word meaning "with women". I was also the shop steward for the Royal College of Midwives. Eventually I took up my current post in 1997. Q In your current role you've been an outspoken critic of abortion law in Northern Ireland. In 2008 you were even "arrested" by the police. How did that come about? A I was always fortunate in that I was able to say things knowing that I would be protected by my employer. The year Precious Life had me arrested, I was actually on holiday on a Greek island. They went into Mahon Road police station, in Portadown for some reason, and made the complaint about me on the foot of an article that had been written in 2004. They'd sat on this article for four years before going in to the police station. Bernie Smyth (from Precious Life) said: "This woman has admitted to carrying out illegal abortions." Whereupon the lid came off the pressure cooker. As I was on holidays, my colleague rang headquarters. I'd been in this job about 10 years at that time. The first thing the boss said was: "You are not to disturb her holiday. She can deal with this when she gets back. And secondly, you are to make sure she has a solicitor waiting for her getting off the plane if necessary." I wasn't actually arrested - I was interviewed under caution. Then it took the best part of a year for the Prosecution Service to come back and say there was insufficient evidence. The police inspector had put it to me: "At all times when you were participating in an abortion in Northern Ireland, were you acting under the directions of a doctor in the best interests of the woman?" And I told him: "Absolutely." And that was it, the end of the interview. But it was a worrying time. My late parents were getting on a bit then and they knew it was happening and it was worrying for them. Q You take a lot of abuse on the internet. How do you cope with that? A I don't look at it, by and large. When my sons were younger and it was brought to their attention I told them: "I know the person that I am and you know the person that I am, so you know that what they are saying is wrong." I feel that if I was to try to take action against any of them (internet trolls) it would just be pouring petrol on the flames. I know it's there, but it doesn't bother me. Very rarely, somebody picks up a particularly bad bit and tells me about it, but I've got used to it over the years. It goes with the territory. It would be much more hurtful if it was somebody I knew and liked and respected and was friendly with who said something nasty. But some anonymous person posting anonymously? It's been easy for me to speak out because I have the support of the College behind me. We have 47,000 members and when we made the decision in 2016 to support the Trust Women campaign, only 14 members resigned out of 47,000. And not one of them from Northern Ireland, I'm proud to say. So we really are representing the views of our members. The year Edwin Poots put out the awful document that was heavy on the jail sentences and light on anything that resembled clinical guidance, I went round every single maternity unit in Northern Ireland and I spoke face-to-face with about a quarter of all our midwives. I was so humbled. A number of them said: "I personally don't think abortion is a good thing, but how could I turn my back on a woman who needed me?" They were so professional about it. They were not judgmental, they were sympathetic. Sometimes I think there are women who jump into an abortion without thinking it through. They do it because they panic and they can't see any other way out. In an ideal world, we would have counselling for every woman. Not everyone sings on the same hymn sheet on this one. Generally though, I think that everybody who's active in this field believes that it should be a woman's right to chose. Q Would you like to see the 1967 Abortion Act extended to Northern Ireland? A No. A couple of campaign groups in England want the 1967 Abortion Act extended to Northern Ireland. But we have never campaigned for that. The 1967 Act is not a good piece of legislation. It was of its time. It was created at a time when all abortions were surgical and women needed to go to hospitals or clinics to have anaesthetics. That's not the case now. And the need for two doctors - I don't know why that is. I don't see why one doctor would not suffice to prescribe medication - more or less what they're going to do in the south. All the '67 Act does is provide a defence for the medical team. It doesn't actually change the legislation in any way. There are other groups who think that it is okay for women to buy pills off the internet and take them. We don't agree with that either. I have nightmares over that. Some of these days a woman is going to die. There's no guarantee they're buying them from a reputable source and God knows what they're taking. And even those that are buying them from a reputable source - well, desperate women do desperate things. You do an online consultation and the doctor asks how far on you are and you say, eight weeks when actually you're 16 weeks. But you've got your friend also putting in an application...so you get two lots of pills and you take them. But the pills are not supposed to be taken after nine weeks. I do think absolutely that abortion should be off the statute book. It should not be a criminal offence. It should be a healthcare procedure like any other healthcare procedure. You can't go into a chemist and buy hardcore sleeping tablets over the counter, because they're potentially dangerous. The safest way, and the best way, is to go and see your GP and let your GP know you have a problem. Maybe he or she can suggest something other than hardcore sleeping tablets. And I think abortion is no different. If you are in desperate need, go and speak to your GP. Your GP should be able to send you to societies and services that can support you if you really are conflicted about continuing with the pregnancy. Otherwise, if you go into your GP and say I've seen a counsellor and my mind is made up, I want to terminate the pregnancy, then the GP should be able to prescribe the medication. Q You have been critical of the lack of guidelines given to frontline health workers dealing with women who may have taken abortion pills. What is your concern there? A We've told our members that because of a piece of legislation that applies in Northern Ireland but nowhere else - the 1967 Criminal Law Act - it's a criminal offence if you know that an offence has been committed and don't report it. So we've told our members that if a woman tells you she has taken (abortion) pills, you must report it. For my successor, Karen Murray, this is top of her first list. To write to the Chief Executives of the five trusts and ask them what process have they put in place to enable staff to comply with this piece of legislation. The answer will be - none. They haven't done anything. I know they haven't done anything, because I spent a day on the phone about a month ago. I had a midwife whose manager rang me to say they had a woman who was having maternity care in their unit and who was pregnant as a result of rape. What should they do about it? But between ringing the police, the Public Prosecution Service and the director of legal services in the health service, I got conflicting advice from all of them. Q New figures have shown that in the Belfast Trust area alone, 17 cases of Female Genital Mutilation were recorded in just nine months. This again, must increase the pressure on your members? A Again, it's the staff who are left to make the decisions for themselves. When I spoke to the Chief Medical Officer he said the law is clear. They have to report it to the police. But I said: "How? Do they report it to a designated person in their employment? Do they ring the police themselves? How? What is the mechanism? How do they do it?" I don't want any of our members spending four hours in a police station in the way that I had to. I don't want that happening to anybody. But so far, nobody is telling them what they have to do to comply with the law. We've had a number of meetings now with the NSPCC and social workers, because they're in the same boat. We met with one of Secretary of State, Karen Bradley's junior ministers a few weeks ago and he was of no help at all. He just said justice was "a devolved matter". The Department of Justice hasn't issued any guidance. The Department of Health hasn't issued any guidance. So I'm the backstop. There is no mechanism at all. I've had a lot of meetings to try to get answers. The law is what the law is. But we need clarity. Q Your members are also angry that, with the Assembly suspended, they haven't been able to avail of the pay deal like their counterparts across the water. What do you envisage will happen there? A With the pay deal, at the minute, my best guess is that unless somebody pulls something out of a hat very quickly, the health service unions, in fact the public sector unions in Northern Ireland, will be on strike before Christmas. That's my best bet. Public sector staff in England have got their pay rise in their pockets this month. Scotland and Wales won't be far behind them. And we're being told that here the last ministerial directive, which was four years ago, capped pay at one percent. And that's all the Permanent Secretary can offer following the Arc 21 case which said that the civil servants here didn't have the authority to make new decisions. Over the years in this job there have been periods of total frustration as there is at the moment with there not being an Assembly. It feels as if everything has ground to a halt. My worry is that if we don't move forward we'll start to slide back and I think all the things we've managed to achieve over the years for midwives and for women are in danger of being lost. Q So what's next for you, Breedagh, post-retirement? A There comes a time in everyone's life when it's time to go and do something different. I've a doctorate that's been sitting on ice for four years - I suppose it'll have to be rewritten - I want to have the time to do that. I want to go and live in Spain. I've just bought a new camper van and driven it out and it's there waiting for me. I am going to miss all my friends though. Particularly Mary Caddell and Anne Marie O'Neill who've worked with me here in the office - the three musketeers. And all the midwives it's been my privilege to work with. They're not my colleagues, they're my friends. I've such admiration for the work they do. They're fabulous. Where do you think is the most romantic place in Northern Ireland? Well, if you are looking to take a trip to a location where love will blossom, you have a few choices. According to a recent Mills & Boon survey, the Giant's Causeway on the north coast is the 10th most romantic spot in the UK. In addition, the Dark Hedges in Co Antrim, which rose to prominence after it was featured in Game Of Thrones, secured a mention in the top 20. The Isle of Skye's Fairy Pools was named the most romantic place, with Grasmere in the Lake District and the city of Bath completing the top three. The survey said beautiful views and a touch of luxury are key ingredients to spark the right mood for love. Over 2,000 people took part in the poll commissioned by romance experts Mills & Boon. The survey also revealed that across the UK, 94% like to put the roam into romance as they believe a summer holiday is the ideal way to spend time with their partner. Waterside locations appear to be a favourite for lovers as most places which make up the top 10 are in close proximity to sea, rivers or waterfalls. However, the five key factors for a romantic location in order were beautiful views (69%), luxury accommodation (55%), warm climate (49%), fabulous restaurants (39%) and amazing walks (33%). A list of romantic places was drawn up by a panel of travel experts from UK travel, news and magazine publications and was whittled down further in the poll. Each of the top 10 UK places was then celebrated in a specially-commissioned Mills & Boon short story set in that location. The shorts, whose titles include A Scandalous Liaison On Skye and A Passionate Portmeirion Proposal, was released earlier this summer. Theresa May should take a hard line with the EU over Brexit negotiations or risk being cheated, Italy's deputy prime minister has said. Right-wing populist Matteo Salvini said Mrs May should be prepared to walk away without a deal. He said: "On some principles there is no need to be flexible and you should not go backwards." Mr Salvini, a former MEP who has clashed with the EU since entering government earlier this year, spoke as the Prime Minister faced pressure from Conservative Party figures not to cede any more ground to Brussels. Her white paper sparked the resignation of foreign secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit secretary David Davis, and while party figures have supported it, some have warned it should be a line in the sand rather than a flexible starting point for negotiations. Mr Salvini, leader of anti-immigrant party the League, said there is "no objectivity or good faith from the European side", adding: "My experience in the European parliament tells me you either impose yourself or they swindle you." His comments come after Mrs May and senior ministers embarked on a series of visits to EU27 countries in an attempt to get backing for her Brexit plan. It was dealt a blow by Brussels last Thursday as EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier rejected the customs proposals that form a key plank of her white paper. She had received a welcome boost on Friday after Austria agreed Brexit would be among topics for discussion at an informal meeting of EU leaders. Downing Street said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz agreed that Britain's departure from the EU would be on the agenda for the European Council being hosted by his country - which currently holds the EU presidency - on September 20. It means the Prime Minister has an extra gathering of leaders that she can try to convince to support her Brexit plan after a week in which ministers have been deployed to various capitals to woo senior politicians. The next meeting is a gathering of EU leaders in Brussels in October, by which time it is hoped a Brexit deal will have been hammered out. Mrs May has been backed by her local Conservative Association chairman. Richard Kellaway said the Maidenhead branch "fully supported" her plan and he had been impressed by a briefing on it for association heads in Downing Street by her chief of staff Gavin Barwell. Mr Kellawaysaid: "Most of us found it quite persuasive and convincing. We have received little criticism from our members. "I'm of the group of people who feel that it is not a great deal, but it is not bad." DUP leader Arlene Foster has called on the British Government to end decision-making limbo in Northern Ireland after officials said they would not appeal against a court judgment seriously limiting their powers. In May, a Belfast High Court judge ruled that the permanent secretary of Stormonts Department for Infrastructure did not have the power to grant planning permission for a 240 million waste treatment centre and incinerator at Hightown Quarry in Mallusk, Co Antrim. The decision had been made in the absence of a minister following the collapse of Stormont powersharing and the department confirmed on Monday it would be taking its legal appeal no further. Mrs Foster, whose 10 pro-Brexit MPs prop up Theresa Mays minority Government at Westminster, said: The limbo of decision-making in Northern Ireland can no longer be ignored. The limbo of decision-maing in Northern Ireland can no longer be ignored. The refusal by Sinn Fein to restore devolution means that local Ministers cannot take decisions so action must be taken at Westminster. pic.twitter.com/3PB0FdnjzL Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain (@ArleneFosterUK) July 30, 2018 The refusal by Sinn Fein to restore devolution means that local ministers cannot take decisions so action must be taken at Westminster. The decision not to appeal should be a siren for the Government to take action. The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland this month dismissed a bid by the department to have the lower courts judgment overturned. The final recourse was the Supreme Court but that option has been rejected. The Department for Infrastructure said: The department has studied the Court of Appeal ruling on 6 July and will not appeal the judgment. There have been no devolved ministers since March last year following the collapse of the Assembly that January. Stormonts nine government departments have since been led by senior civil servants. The Department for Infrastructure appealed against the High Court verdict in a bid to provide clarity over officials powers to govern following the collapse of devolution. SDLP Deputy Leader @NicholaMallon has welcomed the decision by the Department for Infrastructure not to further appeal Court rulings overturning its decision to grant planning permission for the Hightown Incinerator. Read more here: https://t.co/GJLc4rcTBg pic.twitter.com/bx2tvYhePg Social Democratic and Labour Party (@SDLPlive) July 30, 2018 Sinn Fein, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) welcomed the decision not to take the matter further. Sinn Fein Assembly member Declan Kearney said: Key decisions such as this demonstrate again the importance of re-establishing the powersharing institutions in a way that is consistent with the Good Friday Agreement. There is an onus on both governments to fulfil their responsibility as co-guarantors of that agreement, to deal with the outstanding equality and rights issues at the heart of the political crisis. SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon said: The question for the DUP and Sinn Fein is how long are they going to continue to deny the people of Northern Ireland a government that will take decisions in their interests and end this dangerous drift? UUP Assembly member Steve Aiken said politics was in paralysis. At the moment we are in a no-mans land between devolution and direct rule which is having dire consequences for public services as no decisions can be taken. The brother of one of 10 Protestant workmen killed in one of the most infamous atrocities of the Troubles has condemned an attack on a memorial to the victims. Wreaths and flowers left by families in memory of their loved ones killed at Kingsmill, Co Armagh, in 1976 were thrown on to the road and an Irish flag was nailed to the stone structure covering the memorial plaque. It is the fourth time the memorial has been attacked since it was erected in 2013 Colin Worton, whose brother Kenneth was killed at Kingsmill, described those behind the attack as mindless. "By mindlessly attacking the Kingsmill monument these cowards are continuing to honour what happened on January 5 1976. Until evil is condemned outrightly by every decent human being these sick events will still take place," he said. UUP councillor David Taylor told the Belfast Telegraph he was made aware of the attack, which occurred overnight, on Monday morning and that a tricolour had been nailed to the memorial. I am truly appalled by this sickening attack on the Kingsmills Memorial," he said. "The Kingsmills families have suffered enough anguish and pain over the last 42 years and it is clear that the perpetrators of this heinous crime have sought to further compound their heartache by carrying out such an action. It is truly horrifying that an incident so sinister in nature has taken place at the Kingsmills Memorial. Unfortunately, however, this is not the first time that an attack has taken place at the site. I am truly appalled at the attack which occurred on the Kingsmills Memorial overnight. Flowers placed by families were desecrated and a tricolour was nailed onto the memorial. The Kingsmills families should not have to contend with such sickening behaviour @uuponline David Taylor (@DavidTayloruup) July 30, 2018 Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Families of murdered workmen attend an evening service in 1976 as six coffins of IRA victims are brought to church in Bessbrook the night before the funerals of those killed in the Provisional IRA's infamous sectarian Whitecross (Kingsmill) Massacre. The IRA lined up the occupants of a workers minibus carrying 11 protestants and one catholic, before releasing the catholic man and mowing down the 10 protestant workmen, leaving the critically injured Mr Alan Black for dead. Alan Lewis Photopress The victims of the Kingsmill massacre (clockwise from top left): Robert Chambers; John Bryans; Joseph Lemmon; James McWhirter; Robert Freeburn; Robert Walker; Reginald Chapman; Kenneth Worton; John McConville and Walter Chapman Kimgsmill massacre aftermath Walter Chapman John McConville Kenneth Worton Reginald Chapman Robert Walker Robert Freeburn James McWhirter Joseph Lemmon John Bryans Robert Chambers The funeral service for five victims of the Kingsmills massacre at the Presbyterian church grounds in Bessbrook Alan Black was shot 18 times but survived the Kingsmills massacre Alan Black in hospital after the IRA shot him and killed 10 of his colleagues at Kingsmills Photopress Belfast Alan Black:Survivor of the Kingsmill, Armagh, Massacre/Shooting, when he was shot with his 10 workmates in an ambushon their way home from work by gunmen. Pictured at the Kingsmill Memorial monument. 4/1/1981 A man lays a wreath at the Kingsmill memorial in South Armagh (PA) PA Wire/PA Images People attend a roadside service marking the 42nd anniversary of the Kingsmill massacre (Brian Lawless/PA) Karen Armstrong holds a photograph of her brother John McConville, who was killed in the Kingsmill attack Sisters Cathy Michale, Colleen McKenna and Eileen Reavey unveil the monument to commemorate their brothers in Whitecross, Armagh Newraypics.com The crowd assembled at the service of remembrance for the victims held at the Town Hall in Bessbrook yesterday to mark the 40th anniversary of the atrocity Kevin Scott / Presseye / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Families of murdered workmen attend an evening service in 1976 as six coffins of IRA victims are brought to church in Bessbrook the night before the funerals of those killed in the Provisional IRA's infamous sectarian Whitecross (Kingsmill) Massacre. The IRA lined up the occupants of a workers minibus carrying 11 protestants and one catholic, before releasing the catholic man and mowing down the 10 protestant workmen, leaving the critically injured Mr Alan Black for dead. Alan Lewis Photopress Cllr Taylor added: My thoughts first and foremost are with the Kingsmills families who are understandably very distressed at this attack on the memorial. They should not have to contend with such despicable behaviour from those with a very obviously cruel and sectarian mind-set. I would appeal to anyone with information to report it to the Police. There is no possible defence or justification for this. The individuals who perpetrated this shocking crime must be brought to justice. Sinn Fein MLA Megan Fearon condemned those responsible for the vandalism. The Newry and Armagh MLA said: This was a despicable act designed to hurt the families of the victims. And those who placed a national flag on the Kingsmill monument clearly have no respect for the meaning of that flag which is about peace and harmony between the main traditions on this island. There is absolutely no place in our society for desecrations of monuments which commemorate those who died during the conflict. Monuments and memorials are important places in communities and should be respected. I would encourage anyone with any information about who was responsible for this disgraceful act to contact the PSNI. Police are treating the attack as a sectarian motivated hate crime and are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or who noticed any unusual activity in the area to contact police at Newtownhamilton Police Station on 101 quoting reference 246 30/07/18. Some of the damage caused to the memorial (David Taylor/PA) The brother of one of 10 Protestant workmen killed in one of the most infamous atrocities of the Troubles has condemned an attack on a memorial to the victims. Wreaths and flowers left by families in memory of their loved ones killed at Kingsmill, Co Armagh, in 1976 were thrown on to the road and an Irish flag was nailed to the stone structure covering the memorial plaque. The damage was discovered early on Monday. It is the fourth time the memorial has been attacked since it was erected in 2013. The PSNI has issued an appeal for information about the attack, which it is treating as a sectarian-motivated hate crime. As MP for the constituency I totally condemn this inexcusable & repugnant attack on the Kingsmill monument. Everyone must have the right to remember their loved ones with dignity & respect. Mickey Brady (@MickeyBradySF) July 30, 2018 Colin Worton, whose brother Kenneth was killed at Kingsmill, described those behind the attack as mindless. By mindlessly attacking the Kingsmill monument these cowards are continuing to honour what happened on January 5 1976. Until evil is condemned outrightly by every decent human being these sick events will still take place, he said. He urged Sinn Fein a party which previously spoke for the Provisional IRA, linked to the attack to condemn the desecration of the memorial. Newry and Armagh MP Mickey Brady, of Sinn Fein, described the latest attack on the memorial as inexcusable and repugnant. Everyone must have the right to remember their loved ones with dignity and respect, he posted on Twitter. The attack on the memorial has been condemned by local political representatives in the area. DUP MLA William Irwin described those behind it as the lowest of the low. It is sickening that someone would take it upon themselves to desecrate the memorial in this way and cause yet further pain and anguish to the families of the victims of this horrific attack, he said. I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious in the vicinity or vehicles in the vicinity of the memorial, to contact the PSNI and assist with their inquiries. Ulster Unionist councillor David Taylor said he was appalled by the attack. It is truly horrifying that an incident so sinister in nature has taken place at the Kingsmill memorial. Unfortunately, however, this is not the first time that an attack has taken place at the site, he said. My thoughts, first and foremost, are with the Kingsmill families who are understandably very distressed at this attack on the memorial. I am truly appalled at the attack which occurred on the Kingsmills Memorial overnight. Flowers placed by families were desecrated and a tricolour was nailed onto the memorial. The Kingsmills families should not have to contend with such sickening behaviour @uuponline David Taylor (@DavidTayloruup) July 30, 2018 Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry said the attack was disgusting. There is no place whatsoever in our society for the desecration of memorials to the deceased, particularly those who died in such a nakedly sectarian attack, he said. A PSNI spokesman appealed for anyone with knowledge of the incident to come forward. Police are treating this as a sectarian-motivated hate crime and are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or who noticed any unusual activity in the area to contact police at Newtownhamilton police station on 101 quoting reference 246 30/07/18. The Kingsmill murders are among the most notorious of the Troubles. On January 5 1976, a workers minibus was pulled over by gun men. Each of the men were asked their religion, and the only Catholic was ordered to run away. The killers, who had been hidden in the hedges, forced the 11 remaining men to line up outside the van before opening fire. One man Alan Black survived despite being shot 18 times. While the murders have long been linked to the IRA, the organisation itself never admitted responsibility. DUP MLA Jim Wells has slammed a Stormont LGBTQ event, which was co-sponsored by his party colleague Paula Bradley, as an "utter disgrace" that "brought embarrassment" to the Assembly. The inaugural Alternative Queer Ulster event on Saturday night saw 22 speakers including drag queens, a HIV victim and members of the trans community call for equality in marriage, healthcare and education in Stormont's Great Hall. Read More At one point, attendees chanted "DUP change your policies", and MLAs were urged to "come out for marriage equality". Despite the event being co-sponsored by Ms Bradley and Sinn Fein's Megan Fearon, no representatives from the two main political parties were among the crowd of 200 at the sold-out event. Of the 90 MLAs invited, only Green MLA and primary sponsor Clare Bailey, outgoing Green Party leader Steven Agnew, Alliance MLA John Blair and UUP MLA Mike Nesbitt attended. Ahead of its launch, the event was criticised by TUV leader Jim Allister for including drag queen Electra La Cnt as a speaker after she wore a tiara coated with dried HIV-infected blood to Belfast Pride in 2016. Yesterday, Mr Wells told the Belfast Telegraph that "no MLA should have sponsored or attended the event". He had the party whip withdrawn in May following criticism of the DUP leadership. During his time as Health Minister, he supported a ban on gay men donating blood here. All events and tours with hospitality at Parliament Buildings must be sponsored by at least three MLAs to reflect cross-designation support. Despite Ms Bradley's involvement, Mr Wells said that sponsors "should have withdrawn their support immediately" after Ms La Cnt's participation became clear. "I have had a lot of people who think that this went too far and that this event should not have been held at the seat of the government of Northern Ireland - it would have been more appropriate in a private venue," he said. "I believe that once it became apparent on Thursday the nature of the event then sponsorship should have been immediately pulled. "The event should have been cancelled. "Sponsors vouch for the conduct of those present and it's a reflection on you. "This event was tasteless and has brought the Northern Ireland Assembly and Stormont into disrepute. Steps must be taken to prevent a similar type of event taking place in Parliament Buildings again." During her speech, Ms La Cnt hit out at opposition to the event. "Those who oppress us are bigots, bigots who refuse to change their mind and instead prefer hate over love and I will not engage with those people any longer," she said. She added: "Queer Alternative Ulster cannot be hijacked by bigots and it should not be." Lead event organiser Malachai O'Hara of the Queer Greens told the audience Ms Bradley had taken "a big risk", which should be reciprocated by the LGBTQ community. He added: "We want a fully-resourced sexual orientation strategy which would systemically address all the inequalities that our community faces. Specific actions around bullying, sexual education in schools, a sexual health strategy which would address the sexual health inequalities, a mental health strategy because our community is disproportionately affected by poor mental health, hate crime review and then obviously marriage. "In terms of the trans community, we need a gender recognition review and we need more resources and healthcare to enable people to transition. "I think it's a small minority of political reps who are holding us back, the vast majority have moved on this issue. We want MLAs to come out for change." Mr O'Hara said he hopes to hold the event annually. Alliance representative Mr Blair, the first openly gay MLA, said it was "very disappointing" that no DUP or Sinn Fein MLAs were present. Mr Agnew said it would have been a "tremendous statement" if Arlene Foster had attended the weekend event, but added he was "not surprised" that no one else from the DUP was present. Former UUP leader Mr Nesbitt, who left the event early due to another engagement, said: "I think Stormont has been a very cold house for LGBTQ people, but it's been a cold house for many people down the years. "Surely the whole idea 20 years ago was that this was about inclusion and inclusion for everybody. That's why this is a good thing to do at Parliament Buildings." Commenting on Ms La Cnt's actions at Belfast Pride 2016, Mr Nesbitt said that those who live in a democracy are "going to see and hear things that you don't like, but as long as things are done with a legitimate purpose in a lawful, respectful manner I think that's fine". Last night the DUP said: "An event held in Parliament Buildings sponsored by the Green Party's Claire Bailey was co-signed by Paula Bradley in her own capacity and not on behalf of the party. Paula had not been fully briefed on the event and who was participating. "We stand by our position on marriage. Comments about the DUP at the event do little to show respect to the people in Northern Ireland who vote DUP and do not want marriage redefined." A man whose 20-year-old sister was killed by terrorists has urged the Secretary of State to rethink her proposals for dealing with Northern Irelands troubled past. David Kerrigan was one of 100 victims or survivors of terrorism who gathered at Stormont on Monday evening. The death of his sister Heather, a corporal in the UDR, in an IRA bomb was reviewed by the former Historical Enquiries Team (HET). Under the new legacy proposals put forward by Karen Bradleys office, he fears he will not be entitled to any further attempts to bring her killers to justice. The victims expressed their concerns to local politicians at Stormont on Monday. Expand Close Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley (Stefan Rousseau/PA) They also issued a message to Mrs Bradley, urging her to review her proposals. A public consultation process on the legacy of the Troubles was launched by the Government in May. It includes an Historical Investigations Unit (HIU) which would have a caseload of about 1,700 Troubles related deaths and aim to complete its work in five years. Innocent Victims United spokesman Kenny Donaldson said as the proposals stand, those who had their cases looked at by the HET will not have access to an HIU investigation. Expand Close Craig Agar, son of Corporal Thomas Henry Agar (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Craig Agar, son of Corporal Thomas Henry Agar (Liam McBurney/PA) Mr Kerrigan said the HET report told them very little that they did not already know about the murder of his sister Heather. Ms Kerrigan, and her colleague Norman McKinley were killed by an IRA bomb while on foot patrol close to Castlederg, Co Tyrone on July 14 1984. We feel we have been let down badly, he told the Press Association. We would like to see all these cases reopened and investigated thoroughly. They (government) is hoping to forget about these things and move on, but we will not. I will not forget about Heather. My father's murderers are walking around in Armani suits and have nice jobsCraig Agar Craig Agar from Newcastle upon Tyne was just eight when his father Thomas and two colleagues were killed in Enniskillen while taking part in a fishing competition. Mr Agar, along with Robert Huggins and Peter Gallimore, off-duty members of the Royal Fusiliers, died after their van was blown up by the IRA on May 18 1984. I think the proposals are just the old methods being dressed up, there are a lot of things in this new paper that fill me with fear, he said. We are already appeasing terrorists. My fathers murderers are walking around in Armani suits and have nice jobs. My father doesnt have that luxury. Alan Irwin from Sixmilecross lost both his father Tommy and uncle Freddie in separate incidents. Expand Close David and Irene Kerrigan hold an image of Davids sister LCPL Heather Catherine Jean Kerrigan (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp David and Irene Kerrigan hold an image of Davids sister LCPL Heather Catherine Jean Kerrigan (Liam McBurney/PA) Tommy Irwin, a sewage plant worker and part-time UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA at Mountfield near Omagh on March 26 1986. Freddie Irwin, UDR soldier, was shot dead by the IRA on October 29 1979 as he drove to work in Dungannon. Mr Irwin said his family has never seen anyone held to account for the murders. Assurances were given at the time that no stone would be left unturned, but nothing has happened in either murder, he said. We have had no justice and now these new proposals mean we will have no other avenue for getting justice and answers to our questions. Innocent Victims United spokesman Kenny Donaldson said the legacy proposals need to be reworked. There is an equality of access issue and we are calling for that to be addressed, he said. If this is a genuine consultation, if there is a willingness to look at issues, there should be a willingness to look at those structural problems which exist within this document. Tinkerings are not good enough, there are fundamentals which must be put right. Mourners at the funeral for Henry McStravick in Crumlin on Saturday A teenager has been laid to rest just weeks after the death of his father. Henry McStravick (14), from Crumlin, Co Antrim, died on holiday in Spain on Wednesday, July 19 after falling from a balcony. Hundreds of mourners packed the Mater Dei church on Glenavy Road on Saturday, with standing room only at the back and people spilling out onto the steps at the entrance. Children and teenagers wept as the youngster's remains were carried into the church. His little sister Maisie gave a reading from the Bible and mourners wiped away tears as her tiny voice filled the church. The boy died after falling 20ft from a balcony at Eix Lagotel in the beach resort of Playa de Muro, Majorca. He had reportedly overbalanced on the second floor balcony shortly before midnight. Despite being rushed to the Son Espases Hospital in Majorca, and being treated in intensive care, the youngster died of his injuries. His death is the second tragedy to hit the family in a matter of weeks after Henry's father, talented tattoo artist Stephen Turley, died suddenly last month. Annapurna gets green light for commercial operations The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan) on Sunday allowed Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) to use its newly-acquired Airbus A330 aircraft named Annapurna for commercial purposes, 32 days after taking delivery of the aircraft, the first wide-body in its fleet. One of the UK's biggest charities has come under fire for giving 275,000 to an organisation linked to a banned Irish republican group. According to The Times, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust funded a grant of 149,915 to Teach Na Failte, a body with close ties to the INLA, in November 2014. This was followed by another 125,000 in March last year. The Charity Commission is seeking a response from the trust to the claims. Michelle Russell, the commission's director of investigations and enforcement, said: "Our guidance makes clear that charities need to take steps to carry out appropriate due diligence on organisations applying for grants, must ensure grants are only for activities and outcomes that further the charity's purposes, and decisions made are in the charity's best interests. "Charities should be able to explain and justify their funding decisions. We have asked the charity to do this." The commission said it would "not hesitate" to take action if needed. The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust said it had worked to end violence in Northern Ireland for more than 40 years and funded groups "transitioning from violence in loyalist and republican communities". The organisation insisted it "has no relationship with any armed groups or proscribed organisations, including the INLA". It said: "Teach na Failte is recognised by HMRC as a charitable body. It provides a range of peace-building community initiatives including support for INLA ex-prisoners and their families. "Teach na Failte has been a key player in the INLA ceasefire and decommissioning process. "It has been recognised for its positive contribution to peacebuilding and the reintegration of former prisoners in Northern Ireland. "INLA declared their armed struggle over in October 2009 and publicly confirmed they had decommissioned their weapons in February 2010. "In November 2014 JRCT awarded a grant of 149,915 specifically for the 'Transition Initiative' project. "In March 2017 the trust awarded a further grant of 125,000 to Teach na Failte to continue this work." It said the grant was for the 'Transitional Initiative' project to support peace-building, dialogue and conflict transformation strategies SDLP MLA Claire Hanna called the award "sickening". She said: "Twenty years after the conflict we are still paying ex-combatant groups. What exactly is this group doing that benefits the wider community? "When we keep handing out cash on the basis of their paramilitary affiliation, they have no incentive to change. "Cases like this are sickening when I think of decent organisations doing meaningful work but with little or no funding." The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured with Mayor of Derry and Strabane John Boyle Council before a meeting to discuss Derry City Deal inside the Guildhall in Derry. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured in the Fountain Estate with local residents, Graham Warke, Garry Middleton, Jeanette Warke and Gregory Campbell during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured with Mayor of Derry and Strabane John Boyle Council before a meeting to discuss Derry City Deal inside the Guildhall in Derry. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured with Mayor of Derry and Strabane John Boyle and John Kelpie, CEO of Derry and Strabane Council before a meeting to discuss Derry City Deal. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured with Mayor of Derry and Strabane John Boyle signing a book of condolence for motorcyclist William Dunlop at the Guildhall in Derry. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured in the Fountain Estate with local residents and Gregory Campbell during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured meeting Elisha McCallion MP during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured with Mayor of Derry and Strabane John Boyle Council before a meeting to discuss Derry City Deal inside the Guildhall in Derry. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with local residents and Jeanette Warke during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with Graham Warke, Garry Middleton, Jeanette Warke and Gregory Campbell during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with Jeanette Warke during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with local residents and Jeanette Warke during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with local residents and Jeanette Warke during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with Graham Warke, Garry Middleton, Jeanette Warke and Gregory Campbell during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with local residents and Jeanette Warke during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with local residents and Graham and Jeanette Warke during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured meeting Chief Inspector Alan Hutton and other PSNI officers at Strand Road PSNI station during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with local residents, Graham Warke, Garry Middleton, Jeanette Warke and Gregory Campbell during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with local residents and Jeanette Warke during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with Jeanette Warke during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured meeting Chief Inspector Alan Hutton at Strand Road PSNI station during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured at the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate with Graham Warke, Garry Middleton, Jeanette Warke and Gregory Campbell during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th July 2018 The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, is pictured meeting Chief Inspector Alan Hutton at Strand Road PSNI station during her visit to Derry this afternoon. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Secretary of State Karen Bradley MP with Cathedral Youth Club founder Jeanette Warke, DUP Councillor Graeme Warke, Gregory Campbell MP and Gary Middleton MLA in the Fountain Estate. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 30.07.18 Secretary of State Karen Bradley MP with Cathedral Youth Club founder Jeanette Warke, DUP Councillor Graeme Warke, left, Gary Middleton MLA and Gregory Campbell MP and in the Fountain Estate. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 30.07.18 One of the urals in the Fpuntain Estate. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 30.07.18 Secretary of State Karen Bradley MP with Cathedral Youth Club founder Jeanette Warke and DUP Councillor Graeme Warke in the Fountain Estate. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 30.07.18 Secretary of State Karen Bradley MP with Cathedral Youth Club founder Jeanette Warke, Gregory Campbell MP and Gary Middleton MLA in the Fountain Estate. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 30.07.18 Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley was welcomed to the Fountain estate in Londonderry where residents voiced their fears of further sectarian violence at the interface with the Bogside. Ms Bradley was in Derry for a number of engagements including a meeting with council officials to discuss potential investment that could be come through a City Deal. During her visit to the Fountain Ms Bradley met with a number of local people who live at the interface and who bore the brunt of the violence orchestrated by dissident republicans during the run up to 12th July. The asked for the security fence to be raised to protect them from further attacks ahead of the Siege of Derry celebration on August 12th - one of the biggest annual events in loyalist culture in the city. Expand Close The scene on Fahan street in Londonderry as disorder has flared in the city for a sixth successive night (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The scene on Fahan street in Londonderry as disorder has flared in the city for a sixth successive night (Brian Lawless/PA) Grace Curry who lives on the interface was among residents who explained their concerns to Ms Bradley. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Ms Curry said: "It was good to have the opportunity to speak to Karen Bradley and tell her our concerns about the security fence. "She took her time in getting here and while I don't want to say she was shamed into coming but we have had two visits from Simon Coveney, the Shadow Secretary of State and the Chief Constable so I think she had no option but to visit us. "She was welcomed nonetheless and I feel she genuinely listened to us. "We told her we wanted the perspex removed because when they come from the other side and bang on the perspex it would scare the life out of anyone. It is like an explosion it is terrifying. "We want the whole wall raised to stop the petrol bombs and bricks reaching our houses and I have to say she seem to take on board what we were telling her. It was the most excitement that Stormont had seen in a year and a half. At the foot of the stairs in the Great Hall, where the public has become accustomed to politicians and their official statements, was instead an exuberant mix of sequins, bouffant wigs and elaborate eyeshadow. Beneath the stern gaze of James Craig's statue, it felt like the kids had broken into school in the summer holidays to throw an illicit rave. The Great Hall echoed to guffaws as drag queen Rose Tralee, aka Patrick Scullion, said she was "so thrilled to speak at Stormont, once the seat of democracy in the North of Ireland, now best known for playing the Republic of Gilead in The Handmaid's Tale". And in a blatant broadside, writer Vincent Creelan recited his poem "Living with Dinosaurs". But beneath the veneer of glitter and humour lay true poignancy, as stories of bullying, depression and discrimination emerged. One by one, the 22 speakers bravely took to the stage to bare their souls. Christian Ryan McMillan said he wanted to "address Arlene and members of the DUP and members of the LGBT+ community, my community". He stated: "I shared your deeply-held religious beliefs for 24 years. Knowing that I was gay since early childhood, I believed God thought that I was an abomination. "It was respect for those beliefs that drew me into 15 years of depression, isolation and fear, praying to God to end my life rather than endure the agony of a half-lived life torn between God and my true self". He revealed that he came out three years ago not "because I wanted to, but because it was either come out, or commit suicide". Now a member of LGBT+ Christian fellowship Spectrum, he said he has seen "LGBT people whose lives have been transformed by realising they don't have to make a choice between God and their sexuality and their gender identity." He added: "Stop using your faith as a weapon against my community, for your faith is my faith, and my community is your community. Gavin Armstrong revealed how his HIV diagnosis almost led him to take his own life. "There are people living with HIV in every town and village in this sorry little place that we call home," he stated. "HIV is not a self-inflicted disease, ignorance and prejudice are." Bullying victim Anthony Flynn recalled how, as a child, he was repeatedly slapped on the head by his classmates "just because I was camp and an easy target". He called for action to address the bullying of LGBT+ students in Northern Ireland's schools, slamming the Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 as "toothless and lacklustre in its approach, especially when tackling LGBT bullying". Speaker Stevie Donnan said he was "never ashamed of being a Unionist," but has been "deeply ashamed of Unionism." "Save Ulster from hypocrisy," he stated. "Save Ulster from animosity and give Ulster equality." The event's primary sponsor, Green MLA Clare Bailey, said it had been "very emotional". "They might be hard to listen to, but we need to have space for these conversations," she said. "This is about empowering the community. "Here's hoping that this is a war cry from the LGBT community." An Ulster Freedom Fighters flag. Members of the UDA, since 1973, used the cover name of UFF to claim responsibility for the killing of Catholics. The scene on Summer Street in the Old Park area of north Belfast where a woman was forced out of her home by loyalist paramilitaries. The scene on Summer Street in the Old Park area of north Belfast where a woman was forced out of her home by loyalist paramilitaries. Sinn Fein MLA Caral Ni Chuilin has claimed that loyalist paramilitaries ordered a woman to leave her north Belfast home on Sunday, while her son was due to be waked. The North Belfast MLA said that the mother was threatened just days after the tragic death of her son. Mrs Ni Chuilin said that the woman's home was then attacked and her windows were smashed. Read More She said that the family were unable to wake their son in the home. Had a very distraught family in my home whove been threatened by the UFF that they have 24 hours to leave. Son died on Thursday, couldnt bring his body home to be waked. Im calling on all unionist politicians to condemn this threat & it should be lifted immediately Caral Ni Chuilin-Nigh do lamha (@CaralNiChuilin) July 29, 2018 Police have confirmed that the loyalist paramilitary group, the UFF, threatened a woman and ordered her to leave her home in Oldpark today," the Sinn Fein MLA said. Only hours later her home was attacked and the windows of her home were smashed. These shameful and depraved actions were carried in the full knowledge that her son, who died tragically last Thursday, was due to be waked from the family home. According to the MLA, the woman sought help after she was told by a group of men they had 24 hours to leave. When the woman returned with police officers to collect clothes from her home, windows had been smashed and "taigs out" - a derogatory reference to Catholics - had been sprayed on the wall. Ms Ni Chuilin said housing authorities had been contacted to secure the woman's family emergency accommodation. She called on the PSNI to step up their efforts against loyalist paramilitaries. These sickening actions must be condemned by all and the criminals responsible should pack up and get off the backs of the community," Mrs Ni Chuilin said. Expand Close Sinn Fein MLA Caral Ni Chuilin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein MLA Caral Ni Chuilin The continued existence of these armed groups is a blight on society. The PSNI needs to intensify its efforts remove the scourge of loyalist paramilitaries from our society." I would urge anyone with information on todays incident to bring it forward to the police. Mrs Ni Chuilin has also contacted the Housing Executive and called on them to ensure the family gets emergency accommodation. The PSNI said last night its officers were investigating reports of criminal damage and threats at a house in Summer Street. A PSNI Inspector said: "Enquiries are at an early stage and we are working to establish a motive. "We would like anyone who has information about this incident and can assist our investigation to contact us on 101." The Northern Ireland Civil Service has confirmed it will not appeal a Supreme Court judgement preventing the development of the Mallusk incinerator. Earlier this month the Department of Infrastructure failed to overturn a ruling that it had no legal power to approve the 240m waste incinerator without a minister in place. Planning permission for the facility was originally approved by the department in 2017. The Court of Appeal held that only the full Executive could authorise the proposed facilities on the outskirts of north Belfast because they were so significant, controversial and cut across area of responsibility. The ruling cast major doubt on who has authority to take decisions in Northern Ireland normally taken by ministers. On Monday morning, a DfI spokesperson said: The Department has studied the Court of Appeal ruling on 6 July and will not appeal the judgement. Sinn Fein MLA Declan Kearney welcomed the decision. The Department of Infrastructures decision not to appeal the Court ruling to reject the Hightown Incinerator is the right thing to do," he said. This facility should never have been given the green-light in the first place after widespread opposition and concerns over the safety of residents. Any move by Department officials to proceed with this project would have run contrary to the Good Friday Agreement in the absence of an Executive. This position was vindicated by the Court. Key decisions such as this demonstrate again the importance of re-establishing the power-sharing institutions in a way that is consistent with the Good Friday Agreement. There is an onus on both governments to fulfil their responsibility as co-guarantors of that agreement, to deal with the outstanding equality and rights issues at the heart of the political crisis "In addition, I am now calling on Arc21 to declare its intention to finally withdraw the incinerator proposal in order that this matter can be conclusively brought to an end. A UK Government spokesperson said: "The UK Government will continue to consider the implications of the court's judgement, following the decision by the NI Civil Service not to appeal. "We are acutely aware of the challenging circumstances and we remain fully committed to ensuring good governance in the absence of an Executive. That's why we introduced the recent NI Budget Act to ensure stable finances and why the Secretary of State has committed to taking further action on urgent public appointments. "The Secretary of State remains firm in her view that it is absolutely crucial that we secure the return of a functioning, devolved government in Northern Ireland. This will ensure the Executive can get back to the business of governing and take the strategic decisions that affect the long-term future of Northern Ireland." Victim Gediminas Stauskas (32) was found dead in a lock-up at property on Moor Road near Clonoe in Co Tyrone in October 2015 A 37-year old who killed a fellow Lithuanian in a garage in Co Tyrone where a third man was being held against his will and tortured was handed a 15-year sentence. Darius Sikorskas - who was one of two men involved in beating, shooting and stabbing a man in a drink and drug-induced incident in October 2015 - then turned on his fellow attacker. Gediminus Stauskas, known as LaLa, died around eight hours after he was attacked by Sikorskas. Following the fatal attack, tape was placed over a head wound and a helmet was put over his head. Sikorskas pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Stauskas, whose body was discovered in the upstairs area of the garage at Moor Road in Coalisland on October 15, 2015. From Lambfield House in Dungannon, he also admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Grigorius Sviridovas, and possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Branding the death of Mr Stauskas as "needless and tragic", Madam Justice McBride handed Sikorskas an 11-year sentence. As he has been deemed dangerous by Probation, Sikorskas - who has a criminal record both in his native country as well as the Republic of Ireland - was given an extended licence period of four years, in a bid to protect the public. Two other Lithuanian nationals - 29-year old Marius Dzimisevicius from Cabhan Aluinn in Pomeroy and 43-year old Dmitrijus Indrisiunas from The Shanoch in Coalisland - each admitted withholding information in the aftermath of the death of Mr Stauskas. Both men were handed a 12-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years. Dungannon Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, heard the deceased Mr Stauskas and Sikorskas seriously assaulted a third Lithuanian - Grigorius Sviridovas - in the garage over a two-day period from Tuesday October 13 into the following day. Crown prosecutor David McDowell QC told the court that after telling Mr Sviridovas to come to the garage, Mr Stauskas and Sikorskas "insisted" he take cocaine, smoke heroin and drink with them. Mr Sviridovas was then subjected to a lengthy attack at the hands of the other two men in the office area of the garage. He was punched, struck with an iron bar and at one stage was told to ring an ex-partner in Germany to tell her he was being rehabilitated. After being threatened with a gun, Mr Sviridovas was forced to shoot himself in the thigh, and the wound was later cauterised by Sikorskas using a knife he washed in brandy. Mr McDowell said Sikorskas and Mr Stauskas then left the office and "came into contact". A badly injured Mr Sviridovas didn't see the fatal incident but said it sounded like Sikorskas lifted Mr Stauskas and threw him to the floor. The Crown QC said a plea to manslaughter was accepted to Sikorskas's claim he "struck the deceased to the body with considerable force with the palm of his hand, causing him to fall forcefully to the floor and striking his head. "To cause the severity of the injury to his head, which later caused his death, his head must have struck something in the fall, such as machinery which lay around the garage floor." The court heard Mr Sviridovas was then carried out of the office by Sikorskas, where he saw Mr Stauskas lying unconscious on the ground. At some point, Mr Stauskas regained consciousness for a brief period and was able to stand and lean against a wall. An effort was made to place him in the front seat of a car in the garage, and he had tape applied to a wound on his head. A blanket was also put round him, and a helmet was put in his head. Sikorskas subsequently let Mr Sviridovas leave the garage, and he was dropped home by Dmitrijus Indristunas, who the court heard ran a business from the premises in question. Marius Dzimisevicius then drove Sikorskas to an address in Coalisland. The injured Mr Sviridovas went to a friend's house and was later taken to Craigavon Area Hospital by ambulance. Madam Justice McBride described the attack on Mr Sviridovas as "sustained" and with a "significant use of violence used." She also spoke of the lasting impact the "degrading" attack has had on the victim, who sustained multiple wounds including a fractured femur, and burns to his neck and shoulders. A police investigation led to the remains of the deceased Gediminus Stauskas being discovered in the upstairs area of the garage on Thursday October 15, 2015. He died from a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. Sikorskas evaded arrest for five days and was finally apprehended at an address in Portadown on October 20th, while both Indrisiunas and Dzimisevicius were arrested the following month. During today's sentencing, Madam Justice McBride said that after reading a victim impact statement from the deceased's sister, it was clear Mr Stauskas's death has had a "devastating impact" on his family. She also noted that the man shot and tortured in the garage has been left with both physical and psychological problems, has undergone surgery three times and now lives in constant fear. Accepting that the beating of Mr Sviridovas and the death of Mr Stauskas was done whilst Sikorskas was under the influence of drink and drugs, Madam Justice McBride handed the father of one a sentence of 11 years. As he has been deemed dangerous, Sikorskas will not be automatically deemed eligible for release after serving half of his sentence, as this will be determined Paroles Commission. Once the 11-year sentence is served, he will spend an additional four years on licence. A mural in support of same sex marraige on the Falls Road in Belfast (Niall Carson/PA) Mary Lou McDonald has said the British Government should intervene to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland if the Stormont deadlock cannot be broken. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK or Ireland which has not legalised what supporters term marriage equality. Polls suggest a public majority back the measure, but the Democratic Unionists espouse the argument that marriage can only be between a man and a woman and have used a petition of concern to veto proposed change at the Assembly. Expand Close Mary Lou McDonald speaking as leader of the PUP Billy Hutchinson looks on (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mary Lou McDonald speaking as leader of the PUP Billy Hutchinson looks on (Liam McBurney/PA) The Sinn Fein leader attended her first Pride Talkback event in Belfast and said: If it is the case that Westminster has to intervene then so be it. In a reference to the powersharing impasse she added: That wont be a badge of success that will be a mark of failure. She said the best solution would be legislation brought through the Stormont Assembly, rather than Westminster where the DUPs 10 Brexit-supporting MPs are propping up Theresa Mays minority Government. We all have different views, religions and thats ok. But it is not ok to dogmatically impose your views to block the rights of others. There must be marriage equality. #pridetalksback @MaryLouMcDonald pic.twitter.com/qRXX3b23S7 Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) July 30, 2018 Ms McDonald added: In the absence of the political institutions, it is a matter for both British and Irish governments to ensure that the rights of the LGBT-plus community in the North are fully vindicated. The British Irish Intergovernmental conference met last week, it will meet again in the autumn and it must resolve the outstanding rights issues including the right to marriage equality. The Sinn Fein president said any change to the petition of concern as part of powersharing reforms needed to be handled carefully. Right across Ireland we have a problem with inclusion. A problem of real inclusion of valuaing and respecting each other. The reality is human rights are universal - the DUP will delay but never stop rights" Sinn Fein President @MaryLouMcDonald at #PrideTalksBack pic.twitter.com/cjbLj7hIEF Sinn Fein LGBTQ (@sinnfeinlgbtq) July 30, 2018 The real perversion here is that a mechanism intended to protect minorities and basic rights gets turned on its head and abused and misused. The Ulster Unionists, SDLP, Green Party, Alliance and Progressive Unionists were represented at Monday nights Pride debate at the Mac theatre. The DUP were invited but declined to attend. DUP MLA Jim Wells was notified but said he would rather walk up the Falls Road in a Rangers shirt, the organiser said. Mrs McDonald said: Those who wish to push back the tides of change can disrupt and delay but it will never stop the vindication of those rights. This is us. We are proud and we are not going away you know. Billy Hutchinson, PUP leader, said Northern Ireland needed the same LGBT rights as the rest of the UK. His party has supported same-sex marriage since 2013, doubling their vote soon afterwards. The politicians are way behind the community. It is two people who love each other. This is not about religious beliefs, this is about peoples equality. It is British rights for British citizens. UUP Assembly member for Upper Bann Doug Beattie leads a taskforce within his party addressing the issue. He said he thought none of his colleagues at Stormont would support a petition of concern veto on marriage equality because they were democrats. We are moving in the right direction but like that super-tanker in the ocean the turning circle is very large and we are moving very slowly. Birgunj traders take to streets against tax hike Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Sunday took out a protest rally against the metropolis decision to hike tax rates. Peter Robinson during his speech at the MacGill Summer School in Co Donegal Former DUP leader Peter Robinson has come under attack from one of the party's MPs over a speech in which he urged unionists to prepare for a possible united Ireland. Sammy Wilson branded the remarks "disturbing, dangerous" and "out of kilter" with the mindset of most unionists. Read More In a speech in Donegal on Friday night, Mr Robinson said he did not think Northern Ireland would vote to leave the UK, but people should prepare for that possibility and accept the result. "I don't expect my own house to burn down but I still insure it," he said. But his comments at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, in which he expanded on views expressed in a lecture at Queen's University recently, drew criticism from former party colleagues yesterday. East Antrim MP Mr Wilson said that Mr Robinson's speech would have been better if it had promoted the benefits of Northern Ireland remaining within the UK. He said: "Peter is entitled to whatever views he holds. He is taking on his new role of professor and he thinks he has to provoke debate, which is fine in the world of academia, but it is dangerous in the world of politics. "This speech to the MacGill Summer School is rather similar to the speech Peter gave at Queen's but he went a bit further this time, which I think is disturbing. "The increasing sectarianism of Sinn Fein and the blatant Brit-bashing of (Leo) Varadkar and (Simon) Coveney has convinced unionists that there would be no safe place for them in a united Ireland." Mr Wilson added: "The point that Peter made which worries me even more is that we need to prepare ourselves for a united Ireland as a kind of insurance policy. "The immediate analogy that struck me is that you only prepare yourself for something if you think it is going to happen. "Talking about preparing ourselves for a united Ireland almost gives the impression that it is inevitable, but I don't believe in the inevitability of a united Ireland." East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said that while Mr Robinson's point about taking out an insurance policy against the possibility of something happening is right, he rejected the necessity. "There is no concept of Britishness in the Irish Republic, so there is just no possibility of a united Ireland happening. It is out of the question," Mr Campbell said. East Londonderry MLA Maurice Bradley accused Mr Robinson of being "out of touch" with grassroots unionism. "Peter Robinson is entitled to his own opinion as a member of the public but I think he is out of touch with unionist on the ground, certainly the unionist people in my constituency would not share Peter Robinson's views," he said. The Donegal speech also drew criticism from the wider unionist family. Lord Empey, the former leader of the Ulster Unionists, accused him of becoming a "Sinn Fein echo chamber". "This is not strategic thinking, rather it's the latest in a long line of proposals from Peter Robinson that are detrimental to Northern Ireland," he claimed. TUV leader Jim Allister described Mr Robinson as "yesterday's man" and called on Arlene Foster to clarify her position. He added: "You'd wait a long time for Sinn Fein to advise preparing for direct rule, but here we have the former leader of unionism urging preparation for fulfilment of the republican dream." In his speech on Friday night, Mr Robinson said that he believed unionists would accept the results of any border poll that led to a united Ireland. "As soon as that decision is taken every democrat will have to accept that decision," he said. Earlier this month Mr Robinson, who served as DUP leader from 2008 to the end of 2015, said that border polls should be held at fixed dates to avoid destabilising Northern Ireland politics. Those comments also drew criticism from some in the DUP, who branded them "divisive and unsettling". Arlene Foster has called for the UK Government to properly take charge in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Civil Service's decision not to appeal a Supreme Court judgement preventing the development of the Mallusk incinerator "should be a siren for the British Government to take action," DUP leader Arlene Foster said. The Department of Infrastructure on Monday confirmed it will not seek to overturn a ruling that it had no legal power to approve the 240m waste incinerator in Co Antrim without a minister in place. The ruling has cast major doubt as to who has authority to take decisions in Northern Ireland in the absence of an Executive at Stormont. In the wake of the decision Northern Ireland Secretary of State Karen Bradley said she was considering her next steps but said it reinforced the need for talks aimed at restoring the devolved institutions. Read More Ms Foster said: The limbo of decision-making in Northern Ireland can no longer be ignored. "There are fresh examples arising virtually daily where people in Northern Ireland are suffering because decisions cannot be taken. They range from school building projects to public sector pay through to reforming how our healthcare operates." Northern Ireland has been without devolved government since January 2017 when Sinn Fein pulled down the institutions. "The refusal by Sinn Fein to restore devolution means that local ministers cannot take decisions so action must be taken at Westminster. Sinn Feins boycott of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Executive and Westminster cannot be allowed to hold back progress for everyone. "This is not about wishing to see a return to Direct Rule but about the people of Northern Ireland needing decisions taken so they are not punished for the refusal to restore devolution. Expand Close Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley will be among those attending a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London. Victoria Jones/PA. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley will be among those attending a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London. Victoria Jones/PA. While visiting Derry, the Secretary of State was questioned on the civil service decision not to challenge the court's ruling. "We've been looking carefully at the decision because judgements like this are not just as simple as 'you can do this and you can't do that', you've got to look underneath it," Mrs Bradley said. "We are looking at what we need to do as the UK Government. We've never shied away from taking decisions that need to be taken. "I think it reinforces more than ever that what we actually need is political dialogue going on here, we need the parties talking to each other, we need Government back in Stormont so that the people of Northern Ireland have the Government they rightly deserve and elected. "We have been clear throughout that the decisions that need to be taken, need to be taken at Stormont. It is a very disappointing judgement in terms of the fact that it does put this into doubt. "Decisions that civil servants have taken - maybe they feel they can't take them any more. I pay tribute to them for what they have done - working without direction is a very difficult and testing thing. "What we need to see is those politicians in Stormont making the decisions. I've brought forward two budgets since I've become Secretary of State, I've already committed that I'll legislate for public appointments to make sure we have a properly constituted police force for example. "We will take the steps that we need to take but the real focus has to be on getting political talks up and running and getting that Government back into Stormont." A Government minister has warned that an early general election in Ireland could do irreparable damage to the country. Minister of State for Skills, Training, Innovation, Research and Development John Halligan said on Monday that an early poll would jeopardise Irelands economy and that politicians should put country over party. I dont think there should be an early election, I dont believe the public wants one. Forming the last government took months; in the midst of Brexit, it would be an outrage. It could do irreparable damage to the economy and ruin our standing in Europe if we could not form a government with the complexity of Brexit taking place. We should be thinking about what is the right thing to do for the country and not what is right for parties. I believe that if we had an election we'd have the same result, with no party coming out on top, and they'd have to negotiate with smaller parties or Independents. Halligan is one of the Independent Alliance Ministers group due to meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Tuesday, where they are expected to ask him to tone down talk of an early election in Fine Gael. The talks will also include Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe for discussions on the forthcoming budget and the future of the coalition. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has been highly critical of the Taoiseachs approach to negotiations on the confidence-and-supply agreement and said over the weekend that the time to review the agreement is after it expires. Mr Halligan warned that those who called for an early election would not be highly thought of by the public. Micheal Martin signed up to this agreement for the next budget and he has to stick with that. I dont think hed be thought very highly of if he brought down the government because he felt that it was the right thing to do for Fianna Fail. Halligan added that he believed the major parties were mistaken if they felt they would gain more seats if they held an election in the coming months. Youll always get this in a minority government, parties will feel that if they are doing very well they should call an election. I believe that if we had an election now wed have the same result, with no party coming out on top, and theyd have to negotiate with smaller parties or Independents. People have decided now they want a variety of ideologies and parties in the Dail and thats what politicians have to accept. Id like an election next year or the year after. It would depend on Fianna Fail and the government being objective and putting the country first rather than their own interests, he said. Sinn Feins leader has accused the Government and DUP of prolonging Stormonts powersharing crisis to allow an unreflective view of Northern Ireland to be presented in the Brexit debate. Mary Lou McDonald said while she was prepared to re-enter talks with the DUP to find a resolution to the 19-month impasse, she said the terms of a draft deal Sinn Fein insists was struck in February remained the bottom line for any fresh negotiations. Branding the failure to restore powersharing a disgrace, the Sinn Fein president suggested the deadlock suited Prime Minister Theresa May and her DUP confidence and supply partners because it meant the outcome of the Brexit referendum in the region, 56% Remain, was not being effectively presented at governmental level. I think it suits the DUP and the British government not to have institutions in the north for the simple reason that the DUP are very much out on their own on the issue of Brexit, they are not reflecting the views of the majority of people in the north on this matter, far from it, she said in an interview with the Press Association. Expand Close Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald during an interview at the Sinn Fein party headquarters (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald during an interview at the Sinn Fein party headquarters (Liam McBurney/PA) In fact they are acting in defiance of the views of the people of the north. It would be preferable to have the institutions up and running where that political reality could be writ large. Stormont crashed in January 2017 amid a row about a botched green energy scheme. It later widened to take in issues such as the Irish language, LGBT rights and the legacy of the Troubles. The last talks bid to resurrect the troubled institutions crashed in February when the DUP pulled the plug. The DUP should not image that by stalling that they can browbeat citizens into accepting less than they are entitled toMary Lou McDonald Sinn Fein insisted a draft deal had been signed off with the DUP at that point, and accused the party of getting cold feet in the face of an internal revolt from grassroots members angry about potential concessions on the vexed dispute over the Irish language. The DUP denied the claim, insisting it exchanged numerous papers with Sinn Fein during the negotiation process but none amounted to a draft agreement. On Monday, Mrs McDonald said: Life is a two-way street and its a case of give and take and at whatever stage all of this leads to all of us back round the table again, of that there is no doubt, and a need to dialogue and land an agreement, it needs to be clear that the February agreement is a bottom line its not something to be negotiated back from, unionism cant image they can delay and procrastinate and frustrate progress and do it to such an extent that they feel it positions them to pocket more concessions. She added: The DUP should not image that by stalling that they can browbeat citizens into accepting less than they are entitled to. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has allowed UK-Irish relations to deteriorate to the worst they've been since the Good Friday Agreement was signed, the leader of Fianna Fail has said. Micheal Martin accused the Taoiseach of preferring "megaphone diplomacy" over actual engagement. Mr Martin said Mr Varadkar was indifferent to unionism. He said: "One of the greatest tragedies of all this is the constitutional status of Northern Ireland got intertwined with the economic issues. "The Taoiseach is into megaphone diplomacy and also short-term popularity. He seems less committed to the Good Friday Agreement and oblivious to the sets of relationships that underpin the Agreement - the British-Irish relationship, the North-South relationship and then the relations between the two communities in the North. "The whole impetus that led to the Agreement was to nurture, underpin and work on those relationships. "I think the approach with the backstop last December and the language around that damaged the government's relationship with unionism and he seemed indifferent towards that." Mr Martin was quizzed about his party's proposal that Northern Ireland was made a special economic zone with access to both the UK and EU markets following Brexit - which was criticised by the Irish Government for a lack of detail. He said this idea would have given Northern Ireland "the best of both worlds", but refused to be drawn on details of the proposal. Meanwhile, in an interview with the Sunday Independent, Mr Varadkar said that when it came to Brexit, it was in the interest of the Britain, Ireland and Europe to have the institutions in Northern Ireland functioning again. He said: "When other heads of state ask me about Brexit and the situation in Northern Ireland, I point out two things. "Firstly, that there has been no power-sharing government in Northern Ireland for over a year and that dissident elements are starting to get stronger and we saw evidence of that in the riots in Derry. "I never say that Brexit has caused this because it didn't, but it has certainly soured the atmosphere. "One of the reasons why it has been difficult to get the Assembly to meet and the Executive up and running is the difficulty created by the fact that all the parties are looking over the shoulders (at the oncoming Brexit) wondering what will happen. "The best thing we can do, as the British Government, the Irish Government and the EU, is to get power-sharing and the Good Friday Agreement working again so as to provide certainty around Brexit. "There are other issues of course - Irish language, marriage equality - but I think that Brexit has poisoned the atmosphere in Northern Ireland. "It gives a voice to extreme elements, both dissident republicans and unionist hardliners." Mr Varadkar spent last week visiting other European countries where he was engaged in soft Brexit campaigning in Croatia, Romania and Italy. He added: "Coming away from the three meetings, in the three capitals, I got the impression that there is definitely a good understanding of Ireland's concerns, of the unique issues in Northern Ireland given that it is a special place with a unique history and geography. "People also understand very well the risk of a return to violence or of a step backwards in terms of the Good Friday Agreement. "There is very strong support for the Barnier task force and there is no desire to end up in bilateral negotiations. "Everyone agrees that we don't want to be making 27 different deals with the UK," the Taoiseach added. Five people died in the crash in Moray (Michal Wachucik/PA) A four-year-old boy killed in a crash in Moray which claimed the lives of four others filled our lives with joy, his family has said. Lorenzo Ciociola was travelling in a minibus with his parents, three-year-old brother and two other Italians when it crashed with a car on the A96 just before midnight on Thursday. His mother, 33, is in a critical condition in hospital while his father, 45, remains in hospital with serious injuries. His brother was treated for minor injuries. In a statement, his family said: The Ciociola and Passanisi families have been devastated by the tragic and untimely death of little Lorenzo. Expand Close Frances Saliba Patane died in the crash on her 63rd birthday. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Frances Saliba Patane died in the crash on her 63rd birthday. Although your life has been cut short you have filled our own lives with joy now you are our little angel in heaven. You will be forever close to our hearts and will continue to live on in the fond memory of your mum, dad and little brother Federico. Tributes were also paid to other victims of the crash, including Frances Saliba Patane, who was visiting Scotland to celebrate her 63rd birthday when she died. Her family said the English teacher, who moved from Malta to Sicily after marrying an Italian, was a loving wife and a caring mother and grandmother. Expand Close Edward Reid, known as Ted, was killed in the crash on the A96. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Edward Reid, known as Ted, was killed in the crash on the A96. Both families thanked the emergency services and staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The family of Ted Reid, 63, from Macduff, Aberdeenshire, who was killed in the Nissan X-Trail along with Evalyn Collie, 69, from Aberchirder, Aberdeenshire, and Audrey Appleby, 70, said they are heartbroken. They said: Ted was a devoted husband, dad, granda, brother and friend. He will be remembered for his selfless loving nature and will be sorely missed by all. Ms Collies family said they have lost a beautiful lady and thanked those who helped. They added: We wish to pass on our condolences and deepest sympathy to all the families who lost family members in this horrific and tragic incident, and hope those injured make a speedy and full recovery. Expand Close Evalyn Collie was heading home from a music night with friends when she died. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Evalyn Collie was heading home from a music night with friends when she died. The driver of the Nissan, named locally as Morag Smith, 39, from Aberchirder, is receiving treatment for serious injuries. She was driving back from a country music night in Elgin at the time of the crash and the club president has paid tribute to the members killed, saying they were just very nice people. A 70-year-old male passenger from the Fiat minibus also remains in hospital. Deputy head of road policing Superintendent Louise Blakelock said: This has been a difficult and distressing time for everyone affected by this tragedy and the sympathy expressed by communities over the past few days has been overwhelming. We have learned of countless individuals going above and beyond to provide assistance and comfort to those in need from acts of bravery and compassion at the scene of the collision to invaluable support in the aftermath. On behalf of Police Scotland and our partners, a sincere thank you. Bruno Mancuso, an Italian senator from Sicily, said Lorenzos father Alfredo was a coastguard officer and that their local community was in deep grief. Expand Close Audrey Appleby also died in the collision (Police Scotland/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Audrey Appleby also died in the collision (Police Scotland/PA) He wrote on Facebook: I am deeply saddened and dismayed by the tragedy that has struck lieutenant Alfredo Ciociola, commander of the maritime district office of SantAgata Militello, who in a tragic road accident in Scotland last Thursday, lost his four-year-old son. His wife is in a coma. The whole of the community tightens up to him and his family and expresses pain and deep grief. The Italian Honorary Consulate in Aberdeen is supporting the families of the Italian citizens caught up in the tragedy. Officers investigating the crash have appealed for any witnesses and for dashcam footage. Senior DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and his brother Kingsley are to sue a nonprofit organisation over criticisms of work undertaken by a peace-building charity with which they are associated. Earlier this year, UK-based human rights organisation Reprieve published a report critical of the work of the Causeway Institute for Peace-Building and Conflict Resolution in the small Gulf state of Bahrain. The Bahraini government has faced extensive criticism from non-governmental organisations in recent years over its human rights record. Former Army officer Kingsley Donaldson is director of the Causeway Institute, and Sir Jeffrey chairs its advisory board. The Institute's work was supported by the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Sir Jeffrey told the Sunday Times that the Reprieve report is "inaccurate, misleading and defamatory. I have initiated legal proceedings against the authors and against a number of media outlets who have reported upon it." Kingsley Donaldson also confirmed to the Sunday Times that he had begun legal action over the Reprieve report and associated media coverage. A 2016 article on the Causeway Institute website discusses the institute's work in Bahrain, saying: "We are very proud of our friendships across the country in Bahrain, from people on all sides of the population, civil society groups, human rights defenders, policy makers and national institutions. Sharing the Northern Ireland experience in Bahrain has been a very worthwhile task and we have learned a significant amount from our Bahraini friends that we too can apply at home." It's understood the brothers are being represented by Belfast libel lawyer Paul Tweed. Performers from around the world are preparing for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo/PA) The centenary of the RAF is to be celebrated at this years Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The theme of the show, which runs from August 3 to 25 on Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, is The Skys the Limit, with projections to be shone on to the castle walls during performances. Among the international performers will be the Royal Cavalry of the Sultanate of Omans Pipers on horseback and its all-female marching band. More than 100 Mexican performers will bring mariachi music to the event while the Central Band of the Czech Armed Forces and Ondras Military Art Ensemble will make their Tattoo debut to mark the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovak independence. The Edinburgh Girls High School from Malawi will also perform for the first time with girls from the Mary Erskine School choir. The Malawi school, named because of its close link with the Mary Erskine School, is now in its fifth year with a total roll of 160 girls in the region of Engcongolweni, near Mzuzu. Expand Close Highland dancers perform on the castle esplanade during last years event (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Highland dancers perform on the castle esplanade during last years event (Jane Barlow/PA) Directors of the Tattoo said the performances, projections and light shows will take the audience on the incredible journey following mans obsession with flight, including space travel. Musicians will open the show with sounds of the soaring Spitfire, gearing up for take-off while Highland dancers will also wear outfits in tribute to the RAF. As well as the music and dancing, the Royal Ypriana Wind Band Buglers will perform the Last Post, to mark the end of the centenary of the First World War. Brigadier David Allfrey, chief executive and producer of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: The time has finally come to reveal a magical line-up of talent set to keep the audience on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Its an enthralling 90-minute spectacle thats set to be one of our best shows yet with an army of young performers to the fore. One of the remarkable characteristics of the youthful is the optimism and their ability to not be limited by boundaries barriers between people, communities or opportunities. This is a celebration of that mindset and we hope for the show to be an inspiration to both young and old, to keep this childlike spirit alive in all aspects of our lives from our ambitions to our interactions with others. Now that the cast has descended on Scotlands capital from around the globe, were putting the final touches to the show in preparation of Fridays opening performance. More than 1,200 cast and crew are involved in the organisation of the Tattoo, which plays out to an audience of 8,800 each evening. This year will be the first Edinburgh show since organisers revealed plans to take the Tattoo across the world and double its turn-over to 20 million by 2025 with performances in Australia, Canada and China. Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, Chief of the Air Staff, said: In our 100th anniversary year, Im really delighted that the Royal Air Force has the lead for this years Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo a very special event in a very special year. Scotland has always been a vital part of that RAF story. From one hundred years ago at Montrose Station, the first operational military airfield, to today at RAF Lossiemouth on the Moray coast, one of the RAFs principal bases, protecting UK and Nato airspace. Cong proposes legal action against Prasai Opposition Nepali Congress lawmakers on Sunday registered a motion of public importance, demanding action against medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai for his defamatory remarks against Nepali female students pursuing medical education in neighbouring Bangladesh. Corrie McKeague went missing on a night out in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. (Suffolk Police/ PA) The father of airman Corrie McKeague has said that his son is no longer missing as he claims he knows what happened to him and that he is in the waste disposal system. Martin McKeague wrote on Facebook: Corrie is no longer missing. What we mean by this is that after looking at all of the facts and evidence we now know what happened to our son. We are certain he is somewhere in the Suffolk waste disposal system, but his remains are essentially irretrievable. Corrie McKeague was 23 years old when he vanished on a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on September 24 2016. Expand Close Police searching a landfill site during the hunt for missing RAF gunner Corrie McKeague (Joe Giddens/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police searching a landfill site during the hunt for missing RAF gunner Corrie McKeague (Joe Giddens/PA) Police believe he climbed into a waste bin and was taken away by a refuse lorry. He had been stationed at RAF Honington, around 10 miles from Bury St Edmunds. No trace of him has been found, and police said in March that the investigation was being handed to a cold case squad. His father Martin McKeague wrote that police came to visit the family in Scotland to review the facts of the investigation in detail in October last year and February this year. The evidence presented to him was as thorough as it was compelling, he said, and that experts concluded beyond any doubt that Corrie had ended up in the Suffolk waste disposal system. Expand Close Handout CCTV grab of Corrie McKeague (Suffolk Police/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Handout CCTV grab of Corrie McKeague (Suffolk Police/PA) Accepting that conclusion has clearly not been easy for the McKeague family in Scotland, nor anyone else, he wrote. He said the remaining areas were either too toxic to search or so vast it could take years to do so. He added that his sons disappearance had been an unbelievable and horrific journey of grieve (sic) and acceptance for the McKeague family. He said there are plans for a memorial for Corrie in the future. A giant mural of prominent Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi on part of the Israeli separation wall, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem (AP) Two Italian artists have left Israel after being arrested over a large mural of teenage Palestinian protester Ahed Tamimi which they painted on the West Bank separation barrier. Jorit Agoch and Salvatore De Luis have been barred for 10 years from entering the country again, according to their lawyer, Azmi Masalha. The artists painted the mural in Bethlehem on Saturday, a day before Ms Tamimis release after serving an eight-month sentence in prison for slapping two Israeli soldiers. Ms Tamimis case had drawn international attention and she received a heros welcome in the West Bank after her release. Israeli police said the artists were caught in the act and arrested for vandalism, and Israel cancelled their visas. They were ordered to leave within three days. Mr Masalha told The Associated Press that Israeli authorities did not pursue any criminal charges. Expand Close The artists have been barred from Israel for 10 years (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The artists have been barred from Israel for 10 years (AP) Ms Tamimi, 17, was arrested in December after she slapped two Israeli soldiers outside her family home. Her mother filmed the incident and posted it on Facebook, where it went viral and, for many, instantly turned the teenager into a symbol of resistance to Israels military rule over the Palestinians. In Israel, she is seen by many either as a provocateur, an irritation or a threat to the militarys deterrence policy. Mr Masalha said the artists drew the mural in a sign of solidarity with Ms Tamimi. He said he viewed the artists arrest with suspicion when there are countless works of graffiti on the separation barrier, and questioned the timing so close to Ms Tamimis release. The lawyer said: They were arrested on the fourth day of carrying out this graffiti painting despite the fact that there is an observation tower of the military there and they were under this observation point from the first day and its interesting as to why this incident occurred on the fourth day. Mr Masalha said diplomatic officials from Italy were involved in securing the artists release. Three recent posts on an Instagram account believed to be Mr Agochs had a photo of the mural in progress, a photo of an Israeli police vehicle and a black and white handwritten note reading: Free thank all of you. The two artists left Israel on a Monday morning flight to Naples. A firefighter walks along a containment line in front of an advancing wildfire in Redding, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Fire crews are facing several weather uncertainties as they struggle to contain a deadly blaze in Northern California that has led to the evacuation of thousands of people. Firefighters are enduring hot temperatures and remain wary of the possibility of gusty winds, Anthony Romero, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said. Right now its going everywhere, he said. We still have a lot of open line. Any event could bring this back up again. The National Weather Service on Sunday forecast hot and dry conditions in the area, with wind gusts expected late in the afternoon. Expand Close A firefighter walks along a containment line while battling a wildfire in Redding, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A firefighter walks along a containment line while battling a wildfire in Redding, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Anna Noland, 49, was evacuated twice in three days before learning through video footage on Saturday that the house she last saw under dark and windy skies had burned. She plans to stay at a shelter at Simpson College in Redding while she searches for another place to live. I think Im still in shock, she said. Its just unbelievable knowing you dont have a house to go back to. Ms Noland is among 38,000 people evacuated after the so-called Carr Fire roared into the outskirts of Redding in Shasta County, leaving five people dead including two firefighters, a woman and her two great-grandchildren. My babies are dead, Sherry Bledsoe said through tears after she and family members met with police on Saturday. A vehicle problem ignited the fire on Monday, but it wasnt until Thursday that the fire exploded and raced into communities west of Redding before entering city limits. Expand Close Sherry Bledsoe, left, cries next to her sister Carla after learning her two children and grandmother were killed when flames consumed their home (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sherry Bledsoe, left, cries next to her sister Carla after learning her two children and grandmother were killed when flames consumed their home (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) On Saturday, it pushed south-west of Redding, the largest city in the region, towards the tiny communities of Ono, Igo and Gas Point, where scorching heat, winds and bone-dry conditions complicated firefighting efforts. The blaze has grown to 139 square miles and now threatens more than 5,000 structures and is said to be just 5% contained. The latest tally showed 517 destroyed structures and another 135 damaged, Mr Romero said, with the vast majority believed to be homes. Ms Bledsoes two children, James Roberts, five, and Emily Roberts, four, were stranded with their great-grandmother Melody Bledsoe, 70, when walls of flames swept through the familys rural property on Thursday in the outskirts of Redding. The three were among more than a dozen people reported missing after the furious wind-driven blaze took residents by surprise and levelled several neighbourhoods. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said he expects to find several of those people alive and just out of touch with loved ones. Officers have gone to the homes of several people reported missing and found their cars are not there a strong indication they fled. Expand Close A burned vehicle sits outside a ruined home in Redding after flames engulfed the area (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A burned vehicle sits outside a ruined home in Redding after flames engulfed the area (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Wildfires around the state have forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes, officials said, and 12,000 firefighters are currently tackling 17 significant fires in California. About 100 miles south-west of Redding, two blazes that prompted mandatory evacuations in Mendocino County burn largely unchecked. Those fires are threatening more than 4,500 buildings, and have consumed 39 square miles. Authorities have also issued evacuation orders in Napa County, famous for its wine, after a fire destroyed eight structures. In addition, major fires continue to burn outside Yosemite National Park and in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs. Those fires have burned nearly 100 square miles. David Casarez handing out CVs, seen on the right (@jaysc0/Twitter) A homeless man who went viral after he was pictured handing out CVs at the side of the road has been flooded with more than 200 job offers. David Casarez was pictured in Silicon Valley, California, holding a handwritten cardboard sign which reads: Homeless. Hungry 4 success. Take a resume. Passer-by and Twitter user Jasmine Scofield shared the images of the 26-year-old and his CV, in a post which was shared hundreds of thousands of times. David told the New York Post that he has since been contacted by hundreds of companies. Google reached out to me, he told the outlet. So many other companies. Pandora. A bunch of start-ups. A product manager from Bitcoin.com was wondering if I could work remotely or if I want to relocate to Tokyo. But tonight, Ill be back on my bench in Rengstorff Park. Emailed him. Hell be taken care of one way or another, probably doesnt even need us. Anyone else with this much gumption and hustle please send my way. https://t.co/RnAiNd3pfr Austen Allred (@Austen) July 28, 2018 Lord PLZ bless him w. A job! https://t.co/vId7W4Bev2 Amber Wagner (@Jstlivinbbyy) July 28, 2018 David said he quit a web developer job to move to Silicon Valley from Texas to make his own tech start-up, but ran out of money and was forced to live in his van. He lived there for more than a year until the Ford Transit was repossessed, and has slept in the park since. Thank you everyone for the outpouring of support! I am completely floored by how many are interested in my #Hungry4Success story. I have met several who have been or currently are in the same situation tell me their story. I am glad to be an inspiration for you all. David Casarez (@DavidCasarez17) July 29, 2018 On Friday he said he dressed as best as he could, grabbed a stack of CVs and set himself up with his sign at the spot where Jasmine saw him. It was basically a make-or-break moment, he said. I was thinking, you know, like this was like my last stop. If this didnt work, Id go back home and give up on my dream. The deadly Northern California wildfire that has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes slowed down on Sunday, giving officials hope even as they announced the discovery of a sixth fatality. Meanwhile officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree and killed while working as part of a crew removing brush and other fuel near the so-called Ferguson fires front lines, national parks officials said. We are saddened beyond words to report the death of Captain Brian Hughes of the Arrowhead Hotshots. Hughes' crew was on the #FergusonFire on @Sierra_NF when he was struck and killed by a tree. We grieve his loss. Photo courtesy of Brad Torchia pic.twitter.com/Lwy2MyH1jN Sequoia & Kings Cyn (@SequoiaKingsNPS) July 30, 2018 In Redding, officials stuck a hopeful tone for the first time in days. Were feeling a lot more optimistic today as were starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time, said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections incident commander on the blaze around Redding, a city about 230 miles north of San Francisco. Mr Gouvea spoke at a news conference with fire and law enforcement officials. Expand Close The completely wiped out mountain community of Keswick, California (Martha Mendoza/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The completely wiped out mountain community of Keswick, California (Martha Mendoza/AP) Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The victims identity was not released. The sheriffs department is also investigating seven missing persons reports, Mr Bosenko said. Redding police have an additional 11 reports of missing people, though many of them may simply not have checked in with friends or family, said Redding police Sgt Todd Cogle. The so-called Carr Fire that affected Redding a city of about 92,000 people was ignited by a vehicle problem on Monday about 10 miles west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick fuelled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. The latest tally showed at least 517 structures destroyed and another 135 damaged, with the fire having consumed 139 square miles. A count by The Associated Press found at least 300 of those structures were homes. Expand Close Firefighters assess the damage to a neighbourhood in the aftermath of the wildfire (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Firefighters assess the damage to a neighbourhood in the aftermath of the wildfire (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Mr Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they did not know whether their homes were standing or were destroyed. Authorities had not reopened any evacuated neighbourhoods where fires raged due to safety and ongoing investigations and urged people to be patient, saying they would soon let residents back. Fed up, on Sunday morning Tim Bollman hiked four miles on trails up steep terrain to check on the Redding home he built for his wife and two sons 13 years ago. Theres not even anything to pick up, he said. Its completely gone. He took hundreds of photos, recorded video and texted his wife. Its the craziest thing you have ever seen, he said, his eyes filled with tears. It is what it is, he sighed, and then hiked off. With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke. Jeremy died while battling the Carr Fire. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for his family and the RFD as we process this tragic loss. More information will be released as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/3adHIkDepV Redding Firefighters (@reddingff_1934) July 27, 2018 Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, was reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smouldering rubble. The San Bernardino County Fire Department was called in to tamp down smoking piles of debris that were scattered around the town amid downed electricity lines. What were seeing here is an incomplete burn situation, Captain Doug Miles said as his crew used picks, shovels and rakes to open up piles that just days ago were family homes. The flames laid waste to about 25 blocks, and the mop up work was likely to take days. He said his crew would be looking for anything salvageable, but there was little left standing. The fatalities included two firefighters and a woman and her two great-grandchildren. My babies are dead, Sherry Bledsoe said through tears after she and family members met on Saturday with sheriffs deputies. Her two children, five-year-old James Roberts and four-year-old Emily Roberts, were stranded with their great-grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70, when flames swept through the familys rural property Thursday on the outskirts of Redding. The sixth victim, who was not identified, did not evacuate despite receiving an evacuation warning, Mr Bosenko said. It is the largest fire burning in California, threatening more than 5,000 structures. The flames were just 5% contained, though Mr Gouvea said he expected that number to climb. Were here till the end, and we will get to an end, and we will bring some peace to this chaos, he said. The firefighters killed in the blaze included Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire. Redding Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, but details of his death were not released. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is hoping to have won a second term (Baba Ahmed/AP) Thousands of Malians have voted in the presidential election in the capital Bamako, but others in the central region struggled to do so amid threats by extremist groups. Polls closed on Sunday and officials began counting the votes, with results expected within the week. If no candidate won more than 50% of the vote in the first round, Malians will vote in a second round on August 12. Voters have expressed concern about being targeted after al Qaidas Mali branch warned against going to the polls. Deadly communal clashes between ethnic groups and accusations of heavy-handed counter-terror operations have complicated what President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita hopes will be an election victory leading him to a second term. The 73-year-old, who was elected in 2013, faces 23 candidates in the first round. Expand Close Malians wait to cast their ballot in the capital Bamako (Baba Ahmed/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Malians wait to cast their ballot in the capital Bamako (Baba Ahmed/AP) As he voted in Bamako, Mr Keita commended Malians on a successful and peaceful day of voting. It is a real pleasure for me to perform this citizen act, and it is the start of victory for the people of Mali, who have voted in calm and serenity, he said. This vote will have demonstrated our democratic maturity and our status as a great people. His main challenger is 68-year-old Soumaila Cisse, his rival in 2013, who has criticised the president for not addressing Malis rising insecurity. No polling stations opened in some central Mali Fulani villages under the control of jihadists, including Yamassadiou and Onde. And despite the presence of Malis army in Boulikessi, stations did not open there. Only a few stations were closed in Douentza district in Malis central Mopti region, where armed men kidnapped the head of a polling station in Gandamia village, an official said. Though that particular station reopened, people feared going to the polls. Opposition leader Mr Cisse, who voted in his village Niafounke in the Timbuktu region, said that in some villages, ballot boxes were removed. Expand Close Security personnel stand guard at a polling station in Bamako (Baba Ahmed/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Security personnel stand guard at a polling station in Bamako (Baba Ahmed/AP) Despite the difficulties of insecurity and transport, it was a duty for me to come and vote here with the people who trust me, Mr Cisse said. Malians must vote, it is very important. Each Malian must also be vigilant against attempts of electoral fraud. There must be transparency. Several political parties have expressed doubts about a valid election after duplicate and fictitious polling stations were listed on the electoral commissions website. And many in Mali remain worried about post-election violence should Mr Keita win in the first round. I voted, but all that people are saying is worrying me. I do hope there wont be an election crisis, said 67-year-old Ibrahim Traore. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Malians to maintain a peaceful course and said in a statement on Saturday he was encouraged by a peaceful campaigning period, despite security challenges in the north and center. The Secretary-General urges all political actors in Mali to commit to making this poll a peaceful, free and transparent process, and to resolve any possible dispute through the appropriate institutions in accordance with the law, his statement said. Energy Minister urges Israel to consider investment in energy sector Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Benny Omer paid a courtesy call on Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barshaman Pun on Monday. The Pope has accepted the resignation of an Australian archbishop convicted of covering up the sexual abuse of children by a priest. Francis move followed mounting pressure from Australian priests and even the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull. Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson was convicted in May of failing to report to police the repeated abuse of two altar boys by a paedophile priest in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney during the 1970s. Expand Close The Pope had come under increasing pressure to act (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Pope had come under increasing pressure to act (AP) He became the highest-ranking Catholic cleric ever convicted in a criminal court of covering up abuse. Wilson had declined to resign pending an appeal of his case. Mr Turnbull added his voice to those calling for his sacking in an appeal to Francis on July 19. The Vatican said that Francis has accepted Wilsons resignation. It is the second major announcement of a sex abuse-related resignation in as many days, after Francis dramatic sanctioning this weekend of a US cardinal, suggesting he is keen to clean up before he heads to Dublin next month for a Catholic family rally. Wilson, who denied the accusations, had immediately stepped aside after he was convicted but refused to resign pending an appeal. Francis has appointed a temporary administrator to run the diocese in the meantime. Expand Close Malcolm Turnbull (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Malcolm Turnbull (AP) In a statement issued by the archdiocese, Wilson said he had submitted his resignation to Francis of his own will on July 20 a day after Mr Turnbulls call and said he hoped his decision would help abuse victims and the rest of the Catholic community heal. He said: I had hoped to defer this decision until after the appeal process had been completed. However, there is just too much pain and distress being caused by my maintaining the office of archbishop. Wilson was sentenced by the Newcastle court to 12 months in detention. Francis decision to accept the resignation is significant given he has previously refrained from taking action against accused bishops that might be perceived as prejudicing outcomes in civil or criminal cases. Another Australian prelate, Cardinal George Pell, for example, has been on leave as the Vaticans finance czar while he faces criminal trial on accusations of sexual abuse. Expand Close Cardinal Theodore McCarrick (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cardinal Theodore McCarrick (AP) But Pell, who denies the charges, remains a cardinal, head of the Vaticans economy secretariat and a member of Francis core group of nine cardinal advisers. Francis, though, is under increasing pressure to sanction bishops who have abused, botched handling abuse cases or otherwise covered them up. There are calls for a full-fledged church investigation in the United States, and criminal probes are under way in Chile as the next phase of the abuse scandal accountability for bishops who failed to protect their flocks from abusive priests is gaining momentum. In the United States, bishops and cardinals are coming under fire for failing to reveal what they knew and when about the abuse of adult seminarians and minors allegedly committed by Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington. Francis on Saturday accepted McCarricks resignation as cardinal, and imposed on him unprecedented penalties for a cardinal even before his canonical trial is completed, including living a lifetime of penance and prayer and living isolated from others. Donald Trump was urged to tone down his anti-press rhetoric by the publisher of the New York Times (Niall Carson/PA) The publisher of The New York Times has said he implored Donald Trump at a private meeting to reconsider his attacks on journalists, calling the presidents anti-press rhetoric not just divisive but increasingly dangerous. In a statement, AG Sulzberger said he decided to comment publicly after Mr Trump revealed their off-the-record White House meeting to his 53 million Twitter followers on Sunday. The presidents aides had requested that the July 20 meeting not be made public, Mr Sulzberger said. Mr Trump tweeted: Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, Enemy of the People. Sad! Hours after that exchange, Mr Trump resumed his broadside against the media in a series of tweets that included a pledge not to let the country be sold out by anti-Trump haters in the dying newspaper industry. Mr Sulzberger said his main purpose for accepting the meeting was to raise concerns about the presidents deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric. He added: I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous. He said he told Mr Trump that while the phrase fake news is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labelling journalists the enemy of the people. I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence. Mr Sulzberger, who attended the meeting with James Bennet, the Times editorial page editor, said he stressed that leaders outside the US are already using Mr Trumps rhetoric to justify cracking down on journalists. I warned that it was putting lives at risk, that it was undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our countrys greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press, the publisher said. He added that he made clear he was not asking Mr Trump to soften his attacks against the Times if he thinks the newspapers coverage is unfair. Instead, I implored him to reconsider his broader attacks on journalism, which I believe are dangerous and harmful to our country, he said. Expand Close AG Sulzberger met Donald Trump at the White House for private talks (Damon Winter/The New York Times via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp AG Sulzberger met Donald Trump at the White House for private talks (Damon Winter/The New York Times via AP) Mr Trump reads the Times and gives interviews to its reporters. But the president who, like all politicians, is concerned about his image also regularly derides the newspaper as the failing New York Times. However, the Times ownership company in May reported a 3.8% increase in first-quarter revenue compared to the same period in 2017. The president, who lashes out over media coverage of himself and the administration that he deems unfair, has broadly labelled the news media the enemy of the people and regularly accuses reporters of spreading fake news the term he often uses for stories he dislikes. Hours after his tweet about the Sulzberger meeting, Mr Trump renewed his criticism of the media in a series of posts in which he accused reporters of disclosing internal deliberations of government and said that can endanger the lives of many. He did not cite examples but wrote Very unpatriotic! and said freedom of the press comes with a responsibility to report the news accurately, a sentiment that journalists share. Mr Trump also claimed that 90% of the coverage of his administration is negative, leading to an all-time low in public confidence in the media. He cited the Times and The Washington Post, two favourite targets, and claimed: They will never change! A firefighter walks along a containment line in front of an advancing wildfire in Redding, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) A sixth person has died in a raging wildfire that has destroyed more than 500 buildings in Northern California. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said a body was found within the boundary of the Carr Fire near Redding, about 230 miles north of San Francisco. He said the victim, who was not identified, had been in an area which had been covered by an evacuation warning. The fire has also claimed the lives of two firefighters and two children and their great-grandmother. Eighty-one-year-old Don Ray Smith was a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire when he died. Redding fire inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed amid the devastating blaze. The other three victims 70-year-old Melody Bledsoe and her two great-grandchildren James Roberts, five, and four-year-old Emily Roberts died when walls of flames swept through the familys rural property on the outskirts of Redding. Expand Close A firefighter walks along a containment line while battling a wildfire in Redding, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A firefighter walks along a containment line while battling a wildfire in Redding, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Meanwhile, fire crews attempting to contain the blaze are facing several weather uncertainties. The blaze has grown to 139 square miles and now threatens more than 5,000 structures and is said to be just 5% contained. Firefighters are enduring hot temperatures and remain wary of the possibility of gusty winds, Anthony Romero, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said. Right now its going everywhere, he said. We still have a lot of open line. Any event could bring this back up again. Anna Noland, 49, was evacuated twice in three days before learning through video footage on Saturday that the house she last saw under dark and windy skies had burned. She plans to stay at a shelter at Simpson College in Redding while she searches for another place to live. Expand Close Sherry Bledsoe, left, cries next to her sister Carla after learning her two children and grandmother were killed when flames consumed their home (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sherry Bledsoe, left, cries next to her sister Carla after learning her two children and grandmother were killed when flames consumed their home (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) I think Im still in shock, she said. Its just unbelievable knowing you dont have a house to go back to. Ms Noland is among 38,000 people evacuated after the so-called Carr Fire roared into the outskirts of Redding in Shasta County. The latest tally showed 517 destroyed structures and another 135 damaged, Mr Romero said, with the vast majority believed to be homes. Wildfires around the state have forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes, officials said, and 12,000 firefighters are currently tackling 17 significant fires in California. About 100 miles south-west of Redding, two blazes that prompted mandatory evacuations in Mendocino County burn largely unchecked. Those fires are threatening more than 4,500 buildings, and have consumed 39 square miles. Expand Close A burned vehicle sits outside a ruined home in Redding after flames engulfed the area (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A burned vehicle sits outside a ruined home in Redding after flames engulfed the area (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Authorities have also issued evacuation orders in Napa County, famous for its wine, after a fire destroyed eight structures. In addition, major fires continue to burn outside Yosemite National Park and in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs. Those fires have burned nearly 100 square miles. Burned vehicles in front of a wildfire-ravaged home in Redding, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Thousands more people have fled their homes after wildfires surged near a small lake town in northern California as fire crews across the state fight flames that have claimed the lives of firefighters and civilians. Residents of the waterfront town Lakeport fled after a major flare-up of two fires that combined across Mendocino and Lake counties destroyed at least four homes. Lakeport, home to about 5,000 people, is around 120 miles north of San Francisco. More than 4,500 buildings were under threat, officials said. The two fires had blackened 47 square miles, with minimal containment. About 100 miles north east, officials near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as a massive fire slowed following days of explosive growth. Were feeling a lot more optimistic today as were starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time, said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections incident commander on the blaze around Redding. Expand Close Firefighters in Keswick, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Firefighters in Keswick, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) County sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The sheriffs department is also investigating seven missing persons reports, Mr Bosenko said. Redding police have an additional 11 reports of missing people, though many of them may simply not have checked in with friends or family, said Redding police sergeant Todd Cogle. The so-called Carr Fire that affected Redding a city of around 92,000 people about 230 miles north of San Francisco was ignited by a vehicle problem on Monday about 10 miles west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fuelled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. Redding police chief Roger Moore kept up an around-the-clock work schedule despite learning that his home was one of those destroyed. He was finally able to shave on Saturday when his wife brought him a razor, he said. Mr Moore was helping evacuate people from his River Ridge neighbourhood in western Redding when the flames became unbearable. Expand Close A burned vehicle in the mountain community of Keswick (Martha Mendoza/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A burned vehicle in the mountain community of Keswick (Martha Mendoza/AP) I saw everything around it ignite, and I go, Its gone,' Mr Moore said. At least one person was arrested on suspicion of stealing from evacuated homes and authorities were keeping watch for other potential looters, said deputy Travis Ridenour, whose home also burned. Lost our house like so many others, Mr Ridenour wrote on Facebook. Still out watching over the ones still standing. No looting on my watch. The latest tally showed at least 657 homes destroyed and another 145 damaged, with the fire having consumed 149 square miles. After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Mr Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they did not know whether their homes were standing or were destroyed. Authorities had not reopened any evacuated neighbourhoods where fires raged due to safety and ongoing investigations and urged people to be patient, saying they would soon let residents back. Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, was reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smouldering rubble. The terrain surrounding nearby Whiskeytown Lake usually filled in July with tourists swimming in the clear water was burned, burning or seemingly about to burn on Sunday. Expand Close Boats on Whiskeytown Lake (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Boats on Whiskeytown Lake (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) A heavy haze hung low over the water, where some of the docked boats had melted. Firefighters and utility repair crews drove up and down the once-scenic highway, while California Department of Transportation water trucks sprayed roadsides in the hope of preventing potential wildfires from burning across the road, which can cost several million dollars to repair. The fatalities included two firefighters and a woman and her two great-grandchildren. My babies are dead, Sherry Bledsoe said through tears after she and family members met with sheriffs deputies. Her two children, five-year-old James Roberts and four-year-old Emily Roberts, were stranded with their great-grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70, when flames swept through the familys rural property on Thursday on the outskirts of Redding. The sixth victim, who was not identified, did not evacuate despite receiving an evacuation warning, Mr Bosenko said. It is the largest fire burning in California, threatening more than 5,000 structures. The flames were just 5% contained, though Mr Gouvea said he expected that number to climb. The firefighters killed in the blaze included Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire. Redding fire inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, but details of his death were not released. With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke. Jeremy died while battling the Carr Fire. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for his family and the RFD as we process this tragic loss. More information will be released as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/3adHIkDepV Redding Firefighters (@reddingff_1934) July 27, 2018 The fire around Redding was among 17 significant blazes in the state on Sunday that had forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a Cal Fire spokeswoman. About 12,000 firefighters were battling the fires, she said. Meanwhile officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree and killed while working as part of a crew removing brush and other fuel near the so-called Ferguson Fires front lines, national parks officials said. We are saddened beyond words to report the death of Captain Brian Hughes of the Arrowhead Hotshots. Hughes' crew was on the #FergusonFire on @Sierra_NF when he was struck and killed by a tree. We grieve his loss. Photo courtesy of Brad Torchia pic.twitter.com/Lwy2MyH1jN Sequoia & Kings Cyn (@SequoiaKingsNPS) July 30, 2018 Originally from Hawaii, Mr Hughes had been with Californias Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots for four years and reached the rank of captain. Earlier this month, firefighter Braden Varney was killed when the bulldozer he was operating overturned while he was fighting the flames near the national park. At least seven other firefighters have been injured since that blaze broke out on July 13. Some evacuations were lifted but officials said Yosemite Valley, the heart of tourism in the park, will remain closed until August 3. A big fire continued to burn in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs, but officials lifted evacuation orders for several communities after reporting significant progress by firefighters. Donald Trump and Italys new premier have expressed solidarity on migration issues as they showed signs of a fledgling alliance at a time when the US has strained relations with European leaders. The US president greeted Italys Giuseppe Conte as my new friend and said they bonded at the recent G7 meetings in Canada, crediting the prime minister for taking a firm stance on the border. The president said the US and Italy would pursue a new strategic dialogue on security issues, terrorism and immigration. We are both outsiders to politics. Can you believe it? Mr Trump said during a joint news conference with Mr Conte. Expand Close Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Giuseppe Conte at the White House (Evan Vucci/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Giuseppe Conte at the White House (Evan Vucci/AP) The president said both were determined to protect the rights and needs and interests and dreams of our citizens and we will do that. Italy under Mr Contes new government has pushed for the EU to accept tens of thousands of migrants coming across the Mediterranean Sea every year. The meeting follows a recent standoff over a private aid boat carrying more than 200 people who were rescued at sea. Italy, Malta and France all refused to let the vessel disembark. Mr Trump welcomed the prime minister to the White House for the first time since Mr Conte came to power in June, bringing together two outsider leaders who have emerged from populist waves in their countries. Mr Conte leads the Eurosceptic coalition of the 5-Star Movement, which considers itself anti-establishment, and the right-wing, north-based League party. Mr Trump last week avoided escalating a trade dispute with the EU and his administration is expected to begin negotiations quickly on avoiding tariffs on cars and removing trade barriers, but it followed tensions between the US and EU over trade and the transatlantic alliance. During their talks, Mr Trump noted the US trade deficit with Italy, a member of the EU, and said he was certain well straighten that out pretty quickly. Mr Conte said he and his host were leading governments that represent change, they were chosen by citizens to change the status quo. He cited Italys innovative approach on immigration and expressed support for Mr Trumps recent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar have bought into EU belief UK will cave in over Brexit Simon Coveney, the Republic of Ireland's Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, has been making his presence felt of late in the UK. Fair enough. There's nothing more important to the Irish Republic at the moment than a good outcome to the Brexit negotiations. My problem with Mr Coveney is that that so much of what he does is counter-productive, which is why he often has to back off - as for instance last week over the significance of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference he had been absurdly talking up. As Eilis O'Hanlon pointed out the other day, he seems to specialise in winding up unionists, and, like Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, is rather alarmingly prone to wrap himself in the green flag. Messers Coveney and Varadkar are bitter rivals who are both arrogant, intensely ambitious and feel a need to compensate for aspects of their background by emphasising their nationalist credentials. The Coveneys are one of what are known as Cork's merchant prince families, and Simon was only 26 in 1998 when, after the death of his father Hugh, a Fine Gael Cabinet minister, he inherited his Cork South-Central seat. He tries to play down his considerable privilege, but in a tightly-foughtfour-seat constituency, not only is he looking over his shoulder at Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, who tops the poll and is an Irish-speaking ex-history teacher, but he sees Sinn Fein progressing by leaps and bounds. Mr Martin is a consistent enemy of Sinn Fein, who refuses to countenance any idea of going into coalition with it, so it's no wonder Mr Coveney shows it more sympathy. Mr Varadkar is half-Indian and gay, which fits in brilliantly with the new cosmopolitan and politically correct Republic, but nonetheless - as with half-Irish Patrick Pearse and half-Spanish Eamon de Valera - he seems to feel the need to emphasise his Irishness. In June 2017 Mr Coveney lost the Fine Gael leadership election to 38-year-old Mr Varadkar, for although he was much better at cultivating the rank-and-file and had the support of 65% of party members, they had only 25% of the vote in Fine Gael's electoral college. Mr Varadkar is under no illusions about what are the ultimate hopes of his deputy, who has form in trying to topple party leaders. However, they have been as one in refusing to resolve the mostly bogus border problems by working out technical solutions with the UK. Indeed, the Taoiseach suspended the useful work his predecessor had initiated on just that. Instead, both men enthusiastically do the bidding of the key Brussels strategists Jean-Claude Juncker, the commission president, and the two men he appointed to make a good deal for Britain impossible, naysayer Michel Barnier and German lawyer Martin Selmayr, whom in March Juncker elevated without warning into the top civil service job in the European Commission. Messrs Coveney and Varadkar have bought into Mr Juncker's vision that if all roads to a decent deal for Brexit have been blocked off, Theresa May's Government will cave in and stay in the customs union and the single market. And so they obligingly call for such impossible solutions as an internal border in the Irish Sea that would threaten the integrity of the Union. Mr Varadkar absurdly threatens to bar British planes from Irish air space, while forgetting that in the event of a terrorist attack the whole island will depend on the RAF. Mr Coveney offensively denounces British planning for no deal as "bluff and bravado". They also seem to think that Ireland will be rewarded by its Brussels masters by being given some kind of get-out clause from the proposed tax harmonisation that would ruin its economy. They seem to have forgotten that after the Celtic Tiger collapsed Irish taxpayers were sacrificed to German bondholders. Mrs May made a ghastly mistake in allowing Monsieur Barnier to insist on settling the border issues before sorting out a trade arrangement. She will not survive if she makes any more concessions. The present mood of the British public suggests that no deal will be much more popular than selling out. It won't be great in the short-term for the UK, but it will be a lot worse for the Irish Republic. The Giant's Causeway has been nominated in a Mills & Boon survey as the 10th most romantic venue in the UK, and this is quite an accolade. Meanwhile the Dark Hedges in County Antrim, which has won international recognition from the hit television series Games of Thrones, was also mentioned in the Top 20. Romance is a very personal matter, and while passions can run high, the reality of a stormy day at the Giant's Causeway or the Dark Hedges could take the heat out of many a passion. Nevertheless, true love lies in the eye of the beholder, and this creates its own true romance whatever the venue. Peter Robinson during his speech at the MacGill Summer School in Co Donegal Peter Robinson's call to unionists to be prepared for a united Ireland made awkward reading for some within the DUP. It was not that the former First Minister's utterances at the MacGill Summer School were a surprise. Robinson made similar noises in his professorial inaugural lecture at Queen's University last month. Objectively, the former DUP leader's warning makes sense. Read More Robinson highlighted the chaos of current Brexit arrangements. Massive change without a plan equals trouble. It can arrive suddenly and unexpectedly. Had anyone said a decade ago that the UK would be out of the EU by spring 2019 they would have had few takers. And unionists should be discussing what a united Ireland would look like. Nationalists should be doing likewise. Both ought to give much greater thought to new institutional and political structures - and what powers might be devolved to the North in a unified country - if serious about the recognition of different identities. But how can the DUP possibly respond to Robinson's call? A party that has prided itself as the stoutest defender of the Union can hardly start issuing discussion documents on its dissolution. 'Preparing for Irish Unity' and 'Unionism In A United Ireland' would make interesting DUP pamphlets, for sure. Likewise, a DUP call for an all-island constitutional convention to discuss the structures of a new Ireland would be fascinating. It's what Sinn Fein used to demand to help organise the terms of unification. Without wishing away the precious summer, we'll soon be in the unionist autumn conference season. Imagine a DUP conference panel on 'Options For Irish Unification', replete with Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein guest speakers to helpfully discuss scenarios. The first sound you would hear is that of the UUP's Robin Swann and the TUV's Jim Allister licking their lips. For the DUP - having built its support on accusing other unionists of treachery - would be involved in organising the deeds of transfer from the Union. There is a unionist hardcore for whom any talk of unity, any concession, any gesture, is too much. For that section, Arlene Foster embarking on her series of outreach guest appearances caused spluttering indignation. Whatever next for the DUP leader? A quick meet and greet at the Wolfe Tones gig at next month's Feile an Phobail? Cynics might suggest that Robinson is talking up the threat to Northern Ireland's position in the UK to rally unionists to the DUP flag in the time-honoured tribal fashion. But, as we are not in an election campaign, that claim makes little sense. Nor should siren warnings over unity be seen simply as a distraction from the lowering sky of the RHI Inquiry, pressure on the DUP over social issues and the refusal of sections of the party to concede an Irish Language Act. Robinson was instead urging serious precautionary action against the possibility of a united Ireland. This involves modernising unionism, preventing the further disaffection of nationalists already outraged by Brexit, and restoring devolved power-sharing. Reviving Stormont as a credible institution might be a bulwark against unification. Robinson referred to insurance premiums. And they are affected by whether the house is regularly inhabited and in good order - which Stormont palpably is not. The former DUP leader is perhaps the most successful First Minister of Northern Ireland. That might seem the ultimate in damning with faint praise. But at least under Robinson the institutions did not collapse, further powers were transferred to Stormont, and, according to the Northern Ireland Life and Times survey, at least Catholic support for devolved power-sharing in the UK exceeded that for a united Ireland. So he deserves a hearing. How real is the prospect of a united Ireland for unionists? Greater than a house burning down, for sure, although the evidence that unification is close is slim. The percentages in Northern Ireland stating they would vote for a united Ireland have remained low in most surveys in the last year or so. A Queen's University study offered a figure of only 21%; the Life and Times survey suggested 22%. Our University of Liverpool 2017 Westminster election study found 27%, with most unionists unconcerned over the impact of Brexit upon support for unity. LucidTalk's recent survey, however, suggests a hard Brexit would greatly increase takers for a united Ireland. It may be that the unionist house is not yet burning down. But Peter Robinson may have started a fire within, and it might take some dousing. Jon Tonge is Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool. The suspension of Ian Paisley from the mother of parliaments raises an important question for unionism and the DUP in particular. In which direction is its moral compass pointing? A party that lays such store on Christian values and principles has an embarrassing record over the past decade to which Mr Paisley has added his own 50,000 or 100,000 worth with his ill-advised and undeclared trips to Sri Lanka. His is only the latest in a long line of revelations which have beset the DUP since Iris Robinson hit the headlines eight years ago. Three years from now unionism will celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland. No doubt the memory of Edward Carson and the other founding fathers of unionism will be invoked, but their legacy today is sadly tarnished and it is surely time the 21st century inheritors of unionism lived up to its ideals. Certainly the legacy of Carson was never meant to be highly questionable dealings on property and planning matters, let alone extravagantly expensive holidays to a distant island. Nor could that legacy be the National Crime Agency called in to investigate dealings over Nama. Or misuse of public funds over Red Sky contracts. Or support for a charity with a self-confessed loyalist godfather on its board. Or simply the public perception that unionist power is being misused and that some have even used their privileged positions as public representatives to make hay for themselves? And there is more. As yet unresolved, the RHI scandal looms over all this litany of real or apparent abuse of power. The evidence to date does nothing to inspire confidence in how the DUP goes about its business. A shadow still hangs over the current unionist leader Arlene Foster, and it will remain there until the judgment of the RHI inquiry team many months from now. If the moral compass of some politicians can be questioned over the decade, what of the people who vote for them? Judging by the reaction on the streets of Ballymena in vox pops about Mr Paisley, it seems many of the good people of his constituency are prepared to turn a a blind eye to his misdeamours at Westminster. Come what may, the unionists of North Antrim are widely tipped to restore Mr Paisley to the House of Commons, whether the DUP lifts its suspension on him or not This is the Northern Ireland of 2018. This is how some unionists think even though the uprighteousness of their cause has been sorely tested. The DUP has decided to suspend its errant North Antrim MP, but what will it do in the longer term about him - endorse his likely candidature in a likely by-election or set him free as a loose Paisley cannon? The answer may help to shape the direction of unionism's moral compass in 2018. Away from the embarrassment of having a unionist MP given a suspension from Westminster, Prime Minister Theresa May made a good fist of defining 21st century unionism when she spoke in the Waterfront Hall. Although the central thrust of her speech was about Brexit, she defined unionism in a way that local leaders rarely do these days. She invoked Winston Churchill's wartime message: "Without Northern Ireland the light which now shines so strongly throughout the world would have been quenched." She dwelt on the strengths of the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and why anybody would want to give up lightly on an attachment to the fifth largest economy on Earth. "We are absolutely committed to parity of esteem and just and equal treatment irrespective of aspiration or identity. We want to build a stronger, more inclusive and more prosperous NI that truly works for everyone," she said. "I will always govern in the interests of the whole community in Northern Ireland, not just one part of it. "Northern Ireland makes a major contribution to our Union and it also derives great benefit from being an intergral part of the UK." The hierarchy of the DUP was prominent in the audience, nodding approvingly, but they have much to do to live up to Mrs May's aspirations. In her 31 months as DUP leader Mrs Foster has not managed to express herself as the Prime Minister did last week. Granted, her leadership has been tainted by the RHI scandal, and what even some unionists are uneasy about - her reluctance to step aside, if not resign, from the First Minister's office while an inquiry is conducted into how she managed her department. Whatever the reason, Mrs Foster has disappointed many in the middle ground of unionism. Divisions over abortion and gay rights and even the Irish language have not strengthened the Union, but driven a wedge between Northern Ireland and British standards. The battles of Brexit have yet to be resolved and still have the capacity, despite Mrs May's 'one for all, all for one' message in Belfast, to weaken the Union. The RHI Inquiry will determine the future of Mrs Foster. These are deeply unsettling times in which the old order of world politics is not what it was thanks mainly to the global impact of the unpredictable Donald Trump. But locally those who lead unionism have a responsibility to do more to reassure the general public that politics is not a dirty game. Unionism needs no more scandals. Instead, it needs a coat of restorative paint. The Paisley debacle should be a warning and turning point. Standards of behaviour for unionist and all public representatives should be beyond reproach. That has not been the case for far too long. Event marked amid number fears Nepal celebrated the International Tiger Day 2018 with much fanfare even as the much awaited Tiger Census report was not released on Sunday. Men line up in Bur Gaon village, India, to see if their names are listed on the National Register of Citizens, July 30, 2018. More than 4 million people were excluded from a list released Monday of citizens in northeastern Assam state as the government seeks to identify and deport Bangladeshi migrants living in India illegally. The list known as the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is being updated for the first time since 1951 to include people who have legal documents issued up to March 24, 1971, their descendants, and descendants of people on the original list, the government said. Of the nearly 33 million applicants, names of about 29 million people were included in the list, as critics of the process said it unfairly targeted minorities and Muslims. Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament in New Delhi that the process was completely impartial, adding that people whose names were not on the list should not panic as they would get an opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship. Persons who do not find their names can apply between Aug. 30 and Sept. 28, said Registrar General of India Sailesh. Any person who is not satisfied with the outcome of the claims and objections can file an appeal before the Foreigners Tribunal, said Sailesh, who uses only one name. He did not give a time frame for when such appeals would be settled. Refugees in their own country About 265 km (165 miles) of Indias border with Bangladesh is in Assam, which boasts the second highest number of Muslims 34 percent among all Indian states. The government admitted that many poverty-stricken Assam residents who did not have valid identification documents would bear the brunt of the NRC. Ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had pressed for completion of the NRC update as it swept to power in the state in 2016. The Indian government deployed paramilitary forces to prevent possible violence following the lists publication. Minority rights groups threatened statewide protests last year if the states Muslim population was excluded from the NRC. Assam will burn if 500,000 Muslims are left out of the NRC, Arshad Madani, president of leading Islamic organization Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, said at the time. The process of updating the NRC for Assam started in 2013 under the supervision of the countrys top court. The first draft with names of 19 million applicants was released on Dec. 31, 2017. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw out Bengali-speaking people and Biharis from Assam, said Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal, which borders Assam. As many as 4 million Bengalis have been declared non-Indians. Bengal and Bangladesh will be the most affected by this decision, she said. What will happen if they want to push them back and if Bangladesh does not want to take them back? The Parliament must legislate to protect these human beings. BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha challenged the West Bengal leaders comments. Mamata Banerjee is unnecessarily making the waters muddy. The Assam government is not targeting bonafide citizens of the country, Sinha said. They are trying to identify the illegal immigrants. The All Assam Students Union (AASU), which spearheaded the movement against illegal immigrants, welcomed the list and called it a historic day. The 38-year long struggle has given a fruitful result to the people of Assam, adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya told BenarNews. We are satisfied but this is only the first step to make Assam free from illegal migrants. Opposition claims irregularities The countrys main opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), pointed out irregularities in the report. Four million ineligible names is a very high figure and very surprising. We will raise this issue with the government and in Parliament. BJP has a political motive behind this, Ripun Bora told BenarNews. He leads the INCs Assam Congress committee. Another regional party, Trinamool Congress, alleged that the government had intentionally eliminated more than 4 million religious and linguistic minorities from the NRC. It will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should give a clarification on this in parliament, party official S.S. Roy said. Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, meanwhile, said he had not been contacted about the list. We have not received anything official, just heard that a debate about the illegal Bengalis has been going on there, he told BenarNews. We will give our reaction when we get the official communication about it. Paritosh Paul in Kolkata and Kamran Reza Chowdhury in Dhaka contributed to this report. Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) poses with presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto (left) after a meeting in Jakarta, July 30, 2018. Former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday endorsed opposition leader Prabowo Subianto as a candidate in next years presidential election. Yudhoyono, who is chairman of the former ruling Democratic Party, said he would leave it to Prabowo to pick a running mate. Weve agreed to forge political cooperation in the form of a coalition and we invite other parties to join, Yudhoyono told reporters at talks with Prabowo at the latters residence in South Jakarta. Weve come to an understanding that Mr Prabowo is our presidential candidate, the former president said, to the cheers of those present. Yudhoyonos backing means that the presidential election is likely to be rematch between Joko Jokowi Widodo, the incumbent president, and Prabowo, a former army special forces commander with a checkered human rights record and leader of the main opposition party, Gerindra. Jokowi narrowly defeated Prabowo in the hotly-contested 2014 presidential election, making him the first Indonesian president without ties to the countrys political elite or the military. A survey conducted by Indikator Politik Indonesia released in June indicated that Jokowi would capture 50 percent of the vote, compared to 39 percent for Prabowo, in a two-horse race. Candidate registration in August Prabowo said Yudhoyonos support came with the condition that he put the people first. He made a point on several occasions that if I am given the mandate of leading this nation, I have to make the people the focus of my government, Prabowo said. And I accept that because that is also the principal goal of my leadership, he said. Under Indonesias election law, only a party or a coalition of parties with a minimum 20 percent of parliamentary seats can field a presidential candidate. Yudhoyono has previously made overtures with Jokowi, raising speculation that he was backing the incumbent president for a second term. Jokowis supporters have suggested Yudhoyono turned to Prabowo after his proposal for his eldest son, retired army major Agus Hartimurti Yudhoyono, to be considered as a running mate was rejected by Jokowi. It is widely believed that Yudhoyono wants Agus to have a go at the vice-presidency after his failed bid to win the Jakarta governorship last year. Jokowis ruling coalition, led by Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), stepped out early in declaring support for the incumbent. Other parties in the coalition are Golkar, Islam-based United Development (PPP), Nasdem, Hanura and two new political parties, Indonesia Solidarity and Perindo. Jokowi has not picked his running mate. Prabowos coalition is expected to include the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN). The choice of a running mate is expected to be the bone of contention between PAN, the Democratic Party and PKS in the run up to the candidates registration period from August 4-10. PKS leaders have insisted that Prabowos running mate should come from the party while PAN leader Zulkifli Hasan is known to harbor ambitions for the vice-presidency. The Jokowi coalition and the Prabowo coalition make for a somewhat balanced contest, said Hendri Satrio, an analyst at the Paramadina University. But Jokowi has an edge because his electability is higher than that of Prabowo. The inclusion of the Democrats [in the Prabowo coalition] will narrow the gap, he said. Golkar deputy secretary general Sarmuji said the Gerindra-Democrat alliance did not worry the Jokowi camp. The coalition supporting Mr Jokowi does not feel threatened at all, he said. Ahmad Syamsudin in Jakarta contributed to this report. Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, better known as Zunar, (fifth from left), celebrates with his lawyers and supporters at Kuala Lumpur Court Complex, July 30, 2008. A Malaysian court dropped nine sedition charges on Monday against a cartoonist who used satirical drawings to skewer the nations political elite, including then-Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife, after prosecutors said they would no longer pursue the cases. Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, a BenarNews contributor better known as Zunar, repeatedly courted trouble with cartoons that, among other topics, mocked the alleged use of funds from the scandal-scarred 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Finally, no more sedition for me, the burden is lifted, Zunar told BenarNews. But the fight is not over yet. He expressed hope that Prime Minister Mahathirs government would abolish the Sedition Act, one of several laws used to restrict criticism in the Muslim-majority country. The government has to abolish this law to show the commitment to freedom of expression, he said. Zunar, 56, held the record number for a single person to face sedition charges in Malaysia, legal analysts said in 2015 when authorities filed charges against him for allegedly insulting the judiciary in his tweets. Those tweets were in reaction to a court order to jail then-opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, which could have sent him to prison for up to 43 years if convicted. Sessions Court Judge Zamri Bakar acquitted Zunar during a hearing in Kuala Lumpur after the prosecution team said the attorney-generals office had decided to withdraw the charges against the cartoonist, lawyers said. Zunar was arrested at his home in Kuala Lumpur in February 2016 and detained for three days without charges after he had posted nine political cartoons online. During questioning, police told him he was under investigation for his illustrations allegedly defaming Najib. Under Najib, Malaysia was accused of using draconian laws to retaliate against government critics. Several laws have been used to restrict criticism, including the British colonial-era sedition law used against Zunar and the fake news law, which was passed in April, just a month before Najib lost power when the opposition bloc triumphed in the May 9 election. After the opposition smashed the ruling Barisan National coalitions six-decade monopoly on political power, Mahathir vowed to repeal repressive laws and investigate the 1MDB scandal. More than 114 people, including journalists, opposition leaders and activists, were detained under the Sedition Act during March 2015 alone, according to official reports compiled by BenarNews. In April 2015, Malaysia also passed the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which Najibs government justified as a necessary move to counter terrorism. Opposition leader feared the legislation could be used against Najibs critics. Since losing power, Najib has been charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power related to allegations that he deposited millions of dollars of public money into his personal bank account. He pleaded not guilty and is free on bail. Najibs trial date has been set for Feb. 18, 2019, and the new government barred him and his wife, Roshmah, from leaving the country. You can say it is trading places Zunar learned that he was banned from traveling abroad as he was about to leave for Singapore to attend a forum in October 2016. About a month after the May election catapulted Mahathir back to power, Zunar told the New York Times that he logged into a government database and discovered he could again leave the country. I was surprised to see this happen so quickly, Zunar said. At the same time, the ex-prime minister and his wife are on a travel ban now. So, funny, you can say its trading places. Responding to the government dropping charges against Zunar, Amnesty International said the Mahathir government must take this opportunity to usher in a new era for human rights by fully restoring freedom of expression and abolishing the 1948 Sedition Act, an archaic piece of legislation which has been repeatedly used to target dissenting voices. The authorities must also drop any other charges under the act and, pending its repeal, ensure that no one else is arrested, investigated, charged or imprisoned under its draconian provisions. Families of detained CPN leaders appeal to human rights agencies Relatives of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) leaders Mohan Karki and Krishna Dhamala have urged human rights agencies, civil society and media persons to take initiatives to find the duo. The family members claimed that police had detained Karki and Dhamala from Nagdhunga check post in Kathmandu on Thursday and made them disappeared. Thousands of supporters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front gather during a consultation meeting near Sultan Kudarat town in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao, July 29, 2018. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has invited the terror group Abu Sayyaf to negotiate peace, disregarding a longstanding government policy against talking to a terrorist group blamed for the beheadings of foreign hostages in the south. During a trip to the southern island of Jolo on Friday, Duterte called on the Abu Sayyaf to lay down their arms and talk peace, emphasizing that the Bangsamoro Organic Law that he had signed last week was expected to lead to peace and development to the southern island of Mindanao. Let's not fight till our forces and resources are depleted. Let's just negotiate, Duterte said, according to transcripts of the speech that was made public on Monday. To the Abu Sayyaf, let's just negotiate. He said he would also award the Abu Sayyaf the Order of Lapu-Lapu if they agreed to his peace offering. Duterte created the award in April last year to recognize individuals who provide invaluable or extraordinary service in nation to a campaign or advocacy of the president. Those Abu Sayyaf who want a Lapu-Lapu medal, tell them that when I return, I will personally pin it on them, he said. But I ask for no war. It was not clear if Duterte made the comment in jest, and his spokesman, Harry Roque, struggled to give an answer when asked by journalists in Manila Monday. If it was a joke however, it was clearly done in bad taste. The Philippines has a policy against negotiating with terrorists, specially a group that has been listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and is wanted for a string atrocities stretching back to the 1990s. Apart from deadly bombings, the group is wanted for the beheadings of hostages, including a German national and two Canadians during the last two years. It was also blamed for the blowing up a passenger ferry on Manila Bay that killed more than 100 people in 2004. One of its commanders, Isnilon Hapilon, became the head of the Philippines Islamic State faction and last year led an attack on the southern city of Marawi, a former major Muslim trading hub. The five-month siege destroyed the city and left at least 1,200 people dead, most of them militants. Roque on Monday said that Duterte may be signaling that he was willing to accept surrenders from the ASG. So what he means is: surrender and you would be given a new lease on life, Roque said. So, its really an enticement for the ASG to surrender. Duterte signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law on Thursday, which was expected to lead to an expansion of an autonomous region in the south that would be governed by a parliament. The law came after years of negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), once the countrys main separatist force that signed a peace deal with Manila in 2014. Under the deal, the MILF is to lead a transitional government until new officials are elected. Former MILF camps would also be transformed into civilian communities where the national government would retain police and military powers. But while analysts have welcomed the new law, smaller armed groups outside of the MILF continue to engage the military in attacks, including those who had escaped during the Marawi clashes and were believed to be recruiting new fighters. On Sunday, the MILF held consultations with Muslim residents near its camp outside the city of Cotabato, and said the new law does not mean an end to the MILF, which promised to transform itself into a political party. The immediate challenge is extremists, MILF chief Murad Ebrahim told reporters. Extremism is penetrating the MILF areas now. Froilan Gallardo from Cagayan de Oro City contributed to this report. The 2014 PLA cohort, which is the first cohort to boast 100 percent retention of its members, gave him a strong foundation. He admitted he got off to a rocky start, but decided he was not going to be a statistic a black male who doesnt finish his degree. Right away, Bates became active in the Black Student Union, serving as public relations chair and then as president. His goal was to generate as much change as possible. He stood up for the black perspective and proved his leadership by participating in many organizations and activities across campus and the community. He was a Student Leadership Assistant in the Center for Leadership, where he learned to facilitate workshops and conversations rooted in inclusion, purpose, global citizenship and integrity. He and two of his colleagues Brendan Foulks and Dion Brooks started a clothing line, #BossUpClothing, as a way to make some money, but also to help them make connections and build relationships. Being student leaders on campus enabled us to be strategic in our advertising, he said. In 2017, Bates was elected vice president of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), which increased his visibility and participation in such committee as the USG Drug and Alcohol Task Force and the University Task Force on Sexual Assault. He was proud to have been an active participant in those committees that had significant impact on campus. Last summer, he interned in the Office of the Detroit mayor, and this summer he was accepted into the Detroit Technology Exchange, designed for students and recent graduates to explore entrepreneurial potential. His active participation in and exemplary contributions to the black and campus community earned him the Black Excellence Award, presented at the Black Issues Conference. He also was a valued member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council and his fraternity Omega Psi Phi. Walking across the stage at commencement will be a significant validation of the effort he has put in during the past four years. This is a special award that I dedicate to my mother and my family members who assisted along the way, Bates said. And as he does he admits, I am fully aware if not for the Thompsons, I wouldnt be here. He wants his legacy to be servant leader, much like the Detroit area couple who are known as generous benefactors to many important programs. That motivates me to want to go back and be a force in my community like the Thompsons were in Detroit. That last choice, Math Camp, had a huge influence on his academic and professional career. Gabriel Matney, professor in the School of Teaching and Learning, introduced math camps to BGSU. He relied on a small core of students, including Gerber, to help young people improve their math fluency. The age range was broad: first grade to eighth grade. But it helped Gerber hone his teaching skills. I learned that you have to keep it loose and you have to have fun, because if youre not having fun, your students arent having fun, either, he said. His work with Math Camp led to more opportunities, working with math students in Thailand and China. Although its tough to rank them, Gerber said the Thailand experience was especially influential. That was my first time out of the country, he said. I was used to working with 40 to 50 students like we did at BGSU, and Dr. Matney, who organized the trip, said to me and Courtney Wilcox, Are you ready to organize a math camp for 200? He did not feel ready, but it turned out to be a richer and deeper experience than he expected with happy surprises along the way. One surprise was the universal learning process. Although Thailand had some of the cultural differences he had expected, when it came to teaching he found that young people are remarkably similar regardless of where they call home. I did find that Thai students were quicker to make fun of themselves and go along with the jokes than American students are, he said. They responded to jokes differently than American students, but I loved the fact that they kept classes fun and they really wanted to learn. Gerber credited the Frank and Shirley Dick Scholarship with enabling him to travel to Thailand and China. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, it's going to be a blue Christmas for the Biden administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fly Dubai pilot Hussain found tipsy Nader Hussain, a pilot-in-command of Fly Dubai, scheduled to fly the Kathmandu-Dubai flight on Sunday morning was denied permission after he tested positive for alcohol. The flight FZ 8018, scheduled to take off for Dubai International Airport with 153 passengers at 9:40 am on Sunday, was grounded after Captain Hussain failed the pre-flight alcohol test. 18 Simple Lessons From The Mahabharata That Will Change Your Life Thought oi-Renu The Mahabharata, the biggest epic ever, unfolds beautiful treasures for its readers, giving them not just the solutions to various problems, but a thousand reasons to smile as well. Though comprehending the secrets that hide inside the eighteen chapters of the book might seem a big task, the one who has understood them, has known the real ways to happiness. Besides being a battle between the Kourava and the Pandava brothers, simultaneously occurs a battle inside the heart of the Pandava, Arjun, who was a follower of righteousness. This battle inside the heart relates to all of us, while we deal with the personal and other problems of life. Your 2019 Yearly Horoscope Dealing with these problems sometimes becomes so difficult that life seems a burden. At such times, we seek motivation from various sources. Here are some lessons from the epic Mahabharata, which will inspire a reader for life, besides offering the required knowledge. 1. Wrong Thinking Is The Only Problem In Life Krishna saved Draupadi while she was being humiliated in the court of Dhritarashtra. When she met him after the incident, the first question she asked was, why she was chosen by nature as the victim of the incident. She questioned if it was because of some poor karmas or misdeeds she might have done in her past life. To this Krishna replied that it is not the victim, but the victimizer who should be credited with bad karmic records in past life. Therefore, he said that it was the misdeeds of Yudhishtir that she became a part of such a sinful act. Thus, though Draupadi suffered, God came to save her and was there by her side all the time. But believing that it was her past mistake for which she was being punished by nature, was a wrong way of thinking. Such thoughts would have just undermined her faith in herself as well as God. Right thinking also means checking your beliefs, thus moving towards right belief as well as self-belief. It was all on the basis of right belief that Krishna's father could carry baby Krishna to Gokul in a basket amidst the heavy rains despite being in the captivity of Kansa. It was all because of immense faith in oneself that the Pandavas were successful in defeating the Kouravas. The best teacher of archery, Dronacharya, had denied to accept Ekalavya as his student. Still, it was all the power of self-belief that he is today known for his excellent skill in archery. Most Read: Lessons From Bhagavad Gita 2. Right Knowledge Is The Ultimate Solution For Our Problems Shishupal was the cousin of Krishna. The family priest had predicted at the time of Shishupal's birth that he would be killed by Lord Krishna. But Shishupal's mother tried hard to convince Krishna not to kill her son. She took a promise from Lord Krishna that he should forgive his first hundred mistakes. Shishupal was a spoilt man and he abused Krishna ninety-nine times. When Krishna gave him a final warning not to make one more mistake, Shishupal just ignored that too and abused Krishna once more, making it the hundredth sin of his life. Thus Krishna chopped off his head with the Sudarshan Chakra. If Shishupal's mother had convinced her son instead of convincing Krishna, she would have saved his life. Shishupal's wrong knowledge put him in trouble. The priest's prediction would not have worked if Shishupal worked on disproving it through right knowledge and renouncing sins. Right knowledge also asks you to think not of the results, and this is probably the biggest lesson we get from the Mahabharata. It has been mentioned in the holy book that one should neither desire the benefits of his actions nor long for inaction. Both are extremes and extremes do not beget good results. Focusing on the result and not on the action, only leads to poor performance due to distributed concentration and it demotivates a man if the desired results are not achieved. Even if the results are achieved, the man will be trapped in the demonic quality of pride, which eventually leads to destruction. 3. Selflessness Is The Only Way To Progress And Prosperity There was a sage named Barbarik; he wanted to support the weaker in the war. Barbarik was so powerful that he could have become the reason for the victory of the Kouravas. Only Krishna knew that the Kouravas would be the weaker team. So he, already knowing about Barbarik met him on his way to the battlefield. Krishna, disguised as a Brahmin asked Barbarik to give away his head as a donation to him, and Barbarik, who never let go a Brahmin empty-handed, fulfilled his wish. Pleased by his selflessness, Krishna gave a boon to Barbarik that he would be known by the name of Shyam and will be worshipped as another form of Lord Krishna. Thus, selflessness helped him progress from being a warrior to a deity. 4. Every Act Can Be An Act Of Prayer Whatever we say and we do, if it is inspired by a thought of blessing, it can work as a prayer. Rather than cursing a man for his sins, what is needed is blessings which can help him overcome his ignorance and limited knowledge. Somebody seen doing something wrong needs to be taught more than the need to be punished. Krishna says that when we see the outer world as a part of our own body, we can feel people's pain, and thus bless them and pray for them. 5. Renounce The Ego And Individuality And Rejoice In The Bliss Of Infinity Krishna tells us to believe that we are a part of a higher being, the ultimate power, from whom all the lives and the soul have come. When we know that the body we possess is mortal but the soul is real and immortal, only then can we rejoice. We need to believe that we are a part of the supreme power, who is infinite in all measures. Trapped in the selfish desires we forget to trust what God does. People often repel changes. They need to know that change is the only constant. Nothing in the universe has ever remained same. Krishna himself has said in the Mahabharata that change is the law of nature. Lord Krishna himself had to see drastic changes all throughout his life. Born to some other parents and looked after by others, he had a peaceful life in Gokul and Vrindavan, but had to leave it at the call of duty. Similarly, he was in love with Radha but got married to Rukmani. Amidst all kinds of changes in his life, he handled himself as well as the situations very well. This change is evident in the life of the Pandavas. While at one point of time, they were the lords of palaces, at others they had to wander in the forests, hiding their true identities, all for the bigger goal of Dharma. 6. Connect To Higher Consciousness Daily Meditation is the way we can connect to the higher consciousness every day. This helps us introspect our inner self and analyse our own actions. We need to realize every day where we have come from and where we are heading onto. It is after connecting with the higher consciousness that we shall be able to realise the bigger motives of nature. Lord Krishna, soon after birth, had lo leave his real parents, but could therefore escape from the demon Kansa. Droupadi was attacked by the Kouravas, so that the higher aim of establishing Dharma could be achieved. Moreover, when Krishna saved Doupadi at the time of her 'Cheer Haran', her faith in Krishna was proved, as he came to save her. As told above, in a conversation later, Lord Krishna told her that it is not the victim but the sinner who has a history of bad karmas, and as a result of which he has to become a sinner in the present life. Therefore, all that happens is for a good reason, a reason which we may not be able to infer at present but which will be proven in the long run. 7. Live What You Learn We read something, ponder over it for a while and then get busy and forget it. This limits our knowledge to the brain and not into the character. Real progress happens when we can apply all that we learn into our lives. Krishna revealed the truths of life through Geeta to Arjuna, but he could benefit from these truths only when he adhered to them. 8. Never Give Up On Yourself When Guru Dronacharya denied to accept him as a student, Eklavya did not lose the spirit and the desire to learn archery. He took the soil from the traces of footsteps of Guru Dronacharya, made a symbolic teacher out of that and practised the skill of archery all by himself, and thus excelled in it. This teaches us to never give up on ourselves. Lord Krishna knew that a hundred sons of Gandhari along with the others had to be sacrificed for the welfare of the future generations, the innocent masses. He told Arjuna to kill his own kins, for the bigger purpose of establishing Dharma. This is the most important lesson and serves as the conclusion of the whole Mahabharata. The real aim of every man is Dharma, righteousness. WIthout giving up on the self, one should keep walking on the path of righteousness. 9. Value Your Blessings As the example above, Krishna had promised not to kill Shishupal for his first hundred mistakes. As a blessing, had he taken it seriously, and valued it, he could have saved himself. But his ignorance led him to death at the hands of God. 10. See Divinity Everywhere Seeing divinity all around means respecting everything as a creation of nature and believing that things are under the control of God. As Krishna says in the Mahabharata, he is there in every particle. Believing there is divinity in everything, makes us respect it. 11. Have Enough Surrender To See The Truth As It Is Arjuna was initially not willing to kill his kins in the battle, but when Krishna made it clear to him, that his uncles and brothers are spreading Adharma on earth, and the only way to save the earth was killing them, he accepted and finally waged a war, thus leading to victory and the fulfilment of a larger goal. 12. Absorb Your Heart And The Mind In The Supreme Lord When Krishna played the flute, the smile on his face would prove that when the heart and the mind are absorbed in something pure, it gives immense pleasure. Similarly, absorbing the heart in some eternal power, known as God, gives peace to the mind. It is just like enjoying the melodious notes of Krishna's flute. 13. Detach From Maya And Attach To Divine Krishna had to leave his real mother just the day he was born. Then he had to leave his second parents as well as his beloved Radha while going to Dwarka to kill Kansa. Despite loving them so much, he also knew the art of detachment, for he had to serve the divine aim of bringing back Dharma on Earth. 14. Live A Lifestyle That Matches Your Vision Living a lifestyle below and above the limits what we believe in, both can be harmful. We must first find out what we want in life, then evaluate the potential and only after that should we decide about the lifestyle which supports our vision. A mismatch between the lifestyle and vision brings confusions. Even the princes had to live in forests without the luxurious life when they had to gain knowledge from the most prominent Gurus. 15. Give Priority To Divinity When you have to choose between two things, decide what a divine being would have done in your place. Be it in troubles, confusions, sadness or happiness, when you trace the footsteps of the God for example Krishna, you will lead on to the right path only. 16. Being Good Is A Reward In Itself Don't we like it when somebody praises us? Of course, we do. Does it not sound good to our ears when somebody says we are good? Sometimes, we do something good to somebody and expect the nature or God to be good to us in return. Here we need to understand that goodness is a matter of happiness since it is a reward in itself. 17. Choosing The Right Over The Pleasant Is A Sign Of Power He displayed power and inspired us to become like him when Krishna could choose to leave his beloved ones behind when he had to save the people of Mathura from the demonic rule of Kansa. One must learn that in order to achieve big things in life, it is vital for the welfare of the masses that individual goals and pleasures need to be compromised with sometimes. Even Arjuna found it difficult to kill his own loved uncles and cousins, but Krishna motivated him through lessons. 18. Let Go, Let's Move To Union With God We as materialistic beings, often cling to relations and fall prey to whatever the relationship offers us. For example, a father is hurt when the son does not obey him. It appears that others have the key to our feelings in their hands. Krishna says, this is an illusion, neither the people nor our feelings for them are going to accompany us when we leave the world. The only love that will go along and the only relationship which can give permanent happiness is the one with God. Everything else is temporary. Hence, we should move towards a union with God. Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION Canada NewsWire TORONTO, July 29, 2018 McDonald's Canada celebrates 50 golden years of the Big Mac with the launch of the MacCoin TORONTO, July 29, 2018 /CNW/ - To mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic Big Mac sandwich, McDonald's Canada is joining in a global celebration to launch the first fully food-backed global currency*: the MacCoin yes, this is real life! Beginning August 2, MacCoins will make their debut in Canada and in more than 50 countries globally. Each coin is redeemable for one Big Mac at participating restaurants around the world. There will be 50,000 coins in Canada (wink wink, symbolizing 50 years of the iconic burger!). Canadians can get their hands on some of the limited edition coins by: Coins are not being distributed with purchase in Canadian restaurants. The MacCoin is drawing inspiration from The Economist's Big Mac Index a measure of global purchasing power. Even the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association is joining the celebration calling the MacCoin a "collectible keepsake" (see below). After 50 years, the Big Mac continues to be one of Canada's favourite menu items. In fact, sales of the Big Mac continue to increase every year. As the company evolves its menu to cater to guests' changing tastes, the MacCoin is here to celebrate its namesake as one of McDonald's most classic menu items. QUOTES: "As one of the most well-known and iconic McDonald's menu items and business driver around the globe and in Canada, the Big Mac deserves the celebration that the coin evokes," says Jeff McLean, Chief Financial Officer, McDonald's Canada. "The fact that in 50 years, the Big Mac has become so universally recognized it's used to measure the purchasing power of international currencies is pretty remarkable." "The Big Mac is a cultural icon and what better way to celebrate its continuing status than to issue a commemorative coin" says Henry Nienhuis, President of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association. "The many designs of the MacCoin reflect the incredible international network that comprises the McDonald's global system. We all know what the Big Mac is worth to us, but giving it its own limited mintage official celebratory coin, expands that worth giving us a collectible keepsake as well." "When my great-grandfather Jim Delligatti invented the Big Mac at his grill in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, he just wanted to make his local customers happy," said Nick Delligatti, fourth-generation McDonald's owner-operator and great-grandson of Jim Delligatti, the inventor of the Big Mac. "August 2 would have been my great-grandfather's 100th birthday, and I believe he would be very proud knowing his humble sandwich has made such a lasting impression that people all around the world can enjoy it wherever they find a McDonald's." FACTS *The MacCoin has no cash value and is only redeemable for one free Big Mac at participating McDonald's restaurants through 2018. Visit playatmcd.com/BigMac50 Visit McDPromotions.ca/BigMac50for the Official Rules. About McDonald's CanadaIn 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together McDonald's and our franchisees proudly employ nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast and more than 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, beverages and packaging, more than 85 per cent is purchased from over 100 suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada visit McDonalds.ca. SOURCE McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. PHSC meet put off again, ruling NCP refuses to endorse Joshee for CJ post The meeting of Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) held to take a call on the recommendation to appoint acting Chief Justice (CJ) Dipak Raj Joshee to the post of Chief Justice was put off on Monday. The next meeting has been convened for next Wednesday. Hearing panels verdict due today Three days after the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee quizzed chief justice nominee Deepak Raj Joshee, the acting CJs endorsement to head the judiciary seems uncertain with a majority of panel members unhappy at the candidates response to their questions. India strips 4 million of citizenship India has published a list which effectively strips some four million people in the north-eastern state of Assam of their citizenship. Know your company Insider trading and secondary marketswhen the cat is away, the mice will play Nepal for early execution of transit pact with China: PM Vice Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China Wang Yajun held talks with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday, discussing a wide range of issues including follow-up to Olis recent visit to Beijing. Nepals outsourcing firms in hot demand The business process outsourcing (BPO) market in Nepal is growing at a rapid pace due to cheap labour and has allowed firms to offer such services to international IT companies at low prices. This has made Nepal a key outsourcing hub, similar to other South Asian countries. The boss of the International Airlines Group, which owns Aer Lingus and British Airways, says he is "optimistic" over a legal challenge to the European Commission to end crippling strikes in France. Willie Walsh has warned over long-term disruptions for passengers if it doesnt succeed. Were all well aware of the harmful effects of blue light emitted from our PCs, laptops and smartphones, and the need to cut back on screen time, writes Ruth Doris. But what about those of us who work at screens all day? An Irish startup is offering a solution a range of glasses which blocks blue light from screens. As well as blocking the blue light, the company also says the glasses dont compromise on style. Two years ago, Ambr Eyewear co-founder Dan Nugent, working as a digital marketer, and his girlfriend Sacha Cahill, a digital designer, were spending long periods of time at computers. They were suffering from sleeping problems, headaches, and eye strain, which they realised after researching the symptoms was down to the blue light from their screens. They looked online and found computer glasses which block blue light, but thought the products were ugly and of poor quality. Thinking that spectacles were in trend, Mr Nugent recognised the opportunity to offer a functional and beneficial product that is also a fashionable accessory. We thought if we can create styles and colours and a brand that makes this kind of computer glasses cool for want of a better word then weve got a really good idea. As young parents to Aurora, their social life was on hold, so they decided to create a little side business, Mr Nugent said. Putting in 500 each to start off, and following months of prototyping, they found a manufacturer in China they were happy with and began to work on styles and colours. Previously, blue light blocking lenses were orange-coloured, so the challenge was to find a happy medium of protection from blue light while maintaining a clear lens. In May 2017, the website was ready. Ambr glasses were an instant hit. Boosted by a post on LinkedIn and a review by Lovin Dublin, they sold out of their initial stock of 100 pairs of glasses, plus one month of back orders within three days. Demand took them by surprise. The pre-orders helped to fund the next batch of stock, so they continued growing the range. Prescription glasses were added to the options when Ambr teamed up with an independent optical lab in Dublin. Non-prescription glasses start at 49 to 56; and 75 for standard prescription lenses within the +4.00/-4.00 range, with an additional 30 charge for prescriptions outside this range. All glasses come with anti-glare and blue light filter. Having grown from bootstrapping, Ambr Eyewear has been accepted onto Enterprise Irelands New Frontiers programme, which Mr Nugent says will help to get the company investment-ready. Weve done very well in the first year. We have a world map in my office, and we put a pin in every city where weve sold glasses. Its 48 countries. Plans to get into brick and mortar stores are underway, and the founders are in talks with a major high street retailer to stock their glasses. Having sold almost 5,000 pairs of glasses, and with over 60% of their customers in the US, Ambr Eyewears biggest competitor in that market is Felix Grey. Mr Nugent says Ambr stands out as a quirky brand when compared with Felix Greys more corporate image. We dont want to appeal only to people who work in a bank; we want to appeal to graphic designers and creatives. The thing with our glasses is because they have clear lenses they dont affect colour perception. If you are a photographer, designer or videographer who spends a lot of time editing you need to maintain very accurate colour perception; thats another reason our glasses are popular with that demographic. The market for computer glasses is new and growing. The function to turn off the blue light is becoming standard on most devices. When we started nobody knew what blue-light-blocking glasses were. Now its way more mainstream, and hopefully, we can remain at the front of that wave, Mr Nugent said. At the moment, customers need to visit their optician to get a prescription. However, Mr Nugent says Ambr is hoping to provide a full service from eye test to complete glasses from the comfort of home. The brand is exploring a partnership with online eye testing software company Opternative to integrate an eye testing solution into their website. Our goal eventually is to become an online optical hub that retails its own products. Brussels wants to enforce rules designed to control the dominance of a few online giants, but Europes in this area is poor and we may have to wait for US authorities to act, says John Whelan. Almost a year after the European Commission fined Google 2.42bn for abusing its dominance as a search engine by giving an illegal advantage to Googles own comparison shopping service, the commission slammed the company with an even bigger fine of 4.3bn for abusing its dominant position in the market with its Android operating system. Neither of these fines, the latter the largest ever imposed on a single company, have had any impact on the Google share price, which last week hit an all-time peak, or on its global expansion. Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager announcing earlier this month that Googlehad 90 days to end illegal practices surrounding its Android operating system or facefurther fines, after slapping a record 4.34bn penalty on the firm. Picture: John Thys Hence there is a fresh urgency in Brussels to get the proposed new rules to control the dominance a few online platform operators quickly transposed into a regulation binding on all EU member countries and requiring them to legally enforce these new measures. It is now widely recognised that online platforms offer easy access to cross-border consumer markets and have become a valuable and efficient tool for millions of businesses, big and small, including for consumers buying online from retail outlets. But these same businesses may find their products suddenly delisted, or the listing costs dramatically increased once sales take off, or even worse, the platform owner introducing his own competing product at the top of the search list and relegating your product to the hard-to-find pit. Today, these businesses are at the platforms owners mercy. A platform owner can launch a competing product and sell it on more favourable terms than outside vendors. Thats what Spotify says Apple is doing by claiming a share of its monthly subscription fees. In return, the streaming music service sells the subscription at a higher price to iPhone users, which makes Spotifys product more expensive than Apple Music the platforms own offering. In a brief sent to the commission last year, Spotify called for imposing heightened obligations in cases where the platform operator competes downstream on the platform against its own business users. As Spotify is a Swedish company, there may be a tendency to link the actions of the European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager as biased against US corporations and favouring EU competitors. However, the recent Google case was triggered by a 2013 complaint from two US competitors, Oracle and Microsoft. The new regulation is aimed at addressing the issues of unfair contractual clauses and trading practices identified in platform-to-business relationships, by exploring dispute resolution, fair practice criteria and transparency. Businesses, particularly small businesses that rely on search engines for attracting internet consumer traffic to their websites are amongst those who will benefit from the new rules. The proposed law is expected to prevent these abuses and give more rights to the seller which should prove to be beneficial for Irish businesses selling across the EU, as it will make more transparent how platforms and search engines such as Amazon and Google, list retailers when consumers conduct searches for goods and services. These new rights for the seller will ensure that if a platform owner suspends or terminates all or part of what a business user offers, they will have to state the reasons for this. In addition, they will have to show how they treat their own goods or services compared to those offered by other users and that critical bone of contention; they must set out the general criteria that determine how goods and services are ranked in search results. But as has happened in the past, the platform owner may say sorry, but gives no compensation to the business user who has spent many a hard day building up his online business only to see it swiped away. The new EU legislation has tackled this by requiring the platform owner to set up an internal complaint-handling system to facilitate out-of-court dispute resolution. This will be much appreciated by the small business owners who seldom can afford to take large platform corporations to court. Interestingly, business associations such as the Irish Exporters Association or the Small Firms Association under the new legislation will be granted the right to bring court proceedings on behalf of businesses to enforce the new transparency and dispute settlement rules. A large chunk of the Irish SMEs (40%) who responded to a recent Eurobarometer survey claimed that they use online marketplaces to sell their products and services The survey also showed that nine out of 10 Irish businesses that use the internet to sell their products use search engines, with Poland and the UK the second and third highest users of search engines. Irish businesses are also shown to be leading the way in Europe in the sophisticated use of search engines, with the EU survey showing over two thirds (71%) saying that they use search engine optimisation techniques to appear higher in search results. However, another study informed the commission that nearly 50% of European businesses operating on platforms experience problems. The study also showed that 38% of problems regarding contractual relations remain unsolved, and 26% are solved but with difficulties. The new regulations will, it is expected, tackle such concerns. Some Irish and European businesses will still think the new regulations do not go far enough, particularly in the area of protecting their products against parallel selling of a similar product owned by the platform operator. While it would be unrealistic and counterproductive to require Google or Booking.com to disclose specific algorithms that information would most likely be exploited by unscrupulous players the EU would be justified in prohibiting companies that function as internet platform providers from launching products that compete with those of outside existing vendors. A further regulatory measure such as this may be considered draconian, but would show that the EU will not tolerate ongoing breach of its competition rules. It would probably add significantly to the Trump ranting and an increase in the transatlantic trade war, as it would mean requiring Apple to spin off Apple Music and perhaps even all of its app and content business. Google would have to get rid of its shopping-comparison engine, already the subject of an EU fine and all similar products for example, for airline tickets that compete with anything that comes up in its organic search results. Amazon might need to spin off Marketplace and offer its products on it on the same terms as other sellers. Such drastic action may be the only way to force these giants in the online industry to reduce their monopolistic practices and allow for more competition. However, the EU does not have a good track record in effectively enforcing the breakup of monopolies. Perhaps we may have to await action by the US to take a federal antitrust action, which has been effective in the past in breaking up companies like Standard Oil who monopolised the oil industry, and AT&T, who dominated the telephone industry for decades. Microsoft might have become the dominant company in search and mobile without the scrutiny that the US Federal antitrust case brought in 2002. Throughout history, entrepreneurs have often needed governments help to dislodge a monopolist and may today need it again. Meanwhile, the proposed EU regulation, which has been with member states since April, is expected to be agreed soon and enacted across the EU in the autumn, according to sources in Brussels. John Whelan is an expert in global trade Businessman Gavin Duffy has announced a potential run for President. The Irish Dragons Den entrepreneur is seeking the backing of four local councils before he can enter his name on the ballot paper. He has accepted an invitation to speak at Waterford City and County Council on Tuesday. Speaking about why he thinks people should vote for him, Duffy told Morning Ireland: You have to speak on behalf of the people of Ireland, Im somebody whos a professional speaker, thats what I do and thats my track record and I think Ill be able to do that very well. I did say yesterday, I think President Higgins, if theres a difference, I think he talks to our heads, I think Id be slightly different and talk to peoples hearts. Since the news broke, Twitter has been lit with opinions on #Aras18. Gavin Duffy on @morningireland : *President Higgins talks to people's heads. I .. talk to people's hearts* Oh really pic.twitter.com/NUrOquL8XM Annie West (@anniewestdotcom) July 30, 2018 My mother & I discussing the Presidential election #aras18 Mother;who is that Gavin Duffy fellow Me; hes off Dragons Den Mother;(sees photo of GD) oh,hes that obnoxious one. Sure,what would he know about being President.Michael D is doing great, give him another go Me; Dr Mary McAuliffe (@MaryMcAuliffe4) July 29, 2018 Ill pass on your rollercoaster, thanks Gavin pic.twitter.com/QrBX3bCLxm Seamus Conboy (@SeamusConboy) July 29, 2018 Wouldnt it be great to have Gavin Duffy making his pitch to county councils televised?#PresidentialElection John Collins (@HangBlaa) July 29, 2018 A president from the reality TV world. What could possibly go wrong. @GavinDuffy Mark O'Halloran (@markohalloran) July 29, 2018 #KeepThePoet has also been trending: We have a glut of politicians, we have boatloads of business people, we have far too many vainglorious muppets who think they could be President. We have one, dog loving, deep thinking, politician poet, who gives the best speeches, already in the Aras. So #keepthepoet Dr Mary McAuliffe (@MaryMcAuliffe4) July 30, 2018 I want to #keepthepoet because I believe we should have a head of state who sees Ireland as a nation and not as a business. M I K E R Y A N (@90mikeryan) July 29, 2018 My love for Michael D and those dogs is never ending #keepthepoet pic.twitter.com/7DeO3SYENp Beth O'Sullivan (@beth_os4) July 29, 2018 Dogs really are our best friends and finally theres a festival which celebrates this. "Kukur Tihar" or "Day of the Dog" is the second day of Diwali in Nepal, and sees Nepalese dogs - both with homes and without - thanked for their loyalty and friendship. Nirmalas kin refuse to receive her body; demand justice The family of 13-year-old girl Nirmala Panta, who was raped and subsequently murdered in Bhimdutta Municipality-18, Kanchanpur, has refused to receive her body, demanding that the authorities first bring the perpetrators to justice. Up to 5m is being made available for investment in higher education. The funding boost aims to highlight the importance of innovation for the education system. By Tom Tuite A 13-year-old boy charged with the murder of Kildare schoolgirl Ana Kriegel is to be granted bail. The boy, who cannot be named because he is a child, was the first to be charged with the murder of the 14-year-old girl at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road, Lucan on May 14, contrary to common law. Her body was found at the disused farmhouse three days after she was reported missing. The teen faced was due to face his fifth hearing at the Dublin Childrens Court today having been charged and remanded in custody on May 25 last and then refused bail on June 29 by the High Court. Judge John OConnor had been told at the Childrens Court that the prosecution had made significant progress in the case and a psychiatric assessment was carried out. The case was listed again today, however, the boy was not present. Defence solicitor Donough Molloy explained to Judge OConnor the boy was before the High Court at that the time. Mr Molloy said he understood bail had been granted there but he was not yet aware of the terms. There was a recess in the case and when it resumed a State solicitor told Judge OConnor that the High Courts order was being drawn up and finalised. Judge OConnor agreed to a remand in custody with consent to bail. He was also told it was understood bail would not be taken up by the boy for several days. Judge OConnor adjourned the case until Thursday. He had heard at an earlier hearing that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) direction under Section 52.4 of the 2001 Children Act, would be ready this week. The Children Act is the legal framework of the juvenile justice system. This part of the legislation states: Where a child under 14 years of age is charged with an offence, no further proceedings in the matter (other than any remand in custody or on bail) shall be taken except by or with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The book of evidence was being drafted and would probably be ready in three or four weeks, Judge OConnor was told at another hearing on July 23 last. The prosecution had said that it was expected the DPPs full directions would be ready this week and there would be movement, reasonably expeditiously toward the completion of the book of evidence. Anastasia, known as Ana, who was adopted from Russia at the age of two, left her home in Leixlip, at about 5pm on May 14 however, she did not return. The late Anna Kriegel Her parents were unable to contact her phone and alerted gardai. Her body was found at a disused farmhouse three days later. At the boy's first hearing on May 25, Garda Inspector Mark ONeill told the court: In reply to that charge after caution, he had nothing to say. Legal aid had been granted after the court was told the the teens age and that he was a schoolchild. On July 12 last, a second 13-year-old boy, was charged with the girls murder and he was also remanded in custody to the Oberstown youth detention centre. He will face his next hearing on July 31, 2018. At that boy's first hearing, Det Sergeant Damien Gannon said that teen made no reply to the charge after caution. There has been no indication yet as to how either boy intends to plead. The Children's Court judge has issued a warning to social media users that any attempt to identify them would result in prosecution. There is a call for a multi-agency approach to tackle anti-social behaviour across the country. It comes after new figures show a rise in the number of incidents over the last year. Update 3.45pm: Promises that no victim of the CervicalCheck scandal will have to go to court have been dialled back by the Taoiseach. The government had promised the women affected they would not end up in a courtroom and cases would be settled. However, Limerick woman Ruth Morrissey appeared before the High Court last week after mediation failed in her case. Leo Varadkar said that was partly because negligence on behalf of the state has not yet been established. He said: "An issue we've had since the very start is that all false negatives are not negligent, false negatives are part and parcel of screening and all of them are not negligent, indeed most are not negligent. We still have a difficulty distinguishing between those that are false negatives which happen in screening regularly and those that were negligent and should not have happened. - Digital Desk Earlier: Taoiseach says he should have been clearer on CervicalCheck pledges Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has reacted to criticism about his response to the CervicalCheck controversy today by saying he should have been clearer in his pledge that no woman affected by the crisis would have to go to court. He said he should have been "more clear" that it was not guaranteed that women would not have to face the court room, and that everyone had the right to go to court regardless of whether they were involved in mediation. Vicky Phelan said today that the Taoiseach needs to make good on his promises to women affected by the scandal. The pair are set to meet on Wednesday and Ms Phelan will discuss the issue of terminally ill women being dragged through the courts as a result of the CervicalCheck crisis, with specific mention of Ruth Morrissey. Mr Varadkar said he was "sorry" that Ruth Morrissey had cancer, and that her illness wasn't picked up earlier. The 37-year-old mother last week launched High Court action over the alleged misinterpretation of two cervical smears tests as part of the CervicalCheck screening programme. I'm very sorry that it wasnt picked up earlier on screening and very sorry that she wasnt informed of the audit when she should have been. I hope the treatment she is getting is successful and that it will extend her life so that she can see her daughter grow up, and I think that is the most important thing," he said. Mr Varadkar also denied claims he was "hiding" and that he did not want to prejudice any legal action currently before the courts. - Marita Moloney Earlier: Calls for Taoiseach to honour pledges made to women impacted by CervicalCheck scandal Two families at the centre of the centre of the CervicalCheck crisis have called on the Taoiseach to make good on his promises to women affected by the scandal. Vicky Phelan. Photo: Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie Terminally-ill Vicky Phelan, who brought the issue to the nations attention, Ms Phelan said the Taoiseach must honour on his commitment to the people of Ireland otherwise he should not be 'in the position he's in'. He was the one who gave me the assurances and commitments that no other woman would have to court and give evidence, she said. Speaking on RTEs Six One programme on May 11, the Taoiseach said that mediation would be offered to women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy so that they could avoid the "trauma" of court. He said that the State would settle and pursue the US Laboratories at the centre of the controversy at a later date, with the State "on the side of the plaintiff, mediating with her". Ms Phelan and Stephen Teap, whose wife Irene passed away last year from cervical cancer, were speaking today on RTEs Radio 1's Today programme ahead of Vickys meeting with the Taoiseach on Wednesday. Ms Phelan will discuss the issue of terminally ill women being dragged through the courts as a result of the CervicalCheck crisis, with specific mention of Ruth Morrissey. I felt that I would keep the meeting with the Taoiseach for a time that I needed it and the time is now, she said. She said the biggest commitment that the Government has failed on is its promise that no woman would have to go through the courts. She said Mr Varadkar needs to take back control from the labs which are currently being sued for damages and that there are another '40 something cases' due to come to court. Ruth Morrissey. Photo: CourtPix Ms Phelan said there was not a genuine offer of mediation being made in Ms Morrisseys case and that she was angry that the case was being dealt with in court. She said he own court case was very difficult, giving the intrusive questions of her personal life, as well as answering questions which are directed to you in such a way that theyre talking about you in terms of you already dying. Its already difficult enough having a terminal diagnosis without having to talk about yourself in terms of dying. Im genuinely angry...because nobody in the HSE or from any of the labs have had to stand up and answer any questions about what they have done to us. Stephen Teap with Irene and their sons. Mr Teap said the Government needs to prioritise patient health and safety, and questioned why Ruth, Vicky and Emma had to take on the US labs separately. The contract was between the labs and the HSE, not between the labs and the women of Ireland. There is absolutely no leadership in protecting women like Ruth who are very sick and have to be dragged up the High Court. Im looking to see if the Taoiseach can step out in front now and puts some sort of system in place that protects all the victims of this from having to take on each of the individual labs and this big corporate world of 17 lawyers one by one. Its just inhumane to watch, its horrible. Labour Health spokesman Alan Kelly Earlier today, Labour spokesman on Health Alan Kelly said the Governments response was disgraceful and that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar needs to man up in his response to the controversy. Speaking on RTE Radio 1's Morning Ireland programme he said: I believe that what has happened is unforgivable, that the Taoiseach is in hiding, and indeed this Government is in hiding because what they have promised is not what has transpired. It's a disgrace. They said that they would ensure that all these cases would be mediated and they wouldn't end up in court. I think the Government have over-promised, they haven't delivered, and it's now at a point where Stephen Teap was on to me this morning and he said that last week he was reading about Ruth and Paul on the day of Irene's first anniversary and he decided that he had enough. He said to me that the Taoiseach needs to step up now or get out. That's how strongly the people who are affected here feel. It's unforgivable what has happened and I believe that the Taoiseach, if this continues, he'll have misled these people, he'll have misled these women, their families and the public as regards what the Government said they would do." The Taoiseach needs to come out and explain how he is going to guarantee that this doesn't happen and is not going to continue to happen. The are numerous other cases, we can't have a situation where these women are being put through the ordeal that Ruth, Emma and Vicky have gone through. It is unacceptable, it is a disgrace on top of a national disgrace. The Taoiseach needs to man up and explain how he is going to deal with these cases, how Ruth ended up in court in the first place." The programme said that the Taoiseach and Minister for Health did not want to comment on what is an ongoing legal case. However, in a statement issued last night, the Government said: "The Government has made it very clear that we do not want to see any woman having to go to court. Mediation is now being offered in every case. While mediation may not always succeed at first, it must be an option and the Government wants to see all cases dealt with through mediation so that a settlement can be sought in a sensitive way and the Government accepts that everyone still has a right to go to court." Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Health Simon Harris. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie The Minister for Health Simon Harris said: The State participates in a sensitive and compassionate matter as has happened in two previous cases. In relation to the current case, I am aware that the State has accepted liability for non-disclosure of clinical audit findings. However, there are two labs also involved as defendants. Where differences exist between parties the mediation process is designed to address these. I believe there is a responsibility to use this process in a compassionate and sensitive manner. I welcome the fact that the State Claims Agency has requested the labs to recommence mediation. I am sorry that Ruth and her family have had this distressing experience when they are already going through so much. We learn from this difficulty and how to deal with it if it arises in the future." The Taoiseach has said that Ireland is preparing for a potential shortage of medicines here in the event of a hard Brexit. Leo Varadkar said the country is making contingency plans should a new regulatory regime come into force in the UK when they leave the EU. By Ann O'Loughlin Large internet service providers are acting on complaints from music recording companies about copyright piracy, the Commercial Court has been told. Eir, which has nearly 32% of the market, is already doing so while Virgin Media, with 26.8 per cent, began doing it in June. Sky, which has 12.5%, is consenting to doing likewise but says it will first require a court order. The Irish arms of Sony, Universal and Warner music companies are now looking for such an order against Sky Subscribers Services, Mr Justice Robert Haughton was told on Monday when he admitted the music firms' case to the Commercial Court list. The case comes back to court in October. The music firms seek an injunction requiring Sky, when notified, to supply the IP address of a subscriber to Sky who is making available copyright sound recordings through the fixed broadband internet. Once that information is received, Sky must send "cease and desist" notifications to the subscriber. If the subscriber continues to infringe, after a third cease and desist notification, the music companies will then apply to court for termination of the subscriber's service. The amount of notifications cannot exceed 1,200 a month. In a sworn statement seeking entry of the case to the commercial list, Willie Kavanagh, chairman of the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA), said the factual and legal issues arising in connection with this matter have already been dealt with in a High Court and Court of Appeal judgments. While eir and Virgin are co-operating in the "graduated response" procedure (three cease and desist notices), Sky has said it will do so but it will require six months to put a solution in place, he said. In relation to Vodafone, which also has a considerable market share, it has raised aspects of its technical systems that, it says, impacts on both the time required for implementation and the cost of implementation, he said. While more information has been sought from Vodafone, when the position is clearer, the music companies will issue the required proceedings against that company as soon as practicable, he said. The music companies, as well as operating the graduated response system towards subscribers, has also sought that service providers block websites such as Pirate Bay and KAT, Mr Kavanagh said. The Department of Foreign Affairs is advising a high degree of caution to travellers heading to Indonesia. It is after six British people safely descended a volcano there, after getting stuck following an earthquake. Facebook executives are to appear before the Oireachtas later this week. The Communications Committee is to question the company on Wednesday, about moderation of violent and harmful content. Gordon Deegan A 65-year-old west Clare farmer, who has already pleaded guilty to dumping 12 animal carcasses over 300 ft high Cliffs, has now pleaded guilty to 20 sample animal welfare charges. At Ennis Circuit Court, Martin Gerald Foley of Lislanihan, Kilkee pleaded guilty to 20 sample charges out of a total of 193 charges first brought against him. The animal welfare charges relate to cattle and horses at locations in west Clare at Lisdeen, Lislanihan, Donoghboy, Dough and Baltard on dates between March 2014 and April 2016. Mr Foley has pleaded guilty to breaching Section 11 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 where animal owners shall keep animals in a manner that safeguards the health and welfare of the animal, and does not threaten the health or welfare of the animal or another animal. Mr Foley has also pleaded guilty to breaching Section 12 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 where animal owners are prohibited from doing anything to an animal that causes unnecessary suffering. Mr Foley has also pleaded guilty to breaching Section 13 of the same act where animal owners must have a quantity of suitable and wholesome food sufficient to satisfy the reasonable requirements of the animal. In a separate case, Mr Foley earlier this year pleaded to dumping 12 animal carcasses over Cliffs at Baltard, Doonbeg in west Clare in April 2014. A pyre to cremate the remains of the eight horses and four cattle required two tonnes of coal, 90 bags of timber and 90 bags of kindle The cremation of the carcasses and disposing of the remains cost Clare County Council 7,372. In the case, the State authorities carried out a painstaking investigation to identify the remains and pinpoint the culprit through DNA matching of the animals in the face of denials from Mr Foley when he first questioned on the dumping. Mr Foley also put forward the theory that the animals were washed up by the sea. However, an oceanographer employed by the State to comment on the theory said that this was very unlikely due to the motion of the sea and the wave action. The court has heard that there is no suggestion that the animals were anything other than dead when disposed of at the Cliffs. Counsel for Mr Foley, Patrick Whyms BL told the court that the two cases would take half a day to complete and Mr Foley was remanded on continuing bail to October 1, to fix date for hearing. Opposition NC obstructs State 5 Assembly meet The Nepali Congress (NC) on Sunday obstructed Province 5 Assembly meeting, demanding an immediate designation of provincial capital and name. The main opposition party has warned of obstructing the assembly meeting unless the name and provincial headquarters are decided. Two men described in court as ''foot soldiers'' for a criminal gang have been jailed for their roles in a planned hit in Dublin. Stephen Dunne from Clondalkin and Gary Gleeson from Ballyfermot were arrested after being secretly recorded by gardai investigating the Kinahan crime gang. On the back of a tip-off that a man was going to be murdered last summer, gardai began following the men's movements. A white van made to look like an electrician's van was identified as part of the surveillance operation and a recording device was put inside. On their way to carry out the hit on August 7 last, Gleeson could be heard telling Dunne to aim for the head. A loaded gun was found beside the handbrake when gardai intercepted the van on the Naas Road. Both men pleaded guilty to firearms offences and their lawyers pleaded for leniency at their sentence hearing. Gleesons barrister described his 34-year-old client as a foot soldier and not the brains behind the operation. Counsel for Dunne, who is 39-years-old, said his client was put in harms way by people who considered him to be utterly disposable. After taking a week to consider matters, the three judges of the non-jury court today handed down 12-year sentences for both but suspended the final year of Gleesons and the final two of Dunnes. Digital Desk A grieving mother was ordered from her Belfast house by loyalist paramilitaries as she waited to bring her son's body home, Sinn Fein said. Windows were reportedly smashed and a sectarian slur scrawled on the wall of the property in the north of the city yesterday evening. Condemning the "sickening and depraved" attack, Sinn Fein's Caral Ni Chuilin said the woman and her family had been left "very distraught". The MLA for North Belfast blamed the UFF (Ulster Freedom Fighters) group and called on police to do more to tackle the "scourge of loyalist paramilitaries from our society". The incident comes amid concerns over sectarian unrest against a background of political deadlock in Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it has launched an investigation into a report of criminal damage and threats at a property in Summer Street. PSNI have confirmed that a mother has reported receiving a threat ordering her to leave her home in the Oldpark today, mother told by the men they were UFF.PSNI escorted her to her back to get clothes, windows smashed, taigs out sprayed on wall, crowds gathered outside her home Caral Ni Chuilin-Nigh do lamha (@CaralNiChuilin) July 29, 2018 Ms Ni Chuilin said in a statement: "Police have confirmed that the loyalist paramilitary group, the UFF, threatened a woman and ordered her to leave her home in Oldpark today. "Only hours later her home was attacked and the windows of her home were smashed. "These shameful and depraved actions were carried in the full knowledge that her son, who died tragically last Thursday, was due to be waked from the family home." According to the MLA, the woman sought help after she was told by a group of men they had 24 hours to leave. When the woman returned with police officers to collect clothes from her home, windows had been smashed and "taigs out" - a derogatory reference to Catholics - had been sprayed on the wall. .@CaralNiChuilin hits out at UFF after North Belfast depraved attack on grieving mother https://t.co/C7w6UTdOpv pic.twitter.com/WBkgGhHHyB Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) July 29, 2018 Ms Ni Chuilin said housing authorities had been contacted to secure the woman's family emergency accommodation. She added: "These sickening actions must be condemned by all and the criminals responsible should pack up and get off the backs of the community. "The continued existence of these armed groups is a blight on society. "The PSNI needs to intensify its efforts to remove the scourge of loyalist paramilitaries from our society." "I would urge anyone with information on today's incident to bring it forward to the police." PSNI said it was alerted to a report of criminal damage and threats at a house in Summer Street at 7.10pm. Inspector McCullough said: "Inquiries into this incident are ongoing and at an early stage and we are working to establish a motive. "We would like to hear from anyone who has information in relation to this incident and can assist our investigation to contact us on 101." PA & Digital Desk By Ann O'Loughlin The HSE and the Regional Hospital in Mullingar have apologised for the failings in the care of a woman who died at the hospital three days after turning up at A&E with abdominal pain. Grandmother of eight Angela Farrell it was claimed was suffering from a complication of a previous partial gastrectomy and it it was claimed there was an alleged failure to performa CT scan which could have shown this. The letter of apology from the hospital general manager Shona Schneemann was read out in the High Court as Mrs Farrell's husband Noel settled his action over the care given to his wife who died in the hospital six years ago. It read: " On behalf of the HSE and the Regional Hospital, Mullingar we would like to express an unreserved apology to you and your family for the failings in the care afforded to your late wife Angela at this hosptial in December 2012." "We extend our deepest sympathy to you and your family and understand that this apology cannot negate the adverse effect the loss of your wife has had on your lives and we are truly sorry for same," it added. The details of the settlement are confidential. Noel Farrell, Hazelwood, Rindoon, Coosan , Athlone Co Westmeath had sued the HSE. Mrs Farrell on December 7 2012 had attended the Mullingar hospital A&E after she was referred there by her GP. She had severe abdominal pain and vomiting for two days and had a past history of an emergency partial gastrectomy. In the initial assessment at the A&E abdomen/ bowel obstruction which needs surgical admission was noted. Following the admission it is claimed there was an alleged failure to appropriately assess and treat Mrs Farrell and that she had been allegedly misdiagnosed as suffering from acute gastritis. It is claimed there was an alleged failure to perform a CT scan or other imaging of the abdomen which it was claimed would have revealed she was suffering from a complication of her previous partial gastrectomy and needed an operation. It was claimed the alleged delay in properly diagnosing and treating Mrs Farrell's condition, despite the severity in her deterioration over the weekend gave rise to the onset and development of ischaemia ultimately leading to her death on December 10, 2012. It was further claimed there was an alleged repeated failure to appropriately assess investigate , diagnose and treat the condition from which Mrs Farrell was suffering. The claims were denied. The settlement was approved by Mr Justice Michael McGrath. By Gordon Deegan A circuit court judge has hit out at the absolutely outrageous conduct of feuding traveller families in Ennis telling them that it is ordinary workers who are funding their legal aid. At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Gerald Keys told members of the feuding Sherlock and Molloy families that you have disgraced your fellow travellers in the way that you have behaved. Judge Keys said that he was also conscious that the accused were on legal aid. He said: We have to pay for this. Everyone who is working in this country, who pays a tax, have got to pay for your defence - look at the amount of previous convictions all of you have together - and the ordinary working person who complies with the law in this country has to finance that. In court, members of the two families appeared in connection with a confrontation on the steps of Ennis courthouse on June 20th 2017 when two courts were in session. At the sentencing hearing of members of the two families at the circuit court, Gardai were taking no chances over a repeat with 17 uniformed Gardai, including two sergeants, along with three members of the regional armed support unit at the courthouse to monitor the situation. In hitting out at the accused, Judge Keys referred to the strong Garda presence when he said: Look at the amount of police that have to be here today. The cost of that. The cost of all of this. As part of the security measures, Gardai placed the three accused from the Molloy family, James Molloy (19), Thomas Molloy (25) and Laura Molloy (26) all with addresses at the Ballaghboy Halting Site, Quin Road, Ennis in the jury box. All pleaded guilty to affray on June 20th 2017 The accused from the Sherlock family, James Sherlock (48) and his son Declan Sherlock (23) who pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace on the day were placed on the opposite side of the courtroom. Declan Sherlock has 24 previous convictions and James Sherlock has 21 previous convictions including one for assault causing serious harm where he received a six year prison term in 2003. Addressing the accused, Judge Keys said: All of you think you can do what you like - that you can ignore every law. He said: You are a disgrace to the travelling community, so you are, the way that you have carried on. You are wondering then why a lot of people give out and discriminate. Just ask yourselves that. A lot of this is being brought on by your conduct, your total neglect of what the law is. He told both sides: If there is a bark out of any of ye towards one other, inside court, outside court, you will get the maximum sentences and that should be a deterrent in itself which would relieve so many of the Gardai to attend here." Garda Noelle Bergin told the court that relations between the two feuding families are still volatile. Counsel for James Sherlock, Brian McInerney BL said that efforts for both sides to enter mediation are underway. He said: There is a desire to try to put an end to this and there have been efforts since May to bring an end to this nomadic feud. Mr McInerney said that Mr Sherlock has relocated his family away from Ennis to another part of the country. Judge Keys said that none of the parties have indicated a plan to settle this dispute before now. Judge Keys said that the feud has been going on and on and on and on. Judge Keys said that he was so frustrated and annoyed with what he has heard that he would not pass sentence now and adjourned sentencing to October. Mr McInerney said when sentence is passed in October, there would be a more wholesome picture of mediation. Ann O'Loughlin A legal challenge against the granting of planning permission to a proposed controversial 160m incinerator at Ringaskiddy in Cork Harbour will not be heard in the High Court until next year. Mr Justice David Barniville who was told there were 98 grounds listed in the challenge today agreed a timetable of documents exchange between all sides so the case is ready to go ahead in February 2019. Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment last week got permission to bring a judicial review to the granting of planning permission in May this year by An Bord Pleanala for the incinerator. On that occasion, Mr Justice Barniville ruled there were sufficient grounds to bring a legal challenge. Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (CHASE) in the proceedings are seeking an order quashing the decision on May 28, 2018, to grant planning permission. It is also seeking an order quashing the environmental impact assessment carried out by the Bord on May 23, 2018. It also seeks a declaration that An Bord Pleanala erred in law and had no jurisdiction to grant planning permission. It is also seeking a declaration that the Bord erred in law by allegedly failing to carry out any or any legally adequate Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) or appropriate assessment prior to the decision to grant development consent and that there was an alleged failure to carry out an assessment of the impact on health and an alleged failure to carry out any adequate EIA in respect of the fundamental issue of site selection. An Bord Pleanala in May granted planning permission for the 160m municipal and hazardous waste incinerator at Ringaskkiddy in Cork Harbour. The Bord granted planning permission under the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 to Indaver Ireland for an incinerator at a 13.5 hectare site at the end of the Ringaskiddy Peninsula. The incinerator will have an operational life of 30 years. Indaver lodged a planning application on January 13, 2016, and since then An Bord Pleanala deferred its decision nine times. The permission was granted with a number of conditions, including that the eight-storey facility, with a 70-metre chimney, would take no more than 240,000 tonnes of municipal waste and no more than 24,000 tonnes of hazardous waste each year. Indaver Ireland Ltd and Indaver NV trading as Indaver Ireland are notice parties to the High Court proceedings. Leo Varadkar hopes the number of female Fine Gael TDs will double at the next election. However, he stopped short of repeating Enda Kenny's commitment to promise that half of his next cabinet would be women. Tuesday, July 31, 2018: Simon Quinn, 25, who was missing from Harcourt Street, Dublin in the early hours of yesterday morning has been located safe and well. Gardai wish to thank the media and public for their assistance in the matter. 545,000 worth of drugs have been seized and a man has been arrested at Rosslare Europort. Revenue officers found over 36kgs of suspected amphetamines when they searched a truck as part of routine profiling. Parliament cant discuss sub-judice case: Speaker Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara has clarified that the issue of Speaker and Deputy Speaker representing the same party cannot be discussed in Parliament because it is under consideration in the court. By Gordon Deegan Ryanair boss Michael OLeary lost out on almost 1m in bonus pay last year after volunteering to waive all of his performance bonuses as a result of the pilot-rostering failure at the airline. Mr OLearys decision to forsake his bonus came in spite of record revenues of 7.15bn, profits of 1.45bn and passenger numbers of 130m at the airline in 2017/18. The decision by Mr O'Leary (pictured) to waive all performance bonuses is revealed in the just-published Ryanair annual report for 2017/18. Mr OLeary received a bonus payment of 950,000 in 2016/17 and as part of his deal with the airline, Mr OLeary is eligible for a performance bonus of up to 100% of salary dependent upon the achievement of certain financial and personal targets. The decision not to take the bonus resulted in Mr OLearys overall pay package decreasing by 29% going from 3.25m to 2.30m last year - the 2.3m pay package works out at 6,301 every day for the outspoken CEO. Mr OLearys pay in 2017/18 was made up of 1.058m in basic pay and 1.25m in share-based payments. The company does not provide Mr OLeary with any pension contributions or other benefits, which the annual report states is in keeping with the low cost ethos of the airline. In October 2014, Mr OLeary signed a five-year contract which commits him to the company until September 2019. This contract replaced a rolling 12-month arrangement under which Michael OLeary worked as CEO of the airline since 1994. Mr O'Leary's 3.9% share in the 16.2bn airline is worth about 631.8m. In his report, Mr OLeary refers to the systematic failure in our pilot rostering function. He said that the failure led to the cancellation of 2,000 of the 130,000 flights scheduled in September and October. In the report, Mr OLeary said: It was a planning failure for which we sincerely apologise, especially to customers whose flights were delayed or cancelled. On the airlines response to the failure, Mr OLeary said: We replaced the entire rostering management team, we doubled the headcount in the department and we invested heavily in new management in our Operations department. In his report, Mr OLeary also refers to the current dispute with pilots here, but not in name. He said that the airline has reached recognition agreements with pilot unions in Italy and the UK, and cabin crew unions in Italy, Germany and the UK. He says: Progress is slower in other, smaller, markets where some unions have made unreasonable demands that would damage our low fare model. We hope to conclude more recognition agreements shortly but cannot rule out occasional industrial action which may occur in Summer 2018 as we will not compromise either our low fare model or our efficiency. Mr OLeary confirmed that last year Ryanair created 1,500 new jobs as headcount grew to over 14,500. Last year, pay to Ryanairs top eight executives totalled 9.7m. Ryanair has invited the trade union Forsa to a meeting to discuss the ongoing pilots' dispute. The airline says the flights it cancelled this Friday due to the fourth day of industrial action cannot be restored even if the strike is called off now as alternative arrangements have been made. Ryanair says it has agreed to nine out of 11 of Forsa's requirements and hopes the union will accept the invitation to meet this Saturday or next week to discuss the matter. "The 20 cancelled flights next Friday cannot be recovered even if this unnecessary strike is called off," the airline said. "We hope Forsa will accept our invitation to meet either next Saturday or any day the following week commencing Mon 6 Aug, as long as no more strikes are called while we meet, and no Aer Lingus pilots are involved in these negotiations. "Forsas call for a meeting lacks credibility when we invited them to meet us last Wednesday, and their only response was to refuse, and instead call a fourth strike. "We apologise to the 3,500 Irish customers (whose 20 flights next Fri have been cancelled), but who have now been re-accommodated or refunded. We share their frustration at these strikes (by just 25% of Irish pilots), which are unnecessary when we have already agreed to nine of ForsaAs 11 requirements." Gordon Deegan An Ennis-based taxi driver who was set upon by four members of the same family and stabbed six times by a then 17-year-old male in a dispute over a fare said that he will not be intimidated by any of them. At Ennis Circuit Court, Abi Ohiku, in his victim impact statement, recalled how James Sherlock and three of his sons set upon him in June of last year in a dispute over a taxi-fare in an Ennis housing estate. In his victim impact statement, Mr Ohiku said to them: What kind of human beings are you to bring such in-humane treatment on me? The youngest Sherlock involved in the incident, Jordan Sherlock now 18, but 17 at the time, stabbed Mr Ohiku six times with a pen knife near his former home at Dromard, Ennis on June 9, 2017. Garda Noelle Bergin told the court that Jordan Sherlock has no previous convictions but did first come to the attention of Garda in 2009 - Mr Sherlock would have been nine at the time. Mr Ohiku wept in court as CCTV footage of the attack was shown and cried again when Det Garda Damien O'Connor read out his victim impact statement. In the case, the three other Sherlocks involved in the incident, James Sherlock (49), Declan Sherlock (23) and Damien Sherlock (26) all formerly of Dromard, Ennis have amassed a combined total of 155 previous convictions. Damien Sherlock has 110 previous convictions with Declan Sherlock having 24 and James Sherlock having 21 previous convictions. Garda Noelle Bergin described James Sherlock as an aggressive male when dealing with Gardai. Garda Bergin said that widower, Mr Sherlock has since relocated his family to Co Leitrim. In his victim impact statement, Mr Ohiku said that he thinks about my blood that was gushing from the six stab wounds that you have inflicted upon me every day and I have not been able to erase that from my head and mind. Mr Ohiku said: The 9th of June is a day I will remember for a long time- the beating and stabbing that you inflicted on me in the attack that night has left me with a huge physical and psychological problems. He added: I wish to state that I will not be intimidated by any of you and I am determined to make a full physical and psychological recovery from the incident and move on with my life. Det O'Connor told the court that Mr Ohiku had a dispute with Damien Sherlock over a fare after dropping him to his home and Mr Ohiku gave chase when Mr Sherlock fled from his taxi outside Mr Sherlocks former home at Dromard Ennis. CCTV footage shows Mr Ohiku apprehending Mr Sherlock when chasing him down a cul de sac but then shows chilling footage of other members of the Sherlock family converging on Mr Ohiku where a struggle ensues. Det O'Connor said that a young girl had alerted James Sherlock that a man had taken hold of one of his sons. The footage shows Jordan Sherlock stab Mr Ohiku six times before James Sherlock trips him up. The footage also shows Declan Sherlock strike Mr Ohiku in the face with his fist. Jordan Sherlock has pleaded guilty to assault causing harm of Mr Ohiku and possession of a knife while the three other Sherlocks pleaded guilty to affray on the same date. Judge Keys has adjourned sentencing to October. James Sherlock and Jordan Sherlock have been remanded on bail while Damien Sherlock and Declan Sherlock remain in custody. After eight weeks of recouplings, dumpings and doing bits, only four couples remain for the final of Love Island 2018. Following Alexandra and Alexs exit last night, Wes and Megan, Jack and Dani, Paul and Laura and Josh and Kaz will now battle it out to take home the crown for 2018. As they prepare to leave the villa for the final time, the remaining Islanders reflect on what the journey has meant to them. Laura remarks: No matter what happens I already feel like Ive won just being in the final with the couples that Ive got around me, the friends that Ive got around me, and meeting Pauls just like the cherry on top of the cake Wes meanwhile asserts: I didnt even realise how much this would mean to me until I got here. This has been the best Summer ever. This has been the best experience ever. And Ive met the best girl ever. Its just been one bundle of the best A baffled Jack meanwhile proclaims: I just sell stationery. Loads of pens, any type you want. And Im actually in the Love Island 2018 final. What? As they prepare for their last evening together in the villa, word reaches the Islanders that the Love Island Summer Ball awaits them: Islanders, tonight you will all attend the Love Island 2018 Summer Ball. Its now time to brush up on your dance moves. #hipsdontlie #savethelastsalsa The Islanders get their own crash course in salsa dancing, courtesy of two specialist salsa performers. For a rhythmically challenged Megan, its a daunting prospect: Ive finally got a boyfriend who fancies me, if theres anything I dont want to do in front of him, its attempt to dance. Following the salsa dancing, the girls are whisked out of the villa to try on ball dresses: Girls, its now time to go dress shopping. Please get ready to leave the villa #yassqueen #sayyastothedress With both the boys and girls now suitably attired, and having spent the afternoon working on their declarations of love, the Islanders come together for the Summer Ball, with each girls entrance sparking a jaw dropping reaction from the boys. Assembled together and with the champagne corks popping, Josh proposes a toast: Guys we all look great. Thank you guys first of all for making my time in here unbelievable. I couldnt have wished to have this journey with a better group of people. I know weve made friends for life both boys and girls. Cheers to the final. One by one, the couples then stand opposite one another and make their declarations of love and lets just say there are a few tears. Catch the Love Island final, tonight at 9pm on 3e. Thomas Markle has said his daughter Meghan has cut him off completely and that he now has no way of contacting his daughter. The retired lighting director kept silent before the wedding of his daughter to Prince Harry but he now gives regular interviews about his daughter and her new husband. The American actress got married to Prince Harry earlier this year. He told the Mail on Sunday: "I'm really hurt that she's cut me off completely. I used to have a phone number and text number for her personal aides at the Palace, but after I said a few critical words about the royal family changing Meghan, they cut me off. "Those numbers were disconnected, they no longer work. I have no way of contacting my daughter." The 74-year-old even suggested it would be "easier" for Meghan if he died. Thomas has also claimed that Prince Harry's late mother Princess Diana would have been angry at the way he's being treated. "They [the royal family] have Meghan treating her father in a way that Harry's mother, Princess Diana, would have loathed. That's not what Diana stood for." Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana, died in 1997. Meghans father wouldnt be the first family member to cause Meghan trouble. Her half-sister Samantha has often criticised her to the press and is even rumored to be entering the Celebrity Big Brother house. The Duchess of Sussex hasn't had any contact with her paternal half-sister in over a decade. Police arrest five men in kidney racket case Chitwan police have arrested five people for their alleged involvement in a kidney racket said to be operating from India. Here's what you need to know going into Mission: Impossible - Fallout, the sixth entry in Tom Cruise's 22-year-old spy-movie franchise: absolutely nothing. Tom Cruise in a scene from Credit:AP Sure, there's some continuity between Fallout and the last adventure, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. There's the dangerous band of former spies turned terrorists, led by the nefarious Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). There's also Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a former MI6 agent whose partnership with Cruise's Ethan Hunt and his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) team continues with the same question marks and asterisks attached. These minor details are the furthest the series has gone in developing story lines from one film to the next, and yet it doesn't matter. If you've never seen a Mission: Impossible film before - or, more likely, if you've seen dozens of other films in the interim and given over your mental space to countless other aesthetic and life experiences - there's no need to worry. You won't miss a beat. For that reason alone, the Mission: Impossible series stands apart from the typical blockbuster franchise, which is about world-building and paying off dense histories that can take several films to develop. It would be unthinkable, for example, to drop into the sixth Harry Potter film cold and expect to grasp the stakes and emotional complexity of an epic story more than a dozen hours in the telling. A superhero team-up such as Avengers: Infinity War - or any of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for that matter - demands the knowledge of its predecessors. And what's more, it expects you to remember the details as if you watched the films yesterday. It can make summer escapism feel like homework. Farmers have welcomed the Berejiklian government's $500 million in extra farm aid but warn that more help is likely to be needed before the statewide drought breaks. The package includes freight subsidies totalling as much as $20,000 per farm - backdated to January 1 - to help farmers cope with the rising cost of transporting fodder and water, and trucking livestock to alternative pastures. Nicky Kirkby, whose family runs a mostly cotton and wheat farm at Bellata near Moree in the state's north, said the aid would be helpful but would likely fall short of the needs of many farmers. "I don't think the government really gets the scale and magnitude of the issue," Ms Kirkby said. "Where are farmers going to find the money to buy the feed?" A science experiment at school was part of the inspiration for Canberra author Sam Hawke's novel City of Lies. I remember the teachers got us to test different substances and only some people could taste a weird chemical in coffee, which only some of the population can taste, Hawke said. That got me interested in the idea that there are some people who are supertasters and have more effective taste buds. Sam Hawke will launch her book City of Lies at Harry Hartog bookshop on August 9. Credit:Jamila Toderas I wondered how that could be used and if you could do anything with a supertaster how that could play into a broader society if you had a family that had a genetic predisposition for super tasting. While many woke up with a case of Mondayitis this morning, there was one guy happy to be an early riser. A leopard seal was spotted at Nobbys Beach in Newcastle early on Monday, enjoying the beautiful morning sunshine. A seal suns itself on Nobbys Beach on Monday. Credit:Marina Neil Photographer Nick Murphy managed to capture the happy-looking creature on camera as he rolled around on the sand. Turns out that grin is actually more menacing than it seems. It is the seals way of telling others to back off. Post scribe Ghimire bags edu award The Kathmandu Post scribe Binod Ghimire has bagged 14th Wai Wai National Education Award provided by Aajako Awaj Media (AAM) which has been awarding the contributors in the education sector through journalism and teaching. A Gold Coast bait supplier has pleaded guilty and been fined $10,000 for moving raw prawns outside the white spot disease biosecurity zone. Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said a government employee had collected the prawns from a shop in the Warwick region. A green prawn infected with white spot disease. Credit:Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Testing showed the prawns were positive for white spot syndrome. Once the bait prawns tested positive for white spot syndrome virus all at-risk prawns associated with the consignment were immediately traced and removed from sale, Mr Furner said. The Local Government Association of Queensland has weighed in to defend Ipswich City Council from dismissal by the state government as it emerged the council signed a $5 million contract with the LGAQs commercial arm last year, to extend a deal mayor Andrew Antoniolli had promised to scrap. LGAQ boss Greg Hallam. Credit:Dave Hunt/AAP The LGAQ will appear in Parliament today as part of hearings into plans for emergency legislation to allow Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe to sack the council, which he has described as suffering from an unprecedented integrity crisis. In a written submission, LGAQ chief executive Greg Hallam called the proposed legislation blatantly unfair and called for amendments to provide for separation payments for councillors not charged with criminal offences. On Friday, Mr Hallam sent an email to all 77 Queensland councils titled Holding The Line in which he stated: We are not an arm of the state government nor a ratepayer association that is why, on an in principal basis (sic), your association could not support the seven-page bill currently before the Queensland Parliament to dismiss the Ipswich City Council and appoint an administrator. "I am satisfied that if Mr Khazaei's clinical deterioration was recognised and responded to in a timely way at the [Manus Island] clinic, and he was evacuated to Australia within 24 hours of developing severe sepsis, he would have survived. Describing the compounding medical errors that led to Mr Khazaeis death, Mr Ryan said the initial care he received at the Manus Island clinic -- run by International Health and Medical Services [IHMS], a subsidiary of global health and security company International SOS - was appropriate. But, he found no antibiotics were available suitable to treat common tropical infections, which included the infection Mr Khazaei was suffering from. Mr Khazaeis rapid deterioration over the next few days was not clinically tracked by the clinic, and his deterioration was not recognised. "Mr Khazaei should have been intubated and aggressively resuscitated while at the MIRPC clinic and prior to his transfer by air to Port Moresby, the coroner found. Protester Jillian Oldfield (left) from the Refugee Action Collective is seen during a vigil for deceased asylum seeker Hamid Khazaei outside the Brisbane Magistrates Court in Brisbane on Monday. Credit:AAP Further, there was a missed opportunity to fly Mr Khazaei out to Port Moresby on August 25 - by the morning of August 26 he was suffering septic shock and should have been taken to Australia, Mr Ryan found. The clinicians who received Mr Khazaei at the [Pacific International Hospital] on that day did not have the necessary clinical skills to deal with his presentation. The significant delay in responding to his critical care needs at the PIH led to cardiac arrest after which Mr Khazaeis condition became irretrievable. Seeking ways to prevent future deaths in similar circumstances, Mr Ryan said the best solution was to bring refugees and asylum seekers to Australia or New Zealand to ensure they received the quality of healthcare they were entitled to. However, he admitted that would be highly unlikely to happen. Mr Ryan found it was the Australian governments responsibility to provide health care to asylum seekers and refugees in detention centres at the same standard as they would have received in Australia. He recommended the health care systems in off-shore centres be put under yearly audits with the assistance of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Where adequate health care cannot be provided in a regional processing country the cost of a transfer to Australia should not be a relevant consideration in the approval process, he said. Decisions about medical transfers should be based on clinical considerations. Mr Ryan recommended the federal Department of Home Affairs implement a written policy to manage medical transfers with the priority being on health and wellbeing. Under that policy the approval process for medical transfers should be led by persons located in regional processing countries with clinical training in emergency medicine, he found. Mr Ryan also said that Port Moresby's Pacific International Hospital, which is currently tasked with providing care to offshore detainees, should meet Australian medical standards. He further recommended that the Commonwealth Attorney-General establish laws to ensure all deaths of asylum seekers in refugee camps be independently investigated in Australia. A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs said it was reviewing the findings and had provided "full assistance" to the inquiry. "The Department expresses our condolences to the family and friends of Mr Khazaei," the spokesperson said. Protestors outside court expressed frustration that no single party had been held responsible for Mr Khazaeis death. Doctors for Refugees convenor Dr Barri Phatarfod said it had made her sick to her stomach to hear there were no antibiotics available to treat Mr Khazaei at the Manus Island clinic. She warned that similar deaths could easily occur again and that nothing has changed since Mr Khazaeis death. What we have seen quite tragically is even since the death of Mr Khazaei, things have not changed in the off-shore detention centres. Things have actually become worse," she said. With the withdrawal of IHMS providing healthcare on Manus Island and also soon to be Nauru, we see that the existing health services in both those locations are really stretched. Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul told reporters outside court the findings were damning. The coroner has put the lie to what weve so often heard, he said. The health systems that apply on Manus Island and Nauru are nowhere near adequate. When Hamid Khazaei was transferred from Christmas Island to Manus Island, that was effectively a death sentence. Amnesty International refugee researcher Kate Schuetze said the findings showed Australia was entirely responsible for the death of Mr Khazaei. Did you know that we cannot rely on the smell of smoke to alert us to the danger of a fire? Scents will not rouse us from our sleep in the way noise will. Common causes of house fires are electric blankets and heaters, and now that were in the throes of winter, its important to ensure our loved ones are protected while we try to stay warm. Smoke alarms are compulsory in every home in Australia and play an important role in detecting fire and preventing it from spreading. The type of smoke alarm required, and its location, depends on the State you reside in and the year your home was built. In Victoria, NSW and SA, smoke alarms that comply with Australian Standards (AS3786) must be installed in all homes, units, and townhouses. A man found dead in a bin at a storage facility in Melbourne's south-east has been identified 17 years after he mysteriously vanished. John Christianos, a graphic artist originally from South Australia, was last seen in mid-June in 2001. He had been living in East Bentleigh for six months when he suddenly stopped paying rent, prompting a missing persons report. His body was found more than 17 years later by staff clearing out a storage facility on Milgate Street in Oakleigh South earlier this month. Few are as fast-growing and urbanised, either. Australias growth is among the highest in the rich world, but unlike other countries is focused on just two cities, Sydney and Melbourne. The latter has a 3 per cent expansion rate that would, if left unchecked, give it a London-sized population by mid-century. Were increasingly acknowledging the squeeze on house prices, transport, services and the environment. Three or four years ago it would have seemed impolite to say were full. Now its a common refrain. Until the last year or two, Australia had resisted the toxic immigration rows threatening democracies in Europe and which helped deliver Brexit to the UK, a far right revival in Germany, and Donald Trump to the US. Demonstrators hold placards during a protest against Donald Trump in central London earlier this month. Credit:Bloomberg But population pressure has brought immigration to centre stage in Australian politics, egged on in particular by conservatives in the Turnbull government, including former prime minister, Tony Abbott. Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton, in particular, has heard and stirred discontent. Amid calls for the fast-tracking of immigration for persecuted white South Africans and action against African gangs in Victoria, he has slashed approvals for permanent migrant arrivals, replaced 457 temporary work visas, and hinted at yet tougher rules on other visas. Experts now see big cuts to immigration as inevitable under the Coalition. But what is the rationale? How should such decisions be made? More consumers, please The Yugoslavian ship, Partizanka, arrives in Sydney carrying migrants, 18 January 1948. Credit:Fairfax libary Populate or perish was the warning when, 70 years ago, Australia came out of World War II as a nervy nation of just 7 million on a massive island continent with vast, unguarded borders. Immigration would be our saviour. Population and were now 25 million was always about money too. It was customers for bread and clothes, computers and houses, for companies like Coles, Woolworths and AV Jennings. Population growth is a combination of natural increase, births over deaths, plus net overseas migration the difference between the annual intake and outflow of migrants. Because we have a low birthrate, immigration is the major contributor to our growth, and (apart from Peter Costellos one for the country exhortation), the only real lever governments have to affect it. The most important lobby group in the population and immigration policy debates is business. For decades it ensured the lever was set on open to keep the customers coming. The permanent immigration program the target of 190,000 has been rebadged a ceiling by the Coalition encompasses skills, family and refugee/humanitarian programs. Then there is the uncapped temporary immigration. This includes myriad visas, through which Australia plays host to about 1.5 million people at any one time, including students, working holiday makers, temporary skilled and unskilled migrant workers. About 50,000 more temporary migrants arrive than leave every year, giving us overall immigration of about 240,000 annually, a high level internationally. Many temporary migrants are students, contributing to a burgeoning education industry. Credit:Imaginechina No one questions that such a big intake adds to Australias annual GDP growth. And, says Brendan Coates from leading think tank the Grattan Institute, population growth makes the numbers look good for governments keen to avoid the stigma of a recession. But GDP tells us nothing about how population growth affects our individual wellbeing. The more important measure is GDP per capita, or per person. Important here is the fact that, since the Howard years in particular, Australias immigration policy shamelessly focuses on skills and youth. Migrants tend to be younger than the existing population and, therefore, more likely to work. Around 84 per cent of migrants who arrived in 2015-16 were aged under 40 years compared to 54 per cent of the resident population. Loading Through their relative youth, migrants help slow the ageing of the population it's known as the demographic dividend" giving Australia an economic edge over fast-ageing, low-immigration countries like Japan. As migrants tend to be more skilled theyre also likely to be more productive. Inherently they tend to have a lot of get up and go, says Coates, because by definition theyve already got up and gone. Young workers are also at the stage of their life when their taxable income is usually at its highest, but their use of government services such as health, education and aged care, at its lowest. Many, temporary migrants in particular, are not entitled to services and benefits, including welfare and Medicare. In fiscal terms, therefore, migrants are a boon to both federal and state coffers. Milking the immigration cow Abul Rizvi has been immersed in immigration policy for decades, including as immigration department deputy secretary in the Howard years. He says Victoria and NSW have been big winners from immigration, especially from legions of international students. Thats why we call education an export industry, he points out. People who come here more than pay their own way. We make a profit from them. Possibly too much so, given research, including by The Age/SMH, that points to systemic underpayment and exploitation of low skilled workers on temporary visas, especially in hospitality and farm work. Loading To date, however, there has been little clear evidence of the wider impact of permanent migrant workers on wages or jobs. After commissioning research for a major 2016 immigration report, the Productivity Commission concluded that, at an aggregate level, recent immigrants had a negligible impact on wages and employment for existing workers. So within the narrow economic parameter of per capita GDP, immigration is a significant benefit. In 2015 the governments intergenerational report found that in the preceding 40 years, population growth contributed almost 18 per cent of the 1.7 per cent annual average growth in GDP per capita Australia has enjoyed. Looking forward, the Productivity Commission in 2016 estimated that continuing the intake of younger, skilled migrants could make GDP per capita up to 7 per cent higher in 2060 than if there were zero net migration over that period. A cut in immigration, therefore, would almost certainly mean a reduction in economic growth, both in aggregate and per capita terms. How big the impact would depend on how deep the cuts ultimately prove to be, and from which programs. In the governments pronouncements so far, they have not made this clear. Traffic congestion is chronic in Australia's major cities. Credit:Josh Robenstone However, national GDP figures tell only a part of the population cost-benefit story. They do not, for instance, account for the fact that immigrants congregate in two major cities. And from the perspective of Sydney and Melbourne, the view is very different. In the decade to 2016, Australia grew by more than 6 million, with capital cities taking three quarters of the increase. Melbourne and Sydney took almost 60 per cent, or 3.6 million people. So any increase or reduction to immigration will have outsized impacts in NSW and, especially, Victoria. Permanent migrants in particular are drawn to the high-paying knowledge" jobs, which are increasingly concentrated in central Sydney and Melbourne, where the share of total metropolitan employment increased to 22.4 per cent and 20.5 per cent respectively over the 10 years to 2016. But housing supply has not kept up with demand, an important factor in the slump in housing affordability, along with government withdrawal from public housing provision and failure to tax windfalls from land rezoning and development. Census data shows that population growth mainly migration outstripped construction of new dwellings across Australia between 2006 and 2016, especially in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. The Grattan Institute says the primary obstacle to housing construction is planning rules that delay or prevent development, especially in the well-to-do, jealously protected, middle suburbs. It says new housing is pushed to the fringe and beyond good transport, services and well-paid knowledge jobs. Where there is public transport, its packed. For those without it, travel times have blown out over the last decade, a major burden for commuters and their families. Grattan says governments have not helped with their disproportionate spending on infrastructure in marginal seats, rather than in the cities struggling to absorb population growth. In a confronting conclusion to a major housing study earlier this year, Grattan found that if planning is not improved to allow for more and better located housing , the federal government should pull back on migration numbers. Water, farms and the beach Expensive housing is just one of the costs of population growth. Theres also the spiralling costs of services such as water, especially when the sustainable use of natural supplies is exhausted and technological alternatives like desalination become necessary. This raises the cost of living for the Australian community, concluded the Productivity Commission in 2016. Then theres the loss of prime farmland and food on the edge of our cities, the loss of habitat and species, declining fish stocks, once-empty beaches now busy, queues, and so on. None of these pressures are factored into GDP assessments of immigration. But they should be measured, says the Productivity Commission, which has called for a national population policy, compiled with the states and wider community, to help guide decisions about our long-term immigrant intake. If poor planning and infrastructure provision is in large part to blame for the population squeeze, and likely cuts to immigration, then governments at all levels are responsible. Marcus Spiller is a founder of economics and planning consultancy SGS. It has prominent practices in Sydney and Melbourne. He says the problem is not that we have too many migrants, but government negligence federal and state in housing, infrastructure and planning. He says the Commonwealth that would include Peter Dutton and Tony Abbott lacks a coherent housing or transport policy, has all but vacated social housing, and picks political winners when it funds road and rail projects. Prominent independent economist Saul Eslake is also critical of planning for cities, noting that Australia had faster population growth rates in the post-war boom of the 1950s and 1960s, And we didnt have the problems we now have.' The Turnbull government is now considering calls, including from backbenchers such as West Australian senator Dean Smith, for a population policy. A birds eye, national policy to help guide planning, including a strategy for settlement of migrants in country towns and regional cities, could be a major breakthrough in Australian planning across three levels of government. Its an idea reminiscent of big-picture thinking of the post-war years when, Eslake says, people tended to trust that governments had it right on population, planning and immigration numbers. Federal Labor MP Linda Burney has called for the debate over an Indigenous voice to Parliament to be resolved before the coming election, after a Parliamentary committee report identified wide-ranging differences of opinion. Ms Burney, who was the first Aboriginal person to serve in the New South Wales Parliament, said it would be "very wrong" if constitutional recognition became an election issue. "This is really important, not just for Aboriginal Australians but for all Australians," she said, adding that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would be "on the wrong side of history" if he did not support a voice to Parliament. Labor MP Linda Burney Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The comments came after the bipartisan committee on which Ms Burney sits - established by the Parliament to consider and develop proposals for constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians - released its interim report on Monday, detailing a range of conflicting views. Malcolm Turnbull's chief of staff Peter Woolcott will be the Coalition government's new public service commissioner receiving $706,000 a year after his predecessor resigns next month. The prime minister announced the Foreign Affairs Department deputy secretary and diplomat would begin the role on August 9, following the outgoing commissioner John Lloyd's retirement. Mr Woolcott will take over the Australian Public Service Commission with a reputation as one of Australia's most experienced and credentialled diplomats. Both Coalition and Labor governments have sent him to represent Australia in talks on whaling, people smuggling and nuclear non-proliferation. In 2015 under the Abbott government he was head of Australia's delegation at the Paris climate treaty talks. Mr Turnbull said Mr Woolcott was highly regarded and had three decades in the Australian Public Service. Former prime minister Tony Abbott has declared there are "no votes" in the Turnbull government plan to cut company tax rates as a key Coalition MP goes public with a call to dump the policy. Liberal National Party MP Luke Howarth followed Mr Abbott's warning on Monday morning by declaring hours afterwards the government should drop it and move on if the Senate voted against the final phase of the company tax cuts. I think they should sort this out fairly quickly. If its not going to be passed its not going to be passed and the government should drop it and move on, Mr Howarth told Sky News. Queensland government MP Luke Howarth has called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to drop the Coalition's policy on company tax. Credit:Andrew Meares The comments intensify the discussion within the Coalition over the flagship economic policy after the swing to Labor in the key seat of Longman in Queensland on Saturday. Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, who was convicted of concealing child sexual abuse. Archbishop Wilson said he hoped his resignation would be a "catalyst to heal pain and distress" caused by his conviction, in a statement released by the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide. He said although his resignation was not requested he said that he "made this decision because I have become increasingly worried at the growing level of hurt that my recent conviction has caused within the community". I had hoped to defer this decision until after the appeal process had been completed. However, there is just too much pain and distress being caused by my maintaining the office of Archbishop of Adelaide, especially to the victims of Fr Fletcher. Rajbiraj locals capture child kidnap suspect before turning him to police A 25-year-old man was captured and submitted to police for trying to abduct a school girl at Rajbiraj Municipality in Saptari district. Ipswich ratepayers should foot the bill to pay compensation to almost a dozen councillors when they get the sack, Queensland's peak body for local government says. The state government plans to pass legislation that would dismiss the Ipswich City Council including 10 councillors not facing any charges and appoint an administrator until the next local government elections in March 2020, with no chance for appeal. LGAQ CEO Greg Hallam says sacked Ipswich councillors should receive a separation package. Credit:Dave Hunt/AAP It comes after 15 people have been charged with 79 offences, with seven of those either current or former staff members or councillors. None of the charges have been finalised in court. But I take Apple at its word when it say this issue has affected a small amount of users. In my day job Im a Mac admin, and in the last few years Ive worked at two universities with about 1400 MacBook Pros across both fleets. I only knew of two MacBook Pros that were replaced, and both had unfortunate encounters with a spilt glass of wine. If butterfly keys failed as often as Mac bloggers suggest, I wouldve dealt with many more. This is a Pro Mac It seems that every Apple product must launch with some kind of controversy, real or imagined. Last year the complaint was that there was no 32GB RAM option (despite that being a limitation of Intels chips and therefore a limitation for the rest of the industry, too). Thanks to the newer Intel chips inside, the 15-inch Macbook can now support 32GB of DDR4 RAM, making the MacBook a true desktop replacement. The 2018 MacBook Pro controversy was throttle-gate, which lasted a few days before a software update fixed an issue few would encounter. Ignore the panic, this laptop is crazy powerful. I tested the laptop editing 4K video in Davinci Resolve and was able to make real time edits on multiple 4K tracks, then spun up a few test virtual machines and had them all running their own intensive tasks. The Macbook didn't break a sweat. Loading Yes, Apple could make the MacBook Pro fatter, with giant fans and ugly grills to allow more cooling and therefore just a little more power, but thats the kind of laptop very few people would want. Design is about compromise, and even the most dedicated software developer or video editor probably spends more time in low powered tasks like email or browsing the web than theyd care to admit. Im happy with the balance of portability over power the MacBook Pro has chosen. For those looking to add a professional, desktop class GPU to their workflow, Apple have partnered with Melbourne based Blackmagic Design on an external GPU enclosure. Plugging in to one of the Thunderbolt 3 ports, youll be able to leverage the GPU for graphics, gaming, and VR development. Make the Touch Bar an optional extra In 2016 I purchased a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, expecting the OLED strip at the top of the keyboard to become part of my day-to-day usage. I immediately saw the value in logging in to a computer with Touch ID, and every now and then the Touch Bar would pleasantly surprise me I particularly liked the way the Macs Calendar app used the strip but more often than not, I found I missed the function keys more than I enjoyed the Touch Bar. Last year, when switching jobs, my new employer offered to purchase any laptop I wanted. I asked for the MacBook Pro without Touch Bar. The problem, especially for long time Mac users, is that the Touch Bar takes longer to use than the keys it replaces. Having used an Apple Laptop daily since the 2001 iBook G3 I could lower the brightness of my screen or increase volume with muscle memory, I knew exactly which function keys to hit. With the Touch Bar Id have to look away from the screen, tap the strip to expand, then hit the flat, non-haptic controls. Loading Ive heard similar complaints from Photoshop or Final Cut Pro experts; sure, the Touch Bar gives fast access to certain functions that may be buried seven submenus deep, but the people whove used those applications for years know the keyboard shortcuts. The Touch Bar seems more suited to a low-end, beginners laptop than it does a Pro machine. But the big complaint is that the Touch Bar is not an optional extra. If you want to buy the high end 13-inch or any of the 15-inch devices, youll get the Touch Bar whether you want it or not, adding to the price of the laptop. The USB-C own goal Another complaint is the lack of ports beyond USB-C. I wrote back in 2015 that I welcomed the move to USB-C, which can also be Thunderbolt 3, and is on the MacBook Pros (but thats too confusing to explain here). Im glad to see more PC laptops embrace USB-C, but most are taking a more conservative approach; adding USB-C while keeping legacy USB - around as well. This could be blamed for the slow uptake in USB-C overall, but I actually think its a far more popular Apple device the iPhone that is to blame for the slower uptake. Loading For me, the benefit of USB-C is most obvious when you have USB C on both ends of the cable. When you can use the one cable to charge or transfer between your laptop, phone, camera, or headphones, then it makes sense. When you dont need to check which end of the cable you have, because both ends are identical, then it makes even more sense. Instead, the iPhone and iPad have held onto Lightning on one end, and USB-A on the other, so I cant charge my iPhone or iPad with my MacBook Pro charger without buying a separate cable, but I can charge my Samsung Galaxy S9. Even if I did buy the USB-C-to-lightning cable, Id need to check which end was in my hand. If the iPhone cable was USB-C on both ends, then Im sure hotels and airlines and docks wouldve quickly replaced USB-A with C, and the rest of the market wouldve followed. Increased competition These complaints around the Touch Bar era MacBook Pro coincided with increased competition in the laptop market. When I bought that iBook back in 2001, it was so far ahead of the comparable laptops in build quality and included software, it was an easy choice to make. Today, PC manufacturers have understood they need to compete on hardware, with Dells XPS line, HPs Spectre, and Microsofts various Surfaces all beautifully designed devices. If Apple hadnt improved the keyboard, Id be mighty tempted by the XPS in particular. Loading It is worth noting that the most successful Windows laptop designs seem to borrow more heavily from Apples MacBook Air than they do from the MacBook Pro design. Obviously none of these pretty new laptops run macOS; which I prefer over Windows 10 both from a personal perspective and from a support perspective. The simplicity of managing a fleet of Macs cannot be understated in the MacBooks continuing success; if I can do it, anyone can. Mumbai: Indias registrar general said on Monday that 4,007,707 people had been excluded from a draft national register of citizens in the border state of Assam, raising fears for the future of people in the region. An Indian ragpicker boy searches for recyclable material at a garbage dump on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam state, India. Credit:AP Sailesh, the registrar general and census commissioner of India, said those excluded from the list would not be deported from the country and would have a chance to file an appeal. More than 30 million had provided documents to prove their citizenship. Security has been tightened across the state, which borders Bangladesh, as thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims worry about being sent to detention centres or deported, a Reuters witness said. "I probably, at least partially, won an election because of immigration," Trump said during a news conference at NATO headquarters. "Giuseppe, who I got to know quite well over the last month and a half, he won his election because of strong immigration policies on Italy." Giuseppe Conte at NATO. Credit:Bloomberg In fact, Conte became Italy's leader not by winning an election, but because of a coalition deal between two anti-establishment political parties. Both the far-right League and the more politically amorphous Five Star Movement had leaders who aspired to become prime minister. As a compromise in forming a joint government, they plucked Conte - who'd already been tapped by the Five Star Movement as a potential cabinet minister - from the ranks of academia. He had no political experience. He had almost no public profile. For much of his life, he had been a centre-left voter. Suddenly, he was in charge of Western Europe's first fully populist government. Some of the Italian government's DNA resembles that of Trump's. Matteo Salvini, Italy's interior minister and the most dominant figure in the government, is a constant social media user who talks about "fake news", has turned away migrants and uses the slogan "Italians First". Interior Minister Matteo Salvini bathes in the swimming pool as he visits a villa seized in 2007 from a Cosa Nostra boss, in Suvignano, near Siena, central Italy. Credit:ANSA/AP Salvini attended a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania two years ago, and he said in a recent interview that he appreciates Trump's follow-through on promises, such as the relocation of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Five weeks after taking national office, early July opinion polls indicated that Salvinis party has soared in popularity. A child admires the 1575 Fontana del Moro in Rome's Piazza Navon. Credit:AP Italy's new leaders, after rattling global markets in late May, have said they have no intention to leave Europe's common currency. But their spending plans, yet to be put into effect, could cause a clash with the European Union over budget restriction rules. Italy has also raised concerns about European sanctions on Russia, saying they hurt Italian firms. When Trump in June suggested that Russia should be readmitted to the Group of Seven industrial nations, Conte was the only other leader at the summit to signal his agreement - though he then softened his stance, telling reporters, according to Reuters, that sanctions shouldn't be dropped "overnight". "This Italian government is trying to be less Europeanist and more Atlantic," said Stefania Panebianco, who teaches about politics at the University of Catania and the LUISS School of Government. "More pro-US and less pro-European." So far, Conte has played a less visible role in the government than Salvini, and some politicians in Rome describe the interior minister as the de facto premier. But Conte has made some waves within Europe, pushing for new rules on the continent for processing and distributing migrants arriving across the Mediterranean. Migrants wait to disembark from Frontex ship "Protector" at the port of Pozzallo, Sicily, Italy, after a half-dozen European countries promised to take some of them. Credit:ANSA/AP Tensions within Italy's coalition flared earlier this month when Salvini wanted to block port access to an Italian coast guard ship returning with rescued migrants. Conte gave a green light for the migrants to come ashore after a rare intervention from President Sergio Mattarella. "We're talking about somebody who had no political experience and no wish to be involved until very recently," said Nathalie Tocci, director of the Italian International Affairs Institute. "But it has to be said that, so far, he is growing into something - something that tends to be more constructive than destructive." In a recent interview with the Il Fatto Quotidiano, Conte was asked by the newspaper's editor, Marco Travaglio, why he had so far "spoken so little to Italians". "Because I feel that Italians are interested in government initiatives, not words," said Conte, who then explained that he felt he was getting accustomed to the job. "I forget the fact that only some days before, I was a private citizen who would watch [Angela] Merkel and [Emmanuel] Macron on TV. I immediately entered my new role." The White House, in its release about Conte's visit, said the leaders would hold a private conversation as well as a bilateral meeting. Conte could look for American support as Rome tries to play a lead role in the rebuilding of Libya, a strategically important energy partner that is also helping Italy to restrict migration traffic. Trump and Conte are also likely to discuss trade - a key source of tension between the US and Europe, even after a recent truce has assuaged fears of a trade war. Latest News NAB hikes fixed interest rates while lowering variable The last Big Four fixed hold out has gone, but flagship variable slashed Meet the mortgage belt, the new battleground area for home lending With APRA rules set to change, a key market segment is about to be squeezed out Industry leaders, including presidents of both industry associations, gathered at a professional development day this month to discuss the changing mortgage market and industry as a whole. Themed as Ever Changing. Ever Evolving., PLAN Australias 2018 Digital Residential Professional Development Day featured six sessions covering technology, risk management and building sustainable broking businesses. In the opening session, PLAN Australia CEO Anja Pannek was joined by Peter White, executive director of the FBAA, Mike Felton, CEO of the MFAA and Peter Clark, a member of both PLAN Australia and the Combined Industry Forum (CIF), in a panel discussion on how the broking industry will adapt, change and thrive into the future. The session provided participants with an understanding of the work underway in response to the Australian Securities and Investments Commissions (ASIC) Broker Remuneration Review, through the CIF, discussing why self-regulation is important and what changes brokers can expect looking forward. Pannek said, We are not only in a period of unprecedented change, but also a period of unprecedented collaboration. The CIF is a classic example of how we remain committed to working proactively for the benefit of customers and of our industry with Government, Treasury, regulators and all industry participants." Felton added, The CIF has been a defining moment for our industry. We defined our goal which is achieving good customer outcomes and reinforced that each stakeholder has a legal duty of care in putting their customers interest ahead of their own. Weve had the foresight to be frontfooted and are implementing reforms as we speak to come out with strong solutions for the industry. White also added, A further recommendation that came out of the CIF report is having an ASIC approved uniform code of conduct across the whole industry which is more transparent, enforceable and accountable. This work is well underway and were all working as a team to achieve this. Pannek said industry change represented a strong opportunity for brokers to drive productivity and review their business plans and customer proposition to enable them to thrive into the future. She added, There is a strong need for guidance and advice to cut through the continued complexity in the lending landscape. I see more Australians using brokers in the next five years than ever before." Her comments were echoed by Felton, who highlighted brokers growing share of the home loan market. He said, At a time when confidence in the entire financial sector is in question, 55.3% of customers continue to flock to mortgage brokers, which in my view is a clear reflection of the positive customer outcomes being produced. Peter Clark highlighted the opportunity to continue to grow the broking industry by attracting fresh talent. He said, New entrants are seeking reassurance if this is the right time to enter the broking world. I believe now its more important than ever for clients to have a trusted adviser by their side to help them navigate the policy changes. White added: If you ask: is it a good time to enter the industry?, Id say Yes, it is. If you can cut it today, you can cut it anytime. Pannek encouraged all members to take the time to read the CIF report, emphasising the great context it provides as to the industrys future direction. Clark said brokers should stay informed, ask questions and participate in educational events offered by their aggregator. He said, The role of an aggregator has become even more important in the current environment. Joining hands with a good quality aggregator will take you a long way in your broking journey." Related stories: Trust is big issue in finance Report shows value of mortgage brokers Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC A young couple who fled death threats in their native Iraq when they were teenagers are now raising their young daughter in Sheepshead Bay with the support of a Downtown group that helps immigrants and refugees resettle in Brooklyn. The couples journey began one night in July 2014, when notoriously dangerous Iran-backed Shia militiamen knocked on the door of then-19-year-old Jaafar Mohammed Al-Khafajis family home in Baghdad, where he lived with his pregnant wife, Doaa Almasoodi, Al-Khafaji said. The Shia militiamen demanded that Al-Khafaji and his brothers join their fight against Islamic State or else, he told this paper. They said, you have to be with us, to join our group if not, youre going to be killed or you have to leave your home, Al-Khafaji said through a translator. When the militiamen began shooting their rifles in the air outside, Almasoodi fainted out of fear, according to the couple. An hour later, when the militiamen had dispersed, the couple fled with Al-Khafajis family in the dead of night, leaving behind everything including baby clothes for their unborn daughter, they said. I was preparing for the baby shower for my daughter, buying a lot of stuff, and I left it all behind, said Almasoodi through a translator. The couple went to live with Almasoodis relatives in a suburb about 10 miles west of Baghdad, they said, and fled within days to Ankara, the capital of Turkey, with a group of Al-Khafajis family members. Life was difficult in Turkey where refugees face discrimination and even death they said. But when United Nations workers learned about the young couples circumstances including Almasoodis pregnancy they set up an interview to start building their case to flee to the U.S. as refugees just two months after they arrived in Turkey, according to the couple. And a month later, in October 2014, Almasoodi gave birth to the couples daughter, Sema, they said. Nearly three years later, in August 2017, the family finally flew to the U.S. Once in Brooklyn, they joined Almasoodis parents who had previously fled to the U.S. after they received threats at their Bensonhurst home, where they could finally enjoy the peace that they lacked in Baghdad, Almasoodi said. We were so relieved and happy to come to the U.S., Almasoodi said. Almasoodis parents helped the couple adjust to life in their new country, making their transition much easier than it wouldve been otherwise, she said. We dont speak the language, and they speak the language, Almasoodi said. A lot of things we dont know, they help us and guide us. If we came by ourselves and we didnt know anyone here, it would be much more difficult for us. Earlier this year, Almasoodis parents helped the couple move into their own apartment in Sheepshead Bay. And staffers at the Downtown Arab American Family Support Center including the centers director of community outreach and prevention support, Amed AlFaraji, who also translated the interview helped the family pay off part of their airfare fees, since all refugees have to repay their travel costs to the U.S. State Department within three-and-a-half years. The center uses funds from its New Immigrants and Refugees Fund, launched last July, to help refugee families like Al-Khafaji and Almasoodis across the borough pay off their airfare fees and access mental health services, English courses, and job training. The fund is the only one of its kind nationwide, according to AlFaraji, and has provided more than 300 people with more than $100,000 worth of social services and airfare payments since it launched a year ago. Today, Al-Khafaji supports his family by working six days a week in a supermarket, and Almasoodi stays busy raising 3-year-old Sema. But both parents have bigger dreams for their future. Both want to go back to school Al-Khafaji to become a police officer, and Almasoodi to become a nutritionist. They also hope their daughter will seize her future in the U.S., and Almasoodi said she has already proven to be an independent little girl with a bright future ahead. Im confident that shes going to be something when she grows up, because she has a strong personality, Almasoodi said. Shes responsible and smart. But even though the couple is grateful for the chance to start their lives in the relative safety of the U.S., they cant forget the life they left behind in Baghdad. We miss our country, our friends, our relatives, the place where we were born, Al-Khafaji said. Among the family members they miss the most are Al-Khafajis parents, who have been stuck in Turkey waiting to travel to the U.S. for nearly five years, and whose case has seemingly stalled since President Trump announced his plan last fall to set a historically low cap on the number of refugees allowed to resettle in the U.S. Al-Khafaji and Almasoodi plan to file a petition for Al-Khafajis parents to come to the U.S. as soon as the couple is able to, but that wont be until after the Arab American Family Support Center helps them secure green cards, and eventually citizenship, which will take at least five years. Even then, his parents prospects could still be uncertain, since the Trump Administration is pushing a massive overhaul of legal-immigration rules, seeking to scrap the family reunification visas that Al-Khafajis parents would rely on. In the meantime, the couple wants their new American neighbors to understand the difficult plight of the more than 25-million refugees worldwide who are still enduring the tenuous lives the young couple escaped, trapped in limbo in refugee camps, waiting for a stroke of luck to change their lives. They are so desperate, theyre just waiting, Al-Khafaji said. Its like an endless wait. Lets go to the circus this summer! This statement probably hasnt been uttered very often since the 1940s. Going to a circus sideshow may seem odd in 2018, but this is one of many group outing ideas available when visiting Brooklyn. As one of the largest hubs for diverse culture in New York, Brooklyn is home to museums and centers you wont find anywhere else in the states. If youre a tourist scouting the area for an interesting new way to spend your time in the city, look no further than the heart of Brooklyn, home to Coney Island, the Museum of Food and Drink, and the New York Transit Museum. Putting aside some time during your next trip to Brooklyn will be well worth it to visit these local gems. Coordinating a group trip to hit each of these stops is easy with a private charter bus rental. Hop on a private charter bus or minibus with a group of friends and ride around Brooklyn to enjoy the food, culture, and history. Circus fun at Coney Island Coney Island USA is located right along the water in the eponymous Coney Island neighborhood in Brooklyn. Historically, the area is known for its beach, Boardwalk, and theme park rides at Luna Park. Coney Island USA consists of the Coney Island Museum, Sideshows by the Seashore, and the Shooting Gallery-Arts Annex, each functioning as exhibitions of a unique part of American popular culture. The circus sideshows run most days throughout the summer months into fall, offering a continuous show from 1 pm to 7 pm. Clowns, snake charmers, contortionists, and sword swallowers are just a few of the performers taking the stage during the sideshows. Be a foodie Circuses might not be for everyone, but food is, right? The Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) is an interactive space for teaching food-making processes, exploring the cultural background and history of different foods, as well as enhancing the publics overall culinary appreciation. The MOFAD Lab inside the museum offers exhibits with monthly rotating menu items available for visitor tastings and several educational (and delicious) program series like Dinners of the Past with Edible History. The museum functions at the intersection of food, culture, history, collaboration, and most of all creativity. A blast from the past The New York Transit Museum is another space perfect for visitors looking to get a new perspective on the history of New Yorks metro area. New York is known for many things, but its efficient public transportation may be an often-forgotten piece of history. The museum is housed in an underground subway station, displaying various types of vintage subway cars and transit buses engineered throughout the citys history. Rotating exhibitions are also on display for visitors interested in learning transportations role in history, including poetry, comics, and photography. An ally in group transportation If youre planning a group trip into Brooklyn to explore any of these destinations and the surrounding area, renting a private charter bus is a reliable and safe option. Public transportation in New York is indeed some of the most efficient, but coordinating a large group arriving at the same time can be difficult to say the least. Coney Island, MOFAD, and the Transit Museum are among many destinations good for school field trips or even private personal groups just looking to have fun while visiting Brooklyn. If youre ready to explore charter options and take on Brooklyn, Ally Charter Bus has you covered. Call (917) 7939048 to chat with an Ally representative about your travel options in Brooklyn. Daniella Deloatch is a contributing writer at Ally Charter Bus. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC A developer behind the project to build housing and a recreation center at the Bedford-Union Armory is looking forward to starting construction this fall, after a judge last month dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of Crown Heights residents seeking to block the plan. We are excited to now move ahead with our plans to turn the Bedford-Union Armory into a vibrant community hub, said Sam Spokony, a spokesman for developer BFC Partners. The suit filed by the Legal Aid Society alleged that the citys environmental review process failed to account for the effects of developments on residents living in rent-stabilized apartments, who despite guaranteed rent renewals may be subject to harassment from landlords as market values soar. But in a decision dated July 11, state Supreme Court Justice Carmen Victoria St. George ruled that the citys review guidelines provide an adequate perspective on the environmental impact of developments even when community members disagree with the outcome. The court is sympathetic to petitioners, who aim to protect those who are not members of community boards, are not elected officials, and often do not express their positions at public hearings. St. George wrote. The goal of the city, and of the projects at hand, is to balance the interests of communities this courts role, in turn, is not to question the way in which the city, entrusted with these projects, draws the balance. And when it came to the Bedford-Armory project specifically, the citys environmental review process worked as intended, according to the St. George, who noted how the citys Economic Development Corporation altered early plans that included luxury condos in response to community complaints. Petitioners contention that the lead agency disregarded the criticism of the community. is belied by the facts, the judge wrote. On the contrary, after it considered the comments, the lead [city] agency decided that the project would no longer include luxury condominiums. The Legal Aid Society, which represented two Crown Heights residents living in affordable housing in the suit, contended that the judges decision disregarded the fact that the armory development will have major consequences for low-income locals. The lead attorney on the case said the Society is considering options to appeal. We still maintain that the methodology the city employs to measure tenant displacement is fundamentally flawed, and that it ignores obvious realities and the consequences of land use decisions on rents and livelihoods, said Kay Meyers. We are currently weighing all of our options including appellate litigation and legislation that will finally resolve this issue for our clients and other low-income New Yorkers. BFC Partners struck a deal with the DeBlasio administration to redevelop the historic military structure, and plans to build market-rate and affordable housing there, in addition to a recreation center with office space for non-profit organizations, as part of a 99-year lease with the city as its landlord. Timure bridge to be repaired urgently The government has attached priority to the repair of a bridge over Timure Ghattekhola in Rasuwa with an aim to resume vehicular movement between Nepal and China within a week. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC A gunman brute shot three men inside a Bushwick playground July 26, killing one of them, police said. The victims were hanging out in the green space near Knickerbocker Avenue and Madison Street when the attacker opened fire at about 6:30 pm, fatally hitting a 21-year-old in the back, authorities said. The gunmans bullets also struck one 20-year-old in the back and elbow, and grazed another in the arm, investigators said. Paramedics rushed the 21-year-old whose name was not immediately released pending family notification to Wyckoff Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. The wounded victims were taken to Brookdale Hospital in stable condition, officers said. Investigators found three shell casings at the scene, according to a spokesman for New Yorks Finest, who said two men in their early 20s were spotted fleeing the scene down Woodbine Street. At press time, police had not made any arrests, and said the investigation was continuing. State-owned carrier Air India has sought Rs 21.21 billion ($309 million) of additional equity from the government for the fiscal year 2018-19 to make pending payments to its vendors, a source at the airline told Reuters on Monday. Air India owes about Rs 18 billion to its vendors, including lessors and banks that have demanded payment from the beleaguered airline, after the government's unsuccessful efforts to find a buyer for its 76 per cent stake. The airline expects to receive the additional equity within the next 7 to 10 days after which it will be able to clear all dues, ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor TU officials accused over NMC affiliation dismiss panel report Tribhuvan University (TU) officials have expressed strong reservations over the Gauri Bahadur Karki-led probe committee report that implicates 43 individuals, including top TU officials, for providing affiliation to the National Medical College (NMC). They claim the report has violated legal in accusing persons for their involvement. Debt-ridden Ltd (JAL) on Monday reported a standalone net loss of Rs 2.85 billion for the first quarter of this financial year. Its net profit stood at Rs 7.65 billion in the year-ago period, the company said in a regulatory filing. Total income also declined to Rs 17 billion during April-June period of 2018-19 fiscal from Rs 26.02 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. The company incurred exceptional expenses of Rs 1.92 billion towards entry tax liability in Uttar Pradesh. "The company had challenged the levy of entry tax on account of various grounds. However, had dismissed all the Special leave petitions filed by several petitioners including the company on above matter. The liability on account of interest on entry tax, if any, is currently sub judice with High Court, Allahabad and hence unascertainable, at this stage," JAL said. Jaiprakash Associates, which is a flagship company of the crisis-hit Jaypee group, is into construction, cement, real estate, hospitality and power businesses. JAL has been selling its cement business to reduce debt. is facing a huge crisis because of significant delay in completion of its real estate projects that forced buyers to approach courts seeking either flats or refund of their hard-earned money. JAL's subsidiary firm Jaypee Infratech is facing bankruptcy proceedings after it defaulted on Rs 5.26 billion loan to IDBI. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in August last year admitted IDBI Bank's plea to initiate insolvency proceedings and appointed Anuj Jain as Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) to mange the company's business. Later, the IRP invited bids from investors interested in acquiring Jaypee Infratech and completing the stuck real estate projects in Noida and Greater Noida. ALSO READ: SC to hear home buyers plea against Jaiprakash Associates on July 16 Consequently, Lakshadweep, a joint venture between the Sudhir Valia-led Suraksha Asset Reconstruction Company and Mumbai-based Dosti Realty, emerged as a front-runner to acquire Jaypee Infratech with Rs 7,350 crore bid. But, lenders rejected this bid as they found it inadequate. The lenders did not consider the bid of Jaypee's promoter Manoj Gaur who gave an offer of over Rs 100 billion to revive the group company. On the direction of the Supreme Court, JAL has already deposited Rs 7.5 billion in the court's Registry and the amount would be used for making refunds to home buyers. Jaypee Infratech, which is into road construction and real estate business, has constructed the Yamuna Expressway, connecting Delhi and Agra. In 2007, it started the development of 32,000 flats and plots in its township, Wish Town, in Noida. So far, 9,500 apartments have been delivered and application for getting occupancy certificates for giving possession of another 4,500 flats has been filed. The remaining 18,000 flats are proposed to be delivered by 2021. More Indian CEOs are confident about the than their country's, according to a survey by consultancy firm KPMG. As per the fourth annual KPMG CEO Outlook report, two-thirds of Indian CEOs consider that a return to territorialism in different parts of the globe is a threat to their business. The report, based on the inputs of over 125 Indian CEOs, said "89 per cent of them expressed confidence in the global economy, while only 69 per cent seemed optimistic about the growth of the Indian economy". They have expressed greater confidence in the and see emerging markets as the biggest priority for geographic expansion, it said. "Regardless of the dip in confidence in the country's economy, CEOs are still optimistic about the short and mid-term growth of the sectors their organisations operate in," it said. The KPMG report said however that when it comes to foraying into developed markets they are treading cautiously due to geopolitical volatility. The increasing protectionism, specially in erstwhile bastions of free enterprise, has led 36 per cent CEOs to become cautious about geographic expansion in developed countries. KPMG India Chairman and CEO Arun M Kumar said despite their overall optimism, CEOs in India are treading cautiously as they need to respond and be ready for an ever-expanding range of complex challenges and growing pains. "Two-thirds (66 per cent) of business leaders surveyed in India identified return to territorialism as a threat to their organisation's growth," he said. The findings come at a time when the global trade order is facing a shift, specially after the US announced imposing of tariffs on many products from different countries, including China and India along with Europe. "Enhanced protectionism has been a recent trend across the world, especially in places which were erstwhile bastions of free enterprise," KPMG India Partner and Head Tax Hitesh D Gajaria said. CEOs need to adapt to the globalising and also be aware of tax and regulatory changes that are counter-intuitive to it, he added. Pertinent to note is, global territorial dynamics have now started to impact CEO strategies in specific geographies, the report said. To mitigate this territorial risk, that 62 per cent CEOs are showing business confidence in emerging markets over developed markets to drive future growth, it added. Under emerging markets, with 28 per cent votes, Central/ South America has emerged as the most trusted region for expansion for CEOs in India. This is followed by Eastern Europe (27 per cent) and Africa (21 per cent). Interestingly, the CEOs saw Brexit as an opportunity to expand their operations in the UK with 42 per cent of CEOs of with no operations in the country likely to make inbound investments there or 32 per cent stating that they might increase level of trade with the UK. "Some are likely to move their headquarters or operations to the UK while others are planning to hire new talent in the UK," the report added. This data indicates that a majority of CEOs are upbeat about growth of the global economy, and are therefore likely to include global diversification in their market strategy. The report is based on the inputs of over 125 Indian CEOs, who participated in a global survey conducted by KPMG International in which 1,300 global CEOs from Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the U.K. and the US took part. The survey was done between January-February 2018 and the forecasts made are for a three year period, KPMG India said. Earlier this summer, Chipotles new chief marketing officer outlined a lofty vision for the burrito-and-taco chain and the feelings it could one day evoke in consumers. Our ultimate marketing mission is to make Chipotle not just a food brand but a purpose-driven lifestyle brand, the executive, Christopher Brandt, said on an earnings call. By that, he added, he meant that Chipotle will become a brand that people want to know about, want to be a part of and want to wear as a badge. The same month, a release from Godiva noted the companys ... The on Monday dismissed former Union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran's plea and asked him to face trial in the case connected to the alleged setting up of "illegal" telephone exchanges to benefit his brother Kalanithi Maran's Maran had challenged the Madras High Court's July 25 decision setting aside a court order discharging him in the case. ALSO READ: Madras HC sets aside court order discharging Maran brothers in BSNL case A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi and Navin Sinha said it was not inclined to interfere in the matter and all the allegations could be dealt with during the trial. The case relates to when Dayanidhi, a grandnephew of chief M Karunanidhi, was minister for communications and information technology in the UPA 1 government. The has alleged he misused his official position and got private telephone exchanges installed at his residences in Chennai. These were used for Sun Network's business transactions. According to the CBI, over 700 high-end telecommunication lines were installed at the Maran's residences in Boat Club and Gopalapuram areas of the city for which bills were not raised, causing the exchequer a loss of Rs 17.8 million. Social activist said on Sunday he will launch a hunger strike from October 2 against the Union government for the delay in appointment of a at the Centre. He also appealed people to join him in his campaign for a corruption-free country. "I will go on a hunger strike from October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, at my native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra," the anti-corruption crusader told He criticised the NDA government, saying it had earlier assured it will appoint the and implement the Bill, passed by Parliament and signed by the then in January 2014. "But there is a lack of will in this government to curb corruption and hence, it is giving a lot of reasons and delaying the appointment of the Lokpal," Hazare said. Hazare, who has been the face of the Lokpal movement, went on a 12-day hunger strike in 2011. He later launched a fast, which enjoyed a huge popular support across the country. The UPA government later passed the Lokpal bill. The had earlier this week expressed dissatisfaction over the Centre's response on the appointment of search committee members for a Lokpal. The Centre had earlier told the apex court that the Lokpal selection committee, headed by the prime minister, was scheduled to meet to set up a search panel for recommending a panel of names for the appointment of the anti-graft ombudsman and its members. The government had said the search panel would lay down its procedures, following which the selection committee would fix the time frame within which the names for selecting the chairman and members of the Lokpal would be recommended. The committee comprises the prime minister, the chief justice of India, Lok Sabha speaker, the leader of the largest opposition party and an eminent jurist. The apex court, in its last year's verdict, had said there was no justification to keep the enforcement of Lokpal Act suspended till the proposed amendments, including on the issue of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, were cleared by Parliament. To South Indians, Kodaikanal is a summer haven. A hill station that allows us to escape the suffocating heat of April/May and rejoice in its sub-20 degree celsius temperatures. For several decades, it was the exclusive privilege of the rich and famous, but things have changed radically. Today, it is brimming with tourists belonging to the entire spectrum of the society. For the former workers at the Unilevers mercury factory, though Kodaikanal is their home, became a site of hardship, sickness, struggle and even of death. The plant was forced to shut down in 2001, but it took ... Sipping tea between mouthfuls of muri (puffed rice), Hussain Ahmad Madani prodded his mother to respond to my queries. She interjected with What more do I say? What is there to say? Some silence, a faint smile and then she mumbled to me, We can only wait till July 30 and see what happens. July 30 is an important day not just for Hussains mother Shorbhanu Nessa, but for many other women from the poorest and most disadvantaged sections of Assam, particularly those belonging to the Bengali Muslim community. On that day, the 1951 National ... No person, excluded from the draft published on Monday, will be declared a foreigner as such powers are vested only with tribunals where one can approach for remedies, a senior Home Ministry official said. The Supreme Court-monitored updating of the Register of Citizens (NRC) is a "secular exercise" and no particular community was targeted, and all genuine Indian nationals will be given adequate opportunities to prove their citizenship. The is a list of the state's citizens and exclusion of name does not automatically make anyone a foreigner, the official said. The power of declaring a person as foreigner is vested with the foreigners' tribunal set up for the purpose and all aggrieved persons can approach it if they have exhausted the options available with authorities, he said. The NRC is an application-based process and if someone does not apply for inclusion of name, that person's name will not figure in the list, however prominent the individual may be, the official said. The Home Ministry also dismissed suggestions that internet was not working properly in Assam and maintained that the chief secretary and the director general of police have made it clear that telecom and internet services were running without interruption in the state. As of now there is no report of any violence from anywhere in Assam and there was no rush to visit the NRC centre, the official said. At a press conference in Guwahati, Registrar General of India Sailesh announced that 2,89,83,677 people were found to be eligible for inclusion in the draft of the NRC out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants. Around 4 million applicants did not find a place in the document. Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art debuts inside The American Adventure pavilion at Epcot LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (July 27, 2018) American Indian history and culture come to life in a new art exhibition at Walt Disney World Resort that debuted July 27. Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art at Epcot displays the work of contemporary Native artists alongside artifacts from centuries past, demonstrating how ancestral craftsmanship influences modern generations. The exhibition opened at the American Heritage Gallery inside The American Adventure pavilion. The 89 pieces on display represent 40 different American Indian tribes from seven geographic regions across the United States. At Epcot, guests are invited to celebrate the limitless possibilities of human imagination and innovation. said Melissa Valiquette, vice president of Epcot. By showcasing artwork from so many diverse American Indian tribes, Creating Tradition is a wonderful way to share a vital part of the United States culture with all those who visit The American Adventure. Highlights from the collection include: Fashion designer Loren Aragon (Acoma Pueblo) used the patterns on a jar made in the 1900s by an Acoma Pueblo potter as inspiration for his Ancient Resonance dress. A Pokagon Potawatomi black ash hamper basket, made in the early 1900s, is paired with modern baskets, exemplifying how this technique is maintained over centuries. For example, on display is Mothers Womb, a basket made by Cherish Nebeshanze Parrish (Potawatomi/Odawa) in 2011. A Chilkat blanket from Alaska dating to the 1890s complements Raven and the Box of Daylight, a 2017 glass sculpture by Preston Singletary (Tlingit). This piece shows how Singletary experiments with designs from his Tlingit heritage in mediums beyond traditional Native materials. Creating Tradition also offers three interactive video exhibits where contemporary American Indian artists share perspectives on their work and culture. When guests wave their hands in front of a display resembling a campfire, the flames transform into a video presentation. Music playing in the gallery, performed by Native musicians, supports the objects and regions represented throughout the exhibition. The new art exhibition is produced in collaboration with the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Leaders from both cultural institutions were on hand for the gallery opening. I am delighted to recognize this association with Disney as their leadership shares the vision and creativity of contemporary American Indian artists with international visitors, said Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the National Museum of the American Indian. We hope Epcot visitors will see the American experience begins with the American Indians who have always been here. We are honored to collaborate with Walt Disney Imagineering and the Smithsonian in developing this exhibition, said Della Warrior (Otoe-Missouria), director of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Hopefully, it will foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the various tribes located in almost every state in this nation, and people seeing these artifacts will be inspired and strive to learn more about American Indians. The dedication ceremony for Creating Tradition included a blessing from Seminole Tribe of Florida representative Bobby Henry and a stomp dance performance by Seminole tribe members. During the next five years, the exhibition will feature new artifacts and refreshed displays, incorporating pieces from more of the 573 American Indian tribes recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (www.bia.gov). Post a Comment Official sources said the final touches are being given to the policy before it is being placed before the Union Cabinet for approval.The government is likely to unveil a major policy next month outlining a roadmap to build a robust defence production industry and make India one of the top five manufacturers of military equipment and platforms in the next 10 years. They said a significant focus of the defence production policy (DPP-2018) will be to invest adequate resources to develop critical technology for manufacturing state-of-the-art military platforms including fighter jets, attack helicopters and weaponry indigenously. The DPP-2018 is likely to be released next month, the sources said. According to the draft policy, the government is looking at achieving a turnover of Rs 1.7 trillion (Rs 1,70,000 crore) in military goods and services by 2025. A Swedish think tank, in a report in March, said India remained the largest importer of military hardware in the world in the last five years, adding Indian imports of major weapons rose by 111 per cent in the last five years compared to 2004-08. Officials said the aim of the DPP would be to indigenously develop all major platforms which are being imported since in the last six decades. According to official figure, India inked 187 contracts worth Rs 2.4 trillion (Rs 2.40 lakh crore) with foreign and domestic firms for various military equipment and weapons in the last four years. However, majority of the projects are yet to take off due to procedural delays. ALSO READ: UP eyeing Rs 500 billion investment in defence manufacturing sector Officials said the DPP is also likely to simplify the procurement process by cutting several layers of approval which often cause delays. They said the policy aims to make India one of the top five manufacturers of defence platforms with active participation of public and private sectors. The draft policy released in March listed as major objective export of Rs 350 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) in military equipment and services by 2025. The government identified 12 military platforms and weapons systems for production in India to achieve the aim of "self-reliance". They are fighter aircraft, medium lift and utility helicopters, warships, land combat vehicles, missile systems, gun systems, small arms, ammunition and explosives, surveillance systems, electronic warfare (EW) systems and night fighting enablers, among others. According to the policy, the government aims to make one of the top five manufacturers of military equipment and platforms in the next 10 years as well as to fulfil demand of other friendly countries. The draft policy says the licensing process for defence industries will be liberalised and the list of items requiring licences will be reviewed and pruned. China offered Britain talks on a post-Brexit free trade deal on Monday, reaching out to London as Beijing remains mired in an increasingly bitter trade war with Washington, even as a senior Chinese diplomat reiterated its door remained open for dialogue. China has been looking for allies in its fight with the United States, initiated by the Trump administration, which says China's high-tech industries have stolen intellectual property from American firms and demanded Beijing act to buy more U.S. products to reduce a $350 billion trade surplus. Britain has pushed a strong ... Former prime minister was on Sunday admitted to the Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad from Rawalpindi's Adiala jail after health condition worsened, on the orders of Pakistan's interim government. This came hours after the jail authorities informed the Interior Ministry about Sharif's health complications, wherein he complained of severe pain in the chest and left shoulder. Also, an electrocardiogram (ECG) test was done in the prison, which was later found to be unsatisfactory. According to The News International, caretaker home minister for Punjab province, Shaukat Javed said on state-run Pakistan Television that the doctors had advised Sharif's transfer to hospital following the "variations" in the ECG. Javed said, "How many days he stays in the hospital depends on doctors." Meanwhile, strict security measures are in place at the PIMS. Sources told Geo News earlier that the doctors conducted a medical check-up after Sharif complained of chest pain and then referred him to a coronary care unit (CCU). Taking cognizance of the same, the jail superintendent notified to the additional chief secretary. On July 23, a medical board had urged for his immediate transfer to a hospital after Sharif was reportedly "on the verge of a kidney failure". Following this, a four-member medical team, formed by PIMS, reached the jail to check the health condition of Sharif. The Express Tribune, attributing to sources, reported that the urea nitrogen in Sharif's blood had climbed up to dangerous levels. The sources further said that Sharif's heartbeat was irregular and he was suffering from dehydration and excessive sweating. A caretaker government source, however, told the English daily that Sharif was being medically examined on a regular basis in the jail, where his prognosis appeared to be normal. On July 13, Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, who were convicted in the Avenfield reference case by the National Accountability Court, were sent to the Adiala jail. Monday, July 30, 2018 Hello to all from Tokyo, Japan (Honshu). I have been in Japan for almost a week to present at and attend the 20th General Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law (IACL), which was held last week in Fukuoka, Japan (Kyushu). By the time you read this, I will be on my way home. As it turns out, I was at the Congress with old business law friends Hannah Buxbaum (Indiana Maurer Law), Felix Chang (Cincinnati Law), and Frank Gevurtz (McGeorge Law), as well as erstwhile SEALS buddy Eugene Mazo (Rutgers Law). I also met super new academic friends from all over the world, including several from the United States. I attended all of the business law programs after my arrival (I missed the first day due to my travel schedule) and a number of sessions on general comparative and cross-border legal matters. All of that is too much to write about here, but I will give you a slice. I spoke on the legal regulation of crowdfunding as the National Rapporteur for the United States. My written contribution to the project, which I am told will be part of a published volume, is on SSRN here. The entire project consists of eighteen papers from around the world, each of which responded to the same series of prompts conveyed to us by the General Rapporteur for the project (in our case, Caroline Kleiner from the University of Strasbourg). The General Rapporteur is charged with consolidating the information and observations from the national reports and synthesizing key take-aways. I do not envy her job! The importance of the U.S. law and market to the global phenomenon is well illustrated by this slide from Caroline's summary. The Congress was different from other international crowdfunding events at which I have presented my work. The diversity of the audience--in terms of the number of countries and legal specialties represented--was significantly greater than in any other international academic forum at which I have presented. Our panel of National Rapporteurs also was a bit more diverse and different than what I have experienced elsewhere, including panelists hailing from from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Poland, and Singapore (in addition to me). At international conferences focusing on the microfinance aspects of crowdfunding, participants from India and Africa are more prominent. I expect to say more about the individual national reports on crowdfunding in later posts, as the need or desire arises. A few outtakes on other sessions follow. Frank's session on groups of companies--including what we often refer to as MNCs (multinational corporations)--offered much to think about. I commented and asked a question about U.S. series limited liability companies and limited partnerships. It seems that no other countries have ventured down that path--a good thing, imv. This panel was preceded by a lunch presentation on independent directors in Asia (an uneasy transplant) and followed by a panel addressing private international law for social responsibility (where there is great variety, as one might expect). Felix's younger scholar roundtable forum, with a section focusing on populism, raised important issues. At the end, two significant (although perhaps obvious) points stuck in my mind: populism is not aligned with a particular politic or ideology and (or perhaps, in some cases, therefore) we should be careful about putting value judgments on its existence and ability to make change. Not all in the room agreed with these points, btw. Perhaps even a minority of participants agreed . . . . But as participants revealed their country's engagement with populist forces, I understood both points well. This work is important to my crowdfunding research. I do address populism briefly, for example, in my forthcoming book chapter for the Cambridge Handbook of Social Enterprise Law. Hannah's panel on optional choice of court agreements (i.e., nonexclusive court/forum selection clauses) was an eye-opener. Who would have thought that nonexclusive and exclusive agreements on forum selection would be interpreted and enforced differently--even within a single country? Not I. The observations from this panel have significant consequences for cross-border mergers and acquisitions and commercial contracting. I am likely to buy the report on this issue when it comes out. Other sessions of note included a "Congress within the Congress" on the sharing economy (which was pretty amazing and featured information on P2P home rentals and autonomous cars, among other things) and a panel on the "right to be forgotten" (on data privacy issues). Wow. Lots of cutting-edge activity that really challenges national commercial, investment, and regulatory borders. This was an energizing experience for me. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of the Congress. If you have the opportunity (which is, I learned, a rare one) to be a National Rapporteur for an IACL Congress, you should seriously consider it. The Congresses are only held every four years. Apparently, the American Society of Comparative Law meets with the Congress in those years. So, if your school is a member, you may want to consider attending the program, in any case. https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/business_law/2018/07/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E3%81%AE%E3%81%94%E6%8C%A8%E6%8B%B6-my-japanese-adventure.html U S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced $113 million in new technology, energy and infrastructure initiatives in emerging Asia at a time when China is pouring billions of dollars in investments into the region. Amid increased US trade frictions with China, Pompeo's announcement sought to build on President Donald Trump's "Indo Pacific" strategy that aims to cast the United States as a trustworthy partner in the region. Pompeo said the United States was seeking a "free and open" Asia without domination by any one country, in ... Hedge funds go to the Cayman Islands to incorporate. Big companies are generally domiciled in Delaware. And online poker companies often set up their bases in Gibraltar and Malta. Now the race is on to become the go-to destination for cryptocurrency companies that are looking for shelter from regulatory uncertainty in the United States and Asia. In small countries and territories including Bermuda, Malta, Gibraltar and Liechtenstein, officials have recently passed laws, or have legislation in the works, to make themselves more welcoming to cryptocurrency companies and projects. ... The Indian Railways on Monday announced that the old Yamuna Bridge 'Loha Pul' has been temporarily closed for rail traffic as the water level reached around 205.53-meter mark. Due to the closure of the Yamuna Bridge, at least 27 passenger trains have been cancelled while seven have been diverted. Meanwhile, due to less availability of shelter homes, families residing near old Yamuna Bridge in the capital are allegedly forced to stay on roads as they were evacuated from their homes after the water level of the river crossed the danger mark. On a related note, the District Magistrate (DM) of East Delhi, K. Mahesh earlier on Sunday ordered the closure of traffic on the old Yamuna Bridge with immediate effect after flooding in river Yamuna crossing water level crossed danger mark. On Sunday, the water level touched 205.46 metres, reaching beyond the danger mark of 204.83 metres. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Monday, July 30, 2018 On July 26, 2018, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that a trial judge was wrong in refusing to fund a severely injured adult's special needs trust with $6.75 million in funds from settlement of tort suit. The trial judge had resisted, saying he disagreed with the legislative policy for special needs trusts, calling it a "legal fiction of impoverishment" that unfairly shifted costs of care to taxpayers. The trial judge would allow only $1 million in settlement funds to be placed in trust. In the final paragraphs of In re Matter of Guardianship of Robbins, the appellate court concluded: The trial court may well have a genuine disagreement with the policy decisions of our state and federal legislators, but it is still bound to abide by them. . . . Here, there are no constitutional concerns preventing the legislature's policy choices from being enforced. Both our federal and state legislators have made an express policy decision to allow for a legal fiction of impoverishment by placing assets in a special needs trust, knowing full well that it has the potential to shift expenses to the taxpayer, but trying to ameliorate that cost by requiring that any remaining trust proceeds be repaid to the State upon the disabled person's death. While the trial court is free to disagree as to the wisdom of the legislature's policy choices, the trial court exceeded the bounds of its authority by refusing to enforce this policy choice based on that disagreement. The trial court also refused to place the full amount of the settlement proceeds into the special needs trust because it concluded that the trust was solely for the benefit of the Guardian and Timothy's descendants. This is a mistake of law. As a matter of law, a special needs trust must contain a provision declaring that, upon the death of the disabled trust beneficiary, the total amount of Medicaid benefits must be paid back first, before any distributions to heirs are made. 42 U.S.C. 1396p(d)(4)(A); I.C. 12-15-2-17(f). Additionally, the special needs trust must be administered for the exclusive benefit of the disabled individual beneficiary for his or her lifetime. . . . Consequently, it is a legal impossibility that Timothy's special needs trust is designed to benefit either the Guardian or Timothy's descendants, and the trial court's conclusion in this regard was erroneous. The trial court's ruling on the special needs trust was reversed and the case was remanded "with instructions to direct that the full, available amount of settlement proceeds be placed in Timothy's special needs trust." https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/elder_law/2018/07/indiana-appellate-court-compels-accident-settlement-funds-be-paid-to-special-needs-trust.html West Bengal Chief Minister on Monday fired a fresh salvo against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), by calling Assam's Register of Citizens (NRC) draft a ''game-plan'' of the Centre. She urged the Centre to bring amendment in the draft. Asserting that it is a plan to evict Bengalis and Biharis from Assam, she said, "People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. It is a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. The consequences (of this move) will be felt in our state also". Around 4 million have been deemed ineligible in the draft list released by the NRC coordinator. Reacting to it, the chief minister said, "Where will the 4 million people, whose names have been deleted, go? Does Centre have any rehabilitation programme for them? Ultimately it is Bengal which will suffer. It is just a vote by BJP. (I) Request Home Minister to bring an amendment". However, just after the release of the list, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured that no coercive action would be taken against those whose names were not mentioned in the draft list. Speaking to ANI, Rajnath Singh said: "Even someone whose name is not in the list can approach the foreigner's tribunal. No coercive action will be taken against anyone, hence there is no need for anyone to panic." The Congress also came down hard on the BJP soon after the release of the draft. Soon after the final draft of Assam's Register of Citizens (NRC) was released, the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) cornered the Central Government saying that there are a lot of irregularities in the report. The final draft list, released by the NRC coordinator, has left out nearly 40 lakh Assamese incorporating names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants. Reacting on it, Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Assam, Ripun Bora expressed concern over the exclusion of names of 40.07 lakh people from the list and termed it a politically motivated move. "The ineligibility of around 40 lakh people is a very high figure and very surprising. There are a lot of irregularities in the report. We will raise this issue with the Govt and in the Parliament. A political motive of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also behind this," he told ANI. Meanwhile, TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that excluding 2.89 crore people from the list will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam. "The Central Government has intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh religious & linguistic minorities from NRC( Register of Citizens) which will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam," Roy told ANI. He further asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give his clarification on this in the Parliament. Assam's NRC has been updated for the first time since 1951 to keep a track on the illegal immigration from countries like Bangladesh. Following the release of the list, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured that no coercive action would be taken against those whose names are not mentioned in the final draft list. "Even someone whose name is not in the final list can approach the foreigner's tribunal. No coercive action will be taken against anyone, hence there is no need for anyone to panic," Rajnath told ANI. Clarifying that this is the draft list and not the final one, Singh added that "no misinformation should be spread in this regard". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A case has been registered against upcoming Bollywood movie 'Satyameva Jayate' by the Shia community in Hyderabad for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. As per the complainant, a 'Maatam' (mourning) scene in the film has hurt religious sentiments of a Muslim sect. Shia community head, Nisar Hyder, said that a complaint was lodged in regard with the Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Zone, V. Satyanarayana for further action. "We have submitted the complaint against all those concerned in making Satymeva Jayate and hurting religious sentiments. We have requested that the filmmakers should immediately remove the Maatam (Mourning) clipping from the movie and then release it. It is clearly hurting the sentiments of Shia Muslims," said Hyder. The DCP, while speaking to the media, said that immediate action will be taken in this regard. "Shia community members have approached me and lodged a complaint against 'Satyameva Jayate' movie over a clipping of Maatam, which is hurting the sentiments of Shia Muslims. I immediately ordered Dabeerpura police to register an FIR and initiate necessary action," he said. A case has been registered against the makers of the movie under sections 295 (Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), and 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The upcoming cop drama features John Abraham and Manoj Bajpayee in pivotal roles. Directed by Milap Zaveri, the movie is all set to hit the big screens on August 15, alongside Akshay Kumar's 'Gold' and Kangana Ranaut's 'Manikarnika'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an endeavour to boost the indigenous defence industry, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Monday issued guidelines for implementing the Strategic Partnership Model. Following the announcement, the Centre also approved a project for building 111 Naval Utility Helicopters worth Rupees 21,738 crore. The guidelines will ensure timely delivery of equipment to the Armed Forces. The entire concept is aimed at revitalising the defence industrial ecosystem and produce advanced weapon systems indigenously. Under the Strategic Partnership Model policy foreign companies will partner with Indian companies to produce military equipment locally. This will also bring in niche technology in the nation. The incentive will also be extended to the Global Majors who in collaboration with Indian Partners are ready to make India a Regional Global manufacturing hub. This will give a major fillip to Make in India' initiative of the Government. All procurements under the SP Model would be handled by Empowered Protect Committees (EPC) ensuring better attention and timely execution. The DAC also accorded approval for the acquisition of 08 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for the Indian Coast Guard under 'Buy IDDM (lndian Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category at an approximate cost of Rs 800 Cr. The policy on Strategic Partnerships in Defence Sector was promulgated in May 2017 as part of Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 titled as "Revitalising Defence Industrial Ecosystem through Strategic Partnerships". There were four segments (major platforms) which were identified under Strategic Partnership (SP) Model: Fighter Aircrafts, Helicopters, Submarines and Armoured Fighting Vehicles / Main Battle Tanks. The DAC meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's invasion of the "renegade province" of Taiwan has already begun. Of course, not a physical assault by military forces - not yet, at least - but rather a campaign of psychological and diplomatic pressure against Taiwan that has seriously intensified in recent months. Take, for example, the issue of airline reservations, with China issuing a directive in April to 44 foreign airlines that they change the name "Taiwan" to "Taiwan, China" on their global websites. Numerous carriers such as Qantas, Air India, Lufthansa, British Airways and Air Canada caved in, even though the White Housecriticized Chinese demands as "Orwellian nonsense" and "part of a growing trend by the Chinese Communist Party [CPC] to impose its political views on American citizens and private companies". In like fashion, the Marriott hotel chain, Gap clothing and Mercedes-Benz have all at some point felt China's wrath for offending its sensibilities about descriptions of Tibet or Taiwan. Each apologized for not complying with China's standards. This Chinese pressure has been ramping up since President Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party took office in Taipei in January 2016. There was an immediate cooling of relations with Beijing, and China has attempted to marginalize Taiwan at every opportunity. Tsai insists she wants to maintain the status quo in terms of bilateral relations, but the CPC fears she will push for formal independence. Tsai is facing extreme pressure from China, as well as internal political and civil pressure to modify her stance. Nevertheless, it appears that Taiwan is the only party intent on observing the status quo in cross-straits relations. China certainly is not. In March at the National People's Congress, President Xi Jinping said, "It is a shared aspiration of all Chinese people and in their basic interests to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and realize China's complete reunification." Xi received rapturous applause when he threatened, "Any actions and tricks to split China are doomed to failure and will meet with the people's condemnation and the punishment of history.The Chinese people share a common belief that it is never allowed and it is absolutely impossible to separate any inch of our great country's territory from China." Later, in June, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in China, warned, "We have the stern will, full confidence and sufficient capability to defeat any form of Taiwan independence separatist plots." He added that China "absolutely will not permit Taiwan independence forces to...interfere with the course of China's great rejuvenation.Taiwan independence is a dead-end street.We warn Taiwan independence forces not to play with fire." Ian Easton, a research fellow at the Project 2049 Institute, a Virginia-based think tank, told ANI, "In the past ten years, most people took peace for granted. Most thought Taiwan's going to be absorbed.by China. They thought this is a flashpoint not worth considering anymore. The US didn't talk much about it and nor did its allies." However, Easton said the threat to Taiwan has grown greatly under Xi. "There's no question about it.Clearly his approach is different to that of Hu Jintao - his personality is different, he's much more ambitious, much more aggressive, he's much more interested in Taiwan than Hu Jintao was." Easton pointed out, "Xi Jinping has been much more focused on preparing to one day occupy the island. It's always been the party's and the People's Liberation Army's [PLA] main strategic direction ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union." For now, China is prosecuting a short-of-war campaign tobludgeon Taiwan. Russell Hsiao, writing for The Jamestown Foundation, delineated ten elements to this pressure campaign: poaching Taiwan's diplomatic allies; military coercion; economic coercion; excluding Taiwan from international organizations; pressuring foreign corporations; pressuring Taiwan's non-diplomatic allies; economic incentives; political warfare; cyber espionage; and traditional espionage. Taiwan now has diplomatic relations with only 18 countries worldwide. It lost formal ties with Sao Tome and Principe in December 2016, Panama in June 2017, and the Dominican Republic and Burkina Faso in May 2018, after China lured them away. Beijing, like it did with South Korea over the topic of a US Army missile defense battery stationed on its territory, is unafraid to use its considerable economic clout against Taiwan. Thus, it limited the number of tourists travelling to the islandsince Tsai assumed office, with the number falling 700,000 in 2017 alone. In international organizations, China has gleefully pressured others to ostracize Taiwan. Thus, Taiwan was denied observed observer status at the Health Assembly in May. Another example is the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), with China pressuring the group to exclude Taiwan. The ICAO has remained silent on China backtracking on its 2015 agreement with Taiwan over using the commercial M503 flightpath near the centerline of the Taiwan Strait. Authoritarian China, thanks to its growing technological and digital knowhow, is increasingly taking advantage of the liberties and openness of Western and Taiwanese democracies. Indeed, Easton warned that China is subverting Taiwan's democracy, "everything from espionage to cooperating with pro-unification and organized crime syndicates in Taiwan, gunrunning, drugs and smuggling people into Taiwan. They're going to do things that will destabilize Taiwan's society." Easton even spoke of Chinese intelligence operatives being mixed in with pro-unification groups and their protests, some of which have turned violent. The United Front Work Department (UFWD) is actively engaged against Taiwan. Hsiao commented, "In Taiwan, the UFWD targets a broad range of constituencies, including aborigines, local villages and townships, youths and students, pro-China political parties and groups, and Taiwan military veterans. Taiwan's government has previously estimated that China spends at least $337.8 million per year on UFWD recruiting efforts in Taiwan, but has also said it believes there might be more 'invisible funding'." China is routinely using social media disinformation, propaganda, "content farms" and bots to fan the flames of social instability via UWFD proxies. Taiwan has an extremely high internet usage rate of 82.3% and smartphone penetration rate of 73.4%, and China can relatively easily spread fake news on messaging sites such as Line, as well as imagery. One example of the latter is a picture of a Chinese H-6K bomber flying near Jade Mountain in Taiwan. Such an event did not occur, yet the image still went viral. China is also good at misquoting officials or ex-officials in either Chinese or Taiwanese forums to show purported approval of the CPC. Hsiao, executive director of the Global Taiwan Institute,concluded, "The CPC has a long history of using propaganda and disinformation against Taiwan. In social media it has found a fertile information environment to amplify its time-honed tactics of political and psychological warfare. Flooding Taiwan's society with propaganda and disinformation can weaken its people's trust in democratic institutions and lead to political instability." He continued, "The CPC's ultimate goal is the subjugation of Taiwan under the PRC, and propaganda and disinformation are means to weakening morale and people's resistance towards that political end." Likewise, China is manipulating the cyber sphere to its advantage. Taiwan is the number one target of Chinese hacking, with a reported 20-40 million attempted hacks against its public sector each month throughout 2017. Hsaio explained that Taiwan has suffered a number of embarrassing high-profile espionage incidents too, often involving the military. From 2006-16, some 40 Taiwanese - including military officers, businesspeople and government officials - were prosecuted for spying on behalf of China. With such intense bullying of Taiwan and of anyone else that does not submit to Beijing's narratives, and with mounting concerns over China's hard-nosed One Belt, One Road initiative, China is beginning to face adverse reaction on the international stage. Ironically, Beijing's squeezing of Taipei does permit more countries to see the ugly nature of this authoritarian regime and its leader. While China is happy to bully those weaker than itself, it also shows a remarkably thin skin for a nation that regards itself as a global power. China was incensed by Trump accepting Tsai's congratulatory telephone call in December 2016. Beijing also feels antagonized by ongoing American military equipment sales to Taiwan, with the USA the only country willing to stand up to Chinese bluster. China was further infuriated by Trump's legislation encouraging the USA to send senior officials to Taiwan and vice versa. China continues to ramp up pressure against Taiwan militarily. It has hundreds of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles aimed at the island. It has also boosted the number of military exercises near the island. For example, from August 2016 to December 2017, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense counted at least 26 PLA aerial exercises, of which 15 circumnavigated the island. There were just eight in 2015 and 2016 combined. The Chinese Liaoning aircraft carrier has passed Taiwan four times already. ANI asked whether a military confrontation between China and Taiwan becomes more likely the longer Xi stays in power. Easton replied, "Yes, it does," and he outlined two reasons. One is that Xi will inevitably get older, weaker and face more health issues. 'There are going to be potential power struggles, and there are going to be all the problems associated with a dictatorship - especially a communist-style dictatorship - and we've seen this with Mao and Stalin." Easton described the potential for leaders to developmegalomania because they become godlike. "There's already this incredible cult of personality in China, and being godlike makes people go crazy. It corrupts their sense of reality, so there's a rea risk of that." A related danger is that Xi will not receive accurate information from his underlings. After having done so much to eradicate opponents within the party and military, Xi could end up being surrounded by "yes men" who simply tell Xi what he wants to hear. This may lead to huge miscalculations, with Xi making decisions based on wrong assumptions. The second reason given by Easton regarding the rising possibility of war is that the PLA will grow increasingly stronger over the coming 10-20 years. China has made huge investments in the PLA, but these may not bring a payback straight away. Indeed, it may take years to get a return on that investment. "So a lot of the heavy military spending, research and development and training that we're seeing right now, they're going to come to fruition in the next one to two decades. When they do, China's going to have so much more military power than it currently has and that it has had over its entire modern history. When that happens, I should think there's going to be even greater temptation to do something that could be disastrous," Easton warned. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018, which ensures stringent punishment for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years of age. The bill was taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha earlier today. During the discussion, Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said, "New provision proposes that court, where rape cases are trialed, should be presided by a woman judge. The statements in rape cases should be recorded by a woman police officer." Reacting to the rise in the number of rape cases against children, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi said, "Law cannot stop the rape of children, change of men's mentality can." The bill will now replace the Criminal Law Ordinance promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind on April 22, to strengthen the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. In the wake of an increase in incidents of rape of minors, the Union Cabinet on April 21 approved a number of measures to amend the POCSO Act. The ordinance seeks death penalty for the rapists of girls below 12 years of age and stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years. The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of 7 to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to life imprisonment. In terms of gangrape, the cabinet stated that the punishment for the gang-rape of a girl under 16 years of age will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of the life of the convict. With regards to rape or gangrape of a girl below the age of 12, the cabinet said the accused would be sentenced to 20 years' of imprisonment, imprisonment for life or death. The cabinet also decided to put in place a number of measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases. It has also provided for a six-month time limit for disposal of appeals in rape cases. The ordinance was necessitated following massive protests over the rape and murder of a minor in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua in January. The victim in the alleged rape-and-murder case was an eight-year-old girl who belonged to a nomadic Muslim tribe. She was allegedly abducted, drugged, gang-raped, tortured and killed in January. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) October 24, 2021, Sunday Anyone would be allowed to add, change, or remove a link, so long as they are a moderator of a room and regardless of the number ... Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance of working closely with industrialists will rejuvenate the private sector, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said on Monday. The statement came after Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the contribution of industries in national growth, while refusing to accept ill-treatment of industrialists. "Along with the assurance to work closely with the industry, the Prime Minister's strong message to the industrialists opting for illegal means to harm the nation and its economy that they will not be spared, will certainly help in removing any negative opinion in the public against industry in general, and will rejuvenate the private sector," said FICCI President Rashesh Shah. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's encouragement to the industry and his efforts to resolve industry's problems has indeed helped in the revival of animal spirits in the economy already, and his statement in Uttar Pradesh will further boost industry's sentiments," he added. Shah further noted that without reviving the industry's confidence to invest, it will be difficult to surpass eight percent growth in the coming years in a sustained manner. "By reminding that the nation is proud of its industrialists, Prime Minster Modi has strengthened industry's resolve to actively participate in the revival of the economy," he added. He also stressed that, on its part, the private sector too has to work to strengthen public confidence in its capacity to take the country to a higher growth path. Prime Minister Modi, while speaking at a launch of 81 projects worth Rs. 60,000 crore at a ceremony in Lucknow on Saturday, said that he "was not afraid" of standing with the industrialists as his intentions are "clear". "There are people who don't want to get themselves photographed with any industrialist but there is hardly any who didn't meet them on the sly. Mahatma Gandhi never hesitated in meeting businessman Birla. There is no problem in meeting anyone as long as the intentions are clear. I am not the kind who is scared of being seen with industrialists. There are those who don't want to meet them in public, but only behind curtains," the Prime Minister said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Despite being lathi-charged by the police, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M. Karunanidhi's supporters remained outside the Kauvery Hospital here and urged the hospital staff to update them about the leader's health condition. "For the past three days, we have been waiting here without food and water. We don't want anything, give us our thalaiva back. Why has nothing been said on him yet? We want him back," a supporter of told ANI. Meanwhile, Manikandan, personal secretary of A. Raja, has urged the cadres to cooperate with security forces and not get provoked by any rumours. "We appeal to the cadre, who have gathered in large numbers, to not believe in rumours," Manikandan said. The crowd, who was trying to barge inside the hospital was lathi-charged by the police deployed to avoid or control any unwelcome situation. The crowd has also gathered outside chief 's Gopalapuram resident. Meanwhile, heavy security has been beefed up both at hospital and Karunanidhi's residence. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK on Friday asserted that party president and his father M Karunanidhi's condition is stable and he is responding to treatment. "There was unexpected setback in his (Karunanidhi) health but after intense medical care, he's normalising," said in a statement. further said that his father's health is being continuously monitored by a team of doctors. was admitted to hospital on Saturday following a drop in his blood pressure. The stalwart, who is suffering from fever due to urinary tract infection, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. He is on intravenous antibiotics. Reminiscing "golden times" under former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asserted that she "suffered" by joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the current Narendra Modi-led central government. Addressing party workers and supporters at the 19th Foundation Day celebration of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mehbooba stepped up her pitch in an attempt to regain the lost ground. She spoke about the struggles and difficulties she had to encounter as a chief minister while leading a coalition government with the BJP in the state. Since the state prospered under the patronage of Vajpayee-led central government despite the fact that the PDP-Congress were alliance partners in the state, Mehbooba said, "Mufti Sahab (Mufti Mohammed Sayeed) agreed to join hands with BJP again (in 2015) because we had a good understanding during Vajpayee ji's reign. But this time, it was a difficult decision. Forming an alliance with the BJP was like drinking poison. I suffered during the two years and two months of the alliance." The state went to assembly polls in 2014 end. Mufti Mohammed Sayeed became the chief minister in March 2015 by joining hands with the BJP. His party, PDP, won 28 seats and the BJP bagged 25 in a house of 87 members. Mufti did not even rule for a year, when he passed away in January 2016. For three months, Mehbooba stayed away from taking charge. Finally on April 4, 2016 she took oath as the first woman chief minister of the trouble-torn state. Recollecting the days of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed during Vajpayee's time, Mehbooba said: "Mufti Sahab and his time in the government was the golden time for the state. The state developed and prospered during that time. The militant activities were in control and there was peace in the state. There was ceasefire on the border. We constructed roads, colleges and universities." However, she added, "The moment the alliance ended and the government changed, all the work for peace came undone." In the 2002 assembly elections, PDP and Congress formed the government in the state and Mufti became the chief minister. However, there was an understanding between the PDP and the Congress that the chief minister would be on a rotational basis. So, in a six-year term of the state assembly, Mufti was the chief minister for the first three years from 2002-2005. After that Congress senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad became the chief minister. Subsequently there were strains in the alliance. Talking about the growth of her party, Mehbooba said, "There was a clear vision in the mind of the Mufti Sahab. He had no confusion about the country and state." She further talked about the work she did during her time as the chief minister of the state. She said, "I did everything I could in the two years I had. I did not discriminate between Jammu and Kashmir. We opened same number of colleges for both the states. There was no corruption in government jobs." She tried to clarify her party's stand since there were allegations that Jammu was getting discriminated in infrastructure and developments. She also addressed the Kathua rape case and said, "A rapist has no religion. The people who gave it a communal colour do not remember the valour of brave Dogra community." She emphasised that she did not compromise anything when it came to the development of the state. "We went through a lot of difficulties during the two years of alliance. I never spoke about it but today, I will not hold back," said Mehbooba while talking about her time in the government. Clearing the misgivings about her tenure, she further said, "I did not give up on anyone and stayed to work for the state. Even though the alliance ended, we are not sad about it because we did not form the alliance just to come in power. We had a bigger motive, the development of the state." On Saturday, Mehbooba urged the Centre to seize the opportunity by extending a hand of friendship with Pakistan's Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan so that issues between the two countries could be resolved. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Monday, July 30, 2018 The Connecticut Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of a mandamus action brought to compel prosecution of bar complaints On appeal, the plaintiffs claim that they were statutorily and classically aggrieved by certain decisions of those local panels dismissing their grievance complaints against five of those attorneys, and by certain other actions of the Statewide Grievance Committee with respect to the proceedings against the other two. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court dismissing the present action for lack of standing. The plaintiffs retained one law firm to pursue a medical malpractice case and a second firm to assist with taxes and investment of the proceeds. In January, 2012, after a jury had awarded the plaintiffs a verdict of $58.6 million, the plaintiffs ultimately settled their medical malpractice case for $25 million. In February, 2012, while still represented by the Koskoff firm, the plaintiffs retained the law firm of Day Pitney, LLP (Day Pitney), to advise them on numerous financial and tax issues related to the settlement. They complained about both sets of attorneys In February, 2015, the plaintiffs filed grievance complaints against five attorneys from the Koskoff firm and two attorneys from Day Pitney, alleging that those attorneys had committed numerous violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct while representing them, in particular the misappropriation of client funds. The bar complaints against five attorneys were dismissed; two were reprimanded. Notably Throughout these proceedings, the Statewide Grievance Committee denied the plaintiffs attempts to supplement the record, and the chief disciplinary counsel refused their requests to submit certain evidence unfavorable to the Koskoff firm attorneys. Here the court affirms the trial court's conclusion that the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring this mandamus action. The trial court The court is keenly aware of the plaintiffs frustration with and disappointment in the handling, if not the outcome, of the grievance proceedings. The facts and circumstances outlined in the complaint, if true, are deplorable. But these proceedings are not marked by egregious and otherwise irreparable violations of state and federal constitutional guarantees. Mere disagreement with how the grievance process has been handled, standing alone, does not provide appropriate justification for this court to supplant or usurp the established disciplinary process. CTPost reported on the disposition of the bar grievances. If there is a credible suggestion that well-connected attorneys got kid glove treatment at the hands of the Bar, it is unfortunate that standing rules prevent the court from addressing the well-pleaded concerns. As noted in the Preamble to the ABA Model Rules The legal profession's relative autonomy carries with it special responsibilities of self-government. The profession has a responsibility to assure that its regulations are conceived in the public interest and not in furtherance of parochial or self-interested concerns of the bar. The time for a serious conversation about attorney discipline with an eye toward major systemic change is long overdue. A significant problem with having that conversation is the high level of lawyer satisfaction with the status quo. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/07/the-connecticut-supreme-court-on-appeal-the-plaintiffs-claim-that-they-were-statutorily-and-classically-aggrieved-by-certai.html Pakistan would need another USD 3 billion in the next few months from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a bid to bail out the nuclear-armed country from the reeling economic and financial woes. However, it would be a bad idea to do so, according to a former United States Deputy Undersecretary of Defence. In an editorial titled 'Bailing out Pakistan', that appeared in The Washington Times, Jed Babbin writes that Pakistan requires financial assistance to avoid defaulting on loans from China, Bank and the IMF. While Babbin expresses confidence that the IMF would bail out Pakistan, he opines that there are two reasons why such an action is not to be taken. Firstly, Pakistan continues to support terrorism and harbours a variety of terrorist networks with the help of its spy agency, the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI). Islamabad supports the dreaded al-Qaeda, Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist groups. The LeT was responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which claimed over 160 lives. This can be supported by the fact that al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, responsible for orchestrating the 9/11 attacks, hid in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad for many years, before his death by the US forces in a massive search operation in May 2011. "It is unthinkable that the ISI was not responsible for his shelter," says Babbin of The Washington Times. The Donald Trump administration has taken a tough stand on Pakistan with regard to terrorism and has terminated the military aid for not doing much to stop supporting terror networks with fighters, money and intelligence information. The second main reason for not bailing Pakistan out from financial woes should be "China's growing de facto colonisation of Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)," a mass project comprising of building roads, railways, power plants and military bases in Pakistan. The economy of Pakistan is in dire straits due to a growing debt crisis and large-scale corruption. The money Islamabad owes to other countries and non-Pakistani organisations is over 30 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), partly due to the extensive loans it has received from China to build the CPEC corridor, as per the report of The Washington Times. Citing a Wall Street Journal report, Babbin says that China is building infrastructure projects in Pakistan, investing USD 62 billion for them. But after three years, only half of the planned projects have begun. Babbin continues, "China is conducting what some call 'debt trap diplomacy', through which Pakistan is becoming so indebted to China that it will be compelled to follow China's policies in Southwest Asia and beyond. In fact, the debt trap has already been sprung with the eager assistance of Pakistan's government, ISI and army." Gwadar is a city situated in Balochistan province in Pakistan and faces the Arabian Sea. Owing to its location, Chinese officials have demanded much of the nearby population to be moved away for "security reasons" and bring in thousands of Chinese military forces and civilians for constructing large port facilities in an aim to transform the key port city into a Chinese naval base eventually. Babbin underscores, "Pakistan's government - dependent on its army for whatever level of stability it can achieve - will not suffer de facto colonisation gladly. Despite Pakistan's support of terrorism, China's corrupting largesse will be able to satisfy the Pakistani army and ISI sufficiently to quell any thoughts of rebellion." The writer states that another IMF bailout for Pakistan would be considered "a Western contribution to China's transformation of Pakistan into a tribute state." He says that the US, which is IMF's largest contributor, needs to raise its voice against the bailout in a bid to prevent it. As per a report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in 2016, US obligations to the IMF had amounted to USD 164 billion. But according to the CBO report, it is a tough task to account for the actual costs the US incurs. Because of the risk of defaulted loans, Washington's contributions to the IMF "are at a risk." Babbin implies that some would argue that Pakistan would force itself to borrow more money from China if the IMF bailout is denied. This will help Beijing to speed up its dependence on Chinese largesse and power. But that dependence has been firmly established and the scenario would not change, whether the IMF would grant a bailout or not. Denying another IMF bailout "would make Pakistan's subservience more obvious to the Pakistani population and government." This could create ripples between Islamabad and Beijing and there is no reason as to why the IMF should not grant a bailout. The writer adds, "Pakistan's immediate importance to us is the logistics route it has provided for supply our and our allies' forces in Afghanistan. China's power over Pakistan may cause future closures. Thus, our policy toward China has to factor in the war in Afghanistan. India, which borders both Pakistan and China, is the key." Babbin notes that the US' policy towards China is unclear, due to US President Donald Trump's tiff on trade. "The accelerating trade war will not make trade more fairer," he says. The writer suggests that President Trump should instead raise his voice on China's de facto colonisation of Pakistan and other countries, The Washington Times report says. "If such action were coupled with a clear embrace of India, comprised of a new trade agreement and the beginning of a defense alliance, the president's policy could help contain China's ambitions," Babbin concludes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has asked the Antigua and Barbuda Government to detain fugitive diamantaire and Punjab Bank (PNB) scam accused Mehul Choksi and prevent his movement by land, air or sea, sources said on Monday. The sources further added that the Indian High Commissioner will on Monday meet the relevant authorities of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda over the repatriation of Choksi. "As soon the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) received the information about probable presence of Choksi in Antigua, the Indian High Commission in Georgetown had alerted the Antigua and Barbuda Government, in writing and verbally, to confirm the diamantaire's presence in their territory and also asked it to detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea," the source stated. The Indian High Commission further stated that they will continue to liaise with relevant agencies of the Government of India and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to follow up on this matter. The Central Bureau of Investigation had on July 25 sought the whereabouts of Choksi and written to Antiguan authorities, demanding details about him. Choksi, who is allegedly involved in over USD 2 billion scam in the state-run PNB has reportedly taken refuge in the Caribbean nation after moving there in July. His valid passport was revoked in February after this scam was unearthed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of Indian pilgrims participating in the 'Bolbom Kawaria' are heading to Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal during the holy month of Shrawan. An Indian pilgrim, Balmukund Manvi came to Nepal's capital Kathmandu from India's Madhya Pradesh along with his 60 members as a part of their pilgrimage devoted to Lord Shiva. Talking to ANI, Balmukund said, "We are a group of 60 people which have departed from (MP) Madhya Pradesh in 45-day long pilgrimage touring various places to Nepal. We are feeling very happy. All the facilities and management are well. There are ample facilities and there is no problem at all. We were told of some difficulties but we did not experience it. The darshan of the temple also was easy, Jay Bhole Nath.!!!" "Our family members came over here and then they suggested going and making a visit to the temple of Bholenath," Rekha Malvi, one of the members of the group of 60 arriving in the capital city of Nepal, added. The Himalayan nation, Nepal hosts several Indian tourists every year. As per the latest data published by Department of Immigration Nepal, the number of Indian tourists flowing to Nepal stood at 96,372 out of the total 460,304 foreign tourists hosted by Nepal between January to June 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Father James Erthayil of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) Congregation has been asked to step down after an audio clip of his conversation with a nun went viral. Father James was heard offering land, building, and safety to the Kerala-based nun, in exchange for withdrawing the rape complaint against Father Franco Mullackal, the Bishop of Jalandhar diocese. "If needed we can buy some land and build a convent and shift all of you to a safe location," Father James was heard saying in the viral audio clip. "If you can think in that positive aspect, I will do whatever I can. I am not saying that I can do everything, but will do whatever possible. So the idea is to buy some land and build a convenient building and shift you to that safety," he added. Father Mullackal, the Bishop of Jalandhar diocese, has been accused of raping and having unnatural sex multiple times with a nun in a small region in Kottayam between 2014 and 2016. While narrating her ordeal to the district police chief, the nun said that she was raped around 13 times over a span of two years. She had first filed a complaint with Syro-Malabar Church head Cardinal George Alancherry but claimed that he refused to take any stringent action on the matter. Further investigation is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan on Monday came down heavily on the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) asking them to clarify their stand on the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Speaking to ANI, "On the one hand, the Congress constantly says that the NDA government is against the Dalits. On the other hand, the Congress leaders question the Centre over the ordinance on the SC/ST Act, and support the appointment of Justice AK Goel as Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairman. The Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi need to come out clear on the SC/ST Act." On the BSP's stand on the issue, Chirag Paswan said: "(BSP supremo) Mayawati is not clearing her position because her own government in 2007 passed an order that a case would not be registered against a person (merely) over a complaint filed by a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, until the matter is scrutinised by a senior police officer." On July 27, he raised an objection on the appointment of retired Justice Goel as the NGT chief. The LJP alleged that Justice Goel had acted against the interests of the Dalits by passing judgment on dilution provisions of the SC/ST Act. Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leader Upendra Kushwaha and Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale earlier too had opposed the appointment of Justice Goel as NGT chief. LJP had threatened the Centre that they would join the agitation led by the Dalit outfits if amendments were not made in the Act by August 9. However, Paswan cleared that their party did not give an ultimatum to the Centre on the issue. LJP, which is an ally of the Democratic Alliance (NDA), had earlier demanded to introduce an ordinance or executive order to restore stringent arrest rules in SC/ST Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court has admitted the discharged application of Sadhvi Pragya Singh and Sameer Kulkarni, two of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The move comes a week after the court admitted the discharge application of main accused Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit. "Colonel Purohit's discharge plea has already been accepted by the Bombay High Court. Today, the plea of Sadhvi Pragya Singh, which was turned down by a trial court, has been admitted by the High Court," Prashant Maggu, the lawyer of the accused, told ANI The joint hearing in the case is slated to be held on August 13. Six people were killed and 101 people injured on September 29, 2009, after a bomb tied to a motorcycle exploded in Nashik's Malegaon town. In November 2008, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 11 people in this connection. However, in April 2011, the investigation was transferred to the NIA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wife of Lieutenant Colonel Dharamvir Singh has moved to the Manipur High Court claiming that her husband was wrongly detained by armed jawans on July 1 morning and was kept under house arrest till the court ordered his release. Ranju Singh on July 20 submitted an affidavit with the court on behalf of her husband highlighting possible reasons behind latter's arrest. Notably, Lt. Col. Singh was serving as officer commanding, 3 CISU at M Sector, Imphal when he was allegedly arrested. "He was taken away by the officials in front of me. We don't know why he was arrested and where he has been taken. I don't know anybody over here. Nobody was ready to help me, at last, I sought the court's help in this matter. My husband has done nothing, he is innocent," Ranju told ANI. Fearing that the Army officials will continue to harass her husband and family, Ranju mentioned in the affidavit that Lieutenant Colonel Dharamvir Singh in the year 2016 had complaint about wrongdoings of some officers. The affidavit accused few army officers of demanding extortion money and carrying out fake encounter of innocent individuals in the north-eastern state of Manipur. Following the complaint, some senior officers turned vindictive and began to harass Lieutenant Colonel Singh, said the affidavit. Owing to pressure mounted on Lt. Col. Singh, he, later on, withdrew the complaint on the assurance that action will be taken against the perpetrators. The affidavit mentions three alleged fake encounters and an extortion case by one unit and one particular team of the CISU. The affidavit further divulges about the extortion and fake encounter killings of Manipur boys, Phijam Naobi, R.K. Ranel and Th Prem who were picked up from Dimapur in Nagaland and allegedly killed after being tortured. Their dead bodies were found in Lakhijan area under Bokajan police station in Karbi Anglong district of Assam on March 12, 2010. It also mentions the custodial killing of PLA leader Gypsy and her friend who were picked up from a rented accommodation near SM College in Dimapur. Lt. Col. Singh's statement mentions, "On 18 August, PLA leader G Jiteshwar Sharma alias Gypsy along with his innocent friend was picked up from the rented room near SM College, Dimapur, by the same team. Bodies of both were buried behind the unit Mess only. Few unit persons know the exact location where the bodies were buried." In his last text to the family, Gypsy wrote that "I have been arrested by suspected Assam Rifles and NSCN-IM." Gypsy's family also filed a writ petition in the Imphal bench of the Gauhati High Court back in 2011, after he was untraceable. "We lodged an FIR in Dimapur seven years back. We searched all the leads but nothing was revealed," said his brother, G Satyabrata Sharma. Sharma said they even received a response from the Army, para-military and police that there was no report of his arrest in 2011. The document further details the way Thangjam Satish and another unidentified person were killed in Masimpur jungle by the same set of officers. The affidavit also accused the same team of officers of executing the kidnapping of a woman and her child from Dimapur, who were later set free after claiming a ransom of Rs 1 crore from her family. The affidavit appealed to the SIT to summon all Army personnel involved in the case and question them. On the directions of the Gauhati High Court in 2017 a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by Dimapur Police was instructed to summon all Army personnel involved in the case and question them. The affidavit presses that till now not a single army personnel has been summoned by the SIT and "the truth is not going to come out as several senior officers were involved in the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Sunday's episode of 'Last Week Tonight', host John Oliver interviewed Anita Hill, an American attorney, about the 'Me Too' movement. The episode came two days after CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves was accused of sexual misconduct. According to The Hollywood Reporter, in 1991, Anita Hill gave an eight-hour-long testimony against the U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas accusing him of sexual harassment. The testimony was later brushed aside by the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a monologue before the interview, Oliver talked about #MeToo and the recent 'Time's up' movement, both dealing with the issue of sexual harassment. "Even a few years ago, people were ambivalent about what the consequences should be concerning behaving incredibly badly in the workplace," Hill told Oliver. When Oliver asked her if men are needed in this movement against sexual harassment, Hill said "We need you to step up. There are no innocent bystanders." Discussing the matter of 'intend' and how the word is used in defining an act of sexual harassment, Hill said: "If you're a victim, it doesn't matter so much if they intended". "I am feeling more optimistic that I was 27 years ago. If we do nothing, then change is not going to come." Hill said, referring to the movements initiated against sexual harassment. Les Moonves, an American media executive, was recently accused of sexual misconduct by six women. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malaysian authorities have not arrived at a definitive conclusion to determine the cause behind the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines' ill-fated MH-370 flight. Releasing the much-awaited safety investigation report on Monday, the investigators cited a lack of clear evidence to determine what exactly happened to the plane. Stating that the report had to be published with the evidenced gathered as they had to provide closure, the investigators indicated that the publication of the report was not the end of the matter as the wreckage of the plane had not been found yet, as reported by CNN. Addressing a presser, lead investigator Kok Soo Chon said that while the plane had diverted its course back towards Malaysia under manual controls, it was not clear yet as to whether it was being flown by a pilot or if there was any unlawful interference. Ruling out several speculated factors for the disappearance of the aircraft, including the pilot's mental health, remote control of the flight's operation systems and aircraft malfunctions, Chon said that the investigations would be initiated again in case the plane was to be found in the future. "The disappearance of MH370 and the search effort are unprecedented in commercial aviation history. Improvements must be undertaken to ensure that this type of event is identified as soon as possible, and mechanisms are in place to track an aircraft that is not following its filed flight plan for any reason," the Malaysian report read. It also underscored that the international aviation community needs to provide assurances to the passengers that the location of commercial aircraft is always known; adding that to not do so was unacceptable. In what turned out to be one of the biggest aviation mysteries in the world, the Malaysian Airlines flight-MH-370 disappeared in 2014 with as many as 239 persons on board, with 227 of them being passengers and 12 crew members. Joint search efforts carried out by China, Malaysia and Australia were called off in January 2017 after no trace of the aircraft was found in a more than 710,000 square kilometer radius of the Indian Ocean. In May, another search effort was initiated by a private company after it reached an agreement with the Malaysian government, but that too was called off. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protests are being held by workers of the Awami National Party (ANP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) against the alleged rigging in the just-concluded general elections held on July 25. Mass protests are being held in Charsadda, Buner, Lower Dir, Peshawar, Nowshera and other district headquarters in the province. Earlier on July 27, ANP central president Asfandyar Wali Khan said that his party rejected the results of the general elections due to rampant rigging and stated that peaceful protests would be held for the same in all district headquarters of KP province. Addressing a press conference in Charsadda, Khan was quoted by The Dawn as saying, "We (ANP) follow Bacha Khan's philosophy of non-violence movement and therefore, we (ANP) will record our protest against poll rigging in a peaceful manner." He alleged that the terrorists had attempted to keep ANP out from the 2013 elections and accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), caretaker government and the Pakistan Army for doing the same in this year's polls. Khan asserted that the polls were rigged to sway the results in favour of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), particularly its chief Imran Khan. He claimed that all electoral agents were driven out from the polling stations during the counting of votes. Khan added, "Some rigging videos circulating on social media are enough to open the eyes of the Election Commission of Pakistan. If the chief election commissioner wants to know the reality about election rigging, it is there on social media." He stated that the elections were rigged to keep Pakhtun leaders out of the National Assembly and to favour a political party only, as per The Dawn report. The ANP central president announced that the next course of action would be discussed over poll rigging and the prospects of re-election in the country. Khan thanked the people of Pakistan for voting for ANP, despite unfavourable circumstances and hot weather conditions. Amidst allegations of rigging in the recently concluded general elections in Pakistan, an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) spokesperson has asserted that the same were conducted fairly. The PTI emerged as the single largest party with 115 seats, after the ECP on July 28 released the complete preliminary results for 270 of 272 National Assembly (NA) constituencies. However, the party fell short of the 137-majority mark. The ECP completed the process after almost three days when the general elections were held. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which won 64 seats came second, while the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) bagged 43 seats and finished third. Pakistan went to polls on July 25 and the counting of votes began soon thereafter in the evening, which was marred by tedious counting and allegations of rigging by major political parties, including the PML-N and PPP. On July 27, a multi-party conference was called for by the PML-N to prepare a strategy over the alleged rigging of the General Elections 2018. Chaired by PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the all-party conference has rejected the poll results and demanded a transparent re-election in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amidst allegations of rigging in the recently concluded general elections in Pakistan, an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) spokesperson has asserted that the same were conducted fairly. Speaking on a Geo News talk show, Altaf Ahmed said that the charges that have been levelled by the various political parties do not hold water as they did not furnish any proof. Citing the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), which sent a delegation of observers for the elections, Ahmed said that an EU EOM report stated that the elections were "transparent and fair." When questioned about allegations from political parties that their polling agents were ousted from polling booths during the counting of votes, the ECP spokesperson said that there were instructions that had been relayed to them allowing only one agent, while some parties had sent as many as seven. "If you check the record, only irrelevant people were expelled from the polling stations," Ahmed said. He also said that the leaders who had in violation of ECP Code of Conduct on the Election Day had been issued notices and that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has been called to offer an explanation for his violation during casting his vote. He also confirmed that the election governance body had launched an investigation into allegations that some polling agents were handed results on a piece of paper, instead of the Form-45 issued by the commission. He said that the ECP attributed the delay in the declaration of the results to a "technological failure" in the Result Transmission System (RTS), adding that the android application could not cope up with the data of tens of millions of voters. "There was a technological problem, but no failure (overall)," saying that it would have been deemed a failure if the entirety of elections had fallen apart due to it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan along with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Sunday reviewed the status of various skill initiatives in the state and suggested measures to identify areas of improvement. Framework of Skill Ecosystem in Uttarakhand will be prepared in the next two months. Under this scheme, the state government with the help of Centre will train 40 lakh people aging between 15-59 to generate skills and employability. "There are 176 government ITIs in Uttarakhand which are much more in view of the area and population. Proper usage of these institutions should be ensured. Some tie-ups with industries should be done for these ITIs. The industries should not only upgrade these ITIs, but also give placements to students studying there. For the same, the Centre will provide full support to the state government," Pradhan said. Pradhan also shared his views on the "expansion of skill initiatives by identifying new and emerging trade and practices, and implementing demand specific skill training so that talent could be absorbed within the state". "This can provide a major help in controlling employment oriented migration," he said. Pradhan also took to Twitter and wrote: "Uttarakhand is amongst the best performing states in our Skill India mission. Suggested to identify areas of improvement and work towards re-skilling and upskilling of the entire workforce in the state. Also suggested to use technology to reach out to the last man for value addition." Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Rawat said: "In Uttarakhand, there are many potential jobs in the service sector. Special focus should be given on the service sector in the skill development plan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Representatives of Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena on Monday visited the Kauvery hospital to meet the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. Wishing speedy recovery to ailing Karunanidhi, the delegation also handed over a letter from President Sirisena to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar also met Stalin and Kanimozhi at the hospital. Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital following a drop in his blood pressure last week. The DMK chief, who is on intravenous antibiotics, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami who visited Karunanidhi said that the latter's health condition is better and recovering. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday while hearing the writ petition filed against the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) questioned the practice and said that a lady cannot be made available to her husband like a cattle. The petition filed in the top court has sought issuance of orders to impose a complete ban on the practice of Female Genital Mutilation throughout India and for making it a cognizable non-compoundable and non-bailable offence. Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, who was heading the bench of the top court, said that "why should a lady make such an effort that she is available to her husband as cattle. Why should only a lady have obligation to please her husband." The CJI said that the practice is against gender sensitivity and is possibly hazardous for health. Justice D Y Chandrachud also opposed the practice and while hearing the case observed that "genital is central of identity. So this is against one's identity." Meanwhile, Attorney General KK Venugopal said that the government supports the ban on female genital mutilation. FGM or 'khatna' is a process which involves the removal of skin from the clitoral hood of women, at the age of seven or between the ages of six and 12. It is generally practiced in the Bohra Muslim community. The resolutions passed in December 2012, by the United Nations General Assembly regarding the rights of the children banning Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Khatna or female circumcision, of which India is a signatory and has also ratified UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and issue appropriate guidelines to this effect. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday extended the protection granted to Major Aditya Kumar in the Shopian firing case till August 21 while hearing a petition filed by Lieutenant Colonel Karamveer Singh, father of Major Aditya. Lt. Col Karamveer Singh filed the petition to quash the Jammu and Kashmir police's FIR against his son. The petition was heard by a three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra. The major and his father refused to make any comments regarding the case. In an earlier hearing, the Jammu and Kashmir government, in its affidavit, had stated that there was no bar for registering FIRs or initiating any investigation against Army personnel. The Jammu and Kashmir police registered an FIR against Major Aditya for his alleged involvement in the firing incident at Shopian on January 27, where three civilians were killed after Army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob of protesters. It had submitted to the apex court that Singh's petition is not maintainable and should not be heard by the court. They also said that the petitioner, Singh, had no locus standi in the case and thereby his petition should not be heard. Over 200 protesters pelted stones at the Army convoy, following which the Army personnel fired in self-defence. Thereafter, the state police filed an FIR under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the Major and his Army unit of 10 Garhwal Rifles. The next hearing in the case will be held on August 21. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A recent study has suggested that cases of suicide should be carefully reported by media, failing to do which can have serious implications on vulnerable individuals. The study, conducted by an international research team, examining media reporting of suicide, has found noteworthy relations between reporting details and suicide deaths. Dr. Mark Sinyor, a psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University of Toronto says, "It is important for reporters and media outlets to understand that how they report on suicide can have a real impact across the population." According to the findings of a previous study on the same matter, vulnerable people can be influenced toward similar behaviour if exposed to media reporting on suicide. On the other hand, if media reports include resources such as crises services and messages of hope, things that would remind a person in crisis that suicide is not the only option, it can end up having a positive impact on the public, says Dr. Sinyor. Researchers from Canada, Australia, and Austria, examining the relationship between the two, looked at about 17,000 articles in 13 major publications in the Toronto media market and suicide deaths in the city between 2011 and 2014. The study pointed out that reporting on suicide can have some significant effect on suicide deaths. It also suggested that media should be careful about the content of reports. The research recorded that there were 6,367 articles on suicide and 947 suicide deaths in Toronto over the same period. Elements like describing the method of suicide (especially in the headline), reporting suicide in celebrities and calling it inevitable, were associated with increased suicides in the city. "Contagion is thought to occur when a vulnerable reader identifies with suicide-related media. The fact that reports about celebrity suicide appeared to lead to contagion but the reverse was seen for reports about murder-suicide is very much in keeping with what we know," says Dr. Sinyor. Advising the media to be careful about such issues Dr. Sinyor says, "Suicide is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by many factors. We encourage journalists to take extra care to contextualize their reporting, especially when a story is about someone or a situation that people are likely to identify with." . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States (US) President Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US Presidential Election. Taking to his Twitter account, Trump stressed on the fact that there was no collusion, saying that the "Witch Hunt" was a rigged one as it was started by a fraudulent Dossier, and was funded by "Crooked Hillary" and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He further revealed that he had a "conflict of interest" with Mueller, adding that the two had a "nasty business relationship" and that he had turned him down as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director. "Also, why is Mueller only appointing Angry Dems, some of whom have worked for Crooked Hillary, others, including himself, have worked for Obama....And why isn't Mueller looking at all of the criminal activity & real Russian Collusion on the Democrats side-Podesta, Dossier?" Trump added. According to CNN, the investigation was started in July 2016 when Australian officials had tipped the FBI that George Papadopoulos, a former member of the foreign policy advisory panel to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, told them about alleged Russian involvement with Hillary Clinton. In a memo released in February, The House Republicans had confirmed that the probe was launched following the information from Papadopoulos, who has been found guilty of furnishing wrong information to the FBI and is assisting with the Mueller investigation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Baddi Facility for Atorvastatin Calcium and Masulkhana facility for Montelukast Sodium Morepen Laboratories has received USFDA approvals for both its bulk drugs manufacturing facilities situated in Himachal Pradesh. While the Baddi facility has got US FDA approval for the manufacture of bulk drug "Atorvastatin Calcium", a Cholesterol reducing drug, the Masulkhana facility has recently got the nod for manufacturing an anti-asthma bulk drug "Montelukast Sodium" for export to the US market. The US market size for these two bulk drugs viz. Atorvastatin Calcium and Montelukast Sodium is approximately Rs.5,000 crore and Rs. 2,000 crore respectively. The two APIs collectively contributes around Rs. 150 crore annual revenue to the company's topline and constitutes 44 per cent of the company's total API business. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 1.2 million Syrian refugees have returned to their homes since September 2015, since Russia launched its anti-terror operations there, the Defence Ministry here has said. According to the country's ministry-affiliated Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper, as many as 1.186 million internally displaced Syrians have returned to their homes from refugee camps during this period, Xinhua news agency said. The Russian Ministry said on July 20 that more than 6.9 million people have left Syria since 2011 when the Syrian civil war broke out. Most of them are now living in 45 countries. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least six people have died in a deadly fire that has ravaged a large swathe of California and continues to grow amid dry weather conditions severely hampering efforts to control the blaze. The Carr fire was just 17 per cent contained on Sunday night, having burned over 95,000 acres of land, the US media reported. Tom Bosenko, the sheriff of Shasta County, where the blaze has been raging since last Monday, told reporters that sixteen people had been reported missing, but nine of those were found safe. The fire broke out due to a vehicle "mechanical failure" -- presumably an engine fire. "Erratic winds" and dry conditions caused the Carr fire to grow, according to firefighters. It is one of eight major wildfires currently burning in the state. High temperatures, low humidity and increased winds are all in the forecast, setting the stage for more explosive fire behaviour, Chris Harvey with the Cal Fire Incident Management Team said. The erratic flames were blamed for six deaths, including 70-year-old Melody Bledsoe and her great-grandchildren, 4-year-old Emily Roberts and 5-year-old James Roberts. An unidentified fourth body was found in a burnt-out house on Sunday. Two firefighters also lost their lives last week, CNN reported. "This fire is scary to us. This is something we haven't seen before in the city," Redding Police Chief Roger Moore said. A total of 38,000 people were evacuated from Shasta County. California's Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in the area, as well as in three others. US President Donald Trump approved federal aid for the counties. There were 12,000 firefighters battling the flames across the state. Firefighters had been making progress in containing it until Thursday night, when it began to quickly spread. According to the National Weather Service: "A dangerous heat wave will continue from California to the Pacific Northwest early this week. Triple digit heat combined with dry humidity will only exacerbate the ongoing wildfire situation in California." Authorities said that 657 structures (both homes and other buildings) were destroyed in the blaze and another 145 damaged. In addition to the Carr fire, more than a dozen other large wildfires were burning throughout California, stretching resources. Authorities in Riverside County announced on Friday the arrest of a man accused of starting the Cranston Fire, which destroyed 4,700 hectares of land. Brandon McGlover, 32, was facing 15 criminal charges and was being held on $1 million bail. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi's ruling AAP on Monday accused the Lt. Governor of making "misleading statements" to create hurdles in the implementation of CCTV project in the city. With Lt. Governor Anil Baijal's office saying that there have been reported instances of "misuse of CCTV for intrusion on and compromises with the privacy of individuals", Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said: "The misleading public statements being issued by the office of the Lt Governor of Delhi on the installation of CCTVs in residential areas and markets is a dirty ploy to create deliberate hurdles in the implementation of this major safety measure." Calling the reasons given by LG baseless, Bhardwaj said that the LG's office needs to tell "how CCTV cameras, to be installed at entry/exit gates of residential areas, are a breach of privacy?" "According to the latest data, at least 118 vehicles are stolen in Delhi every day and a majority of such thefts take place from the parking of residential areas. So going by the baseless objections being raised by the LG's office, should the residents of Delhi understand that the LG, who is in-charge of Delhi Police, does not want to prevent such thefts?" he asked. About women safety, Bhardwaj said that the "LG should step out of his palace" to get a first-hand experience of the serious condition of women safety in Delhi. He further went on to say that it is extremely unfortunate that the LG, who is responsible for maintenance of law and order in the city, instead of supporting the elected government, is "raising baseless objections with ulterior motives for purely political reasons." "The LG needs to understand that now, the subjects which fall within the domain of the elected government do not require his concurrence and he will be well advised to act within the constitutional framework. "He should desist from behaving like a BJP appointed viceroy who has no accountability and is not responsible for any of his decisions," he said. Meanwhile, in a move which intensifies the cold war between Baijal and the Delhi government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal gave a go-ahead to the Public Works Departement to install CCTV cameras across the city. He also rejected the draft recommendations made by Baijal's office which mandated police permission before installing CCTVs. --IANS sd/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh may be down but not out, yet. Amid talk of a larger Opposition unity, Mahagathbandhan, or a federal front, Singh is quietly weighing his options. The fact is everyone in the Uttar Pradesh BJP is talking about Singh's newfound love for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Quietly stoking Singh's ambitions are two political realities of Uttar Pradesh: first, the socialist citadel of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party patriarch, lies almost in ruins following his parting of ways with his son and former Chief Minister Akhilesh. Second, and more significantly, is the kind of attention the erswhile acolyte of Mulayam was able to grab from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Sunday referred to Singh as one who held "many secrets of politician-industrialist hobnobbing behind the curtains." Little doubt then top state BJP leaders have taken the wily Thakur seriously, triggering a buzz in UP political circles. Singh told IANS that while he "certainly" had no plans to join the BJP, he indeed was "an admirer of Modi" and that "the rest of my life is dedicated to him." He said he has started "thinking as an ordinary Indian voter" and sees Prime Minister Modi as the "best bet to take the country forward". "I am an outcast and a dumped leader of the Samajwadi Party. The fact remains that the entire country, across the political spectrum, knows that the personality and work of Modi towers much above all of them put together," he said. His sudden effusiveness about Modi became self-evident when during an event in the state capital on Sunday, the Prime Minister walked up to him and shook hands. "(If) I were to choose among (Bahujan Samaj Party chief) Mayawati, (West Bengal Chief Minister and an aspiring archtect of federal font) Mamata Banerjee and Modi as a prime ministerial candidate, my vote certainly is for the last M -- Modi," he said. Referrring to the "unholy and opportunistic alliance" between his political alma mater SP and the BSP, he said it "could never be my choice". He however ruled out any possibility of his immediate joining the BJP. "I am not aware of any such activity in the offing," he said. Sources in the state BJP, who till recently were uncomfortable with the idea of the Thakur getting into the party fold, are now appriciative of his position. "The fact that the Prime Minister showed regard for Amar Singh is indeed a signal for the party leaders and the cadre," said a senior minister in the Yogi Adityanath government. And this very well showed up in the events that unfolded soon after Modi flew out of the state. Not only did Amar Singh drive to the 5, Kalidas Marg, the residence of the Chief Minister but was also seen rubbing shoulders with the CM and his ministers. The event was flagging off of two electric buses. Singh shared the seat with top BJP leaders and ministers along with the chairman emeritus of the Essel Group Subhash Chandra. The bonhomie, plus the saffron kurta of Amar Singh, were not missed by anyone. Ruling party startegists went to the extent of comparing him with Vibhishan, the brother of Ravan, the demon-king of Lanka in the Ramayana who let out several secrets of his brother to Lord Rama. "Thakur-sahib has been the custodian of many secrets of the SP leaders for the past two decades and would definitely be an asset to the BJP as we gear up to take on the SP-BSP combine in 2019," said a party general secretary. Amar Singh's proximity with another SP leader and estranged uncle of Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal Singh, is well known. BJP leaders say they are hopeful that Thakur can stir up controversies in the Yadav clan again as he did in 2017 when the division in the Yadav family led to an electoral wipeout of the SP in the state Assembly elections. How well the BJP gameplan plays out or how the calculations of the ready-for-revenge Amar Singh pay off, only time will tell. But one party that finds itself in a tight spot following Singh's remarks in the past two days is the state Samajwadi Party. (Mohit Dubey can be contacted at mohit.d@ians.in) --IANS MD/PRS/SED (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The first complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), comprising names of 2,89,83,677 people of Assam, was published on Monday. Releasing the document online at the state NRC headquarters here, Registrar General of India, Sailesh said that a total of 3,29,91,384 people had applied for inclusion of their names in the document, but 40,07,707 had been left out due to some discrepancies in their documents. "This is a draft NRC and not the final NRC. All genuine Indian citizens whose names did not figure in the NRC will get ample opportunities to enter their names in the final NRC," Sailesh said, terming the day "historic". "It's a historic day for Assam and India as a whole. Today we have achieved a milestone of publishing the first complete draft NRC. "The scale, size and complexity of the whole exercise are unparalleled. The process has been transparent, clear and meticulously executed with involvement of over 52,000 government officials over a period of three years," he said. Assam State Coordinator for NRC, Pratik Hajela said that all those whose name did not figure in the document need not worry as there is a laid down procedures for claims and objections, which will start from August 30. "Whoever, wishes to file a claim for inclusion of their names in the NRC can approach the NRC Seva Kendras and file claim from August 30. "We will start distribution of claims and objection and correction forms from August 7. The process of filing of the claims, objection and corrections will continue til September 28," Hajela said. There would also be assistance for those who need assistance in filing the claims and objections, he added. Hajela said that the 40,07,707 people whose name did not figure in the NRC will be intimated through separate letters about the discrepancies and there will be opportunities for them to correct the same. "Details of these 40,07,707 (people) will not be disclosed as we have to respect their privacy. "Out of them, there are 2.48 lakh people whose cases are pending before different Foreigners' Tribunals," he said adding that the status quo of these people -- whose name did not figure in the NRC -- will remain as "applicant" and not as "Indian" or "non-Indian". Satyen Garg, Joint Secretary, Northeast, in the Union Home Ministry, reiterated that the none of the persons, whose name did not figure in the NRC, will be taken to the detention camps or Foreigners' Tribunals. Sufficient opportunity will be given to those persons to include their names in the final NRC, he assured. The Assam government has intensified security arrangements across the state following apprehensions that there might be trouble after publication of the NRC. The Central government had already sent over 200 companies of security forces to assist the state police in handling the situation. The Assam government had started the process of updating the NRC on December 2013. On December 31, 2017, the Assam government had released the first draft of the NRC which included the names of 1.90 crore people. --IANS ah/in/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A British film festival programmer once asked Aseem Chhabra, known for penning the biography of Shashi Kapoor, whether actress Priyanka Chopra deserved a book. The answer has now arrived at the bookstores in the form of a full fledged biography that Chhabra has penned on the "Quantico" star, narrating her inspirational rise from a small town, middle-class family to the hearts of hundreds of thousands of her fans. "Priyanka Chopra: The Incredible Story of A Global Bollywood Star" (Rupa/Rs 500/ 237 pages), revolves around what the title lays forth -- a global Bollywood star. In doing so, Chhabra, who has been published widely on cinema-related themes, provides a background to Chopra's life, narrating the simple life she lived before becoming an international phenomenon. The biographer deserves both praise and scrutiny for venturing into a subject that could be as challenging as the one at hand. For starters, Chopra's is a life in progress and therefore, any extra speculations and personal observations on her life by the author, could be both misleading as well as far from reality. To make matters worse, the actress has not collaborated with the biographer on this project as he himself admits: "Priyanka did not collaborate with me in writing this book. I wish that had happened and believe me, I did try, but there are things beyond my control." The things beyond control, at least one of them, have now surfaced as Chopra is herself penning her memoir, which will be published by Penguin Random House next year as "Unfinished". This book, therefore, is of utter significance if one wishes to get a ringside view on Chopra's journey, because it is not being told by the subject, rather it takes into consideration what others have to say about her. By quoting people like Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Basu, Dia Mirza, Rohan Sippy, Prakash Jha and others directly from their interviews with him, Chhabra manages to portray how these respective people, who have been close to the actress, view her journey. The book gives one an opportunity to know about an Indian actress' rise to fame in Hollywood, where several reputed Indian film personalities tried their luck but returned to their comfort zone in Bollywood. But for most of it, there is hardly anything new that the book presents. The people that Chhabra quotes in his book are not saying anything unprecedented or anything that is not already in the public domain. The book has tricky praise on the front cover by filmmaker Karan Johar: "She is our hugest crossover success story." The publisher could have done with a quote on the merit of this biography rather than a quote on the actress, especially when it is used on the front cover as a tool to boost its sales. Also, for the 196-page text on the actress, the biographer has quoted, or referred to as many as 237 interviews, articles and press releases on or by the subject. Therefore, for most of its part, the biography is a combination of the readily-available material on Chopra. Nonetheless, it is worth an inclined reader's time, particularly in the view that the author did not enjoy the subject's support and yet managed to flesh out this offering. And since it comes before Chopra's own memoir, there is room for readers to know the actress from her birth to the stage where she is now -- before she sets the record straight in 2019 in : "Unfinished". (Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in) --IANS ss/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China will provide assistance through various projects to the social development endeavours of Nepal as part of a memorandum of understanding reached between the two nations. The MoU was signed on Sunday between the Social Welfare Council of Nepal (SWCN) and the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) to run projects in the field of community development, livelihood, disaster management, skills-oriented training, education and health services, said the Council. With the move, Beijing enters into Nepal through its non-governmental organisations to counter thousands of NGOs operating in the Himalayan nation mostly funded by West and Europe. The SWCN is an umbrella organization of Nepali NGOs responsible for their promotion, facilitation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the activities. The MoU was signed by Minister for Women, Children and Elderly Citizens Thammaya Thapa on behalf of the Council and on behalf of China by visiting Chinese Deputy Minister for External Affairs Wang Yajun. Thapa also chairs the Council. According to the MoU, Chinese NGOs will promote and strengthen the bilateral ties and will channel funds according to the priorities of the Nepali government. Similarly, Chinese NGOs will also extend all possible cooperation to the Nepali NGOs and SWCN for effective implementation of the country's policy and developmental activities. The Chinese NGOs after registering in Nepal will get all kind of benefits as other NGOs are getting. "All developmental assistance will be implemented by honouring the foreign policy of the both countries," the MoU stated. At a time when Nepal is imposing stringent regulations to registration and renewal of NGOs with K.P. Oli government carrying the "nationalist" plank, the mass entry of Chinese NGOs raise several questions about their intent. --IANS giri/soni/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dravida Kazhagam (DK) leader K. Veeramani on Monday urged DMK leaders and cadres not to pray to God for their leader M. Karunanidhi's speedy recovery, saying he would get better only due to medicines. A known atheist, DMK President Karunanidhi, one of India's longest serving politicians, has been admitted to Kauvery Hospital here since Saturday due to health issues. Veeramani said in a statement here that Karunanidhi, 94, was recovering from his ailment with the help of medicine and called upon DMK leaders and activists not to resort to superstitious activities like religious prayers. There have been reports of DMK members holding prayers for Karunanidhi's better health. Students of the school at Tiruvarur where Karunanidhi had studied held a prayer for the well being of their illustrious alumni. A DMK member tonsured his head for Karunanidhi's betterment -- like it is done in some Hindu temples. Veeramani, also a diehard atheist, said those who consider Karunanidhi their leader have to respect his beliefs and principles. Karunanidhi had once called the ritual of fire walking by a party leader as barbaric and urged other party members not to emulate him. The DMK President also objected to a party member sporting a 'tilak' on his forehead saying that this amounted to going against the basic ideology of E.V. Ramasamy or Periyar, the founder of Dravida Kazhagam as a rationalist party. The DMK was born following a split in the DK but remained ideologically on the same path. Meanwhile, a large number of DMK supporters continued to mass outside the Kauvery Hospital. Some kept appealing to Karunanidhi vocally: "Come out, Come out." DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan told IANS: "Party cadres have a special affection for Karunanidhi. They would disperse silently if they hear his unique voice." --IANS vj/mr/rak (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the "tardy" release of Assam's draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) that excluded more than 40 lakh applicants has created a "massive insecurity" in the state. "There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam, of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state," Gandhi said in a Facebook post. Noting the NRC was initiated by the previous UPA government under Manmohan Singh to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985, he said: "However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP governments at the Centre and in Assam leaves much to be desired.... "Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis." Further, Gandhi appealed to all Congress party workers to maintain peace and help those against whom "injustice" is done in the draft NRC irrespective of their religion, caste, gender, linguistic group or political affiliation. After the release of draft NRC, the Central government has urged people not to panic as "ample opportunity" will be given to the applicants if they file claims and objections between August 30 and September 28 before the final list is prepared. The process to finalise the list will be done by December 31, 2018. --IANS mgu/pgh/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) will include training on teaching methodology in a nine-month Business Hindi course for Chinese students, an official said on Monday. The EDI Institute will commence sixth batches of the course likely from mid or late August. About 25 Chinese students have shown their desire to enrol this current academic year. During the last 5 years, about 100 Chinese students have undergone 'Business Hindi' course at the EDI. Around 40 per cent of them have found jobs in India. This initiative was carried out to promote the national language Hindi as well to add to the cultural exchange between the two neighbouring countries. "Following the suggestions from the recent batches, we have decided to add more on teaching methodology training in our courses as it is likely to help them in their academic career. We believe different teaching methodologies are effective and, therefore, we decided to add it in our 'Business Hindi' course," said Avdhesh Jha, Course Director, EDII. --IANS desai/qd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three motorcycle-borne robbers looted Rs 2.1 lakh in cash, a gold chain and a licensed revolver from a jeweller here on Monday. The incident occurred on National Highway 24. Police said when Brahm Swarup Gupta, who runs a jewellery shop in Dasna town, was going to his shop, three robbers on a bike knocked down Gupta who too was on a motorcycle. Two of the three robbers snatched a gold chain from his neck, snatched a bag containing the cash and keys of his shop and took away his revolver too. Gupta told the police that the gold chain weighed 130 grams and was worth Rs 400,000. He also lost Rs 2.1 lakh in cash and other articles worth Rs 7 lakh. "We have registered a complaint and efforts are being made to arrest the robbers at the earliest," said police Inspector Umesh Bahadur Singh. --IANS sps/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The trailer of "Goodachari", the intriguing new Telugu espionage thriller starring Adivi Sesh -- who helmed the very interesting "Kshanam" two years ago -- moves in a direction opposite to "Mission: Impossible - Fallout". The emotions are accentuated and contoured even in the brief trailer. In "Mission: Impossible - Fallout", there is one emotional moment that kind of tears into our heart. It is when a brave female police officer in Paris is shot at by the villains during her call of duty and before the baddies can actually kill her, Cruise guns them down. The impact of the moment is squandered in the big chase that follows. This is a man on a mission. No time for introspection. Whereas, "Goodachari" is the story of a son's search for his father who happened to work for Indian Intelligence. The impetus is intrigue. But the heft comes from the emotional recall of a hero who has grown with questions about his past. Ethan Hunt would never suffer from an identity crisis. He is too busy riding and flying around the world to pause for introspection. Make no mistake. "Goodachari" seems an intelligent film on Indian Intelligence. Adivi Sesh belongs to a new growing breed of South Indian actors who act tough and bring an uncompromising integrity to the cinema with their world view of socio-political affairs. I'm not sure how engaging the film will be. But one thing is certain. To refer to "Goodachari" and many of the other non-Bollywood films being made lately in different parts of India as "regional" is plainly criminal. --IANS skj/rb/sed (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 1 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Russian Warship "Carrying $133 Billion In Gold" Discovered Off South Korea Von_Zolta harshtog#@Queezie? User ID: 417346 07-30-2018 02:05 AM Posts: 687 Post: #1 Russian Warship "Carrying $133 Billion In Gold" Discovered Off South Korea Advertisement Russian Warship Carrying $133 Billion In Gold Discovered Off South Korea Launched in St Petersburg in August 1883, the Dmitrii Donskoi was designed as a commerce raider and fitted with both a full set of sails and a coal-fired engine. The ship spent most of its career operating in the Mediterranean and the Far East and was deployed to Imperial Russias Second Pacific Squadron after the Japanese fleet destroyed the majority of Russias naval power in the Far East in the opening salvoes of the 1904 Russo-Japanese War. The Dmitri Donskoii was sunk in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese war According to the Telegraph, the Dmitrii Donskoi was carrying the fleets funds and went down with 5,500 boxes containing gold bars as well as a separate haul of 200 tons of gold coins. The gold was being stored in the ships holds to stop the Japanese seizing it. Shinil Group estimates the gold would have a total value today of just over $130 billion. The ship then disappeared for over a century, however it now appears its remains may have been found. According to Aju Business Daily, the Shinil Group, a South Korean exploration company, has indicated that it found the ship Sunday less than a mile off the Jeodong port in Ulleungdo, a South Korean island located between the Korean peninsula and Japan, at a depth of 1,423 feet in the Sea of Japan. We found the body of the Dmitrii Donskoi 434 meters deep in seas 1.3 kilometers off Ulleung Island at around 9:50 a.m., Sunday, Shinil Group said. On Sunday, an expedition team mobilized two human-crewed submarines as it discovered what it believed to be Donskoi. The team confirmed later that the body and cannons of the ships captured via a high-definition video camera are consistent with the ships schematics. The submarines found the ships name on its stern on Sunday, along with several cannons, deck guns, an anchor, two chimneys, three masts, a wooden deck and armored sides. The exploration firm estimates that there could be as much as 200 tons of gold ($133 billion) on the Dmitrii Donskoi. Shinil pledged to invest 10% of the treasure on Ulleung Island, which is a popular tourist destination for South Koreans. It has also worked out a deal with Russia, the rightful owner of the sunken ship, which Russia has said it would use the money for investments in railroads connecting Russia with South Korea via North Korea. As for the $133 billion of gold on the sunken ship, it is anyones guess if it exists. But if it does, then it would undoubtedly dwarf the recent discovery of $17 billion in booty off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. The company said it is aiming to raise the ship in October or November. Half of any treasure found aboard the vessel would be handed over to the Russian government, which if the preliminary estimates are accurate, would amount to just over $66 billion. A portion of the rest of the treasure will be donated to joint projects to promote development in north-east Asia, the company said, such as a railway line from Russia to South Korea through North Korea. [ ] ============================================================================================================ [/size South Korean firm backtracks on $130 billion treasure ship gold claims https://www.reuters.com/article/us-south...SKBN1KG0G5 SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean company that claimed to have found the wreck of a Russian warship holding $130 billion in gold said on Thursday it has not verified the existence of any gold, while a financial watchdog said it was probing possible unlawful stock trading. Shinils chief executive Choe Yong-seok speaks next to a miniature model of Russian armored cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2018. Yonhap/Handout via REUTERS Sponsored However, the company backtracked on those claims on Thursday and apologized for having cited unverified news reports saying the ship held about 150 trillion won ($130 billion) worth of gold. The reports said the Donskoi held 200 tonnes of gold but that would only be 10 trillion won at current value, said Shinil chief executive Choe Yong-seok. We apologize to the public for the irresponsible citation. This handout photo shows an underwater wreckage, claimed by South Koreas Shinil Group to be the Russian battleship Dmitri Donskoii which sank in 1905 off Ulleung Island, South Korea. This photo was distributed on July 17, 2018. Yonhap/via REUTERS Company officials showed video footage from a submersible vessel, including several shots that appeared to show the name Donskoi on the side of a ship. Choe said submersible pilots had described several tightly lashed boxes within the ship that appeared to carry meaningful items. Citing unspecified Russian records, the company said those items must be gold bars or coins. However, they did not show any images of gold and said they could not confirm the existence of any of the metal on board. South Koreas financial watchdog said on Thursday it was investigating whether the companys claims were part of any share price manipulation or other unlawful trade. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) noted that shares of Jeil Steel, in which both current and former heads of Shinil bought stakes earlier this month, had seen increased trading and rising prices since May, an FSS official said. The value of the shares jumped 139 percent after the treasure ship claim. Shinils chief executive Choe Yong-seok speaks next to a miniature model of Russian armored cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2018. Yonhap/Handout via REUTERS The circumstances raise possible suspicions of stock price manipulation or unfair trade using undisclosed information, said the official, who declined to be identified. The share price fell on Wednesday to a near two-month low. Jeil Steel said a week earlier it had nothing to do with the treasure ship business, but its stock rose as much as 19.2 percent on Thursday on investor speculation. Choe said Shinil held no shares in Jeil Steel and that the current and former heads had bought the shares as private individuals who had begun talks on their stakes in June. FSS Governor Yoon Suk-heun said on Wednesday the watchdog was also investigating related cryptocurrency issues. A website under Shinil Groups name links the find to a Donskoi International cryptocurrency exchange that says it will hand out its virtual currency to anyone who signed up with the exchange. Shinil Marine denied any connection with the cryptocurrency it said was run by a different company with the same name, and said it had changed its name. A phone number on the cryptocurrency exchanges website led to the company until last week. Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Paul Tait Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Launched in St Petersburg in August 1883, the Dmitrii Donskoi was designed as a commerce raider and fitted with both a full set of sails and a coal-fired engine. The ship spent most of its career operating in the Mediterranean and the Far East and was deployed to Imperial Russias Second Pacific Squadron after the Japanese fleet destroyed the majority of Russias naval power in the Far East in the opening salvoes of the 1904 Russo-Japanese War.The squadron was then intercepted by the Japanese fleet in May 1905 and decimated at the Battle of Tsushima. Assigned to protect the transport ships at the rear of the formation, the Dmitrii Donskoi managed to evade the attacking force, but was later intercepted steaming for the Russian port of Vladivostok.According to the Telegraph, the Dmitrii Donskoi was carrying the fleets funds and went down with 5,500 boxes containing gold bars as well as a separate haul of 200 tons of gold coins. The gold was being stored in the ships holds to stop the Japanese seizing it. Shinil Group estimates the gold would have a total value today of just over $130 billion.The ship then disappeared for over a century, however it now appears its remains may have been found. According to Aju Business Daily, the Shinil Group, a South Korean exploration company, has indicated that it found the ship Sunday less than a mile off the Jeodong port in Ulleungdo, a South Korean island located between the Korean peninsula and Japan, at a depth of 1,423 feet in the Sea of Japan.We found the body of the Dmitrii Donskoi 434 meters deep in seas 1.3 kilometers off Ulleung Island at around 9:50 a.m., Sunday, Shinil Group said.On Sunday, an expedition team mobilized two human-crewed submarines as it discovered what it believed to be Donskoi. The team confirmed later that the body and cannons of the ships captured via a high-definition video camera are consistent with the ships schematics.The submarines found the ships name on its stern on Sunday, along with several cannons, deck guns, an anchor, two chimneys, three masts, a wooden deck and armored sides.The body of the ship was severely damaged by shelling, with its stern almost broken, and yet the ships deck and sides are well preserved, the company said.Our discovery has finally put a stop to a controversy over Donskois existence and sunken location. Well soon go ahead with procedures to rescue the ship, Shinil group added.Shinil did not say if gold bars or coins were discovered. The group plans to recover the gold later this year with the help from companies in China, Canada, and the U.K. Here is video from the moment the ship was identified:The exploration firm estimates that there could be as much as 200 tons of gold ($133 billion) on the Dmitrii Donskoi. Shinil pledged to invest 10% of the treasure on Ulleung Island, which is a popular tourist destination for South Koreans. It has also worked out a deal with Russia, the rightful owner of the sunken ship, which Russia has said it would use the money for investments in railroads connecting Russia with South Korea via North Korea.As for the $133 billion of gold on the sunken ship, it is anyones guess if it exists. But if it does, then it would undoubtedly dwarf the recent discovery of $17 billion in booty off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia.The company said it is aiming to raise the ship in October or November. Half of any treasure found aboard the vessel would be handed over to the Russian government, which if the preliminary estimates are accurate, would amount to just over $66 billion. A portion of the rest of the treasure will be donated to joint projects to promote development in north-east Asia, the company said, such as a railway line from Russia to South Korea through North Korea.[ ][/sizeSouth Korean firm backtracks on $130 billion treasure ship gold claimsSEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean company that claimed to have found the wreck of a Russian warship holding $130 billion in gold said on Thursday it has not verified the existence of any gold, while a financial watchdog said it was probing possible unlawful stock trading.Shinils chief executive Choe Yong-seok speaks next to a miniature model of Russian armored cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2018. Yonhap/Handout via REUTERSShinil Marine said last week it had discovered the wreck of the Dmitrii Donskoi, a Russian armored cruiser sunk in 1905 after fighting Japanese warships off South Koreas Ulleung Island, and that a staggering 150 trillion won ($130 billion) of gold was on board.SponsoredHowever, the company backtracked on those claims on Thursday and apologized for having cited unverified news reports saying the ship held about 150 trillion won ($130 billion) worth of gold.The reports said the Donskoi held 200 tonnes of gold but that would only be 10 trillion won at current value, said Shinil chief executive Choe Yong-seok.We apologize to the public for the irresponsible citation.This handout photo shows an underwater wreckage, claimed by South Koreas Shinil Group to be the Russian battleship Dmitri Donskoii which sank in 1905 off Ulleung Island, South Korea. This photo was distributed on July 17, 2018. Yonhap/via REUTERSCompany officials showed video footage from a submersible vessel, including several shots that appeared to show the name Donskoi on the side of a ship.Choe said submersible pilots had described several tightly lashed boxes within the ship that appeared to carry meaningful items. Citing unspecified Russian records, the company said those items must be gold bars or coins.However, they did not show any images of gold and said they could not confirm the existence of any of the metal on board.South Koreas financial watchdog said on Thursday it was investigating whether the companys claims were part of any share price manipulation or other unlawful trade.The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) noted that shares of Jeil Steel, in which both current and former heads of Shinil bought stakes earlier this month, had seen increased trading and rising prices since May, an FSS official said.The value of the shares jumped 139 percent after the treasure ship claim.Shinils chief executive Choe Yong-seok speaks next to a miniature model of Russian armored cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2018. Yonhap/Handout via REUTERSThe circumstances raise possible suspicions of stock price manipulation or unfair trade using undisclosed information, said the official, who declined to be identified.The share price fell on Wednesday to a near two-month low. Jeil Steel said a week earlier it had nothing to do with the treasure ship business, but its stock rose as much as 19.2 percent on Thursday on investor speculation.Choe said Shinil held no shares in Jeil Steel and that the current and former heads had bought the shares as private individuals who had begun talks on their stakes in June.FSS Governor Yoon Suk-heun said on Wednesday the watchdog was also investigating related cryptocurrency issues.A website under Shinil Groups name links the find to a Donskoi International cryptocurrency exchange that says it will hand out its virtual currency to anyone who signed up with the exchange.Shinil Marine denied any connection with the cryptocurrency it said was run by a different company with the same name, and said it had changed its name. A phone number on the cryptocurrency exchanges website led to the company until last week.Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Paul TaitOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. (This post was last modified: 07-30-2018 02:09 AM by Von_Zolta .) LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 432080 07-30-2018 02:05 AM Post: #2 RE: Russian Warship "Carrying $133 Billion In Gold" Discovered Off South Korea Weak The government on Monday finally approved the implementation of guidelines for the defence Strategic Partnership model that incentivises domestic private as well as foreign firms in military manufacturing in the country. And the first project to kick off the long-delayed Strategic Partnership policy will be 111 utility twin-engine helicopters worth an estimated Rs 21,000 crore for the Indian Navy. The decision to implement the policy was taken at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council -- the highest decision-making body on procurement. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the meeting. "In continuation of its efforts to boost indigenous defence industry and to reduce timelines so as to ensure timely delivery of equipment to the Armed Forces, the DAC discussed and approved implementation guidelines for the Strategic Partnership Model," a defence ministry spokesperson said. The model promulgated in May 2017 seeks to identify Indian private firms to be designated as Strategic Partners. Apart from allowing private manufacturers, it also keeps the door open for defence PSUs and the Ordnance Factory Board to tie up with foreign original equipment manufacturers to make big-ticket military hardware. In the initial phase, the selection of such partners would be confined to four segments: Fighter aircraft, helicopters, submarines, armoured fighting vehicles and main battle tanks. In each segment, only one partner would generally be selected, according to the policy. The model aims to revitalize the defence industrial ecosystem and progressively build indigenous capabilities in the private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex weapon systems for the future needs of the Armed Forces. "The amplifying guidelines lay emphasis on incentivisation of transfer of niche technology and higher indigenous content. "Global majors, who in collaboration with Indian partners are ready to make India a regional and global manufacturing hub for the platform will also be incentivised." The spokesperson said the move would give a "major fillip towards encouraging self-reliance and aligning the defence sector with the "Make in India" initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In an endeavour to convert policy into implementable directions and to kick off the process, the council also approved platform specific guidelines for the procurement of 111 naval utility helicopters. That ends the Indian Navy's hunt for a replacement to its ageing fleet of single-engine Chetak helicopters operating from warship decks. According to defence sources, 16 helicopters would be procured in fly away condition from a foreign vendor and the remaining 95 will be built in India by an Indian partner through joint ventures and technology transfers. "All procurements under the SP model would be executed by specially constituted Empowered Project Committees (EPC) to provide focussed attention and ensure timely execution," the spokesperson said. The DAC also approved the acquisition of eight fast patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard under the "Buy Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured" category at an approximate cost of Rs 800 crore. "These vessels will be indigenously designed and manufactured and will strengthen maritime security by undertaking day-night patrolling and policing of the maritime zones of India," the spokesperson said. The vessels will be key to the Coast Guard's anti-terrorist, anti-smuggling operations and will also boost its search and rescue, medical evacuation and disaster relief capabilities. --IANS sar/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Africa's Johannesburg High Court has set aside the decision to grant former Zimbabwean First Lady, Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity after an assault on a local model. Delivering his judgment on Monday, Judge Bashier Vally stated that the decision by the former International Relations Minister Nkoane-Maite Mashabane to grant Mugabe diplomatic immunity was "inconsistency with the Constitution" and should be set aside, Xinhua news agency reported. "It is declared that the decision of the minister of August 19, 2017, in terms of the diplomatic immunities to recognize Grace Mugabe's immunities is inconsistence with the Constitution of South Africa. The decision is reviewed and set aside," the judgment stated. It is alleged that Mugabe assaulted model Gabriella Engels and two other women in an upmarket Sandton hotel in August last year. Engels is said to have sustained severe facial injuries as a result of the alleged assault. She also laid a criminal charge of assault against Mugabe with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. It is believed that Mugabe assaulted them after she had found them in the company of her young sons who are university students. Mugabe left South Africa for Zimbabwe after she was granted a diplomatic immunity. Following the judgment, International Relations and Cooperation Department under Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said it was still studying the judgment. Former International Relations Minster Maite-Mashabane explained in court that Mugabe automatically qualified for immunity from prosecution by virtue of her status as a wife of a head of state. She also argued that not awarding Grace diplomatic immunity might have serious implications for relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe. --IANS soni/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Gujarat government, citing students' and parents' demand, has declared a seven day vacation in state's schools and colleges, during the dance festivities of Navratri, even as many from the civil society have asked the government to change its decision. The Gujarat government on Saturday had announced a seven day vacation starting from August 15 to 21, in the state's schools and colleges, for the Navratri festival. Minister of State for Vibhavriben Dave said: "Government has decided that all the schools and colleges of the state will have a mini vacation from (August) 15th to 21. Today the Garba festival has garnered global recognition. So that the youth can enjoy the Garba freely, this decision has been taken. This also is the time when the students examination are held and they are worried about their studies. That's why we have taken this decision." Many educationists and members of the civil society have criticized this move by the government. The Gyati Nirmulan Committee, Ahmedabad has written a letter to Governor O.P. Kohli and the Chief Minister Vijay Rupani to change this decision, as it will affect children's studies. "Constitutionally, we are secular. So the state or country does not have a religion and it should not encourage or push for any religion in particular. Besides that, this decision will also affect the of the children," said Sanjay Parmar, the regional convenor of the Committee. Meanwhile, on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, while reaffirming the stand on the decision said: "It was the students' as well as parents demand for the vacation during Navratri festival." The BJP has blamed the demand for revoking the decision on the Congress. Party spokesman Bharat Pandya said: "This decision was taken after many demands. During the Vice Chancellors' meeting it was decided that without affecting the studies, changes can be made. After having consulted them, the government decided. "Navratri has become synonymous with Gujarati culture. I don't know why Congress has problems with our culture. They always seem to have problems with the development of Gujarat, now they are having problems with culture of the state." State Congress president Amit Chavda said the government should have taken broader consensus before unanimously declaring vacations since this would affect of children as well as their exams. "We have not said anything about Gujarati culture at all or religion... this is BJP's deliberate creation," he said. --IANS desai/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Heavy rains disrupted normal life in various parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, leading to waterlogging and traffic snarl-ups in several cities including the state capital. While overnight drizzling was reported from some parts, the skies opened up on Monday morning, a little after 8.30 a.m, and the downpour continued for well over next three hours, inundating most parts of Lucknow, including the posh areas like Gomtinagar, Indiranagar, Hazratganj and Mahanagar. Flooding has also been reported from many parts of the city where senior ministers and bureaucrats live. Civic officials told IANS that water pumps have been pressed into service to flush out water from areas like Vikramaditya Marg, Dalibagh and Kalidas Marg, where the Chief Minister resides. Residences of many ministers have also been flooded with rain water. House of Urban Development Minister Suresh Khanna and Health Minister Siddharthnath Singh has also been flooded with rain water. Power outages and disruptions in the internet connectivity have also been reported from many parts of the state. The Met Office has issued a warning of very heavy rains in the next 48 hours in eastern and central parts of Uttar Pradesh. Met Director J.P. Gupta has said that there would be intermittent rains across the state in the next two days. The monsoon is in the state and the rains are likely to continue for over 10 days, according to him. Since morning, the road, rail and air traffic have been affected. Many flights have been diverted or are running much behind schedule. Damage to property has been reported from Mainpuri, Agra, Etawah, Utah and Farrukhabad districts from where there are reports of house collapses and walls caving in. The state government has issued fresh guidelines to authorities in the districts for rescue and relief as the monsoon advances over the state. --IANS md/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Income Tax department on Monday raided the business and residential premises of five steel traders here in Uttar Pradesh. The local police assisted the department in the raids, informed sources said. One raid took place at Loha Mandi in the Bulandshahr Road industrial area and another at Sector 2 in Raj Nagar. The raiding team consisted of about 100 officers. They formed 14 teams which collected papers from the premises but didn't disclose details to the media. --IANS sps/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has asked Antigua and Barbuda to detain Mehul Choksi, an accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, and to prevent him from leaving the country. Informed sources here said on Monday that the External Affairs Ministry had asked the Antigua and Barbuda government to confirm Choksi's presence in their territory. "Our High Commissioner is meeting the relevant authorities in the Antigua and Barbuda government today (Monday)," a source said. "We continue to liaise with government agencies here and the government of Antigua and Barbuda." Choksi, wanted in the Rs 13,500-crore PNB case along with nephew and diamond trader Nirav Modi, has admitted to taking Antigua citizenship last year. --IANS ab/mr/vsc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday flagged off an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) mountain expedition here that will scale the Manirang Peak. The Northern Frontier level Mountaineering Expedition team will conquer the peak, located at a height of 20,630 feet in Lahaul-Spiti district, in 40 days. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed happiness that the ITBP was also participating in social activities like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This mountaineering expedition would go a long way in carrying the message of environmental awareness and cleanliness in a big way, he said. He appreciated the rescue operations conducted recently by the ITBP in Kinnaur district in which many lives were saved. Thakur lauded the role of ITBP for protection of Indo-China border along the Himalayas and also working towards the upliftment of local border population. He said the force has been playing a vital role during natural calamities. As many as 53 medical camps were organised by the ITBP in the state this year. --IANS vg/pgh/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leading full-service carrier Jet Airways will be connecting India's tech hub Bengaluru with Guwahati in Assam through its daily flights starting August 1, the airline said on Monday. "Commencing August 1, Jet Airways wil introduce its first daily direct service between Bengaluru and Guwahati, thus connecting emerging cities to our metropolises," a statement from Jet said. The airline's service 9W 659 will depart daily from here at 10.15 a.m to arrive in Assam capital city at 1.15 p.m. The service 9W 660 will take off from Guwahati at 4.20 p.m everyday to arrive in Bengaluru at 7.30 p.m. The airline, however, has not mentioned the fare for the service. Jet will also be connecting Telangana capital Hyderabad with Chandigarh through its new service, which will operate four times a week starting August 1. The company will operate its service 9W 955 from Hyderabad at 10.50 a.m to arrive in Chandigarh at 2.45 p.m via Indore in Madhya Pradesh, while on its return journey, the flight 9W 958 will depart from Chandigarh at 3.15 p.m and arrive in Hyderabad at 7.25 p.m via Indore. The services between Hyderabad, Indore and Chandigarh will be operated every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, the statement added. "With the aviation industry witnessing growth in travel from emerging and Metro cities in India, Jet has introduced direct flights between new city pairs to provide enhanced connectivity," airline's Executive Vice President - Commercial Marnix Fruitema said in the statement. --IANS bha/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There is a difference between the "Mission: Impossible Fallout" seen in Paris and the one seen in India -- the missing Kashmir link. In a special screening of the film for select global media, including IANS, in Paris earlier this month, "Mission: Impossible Fallout" showed a strong connect and presence of India -- more importantly of Kashmir -- in the narrative. The story started with a small pox epidemic breaking out in Kashmir, with India coming on the radar of the after-effects of an attack in several cities around the world. To wrap the affairs and save the world, the team crosses borders and heads to Kashmir to avert the danger which is threatening a large population of India, Pakistan and China. The makers transformed a valley of New Zealand into a small village of Kashmir to shoot the portion. But when you see the India cut, there are snow-capped mountains, there's a mention of Nubra valley and Siachen Glacier, there's a glimpse of an Indian soldier and there's Tom Cruise's team fighting against the odds to save the world from a nuclear attack, but what is missing is the mention of where all the action is taking place. Clearly, there has been a 'fallout' of the Kashmir connect from the "Mission: Impossible Fallout" version, which released in India on July 27. According to the buzz, the makers had to delete references to Kashmir for its India release as suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). A censor board circular has surfaced online, and it directs the makers to remove the visuals of maps misrepresenting the boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir, and the word India-occupied Kashmir. IANS tried contacting CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi, but did not get a response. What has been omitted from the film? As the film approaches its climax, Cruise as an Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt asks "where do we go" after being shown a portion of Southeast Asia map, and then it directly leads the team in a car driving on a road in a mountainous terrain. The team discusses the problem in hand as well -- saying that the nuclear attack is threatening a large population. In the cut which was screened in Paris, there was a prominent mention of Kashmir, Pakistan and China. Film and trade business analyst Girish Johar is yet to see the film, but he explained the possible reason behind the omission. "The makers are sensitive to the Indian audience and their needs. They didn't want to unnecessarily act as a catalyst to all the brewing tension which is under the cover. Right now, the Southeast Asia region is a little volatile," Johar told IANS. "We know the political backdrop that we are having at the moment. So, the makers are sensitive towards this and wanted to avoid this unnecessary confusion that the movie might rake in... They wanted to completely avoid it." In an interview to IANS, "Mission: Impossible Fallout" director Christopher McQuarrie had expressed his disappointment as he was unable to come to India to shoot the sequence. "Everything we did in the movie was designed around where the action can take place. We wouldn't have had a permission to shoot a helicopter chase sequence anywhere in the world apart from New Zealand," he said, adding that he would have loved to shoot the movie in India. McQuarrie explained that he picked Kashmir as the backdrop as they wanted "something politically dangerous". The sixth instalment in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise has got good reviews, and amassed $153.5 million worldwide, including $92 million from 36 international markets, reports variety.com. The Paramount film, distributed in India by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, also stars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett and Vanessa Kirby. (Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in) --IANS sug/rb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There has been no change in the health condition of DMK President M. Karunanidhi from what the hospital had said on Sunday, said his son and party leader M.K. Stalin said on Monday. Speaking to reporters here, he said Karunanidhi's health condition continues to be in the same condition as on Sunday. On Sunday, the hospital said after a "transient setback" in the clinical condition of Karunanidhi, his vital signs are normalising with active medical support. The Kauvery Hospital had said Karunanidhi is being closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors. The 94-year-old Karunanidhi, the five time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister who has never lost an assembly election in the 13 times he had contested, was admitted to the hospital on Saturday at 1.30 a.m. after his blood pressure dipped. "Karunanidhi's condition is now stable after a minor setback in the form of breathing problem on Sunday night. The doctors at Kauvery Hospital are monitoring his condition," DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan told IANS on Monday morning. He said the 94-year-old leader who was admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been moving his hands and legs and also opened his eyes. Hospital sources also confirmed this. Anxiety about Karunanidhi's health condition reached a peak late on Sunday with all the family members and senior party leaders rushing to the hospital as he developed some breathing trouble. Later the hospital issued a statement, saying: "There was a transient setback in the clinical condition of Karuanidhi, DMK President and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. "With active medical support, his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors." Stalin has urged the thousands of party cadres gathered outside the hospital to remain calm. Police has been advising the cadres to disperse citing the hospital's statement about Karunanidhi's health condition. According to Elangovan, the anxiety amongst party cadres late on Sunday peaked after sudden deployment of police force in large numbers and the news of Chief Minister K. Palaniswami cancelling his programmes in Salem and rushing back to Chennai. Palaniswami and his deputy O.Panneerselvam on Monday met Karunanidhi at hospital. Speaking to reporters Palaniswami said: "Karunanidhi's condition is stable." Palaniswami and Panneerselvam met the ailing leader in the ICU along with Stalin and Karunanidhi's daughter Kanomozhi. On July 26, Kauvery Hospital said Karunanidhi was being treated for fever due to urinary tract infection with intravenous antibiotics and fluids at his home here. However, after his blood pressure dipped, he was admitted to Kauvery Hospital. --IANS vj/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453709 07-30-2018 09:30 AM Post: #1 Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war Advertisement the military discovered the wholesale betrayal of our nation via the f.b.i.'s blanket electronic spying on all Americans called carnivore, rod rosensteins wife orchestrated the cover up. the Clintons war on america during this period killed many others than the bombing victims...was it to hide evidence? was it out of retaliation? was it a frame up to portray patriots and miliary types as the enemy before their own treason was spread to the masses? so the same people that are right now trying to deflect from their total disrespect and betrayal of all of america have shown they will kill to cover their tracks LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 452303 07-30-2018 09:53 AM Post: #2 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war bs ok was the us government and mcvey was just another patsy LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 452303 07-30-2018 09:54 AM Post: #3 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war US military is behind it all as much as anyone. Screw them. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453709 07-30-2018 09:55 AM Post: #4 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 09:53 AM) bs ok was the us government and mcvey was just another patsy obviously, McVeigh another Oswald, total military break down and Mk ultra obviously, McVeigh another Oswald, total military break down and Mk ultra LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453709 07-30-2018 09:57 AM Post: #5 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war dollars to donuts muellers eyes deep in the bombing cover up as well LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453716 07-30-2018 10:30 AM Post: #6 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 09:54 AM) US military is behind it all as much as anyone. Screw them. Yep. Who owns these underground bases . Isn't it supposed to be 'WE THE PEOPLE 'I think I will go visit our underground bases today and get shot or become some kind of experiment. Nothing like having fun with our stuff. We're Yep. Who owns these underground bases . Isn't it supposed to be 'WE THE PEOPLE 'I think I will go visit our underground bases today and get shot or become some kind of experiment.Nothing like having fun with our stuff. We're LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453716 07-30-2018 10:32 AM Post: #7 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 09:53 AM) bs ok was the us government and mcvey was just another patsy U.S U.S LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453709 07-30-2018 10:32 AM Post: #8 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 10:30 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 09:54 AM) US military is behind it all as much as anyone. Screw them. Yep. Who owns these underground bases . Isn't it supposed to be 'WE THE PEOPLE 'I think I will go visit our underground bases today and get shot or become some kind of experiment. Nothing like having fun with our stuff. We're take solace in the fact that their bunkers will be their tombs take solace in the fact that their bunkers will be their tombs LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453765 07-30-2018 05:11 PM Post: #9 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war Happened under the CLiNTONS End of story LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 450243 07-30-2018 05:39 PM Post: #10 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 05:11 PM) Happened under the CLiNTONS End of story Hail Hydra Hail Hydra LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453709 07-30-2018 05:43 PM Post: #11 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 05:11 PM) Happened under the CLiNTONS End of story the assault has never ceased...and technically begins before Clinton..bush sr, Reagan , Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson , Kennedy all the way to at least lincoln is where the real assault begins....Jackson may have been the last real American president the assault has never ceased...and technically begins before Clinton..bush sr, Reagan , Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson , Kennedy all the way to at least lincoln is where the real assault begins....Jackson may have been the last real American president LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453833 07-30-2018 11:39 PM Post: #12 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 05:43 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 05:11 PM) Happened under the CLiNTONS End of story the assault has never ceased...and technically begins before Clinton..bush sr, Reagan , Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson , Kennedy all the way to at least lincoln is where the real assault begins....Jackson may have been the last real American president . LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 454252 08-04-2018 11:10 AM Post: #13 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C7thwxzSAxg For those on the go Ubu Roi soil of a man's heart is stonier User ID: 329796 08-04-2018 11:16 AM Posts: 4,460 Post: #14 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war John Doe 2 ?? ! What ever happened to?? ! "Once there was a man who decided he knew everything, Once there was a book that he threw in my face, Once there was an angry mob that marched up and down the street, Don't ya' know they all called my name? What do they want from me? " Fill the Void LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 454252 08-04-2018 01:32 PM Post: #15 RE: Oklahoma City bombing was the beginning of the civil war LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 09:54 AM) US military is behind it all as much as anyone. Screw them. It's a satanic cabal within, this can't be forgotten, most in military are as much victims as any and some even fight against it on our behalf, some have even sacrificed their lives simply to alert us...it should also be noted that in the war so far the people have not attacked the government but the government has killed many for decades It's a satanic cabal within, this can't be forgotten, most in military are as much victims as any and some even fight against it on our behalf, some have even sacrificed their lives simply to alert us...it should also be noted that in the war so far the people have not attacked the government but the government has killed many for decades Advertisement Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday slammed his AAP's Punjab allies, the Bains brothers of Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), for making derogatory remarks against its new leader of opposition in the state assembly. The tension between the two parties started after the Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia replaced Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira by Harpal Singh Cheema, a Dalit leader from Dirba constituency. Expressing his disappointment at the decision, LIP legislator Simarjit Singh Bains referred Cheema as Aam Aadmi Party's "pappu" (fool). To this, Kejriwal, AAP's national convenor, said that the LIP leader's "views on Dalits are disgusting". "The Bains brothers have such disgusting views on Dalits. This is extremely embarrassing. They should apologize to the entire Dalit community. BJP, Congress, Akali Dal and Bains, all have the same disgusting views on the Dalit community. They have always been committing crimes against Dalits. That is why AAP has declared a Dalit as the next LoP," Kejriwal said in a tweet. AAP in Punjab also condemned the "derogatory statement" by Bains by calling it an insult against the entire Dalit community. "AAP Punjab condemns this derogatory statement by Simarjit Bains against MLA Harpal Singh Cheema. He has insulted the entire Dalit community with these remarks. These comments prove beyond doubt that they are anti-poor and anti-Dalit. People of Punjab will never forgive them!" the party said. The AAP and LIP came together before the 2017 Punjab assembly polls and have been in a cold war following Khaira's sacking. Earlier, Khaira had drawn flak from the AAP central leadership after he landed the party in a tight spot by backing the Sikh radicals. He supported Sikh Referendum 2020 as propounded by Sikh radicals for the creation of Khalistan. He, however, denied the allegations that he was a separatist and issued a clarification after the AAP pulled him up. --IANS sd/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A migrant labourer on Monday failed to snatch a gold chain but slit the throat of a 20-year-old college girl near here. Police said they had arrested Biju, who hails from Murshidabad in West Bengal and has been working in a private establishment. He reached the house of the young woman around 9.45 a.m. and tried to snatch the gold chain from her grandmother. The student, on hearing the cries of her grandmother, tried to protect her. The attacker then slit the young woman's throat with a knife. Hearing her cries, her father and uncle rushed to save her but they too were attacked and injured. The labourer tried to escape but was overpowered and handed over to the police. The student was rushed to a hospital but she died even before medical help could be provided. Perumbavoor is home to hundreds of migrant labourers who work in plywood factories and other establishments. Fearing the ire of locals following the murder, many took shelter in a police station while police protection was provided at the plywood factory where Biju worked. --IANS sg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Slamming the Central government on Assam's draft NRC which left out over 40 lakh people, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of doing "vote politics". Banerjee accused the Centre of deliberately trying to isolate a section of Indian citizens, and said she will seek an appointment with Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi and urge him to 'save' those who were excluded from the list. The first complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), comprising the names of 2,89,83,677 people of Assam, was published on Monday, and 40,07,707 have been left out due to some discrepancies in their documents, according to officials. "Forty lakh people including Hindus and Muslims were left out. All connections with Assam including the Internet, have been severed. Fifteen companies of central forces have been sent to Assam in addition to the force that is already there. We suspect it is an attempt to bulldoze people or to forcibly evict them," Banerjee told media persons at the state secretariat Nabanna. The Trinamool Congress supremo claimed that excluding people from the NRC draft is an attempt at "political isolation" of a section of citizens by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government as many people have been excluded from the list on the basis of their last names. "It is a game plan to evict humanity and human beings forcibly, and an attempt to isolate them in order to do vote It is unfortunate that all connections have been severed. We are not able to contact the affected people," she alleged. The Bengal Chief Minister apprehended that there would be problems in Bangladesh and West Bengal as it shares a border with Assam. She, however, said her state would not act like the Centre or the Assam government in trying to "push back" people forcibly. "Bangali Khedao and Bihari Khedao (drive out the Bengalis and Biharis) is going on in Assam. This will be a big issue for Bangladesh. Because these people might be pushed back to Bangladesh, and if Bangladesh refuses to accept them, where will the 40 lakh people go?" she asked. Citing some examples of people who were left out of the NRC list in Assam, Banerjee said many Bengalis and people of Bangladeshi-origin have been left out in spite of having Aadhaar cards, passports and other identification documents. "They (left out people) were made refugees by the Assam and central government. Many people submitted all the documents. Yet, they were not considered, just excluded. Some of them are staying for more than 50 years," she said. Banerjee said she would meet Rajnath Singh over the issue and also send a team of representatives from Bengal to Assam. "I want to appeal to the Home Minister to save them. Do not isolate them like this. They are also human beings. If needed, Parliament can amend the law to save these people. Parliamentary session is on. We will also send a team to Assam," she said. Terming the draft NRC as "terrible", Banerjee said "people were helpless... they are not Rohingyas" and they are "very much Indian citizens". --IANS mgr-bdc/pgh/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to step up efforts to forge a 'federal front' during her three-day visit to the national capital and invite opposition leaders, including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, for a rally in Kolkata on January 19. Banerjee, who has arrived in the capital, will be the chief guest at the a conclave by Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Tuesday and is expected to hit out at Modi government during her speech. She will meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the evening and express her strong concern over the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the first draft of the the National Register of Citizens in Assam. During the day, she will also go to the residence of former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani where she will also meet actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha and Rashtra Manch leader Yashwant Sinha. While Shatrughan Sinha has been taking digs at the BJP leadership, Yashwant Sinha had quit the party earlier this year. Banerjee will be in Parliament on August 1 and meet leaders from opposition parties as also from Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP. She is expected to personally invite leaders for the Kolkata rally. Though her meeting with Sonia Gandhi has not been scheduled, party leaders said there could be certain circumstantial meetings with leaders of opposition parties when Banerjee will be in parliament, which is in session. The Kolkata rally is expected to help Banerjee emerge as a pivot of the opposition efforts to dislodge the Modi government in the 2019 elections. She would also interact with the media during her visit to the parliament. --IANS ps-sid/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fresh violence with arson, roadblocks, attacks on police and shutdowns rocked several parts of Maharashtra over the demands for Maratha reservations while one person committed suicide by jumping under a running train here on Monday. Large areas of Chakan in Pune and surroundings, Osmanabad, Solapur, Kolhapur, Nandurbar and Aurangabad witnessed sporadic incidents of arson, violence, road blocks and noisy processions on foot and on motorcyles, with prohibitory orders clamped in many police station areas. In Aurangabad, Pramod Hore Patil committed suicide by jumping in front of a running train after making a post on Facebook. He ended his life sometime on Sunday, but his body was recovered on Monday near Mukundwadi railway station, resulting in a shutdown in parts of the district. Over two dozen vehicles, including five state transport buses were torched or damaged as the Maratha agiation took a violent turn in Pune district's Chakan, Hinjewadi, Khed and the Pune-Nashik Highway today. Angry protestors targeted the Chakan Police Station and in the resultant violence at least five policemen were injured, elsewhere in the town, three persons were hurt in stone-pelting incidents. Police retaliated by firing teargas shells to quell the protestors and clamped prohibitory orders, while a total shutdown was observed in Chakan and other towns as all political parties appealed to the Maratha leaders for peace and restraint. ST buses were also targeted in Solapur's Pandharpur pilgrim centre and adjourning Kolhapur since midnight on Sunday-Monday, forcing a precautionary suspension of all ST services for the day as roads were blocked by squatting activists and burning tyres. Activists attempted to set afire some vehicles and ST buses in Nandurbar but were thwarted by police though some parts observed a shutdown. Meanwhile, ruling ally Shiv Sena, and the Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party held independent meetings with their legislators amidst at least eight MLAs quitting their seats to press for Maratha quotas. The Shiv Sena is likely to back the Bharatiya Janata Party on this specific issue and has urged the government to announce the quotas without waiting for the report of the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC), or disturbing the existing reservations. Leader of Opposition in Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, of the Congress, has written to the Governor C. V. Rao, seeking his intervention between the agitating Marathas and the state government to end the violence and expeditiously resolve the pending quotas issue. Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar has flayed the undue delays on the part of the government in announcing the quotas and demanded they do so without further delays. Several Maratha groups have warned of intensifying the agitation from August 1, while the Dhangars community has also demanded their share of quotas by September 1 failing which they would launch an agitation. --IANS qn/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Minister of state for HRD Upendra Kushwaha told Parliament on Monday that 38 children from across the country's schools fell sick this year after eating their mid-day meal. "The Government has issued guidelines on quality, safety and hygiene in school-level kitchens to all the states and Union Territories (UTs)," Kushwaha informed Lok Sabha in a written reply. To ensure food quality, the minister said, instructions have been issued to procure 'Agmark quality and branded items' for cooking the meal and also for tasting of the prepared meal by teachers and a member of a school management committee. In another written reply last Thursday, Kushwaha had informed Rajya sabha of as many as 887 children falling sick after consuming midday meals across the country in the last three years with 30 complaints being registered against the poor quality of such meals. "A total 30 complaints from 15 states and UTs, including Delhi, regarding poor quality of meals were reported in the last three years. A total of 887 children were reported ill after having midday meals in the same period," Kushwaha had said. According to the details provided by the minister, the Centre spent over Rs 9,000 crore on the mid-day meal scheme during 2017-18. -- IANS vn/prs/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam might deprive people, who have lived in India for decades, of their nationality, global rights group Amnesty International's India chapter said on Monday. In a statement, Amnesty International India Programmes Manager Arijit Sen expressed concern about the NRC process in Assam, saying it may render a significant number of people stateless. "It is possible that the process will arbitrarily deprive people, who have lived in India for decades, of their nationality," he said. Earlier in the day, the Assam government published the first complete draft of the NRC which included the names of 2,89,836,77 people out of the total 3,29,91384 people, who have applied for inclusion of their names in the document. According to the statistics given by the government, 40,07,707 people's names were left out of the NRC. Amnesty urged the government to extend the time period for appeals and to ensure that all appeals are processed in transparent and non-discriminatory manner. "Care should be taken to ensure that families are not torn apart, and appropriate legal aid should be provided to those who are at risk of losing their nationality," said Sen. He added, "the fate of those who may lose their nationality, as a consequence of this process, is unclear." "India does not even have an agreement with other countries, particularly Bangladesh, on deportation. It is crucial that the government make public their plan for dealing with those at risk of being rendered stateless and ensure that their rights are not violated." --IANS mg/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday searched the house of Asiya Andrabi, chief of the women's separatist group 'Dukhtaran-e-Milat' (Daughters of Faith), here. Police sources said a NIA team assisted by Jammu and Kashmir Police carried out the searches in Buchpora locality. Andrabi and two of her associates, Fahmeeda Sofi and Nahida Nasreen, were arrested by the NIA and shifted to Delhi on July 6. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 40 lakh of the 3.29 crore applicants have been excluded from Assam's draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) released on Monday, sparking concerns about their future and triggering a nationwide political row. Applications of 2.89 crore have been approved in the draft list of citizens, which forms part of a long-running campaign against Bangladeshi immigrants in Assam. As the controversy over denying citizenship to 40 lakh applicants brewed, the central government urged people not to panic and asked the opposition not to politicise the issue. Registrar General of India Sailesh, who released the draft, said "ample opportunity" would be given to these applicants if they file claims and objections between August 30 and September 28 before the final list is prepared. The process to finalise the list should be done by December 31, 2018. "This is a draft NRC and not the final NRC. All genuine Indian citizens whose names did not figure in the NRC will get ample opportunities to enter their names in the final NRC," Sailesh said, terming the day "historic". NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela said the 40,07,707 people whose names did not figure in the list would be intimated through separate letters about the discrepancies and their details would not be disclosed. Amid concerns, Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary (Northeast) in the Union Home Ministry in Delhi, said none of those whose names do not figure in the list will be taken to any detention camp or foreigners' tribunals. Security in Assam was intensified after apprehensions that there might be trouble following the publication of the draft NRC. Critics of the citizenship registry say the move seeks to drive out immigrant Muslims from Assam and was majorly supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- which rules the state. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Assam and Modi governments and alleged that those having Aadhaar card, voter identity and others documents were excluded as the authorities were "not satisfied". "Forty lakh people including Hindus and Muslims were left out. All connections including Internet have been disconnected which is unfortunate. Why were connections cut? We are not able to contact them. Is it an attempt to bulldoze them?," Banerjee asked in Kolkata. Opposition parties led by the Trinamool and the Samajwadi Party created an uproar in the Rajya Sabha, forcing repeated disruptions and finally adjournment for the day. The Congress asked the government to convene an all-party meet for a discussion on steps to ensure that no Indian citizen was left out. "The government must immediately call a meeting of leaders of all parties and should inform about the steps it proposes to take," senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha that it was "only a draft and not the final NRC" and appealed to the opposition not to politicise the "sensitive" issue. "Whatever work is going on in the NRC is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. To say that the government has done it and it is inhuman and brutal... such allegations are baseless. There is no question of any coercive action against anyone," he said. "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear... Some misinformation is being spread. Some people may not have been able to submit necessary documents. They will get full opportunity through Claims and Objections process." The Assam government started the process of updating the NRC in December 2013. All residents in the state were asked to produce documents proving that they or their families had lived in India before March 24, 1971. On December 31, 2017, it released the first draft containing 1.90 crore names. --IANS rak/sar/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fresh violence with arson, roadblocks, attacks on police and shutdowns rocked several parts of Maharashtra over the demands for Maratha reservations while one person committed suicide by jumping under a running train here on Monday. Large areas of Chakan in Pune and its surroundings, Osmanabad, Solapur, Kolhapur, Nandurbar and Aurangabad witnessed sporadic incidents of arson, violence, road blocks and noisy processions on foot and on motorcyles, with prohibitory orders clamped in many police station areas. In Aurangabad, Pramod Hore Patil committed suicide by jumping in front of a running train after posting his intention on Facebook. He ended his life sometime on Sunday, but his body was recovered on Monday near Mukundwadi railway station, resulting in a shutdown in parts of the district. This is the third quota-related suicide in the violence-hit state in the past one week. The main opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party convened urgent separate meetings of all their legislators to discuss the crises arising out of the continuing violence. Later, delegations from both parties independently met Governor C.V. Rao and Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) officials on the issue. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, of the Congress, told media persons that the MSBCC would take around three months to complete its ongoing survey on the economic backwardness of the Maratha community. Leader of Opposition in the Council Dhananjay Munde, of the NCP, said the party has also written to Governor seeking his urgent intervention to resolve the quota crisis. During the day, over two dozen vehicles, including five state transport buses were torched or damaged as the Maratha agiation took a violent turn in Pune district's Chakan, Hinjewadi, Khed and the Pune-Nashik Highway today. Angry protestors targeted the Chakan Police Station and in the resultant violence at least five policemen were injured, elsewhere in the town, three persons were hurt in stone-pelting incidents. Police retaliated by firing teargas shells to quell the protestors and clamped prohibitory orders, while a total shutdown was observed in Chakan and other towns as all political parties appealed to the Maratha leaders for peace and restraint. ST buses were also targeted in Solapur's Pandharpur pilgrim centre and adjourning Kolhapur since midnight on Sunday-Monday, forcing a precautionary suspension of all ST services for the day as roads were blocked by squatting activists and burning tyres. Activists attempted to set afire some vehicles and ST buses in Nandurbar but were thwarted by police though some parts observed a shutdown. The Shiv Sena is likely to back the Bharatiya Janata Party on this specific issue and has urged the government to announce the quotas without waiting for the MSBCC report, or disturbing the existing reservations. "Do anything but declare the Marathas quota immediately... Convene the special legislature session urgently, submit a proposal for constitutional amendments to the centre and resolve the crisis as the state continues to suffer," Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray told media persons. Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar has flayed the undue delays on the part of the government in announcing the quotas and demanded they do so without further delays. Many Congress legislators have offered to resign en masse on the emotive issue but will await the final decision of the party high command, party sources said this evening. So far, at least eight legislators from various parties including Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena and BJP have quit or offered to quit their posts for Maratha reservations. Maratha Kranti Morcha convenor Vinod Patil demanded that the government must announce a time-bound programme to implement Maratha quotas by Tuesday (July 31), failing which the stir would be intensified from August 1. Similarly, the Dhangars community has also demanded their share of quotas by September 1 or warned the authorities of an agitation. --IANS qn/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 New report says it's still unknown why Flight MH370 disappeared The Ghost Of LOP Registered User User ID: 444735 07-30-2018 03:50 PM Posts: 42,123 Post: #1 New report says it's still unknown why Flight MH370 disappeared Advertisement The report confirmed that the plane diverted from its path, with lead investigator Kok Soo Chon saying at a presentation that MH370 turned back manually, not under autopilot, but they could not say why. We cannot rule out unlawful interference by a third party, he added. read more: https://www.yahoo.com/gma/report-says-st...ories.html I am so confused !!! A new report investigating the March 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 does not conclude why the aircraft vanished, the lead investigator said on Monday.The report confirmed that the plane diverted from its path, with lead investigator Kok Soo Chon saying at a presentation that MH370 turned back manually, not under autopilot, but they could not say why.We cannot rule out unlawful interference by a third party, he added.read more:I am so confused !!! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453502 07-30-2018 04:01 PM Post: #2 RE: New report says it's still unknown why Flight MH370 disappeared I kinda buy into the theory a laser weapon was tested. The Ghost Of LOP Registered User User ID: 444735 07-30-2018 04:02 PM Posts: 42,123 Post: #3 RE: New report says it's still unknown why Flight MH370 disappeared LoP Guest Wrote: (07-30-2018 04:01 PM) I kinda buy into the theory a laser weapon was tested. It fell into a time portal or aliens It fell into a time portal or aliens I am so confused !!! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 451755 07-30-2018 04:06 PM Post: #4 RE: New report says it's still unknown why Flight MH370 disappeared The Ghost Of LOP Wrote: (07-30-2018 03:50 PM) A new report investigating the March 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 does not conclude why the aircraft vanished, the lead investigator said on Monday. The report confirmed that the plane diverted from its path, with lead investigator Kok Soo Chon saying at a presentation that MH370 turned back manually, not under autopilot, but they could not say why. We cannot rule out unlawful interference by a third party, he added. read more: https://www.yahoo.com/gma/report-says-st...ories.html I remember when they said it was full of bullet holes. Now, an Australian mechanical engineer is claiming to have found pieces of the plane near Mauritius and added that the piece seemingly had bullet holes in it. http://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/a...let-holes/ I remember when they said it was full of bullet holes.Now, an Australian mechanical engineer is claiming to have found pieces of the plane near Mauritius and added that the piece seemingly had bullet holes in it. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453709 07-30-2018 04:13 PM Post: #5 RE: New report says it's still unknown why Flight MH370 disappeared What a shock...little Dutch boys hiding jihadi slaughter...but they're positive the russians shot down the other one......maybe we did find mh370 on the ground in Ukraine..... LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 451711 07-30-2018 04:41 PM Post: #6 RE: New report says it's still unknown why Flight MH370 disappeared Mh370 is just another media reselling of lost flight 815 Ask yourselves, why was the signing of the "Ocean Infinity" contract exactly 815 weeks after the delivery of the plane to Malaysia? Coincidence is out LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 451711 07-30-2018 04:48 PM Post: #7 RE: New report says it's still unknown why Flight MH370 disappeared Why was the plane delivered to Malaysia the same day as the premiere of The Sum of all Fears and their peculiar religious ritual of the last column at the World Trade Center? Why was the premiere of Lost - Pilot 1 and Pilot 2? And later showed Sayid with an Iranian passport? Mh370 is a fabrication and excuse for the next 9/11 event which will galvanise and be the basis of forced religious toleration and unity - in opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel Lost set it all down in signs and symbols LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 451711 07-30-2018 05:08 PM Post: #8 RE: New report says it's still unknown why Flight MH370 disappeared 7/3/14 MH370 to 30/7/18 release = 229 weeks 4 days Lost #815 disappearance date? 22/9/4 Train traffic was on Monday restored on the old Yamuna bridge after being suspended since Sunday night due to the rising level of the river, officials said. "The rail traffic has been restored as it is safe enough for passage of trains," Northern Railway spokesperson Nitin Chowdhury told IANS. The traffic was restored around 11 a.m. He said engineers were continuously monitoring the health of the bridge. Earlier in the day, the railways cancelled 27 passenger trains, diverted 14 Express trains and terminated three due to the closure of the Yamuna bridge. On Sunday evening, Delhi Police ordered the closure of the bridge after the Yamuna water level reached 205.52 metres. --IANS aks/anp/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A detailed report released by a safety investigation team on Monday about the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in 2014 has failed to identify the cause of the mishap and left many questions unanswered due to lack of evidence. The 800-plus-page report by Malaysian authorities maintained that the aircraft -- which disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board -- was re-routed manually although they could not determine the cause behind it. The report, while reviewing several aspects ranging from airworthiness and maintenance to cargo assignment and wreckage information, said the probe team could not determine why the plane went off its filed flight route, Efe news reported. The head of the official investigation, Kok Soo Chon, said at a press conference that third party sabotage could not be ruled out. "(...) the turn back was not because of anomalies in the mechanical system. The turn back was made not under autopilot but under manual control," Kok said. "We cannot exclude the possibility that there was unlawful interference by a third party," he added. Kok also said that while the report was drafted by the eight countries, including Malaysia, which took part in the search operations, it could not be called a final report. "(...) if the wreckage hasn't been found, if no victims have been found (...) How can we call the report our final report?" Kok said. The report added to previously published information and included analysis, findings, conclusions and safety recommendations for operators, Kok said. The document also urged operators to monitor the mental health of the crew, including the pilots, more stringent inspection of aircraft cargo and greater air traffic control. The Beijing-bound MH370 had disappeared from the radar around 40 minutes after it took off from Kuala Lumpur, after someone apparently switched off the communications system and re-routed the plane toward the Indian Ocean, according to an official report. Calling the disappearance of MH370 and the searches for it "unprecedented in commercial aviation history", the report said improvements must be undertaken to ensure that this type of event is identified as soon as possible. One recommendation urged operators to improve the effectiveness of certified Emergency Locator Transmitters that transmit a distress signal in the event of a crash. The report also identified issues that could affect timely search and rescue operations, including discontinuous radar control by various air spaces. The document also urged operators to monitor the mental health of the crew, including the pilots, more stringent inspection of aircraft cargo and greater air traffic control. So far, 27 fragments of the aircraft have been recovered from beaches in Reunion, Mozambique, Mauritius, South Africa and Pemba Island, off Africa's east coast. The fragments were believed to have been swept across the Indian Ocean by currents, which is consistent with the official hypothesis of the incident. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The first complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, released on Monday, rocked the Parliament with the Rajya Sabha witnessing pandemonium over the issue leading to several adjournments while in Lok Sabha, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that there was no need to panic as it was not the final list. Rajnath Singh, who could not speak in Rajya Sabha due to ruckus created by Trinamool Congress members, said in Lok Sabha, after the opposition parties including Trinamool and Congress raised their concerns over the NRC in which 40 lakh residents of the state were left out, that the opposition should not politicise it. He assured that people whose names are not included in the final draft will get the opportunity to prove their citizenship. "Whatever work is going on in the NRC, is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. To say that the government has done it, and it is inhuman and brutal...such allegations are baseless. "It is not the right thing to say," Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour. In a statement released later, Rajnath Singh said he wanted to "emphatically say that this is only a draft and not the final NRC". The final draft comprising the names of 2, 89, 83,677 people of Assam was published online by the Registrar General of India. The Home Minister also said that there is "no question of any coercive action against anyone", while stressing the NRC process is "being carried out with complete fairness and transparency". Urging not to create panic, he also said that if anyone was not satisfied with the NRC's final draft, that person would get an opportunity to file claims and objections as per provisions in the law and also approach the Foreigners' Tribunal. Only after the disposal of claims and objections, will the final NRC be published, he said. "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. I want to assure all that there is no need for any apprehension or fear. Some misinformation is also being spread...," he added. The first list of the NRC process was released in December 31 last year, in which around 1.9 crore people out of the total applications of 3.29 crore people were included. The minister appealed to the opposition to extend support on this "very sensitive issue". "Don't level baseless allegations. Such sensitive issues should not be unnecessarily politicised," he added. Raising the issue, Trinamool's Sudip Bandyopadhyay dubbed the NRC as inhuman and asked where will these 40 lakh people, whose names have not figured in the final draft, go. Supporting him, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said: "I would demand a separate discussion on the issue and an amendment should be brought on this. This is an issue related to citizenship of 40 lakh people, whose names have been deliberately purposely." "They are trying to create a division in the society by doing this," he added. The Rajya Sabha on Monday witnessed three adjournments before adjourning for the day amid pandemonium. Soon after the House met in the post lunch sitting, the opposition members again raised the issue of NRC. Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for 10 minutes to meet at 2.11 p.m. But, as soon as the House was reconvened, the opposition MPs were again on their feet. Naidu then adjourned the House for the day. The Upper House earlier saw two adjournments in the morning over the issue. Trinamool's Derek O'Brien wanted to raise the issue but could not speak as the ruckus continued. The Congress and other opposition members also supported them. Naidu asked the agitating members to go back to their seats as he was ready for discussion on the issue, but the Trinamool members did not relent even as Rajnath Singh was present. Amid the din, O'Brian and other Trinamool members were heard saying that the NRC is "inhuman" and sought a response from Prime Minister on the issue. Some of them said that their party has given notice for adjournment motion over the issue but Naidu said that he has not received any notice. --IANS bns/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday, acknowledging the piles of junked vehicles lying around several police stations across the capital, asked Delhi Police Commissioner to frame a policy to dispose of impounded vehicles. A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta asked Delhi Police Commissioner, who was present in the court pursuant to its direction, impounded vehicles were lying abandoned in Delhi police stations "stinking up" Delhi. The court, which had summoned the Police Commissioner for non-removal of encroachments and traffic bottlenecks despite several recommendations, asked him that 54 meetings have held in a year on the issue but there is still no timeline. "You (police) want a film like 'tarikh pe tarikh' on the 'meetings pe meeting'," said the bench while referring to the number of meeting it has held with other authorities without any outcome. The court asked police to come up with timeline to reduce congestion, encroachment and bottleneck traffic in the city and directed PWD and other authorise to cooperate with police. On the issue of framing policy on impounded vehicles lying in police stations, the bench said there "must" be a policy in this regard and people are frightened to go to the police stations, as the stations become junkyard for these vehicles. It said outside Nizamuddin police station the junked vehicles becoming breeding ground for mosquitos, and congestion. These vehicles are either towed away for traffic violations or seized in crimes like theft or murder, and are kept at the police station's compound and, sometimes, outside the complex due to space constraint. Earlier, the bench had said that it was "frightening" that a large number of people were dying in road accidents caused by potholes and summoned Delhi's Commissioner of Police for non-removal of encroachments and traffic bottlenecks despite several recommendations. Observing that there are more deaths due to potholes than terrorist attacks in India, the bench had asked why the police has not implemented the February 2017 report of a special task force that had recommended clearance of traffic bottlenecks and encroachments. The bench, while hearing a matter relating to road safety across the country, had said the two-year time given by the Delhi government for clearing bottlenecks was too long. Delhi government had told the bench that the time-line was drawn keeping in view construction of flyovers, underpasses and foot over-bridges. The Delhi government had filed an affidavit and stated that it had worked out a detailed roadmap to remove 77 "severe, moderate and mild bottlenecks" in two years and that an action plan involved both short-term and long-term measures. --IANS gt/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven members of a family committed suicide here, police said on Monday. Deepak Kumar Jha, working with a leading private company, committed suicide along with his parents, brother, wife and two children, a police officer said. Police found the bodies of the two brothers hanging from the ceiling fan in their rented accommodation. According to A. Mishra, the house owner, Deepak Jha, 40, wanted to set up his own business but was in debt. His younger brother, Rupesh Jha, 30, was unemployed. The five other family members were found dead on the bed. The children included a son and a daughter. The incident took place in Ranchi's Boria area. "Primarily, it seems a case of suicide. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and CID teams have collected samples from all seven bodies," Amol V. Homkar, Deputy Inspector General of Police, told reporters. "Two suicide notes have been recovered. Deepak's suicide note had 15 pages... another suicide note recovered from Rupesh had two pages," Homkar said. He said: "Rupesh's suicide note says Deepak feared that he could be implicated in a financial fraud case where he was working. We are investigating the case from all angles. Till now, we have not reached any conclusion." "It seems the brothers first killed the five family members and later hanged themselves. Investigation is going on. The investigation is being done under the supervision of Ranchi SSP," he added. According to the DIG, the post-mortem of the bodies will be conducted by a team of doctors and videography will be done. Five members of the family were either killed by strangulation or with a sharp-edged knife. The incident came to light on Monday morning when no one responded to the horn of the school van of Deepak's daughter. A girl student from the van knocked on the door and saw the bodies. According to the neighbours, the five-year-old son of Deepak was suffering from some disease since birth. Also, Deepak was under a debt of Rs 20 lakh. This is the second such case in Jharkhand this month. Six members of a debt-ridden family were found dead in Hazaribagh on July 14. Police were, however, not clear if it was a case of mass suicide or murder. --IANS ns/pgh/bg (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taxi drivers across Spain have joined a strike against ride-hailing companies like Uber, demanding the government restrict their numbers. The striking taxi drivers, some of whom have been camping out for days, say the services threaten their livelihood and are putting thousands of jobs at risk. As a result, they have blocked main roads in the capital Madrid, and in Barcelona with their parked cars, BBC reported on Monday. A meeting on Monday to attempt to end the strike failed to reach a deal. Taxi unions want the government to enforce a law which requires just one ride-hailing licence for every 30 taxi licences. According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, the government offered to give licensing powers to each of the regions during a four-hour meeting. This was rejected by taxi representatives, who say it would not fix the issue, but just pass it along. The meeting is due to resume later in the hope of finding a resolution. Union representatives said in a statement that "Uber and Cabify are putting the viability of the taxi sector and 130,000 jobs at risk", adding it "considers this unfair competition intolerable". The strike began in Barcelona last Wednesday, after the Spanish government appealed against a ruling by the Barcelona authorities that limited the number of licences for taxi services booked by smartphone apps. Madrid, Valencia, Bilbao and Seville are all following in Barcelona's footsteps and are calling their own stoppages, causing widespread disruption. The strike is now trending on Twitter, with the hashtag "HuelgaTaxis" generating thousands of tweets, with people sharing pictures of the strikes in their areas But while some people were supporters, others were unimpressed by the action, with one Sheila H. suggesting it was a "perfect advertising campaign". Others suggested the taxi drivers could simply look at the likes of Uber as "an opportunity" and not a threat. --IANS pgh/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A gang of thieves here has taken away an ATM containing Rs 30 lakh after they failed to break it, police said on Monday. According to the police, the incident took place in Mahavir Enclave of west Delhi. The ATM theft occurred in the wee hours of Sunday but was reported to them in the morning, after a shopkeeper who had gone to withdraw cash found the ATM removed. "We informed the ICICI Bank officers as it belonged to the this bank. It was also found that the ATM had neither a CCTV, nor was any security guard deployed there," a senior police officer said. "The investigators have found in the footage of a CCTV installed in the vicinity that a group of three to four robbers with their face covered took away the ATM in a mini-truck. We are trying to identify the accused persons," he added. --IANS sp/pgh/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the American Chamber of Commerce in India on Monday announced the signing of a pact to address India's development needs. According to a joint statement released by the two organisations, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed to strengthen the partnership between the US government and the country's private sector to address India's development needs. The announcement comes on the day of the launch of the high-level Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Washington, which is expected to bring together senior leaders from the US government and business to discuss how government tools and policies can facilitate private sector partnerships. The agreement has been signed to address the issues relating to the maternal and child health; tuberculosis; HIV/AIDS; energy, environment and forestry; water and sanitation; gender and women's empowerment; and the youth. --IANS mg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Zimbabweans began voting on Monday in the African nation's first presidential poll since former head of state, Robert Mugabe, resigned last November. Voting for the presidential, legislative and municipal elections began at 7 a.m. and soon queues had formed in front of many polling stations in the capital here and other parts of the country, Efe news agency reported. The main contenders in the presidential poll are incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front, and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, who leads the opposition coalition Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai. Mnangagwa, 75, has a narrow advantage over his 40-year-old rival. The latest opinion polls have shown a three-percentage-point lead for Mnangagwa over Chamisa. On Monday, Mugabe who first came to power after independence in 1980 and is the country's founding President said he would not vote for his successor. Mugabe was ousted in a coup in 2017 after almost four decades in power. Voters have until 7 p.m. to vote at 10,985 polling stations. If the winner does not secure more than 50 per cent of the votes, a second round of the elections will be held on September 8. The country is expecting a high turnout of first-time voters, where the youth vote is expected to be the key. Almost half of those registered are under the age of 35. There are 5,635,706 voters who have re-registered for the poll as the opposition still harbours doubts about its accuracy. Hundreds of international observers have been deployed to ensure the vote goes smoothly, but the opposition has repeatedly alleged irregularities in the voters' roll, the BBC reported. It has been 16 years since EU and US observers were allowed to monitor the elections. The observers have expressed concern over the security of ballot papers and voter intimidation mainly in the rural areas. The election follows decades of repressive rule which has brought severe economic challenges to Zimbabwe including issues of investment, education, healthcare and jobs. The unemployment rate is estimated to be as high as 90 per cent, the BBC said. President Mnangagwa, who is known as "the crocodile" for his political shrewdness, has promised to deliver jobs. He has survived several assassination attempts blamed on supporters of Mugabe. Chamisa, who became an MP at the age of 25, could become the country's youngest president if elected. Chamisa has promised to rebuild the country's devastated economy, but been criticised for making extravagant promises -- such as the introduction of a high-speed bullet train and bringing the Olympics to Zimbabwe. Following favourable comments by Mugabe for the qualified pastor at a surprise news conference on Sunday, Mnangagwa said it was clear to all that Chamisa has made a deal with Mugabe. --IANS in/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman R.S. Sharmas open Aadhaar challenge to critics and hackers is nothing but a case of "misplaced enthusiasm" which dilutes the debate on securing the Aadhaar eco-system, emphasise cyber law experts. Sharma, who made his 12-digit Aadhaar number open on July 28 and created a tweetstorm -- not as a government servant but "as a normal citizen of India" -- can set a dangerous precedent for millions of Indians who are still not aware what privacy is all about. "Throwing such a challenge only shows misplaced enthusiasm. He is treading a dangerous path which can be detrimental in days to come as his personal and bank details are now out in the open," Pavan Duggal, one of the leading cyber law experts in the country, told IANS. What the TRAI Chairman has perhaps forgotten is that the central data repository at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) may be secure, but several third-party vendors are now increasingly accepting Aadhaar as a key document -- and that opens it up for misuse, especially given the weak cyber security laws in the country. "Several FIRs have been lodged against Aadhaar misuse across the country. People's confidence in Aadhaar is slowly being eroded and, at this juncture, rather than working extensively on securing Aadhaar, we see a top government official posting his Aadhaar number on Twitter," Duggal lamented. Ethical hackers have exposed at least 14 personal details of the TRAI chairman since he revealed his Aadhaar number -- including mobile numbers, home address, date of birth (DoB), PAN number and voter ID, among others. Ethical hackers can't go beyond this as creating financial break-ins will land them in legal trouble. "By the way, were you able to cause any harm to me, because now you know my Aadhaar number?" Sharma tweeted to a French security expert, who goes by the nickname Elliot Alderson and uses the twitter handle @fs0c131y, as his personal details began flying all over Twitter. Alderson replied: "If your phone numbers, address, DoB, bank accounts and others personal details are easily found on the Internet you have no #privacy. End of the story." According to Duggal, personal privacy breach begins with the phone number and it is a tragedy that most Indians - unlike Europeans or Americans - are still not aware what exactly constitutes privacy. "Your phone number (becoming public knowledge) is the first hint that your private space has been breached. Would you wait for hackers to clean up your bank accounts?" asked Duggal. As part of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that came into force from May 25, EU citizens may, at any point, object to an organisation's handling of their personal data. The regulation specifically names "direct marketing and profiling" as personal data uses to which individuals may object to. The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data protection in India has also suggested amendments to the Aadhaar Act to provide for imposition of penalties on data fiduciaries and compensations to data principals for violations of the data protection law. The 213-page report suggests amendments to the Aadhaar Act from a data protection perspective. Jared Cohen, a former US State Department official and an expert on social media and cyber-crime issues, has also stressed there are serious concerns about the collection of biometric data for Aadhaar cards in India and these must be allayed. "I don't want to meddle in India's But there are concerns (about collection of personal details for Aadhaar card)," Cohen told an IANS correspondent on the sidelines of the third annual BCTECH Summit at Vancouver, Canada, in May. Cohen, currently the CEO and Founder of Jigsaw, a Google arm started to tackle threats to online security, conceded there are arguments on the merits of the Aadhaar system but there are also concerns that must be addressed. According to Duggal, "Not just cosmetic changes, there is an urgent need for addressing newly-emerging legal and cyber-security challenges concerning the Aadhaar ecosystem on an urgent basis." "There is a need for a more comprehensive legal framework to protect and preserve data and the privacy of individual Aadhaar account holders in particular, and the Aadhaar ecosystem stakeholders in general," he noted. (Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) --IANS na/vsc/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 4 Vote(s) - 5 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized The Modest Poster Registered User User ID: 433612 07-30-2018 06:19 PM Posts: 10,428 Post: #1 There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized Advertisement In Quebec, tuition costs about $ 1500 per semester for residents. That's not an insignificant amount, but it's much less expensive than in the rest of Canada and the United States. The result is that the majority of people can afford to go to university, although some choose not to go. Let's compare tuition In Quebec, it's around $ 1500 per semester In the rest of Canada, it's minimum $ 4000 per semester. In the United States, it's minimum $ 8000 per semester. Alhough this increases affordability, the main downside of having subsidized tuition is that schools find it difficult to attract top academic talent because the teachers won't be millionaires if tuition is kept low. There's relatively very little student debt in Quebec, Canada, where I'm from, because tuition is highly subsidizedIn Quebec, tuition costs about $ 1500 per semester for residents. That's not an insignificant amount, but it's much less expensive than in the rest of Canada and the United States. The result is that the majority of people can afford to go to university, although some choose not to go.Let's compare tuitionIn Quebec, it's around $ 1500 per semesterIn the rest of Canada, it's minimum $ 4000 per semester.In the United States, it's minimum $ 8000 per semester.Alhough this increases affordability, the main downside of having subsidized tuition is that schools find it difficult to attract top academic talent because the teachers won't be millionaires if tuition is kept low. (This post was last modified: 07-30-2018 07:08 PM by The Modest Poster .) LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453781 07-30-2018 06:21 PM Post: #2 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized LOP Secret Agent Wrote: (07-30-2018 06:19 PM) There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is highly subsidized In Quebec, tuition costs about 1500 $ per semester. That's not an insignificant amount, but it's much less expensive than in the rest of Canada and the United States. The result is that the majority of people can afford to go to university. Let's compare tuition In Quebec, it's 1500 $ per semester In the rest of Canada, it's minimum 4000 $ per semester. In the United States, it's minimum 8000$ per semester. Canada isn't a nation and it's racist for someone like you to even bring that word up Canada isn't a nation and it's racist for someone like you to even bring that word up The Modest Poster Registered User User ID: 433612 07-30-2018 06:52 PM Posts: 10,428 Post: #3 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized 1) Universal health care based on a single-payer Canadian model 2) Subsidized tuition so that the majorty of families can afford university. We have both of these things in Quebec. Somehow, I think Bernie Sanders is inspired by the Quebec model. Bernie Sanders is from Vermont and Vermont is very geographically close to Quebec. Because of the contents of his platform, I suspect Sanders is getting many of his ideas from Quebec politicians. The two main planks of Bernie Sanders' platform are1) Universal health care based on a single-payer Canadian model2) Subsidized tuition so that the majorty of families can afford university.We have both of these things in Quebec.Somehow, I think Bernie Sanders is inspired by the Quebec model. Bernie Sanders is from Vermont and Vermont is very geographically close to Quebec. Because of the contents of his platform, I suspect Sanders is getting many of his ideas from Quebec politicians. (This post was last modified: 07-30-2018 06:58 PM by The Modest Poster .) The Modest Poster Registered User User ID: 433612 07-30-2018 06:56 PM Posts: 10,428 Post: #4 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized LOP Secret Agent Wrote: (07-30-2018 06:52 PM) Because of the contents of his platform, I suspect Sanders is getting many of his ideas from Quebec politicians. As a matter of fact, there is real, actual evidence for this. An article from a Quebec newspaper quotes John Franco, a friend of Mr. Sanders, who says that in he 1980s, Bernie Sanders was inspired by the ideas of the Parti quebecois and the New Democratic Party. Source: As a matter of fact, there is real, actual evidence for this. An article from a Quebec newspaper quotes John Franco, a friend of Mr. Sanders, who says that in he 1980s, Bernie Sanders was inspired by the ideas of the Parti quebecois and the New Democratic Party.Source: http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/a6771e05...3wkzW.html (This post was last modified: 07-30-2018 06:59 PM by The Modest Poster .) LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 396953 07-30-2018 11:38 PM Post: #5 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized Corosive Resident Time Wizard User ID: 437414 07-30-2018 11:50 PM Posts: 3,785 Post: #6 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized Quebec is its own thing... they may have some positives, but there are still a ton of negatives. GL taking your education out of Canada/Quebec though. If you don't want to work in french ONLY don't study in french. That's my 10$. Yes, QUebec might have cheap schools and sh*t, but it's not on an international level. Hence why it's so cheap. Somebody please pay off my 10k student loan for me. Quebec? Are you available?Quebec is its own thing... they may have some positives, but there are still a ton of negatives.GL taking your education out of Canada/Quebec though. If you don't want to work in french ONLY don't study in french. That's my 10$. Yes, QUebec might have cheap schools and sh*t, but it's not on an international level. Hence why it's so cheap. \_( )_/ If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth (This post was last modified: 07-30-2018 11:51 PM by Corosive .) LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453056 07-31-2018 12:10 AM Post: #7 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized LOP Secret Agent Wrote: (07-30-2018 06:52 PM) The two main planks of Bernie Sanders' platform are 1) Universal health care based on a single-payer Canadian model 2) Subsidized tuition so that the majorty of families can afford university. We have both of these things in Quebec. Somehow, I think Bernie Sanders is inspired by the Quebec model. Bernie Sanders is from Vermont and Vermont is very geographically close to Quebec. Because of the contents of his platform, I suspect Sanders is getting many of his ideas from Quebec politicians. Socialism is great until you run out of other people's money. What is Canada's defense budget? Are they helping the US fight the war on terrorism? Who is paying for the rest of the tuition? Who is paying for health care? The government? Your Taxes? Like I said...other people's money. BTW Bernie is a 6 figure socialist. High-paid speaking gigs, investment partnerships, a spouse on Wall Street, the corporate ladder, 6 figure income, condo in D.C., rental property, mutual funds, and retirement accounts. Yep...he's a rich socialist, and a hypocrite. Socialism in action. Socialism is great until you run out of other people's money. What is Canada's defense budget? Are they helping the US fight the war on terrorism? Who is paying for the rest of the tuition? Who is paying for health care? The government? Your Taxes?Like I said...other people's money.BTW Bernie is a 6 figure socialist. High-paid speaking gigs, investment partnerships, a spouse on Wall Street, the corporate ladder, 6 figure income, condo in D.C., rental property, mutual funds, and retirement accounts. Yep...he's a rich socialist, and a hypocrite. Socialism in action. Rayne Registered User User ID: 447991 07-31-2018 12:24 AM Posts: 1,914 Post: #8 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized LOP Secret Agent Wrote: (07-30-2018 06:19 PM) There's relatively very little student debt in Quebec, Canada, where I'm from, because tuition is highly subsidized In Quebec, tuition costs about $ 1500 per semester for residents. That's not an insignificant amount, but it's much less expensive than in the rest of Canada and the United States. The result is that the majority of people can afford to go to university, although some choose not to go. Let's compare tuition In Quebec, it's around $ 1500 per semester In the rest of Canada, it's minimum $ 4000 per semester. In the United States, it's minimum $ 8000 per semester. Alhough this increases affordability, the main downside of having subsidized tuition is that schools find it difficult to attract top academic talent because the teachers won't be millionaires if tuition is kept low. oh dear god...you are going to blow some rightie heads. Most haven't recovered from the 'no medical debt in Canada' thread yet. oh dear god...you are going to blow some rightie heads. Most haven't recovered from the 'no medical debt in Canada' thread yet. great-grandfather Registered User User ID: 368253 07-31-2018 01:04 AM Posts: 2,897 Post: #9 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized my daughter is in debt close to $30 000 for college tuition ..... insane LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 450002 07-31-2018 01:49 AM Post: #10 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized LoP Guest Wrote: (07-31-2018 12:10 AM) LOP Secret Agent Wrote: (07-30-2018 06:52 PM) The two main planks of Bernie Sanders' platform are 1) Universal health care based on a single-payer Canadian model 2) Subsidized tuition so that the majorty of families can afford university. We have both of these things in Quebec. Somehow, I think Bernie Sanders is inspired by the Quebec model. Bernie Sanders is from Vermont and Vermont is very geographically close to Quebec. Because of the contents of his platform, I suspect Sanders is getting many of his ideas from Quebec politicians. Socialism is great until you run out of other people's money. What is Canada's defense budget? Are they helping the US fight the war on terrorism? Who is paying for the rest of the tuition? Who is paying for health care? The government? Your Taxes? Like I said...other people's money. BTW Bernie is a 6 figure socialist. High-paid speaking gigs, investment partnerships, a spouse on Wall Street, the corporate ladder, 6 figure income, condo in D.C., rental property, mutual funds, and retirement accounts. Yep...he's a rich socialist, and a hypocrite. Socialism in action. Canada isn't socialist, ya silly, ignorant moron. Canada has far less debt, per capita than America.. and far better eduction, free healthcare and higher standard of living. Canadian income tax rates are very similar to the US, by the way. Yes, Canada is helping fight the alleged war on terrorism.. try looking into it:) No, Canada doesn't stupidly waste trillions on so-called "defense" because it hasn't been infiltrated by the military-industrial complex, and it has no enemies and therefore no need for defense. There, you've been educated a little.. you're welcome Canada isn't socialist, ya silly, ignorant moron. Canada has far less debt, per capita than America.. and far better eduction, free healthcare and higher standard of living. Canadian income tax rates are very similar to the US, by the way.Yes, Canada is helping fight the alleged war on terrorism.. try looking into it:)No, Canada doesn't stupidly waste trillions on so-called "defense" because it hasn't been infiltrated by the military-industrial complex, and it has no enemies and therefore no need for defense.There, you've been educated a little.. you're welcome LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 450186 07-31-2018 03:40 AM Post: #11 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized Who is paying for your student debt? I thought as much. Hahahahaha Make Canada Venezuela. Tard. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453082 07-31-2018 03:43 AM Post: #12 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized So the new agenda is hype Canada. Got it. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 452123 07-31-2018 03:52 AM Post: #13 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized Amerikkkka is a scam to take working Americans money through any means necessary So the middle class is disintegrated for the satanic agendas one being the satanic new world order LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 99866 07-31-2018 04:16 AM Post: #14 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized Eh. It's not magic eh. It's a debt to somebody somewhere. Your taxes eh. Look at your paystub eh. Costs are good topic eh. But not debt eh. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 453862 07-31-2018 04:35 AM Post: #15 RE: There's very little student debt in Quebec, Canada because tuition is subsidized LOP Secret Agent Wrote: (07-30-2018 06:19 PM) There's relatively very little student debt in Quebec, Canada, where I'm from, because tuition is highly subsidized In Quebec, tuition costs about $ 1500 per semester for residents. That's not an insignificant amount, but it's much less expensive than in the rest of Canada and the United States. The result is that the majority of people can afford to go to university, although some choose not to go. Let's compare tuition In Quebec, it's around $ 1500 per semester In the rest of Canada, it's minimum $ 4000 per semester. In the United States, it's minimum $ 8000 per semester. Alhough this increases affordability, the main downside of having subsidized tuition is that schools find it difficult to attract top academic talent because the teachers won't be millionaires if tuition is kept low. I knew some Canadians once, many years ago. They hate their socialized medicine and all the freebies. They said 60% of their paychecks went to pay for all the freebies, aka taxes. I wonder how much it is up to now since this was 15+ years ago. I don't think Americans, everyday Americans, are going to be too keen on seeing 60% of their paycheck disappear every payday. They would definitely have trouble making the rent and paying the grocery bill. I think they would find that more important than subsidizing college and healthcare. I knew some Canadians once, many years ago. They hate their socialized medicine and all the freebies. They said 60% of their paychecks went to pay for all the freebies, aka taxes. I wonder how much it is up to now since this was 15+ years ago.I don't think Americans, everyday Americans, are going to be too keen on seeing 60% of their paycheck disappear every payday. They would definitely have trouble making the rent and paying the grocery bill. I think they would find that more important than subsidizing college and healthcare. Advertisement The Yamuna, already flowing above the danger level in the capital, is expected to swell further on Tuesday as authorities in Haryana will release more water from Hathnikund barrage following incessant rains in the neighbouring states. Over 3,000 people living in the low-lying areas of the national capital have so far been shifted after the Yamuna crossed the red mark on Saturday, officials said. The movement of trains was, however, restored on the old Yamuna bridge on Monday after being suspended since Sunday night due to the rising level of the river. The water level in the Yamuna was recorded at 205.76 metres on Monday. The danger mark is 204.83 metres. The water level is expected to rise to 206.50 meters on Tuesday, an official said. The old Yamuna Bridge connects north and east Delhi. Rains continued to lash many parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, forcing authorities to release more water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage. "More water is being released from the barrage every hour, which will have an impact on the Yamuna level in Delhi. We are keeping a close watch," a Flood Control Department official told IANS. The water released from the Hathnikund barrage, which provides drinking water to New Delhi, normally takes 72 hours to reach the city. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday directed his Cabinet Minister Kailash Gehlot to visit the people affected by the flood waters and ensure arrangements for the displaced. The authorities, meanwhile, continued to evacuate the affected people to safer places. Till Monday evening, about 3,000 people had been shifted. The evacuation started on Saturday. East Delhi's District Magistrate K. Mahesh also visited the low-lying areas and said the situation was under control and that the government was fully prepared to tackle any emergency. "As many as 67 boats have been deployed at 23 locations. We have made arrangements to shift the affected persons to school campuses and night shelters," an official said. He said that although the river level was flowing above the danger mark, the situation, as of now, was not worrisome. Quick response teams have been activated, the official said. The National Disaster Relief Force too was on standby. --IANS nks/prs/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This refers to Shekhar Guptas column When Rahul says happy birthday Uddhavji (July 29). We need to consider the implications of coalitions vis-a-vis the Constitution along with the compulsions of politics. When partners in a coalition speak in opposite voices and condemn the decisions of the government of which they are a part incessantly, it not only belies the meaning of the word coalition but also mocks democratic norms. Shiv Sena is a glaring example of this. It fought the Lok Sabha election as a member of the coalition and had its say in appointing ... The Rafale fighter jet deal controversy is unlikely to die down in the run up to the general elections. The Opposition has already questioned the price of the deal and the secrecy clause, and made charges of crony capitalism. There is an oblique suggestion of kickbacks involved. Normally such allegations would be par for the course in any lively democracy. So would the privilege motion moved in the Lok Sabha by the Congress party against the Prime Minister and the Minister for Defence. However, the defence ministers over-the-top reaction during the no-confidence debate prompted ... The proposed "Mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) against the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls looks like a "band, baja, barat" without a groom, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Monday. There would be no vacancy for the prime minister's post in 2019, the senior BJP leader told PTI in an interview. "The 'Mahagathbandhan' is like the 'band, baja, barat' are ready but the groom is absent. There are nearly two dozen candidates who are staking claim for the post of prime minister," he said. Several parties such as the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), along with other outfits, are planning to form a front to counter the BJP in the 2019 general election. Naqvi took a dig at the Congress for projecting Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate after the recent extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting and later withdrawing his name, apparently due to reservations expressed by other parties. "The Congress first announced that its prime ministerial candidate was Rahul Gandhi. However, within 12 hours, they withdrew it. This could be the first such incident, wherein the Congress withdrew it (Gandhi's name) within 12 hours. It was withdrawal even before nomination. This is how the 'Mahagathbandhan' looks like," the minority affairs minister said. Naqvi also sought to blame the Congress over Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's recent emotional outburst, when the JD(S) leader said he was swallowing the pains of running a coalition government like Lord Shiva, who had drunk poison. The JD(S) shares power with the Congress in the southern state. "The country has seen Kumaraswamy's statement and the people know that he is sharing power with the Congress," Naqvi said. He dubbed Rahul Gandhi's speech in Parliament during the no-confidence motion against the BJP-led government as one full of "confusion, contradiction and comedy". "He (Gandhi) has become a mixture of these three aspects. He himself has dented his own image, instead of projecting himself as a serious politician or public figure. Our wishes are with the Congress under his leadership," Naqvi said. In an unprecedented gesture, the Congress chief had hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha after the speech. Gandhi was later seen winking at a party colleague after coming back to his seat. Responding to a query, the minister said there was no permanent friendship or disappointment in politics. "The BJP has not put up a no-entry board," he said, responding to criticism of the party by the TDP, a former NDA constituent, and the Shiv Sena. Naqvi said incidents of lynching should not be given a communal colour. "Lynching is a heinous crime. Unfortunately, when such things get politicised, a criminal incident is made to look like a communal incident...then criminals involved in such acts get a social shield," he added. "We believe that a crime is a crime. Do not mix crime with communalism and do not project such heinous crimes as a communal thing. There is a criminal mindset behind it...crimes do not have a religion or caste," Naqvi said, deprecating the efforts of certain sections to project such incidents as a crime against a minority community. Asked why lynching over cows would not qualify as an organised crime as most of the victims belonged to a particular community, while the attackers were from the majority community, the minister said he did not think it was an organised crime. "These people (perpetrators of such incidents) have a criminal mindset. When such incidents take place, it is not that only one particular community is involved. It is not that only Hindus are behind it. Whatever it is, a crime is a crime. I cannot see it linked to a community," he said. Advocating a tough law to curb such incidents if needed, Naqvi said things that divided the society should not happen. "Even the Muslim community has understood that Modi is the name of development," he said. Dubbing "triple talaq" as a "bad tradition", Naqvi said at least 1,000 such cases were reported to various agencies in the country, even after a Supreme Court verdict held the practice unconstitutional. The apex court had last year ruled that the practice of triple talaq followed by Muslim men was unconstitutional and void. "We will mostly pass the legislation concerning triple talaq in this (Monsoon) session (of Parliament)," Naqvi said. The "triple talaq" bill, which proposes to criminalise the practice, has been passed in the Lok Sabha, where the BJP enjoys a majority, but is pending in the Rajya Sabha. Congress general secretary in-charge of Deepak Babaria was allegedly manhandled by some party 'workers' supporting a faction in Rewa, a party leader said on Monday. The incident occurred last night at the Circuit House in Rewa, around 490 kms from here, when Babaria was interacting with reporters. He was responding to a query on the Congress' probable candidate for the chief minister's job, in case the party wins the state assembly elections slated for this year-end. "Either the state Congress campaign committee chairman or the state unit party chief will become the chief minister," Babaria told reporters. When someone questionned Babaria whether the party was considering Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Ajay Singh for the CM's job, he replied, "Whatever you understand", and went inside his room. As soon as Babaria entered the room, some men, suspected to be workers of a party faction, followed him inside and roughed him up. Babaria was saved by some Congress workers who allegedly were supporters of Scindia and Nath. However, Congress leaders denied that the men belonged to the party and blamed the ruling BJP for the incident. When contacted, Ajay Singh said, "Whatever happened was not right. Strict action should be taken against those involved in the incident. The Congress workers were not involved". State Congress chief media in-charge Shobha Oza said the BJP was behind the incident. "Those involved in the attack were not Congressmen, but the anti-social elements sponsored by the BJP," she said. Meanwhile, state Home Minister Bhupendra Singh today wrote a letter to Babaria, stating that the government is ready to provide security to "protect him from the Congress leaders and workers". "I came to know through media reports that Congress workers have allegedly manhandled you at Rewa yesterday. Earlier also similar incidents were reported. I am extremely worried about these incidents. I assure you that government will ensure adequate security for you," the home minister stated. However, Oza lashed out at Singh over the letter. "Instead of expressing concern for Babaria, the home minister should pay attention to and try to check rising crimes like rape against women in Madhya Pradesh," she said. The Congress, which has been out of power in the central state since 2003, has not projected any chief ministerial candidate so far, given the factionalism in the state party unit. There have been talks of internal factionalism in the state Congress and its workers are said to be divided among four factions -- headed by general secretary Digvijay Singh, Nath, Scindia and Suresh Pachori. A 'Kanwaria', a devotee of Lord Shiva, was killed and 11 others were injured in two separate road accidents in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said today. The accidents happened yesterday, the police said. A devotee, 35-year-old Bhikari Behera, a resident of Keuta Sonepur was killed yesterday after he was run over by an unknown vehicle at Randha, about 15-km from here, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Berhampur Sadar, A K Mohanty, said. At the time Behera along with some other residents of his village were going on their way to a Siva temple at Ralaba to pour holy water on idol, the SDPO said. The body of the deceased was sent to MKCG Medical College and Hospital here for post-mortem examination, he said. The vehicle involved in the was yet to be identified, he added. In another incident, at least 11 'Kanwarias', including three woman, were injured, when a van carrying them overturned at Dhaugaonunder, under the jurisdiction of Dharakote police station yesterday, the Inspector In-Charge of Dharakote police station, Subhalaxmi Pujari, said. 'Kanwarias' are devotees of Lord Shiva who fetch water from rivers and other sacred water bodies and carry the holy water to offer to Lord Shiva in temples during the month of 'Sravan'(July-August). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Punjab Police today arrested 11 members of the Devinder Bambiha gang and seized 17 weapons from their possession, an official said. The arrested accused were involved in several cases of murder, attempt to murder, snatching of vehicles, drug smuggling, dealing in illegal weapons besides armed robberies and theft, IGP (Intelligence) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh said here. They were identified as Aman Kumar, Yadwinder Singh, Varinderpal Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Rajat Kumar, Karan Mangla, Sukha, Palwinder Singh, Sumit Bajaj, Alam Bhattal and Lakhwinder Singh. The official said nine pistols, five revolvers, one rifle and 2 guns were seized from their possession. Besides, the police have also seized three cars from their possession. All the accused persons were produced before a local court which remanded them to six-day police custody, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 17-year-old girl was set ablaze allegedly by a jilted lover in the Alamnagar area here, police said today. The incident occurred yesterday under the City Kotwali police station area here, they added. The accused, identified as Zahid Ansari, allegedly barged into the house of the minor victim and set her ablaze after dousing her with kerosene, Circle Officer Abhishek Pandey said. The victim gave the accused a chase in an attempt to catch him but lost unconscious as the flames engulfed her, he said. She was rushed to a local hospital from where she was referred to hospital in Varanasi, Pandey said, adding that she suffered 80 per cent burns. The accused often teased the girl, he said. A case has been lodged and efforts are on to nab Ansari, who is on the run, the CO added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As many as 209 dams in the country are more than 100 years old, while the Thonnur Tank in Karnataka is more than 1,000-year-old, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told Parliament today. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Meghwal said the Thonnur Tank in Karnataka was constructed in the year 1000, while Cumbhum dam in Andhra Pradesh was built in 1500. The Tonnur tank is known for its clean, pristine water, which is located approximately 135 km from Bengaluru. It is spread over nearly 2,200 acres. The Cumbhum dam is built on Gundlakamma and Jampaleru rivers in Andhra Pradesh. Some of the oldest dams in the country are Dhamapur (1600) in Maharashtra and Barwa Sagar, Magar Pur and Pachwara Lake in Uttar Pradesh, all three constructed in 1694. Meghwal said as per the records of the Central Water Commission, there have been 36 reported dam failures in the country. The Machhu II dam in Gujarat, constructed in 1972 and reported failure in 1979, caused a loss of 1,800 lives, the minister added. In response to another question, Meghwal said safety of dams, including its operation, rehabilitation and maintenance rests primarily with dam owners, which are generally the state governments, central and state power public sector undertakings, municipalities and private companies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested last Saturday the president of Yakult Philippines for five counts of estafa but was released after posting bail. Alberto Dy Sun, current president of Yakult Philippines, was nabbed shortly after arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal 2 in Paranaque City Saturday evening. Police officials said the suspect just came from a family vacation from Bohol when arrested by the authorities. Sr. Supt. Eleazar Matta, chief of the CIDG-National Capital Region, confirmed the arrest of Sun at the Naia airport last Saturday. He said the suspect was released after posting bail. Sun was arrested by virtue of warrants of arrest issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 91 for five counts of estafa, arising from misappropriations charges. Police quoted court documents as alleging Sun and his fellow officers at the Merchandise Distributors Inc.Donelcio A. Ong, Rosario Dy Sun and Siu Hun Hao Tanmisappropriated the cash dividends of the late J. Victory Dy Sun for the years 2011 to 2015 amounting to P4.475,900.00.Merchandise Distributors Inc. is a distributor of Yakult products. The Financial State of Merchandise Distributors Inc. showed that for the years 2011 to 2015 the cash dividends were already distributed to all the stockholders on record including the late J. Victory Dy Sun though the latter apparently never received his cash dividends. Aside from the five counts of estafa, the suspect Sun was also facing two other counts of estafa before QCRTC Branch 97. The two cases of estafa stemmed from the apparent acts of Alberto Dy Sun in getting the two checks of the late Vicente Dy Sun Sr. from the treasury of Yakult Philippines, Inc. and reportedly deposited the same in his personal joint account with Normal Edita Dy Sun-Ong. Police reports said the suspect got access to the said checks as he was still the president of Yakult Philippines. An attempt to solicit a response from Alberto Dy Sun on the said allegations proved futile. Chinese handset maker OnePlus today said that the second global headquarters of the company, as well as a full fledged R&D centre, would be set up in India as the country contributed one third of the firm's revenues. "India has become the most important market for the company and already accounts for one-third of our revenues. So to support the kind of growth that we are experiencing in India, this is going to be our second global headquarters. We will be doing a lot more than what we are currently doing in India," said Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India, at a press conference here after the inauguration of a 'OnePlus Experience Store.' He said the company would be spending more aggressively offline, dedicate more resources and very soon set up a full fledged Research & Development centre in India. He said the company already has a small R&D facility in the country, but were now looking to expand at different locations, where it can have a full-fledged facility. Agarwal claimed that OnePlus, launched in India in 2014, was among the top three fastest growing mobile phones for the last three quarters in a row. OnePlus recently opened three offline stores in India - at Jayanagar in Bengaluru, Central Mall in Mumbai and South City Mall in Kolkata. The company, which has a unit at Noida, has assigned Oppo as its manufacturing partner Agarwal said OnePlus proposed to set up 25 service centres by the end of this year, launch 10 authorised stores and wanted the products to be sold at 100 'Croma' outlets. On its smart phone OnePlus 6, Agarwal said it is available in four variants - Mirror Black, Midnight Black, Red and Silk white. The Mirror Black is available with 64 GB and 128 GB storage options and retails at Rs 34,999 and Rs 39,999 respectively. The other three variants are available in 128 GB at a price of Rs 39,999. He said the Midnight Black is also available in a new 256 GB version that retails at Rs 43,999. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A two-year-old girl, allegedly kidnapped by a man, was rescued, the police said today. The incident came to light on July 29, after a woman, who was waiting in the main hall of Ajmeri Gate of the New Delhi Railway Station, complained that her daughter had gone missing, a police officer said. Subsequently, she informed the Railway Protection Force staff at the Baggage Scanner machine, who immediately flashed the message on Walkie Talkie to all the staff on duty. Police found a man moving suspiciously with a baby girl near the auto stand at Ajmeri Gate. Subsequently, he was detained. The accused had been taken into custody, the police said. A case has been registered. Further investigation is underway, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three policemen posted at the Sultanpur police station of Kota district were held today with unaccounted Rs 1.31 lakh which they allegedly extorted from villagers in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, officials said. The accused policemen had gone to Sawaipur village of Bhilwara in connection with a case lodged under the NDPS act. They threatened the villagers saying they would fabricate them in the case and extorted money, Additional SP, Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB-Bhilwara) Sobhagya Singh said. "On receiving information, we chased the police party and stopped it in front of the Bigod police station in the evening. During the checking of their vehicle, unaccounted cash of Rs 1,31,672 was recovered," he said. The accused policemen-- Ramavtar Meena (head constable), Bharatram and Sajid (both constables) -- were detained and action under the prevention of corruption act would be taken, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four people are currently undergoing treatment for pesticide poisoning at the Government Medical College in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, said a senior medical officer today. Dr Manish Shrigiriwar, dean of the hospital, said that 11 people had been admitted for pesticide poisoning since July 1, of which seven had been discharged following treatment. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home, Hansraj Ahir, who was in the district today, has instructed the agriculture department to ensure that farmers do not undertake spraying of pesticides without the stipulated safety gear including masks. "We will provide free kits soon to farmers. The agriculture assistants of the department have been asked to keep a watch on the spraying of pesticides," Ahir, a Lok Sabha MP from nearby Chandrapur, said. A local farmer leader and district chief Shetkari Warkari Sanghatana Sikander Shah demanded that the agriculture department provide kits and organise tehsil level training camps for farmers. Last year, incidents of deaths of farmers due to pesticide poisoning in Yavatmal district had come to light, prompting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to order an enquiry. Although the government had not specified the number of deaths, farm activist Kishor Tiwari and the Shiv Sena had said that 18 farmers had died due to pesticide exposure. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A massive Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam today excluded over 40 lakh people from the final draft list, triggering a political slugfest with the opposition alleging that it was the BJP's "gameplan" to divide the people for electoral gains. The issue rocked both house of Parliament after which Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed to the opposition not to politicise the "sensitive" matter as the list has been published on the directives of the Supreme Court and the Centre has "no role" in it. He asserted that no "coercive" action will be taken against those whose names were excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft list. The ruling BJP in Assam had raised the issue of foreign nationals in Assam during the 2016 assembly polls, promising an error-free NRC. At a press conference in Guwahati, Registrar General of India Sailesh announced that 2.89 crore people were found to be eligible for inclusion in the complete draft of the ambitious draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) out of a total 3.29 crore applicants. Around 40.07 lakh applicants, however, did not find a place in the document, casting a shadow over their fate. Soon after, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the Centre, accusing it of resorting to "vote bank politics". "This divide and rule policy will finish the country," she said at a press conference in Kolkata, alleging it was a "gameplan" to isolate and "throw out of the state" Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Banerjee also claimed that names of people who have passports, Aadhaar and voter cards have also been excluded from the final draft. Notwithstanding the criticism, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said it was a historic day for the state, which will abide by all the directions of the apex court. Assam Pradesh Congress President Ripun Bora alleged it was a "motivated" action under the BJP which was trying to play "politics of polarisation". AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal appeared to take a cautious approach, saying everyone should wait for the final list. However, he said, exclusion of 40 lakh people was "not a small matter" and his party would assist the people to ensure that no genuine person is left out. Welcoming the development, former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who had spearheaded the six-year-long Assam agitation against foreigners and was a signatory to the historic Assam Accord, told PTI that the central government "must deport people who have come after March 24, 1971 to their original country". Assam, which has witnessed an influx of people from neighbouring Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having an NRC, which was first prepared in 1951. The current NRC is being updated with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date to include names of genuine Indian citizens. Asked about the reasons for excluding names of around 40 lakh applicants, NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela, who was also present at the press meet, said, "We are not going to make the reasons public. It will be informed individually. They can find the reasons by visiting NRC Sewa Kendras (NSK)." There are also names which were included in the first draft but have been deleted from the complete one. When inquired if any person, who appeared in the complete draft, could be excluded from the final list once the process of claims and objections were over, the RGI replied in the affirmative. Later in the evening, the Union Home Ministry announced that the final NRC list will be published by December 31, 2018. The opposition, especially the TMC, the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and Left parties strongly raised the issue in Parliament, disrupting the proceedings several times in both houses. While Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for the day as the din continued even after three adjournments, opposition members staged a walk out in Lok Sabha. Rejecting criticism, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the draft NRC is completely "impartial" and those whose names are not included should not panic as they will get an opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship."No coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence, there is no need for anyone to panic. This is a draft and not the final list," he told reporters here. Talking about the status of people who were excluded from the list, Union Home Ministry Joint Secretary (North East) Satyendra Garg said the authorities will not forward any name to the Foreigners Tribunals on the basis of the draft. "The claims and objections process will begin on August 30 and continue till September 28. Adequate, ample scope will be given to people for their objections. No genuine Indian citizens should have any fear." The first draft of the NRC was published during the intervening nights of December 31 and January 1 this year, containing 1.9 crore names. Security was beefed up across the state to prevent any law and order situation following the publication of the draft. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in seven districts-- Barpeta, Darrang, Dima Hasao, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Golaghat and Dhubri-- and 22,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed. The groundwork for the exercise began in December 2013 and so far over 40 hearings have taken place in the Supreme Court in the last 3.5 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As many as 41 security personnel, including 20 policemen, were killed and 907 others injured in militancy-related and stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir valley this year, officials said today. Giving details, the officials said 39 security personnel, including 17 Army personnel, 20 policemen and two CRPF personnel, were killed and 96 others injured in militancy-related incidents in first six months of this year. Of these, 28 Army personnel, 31 CRPF personnel and 37 policemen were injured in militancy-related incidents, they said. In stone-pelting incidents, two CRPF personnel were killed and 811 others injured during the same period, the officials said. Of these, 592 policemen and 219 CRPF personnel were injured in 734 incidents of stone-pelting in the valley, they said. According to the officials, 32 civilians were killed and 117 others injured in militancy-related and stone-pelting incidents. Twenty-five civilians were killed and 54 others injured in militancy-related incidents while seven civilians were killed and 63 others injured in law and order incidents, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five men were arrested in connection with a robbery case at northeast Delhi's Usmanpur area, the police said today. Four country-made pistols, 12 live rounds of different bores, one improvised .32 bore pistol, Rs 1.6 lakh robbed cash and two stolen motorcycles -- used in crime -- were recovered from them, they added. The accused have been identified as Arif (34), Anil (27), Asif (23), Salman (26) and Abdi (28), the police said. On July 16, police were informed that a few bike-born men opened fire and fled. On reaching the spot, they were told by one Narender Aggarwal, a resident of Kartar Nagar, who works in a Multi-National Company as a distributor, that when he was going to his office on his motorcycle with his colleague Sushil Kumar, they were intercepted by two bike-borne men who robbed them of Rs 11 lakh at gunpoint. They said the accused fired in the air while escaping, Atul Kumar Thakur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) said. On July 29, police received a tip-off that the accused were present near the Sonia Vihar police station area. Subsequently, the police team conducted a raid following which five men were arrested, he said. All the accused confessed their involvement in the alleged robbery, he added. During investigation, Abid disclosed that he was released from the jail two years ago and organised a gang of robbers. During this, he became a friend of one Kamal. Kamal was a criminal and he started giving leads of cash movements by businessmen to Abid upon which he committed several cash robberies. However, his associates were arrested but he remained absconding, the DCP said. Abid and Kamal stayed alert so that they could not get traced by the police. They contacted each other on social platforms. Through a source of Kamal, they committed the robbery on July 16 in the New Usman Pur area and robbed Rs 11 lakh cash from a distributer, he said. From the robbed money, Kamal purchased arms for the next robberies, the officer said. During interrogation, police got to know that the accused were planning to commit more armed robberies, Thakur said. Police investigation is underway and efforts are being made to arrest the other robbers, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven members of a family that was "under financial stress" were found dead in their rented house here today, police said. The victims were a sexagenarian couple, their two sons, a daughter-in-law and two minor grandchildren. A preliminary investigation hinted that the two brothers first killed the others, before hanging themselves, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police A V Homkar said. Six bodies were found in one room, while the seventh one in another, he added. Five of the bodies were lying on a bed, while two were found hanging in the single-storey house at the Odaya locality under Kanke Police Station, Homkar said. "Prima facie, this is a case of suicide. All the evidence have been collected," he told reporters. Sachidanand Jha (65) was living in the house with his wife Gayatri Devi (60), sons Deepak (40) and Rupesh (30), daughter-in-law (Deepak's wife) Soni, granddaughter Drishti (6) and grandson Jungi (2). Police said the incident came to light in the morning when Drishti's school bus came to pick her up but she was not at the designated spot. A neighbour, whose daughter also takes the same bus to school, went to the house to enquire and saw the bodies. The landlord, who lives in another part of Ranchi, and the police were then informed. Strangulation marks were found on the body of Sachidanand Jha and the two children, while a sharp weapon was possibly used to kill Gayatri Devi, the DIG said. A preliminary investigation hinted that the two brothers first killed all the other family members and then hung themselves, he added. The police found a 15-page suicide note on Deepak's body and a two-page document on Rupesh's body. The documents said the family was under financial constraints and the school fees of Drishti and payment to the milkman, among others, were due. Deepak worked as a store manager in a furniture company. In the suicide note, he wrote he was scared that his name could come up in a financial misappropriation case. "The investigation is still not conclusive. All angles are being probed," the DIG said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A political slugfest ensued over installation of CCTV cameras in the national capital, with the AAP accusing Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal of "attempting to stall" the project while the opposition BJP slammed the ruling party for "politicising" the issue and "misguiding" the people. The statement issued by the office of the Lt Governor on the installation of CCTV cameras in residential areas and markets of the city is a "ploy" to create "hurdles" in implementation of this major safety project, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhadwaj alleged. "Delhi LG is playing with safety of residents by attempting to stall the CCTV camera project," he charged. However, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari hit out at the Arvind Kejriwal government, alleging that it was not serious on the issue. "It wants to prolong this as a political issue and benefit the companies connected with the party by awarding contract to them," he alleged. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today gave a go ahead to the CCTV camera project in a meeting and directed officials to bring it before the cabinet within a week. He has also asserted that police permission is not needed for installation of CCTV cameras. Yesterday, Kejriwal had said "no mandatory permission" should be required from police to install CCTV cameras, and tore apart the report of a committee set up by the LG on working out guidelines for installation and monitoring of surveillance cameras. "The report states that every owner and data controller of CCTV system collecting any information from public space shall report to the appropriate authority. And, the appropriate authority and police shall visit and assess whether CCTV cameras are needed or not," he had claimed. However, the LG office, in a statement, had claimed that the rules were in a draft stage and the committee formed under the Principal Secretary (Home) has only prescribed a reporting mechanism for CCTVs and not a licensing mechanism. The reasons being given by the office of the Delhi LG to justify "licence raj" are "baseless" and "lack" any reasonable justification, Bhardwaj insisted. BJP's Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, however, accused the Delhi government of launching "propaganda" against the proposed regulations of CCTV camera system at public places to "cover-up" its "failure" in implementing the project despite being in power for three and a half years. "Who told the CM that license is required for installation of CCTV camera?" he asked. The chief minister is "fanning the sentiments" of public, resident welfare associations and market associations by showing fear of "licence raj, Gupta alleged, adding, "He (Kejriwal) is feeding them (people) with baseless allegations and false information for political gains. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) About Rs 12.68 crore was allocated for conservation, preservation and environmental development works at the Taj Mahal in the last three years, Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma told the Rajya Sabha today. "The essential conservation, preservation and environmental development work at Taj Mahal is attended regularly to keep the monument in good condition," the minister said. In 2015-2016, Rs 3.65 crore was allocated for the iconic Mughal monument and the entire amount was spent on it. In 2016-2017, Rs 4.8 crore was allocated and around Rs 4.6 crore was utilised. In 2017-2018, Rs 4.2 crore was allotted while Rs 4.1 crore was utilised, the minister informed the House. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Russian Embassy in Manila on Sunday said it is illogical to say that the Philippines could breach sanctions imposed by the United States against blacklisted Rosoboron export if it finalized an arms deal with the state-run firm. In a statement, Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev said the restrictions against Rosoboronexport were introduced in accordance with the US internal legislation, and not the international law. On July 18, Reuters published a report that the Philippines could breach US sanctions if its arms deal with Russia proceeds. If we follow their line of reasoning, it would appear that the very same American laws should work in the Philippines. In legal terms this is called exterritorialitya principle from the colonial times according to which the laws of the parent state would also apply in its colonies, the envoy said. Khovaev added that the agreement is a matter of trade relations between two independent nations and does not involve a third country in any way. Russia advances itself only through a high quality and reasonable price policy. It is called fair competition, he said. One more thing, Russia does not have is a practice of making our trade partners hostages of that partnership, forcing them to twist their domestic and foreign policy to our liking. The only way we can pave is to persuade the countries buying from us that they are making the right choice, he added. Apart from the Philippines, Khovaev said 100 other nations around the world successfully cooperate with the Rosoboronexport with no harm to their foreign policy. The envoy said that in 2017, Russia signed agreements worth more than USD16 billion for export of its arms and military equipment, including with new partners like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Turkey.Not a single one of these deals has been canceled, he said. Khovaev is optimistic the partnership will push through, saying the deal will basically contribute to regional peace and stability since it is aimed at fighting terrorism. Russia considers the Government of the Philippines a reliable partner with whom we are firmly set on building a long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation, he said. Citing an anonymous Philippine defense official, the report said the US has not officially notified the Philippines about the restrictions on Rosoboronexport, blacklisted by America in April. Its still a go until we are informed, the official was quoted as saying. But in response, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said Malacanang will study the issue. He initially expressed doubts the Philippines will violate US sanctions on the state-run firm since the sale would be in Russia. Roque, a professor of international and constitutional law, also questioned the legal basis of US to impose sanctions on countries like the Philippines that has absolute immunity as a sovereign state. He said he has no idea if the arms deal will proceed but the official stand is, we will study the matter. An Afghan national has been apprehended by the CISF at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying over USD 20,000 in cash, officials said today. M G Murtaza was intercepted by security officials yesterday based on random profiling of passengers and a total of USD 20,100 were recovered from his bag, they said. The foreign currency is equivalent to about Rs 13.79 lakh, and it has been handed over to the Customs authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) along with the Afghani national who was bound for Kabul, the officials said. The big amount of foreign currency, prima facie, looked to be suspicious and the Customs department will now investigate the case, they said. In a similar incident, a Hong Kong-bound Indian man, S Chopra, was apprehended by the Central Industrial Security Force personnel for carrying USD 1,50,700 in an alleged unauthorised manner yesterday at the IGIA. The US dollars are equivalent to about Rs 1.03 crore and the currency have been handed over to Customs personnel, the officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The AIADMK in the Lok Sabha today opposed centralised entrance test for medical and engineering courses and demanded that state governments be allowed to hold such examinations. When M Thambui Durai (AIADMK), who is also the Deputy Speaker, raised the issue, several members cutting across party lines supported him by thumping on their tables. Raising the issue during Question Hour, Thambi Durai said since the National Testing Agency will hold entrance tests twice a year, students would spend more time preparing for it than concentrate on their Class XII syllabus. He said such joint or combined tests only help elites get through. He said shortage of doctors in rural areas is because states are not allowed to hold tests. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said a total of 24 lakh students take the JEE and NEET entrance exams (12 lakh each). State governments hold other tests and nearly 1.50 crore students appear in those tests. Responding to a supplementary, Javadekar clarified that the entrances to be held by the National Testing Agency will not be "online" but only "computer-based" where students will have to reply on already downloaded answer sheets using mouse. He said Internet connection could be an issue in some areas, therefore, the test will not be in online format. He said the government is also considering to allow students take the test using paper answer sheets during the transitional first year. Students, he said, can take training to appear for the computer-based test. The HRD Minister also said questions were raised about the "non-scientific" manner in which papers are set in different board and university tests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Students of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here have demanded an "impartial probe" into the alleged suicide by a 20-year-old female student of the AIIMS, Jodhpur. They held a candle march in Bhopal last evening and alleged that the student, Rashmi Yadav, ended her life after harassment by a teacher. Yadav, a native of Alwar district in Rajasthan, had taken admission in AIIMS, Jodhpur, on July 23. She was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her hostel room on the night of July 26. "We demand an impartial probe into the suicide of the student, who took the extreme step allegedly due to harassment at the hands of a teacher," Sant Guru Prasad, former president of AIIMS Bhopal student's union, told reporters here. This is the third such incident at AIIMS, Jodhpur, in the last three years, claimed Prasad, who led the candle march. The students have also written a letter to Union Health Minister J P Nadda and director of AIIMS, Jodhpur, on the issue. The police in Jodhpur had said after the incident that "in a suicide note, Yadav advised a teacher to behave properly with students". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rejecting outright any move to change the present status of Panjab University, Chandigarh, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying his government was open to increasing the grant-in-aid for the varsity through a mutually consultative process. In the demi-official letter written, the chief minister asserted that the Haryana government could not take advantage of the ongoing proceedings in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. "The transitory financial resources problem and its resolution by the statutory stakeholders do not permit the Government of Haryana to turn back the clock," he wrote, according to an official statement today. Notably, Amarinder Singh's Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier this month urged the central government for restoration of Haryana's share in Panjab University, Chandigarh. This had come days after Khattar reiterated Haryana's claim on Chandigarh, asking Punjab to consider making New Chandigarh as its capital. Khattar had explained that the process of restoration of Haryana's share in the PU was required as over the years the composition and character of Chandigarh had evolved as a larger entity, that is 'tricity'. Besides, a large number of students from Haryana take admission in various courses of the PU, he had said. The proposal of the Haryana Government for restoration of the state's share in the university is "historically, logically, rationally and culturally unsustainable," wrote Amarinder Singh adding that "the state of Haryana cannot arrogate to itself the privilege of altering history as and when it wishes." The Punjab chief minister pointed out that as per sub-section (4) of section 72 of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, the maintenance deficit grants to the university were shared and paid by the states concerned--Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh UT administration in the ratio of 20:20:20:40, respectively. "The states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh decided to withdraw from this sharing arrangement. The Government of Haryana also withdrew the affiliation of its colleges from the Panjab University and transferred the same to the other universities within Haryana State. These decisions of the Haryana government were unilateral and unconditional. Thus from 1976 onwards the state of Punjab and Chandigarh UT administration paid the maintenance deficit grants to the University in the ratio of 40:60, respectively, he said. "Thereafter, the Government of India vide its notification dated October 27, 1997 ceased the representation of Haryana in various governing bodies of the Panjab University," Punjab chief minister said in the letter. Amarinder Singh said the University was managing and conducting its financial affairs unilaterally. "The state government has increased the grant-in-aid from Rs 20 crore to Rs 27 crore during the current financial year, which amounts to an increase of 35 per cent. This substantial increase may not be commensurate with the needs of the Panjab University, but this is due to the reason that there is no bilateral consultative process in place through which the University's financial management is affected," he added. The need of the hour, said the chief minister, was to create a financial balance through a consultative process, vis-a-vis the university and the Punjab Government, so that a concrete plan or vision document for reasonable period, for example 10 years, may be charted out. "Notwithstanding the alleged change in the character and composition of Chandigarh into a 'tri-city' (Chandigarh-Panchkula-Mohali), as claimed by Haryana, the unalterable fact is that the 'tri-city' was always in existence even when the state of Haryana decided to de-affiliate its colleges from this university and severed its all linkages with the university," Amarinder Singh said. He said Haryana withdrew from the arrangements existing at that time on its own will and unilaterally and cannot be allowed to reverse its stand arbitrarily now. The argument of tri-city is not plausible and is an afterthought, asserted Amarinder Singh. "In view of these circumstances, the Punjab government is of the firm view that no change in the nature and character of this university should be considered," he added. He also mentioned that the entire territorial jurisdiction and the populace, which the Panjab University is catering to, falls primarily, in Punjab, in addition to the area under the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Earlier, Amarinder Singh had rejected Khattar's suggestion to set up a statutorily empowered and dedicated board or authority for homogeneous development of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab. Khattar had impressed upon the Centre the need to create a statutorily empowered and dedicated board or authority for homogeneous development of Chandigarh, and the adjoining towns of Panchkula and Mohali. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A long-awaited official report into the disappearance of Flight MH370 gave no new clues about why the plane vanished, relatives of those on board the aircraft said today, expressing anger and disappointment. Family members had been hoping that the official investigation team's report could provide them with some closure, over four years after the Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people went missing. But grieving relatives said the technical document appeared to contain little new beyond a lengthy description of the plane's disappearance and search efforts, and that officials were unable to answer their questions. Some angry relatives walked out of the briefing. "It is so disappointing," said Intan Maizura Othman, whose husband was a flight steward on MH370, which was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished in March 2014. "I am frustrated. There is nothing new in the report. "Those who gave the briefing from the ministry of transport were not able to give answers as they were not (the ones) who wrote the report." She said that the meeting between relatives and officials descended into a "shouting match" as family members' frustration boiled over. "Many asked questions," said G Subramaniam, who lost a son on the flight, but added that "unsatisfactory responses left many angry". The report was due to released publicly later today. No sign of the jet was found in a 120,000-square kilometre (46,000-square mile) Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led hunt, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January last year. US exploration firm Ocean Infinity resumed the hunt at the start of this year on a "no find, no fee" basis, using high-tech drones to scour the seabed. But that search was called off after failing to find anything. Malaysia's new government, which took power in May, total transparency, including the release of the report by the official safety investigation team -- a 19-member body which includes international investigators. Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon. There have been a host of theories about why the plane disappeared, ranging from an accident to a hijacking or even a terror plot. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A long-awaited official report into the disappearance of Flight MH370 gave no new clues today about why the Malaysian plane vanished, sparking anger and disappointment among relatives of those on board. The report from the official investigation team pointed to failings by air traffic controllers and suggested the Malaysia Airlines plane was likely diverted from its flight path manually, rather than due to a mechanical fault. But it said the Boeing 777 jet, which vanished over four years ago as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, was airworthy and the pilots were in a fit state to fly. After years of fruitless searching in the world's most enduring aviation mystery, the report offered nothing concrete to grieving relatives of passengers -- most of whom were Chinese -- and crew hoping for some sort of closure. "The team is unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370," concluded the largely technical 400-page report. Relatives who were briefed at the transport ministry before the report's public release expressed anger that there was nothing new in the document, with some storming out of the briefing as frustration boiled over. "It is so disappointing," said Intan Maizura Othman, whose husband was a steward on MH370. "I am frustrated. There is nothing new in the report. "Those who gave the briefing from the ministry of transport were not able to give answers as they were not (the ones) who wrote the report." She said the meeting between relatives and officials descended into a "shouting match" as family members' frustration boiled over. "Many asked questions," said G. Subramaniam, who lost a son on the flight, but added that "unsatisfactory responses left many angry". The disappearance of MH370 triggered the largest hunt in aviation history. But no sign of the jet was found in a 120,000-square kilometre Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led hunt was suspended in January last year. US exploration firm Ocean Infinity resumed the search in a different location at the start of this year on a "no find, no fee" basis, using high-tech drones to scour the seabed. But that search was also called off after failing to find anything. Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon. Malaysia's new government, which took power in May, has said the hunt could be resumed but only if new evidence comes to light and officials have seemed keen to draw under a line the tragedy. One area that came in for criticism in the report by the 19-member investigation team, which included foreign investigators, was air traffic control. It said both Malaysian air traffic control and their Vietnamese counterparts failed to act properly when the Boeing jet passed from Malaysian to Vietnamese airspace and disappeared from radars. Air traffic controllers did not initiate emergency procedures in a timely fashion, delaying the start of the search and rescue operation, it said. However it played down concerns about the pilot and first officer, saying neither appeared to have suffered difficulties in their personal lives that could have affected their ability to fly. It also said the plane was airworthy and did not have major technical issues. This however meant that the plane's change of course "was likely made while the aircraft was under manual control and not the autopilot", the report said. Intervention by a third party could not be ruled out, it said, but also added there was no evidence to suggest the plane was flown by anyone other than the pilots. The report also dismissed one conspiracy theory about the plane's disappearance -- that it was taken over remotely to foil a hijacking, saying there was no evidence to support this. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An angry mob thrashed a man, garlanded him with shoes and paraded him through the main market of Ghansali in Bhilangana block of the district after it learnt that he had taken a 16-year-old girl of another community to a hotel room. The people became angry when they came to know that 18-year-old Azad Alvi had taken the girl of another community, hailing from Bhilangana block, to a hotel room in Ghansali, SSP Yogendra Singh Rawat said. A protesting mob gathered at the hotel pulled the girl out of the room and beat up the man, he said. The mob also garlanded the man with shoes and paraded him through Ghnasali bazar where they also vandalised shops owned by the Muslims, Rawat said, adding the police rushed to the spot and rescued the youth besides pacifying the mob. Alvi who hails from Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh ran a hair cutting shop in Ghansali. Rawat said further action would be be taken only after the girl's parents lodge a complaint at the police station. Additional forces have been deployed in the area to keep a watch, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A batch of 724 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims left Jammu today for the twin base camps in Kashmir, officials said. The pilgrims left in a convoy of 19 vehicles with detailed security arrangements in place. They are scheduled to reach the camps later in the day, they added. The 60-day "yatra" to the cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, began on the twin routes of Baltal in Ganderbal and Pahalgam in Anantnag district on June 28. A total of 2.58 lakh pilgrims paid their obeisance at the shrine till last evening, an official added. In the past week, the number of pilgrims joining the "yatra" had dipped sharply. The "yatra" is scheduled to conclude on August 26, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festivities. "On the 32nd day of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra yesterday, 3,131 yatris paid obeisance at the holy cave. Till date, 2,58,487 yatris had the darshan of the Shivling in the holy cave," the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Another MLA from Maharashtra resigned today in support of the Maratha quota demand. Abdul Sattar (Congress), who represents Sillod Assembly seat in Aurangabad district, has sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde. Sattar stated that he was quitting, as the state government has not taken any decision regarding allotting reservation to Marathas, Muslim, Dhangar and Mahadev Koli communities. Five MLAs had resigned last week for the quota demand. They are: Bharat Bhalke (Congress), Rahul Aher (BJP), Dattatraya Bharne (NCP), Harshvardhan Jadhav (Shiv Sena) and Bhausaheb Patil Chikatgaonkar (NCP). Aurangabad was the epicentre of Maratha protests last week. Marathas, a politically-influential community constituting around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been agitating to press their demand for reservation in government jobs and education. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has sought inputs from telecom operator and budget airline on whether the (GST) or credit allowed on inputs in the new regime has created room for reduction in prices. Taking suo-moto cognisance of the impact of on prices in telecom and aviation sector, the National (NAA) has asked the market leaders in the sectors to calculate the input tax credit (ITC) benefits that have accrued to them and whether it was enough to pass on to end-consumers, a source told "The companies have been asked to submit the calculation within a fortnight," the source said. With regard to telecom sector which saw a rise in tax incidence post GST, the source said "there may not be enough room for passing on the benefits, but the NAA is seeking calculation from market leaders to assesses industry wide impact". When reached out for comments, spokesperson said, "The benefits of the rate reduction on tickets have been passed on to the customers by all airlines. We had a meeting with the competent authority to discuss the relevant details and have submitted the same for their review. Airtel spokesperson, however, said "We have not received any notice from the authorities asking for a report". The tax rate for telecom service providers was hiked to 18 per cent in the GST regime, which was rolled out from July 1, 2017, from the erstwhile service tax rate of 15 per cent, including cess. However, in the new regime the telecom companies were allowed to claim ITC on host of inputs, which the felt will bring down the effective incidence of the levy. In case of airlines, the GST rates for class travel has been fixed at 5 per cent, while that for business class at 12 per cent, along with ITC benefits. In the erstwhile service tax regime, the tax rates were 5 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively. Last year, the had asked telecom companies to rejig costs and lower prices to pass on the benefits of GST to customers. "The telecom companies are required to rework their costing and credits availability and r-jig their prices and ensure that the increased availability of credit is passed on to the customers by lowering their costs," the ministry had said. The NAA was set up in November 2017, to ensure that the benefits of rate reduction or reduced tax incidence is passed on to the end consumers. The authority was also empowered to take suo-moto action, besides acting on complaints of profiteering. WARSAWPoland, whose right-wing government opposes taking in migrants, may have to look to Filipino workers to cover a growing labor shortage hurting the economy, a senior official said Saturday. We are on course to conclude an agreement. I hope that in the autumn we will be able to at least sign a preliminary accord with the Philippine authorities, Deputy Labor Minister Stanislaw Szwed said according to a PAP news agency report. Szwed said Poland and the Philippines were both Roman Catholic countries and so shared many cultural values. Poland was in particular looking to attract qualified workers in the IT, medical and construction sectors, he said.According to analyst forecasts, Poland by 2030 will be short of four-million workers, partly the result of continued emigration of its own workforce to other EU countries and partly due to a low birth rate. Up to now, Poland has relied on neighboring Ukraine to fill the gap, with a million Ukrainians in the country already and up to another 300,000 expected in the next few years. The Philippines is a major exporter of workers, with millions employed abroad in every line of work and sending home billions of dollars crucial to the economy. The Pune police today said some "anti-social elements" had infiltrated the Maratha quota agitation in Chakan, which was peaceful initially. "The agitation was peaceful till 12.30 pm. However, the mob later split into small groups and some anti-social elements started damaging the vehicles," said district SP Sandip Patil. Police suspect that some miscreants from the adjoining areas and districts could have joined the peaceful protests to disrupt them, he said. Patil said the police contained the agitation after additional enforcements were rushed to Chakan. The officer said some hooligans were carrying fuel cans and shovels with them. The process to identify them and registering cases is going on. The situation in Chakan is under control now, he said, and appealed to the people not to believe in rumours. Some Maratha organisations had given a call for a bandh today in Chakan, an industrial hub 40 kms from Pune city, and a rally was carried out. Earlier in the day, protesters indulged in stone pelting and torched some public transport buses and private vehicles, police said. Some police personnel sustained injuries in the stone pelting by the agitators. In the wake of the violence, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were clamped in Chakan to restore law and order. Quick Response Teams had been moved to the violence-affected area, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Women and Child Development Ministry today said the anti-trafficking bill maintains a "clear distinction" between trafficking and smuggling of migrants and excludes "consenting adults from its purview". The ministry gave the clarification to UN experts who expressed concern that the bill was not in accordance with international human rights laws. It was stated in a statement issued jointly by Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, and Urmila Boola, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, that the Trafficking of Persons Bill, 2018, does not give due consideration to the rights and needs of victims and their protection and proper rehabilitation. The ministry said the statement also states that the bill seems to "conflate sex work and migration with trafficking". It has clarified that the concerns expressed by the experts seem to be "emanating from a lack of understanding of the bill in question". The ministry said the bill maintains a "clear distinction" between trafficking and smuggling of migrants and does not criminalise migration. "It is the trafficker made liable under the bill, who promotes irregular and exploitative migration, and not the migrant. Exploitation has been made the key parameter to constitute the offence of trafficking," it said. The ministry also said the bill excludes "consenting adults from its purview". "While it criminalises trafficking for the purpose of pushing a woman into sex work, it does not punish the act itself. At no point is the victim held as a criminal, or detained against his or her will," it said. Hence, the bill is in conformity with various international standards such as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the UNODC Model Law against Trafficking in Persons and the OHCHR Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking, the ministry said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AntWorks, an artificial intelligence (AI) products and solutions firm, today said it has raised USD 15 million (about Rs 103 crore) from SBI Investment Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Japan's SBI Holdings, Inc. The series A funding will help AntWorks invest in AI as also enterprise RPA (Robotic process automation), fuel R&D and foray into newer markets, AntWorks said in a statement. A joint venture between SBI and AntWorks has also been announced to tap into the opportunities in the emerging AI space in South East Asia. "With this investment, we will work together with SBI Group to bring end-to-end, AI-based enterprise RPA to the globe... Our goal is to empower enterprises in emerging markets like Philippines, India, China, etc - by unleashing the limitless potential of machine learning and cognitive automation," AntWorks co-founder and CFO Govind Sandhu said. It provides solutions for over 450 customers. "AntWorks' has risen through the ranks of global RPA, Automation and Artificial Intelligence companies with a ferocity that's unprecedented in the industry...(We) look forward to their growth in the Asian region through our joint venture, as well as globally," said Yoshitaka Kitao, Representative Director, President, and CEO of SBI Holdings, Inc. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Andhra Pradesh government is in the process of setting up 'iHub' (the intelligent hub), a first-of-its kind global research centre for scientific learning with an initial investment of Rs 245 crore spread over five years, a senior official said. The government has already entered into an MoU with UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) for the purpose, the official said adding suitable location is being identified for the iHub to cover all components of the initiative with necessary road infrastructure. "There will be an initial seed funding of Rs 245 crore for startups and operational expenses. Our government will provide a guaranteed demand from government schools for training purpose and also the educational institutions can procure learning products from the iHub. It will have licence to operate Global Design University also," the official told PTI. Though the global market is USD 5 trillion, only two per cent of it is degitised, which prompted the state government to come up with the idea of iHub, the official added. "Some of the social and economic objectives of iHub will be to create 50,000 future-ready skilled manpower, reduced school dropouts and capture the EdTech market," the official explained. The setup cost for the iHub will be USD three million and about USD 2.2 million annual expenses. The organisation recovers its cost by providing consultancy services, publications, seminars, hackathons, patents. The initial staff will be about 40 International researchers in disciplines such as neuro-science, education, psychology, digital instructional design, educational technology, Artificial Intelligence, data sciences, and gamingamong others. The centre will also issue "Global Certification" for digital educational content, according to the official. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Goa government is planning to procure hybrid coconut seedlings for farmers to help them tide over the decline in coconut production in the state, the Legislative Assembly was told today. "The Agriculture department is planning to bring hybrid coconut seedlings from other states in coordination with the Coconut Development Board (CDB), since the seedlings from private nurseries are sold at relatively higher rates," Agriculture minister Vijai Sardesai stated in a written reply in the House. He was responding to a query raised by the Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar (Congress). Sardesai said the hybrid seedlings procured through the CDB will be sold to farmers at rates lower than the prevailing prices. "The state government is aware of the fact that the production of coconuts is on decline to some extent due to lack of care (and) as a result of low wholesale rates prevailing during the past few years (except for the period of September, 2017 to March, 2018), making cultivation less remunerative," the minister stated. Sardesai listed various reasons like increased wages of farm labourers, scarcity of skilled labourers or coconut pluckers, increased cost of fertilisers/manures, damage due to monkeys and pests for the reduced production of coconuts. He said the state government was extending all support to the farmers including supplying them organic and inorganic fertilisers. The assured price of coconut had been increased from Rs 8 to Rs 10 apiece last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today said authorities in India should show a "far greater concern" over the situation of Taj Mahal than shown by the UNESCO on the historic monument. The apex court also asked why "from 2013 till 2018, nothing was done?." It had earlier expressed concern over the change of colour of the monument which it said was now turning brownish and greenish after becoming yellowish. The remarks relating to the UNESCO by the bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta came after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said it have given a plan on Taj Mahal to the UN body in 2013. The top court was also informed by Attorney General K K Venugopal that the joint secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the commissioner of Agra Division would be the officers responsible for the maintenance of the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ). The bench was apprised that director general of the ASI would be responsible for the maintenance of Taj Mahal. TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. When the ASI's counsel said that the UNESCO was informed about status of Taj matter, the bench said, "This is the problem." "Organisation like UNESCO has to express concern about the situation (of Taj Mahal). It is an organisation of the United Nations. Our concern should be far greater than that shown by the UNESCO," the bench said. The apex court also made it clear that from now on, affidavits would be filed in the matter only by these three officials -- joint secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, commissioner of Agra Division and the director general of ASI. "Affidavits filed by any other person will not be entertained," it said. At the outset, the Attorney General told the bench that commissioner of Agra division, who is also the chairman of the TTZ, would be responsible for maintenance of TTZ as far as Uttar Pradesh government is concerned. "For Union of India, the joint secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will be the in-charge of the TTZ," he told the bench. The ASI's counsel told the bench that director general of ASI would be responsible for maintenance of Taj Mahal and the TTZ authority has to ensure that nothing comes up in the "regulated area" around the monument. The Attorney General said that it was the ASI's job to ensure that no further construction should be made there and the UNESCO's plan for protection of Taj was implemented. Environmentalist M C Mehta, the petitioner in the case, told the bench that the TTZ authority has been "defunct" and they have not done anything for the protection of in the area. "They (TTZ) are doing nothing," the bench observed. Mehta said that TTZ authority should be "revamped" and persons, who have the vision to do the work should be made members of the authority. Venugopal said if the petitioner wanted to have a special committee like the Bhure Lal committee, then they have no objection and they would welcome Mehta's suggestions in this regard. "What about having independent persons (in the committee)?" the bench asked. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh government, said they would take instructions on it. The bench asked Mehta to give his suggestions in this regard within three weeks and posted the matter for hearing on August 28. It also asked the petitioner to go through the draft report of vision document on protection and preservation of Taj Mahal and give his suggestions. The apex court had on July 26 made it clear that somebody has to take responsibility for protection of Taj Mahal and had asked the Centre to apprise it as to which departments of the central and Uttar Pradesh governments would be responsible for the maintenance of the TTZ. The apex court has been monitoring development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal at Agra. Its construction was completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The ivory white marble mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stepping up efforts to forge a non-BJP front, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is likely to meet Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to invite her for a planned 'federal-front' rally in Kolkata on Januray 19. She is likely to meet Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other opposition leaders during her three-day visit to the national capital, according to TMC sources, Banerjee, who was earlier seen as wary of involving the Congress in any federal coalition to take on the BJP, has in recent weeks appeared to be more open to joining hands with the national party to consolidate the opposition forces. Though the meeting with Gandhi has not been scheduled, but Banerjee would try to meet her and all other prominent leaders from opposition parties during her visit. "There could be certain circumstantial meetings with leaders of opposition parties when Mamata Banerjee would visit Parliament on August 1. She may meet Sonia Gandhi, and also RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as he will be in Delhi during Banerjee's visit," said a senior TMC leader. The West Bengal chief minister, who would be visiting the Central Hall of Parliament, is expected to personally invite opposition party leaders for her rally of "federal forces" in Kolkata on Janury 19. The rally will help catapult Banerjee to the centrestage of national and also show her capacity to unite all opposition parties to take on the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections, according to another TMC leader. TMC leader Derek O'Brien said that apart from opposition leaders, Banerjee will also meet Ram Jethmalani, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha during her visit. Arun Shourie, a bitter critic of the Modi government, would meet Banerjee later in Kolkata as he would not be present in Delhi during TMC chief's visit, O'Brien said. Banerjee had recently met National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on the issue of cobbling an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP. Abdullah has maintained that the Congress has to be the "backbone" of the opposition unity with its chief Rahul Gandhi at the forefront of the campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Banerjee, who will be delivering a lecture at the conclave organised by Catholic Bishops Conference of India on July 31, is expected to attack the BJP on incidents of violence against members of minority communities. The West Bengal chief minister, who has strongly criticised National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft for Assam, has also sought an appointment with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Being overweight may cause higher blood pressure and thicken heart muscle, setting the stage for heart disease later in life, a study has found. The research, published in the journal Circulation, is the first to explore if higher body mass index (BMI) - a weight-for-height index - results in adverse effects on the cardiovascular system in young adults. "Our results support efforts to reduce body mass index to within a normal, healthy range from a young age to prevent later heart disease," said Kaitlin H Wade from the University of Bristol Medical School in the UK. Researchers used data on several thousand healthy 17-year-olds and 21-year-olds participating in an ongoing study since birth in Bristol, UK. The findings suggest that higher BMI caused higher systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure. It also caused enlargement of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber, the researchers said. "Thickening of vessel walls is widely considered to be the first sign of atherosclerosis, a disease in which fatty plaques build up within the arteries and lead to heart disease. "However, our findings suggest that higher BMIs cause changes in the heart structure of the young that may precede changes in blood vessels," Wade said. Two of the analyses used in the study (Mendelian randomisation and recall-by-genotype) take advantage of the properties of genetic variation. Recall-by-genotype is novel and exploits the random allocation of genes at conception. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Overruling its 21-year-old verdict, the Supreme Court today said that when there is ambiguity in tax exemption notification, the benefit of such uncertainty must be interpreted in favour of the State. It, however, reiterated that if in the event of ambiguity in a taxation liability statute, the benefit should go to the subject/assessee. A five-judge Constitution bench said that benefit of ambiguity in exemption notification of the government, which is subject to strict interpretation, cannot be claimed by the assessee. The bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the burden of proving applicability of benefit would be on the assessee to show that his case comes within the parameters of the exemption clause or exemption notification. The bench, also comprising justices N V Ramana, R Banumathi, M M Shantanagoudar and S Abdul Nazeer over-ruled a three-judge bench verdict given in 1997 in a case of Sun Export Corporation versus Collector of Customs, Bombay in which it was held that in case of an ambiguity in a tax exemption provision or notification, it must be interpreted so as to favour the assessee claiming the benefit of such exemption. "When there is ambiguity in exemption notification which is subject to strict interpretation, the benefit of such ambiguity cannot be claimed by the subject/assessee and it must be interpreted in favour of the revenue," the bench said today. It held that the ratio in Sun Export case is not correct and all the decisions which took similar view as in Sun Export Case stand overruled. It said, "Exemption notification should be interpreted strictly; the burden of proving applicability would be on the assessee to show that his case comes within the parameters of the exemption clause or exemption notification". The court said there is abundant jurisprudential justification for this reasoning as in the governance of rule of law by a written Constitution, there is no implied power of taxation. "The tax power must be specifically conferred and it should be strictly in accordance with the power so endowed by the Constitution itself. It is for this reason that the courts insist upon strict compliance before a State demands and extracts money from its citizens towards various taxes," it said. Justice Ramana, who penned down the 82-page verdict for the bench, said the statement of law that ambiguity in a taxation statute should be interpreted strictly and in the event of ambiguity the benefit should go to the subject/assessee may warrant visualizing different situations It said there cannot be any implied concept either in identifying the subject of the tax or person liable to pay tax. "Thus, we may emphatically reiterate that if in the event of ambiguity in a taxation liability statute, the benefit should go to the subject/assessee. But, in a situation where the tax exemption has to be interpreted, the benefit of doubt should go in favour of the revenue," the bench said. It said that after thoroughly examining the various precedents some of which were cited and after giving anxious consideration, "we would be more than justified to conclude and also compelled to hold that every taxing statue including, charging, computation and exemption clause (at the threshold stage) should be interpreted strictly". "Further, in case of ambiguity in a charging provisions, the benefit must necessarily go in favour of subject/assessee, but the same is not true for an exemption notification wherein the benefit of ambiguity must be strictly interpreted in favour of the Revenue/State," the court said. Justifying its reasoning and interpretation, the bench said, an Act of Parliament/legislature cannot foresee all types of situations and all types of consequences. "It is for the court to see whether a particular case falls within the broad principles of law enacted by the legislature. Here, the principles of interpretation of statutes come in handy. In spite of the fact that experts in the field assist in drafting the Acts and Rules, there are many occasions where the language used and the phrases employed in the statute are not perfect. Therefore, Judges and Courts need to interpret the words," the bench said. The court said, the purpose of interpretation is essentially to know the intention of the legislature and whether the Legislature intended to apply the law in a given case; whether the legislature intended to exclude operation of law in a given case; whether legislature intended to give discretion to enforcing authority or to adjudicating agency to apply the law, are essentially questions to which answers can be sought only by knowing the intention of legislation. The bench said that the ratio in Sun Export Case that if two views are possible in interpreting the tax exemption notification, the one favourable to the assessee in the matter of taxation has to be preferred. "This principle created confusion and resulted in unsatisfactory state of law," it said. A firm called, M/s Dilip Kumar and Company had imported a consignment of Vitamin E50 powder (feed grade) and claimed the benefit of concessional rate of duty at 5 per cent, instead of standard 30 per cent. The relief was, however, denied by the customs department, which led to the litigation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Steel has written a letter to the lenders of debt-laden Bhushan Power & Steel alleging that rebid process has violated the NCLAT order and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), sources said today. The committee of creditors (CoC) has asked the BPSL bidders, including Tata Steel and JSW Steel, to submit their final bids by tomorrow morning to acquire assets of the debt-ridden firm. "CoC in its meeting held a few days back had given time till tomorrow morning to the bidders to come up with revised financial offers," a source said. According to the sources privy to the development, Tata Steel in its letter has alleged that the CoC was not following legal process as per the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal order. Tata Steel spokesperson said that the company has "no comment to offer". When contacted, Resolution Professional (RP) Mahender Kumar Khandelwal declined to comment on the development. On July 20, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) gave a go-ahead to the lenders' meeting of debt-ridden Bhushan Power & Steel (BPSL), directing it to finalise a bid for the company. Sajjan Jindal's has revised its offer from Rs 11,000 crore to Rs 18,000 crore. Tata Steel's offer stands at Rs 17,000 crore. Bhushan Power and Steel owes about ?45,000 crore to its lenders. Vacating its earlier stay, the appellate tribunal had this month directed the committee of creditors of the company to consider the resolution plans submitted by three firms -- Tata Steel, Liberty House and JSW Steel. NCLAT had also directed the CoC to call all the three bidders, along with operational creditors and suspended board of directors, in the meeting. The CoC will call for urgent meeting to take the resolution plan for discussion and approval, a two-member bench headed by Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya had said. Earlier, on July 17, NCLAT had stayed the meeting of CoC when they were going to vote for finalisation of the highest bidder (H1) for BPSL. Bhushan Steel and Power was among the 12 non-performing accounts referred by RBI for NCLT proceedings. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iraqs Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi Saturday dismissed electricity minister amid mass protests over poor electricity services across the country but mainly in the southern parts. Qassim al-Fahdawi was suspended from the cabinet as the country grapples with growing protests over several issues including chronic electricity outages and alarming corruption. Abadis office noted that Fahdawi will be investigated as part of an internal probe demanded by the Prime Minister. The announcement came following a call by Iraqs top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who urged government action to fight corruption to defuse unrest, Reuters reports. Iraq has been gripped by three weeks of protests with Southern Basra province as epicentre. The protesters call for better electricity services, job creations, and end of the alarming corruption. The protests quickly engulfed other cities. The repeated power outages forces the population to buy generators from private operators. Millions of households still face challenges for access to electricity despite several billions of dollar released by authorities to improve the electricity sector. Abadi also reportedly sacked five local elections officials after they were charged with acts of corruption during the May 12 parliamentary election. Abadi is leading a caretaker government following the May elections, whose results have been questioned. The countrys top court demanded a partial recount of ballots after allegations of fraud emerged. Shiite and nationalist figure Muqtada al-Sadrs coalition dominated the election but failed to win a large majority enabling him to form a cabinet. Abadi is expected to secure his post as he agreed to form alliance with the vibrant anti-US and anti-Iran leader. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar assured today the state's college and university staff that they may soon get emoluments at par with the Seventh Pay Commission. "A committee has been set up by the department to look into the matter. Upon submission of report, revised pay scales will follow," he said inaugurating the Pataliputra University here. "The government will take care of the teachers' salary. It is now the teachers' duty to provide quality to students," the chief minister remarked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Carrie Fisher may have left earthlings for a galaxy far, far away but her on-screen brother Mark Hamill is happy that Princess Leia Organa will make a final appearance in "Star Wars: Episode IX". "It's bittersweet facing my final chapter without her. She is simply irreplaceable. I'm finding solace in the fact that she won't BE replaced & would love the worldwide outpouring of affection from those who loved her when they heard the #CarrieOnForever (sic)" Hamill tweeted. Fisher died of a sudden cardiac arrest on December 27, 2016, at the age of 60. Director JJ Abrams, who is returning to direct the final chapter in the Skywalker Saga of the hit franchise, recently confirmed that they have used unseen footage shot for "The Force Awakens" to build Leia's character in the upcoming movie. "We desperately loved Carrie Fisher. Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie's legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII," Abrams had said in a statement. Fisher's brother Todd also approves of bringing the character back to life. "I couldn't be more personally thrilled and happy that our Carrie will reprise her role as Princess Leia in the new and final 'Star Wars Episode IX', using previously unreleased footage of her shot for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens," he said in a statement published by Los Angeles Times. "As we, her family, as well as her extended family of fans around the world so believe, Carrie's 'Princess Leia' is forever entrenched in the franchise and her indelible presence is fundamental to the film. "JJ Abrams understood Carrie's iconic role, and he has masterfully re-crafted this final entry to include this unused and very last footage of Carrie ever taken, without resorting to CGI or animatronics. Our family and her fans will look forward with great anticipation for this one! Her force will forever be with us!" Todd said. The film, which Abrams co-wrote with Chris Terrio, will begin shooting at London's Pinewood Studios from August 1. Cast members include Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, Richard E Grant, Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian. Composer John Williams, who has scored every chapter in the Star Wars saga since 1977's "A New Hope", will also return for "Episode IX". The film will be produced by Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan, and executive produced by Callum Greene and Jason McGatlin. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka BJP President B S Yeddyurappa today alleged that the JDS was responsible for stoking the demand for separate North Karnataka state to strengthen its base in southern parts of the state. "The JDS knows it cannot win elections and taste power, if the state is united, as it has a presence only in some pockets of South Karnataka," he said. The former Chief Minister said he would be visiting Belagavi tomorrow to request some outfits to give up the separate statehood demand for North Karnataka. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has reportedly blamed BJP for fuelling the issue after realising its futility to get them political dividends. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah had yesterday said the demand for separate statehood for the region was being made by people who have not understood the meaning of a unified Karnataka. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid repeated cases of alleged lynching by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan's Alwar, BJP MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja today said cow slaughtering is a bigger crime than terrorism as cows are treated as mothers in India and any 'misbehaviour' with them cannot be tolerated. Ahuja, who had earlier accused the local police for the recent case of alleged lynching in which one Rakbar alias Akbar Khan died after being thrashed by a cow vigilante group, said terrorists kill 2-5 people, but cow slaughtering hurts sentiments of several thousands and even lakhs of people. Speaking to reporters at the BJP headquarters here, the legislator said cow slaughtering will incite people and hurt their sentiments, which will lead to some incidents. "Court should accept this. How should such incidents be stopped?" he said. The comments from Ahuja, BJP MLA from Ramgarh constituency in Alwar, follows arrest of three women today in Alwar's Govindgarh with nearly 40kg suspected beef after it was alleged that a family belonging to minority community allegedly slaughtered a cow at their residence to sell the beef. Ahuja said India is a country which respects mother and "Geeta, Dharti (land), cow, Ganga, Tulsi and a birth giver" are treated as mother in the country. He said any 'misbehaviour' or 'goodanism' with the mother is not tolerated in this country and therefore it is a bigger crime than terrorism. While it was alleged by his rivals that the the people involved in the Rakbar case were his men, Ahuja had blamed the local police for the incident and had demanded a judicial inquiry or a CBI probe into the case to ensure unbiased investigation. Last week, Ahuja had also demanded release of three persons arrested for allegedly lynching 28-year Rakbar on suspicion of the victim's involvement in smuggling cows. Ahuja made the demand after state Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria ordered a judicial inquiry considering Rakbar's demise a case of 'custodial death'. Rakbar and another man, Aslam, were taking two cows from Alwar to their village in Haryana through a forest area when a group of people spotted them and caught Rakbar. He was badly beaten while Aslam managed to escape, as per the police. The victim was taken to the community health centre in Ramgarh by the police after an alleged delay of nearly two and a half hours and he was declared brought dead at the hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BRI "is a made in China, made for China" initiative, a senior Trump administration official has said as he asked Beijing to uphold internationally accepted best practices and adopt an open and inclusive approach to its overseas infrastructure projects. The Belt and Road Initiative is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea route. Welcoming contributions by China to regional development, Brian Hook, senior policy advisor to the Secretary of State and Director of Policy Planning, said the US just wants Beijing to adhere to high standards and to uphold areas such as transparency and rule of law and sustainable financing. His comments came ahead of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to make major policy initiative announcement for the Indo-Pacific region during the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum hosted by US Chambers of Commerce. "I would not say that this (new economic engagement) is a strategy to counter the one belt, one road," Hook said. "The belt and road is for the moment China's way of doing things. It is a made in China, made for China initiative," he said. Asserting that the US and its economic engagement benefits the Indo-Pacific region, Hook said that the Trump administration believes that America's model of economic engagement is the "healthiest" for the nations in the region. So the US encourages China to adhere to best practices and infrastructure development financing, he said. "And this only occurs when, infrastructure in other areas are physically secure, financially viable and socially responsible. "We encourage China to promote an uphold internationally accepted best practices and infrastructure development and financing and to adopt an open and inclusive approach to its belt and road initiative, especially these overseas infrastructure projects," Hook said. The US, he said, has a vision of a free and open Indo Pacific, which does not exclude any nation. The initiatives to be announced at the Forum by the Trump administration is meant to advance America's cooperation with its partners and to encourage new forms of collaboration between the United States and Indo-Pacific nation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today closed the Election Commission's right to reply to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea against the poll panel's order to lodge an FIR against him for his alleged bribery remark at poll rallies in Goa on January 7-8 last year, noting that the EC failed to do so despite repeated opportunities. The court had earlier also noted that despite repeated opportunities, the EC had not filed its response. Justice V K Rao, after closing the Election Commission's (EC) right to file a response today, listed the matter for further hearing on February 2 next year. The poll panel's lawyer had earlier orally told the court that only a complaint case against Kejriwal was pending in a Goa court for his alleged bribery remarks, but no FIR has been lodged as was directed by EC to the state's Chief Electoral Officer. Addressing a series of rallies in Goa, Kejriwal had reportedly asked voters to "accept money from the Congress and BJP candidates but vote for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)". Kejriwal, in his plea, has alleged that the poll panel's January 29, 2017 order had curtailed his right to free speech. The BJP had filed two complaints against Kejriwal seeking his prosecution under various sections of Indian Penal Code for asking voters to accept money. The Congress too had condemned his statement. The poll panel had, thereafter, directed that a complaint be lodged against the AAP leader under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act dealing with bribing voters and relevant sections of the IPC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities say a massive blaze in Northern California has destroyed more than 650 homes since it broke out July 23. Cal Fire officials said the so-called Carr Fire currently threatens more than 5,000 structures. The fire exploded on Thursday and took out neighbourhoods in Redding, a city about 230 miles north of San Francisco. However, officials say the blaze has slowed down and they expect containment numbers to grow. The deadly wildfire has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. It has also killed two firefighters and two children and their great-grandmother. A sixth victim was found yesterday but authorities didn't immediately release that person's identity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands more fled their homes after wildfires surged near a small lake town in Northern California while a deadly blaze farther north slowed slightly as crews stretched to their limits across the state fight flames that have claimed the lives of two firefighters and six civilians. Residents of the waterfront town Lakeport fled yesterday after a major flare-up of two fires that combined across Mendocino and Lake counties destroyed at least four homes. Lakeport, home to about 5,000, is around 120 miles north of San Francisco. More than 4,500 buildings were under threat, officials said. The two fires had blackened 47 square miles (122 square kilometers), with minimal containment. About 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast, officials near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as a massive fire slowed following days of explosive growth. "We're feeling a lot more optimistic today as we're starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time," said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident commander on the blaze around Redding, a city about 230 miles (370 kilometres) north of San Francisco. County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The victim's identity was not released. The sheriff's department is also investigating seven missing persons reports, Bosenko said. Redding police have an additional 11 reports of missing people, though many of them may simply not have checked in with friends or family, said Redding police Sgt. Todd Cogle. The so-called Carr Fire that affected Redding a city of about 92,000 people was ignited by a vehicle problem on Monday about 10 miles (16 kilometres) west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they didn't know whether their homes were standing or were destroyed. Authorities had not reopened any evacuated neighborhoods where fires raged due to safety and ongoing investigations and urged people to be patient, saying they would soon let residents back. Fed up, yesterday morning Tim Bollman hiked 4 miles (6 kilometers) on trails up steep terrain to check on the Redding home he built for his wife and two sons 13 years ago. He found rubble. The terrain surrounding nearby Whiskeytown Lake usually filled in July with vacationers swimming in the clear water was burned, burning or seemingly about to burn yesterday. A heavy haze hung low over the water, where some of the docked boats had melted. Firefighters and utility repair crews drove up and down the once-scenic highway, while California Department of Transportation water trucks sprayed roadsides in hopes of preventing potential wildfires from burning across the road, which can cost several million dollars to repair. The fatalities included two firefighters and a woman and her two great-grandchildren. The sixth victim, who was not identified, did not evacuate despite receiving an evacuation warning, Bosenko said. It is the largest fire burning in California, threatening more than 5,000 structures. The flames were just 5 percent contained, though Gouvea said he expected that number to climb. The firefighters killed in the blaze included Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire. Redding Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, but details of his death were not released. The fire around Redding was among 17 significant blazes in the state yesterday that had forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a Cal Fire spokeswoman. About 12,000 firefighters were battling the fires, she said. Meanwhile officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree and killed while working as part of a crew removing brush and other fuel near the so-called Ferguson Fire's front lines, national parks officials said. Originally from Hawaii, Hughes had been with California's Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots for four years and reached the rank of captain. Earlier this month, firefighter Braden Varney was killed when the bulldozer he was operating overturned while he was fighting the flames near the national park. At least seven other firefighters have been injured since that blaze broke out July 13. Some evacuations were lifted but officials said Yosemite Valley, the heart of tourism in the park, will remain closed until August 3. A big fire continued to burn in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs, but officials lifted evacuation orders for several communities after reporting significant progress by firefighters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Canara Bank subsidiary Can Fin Homes registered a rise of 11 per cent in net profit at Rs 77.39 crore for the quarter ended June 30. The company had reported a net profit of Rs 69.71 crore in the same period of 2017-18. Total income increased to Rs 407.27 crore from Rs 366.79 crore in the June quarter 2017-18, the company said in a regulatory filing. Loans outstanding by June-end 2018 rose 17.54 per cent to Rs 16,199.43 crore from Rs 13,782.62 crore earlier. Among other metrics, the net interest margin- a key gauge of profitability- dropped to 3.26 per cent for the quarter from 3.69 per cent in the same period a year ago. Also, gross non-performing assets or bad loans rose to 0.66 per cent of gross advances as on June 30, 2018 from 0.38 per cent by June 2017. Net NPA ratio also moved up to 0.44 per cent from 0.17 per cent. The cost to income ratio improved to 14.54 per cent from 15.38 per cent. The return on assets however witnessed a decline at 1.94 per cent from 2.06 per cent. Company's main business is to provide loans for the purchase and construction of residential houses. It is also involved in the corporate insurance agency business activity. Canara Bank held 29.99 per cent in Can Fin Homes as on June 30, 2018. "The Board of Directors, at the meeting (held today), has given necessary approvals and authorisations for issue of non-convertible debentures, on private placement basis up to an extent of Rs 6,000 crore," the company said. Stock of Can Fin Homes closed 1.45 per cent down at Rs 363.95 on BSE. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special CBI court today granted bail to six persons, who were currently lodged in jail in connection with the abduction and murder of a 12-year-old from Muzaffarpur six years ago, after the agency failed to file a charge sheet. CBI special court in-charge judge Rajiv Ranjan Singh granted bail to the six accused after the investigating agency could not submit the charge sheet against them within the stipulated time. Giving the benefit to the accused persons under section 167 (2) of CrPC, the court said in its order that the accused persons could be released by furnishing two bail bond of Rs 10,000 each and sureties. This is the second time when the premier investigating agency could not file the charge sheet within a period of 90 days ever since it took over the probe from the state police four and half years ago. The state government had handed over probe to the crime branch, but the CBI took over the case in February 2014 on Supreme Court's order. The six were called for interrogation on April 28 and were arrested the same day by CBI. They were produced before a special CBI court the next day which remanded them in judicial custody. Earlier, a Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation councillor was arrested from Patna by the CBI on September 4 last year in connection with the murder and was sent to jail the next day. The councillor got the bail from the special CBI court after the CBI could not file charge sheet against him in the case. The 12 year-old girl was kidnapped by unidentified persons on the intervening night of September 17-18, 2012 from her residence in town police station area at Muzaffarpur. Her skeleton was recovered from a drain more than two months later. A DNA test was conducted to confirm it. Her parents have alleged that she was eliminated by land mafia who wanted to usurp their properties located in the heart of the town. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Turkish official has rejected US reports that Israels decision to release Turkish tourist Ebru Ozkan this month was influenced by President Donald Trump who tied the Turkish nationals freedom to that of American Pastor, Andrew Brunson who is under house arrest in Turkey. Ebru Ozkan was deported to Turkey July 16 one week after she was indicted for connections with Gaza ruler Hamas. The Turkish citizen who was on a visit to the West Bank was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle money to the Islamist movement. Her lawyer rejected the charges. US media including the Washington Post Friday indicated that President Donald Trump had requested Ozkans release in a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 14. The move gave way in the U.S. to speculation that Ozkans release was connected to that of Pastor Brunson who is still held in Turkey. Brunson, a U.S. Pastor from North Carolina has been detained since September 2016 in the wake of a failed coup against President Tayyip Erdogan. Brunson who was put under house arrest late this month risks imprisonment on terrorism charges over alleged connection to U.S.-based Fehullah Gulen who is suspected for masterminding the coup. The Pastor faces 35-years in prison if the charges are confirmed. Friday, a Turkish official speaking on condition of anonymity said the U.S. reports are completely baseless. The Turkish government has no intention of meddling in the affairs of the countrys independent judiciary. Competition Commission has ordered a probe against broadcasters and Network India for allegedly indulging in unfair business practices with regard to pricing of television channels. The regulator has ordered a detailed investigation on a complaint filed by Noida Software Technology Park Ltd, which is into the business of satellite communication. In its 28-page order, the (CCI) has directed its investigation arm Director General to probe whether (Opposite Party-1) and Network India (Opposite Party-2) refused to deal with Noida Software Technology by way of price discrimination. The DG has also been directed to look into the role of the persons/ officers who were in-charge of and responsible for the conduct of the businesses at the time of the alleged contravention, the order, dated July 27, said. Citing a judgement of the TDSAT, the fair trade regulator said that broadcasters, despite regulatory oversight, had the ability to discriminate amongst distributors and use RIO-based agreements as a mechanism of refusal to deal. ALSO READ: NCLAT junks cement-makers' plea against CCI's Rs 67-bn cartelisation fine "So much so, that was constrained to issue new regulations to ensure non-discrimination. Thus, the contention of informant (Noida Software Technology) that agreement by OP-1 and OP-2 in RIO terms amounted to refusal to deal by them has some merit," the watchdog said. The competition watchdog also noted that such agreements are prohibited under the Competition Act. All similarly situated distributors are to be offered the same non-discriminatory prices by broadcasters in accordance with the Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO). is the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal while is the telecom sector regulator. Noida Software Technology has a 'Head-End In The Sky' (HITS) license to establish, install, operate and maintain HITS project for digital cable services in India. The company is also a distributor of television channels. An HITS operator retransmits television content to its local cable operators via satellite. Chemists in Punjab today went on a state-wide strike to protest on various issues including what they claimed was a crackdown against them by the police and administration under garb of anti-drug drive. Rakesh Aggarwal, Phagwara district chief of Punjab Chemists' Association, said all chemists shops and stores remained shut today. In all the districts, he said that their delegations submitted memorandums to district administration officials addressed to the chief minister on their demands. The chemists threatened to go on an indefinite strike if their demands were not accepted. The demands included stoppage of "crackdown on chemists by police and administration under the garb of anti-drug drive", ban on on-line sale of medicines, halting inspection of shops by unauthorised officials and their alleged harassment by policemen over false charges, he said. Aggarwal alleged that authorised chemists were being made targets by the police. "We do not sell drugs, charas, ganja, opium or any other intoxicant. We only sell medicines prescribed by doctors. We are ourselves against the abuse of drugs and want Punjab to be free from the menance of chitta or other intoxicants," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here today directed former Union finance minister P Chidambaram's family members to appear before it on August 20 in connection with a black money case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S Malarvizhi ordered the personal appearance of Chidambaram's wife Nalini, son Karti and his wife Srinidhi on August 20 as they failed to present themselves in court today as per an earlier direction. The magistrate has asked them to appear before the court next month without fail. According to the Income Tax Department, Karti had not disclosed his bank account in Metro Bank, the UK, and investments he had made in Nano Holdings LLC, USA. The department said Karti had failed to disclose investments made by Chess Global Advisory, a company co-owned by him, which is an offence under the Black Money Act. It also said the trio had not disclosed Rs 5.37 crore worth of property they jointly own in Cambridge in the UK and Rs 3.28 crore worth of properties in the US. The department initiated prosecution against them under Section 50 of the Black Money (undisclosed foreign income and assets) and Imposition of Tax Act. Earlier, the magistrate had summoned the family of Chidambaram under section 50 of the Act and directed them to appear before the court on June 25. Chidambaram and his family members appeared before the court on June 25 and filed a petition seeking to dispense them from personal appearance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Chinese man was apprehended at the Delhi airport for allegedly using a fake ticket to enter the terminal area, a senior official said today. Y Juntao was intercepted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel last night as he was about to leave the Terminal-3 building of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), he said. He was stopped and questioned as exiting the terminal area is not usually permitted for passengers, the official said. Juntao, who had Chinese passport, told the security personnel that he used a cancelled ticket to enter the terminal area to see off his friend who was travelling to Guangzhou, the official said. He was subsequently handed over to the police as his ticket was fake and he was charged with trespass, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross today raised question over the quality of workmanship in projects being carried out under China's One-Belt-One-Road initiative in various countries, saying the Chinese model of development assistance has little local content and there have been complaints about the quality of products being used. In an apparent dig at China's ambitious One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR) initiative, he said there are many belts and many roads in the Indo-Pacific region. The OBOR is Chinese President Xi Jinping's multi-billion project. The initiative focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation among Asian countries, Africa, China and Europe. "Our feeling is, there are more than one belt and more than one road," Ross said in response to a question on the OBOR at the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum organised by the US Chambers of Commerce. Noting that the Chinese model of developmental assistance has little local content and there has been complaint about the quality of products, he said, "As far as we can tell, the Chinese content, both in terms of labour and materials, is virtually 100 per cent in their One Belt, One Road programme". He said that every country that he had been to, not just in Indo-Pacific but in Africa and elsewhere, what -- actually one of their complaints was that there's very little local content. "There also have been some complaints about the quality of workmanship. You saw this big dam in Laos. Not a Chinese-built dam; it happened to be South Korean. But it just broke. Collapsed. Those are the kinds of problems that countries don't need, because that leaves them with the debt from the first infrastructure project, and a need to redo it all over again," Ross said. The US Commerce Secretary said Indo-Pacific was an important region for the United States and its ties actually goes back to 1794. "The State Department opened a branch or location in Kolkata. So that's how far back it goes. But relationships have gone up and down in between, he said. From the commercial point of view, he said, there are all sorts of reasons for it. "We import from the region about USD 1 trillion and we export to it around USD 450 billion. That trade deficit of USD 550 billion is an issue, but the total value is also very, very important. And of that trade deficit, China is about USD 376 billion, so the vast bulk of it is with China," he said. Ross said those exports to the region support some USD 50,000 jobs in the US. 40,000 US companies sell over USD 100 billion of products to the Indo-Pacific region. "So it's a very, very important economic factor for us. Exports to the region grew by 10 per cent last year, which is pretty good performance for any region," he said. And perhaps most importantly of all, the Brookings Institution believes that in the next billion people to come into middle-class economic status, 88 per cent will be in the Indo-Pacific region. "So that's a pretty staggering statistic from the consumer consumption point of view," he observed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Coast Guard seized contraband, including items like heroin, ganja and cigarettes worth over Rs 4,000 crore since 2015, the government informed the Rajya Sabha today. Since April 2015, contraband worth approximately Rs 4,101 crore has been seized by Indian Coast Guard. Among the major items seized were heroin, ganja and cigarettes, Minister of State in the Defence Ministry Subhash Bhamre said in a written response to a question in Parliament. He said the seized contraband was handed over to respective authorities including the Customs, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for disposal, as per the procedure. Bhamre, replying to another question, added that there was no proposal to do away with cantonment boards. The minister, in a separate question, said the CBI registered corruption cases against 21 Military Engineering Services personnel and two personnel of the Border Road Organisation (BRO). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Congress member in the Lok Sabha today sought a CBI probe into the issue of the suicide of a student of AIIMS in Jodhpur, saying three students have already ended their lives at this institute. Raising the issue in the Zero Hour, Karan Yadav read out from the student's suicide note and claimed that there appeared to be a problem in the way the teachers at the newly set up institute handled the students. M Srinivasa Rao (TDP) demanded that the Centre give its nod to a bill passed by the Andhra Pradesh assembly that gives five per cent quota to the agrarian Kapu community. BJP's Ajay Misra said the union government should inform the people about the benefits of generic medicine and launch a website where people can find the generic equivalent of branded drugs and their respective prices. People doubt efficacy of generic drugs due to their low prices, he said, adding that this was a reason that these medicines have only seven per cent market in India even though the Indian firms enjoy a higher market share globally due to their generic medicines. Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant spoke about the tragedy that has struck families of 33 people who died in a bus accident in Maharashtra's Raigad district last week and asked the Centre to help them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Accusing the Maharashtra government of dilly-dallying on the issue of quota for Maratha and some other communities, the Congress and NCP today sought Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao's immediate intervention in the matter. A senior state Congress leader said some of his party's legislators are mulling resigning from the Assembly to force the government to take a quick decision on the issue. In separate meetings with Rao at Raj Bhavan here today, delegations of the parties asked him to instruct the government to announce its decisions on reservations for Marathas, Muslim, Dhangar and Mahadev Koli communities. They insisted that Marathas be allotted quota, without touching the existing 52 per cent quota given to SCs, STs and other backward classes. In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, the NCP pitched for the government to recommend Constitutional amendment to give 16 per cent reservation to Marathas. The two parties also asked Rao to instruct the government to withdraw cases filed against "innocent" Maratha protesters. Leaders of these opposition parties also separately met Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission chairman Justice (retired) M G Gaikwad to convey their concerns over the issue. At a meeting here, some Congress legislators expressed "readiness" to resign over the issue of Maratha reservation, a party leader said. Asked about this, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said no decision has been taken on the issue yet. "The position of the BJP and the Shiv Sena over quota is vague. Therefore, no concrete decision has been taken on reservations to Marathas, Muslim, Dhangar, Mahadev Koli and Lingayat communities. The government wants to keep these issues pending," the Congress said in a memorandum to the Governor. Chavan led the delegation which comprised Opposition Leader in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan among others. The government is citing the "excuse" of the Maratha quota issue being sub judice to delay a decision, a Congress leader said. It is also not implementing the previous Congress-NCP government's decision to give five per cent reservation to Muslims in education, he added. "There is a sentiment that the government's excuse of the Maratha quota matter being sub judice is mere eyewash," the memorandum said. The Congress charged the government with "hoodwinking" these communities. The absence of any decision has threatened peace and communal harmony in the state, the party said. "In such a scenario, we request you to intervene and instruct the government to declare its decisions regarding reservations of these communities without any delay," it said. The NCP charged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and some ministers with "infuriating" Marathas after they decided to protest in temple town of Pandharpur on July 23, on the day of Ashadhi Ekadashi. Fadnavis had talked about the government having inputs on possibility of some people creating disturbances when lakhs of people throng Pandharpur on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi. "Their statements caused the agitation to turn aggressive," the memorandum submitted by NCP leaders including Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today questioned the non-inclusion of over 40 lakh people in the complete draft of the NRC, saying revision of voters list in the '90s had shown only 3.5 lakh 'Doubtful' or 'D voters', and alleged it was a "motivated" action under the BJP which was trying to play "politics of polarisation". AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal said the party will provide assistance to all people whose names did not feature in the draft to ensure that no genuine Indian citizen is left out. Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who had spearheaded the six-year-long Assam agitation against foreigners and was a signatory to the historic Assam Accord, told PTI that the central government "must deport people who have come after March 24, 1971 to their original country". Assam Pradesh Congress President Ripun Bora expressed the hope that the Centre would implement in letter and spirit Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's statement that no genuine citizen would be left out. "Intensive revision of voters list in 1995 and 1997 had shown only 3.5 lakh 'Doubtful' or D voters. It is not clear how another 36.5 lakh people were dropped (in the complete draft of NRC)," Bora said after release of complete draft of the NRC. The non-inclusion of over 40 lakh applicants is "motivated and we will help those whose names are not there in the list seek legal redress", he said. Welcoming publication of the draft, Mahanta said names of genuine Indian citizens should be there. This was not the final NRC and "we should wait for the final publication of the NRC", he said. AIUDF's Ajmal also welcomed release of the draft NRC but said non-inclusion of over 40 lakh people "is not a small matter though we must take into account that this is not the final NRC and we must wait for it". "We are yet to analyse the names of people left out and the areas where it has happened. If we find out that some particular areas have been targeted, we will make a decision on it," he told PTI. "We have always wanted Assam to be free from foreigners," he said. All Assam Students' Union (AASU) General Secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said the draft publication is "a historic moment after the signing of the Assam Accord". "The publication is one step forward towards ensuring a foreigners-free Assam and we are satisfied with the outcome so far," he said. Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) Advisor Akhil Gogoi also welcomed the publication of the draft and assured legal help to genuine Indian citizens. "The names of genuine Indian citizens should be included and if the names of foreigners have been included, then they should be deleted," he added. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a record of all legal citizens of a state and the first for Assam was created in 1951. It is being updated under the Supreme Court supervision with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date for genuine Indian citizens in Assam. The first draft of the ongoing NRC process was released at the midnight of December 31, 2017. It comprised 1.9 crore names out of the total application of 3.29 crore people in Assam. The final draft released today lists 28,983,677 citizens in Assam. However, around 40 lakh people have been left out of the list. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today questioned the non-inclusion of over 40 lakh people in the complete draft of the NRC and alleged it was a "motivated" action by the BJP which was trying to play "politics of polarisation". Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who had spearheaded the six-year-long Assam agitation against foreigners and was a signatory to the historic Assam Accord, told PTI that the central government "must deport people, who have come after March 24, 1971, to their original country". AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal said exclusion of 40 lakh people was "not a small matter" and the party will provide assistance to all people whose names did not feature in the draft to ensure that no genuine Indian citizen is left out. He however, added that everyone should wait for the final list. Assam PCC President Ripun Bora hoped that the Centre would implement in letter and spirit Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's statement that no genuine citizen would be left out. "Intensive revision of voters list in 1995 and 1997 had shown only 3.5 lakh 'Doubtful' or D voters. It is not clear how another 36.5 lakh people were dropped (in the complete draft of NRC)," Bora said after release of complete draft of the NRC. The non-inclusion of over 40 lakh applicants is "motivated and we will help those whose names are not there in the list seek legal redress", he said. Veteran Assam Congress leader and former chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that 40 "is a big figure" and he feared that most of them are "genuine" Indian citizens. Many people had expected that a correct NRC draft will be published, but that has not been done, he said adding the BJP government in the state has not given any actual figure of foreigners in Assam till today. "In my opinion most of those whose names have been excluded are genuine Indian citizens and in this list people across communities have been excluded including many Hindus and Bengali speaking people," Gogoi told PTI here. The BJP government, he said, is saying that those excluded from the NRC need not fear and would be allowed to file claims and corrections. "This proves that BJP itself admits that genuine Indians are being excluded because if they are foreigners why are they being allowed to file claim when they should be identified and corrective action be taken". He claimed the "double standards" of BJP have been "exposed" as they first said that they will protect Hindu Bengalis but are "now targeting even those among them who were part of pre-1971 India". "Unfortunately NRC's original objective remains unfulfilled even after crores of rupees being spent in updating it", he said. He claimed that Union Minister Rajnath Singh is now trying to shift the blame of the "weak implementation" to the Supreme Court. "It is shameful as the Supreme Court has never directed that genuine Indian citizens be harassed." Welcoming the publication of the complete draft, Mahanta said names of genuine Indian citizens should be there. This was not the final NRC and "we should wait for the final publication of the NRC", he said. AIUDF's Ajmal also welcomed release of the draft NRC but said non-inclusion of over 40 lakh people "is not a small matter though we must take into account that this is not the final NRC and we must wait for it". "We are yet to analyse the names of people left out and the areas where it has happened. If we find out that some particular areas have been targeted, we will make a decision on it," he told PTI. "We have always wanted Assam to be free from foreigners," he said. All Assam Students' Union (AASU) General Secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said the draft publication is "a historic moment after the signing of the Assam Accord". "The publication is one step forward towards ensuring a foreigners-free Assam and we are satisfied with the outcome so far," he said. Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) Advisor Akhil Gogoi also welcomed the publication of the draft and assured legal help to genuine Indian citizens. "The names of genuine Indian citizens should be included and if the names of foreigners have been included, then they should be deleted," he added. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a record of all legal citizens of a state and the first for Assam was created in 1951. It is being updated under the Supreme Court supervision with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date for genuine Indian citizens in Assam. The first draft of the ongoing NRC process was released at the midnight of December 31, 2017. It comprised 1.9 crore names out of the total application of 3.29 crore people in Assam. The complete draft released today lists 28,983,677 citizens in Assam. Around 40 lakh people have been left out of the list. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi Sunday vowed to continue fighting Israels occupation of the West Bank after she was released from Israeli jails. Tamimi, 17, became in December a symbol of the Palestinians fight against Israel after a video recorded by her mother showed her kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier after the Israeli army raided her house in the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh, in the occupied West Bank. She was arrested and sentenced in March to eight months in prison on assault charges. Outside the prison, accompanied by her parents, the Palestinian teenage who spent her 17th anniversary in prison said she would continue fighting against the Israeli occupation. I will continue my university tuition and I will study law so that I can address the cause of my country in all of the international forums and to be able to represent the prisoners cause, Tamimi said. Prison taught me a lot of things, I was able to figure out the right way to deliver the message of my homeland. She later met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Abbas described her as a model of peaceful civil resistance , proving to the world that our Palestinian people will stand firm and constant on their land, no matter what the sacrifice. A Congress party functionary was allegedly hacked to death by a two-member gang here today, police said. Joseph (44), president of the north district committee of the party, was riding a motorcycle, when the gang intercepted and murdered him, before fleeing. Previous enmity was suspected to be the cause of the attack, police said, adding that a search was on for the two. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Baripada court today sentenced a man to life imprisonment for beating his wife to death in February last year. Mayurbhanj District and Sessions Judge Sanjay Ranjan Bahidar convicted Sambhu Naik and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The court also ordered Naik to pay a fine of Rs 10,000. According to prosecution, Naik had beaten his wife Shanti Naik (30), mother of three, to death, at Patharsahi village under the jurisdiction of Kaptipada police station on the night of February 7, 2017. Police registered a murder case on the basis of a complaint filed by family members of the deceased woman. The court delivered its verdict after examining 15 witnesses during trial. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deaf and mute students of a school staged a protest here today and accused the Rajasthan government of ignoring their needs. Students of the state-run Seth Anandilal Poddar Senior Secondary school demanded that their principal be replaced with one capable of understanding sign language. They said the new arrangement of two shifts in a single day was taxing and that it should be reverted back to the set up of a single shift per day. The students protested outside their school on JLN Road with placards reading 'we want those who understand our language'. A parents' body of the students also submitted a letter in this regard to Rajasthan Minister Vasudev Devnani today. The demand for single shift classes and change of the incumbent principal was mentioned in the letter. It was written that many of the students come to the school from far off areas, beyond 60 km, and the two shift arrangement was not feasible for them. Yogendra Kumar Joshi, secretary of the parents' association, claimed that the principal and some of the newly-recruited teachers have no knowledge of sign language therefore the students were finding it hard to communicate with them. "The students cannot take up the matter with the principal as she does not understand sign language. "There is one interpreter which is insufficient. Some of the newly recruited teachers also cannot communicate with the students," he said. Nivita Devyani, whose son studies in class 9, said most of the students are facing difficulties because the principal wants to run the school as a regular institution. "They are special children and they cannot be treated as normal kids. It is important that there is proper communication between students and faculty," she said. Ashok Kumar Sharma, assistant district officer, Jaipur, said the two-shift system was introduced after the school principal asked for it. However, following the students' demand the decision was withdrawn today, Sharma said. After the students' demand today, we withdrew the two-shift order. Classes will be held in a single shift from August 1, he said. He said the teachers who do not know sign language are being trained separately so that the issue can be resolved. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egyptian police are investigating the death of a Coptic Christian bishop who was found dead in his monastery northwest of Cairo yesterday, the Coptic Church said. The body of Bishop Epiphanius "was handed to forensic investigators to determine the cause of the death and whether or not it was a murder", a security official said today. "The body was found in one of the monastery's corridors with head injuries", added the security official, who declined to be named. Bishop Epiphanius, 68, was the abbot of Saint Macarius monastery in Wadi el-Natrun. "In light of mysterious circumstances surrounding his death, the authorities were called and they are now carrying out their investigations," Coptic Church spokesperson Boulos Halim said in a statement yesterday. The bishop joined the monastery in 1984 and was elected as its head in 2013. Copts have long complained of discrimination and intermittent sectarian attacks. They make up about 10 per cent of Egypt's 100 million people and were targeted by the Islamic State group in jihadist attacks in 2016 and 2017. No evidence has so far been flagged to suggest the bishop's death was related to sectarian tensions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former BJP MLA Jayanti Bhanushali has approached the Gujarat High Court seeking quashing of an FIR lodged against him after a 21-year-old woman accused him of rape. The petition was listed in the court of Justice P P Bhatt but did not come up for hearing today. Bhanushali's lawyer P B Khandheria said that the petition would come up for hearing tomorrow. In his petition, Bhanushali has alleged that the rape case against him has been concocted by a gang led by Manisha Goswami. In the petition, the former BJP MLA said Goswami had first targeted his relative Sunil Bhanushali and tried to extort Rs 10 crore from him. But his relative approached the police and Goswami was arrested and jailed, the petition said. Bhanushali's petition further claimed that, to extract revenge, Goswami had asked another member of her gang to target him. A 21-year-old woman had filed a complaint with Sarthana police station in Surat that Bhanushali had raped her on several occasions between November last year and March this year after promising to get her admitted to a reputed fashion design institute. Bhanushali, BJP MLA from Abdasa constituency between 2007 and 2012, has been untraceable since the case was filed and Surat police have issued two summonses asking him to appear before Sarthana police. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran will have to face trial in the case related to the alleged setting up of "illegal" telephone exchanges for benefitting his brother Kalanithi Maran's Sun TV Network, the Supreme Court said today. The top court dismissed Maran's plea challenging the Madras High Court's July 25 decision setting aside a CBI court order discharging him in the case. A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, R Banumathi and Navin Sinha said it was not inclined to interfere in the matter and all the allegations could be dealt with during the trial. "The allegations against you is that you used telephone lines to set up an exchange to benefit your brother. All these allegations can be dealt at the time of trial, You can face trial," the bench said. Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Maran, said the high court had not considered all aspects and has wrongly set aside the trial court order discharging them. The bench said the allegations are that you used these phones for a purpose which can be easily contested in the trial. "We are not inclined to interfere. However, as recording our reasons for the above conclusion may affect the trial, we refrain from doing so. It will, naturally, be open for each of the accused to urge all contentions before the trial Court and the trial will be held without being influenced by any of the observations/findings recorded in the impugned orders. The Special Leave Petitions are disposed of in the above terms," the bench said. The bench also refused to entertain the plea of three other accused in the case. The case relates to the period when Dayanidhi, a grandnephew of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, was the minister for communications and information technology during the tenure of UPA-1 government. The CBI has alleged that he misused his official position and got private telephone exchanges installed at his residences in Chennai. These telephone lines were used for Sun Network's business transactions, it was alleged. According to the CBI, over 700 high-end telecommunication lines were installed at Maran's residences in the Boat Club and Gopalapuram areas of the city for which bills were not raised, causing a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer. The special CBI court had on March 14 discharged the Maran brothers and five other accused, holding there was no prima facie case against them. The other accused are former BSNL general manager K Brahmanathan, former deputy general manager M P Velusamy, Dayanidhi Maran's private secretary Gauthaman and some Sun TV officials. Allowing the CBI's appeal against the trial court's discharge, the Madras High Court had directed the special court to frame charges and conclude the trial within a year from the date of receipt of the copy of the high court order. Kalanithi Maran, a billionaire businessman, is the chairman and founder of the Sun Group, which owns several media houses. The Maran brothers were also booked by the CBI and ED in the Aircel-Maxis deal case in which they were discharged by a special court in Delhi against which an appeal is pending before the Delhi High Court. On February 2 last year, a special court had discharged Dayanidhi Maran and his industrialist brother Kalanithi Maran in the Aircel-Maxis deal cases of CBI and ED, saying the charges were based on "misreading of official files", speculation and surmises of the complainant. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 40 lakh peoples' fate remains in limbo with the Centre today declining to comment on their citizenship status after exclusion of the names from the "complete draft" of National Register of Citizens (NRC), which contains names of 2.89 crore eligible persons. At a press conference here, Registrar General of India Sailesh announced that 2,89,83,677 people were found to be eligible for inclusion in the complete draft of the ambitious NRC out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants. Around 40.07 lakh applicants, however, did not find a place in the document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity. "This is a historic day for India and Assam. The exercise is unparalleled in the size. It is a legal process done under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court," Sailesh said. Asked about the reasons for excluding names of around 40 lakh applicants, NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela, who was also present at the press meet, said, "We are not going to make the reasons public. It will be informed individually. They can find the reasons by visiting NRC Sewa Kendras (NSK)." He, however, clarified that people belonging to four categories were not included in the draft as their eligibility were put on hold by the Supreme Court. "These four categories are 'D' (doubtful) voters, descendants of 'D' voters, references pending at Foreigners Tribunals and descendants of the references pending at Foreigners Tribunals," Hajela said. Without sharing further details, he stated that there are names which were included in the first draft but have been deleted from the complete one and they will be intimated through individual letters in the coming days. When inquired if any person, who appeared in the complete draft, could be excluded from the final list once the process of claims and objections were over, the RGI replied in the affirmative. Talking about the status of people who were excluded from the list, Union Home Ministry Joint Secretary (North East) Satyendra Garg said, "We are not calling them Indians or non-Indians. At present, no action will be taken as the claims, objections and correction process has to be undertaken." The authorities will not forward any name to the Foreigners Tribunals on the basis of the complete draft and the government's focus is to maintain peace and order in the society, he added. Allaying fears, Sailesh also said, "It is only a draft NRC, not the final one. The claims and objections process will begin on August 30 and continue till September 28. Adequate, ample scope will be given to people for their objections. No genuine Indian citizens should have any fear." He also said that a status quo will be maintained until the final NRC is published, the timing of which will be decided after assessing the volume of review applications. Assam is the first Indian state where the NRC is being updated after 1951, with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date, to include names of genuine Indian citizens. The first draft of the NRC was published during the intervening nights of December 31 and January 1 this year, containing 1.9 crore names. Hajela accepted that some documents, which were sent for verification to other states, did not return and the NRC authorities had to device their own mechanism for confirming the details. Asked about alleged "campaigns" against the NRC, RGI Sailesh said, "We have taken up this propaganda issue against NRC with the Centre. The government has informed the agencies concerned, which are taking necessary steps." The RGI also told reporters that the Centre had approved a total outlay of Rs 1,220 crore for the NRC. The groundwork for this mammoth exercise began in December 2013 and so far over 40 hearings have taken place in the Supreme Court in the last 3.5 years. The process of filing applications started in May 2015 and altogether 6.56 crore documents were received from 68.31 lakh families across Assam. During the updating process of the NRC, a total of 62,614 people were involved, of which 52,038 were government employees. Over 50 software applications were developed for the process by IT professionals, while 102 people in the NRC call centre received 10.68 lakh calls during the application phase. Minutes after release of the final draft, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the exercise was carried out in an "impartial and transparent" manner. "No coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence, there is no need for anyone to panic," he told reporters in New Delhi. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the Centre, accusing it of resorting to "vote bank politics". "This divide and rule policy will finish the country", she said. Banerjee also claimed that names of people who have passports, Aadhaar and voter cards have also been excluded from the final draft. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five members of a gang, wanted in connection with several cases of robbery and car-jacking, were arrested from south-west Delhi, police said today. The arrested accused -- Yogesh Sharma, Devender, Amit Sehrawat, Giriraj Singh and Praveen -- were members of the Nandu gang, headed by Kapil Sherawat, Devender Arya, DCP (southwest), said. The accused, who were travelling in a stolen car, were stopped by the police at Kishangarh village near Vasant Kunj around 8.30 pm yesterday. They tried to escape by hitting a barricade and pointing weapons at the police personnel, the officer said. However, the police personnel managed to overpower them, he said, adding that a semi-automatic pistol, two country-made pistols, 10 live cartridges and the stolen car were seized from them. The keys of another car stolen from Vasant Kunj on July 19 and a couple of two-wheelers were also recovered from them, the officer said, adding that the accused had abandoned the car in Trilokpuri. The gang was involved in several cases of robbery and car-jacking. The members of the gang were also involved in an attempt to kill one Shiva Suri last month and were planning another attack on him, the DCP said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A foetus was found abandoned in a washroom in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, the police said today. The police were informed yesterday by the hospital authorities about a foetus being found in a washroom of the Emergency unit. The foetus was sent for postmortem to ascertain its gestational age, officials said. A case was registered under Section 318 of the IPC, which pertains to concealment of birth by secret disposal of dead body and is punishable with a maximum jail term of two years and a fine, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 160 inmates have escaped from jail in Cameroons north-west region following an attack on the penitentiary by armed men. According to local media CameroonWeb, the prisoners rushed out of the police jails gate in the night after the armed men suspected of being separatists lit a fire amid the use of gunfire. A manhunt has been launched to recapture the over 160 inmates. William Benedict Emvoutu Mbita, head of the department of Ngoketunjia where Ndop is located confirmed that some escapees had voluntarily returned and were due to be transferred to the regional capital, Bamenda. This is not the first time that a detention facility in the region is being attacked and inmates freed. Last month, unidentified gunmen have stormed an age-old prison in the Subdivision of Bavenga, setting free inmates. A month earlier, gunmen attacked the Muyuka Central Police Station, stole guns and liberated some prisoners. Barely three weeks after the Muyuka Central Police Station incident, gunmen once again raided the Bavenga Prison in the same Subdivision, further compounding the situation. The northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon are prone to violence. English-speaking separatists who are fighting for greater autonomy continue to clash with government forces. Cameroons 85-year-old president, Paul Biya, announced on Twitter earlier this month that he would be running for a seventh consecutive term in October. Former SAD minister Sucha Singh Langah was acquitted today by a Gurdaspur court in a rape case filed against him by a lady constable. Langah was present in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar when the judgement was pronounced. The former minister was represented by defence counsels Santokh Singh Basra and Karanjit Singh. "It was a totally falsified case registered against me at the time of parliamentary elections. It was an act of political vendetta," Langah said. The alleged victim, a police constable, had filed a complaint with the then SSP Harcharan Singh Bhullar in September last year claiming she was repeatedly raped by the Akali leader. As evidence, she also handed over a video clip to the SSP. She also got her confessional statement recorded under section 164 of the CrPC in front of a judge. The video, however, went viral during the Gurdaspur by-polls severely denting the image of the SAD-BJP combine. After a preliminary inquiry was conducted by then DSP (city) A D Singh, the police booked the SAD leader on September 29 at the Gurdaspur (city) police station under various sections of the IPC, including 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation). Langah, who was removed as Gurdaspur district SAD president soon after the case was registered, now stands exonerated of all charges. The prosecution produced 23 witnesses in the court while the defence did not produce even a single witness. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Veteran filmmaker and former director of Film and Television Institute of India, John Sankaramangalam, passed away at a private hospital in Thiruvalla today following age-related ailments. He was 84 and is survived by his wife, son and daughter, family sources said. A multi-time recipient of national and state awards, Sankaramangalam, known for his experimental movies, had directed a handful of films and documentaries in his career. "Aval Alpam Vaikippoyi", "Janmabhoomi" and "Samantharam" were among his directorial ventures. Hailing from Pathanamthitta in central Kerala, he was also active in writing dramas during his college days. After quitting his job as a college lecturer, he had joined the FTII in Pune in the 1960s and obtained a diploma in direction and screenplay writing. Condoling his death, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here in a message that John Sankaramangalam, who won several honours at the state and national levels, had been a strong presence in the India's film industry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today said by a "free and open Indo-Pacific" the Trump Administration means all nations are able to protect their sovereignty from coercion and enjoy open access to the seas and airways in the region. The Trump Administration had been using the term "Indo-Pacific" in diplomatic circles for a broader and democratic-led region in place of "Asia-Pacific". The move comes nine months after the Trump administration openly spoke against the "predatory economic policies of an Asian giant" that threatens to eat into sovereignty of countries in the Indo-Pacific region, which has now emerged as a critical engine for growth. "When we say we want a 'free' Indo-Pacific, it means we want all nations to be able to protect their sovereignty from coercion by others. At the national level, 'free' means good governance and the assurance that citizens can enjoy their fundamental rights and liberties," Pompeo said, addressing the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum organised by the US Chambers of Commerce. He said that ensuring the US citizens' rights was ultimately the great object of the economic and security cooperation. "When we say we want an 'open' Indo-Pacific, it means we want all nations to enjoy open access to the seas and the airways. We want the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes. This is key for international peace and each country's attainment of its own national dreams," Pompeo said. Asserting that the US' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific was deeply rooted, he said: "Economically, 'open' means fair and reciprocal trade, open investment environments, transparent agreements between nations, and improved connectivity to drive regional ties - because these are the paths to sustainable growth". He said that the State Department, which he represents, established a consular presence in Kolkata then called Calcutta in 1794. "American entrepreneurs, whom most of you in this room represent, have been trading and investing in the Indo-Pacific even longer than that. I won't give you the full history, but I will note how the US has played a foundational role in enabling the growth, development, and wealth we see across the Indo-Pacific today," he added. "We did this partly through sustaining an international order that favoured peace among neighbours, security across the vital pathways of global commerce, and economic flourishing. Where America goes, we seek partnership, not domination," he said. After the World War II, the US worked with Japan to forge a great alliance and stimulate an economic boom. South Korea in the 1950s was ravaged by conflict. American assistance and investment in railways, ports, and other infrastructure helped create a foundation for our South Korean friends to recover, thrive, and build one of the world's great economies one that is now strong enough to aid other countries in their development, he said. In the 1960s, the US grew partnerships to address basic developmental needs. It supported transformational agricultural efforts, such as the Green Revolution, which forever improved the farming of wheat and rice worldwide and nowhere more than in the Indo-Pacific, he said. "The genius of the American scientist Norman Borlaug working with foreign partners such as (Father of India's Green revolution) M S Swaminathan and the governments of Mexico and the Philippines saved millions of lives and empowered billions more, by providing a foundation of food security from which economic miracles could grow," he added. The US helped Hong Kong, Singapore and other Southeast Asian economies rise from the 1970s onward. In Taiwan, economic development went hand-in-hand with creating an open, democratic society that blossomed into a high-tech powerhouse. And America was proud to support foundational institutions like ASEAN, APEC, the Asian Development Bank, and others. "As just one national example of what happens when countries engage with the United States, we see how Vietnam has risen," Pompeo said. Trade in goods with the US has grown by a factor of fifty over the past two decades. In this decade alone, the US exports to Vietnam have increased by over 600 per cent. This has produced great returns for Americans and dramatic improvements in the Vietnamese people's material quality of life, he said. "Thanks to this history of economic and commercial engagement, America's relationships throughout the Indo-Pacific today are characterised by mutual trust and respect. American friendship is welcomed, and American businesses are recognised for their ingenuity, reliability, and honesty," Pompeo said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A consultant has been appointed for preparing a detailed project report for the proposed 600 km Delhi-Katra expressway, Parliament was informed today. The expressway will connect Delhi to Katra via Amritsar with the approximate length of 600 km, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Mansukh L Mandaviya told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. "Government of India has approved the expressway project from Delhi to Katra via Amritsar under Bharatmala Pariyojna Phase 1. Accordingly, the consultant for preparation of detailed project report (DPR) of the project has been appointed and contract agreement has been signed," he said, without sharing the name of the entity. He said the DPR consultant has been given 10 months to prepare the report. The feasibility study of the project is under progress, the inception report and quality assurance plan have been finalised, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said the BJP government's execution of the highly-sensitive National Register of Citizens has been tardy, leading to massive insecurity in Assam. The government should move swiftly to resolve the crisis in Assam after reports that the names of many Indian citizens are missing in the draft National Register of Citizens, Gandhi said. The Congress chief also asked Congress members to help maintain peace and help those, irrespective of their caste, religion or group, against whom "injustice" was done in the draft NRC. In a Facebook post, Gandhi said the NRC was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singh to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985. "However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP Governments at the centre and in the State of Assam leaves much to be desired," he said. "There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The Government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis," he added. Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in the state. The Congress has demanded that government convene an immediate all-party meeting to address the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Monday imposed safeguard duty on solar cells imports from and for two years to protect domestic players from steep rise in the inbound shipments of the product. This comes following recommendations by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), under the commerce ministry. As per the notification of the finance ministry, 25 per cent safeguard duty have been imposed for July 30 to July 29, 2019, which will gradually come down to 20 per cent during July 30, 2019 to January 29, 2020 and 15 per cent during January 30, 2020 to July 29, 2020. "After considering the said findings of the DGTR...hereby imposes on subject goods (solar cells whether or not assembled in modules or panels)...when imported into India, a safeguard duty," the notification said. DGTR in its investigations has concluded that the increased imports of solar cells in India have caused "serious injury" and "threaten to cause serious injury" to the domestic producers. "It will be in the public interest to impose safeguard duty on the imports for a period of two years," the DGTR had said. It has also stated that there has been a significant increase in imports of the cells in absolute terms. India has produced 842 MW solar cells in 2017-18. The period of investigation was 2014-15 to 2017-18. The imports of the cells has jumped to 9,790 MW in 2017-18 from 1,275 MW in 2014-15. An application dated November 28, 2017 has been filed before the DGTR on December 5, 2017 by the Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA) on behalf of five Indian producers -- Mundra Solar PV Ltd, Indosolar Ltd, Jupiter Solar Power, Websol Energy Systems, and Helios Photo Voltaic -- seeking imposition of safeguard duty on the imports. The applicants had claimed that on account of the surge in imports of the cells, many domestic producers have kept their production facilities almost idle and the heavy losses have crippled the domestic industry. For this reason, the applicants had requested for imposition of the provisional duty as a measure to mitigate their injury. The DGTR is mandated to investigate the existence of serious injury or threat of serious injury to the domestic industry as a consequence of increased import of an article into India. India is targeting to 100 gigawatt (GW) solar capacity by 2022. Solar cells, electrical devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity, are imported primarily from China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. Imports of the cells from these countries account for more than 90 per cent of the total inbound shipments in the country. The IT ministry today launched a desktop software e-Aksharayan to enable editing of text printed on scanned documents and it can be downloaded for free from its website. "e-Aksharayan is a desktop software for converting scanned printed Indian language documents into a fully editable text format in Unicode encoding. The text can be also saved separately," Swaran Lata, programme head and director technology Development for Indian Languages (TDIL) said after unveiling the software at a FICCI event. The software supports editing in seven Indian languages - Hindi, Bangla, Malayalam, Gurmukhi, Tamil, Kannada & Assamese. There exist some gap in Internet accessibility and 90 per cent of the gap is due to non-availability of content in Indian languages, Electronics and IT Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney, at the event organised to push development of content in local languages, said. "We all know about India Stack. We should now come up with 'India Language Stack', which will help in overcoming the barriers of communication," Sawhney said. Creator of email services in local scripts, Data Xgenplus Managing Director Ajay Data said that he is working with global Internet body ICANN on technology that will allow people to select complete name of website in any script. Google Public Policy Chetan Krishnaswamy, Director, Public Policy, Google said that there is need to localise Indic languages and find ways to incorporate it to the internet. "Hindi voice search is growing at 400 per cent year on year. The consumption of local language is increasing. By 2021, Indic language users will grow at a CAGR of 18 per cent to reach 536 million from current 234 million. English users will grow at 3 per cent Y-o-Y to 199 million," Krishnaswamy said. He said that the industry with Ficci will approach the government to incentivise content developers in Indian languages. There is a need to device ecosystem in expanding the horizons of Indic Internet to global markets, Pankaj Mohindroo, National President, Indian Cellular Association said. "All of us should work towards making India multilingual in order to integrate with the rest of the world," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Goa government is making necessary efforts to get "special status" for the state and a resolution passed in the Legislative Assembly in this connection was still pending with the Centre, state Urban Development Minister Francis D'Souza said today. Replying to a question by Congress MLA Jeniffer Monserratte in the Assembly, he said that Goa wanted special status on the lines of Mizoram, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. "The government intends to have special status for Goa. It is making necessary efforts in the matter with the Central government," DSouza told the House. He informed that the Assembly had passed a resolution to this effect which had been forwarded to the Centre for its consideration. It was pending with the Union government, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today asked the government to immediately convene an all-party meeting on the NRC issue and inform the opposition on the steps it proposes to take to ensure that no Indian citizen is left out. Congress President Rahul Gandhi said the BJP government's execution of the highly-sensitive National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been tardy, leading to massive insecurity in Assam. The government should move swiftly to resolve the crisis in Assam after reports that the names of many Indian citizens are missing in the draft NRC, Gandhi said. Senior party spokesperson Anand Sharma said there should be no over the issue and the matter be treated as humanitarian. "The government must immediately call a meeting of leaders of all parties and should inform about the steps it proposes to take," he said, adding that it would be proper if the meeting is called tomorrow. He said till all matters related to the NRC are disposed, people and families should not be separated or taken to any camp and the matters be kept in abeyance. The NRC issue is of international importance as it affects relation with neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh. It also has inter and intra state repercussions as well, Sharma said. The Congress leader said indigenous people and tea plantation labourers have been affected in large numbers. The government has given the list of 16 documents for identity purposes and any of the 16 would establish the citizenship of the applicant or otherwise, but an overwhelming majority of people are excluded even after giving documents, Sharma said. "The question arises about the methodology, the efficiency as well as the credibility of the entire process of the exercise," he said. Sharma also asked whether the government of India has taken up this matter or presented the matter correctly as the Government of the Union should do before the Supreme Court. Gandhi, in a Facebook post, has also asked Congress members to help maintain peace and help those, irrespective of their caste, religion or group, against whom "injustice" was done in the draft NRC. The Congress chief said the NRC was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singh to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985. "However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP governments at the centre and in Assam leaves much to be desired," he said. "There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. "Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The Government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis," Gandhi said. Congress spokesperson Sharma said the issue has inter-state dimensions and repercussions and a humanitarian crisis aspect. "This is not an issue on which should be played. That is what we would advise and request the ruling party, which is in government in that state (Assam) and also in Tripura," he said. He also urged the government to remove shortcomings in the entire process and that all issues be settled as per the 1985 Assam Accord signed in the presence former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The problems should sorted out in the ambit of the Assam Accord of 1985, the Congress leader said. A massive Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam today excluded over 40 lakh people from the final draft list, triggering a political slugfest with the opposition alleging that it was the BJP's "gameplan" to divide the people for electoral gains. The issue rocked both house of Parliament after which Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed to the opposition not to politicise the "sensitive" matter as the list has been published on the directives of the Supreme Court and the Centre has "no role" in it. Singh asserted that no "coercive" action will be taken against those whose names were excluded from the NRC draft list. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Defence Ministry today approved key guidelines for implementation of an ambitious policy under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities. The guidelines for carrying out various procurement projects under the Strategic Partnership (SP) model were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the ministry's highest decision making body, officials said. Unveiled last year, the SP model aims to create a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country through joint ventures between Indian corporates and global defence majors. The officials said the government is looking at achieving a turnover of Rs 1,70,000 crore in military goods and services by 2025. According to the guidelines, all procurements under the SP Model would be executed by specially constituted Empowered Project Committees (EPC) to provide focussed attention and ensure timely execution. The guidelines also specified norms for carrying out various sector specific manufacturing projects. The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, also approved platform specific guidelines for procurement of Naval Utility Helicopters, the defence ministry said. The officials said the the "amplifying guidelines" lay emphasis on incentivisation of transfer of niche technology and ensure higher indigenous content in military platforms to be produced in India. They said global defence majors, which are ready for collaboration with Indian partners and can help the country become a manufacturing hub for military production, will also be incentivized. "This will give a major fillip towards encouraging self-reliance and aligning the defence sector with the 'Make in India' initiative of the Government," the defence ministry said. It said SP model aims to revitalise defence industrial ecosystem and progressively build indigenous capabilities in the private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex weapon systems for the future needs of the armed forces. The DAC also accorded approval for the acquisition of eight Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for the Indian Coast Guard at an approximate cost of Rs 800 crore. The ministry said the vessels will undertake day and night patrolling and policing of the Maritime zones of India. Officials said the government is likely to unveil a major policy next month outlining a roadmap to build a robust defence production industry and make India one of the top five manufacturers of military equipment and platforms in the next 10 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression. Zimbabweans began voting on Monday in the first election since the removal of former President Robert Mugabe. The election pits 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a long-time Mugabe ally, against 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor vying to become Zimbabwes youngest head of state. The contest could bring international legitimacy and investment or signal more stagnation if the vote is seriously flawed, Associated Press reported. European Union election observers were seen at one polling station in Harare, checking the voting process. African Unions attended the opening of polling stations elsewhere. Former Liberian president, who is also a leader of the international observer missions, has described the elections as a critical moment in Zimbabwes democratic journey. The former President Robert Mugabe on Sunday called a surprise press conference to air his views ahead of Mondays vote. Mugabe spoke about his desire that people will be allowed to vote in peace and freely. He added that he hoped that the election will usher in a new era of constitutionality and legality. Under Mugabe, elections were marred by intimidation, rigging and widespread violence but the consensus in the build-up to this vote has been better than before. More than half of bank deposits were contributed by individuals, who held the highest share across all population groups -- rural/semi-urban/urban/ metropolitan, during 2017-18, as per a RBI data. Total deposits in banks increased from Rs 1,09.43 lakh crore at end-March 2017 to Rs 117 lakh crore in March 2018. The shares of current, savings and term deposits stood at 9.7 per cent, 32.1 per cent and 58.2 per cent, respectively, in March 2018, revealed the data released by the central bank today. Further, savings deposits attracted more flows than term and current deposits for the second consecutive year. "Non-resident deposits recorded higher growth than aggregate deposits during the year, after witnessing an outflow in the previous year. Nearly two-thirds of incremental deposits were contributed by the household sector, followed by the foreign sector and the financial sector," the RBI said. Private sector banks mobilised more incremental deposits (nearly 60 per cent) than other bank groups. On an outstanding basis, public sector banks held around two-thirds of total deposits, the RBI said. The private corporate sector, however, maintained substantial deposits with private banks. Uttar Pradesh was the highest contributor to incremental deposits by households for the second consecutive year, with Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka also recording significant shares in deposit mobilisation. Eight states -- Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Kerala -- accounted for over two-thirds of total deposits, the RBI said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) High profile IPS officers -- CBI director Alok Kumar Verma and Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik -- today marked their presence before the Supreme Court which had summoned them for their alleged lapses and laxity. Verma and Patnaik, both UT cadre IPS officers, were summoned in connection with the Manipur fake encounter killings and traffic congestion in the national capital respectively. The CBI chief is a 1979-batch officer and Patnaik is from the 1985 batch of the cadre. Verma appeared before a bench of Justices M B Lokur and U U Lalit and gave an explanation about the status of probe into the cases of fake encounters involving the Army, the Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police. The Delhi police commissioner appeared before a separate bench of Justices Lokur and Deepak Gupta, which directed him to come out with a time-line for removing traffic bottlenecks at 77 congested corridors in the city. Verma, who apprised the bench that two charge sheets have been filed in cases of alleged fake encounters, made most of the submissions himself as the questions were directly put to him. Patnaik had to do less of the talking as the hearing went on for less than 20 minutes. The hearing in the Manipur case involving the CBI chief went for one hour and forty five minutes. The CBI director had been summoned by the apex court, which was unhappy over the "unduly long time" taken by the agency in probing the cases of alleged extra-judicial killings and fake encounters in Manipur. Patnaik was asked to appear before it to explain solution to the traffic congestion in the city. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Apex banking lobby Indian Banks Association (IBA) today offered to increase the wages of over three dozen bank employees by six per cent, compared with the two per cent hike offered earlier, bank unions said today. However, unions, under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), rejected the offer again, but said they are open for further negotiations. "IBA improved the offer from two per cent to six per cent. UFBU has rejected the offer but have agreed to continue to negotiate," UFBU convener for Maharashtra, Devidas Tuljapurkar, said after the 13th round of wage negotiations with IBA today. He said bank unions are demanding a 25 per cent hike and the IBA has agreed to have fresh discussions on the issue by the end of August. Close to 37 banks, including public, private and foreign banks, have mandated the IBA to decide on wage hikes for their employees. The current wage revision is due from November 2017, after the 10th Bipartite Settlement ended in October 2017. In the 10th Bipartite wage settlement, which was signed in May 2015, for the period between November 2012 and October 2017, the IBA had offered a 15 per cent hike. In the May 5 round of negotiations, the IBA had offered a meagre 2 per cent wage hike. Banks unions did not accept the offer and went on a two-day strike starting May 30. Banks' management had justified the nominal hike citing huge losses incurred by in the past few quarters. However, bank unions said the fall in profit are on account of higher provisioning towards non-performing assets and the employees are not responsible for that. They also said that employees have been tirelessly working towards implementing various government schemes such as Jan Dhan, demonetisation, Mudra and Atal Pension Yojana, among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh today said the National Register of Citizens will be published in Bengal on the lines of the one in Assam if his party is voted to power in the state. Supporting the publication of the NRC complete draft in Assam, he said some politicians are "shedding crocodile tears" as they are wary that their "vote bank" politics will come to an end. The much-awaited National Register of Citizens (NRC) final draft was published today in Assam, the only state in the country, to have it, featuring over 2.89 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants in the northeastern state. "If we (BJP) are voted to power in Bengal then we too will implement NRC in Bengal. We will send back illegal citizens to Bangladesh. Tough days are ahead, we will not tolerate any illegal immigrants in Bengal," Ghosh told reporters. Those who will support illegal immigrants will also be thrown out of the country, he said. "The NRC in Assam is being implemented following the orders of the court (Supreme Court). It was Congress which had proposed the idea of NRC. Now they are speaking against it," Ghosh said. Those whose names are not in the final draft can appeal for rectification, "but we will never compromise with the security and integrity of our country", he said. Ghosh came down heavily on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her comments against the NRC in Assam and said she should stop doing vote bank politics on each and every issue. "Those who are inviting illegal immigrants from the neighbouring country should not talk much about integrity and security of the country," he said. Banerjee expressing concern over the exclusion of 40 lakh names in the complete NRC draft, said Indian citizens have become refugees in their own land and alleged that the Centre has resorted to "vote-bank politics". The chief minister, who left for Delhi today, said she would seek time from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue. "I am sending a team of party MPs to Assam and if necessary, I will go there too," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The allocation of slots for non-schedule flights at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here will be conducted online from tomorrow to streamline the process, officials of the airport operator said today. The Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) said the move will enhance transparency and increase efficiency in operation. "BAOA welcomes this move as real-time and online allotment of slots would bring greater transparency and efficiency in operations," it said in a statement. The IGI Airport is a key hub for the fast expanding general aviation industry (non-schedule movements by private jets, business aircraft and helicopters) and as per an industry estimate, in 2016-17, the airport handled close to 15,000 non-scheduled flight movements. IGI airport handles 1,300 flight movements per day and 50 of them are general aviation flights, which is three to four per cent of the total operations, according to airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). The decision to shift to online allocation of slots was finalised at a meeting between DIAL and general aviation operators in June. The operators assured to maintain the slot adherence level at 95 per cent. BAOA said it has been working collaboratively with DIAL to address operational issues in regard to slot discipline and optimisation of existing capacity. The association had earlier made a representation to the government, suggesting the use of alternative airports in metros for operation of business jets. Industry insiders said with some little effort, older airports in Bengaluru and Hyderabad could be made operational for the business jets. In Delhi, the association is pinning hope on the infrastructure augmentation at the IGI airport which could give enough space for the general aviation aircraft movement to grow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vietnam today pitched for reviewing and upgrading of the India-ASEAN free trade agreement, as the Southeast Asian country sought to deepen its economic engagement with India. Vietnam's Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh said bilateral ties were on an upswing with several visits of dignitaries exchanged between the two countries recently and an expected "high-level" visit from India slated for later this year. He also said the India-Vietnam defence dialogue will be held here soon and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Vietnam for the joint commission meet. Ton said there is a lot of potential for expanding trade between the two countries, especially in the textile sector. Trade between India and Vietnam last year was USD 6 billion, but this is very small in comparison to Vietnam's trade with the world, he told reporters during an interaction at the Indian Women's Press Corps here. "Last year, Vietnam's trade with the world was USD 420 billion. So we want to increase our trade with India," he said. Asked if the India-ASEAN free trade agreement should be upgraded, Ton said, "It should be upgraded, it should be reviewed." There is a plan to review the free trade agreement between ASEAN and India because when one looks at the trade between Vietnam and India in recent years, it did not increase much, which means that the FTA did not have much effect on increasing trade, he said. The Vietnamese envoy's remarks came days after a parliamentary panel suggested that the government review India's free trade agreement in goods with ASEAN in view of rising trade deficit with the South East Asian bloc. A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce had said there is all likelihood that this trade deficit will further increase once the utilisation of this agreement for import increased. The India-ASEAN trade in goods pact came into force from January 2010. Since its implementation, India's trade with ASEAN stood at USD 71.69 billion in 2016-17. India's trade deficit with the 10-nation bloc has increased from USD 4.98 billion in 2010-11 to USD 9.56 billion in 2016-17. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India requested authorities in Antigua and Barbuda to detain PNB scam fugitive Mehul Choksi after it received information about his presence in the Caribbean island, government sources said today. They said India was in touch with the island nation following reports of Choksi's presence there and requested the authorities there to restrict his movements by land, sea and air. "As soon as MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) received information of the likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, our High Commission in Georgetown had alerted the A&B (Antigua and Barbuda) government, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea," a government source said. Last week, Choksi reportedly claimed he had taken Antigua citizenship last year to expand his business as the passport of the Caribbean nation provides visa-free travel to 132 countries. "Our high commissioner is meeting the relevant authorities in A&B government today. We continue to liaise with relevant GOI agencies and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to follow up on this matter," the source said. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation after it was detected that they allegedly cheated the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,400 crore with the purported involvement of a few of the lender's employees. The scam, which reportedly began in 2011, was detected in January this year, after which PNB officials reported it to the probe agencies. Choksi and Nirav Modi fled India in January this year nearly a fortnight before the scam was detected. Choksi's valid passport was revoked in February 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian-American Seema Nanda, who took over as the CEO of the opposition Democratic National Committee, has vowed to fight for the "soul of the country" and ensure the victory of Democrats in every corner of the US in the crucial upcoming mid-term elections. "We are fighting now for the soul of our country -- for our democracy and for opportunity," Nanda, the first Indian- American ever to be the Chief Executive Officer of either the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee took over reigns of the main opposition party last week on July 23. In this capacity, she is be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the powerful Democratic National Committee (DNC). She would play a key role in party's winning strategy in the mid-term November elections, for which the DNC has set a target of winning back the House of Representatives from the Republicans. "Democrats are offering the positive solutions so desperately needed right now -- solutions forged by the strength of our diversity, the rigour of our ideas, and the decency of our values," she said. "Since (President Donald) Trump took office, it's been clear that the number one best way for us to set our country back on track is to elect Democrats in every corner of our country. That's why I took this job," Nanda said in her first message to Democratic supporters. Nanda said supporting the Democratic party is synonymous with building a future for the children that they can be proud of. "My promise to my two teenage boys is to do all I can to create an America that is bright, fair, and that works for everyone -- where opportunity for all means something," she said. "Our party is strong because it's built on forging positive solutions that include everyone. I'm proud to be the first Asian-American in recent memory to lead the DNC. Democrats are leading with our values and empowering people from diverse backgrounds to speak up and make our voices heard," Nanda said. The fight to take back the country for working families is one that all must fight together, she said, adding "At the DNC, we have committed to helping Democrats win back seats at all levels of government, because we need Democrats from the school board to the Senate to take back our country". Noting that everything is at stake with this year's midterm elections in November, Nanda said Democrats are investing in state parties, putting organisers on the ground in all 50 states, and mobilising 50 million voters by November through their nationwide 'IWillVote' campaign. "We're setting our sights and our goals higher than ever before in order to help Democratic leaders fight and win all across our country," Nanda said. "As we head toward a crucial election, I'm one hundred percent certain that Seema's leadership will help the DNC capitalise on the unprecedented grassroots energy and enthusiasm surging throughout the country," DNC Chairman Tom Perez had said on her appointment last month. Nanda's appointment is seen as another sign of the political emergence of Indian-American in particular women in the country's political arena. Nanda, whose parents are dentists, grew up in Connecticut. She went to the Brown University and Boston College Law School. She also has a background in labour and employment law, and has worked in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Expressing concern over the exclusion of over 40 lakh people in the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said those "Indian citizens have become refugees in their own land". She also questioned the transparency of the final NRC draft, alleging that the Centre resorted to "vote bank and divide and rule policy". The much-awaited complete NRC draft was published today amid tight security. The list featured over 2.89 crore names out of nearly 3.29 crore applicants in Assam. Around 40.07 lakh applicants, however, did not find a place in the document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity. Banerjee alleged that the exclusion of over 40 lakh people was an "attempt to evict the Bengalis from Assam". "I am fighting for the Bengalis, Biharis and all. They are very much Indians. I am fighting for everybody," she said. Before leaving for Delhi, Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat that she would try to meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue. "I will try to seek appointment with the Home Minister in Delhi and want to talk to him on the issue. I would like to appeal to him through the media to save these people and not to isolate them only for the cause of vote bank," she said. The chief minister alleged that the Centre was trying to resort to "divide and rule and vote bank politics" keeping in mind the coming general elections. "This is absolutely vote bank and election agenda. This isolation has been done keeping in mind as to who can vote for the BJP and who cannot vote for them," she allged. Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress chief, said the Centre can come up with a bill to protect the people who are staying in Assam for such a long time. "The Parliament can amend the law or can bring in a new bill which can save these people," she said. Stating that it is "very unfortunate" that those who are staying in Assam for five generations have become refugees because of the BJP government, she said, "I am sending a team of party MPs to Assam and if necessary I will go there too." Asked whether West Bengal would give shelter to those whose names have not appeared in the final NRC draft, she said, "They have their homes...They are inhabitants of Assam. We will think about it if they want to come. But why should they be evicted?" "They are Indians, but they have become refugees in their own land," she said. Banerjee claimed that names of some people who have passports, Aadhaar and voter cards have been excluded from the complete draft. Accusing the Centre of trying to forcibly evict 40 lakh people, she said, "It is a matter of grave concern". "The internet service has been snapped and we cannot contact people in Assam," she claimed. On Home Minister Rajnath Singh's statement that there was no need to panic, she said, "Why then has the Centre sent 15 companies of para-military forces there?" "Has the Centre ever thought about what will happen to those people if they are pushed back? Assam has borders with Bangladesh and West Bengal. We will face problems. We must not forget that these people are not Rohingyas but very much Indian," she said. Stating that the Centre should have held meeting with her government on the NRC, the West Bengal chief minister said, "It is a very serious issue," she said. "The Central government neither talked to us nor the Bangladeshi government. They did not bother to talk to me, nor my chief secretary, nor the DGP, neither the administration," she said. The TMC had opposed the NRC and its implications long back, Banerjee said, adding that the Centre and the Assam government never opposed it. On whether she would speak to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on this issue, Banerjee said, "I cannot say anything about this. This is a matter for the external affairs ministry or for the Indian government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian in the UAE is battling for his life after he allegedly jumped off the third floor balcony of his apartment when some of his lenders showed up, media reports said today. The 32-year-old man, identified only with his initials A K, was said to be involved in financial disputes with several people, Gulf reported. He fell from the third floor of his apartment in Al Buhairah area late on Saturday, Sharjah Police said. He was rushed to hospital where his condition was stated to be critical, the report said. Doctors said that he has sustained fractures. The man was mired in financial difficulties and involved in financial disputes with a number of men, the report said. Police said that as some of the lenders came, he jumped from the balcony in a bid to escape. An investigation has been launched into the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) King Mohammed VI has outlined a roadmap for an in-depth, thorough restructuring of national social welfare programs and policies, and called on the Government and all the stakeholders concerned to engage in the endeavor. This came in the speech the king addressed to the nation Sunday on the occasion of Throne Day, celebrating this year the 19th anniversary of his coming to power. We can be satisfied with and take pride in what Morocco has achieved and what Moroccans have accomplished over the last two decades. Yet, I cannot but feel that something has been missing in the social domain, the King said, vowing to continue to work actively and resolutely in this field, and to seek to identify and address weaknesses together. King Mohammed VI called for an in-depth rethinking of public action to put it at the service of the citizen, pointing the finger at the shortcomings that affect the effectiveness of various public actors, primarily political parties, regarding their interaction with the citizen and their role as local mediators. Achieving goals, redressing imbalances and tackling economic and social problems require collective action, planning and coordination between different institutions and actors, especially between the members of the government and between the political parties forming the government. The King stressed the need to rise above temporary differences, seek to improve the performance of public administration and ensure the proper management of institutions in order to enhance trust and promote serenity within the community and among all its components. Citizens affairs cannot be put on hold for they do not relate to a specific period of time. Responsible political bodies are those that stand by the citizen, in good times and bad, he said. Although political parties make efforts to carry out their mission, they should attract new elites and mobilize young people to engage in political life, for todays youths are the ones who know what the current problems and requirements are, he explained, urging political parties to find the ways and means to revitalize their work methods. Political parties and institutions are expected to respond on a permanent basis to the citizens demands and to react immediately to events and developments occurring in society, even anticipate them, instead of letting situations deteriorate, as if they are not concerned by what is happening. In his speech that he delivered from the northeastern city of Al Hoceima, King Mohammed outlined the major axes of the new economic and social roadmap and commended the new initiative to set up a consolidated social register, saying it is a promising start for the gradual improvement of social welfare programs over the short and medium terms. This is a national registration system to identify families that truly deserve to benefit from social assistance programs, he said, describing the register as a strategic and ambitious social project which concerns large segments of the Moroccan population. The Monarch called on the Government and all the stakeholders concerned to undertake an in-depth, thorough restructuring of national social welfare programs and policies and to submit proposals for their evaluation. Until this reform effectively bears fruit, the king urged the Government to adopt, as soon as possible, a set of provisional social measures, and to inform him regularly on the progress made. To make sure impacts of the reforms are tangible and felt directly, King Mohammed VI strongly recommended laying emphasis on a set of urgent initiatives, including in the field of education, health, and human development. The Monarch also called the Government to carry on social dialogue with labor unions, insisting that social dialogue is necessary and that it should be an ongoing process. The government should meet with trade unions and talk regularly with them, regardless of the potential outcome of that dialogue. King Mohammed VI on the other hand called for the adoption of legislation that facilitates investments through the simplification of administrative procedures. Among the measures falling in this scope, the king mentioned the need to adopt the administrative devolution charter by the end of October at the latest, speed up the adoption of the new investment charter, implement the reform of regional investment centers, and group all investment commissions into a single regional investment commission. He also said that government agencies will have a maximum one-month period to respond to investment-related requests and that no government agency shall require documents or information available at another government institution. Government agencies will coordinate and exchange information, using modern computer-based technology to this end. I hope these crucial measures will provide a strong, unprecedented incentive to boost investment, create job opportunities, improve the quality of services offered to citizens and reduce foot-dragging which, as all Moroccans know, leads to corruption, King Mohammed VI went on to say. The Islamic State group today claimed responsiblity for an armed attack on foreign cyclists in Tajikistan that left four people dead, the SITE monitoring group reported. Two Americans, a Swiss national and a Dutch citizen were struck by a car and attacked yesterday while on a popular cycle route in the Danghara district, about 100 kilometres south of the capital Dushanbe, officials said. In a statement published today, the IS group said that a "detachment from the soldiers of the Caliphate" had carried out the attack against "citizens of Crusader coalition countries," according to SITE. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Jason Momoa says playing DC superhero Aquaman is the "biggest honour" for him. The 38-year-old actor said portraying the character on big screen was a ''dream job'' for him. "I mean, that was the biggest honour, like when Zack (Snyder) told me - there's just so many brown-skinned kids that are going to grow up and go, like, 'Yeah, all of our gods are water gods.' "It is an absolute honour. Some people accept that he's not white. I think it's cool. It's an honour for me to be that person standing up. Dream job, you know what I mean?'' Momoa said. The "Game of Thrones" star has previously appeared as Aquaman in 2017's "Justice League". "Aquaman" stand-alone will hit the theatres in December this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries (JCCI) today demanded setting up of a mega market with food processing park in the winter capital in view of the growing quantum of horticulture produce, increase of LoC trade and economic activity. JCCI President Rakesh Gupta met Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Advisor to the Governor J&K, and submitted a memorandum regarding the problems being faced by fruit industry, and early completion of artificial lake project on River Tawi. "Keeping in view the growing quantum of horticulture produce, increase of LoC trade, economic activity in the markets...we demand setting up of mega market with food processing park here," Gupta told reporters. "We request the government to acquire 1,500 kanals (187.50 acres) of land for expansion of the mega market with modern facilities like cold storage, auction sheds, processing units, ripening chambers," he added. The Chamber President also demanded that specific campaign be launched to highlight tourism circuits of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Shahdara Sharief and Nangali Sahib which shall not only promote tourism but also communal harmony. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jet Airways today announced its plan to introduce two new service from August 1 -- one from Bengaluru to Guwahati and the other from Hyderabad to Chandigarh via Indore. A press release said the Bengaluru-Guwahati flight, a daily service, would leave Bengaluru at 10.15 am andland in Guwahati at 1.15 pm. In the return direction, the flight would take off from Guwahati at 4.20 pmand arrive in Bengaluru at 7.30 pm, the release said. The Hyderabad-Chandigarh flight would depart from Hyderabad at 10.50 am, land in Indore at 12.15 pm and take off at 12.45 pm to reach Chandigarh at 2.45 pm, the release said. In the return direction, the flight would leave Chandigarh at 3.15 pm, land in Indore at 5.15 pm and take off at 6 pm to reach Hyderabad at 7.25 pm, the release said. The flight would beoperated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Jitendra Singh today struck back at the Opposition for attacking the Centre over the final NRC draft, saying the support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the people of the northeast and the assault on the government reflects deep concerns among the Congress and its allies. Singh, Minister for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), blamed the Opposition, and said it had wanted voters to be excluded from the list and even created such a perception. "The government has laid down a timeline....please come forward with your claims and cognizance will be taken and the names will be included. "The people of northeast have totally put their might behind Prime Minister Modi and this is deeply bothering the Congress and its allies," Singh told reporters inside Parliament premises. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today expressed concern over the exclusion of 40 lakh names in the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft. She accused the central government of resorting to "vote-bank politics". Responding to a question on the exclusion of over 40 lakh people, Singh said the entire exercise was done under the supervision of the Supreme Court. "So, I think we have every reason to trust the wisdom, discretion and finality of the conclusion drawn by the Supreme Court," the minister said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jammu West Assembly Movement (JWAM) today demanded deportation of Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims, fast-tracking development projects and dissolution of state assembly. JWAM president Sunil Dimple highlighted these demands in a memorandum handed over by a delegation of the party which met Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, advisor to the Governor N N Vohra, here. The memorandum, addressed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the state governor, opposed dialogue with Pakistan while seeking free hand to the security forces to crush terrorism and deal with separatists, the JWAM said in a statement here. Dimple who led the delegation also demanded cancellation of the registration of PDP and arrest of its leaders including former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig under sedition charges for their "anti-national" statements. The statement said the delegation discussed the "worst law and order situation" in the state during the meeting, demanded immediate deportation of illegally settled Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DMK president M Karunanidhi is stable and continues to be treated at the ICU of a hospital here for the third consecutive day as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam visited the hospital to enquire about the leader's health. Palaniswami after visiting Karunanidhi at Kauvery Hospital told reporters that the DMK chief's health condition is "stable...he is well...a medical team is attending on him... Me and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam along with DMK party working president M K Stalin and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi visited him in person." State ministers including Law minister C Ve Shanmugam accompanied the Chief Minister to the hospital. Last night, a medical bulletin issued by Kauvery Hospital said: "There was a transient setback in the clinical condition of DMK president M Karunanidhi. With active medical support his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors," A medical bulletin is yet to be issued today. Meanwhile, DMK workers continued to swarm the hospital premises at upscale Alwarpet here despite a plea by police to avoid crowding the area and an appeal from the party leader Stalin to maintain calm and cooperate with police in maintaining law and order. Police had late last night resorted to a mild baton charge as cadres did not disperse from the area to make way for DMK leaders to leave the hospital. Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of Saturday after his blood pressure dropped. On July 18, he had underwent a procedure at the same hospital for replacement of a tracheostomy tube to help him breathe normally. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court considered today the submission of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA) that it should dispose of the suo motu cognizance of the Kathua gangrape and murder case in which it has taken strong note of some lawyers obstructing the judicial process. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud took note of the submission by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the JKHCBA, that the trial in the matter has already been shifted to Pathankot in Punjab and has commenced as per its order. Noting the submissions of the JKHCBA, the bench disposed off the matter. The top court had on April 13 taken strong note of some lawyers obstructing the judicial process in the Kathua gangrape and murder case and initiated a case on its own record, saying such impediment "affects the dispensation of justice and would amount to obstruction of access to justice". It had said that it is a settled law that a lawyer who appears for a victim or accused cannot be prevented by any bar association or group of lawyers, for it is his duty to appear in support of his client. A Bar Council of India (BCI's) committee had supported the demand of the lawyers' body there for a CBI probe in the matter saying the bar associations in Kathua had not obstructed the police or the counsel representing the victim's family in any manner. The apex court had earlier transferred the trial of the Kathua gangrape and murder case to Pathankot in Punjab and directed that the trial should be held in-camera, be fast-tracked and conducted on a day-to-day basis to avoid any delay. The top court had also said the trial would be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Ranbir Penal Code, which is applicable in Jammu and Kashmir. The apex court had said the trial must be fair to the victim's family as well as the accused. It had also ordered continuation of security to the family members of the victim, family friends and lawyer representing them and directed translation of statements and records of the case from Urdu to English. The victim, an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community, had disappeared from near her home in a village close to Kathua in the Jammu region on January 10. Her body was found in the same area a week later. The state police's Crime Branch, which probed the case, filed the main charge sheet against seven persons and a separate charge sheet against a juvenile in a court in Kathua district. The charge sheet has revealed chilling details about how the girl was allegedly kidnapped, drugged and raped inside a place of worship before being killed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Pune City announced today signing of Keenan Almeida to solidify their squad's defensive line-up for the 2018-19 season. Almeida's induction would boost the team's defence, a media release quoted FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel as saying. "Keenan is a very good player and will bring much needed versatility to our back line. "He has a title-winning run under his belt with his previous club, which means he comes with the right mentality which matters a lot too," Modwel said. Almeida began his professional career in Goa, playing for state-based outfits Salgaocar and Sporting Clube De Goa before joining FC Goa in 2015 for the ISL. After spending two seasons with the Gaurs, Almeida was picked by Chennaiyin FC in the 2017-18 ISL draft. Excited to join FC Pune City, Almeida said, "The club approached with a definite plan for me, something that I could immediately connect with. "Getting good playing time is crucial for any player and that's what I will be looking forward to with FC Pune City. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Representative example of an atrophied (disintegrating) lesion. Top row shows baseline MRI images, and bottom row shows follow-up MRI images. The magenta region in the bottom right panel shows the part of the original lesion (top) that has disintegrated into cerebrospinal fluid over the intervening period. Nearly 20 percent of the lesion was lost over time. Study: Brain Lesion Atrophy May Indicate Worsening MS Newly published research led by Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, professor of neurology, finds novel indicators for predicting worsening conditions in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Our data suggest that atrophied lesions are not a small, secondary phenomenon in MS, and instead indicate that they may play an increasingly important role in predicting who will develop a more severe and progressive disease. Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD Professor of neurology and director of UBs Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center Better Indicator of Who Will Develop Disability For decades, clinicians treating MS have interpreted the appearance of new or expanding brain lesions on MRI scans as a sign that a patients disease is getting worse. The new study finds it may be the atrophy or disappearance of these lesions into cerebrospinal fluid that is a better indicator of who will develop disability. The five-year study, conducted by MS researchers in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, was published in the Journal of Neuroimaging. Similar findings also resulted from their 10-year study of 176 patients that they presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in April in Los Angeles. Using the appearance of new brain lesions and the enlargement of existing ones as the indicator of disease progression, there was no sign of who would develop disability during five or 10 years of follow-up, but when we used the amount of brain lesion volume that had atrophied, we could predict within the first six months who would develop disability progression over long-term follow-up, says Zivadinov. Brain Lesions Are a Sign Damage Has Occurred A first author on the 10-year study and senior author on the five-year study, Zivadinov is also director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) in the Jacobs School and directs the Center for Biomedical Imaging at UBs Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). Brain lesions in general are a sign of damage to the brain, such as physical trauma, a stroke, normal aging or chronic disease. Patients with MS receive MRI scans as part of their routine care so that doctors can track the appearance of new lesions and the enlargement of existing ones, typically seen as indicators of disease progression. Approval by the Food and Drug Administration for new MS drugs typically depends on the drugs ability to reduce the number of brain lesions over 24 months. Zivadinov notes that according to this premise, the loss of brain lesions could inadvertently be seen as a sign that the patients condition is improving. MS Causes Loss of Myelin Sheaths on Axons MS is characterized by the loss of myelin sheaths surrounding axons in the brain and disrupting the brains ability to send and receive neuronal messages. The growth of new myelin sheaths around axons may demonstrate that some brain tissue has been repaired spontaneously or as the result of medication. In order to focus specifically on the disappearance of lesions that likely indicate pathological change like atrophy, not beneficial change, like resolution or remyelination, the researchers looked exclusively at lesions seen on previous scans that were later replaced by cerebrospinal fluid. How do we know the lesions have disappeared? Zivadinov asks. Because where there was brain lesion tissue before, there now is just fluid. Taking Opposite Tack From Previous Studies The big news here is that we did the opposite of what has been done in the last 40 years, says Michael G. Dwyer III, PhD, assistant professor of neurology and biomedical informatics and first author on the five-year study in the Journal of Neuroimaging. Instead of looking at new brain lesions, we looked at the phenomenon of brain lesions disappearing into the cerebrospinal fluid. The researchers looked specifically at the rate of brain lesion loss due to atrophy compared to accumulation of lesion volume seen both at baseline and follow-up. They found that the amount of lesion volume that atrophied was the only significant lesion parameter that correlated with clinical disability as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale, the most widely used method of quantifying disability in MS. We didnt find a correlation between people who developed more or larger lesions and developed increased disability, but we did find that atrophy of lesion volume predicted the development of more physical disability, Dwyer notes. Robust Predictor of Disability Progression While patients with relapsing-remitting MS showed the highest amount of new lesions during the study, patients with progressive MS the most severe subtype had the most accelerated volume of brain lesion atrophy. The researchers said this indicates that this new imaging biomarker could be particularly important in transitional phases between relapsing and progressive MS subtypes. Paradoxically, we see that lesion volume goes up in the initial phases of the disease and then plateaus in the later stages, Zivadinov says. When the lesions decrease over time, its not because the patient lesions are healing, but because many of these lesions are disappearing, turning into cerebrospinal fluid. Zivadinov says another important scientific finding of the studies is that atrophied brain lesions were a more robust predictor of disability progression than the development of whole brain atrophy itself, the most accepted biomarker of neurodegeneration in MS. Our data suggest that atrophied lesions are not a small, secondary phenomenon in MS, and instead indicate that they may play an increasingly important role in predicting who will develop a more severe and progressive disease, he says. Hundreds of Patients Scanned During Studies The five-year study involved 192 patients with one of the three subtypes of the disease: clinically isolated syndrome, the earliest stage; relapsing-remitting, an intermediate stage; or progressive, the most severe stage. In that study, patients underwent imaging studies in the Center for Biomedical Imaging in the CTSI and at the BNAC. The volume of lesions was quantified at the start of the study and patients received yearly scans on the same 3 Tesla MRI machine for more than five years. Lesion volumes were calculated over the five years of the study. In the 10-year study, the researchers conducted analyses at the Center for Biomedical Imaging in the CTSI and at the BNAC. Patients in that study were scanned at the Department of Radiology and followed in the Department of Neurology and the Center of Clinical Neuroscience, all in Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Czech Republic Researchers Aid 10-Year Study Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has given a go-ahead to an ambitious project for installation of CCTVs in the national capital and wants the matter to be placed on his cabinet's agenda within a week, officials said today. In an act of defiance, Kejriwal had yesterday said "no mandatory permission" should be required from police to install CCTV cameras, as he tore apart report of a committee set up by Lt Governor Anil Baijal on working out the guidelines for installation and monitoring of surveillance cameras. In a meeting with officials and PWD minister Satyendar Jain, the chief minister today asserted again that no police permission was needed for installation of CCTV cameras in Delhi, a government official said. "The Chief Minister gave go ahead to the CCTV camera project and directed for bringing project agenda before the cabinet within a week," the official said. Kejriwal had said yesterday that "the report says that every owner and data controller of CCTV system collecting any information from public space shall report to the appropriate authority and And, the appropriate authority and police shall visit and assess if CCTVs are needed or not." However, the Lt Governor's office in a statement had claimed that the rules were only at a "draft stage" and had been put out in public domain for suggestions and clarifications. The AAP dispensation has accused Baijal of stalling the CCTV camera project that was crucial for ensuring safety of women in the city. The L-G office statement had also sought to clarify that the committee formed under the Principal Secretary (Home) has only prescribed a reporting mechanism for CCTVs and not a licensing mechanism". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The rift between the AAP and its ally in Punjab the Bains brothers-led Lok Insaaf Party, widened further after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the latter of insulting his party's Dalit MLA Harpal Singh Cheema. AAP leaders in Punjab had yesterday accused the Bains brothers - Simarjeet Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains - of "breaking" the party's Punjab unit. After Simarjeet Singh Bains reportedly dubbed Cheema, the newly appointed Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly, "AAP Da Pappu", the national convener if the AAP accused the brothers of having a "low opinion of the Dalit community". "Bains brothers have a low opinion of the dalit community. Highly shameful. They should apologise to the dalit community. BJP, Congress, Akali Dal and Bains have this lowly opinion of dalit community. They have been oppressing dalit community (sic)," he tweeted. The criticism by Kejriwal came amid the crisis involving replacement of Sukhpal Singh Khaira as the Leader of Opposition with Cheema, a Dalit legislator of the AAP in Punjab. The Punjab unit of the AAP is currently embroiled in a factional war. Eight of the 20 AAP legislators in Punjab have also reportedly opposed the appointment of Cheema. Yesterday, a section of Punjab AAP legislators met Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and the party's Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia last night amid a crisis over Sukhpal Singh Khaira's removal as the leader of opposition in the state Assembly. The Lok Insaaf Party had an alliance with the AAP in the last Punjab Assembly elections, but in the ongoing tussle the Bains brothers have sided with Khaira. The brothers had also opposed Kejriwal's apology to former Punjab minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a defamation case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be leaving for the USA next month for treatment. 73-year-old Vijayan will undergo treatment at Mayo clinic in the U.S.A., sources at the Chief Minister's office told PTI without elaborating. Necessary sanction has been received from the union government and the Chief Minister would leave for the U.S.A on August 19, the sources added. Vijayan had undergone a routine annual medical check up at the Apollo Hospitals at Chennai on March 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A bill seeking to replace the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) with a board of governors and aimed at bringing accountability and quality in homoeopathy education system was passed by the Lok Sabha today. Replying to the debate on the Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill 2018, Aayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik assured the Lower House that the government would come up with comprehensive bills to promote homeopathy, Ayurveda and Siddha. The Bill, which seeks to replace an Ordinance promulgated by the President in May, was approved by a voice vote after the House rejected several unofficial amendments while Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury withdrew his statutory resolution disapproving the ordinance. The government, the Minister said, will reconstitute the CCH within a year and restore the democratic process. During the debate, Opposition members questioned the ordinance route taken by the government to bring the amendment in the 1973 Homoeopathic Council Act and "undermine" Parliament's powers and asked it to explain the "extraordinary situation" which compelled them to do so. In his reply, Naik said the government had to come out a law to abolish the CCH as it did not have powers to deal with the erring chief and other members who faced grave charges of corruption. The CCH chief was arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting bribe of Rs 20 lakhs as part payment for granting approval to a homoeopathy college. On the urgency to come up with an ordinance, the Minister said the government had to adopt the ordinance route to ensure that academic sessions at homeopathic colleges start on time. As per the bill, the members of the board of governor will replace the existing functionaries of the CCH and comprise seven eminent homeopathy practitioners and administrators who will be appointed by the government. Participating in the debate, K Kamaraj (AIADMK) questioned the intent of the government to bring the ordinance and said when the standing committee had made the recommendation to amend the Act in 2015, what was the reason for a delay of three years and then taking the ordinance route. He asked the Minister to explain the "extraordinary situation" that led to the government to bring the ordinance "undermining the power of Parliament". "What is the guarantee that Board of Governors which will replace the CCH will correct all anomalies," Kamaraj said. When allegation of misappropriation and corruption against members and president of CCH were made in 2016, the government had enough time of one and a half years to bring amendments through Parliament, Rabindra Kumar Jena (BJD) said. He said the government had enough power under the existing Act to supersede the CCH if it was not functioning properly. P Ravindra Babu (TDP) said the government has made a "mockery of Parliament" by bringing ordinance even though there was no extraordinary situation. Ratna De (TMC) also wondered what was the urgency to bring the ordinance. She asked the government to include eminent homoeopathic doctors in the board of governor. Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena) asked the government to constitute comprehensive commission for alternative medicines on lines of Allopathic medicine. Karan Singh Yadav (Congress), Dhanajay Mhadik (NCP), Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav (RJD) N K Premachandran (Revolutionary Socialist Party) also questioned the use of the ordinance route to bring in the legislation. Yadav said attempts were being made to make the council a "rubber stamp" and "toe the government line". Accusing the government of saffronisation, the Alwar Congress MP said the government has already resorted to lateral entry by appointing a person as the secretary in the ministry who is not a civil servant. Yadav said instead of bringing the ordinance, the bill should have been referred to a select committee. Nihalchand (BJP) said his constituency has been reporting increasing number of cancer patients and demanded that a central government team be sent to look into the matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A crucial bill seeking to provide death penalty to those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years was passed by the Lok Sabha today. The bill seeks to replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another woman at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Although the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was supported by most members across the political spectrum and passed by a voice vote, some in the Opposition objected to the government adopting the ordinance route to enact the law. Several amendments moved by the opposition members were also negated by voice vote. Replying to an over two hour discussion on the measure, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the stringent law was aimed at providing safety to minor girls. He said the existing Indian Penal Code provided for punishment to those convicted of raping a woman, but there was no provision for rape or gangrape of minor girls below 16 or 12 years of age. These are "very important provisions" which the government has proposed, Rijiju said. He said the recent incidents of rape and gangrape of women below the age of 12 years has shaken the conscience of the entire nation. Therefore, the offences of rape and gangrape of women under the age of 12-16 years require effective deterrence through legal provisions of more stringent punishment, he said. During the debate, Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai, who was in the Chair, suggested that the provisions of the legislation be given maximum publicity, which would act as a deterrence. The Minister agreed to it. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. The minimum punishment in cases of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, Rijiju said. According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life". The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict. Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death. The measure also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed, the bill says, adding that there will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gangrape of a girl under 16 years. It has also been prescribed that a court has to give notice of 15 days to a public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding on bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. Participating in the debate, BJP member Kirron Kher said the bill was "well-timed" and provides hope for safer future for women. She said the opposition should not selectively highlight the case of child rape but speak about how to deal with the henious crime. She was referring to the issue of Kathua rape case which was raised by N K Premachandran (RSP) who had moved a statutory resolution to disapprove the ordinance promulgated by the President on April 21 this year. Premachandran said it was apalling that a minor girl was gangraped in a temple and brutally murdered thereafter. Kher said the bill deals with the current reality and lesser than death penalty in case of rape of minor girl cannot be justified. CPI(M) member P K Sreemathy Teacher asked the Centre to suggest to the state governments to utilise the Rs 3,000 crore Nirbhaya Fund to compensate the child victims. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A crucial bill seeking to provide death penalty to those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years was taken up for discussion by the Lok Sabha today. The bill seeks to replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another woman at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Although the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was welcomed by most members, some in the Opposition objected to the government adopting the ordinance route to enact the law. Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the stringent law was aimed at providing safety to minor girls. The recent incidents of rape and gangrape of women below the age of 12 years has shaken the conscience of the entire nation, he said. Therefore, the offences of rape and gangrape of women under the age of 12-16 year require effective deterrence through legal provisions of more stringent punishment, he said. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. The minimum punishment in cases of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life". The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict. Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death. The measure also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed, the bill says, adding that there will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gangrape of a girl under 16 years. It has also been prescribed that a court has to give notice of 15 days to a public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding on bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. Participating in the debate, BJP member Kirron Kher said the bill was "well-timed" and provides hope for safer future for women. She said the opposition should not selectively highlight the case of child rape but speak about how to deal with the henious crime. She was referring to the issue of Kathua rape case which was raised by N K Premachandran (RSP) who had moved a statutory resolution to disapprove the ordinance promulgated by the President on April 21 this year. Premachandran said it was apalling that a minor girl was gangraped in a temple and brutally murdered thereafter. Kher said the bill deals with the current reality and lesser than death penalty in case of rape of minor girl cannot be justified. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) M-tech mobile, a manufacturer of affordable mobile phones, today said it aims to garner revenues to the tune of Rs 100 crore in the next two years from its new mobile accessories brand, Nexez. Designed in Japan, Nexez will introduce products across 10 categories in the current financial year, including headphones, earphones, bluetooth speakers, power banks, USB cables and chargers, the company said in a statement. The Indian mobile phone accessories market is expected to clock a CAGR of 10.5 per cent till 2024 amd reach USD 3.54 billion, up from USD 1.42 billion in 2016, as per reports. * * * Tessol raises follow-on funding from 1Crowd, Infuse Ventures and Ankur Capital *Tessol, a Mumbai-based startup in the clean tech-led cold chain logistics space, today said it has raised an undisclosed amount in follow-on equity funding from 1Crowd, and existing investors - Infuse Ventures and Ankur Capital. Founded by IIT Delhi and Harvard alumnus, Rajat Gupta, Tessol offers products and solutions that are environmentally sustainable and reduce the lifetime cost of cooling. Its solutions range from farm-level collection to home delivery and the company works with FMCG, food processing and e-commerce players in India. "Funds raised in this round would be utilised by TESSOL for strengthening the current product suite and bringing some disruptive products that were under development to pilot and commercialisation," Tessol said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The agitation by Marathas for job quota saw one more man committing suicide and protesters resorting to violence and arson at separate places in Maharashtra today. Four police officials were injured in stone pelting, while nearly 70 vehicles, including state and civic-run buses and those of police, were damaged or torched during the violence in Chakan near Pune, a senior police officer said. Inspector General of Police (Kolhapur Range) Vishwas Nangare Patil told PTI that 30 vehicles, mostly buses of the state transport undertaking and PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd), were torched by the agitators, while around 40 other vehicles, including private ones, were vandalised. "The agitators torched vehicles of police outside the Chakan police station and pelted stone. However, police personnel dispersed the mob. "Four police officials, including a senior inspector and Deputy Superintendent of Police Ganpat Madgulkar, sustained injuries in the stone pelting," said Patil. In nearby Rajgurunagar town, protesters, numbering 3,000 to 4,000, gathered outside the main police station, and pelted stones, but the police force successfully dispersed them, the IGP said. The police fired tear gas shells and resorted to lathicharge at several places to disperse the mob. Patil said since protests were simultaneously taking place at several places in Pune district, the police force had to spread out. "We are trying to bring the situation under control," he added. Due to the violence at Chakan, the traffic on the Pune -Nashik road was crippled. Several Nashik as well as Pune- bound buses were cancelled due to the stir, officials said. DySP Madgulkar said he was escorting a fire tender when a mob started pelting stone at the police van. "While tackling the stone pelting mob, I received injuries in my leg," said Madgulkar, who is undergoing treatment at the hospital. Quick Response Teams have been moved to the violence- affected area, the police said. Some Maratha organisations had given a call for a bandh today in the Chakan area and a rally was taken out. Protesters clashed with the police in Solapur district, south-western Maharashtra, during a bandh on the issue. The Solapur bandh call was given by prominent Maratha organisations, including the Maratha Kranti Morcha and Sakal Maratha Samaj. The police cane-charged protesters after they pelted shops and some vehicles with stones, an official said. Maratha outfits said a mega rally will be held in Mumbai on August 9 in support of their quota demand. "We will hold a mega rally in Mumbai on August 9, August Kranti Din. We want to show our strength and endurance to the government," Maratha Kranti Morcha leader Vinod Pokharkar said. Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train in Aurangabad in central Maharashtra over the Maratha quota demand, police said. The man, Pramod Jaising Hore, had posted a message on his Facebook page and shared a message on WhatsApp yesterday, saying he would be ending his life in support of the quota demand, Mukundwadi police station's Senior Inspector Natha Jadhav told PTI. Hore allegedly jumped before the running train in the Mukundwadi area late last night, he said. He became to fourth person to lose life during the agitation over the last one week. The politically-influential community, constituting around 30 per cent of the state's population, has been agitating to press their demand for reservation in jobs and education. Amid the continuing agitation, the Opposition Congress and the NCP today approached Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao, urging him to direct the Devendra Fadnavis government to announce a decision on the reservation issue immediately. A senior state Congress leader said some of his party's legislators are mulling resigning from the Assembly to force the government to take a quick decision on the issue. In separate meetings with Rao at Raj Bhavan here, delegations of the parties asked him to instruct the government to announce its decision on reservations for Maratha, Muslim, Dhangar and Mahadev Koli communities. In its memorandum submitted to the governor, the NCP pitched for the government to recommend Constitutional amendment to give 16 per cent reservation to Marathas. "The position of the BJP and the Shiv Sena over quota is vague," said the Congress memorandum submitted to the governor. In Aurangabad, after learning about Hore's suicide, a large number of people gathered outside his house. His family members said they will not take possession of the body till the state government takes a final decision on the issue of reservation, over which the Maratha community has been agitating. Pro-reservation activists staged a 'rasta roko' (road blockade) on the Jalna Road. Prior to this, two men had committed suicide over demand for the quota last week, while another died during violence by the agitationists. The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation. However, their latest round of agitation has taken a violent turn. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Manchester City's record signing Riyad Mahrez could play in Sunday's Community Shield against Chelsea after a scan showed he had suffered no significant damage to his left ankle in a friendly with Bayern Munich. The 27-year-old Algerian international forward -- for whom City paid Leicester ?60 million ($79 million) earlier this month -- had to leave the pitch in Miami on Saturday after being fouled by Bayern's Chris Richards. However, City said in a statement on Monday that a scan had showed nothing alarming. "Riyad Mahrez has been given the all-clear to return to training later this week after picking up an ankle knock," read the statement. "City's new signing was withdrawn from the action after being fouled by Bayern Munich's Chris Richards during the first half of Saturday's 3-2 win over Bayern Munich. "Subsequent pictures emerged showing Mahrez wearing a protective boot on his left foot upon his return to Manchester. "However, a scan today (Monday) has revealed no significant damage, and he could be available for selection for this weekend's Community Shield against Chelsea." Mahrez's replacement Bernardo Silva went on to score a double as City beat the German champions 3-2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today directed Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot to make proper arrangements for people living on roads after water from the swollen Yamuna entered their houses. Several people living on the banks of the river were evacuated after water level in the Yamuna breached the danger mark on Saturday. "Directed Kailash Gehlot ji, Minister-in-charge, to visit the area alongwith all officers and ensure proper arrangements," Kejriwal said in a tweet. The chief minister's direction came following reports that there was no proper arrangements for shelter for these people. The water level in the Yamuna may rise to 206 metres with the danger mark being 204.83 metres, officials said. The traffic movement on the Old Yamuna Bridge in Delhi was closed yesterday after the water level in the river rose due to rains. Last evening, the river was flowing at 205.5 metres. The Yamuna's water level at the Hathini Kund barrage had crossed the danger mark of 90,000 cusec and till 7 pm on Saturday, 5,63,186 cusec of water was released, according to an official. On Saturday, an alert was sounded by the Delhi government after the water level of the Yamuna river crossed the danger mark. The highest water level recorded at Old Yamuna Bridge was 207.49 metres in 1978. It was 207.11 metres in 2010 and 207.32 in 2013, according to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Opposition to Appeal Accumulative Pension Law By Tea Mariamidze Parliamentary minority European Georgia is thinking of appealing Accumulative Pension Law, adopted by the parliament last week with the third reading.The law envisages that all employed citizens of Georgia 40 and under will transfer 2% of their untaxed monthly salaries to the state pension fund, with another 2% to be paid by employers and 2%- by the state.The new law applies to citizens of Georgia, foreign citizens permanently residing in Georgia, and those having no citizenship but who are employed or self-employed and receiving an income. Self-employed people will have a choice to pay into their pension or not.After the money is transferred to the pension fund, it will be used by the State for investments within the country. When people reach pension age, 65 for males and 60 for females, they will have an opportunity to use the money, together with their state pension, which is 180 GEL at present.One of the leaders of the European Georgia, Zurab Chiaberashvili says the participation of the employer in accumulating pension of their workers must not be mandatory, adding it is a new tax imposed by the state.Chiaberashvili claims that this part of the law contradicts Georgian Constitution. According to Article 94 of the Constitution of Georgia, the introduction of a new tax or an increase in the existing tax rate is only possible through a referendum. Without a referendum the authorities can only increase excise.The government says that mandatory 2% contribution of the employer is not a tax as this money will be saved on the pension balance of the worker. However, it is a tax for the employer. This issue needs more analysis, the MP stated.Moreover, Chiaberashvili says that the self-employed people, who decide not to participate in the reform, will not get 2 % money from the state, adding it is unfair as both self-employed and state-employed people pay taxes.After a few years it will be obvious that only certain people will benefit from this reform. It is unfair, the MP added.Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Ekaterine Mikabadze stated last week in the parliament that the accumulative pension system will allow citizens save money proportional to their wages.She added that the system will bring economic benefits as well, as it will create alternative source of financing for the development of the local market. The Bombay High Court today admitted pleas filed by Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and her co-accused Sameer Kulkarni seeking discharge from the case. Six persons were killed and over a 100 injured when an explosive device, strapped on a motorcycle, went off near a mosque in Malegaon in Maharashtra on September 29, 2008. Thakur and Kulkarni have challenged the order of a special NIA court, which on December 27 last year, had dismissed their pleas of discharge. The NIA court had, however, given them partial relief by dropping charges against them under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Thakur and her co-accused are still facing charges under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and some provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Advocate Prashant Maggu, the lawyer for Thakur and Kulkarni, today told a high court bench of Justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai that the special court had erred in rejecting the discharge pleas. He pointed out that the NIA, the prosecuting agency in the case, had granted a clean chit to Thakur in its charge sheet. Maggu also told the court that during the hearing on a bail plea filed by Thakur in the high court last year, the NIA had even told the HC on record that it had no objections to Thakur being discharged from the case. "In the order granting bail to Thakur, the high court had, at the time, noted that there was no prima facie evidence against her," Maggu told the bench. He added that the NIA had also failed to produce relevant evidence against Kulkarni in its charge sheet. Last month, this bench had also admitted the discharge plea filed by Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, a co-accused in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today hinted at a BJP hand behind the cancellation of her programme at St Stephen's college in New Delhi, but said she was unmoved by it as she would have a packed schedule during her visit to the national capital. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief also said god would forgive "them" for this. "Let it be cancelled, I don't mind. Let god save them. I have some other programmes also," she said when asked whether the cancellation of her programme at the prestigious college was an insult to the chief minister's chair. The college cited procedural norms last week and cancelled an address by Banerjee to the students of the institute, which was scheduled for August 1. Banerjee said besides attending a programme hosted by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), she would be visiting lawyer-politician Ram Jethmalani at his residence in the national capital. "I will be attending the Bishop (CBCI) programme tomorrow in the afternoon. That is a big programme. In the evening, I will be visiting Jethmalani at his residence, where Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha, Arun Shourie will be coming. So, I will be very busy," she told reporters at the state secretariat here, before leaving for New Delhi. Banerjee said she would be visiting the TMC office in Parliament on August 1. On whether there was any possibility of a one-on-one meeting with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the TMC chief, who has floated the idea of a federal front to take on the BJP in the 2019 general election, said she would try to meet her if there was an opportunity. "Soniaji is not well...she is having flu or something. If I get the opportunity, I will meet her," she said. The chief minister, who reached New Delhi in the evening, was likely to meet and invite leaders for a joint Opposition rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata, a senior TMC leader said. Banerjee is scheduled to return to Kolkata on Thursday, a source at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 25-year-old man was arrested for raping and killing a minor girl in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district, police said today. The body of the seven-year-old girl was found lying in a field here on Saturday with injury marks on her neck. She had gone missing on Friday while playing outside her home in Mogiyabhiya village, Station House Officer of Kamkheda police station Dharmaram said. The accused, Komal Lodha, a resident of the same village, was arrested today in connection with the crime, Jhalawar Superintendent of Police Anand Sharma said. The accused raped the girl while she was going to attend nature's call on Saturday evening. When she began crying, he strangulated her and abandoned her body in the field, the SP said. The accused was well familiar with the minor and her family, the SP said, adding he has admitted to have committed the crime. The accused is a married man. In recent past, he had attempted teasing a village girl following which he was severely beaten by the family members of the girl but they did not lodge any case in the matter, the SP said. A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was lodged in this connection, the SHO said. The accused would be produced before the court tomorrow, he further added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 26-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself today at the residence of the woman he wanted to get married to in Vijay Vihar area of Rohini, the police said. Naveen went to the woman's house with a country-made pistol in his hand. When the woman saw him with a pistol in his hand, she ran away towards her mother who was on the first floor, they added. While she was upstairs, she heard a single gunshot. Naveen allegedly shot himself in the chest, police said. He was rushed to the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital where he was declared brought dead, they said. No suicide note was found at the spot but police suspect that the man was depressed after the woman turned down his marriage proposal. He had asked for the woman's hand in marriage but her mother had refused, following which he was depressed, the police said. Further investigation is underway and the body has been sent for post-mortem, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man allegedly raped a minor girl while killing her mother as she tried to save the daughter at a remote village in Bhadrak district, police said today. The incident happened yesterday at Talasitha village when the minor girl and her mother were in their house, Inspector-in-Charge of Dhamnagar police station Bandana Patra said. The girl in her complaint to the police has alleged that the man, a resident of the same village, killed her mother and raped her last night when the two were alone, Patra said. The accused had tied the minor girl to a pillar in the house before leaving, a police officer said. The girl alleged that the accused forcibly entered their house and tried to sexually assault her, Patra said. When her mother protested and tried to save her daughter, the accused hit her with a pestle (a heavy stone material used for grinding) and raped the girl, Patra added. The villagers learnt about the incident this morning and took both of them to a hospital where the woman was declared dead, he said. Tension prevailed in the village as the spread and police took steps to control the situation, a police officer said. DIG of Northern range Amitendranath Sinha and Bhadrak Superintendent of police P B Gangadhar rushed to the village after learning about the incident. The situation is under control and the accused is still at large, Gangadhar said. An investigation has been initiated and efforts are on to nab him, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year-old labourer was today shot dead in Madhya Pradesh's Datia district allegedly by five people over a previous enmity, police said. The incident took place in Hinotia village in the morning today when the victim, Mukesh Yadav, had gone to answer nature's call, said Datia Superintendent of Police Mayank Awasthi. "The five miscreants, who had a previous enmity with Yadav, shot him in the head from close range and escaped. He died on the spot," Awasthi told reporters here. He identified the accused as Dinesh Gautam, Madan Gautam, Sunil Gautam, Gopal Gautam and Jagdish Gautam, adding that all five belonged to Hinotia village. The SP said that the accused, a few days ago, had brandished weapons and fired in the air outside Yadav's house in a bid to scare his family. "A case of murder has been registered against the accused and a hunt is on for them," Awasthi informed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi today apologised for using the term "the other ones" for transgenders in Lok Sabha, saying she did not "snigger but was embarrassed by her own lack of knowledge". Talking about the inclusion of information on prevention of human trafficking in school textbooks, Maneka Gandhi, on Thursday, called transgenders "the other ones" in Lok Sabha. The minister drew flak from the transgender community for using the word, with Meera Sanghamitra, a member of the National Alliance for People's Movements and a trans woman, saying that Maneka Gandhi and all the MPs who "thumped and laughed must apologise". The minister today apologised for using the term during the debate, saying she did not "snigger". "I sincerely apologise for using the term 'other ones' during the debate on the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, in Lok Sabha. I did not 'snigger', I was embarrassed at my own lack of knowledge," Gandhi said in a tweet. "I was not aware of the official terminology for the transgender community," she added. She also announced that in future all official communication will use the term TGs for transgenders. "I would like to assure that the Anti-Trafficking Bill 2018 is gender neutral and provides protection to the aggrieved," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi today directed officials to set up a mechanism so that women and children at shelter homes are able to reach out to them for help. The women and child development (WCD) minister's direction came days after the alleged sexual assault of minor girls at a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur. She said a telephone would also be made accessible to the shelter home inmates so that they can call either 1098 or 181 for help. "I also urge each citizen to be vigilant and flag any such case of harassment against women and children by calling on the two numbers. You can also mail the details at min-wcd@nic.in or tweet with #HelpMeWCD," she said in a tweet. "Deeply anguished by the incident of sexual assault on minor girls at a Muzaffarpur Shelter Home, I have directed ministry officers to put in place a mechanism so that the women and children at all such institutions are able to reach out to us for help," the minister said. She also said posters will be put up at all shelter homes, housing women and children, so that they can call up Childline-1098 or Women Helpline-181, if they face any form of harassment. The posters will be in local languages. The case of sexual assault of minor girls at the Muzaffarpur shelter home, run by an NGO, was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, to the Bihar Social Welfare Department in April. The FIR in the case was registered on May 31 against 11 people, including Brajesh Thakur, the owner of the NGO which ran the government-funded shelter home for destitute girls. On July 26, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recommended a CBI inquiry into the matter. About 34 minor girls were allegedly sexually abused at the shelter home in Muzaffarpur with medical reports confirming rape of them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The agitation by marathas for quota saw one more man committing suicide and protesters resorting to violence and arson at separate places in Maharashtra. After violence in Chakan area of Pune today, orders prohibiting assembly of more than four persons at a place were imposed to restore law and order, Pune district collector Naval Kishor Ram said. Some Maratha organisations had given a call for a bandh today in Chakan area and a rally was carried out. The politically-influential community, constituting around 30 per cent of the state's population, has been agitating to press their demand for reservation in jobs and education. Amid the continuing agitation, the Opposition Congress today approached Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, urging him to direct the Devendra Fadnavis government to announce a decision on the reservation issue immediately. In Chakan, an industrial hub 40 kms from the Pune city, protesters indulged in stone-pelting and torched some public transport buses and private vehicles, a senior police officer said. Some police personnel sustained injuries in the stone pelting by the agitators, he said. In the wake of the violence, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were clamped in Chakan to restore law and order, Ram said. Quick Response Teams have been moved to the violence affected area, police said. Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train in Aurangabad in central Maharashtra over the Maratha quota demand, police said. The man, Pramod Jaising Hore, had posted a message on his Facebook page and shared a message on WhatsApp yesterday, saying he would be ending his life in support of the quota demand, Mukundwadi police station's Senior Inspector Natha Jadhav told PTI. Hore allegedly jumped before the running train in Mukundwadi area late last night, he said. He became to fourth person to lose life during the agitation over the last one week. In his message on Facebook, Hore wrote in Marathi, "Chala aaj ek Maratha jaatoy, pan kahi tari Maratha arakshanasathi kara, jai jijau-aapla Pramod Patil (today one Maratha is leaving... but do something for the Maratha reservation... )," a police official said. The man, who was preparing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exams, later posted another message, saying "Maratha reservation will claim one life", he said. Many of Hore's friends had requested him not to take the extreme step but he did not pay heed. His body was found on the railway tracks this morning, the official said. On learning about his suicide, a large number of people gathered outside his house. His family members said they will not take possession of the body till the state government takes a final decision on the issue of reservation, over which the Maratha community has been agitating. The man used to run a shop in Mukundwadi and his wife was working as 'gram sevika' (a village-level functionary), Jadhav said. Pro-reservation activists staged a 'rasta roko' (road blockade) on the Jalna Road today to press for their demands. Prior to this, two men had committed suicide in demand for the quota last week while another died during violence by the agitationists. Meanwhile, a Congress delegation, led by state unit chief Ashok Chavan, met the Governor in Mumbai this afternoon and asked him to instruct the state government to immediately withdraw cases filed against "innocent" agitators during the recent Maratha quota protests. In a memorandum, the party said the government would be to blame if a decision on the quota issue is not announced immediately and if the law and order situation in the state deteriorates. The delegation, which also included Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, accused the state government of dilly-dallying on the issue. "The position of the BJP and the Shiv Sena over quota is vague. Therefore, no concrete decision has been taken on reservations to Marathas, Muslim, Dhangar, Mahadev Koli and Lingayat communities. The government wants to keep these issues pending," the memorandum said. "In such a scenario, we urge you to intervene and instruct the government to declare its decisions regarding reservations of these communities without any delay," it added. The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation. However, their latest round of agitation has taken a violent turn. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maratha outfits seeking reservation for the community in jobs and education said today that a mega rally will be held in Mumbai on August 9, even as protesters clashed with police in Solapur during a bandh on the issue. The Solapur bandh call was given by prominent Maratha organisations including the Maratha Kranti Morcha and Sakal Maratha Samaj, police said. Police cane charged protesters after they pelted shops and some vehicles with stones, an official said. The situation became tense after the protesters on the main road in Solapur clashed with the police, he said. There have been statewide protests by Maratha community after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that anti-social elements were planning to let loose snakes among the Warkaris (devotees) at Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi on July 23 in order to create panic and a stampede-like situation. The protests held in Aurangabad, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Nashik turned violent. "We will hold a mega rally in Mumbai on August 9, August Kranti Din. We want to show our strength and endurance to the government," Morcha leader Vinod Pokharkar said. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena said today that the government should not wait for the state backward commission's report and go ahead with awarding reservation to the Maratha community. Speaking after a meeting with party legislators, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said, "Additional reservation should be given to the Maratha community, without touching the existing reservations for SC, ST and OBCs in education and government jobs." "The state government needs to send such a report to the Union government for getting the reservation, without waiting for the Commission's report," Thackeray said. After the meeting, a delegation of Sena ministers and MLAs met Fadnavis here and demanded immediate implementation of quota for Marathas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Briefing commemorating the World Day against Trafficking in Persons 30-07-2018 On July 30, 2018 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus hosted briefing commemorating the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Mission of the International Organisation for Migration in Belarus. Background: the World Day against Trafficking in Persons was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly at the proposal of Belarus in 2013 to raise awareness of the situation of victims of trafficking in human beings and to promote and protect their rights. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Dapkiunas, addressed the participants of the briefing with a welcoming speech. A.Dapkiunas defined the World Day against Trafficking in Persons as an occasion for realizing how much more the world community can do to erase this horrible crime from the life of modern society once and for all. In the list of the main steps taken by Belarus over the past year at the international arena, the Deputy Minister mentioned the UN General Assembly resolution Improving the Coordination of Efforts against Trafficking in Persons, the thematic dialogue at the UN headquarters Trade in Minors in the Digital Age: Waking Up the World to the Dire Need to Stop Trafficking in Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, Including Via the Internet, a resolution of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice aiming at prevention of human trafficking using technological means. The Belarusian diplomat noted the high level of cooperation in Belarus of all national and international partners involved in anti-trafficking work. A.Dapkiunas expressed the opinion that success in the fight against human trafficking will come not through competition of states and international structures, but through sincere and benevolent cooperation built on mutual respect and trust of all partners. During the event, representatives of the state bodies, international organizations, business circles informed about their participation in combating trafficking in human beings, problems and challenges in this work. print version The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the probe into the death of a 21-year-old man there during the Maratha quota stir last week. During the violence that erupted in Kopar Khairane area of Navi Mumbai during the Maratha reservation agitation on July 25, Rohan Todkar was assaulted by a mob. He later succumbed to his injuries in the state-run JJ Hospital at Byculla in Mumbai on July 27. An official said that a murder case had been registered at Kopar Khairane police station against unidentified persons. "The case has been handed over to the Navi Mumbai Crime Branch. Investigations into the incident are underway. No arrests have been made so far," Tushar Doshi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) told PTI. Todkar's cousin sister, Shital Shinde, speaking to PTI yesterday, had said that Todkar had ventured out, along with his friends, on July 25 and then got caught in the violence. The youth's last rites were carried out in his native Khonavali village in Patan tehsil in Satara district after authorities assured his family that the culprits would be arrested and compensation would be provided. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The husband of Chandrika Sharma, one of the five Indian nationals missing in the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 tragedy, today said he was "disappointed" as authorities have failed to tell him how his wife vanished along with 238 others in 2014. The much-anticipated official report released by the Malaysian Government into one of the world's biggest aviation mysteries has concluded that the Boeing 777 was manually turned around mid-air, and that "unlawful interference by a third party" could not be ruled out. The Malaysian Airlines flight on March 8, 2014 disappeared carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite a massive search in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, the wrekage of the plane has not been found. K S Narendran, whose wife Chandrika was on the flight, said, "If I can just summarise the reactions that it has been disappointment, a sense of feeling deflated and you know a sense of degradation what we had already knew all this while. "And at the end of the day the big questions remain and so that is no end in sight for the families as I see it because we still don't know what happened, why it happened, who or what was responsible and so we are exactly where we were on 8th of March which is that there was a plane that took off and turned back and disappeared, and all that we can confirm at the end of four and a half years or so is that the plane disappeared," he said. "So that offers very cold comfort to the families..," Narendran, who flew from Chennai to attend today's briefing here, told the BBC. "So some of the critical questions that the families came in with to explore what lies ahead remains unexamined, unaddressed and so we go back with no clarity about what next," he said. Narendran also said that it has been a "big struggle" for the families even to be heard. However, he was hopeful that the doors for future search efforts for the plane are not closed. He said he was happy to note that the government has issued a statement that the probe was not over. "So that's very reassuring. But the fact remains that the interest level has over time not been at the same level as we have known to be," he said. Chandrika, 51, was working as the Executive Secretary of the Chennai-based The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers, an international non-governmental organisation. There were four other Indian nationals onboard the ill-fated flight. The majority of the passengers were Chinese. An initial search for the plane, carried out by Malaysia, China, and Australia, was called off in January 2017 after failing to find any trace of the plane within a 710,000-plus square kilometre area of the Indian Ocean. A private company reached an agreement with the Malaysian government to extend the search, but that too was stopped in May after failing to find any clue into the incident. "They only relied on Malaysian Airlines' flight path although they had lost contact with the flight," Grace Nathan, a spokeswoman for families involved in the Voice370 lobby group, told reporters. "They couldn't provide a proper airworthiness report on the missing aircraft," she was quoted as saying by The Australian. Perhaps most surprisingly, investigators revealed they were no longer officially searching for possible debris from the plane. More than 20 pieces of debris have been found over the years but so far only a sheered piece of the plane's flaperon on Reunion Island and then a large piece of the aircraft wing in Tanzania have been confirmed as being definitely from flight MH370. Nathan, a lawyer whose mother Anne Daisy was on the plane, said investigators had also ruled out any issue with the plane's cargo, but revealed that the seals on the cargo packing had been tampered with. "We hope that these mistakes will not be repeated and that measures are put in place to prevent them in the future," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An 11-year-old girl was raped and killed by a labourer in Sahaspur area of the city, police said today. Jay Prakash Tiwari (32), a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad district, lured the girl who was playing with two other boys by offering her money to buy sweets on Saturday. He sent back the boys after giving them money to buy candies and made the girl stay back by offering to pay her more. He raped and killed her when she began shouting for help, Sahaspur Station House Officer Narendra Rathore said, adding, the victim also belonged to a family of labourers from Madhya Pradesh. The matter came to light when the girl's parents lodged a complaint with the police about her disappearance. During search operation, Tiwari was arrested while trying to flee, Rathore said, adding he later confessed to the crime. He hid the girl's body in his shanty and had plans to dispose it off later in the night. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two employees of a retail pharmacy chain were injured after unidentified miscreants allegedly shot at them and robbed them of Rs 40 lakh in northwest Delhi's Wazirpur today, police said. Police were informed at 12.37 pm about the incident. Two employees of Sanyog Enterprises Private Limited, identified as Tejpal and Rajkumar Bhasin, were going in a car with Rs 40 lakh cash, which was to be deposited to a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Wazirpur, the police said. On the Wazirpur flyover, their car was hit by another car. When Tejpal and Bhasin came out, they were shot at by the occupants of the other car, who fled the spot with the cash, the police said. Further investigation is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The judicial commission probing the disappearance of the keys of the 12-century Jagannath Temple's treasury, today asked the Puri district administration to submit its affidavit by August 7. The one-man commission headed by retired Orissa High Court judge, Justice Raghubir Dash today held the first hearing at the Circuit House here. The hearing remained incomplete as the district administration has so far not submitted a detailed information pertaining to the issue. "The administration has been directed to submit it in the form of an affidavit with detailed information during its next hearing at Cuttack slated for August 7," Justice Dash said. "After receiving the affidavit from the district administration, the commission would decide its future course of action," he said. The commission has received four affidavits - two from the servitors and two from separate organisations. Justice Dash also said that the commission has decided not to hold hearings, on the four affidavits it had received earlier, as there is no proper evidence or facts relating to the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar. The Odisha government, on June 6, had appointed Justice Raghubir Dash as chairman of the commission of inquiry to probe the missing keys of Ratna Bhandar. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered a judicial probe on June 4. Patnaik had ordered a judicial probe the incident in the face of a state-wide hue and cry over the missing of the Ratna Bhandar keys. The Opposition parties had expressed apprehensions over the safe custody of the precious ornaments in the Ratna Bhandar. The judicial commission has been asked to submit its report to the state government within three months. In its terms of reference, the commission has been urged to probe the circumstances under which the Ratna Bhandar keys went missing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four people were arrested for allegedly setting vehicles ablaze and stealing ornaments from a house while demonstrating against the elopement of an interfaith couple, police said today. According to police, a Hindu man and a Muslim woman eloped on June 29. Following which, the woman's relatives and members from her community stormed the man's house in Sanjeli village in neighbouring Dahod district on last Saturday. The man's father, Prakash Bhoi, filed a complaint against the mob comprising at least 200 people, Sanjeli police Sub-Inspector S N Bariya said. The complainant alleged that the mob, armed with sticks and sharp weapons, set ablaze his multi-utility vehicle and his neighbour's moped bike, Bariya said. "The complaint stated that the mob ransacked the house and looted ornaments worth Rs 45,000," the official said, adding that since the couple eloped, the woman's kin had asked the Bhoi family to send their daughter back to them. The woman's family had also staged a hunger strike outside the Sanjeli police station on July 22 and had called it off only after officials assured them that their demands would be looked into, Bariya said. Dahod Superintendent of Police Hitesh Joysar said the entire area was under vigilance and efforts were on to trace the couple. "We have taken prompt action to maintain peace in the area. Our operation is on to nab the remaining accused. We have also formed various teams to find the couple," Joysar said. Bariya Sub-Inspector said relevant sections pertaining to dacoity, rioting, arson and trespassing haven been invoked against members of the mob. He identified the four arrested as Razak Baandi, Irshad Baandi, Saleha Baandi and Rashida Baandi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was not afraid of being seen alongside industrialists, the Congress today alleged he was indulging in "theatrics" to skip questions on the Rafale deal. "When he has been exposed on the Rafale deal, he used all the possible theatrics to say that he is a 'bhagidar' but has evaded answering the questions raised," Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar said. The question still remains as to why the Rafale deal was snatched from the HAL, which is a government undertaking, and handed over to a private company floated just 15 days before by someone with no experience even of the bicycle business, the Congress leader asserted. "Rahul Gandhi has fully exposed them...They will get more entangled if they try to free themselves of the blame... The reality is that the industrial growth rate presently is 3.3 per cent while it was 6 per cent during the UPA rule," Babbar said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had yesterday said he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists who were playing a key role in the nation's development. In an apparent reference to former SP leader Amar Singh, who the prime minister yesterday said could give details of what all was done during the rule of the previous governments, Babbar said, "A 'bimar bechara' (unwell and helpless person) was presented as a witness before industrialists who had gathered for an event here." Babbar alleged the condition of farmers was the worst under the present government and such mega events brought no respite to them. The Congress leader claimed Modi had gathered votes claiming to a 'chowkidar' but was not keeping his promises. "He yesterday said two lakh jobs will come through these programmes. It was a promise of two crore jobs before he became the PM. And now only one year is left for the NDA government before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," the UP Congress chief said. On the law and order situation, Babbar alleged that the family of a farmer who committed suicide in Banda was asked to offer his daughter to get the debt waived. "There has been no word from the prime minister on this incident, nor on the deaths caused by continuous rains," Babbar said. He also referred to the lathi-charge on girl students in Allahabad while BJP president Amit Shah was on a visit there. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madhya Pradesh Congress today said it would lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against the state government for "promoting" Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the cost of the public exchequer. State unit Congress president Kamal Nath said the state BJP government has undertaken such campaigns for political gain ahead of the assembly polls, slated to be held later this year. "The state government has set a wrong precedent by deciding to display images of Modi and Chouhan on two tiles in houses to be built in Madhya Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)," he said in a statement. Nath claimed the government had also started publishing photos of the chief minister in the government calenders. "...Now they (the government) have decided to add Chouhan's pictures in the advertisements for the state pilgrimage scheme as well as other welfare schemes," the Chhindwara MP said. He said the erstwhile Congress government was never indulged in such "publicity gimmicks" by using people's fund. "Anyway, the photos of Chouhan will have to be removed once the model code of conduct kicks in ahead of the polls. "However, the money spent already on putting the pictures would be wasted which will result into a huge loss to the public exchequer," Nath said, adding that the Congress would approach the EC against this "misue" of public money. The state government had issued an order earlier this year making it mandatory to display images of Modi and Chouhan on two tiles in houses to be built in Madhya Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The government had also made photos of Chouhan mandatory along with that of the prime minister in all state government offices and buildings. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Touted as the first such facility in the country, the cow sanctuary in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has stopped accepting more cattle due to "shortage" of fodder and water, an official said today. Around five months after inauguration, the Kamdhenu Gau Abhayaranya, located in Agar-Malwa district, stopped accepting cows for want of water and fodder since February this year. "The sanctuary has stopped admitting the cows since February, as it is facing shortage of water and green pasture for grazing," the Animal Husbandry department official said, adding that admission of the cows will resume once the shortage ends. The sanctuary, spread in an area of 472 hectares, was opened with a view to accommodate 6,000 stray and abandoned cows in its 24 sheds, and to promote pesticides and medicines derived from cow dung and urine, he added. "Right now, the shelter has 4,120 cows," the official said. He said the Public Health and Engineering department has started digging wells to overcome the water shortage, and green grass is grown on the campus of the sanctuary. The official dismissed reports that the shelter home was facing any paucity of funds. "The cow shelter home is getting sufficient funds to manage its affairs, contrary to reports that it has run short on funds," he said. Kamdhenu Gau Abhayaranya chairman and district collector Ajay Gupta too dispelled reports about shortage of funds. "Our recurring monthly expenditure to run the shelter is around Rs 30 lakh. We are getting funds from the government regularly," he added. The sanctuary is dependent on the government funds for managing its affairs. It does not have its own source of income as it only gets cows which are old and sick or have stopped producing milk. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe today cast his ballot in the country's first election since he was ousted by the military in November after ruling for 37 years. Mugabe (94) made no comment as he walked unaided into the polling station at a primary school in the Highfield district of Harare, accompanied by his wife Grace. Mugabe was forced to resign when ruling ZANU-PF lawmaker threatened to impeach him after military generals launched a brief takeover to install their favoured candidate, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mugabe, who had not been seen in public since his ousting, made a surprise intervention on the eve of the election, calling for voters to throw the ruling ZANU-PF out of office. During a two-hour press conference at his sprawling mansion in Harare, Mugabe said that he hoped the election would "thrust away the military form of government" and said he might vote for the opposition MDC. President Mnangagwa, Mugabe's former ally in the ZANU-PF party, faces opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in the landmark vote for the southern African nation. The MDC has alleged the election result could be fixed. Voting was peaceful today with long lines outside polling stations in the capital Harare. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) @alextdaugherty A crowd of 800 teenagers, caffeinated on colorful Starbucks drinks that did not appear to contain coffee, sprang to their feet as Kyle Kashuv, the 17-year-old conservative Parkland student who gained a national following as a counterweight to the March For Our Lives, emerged on stage. Guys, we have a surprise for you, Kashuv said as the riff from AC/DCs Thunderstruck played in the background. You know what that means? David Hogg? one student shouted back. We have shirts. We have shirts! We. Have. Shirts! Kashuv replied, flinging T-shirts into the frenzied crowd like Frisbees. Kashuv was in Washington last week for the culmination of months of work with the pro-Trump group Turning Point USA, where he now serves as the director of high school outreach. The teenagers in attendance at the groups high school leadership conference at George Washington University had already been treated to a host of big-name conservative speakers invited by Kashuv, like Attorney General Jeff Sessions, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. Instead of giving a talk to the students, Kashuv took questions. One student who described herself as being from a deep blue part of Connecticut asked Kashuv what it was like dealing with liberal teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. A teacher tried to give me like an 89.4 and purposely gave me one point lower on a quiz to an 89.4 so I couldnt get an A in the class, Kashuv replied. But I power-moved her. I went to the administration and we made it happen. The crowd went wild. Another asked him, what is his favorite dinosaur? T-Rex, Kashuv said, before pausing and declaring his affinity for triceratops instead, prompting a smattering of jeers and cheers. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, a 24-year-old conservative who gained fame for protesting what he sees as liberal bias on college campuses and who was barred from speaking on Stoneman Douglas campus after the shooting, said Kashuvs involvement with his group has given it more prominence within the conservative community, and it has benefited massively from Kashuvs work to get dozens of Trump administration officials, members of Congress and celebrities like Mark Cuban to attend the conference. All the credit goes to Kyle, Kirk said. Were nothing but an infrastructure thats helped make this possible. We are a movement, dont get me wrong, we were doing this before, but Kyle comes in and brings it to the next level. The energy, the enthusiasm, the speakers. He put his time, his talents behind this, and thats a great partnership because we both benefit from this. Kashuv continues to talk about school safety and his support for the Second Amendment six months after the nations deadliest high school shooting and has appeared on TV dozens of times, but hes branched out politically after successfully lobbying for a school safety bill in Congress earlier this year. Hes done an amazing job, Scaramucci said, also emphasizing that his short term as White House communications director that ended after a vulgar rant recorded by a reporter was 11 days, not 10. I think Kyles voice frankly is a much needed voice because it fits into a narrative of school safety, but recognizing that the founding fathers of our country wanted people to have the right to bear arms. I applaud all of these kids though. Read more here. The Mumbai unit of the Congress today organised a protest march against what it claimed was "corruption" in the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets by the BJP-led Union government. Carrying a replica of the aircraft, hundreds of Congress workers marched from Fashion Street to Azad Maidan in south Mumbai shouting slogans against the deal. Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam said that the government was cagey about disclosing the exact price of each of these aircraft and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of "lying blatantly". "I demand that the BJP-led union government disclose the exact price involved in the Rafale deal. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Modi have been hiding it by talking about a secrecy clause in the deal. This secrecy clause has been denied by French President Emmanuel Macron," Nirupam claimed. "Prime Minister and the Defence Minister are lying blatantly under the name of a 'secrecy clause' which does not exist," Nirupam alleged. He claimed that the price negotiated by the Modi government was three times the one agreed upon by the Congress-led UPA government earlier. He also demanded why industrialist Anil Ambani's firm was included in the deal. "Dassault Aviation, the company which supplies Rafale fighter aircrafts, has stated in their annual report that the plane which was supposed to be sold by the French government during the rule of the Congress in 2012 cost Rs 526 crore," he said. "These planes have now been sold at Rs 1,670 crore. This indicates a scam of Rs. 41,205 crore," he alleged. Congress MLAs Aslam Sheikh, Amin Patel, ex-MP Eknath Gaikwad, leader of opposition in BMC Ravi Raja, ex-MLC Charanjeet Sapra were among the prominent leaders who attended this protest march. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today strongly rejected the allegations of discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh regions during her rule, asserting that she never considered Jammu and Kashmir "different entities" and evenly distributed the funds among them. The PDP president said her two-year tenure in power was the most difficult period of her life, which she braved to fulfill the visions of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and pull Jammu and Kashmir out of a state of anarchy. We did not make the alliance with the BJP for the chair. Mufti had a vision and wanted cooperation from the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi similar to what he had experienced when A B Vajpayee was in power, but unfortunately, it did not happen, Mehbooba said, addressing her party workers' rally, the first one after the fall of her government last month. The BJP had pulled out from the PDP-led government on June 19, claiming that they took the decision due to the discrimination against the Jammu and Ladakh regions. The rally, which was organised by the PDP to mark the 19th foundation day of the party, witnessed tense moments when Mehbooba, apparently feeling uncomfortable, stopped her 20-minute speech midway and sat back on her chair. She, however, resumed her address shortly from the chair itself, explaining that she "felt uncomfortable" due to the hot and humid weather conditions. Sayeed was in power for 10 months and I remained in power for two years and two months. We faced a lot of difficulty "Only two months after coming to power, the situation took an ugly turn in Kashmir and I had to fight at both the fronts for improving the situation in Kashmir and making Delhi keep its promise of implementing the agenda of alliance..." said Mehbooba. The agenda of alliance, she said, "included talks with Pakistan and Kashmiris, besides the returns of power projects (to the state) and maintaining status quo on the Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The PDP leader said she did whatever was possible for her but made no compromise. I never considered Jammu and Kashmir as different entities and distributed funds, colleges and jobs in police and other government departments equally without any corruption. I made no compromise, she said. She added her father made the BJP understand that the Article 370 is a bridge between Kashmir and the rest of the country and if it was revoked, you will be finished. Without naming anyone but apparently referring to senior BJP leader and former Minister Lal Singh's allegations that she "deliberately handled Kathua rape and murder case to create a division between Hindus and Muslims in Jammu", she said the rapists have no religion and those talking about the Dogra pride came in support of the ones who raped and killed a minor girl. It is nothing to do with the Dogras. A Dogra ruler forbid a maharaja (king) from visiting Jammu and Kashmir after he came to know that he had passed a livid remarks against a local girl. This is the pride of the Dogras, she said. She said the PDP suffered a lot over the past three years for a bigger cause to pull the state out of the prevailing crisis and end the bloodshed there. I assure you that we will not rest till we achieve our goal, she said. Defending her government's directive not to harass the Gujjars, she said after the BJP objected to the implementation of the Forest Act in the state, a committee was constituted to sort out the issue. She said she ordered the tribal affairs department not to harass the Gujjars unless the Forest Act was enforced. The former chief minister said "she faced a lot of pulls and pressures" over the past three years but "remained steadfast and put up with the alliance for a bigger goal of pulling the state out of the cycle of death and destruction." Terming the previous rule by her father from 2002 to 2005 as a golden era, she said it was because of the support extended by erstwhile Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, that resulted into dialogue with Pakistan and Hurriyat conference, and opening of the cross-border roads, besides massive developments. Acknowledging the anger in Kashmir against her party over its alliance with the BJP, she said the BJP had got the mandate in Jammu while the PDP had secured it in Kashmir. We had lot of discussion with Sayeed who said there was no other option, given the mandate to Modi and the past experience when Vajpayee was in power. His only aim was to pull the state out of the anarchy, she said, adding that the PDP had expected the support like it got during the Vajpayee's era but unfortunately it did not work that way. Aligning with the BJP was a difficult decision the hatred among the Kashmiris against us on this decision was nothing short of taking poison, the PDP president said. She said the progress made by the PDP over the last 19 years has no parallel in the country. We had only one (Assembly) seat and reached 28 in 2014. Praising Vajpayee, she said unlike the present regime which wanted Pakistan to first stop supporting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir to start a dialogue, the BJP stalwart visited Lahore and made the erstwhile Pakistan president to promise him that they would stop supporting militancy and the result was visible on the ground as well. When Mufti left the chair and Vajpayee too lost the power, the next government was formed and the peace initiative received a set back with everything coming to a standstill, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To map real-time congestion on toll plazas, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will install CCTV surveillance system on 210 toll plazas, Parliament was informed today. These systems will be installed initially at 10 toll plazas to be rolled out to another 200 toll plazas, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L Mandaviya told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. "NHAI had invited e-bids from the eligible bidders for setting up Central Command & Control Centre at NHAI-HQ connected with regional offices and CCTV Surveillance and monitoring of vehicular congestion on 210 toll plazas on National Highways," the minister said. The project will be executed on service model and the period of engagement shall initially be five years, he said. "After successful demonstration of proof of concept at 10 plazas, the system will be rolled out to another 200 toll plazas where daily traffic flow is more than 10,000 vehicles," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre has sanctioned "no funds" till now to take up the National Investment and Manufacturing Zone project in Prakasam district, the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation said today. The state government body said without the Centre fulfilling any of its financial commitments, it would be "very difficult for the state" to take up a project of this scale. The statement comes two days after BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao wrote to chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu reportedly criticising the state government for failing to take up the NIMZ. "As of now, total extent envisaged for development (of NIMZ) is 14,231 acres, of which APIIC is in the possession of 1,839 acres. As per NIMZ guidelines, the entire extent of land has to be acquired and transferred to the SPV within 18 months," APIIC vice-chairman and managing director Babu Ahamed said. This forces the state government to spend an upfront amount of Rs 2,800 crore, on a very conservative basis, on land acquisition, he said. "It may be noted that Government of India has sanctioned no funds till now to take up the NIMZ, even though the state government set up an SPV for the project." Without any upfront budgetary commitment from the Centre and with Andhra Pradesh already under a huge deficit due to the state bifurcation, "it is very difficult for GoAP to take up a project of this scale without (the Centre) fulfilling any of its financial commitments," Babu said. He said the Centre itself earmarked only Rs 3.35 crore in fiscal 2016-17 under the 'Scheme for Implementation of National Manufacturing Policy for 'Master Planning of NIMZs' and Technology Acquisition and Development Fund (TADF). "Considering immediate financial pressures, the state government is strategically taking up smaller projects that are viable in nature to kick-start the process of industrialisation in Prakasam district," he said. This was to ensure that long term projects like NIMZ get a sturdy platform and are smoothly taken up with additional support of local industry and through public-private participation, the APIIC MD added. He listed various 'other' projects like industrial parks, mega food parks and a node under the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor that were aimed at kick-starting the industrialisation process in Prakasam district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) today informed the Supreme Court that there was "no objection" to putting stickers on vehicles which would indicate its nature as to whether it was electric, hybrid, diesel or BS-VI compliant. A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta was apprised by Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni that there was no objection on the suggestion made in this regard by an advocate, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the air pollution matter. "On stickers, the MoRTH has agreed," he told the bench and added that he has filed an affidavit in this regard. "Additional Solicitor General appearing on behalf of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) says that there is no objection to the suggestion made by amicus curiae about putting stickers on the vehicles," the bench noted in its order. The bench asked advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, to give a detailed submission in this regard and posted the matter for hearing on August 1. On July 23, the amicus had handed over a note to the bench and had said that colour-coded stickers could be pasted on vehicles to give an indication of the nature of vehicle. The amicus had said that such stickers, as used in Paris, would be more effective then having the "odd-even" vehicle rotation scheme in Delhi and it would also help in identifying older vehicles. During the hearing today, the counsel appearing for the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said they would file an affidavit in response to the affidavit filed earlier by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) on sale and manufacture of BS-VI non-compliant vehicles in India. The SIAM said that there were contradictions in the two affidavits filed by the government in this regard. The bench asked SIAM to file the affidavit by tomorrow. The MoPNG, in its affidavit filed in the court, had said that it would be appropriate if manufacture of BS-IV vehicles was allowed till March 31, 2020 but no sale of non-compliant BS-VI vehicles should be permitted after April 1, 2020. "If the sale is permitted from April 1, 2020 onwards, it will adversely affect the benefits of introduction of BS VI fuel," the MoPNG had said. These issues had cropped up when the court was hearing a petition on air pollution in Delhi-national capital region (NCR). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The release of final draft of the NRC in Assam today figured in the West Bengal assembly, with opposition Congress and Left Front demanding a discussion on the matter and adoption of a unanimous proposal condemning it. Leader of opposition Abdul Mannan and Left Front legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty demanded that a motion be brought in the assembly to discuss the issue. "We want a discussion to be held in the assembly on the issue of NRC. The BJP is trying to divide the country. The basic ideology and ethos are against the culture of Bengal and Bengalis. We want a resolution to be brought in by the government and we want to discuss it in the floor of the house and want to register our protest," Mannan said. "We have requested the government that this resolution should be an all-party resolution. We would be happy if the government accepts it," he said. Echoing Mannan, Chakraborty said, "We hope the ruling party would accept our views." Speaking on the issue, Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already given a statement on this issue. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh accused the TMC, the Congress and the CPI(M) of trying to politicise the matter. Registrar General of India Sailesh announced in Guwahati that 2,89,83,677 people were found to be eligible for inclusion in the final draft of the NRC out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants and around 40.07 lakh of them did not find a place in the document. These 40 lakh people's fate remains in limbo with the Centre declining to comment on their citizenship status. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The release of the much-awaited complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) today was keenly followed by the people of Assam, who chose to check their names on the list online, instead of flocking to the NRC seva kendras (NSKs). The heavy monsoon rains in many places and the unprecedented security arrangements across the state deterred the people from going to the NSKs. They used the SMS service or checked the NRC website to look for their names. "It was a completely peaceful day for Assam with a normal situation prevailing across the state," Director General of Police (DGP) Kuladhar Saikia told PTI. "People have taken the NRC in a normal way. Even if somebody does not find his name, he is not worried as he knows that there is a process for claims and objection. There is no big rush at the NSKs," he said. NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela too told PTI that there was very less crowd at the NSKs and most people were checking their names online. "Despite the huge traffic, our online system is working fine...This is a huge exercise and we can term it the biggest result ever declared in India, even bigger than the CBSE or IIT results," he said. Businessman Abhisekh Gogoi, whose name featured in the list, along with that of his wife and two children, albeit with incorrect spellings, said he saw no reason to go to an NSK. "There was wide publicity by the NRC authorities on the five ways of checking our names and so, I and my family members did not see any reason to go to an NSK," he said. State BJP vice-president Bimal Oswal, a resident of Dhubri district, too checked his and his family members' names online. He found his uncle Amarchand Oswal's name missing from the list. Mostly women flocked to the NSKs in Dhubri and many found their names missing from the list. "The names of women from other states like West Bengal and Bihar, who are married to people from the district, are missing," Omprakash Todi, a prominent citizen of Dhubri, said. "There was so much talk about possible disturbance and the security was also beefed up to tackle any untoward incident. I felt scared to go out and check my name at the NSK," Shristi Goswami of Nagaon said. Rains played spoilsport in the upper Assam districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar and Jorhat. "It is raining heavily in Dibrugarh and there is waterlogging in many areas. So I decided not to go to the NSKs. When the online option is available, people should check it there," academician Bonita Gogoi said. Several applicants found anomalies in their names in the draft NRC. Academician Smita Lahkar pointed out that her mother's name was missing in the first draft, it was included in the complete draft released today, but misspelt. "The NRC is a historic database. Can't they prepare it without spelling errors?" she asked. Medical student Swagata Barua's surname was entered in the first draft as Saikia and despite seeking correction online, there was no change in the complete draft. Many like bureaucrat Sanjiv Boruah said there was no hurry to check the names as there was enough time to file claims and objections. There are five ways to check the names of people in the NRC. The printed version of the document is available at the NSKs with photographs of the applicants and other details like their parents' names, permanent and present addresses, date of birth as well as the name of their "birth states". There is also a provision to check it online. For this, one needs to click on any of these links -- www.nrcassam.nic.in, www.assam.mygov.in, www.assam.gov.in, www.homeandpolitical.assam.gov.in. There is also a provision for automatic receipt of text messages through pre-registration about the status of inclusion of a person's name in the complete draft of the NRC after 12 noon by sending an SMS to 7899405444 or 7026321133 or 7026861122 or 9765556555. The other two ways are an on-demand SMS service from 12 noon today and by making calls to the 24x7 toll-free helplines -- 15107 and 18003453762. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has urged people to refrain from making "inflammatory" remarks in the wake of publication of the final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC), an official release said. During an all-party meeting last night, the CM appreciated the role of the people of Assam in successful completion of the "herculean task" of preparing the NRC, under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court, it said. The representative of parties, too, agreed to extend whole-hearted support to the authorities involved in preparing the NRC. The parties said they would extend necessary legal aid to the genuine applicants. They also requested people not to panic if their names did not appear on the list as "all genuine applicants would get ample time for claims and objections". Dispelling fears of confinement, Sonowal said no one would be sent to any detention camp after the publication of the final draft, the release said. "The first draft of NRC was published (on the midnight of December 31, 2017) in a very peaceful environment. I appeal to the people of the state to maintain the same environment on the aftermath of publication of the final draft," the release said quoting the CM. The government would not tolerate any "communal remarks" on the NRC and people must work jointly to thwart all "evil designs of divisive forces", he added. The members of Congress, BJP, Asom Gana Parisad, CPI(M), CPI, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and representatives of Karbi Anglong as well as NC Hills Autonomous councils were present at yesterday's meeting among others, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said today that no one should spread misinformation on the publication of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The much-anticipated second and final draft of the NRC with 2.89 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants was published around 10 am. "No one should spread misinformation. No one should also give any importance to misinformation," Sonowal said, when asked about his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee's concern over the exclusion of around 40.07 lakh applicants from the NRC. "A government is there in Assam to look after people's interest. You have seen all are living here with unity and honour," he added. The process of publishing the final draft was carried out in cooperation with the Registrar General of India, along with the central and the state government officials, under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court, the chief minister said. "Assam is a very peaceful state. We are confident that all sections of society will come forward to maintain peace and tranquillity. "We have always been abiding by the directions of the Supreme Court (in the NRC process), and whatever direction the Supreme Court will pass on to us, we will sincerely follow it and observe it," Sonowal said. However, around 40.07 lakh applicants, did not find a place in the document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity. "It (NRC) is a draft only, it is to be remembered," he said. The first draft, with 1.9 crore names, was released on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, this year. Earlier in the day, Sonowal congratulated the people of Assam for the successful publication of the NRC. "For this remarkable feat, I extend my heartiest congratulations to the 55,000 officials engaged in the NRC updation process and the people living across the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys, plains and hills of the state," he said. The chief minister expressed confidence that the NRC, which has become the "instrument to safeguard the interest of greater Assamese society," would be able to pave the way for realising the hopes and aspirations of the genuine Indian citizens. Sonowal also urged people not to panic if their names did not appear in the second draft as genuine Indian citizens would get "full opportunity" to make claims and objections. The NRC will include the names of all Indian citizens who have been residing in Assam before March 25, 1971. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The police today resorted to lathi charge to disperse agitating members of the students' wing of the Congress when they forcibly tried to reach chief minister Nitish Kumar's residence. A procession was taken out by the National Students Union of India (NSUI) to protest against the incidents of sexual abuse of girls at a Muzaffarpur shelter home, police said. The procession, comprising scores of NSUI workers - the students' wing of the Congress - was led by party MLA Amit Kumar Tunna, the police said. It was taken out from the Sadaqat Ashram, the party's state headquarters, they said Shouting slogans against the Nitish Kumar government for its alleged inaction in the matter, which has now been handed over to the CBI, the agitators reached the 'Hartali More', where barricades were put up, a police officer said. The police lathi charged them when they tried to go past the barricade forcibly and many demonstrators, including the MLA, were injured, he said. Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) working president Kaukab Qadri issued a statement condemning the "barbaric lathi charge which has caused grievous injuries to a number of our people, including Tunna, the NSUI state president Chunnu Singh, and its senior office bearers Shadab Khan and Ejaz Khan". "The undemocratic suppression of a peaceful demonstration has strengthened the resolve of the Congress to oust the JD(U)-BJP alliance from power in the state which has displayed its incompetence in the horrific Muzaffarpur episode," Qadri said. Meanwhile, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Suresh Kumar said, "No arrests were made in connection with attempts by protesters to cross the barricades and proceed towards VIP locality. Minimum use of force was resorted to and those have sustained injuries are being treated at a hospital". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) via @katieglueck Carlos Curbelo was fuming. It was a sticky Friday afternoon in early July, and the Republican congressman had spent the last hour traipsing through a University of Florida research center, languidly asking academics about their work on environmental challenges confronting this more rural area south of Miami. But as Curbelo emerged, blinking in the sunlight, I told him that his latest fight with the Trump administration had just metastasized. The Department of Health and Human Services had already blocked Curbelos planned visit that day to a nearby shelter for children separated from their parents while crossing the border illegally, enraging Curbelo, who said that morning that his team had worked for weeks to follow protocol in arranging the visit. Now, HHSembroiled in the enormously controversial if short-lived Trump administration policy of family separationwas complaining about the significant and unnecessary strain placed by visiting members of Congress. I dont feel sorry for them at all, Curbelo shot back. We fund all of their operations and all of their salaries, so they should make the time and effort to allow us to see the work theyre doing, especially if theyre confident in the work theyre doing. Curbelo, seeking a third term, represents the most Democratic-leaning district held by a Republican running for reelection this cycle. That willingness to sharply criticize the Trump administrationevidence, allies say, of his independent profilehelps explain why he has thrived here so far. But as Democrats plot a path back to the majority in the House of Representatives, their journey begins in districts like Curbelos: diverse, overwhelmingly Democratic, where Hillary Clinton won by double digits even as more centrist Republican House members managed to hang on in 2016. Republicans in these districts, from Curbelo, whose sprawling district runs from Miami to Key West, to Barbara Comstock in Virginia, are battle-tested and considered some of the GOPs strongest candidates. But based on the pure political realities of their districts at a time when the president is unpopular and progressives are energized, a Democratic loss in districts such as Florida 26 would call into question whether the political environment this election year is really so bad for Republicans after all. Curbelo is a very crafty politician, so its difficult, butyes, we should be winning this seat on a consistent basis, said Mike Abrams, a former state legislator and former chairman of the Dade Democratic Party. Now, this race is shaping up as a national test of whether environment alone is enough to boost a bevy of lesser-known Democratic candidatesor if a strong personal brand still matters on a district-by-district level. Pointing to Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Curbelos likely Democratic opponent, Abrams said: If Debbie wins, I think youre going to say it was a bellwether test of the state of Trump. At least in Miami-Dade County, the political climate was important. If she doesnt win, I think then you would say, hey, there are Republican candidates that can overcome Trumps innate unpopularity. Read more here. Over 10 lakh posts of teachers at the elementary and secondary level are lying vacant across the country, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states and union territories with maximum number of vacant posts at the elementary level while Jammu and Kashmir tops the list with the maximum number of vacancies at the secondary level, according to data compiled till March 31, 2017. Minister of State for HRD Upendra Kushwaha informed Parliament today that out of a total of 51,03,539 sanctioned posts for teachers at the elementary level, 9,00,316 posts are lying vacant. Out of 7,59,828 sanctioned posts for teachers at the elementary level in Uttar Pradesh, 2,24,327 posts are lying vacant. It is followed by Bihar where out of 5,92,514 sanctioned posts, 2,03,934 are lying vacant. Sikkim (8,092 sanctioned posts), Odisha (2,29,006 sanctioned posts) and Goa (5694 sanctioned posts) are the places where there are no vacant spots for teachers at the elementary level. Replying to a question, he cited that out of a total of 6,85,895 sanctioned posts at the secondary level, 1,07,689 posts are lying vacant. Out of 25,657 sanctioned posts for teachers at the secondary level, 21,221 posts are lying vacant in Jammu and Kashmir. It is followed by Bihar where out of 48,468 sanctioned posts, 17,154 seats are lying vacant. Rajasthan (56,512 sanctioned posts), Daman and Diu (139 sanctioned posts), Andaman and Nicobar islands (782 sanctioned posts) and Andhra Pradesh (1,543 sanctioned posts), Manipur (406 sanctioned posts) and Mizoram (1864 sanctioned posts) have zero vacancies for teachers at the secondary level. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over seven per cent of classrooms in schools across the country require major repairs, the Lok Sabha was informed today. In response to a question about whether the government has done any study to identify schools running from unsafe buildings across the country, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Upendra Kushwaha said as per the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), 2016-17 (Provisional), 0.67 per cent schools are having buildings in dilapidated condition. He said as per the UDISE, 7.73 per cent classrooms in the schools across the country require major repairs. Kushwaha said the HRD Ministry had issued guidelines in October 2014 to all states and Union Territories for ensuring safety and security of school children, including preventive mechanisms and procedures required to be put in place in the schooling system along with relief and redressal strategies in case of any incident. As per the CBSE Affiliation bye-laws, before grant of affiliation, a school is required to submit a certificate from the competent authority that the school building was safe. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had issued school safety policy guidelines which were circulated to all states and union territories in September 2017. The guidelines provide for conducting quarterly safety audits by the School Management Committee in schools, including fire and food safety. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Everstone Capital PE-funded firm Ozone Enterprise Group today said it has acquired security and surveillance firm Wallcam for an undisclosed amount. "We have acquired Wallcam from V'con Intelligent Security. It is complimentary to our existing business. We plan to invest Rs 100 crore in this business over a period of next 2.5 years," Alok Aggarwal, the founder and Managing Director of Ozone Enterprise Group told PTI. Aggarwal said that around 60-70 employees of V'Con working on the security and surveillance business will also join the company. Videocon Telecom in partnership with V'Con was selling Wallcam products for sometime. Ozone at present provides safety solutions that include architectural hardware, safes and vaults, locks, fire and safety doors and urban furniture. "We expect to break even in this business in next 3-4 years," Aggarwal said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Socialite Paris Hilton says she is looking forward to parenthood. The 37-year-old reality star believes she will make a great mom, reported E! online. "I can't wait to have a baby. I'm going to be the best mom," she said. Hilton and "The Leftovers" star Chris Zylka got engaged during a ski trip to Aspen, Colorado. Zylka presented her with a massive 20-carat ring worth USD 2 million. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Colorado health officials said a patient who became ill after visiting the Congo has tested negative for the Ebola virus. The man arrived at Denver Health Medical Centre yesterday and was placed in an isolation unit as a precaution. Three people who also had contact with the patient were also isolated and the vehicle that transported the patient was quarantined. The region of the Congo where the man visited has not had an Ebola case for more than 45 days. Denver Health chief medical officer Connie Price says the symptoms can mimic a lot of common illnesses. The patient is in fair condition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hitting out at the AAP government, Union minister Harsh Vardhan today alleged that there was no advance planning to rehabilitate people affected by rising Yamuna waters in Delhi and they were at the "mercy of an insensitive" dispensation. He also attacked the AAP for failing to keep its election promise to install CCTV cameras in the city, a day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tore apart a report of a panel set up by the Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on installation and monitoring of surveillance cameras. "People along the #Yamuna in Delhi are at the mercy of an insensitive government. As the river is rising above danger mark due to incessant rains, no advance planning in place, not enough shelter for people caught up in flood waters. @BJP4Delhi, @BJP4India," he said in a tweet. Several people living along the banks of the river were evacuated after water level in the Yamuna breached the danger mark on Saturday. Kejriwal today directed Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot to make proper arrangements for people living on roads after water from the swollen Yamuna entered their houses. The water level in the Yamuna may rise to 206 metres with the danger mark being 204.83 metres, officials said. The traffic movement on the Old Yamuna Bridge in Delhi was closed yesterday after the water level in the river rose due to rains. Last evening, the river was flowing at 205.5 metres. On Kejriwal tearing the report in front of a gathering yesterday, Vardhan said the AAP government has come up with just a "plan" to install 1.4 lakh CCTVs across the city to "bamboozle" the public after failing to keep its poll promise. "Three years ago AAP had promised in its #ElectionManifesto to install 15 lakh #CCTV cameras in Delhi. After failing in its promise, now #ArvindKejriwal comes up with just a plan' to install 1.4 lakh CCTVs across the city to bamboozle the public. @BJP4Delhi, @BJP4India," the Union minister tweeted. In an act of defiance, Kejriwal had said "no mandatory permission" should be required from police to install CCTV cameras and tore apart the report. He was addressing a representatives of resident welfare and market associations, and NGOs at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here. The chief minister had claimed that crime in Delhi would be "reduced by half" once surveillance cameras were set up across the city. The L-G office in a statement issued later yesterday had said the rules were only at a "draft stage" and had been put out in public domain for suggestions and clarifications. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists playing a key role in India's development is a shot in the arm for the industry at a time when it is dealing with a strong negative perception, India Inc said today. "A much-needed vote of confidence at a time when only one unfortunate face of industry was being perceived...", Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra tweeted. Industry chamber Ficci said it hails PM Modi's recognition of the industry's contribution in the country's growth and his strong refusal to accept any ill-treatment to the industrialists just because a few of them have indulged in illegal activities. "Along with the assurance to work closely with the industry, the Prime Minister's strong message to the industrialists opting for illegal means to harm the nation and its economy that they will not be spared, will certainly help in removing any negative opinion in the public against industry in general, and will rejuvenate the private sector," Ficci President Rashesh Shah said. The prime minister has strengthened industry's resolve to actively participate in the revival of the economy, he added. "While there should be no leniency in dealing with the erring industrialists, the pre-dominant approach of the industrialists has always been to take a lead in nation-building. Reforms like IBC, RERA and GST, have shown that the government is keen to help industry in this objective," Shah noted. The prime minister has given a strong vote of confidence to industry and emphasised that industry plays a vital role in nation-building. This offers huge comfort to industry as it validates our efforts to invest, create jobs and contribute to development, CII President Rakesh Bharti Mittal said. The prime minister in Lucknow yesterday said he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists playing a key role in the nation's development as he slammed the opposition parties for the "mistakes" made during 70 years after India's independence. Attacking them for calling industrialists "chor and luterey", Modi said that he did not hesitate in standing with the business community as his "intentions" are clear. "We are not those who are scared of standing next to businessmen," he said, adding like farmers, bankers, government employees and labourers, industrialists also contributed to the development of the country. Modi's retort came against the backdrop of the repeated attacks by the Congress, which has been alleging that the prime minister had links with "corrupt" industrialists and has been accusing him of neglecting the farmers and the underprivileged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unveiling President Donald Trump's economic strategy for advancing a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today announced USD 113 million in new regional investments focused on digital connectivity, infrastructure and energy, amidst China flexing its military muscles in the region. In an apparent dig at China's ambitious One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR) initiative, Pompeo said the US believes "in strategic partnerships, not strategic dependence" and added that it is clearly in America's strategic interest to deepen its engagement in the region. The US recently renamed its oldest and largest military command - the Pacific Command - to Indo-Pacific Command, in a largely symbolic move to signal India's importance. "President Trump will strike while the iron is hot, because there are clear economic benefits at hand for the American people. Our Indo-Pacific vision excludes no nation," Pompeo said in his address to the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum organised by the US Chambers of Commerce. "We seek to work with anyone to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, so long as that cooperation adheres to the highest standards that our citizens demand. The US is committed to growing our presence in the region because we want Americans and all people of the Indo-Pacific to share in the economic growth of 2020, 2030, 2040, and beyond," he said. Last year, President Trump said in Vietnam, the Indo-Pacific is "a beautiful constellation of nations, each its own bright star, satellites to none and each one a people, a culture, a way of life, a home." To burn brightest, this constellation needs the fuel of innovation and sustainable growth, he had said, adding that this is what America's Indo-Pacific strategy will promote. "I am announcing USD 113 million in new US initiatives to support foundational areas of the future: digital economy, energy, and infrastructure. These funds represent a down payment on a new era in US economic commitment to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," Pompeo said. He asserted that it is clear a big part of America's international economic future is in the Indo-Pacific. "Our strategy seeks to catalyze American businesses to do what they do best in the region. President Trump also expects our commitment to generate greater support for a free and open Indo-Pacific from all countries that share the vision of a region rooted in sovereignty, the rule of law, and sustainable prosperity," he said, in an apparent reference to China, which claims almost all of South China Sea and resorted to aggressive patrols in recent years. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the South China Sea. Pompeo said the US will initially invest a USD 25 million to improve partner countries' digital connectivity and expand opportunities for US technology exports. Under this the US will support communications infrastructure development through technical assistance and public-private partnerships; promote market-driven digital regulatory policies; and build partners' cybersecurity capacity to address common threats, he said. "We do this because we recognise the tremendous economic and social benefits that come with an open, secure, and reliable internet," he said. Through Asia EDGE (which stands for Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy), US will invest nearly USD 50 million this year to help Indo-Pacific partners import, produce, move, store, and deploy their energy resources. America's energy bounty includes vast natural resources, world-leading private firms, sophisticated development-finance tools, and peerless technical expertise. "We will draw on all of these to grow sustainable and secure energy markets in the Indo-Pacific," he said. Pompeo announced the launch of an Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network to boost the development of infrastructure. "This whole-of-government initiative, seeded with nearly USD 30 million, establishes a new interagency body to coordinate, strengthen, and share US tools for project scouting, financing, and technical assistance. It also establishes a new Indo-Pacific Transaction Advisory Fund to help partners access private legal and financial advisory services," he said. "In all these areas digital economy, energy, and infrastructure we look forward to working with allies and partners," Pompeo added. Headed to the region later this week, President Trump will make further announcements on security assistance. Noting that government spending alone can never address the Indo-Pacific's needs, and referring to the Asian Development Bank figure that developing countries in the region will need USD 26 trillion for infrastructure alone by 2030, Pompeo said no government or combination of governments has that kind of money. Only the private sector does, he added. "And only if countries make themselves welcoming to private investment will those trillions of dollars get off the sidelines, into their economies, and into productive enterprises that bring jobs and prosperity to their people. For that to happen, Indo-Pacific leaders must prioritize transparency, anti-corruption, and responsible financing," Pompeo added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would travel to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia later this week as part of the Trump Administration's efforts to strengthen its ties with the countries in the Indo-Pacific region. In Kuala Lumpur on August 2 and 3, Pompeo will meet senior Malaysian officials to discuss strengthening the Comprehensive Partnership and advancing common security and economic interests based on their strongly shared democratic values, the State Department said today. Pompeo will participate in annual ASEAN-centered ministerial meetings in Singapore on August 3 and 4. At the ASEAN Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit Ministerial, the US-ASEAN Ministerial, and Lower Mekong Initiative Ministerial, Pompeo will engage his fellow foreign ministers on the region's most pressing security challenges, promote the rules-based order, reinforce US' commitment to partnerships in the lower Mekong region, and reaffirm US' dedication to ASEAN and its friends and allies in the region, the State Department said. In his meetings, Pompeo will discuss denuclearization of North Korea, upholding the rule?s-based order in the South China Sea, and countering terrorism. He will meet with the prime minister and the foreign minister of Singapore. In Jakarta on August 4 and 5, Pompeo will discuss advancing the shared security and bilateral trade and investment goals, affirm ASEAN centrality, and highlight Indonesia's leadership in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The process of claims and objections to the draft NRC in Assam will start from August 30 and continue for a month, a senior official said. The process if required can be also extended by another month, he said. The Register of Citizens (NRC), a list of Assam citizens, published on Monday with the names of about 4 million residents of the state not being included in it. The process of claims and objections to the NRC will start on August 30 and the date was fixed taking into consideration that those whose names are not part of the draft NRC can gather documents in the next one month and prepare to approach NRC authorities, the official said. The window of claims and objections will be from August 30 to September 30 and if required NRC authorities may extend the period by another month -- till October 30, he said. During the period, no coercive action will be taken against anyone, the official said. At a press conference in Guwahati, Registrar General of India Sailesh announced that 2,89,83,677 people were found to be eligible for inclusion in the draft of the NRC out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants. The updating of the NRC is a Supreme Court-monitored process being carried out in Assam. Short version gambling is legal in Belarus. A lot of fine print is set to follow, but that is the gist of it. Belarus offers legal gambling options as part of a bid to boost the tourist industry in the country. And to be honest, it has worked a charm so far. Belarusians dont seem to have the same serious problem with gambling as Australians, so the influx of casinos has been more than welcome for locals and tourists alike. In fact, Belarus can now be considered one of the gambling havens of Eastern Europe. The question is: are all forms of gambling allowed? Well, no. Belarusian law recognizes four specific forms of gambling that are allowed: Slot machine play; Game tables; Sports betting; Box office sweepstakes This means that casinos and bookmaker offices can operate freely, and many other establishments are allowed to host machines and counters in separate parlours. To run gambling activities, you need a license which is issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Licenses can be issued to firms or to individual entrepreneurs, but getting one isnt easy. The cost would vary depending on the gambling activity, but you should expect something in the region of $5,000. You may have noticed the omission of online games from the gambling type overview. Well, the truth is that things are very unclear there because nowhere in the laws themselves are online casinos mentioned. However, considering that the wording is focused on permitting certain forms of gambling, it is safe to assume that online gambling is, in fact, forbidden. For that reason, you will not find any online casino registered in Belarus. Of course, this does not stop Belarusians from playing at casinos. They simply use offshore sites; finding one isnt that easy, because for a long time there were attempts to block such sites. Still, most Belarusians find a way if they want to, and there has been a lot of noise about legalising online gambling anyways. Running a casino or any gambling activity in Belarus is also tied to paying certain taxes, which vary according to the establishment. Most entrepreneurs have been grumbling against the 4% income tax that affects any gambling win. It overcomplicates things a little bit and is yet to be removed. If you are visiting the country, then you should know that you will find the most casinos in the capital Minsk as well as some of the best pubs in the country. When they hear of Minsk, most people expect something dark and gritty, still carrying the old Soviet spirit, but the city is actually very scenic and quite popular with tourists just take a look at those sights! The city boasts no less than 8 casinos and many smaller parlours for a quick spin. In my next posts, I will be telling which the best casinos in Minsk are. , friends! Anthony Civil society organisations today held a protest demanding the resignation of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls in a shelter home at Muzaffarpur in Bihar. They staged a protest outside Bihar Bhawan in Chanakyapuri here and also sought a fair probe into the incident. Slamming the state government, the protesters indulged in sloganeering against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bihar Chief Minister. Seeking speedy justice for the survivors, protesters demanded a comprehensive and time-bound high level enquiry with monitoring by the apex court. Blaming the Nitish-government for failing to maintain law and order in his state, National Federation for Indian Women General Secretary, Annie Raja, said crores of rupees have been spent on the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Andolan, but Nitish kumar has "failed" in his own state. "Bihar Chief Minister has failed to protect and save girls in his state. He does not have any right to remain the Chief Minister. He must resign immediately", she said. Demanding a comprehensive enquiry, Raja said the High Court must monitor the CBI enquiry. Former Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar demanded a fair probe in the matter. "Why were separate FIRs based on the statements of each of the victims not registered when the dates of occurrence of the incidents were different? It's an attempt to cover up the matter. CBI must rectify it and Supreme Court sitting Chief Justice should monitor the case", said Ali Anwar. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha questioned Modi over his "silence" on the incident. Former President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union Kanhaiya Kumar also joined the protest. "Those involved in the case must be immediately removed from their post. Only a fair probe can grant justice to the victims and strict action must be taken against the accused", he said. The CBI has taken over the probe into the Muzaffarpur case. The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur. The matter had come to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by a Mumbai-based institute. The audit report stated that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints. The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani. Women staff members of the shelter home and Brajesh Thakur, who ran the NGO, were among those arrested by the local police in connection with the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Puducherry government today directed its treasuries to admit pay bills, paving the way for disbursal of salaries of its employees tomorrow amid a standoff over passage of the Appropriation Bill, which allows withdrawal of funds for expenditure, by the assembly. A circular to this effect was issued by the Finance Department amid apprehensions among employees and pensioners that there might by disruption in payment of salaries and pension as usual on the last working day of the month in view of the non-passage of the crucial bill. The bill, which allows withdrawal of amount for government expenditure from the consolidated fund, could not be passed during the budget session of the assembly which was abruptly adjourned sine-die on July 19 as Lt Governor Kiran Bedi had not given her clearance to it. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had accused Bedi of deliberately withholding approval for the crucial bill. However, Bedi cleared the bill two days later with a rider that three nominated MLAs be allowed to attend the assembly proceedings as per a Supreme Court order. Yesterday, she had suggested that the assembly be reconvened before tomorrow for adopting the bill. A spokesman of the Finance department said the circular directed the Directorate of Account and Treasuries (DAT) to admit pay and pension bills and those relating to sanction of grant in aid to institutions functioning under the Societies Act for the month of July and make payments accordingly as usual. The circular said necessary funds had been made available under the respective head of accounts for disbursement of the payment, he said. Necessary steps had also been taken to ensure that old age pension was also disbursed without any difficulty. Government staff and pensioners in Puducherry get their salary and pension on the last working day of the month through bank accounts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje will begin her Rajasthan Gaurav yatra from the Charbhujanath temple in Rajsamand district on August 4. The first meeting under the yatra will take place on JK stadium in Rajsamand on that day. Before the meeting, she will visit the temple, a government statement said. After the meeting, she will pay visit to the Dwarkadhish temple in Kankroli and will then leave for Nathdwara (both in Rajsamand). In the first leg of the Rajasthan Gaurav yatra, the chief minister will address several public meetings in Udaipur division. She will cover all the divisions of the state with her yatra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Civic officials started today razing illegal construction at dismissed Gujarat IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's residence here, hours after the Supreme Court rejected a plea seeking a stay on its demolition. Officials and labourers of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) started the demolition exercise this afternoon with the help of various equipment and they are likely to complete the task by late tonight. Bhatt's residence, a ground plus two-storey bungalow, is located in the Sushil Park Housing Society in the posh Gurukul area here. The 1988-batch IPS officer, who had taken on the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, was in August 2015 sacked by the Union home ministry on the ground of "unauthorised absence" from service. According to AMC officials, the Supreme Court earlier today dismissed the plea filed by Bhatt's wife Shweta against the demolition of illegal structure. "A total of 92 square metres of area was illegally constructed and will be demolished. The illegal construction was done inside the margin area of the residence. "The illegal construction covers the ground floor and two floors above," said Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vishal Khanama. "We started the demolition process as soon as the Supreme Court dismissed (Shweta) Bhatt's plea seeking a stay on the demolition process," he added. In 2012, one Pravinchandra Patel, who owns a bungalow behind Bhatt's residence, had moved the Gujarat High Court, seeking direction to the AMC to demolish the "unauthorised construction" by Bhatt. Patel, an NRI, had alleged Bhatt did not pay heed to his request to leave margin space while constructing upper floors, forcing him to file a petition in the HC. "We share the same compound wall. However, it is not a common wall as it was built on our land. When Bhatt started building upper floors using that wall and without leaving any margin, we raised objection. However, he told us to do whatever we can," said Patel's brother, Jayant Patel. Bhatt's wife had moved a division bench of the HC after a single judge bench ordered the demolition of illegal portions in 2016. However, the division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi on July 25 dismissed the appeal and allowed the civic authorities to go ahead. Soon after the HC order, Bhatt's wife Shweta had moved the Supreme Court which stayed the demolition till today and asked the petitioner to file a special leave petition. However, the SC rejected her petition today. Bhatt had filed an affidavit before the SC, claiming he had attended a meeting at Modi's residence in Gandhinagar on February 27, 2002, during which the CM had instructed the top police officers to allow the Hindus to "vent out their anger" after the torching of Sabarmati Express at Godhra. However, his claim was rejected by the apex court- appointed Special Investigation Team which probed the post- Godhra riot cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The railways has paid over Rs 29 lakh to a premier research institution to conduct a study on computing the value of social service obligation being borne by them, Union minister Rajen Gohain said in the Rajya Sabha today. In a written reply, he said while there is no subsidy on passenger and freight segment, the railways carries out certain transport activities which are uneconomic in nature and in the larger interest of the country. "The Indian Railways had appointed the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) in 2017 for study of developing a mechanism for computing the value of Social Service Obligation (SSO) being borne by the Indian Railways. Rs 29,50,000 has been paid to NIPFP for this study. "NIPFP had submitted a Report on Social Service Obligations of IR dated November 28, 2017. The report is under consideration," the minister of state for railways said. The railways continues to incur losses every year by performing a variety of un-remunerative services and most of these losses are due to low ordinary second class fare, low suburban and non-suburban season ticket, loss on essential commodities carried below cost, and a variety of concessions granted on passenger ticket, he said. "Working of uneconomic branch lines, too, imposes a heavy burden on Indian Railways' finances. A gap is thus created between the revenue income generated through these services and their cost," Gohain added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Route patrol by police has been deployed at every 20 km besides initiating CCTV camera installation to check thefts on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), Parliament was informed today. The government last week had said that instances of theft of street lamps, among other items, were taking place at the 135-km long EPE, billed as the country's first smart and green highway. "Route patrol has been deployed at every 20 km length to safeguard such type of thefts," Minister of State for Road, Transport and Highways, Mansukh L Mandaviya told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. He was replying to a question whether the people have stolen newly installed solar panels, batteries, iron and underpass lights worth millions of rupees. The minister said apart from patrol, the work for installation of CCTV cameras has been initiated. "Consultation have been held with district administration of Palwal, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Faridabad, Baghpat and Sonepat and it has been requested to take necessary steps to mitigate such untoward incidents including theft and increase in measures like surveillance and police patrol," he said. The EPE is also the country's first highway to be lit by solar power and there are eight solar power plants on this Expressway, with a capacity of 4000 KW (4 megawatt) for lighting of the underpasses and running solar pumps for watering plants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 27 had inaugurated the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), built at a cost of about Rs 11,000 crore. The prime minister on the same day had launched the first phase of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway built at a cost of Rs 842 crore. There have been reports of theft of solar lights etc on both the expressways. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The row over the publication of the National Register of Citizens(NRC) in Assam today echoed in Parliament where Home Minister Rajnath Singh asserted the Centre has no role in the preparation of the draft list and it was done on the directives of the Supreme Court. Singh also asked the opposition parties not to create panic and to politicise the "sensitive" issue. As the Trinamool Congress(TMC), the Samajwadi Party(SP) and other opposition parties triggered an uproar in the Rajya Sabha leading to the adjournment of the House ahead of schedule, Singh told the Lok Sabha that allegations against the government were baseless. In the Lok Sabha, the TMC, Congress, CPI(M) and the SP criticised the Centre over the publication of the list, saying it puts "human rights and democratic rights" of people at stake. Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in Assam. The second draft of the NRC was published today in Guwahati. Singh said the NRC was being demanded in Assam for a long time and the previous state government had set up foreign tribunals following the Supreme Court order. "In publishing NRC, the government has done nothing. Everything is being done as per Supreme Court order. The allegation of the opposition against the government is baseless," Singh said. He appealed to opposition members not to create "panic" since it is a "sensitive issue". "The government is not doing anything. Whatever is happening is under the supervision of the Supreme Court," Singh said. Singh said the NRC list published today is not the final list and applicants will have the option of raising claims and objections. "People who feel their name should have been part of the NRC can file claims and objections. In how much time those claims and objections would be disposed off that will be decided by the Supreme Court," he added. Asking the opposition to list out what role the government has played in the NRC, Singh said, "It is a sensitive issue and should not be politicised unnecessarily". Unsatisfied with the Minister's response, an unrelenting opposition staged a walkout from the House. The Trinamool Congress had moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on the NRC issue, which was not taken up by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Asking where the 40 lakh people will go, Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) asked the Centre to ensure that justice should not be denied to the people who have been living in Assam for decades now. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said "original citizens" of the state are being asked questions and this is creating division in the state based on caste and creed. Mohd Saleem (CPI-M) said the situation in Assam is fragile and "human rights and democratic rights" of the people of the state are at stake. Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav (SP) said the move would lead to "hatred" and "violence" in Assam and dubbed it as a "war on people" who are living in the state for the last 40 years. The Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournmments earlier in the day due to the continued uproar over the issue before the Chair called it a day at 2:13 pm. When the House reconvened at 2 pm after the last adjournment, TMC leader Derek O'Brien stood up demanding a discussion on the notice given by him on the NRC. However, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he had taken the initiative earlier in the day and even called Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the House to respond on the issue, but the House was not in order. Later, O'Brien told reporters that TMC has decided to circulate a note on NRC among other political parties. "We think the NRC is inhuman and violates human rights. We would circulate a note on it among all political parties," he said. Alleging that the government did not consult West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the issue, the TMC leader said that a delegation of party MPs would soon visit Assam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court was today told that over Rs 15 crore collected since 2006 from wages of convicts lodged in Tihar Jail for welfare of their victims has been lying unutilised. The submission was made before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar by the prison authorities during hearing of a PIL challenging the practice of deducting 25 per cent of the convicts' wages towards a victim welfare fund. The Director General of Prisons in an affidavit has said there is no need to withdraw the victim compensation scheme being operated by it as similar schemes of the Centre and Delhi government were meant to supplement each other and not replace one another. The prison has also said that till date it has held 12 meetings and approximately Rs 80.73 lakh has been disbursed to 194 eligible victims. It has opposed the PIL which has sought quashing of an August 2006 notification and the Delhi Prison Rules of 1988 which mandate deduction of wages of prisoners. The court listed the matter for further hearing on September 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the second time till 2 pm today as Opposition parties led by the TMC created an uproar over publication of Assam's National Register of Citizens. When the Upper House resumed after the first adjournment at noon, members from Opposition parties especially Congress, TMC and Samajwadi Party were up on their feet to raise the issue again. But Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow them and adjourned proceedings for the second time till 2 pm. Out of 3.29 crore applicants, 2.89 crore have been found eligible for inclusion in the complete draft of NRC, that was released in Guwahati this morning. This meant that the names of 40.07 lakh have been left out. Earlier no sooner had the House mourned the death of former member N Thangaraj Pandian and listed papers presented, TMC members led by their leader Derek O'Brien were up on their feet raising the issue. SP members and some from the Congress too started raising the issue leading to a din. Naidu first said he had not received any notice and later said that some members had met him expressing desire to raise the NRC issue. "I myself have requested the Home Minister to come (to respond to members' concern)," he said, adding he was ready for a discussion. As unrelenting members moved to the aisle, he warned that House proceedings would be adjourned if they did not return to their seats. "I am ready for discussions. I want the Home Minister to respond. What (more) you want," he said. "The Home Minister is here. He will respond," he said. Home Minister Rajnath Singh was present in the House. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day following an uproar by the opposition, especially the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the publication of Assam's National Register of Citizens. The Upper House witnessed three adjournmments earlier in the day due to the continued uproar over the issue before the Chair called it a day at 2:13 pm. When the House reconvened at 2 pm after the last adjournment, TMC leader Derek O'Brien of Trinamool Congress stood up demanding a discussion on the notice given by him on the NRC. However, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he had taken the initiative earlier in the day and even called Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the House to respond on the issue, but the House was not in order. "Home Minister came all the way to the House, neither the members were willing to say anything, nor did they allow the House to function," Naidu said, adjourning the Rajya Sabha for ten minutes. When the House reconvened at 2:11 pm, O'Brien again demanded a discussion on the issue under Rule 267. "It is not a political issue sir. It is a question of human rights, it is a humanitarian issue, it is a national issue, ... we need to look after Indian citizens. Please allow me to raise this issue sir," he said. However, Naidu reiterated that he had called the Home Minister to the House earlier in the day for a discussion, but the House was not in order and hence the opportunity could not be utilised. "I assure you I will give the first opportunity tomorrow morning in the beginning of session itself," Naidu said. However, O'Brien was unrelenting and, with other TMC members joining him in raising the issue, forced Naidu to adjourn the House for the day. Out of 3.29 crore applicants, 2.89 crore have been found eligible for inclusion in the complete draft of NRC, that was released in Guwahati this morning. This meant that the names of 40.07 lakh have been left out. When the House had assembled for the day and listed papers were laid after mourning the death of former member N Thangaraj Pandian, TMC members led by their leader Derek O'Brien were up on their feet raising the issue. SP members and some from the Congress too started raising the issue leading to a din. Naidu first said he had not received any notice and later said that some members had met him and expressed their desire to raise the NRC issue. As the din continued, he adjourned the House till noon. When it reconvened, the opposition members, especially Congress, TMC and Samajwadi Party, were on their feet to raise the issue again. But Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow them and adjourned the proceedings for the second time till 2 pm. Later, O'Brien told reporters that TMC has decided to circulate a note on NRC among other political parties. "We think the NRC is inhumsn and violates human rights. We would circulate a note on it among all political parties," he said. Alleging that the government did not consult West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the issue, the TMC leader said that a delegation of TMC MPs would soon visit Assam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) True to his wry wit, Ryan Reynolds marked the four year "leak-iversary" of the early footage from the first "Deadpool" film in the Marvel franchise. Reynolds, who stars in the title role of the Merc with a Mouth, has said in the past that he struggled to get the project up and running for 11 years. But the film got a green light after the test footage went viral on the internet. The 41-year-old actor quipped he is still hunting for the person who leaked the test footage. "It's the 4 year Leak-iversery. UPDATE: Still searching for the bast**d who leaked our test footage onto the internet causing Deadpool to receive a green light. Taking over the investigation myself. #Angry," Reynolds wrote on Twitter. The actor reprised his role in "Deadpool 2" this year. Reynolds, who co-wrote the sequel with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, recently downplayed the chances of another "Deadpool" movie, saying the team will cross that bridge when they come to it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Firebrand Hindutva leader Sadhvi Prachi today offered prayers at the Gorakhnath temple here on the first Monday of the holy month of Saavan, and said she prayed for a life partner for Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Speaking to reporters here after visiting the temple, Prachi said, "I have been regularly coming here to seek the blessings of Baba Gorakhnath, but this time I came with a special wish." "I prayed that if they (the Congress) do not get a majority to form the government, may Rahul get a life partner. (Agar unhe sarkar ke liye bahumat na mile, to Rahul Gandhi ko bahu mil jaaye," said Prachi. Hitting out at the Sadhvi, UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh said, "It has become a trend for these people to ridicule the top leadership of the Congress. In fact, their survival heavily depends on such trivial statements. And when a Sadhvi is making such statements, it is simply in very bad taste. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Retired Supreme Court Judge N Santosh Hegde has extended his support to the proposed hunger strike of social activist Anna Hazare from October 2 against the Union government for the delay in appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre. The former Solicitor General of India, a key member of "Team Anna" that spearheaded a strong anti-corruption movement in the country in 2011, said he would participate in the strike only "for a while" because he has other commitments. "If I am free on October 2, I will certainly go (to Ralegan Siddhi) or else some other day. I am with Anna Hazare (on this issue)," the former Karnataka Lokayukta told PTI. Hazare had said he would go on a hunger strike from October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, at his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, and also appealed people to join him in his campaign for a corruption-free country. The anti-corruption crusader criticised the NDA government, saying it had earlier assured it will appoint the Lokpal and implement the Lokpal Bill, passed by Parliament and signed by the then President in January 2014. "But there is a lack of will in this government to curb corruption and hence, it is giving a lot of reasons and delaying the appointment of the Lokpal," Hazare said. Echoing his sentiments, Hegde said "it's quite some time since assurance was given, the law has been passed. For some reason or the other they are not making appointment." The Supreme Court had last week rejected as "wholly unsatisfactory" the Centre's submission on the issue of setting up a search committee for the Lokpal and demanded a "better affidavit" within four weeks. Earlier this month, the Lokpal selection committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held its meeting to set up a search panel for recommending names for the appointment of the Lokpal and its members. The Congress nominee Mallikarjun Kharge, who is special invitee" to the selection committee, did not attend it. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Kharge said he will not attend the meeting till the time the leader of the single largest opposition party is made a full-fledged member of the panel. On this, Hegde said "one man can't hold the committee for ransom", and added that the government should go ahead on the issue of Lokpal appointment. "It can't be used an excuse". "That's the impression anybody would get", Hegde said when asked if he felt the government is deliberately delaying the appointment process but hastened to add that he is blaming every party as none of them want a strong ombudsman-institution. Citing examples, he said the institution of Lokayukta has been weakened after the Congress came to power in Karnataka in 2014, and also talked about recent dilution of powers of the institution in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. "I blame every political party; they don't want a strong ombudsman-institution," Hegde added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today dismissed former Union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran's plea and asked him to face trial in the case connected to the alleged setting up of "illegal" telephone exchanges to benefit his brother Kalanithi Maran's Sun TV Network. Maran had challenged the Madras High Court's July 25 decision setting aside a CBI court order discharging him in the case. A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, R Banumathi and Navin Sinha said it was not inclined to interfere in the matter and all the allegations could be dealt with during the trial. The case relates to when Dayanidhi, a grandnephew of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, was minister for communications and information technology in the UPA-1 government. The CBI has alleged that he misused his official position and got private telephone exchanges installed at his residences in Chennai. These were used for Sun Network's business transactions. According to the CBI, over 700 high-end telecommunication lines were installed at the Maran's residences in the Boat Club and Gopalapuram areas of the city for which bills were not raised, causing a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer. The special CBI court had on March 14 discharged the Maran brothers and five other accused, holding there was no prima facie case against them. The other accused are former BSNL general manager K Brahmanathan, former deputy general manager M P Velusamy, Dayanidhi Maran's private secretary Gauthaman and some Sun TV officials. Allowing the CBI's appeal against their discharge, the Madras High Court had directed the special court to frame charges and conclude the trial within a year from the date of receipt of the copy of the high court order. Kalanithi Maran, a billionaire businessman, is the chairman and founder of the Sun Group, which owns several media houses. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today directed realty firm Supertech Ltd to deposit Rs 7 crore by September 5 to refund 111 home-buyers who had taken loans from banks and opted out of its building project in Uttar Pradesh's Noida area. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the realtor to deposit the balance amount of Rs 13 crore by November-end to pay back the home buyers in its Emerald Towers project comprising two 40-storey residential buildings. The apex court said as far as 24 home buyers, who are insisting on 14 per cent per annum interest, are concerned they are directed to accept the proposal as per the calculation of the amicus curiae. Advocate Gaurav Agrawal, who has been appointed amicus curiae in the case, told the court that to satisfy the claim of 111 home buyers, an amount of Rs 35 crore was required to be deposited out of which an amount of Rs 15 crore has already been deposited. "A lump sum interest of Rs 1 crore shall be deposited before the registry of this court within the said period to compensate the delayed payment to the 111 + 24 buyers... "The deposited amount along with interest shall be disbursed by the registry on pro rata basis with the assistance of Gaurav Agrawal. Registry shall disburse the amount within a period of ten days hence," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said. The court, in August last year, had asked Supertech to deposit Rs 10 crore for refunding principal money to the investors who want to opt out of its Emerald Towers project. The bench was hearing pleas against the Allahabad High Court's April 11, 2014, verdict ordering demolition of the two 40-storey twin towers-- Apex and Ceyane -- in Noida and directing Supertech to refund money to home-buyers with 14 per cent interest in three months. The towers have 857 apartments, of which about 600 flats have already been sold. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today questioned the Election Commission's notification allowing none of the above (NOTA) option in the ballot papers for the Rajya Sabha polls saying it was meant to be exercised by individual voters in direct polls. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also reserved its verdict on a plea of Shailesh Manubhai Parmar, who was the Congress' chief whip in the Gujarat Assembly during the last Rajya Sabha polls, in which the party had fielded sitting MP Ahmed Patel. Parmar had challenged the poll panel's notification allowing NOTA option in ballot papers. "Why should a Constitutional court be party to an unconstitutional act... If a person does not vote, he could be expelled by the party. But by introducing NOTA, you (EC) are legitimising the act of not voting," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. It said the NOTA option was meant for individual voters in direct elections and for polls for Rajya Sabha and MLC seats. The idea behind having an open ballot voting system in polls for the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Councils was to restrain cross-voting due to corrupt practices, it said. The bench also said that a lawmaker has to vote according to the directions of his or her party in such polls where preferences have to be disclosed on party lines and the voter cannot say that he would give first preference to a candidate and then give NOTA. "Whether to vote and not to vote falls under the domain of the member of the house and the Election Commission cannot issue notification giving NOTA option," it said. "How can the Election Commission can enter into this arena," the bench asked, while taking note of the submissions of Attorney General K K Venugopal, who opposed the poll panel's notification, that NOTA should not be made applicable in Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. Venugopal said a party enters into some kind of "contract" with other party which was beneficial to them and asked the MLAs to vote according to its decisions. "Fundamental right of freedom of speech and expressions can be curtailed on the ground of morality," he said, adding that MLAs are bound by the decisions of their respective parties. The poll panel opposed the plea against NOTA provision and said that it was an "abuse" of the legal process. The bench asked the poll panel as to why it was venturing into the "complicated" area. "Heard Abhishek Manu Singvhi, senior counsel for the petitioner, K K Venugopal, Attorney General, appearing for the Union of India and Amit Sharma, for the Election Commission. Arguments concluded. Judgment reserved," the bench said. Earlier, the court had refused to stay the Election Commission's notification allowing NOTA option in the ballot paper for the Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat from where Patel was also contesting. It had, however, agreed to examine the constitutional validity of the NOTA provision in the Rajya Sabha polls, saying that the issue needed to be debated. It had asked the Attorney General to assist the court during the hearing. The Gujarat Congress leader had alleged that if the NOTA provision was allowed in the Rajya Sabha polls, it would encourage "horse-trading and corruption". The poll panel had said that NOTA was first introduced in 2014 following an apex court verdict a year earlier and they (Congress) did not have any objection in subsequent polls as it suited them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a plea seeking action against 'paid news' after which the petitioner withdrew it to approach an appropriate forum. Paid is a phenomenon by which political advertising is presented as item. "Don't you think enough is enough," a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who had filed the petition. "Everybody who has a grievance in this world cannot come to the Supreme Court with a petition under Article 32," the bench, also comprising justices R Banumathi and Navin Sinha, said. Article 32 of the Constitution deals with the writ jurisdiction of the apex court through which citizens can seek the enforcement of their fundamental rights. During the brief hearing, the counsel appearing for Upadhyay said they had not approached the appropriate forum, that is the Election Commission of India, before filing the petition and wanted to withdraw the plea. "Counsel for the petitioner prays for withdrawal of the writ petition with liberty to move the appropriate forum for redressal of the grievances highlighted. Permission is granted," the bench noted in its order. In his petition, Upadhyay has alleged that paid only "masquerades as news and in actuality, are advertisements under the garb of news items". "Thus, they totally mislead the electors. This raises potential concerns relating to the veracity of the claims and possible defamatory consequences of such news items and advertisements," the plea said. He had also pointed out in his plea that the Press Council of India (PCI), in its report on paid news, had recommended that paid news should be declared to be a corrupt practice. "Paid news and political advertisements form a deceptive pool of knowledge and information," the petition said. The plea had said that publication of paid news also involves the use of unaccounted money, under-reporting of election expenses of political parties and candidates indulging in other kinds of malpractices. "The trust and confidence of electoral demographic that our democracy enjoys will soon be lost, if paid news and political advertisements remain unattended and become new norm," the plea had said. The petition had sought a direction to the Centre to take steps to implement the recommendations of the Election Commission of India and the Law Commission on paid news. It had also sought a direction to the poll panel and the PCI to take appropriate steps to curtail paid news in line with the recommendations of the Law Commission and declare it as a corrupt practice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sebi has banned two firms -- Tower Infotech and Agragami Agro Farms -- as also their seven present and former directors along with four promoters from the securities market for at least four years for illegally raising funds. The regulator has also asked them to refund the investor's money. Sebi said that Tower Infotech had raised nearly Rs 46 crore from 49,489 investors through issuance of redeemable preference shares (RPS) and non convertible debentures (NCD), while Agragami garnered over Rs 3.45 crore by issuing RPS and secured RPS from over 200 allottees. These funds were collected between 2005 and 2010 by Tower Infotech and Agragami raised them during 2008-13, added Sebi. Since the shares were issued to more than 50 people by each firm, the offer of RPS and NCDs qualified to be a public issue and required compulsory listing of the securities on a recognised stock exchange. However both companies did not comply with the provision. Among the other requirements, the firms were also required to register a prospectus with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) under the Companies Act, which they failed to do, the regulator said in a order dated July 27. Accordingly, the companies its directors and promoters have been banned from the capital market till completion of four years from the date of complete refunds made to the investors concerned, Sebi said in similarly worded orders. Moreover, the directors and the promoters have been restrained from associating themselves with any listed public company till the expiry of four years from the date of completion of refunds. The regulator has also banned Shambhu N.De & Co., Pradip Majumdar of Tower Infotech and Ramesh Jorddar, Sunati Ghosh of Agragami from the capital markets for the same period for not registering as debenture trustees. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The eight-year-old girl from Kathua, who was gang-raped and killed, was overdosed with a cocktail of sedatives through her captivity,"rendering her incapacitated" to resist sexual assault and murder, states the supplementary charge sheet filed by Jammu and Kashmir's Crime Branch today. The charge sheet filed in the Pathankot sessions court sums up the investigation of the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch team and also gives details of the analyses of calls and bank accounts that led it to the eight accused of the brutal crime in January this year. The supplementary charge sheet was submitted by a Crime Branch team -- led by Senior Superintendent of Police R K Jalla and special public prosecutors J K Chopra and Santokh Singh Basra, Bhopinder Singh and Harminder Singh -- before Pathankot District and Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh. "We have submitted the supplementary charge sheet, giving details of call analyses, bank details and medical reports," special public prosecutor Chopra told PTI. The charge sheet lists in chilling detail the sedatives, including cannabis, forcefully given to the child from a minority nomadic community, who was abducted on January 10 and allegedly kept in captivity for three days. She was killed on January 14 and her body was found in a forested area near Kathua on January 17, officials said. During the course of the investigation, "it has been established that the victim was administered sedatives by accused during her captivity", the charge sheet states. She was given 'mannar' (believed to be local cannabis) as well as Epitril 0.5 mg on an empty stomach, it says. "She was forcefully administered five tablets of Clonazepam of 0.5 mg each on January 11, 2018 which is higher than the safe therapeutic dose. Subsequently more tablets were given...The signs and symptoms of an overdose may include drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, slow reflexes, slowed or stopped breathing, coma (loss of consciousness) and death," according to the medical expert's report submitted along with the charge sheet. The peak concentration of Clonazepam is achieved in the blood after "one hour to 1.5 hours" of oral administration and its absorption is complete "irrespective of (whether it is) administered with or without food", states the report. It says the tablets given to the eight-year-old could have pushed her into a state of shock or coma. "... the expert opinion coupled with other evidence that has come on record prima-facie establishes that the victim child was continuously administered overdose of Clonazepam (Epitril) rendering her incapacitated to resist rape and murder," the charge sheet says. The Crime Branch has arrested Sanji Ram, custodian of a temple where the child was allegedly confined, his son Vishal and his juvenile nephew, two special police officers Deepak Khajuria alias 'Dipu' and Surender Verma and friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu. All of them were named in the first charge sheet on April 9. It also arrested head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta, who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Ram and destroyed crucial evidence. Raj and Dutta have since been dismissed from service. The supplementary charge sheet highlights the efforts of Vishal and his father Ram, alleged to be the mastermind behind the crime, to create an alibi. They were allegedly trying to show that Vishal had never visited Kathua was actually taking an exam on January 15. It says Kumar was not only in constant touch with Khajuria but also in contact with Raj, who is alleged to have played a pivotal role in striking a deal between the police and Ram for destruction of evidence. The charge sheet has submitted Kumar's detailed call analysis to show he shared a common location with other accused on crucial dates of the crime and immediately thereafter. The duration of the calls made and their frequency increased after the rape and murder, leading to "irresistible conclusion of knee deep involvement of accused Surinder Kumar with other accused...", the charge sheet says. The Crime Branch also conducted an analysis of the two bank accounts of Ram and found he had made huge cash withdrawals. Witness statements recorded by the Crime Branch confirmed the accused had undertaken no constructional activity and had no social obligation either, the document says. The Crime Branch alleged in its charge sheet that the withdrawals were made to bribe the police officers for destruction of evidence. A copy of the supplementary charge sheet has been handed to the defence counsel. Earlier this month, the Crime Branch informed the Supreme Court that it would be submitting a supplementary charge sheet in the case. The apex court bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, had on July 9 given it eight weeks to file the document. The district and sessions court in Pathankot framed charges of rape and murder against the seven accused in the case on June 8, after the Supreme Court transferred the case from Kathua on a plea of victim's family Ram, considered the main accused, is alleged to have hatched the conspiracy with the other accused for kidnapping the girl as part of a strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area. The fate of the eighth accused, a juvenile, was yet to be decided after the Crime Branch moved an application in the high court claiming him to be an adult. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Shiv Sena, an ally of the ruling coalition, today criticised the Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra for the death of 30 people in a bus accident in Raigad district. It said the 'king' is responsible for the death of soldiers who don't take part in wars. Development does not mean laying of "Japanese bullet train tracks", but averting such road accidents which kill people en masse, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. It criticised the Centre for focusing on its ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, instead of repairing the railway's (existing) signalling system and tracks. Thirty staff members of an agriculture university at Dapoli in Raigad were killed when their bus fell in a gorge at Ambenali Ghat near Poladpur town on Saturday, while they were going on a picnic to Mahabaleshwar in Satara district. "An accident is an accident. The chief minister and other ministers expressed grief over the (Raigad) accident. But it is not good that the government is faced with such incidents daily," the Shiv Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. "...it is the king who is responsible for the death of soldiers who do not take part in wars and each unnatural death," it said. Taking a jibe at the government over its proposed Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway project, the Shiv Sena said the state should understand that most people in Maharashtra travel by roads in difficult terrains. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also asked the government when such accidents would stop happening. Such incidents won't stop until the government focuses on improving its functioning, the way it devotes energy to win polls, the Sena added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today blamed the media for the flare-up of the demand for a separate statehood for north Karnataka, saying if anything went wrong in future, it would be held responsible. "You (media) are responsible for flaring up of separate North Karnataka state issue.I would like to tell my media friends that by raking up the issue everyday, you are ruining the state. Don't mistake me," he told reporters here. If anything went wrong in future, the media would be held responsible for any untoward incidents, he warned. "It is a media creation. Actually there is nothing happening of that sort. People there are not making any such demand. They are with the government," he said. Targeting the media for "misquoting" him, Kumaraswamy said he had not made any wrong comments on the issue, but had just responded to a BJP MLA's statement in the Assembly. "I was responding to (BJP leader) Sreeramulu's statement during the budget session. I had asked him, from where will he get grants after carving out separate state of North Karnataka? Is it a big issue? Is it a big crime..?" he said. Sreeramulu, during budget discussion, had said the demand for separate statehood will intensify if the government neglected the region. Kumaraswamy had countered Sreeramulu at a public gathering in Channapatna by asking him from where he would get funds for running a separate state. The issue has raised a storm with outfits coming under the banner of Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti, a committee fighting for a separate statehood to north Karnataka, announcing a day-long bandh in 13 districts of the region on August 2. The bandh call has been given to press for statehood for the region alleging discrimination by successive overnments towards it. The samiti leaders also alleged discrimination in the allocation towards the region in the budget presented by Kumaraswamy on July 5 and also inadequate representation in the cabinet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ailing Nawaz Sharif's hospital ward has been declared as a sub-jail, a day after Pakistan's former prime minister was admitted to the premier Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences following health complications, a media report said today. Sharif, 68, was yesterday shifted to the Cardiac Centre of the country's top hospital in Islamabad after his health deteriorated due to heart trouble in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. He is said to be in a stable condition, a hospital official said last night. The three-time Pakistan premier is serving a 10-year jail term in a corruption case over his family's purchase of luxury apartments in London. He has been lodged in the Adiala Jail since July 13. "A notification issued by the office of the Islamabad chief commissioner yesterday said that the capital city's administration had decided to declare premises of the PIMS Cardiac Centre's private ward as 'sub-jail' for keeping Nawaz Sharif, convicted prisoner in NAB case, with immediate effect," Dawn newspaper reported. The private ward will serve as sub-jail until the time Sharif is kept there for medical treatment, the paper said. The capital's police will provide security to the convicted premier, according to the notification. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's chief Imran Khan, whose party has emerged as the single largest side in the National Assembly after the polls, prayed for Sharif's recovery and directed party workers to stay away from the premises of the PIMS and not to hold any demonstration against the ousted premier. Dr Naeem Malik, head of the PIMS cardiology department, had suggested that authorities shift Sharif to the hospital as his blood tests showed clotting which, according to the doctor, was an alarming sign considering his medical history. The PML-N supremo lives with diabetes and has also undergone bypass surgery. He currently takes medication for his heart condition, cholesterol and diabetes. Later, a meeting between Sharif and his daughter Maryam and son-in-law retired Capt Mohammad Safdar took place to discuss his health condition. Extraordinary security arrangements were made ahead of Sharif's arrival. Walk-through gates, CCTV cameras and mobile jammers were installed in the hospital, along with the deployment of security forces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An accountability court in Pakistan today adjourned the hearing of two pending corruption cases against jailed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family till August 1. Earlier, the hearing was adjourned till July 30 after defence counsel Khawaja Haris boycotted proceedings pending an Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict on transferring both petitions to another court, the Dawn reported. Sharif, 68, along with his daughter Maryam, 44 and his son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar are serving jail terms of 10-years, seven years and one year respectively in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, after an accountability court convicted them on July 6 over the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London. The former prime minister has two more pending corruption cases -- the Al-Azizia steel mills and Flagship Investments -- against him in which they are accused of money laundering, tax evasion and hiding offshore assets. Pakistan's caretaker government on July 18 had approved the open trial of Sharif in the remaining two graft cases against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), withdrawing an earlier notification about his jail trial. After the arrest of Sharif and his daughter Maryam on July 13, the government had earlier announced that the trial in the two pending cases would be held in jail. But his brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shahbaz Sharif objected to it claiming that it was against the law. After the controversy over jail trial, the caretaker Cabinet decided to revert to open trial, providing media with a chance to cover it. Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court last year in the Panama Papers case. Meanwhile, Sharif's hospital ward has been declared as a sub-jail after Pakistan's former prime minister was admitted to the premier Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences following health complications. Doctors had requested prison authorities to transfer Sharif to a hospital after he developed serious cardiac complications. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nawaz Sharif's personal physician has advised the interim government to "seriously consider" sending him to London for further treatment, a media report said today, a day after Pakistan's former prime minister was admitted to a top hospital after his health deteriorated. Sharif, 68, was yesterday shifted to the Cardiac Centre of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here after his health deteriorated due to heart trouble in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The International reported that the former premier could be sent to London on August 2. Sending Sharif to London for treatment is being seriously considered, the report said. His personal physician Dr Adnan Khan examined him and evaluated his medical test conducted over the past few days and advised Shari'f treatment abroad, it said. Sharif had earlier stayed in London for three months for cardiac surgery. His wife Kulsoom Nawaz, 68, is also in a London hospital undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Meanwhile, his private hospital ward in Islamabad has been declared as a sub-jail by the authorities. The capital's police will provide security to the convicted premier, according to the government notification. Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court last year in the Panama Papers case. The three-time Pakistan premier is serving a 10-year jail term in a corruption case over his family's purchase of luxury apartments in London. He has been lodged in the Adiala Jail since July 13. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here today acquitted six Dera Sacha Sauda followers in a case related to rioting that took place following the conviction of sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case on August 25 last year. District and Sessions Judge Ritu Tagore ordered the acquittal of six accused who were arrested by Haryana Police last year, defence counsel R S Chauhan said. The charges against the six persons could not be proved before the court, he said. The six persons were booked last year by the Panchkula Police on various charges including rioting and damage to public property and disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant. In May also, a court here had acquitted six followers of the sect accused of rioting charges in another related case of violence. Violence had broken out in Panchkula after Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of rape in August last year. The Dera chief is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police and federal authorities were investigating the crash of a small plane in rural Maine that killed three people today after the aircraft departed from Canada. The twin-engine plane was travelling from Pembroke, Ontario, to Prince Edward Island in Canada. The plane crashed on approach to Greenville Municipal Airport at about 11 am, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said. A cause for the crash was not immediately determined and was under investigation. Police did not immediately release the names of those killed in the crash. The FAA was sending an investigator to the scene, they said. The FAA said there were three people on board the plane. The FAA said it would investigate the crash and the National Transportation Safety Board would determine the probable cause of the accident. The NTSB said it expected to release more information on the crash tomorrow. State police said they were assisting local police at the crash site. A dispatcher for the Piscataquis County Sheriff declined to comment on the case. Greenville is a town of about 1,600 people located about 241 kilometres north of Portland, in a rural part of the state's interior near Moosehead Lake. The plane left from Pembroke Airport, which is about 145 kilometres northwest of Ottawa, near the provincial boundary of Ontario and Quebec. It was bound for Charlottetown Airport, which is on the island province of Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea today signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties after over a decade of animosity, in the latest lightning rapprochement between Horn of Africa rivals. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," read a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed. The declaration came just three weeks after Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to two decades of conflict, rapidly restoring diplomatic ties and flights between their capitals. The history of the three nations, and their fallouts, have been intertwined. Somalia and Eritrea were once close. Under Somali dictator Siad Barre, the military regime in Mogagishu backed Eritrea's long fight for independence from Ethiopia, which was attained in 1993. In 1998 Ethiopia and Eritrea began a bloody two-year war over their shared border which left 80,000 dead before settling into a bitter cold war. After the fall of Barre in 1991, Somalia fell into chaos. By around 2006, it became the site of what observers called a proxy war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Ethiopia backed a weak interim government in Mogadishu while Eritrea was accused of backing the Islamic militants fighting to overthrow it, a charge it denied. The United Nations Security Council in 2009 imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militants, which continue to launch regular deadly attacks despite losing territory in recent years. The declaration placed special emphasis on its support for the Somali government. "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the country's rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," it said. The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will, in addition, "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." At a state banquet yesterday, Afwerki bemoaned the gloomy post-Cold War history of the Horn of Africa. He said the region had been destroyed by "ethnic and clan cleavages" and "external pillage and internal thievery" in the speech which also lashed out at the "micromanagement of anarchy" by the United Nations and NGOs. "Under these bleak realities, interventionist and expansionist regional agendas in the name of religion, cultural intoxication under various extremist ideologies, terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, as well as trade in weapons and narcotics became the new normal," he said, according to a speech posted on the information ministry's website. "But this epoch of crises, conflict and instability is not inherently sustainable. As such, it is nearing its end. We are indeed entering a new, transitional, phase." Ethiopia, which is undergoing lightning reforms under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has already formally requested that sanctions be lifted against Eritrea. And in the wake of Ethiopia's peace with Eritrea, its other neighbour and rival Djibouti asked the UN Security Council for help mediating a long-standing border dispute that has soured relations with Asmara. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Certain countries have temporarily suspended import of fruits and vegetables from Kerala following the outbreak of Nipah virus in May and the government is taking steps to get the suspension lifted, Parliament was informed today. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry C R Chaudhary said that there is no general restriction on the fruits and vegetables being exported to Gulf countries from India. "However, some countries have temporarily suspended imports from the State of Kerala due to occurrence of NIPAH virus during May 2018. The government is taking all possible steps to get this suspension lifted at the earliest," he said. Seventeen people died due to the Nipah virus in Kerala, out of which 16 were lab confirmed cases. Replying to a separate question on tea, he said 2017-18 has seen a record production of tea at 1,325.05 million Kg as compared to 1,250.49 million Kg during 2016-17. "The increase in production is attributed to favourable weather condition," the minister said. He also said that fiscal year 2017-18 has seen a record export of tea from India at 256.57 million Kgs, as compared to 227.63 million kgs in the previous fiscal. "The increase in export is attributed to lesser supply of CTC teas by Kenya to the important CTC tea markets of Egypt, Pakistan, China, UAE and Poland," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell denied today that the country was experiencing "mass" immigration and said Europe needed "new blood" to compensate for a low birth rate. "We're trivialising the word 'mass'," he told reporters after talks in Madrid with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. Close to 21,000 migrants have arrived in Spain by sea since the beginning of the year and 304 died in the attempt, the International Organization for Migration says. The Libya-Italy Mediterranean route, which was the main one until recently, has dwindled by 80 per cent while Spain has now become the main destination for migrants trying to reach Europe. Migrants are also reaching Spain by land, with 602 managing to scramble over the double barrier between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa last Thursday, throwing caustic quicklime, excrement and stones onto police below. Borrell recognised that "this shocks public opinion and the disorderly nature of immigration produces fear." But he said it was all relative, and "600 people is not massive compared to 1.3 million" Syrian refugees currently in Jordan. "We're talking about 20,000 (migrants) so far this year for a country of more than 40 million inhabitants," the Socialist minister said. "That's not mass migration." Borrell also said the arrivals were under control, even if NGOs are warning that many migrant reception centres in Spain are saturated. He suggested this could even help Europe, where many countries have a low birth rate. "Europe's demographic evolution shows that unless we want to gradually turn into an ageing continent, we need new blood, and it doesn't look like this new blood is coming from our capacity to procreate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The activists of the students' wing of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee today clashed with the police while protesting against the increasing rate of unemployment in the state. The Mahatma Gandhi Marg here turned into a virtual battleground after hundreds of student Congress activists took out a rally from Congress Bhawan here and marched towards Odisha Assembly. After crossing the first barricade put up at Mahatma Gandhi Marg, the agitators were stopped by the police following which a scuffle ensued between them and the security personnel. More than 50 Congress workers, including former Chhatra Congress president Itish Pradhan, were detained by police. "Both the state government and the central govenrment have failed to address the unemployment problems. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made promises of generating 1 crore jobs every year. But, he has completely failed," Pradhan said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facebook(NEW YORK) -- The father of a missing Iowa college student says the search for his daughter may go in vain without tips from the general public. Speaking in an interview with Good Morning America, Rob Tibbetts said he believes the public may hold the key to finding his daughter, Mollie Tibbetts, who disappeared on July 18 after going out for an evening jog. What we need is for people to tell their friends and neighbors that if they saw anything that seemed even remotely out of the ordinary to call the authorities and they will run that down, Tibbetts said. The authorities have told us again and again and again that all the similar cases like this are always solved by some tip. Mollie Tibbetts was reported missing after she failed to show up for work in Brooklyn, Iowa, a farming community of about 1,500 people where she was living over the summer with her longtime boyfriend. Rob Tibbetts said the community near Brooklyn has made extraordinary efforts to spread the word about his daughters disappearance, but he believes theres someone else with information that could help to locate her. Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student, went missing after going out for a jog on Wednesday, July 18, 2018.Poweshiek County Sheriffs Office Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student, went missing after going out for a jog on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. The day after Mollie turned up missing, 400 people showed up, spontaneously, to form a spontaneous search effort, Rob Tibbetts said. I think its just because this community knows Mollie, they love Mollie and I think the rest of the country is starting understand who she is too. Fighting to hold back tears, he said the public should forget about consoling him and his family and focus on bringing his daughter home safe. It doesnt matter what were going through, we just need people to think -- because somebody knows something and they dont even know its important, Rob Tibbetts said. We can get Mollie back we just have to have somebody call [the tip line]. We all want her back and were going to have to rely on our law enforcement partners, but we can help them by driving those leads to them that are guiding this search effort and thats all we can do, he added. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Komo airport - massive resources asset threatened with shutdown unless landowners get their money KEITH JACKSON | Pacific Media Centre | EMTV | Sources HELA - Komo international airport landowners in Hela have given the Papua New Guinea government a last warning and said it must stop making excuses and compensate the 16 clans whose land the airport occupies. The massive Komo airport was built by ExxonMobil to facilitate the development and operation of the PNG LNG project, although at the time prime minister Peter ONeill also promoted it as benefiting people in Hela Province and through the Highlands region through increased business opportunities and greater peace of mind when faced with potential natural disasters. It was said ExxonMobil would continue to own and operate the Komo airfield which was open to additional support facilities being constructed outside the current grounds. Last years Starehe MP aspirant Boniface Mwangi has recalled his first-time experience as a parliamentary candidate revealing how Kenyan politics changes aspirants. While announcing a break from his Standard column, the activist cited fatigue from the toil of the 2017 election. I am taking a break from this column. I havent rested for years, and I feel fatigued from the toil of the 2017 election where I ran for MP. I feel the need to step back, reboot, and play with my children, penned Mwangi. To say goodbye, Boniface penned an insightful last piece delving into his failed attempt to become MP. Read the full piece below. ******************************************************* I am taking a break from this column. I havent rested for years, and I feel fatigued from the toil of the 2017 election where I ran for MP. I feel the need to step back, reboot, and play with my children. And I cant think of a better way to say bye than sharing my brief experience as a candidate for Member of Parliament. It takes a lot of courage to run for office. The moment you announce that youre vying, a strange confidence, a feeling of self-belief surges through your body. Friends who used to call you by your childhood name start calling you Mhesh. Security guards start saluting you. Political brokers and conmen start sending you lists of voters, claiming they can influence them for you. You develop an air of self-importance because thats how voters treat you. Every day, you wake up early and spend the day begging for votes, while your evenings are spent calling on people and attending dinners begging for campaign cash. Voters rush excitedly when they hear youre in the area, smile and say how much they love you. But the moment they realise you will not part with money, the fake smiles disappear, and they start insulting you and shouting your rivals names. In many cases, political candidates start their ambitions to serve with good intentions, but the voters treat you like a cash cow and if youre broke a communicable disease. Even when you have no intention to bribe voters, like myself, campaigns cost money staff, campaign merchandise, transport, compliance fees, etc. You run out of money midway and no one is picking your calls, so you start selling personal things to raise more money (I sold my wifes car). You start smelling victory, but you have nothing left to sell and you go to a shylock and borrow some money (I did that too). Lose or win, the campaign ends with most candidates in debt. If you win (for those who bribed voters), you get to Parliament and your first order of business is to pay your debts. Then you realise your constituents expect you to pay maternity and school fees, contribute to funerals, church fundraisers, even weddings. So, the voters dont expect you to deliver services, they just want handouts. Thats why politicians become arrogant; the majority can say my money elected me because its true they bought and transported voters. When the recent proposal to increase MPs salaries was floated, I called a couple of young, first time, MPs I know and invited them to hold a press conference to disown the proposal. They emphatically told me, No way, we are broke, we need the money. On a personal level, politicians in Kenya pay a heavy price to get elected. You neglect your family and alcohol, drugs and women become your constant solace (I was offered cocaine, bhang and free sex during my campaign). You become what voters think of you. In the end, you lose yourself and become like the people you were fighting to change. The greediness and heartlessness of some of the politicians we have can be explained by the heavy personal price they have paid to get elected. Public office for those who really want to serve can drive you crazy because our politics is so bitter, so corrupt A Kenyan politician is like a priest. All the problems are dumped on you. Depression is real. That is why if you run for office, have a fallback option. For me, photography and giving talks comes naturally and has helped me recover. This piece is dedicated to everyone who supported my campaign, to the Nairobian who gave me a column to earn some money, and to friends and family who have walked with me to recover my sanity. Adios! While Assam's neighbours were on their toes today to thwart possible infiltration of people who were left out of the NRC final draft, a prominent students' body of the region called for extending the citizens' register to the other north-eastern states. The final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was released in Assam today. Lauding the Assam government for its achievement in preparing the draft NRC, the North East Students' Organisation (NESO), an umbrella body of students of all the north-eastern states, demanded that the exercise be extended to the other states in the region as well as they too faced the illegal immigration problem. NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa said, "The NRC was one of the demands after the Assam Accord. Now, we desire that it should be extended to all the north-eastern states." He added that the other north-eastern states also suffered due to illegal immigration. "We have seen the quantum of rejections (people left out of the NRC final draft) in Assam and the states in the north-east are extremely cautious lest these people run for refuge from Assam," Jyrwa said. The Meghalaya government held a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation along its border with Assam, officials said. The deputy commissioners and superintendents of police were asked to keep a close watch on the development in close coordination with their counterparts in Assam, state Additional Chief Secretary (home) Peter Ingty told PTI. The meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary Y Tsering and attended by Ingty, Home Commissioner S Kharlyngdoh and Director General of Police (DGP) Swaraj Bir Singh, the officials said. Ingty said there was no untoward incident reported so far and the state government had taken precautionary measures to prevent any breakdown of law and order, especially in the districts bordering Assam. "We are undertaking a tight vigil and action will be taken against any trouble-monger or alleged infiltrators," the DGP said. Garo Hills has been kept on high alert as there are apprehensions that many of those, whose names do not figure in the final draft NRC, may use the plains areas there to enter Mizoram, a senior official from the Garo Hills division said. Meghalaya's influential Khasi Students Union (KSU) called upon the traditional bodies and village elders to detect and report any spill-over incidents. KSU president L Marngar said, "Those rejected from Assam will certainly now use Meghalaya as a refuge. Unlike Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, who have the Inner Line Permit (ILP) provisions, Meghalaya does not have such facilities to detect influx." The Arunachal Pradesh government has issued advisories to the police department to maintain a strict vigil on all the check-gates of the state and carry out frisking of dubious people. As Arunachal shares an about 804-km boundary with Assam, the state government is apprehensive that many people from that state may try to sneak in, fearing deportation. "All the check-gates have been put on a high alert and the security personnel have been asked to go for rigorous checking of all those entering the state," senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Tusar Taba said. He said the SPs) of all the districts bordering Assam were instructed to keep a close watch on the situation. The Mizoram government did not sound any security alerts in view of the publication of the final draft of the NRC in Assam, a senior state police official said. Nagaland, which shares one of the longest borders with Assam, has also been kept on high alert. The Nagaland police has deployed additional forces in the border areas, including Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) units, Chief Secretary Temjen Toy said. Six districts of the state -- Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha, Mon and Longleng -- shared the border with Assam, he said, adding, "We are keeping a close watch on any possibilities of influx." The state government had also written to the village councils, asking them to remain vigilant and not to allow illegal immigrants to enter their areas or employ them in any manner, he said. Meanwhile, security was beefed up in Tripura, along its 100-km border with Assam's Karimganj district. "We have beefed up security along the Assam-Tripura border, apprehending infiltration of people from the neighbouring state. We are keeping a close vigil on the border," Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Dharmanagar in North Tripura district Dhiman Das Chowdhury told PTI. The Opposition CPI-M said it was against the revision of the NRC in Tripura, while the ruling BJP said it did not see any possibility of Assam's NRC revision affecting Tripura's demographic balance. State CPM secretary Bijan Dhar said his party opposed the NRC revision in Tripura, adding that they had earlier clarified their stand on the issue. "We have not discussed the matter in a party forum yet. I do not see any possibility of Assam's NRC revision impacting Tripura's demographic balance," state BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb said. In Manipur, police are on the lookout for bamboo structures over the Barak river, which could be used by the immigrants to cross over to the state. Chief Minister N Biren Singh told reporters, "Vigilance along the Barak river, which flows in Jiribam district, has been enhanced and the police have been directed to cross-check suspicious individuals". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK) has received more than Rs 673 crores as part of corporate social responsibility activities in three years since 2015-16, the government informed Parliament today. Answering a question on CSR fund received under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission), Minister of state for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi informed Rajya Sabha these funds have been used only for improving cleanliness in rural and urban areas. "In the year 2015-16, the SBK received Rs 253.03 crore, Rs 244.72 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 175.32 crore in 2017-18. Total amount of CSR funding in the last three years is Rs 673.07 crore," Jigajinagi said in a written reply. The government had launched the 'Swachh Bharat Kosh', a fund that will be utilised to build toilets in schools, rural and urban areas to achieve the objective of cleanliness across the country, in 2014. The fund seeks "channelisation of philanthropic contributions and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds", according to the guidelines issued by the government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares of Women's apparel maker TCNS Clothing made a flat debut on the bourses today, soon falling nearly 3 per cent against its issue price of Rs 716. The stock listed at Rs 715, down 0.13 per cent against the issue price on BSE. Later, it was trading at Rs 695.80, falling 2.89 per cent from the issue price. On NSE, shares of the company debuted at Rs 716. The company's market valuation stood at Rs 4,281.54 crore on BSE. In terms of equity volume, 4.36 lakh shares of the company were traded on BSE and over 46 lakh shares changed hands on NSE in morning trade. TCNS Clothing Company sells its products under W, Aurelia and Wishful brands. Price band for the offer was set at Rs 714-716 per share. The Rs 1,125-crore public offer was open during July 18-20 and was subscribed over 5 times. As on September 30, 2017, TCNS sold its products through 418 exclusive brand outlets, 1,305 large format store outlets and 1,361 multi-brand outlets in different parts of the country. It also sells products through six exclusive brand outlets in Nepal, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A minor girl and her 21-year-old boyfriend apparently committed suicide by jumping into a canal in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district fearing opposition from their families, police said today. The bodies of Dhram Singh and the 14-year-old girl, a class 8 student, were fished out from the canal of Chenani Hydroelectric project yesterday, they said. The incident came to light after the girl's father lodged a complaint with the police alleging that his daughter wad abducted by Singh on Saturday. "During investigation we found footwears of the deceased on the banks of the canal near the main tunnel yesterday and got suspicious that they might have committed suicide. A thorough search of the area led to the recovery of several suicide notes and a diary," a police officer said. He said the water to the canal was stopped and the bodies were subsequently fished out and handed over to their families. In suicide notes, they said nobody should be blamed for it, the officer said, adding they apparently took the extreme step fearing opposition from their families. Before jumping into the canal, they tied their hands with ropes, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands more people fled their homes after wildfires surged near a small lake town in Northern California, and the advance of the state's largest, deadliest blaze slowed slightly after days of explosive growth, authorities said. In all, more than 10,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders from the two blazes in Mendocino and Lake counties. Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit. A man whose wife and two great-grandchildren were among the six people who perished in the so-called Carr Fire, near Redding, California, said he did not receive any warning to evacuate. Ed Bledsoe told CBS he did not know his home was in danger when he left his wife, Melody, and the 4- and 5-year-old children to run an errand on Thursday. Bledsoe said he received a phone call from his wife 15 minutes later saying he needed to get home because the fire was approaching. He said one of the children told him the blaze was at the back door. When he tried to return, the road was blocked with cars, and flames prevented him from returning on foot. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told the network there's an investigation into whether the Bledsoe home received a warning call or a knock on the home's door. The sheriff says there is evidence that door-to-door notifications were made in the area. The latest evacuations included about 1,000 people in Mendocino County, Undersherriff Matthew Kendall said today. The rest are in Lake County, where residents of the town of Lakeport, population 5,000, were ordered to leave last night. Two other towns with about 5,000 people are also under mandatory evacuation. The two blazes have destroyed six homes and are threatening 10,000 others. The fires had blackened 225 square kilometres, with minimal containment. The wildfires that started Friday are about 160 kilometres southwest of Redding. Crews handling the blaze near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as the massive fire slowed after days of rapid expansion. "We're feeling a lot more optimistic today as we're starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time," said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident commander on the blaze around Redding, a city about 370 kilometres north of San Francisco. As of today, the Redding fire had destroyed 723 homes, up from a previous count of 657 homes. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The victim's identity was not released. Authorities were also investigating at least 18 missing-persons reports, though many of them may simply be people who have not checked in with friends or family, police said. The Carr Fire that threatened Redding a city of about 92,000 people was ignited by a vehicle problem a week ago about 16 kilometres west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. Redding Police Chief Roger Moore kept up a round-the-clock work schedule despite learning that his home was one of those destroyed. He was finally able to shave on Saturday when his wife brought him a razor, he said. Moore was helping evacuate people from his River Ridge neighbourhood in western Redding when the flames became unbearable. "I saw everything around it ignite, and I go, 'It's gone,'" Moore said. At least one person was arrested on suspicion of stealing from evacuated homes and authorities were keeping watch for other potential looters, said Deputy Travis Ridenour, whose home also burned. "Lost our house like so many others," Ridenour wrote on Facebook. "Still out watching over the ones still standing. No looting on my watch." After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they didn't know whether their homes were standing or were destroyed. Authorities had not reopened any evacuated neighborhoods where fires raged due to safety and ongoing investigations and urged people to be patient. Fed up, yesterday morning Tim Bollman hiked 6 kilometres to check on the Redding home he built for his wife and two sons 13 years ago. He found rubble. "There's not even anything to pick up," he said. "It's completely gone." Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, was reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smoldering rubble. The terrain surrounding nearby Whiskeytown Lake usually filled in July with vacationers swimming in the clear water was burned, burning or seemingly about to burn yesterday. A heavy haze hung low over the water, where some of the docked boats had melted. Firefighters and utility repair crews drove up and down the once-scenic highway, while California Department of Transportation water trucks sprayed roadsides in hopes of preventing potential wildfires from burning across the road, which can cost several million dollars to repair. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three security personnel were injured in a grenade attack by militants in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir today, police said. Militants lobbed a grenade at CRPF personnel posted on guard duty at a temple at Sherbagh in Anantnag district this evening, a police official said. He said three jawans were injured in the blast. Security forces have cordoned off the area and were trying to track down the assailants, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three women were arrested today with nearly 40 kilograms of suspected beef in Govindgarh in Rajasthan's Alwar district, police said. Acting on a tip-off that some people had slaughtered a cow and were about to sell the beef, a police team raided a house in Govindgarh where the women were packaging the meat, SHO Govindgarh Police Station Dara Singh said. He said 40 kilograms of "suspected beef" was seized and three women arrested. Singh said a veterinarian had confirmed it to be beef and samples were sent to a forensic expert for further confirmatory report. The SHO said they had recovered cow skin from the spot and the arrested women had accepted the crime. An FIR was registered against five persons under the sections of Rajasthan Bovine Animal Act and the hunt for two absconding accused is on, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An eight-member delegation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will be visiting Assam later this week to assess the situation in the north-eastern state in the wake of the publication of the final draft of the NRC, the party said today. The final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published in Assam today. Over 40 lakh people of the state did not find their names in the document. "On August 2 and 3, a delegation comprising six MPs of the Trinamool Congress (Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Ratna De Nag, Nadimul Haque, Arpita Ghosh, Mamata Thakur), MLA Mohua Moitra and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim will be visiting Assam," the TMC said in a statement. TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP-led central government of resorting to "vote-bank politics" with regard to the NRC and said "Indian citizens have become refugees" in their own land. Amid tight security, the much-awaited NRC final draft was published in Assam today with over 2.89 crore names of the 3.29 crore applicants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An NIA court here today sentenced a 43-year-old man to five years imprisonment under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for involvement in terror activities. Mohammed Saleem, one of the accused in the NIA's Zahir Hussain ISI spy case of 2014, was also convicted under and the IPC for criminal conspiracy and circulating counterfeit Indian currency and sentenced to two years imprisonment. The sentences for offences under the UAPA and IPC would run concurrently. "This is a case which clearly shows that Pakistani officials based in Sri Lanka were directly involved in furthering terrorist acts and circulation of counterfeit currency in India and engaging people for such activities," Public Prosecutor for NIA cases C S S Pillai told PTI. When the case came up today in a Special Court for NIA Cases at Poonamallee, Judge K V Senthur Pandian convicted Saleem under Sections 16 (punishment for terrorist act) and 18 (punishment for conspiracy) of UAPA, and sentenced him to undergo five years simple imprisonment. The minimum punishment for both offences is five years imprisonment and the maximum is life imprisonment. UAPA defines a terrorist act as any act with intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India or with intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror. An amendment to the Act in 2012 expanded the scope of a 'terrorist act' to include acts that threaten the economic security of India and damage its monetary stability by production, smuggling or circulation of high quality counterfeit currency. Saleem, a resident of Royapuram, from whom fake currency with face value of Rs 2.5 lakh was seized, was slapped with a fine of Rs 1,000 separately for offences under the unlawful Act and IPC. He pleaded for a minimum sentence when he was convicted. On November 27, 2014, ISI operative Mohammed Zahir Hussain pleaded guilty in the NIA court here to the charges against him. The charges include waging war against India by conspiring to carry out terror acts at the behest of his handlers in Pakistan High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Circulating counterfeit currency was also one of the charges to which Hussain had pleaded guilty and he was sentenced to undergo five years imprisonment that year. Hussain had confessed that he worked at the behest of his handlers, Amir Zubair Siddique and "Boss" alias Shah, officials at the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo. Saleem was one of the accused in this case. Hussain was arrested in April 2013 by Tamil Nadu's Q branch, which deals with national security and others subsequently. After the case went to NIA, a charge sheet was filed by the agency on October 23, 2014 against Zahir Hussain, Siva Balan and Mohammed Saleem before the NIA court. The other accused persons in the case include Balasubramanian and Rafiq. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The movement of vehicles on National Highway 33, near the Chutupalu valley in Ramgarh district, was restricted after a bus caught fire under the impact of a collision with a speeding truck this evening, police said. The incident occurred when the truck rammed into the bus from behind, the police said, adding that the bus overturned and caught fire under the impact of the collision. The fire spread rapidly and took three vehicles, including the truck, in its fold, sources said, adding that the bus passengers were rescued immediately, but the traffic on either side of the highway was restricted. Fire-fighters were called to douse the flames, Sub-Divisional Officer, Ramgarh, Anand Kumar said. The police have restricted the movement of vehicles in and around the spot because an LPG cylinder-laden truck had overturned this afternoon near the spot after colliding with a car. Though the police claimed that no loss of life was reported in the incident as yet, locals claimed one person was killed in the collision between the truck and the car. Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Ramgarh, Radha Prem Kishore also confirmed the incident, saying rescue operations were going on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deputy President William Ruto has maintained that the ruling party Jubilee is still united over the ongoing Mau Forest evictions. Speaking in Muranga over the weekend, Ruto said the Jubilee administration is united and held together with one focus to delivery services to Kenyans. He said he is working with President Uhuru to deliver a super economy for Kenya and warned political leaders against making sentiments that might jeopardise the progress made with the building bridges initiative. How we move forward will be out of our commitment to making our country economically stable. That is guided by the Big Four Agenda. We will be judged not by how much politics we play but how much delivery we presided over to serve Kenyans, said the DP. He added: Let us amplify the tenets that make us strong, respect for diversity, tolerance, inclusion, reconciliation, harmony and unity, and mute those that set us apart: tribalism, suspicion, exclusion, hatred, discord and division. This will allow consolidation of a prosperous country. Rutos remarks come after a section of Jubilee leaders differed over the Mau eviction. Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen was last week seen inciting Mau evictees to stay put even as a section of Jubilee leaders said the move reeks of disobedience to President Uhuru Kenyatta. Responding to Murkomen, Sakaja told him to stop rubbishing President Uhuru Kenyattas directives. Jubilee Party, through secretary general Raphael Tuju, dismissed Kipchumbas sentiments saying he was expressing his personal opinion. US President Donald Trump today said he is willing to meet the Iranian leadership without any "pre-condition", anytime they want to. Tension between Washington and Tehran increased a week ago, after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani asked the US not to "play with the lion's tail". Following which, Trump replied on twitter, saying never, ever threaten the US again or you will suffer consequences which few throughout history have ever suffered before. "I think it's an appropriate thing to do," Trump told reporters at a White House joint conference with the visiting Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, while responding to a question if he was willing to meet the Iranian counterpart, now that he has met the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump said he has "no pre-condition" for holding talks with the Iranian leadership. "Any time they want" to meet, he said, he is ready. "I will certainly meet with Iran(ian leadership), if they want to," the US President said. Early this year, Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal and has asked other countries to stop importing oil from Iran by November 4 or face the prospects of the US sanctions. India is among a major buyer of Iranian oil. Any talks between Iran and the US would have a direct impact on India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Escalating his rhetorical attacks on US outlets, President Donald Trump has said his haters in the "dying newspaper industry", driven insane by 'Trump Derangement Syndrome', are putting many lives at risk. Trump's attack on the media came after he met A G Sulzberger, the publisher of the New York Times, who warned the president in a White House meeting that his attacks on the media "will lead to violence." Trump claimed that the "failing New York Times" and the "Amazon Washington Post" do nothing but "write bad stories even on very positive achievements". "When the media - driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome - reveals internal deliberations of our government, it truly puts the lives of many, not just journalists, at risk! Very unpatriotic!" Trump said in a series of tweets. Trump since his election as the US president has been targeting media houses for "biased" He had coined the term 'Fake News' during his presidential campaign. The president also instituted the 'Fake News Award' earlier this year and announced the winner on January 18. Stories by the New York Times, ABC News, CNN and Washington Post were announced the winners of the award. Trump said the freedom of the press also comes with a responsibility to report the news accurately and accused the mainstream media of wrongful coverage. "Ninety per cent of media coverage of my administration is negative, despite the tremendously positive results we are achieving, it's no surprise that confidence in the media is at an all time low!" he said. He said he would not not allow America to be sold out by his haters in the "dying newspaper industry". "No matter how much they try to distract and cover it up, our country is making great progress under my leadership and I will never stop fighting for the American people!" Trump said. Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted that he had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with Sulzberger. "Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, 'Enemy of the People'. Sad!," he said. The account of the meeting was however challenged by Sulzberger. "My main purpose for accepting the meeting was to raise concerns about the president's deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric. I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous," said the NYT publisher. The meeting between the two took place at the White House on July 20. Sulzberger said the meeting was off the record, but Trump by tweeting about it had made it on the record. "I told him that although the phrase 'fake news' is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labelling journalists 'the enemy of the people'. I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence," he said in a lengthy five-paragraph statement. "I repeatedly stressed that this is particularly true abroad, where the president's rhetoric is being used by some regimes to justify sweeping crackdowns on journalists," he said. Sulzberger said he warned Trump that "it was putting lives at risk, undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our country's greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press". "Throughout the conversation I emphasised that if President Trump, like previous presidents, was upset with coverage of his administration he was of course free to tell the world," he said. "I made clear repeatedly that I was not asking for him to soften his attacks on The Times if he felt our coverage was unfair. Instead, I implored him to reconsider his broader attacks on journalism, which I believe are dangerous and harmful to our country," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Republicans anxious about keeping control of Congress think it's a bad idea, but President Donald Trump still says he's willing to close the government over border security issues, including money he wants to build a promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. "I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!" Trump tweeted yesterday. "Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT!" "We need great people coming into our Country!" Trump said. Trump returned to the idea after a meeting at the White House last week with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., where they were said to have agreed on the way forward on government funding for the budget year that starts Oct 1. McConnell told a radio interviewer last week that a shutdown so close to the Nov. 6 midterm elections won't happen. McConnell acknowledged, however, that the border funding issue in particular was unlikely to be resolved before the balloting. Ryan said on Capitol Hill after the meeting: "The president's willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so that we can get that done." He added that money for the wall was "not a question of if, it's a question of when." The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment on what may have changed since the meeting. Trump has pledged to campaign aggressively, starting after Labour Day, to help Republicans retain control of the House and Senate, but GOP lawmakers don't appear to be rallying to his side on this not-so-new idea. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said yesterday on CBS' "Face the Nation" that it would be unhelpful to shut down the government just before elections "so let's try and avoid it." Trump campaigned on the promise of building a wall to deter illegal immigration and making Mexico pay for it. Mexico has refused. Trump has gotten some wall money from Congress, and likely will get more, though the total is short of the USD 25 billion he has requested. He also wants changes to legal immigration, including scrapping a visa lottery program. In addition, Trump wants to end the practice of releasing immigrants caught entering the country illegally on the condition that they show up for court hearings, along with shifting the U.S. immigration system to one based more on individual merit and less on family ties. Democrats and some Republicans have objected to those proposals. Both chambers will have a short window to act before government funding expires at midnight Sept 30. The House is in recess and won't return until after Labour Day. The Senate will stay in session for most of August, except for a week long break scheduled to begin Aug 6. McConnell cancelled most of his chamber's recess to give senators time to work on the annual spending bills. Trump would be taking a political risk if he allows most government functions to lapse on Oct 1 -- the first day of the new budget year -- roughly a month before the elections, when Republican control of both the House and Senate is at stake. House Republicans released a spending bill this month that provides USD 5 billion next year to build Trump's wall, a plan he supports. Democrats have long opposed financing Trump's wall but don't have enough votes by themselves to block House approval of that amount, but they do have the strength to derail legislation in the closely divided Senate. The USD 5 billion is well above the USD 1.6 billion in the Senate version of a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security. The higher amount matches what Trump has privately sought in conversations with Republican lawmakers, according to a GOP congressional aide who wasn't authorized to publicly talk about private discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity. At the White House meeting, Trump, Ryan and McConnell agreed that Congress is on track to enact more than half of federal spending before the new budget year begins Oct 1, but that DHS funding, including the border wall money, doesn't have to be settled before then, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and insisted on condition of anonymity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Samiti, a private trust, has approached the Bombay High Court, seeking that it be granted permission to construct an underground museum in the memory of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak at the Girgaum Chowpatty. The trust today mentioned its plea before a bench of justices AS Oka and RI Chagla and sought an urgent hearing. Its lawyer, S V Talekar, told the bench it was due to the efforts of the trust that the Maharashtra government had renamed the Girgaum Chowpatty as "Swaraj Bhoomi" in Tilak's memory in 2015. However, he said, the trust's subsequent plan to construct a "permanent archway, an underground museum and a flagpole" in Tilak's memory at the Chowpatty was thwarted after the court-appointed High Power Committee refused to grant permission. Talekar told the bench that the proposed construction work would not cause any damage to the Chowpatty area or the beachfront. Yet, the state government and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority were "reluctant to grant the necessary approvals", because the High Power Committee was refusing permission, Talekar said. The bench, however, refused to give any directions to the High Power Committee or grant any other interim relief to the trust. Last year, the high court had appointed a three-member committee to regulate and supervise construction works as well as organisation of public events at the Girgaum Chowpatty with a view to prevent any damage to the area and the beachfront. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two people were arrested for possession of heroin in Jammu and Udhampur districts today, police said. A police party intercepted accused Akhilesh in Sattani area of Udhampur this morning and seized 6 grams of heroin from him, an official said. He was arrested and a case registered against him, he said. Another accused, Fazal Hussain, was arrested for possession of heroin in the Sidhra area of Jammu district, the official said, adding that a case was registered against him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBI Director today told the Supreme Court that two charge sheets have been filed in cases of alleged Manipur fake encounters by the Army, Assam Rifles and state police, and five more final reports will be filed in separate cases by August 31. CBI director Alok Kumar Verma had been summoned by the apex court which was unhappy over the "unduly long time" taken by the agency in probing the cases of alleged extra-judicial killings and fake encounters in Manipur. A bench of justices M B Lokur and U U Lalit was told by the agency's director that 14 persons have been charge sheeted for the alleged offences of murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence related to Manipur encounter cases. The agency also told the court that by August 31, five more final reports will be filed in separate encounter cases of Manipur and that probe in 20 more Manipur encounter cases will be completed by December end. The court, however, left it to the CBI director and SIT in-charge to take a call on whether those charge sheeted for the offence of murder in the encounter cases in Manipur need to be arrested or not. The court then posted the matter for further hearing on August 20. Terming the SIT probe as "snakes and ladders", the top court had earlier expressed dissatisfaction over the progress made so far and said it would like to know from the CBI Director what steps must be taken to ensure that the investigation into the cases are completed early and final reports filed "as expeditiously as possible". The court, which is hearing a PIL seeking a probe into as many as 1,528 cases of alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur, had on July 14 last year constituted the SIT and ordered lodging of FIRs and probe into them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two debt-ridden farmers allegedly committed suicide in Buldhana district of Maharashtra, police officials said today. Gajanan Jaybhaye, a resident of Saukhedtejan village, left his home on Saturday night and went to his farm. The 35- year-old subsequently consumed poison and set himself ablaze after building his own pyre with woods and animal fodder kept in the farm, a police official said. The incident came to light yesterday morning, said the official. The police have registered a case of accidental death on a complaint filed by the father of the deceased. The official, quoting Jaybhaye's family, said the farmer was facing some loan repayment-related problem. In the second incident, a 34-year-old cultivator hanged himself at his residence in Shivani Taka village under Sindkhedraja tehsil of Buldhana district, an official said. Rameshwar Kisan Tambekar killed himself on July 26 over non-repayment of bank loan and poor crop yield, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two labourers were today killed when a portion of earth caved in during construction of a road in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. A group of labourers were busy in road construction work at Lar village of Gulabgarh when suddenly the earth caved in this evening, trapping two labourers, a police official said. He said rescuers immediately swung into action and after hectic efforts recovered body of one of the labourer, while another was rescued in an injured condition. The injured labourer succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to a hospital, the official said. The deceased were identified as Abdul Rashid Sheikh (37) and Mushtaq Ahmad (19), both residents of Shadole of Reasi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two women drowned today in the Bagh river in Gondiya district of east Maharashtra while clicking selfies, police said. The incident occurred this afternoon when a group of nine girl students from an institute had gone for a picnic to Rajegaon, 20 kms away from the district headquarter, police said. The girls climbed a rock near the river which is in a full spate due to heavy rains, and started clicking selfies, when Megha Sahare (21) and Samta Nyyaykhare (20) lost their balance and fell into the river, a police official said. The girls were swept away by strong water current before anybody could react, he said, adding that other girls of the group alerted Rawanvadi police about the incident. The bodies of both the women were fished out with the help of local fishermen, he said, adding that a case of accidental death has been registered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of an Investors Summit in October, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh today asked all departments to prepare projects aimed at attracting investments. Singh instructed the officials at a preparatory meeting in view of the forthcoming summit, an official release said. There is potential for investments in the fields of IT, bio-technology, skill development, electronics, food park, warehousing, film making, medical health, fish farming, organic farming and production, wellness tourism, yoga, herbs and aromatic plants, the meeting was told. A total of 50 projects worth Rs 20,000 crore have already been prepared in view of the summit, the release said. The state government will be holding roads shows in different cities to showcase the availability of resources in the state. The investor friendly of the state will also be publicised abroad through round table conferences in different countries, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deputy President William Ruto has endorsed the move by the Wiper Democratic Movement to work with President Uhuru Kenyatta in the achievement of the governments Big Four agenda. Ruto lauded Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka for rallying his party members in supporting the Jubilee governments agenda, terming the move as selfless. Wipers National Executive Council on Saturday held a meeting at the partys headquarters in Karen, Nairobi, where they reportedly resolved to support the govt. After the meeting, Kalonzo the government had shown commitment in fighting corruption, adding that they would support the cause. After consultations with our greater membership and party structures, we commit to work with President Uhuru Kenyatta in his fight against corruption as well as his broad agenda of transforming this country under the Big Four agenda, said Kalonzo Musyoka. Our nation has always been equipped to serve the needs of all Kenyans and spur economic progress but rampant corruption has been a major hindrance. We therefore laud President Kenyattas effort to decisively deal with corruption and set the stage for the Big Four agenda. Welcoming Kalonzos move, Ruto said: The decision by Wiper and their leaders led by Kalonzo Musyoka to join Jubilee is a very important decision. He added: As the government and Jubilee Party, we welcome the partnership of all parties, most recently the Wiper party. We welcome them so that we can work together as leaders and focus our attention, energy, and effort in ensuring we transform our country. The deputy president further urged leaders to shun divisive politics and focus their energies on service delivery. We held the elections, spoke about parties and leadership positions those who were lucky were awarded those who didnt there is a next time. What is now left is to deliver services to Kenyans, said Ruto. The DP was speaking on Sunday at a church service in Machakos County. : The Kerala government today said necessary steps would be taken to bring back home Malayalis who opt for the visa amnesty scheme announced by the UAE government. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that as per the announcement, the expatriates can apply for the amnesty for a three month period from August 1 to October 31. The UAE government has made arrangements for the amnesty procedures in nine centres, he said here in a statement. The Non Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA), the state government agency to redress the grievances of NRKs, would take steps to bring back all those who return under the scheme free of cost, Vijayan said. "The first group is expected to reach home by mid-August. The government has already made arrangements to collect the information of those who avail necessary clearance under the scheme," he said. The Chief Minister also urged the NRK community in UAE to cooperate with the state government in its efforts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's new foreign minister begins his first major international trip with a visit to China today, bidding to strengthen trade ties with Beijing ahead of Brexit next year. "The UK and China are both major powers with a global perspective", said foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt in a statement issued ahead of the visit. "As the UK leaves the EU and becomes ever-more outward-looking, we are committed to deepening this vital partnership for the 21st century." Following the China summit Hunt is scheduled to travel to Paris and Vienna for further talks with his European counterparts on Brexit. It was revealed last week that May was despatching ministers to the 27 member states of the EU in a bid to broker back-door agreements after Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier shot down her Brexit plan. An agreement on Britain's divorce from the trading bloc -- set for 29 March 2019 -- must be forged in principle within at least three months, before a European summit in mid-October. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials said that in China Hunt -- who replaced Boris Johnson after his dramatic resignation over Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit blueprint earlier this month -- will hold "extensive discussions" with Chinese state counsellor and minister of foreign affairs Wang Yi. Further topics on the table are expected to be "the importance of multilateralism and free trade and ways the UK and China can work together on global challenges such as climate change, development, security and non-proliferation and enforcing UN sanctions on North Korea". In France and Austria "international security issues such as the threat from Russia, the war in Syria, and the Iran (nuclear) deal," will also be under discussion according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a landmark judgement, the UK Supreme Court today ruled that legal permission will no longer be required to end care for patients in a long-term permanent vegetative state. The ruling makes it easier to withdraw food and liquid to allow such patients to die when families and doctors are in agreement. Medical staff will now be able to remove feeding tubes in such cases without having to apply to the Court of Protection, under previous laws. Currently, both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in the UK with the only exception "passive euthanasia" - when treatment that might extend someone's life is withdrawn. Lady Black, heading a five-judge bench in the case, said an agreement between families and doctors was sufficient safeguard to ensure "public confidence". "Having looked at the issue in its wider context as well as from a narrower legal perspective, I do not consider that it has been established that the common law or the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights), in combination or separately, give rise to the mandatory requirement to involve the court to decide upon the best interests of every patient, Lady Black said as part of the unanimous ruling of five Supreme Court justices. However, she urged families to apply to court "where there are differences of view" between relatives or medical professionals. The ruling by the UK's highest court upholds a judgement on the end-of-life decision-making of a man with extensive brain injury. The 52-year-old man, who can only be identified as Mr Y, had been in a vegetative state since June 2017. Experts said it was improbable he would ever regain consciousness and agreed with family members' decision to withdraw hydration and nutrition something which usually requires approval from the Court of Protection. His family and his doctors agreed it would be in his best interests to allow him to die by withdrawing his feeding tube. The NHS trust asked the UK High Court to declare that it was not necessary to apply to the Court of Protection for a decision when the doctors and the family all believe it is in the patient's best interests. The judge agreed, but the Official Solicitor who represents people who lack capacity appealed on behalf of Mr Y. That appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court on Monday, setting a legal precedent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Budget carrier IndiGo's cofounder and interim chief executive officer Rahul Bhatia today said he is unhappy with the frequent issues with Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engines, which power the airline's Airbus A320 Neo fleet, and hoped for an early resolution. Since the induction of A320 Neos in March 2016, IndiGo has intermittently been facing engine issues and has been forced to ground these aircraft on several occasions. "The Neos continue to face issues, resulting in parts going out sooner then they should, and we are not happy about the situation," Bhatia said during the post-earnings analysts call today. Significantly, the airline's net profit in the June quarter nosedived to Rs 28.7 crore, an almost 97 per cent decline over Rs 811 crore in the year-ago period. Stating that while the US-engine maker and its parent company UTC are working on fixing these issues, Bhatia said, "We remain cautiously optimistic and hope these issues are resolved at the earliest." Currently, five of its A320 Neos are grounded for want of spare P&W engines. Besides, the airline grounded one more A320 Neo after it was found that the rear of the engine was damaged besides the damage to the turbine blades on its landing in Coimbatore from New Delhi on July 25. "On July 25, an IndiGo flight operating 6E-396 (Coimbatore-Delhi) was grounded at Coimbatore due to a minor defect observed in the rear section of the engine during ground inspection. There was no effect noted during flight operations. As a precautionary measure, IndiGo kept the aircraft on ground until we have finalised the corrective action with the manufacturer," the airline said in a statement to PTI today. Bhatia also said that in the interim, the airline continues to rely on spare engines to keep the aircraft flying. "However, we do face shortage of spares and some planes have been grounded. We expect situation with the spare engines to improve in the current quarter," he added. Meanwhile, IndiGo continues to receive compensation from the manufacturers for the revenue loss due to the time-to-time grounding of the A320 Neos. "IndiGo received credit from its manufacturers this quarter to offset some of the adverse impact for aircraft grounding and delayed deliveries," airline chief financial officer Rohit Philip said during the analyst call. In the June quarter last year, IndiGo grounded nine A320 Neo planes due to engine issues. The grounding had also resulted in it cancelling 84 flights on a particular day. Then again between February and March this year, 14 planes - 11 of IndiGo and three of GoAir - were taken out of operations due to the same engine issues on the directions of aviation regulator DGCA after a series of mid air shut downs were reported by the two carriers. P&W has, however, has perpetually failed to address the engines issues despite repeated assurances to Indian civil aviation authorities, who also have failed to take stringent action against the engine maker or the airline. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States has helped establish world-class higher education institutes in India, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said today, while claiming this is why India is now home to 900 American firms. Unveiling the Trump Administration's economic strategy for advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, Pompeo said, "We helped establish the first Indian Institute of Technology, along with 14 regional engineering colleges and eight agricultural universities across India." The first IIT was set up at Kharagpur in West Bengal in 1951. "World-class higher education is one reason India is now home to 900 American firms, and why US-India trade has grown from USD 19 billion in 2001 to more than USD 126 billion today," the US Secretary of State said in his address to the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum organised by the US Chambers of Commerce. Reiterating the Trump Administration's commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, Pompeo said President Donald Trump first outlined his vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Vietnam last year. "The National Security Strategy also detailed this vision, and Secretary of Defense (James) Mattis recently joined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other regional leaders in Singapore to speak about the principles of freedom, openness, sovereignty, and transparency in the Indo-Pacific," he said. Pompeo was referring to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June where Prime Minister Modi made the keynote address on India's place in the Indo-Pacific region. Pompeo and James Mattis are scheduled to travel to New Delhi in the first week of September for the first '2+2 dialogue' with India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and American Chamber of Commerce in India today said they have inked an agreement to address India's development needs. The announcement comes on the day of launch of the high-level Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Washington DC. The forum will bring together US cabinet secretaries and senior leaders from government and business to discuss how official tools and policies can facilitate private sector partnerships to unleash the full potential of the Indo-Pacific region, including supporting India's rise as an important power. In a statement, USAID and AMCHAM India said they will collaborate to combine US government and American private sector resources to address India's development challenges in the following sectors: maternal and child health; tuberculosis; HIV/AIDS; energy/environment and forestry; water and sanitation; gender and women's empowerment; and issues concerning youth. "This MoU is a natural progression of our relationship and will undoubtedly ensure the continuation of our work in achieving the Government of India's and USAID's development objectives. Including enterprise-based development to our portfolio not only ensures board participation but also bodes well for sustainable impacts," Mark Anthony White, USAID Mission Director to India, said. As agreed under the partnership, USAID will identify and share innovations that benefit the base of India's population pyramid, while AMCHAM India will explore integrating its member companies' corporate social responsibility funding with USAID/India's programmes. A total of 312 US companies are members of AMCHAM India. "By establishing effective relationships such as with USAID, we hope to establish a new phase of public-private partnerships that better enable our member companies to promote sustainable development," Ranjana Khanna, Director General CEO, AMCHAM India, said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US-based co-working firm WeWork is ramping up its presence in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Gurugram to have over 35,000 seats in India by the end of this year. The company, which has about 12,000 seats across these three cities, is also looking at establishing co-working spaces in Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad next year. "We have been open for a year and we have grown very quickly. We started with 2,200 desks and we are now over 10,000 members which is pretty amazing," Ryan Bennett, Chief WeWork Officer at the company, told PTI. He added that by the end of the year, WeWork will expand the number of desks to 35,000 as it opens up more locations. "We are continuing to grow at a strong pace, we have four locations in Mumbai, four in Bengaluru and one in Gurugram currently. By the end of the year, we will have 5 locations in Gurugram, 10 in Mumbai and 8 in Bengaluru," he noted. Bennett added that next year, the company will look at establishing co-working spaces in Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad. Apart from entrepreneurs and startups, companies like Discovery India, GoDaddy, Twitter and Jaguar Land Rover use WeWork spaces in India. There are a number of players in the co-working spaces category in India, including the likes of Awfis, Innov8 and CoWrks. Many individuals, startups and even larger enterprises are signing up for co-working spaces instead of conventional office spaces for a variety of reasons, including lower rentals, savings on operational costs and a more flexible work environment. "Within six months, almost all of our locations are at 90 per cent occupancy. We are putting a lot of money into growth right... We are not competing with co-working spaces but traditional workspaces and real estate," Bennett said. SoftBank Group-backed WeWork is also introducing an enterprise solution -- Powered by We -- under which its team will design and manage the workspace for a client. India is one of the fastest growing markets globally for WeWork, even though the base here is much smaller compared with regions like the US and Europe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Imran Khan said today that he will take oath as Pakistan's Prime Minister on August 11, even as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party was striving to get required numbers to form its government. The PTI, led by 65-year-old Khan, has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the July 25 elections, but it is still short of numbers to form the government on its own. Khan's party yesterday announced that it is trying to reach out to smaller parties and independents to form the next government. Khan said he will take oath as Prime Minister on 11th of next month (August), Radio Pakistan reported. "I have also decided about chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which I will announce in the next 48 hours. Whatever I have decided in this regard is in the best interest of people," he said while addressing PTI members of provincial assembly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the PTI has won a two-thirds majority by bagging 65 seats in the assembly of 99 members. He said alleviation of poverty from interior Sindh will be among top priorities of his government. On Saturday, PTI spokesman Naeemul Haque told reporters that the party chief will take oath as the prime minister before August 14. Haque said that he hoped the president would call an assembly session and Khan would take oath as premier before the Independence day. Although the PTI has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the polls, the final results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan show that the party is still short of numbers to form its government independently. According to the results, the PTI has bagged 116 general seats 22 short of simple majority whereas the PML-N and PPP have won 64 and 43 seats, respectively. Pakistan's National Assembly comprises a total of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected. A party can only form the government if it manages to clinch 172 seats in total. To meet the required number of votes, the PTI leadership has reportedly been approaching the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), PML-Quaid (PML-Q), and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), as well as independents. Meanwhile, two main parties - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party - have agreed on formulation of a "coordinated joint strategy" if the PTI manages to form its government at the centre. The understanding on cooperation was reached during the first direct meeting between the leaders of the PML-N and PPP after the general elections here yesterday. "It was an ice-breaker," said PML-N's Mushahid Hussain Sayed, when asked about the outcome of the meeting. "It was a very good meeting and you can call it a meeting of the minds." He said that there was complete unanimity of views between the two main parties that the "July 25 elections have been stolen". The PPP delegation comprised former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Farhatullah Babar while the PML-N side was represented by Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Sardar Mahtab Ahmed Khan. Later, the PPP leaders also held talks with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also heads the MMA, and tried to persuade him to reverse his decision of boycotting parliament. Since the MMA has 12 seats, the combined seats of the PPP, PML-N and MMA become 117 two more than Khan's party. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman, who was soon going to take up a job of domestic help in Dubai, decided against taking her flight at the last hour from here today when police told her that the travel agents sending her abroad were unscrupulous and a case has been registered ahainst them. Simranjit Kaur, mother of three children, was to board a flight for Dubai from the international airport here. Addressing a press conference, Inspector General, Border Range, Amritsar, S S Parmar said Simranjit Kaur was promised a job as domestic help there by her travel agents. He said the woman was told that the Punjab Police had cracked down on the suspects allegedly involved in the trafficking of an 18-year-old woman from Tarn Taran district to Dubai by the same travel agents. The 18-year old woman returned home from Dubai yesterday. The police told Simranjit Kaumr that Gurjit Kaur, the conduit who had allegedly lured the teenage victim, was arrested yesterday. A hunt has been launched for the travel agent, identified as Ibrahim Palam Yusuf from Kerala. An FIR under IPC section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and section 13 of the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act 2012 has been lodged against Yusuf and Gurjit Kaur after the 18-year-old lodged a complaint, she was further told. After listing to the plight of the woman who recently returned from Dubai, she changed her mind to board flight for Dubai. The IG said that she was also allured by the same Kerala-based travel agent through his conduit Gurjit Kaur by promising her a well-paid domestic helper's job in Dubai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A young woman died after she was allegedly stabbed by a migrant worker when she tried to prevent him from snatching her grandmother's gold chain at their home at Edathikkad in the district today, police said. Nimisha, a college student who was stabbed in the neck, died while being taken to a nearby hospital. Her paternal uncle, who was also wounded in the attack, has been hospitalised, they said. Ernakulam Range IG Vijay Sakhare told reporters that 34-year-old Biju Molla from Murshidabad district of West Bengal was arrested for killing Nimisha by stabbing her. Police said Molla, a drunkard, was fired from his job at a private company last Saturday. He barged into the victim's home this morning, looking to steal some money to buy liquor. The woman, who was cutting vegetables, resisted Molla's entry into the house, following which he snatched the kitchen knife from her. When she tried to prevent him from snatching her grandmother's chain, he allegedly stabbed her and tried to flee. On hearing her screams, her family members rushed to the spot and tried to nab him, but he attacked them, injuring her paternal uncle. The neighbours who had by then reached the spot, overpowered Molla, thrashed him and handed him over to police. Expressing shock over the incident, leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala alleged that it showed the inability of the CPI(M)-led LDF government to ensure the safety and security of women in the state. He alleged that the government has failed to prepare a data bank of migrant workers in Kerala. "No one is safe and secure in the state under this government's rule," the Congress leader alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Janet Otieno, who is undoubtedly one of the top gospel music artists in the country, describes herself as a wife and a mother. She grew up in Kisumu County and has become a force to reckon with, despite making a late entry into the music scene. She opened up about her incredible journey. Was gospel music always your calling? I just loved music from when I was very young. I was just doing music in school then, as a teenager, and I joined the church choir. Who would you say inspired your love for music? I had different tastes, so the inspirations were also different. Even now, I still have a number of different artistes who inspire me in different ways. I dont have anyone in particular to pinpoint and say, They got me to love music. Which was the first serious choir you joined? Redeemed Gospel Church in Embakasi, which I joined in 1991. I was one of the main solos. I was a member of the church for so many years, and thats where I even met my husband. We got married in 1996. How did you end up in Nairobi? I came over for college and lived with my uncle then. Why did it take so long to become a solo artiste? After getting married I became a mother. I have a daughter in university, another in Grade 11 and a son in Standard Six. I hadnt thought about doing music as a solo artiste but in 2013 I got a vision from God, calling me to do it. I would be napping in the day and see myself singing in huge gatherings and people would be in a state of worship. I went to a conference in South Africa and the pastor called me out, pointing at me, and said God was calling me into ministry. Thats when I got the big push. My first song, Napokea Kwako, which featured Christina Shusho, is about being called by God. How did you get Christina Shusho to feature on your song? We had known each other long before I even started thinking about wanting being a solo musician. I had gone to Dar es Salaam to visit a friend, when I felt like recording a song there. I called Christina to ask her where I could do this. She wasnt in the country but suggested a place. I went there the following day, and she called saying she had come back and she wanted to see the process of my recording. When she got there and heard the song, she said she was feeling like God wanted us to do the track together. So we sat down, wrote it together and recorded it. What did you think, having an established name to want to be on your first ever record, and working with her? God planned for it. The song was a good one and Im thankful. People already knew her and it was received well, plus she had more industry orientation than I did. It was a good start. What inspires your song writing? Every song is different and has different inspirations to why I did it. The Bibles scriptures and daily occurrences around me are the main inspirations. Why perform your songs in fluent Swahili, you could be mistaken for a Tanzanian? A lot of the people who listen to my music are not Kenyans, so I decided to make my music in a language that is understandable to people from any part of the region. Will you ever perform anything in English? Yes, very soon. We also want to accommodate the international audience that is not Swahili-speaking. How many albums do you have? Napokea Kwako had nine songs. Well come up with a the best of Janet Otieno album by the end of the year. Im also working on the second album to come out soon after that. Whats your take on all the accomplishments you have made in five years? It shows God really chose me to help in spreading the Gospel; hes working in me and for me. Its a validation and encouragement to accepting this calling. My recent song Asante is to thank God for giving me this life and opportunity, proof that he doesnt love me any less because Im not perfect or the best. Is it hectic being a mother and a celebrated musician? In the beginning it was, but I came to realise its just about planning. When you let them into everything you do makes things become easier. Its also important to get their blessings when you need to travel or have long days, so they dont feel neglected. What do you feel about people barraging the youthful gospel artistes concerning the content in their music? We have a young generation of both male and female artistes who may be lacking mentorship; they are still growing and need some guidelines on how to go about it. However, things are also changing and the worship songs that we felt we used to connect with is now becoming more artistic. Doing reggae, raga or rap is not bad, we just need to address the content in the songs. Are we telling the artistes who are talented in these genres that they shouldnt sing for God? Otherwise, well lose them to the secular world. Society is also to blame because it had gotten to appoint where if you didnt do a club-banger type of song then you wouldnt get as much support for your music: airplay, award nominations and wins, or concerts. So it became more about showbiz rather than ministry. Although I would say its not that bad if a gospel artiste collaborates with a secular, every human being needs to offer their praises to God, but it has to be purely gospel. QUICK FIRE Do you have a favourite song? Roho Wako. It gives me such a connection to God when I listen to it. Any award that is special? All of them are favourite because its an appreciation of my works. So an award is very important? Not really, it just feels nice getting it. Most memorable show? In Eldoret, seeing campus students receive me and moved to worship. Your vision for the Kenyan gospel industry? To have the best gospel artiste in the world being Kenyan in the future. Favourite look? I just like to look good for any occasion. A 22-year-old woman died this morning after she was allegedly attacked by a migrant worker with a sharp-edged weapon at her residence near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district this morning, police said. Nimisha, a second-year degree student at a private college, reportedly suffered grievous injuries in her neck in the attack allegedly by the migrant worker from Odisha who barged into her house. She died as she was rushed to a hospital in Perumbavoor, police said. One of her relatives was also injured in the attack. He was admitted in the hospital, and his condition was not serious, they said. The migrant worker has been taken into custody and is being interrogated, police said, adding that snatching is suspected to be the motive behind the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Western Railway (WR) has completed the Udhana-Jalgaon double line project which was sanctioned in the Railway Budget of 2009. The 305-km-long project, linking Udhana in Surat district of Gujarat to Jalgaon district in North Maharashtra, entailed a cost of Rs 2446.85 crore and will provide a fillip to growth in areas falling under this rail section, an official said. WR chief spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar said traffic movement on the stretch, which has 44 stations, commenced on July 22. As many as 380 bridges, 31 foot over-bridges (FOBs), 66 high level platforms, 24 medium level platforms and seven rail level platforms were constructed as part of the project, said a statement issued by the WR's PR department. Passenger amenities like shelters, toilets and waiting rooms, among others, have also been provided, it said. Underlining the benefits of the project, Bhakar said apart from increasing the capacity of ferrying passengers as well as goods, the double line will improve punctuality and streamline train operations. "It will act as a catalyst for development of Nandurbar, Vyara, Dharangaon and other places on the section. Beside, it will provide link for North Maharashtra with the under-construction Dedicated Freight Corridor (Delhi-Mumbai)," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The water level in the Yamuna river continued to rise and stayed over the danger mark for the third consecutive day today with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal directing the Revenue minister to make proper arrangements for affected people. The river was flowing at 205.78 metres this evening with the danger mark being 204.83 metres, officials said. Even as officials said the peak water level is expected to reach 206.50 metres, a political blame game started over lack of proper rehabilitation of people who were left on streets after water entered their houses. Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot visited the affected areas and directed officials to ensure all proper arrangements were made. Traffic movement on Old Yamuna Bridge in Delhi was closed yesterday after the water level in the river rose due to rains. Last evening, the river was flowing at 205.5 metres. Commuters faced traffic woes today with the Delhi police diverting traffic to Geeta Colony flyover and ITO flyover. Passengers are advised to plan their journey keeping in mind the extra time they would require to reach their destination, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Alok Kumar said. "As the water level in the Yamuna river breached the danger mark, the Shahdara district magistrate issued orders for the closure of Old Yamuna Bridge. Accordingly, we have diverted the traffic towards Geeta Colony flyover and ITO," he said. Old Yamuna Bridge, colloquially known as 'Lohe Ka Pul', is a road-cum-rail bridge on the Delhi-Howrah line that was built over 150 years ago. It serves as a major connectivity link between Delhi and the neighbouring states. Commuters faced long delays as they were stuck in jams on the Geeta Colony flyover this morning. Meanwhile, discharge from the Hathani Kund Barrage between 6 am to 9 pm was 5,13,554 cusecs, with water level expected to rise further. Amid the crisis, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan hit out at Kejriwal, alleging that there was no advance planning to rehabilitate people affected by rising Yamuna water in Delhi and they were at the "mercy of an insensitive" dispensation. He also attacked the AAP for failing to keep its election promise to install CCTV cameras in the city, a day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tore apart a report of a panel set up by the Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on installation and monitoring of surveillance cameras. "People along the #Yamuna in Delhi are at the mercy of an insensitive government. As the river is rising above danger mark due to incessant rains, no advance planning in place, not enough shelter for people caught up in flood waters. @BJP4Delhi, @BJP4India," he said in a tweet. The highest water level recorded at Old Yamuna Bridge was 207.49 metres in 1978. It was 207.11 metres in 2010 and 207.32 metres in 2013, according to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A youth was shot at by some motorcycle-borne assailants here today, police said. Gurkirtan Singh, a resident of Killin Village, was grievously injured in the incident as he received bullet injuries on his legs, they said. The incident took place when Gurkirtan had come to a private hospital to meet a relative. The accused -- Sucha Bhattia and Sunil Naughty -- had enmity with Gurkirtan's friend Sandeep, DSP (city) Yadwinder Singh Bajwa said, adding the accused wanted to take revenge from him due to which they attacked Gurkiratan. The DSP said the police was trying to identify the third accomplice. "The police is scrutinizing the CCTV footage and police teams have been sent to nab the accused," he said, adding a case has been registered against them under relevant provisions of the law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Nidhi VermaNEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian refiners ordered about 12 percent less Iranian oil in June than in May, when the U.S. said it would reintroduce sanctions on Iran, but sales remained around 50 percent higher than a year ago.Refiners in India, Iran's top oil client after China, are weaning themselves away from Iranian oil after the U.S. pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal.The first set of sanctions will take effect on Aug. 6, and the rest, notably in the petroleum sector, following a 180-day "wind-down period" ending on Nov. 4.Indian refiners bought around 664,000 barrels per day ... By Sankalp Phartiyal and Aditya KalraMUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is considering asking e-commerce and social media firms to exclusively store customer data locally, a move that could affect global giants that operate in the country such as Amazon, Facebook and its messaging service WhatsApp.The plan, which has also raised some concerns among privacy advocates, is laid out in an undated Draft National Policy document seen by Reuters that is mainly aimed at streamlining regulation of the country's burgeoning e-commerce sector. It comes at a time when deep-pocketed foreign players are ... By Neha DasguptaNEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is set to award its first global rail supplies tender to local firms, shunning major foreign bids, as part of its efforts to develop domestic manufacturing, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under pressure to promote Indian industry to create jobs for millions of people ahead of the South Asian country's next general election in 2019. State-owned Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), which had not even submitted a bid, will provide 80 percent of the 487,000 tonnes of rails sought in the Indian ... WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Building on President Donald Trump's "Indo-Pacific" strategy, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced $113 million in new regional investments focused on technology, energy and infrastructure.The announcement comes at a time when trade frictions with China have given U.S. trade diplomacy a sharper edge.A senior U.S. official said the investments were not aimed at countering China's Belt and Road Initiative, which consists of mostly state-led infrastructure projects linking Asia, parts of Africa and Europe. "These funds represent just a down payment on ... WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has eased export controls for high technology product sales to India, granting it the same access as NATO allies, Australia, Japan and South Korea, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday.Ross, speaking at U.S. Chamber of Commerce event, said the move to grant Strategic Trade Authorization status STA1 to India reflects its efforts to improve its own export control regime, its adherence to multilateral export rules and its growing status as a U.S. defense partner."STA1 provides India greater supply chain efficiency, both for defense, and for ... By David Lawder and David BrunnstromWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has eased export controls for high technology product sales to India, granting it the same access as NATO allies, Australia, Japan and South Korea, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday.Ross, speaking at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event, said the move to grant Strategic Trade Authorization status STA1 to India reflects its efforts to improve its own export-control regime, its adherence to multilateral export rules and its growing status as a U.S. defence partner."STA1 provides India greater supply chain ... "The Spirit of Ramanujan initiative aims to break the mold and find brilliant outliers who may not be thriving in the system, so we can match them up with the resources they need," says Emory mathematician Ken Ono, one of the founders of the initiative. Emory Photo/Video The Templeton World Charity Foundation awarded $550,000 to Emory mathematician Ken Ono, for a global program to identify and nurture gifted students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The program, now known as the Spirit of Ramanujan STEM Talent Initiative, began in 2016 with pilot funding of $100,000 from the Templeton Foundation. This additional funding will allow us not only to continue the program, but to expand its mission and impact, says Ono, Asa Griggs Candler Professor Mathematics at Emory and the vice president of the American Mathematical Society. The pilot Spirit of Ramanujan program, or SOR, focused on finding exceptional young mathematicians, and awarded grants to 16 grade-school students from across the United States as well as from China, Egypt, India, Kenya and Qatar. SOR matched the mathematicians with mentors and the grants funded summer research and enrichment activities. SOR will now also offer similar opportunities for individuals showing exceptional promise for STEM fields in which mathematics plays a prominent role, such as computational chemistry, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, mathematical biology, mathematical physics and statistics. Up to 30 eligible people each year will be awarded Templeton-Ramanujan Fellows Prizes (financial grants up to $5,000 per award to cover summer enrichment/research programs) or Templeton-Ramanujan Scholarly Development Prizes (educational materials such as STEM books). We are looking for brilliant, creative people who have ideas and abilities that will drive the future of science, Ono says. Young people with great promise are often outliers, so far ahead of their classes that teachers dont know what to do with them. Genius cannot be taught, it can only be nurtured. By Lesley Wroughton and David BrunnstromWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced $113 million in new technology, energy and infrastructure initiatives in emerging Asia on Monday, at a time when China is pouring billions of dollars in investments into the region.In a policy speech delivered amid increased U.S. trade frictions with China and other Asian countries, Pompeo sought to define the economic aspect of President Donald Trump's "Indo-Pacific" strategy, which aims to cast the United States as a trustworthy partner in the region.Pompeo said Washington wants a ... The final National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft that has courted controversy, and kept citizens of Assam on edge for a while now, has finally been released today. The list released by the government includes 28,983,677 citizens, while 40 lakh have been left out. In the wake of this, security has been beefed up in the state as there are chances of tension breaking out. Additionally, on Sunday, CM Sarbananda Sonowal convened an all-party meeting where every party promised their support to the government in maintaining peace across the state. "A joint resolution was reached wherein every party promised to let people know that those who don't find a mention in the NRC final draft need not worry as they would get a chance in the claims and objections rounds. They also would appeal to people to refrain from making communally inflammatory comments," an official said. What is NRC? The National Register of Citizens, the first list of which was created in 1951, is a record of all the legal citizens of the state. In 1980, when Assam saw an anti-illegal foreigners movement in the state, calls to update the NRC rang through the state. The essential aim was to oust foreigners, or in other words, illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. A decision to update the NRC was taken in 2005 by former PM Manmohan Singh in a tripartite meeting to review the Assam Accord. Applications for NRC were invited in 2015 following which 3.29 crore people sent in 6.6 crore documents. The updating process involved house-to-house verification that involved verification of the documents provided, verification of the family tree to ensure claims of parenthood and linkages are not false. Citizens who have been residing in the state since March 25, 1971, will find their names, along with addresses and photographs on the NRC list. How to check name in NRC There are multiple ways of checking one's name in the NRC data. Citizens could visit either of the following websites - nrcassam.nic.in, assam.mygov.in or assam.gov.in. There are NRC Sewa Kendras (NSK) that one could visit to check their names on the list. One could also type ARN(space)(ARN number) and SMS to 7899405444/7026321133/7026861122/9765556555 to get information on the same. One could also call the toll free number 15107 from within Assam and 18003453762 from outside Assam to get information on their NRC status. What needs to be done if name is not on NRC? If one's name does not feature on the list, he or she could go to their respective NSKs and fill in the prescribed forms that will be available from August 7 to September 28, and the authorities will inform them of the reason their names were withheld from the list. Within that period, the applicants can file their claims which will be resolved after proper hearings. The All Assam Students Union (AASU) has also set up a 24-hour control room at its central office to help people. (Edited by Anwesha Madhukalya) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hit out at Congress President Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of favouring a private businessman over the Rafale deal. Speaking in Lucknow during the inauguration of investment projects worth more than Rs 60,000 crore, Modi said, "There is no shame in standing with businessmen and industrialists. You would not find a single photograph of some people with industrialists but there is not a single businessman who hasn't been to their residence to pay their respects." The PM referred to Rajya Sabha MP and former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh sitting at the event as an invitee and said: "Singh has all the records of the behind-the-door meetings with top corporates." Modi did not name Congress chief Rahul Gandhi but responded to his repeated allegations of the central government favouring few top corporate houses and ignoring the plight of a common man. "Like farmers, artisans, labourers and workers, industrialists also have an important role in nation building. Is it fair to call them chor - lutera? Is it advisable to insult them? However, anyone who is indulged in wrong practices has to either run away from the country or to go behind the bars," Modi added. PM further praised UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his government for bringing an investment of more than Rs 60,000 crore within 15 months of being in power. "Rs60,000 crore investment is not small. It is something unimaginable. Instead of calling it a Ground Breaking Ceremony, it should be referred to as 'Record Breaking Ceremony," the PM said. Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi also informed that a MoU tracker has been set up at his office to monitor the progress of the implementation of the MoUs signed during the investors meet. "In addition, several sectoral policies were also launched after consulting the industries. Some of these included defence and aero space policy, food processing and milk policy, logistic policy, bio fuel policy, etc," Yogi said. The UP government had organised the UP Investors Summit in February 2018 and signed MoU's worth more than Rs 4.28 lakh crore across sectors. Within a few months, investment proposals for 81 projects amounting to an investment of about Rs 60,000 crore have now been materialised which according to the government would general employment for more than 2 lakh people. The Reliance Jio Com will be investing Rs 10,000 crore and BSNL is investing Rs 5,000 crore for laying optical cable network in the state. Moreover, Infosys would be investing Rs 5,000 crore and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will be investing Rs 2,300 crore to establish IT/TES centres across the state. In addition, Adani Power is investing Rs 2,500 crore to lay 765 KV Ghatampur-Hapur transmission line. Paytm is investing Rs 3,500 crore to build its headquarters and campus in the state, according to an official release issued by the state government. PM Modi also attended an event in Lucknow on Saturday to mark the third anniversary of three key government initiatives related to urban development which includes Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation of Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Smart Cities Mission. India Today TV/ with inputs from Rajat Rai Debt-laden Air India has defaulted on government-guaranteed loans given to it by three banks. According to a report in the Business Standard, these banks and two aircraft leasing firms have issued default notices to the state-run airline and have threatened to take legal recourse if dues are not cleared. Among the banks that have served the notice to Air India are Standard Chartered bank, Dena Bank and Bank of India. According to the report, these three banks have raised concerns over outstanding interest payment of more than Rs 800 crore. Apart from the banks, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo Trust Services and the United Arab Emirates' state-run Dubai Aerospace Enterprise have also sent notice to the national carrier. In its communication to Air India, Wells Fargo Trust said that an event of default has occurred as the airline has not paid lease rental payments for over two months on three Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, the business daily reported. Dubai Aerospace Enterprise has served a similar notice to Air India's regional arm Alliance Air for pending rental payments on four ATR 72 aircraft. After the RBI's February notification, if any company fails to pay instalments for three consecutive months, the banks will have to classify that account as NPA. At the end of March 2017, Air India had a debt burden of more than Rs 48,000 crore. This year in June, the state-run airline sought proposals for short-term loans worth Rs 1,000 crore to meet urgent working capital requirements. It also borrowed Rs 6,250 crore from various banks between September last year and January this year for immediate requirements and other needs. Recently, Air India asked the government to restore the equity infusion after its strategic disinvestment bid failed to take off in May. In April 2012, Congress-led UPA regime had approved a Turnaround Plan (TAP) as well as a Financial Restructuring Plan (FRP) for Air India. Under the turnaround plan, Air India is to receive a total equity infusion worth Rs 30,231 crore up to 2021. So far, the airline has received Rs 27,195.21 crore worth equity infusion till date. The carrier had been receiving about Rs 3,000-4,000 crore equity infusion on an average per fiscal from the government till 2013-14. However, after that the amount was gradually reduced. For 2018-19, the airline has been allocated Rs 650 crore. Last week, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha informed that Parliament that all government guaranteed loans and interests thereon were being paid by the government by way of equity infusion into the airline. The Minister said that under the financial restructuring plans, high cost of working capital loans have been converted into long term debt carrying lesser rates of interest so as to reduce the financial burden on Air India. A Delhi court today summoned Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav and others as accused in the IRCTC scam. Special Judge Arvind Kumar directed them to appear before the court on August 31. This year in April, the CBI filed a charge sheet against Lalau Yadav and others in connection with alleged corruption in handing over the maintenance of two hotels run by the IRCTC to Sujata Hotels in return for a prime land plot of three acres in Patna in 2006. Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi were also among the 14 people named by the CBI in the charge sheet. The CBI recently said that there were enough evidence against the accused. Besides Yadav and his family members, former Union Minister Prem Chand Gupta and his wife Sarla Gupta, B K Agarwal, then Managing Director of IRCTC, and then IRCTC director Rakesh Saxena were also named in the charge sheet. Last week, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal granted sanction to prosecute B K Agarwal. The CBI wrote to the Railways in April seeking its permission to prosecute Aggarwal, who was then the IRCTC Group General Manager. It was reported that Goyal gave his nod after a report of the Central Vigilance Commission which advised the Ministry to grant sanction for prosecution under Section 19 of the The Prevention of Corruption Act. Referring to Aggarwal, the CVC in its report said that he played a "devious part" in evaluating the bid of Sujata Hotels in such a way that they qualified. "It is clear that in case of B N R Puri, the competitor of Sujata Hotels were deliberately awarded low marks under various heads of evaluation so that it did not qualify for opening of it price bid. The award of marks with the introduction of subheads was arbitrary mala fide," CVC had said. The other names in the CBI charge sheet include then group General Managers of IRCTC V K Asthana and R K Goyal, Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel. (With inputs from PTI) With increasing economic ties with India, the UAE has committed $75 billion towards infrastructure development in the country, the commerce ministry said today. It also said that the UAE is India's third largest trading partner. "The UAE has invested over USD 5.3 billion in India and infrastructure is one of the top five focus sections of UAE-India bilateral trade. The UAE has committed USD 75 billion towards infrastructure development in India," the ministry said in a statement. Further it said that Invest India and the UAE Minister for Artificial Intelligence (AI) signed an agreement for India-UAE Artificial Intelligence Bridge here today. "This partnership will generate an estimated USD 20 billion in economic benefits during the next decade for both countries. The MoU will spur development across areas like Blockchain, AI and Analytics as data and processing will be a catalyst for innovation and business growth," it said. It added that by 2035, AI can potentially add USD 957 billion to the Indian economy. The Reserve Bank of India cancelled the licences of as many as 35 "Flipkart may apply for NBFC licence to offer credit to shoppers, sellers" 'Non-Banking Financial Companies' (NBFCs) on Monday. In a statement issued by the RBI, the central bank said these companies will not be able to do the business of a non-banking financial institution from now on. The central bank has cancelled the licences of over 100 NBFCs this month alone. Some of them were either blacklisted or they stopped doing operations and surrendered their certificates to the RBI. Before this, the RBI had cancelled the licences of as many as 25 NBFCs on July 25; 45 on July 19; 12 on July 20; and eight on July 23. Over 1,200 NBFCs flagged as "high risk" prone for not complying with a provision of the anti-money laundering law had submitted their records to the government in April to be identified as legally compliant. Under the PMLA, the NBFCs, which include cooperative banks, are required to furnish details about the identity of their clients, maintain records and furnish the information to the Financial Intelligence Unit. Several NBFCs are facing closure for violation of these rules, but despite that these non-banking financial institutions are expected to grow at 19-21 per cent in the current financial year, while SME credit could see over 25 per cent growth, an ICRA report said. Recently, the government MP Narender Jadhav told the Rajya Sabha that Chinese giant Alibaba had applied for NBFC licence in India through Paytm. There is a buzz that Flipkart is also looking to enter the financial services space to offer its customers as well as sellers a plethora of credit and insurance products. The Bengaluru-headquartered firm has started the process of applying for an NBFC licence, which will allow it to open lines of credit to its customers numbering around 10 crores and over 1 lakh sellers. The NBFCs lend and make investments and, hence, their activities are akin to that of the banks. However, they can't accept demand deposits and do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue cheques drawn on themselves. (Edited by Manoj Sharma) With inputs from PTI With rising incidents of fake news being spread through the popular messaging platform, WhatsApp, a team of Indian students and a professor have now decided to take matters into their own hands. The team, headed by Ponnurangam Kumaraguru, associate professor of computer science at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-D), Delhi, is developing an app to verify the genuineness of messages circulated on WhatsApp. The Indraprastha Institute is a research-oriented university focusing on computer science and allied areas like mathematics, electronics, design, social science, and bioscience. Kumaraguru told PTI, "We are collecting a large amount of data and have asked people to forward us messages on the number 9354325700. These messages will be analysed, and accordingly, we will develop a model for putting a wrapper on such messages." "Through the messages received, we will study the common factors in such messages. The commonality might be an image, a URL or some words. If it is a forwarded message, it is a high probability that it is a fake message," the professor added. The application will comprise color codes which will be assigned to messages. Green color will indicate legitimate content; yellow will be displayed when the system is unable to decode the message; while red will indicate that the message is definitely a hoax. Recently, Mohammad Azam, an IT Engineer, was beaten to death by a mob of around 200 people in Bidar district of Karnataka on suspicion of being a child abductor. Earlier, five men were lynched at Dhule in the western state of Maharashtra, following similar rumors spread on WhatsApp. Taking stock of the situation, the Government of India had issued a stern warning to WhatsApp to curtail the unfortunate situation and indicated that the messaging platform cannot evade responsibility. As a consequence, WhatsApp said that it does not take such incidents lightly and had started labeling forwarded messages to indicate whether they are legitimate or fake. It also limited message forwarding to a maximum of five people at once. Now the government has issued another notice to WhatsApp asking it to come out with effective solutions beyond just labeling forwards. It also warned the company that mediums used for propagation or rumors will be treated as abettors and may face legal consequence if they remain mute spectators. As future measures, WhatsApp is also testing a new 'suspicious links' feature on its Android Beta platform. The feature essentially marks a link red if it the app finds it suspicious. If the user still goes on to click on the link, a pop-up will try to warn them and confirm their action. Edited by Danny D'Cruze Shares of Amazon.com Inc rose 4 percent to hit an all-time high after the online retailing giant's quarterly profit topped $2 billion for the first time, powered by its best operating margin in 13 years. Wall Street analysts cheered the broad-based strength in the results and overlooked the retailer's decision to tap the brakes on its blazing revenue growth for plump profits. At least 16 brokerages raised the price target on the stock with several saying that the high levels of profitability may be a new normal for the company. Brokerage Oppenheimer made the most aggressive move, raising its price target on the stock by $380 to $2,130, going past the median target of $2,100. "What we've been waiting on for many years is finally happening, meaningful margin expansion," Macquarie Research analysts said in a note. Amazon Web Services (AWS), which handles data and computing for large enterprises in the cloud, remained the cash cow for the Seattle-based company and generated about 55% of the its total operating income. Amazon's results were also a relief for distressed investors in the U.S. technology sector, still woozy from a nosedive in Facebook Inc's shares following a profit warning earlier in the week. "In this messy earnings season, AMZN stands out as one of the strongest performers," SunTrust analysts said. "Broad-based strength suggests to us AMZN is hitting that elusive margin leverage tipping point investors have been awaiting, driven by AWS and advertising." The company, which originally started an online book seller in 1994, now gains revenue from selling products quite unrelated to its original business. Of the 48 analysts covering the stock, 46 have a "buy" rating, while only 2 rated it "hold." Amazon's stock price has increased more than 54% since the start of the year. With a market value of $916.97 billion, Amazon is racing with Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc to be the world's first trillion-dollar public company. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Half of British voters support a referendum to choose between leaving with a deal that the government may clinch with the European Union, leaving with no deal or staying in the EU, Sky News reported on Monday, citing its own poll. The poll showed 40% opposed such a vote, while 10% did not know. With less than eight months left until Britain is due to leave the EU, there is little clarity about how trade will flow as Prime Minister Theresa May, who is grappling with a rebellion in her party, struggles to strike a deal with the bloc. May has stepped up planning for a so called "no-deal" Brexit that would see the world's fifth largest economy crash out of the EU on March 29, 2019, a step that could spook financial markets and dislocate trade flows across Europe and beyond. The Sky poll showed 78% of voters thought May's government was doing a bad job of negotiating Brexit, up 23 percentage points from March. Just 10% thought the government was doing a good job. May's approval rating has fallen to 24%, the poll showed. Voters were split on whether Brexit would be good or bad for the country: 40% said it would be good and 51% said it would be bad. In the June 23, 2016 referendum, 17.4 million voters, or 51.9% of the votes cast, backed leaving the EU while 16.1 million voters, or 48.1% of votes cast, backed staying. Many opinion polls were wrong about the result. When asked to choose between three options - May's deal, a no deal or staying in the EU - 48% said they would prefer to stay in the EU, 27% wanted to leave with no deal and 13% would opt for the government's deal. Eight percent said they would not vote while 3% did not know. Sky Data interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,466 Sky customers online 20-23 July 2018. Data are weighted to the profile of the population. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Theres a fairly widespread view in the West that we shouldnt be surprised that Chinas growth has slowed from the double digits down to the 6% to 7% range in the last few years. And of course, this point of view typically leads to the conclusion that we should expect the growth to slow down a bit more as the economy becomes more mature. This view has been articulated in the strongest form by Larry Summers and Lant Pritchett. They have three different estimates of what Chinas growth will be going forward until 2033. They talk about full convergence where China will grow 2% because they have to look at what everybody else does. They have another estimate, a little bit higher based on the idea that there will be some convergence. And then theres a third estimate that also looks to be about 4%. My view is very different. I dont think Chinas slowdown is a harbinger of even slower growth in the future, but I think that China is growing significantly below its potential in recent years, for several reasons. First of all, the performance of state-owned companies has deteriorated significantly since the global financial crisis. If you look at the industrial sector, for example, private companies today have a return on assets that is actually higher than it was in 2007, before the financial crisis, somewhere between 10% and 11%. State companies are turning in returns of less than 3%, substantially below where they were prior to the global financial crisis. So state companies in the industrial sector have had a very substantial slowdown. If we look more generally at a big universe of state companies, the ones that are administered under the central State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), which includes a range of industrial firms and firms in the service sector, their returns have gone from 6% or 7% down to about 2.5%. They represent a very large chunk of overall state-owned companies, so their performances also deteriorated. In addition to this, which is slowing down economic growth, the share of investment now being undertaken by private companies that are generating higher returns has declined significantly. The slowdown started around 2012 and had deepened by 2016 and 17. Investment for private companies has declined and is now substantially less than the rate of growth of investment of state companies. The share of investment undertaken by state companies, which had been going down for more than 20 years, has now started, at least in the last few years, to go up. The economic slowdown probably has something to do with the decline in the productivity of state companies and, secondly, the fact that private companies share of investment is declining. Why are private investments declining over the state investments in the last few years? First of all, private companies have been squeezed out. In the data published by the Peoples Bank of China, the share of loans going to state companies has almost tripled since 2012. The second problem seems to be that private property rights have not been adequately protected. A document issued by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 2016 along with the State Council stated that private property rights must be better protected. They should be treated according to the law, and there should not be illegal confiscation or freezing of private assets. At his press conference at the close of the National Peoples Congress in March, Premier Li Keqiang argued that the lack of protection of private property rights played a role in slowing down private investment. These are at least two potential reasons why private investment has slowed down: squeezing out on the financial side, the fact that state companies are taking more; and uncertainties that private investors feel. Another factor is the continuous emphasis that state enterprises should be bigger and better. The bigger is easier to measure: the SASAC chairman at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference focused on growing revenue rather than efficiency, return on assets, or probability. Im relatively optimistic about Chinas medium-term economic growth, if the government puts in an effective reform program that would raise the productivity of assets controlled by the government. There is a tremendous contradiction between whats happening in the real sector, on the one hand, and the financial sector on the other hand. Since 2013, tremendous progress has been made in financial reform. There are exceptions, but the reform of enterprises is very far behind. Emphasis tends to be on mergers as one of the mechanisms of improving productivity, but most mergers are top-down mergers, and I think this program has failed. The assets of SASAC companies have gone from around 10 trillion yuan ($1.5 trillion) in 2005 to 55 trillion yuan last year. The number of group companies has gone from 196 to something like 98. The average assets of these companies has gone from about 50 billion yuan to 500 billion yuan, but the returns of assets has gone from around 6.5% down to 2.5%. Thus, the merger program in this very important universe of firms has not led to improvements in productivity. The second element of the reform program is corporatization, changing the state companies into limited liability companies. The government believes that these changes should be positive for productivity. The third component is what the Chinese refer to as mixed ownership. But corporatization and mixed ownership have been pursued now for more than a decade. Almost every state company has been corporatized. Many of them have mixed ownership. But the performance of these companies has not improved. In fact, its gotten worse. The data coming up from the Ministry of Finance shows that about 50% of all state companies have been losing money every year since before the financial crisis. The amount of losses has increased sevenfold from 2005 to 2016. The share of companies losing money has technically gone down a little bit, so it seems like a subset of state companies is losing a larger and larger amount of money, and this is coinciding with the program of mergers, corporatization, and the development of mixed ownership. China should have a more bottom-up merger program in which more productive companies have the opportunity to take over the assets of other underperforming assets rather than all those top-down merger programs. And there should be more bankruptcy. There are very few bankruptcies in China, very little exit. As shown by the government data, 50% of the companies were losing money in 2005, and in 2016 it was 45%, so there doesnt seem to be much exit of underperforming companies. Finally, I think there needs to be a much-stronger financial program. Yes, the financial sector is much bigger, its more diverse in certain ways, but the financial sector is supporting a lot of money-losing companies. And one of the things I think is most important in understanding this is that if you look at the banking sector, the growth of assets that is mostly loans has been most rapidly in city commercial banks, real commercial banks, and smaller banks at the local level. The share of assets of the big banks, the big four plus the Bank of Communications has declined by more than half what it was compared to 15 years ago. These local banks are much more subject to pressure from local political and government leaders who want to support state enterprises. So their loans have increased, relying extensively on interbank borrowing as a funding source. There needs to be a reform in the financial sector so the resources can be allocated to the firms that are more productive. In conclusion, there is an important relationship between the financial sector and real sector. China needs to adjust the financial sector before it completely opens up, and I fear that the financial sector is still somewhat impaired by a requirement or a tendency that it should support state-owned companies. However, I dont think China is facing a hard landing because it has made a lot of progress in the shift toward more consumption-driven growth from investment. Nicholas R. Lardy is the Anthony M. Solomon Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Lardys most recent books are Markets Over Mao: The Rise of Private Business in China (2014) and Sustaining Chinas Economic Growth after the Global Financial Crisis (2012). news, latest-news After a relatively mild start to the week, temperatures are set to plummet again on Thursday, a day before Canberra's hottest day in a month. A low of minus 5 degrees is forecast on Thursday, with a high-pressure system set to pass directly over the capital, bringing clear skies and light winds. "Those [conditions] are very conducive to having the heat sucked right out," Bureau of Meteorology forecaster David Wilke said. The cold snap should be short-lived, however, with the minimum temperature set to jump back up to zero on Friday, a day that should also bring 2 to 6 millimetres of rain and the hottest temperatures we've seen in nearly a month. A top of 17 degrees is expected on Friday, which would make it the warmest day in Canberra since July 5, when it hit 18.2 degrees. Mr Wilke said the long-term average top temperature for August at Canberra Airport was 13 degrees, making Friday's expected high 4 degrees warmer than usual. However, the average low was 1 degree, meaning Thursday's predicted low was six degrees chillier than what forecasters had come to expect at this time of year. "It's quite common that in a pattern where you get cooler temperatures, you also get warmer temperatures," Mr Wilke said. "When there are clear skies, the sun is able to heat the Earth more efficiently, but it also cools down more at night. "You do pay for it a bit with the mornings being so cold, but by the afternoon, it's a bit more tolerable." In good news for people visiting the ski fields, 20 centimetres of fresh snow fell at Perisher overnight into Monday, while Thredbo received 15 centimetres. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/83550877-e3f3-4f72-a629-b5286d274a44/r0_7_1024_586_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The number of international travellers flying out of Canberra Airport is booming, according to new government statistics. Between April 2017 and April 2018 there had been a 29.6 per cent increase in passengers flying out of the capital to international destinations, Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron said. Although the increase had come off a smaller base compared to larger airports, this was still the biggest increase in Australia for April, he added. When domestic and international flights were combined, there had been a 9 per cent increase in total passengers flying out of Canberra when April 2017 was compared with April 2018. This was the largest increase for an airport in a major Australian city. The statistics compared passenger movements in April 2017 and April 2018. A new aviation activity report released by the federal transport bureau was also encouraging for Canberra Airport, Mr Byron said. This report compared passenger movements in May 2017 with those in May 2018. Flights from Adelaide to Canberra had the greatest increase in the number of passengers over this period, with a 21.1 per cent lift described as fantastic news by Mr Byron. Brisbane to Canberra flights carried 10 per cent more passengers in May 2018 than May 2017, and Canberra to Melbourne flights carried 7.8 per cent more passengers over the past year. In the year between May 2017 and May 2018 total passenger movements out of Canberra Airport grew by 5 per cent, second only to Hobart (6.5 per cent) in Australias top 10 airports. Canberra Airport has also recently launched a new facial recognition system to bolster security in sterile and high-security areas. We no longer want to rely on security cards and keys alone to secure the most sensitive areas of the airport, Mr Byron said. We believe the bar must be set higher than that. The system only applies to employees and contractors working in sensitive areas of the airport, and is not used on passengers in public areas. We wanted the best technology to verify people meet three critical requirements, Mr Byron said. [That] people are who they say they are, they are only allowed to be in areas where they are authorised to be, and they are there only at authorised times. This system does all of that in about a second. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/44c4a671-c055-4d08-ac39-4e2a34d23cf3/r0_156_2000_1286_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news One's an executive assistant, one's a finance officer, one works in health policy and the other is a recreation and development officer. But together, they make a ripper dance team. Say hello to Garrett Kelly, Angela Sullivan, David Santolin and Alana Beaton, the team of public servants carrying Canberra's hopes and dreams into new Channel 7 reality series Dance Boss. The new-format dance show pits teams of amateur dancers from different states and professions against each other in a bid to find the best workplace dance crew in Australia. Dance Boss is hosted by Dannii Minogue, with winners receiving a $100,000 pay cheque. There's the youth workers from Victoria, the car dealers from NSW and the zookeepers from Queensland. But Team Public Servants definitely has an edge, says dance captain David Santolin, with the public service ethos of teamwork underpinning the Canberra troupe's approach to each dance challenge. "I could reference the public service code of conduct and our vales and ethics guidelines, and the fact we are scrupolous hardworking public servants," Santolin laughs. "But seriously, we're able to work well in a team beause the public service is a lot about teamwork. "Also the public service hierarchy of supervisors, and people you have to report to, means we are really good at taking direction." The other major advantage for Team Public Servants is - despite working for different departments and agencies - the foursome have danced together before. They met last September during rehearsals for Canberra Philharmonic's Strictly Ballroom. When Santolin applied individually "for a new Channel 7 show about dance" earlier this year, producers called and asked if he'd be able to find three other public servants to join him on a proposed series called Dance Boss. "I knew exactly who to call," he says. "We had chemistry and friendship, we were comfortable around each other and we were always laughing in the studio, it was never a chore to dance with my fellow public servants." The team's various employers "have been great" in supporting their staff on the show, Santolin says. In fact, Santolin's colleagues at the National Health and Medical Research Council are among his biggest fans, with about 40 colleagues buying tickets to every local theatre show he appears in. "We're a small agency but there's a lot of love," Santolin says. Team Public Servants is one of the first teams profiled in the Dance Boss premiere on Monday, August 6. The team has access to some of the nation's best choreographers and costume designers in its bid to create a phenomenal dance piece for the judges each week. They'll tackle jazz, hip-hop, disco, contemporary, tap, Latin and ballroom on the show. "Our bodies are definitely not prepared for what's coming up on the show, so far it's been really intense and that will only continue," Santolin says. "There are long days, a lot of physical exertion but once you get on stage in your costume, all that fatigue and fear and worry just goes away. "You're dancing on national television in front of Dannii Minogue - it's incredible." Dance Boss premieres on Channel 7 next Monday August 6 at 7.30pm. Follow the Public Servants on Instagram: www.instagram.com/publicservants/ Angela Sullivan, Department of Finance, Corporate How many years you have you been dancing? 15 What's your dance superpower? I think my versatility is a bit of a super power. Even though I might be out of my comfort zone, I still make it work and feel good for me. Where did you study dance? Rosie OSullivan School of Dance in Cooma. I also did drama, dance and musicals at school. Do your colleagues know you dance? Yes of course! I tap dance at the printer all the time! Proudest ever dance moment? Doing a beautiful pars de deux ballet piece with one of my best friends in my last ever Rosie concert. I was pretty proud of myself for working so hard for so many years and mum cried watching it so I guess she was pretty proud too! What do you love about being on Dance Boss: I love that the show is a celebration of all kinds of dance and proves dance touches the lives of all different kinds of people. So many people from different walks of life came together to create the show out of their shared love of dance. Garrett Kelly, Department of Infrastructure, recreation and development officer How many years you have you been dancing? 16 What's your dance superpower? Majestic walking. Where did you study dance? Fresh Funk in Canberra and Urban Dance Centre in Sydney. Do your colleagues know you dance? Literally almost all of them. Proudest ever dance moment? Taking my son to dance lessons every Monday to pass the torch. It was the same school (Fresh Funk) that started my love for dance and training. Ive also danced for Wynter Gordon! What do you love about dancing? I love how free you can be with dancing, whether it's putting on a character or a persona or just expressing your true self as freely as you can, without any apologies. When I dance, Im transported to a place where there are no worries, no trivial problems and no stress. It allows me to escape the mundane, even if for a fleeting moment and often I leave behind my worries and concerns when Im back to reality. Its therapy. Alana Beaton, Department of Human Services, executive assistant in the media branch How many years you have you been dancing: 18 What's your dance superpower? Not sure that I have any superpowers! But my favourite party trick steps are probably continuous fouette turns and grand jetes (split leaps). Where did you study dance? I trained at the Classical Ballet Centre Canberra (formerly Canberra Youth Ballet School) and then at the McDonald College in Sydney in the full-time ballet program. Do your colleagues know you dance? Of course! Dance is such a huge part of my life that I think everyone I know, knows I dance. Proudest ever dance moment? My favourite dance memory is representing Australia with my dance school at Dance Excellence in Los Angeles back in 2009. We performed at Disneyland which was something Ill never forget. I also remember winning a small ballet competition against some other girls who were older than me and receiving a $700 cash prize - which was a lot of money for a 15-year-old. What do you love about being on Dance Boss? Oh gosh, everything! Working with world-renowned choreographers, creative directors and costume designers is a dream come true. Even professionals would consider themselves lucky to work with them, so to have that opportunity as an amateur dancer is absolutely surreal and Im just so grateful. David Santolin, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), health policy and grant administration How many years you have you been dancing: My mum would say since I could walk, but I've been dancing seriously for about 10 years. What's your dance superpower? I can't explain it, but I can transform even the most empty dance floor into a wild party! I love connecting with people through dance and movement and lose all my inhibitions on the D-Floor. I believe everyone should express themselves through dance, whether you're trained or not. Where did you study dance? I started dancing at high school and college here in Canberra. Then I began classes at QL2 Dance where I really learned about the fundamentals of dance technique. I trained in hip-hop and commercial styles at Fresh Funk at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre. Do your colleagues know you dance? My colleagues love supporting my creative endeavours, they have seen almost every musical that I've performed in since 2013. I'm very lucky. My boss Heather will even come up to see me on Dance Boss, she's so excited! Proudest ever dance moment? My proudest dance moment was with Fresh Funk, performing at 'Choreographers Carnival' in Los Angeles, under the incredible choreographer Tricia Miranda, who has worked with the likes of Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, and Missy Elliott. What do you love about being on Dance Boss? I love so many aspects of being on Dance Boss; we are privileged to work with some of Australia's (and the world's) best choreographers, wear amazing costumes designed by Academy and Tony-award winner Tim Chappel (OMG!) and meet so many other incredible teams which share this wild, crazy, once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's something I'll never forget. Follow Bree Winchester on Instagram and Facebook. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/a0d041f7-ab28-47ad-b50b-559035b1551d/r0_241_3782_2378_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg comment, editorial Shelter. It is one of the essentials of life, alongside the other perennials, from the right to seek refuge to the right to be treated equally, irrespective of colour, gender or sexuality. How governments provide safe adequate housing, or fail to, is a perennial issue of public interest, and one which has only become more pressing in recent decades in Canberra, as it has across the country. So it is that the ACT Greens have put forward an ideas to help provide more affordable housing in the territory - a land tax break to those landlords who choose to cut their rent to 25 per cent of market rates, for those in need. The detail is yet to be debated, ranging from how much it would cost to exactly how it would operate and whether it would get enough support to become a reality in any form, ahead of a motion from the minor party to be put to the Legislative Assembly this Wednesday. Two further difficulties arise in trying to convince a property investor, to take a cut on their investment revenue, however civicly-minded they may be; as well as convincing a government with already stretched coffers to take its own revenue cut. It seems similar ideas are helping, if at a small scale, in both Sydney and Melbourne, and are worth debating. While the government made some proposals, which could align with the Greens', after its much-vaunted housing summit nearly 18 months ago, significant new ideas from Labor have been seemingly absent from public debate. For its part, the Opposition it would increase residential land supply at cheaper rates than the current government if elected - though such proposals would seem a blunt instrument in the face of what some call a wicked problem. Both the Greens and Opposition's proposals have their weaknesses and neither could be taken to be a complete solution to the problem, in the absence of wider changes at both territory and federal levels and a serious increase in funding for actual affordable housing nationally. Nonetheless, they ae contributions to the debate at a time when ACT Labor would seem more intent on pointing to the Commonwealth's failures - of both political stripes - on housing affordability, rather than its own. In recent weeks, we have heard increasingly exasperated calls from the community sector and affordable housing advocates for the territory government to elucidate the details of how it proposes to address the problem. With [probably low] estimates of as few as 50 or 60 people actually sleeping rough in Canberra each night, this small jurisdiction - one in which the land supply lever is firmly in government's hand - surely has the greatest potential to achieve positive things. But, at present, potential is all it is. The community has been waiting, and waiting, for the government to explain how it plans to reach that potential, and by which levers, and one hopes it is not kept waiting much longer. It's time. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/120bde6b-9d31-4e64-afa4-62e34d6d80cf/r0_63_900_571_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, act-politics Legislation to stop companies that have ripped off workers getting government contracts will be introduced into the ACT Legislative Assembly, days after the construction union blitzed letterboxes with leaflets accusing workplace relations minister Rachel Stephen-Smith of failing workers. ACT Labor promised to create a local jobs code to safeguard safety, pay and conditions on public projects at the 2016 branch conference. The code formalises a memorandum of understanding the Barr government has with Unions ACT, which has come under fire from federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash and Canberra Liberals Industrial Relations spokesman Andrew Wall. A discussion paper from February said the code would safeguard a worker's right to associate, and create an active role for unions in the induction of workers in a way that would not trigger conflict with Fair Work right of entry provisions. However unions have condemned the government for dragging its feet on the code. The CFMEU last week filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court alleging workers on Canberra's light rail project had been ripped off $700,000. The union also bombarded Canberra letterboxes with leaflets accusing Ms Stephen-Smith of abandoning the promised jobs code. CFMEU ACT secretary Jason O'Mara warned the campaign could escalate to include phone calls and door knocking if the issue remained unresolved. The jobs code is one of several pieces of legislation that will be highlighted by Chief Minister Andrew Barr in his spring priorities statement, with a bill to be tabled this week. "This is an important reform. Workers deserve fair pay and secure entitlements," Mr Barr is expected to say. "They have the right to organise and be represented by their union. We will ensure the companies and organisations we award work to uphold those rights." Mr Barr will also introduce draft laws that will levy a 15 per cent wagering tax net betting revenue generated by gambling companies through bets placed in the ACT as well as bets made by ACT residents. The tax was outlined in the June budget and brings the ACT in line with other jurisdictions. The government will also introduce legislation to support the territory becoming a self-insurer under Comcare. The Standing Committee on Environment and Transport and City Services will also announce on Tuesday which animal will become the ACT's mammal emblem. The unusual inquiry was sparked by an ABC Canberra campaign, but soon attracted the attention of Triple J, whose presenters Gen Fricker and Lewis Hobba wrote to the committee advocating for band Peking Duk to become the emblem. While senior Labor figures Anthony Albanese, Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek backed the Canberra band, the committee shortlisted the eastern bettong and the southern brush-tailed rock wallaby. The final decision was put out to a public poll, which closed at the end of June. news, crime "I cried when I found out, I wasn't ready to be a mum." Kalinda McClellan-Weaver was just 20 when she found out she was pregnant. While she struggled with the thought of motherhood so young, unfortunately, things were going to get worse. Seven months ago, Ms McClellan-Weaver and her baby daughter were left homeless after escaping an abusive environment. But, today, Ms McClellan-Weaver is working at her dream job and has a roof over her head thanks to a women's refuge and a chance encounter. "Having a child at 20, I guess people think your life is over and that youll have to stay at home with bub until they go to school or whatever," she said. Now 22, she left her daughter's father in September last year. Ms McClellan-Weaver knew she needed to find a safe place for her and baby Lauren, then six months old, but she couldn't return to her parents' home as it was already crowded. "I found myself with no place to go, I had no idea what to do and then I spoke to a friend who recommended me calling Karinya House," she said. Karinya House is a shelter for mothers and babies in Canberra, offering supported accommodation, transition housing and services for pregnant women and mothers. "I wanted somewhere that was safe for me and Lauren to go - being able to sleep at night without having to wake up and check on Lauren all the time from being scared someone was going to come and take her," Ms McClellan-Weaver said. The refuge gave Ms McClellan-Weaver a temporary place to stay somewhere permanent was found. During her time at the refuge, Ms McClellan was in debt and didn't have much money. "My friend and I decided to use a box dye to do our hair - I was originally blonde, and my hair turned green," she recalled. "I was so upset and I started crying to my case worker." Ms McClellan-Weaver couldn't afford to get her hair fixed, but her case worker told her about a partnership the refuge had with Kovu Hair in Narrabundah, where women from the refuge were given pamper sessions donated by the salon. That's where she met Kovu Hair co-owner Samantha Harvey. "They sat me down and Sam came over and spoke to me about what I wanted done, and she made me look so beautiful," Ms McClellan-Weaver said. "We had a great chat while she was doing my hair and I told her how I loved hairdressing and she offered me a job then and there but I turned it down because I just didnt think I was good enough to be a hairdresser." When Ms McClellan-Weaver left the salon, she had more confidence and better hair. After almost seven months at the refuge she was offered a permanent place to call home. She completed her year 12 certificate and a hairdressing course. "When I felt I was ready, I messaged Sam to see if she had remembered me and asked if she would take me on as an apprentice," she said. "She remembered me and said 'I'd take you any day of the week'." Ms Harvey, who was once in a similar situation, said she knew how important it was for young mums to socialise. "I myself used to be in a desperate situation with two young children, going through a difficult divorce," Ms Harvey said. "I isolated myself completely, I didn't at the time want to socialise, so going to things like a hair appointment would turn me off because I thought no-one was going to listen." When Ms Harvey started Kovu she wanted to support young mothers. "Belonging is so important, especially when you're a mum, when you're at home and you've got two little children, it's so easy to isolate yourself," Ms Harvey said. "When I saw Kalinda's application for the job I couldn't go past that. "I thought, giving a girl a go that you know so desperately needed that opportunity and had a passion for hairdressing to get back on her feet would change her life." Ms McClellan-Weaver has been an apprentice at the salon for a month and is loving her job. "When I got accepted I literally couldnt sit down I was so excited," she said. "I was just so excited to work for someone that understands what Ive been through and could relate to me." She said she wanted to empower other young mums to find their feet. "I wanted to share my story to show young women and mothers that they're not alone, that no matter how hard life gets and no matter what it throws at you to never give up." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/b9666df9-fda4-4479-98e6-b83aeada5509/r0_167_5374_3203_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, act-politics The ACT Integrity Commission could be forced to keep its hearings behind closed doors or face lengthy delays if corrupt officials are able to object to public hearings, a former judge has warned. An exposure draft of legislation to establish the corruption watchdog will be tabled when the ACT's parliament sits this week. But while the commissioner will have broad powers, including the ability to authorise sting operations, surveillance and fake identities as part of its investigations, their decision to examine witnesses in public can be challenged because of its indirect impact on the ACT's Human Rights Act. Section 21 of the Act gives everyone the right to a fair trial, and while the integrity commission is not a court or tribunal, publicly airing allegations of corruption could damage the fairness and impartiality of a jury trial should criminal charges be laid, the government says. As such, those under a cloud can push to have their evidence heard in private, even after the commissioner has decided the hearings should be public. Even their case for a private hearing must be listened to and decided behind closed doors, unless the commission reasonably believes the request is vexatious or without merit. But Stephen Charles QC said that provision has been used by suspects with deep pockets to avoid scrutiny in Victoria. Mr Charles chaired a panel of four experts that advised ex-Victorian premier Ted Baillieu on the creation of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. He is also the chair of left-wing thinktank the Australia Institute's National Integrity Committee, which is pushing for a national integrity body. However Mr Charles believes Victoria's IBAC is deeply flawed, with a narrow definition of corruption, too few teeth, and limited scope to hold public hearings. "One of a corruption commission's prime functions is to expose corruption to the public. One of the reasons you have public hearings is so the community becomes aware of what's going on," Mr Charles said. "Whenever you've got a suspect or someone with a fair amount of money or influence, they go to court to stop the public hearing. The commission then has to expose to the court and the suspect what their grounds are and how far their investigation has gone." While the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption has broad powers to hold public hearings, Victoria's IBAC can only do so if there are exceptional circumstances, if the matter passes a public interest test, and if the hearing won't cause unreasonable damage to a person's reputation, safety or wellbeing. Mr Charles said there has only been five public IBAC hearings in the past five years, whereas ICAC holds one roughly every month. "As it's happened in Victoria, the only way to avoid unreasonable damage is to have made a full investigation beforehand, with private hearings in-camera so you know exactly who is the person you correctly suspect of corruption," Mr Charles said. However Mr Charles said there were many complaints about the NSW commission, a "fair amount" of them reasonable. The ACT's commissioner will be accountable to a part-time inspector, who will have unfettered access to the commission's staff and documents. The commissioner will have to write to the inspector seven days out if they want to hold public hearings, and prove there is public interest in airing the allegations more widely. In deciding whether it is in the public interest, the commission must weigh up the seriousness of the matter and whether the conduct was isolated or more systemic in nature. Like the integrity commissioner, the inspector will be appointed by Speaker Joy Burch in consultation with Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Opposition leader Alistair Coe and Greens leader Shane Rattenbury. A cross-party Select Committee will monitor both the inspector and the commissioner, and the Speaker can suspend them for misbehaviour, or mental or physical incapacity. The NSW ICAC also has an inspector, although they are appointed by the state's governor-general. However former NSW inspector David Levine previously called for ICAC to be stripped of its power to hold public hearings "to prevent the undeserved trashing of reputations". Mr Charles said the oversight of the inspector should be enough in most circumstances to ensure the commissioner's wideranging powers were being used appropriately. The former Court of Appeals judge also expressed reservations about the ACT's narrow definition of corruption. According to the draft legislation, conduct by a public official is only considered corrupt if it is illegal or would be grounds for serious disciplinary action. "If you think back to WA Inc. under Brian Burke, some big companies made huge donations to government and the consequence was every time they had something they wanted to do, a building they wanted to put up, if they put a submission in, they got it. It's very difficult to tie that to a criminal offence," Mr Charles said. "Corruption follows from the ability to use money, power and influence, and goes wider than criminal offences, that's why anti-corruption commission has to be wider than indictable offences." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/98df99f0-b681-4f28-bcc0-2e5ce37e8c3f/r0_266_5123_3160_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The community housing sector has backed the ACT Greens proposal to exempt some landlords from land tax, in return for cutting the rent for those in need, while the unions' peak body lashed the idea. Canberra's real estate agents have also cautiously welcomed the proposal, as all stakeholders await more detail, and where the Legislative Assembly will sit on the idea. Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur will put a motion to the Legislative Assembly calling for the idea, which could see landlords given a tax break in return for cutting their market rents by 25 per cent, to be debated by local politicians on Wednesday. Community Housing Industry Association ACT regional director Andrew Hannan said the sector, which would play a key role managing the tenancies, had welcomed the proposal, given it has previously called for such an arrangement. Mr Hannan, also executive director of CHC, Canberra's largest community housing provider, said it also aligned with plans for the government to help fund a new private philanthropic real estate firm. He said the sector had long recognised such a proposal could help leverage other peoples balance sheets to grow supply to meet the demand for affordable rental properties in town. Community housing providers dont necessarily have the financial means to materially grow their portfolios on their own, so this would enable growth by tapping into a third-party owned asset," he said. It has the potential to more rapidly close the supply-demand gap without necessarily needing to build new affordable rental housing." Housing Minister Yvette Berry said the government was also preparing to announce a 'successful provider' for the bid for a not-for-profit real estate agency or community housing provider to manage affordable properties in coming weeks. But it is unclear if that proposal, set to secure some of the government's $1 million affordable housing innovation fund, would extend to potential tax breaks for such landlords, as the Greens have proposed. Mr Hannan said the minor parties' proposal could potentially make available more detached houses in inner to middle Canberra suburbs, with a higher land value, compared to apartments or homes in outer suburbs. He said the community housing sector was waiting to see what policies the government would take up when it releases its new affordable housing strategy, though the Greens proposal could also give the wider community a chance to help address the problem directly. But Unions ACT secretary Alex White claimed it was 'neoliberalist nonsense', that would give property investors yet more tax breaks that he believed the Labor-Greens government should not act on. Despite landlords needing to contribute themselves to the cost, in foregone rent, Mr White said he believed it would only benefit landlords, and if investors wanted to contribute by reducing the rent, they did not need a government subsidy to do so. The Real Estate Institute of the ACT's chief executive Michelle Tynan supported the idea in principle and was open to further discussions, the institute had not yet received any details from government about the proposal. For example it is unclear how many affordable properties would actually be provided to families on low incomes or whether it would just be a reshuffle of properties that are already on the lower end of the rental scale," she said. Ms Tynan also said the agent's peak body wanted to know why properties would need to be managed by a community housing provider, rather than giving owners the option to choose who they wanted to do so. Ms Berry also said potential incentives to encourage private landlords to rent their properties at affordable rates was still being considered, but the focus in the upcoming housing strategy would be on people on lower incomes. "My priority is to make sure any public investment or subsidy would have a clear benefit for them," she said. The Canberra Liberals did not respond to a request for comment. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/33bfd4cb-19ea-461a-9828-6175f474e0c2/r0_50_1000_615_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Chubb European Group announced it has achieved an important regulatory step in its Brexit preparations to redomicile its businesses to France. This provides Chubbs customers with continuous, uninterrupted service regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations between the UK and the European Union, Chubb said in a statement. On July 19, both Chubb European Group and ACE Europe Life converted to Societas Europaea (SE). (SE companies are EU-registered public companies). This move enables these two Chubb companies to redomicile to another EU jurisdiction and continue to undertake business both across the EU and into the UK via a branch. Previously, on July 11, 2018, Chubb received authorization from the Board of the French supervisor Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Resolution (ACPR) to redomicile the businesses to France on Jan. 1, 2019, subject to the fulfillment of certain administrative requirements by year-end 2018. We are delighted to announce these important milestones in our Brexit preparations, said David Furby, regional president, Chubb European Group. From the outset, our primary aim has been to ensure a seamless transition and to offer certainty and continuity of service for all our clients and business partners, regardless of location or the final outcome of the Brexit negotiations, he added. We are confident our new corporate structure will achieve these objectives. At each stage of the process, we have worked closely with the French and UK regulators and authorities, who have been extremely helpful as we have executed on our strategy, said Furby. From Jan. 1, 2019, the new registered address for Chubb European Group SE and ACE Europe Life SE will be La Tour Carpe Diem, 31 Place des Corolles, Esplanade Nord, 92400 Courbevoie, France. From Jan. 1, 2019, Chubb European Group SE and ACE Europe Life SE will be supervised by the ACPR, 4 Place de Budapest, CS 92459, 75436 Paris CEDEX 09. Until Dec. 31, 2018, Chubb European Group SE and ACE Europe Life SE will be domiciled and have their registered office at the same address in England. They will remain authorized by the UK Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Source: Chubb Photo: CTV A Surrey neighbourhood is locked down by heavily armed police officers and K-9 units following multiple shots being fired. Witnesses reported five or six shots in the 7800 block of 138th Street in the area of East Newton Sunday evening. There was also one report of a man fleeing the scene. There is no news yet on whether someone has been apprehended, or if there were any injuries. Surrey RCMP will provide an update later this evening, and they say there is no danger to the public. -With files from CTV Vancouver. Photo: The Canadian Press Authorities in Minneapolis released body camera video Sunday from two police officers in the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old black man, with the footage showing the man shot from behind after a frenetic foot chase and what appeared to be a gun in his hand. Officers Justin Schmidt and Ryan Kelly were responding to a 911 call of a man firing a gun into the air on the city's north side June 23. The video shows them pulling their cruiser up and a man Blevins seated on a curb near a woman with a child in a stroller. As the officers pull up, one says, "He's got a gun!" Blevins jumps up and runs, as the officers yell "Stop, stop! Put your hands up! I will (expletive) shoot you!" In a chase that takes less than a minute, Blevins yells back, "I didn't do nothing bro," ''Please don't shoot" and "Leave me alone." An enhanced version of the video has a red circle drawn around Blevins' hand to highlight what appears to be a gun. After the chase turns down an alley, Blevins is shot, still running. Investigators said both Kelly and Schmidt fired their weapons. An autopsy showed Blevins was shot multiple times. Investigators have said the officers arrived to find Blevins sitting with a woman on a curb before he ran, carrying a black and silver gun. A gun was recovered at the scene. Some witnesses had disputed Blevins was armed, saying he was carrying a bottle or a cup. He appeared to have something in each hand when he first ran. The two officers are on paid administrative leave. A protest of Blevins' death was planned for Tuesday afternoon at the Hennepin County Government Center. Blevins' death prompted earlier demonstrations and community advocates demanded transparency and urged the swift release of body camera footage. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in June that the body camera video would be released after the Blevins family was consulted and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had finished interviewing key witnesses. Frey said Blevins' family viewed the video about an hour before it was released publicly. He called Blevins' death "tragic," but declined to comment on what the footage showed. "I know that right now in our city there's a lot of pain," he said. "Pain in many cases that I cannot understand." Blevins' relatives previously called for both officers to face criminal charges . The city released raw footage from both officers' cameras, as well as what it called a "stabilized" video thatincludes footage from both officers produced by the National Center for Audio and Video Forensics in Beverly Hills, California. Officials said that footage had gone through a process to identify pixels from each frame and aligned them to help limit shaking. In Minnesota, investigative data is typically nonpublic until an investigation concludes. But state laws allow for the release of material like body camera footage if it's deemed a benefit to the public or if it dispels "widespread rumour or unrest." Blevins' family and other community members had pushed for the prompt release of the footage, and Frey had pledged to do so as soon as possible. Video from past high-profile police shootings in the state has usually not been released until after long investigations by the BCA. Chief Medaria Arradondo said he could not comment while the investigation is pending. Kelly has been with the police department since 2013 and Schmidt joined in 2014. Both had served in the military and had been recognized numerous times for their work as police officers, according to redacted personnel files. They also both have had complaints against them: Kelly has had five complaints, all closed without discipline, while Schmidt has had three complaints against him, including two that were closed without discipline and one that remains open. Details about the complaints were not released. Minneapolis has been rocked by two high-profile fatal police shootings in recent years, including the November 2015 shooting of Jamar Clark, 24, and last year's shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40. Officers in the Clark case were not charged, and trial is pending for the officer who shot Damond. Photo: Whistler Search and Rescue UPDATE: 11 a.m. Rescue crews say a woman who died at Rubble Creek near Squamish over the weekend was swept away by the fast-moving water. The incident happened near Garibaldi Lake Sunday afternoon after a man and woman attempted to swim in the creek and were overwhelmed by the current. The man made it to a creek bank and had to be roped to safety, but the woman was found dead downstream several hours later. with files from CTV Vancouver ORIGINAL: 6:40 a.m. A weekend hike turned deadly for one woman just outside of Squamish. The as yet unidentified woman reportedly died as a result of a fall near Rubble Creek at Garibaldi Lakes. A young couple in their 30's ran into trouble and fell approximately 500 feet. The man was rescued, but the woman could not be saved. One tweet on social media says, "I happened to be there about five minutes after. My heart breaks for the husband, he tried so hard to save her. Please be careful out there." Emergency crews are warning people of the dangers of high mountain hiking, especially when combined with the heat we've been experiencing over the past week or so. Photo: The Canadian Press Though nearby wildfires are still wreaking havoc on the area, boaters on Okanagan Lake continue to enjoy the best of a B.C. summer and that's causing problems for firefighters. Glen Burgess of the BC Wildfire Service says the boaters are impeding the response of firefighters' support aircraft, which use the lake as a water source. Burgess says a wildfire burning in Okanagan Mountain Park has spread down to the shoreline, but that's not keeping boaters away from well-known recreational hot spots, and RCMP were eventually called in to help keep the public away. Fire Information Officer Noelle Kekula said Sunday that boaters were getting too close to the helicopters and skimmers, amphibious tanker planes that can hold more than 3,000 litres of water or fire-retardant chemicals, and need room to take off once they fill up. "Think of (the lake) like an airstrip: the skimmers need to come in and land, and then they need enough room to take off again," she said. The helicopters lower a 950-litre bucket into the water to fill up, said Kekula, and can drop the water more precisely than the "shotgun" approach the skimmers take when emptying above a blaze. Kekula said she's especially frustrated by the repeated warnings to boaters whose actions are putting firefighters and their communities in danger and creating "incredible safety issues." Kekula hopes the warnings to the public, along with RCMP involvement, will help boaters manage themselves properly. The wildfire in Okanagan Mountain Park has grown to nearly 14 square kilometres and is classified as out of control by the BC Wildfire Service. Posted by PickupTrucks.com Staff | July 30, 2018 By Aaron Bragman It seems like all the news these days is about full-size, one-ton, heavy-duty pickup trucks with a dual rear axle and prices approaching $100,000, but not everybody needs such a monster machine. Some folks just need a good, solid work truck a big one, something that can haul, tow and get folks to a jobsite that may not be on a paved road. 2018 One-Ton Heavy-Duty Truck Challenge Results | Towing | How We Tested We invited three players to our 2018 One-Ton Heavy-Duty Truck Challenge the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, 2018 Ford Super Duty F-350 and 2018 Ram 3500 stipulating that we wanted to test a one-ton single-rear-axle truck with the top gooseneck towing package. The powertrain had to be diesel, but two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive was up to the automaker, as was the bed length. We set the price cap for this adventure at $75,000 still a considerable amount of money, but average for a class that can see prices soar much higher. The Judges Our judges were a trio of experienced truck experts, each with a different area of expertise: Mark Williams, PickupTrucks.com editor. Williams has been driving pickups and 4x4s for more than 30 years, reporting on all aspects of pickup trucks for PickupTrucks.com for the last eight years. Williams has been driving pickups and 4x4s for more than 30 years, reporting on all aspects of pickup trucks for PickupTrucks.com for the last eight years. Aaron Bragman, Cars.com Detroit bureau chief. Bragman has reviewed trucks for years, logging thousands of miles towing and hauling, and reporting on pickup trucks and the auto industry. Bragman has reviewed trucks for years, logging thousands of miles towing and hauling, and reporting on pickup trucks and the auto industry. Matthew Barnes, product engineer and industry blogger. Barnes' day job is testing hitch equipment for Progress Manufacturing Inc. Testing and Scoring Testing each truck's abilities is important to us. Anyone can deliver a subjective opinion, but the numbers often tell the tale and make or break a truck in a competition like this. We put the trucks through 16 empirical tests around Kingman, Ariz., a hot, dry, lightly trafficked locale with easy access to off-road areas, steep mountain grades and long stretches of highway. Those tests included accelerating and braking with and without gooseneck dump trailers loaded with gravel on a runway at the Kingman Municipal Airport, towing up the Davis Dam grade, payload and towing capacity comparisons, fuel economy and noise intrusion testing. Judges also scored the trucks in 10 subjective categories from interior comfort and quality to visibility and value. Combined, our empirical and subjective tests totaled a maximum of 2,200 points (1,600 max for empirical tests and 600 for subjective tests). Of course, none of the trucks hit that perfect score, but the totals were impressive, as you'll see below. For a deep dive into our testing, see our How We Tested article. And for the details of how these three competitors were equipped, see our What You Get chart below. And now, without further ado, here's how the trucks stacked up after all the dust settled: No. 3: 2018 Ram 3500 Laramie, 1,938 points Our Test Vehicle As-tested price: $74,435 Equipment: 385-horsepower, turbo-diesel 6.7-liter Cummins inline six-cylinder; Aisin six-speed automatic transmission; part-time four-wheel drive; auto-leveling supplemental rear air suspension Rear axle ratio: 3.42:1 Torque: 930 pounds-feet Gooseneck towing capacity: 16,730 pounds Calculated fuel economy, empty: 16.9 mpg combined The verdict: The favorite of two of the three judges, the Ram 3500 was the most comfortable truck overall and was the least fazed by a heavy trailer. Last-place acceleration and fuel economy finishes, plus a loud interior, kept it out of the top spot. Analysis: The judges universally praised the Ram for its comfort, drivability, civility, stability and other qualities. Of all the trucks, the Ram felt most comfortable with a load behind it, especially when the trailer brakes were switched off on our 40-to-zero-mph panic stop test. But the Aisin transmission seemed to be the weak point here: The Ram 3500 had a 3.42 rear axle ratio that should have been good for highway cruising, yet it still scored the worst for fuel economy, and it did it no favors for acceleration results or 60-mph engine noise levels. The Good Comfortable interior: "Everything was easy to reach, the driver's seat was most comfortable for me, and the rear seats were heated and had vents," Barnes said. "It has a bumpin' sound system, too," Bragman added. "That Alpine unit sounds sick!" That's a good thing. Thoughtful storage solutions: The Ram 3500 had plenty of nooks to store and hide gear. "Hidden storage and under-rear-seat configurations are a nice touch. I especially like the thoughtful lighting under the rear seats," Williams said. Bragman appreciated the functional cellphone or tablet holders in the center console. Smooth ride: Everyone had big praise for how the Ram 3500 rides, thanks to its rear air suspension in conjunction with the common leaf springs. "Road feel when towing was about as smooth and confident as I've felt in this segment," said Williams. "It has been a while since I've driven a one-ton single-rear-wheel axle with the airbags, but between the leaf springs and bag pressure, this is incredibly well-dialed in." Towing stability: Of the three trucks, the Ram 3500 felt the most at home towing a heavy trailer. Barnes said the Ram was the "most stable truck while towing; there were no vibrations or other issues, making the Ram the most confident tow vehicle of the three tested." It also handled itself best under panic braking when the trailer brakes were switched off, stopping a stunning 20 feet shorter than the third-place Ford, with perfect poise and control. The Bad Worst acceleration: We wouldn't call it slow exactly, but the Ram finished last in all of the acceleration tests. We think the Aisin transmission might have been the culprit, as it had a decidedly rough demeanor versus its competitors. "The transmission definitely has a commercial feel to it that takes some getting used to," Williams said. "That 1st-to-2nd gear shift is a hard one, and I am guessing plenty of power is pulled out to accommodate the torque." It's also sported a 3.42:1 final drive ratio versus 3.55:1 for the Ford and 3.73:1 for the Chevy, which didn't help. Mediocre fuel economy: A taller gear ratio like a 3.42:1 should have helped with fuel economy, but it didn't the Ram scored poorly here too, averaging 16.9 mpg without a trailer and 9.9 mpg with the trailer. Cruise control: Unlike the other trucks, the Ram 3500's cruise control would let you get well beyond your set speed going downhill before applying the exhaust brake. "The cruise control was rather ambiguous," Barnes said. "Sometimes it would be at the right speed, but it wouldn't start the exhaust brake until about 5 mph over the set speed." Williams saw it go as high as 8 mph over the set speed before actively working to slow itself. It's loud: There's a certain degree of diesel truckiness that's cool in a one-ton rig but the Ram 3500 goes a bit too far, scoring the worst in interior noise levels. At idle or at highway speeds, the Cummins engine makes itself very well known, which we understand some truck buyers appreciate. Research the 2018 Ram 3500 | Search Inventory | Photo Gallery No. 2: 2018 Ford Super Duty F-350 Lariat, 2,012 points Our Test Vehicle As-tested price: $74,470 Equipment: 450-hp, turbo-diesel 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8; TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission; part-time four-wheel drive; LED headlights; adaptive steering Rear axle ratio: 3.55:1 Torque: 935 pounds-feet Gooseneck towing capacity: 20,600 pounds Tested fuel economy, empty: 17.8 mpg combined The verdict: Spacious with a commanding seating position and bountiful visibility, the tech-laden Ford helped make towing easy by providing the driver with tons of useful information but it didn't handle the actual job of towing well enough to snag the top spot. Analysis: The big Ford F-350 (and we do mean big; this thing dwarfed the other two trucks) came close to taking the top spot, falling just 11 points short of the victor. It scored well in the 40-to-60-mph rolling test, and it had the highest gooseneck tow rating by a significant amount. But the towing performance of this single-rear-wheel Ford Super Duty F-350 left us underwhelmed, as it felt like it was most affected by the load behind it. We loved the information it gives to the driver, but interior comfort was an issue for some, as well. The Good A great view: Our judges liked the spacious interior and the visibility that such a tall roof and high seating position afforded. Bragman enjoyed the view out once the cabin had been successfully mounted. "It's one heck of a climb to get up in, but once you're there, the view out is unparalleled," he said. "With such big windows, visibility is excellent." Tons of information: The judges universally liked the amount of data that the Ford F-350 provided the driver through its instrument cluster, gauges and multimedia center. "Absolutely love how configurable and accessible the information is on the screen between the speedometer and tachometer," Williams said. "Tons of info and the driver can prioritize it for easier access of the readouts they want." Barnes agreed: "Best technology of the group by far, with the adaptive cruise control, 360-degree camera system, power drop tailgate button and electronically extending mirrors." Auxiliary switches: The Ford F-350 was the only truck equipped with overhead auxiliary switches, which are great for those planning to up-fit a vehicle. Lots of bed tech: There were lots of innovative features in the bed. Our Ford F-350 had a tailgate step, push-button LED lighting, lockable tie-down cleats and a push-button drop tailgate (on the tailgate, from inside the cab and even on the key fob). The Bad Not happy with our trailer: Several judges said that it felt like the trailer was pushing the truck around a lot more than the other competitors, creating a less stable, less confident experience. "When towing over the road, the rear suspension got into a weird resonance wave where the trailer was pushing and pulling the Super Duty," Williams said. "It got bad enough to where I had to let off the throttle and coast a bit to let all the weight recalibrate." Barnes experienced a similar issue while towing up a moderate grade. "The Ford towed well overall but had a serious fore-and-aft frequency issue that was started by certain bumps and would keep getting worse unless the throttle was released." Poor braking stability: When we switched off the trailer brakes, the Ford F-350 did not inspire confidence in our closed-course 40-to-zero-mph emergency panic stop testing. Drivers experienced a lot of lateral movement and loss of composure. Uncomfortable seats: Ford's pickup seats continue to disappoint. "The seat-bottom cushions feel short, or maybe it's the seatback that pushes me too far forward," Bragman said. "Either way, I feel like I'm sitting on the edge of the seats in the Ford." Tight engine compartment: The big diesel V-8 is stuffed under that tall hood with no room to spare. "Engine layout looks fine for changing the air filter, but the rest of it looks like a hoarder's closet, packed with tubes, pipes, hoses and cooling sinks," Williams said. Research the 2018 Ford F-350 | Search Inventory | Photo Gallery No. 1: 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 High Country, 2,023 points Our Test Vehicle As-tested price: $70,965 Equipment: 445-hp, turbo-diesel 6.6-liter Duramax V-8; Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission; part-time four-wheel drive; Rear axle ratio: 3.73:1 Torque: 910 pounds-feet Gooseneck towing capacity: 17,200 pounds Tested fuel economy, empty: 18.7 mpg combined The verdict: The Chevrolet Silverado 3500 proves an aging platform doesn't matter when your performance is this strong. It finished first due to top marks for performance, an impressive level of equipment and a value price to boot. Analysis: The Chevy Silverado wasn't any of our judges' favorite truck; none of them picked it as the overall winner in the 10 subjective testing categories. But first-place performances in 10 empirical tests more than made up for it, with the aging Chevy edging out the completely redone Ford and plush Ram for the top spot in our Challenge thanks to strong acceleration, good towing manners, top fuel economy and overall livability. The Good Smokin' value: At this price, you apparently have a choice the mid-level trims for a Ford or Ram pickup, or a top luxury trim level for a Chevrolet. We got a loaded luxury Chevrolet Silverado 3500 High Country for the price of other manufacturers' mid-level trims and still came in thousands of dollars less than the Ford or Ram competitors. Even if Chevy had sent us a long-bed version of the 3500, as the others did, the sticker price still would have come in a lot less than the Ford or Ram. Feels like a smaller truck: "The Chevy has strong pulling power and comfortable seating feel," Williams said. "It drives more like a half-ton truck with a monster motor. I think there's something to the fact that GM hasn't tried to make its HD trucks into monsters that is connecting with consumers. That's probably because GM has a new medium-duty Silverado 4500/5500 for even heavier-duty use." Quiet inside: Barnes believed the Chevrolet Silverado had the calmest interior, and the test numbers backed him up. "The Chevy was noticeably quieter than the other trucks in this test, both inside and out," he said, and it's true the Silverado scored best at idle and at 60 mph according to our sound-testing decibel meter. Strong acceleration: The Chevrolet Silverado 3500 was quickest in our quarter-mile test both with and without a trailer quickest in the zero-to-60-mph test (almost two seconds faster than the Ram) and quickest in our hill-climb test. At least some of that success can be attributed to its 3.73:1 final drive ratio, but this has no penalty on fuel economy, as ... Top-notch fuel economy: ... It also was hands-down the best for fuel economy, achieving 18.7 mpg combined without a trailer and 10.4 mpg combined towing a 4,900-pound Big Tex gooseneck dump trailer filled with 8,100 pounds of gravel. The Bad Insufficient information: While the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 provides some information to the driver about what the truck is doing, it falls well short of the Ford and Ram in giving complete info. For instance, the diesel exhaust fluid gauge has only two readings: "enough" and "refill now." You can't see what gear you're in when in Drive; you must shift the transmission into Manual to see the gear in use displayed on the information screen. Awkward cabin layout: We've complained before about the offset position of the steering wheel and it's still a problem, one that we hope will be addressed when the next generation of heavy-duty Chevrolet trucks arrive in the next year or two. Mediocre cameras: The Chevrolet Silverado 3500 lacks a bed camera, and there's no way to activate the rearview camera while you're going forward as you can in the others. Our top-of-the-line vehicle was not equipped with the aftermarket extra side cameras (which activate when using your blinkers), but we're not sure that would have compared well anyway with either of the other systems. Diesel exhaust fluid mess: We dislike just about everything regarding the DEF system on the Chevrolet Silverado 3500. Barnes was unequivocal: "The DEF system needs work on every part the fill location under the hood is the worst in the industry, the DEF tank's low position is the worst in the industry and the in-dash DEF gauge itself is the worst in the industry." As noted earlier, it has two positions: "enough" and "refill immediately." Not good enough. Lackluster storage: "There's nowhere to really slip a cellphone that has it accessible and still powered up," Bragman noticed. "Kudos for having lots of USB ports, but then it's odd that there's nowhere to securely put the thing you've just plugged in." So, while none of the judges picked the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 as the best experience, its strong empirical test performances put it over the top. We value a truck's empirical ability as much as, if not more than, subjective evaluations. Our scoring is designed to allow readers to weight the test categories important to them any way they wish. So, have at it: Feel free to weight the scores you'll find in our full-length chart in our How We Tested story to determine your own personal winner. If you're looking for the latest and greatest features, a lot of technology and creature comforts, the Chevy might not be for you. But if you're looking for the quickest, most comfortable, most efficient one-ton pickup truck around that's quiet and easy to tow, and a smokin' value to boot, the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 is the one to get and the overall winner of our 2018 One-Ton Heavy-Duty Truck Challenge. Research the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 | Search Inventory | Photo Gallery More From PickupTrucks.com Cars.com photos by Chris Collard Cemex is working 24/7 to meet Philippine cement demand 30 July 2018 Cemex president and CEO, Ignacio "Nacho" Mijares, says Cemex's cement plants in plants in Antipolo and Cebu are having to work 24/7, in maximum capacity, to meet the market demand in the Philippines. The governments PHP8trn (US$150.3bn) infrastructure programme is sending cement demand upward. "We recently were able to 'debottleneck' our dispatch which allows us to increase to half a million tons, the amount we can provide to the market. Going forward we will continue looking for the debottlenecking opportunities to be able to catch up with the market growth," Mr Mijares said. Cemex is set to spend PHP3bn (US$56.3m) this year to build an additional 1.5Mta cement production line that will bring the total capacity of its Antipolo plant to 3.4Mta to cope with the additional cement demand. Mr Mijares added the industry demand is growing 8 to 10 per cent, higher than the country's average six per cent GDP growth. "Theres a huge demand and potential in the country for the following years. There's a lot to be built not only in the next five years but we see the next 15, 20 years well have a lot of activity," he said. "This is one of the highest growing countries in terms of construction in the world and we're doing this to catch up to be able to continue serving the Philippines with the highest quality products," he added. The Philippines is Cemex's third biggest market next to Mexico and the USA. Published under 23:49 Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said the BJP government's execution of the highly-sensitive National Register of Citizens has been tardy, leading to massive insecurity in Assam. The government should move swiftly to resolve the crisis in Assam after reports that the names of many Indian citizens are missing in the draft National Register of Citizens, Gandhi said. The Congress chief also asked Congress members to help maintain peace and help those, irrespective of their caste, religion or group, against whom "injustice" was done in the draft NRC. In a Facebook post, Gandhi said the NRC was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singh to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985. "However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP Governments at the centre and in the State of Assam leaves much to be desired," he said. "There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The Government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis," he added. Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in the state. The Congress has demanded that government convene an immediate all-party meeting to address the issue. -- PTI As Goes the Church, So Goes the Country Christian Post Contributor | 29 July, 2018 by Rev. Mark H. Creech Earlier this month, Episcopal Church leaders, at a meeting in Houston, Texas, decided same-sex couples will now be allowed to marry in any diocese, even if the local bishop morally objects to gay nuptials. Jeff Walton, an Anglican program director for the Institute on Religion & Democracy, said, "I think this is going to perpetuate the Episcopal Church's decline that has already been underway for close to 20 years now, and we'll probably see some people walking away from the Episcopal Church as a result of this." Surely, the state of true religion is in a bad way. Our nation is also far removed from its moral underpinnings. As goes the church, so goes the country. Today it's much like the situation described in Hosea chapter 4, where the prophet said that God had "a case against" Israel. He said there was "no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge of God in the land!" Cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and sexual immorality were rampant; one act of bloodshed followed another. The Lord laid much of the blame on the priests and the prophets of that era, charging that they were destroying the nation, their "mother." God rejected them because they were derelict in their duty to him, failing to teach the "knowledge" of God to their posterity. Instead, they encouraged others to sin to satisfy their own appetites. Through sexual indulgence and insobriety, sanctioned by religion, the people had lost their ability to think straight. Doesn't that sound a lot like America today? May God forgive me for my many shortfalls. But when I survey the landscape of church leadership, most apparent are the Bishops of spiritual and sexual idolatry, Vicars of socialism in their religious garb, Ministers that resemble snake oil salesman more than prophets of God, and Clergy who pretentiously claim some kind of higher spirituality by refusing to address morally reprehensible social and political practices. It is the latter, which may bear the greatest guilt. Recently, I came across a Facebook post by a fellow minister. He put up a video clip of a prominent evangelical preacher claiming the church's "mandate is not political, it's not social, and it's not economic." The church is only to focus on the proclamation of the Gospel, he said. Read more from As Goes the Church, So Goes the Country on The Christian Post. First Baptist Dallas Celebrates 150 Years; Robert Jeffress Talks Future Plans, Pastor Who Impacted Him Most 29 July, 2018 by Michael Gryboski , | First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, the megachurch headed by Pastor Robert Jeffress, will be celebrating its 150th anniversary on Sunday. Originally founded on July 30, 1868, the church that began with 11 members now has approximately 12,000 people on its membership roll. FBC Dallas is planning to hold a special service on Sunday to commemorate the occasion, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott expected to be in attendance. Attendees to the service will get a commemorative Bible for each family, as well as a children's book focused on the history of the church. There will also be a message delivered by Jeffress about the past and future of the congregation, as well as a history display at the church's Ruth Behr Hall. Jeffress, who took lead of the church in 2007, talked with The Christian Post on Friday about the milestone and other related topics. Below are excerpts from the interview. CP: At a time when many churches are in decline or closing, how is it that First Baptist Dallas is celebrating its 150 anniversary and still going strong? Jeffress: I think there's one simple answer to that. We are a church that's not built on a denomination or a church built on tradition or a church built on popular opinion. We are a church built on the Bible. The fact is, denominations change, culture changes, opinions change, but God's Word never changes. I think the reason God has blessed First Baptist for these 150 years is, this is a church that has been dedicated to proclaiming the unchanging truth of God's Word. CP: According to your announcement, you will be delivering a special message at the service. What will be in this message? Jeffress: The spiritual foundation of this church is the Word of God, both the Living and the Written Word of God. But I'm going to talk about three other foundations that explain why I think God has blessed this church in addition to the spiritual foundation. I'm going to talk about the fact that First Baptist Church Dallas is a church that has been built on commitment. Our people, for 150 years, have shown a passion for doing the will of God and being willing to make whatever sacrifice necessary. Secondly, Frist Baptist Dallas is built upon the Gospel. We deal with urgency to share the Gospel with as many people as possible and as soon as possible. And that sense of urgency is what drives us. And then, we are a church that is built upon the Bible. And that's why I think you have such a diverse church at First Baptist Dallas. We're not just a church filled with a bunch of middle-aged white people. We have people from all different backgrounds coming to our church. All different races, all different economic statuses. Why? Because they are hungry to hear the Word of God. CP: What efforts are you undertaking to make sure that FBC Dallas continues to endure and grow, possibly for another 150 years? Jeffress: We're trying to minister to those in our immediate vicinity. Downtown Dallas is booming in growth. In fact, the whole metroplex is having 400 new people a day come to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. So we want to minister to those who are in our immediate vicinity, but we have always been a church with a worldwide impact. First Baptist Dallas has always had a worldwide impact and we're continuing that tradition by using our broadcasts and internet capabilities, our messages are heard now on a thousand radio stations every day throughout the country. Our weekly television program is seen on more than 16,000 stations and cable systems in all 195 countries. So we're seeking to fulfill the Great Commission by using the new technology God has given to us. CP: Who's the pastor that's had the biggest influence on you and how you lead your church? Jeffress: My greatest influence was my pastor growing up here, Dr. W. A. Criswell. It's interesting, in a 100-year period of time the church only had two pastors: Dr. George W. Truett and then Dr. W. A. Criswell. And I supposed the greatest impact Dr. Criswell had on my life was giving me confidence in the trustworthiness of scripture. Read more about First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas on The Christian Post. Kentucky Church Celebrates 10,000-Baptism Milestone 29 July, 2018 by Anugrah Kumar , | Pastor Steve Ayers, who started Hillvue Heights Church in Kentucky with 30 members in 1991, has now baptized 10,000 people and has thousands of members who attend worship services every week. The Southern Baptist megachurch in Bowling Green is celebrating the milestone of "10,000 lives changed forever by Jesus at Hillvue," according to its Facebook page. "In October 1994, we visited Hillvue's to witness our Son, Jeff's baptism and our lives were changed," reads a comment by a church member. "In 1996, I was blessed to be one of those 10,000 which is not a number but one with a changed life. Praying that God will continue to bless Hillvue." "It is such a wonderful blessing from God to have such a wonderful place to go to church and hear the word of God," reads a comment by another member. "Pastor Steve Ayers is an amazing man to deliver that word. You can feel the wonderful love of the church when you walk in the door. 10,000 baptisms that's amazing so happy I was part of that today." Speaking to Baptist Press, the pastor said 10,000 baptisms is just the beginning. "I think we have a Great Awakening at Hillvue yet to come," he was quoted as saying. "This is the beginning. It's crazy. I'm more excited now than when I first arrived here. It's amazing to watch people come to Christ. It never gets old." Hillvue's mission is "to connect people in a relationship with Jesus through the cross and resurrection, to a community of faith, and to the truths of Jesus that set us free." The church adds, "These connections lead us to experience healing and to develop into players in God's mission." "Church renewal focused on being a Jesus-centered community is the founding principle" Ayers teaches, the church says on its website, adding that he believes that "the Church is hope for the world today." Read more about Kentucky Church's Celebration on The Christian Post. Parental Rights and International Religious Freedom Intertwined, Advocates Say Christian Post Reporter | 29 July, 2018 by Brandon Showalter WASHINGTON Parental rights are increasingly intersecting with religious freedom, particularly the right to direct the education of ones children, defenders of religious freedom say, as the U.S. government emphasized international religious freedom last week. Assembled at the Museum of the Bible Thursday, several religious freedom and longtime family advocates spoke of the growing hostility around the world toward religious families in a panel sponsored by the James Dobson Family Institute. The panel took place as the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom was happening concurrently across town at the State Department. Michael Farris, president of Alliance Defending Freedom, speaking on behalf of the group's international branch, noted that parental rights are violated whenever governments go beyond listing the required subject matters to demand the teaching of state curriculum. "Moreover, if a parent believes, as my wife and I believe, that God requires us to directly teach our own children, the government's international obligations require them to teach in conformity with our own religious and moral beliefs," Farris said. When any government does go beyond that they violate the rights of parents, and it is a violation of international law for any state to enforce a total ban on home education, he added, explaining that "any nation that seeks to control what its citizens believe has crossed a line that was once crossed at great price by Nazi Germany." "We actually have to ask ourselves as Americans whether the United States is in danger of crossing that same line with its dangerous speech codes on college campuses and the outrageous punishments leveled against businesses that dare to believe that marriage was created by God." He went on to say that "genocide of the mind and the spirit is just as egregious as genocide of the body." "In fact, genocide of the body is almost always related to differences of the soul and spirit. They go hand in hand. Religious freedom and parental rights are not secondary, they are not side issues. They are absolutely central to freedom, nations are not only not free, they are not civilized." Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council and current commissioner for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Mike Donnelly, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association, recounted several stories where children were either taken from their parents or had faced extreme hostility from their governments for objecting to the state schools and withdrew their kids. Among the nations they cited were Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Russia, Sweden, Norway, and Germany. "To hear a commissioner from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to say how important it is to include the issue of parental rights and education as a issue of religious freedom is a dream come true for me," Donnelly said. Parental rights are deeply rooted in human rights law and practice and are also matter of religious freedom, he stressed repeatedly, citing several international and regional agreements that establish this. Read more about parental rights and religious freedom on The Christian Post. Pastor Andrew Brunson Released From Turkish Prison, Placed Under House Arrest Christian Post Contributor | 29 July, 2018 by Samuel Smith A Turkish court has ordered that Pastor Andrew Brunson be placed under house arrest and released from prison after being jailed for nearly 21 months. The Turkish pro-government news outlet Daily Sabah reports that a penal court in western Izmir issued an order for Brunson's release, allowing him to return to his home in Izmir on the condition that he can't leave his house or the country. Brunson was seen leaving the prison following the court's order on Wednesday. Television footage reportedly showed him being driven away from the prison with a police escort. The news comes after a Turkish court ruled last week at Brunson's third hearing that he was to remain in prison until his next hearing in September. According to the Daily Sabah, the new order for house arrest comes after a plea by Brunson and his lawyer over his poor health. The court reportedly came to the conclusion that Brunson's could be effectively detained under house arrest. Brunson's family and U.S. officials who had visited him in prison have expressed concern with the fact that Brunson has lost at least 50 pounds and is suffering from anxiety and depression. The American Center for Law and Justice, which represents the North Carolina pastor's family, made the announcement Wednesday morning, just one day after Brunson's daughter gave an impassioned speech at the first-ever United States State Department Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. ACLJ Chief Counsel and a lawyer of President Donald Trump, Jay Sekulow, said in a statement that the house arrest is a "critical first step" to what he believes will "result in the freedom of Pastor Brunson" to return to his family in the U.S. "The president has played a critical role in securing the freedom of Pastor Brunson," Sekulow declared. "We have worked closely with the president on this matter and are grateful for his efforts. We look forward to the ultimate release of Pastor Brunson." The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which has called for Brunson's release, welcomed the news but stressed that placing Brunson under house arrest "is not enough." "The Turkish government has deprived this innocent man of his due process rights and liberty for too long, and it must completely release him," USCIRF Vice Chair Kristina Arriaga said in a statement. "If it fails to do so, the Trump administration and the Congress should respond strongly and swiftly with targeted sanctions against the authorities responsible." Read more about Pastor Andrew Brunson Released From Turkish Prison, Placed Under House Arrest on The Christian Post. Religious Male Students Less Sexually Aggressive, Coercive, Study Finds 30 July, 2018 by Anugrah Kumar , | Frequent participation in religious activities protects college men from engaging in sexually aggressive and coercive behaviors, according to new research. A survey of 795 men at a large public university, published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, has found that religiosity has a bearing on peer norms, pornography consumption, and promiscuity, and thereby also on sexual aggression and sexually coercive behavior, PsyPost, a psychology and neuroscience news website, reported. College men who say they participate in religious activities more often are less likely to say their friends approve of forcing a woman to have sex. They are also less likely to view sexually explicit material and tend to have a lower number of sexual partners, the research shows. Religiosity also reduces alcohol consumption, a strong predictor of sexual aggression, explained the study, "Religiosity Reduces Sexual Aggression and Coercion in a Longitudinal Cohort of College Men: Mediating Roles of Peer Norms, Promiscuity, and Pornography." Study co-author Timothy Hagen of Epoka University in Albania stressed that religiosity has an "indirect" effect on sexual aggression and technology-based sexually coercive behavior by "reducing associations with peers who approve of sexual aggression and by reducing promiscuity." Hagen continued, "While it may seem that we should recommend college men and those around them to participate in religious activities in order to prevent sexual aggression and technology-based coercive behavior ... we did not find a direct, significant pathway from religiosity to reduced sexual aggression or technology-based coercive behavior." However, he added, "Our findings would suggest that colleges and policy-makers be open to allowing students to participate in religious groups and activities, as hostility to such groups may be counter-productive to reducing sexual violence on campuses," Hagen said. "Creating spaces for evidence-based discussions on the role of religiosity in protecting against sexual aggression and technology-based coercive behavior might be something colleges wish to explore." Hagen concluded that he hopes the research would eventually "contribute to the safety and well-being of men and women on college campuses around the world." The two other study authors are Martie P. Thompson, and Janelle Williams. Earlier this year, a study, "Who Cheats More? The Demographics of Infidelity in America," found that adults who didn't grow up in intact families, and those who rarely or never attend religious services are more likely than others to have cheated on their spouse. Read more about religious activities on The Christian Post. Ethics in the Workplace: 5 Ways to Honor Christ from Cubicle to Boardroom When it comes to our work, how do we as Christians exhibit ethical behavior and honor Christ from the cubicle to the boardroom in a culture largely focused on personal gain, self-promotion and individuality? Scripture tells us to maintain a strong, God-honoring character both in our personal and professional lives. Colossians 3:23 tells us, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. This biblical command applies to every profession, from business and marketing to nursing and carpentry. Scripture is clear that we are to reflect Christ in our day-to-day lives and the majority of our time is spent in the workplace. Astonishingly, a large number of U.S. workers dont live by this principle, according to statistics. Gallup found that 70% of U.S. workers are not engaged at work; Forbes found that 79% of business and HR leaders believe they have a significant retention and engagement problem, and the Pew Research Center found found that slightly fewer than of working Americans say they work only because they need the money (47%). When it comes to the workplace, here are 5 ways we can differentiate ourselves from the world. 1. Maintaining Integrity in the Workplace The Bible has a lot to say about maintaining ones integrity and the workplace is perhaps one of the most important environments to obey this command. Proverbs 11:13 reads, The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. Proverbs 16:3 says, Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. In his book The Millionaire Mind, Thomas J. Stanley asked 733 millionaires to rank 30 factors which led to their success. The number one attribute identified was being honest with all people. In other words, integrity is not just a biblical mandate; its critical for succeeding in the business world. Demonstrating integrity in the workplace can be as simple as refraining from workplace gossip, working diligently and enthusiastically, and being honest with ones colleagues and superiors. John Piper, founder of DesiringGod.org, puts it this way: Be absolutely and meticulously honest and trustworthy on the job. Be on time. Give a full days work. Thou shalt not steal. More people rob their employers by being slackers than by filching the petty cash. 2. Working With Excellence As believers, we are called to be ambassadors of Christ and a reflection of the One we serve. Because of this, we must strive for excellence in whatever endeavour we undertake, becoming the very best at our respective vocations. Each of us has received gifts from God, and as each has received a gift, we are to use it to serve one another, as good stewards of Gods varied grace (1 Peter 4:10). As a followers of Christ, we should stand out from the world in the way we carry out our jobs: loving where others hate; faithfully fulfilling unpleasant tasks; finding joy amid challenges; demonstrating patience in the face of adversity; and striving for excellence when others refuse. No matter our role, position, or skills, each one of us can make a difference in the workplace by carrying out high-quality, God-glorifying work. In his book Christians in the Workplace, Pastor Charles Stanley writes, One of the greatest hindrances to the gospels effectiveness is Christians who act one way at church and another way elsewhere. The way we live for God should permeate all areas of life. The workplace is no exception. The way we act reflects our faith. So if we claim to be Christians, our coworkers, bosses, and employees will equate our attitudes and actions with Jesus. Do those around you at the office see a positive reflection of God in your work ethic? 3. Be Trustworthy and Reliable Titus 2:7-8 reads, Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Follower of Christ are to demonstrate dependability and trustworthiness when called upon to deliver a service. Because God is trustworthy and because we are called to be image-bearers of Christ and emulate His character, is it vital that we, too, are trustworthy. Numbers 23:19 says, God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? 1 Samuel 15:29 tells us, The Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent. Psalm 110:4 declares, The Lord has sworn and will not relent. Lets refrain from making excuses in the workplace, instead striving to earn a reputation of dependability, deliverability, and trustworthiness. 4. Treating Others With Respect One of the greatest ways we can honor God at work is by treating others with respect, speaking words of grace to all around us: Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29). Pastor Stanley writes, Think about how the golden ruleDo unto others as youd have others do unto youapplies here. Putting it a different way, imagine yourself as the boss and ask, How would I like employees to work, even when I wasnt watching them? Even when jobs or coworkers are hard to like, we are called to work as though God is our boss. That means doing tasks with joy, a servant attitude, respect for others, diligence, and obedience to those in authority. We must be courteous, respectful, gracious and considerate to those around us, avoiding mindless gossip and needless conflict. Proverbs 15:1 tells us, A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 5. Working as Unto the Lord Finally, we must remember that we dont answer to an earthly boss, but a Heavenly One. Adopting this mindset allows us to approach our work with humility, joy, excellence, and humble dependence on God. Psalms 127:1 reads, Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. Writes Stanley: Lets look at a scriptural model for the believer to follow. For one thing, we should view ourselves as servants. Next, our true boss is Christ; therefore, we work diligently and with integrity, knowing that our reward is from Him. Then, since all authority on earth is God-given (John 19:11), we should obey our superiors gladlyunless, of course, our boss tells us to do something that goes against Scripture. And finally, all those we work with and for have worth from the Creator, and we should treat them with respect. As Christians, we are given the opportunity to behave differently in the workplace, setting ourselves apart as children of God. With Gods help, let us labor with diligence, serve with humility, and strive for excellence in whatever work God has called us to. >>>Request for Liberty University Online degree info now. Liberty University, also referred to as Liberty, is a private, non-profit Christian research university in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty is one of the largest Christian universities in the world and the largest private non-profit university in the United States, measured by student enrollment. Teacher Shortage Crisis: Why an Advanced Degree in Education Makes a Big Difference Theres no denying the United States is experiencing a teacher shortage. In fact, research shows that the teacher shortage nationwide is "reaching crisis proportions" in some locations. Unfortunately, this trend is only expected to worsen. Amid this ongoing crisis, the development of highly trained, capable teachers is of the utmost importance and acquiring an advanced degree in education can make all the difference in the world. Studies show that teachers who earn their advanced degrees demonstrate a deep level of understanding and commitment to the profession, allowing them to modify curriculum goals and better equip students to thrive in an academic setting. The Teacher Shortage Crisis Public schools in 48 states and the District of Columbia report teacher shortages in math for the 2017-18 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Nationwide, teacher education enrollments dropped 35% between 2009 and 2014, the most recent year for which data are available, according to a report from the Learning Policy Institute and its only getting worse. We are experiencing what appears to be the first major shortage since the 1990s, said Linda Darling-Hammond, professor at Stanford University and president and CEO of the institute. And teaching is, in some respects, as an occupation, at its lowest point in 20 years. Additionally, a recent report from ACT found that interest in becoming an educator continues to decline at an alarming rate among U.S. high school graduates. The Condition of Future Educators 2015 reveals that only 4 percent of the more than 1.9 million 2015 U.S. high school graduates who took the ACT test said they intended to pursue a career as an educatoreither as a teacher, counselor or administrator. This is down from 5 percent in 2014 and down from 7 percent in 2010. These findings corroborate a May 2017 study from researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, which found that only 4.6 percent of college freshmen planned to major in education, down from 10 percent in the 1970s. These results point to the continuation of an ominous trend, said Marten Roorda, ACT chief executive officer. Quality teaching may be the single-most important factor to improving educational outcomes. For states to succeed in their efforts to raise the bar on student achievement, we must attract more talented young people to the field of education, not fewer. Why is There a Teacher Shortage Crisis? These shortages are occuring nationwide for a number of reasons, according to the Learning Policy Institute. One reason is the increased demand on public schools: As of fall 2017, 50.7 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By 2025, that number is expected to expand to 51.4 million. In contrast, the supply of new teachers is atypically low and has been declining. Another reason is the mass exodus of teachers from the public school system: Over the last ten years, roughly 8 percent of Americans left the profession. The Learning Policy Institute identifies inadequate preparation as a primary reason many teachers leave the profession, as beginning teachers with little or no preparation are 2 times more likely to leave the classroom after one year compared to their well-prepared peers. The teaching workforce continues to be a leaky bucket, losing hundreds of thousands of teachers each yearthe majority of them before retirement age. Changing attrition would change the projected shortages more than any other single factor, notes the organization. Finally, low salaries play a role in the teacher shortage; salaries for U.S. secondary school teachers have largely remained the same over the past two decades, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Despite this, the value of teachers is widely acknowledged in American society. A survey by the Pew Research Center found that teachers were listed just behind soldiers as individuals who contribute the most to societys well-being. Two Reasons An Advanced Degree in Education Makes a Big Difference To combat this trend, the Learning Policy Institute advises establishing a comprehensive and systematic set of strategies to build a strong teaching profession. At first, the pricetag for these investments may seem substantial, but evidence suggests that these proposals would ultimately save far more in reduced costs for teacher turnover and student underachievement, notes the organization. Preventing and solving teacher shortages so that all children receive high-quality instruction is essential in a 21st-century economy for the success of individuals, as well as for society as a whole. An advanced degree in education can help give teachers the preparation they need to thrive in an academic setting, increase their earning potential, and better support their students. An Advanced Degree in Education Better Prepares Teachers for Academia One of the greatest benefits of earning a masters degree is the large number of additional skills teachers acquire, better equipping them for success in the classroom. Increased training and preparation, studies show, magnifies effectiveness and reduces attrition. A 2014 report from the Consortium for Policy Research in Education found that educators with training in teaching methods or pedagogy were less likely to quit teaching after a year on the job. According to A Masters Degree and Teacher Effectiveness: New Evidence from State Assessments, conducted by Arroyo Research Services, teachers who earn masters degrees demonstrate greater teaching effectiveness than those who dont. The study found that students whose teachers held a masters degree performed better in reading and writing tests. Researchers examined over 4,000 teachers and 205,000 students, discovering that knowledge gained in a masters program lead to improved student outcomes. We do find compelling evidence for a continued investigation of the relation between teachers advanced degrees and student outcomes, and we find evidence to support the hypothesis that masters degrees are associated with teacher effectiveness, notes the study. Thanks to the extra years of education, teachers who earn their masters degree learn new approaches to handling a classroom, develop effective teaching techniques, and gain a deeper understanding of the field of academia. This allows them to help their students better excel in the classroom, ensuring every child is taught by a competent, committed teacher. An Advanced Degree in Education Increases Compensation and Earning Potential Another key benefit of earning a masters degree is the higher pay and career growth opportunities. Bachelors degree holders will earn an average of around $55,000 per year, while in comparison, a professional with a masters degree will make an average of $69,732 per year, according to data compiled by SmartAsset. That is a difference of just under $15,000 per year. According to PayScale.com, elementary teachers can expect to make $39,932 to $55,568 with a master of arts in education degree while those who hold a bachelor's degree make $31,249 to $43,499a difference of about 25 percent. Earning a masters in education degree could open up doors to administrative positions and career growth opportunities. Some high-paying academic careers include School Principal ( $90,410 per year), Chief Administrator ($88,580 per year), Academic Dean ( $83,515 per year), or University Professor ($72,420 per year). James M. Lang, author of Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning, put it this way: Though not all of our social problems can be solved with money, this one can. We will attract more candidates to the teaching profession when we pay them salaries that commensurate with the value of the incredibly important work they are doing. Uness you teach or live with a teacher, its difficult to understand the intense intellectual and emotional work that goes into teaching, and that is not well-reflected in their current levels of compensation. If we want more teachers, we need to make teaching a well-paid and highly respected position in our society. >>>Request for Liberty University Online degree info now. Liberty University, also referred to as Liberty, is a private, non-profit Christian research university in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty is one of the largest Christian universities in the world and the largest private non-profit university in the United States, measured by student enrollment. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Last week, a controversial conference was held in St. Louis with the goal of, "Supporting, encouraging, and empowering gay, lesbian, same-sex-attracted, and other LGBT Christians so they can flourish while observing the historic, Christian doctrine of marriage and sexuality." It was called Revoice 2018, and it has created a stir among conservative Christians. On the one hand, the conference founder, Nate Collins, has made clear that, "We all believe that the Bible teaches a traditional, historic understanding of sexuality in marriage, and so we are not attempting in any way to redefine any of those doctrines. We're trying to live within the bounds of historic Christian teaching about sexuality and gender." Collins has even stated that, "Sexual desire for someone of the same sex is sinful and something that I should repent from." So, Collins and others involved in Revoice have stated explicitly that they believe that marriage as established by God is exclusively heterosexual, and they agree that homosexual practice is sinful. This is highly significant and should be loudly and openly commended. These days, all too many professing Christians have denied these fundamental truths, to their own detriment and hurt. Because of that, we should encourage all those who affirm what Scripture so plainly lays out, especially those who struggle with same-sex attraction or gender confusion. It's also significant that Collins stated that, when it comes to living within the bounds of historic Christian teaching about sexuality and gender "we find difficulty doing that for a lot of reasons." An honest confession like this should elicit a compassionate, non-condemning response from other believers. Living like this cannot be easy, and those of us who cannot personally relate to such struggles should pray for a caring heart, doing whatever we can to offer solidarity and support. (Collins himself struggles with same-sex attractions but is gladly married to a woman.) But these are not the areas that have stirred controversy and raised concerns. One of the workshops offered in Revoice was titled, "Redeeming Queer Culture: An Adventure." This was being taught at a conservative Christian conference? The description is even worse than the title: "For the sexual minority seeking to submit his or her life fully to Christ and to the historic Christian sexual ethic, queer culture presents a bit of a dilemma; rather than combing through and analyzing to find which parts are to be rejected, to be redeemed, or to be received with joy (Acts 17:16-34), Christians have often discarded the virtues of queer culture along with the vices, which leaves culturally connected Christian sexual minorities torn between two cultures, two histories, and two communities. So questions that have until now been largely unanswered remain: what does queer culture (and specifically, queer literature and theory) have to offer us who follow Christ? What queer treasure, honor, and glory will be brought into the New Jerusalem at the end of time (Revelation 21:24-26)?" Since "queer" speaks of something contrary to God's order, something sinful and wrong, even something perverse, there are no virtues to be found in it and there will be no "queer treasure, honor, and glory" that "will be brought into the New Jerusalem at the end of time." In fact, Revelation 21:27, the very next verse after the passage quoted on the Revoice website, reads, "No unclean thing shall ever enter it, nor shall anyone who commits abomination or falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." There will be plenty of people redeemed out of queer culture who will enter the heavenly city, but nothing "queer" will enter there, for sure. And there's no way a follower of Jesus should identify as "queer." That is who some of us once were. Some would argue that those on the margins including those in the "queer" community learn to care for others who are marginalized. But this is not a virtue unique to queer culture. Rather, it it's a virtue found in many communities, since within every culture and community, there are positive aspects to be found. Yet we don't speak about the "adventure" of redeeming aspects of the KKK culture, or the Satanist culture, or the terrorist culture, or the drug culture, or the greedy business culture, or the gambling culture. When asked about Revoice's use of the word queer, Collins explained, "Personally, I think that while the language of queerness can point to real things that we experience and that we're trying to make sense of, I don't think it's the most helpful theologically. But, again, that's a conversation that I think needs to happen, and I want it to happen in the context of involving people who do use that language. I want there to be consensus about these matters. So that means trying to be a big tent for a certain group of people to participate and come together." In reality, that is the guaranteed way to fail, since when you open the door this wide for respectful interaction, you give legitimacy to illegitimate viewpoints. In other words, Revoice was not a place for theological debate. It was billed as a place where people who identify as LGBTQ+ and Christian can share their viewpoints and find "consensus." This would be like welcoming Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists into an interfaith dialogue with Christians, saying, "We want to move towards a consensus in our jointly-held beliefs." To do so is to make concessions and to validate invalid beliefs. In the same way, much of the terminology used by Revoice speakers and presenters affirms LGBTQ+ talking points in unhelpful and even dangerous ways. A big tent like this is destined to collapse quickly. Note again this sentence from the "Redeeming Queer Culture" workshop: "Christians have often discarded the virtues of queer culture along with the vices, which leaves culturally connected Christian sexual minorities torn between two cultures, two histories, and two communities." To the contrary, the call for every disciple is to deny oneself, take up the cross, leave everything, and follow Jesus (Luke 14:25-33). It is not to be "torn between two cultures, two histories, and two communities." It is to embrace the new and leave the old behind meaning, leaving the old ways and mindset and culture and identification behind. Then, in newness of life, we reach back into the old to redeem those who are still trapped and lost. Even the concept of LGBTQ+ individuals as being part of a "sexual minority" raises all kinds of red flags, as if sinful temptations and disordered desires grant someone a "minority" status. To underscore these problems, some solid Christian conservatives, Peter LaBarbera and Stephen Black, were banned from attending the conference. And this despite Collins saying, "Our first value is explicitly the historic Christian teaching about marriage and sexuality. And so anybody who adheres to that is welcome at Revoice and, I would say, should find some kind of a home there." (LaBarbera's website is Americans for Truth about Homosexuality. Black is ex-gay with a powerful testimony. For an insightful critique about Revoice from the world's top scholar on homosexuality and the Bible, see here.) This alleged big tent apparently did not have room for solid voices like those of LaBarbera and Black, even to attend. Yet it had plenty of room for ideas that have no place in a Christian conference. And so, with love and respect for all committed Christians who struggle with same-sex attractions or gender confusion, I point back to the words of Jesus, which remain relevant to this hour: "Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who are going through it, because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." We do not want to push you away, but we must warn you of the danger of making the gate too wide and the way too broad. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment She was a just small girl when she witnessed her 12-year old sister forced into sex work and harassed by "customers" her father brought home. "Shanu," we'll call her, was terrified. She desperately wanted a way out before she turned 12, when this way of life would become her only future, too. Before we are quick to judge, stopping sex trafficking can be complex. This work has been her family's lot in life for hundreds of years. Central India is home to the Banchada people, a population of some 100,000 who belong to one of India's lowest castes. Deprived of basic development opportunities starting at least 500 years ago, their primary source of income accommodating ruling caste demand still remains the sex trade. Impoverished and uneducated, many Banchada feed their families by forcing their girls into sex work as early as age 11, with fathers and brothers acting as pimps. According to the Human Rights Commission of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, up to 50 percent of Banchada women there are HIV-positive, and many Banchada children are born infected. As a Christian humanitarian agency working in this region, Food for the Hungry knew that if we attempted to directly take girls out of sex trafficking within the Banchada community, we would be intervening in an old and deeply ingrained way of lifeand likely not succeed. We were intrigued when we met a dynamic young Indian who established something called the House of Palms, which provides girls with a safe haven where they receive housing, educational resources and care. Girls like Rama now live and study there. Rama's father died when she was three, and her uncle pushed her mother into sex work. Her mother, later able to marry a man outside her caste, worked on a farm and used her income to save her daughter from the degrading labor. After spending two years in the sex trafficking trade, Rama bravely left her community for the House of Palms. Now 25 and pursuing nursing, she also serves as a volunteer and mentor for other girls. Naina's mother was also a sex worker and died of AIDS when Naina was just two months old. "When I was born, I didn't [know] who my father [was]. Since childhood, no one took care of me," Naina reflects. But rather than a life sentence of prostitution like her mother, Naina says it was a miracle that she found the House of Palms where she is able to focus on her education. Almost a third of all trafficked victims are children, with women and girls making up 71 percent of human trafficking victims worldwide. Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, including the U.S. It cannot be overstated how much courage it takes girls to leave their homes, families and communities. Some are sent by parents desperate to save their children from sex slavery. Others must run away from parents who see nothing wrong with this centuries-old tradition of prostitution as a livelihood. It isn't just girls in need. Trained only to work as pimps and ostracized at school, young boys are also part of this cycle of exploitation. Food for the Hungry helped raised funds for a second House of Palms II, so now both boys and girls have safe spaces to escape the sex trade and have the opportunity to learn about God, housing around 150 children in all. Places like the House of Palms serve as a very necessary stopgap measure until the community can get to the place where cultural perspectives change and prostitution is no longer the main source of income for communities like the Bachanda. But whether a long-held tradition or dire economic needor bothcommunities need holistic assistance to support an alternate course so they no longer need to rely on the sex trade. Instead, they can come together and build a society that values dignity and opportunity for all, including girls. In 2010, the UN General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons to combat human trafficking. A crucial provision is establishing a UN Voluntary Trust Fund for victims of trafficking, especially for women and children, to facilitate direct assistance and protection to victims through grants to specialized NGOs. We hope the UN will continue to uphold the merits of the plan and translate awareness into action that will prioritize victims trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, organ removal, forced begging, forced criminality and emerging exploitative purposes (e.g. skin removal and online pornography), as well as those coming from armed conflict, and large refugee and migration flows. Global efforts need to engage broad community services that address education, values, health, leadership as well as economic development. Since beginning work in India in 2015, we've established children's clubs in all 13 villages we work in that serve as "mini-schools" for reading, writing, math, health and hygiene. Today, these children's clubs reach over 630 children. Teachers here talk to boys and girls about morals and Biblical values, discuss healthy attitudes toward women to reaffirm their intrinsic God-given worth, and provide leadership training for girls who are still sex workers, so they are not left out. Women's groups also work on literacy and small businesses health and hygiene including HIV/AIDS prevention and care. To plan for the future, community leaders are also identifying and addressing the economic and development needs of their villages, and lobbying government to help them meet those needs. Walking the line between entrenched tradition, economic need, and humanitarian values is challenging, but there's no doubt this work is saving girls' lives in the Banchada community. Shanu, who watched her older sister pushed into prostitution at age 12, is now 19 years old. Rather than forced into sex work, too, she is flourishing. home Entertainment Anthony Hopkins says he broke free of alcoholism when someone told him to try trusting God Speaking at a conference in California, Academy award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins, who has starred in films like "The Remains of the Day," frankly discussed his longtime fight with alcoholism and how "trust in God" helped him overcome it and saved his life and career. "Because that's what you do in theater, you drink," the 80-year-old Welsh actor told around 500 students at the University of California, Los Angeles this week. "But I was very difficult to work with, as well, because I was usually hungover," added Hopkins, who was a guest speaker at the 11th annual Leap (Leadership, Excellence and Accelerating Your Potential) conference, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In December 1975, when he was "disgusted, busted and not to be trusted," as he described his condition at the time, he met a woman at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting who asked him, "Why don't you just trust in God?" Hopkins, who was knighted in 1993 for services to the arts and is seen as one of the world's greatest living actors, said his craving for alcohol was taken from him, "never to return." "I believe that we are capable of so much," he told the students. "From my own life, I still cannot believe that my life is what it is because I should have died in Wales, drunk or something like that. ... We can talk ourselves into death or we can talk ourselves into the best life we've ever lived. None of it was a mistake. It was all a destiny." The actor, who currently lives in Malibu near Los Angeles with his actress wife, Stella Arroyave, warned the audience against running after money or success. "If you chase the money, it's not gonna work. And if you chase success, it's not gonna work," he said. "You just have to chase whatever you want to be, but live it as if it is happening now. Act as if you're already there, and it'll fall into place." Hopkins, who will play the role of Pope Benedict in Netflix's upcoming drama "The Pope," said he started acting because he "had nothing better to do." Hopkins won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992, for the role of Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs." He was later nominated three times. He has also won three BAFTA Awards, two Emmys and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. This article was originally published in The Christian Post and is re-published here with permission An assessment of legality risks in most of the worlds timber-producing countries found PNGs timber to be among the riskiest, with potential illegalities including corruption and bribery in the issuance of permits, failure to follow the logging code of practice, and logging without the consent of indigenous landowners, the report says. Global Witnesss investigation has found that the majority of logging operations in PNG are underpinned by government-issued permits, which are often illegally extended and which fail to enforce laws surrounding logging in prohibited and ecologically sensitive areas. SYDNEY - Millions of tonnes of illegally logged timber, felled from forests across Papua New Guinea, are being exported to China and from there to the world as finished wood products, a new report from Global Witness has revealed. It is essential for buyers of PNG timber to understand that the existence of an official, valid permit is not a guarantee of the timbers legality. The Global Witness report argues that illegal logging in PNG not only destroys irreplaceable and ancient rainforests but also poses serious reputational and trade risks to China, by exposing its timber sector to commercial and legal sanctions, including import bans. The EU timber regulation and the US Lacey Act outlaw the import of products made with timber not cut in accordance with the laws of the producing company. PNG is Chinas single largest supplier of tropical logs ... the US and EU, in turn, are Chinas largest markets for its plywood and wood furniture exports. While China has not yet banned the import of illegal timber, the US and EU have. PNG is one of the latest signatories to Chinas one trillion dollar belt and road initiative, and its economy is increasingly entwined in Chinese expansionism throughout the Asia-Pacific. One-quarter of all of PNGs debt is owned by China and Beijing has announced agricultural and transport projects worth several billion dollars across the developing nation. The countries links are particularly tight in timber. PNG is Chinas single largest supplier of tropical logs, and sends almost all of its felled timber to China: 2.8m cubic metres of PNG timber was imported into China in 2017. About 70% of PNG is covered by forest, and the majority of the developing countrys 8 million-strong population depends directly on the land for sustenance, livelihoods and cultural practices. Almost all 97% of the land in PNG is customarily owned, and the PNG constitution guarantees the right of the people to control their lands for the benefit of ourselves and posterity. But PNG has lost 640,000 hectares of forest to logging in the past five years, and 3% of its total tree cover since 2000. The issue of illegal logging has been consistently exposed in PNG over decades, most prominently by the Barnett commission in 1989, which documented widespread illegalities and corruption in the forestry industry. Subsequent reviews found the majority of logging operations have been undertaken in breach of the law. The scale of the PNG-China timber trade, the risks around it, and the importance of forests to the people of PNG make it critical to manage these resources responsibly and legally, the Global Witness report argues. Instead, PNGs forest sector has been plagued for decades by allegations of corruption and lawbreaking, characterised by a systemic failure to protect communities interests and indigenous land rights. PNGs prime minister, Peter ONeill, has repeatedly promised to crack down on illegal logging, in particular on the abuse of the special agricultural business leases granted to commercial operators over indigenous land and which have resulted in widespread clear-felling. Our government has already cancelled all the SABL licences, ONeill said last year. It is the agencies of government who are supposed to be doing their job, who are not doing their job. Ive told landowners who are complaining about SABL licences to throw the developers out. Global Witness found evidence that another form of government-approved logging permit, timber rights purchases, have been extended in exchange for payments to the PNG Forestry Authority of PGK250,000. There is no provision in PNGs Forestry Act to extend these purchases. PNG will host the APEC summit beginning on 3 August. The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will attend the event. King Mohammed VI has called for a new social contract and outlined a roadmap for a complete overhaul of social dysfunctions, calling on the Government and all the stakeholders concerned to undertake an in-depth, thorough restructuring of national social welfare programs and policies. The call came in the speech of the Throne the king addressed to the nation Sunday from Al Hoceima, and this is the first time ever in Moroccos contemporary history that the Speech to the Nation is delivered from the Northeastern city. We can be satisfied with and take pride in what Morocco has achieved and what Moroccans have accomplished over the last two decades. Yet, I cannot but feel that something has been missing in the social domain, the King said, vowing to continue to work actively and resolutely in this field, and to seek to identify and address weaknesses together. The king who unveiled the major axes of this new social and economic contract, commended the new initiative to set up a consolidated social register, saying it is a promising start for the gradual improvement of social welfare programs over the short and medium terms. This is a national registration system to identify families that truly deserve to benefit from social assistance programs. To this end, precise and objective standards will be set and modern technology will be used, he said, describing the register as a strategic and ambitious social project which concerns large segments of the Moroccan population. In the Throne Day speech, marking this year the 19th anniversary of his enthronement, King Mohammed VI, however, warned that this social project is much too important to be perceived as a mere one-term government program, or as a reflection of the vision of a given ministry, party or political actor. Pointing out that his ambition to improve social conditions in the country is much greater than simply establishing a mechanism or setting out a program, however important that may be, the Monarch called on the Government and all the stakeholders concerned to undertake an in-depth, thorough restructuring of national social welfare programs and policies and to submit proposals for their evaluation. Until this reform effectively bears fruit, the king urged the Government to adopt, as soon as possible, a set of provisional social measures, and to inform him regularly on the progress made. To make sure impacts of the reforms are tangible and felt directly, King Mohammed VI strongly recommended laying emphasis on a set of urgent initiatives. In this vein, he stressed the need to give strong impetus, as of the next school year, to school enrolment programs, to combat school drop-out, and to promote early childhood education, school transportation, school canteens and boarding schools. The above measures are designed to ease the burden on families and to provide them with support to make sure their children continue to attend school and training programs, the King said. He also stressed the need to launch the third phase of the National Initiative for Human Development, to tackle the dysfunctions marring the health coverage program RAMED and to undertake, concurrently, a thorough review of the national health system, which is characterized by blatant disparities and poor management. The Monarch called for facilitating social dialogue with labor unions with a view to promoting the competitiveness of Moroccan companies and increasing the purchasing power of workers. In this regard, I call upon the social stakeholders concerned to keep in mind the nations best interests, show a keen sense of responsibility and seek consensus in order to develop a balanced, long-lasting social charter that guarantees the competitiveness of businesses while increasing the purchasing power of the working class in both the public and the private sectors. Reminding the government that social dialogue is necessary and that it should be an ongoing process, he said the government should meet with trade unions and talk regularly with them, regardless of the potential outcome of that dialogue. King Mohammed VI who insisted that the best social protection comes from the creation of productive jobs that guarantee a dignified life, made it clear that jobs cannot be created, nor can a proper, modern social system be set up without a qualitative leap in investment, and without support for the nations productive sector. Recently I was on holidays with my husband in the USA. We used Uber for most of our journeys around and we met a variety of interesting drivers. But none were as interesting as T. Unexpected conversation T picked us up in Los Angeles and we had a one and half hour trip with her. T was full of life and enthusiasm and never stopped talking. T was African American, 45 years old but didnt look a day over 30. She had 5 children with multiple partners and had her first child when she was 15 years old. She said shed had a particularly stressful year this year with her 22-year-old daughter doing bad stuff. Remembering my early 20s very well, my struggles with health, university and boys, I thought perhaps I could dig in deeper and relate to the struggles her daughter was going through and offer some comforting words about how she can pull through. If you dont mind me asking T, what bad stuff is your daughter up to? If you dont want to talk about it, thats ok. Oh, she got done for accessory to murder. My heart dropped. Why did I ask? Always hesitant of Uber but agreeing because of my husbands preference, I wanted to glare at my husband for basically getting us into the situation where we were in the car with a mother, of well basically a murderer! Taking a breath, while also subtly glancing for any guns in the car (Aussies dont do well with guns), I questioned, T was it someone she knew or was it random? T went on to explain that her daughter was driving the car with her boyfriend and he was a gangster. The driver in the car next to them was shouting aggressively and so Ts daughters boyfriend pulled out his gun and shot at the car. The car crashed and the young passenger, who was the drivers girlfriend, died as a result. Angry that he had lost his girlfriend, the other driver fabricated that Ts daughter was provoking her boyfriend to shoot. Ts daughter ended up in jail, leaving behind her 5-year-old daughter with T. T barely managing to look after her own 5 children now had a grandchild to look after who was acting out because she missed her mum. Eighteen months later, Ts daughter was declared innocent and her sentence was revoked. But when she came out of prison, she was jobless, in a state of shock and no longer spoke. Taking my privileges for granted T grew up in the projects (a place of persistent poverty, gang involvement and crime). Shed witnessed her nephew being shot and bleeding to death in front of her. Her mum was addicted to drugs. As I sat there taking it all in, I felt so sad that generations brought up in drug abuse and broken relationships seem to be forever bound in its chains. T was trying her best. Shed taken up Uber to make some money, but she was struggling to meet her rent. Because she worked so long she was hardly there for her children. She had abusive relationships and admitted she failed her children from what theyd seen but that she did what she had always known. I imagined Ts 5-year-old grandchild, without her mum for 18 months. What memories would never fade for her when she grew up, what anger and resentment would linger? What kind of mum would she turn out to be? I looked at my husband, both of us into our second degree, and I realised Id taken a lot for granted. Id attributed my ability to be a fairly good person, the ability to have a job, an education and loving relationships as something that Id worked for, or worse, perhaps deserved because I was good. Id not considered how that would have all worked out if my starting point was being a daughter of someone addicted to drugs. I wondered how T could find God in a life of chaos, where she would even have time to read Gods word when she was just trying to survive. But then the unexpected But Jesus got me through all of this. Yes, its been a hard year with my daughter, but all my kids know God and thats the best thing I can give them. All Ive ever known is fake love. Fake love with partners, fake love even from your kids that manipulate you for money. But real unconditional and constant love from my Lord. Ive never had that from no one. Again looking at my husband, I thought about the many times hed shown me unconditional love. So did my family and friends. T had no one other than Jesus to give her that example yet she spoke about her faith with so much more joy than I did. Lessons from T A few minutes ago, I was wanting to jump out of the car upon hearing about her stories of murder and growing up in gang violence. Now I was completely humbled by her faith and could see Gods love even more clearly. I witnessed her joy at a God who loves unconditionally, forgives, who renews and restores and gives abundant life. I was moved to see God finding T even in the most difficult of circumstances. T shared God had provided her a job in security and because there werent any threats, she used her time at that job to read the bible twice through in a year (admittedly, more than what Ive done in my life). Again, I was humbled, ecstatic that God provided her the opportunity to know Him even during her chaos and, at the same time, ashamed that I doubted how God could possibly reach out to her. On the other hand, T didnt doubt Gods provision, forgiveness or unconditional love for a second. T wasnt the kind of person I wouldnt have sought out as a friend (lets be honest, I would have kept far away) but God knew she was exactly the sister in Christ who could teach me a thing or two. My husband and I continued to talk about God and church with T and we promised to keep each other in prayer. 1 Corinthians Chapter 1 verses 26-31 states: Brothers and sisters think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord. It was a reminder that God loves to use the weak, the unqualified, the unlikely and the unexpected. Moses with his stutter, Paul who persecuted Christians, David who murdered, Mary a young woman, Abraham in his older years, Rahab who was involved in prostitution yet commended for her faithfulness and shared the same lineage as Christ. There are countless of stories, describing people like T, you and me a reminder that in our weakness, God can use us, so that the only thing we can boast in, is the Lord. Melissa Ramoo is a physiotherapist and studying a Bachelor of Theology at Morling College in Sydney. She is now serving as a student minister at St Annes in Strathfield. She is married to her husband Roshan and has a Boston Terrier named Hercules who is completely doted on. Previous articles can be found at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/melissa-ramoo.html 4 things you didn't know about human trafficking today Today is the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, designed to highlight scale of human trafficking for sex and forced labour. The chief executive of International Justice Mission offers four insights into the trade in human beings. 1. Trafficking is not a desperate choice made out of poverty Twenty-year-old Amiyah [not her real name] just wanted to eat her pizza in peace. She saw two men out of the corner of her eye, but ignored them and closed her eyes to pray for the meal. She blacked out. The men had drugged her water. When she awoke, terrified, she was in a brothel. As the youngest, she was forced to serve the most customers: 120-150 men a week. The brothel was cramped and dirty, and none of the mattresses were ever washed. Electricity was unreliable, often leaving the 20 young women inside in total darkness. Windows were boarded up and every door was barred so no-one could escape. Amiyah was in so much pain she could hardly stand when police and International Justice Mission Mumbai arrived at the brothel the night of the rescue operation. Poverty makes people more vulnerable to traffickers when you're struggling to feed yourself and your family you are more likely to be tricked by false offers of a good job and a better life but the reality is that trafficking is a violent crime. It's not a choice. Traffickers are experts in using lies, coercion, trickery and deception. They are criminals who steal people's lives using whatever means necessary. They promise a good job, an education, hope. And by the time people realise they have been tricked, it is already too late. 2. Trafficking is not just about forcing women into the sex trade Twenty-nine per cent of trafficking victims globally are men and boys and shockingly children make up almost a third of all trafficked people. While sex trafficking of women is a major global problem, trafficking doesn't have to be about sex people can be trafficked for labour, for their organs, as soldiers, for begging, or marriage. Most victims of forced labour trafficking are men. There is no one typical victim of trafficking, and no country where trafficking does not exist. It happens everywhere, including here in the UK. Many of the everyday products we buy everything from mobile phones, to roses, chocolate and coffee can have trafficking or slavery in the supply chain. It's a hidden crime that touches all of us more than we would think. That's the sobering reality. 3. Trafficking is a bigger problem today than ever before Human trafficking is the third largest crime worldwide. It's a multibillion-dollar industry that makes its money from buying and selling human beings. Forty million people are in slavery today around the world that's more people than at any other time in history. Many of them are victims of human trafficking. It's easy to forget that behind the statistics are real stories of real people living a daily nightmare. Children like Foli. He was just a little boy when he was sold into slavery on a fishing boat on Lake Volta in Ghana. He and his friends were beaten, malnourished and sleep deprived as they worked from dawn til dusk. They faced a daily risk of drowning as they were forced to dive into the water to untangle nets caught on the branches below. Foli told IJM: 'Those children who can't swim, they die.' When we partnered with police to rescue him, he told us his daily prayer: 'God, we are awake and we are going for fishing. Father Lord, as we are about to set this net, I pray that you protect and put your hands around it, that it does not go that deep that it would get stuck and they would ask me to go and untangle it.' Thousands of boys and girls are in slavery on Lake Volta right now. Millions of people around the world are trapped in violent exploitation and praying for rescue as you read this. 4. Trafficking and slavery is more vast than ever but more stoppable than ever The good news is that there is hope. It is possible to end slavery and trafficking in our lifetime. Nelson Mandela once famously said: 'It always seems impossible until it's done.' Ending the transatlantic slave trade seemed impossible to William Wilberforce, until it was done. When individuals, churches, governments, corporates and civil society choose to take action on trafficking it really does work. In our own anti-slavery work, International Justice Mission has found that traffickers, brothel owners, pimps, and slave owners aren't especially courageous. When local police are equipped to do their jobs rescue victims, gather evidence, and apprehend suspects and when local courts prosecute and punish them, the crime can dry up quickly. IJM has seen incredible progress in recent years. By training and partnering with local law enforcement in Cebu in the Philippines, IJM saw an incredible 79 per cent drop in the numbers of children in the commercial sex industry over a four -year period. Change is happening, and it's possible. But we all need to play our part. Today is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. So let's use today to say no more to trafficking. No more children bought and sold, no more women exploited in the sex trade, no more traffickers roaming free. Let's be the generation that believes for what seems impossible: let's be the generation that ends trafficking and slavery in our lifetime. We know this is a fight we can win. Will you be a part of it? David Westlake is chief executive of IJM UK. Join the movement: ijmuk.org Andrew Brunson appeals for release, lifting of travel ban A Christian American pastor standing trial in Turkey on terrorism charges has appealed to a Turkish court to release him from house arrest and lift his travel ban, his lawyer told Reuters on Monday. Relations between Turkey and the United States have spiralled into a full-blown crisis over the trial of pastor Andrew Brunson, who was in custody for 21 months in a Turkish prison until he was transferred to house arrest last week. President Donald Trump last week threatened to impose 'large sanctions' on Turkey unless it frees Brunson, who is accused of helping the group Ankara says was behind a failed military coup in 2016. Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty of the charges, which he denies. The appeal document seen by Reuters said although Brunson was freed from jail, the pastor was still deprived of his freedom and was unable to return to his normal life and carry out his religious duties. Brunson's lawyer Ismail Cem Halavurt said it would take the Turkish court in Aegean province of Izmir, where Brunson stood trial, three to seven days to make a decision on the appeal request. His next hearing as part of the trial is scheduled for October. Brunson was accused of helping supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric who Turkish authorities say masterminded the coup attempt against President Tayyip Erdogan in which 250 people were killed. He was also charged with supporting outlawed PKK Kurdish militants. Gulen denies any involvement in the coup attempt. Speaking to reporters during his trip to South Africa, Erdogan said Turkey would stand its ground in the face of Trump's sanctions threat. It was not clear what would be the nature of sanctions threatened by Trump but Washington was already working on bills related to Turkey. The US Senate has demanded a block on sales of F-35 jets to Turkey unless Trump certifies that Turkey is not threatening NATO, purchasing defence equipment from Russia or detaining US citizens. Bethel Church, Redding responds to devastating Carr Fire The wildfires consuming parts of California have come perilously close to one of America's best-known evangelical churches and it's responding with prayers and practical help for its community. Bethel Church in Redding is a charismatic megachurch led by Bill and Beni Johnson, known for its music and 'School of Supernatural Ministry'. The Carr Fire in northern California one of several burning throughout the state has so far claimed the lives of at least six people, including a firefighter and a bulldozer operator working to create a firebreak. It has destroyed nearly 900 properties and has been fed by gusty weather and high temperatures. Nearly 100,000 acres had been engulfed by Sunday night. Bethel Church issued a Facebook statement last night saying: 'Thank you to everyone who has reached out and prayed with us for Shasta County in the midst of the Carr Fire.' It said that representatives had met Red Cross and City officials on Thursday and offered church premises as an evacuation centre, but had been told they were not suitable as they were too close to the fire. 'Instead, we were asked to assist with: providing supplies and volunteers to distribute food at the Shasta College Evacuation Center, search and rescue efforts, and staying available to City officials and other agencies for any needs,' the statement said. Today the church's College View campus opened as a distribution hub for the Salvation Army offering supplies, meals and support to those affected by the fire. The church offered prayer points on its website, among them as well as prayers for an end to the fire and the safety of residents and firefighters 'For our city not just rebound, but to be able to fully recover the way God intended our city to.' Egyptian police investigate death of Coptic bishop The head of a Coptic Orthodox monastery in Egypt has been found dead in a case that is being treated as a possible murder. Bishop Epiphanius was the head of the monastery of St Macarius in Wadi El Natrun, founded in the 4th century. He was found dead yesterday. According to Wataninet, monks of St Macarius's say he had left his cell at dawn to attend matins, but appeared to have been intercepted on the way. Security officials have said Bishop Epiphanius' head was injured and there were injuries to his back, according to Assocated Press. The leader of UK Copts, Archbishop Angaelos, tweeted: 'Mourning the tragic death of our brother and friend Bishop Epiphanius, Abbot of St Makarious Monastery. A kind and gentle man, and a faithful shepherd and theologian of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Praying repose for his spirit and comfort for his monastic community.' Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria issued an official statement describing Epiphanis as filled with modesty and gentleness. Coptic Christians in Egypt comprise as much as 20 per cent of the population and are its largest religious minority. However, they suffer institutional discrimination and frequent violent attacks. St Macarius Monastery is around 92 kilometres from Cairo. It has been continuously inhabited since 360 AD. How Christian leaders can help build a new Zimbabwe Voters in Zimbabwe are queuing to cast their ballots in the first general election since the ousting of long-time president Robert Mugabe and faith has a huge role to play in the future of a largely Christian country, according to Christian Aid's country manager there. Mugabe, a leader of the struggle against white rule, oversaw decades of political repression and the economic collapse of a once-prosperous country. He was removed from office after one of today's presidential candidates, Emmerson Mnangagwa, overthrew him with the help of the military. Mnangagwa heads the ruling Zanu-PF party and held office under Mugabe. His main opponent Nelson Chamisa a pastor who uses the hashtag #GodIsInIt leads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The MDC is popular in the cities, while Zanu-PF's electoral heartland is the countryside. According to Christian Aid's country manager Nicholas Shamano: 'Zimbabwe is largely a Christian country and a large population (about 80 per cent) go to church at least once a month. Faith leaders are really respected and their role is also to help to inform or influence policy direction, and to help to hold leadership to account for their actions and for the decisions being made. 'At Christian Aid we do believe that there is space and scope for faith leaders to influence society, and they have that pulling power to do so. Faith leaders stand on a high moral ground, so when they call for certain issues that affect people to be addressed, somebody is bound to listen. They are not political opponents in such instances, and they are viewed as objective, so it really helps.' He said that so far the voting had been 'largely calm but expectant', though there were fears about the transparency of the process. 'The major concern is just around the process being transparent, credible, and people being able to freely exercise their democratic rights, so that whatever comes out of the election is respected: then maybe the country can move forward,' he said. 'That's basically what's people are looking for in the short term.' Chamisa has accused his rival Mnanagagwa, who has a slight lead, of vote-rigging. Shamano said Christian Aid partners like the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) have been 'influencing the agenda beyond the elections, on issues around national peace and reconciliation, and peacebuilding and addressing the socio-economic situation'. 'For instance, the economy and infrastructure are big issues for the Zimbabwean context. Unemployment is high, there are cash shortages, and investment is quite low at the moment. We are facing issues relating to corporate governance, basic infrastructure, the capacity of institutions to deliver major services: these are some of the major gaps that people in Zimbabwe would want to see being addressed.' Modern slavery: How the church can get behind the victims All across our world the tragic and barbaric slave trade continues in ever increasing numbers. Men and women, boys and girls are coerced into modern slavery without as much as a second thought for their welfare or futures. Working across international borders, human traffickers continue to rake in the profits. Children and adults are being exploited for sex, domestic servitude, forced labour, criminal activity and even organ harvesting. Today is World Day against Trafficking in Persons. It's an opportunity to send a message to all those guilty of this abhorrent crime that enough is enough. Modern Slavery robs victims of dignity and their futures. Globally, the sheer scale of the problem is shocking. Recently released figures from the Australian based Walk Free Foundation revealed that there were 40.3 million people living in modern slavery in 2016 and 70 per cent were women and girls. The three countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery are North Korea, Eritrea and Burundi and each of these three countries has high levels of state-imposed labour. But modern slavery is a problem in the UK, too. The estimate of how many people are trapped in modern slavery here is now 10 times higher than previously thought. It used to be estimated that there were between 10,000 and 13,000 trapped in modern slavery in the UK. But now that figure has sky-rocketed to a staggering 136,000. That's thousands of people adults and children here in the United Kingdom who are in some form of modern slavery. At car-washes, on high streets and in local communities the problem of modern slavery in this country seems to be getting worse. Clearly, standing by and doing nothing is simply not an option. As a Christian, I know God cares for the vulnerable, the downtrodden and he calls his people to make a difference. Today is a chance to re-dedicate ourselves to taking a stand. Some are working directly with victims to ensure they are looked after once they escape. Others are co-ordinating rescue missions. Still others, like CARE, are working with policy makers to make sure our laws are as strong and as effective as possible. But all of us have a role to play. Whether it's supporting anti-trafficking charities financially or educating ourselves on what to look out for and what to do if you suspect there's a victim in your area. It's also true to say that the UK has taken considerable steps to sort out the issue of modern slavery. From John O'Groats, to Belfast, Cardiff and Lands' End, all four constituent parts of the United Kingdom have dedicated anti-trafficking laws in place. The Modern Slavery Act covers England and Wales and there's little doubt it represents a major moment in the fight against modern slavery. But clearly the statistics tell us that far more needs to be done. At CARE we think one area where we need to improve on the status quo is the matter of providing adequate support for persons rescued from modern slavery. When a person escapes from modern slavery, they need help and most of all, they need security and stability and they face the uncertainties of the future. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, victims of human trafficking are entitled to statutory support and help. But this is not the case in England and Wales. Clearly, this needs to change. That's why CARE is privileged to be part of the Free for Good campaign which is devoted to improving victim support across England and Wales. As such, along with our friends at Free for Good we've been working with two outstanding politicians, Lord McColl and Frank Field MP in order to persuade the government to back the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill. This legislation has already been through the Lords and is now in the Commons. It would significantly strengthen the victim support currently available in England and Wales. It would help protect victims from homelessness, destitution and re-trafficking. It would give victims a direct pathway to recovery. It would ensure a higher standard of care is made available. It would also bring the law in England and Wales into line with Scotland and Northern Ireland. If the Government would back the bill and adopt it as official policy, what a signal that would send to some of the most vulnerable across our society. It would tell them that escape from modern slavery is not just a brief respite before being re-trafficked, but that support systems are in place so they can truly re-build their lives. We know that human trafficking is truly an abhorrent crime. It involves stripping away the human rights, dignity and freedom of people and forcing them into servitude so that they are controlled by a gang or by a person. At CARE we are privileged to play a small part in taking a stand. If you care about human dignity, you cannot remain silent while the rights of others are so routinely abused. There are millions trapped in modern slavery across the world and it's up to us to take a stand on their behalf. James Mildred is Communications Manager at Christian Action Research and Education (CARE). US cardinal steps down amid widening sex abuse scandal Pope Francis on Saturday accepted the resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, one of the US Catholic Church's most prominent figures, who has been at the center of a widening sexual abuse scandal. McCarrick, 88, the former archbishop of Washington, DC, is the first cardinal in living memory to lose his red hat and title. Other cardinals who have been disciplined in sexual abuse scandals kept their membership in the College of Cardinals and their honorific 'your eminence'. The allegations against McCarrick, which first surfaced publicly last month, came with Francis facing an image crisis on a second front, in Chile, where a growing abuse scandal has enveloped the Church. A Vatican statement said the pope, acting only hours after McCarrick offered his resignation on Friday night, ordered his suspension from the exercise of any public ministry. This means he remains a priest but will be allowed to say mass only in private. Francis also ordered McCarrick to go into seclusion 'for a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial'. The Vatican said the pope wanted to send a strong message that high rank would no longer be a shield. 'The important point is that McCarrick is no longer a cardinal. What this means is that, no matter how important your position, no matter how prestigious, when it comes to sex abuse you're going to be held accountable. That is the message being sent today,' spokesman Greg Burke told Reuters Television. McCarrick's sudden fall from grace stunned the American Church because he was a widely respected leader for decades and a confidant of popes and presidents. Last month, American Church officials said allegations that he sexually abused a 16-year-old boy almost 50 years ago were credible and substantiated.. Since then, another minor has come forward with allegations that McCarrick abused him when he was 11 years old, and several men have come forward to allege that McCarrick forced them to sleep with him at a beach house in New Jersey when they were adult seminarians studying for the priesthood. No recollection McCarrick has said that he had 'absolutely no recollection' of the alleged abuse of the teenager 50 years ago but has not commented on the other allegations. The New York Times reported last week that two dioceses in New Jersey, where McCarrick served as bishop before being promoted to Washington in 2000, had reached financial settlements in 2005 and 2007 with men who said they were abused by McCarrick as adults decades ago. Some US Catholics have said the Vatican should send an inspector to the United States to determine who in the US Church hierarchy knew of the alleged incidents and why McCarrick's rise was not impeded. 'The Vatican must investigate and publish its conclusions regarding McCarrick's advancement and very successful career,' said Terence McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, a US-based group that tracks abuse cases. 'The officials responsible must be identified and disciplined, and the investigative file must be made public,' McKiernan said in a statement. In 2013, Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Scotland recused himself from participating in the conclave that elected Francis after he was caught up in a sexual abuse scandal involving seminarians. He later renounced rights and privileges of being a cardinal but kept his red hat and title until his death earlier this year. The last person to resign from the College of Cardinals is believed to be French theologian Louis Billot, who left over a disagreement with Pope Pius XI in 1927, according to the US newspaper, National Catholic Reporter. There were a record number of small business transfers in 2018's second quarter, according to BizBuySell.com, which dubs itself the largest business-for-sale site online. BizBuySell's 2018 Insight Report aggregates statistics from business-for-sale transactions as reported to the company by business brokers throughout the U.S. A generational transition in ownership and "improving business financials" were attributed for the increase. Dozens of migrant families arrive at a bus station in McAllen, Texas, following release from Customs and Border Protection on June 23, 2018. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images After failing to return all of the youngest migrant children separated from their parents at the southern border on July 10, the Trump administration failed to meet a second deadline on Thursday. Though the administration claimed success and U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw even said they get great credit for reuniting 1,442 children 5 and older with their families on Friday there were 650 separated children still in government custody. The government is at fault for losing several hundred parents in the process, and thats where we have to go next, said Sabraw. In a ruling on Friday, Sabraw said the governments involvement with the missing parents isnt over. NBC News reports that he ordered the Trump administration to provide a detailed list by Wednesday of all the parents it had deemed ineligible for reunification. The administration said these parents fell into four categories. More than 400 adults were deemed ineligible for reunification because theyve already been deported and U.S. officials cant find them. Another 260 parents need further evaluation, but the administration was unclear on what that meant. Sixty-four parents had a prohibitive criminal record so their children would not be released to them. The government claims another 127 waived reunification, but there are allegations that that path isnt being presented fairly. Court documents filed Saturday night in the class-action lawsuit over Trumps family-separation policy allege that at least four fathers in Texas were given forms with three choices be deported with children, let child stay in U.S., or talk to a lawyer and the first option was already selected for them in pen. Vox reports: According to the testimony, parents who attempted to cross that out and choose the second option being deported while allowing their children to pursue their case and stay in the US were yelled at by the ICE agents or told they simply were not allowed to select another option. One was told that if he opted to be deported alone, his son would still get deported and might be deported first. One father claimed he was briefly reunited with his 17-year-old son on Wednesday, only to be separated again. Minutes after they were loaded onto a bus they were told was headed to a shelter, it turned around. The father says that after refusing to sign the form agreeing that his son should be deported with him, the bus turned around and he was kicked off. His son was not allowed to get off the bus to say good-bye to him. The government said offering parents a choice is their standard practice, but denied that theyre ever coerced into making a certain choice. Asking parents in ICE custody, who are subject to a final order of removal, to make a decision about being removed with or without their children, is part of long-standing policy, said a Department of Homeland Security official. The ACLU, which brought the suit, said it will provide pro bono attorneys to help track down parents the government said it could not locate. The judges order requiring the government to provide us with information about missing or deported parents leaves no doubt that the court expects the remaining reunifications to get done promptly, said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt. L5 Investments A joint venture of L5 Investments and BH Equities has sold Huntington Glen Apartments in southwest Houston after making improvements during its three-year ownership. Austin-based GVA Real Estate Group purchased the 364-unit complex, which consists of 20 buildings on nearly 10 acres at 12023 Bissonnet near Keegan Road. The property was built in 1982. The Port of Galveston could be headed toward a record year. Both vessel calls and cargo volume increased in June, up 18 percent and 47 percent, respectively, when compared to June 2017. "It's mid-year and the port continues to see record cargo volume growth and a significant increase in vessel calls," Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees said in a news release. "If these numbers continue to rise, 2018 could be a record year for the port." LEG UP: New crane operators train for six-figure salaries, only on HoustonChronicle.com The port handled 67 vessel calls in June, compared with 57 in June 2017, and 430 vessels year-to-date for the second quarter of 2018 compared with 337 vessels over the same time period last year. The increase in vessels was largely driven by lay vessels and barges, which stop temporarily at the port for repairs, fueling or Coast Guard inspections. Yet cargo ship calls were up 22 percent and cruise ship vessel traffic increased 5 percent over June 2017. NEW LEADER: Director comes from world's second busiest cruise port Bulk grain exports led the increase in cargo volume for June with a 160 percent increase over June 2017. The increase in grain exports stems from a decision to dredge the channel and ADM Grain Galveston facility berth to accommodate larger grain vessels, according to the news release. Roll-on-roll-off cargo, like the BMWs and Minis unloaded in Galveston, was up 25 percent due to additional vessel calls for the month. Bulk liquid imports were up 30 percent for the month. John Davenport/STAFF An affiliate of Houston's Hilcorp Energy will pay more than $1.1 billion to acquire the San Juan Basin gas pipeline and processing facilities in New Mexico and Colorado from Oklahoma-based Williams Partners. Hilcorp's Harvest Midstream business will buy the system in the nation's Four Corners region that includes more than 3,700 miles of pipeline, two gas processing plants, and one carbon dioxide treatment facility in an area stretching from New Mexico's San Juan and Rio Arriba counties to La Plata County in Colorado. The pipeline system includes gathering capacity of 1.8 billion cubic feet of gas per day. You don't have to go to Asiatown for your dumpling fix anymore. Inner Loopers have new options including hot and spicy dumplings from Spicy Girl in Midtown, pork chili dumplings at UB Preserv in Montrose, and Shanghainese soup dumplings from Wanna Bao in Midtown. And when Mala Sichuan opens at Finn Hall in downtown later this summer, hopefully the restaurant's red oil dumplings will make the journey. One of the most ambitious new dumpling programs can be found at Izakaya, the hip Japanese pub that has recently refocused its menu to specialize in ramen and dumplings. Executive chef Jean-Philippe Gaston recently took a deep immersion in dumplingland, installing a sleek, glassed-walled dumpling bar where diners can watch signature dumplings being filled, pleated, fried and steamed. He also hired two dumpling chefs from Chinatown to help oversee the line of dumplings that recently made its debut at the same time the restaurant enhanced its interiors with new lighting and colorful photographic window panels of bustling Asia cityscapes. TransCanada Corp.'s proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline won a relatively positive review from the U.S. State Department, which found that the conduit's approved route would have no significant environmental impacts. The alternate route that Nebraska regulators approved for the line would have minor to moderate effects on three of the eight environmental categories the department assessed, with minor impacts on three others and a negligible effect on one, according to a review released Monday. The report may provide fodder for both proponents and detractors of the pipeline, which has seen its development drag on for about a decade amid staunch opposition from environmentalists. The 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) pipeline, which would help carry 830,000 barrels of crude a day from Alberta's oil sands to U.S. Gulf Coast refiners, has won the U.S. and state approvals it needs, but TransCanada has yet to officially declare that it is building the project. While TransCanada is planning some preparatory work for the fall, the pipeline still is facing a case before the Nebraska Supreme Court, which the company expects to be resolved by late this year or early next, as well as legal cases challenging the project's U.S. presidential permit. "We will review the environmental assessment and provide comment to the Department of State as necessary," Matthew John, a TransCanada spokesman, said by email. Minor Effects The Sierra Club, which is challenging the State Department's approval of the pipeline, blasted the environmental assessment. "Once again, the Trump administration is attempting to take a shortcut around the legally required review process on Keystone XL, putting our communities at risk for the sake of propping up the Canadian tar sands industry," said Kelly Martin, director of the Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign. In the review released Monday, the line was found to have minor to moderate effects regarding noise and vibration, water resources and biological resources. It would have minor effects on soils, air quality and cultural resources, and negligible impacts on land use, recreation and visual resources, according to the report. Shares of Calgary-based TransCanada were little changed at C$57.66 at 3:39 p.m. in Toronto. The stock had slid 5.8 percent this year through Friday. The outcome of the report underscores the current U.S. government's support for the project. President Donald Trump granted the project a permit last year, reversing his predecessor's rejection of the pipeline. Asked about Keystone XL on Monday, Energy Secretary Rick Perry predicted it would be built. "It needs to be," Perry said during an event held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce after lamenting a lack of pipeline capacity in certain parts of the country. By nature, dogs tend to be experts at searching out food and treats. Yet, there are some canines who use their snouts to uncover prohibited items such as illegal drugs, firearms and alcohol: these are dogs with jobs. Theyre trained by Interquest Canine Detection, which is a Tomball-based company that has been sniffing out contraband in schools, corporate offices, oil refineries, chemical plants and manufacturing facilities for 30 years. Debbie Farmer started the company with Mike Ferdinand, who is the vice president. Law enforcement canines have well-defined rolesin school environments they are limited to finding illicit drugs. Our program is one additional tool school administrators can use to reduce the things they dont want on campus, Ferdinand said. Therefore, the dogs are trained to find not only key illicit drugs, but also ethanol-based alcohol and gunpowder. Ferdinand said that the dogs can also discover commonly abused medications of which they found about 3,400 instances of last year nationwide. Our intent is not to go out there and create problems for individual kids, but to send a clear message that the school has the capability to find these contraband items and provide a safe learning environment, Ferdinand said. While the company operates in more than 20 states across the nation, they have six handler and dog teams who work together in northwest Houston school districts such as Tomball, Cypress-Fairbanks and Klein. They also service area private schools like Concordia Lutheran High School, Cypress Christian Academy and Northland Christian School. Matthew Schleicher is the assistant principal at Concordia Lutheran, which serves almost 600 high school students. He has worked with Interquest to schedule canine visits for at least 10 years. While Concordia Lutheran has had a school resource officer for a few years, Schleicher said that the canines help to maintain a drug and alcohol-free school environment. Interquest conducts searches at the campus four times each school year. The dogs have helped us locate some problematic items over the years. We want to help our students resist temptation by holding them accountable through proactive, regular narcotics canine visits, Schleicher said. When an Interquest handler and dog team enters a school, they check lockers, cabinets, restrooms and parking lots. They also check classrooms and student backpacks. The dogs are conditioned to canvass an area from left to right so that they dont miss anything. Tracy Patton is the corporate trainer who teaches the dogs these techniques. She starts by letting the dog work independently to find hidden scented towels, then does drills with them by hiding scents in lockers or backpacks. Finally, if they need it, the dog goes through obedience training. Once the dogs are finished training, we get them some experience before theyre placed with a permanent handler. When we go into the schools, were under the discretion of the campus. They tell us what theyd like us to check that day, Patton said. In the summer, Patton also does maintenance training with the older dogs to make sure they stay sharp. Farmer, Interquest co-founder, explained that the handler and dog truly work as a team. As handlers, we learn to read our dogs and give them the best opportunity catch the odor. We interpret what they do, Farmer said. For a half-day of Interquest service, it costs approximately $270. A dinner at Chez Nous and Union Kitchen-Kingwood will not only feed you but it will also feed someone in need. Through Sept. 3, the two Lake Houston area restaurants Chez Nous in Humble and Kingwood eatery The Union Kitchen have joined with various other restaurants in the Houston area for the Houston Food Banks annual Houston Restaurant Weeks, an annual fundraiser where restaurants donate a part of their proceeds to the food bank. Restaurants create a specialized menu for people to choose from at fixed prices. This year set dinner prices will be $35 and $45; lunch for $20, and brunch for $20. For each $45 dinner the restaurant will donate $7, which will generate 21 meals for the food bank; $35 dinners will result in a $5 donation which will generate 15 meals; and $20 lunch and brunch puts $3 in the food bank coffers resulting in nine meals. The 2017 campaign raised a record $2.4 million; the 2016 event brought in $2,015,157, marking the first time the $2 million mark was broken. Houston Restaurant Weeks was established in 2003 by Cleverley Stone, host of "The Cleverley Show." To date the event has raised about $10 million to fight hunger in Greater Houston with more than 30 million meals for the food insecure. Stone added that the 2017 donation to the food bank might actually be more than $2.4 million because restaurant donations are still being collected from last year's campaign. The delay in collecting is attributed to the hurricane. A final total for HRW 2017 will be made at a later date, Stone said. Menus for participating restaurants have placed their menus on the Houston Restaurant Weeks website. Last year, Chez Nous was able to raise over $5,000 for the Houston Food Bank and hopes to exceed that amount this year in donations. The local French restaurant will be serving dinner at $45 per person and $7 of each dinner bought will be donated to the food bank. Scott and Stacy Simonson, proprietors of Chez Nous, have known Stone for years and applaud her for all her volunteer efforts for the community. (Stone) has put this whole thing together and its fantastic. So to be able to help her also in her cause is great, Scott said. Stacy and Scott said participating in HRW is just a more fun way to give back to the community rather than just giving a check. Were all connected. We all are together in this regardless of whether you have a $2 million home or sleep under an underpass, Scott said. Youve got to be able to help out everybody and in that respect we have to be able to not turn a blind eye, especially in the City of Houston to the plight of whats going on. kaila.contreras@chron.com Residents of the Barker Reservoir Watershed will learn more about the upcoming Harris County $2.5 billion bond election as well as have an opportunity to share their ideas and suggestions on what could be done to mitigate flooding in their neighborhoods on Aug. 1. Co-founders of Barker Flood Prevention, a recently formed advocacy group, encourage residents to attend the meeting organized by the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) at Memorial Parkway Junior High School, 21203 Highland Knolls. The meeting, one of more than 20 conducted by the district, will be from 6-8 p.m. People unable to attend the meeting may submit comments online. Visit www.hcfcd.org/bond-program/community-input for more information. The county bond election will be Aug. 25, the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harveys arrival. Early voting for the election will begin Aug. 8. Visit http://harrisvotes.com for voting times and locations. Wendy Duncan, co-founder of the advocacy group Barker Flood Prevention, met July 26 with HCFCD representatives. The districts website lists potential project types to be funded by bond funds including maintenance projects to restore the designed function and capacity of a channel or stormwater detention basin, partnerships with other local, state and federal agencies to improve drainage and projects suggested by residents After the meeting, she said shes impressed with the effort and work done by the district in collaboration with other agencies. Theyve put together a bond package thats quite impressive, said Duncan, noting that its been updated after every informational meeting held in various communities. We couldnt be more pleased with the work the Harris County Flood Control District has done. Duncan said Barker Flood Prevention will use social media and email to promote the districts plans as well as to encourage people to vote for the bond package. She and Barker Flood Prevention co-founder Marlin Williford helped organize a July 12 meeting at Kingsland Baptist Church that drew about 100 people. Additional membership meetings are planned. One of the groups goals is to partner with other agencies to bring about real change for flood control in the future, said Duncan. Barker Flood Prevention is about action, she said, noting the number of studies done over the years that failed to accomplish any change. Barker Flood Prevention is about partnering, she continued. She said she and Williford have very good relationships with government officials who they believe want to do an effective job for residents. Well keep fostering those relationships and keep encouraging our residents to be vocal, write letters, write emails, show up at meetings. Because if residents do not push for flood control, it will not get done. Williford said, The Barker area upstream and downstream had some of the greatest damage from Harvey. We want to see all levels of government work together to fund and build substantial and effective flood-control solutions NOW. Improved flow and increased storage in the Barker Reservoir is an integral key to playing defense against future flooding. Also improved conveyance in the upstream and downstream channels,, he added. Most importantly the Buffalo Bayou channels. Williford said, Any areas outside the reservoir that can be excavated for additional retention to add storage capacity will help. These things are critical to short-term relief. The longer term picture will include completion of the major elements of the original 1940 plan and coordination of all of this with similar actions in the Addicks Reservoir as their requirements are similar and the two reservoirs must work well together to maximize effectiveness. The 1940 plan included a levee/reservoir at Cypress Creek and a conveyance to take water downstream from the Barker and Addicks reservoirs. The July 12 meeting also involved August Campbell, president/CEO of West Houston Association (WHA) and chairman of the nonprofit Harris Plus Flood Solutions. Houston Stronger, a campaign administered by Harris Plus Flood Solutions, is hosting an Aug. 2 conference from 2-4 p.m. at Houston Community College West Loop Center, 5601 West Loop South Freeway. The conference will focus on whats happened since Harvey struck on Aug. 25, 2017 as well as the upcoming county bond election. Visit https://westhouston.org/committee-events-list/harris-county-bond-conference/ to register for the free conference that will feature Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Harris County and the city of Houston. Houston Strongers $61.55 billion flood-control plan outlines 12 projects. Those projects include constructing a third reservoir at Cypress Creek and restoring and adding storage capacity to both the Barker and Addicks reservoirs. Visit http://houstonstronger.net/resources/ for details. karen.zurawski@chron.com Delicatessens across the nation have been closing down in large numbers in recent years, but one Houston deli owner is working to change that through his National Deli Month. During the month of August, Houston-area diners can enjoy classic delicatessen meals from a special prix fixe menu at Kenny & Ziggys New York Delicatessen & Restaurant, and the restaurant will donate 10 percent of those sales to Holocaust Museum Houston. REVIEWS: Where to get the best fried chicken in Houston The three-course meals cost $38 plus tax and gratuity. As a bonus, each person purchasing a meal from the menu will receive a ticket good for two entries to the museums temporary location at 9220 Kirby Drive, Suite 100. Kenny & Ziggys Owner Ziggy Gruber started National Deli Month in 2016 as a way to promote American delis while allowing them to give back to nonprofit organizations in the communities they serve. He said he expects about 30 delis to participate nationally this year. The idea for the event came when Gruber and his father appeared in the 2015 documentary Deli Man that interviewed deli owners from all over the United States. The point of it was how these old traditional delis were closing at an alarming rate, Gruber said. So I talked to a lot of these guys and said, Lets do a month where we bring some attention to what is going on and at the same time, remind people what delis are all about and how unique they are. Gruber said several of the delis that participated in the first event in 2016 have since closed, including 67-year-old Time Deli in San Jose, Calif.; Carnegie Deli, which opened in New York City in 1937; and Bens Best in New York, which collaborated on National Deli Month in years past but will shut its doors by the time this years event starts. DINING HEAVEN: The ultimate guide to Houston Restaurant Weeks More Information National Deli Month runs Aug. 1-31 at locations across the country. To learn more about the event, participating locations, charities and menus, visit www.delimonth.com. Visit www.kennyandziggys.com for general information about the restaurant and www.hmh.org for information about Holocaust Museum Houston. The Post Oak restaurant is located at 2327 Post Oak and open 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday; and 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday. The West University restaurant is located at 5172 Buffalo Speedway and is open 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday; and 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday. See More Collapse The founders of the delicatessens came from different backgrounds, but Gruber said they helped to forge a part of American culture as they built relationships with their customers. The original delis were opened by immigrants who brought their various cultures, tastes and culinary knowledge, as basic as it may have been, to a new world, Gruber said. These delis became gathering places. Business got done, families bonded, gossip was exchanged, and in the end, these places were the heart and social centers of communities. Gruber has a long heritage in the deli business: in 1927, his grandfather opened New Yorks first Jewish deli on Broadway. The original Kenny & Ziggys location opened in 1999 across from The Galleria at 2327 Post Oak and has been serving up deli eats in large portions ever since. Were known for our huge sandwiches [and] our hot plates. We serve a lot of Eastern European dishes, which is the part of the world my grandfather and all his ancestors were from. We also have breakfast - huge breakfasts - and desserts, Gruber said. By the time Grubers partner Kenny Friedman left the business several years after its founding, Gruber said the deli was doing so well that he decided to keep the name the way it it was. The second location opened in 2016 near West University Place at 5172 Buffalo Speedway and Westpark. Gruber said he is proud of how the food his restaurants offer is all prepared fresh, from the corned beef that is cured in house to the smoked fish that is selected in New York, overnighted to Houston and then sliced by five certified master slicers. When the Gruber heard last year that Holocaust Museum Houston was going to be expanding (the largest project in its history), he said selecting it as his National Deli Month nonprofit felt like a natural fit. This is the second year the event will benefit the museum. Dr. Kelly J. Zuniga, Holocaust Museum Houston chief executive officer said the museum was started in 1996 by Holocaust survivors living in the Houston area and is dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust, remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims and honoring the survivors legacy. The funds raised from National Deli Month will benefit the museums educational programming, which Zuniga said helps students learn about the Holocaust and provides training for teachers. A new permanent location for Holocaust Museum Houston is currently under construction and will double the size of the original facility. It is slated to open in June 2019. Zuniga said events and fundraisers like National Deli Month help the museum continue its work and also affirm that its mission is important to the Houston community. We are incredibly grateful to Ziggy not only for his generosity, but for his leadership with National Deli Month, which benefits community organizations across the country, Zuniga said. Gruber said his regular customers are excited about the event for the good value it offers and the opportunity to support the museum. He said those who have not dined at Kenny & Ziggys before should use August to check out the deli for the first time. Our menu is as true as it can be, and, you know, the Kenny & Ziggys family will never be big enough, Gruber said. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com Needs more gold. Photo: Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post/Getty Images As if he didnt have enough on his plate between renovating Air Force One and pondering how to add a ballroom to the White House (and whatever presidential duties he squeezes in after executive time), Axios reports that President Trump has been obsessed with the FBI building for months. The J. Edgar Hoover Building has been added to his list of frequent rant topics, and Axios says he thinks micromanaging the project is a good way for his sidelined chief of staff to occupy his time. That source said Trump told Chief of Staff John Kelly he wants to oversee the project at an excruciating level of detail: the cost per square foot, the materials used, the renovation specs, etc. Hes treating it like its a Trump Organization construction project, the source added. But why is Trump so interested in providing his foes in the FBI with cushier headquarters? Here are some possibilities. Theory 1: Trump Is an Architecture Snob An Axios source said that during one of his tirades against the FBI, Trump called out the bureau for having an aesthetically displeasing headquarters. Even the building is terrible, he said. Its one of the brutalist-type buildings, you know, brutalist architecture. Honestly, I think its one of the ugliest buildings in the city. Brutalism was popular, particularly for government buildings, in the 60s and 70s, when the Hoover Building was designed and constructed. But Trump isnt the only one who considers it an eyesore. Trump is right. The FBI building is fucking ugly as hell. BeingSuedByDevinNunes (@LizMair) July 30, 2018 .@realDonaldTrump is correct in that the FBI headquarters is super ugly https://t.co/VtOg7eccPc Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) July 29, 2018 for once trump is right. the fbi building is ugly. all the brutalist buildings are. considering we've got some really beautiful buildings in dc, the brutalist ones are a freaking eyesore. Oliver Willis (@owillis) July 30, 2018 Theory 2: Trump Has a Passion for Construction That Wont Be Denied In response to the story, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders suggested its totally natural for the president to be fixated on the new FBI building because thats how he made his fortune. POTUS is always interested in building because he knows it better than anyone and has been very successful in it, she said. Hes found [the General Services Administration] to be on it, very impressive and knowledgeable are the phrases he has used. Theory 3: FBI Headquarters Is Literally Falling Apart Unlike his quest to give Air Force One a more American paint job, which no one else was calling for, theres long been bipartisan agreement that the Hoover Building is inadequate. The Washington Post reported in 2015: Beneath the headquarters of Americas premier crime-fighting organization, one of the parking ramps has been condemned because corroded pieces of the ceiling were falling on cars. Netting hangs on the Ninth Street facade to prevent broken concrete from hitting passersby 160 feet down on the sidewalk below. During a July fire drill, half of the buildings alarms didnt go off. For more than a decade, leaders at the Federal Bureau of Investigation have warned that the bureau needed to replace the J. Edgar Hoover Building, a concrete fortress designed as a symbol of strength that has instead come to serve as a lesson in government inaction. Though the building was obviously unsuitable, Congress was hesitant to provide funding for new construction and then the Trump administration abruptly altered plans for the FBIs new home. For years the General Services Administration had pressed for a new facility in the D.C. suburbs where the FBI could consolidate all 11,000 personnel. But in February, the Trump administration proposed demolishing the Hoover Building and building a new FBI headquarters in its place along with spreading FBI personnel throughout the country. The new plan is to keep 8,300 FBI staffers in D.C., split between the new downtown building and the bureaus Quantico, Virginia, training academy. Another 2,300 staffers would be relocated to Alabama, Idaho, and West Virginia. The White House infrastructure plan included $2.175 billion for the new building, which, combined with previously allotted funds, would bring the total to $3.3 billion. Many were shocked and perplexed by the change of plans, including House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer. This sudden and unexpected decision by the Trump administration raises serious questions about what or who could have motivated such a decision, he said. Why the Trump administration would so suddenly forgo years of study that led to careful recommendations not to mention the millions of dollars spent in the effort to move the Bureaus headquarters is beyond astounding, and quite frankly, extremely alarming. The GSAs inspector general said it would look into the decision. Theory 4: The FBI Building Mars the View From the Trump International Hotel Maybe Trump wants to make sure federal law enforcement officials can carry out their work in an attractive, secure, state-of-the-art facility. Or maybe hes more interested in shielding guests at the Trump International Hotel D.C. from the hideous building that sits diagonally opposite on Pennsylvania Avenue. A shiny new FBI building would also improve the aesthetics for guests staying at a certain hotel just across Pennsylvania Avenue... https://t.co/9yl5nVlGWV Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) July 30, 2018 FBI building view from the new trump hotel in DC pic.twitter.com/90oUIdUFqp MR. NO CHILL (@Mr_Gudin0023) April 14, 2016 Theory 5: Trump Always Wants to Be Number One In 2012, a travel website dubbed the Hoover Building the ugliest building in the world. Number eight on that list: New Yorks Trump Tower. Downright dull on the outside, dizzyingly gaudy on the inside, this outdated building is generally only visited by tourists as it is almost universally avoided by actual New Yorkers, Trippy.com said of the future presidents home. Once the FBI headquarters is demolished, Trump Tower will be one step closer to world domination. Clevelands Rock and Roll Hall of Fame better watch its back. Hunters Creek 7/21/18 at 1400 Hours. 10900 Block of Palma. Theft of Mail/Packages. Victim reported that on the 18th and 21st respectively, he had expected to receive items that he had ordered on-line. After not receiving the items he checked the on-line tracking of the packages and learned that both had been delivered and left at his door. Unknown persons had taken the items without his permission. The area was checked for cameras; however, none were located. The victim will be considering the installation of cameras in the near future. Case was provided to detectives for follow-up investigation. 7/25/18 at 1145 Hours. Identity Theft/Fraud. 400 Block of Ripple Creek. Victim reported receiving information of a possible fraud being attempted against her from her bank and of a second fraudulent activity that had been successful. A female had gone to her bank and made a withdraw from the victims account using a paper temporary drivers license. A second attempt at another bank branch was unsuccessful, when the teller asked the subject to come inside the bank to verify the paper ID the driver sped off. The victims account was credited for the successful withdraw. Information was forwarded to detectives for follow up. Piney Point 7/24/18 at 2215 Hours. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Recovery of Stolen Property/Firearm. Baton Rouge PD contacted the MVPD and provided information on a subject they had in-custody who was in possession a firearm reported as stolen from the 100 Block of Windemere in June of this year. We confirmed the theft of the firearm. Information about the suspect was obtained and provided to detectives in order to determine how the suspect came to be in possession of the stolen handgun. The firearm will be returned to the owner after prosecution of the suspect. 7/24/18 at 1645 Hours. 11300 block of Piney Point Circle. Identity Theft. Victim reported receiving information about credit accounts that had been opened using his personal information that he did not initiate or authorize. The victim is obtaining additional information about the activity which will be provided to detectives for their follow up investigation. Bunker Hill 7/21/18 at 0830 Hours. 500 Block of Knipp. Identity Theft. Victim reported that he received notice of a claim being opened under his name by the Texas Workforce Commission. The victim had not filed a claim. Information about the claim was obtained and provided to detectives for follow-up investigation. The victim will be monitoring his credit report for any other fraudulent activity. 7/23/18 at 0930 Hours. 12200 block of Valley Star. Credit Card Abuse. Victim reported that upon receiving his monthly credit card statement he found a charge for over $2,000 from a lumber company that he did not make. The victim immediately froze his account and notified the MVPD. Information about the fraudulent activity was obtained and provided to detectives for a follow-up investigation. 7/24/18 at 0800 Hours. 200 Block of Bunker Hill Road. Fraud. Victim reported that upon examining his bank account he located 2 electronic transfers of funds from his account that he did not authorize. One was to a Virginia Credit Union and the other to a Discover Account. The victim does not do business or have accounts with either entity. The amounts totaled over $6,900. Information about the locations where the funds were transferred to was provided to detectives. The victim froze his accounts to stop any future transfers. A man and woman were arrested Sunday in Santa Fe after police responding to a disturbance call say they found a large amount of methamphetamine in the bedroom of a home. Jennifer Moody, 32, of Santa Fe, and Joel Pena, 34, of Houston, are both charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, the Santa Fe Police Department reported on Facebook. The Texas Department of Transportation will collect comments from people about the proposed widening of FM 723 between FM 1093 and Rosenberg during a Sept. 6 public hearing at Briscoe Junior High School, 4300 FM 723, Richmond. An open house will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the public hearing at 6:30 p.m. During the opening house, people can view engineering displays and environmental documents. People can comment on the project on or before Sept. 21 to be part of the official hearing record. Comments may be sent by mail to the TxDOT Houston District Office at 7600 Washington Ave., Houston, Texas 77007. People can also email hou-piowebmail@txdot.gov to send their comments. Proposed improvements to FM 723 from Avenue D in Rosenberg south to the Brazos River bridge include widening the road from two to four 11-foot lanes (two lanes in each direction) and adding a 5.5-foot sidewalk on both sides of the road. The Brazos River bridge would not be changed. North of the Brazos River, the proposed improvements would widen the road from two to four 12-foot lanes (two lanes in each direction). Added would be 6-foot sidewalks on both sides, 12-foot shoulders and an 18-foot raised median with intermittent median openings and left-turn lanes. The proposed 9.23-mile project would require 100 acres of additional right of way and would require one displacement of a utility building. The proposed project would not require the displacement or partial acquisition of any commercial or residential structure, according to TxDOT officials. Approximately 128.5 acres of the project lie within the 100-year floodplain; however, the project would not result in an increase of the net base flood elevation. There are approximately 9 acres of wetlands, and 2,642linear feet of waters of the U.S. within the proposed project area; however, TxDOT will design the proposed project to minimize impacts to the wetlands and waters of the U.S. One potential 4(f) resource was identified in the project area, a mid-nineteenth century farmstead located at 5831 FM 723. An approximate 60-foot strip of new ROW would be acquired from this property. The new strip of ROW would not impact the resources integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association. TxDOT believes the proposed project meets the requirements for a Section 4(f) de minimis impact finding under 23 CFR 774. Texas State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)concurrence was completed on Feb. 22, 2018. The hearing will be conducted in English. People who have special communication or accommodation needs are encouraged to contact TxDOTs Public Information Offices at 713-802-5076. Requests should be made at least five working days prior to the public hearing. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate these needs. People may contact TxDOT for more information using the project numbers of 0188-09-040 and 0188-09-042. The draft environmental assessment, maps showing the project location and design, tentative construction schedules, and other information regarding the project are on file and available for inspection Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., excluding state holidays, at the TxDOT Houston District Office, 7600 Washington Ave., Houston, and the TxDOT Fort Bend Area Office, 4235 Texas 36, Rosenberg. To schedule an appointment at the Houston District Office, contact Samuel Ainabe at 713-802-5260 or at the Fort Bend Area Office, contact Grady Mapes at 281-238-7900. Visit http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/get-involved/about/hearings-meetings.html to view project information. North Carolina humor columnist, Scott Hollifield, is concerned for Texas and its apparently relaxed stance on the criminal repercussions of biting off someone's nose. On July 12, 2018, Conroe woman Jessica Collins, 41, was arrested by Harris County police after getting into an altercation with another woman and allegedly biting off her nose and swallowing it. ONLY IN TEXAS: Texas inmate scales a moving police car in daring highway escape attempt She was charged with a misdemeanor assault charge, which evidently raised enough concern in Hollifield for him to take the time to pen an open letter to Texas State Legislature in a column titled: "Time to address lax nose-biting laws in Texas." "As a fan of both kinds of music country and western I have always wanted to visit your wonderful state (or republic, according to some)...but in light of recent events I am afraid someone will bite off my nose and swallow it with little consequence other than a slap on the wrist," Hollifield wrote. "I find it strange that biting off someone's nose and swallowing it is a misdemeanor while something else, let's say obtaining property by false pretense, is a low-level felony." In true "Modest Proposal" style, the letter pointed out that since "Texans enjoy their liberties" nose biting should be kept as a misdemeanor but swallowing it should be a low-level felony, which would result in "more nose reattachments." While there may not be any change in Texas' nose-biting laws in the foreseeable future, several other laws have been declared unconstitutional through the years. Take a look through the gallery above to see laws that have been declared unconstitutional. Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli is a digital producer. You can follow her on twitter at @Dani_DiNapoli. In an emotional press conference Monday, authorities and family members appealed to the public to help them find those involved in the killing last Friday night of a Houston Good Samaritan. On Friday, four suspects including two armed ones tried to rob 16-year-old Sergio Bruno outside his Greenpoint home, pointing a gun at his head and demanding cash, authorities said. Moyses Arreguin, a neighbor whom authorities described as a "father figure" to Bruno, intervened and was fatally shot. Arreguin, a 29-year-old welder and father of two, was hailed as a hero at Monday's press conference, with authorities stressing that this was not a "criminal-on-criminal" killing. "Had it not been Moyses, it would have likely been a 16-year-old that died on that front lawn," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at the press conference, describing Arreguin as a good father who loved BBQ, sports, vintage cars and his family. "He still had a lot of life left in him," Gonzalez added. As authorities played surveillance footage from the scene, John Black, an investigator with the sheriff's office, said he believed the four suspects had been "casing" the neighborhood and were "looking for someone to rob." "They were circling the neighborhood," Black said. "We know that for a fact." Authorities wouldn't go into details about the killing, citing the active murder investigation. Black declined to answer a question about what weapon, if any, Arreguin had on him when he came to Bruno's defense. "I can tell you, he did not have a gun," Black said. "He was at a disadvantage." The killers, Black said, were driving a car "in the mid-2000s range." He didn't know the car's make or model but said it had "consistent qualities with an Infinity G series." There were two suspects in the front of the car and two in the back, Black said. The people in the back of the car "are our shooters," he said. One shooter, apparently between 17 and 19, had an average build, a white muscle shirt, gray sweatpants and a "close-cut, faded haircut," Black said. A witness described him as "having bad teeth" and said he looked "like a rat," according to Black. Black described the other shooter as having a "poofy," mushroom-like hair. He was younger and shorter, apparently between the ages of 15 and 16, Black said. There were at least six family members at the press conference, including Arreguin's mother, Celia Arreguin, and his wife, Rosa Cortes. His sister, Brenda Reyes, was the first to take the mic, but she collapsed into tears before she could start speaking. Gonzalez gave her a comforting pat on the back and she held another family member and wept. "It's OK," he said. Rosa Cortes, Arreguin's wife, said Arreguin was the kind of person who "always helped everybody." "I don't know what to say," she said, also bursting into tears. Roberto Negrete, Arreguin's brother, said he was "sure [the killers] are going to be caught." "As long as they're out there, it could be anyone next," he said. "As long as we're here, we're going to be looking for you." Arreguin's mother, Celia Arreguin, was perhaps the most stoic. Speaking in Spanish as Sheriff Ed Gonzalez translated, she said she was "asking for justice" and "still in denial" about her son's death. "To the public, she just asks for them to come forward and report any information that could help her determine what happened to her son," Gonzalez said, and "to avoid any other family going through what they're going through right now." The woman at the center of two honor killings in 2012 testified Monday that her father, who is facing the death penalty, told her that he killed her older sisters husband and later tried to drown the sister in a hotel bathtub. Her father told her he did not go through with the homicide because the Angel of Death appeared from her sisters body and told him it was not time for her to die. Nesreen Irsan, 30, testified that her Jordanian-born father, 60-year-old Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan, bragged about killing her older sisters husband in a different 1999 honor killing than two others he was convicted of last week. He said that Nesemah and (her husband) dishonored him and thats whats going to happen to any of his daughters who do the same thing, said Nesreen Irsan, recalling a chilling warning in the aftermath of the 1999 fatal shooting. Nesreen Irsan is the daughter whose flight from the family compound in Montgomery County, conversion to Christianity and marriage to a Christian man in 2012 so enraged her father, a fervent Muslim, that he killed her husband and her best friend who supported her. Testifying In a blue dress and white sweater that were much different from the hijab she said her father made her wear, Nesreen Irsan spent for most of the afternoon in the second day of the punishment phase of the trial describing a violent home life. In this stage prosecutors call witnesses to testify about past crimes they say were committed by Irsan in order for the jury to determine whether he should be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. After jurors had been adjourned for the day, Irsan raised his voice to defense attorney Allen Tanner in open court and said, Why dont they just give her a gun and let her shoot me? After changing out of his black suit and into his jail uniform, he came back in the courtroom and shouted at Tanner. That girl wanted me dead before she ever left the house, he said. The best thing for a judge to do is to hand her a goddamn machine gun and let her shoot me. Nesreen Irsan testified that her father disapproved of her older sisters marriage in 1999 so he killed her husband and made it look like self-defense. After the homicide, her father took her sister to Jordan, drugged her in a hotel room and tried to drown her, she told the jury. He said he was trying to drown her in the bathtub, but the Angel of Death came out of her and told him that it wasnt her time to die, she testified. That sister, Nesemah, survived and is now 36 years old. The prosecution is trying to convince jurors to sentence Irsan to death for the honor killings of his son-in-law and his daughters close friend in 2012. The jury convicted Irsan last week of capital murder for coordinating the fatal shootings of Nesreens husband, 28-year-old Coty Beavers of Spring, and Iranian activist and medical researcher Gelareh Bagherzadeh, 30. Prosecutors early Monday called several witnesses who said Irsan committed credit card fraud before he was charged with capital murder and tried to smuggle drugs in to jail after he was arrested. The most inflammatory witness, however, was Nesreen Irsan who said her father beat his 12 children with garden hoses, electrical cords and boards. He beat me. He slapped me around and called me names, she testified. He would punch me, kick me, hit me with sticks. The sticks were either his cane or a four-foot long 2x4 board that he threw at her head, she said. Nesreen Irsan was not present when her sisters husband was killed, but said she remembered the bloodstain in the house where the body had fallen. Other abuses she said her father put the children through included beating their palms and soles of their feet or tying up his disabled daughter and rubbing jalapeno paste into her eyes while beating her. Prosecutors are expected to call more witnesses later this week to detail the 1999 slaying that they started hearing about last week. A neighbor testified Friday that Irsan seemed to be trying to impress him by admitting he invited his son-in-law into his trailer home on the familys rural Conroe compound, blasted him with a shotgun then planted a gun on him to make it look like self-defense. Law enforcement investigators and crime scene investigators from Montgomery County are expected to testify about the homicide, and how Irsan may have been able to fool them by manipulating evidence and intimidating witnesses. A forensic accountant began Mondays session with testimony about Irsan traveling with large amounts of cash and probable credit card fraud, indicated by his opening at least 86 credit card accounts under different spellings of his name or using the names of some of his 12 children. Several officials also testified about Irsans finances and bad acts while awaiting trial in jail. Grant Dickey, an assistant warden the federal correction center in Conroe, testified that Isan was caught with a shank fashioned out of a stick and razor blade. Dickey also said two of Irsans adult sons were also arrested for smuggling prescription pain patches in a hollowed-out candy bar into the lockup for Irsan. Jurors heard about the June 14, 2014 arrest of Naseem Irsan and Nile Irsan. Nile Irsan testified in support of his father earlier in the trial. Naseem is in the Harris County Jail facing capital murder charges for his part in the plan to avenge the familys honor after his sister, Nesreen, converted to Christianity and married Beavers, who was Christian. The trial, in state District Judge Jan Krockers court, is expected to last several more weeks. Brian Rogers covers Houston crime and courts. You can email him at brian.rogers@chron.com and follow him on Twitter at @brianjrogers. The nation is facing an "emergency blood shortage" according to the American Red Cross, and they are desperate for donations even offering a $5 Amazon.com gift cards for those who take the time to donate blood or platelets. The Red Cross has shared several posts to their Facebook expressing the urgency for donations for all blood types, but especially for types O (positive and negative). The Fort Bend History Museum continued its summer history Fridays series with a Civil War-themed event on July 27. Dozens of kids flocked to the museum for the history-focused gathering where they learned about spinning and weaving cotton and enjoyed creative craft projects. We had a great turnout and I thought it was wonderful that these kids had fun learning about history, said Jessica Avery, museum programs coordinator. The event featured tours of the Long-Smoth Cottage and spinning wheel demonstrations. Kids had the opportunity to create handmade woven bracelets. Volunteers also led groups to create primitive sun prints to learn about early photography techniques. The most popular event of the day was when kids had the chance to do the same types of chores people did in the Civil War era, such as grinding corn, washing clothes and making handmade butter, Avery said. The event is designed to create a hands-on learning experience for children between five and 12 years-old. But, organizers say younger children are also welcome. This summer is the third year the Fort Bend Museum has hosted the Childrens Summer History Fridays, which will continue for two more weeks. Each Friday, the event features a different theme. On August 3, kids will learn about pirates and adventures on the Texas Gulf Coast. On Aug. 10, guests will learn about life in the Victorian age and tour the 1883-era John and Lottie Moore Home. And, on Aug. 17, the wrap-up session will feature a look back at the favorite themes of the summer series as chosen by guests. Childrens Summer History Fridays are scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to noon each week until Friday, August 17. Each child must be accompanied by a parent. Admission is $7 for kids, $5 for members and $3 for accompanying parents. The Fort Bend Museum is located at 500 Houston St. in Richmond. For more information, call 281-342-6478 or visit www.fortbendmuseum.org Iranians hold an anti-U.S. demonstration in Tehran on May 11, 2018. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images A week ago, President Donald Trump tweeted in all caps at the Iranian government, warning of CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE if Tehran ever dared threaten the United States. Predictably, this tweet set off a frenzy of speculation that the Trump administration was planning to declare war on Iran imminently or even worse, that Trump was about do so impulsively. Within 36 hours, Trump had walked back his bombast, saying the U.S. was ready to make a deal with Iran and insisting that his decision to tear up the agreement over its nuclear program and reimpose sanctions had put Iran in a situation where it would have to take whatever deal it was offered. Crisis averted, or so it seemed. Meanwhile, Iranian officials hit back at Trumps Twitter tirade, saying that they would respond in kind if the U.S. stepped up its efforts to cut off markets for Irans oil exports, and stressing that Iran would not negotiate with the U.S. under threat of force. General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, hit back with his own dire warnings on Thursday, saying a war with Iran will destroy all that you possess and that if the U.S. starts that war, Iran will decide how it ends. In the event of a war, Iran does indeed have ways of inflicting pain on the U.S. and its allies, including some that are not available to other adversaries like North Korea. It can step up its ongoing cyberespionage and cyberwarfare activities, use its regional proxies to attack U.S. interests and allies in the Middle East and exacerbate ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. Irans trump card, which its officials alluded to last week, is the power it has to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 18 million barrels of oil travel per day, accounting for roughly 20 percent of the worlds supply. Even a partial blockade of that strategic waterway could send global oil prices skyrocketing. Such a move would be economically disastrous for Iran as well, but in the face of an existential threat, the regime in Tehran might decide its worth the price. So far, Iran isnt taking Trumps bait by engaging in escalatory measures of its own, but it is taking steps to prepare for an American siege. The country continues to adhere to the nuclear deal even as the U.S. has rendered it effectively a dead letter. Iran is trying to retain trade with E.U. countries and keep European companies from withdrawing their investments, though the countervailing threat of Trump wrecking those countries trade relations with the U.S. if they dont participate in sanctions makes that a Sisyphean task. A more likely partner for Iran in evading or mitigating the impact of U.S. sanctions is Russia, which for various reasons is more resilient to U.S. pressure and also more amenable to doing deals under the table. Meanwhile, the Iranian government is courting local private investors to take over government projects and restore liquidity to the economy as foreign money flees the country. Iran is also moving, through diplomacy with both Damascus and Moscow, to protect its interests in Syria in the event that pressure from the U.S. and Israel forces Iran to scale back its military activities there. These moves are in response to one of the Trump administrations explicit goals in applying pressure to Iran, which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo articulated in remarks at the Heritage Foundation in May: After our sanctions come in force, Iran will be forced to make a choice: either fight to keep its economy off life support at home or squander precious wealth on fights abroad. It will not have the resources to do both. Yet the administrations choice to reapply the economic stranglehold of sanctions on Iran also serves a darker purpose. The Trump administration isnt looking to invade and occupy Iran, but it does have a fairly clear goal of regime change. Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, and other key figures in Trumps circle, including key Republicans in Congress, are open advocates of overthrowing the Islamic Republic and its effective ruler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. These hawks preferences for war have been stymied by the resistance of the military establishment to starting yet another large-scale war in the Middle East, the true costs of which the real generals understand better than their armchair counterparts. Accordingly, the strategy the administration appears to have settled on is to have the Iranian people do the legwork of overthrowing their government for us. Iran has recently faced the largest wave of popular protest since the Green Movement of 2009, mainly focused on economic stagnation but also bleeding into more political issues of foreign policy, personal freedoms, and human rights. The rising wave of discontent is pushing the government to make some concessions. Just yesterday, the regimes security council approved the release of opposition figures Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the 2009 protest movement, from house arrest after seven years. This move illustrates the regimes unease with the rising pressure from the streets, but also shows that it has some tools available to alleviate that pressure. The latest protest movement, unlike the Green Movement, is divided in its agendas and lacks both organized leadership and an appetite for violent confrontation both of which the regime has in spades. Nonetheless, the Trump administration seems to view these protests as the best avenue for regime change in Tehran without a U.S. military intervention. In a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library last Sunday, Pompeo cast Trump officials as champions of the Iranian peoples desire for freedom from a regime that resembles the mafia more than a government. He noted that the U.S. was stepping up its propaganda broadcasts to Iran and portrayed the sanctions as targeting the countrys corrupt ruling elites, even though the economic devastation ultimately touches Iranians of all walks of life. While it is ultimately up to the Iranian people to determine the direction of their country, the United States, in the spirit of our own freedoms, will support the long-ignored voice of the Iranian people, Pompeo said. Our hope is that ultimately the regime will make meaningful changes in its behavior both inside of Iran and globally. The subtext of the secretarys talk was unmistakable, however, especially in light of previous statements from other key players like Bolton: Through sanctions, isolation, and propaganda, we are empowering the Iranian people to cast off the Islamic Republic (so we dont have to). Yet as the Washington Posts Jason Rezaian, who attended the event at the Reagan Library, pointed out, When coupled with U.S. moves that directly hurt Iranians it is difficult for the administration to support its own claims that the well-being and prosperity of Iranians matter. Furthermore, the notion that Iranians are clamoring for the fall of the regime and welcome American assistance in precipitating that fall is the same kind of we will be greeted as liberators nonsense the Bush administration believed in the lead-up to the Iraq War. Just as Iraqi expatriate con artist Ahmed Chalabi nursed that delusion at the time, the exiled Iranian militant group the Mujahedin-e Khalq has stoked this administrations regime-change fantasies for the purposes of its own aggrandizement (Bolton believes the MEK could serve as a ready-made government for a post-Khamenei Iran). Iranians may want change, but the collapse of their economy, society, and state is surely not the kind of change they have in mind. Besides, history has shown that there is no better way to discredit a legitimate protest movement than by linking it to a nefarious foreign enemy; this is a well-rehearsed move in the Iranian regimes playbook. Full-throated U.S. support for these protesters such as the administration is voicing could be their death sentence (perhaps literally). The other leg of the administrations Iran strategy is regional: solidifying and formalizing an alliance of Irans Sunni-Muslim-majority rival nations in the Arab world. Billed as an Arab NATO and tentatively titled the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), the alliance would include six Gulf Arab states plus Egypt and Jordan. Its key members would of course be Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, for which it would effectively serve as a U.S.-backed supranational enforcer of their regional interests. The fact that Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and of course Israel are influencing the Trump administrations Iran strategy is further evidence that the aim of this plan is not for Iran to pursue internal reform and external dialogue, but for its government to collapse entirely so that it can no longer threaten these countries interests. If Iran is violently destabilized in the process, they could hardly care less. These countries would also be entirely amenable to an American military intervention that produces the same result, and are unlikely to dissuade Trump from pursuing such a course of action should the mood strike him. War with Iran would be a disaster, but the administrations apparent plan A of indirectly fomenting regime change in Iran also carries grave risks. For one thing, even if it succeeds, the collapse of a state governing over 70 million people and controlling a vast, well-funded, fanatical paramilitary force will necessarily be a chaotic and traumatic process for Iran. Its just as likely, however, that in its effort to achieve the outcome of a war without the cost and complications, the Trump administration will stumble into an inescapable spiral of escalations and we will end up at war anyway. ALBANY Whether New York's missing moon rock is one small step away or one giant leap, there's one sleuth who's dedicated to finding it. In November 1969, four months after Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the moon, President Richard Nixon asked NASA to create 250 displays containing moon material to go along with the flags of 135 countries, states and U.S. possessions. Each would receive the moon rock sample as a gift. Nearly 50 years later, New York is home to a sample of moon rock but not the sample from Apollo 11. New York is one of four states missing the rare and extremely valuable gift, according to Texas attorney Joseph Gutheinz, a former senior special agent at NASA and almost certainly the world's leading authority on missing moon rocks. Gutheinz explained that every state was gifted two moon rock gifts, one from Apollo 11 and another from Apollo 17, the last space mission to the moon in 1972. That sample, known as one of the Goodwill moon rocks, is in the State Museum. The whereabouts of New York's Apollo 11 moon rock is unknown. All hope is not lost, however, as Gutheinz has a history of finding rare lunar materials, each of which he said is worth around $5 million. The vanishing of the moon rock comes to light at a time when the State Museum recently displayed a Native American artifact stolen seven decades ago. The pipe tomahawk given to Seneca Chief Cornplanter in 1792 by President George Washington during treaty negotiations was returned to the museum by anonymous donors who came into possession of the ax stolen from the collection in 1947. Gutheinz and his fellow NASA agents once ran a criminal investigation dubbed "Operation Lunar Eclipse" that led to the recovery of the sample of Apollo 17 moon rock intended for Honduras. As a college professor, Gutheinz launched a project in which his students have hunted down 78 additional moon rocks around the globe. "I have hunted down moon rocks for the last 20 years, first drawing a salary for doing so as a special agent and then out of love for my country and NASA," Gutheinz said. "I know that New York received both moon rocks and I have had about a dozen students hunting for them in New York. I know that Gov. Nelson Rockefeller once had possession of the Apollo 11 moon rock as I have seen a picture of him with it. Because the states did a lousy job of archiving these treasures, states are often unaware that they had two." During "Operation Lunar Eclipse," Gutheinz said he asked an astronaut in the post-Apollo 11 era how much a moon rock was worth. "He answered that question this way: As a kid he always wanted to be a pilot but never thought about being an astronaut. Then while in a museum, he saw for the first time a moon rock, and from that moment he did everything he could to become an astronaut," Gutheinz said. "I hope the New York Apollo 11 Moon Rock is found and placed in a museum and some kid sees it and decides to be an astronaut as well and journeys back to the moon, Mars or beyond." Delaware, Utah and Louisiana also are missing Apollo 11 samples. So are the Virgin Islands and the majority of the countries that received them, Gutheinz said. Louisiana is missing both moon samples. Other states missing Apollo 17 samples include Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and South Carolina, as well as the territory of Puerto Rico and the countries of Portugal, Russia, Panama, Israel. Afghanistan and the Philippines. The State Museum displayed New York's Apollo 17 rock from Dec. 19, 2012 to Feb. 10, 2013. 'This is something that longtime staffers periodically search our store rooms for, but it doesn't appear to have been in the state's possession for at least several decades," said Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "It's a mystery, but who knows, maybe the moon men wanted their stuff back.'' Gutheinz spent part of his youth growing up in Buffalo and on Long Island. His father, Joseph Gutheinz Sr., was born and raised in Utica. "I have tried hard to find missing moon rocks all over the world, but this one is special for me, as it connects me to a state I grew up in as a kid and one that my dad called home," Gutheinz said. "In my mind, culturally and financially New York is America's first state, and it is missing another first, the first moon rocks dust brought back by man." rgavin@timesunion.com 518-434-2403 Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images As you move from the right to the left of the ideological spectrum, skepticism of the Russia scandal gives way to suspicions that it covers up something serious. But somewhere on the left, right around the fault line where Barack Obama is deemed to have been a bad president, opinion turns back again toward skepticism. The purest form of this sentiment on the far left is a vein of attacks that are almost indistinguishable from Republican rhetoric about the investigation. The Intercepts Glenn Greenwald has gone from insisting evidence of Russian interference should be discounted until Robert Mueller produced some indictments to now saying indictments themselves should also be discounted. Greenwald regularly appears on Tucker Carlsons show to dismiss the Russia witch hunt, as does The Nations Stephen F. Cohen. Aaron Mate, another Nation contributor, has scoffed at what he calls alleged Russian meddling (alleged?) and insisted that the Trump campaigns solicitation of help from Russia is no worse than the Clinton campaign hiring a British investigator to uncover Trumps ties to Russia: Lying to reporters is not an indictable offense, and neither is showing a willingness to obtain foreign dirt. During the 2016 contest, the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign accepted help from Ukraine and paid for the salacious and outlandish Steele dossier from across the pond. You see, Christopher Steele, like Natalia Veselnitskaya, is foreign, so its all the same. Situated just to the right of this faction is a slightly less extreme form of skepticism about the Russia investigation. It does not justify or deny Russian hacking. Instead it criticizes liberals for caring too much about Russia, and posits that the Russia fixation is somehow preventing the left from prosecuting a populist case against Trump. This is an argument more of mood and tone, relying more on implicit contrast than frontal challenge to the Mueller investigation. Commenters like Katherine Krueger at Splinter, Seth Ackerman and Corey Robin at Jacobin, and Osita Nwanevu at Slate have all expressed versions of this soft Russiagate skepticism. These critics do not all agree with each other on every point, but share certain overlapping tendencies. They are mostly or entirely willing to accept the known facts of the investigation. But they assume little else of importance will come of the investigation, and above all consider the issue to be overblown, a distraction at best, and the seeds of a dangerous backlash at worst. Putin didnt single-handedly elect Trump over Clinton, writes Krueger, rebutting an accusation that nobody has made. Surveying astonished reactions to Trumps performance next to Putin, she asks: Its worth scrutinizing what people are really mad about when they tweet things like this. Are they most mad that Trump is siding against the American national intelligence community, which has a bloody legacy of influencing elections abroad when it suits its own interests and trampling its own citizens civil liberties? Are they angry that Trump continually refuses to admit black and white truth staring him in the face, which would give Clinton even a second of solace? Or are they most inflamed at the notion that the international order is shifting away from a place where American might comes first and must be deferred to in all matters of war, peace, and beyond around the world? Just some thoughts to ponder. Ackerman asserts that the Russia investigation has produced an atmosphere of nationalist fervor and anti-Russian paranoia. Robin has decried basically a form of moral panic. The ideological impulse producing these sentiments is fairly straightforward. Russiagate casts Trump as an opponent of American sovereignty, and to the extent one views the weakening of American sovereignty as a positive good, Trumps position appears sympathetic. Relatedly, Trump has occasionally attacked the idea that the United States government is more admirable or democratic than authoritarian states like Russia. Trump said some things that were true, wrote Robin during the campaign, Like this: When the world sees how bad the United States is and we start talking about civil liberties, I dont think we are a very good messenger. His realpolitik alliance with Russia, and his premise that America has no right to hold its political system above Russias, strikes a chord in some precincts of the left. A theme of their skepticism is a sense of frustration with the way the Russia investigation cuts across the electorate, and especially the political intelligentsia, in a way that frustrates their ideological project. While some leftists have disdained the Mueller investigation, many centrists and even some conservatives have supported it. By expanding the Democratic coalition into the center, at least temporarily, the Russia issue runs counter to their goal of repositioning the party to the left. An undercurrent of frustration expresses itself in sniping at the commonality between liberal Russia skeptics and right-of-center Russia-hawks-turned-Trump-critics like David Frum, Max Boot, and Bill Kristol. Whats more, Trumps Russia policy has produced a quiet struggle pitting the president against the mostly standard-issue hawkish Republicans who staff his administration. Trump is the enemy of the lefts enemy. This helps explain why the soft Russiagate skeptics see the issue as detracting from other lines of attack against Trump. A disquieting number of pundits seem to prefer playing detective to engaging in meaningful politics, complains Nwanevu, singling out my article on Trump and Russia as a focus of his critique. Of course, engaging in meaningful politics is not the job of a political analyst. I do agree (and have written) that self-dealing, not Russia, is Trumps greatest political liability. But I can write the arguments I find most compelling and interesting without stopping to consider what will benefit the Democratic Partys messaging strategy. That said, the left may be underestimating the potential vulnerability the Mueller probe has opened up for the administration. A poll in May found that most Americans do not realize Mueller has uncovered any crimes, and that the news that he has indeed done so impresses them. It stands to reason that guilty pleas or convictions would have a pronounced impact on public opinion. If nothing else, it would be harder for Trump to harp on crime if his 2020 opponent can counter that Trump and/or his cronies are themselves a bunch of criminals. What makes the schism over the Mueller probe so odd is that, unlike a division over rival candidates or legislation, it is an argument without any particular decision as an end point. Few leftists actually want to shut down the Mueller probe, or are even arguing that Democrats should refuse to investigate Russia if they gain congressional majorities. Some of the skeptics complain that Democrats are emphasizing Russia too heavily, but this complaint confuses liberal journalists and activists with Democratic politicians, who are mostly concentrating their rhetoric on health care and other economic issues. In the meantime, journalists and close followers of politics are going to have a natural interest in the drama of a criminal investigation into the president of the United States and his family and advisers. This is especially true when the president has expressed through words and deeds his belief that he is entitled to immunity from legal prosecution, and indeed is entitled to direct law enforcement to harass his adversaries instead. It is very strange that the self-styled populist wing of the left is so indifferent to this project. The Indian High Commission in Georgetown, Guyana, which also oversees relations with Antigua & Barbuda, has asked the local government to detain PNB scam accused Mehul Choksi. The Indian mission made the request "in writing and verbally" as soon as it learned of Choksi's likely presence in the Caribbean island nation, and asked for his detention (and the prevention of his movement "by land, air or sea"), sources told India Today. While Choksi's valid Indian passport was revoked in February, the fugitive diamantaire got the citizenship of Antigua & Barbuda in November last year. He had applied for the Antiguan passport under its Citizenship-by-Investment program. In a statement made via his attorney, Choksi had said that his desire to expand his business and roam freely around the globe motivated him to apply for the citizenship of the Caribbean island nation. A local newspaper had reported that the government of Antigua & Barbuda may consider a "legitimate request" from India to revoke Choksi's citizenship. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) request for an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Choksi is likely to be granted soon. "After extensive vetting, Mehul Choksi was granted citizenship by registration in November 2017," the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) of Antigua & Barbuda had earlier said. Antigua is one of the two major Caribbean islands that make up the sovereign nation of Antigua and Barbuda. The CIU added that 2017 investigation revealed no derogatory information about Choksi. On January 15, 2018, Choksi swore the Oath of Allegiance in Antigua, a requirement under the provisions of the Citizenship by Investment Act. Choksi had obtained the citizenship much before the PNB fraud came to light. While India does not have any bilateral extradition treaty with Antigua, it can still seek Choksi's custody under money laundering charges as Antigua is a member of Caribbean Financial Action Task Force. Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental watchdog to combat money laundering. The citizenship-by-investment programs (CIP) in Caribbean island states like St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and Antigua & Barbuda have attracted high net worth individuals from countries like China and India. The paid citizenship programs and lack of extradition treaties have made these islands a safe haven for fugitives. While negligible taxes and freedom to travel across the globe attract businessmen to opt for passports of these nations, the convenient process to obtain citizenship has made them the top choice for absconders evading the law in their own countries. English-speaking Antigua is one of the two major Caribbean islands that make up the sovereign nation of Antigua and Barbuda. With a population of close to 1 lakh, the country is also a popular retirement home for billionaires. ALSO READ:Mehul Choksi in Antigua: Why Indian fugitives feel safer in Caribbean? Edited By Karan Dhar A recent ruling by a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice MB Lokur and Deepak Gupta has mandated third-party insurance for four and two-wheeler vehicles from September 1 for a term of 3 and 5 years respectively. The Supreme Court had earlier appointed a committee, headed by a former Supreme Court Judge Justice KS Radhakrishnan, to suggest measures on road safety. The committee had recommended having a long-term third party insurance cover. While purchasing either a four or a two-wheeler vehicle, the Act obligates the owner of the vehicle to procure third-party insurance for a period of one year, subsequent to which it is left to the owner whether he wants to renew the insurance policy or not. After the current ruling, the duration of 1 year has been extended to 3 and 5 years for four and two-wheeler vehicles respectively. This move is likely to increase the insurance cost while purchasing a new vehicle. The committee highlighted that only 6 crore out of the 18 crore vehicles which ply on Indian roads have third party insurance. It also observed that over one lakh people die each year in road accidents, which is a matter of grave concern. According to the report, "Longer term third-party insurance cover at the time of purchase would ensure that the road accident victims do not suffer due to the fault of the owner in not renewing his or her policy every year." K. G. Krishnamoorthy Rao , Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer , Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited claims, "the recent order of Supreme Court that every new car sold should have a three year third party liability insurance cover and every new two wheeler sold should have a five year third party liability insurance cover is a welcome verdict. As of now a significant percentage of cars and two wheelers are not insured for the mandatory third party insurance because of which many times the common man who meets with a road accident involving such vehicles do not get adequate compensation." He added, "the challenge for the insurance industry to implement the order from 1st September is the readiness of the product and pricing to be approved by the regulator and time required for making changes in the IT systems of the companies." Motor insurance in India, among other laws, is governed by the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, mandates insurance of motor vehicle to cover third-party risk. Third party means any person other than the owner or passenger involved in the accident; and third-party risk covers bodily injury, death, and damage to property of the third-party. Under the Act, road accident compensation claims are decided by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. In case of fatal accidents, the Act contains a provision to provide Rs 5,00,000 with no upper limit, as interim relief to the family of the victim. Edited by Danny D'Cruze Are you aware of the doorstep facilities banks are mandated to provide for elderly or differently abled people? According to the Reserve Bank of India's November-2017 circular, senior citizens or those above 70 years of age and differently abled persons must be provided basic banking services like pick up or delivery of cash, demand draft work, submission of know your customer (KYC) documents, etc, at their residence. The initiative aims to facilitate those who can't stand in long ATM queues or are not in a position to perform bank-related tasks themselves. Cases related to elderly becoming victims of theft, snatching, robbery, etc, while they do bank-related work, are on the rise. RBI Governor Urjit Patel said in a statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies in October 2017 that banks are discouraging or turning away senior citizens and differently abled persons from availing banking facilities in branches. "Notwithstanding the need to push digital transactions and use of ATMs, it is imperative to be sensitive to the requirements of senior citizens and differently abled persons," he said. Since December 31, 2017, the central bank has made it mandatory for banks to put in place appropriate mechanism to provide basic banking services to the senior citizens or differently abled so they don't feel marginalised or discriminated against. In view of the difficulties faced by the senior citizens or differently abled or infirm persons (having medically certified chronic illness or disability), including those who are visually impaired, banks need to provide basic banking facilities such as pick up of cash and instruments against receipt, delivery of cash against withdrawal from account, delivery of demand drafts, submission of KYC documents and life certificate at the premises/ residence of such customers. To save such customers from any kind of inconvenience or harassment, banks should have an identifiable dedicated counter where their queries are addressed and banking tasks are performed swiftly. Pensioners can submit physical 'life certificate' form at any pension paying bank branch to get a 'digital life certificate' under the Jeevan Praman Scheme. Banks have to ensure when a life certificate is submitted at the pension paying bank branch, including a non-home branch, it is updated/uploaded promptly to avoid any delay in the credit of pension. Banks have to provide a cheque book with minimum 25 leaves for savings account every year free of charge. Banks shall not insist on physical presence of any customer, including senior citizens and differently abled persons, for issuing cheque books. Auto-conversion of account status Presently, in some banks, even fully KYC-compliant accounts are not automatically converted into 'senior citizen accounts' on the basis of date of birth maintained in their records. However, banks have been recommended to automatically convert such accounts to 'senior citizen account' based on the date of birth in the bank's records. This can save the elderly from standing in queues. Ease of filing Form 15G/H Senior citizens are often seen standing in queues to collect Form 15G/H (to save TDS on interest income) during the start of a financial year as these certificates provide tax benefits. Banks have been directed to provide senior citizens and differently abled persons Form 15G/H once in a year (preferably in April) to enable them to submit it in the stipulated time. For complaints against a bank's agent, an internal grievance redressal machinery should to be set up by banks, as directed by the RBI in 2017. The name and telephone number of the designated grievance redressal officer of the 'bank' must be made available to customers, including the bank's website. The designated officer has the responsibility to ensure that genuine grievances of customers are addressed at the earliest. If no reply is received within 30 days or the bank rejects the complaint or the customer is not satisfied with the bank's reply, the complaint can be escalated to the Banking Ombudsman. Here is the link to offices of Banking Ombudsman spread across the country. Through the above hyperlink, the customer can even file complaint online. (Edited by Manoj Sharma) ANP to support BAP in formation of the Provincial govt QUETTA: The Awami National Party (ANP) declared on Sunday to support the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) in the formation of the Provincial government. The newly elected member of the Balochistan Assembly Asghar Khan Achakzai made the announcement at BAPs office in Quetta. The president of ANPs Balochistan chapter stated that their party was ready to form the alliance in the province. Achakzai said that they have decided to form a collision with BAP for the interest of province and for the people of Balochistan. He added, BAP will sincerely fight for the legitimate rights of Balochistan under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and it would work to remove the backwardness of the province. On the other hand, BAP president Jam Kamal upheld that some independent candidates are also willing to form the government and their party is contacting other parties MPAs to form the government in the province. In Texas, schools can start classes in early August, setting off a scramble as parents look to score a back-to-school vehicle for their teens. Buying a car is a major purchase. When the young adult behind the wheel's skills, understanding of the physics of operating a vehicle and/or maturity are just developing, selecting the right vehicle is even more critical. Although teens will often push for them, cars that are flashy or zippy are often too cool for school. Parents (or grandparents?) need to focus on affordability, safety and reliability as they sort out which vehicles make the grade. Eight out of 10 parents who bought a car for their teen driver went with a pre-owned set of wheels, according the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Used cars are less expensive to buy and insure. And make no mistake having good insurance is absolutely vital as teen drivers are 1.6 times more likely to get into a crash than adults. And if you're not paying cash outright or putting a substantial amount down, ask your insurance agent, bank or credit union about gap insurance. Gap insurance can save lots of grief if a car is stolen or totaled in an accident, leaving the car-note signer owing more than the insurance payout. Federal requirements and tech advances not only make today's new cars safer, but late-model used vehicles can be found in the $15,000 range that have the whiz-bang stuff like forward-collision warning, automatic braking, dynamic cruise control with auto stop and back-up and cross-traffic warning. Besides always taking the vehicle for a test drive and asking for a CarFax report, have the vehicle inspected for mechanical soundness, evidence of flooding and manufacturer recall work completed or that's been left undone. One glaring example: there are millions of potentially deadly Takata airbags that need to be replaced. Be sure to enter the vehicle identification number of the car you're considering into the search field at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recall web page: www.nhtsa.gov/recalls. You can also run the VIN on the manufacturer's website and/or check with one of the brand's new-car dealerships for recall fixes that remain outstanding. Thanks to the Interweb, shoppers can do their homework, cross-referencing reliability trends and safety assessments at places like consumerreports.org and iihs.org, respectively. Both organizations have compiled lists of recommended cars and/or good bets for teenagers. Some affordable used-vehicle candidates deserving mention are the 2010-2012 Subaru Outback and 2010-2013 Nissan Rogue SUVs. Sedan shoppers can check out the 2009-2011 Toyota Avalon, 2013-2016 Ford Fusion, 2015-2016 Hyundai Sonata or 2012-2013 Mazda6. If you want to go with a hybrid, there's the 2011-2013 Toyota Prius. If there's room in the budget for a new vehicle (and keep in mind that dealers may offer significant discounts on 2018 models to make room for 2019 inventory), consider the Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Malibu or Equinox, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima or Kia Optima. Notice an absence of smaller vehicles? It's all about physics. Indeed, IIHS doesn't recommend vehicles under 3,000 pounds for teen drivers. "They don't afford the same level of crash protection as bigger, heavier models," said Russ Rader, the Institute's vice president of communications. "For most of us who are on a budget when it comes to a vehicle for a teen, it would be better to choose a bigger used vehicle from our list than to go for a brand new small or subcompact model. "Considering that teens are at a higher risk for crashes, it's even more important that they have more bulk around them." More on good choices for teen drivers IIHS: www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicles-for-teens Consumer Reports: www.consumerreports.org/used-cars/best-used-cars-for-teens/ Used car options A few used-vehicle candidates deserving mention are: 2010-2012 Subaru Outback 2010-2013 Nissan Rogue SUVs 2009-2011 Toyota Avalon 2013-2016 Ford Fusion 2015-2016 Hyundai Sonata 2012-2013 Mazda6 2011-2013 Toyota Prius New car options Honda CR-V Chevrolet Malibu Chevrolet Equinox Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Subaru Legacy Toyota Camry Nissan Altima Kia Optima Groves Elementary first graders in the Spanish Immersion Program sat in rows of chairs aligned to resemble the layout of an airplane. Meanwhile, their teachers, dressed as flight attendants, pushed carts down the aisle selling peanuts, popcorn and beverages during class time, one day last school year. The night before, students were given a travel list, written completely in Spanish, which they took home and used to pack their luggage for the following day. The destination of the simulated flight was Madrid, Spain, and this exercise was about more than the experience, explained Stefanie Perry, director of Humanities, Curriculum and Instruction for Humble ISD it was about academic concepts as well. "I saw amazing things this year, such as this classroom transformation," Perry said. "They had to pack their bags according to the list in Spanish. They had money they used to purchase things and had to make change. And they had the opportunity to actualize what it would be like to fly with all Spanish speaking participants and go to another country. All of it ties into academic concepts." Classroom transformations are among the activities woven into Humble ISD's Spanish Immersion Program, or SIP. "(SIP) is a language enrichment program that provides Spanish as a second language instruction to English speakers. They use Spanish instruction for the core areas so reading, language arts, math, science and social studies," Perry said. "The goal of the program is for students to become biliterate and bicultural as they progress through the years." The program started in Humble ISD in the 1999-2000 school year and has evolved quite a bit over the last few years, according to Perry. Currently, SIP is offered at Bear Branch Elementary, Groves Elementary, Pine Forest Elementary, Creekwood Middle School, West Lake Middle School, and can be continued through high school. First and second grade SIP students are taught their core academic classes completely in Spanish. "With them being totally immersed in Spanish, part of the program is the parents' commitment to work on English skills at home," Perry said. "One of the ways the district helps support that is we offer three-times-a-year family literacy night for first and second grade parents to teach them skills and what they should be working on with their students at home aligned to what a student in an all-English classroom would be learning." The SIP program incorporated technology and hands-on tools to find an interactive way for parents to engage with their students to ensure the children are still learning academic and conversation English at home as well. Becoming bilingual and biliterate in a second language is easier if introduced at an earlier grade level, explained Perry. Students who attain biliteracy have an advantage when they finally enter to workforce or go to college. Additionally, learning in a setting where they are immersed in a second language sharpens students' multitasking skills. "They are multi-taskers because you can watch their wheels turn in their head as they're trying to translate what their teacher is saying to them in Spanish into English, for them to then respond back in Spanish that is multi-tasking at its best," Perry said. "Also, when a person is truly bilingual, the ability to learn a third language is easier." When SIP students reach the third, fourth and fifth grade, the classroom supplements a little bit of English instruction in order to help prepare SIP students to take the STAAR test in English, but the majority of their day is immersed in Spanish instruction. When students enter middle school as sixth graders, they can continue the SIP program by taking on immersion class each day called "One Voice, Many Countries," in which they learn about the various Spanish dialects and their respective cultures. Then, students have the opportunity to continue SIP by taking Spanish I pre-AP and Spanish II pre-AP for their seventh and eighth grade years. "They earn their two foreign language credits for high school," Perry said. "Then, if they choose to, they can go on and take Spanish III and up until they graduate from high school. So they have the opportunity to get to Spanish V." Students who stay on the SIP path throughout their K12 career can graduate with a Performance Acknowledgement in Biliteracy seal on their high school diplomas. The 2017-18 school year was the very first class to have graduates earn that seal on their diplomas with 441 Humble ISD students who received the distinction. "With the changing times and the jobs that these students that are trying to seek afterwards, they want to be totally biliterate and bicultural and having that seal of Biliteracy on their diploma helps them when they go to college, or go into the workforce," Perry said. Currently, Perry estimates Humble ISD has about 160 SIP students in grades first through fifth alone. During the SIP orientation meeting for parents interested in entering their incoming first grader into the program for the 2018-19 school year, Perry said the meeting had one of the biggest applicant turnout the district has seen in many years. If that trend continues, Perry anticipates Humble ISD many need to look at ways of accommodating the level of interest in SIP. Program goals for next year include enhancing ways to involve parents and the community to strengthen the partnership between the students' English education at home and the Spanish education at school. Additionally, Perry hopes to enrich collaboration between the district's SIP teachers by bringing them together for a few days out of the year so they can share ideas. Perry said the SIP program is looking at the potential to eventually expand SIP opportunities at the middle school level, however nothing has been landed on yet. "Right now, we're really just looking at everything we have and how we can upgrade it for next year," Perry said. For more information about Humble ISD's Spanish Immersion Program, visit https://www.humbleisd.net/spanishimmersion. mfeuk@hcnonline.com Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Toyota's premium car brand Lexus is set to bring the UX compact SUV and the RX 7-seat SUV to China, according to Chen Chen, the director of Lexus' China marketing unit. The UX is the firm's compact SUV model. Sitting below the RX and NX models in the Lexus range, the UX's mass-produced model made its world premiere at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show in March. It wears Lexus' massive X-shaped intake grille at the front end, decorated with sliver chrome trims on the lower edge. Besides, the unique headlight cluster, the slim LED daytime running lights as well as the tusk-shaped grille around fog lights really catch the eye. Inside, the UX is typical Lexus fare. The multifunctional steering wheel equipped with a paddle shift and the all-digital instrument panel create a modern looking. The Lexus UX 250h(the model unveiled in Geneva) is powered by the new 2.0L hybrid system from Dynamic Force series. The RX is a mid-size premium SUV model under the Lexus. It currently has two versions ready for sale in China, namely, the RX200t and the RX450h and both of them adopt 5-seat layout. The Lexus RX 350L has made its world debut at the 2017 LA Auto Show, providing the 2-2-2 and the 2-3-2 seating charts. Reportedly, the to-be-launched RX 7-seat version measures 5,000mm in length, 1,895mm in width and 1,710mm in width, which is 110mm longer than that of the existing models. Its wheelbase measures 2,790mm, remaining the same as the outgoing models. The RX 7-seat version is said to be powered by the 3.5L hybrid system, which can output a maximum combined power of 230kW. It aims to vie with other premium rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class and the Volvo XC90 after hitting the market. ECP announced complete results of Balochistan constituencies The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced complete results of all provincial and national assembly constituencies in Balochistan 64 hours after the close of polls. The long and unexpected delay not only resulted in severe criticism but also raised questions on the transparency of the process by the losing political parties. The voter turnout in Balochistan was 45.2 percent, lowest among all provinces. However, his was slightly more than the 43 percent turnout in the province in 2013 elections, and could be attributed to the improved security situation. Seeing the queues of voters at polling stations, many political pundits had expected that the turnout could cross 50 percent but the slow pace of the polling process prevented that, as many voters remained unable to cast ballots across the province. The recently-formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) dominated the elections by winning 15 out of 50 seats in the provincial assembly. The Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA), a coalition of religious parties dominated by JUI-F, scored nine seats. Baloch nationalist BNP-Mengal got seven seats, and PTI managed to get four seats. Five seats were won by independent candidates. Given its outlook, the BAP was expected to be the leading party. Its a group of electables who have secure seats. It lacked a party-based vote bank, and instead relied on the support of individual candidates. According to details released by the ECP, the BAP bagged 439,635 votes, the highest number of votes scored by a party in Balochistan. Interestingly, in terms of vote share, independent candidates came second with 318,787 votes. This goes on to show the dominance of individual candidates in the electoral politics of the province. Since BAP candidates were similar to the independents with their own individual vote banks, it meant that electables bagged more than three-quarters of a million votes in Balochistan. These individual candidates make the party system weak in Balochistan. The BNP-Mengal managed to win a handful of seats due to its popularity among the Baloch population of the province. This party has not been in power for 20 years and that resulted in its voters coming out in large numbers on the polling day. The MMA won due to a combination of its consolidated religious vote bank and support of electables. The alliance not only made gains in provincial assembly but it also dominated the share of National Assembly seats from Balochistan by winning five, followed by BAP that got four, BNP-Mengal three, and PTI two. MMA has pockets of strong support in the Pashtun belt, and it won almost all NA seats from there. Over the years, MMA and its main component JUI-F has retained a loyal vote bank in the region. This is a political blessing which no other party enjoys in Balochistan. Another important trend in Balochistan was the emergence of PTI, that won four provincial and two NA seats. The success of PTI is a combination of its popularity all over the country and the support of electables who joined its ranks prior to elections. Arguably the biggest upset in Balochistan elections was the defeat of PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai at the hands of Qasim Suri of PTI in NA-265. The PTI victory on this urban seat was purely based on the partys popularity, and had nothing to do with the politics of electables, or of local factions. Other bigwigs who lost elections in the province included the former home minister Sarfaraz Bugti. He lost from PB-10 Dera Bugti to Gohram Bugti, the grandson of late Nawab Akbar Bugti. Nawab Jangez Marri, the chieftain of Marri tribe, lost to the PTI candidate from his stronghold of PB-9 Kohlu. Former federal minister General (retd) Abdul Qadir lost elections from NA-268 and NA-270 against BNP-Mengal and BAP, respectively. Jam Kamal, the president of BAP, lost NA-272 Lasbela-Gwadar to the popular independent candidate Aslam Bhootani, but Kamal managed to win his provincial assembly seat from Lasbela. The former federal Education Minister, Zubaida Jalal was the only woman candidate to have won a general seat (NA-271 Kech) in the province. She contested on the ticket of the BAP and defeated Jan Muhammad Dashti of BNP-Mengal and Syed Ahsan Shah of BNP-Awami. Houston residents will get a slight reprieve from sizzling-hot pavement and oppressive humidity when a cold front hits the area Tuesday. The front brings chances of rain and drier air expected to last through the week, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Sean Luchs. "It won't be a lot cooler, but it'll be enough to take a little bit of an edge off," he said. Daytime highs will remain in the low- to mid-90s. Nighttime temperatures, which have hovered in the low 80s, will dip to the mid-70s. SO HOT IT'S FUNNY: Hilarious memes show how hot it really is in Houston and Texas The changes will become noticeable on Tuesday with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms during the day, expected to drop around a quarter of a inch of rainfall. Temperatures will gradually start to warm by a mostly-sunny Wednesday, Luchs said. Clouds will offer some cover this weekend with a chance for more thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday. Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com Houston police found a dead person inside of a bag on the side of the road Saturday morning. Police officers were called out to the scene at 9870 Ruffino Road, near the west Sam Houston Parkway and Southwest Freeway, around 7:40 a.m. A witness met with police and pointed them to a suspicious bag. Officers found a person inside, according to the Houston Police Department. The victims identity, gender and cause of death are unknown. Anyone with information is asked to call Houston police at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. In the rush to leave Harveys rising stormwaters last August, Jackie White, 65, didnt even have time to grab her medications. Instead, she rushed out of the house with her husband, Michael Ellis, 66. They had their clothes and little else. It was just a quick thing, she said Sunday. Almost a year after the storm, they are still rebuilding their home and their lives, a familiar story for so many Houstonians. Organizers from West Street Recovery a grassroots organization established to help the hardest-hit communities recover from Harvey worked to muck out Whites home. Deanna Adams, of West Street Recovery, said that even as volunteers helped clean houses, they knew the structures might well flood again in future storms. They heard story after story of people trapped, waiting for help, going hungry or thirsty, or struggling to stay warm after days of trudging through floodwaters and getting soaked in torrential rain. They wondered how they could help make future storms more bearable and came up with an idea: disaster bags. The effort is fledgling, but the nonprofit hopes to give out at least 500 of these bags, filled with a handcrank flashlight, a first-aid kit, matches, emergency blankets, pocket tissues, a water purifier and a small radio. And some protein bars. Theyre not delicious or anything like that, Adams said. Just dense calories, like 400 calories, three times a day to keep you alive while youre waiting for help. The bags are meant to sustain two people for three days resources to equip Houstonians to have more tools when the next storm hits. In a disaster, you just grab the bag and go, Adams said, describing the effort at an Indivisible Houston meeting Sunday at St. Stephens Episcopal Church and School in Montrose. This weekend, Adams and John Miller, another member of West Street Recovery, stopped by Whites northeast Houston home to give out one of the first red backpacks. The family just returned to the home last month, as final repairs continue. I was excited to get it, White said of the disaster bag. But Im praying and hoping (a storm like Harvey) never happens again. Adams said she hopes the nonprofit will be able to distribute hundreds more bags to other vulnerable Houstonians. The organization has started fundraising and is buying the bags from a tactical gear outfitter in Missouri. Five hundred to start if we make it to 500, the ultimate goal is 1,000, Adams said. Shes giving recipients one piece of advice to go along with their bag: Stick it on a shelf. Hopefully you never ever need it. st.john.smith@chron.com twitter.com/stjbs A Houston woman was among three people killed Saturday night in a mass shooting at a New Orleans strip mall, her family said Monday. Taiesha Watkins, 27, was visiting the city with friends when two hooded gunmen opened fire on a large crowd in the 3400 block of South Claiborne Avenue, The New Orleans Advocate reported. They carried a pistol and a long gun and stood over a man, shooting multiple times before fleeing, according to Associated Press. The majority of likely voters from congressional districts that are considered battlegrounds oppose the Trump administrations immigration policies, according to a new national survey. Nearly 75 percent surveyed indicated they are angry about the separations of children from their parents seeking asylum at the border with Mexico. This is the first survey of this election cycle that looks at the perception on immigration issues among all groups, which is (a topic) that has been at the center of the national politics recently, said Matt Barreto, co-founder of research firm Latino Decisions and professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles. We now have evidence that this is not just a Latino issue but one that is influencing registered voters of all population groups. Conducted by Latino Decisions, the survey polled 2,045 registered voters from July 5-14 in 61 congressional districts deemed competitive between Republicans and Democrats, including four in Texas. At least 400 voters from each listed ethnic groups were polled. The majority of respondents including roughly 80 percent of blacks, Asians and Latinos blame the Trump administration for the policy that has separated families at the border. Among other findings, 79 percent of responders want to see passage of the Dream Act, a bill that would provide a permanent legal status for qualifying young immigrants who lack proper documentation. The controversial wall along the border with Mexico is viewed as a bad idea by 64 percent of respondents. Anger drives voting We noticed there is a lot of anger and frustration with this administrations hard immigration policies, and its well known that anger is the emotion that correlates to voting at higher rates than other feelings, Barreto said. Whether such anger will translate into a penalty vote for Republicans in November is unclear. In the survey, 51 percent planned to vote for the Democratic candidate for Congress on their ballots, while 38 percent said they would opt for the Republican, and 11 percent were undecided. Mark Jones, professor of political science at Rice University, noted that Latino Decisions is a Democratic-leaning organization and therefore the poll should be seen through that lens, although he agrees with the studys findings. The firm conducted the survey on behalf of the organizations Americas Voice, Mi Familia Vota, Indivisible, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Civic Engagement Fund, some of which often align with Democratic policies. A Latino Decisions 2016 poll was controversial in its assertion about the amount of Latinos that voted for Trump, Jones said. That post-election survey said that only 19 percent of Hispanics voted for Trump, while exit polls put the number closer to 30 percent. Barreto said that the controversy arisen from comparing the LD post-election data with exit polls, "which have been thoroughly debunked by numerous academic studies and embarrassing results last year, including in Texas." He said studies have shown that "they have bad Latino samples in their surveys with as little as 5 percent representation." The Associated Press news agency announced earlier this year that they are not using exit pools anymore for their inaccuracies and are instead developing a different system to produce their own surveys. Black-Latino trend The new Latino Decisions survey shows a trend among blacks and Latinos regarding immigration issues. In most questions, African-Americans respondents indicated they oppose the policies almost as much as Hispanics. This result shows significant changes, he said, considering that blacks are closer to Latinos in their answers than Asians, a group often heavily impacted by immigration policies. One element that seems to be at play in the policy agreements between Latinos and African-Americans: Blacks see what is happening very close to home, said Henry Fernandez, principal at the African American Research Collaborative, a group of pollsters, scholars and researchers tracking this groups political engagement. We have polled African-Americans numerous times and have found that the relationship with Latinos is quite positive, in spite of popular discourses, he said. Fernandez explained that since the 2016 election, their pools show that fearmongering tactics and campaign ads portraying Latinos as criminals are seen by blacks as strategies that African-Americans quickly recognize because of their own history. That kind of messaging that tries to marginalize a portion of Americans against the other because of their race is very well understood by African Americans as a bigger attack against people of color, he said. olivia.tallet@chron.com twitter.com/oliviaptallet India desire to have better relations with new Pakistani govt: India foreign ministry Delhi: Indias foreign ministry spokesperson has expressed a desire to form better relations with the new Pakistani government. Raveesh Kumar said in his statement that India wishes the best to the new government and wants to see Pakistan prosperous. He also said that he hopes that this can be a new step towards a more stable and peaceful South Asia. He also said that he hopes that with Pakistans new government tackles the issues pertaining to extremism with strength. Plenty of people have dreamed of buying a private island. Not many expected it to bear the name of the 45th president. But that's exactly what Trump Island has been up against; since it was first listed more than a year and a half ago, the San Juan island the name has become a bit of a sticking point. There's more to the listing of course -- after all, when an actual private island goes up for sale, there's a lot more to consider than the usual real estate machinations. The name just makes it stand out a little extra. The truth is it has no relation to Donald J., or any of his family, historical or otherwise. While his grandfather did have a brief stint in Seattle after he immigrated to the states, the name could predate his arrival. RELATED: Trump family local legacy: Not as seedy as once thought? "The name has been used since at least the mid-1870s as determined by the Washington State Board of Geographic Names in 1976," Kevin Loftus, executive director of the San Juan Historical Museum, told the Washington Post last year. So how do you handle a unique sale like this? Well you remember the whole package, for starters: There is, after all, the secluded 29-acre island, with a luxurious home spanning more than 7,000 square feet. As one might imagine, the process to buy an estate of this caliber is different than usual, even in a market as ferocious as Seattle. Background For starters, there's the vetting. In order to even see the island you have to be checked out for whether or not you'd actually be able to make the purchase, should you like what you see. "With other homes you never have to go through the seller as far as vetting them and really getting their background and checking them out before they view a home," Leigh Zwicker, the Windermere broker said. Which is easier than you'd think: The only way to get to the island is by boat, seaplane, or the private water taxi, who will always check in with the island's caretaker (another point for how high-end this sale feels). Power Another key factor to consider in the realm of island buying is utilities; while you may have your pick of islands to buy, either locally or globally, the process of setting up electricity, plumbing, and other utilities is not an easy -- or cheap -- one. "Most islands out there, unless they're Orcas, or properties that are on islands that have electricity and all those good things -- this didn't have anything when the seller bought the property," Zwicker said. "It's a really unique property in the San Juan Islands compared to what else is out there." RELATED: Come sail away on this rockin' $1.2M houseboat in Seattle In this case the home and its separate -- built in 2000 after the now-seller bought the island as a raw piece of land -- comes with the full nine: Runoff from the roof that gets collected and desalinized, submarine batteries to power the island, and so on. "It's a private island, it has all these details that are essential to the functioning of the island; it's a property that's very unique to anything else that's out there. It's not just a house being hauled up on a piece of property," Zwicker said. Structure Which is another point that's important to consider when buying a private island, of course: The actual house you're buying. In this case Zwicker describes the house as "quite a beautiful piece of property," that had "amazing forethought in the planning process." The whole thing was done locally -- designed by a Seattle architect and built by a Lopez Island contractor -- and was even more cumbersome than one might imagine, since the dock was the last thing to get built. But get built it did, complete with wine cellar, wet bar, three fireplaces, a boat house, a barn, a green house, and separate caretaker home. RELATED: Seattle tops report where it pays to move farther out And for those who like their estates secluded, Trump Island delivers (even more than the "private" part of the island might suggest). "The way it's designed, you can't see the house when you're down on the water, because of the trees," Zwicker said. "But when you're sitting up on the patio you can see the water; so it's like you don't even know it's there." Market After more than 18 months on the market, Zwicker is close to closing a contract on Trump Island. That's certainly longer than most things stay on the market in the state, where we've been notoriously and historically low on housing supply for a long time. But the market works differently for luxury listings, who cater to a different base than the usual market. "Seattle may seem expensive from a Seattle perspective, but it's deemed a relative value when compared to other West Coast, gateway cities," Dean Jones, principal and owner of Realogics Sotheby's International Realty, said in an interview with SeattlePI last year. "If you compare the ratio (of median household incomes for our region over median prices of homes), and you were to take that same ratio to Vancouver, San Francisco or Orange County, we're a relative bargain some would even suggest globally undervalued." Zwicker agrees, noting that there have been tremendous efforts in marketing this property. "It's all global these days, especially luxury listings like this," Zwicker said. "It's on a Chinese website through Windermere, it's on a luxury website, it's been advertised on 'Private Islands' which is part of HGTV...Architectural Digest. "In the end it works out," she continued. "It's a beautiful property." You can click through the slideshow to see the details of 1 Trump Island. It's currently listed for $8,750,000; the full listing is here. When It Comes to Trade, Is America Playing into the Hands of China? Published: 30 July 2018 by Joseph Fama by Joseph Fama Escalating trade wars are causing disorder in the EMS market. vs. It started as a love fest between President Trump and President Xi. In a few short months the relationship has morphed into a serious confrontation exacerbated by cultural differences bringing us to the brink of business chaos. Once seen as unlikely, disagreements in how trade between China and the US should be constituted has escalated into a war of increasing tariffs and is now spewing its initial effects. Presidents Trump and Xi are now playing poker by bidding pain against each other. Neither party is backing down. All is unfolding on the world stage with just about every industry holding its breath. What happened? President Trumps agenda, which seeks to reduce the US trade deficit with China, has leveled charges of unfair trade practices. Trump took the first punch, a $34 billion tariff hike on an array of Chinese imports. Instead of addressing the matter through diplomacy, Chinas response called for an equal and opposite reaction. Both executives are forgoing any person-to-person exchanges, and the tit-for-tat has since led to a new round of tariffs from both sides. No end appears in sight. It is worthy to note Chinas initial counter targeted President Trumps key Midwestern voter support: the agriculture industry. We can conclude Chinas targeted response considered a critical US timeline: the 2020 presidential election year. For the electronics industry, the ongoing tariff escalation is unnerving EMS companies, their suppliers and customers. The immediacy of tariff hikes are causing all market participants to explore a multitude of solutions to maintain some level of normalcy. This objective is nothing less than mission impossible due to the immediacy of the hikes and its impact on the global EMS supply chain. China is the key manufacturer for many types (and volumes) of components and assembly services. The situation has sparked a major fire drill by multinational EMSs and OEMs to investigate sourcing from Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Cambodia. In parallel, OEMs are now focusing on the origin of components, possibly to avoid use of China-made components. For American OEMs, the trade war has derailed manufacturing strategies that are geared for predictability, minimizing risks and maintaining cost efficiencies. The need for hasty remedies is a full-heeled turn from the stability the EMS industry professes to offer its customer base. President Xi has a clear comprehension of his counterpart. It is likely President Xi has read The Art of War, the celebrated work by the ancient China general, Sun Tsu. In the Art of War, one lesson comes to mind as we watch the surging trade war buildup. As quoted from one English translation of the book, If your enemy is temperamental, then anger him. This has come to pass. And both sides seem more than willing to continue to up the ante. On the other side of the table, President Trump has authored his own playbook, The Art of the Deal. Here, the negotiation approach calls to confront adversaries mano-a-mano, winner-take-all. President Trump has labeled himself as a strong counterpuncher. And indeed, he has shown no hesitation to raise the ante of tariff hikes. Brute force is President Trumps methodology for negotiations. The stage is set for rapid and potentially harmful confrontation. As the situation escalates, it begs the question: Does President Xi have the same head-first fighter mentality as President Trump, or is he stealthily baiting Trump into an isolationist corner that may be irreversible? As the electronics supply chain scrambles for solutions relocating supply chains, moving assembly programs or even switching suppliers all would be better served if both leaders would re-camp and deliver statesmanship, not more bellicosity. Dive into the complaints, disputes and accusations, and develop a negotiated timeline for gradual but appreciable compromises. Xi must accept trade practice adjustments and Trump should lower his demands and reset the timetable, permitting all involved businesses to adjust their operational strategies. Otherwise, if the rapid tariff hikes continue, the two combatants will leave the global EMS industry in total turmoil not to mention the many other industries that will be affected. Joseph Fama is an EMS consultant with extensive experience in the global EMS marketplace, including 30 years with Singaporean, Chinese, Vietnamese and American EMSs addressing global marketing agendas and business development; joefama@gmail.com. The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder. This, the first of Sir Robert Peels nine principles of policing, remains as true today as when the founder of the London Metropolitan Police articulated it in 1829. Over the past quarter-century, American police have excelled at this mission: the nations overall crime rate has plummeted nearly 40 percent since 1991. Peels second principlethe ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actionsis no less true than the first, but in recent years, police departments in cities across the country have found it harder to achieve. Four years ago, police-involved homicides of black men on Staten Island (Eric Garner) and in Ferguson, Missouri (Michael Brown), set off national protests. Over the next 24 months, the upheavals drew attention to the Great Divide, as some criminologists call itthe chasm that exists between the police and many minority communities, owing to Americas unresolved quest for racial equality. This was followed by allegations of a Ferguson Effect, in which officers pulled back from proactive law enforcement owing to heightened scrutiny, a phenomenon first explored at length by City Journals Heather Mac Donald. Additionally, the nation has seen a spike in violent crime since 2014, marked by surges in shootings and homicides in some major cities. Fortunately, a Peel-inspired template exists for how policing can effectively confront the Great Divide, prevent crime and disorder, and address other pressing problems such as the opioid epidemic, homelessness, and quality-of-life concernsa strategy built on lessons from earlier crucibles, best practices from around the country, and effective collaboration among political leaders, the police, and the public. Coauthor Bratton and his executive team, of which coauthor Murad was a member, named it precision policing. The NYPD implemented it during Brattons second stint as New York Citys police commissioner, from 2014 to 2016. It helped the NYPD achieve new standards of crime control and police legitimacy, achievements that have continued and strengthened under Brattons successor, James ONeill. We believe that precision policing represents the next phase of the policing revolution. It draws on previous innovations, like CompStat (the NYPDs crime-mapping and accountability tool), and criminological advances, like quality-of-life policing, but goes beyond them. Precision policing is an organizing principle for the complexities of structuring, managing, motivating, and leading a twenty-first-century police force. We believe that it can make any city, town, or neighborhood a saferand fairerplace. This is no small goal. At the height of national attention to the Great Divide, the possibility of finding common ground on public safety often seemed distant. Too often, people on the various sides could not see each other for who they are, nor the world from each others point of view. Many cops and their supporters argued that the media were exaggerating police misconduct, and thus worsening policecommunity relations; they pointed out that the vast majority of cops are dedicated public servants, willing to risk their own safety for that of others. Activists, by contrast, insisted that unfair policing, driven by racial bias, was endemic in minority communities, a problem much larger than just a few bad apples. For two years, protests roiled American cities, with activists demanding fundamental changes in policing. The demonstrations became synonymous with the activist group Black Lives Matter, but hundreds of thousands of Americans from all walks of life participated in them. Though the preponderance of these events were peaceful, too many were marked by disorder, and some exploded into riots. Even the nonviolent protests frequently exhibited vitriol directed at the police, and sometimes police responded heavy-handedly. In New York, the frequency and scale of demonstrations intensified in November 2014, following the death of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old African-American man shot by police in Brooklyn, and a Missouri grand jurys decision not to indict the Ferguson officer who shot Brown. Unlike the Ferguson protests, the New York demonstrations did not end in arson and tear gas; nor did the NYPD use military-style long guns, camouflage, or armored vehicles to quell the disorder. But the ranks of protesters swelled again in early December, after a Staten Island grand jury refused to issue an indictment in the death of Garner. These protests were more chaotic and included several assaults on officers. Some nights saw hundreds of arrests, though not nearly as many as there might have been, had the NYPD not improved its crowd tactics after the Occupy Wall Street protests three years earlier. Still, New York teetered on the edge of bedlamuntil the assassination of Detectives Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in Brooklyn by a madman claiming retribution for Garner and Brown. The killings knocked the wind out of the more vehemently antipolice protesters. Anger at and even hatred of police didnt vanish: a third NYPD officer, Miosotis Familia, was killed just for the uniform she wore in July 2017. But large-scale antipolice protests never regained their momentum in New York. Big demonstrations continued elsewhere, though, usually motivated by new police-involved shootings, often of black men, some unarmed. But the ambush of Dallas cops at an otherwise peaceful march on July 7, 2016, which killed five officers and injured nine others, and the shooting of six Baton Rouge officers ten days later, killing three, changed the national tenor. There would still be protestsin Charlotte and Sacramento, for examplebut by this point, too, the press had mostly turned away from the movement, beguiled by the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, whose election may owe in part to cultural backlash against the protests. Fewer protests do not mean that the Great Divide has disappeared. It was long in the making, and four years of protests and reforms will not undo it. In neighborhoods where cops are ubiquitousand where people need them the mostcitizens still encounter the Great Divide, not just during police-involved shootings but also in more quotidian reports about police rudeness and double standards. Cops experience it, too, in the cell phones that seem to appear every time they take an enforcement action or in what they believe is a greater willingness by some suspects to resist arrest. Most alarmingly, the police point to the rising number of felonious line-of-duty deaths that cops have suffered this yearup almost 50 percent through the first five months of 2018 over the same period in 2017. When Bratton returned to the NYPD in 2014, he sought to implement a new emphasis on quality over quantity. These worries have seemingly led to one of the most self-defeating outcomes of the Great Divide: in places where public trust was already tenuous, some officers apparently began to ease off policing, damaging public safety and eroding trust yet further. Delivering a speech in October 2015, thenFBI director James Comey noted a chill wind blowing through American law enforcement. This Ferguson Effect remains a contested hypothesis, though a University of Utah study in March 2018 found empirical evidence that the reduction in stop and frisks by the Chicago Police Department beginning around December 2015 was responsible for the homicide spike that started immediately thereafter. Few police officers doubt the phenomenons existence, even in cities where its impactsdecreased enforcement and higher crimearent apparent. In New York, for example, following the 2014 protests and the assassinations of Ramos and Liu, the NYPD went through a brief enforcement slowdown in December 2014 and January 2015. The decreased enforcement was not accompanied by higher crime, however. In our view, the pulling back was ad hoc, driven not by the police union or a particular plan, but instead by the perhaps inevitable reaction of exhausted men and women. They had policed ten weeks of demonstrations in cold weather, maintaining order while being shouted at, goaded, and even spat upon. Then they were appalled when a deranged man, claiming connection to the protests, killed two of their brethren. For Christmas, they got funerals. Bratton and the NYPDs executive staff used the unplanned slowdown to advance the idea of a planned peace dividendstrategically decreased enforcement, to match the citys still-low crime rates. When Bratton returned to the NYPD in 2014, under Mayor Bill de Blasio, he sought to implement a new emphasis on quality over quantity. The department, we believed, had become too wedded to over-enforcement of the sort produced by lessened officer discretion. Officers had been primed to view arrests as better than summonses, and summonses as better than admonishments, regardless of on-the-ground conditions. This inflamed relations with residents in some neighborhoods. The slowdown gave us the opportunity to temper enforcement in a thoughtful way. On their own, the cops had figured out how to relax some enforcementsummonses, certain misdemeanorswhile maintaining response times to heavy jobs (the radio-triggered responses for in-progress felonies) and continuing to make felony arrests. Much of what they moderated, they believed, were activities that contributed more to the citys administrative needs than to public safety, like ticketing parking violations and writing peddler summonses. If youre a cop, you acknowledge that these quality-of-life conditions cant go unaddressed, but you also know that enforcement is not the only way to deal with them. Successful public safety is a shared responsibility between the public and the police, and the two sides have to work together. But with regard to quality-of-life disorder, a low-crime community can largely self-police. If, for example, Mrs. Smith in 7B feels safe telling Tommy Down-the-Hall to knock it off when he misbehaves, officers can prioritize admonitions, if they ever get involved. But if Tommy Down-the-Hall is too out of control, and/or if Mrs. Smith is too scared, the police must take action for Mrs. Smith, with strong warnings or with handcuffs. But the goal is to enforce only until things get better, and then shift into more discretionary policing that can be done with Mrs. Smith. The final stage comes when Mrs. Smith once again feels empowered to do it for herself. Problems arise when that transition does not occur. Imagine that police officers have helped bring crime down so that Tommy is not behaving so badly, and Mrs. Smith feels safe. If the police are still in the for and not in the with mode when they confront Tommy, Mrs. Smith may resent their actions and feel that theyre over-policing Tommy. Quality-of-life policing is not zero tolerance, and never has been. A quick hit on a police siren can get a double-parked car to move; a warning can get a peddler to clear the sidewalk. These actions can save cops a day in court, too, keeping them in the field. Cops dealing with disorderly behavior say knock it off or move along far more than youre getting a ticket or youre under arrestthats the essence of officer discretion. The NYPD leadership has now embracedor reembracedthat impulse. The strong security environment means that the NYPD can decrease certain types of enforcement, while stressing others, and get cops to help the community reinforce the informal control mechanisms that George Kelling and James Q. Wilson described when they advanced the Broken Windows criminological philosophy. Crime-fighting and better police-community relations can go hand in hand. This new philosophyprecision policinghas two broad themes. The first, focused crime-and-disorder enforcement, hinges on a revitalized version of the CompStat system. During his first term as New York police commissioner, from 1994 to 1996, Bratton oversaw the creation and implementation of this innovative accountability system, which hinges on timely, accurate intelligence, rapid deployment of resources, effective tactics, and relentless follow-up. CompStat uses computers to track and map crime and then brings police leaders together to ensure that they are using resources to address it properlyand that crime is relentlessly prevented going forward. Together with Broken Windows policingpaying law-enforcement attention to minor infractions because ignoring them encourages worse offenses by sending the signal that the social order is breaking downCompStat became a main driver of the crime drop that turned New York around. But beginning in 2002, spurred by the budget impact of 9/11, Mayor Michael Bloomberg quietly allowed the NYPD to shrink by attrition. Commissioner Ray Kelly faced rosters that ultimately declined by nearly a fifth, even as he was addressing the new terrorism threat. To compensate, he created a new deployment plan called Operation: IMPACT. It sent officers fresh from the police academy to some of the citys highest-crime precincts. They were separated from the standard precinct structure, removed from the normal burdensand lessonsof patrol, and encouraged to show activity in the form of enforcement. Around the same time, in our view, CompStat began to be misapplied in ways that also encouraged over-enforcement. Its crime-prevention outcomeits endswas being confused with its enforcement inputsits means. As designed by Bratton and Jack Maple, those inputs had included arrests and summonses, both predicated on probable cause. They also occasionally included stop, question, and frisk, which is predicated on a lower, more subjective, standard called reasonable suspicion. Used properly, reasonable-suspicion stops are integral to lawful, effective policing. Police must have the ability to check out people whose behavior leads the officer to suspect that they have committed or are about to commit misdemeanors or felonies. By 2011, however, the overemphasis on enforcement had led to nearly 700,000 stops, many done by inexperienced IMPACT officers. Residents, particularly in high-crime, low-income minority communities, felt paradoxically over-policed and under-protected, even as the citys toughest neighborhoods were safer than they had ever been. During his second stint as New York commissioner, Bratton rejected the prevailing belief that, with regard to enforcement activity, more is better. The NYPD reduced the number of stopsalready declining at the end of Kellys tenureby more than an order of magnitude. Bratton and his team reinvigorated CompStat, applying intensive analysis to individual cases and crime patterns alike. Every Thursday, staff from several precincts make their way to headquarters at One Police Plaza to explain how they handle conditions in their commands. By bringing top executives into regular contact with precinct commanders, detective squad supervisors, and other unit heads, the NYPD marries its strategy to its tactics. Data mining and case analysis ensure that evidence gets collected, that available technologies get deployed, that new ideas are generated, and that everyone works together. Typically, the meetings zero in on specific problems and the small cohort of actors, including shooters and pattern robbers, who perpetuate a vastly disproportionate amount of the citys violent crime. CompStat has provided a model for similar systems outside the department, such as the RxStat Operations Group, which includes some 35 New York health and law-enforcement agencies involved in combating the opioid epidemic. That group meets quarterly to assess overdoses in the New York region and apply CompStat-like accountability measuresasking questions such as Which agencies touched this person? and What resources, policies, and procedures do we need to make a difference?to prevent new cases. The second broad theme of precision policing: whereas focused crime-and-disorder enforcement targets the few who make communities unsafe, neighborhood policing works with the large number of residents who make communities strong. Commissioner ONeill has called neighborhood policing the greatest change to NYPD patrol in more than 50 years, and the largest systematic outreach to New Yorks communities in department history. It borrows significantly from two sources: the Boston Fenway Neighborhood Policing initiative, established by Bratton during the 1970s and guided by consultant Robert Wasserman; and the long-established Senior Lead Officer, or SLO, program used by the Los Angeles Police Department, which Bratton led from 2001 to 2009. A 2009 Harvard Kennedy School assessment described the SLO: Removed from the obligations to respond to routine calls-for-service, these officers become specialists in their neighborhoods, not only attending the usual panoply of community events, but building strategic relationships with community leaders, activists, and respected neighborhood residents. ONeill established a New York version: the Neighborhood Coordination Officer, or NCO, to leverage and build on the fact that in the neighborhoods, people like their cops. The NCO is a crime-fighting caretaker who isnt tied to radio response but can instead invest in local partnerships and problem-solving. Neighborhood policing and focused crime-and-disorder enforcement form the operational backbone of precision policing. The broad heading of precision policing can also be used to encompass myriad other initiatives that Bratton launched. Among them was an organizational reengineering effort, which Murad helped design and supervise. The process used polling, focus groups, and team-based assessments to perform a kind of CAT scan of the department, to determine what worked and what didnt. It involved department officers and civilians of all ranks, who made countless recommendations, such as redesigning field training, working with social-services partners to reach at-risk youth, and improving disciplinary procedures. To build community trust further, the NYPD opened an Office of Collaborative Policing, giving it three tasks: to explore nonenforcement options, including for first-time nonviolent offenders; to expand public access to police services, including the Crime Victim Assistance Program; and to design new strategies to complement focused crime-and-order enforcement. The department introduced an exhaustive schedule of community meetings and outreach by the commissioner and his staff. And it leveraged social media to communicate with the public. Today, every precinct and housing command has a Twitter account. There are more than 50 precinct Facebook accounts and a central NYPD Facebook page with 775,000 followers, a redesigned official website, and a variety of ways for the NYPD to tell its story. Improved transparency and tracking was another goal. Recent policing controversies revealed the inadequacy of the FBIs national use-of-force data. Tracking and investigating every firearms discharge, as well as training or disciplining based on the data, are vital to reducing violent incidents. At the NYPD, Murad helped create the nations most comprehensive public accounting of firearms discharges. In the LAPD, Bratton had instituted a cutting-edge force-investigation unit. In 2015, he inaugurated a similar division in the NYPD, and, the following year, we announced an expanded public accounting of all uses of force. We set out, too, to boost officer moralealways a complex issue, influenced by concerns micro (Do I like my assignment and my partner?) and macro (Is this a meaningful job? Am I treated and compensated well enough?). We concentrated on disciplinary fairness, career satisfaction, and officer safety. The citys corporation counsel stopped acquiescing to frivolous lawsuits that were cheaper to settle than to fight but that demoralized officers who had acted lawfully. We cleaned precinct houses and other structures; upgraded our 9,000-vehicle fleet; introduced improved safety equipment (stronger bullet-resistant vests, helmets, and shields); and deployed extra Tasers for supervisors and senior officers, among others. Because policing is a profession, it requires ongoing professional education. More in-service training is available now than at any time in the departments history. It includes instruction on de-escalation, ethics, the nobility of policing, and new physical-control tactics. We worked with mental-health professionals to develop crisis-intervention team training, or CIT, which teaches officers how to approach, connect with, and gain voluntary compliance from substance abusers and emotionally distressed persons, including many homeless people. We dont turn cops into social workers, but we give them better tools to help people and keep them safe. A department that used typewriters and Polaroids only a few years ago also upgraded its technologyfrom smartphones with custom-designed applications that allow cops to access terabytes of data in the field, to body cameras, to tablets in police vehicles. Precision policing is working to keep crime and disorder under controlindeed, New York is safer than ever. Across the U.S., major crimemurder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny autois down 38.4 percent since 1991. But from 2014 to 2016, violent crime spiked by 8 percent. The jump was driven mostly by large increases in several major cities. Chicago, for example, experienced a 58 percent rise in homicides in 2016. New York has defied the trend: violent crime dropped 13.2 percent in the city over the last five years. We believe that the departments reforms helped make that possible. The challenges facing American policing present an enormous opportunity. The profession has done untold good, and its men and women are rightly proud. It must build on what it has done well and learn from its mistakes. And its leaders must ask, about everything, Is this precise? Is it focused and intentional? Is it designed to prevent crime and disorder? Will it make people safer, and is it fair? Precision policing is a framework to ensure that the police collaborate with the community in meaningful waysbuilding police legitimacy because the methods are integrated into the heart of patrol work, not viewed as an ancillary function. Precision policing ensures that police use connectivity more than enforcement and that when enforcement is necessary, it is accurately focused. Ideally, as well, precision policing makes every police-citizen interaction an act of collaboration. There is no singular approach, however. Precision policing is an organizing principle that can work anywhere, by embracing local culture, history, environment, geography, size, demographics, and politics. Its two primary operational componentsfocused crime-and-disorder enforcement and neighborhood policingcan be expanded or contracted as necessary. For example, in a low-crime city, neighborhood policing may benefit from more attention than focused crime-and-disorder enforcement. In a city experiencing high crime, that calculus may be reversed. There are cautions. First, tempering quality-of-life enforcement cannot mean abandoning it. We look with concern at recent trends in New York against enforcing offenses like subway-fare evasion and smoking marijuana in public, and note crime upticks in categories that should be taken as warning signs. Second, we observe that because minorities are disproportionately the victims and perpetrators of violent crime in Americas major urban centers, a possibility arises that focused enforcement will eventually be subject to objections about disparate impact. As neighborhood policing strengthens communities, though, we hope that those proportions will change, even as the overall numbers of crimes get driven down. Third, we acknowledge the risk that allowing officers greater discretion may lead to corruption or abuse of authority. Training, supervisory oversight, and accountability can make a difference here. The more that officers get inculcated with the police mission, the more their discretion will be used in its service. Working together, the public and the police have the opportunity to make our communities safe and faireverywhere, for everyone. And if we get it right togetherthe fair part, especially, because we have already done the safe part very wellwe can have a new era of public safety. Top Photo: The NYPDs Joint Operations Center exemplifies the sophisticated use of data and modern technology in fighting crime. (VICTOR MILSOSLVSKY/COURTESY OF NYPD) The Times newspaper has raised questions over the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust's decision to fund two charities, prompting renewed scrutiny by the Charity Commission. The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) has been asked by the Charity Commission for England and Wales to explain its decision to fund a charity with alleged links to a terrorist organisation in Northern Ireland and a Yorkshire charity that has accused an MP of racism. On Saturday the Times reported that JRCT had given 275,000 to Teach na Failte, which was founded by the Irish National Liberation Armys political wing, the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP). The Times alleges that the two organisations share an office, and that in April Teach na Failtes offices were among several raided by the Paramilitary Crime Task Force, an elite unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. JRCTs most recent grant to Teach na Failte, which means House of Welcomes in Gaelic, was made last year. Teach na Failte is recognised as a charity by HMRC. In a statement, JRCT said it stood by its funding decision, and had funded both loyalist and republican groups that are carrying out peacebuilding work. JRCT said: Teach na Failte has been a key player in the INLA ceasefire and decommissioning process. It has been recognised for its positive contribution to peacebuilding and the re-integration of former prisoners in Northern Ireland. INLA declared their armed struggle over in October 2009 and publicly confirmed they had decommissioned their weapons in February 2010. It awarded two grants to the charity for the Transitional Initiative to support peacebuilding in November 2014 and March 2017. We are content with the progress being made by the project which is subject to strict monitoring processes by the trust, it added. In response, the Charity Commission for England and Wales said it has asked JRCT to explain its decision. Meanwhile, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland said it could not confirm whether or not it is investigating Teach Na Failte. It said: This is because the Commission is an effective and fair regulator of Northern Ireland charities, and as such, would not wish to discourage any parties from coming forward with confidential concerns or information about a charity, or prejudice any current or potential investigation. JUST Yorkshire The Times has also raised concern about JRCT awarding a total fo 550,000 to JUST Yorkshire, which publicly accused a Labour MP of industrial-scale racism. Sarah Champion wrote an article about the sexual abuse of girls by gangs of British Pakistani men for the Sun in August 2017 which was published with the headline "British Pakistani men are raping and exploiting white girls and its time we faced up to it." This prompted JUST Yorkshire to accuse her of industrial-scale racism, which, according to the Times, contributed to Champion having to increase her police security. In a statement JRCT said that as a Quaker trust, its mission is to support people tackling the root causes of conflict and injustice, and that we condemn and work to end all forms of violence and threats of violence. It added: We do not necessarily agree with every action or statement of those that we have funded. JRCT supported the early development of JUST Yorkshire, a regional charity set up to promote human rights and racial justice, working for the benefit of all communities. JUST Yorkshire has worked on the issues of education and employment for young people, and domestic violence. More recently, JRCT has supported JUST Yorkshire in its efforts to tackle Islamophobia. The Charity Commission for England and Wales said it has an ongoing operational compliance case into JUST Yorkshire. It recently met with trustees and is considering its next steps. It has also asked JRCT to explain its funding decisions. Michelle Russell, director of investigations and enforcement, at the Charity Commission said: Our guidance makes clear that charities need to take steps to carry out appropriate due diligence on organisations applying for grants, must ensure grants are only for activities and outcomes that further the charitys purposes and decisions made are in charitys best interests. Charities should be able to explain and justify their funding decisions. We have asked the charity to do this. If we need to take action in either case we will not hesitate to do so. Previous engagement In 2015 the Charity Commission opened a case into JRCT and another foundation over concerns relating to funding they had given Cage, a campaign group accused of having links to terrorism. It published the case report in 2016 and said it had identified improvements to JRCTs processes. The Commission also published new guidance for foundations about making grants to non-charities. On a Saturday in late October, 2016, I started receiving odd messages: Total strangers were mentioning my name on social media; others were asking if I was a person named Hector Morenco; a few people emailed me about a suspicious account. That night, I got online, searched for Hector Morenco, and found a Twitter accountwith my face. Morencos profile picture was my official headshot from the University of Georgia, where I work as a professor. Morencos Twitter bio stated that he was an Air Force veteran, a former Boy Scout, a Based Conservative Independent, and a political essayist. He had more than 50,000 followers, and his tweets had thousands of likes and retweets. My stomach sank. What in the hell is this? I wondered. And Why me? From the account, created in August 2015, Morenco had been posting almost nonstopoften with ruthless attacks against Hillary Clinton, Wikileaks updates, and geopolitical conspiracy theories. He took aim at establishment Republicans and Barack Obama. His pet subject, which helped propel his social media fame, was a bogus theory about a Qatar-Turkey pipeline. That hoax, which for a while was his pinned tweet, featured a doctored map lifted from a story published in 2015 by an Australian news site. A reverse image search led me to the original source. Morencos tweets seemed professionalthere were graphics, memes, and hashtagsand prolific enough to be someones day job. He worked hard to discredit Western media outlets and mainstream politics. He advocated for nationalism and raged against American presidents of both parties. In a meme that Morenco promoted, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama were labeled scumbags and part of a globalist elite out to destroy America. That meme, called 28 Years of Hell, 1989-2016, was based on a photograph of the four presidents together in the Oval Office. In another meme, featuring a photograph of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, Morenco framed Donald Trumps opposition in the GOP as the Goldman Sachs/Media/Defense Contractors arm of the Republican party who will benefit from HRC as POTUS & support her. Another post implied that Dick Cheney and George Soros were terrorists. ICYMI: Newspaper staffer resigns, says publisher called story racist against white people Many of Morencos fans were loyal, and in a similar way, somewhat suspicious. One of them, @Lucky5713, (with 190,000 tweets and counting), identified as a Shadow Banned PATRIOT. Another was @mexicangop, whose picture featured a scantily clad woman; that profile contained two linksone to Morencos account and another to a defunct website devoted to overturning Roe v. Wade. I contacted Twitter immediately, by filing an impersonation claim. Four days later, having supplied a photo ID and information verifying my identity, I received an automated response: We were unable to take action on the account given that we could not determine a clear violation of the Twitter rules. That was itI was on my own. Sign up for CJR 's daily email THE 2016 ELECTION MARKED an historic escalation in the directness, scope, and intensity of Russias disinformation efforts in the United States. They involved hacking the servers of both parties, strategic leaking of stolen documents, and manipulating public perception on social media. Once pressed by the U.S. government to investigate, Twitter identified 3,814 accounts actively managed by Russian operatives and some 50,258 bots that tweeted over a million times around the election. Other social media platforms also wereand continue to bepart of disinformation campaigns. Google sold political ads to Russian-backed accounts; YouTube provided an outlet for RT (formerly Russia Today), a Russia-backed propaganda channel. Facebook acknowledged that, around Election Day, 126 million Americans were exposed to Russian-generated disinformation. Clint Watts, a national security and counter-terrorism expert, described Russias campaign as the swiftest and most pervasive influence effort in world history. Influencer troll accounts were busy creating content, building followers, and often driving a narrative. If Morencos wasnt one such account, he was pulling off a masterful impersonation. Leonid Bershidsky, a Russian-born journalist, has said, If it looks like Kremlin shit, smells like Kremlin shit, and tastes like Kremlin shit toothen its Kremlin shit. Morenco, it can now be said, looked, smelled, and tasted like Kremlin shitthe overstated patriotism, the false identity, the pro-Trump agenda, the syntactic errors. Days before the polls opened, he trumpeted leaks of hacked information from the Clinton campaign and declared, These bombshells will be confirmed by Wikileaks/Dikileaks soon, but maybe not before the election. The volume of hacked material is massive. I wanted to ask Morenco how my face ended up on his profile. I was irritated but also a little scared. Knowing nothing back then about Russias election interference, I assumed that hackers were behind the account, but who were they? Plus, Morenco had tens of thousands of followers. I had seven hundred or so. Sure, I had credibility and truth on my side, but he had an enormous volume advantage. He could easily drown me out. ICYMI: A California TV station neglected to update an old story on the web. That ended up having big consequences. In tangible ways, Morenco embodied the style and nature of Russias interference, which was extensive, systematic, and maybe even effective. But it was also sloppy. While I was sorting through my confusion, Morenco began getting questions about me. Using a simple reverse image search, which led straight to my university profile, people on Twitter uncovered the mystery. Soon, Morenco had a small-scale PR crisis on his hands. Followers posted links to my profile, asking pointed questions, or concluding that he was a fraud. In response, he ducked their messages and changed his avatarmy face was replaced with an American flag. I was reluctant to stir up an online hornets nest, but on November 4, just four days before the election, I got up the nerve to send him a direct message on Twitter. My pulse quickened as I wrote him the most disarming, pleasant message I could muster. Im not angry, but I am genuinely curiousof all the millions of available options, I asked, why a picture of me? Or was it just random? Within minutes, he replied. Hey Tim, sorry about the picture. Never occured [sic] to me that someone would piece it together. I wanted a Latino looking profile, because I wanted to be a representative of a protected class (Hispanic) so I wouldnt get censored. I googled South American Professor to hopefully get a nice repurposed stock photo of a respectable looking Hispanic man. You seemed perfect for the Hector avitar [sic]. I couldnt believe he answered. I was communicating directly with my identity thief. And he was civil, polite even. Later, I tested Morencos explanation with a number of Google searches, including the exact terms hed given me and several variations. I tried Yahoo, too. None of the searches yielded my picture anywhere near the top of the results. (I didnt try a search in Russian or on non-English search engines.) He continued, Then my Qatar pipeline story blew up because it is true. I had no idea you were Tim Samples, and I had no intent of somehow dragging you into my social media world. Thanks for being cool. I bet we would have a lot in common actually. No idea I was Tim Samples? Anyone with an internet connection could have figured that outin fact, many people did. The bullshit was piling up fast. Morenco went on, Yeah, I was actually super horrified when I saw that you were an American prof. and on Twitter. I specifically searched a different continent because I thought it would be untraceable. I remained tense, but was breathing easier now, relieved that he was responsive and didnt seem to want a fight over my identity. Still, I didnt know who I was dealing with or how they might retaliate against me. What are your thoughts on the Hector account? he asked. This time it was me ducking the question. Instead of telling him what I really thought, I changed the subject to his day job. He had recently tweeted about trial prep, which implied that he practiced law as a litigator. Yeah, another reason I have to remain anonymous, he replied. I work at Skadden. Cant have my colleagues running around reading my highly political twitter blog. The more Morenco said, the more his story crumbled. He claimed to be in Palo Alto, California. And now he was claiming to be employed at Skaddena large, prestigious American law firm. Skadden does indeed have an office in Palo Alto. But the spelling errors, intellectual laziness, and carelessness in choosing my university portrait all seemed to puncture his cover. Perhaps the greatest giveaway was the frequency of his posting. I have yet to meet a top attorney who has enough spare time to manufacture tens of thousands of disinformation tweets for months on end. WHY WOULD MORENCO PUT EFFORT into a cordial reply and apology? It was just days before the electiona crucial moment for the Russian interference campaign. He had work to do and a lot of momentum behind the account. Perhaps he feared that I would escalate my concern with Twitter or law enforcement, which would put his profile, and maybe others like it, in danger. Thanks for understanding, he wrote. I appreciate it, and wish you all the best. He added, DM me anytime. Oddly, I felt better after our conversation. It was still unsettling and confusing, but he voluntarily switched the avatar and didnt seem to be looking for a fight. The next day, Morenco sent me a message. He had again switched his avatar, this time to an image of Justice Antonin Scalia, who had died several months earlier. Tim, found a new avi, he wrote. Pretty sure this guy wont be on twitter, LOL. My encounter was far from the worst-case scenario. Abuse of platforms like Twitter has raised existential questions for social media companies about corporate and civic responsibility. To what extent should they intervene to minimize false news or to protect the democratic process? Russia, intent on sowing discord, has seen that, the more polarized America becomes, the more vulnerable Americans are to disinformation. When an election is at stake, there can be no room for political squabbling. In a statement that accompanied the hacking indictment of twelve Russian intelligence officers, Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, said, When we confront foreign interference in American elections, it is important for us to avoid thinking politically, as Republicans and Democrats, and instead to think patriotically, as Americans. He added, So long as we are united in our commitment to the shared values enshrined in the Constitution, they will not succeed. I came out relatively unscathed. I had just enough public presence to pressure Morenco into changing the avatar and my identity wasnt completely corrupted. Morencos Twitter handle was deactivated in early 2018, along with a number of other suspicious accounts, though it was quickly reclaimed by another suspicious user. The new account has a generic patriotic icon and marketing for a Swiss watch that is for sale only as a pre-order through a crowdfunding website. Recently, I discovered a Hector Morenco Facebook profile and a Pinterest account. My face wasnt on those. But today, if you punch Hector Morenco into a Google image search, youll find me smiling in the first result. ICYMI: Cuts at the Daily News highlight a local news crisis Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Tim Samples is an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies for the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. His research focuses primarily on the legal dimensions of interactions between sovereign governments and international markets. President Trump kicked up a journalistic firestorm Sunday morning, tweeting about an off-the-record meeting with New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger. Trump claimed that the two had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House, and discussed the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media. Sulzberger, viewing Trumps comment as putting the meeting on the record, responded with a lengthy statement, explaining that his main reason for meeting with Trump was to raise concerns about the presidents deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric. I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous. NYT editorial page editor James Bennett also attended the meeting, which took place on July 20. The nature of the talk stood in contrast to the papers post-election interview with Trump, one that the newsroom fought to be put on the record after television anchors were criticized for taking an off-the-record meeting with the then-president-elect. While its easy to argue that Sulzberger and Bennett shouldnt be agreeing to conditions from a man who has continuously demeaned the reporting of their employees, its also hard to imagine them turning down a chance to challenge the president on his attacks. Where Sulzberger erred was expecting that Trump would both provide an accurate account of the meeting and change his approach to the media, two things he has shown no interest in doing. ICYMI: Newspaper staffer resigns, says publisher called story racist against white people Politicos Andrew Restuccia and Brent D. Griffiths note that The Times has long been a convenient foil for Trump, a regular Times reader who has a fascination with the paper despite his loud criticism of its coverage. So it was no surprise that Trump would try to spin the meeting with Sulzberger to his advantage. Trump responded later in the day with a thread of angry tweets, accusing the media of being unpatriotic. He added, The failing New York Times and the Amazon Washington Post do nothing but write bad stories even on very positive achievements and they will never change! Sign up for CJR 's daily email The Timess Mark Landler spoke with Sulzberger, who said Trump took pride in popularizing the phrase fake news. Sulzberger also noted that at one point he told the president that media organizations had resorted to posting armed guards outside their offices because of a rise in threats against journalists. The president, he said, expressed surprise that they did not already have armed guards. Farrows latest On Friday morning, The Hollywood Reporters Kim Masters reported that The New Yorker was prepping a new investigation by Ronan Farrow, one that would report on sexual harassment allegations against on of the most powerful men in media, CBS chairman Leslie Moonves. The preview set the industry on edge, waiting for the story to land. When it finally did, later that afternoon, Farrows work proved even more sweeping than most imagined. While allegations by six women about Moonvess harassment and assault grabbed headlines, the real brilliance of Farrows piece is the way it tackles the entrenched culture at a major media organization. He catalogues claims against Moonves and 60 Minutes Executive Producer Jeff Fager, and writes that, Thirty current and former CBS employees described harassment, gender discrimination, or retaliation at the network. Many said that men accused of misconduct were promoted, even after the company was made aware of those allegations. In response to Farrows questions, Moonves admitted to making mistakes early in his career, but denied abusing his power. Fager denied all allegations outright. Farrow, of course, is not the first to report on troubling behavior at CBS. Accepting a Mirror Award last month for her work alongside Amy Brittain in exposing the behavior of Charlie Rose, Irin Carmon gave a stirring call to action, urging journalists to go beyond reporting on individual behavior. There is a temptation to think that the last few months have been about individual men, that its about a handful of bad apples, and if we get rid of them, it will end the cycle of harassment and abuse. But its not true, she said. The stories that we have been doing are actually about a system. The system has lawyers and a good reputation.Indeed, the system is sitting in this room. Some more than others. The system is still powerful men getting stories killed that I believe will someday see the light of day. As Farrow notes in his piece, Fager was sitting in the audience as Carmon spoke. RELATED: The NYT tech columnist unplugged from the Internet. Except he didnt Soon after the first stories about Harvey Weinstein broke, setting in motion a movement that has seen powerful men held to account (some more than others), questions arose about how to move beyond, as Carmon put it, a few bad apples to reporting about the systems that allow for abuse. Pieces like The New York Timess investigation into abuse at Fords Chicago plants or Farrows attempt to examine the larger culture of CBS provide a roadmap. Below, more on the fallout from Farrows reporting. Highlight quote: As the Posts Brittain and Camron attempted to investigate claims against Fager, they were threatened with lawsuits and saw their professionalism attacked by lawyers the 60 Minutes EP retained. The hypocrisy of an investigative news program shutting down an investigative print story is incredible, one CBS employee told Farrow. As the Posts Brittain and Camron attempted to investigate claims against Fager, they were threatened with lawsuits and saw their professionalism attacked by lawyers the 60 Minutes EP retained. The hypocrisy of an investigative news program shutting down an investigative print story is incredible, one CBS employee told Farrow. Moonvess future: This week, the focus shifts to Moonvess future at the network. The Wall Street Journals Keach Hagey and Joe Flint report that CBS board members will decide today whether Moonves should step aside while an independent investigation plays out. This week, the focus shifts to Moonvess future at the network. The Wall Street Journals Keach Hagey and Joe Flint report that CBS board members will decide today whether Moonves should step aside while an independent investigation plays out. No nefarious motives: Moonves has been battling for control of CBS with National Amusements Inc. President Shari Redstone. Responding to the suggestion that the allegations against Moonves were part of a plot by Redstone, Farrow told CNNs Brian Stelter that he began reporting this story the day after his Harvey Weinstein expose published, well before the current battle on the CBS board began. Moonves has been battling for control of CBS with National Amusements Inc. President Shari Redstone. Responding to the suggestion that the allegations against Moonves were part of a plot by Redstone, Farrow told CNNs Brian Stelter that he began reporting this story the day after his Harvey Weinstein expose published, well before the current battle on the CBS board began. Farrows run: CNNs Stelter spoke with New Yorker Editor David Remnick and contributor Ken Auletta, who helped bring Farrow to the magazine after NBC shut down his Weinstein reporting. That NBC allowed Ronan to get away is akin to the Red Sox trading Ruth, Auletta said. Other notable stories USA Today uses a striking, all-caps front page to refocus attention on family separations. For CJR, Britni de la Cretaz reports on how newsrooms respond to on-air assaults of their reporters, a problem particularly when journalists broadcast amid large crowds outside of sporting events. Even at companies that have taken employee well-being seriously in the aftermath of an assault, there havent necessarily been institutional changes to the way reporting itself is done, she writes. A UK parliamentary committee released a scathing report on its investigation into Facebooks handling of data and privacy. The verdict is withering: Facebook failed, writes The Guardians Carole Cadwalladr. It obfuscated, refused to investigate how its platform was abused by the Russian government until forced by pressure from Senate committees and, in the most damning section, it aided and abetted the incitement of racial hatred in Burma. Carl Bernstein has seen it all and continues to keep digging, writes The Washington Posts Margaret Sullivan. Bernstein, of course, was half of the reporting duo that doggedly pursued the cover-up of the Watergate case in the 1970s, and hes back at it in the Trump era, breaking stories for CNN about the administration. That Carl Bernstein, at 74, would once again be right in the middle of the high drama is utterly weirdand utterly perfect, Sullivan writes. A new CBS poll finds that strong Trump supporters overwhelmingly trust the president more than the mainstream media to provide them with accurate information. ICYMI: Troll steals professors photo for fake Twitter profile. The professor decides to message him and ask why he was chosen. He got a reply. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon. There have been multiple sessions in Congress over the past year looking at the failures of digital platforms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter, including their failure to limit the actions of trolls spreading misinformation during the 2016 election. But there have been very few concrete proposals from the government on how to deal with that, or with the virtual monopoly platforms have on certain types of information, or how they should handle user privacy. Democratic Senator Mark Warner hopes to fill that gap with a policy discussion paper he has been circulating in governmental and tech circles, according to a report from Axios (which obtained a copy of the paper from an unknown source). The proposals in the paper are wide ranging and in some cases even politically impossible, and raise almost as many questions as they try to answer. ICYMI: Eleven newsletters to subscribe to if you work in media. The paper argues that the revelations of the past year, including evidence that Russian trolls manipulated Facebook, have revealed the dark underbelly of an entire ecosystem. It goes on to say: The speed with which these products have grown and come to dominate nearly every aspect of our social, political and economic lives has in many ways obscured the shortcomings of their creators in anticipating the harmful effects of their use. Government has failed to adapt and has been incapable or unwilling to adequately address the impacts of these trends on privacy, competition, and public discourse. When it comes to misinformation, the Warner paper says one possible proposal is that platforms be required to label automated bot accounts, and also do more to identify who is behind anonymous or pseudonymous accounts. If theres a failure to do these things, it says, the Federal Trade Commission could step in with sanctions. Sign up for CJR 's daily email But would labeling bots actually help solve the issues Congress is concerned about? Experts say they are just one part of the problem, and that the behavior of what are sometimes called cyborgspartially automated accounts run by human beingsis also important. And while anonymity can be a shield for some trolls, others are more than happy to engage in all kinds of bad behavior under their real names. The paper also admits that identifying users could backfire if it invades the privacy of journalists or dissidents and whistleblowers who have real reasons for wanting to remain anonymous. One other significant change the Warner paper discusses is an amendment to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which gives the platforms immunity from prosecution for content uploaded by their users. Since some users complain harassing material is often re-uploaded after being removed, the paper recommends Section 230 be amended so the platforms could face sanctions if they dont prevent this. Such tinkering, however, could weaken the free speech protections Section 230 is designed to uphold. In addition, the paper argues the US should pass privacy-protection legislation similar to the General Data Protection Regulation now in force in Europe, including the right to data portability and what is often called the right to be forgotten. It notes, however, that in order to have a GDPR-like regime, the US would need a central body to administer the law, something it doesnt currently haveand creating one could produce even more problems than the proposal hopes to solve. ICYMI: Newspaper staffers leave, create digital startup rival Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg. Last March, Matthew Lee, an independent reporter, trained his phones camera on the 36th floor of the United Nations Secretariat Building. For more than a decade, Lee has been covering every inch of the UN for his self-made blog, Inner City Press, read widely by journalists on the diplomacy beatif sometimes skeptically. Matt plays an important role in being a gadfly, a member of the UN press corps says. Everyone thinks hes nuts, but everyone reads him, says another. Lee, who is 52, posts as many as 10 articles a day; favorite subjects are whether Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general, is corrupt (His wife still lives in Portugal. Whos paying for his trips back home? Hes on vacation right now, where is he?), and the integrity of Alison Smale, a former journalist now working for the UNs department of public information (Shes only interested in press that makes the UN look good). Lee sees UN misdeeds almost everywhere. On that spring day, Guterres had declared that the UN would participate in Earth Hour, an annual initiative to turn off non-essential electric lights from 8:30 to 9:30pm. But Lee noticed that someones corner office was illuminated. With his camera streaming via Periscope, he kept watch. This is just the superficiality, he said. The problem is, the UN doesnt live up to its principles. Next, he checked the Malaysian missionlights on there, too. All right, were going to head up First Avenue, he said. He hopped on his bike and rode north. Look at the flags, and now beyond the flags, look at the hypocrisy. Fraud, fraud, fraud. Turning onto Sutton Place, he stopped in front of the secretary-generals house. A few lights were lit on the ground floor. A $15 million mansion owned by the UN, he said. There is no Earth Hour at Casa Guterres. More than a year later, Lee, in gray slacks and a blue button-down, was working from a bus stop outside the delegates entrance to the UN. Ever-determined to get his story, tensions with the secretary-generals office had escalated. First, Lee had been caught in an interpretation booth at the back of a meeting room. (Lee says he wasnt hiding, he had retreated there to stream a conference that he should have been invited to.) Then, early this month, hed been busted for staking out a budget meeting. Guards handled him forcibly enough to injure his arm, tear his shirt, and break keys off his laptop, Lee says. (He still has the shirt; the largest rip, at the neck, is several inches across.) The UN stripped his credentials, and for weeks, hes been waiting to hear about his request to get them backdashing off questions to delegates all the while, at least five a day for the noon briefing. Lee leaned over his laptop screen, squinting through the glare of the sun. Just as he finished an email to Stephane Dujarric, the secretary-generals spokesperson, he got lucky. Lee had been relying on free WiFi from passing bussessomehow, it worksand the M15 pulled up. It seems like I have a wisp of internet here, he said. My wheel is spinning. Two elderly women struggled to climb aboard; a leg of a walker got caught on a step. The extra moment rocketed Lees email over the gates and into the fortress of the UN. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The exact circumstances of Lees expulsion are murky. Just like the White House, access is not a right, its a privilege, Dujarric says. None of this is happening now because of what he writes. Dujarric says that Lee is often critical of fellow journalists; walking the halls in the evenings, hell live-stream running commentary criticizing other reporters. Not long ago, encountering a crew from Al Jazeerawhich Lee believes has misled viewers about its connection to the Qatari governmentDujarric says that Lee Periscoped while shouting, Fuck you! repeatedly. (Lee says he was complaining that Dujarric had given the Al Jazeera crew a private interview, and excluded him.) He creates an atmosphere of incivility within our working environment, Dujarric says. ICYMI: Roldo Bartimole, Clevelands original alt-journalist. Lee is comfortable being puckish. His website is free to readers and he says that he earns money in roundabout ways. All of the stories are in LexisNexis, he explains. I get a check from LexisNexis every month. Thats the first part of his business model. Second, Im basically trying to put together streams of advertising revenue, licensing fees. Some people advise him to put his site behind a paywall. If that worked, everyone would be doing it, he says. Know what I mean? Then theres his work as a freelancer. I write stories for other publications. In some cases I do it under another name. Lastly, he says, he dabbles in legal work. I would prefer not to get too specific on it, but Im an anti-bank lawyer. Its a mixture between journalism and activism. Lees independent-mindedness goes back to at least the mid-80s, when, he says, he dropped out of Harvard. Goldman Sachs came in to recruit, he explains, and he was disgusted by the eager response of his classmates. He started volunteering with the Catholic Workers, an organization founded to care for the homeless and protest war, violence, and racism; settling in Manhattan, he slept in a soup kitchen dormitory and covered the housing beat for the groups newspaper, The Catholic Worker. A capable carpenter, he worked nights and weekends with a construction crew from Brooklyn. Then, he says, he went down to Nicaragua to build free housing for people left homeless by the Contra war. He returned to New York in 1987a time of white flight to the suburbs, and banks red-lining sections of the Bronx. Lee joined up with the homesteader movement and started Inner City Press. In an abandoned building near Crotona Park, he set up a donated mimeograph machine, filling the first edition with 22 pages of reporting on the citys housing crisis. At sunrise, when hed cranked out 2,000 copies, he drove through all five boroughs in his 1972 Plymouth Duster to distribute papers at libraries, liquor stores, Chinese take-out restaurants with the plexiglass barriers. It wasnt a living, but it got the word out about places to crash. With other volunteers, his team could turn around an abandoned house in a weekend. Eventually, Lee says, he enrolled at Fordhams law school to learn how to fight back in the courts. In 2005, he recalls, he first showed up at the UN, for a conference with Bank of America and Citibank to discuss their environmental records. They were bragging about funding green energy, Lee says. Of course, theyre also deep in mountaintop coal removal. Soon, Lee discovered a wealth of disturbing stories, including that UN peacekeepers had been raping people they had been sent to help. He has since followed many more threads: in Cameroon (The UN is in bed with the government there; they dont report on human rights violations), Yemen (The Saudis buy UK weapons to bomb Yemenbut the UN envoy to Yemen is British), and Sri Lanka (The UN pulled its officers out of the north there before a 2008 ethnic cleansing of the Tamil people, and then underreported the genocide. Forty or fifty thousand people dead. The Sri Lankan government was shooting missiles at hospitals. Ban Ki-moon admitted it). Lately, since his eviction from the UN, Lee has had to rely on other reporters to check up on his accreditation from the inside. On his 23rd day at the bus stop, it was Joe Klein, of Canada Free Press. Its not an ideal situation. Theres no real solidarity in the UN press corps, Lee says. While he awaits word, Lee has established a new routine: every morning, hes at the buildings entrance by 9:45, when delegates arrive, so he can ask them questions as they enteroften while livestreaming. Then he settles in at his bus stop to write articles, send out more questions, and wait to catch delegates heading in and out on their lunch break. The rest of the day, he writes from a nearby public library, where he can charge his phone and laptop, and cool down in the air conditioning. ICYMI: Eleven newsletters to subscribe to if you work in media. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach. A fire that started in a rural community in Northern California underscored a new reality in the state when days later it suddenly roared through neighborhoods on the edge of the city of Redding: Urban areas are increasingly vulnerable to wildfires. In the last year, neighborhoods in the Northern California wine country city of Santa Rosa and the Southern California beach city of Ventura have been devastated. Hotter weather attributed to climate change is drying out vegetation, creating more intense fires that spread quickly from rural areas to city subdivisions, climate and fire experts say. But they also blame municipalities that are expanding housing into previously undeveloped areas. There are just places were there should not be subdivisions, said Kurt Henke, a former fire chief in Sacramento who now serves as a consultant to fire organizations. Were not talking about a single family who wants to build a house in the woods. Im talking about subdivisions encroaching into the wild land urban interface that put them in the path of these destructive fires. Henke wants more funding from the state legislature to deploy firefighters to areas where conditions are ripe for fast-moving fires, so they can be respond quickly if a blaze breaks out. The fire that affected Redding a city of about 92,000 people about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of San Francisco started Monday about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the city before sweeping Thursday through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. Redding sits at the northern end of the agricultural Central Valley, surrounded by a scenic landscape. It has a downtown with a theater and wine bar and homes spread out in subdivisions. Two firefighters were killed one from the Redding Fire Department and the other a bulldozer operator hired for the fire. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and nearly 40,000 people were under evacuation orders. Like the fires in Santa Rosa and Ventura last year, wind was a major contributor to the blazes spread. Its ripping trees off the ground and throwing them across the street into homes, Chad Carroll, a spokesman for CalFire said Friday. Thats pretty strange and unusual. Calfire Director Ken Pimlott described the fire activity at a news conference on Friday as almost like a tornado. What were seeing not just here in Shasta County but literally statewide, fires that are growing exponentially, he said. While touring Ventura County neighborhoods ravaged by fire last year, Gov. Jerry Brown said drought and climate change mean California faces a new reality where lives and property are continually threatened by fire. The state is experiencing longer periods of warm temperatures and dry conditions that are making major fires nearly a year-round possibility, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. What were seeing with some of the most dangerous fires is that theyre spreading quickly, burning very hot or producing their own weather, he said. Still, he agreed with other experts that say the destruction was also the result of more people living closer to fire-prone areas. Over the years, were putting more people in harms way, he said. More people living in high fire risk areas than usual. The fire in Santa Rosa in October 2017 destroyed nearly 2,700 homes, including in one neighborhood with expensive new subdivisions on a hillside at the edge of the city. The blaze in Ventura two months later destroyed more than 500 buildings. Jacque Chase, an urban planning expert at California State University, Chico, said U.S. government statistics show more homes are going up across the country in areas that sit on the boundary of urban areas and undeveloped land. That increases the risk of fires caused by human activity. It also means firefighters have to change their approach. They have to deal with actually saving lives and saving property, she said. (Associated Press writer Sudhin Thanawala reported from San Francisco.) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile Flaws in jet engine fan blades like one that cracked and broke loose in April, killing a Southwest Airlines Co. passenger, have been discovered on planes operated by several carriers, and the manufacturer is moving to further tighten inspections. General Electric Co., part of a venture that makes the engines, found a cracked blade during post-accident inspections of another Southwest plane, and spotted four or five more in those of other airlines, Southwest Chief Operating Officer Michael Van de Ven said Thursday on a conference call to discuss earnings. We expect to formalize the interval in a new service bulletin that will be issued in coming days, GE spokesman Perry Bradley said in a statement. Service bulletins are non-binding recommendations on maintenance, but are almost always made mandatory by aviation regulators. Southwest has already cut the inspection interval for older engines almost in half, from 3,000 flights to 1,600, Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said in an interview. Compliance Time The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that its working with airlines and the engine maker. As we receive more inspection results we may adjust the compliance time accordingly, the agency said. After the April 17 incident, in which a cracked blade broke off and sent debris into a window on a Southwest flight, the FAA issued a series of orders for carriers to look for cracks on all older CFM56-7B engines. The agency first required inspections on those with more than 30,000 flights, then lowered it to 20,000 flights. After that milestone, engines have to be inspected within 3,000 flights, the agency ordered in May. The engine is made by CFM International Inc., a joint venture between General Electric Co. and Frances Safran SA. GE determined that more frequent lubrication of the blades potentially could help avoid damage, Van de Ven said. The tighter inspection process shouldnt cause any airline disruptions, GEs Bradley said. Almost all of the 14,500 CFM56-7B engines in service around the world have received their initial inspections and were cleared, he said. GE couldnt comment in greater detail because the failures under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, he said. He wouldnt confirm the number of cracks found on other blades, saying only there have been a handful of findings as a result of the inspections. High Priority The NTSB said Tuesday that it will hold an investigative hearing on the engines failure, a signal the agency is giving the incident a high priority. The Nov. 14 session will focus on the fan blades design and development, how that engine model is inspected, and the way debris is supposed to be contained in a failure, the NTSB said in a statement. Jet engines are encased in hardened shells so that if fan blades or other components break loose, they wont fly out and hit such critical areas as fuel tanks or passenger compartments. In the April 17 incident, the fan blade bounced in front of the protective sheath, the NTSB has said. It then broke apart the unprotected engine inlet, a wing-like structure that smooths the air flow into the turbine. Parts of the inlet showered the plane with debris. One window was struck so hard that it broke, prompting a violent decompression of the cabin and partially sucking a woman passenger out of the plane. It was the first passenger death on a U.S. carrier in more than nine years. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. More police body camera footage made public Wednesday shows officers directing concertgoers to safety and searching for what they thought were multiple shooters inside and outside a Las Vegas Strip hotel where a gunman firing from upper-floor windows killed 58 people and injured hundreds on Oct. 1. Eight more video recordings, totaling almost eight hours, from the deadliest mass shooting in the nations modern history were released by Las Vegas police under a court order in a public records lawsuit by media including The Associated Press. One shows a team of police starting on the roof of the Mandalay Bay resort and working their way downstairs. Another shows officers directing people to evacuate from beneath the main stage of the Route 91 Harvest Festival venue. Two men rush past, carrying an injured woman. Another showed teams with assault rifles ushering people out of concrete flood-control channels. As with previous records released in batches since May 2, the videos show tension, tenderness, chaos and heartbreak following the shooting outside the Mandalay Bay resort. They do not shed new light on a motive. Police and the FBI have said they believe former accountant and high-stakes gambler Stephen Paddock acted alone to amass an arsenal of weapons in his Mandalay Bay suite before opening fire into the concert crowd below. Officials have said the attack had no link to international terrorism, but hotel owner MGM Resorts International last week invoked a provision of a federal law enacted after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The company wants federal courts to qualify the shooting as an act of terrorism and to declare the company has no liability to survivors or families of slain victims. Body camera recordings released earlier showed officers using explosives to blast through the door to find Paddock dead on the floor from a self-inflicted gunshot. Assault-style weapons fitted with rapid-fire bump stock devices were strewn about in the suite. Other police records have included witness accounts, audio recordings and snippets of 911 calls and police radio traffic, and hotel, helicopter and streetscape surveillance video from Las Vegas Strip. Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, the elected head of the police department, has said he expected to update his January preliminary report with a final report by August. Sgt. Jeff Clark, a department spokesman, said Wednesday the report is not yet complete. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. California Governor Jerry Brown issued a plan this week to help the states embattled utilities facing liabilities from wildfires. For PG&E Corp., its not good enough. Its insufficient, PG&E Chief Executive Officer Geisha Williams said Thursday on the companys second-quarter earnings call. Its just one of many things that need to be considered in a more comprehensive set of reforms. Browns plan would require a court to consider whether a utility acted reasonably when deciding whether it should end up on the hook for fire damages. However, the proposal wouldnt affect potential liabilities PG&E and fellow utility Edison International face for blazes that devastated the state in 2017. PG&E wants a structure where your liabilities would be limited once the California Public Utilities Commission approves a safety plan, said Kit Konolige, a New York-based analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, said in an email Thursday. Ali Bay, Browns deputy press secretary, declined to comment on Williamss remarks. Fire Liabilities The overhang of the 2017 fires weighs heavily on PG&E. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has said the companys liabilities for the blazes may be more than $17 billion. PG&E has lost about 36 percent of its market value since mid-October, when a swarm of fires swept Northern California wind country, destroying thousands of homes and killing 44 people. Investigators have attributed PG&E equipment as the ignition source of 16 of them, and investors are still waiting for a report from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on the companys role in the Tubbs blaze the deadliest of last years fires. Brown has proposed changing the so-called inverse condemnation provision, which holds utilities strictly liable for fire damages regardless of negligence. Instead, a court would balance the public benefit of the cause of the fire with harm caused to private property and determine whether the utility acted reasonably. Williams on Thursday said she is seeking three things from the state: Permanent reforms to what she described as the strict liability standard under inverse condemnation. A way to directly address the 2017 wildfires that she said were climate-driven. Clarity on how regulators would handle operational compliance. The reforms we seek would not absolve investor-owned utilities from responsibility, Williams said. Negligence claims against PG&E can still be pursued. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. AKRON, Ohio - When the LeBron James Family Foundation I Promise School opens today, 240 at-risk Akron school children will get their first glimpse at a pathway designed to spell success for themselves and their families. The I Promise School, built through a partnership between Akron Public Schools and the foundation, will welcome third-and fourth graders at 400 West Market St in Akron. By 2022, it will house grades first through eighth and will number nearly 1,000 kids. On Sunday, school officials have tours to the media. Here are some highlights. All the students attending the I Promise School are under-performing in reading, math and other essential academic areas. The current students were selected randomly from a larger group of at-risk kids. The curriculum is STEM-based and will educate the kids through hands-on approach. One example is the new high-tech media lab that mirrors a television studio with live broadcasting capabilities. The lab, sponsored by Hudson-based Kaulig Companies Limited, will enable the students to broadcast daily school updates, while learning the latest technology. It's a school unlike any other in the Akron School District. School days run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., July through May, to eliminate what educators call the "slide" that many kids experience over the summer. During the seven weeks between the next school year, various STEM-based camps will be offered. But what makes I Promise unique is the "We Are Family" philosophy behind everything the school offers. That means the children and their parents or caregivers receive the academic, career and emotional support that they need to ensure a better life. It is a manifestation of the support LeBron James and his mother, Gloria James, received when James was attending Akron schools, said Foundation Executive Director Michele Campbell. Through the Family Resource Center, the school will offer the wrap-around services that some families need for day-to-day survival, from a daily food pantry stocked by the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to GED classes for parents and caregivers. The Summit County Department of Jobs and Family Services also will have representatives on hand daily to help the students' family members secure jobs and other services. "We are family, we live it day to day," Campbell said. In addition to an academic program, the I Promise School will use a "trauma-informed" approach to engaging students to show them a safe, supportive environment. That includes: Daily breakfast with their teachers A daily time for social-emotional learning, to develop habits of promise, belonging and a sense of community A daily supportive circle after lunch each day to help kids unwind from recess and refocus on learning An infusion of the so-called "Habits of Promise," which encompasses perseverance, perpetual learning, problem solving, partnering and perspective All the students will have breakfast, lunch and a snack each day. Those who live more than two miles from school will have daily bus transportation. All told, more than 1,300 Akron school children and their families are in the I Promise program, which has a presence in all the schools across the district. All eligible students in the program who graduate from high school and complete specific classroom criteria are guaranteed a four-year college scholarship, which James partnered with the University of Akron in 2015 to provide. Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cuyahoga County jail guard formally complained in 2017 that staff members served inmates food on broken trays that smelled like sewer water, according to court records. Corrections officer Jose Quintana wrote in a report dated Nov. 24, 2017 that inmates in the jail got sick after eating off of the trays that cracked and leaked a dark liquid that smelled "like sewer water or feces." He said the problem persisted for close to nine months before he made the complaint. "This is a health and safety issue for the inmate which makes my pod a hostile working area because inmates are tired of being served with these damaged and rotten smelling trays," Quintana wrote. The report was attached to an amended complaint filed on Monday by lawyers for a former inmate suing the county's head of corrections, Ken Mills, the jail's warden Eric Ivey, and Sheriff Clifford Pinkney, for damages in excess of $75,000. That inmate, Cecil Fluker, says in the lawsuit that he got sick from drinking contaminated water in the jail, was exposed to black mold on dining trays and that jail officials deliberately ignored, hid or destroyed evidence that would corroborate other inmates' complaints of inadequate and substandard conditions in the jail. David Malik and Sara Gedeon, lawyers representing Fluker, filed the suit in early July. Malik declined to comment beyond what was included in the complaint. Eliza Wing, a county spokeswoman, did not immediately return a request for comment. In Monday's filing, Fluker's lawyers included Quintana's complaint, as well as a Sept. 11 complaint from another jail guard who said inmates were served rotten and slimy carrots that were nine days past the expiration date. Officer Frank Hocker also noted that some of the jail's trays are "cracked and stink and the inmates refuse to eat," according to the report. Hocker wrote that he and other officers tried to voice their concerns with jail staff, but to no avail. On the space where Hocker's supervisor was supposed to sign his complaint, the document says "refused to sign." Fluker wrote in a Sept. 19 letter addressed to Pinkney that he threw up blood after he was served on a food tray that had black mold on it. Letters from two other inmates -- Eric Norton and Clarence Bogan -- claimed that they were also served food on cracked and smelly trays while they were housed in the jail last fall. Fluker went to a nurse in the jail's infirmary in September because the jail's water, which he said came out brown at first and then black, made him ill, according to the suit. Fluker also told the nurse that he saw black mold on food trays, the lawsuit says. Jail staff told Fluker that the discoloring was likely due to some maintenance that was done on the building's water pipes. Fluker was treated with Zofran and Imodium and was charged for going to the medical clinic, the suit says. Malik obtained a water sample from the jail on Oct. 5 and had it tested. While it was not an "ideal sample," a test performed Oct. 6 showed the water contained Coliform bacteria, which can make a person sick if they ingest it from drinking water, according to an Oct. 12 court filing. The county ran its own test of the jail's drinking water in late October and said the results came back negative. Fluker's lawsuit says the jail is "poorly operated and managed" and that both corrections and medical staff are not treated well. Those who speak up about conditions face retaliation, the suit says. The lawsuit comes after months of controversy surrounding the jail. Former medical supervisor Marcus Harris left his job earlier this year for a similar position on the west coast and blasted Mills in a letter to Cuyahoga County Council. The letter characterized Mills' oversight of the jail as "mismanagement" that deprived inmates of proper medical care and endangered the safety of both inmates and staff. Harris told cleveland.com in an interview that his attempts to shine a light on the jail's problems were met with resistance. Gary Brack, MetroHealth's former Interim Director of Ambulatory Care at the jail, was removed from his position after publicly airing his concerns about Mills at a May council committee meeting. Mary Louise Madigan, a county spokeswoman, has previously declined to respond to Harris's claims, which she said could be a "difference of personality," and said that Brack was removed due to a lack of trust between him and jail staff. She pointed out that Cuyahoga County jails are fully compliant with state guidelines and have exceeded or met expectations in recent annual jail inspections. To comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments page. ROCKY RIVER, Ohio - In a way, Tartine Bistro's position in the local culinary scene is quietly understated. The casual chef-inspired restaurant is nestled in a cozy but busy enclave of businesses west of the Rocky River and south of bustling Clifton Boulevard. But as eateries come and go, as fads pop up and trends take hold, Tartine Bistro has continued serving its delicious and distinctive array of dishes like panzanella, grilled watermelon, beef bourguignon, herbed ricotta gnocchi and grilled venison. In August, Tartine Bistro will mark 10 years in business. For any enterprise, that's a fine accomplishment. For a restaurant, it's a lifetime. Owners Dean and Anna Ferguson Valore acquired the space in 2007 with more than a few challenges on their plate. They took eight to 10 months to renovate the space, and opened the doors in 2008 as the economy was taking a financial punch in the gut and Anna was enduring chemotherapy for recurrent breast cancer. Their son was 2 at the time. Its success is due in part to dedication, the Valores' love of food and wine, and a staff that Dean Valore says is second to none. The decade-long run will be feted at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, with food and drink specials, live music, giveaways and even some first-year-recipes returning. "It is extremely rare," Valore said, "and obviously a big milestone for us. We're just really proud of the product we put out. From a perspective of other great restaurants in the city we're right up there. We're in Rocky River, we're a little bit hidden, we don't advertise. We don't get the recognition or awareness sometimes." Valore continued: "It's a culinary world I was previously not a part of, but now it's become a part of our life. What I think we've seen in the last 10 years, we have a product and quality on par with the greats - Zack Bruell's L'Albatros and Matt's (Mars) Chez Francois. I'm proud of that. It's a testament to the staff." That staff is led by two brothers, executive chef Michael Grieve and general manager B.J. Grieve, who are originally from Willoughby. Michael Grieve attended the famed California Culinary Academy, an affiliate of Le Cordon Bleu. "It's not so much about me but the foundation, the team we have now," Valore said. "The two brothers are super dedicated - B.J. with the wine side, Michael with the culinary side. That's the real story that is taking Tartine to the next level. "You see the term 'chef-inspired'? He (Michael) is that to a T. It really is a chef-inspired menu. He puts his heart and soul into the menu. The passion and energy he puts into this is remarkable." The Cleveland-born and raised Valore could have been a silent owner - he and his wife are lawyers by day - but their love of food, wine and travel has driven their culinary venture. (Dean Valore is a member of Commanderie de Bordeaux - an exclusive first-growth Bordeaux collectors club with only a few dozen members in Greater Cleveland, he said. The cru classification in France is a ranking of a small group of elite wineries and dates to the 19th century.) They have crafted their niche in the dining scene with a staff Valore commends as well as the attention paid to the physical space. Each piece in the restaurant is hand-picked, down to the 100-year-old solid walnut bar. Brunch has been expanded, and events are a huge focus. A private dining space was designed with barrel-vaulted ceilings. The dining room seats 60, with 14 to 16 people also being accommodated in an intimate room. A bourbon room with personal lockers for private bottles was created. The restaurant has hosted more than 100 wine-dinner events, many of which sell out immediately. And Valore said they are in the final stages of acquiring a farm in North Ridgeville to grow produce to create a "literally farm-to-table" experience. All those efforts must be worth it: The restaurant has "never had a down year," he said. The anniversary celebration Aug. 11 actually comes on the heels of another milestone: Tartine Bistro recently was awarded a prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, aligning it with only about two dozen well-regarded fine-dining restaurants in Northeast Ohio. Tartine Bistro eschews a pretense, preferring an approachable menu (breakfast pizza for brunch?) and setting. Valore describes the food as "chef-inspired French-American cuisine ... in a casual bistro setting." Being able to bring that food and ambiance to customers for a decade makes Valore proud. "It's not like a white tablecloth setting," he said. "I love that about it." About Tartine Bistro The restaurant is in the Old River Shopping Area, at 19110 Detroit Road, Rocky River. It's open seven days a week, with lunch and dinner served. Bar-only happy hour is 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Lunch is 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Sunday brunch is 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dinner is 4-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 4-9 p.m. Sunday. More coverage FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- Mayor Eileen Ann Patton recently named the city's latest Charter Review Commission. The group of resident volunteers includes Matthew J. Cavanagh, Erika Roitblat-Bowers, Nicholas Alexander, Michelle Sayer, Patrick J. Cooney, Frank Berkopec, John Mandula, Lauren Markus and John Betts. "We had 20 applications and nine have been selected," Patton said. "They'll start meeting at the end of August. The members meet for nine months, and at the end they present to City Council any charter review amendments that they would like to see." The charter amendment recommendations will be announced in May, with public discussions to follow. In Fairview Park, the Charter Review Commission serves in an advisory capacity, meaning any recommendations must be approved by City Council, which can also add charter amendments on its own. The amendments must then be put before the voters. The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections requires ballot issues to be submitted three months before Election Day. Previously, Patton said some of the topics she would like the Charter Review Commission to examine include a reduction of City Council, which currently has seven members; the city's referendum zoning; and whether to hire a full-time economic development director. Currently, Shawn Leininger holds the title of Fairview Park director of public service and development. "Those were some of the things that were thrown out way early," Patton said. "I don't think any of those will even be discussed. I'm going to sit still and let them do their job. "The meetings are open to the public, so we're interested in hearing what the public has to say, as well. I'm really excited. We put together an excellent team from all walks of life. It's a big responsibility," she said. City Council President Michael P. Kilbane added: "Off the top of my head, we still need to clean up 'masculine only' terminology contained within the charter. I thought this was done the last time, but apparently not. Also, I have several issues concerning checks and balances I'd like to see the commission look over." CLEVELAND, Ohio - The MetroHealth System plans to build a community and school health center on the Urban Community School campus. Construction on the new $6.5-million 32,000-square-foot building will begin early next year, and the center is expected to open in 2020. It will be located at 4909 Lorain Ave., next to UCS and the new Urban Squash Cleveland facility set to open soon. "We have been trying to develop a true family- and community-oriented campus," said UCS President Tom Gill. "We have a lot of medically underserved families." The goal of launching the new health center is to provide better healthcare access to students and to the community surrounding UCS, Gill said. Services will include primary care, pediatrics, behavioral health, a Hispanic Culture Health Clinic, as well as a MetroExpressCare office, non-emergency room urgent care. The center also will offer nutritional consultation, legal support, food access, a Moms First program, a WIC office and a Reach Out and Read program. "We're confident people are going to use the building," Gill said. "We've listened to the people who are here every day." UCS will pay to construct the new facility, about a $4 million investment, and MetroHealth will cover the cost of the build out inside, which will be about $1.5-$2 million. The school already owns the property on which the new center will be built and has raised a portion of its share of the cost through donations, Gill said. "We're confident it will be fully paid for," he said. MetroHealth, for its part, isn't concerned that taking on the UCS project will overburden the health system as it undergoes its $946-million campus transformation. "We're going to be able to balance it," MetroHealth President and CEO Dr. Akram Boutros said, noting that separate teams will be working on each of the projects. UCS pitched the idea of bringing a health center to its campus because for years it had identified healthcare as one of the major challenges facing its students and their families, Gill said. "To pretend like medical needs are not a key part of what we deal with every day is just totally unrealistic," Gill said. "We need to think differently about schools." He sees the new UCS health center as an opportunity to provide care to students and the community in a smaller, more accessible location. Getting to MetroHealth's main campus can be "really challenging" for those who rely on public transit, he said, and often health referrals for students aren't seen through. "Public transportation on Lorain Avenue is a big deal, with the lack of bus routes now, especially getting from north to south," Gill said. UCS has studied other holistic models to develop its school-based health center, namely the Harlem Children's Zone in New York, a nonprofit that offers social and health support programs to children from birth through college. Part of the new health center will be a Hispanic Culture Health Clinic staffed by employees fluent in Spanish, designed to serve the Hispanic community surrounding the school. About 37 percent of UCS students are Hispanic. MetroHealth will operate the existing clinic inside of the school during school hours, offering immunizations, screenings, same-day appointments and primary and behavioral health care, including services for children affected by trauma, according to a press release. The hospital system already offers its School Health program in 13 Cleveland Metropolitan School District locations. MetroHealth will relocate part of its Family Medicine Department from its West 25th Street campus, as well as some clinical services from the nearby Thomas F. McCafferty Health Center. About half of the visits to the family medicine department are from people who live in the area surrounding UCS, so it makes sense to move those services closer to patients, Boutros said. And the family medicine department will need to be relocated as MetroHealth moves forward with its campus transformation project. "We believe that by moving the providers [to UCS], people will choose to continue to receive care at that location," Boutros said. McCafferty, on the other hand, is a city-owned building in which MetroHealth provides clinical services. The system has, for a long time, looked to move those services, Boutros said. "We've been looking for a place to relocate McCafferty," Boutros said. The new UCS health center also will allow MetroHealth to offer a MetroExpressCare office on the near west side, which it didn't have room for at McCafferty. The closest existing sites are the Broadway Health Center and the West Park Health Center, both of which are about four miles from UCS. Boutros hopes to add a healthcare job training element to the new facility as well. UCS, which was founded and is sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland, annually serves about 600 students, from pre-school through eighth grade. This story was updated to include interviews with MetroHealth and UCS officials. CLEVELAND, Ohio - The construction of a six-turbine wind project planned for 8-to-10 miles northwest of downtown Cleveland will likely not impair the Lake Erie water, the Ohio EPA ruled Monday. The EPA issued a water quality certificate of approval confirming that the Icebreaker Windpower farm has complied with the federal Clean Water Act and will not cause pollution, moving the $126 million project a step closer to construction in 2021. "This is another, important step forward for Icebreaker," Beth Nagusky, director of Sustainable Development for the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation, said in a prepared release. "This project continues to be rigorously and thoroughly vetted by numerous state and federal agencies. The Ohio EPA water quality certificate means that Icebreaker will meet federal clean water standards as long as the recommended safeguards are followed during construction and operation." On July 3, the Ohio Power Siting Board's technical staff recommended that the board approve construction, subject to 34 conditions. The final decision of the siting board is pending, and a date for that decision has not yet been scheduled. The staff's recommendation came with restrictions on night operation until LEEDCo obtains the results of bird- and bat-monitoring studies from cameras, radar and collision detectors at the construction site. Government and business supporters of the project have said it has the potential to create more than 500 jobs, add $168 million to the region's economy and generate cheap green electricity for decades. "Our approach has been and will continue to be methodical," Nagusky said. "This project represents the kind of innovation that will help earn Greater Cleveland and all of Ohio an international reputation for taking action toward clean energy and reducing the risk of climate change." If approved for construction, Icebreaker would be North America's first-ever freshwater wind turbine project. WOOSTER, Ohio -- A 29-year-old woman pleaded guilty to several misdemeanor charges after she climbed a 285-foot cellphone tower and refused to come down for nearly three hours, reports say. According to the Alliance Review, Jessica Lee McCarty of Polk, Ohio, pleaded guilty on Friday to charges of inducing panic, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. She will be sentenced next month. Officials with the Wayne County Sheriff's Department say a passer-by noticed a person at the top of the tower at about 6:20 p.m. Thursday, the Daily Record reports. Sheriff's Capt. Doug Hunter says Polk was animated while at the top of the tower and could be seen jumping from beam to beam. Two firefighters climbed up the side of the tower in an attempt to bring the woman down and another official on the ground tried to communicate using the PA system in a patrol car. "On occasion she would call us names such as idiots and be generally smart mouthed as we were trying to get some cooperation from her," a court affidavit says, according to the Review. "When telling her the fire department was going to come up and assist in getting her down she indicated she would not cooperate with them and would come down when she was ready and didn't need or want any help." The woman safely climbed down at about 9:15 p.m. Hunter tells the Daily Record it's believed she was under the influence of drugs. McCarty was released from jail on bond, reports say. If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. Today is Monday, July 30, the 211th day of 2018. There are 154 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 30, 1945, the Portland class heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, having just delivered components of the atomic bomb to Tinian in the Mariana Islands, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine; only 317 out of nearly 1,200 men survived. On this date: In 1619, the first representative assembly in America convened in Jamestown in the Virginia Colony. In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces tried to take Petersburg, Virginia, by exploding a gunpowder-laden mine shaft beneath Confederate defense lines; the attack failed. In 1916, German saboteurs blew up a munitions plant on Black Tom, an island near Jersey City, New Jersey, killing about a dozen people. In 1932, the Summer Olympic Games opened in Los Angeles. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill creating a women's auxiliary agency in the Navy known as "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" -- WAVES for short. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a measure making "In God We Trust" the national motto, replacing "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of many, one). In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a measure creating Medicare, which began operating the following year. In 1975, former Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in suburban Detroit; although presumed dead, his remains have never been found. In 1980, Israel's Knesset passed a law reaffirming all of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state. In 2001, Robert Mueller, President George W. Bush's choice to head the FBI, promised the Senate Judiciary Committee that if confirmed, he would move forcefully to fix problems at the agency. (Mueller became FBI director on Sept. 4, 2001, a week before the 9/11 attacks.) In 2002, WNBA player Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks became the first woman to dunk in a professional game, jamming on a breakaway in the first half of the Sparks' 82-73 loss to the Miami Sol. In 2003, President George W. Bush took personal responsibility for the first time for using discredited intelligence in his State of the Union address, but predicted he would be vindicated for going to war against Iraq. Ten years ago: Ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was extradited to The Hague to face genocide charges after nearly 13 years on the run. President George W. Bush quietly signed a housing bill he'd once threatened to veto; it was intended to rescue some cash-strapped homeowners in fear of foreclosure. Amid corruption allegations and his own plummeting popularity, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (EH'-hood OHL'-murt) announced he would resign. Five years ago: U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy -- the most serious charge he faced -- but was convicted of espionage, theft and other charges at Fort Meade, Maryland, more than three years after he'd spilled secrets to WikiLeaks. (The former intelligence analyst, now known as Chelsea Manning, was later sentenced to up to 35 years in prison. The sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in his final days in office.) Former Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr., 98, died in Winchester, Virginia. One year ago: Three days after the U.S. Congress approved sanctions against Russia in response to its meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the United States would have to cut the number of embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755. Thought for Today: "Individualism is rather like innocence; there must be something unconscious about it." -- Louis Kronenberger, American drama critic (1904-1980). RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Richmond Heights detectives believe a man shot and killed a woman before he killed himself Sunday at an apartment complex. The shooting that happened just before 8 p.m. at the Loganberry Ridge Apartments is being investigated as a suspected murder-suicide, police said Monday morning. Annie Sims, 27, of Richmond Heights, was shot to death in the apartment building's lobby, police said. Joseph Debow, 30, of Euclid, was found dead with a gunshot wound just outside the building, police said. Investigators believe Debow shot Sims before he shot himself, police said. The incident remains under investigation. Debow and Sims had a child together, police said. The child was at the apartment building when the shooting occurred. Family members took custody of the child Sunday night, police said. To comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page. JEFFERSON COUNTY, Arkansas -- A woman is facing a murder charge after she shot and killed her husband, admitting she did it because she was upset with his purchase of porn videos, according to investigators. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department says Patricia Hill, 69, is being held in jail without bond. Sheriff's Department Major Lafayette Woods Jr. says in a news release that Hill told investigators she went to a backyard shed to confront her husband, Frank Hill, 65, about his purchase of porn videos on television. Patricia Hill says she canceled an order but her husband to place another order. When her husband refused to leave the shed, Hill says she went into the house and grabbed a .22 caliber pistol. She returned to the shed and shot Frank Hill twice, in the leg and head, the release says. She then returned to the house, put the gun away and called authorities. She met deputies in the front yard. Hill is awaiting her first court appearance. If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. Rotunda Rumblings Bringing in the big guns: Vice President Mike Pence will be in Newark on Monday afternoon to campaign for 12th Congressional District Republican nominee Troy Balderson. The vice president is the most prominent campaign surrogate to date in the OH-12 special-election race; Pence attended a fundraiser for Balderson last month, but it wasn't open to the public. Also coming in: U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who was in Columbus Friday for a Balderson fundraiser. Dead heat? OH-12 Democratic nominee Danny O'Connor released a new campaign poll Friday showing him only two percentage points behind Balderson (or three, depending if you round up or down). Either way, that's within the survey's +/- 4.4 percent margin of error. The poll was conducted from July 23 to 25 among 500 likely special-election voters. November preview? The winner of the OH-12 special election will only hold office for 100 days or so before having to defend the seat in November. But as cleveland.com's Seth Richardson writes, "the political storylines and momentum from the race are the true victory for the parties in this district." The race "has all the makings of a bellwether-esque race," as the Central Ohio district is "exactly the kind of district the Democrats have to perform well in if they want any chance of taking back the House." Gov hopefuls disagree on Issue 1: In a throwback to political campaigning of old, gubernatorial nominees Richard Cordray and Mike DeWine mounted a "soapbox" (a small stage amid hay bales) at the Ohio State Fair on Saturday to appeal directly to passers-by. As the Dispatch's Randy Ludlow reports, the two candidates mostly stuck to their stump speeches, though the two disagreed on Issue 1, a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce penalties for non-violent drug offenders (Cordray supports it; DeWine opposes it). Also speaking: O'Connor and Democratic attorney general nominee Steve Dettelbach. Balderson rallies supporters: While O'Connor was at the state fair, Balderson was in Delaware County with Republican U.S. Senate nominee Jim Renacci and DeWine to kick off the Republican National Committee's week of action, in which more than 600 volunteers will be sent out across the state. The Dispatch's Ludlow and Owen Daugherty have details. Peer pressure: Last week, the RNC sent pro-Balderson mailers to many OH-12 GOP voters stating, "What will your neighbors say about you if you don't vote? Remember, voting is public record." As the Dispatch's Darrel Rowland notes, the public can only see if you voted in a given election, not who you voted for. Will payday bill end up in court? State Rep. Bill Seitz explained to cleveland.com's Laura Hancock one of the reasons why he opposed the bill: A part of it may be unconstitutional. Meantime, payday lenders say they're evaluating the bill's potentially unconstitutional implications. Debating over debates: It appears that Renacci and Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown are going to have three debates in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus before the November election, according to cleveland.com's Andrew Tobias. The times and dates have yet to be determined, though, and Renacci's campaign hopes to add at least one additional debate. The announcement, however, came amid quibbling between the two campaigns over what exactly was agreed upon. Outside influences? The Manchester Guardian's Ben Jacobs has an overview of the Ohio gubernatorial race, stating "Much will revolve around the two most significant Ohio politicians of the modern era, Senator Sherrod Brown and Governor John Kasich." But DeWine's running mate, Secretary of State Jon Husted, told Jacobs that his ticket is "not going to debate what John Kasich or what Donald Trump does. It's about what we want to do going forward in the future." First in the union: "The Ohio Democratic Party voluntarily recognized its midterm-election campaign workers' labor union on Friday, making it the first state political party in the country with a unionized organizing staff," the Huffington Post's Daniel Marans reports. "Over 90 percent of non-management workers on the state party's coordinated midterm election team, known as the Campaign for Ohio, signed a letter to the party designating the Campaign Workers Guild as their collective bargaining agent." Coingate revisited: Gov. John Katich has asked the state parole board to hold a clemency hearing for Tom Noe, the former Toledo-area coin dealer and Republican fundraiser who was the central figure in the Coingate scandal, the Associated Press reports. "Noe, now 64, was convicted in 2006 and sentenced to 18 years for stealing a $50 million rare-coin fund he oversaw for Ohio's Bureau of Workers' Compensation," the AP reported, citing a story by the Toledo Blade. Five Questions Joe Manchik is the Green Party's nominee for Ohio's 12th Congressional District, both in the Aug. 7 special election and the November general election. Manchik, a 65-year-old resident of Etna Township in Licking County, runs his own business that designs and builds voice and data communications networks for businesses. He previously ran for Congress in 2016. 1. What are the main issues you would focus on? "One of the issues is universal, single-payer, Medicare-for-all health care. That's something that neither [Democrat] Danny O'Connor or [Republican] Troy Balderson support." 2. There have been calls by some Democrats that, as the third-party candidate, you should drop out because you'll hand the race to the Republican. What do you say to those voters? "That's bull----. The Democrat should drop out. The Democrat and the Republican should both drop out, and they should let me win the election. That's the way I see it. Because neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party actually represent the American people today." 3. Given the current political system where people need millions of dollars to run and win, how do you think you'll be able to win without large amounts of money? "By getting the word out about my candidacy and the Green Party of the United States on social-media platforms. That's what we've got to work with, and that's what we're using." 4. Many Green Party candidates go out on social media, yet there's not one Green Party member of Congress. What are you going to do differently? "We're going to keep on plugging away. It might take longer for us to win elections, but we're going to keep at it. I recently heard that I'm polling at 5 percent. ...Eventually, I can see a Green Party majority in Congress. That's going to take a few years of hard work, but we're willing to do it." 5. What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen while on the campaign trail? "Probably all of the so-called journalists on TV who don't even mention my name as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Ohio's 12th Congressional District. To me, that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." On the Move Greg Moody will be executive in residence for the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University starting Wednesday, according to the Ohio public radio Statehouse News Bureau. Moody has been director of the Office of Health Transformation, a policy office created by Gov. John Kasich, who is term-limited and leaving office in six months. Birthdays Rep. John Becker Straight From The Source "There are concerns, as I expressed, after Helsinki of an inconsistent public posture as to Russia. But in terms of policy I think the administration is doing things that are appropriate and very tough." - U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, speaking Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press" in support of the Trump administration's policy despite the president's comments during a recent summit in Helsinki. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. MERLIN-CLE1X00185_9.JPG The university in a statement said it received credible allegations of sexual misconduct against William Allman, a long-time Baldwin Wallace theater professor who died in 2005. (Submitted photo) John Patrick BEREA, Ohio -- Baldwin Wallace University on Monday stripped two campus theaters of their names after decades-old allegations of sexual misconduct emerged against their long-dead namesakes. The university in a statement said that it received credible allegations against William Allman, a long-time Baldwin Wallace theater professor, and Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright John Patrick who visited campus during Allman's time there. The information triggered the university to remove their names from the Allman Theatre and the John Patrick Theatre in the Kleist Center for Performing Arts. Allman died more than a decade ago, while Patrick died in 1995. "We are deeply sorry for any harm that may have been caused by this misconduct. No matter how much time has passed, the correct choice is to remove their names from the theatres now," the university said in a news release. The specific allegations against the men are unclear. The university said "the conduct in question occurred decades ago." Allman, was Baldwin-Wallace College drama professor who began teaching at the school in 1957. He founded the Berea Summer Theatre and managed it for 40 years. He also was instrumental in the design and development of the school's Kleist Center for Art & Drama, which was completed in 1972. Many of his students went on to successful careers as actors, directors and technicians, including John-Michael Tebelak, who created "Godspell." Allman was friends with Patrick who won drama Pulitzer Prize in 1954 for "The Teahouse of the August Moon." Rick Heileman, a News Sun columnist, met Allman in 1960. He described him as a very friendly guy, who was always trying to get young people interested in theater. "Having known Bill Allman since I was 18 years old up until he died in 2005 -- I was in a number of plays he directed at Berea Summer Theater -- I'm stunned. I'm shocked. I'm saddened," Heileman said in an interview Monday. He also knew Patrick, who he met in 1973 when he was cast in one of his plays. "I mean, I liked both of them a lot. I don't know what else to say. I can't imagine that either one of them would have done anything like that but I don't know." In 37 career games batting at Target Field, Clevelands Edwin Encarnacion holds a .301/.409/.647 slash line with 15 HR, 38 RBI. His 15 HR are tied with KCs Salvador Perez for the most by a visiting player since the ballpark opened in 2010 (J. Bautista, C. Santana 14 each). A giant parcel of land at the top of Beverly Hills aims to become the most expensive real estate ever sold, with a price tag of $1 billion with a "B." The property, called The Mountain, is 157 acres and sits on the highest point in the 90210 ZIP code. One owner could buy the property and build a 1.5-million-square-foot compound with three structures of up to 500,000 square feet. Its southern views range from downtown LA to Orange County, Catalina Island and Santa Monica. It's only five minutes from the Beverly Hills Hotel, but the nearest neighbor is over a half-mile away, offering convenience and privacy. The property also comes with a private road and millions of dollars in land improvements, including a 16-foot-tall stone security gate, landscape lighting and more than 500 trees. "This is the only opportunity to own your own mountain that looks down at all of Los Angeles," said Aaron Kirman, the broker representing the property. "Our likely buyer is an individual who wants to build his or her own compound." Source: Aaron Kirman Land prices in Beverly Hills and LA's "Golden Triangle" have skyrocketed in recent years, as spec builders and homebuyers battle for the best perches above Los Angeles to build their dream homes. Evan Metropoulos, whose family owns Twinkies, paid $65 million for the 2-acre former Danny Thomas estate in Beverly Hills, which will become the site of a new home. Yet as luxury housing slows and foreign buyers fade, it remains to be seen whether anyone will pay near $1 billion for a piece of land. The Mountain has been shopped around and has a troubled past. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the property was purchased by the sister of the shah of Iran in the 1970s, and then sold to Merv Griffin. Herbalife founder Mark Hughes then stepped in and bought it for $8.7 million in 1997, making it the most expensive property sold in America at the time, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hughes died suddenly in 2000, leaving it to a trust. The trust sold it to a company called Tower Park Properties, which included among its investors a mystery Middle Eastern investor and a convicted felon, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In 2015, Tower Park Properties began quietly marketing the property for $1 billion, with its own sales website. Later in 2015, the company denied the property had never been listed. A massive court battle between the trust and Tower Park led to the property being transferred in 2015 to a company called Secured Capital Partners, which is currently selling the property. The marketing materials say Victorino Noval, who was general manager of Secured Capital Partners and had been part of Tower Park Properties, "has no responsibilities with respect to this property." The marketing materials say his son, Franco Noval, is the "manager of the LLC that owns the property." Victorino Noval pleaded guilty to tax evasion and mail fraud in 1997 and went to federal prison for three years. A lawsuit last year accused him of fraud, but was dismissed in May. Ronald Richards, a lawyer for Secured Capital Partners, said in an email to CNBC that the most recent fraud lawsuit was "meritless" and had no relationship to The Mountain property. Cowen is more optimistic on AMD's future gains in the server chip market after meetings with the company's chief executive. The firm raised its price target for AMD shares to $25 from $21, predicting the chipmaker will report better-than-expected profits in 2019. The stock closed at $18.94 Friday. On Thursday AMD shares rose 14 percent, a day after it reported better-than-expected second-quarter sales and earnings results. "Following AMD's strong 2Q18 results and de-risked 2H18 outlook posted last Wed, we hosted CEO Dr. Lisa Su for meetings in NYC on Thurs.," analyst Matthew Ramsay said in a note to clients Monday. "Investor interest was high and the message was upbeat but still unsatisfied, as management is determined to capitalize on share gain opportunities in datacenter and client markets. Dr. Su's message was AMD is just getting started; we agree." J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said Monday that President Donald Trump's tax cuts, along with some of his other efforts, have helped out the U.S. economy. "Presidents get a lot of credit [and] a lot of blame for things they didn't do, but the president has done things which accelerated growth," Dimon told CNBC's Wilfred Frost on "Closing Bell." "We needed competitive taxes. The way the American public should be thinking of it is: For 20 years, we've been increasingly uncompetitive, driving capital and brains overseas." Dimon also said some of the regulatory rollbacks pushed by Trump are helping small businesses. "We've had less small business formation in America than in any other recovery," he said. "This has accelerated the growth. It's been 20 percent over 10 years; it should've been 40. The reason it wasn't 40 is because of a lot of things that we did hurt ourselves." Dimon's comments come after the Commerce Department said Friday the U.S. economy grew by 4.1 percent in the second quarter. That marked the highest growth rate since the third quarter of 2014, when the economy expanded by 4.9 percent. Late last year, Trump signed a bill that lowered the federal corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. Trump also eased or rolled back last year several pieces of regulation he felt were hurting U.S. businesses. But Dimon said he is concerned that Trump's trade policies could be a headwind to the U.S. economic expansion, noting: "I think it could offset some of the benefits" of the tax overhaul and other measures. The Trump administration has taken an increasingly protectionist stance on trade recently. Earlier this month, the U.S. slapped tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese goods. The U.S. has also implemented tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Mexico, Canada and the European Union. They have retaliated against those levies with tariffs of their own. File photo of an Iranian Army soldier stands guard on a military speed boat. Ali Mohammad | AFP | Getty Images When Iran threatens war with the U.S., it's not necessarily talking about war in the conventional sense. But where Tehran can cause damage is an escalation of activities that's likely to send further ripples across regional conflicts and oil markets. The battle of words between Iran and the U.S. hit its latest peak Thursday after the Islamic Republic's top general warned that if President Donald Trump started a war with his country, Iran would end it. "If you begin the war, we will end the war. You know that this war will destroy all that you possess," Major General Qassem Soleimani said from Hamedan, Iran, in a message directed at Trump. It followed several days of back and forth acrimony between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Trump and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The open threat was significant, coming from a man who largely operates in the shadows: as the commander of the Quds Force, the elite external branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Soleimani is believed to be the single most powerful figure in Iran's entire establishment. To many, he is the most influential operative in the entire Middle East. Military disadvantage Regional experts dismiss the likelihood of Iran directly targeting the U.S. or venturing into open warfare. With a spiraling economy and nascent civil unrest at home, not to mention the distinct military and technological advantage of the U.S. and its ally Israel, Tehran is not keen to engage in conventional combat. "The U.S. has a stronger advantage in conventional warfare. Navy to navy, army to army, air force to air force, there is no battle there and I think the Iranians know it," said Aniseh Tabrizi, a Middle East research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London. "That is why if there is any scenario in which an escalation would take place, they would go through non-conventional warfare." But Iran has a range of other tools at its disposal to harm U.S. interests, many of which have long been in play and whose deployment is now likely to intensify. Who is Qassem Soleimani? Soleimani has run the Quds Force for nearly two decades, conducting covert operations to reshape Middle East dynamics and assert Iranian power and influence. Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (C) attends Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's (not seen) meeting with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in Tehran, Iran. Press Office of Iranian Supreme Leader | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images During the Iraq war, he commanded groups that killed hundreds of U.S. troops. He continues to arm and assist proxy groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria and the Popular Mobilization Units in Iraq, and more recently the Houthi rebels in Yemen's civil war. The campaigns serve as part of a wider strategy to counter its regional foe Saudi Arabia. Soleimani "knows he has a range of indirect options to needle U.S. interests across the region," wrote Tobias Schneider, a Middle East analyst at the Berlin-based Global Public Policy Institute, in a recent Twitter post. These include disrupting sea lanes, ballistic missiles against Riyadh, threatening U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, and meddling in Bahrain through its Shia population, to name a few. The US and Iran in combat: Deja vu While not often referenced in present discourse on Iran, the Islamic Republic and Washington have engaged in open combat before. Tehran likely hasn't forgotten the final years of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, when the U.S. military wiped out half the Iranian navy in retaliation for Iran's use of sea-mines, some of which hit an American missile frigate in the Persian Gulf. The 1988 offensive, dubbed Operation Praying Mantis, swiftly destroyed multiple Iranian oil platforms, sea bases and ships. But the current theatrics are defined by asymmetry, wrote Schneider. He argued that there is "very little (the) U.S. can realistically do to roll back Iranian influence," with clearing the Yemeni coast as the most feasible measure. He added that there isn't much sign that Washington's economic pressure on Tehran will actually dampen the IRGC's regional ambitions. Iranian Revolutionary Guards drive a speedboat in front of an oil tanker at the port of Bandar Abbas. Atta Kenare | AFP | Getty Images In addition to continued support for its proxy arms in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, and to a growing extent Yemen, Tehran also financially supports Palestinian Islamic Jihad the second-largest terrorist group in the Gaza Strip, as designated by the U.S. and the European Union and has provided lower levels of support for the Taliban in Afghanistan in the form of weapons and some military training. The Quds Force is also active in parts of Syria supporting Bashar Assad's military, and has been the target of Israeli airpower ever since its drones began penetrating Israeli airspace at the start of this year. Iran aims to establish a permanent foothold along the Syrian-Israeli border, something Jerusalem has made clear it will not accept. Iranian-Israeli escalation, and Russia's ability to keep it constrained, could be yet another major game-changer ahead. Oil chokepoints at risk Tehran has also threatened to disrupt oil shipping lanes, with officials highlighting their influence over both the Strait of Hormuz through which 30 percent of the world's oil shipments pass and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula. An American flag and the text of the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. Robert Nickelsberg | Getty Images A popular, yet controversial U.S. immigration program that grants "visas to millionaires" is feeling the heat, weeks before it is up for renewal. On Sept. 30, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program under which foreigners have invested billions of dollars in the U.S. to obtain permanent resident status in the country is set to expire. It has helped tens of thousands realize their American dream, but it is facing sharp criticism over misuse as politicians and government officials call for radical reforms and have even suggested scrapping the 28-year-old program. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley wrote a letter to President Donald Trump in June saying that the EB-5 program has become riddled with fraud, while Lee Francis Cissna, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, has asked Congress to allow the program to lapse in the absence of significant reforms, as there have been concerns about fraud, abuse and national security risks. Selling visas to build hotels One of the key criticisms about the program is that it was created to direct investment into rural and high-unemployment areas that struggle to get capital and create jobs. Instead, according to Grassley, big moneyed Manhattan interests have abused the program. The original intent of the EB-5 program was not to develop five-star hotels in Manhattan, said Brandon Meyer, a partner at Fakhoury Global Immigration. It was intended for the manufacturing sector, but has instead become the source of funds for real estate developers. The EB-5 program works through regional centers that are authorized by the government to raise money from foreigners and direct it to projects that fulfill the criteria of employing at least 10 people. If investments go to "targeted employment areas" those American neighborhoods that are rural or have high levels of unemployment then they need only amount to $500,000. If they are in other parts of the country and still fulfill the employment criteria, then investments need to total at least $1 million to be eligible for a green card. There are lot of ways for developers to work within the law, which is what they are doing to figure out places within New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco that qualify as targeted employment areas, said Vivek Tandon, founder and CEO of EB5 BRICS, an advisory firm specializing in EB-5 visas. We are funding two projects in Manhattan, a Marriott hotel and a commercial office tower, both are half-a-million-dollar investments only," he added. In other words, investors are paying for a new hotel in the heart of America's financial capital while reaping the benefits of investing in a "high-unemployment" area. One businessman involved in wooing EB-5 investors, Vikram Kumar of AVG America Investments, said that the scheme would be less appealing if it did not allow for funds to go to major cities and were instead relegated to rural areas. "A hotel in Alabama is less likely to succeed than a hotel in Miami," he said. Another problem is fraud. Unscrupulous lawyers, fly-by-night consultants and project developers who either run away with their clients' money or use it for personal use have stained the program, experts on EB-5 visas told CNBC. Meyer, however, dismissed those concerns, saying: A lot of the talk about fraud is, though, overblown. There is no more fraud in EB-5 than on Wall Street." The price may skyrocket Another contentious issue is how expensive the program should be. There is a call to raise the minimum investment amount of $500,000 to $1.35 million and the $1 million to $1.8 million as there has been no change in the price since the program began in 1990. Those increases account for inflation over the past 28 years, experts said. The fear that the minimum amount will more than double has led to a mad rush to get people especially those in places like India and Vietnam to sign up before the Sept. 30 deadline. I have spent five of the last six months in India. The run is going to be there for now. India will cross 500 applications easily until Sept. 30, said Tandon. Each country is allowed up to 7 percent of the 10,000 visas, issued under this scheme every year, but when other countries do not use their allotted amount, they are given to applicants in other nations who are waiting in line. That is usually China. India has never used the 700 visas reserved each year for Indian immigrants. Today, the waiting list for a Chinese applicant to get his or her conditional green card is 10 years up from just two years in 2015 while for Indian applicants it is still 18 to 24 months, experts told CNBC. That is why there is a mad rush to tap the Indian rich. Lucrative Indian market Shan Chopra, managing partner at The Chopras Group an Indian consultancy for those considering studies abroad said he got into the EB-5 space only about seven months ago as he saw a huge interest in the scheme among students looking to study in the U.S. We hope to raise up to $100 million until March 2019 from India via EB-5, Shan told CNBC. However, the potential of the Indian market could be clipped if the minimum investment amount is increased because there are various regulatory hurdles for transferring more than a million dollars outside the country, experts said. There is also hope that, come September, the EB-5 scheme will be extended temporarily without changes as has been done in the past, according to U.S.-based immigration lawyers and consultants. They argued that the U.S. Congress is currently embroiled in a more serious immigration debate involving other types of visas and the EB-5 program may not be on lawmakers' agendas right now. At the end of the day, EB-5 is just a program that gives visas to millionaires, Meyer said. Too good to let go President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani sparked news headlines Monday morning by saying "collusion is not a crime." The president himself weighed in Tuesday morning, echoing his lawyer's assertion. Trump tweet But even if that's true, it won't help the president. Giuliani and Trump are correct, technically speaking, that there is no charge called "collusion" that can be found in the federal criminal code. And given that, Giuliani went on to say, then it doesn't matter if Trump or members of his presidential campaign actually "colluded" with Russians to interfere in the 2016 election. But here's the problem for Giuliani: Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible "collusion" by members of the Trump campaign with Russians during the 2016 presidential election, has a number of possible criminal statutes that he could cite to charge such collusive conduct or a cover-up thereof, none of which rely on the word "collusion." Instead, those statutes contain words such as "conspiracy," "obstruction of justice" and making "false statements." And Mueller has the power which he has repeatedly used since he was appointed in May 2017 to charge people with crimes that are not related in any way to "collusion." In fact, he has obtained guilty pleas to various crimes unrelated to collusion from Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn, Trump campaign official Rick Gates and campaign advisor George Papadopoulos. Mueller also has pending indictments against Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort that are not linked to collusion. He also has obtained indictments against 25 Russians accused of interfering in the election by hacking and social media "warfare." Trump and his surrogates have repeatedly sought to delegitimize the special counsel's investigation by saying there was "no collusion" and calling the special counsel's probe a "witch hunt." Tweet But Giuliani's comments on Monday which came a day after Trump backer and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said, "Collusion is not a crime" represent a new stage in the anti-Mueller public relations battle. The two former federal prosecutors now suggest that because there is no law explicitly making "collusion" illegal, then a person can't be prosecuted for actions that constitute collusion. However, Giuliani's and Christie's former employer, the U.S. Justice Department, doesn't agree with them. When Rod Rosenstein, the acting U.S. attorney general for purposes of investigations related to Russian election interference, appointed Mueller in May 2017, he made it clear that Mueller's first order of business was to investigate possible collusion by the Trump campaign. "The Order authorized you to conduct 'the investigation confirmed by then-FBI Director James B. Comey in testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on March 20, 2017, including: (1) any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump," Rosenstein noted in an Aug. 2, 2017, memo to Mueller. The memo went on to say that Mueller was also tasked with investigating "(2) any matters that arose or may arise directly from that investigation." If the words "links" and "coordination" are not close enough to collusion, Rosenstein went further in that same memo, when he explicitly laid out allegations against former Trump campaign chief Manafort, which Rosenstein said "were within the scope of the Investigation at the time of your appointment and are within the scope of the Order." Those allegations are "that Paul Manafort: Committed a crime or crimes by colluding with Russian government officials with respect to the Russian government's efforts to interfere with the 2016 election for President of the United States, in violation of United States law." Manafort hasn't actually been charged with such a crime related to his work on the Trump campaign. Instead, he was indicted, in two separate federal cases, on charges stemming from his consulting work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine, which pre-dated his role on the campaign. Rosenstein's memo said those charges are covered by the order authorizing Mueller's appointment since they stemmed from "any matters that arose" from the investigation. Manafort's lawyers asked a federal judge to toss out one of the cases, based on a claim that the special counsel had exceeded the scope outlined by Rosenstein in the appointment order. That argument flopped. And now Manafort is set to go on trial Tuesday in federal court in Virginia, several miles from the White House, where his former boss Trump has sent out tweets claiming, "no collusion!" Tweet Div Turakhia has been working almost nonstop for more than two decades, and he has a lot to show for it. Turakhia, 36, became one of Indias youngest self-made billionaires two years ago after selling his ad-tech startup Media.net to a consortium led by Chinas Beijing Miteno Communication Technology for roughly $900 million. That wasnt even Turakhias first big payday. He and his older brother, Bhavin, also founded Directi Group, a holding company with a portfolio of tech businesses such as the domain registrar Radix and international voice-calling app Ringo that reports $250 million in annual revenue, according to the company. In 1998, Div and Bhavin Turakhia founded Directi as a web-hosting business from their parents' house in Mumbai when they were only 16 and 18 years old, respectively. They started the company with a $500 loan from their father, an accountant, and within four years, their fledgling business already had revenue of $1 million, Div Turakhia tells CNBC Make It. The brothers needed the money to rent an internet server to host the data for their first company. When the brothers went to their father to ask for the loan, Div says there was never any question that he would give them the money, even though it was certainly not a small amount to their family at the time. He didn't even ask anything, he was like Heres 500 bucks, Div says. And it's not that he had a crazy amount of money, you know, it wasn't insignificant. But [his view was], Youre doing something that may work, may not work, and its OK. Try it. In fact, that supportive response from their father still sticks out as some of the best advice Div has ever received, he tells CNBC Make It. If you want to try something, try anything, it's okay to fail, Div says his father told them. He trusted that, even if it failed, it would be something that would be worth it from a learning standpoint for us. Div started teaching himself computer programming around age 7 or 8, he says. By the time public internet access came to India in 1995 (when Div was 13), he says he had enough computer experience to start offering his services to local companies that wanted to build websites and take advantage of the countrys new era of connectivity. Between the ages of 14 and 16, Div says he did web consulting stuff, like build a website for a few [companies], did some security stuff, while getting paid small amounts here and there. I felt that I was getting paid a lot, they felt like they were paying me nothing, so it worked out well, Div jokes. At the same time, Bhavin was running his own jobs portal where he used the internet to connect job-seekers in India with recruiters. Div and Bhavin decided they wanted to embark on a project with mass market appeal and they realized that everybody in Indias nascent internet era would need a website and all these people that need websites need hosting space, Div says of their idea to start their own web-hosting business. So when it came time for them to get serious about starting their own legitimate business even if it was based out of their house their father saw how hard they had been working on it as a hobby and how important it was for them to give it a shot full-time. Once the business started to take off, with the brothers creating domain names to connect local companies sites with the World Wide Web, it just kept growing from there reaching $10 million in revenue by the time Div Turakhia was 23, he says. Despite the fact that they started making so much money at such a young age, Div says he and his brother mostly invested their earnings back into the business. Otherwise, their early spending habits were fairly unsurprising for teens flush with cash. Obviously you buy all the initial stuff that everybody buys, Div says, noting that he and his brother bought their first car together when he was about 17. It wasnt anything flashy, a small hatchback Hyundai Santro, but I was so proud to be able to buy it, Div says. And then very quickly after that, we bought my dad his first car, and we were very fortunate to be able to do that, Div says. They bought their father a Mahindra Scorpio, which was an Indian-made SUV. It wasnt until Div was in his 20s and he could "absolutely, no-brainer, afford [it]" that he bought his first flashy car: a Porsche Boxster S that he says cost him roughly $220,000. By then I was already worth a lot a whole lot maybe tens of millions, Div says. The fairly sudden influx of money was a major change from his childhood. We didnt grow up rich at all, he tells CNBC Make It. His family moved to Mumbai when he was a small child and they all briefly lived with his uncle in a small apartment. There were eight of us in a one-bedroom apartment, Div says. So, we didnt grow up rich but my dad invested in us. Today, Bhavin remains CEO of Directi, which the brothers jointly own and where they oversee and invest in various tech start-up ideas, some of which are developed into subsidiaries like Radix and Ringo. Meanwhile, Div has also branched out multiple times to foster his own ideas proof that he's taken his father's advice about not being afraid to try new ventures to heart. In 2005, Div launched Skenzo, a company that buys unused web domains in order to sell them at a later date. That company was later folded into Media.net when Div founded the latter in 2010 in an effort to secure a foothold in the fast-growing online advertising market (global digital ad spending is expected to top $270 billion this year). Div wanted to create an online advertising service in the vein of Googles massively successful AdSense, which allows website owners to create and monetize Google display ads on their sites using data to target users by demographic. (Roughly 14 million websites currently use Googles AdSense.) Div already had a relationship with Yahoo through Directis domain registration business, and he convinced the company that his own start-up, Media.net, could be as successful for Yahoo as AdSense has been for Google. Yahoo was eager to get on board, so the online search company signed an exclusive deal with Media.net and Yahoo even considered buying Divs company multiple times over the next five years until Yahoos increasingly struggling search business eventually made such a deal impossible. But Media.net kept growing, eventually taking in $232 million in annual revenue in 2015 a year before Chinas Beijing Miteno shelled out just shy of a billion dollars for the company. Div stayed on to run Media.net as a subsidiary of Beijing Miteno after the sale and he says he hasnt yet thought about what his next new venture would be, if anything. He's not sure what he would do if he wasn't working non-stop and he doesn't really believe in the idea of work-life balance "Theres no work-life balance until after you succeed, and even after that [sometimes]," says Div, who is single. Div has "had a number of girlfriends," according to a profile of him in Wired, and he plans on getting married some day, but, for now, he's still preoccupied with work. "If you look at my hours, theyre crazy right now. But at some point in time, everybody normalizes, hopefully." I've thought of taking a break," he says. "It's been 22 years of me working every day, including weekends, for variably between 10 to 14 hours [a day]. If he did take a break now that Media.net has been sold, it would only be a matter of time before he starts "the next thing," he says, whatever that might be. What Div does seem to know is that he's still happy coming up with new ventures to try, always chasing his next success. Am I happy? Yeah, absolutely," he says. "If I wasn't happy I wouldn't do it. I don't need money." Don't Miss: How Spotify's college-dropout founder became a self-made millionaire at 23 and a billionaire at 35 After being laid off, this 35-year-old founded NerdWallet with $800 now its worth $500 million Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! It was a rough day for growth-technology investors. The so-called FANG stocks fell Monday after disappointing quarterly results from two of the top companies in the sector. Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet all ended in red to start the trading week, leading the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite to its biggest 3-day loss since March. The Nasdaq Composite closed 1.4 percent lower, Facebook finished 2.1 percent lower, while Netflix ended Monday down 5.7 percent. Amazon and Google parent Alphabet dropped 1.8 and 2 percent, respectively. Apple, which is sometimes added to the group to make it "FAANG," closed 0.5 percent lower. FANG is an acronym for high-performing technology stocks Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet (formerly known as Google) that have led the bull run of the last 9 years. Facebook had its worst day as a public company last week, dropping 20 percent and shedding roughly $120 billion in market value Thursday following a disastrous second-quarter report. The company missed revenue and active user projections following data leaks and fake news scandals. The stock is down 13 percent this month. Netflix also disappointed Wall Street. The company reported second-quarter results that missed analysts' expectations for new subscribers for the first time in five quarters. The stock fell more than 5 percent following the report and is down about 13 percent for the month. Some Wall Street strategists say the disappointments in growth names, with the addition of Apple, could shift the market more toward value stocks. "Of the five FAANG stocks that have reported, two have flopped along with a few other high growth/high momentum names and this group is coming under pressure," Jefferies equity strategist Steven DeSanctis said in a note to clients Monday. "We think this presents us with the catalyst to shift toward value and valuations mattering." Morgan Stanley also predicted a shift toward value and pointed to industrials as a sector with "relative upside." "We viewed Friday's moves as a sign of market exhaustion and think shift toward value could be more sustainable," Michael Wilson, equity strategist at Morgan Stanley, said in a note to clients Monday. "With Amazon's strong quarter out of the way and a very strong 2Q GDP number, investors were finally faced with the question of 'what do I look forward to now?'" On Thursday, Amazon reported a huge beat on profits but a slight miss on revenue for its second-quarter results. Goldman Sachs' chief strategist took the opposite view on the tech stocks, and said Facebook's disappointing results shouldn't scare investors out of the entire sector. Even after the drops Monday, most of the FANG stocks are up so far this year. Netflix is still up more than 77 percent year-to-date followed by Amazon's 54 percent year-to-date gain. Facebook is the lone loser, down 4.6 percent this year. Tech stocks are still the best performers in 2018, and the sector is up 14.1 percent compared with the overall index, which is up 5.4 percent this year. Apple reports earnings Tuesday after the bell. J.P. Morgan chief executive officer Jamie Dimon said that he feared the administration's trade policies could derail the economic progress it has made. "I'm a little worried it could create negative outcomes," Dimon said Monday on CNBC's "Closing Bell." "I think it could offset some of the benefits" of the tax overhaul and other measures, he said. When asked what the biggest threats to the economy were, Dimon named the escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China -- "if the skirmish becomes more of a war" -- and the unwinding of central banks' quantitative easing efforts. The administration is looking at imposing another round of tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. Dimon also said that he told the administration that he and other business leaders disagreed on the trade tactics, but that President Donald Trump "obviously doesn't agree with us." Dimon, 62, is the longest-tenured of CEOs leading a major U.S. bank. Once his friend, Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein, steps down in October, he will also be the only bank CEO still working to have steered his firm through the financial crisis. Given Dimon's track record, investors and analysts often track his every word, from media appearances to conferences to his annual investor letter. The political network backed by billionaire industrialist Charles Koch doesn't plan to back Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., against Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in this fall's election. Leaders of Americans for Prosperity made the announcement Monday, the final day of the Koch network donor conference in Colorado Springs, Colo. The announcement comes as the organization has indicated it could support candidates outside the Republican Party. The group has been dissatisfied with some Trump administration initiatives, particularly its aggressive trade policy and tariffs. Heitkamp, a centrist Democrat in a state President Donald Trump won by more than 30 percentage points in 2016. is considered one of the more vulnerable members of her party in the Senate. There are 10 Democratic senators up for re-election in states Trump won. On Sunday, the one of the network's leaders said it would be open to backing Democrats who share the same policy goals. The group also unveiled a six-figure ad buy to target Trump's tariffs. Tim Phillips, the president of AFP, told the group of donors that Cramer has been "inconsistent" and has not been an effective leader on "issues where the country needs leadership the most," which include removing Trump's trade barriers, as well as decreasing government spending. Cramer responded to the group's announcement by leaving the door open to collaboration in the Senate, if he is elected. "I respect the decision by the Koch network to not engage in the North Dakota Senate race. As I have always said, I work for the people of North Dakota and will always vote with them in mind. That is why I supported tax cuts, jobs creation, patient centered healthcare, strong borders, free, fair and reciprocal trade, and a strong military and veterans' care," Cramer said in a statement released by his campaign. "My voting record may not be exactly what every national organization wants, but it is exactly what the majority of North Dakotans expect. I look forward to working with the Koch organization on the things we agree on in the United State Senate. The latest development comes after the group announced in June that it would be unleashing a digital advertising campaign thanking Heitkamp for co-sponsoring a bill that rolled back some banking regulations that came about after the 2008 financial crisis. The new measure passed Congress with bipartisan support. The decision to withhold support from Cramer could potentially be a boost for Heitkamp as well as a massive blow to the Republican congressman, who is lagging behind his opponent in the fundraising game. The most recent federal election commission records show Heitkamp raised $1.1 million between May 24 and June 30. Cramer, meanwhile, raised approximately $833,000. Heitkamp's campaign has just over $5.2 million; Cramer's has $2 million on hand. "When it comes leading on the pocketbook issues North Dakotans care about from strong trade markets to responsible spending and cutting red tape for North Dakota businesses Heidi has always been consistent: North Dakota comes first," the Heitkamp campaign said in a statement. The Koch network's decision to back away from Cramer is also a signal to the leaders of the Republican establishment that the group will not necessarily follow the guidance of GOP leadership. Senate Republican leaders, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had pushed Cramer to run against Heitkamp on the belief he was the best chance to flip the seat from blue to red. Since then, the ranks of Senate leaders have continued to publicly vouch for the North Dakota congressman. Kroger announced Monday that a California subsidiary will no longer accept Visa credit cards as of mid-August as the two companies clash over payment fees and rates. "Visa's rates and fees are among the highest of any credit card brand," Foods Co. said in an emailed statement Monday. "The savings will be passed along to Foods Co. customers in the form of low everyday prices on the items shoppers purchase most." The ban on Visa credit cards will take effect starting Aug. 14 and affect 21 Foods Co. stores and fuel centers in central and north California. Though stores in major cities like San Francisco and Sacramento will be affected by the change, customers will still be able to use Visa debit cards, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards as usual, the statement added. "There are ongoing discussions about payment technologies," Christopher Hjelm, executive vice president and chief information officer at Kroger, told CNBC. "We've been working to get the economics right and we are taking a step to make sure we continue to get our customers the best value." Visa said it was frustrated with Kroger's move. "Visa is disappointed at Kroger's decision to stop accepting Visa credit cards at its Foods Co. stores," it said in a statement. "When consumer choice is limited, nobody wins. Our goal is to protect the interests of our cardholders to ensure they can use their Visa credit cards wherever they shop. Visa remains committed to working with Kroger to reach a reasonable solution." Shares of Visa fell 3 percent Monday amid the news while Kroger's stock closed up 3.5 percent. The dispute between Kroger and Visa is just the latest in a string of battles over the tens of billions of dollars merchants pay each year in swipe fees. For example, the Supreme Court concluded earlier this year that American Express rules that don't allow merchants to offer promotions or discounts on rival cards that charge them lower fees don't violate federal antitrust law. The Justice Department initially sued Amex and its larger rivals Mastercard and Visa, arguing that merchants had no real bargaining power when it came to using their payment services. A lower court had ruled that Amex's "anti-steering" rules stifled competition. The chances of Les Moonves remaining at the helm of CBS are slim, after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced last week, according to longtime media analyst Porter Bibb. "I think it's inevitable that Les is history at CBS, whether he takes a leave of absence or is dismissed outright," Bibb said on CNBC's "Power Lunch" Monday, ahead of the CBS board's decision to seek outside counsel to investigate the allegations against Moonves. The board, which made no decision about Moonves' role at the company, also said Monday afternoon that it's postponing its annual shareholder meeting, which had been scheduled for Aug. 10. Bibb, managing partner of corporate finance at Mediatech Capital Partners, said Moonves' own statement regarding The New Yorker report on Friday could be "the final blow." In a statement, Moonves, who has been the CEO of the network for more than two decades and chairman of the board since 2003, said, "I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected and abided by the principle that 'no' means 'no,' and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone's career." The New Yorker's article published Friday looked at the corporate culture at CBS and allegations of sexual misconduct against Moonves between the 1980s and 2000s. Shares of CBS closed down another 5 percent Monday, on top of the 6 percent they lost Friday. Meanwhile, Wall Street analyst Tuna Amobi downgraded the stock to hold. "There's usually a cloud that kind of lingers when you get this type of announcement," Amobi, who works at investment research firm CFRA, said Monday in a separate "Power Lunch" interview. "If you look back, the stock hasn't really done much the last couple of years," he said. "There's no questions that Les Moonves has a stellar track record. But having covered this stock, there's always this kind of disconnect between the fundamentals and the recent price action." Amobi said he shares the view that Moonves is unlikely to last as CEO of the company following the allegations. But he added the odds of a CBS-Viacom merger have been "enhanced by this situation." Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of both Viacom and CBS, wants to put them back together a move Moonves opposes. "Redstone is very likely to have her wish and be able to combine Viacom and CBS and then sell the combined companies," Bibb said. CBS and Viacom were under the same umbrella from 2000 to 2006 before they were split into separate publicly traded companies. CBS could not immediately be reached for comment. Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (L) shakes hands with the President of the United States Donald Trump on the first day of the G7 Summit. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte are set to meet Monday in Washington, but their conversation might encounter one big stumbling block defense spending. Trump has repeatedly asked NATO allies to increase their contributions and respect the 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) commitment towards the defense alliance. However, this might prove very difficult for Italy, the third-largest economy in the euro zone, at a time when Rome is struggling with its own finances. "Conte's big disadvantage is Italy's difficult budgetary situation. Growth forecasts are down, which is putting a squeeze on revenues, even as government bond yields are up, which is putting a squeeze on expenditures," Erik Jones, professor of European Studies at John Hopkins University, told CNBC via email, ahead of the meeting. Tweet Jones added that even if the European Commission, which oversees fiscal discipline in the European Union, allows Italy to spend more, "the flexibility is not enough to cover the government's complex and over-contradictory agenda, and an increase in defence spending is simply not on the list." The current Italian government is a coalition between the leftist and populist party Five-Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right party Lega. The executive led by Conte, a law professor, has promised to increase public spending, including with pensions. Italy is also dealing with a migration crisis that adds to its expenses, while its banking system has yet to solve a huge pile of bad loans. At the same time, Italy has grown at a slower pace than its European peers and has the second-highest debt pile in the euro area. Data from the European Commission showed that its GDP rose 1.5 percent last year and is expected to slow down to 1.3 and 1.1 percent in 2018 and 2019 respectively. "Conte could deny the request for more spending on the NATO budget and as usual Trump won't be happy with it," Christiane von Berg, economist at BayernLB in Munich, told CNBC via email. Tweet 1 However, she added that "the question is if Trump likes Conte or not. In most cases, the comments in the press conference or Trump's tweets after that are mostly biased by the personal preferences the range here is between Macron, more as a friend, and Merkel, more as an opponent," she said. "As Conte is a more moderate representative of a right-wing government, he could be situated somewhere in the middle, as a tough negotiator who could be respected by Trump," Berg added. Trump and Conte met for the first time last month during a G-7 meeting in Canada. At the time, Trump tweeted that Conte was "a really great guy" and that "the people of Italy got it right." The two leaders have at least two points of convergence: Russia and the migration crisis. Conte has said that he agrees with Trump over Russia's return to the G-7 table. And when it comes to migration, both focus on its consequences. "I think Conte can shift the conversation to security areas where they agree," Jones said. Conte "will probably argue that Libya is a mess that Obama created, which will resonate well with Trump, that migration is very hard to control as a consequence, and that this migration poses a risk of terrorist attacks against Europe, U.S. interests in Europe, and even the United States," he added. Both leaders are set to address reporters in Washington at 2 p.m. ET. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort is set to become the first person to stand trial on charges brought through special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. Manafort's trial on bank and tax fraud charges is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. ET in a U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., and is expected to last roughly three weeks. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges lodged against him. Here's what you need to know to get caught up in time for Manafort's trial: Who is Paul Manafort? Manafort, 69, is a veteran political operative who had developed deep ties to the upper echelons of Ukrainian politics through the pro-Russian Party of Regions since the mid-2000s. He was paid millions for his alleged lobbying efforts on behalf of then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Manafort was hired by Trump's campaign in March 2016 and promoted to a top position in May 2016. He held the role for about three months before resigning on Aug. 19. What is he charged with? Federal prosecutors on Mueller's team have accused Manafort and his longtime partner Rick Gates, who also worked as a senior official on Trump's campaign of concealing tens of millions of dollars from the U.S. government by laundering the money through various offshore accounts. He has been charged in the Virginia case with bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and subscribing to false income tax returns. But isn't he facing two trials? Yes, Manafort faces similar charges in federal court in Washington, D.C. That trial isn't scheduled to begin until Sept. 17. Gates, who was also charged in that case, pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy against the United States and one count of lying to investigators. While Gates has pledged to fully cooperate with Mueller as part of his plea agreement, Manafort has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the D.C. case. Why was Manafort sent to jail before the trial even started? In a separate indictment filed June 8, the special counsel accused Manafort of tampering with potential witnesses and asked Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is presiding over the Washington case, to revoke Manafort's $10 million bail and detain him pending his upcoming trials. Jackson agreed, ordering Manafort to jail on June 15. Manafort's lawyers have appealed the decision. Why is he being prosecuted by the special counsel? According to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's May 2017 order, Mueller is looking at "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated" with Trump's campaign, as well as matters that arise from the investigation. Mueller's team has said it will not bring forward evidence regarding Russian collusion at the Virginia trial. But a court filing in July did show that Manafort secured loans worth $16 million between April 2016 and January 2017 from a "senior executive" who wanted Manafort to help him land a job as an advisor for Trump. So this case has nothing to with the probe of Russian election meddling? Manafort's lawyers have said from the outset that the special counsel's mandate was too broad and that Mueller had exceeded his authority. The judge in the Virginia criminal case, T.S. Ellis, has at times cast aspersions on the federal prosecutors' intentions in levying so many charges against Manafort. But Ellis later denied Manafort's efforts to dismiss charges against him and reaffirmed Mueller's authority in the case. What has President Trump said about this trial? While Trump has not specifically referenced the pending Virginia trial, he has recently weighed in on Manafort's legal developments. Before the June 15 hearing in which Manafort was sent to jail, for instance, Trump said, "Manafort has nothing to do with our campaign," adding that "I feel a little badly about" his former campaign chief's predicament. After Jackson announced her decision to revoke his bail, Trump tweeted that Manafort had received a "tough sentence." Trump tweet Does this trial hold any consequences for Trump? It doesn't appear that there's any direct link between the Manafort trial and Mueller's probe of potential coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. But both of Manafort's pending trials have been the subject of heavy speculation that Mueller is attempting to pressure Manafort into divulging any information he may know about that collusion probe. Judge Ellis himself voiced such suspicions in a May hearing, admonishing Mueller's team: "What you really care about is what information Mr. Manafort could give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump or lead to his prosecution or impeachment." Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said Monday that Manafort does not have any "incriminating" information on Trump. On the eve of the first federal criminal trial of Paul Manafort, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said Monday the president's former campaign chief "has no information incriminating of the president." "I know that for a fact," Giuliani said during an appearance on CNN's "New Day" show. "They can squeeze him he doesn't know anything." Giuliani then added: "He was with him for four months" a reference, short by one month, to Manafort's tenure with President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. If Giuliani is correct that Manafort does not have any damning information about Trump, Manafort may have a lot smaller bargaining chip to obtain leniency from special counsel Robert Mueller than many people in Washington suspect. There is widespread speculation, including by the trial judge, that Mueller's prosecution of Manafort is designed to get him to "flip," and give Mueller evidence that can be used against Trump. Giuliani's comments came days after reports that Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is willing to tell Mueller that the president knew in advance of a June 2016 attended by Manafort, Donald Trump Jr., Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and a Kremlin-connected lawyer in Trump Tower in New York. The Russian lawyer was granted the meeting by offering the Trump campaign negative information about the Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton. Trump and his son have claimed the president did not know about the meeting in advance, and both have said that the lawyer ended up not providing any information about Clinton. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, for the first of two scheduled criminal trials for Manafort. Neither cases are related to any actions by the Trump campaign. CIA Director Mike Pompeo testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on the threats the U.S. is facing worldwide at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, USA on February 13, 2018. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that Americans would invest in North Korea if the hermit kingdom opened its doors to private investment. "I am confident there are Americans who would want to invest in an open and rule-based North Korea," Pompeo said in an interview with CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera. "We've told Chairman Kim: If we can denuclearize your country, there is a brighter future for the North Korean people," Pompeo said. Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement last month committing to the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," though experts have debated the significance of the brief accord. Pompeo has previously said that private U.S. firms could be permitted to invest in a denuclearized North Korea, suggesting possible investments in agriculture and energy. Pompeo's CNBC interview came hours after the secretary of state announced $113 million in new investments across the Indo-Pacific region, which includes North Korea. "We are convinced that American engagement in the Indo-Pacific region benefits all countries in that region," Pompeo said Monday. "We want it to be free. We want it to be open." He said he would visit Malaysia , Singapore and Indonesia this week, where he would also announce new security assistance in the region. "These funds represent just a down payment on a new era in U.S. economic commitment to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," Pompeo said a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A senior U.S. official said the investments were not aimed at countering China's Belt and Road Initiative, which consists of mostly state-led infrastructure projects linking Asia, parts of Africa and Europe. The announcement comes at a time when trade frictions with China have given U.S. trade diplomacy a sharper edge. Building on President Donald Trump's "Indo-Pacific" strategy, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced $113 million in new regional investments focused on technology, energy and infrastructure. Pompeo said the United States "will oppose any country" which seeks to dominate the region in what appeared to be a reference to Beijing amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea. "Like so many of our Asian allies and friends, our country fought for its own independence from an empire that expected deference," Pompeo said. "We thus have never and will never seek domination in the Indo-Pacific, and we will oppose any country that does," he added. Countries in the region have been worried by Trump's "America first" policy, withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, and pursuit of a trade conflict with China that threatens to disrupt regional supply chains. The United States first outlined its strategy to develop the Indo-Pacific economy at an Asia-Pacific summit last year. "Indo-Pacific" has become known in diplomatic circles as shorthand for a broader and democratic-led region in place of "Asia-Pacific," which from some perspectives had authoritarian China too firmly at its center. Among the new investments outlined by Pompeo, the United States will invest $25 million to expand U.S. technology exports to the region, add nearly $50 million this year to help countries produce and store their energy resources, and create a new assistance network to boost infrastructure development. China's way, US way Speaking to reporters ahead of the speech, Brian Hook, senior policy adviser to Pompeo, said the United States was not competing with China's mostly state-led infrastructure initiatives. "It is a made-in-China, made-for-China initiative," Hook told reporters on a conference call. "Our way of doing things is to keep the government's role very modest and it's focused on helping businesses do what they do best." Critics of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to recreate the ancient Silk Road, say it is more about spreading Chinese influence and hooking countries on massive debts. Beijing says it is simply a development project that any country is welcome to join. Hook said Washington "welcomed" Chinese contributions to regional development, but said it wanted China to adhere to international standards on transparency, the rule of law and sustainable financing. "We know that America's model of economic engagement is the healthiest for nations in the region. It's high-quality, it's transparent and it is financially sustainable," Hook said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that he is on board with President Donald Trump's earlier declaration that he would sit down and talk with Iranian leaders. The interview, appearing on CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Monday, came two hours after Trump said during a press conference with Italy's prime minister that he would meet with Iran's leaders, without pre-conditions, "anytime they want." The secretary of State offered a more qualified take on the potential for top-level meetings with Iran, listing several pre-conditions. "We've said this before," Pompeo said. The "president wants to meet with folks to solve problems. If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, can agree that it's worthwhile to enter into a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he's prepared to sit down and have the conversation with them." U.S.-Iran tensions have intensified of late, after Trump tore up an Obama-era nuclear deal with the Middle Eastern nation and as the administration prepares to fully re-impose sanctions on the regime. It is far from certain Iran would agree to the terms outlined by Pompeo on Monday. In his first major foreign policy speech as secretary of State two months ago, Pompeo issued a list of 12 demands that would require Iran to essentially reverse several pillars of its long-standing foreign policy. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the demands "not acceptable." The Trump administration wants to tie a new nuclear agreement to limits on Iran's ballistic missile program and its role in regional conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere. It also wants to make permanent key aspects of the original accord that expire 10 to 15 years from the start of the deal. Iran has rejected those conditions. Earlier this month, Rouhani's chief of staff claimed that Iran rejected eight requests by the Trump administration to hold meetings between the nations' leaders on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly meeting last year. Asked about the claim, Pompeo said he would not speak about private conversations that may or may not have taken place. The first of two deadlines for foreign countries to wind down business ties with Iran arrives in just one week. The Trump administration is also pushing oil buyers to stopping importing supplies from Iran, the world's fifth biggest crude producer, by the second deadline at the start of November. Iran has recently threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, the world's busiest sea lane for oil exports, if the United States goes through with the oil sanctions. Iran's Houthi rebel allies in Yemen forced Saudi Arabia to suspend oil shipments through a nearby strait in the Red Sea last week after they attacked a pair of Saudi tankers. The secretary of State spoke with CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera hours after he announced $113 million in new Trump administration investments in Asia. A policy paper from the office of Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., contains 20 options for government to regulate technology companies. The proposals, which were sent to CNBC by Warner's office, are designed to protect consumers and stop the spread of disinformation. Although Warner, who serves as the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is in the minority, it is possible he could possibly find an ally in President Donald Trump's administration. David Redl, a senior U.S. Commerce Department official who oversees the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said in a speech on Friday that the administration is determining its own data privacy doctrine. Axios first obtained and published Warner's policy paper Monday. Some of the key points from the memo include: GDPR-like legislation, which would require tech companies to obtain individual consent to use consumer data, notify customers of a data breach within 72 hours and allow people to access their personal data and take it with them if they switch digital services. The memo also proposes legislating some of these requirements individually, rather than as a bundle. GDPR, a new EU law, has been rough for Facebook, which saw its number of daily active users fall by 3 million in Europe as the legislation took hold. The decline in active users contributed to the company's recent plunge in the stock market. Targeting bots and trolls. The paper proposes rules for tech companies to label bots accounts, which will be increasingly hard to distinguish from people as A.I. technology gets more sophisticated. Warner's paper also includes options for rules that would require tech companies to identify fake accounts and trace the origin of individual posts. Radically changing tech companies' legal duties to their customers and the public. One proposal would label major online service providers such as search engines like Google, social media networks like Facebook and Twitter, internet service providers like Verizon and Comcast and cloud services providers like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft "information fiduciaries." This new legal definition would require these companies, ubiquitous enough that consumers are dependent on them, to protect consumer data and pledge not to utilize the data for its own benefit, or for the benefit of third-parties. Another proposal, smaller in scope, would hold internet platforms accountable to state tort laws such as defamation and invasion of privacy in the ways a news publication might be. Expanding government reach. Warner's paper includes increasing military capabilities in combating cyber attacks from Russia and other adversaries, and responding with sanctions and other punitive measures. The paper also proposes empowering the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with rule-making authority and increasing its budget. Media literacy in schools. One proposal advocates for a public initiative to educate students from a young age about the internet. The program would entail federal funding and metrics, but be administered on a state-by-state basis. You can read the full memo below: Cold calls and emails have become an increasingly popular way to connect with even high-level executives. Billionaire investor Mark Cuban recently invested in two different start-ups run by 20-somethings who sent him cold emails. You could say Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Tesla CEO Elon Musk were early adopters: They used cold calls to land their very first internships. "I've never found anybody that didn't want to help me if I asked them for help," Jobs said, referring to the cold call in a 1994 interview archived by the Silicon Valley Historical Association. Here's how Jobs and Musk both used cold-calling to get a start on their professional careers. Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Steve Jobs At age 12, Jobs cold-called Hewlett-Packard's co-founder Bill Hewlett to request some leftover electronic parts and, to his surprise, Hewlett picked up the phone. At first, the exec was amused by the high schooler, and soon after, taking the young man more seriously, he offered Jobs an internship. "He laughed and he gave me the spare parts to build the frequency counter and he gave me a job that summer at Hewlett-Packard, working on the assembly line putting nuts and bolts together on frequency counters," Jobs recalled. "He got me a job in the place that built them and I was in heaven. Being willing to reach out and risk rejection is what separates "the people who do things from the people who just dream about them," Jobs said. Getting over your fear of failure, he added, can lead to success. "You've got to be willing to crash and burn, with people on the phone, with starting a company, with whatever," Jobs said. "If you're afraid of failing, you won't get very far." Elon Musk, multimillionaire, rocket scientist, Tesla and Space X founder, at his desk March 19, 2004, in Los Angeles. Paul Harris | Getty Images Elon Musk While studying physics at Queen's University in Canada during the early 1990s, Musk and his brother Kimbal cold-called numerous people they wanted to meet, including Peter Nicholson, a top executive at the Bank of Nova Scotia. Nicholson was impressed by Musk's determination to meet and gave Musk a summer internship at the bank, where he earned about $14 an hour and got to pitch new ideas to his boss. In one project Musk worked on, he wrote up a proposal for a bond trade that he estimated could be "the biggest opportunity ever, and nobody seemed to realize," he recalled in Ashlee Vance's book "Elon Musk." Although the bank's CEO rejected the proposal, the experience left a lasting impression on Musk. "Later in life, as I competed against the banks, I would think back to this moment, and it gave me confidence. All the bankers did was copy what everyone else did," Musk told Vance. "If there was a giant pile of gold sitting in the middle of the room and nobody was picking it up, they wouldn't pick it up either." One of Musk's takeaways was that "bankers are rich and dumb," he told Vance, and he kept that in mind when, in 1999, Musk launched his finance start up X.com. The site merged with Confinity in 2000 and became PayPal. Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Read more: The 3 traits Elon Musk, Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs have in common How Steve Ballmer went from making $50,000 a year as an assistant at Microsoft to becoming a billionaire With employers scrambling for workers, they're increasingly viewing summer hires not as temporary laborers to meet a seasonal surge in demand but as a tantalizing pool of potential employees. As summer jobs season enters its final weeks, more businesses are making permanent job offers to their seasonal workers, many of whom are accepting them, staffing experts say. The efforts are happening across age groups and industries, from high school graduates in restaurant and retail jobs to college interns in white-collar fields such as accounting, marketing and data analysis. "Companies are looking at this type of labor to play a bigger role," says JoAnne Estrada, global head of contingent workforce solutions for staffing firm Randstad Sourceright. "You're building a pipeline of talent for the future," says Amy Glaser, senior vice president of Adecco Staffing. That 4 percent unemployment rate is making for a tight labor market in which available workers are scarce, the staffing officials note. In May, there were more job openings than unemployed people for just the second month in the past two decades, according to the Labor Department. And 2.4 percent of all workers quit jobs, typically to take another one, the largest share in 17 years. As many as 15 percent of summer workers are being converted to permanent staffers across industries, Glaser estimates, up from 1 percent to 2 percent in past years. And up to half of college interns are accepting job offers, though many can't start until they graduate next spring, says Tom Gimbel, CEO of LaSalle Network, a Chicago area staffing firm. In late May, Jill Whitehead, 37, took a part-time temporary job at market research company Focus Insite, helping complete a rush of projects while other staffers took summer vacations. Whitehead's task was to round up about half of the total 45 participants in a focus group. Instead she quickly corralled all 45. "She was obsessed," says Jim Jacobs, president of the West Chester, Pennsylvania-based company. Within a few weeks, Jacobs offered her a long-term contracting job that will turn into a permanent project manager position as soon as she completes training. Jacobs is struggling to find workers, with only two of every 10 applicants qualified for his openings, down from four or five previously. "I said to myself, 'Somebody's going to hire (Whitehead) so I might as well be the one,' " he says. Read more from USA Today: MoviePass crashes after running out of money Economy grew 4.1 percent in the second quarter, fastest pace in four years Cheesecake Factory has a rare deal for National Cheesecake Day Monday, plus other specials For Whitehead, the job is a godsend. For seven years, she freelanced part-time as a project manager, executive assistant and website developer. But the single mother couldn't snag a full-time job because she needs to largely work from home to take care of her four children. When she heard Jacob's offer, "I was ecstatic," she says, "I love getting people" for focus groups "and arranging the project. It makes me feel on top of the world ... I'm going to retire from the company." Many firms also "are branding" temporary jobs in new ways, Glaser says. In lower-wage industries such as restaurants, retail and hotel recent high school grads may be offered permanent jobs as cashiers or waitresses but provided training that places them on a track to be shift managers. And they're sometimes given performance reviews during their summer stints, she says. In office jobs, college interns are granted broader opportunities. Jobs traditionally limited to research and data gathering could involve more data analysis, Estrada and Glaser say. And clerical workers who show a spark may be offered training and a job in sales or customer service, Gimbel says. In warehouses and call centers, workers of all ages brought on to meet seasonal peaks such as the back-to-school sales season are being asked to stay on, Glaser says. The trend is offering fresh chances to some temporary workers who otherwise would not make it through a standard corporate hiring gauntlet, Gimbel says. At two Cat & Cloud Coffee cafes in Santa Cruz, California, co-owner Charles Jack typically makes a job offer to one of the five summer workers hired to meet peak traffic in July. This year, he converted four of the five summer hires mostly college students or grads to permanent employees in the cafes, a coffee roasting plant and administrative offices. "It can be hard to find people," he says. Lexi Smith, 26, a cafe worker, graduated from college with psychology and prenursing degrees before teaching seventh grade for two years. But she didn't like the workload and was determined to find a job in the area. When her husband prodded her to do something she loved, "the only thing I could think of was the Cat & Cloud," she says. "After a long day of teaching, that's where we would go. The environment makes you feel good." She started as a temp in May but Jack quickly offered her a permanent job. "She took it upon herself to learn, in detail, about all the coffees we serve" so she can answer customers' questions and remembers customer names and drinks each time they come in, he says. For Smith's part, "It's a very creative environment" where she's encouraged to pitch ideas. She looks forward to eventually becoming a manager or perhaps a marketing specialist. "I never would have expected this," she says. President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "anytime they want to," and that he would impose no preconditions on such a meeting. "They want to meet, I'll meet. Anytime they want," Trump said. The president's comments came amid escalating tension between the U.S. and Iran. Earlier this month, Trump threatened Rouhani in an all-caps post on Twitter that called out the Iranian leader by name. Trump tweet A meeting with Rouhani would be "good for the country, good for them, good for us, and good for the world," the U.S. president said. It's not clear whether Iran would accept any proposed meeting, particularly given the threats the president has issued. In July, Rouhani's chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, said that Trump had asked eight times for a meeting with Rouhani, and was rejected each time, according to a state-run news agency. Asked by CNBC on Monday about reports that Iran had rebuffed the administration's overtures, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he would not speak about private conversations that may or may not have taken place. Pompeo said he is on board with Trump meeting Iran's leadership, but he outlined several conditions for that meeting. Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May after failing to marshal international support for a tougher approach to the Middle Eastern country. The European Union is trying to salvage the accord, which placed limits on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. "If we could work something out that's meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet," Trump said Monday, pointing out that it would be good for the United States, Iran and the world. In pulling out of the agreement, the Trump administration restored wide-ranging sanctions on Iran. His administration is pushing oil buyers to stop purchasing crude from Iran, the world's fifth largest oil producer, by Nov. 4. The ultimatum cut Iranian crude imports to zero or face U.S. sanctions has ratcheted up tension in recent weeks. Iran has threatened to shut down the world's busiest sea lane for oil shipments. Its allies in Yemen, the Houthi rebels, forced Saudi Arabia to suspend oil shipments through another critical chokepoint in the Red Sea after they attacked Saudi tankers. Trump, whose White House has stylized him as the "ultimate negotiator and dealmaker," stressed the high stakes of any potential meeting with Rouhani. "Speaking to other people, especially when you're talking about potentials of war, and death, and famine, and lots of other things you meet," he said. "There's nothing wrong with meeting." The president cited his administration's negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian leader Vladimir Putin as examples of his successful bilateral negotiations. "As you know, with Chairman Kim we haven't had a missile fired in nine months, we got our prisoners back, so many things have happened so positive," the president said Monday. Trump said his summit with Putin was a "great meeting in terms of the future." Vaezi has warned against making comparisons between North Korea and Iran, according to the July article. "The characteristic of this Establishment and [Iranian] people is that they will not yield to pressure," he said at the time. "Trump should know that Iran and its people are different from North Korea and its people." The president's remarks Monday came during a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. The two met earlier in the day in private. Reuters contributed to this article. More players arriving in ride-hailing business - News In English 30/07/2018 Ubers recent exit from Vietnam has prompted many local and regional companies to eye a larger slice of the ride-hailing market in the country. VOH Dow component Caterpillar (CAT) is the headliner among this morning's corporate earnings reports, with Bloomin' Brands (BLMN), First Data (FDC), Seagate Technology (STX) and Simon Property (SPG) also set to report. After-the-bell reports today include AK Steel (AKS), Denny's (DENN), Illumina (ILMN), KLA-Tencor (KLAC), Rent-A-Center (RCII) and Unum Group (UNM). (CNBC) * Why beaten-down Dow stock Caterpillar is still a buy (CNBC) The only economic report of the day comes at 10 a.m. ET, when the National Association of Realtors issues its June report on pending home sales. The measure of home sale contracts signed but not yet closed is expected to be unchanged for the month, after falling 0.5 percent in May. (CNBC) Futures were lower this morning with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both down for the past two sessions. However, despite a 2.5 percent drop over the past two trading days, the Nasdaq's 12.1 percent year-to-date gain is still more than double that of the S&P 500. (CNBC) President Donald Trump called on Congress to enact sweeping immigration reform, including a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and threatened a federal government shutdown if Democrats refused to back his proposals. (CNBC) CNBC has learned that the political network funded by billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, Freedom Partners, is unveiling the latest phase in a multi-million-dollar campaign against import tariffs implemented by Trump. * Charles Koch, network send GOP a message: We're happy to back Democrats who share our policy goals (CNBC) * BMW will hike prices on 2 US-manufactured SUVs in China to cope with tariffs (Reuters) Trump told talk show host Sean Hannity that he could imagine the economy growing at 8 or 9 percent just hours after the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed that GDP rose 4.1 percent in the second quarter of this year. * New York Times publisher chides Donald Trump over 'fake news' claims (USA Today) Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 85, said in New York she hopes to stay on the Supreme Court for at least five more years, according to CNN. She has already hired law clerks for at least two more terms. The trial of Trump's onetime campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, will begin this week. Manafort's financial crimes trial, the first arising from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, will center on his Ukrainian consulting work. (AP) The death toll from a Northern California wildfire rose to five with the discovery of remains believed to be those of a missing elderly woman and her two great-grandchildren. More than 38,000 people remained under evacuation orders Sunday around the city of Redding. (Reuters) The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that American Express' (AXP) foreign-exchange unit for more than a decade recruited business clients with offers of low currency-conversion rates before quietly raising their prices. The board of CBS (CBS) will be discussing misconduct allegations today against CEO Leslie Moonves, according to multiple reports. Those allegations came in a New Yorker magazine article, followed by a statement from Moonves that he regretted making some women uncomfortable by making advances. A system-wide computer outage at American Airlines resulted in a brief nationwide halt Sunday for the company's flights. American's outage ranged across U.S. cities, with customers complaining of delays from Chicago to Minneapolis. (CNBC) Starbucks (SBUX) is partnering with food delivery platform Ele.me for deliveries in China, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. Ele.me is controlled by Chinese online retail giant Alibaba (BABA). [The stream is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a joint news conference on Monday with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who Trump described as "a really great guy" after meeting him at the G-7 summit in Canada last month. The two met earlier Monday for a private conversation, during which the White House said the two leaders would "look to deepen cooperation in addressing global conflicts and promoting economic prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic." Experts have said the two leaders could have trouble reaching an agreement on elevating Italy's defense spending, a point Trump has regularly used to berate other NATO allies. Italy is facing a tough financial situation domestically, facing sluggish growth and the second-largest debt load in the euro zone. But the two are on the same page on other issues, such as Russia's re-admittance to the G-7 and the necessity for restrictive immigration rules. Speaking to reporters in Brussels earlier this Month, Trump praised Conte's "strong" immigration policies. "If you look at Italy Giuseppe, who I got to know quite well over the last month and a half, he won his election because of strong immigration policies on Italy," Trump said. Turkish President Recep Erdogan hit back Sunday at his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump's threats of "large sanctions" on the country. But Erdogan may have to restrain himself, as the last thing Turkey's already-troubled economy needs is another blow. "You can't make Turkey step back with sanctions," Erdogan was quoted as telling reporters during a visit to South Africa. "If the U.S. does not change its stance, it should not forget that it will lose a strong and sincere partner." Trump floated the potential sanctions Thursday over Turkey's ongoing detention of American evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson, who was arrested in 2016 on charges of being involved in the failed military coup to oust Erdogan. Brunson has consistently denied the charges. While he didn't offer details of what any sanctions might entail, Trump's threat alone was a source of concern for both investors and the Turkish government, which have been witnessing the downward spiral of an increasingly battered economy. Last week, the Turkish lira plunged around 4 percent after the country's central bank failed to raise interest rates despite soaring inflation. The decision deepened market fears that the bank was not independent from Erdogan, who has railed against rate raises in favor of faster economic growth. Zimbabwe holds presidential and parliamentary elections on Monday in which the top two contenders, President Emmerson Mnangagwa and main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, have promised to revive an economy ruined under Robert Mugabes 37-year rule. Below are five facts about the voting: Zimbabwe has 5.7 million registered voters who are expected to cast their ballots at 10,985 polling stations dotted around the southern African nation. Voters directly elect a president, 210 members of parliament and more than 9,000 councillors. Sixty women will be appointed through proportional representation to the House of Assembly while 60 people will be appointed in the upper Senate chamber via the same system. Voting starts at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and ends at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). Vote tallying and counting starts immediately after the close of polls and results for council, parliament and president are posted outside each polling station. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will announce winners for parliament in their constituencies, while results for president will be announced at the commissions headquarters in Harare within five days of voting. Indian refiners ordered about 12 percent less Iranian oil in June than in May, when the US said it would reintroduce sanctions on Iran, but sales remained around 50 percent higher than a year ago. Refiners in India, Iran's top oil client after China, are weaning themselves away from Iranian oil after the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal. The first set of sanctions will take effect on Aug. 6, and the rest, notably in the petroleum sector, following a 180-day "wind-down period" ending on Nov. 4. Indian refiners bought around 664,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian oil in June, according to a statement presented by oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the lower house of parliament. Although that represented a fall from the previous month, purchases were still higher than a year ago. "Indian refineries imported 1.9 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in June 2017 and placed orders for 2.82 million tonnes in June 2018," Pradhan said in the statement. India's state-refiners, which account for about 60 percent of the nation's overall 5 million bpd capacity, curbed Iranian imports in 2017/18 due to a row over the development rights of a giant gas field. However, the state refiners raised imports in the current fiscal year starting in April after Iran offered free shipping and an extended credit period of 60 days. Iran became the second biggest oil supplier to Indian state refiners after Iraq in the April to June period but India has warned of a drastic cut in imports from the OPEC member. India loaded about 715,600 bpd oil from Tehran in the April-June 2018, a growth of about 45 percent from the previous quarter, the data presented in parliament showed. India's monthly oil imports from Iran declined by about 16 percent, according to tanker arrival data obtained from sources. Iran is now offering to insure oil cargoes to India after some insurers stopped providing the service in the face of the impending sanctions. Lashing out at the current dispensation in Tamil Nadu, the counsel for Vedanata in National Green Tribunal (NGT) Aryama Sundaram - alleged political motivations behind the closure of the Tuticorin facility. Sundaram argued before the NGT that the chief minister had made statements before the media promising permanent closure of the plant. The counsel argued that politics is the reason that led to the closure of Vedantas copper smelter facility in the Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu. In May, after widespread protests against the copper smelter, police firing had claimed 13 civilian lives. The ensuing furore led to the Tamil Nadu government directing permanent closure of the facility on May 28. Vedanta had moved the NGT to appeal the Tamil Nadu governments order for permanent closure. The counsel for Vedanta argued that the plant was responsible for meeting 80 percent of Indias copper demands. He also argued that the plant closure would indirectly affect as many as 1 lakh jobs, indirectly. Arguing against the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board's (TNPCB) refusal to renew the Consent to Operate, Sundaram argued that this decision by the state pollution control board had nothing to do with the emissions. Meanwhile, the state of Tamil Nadu argued vociferously against granting any relief to Vedanta. It submitted that any fears of leakages were misplaced and that state agencies were acting to ensure that there were no risks. On Vedanatas plea, the Tamil Nadu government counsel argued that they objected on the principal issue of maintainability. The NGT has now directed the Tamil Nadu government to file its reply not just on the legal point of maintainability, but also on the merits of Vedantas petition. NGT will now hear the case on August 9. The result for Pakistans general elections is yet to be concluded. But going by the current circumstances, the cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan is set to become the next Prime Minister of Pakistan. What does it mean for India? Imran Khan in the election manifesto of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has mentioned initiating strategic talks with India on a host of issues including trade between the two neighboring countries. This could mean that the trade ties between India and Pakistan might improve and New Delhi might also get the non-discriminatory market access. Here is a look at the bilateral trade between the two nations over the years Around $2.4 billion worth of trade took place between India and Pakistan during 2017-18. While India imported goods worth $488.6 million from Pakistan, it exported products valued at $1.9 billion during the year. India had a trade surplus of around $1.4 billion with Pakistan. The total trade witnessed an increase of around six percent during the year against a dip of 12 percent in the previous fiscal. The trade between the two countries started to improve a bit between the year 2010-11 and 2013-14. However, the rate of growth decelerated in the subsequent years. India-Pakistan recorded the highest bilateral trade during the year 2013-14 at $2.7 billion. Fruits and nuts are the most imported commodity from Pakistan followed by salt, sulphur and mineral fuels and mineral oils. While, Indias exports to Pakistan is dominated by cotton, organic chemicals and plastic articles among others. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday visited a private hospital in Chennai to inquire about the health condition of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Naidu said doctors informed that Karunanidhi's condition was stable. "Visited Kaveri Hospital and met former Chief Minister Thiru Kalaignar Karunanidhi. Met his family members and doctors and enquired about his health. Doctors said he is stable. Wish him a speedy recovery," Naidu tweeted. Last night, the hospital had said, "Karunanidhi's health condition continues to remain stable with ongoing active medical support. He is continuously being monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors in the ICU." The 94-year-old DMK president, who is being treated for fever due to urinary tract infection, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Kauvery Hospital yesterday following a dip in his blood pressure. Besides Naidu, TMC leader Derek O'Brien also visited the hospital. "I came here on behalf of the TMC and Mamata Banerjee. I met M K Stalin and Kanimozhi and inquired about Karunanidhi's health," he said. For over 30 years, weve thought of PCs primarily as Windows machines, which we owned and controlled. Thats about to change forever. This isnt about Microsoft forcing us off Windows 7 to Windows 10 as fast as it can (though it has found many ways to push that agenda). This is about Microsoft abandoning the Windows platform as a conventional desktop. Microsoft is getting ready to replace Windows 10 with the Microsoft Managed Desktop. This will be a desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) offering. Instead of owning Windows, youll rent it by the month. DaaS for Windows isnt new. Citrix and VMware have made a living from it for years. Microsoft has offered Remote Desktop Services, formerly Terminal Services, for ages. Microsoft Managed Desktop is a new take. It avoids the latency problem of the older Windows DaaS offerings by keeping the bulk of the operating system on your PC. But youll no longer be in charge of your Windows PC. Instead, it will be automatically provisioned and patched for you by Microsoft. Maybe youll be OK with that. Unless youve been under a rock, you know IT departments have not been happy with Microsofts twice yearly major upgrades to Windows 10. Lets call it what it is. These arent upgrades or updates; theyre service patches (SP). Take the Windows 10 April 2018 Update please! It came with more than its fair share of bugs. What was especially annoying was that Update fouled up so many of Microsofts own programs. When even Word, Outlook and File Explorer lock up, you know youve got a mess on your hands. Computerworlds Woody Leonhard even recommended that, unless you were stuck with the April Update, you turn off automatic updating. Hes right to do so. Windows patching was always chancy, but with Windows 10 youre more likely to have trouble when you patch than you are to avoid problems. And isnt that a heck of a note? So, with this track record, do you want to pay good money to let Microsoft maintain your desktops for you? Yeah, thats what I thought. Nonetheless, DaaS Windows is coming. Microsoft has been getting away from the old-style desktop model for years now. Just look at Office. Microsoft would much rather have you rent Office via Office 365 than buy Microsoft Office and use it for years.Microsoft Managed Desktop is the first move to replacing your desktop with a rented desktop. By 2021, I expect the Managed Desktop to be to traditional Windows what Office 365 is to Office today: the wave of the future. Or maybe tsunami, depending on your perspective. Im not happy with this development. Im old enough to remember the PC revolution. We went from depending on mainframes and Unix boxes for computing power to having the real power on our desktops. It was liberating. Now Microsoft, which helped lead that revolution, is trying to return us to that old, centralized control model. Forget that noise. If Microsoft continues on this course, soon your only real choices if you really want a desktop operating system will be Linux and macOS. Oh, youll still have Windows. But Windows as your personal desktop? It will be history. 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He writes in a personal capacity. Back in November 2017, ConservativeHome was kind enough to publish a series of four articles entitled Ready on Day One For Brexit. Given the increasing possibility of a no deal Brexit, ConHome is re-running the series. I have taken the opportunity to read back over my thoughts from what now seems like an age ago. Many seem to me to remain pertinent. Some (not enough) have been overtaken by events, and other issues have emerged over time. I have therefore marked them up where I feel that is required. Where the text matches my current opinion, I have let it stand. Today, in the first of my series of articles on contingency planning for a no deal Brexit, I will focus on the money, covering What we should be prepared to pay in the absence of an agreed free trade agreement (FTA). A mechanism for resolution of rejected claims. What we should be prepared to pay if and when a satisfactory FTA is in place. The EU has taken its cue in these negotiations from Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. Show me the money has been the demand from the very beginning. When history looks back on these negotiations, if they fail, it will not treat this venal attitude kindly. The EU will be seen to have put short-term budgetary interests ahead of its longer-term strategic interests. The UK has been a massive net contributor to the EU, despite sharing few of its ambitions, over many years. A serious, sensible EU would take this into account, and would seek to reach a creative agreement with the sixth largest economy in the world, right on its doorstep. But history is for tomorrow, and we have to live in the present, so heres what I would do as regards the money. First, if there is no deal. We are signed up until March 2019, so we should pay our share of the budget until then, with the possible exception of funds to be drawn for projects which will extend beyond it. I have previously calculated the exit bill at around 5 billion, plus a share of the pension liability at around 7 billion. I would set out these figures and I would also set out what the EU has been demanding, showing what has been accepted and what has been rejected. UPDATE: Comments from my previous series convinced me that this would not be wise. I would no longer recommend laying it all out in this way. Technically, legally, it seems that we are not obliged to pay a penny on leaving the EU but, in the interests of goodwill, I would propose that we agree to pay a total of 12 billion as our divorce bill, payable even in the absence of a free trade agreement. However, I would not pay this immediately. I would make payments subject to three undertakings: First, an undertaking by the EU to invest in facilities and staff to administer trade flows between the UK and the EU, and undertakings that all efforts will be made to ensure smooth trade flows. Second, an undertaking by the EU to mirror the rights we give to EU citizens in the UK with similar rights for UK citizens in the EU and then preservation of those rights. Third, confirmation by the EU commission of the regulatory equivalence of the City of London and its various entities. I would agree that delayed payments (over five to ten years) will accrue interest at the blended financing rates of the EU member states, so that no member state is put out of pocket by the delayed payments. If these undertakings are not given, or if they are not subsequently respected, I would pay nothing whatsoever, as we are legally entitled to do. Our Government has rightly made much of the fact that the UK respects its legal obligations. I would propose that the EU be invited to bring any claim it believes it has against the UK government before an international tribunal, as already suggested by Charlie Elphicke and by Martin Howe. We should also set out what we would be prepared to pay were there a comprehensive free trade deal between the UK and the EU. I would propose that this figure be capped at what we have already offered: an additional circa 17 billion for the two year transition period. (UPDATE: the actual Brexit divorce bill has been set at 37 billion (according to the IFS) as compared to the 29 billion I had assumed. This would imply dangling a carrot of 25 billion for a free trade deal. I am neutral on whether it is right to continue to hold out such a large sum to tempt the EU to agree a free trade deal. On balance, I probably would, but what I would not do is pay this sum for what Michel Barnier is now calling a political declaration on our future relationship. That is worthless. I see two options: promise the money when the final agreement is signed, or, better (as it reflects the need for the EU to secure its short term funding), loan the money to the EU, with an agreement to waive repayment of the loan when the deal is ultimately signed. This is fully justified by the fact that our agreement to pay the divorce bill was always subject to everything being agreed.) The basis for this figure (UPDATE: by which I mean my original figure of 17 billion) is not driven by EU budget logic. It is driven by an assessment of the likely costs of tariffs and damage to the City to the UK taxpayer. I would leave this figure on the table for the EU to take up when an acceptable FTA is agreed, but I would be clear that we will deduct the costs we incur in preparation for a no deal Brexit if they make us wait. How do I get to this figure? Assuming WTO tariffs became payable on imports from the EU, and assuming that the EU applied the external tariff to our exports to the EU, a rough and ready calculation suggests that the frictional costs would be about 18.5 billion a year. We could make changes to our import tariff regime to reduce this by roughly 2.8 billion a year, by suspending or eliminating import tariffs on many categories of products. I will address this proposal in my upcoming article on a suggested tariff regime for the UK in future. Lets assume that our importers and exporters suffer an increase in costs of half of the remaining frictional costs of circa 15.7 billion per annum (which is pessimistic given the direction of flows, but lets be prudent). That will, all things being equal, reduce corporate profits by around 8 billion, reducing income for the Treasury by 19 per cent (the corporate tax rate) of this figure: i.e. 1.5 billion a year. However, offsetting this, the UK would experience a net increase in tariff income (after applying the proposed tariff regime to non-EU imports as well) of about 7.1 billion a year. So the introduction of even limited tariffs between the UK and the EU would increase government income. Assuming that corporations seek to restore their profitability by reducing costs and increasing productivity, they will lay off workers. Assuming they lay off workers to save 6.5 billion per annum, the Government would lose taxes worth about 30 per cent of this amount in lost income taxes, or about 2 billion. Layoffs would in theory add up to 230,000 people to unemployment rolls. In a worst case scenario, assuming the benefit cap of circa 400 per week per couple, this would lead to extra costs for the government of 2.4 billion a year. Those employees laid off would also suffer a drop in their income of about 4 billion a year, which would reduce VAT receipts by about 0.75 billion a year. Clearly, there would be second-order effects, but these become increasingly difficult to calculate and there are likely to be as many positive as negative second order effects, so I would stop the calculations here. (UPDATE: I got a bit of stick for this. I am unable to satisfy myself that it is worth delving further into second order effects to come up with a larger number when this is taxpayers money being spent.) However, as noted above, we are where we are, and I do not think it is worth walking away from a deal, if it is a good deal, for the sake of 8 billion (the difference between my calculation of the value of a deal and the price the government has agreed to pay).) Where would this leave us, then? The Government receives a net increase in tariff income of 7.1 billion, loses 2 billion of income taxes, spends 2.4 billion on benefits and loses 0.75 billion in VAT. It is 2 billion per annum better off. Then lets give some credence to those who believe that our financial services industry will take a hit. Oliver Wyman estimated this at between 0.5 billion and 10 billion in lost taxes. Taking the mid-point of what is a very pessimistic assessment, theres around 5 billion per annum of lost taxes. So my feeling is that the UK exchequer will, all-in, be around 3 billion a year worse off after a hard Brexit as compared to having a free trade agreement (which, vitally, would also have to cover financial services). Obviously, that would be more than compensated by the saving on contributions to the EU, but those will stop whether or not there is an FTA, so that can be ignored in this analysis. So if the UK going to lose 3 billion in tax revenues per annum, what should we be prepared to pay to get a free trade deal to avoid this? The range is quite wide. On the one hand, if we take the cost of borrowing over 30 years for the UK exchequer, it is currently a little less than two per cent. Using this as a basis, these 3 billion a year would allow 67 billion to be borrowed and repaid over 30 years, so, in theory, we could pay that to the EU and be neutral. But that would be to assume that the UK economy would not regain those lost tax revenues for 30 years. In reality, the UK economy will respond. My working hypothesis would be that, after ten years at the very latest, the UK economy would have adapted. So I would assume that the impact reduces to zero in year eleven, and therefore would take the annual cost of 3 billion and multiply it by five, to come to a figure of roughly 15 billion. A little less than we have already indicated that we would be prepared to pay for the transition period That is what I would consider an FTA with the EU to be worth. If it came to paying more than that, I would choose to walk away, and use the money saved to borrow for investment in infrastructure and housing, which would boost the UK economy and more than offset the friction of tariffs and the impact on the City. You, and the Government, may disagree. Perhaps you feel we should pay more, perhaps less. The important thing is not the number: it is the logic. The important thing is to come at it from a cold analysis of our interests, and not simply by responding to the media hysteria by meeting the EU half way between their outrageous demands and our starting-point. And one other thing comes clearly out of this analysis: the only FTA worth having is one that covers financial services and keeps completely free access for and to the City. I would leave that offer of two more years of contributions on the table for the EU to consider (UPDATE: 25 billion, structured as a loan, with repayment to be waived only if there is a signed deal) and then turn our focus to the contingency planning. The first issue is our future tariff regime, and that will be the subject of my next article. Dr Rami Ranger CBE is a founder and Chairman of Sun Mark Ltd, and Sea, Air & Land Forwarding Ltd. A longstanding Conservative Party supporter he has been appointed Conservative Friends of India Co-Chairman alongside Zac Goldsmith MP. Captain Jay Singh-Sohal is a media, communications and engagement consultant, and Director of Communications for Conservative Friends of India. When you next walk through the corridors of St Stephens Hall in the Palace of Westminster, take a look to your right and ponder the depiction of an opulent and colourful Indian court of the mid-17th Century. The painting of Sir Thomas Rose at the court of Ajmer captures the scene more than 400 years ago as the British diplomat was received by the then Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1614. On the agenda was, of course, trade between the fledgling East India Trading Company and a land of fine jewels and exotic spices. The cards were clearly in the hands of the locals but, despite suspicions, the highly important meeting was successful in giving the British a first step into the subcontinent. Fast forward four centuries, through thick and thin, civilities and atrocities, and we find that that first diplomatic meeting is paying dividends for both Great Britain and India and has the potential to be even more fruitful. Trade has since flourished to more than 15 billion a year between our two nations. According to the ONS, our exports to India were worth 5.7 billion in 2016 while imports were valued at 9.7 billion last year. What started with tea, condiments and rice, has now spread into other industries, with the UKs top imports from India being pharmaceutical and apparel; while we export electrical machinery, airplanes and optical photographic equipment amongst other items. Indias investment here includes renowned brands such as Jaguar Land Rover, Tetley Tea and Typhoo, as well as investments in the IT industry and the Port Talbot steel works in Wales. According to the Grant Thornton India Tracker 2016, Indian companies in the UK have a turnover of more than 26 billion and employ more than 110,000 people (36 per cent of these in the automotive industry, and 35 per cent in industrial products). UK exports to India peaked at around 8 billion in 2013 but have since dipped by nearly 3 billion. It is a sad reflection that Belgium exports twice as much to India. To address this, Liam Fox announced in January 2018 that UK Export Finance, the official export credit agency, would make 4.5 billion available for trade including 2.75 billion in support for UK companies exporting to India and for Indian buyers of UK goods and services. But there is still more to be done to meet the immense potential for further growth in a post-Brexit world, when you consider that the Indian market is worth more than 200 billion. We must act quickly to capitalise on these opportunities and to strike a free trade deal with the subcontinent. A good place to start would be for the Government to appoint a dedicated trade envoy to India, one who has the connections and clout in both countries to prepare the ground for trade deals. There are already such envoys to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but the Indian role is currently vacant. We are in a good position to make headway, as one of the key factors behind our enduring connection to India is our people those migrant communities of which we are proud to form a part, that have successfully integrated into the UK and prospered while maintaining our cultural and familial roots with the land of our forebears. It is people that will drive our deeper connection with not just India but fellow Commonwealth nations. One such avenue for this is the Conservative Friends of India (CF India), relaunched with new talent to ensure our party, indeed our country, can capitalise on the diaspora link to an economy that will become the worlds fourth largest in four years time. Nicky Morgan is Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, a former Education Secretary, and MP for Loughborough. Each summer, the veteran Conservative Norfolk MP and my fellow One-Nationer, Keith Simpson, prepares a suggested reading list for all of us as we prepare to spend time on our sun loungers. But since this summer recess is essentially just a pause in the Brexit process rather than a proper break, Id like to offer seven additional points for other MPs to reflect on between now and late August. 1. UK politics is in a bad place. As the nations elected representatives, the Commons, and by extension Ministers, are struggling to come up with a response to the EU referendum. Solving this problem in the context of our representative democracy is something we are all equally responsible for. Words such as treason, betrayal and the enemy have become far too commonplace. Both main parties are almost irretrievably split, but in totally different ways. 2. The anti-semitism in the Labour Party is truly chilling. Just read Daniel Finkelsteins recent Times column in which he records how difficult writing some of the words in it were for him personally. The Momentum takeover of Labour is almost complete. Who will follow John Woodcock out of Labour? 3. The EU fault line in the Conservatives is visceral and now fully revived. For many of us, the Prime Ministers capitulation to the ERG amendments on the Customs Bill, which were intended to fatally undermine the Chequers proposals, was a watershed moment. 4. The centre ground of British politics is vacant. The demographics of the UK are changing. There are now 1.4 million people now on the electoral register who werent there in 2016. We know that anyone under the age of 47 was more likely to vote Labour last year than Conservative. Their views and attitudes arent changing in a more pro-Conservative direction as they get older. Appealing to older voters and UKIP-inclined voters is not a long-term strategy for the Conservative Party. Millions of people now identify with no mainstream political party. If we have an early general election, who do they vote for? 5. Im not the only one concerned with what is happening to the Conservative parliamentary party. But taking to Twitter isnt enough. That isnt where parliamentary votes are won or lost. MPs who hold ministerial office obviously cant vote as they please. Others can weigh up their word and their votes much, much more carefully. I hope they will. 6. Some in todays Conservative Party are missing the fact that we are a pro-business and pro-enterprise Party. That doesnt mean never criticising business, nor failing to ask it to do more for the people of this country. But does mean that Conservatives should understand how businesses start up, how they grow, how they employ people and how they trade. Businesses contribute to our economic success. And if we fatally undermine our economy, or turn a blind eye to its fate during the Brexit process, then the Conservative Party will write itself out of the political history of the UK. 7. Almost every other policy is subservient to Brexit. Only when a major international storm, such as events in Syria or the Salisbury poisoning happen do we get a Brexit respite. Whitehall is consumed with Brexit and has almost no band with to deliver on any other substantive reforms. The long-awaited green paper on social care reform was promised for summer 2018, now we are told it will be in the autumn. Those who think we can just do Brexit and then talk about other things are deluding themselves. Even Jacob Rees-Mogg has admitted that Brexit wont be done for 50 years. In any event, apart from Brexit, there appears to be no coherent overall narrative to what the Government is trying to do whilst in office even the burning injustices and the just about managing dont get a mention anymore. I recently sent a constituent a link to my last ConservativeHome column. He wrote back and said I read your article as suggested, interesting stuff. I was though horrified at the racist and homophobic comments made in response, plus the personal attacks on yourself. To think people hold such views is a real worry. This is what ordinary people see when they look at us now. There is an after-dinner joke which speakers use when speaking to local Party associations about new born kittens who, after a few days, open their eyes. The speaker draws a contrast between Labour supporters who keep their eyes closed in order to pretend the world is as they imagine it to be, and the Conservatives who have their eyes wide open to deal with the world as it really is. There are far too many Conservatives at the moment whose eyes are shut and whose fingers are crossed as they hope for something to turn up. Happy holidays. 07/30/2018 Photo (c) Roman Tiraspolsky - Getty Images The New York State Public Service Commission voted 3-0 on Friday to rescind its approval of Charter Communications' merger with Time Warner Cable. The Commission alleges that Spectrum, the states largest TV and Internet service provider, repeatedly failed honor commitments when it came to properly serving customers. The merger was approved in 2016 on the condition that the company extend its services to 145,000 homes within four years, with a focus on unserved or underserved areas of the state. Now, regulators say Spectrum has made clear that it has no intention of providing the public benefits upon which the Commission's earlier approval was conditioned. After more than a year of administrative enforcement efforts to bring Charter into compliance with the Commissions merger order, the time has come for stronger actions to protect New Yorkers and the public interest, Commission Chair John B. Rhodes said in the official announcement. Charters non-compliance and brazenly disrespectful behavior toward New York State and its customers necessitates the actions taken today seeking court-ordered penalties for its failures, and revoking the Charter merger approval. The company has been ordered to cease its operations in the state, as well as pay a fine of $3 million. Spectrum must also provide uninterrupted service during the transition period. Charter intends to contest Charter Communications, the owner of Spectrum, has been given 60 days to formulate an exit plan while the state seeks a new service provider. Charter has said it will contest the order and has claimed the commissions actions were politically motivated. In the weeks leading up to an election, rhetoric often becomes politically charged, the company said. But the fact is that Spectrum has extended the reach of our advanced broadband network to more than 86,000 New York homes and businesses since our merger agreement with the PSC. Our 11,000 diverse and locally based workers, who serve millions of customers in the state every day, remain focused on delivering faster and better broadband to more New Yorkers, as we promised, the company said. Aija Leiponen, a professor of applied economics and management at Cornell University says the dispute could result in a long court battle. "I see legal ramifications, and they will take some time," Leiponen told Syracuse.com. "I expect thorough and tedious negotiations between them, but I wouldn't rule out a major lawsuit." We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds.. General Electric is looking to sell key parts of its digital division as part of its restructuring efforts, according to The Wall Street Journal. Jeff Immelt, GE's former CEO, established GE Digital as its own business in 2015 in a bid to transform GE into a "digital industrial" company. But following Immelt's resignation last year, his successor, John Flannery, has narrowed the industrial Internet of Things vendor's ambitions significantly. The Journal reported on Monday that Boston-based GE has retained an investment bank to run an auction for GE Digital, though it's not exactly clear what part of the business is up for sale. Potential buyers include software companies and industrial firms that are looking to invest more in digital efforts. A company spokesperson said GE doesn't comment on rumor or speculation. GE's restructuring, which was prompted by a dramatic drop in its stock price last year, has already resulted in plans to sell its ownership stake in gas services company Baker Hughes, as well as spin off its healthcare and railroad locomotive divisions. The company said in late June that it plans to become a " simpler, stronger, leading high-tech Industrial company" by focusing on its aviation, power and renewable energy businesses. Under Flannery's leadership, GE Digital has cut jobs and scaled back efforts to provide services for a broader swath of industries. Last fall, the company told CRN that it was pivoting its focus from the GE Predix IoT platform, which helps industrial customers collect and analyze data, to applications built on Predix, which includes solutions for asset management, among other things. Two channel chiefs at GE Digital, Kevin Ichhpurani and Carolee Gearhart, left the company this year to take executive roles at Google. Guy Taylor, an executive who has been with GE Digital since 2016, is the divisions acting channel chief, according to the GE spokesperson. GE Digital has said that it's looking to grow by exploring a mix of technical, go-to-market and investment partnerships. Most recently, the division announced a partnership with Microsoft to integrate the Predix portfolio with Azure. Bill Ruh, CEO of GE Digital, told The New York Times in April that Predix-related revenue was $550 million last year while sales were growing rapidly. GE Digital's total revenue was $4 billion in 2017, which also includes sales from GE's traditional industrial software. Jim Gillespie, CEO of GrayMatter, a Warrendale, Pa.-based GE Digital partner, told CRN that he's not surprised to hear the news, but he's optimistic that the division will continue to be an important partner, whether it remains at GE or is sold to another company. "We think all of [GE Digital's] solutions are really top-notch," he said. GE Digital's pivot to an apps-based approach has fit well with GrayMatter's strategy, Gillespie said. At the company's annual Transform conference this week, GrayMatter plans to highlight a case study about how GE Digital's Brilliant Manufacturing software has helped the T. Marzetti Company, a manufacturer of specialty foods, significantly improve its manufacturing operations. "We're delivering just significant savings to their business, and it's millions of dollars in costs savings," Gillespie said. About 10 or a dozen GE Digital employees are expected to attend GrayMatter's week-long conference in Ohio, according to the CEO. "We've got a super strong relationship with GE Digital," Gillespie said. "It's never been stronger." Firefighters are working around the clock in California to stop fires in the Redding, California area. Six people have already died in the fires and another seven people are missing. Three victims that have been named are Melody Bledsoe and her two great-grandchildren. Bledsoe, 70, reportedly, covered her great-grandchildren with a wet blanket to try to save them. "I would've liked to have went in there and died with them," Ed Bledsoe, Melody Bledsoe's widower, told CNN. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, and thousands have had to evacuate, according to CBN News. "We lost stuff. We still have our health. Other people here don't," said one resident. The Carr Fire started about a week ago outside Redding, California, and doubled in size over the weekend, according to Reuters. More than 3,000 firefighters battling the Carr Fire started gaining control of the blaze Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Strong winds had strengthened the fires, but have started to drop to moderate speeds. There are some 17 wildfires in the California area. Temperatures are in the 100-degree range. But firefighters who are working long hours are also helping the community. One group of firefighters who had ended their shift bought stickers for children who had lost everything. "Kids started coming back to their homes and it was all burnt. We gave them some stickers, but we didn't have any teddy bears and stuff," one firefighter said. President Donald Trump has issued an emergency declaration for the area. Publication Date: July 30, 2018 Photo Courtesy: Thinkstock KATHMANDU: The Government of China is to provide assistance through various projects to the social development endeavours of Nepal. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Social Welfare Council and the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) to run projects in the field of community development, livelihood, disaster management, skills-oriented training, education and health services. The MoU was signed on Sunday evening, according to the Council. The MoU was signed by Minister for Women, Children and Elderly Citizens Thammaya Thapa on behalf of the Council and on behalf of China by visiting Chinese Deputy Minister for External Affairs Wang Yajun. Minister Thapa also chairs the Social Welfare Council. On the occasion, Minister Thapa stressed the need for strengthening age-old relations between the two countries at the people-to-people level, while saying the agreement would help the countries to establish cooperation and coordination for their socio-economic development. Deputy Minister Wang expressed happiness over being able to support the development and prosperity of neighbouring Nepal. The Port of Amsterdam has a long list of inaugural cruise ship visitors in 2018 including the Viking Sea, Mein Schiff 1, Star Breeze, Aegean Odyssey, Viking Sun, Berlin, Le Laperouse and Le Champlain. And of course, we are excited that some of our existing clients increased the number of calls in Amsterdam. As well, we are happy that Disney Cruise Line is calling in Amsterdam this year, said Dick de Graaff, commercial director. The year should total 186 cruise calls for 400,000 passengers as the industry grows and Amsterdam becomes an increasingly popular cruise call. If the current growth rate continues, the city could see around 250 calls annually by 2023. The port accommodates as many vessels as it can at its passenger terminal, and is transparent about other berth solutions for conflicts, advised de Graaf. We want to keep an open dialogue with our clients; we want to be transparent in our policies and find suitable solutions for all parties, he said. That means discussing challenges such as overtourism and sustainability; working together is key to profitable business for both ports and cruise companies. A potential bridge project in Amsterdam could make things complicated for the turning basin that big ships use. If the bridge were to be built (at the northern part of the city), the port authority is investigating options for building a new terminal for big ships, and using its existing terminal and quay for smaller vessels. A decision is expected by the end of the year. Among other challenges is a potential head tax on both transit passengers, with the port working closely with legal advisors and the Cruise Lines International Association, a non-profit group headquartered in Washington D.C., to combat the issue. And there is a challenge about the increasing pressure on over tourism, continued de Graff. Cruise ships are very visible, but they only count for less than 1 percent of the total number of visitors in Amsterdam. The former Louis Majesty is heading for a new career with Mano Cruises, as the 1,460-guest vessel will be renamed Princess Iris and join the company. Louis plc said it sold the ship to an overseas buyer last week. A spokesperson for Mano confirmed the transaction but said future deployment is not finalized yet. "We are currently examining several charter possibilities mainly in Far East and Japan where we have strong business activities in other sectors (in Japan) so we know this region well," the spokesperson told Cruise Industry News. The 1992-built ship is currently laid up in Athens, but is expected to enter service following a refurbishment by the Israeli company. "Mano has expertise in the Israeli market, which is a small niche market which requires specialization in special cruise experience for Israeli market, with Kosher facilities, activities in Hebrew and so forth," the spokesperson said. "Also our market includes small percentage of tourists who visit Israel and would like to combine their visit with a cruise to Cyprus and Greece." The Majesty launched as the Royal Majesty for Majesty Cruise Line in 1992. The 40,876-ton ship has capacity for 1,460 guests. She sailed recently on a charter agreement with Marella Cruises, which came to a conclusion last year. She has also spent time under the Norwegian Cruise Line and Star Cruises banners over the years. Mano has been down to one ship for the last two seasons with the 959-guest Golden Iris in operation, as the Royal Iris was sold to Rosmorport in 2017. The 1975-built Golden Iris originally launched as the Cunard Conquest, and also spent time with MSC before joining Mano in 2009. "If Princess Iris will be on charter elsewhere, Golden Iris will continue its regular operation during season 2019," the spokesperson added. In addition to its cruise line, Mano Maritime is heavily involved in cargo shipping as an owner and manager of cargo vessels. It also acts as the agent for various shipping lines based in Spain, the Ukraine, Greece, Germany and Russia. American Airlines will introduce a big change in the rules for domestic Basic Economy fares in September -- one that could shift the balance in what major airlines will let you carry on board when you travel on their cheapest fares. Basic Economy fares are the lowest prices available at American, United and Delta, but they come with significant restrictions. Airlines introduced these fares two years ago, which were immediately derided by frequent travelers as a ploy for airlines to raise regular economy class fares. About the only time it makes sense to buy one is if you are on a short flight with little or no luggage. American's current rules for domestic Basic Economy tickets (and for flights to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean) allow purchasers to bring nothing more than one personal item on board i.e., one that fits beneath the seat, like a pack, briefcase or purse. The fare does not include a carry-on bag that goes in the overhead bin or a checked bag, unless the passenger pays a fee. The rules do allow one carry-on and one personal item for Basic Economy customers who are AAdvantage elite members or holders of American credit cards. But American said that effective September 5, domestic Basic Economy fares will permit one personal item and one carry-on bag for all purchasers. That brings the policy into line with Delta's domestic Basic Economy fare rules, and also with the policy for international Basic Economy fares. A checked bag will still incur a fee, however. Once American implements the new policy, that will leave United as the only one of the Big Three U.S. carriers that limits domestic Basic Economy travelers to just one personal item. (United does make an exception for domestic Basic Economy travelers who are MileagePlus Premier members, a primary cardmember of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card or a Star Alliance Gold member. Those customers can bring a full-size carry-on bag aboard for no fee.) Given the state of competition in the airline industry, United will be under considerable pressure to bring its Basic Economy carry-on policy into line with Delta's and American's. For now, though, a spokesperson told us, "We are always reviewing our fare offerings to give customers options that best fit their needs. In addition to providing customers more fare choices, Basic Economy enables a smoother boarding process, more overhead bin space and fewer customers having to check their bags at the gate. These benefits contribute to our overall operational success including over the last 18 months when United flights departed on time more often than any other U.S. airline." Hmm. Let's see how long that lasts... American There's one potential drawback to the new policy at American and the existing one at Delta, however: Basic Economy ticket purchasers are the last to board the aircraft. Since so many flights are going out full or nearly full these days, those travelers might have a hard time finding overhead bin space to stow their carry-ons at the last minute and might end up having to surrender them for checking in the baggage hold. Alaska Airlines is expected to become the fourth carrier to jump on the Basic Economy bandwagon sometime this fall with a new Saver fare category. Alaska's Saver fares will also allow one personal item and one full-sized carry-on bag. Unlike competitors' Basic Economy products, Alaska's new fare will reportedly let purchasers select a seat in advance for no fee although it will have to be in the back of the plane, and Saver ticket holders will still board last. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis. NEW HAVEN Seven years of sexual misconduct with a young man cost a Shelton lawyer his license, $215,000 and 13 years of freedom Monday. "There are more questions than answers about what happened ... about what you are going to do in the future," U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer told Peter Kruzynski, the 51-year-old Jesuit-educated lawyer standing before him. "You're really a risk to go back, explore and cross the line again." But Kruzynski, a stocky gray-haired man wearing prison khakis, insisted he is not a pedophile. While addressing the judge, he turned to the dark-haired, bearded victim sitting in the courtroom with his mother, father and grandmother and apologized. His victim was 11 when the assaults started in April 2009. It was unclear how the two met. "I'm deeply sorry, truly sorry about the pain I caused," Kruzynski said. "I can't even say your name ... This is going to mess us both up for the rest of our lives." The judge's remarks date back to 2016, when Kruzynski was briefly free on bond. The U.S. Probation Department discovered he was viewing a website containing "fantasy stories about children engaging in sexual acts with adults as well as spending hours on Facebook looking for pictures of the victim." He also researched ways to commit suicide, according to court documents. As a result, Meyer revoked Kruzynski bond on Oct. 24, 2016. The now-suspended lawyer has spent the past 645 days behind bars while waiting for his case to be resolved. He pleaded guilty in January to using the internet to entice a minor into sexual activity, a charge that carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison. Meyer chose to go higher. When questioned about his 2016 online activity by the judge, Kruzynski said he began accessing the internet looking for publicity generated by his arrest. "I don't know what was going through my mind," he said. "Maybe anger ... maybe rebellion against the ankle monitor. I don't have a great explanation..." Moments before Monday afternoon's sentencing, Kruzynski and his lawyer, Eugene Riccio, reached a $215,000 settlement with the now 20-year-old victim and his lawyer, Jon Einhorn, on a federal civil suit. Riccio handed Einhorn a check for $100,000, covering the first installment. But Monday did not represent the end of Kruzynski's court appearances. He is scheduled to appear in Milford Superior Court Tuesday to answer state sexual assault charges stemming from the case. In October 2009, after he and the victim had known each other several months, Kruzynski, who is a graduate of Fairfield Prep, Georgetown University and Syracuse law school, allayed the parent's concerns by completing his church's VIRTUS program which attempts to educate adults on recognizing and preventing sexual abuse of children. Just two months later, on Pearl Harbor Day, Kruzynski began sexually abusing the boy, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel. The prosecutor said sexual activity took place "on average two or three times per week over the years." It continued until the victim turned 18 and was about to go away to college. Patel said Kruzynski then threatened to post pictures of their activities on the internet as well as use his legal skills to deter the victim's dream of a career in criminal justice. The victim turned to police a day after Kruzynski threatened "to blow it up" and "we will see (what your ) girlfriend thinks...You can kiss criminal justice goodbye." "This crime didn't harm just one person," Patel said. "The victim, his mother, his father, his grandmother spent hours in my office explaining how much they suffered." Meyer encouraged them along with the victim to seek help as needed. He told the parents: "My heart goes out to you as well ...This is not your fault." NEW MILFORD Its been more than a week since the town administration decided not to renew the police chiefs contract and questions remain about what led to the decision. Was it because of officer turnover? A budgetary decision? A relatively new mayors law enforcement philosophy? No one knows for sure or at least, no one is saying. Mayor Pete Bass announced the decision not to renew Chief Shawn Boynes contract earlier this month when someone accidentally posted the job position on the police departments web site. Bass, who could not be reached for comments despite several attempts during the past week, took responsibility for the error but didnt give a reason for the move. He referred questions instead to human resources director Greg Bollaro, who also would not disclose what led to the decision. At the end of the day, we were not able to come to terms with the contract, Bollaro said Monday. The mayor wants to go in a new direction, but what that direction is I cant say until we have a candidate in place. But we have a lot of respect for the chief and hes done some great things with the department. Boyne, who has previously served as a commander with the State Police and could also not be reached for comment Monday, had served as the towns chief for nearly eight years. His contract is set to expire in October. The chief was afforded the opportunity to work through the end of his contract, Bollaro said. Boyne earned $122,000 last year; the chiefs position is now advertised at a salary of $97,000 a year. Town Council member Peter Mullen said he is as much in the dark as the rest of the community, but would like to hear an explanation. The police chief is a very important position in town and if all of a sudden the contract is not getting renewed that should be up for discussion and explained by the mayor and the director of personnel, he said. Mullen said he was surprised to hear that the chiefs contract was not getting renewed, noting that there had been no discussion about the position during council meetings. While Mullen admits to missing the most recent meeting, nothing he said was mentioned on the councils agenda or within the minutes of the meeting. From my perspective, when a chief is hired, thats an issue thats brought before the council, so in the same sense, if you are not renewing a contract, then the council should get the opportunity to weigh in on that decision, he said. Mullen said he would also like to hear more information on why 17 members of the police department, which has a total of 46 officers, have left within the past four years. I would love to look at their exit interviews and see what they said on the way out, he said. Wethersfield Police Chief James Cetran, who serves as president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, said to lose more than a third of your department in four years is certainly out of the norm. Thats certainly quite a few officers to lose in just four years, but there could be a myriad of different reasons, he said. But that is more than the normal turn over. Its not unheard of that a new politician comes to power and wants to change the philosophy. That often happens from the top. Bass, who was sworn into in December, is serving the first of a two-year term. Boyne was hired by former Mayor Pat Murphy, who also renewed his contract four years ago. Cetran, who has about 50 members in his department, said that if he lost 17 officers in recent years, hed probably have a heart attack. It can be a hard position to fill, and remember it takes more than 10 months of training before a new hire hits the streets, he said. dperrefort@newstimes.com CORRECTION: This article was corrected with the proper name of Town Council member Peter Mullen. NEW HAVEN All their lives, the Bangladeshi couple worked to see their only child become the first in their family to pursue a college education. They were overjoyed when their son, Samir Mahmud, 17, graduated June 19 from Engineering and Science University Magnet School and was ready to attend Quinnipiac University at the end of August to begin training for a career in software engineering. Five days later, however, his mother, Salma Sikandar, on a routine visit to the Hartford office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was told to buy a ticket to Bangladesh to leave by Aug. 23 to return to that country after almost 20 years. This is our dream. If his mother goes on the 23rd, he is going to college on August 27. His mothers lifelong dream was to go with him on the first day of college, said her husband, Anwar Mahmud, a manager at McDonalds in North Haven. Five days after she is scheduled to depart, Samir will turn 18. A resident in the country since 1999, she overstayed her visa, and in 2011, when they came here from New York so their son could attend a better school, she applied to ICE to remain in the U.S. She appealed for a cancellation of removal due to an exceptional hardship because of her then 11-year-old sons asthma. This legal avenue is open to undocumented residents here for at least 10 years who have relatives that would suffer sufficiently without them in the U.S. The familys immigration attorney, Robert Wang, said the Immigration Court in Hartford ruled it was a very close case, but the judge found the hardship was not strong enough. Wang said they are now asking the Board of Immigration Appeals to reopen the case. He said ICE has the discretion to let Sikandar stay until the appeal is heard. More News Connecticut approach to reuniting immigrant families seen as model for country The attorney said he would not have any fight with ICE if they were deporting someone with a criminal record or with no ties to the U.S. She has a U.S. citizen child. She has never been arrested and she works, Wang said. The attorney said she is also part of her husbands case. He is seeking to stay his removal order because as a Mormon, his life could be in danger in Bangladesh, where members of a minority religion are persecuted. Sikandar has lost multiple appeals over the years, but is now waiting for a ruling from the Board of Immigration Appeals. The first request is to issue an emergency stay; the second request is to reopen the case, which her husband said usually takes four to six months. We need everybodys help to give us some time. We followed every single thing they are asking for. We bought the ticket. They already have her passport. We want to follow the law, Anwar Mahmud said. His wifes next check-in with immigration is Tuesday. We cannot live without her. We are a close family. We have never been separated. We have always been together, Anwar Mahmud said. He said the last week has been terrible for them. Samir Mahmud said they are in a state of despair. His father said they were elated with the prospect of watching their son go off to college. We did not have that kind of chance to go to college. They are not only separating families on the border. They are separating them here in Connecticut, here in New Haven. He is hoping U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Sen, Chris Murphy Mayor Toni Harp will reach out to help them. We dont have any organized group here. We are a very quiet family, so we dont know where to go for help, Anwar Mahmud said. Our time is going fast. We want to appeal to the judge. If the judge says, OK they have to go, that is different. But lets fight for it, Anwar Mahmud said. State Rep. David Yaccarino, R-North Haven, who has offices across from the McDonalds where Mahmud works, said he knows the family well. These are good people, Yaccarino said. He said they came here to make a life for their family and have done that. The state representative said these are the kind of people we want in America, self-supporting and paying their taxes. Yaccarino said when he is asked by residents how he can speak up for them because they are undocumented, he said the residents come around after he explains their situation. Yaccarino said he called ICE and was told if Sikandars paperwork is in order, she should get an extension. ICE was asked last week to comment on Samir Sikanders status, but did not answer an email. Anwar Mahmud worked at McDonalds when they lived in New York before coming to Connecticut. When he first got to this state, he worked at a gas station. John McKnight, who is the independent operator of the McDonalds where Anwar Mahmud works, said Mahmud came to him several times seeking a job four years ago. When he finally hired him, I realized how many of my customers he knew from his previous job who were happy to see him again. He said Salma Sikandar is a woman who would do anything for you. This is a woman who has done nothing. It is really horrible, McKnight said of their situation. Anwar Mahmud said he has been in the U.S. for 25 years, his wife for almost 18 years. All of a sudden, if she has to go, everything will be upside down, he said. If she goes, I dont know how I am going to stay. She is my mother. Both my parents are my support. ... I want to experience my college life growing up with them, not without them, Samir Mahmad said. We want to be with him. We want to give him guidance as much as we can give to him, his father said. We are surviving people. We are not hurting anyone. We go to work, we come back home. We have never spent a night out without each other. Samir is upset his mother now has to wear an ankle bracelet. He said ICE knows where they are. They know their history. We are absolutely clean people, he said. She is not a danger. She is just a mom. His father said they are not going to flee. This is our life, he said. They know where I work. Samir said it makes no sense to have a pending case, but before it can be resolved, his mother will be deported. It is a waste of resources, he said as they sat in their modest home in the city. His father said ultimately he wants his son to get all that he deserves. We want him to be educated. We want him to be a good human being. Everything the holy book says: Be good to your neighbor. Be good to your family. The simple principle things we are teaching him. Anwar Mahmad said they have no plan if his wife is deported. Samir, who was on the student council at ESMUS, said his family taught him to fight for what he thought was right. He said he will minor in political science at Quinnipiac since he sees what his parents are going through. My parents always put me first. That is why I dont want to live without them, Samir Mahmad said. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 Lawmakers in the Republic of Macedonia scheduled a referendum for Sept. 30 to complete an agreement to rename the country, a necessary step for it to join NATO and start accession talks with the European Union. The Balkan country of 2 million people signed an accord with neighboring Greece last month to solve a decades-long dispute over the name "Macedonia." Greece, which has a region with the same name, agreed to withdraw its objections to its neighbor's accession efforts if it renamed itself as "The Republic of North Macedonia." Lawmakers voted 68 to zero on Monday to back the government's proposal for the referendum, with the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party boycotting the vote. The referendum will ask voters "Do you favor EU and NATO accession by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?" Speaker Talat Xhaferi said at a session streamed live from the parliament in Skopje. "Today we're not just writing history, we're creating conditions for our state, for our only home, to become a European state, a part of the European family," Tomislav Tuntev, the ruling Social Democrats' legislative whip, told lawmakers. "The EU and NATO are our only alternative. We don't have any other option." Both countries continue to face staunch opposition to the agreement from home and abroad as Russia opposes the further expansion of the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's struggling to maintain influence in a region where the countries of the former Yugoslavia look to western political structures as a promise to boost living standards that are well below the European Union average. In Macedonia, President Gjorge Ivanov, an ally of the VMRO-DPMNE party, has vowed to block the referendum and prevent the deal from taking place, saying it violates the country's constitution and hurt his country's nationalist interests. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has already overruled one of the president's vetoes. Nationalist protesters have also taken to the streets to denounce Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for agreeing to the name change. Ties between Moscow and Athens took a turn for the worse this month when Greece expelled two Russian diplomats for spying and bribing civil servants. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization approved Macedonia's membership bid under the condition that the accord is finalized, and the EU said it may start accession talks next year upon progress in domestic reforms. WALLINGFORD One of the men arrested in connection with the killing of two people outside the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in 2016 alleges it was self-defense, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. Kyle Hampton, 23, of Half Mile Road, North Haven, is charged with two counts of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and tampering with physical evidence. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, according to online judicial records. Travis Ward, 31, and Jaquan Graves, 20, both of New Haven, were killed during a shootout following the performance of hip-hop artist Meek Mill. Concertgoers were leaving around 11:15 p.m. when gunfire was exchanged in the parking lot of the theater. Responding officers found Ward and Graves, both unresponsive with gunshot wounds, next to a dark-colored Mazda Protege MP3, along with three other victims who had gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening. It was determined Ward and Graves arrived in the Mazda with three other men, all of whom were initially uncooperative with investigators. Two of the men later told investigators an argument ensued in the parking lot between them and another group of men who were in a BMW and almost ran them over, the arrest warrant affidavit says. One of the men described Graves, who allegedly was in the middle of the altercation, as highly aggressive. The other alleged Graves threatened to kill the occupants of the BMW, according to the warrant affidavit, Shortly thereafter, the two men who spoke to police said, gunfire was exchanged on both sides, with multiple shots striking Graves and Ward. One of the men said he recognized the BMWs occupants as members of a rival gang who had had previous feuds with Graves, the warrant affidavit says. A victim and a witness also provided investigators a detailed account of the incident. The victim told officers that, as the two separate groups were arguing, the driver of a blue BMW got out of the car and fired several shots toward the area where Graves and Ward were standing, the warrant affidavit says. The witness provided police with a description of the alleged shooters BMW and the first two letters of the license plate. Officers then cross-referenced the possible vehicles with a list of tickets purchased for the concert, and identified Hampton as a person of interest. On Jan. 20, 2017, officers obtained search and seizure warrants for Hampton, his residence and his BMW, and found 4.2 ounces of marijuana in his possession. He was charged with possession of marijuana greater than 4 ounces and taken to the police station, the warrant affidavit says. During an interview, Hampton admitted he attended the Meek Mill concert officers had found a jacket matching the clothing description of one of the shooters and a Meek Mill concert ticket inside the jacket pocket. While he initially said he left before the shooting, he later said he got into his car and drove off after hearing gunfire. When officers asked Hampton why witnesses placed the shooter in his BMW, he said someone may have been using it as a shield, according to the warrant affidavit. Almost a month later, Hampton called police and said he wanted to meet to clear his name. This time, he told investigators he went to the concert with two friends and Tivon Edwards, 33, who is also charged with two counts of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm in connection with the Oakdale homicides. After initially claiming he went straight home after the shooting started, he said he had been involved in the altercation but only as a bystander, the warrant affidavit says. He said the other group of men was acting wild and aggressive toward his friends, and, upon hearing shots, he ran to the passenger side of the BMW and ducked down. Using his BMW as a shield, he said he leaped into the drivers seat and took off, the warrant affidavit says. In November 2017, Hamtpon was again questioned about his involvement in the Oakdale shootings, following an investigation and his subsequent arrest for alleged illegal sale of marijuana. During this interview, he said a group of men from New Haven, which included Graves, was acting crazy and got into an argument with his friend after the group nearly kicked his friends vehicle, according to the warrant affidavit. Despite alleged attempts from Hampton and another individual to pacify Graves, Graves allegedly didnt listen and continued to argue. Hampton said Graves claimed to have a gun and walked toward Hamptons BMW with one drawn, the warrant affidavit says. Hampton told police he repeatedly asked what Graves was doing, but Graves didnt respond, allegedly just continuing toward the car. Hampton said he opened the car door and shots rang out. Hampton allegedly once again asked what Graves was doing, but the 20-year-old didnt answer. As Graves approached Hampton, he became scared, so he took a .40-caliber Glock out of the glove box and fired at Graves, Hampton said, according to the the warrant affidavit. Hampton said he retreated to the rear of the car and ducked for cover. After the shooting, he said he left the scene alone. He initially said he threw the gun somewhere after the concert, but later said he gave it to Edwards and didnt know what happened to it after that, the warrant affidavit says. A database search revealed Hampton doesnt have a valid pistol permit. The warrant affidavit says a male informer, who contacted investigators in early March 2017, told them Edwards allegedly said people ran up on him that night, so he and Cousin K, whom the informer knew to be Hampton, took care of business. The arrest warrant says Edwards statements and descriptions of events leading up to the scene are consistent with witness statements. jessica.lerner@hearstmediact.com; @jesslerner on Twitter From Pillar to Post WHO PUTS THE MOST PRESSURE ON YOU - YOURSELF OR OTHERS? There is pressure that is imposed upon us by others. Then there i... REVIEW: The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty SYNOPSIS In the surreal and paranoid underworld of wartime Prague, fugitive lovers Felix Andel and Magdalena Ruza make some dubious ... 25 Questions to Ask Your Grandparents If you want to start (or are in the middle of) gathering family stories and family history, it helps to talk to older relatives. In ca... My 2019 A to Z RC Sign-up The 2019 A to Z Reading Challenge is hosted by Megan at the Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest blog. Click the Pinterest-friendly sig... Guwahati: The troops of Assam Rifles had seized huge quantity of contraband drugs worth Rs 1.29 crore in the international market in Manipurs Moreh town area. According to the reports, based on intelligence input the Tengnoupal Battalion of Assam Rifles had intercepted an Eeco Van bearing registration number of MN02B 4199 at Khudengthabi Check post along Imphal-Moreh National Highway (NH - 102) on July 27 evening. A top official of Assam Rifles said that, during the search, the security personnel had recovered approximately 258 grams of heroin powder from a woman travelling in the vehicle. The woman carrying the drugs was identified as Haulunching Zou (25) from Phaicham Vegas, Moreh sub-division in Tengnoupal district . Later, the apprehended individual along with the seized items have been handed over to Moreh police station. Security forces had earlier seized huge quantity of drugs in Moreh, bordering town along with Indo-Myanmar border. On the eve of Mexico's election, even before the National Electoral Institute called the results, President Donald Trump tweeted congratulations to the presumptive victor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The two leaders followed up the next day with a congenial phone call. The following week three U.S. Cabinet secretaries, along with senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, headed to Mexico City to meet their counterparts and the president-elect. The press and markets have taken these gestures as signs of more positive relations ahead. Don't be too sure. These initial niceties paper over deep chasms in priorities, positions and domestic politics. A blow-up may not be far away. Lopez Obrador's recent letter to Trump shows how different his take is on what a promising bilateral relationship entails. The seven-page missive lays out his economic development plans for Mexico, in minute detail, and reflects his view that the solutions to bilateral challenges of migration, security and commerce depend on Mexico's economic advancement. It is safe to say Trump has little interest in ambitious plans to plant 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of trees in Mexico's most poverty-ridden states, much less any inclination to help finance this venture. The same goes for Lopez Obrador's infrastructure goals: refineries in Tabasco and Campeche, a bullet train from Cancun to Palenque or a rail corridor connecting the Pacific to the Atlantic across the southern Isthmus of Tehuantepec in a bid to rival the Panama Canal. This U.S. administration isn't big on partnering on economic development. Look for Lopez Obrador to be turned down or ignored on the economic issues that matter most to him. Likewise, he is unlikely to be the NAFTA partner Trump is looking for. The incoming president supports keeping the 25-year-old free trade agreement, recognizing the benefits for investment. His designated trade lead, Jesus Seade, is working with the current Mexican negotiating team to prepare to pick up the mantle, joining them in Washington talks. Despite Trump's demand and veiled threats to quickly reach an agreement, Lopez Obrador and his team aren't deviating from Mexico's current redlines - including the sunset clause, dispute settlement mechanisms and auto content rules - or showing any interest in bilateral talks, something Trump has also been encouraging. There is also little common ground on Central American migration. Led by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, the U.S. has pushed for a safe third-country agreement, which would force Central Americans passing through Mexico to apply there for asylum. While this would largely solve the U.S. problem - border agents could turn back every man, woman and child seeking refuge - there is less than nothing in it for Mexico. The new government would struggle to process tens if not hundreds of thousands of refugee applications and to build the infrastructure and camps required to house desperate Central Americans - a crisis potentially overwhelming Lopez Obrador's young presidency. And the Trump administration looks unwilling to provide the billions of dollars Europe has used to gain Turkey's acquiescence to a similar deal. Instead, it is still fighting Congress for billions for a border wall. The two leaders are equally at odds about how to lessen these migration flows over time. Lopez Obrador calls for a comprehensive regional economic development plan to attack the root causes of migration. Trump has proposed cutting such aid to Central America by nearly $200 million, or 30 percent each of the last two years. Security cooperation, too, looks to be interrupted. Every change in administration brings something of a pause. Yet this halt will be prolonged by Mexico's plans to create a new Public Security Secretariat, National Guard, and intelligence agency; setting up these new bureaucracies will delay the start of a yet to be defined domestic security strategy. And even once it is up and running, it won't be headed in the same direction as the U.S. Lopez Obrador's ministerial appointees are talking about legalizing marijuana, providing amnesty for illicit crop farmers and expanding scholarships as ways to reduce violence. This doesn't jibe with the Trump administration's hard-line approach to regional security. Diplomatically, cooperation on an imploding Venezuela (let alone Nicaragua or Cuba) is also about to fade, as Mexico's new leadership reverts to a more traditional hands-off international approach. Washington won't be pleased. Of course, few traditional allies have remained in the U.S. president's good graces. Just ask Canada's Justin Trudeau, Germany's Angela Merkel, Japan's Shinzo Abe and France's Emmanuel Macron. As the 2020 elections approach, Trump will be tempted once again to demonize Mexico. With his own base to feed, Lopez Obrador will be hard pressed not to respond in kind. Lopez Obrador closes his letter to Trump by talking about how they both overthrew the "establishment" in their rise to office. What he misses is that this establishment actually cared about Nafta, the Dreamers and Mexico more broadly. True, the deepening partnership of the last 25 years has been more an anomaly than a norm. Yet even during past disagreements, despite mutual suspicions and distrust, the two nations found ways to work together. If a standoff between presidents leads back to a more institutional relationship, away from the personalization of the last year and a half between Jared Kushner and outgoing foreign minister Luis Videgaray, that, too, may set the relationship on a steadier path. Just don't expect it to be better. - - - O'Neil is a senior fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to take full political mileage out of the huge industrial investment, which according to the state government, has begun to pour into Uttar Pradesh. Felicitating entrepreneurs, who were in Lucknow to mark the commencement of their promised investment of Rs 60,000 crore in 81 different projects across the sprawling state, Modi described it as a "record-breaking" achievement. "This is not just a ground-breaking ceremony, but a record-breaking achievement for which the credit goes to not only state chief minister Yogi Adityanath, but also his team of officials," he told a massive gathering of industrialists in the state capital on June 29. Significantly, this was Modi's second visit to Lucknow in two days. He was here on June 28 to lay the foundation for 99 projects worth Rs 3,897 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Amrut Yojana and the Smart City Mission in Lucknow. Virtually in poll mode, he also held an interactive session with beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Even though the UP government could manage to translate only a fraction of the memorandums of understanding worth Rs 4.28 lakh crore signed at an Investors Summit held at the same venue Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in February 2017, the Prime Minister chose to term it as a huge achievement. He said, "The fact that the UP CM and his team have been able to translate Rs 60,000 crore worth of MoUs into reality is no mean achievement and that too in a state like Uttar Pradesh where any investment was considered a big challenge." He went on to add, "Looking at the success story scripted in a matter of five months and the state's potential, I can predict that the day is not far when UP will also become another trillion economy." Interestingly, he had made the same remark about Maharashtra, while addressing the February Investors Summit in Mumbai. Without explaining how, he claimed that the investments already in the pipeline would generate as many as two lakh jobs in UP. Meanwhile, Yogi Adityanath also claimed that UP had emerged among India's five key states distinguished for 'ease of doing business'. Contrary to reports about increasing rapes and crimes against women, the Prime Minister chose to give credit the UP CM for "bringing down crime in the state". He further sought to praise Yogi Adityanath for "holistic vision and inclusive action", when the UP chief minister is widely known for not missing a single opportunity to give a communal turn to anything and everything. Referring to the huge mandate that he got in UP in 2014, which propelled him to the Prime Minister's chair, Modi sought to give a political twist to his address. "I had promised the 22 crore people of this state that I will repay them for the huge support and love they gave me, and that is what I have started to do now," he said. Modi also made it a point to clarify that unlike the past, when investment was largely limited to Noida and Greater Noida, it was now going to be evenly spread across the entire length and breadth of the state. Describing India as the second-largest mobile hub in the world, he hailed Uttar Pradesh for emerging as the largest manufacturer of mobiles in the country. "In fact, UP now has the world's biggest mobile manufacturing factory," he pointed out. As if to invoke the memory of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who remained a popular member of Parliament from Lucknow for several terms, Modi sought to recall his (Vajpayee's) rich contribution towards building the country's infrastructure and claimed to be fulfilling the ailing veteran BJP leader's dream. He said, "Now, by cleaning up the coal ministry, that stood completely blackened, we have succeeded in ensuring large-scale improvement in the energy sector." He went on to add, "It is heartening to announce that the energy reforms introduced over the past four years and the large-scale switch over to LED bulbs has already reduced the nation's electricity bill by a whopping Rs 50,000 crore." He also emphasised on the need for moving to solar energy. Expressing deep concern over the neglect of the agricultural sector, the Prime Minister urged corporate houses to pay greater attention to investment in the agro-industries. Recalling his interaction with captains of the corporate sector in Mumbai, Modi said, "I personally drew their attention to the extremely poor investment (barely 1 per cent) in the agri-sector, which was largely limited to manufacture of urea and tractors." Taking a dig at his political rivals, who often accuse him of playing into the hands of big business houses, Modi sought to give himself a clean chit by declaring, "I have no hesitation in admitting that I keep meeting industrialists. I see nothing wrong in it as they are partners in the development of the nation. In fact, I do it openly unlike others who do so on the sly." #WAICTH: PM Modi in Lucknow says, "we aren't the ones who are scared of standing next to industrialists. Jab niyat saaf ho,irade nek ho, to kisi ke saath khade hone se daag nahi lagte. People who don't meet industrialists in public but do everything behind curtains remain scared" pic.twitter.com/mpUfQxZLf0 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 29, 2018 In the same vein, he went on to point out, "Even Mahatma Gandhi used to have close connections with industry stalwart GD Birla but there was nothing shady about it. So no eyebrows were raised... When your intentions are good, then there is nothing to worry and that is precisely the case with me. I have no qualms about getting myself photographed with industrialists, but some of my rivals systematically avoid that because they have much to hide." He used his subtle oratory skills to train his guns at the Opposition in general and Congress in particular. "When they ask me to give an account of my performance, I simply like to tell them that while I have only four years to account for, they need to give an account of the work done in the 60 years they have ruled this nation," he said. Also read: Shooting season: BJP MLA says intellectuals would be shot if he became Home Minister Kathmandu, Nepal: The lawmakers represent to the NCP for the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee have divided over the issue of endorsing the appointment of Deepak Raj Joshee in the post of Chief Justice. As lawmakers have divided over the issue of over the issue of endorsing the appointment of Deepak Raj Joshee in the post of Chief Justice,the scheduled meeting of the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee of today has been postponed for Wednesday. The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee has failed to take a decision on whether to endorse the Joshees name as the Chief justice or to reject due to the indecision of the NCP lawmakers. It is said that NCP is not in favor to endorse Joshee's name as the Chief Justice. The NCP lawmakers have been claiming that the chief justice nominee Joshee failed to impress none of the members of the hearing committee. As the NCP has ten lawmakers among the fifteen member Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee, it has the right whether to endorse Joshees name as the Chief Justice or not. The recently concluded 10th BRICS summit has taken place at an important conjuncture in history. Donald Trump has just shaken the Atlantic alliance that has been the pivot of its global hegemony. It has happened at a time when the American President, defying his administration, is reaching out to President Vladimir Putin of Russia. More important, the deepening US-China trade conflict is now morphing to an all-out war by the US to foil Chinas attempts to become a major industrial power through its Made in China 2025 strategy. The Johannesburg Declaration of the BRICS was along the standard lines. China may have wanted a stronger statement against the US, but it is currently keeping its head low. India would have liked to build on the BRICS Xiamen declaration where Pakistani outfits like Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba were named in the joint declaration. But this time they were not, though the statement itself is quite strong against terrorism. New Delhi has taken bilateral steps to shore up its position. (Reuters) Support for Iran The BRICS have extended support to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to deal with the Iran nuclear issue and in that sense backed Iran, over the US which has walked out of the deal. Likewise, it has reiterated the importance of the global trading order with WTO as its cornerstone. Over the years, the importance of BRICS as a representative of the leading emerging economies has only grown. In 2014, in a signal of its seriousness in promoting the emerging country development agenda, the BRICS created the New Development or BRICS Bank patterned on the development banks like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. In 2015, they created the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement which is patterned on the International Monetary Fund. There is no intention of challenging the World Bank, ADB or IMF, but the BRICS has signaled that it is not entirely satisfied with the way these American and Japanese dominated bodies function and is thus supplementing them. In that sense, there is no intention to give the call for a new world order; merely an effort to extract the best terms from the existing one. India has been pressing for the setting up of a BRICS rating agency for some time because it believes that the methodologies of the existing western ones are flawed. An expert group report on the issue submitted a report to the BRICS Business Council which, in turn, commended the issue to the BRICS Summit in its annual report. In the current situation, the imperative for states like India is to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that open up and ensure that it does not become collateral casualty in the clash between big powers. Modis participation at the summit in Johannesburg has taken place in the context of the theme of the summit which relates to Africa ( Reuters photo: South African Foreign Minister Lindiwe Sisulu assists Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to leave a handprint in clay ) Multilateral steps Strengthening the network of tier-2 powers through BRICS is an important step in anchoring its foreign policy. In his remarks in the closed-door meeting of the leaders, Modi reaffirmed Indias commitment to multilateralism, international trade and a rule-based world. He also strongly pressed member-nations to move along what is called the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and called for an exchange of best practices in the area. He said that the future would see a radical change in industrial production which would require high skills, but provide temporary employment. New Delhi has taken bilateral steps as well to shore up its position. It has reached out to China in Wuhan and tamped down the needless tension that it had itself provoked in the years leading up to the Doklam crisis. It has also taken care to repair its fraying ties with Russia through the Sochi summit and its firm commitment not to be bullied by the Americans into breaking its time-tested arms transfer ties with Moscow. It is also making sure to keep its ties with the US on an even keel, as indicated by the coming 2+2 talks scheduled in September. Wooing Africa For this reason, an important aspect of the Johannesburg summit were the bilateral meetings Modi had, especially the one with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. For Prime Minister Modi, going into elections next year, the focus has been to put across India as a major global economy which believes in win-win outcomes in the geopolitical conflict that is taking place between the US, China and Russia. Modis participation at the summit in Johannesburg has taken place in the context of the theme of the summit which relates to Africa. Both India and China are wooing African nations and while Modis tour has taken him to Uganda and Rwanda, Xi Jinping visited Senegal, Rwanda, and Mauritius as well. China is Africas biggest trading partner and is making an additional push to enhance its relations. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: From 'why Imran Khan' to 'finally Imran Khan': It has been a long journey for a better Pakistan Kathmandu, Nepal: The lawmakers represent to the NCP for the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee have divided over the issue of endorsing the appointment of Deepak Raj Joshee in the post of Chief Justice. As lawmakers have divided over the issue of over the issue of endorsing the appointment of Deepak Raj Joshee in the post of Chief Justice, the party has taken initiation to make a univocal voice at the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee. It is said that the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee would take a decision on whether to endorse the Joshees name as the Chief justice or to reject today. The NCP lawmakers have said that the chief justice nominee Joshee impressed none of the members of the hearing committee, a NCP lawmaker said. As the NCP has ten lawmakers among the fifteen member Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee, it has the right whether to endorse Joshees name as the Chief Justice or not. National Fuel Gas Co. is a holding company, which engages in the production, gathering, transportation, distribution, and marketing of natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. The Exploration and Production segment handles the exploration for and the development of natural gas and oil reserves in California and in the Appalachian region of the United States. The Pipeline and Storage segment transports and stores natural gas for utilities, natural gas marketers, exploration and production companies, and pipeline companies in the northeastern United States markets. The Gathering segment builds, owns, and operates natural gas processing and pipeline gathering facilities in the Appalachian region. The Utility segment sells natural gas to retail customers and provides natural gas transportation services in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1820 and is headquartered in Williamsville, NY. 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Unipersonal, Gestion de Inversiones JILT S.A., Gestora de Procesos S.A. en liquidacion (b), Getnet Adquirencia e Servicos para Meios de Pagamento S.A., Global Vosgos S.L. Unipersonal, Grupo Empresarial Santander S.L., Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico S.A. de C.V., Grupo Financiero Santander SAB de CV, Guaranty Car S.A. Unipersonal, HQ Mobile Limited, Hispamer Renting S.A. Unipersonal, Holbah II Limited, Holbah Santander S.L. Unipersonal, Holmes Funding Limited, Holmes Master Issuer plc, Holmes Trustees Limited, Hyundai Capital Bank Europe GmbH, Iberica de Compras Corporativas S.L., Independence Community Bank Corp., Insurance Funding Solutions Limited, Interfinance Holanda B.V., Inversiones Capital Global S.A. Unipersonal, Inversiones Maritimas del Mediterraneo S.A., Isla de los Buques S.A., Klare Corredora de Seguros S.A., Landcompany 2020 S.L., Langton Funding (No.1) Limited, Langton Mortgages Trustee (UK) Limited, Langton Securities (2008-1) plc, Langton Securities (2010-1) PLC, Langton Securities (2010-2) PLC, Laparanza S.A., Liquidity Limited, Luri 1 S.A. en liquidacion (b) (e), Luri 6 S.A. Unipersonal, Master Red Europa S.L., Mata Alta S.L., Merciver S.L., Mercury TFS, Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.A. de C.V., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.L., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.p.A., Moneybit S.L., Mortgage Engine Limited, Motor 2016-1 PLC, Motor 2017-1 PLC, Mouro Capital I LP, Multiplica SpA, NW Services CO., Naviera Mirambel S.L., Naviera Trans Gas A.I.E., Naviera Trans Iron S.L., Naviera Trans Ore A.I.E., Naviera Trans Wind S.L. (b), Naviera Transcantabrica S.L., Naviera Transchem S.L. Unipersonal, NeoAuto S.A.C., Norbest AS, Novimovest Fundo de Investimento Imobiliario, Open Bank Argentina S.A., Open Bank S.A., Open Digital Market S.L., Open Digital Services S.L., Operadora de Carteras Gamma S.A.P.I. de C.V., Optimal Investment Services SA, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland Euro Fund, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland US Dollar Fund, PBE Companies LLC, PECOH Limited, PI Distribuidora de Titulos e Valores Mobiliarios S.A., PSA Bank Deutschland GmbH, PSA Banque France, PSA Finance UK Limited, PSA Financial Services Nederland B.V., PSA Financial Services Spain E.F.C. S.A., PSA Renting Italia S.p.A., PagoFX Europe S.A., PagoFX HoldCo S.L., PagoFX UK Ltd, PagoNxt Merchant Solutions S.L., PagoNxt S.L., Parasant SA, Patagon.com, Pereda Gestion S.A., Pingham International S.A., Popular Spain Holding de Inversiones S.L.U., Portal Universia Argentina S.A., Portal Universia Portugal Prestacao de Servicos de Informatica S.A., Prime 16 Fundo de Investimentos Imobiliario, Punta Lima LLC, Punta Lima Wind Farm LLC, Retop S.A., Return Capital Servicos de Recuperacao de Creditos S.A., Return Gestao de Recursos S.A., Riobank International (Uruguay) SAIFE (b), Rojo Entretenimento S.A., SAM Asset Management S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, SAM Investment Holdings S.L., SAM UK Investment Holdings Limited (b), SANB Promotora de Vendas e Cobranca Ltda., SCF Eastside Locks GP Limited, SDMX Superdigital S.A. de C.V., SMPS Merchant Platform Solutions Mexico S.A de C.V, Sancap Investimentos e Participacoes S.A., Santander (CF Trustee Property Nominee) Limited, Santander (UK) Group Pension Schemes Trustees Limited, Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 1 S.A., Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 2 S.A., Santander Alternatives SICAV RAIF, Santander Asesorias Financieras Limitada, Santander Asset Finance (December) Limited, Santander Asset Finance plc, Santander Asset Management - S.G.O.I.C. S.A., Santander Asset Management Chile S.A., Santander Asset Management LLC, Santander Asset Management Luxembourg S.A., Santander Asset Management S.A. Administradora General de Fondos, Santander Asset Management S.A. S.G.I.I.C., Santander Asset Management UK Holdings Limited, Santander Asset Management UK Limited, Santander Back-Offices Globales Mayoristas S.A., Santander Banca de Inversion Colombia S.A.S., Santander Bank & Trust Ltd., Santander Bank National Association, Santander Bank Polska S.A., Santander Brasil Administradora de Consorcio Ltda., Santander Brasil Gestao de Recursos Ltda., Santander Brasil Tecnologia S.A., Santander Capital Desarrollo SGEIC S.A. Unipersonal, Santander Capital Structuring S.A. de C.V., Santander Capitalizacao S.A., Santander Cards Ireland Limited, Santander Cards Limited, Santander Cards UK Limited, Santander Chile Holding S.A., Santander Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Santander Consumer (UK) plc, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L4 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L5 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Bank, Santander Consumer Bank AG, Santander Consumer Bank GmbH, Santander Consumer Bank S.A., Santander Consumer Bank S.p.A., Santander Consumer Banque S.A., Santander Consumer Credit Services Limited, Santander Consumer Finance Benelux B.V., Santander Consumer Finance Global Services S.L., Santander Consumer Finance Oy, Santander Consumer Finance S.A., Santander Consumer Finance Schweiz AG, Santander Consumer Financial Solutions Sp. z o.o., Santander Consumer Finanse Sp. z o.o. (b), Santander Consumer Holding Austria GmbH, Santander Consumer Holding GmbH, Santander Consumer International Puerto Rico LLC, Santander Consumer Leasing GmbH, Santander Consumer Mediacion Operador de Banca-Seguros Vinculado S.L., Santander Consumer Multirent Sp. z o.o., Santander Consumer Operations Services GmbH, Santander Consumer Receivables 10 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 11 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 3 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 7 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables Funding LLC, Santander Consumer Renting S.L., Santander Consumer S.A., Santander Consumer S.A.S., Santander Consumer Services GmbH, Santander Consumer Services S.A., Santander Consumer Technology Services GmbH, Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc., Santander Consumer USA Inc., Santander Consumo S.A. de C.V. S.O.F.O.M. E.R. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Santander Corredora de Seguros Limitada, Santander Corredores de Bolsa Limitada, Santander Corretora de Cambio e Valores Mobiliarios S.A., Santander Corretora de Seguros Investimentos e Servicos S.A., Santander Customer Voice S.A., Santander Digital Assets S.L., Santander Drive Auto Receivables LLC, Santander Equity Investments Limited, Santander Espana Merchant Services Entidad de Pago S.L. Unipersonal, Santander Espana Servicios Legales y de Cumplimiento S.L., Santander Estates Limited, Santander F24 S.A., Santander Facility Management Espana S.L., Santander Factoring S.A., Santander Factoring Sp. z o.o., Santander Factoring y Confirming S.A. E.F.C., Santander Finance 2012-1 LLC, Santander Financial Exchanges Limited, Santander Financial Services Inc., Santander Financial Services plc, Santander Finanse Sp. z o.o., Santander Fintech Holdings S.L., Santander Fintech Limited, Santander Fundo de Investimento SBAC Referenciado di Credito Privado, Santander Gestion de Recaudacion y Cobranzas Ltda., Santander Global Consumer Finance Limited, Santander Global Facilities S.A. de C.V., Santander Global Facilities S.L., Santander Global Operations S.A., Santander Global Services S.A. (b), Santander Global Sport S.A., Santander Global Technology Brasil Ltda., Santander Global Technology Chile Limitada, Santander Global Technology S.L., Santander Global Trade Platform Solutions S.L., Santander Guarantee Company, Santander Holding Imobiliaria S.A., Santander Holding Internacional S.A., Santander Holdings USA Inc., Santander ISA Managers Limited, Santander Inclusion Financiera S.A. de C.V. S.O.F.O.M. E.R. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Santander Insurance Agency U.S. LLC, Santander Insurance Services UK Limited, Santander Intermediacion Correduria de Seguros S.A., Santander International Products Plc. (d), Santander Inversiones S.A., Santander Investment Bank Limited, Santander Investment Chile Limitada, Santander Investment I S.A., Santander Investment S.A., Santander Investment Securities Inc., Santander Investments GP 1 S.a.r.l., Santander Inwestycje Sp. z o.o., Santander Lease S.A. E.F.C., Santander Leasing LLC, Santander Leasing S.A., Santander Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil, Santander Lending Limited, Santander Mediacion Operador de Banca-Seguros Vinculado S.A., Santander Merchant Platform Operations S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Services S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions Mexico S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions S.A., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions Uruguay S.A., Santander Merchant Platform SolucoesTecnologicas Brasil Ltda., Santander Merchant S.A., Santander Mortgage Holdings Limited, Santander Paraty Qif PLC, Santander Pensiones S.A. E.G.F.P., Santander Pensoes - Sociedade Gestora de Fundos de Pensoes S.A., Santander Private Banking Gestion S.A. S.G.I.I.C., Santander Private Banking UK Limited, Santander Private Banking s.p.a. in Liquidazione (b), Santander Private Real Estate Advisory & Management S.A., Santander Private Real Estate Advisory S.A., Santander Real Estate S.A., Santander Retail Auto Lease Funding LLC, Santander Rio Asset Management Gerente de Fondos Comunes de Inversion S.A., Santander Rio Trust S.A., Santander Rio Valores S.A., Santander S.A. Sociedad Securitizadora, Santander Secretariat Services Limited, Santander Securities LLC, Santander Seguros y Reaseguros Compania Aseguradora S.A., Santander Servicios Corporativos S.A. de C.V., Santander Servicios Especializados S.A. de C.V., Santander Technology USA LLC, Santander Tecnologia e Inovacao Ltda., Santander Tecnologia Argentina S.A., Santander Tecnologia Espana S.L.U., Santander Tecnologia Mexico S.A. de C.V., Santander Totta SGPS S.A., Santander Totta Seguros Companhia de Seguros de Vida S.A., Santander Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A., Santander Trade Services Limited, Santander UK Group Holdings plc, Santander UK Investments, Santander UK Operations Limited, Santander UK Plc, Santander UK Technology Limited, Santander Wealth Management International SA, Santander de Titulizacion S.G.F.T. S.A., Santusa Holding S.L., Services and Promotions Delaware Corp., Services and Promotions Miami LLC, Servicio de Alarmas Controladas por Ordenador S.A., Servicios de Cobranza Recuperacion y Seguimiento S.A. De C.V., Sheppards Moneybrokers Limited, Shiloh III Wind Project LLC, Sociedad Integral de Valoraciones Automatizadas S.A., Sociedad Operadora de Tarjetas de Pago Santander Getnet Chile S.A., Socur S.A., Sol Orchard Imperial 1 LLC, Solarlaser Limited, Sovereign Community Development Company, Sovereign Delaware Investment Corporation, Sovereign Lease Holdings LLC, Sovereign REIT Holdings Inc., Sovereign Spirit Limited (f), Sterrebeeck B.V., Suleyado 2003 S.L. Unipersonal, Summer Empreendimentos Ltda., Super Pagamentos e Administracao de Meios Eletronicos S.A., Superdigital Argentina S.A.U., Superdigital Colombia S.A.S., Superdigital Holding Company S.L., Superdigital Peru S.A.C., Suzuki Servicios Financieros S.L., Swesant SA, TIMFin S.p.A., TOPSAM S.A de C.V., Taxagest Sociedade Gestora de Participacoes Sociais S.A., Teatinos Siglo XXI Inversiones S.A., The Alliance & Leicester Corporation Limited, The Best Specialty Coffee S.L. Unipersonal, Time Retail Finance Limited (b), Tonopah Solar I LLC, Toque Fale Servicos de Telemarketing Ltda., Tornquist Asesores de Seguros S.A. (b), Totta (Ireland) PLC, Totta Urbe - Empresa de Administracao e Construcoes S.A., Trabajando.com Mexico S.A. de C.V. en liquidacion (b), Trabajando.com Peru S.A.C., Trans Rotor Limited (b), Transolver Finance EFC S.A., Tresmares Growth Fund Santander SCR S.A., Tresmares Santander Direct Lending SICC S.A., Tuttle and Son Limited, Universia Brasil S.A., Universia Chile S.A., Universia Colombia S.A.S., Universia Espana Red de Universidades S.A., Universia Holding S.L., Universia Mexico S.A. de C.V., Universia Peru S.A., Universia Uruguay S.A., Uro Property Holdings SOCIMI S.A., WIM Servicios Corporativos S.A. de C.V., WTW Shipping Designated Activity Company, Wallcesa S.A., Wave Holdco S.L., Waypoint Insurance Group Inc., and Wirecard (Technological Assets). The following companies are subsidiares of Barnes Group: AS Monterrey S. de R.L. de C.V., Adval Tech - Foboha Mold Making Business, Associated Spring (Tianjin) Company Ltd., Associated Spring (UK) Ltd., Associated Spring Asia Pte. Ltd., Associated Spring Corporation, Associated Spring Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Associated Spring Raymond (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Associated Spring Raymond GmbH, Associated Spring do Brasil Ltda., Barnes Airmotive Malaysia SND. BHD., Barnes Financing Delaware LLC, Barnes Group (Bermuda) Limited, Barnes Group (Delaware) LLC, Barnes Group (Germany) GmbH, Barnes Group (Scotland) Limited, Barnes Group (Thailand) Ltd., Barnes Group (U.K.) 2 Limited, Barnes Group (U.K.) Limited, Barnes Group Acquisition GmbH, Barnes Group Canada Corp., Barnes Group Finance Company (Bermuda) Limited, Barnes Group Finance Company (Delaware), Barnes Group Holding LLC, Barnes Group Luxembourg (No. 1) S.a r.l., Barnes Group Luxembourg (No. 2) S.a r.l., Barnes Group Spain S.R.L., Barnes Group Suisse Industries GmbH, Barnes Group Switzerland GmbH, Barnes Industrial Group India Private Limited, Barnes Korea Ltd., Barnes Molding Solutions (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., Blitz F16-34 GmbH, Curtis Industries, Curtiss Industries (U.K.) Limited, Di-Dro Manifold System Product Line, Euro Stock Springs & Components, Foboha (Germany) GmbH, Foboha Holding GmbH, Forward Industries LLC, GF Controls GmbH, Gammaflux, Gammaflux Controls Inc., Gimatic, Gimatic Automation Engineering (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Gimatic Automation India Pvt Ltd. , Gimatic Automation Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gimatic Balkan d.o.o. Beograd Savski Venac, Gimatic Czech Republic s.r.o., Gimatic France S.a.r.l., Gimatic Japan Limited, Gimatic Korea Limited, Gimatic Nordic A.B., Gimatic Otomasyon Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Gimatic Polska sp. z o.o, Gimatic S.r.l., Gimatic Sisteme RO SRL, Gimatic Sistemi industrijska avtomatizacija d.o.o., Gimatic Spain S.L., Gimatic Vertrieb GmbH, Gimatrade S.r.l., Heinz Haenggi Gmbh Stanztechnik, Industrial Gas Springs, Industrial Gas Springs Group Holdings Limited, Industrial Gas Springs Inc., Industrial Gas Springs Limited, Kar Products, Kratz-Wilde Machine Co, MTM S.r.l., Manner Hong Kong Limited, Manner USA Inc., Orflam - Nitropush Product Line, Otto Manner, Otto Manner GmbH, Otto Manner Immobilien GmbH, Otto Manner Innovation GmbH, Premier Farnell - KENT Division, Priamus System Technologies, Priamus System Technologies GmbH, Priamus System Technologies LLC, Raymond Distribution-Mexico S.A. de C.V., Resortes Argentina S.A., Ressorts SPEC SAS, Seeger-Orbis GmbH & Co. OHG, Service Plus Distributors, Sign Holdings Limited, Spectrum Plastics Molding Resources, Stromsholmen AB, Synventive Acquisition B.V., Synventive Acquisition GmbH, Synventive Acquisition Inc., Synventive Acquisition UK Ltd., Synventive Acquisition Unlimited, Synventive B.V., Synventive Fertigungstechnik GmbH, Synventive Holding B.V., Synventive Holding Limited, Synventive Holding SAS, Synventive Molding Solutions, Synventive Molding Solutions (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Synventive Molding Solutions B.V., Synventive Molding Solutions Canada Inc., Synventive Molding Solutions Co. Ltd., Synventive Molding Solutions GmbH, Synventive Molding Solutions Inc., Synventive Molding Solutions JBJ Private Limited, Synventive Molding Solutions K.K., Synventive Molding Solutions LDA, Synventive Molding Solutions LLC, Synventive Molding Solutions LTDA., Synventive Molding Solutions Limited, Synventive Molding Solutions Pte Ltd., Synventive Molding Solutions SAS, Synventive Molding Solutions SL, Synventive Molding Solutions s.r.o., Synventive Parent Inc., Teledyne Fluid Systems, The Wallace Barnes Company, Thermoplay, Thermoplay Brasil Sistemas de Injecao Ltda, Thermoplay Deutschland GmbH, Thermoplay France S.a.r.l., Thermoplay Hot Runner Systems (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Thermoplay India Private Limited, Thermoplay Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Thermoplay S.p.A., Thermoplay U.K. Ltd., Toolcom Supplie, Windsor Airmotive Asia Pte. Ltd., and manner Japan Co. Ltd.. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. engages in global investment banking, securities, and investment management, which provides financial services. It operates through the following business segments: Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. The Investment Banking segment serves public and private sector clients around the world and provides financial advisory services, help companies raise capital to strengthen and grow their businesses and provide financing to corporate clients. The Global Markets segment serves its clients who buy and sell financial products, funding and manage risk. The Asset Management segment provides investment services to help clients preserve and grow their financial assets. The Consumer & Wealth Management segment helps clients to achieve their individual financial goals by providing a wealth advisory and banking services. The company was founded by Marcus Goldman in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. owns and operates utilities, transport, energy, and data infrastructure businesses. The Utilities segment operates approximately 2,000 kilometers (km) of natural gas transportation pipelines in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Minas Gerais; approximately 2,200 km of electricity transmission lines in North and South America; and approximately 6.6 million electricity and natural gas connections and 1.1 million smart meters, as well as operates metallurgical coal export terminals. The Transport segment offers transportation, storage, and handling services for freight, bulk commodities, and passengers through a network of 5,500 km of track network in south of Western Australia; approximately 4,800 km of rail in South America; approximately 4,200 km of motorways in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and India; and 37 port terminals in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Europe. The Energy segment offers natural gas midstream and storage services through approximately 15,000 km of natural gas transmission pipelines; and 600 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage in the United States and Canada. This segment also provides heating and cooling services to customers, and energy solutions, as well as serves approximately 24,900 natural gas, water, and wastewater connections. In addition, the Energy segment provides water heater rental; heating, ventilation, and air conditioner rental; and other home services in Canada and the United States, as well as 270,000 contracted sub-metering services with in Canada. The Data Infrastructure segment offers services and critical infrastructure to the media broadcasting and telecom sectors; and data storage services and infrastructure to enterprise customers. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Franklin Resources: AdvisorEngine, AdvisorEngine Inc., Alumcreek Holdings LLC, Athena Capital Advisors, Balanced Equity Management, Balanced Equity Management Pty. Limited, Benefit Street Partners, Bissett & Associates Investment Management, Brandywine Global Investment Management Europe Limited, CCPF GP Holdco No.2 Limited, CCPF No.2 (GP) Limited, CCPF No.2 LP, CP Industrial Management LLC, CP Intermediate Holdco Inc., CRM Software LLC, Clarion Gramercy (Deutschland) GmbH, Clarion Gramercy (UK) Limited, Clarion Gramercy Limited, Clarion Partners Europe Ltd., Clarion Partners Holdings LLC, Clarion Partners LLC, Clarion Partners Securities LLC, Clarion REIM South America Holdings LLC, Clarion REIM South America Invsetimentos Imobiliarios Ltda, ClearBridge RARE Infrastructure (North America) Pty Limited, ClearBridge RARE Infrastructure International Pty Limited, Darby - Hana Infrastructure Fund Management Co. Ltd., Edinburgh Partners, FT FinTech Holdings LLC, FT Opportunistic Distressed Fund Ltd., FTC Investor Services Inc., FTCI (Cayman) Ltd., FTPE Advisers LLC, Fiduciary International Holding Inc., Fiduciary Investment Management International Inc., Fiduciary Trust (International) Sarl, Fiduciary Trust Company International, Fiduciary Trust Company International of Pennsylvania, Fiduciary Trust Company of Canada, Fiduciary Trust International LLC, Fiduciary Trust International of California, Fiduciary Trust International of Delaware, Fiduciary Trust International of the South, Franklin Advisers GP LLC, Franklin Advisers Inc., Franklin Advisory Services LLC, Franklin Marketplace Loan GP LLC, Franklin Mutual Advisers LLC, Franklin SystematiQ Advisers LLC, Franklin Templeton Alternative Investments (India) Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Asset Management (India) Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Asset Management (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Franklin Templeton Asset Management Mexico S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, Franklin Templeton Austria GmbH, Franklin Templeton Capital Holdings Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Chile SpA. V., Franklin Templeton Companies LLC, Franklin Templeton Digital Advisory Services GmbH, Franklin Templeton Fund Management Limited, Franklin Templeton GSC Asset Management Sdn. Bhd., Franklin Templeton Global Investors Limited, Franklin Templeton Holding Limited, Franklin Templeton International Services (India) Private Limited, Franklin Templeton International Services S.a r.l., Franklin Templeton Investment Management (Shanghai) Limited, Franklin Templeton Investment Management Limited, Franklin Templeton Investment Services GmbH, Franklin Templeton Investment Services Mexico S. de R.L., Franklin Templeton Investment Trust Management Co. Ltd., Franklin Templeton Investments (Asia) Limited, Franklin Templeton Investments (ME) Limited, Franklin Templeton Investments Australia Limited, Franklin Templeton Investments Corp., Franklin Templeton Investments Japan Limited, Franklin Templeton Investments Poland sp. z o.o., Franklin Templeton Investments South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Franklin Templeton Investor Services LLC, Franklin Templeton Investimentos (Brasil) Ltda., Franklin Templeton Luxembourg S.A., Franklin Templeton Magyarorszag Kft., Franklin Templeton Management Luxembourg S.A., Franklin Templeton Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Franklin Templeton Private Equity LLC, Franklin Templeton Services (India) Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Services LLC, Franklin Templeton Servicios de Asesoria Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Franklin Templeton Slovakia s.r.o., Franklin Templeton Social Infrastructure GP S.a r.l., Franklin Templeton Strategic Investments Ltd., Franklin Templeton Switzerland Ltd., Franklin Templeton Trustee Services Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Turkey Advisory Services A.S., Franklin Templeton Uruguay S.A., Franklin Venture Partners (Talos Cayman GP) LLC, Franklin Venture Partners LLC, Franklin/Templeton Distributors Inc., ITI Capital Markets Limited, K2 Advisors, LM (BVI) Limited, LM Holdings 2 Limited, LM Holdings Limited, LM International Holding LP, Legg Mason & Co (UK) Limited, Legg Mason & Co. LLC, Legg Mason (Chile) Inversiones Holdings Limitada, Legg Mason Asset Management Australia Limited, Legg Mason Asset Management Hong Kong Limited, Legg Mason Asset Management Singapore Pte. Limited, Legg Mason Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Legg Mason Holding (Switzerland) GmbH, Legg Mason Inc., Legg Mason Investment Funds Limited, Legg Mason Investments (Europe) Limited, Legg Mason Investments (Switzerland) GmbH, Legg Mason Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor LLC, Legg Mason Royce Holdings LLC, Onsa Inc., RARE IP Trust, RARE Infrastructure Limited, REDROSE Caesar S.a r.l., Random Forest Capital, Random Forest Capital LLC, Rensburg Sheppards plc, Riva Financial Systems Limited, Royce & Associates GP LLC, Royce & Associates LP, Royce Fund Services LLC, Royce Management Company LLC, TSEMF III (Jersey) Limited, TSEMF IV (Jersey) Limited, Templeton Asset Management (Labuan) Limited, Templeton Asset Management (Poland) TFI S.A., Templeton Asset Management Ltd., Templeton Global Advisors Limited, Templeton Global Holdings Ltd., Templeton International Inc., Templeton Investment Counsel LLC, Templeton Restructured Investments III Ltd., Templeton Restructured Investments IV Ltd., Templeton Restructured Investments L.L.C., Templeton Turkey Fund GP Ltd., Templeton Worldwide Inc., Templeton do Brasil Ltda., Templeton/Franklin Investment Services Inc., WHITEROSE Caesar S.a r.l., Western Asset Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Western Asset Management (Brazil) Holdings Limitada, Western Asset Management (Cayman) Holdings Limited, Western Asset Management Company Distribuidora de Titulos e Valores Mobiliarios Limitada, Western Asset Management Company LLC, Western Asset Management Company Limited, Western Asset Management Company Pte Ltd., Western Asset Management Company Pty Ltd, and Winfield & Company. Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Brazil ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Brazil ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan. 3 hours ago Trump could get big 'bonus' shares in new social media firm NEW YORK (AP) Donald Trump's social media company will get tens of millions in special bonus shares in a new publicly traded entity if it performs well, handing the former president possibly billions Read Article The following companies are subsidiares of The Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., EPS B.V., Geocel Holdings, Geocel Limited, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Piton Paints Limited, Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Ronseal (Ireland) Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade Intelectual Ltda, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Belize) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Caribbean) N.V., Sherwin-Williams (Ireland) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Coatings Technology Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams (S) Pte. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Shanghai) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Vietnam) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (West Indies) Limited, Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Mexico S.de R.L.de C.V., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel Unitary Enterprise, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Limited, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams UK Coatings Limited, Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar (Asia) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar (Finland) Corporation Oy, The Valspar (France) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (France) Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar (Nantes) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (Singapore) Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar (South Africa) Corporation (Pty) Ltd, The Valspar (Spain) Corporation S.R.L., The Valspar (Switzerland) Corporation AG, The Valspar (Thailand) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar (UK) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Vietnam) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar (India) Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Valspar (Uruguay) Corporation S.A., Valspar (WPC) Pty Ltd, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive (UK) Corporation Limited, Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar Industries (Ireland) Ltd., Valspar Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Paint (Australia) Pty Ltd, Valspar Paint (NZ) Limited, Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited (Japan), Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams. The following companies are subsidiares of Aptiv: A.E. Enterprises LLC, APTIVPORT SERVICES S.A., Alambrados y Circuitos Electricos S. de R.L. de C.V., Antaya Technologies, Antaya Technologies Asia Ltd., Antaya Technologies Corp., Aptiv (China) Holding Company Limited, Aptiv (China) Technology Company Limited, Aptiv (Shanghai) International Management Company Ltd., Aptiv (UK) Holdings Limited, Aptiv Asia Pacific Holdings (UK) LLP, Aptiv China Holdings (US) LLC, Aptiv Components (Shanghai) Company Limited, Aptiv Components India Private Ltd., Aptiv Connection Systems (Nantong) Ltd., Aptiv Connection Systems (Shanghai) Ltd., Aptiv Connection Systems Holding Deutschland GmbH, Aptiv Connection Systems Holding Hong Kong Limited, Aptiv Connection Systems Holdings (US) LLC, Aptiv Connection Systems Hungary Kft, Aptiv Connection Systems India Private Limited, Aptiv Connection Systems Korea LLC, Aptiv Connection Systems Services Austria GmbH, Aptiv Connection Systems Services Italia S.P.A., Aptiv Connection Systems Services Japan Ltd., Aptiv Contract Services Ciudad Juarez S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Contract Services Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Contract Services Noreste S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Contract Services Nuevo Laredo S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Contract Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Contract Services Sweden AB, Aptiv Contract Services Tamaulipas S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Contract Services Tijuana S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Contract Services Zacatecas S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Contract Services d.o.o. Leskovac, Aptiv Contract Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Corporation, Aptiv Electrical Centers (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Aptiv Electronics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Aptiv European Holdings (UK) Limited, Aptiv Financial Holdings (UK) LLP, Aptiv Financial Investment Services (UK) Limited, Aptiv Financial Management LLC, Aptiv Financial Services (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Aptiv Financial Services (UK) Limited, Aptiv Global Financial Services (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Aptiv Global Financing Limited, Aptiv Global Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Aptiv Global Holdings (UK) Limited, Aptiv Global Holdings 2 (Luxembourg) S.ar.l, Aptiv Global Holdings Limited, Aptiv Global Investments UK LLP, Aptiv Global Investments UK LLP Luxembourg Branch, Aptiv Global Operations Limited, Aptiv Global Real Estate Services (US) LLC, Aptiv Holdfi (UK) Limited, Aptiv Holding Company LLC, Aptiv Holdings (Austria) GmbH, Aptiv Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Aptiv Holdings (UK) Limited, Aptiv Holdings (US) LLC, Aptiv Holdings Asia Pacific (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Aptiv Holdings Deutschland GmbH, Aptiv Holdings France SAS, Aptiv Holdings Limited, Aptiv Holdings Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Holdings US Limited, Aptiv International Company LLC, Aptiv International Financial Services (UK) LLP, Aptiv International Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Aptiv International Holdings (UK) LLP, Aptiv International Holdings (US) LLC, Aptiv International Holdings 2 (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Aptiv International Holdings UK Two LLP, Aptiv International Operations Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Aptiv International Services Company LLC, Aptiv Korea LLC, Aptiv Latin America Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Aptiv Latin America Holdings (UK) LLP, Aptiv Luxembourg Financial Services S.a r.l., Aptiv Luxembourg Holdings (UK) Limited, Aptiv Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Aptiv Malta Holdings Limited, Aptiv Manufactura e Servicos de Distribuicao Ltda., Aptiv Manufacturing Management Services S.a r.l., Aptiv Medical Systems LLC, Aptiv Mexican Holdings (US) LLC, Aptiv Mobility Services Austria MAT GmbH, Aptiv Mobility Services Deutschland GmbH, Aptiv Mobility Services Japan Ltd., Aptiv Mobility Services d.o.o. Novi Sad, Aptiv Properties Management Services (US) LLC, Aptiv S&P Mobility Services Spain S.L., Aptiv S&P Solutions Holdings (Spain) S.L., Aptiv Safety & Mobility Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Aptiv Safety Services Deutschland GmbH, Aptiv Services 2 France SAS, Aptiv Services 2 US Inc., Aptiv Services 3 (US) LLC, Aptiv Services 4 US LLC, Aptiv Services 5 US LLC, Aptiv Services Austria GPD. GmbH & Co KG, Aptiv Services Belgium N.V., Aptiv Services Czech s.r.o., Aptiv Services Deutschland GmbH, Aptiv Services Honduras S. de R.L. de C.V., Aptiv Services Hungary Kft., Aptiv Services Italia S.r.l., Aptiv Services Macedonia DOOEL Skopje, Aptiv Services Netherlands B.V., Aptiv Services Poland S.A., Aptiv Services Tunisia Sarl, Aptiv Services UK Limited, Aptiv Services US LLC, Aptiv Services Ukraine LLC, Aptiv Technologies Limited, Aptiv Technology Services & Solutions S.R.L., Aptiv Trade Management Services (US) LLC, Aptiv Turkey Teknoloji Hizmetleri Limited Sirketi, Aptiv UK Pension Trustees Limited, Aptiv US Operations Holdings LLC, Aptiv US Services General Partnership, Arcomex S.A. de C.V., Arneses Electricos Automotrices S.A. de C.V., Auburn Enterprises LLC, Autoensambles y Logistica S.A. de C.V., Cablena S.L., Centro Tecnico Herramental S. de R.L. de C.V., Control Tec LLC, Control-Tec LLC, Cordaflex Espana S.A., Cordaflex S.A. de C.V., Daehan Electronics Yantai Co. Ltd., Delphi Automotive Systems Maroc S.A., Delphi Connection Systems Morocco S.A.S., Delphi Packard Kenitra S.A., Delphi Packard Meknes, Delphi Packard Moldova Noua S.R.L., Delphi Packard Tanger SA, Falmat Inc., Gabocom Ltd, Gabocom Sarl, Gabriel de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Harwich Holding GmbH, Harwich Holdings LLC, Harwich Holdings SAS, HellermannTyton (Proprietary) Limited, HellermannTyton (Wuxi) Electrical Accessories Company Limited, HellermannTyton AB, HellermannTyton AB Branch Office, HellermannTyton AS, HellermannTyton Alpha S.a r.l., HellermannTyton Australia Pty Ltd, HellermannTyton BV, HellermannTyton Beta S.a r.l., HellermannTyton Canada Inc., HellermannTyton Co. Ltd, HellermannTyton Corporation, HellermannTyton Data Limited, HellermannTyton Engineering GmbH, HellermannTyton Espana SL, HellermannTyton Finance PLC, HellermannTyton GmbH (Austria), HellermannTyton GmbH (Germany), HellermannTyton Group PLC, HellermannTyton Holdings AB, HellermannTyton Holdings Limited, HellermannTyton Kft, HellermannTyton Limited, HellermannTyton Limited Branch Office, HellermannTyton Ltda, HellermannTyton Manufacturas S. de R.L. de C.V., HellermannTyton Maroc S.ar.l., HellermannTyton OOO, HellermannTyton Private Limited, HellermannTyton Pte Limited, HellermannTyton Rohvel SL, HellermannTyton S. de R.L. de C.V., HellermannTyton SAS, HellermannTyton Services GmbH, HellermannTyton Services SARL AU, HellermannTyton Srl, HellermannTyton YH, HellermannTyton sp. z.o.o., Hellermanntyton Group, Hellermanntyton Morocco SARL AU, Inmobiliaria Marlis S.A., Inmuebles Wagon S.A., Interessengemeinschaft fur Rundfunkschutzrechte GmbH, Interessengemeinschaft fur Rundfunkschutzrechte GmbH Schutzrechtsverwertung & Co. KG, KUM Co. Ltd., KUM LLC, KUMAP Co. Ltd., Movimento (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Movimento Europe GmbH, Movimento Group, Movimento Group AB, Movimento Inc., Movimento International S. de R.L. de C.V., Noteco Comercio e Participacoes Ltda., On-Site Limited, Ottomatika, Ottomatika Inc., PT Aptiv Components Indonesia, Phoenix Assets Holdings Ltd., Pipe Holding GmbH, Potio Holding GmbH, ProSTEP Produktions Technologie AG, Productos Delco de Chihuahua S. de R.L. de C.V., PureDepth, PureDepth Inc., PureDepth Incorporated Limited, PureDepth Limited, Rebafin GmbH, Rio Bravo Electricos S. de R.L. de C.V., Staeng Limited, Tyson Intermediate Holdco Corp., Tyson Upper Intermediate Holdco Corp., Unterstutzungsgesellschaft mbH Delphi Deutschland, Unwired Holdings Inc., Unwired Technology, WF Global (BVI) Limited, WF Global (HK) Limited, Winchester Holding Inc., Winchester Interconnect, Winchester Interconnect (M) Sdn. Bhd., Winchester Interconnect (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Winchester Interconnect (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Winchester Interconnect CM Corporation, Winchester Interconnect Cable Assemblies LLC, Winchester Interconnect Corporation, Winchester Interconnect Hermetics LLC, Winchester Interconnect RF Corporation, Winchester Interconnect Ruggedized Corporation, YanCheng SeMyung Electronics Co. Ltd., gabo Systemtechnik, gabo Systemtechnik GmbH, nuTonomy, nuTonomy Asia Pte. Ltd., and nuTonomy Inc.. The following companies are subsidiares of HCA Healthcare: 2490 Church LLC, 360 Community Alliance LLC, 4600 Waters Avenue Professional Building Condominium Association Inc., 52 Alderley Road LLP, AC Med LLC, ACH Inc., ADC Surgicenter LLC, AOGN LLC, AOSC Sports Medicine Inc., AR Holding 1 LLC, AR Holding 10 LLC, AR Holding 11 LLC, AR Holding 12 LLC, AR Holding 13 LLC, AR Holding 14 LLC, AR Holding 15 LLC, AR Holding 16 LLC, AR Holding 17 LLC, AR Holding 18 LLC, AR Holding 19 LLC, AR Holding 2 LLC, AR Holding 20 LLC, AR Holding 21 LLC, AR Holding 22 LLC, AR Holding 23 LLC, AR Holding 24 LLC, AR Holding 25 LLC, AR Holding 26 LLC, AR Holding 27 LLC, AR Holding 28 LLC, AR Holding 29 LLC, AR Holding 30 LLC, AR Holding 31 LLC, AR Holding 4 LLC, AR Holding 5 LLC, AR Holding 6 LLC, AR Holding 7 LLC, AR Holding 8 LLC, AR Holding 9 LLC, ASD Shared Services LLC, Acadiana Care Center Inc., Acadiana Practice Management Inc., Acadiana Regional Pharmacy Inc., Access 2 Health Care Physicians LLC, Access Health Care Physicians LLC, Access Management Co. LLC, Ace Leasing II LLC, Acute Kids Urgent Care of Medical City Childrens Hospital PLLC, Acworth Immediate Care LLC, Administrative Physicians of North Texas PLLC, Advanced Bundle Convener LLC, Advanced Plastic Surgery Center of Terre Haute LLC, Advanced Practice Providers of Gulf Coast PLLC, Alaska Regional Medical Group LLC, Albany Family Practice LLC, Aligned Business Consortium Group L.P., All About Staffing (India) Ltd., All About Staffing Inc., All About Staffing Philippines Inc., Alleghany General and Bariatric Services LLC, Alleghany Hospitalists LLC, Alleghany Primary Care Inc., Alleghany Specialists LLC, Alliance Surgicare LLC, Alpine Surgicenter LLC, Alta Internal Medicine LLC, Alternaco LLC, Altitude Mid Level Providers LLC, Ambulatory Endoscopy Clinic of Dallas Ltd., Ambulatory Endoscopy Holdco LLC, Ambulatory Laser Associates GP, Ambulatory Services Management Corporation of Chesterfield County Inc., Ambulatory Surgery Center Group Ltd., American Medicorp Development Co., Anchorage Surgicenter LLC, AppleCare/Memorial Immediate Care Joint Venture LLC, Appledore Medical Group II Inc., Appledore Medical Group Inc., Appomattox Imaging LLC, Arapahoe Surgicenter LLC, Arlington Diagnostic South Inc., Arlington Neurosurgeons PLLC, Arlington Primary Care PLLC, Arlington Primary Medicine PLLC, Arlington Surgery Center L.P., Arlington Surgicare LLC, Arthritis Specialists of Nashville Inc., Ashburn ASC LLC, Ashburn Imaging LLC, Athens Community Hospital Inc., Atlanta Healthcare Management L.P., Atlanta Home Care L.P., Atlanta Market GP Inc., Atlanta Outpatient Surgery Center Inc., Atlanta Surgery Center Ltd., Atlantis Surgicare LLC, Atrium Surgery Center L.P., Atrium Surgicare LLC, Augusta CyberKnife LLC, Augusta Inpatient Services LLC, Augusta Management Services LLC, Augusta Multispecialty Services LLC, Augusta Primary Care Services LLC, Augusta Specialty Hospitalists LLC, Augusta Urgent Care Services LLC, Aurora Endoscopy Surgicenter LLC, Austin GI Surgicenter LLC, Austin Heart Cardiology MSO LLC, Austin Medical Center Inc., Austin Physicians Management LLC, Austin Urogynecology PLLC, Aventura Cancer Center Manager LLC, Aventura Comprehensive Cancer Research Group of Florida Inc., Aventura Healthcare Specialists LLC, Aventura Neurosurgery LLC, BAMI Property LLC, Backlogs Limited, Bailey Square Ambulatory Surgical Center Ltd., Bailey Square Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Bannerman Family Care LLC, Barrow Medical Center CT Services Ltd., Basic American Medical Inc., Basil Street Practice Limited, Bay Area Healthcare Group Ltd., Bay Area Surgical Center Investors Ltd., Bay Area Surgicare Center Inc., Bay Area Surgicenter LLC, Bay Hospital Inc., Bayonet Point Surgery Center Ltd., Bayshore Family Practitioners PLLC, Bayshore Multi-Specialty Group PLLC, Bayshore Occupational and Family Medicine PLLC, Bayshore Partner LLC, Bayshore Radiation Oncology Services PLLC, Bayshore Surgery Center Ltd., Bayside Ambulatory Center LLC, Bedford-Northeast Community Hospital Inc., Behavioral Health Sciences of West Florida LLC, Behavioral Health Wellness Center LLC, Bellaire Imaging Inc., Belleair Surgery Center Ltd., Belton Family Practice Clinic LLC, Big Cypress Medical Center Inc., Blacksburg Family Care LLC, Blossoms Healthcare LLP, Blue Ridge-TKC LLC, Bone & Joint Specialists Physician Group LLC, Bonita Bay Surgery Center Inc., Bonita Bay Surgery Center Ltd., Bountiful Surgery Center LLC, Boynton Beach EFL Imaging Center LLC, Bradenton Cardiology Physician Network LLC, Bradenton Outpatient Services LLC, Brandon Imaging Manager LLC, Brandon Regional Cancer Center LLC, Brentwood ASC LLC, Brigham City Community Hospital Inc., Brigham City Community Hospital Physician Services LLC, Brigham City Health Plan Inc., Brighton Surgicenter LLC, Brookwood Medical Center of Gulfport Inc., Broward Cardiovascular Surgeons LLC, Broward Healthcare System Inc., Broward Neurosurgeons LLC, Brownsville Specialists of Texas PLLC, Brownsville Surgery PLLC, Brownsville Surgical Specialists PLLC, Brownsville Surgicenter LLC, Brownsville-Valley Regional Medical Center Inc., Buford Road Imaging L.L.C., Byron Family Practice LLC, C. Medrano M.D. PLLC, C/HCA Capital Inc., C/HCA Development Inc., C/HCA Inc., CAREOS Surgicenter LLC, CC Clinic PLLC, CCBH Psychiatric Hospitalists LLC, CCH-GP Inc., CFC Investments Inc., CH Systems, CHC Finance Co., CHC Holdings Inc., CHC Management Ltd., CHC Payroll Agent Inc., CHC Payroll Company, CHC Realty Company, CHC Venture Co., CHC-El Paso Corp., CHC-Miami Corp., CHCA Bayshore L.P., CHCA Clear Lake L.P., CHCA Conroe L.P., CHCA Mainland L.P., CHCA Pearland L.P., CHCA West Houston L.P., CHCA Womans Hospital L.P., CHCK Inc., CJW Infectious Disease LLC, CJW Wound Healing Center LLC, CLASC Manager LLC, COL-NAMC Holdings Inc., COSCORP LLC, CP Surgery Center LLC, CPS TN Processor 1 Inc., CRMC-M LLC, CUC PLLC, CVMC Property LLC, Calder Immediate Care PLLC, California Imaging Center Manager LLC, California Urgent Care LLC, Calloway Creek Surgery Center L.P., Calloway Creek Surgicare LLC, Cancer Centers of North Florida LLC, Cancer Services of Aventura LLC, Capital Anesthesia Services LLC, Capital Area Cardiology, Capital Area CareNow Physician Associates, Capital Area Multispecialty Providers, Capital Area Neurosurgeons, Capital Area Occupational Medicine PLLC, Capital Area Primary Care PLLC, Capital Area Primary Care Providers, Capital Area Providers, Capital Area Specialists PLLC, Capital Area Specialty Providers, Capital Area Surgeons PLLC, Capital Division - CCA Inc., Capital Division Inc., Capital Network Services Inc., Capital Professional Billing LLC, Capital Regional Healthcare LLC, Capital Regional Heart Associates LLC, Capital Regional Psychiatry Associates LLC, Cardiac Surgical Associates LLC, Cardio Vascular Surgeons of North Texas PLLC, Cardiology Associates Medical Group LLC, Cardiology Clinic of San Antonio PLLC, Cardiology Specialists of North Texas PLLC, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons of Texas PLLC, Care for Women LLC, CareNow, CareOne Home Health Services Inc., CarePartners HHA Holdings LLLP, CarePartners HHA LLLP, CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital LLLP, CareSpot Professional Services of Middle Tennessee LLC, CareSpot of Brentwood (210 Franklin Road) LLC, CareSpot of Cool Springs (100 International Drive) LLC, CareSpot of Donelson (2372 Lebanon Road) LLC, CareSpot of Hendersonville (280 Indian Lake Boulevard) LLC, CareSpot of Hermitage (5225 Old Hickory Boulevard) LLC, CareSpot of Lebanon (1705 West Main Street) LLC, CareSpot of Mt. Juliet (S. Mt. Juliet Road) LLC, CareSpot of Murfreesboro (1340 Broad Street) LLC, CareSpot of Nashville (2001 Glen Echo Road) LLC, CareSpot of Nashville (West End Avenue) LLC, Career Staffing USA Inc., Carlin Springs Urgent Care LLC, Carolina Forest Imaging Manager LLC, Carolina Regional Surgery Center Inc., Carolina Regional Surgery Center Ltd., Cartersville Medical Center LLC, Cartersville Occupational Medicine Center LLC, Cartersville Physician Practice I LLC, Catalog360 Limited, Cedar Creek Medical Group LLC, Cedars International Cardiology Consultants LLC, Cedars Medical Center Hospitalists LLC, Centennial Cardiovascular Consultants LLC, Centennial CyberKnife Center LLC, Centennial CyberKnife Manager LLC, Centennial Heart LLC, Centennial Hospitalists LLC, Centennial Neuroscience LLC, Centennial Psychiatric Associates LLC, Centennial Surgery Center L.P., Centennial Surgical Associates LLC, Centennial Surgical Clinic LLC, Centennial Womens Group LLC, Center for Advanced Diagnostics LLC, Center for Advanced Imaging LLC, Center for Digestive Diseases LLC, Center for Occupational Medicine LLC, Centerpoint Cardiology Services LLC, Centerpoint Clinic of Blue Springs LLC, Centerpoint Hospital Based Physicians LLC, Centerpoint Medical Center of Independence LLC, Centerpoint Medical Specialists LLC, Centerpoint Orthopedics LLC, Centerpoint Physicians Group LLC, Centerpoint Womens Services LLC, Central Florida Cardiology Interpretations LLC, Central Florida Division Practice Inc., Central Florida Health Services LLC, Central Florida Imaging Services LLC, Central Florida Management Services LLC, Central Florida Obstetrics & Gynecology Associates LLC, Central Florida Physician Network LLC, Central Florida Regional Hospital Inc., Central Health Holding Company Inc., Central Pasco LLC, Central San Antonio Surgical Center Investors Ltd., Central Shared Services LLC, Central Tennessee Hospital Corporation, Central Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Physicians PLLC, Centrum Surgery Center Ltd., Charleston CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Chatsworth Hospital Corp., Chattanooga ASC Acquisition Inc., Chattanooga Diagnostic Associates LLC, Chattanooga Healthcare Network L.P., Chattanooga Healthcare Network Partner Inc., Chelsea Outpatient Centre LLP, Chesterfield Imaging LLC, Chicago Grant Hospital Inc., Childrens Multi-Specialty Group LLC, Chino Community Hospital Corporation Inc., Chippenham & Johnston-Willis Hospitals Inc., Chippenham & Johnston-Willis Sports Medicine LLC, Chippenham Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Chippenham Pediatric Specialists LLC, Chiswick Outpatient Centre LLP, Christiansburg Family Medicine LLC, Christiansburg Internal Medicine LLC, Christina Cano-Gonzalez M.D. PLLC, Chugach PT Inc., Church Street Partners, Citrus Memorial Hospital Inc., Citrus Memorial Property Management Inc., Citrus Primary Care Inc., Citrus Specialty Group Inc., Citrus Surgicenter LLC, City of San Antonio H2U Employee Health and Wellness Center PLLC, Clarksville Surgicenter LLC, Clear Creek Surgery Center LLC, Clear Lake Cardiac Catheterization Center L.P., Clear Lake Cardiac GP LLC, Clear Lake Family Physicians PLLC, Clear Lake Medical Tower Owners Association Inc., Clear Lake Merger LLC, Clear Lake Multi-Specialty Group PLLC, Clear Lake Regional Medical Center Inc., Clear Lake Regional Partner LLC, Clear Lake Surgicare Ltd., ClinicServ LLC, Clinical Education Shared Services LLC, Clinishare Inc., Coastal Bend Hospital CT Services Ltd., Coastal Bend Hospital Inc., Coastal Carolina Home Care Inc., Coastal Carolina Multispecialty Associates LLC, Coastal Carolina Primary Care LLC, Coastal Healthcare Services Inc., Coastal Imaging Center L.P., Coastal Imaging Center of Gulfport Inc., Coastal Inpatient Physicians LLC, Coliseum Health Group Inc., Coliseum Health Group LLC, Coliseum Medical Center LLC, Coliseum Park Hospital Inc., Coliseum Primary Care Services LLC, Coliseum Primary Healthcare - Macon LLC, Coliseum Primary Healthcare - Riverside LLC, Coliseum Professional Associates LLC, Coliseum Same Day Surgery Center L.P., Coliseum Surgery Center L.L.C., College Park Ancillary LLC, College Park Endoscopy Center LLC, College Park Radiology LLC, Colleton Ambulatory Care LLC, Colleton Diagnostic Center LLC, Colleton Medical Anesthesia LLC, Colleton Medical Hospitalists LLC, Colleton Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery LLC, Collier County Home Health Agency Inc., Collin County Diagnostic Associates PLLC, Colorado Health Systems Inc., Columbia ASC Management L.P., Columbia Ambulatory Surgery Division Inc., Columbia Arlington Healthcare System L.L.C., Columbia Bay Area Realty Ltd., Columbia Behavioral Health Ltd., Columbia Behavioral Healthcare Inc., Columbia Behavioral Healthcare of South Florida Inc., Columbia Call Center Inc., Columbia Central Florida Division Inc., Columbia Central Group Inc., Columbia Champions Treatment Center Inc., Columbia Chicago Division Inc., Columbia Coliseum Same Day Surgery Center Inc., Columbia Development of Florida Inc., Columbia Doctors Hospital of Tulsa Inc., Columbia Eye and Specialty Surgery Center Ltd., Columbia Florida Group Inc., Columbia GP of Mesquite Inc., Columbia Good Samaritan Health System Limited Partnership, Columbia Greater Houston Division Healthcare Network Inc., Columbia Health System of Arkansas Inc., Columbia Healthcare System of Louisiana Inc., Columbia Healthcare of Central Virginia Inc., Columbia Hospital Corporation at the Medical Center, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Arlington, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Bay Area, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Central Miami, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Corpus Christi, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Fort Worth, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Houston, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Kendall, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Massachusetts Inc., Columbia Hospital Corporation of Miami, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Miami Beach, Columbia Hospital Corporation of North Miami Beach, Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Broward, Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Dade, Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Florida, Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Miami, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Tamarac, Columbia Hospital Corporation of West Houston, Columbia Hospital Corporation-Delaware, Columbia Hospital Corporation-SMM, Columbia Hospital at Medical City Dallas Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Hospital-El Paso Ltd., Columbia Integrated Health Systems Inc., Columbia Jacksonville Healthcare System Inc., Columbia LaGrange Hospital LLC, Columbia Lake Worth Surgical Center Limited Partnership, Columbia Medical Arts Hospital Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center Dallas Southwest Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center at Lancaster Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of Arlington Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of Denton Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of Las Colinas Inc., Columbia Medical Center of Lewisville Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of McKinney Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of Plano Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Group - Centennial Inc., Columbia Medical Group - Daystar Inc., Columbia Medical Group - Parkridge Inc., Columbia Medical Group - Southern Hills Inc., Columbia Medical Group - Southwest Virginia Inc., Columbia Medical Group - The Frist Clinic Inc., Columbia Midtown Joint Venture, Columbia North Alaska Healthcare Inc., Columbia North Central Florida Health System Limited Partnership, Columbia North Florida Regional Medical Center Limited Partnership, Columbia North Hills Hospital Subsidiary L.P., Columbia North Texas Healthcare System L.P., Columbia North Texas Subsidiary GP LLC, Columbia North Texas Surgery Center Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Northwest Medical Center Inc., Columbia Northwest Medical Center Partners Ltd., Columbia Ocala Regional Medical Center Physician Group Inc., Columbia Ogden Medical Center Inc., Columbia Oklahoma Division Inc., Columbia Palm Beach GP LLC, Columbia Palm Beach Healthcare System Limited Partnership, Columbia Park Healthcare System Inc., Columbia Park Medical Center Inc., Columbia Parkersburg Healthcare System LLC, Columbia Pentagon City Hospital L.L.C., Columbia Physician Services - Florida Group Inc., Columbia Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Primary Care LLC, Columbia Psychiatric Management Co., Columbia Resource Network Inc., Columbia Rio Grande Healthcare L.P., Columbia Riverside Inc., Columbia South Texas Division Inc., Columbia Specialty Hospital of Dallas Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Specialty Hospitals Inc., Columbia Surgery Group Inc., Columbia Surgicare of Augusta Ltd., Columbia Tampa Bay Division Inc., Columbia Valley Healthcare System L.P., Columbia West Bank Hospital Inc., Columbia Westbank Healthcare L.P., Columbia-CSA/HS Greater Canton Area Healthcare System L.P., Columbia-CSA/HS Greater Cleveland Area Healthcare System L.P., Columbia-Georgia PT Inc., Columbia-Osceola Imaging Center Inc., Columbia-Quantum Inc., Columbia-SDH Holdings Inc., Columbia/Alleghany Regional Hospital Incorporated, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation of Central Texas, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation of Northern Ohio, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation of South Carolina, Columbia/HCA Heartcare of Corpus Christi Inc., Columbia/HCA International Group Inc., Columbia/HCA John Randolph Inc., Columbia/HCA Middle East Management Company, Columbia/HCA Physician Hospital Organization Medical Center Hospital, Columbia/HCA San Clemente Inc., Columbia/HCA of Baton Rouge Inc., Columbia/HCA of Houston Inc., Columbia/HCA of New Orleans Inc., Columbia/HCA of North Texas Inc., Columbine Psychiatric Center Inc., Columbus Cardiology Inc., Columbus Cath Lab Inc., Columbus Cath Lab LLC, Columbus Doctors Hospital Inc., Commonwealth Perinatal Services LLC, Commonwealth Specialists of Kentucky LLC, Community Hospital Family Practice LLC, Comprehensive Radiation Oncology LLC, Comprehensive Radiology Management Services Ltd., Concept EFL Imaging Center LLC, Concept West EFL Imaging Center LLC, Congenital Heart Surgery Center PLLC, Conroe Hospital Corporation, Conroe Montgomery Physicians Group PLLC, Conroe Orthopedic Specialists PLLC, Conroe Partner LLC, Conroe Specialists of Texas PLLC, Continental Division I Inc., Coral Springs Surgi-Center Ltd., CoralStone Management Inc., Corpus Christi Healthcare Group Ltd., Corpus Christi Heart Clinic PLLC, Corpus Christi Primary Care Associates PLLC, Corpus Christi Psychiatric Specialists PLLC, Corpus Christi Radiation Oncology PLLC, Corpus Christi Surgery Center L.P., Corpus Christi Surgery Ltd., Corpus Christi Surgicenter LLC, Corpus Surgicare Inc., Countryside Surgery Center Ltd., Crewe Outpatient Imaging LLC, Cumberland Medical Center Inc., Cy-Fair Medical Center Hospital LLC, DFW Physicians Group PLLC, DOMC Property LLC, DS Real Estate Holdings LLC, Daleville Imaging L.P., Daleville Imaging Manager LLC, Dallas CardioThoracic Surgery Consultants PLLC, Dallas Cardiology Specialists PLLC, Dallas Hand Surgery Center PLLC, Dallas Medical Specialists PLLC, Dallas Neuro-Stroke Affiliates PLLC, Dallas Pediatric Neurosurgery Specialists PLLC, Dallas/Ft. Worth Physician LLC, Davie Medical Center LLC, Daytona Medical Center Inc., Dean 4641 LLC, Deep Purple Investments LLC, Del Sol Bariatric Clinic PLLC, Delray EFL Imaging Center LLC, Denton Cancer Center PLLC, Denton County Hospitalist Program PLLC, Denton Pediatric Physicians PLLC, Denton Regional Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Denver Clinic Surgicenter LLC, Denver Mid-Town Surgery Center Ltd., Denver Surgicenter LLC, Derry ASC Inc., Diagnostic Breast Center Inc., Diagnostic Mammography Services G.P., Diagnostic Services G.P., Dickson Surgery Center L.P., Doctors Bay Area Physician Hospital Organization, Doctors Hospital (Conroe) Inc., Doctors Hospital Columbus GA-Joint Venture, Doctors Hospital Surgery Center L.P., Doctors Hospital of Augusta LLC, Doctors Hospital of Augusta Neurology LLC, Doctors Osteopathic Medical Center Inc., Doctors Same Day Surgery Center Inc., Doctors Same Day Surgery Center Ltd., Doctors-I Inc., Doctors-II Inc., Doctors-III Inc., Doctors-IV Inc., Doctors-IX Inc., Doctors-V Inc., Doctors-VI Inc., Doctors-VII Inc., Doctors-VIII Inc., Doctors-X Inc., Doctors Memorial Hospital of Spartanburg Limited Partnership, Dominion Hospital Physicians Group LLC, Dublin Community Hospital LLC, Dublin Heart Specialists LLC, Dublin Multispecialty LLC, Dura Medical Inc., E.P. Physical Therapy Centers Inc., EASTSIDE URGENT CARE LLC, EHCA Diagnostics LLC, EHCA Eastside Occupational Medicine Center LLC, EHCA LLC, EHCA Metropolitan LLC, EHCA Parkway LLC, EHCA Peachtree LLC, EHCA West Paces LLC, EIRMC Hospitalist Services LLC, EMMC LLC, EP Health LLC, EP Holdco LLC, EPIC Development Inc., EPIC Diagnostic Centers Inc., EPIC Healthcare Management Company, EPIC Properties Inc., EPIC Surgery Centers Inc., EPSC L.P., East Falls Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery LLC, East Falls Family Medicine LLC, East Falls Plastic Surgery LLC, East Florida - DMC Inc., East Florida Behavioral Health Network LLC, East Florida Cardiology Network LLC, East Florida CareNow Urgent Care LLC, East Florida Division Inc., East Florida Emergency Physician Group LLC, East Florida Healthcare LLC, East Florida Hospitalists LLC, East Florida Imaging Holdings LLC, East Florida Primary Care LLC, East Houston Primary Care PLLC, East Houston Specialists PLLC, East Layton Internal Medicine LLC, East Orthopedics PLLC, East Pointe Hospital Inc., Eastern Idaho Brachytherapy Equipment LLC, Eastern Idaho Brachytherapy Equipment Manager LLC, Eastern Idaho Care Partners ACO LLC, Eastern Idaho Care Partners Holdings LLC, Eastern Idaho Care Partners LLC, Eastern Idaho Health Services Inc., Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center Inpatient Services LLC, Eastside Behavioral Health Associates LLC, Eastside General Surgery LLC, Eastside Heart and Vascular LLC, Eastside Medical Center LLC, Eastside Surgery Center LLC, Edmond General Surgery LLC, Edmond Hospitalists LLC, Edmond Physician Hospital Organization Inc., Edward White Hospital Inc., El Paso CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, El Paso Healthcare Provider Network, El Paso Healthcare System Ltd., El Paso Healthcare System Physician Services LLC, El Paso Nurses Unlimited Inc., El Paso Primary Care PLLC, El Paso Surgery Centers L.P., El Paso Surgicenter Inc., Eldridge Family Practitioners PLLC, Elite Family Health of Plano PLLC, Elite OB-GYN Services of El Paso PLLC, Elite Orthopaedics of El Paso PLLC, Elite Orthopaedics of Irving PLLC, Elite Orthopaedics of Plano PLLC, Elstree Outpatient Centre LLP, Emergency Physicians at Wesley Medical Center LLC, Emergency Providers Group LLC, Emergency Psychiatric Medicine PLLC, Encino Hospital Corporation Inc., Endocrinology Associates of Lees Summit LLC, Endoscopy Surgicare of Plano LLC, Endoscopy of Plano L.P., Englewood Community Hospital Auxiliary Inc., Englewood Community Hospital Inc., Envision Stakes LLC, Eye Care Surgicare Ltd. a Missouri limited partnership, FHAL LLC, FMH Health Services LLC, Fairfax Surgical Center L.P., Fairview Medical Services LLC, Fairview Park GP LLC, Fairview Park Limited Partnership, Fairview Partner LLC, Family Care Partners LLC, Family Care of E. Jackson County LLC, Family First Medicine in Brownsville PLLC, Family Health Medical Group of Overland Park LLC, Family Health Specialists of Lees Summit LLC, Family Medicine of Blacksburg LLC, Family Practice at Forest Hill LLC, Family Practice at Retreat LLC, Family Practitioners of Montgomery PLLC, Family Practitioners of Pearland PLLC, Fannin MOB LLC, Fannin MOB Property Management LLC, Far West Division Inc., Fawcett Memorial Hospital Inc., Florida Care Partners LLC, Florida Care Partners Orlando LLC, Florida Home Health Services-Private Care Inc., Florida Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Flower Mound Surgery Center Ltd., Focus Hand Surgicenter LLC, Foot & Ankle Specialty Services LLC, Forest Park Surgery Pavilion Inc., Forest Park Surgery Pavilion L.P., Fort Bend Hospital Inc., Fort Chiswell Family Practice LLC, Fort Myers Market Inc., Fort Pierce Immediate Care Center Inc., Fort Pierce Orthopaedics LLC, Fort Pierce Surgery Center Ltd., Fort Walton Beach Medical Center Inc., Fort Worth Investments Inc., Forward Pathology Solutions LLC, Four Rivers Medical Center PHO Inc., Frankfort Hospital Inc., Frankfort Wound Care LLC, Freeport Family Medicine LLC, Fremont Womens Health LLC, Frisco Surgicare LLC, Frisco Warren Parkway 91 Inc., Frist Clinic Express LLC, Ft. Pierce Surgicare LLC, Ft. Walton Beach Anesthesia Services LLC, G. Rowe M.D. PLLC, G. Schnider M.D. PLLC, G. Voorhees M.D. PLLC, G.P. Martin Fletcher & Associates LLC, GA PHYSICIAN SERVICES LLC, GA Urgentcare Holding LLC, GHC-Galen Health Care LLC, GI Associates of Denton PLLC, GI Associates of Lewisville PLLC, GME Services of Osceola LLC, GPCH-GP Inc., GYN-Oncology of Southwest Virginia LLC, Gainesville GYN Oncology of North Florida Regional Medical Center LLC, Gainesville Physicians LLC, GalTex LLC, Galen (Kansas) Merger LLC, Galen BH Inc., Galen Center for Professional Development Inc., Galen College of Nursing, Galen Diagnostic Multicenter Ltd., Galen GOK LLC, Galen Global Finance Inc., Galen Health Institutes Inc., Galen Health Partners Limited, Galen Holdco LLC, Galen Hospital Alaska Inc., Galen Hospital of Baytown Inc., Galen Hospital-Pembroke Pines Inc., Galen International Holdings Inc., Galen KY LLC, Galen MCS LLC, Galen MRMC LLC, Galen Medical Corporation, Galen NMC LLC, Galen NSH LLC, Galen Property LLC, Galen SOM LLC, Galen SSH LLC, Galen Virginia Hospital Corporation, Galen of Aurora Inc., Galen of Florida Inc., Galen of Illinois Inc., Galen of Kentucky Inc., Galen of Mississippi Inc., Galen of Virginia Inc., Galen of West Virginia Inc., Galen-Soch Inc., Galencare Inc., Galendeco Inc., Galichia Anesthesia Services LLC, Galichia Emergency Physicians LLC, Garden Park Community Hospital Limited Partnership, Garden Park Hospitalist Program LLC, Garden Park Investments L.P., Garden Park Physician Group - Specialty Care LLC, Garden Park Physician Group Inc., Gardens EFL Imaging Center LLC, Gastroenterology Specialists of Middle Tennessee LLC, General Hospitals of Galen Inc., General Medical Clinics Limited, General Surgeons of Houston PLLC, General Surgeons of North Richland Hills PLLC, General Surgeons of Pasadena PLLC, General and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Conroe PLLC, Generations Family Practice Inc., GenoSpace LLC, Georgia Health Holdings Inc., Georgia L.P., Georgia Psychiatric Company Inc., Glemm SA, Good Samaritan Hospital L.P., Good Samaritan Hospital LLC, Good Samaritan Surgery Center L.P., Goppert-Trinity Family Care LLC, Grace Family Practice LLC, Gramercy Eye Surgicenter LLC, Gramercy Surgery Center Ltd., Grand Strand Regional Medical Center LLC, Grand Strand Senior Health Center LLC, Grand Strand Specialty Associates LLC, Grand Strand Surgical Specialists LLC, Grandview Health Care Clinic LLC, Grant Center Hospital of Ocala Inc., Grayson Primary Care LLC, Greater Gwinnett Internal Medicine Associates LLC, Greater Gwinnett Physician Corporation, Greater Houston Preferred Provider Option Inc., Greater Tampa Bay Physician Network LLC, Greater Tampa Bay Physician Specialists LLC, Greater Tampa Bay Physicians - Pinellas LLC, Green Oaks Hospital Subsidiary L.P., Greenview Hospital Inc., Greenview PrimeCare LLC, Greenview Specialty Associates LLC, Gulf Coast Division Inc., Gulf Coast Electrophysiology Associates PLLC, Gulf Coast Inpatient Specialists LLC, Gulf Coast Medical Center Primary Care LLC, Gulf Coast Medical Ventures Inc., Gulf Coast Multispecialty Services LLC, Gulf Coast Physician Administrators Inc., Gulf Coast Provider Network Inc., Gwinnett Community Hospital Inc., Gynecology Specialists of Utah LLC, H2U Wellness Centers - Del Sol Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers - Las Palmas Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers - Medical City Dallas PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers - St. Davids Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers LLC, H2U Wellness Centers Clear Lake Regional Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers Conroe ISD PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers Conroe Regional Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers Corpus Christi PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers El Paso PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers PISD PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers San Benito CISD PLLC, HBP Lone Star Inc., HCA - IT&S Field Operations Inc., HCA - IT&S Inventory Management Inc., HCA - IT&S PBS Field Operations Inc., HCA - IT&S TN Field Operations Inc., HCA - Information Technology & Services Inc., HCA - Raleigh Community Hospital Inc., HCA - Viera ALF LLC, HCA - WHS Progressive LLC, HCA - WHS Services LLC, HCA ASD Financial Operations LLC, HCA ASD Sales Services LLC, HCA American Finance LLC, HCA Carenow Limited, HCA Central Group Inc., HCA Central/West Texas Physicians Management LLC, HCA Chattanooga Market Inc., HCA Development Company Inc., HCA Eastern Group Inc., HCA Global Capital LLP, HCA Gulf Coast GME PLLC, HCA Health Services of California Inc., HCA Health Services of Florida Inc., HCA Health Services of Georgia Inc., HCA Health Services of Louisiana Inc., HCA Health Services of Miami Inc., HCA Health Services of Midwest Inc., HCA Health Services of New Hampshire Inc., HCA Health Services of Tennessee Inc., HCA Health Services of Texas Inc., HCA Health Services of Virginia Inc., HCA Health Services of West Virginia Inc., HCA Healthcare Mission Fund LLC, HCA Healthcare UK Limited, HCA Holdco LLC, HCA Human Resources LLC, HCA Imaging Services of North Florida Inc., HCA Inc., HCA International Holdings Limited, HCA International Limited, HCA LewisGale Regional Cancer Centers Clinical Co-Management Company LLC, HCA Long Term Health Services of Miami Inc., HCA Luxembourg 1 Sarl, HCA Luxembourg 2 Sarl, HCA Luxembourg Equities Sarl, HCA Luxembourg Finance Limited, HCA Luxembourg Investments Sarl, HCA Management Services L.P., HCA Medical City Limited, HCA Medical Services Inc., HCA Midwest Comprehensive Care Inc., HCA Outpatient Clinic Services of Miami Inc., HCA Outpatient Imaging Services Group Inc., HCA Patient Safety Organization LLC, HCA Pearland GP Inc., HCA Physician Services Inc., HCA Plano Imaging Inc., HCA Property GP LLC, HCA Psychiatric Company, HCA Purchasing Limited, HCA Realty Inc., HCA Richmond Cardiac Clinical Co-Management Company LLC, HCA SF LLC, HCA SFB 1 LLC, HCA Sarasota Orthopedic and Spine Clinical Co-Management Company LLC, HCA Squared LLC, HCA Staffing Limited, HCA Swiss Capital 1 LLP, HCA Swiss Capital 2 LLP, HCA Switzerland Finance GmbH, HCA Switzerland Holding GmbH, HCA Switzerland Limited, HCA UK Capital Limited, HCA UK Holdings Limited, HCA UK Investments Limited, HCA UK Limited, HCA UK Services Limited, HCA Wesley Rehabilitation Hospital Inc., HCA Western Group Inc., HCA-Access Healthcare Holdings LLC, HCA-Access Healthcare Partner Inc., HCA-California Urgent Care Holdings LLC, HCA-EMS Holdings LLC, HCA-EmCare Holdings LLC, HCA-Georgia Urgent Care Holdings LLC, HCA-HBPS Holdings LLC, HCA-HealthONE LLC, HCA-Solis Holdings Inc., HCA-Solis Mammography Service Holdings of Continental LLC, HCA-Solis Mammography Service Holdings of Gulf Coast LLC, HCA-Solis Mammography Service Holdings of North Texas LLC, HCA-Solis Mammography Service Holdings of TriStar LLC, HCA-Solis Mammography Services LLC, HCA-Solis Master LLC, HCA-Urgent Care Holdings LLC, HCAPS Anesthesia Manager LLC, HCAPS Conroe Affiliation Inc., HCOL Inc., HD&S Corp. Successor Inc., HDH Thoracic Surgeons LLC, HHBY Holdings LLC, HHNC LLC, HICCH-SCL LLC, HM Acquisition LLC, HM OMCOS LLC, HMMG 1226 LLC, HPG Energy L.P., HPG Enterprises LLC, HPG GP LLC, HPG Solutions LLC, HSS Holdco LLC, HSS Systems LLC, HSS Virginia L.P., HTI Gulf Coast Inc., HTI Health Services of North Carolina Inc., HTI Hospital Holdings Inc., HTI MOB LLC, HTI MSO LLC, HTI Memorial Hospital Corporation, HTI Physician Services of Utah Inc., HWCA PLLC, Hamilton Memorial Hospital Inc., Hamsard 3160 Limited, Harley Street Clinic @ The Groves LLP, Hathor Chelsea Ltd., Healdsburg General Hospital Inc., Health Care Indemnity Inc., Health Insight Capital LLC, Health International Billing Partners Limited, Health Midwest Medical Group Inc., Health Midwest Office Facilities Corporation, Health Midwest Ventures Group Inc., Health Partners of Kansas Inc., Health Service Partners Inc., Health Services (Delaware) Inc., Health Services Merger Inc., Health to You LLC, HealthCoast Physician Group LLC, HealthONE Aurora Investment LLC, HealthONE Care Partners LLC, HealthONE CareNow Urgent Care LLC, HealthONE Clear Creek LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Bariatric Medicine LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Behavioral Health LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Cancer Care LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Cancer Specialties LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Cardiovascular LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Medical Specialties LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Neurosciences LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Obstetrics and Gynecology LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Occupational Medicine LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Oncology Hematology LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Orthopedic Specialists LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Otolaryngology Specialists LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Pediatric Specialties LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Primary Care LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Spine Specialists LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Spine Surgeons LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Surgery Neurological LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Surgical Specialties LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Transplant Services LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Womens Services LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Youth Rehabilitation LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services LLC, HealthONE High Street Primary Care Center LLC, HealthONE IRL Pathology Services LLC, HealthONE Institutes for Clinical Research LLC, HealthONE Lowry LLC, HealthONE Radiation Therapy at Red Rocks LLC, HealthONE Radiation Therapy at Thornton LLC, HealthONE Ridge View Endoscopy Center LLC, HealthONE Surgicare of Ridge View LLC, HealthONE Urologic LLC, HealthONE at Breckenridge LLC, HealthONE of Denver Inc., HealthOne Heart Care LLC, HealthOne Lincoln Investment LLC, HealthOne Westside Investment LLC, HealthTrust Europe Company Limited, HealthTrust Europe LLP, HealthTrust Locums Inc., HealthTrust Workforce Solutions LLC, Healthcare Oklahoma Inc., Healthcare Purchasing Alliance LLC, Healthcare Sales National Management Services Group LLC, Healthcare Technology Assessment Corporation, Healthco LLC, Healthnet of Kentucky LLC, Healthserv Acquisition LLC, Healthtrust Inc. - The Hospital Company, Healthtrust MOB Tennessee LLC, Healthtrust Purchasing Group L.P., Healthtrust Utah Management Services Inc., Healthy State Inc., Heart Specialist of North Texas PLLC, Heart of America ASC LLC, Heart of America Surgicenter LLC, Heartcare of Texas Ltd., Hearthstone Home Health Inc., Heartland Womens Group at Wesley LLC, Heathrow Imaging LLC, Heathrow Internal Medicine LLC, Hendersonville Hospital Corporation, Hendersonville Hospitalist Services Inc., Hendersonville OB/GYN LLC, Hendersonville ODC LLC, Hendersonville Primary Care LLC, Henrico Doctors Hospital - Forest Campus Property LLC, Henrico Doctors Neurology Associates LLC, Henrico Doctors OB GYN Specialists LLC, Henrico Surgical Specialists LLC, Heritage Family Care LLC, Heritage Hospital Inc., Heritage Medical Care LLC, Hermitage Primary Care LLC, Hidalgo County Family Practitioners PLLC, Hidden Lakes Health Center PLLC, Highlands Regional Medical Center, Hip & Joint Specialists of North Texas PLLC, Homecare North Inc., Hometrust Management Services Inc., Horizon Orthopedics LLC, Horizon Surgical LLC, Hospital Corp. LLC, Hospital Corporation of America, Hospital Corporation of Lake Worth, Hospital Corporation of Tennessee, Hospital Corporation of Utah, Hospital Development Properties Inc., Hospital Partners Merger LLC, Hospital Realty Corporation, Hospital-Based CRNA Services Inc., Hospitalists at Centennial Medical Center LLC, Hospitalists at Fairview Park LLC, Hospitalists at Greenview Regional Hospital LLC, Hospitalists at Horizon Medical Center LLC, Hospitalists at Parkridge LLC, Hospitalists at StoneCrest LLC, Hospitalists at Wesley Medical Center LLC, Hospitalists of the Wabash Valley LLC, Houston - PPH LLC, Houston CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, Houston Healthcare Holdings Inc., Houston NW Manager LLC, Houston Northwest Concessions L.L.C., Houston Northwest Operating Company L.L.C., Houston Northwest Surgical Partners Inc., Houston Obstetrics and Gynecology for Women PLLC, Houston Pediatric Specialty Group PLLC, Houston Urologic Surgicenter LLC, Houston Womans Hospital Partner LLC, ICU Associates of West Houston PLLC, IMX Holdings LLC, IRL Pathology Services MidAmerica LLC, Idaho Behavioral Health Services LLC, Idaho Physician Services Inc., Illinois Psychiatric Hospital Company Inc., Imaging Realty LLC, Imaging Services of Appomattox LLC, Imaging Services of Jacksonville LLC, Imaging Services of Louisiana LLC, Imaging Services of Louisiana Manager LLC, Imaging Services of Orlando LLC, Imaging Services of Richmond LLC, Imaging Services of Roanoke LLC, Imaging Services of West Boynton LLC, InVivoLink Inc., Independence Neurosurgery Services LLC, Independence Regional Medical Group LLC, Independence Surgicare Inc., Indian Path Hospital Inc., Indianapolis Hospital Partner LLC, Institute for Womens Health and Body LLC, Institute of Advanced ENT Surgery LLC, Integrated Regional Lab LLC, Integrated Regional Laboratories LLP, Integrated Regional Laboratories Pathology Services LLC, Intensive Care Consortium Inc., Internal Medicine Associates of Huntsville PLLC, Internal Medicine Associates of Southern Hills LLC, Internal Medicine of Blacksburg LLC, Internal Medicine of Pasadena PLLC, Internist Associates of Houston PLLC, Isleworth Partners Inc., J. M. Garcia M.D. PLLC, JCSH LLC, JDGC Management LLC, JFK Internal Medicine Faculty Practice LLC, JFK Medical Center Limited Partnership, JPM AA Housing LLC, Jackson County Medical Group LLC, Jackson County Pulmonary Medical Group LLC, Jacksonville CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Jacksonville Multispecialty Services LLC, Jacksonville Surgery Center Ltd., James River Internists LLC, John Randolph Family Practice LLC, John Randolph OB/GYN LLC, John Randolph Surgeons LLC, Johnson County Neurology LLC, Johnson County Surgery Center L.P., Johnson County Surgicenter L.L.C., Jordan Family Health L.L.C., Jupiter EFL Imaging Center LLC, KC Pain ASC LLC, KC Surgicare LLC, KPH-Consolidation Inc., Kansas CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Kansas City Cardiac Arrhythmia Research LLC, Kansas City Gastroenterology & Hepatology Physicians Group LLC, Kansas City Neurology Associates LLC, Kansas City Pulmonology Practice LLC, Kansas City Surgery Center Properties LLC, Kansas City Vascular & General Surgery Group LLC, Kansas City Womens Clinic Group LLC, Kansas Healthserv LLC, Kansas Pulmonary and Sleep Specialists LLC, Kansas Trauma and Critical Care Specialists LLC, Kathy L. Summers M.D. PLLC, Kendall Healthcare Group Ltd., Kendall Regional Medical Center LLC, Kendall Regional Urgent Care LLC, Kennedale Primary Care PLLC, Kingwood Multi-Specialty Group PLLC, Kingwood Surgery Center LLC, Kingwood Surgicenter LLC, Kissimmee Surgicare Ltd., Kyle Primary Care PLLC, L E Corporation, LAD Imaging LLC, LGMC Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, LOC @ The Christie LLP, LOC @ The London Bridge Hospital LLP, LOC Partnership LLP, LPN TeleBehavioral Health PLLC, Lafayette OB Hospitalists LLC, Lafayette Urogynecology & Urology Center LLC, Lake City Imaging LLC, Lake City Regional Medical Group LLC, Lake Forest Family Health PLLC, Lakeside Radiology LLC, Lakeside Womens Services LLC, Lakeview Cardiology Specialists LLC, Lakeview Hospital Physician Services LLC, Lakeview Internal Medicine LLC, Lakeview Medical Center LLC, Lakeview Regional Medical Center Inpatient Services LLC, Lakeview Regional Physician Group LLC, Lakeview Urology & General Surgery LLC, Lakewood Surgicare Inc., Laredo Medco LLC, Largo Medical Center Inc., Largo Physician Group LLC, Las Colinas Primary Care PLLC, Las Colinas Surgery Center Ltd., Las Encinas Hospital, Las Palmas Del Sol Cardiology PLLC, Las Palmas Del Sol Internal Medicine PLLC, Las Palmas Del Sol Urgent Care PLLC, Las Vegas ASC LLC, Las Vegas Surgicare Inc., Las Vegas Surgicare Ltd. a Nevada Limited Partnership, Lawnwood Cardiovascular Surgery LLC, Lawnwood Healthcare Specialists LLC, Lawnwood Medical Center Inc., Layton Family Practice LLC, Leaders in Oncology Care Limited, Leadership Healthcare Holdings II L.P. L.L.P., Leadership Healthcare Holdings L.P. L.L.P., Lees Summit Family Care LLC, Leslie Cohan M.D. PLLC, Lewis-Gale Hospital Incorporated, Lewis-Gale Medical Center LLC, Lewis-Gale Physicians LLC, Lewisville Primary Care PLLC, Lewisville Surgicare LLC, Lincoln Surgery Center LLC, Live Oak Immediate Care Center LLC, London Oncology Clinic LLP, London Pathology Limited, London Radiography & Radiotherapy Services Limited, Lone Peak Hospital Inc., Lone Star Intensivists at Gulf Coast PLLC, Lonestar Provider Network, Longview Regional Physician Hospital Organization Inc., Lorain County Surgery Center Ltd., Los Gatos Surgical Center a California Limited Partnership, Los Robles Regional Medical Center, Los Robles Regional Medical Center MOB LLC, Los Robles SurgiCenter LLC, Loudoun Surgery Center LLC, Louisiana Psychiatric Company Inc., Loveland Surgicenter LLC, Low Country Health Services Inc. of the Southeast, Lowry Surgicenter LLC, M. Jamshidi D.O. PLLC, MCA Investment Company, MCA-CTMC Holdings LLC, MEC Endoscopy LLC, MFA G.P. LLC, MFM Fact PLLC, MGH Medical Inc., MH Anesthesiology Physicians LLC, MH Angel Medical Center LLLP, MH Asheville Specialty Hospital LLC, MH Blue Ridge Medical Center LLLP, MH Eckerd Living Center LLLP, MH Highlands-Cashiers Medical Center LLLP, MH Hospital Holdings Inc., MH Hospital Manager LLC, MH Master Holdings LLLP, MH Master LLC, MH McDowell Imaging LLLP, MH Mission Hospital LLLP, MH Mission Hospital McDowell LLLP, MH Mission Imaging LLLP, MH Physician Services LLC, MH Transylvania Imaging LLLP, MH Transylvania Regional Hospital LLLP, MHS Partnership Holdings JSC Inc., MHS Partnership Holdings SDS Inc., MHS SC Partner L.L.C., MHS Surgery Centers L.P., MMC Sleep Lab Management LLC, MOSC Sports Medicine Inc., MOVCO Inc., MP Management LLC, MRT&C Inc., MSL Acquisition LLC, MVH Professional Services LLC, Macon Healthcare LLC, Macon Northside Health Group LLC, Macon Northside Hospital LLC, Macon Psychiatric Hospitalists LLC, Madison Behavioral Health LLC, Mainland Family Medicine PLLC, Mainland Multi-Specialty Group PLLC, Mainland Primary Care Physicians PLLC, Management Services Holdings Inc., Manatee Surgicare Ltd., Marietta Outpatient Medical Building Inc., Marietta Outpatient Surgery Ltd., Marietta Surgical Center Inc., Marion Community Hospital Inc., Mark Gottesman M.D. PLLC, Martin Fletcher & Associates L.P., Martin Fletcher Associates Holdings Inc., Mary Alice Cowan M.D. PLLC, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists of Corpus Christi PLLC, Maternal Fetal Services of Utah LLC, Maury County Behavioral Health LLC, Mayhill Cancer Center LLC, McAllen Comprehensive Upper Extremity Center PLLC, McKinney Surgeons PLLC, Mechanicsville Imaging LLC, Mecklenburg Surgical Land Development Ltd., Med City Dallas Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Med Corp. Inc., Med Group - Southern Hills Hospitalists LLC, Med-Center Hosp./Houston Inc., Med-Point of New Hampshire Inc., Medi Flight of Oklahoma LLC, MediCredit Inc., MediPurchase Inc., MediStone Healthcare Ventures Inc., MediVision Inc., MediVision of Mecklenburg County Inc., MediVision of Tampa Inc., Medical Arts Hospital of Texarkana Inc., Medical Associates of Ocala LLC, Medical Care America Colorado LLC, Medical Care America LLC, Medical Care Financial Services Corp., Medical Care Real Estate Finance Inc., Medical Care Surgery Center Inc., Medical Center - West Inc., Medical Center Imaging Inc., Medical Center Surgery Associates L.P., Medical Center of Baton Rouge Inc., Medical Center of Plano Partner LLC, Medical Center of Port St. Lucie Inc., Medical Center of Santa Rosa Inc., Medical Center of Southwest Florida LLC, Medical Centers of Oklahoma LLC, Medical City Dallas Hospital Inc., Medical City Dallas Partner LLC, Medical City Dallas Primary Care PLLC, Medical City Frisco, Medical City OB-GYN PLLC, Medical City Pediatrics PLLC, Medical City Specialty Surgicenter of Dallas LLC, Medical City Surgery Center of Alliance LLC, Medical City Surgery Center of Frisco LLC, Medical City Surgery Center of Lewisville LLC, Medical City Transplant PLLC, Medical Corporation of America, Medical Group - Dickson Inc., Medical Group - Southern Hills of Brentwood LLC, Medical Group - Southern Hills of Nolensville LLC, Medical Group - StoneCrest FP Inc., Medical Group - StoneCrest Inc., Medical Group - Stonecrest Pulmonology LLC, Medical Group - Summit Inc., Medical Imaging Inc., Medical Imaging of Colorado LLC, Medical Office Buildings of Kansas LLC, Medical Oncology Associates LLC, Medical Partners of North Florida LLC, Medical Plaza Ambulatory Surgery Center Associates L.P., Medical Specialties Inc., Memorial Family Practice Associates LLC, Memorial Health Primary Care at St. Johns Bluff LLC, Memorial Healthcare Group Inc., Memorial Neurosurgery Group LLC, Memorial Satilla Specialists LLC, Memorial University Medical Center, Menorah Medical Group LLC, Menorah Urgent Care LLC, Mercy ASC LLC, Metairie Primary Care Associates LLC, Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Center of Boerne LLC, Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Center of Landmark LLC, Methodist Cardiology Physicians, Methodist CareNow Physician Associates, Methodist CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio Ltd. L.L.P., Methodist Inpatient Management Group, Methodist Medical Center ASC L.P., Methodist Physician Alliance, Methodist Physician Practice Services LLC, Methodist Physician Practices PLLC, Metroplex Surgicenters Inc., Metropolitan Multispecialty Physicians Group Inc., Miami Beach EFL Imaging Center LLC, Miami Beach Healthcare Group Ltd., Miami Dade Surgical Specialists LLC, Miami Lakes Surgery Center Ltd., Miami-Dade Cardiology Consultants LLC, Michael Mann M.D. PLLC, Mid-America Surgery Center LLC, Mid-America Surgery Institute LLC, Mid-Cities Surgi-Center Inc., Mid-Continent Health Services Inc., MidAmerica Division Inc., MidAmerica Oncology LLC, Middle Georgia Hospital LLC, Middle Georgia Urgent Care Services LLC, Middle Tennessee Neurology LLC, Midtown Diagnostics LLC, Midwest Cardiology Specialists LLC, Midwest Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery LLC, Midwest Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons of Kansas LLC, Midwest Division - ACH LLC, Midwest Division - CMC LLC, Midwest Division - LRHC LLC, Midwest Division - LSH LLC, Midwest Division - MCI LLC, Midwest Division - MMC LLC, Midwest Division - OPRMC LLC, Midwest Division - RBH LLC, Midwest Division - RMC LLC, Midwest Division Spine Care LLC, Midwest Doctors Group LLC, Midwest Heart & Vascular Specialists LLC, Midwest Holdings Inc., Midwest Infectious Disease Specialists LLC, Midwest Medicine Associates LLC, Midwest Metropolitan Physicians Group LLC, Midwest Oncology Associates LLC, Midwest Trauma Services LLC, Midwest Womens Healthcare Specialists LLC, Mikrod Services Inc., Mill Creek Outpatient Services LLC, Millenium Health Care of Oklahoma Inc., Mission Bay Memorial Hospital Inc., Mission Community Anesthesiology Specialists LLC, Mission Employer Solutions LLC, Mission Health, Mission Health Partners Inc., Missouri Healthcare System L.P., Mobile Corps. Inc., Mobile Heartbeat, Mobile Heartbeat LLC, Montgomery Cancer Center LLC, Montgomery Hospitalists LLC, Montgomery Regional Hospital Inc., Montgomery Surgery Associates LLC, Mountain Division - CVH LLC, Mountain Division Inc., Mountain View Hospital Inc., Mountain View MRI Associates Ltd., Mountain West Surgery Center LLC, MountainStar Behavioral Health LLC, MountainStar Brigham General Surgery LLC, MountainStar Canyon Surgical Clinic LLC, MountainStar Cardiology Ogden Regional LLC, MountainStar Cardiology St. Marks LLC, MountainStar Intensivist Services LLC, MountainStar Medical Group - Cache Valley LLC, MountainStar Medical Group - Ogden Regional Medical Center LLC, MountainStar Medical Group - St. Marks Hospital LLC, MountainStar Medical Group Neurosurgery-St. Marks LLC, MountainStar Medical Group Timpanogos Primary Care LLC, MountainStar Medical Group Timpanogos Specialty Care LLC, MountainStar Specialty Services LLC, MountainStar Urgent Care LLC, MountainView GME Primary Care LLC, Mountainstar Brigham OBGYN LLC, Mountainstar Cardiovascular Services LLC, Mountainstar Ogden Pediatrics LLC, Movement Disorders of North Texas PLLC, Mt. Ogden Utah Surgical Center LLC, NPAS Inc., NPAS Solutions LLC, NT Urgent Care PLLC, NTGP LLC, NTMC Management Company, NTMC Venture Inc., NTX Pathology Program PLLC, Nashville Psychiatric Company Inc., Nashville Shared Services General Partnership, Nashville Surgicenter LLC, Natchez Medical Associates LLC, Natchez Surgery Center LLC, National Association of Senior Friends, National Contact Center Management Group LLC, National Patient Account Services Inc., National Transfer Center Management Services LLC, Navarro Memorial Hospital Inc., NeighborMD Management LLC, Network MS of Florida Inc., Network Management Services Inc., Neuro Affiliates Company, Neuro-Hospitalist of Clear Lake PLLC, NeuroHospitalist of McAllen PLLC, Neurological Eye Specialists of North Texas PLLC, Neurological Specialists PLLC, Neurological Specialists of McKinney PLLC, Neurology Associates of Hendersonville LLC, Neurology Associates of Kansas LLC, Neurosurgery Atlanta LLC, Neurosurgery of Kingwood PLLC, Neurosurgical Associates of North Texas PLLC, Neurosurgical Specialists of El Paso PLLC, Neurosurgical Specialists of North Texas PLLC, Nevada Surgery Center of Southern Hills L.P., Nevada Surgicare of Southern Hills LLC, Nevada Urgent Care Holdings Inc., New Iberia Healthcare LLC, New Iberia Holdings Inc., New Port Richey Hospital Inc., New Port Richey Surgery Center Ltd., New Rose Holding Company Inc., Niceville Family Practice LLC, North Augusta Imaging Management LLC, North Augusta Imaging Services LLC, North Augusta Rehab Health Center LLC, North Austin Plastic Surgery Associates PLLC, North Austin Surgery Center L.P., North Brandon Imaging LLC, North Central Florida Health System Inc., North Central Methodist ASC L.P., North Charleston Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, North Florida Cancer Center Lake City LLC, North Florida Cancer Center Live Oak LLC, North Florida Cancer Center Tallahassee LLC, North Florida Division I Inc., North Florida Division Practice Inc., North Florida GI Center GP Inc., North Florida GI Center Ltd., North Florida Immediate Care Center Inc., North Florida Neurosurgery LLC, North Florida Outpatient Imaging Center Ltd., North Florida Physician Services Inc., North Florida Physicians LLC, North Florida Radiation Oncology LLC, North Florida Regional Company Care LLC, North Florida Regional Freestanding Surgery Center L.P., North Florida Regional Investments Inc., North Florida Regional Medical Center Inc., North Florida Regional Psychiatry LLC, North Florida Regional Trauma LLC, North Florida Rehab Investments LLC, North Florida Surgical Associates LLC, North Georgia Primary Care Group LLC, North Hills Cardiac Catheterization Center L.P., North Hills Catheterization Lab LLC, North Hills Orthopaedic Surgeons PLLC, North Hills Surgicare L.P., North Houston - TRMC LLC, North Miami Beach Surgery Center Limited Partnership, North Miami Beach Surgical Center LLC, North Palm Beach County Surgery Center LLC, North River Physician Network LLC, North Shore Specialists of Texas PLLC, North Suburban Spine Center L.P., North Tampa Imaging LLC, North Texas - MCA LLC, North Texas Cardiology PLLC, North Texas Craniofacial Fellowship Program PLLC, North Texas Division Inc., North Texas General L.P., North Texas Geriatrics PLLC, North Texas Heart Surgery Center PLLC, North Texas Internal Medicine Specialists PLLC, North Texas Medical Center Inc., North Texas Neuro Stroke OP PLLC, North Texas Pulmonary Critical Care PLLC, North Texas Sports and Orthopedics Center PLLC, North Texas Stroke Center PLLC, North Texas of Hope PLLC, North Transfer Center LLC, Northeast Florida Cancer Services LLC, Northeast Methodist Surgicare Ltd., Northeast PHO Inc., Northern Utah Healthcare Corporation, Northern Utah Healthcare Imaging Holdco LLC, Northern Utah Imaging LLC, Northern Virginia CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Northern Virginia Community Hospital LLC, Northern Virginia Hospital Corporation, Northern Virginia Surgicenter LLC, Northlake Medical Center LLC, Northlake Physician Practice Network Inc., Northlake Surgical Center L.P., Northlake Surgicare Inc., Northside MRI Inc., Northwest Fla. Home Health Agency Inc., Northwest Florida Healthcare Systems Inc., Northwest Florida Multispecialty Physicians LLC, Northwest Florida Primary Care LLC, Northwest Medical Center Inc., Notami (Opelousas) Inc., Notami Hospitals LLC, Notami Hospitals of Florida Inc., Notami Hospitals of Louisiana Inc., Notami Hospitals of Missouri Inc., Notami LLC, Notco LLC, Nuclear Diagnosis Inc., OB Hospitalists of Womans Hospital PLLC, OB/GYN of Brownsville PLLC, OB/Gyn Associates of Denton PLLC, OBS Diagnostic and Treatment Centre LLP, ODP Holdings LLC, ODP Manager LLC, ODP Properties LLC, OHH Imaging Services LLC, OPRMC-HBP LLC, Oak Hill Acquisition Inc., Oak Hill Family Care LLC, Oak Hill Hospitalists LLC, Oakwood Surgery Center Ltd. LLP, Ocala Health Company Care LLC, Ocala Health Imaging Services LLC, Ocala Health Primary Care LLC, Ocala Health Surgical Group LLC, Ocala Health Trauma LLC, Ocala Regional Outpatient Services Inc., Ocala Stereotactic Radiosurgery LLC, Ocala Stereotactic Radiosurgery Partner LLC, Occupational Health Services of PRH LLC, Occupational and Family Medicine of South Texas, Ogden Imaging LLC, Ogden Internal Medicine & Urology LLC, Ogden Regional Health Plan Inc., Ogden Regional Medical Center Professional Billing LLC, Ogden Senior Center LLC, Ogden Tomotherapy LLC, Ogden Tomotherapy Manager LLC, Okaloosa Hospital Inc., Okeechobee Hospital Inc., Oklahoma Holding Company LLC, Oklahoma Outpatient Surgery Limited Partnership, Oklahoma Physicians - Medical Specialties LLC, Oklahoma Physicians - Obstetrics and Gynecology LLC, Oklahoma Physicians - Primary Care LLC, Oklahoma Physicians - Surgical Specialties LLC, Oklahoma Surgicare Inc., Old Fort Village LLC, On-Site Primary Care PLLC, Oncology Services of Corpus Christi LLC, Oncology Services of Corpus Christi Manager LLC, OneSourceMed Inc., Online Pathology Services Limited, Orange County Healthcare LLC, Orange Park Hospitalists LLC, Orange Park Medical Center Inc., Orlando CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Orlando Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Orlando Outpatient Surgical Center Ltd., Orlando Surgicare Ltd., Orthopaedic Specialty Associates L.P., Orthopaedic Sports Specialty Associates Inc., Orthopedic Hospital Ltd., Orthopedics Specialists LLC, Osceola Neurological Associates LLC, Osceola Physician Network LLC, Osceola Regional Hospital Inc., Osceola Regional Hospitalists LLC, Osceola Surgical Associates LLC, Outpatient Cardiovascular Center of Central Florida LLC, Outpatient GP LLC, Outpatient Services - LAD LLC, Outpatient Services Holdings Inc., Outpatient Surgical Services Ltd., Outpatient Womens and Childrens Surgery Center Ltd., Overland Park Cardiovascular Inc., Overland Park Medical Specialists LLC, Overland Park Orthopedics LLC, Overland Park Surgical Specialties LLC, Oviedo Medical Center LLC, Ozarks Medical Services Inc., P&L Associates, P/SL Hyperbaric Partnership, PET CT LLP, PMM Inc., POH Holdings LLC, PSG Delegated Services LLC, PTS Solutions LLC, Pacific Partners Management Services Inc., Palm Beach EFL Imaging Center LLC, Palm Beach General Surgery LLC, Palm Beach Healthcare System Inc., Palm Beach Hospitalists Program LLC, Palmer Medical Center LLC, Palms West Gastroenterology LLC, Palms West Hospital Limited Partnership, Palms West Surgery Center Ltd., Paragon Physicians Hospital Organization of South Texas Inc., Paragon SDS Inc., Paragon Surgery Centers of Texas Inc., Paragon WSC Inc., Paragon of Texas Health Properties Inc., Parallon Business Solutions LLC, Parallon Enterprises LLC, Parallon Health Information Solutions LLC, Parallon Holdings LLC, Parallon Payroll Solutions LLC, Parallon Physician Services LLC, Parallon Revenue Cycle Services Inc., Park Central Surgical Center Ltd., Park Ridge Surgery Center LLC, Park South Imaging Center Ltd., Park View Insurance Company, Parkersburg SJ Holdings Inc., Parkland Hospitalists Program LLC, Parkland Oncology LLC, Parkland Physician Services Inc., Parkridge East Specialty Associates LLC, Parkridge Hospitalists Inc., Parkridge Medical Associates LLC, Parkridge Medical Center Inc., Parkridge Professionals Inc., Parkside Surgery Center Inc., Parkway Cardiac Center Ltd., Parkway Hospital Inc., Parkway Surgery Services Ltd., Parthenon Insurance Company Limited, Pasadena Bayshore Hospital Inc., PatientKeeper, PatientKeeper Inc., Patients First Neurology LLC, Pavilion 2 Condominium Property LLC, Pavilion 2 Medical Office Building Condominium Association Inc., Pavilion Surgicenter LLC, Peach State Anesthesia Partners LLC, Pearland Institute for Womens Health PLLC, Pearland Partner LLC, Pediatric Anesthesia Consultants of San Antonio PLLC, Pediatric Cardiac Intensivists of North Texas PLLC, Pediatric Critical Care of Clear Lake PLLC, Pediatric Hospitalists of Conroe PLLC, Pediatric Intensivist Group LLC, Pediatric Intensivists of El Paso PLLC, Pediatric Intensivists of North Texas PLLC, Pediatric Specialists of Clear Lake PLLC, Pediatric Specialty Clinic LLC, Pediatric Surgicare Inc., Pediatrics of Greater Houston PLLC, Pensacola Primary Care Inc., Physician Associates of Corporate Woods LLC, Physicians Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Physicians West Surgicenter LLC, Pinellas Medical LLC, Pinnacle Physician Network LLC, Pioneer Medical LLC, Plains Healthcare System Inc., Plano Ambulatory Surgery Associates L.P., Plano Heart Institute L.P., Plano Heart Management LLC, Plano Surgery Center - GP LLC, Plano Surgery Center Real Estate LLC, Plano Surgicenter Real Estate Manager LLC, Plano Urology PLLC, Plantation General Hospital L.P., Plaza Medical Specialists PLLC, Plaza Primary Care PLLC, Plaza Transplant Center PLLC, Podiatry of Clear Lake PLLC, Poinciana Medical Center Inc., Port St. Lucie Surgery Center Ltd., Portland Primary Care LLC, Portsmouth Regional Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Portsmouth Surgicenter LLC, Preferred Hospitals Inc., Preferred Works WC LLC, Premier ASC LLC, Premier Medical Management Ltd., Primary Care Medical Associates Inc., Primary Care Plano PLLC, Primary Care Services of Orlando LLC, Primary Care South PLLC, Primary Care West PLLC, Primary Care of West End LLC, Primary Health Asset Holdings Ltd., Primary Health Group Inc., Primary Health Inc., Primary Health Network of South Texas, Primary Health Physicians PLLC, Primary Medical Management Inc., Proaxis Therapy HealthOne LLC, Provident Professional Building Condominium Association Inc., Psychiatry Services of Osceola LLC, Pulaski Community Hospital Inc., Pulaski Urology LLC, Pulmonary Renal Intensivist Group LLC, Putnam Community Medical Center of North Florida LLC, Putnam Hospital Inc., Putnam Radiation Oncology LLC, Putnam Radiation Oncology Manager LLC, Putnam Surgical Group LLC, Quantum/Bellaire Imaging Ltd., Quick Care Centers LLC, Quivira Internal Medicine Inc., RCH LLC, RMC - Pulmonary LLC, RMC Transplant Physicians LLC, RMCA Professionals Mgmt LLC, ROi CPS LLC, Radford Family Medicine LLC, Radiation Oncology Center of Thornton LLC, Radiation Oncology Manager LLC, Raleigh Community Medical Office Building Ltd., Rapides After Hours Clinic L.L.C., Rapides Healthcare System L.L.C., Rapides Regional Physician Group LLC, Rapides Regional Physician Group Primary Care LLC, Rapides Regional Physician Group Specialty Care LLC, Rapides Surgery Center LLC, Raulerson GYN LLC, Raulerson Gastroenterology LLC, Raulerson Primary Care LLC, Raymore Medical Group LLC, Red Rock Holdco LLC, Red Rock at Smoke Ranch LLC, Red Rocks Surgery Center LLC, Redmond Anesthesia Services LLC, Redmond Hospital Services LLC, Redmond Neurosurgery LLC, Redmond Park Health Services Inc., Redmond Park Hospital LLC, Redmond Physician Practice Company, Redmond Specialty Services LLC, Regional Hospital Healthcare Partners LLC, Research Cardiology Associates LLC, Research Family Physicians LLC, Research Internal Medicine LLC, Research Neurology Associates LLC, Research Neuroscience Institute LLC, Resource Optimization & Innovation L.L.C., Reston Hospital Center LLC, Reston Hospitalists LLC, Reston Surgery Center L.P., Retreat Cardiology LLC, Retreat Hospital LLC, Retreat Internal Medicine LLC, Retreat Surgical Associates LLC, Rhodes Limited-Liability Company, Richmond Imaging Employer Corp., Richmond Multi-Specialty LLC, Richmond Pediatric Surgeons LLC, Ridgeline Surgicenter LLC, Rim Building Partners L.P., Rio Grande Healthcare MSO Inc., Rio Grande NP Inc., Rio Grande Regional Hospital Inc., Rio Grande Valley Cardiology PLLC, Rio Grande Valley CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, Rio Grande Valley Urology PLLC, Riverside CyberKnife Manager LLC, Riverside Healthcare System L.P., Riverside Holdings Inc., Riverside Hospital Inc., Riverside Imaging LLC, Riverwalk ASC LLC, Roanoke Imaging LLC, Roanoke Neurosurgery LLC, Roanoke Surgery Center L.P., Roanoke Valley Gynecology LLC, Robotic Radiosurgery LLP, Rocky Mountain Pediatric Hematology Oncology LLC, Rocky Mountain Surgery Center LLC, Rome Imaging Center Limited Partnership, Roodlane Medical Limited, Rose Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Rose Health Partners LLC, Rose Medical Plaza Ltd., Rose POB Inc., Rosewood Medical Center Inc., Rosewood Professional Building Ltd., Round Rock Hospital Inc., Round Rock Trauma Surgeons PLLC, Royal Oaks Surgery Center L.P., S.A. Medical Center Inc., SAPN LLC, SCRI Global Services Limited, SCRI Holdings LLC, SCRI Scientifics LLC, SJMC LLC, SSHR Holdco LLC, SSJ St. Petersburg Holdings Inc., STPN Manager LLC, SWMC Inc., Sahara Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Salem Hospitalists LLC, Salem Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Salt Lake City Surgicare Inc., Samaritan LLC, San Antonio Division Inc., San Antonio Regional Hospital Inc., San Antonio Surgicenter LLC, San Bernardino Imaging LLC, San Joaquin Surgical Center Inc., San Jose Healthcare System LP, San Jose Hospital L.P., San Jose LLC, San Jose Medical Center LLC, San Jose Pathology Outreach LLC, San Marcos ASC LLC, San Marcos Surgicenter LLC, Sante Fe Family Practitioners PLLC, Sarah Cannon Development Innovations LLC, Sarah Cannon Research Institute LLC, Sarah Cannon Research Institute UK Limited, Sarasota Doctors Hospital Inc., Savannah Behavioral Health Associates LLC, Savannah Health Network LLC, Savannah Health Services LLC, Savannah Inpatient Services LLC, Savannah Multispecialty Associates LLC, Savannah Pediatric Care LLC, Savannah Primary Care Associates LLC, Sebring Health Services LLC, Selma Medical Center Hospital Inc., Senior Health Associates LLC, Short Pump Imaging LLC, Silicon Valley Health Holdings LLC, Silicon Valley Surgery Center L.P., Silicon Valley Surgicenter LLC, Sky Ridge Spine Manager LLC, Sky Ridge Surgery Center L.P., Skyline Medical Group LLC, Skyline Neuroscience Associates LLC, Skyline Rehab Associates LLC, Skyline Specialty Associates LLC, Smith Laboratories Inc., Solis Mammography at Bayshore Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Conroe Regional Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Denton Regional Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at HCA Houston Tomball LLC, Solis Mammography at Kingwood Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Las Colinas Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center Alliance LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center Arlington LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center of Lewisville LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center of McKinney LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center of Plano LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical City Dallas LLC, Solis Mammography at Pearland Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Rose Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Skyline Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at StoneCrest Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at West Houston Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Womans Hospital of Texas LLC, Solis Mammography of Cedar Hill LLC, Solis Mammography of CyFair LLC, Solis Mammography of Dallas LLC, Solis Mammography of Flower Mound LLC, Solis Mammography of Frisco LLC, Solis Mammography of Garland LLC, Solis Mammography of Grand Prairie LLC, Solis Mammography of Houston NW LLC, Solis Mammography of Katy LLC, Solis Mammography of Louetta/249 LLC, Solis Mammography of Mainland LLC, Solis Mammography of Mansfield LLC, Solis Mammography of Mesquite LLC, Solis Mammography of Montgomery LLC, Solis Mammography of North Cypress LLC, Solis Mammography of North Loop LLC, Solis Mammography of Sugar Land LLC, Solis Mammography of West Plano LLC, Solis Mammography of Womans Place LLC, South Atlantic Division Inc., South Austin Surgery Center Ltd., South Austin Surgical Management LLC, South Austin Surgicenter LLC, South Brandon Imaging LLC, South Florida Division Practice Inc., South Texas Surgicare Inc., South Transfer Center LLC, South Valley Hospital L.P., Southeast Georgia Health Services LLC, Southern Hills Medical Center LLC, Southern Hills Neurology Consultants LLC, Southern Kentucky Medicine Associates LLC, Southern Kentucky Surgicenter LLC, Southern Texas Physicians Network, Southpoint LLC, Southtown Womens Clinic LLC, Southwest Florida Health System Inc., Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center Inc., Southwest Medical Center Family Practice LLC, Southwest Medical Center Multi-Specialty Group LLC, Southwest Medical Center Surgical Group LLC, Southwest Medpro Ltd., Southwest Surgical Clinic Inc., Southwest Virginia Orthopedics and Spine LLC, Spalding Rehabilitation L.L.C., Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology PLLC, Specialty Associates of West Houston PLLC, Specialty Physicians of Northern Virginia LLC, Specialty Surgicare of Las Vegas LP, Spotsylvania Condominium Property LLC, Spotsylvania Medical Center Inc., Spotsylvania Multi-Specialty Group LLC, Spotsylvania Regional Surgery Center LLC, Spring Branch Family Practitioners PLLC, Spring Branch Medical Center Inc., Spring Hill Hospital Inc., Spring Hill Imaging LLC, Spring Hill Physicians LLC, Springview KY LLC, Spruce Pine Healthcare LLC, St. Davids Austin Area ASC LLC, St. Davids Cardiology PLLC, St. Davids CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, St. Davids Healthcare Partnership L.P. LLP, St. Davids Heart & Vascular PLLC, St. Davids Neurology PLLC, St. Davids OB Hospitalist PLLC, St. Davids Ortho Neuro and Rehab PLLC, St. Davids Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation PLLC, St. Davids Quality Alliance LLC, St. Davids Specialized Womens Services PLLC, St. Davids Trauma Surgeons PLLC, St. Lucie Hospitalists LLC, St. Lucie Medical Center Hyperbarics LLC, St. Lucie Medical Center Walk-In Clinic LLC, St. Lucie Medical Specialists LLC, St. Lucie West Primary Care LLC, St. Marks Ambulatory Surgery Associates L.P., St. Marks Gynecology Oncology Care LLC, St. Marks Investments Inc., St. Marks Physician Billing LLC, St. Marks Professional Services LLC, St. Marks South Jordan Family Practice LLC, St. Martins Healthcare Limited, St. Martins Ltd., St. Martins Medical Services Limited, St. Petersburg General Surgery LLC, Stafford Imaging LLC, Statland Medical Group LLC, Steamboat Springs Surgicenter LLC, Sterling Primary Care Associates LLC, Stiles Road Imaging LLC, StoneCrest Surgery Center LLC, StoneSprings Medical Office Building Property LLC, StoneSprings Surgicenter LLC, Stonecrest Medical Group - Family Practice of Murfreesboro LLC, Stonecrest Medical Group - SC Murfreesboro Family Practice LLC, Stones River Hospital LLC, Suburban Medical Center at Hoffman Estates Inc., Sugar Land Surgery Center Anesthesia LLC, Sugar Land Surgery Center Ltd., Sullins Surgical Center Inc., Summit Convenient Care at Lebanon LLC, Summit General Partner Inc., Summit Heart LLC, Summit Outpatient Diagnostic Center LLC, Summit Research Solutions LLC, Summit Surgery Center L.P., Summit Surgical Associates LLC, Summit Walk-in Clinic LLC, Sun Bay Medical Office Building Inc., Sun City Hospital Inc., Sun City Imaging LLC, Sun Towers/Vista Hills Holding Co., Sun-Med LLC, Sunrise Flamingo Holdings LLC, Sunrise Flamingo Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center LLC, Sunrise Mountainview Hospital Inc., Sunrise Mountainview Multi-Specialty Clinics LLC, Sunrise Outpatient Services Inc., Sunrise Physician Services LLC, Sunrise Trauma Services LLC, Surgery Associates of NTX PLLC, Surgery Center of Atlantis LLC, Surgery Center of Aventura Ltd., Surgery Center of Bay Area Houston LLC, Surgery Center of Greenview L.P., Surgery Center of Independence L.P., Surgery Center of Overland Park L.P., Surgery Center of Port Charlotte Ltd., Surgery Center of Rome L.P., Surgery Center of the Rockies LLC, Surgical Associates of Southwest Virginia LLC, Surgical Care Medical Group LLC, Surgical Center of Irving Inc., Surgical Facility of West Houston L.P., Surgical Park Center Ltd., Surgical Specialists of Clear Lake PLLC, Surgical Specialists of Conroe PLLC, Surgical Specialists of Corpus Christi PLLC, Surgicare America - Winter Park Inc., Surgicare Merger Company of Louisiana, Surgicare Outpatient Center of Baton Rouge Inc., Surgicare Outpatient Center of Jackson Inc., Surgicare of ADC LLC, Surgicare of AGI LLC, Surgicare of Alpine LLC, Surgicare of Altamonte Springs Inc., Surgicare of Anchorage LLC, Surgicare of Arapahoe LLC, Surgicare of Arlington LLC, Surgicare of Ashburn LLC, Surgicare of Augusta Inc., Surgicare of Aurora Endoscopy LLC, Surgicare of Aventura LLC, Surgicare of Bay Area Endoscopy LLC, Surgicare of Bay Area LLC, Surgicare of Bayonet Point Inc., Surgicare of Bayside LLC, Surgicare of Bountiful LLC, Surgicare of Brandon Inc., Surgicare of Brentwood LLC, Surgicare of Brighton LLC, Surgicare of Brooksville LLC, Surgicare of Brownsville LLC, Surgicare of Buckhead LLC, Surgicare of CAREOS LLC, Surgicare of Central Florida Inc., Surgicare of Central Park Surgery Center LLC, Surgicare of Central San Antonio Inc., Surgicare of Chattanooga LLC, Surgicare of Chippenham LLC, Surgicare of Citrus LLC, Surgicare of Clarksville LLC, Surgicare of Corpus Christi LLC, Surgicare of Countryside Inc., Surgicare of Dallas Specialty LLC, Surgicare of Denton Inc., Surgicare of Denver Clinic LLC, Surgicare of Denver LLC, Surgicare of Denver Mid-Town Inc., Surgicare of Dickson LLC, Surgicare of Eastside LLC, Surgicare of Evans Inc., Surgicare of Fairfax Inc., Surgicare of Florida Inc., Surgicare of Flower Mound Inc., Surgicare of Focus Hand LLC, Surgicare of Fort Worth Co-GP LLC, Surgicare of Fort Worth Inc., Surgicare of Ft. Pierce Inc., Surgicare of Good Samaritan LLC, Surgicare of Gramercy Inc., Surgicare of Greenview Inc., Surgicare of Hanover Inc., Surgicare of Houston Kingwood LLC, Surgicare of Houston LLC, Surgicare of Houston Womens Inc., Surgicare of Indianapolis Inc., Surgicare of Kansas City LLC, Surgicare of Kingwood LLC, Surgicare of Kissimmee Inc., Surgicare of Lakeview Inc., Surgicare of Las Vegas Inc., Surgicare of Laurel Grove LLC, Surgicare of Lorain County Inc., Surgicare of Los Gatos Inc., Surgicare of Los Robles LLC, Surgicare of Loveland LLC, Surgicare of Madison Inc., Surgicare of Manatee Inc., Surgicare of McKinney Inc., Surgicare of Medical City Dallas LLC, Surgicare of Memorial Endoscopy LLC, Surgicare of Merritt Island Inc., Surgicare of Miami Lakes LLC, Surgicare of Mountain West LLC, Surgicare of Mt. Ogden LLC, Surgicare of Nashville LLC, Surgicare of Natchez LLC, Surgicare of Newport Richey Inc., Surgicare of North Austin LLC, Surgicare of North San Antonio Inc., Surgicare of Northeast San Antonio Inc., Surgicare of Orange Park II LLC, Surgicare of Orange Park Inc., Surgicare of Orange Park Ltd., Surgicare of Orlando Inc., Surgicare of Overland Park LLC, Surgicare of Palms West LLC, Surgicare of Park Ridge LLC, Surgicare of Pasadena Inc., Surgicare of Pavilion LLC, Surgicare of Physicians West El Paso LLC, Surgicare of Pinellas Inc., Surgicare of Plano Inc., Surgicare of Plantation Inc., Surgicare of Port Charlotte LLC, Surgicare of Port St. Lucie Inc., Surgicare of Portsmouth LLC, Surgicare of Premier Orthopaedic LLC, Surgicare of Reston Inc., Surgicare of Ridgeline LLC, Surgicare of Riverside LLC, Surgicare of Riverwalk LLC, Surgicare of Roanoke LLC, Surgicare of Rome Inc., Surgicare of Rose LLC, Surgicare of Round Rock Inc., Surgicare of Royal Oaks LLC, Surgicare of Silicon Valley LLC, Surgicare of Sky Ridge LLC, Surgicare of Sky Ridge Womens Center LLC, Surgicare of South Austin Inc., Surgicare of Southeast Denver Inc., Surgicare of Southern Hills Inc., Surgicare of Southern Kentucky LLC, Surgicare of Southwest Houston LLC, Surgicare of Spotsylvania LLC, Surgicare of St. Andrews Inc., Surgicare of St. Andrews Ltd., Surgicare of St. Davids Austin LLC, Surgicare of Steamboat Springs LLC, Surgicare of StoneCrest LLC, Surgicare of StoneSprings LLC, Surgicare of Stuart Inc., Surgicare of Sugar Land Inc., Surgicare of Swedish LLC, Surgicare of Tallahassee Inc., Surgicare of Terre Haute LLC, Surgicare of Thornton LLC, Surgicare of Travis Center Inc., Surgicare of Tulsa Inc., Surgicare of Utah LLC, Surgicare of Wasatch Front LLC, Surgicare of West Hills Inc., Surgicare of Westlake Inc., Surgicare of Wichita Inc., Surgicare of Wichita LLC, Surgicare of Willis LLC, Surgicare of Wilson County LLC, Surgicare of Winchester LLC, Surgicenter of East Jefferson Inc., Surgicenter of Johnson County Ltd. a Kansas limited partnership, Surgicenter of Kansas City L.L.C., Surgico LLC, Swedish MOB Acquisition Inc., Swedish MOB I Ltd., Swedish MOB II Inc., Swedish MOB III Inc., Swedish MOB IV Inc., Swedish MOB LLC, Swedish Medpro Inc., TBHI Outpatient Services LLC, TCMC Madison-Portland Inc., THN Physicians Association Inc., TUHC Anesthesiology Group LLC, TUHC Hospitalist Group LLC, TUHC Physician Group LLC, TUHC Primary Care and Pediatrics Group LLC, TUHC Radiology Group LLC, Tallahassee Community Network Inc., Tallahassee Medical Center Inc., Tallahassee Orthopaedic Surgery Partners Ltd., Tampa Bay Health System Inc., Tampa Surgi-Centre Inc., Tarrant County Surgery Center L.P., Tchefuncte Cardiology Associates - Lakeview LLC, Teays Valley Health Services LLC, Telehealth Physician Services LLC, Tennessee Healthcare Management Inc., Tennessee Valley Outpatient Diagnostic Center LLC, Terre Haute Hospital GP Inc., Terre Haute Hospital Holdings Inc., Terre Haute MOB L.P., Terre Haute Obstetrics and Gynecology LLC, Terre Haute Regional Hospital L.P., Texas CareNow Physician Associates, Texas HSS LLC, Texas Institute of Medicine and Surgery, Texas Psychiatric Company Inc., The Austin Diagnostic Clinic PLLC, The Cancer Care Center of North Florida LLC, The Cardiovascular Partnership for Quality LLC, The Charter Cypress Behavioral Health System L.L.C., The Christie Clinic LLP, The Glynne Medical Practice Limited, The Harley Street Cancer Clinic Limited, The London Breast Institute UK Ltd, The Medical Group of Kansas City LLC, The Neurohealth Sciences Center LLC, The Physicians Clinic Limited, The Prostate Centre Limited, The Rankin Foundation, The Regional Health System of Acadiana LLC, The Wasatch Endoscopy Center Ltd., The West Texas Division of Columbia Inc., Timpanogos Pain Specialists LLC, Timpanogos Regional Medical Services Inc., Total Imaging - Hudson LLC, Total Imaging - North St. Petersburg LLC, Total Imaging - Parsons LLC, Town Plaza Family Practice LLC, Travel Medicine and Infections LLC, Travis Surgery Center L.P., Tri Cities Health Services Corp., Tri-City Multi-Specialty LLC, Tri-County Community Hospital Inc., Tri-County Surgical Specialists LLC, TriStar Bone Marrow Transplant LLC, TriStar Cardiovascular Surgery LLC, TriStar Family Care LLC, TriStar Gynecology Oncology LLC, TriStar Health System Inc., TriStar Joint Replacement Institute LLC, TriStar Maury Behavioral Healthcare LLC, TriStar Medical Group - Centennial Primary Care LLC, TriStar Medical Group - Legacy Health LLC, TriStar Medical Network LLC, TriStar OB/GYN LLC, TriStar Orthopedics LLC, TriStar Physicians LLC, TriStar Radiation Oncology LLC, Trident Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Trident Behavioral Health Services LLC, Trident Eye Surgery Center L.P., Trident Medical Center LLC, Trident Medical Services Inc., Trident Neonatology Services LLC, Tulane Clinic LLC, Tulane Professionals Management L.L.C., Tuscan Imaging Center at Las Colinas LLC, U.S. Collections Inc., Ultra Imaging Management Services LLC, Ultra Imaging of Tampa LLC, University Healthcare Specialists LLC, University Healthcare System L.C., University Hospital Ltd., Uptown Primary Care Associates LLC, Urgent Care Enterprise LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Ann & Simmons LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Cactus & Southern Highlands LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Charleston & Decatur LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Charleston/Sloan LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Craig & Clayton LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Craig & Decatur LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Durango & Cheyenne LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Durango & Flamingo LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Eastern & Horizon Ridge LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Rainbow/Mardon LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Warm Springs & Green Valley LLC, Urgent Care Extra Silverado & Maryland LLC, Urgent Care Extra-Tropicana & Jones LLC, Urgent Care Nevada LLC, Urological Specialists of Arlington PLLC, Urology Associates (London) Limited, Urology Center of North Georgia LLC, Urology Services of El Paso PLLC, Urology Specialists Devonshire LLP, Urology Specialists London LLP, Urology Specialists of Kingwood PLLC, Urology Specialists of Richmond LLC, Urology Surgery Center of Colorado LLC, Utah CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Utah Imaging GP LLC, Utah Medco LLC, Utah Surgery Center L.P., VH Holdco Inc., VH Holdings Inc., VHSC Plantation LLC, VIP Inc., Valify, Valify Inc., Value Health Holdings Inc., Value Health Management Inc., Vascular and Endovascular Specialists LLC, Venture Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Venture Medical Management LLC, Village Oaks Medical Center Inc., Virginia Care Partners ACO LLC, Virginia Gynecologic Oncology LLC, Virginia Hematology & Oncology Associates Inc., Virginia Hospitalists Inc., Virginia Psychiatric Company Inc., Virginia Quality Care Partners LLC, Vision Consulting Group LLC, Vision Holdings LLC, W & C Hospital Inc., WCP Properties LLC, WHG Medical LLC, WHMC Inc., WJHC LLC, Walterboro Community Hospital Inc., Warren County Ambulance Service LLC, Wasatch Front Surgery Center LLC, Washington Holdco LLC, Waterway Primary Care LLC, Weatherford Health Services LLC, Weatherford Mammography JV LLC, Weatherford Regional Medical Center, Welbeck Street Diagnostic Centre LLP, Wellington Diagnostic Services LLP, Wesley Cath Lab LLC, Wesley Manager LLC, Wesley Medical Center LLC, Wesley Physician Services LLC, Wesley Physicians - Anesthesiologist LLC, Wesley Physicians - Cardiovascular LLC, Wesley Physicians - Medical Specialties LLC, Wesley Physicians - Obstetrics and Gynecology LLC, Wesley Physicians - Primary Care LLC, Wesley Select Network LLC, Wesley Urgent Care LLC, West Boynton Beach Open Imaging Center LLC, West Creek Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, West Creek Medical Center Inc., West Florida - MHT LLC, West Florida - PPH LLC, West Florida Behavioral Health Inc., West Florida Cardiology Network LLC, West Florida Cardiology Physicians LLC, West Florida CareNow Urgent Care LLC, West Florida Division Inc., West Florida Gulf Coast Primary Care LLC, West Florida HealthWorks LLC, West Florida Imaging Services LLC, West Florida Internal Medicine LLC, West Florida PET Services LLC, West Florida Physician Network LLC, West Florida Professional Billing LLC, West Florida Regional Medical Center Inc., West Florida Specialty Physicians LLC, West Florida Trauma Network LLC, West Florida Urgent Care Network LLC, West Hills Hospital, West Hills Surgical Center Ltd., West Houston ASC Inc., West Houston Healthcare Group Ltd., West Houston Internal Specialists PLLC, West Houston LLC, West Houston Medical PLLC, West Houston Outpatient Medical Facility Inc., West Houston Surgicare Inc., West Jacksonville Medical Center Inc., West Jordan Hospital Corporation, West LPN Fort Worth Oncology PLLC, West LPN Inc., West Los Angeles Physicians Hospital Inc., West McKinney Imaging Services LLC, West Paces Services Inc., West Park Surgery Center L.P., West Valley Imaging LLC, West Valley Medical Center Inc., West Valley Medical Group LLC, West Valley Medical Group Specialty Services LLC, West Valley Therapy Services LLC, Westbury Hospital Inc., Western Plains Capital Inc., Westlake Surgicare L.P., Westminster Community Hospital, Westside Surgery Center Ltd., Wichita CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Wildwood Medical Center Inc., Willis Surgicenter LLC, Wilson County Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Womans Health Group PLLC, Womans Hospital Merger LLC, Womans Hospital of Texas Incorporated, Women Practitioners of Houston PLLC, Women Specialists of Bayshore PLLC, Women Specialists of Clear Lake PLLC, Women Specialists of Mainland PLLC, Womens & Childrens Center LLC, Womens & Childrens Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Center LLC, Womens & Childrens Pulmonology Clinic LLC, Womens Center at Brookside LLC, Womens Health Center of Central Florida LLC, Womens Health Center of SWVA LLC, Womens Hospital Indianapolis GP Inc., Womens Hospital Indianapolis L.P., Womens Link Specialty Obstetrical Referral Clinic PLLC, Womens Multi-Specialty Group LLC, Womens Surgical Specialists of Texas PLLC, Womens and Childrens Professional Management L.L.C., Womens and Childrens Specialists LLC, hInsight-Airstrip Holdings LLC, hInsight-BMA Holdings LLC, hInsight-Customer Care Holdings LLC, hInsight-Digital Reasoning Holdings LLC, hInsight-Healthbox Holdings LLC, hInsight-I2 Holdings LLC, hInsight-InVivoLink Holdings LLC, hInsight-LS Holdings LLC, hInsight-Loyale Healthcare Holdings LLC, hInsight-Mobile Heartbeat Holdings LLC, hInsight-NX LLC, hInsight-PWS I Holdings LLC, hInsight-Procured Holdings LLC, and hInsight-VAI Holdings LLC. BASF SE operates as a chemical company worldwide. It operates through six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care, and Agricultural Solutions. The Chemicals segment provides petrochemicals and intermediates. The Materials segment offers advanced materials and their precursors for applications and systems, such as isocyanates and polyamides, as well as inorganic basic products and specialties for plastic and plastic processing industries. The Industrial Solutions segment develops and markets ingredients and additives for industrial applications, such as polymer dispersions, pigments, resins, electronic materials, antioxidants, light stabilizers, oilfield chemicals, mineral processing, and hydrometallurgical chemicals. The Surface Technologies segment offers chemical solutions and automotive OEM which include refinish coatings, surface treatment, catalysts, battery materials, and base metal services for the automotive and chemical industries. The Nutrition & Care segment provides nutrition and care ingredients for food and feed producers, as well as pharmaceutical, cosmetics, detergent, and cleaner industries. The Agricultural Solutions segment offers crop protection products and seeds, such as fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and biological crop production products, as well as seed treatment products. The company has a strategic partnership with IntelliSense.io. BASF SE was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany. Read More First American Financial Corp. operates as an insurance company. It provides title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries. The company operates its business through the following segments: Title Insurance & Services and Specialty Insurance. The Title Insurance & Services segment provides title insurance, escrow, closing services and similar or related financial services domestically and internationally in connection with residential and commercial real estate transactions. It also maintains, manages and provides access to title plant records and images and provides banking, trust and investment advisory services. The Specialty Insurance segment issues property & casualty insurance policies and sells home warranty products. It also provides title plant management services, which include title and other real property records and images, valuation products and services, home warranty products, property and casualty insurance and banking, trust and investment advisory services. First American Financial was founded in January, 2008 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, CA. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Mining China LLC, Bucyrus UK Limited, Cat Rental Kyushu LLC, Caterpillar (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Machinery Components Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (HK) Limited, Caterpillar (Huainan) Machinery Service Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Langfang) Mining Equipment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.a r.l., Caterpillar (NI) Limited, Caterpillar (Newberry) LLC, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Logistics Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar (U.K.) Limited, Caterpillar (Wujiang) Ltd., Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Acquisition Holding Corp., Caterpillar Americas C.V., Caterpillar Americas Co., Caterpillar Americas Funding Inc., Caterpillar Americas Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Asia Limited, Caterpillar Asia Pacific L.P., Caterpillar Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Asset Intelligence LLC, Caterpillar Belgium S.A., Caterpillar Brasil Comercio de Maquinas e Pecas Ltda., Caterpillar Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Brazil LLC, Caterpillar Castings Kiel GmbH, Caterpillar Centro de Formacion S.L., Caterpillar China Limited, Caterpillar Commercial Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Commercial LLC, Caterpillar Commercial Northern Europe Limited, Caterpillar Commercial S.A., Caterpillar Commercial S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Commercial Services S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Communications LLC, Caterpillar Corporativo Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Cote DIvoire, Caterpillar Credito S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., Caterpillar DC Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Digital Services & Solutions SARL, Caterpillar Distribution International LLC, Caterpillar Distribution Services Europe B.V.B.A., Caterpillar East Real Estate Holding Ltd., Caterpillar Emissions Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Caterpillar Energy Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions S.A., Caterpillar Energy System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Engine Systems Inc., Caterpillar Equipos Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Eurasia LLC, Caterpillar FS (QFC) LLC, Caterpillar Finance France S.A., Caterpillar Finance Kabushiki Kaisha, Caterpillar Financial Acquisition Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Aftermarket Solutions Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Australia Leasing Pty Limited, Caterpillar Financial Australia Limited, Caterpillar Financial Commercial Account Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Corporacion Financiera S.A. E.F.C., Caterpillar Financial Dealer Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Funding Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Caterpillar Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial New Zealand Limited, Caterpillar Financial Nordic Services AB, Caterpillar Financial Nova Scotia Corporation, Caterpillar Financial OOO, Caterpillar Financial Receivables Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Renting S.A., Caterpillar Financial SARL, Caterpillar Financial Services (Dubai) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services (Ireland) plc, Caterpillar Financial Services (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Argentina S.A., Caterpillar Financial Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Financial Services CR s.r.o., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Services GmbH, Caterpillar Financial Services India Private Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Leasing ULC, Caterpillar Financial Services Limited Les Services Financiers Caterpillar Limitee, Caterpillar Financial Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Caterpillar Financial Services Netherlands B.V., Caterpillar Financial Services Norway AS, Caterpillar Financial Services Philippines Inc., Caterpillar Financial Services Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, Caterpillar Financial UK Acquisition Funding Partners, Caterpillar Financial Ukraine LLC, Caterpillar Fluid Systems S.r.l., Caterpillar Fomento Comercial Ltda., Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar France S.A.S., Caterpillar GB L.L.C., Caterpillar Global Investments S.a r.l., Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Equipamentos De Mineracao do Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Expanded Products Pty Ltd, Caterpillar Global Mining Germany Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining HMS GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong AFC Manufacturing Holding Co. Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Global Mining SARL, Caterpillar Global Mining U.S. Parts LLC, Caterpillar Global Services LLC, Caterpillar Group Services S.A., Caterpillar Holding (France) S.A.S., Caterpillar Holding Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Holdings Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Hungary Components Manufacturing Ltd., Caterpillar Hydraulics Italia S.r.l., Caterpillar IPX LLC, Caterpillar IRB LLC, Caterpillar Impact Products Limited, Caterpillar India Private Limited, Caterpillar Industrial Inc., Caterpillar Industrias Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Industries (Pty) Ltd, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Insurance Company, Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Finance Designated Activity Company, Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg I S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg II S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Product SARL, Caterpillar International Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Services del Peru S.A., Caterpillar Investment Limited, Caterpillar Investment One SARL, Caterpillar Investment Two SARL, Caterpillar Investments, Caterpillar Japan LLC, Caterpillar Latin America Services S.R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Panama S. de R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Servicios de Chile Limitada, Caterpillar Latin America Support Services S. DE R.L., Caterpillar Leasing (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar Leasing Chile S.A., Caterpillar Leasing GmbH (Leipzig), Caterpillar Leasing Operativo Limitada, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, Caterpillar Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Logistics (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., Caterpillar Logistics ML Services France S.A.S., Caterpillar Logistics Services China Limited, Caterpillar Luxembourg Group S.ar.l., Caterpillar Luxembourg LLC, Caterpillar Luxembourg S.a r.l., Caterpillar Machinery Nantong Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence, Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited, Caterpillar Marine Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Maroc SARL, Caterpillar Materiels Routiers SAS, Caterpillar Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Mining Canada ULC, Caterpillar Mining Chile Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Motoren (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd.. AIXTRON SE is a provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry. The Company's technology solutions are used by a range of customers across the world to build components for electronic and opto-electronic applications based on compound, silicon or organic semiconductor materials. Such components are used in fiber optic communication systems, wireless and mobile telephony applications, optical and electronic storage devices, computing, signaling and lighting, displays, as well as a range of other technologies. The Company's business activities include developing, producing and installing equipment for the deposition of semiconductor and other complex materials, process engineering, consulting and training, including ongoing customer support and after-sales service. The Company supplies its customers with both production-scale material deposition systems and small scale systems for research and development (R&D) or small scale production. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III (Scots) L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Campus Drive LLC, Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DHFL PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (Ireland) L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (US) L.P., Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sweden Resi I GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA Mission LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd., LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PEREF II PV S.r.l, PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM (Australia) Pty Ltd, PGIM (Hong Kong) Ltd., PGIM (Scots) Limited, PGIM (Shanghai) Company Ltd., PGIM (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Agricultural Investors LP, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management (Feeder) VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital (Ireland) Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate (Japan) Ltd., PGIM Real Estate (UK) Limited, PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings (UK) Limited, PIM KF Blocker Holdings LLC, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Mexico Residential Manager I LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Limited Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Red LP, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP (SCOTS FEEDER) LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRECO ACCOUNT III LLC, PRECO ACCOUNT PARTNERSHIP III LP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited, Pramerica (Luxembourg) CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica (Scots) CP GP LLP, Pramerica Business Consulting (Shanghai) Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica General Partner LLP, Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Insurance Agency (China) Company Ltd., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate (Scots) LP, Pramerica Property Partners Fund (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Netherlands) GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica SGR S.p.A, Pramerica Systems Ireland Limited, Preco III (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Customer Solutions LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd., Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Industrial Properties LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan Inc., Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Securities Structured Assets Inc., Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, QMA LLC, QMA Wadhwani LLP, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. (Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service), Senior Housing Partners IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy (US) Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, Times Square Center Associates, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I (Ireland) L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I (US) L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of Eli Lilly and: 1096401 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, ARMO BioSciences Inc, ARMO Bioscience, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Alnara Pharmaceuticals Inc., Andean Technical Operations Center, Applied Molecular Evolution Inc., AurKa Pharma, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., ChemGen, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dermira, Devices for Vascular Intervention(DVI), Disarm Therapeutics, Dista Ilac Ticaret Ltd. Sti., Dista S.A., Dista-Produtos Quimicos & Farmaceuticos LDA, ELCO Dominicana SRL, ELCO Insurance Company Limited, ELCO Management Inc., ELCO for Trade and Marketing S.A.E., ELGO Insurance Company Limited, Elanco Animal Health Ireland Limited, Elanco Switzerland Holding Sarl, Eli Lilly (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Eli Lilly (Philippines) Incorporated, Eli Lilly (S.A.) (Proprietary) Limited, Eli Lilly (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Eli Lilly (Suisse) S.A., Eli Lilly Asia Inc., Eli Lilly Asia Pacific SSC Sdn Bhd, Eli Lilly Australia Pty. Limited, Eli Lilly B-H d.o.o., Eli Lilly Benelux S.A., Eli Lilly Bienes y Servicios S de RL de CV, Eli Lilly CR s.r.o., Eli Lilly Canada Inc., Eli Lilly Cork Limited, Eli Lilly Danmark A/S, Eli Lilly Egypt for Trading, Eli Lilly European Clinical Trial Services SA, Eli Lilly Export S.A., Eli Lilly Finance S.A., Eli Lilly Ges.m.b.H., Eli Lilly Group Limited, Eli Lilly Holdings Ltd., Eli Lilly Hrvatska d.o.o., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc. y Compania Limitada, Eli Lilly International Corporation, Eli Lilly Ireland Holdings Limited, Eli Lilly Israel Ltd., Eli Lilly Italia S.p.A., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Eli Lilly Kinsale Limited, Eli Lilly Nederland B.V., Eli Lilly Nigeria Ltd., Eli Lilly Norge A.S., Eli Lilly Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., Eli Lilly Polska Sp.z.o.o. (Ltd.), Eli Lilly Regional Operations GmbH, Eli Lilly Romania SRL, Eli Lilly S.A., Eli Lilly Saudi Arabia Limited, Eli Lilly Services Inc, Eli Lilly Services India Private Limited, Eli Lilly Slovakia s.r.o., Eli Lilly Sweden AB, Eli Lilly Vostok S.A. Geneva, Eli Lilly and Company, Eli Lilly and Company (India) Pvt. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company (Ireland) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (N.Z.) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (Taiwan) Inc., Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Eli Lilly de Centro America S.A., Eli Lilly do Brasil Limitada, Eli Lilly farmacevtska druzba d.o.o., Eli Lilly y Compania de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Eli Lilly y Compania de Venezuela S.A., Glycostasis Inc, Greenfield-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Heart Rhythm Technologies Inc, Hybritech, Hypnion, ICOS Corporation, ImClone GmbH, ImClone LLC, ImClone Systems Holdings Inc., ImClone Systems LLC, Imclone Systems, Irisfarma S.A., Ivy Animal Health, Kinsale Financial Services Unlimited Company, Lilly (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd, Lilly Asia Ventures Fund I L.P., Lilly Asia Ventures Fund II L.P., Lilly Asian Ventures Fund III L.P., Lilly Cayman Holdings, Lilly China Research and Development Co. Ltd., Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Lilly France S.A.S., Lilly Global Nederland Holdings B.V., Lilly Global Services Inc., Lilly Holding GmbH, Lilly Holdings B.V., Lilly Hungaria KFT, Lilly Japan Financing G.K., Lilly Korea Ltd., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V. - GCC, Lilly Nederland Holding B.V., Lilly Pharma Ltd., Lilly Portugal - Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Lilly S.A., Lilly Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Lilly Trading Co. LTD, Lilly USA LLC, Lilly Ventures Fund I LLC, Lilly del Caribe Inc., Lilly ilac ticaret limited sirketi, Lohmann Animal Health, Loxo Oncology, Lylly Centre for Clinical Pharmacology PTE. LTD., Novartis Animal Health, OY Eli Lilly Finland AB, Origin Medsystems, PT. Eli Lilly Indonesia, Pacific Biotech, Pharmaserve-Lilly S.A.C.I., Physio-Control, SGX Pharmaceuticals, SGX Pharmaceuticals Inc, Spaly Bioquimica S.A., UAB Eli Lilly Lietuva, Valquifarma S.A., and Vital Pharma Productos Farmaceuticos. Agilent Technologies, Inc. engages in the provision of application focused solutions for life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. It operates through the following segments: Life Sciences and Applied Markets; Diagnostics and Genomics; and Agilent CrossLab. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers application-focused solutions that include instruments and software that enable to identify, quantify, and analyze the physical and biological properties of substances and products, as well as the clinical and life sciences research areas to interrogate samples at the molecular and cellular level. The Diagnostics and Genomics segment consists of activity providing active pharmaceutical ingredients for oligo-based therapeutics, as well as solutions that include reagents, instruments, software and consumables. The Agilent CrossLab segment includes startup, operational, training and compliance support, software as a service, and asset management and consultative services. The company was founded in May 1999 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. Read More Wall Street analysts have given Hertz Global a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Hertz Global wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group; Minimally Invasive Technologies Group; Restorative Therapies Group; and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment consists of products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. The Minimally Invasive Technologies Group segment focuses on respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system, lungs, pelvic region, kidneys, and obesity diseases. The Restorative Therapies Group segment comprises of neurostimulation therapies and drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as areas of the spine and brain, along with pelvic health and conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps, coninuous glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pump consumables. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Read More Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. is a supplier of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development; and also, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Its operations are conducted by the following segments: U. S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations and Other. The U.S. Operations segment represents certain of the company's marketing and producing organizations located in the United States. The Swiss Operations segment includes marketing and producing organizations located in Switzerland, as well as extensive R&D operations that are responsible for the development, production, and marketing of precision instruments, including weighing, analytical, and measurement technologies for use in a variety of industrial and laboratory applications. Th Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o, Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, Automatik Grundstucksverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Automatik Plastics Machinery (Taiwan) Ltd., BSC Filters Limited, Background2 Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression BV, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., DSR BZ Holdings LLC, Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover CR spol s r.o., Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Products Segment Inc., Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings, Dover France Participations, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover Imaging & Identification Segment Inc., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International Ventures Tunisia S.a.r.l., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty. Ltd., Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty. Ltd., Em-tec, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Gala Kunststoff-und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Hydronova Australia-NZ Pty Ltd, Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag Automatik GmbH, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty Ltd, Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn Bhd, Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A.U, Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Mouvex, Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International (UK) Ltd., OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OPW Engineered Systems Inc., OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW France, OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, RAV Equipos Espana S.L., RAV France, Ravaglioli Deutschland GmbH, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod SAS, Revod Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd, Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd, SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana Petrol Cihazlari Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Start Italiana S.R.L., Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech GB Limited, Systech Shanghai Consulting Company Limited, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Heil Co., Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Trans - Logistic Group S.R.L., Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Unified Brands Inc., Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fuel Management UK Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Deutschland GmbH, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, XanTec Steuerungs- und EDV-Technik GmbH, and em-tec GmbH. Tallgrass Energy, LP, through its subsidiaries, provides crude oil transportation services to customers in Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, and the surrounding regions of the United States. The company operates through three segments: Natural Gas Transportation; Crude Oil Transportation; and Gathering, Processing & Terminalling. It also provides natural gas transportation and storage services for customers in the Rocky Mountain, Midwest, and Appalachian regions; natural gas and crude oil gathering and processing services for customers in Wyoming; and natural gas liquids (NGLs) transportation services in Northeast Colorado and Wyoming. In addition, the company offers water business services, including freshwater transportation, and produced water gathering and disposal in Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, and North Dakota; crude oil storage and terminalling services in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas; and marketing services for NGLs and crude oil. The company was formerly known as Tallgrass Energy GP, LP and changed its name to Tallgrass Energy, LP in June 2018. Tallgrass Energy, LP was founded in 2013 and is based in Leawood, Kansas. Read More Twenty years ago on The Simpsons, Helen Lovejoy gave us one of the most ubiquitous rallying cries in politics: Homer: Mr. Mayor, I hate to break it to you, but this town is infested by bears. Lovejoy: Think of the children! [The mayor sets up a Bear Patrol, which costs tax money. One week later, the citizens have a new complaint.] Homer: Down with taxes! Down with taxes! Lovejoy: Wont somebody please think of the children? The attempt to gain support for weak arguments by invoking children has become known as Lovejoys Law. And its a favorite of liberal activists. Consider for example, a recent ordinance by the Santa Barbara City Council to effectively ban plastic straws, stirrers, and cutlery in the city. Before voting unanimously for the ban, the council listened to testimony from children about how straws were destroying our oceans (note: straw are not destroying our oceans). [We had] nine year old kids all asking to help pass these policies to protect our oceans and our waterways, said one environmental activist after the council meeting. The children are going to have to bear the external costs of this pollution were producing, said another supporter of the ordinance. We should indeed be mindful that children will bear the external costs of pollution. But we should also keep in mind that our children will bear the external costs of laws that undermine faith in justice and the rule of law. One of the core principles of the Acton Institute is the importance of the rule of law: The governments primary responsibility is to promote the common good, that is, to maintain the rule of law, and to preserve basic duties and rights. The rule of law and promotion of the common good is undermined when draconian punishments are imposed for regulatory crimes likes this straw ban. For example, restaurant employees in Santa Barbara can be punished with up to six months of jail time or a $1,000 fine after a second offense of giving plastic straws to their customers. As Katherine Timpf points out, each individual straw counts as a separate infraction, meaning that if someone got busted handing out straws to a table of four people, he or she could end up facing years behind bars. There are two primary ways that the ordinance can undermine the rule lawwhen it is enforced and when it is not enforced. Most theories of punishment are based on the idea that the punishments for crimes should either equal the harm done (retribution theory) or be just great enough to deter potential criminals (deterrence theory). When the law is too severe, society loses faith in the ability of the government to be fair and render justice. [I]f a community does not believe its criminal justice system is fair, then it is far less likely to cooperate with that system, says Sen. Mike Lee of Utah. And when a community does not cooperate with law enforcement, crime goes up. Because the legal penalty for handing our straws is unduly harsh, it is likely the law will not be enforced with any regularity. Its unlikely that anyone will find themselves spending months in jail because they handed a piece of plastic to a thirsty customer. However, this lack of enforcement also undermines the rule of law. The refusal to enforce the law as written sends a signal to the public that the the law was meant to be taken seriously, but not literally. Rather than being an ordinance that was necessary to protect our environment, it will be seen for what it really is: a way to frighten people into accepting an weak, overblown argument about pollution. Whether such laws are enforced or not, Santa Barbara and other local governments that impose such penalties are communicating to its citizenry that the laws imposed on them are absurd and unjust. Is this really the message we want to be sending our kids? Do we want them believing many laws are arbitrary and unenforceable? When it comes to defending the rule of law, wont somebody please think of the children? Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Mexico ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Mexico ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. The following companies are subsidiares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.: 2235158 Alberta Limited, A.J. 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Fascinating split Sixth Circuit discussion of how Johnson-invalidated ACCA sentences are to be corrected and reviewed | Main | Notable review of capital clemencies by Ohio governors July 30, 2018 A deep dive into various big and little juvenile life without parole stories The Dublin Review has published this very lengthy discussion of juvenile life without parole sentences under the simple headline "A different season." The lengthy piece is authored by Andrew Purcell, and it cannot be readily summarized. Here is one snippet: Many of Pennsylvanias district attorneys have responded to the Supreme Courts Montgomery decision by striking plea deals with the longest-serving prisoners. Others, in conservative counties, have not. By late September 2017, 173 of the states 517 juvenile lifers had been re-sentenced, and 77 paroled for time served. Most of the released prisoners are from Philadelphia, creating a small community of men with the shared experience of being locked up their entire adult lives, adapting to a world that has moved on without them. Courtney Juan Boyd, recently released after serving thirty-six years, was calling John to ask about a re-sentencing hearing the previous night for a prisoner called Andre Martin. At fifteen, Martin shot a police officer in the head from a window at the Wilson Park projects. He had forty-one years in already, and the prosecution was seeking sixty to life, supported at the hearing by the dead cops family and a roomful of police officers. Judge Barbara McDermott gave him forty-four to life. In three years, the opposing sides will meet again at an equally charged parole hearing, to argue about whether or not Martin should be released. Each of the fifty states has responded differently to the Montgomery v Louisiana ruling, and there are also variations within states, as district attorneys interpret the concept of permanent incorrigibility. In Michigan, for instance, prosecutors initially sought new life-without-parole sentences for 236 of the 363 men and women serving mandatory life terms for crimes committed as minors, a clear deviation from the Supreme Courts intent to reserve the punishment for the rarest of juvenile offenders. The Oakland County DA has asked for life without parole in forty-four of forty-nine cases; These are young Hannibal Lecters, county sheriff Michael Bouchard told the press. In Missouri, teenage lifers are now eligible for parole once they have spent twenty-five years in prison, but of twenty-three who have applied, twenty have been denied. In Maryland, all 271 juvenile lifers are parole-eligible, but no such prisoner has been released in two decades. All over the country, lawsuits are establishing whether and how Montgomery should affect discretionary sentences. We think the Montgomery standard is impossible [for prosecutors] to beat, in that everyone is capable of rehabilitation given the proper support, said Brooke McCarthy of the Juvenile Law Centre. To say that you can never fix someone in the future, no matter what, is such an incredibly difficult standard to reach. Some district attorneys have gotten clever so rather than asking for life without parole theyre asking for fifty-, sixty-, seventy-five-year minimums. July 30, 2018 at 05:24 PM | Permalink Comments I do not agree that juveniles should just be GIVEN reduced sentences because the USSC says it THINKS such sentences should be rare. Juveniles who murder are RARE in every respect and should receive long sentences. How many of us can actually say that growing up we killed someone. None, I am sure. So, those who do kill are necessarily rare. The USSC crossed the separation-of-powers line in this case and it was wrong. Posted by: MIJS | Jul 31, 2018 6:36:42 AM Juveniles are superior to adults in all mental and physical functions, including morality. They have lower rates of violent crimes than adults. These juveniles are more deviant from other juveniles than adult murderers are from other adults. They are more dangerous. Juvenile age is an aggravating factor, not a mitigating factor. Posted by: David Behar | Jul 31, 2018 11:37:36 AM Post a comment How should advocates for reduced prison populations respond to deadly actions by released violent offenders? | Main | Fascinating split Sixth Circuit discussion of how Johnson-invalidated ACCA sentences are to be corrected and reviewed July 30, 2018 Poll suggests huge public support for FIRST STEP Act with lots of other interesting findings Over the weekend I noticed this Hill piece reporting in its headline "Poll finds broad support for House-passed prison reform bill." Here are the details via : The poll, conducted for Freedom Partners by the Charles Koch-backed group In Pursuit Of and provided exclusively to The Hill, found that 70 percent of likely voters approve of the First Step Act, which cleared the House by a 360-59 margin earlier this year. Only 14 percent said the Senate should not pass it, according to the poll that sampled Republicans, Democrats and voters who did not affiliate with either party. Freedom Partners has put six-figures behind an ad campaign urging senators from both parties to support the legislation. They hope the poll results will prod Senate Republicans to take the bill up. Passing prison reform is a top priority for the Kochs. There is frustration among the network of conservative donors and activists that the Senate has not moved to take up the bill, which aims to incentivize inmates to complete prison programs that might reduce their likelihood to commit crimes again when they are released. Voters broadly support the FIRST STEP Act and will hold senators accountable for failing to pass the bill, said Freedom Partners Chairman Mark Holden. Its time for the Senate to do its job and send this bipartisan legislation to President Trumps desk. The bill has 60 percent support among registered Republicans, according to the poll. Nearly half of likely voters 47 percent said they would have a more negative view of Senate Republicans if they dont move to pass the bill.... The Freedom Partners survey of 1,759 likely voters was conducted online between July 18 and July 20 and has a 2.3 percent margin of error. This press release provides a few more details about this poll as well as this link to a summary of key findings from the poll. These findings, in particular, should be encouraging to those hoping criminal justice reform will be a salient political issue this fall: How important is it to reduce the number of people who are in prison in America today? 72% TOTAL IMPORTANT 28% TOTAL NOT IMPORTANT 28% Very important 44% Somewhat important 19% Not very important 9% Not at all important... Thinking ahead to the midterm elections this November how important to you is the issue of criminal justice reform as you decide who youll be voting for? 75% TOTAL IMPORTANT 25% TOTAL NOT IMPORTANT 25% Very important 50% Somewhat important 20% Not very important 5% Not at all important... Would you be more or less likely to vote for a political candidate if you knew he or she supported criminal justice reform? 60% More likely to support candidate 32% No difference in support 8% Less likely to support candidate July 30, 2018 at 10:45 AM | Permalink Comments Were these pollsters among those who gave Hillary Clinton a 90% chance of winning the 2016 election? Right now, polls are all defective. Cell phone numbers are not published. Their sampling is therefore not representative. While their statistical methods are sound, their sampling methods need to be fixed, due to modern communications. There should have also been a control set of questions. Would you support the loosing of vicious super-predators onto the streets of politically hapless jurisdictions? or, would you support the dumping of highly toxic drug dealers and gangbangers into this black neighborhood? The other pre-law course I have proposed is, Research Methodology for the Non-Researcher, to immunize future lawyers against garbage science. Posted by: David Behar | Jul 30, 2018 12:57:03 PM Steve Bannon to the Koch Brothers: STFU. I agree. The Koch Brothers came to realize what all the other billionaires know. They do better under Democratic Party administrations. They did very well under Obama, even as the nation was sinking into a swamp. Bernie Sanders decries income inequality. Now, the economy is so hot, there is tremendous demand for labor. These Billionaires will no longer be able to get anyone to work for them, paying slave wages. Income inequality will be decreasing under Trump. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/bannon-tells-koch-brothers-to-get-with-the-program/ar-BBLfUQ3?ocid=ientp Posted by: David Behar | Jul 30, 2018 1:02:37 PM I did not see any cross-tabs showing the demographics of the poll (a key feature of any poll). I also do not recognize the polling company that did this, but it looks like an "in-house" poll. Historically, "in-house" polls for political campaigns are significant less reliable than polls conducted by outsiders. It is unclear that cellphone vs. land-line is a significant demographic factor separate from other key demographic factors (age, religion, race, gender, union membership, education, marital status). While there are some problems with polling cell phone users (including for those polling local campaigns that individuals keep their cell phone number even when they move to a different part of the country), the better polling companies do include cell phones in their national polls. There may still be some randomization issues which is why multiple polls by different companies are better than one poll by one company. Additionally, while not a complete cure for the randomness problem, weighting respondents to better reflect national demographics does reduce some of the problem. (In other words, even a purely random poll could get eccentric members of a group but weighting at least assures that a group is not over-represented in the poll.) Without cross-tabs, however, we have no idea about the weighting in this poll. Posted by: tmm | Jul 30, 2018 2:25:04 PM TMM. Here is an older review of problems, and repeated failures of polling. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/opinion/sunday/whats-the-matter-with-polling.html Posted by: David Behar | Jul 30, 2018 7:06:57 PM Post a comment In an interview given to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of her countrys National Day (August 1), the diplomat also said the two countries have regularly had routine political consultations, high-ranking visits, and joint activities at the World Economic Forum in Davos held in January each year. Last April, the Secretary of the Swiss Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, Doris Leuthard, paid an official visit to Vietnam, discussing connections in those fields with local officials. The two sides signed an aviation cooperation agreement to facilitate the opening of direct flight routes, including the one linking Ho Chi Minh City and Zurich this November. This is a chance to boost bilateral tourism and trade links, she noted. Highlighting the growing trade ties, Mallor said Vietnam has exported many commodities to Switzerland, whose consumers like Vietnamese goods, especially fruits and seafood, very much. The Southeast Asian nation has also imported a number of medical and pharmaceutical products and high technologies from Switzerland. Both nations have complimentary advantages. She voiced her belief that more progress will be recorded in bilateral cooperation once the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association EFTA, which groups Switzerland, Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland, is reached. The EFTA members have conducted many negotiation rounds with Vietnam, and they hope to soon finalise the deal, she said, noting that Switzerland currently ranks fourth among the West European countries investing in Vietnam. Many Swiss companies like Nestle, ABB and Schindler have opened branches in Vietnam. If Vietnam maintains the current growth trend, these firms will help demonstrate a friendly investment climate, thus making the country more attractive to businesses from not only Switzerland but also other places. The two countries have cooperated effectively in this area, but they completely can further enhance this partnership, Ambassador Mallor added. Switzerland is paying attention to development cooperation with Vietnam so as to assist the latter to achieve its targets, she said, elaborating that the European nation has been helping Vietnam improve the competitiveness and efficiency of its private companies, especially small- and medium-sized ones. It is also supporting a number of Vietnamese companies in treating water, managing power grid and improving infrastructure. Switzerland is helping the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance with public finance management and the State Bank of Vietnam with creating more stable and professional financial services. Regarding tourism partnership, the diplomat affirmed it will develop in the time ahead with the opening of the Zurich HCM City direct flight route, which will help bring more Vietnamese tourists to Switzerland and vice versa. About 30,000 Swiss visitors came to Vietnam in 2017. If the visa conditions are improved, for example including Switzerland in Vietnams e-visa system, this number will surely increase in the time to come, she added. Vietnamnews In July alone, the country greeted over 1.18 million international tourists, a month-on-month increase of 0.5 percent. Holidaymakers from Asian nations made up 77 percent of the total number of visitors to Vietnam, up 30.4 percent against the same month last year. Most of the Asian markets registered growth in the number of holidaymakers, including China (up 34.1 percent), the Republic of Korea (up 56.1 percent), Japan (up 6.2 percent), Taiwan (up 13.3 percent), Malaysia (up 12 percent), Thailand (up 9.9 percent), and Singapore (up 4.7 percent). Meanwhile, the number of European tourists to Vietnam rose by 10.4 percent, most of them from Russia. Vietnam also saw growth in the number of visitors from five western European countries which are exempted from visas for 15 days namely the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. In 2018, Vietnam aims to serve 16 million international tourists and 80 million domestic holidaymakers, according to General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan. The tourism sector will promote smart tourism and actively carry out promotion activities in the remaining months of the year to attract more tourists in key markets, he said. In 2017, Vietnam welcomed 13 million foreign visitors, up by three million against the previous year. In the first half of 2017, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) revealed the worlds top 10 fastest-growing tourist destinations, with Vietnam in sixth position. The Southeast Asian country also led Asia-Pacific with growth of 31.2 percent. The UNWTO described Vietnam as not a stranger to tourism with long-standing history, culture, rich cuisine and natural attractions. Vietnam also received international tourism awards in 2017. Notably, the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort set a record as it was honoured as the Worlds Leading Luxury Resort for the fourth consecutive year. Meanwhile, the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay was named the Worlds Best New Resort by the World Travel Awards. Vietnamnews Prime Minister Tuilepa Lupesoliai Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi has praised the New Zealand Governments Pacific Reset Policy. Speaking at a reception last Friday to mark the 56th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between Samoa and New Zealand, the Prime Minister told departing New Zealand High Commissioner David Nicholson that Samoa is grateful for the New Zealand governments renewed focus in the region. He indicated in his speech at the reception that the New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters is expected soon in Apia and he is looking forward to the visit. I would be grateful if you will convey to your government our gratitude for your latest experiment your reset policy. I look forward to talking to Winston Peters, when he lands here in a few days time. I have a very long list of very tiny projects which will make his visit more exciting, he said. Commentators say the New Zealand governments new policy is in response to the growing presence of China in the Pacific Islands. But Mr Peters did not make a direct reference to China when he announced the new policy in March this year, which would see $714 million in aid going to the region over the next four years. Pacific perceptions of New Zealand are also being shaped by our different patterns of engagement across the region. In Polynesia, where our political, cultural, and historical links are much closer, New Zealand is certainly viewed as a family member. But the Pacific overall has also become an increasingly contested strategic space, no longer neglected by great power ambition, and so Pacific Island leaders have more options. This is creating a degree of strategic anxiety, he said, in a speech at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney. The New Zealand and Samoan governments recently commissioned a $10 million facility to host State-sanctioned events next to the Government Building, a project which coincidentally is located next to the China-Samoa Friendship Park and Arts and Cultural Centre. The official ground-breaking ceremony for the project which will be funded by the Chinese City of Huizhou was held in May this year. Mr Nicholson, in his farewell speech at the same reception last Friday, said he was disappointed with newspaper reports that quoted him as being critical of Chinas interests in Samoa. I am very disappointed to be quoted in the paper today as being critical of Chinas interests in Samoa. In fact that wasnt the case, what is it again, Donalds fake news or something going on there? I wanted to say how warm the relationship between the Chinese Ambassador and his wife since I have been here, he said. Students Haruka Aoyama, Dania Shalabi and Delicia Marie Toro met each other and became friends in the first week of their English for Academic Purposes class. And that has made all the difference. Being here alone first week was tough, Dania recalls, but I met Haruka and Marie (Delicia) and it made my week better. We explored Halifax together. Delicia agrees that the class was an important part of settling in, If I had to just start my university program right away, I think my experience would have been really different. I really needed close friends and close relationships to start with. Successful transition More than simply a way to improve their English language skills, the English for Academic Purposes class also gave the international students an introduction to life in Halifax and the Dalhousie community while supporting their success in university. For Haruka, the class was an admission requirement. I had to improve my English to be ready for university, she explains. But we also learned how to write academic papers and other rules they use in Canada. So it's not only for English but for university in general and it was very helpful. While their friendship got started in class, they say it was solidified over Thanksgiving dinner. The three had registered for the Share Thanksgiving program through Engage Nova Scotia and were invited to join a family from Prospect for their Thanksgiving meal. It's just a one day program but the Canadian dad his name is Sean he's so nice that even after Thanksgiving he invited us to join them for Christmas and Easter, says Haruka. They taught us many things about Canada and Halifax, Dania adds, We go out a lot together. Its like family. From there to here One of the things that makes the trios friendship incredible is their variety of circumstances they come from different parts of the world and are studying different subjects. Haruka calls Okayama, Japan home but came to Dal because she wanted to study in Canada and what she saw on the Dalhousie website just felt right to her. After a slight change of course, in terms of her subject area, Haruka is now pursuing a double major in Political Science and Environment, Sustainability and Society. In my first semester, I took Political Science as an elective and I got the H. B. McCulloch Memorial Prize in Political Science, Haruka recalls. I thought, oh, I enjoy doing this and maybe its something I can do well, so I changed my major. Dania spent her early years in Alberta before her family returned to Amman, Jordan. She chose Halifax because it was relaxed and quiet. I like the reputation of the university, she recalls. And I liked Halifax because it's small and everybody is friendly here. Currently a science student, Dania has decided to major in Biology. Choosing a major is a hard thing for me I've changed my major before. But now I like studying Biology overall. Delicia came to Dal from Montpellier, France. I just chose Dalhousie as my first option, she says. It was in a small city so the adaptation would be easier since I was going so far from home. Currently studying Psychology, Delicia hopes to continue on to medical school. Words of advice When they look back on their journey from around the world to Halifax, they realize theyve learned a thing or two that might be useful to other students travelling far from home. Dania shares advice that her dad told her. He said, Know about everything one thing and about one thing, everything. So, not only knowing everything about your major but also exploring and asking about anything you don't know. Travel a lot, Haruka says. You can travel just 30 minutes from the city and there are just so many beautiful places. So, don't just stay home and get bored. Really be open minded and try to speak English because that's the language here, Delicia says. I feel like as much as I wanted to speak in my own language, speaking in English really helped me a lot to make new friends. And you learn so much from other people. The GST anti-profiteering authority has sought inputs from telecom operator Bharti Airtel and budget airline Indigo on whether the goods and services tax (GST) or credit allowed on inputs in the new regime has created room for reduction in prices. New Delhi: The GST anti-profiteering authority has sought inputs from telecom operator Bharti Airtel and budget airline Indigo on whether the goods and services tax (GST) or credit allowed on inputs in the new regime has created room for reduction in prices. Taking suo-moto cognisance of the impact of GST on prices in telecom and aviation sector, the National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) has asked the market leaders in the sectors to calculate the input tax credit (ITC) benefits that have accrued to them and whether it was enough to pass on to end-consumers, a source told PTI. "The companies have been asked to submit the calculation within a fortnight," the source said. With regard to telecom sector which saw a rise in tax incidence post GST, the source said "there may not be enough room for passing on the benefits, but the NAA is seeking calculation from market leaders to assesses industry wide impact". When reached out for comments, Indigo spokesperson said, "The benefits of the GST rate reduction on tickets have been passed on to the customers by all airlines. We had a meeting with the competent authority to discuss the relevant details and have submitted the same for their review. Airtel spokesperson, however, said "We have not received any notice from the authorities asking for a report". The tax rate for telecom service providers was hiked to 18 per cent in the GST regime, which was rolled out from July 1, 2017, from the erstwhile service tax rate of 15 per cent, including cess. However, in the new regime the telecom companies were allowed to claim ITC on host of inputs, which the Finance Ministry felt will bring down the effective incidence of the levy. In case of airlines, the GST rates for economy class travel has been fixed at 5 per cent, while that for business class at 12 per cent, along with ITC benefits. In the erstwhile service tax regime, the tax rates were 5 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively. Last year, the Finance Ministry had asked telecom companies to rejig costs and lower prices to pass on the benefits of GST to customers. "The telecom companies are required to rework their costing and credits availability and r-jig their prices and ensure that the increased availability of credit is passed on to the customers by lowering their costs," the ministry had said. The NAA was set up in November 2017, to ensure that the benefits of rate reduction or reduced tax incidence is passed on to the end consumers. The authority was also empowered to take suo-moto action, besides acting on complaints of profiteering. A task force has been set up to identify various items and policy interventions for reducing the country's import dependence, the government said on Monday. New Delhi: A task force has been set up to identify various items and policy interventions for reducing the country's import dependence, the government said on Monday. The terms of reference of the task force include identification of products for import substitution, assessment of domestic manufacturing capacity and identification of constraints in expanding production, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry C R Chaudhary said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. India's imports increased to USD 465.5 billion in 2017-18 from USD 384.3 billion in the previous fiscal. In a separate reply, the minister said that some countries including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have imposed ban on import of certain agricultural products. Saudi Arabia has imposed ban on imports chilled and frozen shrimps, and cultured fish since December 2016 and February this year respectively. Similarly, Kuwait has banned imports of frozen shrimp from India since January 2017. Thailand and Mexico have slapped ban on shrimps and chilli imports. Thailand has imposed temporary suspension in view of the reported occurrence of Infectious Myonecrosis Virus (IMNV) disease, Chaudhary said, adding that Mexico's ban on grounds of detection of larva of Trogodermagranarium (Khapra beetle) in Indian Chilli. It is not feasible to quantify the losses suffered by the farmers due to such bans as alternative avenues for disposal of the produce, both domestic and international, are always available, he said. "The government takes all possible steps to get the bans on import of Indian agricultural products lifted at the earliest. The matter is taken up with the relevant authorities in the respective countries through Indian Embassies. Corrective action, if required, is taken to eliminate the cause of ban," he added. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modis assertion that he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists playing a key role in Indias development is a shot in the arm for the industry at a time when it is dealing with a strong negative perception, India Inc said on Monday. A much-needed vote of confidence at a time when only one unfortunate face of industry was being perceived..., Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra tweeted. Industry chamber Ficci said it hails PM Modis recognition of the industrys contribution in the countrys growth and his strong refusal to accept any ill-treatment to the industrialists just because a few of them have indulged in illegal activities. Along with the assurance to work closely with the industry, the Prime Ministers strong message to the industrialists opting for illegal means to harm the nation and its economy that they will not be spared, will certainly help in removing any negative opinion in the public against industry in general, and will rejuvenate the private sector, Ficci President Rashesh Shah said. The PM has strengthened industrys resolve to actively participate in the revival of the economy, he added. While there should be no leniency in dealing with the erring industrialists, the pre-dominant approach of the industrialists has always been to take a lead in nation-building. Reforms like IBC, RERA and GST, have shown that the government is keen to help industry in this objective, Shah noted. The prime minister has given a strong vote of confidence to industry and emphasised that industry plays a vital role in nation-building. This offers huge comfort to industry as it validates our efforts to invest, create jobs and contribute to development, CII President Rakesh Bharti Mittal said. These are situations where there is no formula. There are scenarios where the so-called fringe groups can become mainstream and can even come to power. It is what networks do... Power always used to work through an interaction between radio, television and print. Ideas were made public through these forms of publicity. Governments obviously liked to intervene in that infrastructure and address the public because governments direct address had limited balance. The difference is, since 2000, the emergence of social media, and the internet, information is based on something called distributed infrastructure where content is not necessarily produced by institutions, but by networked individuals. It is called user-produced media. The early phase of internet in the 1990s-early 2000 was not highly commercialised. With the shift to social media, users came into the system and they produced information which had a value; human experience became commoditised. Access is free but the information you produce through Facebook or Google search is commoditised, sold, monetised and made valuable. This is a kind of transaction between hundreds of millions of users coming to the system and the big companies. This data is generated by users and becomes highly valued. It is a new thing because our experience till now was monetised only a little bit: you went to a movie hall, bought a ticket and that was about it. There were moments that were commoditised. Now the entire experience is commoditised. Information is hugely valuable. Whether political parties or data companies, they really want this data, which can predict the future. This is coming to India in a very big way. It was used in the 2014 campaign. Take the infrastructure Jio laid out by giving out free phones. The more people you get into the system, the more value you are generating because it is potential information and you can target them in different ways. You can understand what they like, where they go, whats their lifestyle all this is of great value. And the key thing is that the older models of advertising worked on consumer research. This is a little different. This is a 24-hour update. For example, when you are travelling through the city, your Google Maps is on all the time, you are basically providing information on a 24-hour feed. People are afraid of CCTV cameras but essentially the human body, once it has a smartphone, is generating data 24 hours. We are producing this huge amount of data and companies of course want it, political parties want it, but the argument about fake news is the manipulation of the information people receive. This manipulation of the system has been advertising, is in-built into the system. Lot of this so-called manipulation of the political ideas is unfortunately when you are opening up to user-created media, you are opening up to all kinds of systemic possibilities of real and fake. It is on a huge scale, hundreds of millions of people and you cant control networks. But it is in your interest to expand networks. Then there is a third level which is not web-based like Facebook and YouTube, where you need to go on the web. Like WhatsApp. It is encrypted now and it uses a protocol set up by open whispers system which is encrypted which opens up all kinds of channels, which means people can circulate all kinds of vast amounts of information very fast. This infrastructure is used by the state and also by various populations. These are situations, where there is no formula. There are scenarios where the so-called fringe groups can become mainstream and can even come to power. It is what networks do allow you to tremendously expand political value. My argument is that the older model is dissolving in front of our eyes in politics and governance, including in the West. India is always fragile. It is something we need to think through. Facebook is saying they will try and introduce certain controls and they have deleted hundreds of thousands and millions of accounts which are fake. They will try because it is important for them to preserve their credibility but beyond a point they cant do it. A lot of code is now produced by machines and it is very difficult to separate this beyond a point. Because the media structure has changed and politics and media are so mixed up now, we need to think of a new form of political imagination to address this reality. There are two things. The ethical tool is to do with different education models, public education models, and politicians must speak out strongly and ethically when confronted with things that are violating basic forms of citizenship. Political leaders must play a very strong role. It happened during the Independence movement but today its unfortunate that political leaders feel threatened and they try and compromise with these things. Young people are sharing material, some of it is violent, some of it is explicit, we need to have honest conversations. Parents must know how to deal with it. You cant ban these things any more. The old model of censorship is long gone. You have to deal with it honestly and openly. Today, worldwide, you have political regimes India, Turkey, US, Russia, and parts of Eastern Europe that have plugged into the fringe becoming mainstream and have generated political value from this. We must understand that attacking fake news is only a small part of the problem. Information warfare is carried out by everyone. It is equally demanding. (The author, on the faculty of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, focuses on the intersection of the postcolonial city and contemporary media experiences.) Mumbai: The two pioneering young names from India excelling in the west, Ali Fazal and Freida Pinto are now coming together! The duo who will soon fly to the land down under are the key guests at the upcoming Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne 2018. These two names who have in their own way been making a unique space for themselves in the west will be delivering a talk to Australian audiences about the topic of Indian actors making it big in Hollywood! This cross cultural topic will have them expressing their views and opinions on the challenges and the need to overcome the stereotypes associated with being a non American actor working in the West. Freida whos flying in from Los Angeles, her current home will also be attending the Australian premiere of her film, Love Sonia and Ali has been elected as the Jury member for the Short Film Awards category at the festival. Ali Fazal said, "Its always interesting to talk to people of different countries and background. It gives you great perspective. This in fact is my first time to Australia and to get a chance to interact with film lovers and film students on a topic about crossing over is exciting and theres so much to speak about. I remember during the promotions and post release of Victoria And Abdul, when I spoke to people such varied background, everyone had such interesting ideas of cinema and its role. So Im looking forward to do this talk and discussion alongside someone talented like Freida." The panel discussion will also have director Tabrez Noorani, whos film Love Sonia is also the opening night film of the fest. Its all set to take place at Deakin Edge in Melbourne on 11th August where audiences from across Australia comprising of students and general audience will be in attendance. Michael B. Jordan hosted the Lupus LA fundraiser, MBJAM, and raised over $250,000 for lupus patients, reports TheHollywoodReporter.com. The Infinity War star said, My mom has Lupus. Shes had it for over 25 years, and as soon as I was able to find an organisation to align myself with, to bring more awareness to the disease and other Lupus patients out there I was all for it. There is no cure. He added, All of our efforts right now are to raise money for research and find out as much as we can about it so we can get new treatments and new medications and new approaches to attacking the disease. Nearly 200 lupus patients and their families joined Michael and stars like Jamie Foxx, Lena Waithe and Storm Reid for the fundraiser carnival, followed by a buffet feast of pretzel dogs, sliders and ice cream bars. Actress Jyothika, who plays the protagonist in Kaatrin Mozhi, the Tamil remake of the film Tumhari Sulu, wrapped up her one-schedule film shoot on a rather lovely note. On their last day on set, she surprised the crew with handpicked gifts. Sources reveal that the seven chief technicians of the film each received an expensive watch, and the remaining 120-odd crew members received a set of clothes that included silk sarees personally chosen by the Chandramukhi star and dhotis. Reportedly, Jyothika remarked that the KM team was the best one shed ever worked with. She thanked everyone for their efforts, and for making the shoot a pleasant and enjoyable experience for her. Kaatrin Mozhi is a romantic comedy produced by Dhananjeyan that features Jyothika, Vidaarth, Lakshmi Manchu, Kumaravel, M.S.Bhaskar, Manobala, Uma Padmanabhan, Mohan Raman, as well as Simbu in an interesting cameo. Director Radha Mohan is said to have tweaked the story a bit and diverged from the original to better suit south Indian sensibilities. A.H. Kaashif, who is A.R. Rahmans nephew, has scored the music for the film, and Madhan Karky has penned the lyrics. The makers have announced that the film will hit silver screens on October 18. When actress Rashmika Mandanna uploaded a poster of her upcoming Telugu film Geetha Govindam, in which actor Vijay Devarakonda is seen carrying her on his back, little did she know that shed face ridiculous backlash from some of her followers. She was lectured and reminded her that she was engaged to actor Rakshit Shetty and what she was doing was absolutely wrong! When I uploaded this particular poster of Geetha Govindam, a bunch of people started posting mean comments. What Ive noticed is that they create fake accounts and comment just to get a reply from me. I did reply to some of them and they apologised saying they just wanted to talk to me. They need to realise that were human beings too. Some of us are targeted when they see our growth as an actor and since theyre fans of other actors, they post such comments, laments Rashmika. The actress also faced several comments from social media users who asked her to not romance another man as she was Rakshit Shettys fiance! Male actors romance other heroines even after getting married, but people have no problem with that just because theyre men! Its like if a woman romances a guy onscreen after marriage, she loses her respect. Its disgusting that people think this way. I left the trollers a message asking them to DM me personally and not annoy my fans. There were many who were jealous that I was acting with Vijay and that Im engaged to Rakshit! she reveals. Actress Sruthi Hariharan reveals that she had to face a great deal of misogynistic comments too. Ive had diverse sexist experiences. I seldom go to the comments section, but when I do, its disheartening as people are commenting about how fake you are or saying things like How can you talk about women empowerment when all you do is sleep around? Theyre such regressive comments and most of them are from men, says Sruthi. The actress biggest tryst with misogyny was when she spoke openly about the casting couch. People would say things like shes doing it for publicity and completely overlook the fact that it exists. This comes from a space of misogyny where people cannot take a woman calling a spade a spade. They want you to surrender and go along with the system. Forests and wild animals have played a crucial role in nurturing our creative and moral sides. We first encountered them in the form of stories and rhymes. They were instrumental in imparting life lessons to us. As children, we even believed that a tiny ant could teach a giant elephant a great lesson. As we grew up, our ideas about the mammal too widened. Not just in stories, we found elephants in almost every sphere of our lives, in different forms. We saw them being tortured and humans encroaching on their habitat, eventually resulting in human-elephant conflicts. That indicates its high time we pay heed to the trumpets of these mammals. Its time we talk about their habitat, lifestyle, emotions and moreover, their significance in our ecosystem. And when it is done with a touch of creativity, the outcome would be better and deeper. Organised by Wildlife Trust of India in association with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, United Nations Environment and International Fund for Animal Welfare, the upcoming exhibition Gaj Mahotsav to be held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi from August 12 to 15 intends to spread this awareness. Curated by Dr Alka Pande, the exhibition stresses on the need to safeguard Asian elephants and give them their Right of Passage. It will feature 101 sculptures of elephants representing the identified 101 elephant corridors documented in India. Selected artists from across the nation are participating in it, and 10 among them are Malayalis. Dinesh P.G., T.R. Udayakumar, Pramod Gopalakrishnan, Subash, Ajayan Kattungal, Vinu, Biju C. Bharathan, Satheesh, Sanu and Sooraj have sculpted various aspects of elephants using different material. It is a great recognition that artists from Kerala are invited to be a part of this exhibition that will be travelling to various cities later, says Dinesh, who coordinated with the artists here. A few of them share their experiences. The artists were advised to focus on Asian elephants and make them colourful using shades that represent the state. They also instructed us to use materials that could withstand all weather conditions. The project is really inspiring. To take part in such a mission is a blissful and unfeigned work for me as an artist. Also, it is a privilege to work with Dr Pande, says Ajayan, who made an elephant using iron rods. He adds, This art piece is made by welding small iron rods. The piece shows an elephant that is in a dilapidated condition. The rustic feel given to it represents the endangerment and inhumane treatment towards them through the years. On the other hand, the colours show hope and belief that we can bring by changing the current situation. The colours also represent their proud, independent and elegant nature. In Kerala culture, elephants play a significant role in religious functions, temples, cultural events, festivals etc and the colours also indicate that. Dinesh has taken the movement of the elephant herd for his work. I have depicted a female elephant and child. If you observe the elephant herd, you could see that the calf walks in front of its mother because an elephant cannot turn its head, he says. In his statuette, both the mother and baby are painted in yellow and the mother pushes her baby. Yellow is the colour of celebration and wealth and it is an integral part of our culture. Take the festival of Vishu, yellow is there, says the award-winning artist who has been in the field for more than 25 years. Ever wondered why elephants cross our highways? Its because we built roads across its traditional migratory path. That is the inspiration behind Pramod Gopalakrishnans work titled Elephant Way. Made of iron steel rods and GI metal sheets, his work shows this national heritage animals journey of life. They are the torchbearers. In a forest, elephants create paths and other animals just follow. Hence, the elephant in my work carries a forest inside it. Not just roads, even the ponds in the forests are formed by elephants. So, they lead us the way. When we block their path, we are obstructing natures movement and the whole ecosystem, he explains. T.R. Udayakumar has chosen the mythical and religious aspect of the animal. The body of his elephant statue mirrors the forest. It is colourful but chained. Elephants carry God during temple festivals. But they are in chains. It is due to the greed of humans. Sometimes, we can see tears rolling down their eyes. Yes, they are struggling for justice and to escape from the greedy world around them, he says. A lot of such depictions can be found during the fest. Along with the display, there will be talks by eminent personalities on the same theme. And, let us hope that this artistic venture will be an eye-opener to many. Sculpting protest The trumpet of an elephant symbolises both captivity and defence. If you compare the features of an elephant with other creatures, you could find that elephant is very different from them be it in structure or behaviour. So, human interference in an elephants life will affect the mammals existence. Through this sculpture made of metal and jute, I present a trumpeting elephant that protests actions of mankind. Bengaluru: A sandalwood thief was arrested after he was shot at by a defence personnel in Banaswadi Military Garrison on early Monday morning. The accused has been identified as Ramar from Tamil Nadu. According to the police, Ramar, along with four others, trespassed on military campus and were cutting a sandalwood tree when an army patrol noticed them. Hawaldar Rajesh Rana from the patrolling team warned the gang to surrender. However, the gang paid no heed to the warning and attacked the patrolling team with stones and country-made weapons upon which the leader of the patrolling team order to shoot at them below the waist. Talking about the incident, the Defence public relation officer said, Four to five persons trespassed on Banaswadi Military Garrison with a purpose of cutting sandalwood trees. They were spotted by army patrol around 2.45 am who immediately challenged them but they started pelting stones on army patrol and tried to flee. After two warnings, the gang, instead of surrendering assaulted army personnel on duty with local weapons, in which an army personnel got injured. The patrol leader had to order firing below waist-level. A bullet hit left thigh of Ramar while others managed to escape, he added. Police said that the army personnel took injured Ramar and gave him first-aid. Later he was shifted to Bowring Hospital for treatment. Police recovered sandalwood logs and cutting tools from the spot. During the probe it came to light that the gang has been involved in various sandalwood thefts in and around the city. Police are questioning Ramar to ascertain the identity of his associates to nab them. The Narmada, considered one of the seven sacred rivers by Hindus, is at the centre of a massive tree-plantation as well as anti-liquor drive by the BJP government in the state. (Photo: File) Bhopal: At a time when the Madhya Pradesh government is working towards ensuring that liquor shops remain at a distance of over five kilometres from the Narmada, videos purportedly showing state Excise department personnel emptying liquor-filled drums into the river have raised the hackles of the opposition Congress. The party has condemned the incident, which happened in Dhar district on Friday, and said action should be initiated against the Excise officials for making the river, the state's lifeline, "impure". Videos, which have since gone viral on the social media, show men in khaki, apparently from the Excise department, emptying the contents of drums seized during anti-illicit liquor drive into the river. The department, on its part, has denied that the men poured liquor into the river and claimed that it was only the additive, a primary ingredient in the manufacture of such alcohol that had been released. "The 'masala' (additive) from which the liquor is made has been dumped into pits by the side of the Narmada. We are well aware of the river's sanctity and would never do anything to make it impure," Dhar Assistant Excise Officer Sharad Chandra Nigam said on Sunday. However, former state Congress spokesperson KK Mishra said, "The officials have committed an offence by dumping liquor into the holy river. This act has hurt the religious feelings of Hindus." He also accused the Excise department of polluting the river and making it impure. The Narmada, considered one of the seven sacred rivers by Hindus, is at the centre of a massive tree-plantation as well as anti-liquor drive by the BJP government in the state. The government is taking steps to shut the liquor shops located within five kilometres of the banks of the Narmada so that the river does not become the recipient of such effluents. While Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had earlier embarked on a six-month "Narmada Seva Yatra" that ended in May last year, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh had completed a six-month, 3,300-kilometre circumambulation of the river in April this year. The area has been cordoned off and a hunt has been launched to nab the assailants, the official said adding a case had been registered. (Representational Image) Srinagar: A CRPF jawan was shot dead by terrorists at his home in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Unidentified terrorist barged inside the house of a local CRPF constable Naseer Ahmad Rather in the Naira area of Pulwama in south Kashmir and fired upon him, a police official said. He said Rather received critical injuries and was rushed to a hospital but did not survive. The area has been cordoned off and a hunt has been launched to nab the assailants, the official said adding a case had been registered. Earlier, on July 21, Constable Mohammad Saleem Shah, who was on leave, was abducted and killed by terrorists from his residence in the Mutalhama area of Kulgam in south Kashmir. Read: J&K police constable, abducted by militants, found dead in Kulgam Policeman Javaid Dar was abducted by terrorists from Shopian district and his body was found in Kulgam on July 6. Before that, Indian Army soldier Aurangzeb, who lived in Kashmir's Poonch district, was abducted by terrorists in Pulwama in broad daylight from a civilian vehicle while he was going to his hometown on leave. His bullet-ridden body was found at Gusoo Pulwama on June 14. Also Read: J&K: Bullet-ridden body of abducted soldier recovered from Pulwama Udupi: Following the death of nurse Hezel Josna Quadras in unknown circumstances in Saudi Arabia, the Karnataka State NRI Forum has written to the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in India for the speedy shifting of the body to her native place in Udupi. Hezel, wife of Ashwin Mathias from Kuthyar village in Udupi district, was working as nurse at Mikhwa General Hospital, Almikhwa, Albaha region in Saudi Arabia. Ashwin resides in Kuthyar and his wife was in Saudi Arabia. Family members received a phone call from her colleague that Hezel had died on July 20. They were told that the body would be handed over to them once the investigation was completed. However the cause of her death is not clear to the family yet. On receiving this information, Congress MLC Ivan D'Souza immediately wrote to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The minister replied assuring me that she would contact the embassy. I also sent a mail to the PMO who forwarded it to the Saudi Embassy. On Saturday I met Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and handed over a request to the CM who is also the chairman of the NRI Forum. I also gave a letter to Member Secretary Dr K Muralidhara with a request to bring the body to Udupi at the earliest, Ivan D'Souza told Deccan Chronicle. Dr Muralidhara immediately sent a letter to the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia and the secretary, ministry of external affairs stating that Hezel is learnt to have died in unknown circumstances and requested them to get in touch with the authorities. All officials and ministers have reacted positively, he said. She was a strong, dedicated woman and there is no possibility of her committing suicide. Let there be a proper probe but the body should be handed over to the family members at the earliest, he said adding that Rs 50,000 would be given by NRI Forum to the family of Hezel. Kochi: The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) authoritiesat Nedum-bassery are keeping their fingers crossed as water level at Idukki and Idalamalyar dams are going up. The last time when the airport had to be closed due to floods was in 2013 when the adjoining Chengal Canal overflowed following opening of the shutters of the Idamalayar dam after heavy pounding by rains. Ever since this happened, CIAL undertook works to increase the depth of the Chengal Canal to increase the water -flow to the Periyar in the downstream and also reinforced the outer bunds of the canal and also the boundary wall of the airport, to prevent flooding of the airport. However, a senior official of CIAL told Deccan Chronicle on Sunday that if shutters of Idamalayar dam and Idukki dam are opened simultaneously, then CIAL would not be able to escape flooding once again. We understand the situation will deteriorate only if more rain happened in the catchment areas of the dams now on, he said. However, he added that regulated release of water from Idukki dam alone will not pose any problem to the airport. He said that in 2013, Upper Sholayar dam and four shutters of Idamalyar dam were opened in a day itself leading to the flooding then. Then first floors of flats in Aluva too were flooded. That time it was reverse flooding from Periyar through Chengal Canal due to higher water level in Periyar where the canal met it at downstream, said the official. The official added that a team of CIAL top level officials is monitoring the situation every two hours now and necessary equipment have already been moved to the first floor of its building and the rest is readied to be moved to safer places in case of any emergency situation. Talking to the media after meeting DMK chief M Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy said: 'I have just met him in Kauvery hospital, he is better and is recovering well.' (Photo: Twitter| ANI) Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy and his deputy O Panneerselvam met ailing DMK president M Karunanidhi at a Chennai hospital on Monday. Talking to the media after meeting the DMK chief, Palanisamy said: "I have just met him in Kauvery hospital, he is better and is recovering well." The AIADMK leaders also praised Karunanidhi as a Tamil leader. The medical team attending to the 95-year-old political icon have maintained that his vital signs are "normalising". In a late night statement, the hospital said his health was improving and called it a "transient setback". Large number of DMK president Karunanidhi's supporters have congregated outside Kauvery hospital and despite appeals from DMK leaders refused to leave. Despite being lathi-charged by the police, supporters remained outside the the hospital and urged the hospital staff to update them about the leader's health condition. "For the past three days, we have been waiting here without food and water. We don't want anything, give us our thalaiva back. Why has nothing been said on him yet? We want him back," a supporter of the 94-year-old leader told ANI. The crowd, who was trying to barge inside the hospital was lathi-charged by the police deployed to avoid or control any unwelcome situation. The crowd has also gathered outside DMK chief 's Gopalapuram residence. Meanwhile, heavy security was deployed at both the hospital and M Karunanidhi's residence. M Karunanidhi was admitted to hospital on Saturday following a drop in his blood pressure. The DMK stalwart, who is suffering from fever due to urinary tract infection, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. He is on intravenous antibiotics. (With inputs from ANI) The police had earlier arrested Nooruddin Sheik, a Wayanad native, who was released after detailed interrogation. Kochi: The police on Sunday arrested one more person in connection with the Facebook abuse against Hanan Hamid, a college student who sold fish for living. Palarivattom police arrested Viswanathan, a nati-ve of Guruvayoor, under IT Act for being part of the abusive campaign and posting a derogatory comment against the woman under a video posted by one Nooruddin Sheik. According to cops, the accused was interrogated at the Palarivattom police station by a police team under Assistant Commiss-ioner of Police (ACP) Erna-kulam K.Laljy. Viswanathan has been charged under section 67 of IT Act, section 509 of IPC and 120 (O) of Kerala Police Act. He was produced before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody. The police had earlier arrested Nooruddin Sheik, a Wayanad native, who was released after detailed interrogation. Police is collecting the details of people who had attacked Hanan through the virulent and abusive campaign on social media. Meanwhile, the cops are slated to interrogate more persons including the reporter of an online daily in connection with the case. Meanwhile, people who posted and shared abusive post against Hanan had deleted those from their timeline after the police had started taking actions. But it is learnt that cyber cell and Hi-Tech cell had already retrieved those details. Hanan, who sells fish in the city after college hours, has been in media after a regional daily published a story about her.Though the story became viral online, it later created a wave of outrage with a section of people terming it cooked-up and unleashed a verbal assault on her and the publication. The police also used to carry out counter propaganda of spreading facts through the social media on such issues. Thiruvananthapuram: The state police is maintaining a vigil on the social media against the spread of any misleading messages in connection with the hartal called by some fringe Hindu outfits on Monday. According to police sources, the hartal is unlikely to evoke much response in the state as major pro-Hindu political outfits had distanced themselves from the hartal. Moreover organisations like the Rama Sena and Hamunan Sena that made the hartal call have no significant presence in Kerala. In view of a hartal call over the social media by some fringe elements in the state over the Kathua brutal rape and murder, the police was maintaining a vigil on the social media this time as the hartal is also over a sensitive matter - entry of women to Sabarimala. "Fortunately, no much messages supporting the hartal were found on the social media. There were only queries whether the hartal would be effective," said a senior police officer. The police also used to carry out counter propaganda of spreading facts through the social media on such issues. Meanwhile, the police was maintaining a vigil to avert chances of any fringe element sblocking vehicles or trying to trigger law and order problems under the cover of the hartal. The hartal was called in protest against the state government's stand in favour of entry of women to Sabarimala. The matter is now under the Supreme Court consideration. Kurnool: In a tragic incident, an eight-year-old boy was injured when a mobile phone which he was using to play games while it was being charged exploded in his hand Three fingers on the left hand of V. Jagan Achari, a Class 3 student of a private school, were almost severed. The incident took place at RS Pendekal in Tuggali mandal on Sunday. According to sources, Jagan was playing games on his fathers mobile phone while it was being charged. The phone suddenly heated up and exploded in his left hand. He was rushed to the Pathikonda government hospital from where he was referred to the Kurnool general hospital, his father, Mr V. Maddilety Achari, said. He appealed to parents not to give mobile phones to their children. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is leaving for Delhi on Monday, said she would seek time from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) Kolkata: Expressing concern over the exclusion of 40 lakh names in the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said those "Indian citizens have become refugees" in their own land. Mamata Banerjee also alleged that the central government has resorted to "vote-bank politics". Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is leaving for Delhi on Monday, said she would seek time from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue. "I am sending a team of party MPs to Assam and if necessary, I will go there too," she said. Asked whether West Bengal would give shelter to those whose names have not appeared in the final NRC draft, she said, "They have their homes...they are inhabitants of Assam. We will think about it if they want to come. But why should they be evicted? They are Indians, but they became refugees in their own land," she said. Mamata Banerjee also claimed that even names of some people who have passports, Aadhaar and voter cards have been excluded from the final draft. Accusing the Centre of trying to forcibly evict 40 lakh people, she said, "It is a matter of grave concern. Internet service has been snapped. We cannot contact people in Assam." Amid tight security, the much-awaited NRC final draft was published on Monday with over 2.89 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants in Assam. Also Read: 40 lakh left out of draft list of NRC in Assam, no threat of deportation Hyderabad: India marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on Monday with the possibility of a new legislation coming into force this year to tackle the crime. The Lok Sabha passed the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 on July 18. The Bill provides for the setting up a National Anti-Trafficking Bureau to investigate trafficking cases a trial for the cases to end within a year. There is still a long process before it finally becomes law, but activists are hopeful that it will come through this year. Ms Sunitha Krishnan, co-founder of Prajwala, an NGO that rescues sex-trafficked victims, who was the spirit behind the legislation, said, Having a great legislation is not good enough, until and unless it is implemented in its true spirit. It took 14 years to get this legislation, it came about after Supreme Court directions and not because the government wanted it. She said any law could be misused, if it was not implemented properly. All the stakeholders involved, the law enforcers, the judiciary and the NGOs should be accountable for the same. It is only one of the first step, and there is a long way to end this menace, he said. A study by the United Nations in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labour globally. Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex. Approximately 28 per cent of victims of trafficking globally are children, according to the United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund and the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking. An example of the horrors of trafficking is the story of Seema (name changed), who became a mother at 17. She returned to her home in Jharkhand with her two-month-old baby last week, five years after she was sold to a family in Gurgaon where she was raped by a co-domestic worker. Activists say even a small hint from the public could play a very big role in busting human trafficking rackets, appealing to people to stay alert and report if they see anything unusual. Trafficking victims are often in plain sight but overlooked by all those who see them. Seemas sexual assault last year was preceded by years of servitude in the corporate suburb of Gurgaon with 19-hour workdays and barely enough food. Kalaburagi: Asserting that the unification of Kannada speaking areas which were part of different principalities before independence, had been done with great effort, Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said on Sunday that it was not proper to raise the demand for separate North Karnataka by dividing the unified state. During an interaction with the media here, Mr Kharge argued that if the North Karnataka region was neglected, the demand for its development should be made before the chief minister. He admitted that in terms of development, the Hyderabad Karnataka region was in C grade, while the Old Mysore region and Mumbai Karnataka region respectively occupied A and B grade. The backwardness of this region is due to the its neglect by the Nizams, he added. Meanwhile, former minister Vaijnath Patil demanded that instead of North Karnataka state, a separate Hyderabad-Karnataka (HK) state should be formed as this region remained backward. If a Hyderabad-Karnataka state is formed, we have no objection to it. But we cannot be part of North Karnataka state because our problems are different and our region is more backward than Mumbai Karnataka. If we become part of the new state, we will suffer under the hegemony of Mumbai-Karnataka leaders. Instead we want Hyderabad-Karnataka state, Mr Patil said. Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Venkatrao Nadagouda, however, opposed the demand for a separate NK state. Asserting that the demand was unscientific, he said the region can achieve progress only by remaining part of united Karnataka. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is committed to the development of the whole of Karnataka and the North-Karnataka region will not be discriminated against. The Janatal Dal governments have contributed to the growth of irrigation facilities in the North Karnataka region, what are the contributions of the Bharatiya Janata Party?, he sought to know. Chennai: A magistrate court in Chennai on Monday directed former Union finance minister P Chidambaram's family members to appear in court on August 20 without fail, in connection with the black money case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S Malarvizhi ordered the personal appearance of Chidambaram's wife Nalini, son Karti and his wife Srinidhi on August 20 since they failed to do so on Monday. According to the Income Tax Department, Karti Chidambaram had not disclosed his bank account in Metro Bank, the UK, and investments he had made in Nano Holdings LLC, USA. Also, the department said he had failed to disclose investments made by Chess Global Advisory, a company co-owned by him, which is an offence under the Black Money Act. The department stated that all three of them had not disclosed Rs 5.37 crore worth of property they jointly own in Cambridge, the UK and Rs 3.28 crore worth of properties in the US. The I-T Department initiated prosecution against them under Section 50 of the Black Money (undisclosed foreign income and assets) and Imposition of Tax Act. Earlier, the Magistrate had summoned the family under section 50 of the Act and directed them to appear before the court on June 25. P Chidambaram and his family members appeared before the court on June 25 and filed a petition seeking to dispense them from personal appearance. One Oklahoma mother has gone viral for offering to be a stand-in parent at gay weddings. Sara Cunningham, an ordained minister and mother of two, made a Facebook post offering to attend a gay wedding in place of a disapproving parent. PSA. If you need a mom to attend your same sex wedding because your biological mom wont. Call me. Im there. Ill be your biggest fan. Ill even bring the bubbles, Cunningham wrote. The post became a social media hit with more than 8,000 shares and more than 1,000 comments filled with people cheering on the idea. Some moms from other areas also offered their own services to be stand-in parents. Cunninghams journey to become an LGBTQ ally started with her son Parker who came out to her at age 21. She says she struggled with accepting his sexuality at first. Im a woman of faith. We live in a conservative town, Cunningham told CBS News. It sound bad to say it, but I felt like I had to chose between my child and faith. I was under this impression it was the ultimate offense. She joined a Facebook group for moms in her situation and eventually accepted her son. Cunningham would go on to attend a Pride parade with her husband and son and to write How We Sleep at Night: A Mothers Memoir, a book for mothers to learn how to accept having gay children. She became ordained so that she could officiate LGBTQ weddings and found that other parents were still struggling with accepting their children. Many of the weddings I officiate, Ill say, How are your parents? Are they accepting? And they say, Well, I dont know if Ill invite them or not, they dont acknowledge my relationship,' Cunningham said. These stories inspired her to make her Facebook post which received a tremendous response. Theres so many I dont mean to sound boastful but I havent even been able to address my private messages yet. Theres 130 in my inbox, Cunningham said. The girls were also forced to consume alcohol, gagged or beaten into submission. (Photo: File | PTI) Muzaffarpur: With fresh medical reports confirming rape of five more girls, the number of minor girls sexually assaulted at a state-run shelter home in Bihars Muzaffarpur has increased to 34. Meanwhile, several horrifying details of the torture the girl went through have also emerged. According to reports, the survivors have revealed that they were sedated, raped, thrashed and threatened every night. They have also alleged that they were given deworming tablets which made them unconscious. Whenever they woke up, they found themselves naked and with pain in their private parts and abdominal areas, the girls, all below the age of 18, claimed. The girls, whose medical reports have confirmed rape, have named Muzaffarpur Child Protection Officer Ravi Kumar Roshan and Brajesh Thakur, the owner of the NGO which ran the government-funded shelter home, in their statements before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. The two have been arrested. According to a report in NDTV, the minor girls said that Ravi Kumar Roshan regularly came to the shelter home and raped them. "Chanda aunty took me to him. She gave me a tablet and I fell unconscious. When I woke up, I was naked. Roshan raped me and warned me against telling anybody about it," one of the survivors told NDTV. The girls were also forced to consume alcohol, gagged or beaten into submission. A mentally ill girl was also sexually assaulted at the shelter, claimed another girl. Further describing their plight, the girl, in their statements, said they were made to wear skimpy clothes and dance in front of Ravi Kumar Roshan and outsiders. "Roshan and the men would consume alcohol and touch us inappropriately. If we refused, Roshan would beat us," a girl alleged. Meanwhile, Roshans wife, Shibha Kumari has come to the defence of her husband and claimed that he was being falsely implicated to shield the husband of a state minister who came to the shelter home, NDTV report further said. However, social welfare minister Manju Verma dismissed the allegation terming it as politically motivated. The issue of horrific sexual exploitation of minor girls at the shelter home, run by an NGO, was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, to the state's Social Welfare Department in April. The NGO has been blacklisted and the girls have been shifted to nearby shelters. The Adivasis are also not allowing the Anganwadi workers from Lambada community in their gudems as part of their ongoing agitation for self-rule and demand removal of the community from the list of Scheduled Tribes. Adilabad: The state government has decided to fill up the vacant posts of Vidya Volunteers (VV) at the Tribal Welfare Schools with candidates from local Adivasi Communities in view of the ongoing agitation for self-rule and boycotting of Lambada teachers. The state government has asked the district administrations to fill up the posts according to the GO-3 issued long back by the United Andhra Pradesh. Adilabad district collector Divya Devarajan said her officials were in the process of filling up all vacant posts of Vidya Volunteers with eligible candidates from the Adivasi gudem in a week so that the schools could run without break. She said the list of the new Vidya Volunteers would be announced in three days. Ms Devarajan said they were also filling up nearly 300 vacant posts of Anganwadi workers with Adivasi candidates in Adilabad district. Many tribal ashram welfare schools currently remain closed after students boycotted Lambada teachers with some of them even going back to their villages. The Adivasis are also not allowing the Anganwdi workers from Lambada community in their gudems as part of their ongoing agitation for self-rule and demand for removal of the community from the list of Scheduled Tribes. The Adivasis are distributing copies of their gram sabha resolution passed unanimously as well as the PESA Act to remove teachers and Anganwadi staffers from Lambada community working in many villages in the old Adilabad district. Adivasi students playing in front of closed tribal welfare ashram schools have become a common sight in villages in the agency areas in Jainoor, Sirpur ( U), Narnoor, Tiryani, Indravelli and Utnoor mandals in old Adilabad district. The government is concerned that the situation will badly affect the studies of children, officials said. Students of the Tribal Welfare School in Bela boycotted the Lambada teachers and some of them even vacated the hostel refusing to attend classes taken by Lambada teachers. Eight out of the 10 teachers in the school are from Lambada community. Very few students pass-ed in the subjects taught by Lambada teachers in the supplementary examinations in several tribal ashram schools. Mehbooba Mufti said her father made the BJP understand that the Article 370 is a bridge between Kashmir and the rest of the country and if it was revoked, 'you will be finished'. (Photo: File | AFP) Jammu: Former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday strongly rejected the allegations of discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh regions during her rule, asserting that she never considered Jammu and Kashmir "different entities" and evenly distributed the funds among them. The PDP president said her two-year tenure in power was the most difficult period of her life, which she braved to fulfill the visions of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and pull Jammu and Kashmir out of a state of anarchy. We did not make the alliance with the BJP for the chair. Mufti had a vision and wanted cooperation from the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi similar to what he had experienced when A B Vajpayee was in power, but unfortunately, it did not happen, Mehbooba said, addressing her party workers' rally, the first one after the fall of her government in June. The BJP had pulled out from the PDP-led government on June 19, claiming that they took the decision due to the discrimination against the Jammu and Ladakh regions. The rally, which was organised by the PDP to mark the 19th foundation day of the party, witnessed tense moments when Mehbooba, apparently feeling uncomfortable, stopped her 20-minute speech midway and sat back on her chair. She, however, resumed her address shortly from the chair itself, explaining that she "felt uncomfortable" due to the hot and humid weather conditions. Sayeed was in power for 10 months and I remained in power for two years and two months. We faced a lot of difficulty Only two months after coming to power, the situation took an ugly turn in Kashmir and I had to fight at both the fronts for improving the situation in Kashmir and making Delhi keep its promise of implementing the agenda of alliance..." said Mehbooba. The agenda of the alliance, she said, "included talks with Pakistan and Kashmiris, besides the returns of power projects (to the state) and maintaining status quo on the Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The PDP leader said she did whatever was possible for her but made no compromise. I never considered Jammu and Kashmir as different entities and distributed funds, colleges and jobs in police and other government departments equally without any corruption. I made no compromise, she said. She added her father made the BJP understand that the Article 370 is a bridge between Kashmir and the rest of the country and if it was revoked, you will be finished. Without naming anyone but apparently referring to senior BJP leader and former Minister Lal Singh's allegations that she "deliberately handled Kathua rape and murder case to create a division between Hindus and Muslims in Jammu", she said that the rapists have no religion and those talking about the Dogra pride came in support of the ones who raped and killed a minor girl. It is nothing to do with the Dogras. A Dogra ruler forbids a maharaja (king) from visiting Jammu and Kashmir after he came to know that he had passed livid remarks against a local girl. This is the pride of the Dogras, she said. She said the PDP suffered a lot over the past three years for a bigger cause to pull the state out of the prevailing crisis and end the bloodshed there. I assure you that we will not rest till we achieve our goal, she said. Defending her government's directive not to harass the Gujjars, she said after the BJP objected to the implementation of the Forest Act in the state, a committee was constituted to sort out the issue. She said she ordered the tribal affairs department not to harass the Gujjars unless the Forest Act was enforced. The former chief minister said "she faced a lot of pulls and pressures" over the past three years but "remained steadfast and put up with the alliance for a bigger goal of pulling the state out of the cycle of death and destruction." Terming the previous rule by her father from 2002 to 2005 as a golden era, she said it was because of the support extended by erstwhile Prime Minister A B Vajpayee that resulted into dialogue with Pakistan and Hurriyat conference, and the opening of the cross-border roads, besides massive developments. Acknowledging the anger in Kashmir against her party over its alliance with the BJP, she said the BJP had got the mandate in Jammu while the PDP had secured it in Kashmir. We had a lot of discussion with Sayeed who said there was no other option, given the mandate to Modi and the past experience when Vajpayee was in power. His only aim was to pull the state out of the anarchy, she said, adding that the PDP had expected the support like it got during the Vajpayee's era but unfortunately it did not work that way. Aligning with the BJP was a difficult decision the hatred among the Kashmiris against us on this decision was nothing short of taking poison, the PDP president said. She said the progress made by the PDP over the last 19 years has no parallel in the country. We had only one (Assembly) seat and reached 28 in 2014. Praising Vajpayee, she said that unlike the present regime which wanted Pakistan to first stop supporting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir to start a dialogue, the BJP stalwart visited Lahore and made the erstwhile Pakistan president to promise him that they would stop supporting militancy and the result was visible on the ground as well. When Mufti left the chair and Vajpayee too lost the power, the next government was formed and the peace initiative received a set back with everything coming to a standstill, she said. The nun had alleged that Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mullackal sexually abused her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. (Representational Image | Pixabay)e) Thiruvananthapuram: The priest who allegedly made a phone call to Kerala-based nun offering "land, building and safety" if the rape complaint against a Bishop is dropped, has been asked to step down. According to reports, the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) Congregation termed the alleged phone call to be an unfortunate incident and Father James Erthayil of the Kanjirappallly diocese has been asked to step down. An enquiry has been initiated, it said. Earlier, a conversation between priest and a nun in Kerala has been leaked, adding fuel to allegations about how Catholic Church is attempting to bury complaints of sexual harassment by clergymen. An 11-minute audio clip is between Father James Erthayil of the Kanjirappallly diocese of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate and Sister Anupama from the Missionaries of Jesus in Kottayam, who was one of the five nuns who came out in support of a 44-year-old nun, allegedly sexually abused by Bishop Franco Mullakkal of Jalandhar diocese. The nun had alleged that Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mullackal sexually abused her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. She went to the police only after the Bishop filed a complaint against her and five others, accusing them of threatening and blackmailing him. The Bishop, who has been booked for rape by Kerala police, has on his part, claimed innocence and said he is a victim of vendetta for taking disciplinary action against the nun. The leaked audio of the alleged phone call to the nun who stood by the rape survivor now finds another priest acting as a mediator who made a phone call offering, land, building and safety" if she withdrew her rape complaint against the Jalandhar Bishop. According to reports the leaked phone call sees one priest introducing himself to the 30-year-old nun Sister Anupama who has supported the survivor and saying, "We can buy some land, build a convent and shift you all there safely. This won't happen tomorrow but everything has a time. We can think about it." In the telephonic conversation, the Father is heard making veiled threats if the woman doesn't withdraw her complaint. "If you all are adamant on your stand, this won't happen. If you withdraw your complaint and go to one of your convents in Odisha, Andhra, threats may arise. But if you move independently and go under some other Bishop, there won't be any threats. It will be good if you think about this and if you decide to do this positively, I will help you in any way possible. I can't do everything, but will help in whatever I can do. In the sense that we can buy some land, build a house, shift them. They will support. I suggested this because they have said they will support," he says. The nun asks who will "support" the family, the Jalandhar Diocese? He answers with a "yes". "If we have to buy 10 acres of land and build a decent building for everyone, it's not easy. So they will help, but their condition is that this case must be withdrawn," he explains. The nun refused the offer and told the Father they won't withdraw any case. "We must get justice. We don't desire to lose any life, or sell our dignity," she said. The priest, who allegedly acted as a mediator, continued his attempt to persuade the nun and said, "I've understood the situation. I respect your feeling. I was just giving my suggestion. So they are actually thinking about buying some land for this in Erumely and Ranni area. So in that case, you can stay in that compound itself." Deccan Chronicle has not been able to verify the authenticity of the leaked audio clip. According to reports, the nun said she filed the police complaint against the accused Bishop after the church authorities turned deaf ears in the past. The media has undoubtedly turned into Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamys favourite punching bag with the leader landing a left hook again on correspondents on Monday, this time, on the issue of separate statehood for North Karnataka. Bengaluru: The media has undoubtedly turned into Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamys favourite punching bag with the leader landing a left hook again on correspondents on Monday, this time, on the issue of separate statehood for North Karnataka. The Chief Minister, has been hostile towards journalists as his maiden budget was criticized for various inconsistencies, did not stop at media bashing for the row triggered by his controversial state on north Karnataka but even went so far as to say that the fourth estate would he held responsible if the situation spiraled out of control on this issue. Mondays outburst came less than a week after a controversial decision to club genuine journalists with touts and to restrict their movement in Vidhana Soudha and Vikas Soudha. Mr Kumaraswamy, who had taken potshots at people of north Karnataka during a rally in Channapatna while referring to an agitation by farmers at Koppal for a complete waiver of farm loans, lambasted the media, without any provocation: You (media) are responsible for the flaring up of the separate north Karnataka state issue. I would like to tell my media friends that by raking up the issue every day, you are ruining the state. Don't mistake me," adding that if anything went wrong in future, the media would be held responsible for the breakdown of peace and order. "It is a media creation. Actually there is nothing of that sort happening. People there are not making any such demand (about separate statehood). They are with the government," he stressed. In defence of his statement in Channapatna which may have set off the controversy, he remarked that he was merely responding to a statement by BJP leader B Sriramulu in the Legislative Assembly and charged the media with misquoting him. "I was responding to Sriramulus statement during the budget session. I had asked him, from where will he get grants after carving out separate state of North Karnataka? Is it a big issue? Is it a big crime?" he queried. His statement in Channapatna prompted a bandh call in support of the demand for separate statehood for north Karnataka by Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti, on August 2. The leaders of this outfit have cried foul about the less than generous budgetary allocation and inadequate representation to the region in the cabinet. B01 New Delhi: Former Union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran will have to face trial in the case related to the alleged setting up of illegal telephone exchanges for benefitting his brother Kalanithi Marans Sun TV Network, the Supreme Court said on Monday. The top court dismissed Marans plea challenging the Madras High Courts July 25 decision setting aside a CBI court order discharging him in the case. A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, R. Banum-athi and Navin Sinha said it was not inclined to interfere in the matter and all the allegations could be dealt with during the trial. The allegations against you is that you used telephone lines to set up an exchange to benefit your brother. All these allegations can be dealt at the time of trial, You can face trial, the bench said. Senior advocate A. M. Singhvi, appearing for Maran, said the high court had not considered all aspects and has wrongly set aside the trial court order discharging them. The bench said the allegations are that you used these phones for a purpose which can be easily contested in the trial. We are not inclined to interfere. However, as rec-ording our reasons for the above conclusion may aff-ect the trial, we refrain from doing so. It will, naturally, be open for each of the accused to urge all contentions before the trial Court and the trial will be held without being influenced by any of the observations/findings recorded in the impugned orders, the bench said. Pramod Jaising Hore (35) had committed suicide in Aurangabad by jumping in front of a moving train. Before taking this extreme step, Mr Hore had posted a message on his Face Book page and had also written about it on WhatsApp. Mumbai/Pune: Another Maratha protester from Aurangabad has committed suicide by throwing himself under a running train over the demand for reservation on Monday, in what is the fifth suicide by protesters across the state within a week as part of the ongoing agitation for reservation for the community. Meanwhile, the agitation continued in parts of Marathwada as well as western Maharashtra. Agitators of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) turned violent in Pune by torching 8-10 vehicles and vandalising over 30 vehicles in Chakan. They also vandalised many vehicles in Pimpri. Agitators attacked the Chakan police station and up to eight policemen sustained injuries. The police officers injured in Pune, included Tejaswi Satpute, additional SP, Chakan area of Pune (rural), Ram Pathare, deputy SP, Khed area, G. S. Madgulkar, deputy SP (Dehu Road), Dhanyakumar Godse, police inspector and Arjun Pawar, police sub-inspector. Pramod Jaising Hore (35) had committed suicide in Aurangabad by jumping in front of a moving train. Before taking this extreme step, Mr Hore had posted a message on his Face Book page and had also written about it on WhatsApp. Mr Hore was preparing for his Maharashtra Public Service Commission exams. In his message on Facebook he said, "Today one Maratha is leaving...but do something for Maratha reservation." The police says that loud noise has not only made things difficult for the public but for the department also as it neutralises police communication systems. Hyderabad: The police had banned playing of loud music and use of high volume sound systems in the city and are registering cases against violators. The irony is that the cops are not equipped with sound readers to exactly point out the decibel levels and nail the violators. We go to a function and record the goings-on using a tab which also displays the time. We register an e-petty case mostly invoking sections dealing with public nuisance and ask them to appear before the court, said an inspector. The city police commissioner periodically issues notifications banning loud music and high volume sound systems. The police says that loud noise has not only made things difficult for the public but for the department also as it neutralises police communication systems. In many sensitive areas noise levels have touched 20 decibels above normal due to traffic, loud speakers and crackers, he said. Providing sound meters will help us get a clear picture of the violation. The meter records the sound level and when attached through bluetooth to the system or laptop generates a slip. It can be clinching evidence in court, another police inspector said. According to restriction orders issued by the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda police commissioner, there should be no loud noise by any means after 10 pm. The police issued these orders based on the advice of the TS PCB. A year ago, the Telangana State Pollution Control Board, along with some non-governmental organisations had organised a pollution awareness programme for the city cops. A senior police official said that the department was in the process of procuring the sound meters and providing them to the police stations. Those violating the order will be charged under 67(c), 188 of IPC and under section 76 of the Hyderabad City Police Act. Motorcycle owners remove the company-fitted silencer and replace it with a pipe available in the market. Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police has warned youngsters against modifying the silencers of Bullet motorcycles to produce annoying cracker sounds. The warning comes after complaints from several quarters to both the traffic and law and order police stations about the nuisance. Motorcycle owners remove the company-fitted silencer and replace it with a pipe available in the market. While the company fitted silencer has three filters to reduce noise, the ones available outside only minimally muffle the sound. It is dangerous when a rider holds the clutch and accelerates simultaneously, said Shiva Kumar, a motorcycle mechanic at Secunderabad. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) V. Satyanarayana said the police would be registering cases against persons disturbing peace. The vehicles will be seized and released only on court directions, he said. He warned of action against mechanics who modify the motorcycles. Mr Arun Sharma, an automobile engineer, said that the change of silencer can affect engine performance and reduce shelf life. Bengaluru: As the victim of abduction and gangrape in Kodigehalli police station limits recorded her statement before the court on Monday, police have intensified the patrolling surrounding the parks in Kodigehalli area, most of which are ill-maintained and have turned out to be hidey-holes for miscreants. Kodigehalli, which has several parks and playgrounds, attracts many joggers and walkers. However, there are an equal number of parks and grounds which are poorly-fenced and maintained, which allows unscrupulous elements to enter them at any point of the day or night. What is worse is that most of the areas are poorly-lit, allowing miscreants to easily walk away from the spot after committing crimes. The 15-year-old girl who was abducted from near Canara Bank Layout Park in Sahakara Nagar in Kodigehalli couldn't even shout for help as there are no people moving about on the poorly-lit streets. The police said that the accused easily forced the victim into a cab and fled from the spot. Moreover, the parks have no guards to ensure the safety and security of people visiting them. A government employee who stays near the park told Deccan Chronicle that many illegal activities occur in the park, which remains open through the night. The parks are not only havens for lovebirds but also for miscreants, who target such couples and make away with their belongings. The residents said that the parks should be renovated and fenced properly. Also, security personnel should be deployed at all parks to avert any such incidents in future, they said. Victim records statement before court The victim in her statement before the court on Monday said that she was abducted by Joseph and his friends on the evening of July 22. They took her around the city for three days. They raped her repeatedly and dropped her near the Canara Bank Layout Park on July 25. She has taken only three names Joseph (20), a daily wage labourer, known to the survivor, Santhosh (22), an auto driver, and Subash, owner cum driver of a cab, all the three residents of Kodigehalli. She has denied the involvement of others in the crime. But the police suspect that more people could be involved, and are investigating further. On July 24, when the girl didnt return, her father lodged a missing complaint with the Hebbal police. According to the first information report, the father of the minor went searching for her on Sunday night. He learnt that she had gone to the park but from there to a friends house. Thinking that she would return later, he went home. But when she did not come home, he filed the complaint. As the girl was a minor, a kidnap case was registered on July 24. Upon the victim's return, the police, based on the information provided by the victim, arrested the accused. Last week, Kelley Rose told the national media why she helped found a chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America: Jesus made her do it. Fittingly, she told her story at taxpayer expense. Her comments came as part of a glowing profile of the DSA that National Public Radio posted on July 26 mistitled, What You Need to Know About the Democratic Socialists of America. Rose, a 36-year-old who co-founded the DSAs North Central West Virginia chapter, told NPR: I might be the only one in our little chapter that is a Christian, and it all just fits so perfectly together for me, things that Ive always thought anyway along with my values morally and religiously, she said. Possibly my mother would want to debate me on this, but if anyone was ever a socialist it was Jesus. This is welcome, unusually positive coverage of faith from an outlet that frequently brands any Christians interest in politics a sign of impending theocracy. However, it should cause all taxpayers to question whether they wish to underwrite this sort of propaganda with $445 million a year. (The storys only mildly negative comment notes that Bernie Sanders got attacked for how much [his Medicare for All proposal] could cost by one estimate, $32 trillion over 10 years.) For Christians, Roses views expose another kind of deficit: a lack of sound doctrinal teaching. Roses misappropriation of Jesus as a socialist spokesman highlights how important it is for Christians to teach that socialism and Christianity are incompatible. At one time, pulpits and Ivy League institutions alike repeated the fact that collectivism contradicts both the Bible and human nature. As the principal of Princeton Theological Seminary for 27 years, Charles Hodge taught thousands of ministers, and his writings influenced generations yet to come. In his Systematic Theology, he wrote of socialism: The conditions of the success of this plan, on any large scale, cannot be found on earth. It supposes something near perfection in all embraced within the compass of its operation. It supposes that men will labour as assiduously without the stimulus of the desire to improve their condition and to secure the welfare of their families as with it. It supposes absolute disinterestedness on the part of the more wealthy, the stronger, or the more able members of the community. They must be willing to forego all personal advantages from their superior endowments. It supposes perfect integrity on the part of the distributors of the common fund, and a spirit of moderation and contentment in each member of the community, to be satisfied with what others, and not he, may think to be his equitable share. We shall have to wait till the millennium before these conditions can be fulfilled. The attempt to introduce a general community of goods in the present state of the world, instead of elevating the poor, would reduce the whole mass of society to a common level of barbarism and poverty. The only secure basis of society is in those immutable principles of right and duty which God has revealed in his Word, and written upon the hearts of men. And these truths, even if acknowledged as matters of opinion, lose their authority and power if they cease to be regarded as revelations of the mind and will of God, to which human reason and human conduct must conform. The passage comes as Hodge, a Presbyterian, branded socialism a violation of the Eighth Commandment, Thou shalt not steal. He proceeded to dissect Communism and Socialism for four pages. One need not be Reformed to reject socialism. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and evangelicals all condemned socialism as incompatible with both the Eighth Commandment as well as the Tenth: Thou shalt not covet. If Rose investigates traditional Christian teachings, she will learn it is no coincidence that she is the only one in her chapter who is a Christian. Readers perhaps including Rose will enjoy Rendering Unto Caesar: Was Jesus A Socialist by Lawrence W. Reed of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). (Photo credit: Public domain.) A group of 40 Senate Democrats led by Sen Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are calling for rejection of an amendment that would penalize states and localities for policies barring taxpayer-funded adoption agencies from discriminating against LGBT families over religious objections. In a letter dated July 24 to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the lawmakers call for rejection of an amendment inserted into the House version of major funding legislation by Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) enabling anti-LGBT discrimination in adoption services. The inclusion of such legislation would sanction taxpayer-funded discrimination and prevent a significant share of Americans from opening their homes to foster children, the letter says. The letter draws on the ongoing opioid crisis and the increasing number of children without homes as a result of the problem as a reason for lawmakers to reject the amendment. It is never acceptable to use federal funds to discriminate based on religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure or marital status, but the timing of the House language is particularly egregious given the spike in foster care caseloads across the country brought on the opioid epidemic, the letter says. Aderholt introduced the amendment into the fiscal year 2019 labor, health and human services and education appropriations bill during the House Appropriations Committee markup of the legislation. The committee adopted the amendment by a party-line 29-23 vote. Rep. Scott Taylor (R-Va.) was the only Republican to vote against it. Its unlikely the legislation or the amendment will reached President Trumps desk for him to sign it into law. The Senate committee has already its approved its version of the funding and a similar measure wasnt included in the bill. If the bills were conferenced, that would likely mean the anti-LGBT provision would be dropped. Moreover, in years past, the funding bill for the Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services and Education hasnt even reached the House floor and those programs continued to receive federal funds through omnibus spending legislation, according to the ACLU. The Washington Blade has placed a request seeking comment on the letter with the offices of Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the top Democrat on the panel. [UPDATE: A Leahy spokesperson said the senator agrees that the Aderholt provision is discriminatory and would insist that it be dropped in conference.] Ian Thompson, legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union, commended Wyden and other senators for speaking out against the anti-LGBT adoption amendment. There are over 118,000 children awaiting adoption in the United States, Thompson said. The best way to provide loving and stable homes for these children is to have as many qualified prospective foster and adoptive parents as possible. Today, 40 members of the Senate led by Sen. Wyden joined leading child welfare organizations and civil rights advocates in saying that discrimination has no place in our child welfare system because every child deserves the opportunity to grow up with the support of a loving family. Based on the parameter of several companies with same address, RoC officials will take up site inspection. RoC officials have listed 515 companies at six locations which had 25 companies with the same address. Hyderabad: The site inspection drive taken by the Registrar of Companies (RoC) has uncovered thousands of companies in TS and AP that do not comply with the Companies Act. In reality, theres no definition of a shell company in the Companies Act. We come to know about various facts during site inspections and we submit the details to the finance ministry. Our information enables the policy-makers to frame the definition of a shell company, said Ramesh Chandra Mishra, RoC, Hyderabad. Based on the parameter of several companies with same address, RoC officials will take up site inspection. RoC officials have listed 515 companies at six locations which had 25 companies with the same address. During the latest inspection drive that took place on three days last week, RoC seized documents and reports from over 180 companies in Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Domalguda and Ashoknagar in the city. We are busy with month-end works to complete the regular activity of RoC. We will take up the inspection drive again in a few days at other locations. Then we will submit a detailed report on our inspections to the Union finance ministry. This is a continuous pro-active action. RoC will again take up such drive within three months, Mr Mishra said. The GST Hyderabad commissionerate has prepared a list of assessees, who didnt respond to its notices. The number is running over 30,000 in Telangana state alone. We have just concluded the refunds fortnight drive for exporters. We will also compile I-T returns our assessees. GST inspections will take place very soon, said a senior official at GST Bhavan. The figures were released by the state police headquarters on occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30. Hyderabad: Despite the police taking stern action against traffickers, children are continued to be employed as labourers in the state. As many as 5,448 children who were forced to work as labourers were rescued in just two months this year, while the total number of rescued children since 2015, totals 25,834. The police carry out rescue operations twice a year, in January and in July. The figures were released by the state police headquarters on occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30. a As per the Global Slavery Index, India has 18 million people who are trafficked for exploitation. The official figures based on the cases reported state that about 3 million women and children are trafficked for sexual slavery. In Rachakonda, about 501 children were rescued by the police during Operation Smile IV programme from July 6 to July 30. Out of them, 273 boys and 93 girls hail from Telangana, while 135 others including five girls, hail from other states. Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said, Around 65 boys were rescued from brick kilns located on the city outskirts and 11 cases have been booked against the management and owners for engaging the children at the plant. Three children who went missing from Nacharam and Medipally were also rescued during Operation Muskaan IV this year while the number of children rescued last year totaled 815. Director General of Police, M. Mahendar Reddy on Monday released a first of its kind training manual for the police on victim-centered investigation consisting of laws, raid process, investigation procedure, legal framework and post-rescue procedures in a human trafficking case. The manual will be used to train all the front-line officers in the state equipping them with necessary skills to combat human trafficking, the DGP said. One woman rescued every three days in Rachakonda In the last two years, at least one woman was rescued from flesh trade every three days in the Rachakonda police commissionerate limits. Police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat revealed the information on Monday and said that 268 victims were rescued from flesh trade. The commissioner said the police always maintained continuous surveillance to rescue trafficked women. As many as 68 places used as brothels were seized and five persons were booked under the Preventive Detention Act for involving in the offences repeatedly. He added that 549 people, including 341 traffickers and 208 clients, were arrested in as many as 170 cases at various police stations in the commissionerate limits. US Consulate Consul General Katherine B. Hadda, who was the chief guest at the programme organised by the commissionerate, said, In many cases, it is difficult for a state to understand the living conditions of residents after they migrate to different places. And likewise, many destination states tend to treat migrant workers as visitors who are not their immediate responsibility. But, in this instance, both the source state and destination state have proactively made it their shared responsibility to engage with non-governmental organisations and employers to address the schooling needs of the children of migrant brick kiln workers. According to the Cyberabad police, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh stand second in human trafficking after West Bengal. They are followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Human trafficking is one of the largest organised crimes across the world after drugs and arms and no country is immune to this. In India, both Telugu states stand second in human trafficking after West Bengal. As many as 950 cases of trafficking for flesh trade were registered in Telangana between 2014 and 2017, said the Cyberabad police. Bengaluru: Incomplete and delayed projects have continued to trouble Bengalureans. At Sector 5 in HSR Layout, the BBMP dug up roads for the construction of a drain on June 23, but even after a month, the project is yet to be completed, throwing the life of residents into disarray. The road opposite Agara Lake has a hospital, a medical store and residences. But for the last one month, the residents and patients visiting the hospital have found it difficult to making their way in and out. The drain has covered 9 inches of my gate. I had to cut my gate and build a slope for our vehicles to pass. I had to bear the expenses. My question is why the government cannot finish the project quickly, said Air Marshal (Retd) Rajkumar, whose house entrance has been blocked by the drain work. He said that if the project is not completed soon, heavy monsoon rains during August and September will flood the entire area and their houses. Chief Engineer, Storm Water Drains, Bettegowda, said he will look into the matter. If there is a delay, I will look into the issue and get it resolved quickly. The SWD work near BTM Layout is nearing completion and at HSR too, we will finish it quickly, he said. A staffer at Greenview Hospital, on condition of anonymity, told Deccan Chronicle that they are facing serious issues due to the delay in the construction work. The debris has been dumped put right opposite our hospital gate. The entry and exit of patients from the hospital too has become an issue, the staffer said. He belongs to the rare bunch of politicians who do not mind calling a spade a spade. After being ignored by Congress leaders, he joined the party which he had criticised for many years-the JD(S). Former MP and Hunsur JD(S) MLA, Mr A.H. Vishwanath spoke to Deccan Chronicle on the current political situation in Karnataka. Here are excerpts. The Opposition BJP alleges that the JD(S)-Congress coalition government is yet to take off. What's your view? I would have agreed if this question was raised a month ago. Now, I don't think they are right as development is taking place. Now there is a council of ministers who are attending to their department work. Has the Congress stopped impeding the functioning of the coalition government? Yes. Now, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has been given a free hand to run the government. After receiving instructions from Congress President Rahul Gandhi, state leaders and legislators have stopped criticizing the government in public. The Congress had been made to understand the coalition dharma and follow it in the interest of both parties. Has the JD(S) able to put the controversy over farm loan waiver behind it? Indeed it was a mess created by the BJP, officials and a section of Congress leaders. The CM on the floor of the House has already announced waiver of crop loans borrowed by farmers including current loans. This has given a benefit of Rs 1 lakh to each farmer. Overall, it has benefited around 22 lakh farmers. Officials should be blamed for creating a lot of confusion among farmers. There should be no doubt about this as Mr Kumaraswamy has clearly announced a total waiver of crop loans in the next five years. The need of the hour is to cut down wasteful expenditure including the perks of officials and elected representatives. If state finances are bad, the previous Congress government is equally responsible for it. The incumbent government would not have faced problems had the previous government managed the finances properly. I don't know why the Congress blames Mr Kumaraswamy for the current financial situation. Former CM and chairman of the coordination committee of the coalition government, Mr Siddaramaiah has been writing letters to the CM on various issues? Is it a good move? (Laughs) The lesser said, the better. Being a former CM and chairman of the coordination panel, it is unbecoming on the part of Mr Siddaramaiah to write letters to his predecessor. In fact, Mr Siddaramaiah has no role to play in the daily administration of the coalition government. It's better for him to stop writing letters on trivial issues and give friendly advice when he meets the Chief Minister in person. Many thought Mr Siddaramaiah would be sidelined after the Congress lost the assembly polls. But now he has been given three important party posts. What does it indicate? Mr Siddaramaiah has been given three important party posts including membership of the Congress Working Committee but still he expects the state government to give him a free car, free accommodation, staff and status of a Cabinet minister. He should know that he is no longer CM and does not enjoy facilities as per protocol. Now Mr Siddaramaiah is just a legislator like the other 223 MLAs. The Congress and JD(S) are planning to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha polls jointly. Will it prevent the BJP from continuing in power at the Centre? Firstly, the leaders of both parties should have a clean approach if they want to go it together in the coming parliamentary polls. They need to be transparent, if they lack faith in themselves, the pact will not work. Since talks are still in the primary stage, we need to wait and see how it takes shape in the coming days. Your name is making the rounds for the post of state JD(S) president..are you ready to take over the mantle? Recently, party supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda asked me whether I am ready to become state president of the party and I said yes as Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is unable to concentrate on strengthening the party due to his pre-occupation with government work. I am ready to use my 40 years of political experience to build the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Mr Gowda is expected to take a call on this issue soon. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi asked party members to help maintain peace and help those, irrespective of their caste, religion or group, against whom 'injustice' was done in draft NRC. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the BJP government's execution of the highly-sensitive National Register of Citizens has been tardy, leading to massive insecurity in Assam. The government should move swiftly to resolve the crisis in Assam after reports that the names of many Indian citizens are missing in the draft National Register of Citizens, Gandhi said. The Congress chief also asked Congress members to help maintain peace and help those, irrespective of their caste, religion or group, against whom "injustice" was done in the draft NRC. In a Facebook post, Gandhi said the NRC was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singh to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985. "However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP Governments at the centre and in the State of Assam leaves much to be desired," he said. Also Read: 40 lakh left out of draft list of NRC in Assam, no threat of deportation "There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The Government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis," he added. Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in the state. The Congress has demanded that government convene an immediate all-party meeting to address the issue. Hyderabad: MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday opposed the Criminal Law Amendment Bill. He said if it was passed India will become like Saudi Arabia, Iran and China and even Sharia might follow. Good luck to you. Sharia is on the way. An MLA has said that a mother of three can be raped. The legislators here stood for the perpetrators of crime. What we require is change in the mindset of men. The equation of power which men feel they enjoy should change. The government is supporting the perpetrators of child rape and all other efforts are mere eyewash, he said. Mr Owaisi quoted a court ruling saying that death penalty cannot be justified on the grounds of retribution, proposition or deterrence. Let me remind the government what was said by Delhi High court judge Justice Geeta Mittal. She had asked the government whether it knew what the root cause of rape was. Was any scientific study done to ascertain whether death penalty will prove to be a deterrent for rapist? How many victims will be left alive when the punishment for rape and murder are the same? This was the view of the judge, he said. Even the Justice Verma committee did not recommend death penalty for rape. The Law Commission also favours death penalty only for terror, he said. Bengaluru: Even as ruling JD(S) and Congress leaders blamed the Opposition BJP for playing its role in reigniting the demand for a separate state of North Karnataka, state BJP top leaders asserted that they would not allow Karnataka to be divided at any cost. Recently, the BJP had faced huge embarrassment after its leader and Molakalmuru MLA B. Sriramulu had supported the demand for statehood for North Karnataka which went viral in social media. The BJP state unit was forced to instruct Mr. Sriramulu to issue a clarification on his statement following which the former Ballari MP clarified that, he will not support the bandh called by various organizations of North Karnataka on August 2 demanding statehood. At any cost, we should not allow Karnataka to be divided, unification of Karnataka should be our mantra. Its because of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamys irresponsible statement that people have called for a bandh for a separate state. I will not support any such bandh. The chief minister blamed the voters of North Karnataka for not supporting his party in the recent Assembly polls and even accused them of taken money to cast votes for others. The CM with his utterances has committed a grave injustice against people of North Karnataka, he has also unnecessarily dragged my name into the controversy, Mr. Sriramalu stated. Meanwhile, BJP state President B.S.Yeddyurappa and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar issued a joint press statement, opposing the demand for a separate North Karnataka state. Never before in the political history of Karnataka has any chief minister made such an irresponsible and arrogant statement like what Mr Kumaraswamy has done. By saying that he will utilise the funds meant for Bengaluru for development of North Karnataka, the CM has divided the people of the state with his irresponsible statement, Mr. Yeddyurappa and Mr Shettar remarked. Mr. Yeddyurappa also said he will leave for Belagavi on Tuesday to dissuade the seers of various mathas and other leaders who are planning demonstrations for a separate North Karnataka state in front of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. I will request the seers to remain committed to the concept of unified Karnataka. The people of North Karnataka are pained and hurt by the insensitive statement of the chief minister, Mr Yeddyurappa said. The Telangana Joint Action Committee has become like a Congress JAC because most of the leaders who attended the meeting were from that party. They do not want government to complete Kaleshwaram project and provide irrigation facility for one crore acres of land and help farmers. Hyderabad: TRS MLC Karne Prabhakar on Monday said the Congress leaders in Telangana, with an aim to please the TD leadership and have a poll tie-up, have been trying to obstruct the Kaleshwaram irrigation project. At a media interaction held in the city, Mr Prabhakar referred to a round table meeting organised to discuss on pros and cons of Kaleshwaram project on Sunday and said, The Telangana joint action committee (TJAC) has become like a Congress JAC because most of the leaders who attended the meeting were from that party. They do not want government to complete Kaleshwaram project and provide irrigation facility for one crore acres of land and help farmers. Mr Sarvey Satyanarayana has already issued a statement that the Congress and the TD would join hands for the 2019 elections. The Congress leaders are working as agents of the TD government in AP. The raising the issue of special status to AP and opposition to Kaleshwaram are part of this larger conspiracy against Telangana, he alleged. Mr Prabhakar rejected the allegations by Congress and TJAC leaders that the TRS government deliberately inflated the estimates of Kaleshwaram project by redesigning Pranahitha Chevella project to get commissions from contractors. Redesigning of projects is nothing new. It was done by previous governments also to meet changing needs. The Pranahitha projects was aimed at irrigating 16 lakh acres of farm land and the estimate was made at Rs 38,600 crore in 2007. We have now redesigned this as Kaleshwaram project to irrigate 36 lakh acres by spending over Rs 80,000 crore. The project estimates will definitely increase after 10 years and when irrigation target is made double. What is the big deal in this? he questioned. People wait to check their names on the final draft of the National Register of Citizens after it was released, at an NRC Seva Kendra in Nagaon, Assam on Monday. (Photo:PTI) Guwahati/New Delhi: A massive Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam on Monday excluded over 40 lakh people from the final draft list, triggering a political slugfest with the Opposition alleging that it was the BJPs gameplan to divide the people for electoral gains. As pandemonium over non-inclusion of 40 lakh citizens of Assam in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) led to repeated adjournments in Rajya Sabha with lawmakers from the Trinamul disrupting proceedings, Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha said on Monday that the draft NRC for the state is completely impartial and those whose names are not included should not panic as they will get an opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship. Unsatisfied with the Home Ministers response, an unrelenting opposition staged a walkout from Lok Sabha. Soon after, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the Centre, accusing it of resorting to vote bank politics. This divide and rule policy will finish the country, she said at a press conference in Kolkata, alleging it was a gameplan to isolate and throw out of the state Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Banerjee also claimed that names of people who have passports, Aadhaar and voter cards have also been excluded from the final draft. Notwithstanding the criticism, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said it was a historic day for the state, which will abide by all the directions of the apex court. With several MPs from Trinamul, Congress and the Left parties echoing concerns in Lok Sabha also on the NRC issue and the Congress demanding an all party meeting, Mr Singh said, no coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence, there is no need for anyone to panic. This is a draft and not the final list. The home ministers reaction came after the draft NRC was published with the names of about 40 lakh residents of the state not being included. Even someone whose name is not in the final list can approach the foreigners tribunal, the Home Minister said, adding that only after the disposal of claims and objections, the final NRC will be published. Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. I want to assure all that there is no need for any apprehension or fear. Some misinformation is also being spread. The NRC process has been done impartially, he added. Meanwhile, the Congress questioned the non-inclusion of over 40 lakh people in the complete draft of the NRC and alleged it was a motivated action by the BJP which was trying to play politics of polarisation. Meanwhile, informing that NRC directorate would inform each and every applicant about the specific reasons for non-inclusion of their names to over 40 lakh applicants whose name could not be included, Registrar General of India Sailesh told reporters, This is a historic day for India and Assam. The exercise is unparalleled in size. It is a legal process done under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. Asserting that the exercise was carried out in a transparent, fair, objective manner, he said, People, whose name could not find place in the final draft need not to worry. They will be given ample opportunity to prove their claim. No genuine Indian citizen should have any fear. To a question about the fate of those left out in the final draft NRC, the state coordinator of NRC Mr Prateek Hajela said, "We consider them as applicants. Each of them will be sent letters individually for the next step. We are trying to tell them they might have missed out because of some reasons such as unsubstantiated documents. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Imran Khan, chairperson of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and congratulated him for his party emerging as the largest political party in the National Assembly of Pakistan in the recent elections. The Prime Minister hoped that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistan, a PMO statement said. The Prime Minister also reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighbourhood. Earlier in the day, Mr Khan said that he will take oath as Pakistans PM on August 11, according to a media report. Vijayawada: BJP president Amit Shah on Monday announced the appointment of former ABVP leader V. Muraleedharan of Kerala as AP party affairs in-charge and former RSS pracharak Sunil V. Deodhar as state co-incharge. Mr Deodhar is credited with laying the ground for the BJPs victory in the northeast, especially in Tripura. Mr Muraleedharan is a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra. The post of state affairs incharge post fell vacant almost a year ago when Mr Siddharthnath Singh was appointed as a Cabinet minister in Uttar Pradesh. These two new in-charges will work in tandem with general secretary Ram Madhav, who has been tasked by the party central leadership to give special focus to AP which needs an aggressive stance to counter the onslaught by former ally TD. The interesting appointment is that of Mr Deodhar, who was credited with the dislodging of the 25-year-old Left Front government of CPM leader Manik Sarkar in Tripura where BJP formed government for the first time. He was also the campaign manager for Prime Minister Narendra Modis election from Varanasi in 2014. Mr Deodhar stayed put up in Tripura for almost 500 days ahead of the polls and shot to fame for his confession that he started eating pork and learnt the local languages by engaging tutors to build a base and have a connect with the masses in Tripura. He was also known for inducting leaders from the Congress into the BJP fold, a move that strengthened the party base and ensured a historic win in Tripura. Interestingly, it is learnt that Mr Deodhar and Mr Madhav, both from RSS, who were the architects of BJPs emergence as a potential party in the northeast, share a strong rapport and bond and the AP party cadres are hopeful that the duo will weave the same magic in AP. Mr Deodhar joined the BJP in 2005 from RSS and also runs an NGO My Home India. We are very happy that party president Amit Shah has appointed new in-charges for Andhra Pradesh. We are hopeful and confident that both the new in-charges will help strengthen the party in the state. We are all upbeat over the new appointments. BJP state unit office bearer and spokesperson, V Srinivas Raju, told Deccan Chronicle. Mr Amit Shah also appointed Mr Y. Satya Kumar from AP as the party national secretary. Hyderabad: The Congress on Monday alleged that the ruling TRS was not serious on implementation of bifurcation policies as mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. Addressing a press conference here, senior Congress leaders Mohd Ali Shabbir and Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy said though the Congress approached the Supreme Court seeking implementation of the bifurcation Act, the TS government did not implead itself in the case while the AP government did. When the Congress is trying to secure pending bifurcation promises, the TRS is trying to project the Congress as an Andhra party, they said. Mr Shabbir asked whether the Central government has filed a wrong affidavit in Supreme Court or was there any fault on the part of the state government. He demanded that the state Assembly session be convened immediately as the people of the state need to know all facts about the assurances given to AP. Mr Ponguleti said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his party MPs miserably failed in highlighting the states problems before Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past four years. What is the motive of the state government behind maintaining silence in this regard? Now that the elections are approaching, the TRS is playing the sentiments card to fool the people, he said. Hyderabad: BJP MLC N. Ramachandra Rao on Monday came down heavily on the TRS government for neglecting the city on all fronts in the past four years despite the city providing a major chunk of revenue earnings to the state government. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Rao said the citys development under the TRS rule was visible only in computer graphics released by CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao and municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao quite often but nothing happened in reality. We still stand by our recent statement that citys development under TRS rule is visible only in computer graphics but not in reality. Instead of addressing the issues raised by us, the city TRS MLAs and MLCs have resorted to mudslinging on BJP. The TRS leaders make tall claims and announce big schemes for city's development every now and then. But the works will not move even an inch forward later. The state government releases no funds for GHMC which is already bankrupt. We demand TRS government to explain how it plans to implement grandiose schemes like SRDP, Musi River Front etc without funds, Mr Rao added. Referring to CMs earlier statements that he would transform Hyderabad into Dallas within 100 days, he said, All roads are filled with potholes and many have been dug up indiscriminately to lay pipelines and left unrepaired for months. Sewerage is overflowing on roads and in colonies, making life miserable for commuters and residents. Drinking water supplied is polluted. Let alone making Dallas, they have further worsened the conditions in Hyderabad during the past four years. He also questioned why the government was not extending Metro Rail to Old City. Is it not part of Hyderabad?he asked. From medicines to matrimony, it is difficult to tell the genuine from the pretend. But some innovative Indians are leveraging AI to do the job. The World Health Organization came out with a scary statistic recently: Four out of 10 medicines sold in India are fake. But healthcare is not the only target of counterfeiters: Globally, lakhs of retail products in the fast moving consumer goods business are imitations and rip offs of the real thing. In 2017 alone, counterfeits worth $1.6 trillion were sold. In a less dangerous sphere, masking or whitewashing the truth is so routine in job or matrimonial matching services that it becomes a huge techno-challenge to sift truth from white lie. But Indian ingenuity is on the job: We look at three innovative solutions the product of desi brains all harnessing Artificial Intelligence and unveiled in recent weeks NeuroTags tell you: It's real Is that a real Gucci hand bag that looks so good in that discount sale or is it a clever fake? Yes, some tools promise to guarantee the genuine article: hologram stickers - the type some universities use on degree certificates; Special QR codes or bar codes which you can scan. But the imitation industry has mastered how to fool such systems. Now a trio of techies Nitin Gupta, Yogesh Miharia and Abhishek Agarwal at the Pune -based TezMinds has created a fool proof solution called NeuroTags which are embedded by the manufacturer into the genuine article. The tag's QR code has two parts one which is open and can be scanned before purchase and another which is protected and can only be scanned by scratching open, after purchase. This provides two levels of security. An Android or iOS app which helps scan the NeuroTag also manages the warranty and customer support. The tag helps the manufacturer monitor the entire stock where ever it is. Clothing, electrical and pharma companies are already using this made-in-India technology which promises 100% detection of counterfeits. DrugSafe spots fake medicines Last week at the Redmond (Washington) headquarters of Microsoft, a team from Bangalore's RV College of Engineering won a special award of $ 15,000 (Rs 10.5 lakhs) for their entry at the 2018 Imagine Cup for student innovation. Their solution is DrugSafe a combination of artificial intelligence with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) which identifies minute details in the design and packaging of medicines and compare them to the original manufacturers patented and trademarked attributes. The first and most basic check is that of comparing batch IDs of medicine strips. After three levels of checks, any differences are used to identify medicines as counterfeit. The trio of students authors Chidroop I, Pratik Mohapatra and Srihari HS kept the User Interface (UI) simple and developed the app to work across platforms so that all can benefit from this regardless of age or technical skill. We can expect to find the app in the open soon. Matchmaking AI style Students in a business school in the US, asked business guru Warren Buffet what was the most important decision to be made. The answer was not some wisdom about investment rules. " For all men and women, the most important decision is the choice of spouse", he said. The right life partner is critical to finding health, happiness and financial success. This is easier said than done and the millions who use online matchmaking services know the challenges. Banihal is a matrimonial site that promises to find as close to a perfect match as possible using AI and neuroscience. It is the brain child of co-founder-CEO Ishdeep Sawhney who gave the Q&A system at the heart of his technology, the acid test to help him meet Binu Kohli: now they are happily married. The AI system is called RAE and it creates representations of what each individual is like and what they are looking for in their long-term partner. It creates a rich understanding of each individual and identifies the matches that are closest to the perfect match. Rae will learn what makes you tick and what you really want in a partner. Then it will connect you with an ideal match. And in the process it will thoroughly check out all data submitted to sniff out fake claims. Hopefully, a match made in heaven with some earthy,AI technology! IndiaTechOnline Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. A South Korean human rights commission said on Monday it will investigate whether a dozen North Korean restaurant workers who defected to the South two years ago came of their own free will or were tricked or coerced by an intelligence agent. The 12 waitresses and their manager left a North Korean state-run restaurant in China to come via Malaysia to South Korea in April 2016. Seoul promptly announced their defection, but North Korea says they were abducted by South Korean agents and demands their repatriation. The restaurant manager has previously told South Korean news agency Yonhap and other media that an agent from South Korea's spy agency National Intelligence Service (NIS) used persuasion and threats to get him to enter the South with the workers. Some of the workers say they were unaware they were entering South Korea until they arrived at the South Korean embassy in Malaysia, the independent National Human Rights Commission of Korea said. The rights group has mounted a first state probe into the case in the wake of calls by a liberal interest group of lawyers and from Tomas Ojea Quintana, the United Nations' Human Rights Special Rapporteur on North Korea. The issue has complicated efforts to improve relations between the two Koreas. North Korean state newspaper Rodong Shinmun and propaganda website Uriminzokkiri have said that unless the restaurant workers are returned there could be an obstacle to the reunion, planned to take place next month, of families divided by the 1950-53 Korean War. South Korea's Unification Ministry has previously said it was informed from intelligence authorities that the workers came voluntarily, but Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told lawmakers last week that the ministry had not yet met the workers or verified the intelligence officials' accounts. The ministry said on Monday it has been consistently cooperating with the commission's requests. Political differences notwithstanding, tall leaders of Tamil Nadu C Rajaji, K Kamaraj, C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran (MGR) and M Karunanidhi maintained cordial relations with each other. Though Karunanidhi and MGR bickered with each other after they parted ways, the duo maintained their personal ties and would extend courtesies when they met at public functions. Though ideologically divergent, Kamaraj and Annadurai showed political courtesies to each other while they were in power at different times. But, the political courtesies that were the hallmark of Dravidian culture took a nosedive when the charismatic J Jayalalithaa was thrust into politics after the demise of her mentor MGR, who founded the AIADMK, in 1987. For the next 29 years, Tamil Nadu politics lacked political culture with leaders becoming very personal while attacking their rivals and not even making a courtesy call even while their opponents were admitted to a hospital due to ill-health. Though Karunanidhi was known for accommodating allies and maintaining cordial ties even with political rivals, his relationship with Jayalalithaa was cold and rigid. Both seemed to have hatred for each other and never came eye-to-eye after they became political adversaries in the late 1980s and they went after the others pet projects when they came to power. And to end the personal rivalry, DMK working president M K Stalin took the first step by leading a high-level party delegation to Apollo Hospital when Jayalalithaa was admitted in 2016. The DMK also paid rich tributes to Jayalalithaa when she passed away and its top brass paid last respects to her at the Rajaji Hall on December 6, 2016. The political maturity shown by Stalin has now been reciprocated by the AIADMK leadership with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, his deputy O Panneerselvam and senior Cabinet colleagues visiting DMK chief M Karunanidhi at the ICU of the Kauvery Hospital. On Thursday when Karunanidhi's health witnessed a slight decline, Panneerselvam led a delegation to the DMK chief's residence and enquired about his health with Stalin. Political analyst Bernard D' Sami welcomes the development and wants the political parties to continue the matured political culture. For long, the political rivalry extended to personal rivalry resulting in below-the-belt remarks against opponents. The courtesy extended by the AIADMK is welcome and I hope it continues, Sami told DH. He said the display of political maturity was in the interest of the state since it draws a line between personal and political rivalry. Indias envoy to Guyana will meet senior officials of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in St Johns on Monday and request them to detain jeweller Mehul Choksi, who has been accused of colluding with billionaire Nirav Modi to defraud Punjab National Bank of Rs 14000 crore. V Mahalingam, Indias High Commissioner to Guyana, travelled to St Johns to meet the officials of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda (A&B). He will also ask the A&B authorities to prevent Choksis travel from the Caribbean Island nation by land, air and sea, sources said in New Delhi. Mahalingam is concurrently accredited as Indias envoy to A&B. Modi and Choksi fled the country in the first week of January, days before the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate launched probes against them for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank of Rs 14000 crore. Modi remains untraceable, but Choksi has of late been traced to Antigua and has in fact been granted citizenship by the A&B Government. The Ministry of External Affairs suspended the validity of the passports of Modi and Choksi on February 16, acting on the advice of the Enforcement Directorate, which registered a case against them under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Sources on Monday said that as soon as the MEA had received information of the likely presence of Choksi in Antigua, the High Commission of India at Georgetown in Guyana had alerted the A&B Government, both in writing and verbally. The High Commission of India to Guyana had asked the A&B Government to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea, added the sources in New Delhi. The reports received in New Delhi indicated that the A&B Government had granted citizenship to Choksi in November 2017 much before the scam came to light and the CBI and ED started an investigation. He had taken oath as a citizen of the Caribbean Island nation on January 15 this year. Sources said the MEA would continue to liaise with other government agencies as well as the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda to follow up on the issue. India will send two trade delegations to China soon, with both sides focusing on expanding commerce since Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping last April. A trade delegation from India is set to visit China on Wednesday and Thursday to explore opportunities for export of soya, sugar and non-basmati rice to the communist country. The Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India will send another trade delegation to attend a conference in Shanghai on August 21 and 22 and explore ways to augment export of anti-cancer and antibiotic drugs to China, officials told the DH in New Delhi. New Delhi and Beijing have focused on augmenting bilateral trade ever since Modi and Xi had an informal summit at Wuhan in central China on April 27 and 28 and agreed on a roadmap to mend ties, which hit a new low last year over the 72-day-long face-off between Indian Army and Chinese Peoples Liberation Army at Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan. India's trade deficit with China expanded $ 38.72 billion in 2012-13 to $ 51.11 billion in 2016-17 and further to $ 62.94 billion in 2017-18. India's exports to China in 2017-18 amounted to $ 13.3 billion, while its imports from the neighbouring country were worth $ 76.2 billion. Trade remained high on agenda even when Modi and Xi followed up the informal summit at Wuhan with meetings at Qingdao on the east coast of China on June 9 as well as at Johannesburg in South Africa on July 26. New Delhi has been underlining in all its interactions with Beijing that the burgeoning trade imbalance is unsustainable and not conducive for long-term growth in bilateral commerce. China has been promising India that it would take measures to narrow the trade imbalance. Chinas recent trade war with the United States too of late prompted it to consider opening up its market for some products from India. Modi-Xi meeting on the sideline of the Shanghai Cooperation Organizations Summit in Qingdao on June was followed by the signing of a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding to amend the protocol on the phytosanitary requirement for export of rice from India to China. The MoU opened up a door for India to export non-basmati rice to China. China earlier imported only basmati rice from India. But, after the MoU was inked, it cleared 14 of the 19 registered rice-exporting companies of India to export non-basmati rice to China. Beijing eliminated tariffs on the import of soya from India and a few other countries from July 1. The move came after Beijing imposed an addition 25% tariff on import of soya and other items from the US, in response to President Donald Trumps protectionist measures targeting exports from China to America. China has of late also signalled its willingness to import raw sugar from India, and the first shipment is likely in October. India is also exploring possibilities for importing urea from China and it is likely to be on the agenda during the visit of the trade delegation this week, senior officials said. Beijing has of late eliminated tariffs on the import of 28 anti-cancer and antibiotic drugs a move, which is likely to open up an opportunity for the pharmaceutical companies of India to get greater access to the market in China. The Chinese Government also brought down value-added tax levied on 103 of the 138 anti-cancer drugs. New Delhi is now persuading Beijing to simplify and speed up the currently complex and lengthy process of trials and approvals for import of pharmaceutical products from India to China. The issue will be discussed further during the visit of the delegation of pharmaceutical exporters of India to China on August 21 and 22. Uday Bhaskar, Director General of Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India, recently noted in a circular that the Chinese Government were also adopting measures to lower costs, such as price negotiations with manufacturers, greater use of centralized government procurement and inclusion of a wider range of antineoplastic drugs in the national healthcare insurance program. These initiatives are opening the market opportunities for India pharmaceuticals companies and in fact, the approval process is also being eased for new medicines from overseas, especially for those treating rare diseases and life-threatening ailments, he noted. With the acceleration of inspection and approval procedures of drugs developed overseas, by the Chinese side, we see a huge scope for India Pharmaceuticals to export lifesaving drugs, antibiotics and anti-infective products to China, Bhaskar wrote in a circular to exporters on July 12. India on Monday sent its envoy to Antigua and Barbuda to nudge the government of the island nation in West Indies to detain diamantaire Mehul Choksi, who allegedly colluded with billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi to defraud Punjab National Bank of Rs 14,000 crore. V Mahalingam, India's High Commissioner to Guyana, reached St Johns, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda (A&B), on Monday to meet top brass of the government of the tiny archipelago. Sources in New Delhi said that Mahalingam would reiterate the request of the Government of India to the authorities in St Johns to detain Choksi. Mahalingam, who is also accredited as India's envoy to A&B, will ask the government of the island nation to prevent the fugitive owner of Gitanjali Jeweller from travelling out of the archipelago by land, air and sea, sources said on Monday. Modi and his uncle Choksi fled the country in the first week of January, several days before the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate launched probes against them for allegedly defrauding Punjab National Bank of Rs 14,000 crore. The Ministry of External Affairs suspended the validity of the passports of Modi and Choksi on February 16, acting on the advice of the probe agencies. Modi remains untraceable, but Choksi has of late been traced to Antigua. Choksi has in fact been granted citizenship by the A&B Government. The reports received in New Delhi indicated that the A&B Government had granted citizenship to Choksi in November 2017 much before the scam came to light and the CBI and ED started investigation. He had taken oath as a citizen of the Caribbean Island nation on January 15 this year. The A&B Government's decision to grant citizenship to the fugitive diamantaire was defended by Prime Minister of the country Gaston Browne himself. Browne recently told a TV channel that Government of India should have got Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice against Choksi. He also said that his government had found nothing against Choksi when he was granted citizenship in November 2017. The Interpol earlier this month issued a Red Corner Notice against Modi, but no such notice was issued against Choksi so far. Browne told a TV channel that A&B authorities could cooperate with Government of India to find Choksi if it was formally requested to do so. Sources in New Delhi on Monday said that as soon as the MEA had received information that Choksi might be in Antigua, the High Commission of India at Georgetown in Guyana had alerted the government of the island nation, both in writing and verbally. The High Commission of India to Guyana had asked the A&B Government to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea, added the sources. Sources said the MEA would continue to liaise with other government agencies as well as the A&B authorities to follow up on the issue. Arm Holdings, a British chip-design subsidiary of Masayoshi Son-owned SoftBank Group, is all set to buy California-headquartered data management technology company for $600 million. Arm Holding, which has offices in Bengaluru and Noida, was purchased by Softbank in 2016 for $32 billion and currently has a net income of 31.79 billion in 2017. According to industry analyst, ARMs biggest deal was for Artisan Components Inc. in 2004 for $705.9 million. In June it announced the acquisition of Stream Technologies, a Glasgow-based company that improves connectivity for internet of things devices. "The Cambridgeshire-headquartered company's primary business is in the design of ARM processors (CPUs).The company also designs software development tools under the DS-5, RealView and Keil brands. SoftBank aims to step up competition in the IoT space against other global tech giant," said an analyst. Treasure Data, founded by Japanese engineers, received funding from Yahoo co-founder and investor Jerry Yang and Bill Tai, a noted venture capitalist. The company helps in the efficient management of large amounts of data generated continuously from consumer web-browsing histories, corporate ads and sales promotion and even readings from sensors attached to various devices. Neither ARM official nor Treasure Data didnt immediately respond to requests for comments. The two national parties the Congress and the BJP - have started preparations for the Lok Sabha polls by sanctioning independent surveys and collecting inputs from the grassroots level. The two parties are also finetuning their micro-management election strategy, while the regional party JD(S) is planning to make electoral gains by claiming credit for the mega Rs 44,000-crore crop loan waiver scheme. The state sends 28 members to the Lok Sabha. The Congress is anticipating early polls in December and has already instructed its functionaries and workers to start preparations. The party leadership is of the opinion that the BJP top brass is worried about opposition unity and will not to wait for May next year, when the elections are due, for the fear that they will not be able to win as many seats as in 2014. KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao has started holding meetings with office bearers, district unit presidents almost on a daily basis. Reports on the functioning of district and block units have been sought by August 15, after which there will be a revamp, sources in the party said. The party will hold a series of Shakti conventions in the coming weeks to strengthen the rapport between workers at the grassroots and state functionaries. The two parties have commissioned independent surveys to know the pulse of the people. Feedback is being obtained from local leaders as a prelude to shortlisting candidates. BJP national president Amit Shah is expected to visit Bengaluru soon after the monsoon session of Parliament in August and unveil a roadmap and strategy for the Lok Sabha polls. Booth-level committees are likely to be revamped in the coming weeks. The party is planning to hold rallies across the state to spread awareness about welfare programmes like Jan Dhan and Mudra loan launched by the Modi government. It may try to gain sympathy of the electorate for being unable to form a government in the state. The BJP emerged as the single largest party winning 104 seats falling short of the magic number of 113, after which the JD(S) and Congress formed a coalition government. The JD(S) has told the Congress that it is keen on contesting from eight to 10 Lok Sabha seats. The JD(S) has sought that its candidates be allowed to contest from Hassan, Mandya, Chikkaballapur, Mysuru-Kodagu, Tumukuru in south Karnataka and Bidar and Vijayapura in the north among others with the support of the Congress. However, nothing is finalised. The stakes may not be very high for the JD(S). Yet, the party is keen on improving its tally from 2014. SALT LAKE CITY A newly approved grant will help bring nearly two dozen high-paying jobs to rural Utah. The Governors Office of Economic Development approved a $365,000 grant in conjunction with the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy. The project will create 23 new jobs with an average full-time wage of $94,000 per year and a capital investment of more than $100 million, according to Rob Simmons, deputy director of the Governor's Office of Energy Development. "(Geothermal power) has a huge upside for Utah, nationally and globally," Simmons said. "That research is going to be valuable for expanding geothermal power throughout the globe." Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy declared Utah would receive up to $140 million in funding over five years to build a first-of-its-kind research laboratory to advance next-generation geothermal technologies, a news release stated. The project would also produce construction jobs and other employment opportunities in a rural area of the state that sometimes struggles to sustain long-term job prospects, Simmons said. "There is a lot of interest in producing geothermal power here in Utah," he said. The University of Utahs Energy and Geoscience Institute, in partnership with the Governors Office of Energy Development, the Utah Geological Survey and other agencies, leads the project. The program provides a dedicated site where scientists and engineers are able to develop, test and accelerate breakthroughs in enhanced geothermal system technologies and techniques, Simmons said. "The FORGE project will definitely provide a platform of having greater information and greater understanding, which will likely lead to other commercial-scale geothermal projects here in Utah," he said. Technology research is crucial to the eventual development of large-capacity energy production, he noted. Utah was the third-largest producer of geothermal energy in the country producing about 72 megawatts of electricity, enough to power roughly 72,000 homes, he said. But the state has potential to produce even more zero-emission, geothermal energy, he added. "Utah has about 2,200 megawatts that are close to being commercially viable," he said. Mastering some of the advanced techniques that are being researched could bring even more energy generation capability into play, he said. Geothermal energy generation produces "baseload" power that can be used 24 hours a day, he explained, unlike other renewable sources like wind and solar that are intermittent. The University of Utah was one of two final candidates in a nationwide hunt to develop an underground laboratory tapping ways to harness the power of man-made geothermal reservoirs. The idea is to harness a potential 100 gigawatts of power by injecting cold water deep into the Earth to interact with hot, crystalline rocks temperatures that are greater than 375 degrees and subsequently transfer that heat to the surface to produce electricity. The $365,000 grant was awarded to Beaver County to aid in the construction of infrastructure related to the project, which was a top priority in the countys economic development plan recently presented to Gov. Gary Herbert. The challenge and opportunity in rural Utah is to find unique assets and capitalize on them," said Beaver County economic development director Scott Albrecht. "What looked like useless ground 20 years ago, is now home to a half a billion-dollar renewable energy asset we can hang our hat on." The geothermal energy project will take Beaver County's renewable energy portfolio to a new level by placing our world-class assets on the world stage, he said. "FORGE is the realization of years of collaborative work and hundreds of (Office of Energy Development) staff hours in knitting together state and federal agencies to ensure Utah's success in securing an innovative national geothermal field laboratory," said Laura Nelson, the governor's energy adviser and executive director of the state Energy Development Office. This is a big win for renewable energy in a rural community and the state of Utah, said GOED Executive Director Val Hale. A project that has been envisioned for years is now coming true, he said. It will enhance the infrastructure for Beaver County and bring an unmatched capital investment to one of our rural communities. PINEDALE, Wyoming A Boy Scout from Draper missing for two days in the Wyoming wilderness has been found. The Sublette County Sheriff's Office in Wyoming confirmed late Sunday night that 13-year-old Garrett Hunter had been found by a volunteer search group and was in good health. More than 30 self-deployed family and friends of the Hunters had arrived in the area to help assist with the search, the sheriff's office reported earlier Sunday. Sheriff's Sgt. Travis Bingham did not immediately know in what area the boy was found. He said the search group would stay with Garrett though the night and then hike him out Monday morning. The discovery came hours after the sheriff's office had announced that the search had been suspended for the evening. Garrett was last seen Saturday morning in the Wind River range area near Elkhart Park. He was spotted between 1000 Lake and Mary's Lake, and was possibly headed toward Seneca Lake, Bingham had said earlier in the day. He was part of a Boy Scout group taking part in a 50-mile hike. "The group was ending their 50-mile journey and headed back to the Elkhart trailhead via the Pole Creek Trail. It is unknown when exactly Garrett became separated from the group," Bingham said. The last contact the Scouts had with Garrett was about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, he said. Search crews were contacted about 2 p.m. Officials were concerned that Garrett, who has Asperger's syndrome, might not approach anyone for help. He was equipped with a backpack that had a sleeping bag, some food and a water filter, according to the sheriff's office. The area that was searched was described a thick, wooded area. SALT LAKE CITY With an eye toward leveraging a tool from the tech world, the state of Utah will test a new survey platform to assess residents' experiences with state services from a customer-centric perspective. Provo-based Qualtrics announced Friday that the state will begin using its Qualtrics XM Platform, a suite of survey tools that allow companies, or government organizations, to gather and assess data from customers, or residents, and employees. The company's product, which began life as a tool for academic researchers, combines simple surveys with deep analytics to assess an individual's overall experience. A Qualtrics spokesman noted Utah is the first state in the nation to launch a statewide customer experience program and the company's CEO, Ryan Smith, said it's an effort every state government should consider engaging. "We are excited to be partnering with the state of Utah on this incredible initiative," Smith said in a statement. "The team Utah has assembled is committed to providing great citizen experiences while also tackling major issues like the opioid epidemic that are impacting communities everywhere." "Every state in the U.S. needs a program like this. Not only will it allow states to handle the major issues they have to tackle, but it will also allow them to more effectively attract top talent and cutting-edge organizations to their states." At the Qualtrics annual user conference earlier this year, Smith noted the benefit of the company's platform is using a data-driven system, instead of intuition or anecdotal evidence, to determine exactly how effective a client's products or services are, through the eyes of those who use them. "Eighty percent of CEOs think theyre providing an amazing experience, but only 8 percent of consumers agree," Smith said. "The gap between what you think is happening and whats really happening is called the experience gap." While the state is still working out exactly how it will deploy the surveys to begin gathering input from Utah residents, Kirsten Cox, executive director of the Utah Governor's Office of Budget and Management, said the goal will be to utilize the data to improve the efficiency of state government operations. Utah has always been committed to understanding the needs of its customers and providing top-notch services," Cox said in a statement. "Since 2012, state government has improved performance by more than 25 percent, which is a win for taxpayers, customers and employees. We are constantly looking for opportunities to improve. "We will test out this new product to determine if it provides new insights and is cost effective. We are excited to see what value it can bring. Correction: An earlier version incorrectly identified Qualtrics as being based in Lehi. The company headquarters is in Provo. SALT LAKE CITY A southern Utah man who claimed he had been kidnapped in an apparent effort to collect ransom money has been charged. Earlier this month, James Darrell Clark, 57, of Cedar City, was charged in 5th District Court with communications fraud, a third-degree felony. In March, Clark contacted a woman who is his federal fiduciary and manages his finances, according to charging documents. Clark has a federal fiduciary because he is a military veteran. Clark claimed he was kidnapped by people whom he owed money, according to charging documents, "and that these individuals requested a ransom" in order for him to be returned, the charges state. He told the woman "not to contact the police or the kidnappers would kill him. He went on to state that he did not know where he was being taken but that they were driving around, waiting for the ransom to be paid," according to court documents. Clark continued sending the woman texts throughout the day stating he needed $1,500 for ransom, the charges state. As one deadline got closer, Clark would claim a later deadline had been set, according to the charges. The woman never wired money to him, "as she was never fully convinced of (Clark's) story," charging documents state. Eventually, Clark texted that he was back at his home and "had been beaten badly," had some broken ribs, and needed to go to the hospital," the charges state. When police later talked to him, they found he was "never hurt in any way" and was not kidnapped, according to the charges. A warrant was issued for Clark's arrest on July 6. He was booked into the Iron County Jail on Thursday and had his first court appearance. Clark is scheduled to be back in court Wednesday. Russian operator MTS has taken legal action against the state of Turkmenistan in an attempt to recoup funds that it invested in the market prior to its forced suspension of operations last year. According to Reuters, the Russian firm claims that in September 2017 the state-owned Turkmentelecom cut off MTS access to international and long-distance zonal communication services and internet access. MTS maintains that the responsibility for this lies with the government of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Communications, and certain other state-run bodies. The operator group claims that as a result of these actions, which violate an agreement signed between Russia and Turkmenistan in 2009, it has incurred losses of at least $750 million. The Russian firm stated that it first raised an objection the suspension of services six months ago, and has attempted to agree a solution with the state of Turkmenistan ever since. However, since these overtures have not succeeded, it has brought an arbitration request to the World Banks International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes. MTS has had issues in Turkmenistan previously, having left the market in 2010 after losing $140 million to a licensing dispute with regulators that it claimed was never fully justified. It returned to the market two years later. The European Commission (EC) has approved the acquisition by the investment group PPF of four Telenor subsidiaries serving CEE (Central and Eastern Europe). The agreement, which was first made public in March, will see PPF take over Telenors local operators in Bulgaria, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia. Additionally, the Norwegian groups regional network and IT business Telenor Common Operation will be included in the transaction, which is valued at 2.8 billion. Several companies were believed to have expressed interests in the assets before PPF emerged as the forerunner. The EC stated that while PPF already has a presence in the CEE region, with its assets including O2s unit in the Czech Republic, the acquisition does not threaten competition. The EC statement said that the deal would not give rise to horizontal overlaps, as the companies activities are confined to the different territories in which they hold their respective telecommunications licences. In addition, the Commission found that the vertical links between the upstream and downstream markets for retail, mobile and fixed telecommunications services arising from the transaction would be unproblematic. Telenor is divesting assets that do not align with its new strategy, which focuses on its markets in Scandinavia and Asia. The operator has stated that it will fund a shareholder dividend via the PPF deal. Health bosses need to act urgently to ensure that a prospective no-deal Brexit does not affect insulin supply into the UK, the chair of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said. Sir Michael Rawlins said officials must ensure the availability of insulin remains intact if the government fails to secure a Brexit deal with the European Union. Insulin is not manufactured in the UK and therefore has to be imported. Commenters in recent weeks have raised concerns that a no-deal Brexit could affect millions of people with diabetes in the UK. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care and is responsible for ensuring medicines and medical devices work and are safe. Sir Michael, who was reappointed as MHRA chair in August 2017, told the Pharmaceutical Journal: There are problems, and the Department for Exiting the EU and the Department of Health and Social Care need to work out how its going to work. Heres just one example why: we make no insulin in the UK. We import every drop of it. You cant transport insulin around ordinarily because it must be temperature-controlled. Disruption to the supply chain is one of the ways that patients could be seriously disadvantaged. It could be a reality if we dont get our act together. We cant suddenly start manufacturing insulin its got to be sorted, no question. Sir Michael made the comments prior to new health secretary Matt Hancock announcing plans were in place to stockpile medications in case no trade agreement is agreed when the UK leaves the European Union on 29 March, 2019. In a statement released on Friday, Sir Michael added: A responsible government prepares for a range of outcomes, and the Department of Health and Social Care is working to make sure the health sector and industry are prepared and that peoples health will be safeguarded. Prime Minister Theresa May, who has type 1 diabetes, has said British citizens should take reassurance and comfort from the governments plans to stockpile medication and food. Around 70 technical notices are due to be published by the government this summer in a bid to support businesses and people get ready for the prospect of a no-deal Brexit. Almost three months after it was launched in Space on April 18, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASAs, Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has started its search for new planets, marking the official beginning of operations on July 25, the US space agency has announced. TESS is expected to transmit its first series of data back to Earth in August and, thereafter, it will periodically send the data after every 13.5 days --once per orbit. According to NASA, the TESS Science Team will begin scouring the data for new planets as soon as the the first series of information arrives on Earth. Im thrilled that our new planet hunter mission is ready to start scouring our solar systems neighborhood for new worlds. Now that we know there are more planets than stars in our universe, I look forward to the strange, fantastic worlds were bound to discover, Paul Hertz, NASA Astrophysics division director at Headquarters, Washington, said in a statement. The motive of the mission TESS is NASAs latest satellite to search for planets outside our solar system, which are known as exoplanets. The mission will spend the next two years, (elapsed: 3 months, 10 days) monitoring the brightness of more than 200,000 nearest and brightest stars for periodic dips in their light. These events, called planetary transits, suggest that a planet may be passing in front of its star. TESS is expected to find thousands of planets using this method, some of which could potentially support life, NASA said. The spacecraft will occupy a never-before-used orbit above Earth that takes half of the moon's orbital period and will study over 90 percent of the sky. Further, TESS will focus on stars that are 30 to 100 times brighter than those surveyed by Kepler. It will also pave the way for further observations with NASA's upcoming James Webb space telescope. The TESS is a space telescope for NASA's Explorers program, designed to search for exoplanets using the transit method in an area 400 times larger than that covered by the Kepler mission. The TESS will discover thousands of exoplanets in orbit around the brightest stars in the sky. This first-ever spaceborne all-sky transit survey will identify planets ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants, around a wide range of stellar types and orbital distances. No ground-based survey can achieve this feat, NASA said in a statement. TESS is expected to catalog more than 1,500 transiting exoplanet candidates, including a sample of approximately 500 Earth-sized and Super Earth planets, with radii less than twice that of the Earth. TESS will detect small rock-and-ice planets orbiting a diverse range of stellar types and covering a wide span of orbital periods, including rocky worlds in the habitable zones of their host stars. History of the mission TESS is a NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and managed by NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. TESS, which was approved in 2013 as a Medium Explorer mission, has a cost of only$200 million (plus US$87 million for launch), which is a lot less than Keplers $640 million at launch. It was shot in the night sky on Falcon 9 Full Thrust (B1045.1) rocket from SpaceX Launch Complex 40 launch site. Cover Image Caption: An artists illustration of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center In a tragicomic incident, former Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Director General, and current TRAI Chairman Ram Sewak Sharma shared his Aadhaar card number on Twitter challenging users to show him one concrete example where they can do any harm to him by using the number. Accepting the challenge, several ethical hackers returned with his personal information, including his phone number, email ID, PAN number, alternate email IDs and even his Air Indias Frequent Flyer number. The hackers didnt stop there and deposited Re 1 in his bank account, showing that they even managed to get his banking details through his Aadhaar number. In response to the trolling on social media, the government said that no data has been fetched by any hacker and the Aadhaar database is safe. The incident started off on July 18 when when Sharma, replying to a twitter user @kingslyj, saying, My Aadhaar number is 762177682740. Now I give this challenge to you: Show me one concrete example where you can do any harm to me! After he tweeted, ethical hacker Elliot Alderson, posted his phone number. The hacker also posted a photo of his wife and daughter, his personal address, date of birth, an alternate phone number, and PAN card number. Another person @DeanOfJio tweeted Sharmas alternate email ID and said his gmail ID and yahoo ID are connected to each other. He also posted the TRAI chiefs Air Indias Frequent Flyer number and a screenshot of a chat session with the airlines. A third twitter users, who goes by the name @enggdhiman, made Sharmas Fake Aadhaar card and claimed that he has uploaded it to Facebook and Amazon Cloud Services, and both of them have accepted the card as the proof of his identity. The scenario did not end here. Another user claimed that he has ordered a OnePlus 6 smartphone from Amazon using his address and phone number and has made it a Cash On Delivery order. Please pay money accept my gift, he posted. Meanwhile, the government has said, No data could be fetched by any hacker from either UIDAI or any other website using TRAI Chairman Ram Sewak Sharmas Aadhaar number which he had voluntarily disclosed on Twitter. The officials told ET that one hacker had tweeted that he has got Sharmas personal details by hacking Aadhaar data base- for cheap publicity. Instead he fetched his personal details from different sources and claimed that he got it from Aadhaar data base. He fetched his mobile number from NIC website. Sharma was once Secretary IT and hence head of NIC. They got his date of birth from Civil List of IAS Officers which is kept in public domain. He got his address from TRAI Website because he is TRAI Chairman right nowgot his email id from IIT Delhi alumni portal which is also in public domain. Using his mobile number they got his Whatsapp and downloaded his profile photo. They clubbed all these inputs and claimed that they have managed to breach Aadhaar database and get his personal details, senior government officials told the national daily. Legitimate or not, hackers posting personal details of an Indian bureaucrat is surely a concerning problem of the emerging digital world. Although some people might find the whole incident hilarious, there is a dark undertone to it when you think about the security of the Aadhaar scheme. No data is safe and information about you can be revealed or used against you. It is advised that people do not share sensitive information in the public domain. For the background, Ram Sewak Sharma is an Indian bureaucrat and currently, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He served as the Director General of UIDAI (20092013), which is an agency of the Indian government responsible for implementing the Aadhaar scheme, that aims to provide a unique identification number for all residents of India. In January, the UIDAI had introduced a 'Virtual ID' (VID) to safeguard the data of Aadhaar cardholders. A Virtual ID, or VID, is randomly-generated 16-digit number which can be used for authentication instead of the original Aadhaar number. According to the UIDAI, VID will be a temporary and revocable number which is mapped with the Aadhaar number. It will not be possible to derive Aadhaar number from VID and it will strengthen the security of the cardholders details. Now banks and government departments have till the end of July to upgrade their systems to process the 16-digit VID as an alternate to Aadhaar numbers. The UIDAI has already begun levying a charge of 20 paise per transaction for telecom and e-sign generating companies that have not implemented the new system from its earlier deadline, that is, July 1. The authority will reverse the charges if these firms comply by July-end. Motorola is hosting an event at its Chicago HQ on August 2 and is expected to announce some new smartphones like the Moto One Power and Moto Z3 at the event. The Android Report claims, citing an inside source, that the company will not only unveil the Moto Z3 at the event, it will also launch a 5G mod for the device, which we have previously seen in leaked Images. As per the report, the smartphone will be Verizon exclusive in the US and with the 5G mod, it will be the first smartphone that can be upgraded to 5G when required. Instead of a Force series smartphone, the Moto Z3 will apparently be the flagship device of the company this year. The Moto Z3 will reportedly not come equipped with a shatterproof display like the Force series of handsets. Not much is known about the device in terms of specifications. However, as the new report states that it will be the companys 2018 flagship, it will most likely be launched running on the Snapdragon 845 SoC and come with up to 6GB RAM and internal storage of up to 128GB. It is rumoured to feature a 6.3-inch OLED Full HD+ display and come with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Z3 could be equipped with dual cameras on the rear, where both are 12MP sensors. On the front could be an 8MP camera with AI-based features like beautification and software-based bokeh. The handset is expected to launch running on the latest Android 8.1 Oreo and might be equipped with a 3300mAh battery. The 5G moto mod was previously expected to debut with the Moto Z3 Play, but obviously, that didnt happen. The previously leaked images of the Moto Mod show it featuring a protruding antenna and when slapped on the phone, it can add to the devices breadth by a considerable factor. There is no word yet on how much the Moto Z3 and its 5G companion mod will cost. Samsung could launch the Galaxy Tab S4 before its upcoming flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 9, is unveiled on August 9. As per an Android Headlines report, via a source who is close to the development, the company will launch its new tablet first at an event on August 1 and not wait till IFA or the Galaxy Unpacked event on August 9. The report does not give any new information on the tablet, except for the alleged new launch date. Earlier this month, the Tab S4 was leaked in renders that hinted at slimmer bezels all around the display and no home button. The images hinted at the new Samsung Experience firmware in which there is an on-screen navigation bar and thus no physical home button. Its rear panel features a Tuned by AKG label, suggesting improved audio performance. In terms of specifications, the device is speculated to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It is expected to feature a 10.5-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 2560x1600p resolution. It will most likely launch running on Android 8.1 Oreo and could be powered by a 7300 mAh battery. In terms of optics, the device could be equipped with a 13MP sensor on the rear and on the front, it could come with an 8MP camera. Bluetooth 5.0, Samsung DeX and iris scanner support are also expected on the tablet. In terms of pricing, the Galaxy S4 is rumoured to be priced at $599 (Rs. 41,106 approx) and it could be launched in Black, White, and Grey colour options. If Samsung does indeed reveal its Galaxy Tab S4 ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked event, we can expect the company to tease the Galaxy Note 9 there. Thanks to the numerous leaks and reports on the smartphone, we now know nearly everything about it. The device is could feature a 6.3-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED display and will most likely be powered by either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or an Exynos 9810 chipset depending on the region where it is launched. It could offer up to 512GB of internal storage too. A recent report suggested that the Galaxy Note 9 could offer slow motion video capture for twice as long as the Galaxy S9 smartphones. The device is said to offer slo-mo recording at 960fps for 0.4 seconds, as compared to the 0.2 seconds offered by Samsungs current flagship smartphones. Additionally, it might be the first Android phone to offer the popular game, Fortnite Battle Royale. You can read more about it here. Six startup teams win awards at IDEAS Show 2018 Six startup teams received awards at IDEAS (Innovative DigiTech-Enabled Applications & Services) Show 2018 held by Taiwan's government-sponsored Institute for Information Industry (III) in cooperation with APEC on July 24, according to III. IDEAS is an annual event for startups around the world to present their innovations in areas including e-commerce, AI (artificial intelligence), big data and VR (virtual reality)/AR (augmented reality). There were 36 startup teams from Taiwan, Vietnam, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Papua New Guinea attending the event. The six award winners were Dipp, Uspace and Olis Innovation from Taiwan, Toss Lab and Luxrobo from South Korea, EzQ Company from Vietnam, III said. Dipp offers a smart platform for automatic production of printed advertising; Uspace integrates smart parking space locks with IoT gateway systems using smartphone app for public parking space sharing; and Olis integrates many convenient tools to hike efficiency in customer management and re-marketing. Toss Lab offers an instant communication platform to facilitate office communication; Luxrobo runs a platform for teaching IoT programming languages; and EzQ offers a retail platform to enable fast trading among online shopping operators, logistics service provider and consumers. Vice economics minister Wang Mei-hua, in her speech delivered at IDEAS Show 2018, indicated that Taiwan's law was amended in early July 2018 to remove fund-raising barriers facing startup businesses. Six startup teams win awards at IDEAS Show 2018 Photo: III Essel to invest Rs1,750 cr to set up electric vehicle charging stations in UP Essel Infraprojects Ltd (EIL), an Essel Group company, plans to invest Rs1,750 crore to set up 250 electric vehicle charging stations and 1,000 battery swapping stations in 20 cities across Uttar Pradesh, in a phased manner. Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra made the announcement during the foundation laying ceremony of EILs electric vehicle infrastructure by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lucknow. This was among different industrial projects worth over Rs60,000 crore announced during the mega launch of projects by Prime Minister Modi. See: ), aims to build charging stations for EVs in 20 Uttar Pradesh cities. Essel Green Mobility Limited, launched by Modi at an event titled `Transforming Urban Landscape in Lucknow on Sunday ( PM launches 81 projects worth over Rs60,000 cr in UP ), aims to build charging stations for EVs in 20 Uttar Pradesh cities. This new EV project will see an investment of Rs1,750 crore in a phased manner with a plan to launch 250 charging station and 1,000 battery swapping stations in 20 UP cities. Essel expects the project to give a big boost to the overall EV ecosystem in the state. The company will also invest in deploying around 25,000 e-rickshaws, which will generate 50,000 jobs in the state. The setting up of the charging infrastructure will help reduce the overall cost of battery charging and help in bringing it at par with CNG or any other alternative fuel. The project will also address the issue of last mile connectivity which has been a major stumbling block in local transport infrastructure. EIL plans to set up battery swapping options at every 2 sq km, which will be supported by the digital APP, to enable drivers to locate the nearest swapping station. The battery can be swapped in 2-3 minutes increasing vehicle productivity for plying. The operations will start from Ghaziabad and would cover other cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Noida, Meerut, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, etc. Chandra said With the launch of this initiative, we have enhanced our association with the state and look forward to doing our bit in the governments vision of clean mobility. The launch of EVs in a holistic manner will augment the states transport infrastructure and also create job opportunities. This is in line with the central governments National Electric Mobility Mission, which plans to have around 7 million electric and hybrid vehicles on road by 2030 under the plan. RIL to sell its Cambay Basin oil & gas block to Sun Petrochemicals Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is reported to have agreed to sell its entire 70-per cent stake in the Cambay Basin exploration block, off the Gujarat coast, to Sun Petrochemicals Ltd, an oil and gas venture promoted by Sun Petrochemicals chairman Dilip Shanghvi, for an undisclosed price. Reliance, the operator of the block, has a 70-per cent participating interest in the oil and gas block CB-ONN-2003/1 (also called CB-10) while BP India holds the balance 30 per cent as per the joint venture agreement between the two companies. RIL signed a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Sun Petro to farm out its 70% interest in the block. The application for assignment has been submitted to the Government of India for approval, the Mint newspaper quoted RIL as saying during an analysts presentation on Friday. The report said BP is also expected to sell its stake as the two had jointly put up the block for sale. RIL had won the CB-ONN-2003/1 block consisting of two parts and covering an area of 635 sq km, in an auction under the New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) in 2005. With the sale of CB-10, RIL will hold only four blocks KG-D6 block in the Krishna Godavari basin; Mahanadi basin blocks NEC-25, Saurashtra basin block GS-01 and the Panna-Mukta-Tapti oil and gas fields off the West coast. RIL will shut down the MA oil and gas field in KG-D6 from September. In 2011, RIL had announced a transformational deal with UK-based BP Plc, which picked up 30 per cent stake in its 21 oil and gas blocks. However, since 2012, both companies have been pruning their portfolio, relinquishing unviable blocks. RIL had earlier sold all its 16 overseas conventional oil and gas exploration blocks that it acquired in the past, except two shale gas assets in the US. In October 2017, it agreed to sell the first of its shale gas ventures upstream Marcellus shale gas assets in North-Eastern and central Pennsylvania in the US for $126 million. The company is also looking at merging Reliance Holdings USA with itself. It is also seeking Reserve Bank of India approval, in terms of Foreign Exchange Management (Cross Border Merger) Regulations, 2018, for amalgamation of Reliance Holdings USA Inc, with Reliance Energy Generation and Distribution Ltd (REGDL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the company and subsequent amalgamation of REGDL. RIL officials said the merger would help the company look at pooling its international gas resources for India, similar to its ethane imports. PM launches 81 projects worth over Rs60,000 cr in UP Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched 81 projects, at a mega ground-breaking event, in Uttar Pradesh, involving investment of over Rs60,000 crore, The projects, under various flagship missions of urban development, are expected to give a big boost to industrialisation in the state. The event, titled `Transforming Urban Landscape has been organized to mark the third anniversary of three key government initiatives related to urban development. These include: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban); Atal Mission for Rejuvenation of Urban Transformnation (AMRUT); and the Smart Cities Mission. These projects have the potential to create over two lakh new jobs, UP minister for Industries Satish Mahana said. Around 80 leading industrialists, including Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla group, Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani group, Subhash Chandra, chairman of Essel group and Sanjeev Puri, MD, ITC, besides other top business houses and industry officials participated in the event.. The event comes close on the heels of Investors Summit organised in February this year, to project Uttar Pradesh as a very favourable state for industrialists to base their projects. The 80 projects launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday are among the 1,045 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed at the Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit organised earlier this year. The 1,045 MoUs envisage an investment of Rs4,28,000 crore across sectors like renewable energy, infrastructure, power, IT and electronic manufacturing, tourism etc. The state has formulated a number of policies to attract more investment. Besides, with a new law being proposed to fast-track clearances through a single- window system, more such ground-breaking ceremonies are expected in the coming months. We are in the process of implementing more MoUs, and another ground-breaking ceremony may be organised soon, said chief secretary Anoop Chandra Pandey. The major companies investing in the state are IT giants Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys, besides the Patanjali Group. The Yogi government claims that the projects to be launched at the first ground-breaking ceremony will create about 2.1 lakh jobs. Homeless man begs for job, not dole and lands offers from tech giants! A homeless guy standing with a placard in San Franciscos Bay Area went viral this weekend because he wasnt asking for charity, but handing out resumes in the hope of a job. David Casarez, 26, held his now famous sign /Image: Jasmine Scofield Web developer David Casarez, 26, held a sign saying, Homeless, hungry 4 success, take a resume. A woman who saw him took a picture of him and another of his resume, and posted it on Twitter. Since then, Casrez has reportedly been flooded with over 200 job offers, including from tech giants like Google, Netflix and LinkedIn. Casarez told TV channel NBC Bay Area that he had moved to the region last September wanting to launch a startup. The Texas A&M University graduate has worked since 2014, becoming a web developer in 2016, according to his resume. But the cost of living near Silicon Valley and the difficulty of landing a job quickly drove Casarez to live in his van. He then lost the van because he couldnt pay for it, and is now living in a park. All I wanted was for one person to notice, take my resume and give me an opportunity, Casarez said. This is my make or break moment. I have to do something crazy. Casarez said he has been approached by several companies in the Bay Area and other places since the womans post blew up on Twitter. According to KNTV, Casarez fell on hard times when funding for that company ran out in June and his van was repossessed. He ended up sleeping on a park bench. On Friday, he put on his best suit and stood on a highway median holding his now famous sign. The sign caught the attention of passerby, Jasmine Scofield, who took to Twitter, posting a photo of Casarez and his resume. Today I saw this young homeless man asking for people to take a resume rather than asking for money, Scofield tweeted. If anyone in the Silicon Valley could help him out, that would be amazing. Please RT so we can help David out! The tweet quickly went viral and was retweeted more than 100,000 times, and led to more job offers than he can handle. According to one Twitter user who also claimed to have slept in his car for months before landing a job, Casarezs case shows how hard it is to get a foot into the door in Silicon Valley, and how wide doors are open once you are on the inside! Nawaz Sharif might be flown to London for further treatment Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif might be sent to London for treatment this week according to source-based Pakistani media reports on Monday. Sharif, who recently returned after a three-month stay in London where he underwent cardiac surgery was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Sunday after his health deteriorated. The former premier was sent to the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi more than a fortnight ago. However, his heart condition worsened in jail and the 68-year-old leader was shifted to the PIMS in Islamabad. The leading Pakistani politician is currently serving a 10-year jail term in a corruption case related to the acquisition of luxury apartments by him and other family members in London. The decision to shift him to a hospital on Sunday was taken after doctors advised Shaukat Javed, the caretaker home minister of Punjab, to do so at the earliest. The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader had undergone bypass surgery and also suffers from diabetes and high cholesterol. His party workers claim that he had refused to relocate to a hospital from his jail. Daughter Maryam Nawaz pleaded with him to shift to a hospital for treatment. Security around the hospital has been beefed up as a large number of his supporters gathered outside. Study shows ocean acidification is having major impact on marine life Carbon dioxide emissions are killing off coral reefs and kelp forests as heat waves and ocean acidification damage marine ecosystems, scientists have warned. Writing in Scientific Reports, researchers say that three centuries of industrial development have already had a marked effect on our seas. But if CO2 levels continue to rise as predicted, the coming decades and lowering seawater pH levels will have an even greater and potentially catastrophic impact. Their predictions follow a comprehensive study of the effects of recently discovered volcanic CO2 seeps off Shikine Island, Japan, which is on the border of temperate and tropical climates. Ocean currents in the area mean there are naturally low levels of surface water CO2, similar to those that would have been present before the global Industrial Revolution. However, the volcanic seeps indicate how rising CO2 levels will affect future ecology, both in the northwest Pacific Ocean and across the world. Lead author Dr Sylvain Agostini, Associate Professor at the University of Tsukuba Shimoda Marine Research Centre, says, "These CO2 seeps provide a vital window into the future. There was mass mortality of corals in the south of Japan last year, but many people cling to the hope that corals will be able to spread north. Therefore it is extremely worrying to find that tropical corals are so vulnerable to ocean acidification, as this will stop them from being able to spread further north and escape the damage caused by water that is too hot for them." The research was led by scientists at the University of Tsukuba in Japan, the University of Plymouth in the UK and the University of Palermo in Italy. It involved teams of Scuba divers who carried out investigations along underwater CO2gradients created by volcanic seeps, recording how the fauna and flora respond to seawater acidification. They found that while a few plant species benefitted from the changing conditions, they tended to be smaller weeds and algae that blanket the seabed, choking corals and lowering overall marine diversity. These species, and some smaller marine animals, are thriving because they are more tolerant to the stress posed by rising levels of CO2. Jason Hall-Spencer, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Plymouth, says, "Our research site is like a time machine. In areas with pre-Industrial levels of CO2 the coast has an impressive amount of calcified organisms such as corals and oysters. But in areas with present-day average levels of surface seawater CO2 we found far fewer corals and other calcified life, and so there was less biodiversity. It shows the extensive damage caused by humans due to CO2 emissions over the past 300 years and unless we can get a grip on reducing CO2 emissions we will undoubtedly see major degradation of coastal systems worldwide." Professor Kazuo Inaba, former director of the Shimoda Marine Research Centre, adds, "Local fishermen are keen to know how ocean acidification will affect their livelihoods. Currents flowing past Japan bring waters that have naturally low levels of CO2 and fish benefit from the array of calcified habitats around our islands. If we are able to meet the Paris Agreement targets to limit emissions we should be able to limit further damage to kelp forests, coral reefs and all marine ecosystems." Indian parents work extra hours, reduce leisure spending to put children through university: HSBC survey Parents are taking on extra work, sacrificing holidays and turning to borrowing to pay for all aspects of their childrens university education, while students estimate they spend more on takeaways than they do on textbooks over the course of a degree, HSBCs The Value of Education - The Price of Success report reveals. According to HSBCs study of 10,000 parents and 1,500 students across 15 countries, 4 out of 5 parents (84 per cent) rely on their day to day income to support their childs university education, with 41 per cent having no specific education savings fund at all. With parents spending an average of $16,338 on their childs tertiary education, many are forced to make some significant sacrifices. Contribution is highest in Hong Kong, where parents are prepared to spend an enormous $51,656, followed by UAE ($29,398), Singapore ($26,377), and Mainland China ($21,046). Indian parents spend an average of $5,560 on their childs education over a typical university course. Over one third (35 per cent) of parents globally and just under two-thirds (64 per cent) parents in India say they have taken on debt to put their kids through university. Loans and credit cards are the most common form of borrowing for Indian parents. In the face of financial pressure and lack of long-term planning, many parents are forced to make personal sacrifices to support their children during their studies. Around 60 per cent Indian parents (vs 53 per cent parents globally) say university has forced them to reduce leisure activities such as eating out at restaurants and trips to the cinema, while 59 per cent Indian parents (vs 41 per cent parents globally) have taken fewer holidays and 49 per cent Indian parents (vs 35 per cent parents globally) have taken on extra hours at work and / or a second job. While student expenditure might be high, many students are turning to part-time employment to fund their lifestyle and keep up with costs. More than 4 in 5 (83 per cent ) globally are working students, most commonly for extra money (53 per cent). On average, students spend 3.4 hours in paid employment, more than they spend in lectures (2.7 hours), studying at home (2.5 hours) or at the library (1.6 hours). However, most parents prefer for their children to concentrate on their studies instead, with 77 per cent of those with a child at university saying they plan to look after their childs basic living costs so they can focus on their studies. 61 per cent of Indian parents wish they had started saving for their childs education earlier while 46 per cent wish they had saved more regularly. Alarmingly, 35 per cent of Indian parents worry that they dont have the financial resources to support their childs education. Despite the significant investment, the value of tertiary education is still clear in the eyes of both parents and students, with 68 per cent of parents globally with a child at university and 70 per cent of students saying that a university education is worth the money. 85 per cent of Indian parents agree that a university education is worth the money. Commenting on the survey, S Ramakrishnan, head-retail banking and wealth management, HSBC India said, For many young adults, university marks the beginning of greater financial independence, making it a practical time for parents to sit down and have an honest discussion about how to manage their money. Its clear from our research that many parents regret not thinking ahead when it comes to funding their childrens education, with over half wishing they had started saving earlier. University is a major investment and an expensive time for both parents and students. Sound financial planning and honest conversations about the cost of education as a family will help avoid financial pressures and short-term borrowing, enabling focus to be placed firmly on studying. Donald Trump's bitter war with media intensifies American President Donald Trump, who has been engaged in a bitter fight with the media, escalated the battle when he tweeted that he would not allow our great country to be sold out by anti-Trump haters in the dying newspaper industry. His reaction came after A.G. Sulzberger, the publisher of The New York Times, described Trumps portrayal of the media as an enemy of the people, as dangerous and harmful to our country. Sulzberger met Trump recently and said he told him that his language was not just divisive, but also increasingly dangerous. I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence, said the NYT publisher. But Trump shot back at Sulzberger and the media in general in his tweet. When the media - driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome - reveals internal deliberations of our government, it truly puts the lives of many, not just journalists, at risk! he tweeted. Very unpatriotic! Freedom of the press also comes with a responsibility to report the news accurately. The President has more than 50 million followers on Twitter and the numbers continue to grow rapidly. His tweets have averaged at about six a day. His officials have also started discouraging many journalists from attending events in the White House. CNNs Kaitlan Collins, for instance, was told that she was not welcome to an event in the White House. She had earlier asked the President penetrating questions relating to Russian President Vladimir Putin and others. A young Donegal man is in a serious condition after being involved in an accident close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The 21-year-old from Ramelton was found unconscious on a road leading to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He was found under an overpass and the south-bound lanes to the bridge were closed as police examined the scene. It is believed he suffered a fall or was struck as he crossed the road. The accident took place on Saturday. His parents flew out to be with their son on Monday. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that it is providing assistance in relation to the incident. Local councillor Ian McGarvey, who is related to the young man, said it is believed he suffered a fall. He is seriously injured and the information is not clear but he is in a critical condition, he said. Shaun went to Australia earlier this year and it is understood he has been working while there. He travelled to Australia in the company of friends from home. He has had friends with him since he went to hospital, Cllr McGarvey added. You always have concern for young people that go anywhere and you fear the things that might happen to them. He is well known in the town and there is widespread concern here. The family have gone out but only when they get there and report back will there be any accurate information regarding the situation. It is a very worrying time for the entire family circle. The Full Capacity Protocol continues to be in place at Letterkenny University Hospital today as high volumes of patients attend the Emergency Department (ED). This morning, LUH was reported to be most overcrowded hospital in the country, according to figures release from the Irish Midwives and Nurses Organisation (INMO). https://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/home/326790/letterkenny-university-hospital-luh-was-most-overcrowded-in-the-country-this-morning.html In a statement issued on behalf of the Saolta University Health Care Group, it said: "LUH apologises for any distress or inconvenience caused to patients or their loved ones who are experiencing long wait times in recent days. We also acknowledge the difficult situation for our staff and thank them for their continued dedication and commitment to patient care." Among the measures being taken to relieve pressure on the ED are: the transfer of appropriate patients to community care settings; communication with GPs to ensure patients are referred to ED only where appropriate and extra ward rounds. The public are being urged to attend the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies and they should contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance. Record growth for the renewable energy sector While our movement towards greener and more sustainable practices has signalled the end for some industries, it has been the driving force for others. One prime example of this is the renewable energy sector; while traditional energy markets are faltering and facing a challenging road ahead, the renewables sector is breaking records. What makes the renewables sector stand out from other markets which rely on finite natural resources, is that the sector only uses resources that naturally replenish. Collected under the umbrella term of renewables is solar, wind and wave power, alongside biomass and biofuels. The renewable sector is one that continues to grow, but where is the sector today? HTL Group, specialists in controlled bolting for the wind energy sector investigates. Renewables performance The industry has become stronger than ever in recent years. In 2016, 138 gigawatts (GW) of renewable capacity was created, showing an 8% increase on 2015, when 128 GW was added. Renewable energy now occupies a 55% share in the industry by shrinking the performance of other sectors thanks to the 138 GW of power generation capacity. Following in second place, coal created 54 GW of power-generating capacity, while gas created 37 GW and nuclear created 10 GW. Additionally, the sector is a significant contributor to the global power-generating capacity accounted for 55% of 2016s electricity generation capacity and 17% of the total global power capacity, increasing from 15% in 2015. The environmental benefits are apparent too, with figures from UNEP suggesting the growth of the renewables sector prevented an estimated total of 1.7 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2016. Based on the 39.9 billion tonnes of CO2 that was released in 2016, the figure would have been 4% higher without the availability of renewable energy sources. Investment drop Whilst the sector has experienced progressive growth, the same cannot be said about investment investment actually fell in 2016. In 2016, $242 billion was invested in the sector, showing a 23% decrease on 2015s figures. This reduction can largely be attributed to the falling cost of technology in each sector. But it seems that every countrys interest in investment differs with influencing factors changing depending on the market on a country by country basis. In 2016, Europe was the only region to see an increase in investment in the renewables sector, rising 3% on 2015s figures to reach $60 billion. This performance is largely driven by the regions offshore wind projects, which accounted for $26 billion of the total, increasing by over 50% on 2015s figures. Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium all appear to have the strongest investments, whilst UK investment slipped by 1% on the previous year, and Germanys investment dropped by 14%. Dropping investment significantly was China, who reduced their investment by almost a third, down to $37 billion in 2016 from 2015s $78 billion. Investment from developing nations also dropped in 2016 to a total of $117 billion, down from $167 billion in 2015. In 2016, investment had almost levelled out between developed and developing countries ($125 billion vs $117 billion). Looking to the future The recent success and performance in the renewables sector can be attributed to the most recent developments. From the falling cost of technology to societal shifts like the 2040 ban to prevent the sale of new petrol- and diesel-fuelled cars, the future certainly looks positive for the sector even if investment has declined in the past year. As attitudes continue to shift and equipment prices fall, we can expect the growth of renewables to continue despite fossil fuels still currently dominating the market! In the future, it is inevitable that the sector will overtake more traditional markets on a global scale, revolutionising how we generate and consume energy. Instantly delete email threats with 365 Threat Monitor With 365 Threat Monitor, scan all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Get real-time phone alerts, real-time security breach updates and delete threats instantly with just one click - for free! Learn More. The healthcare industry has been moving toward medical equipment connectivity to speed up data entry and recording, as well as improve data accuracy. At the same time, there has been a shift toward incorporating consumer mobile devices, including wearables, so that healthcare providers can monitor patients' health more closely and improve treatment. "The demand for connected devices has increased rapidly in recent years," noted Leon Lerman, CEO of Cynerio. "The number of connected medical devices, currently estimated to be approximately 10 billion, is expected to increase to 50 billion over the next 10 years," he told the E-Commerce Times. Worldwide, consumer interest in smart wearables -- those from Apple, Fitbit and various fashion brands -- has been growing, according to IDC. Wearables sales in Q1 exceeded 25 million units. Sales of smart wearables in that period were more than 28 percent higher year over year, while sales of basic wearables fell by about 9 percent. The smarter devices from major brands such as Apple and Fitbit incorporate more sensors and improved algorithms, and have access to historical underlying data, noted Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst for IDC mobile device trackers, which makes them useful for monitoring user health. Wearable makers increasingly have been incorporating cellular connectivity into their products, leading to the emergence of new use cases. About one third of all wearables sold in Q1 included cellular connectivity. Apple has been pushing deeper into healthcare with the Apple Watch, which connects wirelessly with an iPhone. Fitbit has partnered with Google on a range of enterprise and consumer health solutions. Further, medical equipment manufacturers increasingly have been incorporating connectivity into their products. However, connecting wearables to networks comes at the cost of increased security risks. Threat Landscape "With the number of IoT and connected devices being used within hospitals constantly increasing and diversifying in their nature, the exposure to potential devices is great," Cynerio's Lerman noted. Such devices range from MRI machines to insulin pumps, and "the sheer number of devices in a single hospital also means that staff are often unaware of threats, so breaches can go undetected," he pointed out. Network-connected medical devices "promise an entirely new level of value for patients and doctors, but they also introduce new cybersecurity vulnerabilities that could affect clinical operations and put patient care at risk," Kamaljit Behera, healthcare industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan, told the E-Commerce Times. Last year, 75 percent of healthcare organizations experienced a cybersecurity incident, noted Frost & Sullivan healthcare industry analyst Siddharth Shah. Attitudes toward cybersecurity have been mixed, however. Seventy-one percent of the healthcare organizations that responded to an HIMSS survey last year indicated they had allocated a budget for cybersecurity, Shah told the E-Commerce Times. [*Correction - June 26, 2018] However, based on the firm's research, 53 percent of healthcare providers and 43 percent of medical device manufacturers "do not test their medical devices for security, and few are doing anything about being hacked," he said. "Some improvement" in cybersecurity is expected this year, Shah said. The healthcare industry "is gradually moving from a reactive approach to a proactive one, but there's still lots to be done." Hospitals' IT security budgets are relatively low, Lerman pointed out. So, hospitals "have a relaxed security posture, with unsecured connected medical devices being the golden ticket for hackers." Patient data is "valued at approximately 10 times the value of a standard credit card," he remarked. The lure of riches has spurred hackers' creativity, observed Sean Newman, director of product management at Corero Network Security. "Evidence of continued cybercriminal investment and innovation ... reinforces the need for organizations requiring continuous Internet availability to deploy the latest generation of real-time, automatic DDoS protection solutions," he told the E-Commerce Times. There already are cybersecurity frameworks in use at hospitals, Shah said. Further, the United States government has been working to improve the situation: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published a medical device safety action plan, for example. It also collaborates with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on medical device cybersecurity issues. Wearables Are Low Risk The risk from wearables is low level, "assuming the healthcare entity is segmenting the data flow from remote personal healthcare devices into a separate data repository and not their electronic health records," said Greg Caressi, global business unit leader for transformational health at Frost & Sullivan. That's the "more likely architecture" to be adopted for both analytics and security purposes, he told the E-Commerce Times. The increasing trend toward consumerism in healthcare has given rise to a new debate, said Frost's Behera, over whether to make individuals the actual owners of their data, with sole access control to promote interoperability. "It's a great vision," said Behera, "but the bigger question is, how well are individuals prepared, equipped and educated to protect access to their health data on their smartphones or their home Internet networks?" A Possible Healthcare Security Strategy Each device maker implements its own security solutions, and the medical device industry "is struggling to take what they've learned and apply it," noted Rod Schultz, chief product officer at Rubicon Labs. What's needed is a paradigm shift, he told TechNewsWorld. Every connected medical device maker should not attempt to reinvent the cybersecurity wheel, Schultz said. Instead, they all should rely on mobile phones, which are "the natural cornerstone of security for a connected medical device." Finding a way for mobile phones to do as much of the heavy cybersecurity lifting as possible "will work -- but will require device makers to concede and cooperate with Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon," he pointed out. "Standardization may eventually spin out of this," Schultz suggested, "but in the short and medium term, looking for a halo of security from the biggest mobile device and cloud providers seems like a viable security strategy." *ECT News Network editor's note - June 26, 2018: Our original published version of this story incorrectly stated that the companies had been polled by Frost. In fact, HIMSS conducted the survey. Richard Adhikari has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2008. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, mobile technologies, CRM, databases, software development, mainframe and mid-range computing, and application development. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including Information Week and Computerworld. He is the author of two books on client/server technology. Email Richard. Instantly delete email threats for Office 365 With the free app, 365 Threat Monitor, scan all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Get real-time phone alerts + security breach updates and delete threats instantly with just one click. Download now! The European Union's Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) on Wednesday voted in favor of a directive on copyright in the digital single market, a proposal it has been wrestling with since its introduction in 2015. News of the vote kicked off a storm, as Article 13 of the directive effectively requires online content-sharing service providers evaluate all submissions to ensure they don't breach copyright. Publishers, legal experts and observers have opposed Article 13 for years. The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition also has advised against its adoption. Distinguished figures, including World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee and some members of the European Parliament, have warned European Parliament President Antonio Tajani that Article 13's provisions could transform the Internet into a tool for the automated surveillance and control of its users. Article 13 Angst Main objections to the proposal: It is contrary to EU law; Article 13 will benefit Facebook, Google and other large companies rather than small ones as intended; The cost and complexity of compliance will be huge; and The technology to filter content doesn't exist yet. Article 13 uses undefined legal concepts and barely understandable formulations, according to the Max Planck Institute. "The Council explicitly reinterpreted the notion of 'communication fo the public' as stipulated in the InfoSoc Directive, and the intermediary liability regime under the E-Commerce Directive," said Laura Blanco, associate for European affairs at the Center for Democracy & Technology. "These are dramatic changes to existing laws that at a minimum require a thorough impact assessment," she told the E-Commerce Times. The proposed Article 13 "primarily aims at giving rights holders better leverage in negotiating commercial deals with a few Internet platforms that enable users to upload audio and video content," Blanco remarked. "However, the way it's drafted would impose what amounts to a general monitoring obligation on intermediaries of any kind to employ technological measures to monitor and filter uploaded content," she pointed out. Further, "mandating this in law goes against Article 15 of the E-Commerce Directive." The big players "have already invested large amounts in [monitoring technology] such as YouTube's Content ID," Blanco said. Article 13 "will cement the position of those big players by setting their technology as the baseline for smaller players." The Cost of Compliance "The compliance costs of this will not be insubstantial," noted Corey Doctorow, spokesperson for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "Approaching every publication your readers may link to and securing their permission is more expensive than the vast majority of startups can cope with," he told the E-Commerce Times. "Then someone has to go and look at every one of those links to make sure users don't violate any one of those terms." This "may work for someone like Facebook and Google, but there's no competitor of that scale," Doctorow noted. "This is a small tax on American giants that guarantees they will control Internet access in Europe." Further, "no computer scientist knows how to build the copyright filters they're mandating," he pointed out. "I think this will devolve into 28 separate contradictory laws that will cause significant harm, because the idea that you could comply with the laws of all 28 member countries by somehow auto-detecting noncompliance is technologically hard," Doctorow cautioned. "We'll likely see the hostage situation where the most restrictive rules will govern." Richard Adhikari has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2008. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, mobile technologies, CRM, databases, software development, mainframe and mid-range computing, and application development. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including Information Week and Computerworld. He is the author of two books on client/server technology. Email Richard. Instantly delete email threats for Office 365 With the free app, 365 Threat Monitor, scan all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Get real-time phone alerts + security breach updates and delete threats instantly with just one click. Download now! So you've just migrated your e-commerce platform. A few weeks into the launch, you discover something shocking: Despite performing technical due diligence, hiring the best development agency, and spending a fortune on the migration, your traffic and Google rankings have dropped significantly. If this sounds familiar, you'll want to keep reading. With several technical elements to consider, an e-commerce site migration can be a daunting project -- reviewing integrations, potentially hiring a new agency, etc. While all elements are important, one of the most overlooked factors to consider is search engine optimization. Some platforms may include basic SEO features, but the bulk of the work is up to your digital marketing expert to assess, implement and verify. You absolutely cannot avoid this and expect your new shiny platform to retain and migrate your SEO juice automatically. Following is a summary of 12 critical tasks to be implemented. 1. Plan Your Launch and Cutover Date Start with a detailed project plan for your SEO migration. There will be multiple teams involved in a successful implementation -- marketing, development, third parties -- so having a project plan that includes task tracking and assignments is critical. Leverage Excel, Asana, JIRA, or any project management tool that suits your team. When creating your plan and timelines, be sure to consider contract start/end dates (and auto renewal clauses!) with your current and new platform providers, along with your marketing schedule for the year. 2. Clean Up Product, Category and Customer data Data cleanup is one of the most important steps you can take with respect to a migration. Like a good spring cleaning, having a well-organized dataset for migration will make the whole process a lot easier to manage. Remove any old, outdated or inactive products and categories. I suggest doing the same for customer records too. If a customer has not purchased from you in the last year or two, it wouldn't make sense to migrate that individual's data. Of course, you'll still want such customers in your marketing automation pipeline (assuming they opted in), so retain backups of all these records. Use this opportunity to revisit and revise your product content (title, descriptions etc). More on this topic later. 3. Secure an SSL certificate ***Get SSL-certified!*** Google has been using the HTTPS protocol as a ranking signal since 2014. In fact, it has taken a strong stance toward PCI compliance enforcement, so any site that processes transactions and is on the non-secured HTTP protocol will be marked as not secure. If you do not secure an SSL certificate, your Google rankings will decline drastically, and visitors will be shown a rather scary blurb cautioning them to stay away. Ensuring that your entire site is on HTTPS will increase customer trust and brand loyalty over time. 4. Review Meta Tags A migration initiative is a great time to revisit and evaluate the meta-tagging structure on your content and product detail pages (PDP). After your new site is launched, Google will crawl your site. This is an opportunity to make a good impression and potentially get your rankings higher than they were before. The only way to increase that probability is by following Google's guidelines and best practices for SEO and meta tags. So, as a rule of thumb: Title Tags should be no more than 60 characters. Description Tags should be no more than 320 characters. In 2017, Google increased the meta description limit from 165 to 320. This means you may now revamp your PDP and content page meta descriptions without feeling like you need to stuff a bunch of keywords within the 165 limit for the bots. Here's an example with 304 characters as it appears on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP): 5. Add Sitemap and Robots Files Ensure your new platform has "robots.txt" and "sitemap.xml" files at the root level. These files are critical for bots to crawl and index your site. Ensure the sitemap file has a complete list of all the URLs of your content, as well as all the product pages you want to be publicly accessible. Also, make sure you have a method of keeping this map updated every time you add or remove products. Finally, be sure to submit the sitemap URL on your Google search console, and to any third-party prerender or cache services. 6. Create a List of 301 Redirects Create a list of 301 redirects for your most active pages/URLs. You'll want to ensure you don't lose the SEO value of these links when switching platforms. If you don't want to map out and redirect everything, then use Google Analytics to find your top landing pages. These are pages people are hitting directly either via a blog post, forum, promotion or email campaign. Map out and 301-redirect only the pages that have the most sessions. You can test the 301 redirects by simulating a user (or bot) visiting the previous URLs and verifying the responding status. 7. Track 404 Errors No matter how much you plan, there most likely will be a few straggler orphan pages that slipped your radar. These pages will throw a 404 error for bots and visitors trying to land on them. You'll want to monitor these very closely during the first month of your launch and triage them accordingly, with the end goal being no more 404 errors. Either direct these visitors to appropriate pages on your new site, or create a custom 404 page giving them options to navigate your site and ultimately find what they're looking for. Google Analytics offers a template report for 404 errors that you can import into your GA account. 8. Optimize Your Images Google bots cannot "see" your images, so the best way to have them index your images -- for the search results, and specifically for the Image search tab -- is by ensuring the images are stored on a publicly accessible URL (perhaps on an AWS S3 bucket). Since a migration is an opportunity to revisit all aspects of your site, consider image optimization techniques, such as renaming images to contain your product title, ensuring all images have ALT tags -- which not only helps with SEO, but also with visually impaired readers -- and leveraging an image CDN that dynamically resizes and compresses images served up to the client browser and device. 9. Check Your Backlinks Over the years, you've probably collected a number of backlinks from marketing and social media efforts. As a part of the migration, you'll probably want to know who is linking to you, and to what page. For this, you'll want to go to your Google search console and click on the Links to your site report. There, you'll be able to review backlinks and ensure that they are either replicated or redirected. 10. Enable Google Analytics and Search Console Be sure to verify and enable Google Analytics and Google search console (previously known as "Webmaster Tools"). Your new store will need the same setup steps and code snippets embedded as your previous site. In addition, set up and test the e-commerce tracking functionality within your GA account. This is how you can determine your conversion rates and other key performance indicators. 11. Review and Update Footer Links It is a best practice to leverage your footer area for links to your internal pages or external blogs, forums, etc. -- yet these links often get ignored when you're busy rigging up the other critical aspects of your migration project. Evaluate all the links on your current footer to determine what makes sense to keep or purge. Links on your homepage (and therefore the footer) do get higher crawl priority by bots, which is one of the reasons webmasters tend to dump a plethora of URLs in the footer. There's a weighted algorithm at work here, so try to balance what you put on the footer for the bot and for humans. 12. Resubmit Your URL to Google Finally, let Google know that you're ready for its bots to reindex your site! Visit Google's Submit URL tool for more info. Sara Hicks is cofounder and CEO of Reaction Commerce, based in Santa Monica, California. The idea of a cotton sourcing hub in West Africa has recently resurfaced, but this time its being tied to a goal to which could massively increase the production of organic cotton. Simon Ferrigno catches up with Tobias Meier of Swiss-based consultancy Ecos to learn more about the initiative which is scheduled to kick-off in Burkina Faso in September. Producer groups are being organised from four countries: Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Benin and want to reach a local organic cotton market share of 5 per cent within the next few years effectively making ten times more organic cotton available from the region than there is now. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2018 is on pace to be the fourth hottest year on record. Only three other years have been hotter: 2015, 2016 and 2017. "The impacts of climate change are no longer subtle," Michael Mann, a climate scientist and director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University, told CNN. "We are seeing them play out in real time in the form of unprecedented heat waves, floods, droughts and wildfires. And we've seen them all this summer," he said. Even more than extreme weather, climate change is best exemplified by the consistent rise in temperatures year after year. New NOAA data released Friday shows: NOAA shows that the first half of 2018 was characterized by warmer to much-warmer-than-average conditions across the Earth's land and ocean surfaces. Record warmth was present across portions of the global oceans as well as parts of the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding areas. New Zealand and small areas across North America, Asia and Australia also had record warm year-to-date temperatures. Cooler-than-average conditions were limited to the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean, central tropical Indian Ocean, the North Atlantic Ocean, and parts of western Russia and eastern Canada. No land or ocean areas had record cold JanuaryJune temperatures. Averaged as a whole, the combined land and ocean surface temperature for the globe during JanuaryJune 2018 was 0.77C (1.39F) above the 20th century average and the fourth highest since global records began in 1880. The global land-only temperature was the fifth highest on record at +1.19C (+2.14F). The global ocean-only temperature of 0.60C (1.08F) above average was also the fifth highest on record. Five of six continents had a JanuaryJune temperature that ranked among the ten warmest such period on record. Europe, Africa, and Oceania had a JanuaryJune temperature that ranked among the five highest since continental records began in 1910. Climate scientists sounded alarms this week as reports circulated of extreme weather and record-breaking high temperatures all over the globe, with dozens of deaths and thousands of hospitalizations reported in some countrieswhile one journalist with a major platform on corporate cable news admitted the news media's failure to give serious attention to the link between the climate crisis and such events. "There is no doubt that the prolonged extreme temperatures and floods we are witnessing around the world right now are a result of climate change," said Caroline Rance, climate campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland. "Temperature records are being broken across the UK and globally, exactly as climate science has long warned, and with devastating consequences." Reposted with permission from our media associate Common Dreams. To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020. Ben-my-Chree due to return to service The Ben-my-Chree is due to return to service today following repairs to a failed turbocharger. The Steam Packet Company vessel suffered a technical issue and engine room fire while arriving in Douglas on Saturday morning. Repairs were carried out overnight on Saturday but more parts had to be delivered from the UK, resulting in yesterday's services being cancelled. The Island's ferry operator worked with specialists from the manufacturer to repair the turbocharger yesterday in a bid to have the Ben ready for this morning's crossing to Heysham. Paris Hilton has fully fledged baby fever. The socialite and heiress reveals she cannot wait to have kids of her own while celebrating her niece's birthday. She Really Can't Wait Hilton is currently engaged to the love of her life and lately has been making no secret of her desire to be a mother sooner rather than later. She reckons she'd do a great job, but for the moment the heiress is getting some practice in with sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild's kids. Hilton took to Instagram to wish her eldest, Lily-Grace Victoria, a very happy second birthday and to share what the little girl means to her. "Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece Lily-Grace! I am so in love with you my precious little angel! You have brought so much love & happiness into of my life!" gushed the socialite. The heiress to the Hilton Hotels fortune also noted in the post that she can't wait to have her own little bundle of joy so the two ladies can be BBFs, just like Paris and Nicky. Hilton got engaged to The Leftovers alum Chris Zylka just a few months ago, so it's only natural the 37-year-old is fantasizing about starting a family with him. She even told E! News at the launch of her debut skincare line, Paris Hilton Skincare ProD.N.A in Las Vegas, that she can't wait to be a mother. "I can't wait to have a baby. I'm gonna be the best mom," Hilton confidently told reporters. Her own mother, Kathy Hilton, as well as brother Barron were there to support Paris for the big event. The heiress previously advised she wants at least two kids, preferably a daughter first because she loved growing up in a big family. So Much To Do Aside from being a businesswoman, Paris is busy planning her upcoming nuptials to Zylka, previously revealing that she wants a Disney princess themed day. The actor proposed over the New Year's holiday with a 20-carat pear-shaped diamond ring during a romantic ski vacation in Aspen, Colorado. Nicky Hilton previously confirmed she'd like Lily-Grace to be a flower girl on their big day. Her fiance seems to be in the same frame of mind when it comes to being parents, as Paris said back in November that the two of them frequently discuss the possibility of having children. When the time comes, she plans to dress them in her own signature style, with lots of pinks and hearts as well as the requisite unicorns. For the time being, though, she's focused on being an aunt, with sister Nicky praising how good of a job she's doing. "Whenever she comes over, she comes bearing sweet gifts, clothing, toys, dolls. So Lily-Grace gets very excited with Auntie Paris walks in the door," noted Nicky. Paris's sister also advised she makes a point of visiting their little family every day when she's visiting New York, where they're currently based. Nicky gave birth to her second daughter with husband, James Rothschild, Theodora "Teddy" Marilyn, last December. Older sister Lily-Grace meanwhile, just turned 2. WASHINGTON -- An unlucky coincidence of space and Earth weather in early September 2017 caused radio blackouts for hours during critical hurricane emergency response efforts, according to a new study in Space Weather, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. The new research, which details how the events on the Sun and Earth unfolded side-by-side, could aid in the development of space weather forecasting and response, according to the study's authors. On September 6, three hurricanes advanced in a menacing line across the Atlantic Ocean. Category 5 Hurricane Irma ravaged Barbuda in the Caribbean's Leeward Islands in the early morning and churned onward to St. Marin, St. Barthelemy, Anguilla and the Virgin Islands, causing massive damage. Tropical Storm Katia hovered in the Gulf of Mexico and Tropical Storm Jose approached from the open ocean. Both were upgraded to hurricane status later that day. On the surface of the Sun, 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) away, another storm was brewing. A class X-2.2 and major class X-9.3 solar flare erupted on the morning of September 6 at about 8 a.m. local time. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center warned of a strong radio blackout over most the sunlit side of Earth, including the Caribbean. Amateur radio operators assisting with emergency communications in the islands reported to the Hurricane Watch Net that radio communications went down for most of the morning and early afternoon on September 6 because of the Sun's activity, according to the new study. French civil aviation reported a 90-minute loss of communication with a cargo plane, according to the study's authors, and NOAA reported on September 14 that high frequency radio, used by aviation, maritime, ham radio, and other emergency bands, was unavailable for up to eight hours on September 6. Another large class-X flare erupted from the Sun on September 10, disrupting radio communication for three hours. The disruption came as the Caribbean community coped with Category 4 Hurricane Jose's brush with the Leeward Islands and the Bahamas, and Irma's passage over Little Inagua in the Bahamas on September 8 and passage over Cuba on September 9. "Space weather and Earth weather aligned to heighten an already tense situation in the Caribbean," said Rob Redmon, a space scientist with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in Boulder, Colorado, and the lead author of the new study. "If I head on over to my amateur radio operator, and they have been transmitting messages for me, whether it be for moving equipment or finding people or just saying I'm okay to somebody else, suddenly I can't do that on this day, and that would be pretty stressful." Bobby Graves, an experienced ham radio operator who manages the Hurricane Watch Net from his home near Jackson, Mississippi, said the flares caused communications to go down for hours. The Hurricane Watch Net is a group of licensed amateur radio operators trained and organized to provide communications support to the National Hurricane Center during storm emergencies. "You can hear a solar flare on the air as it's taking place. It's like hearing bacon fry in a pan, it just all of a sudden gets real staticky and then it's like someone just turns the light completely off, you don't hear anything. And that's what happened this last year on two occasions," Graves said. "We had to wait 'til the power of those solar flares weakened so that our signals could actually bounce back off the atmosphere. It was a helpless situation." The new study detailing the activity on the Sun and its effects on radio communications from September 4 - 13 serves as an overview to a collection of journal articles in Space Weather investigating the solar activity of September 2017. The collision of Earth and space weather in September delivered a reminder that solar events can happen at any time and may coincide with other emergencies, according to the study's authors. The information in the study could help scientists improve space weather forecasting and response, according to the study's authors. By understanding how the events on the Sun and Earth unfolded, scientists can better understand how to forecast and prepare for future events, they said. The new study shows the solar flares affected shortwave radio communications, which were being used by amateurs and professionals in emergency response efforts, although it does not detail how emergency efforts may have been affected by the radio blackout. "Safeguards put in place to prevent dangerous disruption to GPS from solar events worked," said Mike Hapgood, head of space weather at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the United Kingdom, and a scientist not connected to the new study. "In many ways, we were ready. Some things that could have caused big problems didn't, but shortwave radio is always tricky to use during solar events. But good radio operators are aware of the events and will work hard to overcome problems." "It's the Sun reminding us that it's there," Hapgood added. "The Sun's been very quiet for the last 10 years. It reminds people not to be complacent." Unexpected space weather The 2017 flares were the largest since 2005 and the best documented solar storm to date, observed from a fleet of spacecraft between the Earth and the Sun, in Earth's orbit, on Earth and Mars. Solar flares release bursts of X-rays from the Sun that travel outwards in all directions at the speed of light. Strong flares can disrupt radio and aviation communications. Space weather forecasters have only minutes to broadcast warnings to spacecraft, aviation and other administrators before affects are felt on Earth. X-rays from solar flares interact with Earth's atmosphere 50-1000 kilometers (30-600 miles) above the Earth, in a region called the ionosphere. Shortwave radio communication works by bouncing signals off the ionosphere and refracting them back to Earth. When the Sun releases a burst of x-rays, like the flares released in early September, the extra energy delivered to the ionosphere can cause it to absorb high frequency radio signals, like those used by ham radio enthusiasts. The September 6 and 10 flares were also accompanied by bursts of high energy solar material explosively ejected from the Sun in an expanding bubble much larger than the Earth. Such coronal mass ejections, which arrive within one to three days, have the potential to wreck the most havoc on human technology. The geomagnetic storms generated by coronal mass ejections can damage power grids, confuse GPS systems and damage or disrupt communication with spacecraft, including weather satellites. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued warnings for potentially severe geomagnetic storms for September 7-9. An unlucky coincidence The unexpected burst of space weather coincided with high hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean. Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record with sustained winds of 287 kilometers per hour (175 miles per hour), hit the tiny island of Barbuda at maximum intensity, razing 95 percent of its buildings. The storm destroyed most homes and much infrastructure on St. Martin, Anguilla, Great Inagua and Crooked Island in the Bahamas, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It caused power outages and damage in the Cuban Keys, Turks and Caicos and the southeastern United States. Wind and rain from the storm killed 37 people in the Caribbean and 10 on the U.S. mainland, according the National Hurricane Center. During the September crisis, the Caribbean Emergency and Weather Net logged many "radiograms" relaying survival notes between anxious family members on the islands and the mainland via ham radio operators, Redmon said. "Seeing that logbook really brought home to me the human dimension of the storm," Redmon said. "It put the humanity in the science." Ham radio hobbyists routinely volunteer to disseminate hazard information from the National Weather Service to island communities and ships during major storms, report real-time ground conditions and damages back to the National Hurricane Center, and assist the Red Cross with communications. Graves, the ham radio operator, said many people trapped by storms appreciate hearing a friendly voice over amateur radio relaying the latest weather update, even if they are not able to reply. During a storm, ham radio volunteers strain to listen for lone stations in the affected area that may still be transmitting, Graves said. "A lot of folks in the area were asking us: We heard there's Jose coming behind Irma, what's this thing going to do?" he said. ### Theis dedicated to advancing the Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity through its scholarly publications, conferences, and outreach programs. AGU is a not-for-profit, professional, scientific organization representing 60,000 members in 137 countries. Join the conversation on, and our other Notes for Journalists This paper is open access. Journalists and public information officers (PIOs) can download a PDF copy of the article by clicking on this link: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2018SW001897 Multimedia accompanying this press release can be downloaded here: https://aguorg.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/newsroom/EvrE5SBqBwhCoG3Osmz9NqoB8G9Rw18EqgeeQdzCAuSQCA?e=gXzSZF Journalists and PIOs may also request a copy of the final paper and multimedia by emailing Liza Lester at llester@agu.org. Please provide your name, the name of your publication, and your phone number. Authors: R. J. Redmon, D. B. Seaton, J. V. Rodriguez: National Centers for Environmental Information, NOAA, Boulder, CO, USA; D. B. Seaton, J. V. Rodriguez: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Univ. of CO, Boulder, CO, USA; R. Steenburgh: Space Weather Prediction Center, NOAA, Boulder, CO, USA.; J. He: Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Joint Program in Oceanography and Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA Contact information for the authors: Rob Redmon: rob.redmon@noaa.gov, +1 (303) 497-4331 DALLAS, July 30, 2018 -- Even as a young adult, being overweight may cause higher blood pressure and thicken heart muscle, setting the stage for heart disease later in life, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation. The study is the first to explore if higher body mass index (BMI) - a weight-for-height index - results in adverse effects on the cardiovascular system in young adults. While observational studies can suggest associations between risk factors or lifestyle behaviors and heart disease, they cannot prove cause-and-effect. Here, investigators triangulated findings from three different types of genetic analysis to uncover evidence that BMI causes specific differences in cardiovascular measurements. "Our results support efforts to reduce body mass index to within a normal, healthy range from a young age to prevent later heart disease," said Kaitlin H. Wade, B.Sc., Ph.D., lead author of the study and a research associate at the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol Medical School in the United Kingdom. Researchers used data on several thousand healthy 17-year-olds and 21-year-olds who have participated in the ongoing Children of the 90s study (also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) since they were born in the Bristol area of the United Kingdom. The researchers' findings suggest that higher BMI: caused higher systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure; and caused enlargement of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber. "Thickening of vessel walls is widely considered to be the first sign of atherosclerosis, a disease in which fatty plaques build up within the arteries and lead to heart disease. However, our findings suggest that higher BMIs cause changes in the heart structure of the young that may precede changes in blood vessels," Wade said. Two of the analyses used in the study (Mendelian randomization and recall-by-genotype) take advantage of the properties of genetic variation. Recall-by-genotype is novel and exploits the random allocation of genes at conception. "At a population level, this provides a natural experiment analogous to a randomized trial where we can compare differences in an outcome (such as heart structure and function) with differences in BMI, without the relationship being skewed by other lifestyle and behavioral factors," Wade said. Most participants in the longitudinal studies were white, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other ethnic groups. The researchers plan to investigate the relationship between higher BMI and other possible disease mechanisms, such as the abundance and diversity of microbes living in the gut. They also hope to explore the relationship between BMI and cardiac structure and function in a population now in their 70s. ### Co-authors are Scott T. Chiesa, Ph.D.; Alun D. Hughes, Ph.D.; Nish Chaturvedi, M.D.; Marietta Charakida, M.D.; Alicja Rapala, B.A.; Vivek Muthurangu, M.D.; Tauseef Khan, Ph.D.; Nicholas Finer, M.B., B.S.; Naveed Sattar, M.D., Ph.D.; Laura D. Howe, M.Sc., Ph.D.; Abigail Fraser, M.P.H., Ph.D.; Debbie A. Lawlor, Ph.D.; George Davey Smith, M.D., D.Sc.; John E. Deanfield, B.Ch.MB; and Nicholas J. Timpson, Ph.D. The authors reported no disclosures. The Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, and British Heart Foundation funded the study. Additional Resources: Available multimedia is on the right column of the release link - https://newsroom.heart.org/news/being-overweight-may-change-young-adults-heart-structure-function?preview=f9b651c9e9067fa9e7dfd35950e8da77 After July 30, view the online. Learn more about Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter For updates and new science from the Circulation journal follow @CircAHA Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding. About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke - the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Tempe, AZ, July 30, 2018 - New solar energy research from Arizona State University demonstrates that silicon-based, tandem photovoltaic modules, which convert sunlight to electricity with higher efficiency than present modules, will become increasingly attractive in the U.S. A paper that explores the costs vs. enhanced efficiency of a new solar technology, titled "Techno-economic viability of silicon-based, tandem photovoltaic modules in the United States," appears in Nature Energy this week. The paper is authored by ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering, Assistant Research Professor Zhengshan J. Yu , Graduate Student Joe V. Carpenter and Assistant Professor Zachary Holman. The Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative was launched in 2011 with a goal of making solar cost-competitive with conventional energy sources by 2020. The program attained its goal of $0.06 per kilowatt-hour three years early and a new target of $0.03 per kilowatt-hour by 2030 has been set. Increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic modules is one route to reducing the cost of the solar electricity to this new target. If reached, the goal is expected to triple the amount of solar installed in the U.S. in 2030 compared to the business-as-usual scenario. But according to Holman, "the dominant existing technology--silicon--is more than 90 percent of the way to its theoretical efficiency limit," precipitating a need to explore new technologies. More efficient technologies will undoubtedly be more expensive, however, which prompted Holman and co-authors to ask, "does a doubling of module efficiency warrant a doubling of cost?" Tandem modules stack two, complementary photovoltaic materials - for instance, a perovskite solar cell atop a silicon solar cell - to best use the full spectrum of colors emitted by the sun and exceed the efficiency of either constituent solar cell on its own. The study was designed to determine how much more expensive high-efficiency tandem photovoltaic modules can be and still compete in the evolving solar marketplace. Results indicate that in the expected 2020 U.S. residential solar market, 32-percent-efficient anticipated tandem modules can cost more than three times that of projected 22-percent-efficient silicon modules and still produce electricity at the same cost. This premium, however, is a best-case scenario that assumes the energy yield, degradation rate, service life and financing terms of tandem modules are similar to those of silicon modules alone. The study also acknowledges that cost premium values will vary according to region. "Our previous study defines the technological landscape of tandems; this study paints the economic landscape for these future solar technologies that are only now being created in labs. It tells researchers how much money they're allowed to spend in realizing the efficiency enhancements expected from tandems," says Yu. ### Holman's research group is a leader in silicon-based tandem photovoltaic technologies, having held the efficiency world record in collaboration with Stanford University for a perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell until last month. As the team strives to reclaim its record, using inexpensive materials and simple processes land the next round of innovations on U.S. rooftops. Patient infections with rat lungworm parasite linked to eating raw centipedes; parasite can cause meningitis and is gaining foothold in snails in Louisiana and South Florida Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. (July 30, 2018)A dangerous foodborne parasite typically found in snails and other mollusks was detected in two patients in a Chinese hospital and traced to their consumption of raw wild centipedes, according to a new case report published today by the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Researchers from the Southern Medical University and Zhujiang Hospital in Guangzhou said it's the first time the Angiostrongylus cantonensis parasite--often called rat lungworm for its preference for the pulmonary arteries of rats--has been detected in centipedes. Centipedes are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, though usually in a dried or powder form, which does not transmit the parasite. "We don't typically hear of people eating raw centipedes, but apparently these two patients believed that raw centipedes would be good for their health," said Lingli Lu, a co-author of the report who works in the Department of Neurology in Zhujiang Hospital. "Instead it made them sick." Mild infections with A. cantonensis may resolve on their own. But the parasite can penetrate the brain and spinal cord, which can lead to meningitis--an infection of the fluid around the brain--and, in rare instances, paralysis and death. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, A. cantonensis is mainly found in China and Southeast Asia, and infections usually have been linked to consumption of raw or undercooked snails. The parasite also has been detected in Africa, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and, more recently, in Louisiana and South Florida. In Louisiana, it has been found in the invasive apple snail, a freshwater snail native to South America that is sometimes consumed as food. In South Florida, the parasite has been found in the invasive giant African land snail. Why centipedes are sold in agricultural markets While this is the first time the parasite has been found in centipedes, centipedes themselves are occasionally sold in the Chinese agricultural markets or routinely sold in traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies due to their perceived medicinal properties. Dried or crushed centipedes have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of ailments, including whooping cough, tetanus and cardiovascular diseases. Also, today, extracts made from the centipede are being assessed for their potential to fight cancer and to serve as a potent pain killer. But rarely are raw wild centipedes consumed to treat ailments. Lingli said the patients that are the focus of her study, a 78-year-old woman and her 46-year-old son, came from the rural countryside where a rumor was circulating that consuming raw centipedes also offered potential health benefits. The path to diagnosis According to the report, the woman arrived at the hospital complaining of a headache, drowsiness and cognitive impairment that had lasted for weeks. Subsequent examination and testing indicated symptoms of meningitis. And when tests ruled out viral or bacterial causes, the physicians probed her cerebrospinal fluid for other potential issues and discovered the increased number of eosinophils--a type of white blood cell--and antibodies to A. cantonensis in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood. The report notes that "further questions about the patient's history showed that she had eaten centipedes without cooking them on several occasions." Meanwhile, a few weeks later, her son came to the hospital complaining of a "mild headache that had lasted for more than 20 days." He revealed to physicians that he, too, had consumed raw centipedes. Tests of his cerebrospinal fluid and blood detected elevated eosinophil levels and antibodies for the A. cantonensis parasite. Both mother and son were cured after treatment with a 21-day course of the anti-parasitic drug albendazole and a two-week course of the steroid dexamethasone to address inflammation that arises as the parasites die. The role of centipedes in rat lungworm transmission To learn more about the potential of centipedes to serve as hosts for A. cantonensis, the researchers purchased 20 centipedes from the agricultural market where the patients had acquired their centipedes. The immature, or larvae, form of A. cantonensis was detected in seven of them. The researchers then tested the capacity of centipedes to serve as intermediate hosts for A. cantonensis by infecting 20 centipedes with the parasite. However, the centipedes subsequently died. Lingli said the results could indicate that, while centipedes can be temporary hosts, we can't be sure they are able to serve as intermediate hosts, a classification that indicates an ability to carry and spread the parasite over a long period of time. Regardless, the researchers concluded that centipedes may still "act as a competent host" for transmitting the parasite to humans. This study shows why its important to have physician scientists who can both treat patients and identify and investigate unusual cases that may have broader implications for public health, said ASTMH President Regina Rabinovich, MD. The researchers not only found the source of infection in the laboratory, they did the work to show the wild centipedes that were in supply at the farmers market could have been a viable source of transmission. ### About the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, founded in 1903, is the largest international scientific organization of experts dedicated to reducing the worldwide burden of tropical infectious diseases and improving global health. It accomplishes this through generating and sharing scientific evidence, informing health policies and practices, fostering career development, recognizing excellence, and advocating for investment in tropical medicine/global health research. For more information, visit astmh.org. About the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Continuously published since 1921, AJTMH is the peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and the world's leading voice in the fields of tropical medicine and global health. AJTMH disseminates new knowledge in fundamental, translational, clinical and public health sciences focusing on improving global health. WACO, Texas (July 30, 2018) - A majority of young adults with severe mental illness - bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or major depression - consider religion and spirituality relevant to their mental health, according to a new study from Baylor University's Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. Holly Oxhandler, Ph.D., associate dean for research and faculty development in the Garland School of Social Work, served as lead author on the study, which was published in the journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice. Researchers examined data from 55 young adults (ages 18-25) with serious mental illness who had used crisis emergency services. Of the 55 young adults interviewed, 34 "mentioned religion or spirituality in the context of talking about their mental health symptoms and service use with little-to-no prompting," researchers wrote. The sample for the study was racially diverse and gender-balanced. Not all of those interviewed considered themselves religious, as 41 percent answered "other," "I don't know" or "none" when asked their religious preference. However, researchers found that religion and spirituality emerged as a unique way in which this sample was able to make sense of their difficult life situations and mental health struggles. "Not only did these young adults struggle with serious mental illness, but they had also experienced extreme adversity - including abuse, poverty, homelessness, addiction, near-death experiences, loss and an overwhelming lack of access to medical and mental health services," researchers wrote. "Yet, many attempted to explain, make sense of or organize their circumstances through their religious/spiritual perspective and talked about God as a source of comfort and support." The young adults expressed both positive and negative views of God, prayer and support from religious and spiritual communities. Regardless of their views, the important thing to note, Oxhandler explained, is that they're talking about these topics - something social workers and counselors traditionally are not often equipped or trained to assess or discuss. "It's the elephant in the room," Oxhandler said of discussions of religion and spirituality. "If we continue to ignore it, we're ignoring a huge component of peoples' lives that may be tied to the clinical issue." Oxhandler, who has researched this area extensively, said such discussions can help drive subsequent treatment options. "As mental health care providers discern what mental health services to provide or coping strategies to recommend, it's especially important they understand the role of religion/spirituality in the lives of the vulnerable young adults they serve," she said. Researchers also found that those surveyed described using positive religious coping, negative religious coping or experiences, discussed their relationship with God/Higher Power and unpacked the role of their support systems and faith. Positive religious coping included prayer, reading religious texts, support from their religious and spiritual communities and identifying religious and spiritual meaning in difficult situations. Negative religious coping or experiences included having a negative experience with a religious organization not being supportive or receiving hurtful messages from the religious community. "Those who discussed their relationship with God or a higher power discussed God providing a sense of comfort or protection, accepting them for who they are or positively intervening in their lives," Oxhandler said. "Among those who unpacked the role of their support systems and faith, they often described family and friends referencing religion or God for support, and some even offered recommendations for others struggling with mental illness that involve religion and spirituality." Some of those interviewed shared that they found the mention of God or religion by family and friends less than helpful. For example, a 22-year-old white female with no religious identification mentioned in her interview that a family member "tries to tell me that going to church will be better for me because it will help me find peace, and it really does quite the opposite." Interestingly, researchers noted that nearly all participants who reported negative experiences with religion and spirituality also reported utilizing positive religious and spiritual coping or having a positive relationship with God. Oxhandler said such complexity highlights the importance of including religion and spirituality during the initial assessment with a client. "It's critical that mental health care providers be well equipped and trained to assess for the complex role of religion and spirituality in the lives of young adults with serious mental illness, recognizing that it could appear to be a tremendous source of support and resilience and/or a source of pain and discomfort, if even a part of their lives at all," she said. ### ABOUT THE STUDY "Religion and Spirituality Among Young Adults With Severe Mental Illness," published in the journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice, is authored by Holly K. Oxhandler, Ph.D., L.M.S.W., assistant professor and associate dean for research and faculty development, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University; Sarah C. Narendorf, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., assistant professor, Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston; and Kelsey M. Moffatt, M.S.W., Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT DIANA R. GARLAND SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Baylor University's Diana R. Garland School of Social Work is home to one of the leading graduate social work programs in the nation with a research agenda focused on the integration of faith and practice. Upholding its mission of preparing social workers in a Christian context for worldwide service and leadership, the School offers a baccalaureate degree (B.S.W.), a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree and three joint-degree options, M.S.W./M.B.A., M.S.W./M.Div. and M.S.W./M.T.S., through a partnership with Baylor's Hankamer School of Business and George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. program. Visit http://www.baylor.edu/social_work to learn more. WACO, Texas (July 30, 2018) - A traditional belief in retail marketing is that prices ending in "9" - $1.99 or $2.99, for example - will prompt more purchases than a whole number. But is that true? And is a simple one-penny price difference the best tactic to sell more products? In a new study published in the journal Marketing Letters, marketing researchers in Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business contend that "nine-ending pricing" is not universally effective. The study, composed of four experiments with 932 consumers, reveals that marketers might experience more success in price-setting if they focus their efforts on identifying - and even modifying - the thinking styles of their target consumers. "We looked specifically at two styles of thinking - analytic and holistic," said Lingjiang Lora Tu, Ph.D., assistant clinical professor of marketing at Baylor and the study's lead author. Chris Pullig, Ph.D., professor and chair of Baylor's marketing department, served as co-author. Analytic thinkers, Tu explained, tend to view all the digits in a price as separate and independent, with the focal object being the left-most digit. Holistic thinkers tend to view all the digits as interconnected, with each digit being an inseparable part of the price. The study shows: 1. Analytic thinkers are more subject to nine-ending pricing than holistic thinkers. "Analytic thinkers tend to view the nine-ending price as lower because of the difference in the left-most digit. In contrast, holistic thinkers tend to view all price digits as a whole and are less subject to the nine-ending price effect," Tu said. "We identified that when individuals are more inclined to holistic thinking (versus analytic thinking), the effectiveness of a nine-ending pricing tactic is pretty weak." 2. When holistic thinkers' cognitive resources are limited - they're under time pressure, for example - they are more subject to the nine-ending price effect, just as analytic thinkers are. "Holistic thinkers are not always immune to nine-ending prices. Our research shows that holistic thinking takes more cognitive resources than analytic thinking. When their cognitive resources are limited by time pressure or distractions, holistic thinkers respond to nine-ending prices the same way analytic thinkers do. That is, they view a nine-ending price as much lower than a round price just one cent higher." Tu said. "Our findings suggest that irrespective of consumers' thinking style, nine-ending prices are most likely to be effective in situations that strain consumers' resources, such as when shoppers are time-pressured at the checkout counter or distracted by background music or occupied with an interactive product demonstration." 3. Analytic/holistic thinking style can be manipulated as well as measured. "Marketers may manipulate thinking style via communication strategies, such as promotion imagery, message framing, website design and retailer environment so that chosen pricing tactics will be more effective," Tu said. She added that nine-ending pricing is more effective with chronically analytic thinkers (e.g. Westerners, individualists) than with chronically holistic thinkers (e.g. East Asians, collectivists). "Given growing cultural diversity of most major markets, identifying chronically holistic and analytic thinkers in regional and local markets will boost the effectiveness and predictive accuracy of managers' pricing policies," the researchers wrote. ### ABOUT THE STUDY "Penny wise and pound foolish? How thinking style affects price cognition" is authored by Lingjiang Lora Tu, Ph.D., assistant clinical professor of marketing, Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business, and Chris Pullig, Ph.D., professor and chair of marketing, Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business. The study is published in the journal Marketing Letters. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business provides a rigorous academic experience, consisting of classroom and hands-on learning, guided by Christian commitment and a global perspective. Recognized nationally for several programs, including Entrepreneurship and Accounting, the school offers 24 undergraduate and 13 graduate areas of study. Visit http://www.baylor.edu/businessand follow on Twitter at twitter.com/Baylor_Business. Note to media: We have not included specific methods of suicide in the press release and ask that journalists avoid listing them to prevent the kind of contagion found in the study. A large study examining media reporting of suicide found significant associations between reporting details and suicide deaths, underscoring the need for responsible reporting. The study, conducted by an international research team, is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). "It is important for reporters and media outlets to understand that how they report on suicide can have a real impact across the population," says Dr. Mark Sinyor, a psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. The study supports previous research that has shown that exposure to media reporting on suicide may lead some vulnerable people to similar behaviour, a phenomenon called suicide contagion, and in some circumstances, may also lead to help-seeking behaviour. "When media reports include resources such as crisis services and messages of hope, it can have a positive impact on the public, and potentially help a person in crisis by reminding them that suicide isn't the only option and that help is available," says Dr. Sinyor. There is limited evidence for which specific characteristics of media reports influence these behaviours, and there is little Canadian research on the topic. However, there are guidelines to help media outlets with best practices in reporting on suicide. Researchers from Canada, Austria and Australia examined the relationship between potentially harmful and helpful elements of print and online media reports about suicide. They looked at almost 17,000 articles in 13 major publications (including The New York Times) in the Toronto media market and suicide deaths in Toronto from 2011 to 2014. Specifically, the study looked for a link between certain types of reporting and suicide deaths within the 7 days after publication. The research team identified associations between several specific elements of media reports and suicide deaths. It suggests that reporting on suicide can have a meaningful impact on suicide deaths and that journalists and media outlets/organizations should carefully consider the specific content of reports before publication. "This study emphasizes the importance of responsible reporting and identifies that relatively few media reports included helpful information such as crisis resources and messages of hope," says Dr. Sinyor. From 2011 to 2014, there were 6,367 articles with suicide as the major focus and 947 suicide deaths in Toronto over the same period. Several elements were associated with increased suicides, such as describing the method -- especially in the headline -- describing suicide as inevitable and reporting on suicide in celebrities. Articles about murder-suicides were associated with decreased suicides. "Contagion is thought to occur when a vulnerable reader identifies with suicide-related media," Dr. Sinyor says. "The fact that reports about celebrity suicide appeared to lead to contagion but the reverse was seen for reports about murder-suicide is very much in keeping with what we know." "Suicide is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by many factors. We encourage journalists to take extra care to contextualize their reporting, especially when a story is about someone or a situation that people are likely to identify with," says Dr. Sinyor. "The overwhelming majority of people who think about suicide ultimately find paths to resilience, and they don't die by suicide," he says. "Suicide is almost always accompanied by treatable mental disorders along with life stress and difficulties coping. We have treatments for each of these problems. There is hope. We continue to work with the media in Canada, who do want to get this right, to help them be aware of the issues so that they can inform the public in a way that is safe." In a related commentary, Dr. Ian Colman, a professor at the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, writes "Journalists have a key role to play in public discourse on current issues facing society. It is very encouraging that discussions about mental health and suicide have become prominent in recent years, and that the stigma attached to mental health is dropping. The media has likely played an important role in this." However, he expresses dismay that the study found few media reports that used recommended practices to prevent suicide. "Fewer than one in five articles discussed alternatives to suicide, and less than 2% mentioned community resources for those considering suicide." "The media have an obligation to report the news, but also have the potential to influence positive change. Responsible reporting can encourage conversations about suicidality, stimulate help-seeking behaviour among individuals considering suicide, and make important contributions in the fight against mental health stigma," he concludes. The study was conducted by researchers from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario; University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia with support from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "The association between suicide deaths and putatively harmful and protective factors in media reports" is published July 30, 2018. ### NEW YORK, NY (July 30, 2018)--A gene that's associated with an autoimmune form of hair loss could be exploited to improve cancer immunotherapy, suggests a new mouse study by Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) researchers. The paper was published on line last month in the journal Cell Systems. "While immunotherapies have shown great promise in cancer, most patients do not benefit from these treatments because their tumors are able to evade the immune system," said study leader Angela M. Christiano, PhD, the Richard and Mildred Rhodebeck Professor of Dermatology and Genetics and Development at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. "But one way around this obstacle is to harness genes that cause the recruitment of T cells in autoimmune disease, and use them to attract T cells to kill tumors. In this study, we showed that a gene that recruits T cells in alopecia areata--a condition in which immune cells attack and destroy hair cells--is turned off in various types of cancer, protecting them from the immune system. But if we turn that gene back on, we can make those cancers vulnerable to the immune response." The study began with the recognition that autoimmune diseases and cancer represent opposite ends of the immune signaling spectrum. When the immune system is overactive, a patient may be at risk for autoimmune disease; when it's underactive, cancer can evade the immune system and progress. "We should be able to identify genetic signals that are hyperactive in autoimmune disease, and then harness those signals in tumors that have developed a way to avoid the immune response," said lead author James Chen, PhD, a precision medicine fellow at CUIMC. In a previous study, the research team identified such a genetic signal--a gene called named IKZF1--in alopecia areata. In this condition, an overactive IKZF1 gene leads to overproduction of immune cells, killing the hair follicles. "The key immune cells in alopecia areata are the same cells that many cancers can evade. These so-called killer T cells are crucial for the success of cancer immunotherapies," said Christiano. In this study, the researchers investigated whether they could activate IKZF1 in tumor cells in order to attract T cells to tumors, mobilizing them to attack the cancer. Using an algorithm designed by Chen, the researchers screened genomic and bioinformatic data on thousands of cancer patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas, searching for tumor types that had IKZF1 in their regulatory networks. The algorithm predicted several types of cancer, including melanoma, that would be amenable to targeted immunotherapy, and two types that would not. The predictions were first tested in a mouse model of melanoma in which the tumors were genetically modified to express IKZF1. The mice were found to have increased levels of infiltrating immune cells in their tumors, compared to control mice with conventional melanoma, a sign that the tumors had lost as least some ability to evade the immune response. "We were particularly struck that IKZF1-expressing tumors responded significantly better to anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 treatment. Tumor growth was almost completely suppressed," said study co-author Charles G. Drake, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and director of genitourinary oncology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, co-director of the immunotherapy program, and associate director for clinical research of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at CUIMC. The team then analyzed data from a previous study of melanoma patients with disabled IKZF1. Patients with disabled IKZF1 had higher recurrence rates and worse survival compared to other melanoma patients. The team is currently searching for additional candidate genes that can similarly be used to enhance the response to immunotherapy in melanoma. The algorithm also predicted that prostate cancer could be made more responsive to immunotherapy. In lab experiments, the team found that restoring IKZF1 activity in prostate tumor cells made them susceptible to immunotherapies. "Clinically, this is an especially exciting finding, since prostate cancer is generally very poorly infiltrated by immune cells. Turning these 'cold' tumors 'hot' could be a key to therapeutic success," said Drake. In addition, the algorithm correctly predicted that colorectal and kidney tumors would not respond to immunotherapy if IKZF1 expression was increased, since the gene was found to be inactive in these tumors. Therapies based on these findings would be years away, in large part because different approaches would be needed to activate IKZF1 in humans. However, the approach could be used soon to predict whether patients are likely to respond to immunotherapy and to assess their prognosis. ### The paper is titled, "IKZF1 Enhances Immune Infiltrate Recruitment in Solid Tumors and Susceptibility to Immunotherapy." The other contributors are Rolando Perez-Lorenzo and Yvonne Saenger (both at CUIMC). This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (UL1TR001873 and R01CA164309) and the EpiCURE Skin Disease Research Core Center in the Department of Dermatology (P30AR069632). The authors have declared no conflicts of interest. Columbia University Irving Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Irving Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org. The U.S. Department of Energy has announced 22 new Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs), including one that will be led by Idaho National Laboratory. This is the second time INL has won the opportunity to lead an EFRC. "This is a great accomplishment for INL, and we are honored and excited for the opportunity to lead an EFRC and support two others," said INL Director Mark Peters. "These centers play an important role in accelerating scientific breakthroughs that allow us to resolve our nation's energy challenges." Established by the Department of Energy's Office of Science in 2009, the EFRC program brings together researchers from multiple disciplines and institutions to accelerate transformative discovery at the frontiers of science. The centers conduct fundamental research focusing on one or more "grand challenges" identified in major strategic planning efforts by the scientific community. The Center for Thermal Energy Transport under Irradiation (TETI) led by INL will make it possible to accurately model and improve how heat moves through materials in extreme irradiation environments. In advanced nuclear fuels, one of the most important material properties is the transport of thermal energy, which relates directly to reactor efficiency and safety. The aim of TETI is to reveal the fundamental physical mechanisms driving heat transfer in advanced nuclear fuels under irradiation. "The fundamental physics behind heat transport is not well understood," said Peters. "This center will provide knowledge needed to tailor defects and microstructure in a way that could improve heat transfer in advanced materials." TETI partners include Columbia University, Purdue University, The Ohio State University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Central Florida and Air Force Research Laboratory. Funding for all partners will total $11.5 million over four years (subject to Congressional appropriations, progress toward research objectives and other factors). "Realizing the TETI research mission will provide tremendous new opportunities for the energy materials community," said David Hurley, INL Directorate Fellow, who is leading TETI. "Examples include new computational tools to enable high-throughput compositional screening of advanced fuels, tailoring electron and phonon transport in advanced thermoelectrics, and harnessing strong spin-orbit coupling to realize new paradigms for quantum materials." INL also is a partner on two other new EFRCs. The University of Utah will lead the Center for Multi-Scale Fluid-Solid Interactions in Architected and Natural Materials (MUSE), which will include support from INL's subsurface modeling team, led by Hai Huang. Brookhaven National Laboratory will lead the Center for Molten Salts in Extreme Environments (MSEE), with INL support led by Directorate Fellow Simon Pimblott, the EFRC's deputy director. The latest cohort of EFRCs, selected by competitive peer review, includes renewal of nine existing centers and 22 new ones. All of the centers will be funded for up to four years. Idaho National Laboratory is one of the Department of Energy's national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOE's strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation's leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance. See more INL news at http://www.inl.gov. Follow @INL on Twitter or visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/IdahoNationalLaboratory. ### The diagnosis of diseases based in internal organs often relies on biopsy samples collected from affected regions. But collecting such samples is highly error-prone due to the inability of current endoscopic imaging techniques to accurately visualize sites of disease. The conventional optical elements in catheters used to access hard-to-reach areas of the body, such as the gastrointestinal tract and pulmonary airways, are prone to aberrations that obstruct the full capabilities of optical imaging. Now, experts in endoscopic imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and pioneers of flat metalens technology at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), have teamed up to develop a new class of endoscopic imaging catheters - termed nano-optic endoscopes - that overcome the limitations of current systems. The research is described in Nature Photonics. "Clinical adoption of many cutting-edge endoscopic microscopy modalities has been hampered due to the difficulty of designing miniature catheters that achieve the same image quality as bulky desktop microscopes," said Melissa Suter, an assistant professor of Medicine at MGH and Harvard Medical School (HMS) and co-senior author of the paper. "The use of nano-optic catheters that incorporate metalenses into their design will likely change the landscape of optical catheter design, resulting in a dramatic increase in the quality, resolution, and functionality of endoscopic microscopy. This will ultimately increase clinical utility by enabling more sophisticated assessment of cell and tissue microstructure in living patients." "Metalenses based on flat optics are a game changing new technology because the control of image distortions necessary for high resolution imaging is straightforward compared to conventional optics, which requires multiple complex shaped lenses," said Federico Capasso, the Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering at SEAS and co-senior author of the paper. "I am confident that this will lead to a new class of optical systems and instruments with a broad range of applications in many areas of science and technology" "The versatility and design flexibility of the nano-optic endoscope significantly elevates endoscopic imaging capabilities and will likely impact diagnostic imaging of internal organs," said Hamid Pahlevaninezhad, Instructor in Medicine at MGH and HMS and co-first author of the paper. "We demonstrated an example of such capabilities to achieve high-resolution imaging at greatly extended depth of focus." To demonstrate the imaging quality of the nano-optic endoscope, the researchers imaged fruit flesh, swine and sheep airways, and human lung tissue. The team showed that the nano-optic endoscope can image deep into the tissue with significantly higher resolution than provided by current imaging catheter designs. The images captured by the nano-optic endoscope clearly show cellular structures in fruit flesh and tissue layers and fine glands in the bronchial mucosa of swine and sheep. In the human lung tissue, the researchers were able to clearly identify structures that correspond to fine, irregular glands indicating the presence of adenocarcinoma, the most prominent type of lung cancer. "Currently, we are at the mercy of materials that we have no control over to design high resolution lenses for imaging," said Yao-Wei Huang, a postdoctoral fellow at SEAS and co-first author of the paper. "The main advantage of the metalens is that we can design and tailor its specifications to overcome spherical aberrations and astigmatism and achieve very fine focus of the light. As a result, we achieve very high resolution with extended depth of field without the need for complex optical components." Next, researchers aim to explore other applications for the nano-optic endoscope, including a polarization-sensitive nano-optic endoscope, which could contrast between tissues that have highly-organized structures, such as smooth muscle, collagen and blood vessels. ### This paper was co-authored by Mohammadreza Khorasaninejad, Vivien Ding, and Alexander Zhu, SEAS; Lida P. Hariri and David C. Adams, MGH; Zhujun Shi, Harvard University; and Cheng-Wei Qiu, National University of Singapore. The research was supported in part by the National Institute of Health, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the LUNGevity Foundation/Upstage Lung Cancer. Differences within India's population influence population projections for years to come, according to research conducted by IIASA and the Asian Demographic Research Institute. This information could help India and its workforce to catch up to more developed Asian countries with higher GDP per capita. By 2025, India is expected to surpass China as the world's most populous country, due to higher fertility rates and a younger population. However, a new study suggests that India's population outlook depends heavily on the degree to which differences between regions within India's population, or heterogeneity, are incorporated into population projection models. "India is an extremely heterogeneous sub-continent. Simply because it is one nation, unlike composite Europe, it should not be treated as a uniform entity," says Wolfgang Lutz, one of the authors and the World Population program director at IIASA, "The forecasts for India over the coming decades strongly depend on which sources of heterogeneity are explicitly included in the model." Samir KC, lead author of the paper, says he and his team of scientists noticed that users of population data in many sectors look at data without considering any differences in behaviors, as if all people would behave like an average person. To account for the diversity between different areas of India, they designed a study that pioneered a five-dimensional model of India's population differences that include rural or urban place of residence, state, age, sex, and level of education. The model was then used to show the population projection changes within scenarios that combine different levels of these factors. For example, a much higher population projection results from a model that combines data from individual states as compared to the overall national projection, since states with higher fertility rates eventually add up to a higher national population projection. If the projection is carried out while only explicitly accounting for age and sex, influential factors like higher education, associated with decreased fertility, are left out. Thus, a projection based on today's much higher fertility rate of uneducated and rural women predicts a drastically larger population in the future. Because education level across all of India has increased over time, and is associated with a lower fertility rate, the same projection may predict a drastically smaller population when accounting for education and increasing urbanization. Combining both effects, the influence of education appears to dominate, resulting in a lower population projection. This inspired the researchers to investigate further into future education trends. If education were to stay at its current level, they found, the population would increase slightly more than if education improved over time. Depending on the dimensions considered, when fertility, mortality, education and migration rates are frozen at the 2011 levels, stratification by education, states, or residence can result in population projections that span a huge range from 1.6 to 3.1 billion. Where these rates change according to plausible model predictions, the population peaks between 1.65 to around 1.8 billion. The difference between projections shows the critical importance of deciding which demographical measures to include in a projection model, and at what rates of change. "At the most general level, the research reveals the importance of considering differences within sub-national populations, and recognizing that they are at different stages of a general development," says Lutz, "Differences in development are to a large extent driven by improvements in the skills, education, and capacity of labor within different countries." That's why the researchers conclude in their paper that in addition to age and sex, education should also be routinely included in population forecasts because of its well-established implications for improving the economy and quality of life, while reducing population growth and mortality rates. For its part, China has invested heavily in universal education since the 1950s and is decades ahead of India in terms of human capital. But it isn't too late for India to catch up. "Our population projection for India in 2050 looks similar to what China already has today. This implies that India is some three decades behind," says Lutz, "But since it has recently expanded education efforts for the youth, there is good hope for the future." In fact, the percentage of women that had never attended any school has dropped from 70% to 46% since 1990. As India's young population is set to surpass China in size, continued investment in education could translate growth into economic and human resources that are competitive with the wealthiest and most powerful nations in Asia. "Continuously improving population projections can help support increased investment in education and human resources as India continues to develop," says KC adding: "We hope that people approach us for collaboration to run more future narratives, do more in-depth analysis, or use this research as input for policy work. We made all our calculations open so people can make their own 'what-if' scenario, which will help us improve our projection and make a stronger case for the importance of education in India." ### Reference KC S, Wurzer M, Speringer M, Lutz W. (2018) Future Population and Human Capital in Heterogeneous India. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1722359115 [http://pure.iiasa.ac.at/id/eprint/15371/] Contacts: Samir KC Project Leader World Population Tel: +43 2236 807 424 kc@iiasa.ac.at Helen Tunnicliffe Press Officer and Science Writer Communications Tel: +43 2236 807 316 tunnicli@iiasa.ac.at About IIASA: The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological, and social change that we face in the twenty-first century. Our findings provide valuable options to policymakers to shape the future of our changing world. IIASA is independent and funded by prestigious research funding agencies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. http://www.iiasa.ac.at As the plant root grows, a root cap protects its fragile tip. Every few hours, the old cap is lost and a new one replaces it. This has puzzled scientists: how do cells at the tip know when to die, and how do cells further back know to divide and form a new layer - especially as these cells are several cell rows apart? Researchers at the University of Oslo and the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) have now, partly, solved this communication problem. As they write in today's edition of Nature Plants, the researchers have, for the first time, observed regular cycles of root tip loss and regrowth in real time. In doing so, they uncovered the signal and receptor that coordinate this process. Signal and receptor identified The group of Reidunn Aalen at the University of Oslo, with postdoc and first author Chun-Lin Shi, discovered the signal and receptor that mediate communication at the root tip. They found that cells in the root cap secrete a small peptide, called IDL1. This peptide diffuses through the root tip. Cells at the root apical meristem, which divide to form a new root cap, have a receptor protein, called HSL2, which perceives the signal peptide IDL1. By this mechanism, the outer root cap cells that are shed and the inner cells that divide to replace them communicate. Loss of root cap observed for first time Jiri Friml's group at IST Austria, including former postdoc Daniel von Wangenheim and intern Ivan Kulik, observed, for the first time, how plants shed their root caps. With a laser scanning microscope that was flipped on its side - a method the research group previously developed and that led to the production the winning video in last year's "Nikon Small World in Motion Competition" as well as to the discovery of a new role of auxin in the response to gravity-- was able see root cap loss in real-time over days. Root cap loss is a slow process - root caps are lost at a rate of about one every 18 hours. "Because root cap loss and replacement is slow, you cannot observe it under a normal microscope set-up", Jiri Friml explains. With the flipped microscope, Kulik and von Wangenheim could observe root growth over three days and see the periodicity of cell death and root cap peeling, as Jiri Friml describes: "Our vertical microscope set-up and automatic tracking allowed us to observe how root caps are lost in natural conditions. These tools enabled us to see how root cap loss actually happens and how the cells further back divide. " Friml's group compared how wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana plants loose and replace their root cap with how this process occurs in mutant plants, provided by the Aalen group. They found that in plants in which communication through IDL1 and HSL2 is disrupted, root cap cells accumulate at the tip rather than peeling off. "When the signaling doesn't work, the cell death and rebirth is not coordinated and cells hang around much longer at the tip than they should", Friml explains. The vertical microscope and TipTracker software developed by Robert Hauschield from the IST Austria imaging facility was essential for this work, Kulik says: "Of course, roots grow. So while you image a root in the confocal microscope, the root tip would eventually grow out of the field of vision. With the TipTracker, the microscope compares the root tip's location between images and automatically adjusts the objective's position, so that root tips can be followed even over several days." ### IST Austria The Institute of Science and Technology (IST Austria) is a PhD-granting research institution located in Klosterneuburg, 18 km from the center of Vienna, Austria. Inaugurated in 2009, the Institute is dedicated to basic research in the natural and mathematical sciences. IST Austria employs professors on a tenure-track system, postdoctoral fellows, and doctoral students. While dedicated to the principle of curiosity-driven research, the Institute owns the rights to all scientific discoveries and is committed to promote their use. The first president of IST Austria is Thomas A. Henzinger, a leading computer scientist and former professor at the University of California in Berkeley, USA, and the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. The graduate school of IST Austria offers fully-funded PhD positions to highly qualified candidates with a bachelor's or master's degree in biology, neuroscience, mathematics, computer science, physics, and related areas. http://www.ist.ac.at Johns Hopkins researchers report they have demonstrated in mouse tissue grown in the lab that the cell layer surrounding breast milk ducts reaches out to grab stray cancer cells to keep them from spreading through the body. The findings reveal that this cell layer, called the myoepithelium, is not a stationary barrier to cancer invasion, as scientists previously thought, but an active defense against breast cancer metastasis. Results of the scientists' experiments are published online July 30, 2018, in the Journal of Cell Biology. "Understanding how cancer cells are contained could eventually help us develop ways to predict a person's individualized risk of metastasis," says Andrew Ewald, Ph.D., professor of cell biology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a member of the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Most breast tumors begin in the cells that line the interior of breast milk ducts. These cells in turn are surrounded by myoepithelial cells, Ewald says, which work together to contract and move milk through the ducts when a baby is nursing. This myoepithelial layer is used clinically to distinguish contained breast cancers from invasive cancers in humans. When breast cancer cells breach the myoepithelial layer, the result is so-called invasive carcinoma, which is associated with higher rates of recurrence and the need for more aggressive treatment, says Ewald. "If you think about metastasis as a long race, breaking through this layer is the exit from the starting gate," says Ewald. For their study, Ewald and his team engineered cells taken from the lining of mouse breast ducts to produce the protein Twist1, which works by altering gene expression and which has been linked to cancer metastasis in multiple tumor types. To their surprise, the researchers saw that when the invasive Twist1 cells broke through the myoepithelial layer, the myoepithelial cells grabbed the cells that had gone astray and successfully pulled them back within the breast duct lining 92 percent of the time through 114 observations. "These findings establish the novel concept of the myoepithelium as a dynamic barrier to cell escape, rather than acting as a stone wall as it was speculated before" says Katarina Sirka, a Ph.D. student from the Ewald laboratory. To confirm that their findings were active behaviors, Ewald and his team altered two key characteristics of myoepithelial cells -- their ability to contract and their numerical ratio to the invasive cells. First, the researchers genetically engineered mouse myoepithelial cells to deplete their smooth muscle actin, a protein that allows the cells to contract. Under that condition, the number of escaped invasive cells that broke through the myoepithelial layer increased threefold compared to control cells with a normal myoepithelium. Likewise, the researchers found that decreasing the proportion of myoepithelial cells to invasive cells increased the number of escaped cancer cells. By adding just two myoepithelial cells for each invasive cell, the escape rate decreased fourfold compared with the spread of invasive cells with no defending barrier. "This is important to know because it suggests that both the physical completeness of the myoepithelium and the gene expression within the myoepithelial cells are important in predicting the behavior of human breast tumors. Anywhere this layer thins or buckles is an opportunity for cancer cells to escape," says Eliah Shamir, M.D., Ph.D, who is currently a surgical pathology fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. In the future, Ewald and his team plan to study the cellular mechanisms prompting the myoepithelial layer to react so dynamically and what makes it fail during invasive progression. ### Support for the group's research comes from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation/Pink Agenda (BCRF-16-048, BCRF-17-048), the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, the National Cancer Institute (U01CA217846, U54CA2101732), and the American Cancer Society (RSG-12-141-01-CSM). COI: The authors declare no competing financial interests. Click here to view the video that accompanies this release. ANN ARBOR, MI - Nearly a third of older adults have received a prescription for an opioid pain medicine in the past two years, but many of them didn't get enough counseling about the risks that come with the potent painkillers, how to reduce their use, when to switch to a non-opioid option, or what to do with leftover pills, a new poll finds. But the poll also finds that nearly three-quarters of older adults would support limits on how many opioid pills a doctor could prescribe at once. Even more supported other efforts to limit exposure to these medications, and potentially combat the national epidemic of opioid misuse due to medication diversion. The new findings, from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, suggest a major opportunity for providers and community organizations to focus on safe opioid use and safe disposal among older Americans. These findings also could help state and federal policymakers understand the views of a key demographic group at a critical time. The poll of 2,013 adults between the ages of 50 and 80 was conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, and sponsored by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center. "We know that unused opioid medications that linger in homes are one of the primary pathways to diversion, misuse, abuse, and dependence. As prescribers, we must find opportunities to discuss safe opioid use, storage, and disposal with our patients," says Jennifer Waljee, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., the co-director of the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network (Michigan OPEN) and an associate professor of surgery at Michigan Medicine. "It is critically important to provide a detailed plan for patients who get opioids for pain management and resources for disposal." Waljee worked with NPHA director and U-M professor Preeti Malani, M.D., and IHPI National Clinician Scholar Calista Harbaugh, M.D., to design the poll. They focused not only on older adults' own opioid use but also their storage and disposal habits, as well as their perceptions of recent policy measures around opioid prescribing. Common prescribing, inadequate counseling Most of the 589 older adults who said they'd received an opioid prescription in the previous two years said it related to arthritis pain, back pain, surgery and/or an injury. While the majority remembered their doctor, pharmacist or other health care provider talking with them about how often to take the medication, the percentage who said they'd talked with any provider about other opioid issues was much lower. For instance, less than half said their doctor or other provider had counseled them about the risk of addiction or overdose. Just over a quarter said their pharmacist had provided counseling. Slightly more individuals reported that doctors and pharmacists discussed options to reduce the amount of opioids they were taking. Only 37 percent said their doctor had talked with them about what to do with leftover opioid pills, while 25 percent said their pharmacist had done so. Half of those who had been prescribed an opioid said they had had pills left over, and 86 percent said they kept them for later potential use. "The fact that so many older adults report having leftover opioid pills is a big problem, given the risk of abuse and addiction with these medications," says Alison Bryant, Ph.D., senior vice president of research for AARP. "Having unused opioids in the house, often stored in unlocked medicine cabinets, is a big risk to other family members as well. These findings highlight the importance of improving older adults' awareness and access to services that will help them safely dispose of unused opioid medications." Disposal vs. keeping unused pills The poll also asked those who didn't have leftover medication, and those who had not been prescribed an opioid in the past two years, what they would have done with leftover pain pills. Two-thirds said they would save them for future use, 27 percent said they would dispose of them at home, and 36 percent said they would take them to an approved disposal facility. Disposing of leftover medications may require travel to a facility such as a police station, authorized pharmacy, or community "takeback" event that can sometimes be logistically difficult for patients. The poll asked all respondents to think about what they would do if there were a safe-disposal product that they could pick up along with their prescription. Such products are already on the market and include powders that can be poured into the bottle with extra pills, mixed with water, and safely disposed of in the trash. In all, 39 percent said they would definitely use it, but the majority of the rest said they'd save the medication for future use. And if the safe-disposal product cost $5 or $10, only 9 percent said they would be very likely to buy it. Opioid policy opinions The researchers suspect that older adults may fear that they will not be able to obtain pain medications when needed as new state opioid-related policies and laws target reduced prescribing. Current and proposed laws in some states require providers to look at patients' prescription records before prescribing opioids, and some require patients to tell their provider if they have been taking pain medications. Other states have proposed special provider education, prescribing restrictions, and required return of unused medications. The poll shows that nearly all older adults support policies such as required review of prescription records and disclosure of prior opioid medication use, despite concerns that these policies may be perceived as invading patients' privacy. A slightly lower percentage supported requiring providers to get special training before they can prescribe opioids. But the poll team was surprised to find that 74 percent supported restrictions on the number of opioid pills, or the number of days' supply, for which prescribers could write a single prescription. On the other hand, just under half of older adults said they'd support required return of unused medications. Taken together, Malani says, the poll results suggest that healthcare providers who prescribe or dispense opioids should do more to help patients understand how to safely use and dispose of them, in language that patients understand. This should include a disposal plan that helps patients understand why they should dispose of extra medications, and how best to do so. "When a patient is prescribed an opioid, there are often many other aspects of care at the forefront of patient's minds, such as their diagnosis, social stressors, work-related concerns, and caring for loved ones, and it can result in education fatigue," says Waljee. "But we spend a lot of time educating our patients on when they can drive, return to work, and take care of their painful condition or surgical incision sites. Similarly, we need to educate our patients on what to expect following pain, the role and risks of opioids, and important alternatives such as over-the-counter analgesics, breathing, exercise, and sleep." The poll results are based on answers from a nationally representative sample of 2,013 people ages 50 to 80. The poll respondents answered a wide range of questions online. Questions were written, and data interpreted and compiled, by the IHPI team. Laptops and Internet access were provided to poll respondents who did not already have it. ### A full report of the findings and methodology is available at http://www.healthyagingpoll.org, along with past National Poll on Healthy Aging reports. Science fiction writers have long featured terraforming, the process of creating an Earth-like or habitable environment on another planet, in their stories. Scientists themselves have proposed terraforming to enable the long-term colonization of Mars. A solution common to both groups is to release carbon dioxide gas trapped in the Martian surface to thicken the atmosphere and act as a blanket to warm the planet. However, Mars does not retain enough carbon dioxide that could practically be put back into the atmosphere to warm Mars, according to a new NASA-sponsored study. Transforming the inhospitable Martian environment into a place astronauts could explore without life support is not possible without technology well beyond today's capabilities. Although the current Martian atmosphere itself consists mostly of carbon dioxide, it is far too thin and cold to support liquid water, an essential ingredient for life. On Mars, the pressure of the atmosphere is less than one percent of the pressure of Earth's atmosphere. Any liquid water on the surface would very quickly evaporate or freeze. Proponents of terraforming Mars propose releasing gases from a variety of sources on the Red Planet to thicken the atmosphere and increase the temperature to the point where liquid water is stable on the surface. These gases are called "greenhouse gases" for their ability to trap heat and warm the climate. "Carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) are the only greenhouse gases that are likely to be present on Mars in sufficient abundance to provide any significant greenhouse warming," said Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorado, Boulder, lead author of the study appearing in Nature Astronomy July 30. Although studies investigating the possibility of terraforming Mars have been made before, the new result takes advantage of about 20 years of additional spacecraft observations of Mars. "These data have provided substantial new information on the history of easily vaporized (volatile) materials like CO2 and H2O on the planet, the abundance of volatiles locked up on and below the surface, and the loss of gas from the atmosphere to space," said co-author Christopher Edwards of Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona. The researchers analyzed the abundance of carbon-bearing minerals and the occurrence of CO2 in polar ice using data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey spacecraft, and used data on the loss of the Martian atmosphere to space by NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) spacecraft. "Our results suggest that there is not enough CO2 remaining on Mars to provide significant greenhouse warming were the gas to be put into the atmosphere; in addition, most of the CO2 gas is not accessible and could not be readily mobilized. As a result, terraforming Mars is not possible using present-day technology," said Jakosky. Although Mars has significant quantities of water ice that could be used to create water vapor, previous analyses show that water cannot provide significant warming by itself; temperatures do not allow enough water to persist as vapor without first having significant warming by CO2, according to the team. Also, while other gases such as the introduction of chloroflorocarbons or other fluorine-based compounds have been proposed to raise the atmospheric temperature, these gases are short-lived and would require large-scale manufacturing processes, so they were not considered in the current study. The atmospheric pressure on Mars is around 0.6 percent of Earth's. With Mars being further away from the Sun, researchers estimate a CO2 pressure similar to Earth's total atmospheric pressure is needed to raise temperatures enough to allow for stable liquid water. The most accessible source is CO2 in the polar ice caps; it could be vaporized by spreading dust on it to absorb more solar radiation or by using explosives. However, vaporizing the ice caps would only contribute enough CO2 to double the Martian pressure to 1.2 percent of Earth's, according to the new analysis. Another source is CO2 attached to dust particles in Martian soil, which could be heated to release the gas. The researchers estimate that heating the soil could provide up to 4 percent of the needed pressure. A third source is carbon locked in mineral deposits. Using the recent NASA spacecraft observations of mineral deposits, the team estimates the most plausible amount will yield less than 5 percent of the required pressure, depending on how extensive deposits buried close to the surface may be. Just using the deposits near the surface would require extensive strip mining, and going after all the CO2 attached to dust particles would require strip mining the entire planet to a depth of around 100 yards. Even CO2 trapped in water-ice molecule structures, should such "clathrates" exist on Mars, would likely contribute less than 5 percent of the required pressure, according to the team. Carbon-bearing minerals buried deep in the Martian crust might hold enough CO2 to reach the required pressure, but the extent of these deep deposits is unknown, not evidenced by orbital data, and recovering them with current technology is extremely energy intensive, requiring temperatures above 300 degrees Celsius (over 572 degrees Fahrenheit). Shallow carbon-bearing minerals are not sufficiently abundant to contribute significantly to greenhouse warming, and also require the same intense processing. Although the surface of Mars is inhospitable to known forms of life today, features that resemble dry riverbeds and mineral deposits that only form in the presence of liquid water provide evidence that, in the distant past, the Martian climate supported liquid water at the surface. But solar radiation and solar wind can remove both water vapor and CO2 from the Martian atmosphere. Both MAVEN and the European Space Agency's Mars Express missions indicate that the majority of Mars' ancient, potentially habitable atmosphere has been lost to space, stripped away by solar wind and radiation. Of course, once this happens, that water and CO2 are gone forever. Even if this loss were prevented somehow, allowing the atmosphere to build up slowly from outgassing by geologic activity, current outgassing is extremely low; it would take about 10 million years just to double Mars' current atmosphere, according to the team. Another idea is to import volatiles by redirecting comets and asteroids to hit Mars. However, the team's calculations reveal that many thousands would be required; again, not very practical. Taken together, the results indicate that terraforming Mars cannot be done with currently available technology. Any such efforts have to be very far into the future. ### This research was supported in part by NASA through the MAVEN and Mars Odyssey THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System) projects. Bill Steigerwald / Nancy Jones NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 301-286-8955 / 301-286-0039 william.a.steigerwald@nasa.gov / nancy.n.jones@nasa.gov This summer, humanity embarks on its first mission to touch the Sun: A spacecraft will be launched into the Sun's outer atmosphere. Facing several-million-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, NASA's Parker Solar Probe -- named after Eugene Parker, the University of Chicago physicist who first predicted the solar wind's existence -- will directly sample solar particles and magnetic fields in an attempt to resolve some of the most important questions facing the field of solar science today. Among those questions: What is the origin of the solar wind and how is it accelerated to speeds of up to 1.8 million miles per hour? The solar wind fills our entire solar system. When gusts of solar wind arrive at Earth, they can set off dazzling aurora -- but also expose astronauts to radiation, interfere with satellite electronics, and disrupt communications signals like GPS and radio waves. The more we understand the fundamental processes that drive the solar wind, the more we can mitigate some of these effects. In 1958, Parker developed a theory showing how the Sun's hot corona -- by then known to be millions of degrees Fahrenheit -- is so hot that it overcomes the Sun's gravity. According to the theory, the material in the corona expands continuously outwards in all directions, forming a solar wind. A year later, the Soviet spacecraft Luna 1 detected solar wind particles in space, and three years after that, the observations were confirmed by NASA's Mariner 2 spacecraft. All those years ago, Mariner 2 detected two distinct streams of solar wind: a slow stream travelling at approximately 215 miles per second and a fast stream zipping through space at twice that speed. Then, in 1973, the origins of the fast solar wind were identified. X-ray images of the corona taken from Skylab -- the U.S.'s first manned space station -- revealed that the fast wind spews from coronal holes, which are dark, comparatively cool regions on the Sun. "The slow solar wind is, in many respects, a larger mystery," said Jim Klimchuk, solar physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "It offers great promise for revealing fundamental new understanding." The origins and acceleration mechanisms of the slow solar wind remain mysterious. It is a matter of a decades-long fierce debate between scientists. But we're not without clues. NASA's Ulysses mission, launched in 1990 to fly around the Sun's poles, observed that during periods of minimum solar activity, the slow solar wind is confined to the Sun's equator -- right where Parker Solar Probe will fly. As the solar cycle progresses toward its maximum, the structure of the solar wind changes from two-distinct regimes -- fast at the poles and slow at the equator -- to a mixed, inhomogeneous flow. The debate about the origins of the slow solar wind hinges on a distinction between what's known as the closed and open corona. The closed corona refers to regions of the Sun where its magnetic field lines are closed -- that is, connected to the solar surface at both ends. Bright helmet streamers -- large loops that form over magnetically active regions, shaped like a knight's pointy helmet -- are one such example. The plasma, or ionized gas, travelling along the closed loops of a helmet streamer is for the most part confined to the area near the Sun. The open corona, on the other hand, refers to regions where the magnetic field lines anchor to the Sun at only one end, stretching out into space on the other, thus creating a highway for solar material to escape into space. Coronal holes -- the cooler regions at the source of the fast solar wind -- are the habitat of open field lines. By the time the slow solar wind leaves the solar corona, it is also flowing on open magnetic field lines, as that's the only way to get so far from the Sun. But theories differ on whether it started off there, or was instead born on closed field lines only to switch to open field lines somewhere along the way. The expansion factor theory, for example, claims the slow solar wind originates on open field lines, just like the fast wind. Its (comparatively) slow speed results from the expanding path it takes on its way out of the corona, as magnetic field lines skirt the borders of helmet streamers. Just as water coursing through a pipe slows to a trickle as the pipe expands, plasma traveling along these widening magnetic paths slows down, forming the slow wind. Other theories claim the slow solar wind originates on closed field lines and later switches to open field lines. Accordingly, the slow wind forms when the open field lines from coronal holes bump into the closed field lines at the edges of helmet streamers, explosively rewiring themselves in an event called magnetic reconnection. Like a train changing tracks after the operator flips a switch, the plasma formerly on the streamer's closed field lines suddenly finds itself on an open field line, where it can escape out to space. The idea that slow solar wind plasma was once on closed field lines is supported by evidence that it once faced the kinds of extreme heating we know happens there. "It's not about the temperature of the plasma when we measure it; it's about the temperature history of that plasma," said Aleida Higginson, a University of Michigan research scientist working at Goddard. "We can tell that the slow solar wind was much hotter in the past." In addition, the particular mix of elements that make up the slow solar wind matches well with those seen in the closed corona -- but not with plasma that we know has always been on open field lines. Current efforts to test these theories by spacecraft near Earth are stymied by the great distance between their measurements and the solar wind's origins (a lot can happen in 93 million miles). The key is getting close up, tracing the solar wind back to its source -- and Parker Solar Probe will do just that. "If we can measure the slow solar wind, and find it comes from the boundary between open and closed magnetic fields, then that supports the idea that magnetic reconnection gives rise to the slow solar wind," Klimchuk said. Parker Solar Probe's instruments will collect downstream evidence of magnetic reconnection -- a tell-tale sign that the closed-field-to-open-field theory is at play. Specific kinds of reconnection twist the resulting magnetic field in different ways, and Parker's instruments will measure the twists in these fields early on, before they have had much time to be distorted. In addition, close-up images of the nascent solar wind will tell us how coronal structures evolve as they propagate outward. This will help us answer a long-standing question whether the solar wind is a continuous or intermittent flow. For scientists who crave data to test their theories, accurate measurements of the solar corona's magnetic fields will be invaluable. "That's why Parker's mission is so important," Higginson said. "It all traces back to understanding the detailed magnetic structure on the Sun." ### The scientific group of Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University headed by Professor Andrei Kozlov published the results of a study devoted to the search of solutions for creating the HIV vaccine. During two years, with the support of the Russian Science Foundation's grant, researchers studied features of transmitted variants of HIV-1 virus. This type of HIV transmission is most typical for Russian Federation. Within the framework of the project, scientists have studied blood samples of injecting drug users with acute or early stages of HIV infection. The transmission of only one viral variant was detected in 70% of cases. These data were obtained by the method of single genome analysis (SGA), which allows to analyze 20-30 single genomes. In addition, the scientific group used the next-generation sequencing approach (NGS), capable of analyzing up to 5000 genomes. Thus, scientists managed to establish that all viruses are the "descendants" of any one virus particle. This phenomenon is called the genetic bottleneck effect. The research results are described in the article "Characterization of the Transmitted Virus in an Ongoing HIV-1 Epidemic Driven by Injecting Drug Use" published in the journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. "Though this work is fundamental, we are working with the genes of the viruses, which can be used in design of vaccine against HIV. So to speak, it is necessary to create the vaccine not against all possible viruses, but against those which are transmitted and cause the infection. We will use these data in the further work on HIV vaccine development", notes Professor Kozlov ### A Republican lawmaker in the U.S. House has introduced legislation that appears to be aimed at barring U.S. embassies from flying the Pride flag in recognition of the LGBT community. With little fanfare last week, Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) quietly introduced the measure, which seeks to prohibit the flying of any flag other than the United States flag over United States diplomatic and consular posts, and for other purposes. Although the title of the legislation is public, the full text of the legislation isnt online at the Library of Congress website. Duncans office didnt respond to the Washington Blades comment for information. Ian Thompson, legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said based on the title of the legislation, the measure seems aimed at barring U.S. embassies from flying Pride flags. I dont believe it is specific to rainbow/Pride flags, but that is clearly the motivation for this ridiculous, petty bill, Thompson said. It is telling that many of the most doggedly anti-LGBTQ members of the House of Representatives are co-sponsors. The bill has 33 co-sponsors, many of whom with notoriously anti-LGBT records, including Reps. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Steve King (R-Iowa), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). The flying of Pride flags at U.S. embassies has become common as a sign of U.S. solidarity with the LGBT community overseas. Days ago, the U.S. embassy in Belize raised the Pride flag in support of LGBT people in that country, according to a local Channel 5 Belize TV news report. In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Duncan said the legislation is attempt to maintain focus on the U.S. flags at posts overseas. The United States flag is the single greatest symbol of freedom the world has ever known, and theres no reason for anything but Old Glory to be flying over our embassies and posts around the globe, Duncan said. The Blade has placed a request in with the State Department seeking comment on the legislation. The oceans are the planet's most important depository for atmospheric carbon dioxide on time scales of decades to millenia. But the process of locking away greenhouse gas is weakened by activity of the Southern Ocean, so an increase in its activity could explain the mysterious warmth of the past 11,000 years, an international team of researchers reports. The warmth of that period was stabilized by a gradual rise in global carbon dioxide levels, so understanding the reason for that rise is of great interest, said Daniel Sigman, the Dusenbury Professor of Geological and Geophysical Sciences at Princeton. Scientists have proposed various hypotheses for that carbon dioxide increase, but its ultimate cause has remained unknown. Now, an international collaboration led by scientists from Princeton and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry point to an increase in Southern Ocean upwelling. Their research appears in the current issue of the journal Nature Geoscience. "We think we may have found the answer," said Sigman. "Increased circulation in the Southern Ocean allowed carbon dioxide to leak into the atmosphere, working to warm the planet." Their findings about ocean changes could also have implications for predicting how global warming will affect ocean circulation and how much atmospheric carbon dioxide will rise due to fossil fuel burning. For years, researchers have known that growth and sinking of phytoplankton pumps carbon dioxide deep into the ocean, a process often referred to as the "biological pump." The biological pump is driven mostly by the low latitude ocean but is undone closer to the poles, where carbon dioxide is vented back to the atmosphere by the rapid exposure of deep waters to the surface, Sigman said. The worst offender is the Southern Ocean, which surrounds Antarctica. "We often refer to the Southern Ocean as a leak in the biological pump," Sigman said. Sigman and his colleagues have found that an increase in the Southern Ocean's upwelling could be responsible for stabilizing the climate of the Holocene, the period reaching more than 10,000 years before the Industrial Revolution. Most scientists agree that the Holocene's warmth was critical to the development of human civilization. The Holocene was an "interglacial period," one of the rare intervals of warm climate that have occurred over the ice age cycles of the last million years. The retreat of the glaciers opened a more expansive landscape for humans, and the higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere made for more productive agriculture, which allowed people to reduce their hunter-gathering activities and build permanent settlements. The Holocene differed from other interglacial periods in several key ways, say the researchers. For one, its climate was unusually stable, without the major cooling trend that is typical of the other interglacials. Secondly, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose about 20 parts per million (ppm), from 260 ppm in the early Holocene to 280 ppm in the late Holocene, whereas carbon dioxide was typically stable or declined over other interglacial periods. For comparison, since the beginning of industrialization until now, the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased from 280 to more than 400 ppm as a consequence of burning fossil fuels. "In this context, the 20 ppm increase observed during the Holocene may seem small," said Sigman. "However, scientists think that this small but significant rise played a key role in preventing progressive cooling over the Holocene, which may have facilitated the development of complex human civilizations." In order to study the potential causes of the Holocene carbon dioxide rise, the researchers investigated three types of fossils from several different areas of the Southern Ocean: diatoms and foraminifers, both shelled microorganisms found in the oceans, and deep-sea corals. From the nitrogen isotope ratios of the trace organic matter trapped in the mineral walls of these fossils, the scientists were able to reconstruct the evolution of nutrient concentrations in Southern Ocean surface waters over the past 10,000 years. "The method we used to analyze the fossils is unique and provides a new way to study past changes in ocean conditions," says Anja Studer, first author of the study, who performed the research while a graduate student working with Sigman's lab. The fossil-bound nitrogen isotope measurements indicate that during the Holocene, increasing amounts of water, rich in nutrients and carbon dioxide, welled up from the deep ocean to the surface of the Southern Ocean. While the cause for the increased upwelling is not yet clear, the most likely process appears to be a change in the "Roaring 40s," a belt of eastward-blowing winds that encircle Antarctica. Because of the enhanced Southern Ocean upwelling, the biological pump weakened over the Holocene, allowing more carbon dioxide to leak from the deep ocean into the atmosphere and thus possibly explaining the 20 ppm rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide. "This process is allowing some of that deeply stored carbon dioxide to invade back to the atmosphere," said Sigman. "We're essentially punching holes in the membrane of the biological pump." The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the Holocene worked to counter the tendency for gradual cooling that dominated most previous interglacials. Thus, the new results suggest that the ocean may have been responsible for the "special stability" of the Holocene climate. The same processes are at work today: The absorption of carbon by the ocean is slowing the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuel burning, and the upwelling of the Southern Ocean is still allowing some of that carbon dioxide to vent back into the atmosphere. "If the findings from the Holocene can be used to predict how Southern Ocean upwelling will change in the future, it will improve our ability to forecast changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and thus in global climate," said Sigman. ### "Increased nutrient supply to the Southern Ocean during the Holocene and its implications for the pre-industrial atmospheric CO2 rise" by Anja Studer, Daniel Sigman, Alfredo Martinez-Garcia, Lena Thole, Elisabeth Miche, Samuel Jaccard, Jorg Lippold, Alain Mazaud, Xingchen Wang, Laura Robinson, Jess Adkins and Gerald Haug, was published in Nature Geoscience on July 30, 2018, DOI:10.1038/s41561-018-0191-8. The research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (1401489 and 1234664); the Swiss National Science Foundation (PBEZP2_145695, PZ00P2_142424, PP00P2-144811 and PP00P2_172915); the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Li1815/4); the Swedish Research Council (VR-349-2012-6278); the Natural Environment Research Council (NE/N003861/1); the French National Institute for Earth Sciences and Astronomy; ExxonMobil through the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University; and by the Grand Challenges Program of Princeton University. People with depression have low blood levels of a substance called acetyl-L-carnitine, according to a Stanford University School of Medicine scientist and her collaborators in a multicenter study. Naturally produced in the body, acetyl-L-carnitine is also widely available in drugstores, supermarkets and health food catalogs as a nutritional supplement. People with severe or treatment-resistant depression, or whose bouts of depression began earlier in life, have particularly low blood levels of the substance. The findings, to be published online July 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, build on extensive animal research. They mark the first rigorous indication that the link between acetyl-L-carnitine levels and depression may apply to people, too. And they point the way to a new class of antidepressants that could be freer of side effects and faster-acting than those in use today, and that may help patients for whom existing treatments don't work or have stopped working. Natalie Rasgon, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, described the findings as "an exciting addition to our understanding of the mechanisms of depressive illness." "As a clinical psychiatrist, I have treated many people with this disorder in my practice," she said. Depression, also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is the most prevalent mood disorder in the United States and the world, affecting 8-10 percent of the general population at any given time, with every fourth person likely to experience the condition over the course of a lifetime. "It's the No. 1 reason for absenteeism at work, and one of the leading causes of suicide," Rasgon said. "Worse, current pharmacological treatments are effective for only about 50 percent of the people for whom they're prescribed. And they have numerous side effects, often decreasing long term compliance." Rasgon shares senior authorship of the study with Bruce McEwen, PhD, professor and chief of the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at The Rockefeller University in New York City. The lead author is Carla Nasca, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in McEwen's lab. Results in animal studies "In rodent experiments led by Dr. Nasca both here at Rockefeller and elsewhere previously, a deficiency of acetyl-L-carnitine was associated with depression-like behavior," McEwen said. Oral or intravenous administration of acetyl-L-carnitine reversed the animals' symptoms and restored their normal behavior, he said. In those studies, the animals responded to acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation within a few days. Current antidepressants, in contrast, typically take two to four weeks to kick in -- in animal experiments as well as among patients. Nasca's animal studies suggest that acetyl-L-carnitine, a crucial mediator of fat metabolism and energy production throughout the body, plays a special role in the brain, where it works at least in part by preventing the excessive firing of excitatory nerve cells in brain regions called the hippocampus and frontal cortex. The new study, also initiated by Nasca, recruited 20- to 70-year-old men and women who had been diagnosed with depression and, amid episodes of acute depression, had been admitted to either Weill Cornell Medicine or Mount Sinai School of Medicine, both in New York City, for treatment. These participants were screened via a detailed questionnaire and assessed clinically, and their blood samples and medical histories were taken. Twenty-eight of them were judged to have moderate depression, and 43 had severe depression. In comparing their blood samples with those of 45 demographically matched healthy people, the depressed patients' acetyl-L-carnitine blood levels were found to be substantially lower. These findings held true for both men and women, regardless of age. Lowest levels = worst symptoms Further analysis showed that the lowest levels occurred among participants whose symptoms were most severe, whose medical histories indicated they were resistant to previous treatments, or whose onset of the disorder occurred early in life. Acetyl-L-carnitine levels were also lower among those patients reporting a childhood history of abuse, neglect, poverty or exposure to violence. These patients, who collectively account for 25-30 percent of all people with major depression disorder, are precisely the ones most in need of effective pharmacological interventions, said Rasgon, who performed the bulk of the advanced data analysis for the study. But she cautioned against rushing to the store to pick up a bottle of acetyl-L-carnitine and self-medicating for depression. "We have many previous examples of how nutritional supplements widely available over the counter and unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration -- for example, omega-3 fatty acids or various herbal substances -- are touted as panaceas for you-name-it, and then don't pan out," she said. Big questions remain, she added. "We've identified an important new biomarker of major depression disorder. We didn't test whether supplementing with that substance could actually improve patients' symptoms. What's the appropriate dose, frequency, duration? We need to answer many questions before proceeding with recommendations, yet. This is the first step toward developing that knowledge, which will require large-scale, carefully controlled clinical trials." ### Rasgon is a member of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute. Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Duke University and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, also contributed to the work. Stanford University shares in a multi-institutional agreement concerning intellectual property generated by this research. The study was funded by the Hope for Depression Research Foundation, the Pritzker Neuropsychiatric Disorders Research Consortium and the Robertson Foundation. Stanford's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences also supported the work. The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://med.stanford.edu/school.html. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. For information about all three, please visit http://med.stanford.edu. A new study led by scientists at the University of Bristol has warned that unless we mitigate current levels of carbon dioxide emissions, Western Europe and New Zealand could revert to the hot tropical climate of the early Paleogene period - 56-48 million years ago. As seen from the ongoing heat wave, the knock-on effects of such extreme warmth include arid land and fires as well as impacts on health and infrastructure. The early Paleogene is a period of great interest to climate change scientists as carbon dioxide levels (around 1,000 ppmv) are similar to those predicted for the end of this century. Dr David Naafs from the University of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, led the research published today in the journal, Nature Geoscience. He said: "We know that the early Paleogene was characterised by a greenhouse climate with elevated carbon dioxide levels. "Most of the existing estimates of temperatures from this period are from the ocean, not the land - what this study attempts to answer is exactly how warm it got on land during this period." Scientists used molecular fossils of microorganisms in ancient peat (lignite) to provide estimates of land temperature 50 million-years ago. This demonstrated that annual land temperatures in Western Europe as well as New Zealand were actually higher than previously thought - between 23 and 29 C - this is currently 10 to 15 C higher than current average temperatures in these areas. These results suggest that temperatures similar to those of the current heat wave that is influencing western Europe and other regions would become the new norm by the end of this century if CO 2 levels in the atmosphere continue to increase. Professor Rich Pancost, Co-author and Director of the University of Bristol Cabot Institute, added: "Our work adds to the evidence for a very hot climate under potential end-of-century carbon dioxide levels. "Importantly, we also study how the Earth system responded to that warmth. For example, this and other hot time periods were associated with evidence for arid conditions and extreme rainfall events." The research team will now turn their attentions to geographical areas in lower-latitudes to see how hot land temperatures were there. Dr Naafs said: "Did the tropics, for example, become ecological dead zones because temperatures in excess of 40 C were too high for most form of life to survive? "Some climate models suggest this, but we currently lack critical data. "Our results hint at the possibility that the tropics, like the mid-latitudes, were hotter than present, but more work is needed to quantify temperatures from these regions." ### Irvine, Calif. - July 30, 2018 - The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, a 4-year, $9 million grant aimed at determining the long-term impact of cannabis exposure on the adolescent brain. Led by Daniele Piomelli, PhD, professor of anatomy and neurobiology at UCI School of Medicine, and director of the newly created UCI Center for the Study of Cannabis, the grant will fund a systematic series of preclinical studies to determine whether cannabis' active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), during adolescence causes persistent changes in endocannabinoid (ECB) signaling, synaptic plasticity and behavior. The research will be conducted by a group of principal investigators from UCI including Marcelo Wood, PhD, Christine Gall, PhD, Gary Lynch, PhD, and Stephen Mahler, PhD. The grant is UCI's only NIDA Center of Excellence. The ECBs are cannabis-like molecules produced by the brain, which are involved in a variety of physiological and psychological processes, such as emotion, learning and memory. "The ECB system is the main point of entry of THC into the brain. Now that cannabis is legal in many states, it's very important to understand whether excessive activation of this signaling system during adolescence can produce alterations in cognition and motivated behavior that last into adulthood," said Piomelli. Referred to as ICAL (Impact of Cannabinoids Across the Lifespan), the Center will seek to answer two specific questions: What are the long-term effects of adolescent exposure to THC on brain function and behavior? What are the molecular mechanisms underlying such effects? "Studies suggest that adolescents who are exposed to cannabis are at risk for development of various neuropsychiatric disorders later in life, but there is much research still needed," said Piomelli. "It is especially important to understand at what times in life and at what dosages cannabis may become dangerous, and to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies to manage this risk. This grant will allow us to take great strides toward gaining a solid understanding of the true benefits and dangers of cannabis and may lead to better ways to prevent cannabis dependence. It may also guide solid, evidence-based public policy decisions concerning medicinal and recreational uses of cannabis, as well as inform the development of medications aimed at treating harmful diseases." According to study published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2015, the prevalence of cannabis use in the adult population of the US has climbed from 4.1 percent in 2001-2002 to 9.5 percent in 2012-2013, while the total number of Americans diagnosed with cannabis use disorder (abuse or dependence) has now reached 6.8 million. As with other psychoactive drugs, cannabis use typically starts in early teenage years and progressively increases throughout adolescence - according to national survey sponsored by NIDA at NIH, in 2013, 11.7 percent of 8th graders and 35.1 percent of 12th graders used the drug at least once. Teenage boys and girls experiment with cannabis more than any other recreational substance and a substantial percentage of them (5.8 percent of 12th graders in 2013) also tried synthetic cannabis substitutes such as Spice and K2. Though striking, these numbers are likely to grow in the near future as risk perception of cannabis's potential consequences continues to decrease. Furthermore, the accelerating diffusion of medicinal cannabis-derived products is exposing new groups of young people to the drug. These trends are of particular concern within a social context in which changes to legislation and broadening acceptance fuel financial interests that can potentially override public health and safety concerns. ### About the UCI School of Medicine Each year, the UCI School of Medicine educates more than 400 medical students, as well as about 130 doctoral and master's students on the Irvine, California campus. More than 700 residents and fellows are trained at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, California and at other affiliated institutions. The highly regarded medical school is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Accreditation and ranks among the U.S. News & World Report's top 50 medical schools in the nation for research. Dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and clinical practice through scholarly research, physician education, and high-quality care, the school of medicine offers MD, MS, and PhD Degrees; a Master of Science in Biomedical and Translational Science (MS-BATS), combined MD/MBA, MD/MS-BATS, and MD/MPH programs; and a distinctive combined MD/master's program called the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC). For more information, visit: som.uci.edu. About the University of California, Irvine Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. Located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities, UCI is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu. Scientists at the United Technologies Research Center and UConn used advanced additive manufacturing technology to create 'smart' machine components that alert users when they are damaged or worn. The researchers also applied a variation of the technology to create polymer-bonded magnets with intricate geometries and arbitrary shapes, opening up new possibilities for manufacturing and product design. The key to both innovations is the use of an advanced form of 3D printing called direct write technology. Unlike conventional additive manufacturing, which uses lasers to fuse layers of fine metal powder into a solid object, direct write technology uses semisolid metal 'ink' that is extruded from a nozzle. The viscosity of the metal ink looks like toothpaste being squeezed from a tube. This process allowed the UConn-UTRC scientists to create fine lines of conductive silver filament that could be embedded into 3D printed machine components while they were made. The lines, which are capable of conducting electric current, act as wear sensors that can detect damage to the part. Here's how they work. Parallel lines of silver filament, each coupled with a tiny 3D-printed resistor, are embedded into a component. The interconnected lines form an electrical circuit when voltage is applied. As lines are embedded deeper and deeper into a component from the surface, each new line and resistor are assigned an increasingly higher voltage value. Any damage to the component, such as wear or abrasion caused by friction from moving parts, would cut into one or more of the lines, breaking the circuit at that stage. The more lines that are broken, the greater the damage. Real time voltage readings allow engineers to assess potential damage and wear to a component without having to take an entire machine apart. To get a better idea of how these micro sensors could be used, imagine them being embedded in the ceramic coating of a jet engine turbine fan blade. These blades are subjected to tremendous physical forces and heat. A microscopic crack in the protective coating could potentially be catastrophic to the blade's performance, yet invisible to the naked eye. With the embedded sensors, mechanics would be alerted to any blade damage promptly so it can be addressed. "This changes the way we look at manufacturing," says Sameh Dardona, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at UTRC, which serves as the innovation engine for United Technologies Corp. "We can now integrate functions into components to make them more intelligent. These sensors can detect any kind of wear, even corrosion, and report that information to the end user. This helps us improve performance, avoid failures, and save costs." The UConn-UTRC team was able to embed sensor lines that were just 15 microns wide and 50 microns apart. That's much thinner than an average human hair, which is about 100 microns. This allows detection of very minute damage. Developing such a precise sensor isn't easy. UConn Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Anson Ma and a Ph.D. student from Ma's Complex Fluids Laboratory, Alan Shen, measured and optimized the flow properties of the silver-infused ink so that micron-sized lines could be reliably deposited without clogging the nozzle or causing substantial spreading after deposition. UTRC's Dardona has applied for a patent for the embedded wear sensor technology. The scientists also used direct write technology to create novel components that have magnetic coatings or magnetic material embedded inside them. These polymer-bonded magnets are capable of conforming to any variety of shape, and eliminate the need for separate housings in machines requiring magnetic parts. "This opens up a lot of exciting opportunities," says Ma. "Imagine magnets that can take on different shapes and fit seamlessly between other functional components. Also, the resultant magnetic field that is created may be further manipulated and optimized by changing the shape of the magnets." The magnet fabrication method developed by UConn and UTRC significantly improves upon existing manufacturing practices in other ways too. Current methods for creating custom 3D-printed magnets rely on high-temperature curing, which unfortunately reduces a material's magnetic properties as a result. The scientists at UConn and UTRC found a way around that problem by using low-temperature UV light to cure the magnets, similar to how a dentist uses UV light to harden a filling. The resultant magnets exhibited significantly better performance than magnets created by other additive manufacturing methods. Magnets have a wide range of industrial applications, from creating electric currents in alternators to tracking the position or speed of moving parts as high-grade sensors. Embedding magnetic material directly into components could lead to new product designs that are more aerodynamic, lighter, and efficient, Dardona says. "This is a great example of collaboration between industrial research and academic research," he says. "We always have new concepts that we'd like to explore. This collaboration allowed us to leverage the knowledge, expertise, and facilities available at UConn to help us address some of these technological challenges." The collaboration also benefits UConn. Shen, the Ph.D. student in Ma's lab, served as a lead researcher on the two projects, developing, testing, and re-testing the new technology over the past three years. "These kinds of collaborations allow us to help companies like UTC develop new technologies that we know they are going to take to the next level," says Ma. "It's also very rewarding for our students. Students involved in these projects are fully integrated into the research team. It's not only great from a workforce development perspective; it also gives students a chance to work closely with professional engineers in a beautiful facility like UTRC." ### More detailed information about fabrication of the wear sensors can be found in an article in Additive Manufacturing. Details about the direct write production of polymer-bonded magnets can be found in an article in the Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials. Two UTRC engineers, Dustin Caldwell and Callum Bailey, also contributed to the research. The research was made possible with financial support from United Technologies Research Center and Connecticut Space Grant Consortium. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Seismic waves are helping researchers uncover the mysterious subsurface history of the Tibetan Plateau, possibly lending insight to future earthquake activity in the region. The specifics of the deep geologic processes that occurred roughly 50 million years ago, when the Indian and Asian tectonics plates collided, have remained elusive. By collecting high-resolution earthquake data, geologists have generated a model that provides the clearest picture so far of the geology below the surface of the Tibetan Plateau. They report their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The continental collision between the Indian and Asian tectonic plates shaped the landscape of East Asia, producing some of the deadliest earthquakes in the world," said Xiaodong Song, a geology professor at the University of Illinois and co-author of the new study. "However, the vast high plateau is largely inaccessible to geological and geophysical studies." Song and his colleagues reveal that the upper mantle layer of the Indian tectonic plate appears to be torn into four pieces that dive under Asia - each at a different angle and distance from the origin of the tear. The team gathered geophysical data from various sources to generate seismic wave tomographic images of Tibet that extend roughly 160 kilometers deep. They found that these newly modeled images match well with historic earthquake activity and with geological and geochemical observations. "The presence of these tears helps give a unified explanation as to why mantle-deep earthquakes occur in some parts of southern and central Tibet and not others," Song said. The intact regions of crust between the tears are strong enough to accumulate strain to generate earthquakes. The crustal areas above the torn regions are exposed to more of the heat from the mantle and are therefore more ductile, the researchers said. That ductile flexibility makes warmer crust less susceptible to earthquakes. "What were previously thought of as unusual locations for some of the intercontinental earthquakes in the southern Tibetan Plateau seem to make more sense now after looking at this model," said graduate student and co-author Jiangtao Li. "There is a striking correlation with the location of the earthquakes and the orientation of the fragmented Indian upper mantle." The model also explains some of the deformation patterns seen at the surface, including a series of unusual north-south rifts. Together, the earthquake locations and deformation patterns are evidence of a strongly coupled crust and upper mantle in southern Tibet, the researchers said. Armed with this new information, geoscientists now have a clearer picture of what role the Indian upper mantle plays in shaping the Tibetan Plateau and why earthquakes happen where they do in this region. This could help assess earthquake risk, the researchers said. "Overall, our new research suggests that we need to take a deeper view to understand the Himalayan-Tibetan continental deformation and evolution," Song said. ### Editor's notes: To reach Xiaodong Song, email xsong@illinois.edu@illinois.edu. The paper "Tearing of Indian mantle lithosphere from high-resolution seismic images and its implications for lithosphere coupling in southern Tibet" is available online and from the U. of I. News Bureau. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717258115. ANN ARBOR--Communication breakdown among nurses and doctors is one of the primary reasons for patient care mistakes in the hospital. In a small pilot study, University of Michigan researchers learned about potential causes of these communication failures by recording interactions among nurses and doctors, and then having them watch and critique the footage together. Several themes emerged to help explain the poor communication, and both nurses and physicians improved their communication styles, said Milisa Manojlovich, U-M professor of nursing, who defines communication as reaching a shared understanding. One barrier to good communication is that the hospital hierarchy puts nurses at a power disadvantage, and many are afraid to speak the truth to doctors, Manojlovich said. The recordings showed that nurses didn't directly request what they wanted or express their needs. They communicated indirectly, which confused physicians, who often ignored the nurses' requests and moved on to the next agenda item rather than ask for clarification. The study also found that because doctors and nurses approach patient care from vastly different angles, achieving understanding isn't easy. Manojlovich said one interaction in particular really showcased the different approaches to patient care. A patient with mouth pain, caused by a fungal infection called thrush, couldn't swallow the pills she needed to get better. The physician wanted to prescribe more medication to treat the thrush, but the nurse--who knew the patient well--wanted to treat the patient with strong painkillers, as well. "The physician realized that the pain was inhibiting the treatment, and treating the pain, as well as the condition, would solve the problem," Manojlovich said. Finally, the recordings showed that in good communication, the body language of both parties mimicked the other. In strained relationships, body language wasn't in sync. Manojlovich and her team followed physicians and nurses at the U-M Health System. Then, nurses and physicians watched and commented on the clips separately, and those comments were incorporated into the video. Finally, both parties watched the clip together. "The only way you can become aware of your habits is by watching yourself," Manojlovich said. Overall, the interactions were positive in the sense that there wasn't any contention, but there was room for improvement. "One physician said, 'I didn't give the nurse a chance to answer,' and this physician had a habit of doing that and recognized it," Manojlovich said. "She was one of the champions of the study." Next, Manojlovich hopes to record a larger group and use the videos as training tools to improve communication. ### The project was supported by grant number R03HS024760 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Study abstract Milisa Manojlovich A new way to generate electricity in special materials called Weyl magnets has been discovered by physicists at the University of Tokyo. The method exploits temperature gradients, differences in temperature throughout a material. This could pave the way for maintenance-free remote sensing devices or even medical implants. "Our method exploits a phenomenon called the anomalous Nernst effect which has never been used in this way before," says Professor Satoru Nakatsuji of the Institute for Solid State Physics. "I imagine this could be the power source for a new generation of low-power, low-maintenance electronic devices. We've created something engineers of small devices have been waiting for." So what is this anomalous Nernst effect and how could it lead to such a great leap forward? "The anomalous Nernst effect is when a magnetized piece of metal generates a voltage subject to a gradient of heat across it, so it's hotter on one side and cooler on the other," explains Nakatsuji. This is similar to a more established phenomenon called the Seebeck effect, which is responsible for power generation in thermopiles, the functional components of thermoelectric generators. These are used in deep-space probes like Voyager and New Horizons, amongst other things. With the Seebeck effect, the voltage is generated between the hot and cold regions of the metal in question, so it's parallel to the temperature gradient. The anomalous Nernst effect however generates a voltage along the length of a magnetized piece of metal, perpendicular to the temperature gradient. The researchers observe this effect in a special kind of metal (Co2MnGa) known as a Weyl magnet. This provides the first clear evidence for the existence of Weyl fermions in a material, elementary particles which give Weyl magnets their unique properties. And there are important practical implications. The devices are much simpler than those used for the Seebeck effect, thin films as opposed to pillar-like structures thanks to that perpendicular rather than parallel voltage. So they are flexible and can be made into a variety of useful shapes. "Our materials, being far more common and completely non-toxic also mean devices can be much cheaper to produce," says Nakatsuji. "Best of all, unlike previous devices, they're efficient at room temperature, so mass production of such devices is in our sights." There is a catch however, in that the method usually produces about 0.1% the voltage of the equivalent Seebeck effect system, about 0.1 microvolt compared to 100 microvolts, so we might not see this technology in space probes anytime soon. "However, we aim to make our method comparable with the Seebeck effect in terms of efficiency," says Nakatsuji. "And even before then, given the other advantages, this technology could see rapid widespread adoption." Since the discovery of Weyl magnet thermopiles in 2015, which exhibit the anomalous Nernst effect, there has been a thousandfold increase in their power-generating efficiency, with this recent finding alone observing 8 microvolts per Kelvin, a whole order of magnitude increase over the previous maximum reported value of about 0.1 microvolt per Kelvin. Engineers continually strive to improve the power efficiency of devices and the sources which provide that power. A general aim is to create functional devices, such as sensors, which could be put to work and then left alone without the need for maintenance or replacement batteries. They would generate power with their own Weyl-thermopile devices by use of ambient or waste heat or maybe even sunlight. Computer scientists may also be interested in these findings as Weyl magnets may be useful in future high-speed, high-density data storage technologies. ### Journal Article Akito Sakai, Yo Pierre Mizuta, Agustinus Agung Nugroho, Rombang Sihombing, Takashi Koretsune, Michi-To Suzuki, Nayuta Takemori, Rieko Ishii, Daisuke Nishio-Hamane, Ryotaro Arita, Pallab Goswami and Satoru Nakatsuji. Giant anomalous Nernst effect and quantum-critical scaling in a ferromagnetic semimetal. Nature Physics. Related links Nakatsuji lab - http://satoru.issp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_e.html Institute for Solid State Physics - http://www.issp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_en.html Research Contact Professor Satoru Nakatsuji - satoru@issp.u-tokyo.ac.jp +81-(0)4-7136-3240 Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581 JAPAN Public Relations Contacts Madoka Mochida - press@issp.u-tokyo.ac.jp Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581 JAPAN Rohan Mehra - rohan.mehra@mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp Division for Strategic Public Relations, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, JAPAN Research Collaborators RIKEN Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) About the University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo is Japan's leading university and one of the world's top research universities. The vast research output of some 6,000 researchers is published in the world's top journals across the arts and sciences. Our vibrant student body of around 15,000 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate students includes over 2,000 international students. Find out more at http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/ or follow us on Twitter at @UTokyo_News_en Researchers at the University of Waterloo have found a better way to identify atomic structures, an essential step in improving materials selection in the aviation, construction and automotive industries. The findings of the study could result in greater confidence when determining the integrity of metals. Devinder Kumar, a PhD candidate in systems design engineering at Waterloo, collaborated with the Fritz Haber Institute (FHI) in Berlin, to develop a powerful AI model that can accurately detect different atomic structures in metallic materials. The system can find imperfections in the metal that were previously undetectable. "Anywhere you have metals you want to know the consistency, and that can't be done in current practical scenarios because current methods fail to identify the symmetry in imperfect conditions," said Kumar, who is a member of the Vision and Image Processing Research Group under the supervision of Alexander Wong, a professor at Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in the area of artificial intelligence. "So, this new method of evaluating metallic material will lead to better material design overall and has the potential to affect all the industries where you need material designing properties." FHI came up with a new scenario that can artificially create data which relates to the real world. Kumar along with his collaborators was able to use this to generate about 80,000 images of the different kind of defects and displacements to produce a very effective AI model to identify various types of crystal structures in practical scenarios. This data has been released to the public so people can actually learn their own algorithms. "In theory, all metallic materials have perfect symmetry, and all the items are in the correct place, but in practice because of various reasons such as cheap manufacturing there are defects," Kumar said. "All these current methods fail when they try to match actual ideal structures, most of them fail when there is even one per cent defect." "We have made an AI-based algorithm or model that can classify these kinds of symmetries even up to 40 per cent of defect." The study, Insightful classification of crystal structures using deep learning, was published recently in the journal Nature Communications. ### Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and their colleagues are a step closer to developing a broadly effective antibody treatment against the three major Ebola viruses that cause lethal disease in humans. Reporting July 17 in the journal Immunity, they describe the isolation of two potent monoclonal antibodies from human survivors of Ebola virus disease that, in cell culture studies, efficiently neutralized the Zaire, Sudan and Bundibugyo ebolaviruses. The antibodies, EBOV-515 and EBOV-520, also showed the capacity to protect against infection by these viruses in animal models. While further study is needed, these antibodies could lead to development of injectable antibody "cocktails" for people at high risk of being infected by Ebola viruses. The hope is that the antibodies -- like heat-seeking missiles -- would seek out and destroy the viruses before they can wreak havoc in the body. "Our team was very excited to discover these new antibodies that have the capacity to treat all ebolaviruses," said the paper's senior author, James Crowe Jr., MD, director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center. "They appear very promising for development as a treatment and prevention for Ebola virus disease." Crowe is the Ann Scott Carell Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The paper's first author, Pavlo Gilchuk, PhD, is a senior staff scientist in Crowe's lab. Ebola virus disease, which was first reported in Central Africa in 1976, can cause massive bleeding. The death rate is about 50 percent. The virus is spread by contact with contaminated body fluids, including blood and semen. A major outbreak in West Africa claimed more than 11,000 lives between 2014 and 2016. Earlier this month the World Health Organization reported 29 deaths from a smaller outbreak that began in April in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For several years Crowe and his colleagues have been studying the immune responses of people who have survived Ebola virus disease. His lab has developed high-efficiency methods that can quickly isolate antibody-producing white blood cells from survivor blood samples and then fuse them to fast-growing myeloma (cancer) cells. In this way the researchers can produce large quantities of antibodies that target specific viruses. In the current study, plasma was obtained from survivors of Ebola virus disease outbreaks in the Congo and West Africa. Monoclonal antibodies were generated from the white blood cells of two survivors that showed the highest activity against the three Ebola viruses. ### The study included researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and other institutions. The research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants AI109711, AI067927 AI109762, TW009343, RR024975, TR000445, CA068485, DK058404, OD021737 and AI094660, by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense and by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We can't seem to find the page you are looking for. You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link. New research has shown that ovarian cancer patients with a tumour mutation in the BRAF gene respond exceptionally well to treatment with targeted drugs, known as BRAF inhibitors. BRAF inhibitors block the activity of mutated BRAF gene. They are currently used to treat patients with melanoma, which often have mutations in the BRAF gene. The study showed that BRAF inhibitors may be effective at treating a rare type of ovarian cancer, called low-grade serous cancer, which more commonly affects younger women. PhD student Dr Tania Moujaber from the Westmead Institute for Medical Research examined information from more than 1,000 ovarian cancer patients across Australia, including from the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study, to identify cases of low-grade serous cancer. Dr Moujaber identified nine women with the BRAF mutation. Four of these patients relapsed soon after regular primary treatment. "Two of these women went into a clinical trial to test BRAF inhibitors, following our research which identified their BRAF mutations," Dr Moujaber explained. "Both have had excellent, long-lasting responses. "In contrast, the other two women received standard treatment several years before our analysis, and sadly rapidly deteriorated and died." Dr Moujaber said the findings are encouraging for women with BRAF-mutated ovarian cancers, who may not respond to conventional chemotherapy. "This treatment may not be effective for all cancers with a BRAF mutation, but we are optimistic that a positive response is likely in patients with ovarian cancer," she said. The research was conducted by the ovarian cancer research team at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), led by Professor Anna deFazio and Professor Paul Harnett, together with collaborators in Melbourne and Brisbane. Outcomes for women with ovarian cancer are slowly improving, but the 5-year survival rate is still only 40 per cent. Professor deFazio said that one barrier to improving outcomes is that ovarian cancer is currently treated as a single disease. "Chemotherapy and surgery are the standard treatment for women with ovarian cancer, but each patient responds differently," Professor deFazio said. "Ovarian cancer is a complex and diverse disease, so we can't assume the same treatment will work for everyone. "This research highlights the importance of using targeted therapies for rare ovarian tumor types, such as those with BRAF mutations," Professor deFazio concluded. Professor deFazio and her team are leading a longitudinal study, called INOVATe, which aims to integrate this level of precision medicine into routine care for all women with ovarian cancer. ### Learn more about the INOVATe study: https://www.westmeadinstitute.org.au/research/featured-projects/inovate-(1)/overview The WIMR ovarian cancer research group is affiliated with the University of Sydney and the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, and study collaborators include Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, the University of Melbourne and the Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre. Cancer Council NSW and the Cancer Institute of NSW partly funded this research. NZdrmz said: Thanks for the update. While applying under SMC category, Immigration NZ issues only JSV for offshore applicants without job offer ? While on JSV, candidate must secure job related to his/her skilled category or job profile can be slightly differ ? Regards, Click to expand... If applying under SMC Category you will NOT be approved if you don't have either :-a skilled job offerqualifying qualification study experience in NZskilled work experience in NZThe best you could hope for would be JSV for the principal applicant only. This will allow the principal applicant to travel to NZ for up to 12 months in order to get a skilled job offer. It also allows the person to work in any job whilst here, be it skilled or otherwise.In that 12 month period you are expected to find a skilled job and get a written offer of skilled work for at least 12 months duration.I don't think the skilled job offer has to be specifically related to your SMC Category claimed qualification/overseas work experience /LTSSL occupation, however it's pretty unlikely you're gonna get a job offer in a role that isn't associated with your qualification or skill. The employer making the offer can also tailor the written job offer as appropriate to satisfy any Immigration conditions. This does happen and often job offers and job descriptions are re-written a number of times before Immigration accept it.Once you have the job offer you then use this to get your SMC Category visa approved which allows any other people on the application to join you in NZ. Privacy Settings This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. Monday, July 30, 2018 Every time the North America Ferrari dealers and their guests arrived in Italy, Ferrari treated them to a lifestyle experienced by the rich and famous. The trips were an overthetop experience in appreciation for increased sales in North America. On the second trip to Italy, the dealers were treated to one of the best hotels in the world, the Five-Star Villa dEste on Lake Como. The dealers all stayed there and were treated to one surprise after another. One night they were invited down to the dock and boarded a boat. After cruising out towards the middle of the lake, they saw an island with what looked like a castle in between the trees. Turns out it was the restaurant Locanda on the island of Comacina, Lago di Como, and the dealers where being hosted by Ferrari for dinner. The food was out of this world, and the view took their breath away. And, at the end of the evening, the Italian hosts mixed a large bowl of punch, making a big celebration while they did so. Theyd picked the prettiest woman in the audience to come up and take the first sip. One dealer remarked, They enjoy life so much there, its almost unbelievable.." Indeed they did. And the dealers had the time of their life as they got to know each other and made life-long friendships. A Magical Ride on the Orient Express The trips to Maranello continued. One year, the dealers were put up at the five-star Hotel Cipriani in Venice. At the end of that stay, they were told they would travel from Venice to London on the Orient Express. They did and had most of the train to themselves. Each night featured a black tie affair. Walking to the dining car from their private staterooms the dealers and their wives would pass gorgeous inlaid carved wood walls and ceilings. After dinner, they retired to the bar car which featured a piano. Jack, the Ferrari of America West Coast manager, played long into the night as the group journeyed through the Swiss Alps headed for London. When they arrived at the English Channel, they switched to a day train for the remainder of the trip. From London, they were planning on boarding the eight-hour flight to Chicago. A Remarkable Flight at 1,354 mph On this particular trip, they were to receive one more surprise before heading back to the US. Ferrari booked the group on the Concorde, a British Airways supersonic airliner that flew from 1976 to 2003. It traveled at over twice the speed of sound1,354 mphand seated up to 128 passengers. Wealthy individuals and businessmen traveling from New York to London regularly booked half the seats in advance. The dealers and their guests numbered well over 100 so the group had to be split with half returning one day and half the next. Brian claimed this flight was one of the wildest experiences hed ever been on. Not only did he get back to the United States in a little over three hours, the Concorde flew so high he could see the curvature of the earth as he peered out the window. Did you or someone you know ride the Orient Express or fly on the Concorde? Please let us know about it in the comment section below. In the next post, read about Ferrari s/n 393. Monday, July 30, 2018 When I read about Joy Junction, a homeless shelter established in Albuquerque in 1986, I knew immediately that this was a remarkable story. The recent death of founder Jeremy Reynalds saddened many people, yet at the same time, they also felt such gratitude for his extraordinary presence and the exceptional differences he made in so many peoples lives. Reynalds had been suffering from cancer for some years and was sixty years old at the time of his death. Born in England, he immigrated to the United States with his wife, Elma. He wrote for the ASSIST News Service and authored several books (Tell Them Who We Are; Two Hearts: One Vision Helping the Homeless Together; From Destitute to PhD: My Homeless Journey). He obtained a masters degree in communication and a PhD in intercultural education. Countless people attest to the benefits they received as a result of his efforts. One person spoke of how her drug addiction led to being homeless. She came to Reynalds's shelter and enrolled in the programs offered, which helped her to stop doing drugs and improved her ability to take care of her children. She now plans to get a job and move into her own living quarters. Another example is a couple who were unable to afford housing in Florida and came to New Mexico with their two-year-old son. They were very pleased that Joy Junction accommodated entire families. The husband found work in construction and is saving money, so that in several months the family can be out on their own. Chief operating officer Jennifer Munsey, who worked with Reynalds for the last 11 years, said the shelter will continue to operate as usualfulfilling the vision of its founder: to serve the less fortunate, without judging them, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or personal circumstances.." Notably, this often includes helping those with physical or mental illnesses or addictions. Reynalds's wife, Elma, who had been Joy Junctions chief administrative officer, has been named by the board of directors as interim chief executive officer. Jeremy Reynalds was a leader who exemplified a balance of male and female energies. His nurturing of others and his community service surely served as a model to many. Do you know of similar examples of males who have developed such characteristics? If so, it would be an inspiration to others for you to share their stories! Convicted felon and former state Sen. Carlo Uresti will have to wait a couple of weeks to find out if he can start collecting his state pension. On Monday, a federal judge rescheduled a hearing on Urestis request to start receiving his pension. It had been set for Tuesday morning, but will be Aug. 14 instead. John Ritenour Jr., Urestis court-appointed lawyer, asked for the postponement in a Sunday court filing because he said he has not sufficiently mastered the issues at hand such that he could attempt to reach a negotiated resolution. RELATED: Uresti wants to keep assets that should go to victims, prosecutors allege A July 20 court filing said Uresti needs the pension checks because he doesnt have the money to survive. Attorney Michael McCrum, part of Urestis legal defense team during a five-week trial that ended in his conviction on 11 felony charges in February, filed the court document. Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra last week, though, ruled McCrum cant appear on Urestis behalf now that the disgraced ex-lawmaker has a court-appointed lawyer handling his appeal. Uresti has valued his pension at more than $80,000 a year, a benefit for having served 21 years in the state Legislature. He resigned last month from the Senate just days before the judge sentenced him to 12 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $6.3 million to his victims. They were investors in a oil field services company that was a Ponzi scheme. RELATED: Uresti 'doesn't have the money to survive,' court filing says Prosecutors have opposed to Urestis pension request, saying in a Friday court filing that he and his estranged wife want to retain control of property that rightfully belongs to his victims. Before Ezras ruling Monday, prosecutors asked that Tuesdays hearing go forward as scheduled. They argued that Uresti is not entitled to have a court-appointed lawyer paid for by taxpayers representing him on matters related to the enforcement of the criminal judgment. Prosecutors added that Uresti, who gave up his law license earlier this year rather than face disciplinary action, could represent himself during the hearing. Patrick Danner is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD Reader Ron Bird wrote several weeks ago about a streetlight he had acquired that he had been told was from downtown San Antonio. He asked whether it had historical significance and, if so, where he might donate it. With the help of experts on architecture, street furnishings and photographs of downtown San Antonio in the early 20th century, we eliminated municipal street lighting and downtown building exteriors as the possible source of Birds light, but couldnt identify its origins. So we brought the photo of his surviving fixture to the attention of other readers, who soon recognized it from another place with its own style and traditions. Chuck Sarratt was first to call it: Ron Birds light fixture resembles those mounted on lampposts in old Fort Sam Houston. With that lead in hand, I checked with more experts this time on the history of one of the oldest posts in the U.S. Army, now part of Joint Base San Antonio. Thats a second-generation light fixture, said John Manguso, former director of the Fort Sam museum and author of several books about the post, including Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio in the Great War and most recently The Quadrangle. First-generation fixtures were gaslights installed in the 1890s. Electrification came in 1910, Manguso said, so this one dates from then. There are quite a few of them on the Cavalry and Artillery posts and the new post still there, and Im pretty sure they still work. RELATED: On 100th birthday, bombardier looks back on his lucky day Jacqueline Davis, current director of the Fort Sam Houston Museum, said the fixture in the photo looks like one of the lights on the stone pillars at Grayson and New Braunfels. Another reader, John B. Staha of Pleasanton who owns a similar light fixture, made of unpainted heavy aluminum sent a clue to how this former federal property made its way off-post: My father was a quartermaster at Fort Sam Houston for 41 years, he wrote. He told me these lights were on Wilson Boulevard, starting at the entrance to Fort Sam on New Braunfels Avenue. They were installed during World War I and taken down in the 1950s or 60s and sent to salvage. I guess they all made it to the scrap yard except for Rons and mine. Manguso has seen photos of lampposts with heads shaped similarly to the fixtures belonging to both readers: Those more similar to the Bird version were mounted on cast-concrete poles, and others with darker metal, like Stahas, were mounted on metal poles. Davis contacted an archaeologist with JBSA Cultural Resources, suggesting that Birds might be donated as a replacement part for one of those century-old fixtures so it might be recalled to service. ENSEMBLE ENCORE: A former member of the acting company known as Music Theater Inc. (covered here July 22) wrote to share her recollections of the long-defunct troupe. Christiana Davis, then known as Christie Anderson, worked with married co-directors Hal and Elaine Curran in two shows, She Loves Me (1969) and The Most Happy Fella (1970), while she was a Trinity University student who also performed in musicals at San Antonio Little Theater and other venues. My memories of Music Theater always stick out, Davis wrote, as the entire crew was always warm and happy (and) Hal and Elaine were a dream to work with. She missed the last few years of the companys existence only because I married and moved away in 1970. Her two Music Theater productions were on different stages the first in a larger theater on the former HemisFair 68 grounds, the second in the more intimate auditorium at the Witte Museum. Doing a production at the Witte was what small-town musical theater should be small, rustic and fun! said Davis, who is still singing in San Antonio, noting that she is thankful every day for the experience I gained and the fun I had during that time. historycolumn@yahoo.com | Twitter: @sahistorycolumn | Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn REDDING As thousands of firefighters worked Sunday to push the huge Carr Fire away from homes and subdivisions, some still smoking from bouts with flame, the toll on the besieged city became only more clear and more grim. A sixth fatality was found in the rubble, according to Shasta County sheriffs deputies. The victims identity was not immediately released, though authorities said the individual had refused orders to evacuate. Two firefighters as well as a woman and her two great-grandchildren had previously been confirmed dead. The sheriffs office is investigating reports of seven missing people after accounting for nine additional people previously reported as missing. But after three days when the fire raged out of control, firefighters began to corral the blaze Sunday. An evening briefing showed that the 95,368-acre Carr Fire was 17 percent contained, a big jump from single-digit figures of recent days and just 5 percent Sunday morning. Were feeling a lot more optimistic today as weve begun to gain some ground instead of always being on the defensive, said Bret Gouvea, incident commander for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Meanwhile, nearly 874 structures were estimated to have destroyed and 175 damaged, many on the western edge of Redding where the fire made an extraordinary run last week from the countys rural hills, near Whiskeytown Lake, into suburbia more than 10 miles away. Temperatures in the area hovered at 104 degrees Sunday, while fire officials said the blaze was so immense it was generating its own wind and weather patterns. Fire tornadoes were reported to have uprooted trees and overturned cars. Close to 40,000 people remained under evacuation orders Sunday, with the small town of Lewistown in adjacent Trinity County becoming one of the latest to empty out. About 3,800 firefighters were on the job. Weve had some big fires here before. I remember seeing flames leaping in the air. But nothing like this, said Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty, who represents the area where the fire ignited and has lived in Redding his entire life. Although evacuation orders had not been lifted Sunday for burned-out parts of the city, Anna Noland was determined to learn the fate of her home near Keswick Dam. Now Playing: Carr Fire: Latest news from Shasta County Video: San Francisco Chronicle Noland was at work Thursday night when the Carr Fire roared into the city. With flames approaching, she wasnt about to wait for the official order to tell her 16-year-old daughter, who was home, to evacuate their residence of eight years. And its a good thing her daughter got out, Noland said, because they never got a call or text telling them to go. The fire, Noland discovered on Sunday, devoured all but the front wall of their house on Cape Cod Drive, leaving a charred pile of their life possessions inside. Noland remained surprisingly upbeat in the face of the destruction, excited to see some trinkets had survived. Ive got an Eiffel Tower and some gnomes, she exclaimed. Thats about it. While her neighbors home was spared, most of the houses on the street and adjoining streets were also leveled, a ghostly scene reminiscent of the neighborhoods devastated in Octobers Wine Country fires. The victims of the Carr Fire include Melody Bledsoe and her great-grandchildren, Emily Roberts, 4, and James Roberts, 5. The three were found dead in the ashes of their Redding home Saturday. Grandma did everything she could to save them, said family member Amanda Woodley in a Facebook post. She was hovered over them both with a wet blanket. Also among the dead were two men battling the blaze, bulldozer operator Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, and Jeremy Stoke, a fire inspector with the Redding Fire Department. The fire started on the afternoon of July 23 from a vehicle mechanical failure, which authorities have not elaborated on. Sundays growth was less than in previous days, which provided at least a little optimism among firefighters. Today is a much better day, said Gouvea, the fires incident commander. Authorities, however, said the fire was continuing to expand in all directions, except toward Redding. Officials warned that a heat advisory for the area through Monday morning may continue to create challenging conditions. Richard Urban, 79, and Barbara Urban, 78, were eager to return home after evacuating in their 33-foot Winnebago Adventurer on Friday to a friends farm across town. In their 48 years in the house, the couple have evacuated multiple times. But this time, Richard said, I thought we were done. Fortunately for the Urbans, when they arrived home to their leafy south Redding neighborhood, they found that their house had been spared. Chronicle photographer Santiago Mejia and staff writer Dominic Fracassa contributed to this report. Michael Cabanatuan and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan @kurtisalexander A vigil Sunday for the 10 undocumented immigrants who died after being locked in a hot tractor-trailer for hours also was a moment in which local officials remembered the humanity that exists behind the immigration debate in the United States. Jonathan Ryan, executive director for the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), said that several survivors and family members of the deceased could not make it to the vigil because they were afraid to travel through Texas or still traumatized by what occurred last year. Although its not often told, the immigration story is always a story of one person. One persons journey, one persons pain and one persons hope for a better future, Ryan said. Were here to remember those people who took every risk and who put their lives in their own hands trying to get to a better future. On the early morning of July 23, 2017, an undocumented immigrants plea for water led to the discovery of 39 others inside and outside a trailer parked at a Walmart at 8538 Interstate 35 on the South Side. The air conditioner for the trailer had broken, officials said. Related: Millennial turnout fueled Lopez Obrador win in Mexico. Will Texas Latinos make waves in November? Eight of the immigrants were found dead when police arrived, and two more died later at area hospitals. The others were treated for heat-related injuries, some so severe that they had to continue getting kidney dialysis months later. Survivors of the operation, which originated in Laredo, told investigators that there may have been more than 70 migrants in the trailer because several were whisked away by vehicles that followed them into the parking lot. U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro, who spoke at the vigil at RAICES offices near downtown on 1305 N. Flores St., said that what struck him the most about the incident is that there was no article naming all the victims of the incident. I wonder, first of all, who these folks were, on a very basic and human level. What their names were, their families, whether they had kids, what were their favorite colors and favorite songs where their homes were, Castro said. Castro, San Antonio District 4 Councilman Rey Saldana and state Rep. Diego Bernal each agreed that without taking time to remember the victims of immigration, it often becomes easier for people and politicians to dehumanize the overall discussion of policy. People wonder if its about policy or logistics, its neither. Its about whether or not people have the ability to live out life itself, Bernal said. Related: Immigrant families separated at border arrive with complex stories Vigil attendee Frank Trevino, 62, said he went to the scene the next day to search for immigrants still hiding in the woods surrounding the Walmart. Since then, hes been following the developments as the smuggling case made its way through federal court. Senior U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra sentenced the driver of the 18-wheeler, trucker James Matthew Bradley Jr., to two concurrent life sentences in April. Hopefully it sends a message, Trevino said. In this case, two concurrent life sentences are a great precedent. Unfortunately, too many get away. He hoped that the vigil would continue to keep people aware of the conditions many immigrants face when trying to make it into the United States. jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA Pete Gallego canceled a planned meeting with the families of Sandy Hook victims. Roland Gutierrez in a campaign email blast on July 18, 2018 In a fundraising appeal, state Rep. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio portrayed fellow Democrat Pete Gallego of Alpine as a career politician whose cozy relationship with the National Rifle Association prompted him to scrap a meeting with the parents of Sandy Hook children. As a U.S. House member, we confirmed, Gallego fielded a donation from the NRA, which graded his record highly. But he also met with the parents concerned about gun issues though not at the originally scheduled time, interviews and photos show. Gutierrez and Gallego are among eight contenders seeking to serve the more than two years left in convicted felon Carlos Urestis term representing Texas Senate District 19. The election is Tuesday. RELATED: Abbott endorses Flores ahead of Tuesday election for Uresti's state Senate seat In the campaign email blast, Gutierrez declared that Gallego in a moment of political cowardice, canceled a planned meeting with the families of Sandy Hook victims, referring to the 2012 mass shooting at the Newtown, Conn., elementary school that left 20 children and six staff members dead. The Dec. 14, 2012, massacre occurred 20 days before Gallego, who was in the Texas House for more than 20 years, began what proved to be one term representing Texas 23rd Congressional District. A group of victims family members met with individual lawmakers in June 2013, about six months into Gallegos term. So, did Gallego cancel his meeting with shooting victims families? A web link in Gutierrezs email led us to a June 15, 2013, Huffington Post news article recapping efforts by victims families and friends to seek a change in law requiring background checks for all gun purchases. Federal law requires such checks for purchases from licensed gun dealers but not in private transactions including gun shows. The Post story indeed says Gallego canceled his meeting with Newtown Action Alliance, a group that describes itself as a Newtown-based, national grassroots organization whose mission is to achieve the steady and continuous reduction of gun violence through legislative and cultural changes. Also, the story says, Gallegos office did not immediately respond to the Posts request for comment. But hold on: An update affixed at the end of the story quotes Erin Nikitchyuk, a mother whose son survived the rampage, saying that Gallego rescheduled and then held his meeting with the group, during which he was conscientious and welcoming. We asked Nikitchyuk about the described meeting through Facebook messages. She replied: I absolutely remember meeting with him. In fact, his is the most memorable meeting I had. Nikitchyuk subsequently messaged us the groups itinerary from its trip to Washington, D.C., June 12 and 13, 2013 and showing that family members initially expected to meet Gallego at 9:45 a.m. on June 13. She also connected us with another Alliance member, Kari Hulgaard, who posted photos on Facebook of Gallego in the Alliance-coordinated meeting. Hulgaard posted the photos on Facebook June 14, 2013, and made the photos viewable to anyone after we made our inquiries. By text, she told us she wasnt sure if the meeting took place that day or simply later than the originally scheduled 9:45 a.m. June 13. Our group was able to spend a generous amount of time with Gallego, Hulfaard wrote. He was most endearing and helpful in gaining perspective about how politics work in Texas when it comes to gun violence and gun laws. Nikitchyuk separately reported that the brother of one teacher who lost her life and at least one survivor sibling, were among attendees. RELATED: Flores hopes to pull a Lujan in Senate special election Gallego, asked for his account, said by phone that the meeting singled out by Gutierrez wasnt canceled; it was slightly postponed, he said. Gallego said he ultimately met with "eight to 10" members of the Alliance for "an hour, hour and a half," he estimated. So, did Gallego commit, after meeting family members, to supporting universal gun-purchase background checks? He did not, according to the Post story, which quotes Nikitchyuk saying, we clearly do not have his vote on supporting background checks at this time. According to Nikitchyuk, alliance members asked Gallego this year where he stands. Gallego responded, Do you want to know where I stand or how Ill vote? Because theyre not necessarily the same thing, she said. He went on to tell the Alliance they would need to change the hearts and minds of his constituents, Nikitchyuk said. By phone, Gallego said he didnt remember saying he wouldnt support a bill mandating universal background checks, but did recall talking to the group about restoring a federal assault weapons ban. Nonetheless, Gallego said by text that he now believes if youre buying a weapon, whether at a store or at a gun show or through most private transactions, you should pass a background check. Colin Strother, a political consultant to Gutierrez, stood by Gutierrezs claim that Gallego had canceled the meeting. By phone, Strother also noted that Gallego in Congress had an A-level rating from the National Rifle Association, which donated $1,000 to Gallegos congressional campaign in 2014, federal filings show. Strother also said Gutierrez supports universal background checks and a federal ban on assault weapons. Our ruling Gutierrez said Gallego as a U.S. House member canceled a planned meeting with the families of Sandy Hook victims. This claim proved factually incomplete. Interviews and photographs demonstrate that Gallego postponed yet held the meeting at issue. The gathering took place a few hours or possibly a day after it was originally scheduled. We rate the claim False: The statement is not accurate. Guadalupe Plaza sits on the historic West Side surrounded by cultural, artistic and religious treasures. It famously hosted Pope John Paul II in 1987 and stands across from the beloved Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church and next to the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, one of the oldest Latino arts organizations in the country that offers yearlong programming and is entrusted with the landmark Guadalupe Theater. Though the plaza is city-owned, the Avenida Guadalupe Association long has been contracted to lease the space and maintain it. The nonprofit has several buildings nearby, too, and among its tenants are the AARP and the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions. A few blocks away, the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center holds a significant presence at Rinconcito de Esperanza, from which it produces yearlong arts and culture programming. Bakeries, restaurants and the old Davila Pharmacy add to the areas bustling car and pedestrian traffic. For me, that swath of Guadalupe Street makes up the heart of the West Side, and its where Jesse Trevinos magnificent La Veladora looks over us. One public space in the midst of all this activity stands stoic underused, essentially cut off and surrounded by what was supposed to be a temporary fence. The plazas playground sits alone, no child at play. Theres something very wrong with this picture. And it requires the city of San Antonio to take back the plaza from its contractor, reactivate it with consistent programming, and establish a group that assists, in part, by setting up a clear, fair and affordable rental fee schedule that encourages use of the plaza. Related: The once-famous Hot Wells bathhouse gets a facelift The city must assess whatever crime issues are happening in the area that propelled the Avenida Guadalupe to erect the fence and determine whether it had the authority to put it up in the first place. Most importantly, Avenida Guadalupes 2-year-old temporary, 6-foot chain-link fence must come down. District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales isnt alone in saying theres no doubt its been up way too long. Avenida, a nonprofit economic development agency, has hopes of constructing a permanent fence and gating system. But thats not a solution to a public space that should be engaged with its community, accessible to those who seek to rent it and a focal point of community policing. A fence is problematic for a lot of reasons. Its a control measure that says more about a contracting agency that has come to see the plaza as its own property, not the publics. The Westside Preservation Alliance says the plaza has been wrongly stigmatized and believes the more its in consistent use, the more misuse is discouraged. Historian Antonia Castaneda, a leader of the alliance, says even the optics of a fence in this political climate are bad. Its a fence to keep people out, and the people are the children of the West Side, she said. This is not who we want to be, added historian and curator Sarah Gould, who with Castaneda penned an op-ed piece about the controversy. Related: West Side arts space The Parish a haven for priced-out artists Theyve been unable to find record of a city permit for the fence and were told by city officials the fence was erected without city approval. The Westside Preservation Alliance has drawn a connection to the perceptions of loitering, drug use and other crimes in the area to the absence of scheduled programming, high rental fees (and) dirty bathrooms. Fencing the plaza addresses none of these issues, they wrote. Can you imagine Main Plaza being fenced off for two years due to a perception of crime? Gonzales understands why the fence was put up in the first place. She recounts times when she has felt uneasy or unsafe at Guadalupe Plaza. But she said Friday that managing the plaza ultimately will have to be the citys job, not the job of a contractor that may not have the resources to do it. In my opinion, it needs to be maintained similarly to Travis Park, Gonzales said. It will take a large entity (like the city) working with several partners. I think perhaps we just need a new model. She said a public meeting on Guadalupe Plaza is set for Aug. 30. Elaine Ayala covers religion and minority affairs in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala Re: Uresti requests his pension, Business, Wednesday: Has he no shame? Ex-lawmaker (and convicted law-breaker) Carlos Uresti now wants his taxpayer funded pension because he has no funds to pay for his necessary living expenses? Well, if I remember correctly, we citizens of Texas have already arranged to pay those all he has to do is report to prison to serve his sentence. The man has fed at the public trough long enough. Time to go to jail and no pass go! Ed Albert Alarmist news Recently, one of our TV stations led its 6 p.m. show with late breaking news regarding a report of a shooting at Mission Ridge Range and Academy. There was a helicopter shot of the building and the anchors said not a lot of information available on what happened just yet and the fire department responded to a trauma there and that there was no word if the shooting was near or inside the building, whether anyone was hit, or how badly anyone may be injured. Why is this important? For years, I have watched the news and commented on how they can report a non-report, i.e., information that does not tell anything but causes families to worry. Now that has come to my family. As the parent of a Mission Ridge employee, I knew there were procedures to be followed and that my family member would not be able to communicate with me. I knew that I could not call the range and inquire. I knew I could not drive over there because it was an active scene and all the police needed was a worried parent. It was two very long hours of distress waiting to hear if my family member was safe. (An accidental shooting by one employee on another). I would ask all the broadcast media to look long and hard at their policy of leading with sensational news and wait until they have the facts. This is the responsible thing to do, instead of causing needless distress for families. Laurita Old Hudec On to Pence If the Republicans in Congress were smart (debatable), they would impeach President Trump for high crimes (everything Russian) and misdemeanors (too many to enumerate). This would unburden the GOP of a divisive leader and promote Vice President Mike Pence to the Oval Office. Pence would bring a proven track record of governance and restore sanity to the White House. One can only hope! Jeff Devens No tsunami I appreciated O. Ricardo Pimentels column in a recent Sunday Opinion section in which he stated the Democrats much anticipated blue wave in the November elections might turn out to be a blue ripple instead. Im sure Pimentel is right on. I also think special counsel Robert Muller is like a hog trying to walk on ice. Mueller is going nowhere with his investigation. I think another special counsel should be appointed to investigate Hillary Clintons and Barack Obamas nefarious activities. Emmett Stork Gun facts Re: Its on the NRA, Your Turn, June 12: A recent letter from C.H. Du Vol contained many factual errors that I feel need to be addressed. The first error is that I, a member of the NRA and licensed to carry a concealed weapon in public, feel that the right to keep and bear arms is granted by the Constitution in the form of the Second Amendment. Our Constitution does not grant or bestow any rights on any American citizen. Instead our Constitution, as amended, protects our inherent human rights from government intrusion, as anyone who has taken a course in government during their middle school years should know. The Second Amendment is the basis of the power of the people to enforce these ideals. The second error is in thinking that there are not already laws in place to prevent violent criminals from obtaining firearms and using them in the commission of a crime. That these laws are ineffectual is not because I have the right to keep and bear arms. It is because criminals are not inclined to follow laws that pertain to them being forbidden to carry weapons and use them during criminal activity. Craft a law which will do this effectively and without trampling my rights (hint: it cant be done) and I will certainly back it 100 percent. Hey, get more parents of criminals to teach their children right from wrong and maybe you wont feel we need more ineffective laws on the subject. The third error is that the NRA possesses the wealth to influence legislation and elections. The paltry sums the NRA gives to candidates pales in comparison to the billions given by gun control groups to ensure their legislation and candidates are successful. That these candidates are not successful is due to the fact the there is an actual majority of people in this nation that firmly support the Second Amendment, and that this is the true power and influence of organizations like the NRA. The fourth error is that government needs to step in to protect the general populace if I cant stop criminals from using firearms in the commission of violent crime. In fact, the government needs to bow out and stop restricting the right of the people to keep and bear arms wherever and whenever they choose. This and giving maximum sentences to criminals convicted of firearms violations are the only two ways to reduce the incidence of violent crime in our society. Robert E. Thornburgh III, Canyon Lake A developers plan to build a condo tower in Tobin Hill is at risk of tumbling down as three brothers battle over whether their mother was of sound mind when one of them sold the property on her behalf. Alice Gonzales, 93, raised her family on the property on St. Marys Street where local company Limitless Creations wants to build a cluster of four-story and eight-story condo towers named Legacy Lofts. For decades, she managed a food market in a squat brick building that would be incorporated into the development, selling groceries on credit to customers who couldnt pay, her grandson John Gonzales said. She finally retired after a robber hit her over the head with a pistol. The proposed towers would bring a new level of density to Tobin Hill, a neighborhood of single-family homes thats attracting interest from developers with the growth of the Pearl nearby. But a lawsuit between the brothers could entangle the project. Alice sold the property to Limitless, led by CEO Robert Melvin, in April 2017. But the signature on the deed isnt hers its that of her son, Anthony Gonzales, who has taken care of her since her husband died in 1993. Anthony has sold two other Tobin Hill properties on her behalf in recent years. Anthony was sued last year by his brothers, Ernest and Lester, who claim that he sold the properties without his mothers knowledge and used some of the proceeds for himself, according to filings from Bexar County Probate Court. A doctor who examined Alice determined she has a major neurocognitive disorder, court filings show. Related: Condo towers would bring taste of New York to Tobin Hill Ernest and Lester are seeking more than $1 million in damages and to have their mothers property sales reversed. John said he used to look up to his uncle Anthony, who he said gave him his first beer and was more of a big brother than an uncle. You dont do that to elderly people, and you dont do that to your family, he said. Anthony wasnt available for comment, but his wife, Adelina Gonzales, called the lawsuit a family matter that had nothing to do with Legacy Lofts. She said Alice is sound in body and mind. Thats fake news, sir. And someones going to find themselves in trouble, she said. They want to have guardianship. She does not want to go with them. She doesnt want to do anything with them. Melvin, the developer, said he isnt concerned about the lawsuits impact on the project, which he hopes to start building in September. He wasnt aware of the dispute when he bought the land, he said. The property is owned free and clear, he said. This is new to me that she has dementia or is mentally incompetent. The legal battle started in August 2016, when Ernest Gonzales filed an application in Bexar County Probate Court to become his mothers guardian. A few months earlier, Anthony had sold a home his mother owned near the Pearl and used the proceeds to buy a $229,000 house on the far West Side, in his name, where he lives with his mother and takes care her, according to the court filings. Ernest and Lester say their brother alienates their mother from the rest of the family and monitors her phone calls. As a result, she didnt make it to a party celebrating Ernests 50th wedding anniversary, John said. Related: Family fight over ex-San Antonio professor's assets quietly settled After the court ordered for Alice to undergo a mental examination, local doctor Jason Schillerstrom diagnosed her with a major neurocognitive disorder and estimated that she had lacked the ability to make decisions for at least two years, the filings show. When he examined her in September 2017, she wasnt aware of the sale of her Tobin Hill properties or the legal battle between her sons, and she thought her husband died in 1973, when he really died in 1993, according to Schillerstroms report. The three brothers agreed on a settlement in February 2017 that said their mothers property would be put into a trust managed by a neutral entity. The home that Anthony purchased would be considered an advance to him from his mothers estate, and he would continue exercising power of attorney for her until the trust was created. Two months later, Anthony sold the property on St. Marys Street on Alices behalf to Melvins company, Legacy Lofts on St Marys LLC, property records show. He also sold a quarter-acre lot at 603 Evergreen, two blocks away, to another buyer. Melvin said that Alice seemed very lucid when he met with her before the sale. There was nothing about our interactions that gave me the impression that anything was wrong with her mental faculties, he said. Alice Gonzales didnt get any money from the sale of the St. Marys property, but she is a partner in the condo tower and will receive 20 percent of its revenue, Melvin said. John questions whether that was a good deal, especially as land values in Tobin Hill are soaring. The propertys value more than doubled between 2014 and 2018, from $352,380 to $838,570, according to the Bexar Appraisal District. Hes also worried that his grandmother wont get much of anything if Legacy Lofts isnt built. The project has run into opposition from some nearby residents who are concerned it would tower over nearby bungalows. Were not opposed to the property being sold we knew the property was going to need to be sold at some point because property taxes started going up, John said. But there are better deals. Related: Guadalupe Plaza must be restored as public, engaged space Money is a concern because Alice could live for many more years her mother reached age 104, John said. Melvin said Alice will receive more than the lands current value under their partnership. He said he hasnt given any thought to what would happen if the towers arent built. Anthonys sale of the St. Marys property led Ernest to file a lawsuit in county probate court accusing him of fraud and breach of contract. The suit sought more than $1 million in damages and asked for a restraining order to keep him from selling any more of their mothers possessions. It also asked for any property that Anthony sold to be returned. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed in August 2017, the court issued a restraining order that prohibits the property at 603 Evergreen from being developed; the court filing doesnt make it clear whether the St. Marys property is also included. Attorneys for Alice, Ernest and Anthony didnt respond to requests for comment. The case is now awaiting another hearing after a judge appointed a new attorney for Alice in May. Some Tobin Hill residents think an 8-story condo tower would be too tall for the St. Marys property, which is next to single-story and two-story historic homes. Melvin is in talks with the Tobin Hill Community Association to work out a compromise. Were still hoping for a compromise with these people, said Lynn Knapik, who serves on the associations historic review committee. We just want the right development that fits with the neighborhood and doesnt change the fabric of the neighborhood in a drastic way. Melvin has to overcome some regulatory hurdles before he can build. Earlier this month, the citys Planning Commission recommended changing the propertys land-use designation from low-density residential to low-density mixed use. That wont allow for as much density as Melvin wants to build, his lawyer Patrick Christensen said. He hopes the Zoning Commission and City Council will later approve a higher level of density. Zoning will consider the case Aug. 7. The neighborhoods meetings with the development team have been friendly, Knapik said, but she wishes the property werent the subject of a family dispute. I feel like families should work together on these things, she said. Id rather see something that the whole family is happy about, rather than one person. Richard Webner is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | rwebner@express-news.net | Twitter: @RWebner Things have been hot in the kitchen at Kent School and its not from the summer sun. The school in Connecticut is one of two in the nation hosting Camp MasterChef!, a culinary getaway for kids and teens. Based on the TV reality cooking shows MasterChef and MasterChef Junior starring chef Gordon Ramsay, youths spend camping time learning their way around the kitchen and up their culinary skills thanks to a kitchen full of well-known guest chefs. Beginning Aug. 5, MasterChef Season 6 winner Claudia Sandoval will be the featured cook in the kitchen. Sandoval, the first Latina to ever win the cooking reality show, has since authored a cookbook, Claudias Cocina, A Taste of Mexico, launched a culinary consulting and catering company and is a judge on the new Telemundo Mexican television show, MasterChef Latino. A California resident and mother of a pre-teen, Sandoval recently took her apron off to chat about the benefits of spending time in the kitchen, the new interest by children to cook, her newfound celebrity and her first trip to Connecticut. Cooking camp! Who would have imagined thats what a kid would want to do over the summer! Tell me what the idea was about hosting such camps for youngsters who are interested in such an experience? And why so much interest? The Camp MasterChef! camps are focused on teaching pre-teens and teenagers elementary-level cooking skills as well as some advanced skills. With the growing number of cooking shows on television like MasterChef Jr. aimed at youngsters who love to cook, its not surprising that more and more young people want to learn more about creating and cooking in the kitchen. We have found that the kids love watching MasterChef Jr. and the adults on MasterChef as well and are actually some of the biggest fans of that show. Cooking has become kind of cool and the bonus is that kids are authentically creative and they bring it to the kitchen. What can kids learn at camp beyond the apparent, cooking for themselves or others? As a mom, how has cooking become part of the way you are bring up your daughter? Its not just about making food. At the camp, team building and working as a team are a big part of the camp experience. And that is huge when it comes to developing life skills. They have to learn to work collaboratively at camp where they will do team cooking competitions just like on the show. And when we make big dishes, like paella for instance, it is done restaurant style and that means everyone has a job to do, everyone contributes. And when we finish the dish, it is everyones success. What is a day at camp like? Well, we teach skills that run the gambit, how to use a knife, how to measure ingredients, follow a recipe, cooking terms, skills on the stove and in the oven. Classes bring in elements of the show, mystery boxes, team competition and individual competitions. Kids are very supportive of each other in the contests but they also have a drive to win. So many parents complain that their kids are not very adventurous when it comes to eating, especially in this day and age of takeout and delivery. How to do you nudge the campers into trying something different? Sometimes they just need some coaxing. And for some Ive seen, they are more adventurous because theyve watched the show and see different kinds of foods. As the first and still only Latina to win MasterChef, I like to share recipes from my culture. Ive found a lot of them have never had real Mexican food. So its kind of fun to watch them make it and then find out they like it. Again, I think they just need a little coaxing and little peer pressure; when they see everyone else trying it, doesnt hurt either. You have shared so many of your own memories from your parents and grandparents kitchens. How did that inspire you, even as a child and as a mother? As a mother, I took a page out of my moms and grandmothers books when it came to cooking with my own daughter. I got her in the kitchen early and got her comfortable with failure. I started her with scrambled eggs. I think it is super-important to get back to familial things. Instead of texting and online-games and videos, separate from technology a little bit each day and get together in the kitchen and make something together. Its not difficult to do and makes good memories. You have a cookbook and are a judge on the new MasterChef Latino show on Telemundo. Are you still pinching yourself about the fact that your love of cooking has turned into celebrity? Every single day I pinch myself. I cant walk through Target without being recognized and I still cant believe it. I think I knew I had become a celebrity when I started reading articles critiquing me and that was a learning experience. You cant be prepared for that aspect of celebrity. You have tolerant to stay on your feet. Your absolutely favorite meal? Chiles Rellenos. Chiles stuffed with cheese and then coated in an egg batter, fried and then covered with tomato sauce. Its a homey meal. It takes a little time to make, but for me thats therapeutic. When Im making them and close my eyes, I feel like I am in my grandmas kitchen. So your experience on MasterChef. Taskmaster celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, badass or marshmallow? He is a great father and great human being. And as far as MasterChef, I made a lot of new friends, I learned to cook some amazing food and walked away with an experience that changed my life. Tell me something most people dont know about you. My degree is actually in political science. And despite my heritage, Mexican food is not my favorite. It is Italian and I love gnocchi. For more information on Camp MasterChef go to campmasterchef.com I used to believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and politicians. I actually thought the first two brought me gifts and the latter cared about me and my community. Well, those days are gone. We are now neck-deep in the primary round of campaigning for our states top officials and I hope youve been paying attention. The empty promises are piling up pretty fast, especially when it comes to transportation. A few candidates have been brave enough to endorse the idea of tolls while others just mouth vague platitudes like we should have free-flowing traffic on I-95... No explanations of how or whod pay for it, just the pandering promises. Why not a chicken in every pot, too? For the past few years, I have had a standing offer to meet with anyone running for public office to talk about transportation. Republican, Democrat, Independent I dont care. If you want to build an informed platform on this issue, Ill give you the history and perspective and you take it from there. Ill explain Metro-Norths complicated relationship with the state Department of Transportation. Ill give you the facts about the pilfering of money from the Special Transportation Fund by both Republicans and Democrats. I know all this stuff, having immersed myself in it for more than 20 years. And I know there are no easy answers. So far this election, Ive met with two gubernatorial candidates and several folks running for state representative and state Senate. I wont reveal the names, but I will tell you Ive found two things to be true: First, Regardless of party affiliation, most candidates know nothing about transportation, and second, their solutions to the problem they dont understand are facile. One- party rule is a dangerous thing as the Democrats have shown the past eight years. Holding a super-majority breeds arrogance and zero interest in the minority partys views. If the Republicans flip things to their favor in November, Im sure theyd be just as arrogant. A pox on both their houses. Heres what I do not understand: Why are Democrats and Republicans unwilling to work together, especially on issues of common interest, like transportation? Did you know there is no caucus in the state Legislature of Ds and Rs from Fairfield County? With all the issues this transportation-crippled corner of Connecticut shares in common, the state representatives and state senators from this area do not meet to strategize how to fight for our areas interests. Instead, they caucus only with the members of their own party and snipe at each other and whoever is governor. More Information Join the conversation Use #GettingThereCT to chime in on Facebook and Twitter See More Collapse Its so much easier to blame than to fix. I knew party politics on the national level was bad, but this is ridiculous. Whether Republican or Democrat, if you represent voters in Fairfield County, you should meet with your fellow pols and fight for the region, not score political points by tweeting attacks to your base. So pardon my cynicism as we get ready for the Aug. 14 primary. Im just losing faith in the whole system. Jim Cameron is a longtime commuter advocate based in Fairfield County. Contact him at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com STAMFORD The Greenwich Education Group has donated $3,500 to Stamford-based REACH Prep, an organization which helps black and Latino students from underserved communities get into and thrive in independent schools. The funds were a result of Greenwich Education Groups ninth annual Private Day and Boarding School Fair on May 15, where over 100 independent schools from across the United States and Canada paid for booths visited by local families and students. Each year, Greenwich Education Group (GEG) donates proceeds from the event to local non-profits. Past recipients include Greenwich Parks and Recreation for scholarships for underserved children to attend camp, as well as the Greenwich Alliance, according to Victoria Newman, founder and executive director of the Greenwich Education Group. This year, we decided to give 50 percent of (our proceeds) to REACH Prep because we have worked over the years with REACH, providing tutoring and test prep at affordable levels, Newman said. Its an amazing organization. We love their program, we like their mission, we like that they help underserved kids. Its such an important part of who we are as a company and our values. Newman said GEG also provides discounted tutoring services to REACH Prep scholars. Stamford-based GEG also offers their Greenwich office for REACH Prep use if necessary. It helps REACH help the student success, Newman said. The end game is a win-win. If we get asked to do something where they are in need of somebody with our teaching expertise, we jump right in. The school fair is part of GEGs educational consulting services. The group assists in boarding and private school placement and the chance to find a school that is the best fit for the student, whether theyre looking for a STEM-focused curriculum, or a drama program or other criteria. Parents come with their kids because a lot of schools end in eighth grade and the kids need a high school, Newman said. This is an incredible opportunity for parents and students to meet admissions directors and talk to them and figure out what theyre all about. Its something we do for the community...It gets on our mission of finding the best fit school. GEG operates several Stamford-based schools, including Links Academy, The Pinnacle School and The Spire School. erin.kayata @stamfordadvocate.com BRIDGEPORT Inconsistency in Bassick High School leadership has been the only thing parents, students and staff at the citys smallest comprehensive high school have been able to count on for a solid decade. Which is why some 20 people came to a Monday afternoon press conference at the steps of City Hall in hopes of keeping Byron Williams as principal of the school. The crowd, bolstered by a petition with more than 300 signatures, said it would be a terrible mistake to reassign Williams after just a year on the job. Its hard to connect with a principal when we know we are going to get a different one every year, Kiana Johnson, a rising senior at Bassick, said. We cant connect. I want Dr. Williams. Williams is reportedly among city school administrators called to Central Office earlier this month and told they will be reassigned in the new school year. Under the administrators contract, assignment changes must be made by Aug. 1. Williams would not return phone calls for comment. Schools Superintendent Aresta Johnson is on vacation. John Di Donato, the district administrator who is filling in for Johnson this week, came to the press conference to acknowledge the concerns but said he was not in a position to answer attendees questions. Community members at the press conference also said moving Williams would be a mistake. I am saddened by what is happening at Bassick, City Council Member Ernie Newton said. I will say I feel Dr. Williams has made a great effort in at least showing that he cares for students, cares for teachers. Turning around a school, he said, takes longer than a year. Bassick has some of the worst test scores in the state and a chronic absentee problem. On the spring 2018 school administration of the SAT used as the state standardized test only 10 percent of juniors scored on grade level in English Language Arts and fewer than six students out of 155 tested scored on grade level in math. Newton promised to meet with the superintendent about the situation when she returns. Connie Johnson, Kianas mom, who said she works at Bassick as a data analyst, said changing the principal each year is not normal and not healthy. The kids deserve better, she said. Madana Tagnidoung, another rising senior at Bassick, said the last school year with Williams as principal was a good one for her. I felt comfortable, she said. I felt better about myself. Williams is a good principal. He would shake your hand in the hallways ... school fights went down by a lot. I dont really remember any of them, to be honest. Other students at the press conference said that under Williams, more students went to class and fewer were in the hallways. Ondrea Moore, a parent, said Bassick needs stability. She described Williams as a very compassionate man who cares about students and the community. Will the next principal keep up the same programs (such as nursing)? Moore asked. If Williams is reassigned, it would not be the first time. He came to the district when the Bridgeport Military Academy was started by then-Schools Chief Paul Vallas in 2013. The following year, he was reassigned to assistant principal roles at two elementary schools in the district before landing the job at Bassick last summer. It was his second time trying for that job. His appointment came despite objections from the Bassick School Governance Council and teachers. The basis for their objections was not available. This year, he has repeatedly clashed with Albert Benejan, who is president of the parent association. Benejan did not attend the press conference but posted comments online as it was being streamed live on Facebook, calling much of what was said lies. From the day Dr. Johnson decide to have Williams at Bassick (it has been) a disaster, Benejan said, describing efforts he said were made by Williams to get him removed as PTSO president and his son transferred out of the school. Driver Tyler Borth won six races for the second time this year on the 11-race program at Dresden Raceway on Sunday, July 29. Borth visited the winners circle with Sign Of Art, Burst Hanover, Team Leader, Kelly Rae, Gorgiouseverytyme and Dali Cat. Borth is the leading dash driver at Dresden Raceway with 33 wins after nine race cards. Though one of the few races that Borth didnt win was The Little Green Jug as Little Quick took home the hardware from the working mans version of the Little Brown Jug. Gd Cruise For Gold blasted off the gate to take the lead in the "Jug" with Go Mud in the two hole. As the field turned to the backstretch towards three-quarters, Little Quick was a half-length back sitting second on the outside when Go Mud pulled to the inside of the pylons. Go Mud was inside the pylons for three eighths of a mile and finished first but was placed eighth for the pylon violations. Little Quick was owned by Dave Deighton of Chatham and trained by Mike Carther but was claimed by Jack Harris of Haggersville. Dresden Raceway celebrated the life of former horseman Ted McFadden with the Ted McFadden Memorial Pace. McFaddens family was on hand to honour the third generation horseman who died in March of 2017. Ambers Shadow won the event in 2:01.3 for driver Garrett Rooney. The three-year-old Shadow Play filly is owned and trained by Mike Rogers while Rob Watson and Kevin Morin are co-owners. Caretakers were also honoured today for the important work they do at the track on a daily basis. Every winning caretaker received a gift as well as several draws that were held for all other grooms. The handle was $32,145 which puts the 2018 total handle up over $31,000 in comparison to the same days of last years total handle. (With files from Dresden Raceway) To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Dresden Raceway. With just over two weeks until the Aug. 14 primary, Democrats packed yet another town hall to hear from the candidates vying to represent the 5th Congressional District. Once again, there was no clear front runner between the party endorsed candidate Mary Glassman, and her primary challenger Jahana Hayes during a debate at Edmund Town Hall in Newtown Sunday afternoon, leaving many voters at a loss for who will earn their support. On the one hand, Mary has all this experience, but on the other hand, generally I think the Democrats need some new blood, so thats where some of my being torn comes from, said Susan Kassirer, of Sandy Hook, who made it to the debate despite a car breakdown on the way. Basically, I think its important to vote for the one thats going to win, Kassirer said, Never have I felt so strongly that we have to elect a Democrat, and its because of whats going on in Washington. Kassirer, who said she is still undecided about who to vote for, is part of a wave of Democrats getting involved in politics for the first time. She joined the Newtown Democratic Town Committee a year ago as a direct response to the results of the 2016 presidential election. Her friend, Lisa Schwartz, of Newtown, described herself as a political junkie and said shes been attending events like Sundays debate for over 25 years. Never, Schwartz said, has she seen a packed political event on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the end of July. It was standing room only as more than 150 people crowded into Town Hall for the hour-long debate. Normally, I dont think wed have this kind of showing, Schwartz said. Its really amazing. Newtown DTC chairman Eric Paradis moderated the debate, asking questions collected from voters through an online survey. On education, gun control, health care, and social issues like marriage equality, there was little to differentiate Glassman and Hayes, who despite vastly different backgrounds have mostly aligned on the issues. While the matchup has often drawn rowdy crowds and deafening applause at previous debates, it was hard to tell whose answers impressed the most, as the crowd was kept quiet by the moderator. Glassman, a two-time candidate for lieutenant governor who had two multi-term tenures as Simsburys first selectman, impressed audience members with her political experience. When you have someone who builds collaborations, builds partnerships, has a record of respect, a record of integrity, a record of getting things done, you know I can represent you and fight for you in Washington, because Ive done it every day for the past 25 years, Glassman said. Hayes, the Waterbury school districts talent and professional development supervisor who left the classroom after being named the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, detailed her experience outside of politics and the ways it would help her in Congress. Youre going to hear a lot about experience and what experience looks like, but what I want to tell you is that there are different ways of gaining invaluable experience, Hayes said, detailing her work implementing new curriculum in Waterbury, traveling the country and advocating for education reform. Democrats were forced to scramble in early April when three-term incumbent Elizabeth Esty announced she would not run for re-election after she made headlines for mishandling an office-abuse scandal involving her former chief of staff. The 5th District, which stretches from Bethel to the Massachusetts border and from western-most Connecticut to the central part of the state, represents Republicans best chance to break into Connecticuts all-Democratic Washington delegation. No matter who wins (the primary), Im going to be 100 percent behind that person, Schwartz said. Its such an interesting dynamic, because never have we really had two singular contenders ... Why cant one of them be running for governor or something. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt Wall Street analysts have given Botswana Diamonds a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Botswana Diamonds wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Wall Street analysts have given iShares Latin America 40 ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares Latin America 40 ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Colombia Capped ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Colombia Capped ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Read More TelefAnica Brasil S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides mobile and fixed telecommunications services to residential and corporate customers in Brazil. Its fixed line services portfolio includes local, domestic long-distance, and international long-distance calls; and mobile portfolio comprises voice and broadband internet access through 3G, 4G, and 4.5G, as well as mobile value-added services and wireless roaming services. The company also offers data services, including broadband and mobile data services. In addition, it provides pay TV services through direct to home satellite technology, IPTV, and cable, as well as pay-per-view and video on demand services; network services, such as rental of facilities; other services comprising internet access, private network connectivity, computer equipment leasing, extended service, caller identification, voice mail, cellular blocker, and others; wholesale services, including interconnection services to users of other network providers; and digital services, such as entertainment, cloud, and security and financial services, as well as sells wireless devices and accessories. Further, the company offers multimedia communication services, which include audio, data, voice and other sounds, images, texts, and other information, as well as sells devices, such as smartphones, broadband USB modems, and other devices. Additionally, it provides telecommunications solutions and IT support to various industries, such as retail, manufacturing, services, financial institutions, government, etc. It markets and sells its solutions through own stores, dealers, retail and distribution channels, door-to-door sales, and telesales. The company was formerly known as TelecomunicaAAes de SAo Paulo S.A. - TELESP and changed its name to TelefAnica Brasil S.A. in October 2011. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in SAo Paulo, Brazil. Read More by Douglas Roth | Rangers Correspondent | Sun, Jul 29th 8:59pm EDT Jordan Lyles threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks on Sunday. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three. He lowered his season ERA to 4.35. Fantasy Impact: Lyles return from right elbow inflammation seems to have gone off without a hitch. Lyles was impressive striking out three. He could finish out the year in the bullpen just to get some innings in or they could slowly stretch him back out. He is not worth owning at this time. Workers in the agricultural industry are most likely to lose out on their legal holiday entitlement, new analysis shows. New TUC analysis published reveals that 1 in 12 UK workers are not getting their legal holiday entitlement. The analysis estimates that 2.2 million employees are not getting the minimum paid leave entitlement they are due. And over half of this number (1.2 million) are not getting any paid leave at all. The analysis shows workers are losing out on nearly 3bn worth of paid leave a year. The sectors in which workers are most likely to lose out are agriculture (14.9%), followed by mining and quarrying (14.7%) and accommodation and food (13.9%). The TUC says the main reasons people are missing out include workers being set unrealistic workloads that do not allow time to take leave, and employers deliberately denying holiday requests and managing out peoples leave. Minimum holiday entitlements are a vital part of reducing overwork, says the TUC. People who work excessive hours are at risk of developing heart disease, stress and mental illness. 'Millions are missing out' The TUC is now urging HMRC to be granted new powers to clamp down on employers who deny staff their statutory holiday entitlement. This would include the power to ensure that workers are fully compensated for missed holidays. The government has recently consulted on enforcing holiday entitlements but has yet to announce any plans. TUC General Secretary, Frances OGrady said: 'Were now in peak holiday season. But while many workers are away enjoying time off with friends and family, millions are missing out. And that puts them at risk of burnout. 'Employers have no excuse for robbing staff of their well-earned leave. UK workers put in billions of hours of unpaid overtime as it is. The government must toughen up enforcement to stop bosses cheating staff out of their leave.' The analysis follows news of food campaign group Sustain highlighting how a new body is needed to negotiate wages and better conditions for agriculture workers. Labour has also pledged to reintroduce the Agricultural Wages Board in a move which Jeremy Corbyn says will 'bring back millions of pounds to English rural workers'. Food assurance scheme Red Tractor could increase the number of unannounced inspections following the release of undercover footage showing abuse at one of its certified pig farms. The footage, released by animal rights campaign group Animal Equality, shows a Bedfordshire pig farm committing harrowing acts of violence and neglect on its pigs. According to the organisation, Rosebury Farm in Dunstable is the sixth Red Tractor approved pig farm that Animal Equality has exposed animal suffering at in under a year. The footage shows a worker swinging piglets by a back leg and smashing their head against the wall, and pigs being shocked repeatedly with an electric prod to force them onto the slaughter truck, many prodded in the side and neck in violation of UK law. (Photo: Animal Equality) Veterinary expert Professor Andrew Knight confirmed the footage showed inhumane handling and killing of piglets as well as excessive and inappropriate use of an electric prod likely to cause pain and fear. Following release of the footage, Red Tractor has withdrawn the farms assurance certification. The farm assurance label has also set up a task force to consider introducing unannounced inspections carried out without notifying farmers in advance, The Times has confirmed. The Times has also revealed that only one in 1,000 farms certified by Red Tractor received an unannounced inspection last year. Peter Stevenson, chief policy adviser of Compassion in World Farming, told the paper: "Farm inspections by Red Tractor and other assurance schemes must be unannounced. "If Red Tractor wants to be taken seriously it must substantially strengthen its welfare standards." A Red Tractor spokesman said the health and welfare of animals is "crucial" to the farm assurance scheme and to the British public. "In common with many facets of life the Red Tractor scheme is only as strong as its weakest link. To maximise its effectiveness we undertake 60,000 inspections each year that we believe to be robust," the spokesman said. "On occasions a small minority of farmers may breach the rules and by doing so are cheating the system that is designed to re-assure the public. This behaviour will not be tolerated by Red Tractor and those discovered are removed from the scheme as was the case with Rosebury Farm. "Red Tractor work to ensure the highest standards are maintained and the British public can be confident that the vast majority of our farmers are proud of the work they do, producing great food for us all to enjoy." Vidyut Jammwal listed among World's top 6 martial artists | FilmiBeat Vidyut Jammwal has made the nation proud with his latest achievement. Reportedly, a leading US website named Looper recently released a list of top martial artists across the globe; and the 'Junglee' actor is the only Indian to have made it to this prestigious list. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, "Vidyut Jammwal is making news... An international website has ranked him amongst the top martial artists in the world... Vidyut's forthcoming film #Junglee readies for release on 5 April 2019... Produced by Junglee Pictures... Directed by Chuck Russell... Glimpses from the film" Meanwhile, the actor told IANS, "Honours like this help me give back to the community of Kalaripayattu to which I owe my life and all this success." He further added, "It has been a very fulfilling journey and I am looking forward to the audience experiencing more of Kalaripayattu in my upcoming film Junglee." Vidyut recently wrapped up the shooting for Junglee, which is about a unique relationship between a man and elephants. Produced by Junglee Pictures, it is directed by Chuck Russell, who has helmed Hollywood films such as The Mask, Eraser and The Scorpion King. Talking about Vidyut, Russell said, "It is great to see Vidyut being noted as the rising star in action films across the world. He has a rare combination of cinematic charm and killer moves that will make him unstoppable after this film." "What really distinguishes Vidyut is his deep knowledge of the martial art Kalaripayattu and his understanding of its philosophy to not only protect and fight but also use it to heal. I had the pleasure of creating his role in Junglee to play his style of action, supporting a positive message. I can't wait for audiences to see it on the big screen." To this, Vidyut said, "Chuck's kind words are icing on the cake. Working with him on Junglee was like a dream come true. He pushed me to extract one of my best performances so far." Junglee is slated to hit the theatrical screens on 5 April, 2019. (Inputs from IANS) VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE:FSM) (TSX:FVI) announces that it will release its financial statements and MD&A for the second quarter of 2018 on Wednesday, August 8, 2018 after the market closes. A conference call to discuss the financial and operational results will be held on Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific | 12:00 p.m. Eastern. Hosting the call will be Jorge A. Ganoza, President and CEO, and Luis D. Ganoza, Chief Financial Officer. Shareholders, analysts, media and interested investors are invited to listen to the live conference call by logging onto the webcast at: http://www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=176869 (http://www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=176869) or over the phone by dialing just prior to the starting time. Conference call details: Date: Thursday, August 9, 2018 Time: 9:00 a.m. Pacific | 12:00 p.m. Eastern Dial in number (Toll Free): +1.877.407.8035 Dial in number (International): +1.201.689.8035 Replay number (Toll Free): +1.877.481.4010 Replay number (International): +1.919.882.2331 Replay Passcode: 10455 Playback of the conference call will be available until August 23, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Playback of the webcast will be available until August 9, 2019. In addition, a transcript of the call will be archived on the company's website: https://www.fortunasilver.com/investors/financials/2018/ (https://www.fortunasilver.com/investors/financials/2018/). About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Fortuna is a growth oriented, precious metal producer with its primary assets being the Caylloma silver mine in southern Peru, the San Jose silver-gold mine in Mexico and the Lindero gold Project in Argentina. The company is selectively pursuing acquisition opportunities throughout the Americas and in select other areas. For more information, please visit its website at www.fortunasilver.com (http://www.fortunasilver.com/). ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY Carlos Baca Investor Relations Manager Trading symbols: NYSE: FSM | TSX: FVI Investor Relations: T (Peru): +51.1.616.6060, ext. 0 E: info@fortunasilver.com (mailto:info@fortunasilver.com) Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward looking statements which constitute "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "Forward looking Statements"). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward looking Statements. The Forward looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mines and mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Company's mines and mineral properties; mineral resource and reserve estimates; timelines; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; expenditures; approvals and other matters. Often, but not always, these Forward looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "will", "will be" or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations. Forward looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; changes in prices for silver and other metals; technological and operational hazards in Fortuna's mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; governmental and other approvals; political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to expectations regarding mine production costs; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that Forward looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward looking Statements. This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. via Globenewswire OSLO, Norway, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Reference is made to the three stock exchange notices published by Panoro Energy ASA ("Panoro", or the "Company") on 28 June 2018 regarding Panoro's acquisition of DNO Tunisia AS and successful completion of the oversubscribed book-building of the equity private placement (the "Private Placement"). Panoro is pleased to announce that the Company has today completed the acquisition of DNO Tunisia AS and all the conditions have been met to proceed with the settlement of the Private Placement, issue of new shares and delivery of treasury shares. John Hamilton, CEO of Panoro, said: "We are very excited to have closed this transformational transaction with DNO. This acquisition complements our existing E&P portfolio, bringing with it a pipeline of new projects. Our operating capability is greatly enhanced by the skilled team based in Tunisia which will assist us in achieving our ambitious in-country growth objectives". For further information, please contact: John Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer Qazi Qadeer, Chief Financial Officer Tel: +44-203-405-1060 Email: info@panoroenergy.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12, section 4-2 and 4-4 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. About Panoro Energy Panoro Energy ASA is an independent E&P company based in London and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange with ticker PEN. The Company holds high quality production, exploration and development assets in Africa, namely the Dussafu License offshore southern Gabon, OML 113 offshore western Nigeria and the Sfax Offshore Exploration Permit, the Ras El Besh Concession, and the Hammamet Offshore Exploration Permit offshore Tunisia. For more information visit the Company's website at www.panoroenergy.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/panoro-energy-asa/r/panoro-energy-announces-closing-of-the-acquisition-of-dno-tunisia-as,c2583393 The following files are available for download: A swarm of earthquakes shook the Cascadia Subduction Zone off of the Oregon coast on Sunday morning shortly after 9:00 a.m., according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The swarm marks the second in just a 5-day span giving fair warning to coastal residents that the Big One could hit anytime. After a string of almost a dozen minor quakes last week, the waters off the southern Oregon coast approximately 280 miles west of Florence, Oregon rumbled with yet another M5.3 quake on Sunday morning, at 9:10 a.m. and was followed by a series of 4 aftershocks: M 5.3 Off the coast of Oregon M 3.2 Off the coast of Oregon M 3.0 Off the coast of Oregon M 3.8 Off the coast of Oregon M 4.4 Off the coast of Oregon There was no tsunami alert issued, and there are only 10 reports of it being felt on land. The quake was about seven miles beneath the sea floor. The swarm marks the second in just a 5-day span giving fair warning to coastal residents who have already been warned as early as 2015 by a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast from a mega-tsunami if indeed the big one hits. Experts fear a mega-tsunami could be headed to the west coast in the near future as the fault is overdue for the big one. Residents should remain vigilant. A string of 10 quakes happened Tuesday morning, mostly about 125 miles west of Gold Beach. The largest was a 5.6 magnitude. USGS The RBI, in June, 2018, directed banks and white-label ATM operators (WLAOs) to implement anti-skimming and white listing solutions by March 2019. The largest data breach in Indias banking sector, in 2016 due to a malware injection, is still afresh in our minds. In fact, a recent ASSOCHAM study revealed that credit and debit card frauds have witnessed a six-fold increase in the past three years. Fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated and efficient in identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities. All businesses including those online are losing revenue owing to mean-scheming hackers and fraudsters every single day. To protect business and customers from constantly changing fraud threats, there is a need for adopting the latest technologies that offer flexibility, responsiveness, scalability and adaptability without sacrificing accuracy. One must always remember that staying ahead of fraud is a never-ending battle. Against that backdrop, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on 21 June, 2018, as part of its control measures for ATMs correctly directed banks and white-label ATM operators (WLAOs) to implement anti-skimming and white listing solutions by March 2019. In addition, the directive asks all banks and WLAOs to phase-wise upgrade all ATMs with supported versions of the operating system by June 2019. RBI added that any deficiency in timely and effective compliance with the instructions may invite appropriate supervisory enforcement action. By August 2018, the RBI has directed banks to implement security measures such as the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) password, disabling USB ports, disabling auto run facility, applying the latest patches of operating system and other software, adding a terminal security solution and implementing time-based admin access. The central bank has also asked banks to upgrade all ATMs with supported versions of the operating system. These upgrades should be carried out in a phased manner and are as follows: not less than 25 percent of the ATMs should be upgraded by September 2018; at least 50 percent by December 2018; at least 75 percent by March 2019 and the rest by June 2019. Why must banks make the switch? For the financial services sector, the process of upgrading IT tools to the latest versions should be a priority. With the potential consequences of continuing to run outdated and unsupported operating systems so high, especially in devices such as ATMs, banks cannot afford to get left behind. The longer financial institutions put off their migration plans, the more likely they are to fail to complete the process before the deadline. If banks are still running unsupported operating systems, they will be exposed to a wide range of issues and security threats. This could also potentially affect the interests of the banks customers, as well as damage the image of the bank. Upgrading to Windows 7 and Windows 10 will deliver new value and benefit to banks and their customers. Also, new technology will help banks gain a competitive advantage over their rivals. Upgrades will also benefit the banks in the following ways: 1) Maintain high standards of security and responsibility 2) Cut costs by planning for the long-term 3) Improve customer experience 4) Enhance operations and management efficiencies 5) Save time with quick installation and easy recovery 6) Simplify connectivity 7) Improve stability and longevity Windows 7 and Windows 10 have emerged as the corporate standard operating system across the world. However, it is beneficial for banks to upgrade to Windows 10 as Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7 on 14 January, 2020. While the shift to Windows 10 will ensure that financial institutions will continue to benefit from security patches and other updates to keep their systems protected, migrations should be seen as much more than guarding against potential vulnerabilities. It should also be viewed as an opportunity to embrace the latest technology and keep up with innovation in the industry. Upgrading to the latest operating system also enables banks to modernise their systems and support branch transformation solutions such as the latest self-service tools to improve the user experience. Windows 10 will also help organisations integrate technology such as Internet of Things (IoT) smart sensors, biometrics and contactless technologies into their ATM fleets. With Windows 10 set for a ten-year life cycle, this can ensure that banks are well set up for many years to come. Today, upgrading ATMs remains the need of the hour for banks since it is preferable and indeed far more responsible to implement an operating system that is subject to a significant and continuous investment in security vis-a-vis one that has no response available to new criminal attacks. The clock is ticking for banks that still rely on the old version for their key systems. India has the third largest number of installed ATMs, behind China and the USA but about 74 percent of all automated teller machines (ATMs) of public sector banks (PSBs) are running on outdated software, which makes these machines highly vulnerable to frauds. With many challenges still to overcome, cash continues to remain the worlds most trusted and fastest form of payment. The ATM remains an extremely important element of the modern retail banking industry. It will continue to play an important role in how banks interact with consumers and deliver services. Brick-and-mortar, brick-and-click, or completely web-based, it does not matter where payment transactions take place. Organisations must realise that data security and fraud prevention are essential to the success of their entire business. It is no more a choice but a priority. (The author is managing director, NCR India) Earlier this year, Sebi had barred Price Waterhouse network firms from issuing audit certificates to any listed company in India for two years after finding the audit major guilty in the multi-crore Satyam Computer Services scam that came to light in January 2009. New Delhi: An auditor should give a disclaimer saying that it cannot express an opinion if accounts of the company are incorrect, instead of leaving the audit work halfway, IT veteran T V Mohandas Pai said. In recent times, scores of auditors have left audit work of companies, mostly listed ones, citing various reasons. The former Infosys director said now the instances of auditors quitting listed firms "is happening more because Sebi banned Price Waterhouse for two years after the Satyam thing". "Earlier, the auditors were not afraid. But now, they fear that if they are caught, Sebi would ban them," Pai told PTI in an interview. Earlier this year, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had barred Price Waterhouse network firms from issuing audit certificates to any listed company in India for two years after finding the audit major guilty in the multi-crore Satyam Computer Services scam that came to light in January 2009. "If an auditor is taking up an audit, the auditor must have courage to stand up, qualify the accounts or give a disclaimer to say that it can't express an opinion because they are cooked up. They should not just chicken out and go. "If they chicken out and go, the regulator should prosecute them," Pai said. In recent weeks, Price Waterhouse quit audit mandate of Vakrangee and Atlanta, while Deloitte resigned as statutory auditor of Manpasand Beverages. All three are listed companies. According to Pai, it is not correct if the auditors go halfway and then quit the audit work of the firm, as then "nobody will touch that company". He said that once the auditors take up an audit work, they must complete it and give a disclaimer saying that the books cannot give a true and fair view and so we are unable to give a true and fair view. "The regulator... must pass a rule to say that once you (auditor) take up an audit, until you complete the work you can't go," Pai said. Last month, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs P P Chaudhary had said that the ministry is examining recent cases of resignation of auditors from companies. The Companies Act, 2013 contains elaborate provisions regarding liability of statutory auditors in case an auditor has contravened the provisions knowingly or wilfully with the intention to deceive the company or its shareholders or creditors or tax authorities. Eventual tariffs on autos could hit companies including Koreas Hyundai Motor Co, Japans Toyota Motor Corp and Germanys BMW, as well as global factories for US brands General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV. Mexico City/Ottawa: Canada, the European Union, Japan, Mexico and South Korea will meet in Geneva next week to discuss how to respond to threats by US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on US imports of autos and car parts, officials familiar with the talks said. The Trump administration has come under heavy criticism from automakers, foreign governments and others as it considers tariffs of up to 25 percent, a levy critics warn will hike vehicle costs, hurting auto sales and global industry jobs. Several auto manufacturing powers have been talking to each other in recent days about their fears and a possible coordinated response to Trumps Section 232 investigation, which he ordered on 23 May, into whether auto imports are a threat to US security, sources say. The probe could be completed within weeks, although similar ones ordered last year that led to tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum took about 10 months. The Commerce Department has 270 days to offer recommendations to the president after such a probe starts. He then has 90 days to act upon them. It was not immediately clear what kind of response the countries could be looking at, although Canada, the EU and Mexico retaliated with their own tariffs after Trump imposed levies on steel and aluminum imports in March. Another option is to fight the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Deputy ministers will gather in Geneva on 31 July to hear each others views, a Canadian official and a Mexican official told Reuters, asking to not be named because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The meeting is meant to bring together major auto-producing nations so we can discuss our concerns over the US Department of Commerces Section 232 investigation of automobiles and parts, said the Canadian government official. Mexicos economy ministry confirmed Deputy Economy Minister Juan Carlos Baker will travel to Geneva for work meetings about several subjects, including meeting World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Roberto Azevedo. The Canadian foreign ministry declined to comment. According to the WTO website, Azevedo will meet Baker on Monday, followed by Canadas Deputy Trade Minister Timothy Sargent and Japans Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Kazuyuki Yamazaki on Tuesday. The Mexican official said the meetings were related to the auto tariff issue. Eventual tariffs on autos could hit companies including Koreas Hyundai Motor Co, Japans Toyota Motor Corp and Germanys BMW, as well as global factories for US brands General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV. Trumps agreement on Wednesday to refrain from imposing car tariffs on the EU in return for reduced trade barriers for US products has helped cool fears of a trade war, but his final decision will not be known until the security investigation is concluded in coming months. The US automakers lowered their full-year profit forecasts on Wednesday due to the trade frictions, and their stocks fell as investors bet the disputes would hurt margins and sales. Although hopes of a breakthrough in U.S.-EU trade talks boosted carmakers on Thursday, the planned meetings are a sign that auto-producing nations want to prepare for the worst. Cooperation by interested nations Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland raised the need for cooperation by major interested nations regarding the U.S. auto investigation during a meeting in Ottawa with South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong last week, the South Korean ministry said in a statement after the meeting. On a tour that also took in the United States, Kim broached the idea of working together to face tariffs at a meeting of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc in Mexico on Monday, said another Mexican official and a diplomat with knowledge of the matter, asking to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak about it. Officials consulted by Reuters in Canada, Mexico, and South Korea all said such discussions were preliminary, with another Canadian official characterizing them as comparing notes on the state of play of the tariff investigation, rather than discussing a coordinated reaction in detail. We have checked and listened to each others stance. However, as the auto tariff probe is still underway, its hard to know how things will turn out at this stage, said a South Korean trade ministry official who declined to be named because he was not authorized to talk to the media. (Probe) results should come out first to work on a joint response, the official said. Canada is concerned South Korea may achieve an exemption that would give it a competitive advantage, the diplomat said, after the Asian country accepted quotas on its steel exports in return for an exemption from the metals tariffs that hit Canada, Mexico, and other allies. Ahn Dukgeun, a Seoul National University professor who advises the government on trade matters, said South Koreas government was divided over what course to take. South Korea is at crossroads, he said, on whether to deepen managed trade with the United States or to get tough, such as complaining to the WTO and using retaliatory tariffs. Because of varying domestic rules on tariff retaliation, coordinating any action between several countries quickly becomes fiendishly difficult, the diplomat said. The idea is that we want to know that if we go to the WTO, if we use NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) in our case or if we retaliate, our partners will be doing similar things, said the diplomat. The conversations are more intense than before the steel and aluminum tariffs, the diplomat and the Canadian official said. One reason may be that countries now know Trump does not hesitate to pull the trigger on tariffs. Another is the economic weight of the auto industry. The United States imported $173 billion of cars and $70 billion of auto parts in 2016, compared to $21 billion of steel. The fields on offer hold an estimated 1.4 billion barrels of oil and oil equivalent gas. New Delhi: The government plans to launch the auction of 60 oil and gas fields being offered in the second round of bidding for Discovered Small Field (DSF) on 9 August, regulator DGH said. DSF-II was supposed to be launched around mid-June, but it was deferred. "Launch of Discovered Small Field (DSF) Bid Round-II on 9 August, 2018, in New Delhi," the upstream regulator tweeted. The 60 discoveries have been clubbed into 26 contract areas spread over 3,100 sq km spread over eight sedimentary basins, it said. The fields are being offered in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kutch & Cambay shallow waters, Mumbai offshore, Assam and Tripura, Mahanadi shallow water, Andhra Pradesh onland and KG offshore. DGH said the main features of DSF-II include a single license for conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon, prior technical experience not a pre-qualification criterion, no upfront signature bonus and full pricing and marketing freedom. "Royalty rates further reduced as compared to DSF-I," it added without elaborating. The fields on offer hold an estimated 1.4 billion barrels of oil and oil equivalent gas. The government had in 2016 brought a new DSF policy, offering "idle" small discovered fields of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) in an auction on liberalised terms including marketing and pricing freedom and lower taxes. The Union Cabinet had in February approved the second round of DSF auctions, under which the government is offering a total of 60 discovered small fields with an estimated 194.65 million tonnes of oil equivalent (MMtoe). These discoveries have been clubbed into 26 contract areas spread over 8 sedimentary basins. Of the 60 fields which will be up for auctions, 22 fields belong to ONGC, five to OIL and 12 are relinquished discovered fields from the New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) blocks. In DSF-I launched in May 2016, 46 contract areas consisting of 67 discovered fields spread across nine sedimentary basins were auctioned. The auctions attracted 134 e-bids for 34 contact areas of the 46 offered. Later, 22 companies were shortlisted for 31 contract areas of which 15 companies were new entrants with no prior experience in the sector. As many as 21 fields which did not receive any investor interest in DSF-I will also be part of the second DSF round. Post the February decision of the Cabinet, an Empowered Committee of Secretaries (ECS) comprising of Secretary (Petroleum & Natural Gas), Secretary (Expenditure) and Law Secretary have finalised and approved Model Revenue Sharing Contract, Notice Inviting Offer (NIO) and other documents for DSF Round-II. To expedite award, the Cabinet had authorised Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Finance to approve of the winners based on the recommendations of the ECS. London-based Henley & Partners claims that the concept of the residency and citizenship-by-investment scheme was created by it in the 1990s. A London-headquartered firm, which designed a citizenship-by-investment programme for Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean nation that is now home to Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud accused Mehul Choksi, has links to Cambridge Analytica's parent company, according to a media report. Henley & Partners, which has over 30 offices worldwide, claims that the concept of the residency and citizenship-by-investment scheme was created by it in the 1990s, according to its website, And, according to the The Times of India, Henley & Partners has "close links" to Cambridge Analytica's parent SCL Elections. "The programmes of Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis and Malta have been designed by Henley & Partners under relevant Government mandates," the newspaper quoted from Henley & Partners' website. Both Cambridge Analytica and SCL were forced to shut shop in May following the Facebook data harvesting scandal - the firms supposedly worked for politicians and Facebook data was allegedly used to influence voter opinions. Meanwhile, Indian government sources on Monday said that the ministry of external affairs (MEA) requested authorities in Antigua and Barbuda to detain fugitive jeweller Choksi after it received information about his move to the Caribbean island. They said India was in touch with the island nation following reports of Choksi's presence there and that New Delhi has requested authorities there to restrict his movements by land, sea and air. "As soon as MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) received information of the likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, our High Commission in Georgetown had alerted the A&B (Antigua and Barbuda) government, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea," a government source said. Cambridge Analytica was founded around 2013 initially with a focus on the US elections, with $15 million in backing from billionaire Republican donor Robert Mercer and a name chosen by future Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon, Reuters quoted a New York Times report as saying. SCL Group, a government and military contractor that claims it has worked on everything from food security research to counter-narcotics to political campaigns, was founded over 25 years ago. With inputs from PTI According to anti-profiteering rules, the authority will suggest to MNCs a return of the undue profit earned from not passing on the GST rate cut benefit to consumers along with an 18 percent interest as also impose a penalty. New Delhi: MNCs (multinational companies) which were pulled up for not cutting prices post GST implementation, have argued before the anti-profiteering authority that prices of some products could not be lowered as there was difficulty in adjusting them to decimal points. The authority, in turn, has asked these MNCs why they could not adjust the quantity so that the benefit of GST rate cut could be passed on to the consumers. The authority, sources said, asked the MNCs to follow the rules laid down in The Legal Metrology Act while fixing the price to the nearest decimal point. Some companies have argued that they reduced the prices of large packets but could not do the same for smaller packets and sachets. In some cases, as the quantum of price reduction was very low in decimal points, sources told PTI. In a lot of cases, the reasoning given by the MNCs for not passing on the rate cut benefit did not cut ice with the authority, which is looking into such cases post the investigation submitted by the Directorate General of Anti Profiteering. According to sources, some companies have said they had reduced prices of certain brands of the same commodity but did the not cut price for other brands. It was also pointed out by some companies that they have reduced the prices of certain brands of the same product but failed to explain why the prices were not reduced on other brands. Section 171 of the Central GST Act says that any reduction in the rate of tax on any supply of goods or services or the benefit of input tax credit shall be passed on to the recipient by way of commensurate reduction in prices. To ensure that the prices are reduced, the anti-profiteering authority was set up in November last. GST was rolled out on 1 July 2017. The GST Council, chaired by the Union Finance Minister, has in the last one year reduced tax rates in 384 commodities. As per the structure of the anti-profiteering mechanism in the GST regime, complaints of local nature will be first sent to the state-level 'screening committee' while those of national level will be marked for the 'Standing Committee'. If the complaints have merit, the respective committees would refer the cases for further investigation to the Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS). The DGS would generally take about three months to complete the investigation and send the report to the anti-profiteering authority. If the authority finds that a company has not passed on GST benefits, it will either direct the entity to pass on the benefits to consumers or if the beneficiary cannot be identified, will ask the company to transfer the amount to the 'consumer welfare fund' within a specified timeline. According to anti-profiteering rules, the authority will suggest a return of the undue profit earned from not passing on the GST rate cut benefit to consumers along with an 18 percent interest as also impose a penalty. The authority will have the power to cancel the registration of any entity or business if it fails to pass on the GST benefits, but it would probably be the last step against any violator. An April 2018 government press statement stated that some 7,968 startups received recognition in financial year 2017-18, as as against 797 recognitions in fiscal 2016-17. The Narendra Modi government has every right to take credit for being open to business as they have done much more than any government has for business in India, say industry observers. Experts who spoke to Firstpost cited a slew of programs like 'Make in India', 'Startup India', 'Stand-Up India' and 'Fund of Funds' that have given a fillip to India Inc., especially the startup sector in what is now the world's sixth-largest economy. Speaking at a government-industry interface session in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said industrialists too contribute to nation building and that it is not right to label them all as thieves; but those who do wrong "will have to leave the country" or live in jail. "We are not the people who will be afraid of standing beside industrialists. You would be knowing some people (who are such) that you would not find a single photo of them with an industrialist/businessman. But there is not a single businessman in this country who would not have gone to these people's places and bowed to them in reverence," he added. Agreeing with Modis statement, Adhil Shetty, co-founder & CEO, BankBazaar, said the governments schemes, over four years, have helped financial services, for instance, develop in tandem with e-commerce growth. India is now one of the key markets for fintech firms as a result of the huge demand for services. "Theres strong support from the government by way of initiatives such as the Jan Dhan financial inclusion program, the biometric-based Aadhaar initiative that aims to give every Indian a unique identification number, and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Policies such as 'Digital India' have also made the average Indian more confident about transacting online. This has created a market for fintech companies," Shetty said. Analysts, investors and experts singled out the importance given to the startup sector. "By recognising startups as a sector, the government has given wings to entrepreneurial dreams," said one analyst who requested anonymity. The government is quite pro-business and has been doing a lot to help startups," said Anil Joshi, managing partner, Unicorn India ventures. An April 2018 government press statement stated that some 7,968 startups received recognition in financial year 2017-18, as against 797 recognitions in fiscal 2016-17. Furthermore, it said that a total of 8,765 startups have been recognised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) since January 2016. "Five years of UPA-II against four years of the NDA government and the latter has done well not just for the startup sector but also for micro, small and medium enterprises," said Arvind Singhal, Chairman, Technopak Advisors. The BJP government is pragmatic and acknowledged the role of business in the country, said Singhal, who, referring to GD Birla, JRD Tata and others who made a significant contribution to business and to nation-building, posed a question,"What is the point of demonising the business community in the country?" It was Congress President Rahul Gandhi [who] did a lot of damage by calling this government a suit-boot ki sarkar, Singhal opined. Just as there are rich and poor farmers and good and bad ones, the same apply to business. For every Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi, there is a Ratan Tata, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Adi Godrej, Sanjay Lalbhai and Mukesh Ambani Ambani is investing his money in his ventures and isn't asking for government loans, Singhal added. The government has given the term businessman a good image. Earlier, if someone said he was doing business, it was seen as something seedy or crooked, said Devangshu Dutta, Chief Executive, Third Eyesight, a consulting firm focused on the retail and consumer products sector. The word businessman is not abusive anymore and the credit for that should be given to this government, he added. While the government has provided a climate for entrepreneurship, there is still a lot to do like simplifying complex rules that govern business and ensuring those rules are implemented, according to Dutta. To be fair to the government and to the prime minister, Modi has constantly talked about investing in India in any international fora or country he is invited to. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India increased by about three percent to $61.96 billion in fiscal 2017-18 on account of steps taken by the government to improve the business climate, and owing to liberalised norms. FDI inflows stood at $60 billion in the previous fiscal. The figure includes equity inflows, reinvested earnings and other capital. But the picture is not all rosy. Take the angel tax, for instance. It is a tax on capital that is raised by unlisted companies by issuing shares in excess of their fair market value. The number of angel and seed funding deals halved to 435 in 2017 from 901 in 2016, according to a report in VC Circle. The total disclosed value of these deals also fell sharply to $245 million from $374 million. The recent update by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) that coercive measures would not be taken to recover outstanding dues still does not address the root cause of angel tax, said entrepreneurs. Paula Mariwala, Partner, Seedfund and co-founder, Stanford Angels, termed the governments actions with regard to angel tax as completely bizarre. She said the government has no business questioning the valuation of a start-up that basically has no revenues. While agreeing that the angel tax needs clarity, Joshi of Unicorn India Ventures said these issues would take a while to be cleared up. There is clarification on the definition of startups, for which one must give this government credit, he said. No one can expect wonders in a four-year tenure. But, the reactions have been positive as far as this regime is concerned, he added. Issues that businesses face in India must be addressed immediately and India Inc. shouldn't focus on what a political party is saying. Political parties have a job to do and we should not hold politicians to task. There is no end to name calling and it is unproductive, said Sairee Chahal, Founder and CEO of Sheroes.in, a website that focuses on women and the career space. Emphasising that the focus needs to be on whether there has been any real growth on the ground, and also if industry has met the goals set by the government be it GDP, forex or financial services, she said industrialists are not a constituency at all. Industrialists are rich and industry will find a way to get its work done no matter which government is in power. What is important is if we have better results as a country in terms of the basics like electricity, infrastructure, human development, among other things." The Modi-led government is seen as doing more, but I dont know if it is doing more, Chahal added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists playing a key role in India's development is a shot in the arm for the industry at a time when it is dealing with a strong negative perception, corporate India said on Monday New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists playing a key role in India's development is a shot in the arm for the industry at a time when it is dealing with a strong negative perception, India Inc said on Monday. "A much-needed vote of confidence at a time when only one unfortunate face of the industry was being perceived...", Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra tweeted. Industry chamber FICCI said it hails PM Modi's recognition of the industry's contribution in the country's growth and his strong refusal to accept any ill-treatment to the industrialists just because a few of them have indulged in illegal activities. "Along with the assurance to work closely with the industry, the Prime Minister's strong message to the industrialists opting for illegal means to harm the nation and its economy that they will not be spared, will certainly help in removing any negative opinion in the public against industry in general, and will rejuvenate the private sector," FICCI President Rashesh Shah said. The prime minister has strengthened industry's resolve to actively participate in the revival of the economy, he added. "While there should be no leniency in dealing with the erring industrialists, the pre-dominant approach of the industrialists has always been to take a lead in nation-building. Reforms like IBC, RERA and GST, have shown that the government is keen to help the industry in this objective," Shah noted. The prime minister has given a strong vote of confidence to industry and emphasised that industry plays a vital role in nation-building. This offers huge comfort to the industry as it validates our efforts to invest, create jobs and contribute to development, CII President Rakesh Bharti Mittal said. The prime minister in Lucknow on Sunday said he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists playing a key role in the nation's development as he slammed the opposition parties for the "mistakes" made during 70 years after India's independence. Attacking them for calling industrialists "chor and luterey", Modi said that he did not hesitate in standing with the business community as his "intentions" are clear. "We are not those who are scared of standing next to businessmen," he said, adding like farmers, bankers, government employees and labourers, industrialists also contributed to the development of the country. Modi's retort came against the backdrop of the repeated attacks by the Congress, which has been alleging that the prime minister had links with "corrupt" industrialists and has been accusing him of neglecting the farmers and the underprivileged. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched 81 investment projects worth over Rs 60,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh at a mega ground-breaking event. Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reassurance to the industry will not only allay industries' concerns but also help in the country's inclusive and sustained growth, according to industry body Assocham. "The prime minister's reassurance to the corporate sector will boost confidence and allay industries' concerns. This will go a long way in achieving the common desire of inclusive and sustainable growth," Assocham president Sandeep Jajodia on Monday said. "Engagement with industry will pave the way for large investments in diversified sectors, spur job creation, promote rapid industrialisation and infrastructure development in Uttar Pradesh," he said in a statement. His remarks came a day after the prime minister reached out to the business community at an event here, looking to reassure industrialists that they have a significant role to play in nation building. The Assocham president also suggested the UP government to form an inter-ministerial committee to take stock of the progress in investment proposals attracted by the state in investors' summit held earlier this year. "A task force may be constituted to review the status of implementation of the investment projects as actual benefits of an investment are only derived upon completion," he said. Such an initiative would further repose business community's trust in the government and help the state in attracting private investors, he said. Assocham also suggested Yogi Adityanath government to conduct countrywide road shows to draw a large pool of investments and simultaneously keep monitoring on-ground implementation of investment projects to create employment opportunities for the youth of the state. "The state government should further strive to improve the industrial and business ecosystem to come on a par with states like Gujarat, Odisha, Maharashtra and others," said the Assocham president. The prime minister on Sunday launched 81 investment projects worth over Rs 60,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh at a mega ground-breaking event. The projects are expected to give a big boost to industrialisation in the state besides creating over two lakh new jobs. The mega groundbreaking event, which Modi described as a "record-breaking event", came after an 'Investors Summit' in February this year. Speaking at the event, attended by captains of the industry, Adityanath said that besides Rs 60,000 crore investment on the ground, Uttar Pradesh has got projects worth over Rs 50,000 crore in the pipeline. "Five months ago, we had signed MoUs worth Rs 4.68 lakh crore during the investors' summit in presence of the Prime Minister. We have got more than Rs 60,000 crore investment on the ground during a short period, which is important for UP. Investments worth approximately Rs 50,000 crore are in the pipeline, which too would be started soon," he said. India was in touch with the island nation following reports of Choksi's presence there and requested the authorities there to restrict his movements by land, sea and air. New Delhi: India requested authorities in Antigua and Barbuda to detain PNB scam fugitive Mehul Choksi after it received information about his presence in the Caribbean island, government sources said on Monday. They said India was in touch with the island nation following reports of Choksi's presence there and requested the authorities there to restrict his movements by land, sea and air. "As soon as MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) received information of the likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, our High Commission in Georgetown had alerted the A&B (Antigua and Barbuda) government, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea," a government source said. Last week, Choksi reportedly claimed he had taken Antigua citizenship last year to expand his business as the passport of the Caribbean nation provides visa-free travel to 132 countries. "Our high commissioner is meeting the relevant authorities in A&B government today. We continue to liaise with relevant GOI agencies and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to follow up on this matter," the source said. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation after it was detected that they allegedly cheated the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,400 crore with the purported involvement of a few of the lender's employees. The scam, which reportedly began in 2011, was detected in January this year, after which PNB officials reported it to the probe agencies. Choksi and Nirav Modi fled India in January this year nearly a fortnight before the scam was detected. Choksi's valid passport was revoked in February 2018. Monday, July 30, 2018 Arizona Central, Arizona Summit Law School in Talks With ASU to Take Students If School Loses Accreditation: Arizona Summit Law School officials are in talks with Arizona State University to let their students complete their education at the state university if the private school loses its accreditation. School officials said they filed an appeal July 18 with the American Bar Association after the national accrediting body for law schools notified Arizona Summit in June of plans to revoke the school's accreditation. If the appeal fails and the school closes, they said they are laying the groundwork to ensure students finish at an ABA-accredited law school. "Weve had some very productive meetings" with ASU, said the school's interim dean, Penny Willrich. ... The school's new president, Peter Goplerud, told the board it's possible Arizona Summit and ASU can reach an agreement, in principle or on paper, within a week to 10 days. ... In a statement, ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law said school officials have been approached to help the law school potentially assist in a teach-out plan. "The proposed teach out plan will help students finish their credit hours to graduate and complete their degree at Arizona Summit. We are currently in discussions but nothing has been finalized." ABA Journal, Potential Closure Plan For Arizona Summit Discussed While Accreditation Appeal Is Pending https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2018/07/arizona-summit-law-school-in-talks-with-arizona-state-to-take-students-if-school-loses-accreditation.html It is important that large businesses are taken into confidence and Narendra Modi has done just the right thing to speak in favour of businesses Prime Minister, Narendra Modis reassurance to the industry on Sunday, that he isnt scared to be seen in public with industrialists, is a booster dose to the business community that is often seen in suspicion for the fault of a few wrongdoers. If your intent is good and clean, you can stand with anyone and no taint will attach to you, Modi was quoted as saying at an event in Uttar Pradesh. Modi is right here; and his assurancewhy would a politician worry to be seen with an industrialistmatters a lot for business at a time when Vijay Mallyas and Nirav Modis have almost become the dominant images in public discourse. A fear psychosis has gripped bankers and bureaucrats following a series of investigations into past business deals, discouraging even the honest officers to move files on their table. Industrys image is tarnished, morale is low in the wake of recurring scams, bad loan hunt by banks and Congress-led opposition attacking the Modi administration for alleged crony capitalism. In this backdrop, Modi has done the right thing taking the industrialists into confidence. The fact is that no ambitious economy, in desperate need of capital and fresh jobs, can afford to antagonise its industry community. This is particularly true for India that is running a serious employment deficit and is yet to catch up in the global race to become worlds biggest manufacturing hub. Perhaps, Modi has also effectively turned Congress president Rahul Gandhis primary charge against himthat the prime minister is favouring corporationsas a political opportunity to win the confidence of business community ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It also points to a major flaw in Gandhis line of attack against corporations; many a times the Congress chief seems to paint all businessmen with the same brush. Any government policy, in favour of businesses, is seen with suspicion. This isnt good for an aspiring economy. Not all of them are bad and need to be seen in bad light. Even for the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises, Gandhi is fiercely bating for, it is highly imperative to have a strong line of large industries above them. This is because most SMEs and MSMEs operate as layers that supply to big companies. In other words, small entities cant survive in an economy where large business lack confidence and government support. Gandhi began with his suit-boot-ki Sarkar jibe, which worked till the time it became an all-out attack on the business community as a whole. For instance, Gandhis repeated attack on Modi for massive write off of corporate loans but not the farmer loans was a dud on two counts. First, loan waivers are bad anyway and one wrong could not be the solution for another. Second, much of the corporate loans that either turned bad or were written off were given away during the UPA-era. The kind of bad loan addition in state-run banks that happened during UPA-I and II when the government banks completely forgot about prudent lending to worthy borrowers and found themselves vulnerable to the infamous corporate-political nexus. One of the two major reasons for the banking sector NPA crisis is the large-scale involvement of corporate-political nexus during the UPA-years (the other, of course, is the economic downturn that caught bankers off-guard after the boom years). Also, Gandhi isnt entirely right in saying loan waivers have been given only to industrialists. It is not just the corporations, farmers too have received an equally large amount of loan waivers by different state governments since Modi government came to power, or at least commitments from their respective governments. Beginning with Rs 34,000 crore loan waiver announcement by Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, several states like Punjab, Maharashtra and, most recently, Karnataka announced similar schemes which will work out to be a few lakh crores. Modis reform-oriented approach in the first four years of his rule in office and policies aiming to achieve ease of doing business has been welcomed by the industry. Yes, the outcome is debatable; manufacturing as a percentage of GDP hasnt picked up to the desired extent yet. As a share of GDP, the manufacturing sector contributed 17.4 percent in the fiscal year 2012, dropped till fiscal 2015 before showing a mild uptick. In the fiscal year 2018, manufacturing as a percentage of GDP stood at 18.1 percent. Remember, as part of the 'Make in India' campaign, the government wanted to increase the share of manufacturing to GDP to 25 percent over a period of few years, but, after four years, there has not been much progress. However, a visible improvement is seen in services. From 18.9 percent of the GDP in the fiscal year 2012, the contribution of services to GDP has improved to 21.7 percent in the fiscal year 2018. In other words, Indias GDP growth is been largely credited to a robust services sector. But, the governments reform-oriented approach needs to be appreciated. In this backdrop, it is important that large businesses are taken into confidence and Modi has done just the right thing to speak in favour of businesses. The final draft of the Assam NRC released today left out 40 lakh names from the 3.29 crore who had applied to be included in the citizenship register. Unlike what the government had anticipated, Assam did not witness any significant disturbances on Monday, the day the state government released the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). To prevent violence, central forces had been deployed in the state to maintain law and order. However, this is not to say that the discontent already generated by this exercise will not be exacerbated by the knowledge that of the roughly 3.29 crore people who had applied to be included in the register, over 40 lakh were declared ineligible for inclusion and, therefore, will not have any claim to Indian citizenship. That this version of the register just published is only the final draft the final NRC of Assam will be published after another round of claims and objections are filed and processed will be of small consolation for those who face the prospect of being denied citizenship and either becoming "stateless" or being deported. Stateless people, like practically the entire Rohingya Muslim population, are those who are not recognised as citizens by any country. The apprehension that the NRC being upgraded, and the criteria set to be included in it, is a political stratagem to consolidate the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) majority vote bank in Assam is underlined by several factors. First, the majority of those left out of the NRC are Bengali-speaking Muslims who migrated to Assam at some point. Theoretically, if they had arrived in the state before midnight on 24 March, 1971, they are eligible to be included in the register and claim citizenship. But in practical terms, it is not so simple. There are many people who did arrive before the cut-off date but do not have the requisite documentation to prove that; for instance, some because they went to other states when they migrated before shifting to Assam. Second, there is more than a whiff of injustice that clings to any process, under whatever mandate, that seeks to make illegal the status of people living in a place for up to 47 years. Even more egregious and unconscionable is the decision to exclude them from the ambit of the NRC and also deny citizenship to those who were born in Assam to illegal migrants, as this is in violation of the Citizenship Act as amended in 2003. Third, there is the parallel legislative manoeuvre of amending the Citizenship Act with the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. This amendment Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha in July 2016 and referred to a joint parliamentary committee about a month later. The committee is scheduled to table its report in the Winter Session of Parliament this year. This Bill seeks to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants, understood to be from the region, who are Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis or Sikhs. A Bill that explicitly discriminates against people professing a particular religion Islam seems, on the face of it, against the spirit of the Constitution. When considered together, all of these have given the exercise of updating the NRC in Assam and nowhere else a communal and sectarian colour and has made it look as though it is being pushed through to subserve the BJP's political and electoral calculations, obviously not just in Assam but countrywide. It would certainly not be outlandish to argue that the timing months before crucial Assembly elections this year and the Lok Sabha elections next year is suspect. On the other had, BJP supporters could argue that the exercise cannot be considered partisan as it was the Supreme Court that had ordered the government to identify illegal immigrants. This argument does not really cut much ice. Illegal immigrants are illegal immigrants, regardless of their religion. So when the state simultaneously undertakes an exercise to identify illegal immigrants and seeks to provide immunity, i.e. citizenship, to some of them, the spirit of the Supreme Court's order seems to be vitiated. Opposition parties have protested against the process of the NRC's upgrade. The Congress warned that "illegals", as well as Indian Muslims who are not part of the BJP's vote base, will be targeted. A conglomerate of groups from the Barak Valley, which has a high concentration of Bengali-speakers, and rights groups have also criticised the way the Assam government has gone about the task set by the Supreme Court (beginning with setting the criteria determining eligibility) for violating human rights. There has also been talk of ethnic cleansing, though a bit extreme. Assam's neighbours will ultimately have to suffer some of the consequences of whatever outcome finally emerges. For now, 40 lakh people risk losing out; this figure could either drop significantly or rise. Within India, West Bengal would be the obvious destination for the "illegals" who are, as earlier mentioned, largely Bengali-speaking Muslims. Not surprisingly, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has taken a stand against the exercise. She has accused the BJP of using this stratagem for electoral gains, of turning people Bengalis, Biharis, Hindus and Muslims into refugees in their own country and of pursuing a policy of divide and rule. Mamata also said that West Bengal will serve as a refuge for the displaced. Other parties have been similarly critical. Bangladesh, which may be affected as well, has understandably not reacted. Mamata has a point, especially when she says that West Bengal and by extension other neighbouring states should have been consulted. This is in tune with her reiterations of the sanctity of the federal principle and her attempt to play a key role in building a "federal front" to fight the BJP. However, the West Bengal chief minister is also playing to her constituency: Bengalis, in general, and Bengali-speaking Muslims in particular. In this context, the Trinamool Congress would do well to be careful to first stick to principles instead of countering one form of identity politics with another. Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal reiterated that the list published on Monday is only a draft, not the final NRC. 'The updated process has come to this extent of NRC. It is a draft only. This is to be remembered,' he said. Auto refresh feeds Prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in seven districts Barpeta, Darrang, Dima Hasao, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Golaghat and Dhubri. Security has been beefed up across the state to prevent any law and order situation following the publication of the draft, with deputy commissioners and superintendents of police (SPs) being directed to maintain a strict vigil, a senior police official said in Guwahati. According to News18, state NRC coordinator Prateek Haleja has arrived at the NRC office in Guwahati. Registrar General Sailesh and Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary (North East) have also arrived for the press briefing. "The NRC is a legal process under the Citizenship Act 1955. It has been transparently and meticulously carried out. It has provided adequate opportunity to all applicants who submitted in 2015 and we came out with the first draft. Today, we are releasing the final draft," said Hajela at a press meet. As per the final draft released on Monday, 2,89,83,677 applicants have been cleared as genuine Indian citizens out of the total 3,29,91,385 applicants. Nearly 40 lakh names are missing from the final draft NRC list. "As we mentioned, now comes the claims and objection. Now, no action will be taken. We are not saying Indian or not Indian citizens. No penal action will be taken," said Satyendra Joint Secretary, North-East. Anxious people wait outside the Panchmile NRC Seva Kendra (NSK) in Tezpur while the LRCR officer (Local Registrar of Citizens) in charge explains and assures them that there is nothing to panic if their names do not appear in the list. They can go for review at the NSKs in that case. Assam has 2500 NSKs, which are guarded under tight security today. Final draft leaves out 40,07,707 of 3.29 crore people from the NRC final draft list. But those left out will not be branded as foreigners, said the officials. "The NRC process is a transparent one. Everyone will be given a chance to raise objections. Even after final NRC is released, people will have be given opportunity to approach Foreigners' Tribunal," said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Ansari urged officials to be clear on the procedure that needs to be followed hereon. 60-year-old Karimula Ansari, who is originally from Bihar's Sivan district, says he is worried that his name is not on the NRC list. Speaking to Firstpost, Ansari said, "When we moved to Assam in 1964, we sold all our property and whatever land we had. Now, our names aren't on the list. I am very worried." "If people feel their issues are not redressed, they can approach the Foreigners' Tribunal. They will get justice somewhere or the other. I request the House to maintain calm. In this, Centre is not involved at all. Whatever is happening, it is under the Supreme Court. I just want to say that sensitive issues must not be unnecessarily politicised," Singh said. Following ruckus in Lok Sabha over the NRC final draft released on Monday, Union home minister Rajnath Singh said that the entire exercise is under the supervision of the Supreme Court and that the Centre has no role to play in it. "The list published today is not the final NRC. Now, 2.89 crore applicants have been mentioned in the NRC. After this, claims and objection process will begin from 30 August. It might take a while, but after that disposal will take place. This is Supreme Court-monitored exercise. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the second time till 2 pm on Monday as Opposition parties led by the TMC created an uproar over publication of Assam's National Register of Citizens. When the Upper House resumed after the first adjournment at noon, members from Opposition parties especially Congress, TMC and Samajwadi Party were up on their feet to raise the issue again. - PTI Meera Rani Das, 55, resident of Palongghat, Cachar, says that her name is not there in the list. She is afraid that police will come and take her to jail. She says that the procedure of proving her identity takes a lot of money and she cannot afford it. WATCH: 'Afraid police will come and take me to jail,' says resident who did not feature on NRC final draft "There were people who have Aaadhar cards and passports but still their names are not in the draft list. Names of people were removed on the basis of surnames also. Is the Govt trying to do forceful eviction?" she asked. Addressing the media after the Assam NRC final draft was released on Monday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that Bengalis living in Assam were being targeted, and said that they are "Indians, not Rohingya". "How can they send women and children to detention centres? Aren't people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states living in Bengal? Bengalis living in Assam are being targetted. They are not Rohingyas, they are Indians," she said. Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal reiterated that the list published on Monday is only a draft, not the final NRC. "The updated process has come to this extent of NRC. It is a draft only. This is to be remembered. And the state government and the Central government has extended full corporation to honour the guidelines of hon'ble Supreme Court of India. I am hopeful that further process will be completed with the active participation of people of Assam. I urge the people to maintain peace and tranquility," he said. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said that Mamata Banerjee was not consulted while preparing the NRC final draft. He added that Banerjee and a delegation of TMC MPs will visit Assam, reported The Indian Express . The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day following an uproar by the Opposition, especially the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the publication of Assam's NRC. The Upper House witnessed three adjournments earlier in the day due to the continued uproar over the issue before the Chair called it a day at 2:13 pm. - PTI The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that no coercive action will be taken against those who have not been included in the list, according to The Indian Express. Senior party spokesperson Anand Sharma said there should be no politics over the issue. "The government must immediately call a meeting of leaders of all parties and should inform about the steps it proposes to take," he said, adding that it would be proper if the meeting is called on Tuesday. - PTI The Congress asked the government to immediately convene an all-party meeting on the NRC issue and inform the Opposition on the proposed steps to ensure that no Indian citizen is left out. NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela was reported as saying, "People of Assam have been eagerly waiting for the result of NRC. Today, because of their hard work, we have come to this point." He further said that people need not worry because they will be given another chance to claim citizenship. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said that Mamata Banerjee was not consulted while preparing the NRC final draft. He added that Banerjee and a delegation of TMC MPs will visit Assam, reported The Indian Express . The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day following an uproar by the Opposition, especially the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the publication of Assam's NRC. The Upper House witnessed three adjournments earlier in the day due to the continued uproar over the issue before the Chair called it a day at 2:13 pm. - PTI Assam is a very peaceful state and we are confident that all sections of society will come forward to maintain peace and tranquillity in the time to come. We will always abide by the direction of Supreme Court: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal on #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/0JmUFCb2qY D-voters can apply to be included in the NRC if the appropriate Foreigners Tribunal declares them as not 'foreigners'. The Election Commission conducts door-to-door surveys to revise the list after verifying peoples citizenship documents. If people fail to produce the citizenship documents, they are categorised as D-voters. Sobur Ali Mandal was declared a D-voter under Kokrajhar Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 and again by the Foreigners' Tribunal. Even the Supreme court had upheld the decision of the Foreigners Tribunal. However, his name was included in the draft published today. He has been in detention camps since 2017 The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that no coercive action will be taken against those who have not been included in the list, according to The Indian Express. Senior party spokesperson Anand Sharma said there should be no politics over the issue. "The government must immediately call a meeting of leaders of all parties and should inform about the steps it proposes to take," he said, adding that it would be proper if the meeting is called on Tuesday. - PTI The Congress asked the government to immediately convene an all-party meeting on the NRC issue and inform the Opposition on the proposed steps to ensure that no Indian citizen is left out. Assam NRC final draft LATEST updates: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day following an uproar by the Opposition, especially the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the publication of Assam's National Register of Citizens. The Upper House witnessed three adjournments earlier in the day due to the continued uproar over the issue before the Chair called it a day at 2:13 pm. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said that Mamata Banerjee was not consulted while preparing the NRC final draft. He added that Banerjee and a delegation of TMC MPs will visit Assam. Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal reiterated that the list published on Monday is only a draft, not the final NRC. "The updated process has come to this extent of NRC. It is a draft only. This is to be remembered. And the state government and the Central government has extended full corporation to honour the guidelines of hon'ble Supreme Court of India," he said. Ninety percent of the citizens in Kokrajhar district have been mentioned in the NRC final draft list released on Monday. The district had received a total of 2,03,906 application forms through its total 97 NSKs. Likening the 40 lakh missing applicants on the NRC final draft to mob lynching, Mamata said it is a matter of polarisation. "It is a humanitarian crisis." She also said when she goes to New Delhi, she will attempt to meet Union home minister Rajnath Singh. Mamata calls the NRC final draft a conspiracy to isolate Bengalis and Biharis. "People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also," she said. Addressing the media after the Assam NRC final draft was released on Monday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that Bengalis living in Assam were being targeted, and said that they are "Indians, not Rohingya". Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal will address the media at 1.30 pm on Monday. In the morning, the final draft of the National Registry of Citizens was released in Assam, where nearly 40 lakh applicants were found to be missing from the list. Following ruckus in Lok Sabha over the NRC final draft released on Monday, Union home minister Rajnath Singh said that the entire exercise is under the supervision of the Supreme Court and that the Centre has no role to play in it. "The list published today is not the final NRC. Now, 2.89 crore applicants have been mentioned in the NRC. After this, claims and objection process will begin from 30 August. It might take a while, but after that disposal will take place. This is Supreme Court-monitored exercise," he said. Calling the final Assam NRC draft 'inhuman', TMC said that the government intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh religious and linguistic minorities from the final draft. TMC MP SS Sougata Roy said, "Central government has intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh religious and linguistic minorities from NRC which will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam. The prime minister should come to house and clarify it." Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12:00 noon on Monday after TMC MPs raised a huge uproar over the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) released in Assam today. Speaking to the media outside Parliament House, TMC MP SS Roy said, "Central government has intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh religious and linguistic minorities from NRC which will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come to House and clarify." Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora claimed there were several irregularities with the final NRC draft released on Monday. "40 lakh names ineligible is a very high figure and very surprising. There are lot of irregularities in the report. We will raise this issue with the government and in the Parliament. Political motive of BJP is also behind this." Moments after the final NRC draft was released on Monday, TMC MP Sougata Roy gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over the NRC list, reported ANI. In the final draft of NRC released on Monday, 2.48 lakh D-voters are among the 40 lakh people who have not qualified to the final draft. State NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela said the these included the descendants of D-voters, people whose reference is pending in Foreigners' Tribunal and descendants of those who have pending cases in Foreigners' Tribunal. The final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been released. Out of the 3.29 crore people, 2.89 crore have been found eligible to be included in the final draft list. Allaying fears of many who think they will be sent to detention centres if their names aren't on the list, Joint Secretary of NRC (North East) Satyendra Garg said, "Based on this draft there is no question of any reference to Foreigners Tribunal or any person being taken to the detention centre." Releasing the final draft, registrar general Sailesh said that 2,89,677 candidates have been found eligible to be included in the National Register of Citizens. The authorities reiterated that it is "just a draft" that is being released today. "Out of 3.29 crore people, 2.89 crore have been found eligible to be included. This is just a draft, and not the final list. The people who are not included can make claims and objections," registrar general Sailesh said. Emphasising that genuine Indian citizens will not be be stripped of their citizenship rights, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal tweeted: "I reiterate that no genuine Indian citizen will be devoid of their citizenship rights. So no one should panic after publication of the final draft of NRC. I also urge people not to make any communal statements and remain watchful against falling prey to rumours." Similarly, Assam DGP K Saikia also expressed his confidence that no breach of peace and tranquility will take place. The stage is set for the release of the second and final draft of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Monday amid tight security. The NRC will be released online and in all the NRC Sewa Kendras (NSK) across the state at 10 am (instead of noon as announced earlier), NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela said in Guwahati on Sunday. The NRC will feature the names, addresses and photographs of all Indian citizens, who have been residing in the north eastern state before 25 March, 1971, he said. Security has been beefed up across the state to prevent any law and order situation following the publication of the draft, with deputy commissioners and SPs being directed to maintain a strict vigil, a senior police official said in Guwahati. Prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in seven districts Barpeta, Darrang, Dima Hasao, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Golaghat and Dhubri. Vulnerable areas have been identified by the SPs in their respective districts and the situation is being monitored closely to prevent any untoward incident, particularly those arising due to rumour-mongering, the official said. The Centre has despatched 220 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces to gear up security in Assam and neighbouring states. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had held a high-level meeting recently on the NRC draft release and directed the officers to remain alert and help and explain the process of claims and objections to people whose names do not appear in the draft. Sonowal had also directed the officials not to refer any case to the Foreigners' Tribunal based on the NRC draft list. Hajela thanked the people for extending their help and co-operation along with all the officers and employees involved in updating the NRC for their hard work and dedication. He too pointed out that there would be enough scope for claims by people whose names do not appear in the draft, adding "genuine citizens should not panic if their names fail to figure in the document". If a person's name does not appear in the draft, they have to apply in prescribed forms in their respective NSKs. These forms will be available from 7 August to 28 September and the authorities will then inform them the reason for their names being left out. The next step will be to file the claim in another prescribed form which will be available from 30 August to 28 September and these claims will be finally disposed of after proper hearings. The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has taken a special initiative to set up a 24-hour control room at its central office in Guwahati to help people. The applicants can also call 24x7 toll free numbers 15107 from Assam and 18003453762 from outside Assam by referring to their 21-digit Application Receipt Number (ARN). The applicants can also check their names by visiting the NRC website and through SMSs. The NRC is being updated under the Supreme Court supervision with 24 March, 1971 as the cut-off date for genuine Indian citizens in Assam. The first draft of the ongoing NRC process was released at the midnight of 31 December, 2017. It comprised 1.9 crore names out of the total application of 3.29 crore people in Assam. The NRC process in Assam began about 5 years ago under the Congress government in Assam with the then chief minister Tarun Gogoi at the helm of affairs. The long-awaited second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on Monday, and included 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants in Assam. The names of 40.07 lakh applicants did not find a place in the historic document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity. The process began about 5 years ago under the Congress government in Assam with the then chief minister Tarun Gogoi at the helm of affairs. In a Supreme Court judgment dated 17 December, 2014, the apex court fixed a timeline to update and publish the NRC, and said that it will monitor the process. The first draft of the NRC was published during the intervening night of 31 December, 2017 and 1 January, 2018, which included 1.9 crore names. Gogoi, former and longest-serving chief minister of Assam, spoke to Firstpost about the final NRC draft released on Monday, and elaborated on what more has to be done by the government, both Centre and state, before the final document is published. Here are the excerpts from the interview. Firstpost (FP): Do you think the draft has included all legitimate citizens of Assam? Tarun Gogoi: No. A large number of genuine Indian citizens have been left out in my assessment. Among the forty lakh, not included, a vast majority will turn out to be Indian citizens. Otherwise, why have they (the government) given so much importance to the claims and objections procedure? If they were so confident of their draft, why have they allowed forty lakh people to file claims and objections? The NRC authorities have not even declared them as foreigners. Instead they are harping on the claims and objections option. It is the NRC which has given this option, which means they themselves are not sure. FP: What do you think led to so many people being left out of the list? Gogoi: It is clear inefficiency. There was given enough time to come up with the second draft, in addition to the 5-year support. And they have had some 50-60 thousand government officers working round-the-clock to complete the document. I wouldnt say it was deliberate, but maybe they were handling the whole affair in a casual fashion. FP: But the exercise actually began when you were chief minister. What do you think went wrong? Gogoi: Etu mor idea asil (This was my idea). The NRC is my brainchild. There was no such demand in the state, there was nothing even in the Assam Accord about the setting up of NRC. During the Congress regime, there were objections that multiple illegitimate people were given the right to vote, which is why the NRC was set up. To distinguish between genuine Indian citizens and foreigners who could illegitimately vote in our elections. Even after five years, the draft which came out today (30 July, 2018) couldnt declare foreigners as such, and point out those who couldnt apply for a voters card. Even today after the second NRC draft, we dont know how many of the forty lakh missing people cannot apply for a voters card in the future and will be treated as foreigners. The current government has not treated it with the seriousness it deserved. The point of NRC was to point out the foreigners and determine how many of them reside in Assam. The present NRC draft couldnt locate any foreigners. FP: What would you have done differently? Gogoi: I would have gone into details and involved the local police and other local authorities. Id have taken the voters list into consideration as well, and spoken with the Election Commission about the surveys they conduct before polls. This government didnt do all this. FP: Aren't the officers who released the draft today, the same people who worked under you when you started the NRC process? Gogoi: As you know, these is a government department (which is looking after the NRC) and not some constitutional authority. Officers go by what their masters say and that, everybody knows. The masters are the chief ministers or the government of the day. I dont think the BJP government is doing justice to the people. FP: How should the government deal with those whose names are missing from the list today? Gogoi: Government should provide legal help to all of them, to all genuine Indian citizens. Because otherwise, these are all poor people who will have to spend their own money and run from pillar to post to procure documents just to prove their Indian citizenship. Then comes the feeling of insecurity they will live in tension until the final list is out. So, the government should come forward and extend help. Congress asked the govt to immediately convene an all-party meeting on the contentious Assam NRC issue and inform Opposition on the proposed steps taken. Even as Union home minister Rajnath Singh urged Opposition parties not to 'politicise' the draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), that was published on Monday, the Congress asked the government to immediately convene an all-party meeting on the contentious issue and inform the Opposition on the proposed steps to ensure that no Indian citizen is left out. Senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said there should be no politics over the issue. "The government must immediately call a meeting of leaders of all parties and should inform about the steps it proposes to take," he said, adding that it would be proper if the meeting is called on Tuesday. He said till all matters related to the NRC are disposed, people and families should not be separated and the matters be kept in abeyance. Meanwhile, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi termed the implementation of the NRC list as "tardy" and said that the register has created "massive insecurity in the state." "NRC was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singh ji to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985. However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state of Assam leaves much to be desired...There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis," he wrote in a Facebook post. Urging people to maintain peace, he said: "I appeal to all members of the Congress party to help maintain peace and help all those against whom an injustice has been done in the draft NRC, no matter what their religion, caste, gender, linguistic group or political affiliation." 'Centre deliberately targetting Bengalis' Addressing the media after the Assam NRC final draft was released on Monday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that Bengalis and Biharis living in Assam were being targeted, and said that they are "Indians, not Rohingya". "How can they send women and children to detention centres? Aren't people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states living in Bengal? Bengalis living in Assam are being targetted. They are not Rohingyas, they are Indians," she said. "There were people who have Aadhaar cards and passports but still their names are not in the draft list. Names of people were removed on the basis of surnames also. Is the government trying to do forceful eviction?" she asked, as per ANI. Terming the move as a deliberate attempt to isolate Bengalis and Biharis, Banerjee said: "People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. It is a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also," she said. Continuing his party's attack on the government, TMC MP Derek O' Brien said, "This government is not keen on running Parliament till 10 August. Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was not consulted while preparing the NRC final draft. We have sought an appointment with home minister Rajnath Singh in this regard." Meanwhile, AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal said the party will provide assistance to all people whose names did not feature in the draft to ensure that no genuine Indian citizen is left out. Former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who had spearheaded the six-year-long Assam agitation against foreigners and was a signatory to the historic Assam Accord, told PTI that the central government "must deport people who have come after 24 March, 1971 to their original country". Assam Pradesh Congress president Ripun Bora expressed the hope that the Centre would implement in letter and spirit Rajnath's statement that no genuine citizen would be left out. "Intensive revision of voters list in 1995 and 1997 had shown only 3.5 lakh 'Doubtful' or D voters. It is not clear how another 36.5 lakh people were dropped (in the complete draft of NRC)," Bora said after release of complete draft of the NRC. The non-inclusion of over 40 lakh applicants is "motivated and we will help those whose names are not there in the list seek legal redress", he said. Welcoming publication of the draft, Mahanta said names of genuine Indian citizens should be there. This was not the final NRC and "we should wait for the final publication of the NRC", he said. AIUDF's Ajmal also welcomed release of the draft NRC but said non-inclusion of over 40 lakh people "is not a small matter though we must take into account that this is not the final NRC and we must wait for it". "We are yet to analyse the names of people left out and the areas where it has happened. If we find out that some particular areas have been targeted, we will make a decision on it," he told PTI. "We have always wanted Assam to be free from foreigners," he said. All Assam Students' Union (AASU) general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said the draft publication is "a historic moment after the signing of the Assam Accord". "The publication is one step forward towards ensuring a foreigners-free Assam and we are satisfied with the outcome so far," he said. Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) Advisor Akhil Gogoi also welcomed the publication of the draft and assured legal help to genuine Indian citizens. "The names of genuine Indian citizens should be included and if the names of foreigners have been included, then they should be deleted," he added. 'Opposition politicising issue' Rajnath, on Monday, said the draft of the NRC was not the final list and there was no need to create panic, while urging the Opposition not to politicise it. He also assured that people whose names are not included in the final draft will get the opportunity to prove their citizenship. "Whatever work is going on in the NRC, is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. To say that the government has done it, and it is inhuman and brutal...such allegations are baseless. "It is not the right thing to say," Rajnath told the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour. In a statement released later, Rajnath said he wanted to "emphatically say that this is only a draft and not the final NRC". The final draft comprising the names of 2, 89, 83,677 people of Assam was published online by the Registrar General of India. The home minister also said that there is "no question of any coercive action against anyone", while stressing the NRC process is "being carried out with complete fairness and transparency". Urging people not to create panic, he also said that if anyone was not satisfied with the final draft of the NRC, that person would get an opportunity to file claims and objections as per provisions in the law and also approach the Foreigners' Tribunal. Only after the disposal of claims and objections, will the final NRC be published, he said. "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. I want to assure all that there is no need for any apprehension or fear. Some misinformation is also being spread...," he added. The draft NRC was published on Monday with the names of about 40 lakh residents of Assam not being included. With inputs from agencies. The much-anticipated second and final draft of the NRC, published in Assam on Monday with 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants in Guwahati, Assam, left the BJP-led government and Opposition divided over the issue. The much-anticipated second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which was published in Assam on Monday, left the BJP-led government and Opposition at loggerheads even as the names of 40 lakh applicants did not find a place in the historic document touted to be proof of Assamese identity. According to the Registrar General of India Sailesh, 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants were published. The first draft of the NRC was published during the intervening night of 31 December and 1 January, and contained 1.9 crore names. "This is a historic day for India and Assam. The exercise is unparalleled in size. It is a legal process done under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court," Sailesh said at a press conference. The exercise was carried out in a transparent, fair and objective manner, he stated. Talking about people whose names did not appear in the final draft, officials reiterated that the list was not the final NRC and those individuals could begin the claims and objection process from 30 August. "The process for making claims and objections will begin on 30 August and continue till 28 September. Adequate and ample scope will be given to people for making objections. No genuine Indian citizen should have any fear," Sailesh said. 'Will abide by directions of Supreme Court,' says Sarbananda Sonowal Congratulating the people of the state for the successful publication of the NRC, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said "the historic day will remain etched in their memories forever". "Assam is a peaceful state and I am confident that all sections of the society will come forward to maintain peace and tranquility. We always abide by the directions of the Supreme Court, and whatever it says, we will sincerely follow and observe it," Sonowal told reporters in Guwahati. Sonowal expressed confidence that the NRC, which has become the "instrument to safeguard the interest of greater Assamese society," would be able to pave the way for realising the hopes and aspirations of the genuine Indian citizens. Project my brainchild, says ex-chief minister Tarun Gogoi Former Assam chief minister and Congress leader Tarun Gogoi said that he felt a large number of genuine citizens were left out of the final draft. "Among the forty lakh, not included, a vast majority will turn out to be Indian citizens. Otherwise, why have they (the government) given so much importance to the claims and objections procedure? If they were so confident of their draft, why have they allowed forty lakh people to file claims and objections?" he told Firstpost in an exclusive interview. The NRC process began about five years ago under the Congress government in Assam with the then-chief minister Gogoi at the helm of affairs. In a Supreme Court judgment dated 17 December, 2014, the apex court fixed a timeline to update and publish the NRC, and said that it will monitor the process. "The NRC is my brainchild. There was no such demand in the state, there was nothing even in the Assam Accord about the setting up of NRC. During the Congress regime, there were objections that multiple illegitimate people were given the right to vote, which is why the NRC was set up," said Gogoi. Govt has no role in NRC, followed SC directions: Rajnath Singh Amid Opposition uproar in the Lok Sabha over the 40 lakh missing names in the NRC final draft, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asked parties opposing it not to politicise the "sensitive" issue. The minister told the Lok Sabha that the list has been published on the directives of the Supreme Court and the Centre has no role in it. "In publishing NRC, the government has done nothing. Everything is being done as per Supreme Court order. The allegation of the Opposition against the government is baseless," Singh said. He appealed to opposition members not to create "panic" since it is a "sensitive issue". "The government is not doing anything. Whatever is happening is under the supervision of the Supreme Court," he said. However, he reiterated that the list published on Monday was only a draft and not the final list and applicants will have the option of raising claims and objections. ""People who feel their name should have been part of the NRC can file claims and objections. In how much time those claims and objections would be disposed off that will be decided by the Supreme Court," Singh said. Bengalis, Biharis living in Assam 'Indians, not Rohingya,' says Mamata Banerjee Addressing the media after the Assam NRC final draft was released on Monday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that Bengalis and Biharis living in Assam were being targetted, and said that they are "Indians, not Rohingya". "How can they send women and children to detention centres? Aren't people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states living in Bengal? Bengalis living in Assam are being targetted. They are not Rohingya, they are Indians," she said. Terming the move as a deliberate attempt to isolate Bengalis and Biharis, Banerjee said: "People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. It's a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also," she said. Questioning the lack of transparency of the NRC process, the TMC leader said, "This is politics ahead of the 2019 elections." The party chief also added that she would take up the matter with Singh when she visits New Delhi. TMC leader Derek O'Brien was quoted as saying by The Indian Express that Banerjee and a delegation of party MPs will visit Assam. Furore over NRC in Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday as Opposition parties led by the TMC created an uproar over NRC. The Upper House witnessed three adjournments earlier in the day due to the continued uproar over the issue before the Chair called it a day at 2:13 pm. When the House reconvened at 2 pm after the last adjournment, O'Brien stood up demanding a discussion on the notice given by him on the NRC. However, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he had taken the initiative earlier in the day and even called Singh to the House to respond on the issue, but the House was not in order. "Home minister came all the way to the House, neither the members were willing to say anything, nor did they allow the House to function," Naidu said, adjourning the Rajya Sabha for ten minutes. When the House reconvened at 2:11 pm, O'Brien again demanded a discussion on the issue under Rule 267. However, Naidu reiterated that he had called the home minister to the House earlier in the day for a discussion, but the House was not in order and hence the opportunity could not be utilised. "I assure you, I will give the first opportunity Tuesday morning in the beginning of session itself," Naidu said. However, O'Brien was unrelenting and, other TMC members joined him in raising the issue, forcing Naidu to adjourn the House for the day. Government should convene all-party meeting: Congress The Congress asked the government to immediately convene an all-party meeting on the NRC issue and inform the Opposition on the proposed steps to ensure that no Indian citizen is left out. Senior party spokesperson Anand Sharma said there should be no politics over the issue. "The government must immediately call a meeting of leaders of all parties and should inform about the steps it proposes to take," he said, adding that it would be proper if the meeting is called on Tuesday. The NRC will include the names of all Indian citizens who have been residing in Assam before 25 March, 1971. The application process for the NRC started in May 2015 and a total of 6.5 crore documents were received from 68.27 lakh families across Assam. With inputs from PTI The final draft of the National Register of Citizens will be released in Assam on Monday at around noon, reports have claimed, and amid fears of 'deportation' reports, chief minister Sarbnanda Sonowal said that there should not be any insecurity or fear among people because 'the entire NRC is being carried out in an impartial, transparent and meticulous manner, and would continue to remain the same'. The final draft of the National Register of Citizens will be released in Assam on Monday at around noon, reports have claimed, and amid fears of 'deportation' reports, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that there should not be any insecurity or fear among people because "the entire NRC is being carried out in an impartial, transparent and meticulous manner, and would continue to remain the same". The job is to "identify foreigners", Sonowal told The Indian Express and added that no one would be sent to detention camps nor be treated as a foreigner if his or her name does not appear in the draft. Earlier in the week, Sonowal, who has held series of meetings with government officials and police top brass to ensure that law and order is maintained in Assam after the publication of the NRC draft, had said that the Assam government would provide security to all Indian citizens and no one should worry about the "after affects". The chief minister said that the Assam government was duty bound to provide safety and security to all sections of the people. "The state government will provide safety and security to all Indians living in Assam," Sonowal had said in an official release. "No one should be worried about the after affect of the NRC publication as adequate measures have already been taken to bring all Indian citizens within the ambit of security of the state," he said. The first part draft of the NRC was published on the intervening night of 31 December and 1 January, wherein the names of 1.9 crore of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated. The massive exercise, aimed at identifying the illegal immigrants in the north-eastern state bordering Bangladesh, is being carried out following a decision in 2005 after a series of meetings involving the central and state governments and the influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU). The office of the State Coordinator of NRC today said all bona fide Indians will be given adequate opportunities to prove their citizenship. It said, "applicants will be given ample opportunity to prove their eligibility for inclusion in the final NRC". "Applicants who do not find their names in the Complete Draft NRC need not worry. All genuine Indian Citizens as per cut-off date March 24, 1971 (midnight) will be included in the final NRC", said press advertisements given by the office of the State Coordinator of NRC. State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hazela told PTI that after publication of the complete draft, those who had submitted the NRC application form until 31 August, 2015 can submit their claim in the prescribed form from August 30 to September 28 next at the NRC Seva Kendra (NSK) where the claimant had earlier submitted the application form. Similarly, there is also a provision for any person to submit objections against any ineligible name included in the complete draft NRC, he said, adding the objection can be submitted at the NSK covering the residence of the person against whom the objection has been submitted. The claims and objections correction forms will be made available at all NSKs. It could also be downloaded from www.nrcassam.nic,in from August 7 onwards. Around 22 lakh hard copies of the final draft of the NRC will be available in all the 2,500 NSKs across Assam on July 30. Pre-registered and on demand SMS services would also be available for people to check their names in the draft, according to Hajela. The state NRC coordinator had earlier said that the names of around 1.50 lakh people appearing in the first draft on December 31 last year would not be included in the final draft on July 30. On the 'D' (doubtful) voters whose cases are going on in the Foreigners Tribunals, the NRC state coordinator said, "we have not deleted their names but only kept them on hold. "If they win the case in the Foreigners Tribunals, their names will be included in the NRC later". Around 40,000 state government officials and outsourced data entry operators have been engaged in this exercise that started in 2015. The persons marked as D-voters are barred from contesting the elections and casting their votes. They also lose access to government-sponsored welfare schemes, and other civil and political rights granted to an Indian citizen. The names of doubtful voters or D-voters were not included in the second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) published on Monday. Doubtful voters or D-voters are a category introduced in the electoral rolls of Assam in 1997 to mark people unable to prove their citizenship during a verification process. The persons marked as D-voters are barred from contesting the elections and casting their votes. The D-voters, once they are classified as foreigners are sent to any of six detention camps before deportation and will only be classified as a citizen after a judgment from the Foreigners Tribunal. According to News18, nearly 900 hundred persons who have been declared as foreigners have been detained in the six centers across Assam. Some of them have been detained for nearly a decade and are unable to communicate with their families. The process of identifying D voters came into being after a mobilisation led by All Assam Students Union (AASU) and All Assam Ganasangram Parishad (AAGSP), who conveyed their apprehensions regarding the influx of foreign nationals into Assam during the 1980s, leading to the introduction of the Assam Accord in August 1985. Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju in January informed Lok Sabha that 19,612 D-voters were declared foreigners till October 2017. As of 3 September, 2017, there were 1,25,155 D-voters in the state. In March 2018, Assam minister Chandra Mohan Patowary informed the state Assembly that as of 31 December, 2017, there were 4,85,640 D-voters and suspected citizens (2,44,144 D-voters and 24,14,96 reference cases), out of which 2,40,583 (1,31,034 D-voter and 1,09,549 reference cases) were disposed of. Ninety-two thousand were declared as foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunal and the rest were able to prove their Indian citizenship, News18 reported. According to IndiaSpend, the inmates in the detention centers are segregated into two categories: Bangladeshis and D-voters. The logic being that foreigners would not get any visitors, while families came to visit the D-voters. Moinal Molla, spoke to IndiaSpend about the harassment he faced as a D-voter. In 2013, Moinal was taken from his home and sent to a detention center 100 kilometers away. He was kept there for the next two years, ten months and 29 days. According to The Wire, many people were marked as doubtful voters at random. There are numerous cases where one or two members of a family were marked as doubtful while others were marked as Indian citizens. Mumtaz Dewan, a housewife in her 40s, was declared a citizen in 2016 by a Foreigners' Tribunal in Assam's Barpeta after being classified as a D-voter for 19 years. Despite the clearance, Dewan has been unable to get herself registered as a genuine voter, according to the Hindustan Times. Organisations such as the All Assam Minority Students Union and All Bodoland Territorial Council Bengali Students Federation said the frequency of serving D-voters notices increased after the NRC exercise was undertaken in September 2013, reported The Hindu. Regarding the NRC draft, 2.48 lakh D-voters are among the 40 lakh people who have not qualified for the final draft of NRC. According to The Indian Express, the names of the D-voters are going to be added to the list once their cases have been solved in the Foreigners' Tribunal. However, according to some reports, the names of a few D-voters have now been added to the final NRC draft. Suchandra Goswami, a resident of Silchar in south Assam, was issued a D-voter notice, sent to a detention camp in 2011. Goswami had to stay in the detention campwith hardcore criminalsfor three days. Goswami found her name in the NRC's final draft. Earlier, Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also said no one's rights and privileges will be curtailed if their names do not feature in the final draft of the NRC, reported PTI. "A draft is a draft. Nobody's rights and privileges will be taken away on the basis of the draft NRC. No one will be sent to any detention camp," the state finance minister said. The second and final draft of the NRC was published on Monday with 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants in Assam, according to the Registrar General of India Sailesh. The names of 40.07 lakh applicants did not find a place in the historic document, touted to be proof of Assamese identity. The first draft of the ongoing NRC process was released on midnight of 31 December, 2017. It comprised 1.9 crore names out of the total application of 3.29 crore people in Assam. The massive exercise, aimed at identifying the illegal immigrants in the northeastern state bordering Bangladesh, is being carried out following a decision in 2005 after a series of meetings involving the central and state governments and the influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU). With inputs from PTI For 40 lakh people whose names have been left out of the final National Register of Citizens draft list, these are trying times indeed. Guwahati: Swearing that the data compiled by the National Register of Citizenship (NRC) on the domicile of Assams 3.29 crore people is fool-proof, NRC officials have sought to assure the public that the list is free of bias. Genuine citizens, irrespective of caste, creed and community, have nothing to fear, they say. But for 40 lakh people whose names have been left out of the final NRC draft list, namely those classified as doubtful or D voters and those accused of being foreigners and whose cases are being heard, these are trying times indeed. Suchandra Goswami, a resident of Silchar in south Assam, who had to spend three days in a detention camp in 2011 after being sent a D-voter notice, was elated to find her name in the final NRC draft. But there was fear in the heart of Meera Rani Das, 55, a resident of Palongghat, Cachar, after she found her name missing in the list. Das is afraid that police will take her to jail. She says that the procedure of proving her identity takes a lot of money and she cannot afford it. From the outset, the NRC has faced much scepticism about the veracity of its list. Considering the huge volume of work, a lack of faith in the efficiency of the system and several cases where the names of children of legitimate and listed citizens were left out, there was reason to doubt its claims. Someone with fewer means would obviously face greater difficulties in negotiating the bureaucracy, says Samrat Choudhury, an author and senior journalist. The lives of many innocent, poor Indians may be adversely affected by errors. That is unconscionable. A basic requirement of justice is that no innocent should be punished. For a poor person, spending all their life savings on lawyers and courts is terrible punishment. Elaborate mechanism in place Citizens can get a one-page form from any NSK and can opt for the claims and objective procedures application process, which would run from 30 August to 28 September. From 7 August, they can seek reasons for non-inclusion of their names in any of the NSKs or online. Around 1.5 lakh names have been rejected during the family-tree verification for insufficient documentation. A special letter would be sent out to those whose names have not been included in the list. To ensure the privacy of the citizen, the names would not be made public. Retorts Satyendra Garg, joint secretary (North East) of the union ministry of home affairs, Genuine Indian citizen need not fear. No other action will be taken as of now. Only claims and objections will be considered as of now. No punitive or penal action will be taken as of now. We have gone through several levels of verification, starting from field verification by NRC authorities, adds Himadree Chutia, media advisor to the state coordinator of the NRC. The field verification was followed by a detailed process of background checks executed by 75,000 officials across the state. This was followed by matching of computerised family-tree and manual family-tree records that involved an exhaustive process of legacy-data verification. If a citizen lacked legacy data, they were free to produce documents from their parents or grand-parents along with proof of their relationship. The list was prepared on the basis of the terms of the 1985 Assam Accord, which had fixed 24 March 1971 as the cut-off date for deciding who is an illegal migrant. To rule out errors and to address disputes, an online grievances-redressal system was put in place. Preparations included control rooms and helplines to address specific queries and as many as 6.6 crore documents are being digitised. For the uneducated and those who cannot access online systems, a special fact-checking team was additionally deployed in each of the 33 districts of Assam. There are 2,500 NRC seva kendras (NSKs) with a local registrar of citizens officer to address region-specific cases. Several opportunities have been given to people to validate and submit necessary documentary proof, and it is only after collating all the data that the list has been rolled out. For rural communities, a special fact-check mechanism was put to place to scrutinise supporting letters from the gaon panchayat (village council). As per the high courts directives, re-verification on these special cases began on 2 April. Meanwhile, capacity building is going on to deploy sufficient officials to settle post-draft release disputes. 50,000 officials have been deployed so far and another 1,200 on contract at the state, district levels and circle levels. Those who have been identified as D-voters cannot apply in the first place, says an NRC official. So, they are not even included in the list of residents who had applied for NRC. Overall, 2,48,000 applications have been kept on hold as there are minor mistakes in the forms. Keeping a check on communal discord The NRC had spotted and taken prompt action against groups that were trying to instigate communal violence using campaigning platforms like Avaaz.org. On 12 July, a petition on Avaaz.org created a stir by quoting misleading information about the NRC process. Over a thousand citizens had signed up in support of the petition before the NRC social media team could track it, discredit it as fake and take it down. Similarly, there have been cases where individuals have made attempts to stir panic by spreading false information saying Muslims would be specifically cut out from the list. Our social media team is keeping an eye ever since the process started," says Prateek Hajela, principal secretary, home ministry, and state coordinator of the NRC. We have a proper team in place to monitor, take action or inform the police in case of any such instigation. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora on Monday said, The process of NRC has suffered from human and technical errors. So, the 40 lakh people whose names are not in the list cannot be termed as Bangladeshis. Many people from indigenous communities like Moran and Matak have been left out. However, the NRC media advisor said, We have known and seen communal harmony since time immemorial from the times of Ahom king Sukaphaa and Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev...Why create communal discord over this issue by talking in terms of Assamese Muslims and Assamese Bengalis? The NRC has no caste and community-based biases and only aims to protect genuine citizens. Abhijeet Sharma of Assam Public Works, on whose 2009 petition in the Supreme Court the updation of NRC was taken up, urged the state government to declare those whose names have been left out of the NRC as stateless and give them job cards. With inputs from Pratyush Deep, Swapnaneel Bhattacharjee, Syeda Ambia Zahan and Tilak Purkayastha ( The authors are Assam-based freelance writers and members of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters) Authorities fear that the 40 lakh people left out of the Assam NRC final draft will try to seek refuge across the border in neighbouring states. Shillong: While Assam's neighbours were on their toes to thwart possible infiltration of people who were left out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) final draft, a prominent students' body of the region called for extending the citizens' register to the other north-eastern states. The final draft of the NRC was released in Assam on Monday. Lauding the Assam government for its achievement in preparing the draft NRC, the North East Students' Organisation (NESO), an umbrella body of students of all the north-eastern states, demanded that the exercise be extended to the other states in the region as well as they too faced the illegal immigration problem. NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa said, "The NRC was one of the demands after the Assam Accord. Now, we desire that it should be extended to all the north-eastern states." He added that the other north-eastern states also suffered due to illegal immigration. "We have seen the quantum of rejections (people left out of the NRC final draft) in Assam and the states in the North East are extremely cautious lest these people run for refuge from Assam," Jyrwa said. The Meghalaya government held a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation along its border with Assam, officials said. The deputy commissioners and superintendents of police were asked to keep a close watch on the development in close coordination with their counterparts in Assam, state additional chief secretary (home) Peter Ingty said. The meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary Y Tsering and attended by Ingty, home commissioner S Kharlyngdoh and Director General of Police (DGP) Swaraj Bir Singh, the officials said. Ingty said there was no untoward incident reported so far, and the state government had taken precautionary measures to prevent any breakdown of law and order, especially in the districts bordering Assam. "We are undertaking a tight vigil and action will be taken against any trouble-monger or alleged infiltrators," the DGP said. The Garo Hills are on high alert as there are apprehensions that many of those whose names do not figure in the final draft NRC may use the plains there to enter Mizoram, a senior official from the Garo Hills division said. Meghalaya's influential Khasi' Students Union (KSU) called on the traditional bodies and village elders to detect and report any spill-over incidents. KSU president L Marngar said, "Those rejected from Assam will certainly now use Meghalaya as a refuge. Unlike Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, who have the Inner Line Permit (ILP) provisions, Meghalaya does not have such facilities to detect influx." The Arunachal Pradesh government has issued advisories to the police department to maintain a strict vigil on all check posts of the state and frisk dubious people. As Arunachal shares an 804-km boundary with Assam, the state government is apprehensive that many people from that neighbouring state may try to sneak in, fearing deportation. "All the check-gates have been put on a high alert, and security personnel have been asked to go for rigorous checking of all those entering the state," Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Tusar Taba said, adding that the superintendents of police of all districts bordering Assam were instructed to keep a close watch on the situation. The Mizoram government did not sound any security alerts in view of the publication of the final draft of the NRC in Assam, a senior state police official said. Nagaland, which shares one of the longest borders with Assam, is also on high alert. The Nagaland Police has deployed additional forces in the border areas, including Indian Reserve Battalion units, Chief Secretary Temjen Toy said. Six districts of the state Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha, Mon and Longleng share a border with Assam, he said, adding: "We are keeping a close watch on any possibilities of influx." The state government has also written to the village councils, asking them to remain vigilant and not to allow illegal immigrants to enter their areas or employ them in any manner, he said. Meanwhile, security was beefed up in Tripura, along its 100-km border with Assam's Karimganj district. "We have beefed up security along the Assam-Tripura border, apprehending infiltration of people from the neighbouring state. We are keeping a close vigil on the border," said Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Dharmanagar in North Tripura district Dhiman Das Chowdhury. The Opposition CPM said it was against the revision of the NRC in Tripura, while the ruling BJP said it did not see any possibility of Assam's NRC revision affecting Tripura's demographic balance. State CPM secretary Bijan Dhar said his party opposed the NRC revision in Tripura, adding that they had earlier clarified their stand on the issue. "We have not discussed the matter in a party forum yet. I do not see any possibility of Assam's NRC revision affecting Tripura's demographic balance," state BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb said. In Manipur, the police are on the lookout for bamboo structures over the Barak river, which could be used by the immigrants to cross over to the state. Chief Minister N Biren Singh told reporters, "Vigilance along the Barak river, which flows in Jiribam district, has been enhanced, and the police have been directed to cross-check suspicious individuals." During Zero Hour, BJP leader Parvesh Verma raised the issue of extension of Lal Dora areas in villages of Delhi and said people of Delhi villages still have to struggle for extension New Delhi: The Centre should take up with the Delhi government the issue of extension of 'Lal Dora' areas in the city as people living there are its oldest residents, Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Verma Monday said. Lal Dora refers to land that is part of a village 'abadi' (habitation) and is used for non-agricultural purpose only. During Zero Hour, BJP leader Verma raised the issue of extension of Lal Dora areas in villages of Delhi and said "still they (people of Delhi villages) have to struggle for extension of Lal Dora areas." "From the past 10 days farmers are on hunger strike. There should be extension of Lal Dora areas in their villages. But Delhi government is not paying attention to them," he said. The Delhi Government had earlier directed the divisional commissioner to commence the process of extension of Lal Dora areas in all villages. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said that there are around 360 villages in Delhi and their population has increased manifold. Hence, there is a need to increase the periphery of Lal Dora to accommodate the growing rural population. With numbers of missing children rising, Centre has decided to make some changes at the policy level and collect DNA of parents to aid in tracing the kids. New Delhi: With police data showing that the number of missing children is on the rise in the country, the government has decided to make some changes at the policy level to trace the kids and ensure their reunion with the parents. According to top sources in the government, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been asked to work out a proposal under the supervision of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the collection of DNA samples. "DNA samples of missing children and parents should be collected to ensure subsequent matching and reunion. The NIA has been requested to work out a proposal and take it up with the home ministry," sources said. According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), in 2015, more than 52,000 children went missing while in 2016, the figure was 56,154. If we analyse the data, the results are horrifying. More than 150 children go missing every day in India and the recovery rate, which is around half, is far from satisfactory. The NCRB data further revealed that five kids went missing every day in Mumbai in 2016 while in Delhi, 18 had gone missing. Adding the data from previous year, the total number of missing children in Delhi were 14,461, while only 5,863 children were traced. For human trafficking, the NCRB started collecting data from states in 2014. The latest data available is for 2016, which suggests that 4,980 victims of human trafficking were rescued from prostitution rings, 71 victims were rescued from begging and two were rescued from organ trade. A sustained campaign was launched across states in five phases beginning 2015, through Operation Smile, Operation Muskaan, Operation Smile-II, Operation Muskaan-II and Operation Muskaan -III that ended in July last year. The Ministry of Women and Child Development runs a national tracking system for missing children and photographs of recovered children by child care institutions and police are put up on its website to help locate the parents. According to the home ministry. in case a missing child is not recovered within four months from the date of filing the First Information Report, the matter is forwarded to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in each state to take up a more intensive investigation. Once a child is recovered, the police authorities are told to carry out further investigation, to see whether there is an involvement of any trafficking in the procedure by which the child went missing and if, on investigation, such links are found, the police is require to take appropriate action. The state authorities have been made responsible for arranging adequate shelter homes for missing children who are recovered and do not have any place to go to. So far, the concerned agencies have been conducting exercises to check all the unclaimed and unidentified children , who are kept under safe custody in various shelter homes of the government and non-governmental agencies, to match the details through photographs put up on government websites and various media platforms. As far as cases under kidnapping and abduction for crimes against children are concerned, in 2016, a total of 52,253 cases were registered, charge sheet was filed in 18,242 cases and 2,188 persons were convicted across the country. The home ministry is looking for a change in the existing system to ensure faster reunion of recovered kids with their parents and has also come out with a new set of guidelines for the collection, storage and transportation of DNA samples. The draft note, accessed by Firstpost, reveals that the government is looking for a pan-India database to expedite pending cases. Besides being issued new kits for collection of DNA samples, the investigators have also been told to avoid excessive handling of evidence and are prohibited from using printed papers. Multi-barrier pouches are also being made available for buccal cell collection using the Whatman kit. The note further said: "For health and safety concerns, do not touch the biological evidence with bare hands. Under no circumstances, wet or moist items should remain in plastic or paper containers more than two hours. The articles must be air dried before packaging them finally and it should not be dry stain by heating or placing in bright sun light." The 40 lakh people left out of the Assam NRC final draft can submit their claims, objections and corrections to Seva Kendras from 30 August to 28 September. The final draft of the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam was published on Monday morning, bringing with it a plethora of possibilities. Of the 3.29 crore applicants who had sought to be included in the list, about 2.89 crore people made it while over 40 lakh applicants were excluded from it. While only courts will now have the final say on the citizenship status of these 40 lakh applicants, all eyes will be on the Election Commission to see whether it will refer to this draft of the NRC or the final list to revise its electoral rolls in Assam ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Election Commission's (EC) "Manual on Electoral Rolls" published in October 2016 states: "Although currently, there is no standard and uniform document throughout the country to determine citizenship, there are some documents that could be referred to by the Electoral Registration Officer while inquiring the question of citizenship of the concerned person. These documents are (i) The National Register of Citizens, wherever it exists; (ii) A citizenship certificate issued by a competent authority; (iii) A valid passport issued by the Government of India; and (iv) A birth certificate." The EC manual, however, specifies that these documents are illustrative, not exhaustive. In 1997, the polling monitor had ordered the use of the "D" tag against the names of those voters in Assam who, according to the EC, had failed to prove their citizenship. The commission had also directed authorities to refer their names to foreigners' tribunals. D-voters are debarred from voting till these courts clear their names. Now, speculations are rife about whether the EC will tag as a "D" (doubtful/disputed) voter any of these 40 lakh people excluded from the final draft of the Assam NRC when it revises its electoral rolls before the 2019 polls. The Election Commission's decision will have significant bearing on electoral politics and its outcome in Assam. In a statement released after the final draft of the Assam NRC was released, Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh said that everyone will have the full opportunity to file claims and objections to the draft as per law. "Only after the disposal of these claims and objections will the final NRC will be published," he added. "I want to clarify that even after the final NRC (is published), every person will get an opportunity to approach foreigners' tribunals. This means that even those whose names do not figure in the final NRC will get an opportunity to approach the tribunals. There is no question of any coercive action against anyone," he said in his statement. Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal also gave his assurance that no genuine Indian citizens will be deprived of their citizenship rights. Later in the day, the Office of the Registrar General of India issued a notification, saying the Centre had fixed 31 December as the deadline to complete all processes and publish the final NRC of Assam. At the release of the complete NRC draft in Guwahati on Monday morning, Satyendra Garg, joint secretary (North East) in the Ministry of Home Affairs, said that based on the final draft of the register, authorities will not refer any names to the foreigners' tribunals, and no one excluded from the list will be sent to detention camps. Registrar General of India Sailesh and NRC State Coordinator Pratik Hajela also said that all those left out of the list will be given adequate opportunity to submit claims to be included in the register, and that no genuine Indian citizens should have any fear. However, when questioned whether those excluded will be allowed to vote, Sailesh said, that the election process "is handled by a different authority". The Election Commission is expected to refer to its own manual while revising the electoral rolls. The EC cannot be expected to make note of the assurances from both the central and Assam governments to the over 40 lakh excluded applicants that they will not be referred to foreigners' tribunals. D-voters are allowed to submit applications to be included in the NRC, but their names can be included only after they are cleared by the foreigners' tribunals. Hajela said that 2.48 lakh of the 40 lakh people excluded from the final NRC draft were D-voters and their descendants as well as those whose names are pending with courts and their descendants. Those left out of the list can submit their claims, objections and corrections to NRC Seva Kendras (NSK) from 30 August to 28 September, for which forms will be available from 7 August. Claims can be submitted along with additional documents, or the same papers submitted earlier. People can submit claims and objections only at the NSKs, but corrections can be submitted online, as well. The final NRC list will be published only after all these claims, objections and corrections are disposed. While those excluded will keep their fingers crossed after filing their claims, their number (40 lakh) also presents the possibility of a surge in the number of cases before the foreigners' tribunals after NRC authorities settle the claims. Those who fail to make it even to the final NRC list can file appeals before the courts. Their verdicts can be challenged in the Gauhati High Court and finally in the Supreme Court. However, the Election Commission's past decisions to use the D-voter tag even when no court has declared the voters foreigners has fuelled debates on which list the poll panel will refer to while revising its electoral rolls the completed NRC or the final draft According to official figures, there are 2,44,144 D-voters who have been referred to foreigners' tribunals, and 1,31,034 cases have been disposed of, so far. Altogether, 66,986 people of these were found to be Indian citizens and 20,578 were declared foreigners. But till their cases were disposed of and they were declared Indian citizens, they were stripped off their voting rights as they were tagged as D-voters. While the NRC-excluded in Assam will rigorously filing claims and objections over the next two months, the focus will be on the Election Commission and on which NRC list it will follow to revise its electoral rolls, on whether it will refer to the final draft or wait for the final NRC to be published after all claims and objections to determine citizenship are settled. The author is a senior journalist and editor of NEZINE A HUGE fire in the tyre section of the Providenciales dump site sent plumes of toxic black smoke across Blue Hills this week. Firefighters were called out on Wednesday (July 25) to tackle the blaze, according to a statement from the Governments Environmental Health Department (EHD). And police officers were called to the site for assistance with maintaining public safety. The department advised residents of Wheeland and Chalk Sound that it is "addressing the current fire at the disposal site with the contractor. Investigating officers will put together a report on the incident. The EHD said it is concerned with "all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health. It added: "We wish to assure the public that we are committed to safe-guarding public health while also creating an environment which is healthy and aesthetically pleasing to both residents and visitors. In a statement on Thursday, Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Delroy Williams said the "alarming rate of landfill fires is a "very real problem that affects all of us here. He said he is particularly concerned as the member of parliament for the constituency of Wheeland which is directly affected. "It demands real and immediate solutions. The health of our residents on this island, the place in which we live and do business, depends on that. The minister offered "sincerest apologies to residents in the area and any others who were affected for the inconvenience. "I am again assuring my community that this Government is actively exploring a more effective solid waste management programme that will alleviate the issues that have long been affecting residents in the area for many years. "In addition to this, we are committed to ensuring that those responsible for the management of waste disposal at the site implement new measures to reduce future occurrences. Relocation Hon. Williams said the process of choosing where and how to build new garbage disposal facilities is "inevitably controversial. "But the process cannot move forward without bold and decisive leadership from my Government who was elected as policy makers and are responsible for protecting the public interest along with the stakeholders in the community. He said he is mindful of the obligation to ensure that those living in close proximity to the waste disposal site are able to enjoy and function in an environment that is safe and hazard-free. "Despite the known challenges that are associated with landfills, we will be working with, and encouraging those responsible for the waste disposal site to ensure that there are substantial and effective improvements in the systems at the facility. "I want to emphasise that this unpleasant state of affairs at the dump in Providenciales cannot and will not continue under my watch. He said people are sick and tired of the current less than satisfactory performance and conditions. "Let me therefore give residents of Providenciales and Turks and Caicos Islands the assurance that I will definitely be holding the current contractors at the landfill accountable and responsible for ensuring that their management of that site is of the highest possible standard. "What is happening now is just not the way it should be. He stressed that "drastic and significant improvements will be made and the Government and people must receive value for money. The release of the second and final draft of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be released on Monday. Authorities are expected to release it at a press event in NRC Guwahati office at 10 am. The release of the second and final draft of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Monday will determine the citizenship status of nearly 1.39 crore people of the state. Authorities are expected to release the final draft at a press event at 10 am on Monday at the NRC office in Guwahati. The NRC will be released online and in all NRC Sewa Kendras (NSK) across Assam at the same time (instead of noon as announced earlier), said NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela in Guawhati on Sunday. The NRC will feature the names, addresses and photographs of all Indian citizens, who have been residing in the northeastern state before 25 March, 1971, he said. So far, 1.9 crore out of the 3.29 crore applicants have been cleared in the first list, which was released on 1 January, 2018. Early in July, NRC authorities said that names of 1.5 lakh people will be dropped from the first list, since some irregularity was found in the submitted documents, reported NDTV. Creating the digitised database of over three crore people in the state is being done by a Guwahati-based IT company, IT firm Bohniman Systems. The NRC is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in Assam. The Supreme Court on 2 July extended its 30 June deadline by a month due to the flood situation. The government and the state coordinator agreed to adhere to the new deadline by 30 July for the publication of the draft. According to The Indian Express, the following categories of people will not find a mention in the NRC draft on Monday as of now: people declared as 'foreigners' by the Foreigners' Tribunals, their family members referred to tribunals by the Border Police, people whose cases are pending at Foreigners' Tribunals, and the D-voters or 'doubtful' voters - a category introduced in the electoral rolls of Assam in 1997 to mark people unable to prove their citizenship during a verification process. Security tightened across Assam Security has been beefed up across the state to prevent any law and order situation following the publication of the draft, with deputy commissioners and superintendents of police (SPs) being directed to maintain a strict vigil, a senior police official said here. Prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in seven districts Barpeta, Darrang, Dima Hasao, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Golaghat and Dhubri. Vulnerable areas have been identified by the SPs in their respective districts and the situation is being monitored closely to prevent any untoward incident, particularly those arising due to rumour-mongering, the official said. The Centre has despatched 220 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces to gear up security in Assam and neighbouring states. What to do if one's name doesn't appear in the NRC draft? If a person's name does not appear in the draft, they will have to apply in prescribed forms in their respective NSKs. These forms will be available from 7 August to 28 September and the authorities will then inform them the reason for their names being left out. The next step will be to file the claim in another prescribed form which will be available from 30 August to 28 September and these claims will be finally disposed of after proper hearings. The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has taken a special initiative to set up a 24-hour control room at its central office here to help people. The applicants can also call 24x7 toll free numbers 15107 from Assam and 18003453762 from outside Assam by referring to their 21-digit Application Receipt Number (ARN). The applicants can also check their names by visiting the NRC website and through SMSs. The NRC is being updated under the Supreme Court supervision with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date for genuine Indian citizens in Assam. The first draft of the ongoing NRC process was released at the midnight of 31 December, 2017. It comprised 1.9 crore names out of the total application of 3.29 crore people in Assam. Fear of deportation among Bengali-Muslims in state Ahead of the final draft release of the NRC, Bengali-Muslims in Assam fear their names are likely to not feature in the list and result in their deportation. For brothers and daily-wage labourers Hafiz Uddin and Moin Uddin, 12 members of their family were declared as "foreigners" a Foreigners Tribunal two years ago, reported The Indian Express. The process has left several people uncertain over the status of their citizenship. "We are genuine Indians but this complicated process has broken the backs of illiterate people like us. We do not understand much of what is happening, just what we hear from people. Will they deport us? But I was born and brought up here. I dont know anyone anywhere else," the report quoted 68-year-old Mofis Uddins son, Abdul Malek as saying. 'No one will be sent to detention camps': Sonowal Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal assured that if a person's name does not appear in the NRC, he/she will not be treated as a foreigner or sent to detention camps, reports said. He also said that people would be given enough time to get the error rectified as "adequate opportunity will be given for filing claims and objections. According to PTI, Sonowal also held a high-level meeting recently on the NRC draft release and directed the officers to remain alert and help and explain the process of claims and objections to people whose names do not appear in the draft. He had also directed the officials not to refer any case to the Foreigners' Tribunal based on the NRC draft list. Earlier, Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had also said that nobody's rights and privileges will be curtailed if their names does not feature in the final draft of the NRC, reported PTI. "A draft is a draft. Nobody's rights and privileges will be taken away on the basis of the draft NRC. No one will be sent to any detention camp," the state finance minister said. According to reports in July, the state received sanction from the Centre to construct a standalone detention camp for "foreigners" in Goalpara district at the cost of about Rs 46 crore. At present, the state has six detention centres that run within the premises of jails. However, LS Changsan, principal secretary of Assam's home affairs and political department, clarified that the proposed centre had nothing to do with the National Register of Citizens because it will house only those who are declared non-nationals by foreigners' tribunals. 'Govt is trying to finish us off,' says Muslim survivors of 1983 Nellie massacre Abdul Suban is one of hundreds of thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims categorised as doubtful voters, who will not find their names in a National Register of Citizens (NRC) the northeastern border state of Assam will release on Monday. Thirty-six years after losing his parents, sister and a four-year-old daughter in one of Indias worst sectarian massacres, Suban says he is still trying to prove hes a citizen of the Hindu-majority nation, according to Reuters. If the government has decided to brand us foreigners what can we do? said the 60-year-old. NRC is trying to finish us off. Our people have died here, but we will not leave this place. Suban was seated with his wife at their house a few hundred metres from a vast paddy field where, in 1983, scores of people were chased down and killed by machete-armed mobs intent on hounding out Muslim immigrants. He survived by running as hard as he could and hiding behind a bush for days. Several other survivors of the Nellie massacre, which killed around 2,000 people from more than a dozen villages, hoped that the release of the NCR list on Monday would not spark further violence. 'It's only a draft,' says Rajnath Singh Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said it was "only a draft" and people would be given "adequate opportunity for objections." The minister said that the NRC is being updated in accordance with the Assam Accord signed on 15 August, 1985, and that the entire process is as per the directions of Supreme Court, which is constantly monitoring the process. "I will like to assure everyone that the NRC exercise is being carried out in a totally impartial, transparent and meticulous manner and will continue to be so. At every stage, adequate opportunity of hearing is given to all persons concerned. The entire process is being conducted according to law and due procedure is being followed," a home ministry statement quoting Rajnath Singh said. The senior BJP leader also said that the Citizenship Rules provide that any person not satisfied with the outcome of claims and objections can appeal to the Foreigners Tribunal. "Thus, there is no question of anyone being put in a detention centre after the publication of the NRC," Singh said in the statement. With inputs from agencies National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam has put the Muslim survivors of 1983 Nellie massacre on edge. Nellie (Assam): Thirty-six years after losing his parents, sister and a four-year-old daughter in one of Indias worst sectarian massacres, Abdul Suban says he is still trying to prove hes a citizen of the Hindu-majority nation. Suban is one of hundreds of thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims categorised as doubtful voters, who will not find their names in a National Register of Citizens (NRC) the northeastern border state of Assam will release on Monday. If the government has decided to brand us foreigners what can we do? said the 60-year-old. NRC is trying to finish us off. Our people have died here, but we will not leave this place. Suban was seated with his wife at their house a few hundred metres from a vast paddy field where, in 1983, scores of people were chased down and killed by machete-armed mobs intent on hounding out Muslim immigrants. He survived by running as hard as he could and hiding behind a bush for days. Work on the citizens register has accelerated under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With an eye on the 2019 national election, the BJPs Hindu-first campaign has become more strident, critics say, playing to its core base with divisive programmes such as the citizenship test in Assam, already a tinderbox of ethnic and religious tensions. Elsewhere in the countrys northern heartland, lynchings of Muslim cattle traders have risen under Modi in the country where many Hindus consider cows sacred, further deepening social divides. The BJP has denied the lynchings have any connection with it being in power. Modi has at least twice publicly spoken out against cow vigilantes. Mass grave: Several other survivors of the Nellie Massacre, which killed around 2,000 people from more than a dozen villages, gave accounts of burying bodies in a mass grave now partly under water. They said they hoped the release of the NCR list on Monday would not spark further violence. Security has been tightened across Assam. The citizenship test is the culmination of years of often violent agitations by Assamese demanding the removal of outsiders they accuse of taking jobs and cornering resources in the state of 33 million, known for its tea estates and oil fields. The NRC is extremely important to make the Assamese people feel protected, said Santanu Bharali, the legal adviser to the BJP chief minister of Assam. Its a moral victory. The ethnic Assamese always maintained the presence of foreigners and this will prove that. But the opposition Congress party and rights activists say the government is misusing the register to target even legal Indian Muslim citizens who have traditionally voted for non-BJP parties. The BJP and NRC authorities have repeatedly denied the allegations. Communal politics: To be recognised as Indian citizens, all residents of Assam had to produce documents proving that they or their families lived in the country before 24 March, 1971. Suban said both he and his father were born in Assam, and showed Reuters a soiled yellow document that showed his fathers name in the list of voters in Assam for 1965, before the cut-off date. The local border police declined to discuss individual cases, but said not all documents furnished by suspected illegal immigrants were valid. Hundreds of thousands of people fled to India from Bangladesh during its New Delhi-backed war of independence from Pakistan in the early 1970s. Most of them settled in Assam, which has a near-270 km (165-mile) border with Bangladesh. The migrants included many Hindus, but Modi has issued orders stating that no Hindu or members of other minorities from Pakistan or Bangladesh would be considered an illegal immigrant even if they entered the country without valid documents before 2014. BJPs only aim is to do communal politics, including through the NRC, Congress lawmaker Ripun Bora said. The BJP said the NRC was monitored by the countrys top court and there was no question of discriminating on the basis of religion. Following an outcry from rights groups over possible harassment of Muslims in Assam, Interior Minister Rajnath Singh said that the NRC exercise was being carried out in an impartial and transparent manner. Singh also reiterated that people finding their names missing from the list could raise objections and appeals, and said that they would not be thrown into detention centres. Rivals say that as Modis government faces disillusionment for failing to deliver on jobs and prosperity, it will step up religious mobilisation across the country. Fear in the countryside: The first draft of the NRC, released on 31 December, confirmed the citizenship of 19 million people, leading to jubilation for some and heartbreak among others. The NRC office, however, told the Supreme Court this month that 150,000 people from the first list, a third of them married women, would be dropped from the next one, mainly because they provided false information or gave inadmissible documents. Political activists in Assam say most of those are Bengali-speaking Muslims. NRC chief Prateek Hajela, whose office has processed 66 million documents and spent nearly $180 million in the whole NRC process, declined comment on the religion of people who would be removed from the register. We are doing an exercise that is unprecedented and if there are course corrections which are required to be done, we will need to do that, said Hajela, who is guarded round-the-clock by a team of police. Hajela said that most of Assams 126,000 so-called doubtful voters, and an estimated 150,000 of their descendants, would be excluded from the NRC in accordance with a court order. One of them is Nellie farmer Subans son Nabi Hussain, 28, who said he has voted in two Indian elections but now fears arrests. We are scared, said Hussain, his wife looking on from their mud-coated bamboo house, their nine-month-old daughter in her arms. Terrible things happened to our family once, we dont want a repeat. DMK working president MK Stalin said at an interview that party supremo Karunanidhi's health is stable and that doctors are monitoring his condition at the hospital. Auto refresh feeds Karunanidhi health LATEST updates: According to reports, DMK working president MK Stalin said at an interview that party supremo Karunanidhi's health is stable and that doctors are monitoring his condition at the hospital. Two Sri Lankan MPs Arumugam Thondaiman and Senthil Thondaiman visited the DMK chief Karunanidhi on behalf of the Sri Lankan president. They handed over a letter to DMK working president MK Stalin, in which Sri Lanka president Maithripala Sirisena wished the DMK chief speedy recovery. Quoting Congress sources, India Today reported that party president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia are being updated on Karunanidhi's health. A decision on Rahul's visit will be made soon. Several politicians have visited the DMK president in the hospital so far. Congress was represented by Ghulam Nabi Azad. "Karunanidhi is fine," said DMK ministers Seloor Raju and Kadambur Raju who came to the Kauvery Hospital to enquire about the DMK chief's health status, as per a News18 Tamil report. Actor Sarathkumar who visited Kauvery Hospital on Monday told the media that the DMK chief was doing good and would return home soon, Thanthi TV reported. MK Stalin has left the Kauvery Hospital while famous south Indian actors Sivakumar and Surya visited ailing DMK chief Karunanidhi at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, as per local media reports. DMK supremo Karunanidhi is fighting with Yaman (the God of death) but he will return victorious, said MDMK general secretary Vaiko Kaveri after visting him at Kauvery Hospital on Monday, News18 Tamil reported. Isha Yoga founder and spiritual guru Jaggi vasudev and MDMK general secretary Vaiko Kaveri also visited DMK chief Karunanidhi at the Kauvery Hospital on Monday, News18 Tamil reported. E Palaniswami met Karunanidhi in the ICU. The Tamil Nadu chief minister said that the DMK chief is doing fine and a team of expert doctors team is monitoring him, according to reports. Palaniswami and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam arrived at the Kauvery hospital to enquire about M Karunanidhi's health, according to sources. They were received by Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin. The health of DMK president and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi was stable on Monday morning as he continues to be monitored round-the-clock by doctors at the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, a Times of India report said. According to Thanthi TV, DMK chief Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi who had stayed at the hospital overnight has said that he is doing good and his well-wishers and party workers should be "brave" in these testing times. There has been no announcement made for a leave at the Anna University or any other educational institute in Chennai as of now and people have been advised to not follow hearsay rumours. Despite being lathicharged by the police, Karunanidhi's supporters remained undeterred outside the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai urging the hospital staff to update them about the DMK chief's health condition. Karunanidhi's son and senior DMK leader MK Stalin urged supporters gathered outside the hospital to not indulge in violence as he assured them that the DMK chief was responding well to the treatment at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai. DMK president M Karunanidhi continued to wage a grim battle for life on Sunday night, with the five-time chief minister facing a "transient set back" while undergoing treatment at a hospital here where delirious supporters cried and prayed for the leader. "It is true that there was a transient set back. But it has been set right due to intensive medical care. Do not believe in rumours. He continues to be treated at the ICU," DMK leader and former Union Minister A Raja told reporters at the hospital premises. The announcement was greeted with loud cheers by the ardent admirers of Karunanidhi who have gathered in large numbers at the hospital. Hundreds of policemen are deployed in and around the hospital in upscale Alwarpet. A steady stream of DMK supporters visited the hospital since morning, but the crowd began swelling since 7.30 pm as news spread about the deterioration in his condition. "There was a transient setcback in the clinical condition of DMK president M Karunanidhi. With active medical support his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors," a medical bulletin issued by Kauvery Hospital said at 9.50 pm. Many party workers, especially women, were seen crying. They heaved a sigh of relief after the medical bulletin said he was breathing normally and his vital parameters had stabilised. Karunanidhi was hospitalised in the wee hours on Saturday after his blood pressure dropped. He had undergone a procedure at the Kauvery Hospital for replacement of a tracheostomy tube to help him breathe normally. SUSPENDED police officer and Grand Turk youth pastor, Huntley Forbes Jr, will stand trial for rape on September 22. On July 10, Forbes Jrs attorney Noel Skippings successfully argued against an application brought by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the trial to be tried by a judge without the presence of a jury. Appearing for the DPPs office in the Grand Turk Supreme Court to argue the merits of the application was attorney Kelly Gai Smith. Judge Shiraz Azeez presided over the hearing. After listening to persuasive arguments from both sides, Judge Shiraz ordered that Forbes Jr face a jury of his peers. Forbes, who served as a police constable before his suspension, is also quite popular in the Grand Turk community due to his work as a youth pastor. This popularity is one of the reasons put forward by the DPPs application for a judge only trial. The trial is expected to run from September 22 to 26. Forbes Jr was first arrested on suspicion of a serious sexual assault on March 1, and was placed on administrative leave by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force as soon as he was officially charged with rape. He was then placed on $5,000 bail. (Delana Isles) Leaders from several political parties, including AIADMKs Edappadi Palaniswami and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, visited Karunanidhi in hospital on Monday. Ailing Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi, who was admitted to Chennai's Kauvery Hospital on Saturday because of an infection and age-related ailments, is now stable, his son and party working president MK Stalin said. Other political leaders who visited the 94-year-old in hospital on Monday also said he was recovering. Leaders from several political parties, including Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam both from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and two Sri Lankan ministers, visited Karunanidhi in hospital on Monday. Speaking to reporters, Stalin referred to the medical bulletin issued on Sunday and said "the same status as stated in the bulletin continues...doctors are monitoring and providing intensive care". On Sunday, the hospital had said that after a "transient setback" in Karunanidhi's clinical condition, his vital signs were normalising with active medical support. The hospital had also said that the DMK chief was being closely monitored and treated by the panel of doctors. After Palaniswami and Panneerselvam met Karunanidhi in hospital, the chief minister said: "The DMK chief's health is stable. He is well. A medical team is attending to him. I and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam along with DMK party working president Stalin and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi visited him in person." State ministers, including Tamil Nadu Law Minister CV Shanmugam, accompanied the chief minister to the hospital. "Karunanidhi's condition is now stable after a minor setback in the form of a breathing problem on Sunday night. The doctors at Kauvery Hospital are monitoring his condition," DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan told IANS on Monday. He said that the 94-year-old leader who is in the intensive care unit has been moving his hands and legs and had also opened his eyes. This was also confirmed by the doctors at the hospital. DMK senior leader Duraimurugan said "Thalaivar (leader) is doing well". He also appealed to party cadres to remain calm. Pawar, too, visited the hospital and inquired about the health of the nonagenarian leader with Stalin and Kanimozhi. Visited the ailing former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi in Chennai. Wished him a speedy recovery and good health. pic.twitter.com/x0fMVxY8S5 Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) July 30, 2018 While leaders of parties in Tamil Nadu and trade body representatives visited Kauvery Hospital, DMK workers continued to swarm the premises of the facility in Chennai's Alwarpet locality. This was despite a plea by the police to avoid crowding the area and from Stalin to stay calm and cooperate with the police to maintain law and order. According to Elangovan, the anxiety amongst party cadres late on Sunday peaked after a sudden deployment of police officers in large numbers around the hospital and the news of Palaniswami cancelling his programmes in Salem and rushing back to Chennai. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan MPs Arumugam Thondaiman and Senthil Thondaiman visited the DMK chief on behalf of Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena. They handed over a letter to Stalin, in which Sirisena said he hoped for his father's speedy recovery. Representatives of Sri Lanka President, Maithripala Sirisena, visited Kauvery hospital to meet former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi; submitted a letter from Sirisena to DMK working President MK Stalin wishing speedy recovery to Karunanidhi pic.twitter.com/ExfiCrV3IY ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Actor-politician Rajinikanth is likely to visit the ailing DMK supremo on Tuesday. According to reports, Rajinikanth will halt a film shoot and fly to Chennai. On 26 July, Kauvery Hospital had said that Karunanidhi was being treated for fever due to a urinary tract infection with intravenous antibiotics and fluids at his home in Chennai. However, after his blood pressure dipped, he was admitted to Kauvery Hospital. With inputs from agencies The reservoir in Kerala comprises three dams Idukki, Cheruthoni and Kulamavu built for the the Idukki Hydroelectric Project. Thiruvananthapuram: With the water level in the Idukki reservoir touching 2,395 feet on Monday night, just nine feet short of the full level, authorities issued an orange alert. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said an orange alert does not mean that shutter operations would be done anytime now. The shutters will be opened only in daylight and after sufficient notice is given to the public and all stakeholders concerned, it said in a statement. It added that there was no need for the public to panic. The final red alert will be issued when the water level touches 2,399 feet. The full level of the dam is 2,404 feet. The water level is related to the Mean Sea Level and the catchment area. Earlier, the Kerala government had put the army, navy, air force and coast guard on alert to meet any eventuality in case the water level rose. The KSDMA had said that the water level touched 2,394.72 feet at 1 pm and an alert would be issued when the level reaches 2,395 feet. Sources in the Kerala State Electricity Board said that when the level reaches 2,397 feet, there was a possibility of water being released on a trial basis for one or two hours. This was to find out whether there were any obstructions and diversions on the route the water flows, they said. A team of the National Disaster Response Force has already been deployed in Ernakulam and Thrissur, and another team will reach Idukki soon, Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post. The reservoir comprises three dams Idukki, Cheruthoni and Kulamavu built for the the Idukki Hydroelectric Project. "The army, navy, air force and coast guard have been asked to be on vigil. Two helicopters have been kept ready. There is no need to panic as of now. The State Disaster Management Authority will give timely directive in this regard," he said. "The coast guard is also ready with small boats to evacuate people if water enters low-lying areas of Ernakulam." People living downstream of the reservoir till Lower Periyar area in Ernakulam district have been asked to be vigilant, he said. In the event of opening the sluice gates of the Cheruthoni dam, the water will flow through Ernakulam from Idukki before reaching the Arabian Sea. According to the KSDMA, restrictions have been imposed on tourists visiting some areas near the dam. The Idukki reservoir's shutters were last opened in 1992. This is the first time it will reach the full level during the South West Monsoon. While Idukki dam is used to store water, the other two dams are meant to route water to the powerhouse. LJP leader Chirag Paswan targeted the Congress after its leader and former law minister Ashwani Kumar was reported to have said the demand to remove Goel cannot be justified New Delhi: After putting pressure on its ally BJP, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Monday asked the Congress to clear its stand on demands made by several parties that National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairman Justice AK Goel be sacked. LJP leader Chirag Paswan targeted the Congress after its leader and former law minister Ashwani Kumar was reported to have said the demand to remove Goel cannot be justified. After a fiery press conference last week in which he had asked the Modi government to sack Goel and take measures to restore the original provisions of a law on atrocities against Dalits by 8 August, he today sounded conciliatory and claimed his party had no conflict with the government. He said that the government has often met their demands, citing its move in the Supreme Court for resuming quota for Dalits and tribals in promotion and stay on an University Grants Commission (UGC) directive which had reduced the number of reserved seats in universities and colleges. Asked if he has heard from the government or the BJP on his demands, the son of LJP chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that Modi had recently returned from a foreign trip and he expected him to respond very soon. Targeting the Congress and its president, he said Rahul Gandhi often seeks to corner the government by raising Dalit issues but a senior leader of his party has backed Goel's continuation. "Gandhi must clear his stand on the issue. Do you support the demand to dismiss Goel or not," he said. Several parties, including BJP allies like Paswan's LJP, Union ministers Upendra Kushwaha and Ramdas Athawale besides the saffron party's Dalit MPs like Udit Raj have backed the call to remove the former Supreme Court judge for delivering a judgment that, they claim, diluted a law on atrocities against Dalits and tribals. "The government should take a decision before 9 August," Paswan said. Dalit groups have given a call for 'Bharat Bandh' on the day in support of a number of their demands, including a legislation to negate the apex court's verdict and to restore the original stringent provisions of the atrocities law. Chirag Paswan also targeted parties like Lalu Prasad's RJD for its silence on the demands of Dalits. "On the one hand opposition parties like the Congress spread this 'misinformation' that the Modi government is anti-Dalit but on the other hand their leaders back Goel," he said. Targeting Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, Paswan said,"she has also refrained from making any statement on the matter and noted that she as Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2007 had issued an executive order which had "weakened" the atrocities law'. X BJPX LJPX Lok Janshakti PartyX National Green TribunalX NGTX Justice AK GoelX Chirag PaswanX Governor Ashwani KumarX Upendra KushwahaX Ramdas AthawaleX Ram Vilas PaswanX BSPX RJDX CongressX Rahul Gandhi The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. The minimum punishment in cases of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. New Delhi: A crucial bill seeking to give death penalty to those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years was taken up for discussion by the Lok Sabha on Monday. The bill seeks to replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on 21 April, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another woman at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Although the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was welcomed by most members, some in the Opposition objected to the government adopting the ordinance route to enact the law. Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the stringent law was aimed at providing safety to minor girls. The recent incidents of rape and gangrape of women below the age of 12 years has shaken the conscience of the entire nation, he said. Therefore, the offenses of rape and gangrape of women under the age of 12-16 year require effective deterrence through legal provisions of more stringent punishment, he said. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. The minimum punishment in cases of rape of women has been increased from the rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life". The punishment for the gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict. Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death. The measure also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for the investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of the trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed, the bill says, adding that there will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gangrape of a girl under 16 years. It has also been prescribed that a court has to give notice of 15 days to a public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding on bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. Participating in the debate, BJP member Kirron Kher said the bill was "well-timed" and provides hope for safer future for women. She said the opposition should not selectively highlight the case of child rape but speak about how to deal with the henious crime. She was referring to the issue of Kathua rape case which was raised by N K Premachandran (RSP) who had moved a statutory resolution to disapprove the ordinance promulgated by the President on 21 April this year. Premachandran said it was apalling that a minor girl was gang-raped in a temple and brutally murdered thereafter. Kher said the bill deals with the current reality and lesser than death penalty in case of rape of minor girl cannot be justified. The CBI officials said the oldest case with them related to 41 cases handed over by the Supreme Court in Manipur fake encounters is approximately 27-year-old. New Delhi: The CBI which is probing 41 cases related to extrajudicial killings in Manipur is yet to get complete records from local police, army and paramilitary forces allegedly involved in the crime, officials said on Monday. After the orders of the Supreme Court to register fresh cases in the fake encounters rather than re-registering police FIRs (a norm followed by the CBI), the agency has registered 27 cases and filed two charge sheets, they said. In one of the charge sheets in a custodial killing matter, the CBI has found that local police in its probe had falsely claimed that the victim had a fight with militants in which he was beaten up severely and succumbed to those injuries in custody. The CBI has filed chargesheet against a sub-inspector of the Manipur Police and others in the case while in another case of fake encounter a deputy superintendent of police-ranked officer has been charged for alleged murder. Charge sheets have been filed against a total of 14 persons in these two cases, they said, adding that the charge sheets are supported by scientific evidence, police station records, forensic, medical and autopsy reports and statements of witnesses. The officials said oldest case with them related to 41 cases handed over by the Supreme Court in Manipur fake encounters is approximately 27-year-old. The difficulties being faced by the agency in pursuing these cases is getting documents and relevant records from forces like the local police, army's Maratha Light Infantry, Assam Rifles, CRPF and BSF, they said. Most of the records have reached the agency in June but still a lot of documents are missing from them, they said. The agency officials said it is likely to file its final report in five more cases by August end. The Extrajudicial Execution Victims' Association had approached the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe in 1,528 such alleged killings by forces in Manipur between 1979-2012. Through an order on 14 July, 2017, the apex court handed over four kinds of cases related to 52 extrajudicial killings incidents with 102 victims already a Commission of Inquiry was set up, judicial inquiry, NHRC cases and cases arising out of a probe by Justice Santosh Hegde (retd) commission. Later, some of these cases were dismissed by local courts. With the permission of the Supreme Court, the CBI took over 41 cases involving 86 victims of extrajudicial killings, they said. The agency started its regular procedure of taking over investigation by re-registering police FIRs but was directed by the apex court in February to stop this practice and register fresh FIRs, they said. Registering a fresh FIR requires lot of legal applications as one has to ascertain the accused and possible accused as well, they said, adding that the CBI registered 27 FIRs from February to July and will register 14 more soon. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that there will be partial withdrawal of the cases filed against the Maratha quota youth protesters Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday assured partial withdrawal of police cases filed against the Maratha youths for vandalising properties during recent protests for the quota demand. "However, the criminal charges like assaulting police officials will not be withdrawn," the chief minister told reporters at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai. The announcement came after Fadnavis held a meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane and his MLA son Nitesh Rane, along with some leaders of the Maratha community who are pro-reservation. However, the names of the pro-reservation groups werenot revealed by the state government. These groups had organised a bandh in Mumbai region and some parts of Maharashtra last week which had turned violent, with the incidents of arson reported from various cities. Sunday's meeting was held in the wake of the Maratha bodies demanding withdrawal of the criminal cases registered against the protesters who had organised the shutdowns. "The criminal charges involving attacks on police will not be withdrawn but others will be taken back. The community needs to resort to peace," the chief minister said. When asked about the date on which the State Backward Class Commission will submit its report to the government, Fadnavis said, "The report will be submitted within a month. Once it is received, we will discuss in the special session of the state legislature and take further action". He said the BJP government is supporting the expectations of the Maratha community on quota demand. "We will also ensure that no injustice is done (to Marathas) during the ongoing mega recruitment drive of the state government," the chief minister said. The commission is currently conducting a survey on the socio-economic backwardness of the Marathas who have been demanding 16 per cent reservation in government jobs and education. Under the recruitment drive, the government has advertised 72,000 posts to be filled up for various departments. The Maratha leaders who have been steering the quota stir for the last two years have distanced themselves from today's meeting. "None of us who participated in the bandh was present at the meeting with the chief minister. Our primary demand is of reservation in education and government jobs, and we don't want to lose our focus from it," said Virendra Pawar, one of the leaders of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM), an umbrella organisation of various pro-quota groups. The Shiv Sena and Congress have called for separate meetings in Mumbai tomorrow to discuss the issues related to Maratha reservation. The Maratha community has been demanding quota under the OBC category. The community had held violent protests across the state last week for this demand. Meanwhile, the MKM coordinators on Sunday claimed that Fadnavis held talks with the leaders who are "fake". A statement issued by the MKM and Sakal Maratha Morcha (SKM), who held a meeting in Latur in Marathwada on Sunday, said they were surprised to learn that some 'leaders' from the Maratha community had gone to hold talks with the chief minister in Mumbai. The SKM and MKM stated that those attended the meeting are not 'leaders' of the community. The pro-reservation groups, however, refused to offer any comment on the chief minister's announcement for partial withdrawal of criminal charges against Maratha youths. OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Lori Duhon of Ocean Springs died Sunday afternoon in a one-car accident in Vancleave, Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said Monday. Deputies were called to the scene of the accident on Fox Ridge Drive in Vancleave around 5:15 pm., where they found the 56-year-old Duhon inside a gray Toyota 4-Runner. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Ezell said it appeared the truck had left the roadway and crashed into a tree. Duhon was the only person in the vehicle. The accident remains under investigation. IN A historic development a TCI attorney has sued Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale. Beryn Duncanson of Duncanson and Co filed a constitutional motion against the chief justice on July 18. He cited her refusal to sign an order of recusal despite his claims there had been a de facto recusal by her from his cases. Judge Shiraz Aziz was assigned as an alternate and has been hearing Duncansons recent applications. The attorney also alleges that his recent applications have been "peculiarly, extraordinarily delayed in being stamp filed and returned from the court office. He told the Weekly News that he has yet to get back his stamped filed motion that was filed a week ago. He said he only has a copy of his cover letter signed by court staff on July 18 in receipt of his papers. Duncanson explained that he filed complaints of various matters against the chief justice to the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) in London this month. On Monday (July 23) a general inquiry was officially opened by the FAC into matters involving human rights in the Turks and Caicos Islands and future plans for the overseas territories. Anyone interested in filing comments or complaints or simply to review matters being considered by the FAC concerning the Turks and Caicos Islands can visit the website: https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/foreign-affairs-committee/inquiries1/parliament-2017/inquiry13/ The Maratha community in Maharashtra has been demanding reservation for the community in jobs and the education sector. A 35-year-old man allegedly committed suicide in Aurangabad on Monday over the Maratha quota demand. Violent protests also erupted in Chakan, 40 kilometers from Pune, in which at least 90 vehicles were damaged and traffic was disrupted on the Pune-Nashik highway. Authorities imposed Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code in the regionprohibiting the assembly of more than four people in an areaafter the violence began, ANI reported. Pune: Earlier visuals of protests over #MarathaReservation from Chakan area where Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in an area) has been imposed due to the protests. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/vDq2q9I1tA ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 The protesters believed to be members of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, which spearheaded the recent protests in Mumbai also pelted stones at and set buses and private vehicles on fire, a senior police officer said. Commuters are believed to be stranded and taking shelter in government offices. The Pune rural Deputy Superintendent of Police Ganpatrao Madgulkar has been injured in the protest and has been admitted to the hospital, according to The Times of India. At least 80 vehicles including public transport buses, cars and two-wheelers have been damaged and 10 vehicles set ablaze. #BREAKING - Maratha Quota stir erupts in Pune, over 40 vehicles torched and several commuters have been stranded pic.twitter.com/JBUru1q2Qo News18 (@CNNnews18) July 30, 2018 A 35-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train over the Maratha quota demand in Aurangabad. The man, identified as Pramod Jaising Hore, had posted a message on his Facebook page and shared a message on WhatsApp on Sunday, saying he would be ending his life in support of the reservation demand, Mukundwadi police station's Senior Inspector Natha Jadhav told PTI. A few Maratha organisations had called for a bandh in Chakan on Monday and held a rally. Quick Response Teams have been deployed to the violence-affected area, the police said. On Sunday, members of the Maratha community had held a protest march in Pune, according to The Times of India. The protesters had assembled near the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj statue in Garware bridge in Deccan locality and concluded the march near the Shivaji statue in Shivaji Nagar. The violence in Pune comes days after a statewide agitation was held over the demand for reservation for the Maratha community in Maharashtra. Three people were killed in the protests last week. Facing flak from the Maratha community, representatives, members of the Opposition and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held an all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the matter. With inputs from PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Imran Khan to congratulate him on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerging as the single largest party in Pakistan's recently conducted general election, ANI reported. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Imran Khan to congratulate him on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerging as the single largest party in Pakistan's recently conducted general election. Modi, in his conversation with the PTI chief and Pakistan's prime minister-in-waiting, expressed hope that democracy would take deeper roots in Pakistan. Earlier, the PTI announced that Imran will be sworn in as Pakistan's new prime minister before the country's independence day on 14 August and that it is trying to reach out to smaller parties and Independents to form the next government. Though the PTI emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the 25 July elections, the party is still short of numbers to form the government. PTI leader Naeenul Haq told media on Sunday night that consultations are on to complete the number game. "We have done our homework and he will take oath as prime minister before 14 August, Haq said. According to the complete preliminary results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, the PTI has obtained 115 general seats 12 short of a simple majority while the PML-N and PPP have won 64 and 43 seats, respectively. Pakistan's National Assembly comprises a total of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected. To meet the required number of votes, the PTI leadership has reportedly been approaching the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), PML-Quaid (PML-Q), and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), as well as Independents. Imran has won from five constituencies while two other PTI candidates have won on two seats each. They can retain only one seat. The party will have to vacate six extra seats where by-polls will be held. Hence, the strength of party will be reduced to 110. His ally Pervaiz Elahi of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) has also won two seats and will vacate one before taking oath. Thus, the actual strength of PTI including its two alliesPML-Q with 3 seats after Elahi leaves one and Awami Muslim League (AML) with one seatis 114. Since elections were held on 270 seats due to the cancellation of voting on two seats and at least 7 seats will become vacant before the oath, the actual strength of the House will be 333. Hence, Imran will need 167 members of the competed House on his side to become the prime minister. If the calculation is done on the basis of just those lawmakers who are directly elected on 270 seats, then it becomes simpler. Since the House will be reduced to 263 seats after 7 vacated by those elected on more than one seat, Imran will need 132 directly elected lawmakers to become the leader of the prime minister. To further simplify its math, since PTI and allies have 114 seats, Imran still needs 18 members. His party is trying to win support of 13 Independent members and MQM which has 6 members. It is also expected to get support of 4 members of Balochistan Awami Party. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has ordered recounting of 26 national and provincial Assembly seats. The list includes 15 National Assembly constituencies, including the two lost by former prime ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani. Recounting has also been approved at six Punjab Assembly seats, three Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and two Sindh Assembly seats. Pakistan election In a related development, two main parties PML-N and PPP have agreed on formulation of a "coordinated joint strategy". The understanding on cooperation was reached during the first direct meeting between the leaders of the PML-N and PPP after the general elections on Sunday. "It was an ice-breaker," said PML-N's Mushahid Hussain Sayed, when asked about the outcome of the meeting. "It was a very good meeting and you can call it a meeting of the minds." He said that there was complete unanimity of views between the two main parties that the "July 25 elections have been stolen". The PPP delegation comprised former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Farhatullah Babar while the PML-N side was represented by Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Sardar Mahtab Ahmed Khan. Later, the PPP leaders also held talks with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also heads the MMA, and tried to persuade him to reverse his decision of boycotting parliament. Since the MMA has 12 seats, the combined seats of the PPP, PML-N and MMA become 117. With inputs from PTI In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Giriraj Singh stated that Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme helped women entrepreneurs set up 30,437 projects. New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) helped women entrepreneurs set up 30,437 projects during 2016-17 and 2017-18 with financial assistance of over Rs 853.05 crore, Parliament was today informed. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister Giriraj Singh said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that women entrepreneurs from from Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Odisha and Gujarat have been beneficiaries of the PMEGP. Under the programme, women entrepreneurs are provided 25 per cent and 35 per cent subsidies for the project set up in urban and rural areas respectively. For women beneficiaries, their contribution is 5 per cent of the project cost while for general category it is 10 per cent. The maximum cost of the project under PMEGP is Rs 25 lakh for manufacturing sector units and Rs 10 lakh for units under service sector. The ministry has launched a portal "Udyam Sakhi" for encouraging women entrepreneurs and to aid, counsel, assist and protect their interests, Singh said. He said the Coir Board is implementing skill up-gradation and Mahila Coir Yojana, under which programmes like entrepreneurship development, awareness workshops, seminars and exposure tours are conducted for attracting more women entrepreneurs to set up coir industrial units. Under 'Mahila Coir Yojana' scheme, which is exclusively for rural women artisans, training in spinning of coir yarn and various coir processing activities is imparted to rural women in regions producing coir fibre in the country. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is also imparting training for skill development through 38 departmental and non-departmental training centres under various disciplines. During 2017-18, a total of 35,955 women candidates were trained. Singh further informed that entrepreneurs can sell their products through 8,058 sales outlets run by Khadi Institutions including 7 departmental outlets of KVIC located at Mumbai, Kolkata, Ernakulum, Bhopal, Goa, Patna and Delhi. Under domestic fairs and exhibition component of Marketing Assistance and Technology Up-gradation (MATU) scheme, 100 per cent of the space rent is paid for SC/ST/Women/NER/PH category MSE units limited to Rs 20,000, he said. In the case of technology trade fairs and exhibitions the limit is Rs 50,000. Under international trade fairs and exhibitions component of MATU scheme, 100 per cent of the space rent is paid for SC/ST/Women/NER MSE units subject to maximum Rs 1 lakh. Modi's statement on importance of industry in nation building evoked many reactions, but it is his reference to Mahatma Gandhi that calls for a closer look. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the important role of business and industry in nation building has naturally evoked a flurry of counter claims about the actual performance of the private sector. At the same time, Modi's passing reference to Mahatma Gandhi calls for closer attention. Modi said that a man as pure as Gandhi did not hesitate to openly associate with GD Birla. Just as the hard work of the farmer, the artisan and the government employee is vital to nation building, Modi added, so is the work of the industrialist and businessman. He went on to challenge the Opposition parties for referring to industrialists as 'chor-lootere'. It is indeed true that Gandhi referred to businessmen as the 'inseparable limbs of India'. At a famous speech at an association of merchants in Karachi in 1934, Gandhi had reiterated his commitment to bettering the life of the last person, 'daridranarayan'. Having studied trends in other countries, Gandhi was convinced that liquidating the business class would not necessarily benefit 'daridranarayana'. The poor could benefit, Gandhi said, if the Indian business community, " would not resort to dubious trade practices, would not exploit daridranarayana, and would see that their rights are not violated at your hands. I expect that you would not indulge in trade which may harm daridranarayana." But how does contemporary Indian business perform on these criteria? This is the crucial and urgent question of our times. Political rhetoric about whether business persons are 'good' or 'bad' only distracts attention from this life-or-death question. If one were to take a Gandhian approach to this key question, then an honest and critical self-assessment of the business sector would be the most important. Such a review is not as daunting as it might seem at first glance. Here are just a few of the questions that require urgent consideration by any business be it of big, small or medium scale. One, how many of its tasks are perpetually being performed by contract labour because making them 'permanent' would increase cost-to-company and create scope for trade unions to grow? Two, whether contract or permanent are the workers being paid more than a bare-minimum wage with an eight hour work day and paid leave? Random interviews with unskilled or low-skill labour indicate that they are working 12 hour shifts, often with no paid off-days and getting less than the stipulated minimum wage. As one industrialist lamented privately if he pays his workers the same wage for an eight hour work day, his shareholders will haul him up for causing losses to the company. Three, to what extent is the business model creating a ripple effect that increases participation and empowerment of businesses at the lower levels of the economy or is it instead squeezing them out of the picture by eating into their turf or otherwise undermining them. It has been suggested that the profitability of the small and medium scale sector would improve by 15 percent if their clients in big business just paid their dues on time. Four, are new projects launched with full care to avoid displacement of habitats and livelihoods? Or are social and environmental externalities treated as side-effects that just need to be 'managed' through 'corporate social responsibility' programs that are more cosmetic than substantial? Five, are claims about ecological sustainability backed by visionary shifts in the actual business model or is the short-term money bottom line always paramount? For example, the shift to renewable energy can be expensive in the short to medium term when the investments are made and would thus be impossible if a company is governed by the need to always increase its annual profit statement. All of the above is a mere fragment of what needs to be reviewed in order for each business to conform to what Gandhi called the principle of 'sadhan shudhi', namely purity of means. Such a review can only be undertaken by those businesses which see profit as the means and not the ends of doing business. Over the last 30-odd years, many global trends have grown the space for this line of thinking often known as the 'triple bottom line' approach of 'planet, people, profit'. However, with the unprecedented acceleration of concentration of power and assets in the hands of less than one percent of the world's population the advocates of triple bottom line thinking are looking less convincing that they did 20 years ago, when this concept first appeared on the world stage. In this context, many tend to dismiss Gandhi for being unreal. But Gandhi's understanding of both the importance of wealth creation and the dire challenges of doing so responsibly are now even more relevant. Above all, this is so because of Gandhi's ability to build relationships regardless of differences in perspective and ideology. The extent to which Gandhi and Birla disagreed on the future of industry in India is well documented. What matters today, in a time of increasingly bitter polarisation, is that those differences did not impinge on their friendship nor on their ability to continue a dialogue about their opposing views. So if Gandhi's proximity to Birla is being brought into the contemporary discourse, it is this ability to live with, possibly even celebrate, differences that is all important. Bakshi is the author of 'Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom: for a market culture beyond greed and fear'. DM Awasthi, special director general (anti-Naxal Ops), shares details on the present scenario, plans and strategy of the security forces in Bastar Editor's Note: In April this year, Union Home Ministry removed 44 districts from the list of those affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), indicating a shrinking of the area of Maoist influence in the country. This is the result of a multi-pronged strategy that includes an offensive security and sustained development to wean away the locals from Maoist ideology. However, this is not the end of Maoist supremacy in the Red Corridor. The danger is very much lurking in the jungles, beaten, bruised and ready for retaliation. The bigger challenge for the administration is to enter the Maoist stronghold and carry out development right under the nose of the extremists. So, what exactly is the situation on the ground? Debobrat Ghose of Firstpost takes a trip through the Dandakaranya forests in the Maoist-hotbed of Bastar division of Chhattisgarh one of the most badly affected regions by LWE and site of some of the deadliest attacks on the state by Maoists to see the changes that have reached some villages, how willing are the villagers in embracing those changes, the immense risk state administration and security forces personnel undertake daily to effect those changes, all in the shadow of the Maoists who are far from finished. Over the past three years, there has been a perceptible decline in incidents of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in Chhattisgarh. This has not only been due to the fact that development has been brought to the doorsteps of tribal villages, but also because the state police have adopted an aggressive stand against Naxals. This aggressive stand is part of a two-pronged strategy of the government to curb LWE in Bastar, wherein development is accompanied by an offensive operation strategy by the police, as opposed to the past, when the bottom line was to remain defensive. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, DM Awasthi, special director general (anti-Naxal Ops), who also heads the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) dealing with LWE, shares details on the present scenario, plans and strategy. To what extent has the Chhattisgarh government been successful in tackling LWE? Broadly, there have been three phases in the past 15 years. The first one was from 2003 to 2008, when there was a strong influence of Naxals in Surguja, Rajnandgaon and Bastar regions. There used to be a large number of Maoist attacks in this period. The second phase was between 2008 and 2013, when besides Bastar and Rajnandgaon, Maoists had control over Gariaband and Dhamtari. Despite the good work by police and security forces, some major Maoist incidents, like the massacre of Congress leaders at Jhiram Ghati, occurred during this phase. These were a blot on the state. The third phase began post-2014, when the focus was on rebuilding of the entire system to combat Naxalism in Chhattisgarh: whether on the development front or strengthening of security measures. We changed our strategy to tackle Maoism and it has started fetching results. The government has claimed that development across Bastar division has pushed Maoists on the backfoot. How true is this? This is true. Massive development in terms of roads, educational institutions, primary health centres, hospitals and community centres has taken place. Under a central government scheme, 75 new police stations have been built. Both development in Naxal-affected districts and villages, and actions taken by security forces, have pushed Maoists deep inside the jungles: into their core areas. This is in contrast to the situation three years ago, when they dominated roads and even towns. Why are attacks and blasts still taking place every month, if Maoists are on the backfoot? There are several reasons. Bastar is spread over an area of 39,117 square kilometres, which is larger than Kerala and many other states. It is a humongous and challenging task to protect such a large terrain. Sometimes, a slight mistake can lead to casualties. The Maoists, instead of fighting face-to-face, usually attack by triggering improvised explosive devices (IEDs) hidden deep underground or under a blacktop road, which is unanticipated. Now, they are fighting for their survival. At present, which areas in Bastar are still dominated by Naxals? Maoists dominate in their core areas like south Sukma, as half of the Sukma district borders Telangana. Another area is Bijapur, which shares its border with Telangana and Maharashtra. Similarly, besides Kondagaon and Kanker districts, a portion of the Dantewada district which shares borders with Sukma and Bijapur is a Maoist stronghold. A large swathe of the hilly and forested terrain of Abujhmadh in the Narayanpur district, which shares a border with Maharashtra, is under Maoist control. Our ultimate target is to breach this core area in Abujhmadh, which is still inaccessible to a large extent. Whats your strategy to tackle LWE in Chhattisgarh? In 2016, we shifted our strategy, and adopted an offensive one. Now, central forces like the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, along with the Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guards (DRG) of Chhattisgarh Police, are operating in the core areas of the Maoists. Instead of waiting for an ambush or attack to happen, we now aggressively push into Maoist-dominated areas where they conduct camps and training centres, on the basis of intelligence inputs. Earlier, Maoists chased our forces, whereas now its the opposite. Between 2016 and 2018, weve neutralised over 250 Maoists. On 25 May 2017, we launched Operation Prahar, in which security forces went into their dens and eliminated 30 Maoists after a seven-hour-long gun fight. We also lost three of our jawans in this operation. This incident changed the entire scenario on the strategy front. Were also developing a specialised elite anti-Naxal force Black Panther, which will be more specific in its operations. Often, due to the delay in intelligence-sharing or the lack of real-time intelligence inputs, Maoists have an upper hand over the police. What is the situation now? The role of intelligence agenciesboth central and statehas increased. Our intelligence network has improved. Unlike in the past, we now get more real-time and precise intelligence inputs and conduct more successful operations based on information from ground. Our own operations room at Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) has a 24X7 monitoring system, and we send our forces based on information we receive. Now we're using high-tech surveillance system to track movements of the Maoist cadre. Between 2016 and 2017, we conducted more than 200 intelligence-based operations. Theres better inter-state co-ordination and sharing of intelligence with neighbouring Maoist-affected states like Odisha, Telangana, etc. A lot of improvement has taken place in intelligence sharing by the Intelligence Bureau and we get good support from them. Are there any links between the Maoist cadre in the Dandakaranya region of Bastar and other insurgent groups in the country, especially militant groups like Al-Qaeda, LeT or Indian Mujahideen? No links have been found yet by the Chhattisgarh Police between the Maoists in Dandakaranya and militant groups like Al-Qaeda, LeT or Indian Mujahideen. However, there are possibilities of them having connections with insurgent groups operating in the North East. From where do Maoists get arms and ammunition? Most of the arms and ammunition are looted from security forces. Besides, they have manufacturing units of their own deep inside the forest areas: known as Liberated Zones, where they make improvised weapons. They also have German make pistols and sophisticated guns, which they may have procured from insurgent groups in the North East via Nepal or Bangladesh. Maoists have specialised in developing IEDs using tiffin boxes, pressure cookers, steel containers, etc. Explosives are either looted or procured from contractors by means of threats. There are allegations against the police that they have killed many innocent tribals in encounters, dubbing them as Maoists and fake surrenders have been made Perhaps there may have been some incidents in the past, which tarnished the image of the police. However, we dont advocate fake encounters. Ive issued instructions that no innocent should be arrested or killed and if any complaint of a fake encounter or excesses is received, strict action will be initiated. In the last one-and-half years, not a single complaint has been received. You also head the Chhattisgarh Police Housing Corporation (CPHC) as its managing director. What is its role in Maoist-infested districts? In the last five years, the CPHC has proved to be a game-changer and a major success in infrastructural development in Maoist-infested areas. The corporation has built police stations and barracks in those areas across Bastar division where the public works department couldnt reach. In a unique initiative, the housing corporation is constructing two roads in Sukma district, as contractors didnt participate in tender process due to fear. Next up: Despite visible development in Bastar, why does discontent persist? The following article, the concluding piece of this series, seeks to find out what are the grievances which help Maoists win over some tribal villagers to their side. Also Read Narendra Modi govts Bastar 'development offensive' showing results, tribals getting first taste of freedom Bastar development offensive: Once a Maoist den cut off from mainstream, Palnar village is now a digital hub Bastar development offensive: Geedam lives on to tell another tale, this time of an education city and not of Maoist violence Bastar development offensive: Healthcare, education thrive as tech-savvy Dantewada collector seeks to counter Maoist doctrine Bastar development offensive: Maoist ideology of bringing change through revolution a lie, says former cadre Bastar development offensive: How LTTE trained Maoists and transformed tribal youth into an armed guerrilla force Bastar development offensive: Once a Maoist territory, Chitaloor village leads war on pollution, uses solar power for irrigation Bastar proves a treacherous mesh of explosives for security forces to navigate; road-construction biggest challenge CRPF's Bastariya Battalion provides edge to operations against Maoists; knowledge of terrain, language helps forces Demonetisation caused little disruption to Maoist economy in Bastar, extortion major source of funding In the Lok Sabha, the TMC, Congress, CPM and the SP criticised the Centre over the publication of Assam NRC list, saying it puts 'human rights and democratic rights' of people at stake New Delhi: The row over the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam Monday echoed in Parliament where Home Minister Rajnath Singh asserted the Centre has no role in the preparation of the draft list and it was done on the directives of the Supreme Court. Singh also asked the opposition parties not to create panic and to politicise the "sensitive" issue. "As the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Samajwadi Party (SP) and other opposition parties triggered an uproar in the Rajya Sabha leading to the adjournment of the House ahead of schedule," Singh told the Lok Sabha that allegations against the government were baseless. In the Lok Sabha, the TMC, Congress, CPM and the SP criticised the Centre over the publication of the list, saying it puts "human rights and democratic rights" of people at stake. Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in Assam. The second draft of the NRC was published Monday in Guwahati. Singh said the NRC was being demanded in Assam for a long time and the previous state government had set up foreign tribunals following the Supreme Court order. "In publishing NRC, the government has done nothing. Everything is being done as per Supreme Court order. The allegation of the opposition against the government is baseless," Singh said. He appealed to opposition members not to create "panic" since it is a "sensitive issue". "The government is not doing anything. Whatever is happening is under the supervision of the Supreme Court," Singh said. Singh said the NRC list published Monday is not the final list and applicants will have the option of raising claims and objections. "People who feel their name should have been part of the NRC can file claims and objections. In how much time those claims and objections would be disposed off that will be decided by the Supreme Court," he added. Asking the opposition to list out what role the government has played in the NRC, Singh said, "It is a sensitive issue and should not be politicised unnecessarily". Unsatisfied with the Minister's response, an unrelenting opposition staged a walkout from the House. The Trinamool Congress had moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on the NRC issue, which was not taken up by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Asking where the 40 lakh people will go, Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) asked the Centre to ensure that justice should not be denied to the people who have been living in Assam for decades now. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said "original citizens" of the state are being asked questions and this is creating division in the state based on caste and creed. Mohd Saleem (CPM) said the situation in Assam is fragile and "human rights and democratic rights" of the people of the state are at stake. Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav (SP) said the move would lead to "hatred" and "violence" in Assam and dubbed it as a "war on people" who are living in the state for the last 40 years. The Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournmments earlier in Monday due to the continued uproar over the issue before the Chair called it a day at 2.13 pm. When the House reconvened at 2 pm after the last adjournment, TMC leader Derek O'Brien stood up demanding a discussion on the notice given by him on the NRC. However, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he had taken the initiative earlier in Monday and even called Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the House to respond on the issue, but the House was not in order. Later, O'Brien told reporters that TMC has decided to circulate a note on NRC among other political parties. "We think the NRC is inhuman and violates human rights. We would circulate a note on it among all political parties," he said. Alleging that the government did not consult West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the issue, the TMC leader said that a delegation of party MPs would soon visit Assam. The love story of two teenagers in Thiruvennainallur town of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu has resulted in inter-caste violence with the boy's family coming under attack on Sunday The love story of two teenagers in Thiruvennainallur town of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu has resulted in inter-caste violence with the boy's family coming under attack on Sunday. V Bharathi, 35, sister-in-law of the boy and her children aged 14 and 12, were attacked by a mob of 15 persons on Sunday. Bharathi has suffered multiple injuries and is presently admitted at Mundiyampakkam Government Hospital. Akash*, an undergraduate student, and Asha*, working at a supermarket in Chennai, have been in love for four years. Akashs friends say that things turned sour when Ashas parents found out about their relationship. They told her to stop talking to the boy as he was from a lower caste and sent her to Chennai to work. Both of them would meet when Asha would visit Villupuram. Akash would also travel to Chennai to meet her. A friend of the couple said that Akash borrowed some clothes from him and left to see her a few days back. They havent heard from him since then. Akash belongs to the Arunthathiyar community whereas Asha belongs to the Paraiyar community. While both are Scheduled Castes, Arunthathiyars are considered to be a lower caste by the Paraiyars. Bharathi found out that Akash was missing only when 20 people showed up at her doorstep on 28 July. They barged into her house and demanded Akashs number. They threatened to beat her up if Asha wasnt brought back by the next day. In spite of her repeated pleas that she had no idea about who Asha was or her relationship with Akash, they threw casteist slurs and slapped her repeatedly. Bharathi went to the local police station to complain about the attack. She was told to sit outside the police station and later told to leave. The police assured that they will visit her house to enquire. An hour later, police officials showed up at Bharathis house and enquired about Asha. Bharathi repeated that she knew nothing of the girl's whereabouts and that her husband was away. When she asked for police protection, the officials left telling her that if Asha was returned to her house, none of these problems would have existed. The next day, a mob comprising of both men and women including Asha's family members barged into Bharathis house and attacked her again. "The women asked me how a 'Chakkiliyar' woman like me had the guts to go to a police station and complain against them. They started tearing my nightdress after which I ran into another room. I was followed and beaten up. While I was being beaten up, my son was recording all this on my phone. They snatched the phone and beat him up. My younger daughter was also beaten up. They threatened me and my daughter with more violence and rape if Asha didnt return home in a day," says Bharati. Bharati's husband E Venkatesh was away when this happened. He works as a driver in Chennai. He says that minor disputes keep occurring between Paraiyars and Arunthathiyars. "We (Arunthathiyars) are just 13 families whereas there are more than 400 Paraiyar families here. The Police, instead of registering a complaint about the attacks on my wife, is threatening us," says Venkatesh. He insisted that he is not aware about the whereabouts of his brother or the girl. "If we knew, we wouldve taken her back to her parents. Let the Police take action against my brother if he is guilty of anything wrong. But now, my wife and children are being subject to attacks and casteist slurs, and nothing is being done. We are scared to even return to to our house," he added. Jogindhar, SHO, Tiruvennainallur Police station, informed Firstpost that a complaint has been filed by Ashas parents stating that she is missing. In the complaint, Ashas father Ravi has mentioned that Asha is a minor, aged 17, and accordingly, a case of kidnapping has been filed. On being asked why he hasnt initiated any enquiry regarding the attacks on Bharathi, he said that he was told both the communities broke into a fight and he is yet to enquire regarding the incident. (*Names changed to protect the identity of the teenage couple) The Supreme Court on Monday made strongly-worded observations on the practice of female genital cutting among Dawoodi Bohra Muslims. The Supreme Court on Monday made strongly-worded observations on the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) among Dawoodi Bohra Muslims. News18 reported that the apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, said 'women do not live only for marriage and their husbands' and that 'subjugation to a husband will not pass the test of constitutionality'. Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing on the behalf of the Centre, supported the petition filed by Delhi-based lawyer Sunita Tiwari against the practice. In an earlier hearing, Venugopal told the bench that countries such as the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia and around 27 African countries have banned this practice. The Dawoodi Bohra community, a Shia subsect which practices FGM, usually names the custom Khatna or Khafz, which involves the total or partial removal of the clitoral hood. In the name of the practice, young girls aged six and seven are cut up regularly by midwives and doctors, News18 reported. Earlier, the apex court ordered states like Kerala and Telangana, where Bohra Muslim community resides, should also be made parties to the litigation and issued notice to them as well. State of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Union Territory Delhi are already party to the case. The court had on 8 May agreed to examine the issues raised by Tiwari saying that the practice of FGM was 'extremely important and sensitive.' The practice of female genital cutting resulted in "serious violations of basic fundamental rights of the victims who in these cases are minors," the plea said. The FGM is performed "illegally upon girls (between five years and before she attains puberty)" and is against the "UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which is India is a signatory", the plea said, adding the practice caused "permanent disfiguration to the body of a girl child". With inputs from PTI Twenty-seven passengers trains have been cancelled and seven trains diverted due to the closure of the Old Yamuna Bridge in Delhi on Sunday evening with water in the Yamuna river crossing the danger level Twenty-seven passengers trains have been cancelled and seven trains diverted due to the closure of the Old Yamuna Bridge in Delhi on Sunday evening with the water level in the river rising due to rains, a day after the flow breached the danger mark, officials said. #UPDATE Due to closure of Yamuna bridge, 27 passenger trains have been cancelled and 7 trains diverted. https://t.co/4z9EnccX1C ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 The city government set up a flood control room and a round-the-clock emergency operation centre to monitor the river situation, they said. An order banning movement of traffic on the bridge was issued by the disaster management authorities after the flow in the Yamuna showed a rising trend. The river was flowing at 205.5 metres on Sunday evening with the danger mark being 204.83 metres, the officials said. Old Yamuna Bridge, colloquially known as 'Lohe Ka Pul', is a road-cum-rail bridge on the Delhi-Howrah line that was built over 150 years ago. It serves as a major connectivity link between Delhi and the neighbouring states. "There is impending danger of floods due to this unprecedented rise in water level resulting in inundation of low-lying areas in the Yamuna bed and may also lead to loss of life and property," the order issued by the District Disaster Management Authority said. "The traffic movement on the bridge is, hereby directed to be closed with immediate effect," it said. Earlier in the day, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took stock of the ongoing evacuation operation in the low-lying areas of the city, including Akshardham and Pandav Nagar, and appealed to the people to move to safer areas. Many people have moved to safer places, an official said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had held an emergency meeting with top officials to evaluate the situation. "The government has established a flood control room in the office of the district magistrate, District (East) at LM Bund, Geeta Colony. A 24x7 emergency operation centre has also been set up for monitoring the flood situation," a senior official said. People can call at these numbers 011-22428773, 011-22051234 and 011-22501668 for any flood-related help and assistance, he said. General public can also call on a toll-free 24x7 disaster helpline 1077 made operational from the office of the divisional commissioner, Delhi. Meanwhile, discharge from Hathani Kund Barrage at 5 pm Sunday was 1,12,540 cusecs, with water level expected to rise further. Manohar Lal Khattar takes stock of situation Meanwhile, in Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar held an emergency meeting with senior officials on Sunday, and directed them to stay alert to deal with any untoward situation. He also conducted an aerial survey of the Hathnikund barrage located on Yamuna river in Yamunanagar district. The minister was told that 6,05,949 cusecs of water flowing from the Hathnikund barrage was passing through Karnal and would reach Delhi by Monday. With Yamuna flowing close to the danger mark, several villages were flooded leading to crop losses, officials said. In some villages in Yamunanagar district, the flood waters entered houses and buildings. The administration has deployed boats at various places for people to commute from one village to other and to evacuate them, if the water level rises further, they said. Khattar sought information on the water level from the deputy commissioners of Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat and Palwal, and other officers through video-conferencing. He also reviewed the arrangements made by them, an official spokesperson said in Chandigarh. The officers informed the chief minister that 6,05,949 cusecs of water was flowing from the Hathnikund Barrage in Yamunanagar till 6 pm Saturday. Earlier in 2010, 8.05 lakh cusecs of water passed through this barrage, and in 2013, 7.5 lakh cusecs had passed, they said. The Yamuna water level at the Hathini Kund barrage had crossed the danger mark of 90,000 cusec, according to an official. "Canals in Haryana are closed when the water level crosses 70,000 cusecs at Hathnikund Barrage, and the water is passing through 18 doors," the spokesperson said. The Karnal deputy commissioner informed the chief minister that about six lakh cusecs of water was passing from Hathnikund barrage on Saturday evening, and its effect could be seen later during the day. The officers said the water level was gradually decreasing. A sub-divisional officer and three junior engineers have been deputed at every 20 kilometers in Karnal. Heavy earth moving machines and 20,000 sand bags have been kept ready to deal with any untoward situation. Arrangements have also been made for evacuating people to safer places as the situation demands, the officers added. Medical teams have been arranged and officers of the animal husbandry department have been alerted to deal with the flood-like situation, the officers said. The officers of Panipat district said Yamuna river passed through 14 villages of the district, adding that Army has visited and checked the areas adjoining the river. The Sonipat district administration informed Khattar that the water of Yamuna was flowing one kilometer away from Asadpur village where officers of the irrigation department have been deputed. The administration has also issued a warning to people living in the areas surrounding Yamuna river. A team of State Disaster Management force has already been put on alert, and a flood control room has been set up at the district level for fast response to deal with any flood-like situation, the officials said. The chief minister directed the officers that the administration in the vulnerable districts should remain ready to deal with diseases which may break out after the water level of Yamuna recedes. The officers should ensure that fogging is done in the affected areas from time to time, he added. After holding a meeting with officials here, Khattar said 'special girdawari' (revenue survey) would be conducted to assess the damage to the crops caused by floods and rains. He added that due compensation would be given to the affected farmers. With inputs from PTI The Jammu and Kashmir governor has announced local body and panchayat polls for later this year; the Lok Sabha elections will be held next year; and the Assembly elections will have to be held if the governor dissolves the current Assembly. Srinagar: Javaid Ahmad, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), refused to name his native village. He is afraid to go home as several people associated with political parties have been attacked and killed in recent years. "The attacks and threats have created panic among all mainstream party workers, especially in South Kashmir," Ahmad said. A cluster of lower-rung leaders of mainstream parties have been living in a government housing colony in Pulwama for the past several years. Ahmad is unsure how any election can be held in Jammu and Kashmir in the present circumstances. "You still remember what happened when the bypolls for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat was conducted," he said. The Srinagar by-election was held on 9 April, 2017, amid violence. There was a voter turnout of around 7 percent for the bypoll, and eight people were killed even as voting was on. Fearing a similar backlash, authorities deferred the bypoll for the Anantnag parliamentary seat, which was scheduled three days later. The seat, which fell vacant after Mehbooba Mufti took over as chief minister, remains vacant because of the poor state of law and order in the Valley. Even though politicians, citizens and the state administration seem unprepared for elections in these uncertain conditions, Jammu and Kashmir will vote in a number of polls in the near future. The governor has announced local body and panchayat elections for later this year; the Lok Sabha elections will be held next year; and the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will have to be held if Governor NN Vohra dissolves the Assembly. Given that the last urban local body elections were held in 2005 after a gap of 23 years and the last panchayat polls were held in 2011 under the Omar Abdullah-led government after a 37-year break it is unclear how any large-scale elections can be held in the Valley in the shadow of the continuing social unrest and rising militancy. South Kashmir in particular is virtually out of bounds for legislators. There is no question of holding public rallies anywhere. A police official admitted that killings and threats had created panic among all political workers in the region. "It is not possible to provide security to everyone," he said. No one but BJP ready for polls Since 2017, militants have visited the homes of several political activists, warning them to "disassociate from their parties or face consequences". Following this, several political activists have either resigned or gone into hiding, as had happened in the early 1990s when hundreds of political activists mostly members of the National Conference (NC) had announced 'izhar-e-la taluqi' (disassociating themselves from their parties) through paid advertisements in local newspapers. Several videos have gone viral on social media platforms, in which political workers can be seen tendering apologies and dissociating themselves from these parties. Under such uncertain conditions, no major political party besides the Bharatiya Janata Party seems ready for polls. Former chief minister and senior NC leader Omar Abdullah had said that the situation was not conducive for elections. "The NC will contest elections whenever they are held," he had said earlier in July. "But the reality is that the situation in Jammu may be conducive for polls, but the situation in Kashmir is grave. It is unjustified to ask voters to come out to vote when people are getting killed. We will ask the governor to consider the security situation before announcing dates for elections (panchayat and urban local bodies)." Senior Congress leader GN Monga said: "Everybody is aware of the present situation. We will be happy if the government creates a conducive environment for polls." Chief PDP spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir is equally sceptical about elections being held under the current circumstances. "Elections can be held only when killings are stopped and a conducive environment is created," he said. Such was the state of affairs during the 1996 elections that the Centre had to bring in polling staff from other states as local employees had refused to do the job. The BJP, however, believes that elections should be held immediately. "We are always ready for polls," said BJP state spokesperson Altaf Thakur. "If the polls were held in 1990, why can't they be held now? We want panchayat polls and elections to urban local bodies to be held immediately so that Jammu and Kashmir can get its share of central funding." 'Parties should stay away from panchayats' Rekha Chowdhary, a professor and political analyst, said the situation today was different from that of the 1990s, when Assembly polls could not be held from 1990 to 1995 after the then governor Jagmohan dissolved the Assembly in 1990. "Politics had completely collapsed in 1990s," she said. "It is very difficult to say which way the situation will go in the Valley (if elections are held in the current scenario)." The joint chief electoral officer of Jammu and Kashmir, Raman Kumar Kesar, said that preparations for panchayat polls and urban local body elections were on. "The panchayat polls will be held first and then the urban local body elections," he added. Director General of Police SP Vaid asserted that the police will arrange for adequate security to ensure peaceful elections. The administration is exploring the possibility of the holding the panchayat polls in September-October. The election could not be held as due in 2016 because of the five-month-long unrest in the Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on 8 July that year. The chairman of the All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference, Shafiq Ahmad Mir, said that the panchayat polls should not be linked with the Kashmir issue. "We contest panchayat polls to address local issues," he said. "Parties should not politicise the panchayat polls." The 2011 panchayat polls saw a substantial turnout, but after the elections, a few parties branded it as a referendum on the Kashmir issue. What followed was a string threats and attacks on various village heads who held the posts of a panch and sarpanch. The United Jihad Council had threatened panchayat representatives in 2013, saying they were being used as a "tool by Indian agencies", after which several panchayat representatives had resigned. The author is a Srinagar-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters By Olivia Rose THE GOVERNMENT has allocated $1.5 million in this years budget to repair 15 hurricane shelters across the TCI. This was revealed by Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson during her budget address on Tuesday, July 10, in the House of Assembly. Several shelters throughout the territory were battered during the 2017 storms, however reconstruction and repairs were dependent on the passage of the 2018-2019 Budget Cartwright Robinson during her speech thanked the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) and the Ministry of Home Affairs for securing new shelters, and new partners who provided their institutions and buildings for this purpose. On Wednesday (July 24) the sixth State of Preparedness meeting was held at the DDMEs office in Providenciales. This meeting provided national disaster subcommittees with the opportunity to provide updates on their state of readiness for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. The meeting was chaired and co-chaired by Governor John Freeman and Deputy Governor Anya Williams. Last month Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Vaden Delroy Williams conducted a hurricane preparedness tour of the Islands to assess the state of readiness of shelters and other critical facilities ahead of the 2018 hurricane season. Hon. Williams encouraged residents to be as prepared as possible, given that this season is predicted to be extremely active. He said the Government is committed to ensuring that all the Islands are as prepared as possible for any eventuality. Shelters on North and Middle Caicos, Grand Turk, South Caicos, Providenciales and Salt Cay were all inspected on Sunday, June 10. The minister was accompanied by officials from the Department of Disaster Management and the Department of Public Works. He was also joined by Hon. Goldray Ewing, Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning, and Hon. Ralph Higgs, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Culture. Shelter list 2018 Grand Turk -Community College -HJ Robinson High School Auditorium Providenciales -Enid Capron Primary School, Five Cays -Messenger Baptist, Five Cays -Wesley Methodist High School, Leeward -All Saints Mission Church, Leeward Highway -Our Lady Devine Catholic Church, Off Leeward Highway -Jericho Baptist Church, The Bight -Maranatha High School, Blue Hills -Kingdom Vision Missionary, Blue Hills -Kingdom Dominion Ministry International, Blue Hills South Caicos -New Testament Church of God Creole North Caicos -Lighthouse Church -Adelaide Oemler Primary School -Sandy Point Community Centre -Kew Community Centre Middle Caicos -Conch Bar Community Centre -Mt Moriah Baptist Church Salt Cay -Salt Cay Clubhouse -Methodist Sunday School Hall Congress spokesperson hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'industrialists' comment. He says that it is unfortunate that he compared himself with the father of the nation New Delhi: The Congress questioned the remark of Narendra Modi that he does not mind standing next to businessmen, asking whether the industrialists the prime minister was referring to were the ones accused in bank scams. Prime minister Modi attacked opposition parties for dubbing industrialists as "chor" (thief) and "luterey" (looters), saying "We are not those who are scared of standing next to businessmen." He said like farmers, bankers, government employees and labourers, industrialists also contribute to the development of the country. Hitting back at prime minister Modi, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said, "The question is not industrialists or businessmen, but what kind of businessmen. People who ripped the banking system and went to Antigua and London if he is okay with getting clicked with them then I leave it to his wisdom." He also said the Congress was not against industrialists but crony capitalism. Addressing an event in Lucknow, the prime minister said, "You cannot have blot on you simply by standing with anyone if your intentions are good and clear." "Gandhiji's (Mahatma Gandhi) intentions were so pure that he never hesitated in staying with the Birla family," the prime minister said. "Public mey milna nahi, parde ke peeche sab kuch karna hai. Woh dartey rahtey hain, (Those who do not meet publicly and do everything behind curtains remain scared)," he said. Manish Tewari felt that by referring to Mahatma Gandhi, prime minister Modi had insulted the father of the nation. "It is unfortunate that he compared himself with the father of the nation. The prime minister said Gandhiji too kept industrialists with him. But I again ask what kind of industrialists. They staked everything to fight the British along with Gandhiji," he said. AICC in-charge of communications Randeep Singh Surjewala said Congress does not need certificates from the prime minister about industrialisation. "In 60 years of Cong Govt, Industrial Production in India showed a compound growth rate of 6 percent. It is 3.3 percent in May 2018. Difference is- Making Industry Partner in Progress V/S Making Cronies Profiteer from Exchequer!" he tweeted. In another tweet he alleged that the prime minister's political career "reeks of a culture of cronyism". "From giving land to your crony friends at throwaway prices in Gujarat to GSPC Scam, from promoting select mobile wallets in DeMo to gifting Largest Defence Contract in Rafael! So spare us the lecture!" he said Gujarat's BJP unit organised a workshop on Sunday to lay down strategy for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, to retain all 26 seats in the state Ahmedabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday organised a workshop in Gandhinagar to prepare a roadmap to win all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat in the general elections slated for 2019. Powerpoint presentations were made at the workshop and teams have been assigned Lok Sabha constituencies to visit over three days in August to discuss booth management with local workers, a BJP release informed. "Winning a war is easy if preparations are made in advance during times of peace," said state unit chief Jitu Vaghani at the party's state headquarters in Gandhinagar. The party's in charge for Gujarat, Bhupendra Yadav, said that people have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and confidence in his government. BJP vice-president IK Jadeja told reporters that the workshop discussed steps to ensure the party repeated its "best result" in 2014 when it won all 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state. He said the booth-level performance during the 2014 general elections as well as the Assembly polls of 2017 were analysed and ways to make the organisation strong at this level were discussed. The BJP had got a tough fight from the Congress in the Assembly polls held in 2017. Its tally was restricted to 99 out of the 182 Assembly seats and the party failed to open its account in districts like Morbi, Amreli and Gir Somnath. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and national joint general secretary V Satish were also present at the workshop. The workshop saw the participation of the BJP's state core team, Lok Sabha election organising committee members, the in charges of 26 parliamentary seats as well as its units in cities and districts apart from functionaries of various morchas of the party. Dilip Ghosh on Monday said the NRC will be published, on the lines of the one in Assam, if the BJP was voted to power in the state. Kolkata: West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Monday said the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be published, on the lines of the one in Assam, if the saffron party was voted to power in the state. Supporting the publication of the complete draft of the NRC in Assam, he said some politicians were "shedding crocodile tears" as they were wary that their "vote-bank" politics would come to an end. Reacting to Ghosh's remarks, Congress and CPM leaders alleged that the BJP leader's statement reflected the anti-Bengali mindset of the saffron party, which was trying to import the Hindi heartland culture in Bengal. The much-awaited final draft of the NRC was published on Monday in Assam, the only state in the country to have such a document, featuring over 2.89 crore names of the total 3.29 crore applicants in the north-eastern state. "If we (BJP) are voted to power in Bengal, then we too will implement the NRC in the state. We will send back the illegal immigrants to Bangladesh. Tough days are ahead, we will not tolerate any illegal immigrants in Bengal," Ghosh told reporters. Those who will support the illegal immigrants will also be thrown out of the country, he said. "The NRC in Assam is being implemented following the orders of the court (Supreme Court). It was the Congress, which had proposed the idea of the NRC. Now they are speaking against it," Ghosh added. Those whose names were not in the final draft could appeal for rectification, "but we will never compromise on the security and integrity of our country", he said. Ghosh came down heavily on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her comments against the NRC in Assam and said she should stop doing vote-bank politics on each and every issue. "Those who are inviting illegal immigrants and Rohingyas from the neighbouring country should not talk much about the integrity and security of the country," he said. Expressing concern over the exclusion of 40 lakh names in the complete NRC draft, Banerjee said Indian citizens had become refugees in their own land and alleged that the Centre had resorted to "vote-bank politics". The chief minister, who flew to New Delhi on Monday, said she would seek time from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue. "I am sending a team of party MPs to Assam and if necessary, I will go there too," she added. The Congress and the Left Front said Ghosh's comments reflected the "anti Bengali" mindset of the BJP. "The NRC in Assam and Ghosh's statement prove that the BJP is an anti-Bengali party. The people of our state will never accept such a party. It will be a disaster for the entire country and our state," Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Abdul Mannan said. Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said, "The BJP is trying to bring in the culture of the Hindi heartland in Bengal. Who are they to tell the people of Assam that they are no longer citizens of India? They will do the same thing if they are voted to power in Bengal," he said. Private sector investments and industrial development across the state bring jobs and consequently a change in social and economic status. That's the key to keep alive the popular faith in Modi. By the end of 2012, the middle class had become a kind of bad word in the political narrative. No political party talked of its concerns or its aspirations. In fact, on various occasions, the ruling class even blamed it for consumerism and said that it led to a price rise. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which was at nearly the end of its second term at the Centre, thought the poorer section of voters would bring them back to power on the promise of a law on the right to food and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act wages. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which otherwise was perceived to be champions of the middle class, after losing badly in the metrosDelhi and Mumbai in 2004 and 2009 electionsalso quietly dropped this word from their political vocabulary. In December 2012, Narendra Modi, then chief minister of Gujarat, surprised many inside and outside politics by eloquently speaking of the concerns of the middle class, its aspirations and its contribution to nation-building. The BJPs election manifesto went on at length to make promises for navodit or neo middle class, his new social and political constituency. At the time, it was considered a bold move for Modi to have openly sided with the middle classes' aspirations. The middle class plays an important and challenging role in social and economic transformation of society. Its role has to be recognised. The emergence of the neo middle class has to be redefined", Modi said at a speech in Ahmedabad. By that time, it was clear that after his victory in Gujarat, Modi would be a natural prime ministerial candidate for the BJP. The rest is history. On Sunday, when Modi talked eloquently of contributions of business and industry in the development of the nation, he was, yet again, breaking ranks from the rest of his rivals. When political parties are in power, they talk of public-private sector partnerships, private sector investments in states under their command, seek donations and other favours. However, over the years, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal in particular, through their actions and speeches make one feel as if those engaged in business and industry were a curse on the nation. Rahul Gandhis suit-boot ki sarkar jibe to Modi was one such manifestation of his disdain for industry. When Modi came to power at the Centre in May 2014, he was perceived to be a business-friendly prime minister. But over the next four years, many of his actions were in the socialist mold: More socialist and centrist than many so-called socialists and centrists. Modi would not do anything that could be seen to be overtly business and industry friendly. A series of reforms undertaken by his government pinched the business community. Modi also invited criticism that his priorities had changed. His political rivals, of course, continued to fling against him the charge of crony capitalism. But Sunday was different. While laying the foundation stone for 81 projects worth around Rs 60,000 crore in Lucknow at a packed auditorium made up of business and industry representatives including some honchos, Modi explained the importance of their role in the nations progress. His theme: They were nation builders and not thieves. Hum unko apmanit karenge, chor lootere kahenge. Ye kaun sa tareeka hai (we humiliate them, call them thieves and robbers. This cant be the way). He added that they have had a clear role in making India a better country, just like farmers, artisans, bankers and workers. Modi's punch line: Since his intentions was clear, unlike other political leaders, he was not afraid of getting his picture taken with industry leaders. For the titans of industry that had gathered, Modi's words must have been very soothing. The live telecast and informal chat would have ensured that Modi's message travelled far and wide. And by doing so, Modi not only answered his political opponents in particular Rahulbut also addressed the concerns of industry and criticism of some dispassionate economic analysts. In the past week, Modi has spoken at length twice about Rahul 'bhagidar' (partner) charge. Modi said he took pride in being the 'bhagidar' in the problems faced by all sections of society and in finding the solution to those problems. Modi knows that in his last year in power, with three months to go for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram elections and parliamentary elections only eight months away, he cant let the narrative slip away. The choice of Lucknow as a venue to vent his feelings or launch a counter-narrative is also significant. Last time, Uttar Pradesh gave 73 out of 80 parliamentary seats to BJP and its ally and Modi is obviously looking for a repeat performance. Private sector investments and industrial development across the state bring jobs and consequently a change in social and economic status. That's the key to keep alive the popular faith in Modi. Press Trust of India After causing a flutter on social media with his Aadhaar dare, Trai Chairman R S Sharma has said he had thrown an open the challenge to Twitterati to prove how mere knowledge of the 12 digit number could be misused to cause harm not as a regulatory head but as an ordinary citizen of India. An all-out war had erupted on Twitter on 28 July after Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chief gave out his Aadhaar number, challenging anyone to show how mere knowledge of the number can be misused to harm him, triggering a deluge of tweets that claimed to disclose his personal details from PAN to mobile number. The challenge by Sharma had evoked an immediate response on the social media platform, managing to create quite a stir with some users claiming to have dug up his mobile number, photo, residential address, date of birth, even chat threads using the information, and others warning him about the perils of throwing such a dare on the social media platform. Some rushed to support Sharma, explaining how the much of the information about him could be procured without using his Aadhaar number. "...Pl understand that I threw this challenge, not as TRAI Chairman, but as a normal citizen of India," Sharma tweeted replying to two users, one of them a French security expert who goes under the pseudonym Elliot Alderson and describes himself as "worst nightmare" of the UIDAI. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is the nodal body for issuing the biometric identifier Aadhaar. Incidentally, Alderson, the vigilante hacker who uses the handle @fs0c131y on Twitter, has in the past revealed purportedly flaws in Aadhaar system and exposed data security loopholes in mobile apps of political parties like BJP and Congress. "People managed to get your personal address, dob (date of birth) and your alternate phone number. I stop here, I hope you will understand why to make your #Aadhaar number public is not a good idea," Alderson had tweeted yesterday, following Sharma's challenge. Giving out his full Aadhaar number, Sharma (@rssharma3) had tweeted: "Now I give this challenge to you: Show me one concrete example where you can do any harm to me!". The challenge by Sharma had thousands retweets and likes, and the numbers had continued to climb well into the Saturday night. While much of the information that was dug out may already be in the public domain, Sharma did not verify whether the specific details pertaining to PAN were indeed correct. Sharma himself continued to engage in the verbal duel with the Twitterati till late hours on Saturday dismissing much information being revealed as public information and seeking to "debunk the theory that Aadhaar compromises the privacy of the person". "...Yeh details koi state secret nahin hain (These details are no state secret)...," retorted Sharma at one point even chiding one of the users for disclosing address that was old and asking if he (the user) would like to have his latest address. When contacted by PTI on Saturday evening, Sharma had declined to make detailed comment on the matter saying "Let the challenge run for some time". While many on Twitter claimed victory over 'leaking' Sharma's personal details post the challenge, the Trai chief asserted through multiple tweets and replies that the challenge had never been about phone numbers and other information but for causing harm using knowledge of his Aadhaar number. "No, I did not challenge them for a phone number and other info. I challenged them for causing me harm! So far no success. Wish them luck," Sharma wrote. The high drama played out on the micro-blogging platform a day after Justice Srikrishna committee came out with its report on data protection where it mooted changes in Aadhaar Act and proposed new safeguards to protect information of Aadhaar holders. Sharma, former UIDAI director general, has been an ardent supporter of the Aadhaar programme vouching for the safety of the system and dispelling privacy concerns surrounding Aadhaar even during his current tenure as Trai chief. "Data privacy is a big and very important issue in a digital world. I am one of the most vociferous supporters of that. However, the only thing I am saying is that Aadhaar does not violate privacy," Sharma had tweeted. Meanwhile, Justice Srikrishna panel on data protection has recommended that Aadhaar Act be amended "significantly" to bolster privacy safeguards and mooted that only public authorities discharging public functions approved by the UIDAI or entities mandated by law be given the right to request for identity authentication. The report, submitted on 27 July, assumes significance given that public and private sectors are collecting and using personal data on an unprecedented scale and for various purposes, and instances of unregulated and arbitrary use, especially that of personal data, have raised concerns about privacy and autonomy of an individual. Over the last one year, there have also been reports of personal information being allegedly compromised with increasing use of biometric identifier Aadhaar in an array of services, and the Supreme Court has reserved its judgement on a clutch of petitions, challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar Act. Press Trust of India Fully-operational research robots are often left unsecured on the internet, making it possible for hackers to remotely command these machines to move around and even spy on camera feeds. Researchers from Brown University in the US ran a worldwide scan in search of hosts running the Robot Operating System (ROS), a popular research robotics platform. During the scans, which were performed over three different periods in 2017 and 2018, they found as many as 100 exposed systems running ROS, up to 19 of which were considered to be fully operational robots. The researchers showed that it is possible to control these robots remotely - to spy on camera feeds and even send commands to move the robots around. "Though a few unsecured robots might not seem like a critical issue, our study has shown that a number of research robots is accessible and controllable from the public internet," researchers said. "It is likely these robots can be remotely actuated in ways that are dangerous to both the robot and the human operators," they said. The findings are a reminder that everyone needs to be mindful of security in an increasingly connected digital world, researchers said. ROS is the dominant platform used in research robotics. It can be thought of like a robot's central nervous system. The platform aggregates all of a robot's various components - its cameras, sensors and actuators - and ties them to a central computing node. Through an external computer and a network connection, an operator connects to the central node to give commands to the robot. "ROS is a great tool for robotics research, but the designers explicitly left security to the end users," said Stefanie Tellex, a roboticist at Brown. "It doesn't require any authentication to connect to a ROS master, which means if you're running ROS and it's not behind a firewall, anyone can connect to your robot," said Tellex. Researchers set to find out how many robots running ROS might be out there and accessible via the internet. They performed the scan on three different occasions and found around 100 exposed systems running ROS. One of the robots detected turned out to be in the lab of one of Tellexs collaborators, Siddhartha Srinivasa, a computer science professor at the University of Washington. To find out if it were actually possible to take control of a robot remotely, Tellex contacted Srinivasa and asked his team to leave some of the robot's functions online for a test. Tellex showed that she could access the robot's camera, move its neck and even make the robot speak using a ROS speech function. That kind of access can be dangerous, researchers said. "These robots can potentially be moved in ways endangers to the robot, as well as to the people operating the robot," Tellex said. Securing these robots is not particularly difficult, researchers said. They just need to be running behind a firewall or on a virtual private network. However, that requires users to be mindful of security, and the researchers hope this study will encourage people to be just that. Indo-Asian News Service Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman R.S. Sharma's open Aadhaar challenge to critics and hackers is nothing but a case of "misplaced enthusiasm" which dilutes the debate on securing the Aadhaar eco-system, emphasise cyber law experts. Sharma, who made his 12-digit Aadhaar number open on July 28 and created a tweetstorm not as a government servant but "as a normal citizen of India" can set a dangerous precedent for millions of Indians who are still not aware what privacy is all about. "Throwing such a challenge only shows misplaced enthusiasm. He is treading a dangerous path which can be detrimental in days to come as his personal and bank details are now out in the open," Pavan Duggal, one of the leading cyberlaw experts in the country, told IANS. What the TRAI Chairman has perhaps forgotten is that the central data repository at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) may be secure, but several third-party vendors are now increasingly accepting Aadhaar as a key document and that opens it up for misuse, especially given the weak cybersecurity laws in the country. "Several FIRs have been lodged against Aadhaar misuse across the country. People's confidence in Aadhaar is slowly being eroded and, at this juncture, rather than working extensively on securing Aadhaar, we see a top government official posting his Aadhaar number on Twitter," Duggal lamented. Ethical hackers have exposed at least 14 personal details of the TRAI chairman since he revealed his Aadhaar number including mobile numbers, home address, date of birth (DoB), PAN number and voter ID, among others. Ethical hackers can't go beyond this as creating financial break-ins will land them in legal trouble. "By the way, were you able to cause any harm to me, because now you know my Aadhaar number?" Sharma tweeted to a French security expert, who goes by the nickname Elliot Alderson and uses the twitter handle @fs0c131y, as his personal details began flying all over Twitter. Alderson replied: "If your phone numbers, address, DoB, bank accounts and others personal details are easily found on the Internet you have no #privacy. End of the story." According to Duggal, personal privacy breach begins with the phone number and it is a tragedy that most Indians unlike Europeans or Americans are still not aware what exactly constitutes privacy. "Your phone number (becoming public knowledge) is the first hint that your private space has been breached. Would you wait for hackers to clean up your bank accounts?" asked Duggal. As part of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that came into force from May 25, EU citizens may, at any point, object to an organisation's handling of their personal data. The regulation specifically names "direct marketing and profiling" as personal data uses to which individuals may object to. The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data protection in India has also suggested amendments to the Aadhaar Act to provide for imposition of penalties on data fiduciaries and compensations to data principals for violations of the data protection law. The 213-page report suggests amendments to the Aadhaar Act from a data protection perspective. Jared Cohen, a former US State Department official and an expert on social media and cyber-crime issues, has also stressed there are serious concerns about the collection of biometric data for Aadhaar cards in India and these must be allayed. "I don't want to meddle in India's politics. But there are concerns (about collection of personal details for Aadhaar card)," Cohen told an IANS correspondent on the sidelines of the third annual BCTECH Summit at Vancouver, Canada, in May. Cohen, currently the CEO and Founder of Jigsaw, a Google arm started to tackle threats to online security, conceded there are arguments on the merits of the Aadhaar system but there are also concerns that must be addressed. According to Duggal, "Not just cosmetic changes, there is an urgent need for addressing newly-emerging legal and cyber-security challenges concerning the Aadhaar ecosystem on an urgent basis." "There is a need for a more comprehensive legal framework to protect and preserve data and the privacy of individual Aadhaar account holders in particular, and the Aadhaar ecosystem stakeholders in general," he noted. tech2 News Staff As Samsung fans await the launch of the Galaxy Note 9 at its annual Unpacked event to be held in New York on August 9, there's now news hinting that the event will solely showcase the brand's phablet smartphone. According to Android Headlines, Samsung will only announce its Galaxy Note 9 at the Unpacked event with the Galaxy Tab S4 being launched a separate event to be held on 1 August. The tablet that has seen several leaks so far, is expected to feature a 10.5-inch display and feature a bezel-less design. As per previously leaked details, it will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC coupled with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. As for the cameras, Samsung's newest tablet is expected to feature a 13 MP camera at the back and an 8 MP camera on the front. Powering it all will be a 7,300 mAh battery with Samsung's Experience UI featuring a base Android 8.1 Oreo as the base. In related news, details of another Samsung tablet called the Galaxy Tab A2 XL have also leaked out. As per Sammobile, the Galaxy Tab A2 XL will also feature a similar 10.5-inch display but will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC instead. Also expected is 3 GB RAM and 32 GB of internal storage that will be expandable. The device is expected to feature an 8 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front-facing unit. Again, just like its elder sibling, the A2 XL will also be powered by a 7,300 mAh battery and will run Android 8.1 Oreo. The source did not mention the timeline for A2 XL's launch. Indo-Asian News Service After a successful launch in April this year, NASA's newest planet hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), has now started its search for planets around nearby stars. Officially beginning science operations on 25 July, TESS is expected to transmit its first series of science data back to Earth in August, and thereafter periodically every 13.5 days, once per orbit, as the spacecraft makes it closest approach to Earth, NASA said in a statement. "I'm thrilled that our new planet hunter mission is ready to start scouring our solar system's neighborhood for new worlds," said NASA Astrophysics Division director Paul Hertz. "Now that we know there are more planets than stars in our universe, I look forward to the strange, fantastic worlds we're bound to discover," Hertz added. TESS is NASA's latest satellite to search for planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. The mission will spend the next two years monitoring the nearest and brightest stars for periodic dips in their light. These events, called transits, suggest that a planet may be passing in front of its star. TESS is expected to find thousands of planets using this method, some of which could potentially support life. Alessio Mamo's series shot in India shows that photographers and viewers need to be aware of the colonial nature of photography, and how it is often used as a tool to reinforce dominant narratives A conceptual photo project called Dreaming Food on impoverished Indians in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh is being criticised both by Indians and the international photo community as poverty porn. The images, captured by Sicily-based independent photographer Alessio Mamo, show visibly undernourished children and adults in front of a table full of artificial food. The people in each photograph are hiding their eyes with their hands. When Mamo shared the project on the World Press Photos Instagram feed on 22 July, the project got attention, but not in the way Mamo had intended. Over 1,300 people commented on the project, many of whom criticised it as exploitative and insensitive. The World Press Photo Foundation is an Amsterdam-based premier international nonprofit organisation that has led the international photojournalistic narrative for six decades. They have over 9,00,000 followers from around the world on Instagram. On the World Press Photo Instagram feed, Mamo wrote that he embarked on the project after reading the statistics of how much food is wasted in the West, especially around Christmas. I brought with me a table and some fake food, and I told people to dream about some food that they would like to find on their table, Mamo wrote in the Instagram post. After the backlash on social media, where Instagram users called his work cruel and inhuman, Mamo posted a statement on Medium in response. The only goal of the concept was to let western people think, in a provocative way, about the waste of food, he wrote. Mamos argument that this project will make westerners less likely to waste food, and therefore somehow impact food scarcity abroad, is illogical. A person wasting food in Europe or the United States has no impact on food scarcity in another part of the world. Studies show that droughts, industrial farming, patenting of seeds, food distribution, pricing, and politics drive food scarcity and malnutrition. Mamo is not the first Western photographer to have parachuted in the developing world to document poverty and malnutrition, especially for its shock value, or as Mamo wrote, because it is provocative. Many western photographers have documented the issue in the developing world for decades by exploiting poor people as props. Also read on Firstpost: Poverty porn or bad judgment? Photographers address row over Alessio Mamo's photos of India While most viewers are criticising the photographer, some media professionals are condemning World Press Photo. Since 2013, the organisation has been in the limelight for awarding images that the photojournalism community deemed ethically problematic, but only in relation to photo manipulation and staging. This is the first time images are being called into question due to issues related to the dignity and representation of the people in the photographs. Western institutions are rarely critical of images that propagate stereotypes. Western photographers routinely travel to India to create images for Western consumption. They often come in with little research and cultural understanding of the place. They mostly rely on translators to help with both the story research and the interpretation, missing all nuance and complexity. Others push their already formed viewpoint onto the people or communities they are photographing. Many photographers are primarily focused on making graphic and colorful images. They tend to focus their lenses on poor people, filthy streets, holy men, widows of Varanasi and cows. Western media outlets, journalism grants, and contests frequently support and reward such footage. This continues to contribute to the West viewing India as a land of poverty, spiritual mecca and chaos. The images captured by most Western photographers are far from the actual representation of India and often feed into an unending cycle of poverty porn. Too many have come and done this kind of shameful work in India and their rewards just open the door for many others to think its OK. It isnt. Its just inexcusable, Hari Adivarekar says in response to Mamos images. A Bangalore-based photojournalist, he is amongst the few Indian photographers who often use social media as means to question media outlets and photographers about problematic images. By and large, the Indian photo community, media outlets and the public continue to remain silent on such issues. Galleries, photo festivals and media articles sometimes provide platforms for work that exoticises or portrays India in a negative light. This further validates not just the photographer but also a problematic visual language. Not only that, India is an easy target for Western photographers because there are fewer barriers to gaining access necessary to photograph people. Unlike people in the West, Indians are less aware of issues surrounding privacy and informed consent. Just like Mamo, numerous Western photographers take advantage of this lack of understanding to create exotic or sensational work. After the controversy broke, Mamo tried deflecting the criticism by claiming that the people he photographed willingly participated in the project. A nonprofit connected Mamo to his portrait sitters, which could create pressure for them to agree to be photographed due to fear of losing the resources from the NGO, Baltimore-based humanitarian photographer and filmmaker Laura Elizabeth Pohl said. This places the responsibility of the issue not only from the shoulders of the photographer onto that of the supporting NGO as well. NGOs helping Western photographers who parachute into the developing world to produce visual coverage could be ethically problematic at times, Pohl said. When a photographer enters a poor community anywhere in the world, there's an inherent power balance, Pohl said. She questioned if Mamo had received an informed consent and if he thought about other approaches to document food waste in the West such as photographing the story in the west. Local photographers are more likely to have an intimate understanding not only about an issue faced by a community but also the cultural and historical context of the issue. A lack of understanding of the cultural and historical nuances of an issue often results in stereotyping people, place or culture. Pohl believes that in some situations NGO's and photo editors from Western media outlets may be reluctant to hire local photographers due to their limited English writing and reporting skills. Gatekeepers in the media world and NGOs give little importance to visual language as opposed to other skills. She emphasises that they should invest in training local photographers to do the jobs instead of looking westward. I have no problem with Western photographer photographing in a developing country as long they do not breach the dignity of the people being photographed, Baramulla-based documentary photographer Showkat Nanda says. Nanda believes that Mamo's series oversimplifies a complex issue. When photographers only document the negative aspects of people or a community, they propagate stereotypes, making the images colonial in nature," Nanda said. Adivarekar believes issues in visual representation are not necessarily an outcome of gender, race or nationality. He sees parachuting more as a mindset and way of working. In some cases it could be the classic example of a white male photographer photographing in India or any place that was once colonised or it could also be an urban Indian photographer parachuting into a rural area or a small town and making the same errors of judgment, he explains. Both the situation creates the same issues that of privilege, agency and consent, he asserts. Photography is by nature a colonial practice whereby power was given to the one owning the camera, hence the one telling the story, says Laura Beltran Villamizar. Shes the projects picture editor at the NPR headquarters in Washington DC, and previously worked as an editor and communicator at World Press Photo. Photographers and viewers need to be aware of the colonial nature of photography and how it is often used as a tool to reinforce dominant narratives that are often sensationalised and racist representations of others, Villamizar says. She points out that the current visual discourse is problematic because Western writers, photographers, editors and other media-makers overwhelmingly appropriate underrepresented cultures around the world for Western media consumption. However, the viewers and photo community hold the power to change the existing visual narrative on the developing world. People in the developing world need to assert their agency by voicing their concerns about problematic images and privacy issues. Not only that, photographers should take the responsibility of photographing the other in a sensitive and dignified way, seriously. As photographer Pohl eloquently puts it, It's simple: just photograph others the way you would photograph your own family. Neeta Satam is a Mumbai-born documentary photographer and scientist based in the United States. She is a Pulitzer Center grantee and alumna of the Missouri School of Journalism. She has contributed to publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, ABC News, ESPN and The Wall Street Journal. Follow Neeta on Instagram and Twitter By Olivia Rose A SOCIAL Media in Investment training workshop was held this week in a bid to better market brand TCI to the world and attract more foreign direct investment. The two day workshop was held on Wednesday (July 25) at the Ports of Call conference room in Providenciales and saw more than 26 Caribbean countries represented. The capacity building workshop was aimed at equipping investment agencies throughout the region with the tools to better market their countries using social media. It was hosted by InvestTCI in partnership with the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA). Suzette Hudson, representative of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, said: "Our focus is how we can improve the presence of the Caribbean on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. How do we promote the Caribbean using these modern tools? "How do we increase the reach and visibility? And most importantly how do we get investors who we know are on these platforms? Hudson said the seminar was designed to target investment promotion agencies to help them cultivate and leverage their social media identity. However, many countries in the Caribbean are failing to attract crucial foreign direct investment because of poor social media marketing, she added. "The primary ones [topics] were looking at right now are tourism, which we know is very important for the Turks and Caicos Islands. "Were looking at renewable energy, which is critical for all of us in the Caribbean because of the high electricity rates that we have. "And of course there is outsourcing. Many of you know outsourcing as just call centres but theres so much more to outsourcing. "And we want to make sure that the Caribbean takes advantage of the growth in that sector and the opportunities it provides for employment. Also weighing in on the importance of the training, acting executive director of InvestTCI Angel Musgrove said: "For invest Turks and Caicos CAIPA is one of the extremely important partners that we have in the region working with us to ensure that we are able to take advantage of the opportunities that present itself to the Caribbean region. "Invest Turks and Caicos is happy to host the workshop on social media and investment. "Given the importance and the reach that social media has in todays society, we cant stress enough the importance of such a workshop. The interactive sessions saw participants being trained in several thematic areas including social media for crisis management and how to target hotel developers. Crews handling the blaze near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as the massive fire slowed after days of rapid expansion. As of Monday, the Redding fire had destroyed 723 homes. Redding, California: About 10,000 more people were ordered evacuated as two wildfires surged toward small lake towns in Northern California while the state's largest and deadliest blaze of the year slowed slightly after days of explosive growth, authorities said. The twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties flared up late on Sunday, forcing the new evacuations from the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport and other communities near Clear Lake, about 120 miles (195 kilometres) north of San Francisco. The blazes have destroyed six homes and threaten 10,000 others. So far, the flames have blackened 87 square miles (225 square kilometres), with minimal containment. Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit. To the north, near Redding, California, where an unpredictable blaze killed six people, a man whose wife and two great-grandchildren were among the dead, said he did not receive any warning to evacuate. Ed Bledsoe told CBS News he did not know his home was in danger when he left his wife, Melody, and the 4- and 5-year-old children to run an errand on Thursday. "If I'd have any kind of warning, I'd have never ever left my family in that house," Bledsoe said. Bledsoe said he received a phone call from his wife 15 minutes after he left saying he needed to get home because the fire was approaching. He said one of the children told him the blaze was at the back door. When he tried to return, the road was blocked and flames prevented him from returning on foot. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told the network there's an investigation into whether the Bledsoe home received a warning call or a knock on the door. The sheriff said there is evidence that door-to-door notifications were made in the area. Crews handling the blaze near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as the massive fire slowed after days of rapid expansion. As of Monday, the Redding fire had destroyed 723 homes. "We're feeling a lot more optimistic today as we're starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time," said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident commander on the blaze around Redding, a city about 230 miles (370 kilometres) north of San Francisco. Authorities were also investigating at least 18 missing persons reports, though many of them may simply be people who have not checked in with friends or family, police said. The Carr Fire that threatened Redding a city of about 92,000 people was ignited by a vehicle problem a week ago about 10 miles (16 kilometres) west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fuelled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. Redding police chief Roger Moore kept up a round-the-clock work schedule despite learning that his home was one of those destroyed. He was finally able to shave on Saturday when his wife brought him a razor, he said. Moore was helping evacuate people from his River Ridge neighborhood in western Redding when the flames became unbearable. "I saw everything around it ignite, and I go, 'It's gone,'" Moore said. At least one person was arrested on suspicion of stealing from evacuated homes, and authorities were keeping watch for other potential looters, said Deputy Travis Ridenour, whose home also burned. "Lost our house like so many others," Ridenour wrote on Facebook. "Still out watching over the ones still standing. No looting on my watch." After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they didn't know whether their homes were still standing. Some evacuated neighborhoods were reopened on Monday but many remained closed as firefighters mopped up. Fed up, Tim Bollman hiked 4 miles (6 kilometres) Sunday to check on the Redding home he built for his wife and two sons 13 years ago. He found rubble. "There's not even anything to pick up," he said. "It's completely gone." Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, was reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smoldering ruins. Meanwhile, officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree while removing brush and other fuel near the so-called Ferguson Fire's front lines, officials said. Originally from Hawaii, Hughes had been with California's Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots for four years and reached the rank of captain. Earlier in July, firefighter Braden Varney was killed when the bulldozer he was operating overturned while he was fighting the flames near the national park. Yosemite Valley, the heart of tourism in the park, will remain closed until 3 August. The White House and Cambodians have dismissed Hun Sen's win as a hollow victory and say that the elections were 'neither free nor fair' Phnom Penh (Cambodia): Cambodia's flawed elections left the ruling party led by strongman Hun Sen eyeing a near clean sweep of parliament on Monday, after what the banned opposition dismissed as a hollow victory. Sunday's vote has cemented Hun Sen's three-decade reign, but observers say that questions of legitimacy will haunt the wily political survivor as frustration sets in over lack of change. Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) expects to amass a minimum of 115 out of 125 national assembly positions or more than 90 percent of those up for grabs spokesman Sok Eysan told AFP on Monday. "The overwhelming support of the Cambodian people gave... Hun Sen another chance to continue his historical mission," he said. Some 8.3 million people registered to cast their votes in Cambodia's sixth general election since United Nations-sponsored polls were held in 1993 after decades of conflict. But Sunday's vote lacked any serious contenders after Hun Sen backed a crackdown on the opposition in 2018 that saw authorities arrest one of its leaders and the Supreme Court dissolve the party. It also was virtually devoid of prominent local and international election monitors, who withdrew from the discredited process. Hun Sen, who came to power in 1985 in a country still plagued by civil war, moved against all forms of dissent in the run-up to the poll, pressuring civil society, independent media and political opponents. Many western governments, who also pulled support from the vote, criticised it for lacking credibility and slammed the outcome. The White House said it was "neither free nor fair and failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people." The CPP has won every election since 1998, but a culture of impunity and corruption inspired more than 44 percent of voters to back the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in 2013 polls, creating the most serious challenge to Hun Sen in years. CNRP figures tried to launch a boycott of Sunday's vote but election authorities warned they would take action against those urging a "clean-finger" campaign, setting off fear and resignation. Hun Sen has a strong support base but many Cambodians are despondent at the idea of yet another term. "It is him again," shrugged one man sitting outside a coffee shop who asked not to be named and who said he felt "hopeless" watching the results come in. A food vendor who also did not want to be identified said she was "not happy." "I predict life will be difficult for another five years," she told AFP. Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch, predicted simmering discontent among an increasingly disenfranchised public. "I think what we will see here in Cambodia is continued passive resistance and anger by the Cambodian people, they weren't given the opportunity to vote for the people they wanted," he said. Sam Rainsy, an opposition figure who lives in self-exile in France, denounced the foregone election win in a tweet late on Sunday. "For the Cambodian people, unable to make a real choice because of the absence of the CNRP, the result of this false election conducted in a climate of fear is a betrayal of the popular will," he said. A final confirmed tally is not due until 15 August. Hun Sen has held onto power through political and family alliances in the police, military and media, and also benefited from patron China's financial largesse in the forms of loans to build infrastructure without questions over human rights abuses. The 65-year-old was installed as prime minister during the Vietnamese occupation of the 1980s after defecting from the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge group that killed a quarter of Cambodia's population from 1975 to 1979. Cambodian People's Party reigned supreme in the elections that took place on Sunday after the government had eliminated all competition by banning the main opposition from contesting Phnom Penh (Cambodia): Cambodia's ruling party said it had won a landslide in Sunday's one-horse election, an expected outcome after the main opposition was banned paving the way for leader Hun Sen to prolong his 33 years in power. Hun Sen, who came to power in 1985 in a country still plagued by civil war, has cracked down on dissent in the run-up to this year's poll, pressuring civil society, independent media and political opponents. That left him with little competition and no serious challengers. Cambodian People's Party (CPP) spokesman Sok Eysan told AFP late on Sunday they expected to win "over 100 seats" in the 125-seat parliament, citing preliminary figures from the National Election Committee. "The CPP will get more than 80 percent of the popular vote," he said. "This is a huge victory for us." Hun Sen, 65, a one-time defector from the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, has pointed to stability and growth as the fruits of his rule a message that resonates with his base. "Compatriots have chosen the democratic path and used your rights," he said on his Facebook page after polls closed in an apparent swipe at the opposition, which called for a boycott. Voter turnout was 82 percent, according to the election committee, surpassing the final figure in 2013 of roughly 69 percent when the opposition took part. But there were also signs of despondency and indifference, and an expert on elections in Southeast Asia said the high turnout was misleading. "With one-party rule election turnout is generally higher, not lower, because the party, in this case the CPP, relies on voter intimidation more, relies on vote buying more, and turnout should be inflated that way," said Lee Morgenbesser from the school of government and international relations at Griffith University. Pictures of spoiled ballots circulated on social media though they could not be independently verified. AFP correspondents saw dozens of blank ballots set aside during counting. "I did not go to vote. I slept at home," said Khem Chan Vannak, a former commune chief elected with the now-banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). "A lot of my friends did not go to vote." Western governments withdrew their assistance from the election, citing its lack of credibility. Nineteen small or hitherto unknown parties competed against the ruling CPP in the absence of the CNRP. But analysts say they are too obscure or new to make a meaningful difference. The CPP has won every election since 1998. The opposition, whose leaders are in jail, underground or in self-exile, urged a "clean-finger" boycott as the only safe form of protest, a reference to the ink applied to people's hands after they vote. Official results are expected on 15 August. More than eight million voters registered for the sixth general election since polls were organised by the United Nations (UN) in 1993. At the time the country was emerging from decades of war, including the Khmer Rouge years from 1975-79 which killed a quarter of the population. Hun Sen was installed aged just 32 as national leader during the Vietnamese occupation of 1979-89. But a youthful population angered by corruption and with little memory of the Khmer Rouge era put the ruling party's longevity in doubt. Their votes helped the CNRP to secure more than 44 percent of the vote in 2013 and a similar share in local elections in 2017. But Hun Sen snuffed out the looming electoral threat, accusing the rescue party of being involved in a plot to topple the government and arresting leader Kem Sokha. The Supreme Court dissolved the party in November 2017. "This is a story of how democratic dreams die under the fist of a dictator," Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, said. A climate of fear driven by local-level ruling party members has made many reluctant to openly criticise the vote. The election committee, which has been accused of being biased towards the ruling party, said there was no voter intimidation. Hun Sen has maintained his grip on the country through political and family alliances in the police, military and media. He has placed his sons in key positions in what analysts see as an attempt to create a dynasty. The US and the European Union (EU) declined to send monitors for Sunday's election but Cambodia's ally China provided support. Sam Rainsy, an opposition figure who lives in self-exile in France, said the foregone election victory was a "hollow one". The CNRP appealed to Cambodians not to vote in the "sham election that has no support and is not recognised by the international community". Authorities have vowed to take action against anyone who urges a poll boycott even though they insist voting is not compulsory. By Alexandria Sage REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - Two children and their great-grandmother were among the five killed in a Northern California wildfire as fire crews battled on to quell flames that have destroyed entire neighborhoods. More than 38,000 people remained under evacuation orders on Sunday in and around the city of Redding, about 160 miles (257 km) north of the state capital Sacramento, from a blaze that has destroyed more than 500 buildings and continued to rage largely unchecked into a seventh day By Alexandria Sage REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - Two children and their great-grandmother were among the five killed in a Northern California wildfire as fire crews battled on to quell flames that have destroyed entire neighborhoods. More than 38,000 people remained under evacuation orders on Sunday in and around the city of Redding, about 160 miles (257 km) north of the state capital Sacramento, from a blaze that has destroyed more than 500 buildings and continued to rage largely unchecked into a seventh day. The Carr Fire, the deadliest and most destructive of nearly 90 wildfires burning from Texas to Oregon, has charred 89,194 acres (36,095 hectares) of drought-parched vegetation since erupting last Monday. More than 5,012 structures were threatened by the fire, officials said. The flames destroyed 517 structures and damaged 135. The weather on Sunday is expected to offer no relief for firefighters as it will hit more than 100 Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius) with low humidity and gusty winds, the National Weather Service said. An army of some 3,500 firefighting personnel and a squadron of 17 water-dropping helicopters had managed to carve buffer lines around just 5 percent of the fire's perimeter as of Sunday. Fire officials say the erratic behavior of the blaze, stoked by high winds and triple-digit temperatures, has complicated efforts to contain the conflagration. President Donald Trump on Saturday declared the fire an emergency, authorizing federal funds for disaster relief efforts. At the height of its fury on Thursday night, the fire was whipped into a storm-like frenzy by gale-force winds that drove flames across the Sacramento River into the western end of Redding, as thousands of residents fled for their lives in a chaotic evacuation. The nearby town of Keswick, with a population of about 450, was reduced to cinders, and two firefighters were killed. On Saturday, Redding police said they were searching for 17 people still unaccounted for two days afterward. FIRE-RAVAGED HOME Redding Police Sergeant Todd Cogle confirmed that the three bodies discovered at a fire-ravaged home on the outskirts of Redding were two children and their great-grandmother. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said they had not yet been positively identified but were believed to be victims identified by relatives on Facebook and in news media reports as James Roberts, 5, his sister Emily, 4, and Melody Bledsoe, 70. Bledsoe's grandaughter, Amanda Woodley, said on Facebook that the elderly woman desperately put a wet blanket over the children as their home burned. "Grandma did everything she could to save them she was hovered over them both with a wet blanket," Woodley said in a Facebook post. The children's mother, Sherry Bledsoe, was quoted by the Sacramento Bee as saying "My kids are deceased, that's all I can say." According to the newspaper, Melody Bledsoe's husband, Ed Bledsoe, wept as he recalled trying to get back to the family's house after he had left to run an errand on Thursday, only to learn that the fire was closing in on them. He told the newspaper that he spoke to the children on the phone as he raced in vain to return in time to save them. A Go Fund Me effort launched overnight to help Ed Bledsoe had raised almost half its $30,000 goal by midday Sunday. It said the elderly couple had been caring for the great grandchildren for years in their rental home. So far this year, wildfires have scorched almost 4.3 million acres (1.7 million hectares) across the country, less than last year but still more than the 3.7 million-acre (1.5 million-hectare) average for the same period over the last decade. California has been particularly hard hit with several fierce blazes menacing large populated areas. One of those, the Cranston fire, prompted a rare closure of much of Yosemite National Park last week, while another forced mass evacuations from the mountain resort community of Idyllwild, east of Los Angeles. (Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York, Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Scott Malone in Boston, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by William Maclean, Lisa Shumaker and Andrea Ricci) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Alexandria Sage REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - The death toll from a Northern California wildfire rose to five with the discovery of human remains believed to be those of a missing elderly woman and her two great-grandchildren, even as fire crews battled on to quell flames that have devastated entire neighborhoods. More than 38,000 people remained under evacuation orders on Sunday in and around the city of Redding, about 160 miles (257 km) north of the state capital Sacramento, from a blaze that has destroyed more than 500 buildings and continued to rage largely unchecked into a seventh day. By Alexandria Sage REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - The death toll from a Northern California wildfire rose to five with the discovery of human remains believed to be those of a missing elderly woman and her two great-grandchildren, even as fire crews battled on to quell flames that have devastated entire neighborhoods. More than 38,000 people remained under evacuation orders on Sunday in and around the city of Redding, about 160 miles (257 km) north of the state capital Sacramento, from a blaze that has destroyed more than 500 buildings and continued to rage largely unchecked into a seventh day. The Carr Fire, the deadliest and most destructive of nearly 90 wildfires burning from Texas to Oregon, has charred almost 84,000 acres (34,000 hectares) of drought-parched vegetation since erupting last Monday. More than 4,000 structures were threatened by the fire, officials said. The weather on Sunday is expected to offer no relief for firefighters as it will hit more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius) with low humidity and gusty winds, the National Weather Service said. As of Saturday night, an army of some 3,500 firefighting personnel and a squadron of 17 water-dropping helicopters had managed to carve buffer lines around just five percent of the fire's perimeter. Fire officials say the erratic behavior of the blaze, stoked by high winds and triple-digit temperatures, has complicated efforts to contain the conflagration. At the height of its fury on Thursday night, the fire was whipped into a storm-like frenzy by gale-force winds that drove flames across the Sacramento River into the western end of Redding, as thousands of residents fled for their lives in a chaotic evacuation. The nearby town of Keswick, with a population of about 450, was reduced to cinders, and two firefighters were killed. On Saturday, Redding police said they were searching for 17 people still unaccounted for two days afterward. FIRE-RAVAGED HOME Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko later confirmed the discovery of three bodies at a fire-ravaged home on the outskirts of Redding. Bosenko said they had not yet been positively identified but were believed to be remains of three victims identified by relatives in news media reports as 4-year-old James Roberts, his 5-year-old sister Emily and their great-grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70. The Los Angeles Times reported that Bledsoe's family said she desperately put a wet blanket over the children as their home burned. The children's mother, Sherry Bledsoe, was quoted by the Sacramento Bee as saying, "My kids are deceased, that's all I can say," as she left the sheriff's office on Saturday. According to the newspaper's account, Melody Bledsoe's husband, Ed Bledsoe, wept as he recalled trying to get back to the family's house after he had left to run an errand on Thursday, only to learn that the fire was closing in on them. He told the newspaper that he spoke to the children on the phone as he raced in vain to return in time to save them. "I talked to them until the fire got them," he was quoted as saying. "I was trying to get to them, I was trying to get to the fire." So far this year, wildfires have scorched almost 4.3 million acres (1.7 million hectares) across the country, less than last year but still higher than the 3.7 million-acre (1.5 million-hectare) average for the same period over the last decade. California has been particularly hard hit with several fierce blazes menacing large populated areas. One of those, the Cranston fire, prompted a rare closure of much of Yosemite National Park last week, while another forced mass evacuations from the mountain resort community of Idyllwild east of Los Angeles. (Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Scott Malone in Boston, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Sandra Maler, Richard Pullin, William Maclean) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Republicans anxious about keeping control of Congress think it's a bad idea, but Donald Trump is willing to close the govt over border security issues. Washington: Republicans anxious about keeping control of Congress think it's a bad idea, but President Donald Trump still says he's willing to close the government over border security issues, including money he wants to build a promised US-Mexico border wall. "I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!" Trump tweeted on Sunday. "Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT!" "We need great people coming into our Country!" Trump said. Trump returned to the idea after a meeting at the White House last week with House Speaker Paul Ryan, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, where they were said to have agreed on the way forward on government funding for the budget year that starts 1 October. McConnell told a radio interviewer last week that a shutdown so close to the 6 November midterm elections won't happen. McConnell acknowledged, however, that the border funding issue in particular was unlikely to be resolved before the balloting. Ryan said on Capitol Hill after the meeting: "The president's willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so that we can get that done." He added that money for the wall was "not a question of if, it's a question of when." The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment on what may have changed since the meeting. Trump has pledged to campaign aggressively, starting after Labor Day, to help Republicans retain control of the House and Senate, but GOP lawmakers don't appear to be rallying to his side on this not-so-new idea. Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation" that it would be unhelpful to shut down the government just before elections "so let's try and avoid it." Trump campaigned on the promise of building a wall to deter illegal immigration and making Mexico pay for it. Mexico has refused. Trump has gotten some wall money from Congress, and likely will get more, though the total is short of the $25 billion he has requested. He also wants changes to legal immigration, including scrapping a visa lottery program. In addition, Trump wants to end the practice of releasing immigrants caught entering the country illegally on the condition that they show up for court hearings, along with shifting the US immigration system to one based more on individual merit and less on family ties. Democrats and some Republicans have objected to those proposals. Both chambers will have a short window to act before government funding expires at midnight on 30 September. The House is in recess and won't return until after Labor Day. The Senate will stay in session for most of August, except for a weeklong break scheduled to begin 6 August. McConnell canceled most of his chamber's recess to give senators time to work on the annual spending bills. Trump would be taking a political risk if he allows most government functions to lapse on 1 October the first day of the new budget year roughly a month before the elections, when Republican control of both the House and Senate is at stake. House Republicans released a spending bill this month that provides $5 billion next year to build Trump's wall, a plan he supports. Democrats have long opposed financing Trump's wall but don't have enough votes by themselves to block House approval of that amount, but they do have the strength to derail legislation in the closely divided Senate. The $5 billion is well above the $1.6 billion in the Senate version of a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security. The higher amount matches what Trump has privately sought in conversations with Republican lawmakers, according to a GOP congressional aide who wasn't authorized to publicly talk about private discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity. At the White House meeting, Trump, Ryan and McConnell agreed that Congress is on track to enact more than half of federal spending before the new budget year begins 1 October, but that DHS funding, including the border wall money, doesn't have to be settled before then, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorised to discuss it publicly and insisted on condition of anonymity. Two firefighters were killed fighting the blaze and three people a 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren aged four and five perished when their Redding home was rapidly swallowed up by flames. Redding: Around 12,000 firefighters battled Sunday to contain wildfires in California that have killed six people but authorities warned "erratic" winds and dry conditions have caused the flames to grow and spread. "Very hot and dry conditions will continue over the West coast states through Sunday," the National Weather Service said early Sunday. "Conditions around the Carr wildfire near Redding, California will continue to be conducive to rapid wildfire growth and spread." Firefighters in Shasta County, in northern California, where the Carr Fire began on 23 July, warned on Twitter that "erratic winds and hot, dry conditions on the #CarrFire resulted in greater growth and increased fire behavior last night." Two firefighters were killed fighting the blaze and three people a 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren aged four and five perished when their Redding home was rapidly swallowed up by flames. "God almighty, I don't know what I did wrong," Melody Bledsoe's husband Ed told The Sacramento Bee, recalling how he tried to get back to the home in time. "I talked to them until the fire got them." The Carr Fire only five percent contained has scorched 89,194 acres (36,000 hectares), destroyed 517 buildings and damaged 135 more, according to the latest reports. By late Saturday, 38,000 people had been evacuated in Shasta County. California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in the county, as well as in the counties of Lake, Napa, and Mendocino. He asked for federal assistance, including military aircraft, shelter supplies and water for evacuated residents in Shasta County, where he said the Carr Fire had grown "uncontrollably." US President Donald Trump signed an emergency declaration to make federal aid available to county authorities. Another northern California fire, the Mendocino Complex made up of two fires has also burned more than 24,000 acres in total since Friday. Having rapidly spread, it was only 10 percent contained Sunday morning. Elsewhere, firefighters reported that the Ferguson fire, near Yosemite National Park, had grown only by around 1,980 acres overnight bringing the total damage to 53,646 acres since 13 July and was 30 percent contained. A firefighter died battling that blaze, with seven people also injured. Meanwhile, the Cranston Fire forced the evacuation of over 7,000 people, although some were able to return to their homes early Sunday. The fire sparked by humans has destroyed 13,130 acres and is 29 percent contained. According to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), 17 large-scale fires were burning, with 12,000 firefighters deployed across the state. Reinforcements from 13 states were already on the ground or en route from as far away as New Jersey, Florida and Maryland on the east coast. In the country as a whole, there were a total of 39 active fires, with over 239,000 acres up in flames, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. MATI, Greece (Reuters) - Mourners gathered in a church in the Greek coastal town of Mati on Sunday where they wept and lit candles in memory of those killed when a massive wildfire swept through the popular resort near Athens earlier this week. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is facing fierce recriminations for the government's response to the fire and has promised a national plan to avoid a repeat of the disaster MATI, Greece (Reuters) - Mourners gathered in a church in the Greek coastal town of Mati on Sunday where they wept and lit candles in memory of those killed when a massive wildfire swept through the popular resort near Athens earlier this week. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is facing fierce recriminations for the government's response to the fire and has promised a national plan to avoid a repeat of the disaster. Rescue crews are still looking for survivors of the blaze which began last Monday in Mati, 30 km (17 miles) east of Athens, as the death toll rose to at least 91 with dozens more injured. "Some people survived but for those who died I wish they are well in heaven," said 77-year old Theano Tsikoulou. "Fires were burning everywhere, my husband and I were going and putting them out so that our house would not be burnt," she said. A total of 25 people remain missing whilst 59 bodies have been identified and a further 28 are still to be named, the fire brigade said on Sunday. Another four people have died in hospital. Tsipras has accepted full political responsibility for the disaster and pledged a series of changes, including on illegal and haphazard construction which is thought to have worsened the blaze. The main opposition New Democracy party, which leads in the polls, earlier called on the government to say how many people remain unaccounted for and criticised Tsipras' television appearance on the night of the fire as a "sorry show." The wildfire left the area dotted with burnt-out trees, ashen earth and destroyed buildings as a clean-up operation continues. Downpours on Sunday hit parts of the region after heavy rainfall and flash floods in areas on Saturday, making it harder for the authorities trying to locate survivors and locals hoping to salvage what they can from the disaster. But there were also signs of a return to normality as a children's camp, which closed due to the blaze, was reopened on Sunday. The mayor of Athens invited youngsters affected by the fire to come along. "The smiles should return," George Kaminis wrote on Twitter. (Reporting by Vassilis Triandafyllou and Idyli Tsakiri; additional reporting and writing by Costas Pitas; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Adrian Croft) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had announced on Sunday that it is trying to reach out to smaller parties and Independents to form the next government in Pakistan. Islamabad/Peshawar: Imran Khan said on Monday that he will take oath as prime minister on August 11, even as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party was striving to get the required numbers to form a government. The PTI, led by 65-year-old Khan, has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the 25 July elections, but it is still short of numbers to form the government on its own. Khan's party yesterday announced that it is trying to reach out to smaller parties and independents to form the next government. Khan said he will take oath as the prime minister on 11th of next month (August), state-run Radio Pakistan reported. "I have also decided about chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which I will announce in the next 48 hours. Whatever I have decided in this regard is in the best interest of people," he said while addressing PTI members of provincial assembly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, the PTI has won a two-thirds majority by bagging 65 seats in the assembly of 99 members. He said alleviation of poverty from interior Sindh will be among top priorities of his government. On Saturday, PTI spokesman Naeemul Haque told reporters that the party chief will take oath as the prime minister before 14 August. Haque said that he hoped the president would call an assembly session and Khan would take oath as premier before the independence day. He said Khan would prefer a peoples' ceremony of oath-taking where thousands can watch him take the oath as prime minister. "Perhaps D-Chowk area may be the right place to do it," he said, referring to Islamabad's famous D-Chowk where the party had staged its 126-day sit-in in 2014 against alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections. Although the PTI has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the polls, the final results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan show that the party is still short of numbers to form its government independently. According to the results, the PTI has bagged 116 general seats 22 short of simple majority whereas the PML-N and PPP have won 64 and 43 seats, respectively. Pakistan's National Assembly comprises a total of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected. To meet the required number of votes, the PTI leadership has reportedly been approaching the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), PML-Quaid (PML-Q), and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), as well as independents. Khan has won from five constituencies while two other PTI candidates have won on two seats each. They can retain only one seat. The party will have to vacate six extra seats where by-polls will be held. Hence, the strength of party will be reduced to 110. His ally Pervaiz Elahi of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) has also won on two seats and will vacate one before taking oath. Thus, the actual strength of PTI including its two allies - PML-Q with 3 seats after Elahi leaves one and Awami Muslim League (AML) with 1 seat -- is 114. Since elections were held on 270 seats due to the cancellation of voting on two seats and at least 7 seats will become vacant before the oath, the actual strength of the House will be 333. Hence, Khan will need 167 members of the competed House on his side to become the prime minister. If the calculation is done on the basis of just those lawmakers who are directly elected on 270 seats, then it becomes simpler. Since the House will be reduced to 263 seats after 7 vacated by those elected on more than one seat, Khan will need 132 directly elected lawmakers to become the leader of the prime minister. To further simplify its math, since PTI and allies have 114 seats, Khan still needs 18 members. His party is trying to win support of 13 independent members and MQM which has 6 members. It is also expected to get support of 4 members of Balochistan Awami Party. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has ordered recounting of 26 national and provincial assembly seats. The list includes 15 National Assembly constituencies, including the two lost by former prime ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani. Recounting has also been approved at six Punjab Assembly seats, three Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and two Sindh Assembly seats. In a related development, two main parties PML-N and PPP have agreed on formulation of a "coordinated joint strategy". The understanding on cooperation was reached during the first direct meeting between the leaders of the PML-N and PPP after the general elections on Sunday. "It was an ice-breaker," said PML-N's Mushahid Hussain Sayed, when asked about the outcome of the meeting. "It was a very good meeting and you can call it a meeting of the minds." He said that there was complete unanimity of views between the two main parties that the "July 25 elections have been stolen". The PPP delegation comprised former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Farhatullah Babar while the PML-N side was represented by Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Sardar Mahtab Ahmed Khan. Later, the PPP leaders also held talks with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also heads the MMA, and tried to persuade him to reverse his decision of boycotting parliament. Since the MMA has 12 seats, the combined seats of the PPP, PML-N and MMA become 117. The report says the Malaysia government's search failed to pinpoint a location. However, officials say that the report is not final since the plane has not been found. Kuala Lumpur: An independent investigation report released on Monday, more than four years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared, shortcomings in the government response that exacerbated the mystery. The report reiterated Malaysia's assertion that the plane was deliberately diverted and flown for over seven hours after severing communications. It said the cause of the disappearance still cannot be determined and the "possibility of intervention by a third party cannot be excluded." The plane carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished on 8 March, 2014, and is presumed to have crashed in the far southern Indian Ocean. Family members of those onboard the plane said they were frustrated as there were many gaps in the investigations and questions left unanswered. Scattered pieces of debris that washed ashore on African beaches and Indian Ocean islands indicated a distant remote stretch of the ocean where the plane likely crashed. But a government search by Australia, Malaysia and China failed to pinpoint a location. And a second private search by US company Ocean Infinity that finished earlier this year also found no sign of the wreckage. Officials said that this report is still not final since the plane has not been found. The Malaysian government has said it is open to resuming searching if credible evidence of the plane's location emerges. HOMTOM, a leading Smartphone brand of Shenzhen, China has announced the appointment of Satish Chadha as the Regional Sales Manager for Rajasthan, Haryana and MP region. He is an industry veteran and brings in an experience of 15 years from Telecom Industry vertical. Prior to HOMTOM, Satish was part of Videocon Industries, as their AGM. Furthermore, he has been associated with many leading brands like Karbon, Spice, Idea and Airtel which makes him a seasoned professional in the telecom domain. He believes in the art of relationship building with distributors, and teamwork is his core strength through which he has been able to deliver the best results in all his previous assignments. He was instrumental in launching a few brands regionally in the past which is another key strength and the reason behind his appointment at HOMTOM. Through Satishs expertise in the regional strategies, the company has gained a deep understanding of the specific requirements of the markets. He also has an excellent record of leading turnaround growth strategies in complex multi-channel distribution environment and has shown a tremendous strength in enriching corporate alliances. Commenting on the appointment, ZHANG ZHUOBI CEO, HOMTOM India, said, We are very excited and optimistic with Satish Chadha joining our team. He brings with him, an experience of more than 15 years in the telecom industry which will extend in propelling the brand HOMTOM all across the Northern geographies to support to our business. This appointment is, thus, very crucial for our business, as Rajasthan and Haryana are the markets where we are going to kick start our operation in the first phase of India launch. HOMTOM, also offers ODM services to various Smartphone companies across the globe has a huge focus on R&D. The company is about to manufacture in India in order to endorse Make in India and ensure superior quality products being delivered to the Indian customers by understanding local needs and usage pattern. Speaking at the occasion, Satish Chadha said, It gives me immense pleasure to take up this opportunity, especially now with HOMTOMs foray and expansion in India. We aim to have a strong foothold in all regions of Northern India; categorically Rajasthan is the first step for our companys portfolio expansion. In order to reach out to the masses, we will roll out an aggressive partner program to recruit, train, certify and support a wider base of partners in India. As the new Regional Head, Satish will be responsible for the strategic directions, operational executions and overall market of Rajasthan, MP and Haryana. @Technuter.com News Service BEIRUT (Reuters) - Government forces are on the brink of seizing the last part of southwestern Syria still in rebel hands, having taken control of the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a war monitor and a media outlet close to Damascus said on Monday. A military media unit run by Iran-backed Hezbollah, which fights alongside Damascus, said the Syrian army had secured the entire border with the Golan Heights Advancing government forces have seized all but a few villages held by an Islamic State-affiliated faction, the Khalid Ibn al-Walid army, that controlled the Yarmouk Basin, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Earlier in July, the Syrian government and its allies, backed by Russian air strikes, widened their offensive on the southwest to include the region which borders the Golan Heights and Jordan. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Government forces are on the brink of seizing the last part of southwestern Syria still in rebel hands, having taken control of the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a war monitor and a media outlet close to Damascus said on Monday. A military media unit run by Iran-backed Hezbollah, which fights alongside Damascus, said the Syrian army had secured the entire border with the Golan Heights Advancing government forces have seized all but a few villages held by an Islamic State-affiliated faction, the Khalid Ibn al-Walid army, that controlled the Yarmouk Basin, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Earlier in July, the Syrian government and its allies, backed by Russian air strikes, widened their offensive on the southwest to include the region which borders the Golan Heights and Jordan. "Khalid Ibn al-Walid army now controls three small villages, which constitute less than one percent of the area it once controlled in Yarmouk Basin," Rami Abdelrahman, director of the British-based Observatory, told Reuters by phone. President Bashar al-Assad's offensive has already recovered large amounts of territory from rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) banner. Assad is already in his strongest position since the early days of a seven-year civil war that has killed half a million people. A successful assault on the southwest would leave the rebels largely confined to a pocket of territory in the northwest. Assad has so far recovered large parts of Deraa province in the southwest from FSA rebels, many of whom have been forced into surrender agreements mediated by Russian officers. The United States, which once armed the southern FSA rebels, told them at the start of the attack not to expect its intervention. (Reporting by Dahlia Nehme and Lisa Barrington; Editing by Tom Perry, Peter Graff and David Stamp) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would be willing to meet Iran's leader without preconditions to discuss how to improve ties after he pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying, 'If they want to meet, we'll meet.' 'I'd meet with anybody. I believe in meetings,' especially in cases where war is at stake, Trump said at a White House news conference when asked whether he was willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would be willing to meet Iran's leader without preconditions to discuss how to improve ties after he pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying, "If they want to meet, we'll meet." "I'd meet with anybody. I believe in meetings," especially in cases where war is at stake, Trump said at a White House news conference when asked whether he was willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. No U.S. president has met with an Iranian leader since the United States cut diplomatic relations with Tehran a year after the 1979 revolution that toppled the shah, a U.S. ally. President Barack Obama broke a three-decade freeze with a phone call to Rouhani in 2013. There was no sign that Trump's potential willingness to meet with his Iranian counterpart would mean any change in his administration's intent to ratchet up sanctions and rhetoric against Tehran with the stated goal of "seeking changes in the Iranian government's behaviour." But Trump's remarks did represent a marked softening in rhetoric from a week ago, when he lashed out at Rouhani in a tweet, saying "Never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before." Shortly before that July 22 tweet, Rouhani had addressed Trump in a speech, saying that hostile U.S. policies could lead to "the mother of all wars". On Monday, speaking at a news conference with visiting Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte, Trump said: "I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know that they're ready yet. I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal. I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet and I'm ready to meet any time that they want to." Trump said he had "no preconditions" for a meeting with the Iranians, adding: "If they want to meet, I'll meet." "If we could work something out that's meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet," he added, noting that it would be good for the United States, Iran and the world. ECONOMIC PRESSURE In May, Trump withdrew the United States from the landmark 2015 international agreement designed to deny Tehran the ability to build nuclear weapons. Since then, Tehran's clerical establishment has been under increasing U.S. pressure and the prospect of renewed sanctions. Barely a week ago, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched a rhetorical assault on Irans leaders, comparing them to a mafia and promising unspecified backing for Iranians unhappy with their government. Washington aims to force Tehran to end its nuclear programme and its support of militant groups in the Middle East, where Iran is involved in proxy wars from Yemen to Syria. Iran and other signatories have been working to find a way to salvage the nuclear agreement, even as the United States has begun reimposing some sanctions on Iran. In spite of fierce verbal exchanges between Tehran and Washington in the recent weeks, Iranian authorities have kept the door to diplomacy open. While warning the United States over waging a war against Iran, Rouhani also said last week that America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, leaving open the possibility of peace between the arch foes. Hours before Trump's statement, however, Tehran had poured cold water on talks with Washington. "With current America and these policies, there will definitely not be the possibility of dialogue and engagement, and the United States has shown that it is totally unreliable," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told a weekly news conference on Monday. As the country's economy falters and its currency slides, stirring street protests, Iranian figures familiar with policymaking say Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could consider diplomacy with Washington and drink from the chalice of poison, a reference to the phrase used by his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini when he reluctantly agreed to a U.N.-mediated truce that ended the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Economic hardship in Iran forced Khamenei to reluctantly back Rouhani's efforts in securing the 2015 nuclear deal. But if Trump were to pursue diplomacy with Iran's leadership, he would have to overcome deep-seated concerns among Washington's closest regional allies, such as Saudi Arabia and Israel, who are deeply sceptical about negotiating with Rouhani's government. Trump drew a comparison with his diplomacy toward North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who Trump met in a June 12 summit with the aim of convincing Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arsenal, a decades-long objective that has eluded several U.S. presidents. "We met as you know with Chairman Kim and you haven't had a missile fired off in nine months. We got our prisoners back. So many things have happened so positive," Trump said. (Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Washington and Parisa Hafezi in Ankara; Writing by David Alexander and Mary Milliken; Editing by Doina Chiacu and James Dalgleish) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Turkish president Erdogan said that Istanbul will not back down due to US' sanction threats over the detention of pastor Andrew Craig Brunson Istanbul: Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government would not back down and was willing to "go its own way" if the US imposes sanctions over an American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges. Erdogan ended his silence on Saturday on the escalating diplomatic dispute involving Andrew Craig Brunson, 50. The evangelical pastor was arrested in December 2016 and jailed until he was released to home detention last week. "They cannot make Turkey back down with sanctions," Turkish media quoted Erdogan saying during an official visit to southern Africa. "The US should not forget that unless it changes its attitude, it will lose a strong and sincere partner like Turkey," he warned. On Thursday, president Donald Trump announced possible sanctions against Turkey, a crucial North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally, for its treatment of Brunson. The pastor, who is originally from Black Mountain, North Carolina, has lived in Turkey for 23 years and led Izmir Resurrection Church. Brunson was detained in the aftermath of a failed 2016 coup on charges of "committing crimes on behalf of terror groups without being a member" and espionage. He faces a prison sentence of up to 35 years if he is convicted on both counts at the end of his ongoing trial. In an interview that aired on Sunday, US Vice President Mike Pence reiterated that there would be consequences if Erdogan's government did not free Brunson and drop the charges. "Transferring Pastor Andrew Brunson to home arrest is just not good enough, and the US is prepared to bring sanctions against Turkey until Pastor Andrew Brunson is free," Pence said in the interview on Fox's "Sunday Morning Futures." Erdogan denied speculation that there had been an agreement to swap Brunson for Turkish citizens being held abroad, particularly 27-year-old Ebru Ozkan. Ozkan had been detained by Israel on terror-related charges, but was deported in July. The Turkish leader previously linked Brunson's return to the US to the extradition of Fethullah Gulen. Ankara blames Gulen for the coup attempt, while the cleric denies involvement. Erdogan also warned that Turkey would seek international arbitration if the US refused to deliver F-35 fighter jets in retaliation. UK is already negotiating a free-trade deal with the United States as well as brokering back-door deals with EU members for when it leaves the European Union. Beijing: British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Monday that he welcomed China's offer of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal, as he visited Beijing to try to strengthen ties before next year's divorce from Europe. Hunt, appointed earlier this month, was in the Chinese capital to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other top officials, on a trip that will also include stops in Paris and Vienna for talks with his European counterparts on Brexit. "We discussed the offer made by Foreign Minister Wang to open discussion of a possible free-trade deal done between Britain and China, post-Brexit," Hunt said at a joint press conference. "We welcome this and said that we will explore it." Britain is assessing its post-Brexit trade options. London is already moving ahead with plans to negotiate a free-trade deal with the United States as soon as it leaves the European Union, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said last week. It also was revealed last week that Prime Minister Theresa May was sending ministers to the 27 other member states of the EU to try to broker back-door agreements after Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier raised reservations about her Brexit plan. An agreement in principle on Britain's departure from the European trading bloc set for 29 March, 2019 must be reached before a Europe summit in mid-October. Hunt said he and Wang had "very constructive" talks in Beijing but neither gave any further details. He also said that during their talks, he also raised the issue of Briton Michael Simpson, who was stabbed to death by his estranged Chinese wife in Shanghai late last year, according to British media reports. Simpson's two young children are in the custody of his wife's family now that their mother has been jailed. Simpson's British family has been trying to obtain custody of the children but have been stymied by the courts and the wife's relatives, according to the BBC and other reports. "We also raised consular cases, including that of the Simpson children. Foreign Minister Wang said he would look into that case while also still respecting the independence of Chinas judicial system," Hunt said. The Trump Administration said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is exclusively for China and asked Beijing to take an inclusive approach towards overseas infrastructure projects Washington: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) "is a made in China, made for China" initiative, a senior Trump administration official has said as he asked Beijing to uphold internationally accepted best practices and adopt an open and inclusive approach to its overseas infrastructure projects. The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese president Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea route. Welcoming contributions by China to regional development, Brian Hook, senior policy advisor to the Secretary of State and Director of Policy Planning, said the US just wants Beijing to adhere to high standards and to uphold areas such as transparency and rule of law and sustainable financing. His comments came before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a major policy initiative announcement for the Indo-Pacific region during the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum hosted by US Chambers of Commerce. "I would not say that this (new economic engagement) is a strategy to counter the one belt, one road," Hook said. "The belt and road is for the moment China's way of doing things. It is a made in China, made for China initiative," he added. Asserting that the US and its economic engagement benefits the Indo-Pacific region, Hook said that the Trump administration believes that America's model of economic engagement is the "healthiest" for the nations in the region. So the US encourages China to adhere to best practices and infrastructure development financing, he said. "And this only occurs when, infrastructure in other areas are physically secure, financially viable and socially responsible. We encourage China to promote an uphold internationally accepted best practices and infrastructure development and financing and to adopt an open and inclusive approach to its belt and road initiative, especially these overseas infrastructure projects," Hook said. The US, he said, has a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, which does not exclude any nation. The initiatives to be announced at the forum by the Trump administration is meant to advance America's cooperation with its partners and to encourage new forms of collaboration between the US and Indo-Pacific nations. US on Monday said it will be announcing several new initiatives in the areas of digital economy, energy and infrastructure for the Indo-Pacific region. Washington/New Delhi: The US on Monday said it will be announcing several new initiatives in the areas of digital economy, energy and infrastructure for the Indo-Pacific region which includes countries like India, Indonesia and Australia. Addressing reporters through tele-conference to preview Indo-Pacific Business Forum from Washington, Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State Brian Hook said that the secretary would be announcing several new initiatives to expand economic engagement in this region. When asked about specifics related to India, he said, "I cannot disclose the funding numbers... We are very excited that the secretary will be announcing a number of new initiatives and they will have benefit for India". President Donald Trump has lined up his top Cabinet members Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Energy Secretary Rick Perry at US Chambers of Commerce which is hosting the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum meeting in Washington on Monday. The forum will introduce the economic and commercial elements of the US' whole-of-government Indo-Pacific strategy and will include participation from senior administration officials, private sector and officials representing Indo-Pacific nations. The move comes nine months after the Trump administration openly spoke against the "predatory economic policies of an Asian giant" that threatens to eat into sovereignty of countries in Indo-Pacific, which has now emerged as a critical engine for growth. Hook said that the secretary's announcements would be an economic pillar for America's Indo-Pacific strategy. He said it was first announced last year and the secretary's core message is that free and open Indo-Pacific ties are good for the region, for America and business. "The secretary will announce new US government initiatives and new fundings, primarily focused on digital economy, energy and infrastructure... these sectors are the foundation of Indo-Pacific economic future ....which will accelerate US private sector investment in the region," he added. India is a key partner to ensure that the entire region has peace, stability and growing prosperity, he said. A new beta update of Google app is now rolling out and like always, there arent any major changes right out off the bat, but it does hint at some upcoming possibilities. The latest additions include an upcoming Pixel Stand Smart Dock, settings for a YouTube TV content filtering, and finally in what appears to be an enhanced voice-controlled feature for the car. This enhanced voice-controlled feature is based on the Googles work on Assistant-enabled headphones. The Voice call option in the Assistant page setting is being renamed to Mobile calling, but the functionality remains the same. The Video calls on devices like smart displays will also see a title change to Video & Voice Apps. Now moving to the things that are lying beneath, with Pixel 3 launching later this year, Google might be planning an accessory to along with it. According to the strings, a new set of lines refer to a product called the Pixel Stand. This will be able to use the Assistant to offer suggestions, answer questions, and take actions while your phone is locked and positioned on the Stand. This stand is codenamed trusted dock, its pretty clear that this is charging station and might also support wireless charging. Google seems to be working on a new setting that would allow users to lock out guests from launching YouTube videos on a smart display, but thats not it, users will also be able to lock down the Assistant so it can take call on YouTube TV to filter content with ratings YT-Y, YT-G, G, and PG. The Googles Feed might soon be replaced with At a Glace Widget and soon Google might update At a Glance minimum requirements and with the adaption rate of older OS going down, it doesnt necessarily affect the use. Coming to Herbie, we expect it to be a feature that seems to be primarily built around cars and likely involves Google Assistant. At this point, it is unclear what Google is planning with it. This might ask users if they are sure they want to skip testing the audio and warns that a device may not work as intended without the proper setup. It might be an Android Auto variant of Google Assistant. You can download the Google app beta from here , in case if you havent signed up for the beta. Source T-Mobile and Nokia today has announced a $3.5 billion agreement to accelerate the deployment of a nationwide 5G network. Nokia will provide T-Mobile with its complete end-to-end 5G technology, software, and services portfolio. As part of the agreement, Nokia will help T-Mobile with 600 MHz and 28 GHz millimeter wave 5G capabilities compliant with 3GPP 5G New Radio (NR) standards. 5G enables faster speeds, massive connectivity, decade-long battery life for sensors and super-responsive and reliable networks for users. This will bring support for on-demand virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences, driverless vehicles, medical monitoring, advanced industrial automation services, and more. T-Mobile will leverage on multiple products across Nokias end-to-end 5G technology, software, and services portfolio, including commercial AirScale radio platforms and cloud-native core, AirFrame hardware, CloudBand software, SON and 5G Acceleration Services. Both the companies will now work on developing test and launch the next generation of connectivity services that will cover a wide range of industries, including enterprise, smart cities, utilities, transportation, health, manufacturing, retail, agriculture and government agencies. Ashish Chowdhary, Chief Customer Operations Officer, Nokia said: Nokia and T-Mobile will advance the large-scale deployment of 5G services throughout the United States. This is a testament to our companies strong and productive working relationship, one which has produced several important technological milestones in recent months, and which now allows us to make 5G a commercial reality. Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer at T-Mobile: We are all in on 5G. Every dollar we spend is a 5G dollar, and our agreement with Nokia underscores the kind of investment were making to bring customers a mobile, nationwide 5G network. And together with Sprint, well be able to do So. Much. More. Source ExxonMobil's (NYSE:XOM) management is getting chastised by Wall Street on a pretty regular basis. The continued decline in oil and gas production when oil prices are high is causing the company to test investors' patience. This most recent earnings report was another case of lackluster results that missed earnings expectations. Here's a look at the company's second-quarter performance and why management would much rather that you look at some of the things it has planned down the road instead of its recent string of disappointing results. By the numbers Metric Q2 2018 Q1 2018 Q2 2017 Revenue $73.50 billion $68.21 billion $58.08 billion Net income $3.95 billion $4.65 billion $3.35 billion Diluted EPS $0.92 $1.09 $0.78 Operating cash flow $7.78 billion $8.51 billion $6.94 billion This most recent earnings report feels very much like the prior quarter's. The company is realizing the benefits of higher oil prices, but production numbers continue to decline for various reasons. To make matters worse, ExxonMobil had a lot of scheduled downtime for maintenance in its downstream segment as well as for several of its oil sands facilities in Canada. If there is one good thing to pull from the report, it's that the company seems to be back on the right track in the U.S. in terms of profitability. Earnings in this particular segment have underperformed ever since management purchased XTO Energy back in 2010. Production from XTO was heavily weighted toward natural gas, which has been a tough business because of cheap prices across the U.S. So management has been letting natural gas production in the U.S. decline as it focuses on more oil reservoirs. With shale oil production from its Permian Basin and Bakken holdings growing 30% compared to this time last year, it is significantly improving returns for U.S. production. The highlights Oil and gas production decreased a whopping 7% to 3.65 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. Adjusting for divestments and scheduled downtime, liquids production was up slightly while gas production was down more than 10%. Management noted that the reduction in gas is by design as it relocates shale drilling rigs from dry gas to more liquids-heavy areas such as the Permian Basin. Permian Basin and Bakken shale growth increased 30% compared to this time last year to 250,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The company's exploration blocks off the coast of Guyana continue to bear fruit as management announced its eighth major discovery in the block and increased its resource base to 4 billion barrels. Management is now talking about adding additional production capacity there such that it could produce 750,000 barrels per day by 2025. Exxon also advanced several other upstream projects including acquiring a Brazilian exploration block in the pre-salt formation from Equinor . The block is estimated to have 2 billion barrels in place and management expects first oil from this find by 2024 at the latest. This is on top of the 88,900 acres it added to its exploration portfolio in the most recent offshore auction. . The block is estimated to have 2 billion barrels in place and management expects first oil from this find by 2024 at the latest. This is on top of the 88,900 acres it added to its exploration portfolio in the most recent offshore auction. Exxon also submitted plans for the first phase of its liquefied natural gas export facility in Mozambique to the government. The 15.2 million-ton-per-year facility will receive a final investment decision next year and should be operational by 2024. In order to balance out its portfolio between upstream and downstream investments, the company announced it had agreed to form a joint venture with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) to construct a 1.8 million-ton-per-year ethane cracking facility in the Gulf Coast. Petrochemical facilities like this have been popping up like weeds in the Gulf Coast region because shale gas is one of the cheapest manufacturing feedstocks in the world today. Management also announced it was acquiring a 600,000-barrel-per-year lubricant facility in Indonesia. Lubricant is one of the fastest-growing petroleum product markets in Asia, and this facility will allow Exxon to leverage the manufacturing capabilities at its massive petrochemical complex in Singapore. What management had to say In the company's press release, CEO Darren Woods highlighted some of Exxon's largest and most lucrative projects that he thinks will drive significant growth well into the next decade: Key projects in Guyana, the U.S. Permian Basin, Brazil, Mozambique and Papua New Guinea are positioning us well to meet the objectives we outlined in our long-term earnings growth plans. The high quality of these resources, combined with our strengths in project execution and innovation, will generate strong value over time. Second quarter results were primarily impacted by significant scheduled maintenance undertaken to support operational integrity. In addition, while we were pleased with the return of full production following the [Papua New Guinea] earthquake, extended recoveries from first quarter operational incidents in the Downstream were disappointing. However, good progress was made during the second quarter in fully recovering from these incidents. At Exxon's analyst meeting earlier this year, Woods and his team noted that these projects should triple upstream net income between now and 2025 at $60 a barrel. New quarter, same story Aside from the additional headache of maintenance and downtime, this quarter feels an awful lot like the incredibly frustrating prior one. Right at a time when oil prices are rising, companies that were very good at cost control should be pulling in windfall profits. ExxonMobil is one of those very cost-conscious companies, but the declines in production -- either deliberate or because of project timing -- have held the business in check. From a long-term investor's perspective, Exxon's value comes in the small handful of incredibly lucrative projects slated to go live between 2021 and 2025. Guyana, Mozambique LNG, and offshore Brazil are all high-return projects that look better and better by the day. Throw in accelerating production growth from U.S. shale and some sizable downstream investments, and there is a compelling case for Exxon's shares three to five years from now. The trade-off for investors is having to endure disappointing earnings results like these for the next few quarters while these projects materialize. Quote: SDTruckMan Originally Posted by Trucks paid for, just not sure I want the hassle, but the extra dollars would be nice if I can get more doing it that way. Anybody find that that trade in value is quite a bit less than what Carmax would give you. I always go to Carmax for appraisal and offer before negotiating trade at a new car dealer. It gives me a baseline of what its worth. Sometimes they are the best deal sometimes they are not. I brought my daughters leased Lexus RX to carmax and to the Lexus Dealer. The Lexus Dealer have her $2000 more than the Carmax Offer because they could put it on their lot as a certified vehicle. Other times Carmax beat any offers.Carmax offer is good for 5 days and 500 milesif I remember correctly. They give you a print out with the offer. When they buy it from you they give you a bank draft on the spot. Its quick, clean and no pain.In most states if you trade in your vehicle you only pay sales tax on the difference. For example, if like me, you have a 2017 F350 with a trade in offer of $53,000, trading it in saves sales tax on $53k. Here in Florida tax is 6% so thats about $3,200. Carmax would have to give me $56,200 to equal trading it in for $53,000. Potbelly Sandwich Shop to Open First California Location in Irvine; Three More on the Way The beloved shop to bring its toasty warm sandwiches, signature shakes and live music to Orange County. July 30, 2018 // Franchising.com // IRVINE, Calif. - Potbelly Sandwich Shop announced today that it has selected a location for its first California shop. Currently slated to open in early 2019, the beloved brands first shop in the Golden State will be located at 14431 Culver Drive at Walnut Village Center in Irvine. The widely acclaimed neighborhood hangout features toasty warm sandwiches, hand-dipped milkshakes and live music, all making it The Best Place for Lunch. Potbelly shops have earned a reputation in neighborhoods across the United States for having delicious food, local decor and a lively atmosphere. The Irvine location is the first shop to come out of a multi-unit franchise development deal the brand signed in California last year with Sameer Bhatia, an experienced franchise owner and local resident. Bhatias agreement, which will bring an additional three shops to Orange County, represents the beginning of franchise growth to occur throughout Southern California, the East Bay and Central Valley regions of the state. Its a big deal to be the one bringing the first Potbelly to California, and Im happy to have been chosen to do it as the states first franchisee, said Bhatia. I am a longtime fan of the brand myself and I cant wait to watch my friends and neighbors in Irvine fall in love with Potbellys delicious sandwiches and neighborhood atmosphere. A former banker with a focus on the restaurant industry, Bhatia discovered Potbelly when it opened near his Manhattan office and it quickly became his favorite place for lunch in New York City. He made plans to franchise with the brand, and after moving to Southern California to open a Planet Fitness franchise, he had the opportunity to make his Potbelly dream a reality. With his first Potbelly location on its way, Bhatia plans to open three additional shops around the towns of Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest or Mission Viejo. In total, he will be opening four shops in the area over the next three years. We are so excited for Sameer and his team to bring Potbelly to California, said Jeff Welch, senior vice president of development for Potbelly Sandwich Shop. Our shops are designed to resemble the community they reside in, and Sameers understanding of the local market makes him the perfect person to establish Potbelly as the neighborhood hangout in South Orange County. Were confident that Californians will quickly come to love our food, our people and our local vibe. Potbelly Sandwich Shop first opened in Chicago in 1977 and operates more than 400 shops across the United States. Franchisees operate more than 35 shops in the United States and abroad, and Potbelly plans to continue franchise growth in 2018. For additional information about joining the Potbelly team or to learn more about the new Irvine location, visit www.Potbelly.com. About Potbelly Sandwich Shop Potbelly Corporation is a fast-growing neighborhood sandwich concept offering toasty warm sandwiches, signature salads and other fresh menu items served by engaging people in an environment that reflects the Potbelly brand. Our Vision is for our customers to feel that we are their "Neighborhood Sandwich Shop" and to tell others about their great experience. Our Mission is to make people really happy and to improve every day. Our Passion is to be "The Best Place for Lunch." The Company owns and operates more than 400 shops in the United States and our franchisees operate more than 35 shops domestically, in the Middle East and in the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit our website at www.Potbelly.com. SOURCE Potbelly Sandwich Shop ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Wayback Burgers Partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of America One of the Nations Fastest-Growing Burger Franchises Joins in the Effort to Help Kids and Teens Succeed July 30, 2018 // Franchising.com // CHESHIRE, Conn. - Wayback Burgers, Americas Favorite Hometown Burger Joint and one of the nations fastest-growing burger franchises, is excited and honored to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The non-profit operates after-school care programs nationally, and Wayback Burgers wholeheartedly believes in its quest to help young people, particularly those who need the most support, reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. This fantastic new national partnership involves several major initiatives and fundraisers. For the next two years, a portion of the proceeds from each burger or sandwich purchased at participating Wayback Burgers will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Wayback Burgers and its franchise partners are pledging an annual donation of up to $150,000, with a minimum of $100,000. In addition to the financial commitment, Wayback Burgers is implementing a new workforce training program. The program is designed to teach BGCA members important work and life skills; necessary as they develop into young adults. Plus, Wayback Burgers is planning on adding the Boys & Girls Clubs of America logo on select packaging material, and potentially team member uniforms, to inform the public of the partnership. Wayback Burgers, in a search for a charitable organization with whom to partner, quickly determined it shared the same values and devotion to community as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America following an inspirational meeting. Waybacks President John Eucalitto, who has a long-standing relationship with the youth advocacy organization, says he is passionate about improving the outlook and destiny of one of the nations most vulnerable demographics. We have been looking for a charity to forge a strong partnership with for several years, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a perfect fit, says Eucalitto. The organizations commitment to mentor and uplift young people in cities and towns across America is a mission that we fully support. End of summer/Back-to-school time is a perfect time to launch our partnership as its an exciting time for students, parents, teachers and the community. Our full partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America allows families to sit back, relax, enjoy a quality meal together while at the same time creating life-changing opportunities for local youth. In an effort to allow kind-hearted guests to contribute to the endeavor to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Wayback Burgers will host two national fundraiser days. The first designated day is scheduled for Saturday, August 11. Wayback Burgers invites guests to visit their local restaurant to help millions of local kids in conjunction with the 2018 Back2School campaign. The Back2School campaign highlights BGCAs emphasis on addressing the critical after-school hours for kids and teens as they return to school. Ten percent of daily sales at participating restaurants on August 11 will be donated to BGCAs Back2School cause. After-school programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of America support the learning kids do during the school day to increase BGCA members overall academic success, said Jim Clark, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Wayback Burgers and their guests will ensure BGCA members have the resources they need to have a successful school year. Prepared and equipped youth, coupled with a safe, supportive after-school environment at BGCA, will mean even more kids and teens can build toward a great future. Patrick Conlin, Wayback Burgers Senior Vice President, is looking forward to ramping up the workforce training concept, which gives BGCA members unprecedented access to local Wayback Burgers restaurants. We are just as passionate about the workforce training concept as we are about the donations well deliver through the Back2School campaign and our ongoing partnership, says Conlin. Realistically, higher education doesnt make sense for all kids, so workforce training at a young age is critical. This program is phenomenal for kids who will get hands-on experience in a job that will teach them how to be a part of a team, train for interviews and develop critical life skills. Our workforce program partnership will give these kids an excellent opportunity to learn how to do important jobs in a real-life setting. For more information on Boys & Girls Clubs of America, please visit https://www.bgca.org/. For more information on Wayback Burgers and its partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, please visit www.WaybackBurgers.com, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more information about the Wayback Burgers franchise opportunity visit https://franchise.waybackburgers.com/. About Wayback Burgers Founded in 1991 in Newark, DE, Wayback Burgers is a Connecticut-based fast-casual franchise with a reputation for fresh, never frozen, cooked to order burgers and thick, hand-dipped milkshakes, served in an environment that hearkens back to a simpler place and time - when customer service meant something, and everyone felt the warmth of the community. Wayback Burgers currently operates in 30 states with over 161 restaurants nationally and internationally in Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Pakistan. Through its executed master franchise agreements, Wayback Burgers plans to open in 37 provinces/countries in the Middle East, South Africa, Argentina, Bangladesh, Ireland, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Netherlands. For more information about Wayback Burgers, please visit https://waybackburgers.com/. For franchising information about Wayback Burgers, please visit https://franchise.waybackburgers.com/. For franchising information about Wayback Burgers, please visit https://franchise.waybackburgers.com/. Media Contacts: Graham Chapman 919-459-8157 gchapman@919marketing.com Patrick Conlin 203-649-3387 pconlin@waybackburgers.com SOURCE Wayback Burgers ### Add to Request List Added Request Information Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. The unique archive of the Brothers Zubalashvilis was recently transferred from France to the National Museum of Georgia with the support of TBC - GeorgianJournal Most trending smartphones of this week: Nokia 6.1 Plus, Mi A2, Galaxy J6, Oppo Find X and more Features oi-Harish Kumar The turbulent times in our trending chart continue and no phone can feel safe in its spot. Just take last week's leader - the Oppo Find X, which is now all the way down in fifth. The third new leader in as many weeks is the Xiaomi Mi A2, which took advantage of its official debut to become the most popular device in our database, ahead of its Redmi Note 5 Pro stablemate. Best Smartphones Under Rs 7,000 with Fingerprint scanner The podium is completed by the Nokia X6, which will be known as the Nokia 6.1 Plus in international markets. The Samsung Galaxy J8 has held on to its fourth position, while the Mi A2 Lite, which also made its official debut on Tuesday has climbed two positions to snatch sixth. The Huawei Nova 3 and 3i trio was flying high last week, occupying third and seventh, but this time around the 3i is seventh, while the regular 3 has been relegated from the top 10 entirely. Samsung Galaxy J6 is another phone to lose the ground, settling for eight, while the Galaxy A6+ (2018) retains ninth. The last available spot goes to the Oppo F7, which makes yet another return to the top 10 and becomes the only new name compared to last week. SEE ALSO: Feature phones starting at Rs 449 from Nokia, Intex, Zen, iKall, Gfive, Trio and others However, this week we have smartphones like, Nokia 6.1 Plus, Xiaomi Mi A2, Galaxy J6 and more, which have been garnering good words of mouth by the users. It will be fair enough to consider these phones to be the most trending smartphones, due to the best features available at their respective price point. SEE ALSO: Smartphones with best battery capacity under Rs 7,000 to buy in India So, here is a list of mobiles that comes with the features to look for. The mentioned list also offers the latest software update, which gives an edge over other phones present in the market. Xiaomi Mi A2 (Mi 6X) Best Price of Xiaomi Mi A2 Key Specs 5.99-inch (21601080 pixels) Full HD+ 2.5D curved glass display with 1500:1 Contrast ratio Octa Core Snapdragon 660 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 512 GPU 4GB LPDDR4x RAM with 32GB / 64GB (eMMC 5.1) storage 6GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128GB (eMMC 5.1) storage Android 8.1 (Oreo) Dual SIM 12MP rear camera and 20MP secondary camera 20MP front-facing camera Dual 4G VoLTE 3010mAh (typical) / 2910mAh (minimum) battery Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Best Price of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Key Specs 5.99-inch (2160 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 509 GPU 4GB / 6GB LPDDR4x RAM with 64GB (eMMC 5.0) storage expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 7.1.2 (Nougat) with MIUI 9 Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) 12MP rear camera and secondary 5MP camera 20MP front-facing camera 4G VoLTE 4000mAh (typical) / 3900mAh (minimum) battery Nokia 6.1 Plus (Nokia X6) Key Specs 5.8-inch (2280 1080 pixels) Full HD+ display with 19:9 aspect ratio with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 509 GPU 4GB RAM 64GB internal storage expandable memory up to 400GB with microSD Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android P 16MP (RGB) rear camera and 5MP (Monochrome) secondary rear camera 16MP front-facing camera Dual 4G VoLTE 3060mAh (typical) / 3000mAh (minimum) battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging Samsung Galaxy J8 Best Price of Samsung Galaxy J8 Key Specs 6-inch (1480 x 720 pixels) HD+ Super AMOLED 18.5: 9 Infinity 2.5D curved glass display 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 450 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 506 GPU 4GB RAM 64GB internal storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.0 (Oreo) Dual SIM 16MP rear camera and secondary 5MP camera 16MP front-facing camera 4G VoLTE 3500mAh battery Oppo Find X Best Price of Oppo Find X Key Specs 6.42-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ AMOLED 19:5:9 aspect ratio Panoramic Arc display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection 2.5GHz Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 10nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 630 GPU 8GB RAM, 256GB storage Android 8.1 (Oreo) with ColorOS 5.1 Dual SIM (nano + nano) 16MP rear camera and secondary 20MP rear camera 25MP front-facing camera, f/2.0 aperture 4G VoLTE 3,730mAh (typical) / 3645mAh (minimum) battery with VOOC flash charge fast charging Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite Best Price of Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite (Redmi 6 Pro) Key Specs 5.84-inch (22801080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:9 2.5D curved glass display with 500 nits brightness, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 84% NTSC Color Gamut 2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 506 GPU 3GB RAM with 32GB storage 4GB RAM with 64GB storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) Dual SIM (nano + nano + microSD) 12MP rear camera and secondary 5MP camera 5MP front-facing camera 4G VoLTE 4000mAh (typical) / 3900mAh (minimum) battery Oppo F7 Best Price of Oppo F7 Key Specs 6.23-inch (2280 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:9 IPS display Octa Core MediaTek Helio P60 12nm processor with 800MHz ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU 4GB RAM with 64GB internal memory 6GB RAM with 128GB storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Dual SIM (nano + nano + microSD) ColorOS 5.0 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo) 16MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.8 aperture 25MP front-facing camera Dual 4G VoLTE 3400mAh (typical) / 3300mAh (minimum) battery Huawei Nova 3i Best Price of Huawei nova 3i Key Specs 6.3-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:5:9 2.5D curved glass display, 85% NTSC Color Gamut Octa-Core Kirin 710 12nm with ARM Mali-G51 MP4 GPU 4GB RAM 128GB internal storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.2 Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) 16MP rear camera and secondary 2MP rear camera 24MP front-facing camera and secondary 2MP camera Dual 4G VoLTE 3340mAh (typical) / 3240mAh (minimum) battery Samsung Galaxy J6 Best Price of Samsung Galaxy J6 Key Specs 5.6 Inch HD+ AMOLED Display 1.6GHz Exynos 7 Series Octa-Core Processor 3/4GB RAM With 32/64GB ROM Dual SIM 13MP Rear Camera With LED Flash 8MP Front Camera With LED Flash Fingerprint Sensor 4G VoLTE/WiFi Bluetooth 4.2 3000 MAh Battery Samsung Galaxy A6+ (2018) Best Price of Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 Key Specs 6-inch (1080 x 2220 pixels) FHD+ Super AMOLED 18.5: 9 Infinity 2.5D curved glass display 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 450 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 506 GPU 3GB RAM with 32GB storage / 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Dual SIM Android 8.0 (Oreo) 16MP rear camera and 5MP secondary rear camera 24MP front-facing camera 4G VoLTE 3500mAh battery Best Mobiles in India Google Maps is alerting users in North India regarding heavy monsoon News oi-Sandeep Sarkar The newly introduced feature is server-side and is alerting all the users in the Northern region of India about the weather situations with a bright red box. The monsoons this year are creating havoc in the Northern region of India halting major services and affecting the daily life of the people. In a bid to save the users from unwanted natural calamities Google has introduced a new feature for Maps. The newly introduced feature is specifically designed to help the users to stay updated with the monsoon-related news in the region. The newly introduced feature is server-side and is alerting all the users in the Northern region of India about the weather situations with a bright red box. When a user selects the box it will primarily display the detailed information about the progress of monsoon in the region. However, the feature at present appears to be non-functional on the devices. Below the red box, there is a 'More on Google Search' option which will take the user to a Google search page for the 'Northern India Monsoon'. The option further features all the latest news regarding the weather in the region. Similar to that of other Google apps, the Google Maps was also updated last month along with a number of new features. The new features include a redesigned Explore tab and also an all-new For You tab. The Explore tab shows a user some quick recommendations for restaurants, bars, and cafes in their locality. Whereas the 'For You' tab keeps the users updated with the information about everything that is happening in the areas frequently. Also, Google has recently started rolling out the 'two-wheeler mode' for a number of East Asian countries after the same was launched as an India-exclusive feature earlier this year. The two-wheeler mode allows a biker to identify routes that make it easier for them to move through the congested routes and narrow paths which eventually help them to travel to their destination in less time. As the name suggests that the new feature is specifically designed for the bikers. Users can access the feature by hitting on the motorcycle icon that is placed in the row that shows different modes of transport, read the complete story here. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications I threw this challenge, not as TRAI Chairman, but as a normal citizen of India: RS Sharma News oi-Priyanka Alderson also tweeted "People managed to get your personal address, dob, and your alternate phone number." After challenging Twitterati to harm his 12 digit Aadhaar number TRAI Chairman RS Sharma on Sunday said that he disclosed his unique number as an ordinary citizen of India. "...Please understand that I threw this challenge, not as TRAI Chairman, but as a normal citizen of India," Sharma tweeted replying to two users, one is French security researcher Elliot Alderson who describes himself as the worst nightmare of Oneplus, Wiko, UIDAI, Kimbho and others. The whole matter came into highlight after Sharma shared his Aadhaar number on Twitter on Saturday. "My Aadhaar number is 7621 7768 ****. Now I give this challenge to you: Show me one concrete example where you can do any harm to me," tweeted Sharma. Incidentally, Alderson also tweeted "People managed to get your personal address, dob, and your alternate phone number." He further added, "I stop here, I hope you will understand why to make your #Aadhaar number public is not a good idea." Some of the hackers claimed to have his bank account number as well. There are reports which say several users have decided to donate Sharma Re 1 through AEPS. However, UIDAI came in front and dismissed the claims made by some hackers. UIDAI issued a statement and said, this so-called 'hacked' information (about Sharma's personal details such as his address, date of birth, photo, mobile number, e-mail, etc.) was already available in the public domain as he is a public servant for decades and was easily available on Google and various other sites by a simple search without Aadhaar number." "It is reiterated that in this case...no data has been fetched using his Aadhaar number from UIDAI's servers or Aadhaar database. One could have just googled his name (without Aadhaar number), visited a few other websites and got most of the details which are being shown on Twitter," UIDAI added. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications UK Police Believe 2 Groups From Russia Organized Poisoning of Skripals - Reports Sputnik News 13:20 29.07.2018(updated 14:30 29.07.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK police believe that two groups from Russia were hired to organize and carry out the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March, the Mirror reported Sunday. British counterterrorism police are currently working on a version that one group came to the United Kingdom weeks before the poisoning to set up the operation, and the second team arrived to carry out the attack with a nerve agent, the Mirror reported, citing investigators. On March 4, the Skripals were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping center in the UK city of Salisbury. The United Kingdom and its allies have accused Moscow of having orchestrated the attack with what UK experts claim was the A-234 nerve agent, albeit without presenting any proof. Great Britain, the US and many European countries responded to the incident by expelling Russian diplomats, despite Moscow having adamantly refuted the allegations as groundless, instead offering to conduct a joint investigation into the affair. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen air force to enter into war soon: Houthi IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 28, IRNA -- Head of Yemen's Supreme Revolutionary Committee Mohammad Ali Al-Houthi said on Saturday that the country's air force will enter into war with the Saudi-US aggressors soon. Houthi wrote on his tweet account on Saturday that Yemeni fighters will soon be able to confront fighters of the Saudi-led coalition and their allies. Thus, the Yemeni nation will be able to defend its air space, he said. Yemeni army and popular committees on Thursday attacked Abu Dhabi International Airport by their Sammad-3 armed drone. Yemen also targeted the refinery of ARAMCO company in Riyadh last week with a long-range drone, Sammad-2. Airport officials also said 'Abu Dhabi Airport will monitor the situation with the concerned authorities and further updates will be made available in due course.' Yemen's defenseless people have been under massive attacks by the coalition for over three years but Riyadh has reached none of its objectives in Yemen so far. Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out deadly airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive former president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, an ally of Riyadh. Over 14,000 Yemenis, including thousands of women and children, have lost their lives in the deadly military campaign. 8072**1396 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni army downs Saudi drone IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 28, IRNA -- Yemeni Army's air defense and popular committees shot down a Saudi coalition's spy drone over the country's southwestern region of Asir late Friday. Last Monday in a similar case, Yemeni Army and popular committees downed a spy drone in Rashaha in the vicinity of Najran, southern Saudi Arabia. Some 20 spy drones have so far been shot down since the start of the war on the impoverished country by the Saudi-led coalition. Yemen's defenseless people have been under massive attacks by the coalition for over three years but Riyadh has reached none of its objectives in Yemen so far. Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out deadly airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive former president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, an ally of Riyadh. Over 14,000 Yemenis, including thousands of women and children, have lost their lives in the deadly military campaign. 8072**1396 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Carl Vinson Rescues Mariners off Hawaiian Coast Navy News Service Story Number: NNS180728-01 Release Date: 7/28/2018 8:16:00 PM From USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) rescued five mariners in distress July 27 near Hawaii's westernmost inhabited island. The mariners issued a distress call after their 36-foot vessel ran aground in shallow water near the island of Niihau. Two MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters assigned to the "Black Knights" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 4 airlifted the mariners from their vessel to shore at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time. Carl Vinson was operating seven miles from the vessel when bridge watchstanders heard the distress call and offered assistance. HSC-4 transported four of the mariners to a U.S. Coast Guard facility on the island of Kauai. The fifth mariner was flown to a local medical facility for evaluation. "We were ready," said Capt. Matt Paradise, Carl Vinson's commanding officer. "When nearby mariners needed assistance, we stepped up immediately and helped. That is what we are trained to do, and I'm proud of our team." A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Kauai deployed to assess the scene. The Coast Guard is working to determine the best way to refloat the vessel. "This case illustrates the partnerships we enjoy in Hawaii as the Navy was quick to respond and get this mariner to a higher level of medical care," said Ensign Seth Gross, command duty officer with Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. "The Coast Guard's role now is to assess the vessel and work with the owner as available to mitigate any impact to the environment from the fuel and batteries aboard." Carl Vinson is conducting training missions in the Pacific Ocean as part of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. The carrier supports more than 5,000 Sailors and 70 aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 2. Carl Vinson also serves as the flagship for Commander, Carrier Strike Group 1. RIMPAC is the world's largest international maritime exercise and offers a uniquely complex and challenging multinational environment for forces to hone their skills. Participants this year include more than 25,000 personnel from 25 nations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US trying to create anti-Iran 'Arab NATO,' but divisions persist among PG states Iran Press TV Sat Jul 28, 2018 08:14AM Informed sources say the administration of US President Donald Trump has been quietly pushing ahead with a plan to create a NATO-like security and political alliance between Arab countries to confront Iran despite deep divisions among the Persian Gulf Arab states. Prior to Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia last year, reports said President Trump was expected to lay out his vision for what White House officials called an "Arab NATO," comprised of six Persian Gulf Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan. The United States would play an organizing and supporting role while staying outside the anti-Iran alliance, the reports added. On Saturday, American and Arab officials said that the Trump administration hoped to raise the plan at a summit provisionally scheduled in Washington in mid-October. The White House also confirmed that it was working on the project, tentatively known as the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA). "MESA will serve as a bulwark against Iran," a spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council (NSC) said. Additionally, sources from some of the Arab countries involved in the planned alliance confirmed renewed efforts to activate the initiative. However, a diplomatic standoff between Qatar and a Saudi-led quartet of countries seems to have already hampered the formation of the so-called "Arab NATO". One of the informed sources said the US administration was concerned the Qatar rift could be an obstacle to the Arab alliance plan. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE imposed a land, naval and air blockade on import-dependent Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, an allegation strongly denied by Doha. The Saudi-led bloc presented Qatar with a list of demands and gave it an ultimatum to comply with them or face consequences. Doha, however, refused to meet the demands and stressed that it would not abandon its independent foreign policy. At that time, Bruce Riedel, a former CIA, Pentagon, and NSC staffer, said the dispute had damaged the prospect for the anti-Iran alliance. The concept of an "Arab NATO" is now "falling apart," he said, adding that Riyadh's aim was actually a "regime change in Qatar". "Of course the Saudis may not have the power to force regime change, but that is what they want. Very dangerous period," he emphasized. On Thursday, Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash expressed his country's readiness to deploy more troops across the Middle East, saying it could no longer rely on Western allies like the United States and Britain for its security. He further stressed that the UAE was mainly worried about the increasing differences between the US and Europe on how to deal with Iran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump 'open' to visiting Moscow: White House Iran Press TV Sat Jul 28, 2018 05:37AM US President Donald Trump is "open" to visiting Moscow, the White House said after Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated he has invited his American counterpart for another one-on-one meeting. "He is open to visiting Moscow upon receiving a formal invitation," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement on Friday. Trump had initially invited Putin to visit Washington in the fall to build up on their summit in Helsinki, Finland, which drew sharp criticism over the US president's failure to take the Russian leader to task over alleged election meddling. However, the White House backed away from that plan earlier this week after the Kremlin did not immediately respond to Trump's invitation. National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday that the two leaders would not hold a meeting in the near future as it had previously been announced, at least not until next year. Bolton blamed the delay on the investigation into Trump's alleged collusion with Moscow during the 2016 presidential election in the United States. "The president believes that the next bilateral meeting with President Putin should take place after the Russia witch hunt is over, so we've agreed that it will be after the first of the year," Bolton said, according to Politico. The delay also came after Republican leaders in Congress expressed concerns that a visit by the Russian leader would create political uproar ahead of the November midterm election. Putin said Friday that he was "ready to come to Washington" to meet Trump if the conditions are right. "I am ready to go to Washington. I repeat once again, if the right conditions for work are created," Putin told reporters in Johannesburg, South Africa. In Helsinki, Trump accepted Putin's "strong denial" about Russian interference in the US election over US intelligence officials who accuse Moscow of meddling in the election on Trump's behalf. Facing the backlash at home, Trump said he believed the US intelligence findings and held Putin personally responsible for the alleged election interference. However, he contradicted his expression of support by slamming the Russia probe as a "witch hunt" and the allegations of Russian meddling as a "hoax." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban, U.S. Officials Reportedly Meet For Talks In Doha RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal July 28, 2018 U.S. and Taliban officials met this week for direct talks aimed at setting up peace negotiations to end 17 years of war in Afghanistan, a Taliban official said. The meeting, which happened in Qatar on July 23, came amid growing momentum in Washington, Kabul, and elsewhere to find some way to end the violence. The Taliban official, who asked not to named, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that Taliban representatives met with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells in Doha. "The meeting was very preliminary and the aim was to prepare for future contacts. The atmosphere was very good. Useful exchanges were made," the official said on July 28. U.S. officials have not commented on the meeting, but The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the talks, quoted a State Department official as saying that the Afghan government was aware of the effort. "Any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government," The Wall Street Journal quoted the official as saying. Afghans recently enjoyed a brief respite from the persistent violence when the Kabul government and the Taliban declared a three-day cease-fire connected to the holiday ending the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Though fighting has resumed, the respite gave many optimism that the sides could reach some final peace deal. The United States has bolstered its forces in Afghanistan amid the fighting. There has been an uptick in attacks from other extremist groups, too, like Islamic State militants. Meanwhile, in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on July 28, militants attacked a midwife training center. RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan quoted witnesses as saying that a suicide bombing had taken place in the area. It was not immediately clear how casualties there were. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-u-s-officials- reportedly-meet-for-talks-in-doha/29395711.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kocharian Backers Demand Armenian Authorities Release Jailed Ex-President RFE/RL's Armenian Service July 28, 2018 YEREVAN -- Representatives of jailed former Armenian President Robert Kocharian blasted his arrest, calling it "obvious political and personal persecution" and demanded his immediate release, as the government steps up actions against the country's previous leaders. "It's a vendetta, political, and personal revenge that has no legal justification," Kocharian spokesman Victor Soghomonian told a Yerevan news conference on July 28. "I'm sure you realize what is happening, realize why Robert Kocharian has been declared guilty, realize the speed with which this process took place and that it has nothing to do" with the killings of 10 people on March 1, 2008. Kocharian, who served as Armenia's president from 1998 to 2008, was taken into custody on July 27, a day after being charged in connection with the deadly dispersion of opposition protests following the disputed presidential election in 2008. A Yerevan court ruled that the Special Investigative Service (SIS) could hold Kocharian for two months pending investigation into the crackdown that left 10 people dead, including two police officers. Kocharian has denied the charges of "overthrowing Armenia's constitutional order" and said they were a "vendetta" by the country's new leadership against him. Kocharian's was the most high-profile detention in a series of arrests of prominent officials since Nikol Pashinian, a longtime anticorruption campaigner, became prime minister in May. Pashinian was propelled into government on the backs of mass street protests by Armenians -- many of them young -- who were fed up with the country's persistent corruption and poverty. Transparency International in 2017 ranked Armenia 107th out of 180 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index and said that "corruption in Armenia is endemic and widespread, permeating all levels of society." When he took office in mid-May, Pashinian immediately vowed to tackle the wrongdoing, and charges have followed against several people with ties to the former government. On the same day that Kocharian was taken into custody, Yuri Khachaturov, the Armenian chief of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), was charged, like Kocharian, with overthrowing Armenia's constitutional order related to the 2008 crackdown. Khachaturov, who was Armenia's deputy defense minister at the time, has also denied any wrongdoing. He was released after posting bail of about $10,000. The case dates back to late February and early March 2008 in the wake of a disputed election to determine Kocharian's successor. Kocharian's ally, Serzh Sarkisian, was declared the winner, angering the opposition and setting off 10 days of nonstop protests. Kocharian is accused of illegally ordering the violent dispersal of demonstrators. He has claimed the action was necessary to prevent an illegal takeover of the government by his predecessor, Levon Ter-Petrosian. Pashinian, who was tried and convicted in 2010 of being an organizer of the 2008 protests, earlier this year demanded the authorities investigate Kocharian's activities during the postelection violence. Prosecutors at the time said Pashinian, then an opposition figure in parliament, had no authority to seek such action. The situation changed, however, after the nonviolent Pashinian-led street protests toppled Sarkisian and led to his own election as prime minister. Early this month, the SIS issued an arrest warrant for retired General Mikael Harutiunian, who served as defense minister during the 2008 unrest. It charged Harutiunian with "illegally" using the armed forces against the protesters, saying that it also amounted to an "overthrow of constitutional order." On July 9, a spokesman for Kocharian denounced the accusations leveled against the fugitive ex-general as a "mockery of the law." Harutiunian is believed to be living in Moscow. Pashinian's administration has also brought cases against several close relatives of Sarkisian's family for a variety of alleged financial crimes, although Pashinian insisted that no particular family was being targeted. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia- kocharian-backers-demand- immediate-release/29395942.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Armenia's Ex-President Kocharian Taken Into Custody Over 2008 Crackdown RFE/RL's Armenian Service July 28, 2018 YEREVAN -- Former President Robert Kocharian has been taken into custody by Armenian authorities after being charged in connection with the deadly crackdown on opposition protests following the disputed presidential election in 2008. A Yerevan district court late on July 27 ruled that the Special Investigative Service (SIS) could hold Kocharian pending investigation into the crackdown that left 10 people dead, including two police officers. The arrest comes as the government of new Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, a longtime anticorruption campaigner, has stepped up legal action against officials linked to the previous government. Kocharian has denied charges of "overthrowing Armenia's constitutional order," calling them politically motivated, and his lawyers say he will appeal the pretrial detention ruling. The lawyers, Ruben Sahakian and Aram Orbelian, declined further comment and said a news conference would be held in Yerevan on July 28. The case dates back to late February and early March 2008 in the wake of a disputed election to determine Kocharian's successor. Kocharian's ally, Serzh Sarkisian, was declared the winner, angering the opposition and setting off 10 days of nonstop protests that led to a crackdown on March 1 in which 10 people, including two police officers, were killed. Kocharian is accused of illegally ordering the violent dispersal of protesters. Kocharian said the postelection crackdown was necessary to prevent an illegal takeover of the government by another former president, Levon Ter-Petrosian. In March, Nikol Pashinian, then an opposition figure in parliament, asked prosecutors to subpoena Kocharian for questioning over his order to use lethal force to suppress the protests. Pashinian, who in 2010 was tried and convicted as one of the protest organizers, argued that, in particular, Kocharian should explain where he got information about gunshots allegedly fired at security forces by the demonstrators, which was a key reason cited by authorities in violently putting down the protests. In a reply to a question from RFE/RL, the Prosecutor-General's Office in March said Pashinian had no legal standing to demand Kocharian's testimony. That all changed after Pashinian led a series of massive, nonviolent street protests in the capital, eventually toppling Sarkisian from power and leading to Pashinian's own election on May 8 to the prime minister's role in what was hailed by many as a "velvet revolution." Pashinian, who for years spoke about what he said was widespread government corruption as an opposition member, immediately announced a crackdown on suspected wrongdoing after taking office. Earlier on July 27, Yuri Khachaturov, the Armenian chief of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), was charged, like Kocharian, with overthrowing Armenia's constitutional order related to the 2008 crackdown. Khachaturov, who was Armenia's deputy defense minister at the time, denied any wrongdoing in comments to reporters. Officials said he would be released after paying a bail of about $10,000. The CSTO is a regional grouping that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Critics say Russian President Vladimir Putin sees it as a way to increase Moscow's influence in former Soviet republics and to counter the European Union and NATO. Earlier this month, the SIS issued an arrest warrant for retired General Mikael Harutiunian, who served as defense minister during the 2008 unrest. It charged Harutiunian with "illegally" using the armed forces against the protesters, saying that it amounted to an "overthrow of constitutional order." On July 9, a spokesman for Kocharian denounced the accusations leveled against the fugitive ex-general as a "mockery of the law." Pashinian's administration has also brought cases against several close relatives of Sarkisian's family for a variety of alleged financial crimes, although Pashinian insisted that no particular family was being targeted. Pashinian told RFE/RL on July 6 that the cases against Sarkisan family members were being pursued on their legal merits and were not "political" in nature. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-s- ex-president-kocharian-taken-into-custody -over-2008-crackdown/29394682.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Make Sunday 'an important celebration of democracy' UN chief urges voters in Mali 28 July 2018 - On the eve of Mali's crucial presidential election, the United Nations Secretary-General said that despite clear security challenges, voters in the arid African nation of around 18 million, needed to ensure that the key poll was first and foremost "an important celebration of democracy". The UN Stabilization Mission in the country, MINUSMA, has been busy providing logistical support to the Government of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, especially in the restive north and centre, where an alliance of militant Islamists and Tuareg rebels have been launching attacks with increasing frequency and ferocity against government troops and UN peacekeepers. When the current President was elected in 2013, his administration replaced a transitional government which had wrested back control - with international support - of the outlying regions following a failed coup, that saw the iconic and ancient city of Timbuktu occupied by militants. Dozens of UN peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice defending Mali's fragile recovery in recent years. In a statement issued by his Deputy Spokesperson on Saturday in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that he was "closely following developments" this weekend. "On the eve of these polls, which are important for peace and reconciliation in Mali, the Secretary-General is encouraged by the overall peaceful climate that has characterized the electoral campaign to date, despite continued security challenges in the north and center of the country", said the statement. Mr. Guterres - who made a landmark visit to the country two months ago - called on "all Malians to maintain the peaceful course, thereby ensuring that Sunday's elections serve as an important celebration of democracy." He urged all of the candidates and other political actors "to commit to making this poll a peaceful, free and transparent process, and to resolve any possible dispute through the appropriate institutions in accordance with the law." On Friday, the head of MINUSMA, Mahamat Saleh Annadif told the mission's Radio Mikado that although tensions are high and the threat of attacks persist, the result had to be respected if democratic rule was to be viewed as "irreversible". The mission has been providing transportation to candidates, training and support for officials involved in the democratic process, and distributed 200 tonnes of electoral material, mainly to remote areas where the political process is most vulnerable to abuse, and voters are most likely to feel intimidated going to the polls. "The Secretary-General stresses that peace and reconciliation for all Malian citizens must prevail, irrespective of the electoral outcome" said the statement, reiterating the UN's commitment overall, to keep supporting the electoral process in the weeks and months ahead. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban Describes as 'Productive' Initial Direct Talks with US By Ayaz Gul July 28, 2018 The Taliban has confirmed that it held direct talks with the United States in Qatar this week on finding a negotiated end to the 17-year war in Afghanistan. A senior Taliban official told VOA on Friday that Alice Wells, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary for South and Central Asia, led the American delegation in the meeting in Doha. The insurgent official, speaking on condition of anonymity explained the "preliminary" dialogue focused merely on "laying the groundwork for future contacts and meetings" between the Taliban and the U.S. "The overall atmosphere of the meeting was very good and the discussions were also productive," said the Taliban official,but he shared no further details. Reports of Monday's landmark meeting in the Qatari capital appeared in American newspapers earlier this week but neither U.S. officials nor the Taliban directly commented on them until now. No comment from U.S. The U.S. State Department declined to comment on the reported meeting with the Afghan insurgency. "The United States is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government," said a State Department official when asked for a reaction to reports of talks with the Taliban. The official made it clear that the Afghan government was fully involved in the effort to jump-start peace talks. "Any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government," said the State Department official. The Afghan Taliban has been informally operating a political office in Doha for several years. The Islamist insurgency had long called for direct talks with Washington. The Taliban insists the U.S., and not the Afghan government, has the authority to determine a timetable for all American and NATO troops to withdraw from Afghanistan. An Afghan presidential spokesperson in Kabul while responding to the talks in Qatar said her government would welcome any step that would restore peace in the country. Durranai Wazira emphasized, however, that foreigners are playing "a supportive role to facilitate the peace process but Afghans themselves will lead it." First significant step This week's Qatar talks marked the first significant step toward starting an Afghan peace and reconciliation process since a single round of talks was held between Afghan and Taliban officials in Pakistan in 2015, with U.S. and China also in attendance as observers. U.S. officials are reported as saying Monday's engagement with the Taliban was aimed at building on momentum generated by last month's unprecedented temporary cease-fires the Afghan government and the Islamist insurgency observed during three-day Eid festivities last month. The meeting in Doha came as the Afghan government is considering another unilateral cease-fire with the insurgents during the upcoming Eid festival in August to encourage the Taliban to come to the table for peace talks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cambodia Parliamentary Election Starts, With Media Muffled By VOA News July 28, 2018 Polls opened Sunday for Cambodians to vote for all 125 seats in the country's National Assembly, in a process widely criticized for the lack of a significant opposition to the ruling Cambodian People's Party. In the hours before the vote was to begin, the government ordered internet service providers to block the websites of 15 independent news outlets, including Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and the Phnom Penh Post. Phos Sovann, chief of the Information Ministry's Department of Information and Broadcasting, confirmed the news, which VOA obtained through a Ministry of Information memo. With the Supreme Court's dissolution last year of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party is largely expected to stay in power. The party has won the four previous elections, held at five-year intervals. Hun Sen himself has been in power for three decades. While 20 parties were expected to run in Sunday's parliamentary elections, the CNRP was seen as the only serious threat to Hun Sen's party and leadership. Supporters of the opposition urged voters to boycott the process. A low voter turnout would indicate low support for the ruling party. Vote criticized The United Nations criticized the election as fundamentally flawed because of the legal action against the CNRP and its leaders. The United States and the European Union withdrew funding for the election. This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure calling for sanctions on the ruling party. Human Rights Watch also called the election flawed and said the lack of significant opposition would make the vote meaningless. Cambodia's government said about 220 election observers from 52 countries would be on hand to watch for irregularities in the vote. But critics said many of the observer groups had ties to the ruling party. Phnom Penh Police Chief Chuon Sovann told Reuters that security forces would be deployed across the capital to maintain order during the voting. He said police would stop any protests or anyone urging others not to vote. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Somalia Leader Makes Historic Trip to Eritrea By Abdulaziz Osman July 28, 2018 Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo began an historic three-day visit to Eritrea on Saturday, where he holds talks with his counterpart in Asmara. Eritrea's information minister announced on Friday that Somalia's leader was invited by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. "Somalia is ready to write a new chapter of its relations with Eritrea," Somalia's presidential spokesman Abdinur Mohamed said Saturday on Twitter. The countries have not had any diplomatic ties for nearly 15 years, but the spokesman said the visit "will open the doors for diplomatic relations and new cooperation between the two nations." Somali and Eritrean flags were placed along the streets of the Eritrean capital, Asmara, ahead of the visit. The visit by Farmajo comes after the long-time rivals Eritrea and Ethiopia restored diplomatic ties, a move that ended the regional and international isolation of Eritrea that lasted for nearly two decades. Proxy war For years, the tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia had played out partly in Somalia as each gave military support to opposing sides in Somalia. In 2007, Eritrea had supported the Islamic Courts Union ICU, which ruled much of southern and central Somalia for six months before being ousted in a 2006 Ethiopian-led military offensive. In 2009, the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Eritrea for its role in Somalia. Eritrea was accused of supporting Somalia's al-Shabab group, a charge it had denied. Those sanctions could soon be lifted after Ethiopia's prime minister recently asked the U.N. to remove the sanctions on Eritrea. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni forces fire ballistic missile at base run by Saudi mercenaries: Report Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 06:09PM Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have fired a domestically-designed short-range ballistic missile at a position of Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to resigned president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in the country's central province of al-Bayda. Yemeni military sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that the missile hit the designated target in al-Jaribat area of the province on Sunday. There were no immediate reports about possible fatalities and the extent of damage caused. Later in the day, Yemeni soldiers and their allies lobbed a barrage of artillery rounds at the strongholds of Saudi mercenaries in Saudi Arabia's southwestern border region of Najran. Yemeni sharpshooters had earlier fatally shot three Saudi-backed militiamen in the al-Durayhimi district of Yemen's western coastal province of Hudaydah. A civilian also lost his life and several others, including women and children, sustained injuries when Saudi fighter jets carried out an airstrike against residential buildings in the Riff al-Tahtia area of the same Yemeni province. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led military alliance involved in the years-long aggression on Yemen alleged in a statement broadcast on Saudi Arabia's state-run al Ekhbariya television network that it had destroyed sites used by Yemeni Houthi Ansarullah movement. The coalition claimed the "destruction of ballistic missile (launch) sites run by Houthi fighters in Sa'ada." The Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights announced in a statement on March 25 that the Saudi-led war had left some 600,000 civilians dead and injured since March 2015. The United Nations says a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in need of food aid, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. A high-ranking UN aid official has warned against the "catastrophic" living conditions in Yemen, stating that there is a growing risk of famine and cholera there. "The conflict has escalated since November, driving an estimated 100,000 people from their homes," John Ging, UN director of aid operations, told the UN Security Council on February 27. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli navy intercepts Norwegian-flagged Gaza-bound ship Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 05:22PM The Israeli navy has intercepted a Norwegian-flagged ship with activists on board as it was approaching the shores of the besieged Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian relief to the inhabitants of the impoverished enclave. "The activity ended without exceptional events. At this time, the ship is being transferred to the port of Ashdod" along the coast of central Israel, said a statement released by the Israeli military on Sunday. The intercepted vessel was one of the four ships that made up the Freedom Flotilla, which intended to break Israel's nearly 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip. Adham Abu Salima, a spokesperson for Gaza's National Committee for Breaking the Siege, confirmed the attack by Israeli forces on the Freedom Flotilla ship. He said the committee had lost contact with the flotilla members. He added that 36 solidarity activists from 15 various countries were on board the vessel, which left the Italian city of Palermo on July 21. According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a second boat of the flotilla, the Swedish-flagged Freedom, is expected to arrive in the same area in the next couple of days. Back in late May 2010, an Israeli raid on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, comprising six civilian ships, killed 10 Turkish activists in high seas and sent the Ankara-Tel Aviv ties into a tailspin. Israel's military raid against the civilian flotilla was met with global condemnation. The United Nations Security Council called for a prompt investigation into the incident and the United Nations Human Rights Council described the attack as "outrageous." Many human rights groups also strongly denounced the raid, while dozens of protests were held in support of the victims' cause in several countries, including Turkey, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Sweden. In September 2010, Turkey suspended its military ties with Israel and expelled the Israeli envoy from Ankara over Tel Aviv's refusal to apologize for the killing. Four years later, a criminal court in Turkey issued arrest warrants for four Israeli military officials, deemed by Ankara as the main culprits in the case, and turned over the warrants to Interpol to arrest the suspects, but to no avail. Turkey and Israel, however, normalized relations in June 2016 after a series of not-very-public negotiations. An agreement to normalize the ties entailed the payment of $20 million in compensation for the families of the victims. Additionally, numerous attempts have been made throughout the years to draw the public attention to the ongoing siege of Gaza. From 2008 through 2016, international activists have sailed 31 ships and boats to challenge the Israeli naval blockade. Gaza, a coastal sliver on the Mediterranean, is where Palestinian resistance movements enjoy massive public support. The territory has seen brutal wars by Israel over the past years, the last one having been in the summer of 2014, when more than 2,200 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids. The area continues to suffer from the destruction left behind from the war. Israel continues to prevent the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the blockade, since its imposition in June 2007, has caused a decline in living standards as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and poverty. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cambodia voting over, ballot count underway Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 03:02PM With the voting over, the ballot count has begun in Cambodia's controversial elections widely expected to be easily won by Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) after the main opposition was banned. Media reports said preliminary results were expected to be announced later in the evening. The National Election Committee (NEC) will start announcing preliminary results at around 6:00 pm local time. Official results are expected in mid-August. NEC said in a statement that the voter turnout was 82.71 percent. Sik Bun Hok, the NEC chairman, praised in a televised news conference the high voter turnout, saying, "This is the success of the election." "This time is higher. Cambodia should be proud," the chairman added. Sik said the high voter turnout put to rest doubts about the election's legitimacy. "This answers the international community's question about whether Cambodia loves democracy," the official said, adding that all polling stations in the country "operated without any obstruction." Eight million and three hundred thousand people were registered to vote on Sunday. Yoeung Sotheara, who previously worked as a poll monitor in Cambodia, said Sunday's result was best compared with the result of the nationwide local government elections in 2017, where the turnout was 90 percent. In the previous general elections in 2013 the turnout was 69.61 percent. Electoral reforms in 2016 made it easier for people to register where they lived and cleaned out dead people and "ghost" names from the voter list, he said. Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch, said many voters grudgingly went to the polls out of fear. Authorities have warned that anyone boycotting the vote will be seen as a "traitor." Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander, has ruled Cambodia for more than 30 years and is the world's longest serving prime minister. The 2018 election is the country's sixth since 1993, when the nation emerged from decades of war. The elections were marred by voter intimidation and absence of any significant challenger to Hun Sen. Nineteen political parties ran against Hun Sen's ruling party, but none are strongly critical of the government. Cambodia ruling party claims 'huge victory' A few hours after vote counting started, Cambodia's ruling party claimed it had won a landslide victory in the election. Cambodian People's Party (CPP) spokesman, Sok Eysan, told AFP late Sunday they expected to win "over 100 seats" in the 125-seat parliament, citing preliminary figures from the National Election Committee. "The CPP will get more than 80 percent of the popular vote," he said, adding, "This is a huge victory for us." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni troops kill four Saudi soldiers, capture two Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 09:25AM Yemen's army troops and their Houthi allies have killed four Saudi soldiers and captured two others in counterattacks near the border, the al-Masirah television network reports. The incidents came during the Yemeni army's attack on the Mash'al military base in the Jizan region in the kingdom's southwest, the broadcaster announced Sunday as it aired a picture of the two captured soldiers. Yemeni snipers, meanwhile, killed eight mercenaries in Jizan, as well as in the west-central Yemeni Province of Ma'rib and the impoverished country's west coast, al-Masirah reported. Yemen's War Media outlet has published a video featuring army operations against Saudi-backed militants in the Ta'izz Province in the country's southwest. The operations, it said, led to the seizure of an Emirati military vehicle, and an unspecified quantity of weapons and ammunition. The escalation came after Saudi Arabia resumed its heavy bombing of Yemen's lifeline port city of al-Hudaydah, hitting a police camp, a plastics factory, a radio station and a fishing pier. The kingdom and the UAE launched a massive offensive to capture Hudaydah last month but their advances ground to an immediate halt in the face of stiff resistance by Houthi fighters and local residents. The Saudi government said on Wednesday it had suspended oil shipments through the Red Sea after Yemeni fighters attacked two very large crude carriers of the kingdom. The Houthis, who have previously threatened to block Bab el-Mandeb, said on Thursday that they had the naval capability to hit Saudi ports and other Red Sea targets. The fighters also surprised the UAE by sending a drone over Abu Dhabi airport and forcing it close to international traffic. Cholera threat International NGO Save the Children has warned that fresh Saudi attacks could create the ideal conditions for a catastrophic new cholera outbreak affecting thousands of people in Hudaydah. The recent bombings could make Hudaydah "ground zero" for a fresh outbreak, according to Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the body's CEO. "Cholera could spread like wildfire in Yemen, potentially infecting thousands of children and completely overwhelming an already crippled health system," she said after a recent visit to Yemen. "Many hospitals have been reduced to rubble, and those that are still standing are barely functioning." Around a million Yemenis contracted cholera between 2016 and 2017, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Over 2,000 died, including many children, according to the World Health Organization. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump wants Afghan forces in Kabul, other big cities: Sources Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 07:47PM Officials from the administration US President Donald Trump are pushing Afghan forces to move their soldiers to big cities like the capital Kabul, sources say. Citing three officials familiar with the president's war strategy, The New York Times reported Sunday that the incentive is avoiding aggressors' attacks in isolated outposts manned by Afghan forces. The officials further told the daily that the approach is a previously undisclosed part of the war strategy that the president announced in 2017. "The withdrawal resembles strategies embraced by both the Bush and Obama administrations that have started and stuttered over the nearly 17-year war. It will effectively ensure that the Taliban and other insurgent groups will hold on to territory that they have already seized, leaving the government in Kabul to safeguard the capital and cities such as Kandahar, Kunduz, Mazar-i-Sharif and Jalalabad," read the report. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington is ready to negotiate with Taliban. This is while Trump has boosted US forces in Afghanistan, bringing the official number to 14,000 American soldiers. He has also removed any timeline for the US forces to leave the country. "The retreat to the cities is a searing acknowledgment that the American-installed government in Afghanistan remains unable to lead and protect the country's sprawling rural population. Over the years, as waves of American and NATO troops have come and left in repeated cycles, the government has slowly retrenched and ceded chunks of territory to the Taliban, cleaving Afghanistan into disparate parts and ensuring a conflict with no end in sight," read the Times. The United States invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, and overthrew the Taliban regime. But US forces have remained bogged down there through the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now Trump. Taliban militants have warned of stepping up their attacks until the US forces fully withdraw from Afghanistan after more than a decade and half of occupation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN warns that Yemen's Hudaydah port one airstrike away from epidemic Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 08:21PM The United Nations has warned that Yemen's Hudaydah is just "one airstrike away from an unstoppable epidemic." In a statement released on Sunday, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Lise Grande, said that "for weeks, we've been doing everything possible to help hundreds of thousands of people living in and near Hudaydah", however, "these airstrikes are putting innocent civilians at extreme risk." Backed by Saudi-led airstrikes, Emirati forces and militants loyal to the former Yemeni government launched the Hudaydah assault on June 13 despite warnings that it would compound the impoverished nation's humanitarian crisis. "Since the start of the recent military offensive...humanitarian partners have been providing food, water, emergency kits, cash and healthcare," she added. Humanitarian organizations have warned that the Hudaydah operation threatens to cut off essential supplies to millions of Yemeni people. More than 70 percent of Yemen's imports pass through Hudaydah's docks. Grande went on to stress that cholera "is already present in neighborhoods across the city and governorate. Damage to sanitation, water and health facilities jeopardizes everything that we are trying to doWe could be one airstrike away from an unstoppable epidemic." "On 26, 27 and 28 July, air strikes occurred near a reproductive health center and public laboratory in Hudaydah and hit and damaged a sanitation facility in Zabid and a water station, which supplies the majority of the water to Hudaydah City," she added. The Yemeni Health Ministry has also raised the alarm over a fresh major outbreak of cholera in the war-torn country. According to the ministry, hospitals and private medical centers in the capital city Sana'a have recorded a spike in suspected cholera cases over the past two weeks. The coalition claims the Houthis are using Hudaydah for weapons delivery, an allegation rejected by the Ansarullah fighters. Riyadh has been at the helm of the deadly campaign against Yemen since March 2015. However, it has failed to fulfill its purpose of the war on Yemen, which was to reinstate the former Riyadh-friendly government and undermine Ansarullah. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Armenian General Released On Bail, Charged In Connection With 2008 Election Violence RFE/RL's Armenian Service July 29, 2018 YEREVAN -- The Armenian chief of a Russian-led security bloc has been released on bail after being charged in connection with the violent crackdown that erupted following the country's 2008 presidential election. Defense lawyer Mirhan Pogosian told RFE/RL's Armenian Service that Colonel General Yuri Khachaturov was freed on July 28 by a Yerevan court after posting 5 million drams in bail ($10,400). Khachaturov denied any wrongdoing in comments to reporters upon his arrival at the court in Yerevan. The arrest of Khachaturov was the latest in a series of arrests of prominent officials that have occurred since Nikol Pashinian, a longtime anticorruption campaigner, became prime minister in May. Pashinian was propelled into government on the backs of mass street protests by Armenians -- many of them young -- who were fed up with the country's persistent corruption and poverty. The country's main investigative unit -- the Special Investigative Service -- announced that Khachaturov was under investigation on July 26 for alleged involvement in an "overthrow of the constitutional order." The 66-year-old Khachaturov is the head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a regional grouping that includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, as well as Armenia. Critics have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of using the organization to bolster Moscow's influence in former Soviet republics and to counter the European Union and NATO. Russian Response The Russian Foreign Ministry was quoted by state-run TASS news agency as saying that Yerevan has been told it "should officially initiate the recall of its citizen from the office of CSTO secretary-general" if it has decided to do so. Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balaian said late on July 28 that Yerevan was in the process of asking fellow CSTO members to strip him of the post. Balaian added that Armenia is committed to the strengthening and development of the CSTO and plans to remain actively involved in its efforts. The reports did not immediately say if officials in Yerevan were planning to nominate an Armenian citizen as a replacement. Also on July 26, the Special Investigative Service leveled similar charges against former President Robert Kocharian. Both are linked to the violent dispersal of opposition protests staged in the wake of a disputed presidential election in early 2008. Khachaturov was Armenia's deputy defense minister at the time. Eight protesters and two police officers were killed in the crackdown, which came about a month before Kocharian completed his second and final presidential term. Kocharian, who called the charges politically motivated, was taken into custody late on July 27. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenian-general- released-on-bail-charged-in-connection-with-2008- election-violence/29395852.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indian Army Downplays Alleged Chinese Troop Activity in Disputed Doklam Sputnik News 18:29 29.07.2018 The information about movements of Chinese forces comes a year after a military stand-off in 2017 that lasted over a month. Anonymous Indian soldiers in an interview with the Hindustan Times have toned down fears about an alleged build-up of Chinese troops in the disputed Doklam territories. According to them, the recent movements might be due to winter stockpiling and troop rotations. The sources added that China has made no aggressive moves in the region since the stand-off last year. Concerns regarding Chinese actions in Doklam arose after US Congresswoman Ann Wagner announced during a congressional hearing last week that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had resumed activities in the disputed region. The Indian army entered Doklam in June 2017 after China began constructing a southward extension of a road through the disputed territory towards a Bhutan Army camp at Zornpelri with construction teams being covered by PLA forces. Around 270 Indian soldiers attempted to stop the construction, while India's Foreign Ministry accused Beijing of attempting to violate the status quo in Doklam set by a 2012 understanding between the two governments. China, for its part, accused India of violating its border. The stand-off only led to several injuries on both sides during a border incident, when a Chinese patrol allegedly crossed the Indian frontier near Pangong Lake on August 15, as a result of allegedly being lost due to bad weather. The two countries agreed to pull their forces on August 28, 2017. China has since halted the construction of the road's extension. Beijing has claimed sovereignty over Doklam since 1958, citing the 1890 Convention of Calcutta between the British and Chinese governments. Doklam, at the time was a part of Bhutan and included the tri-junction point between China, India and Bhutan. The latter refuted Chinese claims and signed an agreement with India over military defense. The small Asian kingdom later asked Delhi to represent its diplomatic interests in negotiations with Beijing. Two major agreements have been reached regarding the region, one in 1988 and another in 1998, which have ensured a peaceful resolution to the dispute between the countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Government and opposition must 'respect the rule of law and human rights' in Comoros, as referendum looms: Guterres 29 July 2018 - The recent infringement of democratic rights and civil liberties in the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Comoros, ahead of a vote on constitutional reform, is a source of concern said United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday. In a statement issued by his Deputy Spokesperson in New York, the Secretary-General expressed his concern over "persisting restrictions of civil liberties and democratic rights in the run-up to the 30 July constitutional referendum in the Comoros." Monday's vote on key constitutional changes proposed by President Azali Assoumani, who took office two years ago limited to a single-term, has been criticized by political opponents as an effort primarily to run again next year or beyond, according to news reports. Under the current constitution, power rotates every five years between the three main islands of the Comoros, as a means of balancing power after years of instability. Reports say that three vice-presidencies would be scrapped if the referendum passes, consolidating presidential authority further. In June this year, the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, which has been helping to stabilize the electoral process in the Comoros, called for "the broadest possible consensus" on institutional changes across the Archipelago. On Sunday, the UN chief urged the Government of the Comoros "political parties and all other relevant stakeholders to do their utmost to respect the rule of law and human rights" and said he was "echoing the recent decision of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government" with is call on "Comorian stakeholders to engage in a dialogue to ensure an inclusive consultation on constitutional reforms under the auspices of the African Union." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zimbabwe's Mugabe Denounces Party He Founded Day Before Poll By Anita Powell July 29, 2018 Zimbabwe's former president, Robert Mugabe, lashed out Sunday at the political party he founded, saying he could not vote for the ruling ZANU-PF in Monday's poll. This election is the first in 38 years without Mugabe on the ballot as head of ZANU-PF. Mugabe, now 94, resigned in November under pressure from the military. His longtime deputy, 75-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa, took over and is now running for president. WATCH: Anita Powell's video report "I cannot vote for those who have tormented me," said Mugabe, who invited journalists to his Blue Roof mansions in a wealthy Harare suburb. He spoke, slowly but uninterrupted, for more than two hours, as an aide intervened occasionally to prop up his slumping body with tiger-print cushions. When asked directly who he would choose in Monday's poll, Mugabe demurred. Although 23 candidates registered to run for president, the poll has effectively come down to a two-man contest, with Mnangagwa facing stiff competition from the new head of the largest opposition party, 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa. "I cannot vote for ZANU-PF," Mugabe said. "I cannot vote for those who have cause me to be in this condition." He said ruled out several other candidates: "I have also said, Ma [Joice] Mujuru and Ma [Thokozani] Khupe don't offer very much. So there is Chamisa left." Mugabe both directly and indirectly denounced his party and its new leader, saying, "it was a thorough coup d'Etat" that saw him lose power. He complained of his treatment over the last seven months, saying family members had been harassed and intimidated, and bemoaned that his government pension amounted to $460,000 and two houses. His Chinese-built mansion, identifiable by its pagoda-style blue roof, he said, is falling down. He also bemoaned the state of affairs in Zimbabwe, saying freedoms and rule of law have eroded since his departure. But critics and rights groups have repeatedly and credibly accused Mugabe's regime of human rights abuses, of stifling free speech, and of rigging elections. The U.S. and European nations put Mugabe and his top cronies on sanctions lists over those allegations. Mugabe said he hoped the election would bring a new day for Zimbabwe which is the same thing many candidates, and many voters, are also hoping for. "I have, during all this time, cried for a return, our return to constitutionality, our return to legality, our return to freedom for our people, an environment in which our people would be free" NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ethiopia Invites Investment from Diaspora, and Beyond By Salem Solomon July 29, 2018 In the midst of unprecedented political and social reforms, Ethiopia has a message for its diaspora: The country is open for business. At a dinner Friday for the Ethiopian business community at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted opportunities in Ethiopia and urged the diaspora to come back and invest. Scholars, entrepreneurs and professionals at the gathering greeted Abiy warmly and embraced his call to contribute to their country. But some are looking for additional changes, and others have expressed doubts about whether the stability achieved in the past four months will last. 'Time to get together' Fitsum Arega, Abiy's chief of staff, told VOA that differences have held Ethiopia back for too long, and the moment has come for communication that builds understanding. "It's time for Ethiopians and the diaspora community to get together," Fitsum said. "In the last decade and a half, the economy has been growing very fast. But when it comes to inclusiveness, there are people left out, unable to get jobs," Fitsum added. "And we believe, Prime Minister Abiy believes, this time is an important time in the history of Ethiopia to build on human capital, to build on democracy." Since he assumed office in April, Abiy has spearheaded broad reforms that have touched on internal politics, security, regional affairs and business. He's also brought a message of unity and reconciliation to a country that's long struggled with conflict along ethnic and political lines. The result, with breathtaking speed, has been a rebranded country that appears more inclusive of its citizens and more hospitable to outside investment. Abiy's financial reforms have included moves to privatize state-owned enterprises, including the telecom industry, and initiatives to build public-private partnerships for investors. He's also secured $3 billion in financing from the U.A.E., including a $1 billion cash infusion in the country's central bank. Too much, too soon? Just four months ago, Ethiopia's future was shrouded in uncertainty. Unrest in two of the country's largest regions, and violent crackdowns on protesters, led to a state of emergency and the abrupt resignation of the previous prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn. But conflict continues to affect many Ethiopians, and nearly a million people have been displaced from their homes in the southern part of the country due to ethnic rifts. Lingering discontent and the sudden reversal in the country's trajectory have left some wondering whether the pace of change can be sustained. Others are looking for more strides toward democratization. Yilma Midekssa is an opposition member with the Oromo ethnic group. A trained pilot and lawyer, Yilma sought asylum in the former Soviet Union in the early 1990s and hasn't been back to Ethiopia in 28 years. He'd like to return, but he's also looking for more commitments from the government. "We need some preconditions to go back. It is concerning of safety, it is concerning of how we go back and work with them." For Abiy's government, though, quick action is necessary and builds momentum toward long-lasting stability. "We cannot afford to move at a snail's pace," Fitsum said. "We have to move forward as fast as we could. What [Abiy] has achieved in the last three and half months no other government has achieved it in Africa, maybe in 10 years' time." Intertwined politics For some, investment opportunities can't be separated from political reform both realized and potential. Tura Luco is a member of the Oromo Liberation Front opposition group. He flew from Minnesota to hear Abiy speak in Washington. He said Abiy has provided hope, and he wants to be part of the movement toward inclusive politics. But that means seeing democratically elected leaders at different levels of government, Tura said. "It's all about the freedom," Tura told VOA. "My great grandfathers, my forefathers, my fathers. I'm also fighting for the freedom." Mehabub Abawajy, also a member of the OLF, has lived in the U.S. for 17 years. "Every time an Ethiopian leader came to America," Mehabub told VOA, "we'd go against him. We'd protest. But this time there is engagement." Mehabub underscored Abiy's willingness to listen. But until the government makes core institutions the military, judiciary and election commission separate from politics, Mehabub said he can't return home. "If these conditions are met, and these government institutions are independent of political parties, then we'll go back to our country." Mehabub, a lawyer, managed a multi-million dollar business in South Africa with 70 employees. "I can bring this skill, this experience back home and try to create jobs for a lot of people," he said. Diasporan role Officials hope many will invest in Ethiopia, but they see a special role for the diaspora. "We may tell them: 'This is what we have.' But with their exposure and experience, they may see beyond," Fitsum said. "Their connection to such a huge, important market as the U.S. gives them an export opportunity [and] network opportunities," he added. "There might be bureaucracies here and there. But the government is ready to tackle [them] together. And, I think, the higher the risks, the higher the profit as well." Fitsum emphasized that now is the time to seize opportunities. "At the early stages, the benefits they can secure is so huge because there is a market gap." Video produced by Karina Choudhury and Jill Craig. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Voting, in Mali and Zimbabwe, Tests Elections Organizers By Carol Guensburg July 29, 2018 Malians go to the polls on Sunday to determine whether to grant a second term to President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Zimbabweans will cast votes Monday in the first election since longtime leader Robert Mugabe was forced to resign in November. Whether constituents have confidence in the results of these elections and those in Cameroon in October and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in December depends on whether they perceive the vote as free and fair. Much of that responsibility falls to election organizers. In Mali, that's at least three separate entities. In Zimbabwe, it's the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), a nominally independent body. "The challenge many election bodies have is living up to the expectation of independence and the integrity with which they do their work," said Rushdi Nackerdien, African regional director for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. The foundation, based just outside of Washington, D.C., provides technical support and guidance for democracies. "You've got a lot of cynicism that has crept into citizens' belief about democracy," he added. Numerous countries have seen increasing attacks on core elements of democracies, including "guarantees of free and fair elections," the international watchdog group Freedom House reported early this year. A Gallup poll shows that fewer than half of Zimbabweans (47 percent) "are confident in the honesty of their country's elections." While that's down nine points from two years ago, it is still "the highest rating in any election year in the past decade," Gallup noted in a Twitter post on Friday. Zimbabwe preparations Nackerdien acknowledged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has done some things to shore up confidence, such as allowing international observers including the first European Union team in 16 years and making voter rolls public. But ZEC also has been dogged by controversies, including accusations that it favors the ruling Zanu-PF party and that its ballot paper design unfairly benefits incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The 75-year-old's chief rival, in a field of 22 presidential candidates, is Nelson Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance. Johnnie Carson, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, is part of the joint election observer delegation of the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute. He told VOA's Zimbabwe Service that opposition parties are concerned about "how the tabulations would be handled." U.S. Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican lawmaker, also will be among the observers. The United States has said lifting sanctions imposed on Mugabe and those close to him for allegedly rigging votes and violating human rights would depend in part on whether the southern African country's elections are fair and transparent. More than 5 million Zimbabweans are registered to vote Monday in the general elections and tightening presidential contest. A candidate must get at least 50 percent of all votes to win the presidency, or it will be decided by a runoff on Sept. 8. Fears persist about election-related attacks, which killed dozens in 2008. IFES' Nackerdien said special electoral courts "have been set up that will be looking at aggressive perpetrators of violence." Mali elections In Mali, the West African country's 8 million registered voters can choose Sunday among 24 candidates for president. If no candidate wins a majority, the election will be decided in an Aug. 12 runoff. The country has experienced persistent violence since a 2012 separatist uprising in the north, with terror attacks plaguing the northern and central regions. Voters needn't be fearful, according to the government's Ministry of Territorial Administration, one of several entities in charge of the election. Souleymane Amadou Sangare, its director general, told VOA this week that the government "will assume its responsibility when it comes to security." The IFES' Nackerdien cited a challenge in "holding elections in such an insecure environment," noting that "in some parts of the Malian countryside ... you don't even have precinct administrators who are looking into preparations." Corruption also is an issue in Mali elections, prospective voters told VOA's Bambara Service earlier this week. In the capital city of Bamako, a woman said she was paid the equivalent of $3 to attend a campaign rally earlier this week, though she would not disclose for which candidate. "If it is God's will, if somebody give me money, I vote for him," she said, asking that her name be withheld. "We don't trust politicians. They only come see us when we need us. ... That's why we ask them to give us something. " Nackerdien said the government's involvement in the election fosters "some distrust" among citizens. To improve the public trust and election coordination, "there's a big need to look post election at reforms to organize into a single entity." He encouraged more transparency especially in political climates that "have become so adversarial and polarized. "We need electoral management bodies not only to stick to their technical work but to engage more with the public," Nackerdien said. ".... They need to be letting voters know what they are doing, that their votes are not going to be stolen." In Zimbabwe, the ZEC said it is monitoring media "to ensure balanced coverage. ...." But an officer with the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe representing an assortment of journalists and educators complained in May of "threats against media freedom, which pose a chilling effect on citizens' right to free expression and access to information. ..." Nickerdien called for "more independent and professional media reporting...We need to know that they'll referee." With organizers, he added, "the big question" is how they're going to stand up to scrutiny in the "heat and pressure of the actual election." VOA's Bambara and Zimbabwe services contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian hackers focusing on US power grid more than electoral systems: Sources Iran Press TV Sat Jul 28, 2018 08:21PM US intelligence officials say Russian hackers are shifting their focus on the country's power grid rather than its electoral systems, a report says. According to a New York Times report on Saturday, the hackers are "state-sponsored." Moscow has already dismissed allegations of meddling in the 2016 election, which yielded President Donald Trump. Citing "intelligence officials and executives of the companies that oversee the world's computer networks," the American newspaper said the hackers have boosted efforts to implant malware in the electrical grid. Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the Russian military intelligence agency had infiltrated the control rooms of power plants across the US. The report follows allegations of Russian efforts to infiltrate the online accounts of two Senate Democrats up for re-election. Trump, who is under investigation for alleged collusion with the Kremlin, "has made it clear that his administration will not tolerate foreign interference in our elections from any nation state to other malicious actors," according to a White House statement. Twelve Russian military officers were accused of American election interference earlier this month. Ever since Trump was inaugurated in January 2017, the US intelligence community has overwhelmingly maintained that Moscow sought to meddle in the 2016 election. Russia has denied meddling in the election as well as being in possession of any damaging information on the US president. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Threatens Government Shutdown Over Border Wall Funding By Ken Bredemeier July 29, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Sunday to shut down the government if Congress does not fund construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to thwart illegal immigration. The U.S. leader claimed opposition Democrats need to give him "the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!" and other tougher national immigration policy changes. But it was a splintered Republican majority bloc of lawmakers, along with unified Democratic opposition, that twice in recent weeks rejected immigration changes Trump supported. Trump, in a Twitter comment, called for the U.S. to "finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country! Trump's call for a wall, a favorite vow from his 2016 presidential campaign, would likely cost more than $20 billion, but Congress so far has allocated only $1.5 billion for extra border security. Democrats have often assailed the wall proposal, along with some Republicans. Trump, meanwhile. has long claimed Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican leaders have adamantly said they would not, leaving the U.S. president to plead with Congress to fund it. Trump's threatened government shutdown would come as spending authorization runs out again at the end of the current fiscal year at the end of September, about five weeks before nationwide congressional elections on November 6. U.S. lawmakers usually, but not always, reach a spending accord shortly before funding runs out or after a short funding hiatus, as occurred last year. As he continued to lobby for a border wall, Trump issued a new warning to migrants looking to illegally cross the Mexican border into the United States, saying they would face "consequences" even if they are accompanied by children. He said that many of the border crossers "are just using children for their own sinister purposes." "Congress must act on fixing the DUMBEST & WORST immigration laws anywhere in the world!" Trump said. After the recent defeat of immigration legislation, there is no current active move to change U.S. immigration policies and one of the two chambers of Congress, the House of Representatives, just left Washington for a five-week summer recess. Trump contended that "Democrats, who want Open Borders and care little about Crime, are incompetent, but they have the Fake News Media almost totally on their side!" Trump's latest attacks against U.S. immigrants entering the U.S. illegally most of them from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras comes as his administration continues to deal with the fallout of his "zero tolerance" policy of weeks ago in which more than 2,500 children were separated from their parents as they crossed into the United States. A month ago, Trump ended the breakup of families. Under a court order, the U.S. government reunited by last Thursday more than 1,800 children with their parents, other family members already in the U.S. or sponsor households. But more than 700 more are awaiting reunification or can't, for one reason or another, be reunified. A total of 431 parents were deported without their children or left of their own accord. Nearly 100 children have parents who can't be located. Dana Sabraw, a U.S. judge in San Diego, California, who is overseeing the reunification of families, said the government deserves "great credit" for the reunification of the 1,800 children with their parents or other family members. But he also said "the government is at fault for losing several hundred parents in the process and that's where we go next." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Official's Testimony Sheds New Light On Chinese 'Reeducation Camps' For Muslims Ron Synovitz, Asylkhan Mamashuly, Nurtai Lakhanuly July 29, 2018 ZHARKENT, Kazakhstan -- The trial of an ethnic-Kazakh Chinese citizen accused of illegally entering Kazakhstan has taken on implications far beyond whether she will be reunited with her family near Almaty or deported back to China. That's because 41-year-old Sayragul Sauytbay has testified about the existence of a network of "reeducation camps" in western China where she says thousands of ethnic Kazakhs are incarcerated for "political indoctrination." Unlike others who've fled abroad, saying they'd been forced to endure dehumanizing indoctrination at such camps, Sauytbay was not a camp detainee. She was a camp employee. Before crossing into Kazakhstan on April 5, Sauytbay had been the head administrator of a kindergarten -- a position that, together with her membership of the Communist Party, technically made her a Chinese state official. She says Chinese authorities had forced her to train "political ideology" instructors for reeducation camps in western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. That, she says, gave her access to secret documents about China's state program to "reeducate" Muslims from indigenous minority communities across western China -- mainly Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, ethnic Kyrgyz, and Hui. She says she also witnessed the inner workings of the program while employed at a camp for ethnic Kazakhs in the region's Mongol-Kuro District. Insider's View "In China, they call it a 'political camp.' Officially, this is a training center where people study Chinese ideology. But inreality, it's a prison in the mountains," Sauytbay told the Panfilov District Court in eastern Kazakhstan, which will decide whether she is sent back to China. "They took me there to work at one camp in 2018," Sauytbay testified to the court in the border town of Zharkent on July 13. "It was a political camp for ethnic Kazakhs. There were only ethnic Kazakhs while I was there. " "I was told there were two other camps like this [for ethnic Kazakhs] in the area," she said. "There were 2,500 people where I was. And I know that in the region there are other camps" with Muslims from other minority communities. "The fact that I've arrived in Kazakhstan and am talking in court about the camps, the number of people there, and their ethnicities is considered a disclosure of state secrets" in China, she told the Kazakh court -- adding that she expects "the most extreme" punishment if she is deported there. Sauytbay also testified that ethnic Kazakhs are sentenced to death in western China on mere suspicion of a crime -- noting the execution of one ethnic Kazakh woman for the "illegal transfer of information to Kazakhstan" after she'd sent video of a flag-raising ceremony in China to her relatives in Kazakhstan. Two Chinese diplomats attending Sauytbay's trial refused to answer RFE/RL's questions about the case or respond to her testimony. Chinese officials deny the existence of "reeducation camps." But authorities in Beijing do say they are fighting against "three forces" within western China's minority Muslim communities separatism, Islamic extremism, and terrorism. Growing Evidence Laura Stone, the U.S. acting deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said in April that at least "tens of thousands" of people have been detained in western China and sent to the "reeducation" centers. Independent human rights groups have estimated that more than 1 million detainees are in or have passed through reeducation camps in the region. Most are thought to be from China's indigenous minority Muslim communities. A study in May by Adrian Zenz at the Germany-based European School of Culture and Theology found online advertisements by the Chinese government seeking contractors to build or upgrade facilities across Xinjiang that would fit with the reeducation campaign. Zenz's study concluded that China has spent well over $100 million to build new camps in the traditionally Muslim region since 2016, when a new regional party chief arrived from Tibet and expanded a decades-old crackdown on Uyghurs into draconian controls against all of Xinjing's minority Muslim communities. Meanwhile, the rights group China Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) said in a study this week that Chinese government data shows that nearly 228,000 people were arrested on criminal charges in 2017 in Xinjiang under the new restrictions on religion. The CHRD notes that China's legal system has a conviction rate of over 99.9 percent, which guarantees that almost all indictments end in a conviction. Radio Free Asia has reported on the incarceration of Xinjiang's ethnic Kazakhs at reeducation centers since 2017, as well as Kazakh citizens. "The authorities force the detainees to accept this so-called education, which is political indoctrination," Human Rights Watch China research Maya Wang told Radio Free Asia. "They are forced to study Chinese characters, and anyone who challenges this arbitrary detention is punished, some physically, some by being locked up in isolation with no food or water," Wang said. Precedent Setting The ruling expected by the Kazakh court after final arguments scheduled for August 1 will acknowledge how much credence Kazakh authorities are willing to officially give to growing evidence of the camps. Sauytbay's treatment also will set a precedent on whether Kazakhstan will comply with Beijing's demands to return ethnic Kazakh Chinese citizens, or whether Astana is prepared to challenge its giant neighbor in order to protect ethnic Kazakhs who flee China. So far, Astana's official response to complaints and the camps has appeared tepid, at best, with the Foreign Ministry saying in May that it had urgently requested "an objective and fair review of affairs and the release of those ethnic Kazakhs detained in China who have dual citizenship." Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said on May 29 that he had information about some 170 ethnic Kazakhs "experiencing difficulties" in China, including 12 who had become citizens of Kazakhstan under Astana's fast-track citizenship program for ethnic Kazakhs from other countries. Sauytbay's husband, Uali Islam, and their two children became Kazakh citizens under that program in 2017 after fleeing China the previous year when authorities expanded their crackdown on Muslim minorities. Sauytbay's lawer, Abzal Kuspan, noted that she was detained by agents from Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) only after a warrant had been issued for her arrest by China. Kuspan told RFE/RL after a July 23 hearing that the prosecutor did not reply to his request for a deal under which Sautybay would accept punishment under Kazakh law -- up to one year in prison and a fine of $6,000 -- as long as she is not deported. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has also not responded to a letter from Sautbay's husband requesting that he grant her political asylum. Kuspan says that bodes ill for her future -- particularly since Sautybay is a citizen of China, and not Kazakhstan. But he said he is satisfied the judge in the case is considering the legal arguments of the defense and the trial is being conducted in accordance with the rule of law. "We are not saying that she has not committed a crime by violating state borders using false documents," Kuspan said. "We have admitted that to the court and we are prepared to accept punishment. What we are saying is 'Don't give her back to China.' If they do send her back, she will simply disappear." Kuspan also noted that Kazakhstan has signed international agreements on the protection of political rights and the prevention of torture that could keep her in Kazakhstan. "The death penalty is all that awaits her if she returns," he told RFE/RL. "In such a case, you absolutely cannot hand her over to a government on territory where what awaits her is death. These international agreements rank above our legal code and our national laws." Sauytbay told the court that she couldn't travel to Kazakhstan with her family in 2016 because, as a state official of ethnic Kazakh descent, her passport had been confiscated to prevent her from fleeing. She says her troubles in China began after authorities there learned her family had obtained Kazakh citizenship. She said that made it necessary for her to cross into Kazakhstan with falsified documents. "The Chinese police oppressed me, warning me: 'You won't go to Kazakhstan. Your husband and children need to renounce their Kazakh citizenship and come here. Otherwise, you'll be judged in court and sent to a camp.' But if they had returned, they would have gone to prison," Sauytbay said. Written in Prague by Ron Synovitz with additional reporting by RFE/RL Kazakh Service correspondents Asylkhan Mamashuly in Zharkent and Nurtay Lakhan in Almaty. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-officials-testimony- chinese-reeducation-camps-muslims/29396709.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran attends Caspian Sea preliminary exercises IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Baku, July 29, IRNA -- The Caspian Sea preliminary exercises were held Sunday with the attendance of Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea. The mentioned teams exercised destroying mines and artillery. They also exercised docking of navy fleet. The Caspian Sea competitions will be held with the attendance of Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan on July 31. Shooting surface and air targets, mine destruction, damage control and rescue at sea is one of the disciplines for the rivals. 9376**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US addicted to sanctions: Iran's FM IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 29, IRNA -- US is a sanctions addict and it has imposed sanctions on an array of nations more than any other countries in the world, Iran's Foreign Minister said Sunday. 'The record of US foreign relations shows that at any point in the history the most sanctions on the highest number of countries have been imposed by the United Sates,' Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a joint meeting with Iranian ambassadors and heads of missions as well as business persons. Washington has imposed series of sanctions on Iran on a number of reasons, including the country's nuclear program. US President Donald Trump, after the unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 Iran Deal, has reimposed sanctions against Tehran. Trump has also urged allies to halt oil imports from Iran from November. 'The Americans are sanctions addicts, and the addiction has prevented them, even in Obama terms of office, from complying with their obligations,' Zarif said. They were more concerned with the sanctions they have refused to alleviate, the Iranian foreign minister added. Under the deal, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear deal in exchange for some economic sanctions relief. 9156**2044 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US addicted to sanctions, but Iran can weather them: Zarif Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 10:15AM Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the United States is addicted to sanctions, but the Iranians can pass through the current "critical" stage with national unity. A review of "the history of US foreign relations shows that this country has imposed the most sanctions on the majority of countries," Zarif said in Tehran on Sunday. The minister was addressing the first joint conference of representatives of the private sector and Iranian ambassadors as well as heads of Iran's diplomatic missions abroad. "God willing, we can improve the situation day by day as the world stands with us and we should use this opportunity. Today, all branches of the government are united to pass through this critical stage," he added. Zarif said, "We can turn pressures into an increase in national production and non-oil exports and show the Americans that they should abandon" this approach. "We believe the world has come to the conclusion that the United States needs to quit its addiction to sanctions." President Donald Trump has stepped up his hostile rhetoric against Iran. Just last week, he threatened the country last week with what "few throughout history have suffered before." Zarif said, "The US president and his predecessors have sanctioned us for some 40 years, but with God's grace and the Iranian people's efforts, we have made progress, achieved dignity day by day and endured difficulties." "We need to believe that we can pass through this stage as well and show the world that the Iranian people are bigger than those who sanction them," he added. PressTV-Iran will never bow to enemies' demands: Defense chief The Iranian defense minister says the Islamic Republic will never bow to enemies' excessive demands even one iota. In an interview with Press TV on Sunday, political expert and founder of transnational.org, Jan Oberg, reaffirmed Zarif's remark that the United States has become addicted to imposing sanctions on countries. "There is nothing new in this; it is just an example of a grumpy country that no longer uses diplomacy but uses all kinds of pressures, penalties, punishments [and] arrogance to achieve its goals," he said. Oberg emphasized that Washington's policies were self-defeating, stressing that the best way for the United States was to strike a deal with Iran. On May 8, Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal with Iran despite objections from Europe as well as Russia and China the other parties to the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The withdrawal entails the re-imposition of not only sanctions on Iran but also the so-called secondary sanctions on third countries. Some of those sanctions will take effect after a 90-day wind-down period ending on August 6, and the rest after a 180-day wind-down period ending on November 4. Most recently, the Trump White House has announced that it seeks to bring Iran's oil sales down to "zero." The measures would collectively cause difficulties for companies doing business with Iran. Nevertheless, Europe, Russia and China have decided to explore ways to maintain the JCPOA and trade with Iran. Zarif said in the face of the US "bullying," the Europeans and economic activists should decide whether they want to preserve European interests or Trump's interests. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Will Retaliate in Kind if Its Interests Are Threatened - General Sputnik News 13:03 29.07.2018 The United States is ramping up pressure on countries around the world to stop doing business with Iran as it prepares to impose tough new sanctions on Tehran in November. Iran will respond adequately to any attempts by any country to harm it, the Deputy Commander for Political Affairs of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Yadollah Javani said in an interview with Tasnim News Agency. "If some seek to endanger the Islamic Republic of Iran's interests, Iran will also endanger their interests with its capabilities," the general warned. He added that if the Americans seek to continue with their bullying attempts, the Iranian "armed forces will use their own capabilities and potential to safeguard the Iranian nation's interests." When asked about US threats to stop Iran's oil exports, General Javani emphasized that the Islamic Republic would make "credible" reciprocal threats. "When a country threatens Iran and raises this issue that it can block Iran's oil exports if it wants to, Iran's reciprocal threat would be a credible threat," the general noted, adding that Iran's geopolitical position made it indispensable in ensuring the security of regional waterways. He reiterated that the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are secure for the transfer of oil and energy. Iran's military chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Baqeri earlier said that the country's armed forces would give a "crushing response to any threat at any level" against the Islamic Republic. Late last month, a senior US State Department official said that countries buying Iranian oil should bring their Iranian crude imports down to zero by the time Washington re-imposes sanctions on Tehran on November 4. On July 3, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani lashed out at Washington's threat choker off Iran's oil exports, saying the US would never be able to carry out such a threat. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Should Abandon its 'Addiction' to Imposing Sanctions - Zarif Sputnik News 12:52 29.07.2018(updated 14:02 29.07.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that the United States became used to imposing sanctions against other countries, adding that Tehran would make Washington give up its "addiction." "We have enough power to show the United States that it should abandon this addiction. We believe that the world has come to the conclusion that the United States should overcome its dependence on sanctions," Zarif was quoted as saying by Iran's ISNA news agency. The Iranian foreign minister stressed that it was high time the European Union acted in the interests of its member-states and stopped blindly following the policy of US President Donald Trump. "Of course, I do not think that we can provoke a conflict between the United States and Europe. However, there is a gap between them, which we have to use, there is no need for us to sever their ties," Zarif indicated. In late June, the US State Department said that Washington was seeking to persuade its allies to completely abandon imports of Iranian oil by early November, while US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin stressed that the United States was ready to impose sanctions against any country, including China and Russia, that continues importing oil from Iran despite the US restrictions. The US sanctions against Iran's oil fields are expected to come into effect on November 4. In May, Trump announced that his country would exit the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, stipulating the gradual lifting of anti-Iran sanctions in exchange for Tehran maintaining the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. In addition, Trump decided to reinstate the sanctions previously lifted on Iran. The unilateral move has been opposed by other signatories to the agreement, who remained committed to the deal. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Over dozen Daesh remnants slain in Iraqi army airstrikes, ground operations Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 04:18PM More than a dozen members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have been killed and several others captured as Iraqi air forces and government troops launched separate counter-terrorism operations across the crisis-hit Arab country to flush out the last remnants of the extremist outfit. The second-in-command of Diyala Operations, Lieutenant General Hassan Mohammed, told Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network that nine Daesh Takfiris were killed when Iraqi military aircraft targeted a militant hideout in Hamrin basin, situated 90 kilometers north of Baquba. Separately, Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman, Brigadier General Saad Maan, announced in a statement that the 7th Police Emergency Regiment of the Nineveh Police Command arrested 8 Daesh terrorists, whom were wanted under Article 4/1 of the Anti-Terrorism Law, in the eastern part of the strategic northern city of Mosul on Sunday. Elsewhere in the holy city of Samarra, Iraqi troops killed four Daesh terrorists, including three bombers, during an operation to beef up security. "Iraqi army fighter jets struck a vehicle belonging to Daesh terrorist as soon as it arrived in Sa'ad al-Khuzeimi region west of Rutba. The airstrike killed a militant and injured three of his comrades. The slain terrorist has been identified as Khalaf al-Alwani," Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool said. On Saturday, members of the Iraqi Federal Police killed two Daesh militant commanders, one of them a Chechen national, during a clean-up operation in the oil-rich northern province of Kirkuk. The media bureau of Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement that the two were killed in Dabba village, adding that security forces also set two militant hideouts on fire and captured ten Takfiri militants. On June 30, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, pledged to hunt down Daesh militants across Iraq after recent attacks and abductions carried out by the terrorist group. "We will chase the remaining cells of terrorism in their hideouts and we will kill them, we will chase them everywhere, in the mountains and the desert," Abadi said. Abadi declared the end of military operations against Daesh in the Arab country on December 9, 2017. On July 10 that year, the Iraqi prime minister had formally declared victory over Daesh extremists in Mosul, which served as the terrorists' main urban stronghold in the conflict-ridden Arab country. In the run-up to Mosul's liberation, Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters had made sweeping gains against Daesh. The Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January 2017 after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19 last year. Daesh began a terror campaign in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi PM sacks electricity minister, 5 election officials Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 07:34AM minister of electricity and five election officials following weeks of protests against corruption and chronic power outages. Abadi sacked Qassem al-Fahdawi on Sunday "because of the deterioration in the electricity sector," a statement from the prime minister's office said. The decision came a day after the premier fired five election officials at the suggestion of a committee set up to examine alleged voter irregularities in the May parliamentary elections. He took the move following top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's call on the government to tackle corruption and poor basic services. A judiciary official said the election officials will be put on trial on charge of fraud, including vote buying. The suspects were the heads of election offices in Salaheddin, Kirkuk and Anbar provinces as well as those who oversaw the voting in neighboring Jordan and Turkey. All five have been sacked "and will appear before the courts" in connection with allegations of fraud, Judge Laith Hamza was quoted as saying. The decision to put them on trial was made following recommendations by a ministerial committee, which issued a 28-page report after reviewing a series of complaints. Hamza said the committee recommended that the five suspects be tried after coming across election "violations, fraud and corruption" in the districts which they headed. Since June, Iraq has been manually recounting the ballots as ordered by the parliament. Opposition politicians behind the fraud claims say that the electronic system used for the first time in the May 12 polls was susceptible to abuse. Senior cleric Muqtada al-Sadr won a majority in the polls at the head of his political bloc. Iraqi politicians have been trying to form a cabinet since the elections. On Friday, Ayatollah Sistani called for the new government to be sworn in faster as he urged government action to fight corruption. "The current government must work hard urgently to implement citizens' demands and reduce their suffering and misery," the top cleric's representative said in the holy city of Karbala. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan Intercepts Chinese Surveillance Plane Over East China Sea - Reports Sputnik News 13:50 29.07.2018 Relations between Japan and China have long been strained over wartime history and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. On Friday, Japan's Self-Defense Forces (JASDF) scrambled fighter jets to intercept a Chinese electronic warfare and surveillance aircraft over the Sea of Japan, the South China Morning Post reported. According to a statement issued by the Japanese Defense Ministry, the fighter jets went after a Chinese Y-9 plane which had come from the East China Sea and flew near Socotra Rock, known as Suyan Rock in China, before returning along its original route to the East China Sea without straying into Japanese airspace. Japan's military authorities have provided no details about how long the Chinese aircraft had stayed in the area or whether it had come into any direct contact with Japanese interceptors. This is the second time that a Chinese surveillance aircraft has been intercepted by Japanese air defenses. The previous intercept of a Y-9 plane was in June, when an aircraft flew across international airspace between the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako in the East China Sea. In 2016, the JASDF doubled the number of fighter jets dispatched for each intercept of foreign military aircraft approaching Japanese airspace from two to four. The incident came just hours after South Korean F-15 fighters were similarly scrambled to warn off a Chinese warplane which had entered the country's air defense territory on Friday, spending more than four hours there after flying near a submerged rock in an area controlled by Seoul but claimed by Beijing, the newspaper wrote. Friday's incident came as Beijing and Tokyo have been mending bilateral ties long strained over their wartime history and territorial disputes over East China Sea islets known as the Senkakus in Japan and Diaoyus in China. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Khan's Party Claims To Have Enough Support To Form Pakistan Coalition Government RFE/RL July 29, 2018 Pakistan opposition leader Imran Khan's party claims it has enough support from lawmakers to form a coalition government after taking the highest number of seats in the July 25 election but falling short of a majority. "People have voted us into power, and God willing, we will form a government," Fawad Chaudhry, the spokesman for Khan's Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) party told the Associated Press on July 28. Chaudhry declined to reveal the exact number of commitments, saying details will be provided when the National Assembly meets next week to swear in elected lawmakers. Pakistan's elections commission on July 28 released final results of the vote, giving Khan's party 115 of the 269 contested seats. The closest finisher was the current ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, with 64 seats. Former President Asif Ali Zardari's left-of-center of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured 43 seats. The elections were marred by delayed vote counting and violence as well as allegations of rigging by Khan's rivals. A group of Pakistani political parties on July 27 rejected the results and announced a protest demanding new elections. Pakistani election officials denied there was widespread fraud. Results 'Credible' Says Monitor Michael Gahler, the leader of a European Union team that monitored the balloting, said, "Overall, the election results are credible." But the monitors criticized the campaign, saying it was marred by intimidation of some candidates, an effort to undermine the former ruling party, and media self-censorship. Khan has criticized Pakistani liberals and embraced conservative Islam as a politician, promising a "new Pakistan" with an Islamic welfare state and an Islamic justice system. A populist who ran on an anticorruption campaign, he has allied himself with extremist religious groups with ties to militancy. He has characterized his campaign as a battle against a political elite -- dominated by long-established parties like the PML-N and PPP -- that he accuses of hindering economic development in the impoverished country of 201 million people. Khan is widely believed to be backed by the army, which fell out with Nawaz Sharif, who looked to curb the military's traditional dominance in politics. Olive Branch Khan has offered an olive branch to arch-rival India, saying the two nuclear-armed nations should resolve a longstanding dispute over the Himalayan region of Kashmir. In a statement on July 28, India's Foreign Ministry said it hoped Pakistan's new government would make clear efforts to end militant violence in the region. "We hope that the new government of Pakistan will work constructively to build a safe, stable, secure, and developed South Asia free of terror and violence," the ministry said in a statement on July 28. New Delhi frequently accuses Islamabad of arming, training, and sending fighters across the Line of Control to launch attacks on its soldiers in Kashmir, which is claimed by both and split between the two. "India desires a prosperous and progressive Pakistan at peace with its neighbors," the Indian statement said. Khan has been an outspoken critic of the U.S.-led war in neighboring Afghanistan and of U.S. drone strikes against militants in Pakistan, but he has vowed that his government will do "its best to bring peace in Afghanistan." Kabul and Washington accuse Islamabad of providing safe havens for militant groups like the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network that are fighting Afghan and U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Analysts doubt Khan can radically change Pakistan's foreign policy, which is shaped by the military, which has ruled for approximately half the period since the country's independence in 1947, staging coups three times. With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Maashal, Reuters, AP, AFP, and Dawn Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan- khan-party-claims-support-for-coalition -government/29396366.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Defense Industry Reveals Time Frame for Delivery of New Strategic Arms Sputnik News 17:39 28.07.2018(updated 17:50 28.07.2018) Earlier this year, the Russian president announced that Russia was well underway in upgrading its strategic defenses amid NATO's increasing deployments by Russia's borders, US efforts to build a missile defense shield in Europe, and Washington's plans spend over a trillion dollars to modernize the country's nuclear arsenal. The deputy prime minister in charge of the defense and space industry, Yuri Borisov, has confirmed that Russia is on track to deliver new strategic weapons systems revealed by President Putin during a speech to lawmakers in March within the agreed time frame. "High-precision weapons, serious information systems, [and] innovations in the field of strategic weapons" are all on track to being delivered under the state armaments program for the years 2018-2027," Borisov said, speaking to Russian media during a working meeting in Krasnoyarsk. The official stressed that Krasnoyarsk's enterprises were specifically engaged in the development of new strategic weapons systems. Borisov also noted that his responsibilities include a special focus on the diversification of the defense industry to include more civilian production. "In 2017, civilian products manufactured at defense enterprises amounted to 17.2 percent of the total," he said. Earlier, President Putin set the defense industry the goal of increasing the share of civilian products in the defense industry portfolio to 30 percent by 2025, and 50 percent by 2030. Earlier this month, the deputy prime minister listed half a dozen new Russian weapons systems already deployed or in the final stages of development, which he said were superior to existing and prospective foreign analogues. These, he said, include the Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, the T-14 main battle tank, built on the Armata platform, the Su-57 fifth-gen stealth fighter, the S-500 air defense system, the Nudol anti-ballistic missile defense system, and the Tirada-2S satellite jamming system. All these systems are expected to begin seeing large-scale deliveries to the military by 2027. Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry released videos of the testing and/or deployment of six new Russian weapons systems, including the Sarmat, the Poseidon nuclear torpedo, the Burevestnik nuclear cruise missile, the Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic missile, the Avangard hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, and the Peresvet laser system. Russia is expected to complete the rearmament of its strategic forces by the mid-to-late 2020s, deploying new ICBMs and associated defense systems, sub-launched missiles and their submarine carriers, and new or upgraded air-launched strategic cruise missiles and their associated aircraft. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin: Russia's Navy Successfully Ensures Country's Defense Capability Sputnik News 10:45 29.07.2018(updated 12:34 29.07.2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin noted on Sunday in his Navy Day congratulation to mariners the role of the Russian Navy in ensuring the country's defense capabilities and strategic parity in the world. Putin is reviewing on Sunday the Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg. Over 4,000 mariners of the Baltic, Northern and Black Sea fleets and the Caspian Flotilla, more than 40 vessels and boats of various classes along with naval aviation are taking part in the parade. "The Russian Navy successfully addresses the issues relating to the country's defense capability, makes considerable contribution to the fight against international terrorism and plays an important role in ensuring the strategic parity," Putin stressed. According to the Kremlin, over 4,000 mariners of the Baltic, Northern and Black Sea fleets and the Caspian Flotilla, more than 40 vessels and boats of various classes along with naval aviation will be involved in the parade. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran: Syria prioritizing return of refugees IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 28, IRNA -- Senior assistant to Iran's Foreign Minister for political affairs said paving the way for return of refugees, setting up reform committee of the Constitution and activation of committee to exchange arrested and missing people are priorities of Syria. He made the remarks in farewell meeting with French Ambassador to Iran Francois Senemaud at the end of his tenure in Tehran. He said that Iran from beginning of the Syrian crisis believed that it had no military solution and underlined that confrontation against terrorists. Senemaud had been appointed as French president's special Envoy for Syrian affairs and held talks with senior assistant of Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari here in the venue of Foreign Ministry building. In the meeting, Ansari extended congratulation to Senemaud on his appointment and pointed to potential capacities in relations between Iran and France in different fields and expressed Iran's readiness to increase consultations and mutual cooperation in the fields of ending regional crises, especially Syrian crisis. Senemaud said Iran is a big and powerful country in the region and plays important role in restoring stability to Syria and finding political solution process to the crisis. He expressed France's support for trilateral priorities, and expressed his country's readiness for cooperation with Iran in finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis. 1391**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Armed groups handing over weapons in Quneitra IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 28, IRNA -- Armed groups positioned in Jubata al-Khashab in Quneitra Countryside have handed over new batches of heavy and medium weapons to the Syrian Arab Army according to the agreement reached earlier, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. Over the past 48 hours, an army unit received from the armed groups a tank, a rocket launcher, two armored vehicles, three SUVs vehicles with 14.5 mm machine guns, a silica, a 122 mm cannon, tank and mortar shells, homemade rocket shells and two 14.5 mm machineguns in addition to various ammunition, according to SANA. Jubata al-Khashab town and its forests in Quneitra northern countryside posed a den for the terrorist organizations, especially Jabhat al-Nusra which receives various types of weapons and advanced equipment from the Israeli enemy. On July 19, an agreement was reached in Quneitra which stipulates for the evacuation of terrorists who reject the settlement to Idleb, the settlement of status of those who wish to remain and the return of the Syrian Arab Army to its pre-2011 positions. 9376**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Militants hand over medium, heavy weapons in southwestern Syria Iran Press TV Sat Jul 28, 2018 03:01PM Foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants have handed over a considerable amount of their medium and heavy munitions to government forces in Syria's strategic southwestern province of Quneitra as army troops continue to make territorial gains and inflict stinging blows on the extremists. Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Syria's official news agency SANA that Syrian army forces had received a battle tank, a rocket launcher, two armored vehicles, three sport utility vehicles equipped with 14.5mm machine guns, a ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" Soviet-built anti-aircraft weapon system, a 122mm cannon, tank shells and mortars of various calibers from extremists in Jubata al-Khashab town. 'Syrian army preparing operation to liberate Idlib' Meanwhile, an unnamed Syrian military source has told the Arabic service of Russia's Sputnik news agency that government forces are dispatching military equipment and personnel to the borders of the country's militant-controlled northwestern province of Idlib, and are preparing for a large-scale operation to clear the area of terrorists. "Military units are being deployed north of Hama province. The next stage will be to launch an offensive on the position of the so-called Jaysh al-Izza (the Army of Glory) terrorists in the villages of Kafr Zita, al-Lataminah, Latmin, Zakat Arbaen, al-Lahaya and Maarkabah," the source said. The source added, "The army is receiving information that militants in the northern part of the country are preparing to launch a broad offensive on the positions of the Syrian army. All necessary measures have been taken to strengthen our positions, which will enable the army to thwart possible assaults." A great proportion of Idlib province is currently under the control of foreign-backed Takfiri militant groups. The territory has witnessed cases of bitter clashes between members of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, and al-Qaeda-linked Ahrar al-Sham militants in recent months. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country. On May 21, the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces announced in a statement that complete security was restored to Damascus and its countryside after al-Hajar al-Aswad district and al-Yarmouk camp were totally purged of Daesh terrorists. The development was preceded by flushing the Takfiris out of the towns of Yalda, Babbila and Beit Sahem on the southern outskirts of Damascus. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kurds reach deal with Damascus to end Syria conflict Iran Press TV Sat Jul 28, 2018 10:23AM An alliance of Kurdish and Arab militants in Syria says it has come to an agreement with the Syrian government to develop negotiations to end violence in Syria. The announcement was made after the so-called Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), sent a delegation to Damascus for talks with Syrian officials earlier this week. The SDF, itself, is a US-backed coalition of mainly Kurdish militants. The SDC said in a statement Saturday that it had agreed with the government of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to form committees that would "chart a roadmap to a democratic, decentralized Syria." The SDC delegation visited Damascus for the first time after President Assad said that he was "opening doors" for negotiations with Syrian Kurds that he said had "apparently become wary" of their unpredictable ally - the United States. The Kurds then expressed readiness to hand over control of the Eastern Euphrates to the government after Washington withheld its support for the Kurdish militants in the northern Syrian cities of Manbij and Afrin. The SDC's co-chair Riad Darar said on Friday the talks with Damascus were aimed at "working towards a settlement for northern Syria," as it was time to "solve our problems ourselves." The group, which is being supported by Washington, has already managed to form an autonomous administration in northern Syria during the country's seven-year conflict. Washington's conflicting plans in Syria, however, have now prompted the Kurdish militants to turn to the government in Damascus. Their presence in the area near the Turkish border has been a source of tension between the US and Turkey. Ankara, which considers the Syrian Kurdish militants as an extension of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists, has even threatened to "destroy all terror nests," near the Syrian border. It has vowed not to allow Kurdish groups to dominate Turkish border with Syria. Refugees gather in Shebaa for return to Syria On Saturday, hundreds of Syrian refugees residing in Hasbaya's Shebaa and western Bekaa gathered in a schoolyard in Shebaa, waiting for buses departing to Syria, provided by the Syrian government. The state-run National News Agency estimated that nearly 900 refugees assembled at Shebaa High School at 9 a.m., while General Security was present on site checking the names of the departees. The buses are set to stop at the Masnaa border point before crossing into Syria. The group marks the fourth to depart from Lebanon. Several groups had previously departed, particularly from the northeastern town of Arsal in initiatives organized by General Security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Expulsion of all military aggressors from Syria imminent: Diplomat Iran Press TV Sat Jul 28, 2018 05:24AM Syria's acting charge d'affaires to the United Nations says all military aggressors will leave the Arab country soon as the army and its allies gain more ground against foreign-backed terrorists on the battlefield. Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Syria on Friday, Abdullah Hallaq said the army's counter-terrorism operations have successfully reduced the suffering of civilians, including those holed up in militant-besieged areas, and facilitated humanitarian access to those regions. A major anti-terror campaign underway in southern Syria has also demonstrated that certain governments only care about protecting terrorist groups, particularly the so-called "White Helmets," rather than the fate of the displaced in Jordan, he added. The White Helmets, Hallaq said, is an arm of the al-Nusra Front terror outfit, which has fabricated evidence to mislead the international public opinion about chemical weapons attacks in Syria. In the face of advancing government forces in southern Syria earlier this month, Israel evacuated hundreds of White Helmets volunteers and their family members to Jordan for resettlement in the UK, Canada and Germany. The evacuation further proved the much-reported collaboration between Tel Aviv and anti-Damascus militants. "The day when all aggressor military forces leave Syria is not far away," the Syrian diplomat pointed out. He also condemned unilateral economic measures taken by the EU and the US against Syria, saying the sanctions have hindered the process of providing basic services to the Syrian people and improving their humanitarian situation. Hallaq further accused the UN of deliberately ignoring the information provided by the Syrian government regarding the suffering of kids at the hands of terrorists and relying on "questionable information" from militant-affiliated sources in its latest report on the situation of children in the country. The UN, he said, should adopt a "objective, transparent, and neutral" stance on the humanitarian situation in Syria amid "constant efforts to distort facts about the Syrian state's work to provide the needs of its citizens and in light of certain states' support for terrorists and exploitation of the humanitarian situation in Syria to serve their own political agendas." Syrians rejoice at army advance in Quneitra Separately on Friday, the Syrians celebrated the hoisting of their national flag at al-Tahrir Square in the town of Quneitra. Syria's official SANA news agency reported that the Syrian army units had managed to enter the town after eliminating terrorists and dismantling their landmines and explosive devices. During the ceremony, Quneitra residents voiced their support for the army in their battle against terrorism until the liberation of the entire Syrian territory. The Syrian military is trying to wrest control over the strategic southwestern Quneitra Province, which borders Jordan, Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It has also been conducting a major counter-terrorism operation in the nearby Dara'a Province that also borders Jordan and the Golan Heights. Takfiri militants in the two provinces have been handing over their heavy weapons to Syrian government forces and leaving the region in negotiated surrender deals. The full liberation of both Dara'a and Quneitra by Syrian government forces would cut the much-reported collaboration between Israel and anti-Damascus militants operating in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Air Force in Syria Destroys UAV Launched Toward Hmeymim Base Sputnik News 21:03 28.07.2018(updated 01:36 29.07.2018) The Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation has called on the commanders of illegal armed formations to give up provocations and agree to a peaceful settlement of the conflict in areas under their control. "On the 27th of July, the Russian Air Force detected and destroyed a UAV, launched from the territory under the control of illegal armed formations in the north of the province of Latakia heading towards the Russian air base Hmeymim," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a report, adding that the incident has not resulted in damages or casualties. The ministry added that "the air target was destroyed by an anti-aircraft missile system [far from] the air base." Earlier in July, the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation reported about several drones launched from a militant-controlled area heading toward the Hmeymim base. A representative of the Hmeymim air base reported that in June, as well as in May and April, UAVs of unknown origin were detected by Russian airspace control units northeast of the air base. All the UAVs were destroyed. Russian servicemen had been deployed in Syria in the fall of 2015 at the invitation of the Syrian government, which asked for Moscow's assistance in the fight against terrorism. In December 2017, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Daesh* had been defeated in Syria. Following the terror group's destruction, Russian President Putin proclaimed "victory over terrorists" and ordered a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syrian soil. *Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US-Turkey to Conduct Joint Patrols in Syria, Pentagon Head Mattis Says Sputnik News 03:11 28.07.2018 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Turkey will start joint military patrols in Syria in a matter of weeks, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis told reporters on Friday. "I mean, you got to do the training I think that we're talking about weeks," Mattis said. "I don't know how many. Two, four, six, but I don't think we're talking months." Mattis noted there are already Turkish and US patrols on the ground, but they are separate. "It's already happening on opposite sides where the two of the patrols go along, and they get to certain points, they wait for the other one to get there," Mattis said. "If somebody gets there first and then they do recognition signals back and forth and they move onto the next one." Mattis explained all the conditions for establishing joint patrols are being set for them to go forward, and the Turkish and US militaries have put together all the planning while the training equipment has landed at the Incirlik air base in Turkey. "I can't give you a hard and fast timeline, but it'll be good training. Both on the Turkish side and on the Coalition side, we agree that this is necessary to make sure that what we do with these patrols is stabilize the line and not inadvertently rush forward into it and you don't have trained people, so it's going very, very well," Mattis said. On June 18, Turkish and US forces began patrolling in Manbij as part of the implementation of their plan to normalize the situation in the city. Earlier on Friday, the forces completed the tenth round of patrols in the area, according to Anadolu. The Syrian government has repeatedly stated that the presence of Turkish and US forces is a violation of Syrian sovereignty. Neither the United States nor Turkey have obtained a UN Security Council mandate to operate in Syria. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kurdish-backed SDC to Work With Syria to End War By VOA News July 28, 2018 The Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) says after meeting with Syrian government officials that it will work with the government to end seven years of violence in the country. The SDC said Saturday that both sides, after meeting in Damascus, had agreed to work together to plot a "roadmap leading to a democratic and decentralized Syria." This was the SDC's first declared visit to Syria's capital, indicating the interest of Kurdish authorities to open channels of communication with President Bashar al-Assad as the SDC seeks a political accord to preserve their region's autonomy within Syria. The Kurdish authorities, which control about one-quarter of Syria, have avoided conflict with Assad during the seven-year-long war, and at times have fought common foes, including rebels, which government forces gradually are crushing with help from Russia and Iran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Opposition Says Wants to Discuss Constitutional Commission Sputnik News 22:39 29.07.2018 SOCHI (Sputnik) - The delegation of the Syrian opposition wants to discuss the situation in Idlib province, the release of detainees as well as the constitutional commission at the Astana-format talks on Syria in the Russian resort city of Sochi on July 30-31, head of the delegation Ahmad Toma told Sputnik on Sunday. "There will be three main topics: Idlib, release of detainees and constitutional commission," Toma said. Toma added that the return of refugees was a new topic and would also be on the agenda. On detainees, Toma said he believed the creation of a mechanism that would help solve the issue of detainees was possible. The decision to set up the constitutional commission was made at the Syrian congress held in Sochi in late January. The delegation of the Syrian opposition for the talks in Sochi comprises around 10 people and is headed by Toma, official spokesman for the delegation Ayman Asimi said. Sochi is hosting the 10th high-level meeting of the guarantor states on Syria in the so-called Astana format. Toma is the representative of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and the former head of the "interim government" that the coalition proclaimed. The delegation of the Syrian opposition is expected to arrive in Sochi in early hours of Monday. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address AIT reiterates stance on reported posting of U.S. Marines at new compound ROC Central News Agency 2018/07/29 12:29:39 Taipei, July 29 (CNA) The de facto United States embassy in Taiwan reiterated Sunday that the security arrangements at its new office compound in Taipei's Neihu District will be the same as at the current site. "As is the practice at AIT's current location, a small number of American personnel detailed to AIT, along with a larger number of locally hired employees, will provide security for the new office building, in cooperation with local authorities," AIT spokesperson Amanda Mansour told CNA in an email. The AIT official's comments came after the Chinese-language Liberty Times ran a front page story Sunday, saying that the U.S. had informed Taiwan's national security officials that a small contingent of U.S. Marines would be posted at the AIT's new compound in Neihu this September. The report followed a statement last year by an ex-AIT Director Stephen Young that gave similar information. Former AIT Director Kin Moy, who left Taiwan earlier this month, repeatedly told the local media before his departure that there was already a small number of U.S. personnel at the current AIT office on Xinyi Road who were coordinating with Taiwanese security staff and that the situation would continue in Neihu. "We don't make political statements with our security," she said. "What we do is we bring a sufficient number of people to coordinate with local staff to ensure that the people inside our buildings are very safe." The AIT, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties, is currently located in Taipei's Xinyi District and is expected to officially move to its new facility in Neihu this fall. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Combat readiness month' said to resume in 2019 ROC Central News Agency 2018/07/29 21:26:40 Taipei, July 29 (CNA) The military plans to revive a one-month-per-quarter military training program from next year to boost combat readiness nationwide, a source with knowledge of the matter said Sunday. The program was suspended in 1991 because military services and units have their own training programs and missions. However, with the volatile situation in the Taiwan Strait in recent years, the military plans to revive the program to replace the existing one-week-per-month training program, according to the source. The one-month military readiness training program, which is expected to include joint training and exercises conducted by several military units and even all three branches of armed forces, seeks to reinforce military combat training and enhance their combat capability, the source added. With the complicated, multiple missions and different operational models of various military services, it is difficult to implement the extensive program, the source said, adding that the details of the plan are still being discussed. However, the training program will be fleshed out in July-September and a review conducted in December before a clear direction is determined. Meanwhile, according to a United Daily News report, the military has established three special sites for missile tests in Hukou and Guanxi in northern Taiwan and Pingtung in the south and has built bombproof storage facilities for missile launch vehicles. The military has also earmarked confidential expenditure for those facilities. The Ministry of National Defense did not confirm the report. Lu Li-shih (), a former captain of the ROC Navy corvette the Chinchiang, said that with China's growing arsenal of accurate cruise missiles that allow it to threaten key aspects of Taiwan's military operations, moving missile launch vehicles to rural areas is normal. In the face of the military threat posed by China, "mobility" is a priority in the ministry's innovative high-tech and asymmetrical military tactics designed to fend off a potential invasion by Chinese forces, a high-ranking military officer said recently. (By Matt Yu and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey won't step back in face of US sanctions threat: Erdogan Iran Press TV Sun Jul 29, 2018 08:44AM Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has fired back at his US counterpart Donald Trump, who recently threatened Ankara with sanctions unless it freed a jailed American pastor. Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying on Sunday that the country would stand its ground despite Washington's sanctions threat. "You cannot make Turkey take a step back with sanctions," he said. The remarks came three days after Trump threatened to "impose large sanctions on Turkey for their long time detainment of Pastor Andrew Brunson." The US president also described Brunson as an "innocent man of faith" who should be released immediately. The evangelical Christian pastor originally from North Carolina has been held in a Turkish jail for almost two years. He has been accused of having links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulen movement, which Turkey blames for the 2016 failed military coup. The pastor has denied the charges, but faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty. On Wednesday, a Turkish court allowed Brunson to be transferred to house arrest. Elsewhere in his remarks, Erdogan warned that the dispute over the Brunson case could imperil relations between the US and Turkey, two NATO allies. "The US should not forget that it could lose a strong and sincere partner like Turkey if it does not change its attitude," he said. Shortly before Trump's threat, US Vice President Mike Pence urged Turkey to release Brunson "now or be prepared to face the consequences." In response, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, "No one dictates Turkey. We will never tolerate threats from anybody." On Friday, The Washington Post reported a deal between Ankara and Washington to secure the release of Turkish woman Ebru Ozkanon held by Israel in exchange for the freedom of Brunson. Ozkanon, who was detained on charges of passing hundreds of dollars to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, was released recently after a month of detention. Erdogan , however, stressed that Turkey had "never made Pastor Brunson a bargaining chip" and had just asked for Washington's help in securing Ozkanon's freedom. "But we didn't say: 'In return for this, we will give you Brunson'. Nothing like this was discussed," he pointed out. F-35 standoff Additionally, the Turkish president said his country will resort to international arbitration if the US blocks the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara. On Monday, the House and Senate armed services committees agreed a compromise text to a defense spending bill that would bar the F-35 delivery to Turkey until the US government provides an assessment of the Ankara-Washington relations. Ties between the two countries have been seriously on the decline in recent months over a host of issues, including Washington's policy of backing Kurdish militants in Syria. Washington is also concerned about Turkey's intent to install the Russian S-400 air defense system, deemed incompatible with the NATO systems. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Erdogan Warns US Could Lose Partner if Doesn't Change Attitude Toward Turkey Sputnik News 01:43 29.07.2018(updated 02:48 29.07.2018) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Pastor Brunson will not be a part of a prisoner swap deal with the United States despite US President Donald Trump's remarks on sanctions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the United States should not forget that it would lose a strong and sincere partner if it does not change its attitude toward Turkey, announcing that Pastor Brunson will not be a part of a prisoner swap deal with US. Erdogan also said that the remarks by Donald Trump about possible sanctions against Turkey were a "psychological warfare". "I think this is psychological warfare. We will not step back with sanctions. We did not haggle regarding Brunson," Erdogan said, as quoted by Haberturk newspaper. Erdogan also said that Turkey may turn to international arbitration if the United States fails to deliver of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara, noting that there are other options. Previously, an addition to the US defense policy bill for 2019 revealed that the process of transferring the F-35 jets to Turkey that it had already paid for would be temporarily frozen. Turkish authorities put US pastor Andrew Brunson in jail in 2016 over the accusations of ties to the movement of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, referred to as Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) by Ankara and accused of having orchestrated a failed military coup that took place in Turkey in the same year. The pastor was recently released from a Turkish prison and placed under house arrest. Donald Trump said earlier that if Ankara did not free Brunson, Turkey would face sanctions. The US State Department said on Friday that US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Saturday held a phone call earlier this week, in which Pompeo said it was "well past time for this innocent pastor Andrew Brunson" to come home. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey's Erdogan Vows Not to Bow to US Threats By Dorian Jones July 29, 2018 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is vowing not to back down to Washington's demand to release American Pastor Andrew Brunson, who is on trial on terrorism charges. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, threatened "severe sanctions" if Brunson was not released. "We will not take a step back when faced with sanctions, "Turkish state broadcaster TRT on Sunday quoted Erdogan, "They should not forget that they will lose a sincere partner." The Turkish President is currently on a tour of African countries. Erdogan's comment coincides with an escalation of anti-U.S. rhetoric. Five pro-government newspapers Sunday all carried the same headline, "We are not tied from our stomachs (by an umbilical cord) to the U.S." "Turkey, won't take a knee before anybody," said Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. Ankara insists Brunson's detention and trial is a matter for the courts. The American pastor is on trial on charges of supporting conspirators behind the 2016 failed coup attempt and being linked to Kurdish insurgents. Earlier this month a court released Brunson and put him under house arrest after being jailed for nearly two years. However, Washington is demanding the pastor's immediate release, describing the charges as "baseless." The deepening diplomatic dispute between the two NATO allies comes as relations are already straining over a myriad of differences. However, observers say Erdogan's resolute stance against Washington pressure could be a sign of Ankara's diplomatic weakness. "Pastor Brunson himself is not important, but he became an important political asset," said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen who served in Washington. "Maybe with the exception of cooperation with the U.S. in Syria, that [the release of Brunson] is all Turkey can offer to the U.S. However, there are so many files so to speak waiting to be solved and the single asset Ankara has, is Brunson." Ankara is pressing Washington for the extradition of U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed for 2016 failed coup attempt. Gulen denies any role in the coup. Turkey is also lobbying to minimize an expected multi-billion dollar fine by the U.S. Treasury against the Turkish State-owned Halkbank for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. Neither Erdogan nor his ministers have so far directly criticized President Trump over the Brunson case. "Turkey saw Trump as a savior," political analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners said. "Trump has a kinship empathy with strong macho leaders, so he got along with Erdogan despite several policy differences." Analysts suggest Erdogan is likely to see his best chance of resolving Brunson case through direct talks with Trump. "You have to open the way for more talks, shouting each other is not the way, both sides have to get to their senses and not play to their own crowds," former Turkish diplomat Selcen said. "But unfortunately both [Trump and Erdogan] are facing elections in the coming months, I don't know how that will play out." The United States in November has Congressional elections, and the release of Brunson is important for evangelical Christians, a vital part of Trump's Republican Party voting base. Erdogan is already eyeing March municipal elections for Turkey's main cities and will be reluctant to bow to Washington's threats. The escalating dispute over Brunson is threatening to exacerbate other disputes between the two NATO allies. Ankara's deepening ties with Moscow including the purchase of Russia's S 400 missile system has caused alarm in Washington, raising questions over Turkey's commitment to its western allies. Turkish ministers have also ruled out complying with new U.S. sanctions against Iran. Differences between the two sides remain over Syria. Analysts point out Washington had until now sought to contain the simmering tensions through dialogue. However, the threat of sanctions over Brunson could herald a change in approach towards Ankara. "They [Ankara] are quite justifiably afraid that stepping back would lead to further concessions in the future," analyst Yesilada said. "If [Brunson is released], that happens American pressure will double," Yesilada continued, "there is the S 400 case, there are three local U.S. consular employees in detention [in Turkey]. Of course Turkey's flirtation with Russia, the Syrian conflict and most important Turkey's defiance of Iranian sanctions. If the United States gets what it wants in the Brunson case, then similar methods will be used again." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 30, 2018) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) ("White Metal" or The "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received assay results from 15 surface grab samples from the newly discovered Totem Gold Zone ("Totem Zone") on the Gunners Cove Gold Project (the "Project') in northern Newfoundland. The new zone, described as a sheared black shale and poli-lithic breccia with up to 10% pyrite in the form of nodules, cubes and stringer-style pyrite, returned assays from below detection (<5 ppb) to 820 ppb Au and averaged 221 ppb Au. White Metal is very encouraged with these results and, in the next 2 weeks, is expected to commence a programme to conduct follow up surface grab and channel samples. The Totem Zone, is located along the southeast boundary of the Gunners Cove Gold Project. The samples were collected during a recent exploration programme while Company personnel were evaluating the newly discovered Bazooka Zone, located about 9 kilometres south of the original gold discovery (see White Metal news releases dated July 3, 2018 and July 11, 2018). Jean Pierre Colin, President and CEO of White Metal stated, "The Totem Zone has become yet another very encouraging area of the Gunners Cove Gold Project. To date, every single exploration programme at our Gunners Cove Gold Project has been noticeably successful and accretive. Accordingly, in the short term, we are seeking to ascertain the extent and importance of what we have recently discovered in Newfoundland. With the planned channel sampling, our Company's technical and on-the-ground professionals envision that this August and September 2018 could not only become the commencement of an enriching outline of this process, but also, could frame the crucial breakthrough necessary in understanding the conceivable significance of the Project for White Metal. "Also, White Metal would like to acknowledge and thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for providing funding assistance under the JCEAP program." Gunners Cove Gold Project The Company believes the newly discovered and underexplored Gunners Cove Gold Project is an extensive gold system that has now been traced intermittingly for 18 kilometres along strike (north to south) and more than 1.0 kilometres wide (e.g. Bazooka Zone). To date, sixteen (16) areas of gold mineralization have been discovered. Given the early success on the Project, the Company is planning a detailed channel sampling program on priority targets. Technical personnel for the Company have determined that this channel sampling program is the best way to properly evaluate the gold tenure and continuity of the various gold zones as well as assist in the delineation of targets for future diamond drilling. Since the initial gold discovery in September 2017, the Company has had excellent success not only in making new discoveries, but extending the area of gold mineralization substantially at the Gunners Cove Property. The evaluation of the geological controls of the known gold mineralization can be summarized as follows: Anomalous and moderate grade gold assays are associated with 2% to 10% pyrite nodules, discontinuous stringers, fragments and cubic crystals. The gold zones are hosted in a geological distinctive unit of chaotic, multi-lithic breccia with a predominately graphitic and mudstone matrix (a melange) that is thought to be associated with regional thrust faulting. The higher pyrite content appears to be associated with well-foliated (sheared) graphitic melange. This melange can be mapped over horizontal widths of up to 1.3 km, however the full extent of the melange is not understood at this time. The unit appears to be located at the base of a sedimentary-ultramafic package and has been identified as a discontinuous unit over an area measuring approximately 18 km by 3 km. Anomalous silver, copper and molybedinum are also associated with the gold mineralization. Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the National Instrument 43-101. For more information with respect to to the Gunners Cove Gold Property please visit the Company's Web Page at www.whitemetalres.com. About White Metal Resources Corp (TSXV: WHM): White Metal Resources Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company exploring for gold in Canada. On behalf of the Board of Directors of White Metal Resources Corp. "Jean-Pierre Colin" Jean-Pierre Colin, President, CEO and Director NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projection For further information contact: Michael Stares 684 Squier Street Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7B 4A8 Phone: (807) 628-7836 Fax (807) 475 7200 Investment Metrics, a Darien-based investment analytics and reporting firm, is set to merge with a Pennsylvania financial-software specialist after IMs parent company announced Monday it would acquire the latter business. Private equity firm Resurgens Technology Partners, Investment Metrics majority owner, has agreed to buy Conshohocken, Pa.-based InvestorForce from Morgan Stanley Capital Investments. IM and InvestorForce would then combine into a company whose clients on its platform would hold approximately $10 trillion in assets under advisement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In this changing market where investors are demanding more from their investment solutions, we are confident that our expanded unique data offering, paired with the best-in-class analytics and reporting solutions, will uncover further opportunities and increase efficiencies for our clients, Sanjoy Chatterjee, Investment Metrics founder and CEO, said in a statement. Resurgens acquisition of InvestorForce is to close within the next three months. The expanded firm would operate under the Investment Metrics name and support IMs and InvestorForce software, data and services. IMs operations would remain in Darien. The combined company is committed to finding the balance between continuity and growth, from maintaining a disciplined focus on the challenges our clients face today while partnering with them to envision, design, develop and launch next generation data solutions, flexible workflows, powerful analytics and intuitive report output, Blake McLaughlin, InvestorForces head of product management, said in a statement. IMs clients now account for about $6.5 trillion under advisement. Among recent milestones, investment management and advisory giant Mercer deployed last fall the firms technology across its U.S. wealth-management business. More than 100 Mercer employees are now using IMs platform to track the performance of assets of clients spanning the public and private sectors, including endowments and foundations, and whose holdings include defined-contribution and defined-benefit retirement plans. Our DNA goes back into the consulting world, where we started this business as part of a consulting firm, so we understood the requirements from the complexity of these asset classes, Chatterjee said in an interview earlier this year. IM employs about 20 in Darien, and another 16 work for the firm in Bangalore, India, assisting with research and development and back-office operations. Average employee tenure in the Darien offices exceeds 15 years. Founded in 2010, IM was spun off from investment-consulting firm Rogerscasey. Since its founding, IM has operated in the Parklands Office Park, next to Sellecks Woods and I-95. A senior residential complex is under construction on the same site. Its a great location with the proximity to New York City, said Chatterjee, a Norwalk resident. We are very happy here. pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott President Trump declared Monday that he would meet Iran's leaders "anytime they want," an invitation for face-to-face dialogue with a country he had appeared to threaten with war only days before and an affirmation of Trump's faith in his brand of personal diplomacy. Trump said he would meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions, because "I believe in meeting." "No preconditions," Trump said of a meeting with Iranian leaders. "No. They want to meet, I'll meet. Anytime they want. Anytime they want. It's good for the country, good for them, good for us, and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet." Trump was responding to a question at a joint news conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Last week, tension between the United States and Iran escalated after Trump appeared to threaten military action against Iran in a tweet and Iranian officials vowed to resist any attempt to destabilize their country. The United States will reimpose sanctions on Iran next week as part of Trump's withdrawal from the 2015 international nuclear compact with Tehran. Trump said Monday that he thinks Iran will want to negotiate with him eventually, opening the door to new talks about its nuclear program. "I believe in meeting. I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know that they're ready yet," Trump said. "They're having a hard time right now." That was an apparent reference to economic constraints and the loss of potential markets as a result of the U.S. sanctions. Last week, Rouhani fired Valiollah Seif, head of the country's Central Bank, as the value of the Iranian rial continued to drop. It fell Monday to a record low against the dollar, largely in anticipation of a round of U.S. sanctions that were lifted under the deal but are due to be restored next week. The administration has said it will reinstate penalties in November against countries and companies that purchase Iranian oil, including U.S. allies around the globe. "I ended the Iran deal," Trump said. "It was a ridiculous deal. I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet, and I am ready to meet anytime they want to." He added: "I don't do that from strength or from weakness. I think it's an appropriate thing to do. If we could work something out that's meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet." Trump also claimed he had "a great meeting" with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki two weeks ago, despite what he said was unfairly negative press coverage of a session that produced unusual criticism from congressional Republicans. Trump similarly defends his June summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a bold stroke that has made the world safer. "I'll meet with anybody," Trump said. "Speaking to other people, especially when you're talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things. You meet, there's nothing wrong with meeting." Trump was stung by criticism of his Helsinki summit, especially a news conference in which he appeared to take Putin at his word that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 U.S. election. Trump and aides spent days attempting to recover, with Trump even asserting that he had misspoken during the news conference and had meant to indicate that he thinks Russia was at fault. Direct presidential negotiations with Iranian leaders would be another break with Republican orthodoxy and a potential point of friction with Israel and with Arab allies in the Persian Gulf who are united in opposition to Iran. Republicans including Trump were harshly critical of President Barack Obama for what they said were giveaways during direct negotiations with Iran. Obama spoke to Rouhani but never met him, extending a rift dating to the 1979 Iranian revolution and the taking of American hostages. For months, Trump has told confidants that he is interested in opening up dialogue with Iran even as his administration has tried to isolate Tehran financially and politically. Teams of State Department and Treasury officials have fanned out across the globe, pressuring foreign capitals to stop importing Iranian oil and reduce business ties to the country. "It's a stretch, but there is a plausible pathway for a Trump-Rouhani summit," former Obama Middle East adviser Ilan Goldenberg wrote on Twitter after Trump's remarks. "It goes through Vladimir Putin." Russia is a party to the nuclear compact and has full diplomatic relations with Iran. The United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Tehran and considers Iran the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. As Europe, despite its vow to remain in the nuclear deal, continues to withdraw, Iran has increasingly reached out to Russia, which also signed the 2015 nuclear deal along with China, France, Britain, Germany and the United States. This month, both Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh and Ali Akbar Velayati, the top foreign policy adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visited Moscow for discussions on increased cooperation between their oil and gas industries. Iranian state news media reported Trump's offer to meet Rouhani while noting that there was no immediate official response. An adviser to Rouhani, Hamid Aboutalebi, wrote on Twitter late Monday that after Trump threatened Iran at the United Nations last year, "the subject of a meeting between the two presidents came up." In an apparent swipe at Trump, Aboutalebi added that "those who believe in dialogue as a way of solving conflict" must also understand how to achieve such dialogue. Earlier in the day, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said there would be no engagement with the Trump administration. "With current America and these policies, there will definitely not be the possibility of dialogue and engagement, and the United States has shown that it is totally unreliable," Qassemi said in a news briefing, according to Iranian media. "Given the current circumstances and hostile actions of the United States, the country's withdrawal from the [Iran nuclear deal] and continuation of hostile policies, its efforts to put economic pressure on the Iranian people and its sanctions, I think there are no conditions for such a discussion at all," he said." Reports that the Trump administration is pushing toward regime change in Iran, Qassemi said, were "irrelevant" and a "raw dream that will never come true." Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, said Trump would have to offer Iran "concessions, and not just threats and demands" in order to bring a positive response. "If this is Trump's idea of pivoting to diplomacy," Parsi said in an email, "it stands little chance of success." But while there is little evidence to support Trump's repeated claim in recent weeks that Iran has already become a "different" country, with reduced interested in regional expansion, since he withdrew from the nuclear deal in May, the Iranian economy is already suffering the effects of reduced foreign investment as major European companies have withdrawn. Protest demonstrations, largely sparked by the economic squeeze, have grown around the country as Iranians have seen their savings shrink and consumer products become unavailable amid massive capital flight. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani acknowledged the difficulties in a speech Monday, saying that the country would have to endure "a period of external and regional pressures" that would result in renovation of the economy, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported. A meeting with Rouhani would be of questionable value in resolving U.S.-Iranian conflicts, since he wields little real power in the country's political system. The ultimate political and religious authority in Iran is Khamenei, the supreme leader, who controls the armed forces, internal security, the judiciary, the intelligence apparatus, foreign policy and key governmental institutions. Khamenei is known to be staunchly anti-American, often expressing his distrust of the U.S. government. He no longer travels outside Iran and rarely receives foreign dignitaries. "Trump should demand to meet Khamenei. Rouhani is more irrelevant than ever. Trump-Khamenei 2019 Summit in Baku," Mark Dubowitz, a proponent of Trump's tougher line against Iran, wrote on Twitter. John Bolton, who became Trump's national security adviser earlier this year, had advocated a U.S. policy of regime change in Iran before he joined the White House, and in 2015 advocated military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. He has said regime change is not the Trump administration's policy. In a July 22 tweet composed entirely in capital letters, Trump warned Rouhani that if Iran threatened the United States again, it would face severe consequences. Trump's message came after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would step up broadcasts into Iran critical of the country's theocratic rulers. "To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!" Trump tweeted. Responding in English, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweaked the U.S. leader's confrontational Twitter style. "COLOR US UNIMPRESSED: The world heard even harsher bluster a few months ago," the U.S.-educated Zarif wrote on July 23, apparently referring to Trump's threats against North Korea. "And Iranians have heard them - albeit more civilized ones - for 40 yrs. We've been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!" U.S. defense officials have said they have received no instructions to gird for a military conflict with Iran. Instead, the administration game plan appears to copy what it considers its successful strategy with North Korea, exerting "maximum pressure" that will either press the government to capitulate to negotiations on U.S. terms or increase domestic pressure against it. --- The Washington Post's William Branigin and John Hudson contributed to this report. Buried in a footnote, the brief rebuke nonetheless marked a notable step in abridging gender discrimination in the legal workplace: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit scolded a veteran judge for making sexist comments in his Houston courtroom, calling his remarks "demeaning, inappropriate, and beneath the dignity" of his profession. U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes had been presiding over a criminal case against Simone Swenson, an adoption agency owner charged with fraud. Under federal rules, prosecutors are permitted to wait until just before trial to turn over pieces of evidence, known as discovery. But when a female federal prosecutor delivered stacks of new documents during four pretrial conferences in early 2017 - weeks after the final discovery date set by Hughes - the septuagenarian judge was not impressed. "You're supposed to know what you're doing," Hughes said to an assistant U.S. attorney on Feb. 6, 2017. "What else is out there that you misplaced or didn't think was relevant so you didn't check it at all?" Hughes dismissed the Swenson indictment, faulting the prosecutor's mistakes. Then he said something else that eventually became the basis of the rebuke. "It was a lot simpler when you guys wore dark suits, white shirts and navy ties," Hughes said, according to the 5th Circuit. "We didn't let girls do it in the old days." The U.S. attorney's office appealed the case's dismissal, which set up a panel of appellate judges to send back its censorious response. In reinstating the Swenson case, the appellate court also took an unusual action: It ordered Hughes, now 76, to be replaced with a different judge. More than a third of the 300,000 members of the American Bar Association are women, according to a recent report from the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession, and female litigators have been subjected to male colleagues' sexist comments for decades. Two years ago, the ABA adopted an anti-discrimination resolution in its rules of professional ethics, making harassment and discrimination grounds for findings of misconduct. "It's important to set up a process and culture that doesn't marginalize people who legitimately say, 'You did this to me,' " said Michele Coleman Mayes, former chair of the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession. The resolution and the subsequent arrival of the #MeToo movement eased the way for women to come forward with claims of sexual harassment or unfair treatment, Angela Brandt, president of the National Association of Women Lawyers, told The Washington Post. Still, she said, female lawyers are hesitant to do so. "It's a male-dominated profession," she said. "Women feel weak highlighting this type of bad behavior, and, in certain circumstances, it can jeopardize their careers." Experts say the industry has therefore faced less scrutiny than other professions - though there have been notable exceptions: Judge Alex Kozinski, for example, resigned from the federal bench last year amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The accusations led to a review of how the judiciary handles claims of harassment, though Kozinski's abrupt retirement cut short any investigation into the merits of the allegations against him. Hughes, who has been on the bench for almost three decades, denied the accusation of sexism. He told The Post that his comment was not directed at the prosecutor in his Houston courtroom but at an "inappropriately dressed" woman. The 5th Circuit acknowledged that Hughes's comments may have been intended for someone other than the U.S. attorney. Nevertheless, Judge Edith Brown Clement of the 5th Circuit wrote, as Hughes "excoriated the prosecution," he "attributed the government's mistakes to the prosecutor's sex." The female prosecutor was not named in the 5th Circuit's decision, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Ansari has been prosecuting the Swenson case since 2015, according to the Justice Department. Ansari, who attended the University of Houston Law Center and has been practicing for more than 15 years, could not be reached for comment. Michael Sokolow, Swenson's assistant federal public defender, declined to speak about the case, which is being assigned to a new judge and rescheduled for trial. Hughes denied favoring either sex. "After I've made it through my career with a woman's first name, of course I'm going to be sympathetic," he told The Post. Hughes began teaching at South Texas College of Law in 1973. At that time, he said, about 6 percent of the law school's students were women. By 1985, the figure had surpassed 40 percent, leading to what Hughes called "a vast improvement in the quality of the lawyers. We're getting the best of both sexes instead of the best of one sex." Until recently, there was little judicial precedent or federal case law addressing sexism, California attorney Lori Rifkin told The Post. The Hughes decision, she said, will help female lawyers represent the best interests of their clients, which should never be reduced by the biases of parties involved in the litigation process. "It's very positive that a court of appeals was willing to engage on this issue, name it and act to address the problem," said Rifkin, who said she had been a victim of belittling, gendered remarks. "Having something so head-on will empower women and other underrepresented groups in litigation to fight back against this kind of treatment." In 2016, Rifkin moved for sanctions against her opposing counsel, a managing partner at a California law firm. A comment from him - not to raise her voice at him during a deposition because it's "not becoming of a woman" - brought on a tongue-lashing from a federal judge, who called it an "indefensible attack on opposing counsel." The judge then ordered that he donate $250 to the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Foundation. There is not necessarily less sexism in the profession now, Rifkin said, but there is "more consciousness and a willingness especially by judges to take a role in addressing it." Now, she noted, women are doing more than whispering to one another in courthouse hallways. The conversation is happening inside the courtroom. Still, until there are more women in positions of power in the legal industry, women who practice law will be reluctant to speak out unless the behavior was egregious, said Mayes, who led the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession until 2017. "You win the fight, but you lose the war," she said. "And I don't think most people are willing to lose for the cause." These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Oppo launched the Find X back in June and now is back to business as usual with its other devices. The F-series is selfie-driven, since the Oppo F5 arrived with 20 MP front snapper, while the Oppo F7 upgraded to 25 MP, embedded in the cutout on top. According to Oppo Malaysia, the successor will be called Oppo F9 and the phone is already being prepared for a launch in August with an even smaller notch. The image was posted by the Malaysian division on its official Twitter page and said it will have waterdrop screen. The message, accompanying the photo also raised some deep philosophical question how will a waterdrop fall on the screen, whatever that means. We think it is a hint the Oppo F9 will be waterproof with at least IP67 compliability. The Oppo F3 had dual front cameras and a regular 16:9 ratio screen that evolved into 18:9 when the Oppo F5 was announced. The forehead of the phone switched to a notch by the time Oppo F7 was made official and now it appears the cutout will be the smallest ever in an Oppo device, similar to what Essential did to the PH-1. Source | Via Samsung is announcing the Galaxy Note9 on August 9, and the phone keeps appearing in leaks. The latest information about the phone slid in our inbox from Indonesia, where the smartphone was listed for pre-order, revealing its price. The phone will cost IDR13,5 million, which is about $940. This is the cost of the 128 GB variant, the 512 GB one will be IDR17,5 million or around $1,215. The Samsung Galaxy Note9 will arrive in three colors at the Asia-Pacific market - Black, Blue, and Copper, but the 512 GB variant will skip on the Brownish option. For everyone pre-ordering the device between August 1 and August 9, there are plenty of freebies like a Samsung Smart TV, up to IDR750,000 cashback and free 12-month data plan. The prices and colors are in line with a rumor from last week by @rquandt, when the device was said to cost between 1,050 and 1,250 in Europe. The image also reveals the S Pen of the Blue phone will be yellow, which we already reported earlier this month. Thanks for the image, anonymous tipster! Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help Published on 2018/07/29 | Source Reporters wait for a press conference by the Shinil Group in Seoul on Thursday. /Yonhap A company whose share price skyrocketed in recent weeks after it claimed to have discovered a sunken Russian ship with W150 trillion worth of gold on board has predictably backed off its claim (US$1=W1,123). Advertisement Shinil Group had been enticing investors since the beginning of this year by saying it found the fabled missing ship off the coast of Ulleung Island. But once controversy escalated about its real aims, it fired several executives and distanced itself from the claim. It also emerged that the former head of the company has been indicted on a separate fraud charge. Shinil Group CEO Choi Yong-seok in a press conference in Thursday said, "Some media outlets published speculative information without verifying it. We apologize for the irresponsible use of it". The company said last week that it found the Dmitrii Donskoi, a Russian warship that sank off Ulleung Island during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, and even screened underwater video footage. But Choi added, "We do not know where the W150 trillion claim came from". Experts had cast doubt on the claim, saying there were no records that the Donskoi carried gold and that the Russian Navy voluntarily scuttled the vessel when its boiler malfunctioned. But Shinil Group did not respond but continued to lure investors with the slogan "W150 Trillion Treasure Ship" on its official website. The company has now removed it from the website and replaced management. The company also claims it has nothing to do with the cryptocurrency Shinil gold coin which had been sold using the alleged treasure as collateral. "The coins were sold by the Shinil branch in Singapore", Choi said. But a Shinil Group affiliate, Donskoi International Exchange, was in fact recruiting investors until recently. A 48-year-old female executive surnamed Ryu, who had filed a trademark application for the cryptocurrency, did not show up at the press conference. She is rumored to be the sister of the 43-year-old chairman of the Singaporean branch. Another 64-year-old executive surnamed Yoo was jailed for 10 months for fraud earlier this month. Yoo had been the CEO of Shinil Group and contracted a foreign salvage company to handle the search for the Donskoi. Before leaving the job in May, Yoo signed a business contract with a news outlet that published what it claimed were exclusive reports about the find. Choi said, "I am the sole CEO now", and distanced himself from his predecessor. Shinil still insists that the ship it found is the Donskoi, but doubt has been cast on that claim as well. It looks remarkably similar to a wreck found in 2003 by Dongah Construction, which caused a sensation back then but was not salvaged in the end. Both Dongah Construction and the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology believe the ship Shinil Group claims to have found is the same one they found in 2003 and the wreck still belongs to them. Jin Gyo-joong, a former Navy rescue diver, said at the press conference that the rudder is different. But Yoo Hae-soo from the institute, who took part in the search in 2003, said, "The rudder can break apart as time passes. The ship... is identical to the one we found in 2003 considering its position and shape". Investors are livid. One victim of the goldrush said, "Even today, the head of the cryptocurrency exchange said the value will keep rising and told me to wait". Police have launched an investigation. Read this article in Korean Published on 2018/07/30 | Source Actress Jang Nara is back with a new song for the first time in four years. Advertisement According to her agency, Jang Nara released the soundtrack "Some Day" for the KBS 2TV drama "Your House Helper" on the 26th. The last time she released a song was "All Day" for her own drama "Mr. Back". "Some Day" is a ballad with a message that better days come after hard ones and it appears in the scene where Im Da-yeong (Bona) gets comforted by Kim Ji-woon (Ha Seok-jin). Havre Police Department Harry Bruno Azure of Havre, 18, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant and on charges of minor in possession, obstructing a peace officer or other public servant and resisting arrest and a 16-year-old was issued a summons on a charge of MIP, after a caller at Boulevard Avenue and 14th Street West reported Friday at 12:02 p.m. two drunk juveniles were walking north on Boulevard. A Sixth Street caller reported Friday at 12:19 p.m. that a woman lied about having someone with her kids and she left them alone all night. A caller at a U.S. Highway 2 Northwest business reported Friday at 12:40 that an officer from another state called and requested information and a report be filed for a theft suspect who was staying at the business when the crime occurred. Someone from Child and Family Services stopped at the police station Friday at 1:06 p.m. asking to file a report with an officer. A caller on 11th Street reported Friday at 1:18 p.m. his truck was possibly broken into because he was missing $200. Anthony Azzio Moreni of Harlem, 24, was issued a summons on charges of failing to stop and identify self after striking an unattended vehicle, failing to give notice of accident and failing to back safely, after a caller at a First Street West business reported Friday at 2:06 p.m. reported his vehicle was backed into by an unknown driver. The owner of the vehicle reported at 4 p.m. he found and was following on First Street the vehicle he believed hit his. A 14th Avenue caller reported at the police station Friday at 3:16 p.m. someone has been shooting the side of her trailer with some kind of pellets. Someone stopped at the police station at 4:25 p.m. Friday that she was missing her iPhone 6 with a pink case. Someone stopped at the police station Saturday at 9:19 a.m. to report he had more information on the vandalism to his car. A caller on Fourth Avenue reported Saturday at 1:05 p.m. two flower pots had been stolen. Cassie Jean Denny of Box Elder, 29, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant after a Grant Avenue caller reported suspicious activity at 8:29 p.m. Saturday. A two vehicle, noninjury crash was reported Sunday at 12:16 p.m. at a U.S. Highway 2 Northwest business. A 13th Street caller asked Sunday at 1:40 p.m. for more patrols because his wife said she found two men in their carport going through things, but nothing was taken. Sunday at 3:52 p.m. a caller on Ninth Avenue reported checking on a woman who had been sleeping in her vehicle and, after she took off but was driving dangerously, he followed her and wanted notify officers about her. Jenell Rene Leo of Havre, 41, was arrested during a 9:47 p.m. Sunday vehicle stop on First Street on charges of failing to stop for a traffic control signal, driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license and habitual traffic offender violations. A 17-year-old was issued a summons on a charge of MIP and 10 arrests were made after a Grant Avenue caller reported a noise complaint at 1:37 this morning. No information on the arrests was provided. Hill County Sheriff's Office Mitchell Carl Grant of Hays, 29, was issued a summons on a charge of shoplifting; Julia Rosa Morales of Harlem, 26, and Dane Ezekial Strike of Dodson, 21, were each issued a summons on a charge of obstructing a peace officer or other public servant; and Mercedies L. Strike of Fort Belknap, 27, was issued a summons on charges of obstructing a peace officer or other public servant and shoplifting, after a shoplifting incident was reported Friday at 5:23 p.m. A caller at a U.S. Highway 87 business in Box Elder reported shoplifters Friday at 3:21 p.m. Tyler James Hanley of Hays, 32, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant after being transported from Blaine County to Hill County Detention Center Sunday at 1:57 a.m. A caller at a U.S. Highway 2 West business reported Sunday at 8:29 p.m. a man parked in the same spot for days. Havre Fire Department Emergency medical personnel responded to three calls Friday, one call Saturday, four calls Sunday and one call this morning. Firefighters were called to a gas leak on the 900 Block of Third Street Friday at 3:55 p.m. It was an extinguished pilot light and NorthWestern Energy personnel re-lit the flame. Havre Animal Shelter This morning the shelter held one medium-hair cat with sex listed as unknown, two medium-hair male cats, one medium-hair female cat and four female short-hair cats. The shelter also held this morning a 2-year-old female pit bull terrier-German shepherd cross, an 8-year-3-month-old male Labrador retriever, a 14-week-old male shepherd, 1-year-old female spaniel-pit bull terrier cross, a 9-month-old female pit bull terrier and a 3-year-1-month-old male Labrador retriever. Attack ads have been flying in Montanas highly watched U.S. Senate race, where an incumbent Democrat is running for re-election in a state that gave the 2016 election by 20 points to Republican President Donald Trump who has attacked the incumbent and endorsed his opponent. Incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., faces Montana Auditor Matt Rosendale, a Republican, in the general election. Trump has been in Montana to campaign for Rosendale, as has Vice President Mike Pence. In interviews in which the candidates were asked about their opponents and issues that have been used in attack ads, Tester said Rosendale doesnt understand Montana or Montana values, while Rosendale said Tester is a hypocrite who hasnt upheld Montana values and principles in the 12 years he has been in office. Tester said he best represents the state, and his record shows it. Im a Montanan, I know Montana, I know the challenges of rural America, Tester said. He added that he has a proven track record for fighting for Montanans and the issues that are important to rural communities across the country, something that his opponent Rosendale does not have. Tester said Rosendale, originally from Maryland, is an East Coast developer who moved to the state and bought a ranch but has no cattle and does not understand the values of public lands and why the land needs to remain in public hands. Rosendale also doesnt understand the veterans of this country, Tester said, and if people look into his voting history they will find that, while in the Montana Legislature, Rosendale voted against bills that supported veterans every chance he got, such as Southwest Montana Veterans Home, scholarships for Purple Heart recipients and housing benefits for Gold Star families. Rosendale said he was the best candidate in the upcoming election because his principles and values line up with those of the people of Montana and, with him in office, those values will be expressed extremely well. He added that he is a businessman, rancher and former legislator and is now regulating insurance and securities as state auditor and his past work demonstrates very clearly his experiences throughout his life. he added that these values and principles have not previously been demonstrated by Tester within the 12 years he has been in office. Rosendale said that 10 percent of the states community is made up by veterans or active military, and the issues veterans face are not properly addressed. Waving a couple of pieces of legislature in the air does not provide doctors appointments to be scheduled any sooner, Rosendale said. He added that Tester had voted against the tax reform package that had passed through Congress, voting against tax reform for the people of Montana. That's unacceptable, Rosendale said. Tester said the nation's debt is one of the biggest issues facing the country. He added that the tax reform should cut out the loopholes which exist in the tax code, such as unnecessary tax breaks. He said the opportunity to reform taxes will come again. The country faces trillions of dollars in debt, Tester said, and the appropriations process provides opportunities to cut back on programs that have outlived their purposes, which are ways to make cuts that will aid in reducing the deficit. Tester added that the United States cannot keep getting into military conflicts if the nation hopes to reduce debt. The war on terror is real, but we cannot continue to fight every war in the world, otherwise it will be impossible to get the debt reduced, Tester said. Rosendale said his work in the Legislature proved that he is capable of reducing the debt without cutting any social programs for the elderly or those in need. Ive always taken the time to review, to scrutinize the budget to find area where we can reduce spending, Rosendale said. He added that in his office he has reduced operating costs by 23 percent and reduced staffing by 6 percent, in addition to his being the only elected Montana official who declined a pay increase last summer. That's what a business person does, that's what a leader does, Rosendale said. Tester said the nation also needs to focus on infrastructure in the future, adding that Rosendale had voted against any infrastructure bills. Tester said the nation needs to adapt its infrastructure in order to match the times. We need a solid infrastructure bill to get us to the 21st century standards, he said. The nation also need to focus on securing its borders, Tester said, and it is critically important that it is done in the most effective way. He added that there are a lot of companies that can use technology to secure the border in a cost effective manner. Rosendale said the nation needs secured borders and the country feels that President Donald Trump's wall should be built. He said he agrees with the deportation of illegal criminals, in addition to ending sanctuary cities. Tester has been opposed to all of these things contrary to the will of the people of Montana, Rosendale said. He added that Tester has also stood in opposition with the Supreme Court nominees, something that Rosendale said affects every aspect of peoples lives. Rosendale said Tester had no problem with standing with President Barack Obama, confirming the appointments of Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who Rosendale said are openly hostile to the Second Amendment. When Tester had an opportunity to confirm a good solid Constitutional candidate in Neil Gorsuch, Rosendale said, Tester opposed it and Rosendale expects that Tester will do the same in the future. Tester said he and his opponents backgrounds differ drastically. He supports the Second Amendment and he believes law-abiding citizens have the right to bear arms, although criminals and terrorists have forgone that right. I will continue to fight, to my dying breath, that the qualifying citizens will have guns because (guns) are a tool and theyre something that, when people use them responsibly, can be very, very positive, Tester said. Rosendale said he was thrilled to have the president come to Montana and invite Rosendale to stand beside him, adding that it was an incredible honor. I think that he sees that same thing that the people of Montana do, and that is that Jon Tester has been nothing but an obstructionist, trying to stop the presidents agenda from being passed, Rosendale said. He added that the Trump agenda is to expand the economy, protect our nation, expand health care options, reduce spending and reduce regulations. He sees that Im a strong advocate for all of those things, Rosendale said, nNot only in words but in actions. Tester said having the president in the state is always a positive thing, although Trump was only in town for a short period of time and hopefully next time Trump is in Montana he will spend time learning about the state and the people who live in it. Tester said that Trump saying a vote for Tester is a vote for Chuck Schumer and a vote for Nancy Pelosi was just common political campaign practice. That's just election-year politics. The fact is I've worked with President Trump to get 16 bills signed into law to help Montana, Tester said. We've worked together to hold the VA accountable, reduce government waste, fraud and abuse, and reducing regulations on Montana's banks and credit unions, the list goes on. Rosendale said recent questions regarding his campaigns funding where he loaned money to his campaign this year in the same amounts as people this year donated to repay his 2014 campaign loans is a result of the Democrats not being able to discuss the big issues the country is facing, adding that people tend to complain about where money is being spent when it is being spent against them. They are talking about a process with which I very openly and publicly took money and then, through my own free will, made a determination to direct that into my own general election campaign, Rosendale said. People know where the money came from, they know where its going, you cant be more transparent than that. They cannot beat me on the policies, he added. Jon Tester has supported increased spending. Jon Tester has supported increased regulations. Jon Tester hasnt done anything for the veterans, and thats disgraceful. Rosendale said that Admiral Ronny Jackson, who had served under three presidential administrations, underwent a character assassination from Tester, which Rosendale said were false accusations. They don't want Ronny Jackson in office so they did a character assassination. They dont want Matt Rosendale in office so they are going to try a character assassination, Rosendale said. Guess what? The people of Montana cant be fooled because I have served them effectively for the past eight years. Tester said he was just doing his job when he raised questions about Jackson. My job as a U.S. senator is to advise and consent, and we did do the due diligence on Ronny Jackson, then he withdrew his name, Tester said. He added that Trump had also nominated Robert Wilkie for the position of secretary of the VA. Tester said they had interviewed Wilkie and found that he was a good man. I think hell do a fine job as secretary of the VA, said Tester, who voted to confirm Wilkie. Tester said he had actively pushed to get Wilkie out of the committee and into the secretary of the VA position, and the Senate did so with only one vote no. The issues with the VA are huge and Wilkie has a big job ahead of him, Tester said. He added that there have been a lot of political influence which has been the case before, but he is sure that Wilkie is the right person for the job. He said the veterans deserve proper health care. We owe them a debt, Tester said. Tester said the Senate has passed a number of bills to improve the VA and, with Wilkies help, the agency can do so. (Wilkie) will make sure that the VA is implementing those bills to be able to allow veterans to get the health care that theyve earned, Tester said. Tester added that the VA needs to focus on getting people in to appointments, in a timely manner, making sure the community care programs work and remain fully staffed. On the issue of public lands, Tester said Rosendale doesnt understand public lands and their importance to the people of Montana and that these lands should be preserved for future generations. Rosendale said he supports the bill to release wilderness study areas. He said these areas have been studies and were proposed to be released from study decades ago. Rosendale added that the communities most impacted do not have the ability to determine what level of travel should be allowed in those lands. It is important to preserve the pristine beauty of Montana, Rosendale said, and added that his experience on the land board demonstrates his ability and knowledge of the problems. He said that while he was on the land board the board expanded access to 45,000 acres of state land, opened up 16 miles of roadway, and harvested more than 47 million board feet of timber. Not only in my words but in my actions have I demonstrated the ability to understand the landscape that we have in Montana is very diverse, Rosendale said. That there are areas that are very sensitive and there are areas that can be utilized for different things. We need to take a look at each area individually and determine as Montanans hows the best way to manage that. During the Trump rally in Great Falls, where Trump endorsed Rosendale, Rosendale said Tester was a part-time farmer and a part-time senator. Tester said there is no such thing as a part-time farmer and Rosendale, being from out-of-state, will never understand that. Anyone involved in agriculture knows there is no such thing as a part-time farmer or rancher, Tester said. Matt Rosendale claims to be a rancher but has never owned any cattle, so it makes sense that he and his friends think you can work in agriculture part time. I don't think Montanans want career politicians like Matt Rosendale, who's run for five different elected offices in eight years. I believe in the citizen Legislature model our Founding Fathers used and that we have in Montana. I am a farmer, a senator, and a Montanan. Matt Rosendale is none of those things. Research carried out at Cardiff University has provided insight into the regulation of two proteins that are implicated in hypertension. In the mid-2000s, it was found that two proteins called SPAK and OSR1 play important roles in regulating sodium, potassium and chloride levels in animals and humans. Due to this and the fact that SPAK and OSR1 are regulated by other proteins that are mutated in hypertension, understanding the function of SPAK and OSR1 became instrumental in understanding hypertension and finding new and more effective ways of treating it. Now, Dr. Youcef Mehellou from Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has published two studies that provide key insights into the regulation of SPAK and OSR1 kinases. The first study reported on how SPAK and OSR1 bind another protein known as MO25. The binding of this latter protein is known to increase SPAK and OSR1 activity. Dr. Mehellou showed that the binding of SPAK and OSR1 proteins to MO25 is mediated by a serine phosphorylation site on SPAK and OSR1, which acts as a key and docks into a pocket lock that is present on MO25. Indeed, the phosphorylation of SPAK and OSR1 at this highly conserved serine site improves the binding affinity to MO25, which translates into higher activation of SPAK and OSR1. The study also showed that this serine phosphorylation involves the WNK kinases, which are mutated in hypertension. Further reported experiments mapped the site on MO25 that binds the phosphoserine region of SPAK and OSR1. In the second study, Dr. Mehellou and colleagues discovered a clinically used drug known as Verteporfin (VisudyneO) as a potent inhibitor of SPAK and OSR1. This was an important finding as the inhibition of SPAK and OSR1 kinases has been shown to lead to a lowering of blood pressure. Several studies are pursuing the development of Verteporfin as an anticancer agent, so the study by Dr. Mehellou sheds the light on possible lowering of blood pressure as a side effect of this drug. The study also provides an explanation for the fluctuation in blood pressure that was observed in living organisms treated with Verteporfin. Together these two studies provide important insights into the regulation of SPAK and OSR1 and its implications on the regulation of blood pressure. Additionally, these studies will facilitate the discovery of novel drugs that target SPAK and OSR1 and be effective treatments for hypertension. The two studies can be found here and here. Cardiff University American Akita dogs have become popular here recently A woman is recovering in hospital after she was attacked by an American Akita dog in Co Donegal. The woman, who works as a carer, had called to the home of a patient on the outskirts of Letterkenny when she was viciously set upon by the dog in an unprovoked attack. The young woman suffered a broken leg after she was bitten and dragged along the ground by the animal. She also suffered abdominal injuries. The victim was rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital, where she is still recovering from her injuries. Her overall condition is not known, but it is understood she received multiple bites during the attack. It is understood the dog was later destroyed. Powerful Local ISPCA Inspector Kevin McGinley confirmed he is aware of the incident but could not comment. The American Akita or Great Japanese Dog is a powerful Spitz-type hound originating from Japan, not the USA as its widely-accepted name suggests. They have become more popular in Ireland in recent years. John Purdue admitted losing his temper when he confronted clamper Dean Weldrige as he was clamping his van An irate driver threatened to kill a clamper before attacking him with a crowbar after the man clamped his van while it was parked illegally outside a bank. The clamper feared for his life as John Purdue (59) "lost the rag" and ran at him with the bar, telling him, "Just because you are big doesn't mean you won't be taken down". A court heard the victim was left with a torn knee ligament following the attack in north Dublin. Purdue, who denied assault, was found guilty but spared jail and given a six-month suspended sentence. His defence argued the injury was not consistent with victim Dean Weldridge's evidence, and suggested it happened as he fell during the struggle. Purdue insisted he dropped the crowbar and never hit Mr Weldridge with it. Judge Dermot Simms said he was satisfied that an assault took place and an injury was caused. It was a serious assault on someone employed to carry out the difficult task of parking enforcement, he said. Purdue, of Belcamp Avenue, Priorswood, had pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Weldridge at Northern Cross, Malahide Road, on September 12, 2016. Mr Weldridge said he came across the accused's van between 10.30am and 11am. It was in a big yellow box and signs clearly stated that there was no parking at any time. He attached a clamp to the wheel. He was down on one knee when Purdue came running towards him, shouting threats. Purdue "barged" him with his knees and told him he was "going to kill me if I didn't take the clamp off". "He screamed at me, 'that is my van, do not touch my van'," Mr Weldridge said. He told the accused he was only doing his job. "He started threatening me again, he threatened to kill me, he said if I didn't take the clamp off I was a dead man," Mr Weldridge said. The accused got into his van and was on the phone to someone saying: "Let's get up here and sort this big fella out." Purdue tried to break the clamp by driving back and forth over it while it was still attached. The accused got more frustrated and realised the clamp was not going to come off and got out of the van. "He said I was after breaking his van," Mr Weldridge told the court, adding that the accused repeated that he was a "dead man". The accused circled the van, disappeared behind it and reappeared holding a crowbar. "He then approached me, telling me if it's not off in five seconds, God love me," Mr Weldridge said. He froze, in fear for his life and the accused "came at me and tried to hit me in the head with" the crowbar. He was saying "just because you are big doesn't mean you won't be taken down", Mr Weldridge said. Spitting Mr Weldridge went into "survival mode", dived in and grabbed hold of the accused, he continued. Purdue hit him from the back with the crowbar, screaming and spitting at him. Mr Weldridge fell on top of him, restrained him and got the bar off him. Mr Weldridge was "full of adrenaline" and it was only when he put his weight on his foot that he realised his "knee was gone". He suffered a torn ligament and said his knee was "completely shot" for nine months. In cross-examination, Mr Weldridge said it was "absolute lies" that he bear-hugged the accused, who had dropped the bar. Defence solicitor Declan Fahy put it to him that he twisted his knee while falling in a scuffle with the accused. "Possibly, possibly not," he replied. Purdue said in evidence he went to the bank and was back three-and-a-half minutes later to find his van being clamped. He accepted he was aggrieved and "had words" with Mr Weldridge, who he said was "standing there". He said he got the crowbar from his van to remove the clamp but it fell onto the ground as he jumped down. "The clamper came and grabbed me, we both fell on the ground," he said. Judge Simms noted a prior injury on the medical report meant the injury happened to a "dicky knee". The accused, who has a grown family, had no prior convictions. On the day, he had a "rush of blood to the head" and "lost the rag", Mr Fahy said. Purdue told the Herald last night that despite avoiding jail, he was still unhappy with the outcome of the case. "I'm definitely not satisfied with the outcome. I got six months suspended sentence which I thought was very unfair. He again denied the assault, saying: "He's in his 20s and 6ft 4ins and I'm nearly 60 and 5ft 6ins and he said I attacked him?". Purdue added: "I ran into the bank and spent three-and-a-half minutes there, but when I got back to my van the clamper had everything done. I felt hard done by, but I admit maybe I shouldn't have attempted to remove the clamp myself with a crowbar." A hotel guest has been acquitted of public order charges following a dispute over "peace flags" that she said she left hanging in her room. Yvette Cheevers (36) "stood her ground" at the Dublin hotel and asked for the return of the property, which she insisted she had left behind before she checked out. After staff told her there was nothing there, Ms Cheevers called gardai but ended up being arrested when she allegedly became verbally abusive. Ms Cheevers, of Red Arches Avenue, Baldoyle, pleaded not guilty to breach of the peace and failing to follow garda directions at the Marine Hotel, Sutton. Judge John Lindsay dismissed both charges after her defence argued what she had expressed was at its worst "frustration" and did not amount to a crime. Gda Mark Geraghty told Dublin District Court he went to the hotel at 1.20am on May 6, 2008. Ms Cheevers told him flags were left hanging between picture frames in the room, and she was not allowed to return to get them back. Resisted The manager said cleaners had found no property. Gda Geraghty said Ms Cheevers became abusive, failed to leave peacefully, resisted arrest and it took three gardai to restrain her. Operations manager Dav-id O'Neill said that when Ms Cheevers was told it was against hotel policy to let her check the room, she became very "agitated, arrogant and aggressive". Ms Cheevers told the court she had left five small cloth flags, which might have been missed by cleaners. She sat "patiently and respectfully" for gardai. Ms Cheevers accepted she said to the garda: "I just want to go to the f**king room and check with my own f**king eyes for my f**king property." After the garda said he was arresting her, she did not swear, but said she was not leaving without her property. She denied being agitated and said "three people with their full force" arrested her. Ms Cheevers had been no physical threat and the language used was "at its worst, vulgarity", her barrister said. A motorist who drove away from a filling station without paying for his petrol "knew it was wrong but did it anyway", a court was told. Dean Kelly (26) was "holding his hands up" to theft, said Alan Grace, defending. Kelly, of Rathdown Road, Phibsborough, admitted making off without paying for the fuel and was given a six-month prison sentence. Dublin District Court was told that gardai went to a Maxol garage on Naas Road on June 29 last year. They were told a man had put petrol worth 55 into his car the previous day and left without making any effort to pay. He was later identified as Kelly, who had 44 previous convictions for offences including theft. Irrelevant Kelly wanted "as little as possible" to be said about him in mitigation, said Mr Grace. The accused believed his personal details were "irrelevant" and he acknowledged what he did was wrong. He made an attempt to pay for the petrol days later. "He knew it was wrong but he did it anyway," said Mr Grace. He said his client was now "holding his hands up" to the offence. "He doesn't want any mitigating background put to the court," he said. The accused was already in custody in Cloverhill Prison when his case came before the court. Judge Deirdre Gearty back- dated the six-month sentence to last December, when the accused was taken into custody. Newlywed Zoe Holohan, who was injured in the devastating Greek wildfires, will remain in hospital for up to two months. She was rescued from the inferno in which her new husband, Brian O'Callaghan-Westropp, died last week, but suffered extensive burns and will require months of recuperation. Ms Holohan, who works for the Sunday World as an advertising executive, underwent her first medical procedure on Friday in Athens in the hospital where she has been undergoing treatment. Devastating The couple had been enjoying their honeymoon in Mati, a resort east of Athens, when wildfires swept through the region last Monday, causing a devastating loss of life. Arrangements are now being made for the repatriation of Mr O'Callaghan-Westropp's body from Greece, and the Herald understands that it is hoped that this may happen later this week, around Thursday. Meanwhile, more details are emerging of how the tragedy unfolded. The Sunday World reported yesterday that the couple had fled their rented holiday home as the fire moved in, but couldn't start their car, so took off on foot. A driver motioned for them to get into the boot of a car, which was the only space available. The car was stuffed with six children and three adults. A firefighter who came upon the car later rescued Ms Holohan from the boot. She was given first-aid treatment at the fire station by a nurse, and rushed to hospital in Athens. The firefighter said that everyone in the car would have died in minutes had they not been rescued there and then, amid the intense heat. Mr O'Callaghan-Westropp had been lost somewhere along the journey. His body was formally identified last Wednesday. The fire has claimed the lives of at least 88 people and injured dozens more. Hundreds of mourners yesterday gathered at a memorial service in a church in Mati where they lit candles in memory of those who died. The senior local Greek Orthodox Church official, Bishop Kyrillos, presided over the service at Dormition of the Virgin Mary Church in Mati. He said the community was mourning the loss of family, neighbours and friends. It comes as rescue crews are still looking for survivors of the blaze. Volunteer divers have been searching the sea off Mati looking for the bodies of more possible victims. The wildfire left the area dotted with burnt-out trees, ashen earth and destroyed buildings as a vast clean-up operation continues. Meanwhile, the 'Brian O'Callaghan-Westropp Memorial' fundraising page set up by college friends of the deceased man on the GoFundMe website had by yesterday afternoon exceeded its original 5,000 goal. Mr O'Callaghan-Westropp had been studying for a Masters of Business Administration at the National College of Ireland at night, and he was remembered as someone whose "enthusiasm, passion and zest for life were infectious". The proceeds of the fundraiser will go to Ms Holohan "to try to help her through this most difficult time", the organiser said. Mr O'Callaghan-Westropp lived and worked in Dublin, but was a native of Co Clare, where books of condolences were signed over the weekend. Local people in St Senan's Parish, Shannon, in the diocese of Killaloe, paid their respects at the Jubilee Chapel of Mary Immaculate Church and SS John and Paul Church. Meanwhile, Greek authorities continue to investigate the cause of the blaze. Officials suspect arson because the wildfire appears to have started at three different locations simultaneously. A mother who made desperate pleas for the public's help in a bid to keep her daughter alive is over the moon after reaching the fundraising target to get "ground-breaking" treatment. Bernadette Dornan Smyth never expected her emotional outpouring over attempts to raise 326,000 for her 13-year-old daughter Robyn's medical care would inspire donations. The family from Whitehall will travel to the US on Wednesday for ground-breaking treatment where Robyn will be the first Irish person to be admitted onto the treatment trial after fighting the aggressive cancer, neuroblastoma, since the age of three. Robyn was accepted on the new trial treatment at the New York hospital several months ago following two scans while attending the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Michigan. However, not having the money to pay for the treatment meant it could not go ahead and as a result Robyn's health started to deteriorate. Bernadette can't stop worrying about the financial costs after the upfront bill for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York is paid. Expand Close Robyn has been fighting the aggressive cancer since she was three / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Robyn has been fighting the aggressive cancer since she was three "We reached the magic mark of having enough money to pay for the ground-breaking trial treatment over the weekend and all of the family can't put into words how grateful and relieved we are," Bernadette said. Relieved "My head was spinning at the thought of getting Robyn this far and not being able to get her on the trial that could potentially put an end to this monster. We don't know what the future holds, but because of you we have hope. "We are all so relieved but worried too. After we make the upfront payment to the hospital then there will be no money left. "So I'm pleading with people to keep donating as there will be non-stop flight and living costs while in the US. Obviously we will be using up as much as our personal finances as well. "I've come this far for my daughter who doesn't know what it's like to live a life without sickness and I'll fight and fight to keep with us. "Our flight on Wednesday can't come half soon enough. The hospital's medical team will meet with Robyn on Thursday so we are really hoping they are optimistic. "Robyn's health battles have obviously affected our family on every level over the years and it hasn't been easy, but it has made us strong too, and we will never give up on her." Up until last month fundraising had stalled and just 70,000 had been raised. The plea led to Erin McGregor, sister of UFC star Conor, starting a floss dance challenge in a desperate bid to help save Robyn's life, whom she had been secretly helping. Donations can be made on robynslife@live.com, idonate.ie/robynslife and gofundme.com/robynslife. Gardai are continuing their investigations into the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl at an Irish college in the west of the country. The incident happened in the Inverin area of Co Galway. It has been alleged that the 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a male student. The assault is said to have taken place in the grounds of the college. Gardai said no arrests have been made, but their investigations are continuing. The assault was reported to gardai in Galway on the day of the alleged offence. An investigation by specialist officers was launched immediately. The girl was taken to the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) in Galway where she received treatment. The SATUs - of which there are six across the country - provide specialist treatment for people aged 14 or older who have been subjected to rape or other sexual assault. A garda spokeswoman told the Herald that local officers were investigating the "alleged sexual assault of a juve- nile female", which is said to have taken place on Saturday, July 21. The investigation has been described as "particularly sensitive" due to the age of those involved. Charges It has been reported that the suspect in the case is a 17-year-oldboy. It is understood he was a student at the Irish college where the alleged sexual assault took place. Gardai will prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who will decide whether to put forward charges in relation to the incident. There are several Irish colleges in the Inverin Gaeltacht area and nearby Spideal. They are popular with students from Dublin and the rest of the country. The Irish college in question has remained open following the complaint of the alleged sexual assault. Typically, students are enrolled in three-week courses at the Gaeltacht colleges. They must observe strict rules in relation to speaking Irish-only. Visits from family members are usually allowed on weekends at most Irish language schools. Breast cancer is treatable and may be avoidable. What you need to know Commendable work by Hon. Minister Sushma Swaraj ji and Indian High Commission in Malaysia. Indian Hindus also expect that Sushma ji should look into the issue of persecution of Hindus in Islamic countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh ! Editor, Hindujagruti New Delhi : An Indian abducted in Malaysia has been rescued by the police there and three Pakistani nationals have been arrested in connection with the case, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday. The Indian national, identified as Sanjeev from Madhya Pradesh, was rescued by the Royal Malaysian police on Saturday. Abducted Sanjeev has been rescued. The Royal Malaysian Police has arrested three Pakistani abductors in the case. Indian ambassador Mridul (Kumar) and his team deserve praise, the minister tweeted. The Indian High Commission in Malaysia, in a tweet, said, Abducted boy Sanjeev got released from the abductors by the Royal Malaysian Police from Johor state on 28 July. Indian High Commission was in constant touch with police during the operation. Heartiest congratulations to the police authorities for speedy action. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also expressed his happiness over the rescue of Sanjeev and thanked the ministry of external affairs, Indian high commission in Malaysia and the Royal Malaysian police for their speedy action. Under the leadership of @SushmaSwaraj, safety & security of Indians living abroad is the topmost priority of our govt, he said on Twitter. Source : TOI If Frances McDormands Oscars speech earlier this year was a clear call to action for Inclusion Riders to promote diversity, video streaming giant Netflix decided to go about this differently against answering that call. For the uninitiated: an Inclusion Rider is a provision added to an actors contract ensuring equity of race, sex and authenticity to match or reflect the demography of where the story is taking place, according to Dr Stacey Smith, professor, University of Southern California, who coined the term with Kalpana Kotagal, civil rights and employment practice attorney. Put simply, its about diversity of content and cast. Netflix, though, isnt keen on box-ticking, having said that it is not so big on doing everything through agreements and is trying to do things creatively. Theres a strong business case for Netflix to do this: With 125 million subscribers of which only 56.71million are in the US (according to Statista/CNN Money), Netflix is catering to viewers all over. At a time when minorities and vulnerable communities are demanding their space in the mainstream, it is the responsibility of the media to represent them in true light and right spirit. Provisions and clauses are not the only means to necessitate diversity and plurality of expression. If its adaptation of Vikram Chandras book Sacred Games, Netflixs first Indian original, is any indication, the company has got it right. The series shows the viewer (who could be anywhere in the world) an authentic representation of Mumbai in all its paradoxical glory. Poverty, violence, corruption, caste prejudices, are all portrayed, along with the other standard elements that make Mumbai the city of dreams. American TV too, is seeing a rise in more realistic shows : Orange Is The New Black, Queer Eye, Dear White People, and a number of docu-series on a wide range of social issues portray things as they are (well, almost) . Dear White People tries not to limit itself to the most common stereotype of black, thuggish men most often seen on screen, with a pivotal character being a scrawny, gay, black student coming to terms with, accepting and owning his identity, all while pursuing journalism. Similarly, sci-fi drama Sense 8, ensures that characters across the world are indigenous to the ethnic group that they play, including the lead Indian characters. Most Indian TV remains years behind, though, continuing to be shadowed by the drama and glamour of Bollywood. In an interview where Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Wkabi in Black Panther, excitedly talks about one of the scenes: If I saw this as a kid, I wouldnt have felt like such a weirdo. You (the black community) feel weird growing up because theres nothing that looks like you on TV. This may slowly wane across mainstream media, although it will take some time to address all the nuances. For instance, news that Scarlett Johansson would play a trans man, stirred up emotive conversation about the need for the industry to open its doors to the LGBTQ+ community to represent their community on screen, for talent lies on both sides of Hollywoods blinkers. Johansson eventually decided against this. And Paralympian actress Katy Sullivan criticised Dwayne Johnson for playing an amputee in Skyscraper because she felt Hollywoods disabled actors should have the agency to tell our own stories. marika.gabriel@htdigital.in Whenever a celebrity dates a regular Joe, much of the media attention (and naturally so) goes to the celeb -- from following her/his Instagram posts to what she or he has to say about love and longing, everything is minutely covered. Thats predictable. However, a twist in the tale can make for a rather interesting copy. What does the significant other think of the world of celebdom, for instance. Now, thats what happened when Andrew Kneebone was asked about life with his actor-girlfriend Ileana DCruz. The Aussie photographer interacted with Instagrammers as part of the new feature, Ask Me A Question. While answering the query, What is the one thing you dislike about Ileana but cant tell her? the Mumbai Mirror quoted him as saying: She looks so damn beautiful all the time I mean sometimes I cant get anything done because I just look at her and boom! two hours pass. Said like a man much in love. On the question as to whom would he pick between his partner and his photography, he was quick with a repartee. He said, I use photography to capture memories of those I love so one cant exist without the other. To the question of how he copes with being the boyfriend of a celebrity, he said that when they are in Australia, he doesnt even realise she is a celebrity, particularly when they are with friends and family or simply by themselves. However, every once in a while, a news appears (which according to him is generally not true) and it totally freaks him out. To the query of how he was handling his newfound fame, he quiped: I literally think the sun shines out of my ar*e. To the question as to how much of Hindi can he manage, he replied saying that while he has picked words like acha and ticke (theekh hai), his Hindi is completely useless and that he gets by with pointing and a good thumbs-up. And while his favourite star is Saurabh Shukla, he would love to play a villain or a barista, if given an opportunity in Bollywood, he said. Follow @htshowbiz for more Since Sunday, speculation has been rife in certain sections of the media that former Bollywood couple, Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Khan, is all set to remarry. However, these are but rumours. Rubbishing reports, a source close to the couple was quoted by Deccan Chronicle as saying that there was no truth in the news. A remarriage between Sussanne and Hrithik at the moment is more of wishful thinking. They are right now taking out time together whenever the need arises to be with their children and making sure that they get the best from their parents. Since they parted ways, the divorced couple has, in fact, continued to go out on film dates and holidays with their children Hrehaan and Hridaan. They had earlier said they would continue to co-parent their sons. The source further explained that both Hrithik and Sussanne are independent, free thinking individuals and will take a call if they are sure they want to get back together as a married couple. Only they could decide that and that till then people should desist from speculating. In fact, it may recalled that the two, despite their differences and eventual divorce, have always supported each other in times of need. Hrithik has always supported Sussannes career choices post her divorce and often rubbished reports like she demanding an expensive alimony as her divorce settlement. She, on her part, has stood by him when the tides turned against him as was the case when the Kangana Ranaut-Hrithik Roshan fight was at its peak. There is no doubt that this one of the most-loved Bollywood couple. Follow @htshowbiz for more Salman Khans films are always in the news but the press that Bharat has been getting since Friday is for an entirely different reason Priyanka Chopra leaving the film ostensibly to get married to Nick Jonas and the search for her replacement after the film began its shoot. Well, the search ends now and Bharats new leading lady is Katrina Kaif, confirmed films director Ali Abbas Zafar. Katrina will star opposite Salman in Bharat and will begin shooting for the film in September. Salman and Katrina have worked in many films earlier including the highly successful Tiger Zinda Hai and Ek Tha Tiger as well as films such as Partner, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya and many more. Ali Abbas had directed the duo in Tiger Zinda Hai. Salman and Katrina make for one of the most beloved Bollywood jodis and their fans will be over the moon with the Bharat announcement. The duo also performed on Dabangg tour recently. The Bharat director said, I am extremely excited to work with Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan once again for Bharat. We have had exciting collaborations in the past and it is very interesting to work with the duo once again. It is very delightful to work with the immensely talented actress yet again. The film has already begun the first schedule including a grand circus sequence featuring Salman and Disha Patani. Priyanka Chopra walked out of Salman Khans Bharat last week. On Friday morning, Ali had confirmed that Priyanka had quit Bharat with a rather interesting tweet. He wrote, Yes Priyanka Chopra is no more part of Bharat the film and the reason is very very special, she told us in the Nick of time about her decision and we are very happy for her. Team Bharat wishes Priyanka Chopra loads of love and happiness for life. Later in the day, People magazine confirmed Priyanka and her boyfriend Nick Jonas are indeed engaged. While Salmans father Salim Khan and Ali were at pains to say that they have nothing against Priyanka for leaving Bharat, the CEO of Reel Life Productions, Nikhil Namit, whos producing the film, called the actor unprofessional. Priyanka told us she had to exit due to her engagement, two days ago. It was a little unprofessional of her to do it so suddenly, he was quoted as saying in Mid-Day. Over the weekend, Ali had tweeted that the films new leading lady will be announced soon. Yes yes yes ... we will announce the leading lady of Bharat soon.. We have been shooting non-stop and the simultaneously preparing for international schedules, he tweeted on Saturday morning. Bharat went on floors earlier this month with the first schedule being that of a pivotal circus sequence. Salman Khans Bharatalso stars Disha Patani, Tabu and Nora Fatehi. The film will feature Salman Khan sporting five different looks and will span over 60 years. Salman Khans Karan-Arjun look will be recreated for the film. Bharat will be shot in Malta and Abu Dhabi, besides Punjab and Delhi in India. Bharat, produced by Atul Agnihotris Reel Life Production Pvt. Ltd and Bhushan Kumars T-Series, will release on Eid 2019. The history of the nation wont record the names of Shikha, Manasi or Parul in its pages. Why should it be bothered about them? It is used to chronicling only the affairs of heroes, villains and court jesters. The joys and sorrows of ordinary people dont usually find a place in our historical tomes. You may be wondering which section of people am I talking about on Monday morning. Let me inform you: three innocent girls died last week in Delhis Mandawali area. The post-mortem revealed that their stomachs did not have even a single trace of food. In other words, they had not eaten for many days. You can well imagine what these girls underwent in their in final moments! They might not have understood the dictionary meaning of the word hunger, but they lost their life because of it. At the time these girls were dying of starvation, their mentally ill mother, too, was with them in their dilapidated hut. Owing to her mental ailment as well as a language problem, the native of West Bengal couldnt even seek help from her neighbours. When the girls were about to die, Mangal, their father, was away looking for work on the streets of the national capital. Mangal had left his home in rural West Bengal two years ago and moved to New Delhi in search of employment. For lack of any other job, he had become a rickshaw-puller. Even the rickshaw was snatched away by local goons. On the one hand, his source of income dried up, on the other, the rickshaw owner was putting pressure on him to return the money. Even his landlord threw him out owing to his inability to pay the rent. Who says the Capital cares for the entire nation? A few other questions are tormenting my mind. Is this the ground reality in the worlds sixth biggest economy? The truth about the governance of popular West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is that people are being forced to migrate from the state. When will the central and state governments, busy fighting for power in Delhi, talk about these issues? Which politician will take the lead to ensure that nobody else dies of hunger? On Thursday, some MPs raised this issue in Parliament, but it was more political posturing than a serious debate on hunger. Why dont our honourable lawmakers display some unity on such poignant issues? Since Mangal and his family are neither Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, nor those displaced from Kashmir, nobody has the time or inclination to pay attention to their plight. The doctors who conducted the post-mortem on the children were shocked to see that their fat levels had crashed to zero. Or in other words, despite the absence of any food in their stomachs, their fat levels had kept them alive for a few days. And when even the fats vanished, the girls went into a coma. Doctors told reporters that the girls were suffering from such severe malnutrition that their bones were visible under their skin. Why did these children, aged two, four and eight have to die such a tragic death? Until the time these lines were being written, Mangal was absconding. Despite knowing very well that the girls died of starvation, the police conducted another autopsy. We have no objection if they treat the deaths of a destitutes family with suspicion, but who is responsible for ensuring that those who snatched away Mangals cycle rickshaw are also punished? It is being said that he was a drug addict. Whose responsibility is it to punish those peddling drugs to him? Poverty can kill you in a number of ways. Penury often drives such people to drug addiction and the repercussions are suffered by the family members of the poor. It is a fact that 3,000 children die of malnutrition in the country every day. Let me point out the difference between malnutrition and hunger here. Clever governments are afraid of telling people that death by hunger is a bitter fact of life in the country even today. Thats why the post-mortem reports always say that the person died of malnutrition. It is pertinent to realise that 34 out of 1,000 children born in the country die in the mothers womb itself. Nine lakh children below the age of five die much before they can comprehend the meaning of independent India and approximately 19 crore people in the country are compelled to sleep on an empty stomach. From Kalahandi to Delhi, death by hunger is fast becoming a tragic reality in the country. When will our governments make an effort to overcome this crisis? Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan letters@hindustantimes.com After a temporary closure of the old Yamuna bridge that led to the cancellation of 27 passenger trains and diversion of seven others Monday morning, the Railways restored traffic on the bridge around noon. Rail traffic on old Yamuna bridge has been restored. Railways engineers are continuously monitoring the situation at the site, Northern Railways CPRO Nitin Chowdhary said. Earlier on Sunday, the Railways temporarily closed the old Yamuna bridge, also called Loha Pul, as the water level in the river reached 205.53 metres. About 3,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas of Delhi to makeshift camps as the water level in the river rose on Sunday, reaching its highest level in the last five years a day after breaching the danger mark, government officials said. We have set up around 550 tents and evacuated around 3,000 people. Food, water and other amenities such as electricity and toilets are being provided. Some people are unwilling to shift, a Delhi government official said. Such camps were being set up after a gap of two years as the level of water in the river had not swollen to this extent since 2013, he said. The water level touched 205.5 metres around 5pm on Sunday. The last time it breached the 205 metres was in 2013 when the water level touched 207.3 metres. In 2013 Haryana, had released around 8 lakh cusecs of water on a single day. This time the maximum water Haryana has released so far is around 6 lakh cusecs. It was released on Saturday evening, said an official of the irrigation and flood control department (I&FC), requesting not to be named. The water level is likely to rise to 206.6 metres in the next 48 hours, as it takes at least two days for the water to reach Delhi after being released from Haryanas Hathnikund Barrage, around 200km north of Delhi. The national capital suffered its worst flood in 1978 when the water level in the Yamuna had touched a record 207.49 metres. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday took stock of the ongoing evacuation work. The Delhi government has pressed about 350 officials from the revenue department, flood and irrigation department, Public Works Department, and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority into evacuation work. Around 250 officials from the Delhi Police have also conducting checks in affected areas, making announcement to warn residents. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar held an emergency meeting on Sunday to review the situation in Yamunanagar district, where an alert was declared in the wake of rising level of Yamuna river due to heavy rains in the catchment areas. The Yamuna passes through Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat districts in Haryana before entering Delhi. Khattar made an aerial survey of the affected regions, which included 65 villages. He announced a compensation for farmers and said affected areas would be assessed to study the damage caused to crops. Though rain has abated in the national capital, heavy spells in the upper catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have led to a sharp rise in level of the Yamuna in Delhi. Evacuation of people, mostly farmers and cattle grazers in the low-lying areas of the floodplain, began on Saturday after the Delhi government issued a flood alert. The India Metrological Department (IMD), however, said on Sunday the intensity of rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is likely to decrease in the next three-four days, which could improve the situation in Delhi. According to I&FC department officials, around 15,000-20,000 families living on the river floodplains have been affected by the rising water. The affected areas include Old Railway Bridge, Akshardham, Geeta Colony, Okhla, Garhi Mandu, Madanpur Khadar, and Usmanpur, among others. (With inputs from agencies) Lieutenant governor Anil Baijals office issued a statement on Sunday evening saying that some misconception was being spread about the draft rules for regulation of installation of CCTVs after chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tore a copy of the draft rules and said the government was going to go ahead with the cameras without seeking licences. The Opposition too criticised the chief ministers mega meet and called his act of tearing the report a political gimmick. It is reiterated that the draft rules put out for public suggestions/objections/feedback by the committee have only prescribed a reporting mechanism not a licensing mechanism....The rules have been put out in public domain for suggestions so that a proper framework for installation of CCTV in the city can be evolved, the statement said. The L-G office said that in the past there have been instances of misuse of CCTVs for intrusion and for invading the privacy of individuals and stressed the need for a framework for installing and operating the cameras. Kejriwal, late on Sunday night, replied to L-G in a tweet and said Sir, we r not putting cameras in peoples bedrooms. I fail to understand what purpose wud be served by making police license mandatory for CCTV cameras?(sic). Sir, we r not putting cameras in peoples bedrooms. I fail to understand what purpose wud be served by making police license mandatory for CCTV cameras? Height of license raaj. https://t.co/MlUF9fpkDQ Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 29, 2018 Leader of opposition at Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta too said that tearing the draft report was a political gimmick and the meeting was a political rally. In the last three-and-a-half years, the government has failed to govern and not delivered promises like WiFi, Lokpal, Swaraj Bill or CCTV. On one hand Kejriwal tears the draft report but on the other hand Satyendar Jain writes to L-G to extend the last date seeking comments on the report, he said. East Delhi RWAs Joint Front, president, BS Vohra said that the event seemed like apolitical rally. Vohra said volunteers were ferried in buses from different areas. The CM just spoke what he wanted. There was no one to one communication with RWA as what they wanted, he said. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday transport minister Kailash Gehlot will visit people evacuated from low-lying areas of the city after the water level in the Yamuna river breached the danger amid criticism that his government was not doing enough for the displaced. Directed Kailash Gehlotji, Minister-in-charge, to visit the area alongwith all officers and ensure proper arrangements (sic), Kejriwal tweeted and attached a report about people complaining of no arrangements from the Delhi government. Officials said about 3,000 people were moved to makeshift camps and traffic was suspended on the Old Yamuna Bridge as the water level in the river continued to rise on Sunday, reaching its highest level in the last five years a day after breaching the danger mark. Will visit this area around 9.30 a.m. along with Divisional Commissioner and other officers to ensure that all arrangements are in place, Gehlot tweeted. Will visit this area around 9.30 am along with Div Com and other officers to ensure that all arrangements are in place. https://t.co/vIiz1CBWsZ Kailash Gahlot (@kgahlot) July 30, 2018 The authorities are evacuating more affected people to safer places. The rivers water level rose to 205.66 metres on Monday morning due to water discharge from Haryanas Hathnikund Barrage amid continuous rain in the catchment areas. Haryana had released 6,00,000 cusecs of water at 6pm on Saturday. Indian Railways officials said traffic on old Yamuna bridge has been restored after the water level of Yamuna was found to be safe enough for train traffic. News agency ANI cited the spokesperson of Northern Railway as saying that engineers are continuously monitoring the site and bridge health. Twenty-seven trains were cancelled and seven others diverted late on Sunday night after the railways temporary closed the Yamuna bridge, also called Loha Pul, as the water level in the river reached 205.53 metres. The water level in the Yamuna is likely to rise to 206.6 metres in the next 48 hours, a flood department official said, as it takes at least two days for the water to reach Delhi after being released from Hathnikund Barrage, around 200km north of Delhi. The barrage provides drinking water to New Delhi. The national capital suffered its worst flood in 1978 when the water level in the Yamuna had touched a record 207.49 metres. Around 15,000-20,000 families living on the river floodplains have been affected by the rising water, according to irrigation and flood control department officials. The affected areas include Old Railway Bridge, Akshardham, Geeta Colony, Okhla, Garhi Mandu, Madanpur Khadar, and Usmanpur, among others. Though rain has abated in the national capital, heavy spells in the upper catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have led to a sharp rise in the level of the Yamuna in Delhi. Evacuation of people, mostly farmers and cattle grazers in the low-lying areas of the floodplain, began on Saturday after the Delhi government issued a flood alert. The India Metrological Department (IMD) said on Sunday the intensity of rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is likely to decrease in the next three-four days, which could improve the situation in Delhi. With the water level in Yamuna swelling every day, memories of 2013 have again returned to haunt Dhruv Kumar and his family. The nine-member family has been once again been forced to abandon their farmland in the floodplains near east Delhis Gandhi Nagar and move to temporary camps. The last time I was forced to move out of my house was during the 2013 flood. My farmland got inundated and we had to move to camps, said Kumar. Kumar, his wife, their five children and his brother Mahinder have temporarily relocated to a camp set up opposite Gandhi Nagar market in east Delhi. We have set up around 25 tents in front of Gandhi Nagar market with a capacity to accommodate around 150-200 people. We are providing these people basic amenities like drinking water, mobile toilets, electricity and food, said a senior government official from Shahdara district. Dhurav Kumar and Jaynti with their children shifted to tents set up by the Delhi government after alerts of Yamuna River water level rise in New Delhi, India, on Sunday, July 29, 2018. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO) At least three similar campsites have been set up in Shahdara district alone where around 400-500 people can take shelter. Ambulances have been kept on standby near these campsites. I still dont know when the waters will recede and when we can return home. This is going to be a massive loss for us as we were growing some vegetables. In the 2013 flood, we suffered a loss of more than Rs 1 lakh, said Kumars wife Jayanti. Oblivious of the hardships ahead, the children were having a good time at the camp. I dont think we will have to go to school for the next few days. We can now play all day. I had a lunch of puri and sabzi, said 7-year-old Pitu. A separate area was demarcated near the campsite to keep cattle and other domestic animals. As a majority of tents remained vacant, civil defence volunteers were seen visiting nearby shanties to make announcements on loudspeakers about the rising water level. People were asked move to camps as the water could enter their homes. We have been seeing on the news that the water level is rising. It was then we decided to start packing our belongings as we were certain we would be evacuated. The same things happened in 2013 as well. Our house was washed away then, said Prakash Rai, whose shanty was located next to Kumar. Even though the flood is not expected to affect the main city, experts said people living illegally on the floodplains were going to be at risk. They are mostly farmers, cattle grazers and daily labourers who live in shanties along the river. At least 3,000 people have been evacuated so far. Around 550 tents have been set up. More would be set up and more people would be evacuated from the low lying areas on the floodplains if the water level rises, said a senior official of the government. But not everyone was willing to move. Officials involved in the evacuation said there were some families who refused to move. We have seen such floods before as well. It rises and then recedes. Let the water come to our doorsteps. We will move out then. We told the same thing to the officials who were asking us to move, said Sher Singh, a daily labourer who stays with his family of six on the floodplains close to the iron bridge. The final draft of the National Register of Citizens was released on Monday. The exercise, which is essentially a categorisation of all Indian citizens in Assam, is an outcome of a Supreme Court order, but has its roots in Assams contentious politics. There has been a widely shared conviction among indigenous Assamese in the state that illegal immigration has changed the demographic complexion of the state and could well alter its politics. This formed the bedrock of the students agitation in the state in the 1980s, has shaped anti-immigrant campaigns since then, and influenced even the Bharatiya Janata Partys campaign in the state elections of 2016 where it promised to deport outsiders. The sharp focus has been on Muslim migrants from Bangladesh in particular In this backdrop, the NRC is a one-of-its-kind exercise which, through a careful process of documentation, seeks to compile a list of all citizens of the state. The process has generated anxieties in Assam, where many are fearful of missing out because of inadequate evidence of their provenance. Minorities in particular, have harboured a suspicion that in the process of excluding Bangladeshis, indigenous Muslims may also be stripped of rights. Mondays list excludes about four million of the over 32 million people of the state. But the government has been quick to emphasise that this must not be considered the final list; it does not mean that those four million who do not find their names are illegal immigrants; they will have a chance to put forth evidence; and even once the final list is out, there will be legal avenues to prove their citizenship. Citizenship forms the basis of modern states. Deprived of formal citizenship, a person cannot enjoy political, civil, social and economic rights and is reduced to statelessness. It would be gross injustice if any citizen is deprived of this right. At the same time, citizenship is also a privilege -- and it would be unfair to grant citizenship to those who are not genuine citizens. This generates resentment and produces toxic politics. The NRC exercise has to strike this balance. It must not exclude, and not be seen as excluding, citizens, especially because they belong to a particular community. At the same time, it has to maintain the integrity of the process. The government is correct to assure people there is no reason to panic; political parties too must not inflame passions at either end. The process is necessary and must be dealt with caution and fairness. Legislation from one of President Donald Trumps most vocal opponents in Congress would take aim at the approach to education civil rights probes adopted by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Last week, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., introduced the Education Department Civil Rights Transparency Act , which would require the Department of Education to disclose academic institutions that were the subject of investigations by the departments office for civil rights. The legislation would also require the department to post agreements between the Education Department and academic institutions, including the effectiveness of steps taken by the institutions to address civil rights issues. DeVos approach to civil rights has been one of the most controversial elements of her tenure. The secretary has changed the departments process for how it reviews and investigates civil rights complaints , as part of a general change in how DeVos and her team approach civil rights investigations DeVos has said that she is committed to improving the efficiency and speed at which the office for civil rights handles cases, in order to better serve more students. However, Democrats on Capitol Hill and several advocacy groups have reacted in alarm . They say that the department under DeVos will simply shunt aside many legitimate civil rights complaints. Under the Trump administration, the Education Department has revoked Obama-era guidance to schools that supporters saw as a step forward for the civil rights of transgender students and for racial diversity in education . Critics of these Obama administration initiatives say they were improperly burdensome for schools. The Obama administration posted resolutions in civil rights cases online. The Education Department under Trump posts some details about pending civil rights investigations online , including the name of the school district and the type of violation alleged, but not the name of the school itself. In a statement, Waters said she had looked on in horror at how DeVos had handled civil rights investigations. Betsy DeVos has launched a full-on assault on civil rights protections for studentsparticularly students of color, students with disabilities, transgender students, and survivors of sexual assaultall in the name of greater efficiency. However, a Department of Education that ignores its mandate to enforce federal civil rights laws isnt efficient, its delinquent, she said. In addition to the elements listed above, Waters bill would also require the Education Department to publicly disclose: Instances in which the Department determines a complaint does not allege a civil rights violation over which it has jurisdictionfor instance, if a student alleges discrimination based on gender identity and the Department does not consider that allegation to be a civil rights issue. Any changes made, in the preceding year, to the manual used by the Departments Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to investigate complaints of civil rights violations. Any complaints dismissed for administrative or procedural reasons, and for such complaints, whether the Department offered the complainant the opportunity to correct the administrative or procedural error(s). Waters bill doesnt stand much of a chance this Congress, but it does reinforce Democrats anti-DeVos message heading into the midterm elections as the party seeks to take back control of the House. Photo: Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., center, and other members of Congress finish a news conference as they introduce the Secure America from Russian Interference Act, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 19, 2018. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 92 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said July 30. Armenias armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. The Central Board of Secondary Education on Tuesday declared the result and revised answer key of National Eligibility Test 2018. The provisional answer key of the exam held on July 8 and July 22 of Paper 2 at a centre in Allahabad was released recently and the last day to raising objections was July 27. Here is the direct link to check your result. Here is the direct link to check the revised answer key Candidates can check their results on cbseresults.nic.in and cbsenet.nic.in . CBSE UGC NET result 2018: Steps to check 1) Visit the official website of CBSE results at cbseresults.nic.in 2) Click on the link for CBSE - UGC Net Examination - July 2018 3) Enter your application number, roll number and date of birth on the login page that opens 4) Submit 5) The result will be displayed on the screen The education board conducted the UGC NET 2018 exam in 91 cities at 2,082 centres across the country in 84 different subjects for 11,48,235 registered candidates. This is the maximum number of candidates to have registered ever for the exam. The CBSE conducts UGC NET on the behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to determine the eligibility of candidates for the post of assistant professor in Indian universities and colleges as well as the Junior Research Fellowship. Police in Haryanas Gurugram on Sunday withdrew the no objection certificates (NOCs) issued to 10 out of 15 nightclubs in MG Road to ensure law and order after residents complained of sex trade in the stretch visited by thousands on weekends, an allegation refuted by the bar owners. Police drew up a list of clubs allegedly involved in prostitution and recommended the states excise department to withdraw their licences. I have directed my team to take prompt action against anyone indulging in illegal activities. We do not want residents to travel all the way here and decide against visiting a mall... commissioner of police KK Rao said. Rao had written to deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh on July 24 informing the administration of his departments decision to withdraw the NOCs. He also wrote to the excise and taxation department seeking the cancellation of their licences in public interest. We have sent the file to our headquarters in Panchkula, which grants licences to clubs. Now, it is up to our higher-ups to take the final call, Sneh Lata Yadav, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (east), said. These clubs include Prison, Ipsa, Odyssee, Sydney and Ignite in Sahara Mall, Empire, Queen, and Phantom in MGF Metropolitan Mall and King and Ion in JMD Regent Mall. Residents of the colonies around MG Road and members of mall association celebrated after state forest and public works department minister Rao Narbir Singh, along with officials of district administration and police, announced the withdrawal of NOCs. I had promised the residents that I will return their Mall Mile glory and the first hurdle is over. The nightclubs cannot operate without the police NOC and the excise officials have assured that they will support our decision, Singh said. We cannot play with the reputation of the city, which hit the headlines for the wrong reasons over the last few days, the minister added. Residents said they were hopeful the Mall Mile glory will be restored after the police crackdown and that there have already been signs of a change over the last one month. Residents had stopped visiting these malls for last five years and we had even complained to the CM Window. Prostitutes are solicited at the clubs and they are taken to unauthorised guest houses on MG Road and nearby areas. These guests houses must be closed without further delay, Rajeev Sinha, former president, residents welfare association (RWA), Essel Tower, said. A majority of pubs on MG Road Mall Mile had turned into hotbeds of flesh trade and drug peddling, making these establishments a security nightmare for residents visiting them. Withdrawal of licences will ensure law and order and a crime-free ambience for people in the neighbourhood, Akash Oberoi, vice president, MGF Metropolitan Mall, said. Our demand has been met and we now want regular monitoring by the police on the stretch to keep crime at bay, president of the residents welfare association of DLF Phase 2, Umesh Gupta, said. The residents had held a candlelight vigil on July 22 to show solidarity with the administration for cracking down against alleged prostitution and illegal solicitation in the malls on MG Road. Club owners and their employees, however, denied the allegations and protested the action against them. The owners said the department had renewed their licences three months ago for which they paid nearly Rs 4.5 crore as licence fee and that they are paying hefty excise and taxes to the government. They also said that the 1,500 people will lose their jobs. The protesting owners alleged police visit their clubs regularly and make videos of the premises because of which customers have stopped visiting their establishments. There are 15 clubs on MG Road and only 10 have been targeted. This smacks of discrimination. They (the police) should either close all 15 clubs or allow all of them to operate, the president of MG Road Club Association, Vijaypal Yadav, said. Seven people, including two nightclub owners, were arrested on July 4 from Sahara Mall and MGF Mall for their alleged involvement in sex trade after a midnight raid. Four more, including two nightclub dancers, were arrested on July 19. As many as 55 security personnel and civilians have lost their lives in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and international border with Pakistan this year so far, the government told Rajya Sabha on Monday. These were the highest number of casualties compared to the last three years. The number of cease-fire violations has also been the highest in 2018, recording a sharp spike compared to the previous three years. Figures shared by minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre in the Upper House, in response to a question, revealed that the casualties due to border violations by Pakistan were the highest in 2018, compared to the annual count for the last three years. The count of security men and civilians killed stood at 31 in 2017 and 26 each for the two preceding years, according to the governments figures. Of the 55 people killed this, 28 were civilians. Twelve civilians were killed in cease-fire violations in 2017, 13 in 2016 and 16 the year before. The minister said Pakistan security forces violated the ceasefire 1,432 times till July 23 this year, including 942 violations along the volatile LoC. In 2017, when India carried out surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the count of border violations by Pakistan was 971, including 860 along the LoC. The total number of border violations by Pakistan in 2016 and 2015 stood at 854, including 380 at the LoC. On the spike in border violations by Pakistan and the resulting casualties, former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General BS Jaswal (retd) said the Indian Army had become very proactive along the LoC and was taking punitive action against cease-fire violations by the neighbouring army and Pakistan was also responding. I can confidently say that the comparative figures of casualties on Pakistani side will be higher than in India due to scale of our retaliation. After a brief lull, various Maratha outfits once again looked to spark their agitation for reservations into life with violent protests in western Maharashtra on Monday. As protestors resorted to violence and arson at various places, police were forced to fire teargas shells in the air and carry out a lathicharge in Chakan to quell the protests. Chakan, 40 kilometres from Pune, saw the most violence with protestors attacking a police station and damaging at least 100 vehicles. The Pune-Nashik highway near Khed was also blocked by protestors for more than four hours. This happened despite leaders from the Maratha outfits appealing to the community members not to indulge in violence. Inspector general (Kolhapur range) Vishwas Nagre Patil, said, Most violence occurred in Chakan and Khed-Rajgurunagar areas where around 30 vehicles were torched. The situation is now under control. The community has been protesting across the state for 10 days now, demanding reservations in government jobs and education. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As the Assam government gears up for the publication of the final draft list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Monday, the state is leaving nothing to chance on the law and order front. If anybody tries to break law, they will be dealt with severely. We are expecting no trouble since there are no misgivings in the minds of the people. The process has seen whole hearted participation from the public, said Kuladhar Saikia, the Assam director general of police. A top intelligence source, too, said they expect no trouble in the immediate aftermath of the publication of the final draft. But the state has beefed up its security arrangements. More than 100 companies of central paramilitary forces have been requisitioned by the state in addition to the 85 companies already deployed across the state. Interestingly, neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, too, have beefed up security along their borders fearing an influx from Assam. On Thursday, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal held a meeting with all superintendents of police and deputy commissioners to review the law and order situation. The state government has also initiated a mammoth exercise to reach out to the public to explain how they are remedies available to people left out of the final draft. The state police haves made sectoral plans in all districts, mapping the vulnerable areas. Apart from this the state has been divided into zones to be monitored by senior police officers, according to top police officials. The law and order machinery has also been asked to keep an eye out for hate messages on social media platforms. A team of techies is aiding the state police to monitor social media platforms. A man was detained in Hailakandi on Thursday after he posted a message on Facebook claiming the NRC has been ordered to exclude names of Bengali Muslims. A senior police official claimed how possibility of communal violence continues to be a big worry. A recent statement by Union minister Kiren Rijiju that Hindu Bangladeshis who have come till December 2014 have nothing to worry has not gone down well in Assam. Peoples participation is a must to maintain law and order. We have asked all the police officers in districts to reach out to the village defence committees and citizen committees, village headmen to sensitise them, Saikia said. A little over 4 million people in Assam, out of the 32.9 million in the state who applied to be included in the National Register of Citizens (NRC), have been left out of the complete draft of the contentious document released on Monday, although both the central and the state government were at pains to point out that the register is still a draft and that there is adequate recourse available to those not included. The NRC, which was first prepared for Assam in 1951, is being updated at the insistence of the Supreme Court, although it has been a longstanding demand of most political organisations in the state. The register is aimed at distinguishing the states citizens from illegal immigrants, mostly from Bangladesh. The first draft of the updated NRC, released on December 31 last year, listed 19 million people. Registrar General of India Sailesh (one name) and NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela announced in a press conference that out of a total of 32,991,384 applicants, only 28,983,677 were found eligible for inclusion. The complete draft has been published under supervision, monitoring and directions of the Supreme Court. It is a legal process and has been conducted in a transparent, fair, objective and meticulous manner, Sailesh said. Those whose names are missing include 248,000 doubtful voters whose cases are pending in foreigners tribunals, their siblings and their descendants. Adequate opportunity will be provided to the 4,007,707 whose names are not part of the complete draft. I would like to reassure every person that no genuine Indian citizen should have any fear of being left out, Sailesh said. It is a draft and anything which is a draft has to attain finality. Till then status quo will be maintained, he added. In Delhi, the central government said there is no need to panic and that those excluded from the draft will not be declared foreigners immediately, as such powers are vested only with tribunals. Union home minister Rajnath Singh said: No coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence, there is no need for anyone to panic. This is a draft and not the final list. Even someone whose name is not in the final list can approach the foreigners tribunal. He added that some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. I want to assure all that there is no need for any apprehension or fear. Some misinformation is also being spread. The NRC process has been done impartially, Singh said. Read | Assam releases NRC: All you need to know about National Register of Citizens Political opponents of the BJP government in the state and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre were quick to find fault with the exercise. Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the BJP governments execution of NRC was tardy. The government should move swiftly to resolve the crisis in Assam after reports that the names of many Indian citizens are missing in the draft National Register of Citizens, Gandhi said. In a Facebook post, Gandhi said the NRC was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singh to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985. However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP Governments at the centre and in the State of Assam leaves much to be desired, he said. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the Centre, accusing it of resorting to vote bank politics. This divide and rule policy will finish the country, she said at a press conference in Kolkata, alleging it was a game plan to isolate and throw out of the state Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Proceedings of the Rajya Sabha were disputed by the Opposition, including the Trinamool Congress and the Congress, over the issue, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for the day. It is not a political issue. It is a question of human rights... We need to look after Indian citizens. Please allow me to raise this issue sir, TMC member Derek OBrien said. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said: Home minister came all the way to the House. Neither the members were willing to say anything nor did they allow the House to function. Minister (independent charge) for development of north-eastern region Dr Jitendra Singh alleged that Congress and TMC are trying to make an issue where there is none as the whole exercise was monitored by the Supreme Court and it started during the United Progressive Alliance regime. The NDA government is just taking it forward. There is an effort to create political instability in the region as Congress has been politically wiped out from the North-east and the TMC is facing challenge from the BJP in West Bengal, he added. Read | Govt must convene all-party meeting on Assam NRC issue: Congress Interestingly, the Congresss local unit struck a more conciliatory note. It welcomed publication of the list, but expressed surprise at the large number of applicants excluded. State Congress chief Ripun Bora said names of many may have been kept out due to minor discrepancies in the documents submitted to provide citizenship. The fact that names of 4 million applicants are missing from the complete draft is not a small thing. But they can file claims to get names enlisted. We all want an error-free NRC that keeps foreigners out, said Badruddin Ajmal, a Lok Sabha MP and president of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). Ajmals own named was missing from the first draft of NRC released on December 31 but finds mention in the list released on Monday. Release of the complete draft is the outcome of a 38-year-long struggle that started with the Assam Agitation in 1979. The updated NRC is a big step towards solving the issue of illegal immigration to Assam, said Samujjal Bhattacharya, advisor to All Assam Students Union (AASU). Abhijeet Sharma of Assam Public Works (APW), an NGO, whose writ petition to the Supreme Court in 2009 led to the start of the NRC updating process in 2013, cautiously welcome publication of the complete draft I would say we have achieved only 40% success. Only when all claims and objections of those 40 lakh whose names are missing are settled, the complete NRC list published and names of foreigners removed can we claim complete success, he told journalists. Ahead of the publication of the list, there were fears that most of those excluded would be from the minority community. A senior home ministry official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the move to update the NRC is a secular exercise and no particular community was targeted. There were fears that the exclusions would result in some violence in the state but these proved unfounded. It is a historic moment for Assam. Theres no need for those whose names are missing to worry as they can file claims. I appeal to all citizens to maintain peace and tranquillity, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said. No single incident of violence or unrest related to NRC has been reported from anywhere in the state. We thank the people for cooperating and are monitoring the situation, Assam Police DGP Kuladhar Saikia said. Perhaps in a move aimed at keeping the peace the district-wise numbers werent released. We are not disclosing the district wise percentages of applicants whose names are missing as yet. It might lead to tension, Hajela said. Under the claims and objections exercise, three types of formsclaims, objections, correctionscan be availed after August 7. People can submit these forms from August 30 to September 28. On the ground, though, it was a day of disappointment for some and joy for many. Mohd. Azmal Hoque, a retired junior commissioned officer (JCO) of the Indian Army, was among the 4 million applicants who found his name missing. The 50-year-old, who retired after 30 years of service to the country, hit the headlines last year when he was summoned by a foreigners tribunal to prove that he was an Indian citizen. Haque managed to get relief from the tribunal after submitting his documents and was declared an Indian. But he was surprised on Monday to find his name and many of his family members missing from the complete draft. I was surprised that my name, my son and daughters names were missing from the list. My wife and mothers names were in the list. My elder brothers family is in the list, while all members of the younger brothers family have been left out, he said. BJP MLA from Borkhola, Kishore Nath, was a relieved man as his name and the names of his family members were in the complete draft. The legislator and six of his family members were summoned by a foreigners tribunal in May to prove citizenship. My name as well as those of my family members are in the complete draft. Our names were in the first draft as well, but since we had been summoned by the foreigners tribunal, there was apprehension of being left out, Nath said. Among those who are included in the list is Paresh Baruah, commander-in-chief of United Libertaion Front of Assam (Independent), the anti-talk faction of the banned outfit. Names of his wife and two sons were, however, missing. (HT Correspondents from Delhi contributed to this story) Publication of the complete draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam on Monday brought joy and relief to many whose names were in the list and cause for worry to those left out. Shiladitya Dev, BJP MLA from Hojai: While names of his family members were included in the first draft of NRC, the firebrand BJP legislators name who is known for his anti-Bangaldeshi stance, was missing. His name is in the complete draft released on Monday. Its a welcome step that the complete draft has been published. We have to work harder now to ensure that foreigners are kept out of electoral rolls..., said Dev Mohd. Azmal Hoque, Retd junior commissioned officer of Indian Army: Hoque hit headlines in 2017 when he was summoned by foreigners tribunal to prove that he was an Indian citizen. Names of Hoque, his two children and his younger brothers family are missing from Mondays list. His wife, mother and elder brothers family are in the list. It is really sad that even after the foreigners tribunal cleared my name, we have to prove that we are Indian citizens, said Hoque. Badruddin Ajmal, Lok Sabha MP from Assam: The name of Ajmal, president of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which is in opposition in Assam, was missing from the first draft of NRC released on December 31 last year. His name is in the complete draft. Names of 40 lakh missing from the draft is not a small thing. But those left out have a chance to file claims. We want an error-free complete NRC list, he said. Kisore Nath, BJP MLA from Borkhola: Despite their names in the first draft of NRC, Nath and his six family members were summoned by a foreigners tribunal in May to prove his citizenship. ...Our names were in the first draft as well, but since we were summoned by the tribunal, there was some apprehension of being left out, Nath said. Assam released the second and the final draft of the states National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Monday. The NRC was published online and available in all the NRC Sewa Kendras (NSK) across the state. Heres all you need to know about it: What is National Register of Citizens and why is it being updated? The National Register of Citizens is an exercise which was first carried out in 1951 to enumerate the citizens, their houses and holdings. Over the years, there has been a demand from the indigenous Assamese groups to update the NRC. A pilot project was initiated at two places in 2010. In Barpeta, police action on an anti-NRC protest led to four deaths and the project was shelved. It resumed after Cant order from the Supreme Court. Who is a citizen in Assam? Post the Assam agitation against foreigners, and the subsequent Assam Accord signed in 1985 between the government of India and the All Assam Students Union, the Citizenship Act, 1955, was amended. All Indian-origin people, including from Bangladesh who entered Assam before January 1, 1966, were deemed as citizens; those who came between January 1, 1966 and March 25 1971 could get citizenship after registering themselves and living for 10 years; and those who entered after March 25, 1971 were to be deported. How is the NRC being updated? People had to submit a form quoting legacy code, basically a PNR kind of unique code to establish their family or parental linkage before the cut-off date. Legacy documents include the electoral rolls up to March 25, 1971 and the 1951 NRC. Apart from the legacy documents, one could also furnish 12 other documents. Is the verification of documents enough to make your entry into NRC? For Original Inhabitants of Assam, the verification was done less vigorously. However, for the rest, as Prateek Hajela, the state coordinator, says mere documentary evidence is not the end of it. If there is a contradiction, which is appearing through some other means of verification, that also has to be properly explained. Which categories of people face exclusion from the updated list of the NRC? Those who have been declared foreigners and their descendants will be out of the NRC, those who have been marked as Doubtful voters or suspected illegal immigrants and their descendants, and those whose cases are pending in the foreigners tribunals and their descendants will be kept on hold till their cases are cleared by the foreigners tribunals. Does not having your name make you stateless or an illegal immigrant? No. They can file claims against the decision on a prescribed form. However, there are misgivings for in many instances they will again be submitting the same document which has been rejected in the initial rounds of verification. The Pratah Kamal Offset Printers, owned by Rahul Anand, son of Brajesh Kumar Thakur, the arrested operator of Muzaffarpur-based NGO, Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, has come under scrutiny of Press Information Bureau (PIB) and Bihar governments information and public relation department (IPRD). Thakur, who is an accredited journalist of PIB under the ministry of information and public relations, is the prime accused in the sexual exploitation of minor girls at a shelter home Balika Griha in Muzaffarpur that was run by his NGO. The IPRD cancelled his press accreditation card after an FIR was lodged against him on May 31. It has now begun investigation on the media house to find out whether he and his colleagues had ever misused facilities accorded to accredited journalists. PIB director general, Sitanshu Kar, confirmed Thakurs accreditation. Talking over phone from New Delhi, he said, I am not aware how he got the PIB accreditation. I will go through the related papers and will initiate suitable action if we find any anomaly, he said. According to the PIB list of accredited journalists, Thakur is listed at serial number 422 as correspondent of Pratah Kamal. A PIB official, on condition of anonymity, said the Thakur family enjoyed much influence in PIB. It can be gauged from the fact that he was also allotted a government accommodation under the PIB-accredited journalist quota in a posh locality of the National Capital Region (NCR), where Thakur had his Delhi office, said the official. Thakur had been running three daily newspapers, one each in Hindi, English and Urdu from the three-storied building in Muzaffarpurs downtown, Sahu Road, where the shelter home was located on the ground floor. The Hindi publication was published in the name of Pratah Kamal, English daily was titled News Next while the Urdu daily came under the banner of Halat-e-Bihar. Thakurs younger brother Rajesh Kumar Raju is accredited with the IPRD of government of Bihar as a correspondent of News Next. At least 16 BJP MPs and MLAs the highest for any political party in India have criminal charges related to kidnapping filed against them, according to an analysis of affidavits of 4,867 sitting MPs and MLAs. The findings were released on Monday by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO that works for electoral and political reforms. It said the affidavits of 770 MPs and 4,086 state legislators revealed that 1,024 or some 21 per cent of lawmakers in the country have declared serious criminal charges against themselves. Among these, 64 have declared charges related to kidnappings. Of them, 17 belong to various political outfits while four are independents. The BJP tops the list with 16 while the Congress and the RJD are at a distant second with six each. According ADR, the list contains five NCP lawmakers, four each from the BJD and the DMK, three each from the SP and the TDP as well as two each from the Trinamool Congress, the CPI-M, the CPI-ML and the Shiv Sena. One each from the Lok Janashakti Party, the JD(U), the TRS and the Nishad Party in Uttar Pradesh are also in the list. Of the MLAs with declared charges related to kidnapping, the highest number that is nine each are from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, followed by eight from Maharashtra, six from West Bengal, four each from Odisha and Tamil Nadu, three each from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan and one each from Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and Telangana. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Dubais Knowledge Fund has announced it will freeze any increase in rental value on assets leased to investors in the education sector for the academic year 2018-2019 to support educational institutions and reduce their operational costs, according to a media report. "This initiative reflects the efforts of the Knowledge Fund to support the development of the education sector and encourage investment in education, Hesham Khalifa Al Qaizi, CEO of the Knowledge Fund was quoted as saying in a Wam report. The initiative will freeze any rental increase due from the next academic year 2018-2019 for all its investors who are subject to contract renewal. The revision of the rent value and any subsequent increase, if applicable, will be postponed until after the specified period," said Al Qaizi. Furthermore, Al Qaizi added that the continuous efforts of the Knowledge Fund fall in line with the wise leadership's directives to establish a true and effective partnership with the private sector and provide an attractive environment for investments in order to support and further develop the educational drive in Dubai for the benefit if Emiratis and residents. The Knowledge Fund Establishment is a government entity that aspires to provide an ideal work environment promoting innovation and creativity in the education sector, making it one of the most promising institutions that are working to build a better future in Dubai. Can the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recreate the magic of 2014, when it won 71 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, and meet its ambitious target of winning 75 of the 80 seats in the state in the 2019 elections? In an informal chat with editors in Lucknow recently, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said: I guarantee 75 seats, including the Gandhis strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi. Rae Bareli is former Congress president Sonia Gandhis constituency and Amethi is current party president Rahul Gandhis. Experts arent sure that he can pull it off, arguing that waves dont usually recur in the states electoral history. They also foresee a fiercer direct fight between a combined Opposition and the BJP. Still, even strong critics admit that the Opposition is grappling with leadership issues and that Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity hasnt waned. The BJPs 2014 performance was the best by a single party since 1984, when the Congress, riding a sympathy wave after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, won 83 of 85 Lok Sabha seats in undivided Uttar Pradesh. If the CM actually manages to translate his target into a tally, the BJP will not only create history in electoral politics of the state but also find it easier to return to power in the Centre. Asked what gave him the confidence to aim for 75 seats, Adityanath simply said, Wait and watch. The chief minister appears to be confident, touring all 75 districts of the state in the past year since he assumed office. He dismissed the chances of a possible grand alliance: The opposition has yet to decide under whose leadership they will contest the polls -- Mayawati, Mamata Bannerjee, Akhilesh Yadav or Rahul Gandhi. Adityanath may be banking heavily on communal polarisation that will blur caste lines and loyalties; Amit Shahs scientific management of polls; and Modis mass appeal. That Modi and Adityanath will be the star campaigners is clear from their tour programmes -- the PM is expected to visit all the parliamentary constituencies in the state in the next few months, while the CM is now gearing up for yet another tour of the state. He is also deploying teams of ministers and bureaucrats to review the performance of welfare schemes. Experts say that Adityanath could emphasise the TINA (there is no alternative) factor at a time when Rahul Gandhis wink has undervalued his hug during the Lok Sabha no-confidence debate; and talk about the Ayodhya issue, cow slaughter, and love jihad. Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP) cautioned his friend Rahul Gandhi, using a famous couplet of poet Bashir Badr, : Koi haath bhi na milayega joh gale miloge tapaak se; yeh naye mizaaj ka shehr hai zara fasle se mila karo (no one will return your greetings if you embrace them in a rush; the mood is different now, maintain your distance). Still, analysts feel 75 does seem like a stretch, especially given that the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will fight the election together. Though politics is not pure arithmetic, the combined votes polled by the Congress, BSP and SP was 49.3% as compared to 43.3% of the BJP and its allies in 2014. Allahabad-based Vinod Chand Dube, a socialist who has been watching the dance of democracy for the past five decades, cites two major reasons that will dent Adityanaths 75-seats promise -- the caste combination under the SP-BSP and an air of despondency in the state. He identified three sections -- young people, farmers and the middle-class -- which may remain unaffected by communal polarisation. Professor Rajesh Singh from Gorakhpur is also of the view that the Ram temple card may not cli-ck as no poll issue pays dividends twice. Admitting that there was a leadership crisis in the Opposition, Singh said that people still supported the Opposition (minus a face) in 1977, 1989 and 1996. Nonetheless, caste could play pivotal role in the elections, experts say. While focusing on the personality of Modi, BJP president Amit Shah is also working on caste combinations in every constituency as he is well aware of the challenge that an SP-BSP alliance can pose. The defence ministry on Monday cleared platform-specific guidelines for the purchase of 111 naval utility helicopters under the strategic partnership model to replace the Navys outdated fleet of French-designed Chetak choppers. The governments defence acquisition council (DAC), which defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman heads, discussed and approved implementation guidelines for key projects under the model to boost the indigenous defence sector and ensure timely delivery of military equipment, a ministry press release said. The US, European and Russian rivals are expected to compete for the Rs 21,738-crore NUH programme by stitching up alliances with Indian firms under the governments strategic partnership model. It would work as a template for cooperation between Indian and foreign firms to build high-tech weapons in the country. The model is expected to give a push to several big-ticket projects, including those for building next-generation submarines, fighter planes and helicopters in the country. All procurements under the strategic partnership would be executed by specially constituted Empowered Project Committees to provide focused attention and ensure timely execution, the press release said. It added that the model sought to revitalise the defence industrial ecosystem and build indigenous capabilities in the private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex systems to meet the militarys future needs. As part of the NUH project, 16 choppers would be bought in a flyaway condition from a foreign military contractor, and the remaining 95 will be built in the country in partnership with an Indian firm. Even under the Make in India plan, the countrys arms procurement rules allow for the direct purchase of weapons and systems from the foreign vendor in keeping with the strategic partnership policy. It stipulates that a minimum number of platforms, not exceeding 10-15% of the units being procured, may be manufactured on the premises of the original equipment manufacturer. The navy uses such choppers for several purposes, including search and rescue operations, medical evacuation, communication duties, anti-piracy and anti-terrorism operations, humanitarian assistance, surveillance and targeting. The twin-engine helicopter will have wheeled landing gear and blade-fold capability. India wants the choppers built in the country to have 40% indigenous content. Political parties and separatists have warned against tinkering with Article 35A of the Constitution that guarantees special privileges to Jammu and Kashmir amid a rising sense of unease ahead of a hearing in the Supreme Court on August 6 on petitions challenging the validity of the law. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah was quoted by a local news agency on Sunday as saying at a public function in Srinagar, National Conference has rendered innumerable sacrifices to fight for the unity, integrity and dignity of Jammu and Kashmir and will continue to thwart all attempts to erode the states special status. We will fight against all ploys to assault Article 35A and wont allow the powers that be fiddle with our political status and honour. Senior Congress leader Tariq Hameed Karra on Saturday warned of a massive agitation if Article 35A was fiddled with. We will launch statewide agitation and will go for jail bharo, he said. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday urged separatists and mainstream parties to join hands to defend Articles 35 A and 370. During the PDP-BJP rule, Mehbooba had promised to defend the Article 35 A in the apex court. Top separatist leaders of Kashmir on Sunday called for strikes on August 5 and 6 in the state and warned of launching a mass agitation of hitting and occupying streets. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) met at Geelanis residence on Sunday and deliberated on the serious challenge posed to Article 35A in the Supreme Court. The attempt to change the demography of Jammu and Kashmir and insidiously destroy its disputed nature has always been on the agenda of BJP/RSS and the challenge to 35A in the Indian Supreme Court is a serious part of that plan, JRL said in a statement after the meet. The leaders said that the plan meant Kashmiris will become a minority in their own land and will be pushed to the margins. While Article 370 of the Constitution grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Article 35A disallows people from the rest of India from buying or owning immovable property in the state, settle permanently, or get state government jobs. JRL said that they have been in touch with all segments of society including the legal fraternity, traders, civil society members, academia and others and there is complete unanimity and cohesion among all with regard to resisting and fighting this serious assault together. A group of civil society members have also called for a state-wide shutdown on August 6 to protest onslaught on Article 35A and Article 370. Four petitions three clubbed with the main one filed by NGO We The Citizens have challenged Article 35As legality on the grounds that it was never presented before Parliament and was implemented on the Presidents orders in 1954. Under the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 1954, the provision appears as an appendix in the Constitution and not an amendment. On May 5, the apex court posted the hearing for August 6 after the Centre told the bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra to defer the hearing because that the central governments interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma was in talks with elected representatives of the state, political parties, different organisations and residents of Jammu and Kashmir to resolve the matter. Last month, the Centre decided it wont file any counter-affidavit on Article 35A. The Supreme Court Monday questioned the prevalent practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) of minor girls in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community, saying women cannot be subjugated to the level where they have to only please their husbands. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which was hearing a plea seeking a ban on the practice, also referred to fundamental rights, including Article 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds like caste, creed and sex) under the Constitution, and said a person has the right to have control over her body. The bench wondered and said, when you are thinking of women, (then) how can you go into the reverse gear. Attorney general K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, said that the government supported the plea against the practice of FGM. ...42 countries have banned this practice. Out of these, 27 are African countries. The court is hearing PILs, one filed by an advocate and two by Bohra women, demanding a law against female circumcision on ground that it violates child rights of the communitys girls who undergo this procedure. The petition claims the circumcision causes pain during menstruation and sexual intercourse, loss of libido and even pain during urination. Irrespective of how it (FGM) is performed, the issue is that it violates fundamental rights and more particularly Article 15, the bench, also comprising justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said. This is essential to your control over your genitalia. This is essential to ensure your control over your body, the CJI said. The principle of gender sensitivity is entrenched in the Constitution, a practice which is engaged in solely to make a woman more appealing to her husband cannot be constitutional, he added. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Masooma Ranalvi, a lawyer who herself has been a victim of the FGM, said the practice of removal of the clitoral hood for non-medical purposes of a minor constituted an offence under the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. She said the SC should also declare that refusal by a woman should not result in her excommunication from the community. Jaising said even the guardians of minor girls cannot give consent to the FGM for non-medical purposes and moreover, Islam says that the laws of the country have to be respected. A 16-year-old girl died on Monday in Alampur, Bhadohi district, after being set on fire by an alleged stalker. On Sunday evening, a man identified by the girls father as 18-year-old Mohammad Zahid barged into the girls house, poured kerosene on her and set her aflame. The girls family was able to douse the fire, but by then, she had already suffered severe burns. Navin Kumar Tiwari of Kotwali police station said: The girl was a student of Class 10. According to the girls father, Zahid used to harass his daughter. Upset over this, she informed her family about it. The girl was taken to the government hospital in Bhadohi from where she was referred to the divisional hospital in Varanasi. A senior medical officer in the burn unit of the divisional hospital said the girl sustained over 70% burns. She died during treatment on Monday. A case has been registered against Zahid under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon or means), and 452 (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaint of the girls father, the Alampur station officer said. Police said on Monday that the FIR would be suitably modified in view of the girls death and added that teams have been deployed to arrest Zahid. Amid anxieties and concerns over the credibility of the National Register of Citizens draft being published on Monday, political parties and organizations representing various sections have planned a drive to help those who are left out. Even the All Assam Students Union, which led the movement against illegal immigrants and demanded an NRC, has said it will help all genuine Indian citizens who get excluded in the final draft list. The 1951 NRC is being updated under the watch of the Supreme Court to ascertain illegal immigrants. The first draft had mistakes. There is no guarantee that the complete draft will be error free. We will have to make sure poor people are guided properly in the claims and objections exercise that will follow the publication of the complete draft, said Dharmananda Deb, a Silchar-based lawyer associated with the All Assam Bengali Hindu Association. The organisation has formed a team of lawyers to assist people who are left out of the NRC and whose cases are pending in the various foreigners tribunals. The team currently has 21 lawyers but this is expected to go up to 50 once the draft comes out. Those who do not feature in the complete draft will have another chance to convince that they are indeed citizens in the claims and objections exercise. We will have camps outside all NRC Seva Kendras to assist people, said Azizur Rehman, advisor to the All Assam Minorities Students Union. The ruling BJP leadership has asked its 25,000 booth committees in the state to go house to house and help people. No genuine Indian citizen should suffer, said Ranjit Das, state BJP president. The first draft did not have names of those who submitted refugee certificates of the time they migrated. It was a mistake even though the Supreme Court has not said it should not be accepted, he claimed. A lot of Bengali Hindus had migrated from the then East Pakistan fearing religious persecution. The Congress, too, plans to set up help centres in all panchayats. These centres will have our workers helping people fill up the claims and objections forms so that they do not suffer because of illiteracy or lack of knowledge of the procedures, Ripun Bora, who heads the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee said. The names of around 40 lakh of 3.29 crore applicants were missing from the Supreme-Court mandated final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) released on Monday. The NRC has been updated for the first time since 1951 to account for illegal migration from neighbouring Bangladesh. Claims and objections from those not included in the final draft list will be taken up from August 30 to September 28, said officials adding that no one would be deported or arrested as this is only a draft. The complete list would be published only after all these claims are settled. There is no deadline yet for that process. Based on this draft no reference case will be sent to the foreigner tribunal or put in a detention centre, said Satyendra Garg, home ministry officer in-charge of the northeast. People, whose names have not appeared in the complete list, could end up in detention centres, might get pushed back, become stateless, get long-term work permits without land and political rights. Among the 3.29 crore applicants, 2.89 crore have been found eligible and their names have been included as Indian citizens in the list released around 10 am today. Thousands of central forces are in Assam to prevent any unrest over the new draft list. The state has been divided into zones to be monitored by senior police officers. The security forces are also keeping a tab on social media to check spread of hate messages, a senior police officer said. Neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have also beefed up security along their borders fearing an influx from Assam. The report is completely impartial, said Home Minister Rajnath Singh adding that some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. No misinformation should be spread. This is a draft and not the final list, Singh too reiterated. Dispelling fears of confinement, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said no one would be sent to any detention camp over the final draft. He, however, asked people to refrain from making inflammatory remarks. The NRC is an exercise which was first carried out in 1951 to enumerate the citizens, their houses and holdings. The list was updated to weed out illegal immigrants as per a provision of the Assam Accord signed in 1985 after a six-year agitation against Bangladeshis. The Assam government has also initiated a mammoth exercise to reach out to those left out in the final draft list and educate them on how can they file claims and objections. It was decided that anyone residing illegally in Assam from March 25, 1971 (as per the Assam Accord) would be kept out of the list. To be included in the list, residents of the state had to apply and submit proof that they or their ancestors were in the 1951 NRC or any subsequent voter list till the cut-off date. Those residents who have been declared as D-voters (doubtful voters) and termed foreigners by the tribunals and their relatives have not been included in the list. But discrepancies in the process of being declared D-Voters being summoned by foreigners tribunals have surfaced recently. The agitation to drive out foreigners was directed primarily at Bangladeshis. When successive Congress and Asom Gana Parishad governments failed to implement the Assam Accord, voters in Assam placed reins of the state in the hands of Bharatiya Janata Party, for the first time, in 2016. The BJPs aggressive stance on protecting rights of indigenous and assurances of stopping infiltration appealed to most indigenous Assamese. But that optimism dissipated when the same party sought to grant citizenship to Bangladeshi Hindus by amending the Citizenship Act. The Indian envoy to Antigua will meet authorities of the Carribean nation on Monday to press for the release of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choski, accused of the multi-crore Punjab National Bank fraud in India, sources said. As soon as MEA received information of the likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, our high commission in Georgetown had alerted the A&B government, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea, a person familiar with the development said. We continue to liaise with relevant GOI agencies and the Government of Antigua & Barbuda to follow up on this matter, the person added. Choksi is wanted in the case of Prevention of Money Laundering Act and his passport was revoked in February 2018. India has already written to the Antigua government on this. Choksi has claimed he has decided to reside in Antigua and Barbuda which is his country of citizenship and abide by laws of the country even as the Prime Minister of the Caribbean country told the media that his administration will fully cooperate with the Indian government. His lawyer in the Caribbean country issued a statement claiming that the fugitive diamond merchant is still there. The statement also claims that Choksi has lawfully applied to be registered as a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda under the Citizenship by Investment Program. He got the citizenship in November 2017 but took the oath of allegiance on January 15 this year, only 15 days before the CBI registered its first FIR in the PNB scam. He claimed to have applied for the Antiguan citizenship to expand business in the Caribbean and to obtain visa-free travel access to 130 or so countries, which an Antiguan passport provides for. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi have been accused by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) of defrauding the state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) to the tune of Rs 14,000 crore in the issuance of Letters of Undertaking and Foreign Letters of Credit. Both Choksi and Modi left India in the first week of January and have not returned despite summons from the CBI and the ED. Emotions are oscillating between hope and despair for hundreds of DMK supporters outside Chennais Kauvery Hospital, praying for the life of party chief M Karunanidhi, who has been in the intensive care unit since early Saturday. A group of party workers and supporters of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has formed a circle at the entrance of the hospital, holding a white banner proclaiming the 94-year-old leader as a medical miracle and wishing that he come back home soon. They (the hospital) said it was a set back, but he defied all odds and improved...for his age it is a medical miracle....he will continue to repeat the miracle and get better, says Balu from Tiruchirappalli district, proudly pointing to the framed photograph of Karunanidhi and MK Stalin, his son and heir apparent, that he wears in a necklace. Wearing a black-red turban the colour of the party flag, the DMK worker from the Cauvery delta district stood in the middle of the circle, chanting slogans hailing his leader. Some in the group break down, but all hope he would be back home soon. Some party supporters were seen beating their chests, while a few got their heads shaved to seek divine intervention so their leader gets well soon. While theyre screaming one moment, tears rolling down their cheeks, in another they burst into frenzied sloganeering, hailing the fighting spirit of their Thalaivar (leader). A glum-faced Chellamma, 84, who has come from Ambasamudram in distant Tirunelveli, sits quietly on the pavement outside the hospital. She has come here to pray for her leader. It is despairing to see Thalaivar is not as robust as before, she says. The Eldams Road junction, where the hospital is located, has turned into a huge makeshift camp for party supporters and workers. Among them are people like Baskaran, a long-time vendor of party souvenirs like photographs of Karunanidhi and Stalin, and Thillainayagam, a Tamil teacher from Nagapattinam. While some sit quietly or sleep on the pavement waiting for the good news, some senior citizens could be seen talking animatedly about Karunanidhi and his achievements. Motorists can be seen stopping on the flyover abutting the road for a glimpse of the scenes unfolding in front of the hospital. DMK workers in party uniform red shirt and black trousers are seen assisting the police in regulating the milling crowd. But despite their efforts to keep things under control, some patients and attendants complained about difficulty in reaching the facility because of the multitude. Karunanidhi stable, says Stalin MK Stalin says, He continues to be under keen observation of the doctors. M Karunanidhis condition is stable as stated in yesterdays medical bulletin. Sri Lankan president Sirisenas representatives visit hospital Representatives of Sri Lanka President, Maithripala Sirisena, visited Kauvery hospital to meet Karunanidhi. They submitted a letter from Sirisena to Stalin wishing a speedy recovery to the former Tamil Nadu chief minister. Sharad Pawar meets Stalin, Kanimozhi NCP president Sharad Pawar meets DMK leaders MK Stalin and Kanimozhi at Kauvery Hospital. DMK supporters at Karunanidhis ancestral home Supporters of DMK chief Karunanidhi pray at his ancestral residence in Coimbatore, reports news agency ANI. This is where he resided in 1945. DMK workers continue to swarm hospital premises DMK chief still under intensive care DMK chiefs health condition is stable. He is well. A medical team is attending on him. Me and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam along with DMK party working president M K Stalin and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi visited him in person, said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami after visiting Karunanidhi earlier in the day. Karunanidhi moving hands, has opened his eyes: DMK spokesperson DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan has told IANS that the 94-year-old leader has been moving his hands and legs and also opened his eyes. Hospital sources also say that Karunanidhi has moved his hands and legs and also opened his eyes after he was admitted in the ICU. Health condition stable, vital signs normal: DMK spokesperson DMK party spokesperson TKS Elangovan says M Karunanidhis health condition is stable and his vital signs are normal. No medical bulletin issued yet A medical bulletin is yet to be issued today, reports PTI. A medical bulletin issued by Kauvery Hospital on Sunday had said that, There was a transient setback in the clinical condition of DMK president M Karunanidhi. With active medical support his vital signs are normalising. Karunanidhi recovering well, says Tamil Nadu CM I have just met him in Kauvery hospital, he is better and is recovering well: Chief minister of Tamil Nadu K Palaniswami on M Karunanidhi, reports ANI. DMK workers continue to gather outside Hospital DMK workers continue to gather outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment. pic.twitter.com/Y98hwdh0RZ ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Heavy security outside hospital Visuals of heavy security outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment. pic.twitter.com/6wQYmeEmlZ ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Team of doctors continuously monitoring Karunanidhi There has been an unexpected setback in the health of Karunanidhi. But after critical medical care, he is normalising. A team of doctors is continuously monitoring and treating him, MK Stalin, Karunanidhis son, had said on Sunday. Heavy security at hospital, Karunanidhis residence The security was beefed up both at the hospital and Karunanidhis residence on Sunday. Do not believe in rumours: DMK leader A Raja DMK leader and former Union Minister A Raja told reporters at hospital premises on Sunday to not believe in rumours. He continues to be treated at the ICU, he had announced which was greeted with loud cheers by the crowd who had gathered in large numbers outside the hospital. Give us our Thalaiva back: Karunanidhis supporter Karunanidhis supporters outside the Kauvery Hospital urge the hospital staff to update them about the leaders health condition. For the past three days, we have been waiting here without food and water. We dont want anything, give us our Thalaiva back. Why has nothing been said on him yet? We want him back, a supporter of Karunanidhi tells ANI. Scenes outside Kauvery hospital On Sunday night, heavy security had to been deployed at the hospital and police caned the crowd briefly in an attempt to disperse supporters and DMK workers, who shouted slogans in Karunanidhis praise. Tamil Nadu: Latest visuals from outside Chennai's Kauvery Hospital where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is admitted. pic.twitter.com/asHXVBXIKG ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 The Arab League has signed a contract for the participation of the Cairo-based pan-Arab organisation in the Expo 2020 Dubai, the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Expo Dubai will take place from October 20, 2020, to April 10, 2021. Hossam Zaki, assistant secretary-general of the Arab League, signed the agreement with Najeeb Al Ali, executive director of Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, in the attendance of Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to Egypt, reported state news agency Wam. Zaki said the Arab League's secretariat general would spare no effort to have an impressive engagement in the international exhibition, which will be staged for the first time in the Arab World, it said. UAE selected the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", with sub-themes being 'Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity, added the report. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said DMK chief M Karunanidhi was doing well after he and his deputy O Panneerselvam visited the 94-year-old leader at a Chennai hospital Monday morning. I have just met him in Kauvery hospital, he is better and is recovering well, Palaniswami said after meeting Karunanidhi. A DMK spokesperson also said Karunanidhis health condition is stable and his vital signs are normal. Karunanidhis condition is now stable after a minor setback in the form of breathing problem on Sunday night. The doctors at Kauvery Hospital are monitoring his condition, TKS Elangovan said. He said Karunanidhi who was admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been moving his hands and legs and also opened his eyes. The five-time chief minister who has never lost an election was moved to the hospital early Saturday in critical condition and had suffered a temporary setback Sunday night. But his family and the hospital said that he has since recovered. There has been an unexpected setback in the health of Karunanidhi. But after critical medical care, he is normalising. A team of doctors is continuously monitoring and treating him. I appeal to the cadres to not indulge in any violence, not obstruct police and not disturb public, said MK Stalin, Karunanidhis son and political heir. The hospital issued a statement saying, There was a transient setback in the clinical condition of Karuanidhi, DMK President and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. With active medical support, his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors. DMK workers continued to throng the hospital premises despite a plea by police to avoid crowding the area and an appeal from the party leader Stalin to maintain calm and cooperate with police in maintaining law and order. Late Sunday night, police resorted to a mild baton charge as cadres did not disperse from the area to make way for DMK leaders to leave the hospital. Karunanidhi was being treated for fever due to urinary tract infection with intravenous antibiotics and fluids at his home before falling blood pressure necessitated admission to the hospital. Ailing DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, who has been hospitalised because of an infection and age-related ailments, is stable but continues to be given treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A host of leaders from several political parties, including AIADMKs chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam, and Sri Lankan ministers visited the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where he has been admitted since Saturday. Crowds of supporters thronged the hospital from different parts of the state, hoping and praying for the 94-year-old leader. CM Palaniswami assured them that the five-time former chief minister of Tamil Nadu was stable and his condition was improving. I met him along with O Panneerselvam, (son) Stalin and (daughter) Kanimozhi. The medical team is monitoring his health round the clock, Palaniswami told media, amidst applause from DMK cadres, a rare incident in the states political scenario. DMK leader A Raja also assured DMK supporters that Karunanidhi was stable and improving after the setback on Saturday. Several leaders from across the political spectrum, including Nationalist Congress leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, visited the hospital. Sri Lankan ministers Arumuga Thondaiman and Sendhil Thondaiman came with a communique from Sri Lankan president Sirisena, wishing a speedy recovery for the DMK leader. Spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev visited the hospital and comforted Stalin and Kanimozhi. Nearly 100 priests from the Church of South India Diocese also performed prayers. A proposal to take the ailing leader to a foreign hospital where he could be given better treatment was given up considering his age, sources told HT. Police had trouble maintaining the crowd outside the hospital. Shortly after the CM press briefing, a section of crowd dispersed. But there is tension because of social media rumours. A lot of youngsters are visiting the hospital to take selfies, and this poses headache for the police personnel, a senior police officer said. In Madurai district, a DMK worker named S Malaichamy (30) committed suicide at his house in Thirumangalam. He consumed rat poison on Sunday evening and failed to respond to treatment, said a police officer. Earlier in the day, the Vellore district police arrested S Dheenathayalan of Naam Tamilar Party for spreading rumours about the Karunanidhis health on social media. The arrest was made following a complaint by DMK IT wing against the accused, police said. The eight-year-old girl from Kathua, who was gang-raped and killed, was overdosed with a cocktail of sedatives through her captivity,rendering her incapacitated to resist sexual assault and murder, states the supplementary charge sheet filed by Jammu and Kashmirs Crime Branch today. The charge sheet filed in the Pathankot sessions court sums up the investigation of the Jammu and Kashmir Polices Crime Branch team and also gives details of the analyses of calls and bank accounts that led it to the eight accused of the brutal crime in January this year. The supplementary charge sheet was submitted by a Crime Branch team -- led by Senior Superintendent of Police R K Jalla and special public prosecutors J K Chopra and Santokh Singh Basra, Bhopinder Singh and Harminder Singh -- before Pathankot District and Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh. We have submitted the supplementary charge sheet, giving details of call analyses, bank details and medical reports, special public prosecutor Chopra told PTI. The charge sheet lists in chilling detail the sedatives, including cannabis, forcefully given to the child from a minority nomadic community, who was abducted on January 10 and allegedly kept in captivity for three days. She was killed on January 14 and her body was found in a forested area near Kathua on January 17, officials said. During the course of the investigation, it has been established that the victim was administered sedatives by accused during her captivity, the charge sheet states. She was given mannar (believed to be local cannabis) as well as Epitril 0.5 mg on an empty stomach, it says. She was forcefully administered five tablets of Clonazepam of 0.5 mg each on January 11, 2018 which is higher than the safe therapeutic dose. Subsequently more tablets were given...The signs and symptoms of an overdose may include drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, slow reflexes, slowed or stopped breathing, coma (loss of consciousness) and death, according to the medical experts report submitted along with the charge sheet. The peak concentration of Clonazepam is achieved in the blood after one hour to 1.5 hours of oral administration and its absorption is complete irrespective of (whether it is) administered with or without food, states the report. It says the tablets given to the eight-year-old could have pushed her into a state of shock or coma. ... the expert opinion coupled with other evidence that has come on record prima-facie establishes that the victim child was continuously administered overdose of Clonazepam (Epitril) rendering her incapacitated to resist rape and murder, the charge sheet says. The Crime Branch has arrested Sanji Ram, custodian of a temple where the child was allegedly confined, his son Vishal and his juvenile nephew, two special police officers Deepak Khajuria alias Dipu and Surender Verma and friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu. All of them were named in the first charge sheet on April 9. It also arrested head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta, who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Ram and destroyed crucial evidence. Raj and Dutta have since been dismissed from service. The supplementary charge sheet highlights the efforts of Vishal and his father Ram, alleged to be the mastermind behind the crime, to create an alibi. They were allegedly trying to show that Vishal had never visited Kathua was actually taking an exam on January 15. It says Kumar was not only in constant touch with Khajuria but also in contact with Raj, who is alleged to have played a pivotal role in striking a deal between the police and Ram for destruction of evidence. The charge sheet has submitted Kumars detailed call analysis to show he shared a common location with other accused on crucial dates of the crime and immediately thereafter. The duration of the calls made and their frequency increased after the rape and murder, leading to irresistible conclusion of knee deep involvement of accused Surinder Kumar with other accused..., the charge sheet says. The Crime Branch also conducted an analysis of the two bank accounts of Ram and found he had made huge cash withdrawals. Witness statements recorded by the Crime Branch confirmed the accused had undertaken no constructional activity and had no social obligation either, the document says. The Crime Branch alleged in its charge sheet that the withdrawals were made to bribe the police officers for destruction of evidence. A copy of the supplementary charge sheet has been handed to the defence counsel. Earlier this month, the Crime Branch informed the Supreme Court that it would be submitting a supplementary charge sheet in the case. The apex court bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, had on July 9 given it eight weeks to file the document. The district and sessions court in Pathankot framed charges of rape and murder against the seven accused in the case on June 8, after the Supreme Court transferred the case from Kathua on a plea of victims family Ram, considered the main accused, is alleged to have hatched the conspiracy with the other accused for kidnapping the girl as part of a strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area. The fate of the eighth accused, a juvenile, was yet to be decided after the Crime Branch moved an application in the high court claiming him to be an adult. Kerala police on Monday registered a case against Father James Erayathil for allegedly intimidating and influencing a key witness in the case against Jalandhar Bishop Frank Mullakkal, accused of sexually exploiting a nun for two years. The priest of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) congregation was booked after an audio clip of a bribe bid to withdraw the case surfaced. In the 11-minute audio clip, Fr Erayathil is allegedly heard talking to Sister Anupama, who was one of the five nuns who supported the victim. He is heard offering land and high positions in lieu of withdrawing the complaint. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the tape. Fr Erayathil was not available for comments immediately. We have booked him under non-bailable offences after getting the nod from the Pala first class judicial magistrate court, said Kottyam SP Harishankar. Kerala Police will also be sending a team to Jalandhar this week to question Bishop Frank Mullakkal. Police have drawn flak including from CPI(M) veteran VS Achuthanandan for the delay in acting against the priest a month after the complaint was filed. The DGP is visiting Kottayam on Wednesday and we will prepare a detailed questionnaire based on evidences we collected, the official said, wishing anonymity. The nun had filed a complaint a month ago and later recorded her statement before a magistrate. She later said she will hand over the audio tape to the investigating team. Amid mounting criticism over the polices delay, a leaked audio conversation surfaced on Saturday in which a priest, reportedly close to the bishop, was heard trying to get another nun close to the victim to get her to withdraw the case. The Jalandhar bishops office clarified that no middleman was approached to settle the complaint. Church reformers said police were deliberately delaying the arrest to settle the case. Last week, police strengthened security for the convent where the victim nun was staying. The 43-year-old nun in her complaint alleged that the bishop sexually abused after summoning her on the pretext of discussing an important issue in 2014. She said in next two years she was raped 13 times by him. The nun said she complained to church authorities last December, but their inaction forced her to file a police complaint. She said after filing a complaint, she was removed from the official position and complaints of financial irregularities were framed against her. There were also a move to brand her mentally sick, she said. However, the bishop, hailing from Kottayam, said he was implicated for taking action against the nun. He was appointed as the auxiliary bishop of Delhi diocese in 2009 and made the bishop of Jalandhar in 2013. I am ready to face any probe. She filed the complaint only after I took action against her. It is nothing but personal vendetta, he had said denying the charges. As Assam puts out the final draft of its National Register of Citizens on Monday, 48-year-old Prateek Hajela is again the man of the moment. The IAS officer has been spearheading the mammoth exercise since 2013 when he was appointed the state coordinator. His colleagues often talk about how a lot of the software used in the exercise are his brainchild. Sadiq Naqvi spoke to Hajela as he gave the final touches to the NRC. Edited excerpts: What has been your biggest challenge? It is an unprecedented exercise that has not happened anywhere in the country. One of the big challenges was that unless people were able to get hold of their pre-1971 documents, it would be very difficult for them to submit their application forms. So we digitised the pre-1971 electoral rolls, including the 1951 NRC, to make them searchable in English, Bangla, Assamese, and to maintain authenticity we had to link the original image of each document. The next big challenge was to educate the public to fill up their form. Then the next challenge was to ascertain if the parental linkages are correct. For that, I created the family tree. But people were asked for a family tree after they had submitted the applications? There is already a provision in law for that Only thing is how do you implement and that is where ingenuity is involved. What about the decision to exclude declared foreigners, D-voters and their descendants? Declared foreigners are excluded as per rules. Similarly, there is an SC order that says D-voters are not to be included, where the SC said undoubtedly these are doubtful voters and their inclusion will depend on decision of the Foreigners Tribunals. So what happens to their descendants? It is a logical thing. If the fathers citizenship is under doubt then how can their descendants be included? But the citizenship law of the country has provisions for citizenship by birth irrespective of the parents citizenship? Does the NRC not recognise it? No it does not. It is not there in the rules. What happens to people who are left out of the complete draft that comes out on July 30? It is a draft and the law provides for corrections through claims and objections. So the person who is left out will have the right to file a claim, while any other person may file an objection against any entry that he or she thinks is ineligible. The NRC has come under criticism of late, especially after you told the court that 1.5 lakh people in the first draft will not be there in the final draft. How did it happen? As far the 1.5 lakh people are concerned, it is explained in the Supreme Court order. On the question of declared foreigners, it could be that the same person was showing different names in different places. So there is a possibility that more such cases could crop up? People are hiding information which they are not supposed to do. They need to declare about the cases but still if they are doing we have to find out the correct information. As the Centre refines its flagship subsidised gas cylinders scheme to address the fact that beneficiaries arent refilling cylinders on account of price and accessibility, two ministries have taken a leaf out of external affairs minister Sushma Swarajs book to solve part of the problem. In a meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Swaraj mentioned how, in some distant areas of her constituency Vidisha (in Madhya Pradesh) , villagers have set up a makeshift storage facility for LPG cylinders for Ujjwala beneficiaries. This helped both the distributors, who were reluctant to deliver at faraway areas, and people who too didnt need to travel 15-10 km to refill their cylinders, said a senior official who was present in the meeting. Now, the petroleum ministry will take help from the rural development ministry to use womens self help groups, gram panchayats, fair price shops or other bodies to set up such points of delivery. These points of delivery will be formally launched in August in states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha. The law stipulates that one can store up to twenty 5kg cylinders, said Ashutosh Jindal, joint secretary in the petroleum ministry who has been involved in the Ujjwala scheme since its inception. Refilling issues have plagued the ambitious Ujjwala scheme, which aims to give subsidised cooking gas connections to poor households. The scheme now has 49 million beneficiaries and Prime Minister Modi has set the target of 80 million, at an additional cost of Rs 4800 crore. India has 55 million self-help groups and 3.1 million elected panchayat leaders. This force can be the backbone for rolling out new process or schemes in rural areas, added rural development secretary Amarjeet Sinha. To further ease things on the supply side, the officials added that around 5,000 new LPG distributors will be appointed by March 2019 primarily for the rural areas. While these steps are likely to improve accessibility, the government has also launched smaller, 5 kg cylinders to give customers the option to buy cooking gas at a lesser price. A 5 kg cylinder costs 275 in Delhi while the 14.2 kg version is priced at 754. The subsidy on the 5 kg cylinder is 90.95, said an official. These cylinders will be available at 2,500 points across India. The idea is that if people are not in a position to shell out the money to buy the 14.2 kg cylinder, they can buy the smaller one for immediate need, added Jindal. As the Ujjwala scheme spreads complaints of distributors malpractices have emerged. The government has come down heavily on those involved, officials said. A woman was injured and her four-month-old son snatched, for a brief while, by a leopard which attacked them in Gujarats tribal-dominated Chhotaudepur district, about 100 kilometres from Vadodara. Vikram Rathwa, wife Sapna and their four-month-old son were travelling on a motorcycle when the leopard attacked them Saturday near Raipur village in Pavi Jetpur tehsil in Chhotaudepur, said an official. Around dusk Saturday, the leopard, which emerged from a nearby field, attacked us, injured Sapna on her knees and snatched our infant son Ayush, Rathwa told PTI. He claimed that his cries for help alerted villagers who assembled at the spot and managed to scare the leopard into releasing the child from its grip. An official said that the three were taken to the state-run Shri Sayajirao General Hospital in Vadodara. Doctors there said that the infant had received injuries to his back and legs. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday lashed out at Centre over the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), which she claimed was aimed at evicting Bengalis and Biharis from Assam. She said she would send a team of her Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs to Assam while the BJP warned it would replicate the exercise to throw out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants if it comes to power in Bengal. As many as 4 million people were left out of the second and final draft published on Monday out of 32.9 million, who had applied for inclusion in the NRC. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. It is a plan to throw out Bengali-speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also, Banerjee said at a press conference. As many as four million Bengalis have been declared non-Indians. Bengal and Assam share borders. Other states would not be as adversely affected as Bengal. Bengal and Bangladesh will be the most affected. When asked whether her government would offer shelter to those left out of NRC, she said, We will give it a thought. But let me ask, why would they be thrown out in the first place? She called for a law to protect those left out. What will happen, if they want to push them back and if Bangladesh does not want to take them back? Parliament must legislate to protect these human beings. Banerjee claimed people with documents like voter cards, passports, bank accounts and Aadhaar cards have not been recognised as citizens. She said she would speak to Union home minister Rajnath Singh. There is a UN resolution to give shelter to refugees in distress, she said. They are settled in Assam with businesses and establishments. How can they be excluded? They have been staying there for decades, even for 50 to 100 years. Banerjee blamed the Centre for creating unnecessary provocation although the Supreme Court has monitored the NRC exercise. The court is not to be blamed. The government of India did not oppose it. Why did not the Centre legislate to protect them? They are creating an unnecessary provocation. She questioned Rajnath Singhs assurance that there is no cause for panic. BJPs state unit president, Dilip Ghosh, hit back saying a similar exercise would be conducted in West Bengal to kick out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants if the party comes to power. Mamata Banerjee is unnecessarily muddying the waters. The Assam government is not targeting bonafide citizens, said BJP national secretary, Rahul Sinha. A 22-year-old man was arrested from Mumbai after he allegedly called up the National Security Guard (NSG) control room and warned of a chemical attack on the prime minister, the police said on Monday. Kashinath Mandal, who worked as a security guard, was arrested by the D B Marg Police in central Mumbai on July 27, an official said. He obtained the contact number of the NSG control room in New Delhi and called up there on Friday, warning of a chemical attack on the prime minister, the official said. The NSG tracked the number to Mumbai and informed the police in Mumbai about the call. The police then traced Mandal - a native of Jharkhand and staying at a hutment in Walkeshwar area here - and arrested him from the Mumbai Central Railway Station when he was about to board a Surat-bound train, he said. The official said that during interrogation, Mandal told the police that his friend was recently killed in a Maoist attack in Jharkhand and in this context he wanted to meet the prime minister. Following the arrest, the accused was produced in a court which remanded him in police custody till Monday. He will be produced in the court again later in the day, the official said. Mandal has been booked under IPC sections 505 (1) and (2) (making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumour or report creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and 182 (false information with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person), he added. At 90, Parkash Singh Badal may have passed on the mantle of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to his son and heir-apparent Sukhbir Singh Badal, but the Akali patriarch remains the face and fulcrum of the regional partys long-standing alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Politically agile and astute as ever, the five-time Punjab chief minister spoke to Ramesh Vinayak, in his native village Badal, on national politics, the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Modi factor, and minority outreach, among other issues. Edited excerpts: How do you look at the national political scenario in the run up to next years Lok Sabha elections? It is shaping up as a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) versus Others scenario. Cobbling together an alliance of opposition parties will be easier said than done. Even if a grand alliance happens, you will see contradictions and fissures surfacing sooner rather than later. At the end of the day, there are only two national parties: the BJP and the Congress. The others will weigh their options and see how they can have a bigger role in the next government. Politics is all about self-interest now. There are no principles. What prospects do you see for the Narendra Modi-led NDA? Mr. Modi is working very hard. The Opposition has no leader yet to match him. People will judge a leader on whether he can handle and run the country. Im sure the voter will give Modi-ji another five years, whether the BJP tally goes up or down. To his credit, the Prime Minister has elevated India both in the eyes of his countrymen and the world. Will the BJP be able to repeat its performance of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections? One cant predict that. But its certain that the BJP will be able to form the next government. There is still a lot of time to go. Politics is not a formula. It is all about groundswell. It is difficult to gauge the mood of the people. Look at how the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) unexpectedly rode a wave in Punjab in 2014 and got four MPs who had nothing to do with politics. When there is a wave, no one looks at faces. Whats your view on Congress president Rahul Gandhi? I avoid criticising others. But Rahul is immature. He may mature over time, but to think now that he will be the PM is unimaginable. Being Prime Minister is a big responsibility and he is not up to the task yet. I dont think people want to remove Modi to make way for Rahul. He has a long way to go. The Congress has shrunk and the Gandhi familys charisma has faded. The Congress lacks leadership and cant look beyond the Gandhis. What are the key issues of the 2019 battle? The foremost is who will be Prime Minister. A leader who can take the country forward -- thats the only issue that will matter. In that sense, it will be Modi vs Who? Your party has been a founder partner of the NDA. What difference do you see between the NDA led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the one under Modi? It remains a two-way friendship... ( laughs). I wont comment further. There has been a sense of unease among some NDA allies. The BJP should take along those allies who have stood by it. Those Bombay wale (Shiv Sena) are still not clear (on continuing with the NDA). But the BJPs maximum effort should be to stick with the old allies. There is a sense in your party that because of its own majority, the BJP took the Akali Dal for granted and didnt treat it fairly. Our relations with the BJP are not transactional. We are not with them to get posts of governor or positions of power. Ours is an alliance of hearts and minds. We have steadfastly been with the BJP since 1996 and will continue to do so. What do you make of the Modi governments negative perception among minorities -- an issue that the Opposition is trying to exploit? I have always told the BJP leaders that you should take Muslims and Christians along. A government is supposed to reach out to all communities. Where is our shortcoming? Why are they (Christians and Muslims) not coming along? Their (the BJPs) view is that they dont come to our fold. I say, if you show love, even animals can be won over. Once you form a government, you dont belong to a community or a party, but to the entire country. You have to respect all religious and cultural diversities. Is there a sense of insecurity among Muslims, especially due to mob lynching of cattle traders? Thodi si toh hai (There is a little). How can the BJP dispel that? It all depends on actions. You cant say, Oh! They are not going to vote for us. A political party should continue its efforts to win over the confidence of all communities. You have to take everybody along. In Punjab, the Akali Dal gave assembly tickets to 10 Hindus and many of them won. That strengthened our communal harmony. What about fears that the BJP may polarise the 2019 elections to get Hindu votes? It will be difficult to succeed through this approach. Such a gamble works once in a while. You cant run this country without secularism. Communal amity and inclusiveness are non-negotiable principles of our democracy. In 2014 polls, the Akali Dal won only four of the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab. The partys political fortunes havent seen an upturn since. We have to work a lot harder. We need to step up our communication and connect with the people. What will the Akalis count on in 2019 anti-incumbency against the Amarinder Singh government or the Modi factor? People are not satisfied with the Captain Amarinder Singh government. The Modi magic should work for us in Punjab. The key question is going to be: Who will be the next prime minister? Modi has no challenger. His diplomatic outreach, surgical strikes, and hike in minimum support price (MSP) of crops will work to the NDAs advantage. Will the MSP hike mitigate farmers distress, which is a potential poll issue? Its a positive step but the MSP hike alone doesnt mean an end to farmers woes. The government must ensure that the crops are actually bought at the MSP so that farmers get the benefit. There is no one-shot solution to the farming crisis. There has to be a road map to raise farmers incomes through allied vocations and skilling. How do you look at the Captain Amarinder Singh governments performance? The chief minister is inaccessible. The communication gap between the government and people has never been so wide. The Congress promised a debt waiver for all farmers and jobs for each household. But it has failed to deliver. The time has come to enact a law to hold parties accountable for what they promise in the manifestos. It has to be a legally binding document, not just a pamphlet of fake promises. This deception game must end. Will the AAP be a challenger? Not at all. Its game is up. Look at the way they are fighting with each other. There is no discipline. Whatever little support it still has will evaporate by the next elections. Your senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has endorsed the call for legalising the sale of opium and other soft intoxicants to fight the hard drug menace. What is your view? A couple of states permit the cultivation of poppy. Cultivators produce more than the government-permitted quota and smuggle it into other states. There should be an all-party meeting to discuss this (allowing sale of opium). If the government cant stop hard drugs, the next best thing is to minimise them. Why are the Akalis apprehensive about the two commissions inquiring into false cases against Congress leaders and sacrilege issues during your tenure as chief minister? This is a part of the Congress governments politics of vendetta. The aim is to defame the Akalis. How can the Akali Dal, which has a history of being at the forefront of fighting for religious rights of the Sikhs, be blamed for the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib? We dont expect a fair report. What is the secret of your political longevity? The confidence of the people. I have treated the party like my mother. Even while disagreeing on critical issues such as the 1985 Rajiv-Longowal Accord (Punjab Accord), I remained a loyal soldier. Unfortunately, politics today is all about power. In the good old days, when I started my career, social commitment was the dominant theme. Now its greed for power and money. Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, and Gargash, one of the largest distributors of premium and luxury cars in the UAE, have partnered to transport two Alfa Romeos from Dubai to London, UK, for the prestigious Gumball 3000 motor rally. The two cars, an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, were transported onboard an Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777 freighter from Dubai to London, said a statement from the company. Emirates SkyCargos Boeing 777 freighter aircraft can carry up to 100 tonnes of cargo and with its wide main deck doors allows for the transportation of large and outsized cargo, it said. Both cars will compete as Team Alfa in Gumball 3000, an annual celebrity motor rally established in 1999, which takes place on public roads at different locations around the world. During the first leg of the rally in the first week of August 2018, Team Alfa will travel from London to Bologna. The second leg of the rally will see the cars driving around iconic sites in Japan including the historic cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Mt Fuji. The rally will end in Tokyo, Japan, on August 12 and Emirates SkyCargo will fly both cars back home to Dubai from Japan. Team Alfas participation in the Gumball 3000 rally will mark the 100th year of operations for Gargash, an established name for premium and luxury cars in the UAE. Moaza Al Falahi, Emirates vice president, cargo product development and UAE National Affairs, said: We would like to congratulate Gargash Group on their centenary this year. We are excited to be taking part in this momentous occasion by supporting them in the Gumball 3000 rally. The Alfa Romeos, which will be sporting the Emirates logo throughout the rally, are getting first class treatment under Emirates Wheels and will be handled by our trained and experienced staff at Dubai, London and Tokyo, she said. Shehab Gargash, managing director and group CEO, Gargash Group, said: In our 100th year, we are proud to be associated with Dubais flagship carrier Emirates, a truly iconic representation of the UAES global enterprising spirit. Emirates SkyCargo has proven to be an indispensable partner as we begin our epic journey from London to Tokyo, he said. Emirates SkyCargo has extensive experience in transporting high value premium and luxury automobiles on its fleet of passenger as well as freighter aircraft. Emirates Wheels is the air cargo carriers specialised air transportation solution for automobiles bringing together a modern fleet of 270 all widebody aircraft, an extensive network, state of the art facilities as well as highly experienced personnel for the rapid and secure transportation of cars, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Provisions in the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 The minimum punishment in cases of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, Rijiju said. - In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convicts natural life. - The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict. - Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death. - The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed, the bill says, adding that there will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gangrape of a girl under 16 years. Lok Sabha passes bill to provide death penalty to child rape convicts Lok Sabha passes the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018. The bill seeks to replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another woman at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Although the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was supported by most members across the political spectrum and passed by a voice vote, some in the Opposition objected to the government adopting the ordinance route to enact the law. Rijiju on new provision in bill on punishment in rape cases New provision proposes that court where rape cases are trialed should be presided by a woman judge. Statement in rape cases should be recorded by a woman police officer, says Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha during discussion on The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018. Only change in mentality of men can stop rape: Owaisi Law cannot stop the rape of children, change of mens mentality can, says Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha during discussion on The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018. Maneka apologises for using term other ones for transgenders Maneka Gandhi apologised for using the term the other ones for transgenders in Lok Sabha, saying she did not snigger but was embarrassed by her own lack of knowledge. Talking about the inclusion of information on prevention of human trafficking in school textbooks, Maneka Gandhi, on Thursday, had called transgenders the other ones in Lok Sabha. The minister drew flak from the transgender community for using the word, with Meera Sanghamitra, a member of the National Alliance for Peoples Movements and a trans woman, saying that Maneka Gandhi and all the MPs who thumped and laughed must apologise. Javadekar defends eminence tag for Jio Insitute in Lok Sabha Amid continuing criticism over institution of eminence tag for Jio Institute, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said only a Letter of Intent has been issued to it. As many as 114 applications were received, including 40 from the private sector, for being considered as Institutions of Eminence, he said. To a query on whether the HRD Ministry would reconsider the decision with regard to Jio Institute, Javadekar said it has nothing to do with the government. Besides Jio Institute, two other institutions -- Birla Institute of Technology & Sciences (BITS), Pilani and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal -- from the private sector were issued LoIs, the minister said. Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day The Rajya Sabha is adjourned for the day in the post-lunch sitting, amid rucker over the Assam NRC issue. Soon after the House met in the post lunch sitting, the opposition members again raised the issue of NRC. Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for 10 minutes to meet at 2.11 pm. But, as soon as the House was reconvened, the opposition MPs were again on their feet. Naidu then adjourned the House for the day amid the uproar. Congress is trying to politicise Assam NRC issue: Jitendra Singh Home Min categorically said that govt has no role in it, the entire process was carried out under SC's direction. The draft is not final, people can still file their claims. Opposition particularly Congress is trying to politicise the issue: MoS PMO Jitendra Singh on #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/Mgbt6oL4O5 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day Rajya Sabha is adjourned till Tuesday following uproar by opposition on National Register of Citizens in Assam. Lok Sabha adjourned The Lower House of the Parliament is adjourned. Home Minister speaks on NRC Assam draft in LS Government hasnt done anything, the work is happening under the supervision of Supreme Court: Rajnath Singh Baseless allegation to attack government, says Rajnath Singh. He says the list is not final and there will be opportunity to raise claims and objections so there is no need to create panic. Such sensitive issue shouldnt be politicised: Rajnath Singh Rajya Sabha adjourned again Rajya Sabha adjourned again till 2 pm amid uproar by opposition members, particularly from the Congress and TMC. Opposition raises NRC Assam draft issue in Lok Sabha Where will 40 lakh people will go... it is torture.. request Home minister to take up the issue and ensure justice shouldnt be denied to these people: Sudip Bandyopadhyay, TMC on release of NRC draft in Assam Opposition members say amendment should be brought in if necessary. CPI(M)MP Mohammed Salim says Democratic right is at peril. Rajya Sabha adjourned over TMC uproar Rajya Sabha is adjourned till 12 noon after uproar by TMC MPs over the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Adjournment motion over NRC TMC leader Sougata Roy gives an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over the NRC Assam draft which was released earlier today. TDP continues protest TDP MPs continue their protest in Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) constitution, the existence and full details of which are not well known, even to many volunteers, states that it is aloof from politics and devoted to social and cultural fields only. But the rapid growth of affiliated groups, penetrating almost all areas of society, has prompted the RSS to take an interest in influencing politics and government decision-making, says a new book. In their soon-to-be released RSS: A View to the Inside, authors Walter K Andersen and Shridhar D Damle have concentrated on the evolution of the Sanghs world view and organisation; how it made a conscious effort to boost the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) electoral fortunes ahead of the crucial 2014 Lok Sabha elections; and the convergence and divergence with the government since then. The fact that the RSS has a constitution is known to its leaders and close observers, and parts of it have appeared in a few books about the Sangh. But the organisation has largely remained ambivalent about it, and its full text is often hard to find. A senior functionary told Hindustan Times that despite being drafted in 1949, not many within the organisation know the contents of the constitution because it is not publicised much. The body was compelled to write its constitution after it was first banned following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. According to the authors, the RSS conducted protracted negotiations with then home minister Vallabhbhai Patel to lift the ban in 1949. Among other things, it pledged to prepare a written constitution, which would explicitly state that the RSS would not involve itself in political activities and the organisations activities would be devoted entirely to cultural work. The preamble of the RSS constitution states that owing to the disintegrated condition of the country, it was considered necessary to have an organisation, to eradicate the fissiparous tendencies arising from diversities of sect, faith, caste and creed and from political, economic, linguistic and provincial differences, amongst Hindus; and to make them realise the greatness of their past. The RSS constitution states that Swayamsevaks are free, as individuals, to join any party, institution, or front, political or otherwise, except such parties, institutions, or fronts which subscribe to or believe in extra-national loyalties. On why little is known about RSSs constitution, Andersen said: There is an ambivalence regarding the RSS constitution and most members have not read it. We had some effort to get a copy of the current 1972 constitution. As to why it is of such ambivalence within RSS, I think a major reason is that RSS operates on a face-to-face basis, and not through a set of written rules. Even as RSS has steadfastly refused to admit its role in electoral politics, the book suggests that 2014 was a significant marker in its history. It says just as in 1977 the Sangh had thrown its weight behind the Janata Party (a group of parties including the Jana Sangh) to take on the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, it took a similar decision to oust the Congress from power in 2014. A senior BJP figure told us that on only two occasions has RSS fully engaged in parliamentary elections: once in 1977 for the Janata Party and then again in 2014 for the BJP. This does not mean that the RSS has not been involved in other elections, but those two elections were the only ones in which it permitted its pracharaks and other high-level officials to take part in the campaigns, the book says. The book dwells on the Sanghs views on issues such as the Ram temple; foreign policy, particularly China; education; the BJP tying up with the Peoples Democratic Party to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir and its collapse; campaigns on cow protection and ghar wapsi; and economic policy, especially labour reforms and foreign investment. It argues that the Sangh plays the role of a mediator between its different affiliates, which include the BJP and the specific organisations which may be at the forefront of certain campaigns. Three decades ago, Andersen and Damle co-wrote The Brotherhood In Saffron: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu Revivalism, widely considered the most authoritative book on the organisation. On the issue of the constitution, Alok Kumar the international working president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an affiliate of RSS, said Sangh does not focus much on the constitution because it is run like a family and on trust. We adhere to it and hold elections regularly (as is prescribed in the constitution), but RSS has grown organically. You will be surprised to know that the name of RSS and the importance of the flag were not discussed in the meeting where it was founded, he said. BJPs Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha said the RSS organisation has always been based on its own constitution. The critics of RSS have reduced themselves to propagandists and use selective facts to perpetuate their narrative that RSS is undemocratic and anti minorities. RSS, like Britain, which had in the past an unwritten constitution, evolved conventions and rules. Since late 40s, it has a written constitution which has been mentioned even by critics like DR Goyal, but contemporary critics deliberately show ignorance. Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at Centre on Monday over the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) which she claimed was a plan to evict Bengalis and Biharis from Assam. She said that she would dispatch a team of Trinamool Congress MPs to the state and might even visit Assam herself. The second and final draft of the NRC published on Monday morning left out 40 lakh names out of 3.29 crore applicants. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also, Banerjee said at a press conference at the state secretariat. I shall send a team of MPs to Assam. I can go there too. As many as four million Bengalis have been declared non-Indians. Bengal and Assam share borders. Other states would not be as adversely affected as Bengal. Bengal and Bangladesh will be the most affected by this decision, remarked the Bengal chief minister. Responding to a question on whether the Bengal government would offer shelter to those not on the list, the chief minister said, We would give it a thought. But let me ask, why would they be thrown out in the first place? She said Parliament must bring in a law to protect those left out of the draft NRC. What will happen, if they want to push them back, and if Bangladesh does not want to take them back? The Parliament must legislate to protect these human beings, the chief minister said. Mamata Banerjee gave examples of a few persons and claimed they have documents such as voters cards, passports, PSU bank accounts and Aadhaar cards and yet have not been recognised as Indian citizens. She said she would speak to Union home minister Rajnath Singh. There is an UN resolution to give shelter to refugees in distress, she remarked. They are settled in Assam with businesses and establishments. How can they be excluded? They have been staying there for decades, even for 50 to 100 years, remarked Banerjee. Although the NRC exercise was monitored by the Supreme Court, Banerjee blamed the Centre for creating unnecessary provocation. The court is not to be blamed. The government of India did not oppose it. Why did not the Centre legislate to protect them? They are creating unnecessary provocation, she remarked. The Union home minister has said there is no cause of panic. If that be so why have communication and social networks been deactivated? One cant even reach out through e-mails. Why were 15 companies of forces deployed? Banerjee asked before leaving for Delhi on a two-day trip where she is expected to discuss with leaders of non-BJP parties the possibilities of forging an anti-BJP front before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP hit back saying no bonafide citizen was being targeted in the NRC exercise. Mamata Banerjee is unnecessarily making the waters muddy. The Assam government is no targeting bonafide citizens of the country. They are trying to identify the illegal immigrants. The Bengal chief minister knows she is on a sticky wicket in her own state. Therefore, she is raising this communal Bengali-Bihari issue, said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha. Earlier this month, Rajnath Singh in a statement had assured that every individual will get justice and will be treated in a humane manner. All individuals will have sufficient opportunity for the remedies available under the law. Government wants to make it clear that after draft NRC publication on July 30, adequate opportunity for claims and objections will be available. All claims and objections will be duly examined, he had said. The Union home ministry had also advised the Assam government that no action should be initiated by the administration or the police based on the draft NRC. West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee led the opposition attack on the Centre and the BJP on Monday following the publication of the second and final draft of the National Citizens Register in Assam which left out 40 lakh people from the list. There were people who have Aadhaar cards and passports but still their names are not in the draft list. Names of people were removed on the basis of surnames also. Is the government trying to do forceful eviction? Banerjee said. People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also, Banerjee said. The Congress also criticized draft of the NRC with Assam Congress unit chief Ripun Bora blaming the ruling BJPs politcal motive behind the exclusion of the names of 40 lakh applicants. 40 lakh names ineligible is a very high figure and very surprising. There are lot of irregularities in the report. We will raise this issue with the government and in the Parliament. Political motive of BJP is also behind this, Bora said. SS Roy of the Trinamool Congress said that the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the NRC will have serious ramifications. Central government has intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh religious and linguistic minorities from NRC which will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam. PM should come to house and clarify it, Roy said. But Union home minister Rajnath Singh defended the NRC as an impartial report. Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be spread. This is a draft and not the final list, Singh said. Another TMC MP Sougata Roy gave a notice for an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha over the NRC. In the Rajya Sabha, Opposition parties led by the TMC and the Samajwadi Party created an uproar over the publication of the NRC, forcing adjournment of proceedings till noon. Meanwhile, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal while describing the day as historic, appealed for peace after the NRCs publication. NRC is a national programme. It is the duty and obligation of every Indian citizen to maintain peace in the wake of its publication. I appeal to all sections of the society to desist from making any inflammatory or communal remarks, he said. The local panchayat office in Gova, a hamlet near central Assams Nellie in Nagaon district, is, on Monday, at once both heaven and hell for 800 edgy inhabitants from 12 villages under its jurisdiction. One-fourth, or 200, individuals, from six-year-old schoolchildren to grandfathers and housewives, find their names missing from the consolidated draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), released Monday. This is not just any other bureaucratic record. Not figuring on the register could potentially lead to loss of citizenship, land, job, even mean a long stint in a detention facility. To be sure, the state government has repeatedly clarified that no genuine citizen will be declared a foreigner. Appeals of those whose names are missing will be heard from July 7, says Raju Sharma, the local registrar of citizens registration at Gova. The state is overall calm but tragic scenes play out at the Gova centre when the reality of missing names dawns. The 200 people at Gova are part of 4 million, among the states population of 30.9 million, facing a similar problem. Abdul Maliks son Sabbir Malik, who runs a shop, is the only one from the family whose name is on the list. Even that relief may be temporary; if the father cant prove his ancestry, the sons name will be automatically deleted. The government owes Abdul Malik several months salary from his time at the now defunct Nagaon Paper Mill, which stopped production in March 2017. The mill was run by the central government owned, Hindustan Paper Corporation. Malik wants to know exactly what went wrong. Until the state-level central coordinating office in Guwahati provides the official reason, no one can say for sure. After several attempts going back and forth, Sharma seems to nail the problem. The surname of Maliks grandfather, Dewan, and his dont match. Moreover, instead of providing a magistrate-verified affidavit to prove ancestry, Malik submitted a self-signed declaration. That, apparently, wasnt good enough. The aim of publishing a list of all Indian citizens in Assam, on the directions of the Supreme Court is to identify genuine residents and illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Locals say migrants threaten their culture and are a drag on the states frail economy. Things are even more touchy here in Nellie, where local tribals massacred 2,000 Muslim villagers in 1983, mostly Bengalis believed to be immigrants. The terms of citizenship were sealed when the then Rajiv Gandhi-led government signed the historic Assam Accord of 1985 after a six-year anti-foreigners agitation. It was agreed that anyone who can prove that their ancestors entered the state before midnight of March 24, 1971 will be counted as citizens. Geeta Rakhang, 34, Maliks neighbour, has been smart enough not to commit Maliks mistake. In official documents, she never traded her Karbi tribal surname for her husbands, she says. Residents need two sets of documentation to prove citizenship. The first step is to furnish documents in List A. This refers to any government-certified document from before 1971, such as names in a similar 1951 citizens register, or a school certificate, birth certificate, or land records. This is the so-called legacy data. Then, they are required to submit documents mentioned under List B, says Troilokya Saloi, the registrar of Nellie. The purpose of documents under List B is to explicitly link the applicant with the name(s) mentioned in the documents in List A, thereby proving ancestry. In a village officially called No 2 Nellie Bagisa, many are fighting a different battle. While preparing to submit ancestry documents for the citizens registry, local police served a surprise notice on Bengali-speaking Ratan Moni Das, 74, his wife Sabitri Das, son Rantu Das and daughter-in-law Samita Pal. Dass family was under watch. The notice declared their citizenship doubtful, asking them to appear before a local foreigners tribunal, one among 100 set up to root out illegal migrants. ...If they dont accept our case, Ill have to die in a detention centre, rues Das, claiming he migrated to Assam from Bangladesh in 1953. When an updated draft is published next, those who fail to make the cut will be referred to tribunals to decide their fate. Police clashed with protesters who blocked a highway and damaged vehicles in western Maharashtra on Monday as Maratha organisations resumed their agitation for reservation after a week-long lull in the state. Maratha protesters in the Chakan industrial town attacked policemen, damaged least 100 vehicles in Chakan and Khed, and blocked the Pune-Nashik highway for at least four hours this morning, said government officials. The violence began during a protest march by Sakal Maratha Samaj in Chakan. Few youngsters suddenly started pelting stones despite appeal by police to maintain peace, said Sandeep Pakhale, additional superintendent of police. Four policemen a three civilians were injured. Police fired tear gas shells in the air to control the protesters. In Solapur, protestors attacked a vehicle driven by a deputy police commissioner. In Pandharpur, protestors damaged around 20 state transport buses and police vehicles. We have detained 171 people and now the situation is under control, said Mahadev Tambade, commissioner of police. News agency PTI reported a 35-year-old man killed himself by jumping in front of a train in Aurangabad district to support reservation for Marathas. Pramod Jaising Hore had written on his Facebook page and shared a message on WhatsApp on Sunday, saying he will kill himself. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Sunday reiterated his governments commitment to give Marathas reservation and assured a delegation headed by former chief minister Narayan Rane that cases filed against people during previous protests will be withdrawn. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday criticised the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at the Centre and in Assam over the tardy execution of the critical and highly sensitive exercise of drafting the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The NRC was initiated by the (Congress-led) UPA (United Progressive Alliance government) under Manmohan Singh Ji to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam accord of 1985, he wrote in his first Facebook post. He was referring to the pact under which it was agreed to identify illegal immigrants, who had entered Assam after Bangladeshs creation in 1971. However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state of Assam leaves much to be desired, wrote Gandhi. He cited reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC and said it has created massive insecurity. Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis. Gandhi appealed to his party members to help all those against whom an injustice has been done in the draft NRC, no matter what their religion, caste, gender, linguistic group or political affiliation. Earlier, the Congress demanded an all-party meeting over the issue. It asked the government to inform the Opposition of the steps it proposed to ensure that no Indian citizen is left out. Congress spokesman Anand Sharma insisted till all matters related to the NRC are settled, people and families should not be separated. He claimed Union home minister Rajnath Singh had admitted in Lok Sabha to shortcomings in the process of preparing the NRC. Battling difficult terrain, unfavourable weather and poor light for over 24 hours, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) concluded the strenuous search and rescue operation in Poladpur on Sunday afternoon. The NDRF recovered 30 bodies with the help of local trekker groups, doctors and residents. The bodies were handed over to relatives at the district hospital. On Saturday, a mini-bus, carrying employees of Dapoli-based Dr Balasaheb Sawant Krishi Vidyapeeth, fell into an 800-foot gorge off Ambenali ghat in Raigad district. Besides the NDRF, the state reserve police force (SRPF), local police, fire department and paramedical staff were working for over 24 hours at the spot. We had ropes, helmets and electrical equipment in place before the NDRF arrived. The operation which started at around 11am on Saturday was over by noon on Sunday, said Vijay Suryavanshi, Raigad district collector. By Sunday noon, all 30 bodies had reached the rural hospital of Poladpur, Raigad and by 1:30pm, the road was open for vehicular traffic as the crane installed to pull the bodies up was removed. A basic post-mortem was performed and the bodies were handed over to the relatives, said Suresh Khopkar, tehsildar. An official enquiry will be launched to map the cause of the incident and to see if anyone was at fault. However for now, the incident was recorded as a fatal accident report at the Poladpur police station under the Raigad police jurisdiction and it will remain so until a detailed report in the incident is filed, according to the official statement of the Raigad police. Before the NDRF arrived, rescuers were descending the gorge and wrapping the bodies in nets before pulling them up with ropes one by one. On the second day, the NDRF used their equipment to recover the remaining bodies trapped under bus parts. To retrieve the bodies stuck in the mangled remains of the bus, NDRF teams used cutters to dismantle the vehicle. The bodies were pulled out of the gorge with the help of a crane. The rescue teams had initially managed to trace 14 bodies. However, it took nearly six hours to pull out the rest of the bodies owing to the fact that it is a thick forested area, said an official of the district administration. Local rescue groups including, Sindhi community organisations, residents working in personal capacity and trekkers groups from Mahabaleshwar, Khed, Kolhapur, Dapoli, Chiplun helped with the operation. Members of an entire department, who occupy one floor of the college were wiped out. They usually take this trip every year at this time (for semi-official purpose), said a youngster who was helping with the procedure of retrieving the bodies and is the son of a person who works in another department at the university. We had two drivers on the bus, both who were employees of the university. One was Sandeep Zagde, 36, and the other one was Prashant Bhambid, 33. Both of them had over five years of driving experience, said KJ Chaudhury, registrar of Dr Balasaheb Sawant Kokan Krushi Vidyapeeth. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day following an uproar by the opposition, especially the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the publication of Assams National Register of Citizens. The Upper House witnessed three adjournmments earlier in the day due to the continued uproar over the issue before the Chair called it a day at 2.13 pm. When the House reconvened at 2 pm after the last adjournment, TMC leader Derek OBrien of Trinamool Congress stood up demanding a discussion on the notice given by him on the NRC. However, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he had taken the initiative earlier in the day and even called Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the House to respond on the issue, but the House was not in order. Home Minister came all the way to the House, neither the members were willing to say anything, nor did they allow the House to function, Naidu said, adjourning the Rajya Sabha for ten minutes. When the House reconvened at 2.11 pm, OBrien again demanded a discussion on the issue under Rule 267. It is not a political issue sir. It is a question of human rights, it is a humanitarian issue, it is a national issue, ... we need to look after Indian citizens. Please allow me to raise this issue sir, he said. However, Naidu reiterated that he had called the Home Minister to the House earlier in the day for a discussion, but the House was not in order and hence the opportunity could not be utilised. I assure you I will give the first opportunity tomorrow morning in the beginning of session itself, Naidu said. However, OBrien was unrelenting and, with other TMC members joining him in raising the issue, forced Naidu to adjourn the House for the day. Out of 3.29 crore applicants, 2.89 crore have been found eligible for inclusion in the complete draft of NRC, that was released in Guwahati this morning. This meant that the names of 40.07 lakh have been left out. When the House had assembled for the day and listed papers were laid after mourning the death of former member N Thangaraj Pandian, TMC members led by their leader Derek OBrien were up on their feet raising the issue. SP members and some from the Congress too started raising the issue leading to a din. Naidu first said he had not received any notice and later said that some members had met him and expressed their desire to raise the NRC issue. As the din continued, he adjourned the House till noon. When it reconvened, the opposition members, especially Congress, TMC and Samajwadi Party, were on their feet to raise the issue again. But Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow them and adjourned the proceedings for the second time till 2 pm. Later, OBrien told reporters that TMC has decided to circulate a note on NRC among other political parties. We think the NRC is inhuman and violates human rights. We would circulate a note on it among all political parties, he said. Alleging that the government did not consult West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the issue, the TMC leader said that a delegation of TMC MPs would soon visit Assam. Fearing a backlash, the Manohar Lal Khattar government on Sunday made a flip flop by rescinding an order issued two days ago to withhold certain benefits of contractual employees whose services were regularised by the previous Congress government but set aside by the Punjab and Haryana high court on May 31. The benefits included child education allowance, child care leave, loans, annual increment, promotions and leave travel concession. Quashing the regularisation policies for Class 2, 3 and 4 contractual employees, a poll-centric decision of Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government months ahead of 2014 assembly polls, the HC had ordered that any benefit already granted to an employee shall be withdrawn. Government under fire for not ably defending case in high court The Khattar government came under fire from the opposition for not being able to defend the case in the high court. As a face saver, the BJP regime announced that it would file an appeal in the Supreme Court. The appeal is yet to be filed. Under pressure from the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, the state government is also contemplating bringing a Bill in the state assembly to regularise the services of these employees. On July 27, the chief secretarys office issued an order that other benefits like child education allowance, child care leave, loans, annual increment, promotion and leave travel concession of the contractual employees may be withheld in view of the high court orders. However, the July 27 order was withdrawn on Sunday. No reason was ascribed while withdrawing the July 27 orders. It seems that the state government, already under fire from the employees unions and the opposition for not being able to protect the formers interests, did not want to risk another bout of criticism, said an official familiar with the development. Another official, however, clarified that the July 27 order to withhold the benefits was issued since the higher education department had sought an advice on the issue. Later, it was withdrawn since a committee headed by the chief secretary is looking into the issue. Defective regularisation, violative of SC orders Staring at an electoral defeat after a nine-year run, the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government had in May 2014 blatantly ignored the advice of its law secretary and overlooked all legal aspects to toss yet another poll-centric offering of regularising the services of contractual and ad hoc employees The move was clearly aimed at appeasing the employees, a major vote bank, ahead of the October 2014 assembly polls. The council of ministers completely disregarded the settled legal position on the matter and even closed its eyes to the advice of law department while approving amendments in the regularisation policy for group B, C and D employees (Classes 2, 3 and 4). Hindustan Times had reported the flawed decision on May 30, 2014. The Hooda cabinets decision to regularise the services of ad hoc Group B employees, whose services could not regularised under a 1996 policy, was defective as the state government had withdrawn this policy in 1997 in view of the Supreme Court orders. The SC had in October 1997 (P Ravindran v/s UT of Pondicherry case) had deprecated the practice of regularisation of services of ad hoc employees as a substitute for the appointees recommended by the public service commission. Wockhardt, a global pharmaceutical company, has expanded into the Middle East with the opening of a $40 million state-of-the-art facility for manufacturing new chemical entities (NCEs) in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) in Dubai, UAE. Speaking at the inauguration of the new facility, Dr Habil Khorakiwala, founder chairman of Wockhardt, said the company is poised to make a major breakthrough in the development of antimicrobial drugs to fight the emerging threat of superbugs. With Wockhardts commitment to R&D, we have five breakthrough NCEs that have been accorded Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) status by US FDA. With the new facility in the Middle East, we aim to focus on our commitment in developing medicines that can fight antimicrobial resistance, said Dr Khorakiwala. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) - the ability of infections to resist antibiotics to work against it - is increasingly recognised as a growing global health problem. Infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant strains of bacteria - also called superbugs - are unlikely to respond to standard treatments resulting in prolonged illness and a greater risk to health, and severely impacting clinical outcomes, leading to further higher healthcare costs due to consumption of healthcare resources. Dr Mahesh Patel, chief scientific officer of New Drug Discovery, Wockhardt said: Wockhardts drug discovery program has immensely benefited from global collaborations with universities and scientists of international repute in the areas of public health, Infectious diseases and clinical microbiology. Wockhardt currently has five novel antibiotic drugs in advanced stages of global clinical development which will be effective against these superbugs threats identified by the Center of Disease Control, USA. Considering the strategic importance of these antibiotics, the US FDA has granted Qualified Infectious Disease Program (QIDP) status to the five novel antibiotic drugs. Wockhardt has dedicated significant resources for the discovery and development of these novel antibiotics, which are in advanced stages of development are a culmination of 20 years of dedicated and focused research, said Dr Murtaza Khorakiwala, managing director of Wockhardt. The 10,000-sq-m facility in Dubai is equipped with best-in-class and fully automated manufacturing equipment, creating a self-sufficient environment for handling, warehousing, manufacturing operations, product testing and product stability. The facility will work on the exhibit batches and will be offered for inspection by the regulators at an appropriate time, he added. The facility meets the needs of Aseptic Dry Powder Injectable manufacturing and filling with a high-quality operation. This facility is dedicated to launch its novel New Chemical Entities in the antibiotics segment to the world from UAE. Wockhardt conducted extensive studies for identifying a region in the Middle East to establish a strong manufacturing presence for its advanced patented drugs. JAFZA was found to be appropriate for the factory premises for manufacturing patented proprietary drugs for global markets, added Dr Khorakiwala. Jafza is home to 306 healthcare and pharmaceutical companies from 54 countries. UAE's pharmaceutical and healthcare market is expected to increase by an additional Dh12.45 billion ($3.4 billion) from 2019 to 2021. According to a report by BMI research, the UAEs pharmaceutical and healthcare markets are among the regions best-performers, growing from Dh62.30 billion in 2017 to Dh65.68 billion in 2018 and Dh78.13 billion in 2021. Sultan Bin Sulayem, Group chairman and CEO, DP World, said, The healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors are key strategic targets in the Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030. As a trade and logistics hub, Jafza fully supports this vision and we are determined to help it grow. We warmly welcome Wockhardt to Jebel Ali Free Zone. The opening of a research-centric global pharmaceutical and biotech company like Wockhardt in Jafza marks another milestone moment in our efforts to encourage pharmaceutical companies to establish their manufacturing facilities, as well as knowledge and R&D centres in DP Worlds business and industrial parks. Wockhardt Bio AG manufacturing facility is designed to meet the standards of various international regulatory agencies and the standards set by the Local Ministry of Health. Wockhardt is poised for a quantum leap into the future. It is a future of dynamic changes, exciting possibilities and endless potential to further its goal of Life Wins and Wockhardt is committed to shaping this future," added Dr Khorakiwala. TradeArabia News Service The controversial Sterlite copper smelter unit in Tamil Nadus Thoothukudi will not be reopened, the district administration assured on Monday and urged people not to believe rumours. The Vedanta-owned plant was closed in May after 13 people were killed in police firing during protests against the plant based on allegations of causing health and environmental issues. According to Sandeep Nanduri, collector, Thoothukudi district, the state government had taken a policy decision in closing the Sterlite copper smelter plant. As the Tamil Nadu government has passed an order for the closure of the copper smelter, we have terminated water, electricity and other facilities to the unit. So there are no chances of reopening it again. People need not panic because of rumors and falsehoods, he said. Nanduri pointed out that about 99% of the sulphuric acid leak inside the plant had been removed post closure. We have removed most of the sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid and other acids. We are unable to remove materials like gypsum, rock phosphate and copper concentrate. However, we will neutralise them by adding necessary components to it, he said. The district administration had opened a dedicated website to provide employment for people who lost their jobs due to the closure of the Sterlite plant, he said. We have received 400 registrations till now through the website. Soon, we will ensure that they get alternate jobs, he said. Earlier on Monday, the Madurai bench of Madras high court, comprising justices C T Selvam and Basheer Ahmed asked the state government to inform it about who issued the orders for the police firing, which resulted in the death of 13 protesters. The fate of the Taj Mahal is now in the hands of K Ram Mohan Rao, RS Prasad (not the minister), and Usha Sharma. None of the three is a household name in India. The first, is the Divisional Commissioner of Agra. The second is Joint Secretary (Climate Change), in the Ministry of Environment and Forest. And the third is the Director General of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Supreme Court has named the three, the nodal officers in charge of all matters pertaining to the upkeep and maintenance of the Mughal era monument which is turning yellow in colour due to multiple sources of pollution. An order to this effect was passed by a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta after the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and the ASI identified the three officers as the point persons for the maintenance of the Taj. The court has clarified that in future any affidavit in the court on the Taj Mahal will only be filed by one of the three officers. Attorney General of India KK Venugopal, appearing for the state of Uttar Pradesh informed the court that as far as the state government is concerned, the Agra divisional commissioner, who is also the chairman of the Taj Trapezium Zone shall be responsible for the all the polluting industries operating in the TTZ. The Uttar Pradesh Government last week presented a draft vision document in the court saying that despite the top courts 1996 order, polluting industrial units continued to operate and expand in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) over 10,400 square km of area surrounding Agra city. Over 1,000 such industries still operate in TTZ. The Archaeological Survey of Indias counsel ADN Rao indicated that as far as the monument itself is concerned, the ASI is the agency in charge. Dissatisfied with the working of the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) Authority, environmentalist, MC Mehta, a petitioner in the case, made an argument for setting up a special body in place of the TTZ. Last week, the the Supreme Court was irked by the lack of coordination between various agencies of the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government over maintenance of the Taj Mahal and pulled up the two governments asking who was responsible to look after the monument Gurugram A number of green activists and citizens protested on July 14, demanding withdrawal of the plan to fell about 1,400 trees in Gurugram to expand a road at the Atul Kataria Chowk and build an auditorium in Sector 4. They contended that there was no need for a flyover and an underpass in the area and traffic could be streamlined with some minor changes. Haryana forest and PWD minister Rao Narbir Singh, has however, reiterated that trees will have to make way for a wider road to ease traffic jams, and that the lost tree cover could always be compensated for by planting more trees. In an interview with HT on Sunday, Singh spoke about the need for felling trees and the importance of peoples participation to increase the green cover of Gurugram and the state: Q: Activists are saying that there is no need for a flyover and an underpass at the Atul Kataria Chowk and felling about 1,400 trees can be averted by tweaking the plan. A: Jahan vikas hoga, wahan pedon ka vinash zaruri hai (where developement takes place, destruction of trees is necessary). It is natural, it is the law of nature. Whichever country has progressed, there has been tree felling. A flyover and an underpass are a necessity at the Atul Kataria Chowk. Survey shows that there are heavy traffic jams at the stretch. The activists will feel the pinch when they get stuck in a traffic jam there. I say 1,000 trees should be planted instead of 100, but the flyover will be constructed. The department must strive to ensure that trees are not felled unnecessarily. Q: According to the Forest Survey of India (FSI) 2017 report, Haryanas forest cover has grown minimally, just 0.02%. What are the reasons? A: Haryana is a small state and majority area is agricultural land, leaving less space for forests. (The forest area in Haryana is 1,588 square km, which is 3.59% of the states geographical area as compared to 21.54% at the national level). New roads, flyovers, railways and other projects are coming up for which trees have to be removed. We are trying to plant more trees, but the forest area is less. Q: What efforts are being made to increase the forest or green cover? A: We appeal to the people to plant at least two trees in their lifetime and take care of them. The need for this is higher in Gurugram as it will become difficult to breathe in the National Capital Region in near future if the green cover is not increased. The government has initiated a Paudhagiri campaign. Through this statewide campaign, we aim to engage 25 lakh students, from classes 6 to 12, each of whom will plant a tree and take care of it. For this, they will get an incentive of Rs 50 per year from the state government. The forest department will distribute plants to students and the education department will monitor the plantation. I also appeal to the people to go plastic-free and, at least, shun the use of polythene bags. Q: Survival rate of planted trees is always questionable. A: The forest department tries to monitor the planted trees, but here peoples participation is also necessary. Trees should be planted as per capacity to maintain them and not just for the sake of showing numbers. We appeal to NGOs, civic bodies and resident welfare associations to adopt roads to plant trees and monitor their growth. This way, the green cover can be increased and sustained. Q: There are frequent reports of tree felling in Aravalli forests. A: Action is taken by the forest department whenever specific inputs are received. We have inducted two drones for monitoring such activities and mapping the forest area. Here also peoples role is important in reporting such activities. The narrow bylanes of Sansar Chand Road in old Jaipur are witness to unusual hustle and bustle these days. Not because of any local festivities, but because of hope that the Congress has a chance of beating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the assembly elections due later this year in Rajasthan. The road leads to the Rajasthan Congress headquarters, where the party has set up a war room to take on the BJPs hyper-active social media cell and a call centre to monitor everyday feedback from at least 10 active members in the vicinity of the states 49,000 polling booths. While the war room has a core team of 42 members guiding over 100 volunteers tasked to counter the social media campaign of the BJP round the clock, the call centre manned by old-timers monitors new members joining the Congress and what the existing ones are doing, using an app called Shakti. The app helps us to monitor what workers are doing at the block level, said a senior Rajasthan Congress functionary. But what clogs Sansar Chand Road is the rush of ticket aspirants who come with their supporters to impress the top party leadership whenever they visit the state headquarters although the Congress is yet to start the process of identifying candidates for Rajasthans 200 constituencies. The enthusiasm is not limited to Jaipur and was evident from over a dozen incidents of party workers coming to blows at the Mera Booth Mera Gaurav campaign in different parts of the Rajasthan. Party leaders attributed these scuffles to supporters of rival ticket claimants and claimed that it indicates hope among workers that Congress will win the next elections. BJP leaders such as parliamentary affairs minister Rajendra Rathore termed these fist fights as indication of intense infighting in Congress at the booth level. They (Congress workers) dont have any unity. We are organisationally better managed than Congress to fight these polls, said Rathore. Strategy Rajasthan party chief Sachin Pilot said the party has covered 190 of the 200 constituencies in the Mera Booth Mera Gaurav campaign, which has received a huge response, and the remaining 10 will be covered well before party president Rahul Gandhi launches the Congress campaign in the second week of August. What has bolstered Congress, Pilot said, was the tepid response chief minister Vasundhara Raje received during her Jan Samvads initiated in April. The strategy of the Congress is simple take to the people the failure of the Vasundhara Raje government, which is on the defensive, and present its roadmap for Rajasthans development. We will tell people about unprecedented scams during Raje tenure, failure to fulfil promise of providing 15 lakh jobs and the distress their policies have caused to the farm sector. The BJP made 611 promises in its manifesto before assembly elections and had failed to deliver, Pilot said. This time, the Congress plans to come out with a hyperlocal (district level) development roadmaps on the basis of the feedback from its workers and voters that will culminate in a state-level manifesto. The party is also looking at holding smaller rallies by communities and professionals that will be addressed by senior party leaders, including Gandhi, as the campaign picks up. Rajasthan will also see Gandhi holding several road shows. Rajiv Gupta, a retired professor of Rajasthan University, said the Congress should aggressively counter the BJPs propaganda, which the Congress is not doing as of now. The BJP is getting the message percolated down that the Congress infighting will get worse if they come to power and they dont have any plan for Rajasthan. The Congress needs to aggressively counter this narrative and should project a sense of unity, he said. Bottlenecks The Congress is grappling with two challenges on the ground. First is the perceived rivalry between former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot, which the BJP is waiting to pounce on. If Pilot will appear to become the chief minister, the Congress will get votes of the Gujjars (Pilots community) but will alienate other martial races of Rajasthan such as Meenas and Jats, who traditionally have been Congress voters, said a former Rajasthan BJP president on condition of anonymity. The Congress has realised that the rivalry leading to divisions within the party ranks, from the grassroots to the top leadership ,can have adverse ramifications. Party leaders said the high command has devised a formula wherein prominent leaders may not contest the elections so that they can devote more time to ensuring the partys victory. As part of the plan, Pilot will continue his present responsibilities, former rural development minister CP Joshi can head the Rajasthan campaign committee and Gehlot would oversee the entire election preparations in the state. The partys campaign on the ground and on social media will give prominence to all, with more focus on Gehlot, said a Congress leader, who didnt want to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Rameshwar Dudi noted that the Congress had contested past elections in the state without a chief ministerial face and still won. We are all together to defeat the BJP. The legislators will decide who will be the chief minister, he said. This is not the first time that such rivalry is playing out. Om Saini, a former journalist and political analyst, said Gehlot himself had been the beneficiary of such rivalry when he became chief minister in 1998. The Congress contested the polls without projecting a CM face and made Gehlot the CM to dismay of all established leaders such as Parasram Maderna and Sis Ram Ola. Being in power, Gehlot emerged a mass leader with the passage of time, he said. The second challenge will test the ability of the Congress to transform chief minister Vasundhara Rajes anti-incumbency into votes for its own candidates. The grand old party had been found lacking in several states to convert peoples sympathy into votes because of the absence of an adequate number of dedicated, ground-level workers. In Rajasthan, the BJP has a stronger organisational structure on ground than the Congress, which in the last few months through the Shakti app and the booth campaign had tried to rejuvenate its workers. We for the first time have a database of important workers in 49,000 booths and are getting feedback from them on a daily basis, Pilot said, expressing confidence that on voting day the workers will deliver. The final punch Before the heat of the election sets in, the Congress will start a mass contact programme to reach out to every voter, conduct election management classes for its activists and deploy senior leaders from across the country to oversee its units in different regions of Rajasthan. The party plans to deploy a strong team of over 1,000 volunteers in its social media teams spread across districts. Gandhi will launch the partys campaign sometime in mid-August, almost two months after he held rallies in two other election-bound states, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Congress leaders say the delay in Gandhi visiting the state was tactical because they want to derive the maximum impact from his visits in the next two months. Once the campaign is launched, Gandhi will travel across the state to meet different sections, one of them said. Gupta said winning Rajasthan will mean a stronger footing for Rahul Gandhi to negotiate with Congress allies for the 2019 polls. A loss could reduce Congress to playing second fiddle on the negotiating table and strengthen the BJP, he said. The West Bengal government will pay within 24 hours the compensation to families of those killed or injured in accidents and natural disasters, in a move described as populist by opposition leaders. The money will be disbursed directly from the office of the district magistrate. A corpus of Rs four crore for each of the 23 districts has been created, said an official of the state disaster management department who did not wish to be named. Pain due to loss of life is irreparable. At least, we on our part, can ensure speedy disbursal of compensation, said disaster management minister Javed Ahmed Khan. The compensation will be Rs 5 lakh in case of deaths and Rs 1 lakh for severe injuries. Compensation is paid in case of death and injury resulting from accidents, natural calamities such as floods, electrocution in public places, lightning and even death due to snake-bites. Officers of the disaster management department will hold daily conferences with the district magistrates and district police superintendents and discuss death reports sent from different police stations. Once convinced that the death is because of accident or natural calamities, spot sanctions will be given by the department. Accordingly the district magistrates office will issue the compensation cheques immediately, he said. So far, the state government used to disburse compensation cheques within 72 hours of the mishap. The target is now to shrink the time to 24 hours after the mishap. Criticising the move, BJP Bengal unit general secretary Sayantan Basu said, The taste of the pudding is in the eating. So many announcements have been made. Let the government implement this populist measure. A cow carcass and around 50 kg beef were recovered from a house in Govind Garh area of Rajasthans Alwar district on Monday and three women were arrested, police said. The incident happened about a week after Rakbar Khan was lynched on suspicion of cow smuggling at Lalawandi village in Ramgarh area of Alwar district. We got information around 7:45 am that a cow is being slaughtered at a butchers house near Badbada Mod (turn). We reached the spot within 10 minutes and saw that three women are packing meat in a polythene and weighing it, said Roop Narayan Sharma, assistant sub-inspector at Govind Garh police station. We asked them what they were packing. One of the women replied that a buffalo was slaughtered and they were packing its meat. We called the regional veterinary officer to confirm whether the meat was of a cow or a buffalo. The officer confirmed that it was beef. He also sent a sample to FSL, Jaipur. The three women have been identified as Akbari Qureshi, Shabina, and Bhoori, the ASI said. During the preliminary questioning, Akbari admitted that her son Shakeel Qureshi and his friend Sattar (who is a butcher) had brought a cows calf yesterday and we have slaughtered it for the first time, said Sharma who is investigating the case. An FIR was registered against five people under sections of Rajasthan Bovine Animal Act. The three women were arrested and the hunt for absconding Shakeel and Sattar is on, police said. Reacting to the incident, Ramgarh MLA Gyandev Ahuja said, We treat cows like our mother. Cow slaughter should be kept in the category of terrorism and special task force should be made to deal with this issue. He added, The Meo Muslims of Haryana are involved in the business of buying and selling beef. The market of Govind Garh was closed for a few hours over the resentment at the cow slaughter. The situation is under control, said police officials. Cases of smuggling of cows to alleged illegal slaughterhouses in Haryana have been reported in Alwar and Bharatpur. The state government has established police outposts in the area to prevent cow smuggling. Self-styled cow protection groups are active in the region and carry out night patrols to thwart cow smuggling attempts. Before Rakbar was lynched, trader Pehlu Khan was beaten to death in Alwar in April 2017 allegedly by cow vigilantes while he was transporting cows to his home at Nuh in Haryana. A group of men transporting cows in November last were reportedly attacked in the same district allegedly by cow vigilantes, resulting in the death of a man identified as Umar Mohammed. A month later, Taleem Khan, an alleged cow smuggler, was killed in a shootout with police. Two women were arrested on Sunday for allegedly abusing some policemen conducting a raid in an Andheri (West) pub. The 35-year-old proprietor of the pub, Jatin Desai, was also arrested as he did not follow the rules of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). According to the Amboli police, around 1am, a team of crime branch unit 9, on the orders of senior inspector Mahesh Desai raided a bar in a mall on New Link Road, Lokhandwala, after a tip-off that the eatery does not follow the COTPA rules. The law states that food, alcohol and hookah cannot be served in one place. A special smoking zone needs to be made, an officer said. When an officer went up to the two women, Richa Kothari, 30, and Swati Harmilani, 32, and their group to ask their names, the duo got irritated. The women, who were inebriated, charged at the officer and one of them even abused a cop. The police said the women, who hail from Delhi and were visiting Mumbai, were upset because they had paid a lot of money to enter the eatery and smoke hookah. While Harmilanis husband refused to comment on the matter, the eatery could not be reached for a response. An officer said the accused have been remanded to police custody till July 31. The women have been booked under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The proprietor has been booked under sections 4 (no person shall smoke in any public place) and 21 (punishment for section 4) of COTPA. If everything goes according to the Central governments plan, you may be able to undertake the Haj pilgrimage via sea route from the next year. To revive the sea route to the holy Muslim cities in Saudi Arabia, the Centre has floated tenders for a sea route from Mumbai to Jeddah, said minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday, while flagging off the first batch of pilgrims from the city this year. The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has dedicated two ships for the Haj pilgrimage 2019. This would make the travel more economical, he said. Naqvi said India had earlier held talks with the Saudi government to revive the sea route and received a go-ahead. The sea journey to Jeddah, which was the main mode of travel for Haj, was discontinued in 1995 after the MV Akbari, the ship which was used on the route, was scrapped. Earlier this year, the Centre ended the Haj subsidy, which caused an increase in travel costs, in line with a 2012 Supreme Court order. Now, the aim is to reduce cost, which is why this alternative (sea route) has been thought of, said Maqsood Khan, chief executive officer, Haj Committee of India (HCOI). Khan said earlier it would take around seven to eight days to reach Jeddah from Mumbai by sea, but with modern technology, travel time could be cut down to three days. Around 5,000 pilgrims could travel in a cruise liner. The cost of travel by ship wasnt revealed. In an earlier interaction, Naqvi had informed that a pilgrim travelling by a flight from Mumbai pays between 2 lakh and 2.4 lakh, including the price of a return ticket at 58,000. Meanwhile, a return ticket for the ship will cost half the amount, said HCOI officials. This year around 1.75 lakh pilgrims will travel from India, of which 14,677 pilgrims are from Mumbai. The first flight which left on Sunday morning carried 160 Hajis from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Naqvi said 47% of the pilgrims were women. 1,308 Muslim women from India are going for Haj without 'mehram' (male companion)," Naqvi said. Manoj Mehta, 52, who was severely injured in the Gokhale bridge collapse on July 3 at Andheri, died on Sunday evening in Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle. Mehta was a qualified charted accountant (CA) and a successful builder for the past 35 years in Boisar and Palghar. An official statement from Nanavati Hospital confirmed that Mehta died on July 29 owing to multiple organ failure. Mehta stayed in Vile Parle and would commute daily to Palghar to oversee his construction business. On July 3, around 7am, Mehta was standing on platform 8 waiting for the Dahanu local to arrive when the debris of the bridge fell on him, said a relative He was admitted to the intensive care unit of Nanavati Hospital with spinal and other injuries. Manoj still fought for survival but death won, said his brother Rajesh. Since the last two days, Mehtas condition had worsened, said Padam Sharma a member of the Rotary Club of Palghar of which Mehta was a key member. Despite his busy business schedule, Mehta would regularly contribute to the Rotary Club activities said Sharma. Mehta is survived by his wife and two daughters. The funeral will be held on Monday morning. Upping the ante by launching a non-cooperation movement from Wednesday, Maratha outfits have decided to not pay utility bills and taxes until the government accedes to their demand for reservations in jobs and education. The decision was taken after the state coordination committee representing Maratha outfits from 22 districts met at Lathur in the Marathwada region on Sunday. The Maratha Kranti Morcha, the umbrella body of various community outfits, said it will resume the protest under the name of Maratha Kranti Janandolan from Wednesday. The non-cooperation movement will be part of the Maratha Kranti Janandolan. Marathas will stage sit-ins outside the residences of MLAs and MPs from August 1 to 9, and hold road blockades on August 9, marked as August Kranti Diwas. We passed nine resolutions in the meeting. There will be no deliberation or dialogue with the state government anymore as it knows about our demands. Instead of the discussion, it should come with the concrete plan on how to implement our demands. Besides the withdrawal of all criminal cases registered against community members, we demand 50 lakh in compensation to the families of two youths, who died during protests, and jobs to their family members, said Shantaram Kunjir, one of the coordination committee members. Maratha leaders claimed that most criminal cases are false. Meanwhile, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also held a meeting with a few Maratha leaders headed by former chief minister Narayan Rane on Sunday. He reiterated that his government will withdraw cases, except serious ones, registered against protesters and hold a special session of the state legislature to discuss the reservation demand. I have made it clear that the government is positive about all demands, and we are taking steps to fulfil them. We have decided to withdraw all cases, except the serious ones, against Maratha protesters. If those (serious) cases are withdrawn, it will send a wrong message, Fadnavis said. Fadnavis again said the government will keep aside 16% of the 72,000 jobs, planned to be filled in the near future, for Maratha candidates. Maratha Kranti Morcha said the delegation that met Fadnavis on Sunday does not represent the community. Meanwhile, the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena will hold separate meetings to chart their strategy over the Maratha agitation. The NCP and Congress will later meet the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Class and ask it to expedite the submission of its report on communitys socio-economic status. Germany-based BASF, a leading chemical company, said that its coatings solutions has helped China-based NIO, a multinational electric vehicle company, shape the new generation of its smart electric cars. BASF has helped to provide a unique look to NIOs ES8, a high performance electric seven-seater sport utility vehicle (SUV). It uses BASFs coatings solutions for the surface pre-treatment and all coatings layers, said a statement from the company. The ES8 includes BASFs waterborne coatings technologies, as well as Oxsilan from its Chemetall brand, an advanced thin-film technology for metal protection and waterborne coatings, it said. Nils Lessmann, vice president and general manager of BASF Shanghai Coatings, said: Visually, the coating creates the first impression of a vehicle it is the essence of a vehicles intrinsic style. But at the same time, the coating must protect and enhance the vehicles performance. Coatings for electric vehicles require unique expertise in both of these aspects, and our company can offer solutions to meet the expectations for a new automotive generation. For example, the pre-treatment and coating materials that we supply to NIO are specifically customised to match the ES8s full aluminium body, which NIO adopted to save weight and thus to maximize the driving range, he said. As a strategic partner, we collaborated with the NIO design team based in Germany throughout the design and development process for the ES8, as well as during production development in China. Our global key account team structure enabled design support directly via BASFs Automotive Color Design team in Munster, Germany, followed by the transfer of this jointly developed approach to the local team in China for localization, he added. According to a recent report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, worldwide sales of electrified vehicles and plug-in hybrids will rise to 11 million in 2025 compared to 1.1 million in 2017. The growth will be largely driven by strong demand from China. The market for electrified vehicles is also picking up speed, supported by the Chinese governments effort to combat pollution in cities and advance the accessibility of charging infrastructure. Lessmann continued: With the increasing demand from automotive manufacturers for smart electrified vehicle models with a greater driving range, we are committed to supporting the growth of our customers and taking an active role in developing the Chinese automotive market. Our new, state-of-the-art automotive coatings plant in Shanghai will also serve the increasing industry demand for innovative and sustainable coatings solutions to meet the stringent emissions regulations, he added. The ES8 is produced at NIOs world-class, fully automated factories in its manufacturing site in Hefei, China. William Li, NIO founder, chairman and chief executive officer, said: We hope that more people will be interested in smart electric vehicles. By presenting the most advanced products and services, we can achieve our vision of bringing back blue skies, he added. TradeArabia News Service The Bombay high court on Monday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to file an affidavit disclosing the steps taken by its officials to prevent the pollution of sea water, especially to stop the discharge of untreated sewage directly into the Arabian Sea. The court asked the civic body to file the affidavit within two weeks. You will have to come out with some solutions to what has happened recently, division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla told senior advocate Anil Sakhare, who represented the civic body in the court. The bench was referring to recent incident of tonnes of untreated sewage getting back on the shore along Marine Drive. It was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) Citizen Circle for Social Welfare and Education which complained about the dismal condition of coastal water, polluted to the most extreme level, making it dangerous to entire ecosystem and public at large. The PIL highlighted the extremely poor water quality index (WQI) of the coastal waters, making the citys shoreline one of the most polluted shorelines in the world. The NGO relied on the analysis of the coastal waters conducted by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to highlight the level of pollution. According to the analysis, the water quality index (WQI) of sea water at Juhu, Girgaum and Haji Ali is 44, 45 and 45.2 respectively. It was 45.2 at Mahim, 46.1 at Worli Sea Face and 46.8 at Nariman Point hinting high-level presence of pollutants all along the seas. The WQI for water in Mithi River was at its worst 28 when the readings were taken in October last year. According to the MPCB, about 655 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of untreated sewage was being directly discharged to Mithi river and into the sea around Mumbai. 93% of sea water pollution around the city was caused by the discharge of this untreated sewage along with waste directly thrown into the sea from some slums and other localities. The remaining 7% of pollution is directly attributable to the industrial effluents discharged in Mithi river and the creeks in Mumbai, as per MPCB. In this backdrop, the court said that the civic body must find out some solution to the problem of direct discharge of untreated sewage into the sea and file an affidavit disclosing the steps taken to prevent accumulation of tonnes of untreated sewage along Marine Drive almost every monsoon. It has now posted the PIL for further hearing on August 10. Facing pressure over the Maratha reservation, the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena have called meetings of their legislators to discuss the issue on Monday. Senior leaders from Congress and NCP will meet governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao separately in the evening, requesting him to issue directives to the state government to resolve the Maratha reservation issue as the situation is going out of control. The move comes a day after Maratha youths declared non-cooperation movement from Wednesday. Maratha outfits have also announced a sit-in protest outside the residences of MPs and MLAs from August 1. So far, eight legislators in various parties have said they will resign. Meanwhile, a shutdown is being observed in Solapur and Nandurbar districts on Monday, following a call from local units of Maratha Kranti Morcha. Solapur remained tense, officials said, adding that protesters pelted stones on the car of ACP Poornima Chaugule. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the meeting has been called to understand views of the legislators based on which party leadership will take its decision. Nawab Malik, NCP chief spokesperson said their delegation will first meet the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission chairperson, justice (retd) M G Gaikwad requesting him to submit his report to the government as early as possible. After this, they will meet the governor. Legally, the Maratha community can be given reservation benefits only if the commission submits a positive report to the state government. The commission will present the current socio-economic status of the community based on which the government will take its decision. The community has been demanding 16% reservation in government jobs and education. Sena leaders said party chief Uddhav Thackeray called the meeting at his residence Matoshree in suburban Bandra to understand the views of his legislators and to chalk out a course of action. Party MLAs and ministers were present at the crucial meeting. Sena legislators said that there is a lot of pressure on them from the Maratha community on the MLAs from the community. The Sena has 63 legislators out of which around 40 are from the community. We are going to discuss the Maratha quota issue with Uddhavji and seek his guidance. Theres a lot of pressure on us...moving around in the constituencies has become difficult, especially in rural areas. People gherao our party offices and they put garland of chappals (footwear) on our posters, said Hemant Patil, Sena MLA from Nanded. Vijay Mallyas chalice of woes never seems to run dry. As is known, the beleaguered spirits baron is facing a series of charges due to unserviced bank loans and has seen some of his prime assets, including his palatial Kingfisher Villa in Goa, seized by authorities and auctioned off. Through all this, it appeared the one thing the tycoon had going for him (besides the steadfast devotion of his partner Pinky Lalwani that is) was his successful ownership and mentoring of the Force India Formula One team, which had placed India high in the international racing world with its consistent performance. Unfortunately, that too appears to have hit a speed-breaker. Friends of the tycoon were saddened to receive a WhatsApp message from the erstwhile King of Good Times over the weekend alerting them to the situation... Force India Formula One was placed into Administration today by the court, based on a petition filed by none other than our driver Sergio Perez, began the message, which went on to outline how a European conglomerate that had been the franchises top sponsor had jumped in and claimed that their sponsorship amounts were loans. Ridiculous, as our entire car is pink with branding, wrote Mallya. But, the flamboyant industrialist shows every sign of taking this latest setback on the chin. Our holding company will work with the administrator to take the team out of administration or sell the team at the best possible price, he assured. Ending with a subtle swipe at the negative press hed been attracting ever since his businesses went belly up: Im sending this out before you read some headline news. Poor chap! His problems never seem to end, said one of Mallyas friends whod received the message. Whod have ever imagined a time would come when Vijay Mallya would be described as poor? A MOMENTOUS ANNIVERSARY Model Nayanika Chatterjee. In an industry notorious for its fickleness, early burnout and emotional wear-and-tear, the fact that Delhi-based model Nayanika Chatterjee completed 30 years most of them at the top in the Indian modelling universe was a moment that garnered much genuine cheer and applause across the board. Chatterjee, an impassioned potter with a degree from NID, when she is not commanding respect and attention on the ramp, runs a grooming school for models and is mother to a sprightly 15-year-old. Her momentous anniversary was achieved at last weeks India Couture Week, when Chatterjee had walked for the fashion worlds other enduring icon Tarun Tahiliani. Chatterjee, whose graceful presence and shy smile epitomises the best of the Indian fashion scene, was at her usual best, a reminder that old is mostly gold. The congratulations and accolades had come in full and fast, with the general theme being ensconced in her fellow Bengali advertising guru Ram Rays message: Lovely inside and outside. Long Live Nayana, Our Pride. CHOKSIS BANANA BOAT SONG? Mehul Choksi. Sometimes, the best humour is unintentional: a TV channel reporting on the latest shenanigans concerning fugitive scamster and well-known doppelganger of the character in the Batman comic books known as The Penguin, Mehul Choksi wanted in the multi-crore PNB scam inadvertently provided its viewers with much hilarity this week. While reporting on Choksis latest bid to escape the long arm of the Indian law by acquiring citizenship of Antigua recently, the channel kept broadcasting a clip of the jeweller delivering an address in his characteristically effete and precious manner but with the sound switched off. And, instead of the jewellers famous and familiar mincing, high-pitched voice, viewers were treated to the deep, earthy West Indian intonation of Antiguas Foreign Minister, Paul Chet Greene, with its unmistakable Caribbean cadence, hinting of rum and banana boat songs! The effect, to put it mildly, was sheer comedy! TAKE THAT, GORDON! Gordon Ramsay. British celebrity chef, the motor mouth Gordon Ramsay, seems to have stirred up the food pot recently. The Michelin-starred chef, who rose to fame for his fiery kitchen avatar which included him hurling expletives on shows like Hells Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, is gearing up for a new show that will see him parachute into foreign food cultures and show the locals he can cook their cuisines better than they can, read a recent statement hed made. Obviously, many were not impressed with the boastfulness. Indo-Brit chef Romy Gill from London tweeted, I hope this is a joke! Like what he did in India, he was so rude!!!! Others, like New York Times food writer Sarah Khan posted, First they colonised everyone for spices they didnt have the decency to bother learning how to use, and now this? Other international chefs also added their bits: two-star Michelin Spanish chef Jose Andres was characteristically feisty. Funny thing is that a British boy is going to teach the world how to cook better? Come on Gordon Ramsay, you will never make a better Paella Valenciana...ever! We wonder if Gordon really believed what he said or this is just another clever attention-getter from the master-marketer... The regions of Mumbai, Thane, Dombivli and other cities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) witnessed an increase in the concentration of Particulate Matter (PM) 10 (solid and liquid particles less than 10 microns suspended in the air), the Union environment ministry revealed. The data, collected from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) between the years 2015 and 2017 was released in the Lok Sabha last week. MPCB said the increase in PM 10 levels was a direct result of failure to control dust emissions from construction activities in MMR. Transportation of construction material, condition of roads, and ready-mix-concrete plants (RMC) are also major factors for this rise, said P Anbalagan, member secretary, MPCB. A senior Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) official, said, The analysis of feedback reports from state pollution control boards showed that construction activity and open storage of construction material, traffic congestion, dumping of construction and solid waste, waste burning and road dust resuspension were major factors for rise in PM10. In Mumbai, PM10 levels increased from 107 microgram per cubic metre (g/m3) in 2015, to 119 g/m3 in 2016 and 151g/m3 in 2017, which is almost 2.5 times the annual safe limit for PM10, 60g/m3. The regions of Thane, Dombivli and Ambernath also showed a similar trend. Navi Mumbai however, showed a declining trend during the same time. PM in air is a leading cause of deaths related to respiratory diseases. Most premature deaths in Mumbai over two decades were caused by stroke (a medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off), due to inhalation of suspended particles such as PM10, revealed a study by the Indian Institute of Technology -Bombay (IITB) from 2017. Doctors said long-term inhalation of PM10 particles can cause the lungs to deteriorate and collapse. We have witnessed a significant increase in the number of patients coming for treatment as a direct result of rise in particulate matter between 2015 and 2017. PM10 can enter lungs causing breathing disorders and damage lungs, said Dr Sanjeev Mehta, pulmonologist, Lilavati Hospital in Bandra. In its reply to the Lok Sabha, the Union environment ministry listed steps taken to reduce air pollution across the cities, specifically for PM10 emissions. The MoEFCC official said, We addressed all these issues under the recently formulated National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for abatement of air pollution. However, Sunil Dahiya, senior campaigner for Greenpeace said that the ministry failed to take strict action on reducing the sources of PM10 pollution. The NCAP just talks about monitoring pollution and does not say anything about how pollution levels will be reduced. It does not provide time-bound targets for cities. The rate at which construction is increasing in MMR, levels will only be higher in coming years, Dahiya said. For PM10, the System of Air quality Weather Forecasting and Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences said that windblown suspended dust, mostly from construction activities, was responsible for 56.3% share of emissions in Mumbai Dust coated with toxic emissions is hazardous to our health said Sunita Narain, director general of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Mounting pressure on its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said the state government must convene a special session of the Assembly immediately to discuss the Maratha reservation issue. Following a meeting with his legislators in Mumbai on Monday afternoon, Thackeray said: Our demand is that we should not wait for the report of the Backward Class Commission. A special Assembly session should be convened immediately. Thackeray said that while discussing reservation for the Maratha community, reservation for other communities in the state should also be discussed. A proposal should be discussed in the special Assembly session and sent to the Centre, he said. Sena MLAs and ministers are meeting Fadnavis at 4pm on Monday and will present these demands to him. Thackeray said the reservation issue should not be politicised, and appealed to people in the state to not resort to violence, even as reports of violence came in from parts of Pune and Solapur, following a call for a shutdown by local units of Maratha Kranti Morcha. After a brief lull, various Maratha outfits once again looked to spark their agitation for reservations into life with violent protests in western Maharashtra on Monday. As protestors resorted to violence and arson at various places, police were forced to fire teargas shells in the air and impose a lathicharge in Chakan to quell the protests. Chakan, 40 kilometres from Pune, saw the most violence with protestors attacking a police station and damaging at least 100 vehicles. The Pune-Nashik highway near Khed was also blocked by protestors for more than four hours, this despite leaders from the Maratha outfits appealing to community members not to indulge in violence. Inspector general (Kolhapur range) Vishwas Nagre Patil, said, Most violence occurred in Chakan and Khed-Rajgurunagar areas where around 30 vehicles were torched. The situation is now under control. The community has been protesting across the state for 10 days now, demanding reservations in government jobs and education. The violent protests erupted a day after Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis reiterated his governments commitment towards reservations for Marathas and also assured the delegation headed by former chief minister Narayan Rane of withdrawing cases against agitators. However, angry protesters stormed into the Chakan police station on Monday and pelted stones at policemen, leaving four of them, including a deputy superintendent of police, injured. To disperse mob, police resorted to a lathicharge. In the violence eight policemen sustained injuries, including a deputy superintendent of police, additional superintendent of police and police inspector, while 30 vehicles were torched. Among them, 10 vehicles were Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) buses, according to police reports. In Pune, IT employees faced massive traffic jams after protestors blocked the road leading to the Hinjewadi IT Park. Market Yard traders also supported the bandh call and arrival of vegetable, fruits was stopped at the agriculture market produce committee on Monday. Keeping in mind the violent outburst, some schools also decided to remain shut on Monday while a few school bus operators also chose to stay off the roads to avoid trouble. Violence initially broke out when members of Sakal Maratha Samaj held a protest march on Monday morning in the industrial town of Chakan. Few youngsters suddenly started pelting stones despite an appeal by the police to maintain peace, said Sandeep Pakhale, additional superintendent of police. Police also invoked Section 144 of CrPC to prohibit assembly of more than four persons in the area in Chakan. Following reports of European countries testing premium variety basmati rice imported from India with traces of cancer causing fungicide tricyclazole, Saudi Arabia has also asked exporters to cut use of fungicide. Significantly, Saudi Arabia is the largest importer of basmati from the country, with 70% of the $2 billion (Rs 12,000 crore) consignment headed for it. Reports suggest that the Saudi Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has decided to follow stringent norms for quality checks of basmati coming from India and has started conducting tests. Some consignments of basmati have been rejected after testing positive for residues of pesticides. SFDA has started fungicide levels as per European Union standards with traces of tricyclazole not more than 0.01 mg in a kilogram of rice. We should get serious now. The governments in the centre and the (two) states of Punjab and Haryana have to act, said Vijay Setia, Basmati Exporters Association President. Why cant we stop excessive use of fungicide which is a health concern, asked Setia. Around 50% of Punjabs basmati export is to Saudi Arabia and 40% of the countrys total export is also from the state. He added that his association was willing to get samples tested from farmers fields and if no traces of fungicide were found, the farmer would be paid 10-15% more than the prevailing rates. 30 containers rejected since January Since January, Norway, Sweden, England and Finland have rejected at least 30 containers of basmati. About 25 lakh tonne of basmati is procured from Punjab alone for exports. As basmati growers in Jammu and Kashmir dont use tricyclazole, exporters turned towards the state for procurement of basmati and bought 25,000 tonne, paying J&K farmers more. No doubt, the variety 1121 of Punjab basmati is loved worldwide but, being very health conscious and having strict norms, European and Middle Eastern countries check every consignment, said Ashok Sethi, a director with the exporters association. The exporters association has started a campaign and reached out to basmati growers in four districts of Punjab not to use the lethal fungicide. These are Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Ferozpur and Pathankot The Exporter Association has also approached the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA) and the department of chemicals under the Union minister of chemicals and fertilisers to take up the matter with the Saudi Arabian government to ensure that there is no disruption in export of basmati. If things do not change, exports would end, ruining the industry and farmers will bear the brunt, added Setia. Exporters have also approached the Indian ambassador in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital, to request the SFDA not to go ahead with its notification on cutting the use of fungicide and defer its implementation, until a mutually agreeable solution is arrived at. In a major breakthrough, the crime investigation agency (CIA) of Panchkula police on Sunday night arrested gangster Bhupinder Singh alias Bhupi Rana. Involved in over 25 murders, murder attempts and other cases, Bhupi Rana and two of his aides were nabbed near the Sector 23 dumping ground in connection with the murder of 27-year-old Bhupesh Rana on April 16 in Barwala, Haryana. The accused were carrying pistols when they were intercepted close to a naka (checkpoint) in a white Maruti Baleno by CIA teams from Sector 26 and Sector 19, led by inspector Aman Kumar and Arvind Kumar, respectively. When stopped the gangsters tried to flee after breaking the barricades, getting into a scuffle with the CIA men when they were surrounded. They tried to use pistols, but were taken into custody, said inspector Aman Kumar. Bhupi Ranas accomplices were identified as Gaurav Roda of Barwala and Kuldeep Chauhan of Naraingarh, Ambala. The weapons were seized too, officials said. On checking, three pistols, which prima facie seem to be foreign-made, were recovered from them. With made in USA and Italy markings, the pistols were loaded with five to six cartridges. Apart from this, 47 live cartridges were also recovered, said an official. The three gangsters have been booked by Panchkula police under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public function), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code and section 25 of the Arms Act. The trio was produced before a local court on Monday and sent to five-day police custody. Last week, gangster Monu Rana, a rival of the Bhupi Rana Gang, was arrested by the Ambala police. Old enmity between gangs On April 16, Bhupesh Rana, a member of the Monu Rana gang, was shot dead in his Alto car by a man driving a Maruti Swift and suspected to be part of Bhupi Ranas gang. A murder case was then registered against Bhupi Rana, a resident of Handesra village in Mohali, Gaurav Rana and others. According to police reports, a number of clashes have been reported in the past between both gangs in their battle for supremacy in the region. On August 2014, Mustak, another member of Bhupi Ranas gang, was allegedly murdered by Bhupesh Rana and other members of the Monu Rana gang. Following this, police had arrested Bhupesh, who was then lodged in Ambala jail before being released last year on bail. Monu Rana, too, had been attacked in January last year allegedly by the Bhupi Rana gang when produced in a Yamunanagar court in a murder case. Dhahan posts on Fb Meanwhile, a post on gangster Dilpreet Singh Dhahans Facebook page, shared at 7.41 pm on Sunday, said in Punjabi that At 7 am today Bhuppi Rana and Gourav Rana (sic) were arrested by Haryana police in Gurugram. May god keep my brothers safe. Dhahan was arrested on July 10 by the Punjab police, in a joint operation with the crime branch of Chandigarh Police. The post mentions that Bhupi Rana were arrested by Haryana police from Gurugram, while Panchkula police has said the due were arrested in Panchkula on Sunday night. Rana gang behind recent murder in Ambala Officials privy to investigations in cases against Bhupi Rana and accomplices Kuldeep, Gaurav and Sahil Rana, say they are involved in the murder of the husband of the sarpanch of Baragaon village in Naraingarh, Ambala. Unidentified persons had pumped eight bullets into the victim, a government school teacher referred to as Session Kumar Judge. Fight between gang members Sahil Rana, interrogations of the arrested gangsters have revealed, recently had a fight with Bhupi Rana and Gaurav as he wanted new clothes and money, an official said. Sources also claimed that Bhupi Rana had recently moved to an apartment at Sushant Lok in Gurugram from a friends flat in Delhis Rohini. He was also in touch with some members of the notorious Devinder Bambiha gang, Aman Kumar alias Amna Jaito and Yadwinder Singh alias Yaddu Jaito, who were recently arrested by the Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) of the Punjab police . As a matter of fact, Bhupi Rana had exchanged his Hyundai Creta for their Maruti Baleno in which he was held. Was in touch with gangster Buddha Police also suspected that Bhupi Rana had links with Punjab gangster Sukhpreet Singh, alias Buddha, who is wanted in over 15 cases of murder, robbery and other heinous crimes. Bhupi was in touch with several dreaded gangsters in Punjab and Haryana. He had strong connections with them, one being Buddha. There was also some rivalry between him and (gangster) Sampat Nehra, an official added The Indian Catholic priest and astrophysics researcher who found conclusive evidence of a long lost galaxy, the third biggest after Andromeda and the Milky Way, said that like many others before him he nearly gave up on the search. Speaking the Hindustan Times from the University of Michigan USA, where he made the discovery, Fr Richard DSouza said the journey seemed destined for disappointment until they made the breakthrough. People had given up on this and had moved to other problems. We kept plodding along, and finally we had a breakthrough. We realised that we had to unlearn and abandon so many things we thought we knew, Fr DSouza said. Part of the problem lay in the fact that a galaxy like Andromeda was expected to have consumed hundreds of its smaller companions. The researchers thought this would make it difficult to learn about any single one of them. More importantly this discovery and its method will now pave the way for the discovery of other galaxies that have been cannibalized by other larger galaxies. We knew we could recover some information from the existing data, but it also gave us a way forward to solving similar problems with other galaxies, he said. Using new computer simulations, the scientists were able to understand that even though many companion galaxies were consumed by Andromeda, most of the stars in the Andromedas outer faint halo were mostly contributed by shredding a single large galaxy. DSouza, a Jesuit priest who hails from Goas Mapusa town and is a staff astronomer attached to the Vatican observatory in Rome, is currently pursuing his post-doctoral research at the University of Michigans Department of Astronomy. He along with fellow researcher Eric Bell hit upon conclusive evidence of galaxy named M32p that was shredded and cannibalised by the Milky Ways galactic neighbour Andromeda about two billion years ago. This disrupted galaxy was the third-largest member of the local group of galaxies, after the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. Using computer models, DSouza and Bell were able to piece together this evidence, revealing this long-lost sibling. Their findings were published in Nature Astronomy earlier this month. Discovering and studying this decimated galaxy will help astronomers understand how disk galaxies like the Milky Way evolve and survive large mergers. This project was a big risk, but I am glad it paid off. The main thing is that we learned a lot, and we had great fun doing the project, he said. Their discovery could alter the traditional understanding of how galaxies evolve. The duo realised that the Andromedas disk survived an impact with a massive galaxy, which would question the common wisdom that such large interactions would destroy disks and form an elliptical galaxy. The timing of the merger may also explain the thickening of the disk of the Andromeda galaxy as well as a burst of star formation two billion years ago, a finding which was independently reached by French researchers earlier this year. Expo 2020 Dubai has signed an agreement with the China-Arab International Cooperation Committee (CAICC) in a move to promote Chinese visitor and business engagement at the global event. Based in Shanghai, CAICC is a government-backed, non-profit organisation that supports Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative by stimulating and facilitating business cooperation and cultural communication between China and Arab nations. Under the agreement, the two entities will work together to encourage Chinese businesses to take full advantage of the many opportunities available before and during Expo 2020 Dubai. CAICC will also extend its support beyond 2020 by facilitating investment opportunities in District 2020, the interconnected mixed development that will carry forward Expos legacy. The two organisations also will work together to promote and facilitate Chinese student and government group visits to Expo 2020 Dubai, which coincides with the 10th anniversary of Shanghai hosting a World Expo in 2010. The agreement was formalised with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, executive director of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, and Snow Li Fei Nan, vice chairperson, China-Arab International Cooperation Committee at China Sanya Institute of Public Diplomacy, at an event hosted at the Expo 2020 site. Al-Ali said: As the host of Expo 2010, Shanghai and China understand the huge importance of World Expos and their convening power as a universal force for good. Through cooperation with the CAICC, Expo 2020 Dubai will be able to reach out to our target audiences and build new relationships in Shanghai and neighbouring provinces. Commenting on the memorandum of understanding, Hong Hao, chairperson of World Expo Museum, former director general of Expo 2010 Shanghai and former secretary general of Shanghai Municipal Government, said: The bilateral relationship between China and the UAE has reached a new level with a newly declared deep strategic partnership between the two countries. As Dubais sister city, Shanghai is willing to share all the experience of hosting a World Expo and work together to contribute to Dubais future development. The China-Arab International Cooperation Committee will give maximum support to the organisers of Expo 2020 Dubai. The MoU signing follows UAE-China Week earlier this month in which Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Abu Dhabi and a string of important trade deals were announced, as well as confirmation that the week would now be hosted annually. China officially signed its participation contract for Expo 2020 Dubai on May 8 this year. Under the pavilion theme of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind Innovation and Opportunity, its participation will focus on fostering a global community with a shared future for humankind. Expo 2020 will give China an opportunity to demonstrate its institutional and technological innovation and showcase its history and culture, while demonstrating its willingness to develop a global partnership for a better future. Opening on 20 October, 2020, Expo 2020 is expected to attract25 million visits, with 70 per cent from outside the UAE the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos. TradeArabia News Service Travel may often seem an expensive proposition, right from the booking of tickets and hotels to a negative currency conversion rate that makes you feel guilty to even buy a bottle of water. But it need not be so. There are several places around the world where the Indian rupee trumps the local currency, ensuring that you are richer and can enjoy more experiences without spending outrageously. Here are 5 places where the Indian rupee is a stronger currency: * Cambodia: Rs1 equals to 59.28 Cambodian riel Visit the astounding Angkor Wat temple complex at sunrise and hunt for good bargains at the Siem Reap night market. Dont miss the Koh Rong Samloem tropical island which boasts of pristine beaches or explore the tropical jungle at Cardamom Mountains. * Nepal: Rs 1 equals 1.60 Nepalese rupee This neighbouring country has a lot to offer for travellers. There are temples such as Pashupatinath and Boudhanath, paragliding options at Pokhra Valley, the birthplace of Lord Buddha at Lumbini, a bustling market at Thamel Road and the ancient city of Bhaktapur known for its pottery square. * Sri Lanka: Rs 1 equals 2.33 Sri Lanka rupee Everyone is visiting Sri Lanka for a reason. From beaches to lush greenery and eclectic cuisine, this country has it all. While Galle boasts of Dutch-era villas and the famous sea fort, Yala National Park has the highest concentration of leopards in the world, and Bentota is the place to head to for water sports. Nuwara Eliya has British colonial buildings and Kandy houses the 4th century Temple of the Tooth. Chain bridge on Danube river in Budapest city, Hungary. (Shutterstock) * Hungary: Rs 1 equals 4.03 Hungarian Forint Visit the Great Market Hall in Budapest known for its Neogothic structure, unwind at the cave bath at Miskolc-Tapolca, go fishing to Lake Balaton, or opt for a river cruise on the Danube. The Goafoss is a waterfall in Iceland. The country is filled with natural wonders. (Shutterstock) * Iceland: Rs 1 equals 1.53 Icelandic Krona Come December and direct flights will commence between Delhi and Reykjavik. A world of natural wonders and unique experiences await you. You can go whale watching at Reykjavik, visit natural geysers and spas, enjoy the nightlife, go down ice caves, and spot the Aurora Borealis. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Donald Trump said he would be willing to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani with no preconditions as tensions between the two countries climb following the U.S. presidents decision to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear deal. I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet, Trump said Monday during a joint press conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. I dont know if theyre ready. Theyre having a hard time. The U.S. leader cited his experience meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore last month as a sign of his willingness to help address concerns of war and peace. Trump has said the summit -- the first ever between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea -- has fostered his goal of denuclearizing North Korea, though its unclear if Kim shares that commitment. When discussing critical issues, you meet, Trump said on Monday. Theres nothing wrong with meeting. One possible opportunity would be during the annual United Nations General Assembly in late September. Rouhani typically attends the meetings in New York. Trump began ramping up the public pressure on Iran about a week ago, saying on Twitter that the U.S. wont tolerate Irans DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH -- a response to a warning that Irans leader made to Trump. The tweet followed a speech by Secretary of State Michael Pompeo labeling Iranian leaders hypocritical holy men and calling out many by name for alleged corruption. Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded to Trumps tweet last week, posting on Twitter, color us unimpressed. He added that the world heard even harsher bluster a few months ago and Weve been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS! Trumps tough public line echoes the one he used against North Korea last year -- warning of fire and fury he could rain down on Pyongyang -- provoking fears of a military conflict that eased when the two leaders agreed to meet. The U.S. president was an opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal -- which eased some economic sanctions in exchange for specific curbs on Irans nuclear program -- for years, calling the accord the worst deal ever. His withdrawal from the agreement prompted widespread international criticism, including from allies France, the U.K. and Germany. Vienna Meeting Economically, Trump may have some leverage with Tehran, which has faced months of protests about corruption and slow economic growth. Earlier this month, the other participants in the nuclear deal met in Vienna to look for ways to ensure Iran still gets the benefits its seeking from the accord despite the U.S. threats. But world powers were unable to offer concrete proposals, and diplomats have warned there may be little they can do. Behind the presidents tougher rhetoric, according to administration officials and analysts, is Trumps desire to goad Iran, which has seen repeated public protests over corruption and slow economic growth, back to the negotiating table to hammer out a new, more comprehensive deal to replace the nuclear accord the U.S. withdrew from in May. Politically, however, many analysts say it would be very hard for Irans political leaders to meet with Trump, given his opposition to the nuclear accord they spent years negotiating, his travel ban that effects many Iranians interested in studying or working in the U.S. and his rhetoric against the government. Some U.S. sanctions on Iran are due to kick in next month, while more serious penalties targeting countries with companies importing Iranian oil take effect in November. The administration has signaled to allies that it wont consider broad exemptions to sanctions. --With assistance from Toluse Olorunnipa . To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.net. The extradition case of controversial businessman Vijay Mallya has reached a concluding stage with a final hearing scheduled for Tuesday, when the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on behalf of India and the defence are due to present final submissions. The case is being heard before chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot in the Westminster Magistrates Court, with Mallya attending almost every hearing. He has suffered legal setback in a separate court case related to debt recovery brought by 13 banks. A CPS spokesperson said: The next hearing is on July 31. On that day the Senior District Judge will hear final submissions. Judgment will be reserved until a future date (to be arranged). The judgment that will include a recommendation to the home secretary under the Extradition Act, 2003, is likely to be delivered in September, when the court resumes after the summer recess; both sides will have opportunities to appeal. Before making final oral submissions, both teams -- the CPS team led by Mark Summers and the defence led by Claire Montgomery were expected to file written submissions. The case involves thousands of pages of documents, mainly related to the loans extended by IDBI and other banks to Mallyas Kingfisher Airlines. Mallyas defence has raised four objections to his extradition: absence of a prima facie case, extraneous considerations, human rights and abuse of process. These relate to alleged political witch-hunt, prison conditions breaching human rights, inability to get a fair hearing in an Indian court and lack of a case to answer. The defence team produced several witnesses to substantiate the four objections, including alleged mistreatment and violation of human rights in the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai, if extradited. The Indian side has submitted a range of visual and written documentation, as well as sovereign assurances, seeking to satisfy the judge that his human rights would not be breached in the high security barrack number 12 in the jail. While Mallyas side has claimed that loans could not be returned due to genuine business failure, the CPS team alleges chapters of dishonesty on his part not only in obtaining the loans but also the dispersal of the funds for purposes contrary for which they were disbursed. The figure due from Mallya is often mentioned as Rs 9,000 crore, which includes a substantial component of interest, and interest on interest. The main allegation concerns the loans of Rs 1500 million, Rs 2000 million and Rs 7500 million extended during October and November 2009. Mallya issued a statement on June 26, expressing frustration at Indias alleged refusal to accept his offer to settle the bank loans. He has also made recent representations in Indian courts to repay the loans, while 13 Indian banks seek to recover them through his assets in the UK. Mallya arrived in London on March 2, 2016 in the wake of allegations in India of financial irregularities. Indias extradition request was certified by the home secretary on February 21, 2017; he was arrested and bailed on April 18, 2017. A series of hearings began in the Westminster Magistrates Court in June 2017. Almost every hearing has been attended by officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and the Indian high commission. The case is on the verge of conclusion, but the Mallya story is unlikely to end anytime soon. There is the option to appeal in the high court and the Supreme court, and depending on the timing and how Brexit negotiations proceed, he could also approach the European Court of Justice, which is known to be lenient on grounds of human rights. There is also the precedent of Tiger Hanif, who is wanted in connection with two blasts in Gujarat in 1993; he lost legal bids to avoid extradition (the last in April 2013), but made a final representation to the home secretary, who is yet to take a decision. The Mallya case is significant in the context of the India-UK extradition treaty of 1993. Only one individual has since been extradited from the UK: Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, wanted in a case related to the 2002 Gujarat riots, extradited in October 2016. Appointment 30 July 2018 InterContinental San Diego is pleased to announce the completion of its executive committee appointments prior to the hotel's official opening on August 28, 2018. General Manager, David Hall, will be leading the team of seasoned hoteliers for this highly anticipated new San Diego hotspot. Returning to InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and the city of San Diego he previously called home, Hall will be at the helm of this 400-room luxury hotel located on the pristine San Diego bayfront. This will be his second ground-up opening with IHG, having successfully opened the InterContinental Chicago O'Hare in 2008. With over 20 years of hospitality experience and a proven track record of success and leadership, Hall brings incredible industry knowledge and expertise to his role with InterContinental San Diego. Preceding his return to San Diego in October 2017, Hall served as President and Chief Operating Officer for Portfolio Hotels and Resorts, based in Chicago, Illinois. Hall was responsible for overseeing Portfolio's management division which includes over 20 hotels in locations such as New York, Chicago, Colorado, Monterey Bay, and Southern California. Prior to his tenure with Portfolio Hotels and Resorts, Hall served six years as Managing Director of San Diego's iconic Paradise Point Resort & Spa. Among many achievements during his time there, Hall worked directly with LaSalle Hotel Partners (NYSE:LHO) and Destination Hotels to reposition the asset, where he doubled revenue and profit on the 44-acre island. Hall's previous hospitality experience spans wide, having managed hotels across the country including Chicago City Centre Hotel, Westin Atlanta Airport, and Crowne Plazas of Atlanta. He was named "Hotelier of the Year" by the Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association in 2001 and Managing Director of the Year 2012 by Destination Hotels. David Hall will oversee InterContinental San Diego's talented executive committee which includes a total of ten seasoned team members. Idalith Santiago, Director of Human Resources, brings over 15 years of hospitality experience to her role, leading the recruiting efforts to secure top talent for San Diego's new luxury resort. Paul McCabe, Director of Food, Beverage & Culinary Operations, draws on more than 30 years of culinary expertise where he has made a name for himself by putting some of San Diego's top hotels on the map, including L'Auberge Del Mar's KITCHEN 1540. Rebecca Brown, Director of Events & Catering Operations, has unparalleled regional experience having opened Hilton San Diego Bayfront and leading event operations at Paradise Point Resort & Spa. Lisa Bell, appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing, will utilize her 20 years of expertise to lead all group sales efforts for the new hotel. Kathy Skaleski, Director of Revenue Optimization, is highly skilled at forecasting and outperforming her competitors and previously worked on the openings of two hotels, including InterContinental Chicago. Dana Flower brings her wealth of San Diego hospitality knowledge and marketing expertise to her new role as Director of Marketing & Communications for the property after holding similar roles with Pacific Hospitality Group and Destination Hotel & Resorts. Sonny Cataldo, Director of Engineering, hales from Boston, MA and has worked with some of the world's most iconic hotels including Hotel Del Coronado, Shutters on the Beach, and the Grand Wailea. Jizelle Del Rosario will serve as Director of Finance & Business Support, following 19 years of hospitality experience in both the Chicago and San Diego markets. Irene Romero, Director of Rooms, comes to InterContinental San Diego holding a record of successful hotel openings including Hotel San Remo, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, and most recently, Holiday Inn - Cleveland Clinic. Supplier News 30 July 2018 Nordic Choice Hotels, one of the largest hotel groups in Scandinavia, has pioneered innovation in multiple fields as a way to optimize service delivery across their diverse portfolio of hotel brands. With investigations into everything from space travel to food nanotechnology, it's no wonder why Nordic Choice Hotels is one of Norway's top 10 most innovative companies. In 2017, Nordic Choice Hotel adopted ALICE's hotel operations platform to help elevate their guest satisfaction and operational excellence. ALICE's Co-founder and President Alex Shashou sat down with Nordic Choice's Head of Business, Christian Lunden, to discuss innovation at their properties and how the influence of other industries spurs the company's own innovation. How would you characterize the Nordic Choice properties? Nordic Choice is the Scandinavian franchise of Choice Hotels International. We are one of the biggest chains in the Nordics and Baltic regions, with around 200 hotels. We have a broad spectrum of different brands, and we believe in owning a diverse portfolio of options for our guests to choose from. For example, Quality Hotels is like a big, conference hotel chain, while our Comfort Hotels is a cool, urban hotel chain - much like what you would find in the US. On the other hand, we have really upscale hotels, like The Thief, which is one of the most luxurious hotels in Norway. Can you tell me about your approach to innovation at Nordic Choice? People see us as being a very innovative company when it comes to their travel. We monitor and develop what kind of areas we should develop in the future, so that we are not only making money on hotel rooms but also creating extraordinary experiences. For example, I've met with NASA about space tourism, to find out how our popular world of hospitality can be a really big player in space. It's about trying to see how our innovation team can learn from different industries to bring back ideas to make our own industry more attractive. Is there anything you think that hotels can take from other industries rather than from their competition? I'm not interested in what our competitors are doing - because if they are doing it then we are already too late. I'm more interested in how companies like Netflix, Apple, Tesla, and others outside our industry are crafting totally new experiences or expectations for guests. It's interesting to study consumer behavior, because that informs guests' expectations when they come to our hotels. So, hoteliers need to understand the behavior and the excitements guests as consumers have in different areas. I agree with you that if you look at other industries you find out more about your own. In the past you have mentioned looking at nanotechnology. What were you referring to? We work with nanotechnology in several different areas - one of them is food. We are always trying to develop ways to make food better: chocolate that doesn't melt, meat with less fat, milkshakes that taste really sweet but have no sugar in them We work directly with scientists to see life-improving achievements with this kind of technology. So, let me ask you the obvious question: Why don't you let the food companies work on food? You're a hotel company? Nordic Choice is Scandinavia's biggest F&B provider because of all of the restaurants we have in our hotels! It's very much at our core. We work together with the food and technology companies to understand them better and try to get their knowledge and understand what's happening, so we can be much better prepared in the future for the next restaurant we need to focus on. Let's move on to blockchain - why blockchain? There are many reasons why we are exploring and starting to experiment with blockchain. The most obvious is the cost of distribution, because we do pay a lot of money to the OTAs. We like to have a strategic relationship with the OTAs, but want to capture repeat bookings ourselves - guests don't realize that although repeat booking through OTAs is convenient for them, it actually costs us a lot of money, and we like to have better contact with our guests. The second reason is that blockchain is a decentralized, open source API, meaning no one owns it and anyone can benefit, even the short term OTAs. No one can take money from the middleman and we can have one interface for them to work with us. If we put our rooms onto a blockchain, anyone can access it and sell our rooms. So many good travel companies and startups are begging for an easier way to access our inventory, and blockchain gives it to them. Let's assume the OTAs aren't going anywhere- what would you like the future OTA to do? What would you like the relationship to be? Can you see any industries where the middleman is a true partner of the services that are provided? If we have a strategic relationship with the OTAs and we can see where they are good and we are good then that is the perfect match. As long as they don't take too much advantage of their position then it's fine. When you say "good", do you just mean dropping commissions? We are happy to pay commissions, it's valuable to get reservations from the OTAs. If we could, we would even be selling rooms from Instagram or third party startups, and for this we want to pay them. If someone is making business for us, we want to honor that. This is why we are excited about the potential of blockchain. It would allow us to free our distribution onto any channels, small and big. But we need to keep it reasonable, meaning we should get information and know who the guest is so we can give them the perfect experience and the benefits they would have as if they were a returning guest. So is it fair to say blockchain might allow an even playing field? I would more or less agree. The bigger players will always have more advantage, but yes, I think it will equal it out. As the hotel world evolves through technology, where do you think you will make money from in the future? In the next 5 or more years, we will no longer get most of our income from selling hotel rooms, but instead from other services, such as cleaning, catering, and laundry that are more important or as important as the hotel rooms. The rise of the homeshare industry has given us the opportunity to leverage the level of hospitality we provide in our hotels to homeshare operations. In November, we bought the biggest service department in Sweden, so we have 3,000 apartments now around Scandinavia for extended-stay or for company stays. We are moving quite fast and are now the biggest apartment owners in Scandinavia. Interesting, are you offering your hotel services to these apartments? Not yet. But we tested how this might work with a pilot we ran in Copenhagen last year, in which we met with Airbnb apartment owners close by to one of our luxury hotels and offered owners our services to make sure these apartments all met the same high standards as our hotels. The idea was to remove the fear that some business people have while renting an Airbnb, by giving the apartments the Nordic Choice stamp of approval and the 24-hour service and reassurance that provides. We provided the apartments with our hotel towels, linens, toiletries, and everything you can find in a hotel. We also got some apartments discount coupons so you can go down to our hotel and get a discount on different hotel amenities or services. Our vision is to eventually make all of the apartments we own part of the "world's best digital guest journey," and provide owners with a hotel experience in their own home. Longer term, I see of course also F&B, co-working, retail playing a big role for us as well. It is important that we understand that our business will look very different in the future from what it is today. What's next for Nordic Choice? At the moment, we are doing very small projects. We are working quite a lot with startups to extend ourselves from AI, to VR, to AR, to wireless charging. Many of the things we are working on might not add to the company for 1-2 years. We are testing further innovation to see how we can continue to improve our operations throughout the organization. Press Release 30 July 2018 Nearly 1,000 approved buyers set to attend ITB Asia this year, a 12% increase on last year New partnerships in place with leading hotel groups and travel associations to help bring in a fresh pool of buyers to the show Launch of a new MICE & Corporate Hub and dedicated MICE & Corporate Speed Networking session at this year's event Advertisements Singapore -- ITB Asia, 'Asia's Leading Travel Trade Show', has seen a record number of buyers registering for this year's show with nearly 1,000 approved buyers set to attend, a 12% increase on last year. Hosted at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, the conference will take place from 17 - 19 October 2018. This year, the top ten source markets for buyers from the Asia Pacific region include China, Oceania, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand. ITB Asia has been working closely with new industry partners to bring in a fresh pool of buyers to the show via the Buyers Programme. New corporate partners on the Buyers Programme this year include Marriott International, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Far East Hospitality, Caissa and Singapore Airlines. ITB Asia is also collaborating with leading travel associations in the region including Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), The Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations (FATA), Korea MICE Association (KMA), Taiwan Convention & Exhibition Association (TCEA). Confirmed associations under FATA include the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), Malaysian Association of Tour Travel Agents (MATTA), Association of Travel Agents Indonesia (ASTINDO) and Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA). This year sees the launch of new initiatives for the MICE and corporate segments due to increased focus on these areas - the MICE & Corporate Hub, and a brand-new concept, the MICE & Corporate Speed Networking. Dedicated content tailored for the MICE and corporate segment will be featured at the MICE & Corporate Hub, and this allows for the MICE and corporate buyers and exhibitors to meet and network. On the other hand, exhibitors and targeted buyer segments can gather and engage with potential business partners at the MICE & Corporate Speed Networking. ITB Asia has also been working in partnership with ACTE, the leading corporate travel association, which has recommended its pool of corporate buyers to the show. ACTE will be hosting a one-day conference at ITB Asia with curated content for the corporate buying segment to learn and network with industry leaders. Top buyer companies to feature at ITB Asia 2018 include Abbot, Accenture, AIA Financial, Apple Inc, BHF Bank, Cook Medical, CTS MICE Service Co Ltd, General Electric, HDFC Standard Life Insurance Co Ltd, IBM, Markets and Markets, Mastercard, Nu Skin Enterprises, OSRAM, PHILIPS, Rotary International, Samsung Asia Pte Ltd, Schlumberger, Schneider Electric India Pvt. Ltd, Siemens, Twitter Asia Pacific Pte Ltd and Verve Events International. "We are delighted to see a record number of buyers registering for ITB Asia this year, driven by our new partnerships with leading corporates and travel associations on the Buyers Programme. We have also increased our focus on the MICE and corporate segments this year and are excited to launch a dedicated MICE & Corporate hub at the show as well as a new MICE & Corporate Speed Networking session. We look forward to welcoming delegates to this year's event and have no doubt that a high volume of business deals will be generated at the show," said Katrina Leung, Managing Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), organiser of ITB Asia. Buyers at ITB Asia typically have high purchasing power with more than 40% of buyers making purchases of between USD $500,000 - USD $1 million and 20% of buyers spending more than USD 1 million. 40% of buyers at ITB Asia are leisure, 35% are MICE and 25% are corporate. 80% of buyers at ITB Asia are from the Asia-Pacific region, the remaining 20% of buyers come from Europe, North & South America, Middle East and Africa. For more information on ITB Asia 2018, visit www.itb-asia.com Press Release 30 July 2018 ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, in collaboration with Brookwood Hotels and Nationwide Hotel Management Company, opened the WoodSpring Suites Charlotte Northlake and WoodSpring Suites Charlotte Matthews. The properties are located at 9420 Statesville Road in Charlotte, N.C. and 1424 Matthews-Mint Hill Road in Matthews, N.C., respectively, and are poised to benefit from the region's increasing growth, employment and business opportunities. Advertisements "Charlotte is the largest city in the Carolinas and home to some of the country's most distinguished financial institutions, medical centers, and universities, each of which generates a healthy demand for extended stay accommodations," said Ron Burgett, vice president, franchise development, WoodSpring Suites, Choice Hotels. "Our collaboration with Brookwood Hotels continues to grow with the opening of these properties, and we cannot wait for guests to experience these hotels and the essential amenities the brand offers." Both new four-story, 122-room properties are within driving distance to downtown Charlotte, the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and several other corporations and attractions including, the Bank of America Financial Center, Duke Energy, NASCAR, Microsoft, Sonic Automotive, and Wells Fargo corporate offices. In addition, both hotels include a mix of queen and king size beds, an in-room kitchen equipped with a full-size refrigerator, an expanded lobby with coffee station, a fitness center with 24/7 access, 100-percent smoke free premises, free parking, complimentary guest Wi-Fi, and 24/7 guest laundry. "Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, attracting a diverse and talented labor pool and new business sectors, making it the ideal location to open multiple WoodSpring properties," said Darien Wright, chief operating officer, Brookwood Hotels. "We believe in the WoodSpring Suites product, and these two hotels expand our footprint into the largest city in the state of North Carolina." To learn more about WoodSpring Suites visit www.woodspring.com/ourbrand/. About Brookwood Hotels Brookwood Hotels (the "Company") is a hospitality platform company which was formed simultaneously with the acquisition of the WoodSpring Suites brand by Choice Hotels in February 2018. The Company owns more than 100 hotels in the economy extended-stay segment across the U.S., with the largest concentration in Florida. The Company is owned by a Brookfield Asset Management (Brookfield)-sponsored private real estate fund. Brookfield is a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $285 billion in assets under management. Performance 30 July 2018 HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee -- Mexico's hotel industry reported lower occupancy levels but growth in room rates during Q2 2018, according to data from STR. Compared with Q2 2017: Occupancy: -3.2% to 63.5% Average daily rate (ADR): +1.3% to MXN2,260.32 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -1.9% to MXN1,436.02 STR analysts note that Q2 of last year was the strongest on record for demand and occupancy. Beyond that difficult-to-match comparison, there have been indications in recent months that the U.S.-issued travel advisories and concerns over crime have caught up to the hotel industry in certain parts of the country. Among STR's defined markets for the country, Mexico Northeast registered the largest performance increases across the three key metrics: occupancy (+5.2% to 67.4%), ADR (+3.6% to MXN1,275.10) and RevPAR (+9.0% to MXN859.86). Based on number of hotels, the largest cities included in this market are Monterrey, Saltillo and Tampico. Mexico City was the only other of the six STR-defined markets to show growth in occupancy (+3.7% to 68.8%). Mexico Central North saw the steepest decline in occupancy (-7.5% to 59.3%). This market includes Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Mexico Central South reported the only decrease in ADR (-1.1% to MXN1,080.01) and the largest drop in RevPAR (-7.8% to MXN568.84). The highest hotel counts in this market belong to Oaxaca and Acapulco. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser The Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi has launched a new free bus service "Hail and Ride" in Abu Dhabi and its suburbs, said a report. The service in its pilot phase will start in Mussafah for free, reported state news agency Wam. The new service will transport the public from different sectors in the area to the main bus stops there. The service is available every day from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm within specified routes, it said. This service will contribute to the improvement of the public transport network, officials said. DoT said it strives to regulate and improve the transport network by following the best international practices that mainly support the economy of the emirate. GestioneAlbergo has integrated its property management system (PMS), Leonardo, with SiteMinders distribution technology to enable hotel reservations made via online booking websites to be delivered straight to a hotels front desk. One of Italys most trusted providers of integrated hotel management solutions, GestioneAlbergo, has partnered with SiteMinder, the global hotel industrys leading cloud platform, to reduce manual labour for local hoteliers ahead of this years peak summer season. GestioneAlbergo has integrated its property management system (PMS), Leonardo, with SiteMinders distribution technology to enable hotel reservations made via online booking websites to be delivered straight to a hotels front desk. The integration eliminates the need for hotels to manually input booking information into their management system, thereby ensuring accuracy of each reservation detail and giving hoteliers more time to focus on their guests. GestioneAlbergos sales director, Daniele Aldrovandi, says, For years, we have supported Italys hotels, small and large, with a range of products and services designed to increase their productivity and efficiency. Our partnership with SiteMinder is an extension of that offering and we are pleased to work alongside the global leader in PMS integrations to support local hoteliers, especially as they enter one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Leonardo is used by more than 1,200 hotels across Italy and supported by GestioneAlbergos customer support teams in Florence, Treviso, Mantua and Reggio Emilia. Through Leonardo, hoteliers have the ability to manage their entire hotel operation, from reservations to check-ins, check-outs and guest expenditures. With integrations to almost 250 PMSs worldwide, SiteMinder integrates with more PMSs than any other hotel technology platform. The integrations allow PMS hotel users to sell their properties through the hundreds of distribution channels also connected to SiteMinders platform including online travel agencies, traditional tour operators and wholesalers as well as connect the booking engine used on their own hotel website, to grow direct bookings. Simona Melone, Country Manager Italy at SiteMinder, says, Italy is a highly-fragmented market and cloud-based technology remains fairly new to many hotels. In GestioneAlbergo, we are pleased to partner with one of the countrys homegrown and respected hotel technology innovators, and provide local hotel businesses with the opportunity to benefit from a single and centralised technological solution that gives time back in their day. International arrivals in Italy are expected grow by up to four percent this August. Media contact Maria Cricchiola +61 410 233 735 media@siteminder.com About SiteMinder As the leading cloud platform for hotels, SiteMinder allows hotels to attract, reach and convert guests across the globe. We serve hotels of all sizes with award-winning solutions for independents and groups alike, wherever they are in the world. SiteMinders products include The Channel Manager, the industrys leading online distribution platform; TheBookingButton, a wholly-branded booking engine for direct bookings via the web, mobile or social; Canvas, the intelligent website creator for independent hoteliers; Prophet, the real-time market intelligence solution that takes the guesswork out of pricing rooms; and GDS by SiteMinder, a single-point of entry to a six-figure network of travel agents and the worlds major global distribution systems. With more than 30,000 hotel customers and 600 of the industrys top connectivity providers as our partners, today we have presence in more than 160 countries on six continents. For more information, visit www.siteminder.com. About Gestionealbergo Srl GestioneAlbergo Srl was born from the integration of four companies that operated for decades in the hotel industry. Today the group provides and supports a wide range of software services, all developed in-house and essential for the integrated management of each type of accommodation. For more information, visit www.gestionaleleonardo.it. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Photos of a 5-year-old Nigerian kid named Jare has gone viral. The young beauty has since been labeled "most beautiful girl alive," an unofficial honor given in the sphere of social media. Previous winners of the title include Russian model Anastasia Knyazeva who was 6 years old at the time. Jare's doll-like image was captured during a photo shoot with Nigerian photographer Mofe Bamuyiwa who chose to share it on her Instagram. Part of her caption acknowledges the girl's obvious beauty as she made the assumption that some of her following might think Jare was too beautiful to be real. Oh yes shes human! Shes also an angel! Lagos-based Bamuyiwa captioned the photo in which Jare has been praised for her doll-like features. The enthusiastic reaction seems to have prompted the child's mother to create an Instagram account for Jare and her two sisters, 7-year-old Joba 7, and 10 yr-old Jomiloju. The J3 sister's account has already garnered over 80k followers and will surely attract modeling opportunities for the family. The girls are such a sensation that copycat accounts are also popping up online. The manager of the sisters' account addresses the issue in a post. Drake will be an executive producer on the upcoming A24 series Euphoria, as HBO has announced along with news that the show has been picked up by the network. The show, which will revolve around high school students, will star Zendaya, and will deal with subjects including "drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship" in the lives of adolescents. Drake will be joined by his manager Future ThePrynce as an executive producer, among others. Additional cast members will include Maude Apatow, Brian "Astro" Bradley, Angus McLoud, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer and Sydney Sweeney, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Sam Levinson of HBO's Wizard Of Lies adapted the show from a 2012 Israeli series and will write all ten of the episodes. Back in March, Francesca Orsi, svp Drama at HBO, described the pilot as "Kids meets Trainspotting, and what might exist when parents don't exist." Last year, Drake announced that he would be reviving the UK series Top Boy for Netflix. He is expected to appear as an actor in the show. Though he is now one of music's biggest artists, Drake began his career as an actor in the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. This weeks episode of Power might be called Happy Birthday, but there was little cause for celebration in the lives of any of the main players. Except for Kanan, and his new buddy Laces (played by Kendrick Lamar), nobody had a good week. The mid-season marker began with a not so friendly meeting between Tommy, Teresi, Sammy, and Vincent. Vincent is suspicious of the shootout that occurred in the previous episode, and he presses Tommy for the truth. Tommy admits that drive-by was orchestrated by Dre (although it was actually set up by Kanan in secret). Vincent realizes that Tommy and Sammy lied to him about taking care of Dre, and so he places a gun in Teresis hand and instructs him to kill one of the two men. Surprisingly, Teresi points the gun at his best friend and shoots, but the clip was empty. Now that Sammy and Teresis relationship is ruined, Vince leaves the scene and cuts the trio out of his business. Unfortunately, the entire situation makes Tommy trust his father even more. When Tommy tells Ghost and Kanan about his father choosing him over his best friend, theyre both in disbelief. Tommy defends his father, which makes Ghost uncomfortable. Still, Ghost hands Tommy a clean check after washing his dirty money, and leaves. Thats when Kanan introduces a plan to Tommy to stir things up between Dre and Cristobal, but Tommy doesnt co-sign on the plan. It doesnt matter though, because Kanan goes out and figures out how to cause drama on his own. Ghost spends most of this episode spiraling out of control. There is a moment of brilliance, where he gets Dre fired from his job. Dre unknowingly signed a non-compete clause when he worked for Truth, and his new employer fires him rather than be sued by Ghost over the contract. Dre was planning to hold an event for the Queens Child Project at his new club, but now that hes jobless, Ghost takes control and moves the party to Truth. It seems like everything is good at that point. Wrong. Councilman Tate brings Dre to Truth and a drunk Ghost attacks Tate in front of all the guests. After choking out the politician and threating to kill him, Ghost flees his own club in a drunken stupor. Meanwhile, Kanan is approached by Laces, a Spanish speaking crackhead who wanders the streets. At first, Kanan dismisses Laces, but once he realizes that the vagrant can help him track down members of the Tainos, he uses him to his advantage. Kendrick Lamar is the highlight of the episode as Laces, who talks a mile a minute and has a high pitched haunting laugh. Laces helps Kanan set up several kills before Kanan turns on Laces. At the moment where the crackhead thinks he might die, you actually feel empathetic. Theres something brilliant in the twisted madness of Laces, and Kanan decides to let him live. For a moment, it seems like Laces can see into Kanans soul, as he begins to break down several characteristics of the burned gangster. Nope. Laces reveals that hes just rambling off the script of a commercial he heard in passing, and as soon as he came, he disappears again. In the legal world, Angela Valdez continues to dig herself into a hole. She meets up with Ghost after he calls her to help pick out shoes for Tariqs birthday. It seems like she stands up to Ghost after she warns him that she doesnt want to get sucked in again, but he sucks her in anyway using his daughters death. Angie leaves the shop in a rush, but the moment between her and Ghost lingers. She has bigger problems to worry about though. Tameika is suspicious of Angela, and brings up the fact that she confiscated Blanca Rodriguezs files. Angela plays it off like shes investigating a dirty cop, but you can tell Tameika isnt convinced. Still, she reveals to Angela that Mak and Saxe are working on bringing Tommy Egan in. That prompts Angela to set up a meeting with her ex-lovers best friend. Angela orchestrates a meeting with Tommy through Proctor, and the three have a very uneasy meetup. Angela asks Tommy to snitch on the Jimenez, and she offers him full immunity in return. Thats a pretty good deal in Proctors eyes, who warns Tommy to think about the Homeland agent he murdered. Angela also removes a tracker from Tommys car, which shocks both him and Proctor. Tommy still isnt too worried though, and he shrugs off the deal. For now. This episode is called Happy Birthday for a reason, but when the time comes for Tariqs birthday, everything falls apart. Ghost fails to show up for his sons first birthday without his sister. It was his job to grab the cake, but Terry shows up as the savior with the dessert. Tommy takes Tariq on a joy ride, letting the youngster drive his whip, but things turn sour quickly. Tommy confronts Tariq for snitching to Dre about the hit he placed on him. Although he denies it at first, Tariq admits to warning Dre. Why? Because Dre helped him catch his enemy, Ray-Ray. Loyal only to your own cause, Tommy states. Sounds exactly like Ghost. Tariq doesnt like the comparison. Dre being alive just cost Tommy his entire business, and it doesnt look like he and Tariq will be as close anymore. The horrible birthday isnt over yet though. Police show up asking to see Tashas gun (which Tariq used to kill Ray Ray). Tasha tells them that she reported it stolen, and her story checks out. Still, Silver had to defend his new lover and Blanca looked overly satisfied with how well she shook Tasha up. To top things off, when Tasha opens the cake she realizes that she ordered the wrong one. Rainas name is sprawled across the cake, and that puts an end to the birthday celebrations. Tariq attempts to talk to his mother about the mistaken cake, but Tasha has little patience. When Tariq reveals that he wants to confess, Tasha warns him to keep out of her way. Tariq then steals his moms pills after she pretty much admits that she wishes he died instead of his sister. Ouch. Ghost wanders in drunk sometime later, and Tariq decides to step up and be a man for the first time. Tariq confronts his father about his past, and completely rips Ghost apart in the memory of Raina. Admittedly, Ghost is at his lowest, and Tasha intervenes to kick him out of the apartment. Tariq decides to leave and head back up to Choate, with the assistance of Kanan. Dre finds himself in a tough position after Kanan and Laces drop his men. Diego does not approve of the unstable business that Dre is running, and the latter blames his troubles on Ghost and Tommy. Both names immediately ring a bell with Diego, and he vows to take care of the two men. Tommy may not be around long enough to get killed though. His lying father meets up with Mak and Saxe after he discovers that Ghost is cleaning Tommys money. Teresi snitches on his son, putting Tommy in the worst position hes been in all season. Tommy has a plan though. He may not be fully aware of the danger looming in his future, but hes smart enough to know that having Angela as an ally can be useful. He shows up to Valdezs apartment and asks her for the tracking device she took of his car. He claims that he isnt the type of guy to snitch, but he still hints that if Anglea wants the Jimenez, she should hand over the tracking device. After creepily revealing that hes been spying on Angela, Tommy leaves. Meanwhile, Ghost visits a reverend, who shoots down his half-ass excuses pertaining to Raina's death. While Ghost blames everyone but himself for his daughter's death, the reverend destroys Ghosts selfish debate and asks him, what would Raina do? Ghost thinks his dead daughter wants him to be a better man. So, he drags his drunken self over to Angelas apartment, and for the second time in two episodes, were left with a cliffhanger on Ghost and Angies relationship. PORT ARANSAS Cathy Fulton cant forget how quickly Hurricane Harvey came barreling into this barrier island, leaving residents little time to do anything but board up what they could, grab a few things and flee. Her home of nine years was destroyed by winds of up to 130 mph and tide surges that pounded beaches and flooded the island in more than six feet of water. She shudders to think how this beach community would have suffered if storage tanks holding million barrels of oil were also in a storms path. I just cant imagine how much worse things would have been, she said. There was no time, there was not time really for anybody to secure much of anything. Fulton, 54, is among the members of a group recently formed to oppose a plan by the Port of Corpus Christi to build a $500 million crude oil export terminal on Harbor Island, bringing the worlds largest oil tankers and a tank farm just 1,000 feet across Aransas Pass from this city of about 4,000. With gutted hotels along the beach along the Gulf of Mexico and collapsed buildings in town as reminders of their vulnerability, residents here say they cant take the risk of something going wrong at an operation through which millions of barrels of crude oil would pass each day. The opposition group, the Port Aransas Conservancy, is gearing up for a fight that has implications not only for Port Aransas and the Port of Corpus Christi, but also the energy industry and economy. With the flood of crude produced in the Permian Basin and other shale plays, Texas is emerging as one of the worlds biggest oil exporters and the Port of Corpus Christi as the hub for those exports, which bring billions of dollars into the state. This nation has an opportunity to become a net exporter of its energy production and turn the tide in balancing the trade, said Sean Strawbridge, CEO of the Port of Corpus Christi. RELATED: Corpus Christi port approves $217 million for improvements The Harbor Island terminal is part of a plan to accommodate the worlds largest oil tankers and double the amount of crude exported from the port to about 600,000 barrels a day from about 300,000. The project would dredge the ship channel and build a dock to handle ships called Very Large Crude Carriers, or VLCCs, which stretch 1,200 feet longer than the Navys Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and carry up to 2 million barrels of oil. The development, proposed for 254 acres the port owns on Harbor Island, would include a terminal that could load up to 285,000 barrels of crude a day and a tank farm holding up to 5 million barrels. Eventually, the complex could expand to accommodate two VLCCs, store up to 20 million barrels and load up to 1.2 million barrels a day. Corpus Christi isnt the only area being eyed for VLCC capabilities. Enterprise Product Partners said recently that it plans to build a new export terminal 80 miles offshore from the entrance to the Houston Ship Channel, VLCCs can save companies as much as 75 cents a barrel, or roughly $1.5 million per load, making both U.S. crude and the port more competitive in the global economy. Currently, Strawbridge said, smaller tankers cruise offshore to fill big tankers, increasing the risk of spills and environmental damage. From our standpoint, Strawbridge said, having it here gives us much better oversight and much better safety measures and much less opportunity for some sort of accident to occur, in our opinion. The Port unveiled its plan at a meeting on May 15, and within weeks residents had organized the opposition group. In addition to fears of catastrophes caused by hurricanes, residents worry about increases in ship traffic, which creates waves and damages piers, beaches and protective bulkheads and seawalls. A 2016 study commissioned by the city of Port Aransas found that waves from a passing tanker destroyed a fishing pier on the southwest side of town in 2008 and damaged the rebuilt pier in 2010. The waves from passing ships which were 400 feet shorter and had a much shallower draft also topped a seawall, posing dangers to people walking nearby, according to the study. On a sunny, hot summer day dozens of cars lined up for free ferries to Harbor Island. Tourists on an outdoor patio overlooking Port Aransas harbor snacked on burgers and fries, cooled by the steady ocean breeze. A pirate boat pulled up, its actors giving the customers some final instructions in pirate vernacular. RELATED: Opposition group sprouts in reaction to oil export plans Visitors flock to Port Aransas to lie or drive on its beaches of fine sand, watch the endangered whooping crane and other migratory birds, or fish in the coves on the backside of the island. Conservancy members worry that the intense development of Harbor Island would damage the areas natural beauty and character and hurt tourism, on which the local economy depends. John Donovan, 75, has lived in Texas for 12 years and bought a vacation home in Port Aransas last summer. Donovan, one of the founders of the Port Aransas Conservancy, said he was attracted to the beaches, the pace of life and the people who could not be friendlier. But, said Donovan, the VLCCs would tower over the town and scare away tourists. While he understands the need for economic development, Donovan said its just as important to focus on protecting the environment and the quality of life in Port Aransas. Its just a really cool town, said Donovan, originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. Its like Santa Cruz 30 years ago. Not everyone agrees the export terminal would drive away tourists. In fact, said Port Aransas Mayor Charles Bujan, the huge oil tankers might attract more. Last year, he noted, the VLCC Euronav Anne cruised by the city as part of a test run to Occidental Petroleums Ingleside oil export terminal around eight miles southwest of Port Aransas, and about 1,000 people flocked to the jetty to watch. Bujan said he expects plenty of opposition to Port of Corpus Christis development, but added the city cant do much to stop it since the port owns that land and its zoned industrial. We can raise issues just like the folks that are against it can raise the issues, Bujan said. But as far as changing their zoning and taking away another one of their property rights, wed lose every day in court. The project appears a long way off. The port will take the next year to study the economics, feasibility and environmental impact before deciding how to move ahead. It also will face reviews by the Army Corps of Engineers, which must approve the dredging, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which must grant an operating permit, according to port officials. Fulton, who has lived in Port Aransas since 2009, said if the oil export terminal came, she would leave. After the storm is when a lot of the people woke up to the reality of how our resources are becoming more limited, and by that Im talking the environmental, birding, all of these things that people come here for, she said. Is this (crude oil export terminal) what somebody wants to come down here and see? READ MORE: Permian oil heads for Corpus Christi export terminals as U.S. upends global markets rdruzin@express-news.net | Twitter: @druz_journo Convicted felon and ex-lawmaker Carlos Uresti and his estranged wife want to retain control of property that rightfully belongs to the victims he defrauded in a Ponzi scheme, federal prosecutors allege. In a court filing Friday, prosecutors formally opposed Urestis request to start collecting his annual state pension that he has valued at more than $80,000. He needs the pension checks because he doesnt have the money to survive, according to a July 20 court filing. Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra is scheduled to take up Urestis request at a hearing Tuesday. A 12-person jury in February convicted Uresti on 11 felony charges, including securities fraud and money laundering, for his role in a now-defunct oil field services company that defrauded investors. Last month, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay $6.3 million in restitution to his victims. RELATED: Uresti's estranged wife joins fight for pension Uresti largely forfeited his right to unfettered control over his assets as a result of the sentence, assistant U.S. attorneys Kristy Callahan and Erica Benites Giese argue in their court filing. Urestis victims take priority despite the financial consequences to the (Uresti) family, an unfortunate result of his criminal choices, the prosecutors state in their court filing. The Government must preserve what little property (Uresti) has remaining to ensure that something is returned to them. The government met with attorneys for Uresti, 54, and his wife Lleanna Uresti, 42, to try to reach a global resolution for the division and liquidation of his assets. Those efforts were unsuccessful, it adds in the court document. The Urestis maintain unreasonable expectations by failing to acknowledge the Governments obligations to (his) victims, it says. Efforts to reach the Urestis lawyers Saturday were unsuccessful. All of the former senators property, including his pension, are saddled by a criminal judgment lien. The government indicates in its court filing that it intends to garnish Urestis pension. If Uresti is eligible for a lump sum disbursement, the Government would likely elect to receive such a distribution to provide victims timely recovery, it says in its court document. Whereas the Government would be limited to 25 percent of (Urestis) monthly pension payment thereafter, the amount of the payment is affected by the Urestis attempts to negotiate any amounts to Lleanna. Lleanna filed court papers to end their marriage about a week after her husbands conviction. Prosecutors questioned the motives behind the divorce and obtained a restraining order preserving Urestis assets. The government says she only has an interest in pension contributions for the roughly six years theyve been married. The Texas Employee Retirement System has refused to issue any pension checks because of the restraining order, Uresti says in his court filing. The pension is for the 21 years he served in the state Legislature. He announced his resignation from the Senate last month just days before his sentencing. Uresti is now asking for partial relief from the restraining order so he can collect his pension, as well as disburse some of the pension money to Lleanna and his first wife Yolanda Uresti. RELATED: Uresti 'doesn't have the money to survive,' court filing says Even if Carlos and Lleanna Uresti divide their community property as part of their divorce, the government says its lien remains attached to any assets including those received by Lleanna unless it issues a lien release. Given this, it behooves them to reach an agreement with the Government, it adds. It also says Lleana has been working with the government to determine the couples personal property interests. A final agreement has not been reached, however, due to unresolved efforts to sell the Urestis Helotes estate, the government adds in its filing. The property is listed for sale at $1.7 million. The court also is allowing Uresti to sell the McCullough Avenue office building that once housed his law office. Uresti surrendered his law license earlier this year rather than face disciplinary actions relating to his crimes. Urestis request regarding his pension was filed by attorney Michael McCrum, who was part of the ex-lawmakers legal defense team during the five-week trial. On Friday, though, Ezra ruled McCrum cant appear on Urestis behalf at Tuesdays hearing. Based on a finding that Uresti is indigent, a judge granted him a court-appointed lawyer for the appeal of his criminal conviction. That attorney, John Bud Ritenour Jr., will have to represent Uresti at Tuesdays hearing, Ezra ordered. The judge also ruled that Lleanna has no basis to intervene in the pension battle. She filed a motion asking the judge to allow her husband to receive his pension. Lleannas attorney, Juanita Pelaez-Prada, will be able to argue at the hearing but she will not be able to question or call witnesses. pdanner@express-news.net Patrick Danner is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD Trepidation grew. Suspense filled the air. As the iPhone struck nine, we all remembered that Hamlet, at the Houston Shakespeare Festival through Aug. 5, is Shakespeares longest play. Its 30,557 words long, about half of a full-length mystery novel. The 1996 film adaptation starring Kenneth Branagh runs four hours and two minutes. This production at Miller Outdoor Theatre began around 8:20 p.m., meaning a full staging would conclude at 12:35 a.m., if you count intermission. Now cracks a noble heart! But, alas, in a moment of release that rivaled the Prince of Denmark lowering the sword against Claudius, the curtains closed and the lights went out at spoiler alert 9:17 p.m. Intermission. A Hamlet with a one-hour first half. Glory hallelujah, flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! Yes, this Hamlet is a breezy affair, just a little over two hours long. It cuts out the tedium of the play-within-a-play monologues, snips out the poetic musings that dont drive the story and speeds up the verses over which a more self-centered production would chew and wallow. The rant-singing Ophelia, played by Shannon Uphold, fast-forwards through her lines. An excellent choice. The nights production concluded before 10:40 p.m. Directed by Jack Young, every piece of dialogue is crisp, audible and well-enunciated. This technique, tailored for the outdoors, is exemplified by Shannon Hill, who performs Hamlet with the discipline and urgency of a locomotive. Its a great strategy for keeping up the momentum of a play with dense language and convoluted plot, but Hill sometimes sacrifices range of emotion. She speeds through so assiduously theres little time to relish in Hamlets character arc. And Hill plows through what I call the Big Three: The To be or not to be speech, the blade-wielding Hamlet lingering over the murdering king and Hamlet pondering mortality with the skull of Yorick (the text of the speech is edited down as well). These are classic monologues not just because the words sound nice. They are rife with emotional baggage, the philosophical ramblings of a man descending into madness. Hill chooses to let the words speak for themselves, adding little interpretation with her face or body. Sure, the words matter more than anything in Shakespeare. So, its a safe choice. But it risks flattening out the plays complexity. Contrast Hills confident, yet narrow-ranged, delivery to, say, Carlton Warnbergs Polonius, who delivers one of the funniest performances Ive seen in a Shakespeare tragedy. Or Derrick Moore, who is light on his feet as Guildenstern and then brooding as Laertes watch out for when he finds out his sister is dead. Or Uphold, whose Ophelia feels like a typical upper-class damsel until she unravels in the final acts of the play, tossing her body around the stage, pulling out her hair, altering the speed of her speech like a car sputtering on the freeway. More Information Houston Shakespeare Festival When: 8:15 p.m. Tuesday through Aug. 5; "Hamlet" and "Comedy of Errors" will alternate nightly, with "Hamlet" being performed Tuesday evening Where: Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive Details: Free; houstonfestivalscompany.org See More Collapse These are terrific performances in an otherwise generic rendition of Hamlet the costumes are pointlessly anachronistic and the set is gray and translucent, like a plastic tarp at a construction site, for no reason. This is not directors Shakespeare, the kind with a sharp and well-executed single vision, but rather a talent show for actors who each bring different interpretations to the table. Consider Andrew Garrett, who provides a pitch-perfect, melodramatic interlude as Player King and then later modernizes the Gravedigger with mimed references to rock n roll. Player King/Gravedigger isnt a role thats supposed to feel so distinctive, yet here we are, Seth Meyer-lookalike Garrett, along with Warnbergs Polonius, turning Hamlet into a comedy, of sorts. Short and funny arent two adjectives youd expect to describe this play. But the actors help turn the Bards longest, most important play into something that feels a little more bite-sized. Thats the biggest plot twist of Hamlet that it doesnt feel like doing research for a school project. Suppose a fire broke out in your house, or your spouse had a heart attack, and there was no one to call for help. No firefighters or ladder trucks. No paramedics or ambulances. This scenario, while unlikely, theoretically is possible in certain areas of Brazoria County, where residents and elected officials are working to create two taxing authorities to finance fire suppression and emergency medical services. Voters will consider creating Emergency Services Districts 4 and 5 in November, assuming county commissioners and the Pearland City Council sign off first. Should either one of these areas not pass, County Commissioner Stacy Adams said, they will be the only areas in Brazoria County that do not have a primary responder. This situation arose from a combination of factors: A new state law requiring cities in large counties to get the approval of targeted residents before annexing them; backlash against annexations Pearland rushed to complete before the law took effect; and the financial constraints faced by a rapidly growing suburb. On a deeper level, though, its an outgrowth of the idiosyncrasies of governance in Greater Houston, and Gov. Greg Abbotts antagonism toward urban areas. Special governmental districts have proliferated in the Houston area, in part because an estimated 2 million people live in unincorporated Harris County alone. The abbreviations dont exactly trip off the tongue MUDs, PIDs, ESDs but the districts keep springing up because of gaps in services and the limited authority of a county government system designed for rural areas. Welcome to Unc., Texas. Its really big. The law requiring voter approval of annexations was one of several measures restricting municipal authority that Abbott asked the Legislature to pass in its special session last year. The governor wasnt entirely successful a measure limiting local tree preservation laws, for example, was dramatically weakened before passage but he scored a victory on annexations despite opposition from municipal officials across the state. Pearland, which has grown from about 18,000 residents in 1980 to almost 120,000 today, completed the annexation of five parcels south and west of the city before the law took effect Dec. 1. The City Council repealed the annexations of three of those tracts in March after protests from residents and questions about whether the city had followed proper legal procedures. During the same meeting, the council voted to end the longstanding policy of providing fire and emergency medical services to residents in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ the area around the city subject to annexation. It was a generous benefit providing a costly service to people who didnt pay city property taxes. City leaders reasoned, however, that many of those in the ETJ eventually would become taxpaying citizens as annexations proceeded in an orderly fashion. Read more: Annexation measure affects some area towns, bypasses others The new state law, and the clear message from residents who saw annexation as a threat to their cherished rural lifestyles, changed the calculation. Starting next year, anyone who wants these services but isnt a Pearland taxpayer will have to pay. Pearland City Manager Clay Pearson noted that when the city began providing the service without charge in the ETJ, it had a volunteer fire department and a far less populous area to serve. Now the fire epartments budget is $16-17 million a year. The cost of service has gone up dramatically, and the level of service has gone up proportionally, Pearson said. Weve got a first-class fire department, and that costs money. Pearland Councilman Trent Perez said the arrangement was increasingly inequitable: Its not fair to the citizens of Pearland to require them to continue to subsidize those out in the ETJ. Repealed: Pearland walks back annexation of 2,000 acres Some of Brazoria Countys master-planned communities have struck agreements to compensate Pearland for fire and EMS service. The payments come from property taxes the residents pay to municipal utility districts. Another option is to create emergency services districts. Texas has more than 300 such districts; some are freestanding agencies with their own personnel and equipment, while others contract with nearby cities, or with other emergency districts, to provide service. Assuming voters approve, the two new districts in Brazoria County are expected to go the latter route. Theoretically, they could contract with Pearland or with Emergency Service District 3, which in turn contracts with agencies in Manvel, Angleton, Alvin and elsewhere. Adams, the county commissioner, said Pearland is by far the better choice. ESD 3, especially on the EMS side, they really do not have the capacity, Adams said. Jeff Brennan, a Brazoria County resident who opposed the annexations and who helped collect signatures on petitions to create the new districts, agreed: (Pearland has) the services, he said. They have the fire trucks. This means at the end of this laborious process, residents will be getting fire and EMS service from Pearland, just as they have for decades. The difference is that theyll be paying for it through an entity created solely as a mechanism to move their money from one place to another. In Brennans view, thats still preferable to annexation. The taxes paid to the EMS district will be lower then city taxes, he said, and residents wont have to deal with the rules and regulations that come with being in a city. Perez, the Pearland councilman, said the new arrangements will be better for everyone concerned. You wanted to live in the country. You wanted to be left alone, he said, as if addressing the anti-annexation residents. We took you at your word. mike.snyder@chron.com twitter.com: chronsnyder US policymakers will likely play a more outsized role in guiding global oil prices than in recent memory, said Barclays, a British multinational investment bank and financial services company, highlighting that it flags the possibility of significant upside price risks in Q4 and downside risk in subsequent quarters from this development. Barclays Research recently hosted a premier event in New York discussing the implementation of Iran-related US sanctions and the associated geopolitical ramifications. Important generalized takeaways from the event: The iterative process of sanctions implementation. In Barclays view, in the months ahead, US policymakers will play a more outsized role in guiding global oil prices than in recent memory. Second, non-government speakers noted that Iran sanctions may be most effective at reducing oil supply up to November, although subsequent rounds are likely to be more subjective. Third, the laser focus on barrel reductions ignores that the administration has significant latitude with the way in which it will enforce these sanctions, and the pressure applied could be subsumed under other broad geostrategic and economic priorities. There are other ways in which these sanctions could be enforced, on which we elaborate below. While going to zero [imports from Iran] by November 4 is the US governments stated goal, there is a sizable chance that this will not happen, in Barclays view. Barclays maintains its estimate of a disruption to Irans crude exports of almost 700 kb/d, but India will be the biggest swing factor. Our balances assume Irans crude output is almost 700 kb/d lower by early Q2. From the perspective of our non-government speakers, it is likely that the initial round of sanctions implementation could lead to a disruption to Iranian crude and condensate exports of up to 1 mb/d in November/December, said Barclays. That said, in their view, such a sizable disruption could conceivably lead to a price effect so large that the US government may ease the way in which the sanctions are applied in the second and third six-month rounds. From Irans perspective, though it is likely to pursue many other workarounds, in the past this amounted to an offset that totalled no more than 150 kb/d (+/-50 kb/d). We believe other offsets, including commingled sales, swaps with Russian entities, and higher domestic use of condensates, will help the country limit the effect on production. Significant upside price risk in Q4. The administration is likely to be forced to dial back the severity of its sanctions implementation in the aftermath of the first six-month phase. In line with this, Barclays highlights significant potential for upside price risk in Q4 and downside risk in the following quarters from the Iran sanctions issue. The Trump administrations stated desire to minimize the disruption to global oil markets means that its approach to significant reduction exemptions (SREs) for Irans oil importers may differ from one round to the next. They [the US] have the watches, we [Iran] have the time. Finally, in the opinion of some of our non-government speakers, current US policy has not furthered the regime change objective; if anything, it has strengthened the regime among certain key constituencies. The US withdrawal of the JCPOA strengthened regime coherence and has led Rouhani to slide even further to the right, according to Barclays Iran expert speakers. Though there is much discontent with the economy, the country is not yet in a pre-revolution stage, in the view of Barclays Iranian domestic experts. It is also possible that the media is over-hyping the presence of protests, and one of our speakers noted over 1,000 labour strikes in Iran in the past year. From the perspective of the Iranians being able to weather the coming storm, one speaker quoted a Central Bank of Iran official noting that this will be the fourth oil embargo and the 151st hard currency crisis in the past 30 years. TradeArabia News Service A University of Houston fire marshal urged parents to check on whether the dorms and apartments they drop their college students off at in August are outfitted with fire extinguishers, functional smoke detectors and have current inspections. The advice comes just over a week after five people, including a Pasadena man, died in a fire at an apartment complex fire in San Marcos near Texas State University. I would want to see what kind of inspection records they had from the municipality that theyre in. I wanted to make sure their smoke detectors work, said Fire Marshal Chris McDonald. That they had working fire extinguishers in their apartment. I want to make sure the employees are trained, and they know what to do if there in case there is a fire. The July 20 fire started at the Iconic Village Apartments, built in the 1970s, and then roared through two buildings at the Vintage Pads Apartments, built in 1963. The Iconic Village Apartments, where all five bodies were recovered, apparently did not have a sprinkler system. All but one of University of Houston on-campus housing facilities have sprinkler systems, McDonald said. The university does not oversee off-campus housing facilities and could not disclose what fire protocols they may have in place. The on-campus complex without sprinklers, Cambridge Oaks, was built in 1992 and recently updated its fire alarm system. It is planning to instal a sprinkler system, according to McDonald. Students at the Cullen Boulevard complex said they feel safe. Only two fire-related incidents have been reported at the complex in the last six years, including a small grease fire and a smoldering trash can left on a patio, according to fire log posted on the universitys website. Students noted how security is close and arrives within minutes of a fire alarm. We recently installed a new fire alarm system, which is an upgrade from what we had before, said Rushil Patel, a senior at the college and resident assistant for the complex. Right now, we have direct security assessing the fire alarms. Its pretty safe. Rice University only has two off-campus student apartment complexes for graduate students and both buildings have fire sprinklers and a fire alarm system monitored 24 hours a day, according to Kathryn Cavender, director of environmental health and safety. The fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems are inspected annually by a third-party contractor. Students also must participate in fire drills each semester. No fires have been reported at the complexes in the last five years, according to Cavender. McDonald also said University of Houstons on-campus facilities go through a similar protocol. Annual inspections are conducted and the state fire marshal conducts inspections every three years. Fire Inspector Moises De La Cruz with the Houston Fire Department said some apartments in the city are not required by fire code to have a sprinkler system. If this is the case, a fire extinguisher may need to be placed closer and other safety precautions are put in place. He said some builders may not install a sprinkler system if its not required, If I dont need to have it, why put it in? said De La Cruz about some builders reasoning. Its going to cost extra money. Cruz said that buildings across Houston are usually inspected annually. The fire department has a team of about seven inspectors from its apartment team that check buildings across the city. Rachel Moreno, public information officer for the Harris County Fire Marshals Office, notes that in a normal house fire, residents only have about three minutes to safely escape. When people move into a new complex, she said they should be looking to see if the building is equipped with working smoke alarms and taking note of available exits. Does your apartment have more than one way to get out? Moreno said. If youre on a multi-story- second or third floor, do you have a way other than the front door in order to exit the building without harming yourself? She also said sprinklers are essential in apartment complexes. They really afford students or anyone necessary time to be able to evacuate the building, said Moreno. In most cases, one sprinkler head will put out a small fire. In those cases where it doesnt happen, the sprinklers will keep the fire at bay or small enough so that it gives people the time to exit the building safely. brooke.lewis@chron.com twitter\brookelewisa In a stuffy conference room, tucked deep in the Texas Medical Center, dozens of well-heeled future doctors nervously await the start of poverty. In truth they will face only make-believe hardship, a few hours of stress as they play-act the life and hard choices that flow from never having quite enough money to make ends meet But the hope behind this mandatory exercise is to make it feel real enough for the third-year medical students that one day they will think twice before criticizing poor patients for not heeding advice, refilling prescriptions or putting health care last on the priority list. Portions of today can feel like a game. After all, we are using fake money and props. But I want to emphasize that this is not a game, warns Rebecca Lunstroth, associate director of the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics at the UTHealth McGovern Medical School, in her stark opening remarks. Over your careers some 80 percent of your patients will have struggled buying food, paying their rent or their mortgage or acquiring transportation, she says. It was a statistic chosen for maximum impact. The sessions, called poverty simulation, are borne out of Lunstroths frustration as she watched students go through four years of training, starting idealistic and then, too often, becoming irritated and judgmental when they moved from classroom to the real world of poor patients who dont always follow doctors orders. She modeled the program after one she heard of in Missouri designed to impart empathy in social services workers. She thought it would work nicely for medical students, too. Poverty is highly concentrated in Houston. Neighborhoods are increasingly economically polarized, she tells the crowd. Then she drops a universal truth. Those of us from higher incomes can largely escape seeing how the poor live. Powerless and angry In short order chaos descends. The 80 or so students are separated into small clusters and each are assigned a name, a family and a circumstance. There are single mothers who lost their jobs. Veterans with chronic illnesses or people battling addictions. There are grandparents raising grandchildren because of vanished parents. Still other students take on the role of the homeless or those on the verge. Then there are the handful who have no family. They are elderly and alone. Each student is given a packet of information about their lives including how much money they have for the month juggled against their expenses. They are also assigned employment status as well as medical conditions or other obstacles. They must figure out how to navigate it all, including budgeting meager pay or benefits to pay rent and utilities and food while keeping their families safe. Each are also given a set number of transportation vouchers the key to everything, organizers say which can spell the difference between getting to work, to school, to daycare drop-off and pick-up, to a job interview or not. Each segment is 15 minutes, representing one week. There are four segments to total one month, with slight breaks in between to refigure budgets and priorities. At the front of the room is a screen with enormous numbers that counts down the time. A whistle blows when time runs out. Panic rises as the number gets smaller. Organizers warn the students they may begin to feel angry or frustrated with each other. In the center of the room an argument breaks out. You need to go to the store, shouts one student. I need to pick up the kids, another shouts back. Four minutes to go. Lining the room are tables populated with faculty members and volunteers. They, too, have assigned identities. Each table represents the various services students will need over the course of a month. The trick is they cant access the services without first giving up one of their transportation vouchers. There is a grocer, a banker, a child care center, a homeless shelter, the police station, the utility company, a school, among others. There are also pay-day lenders and a pawn shop to fill in the gaps. And there are almost always gaps Dr. Rodeo Abrencillo, an assistant professor for critical care, pulmonary and sleep medicine at the medical school, has become the owner of Big Daves Pawn Shop, a role he takes seriously and without mercy. A student glumly approaches. Hi, I would like to pawn all four of these, he says as he hands over four cards with pictures on them. Three TVs and a camera. I have to tell you Im not into electronics, the pawnshop owner replies with the slightest of smirks. He offers $35 for all. The student accepts without hesitation. Abrencillo reminds his customer that he can buy the items back later at 50 percent interest. Taylor Daileda, a 25-year-old medical student from Houston, is now a 52-year-old disabled veteran whose wife is the main breadwinner. He and his wife are raising two grandchildren while their mother is in jail. One of the children needs ADHD medication. It costs $350 per month. Daileda stands in line at the pay-day lender table to cash a disability check to buy more bus vouchers. The lender takes a $50 cut out of the $500 check. Our first thing we gave up was our prescriptions because we were trying to pay utilities, rent and food, she says later. The health care table is the one with the fewest visitors during poverty simulations. I think its pervasive in society that if you are in a bad circumstance it must be your own fault, said Conner Patrick, a 25-year-old medical school student. He hopes when he becomes a doctor he will always remember how powerless he felt on this day. He grew up in middle-class suburban comfort in Cypress. Today, though, he is a 19-year-old unemployed single mother with a toddler, trying to find a job while at the same time moving through the maze of social services. In his pretend family there is a boyfriend who helps with the bills but there is never enough. Health care, unless a dire emergency, is not even a consideration. Patrick is shortchanged by a store clerk during the simulation. He tried to argue but soon realizes it is fruitless. It was my word against his. Who is going to believe me? Textbook and practical Its now been six weeks since the poverty simulation. The students have moved into the next phase of their training. They now see real patients. Alyssa Kahl, a 23-year-old medical student from Kingwood, says there is little doubt that the lesson stuck. Before, thinking about a patients life outside the exam room didnt much occur to her, she said. As medical students we are trained so much to see what a disease looks like, what are the symptoms. But the piece of how that patient experiences disease in their everyday life and how they prioritize it is missing, Kahl said. On a recent morning she and three other medical students who also went through the simulation are on rounds at UTHealth Harris County Psychiatric Center. Dr. J. Chase Findley, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at McGovern Medical School, is shepherding them. When talk turns to a discussion on the potential toxicities of lithium, medication typically used to treat manic episodes of bipolar disorder, the lessons of the simulation are not far from the surface. Findley explains that some psychiatric drugs can cost $1,000 while others can be had for $4. Theres no point of prescribing a medication if theyre not going to take it when they get out, he says. He also cautions that it is important to be mindful of things such as if a medication can be taken just once a day rather than twice, and whether the patient will have help or family emotional support. Doctors also need to consider that the bureaucracy of health care can be difficult for patients, especially those with mental illness. So too are everyday barriers like a lack of public transportation in Houston or even the weather. When you think about treatments there [are] scientific evidence-based textbook answers, but theres also the practical answer, Findley said. He, too, took part in the simulation exercise, taking on the role of a grocery store owner. Even if they try really hard at the end of the day they still cant succeed, said Mohmmad Syed, a 24-year-old medical student from the Clear Lake area. The simulation taught him that. It also taught him that, almost always, there is more to a patients story. jenny.deam@chron.com twitter.com/jenny_deam Stephen F. Austin realized that the fate of Texas rested on the torn hands and bent backs of cotton-picking slaves. The "Father of Texas" worked against Mexican government efforts to abolish slavery in the province of Texas, where he was the most successful empresario bringing farmers and ranchers in search of unsettled land. Slavery was the "curse of curses," Austin said in 1831, but he had long understood that slave labor was the economic engine that would power prosperity for the territory. He found workarounds to maintain free and forced labor to attract settlers and keep markets flowing, according to historians. That acknowledgment surfaced last week in an official review of municipal property with direct or indirect ties to the Confederacy. HOLLEY: Old and Lost in Chambers County are music to a nature-lovers ears in this HoustonChronicle.com report Its most prominent inclusion: the name of the city itself, given Austin's work to perpetuate the institution of slavery. On Wednesday, Austin's Equity Office recommended the renaming of seven streets and removal of three historical markers honoring Confederate history, calling it a high priority for the city to decide. The office published a second list, without recommendations for action, but in need of review of items grimly yoked to the Confederacy, including slavery, racism and segregation. Austin's name fell on that list. The signs for Confederate Avenue and Dixie Drive may come down. But will Austin really consider changing its name amid national upheaval to jettison Confederate symbols? "No one sees this as an attempt to change the name of the city," said David Green, a spokesman for the city. He told The Washington Post on Sunday that efforts were made to explicitly not make recommendations for the second list which detailed items that were not directly tied to the Confederacy but could merit discussion by the City Council. That includes the city of Austin itself, along with a street and a recreation center named after the "Father of Texas." The inclusion prompted concern among historians that Austin was being lumped into the seditious history of the Confederacy. Like Thomas Jefferson before him, Austin was a man of contradictions and hypocrisy on the subject of slavery, said Gregg Cantrell, a professor of history at Texas Christian University and the author of "Stephen F. Austin: Empresario of Texas." Austin was not an ideological supporter of slavery. He described it as a scourge, "that unanswered, and unanswerable, inconsistency of free and liberal republicans," he said in 1831, and allowed a handful of black colonists to settle in Texas with the same rights as whites, Cantrell wrote. But despite those strong words, Austin said slavery in Texas must continue to fuel expansion and had a few slaves as domestic servants at one point, though it was never clear whether he viewed blacks as subhuman or genetically inferior ideas used by slaveholders to justify the practice. "He didn't leave a paper trail on that question," Cantrell told The Post. But Austin warned that if the Mexican government enforced its ban on slavery in the joined state of Coahuila and Texas, freed slaves would become "vagabonds, a nuisance, and a menace," historian Eugene Barker wrote. When it comes to the removal or renaming of Confederate-linked city property, however, Cantrell said there is a distinction between a slavery advocate such as Austin and seditious figures such as Robert E. Lee. Austin died in 1836, nearly three decades before a war started over the Confederacy's defense of slavery. How he might have considered rebellion will never be known. "Austin never had to make the choice Robert E. Lee made," Cantrell said. "We can't tar him with that particular brush." Why Confederate monuments were erected and when are among the biggest considerations when deciding whether they should be removed, said Walter L. Buenger, a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. The underlying reason to erect the symbols was to cement white supremacy and flaunt Jim Crow-era segregation, Buenger told The Post. Most were built between 1890 and 1925, he said, long after the Civil War ended. Austin doesn't have the same provocative history, he said. "I don't get that with naming the city," Buenger said, calling the idea of changing the name of Austin "far-fetched." The small outpost on the Colorado River named Waterloo was renamed Austin in 1839, shortly after the capital moved there. It would take an election for Austinites to decide whether to remove the name from the charter and rename the capital, said Green, the city spokesman. So far, there are no serious efforts to rename Austin, and it may strike many as absurd to even raise this as an issue in a city with such a strong identity. But if a movement grows, reverting back to Waterloo may not be the best choice. The name is already synonymous with total and utter defeat. Etihad Airways will be bringing a touch of Italy on board following a major partnership deal with the Italian fragrance brand, Acqua Di Parma. From August, the UAE national airline will introduce a range of exclusive amenity bags and toiletries for its customers travelling in The Residence on its Airbus A380s, and on long-haul First Class and Business Class services. The iconic brand will also feature in the airlines flagship First Class Lounge & Spa in Abu Dhabi. The new collaboration was celebrated with a curated event at the St. Regis Hotels legendary Abu Dhabi Suite, which was decorated in a style inspired by the perfumer, and featured a unique perfume room where guests were given a personal fragrance experience by a team from Acqua Di Parma. Linda Celestino, Etihad Airways vice president guest experience and delivery, said: Acqua Di Parma is universal in its appeal, effortlessly combining, traditional know-how, craftsmanship and innovation with a modern Italian, yet very international flair. We could think of no better brand partner who stands for the same understated elegance, focus on design, luxury and warmth associated with Etihad as a world-leading airline. We look forward to exploring opportunities to expand our partnership even further. Etihad Airways association with Acqua Di Parma began in 2014, when the airline started offering the brands luxury toiletries in The Residence. Founded in 1916 in the historic city of Parma, and part of the LVMH Group since 2001, Acqua Di Parma has worked closely with Etihad Airways to tailor its unique products to each stage of the guest experience, on the ground and in the air, using its signature Colonia, a perfume with a formula which has remained unchanged for 102 years, along with a selection of additional fragrances in The Residence. CEO and president of Acqua Di Parma, Laura Burdese, said: After 102 years, Acqua Di Parma has become an icon of Italian style, the essence of sophistication and effortless elegance Italy is known for around the world. We are extremely selective when choosing brands to associate with, but partnering with a world-leading airline like Etihad was a natural choice due to its premium services and high-end inflight experience." In The Residence, the airlines revolutionary three-room cabin on Airbus A380 aircraft, guests are provided with a bespoke range of fragrances and toiletries provided in their own private shower room, including a Colonia amenity kit. Colonia Pura is provided for men and Magnolia Nobile for women. Yellow, the colour synonymous with the Italian brand, is used for all First Class bags, while Business Class bags are offered in the same yellow, and also in black. The First Class unisex cylinder bag contains a miniature bottle of Colonia, a 40ml body lotion and lip balm. First Class toiletries include Colonia hand wash and hand cream, and Colonia bathroom amenity kits feature shower gel, body lotion, hair shampoo, and hair conditioner. The Business Class unisex wallet bag, which can be buttoned to create a stylish and useful valet tray, contains a Colonia sampler and hand cream, which will also be dispensed in the Business Class washrooms. Celestino added: Just as Etihad is not just simply an airline, Acqua Di Parma is more than just a fragrance. Both are respected and loved luxury brands. This partnership showcases refined Italian style and Arabian hospitality and we know it will prove very popular with our guests. The range of products chosen will enhance their comfort onboard and will also define their journey through this new sensory experience. Acqua Di Parma products will also be offered in the washrooms and shower facilities at the airlines award-winning First Class Lounge & Spa at Abu Dhabi International Airport. - TradeArabia News Service Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. On Sunday, Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said Trump officials should be prosecuted for their failure to reunite separated migrant families. "It's time for criminal action against the Trump Administration for what is happening to children who are yet to be reunited with their mothers," Jackson Lee wrote on Twitter. I was a rookie police reporter when I first encountered the sometimes surprising animosity between Houston police and firefighters. One hot summer day more than 30 years ago, a firefighter holding onto the back of a truck as it sped through downtown Houston lost his grip and fell to the street, hitting his head on the concrete. I arrived on the scene just as he was loaded into an ambulance, the injured man looking dazed but conscious and alert. I didnt think much of it, so I filed a brief story for KTRH Radio after I returned to the grubby press room at police headquarters. I later mentioned it to a detective sitting in the homicide division. He was one of the guys Id come to know while covering more murders than I care to remember, so I suppose he felt comfortable imitating a childs voice to crack a tasteless joke: Oh my, did da widdle fireman bump his pumpkin head? EDITORIAL: Tensions between Houston firefighters and City Hall RELATED: Judge sides with Houston firefighters, orders city secretary to validate pay parity petition Gallows humor was common around the cop shop, but I suspect the detective wouldnt have joked if hed known the firefighter would later die from his injuries. That conversation happened in 1982. It came to mind last week as I watched a city council committee hearing at which the intramural antipathy between Houston police and firefighters came into sharp focus. The meeting highlighted the projected cost of the firefighter unions pay parity proposal, which is apparently - and finally - on its way to a polling place near you. Firefighter union leaders were so blasted mad about the meeting, they didnt even bother to attend. As far as theyre concerned, the city councils only job now is to put the proposal before Houston voters, thousands of whom signed petitions to put the plan on the ballot. But Mayor Sylvester Turner - whom the firefighters endorsed in the last election - wants to hammer home the idea that the parity proposal will cost a fortune. EDITORIAL: The fire department's inspection process is in disarray and in need of urgent reform A Turner administration budget official estimated the firefighters plan would cost the city as much as $98 million a year, and Fire Chief Sam Pena raised the specter of covering the difference by laying off firefighters. But the most strident testimony came from leaders of the Houston Police Officers Union, who basically pulled off the gloves and pounded the daylights out of the parity plan forwarded by what one of them called their brothers and sisters in the fire department. Our job functions are completely different, said Joe Gamaldi, the police union president. Im not bad mouthing the fire department when I say it is within their policy to sleep while they are at work. We are strictly prohibited from doing that. Gamaldi is an energetic public speaker whose rapid-fire delivery could shame an auctioneer. One of his colleagues, former HPOU President Ray Hunt, jokingly assured the council members this is his normal voice, hes not yelling at yall. But that didnt stop Gamaldi from almost shouting that parity is an albatross, that has crippled police departments in other major cities. We didnt ask to be dragged into this fight, Gamaldi said. We were brought into it when they came up with this parity petition. EDITORIAL: Houston Fire Department is long overdue for fundamental restructuring BILL KING: Putting Houston firefighters' pay in proper perspective Hunt pointedly emphasized that hed never seen Houston police officers more united than they are now in their opposition to parity. They know theres a limited pool of funds in the citys coffers, and they know that tying their pay to firefighters would vastly complicate future contract negotiations - just as it did decades ago. When the firefighters parity plan finally goes to voters, well probably see them positioned outside polling places throughout the city, lobbying for last minute support. When they get upset, firefighters get politically active. So now I think back on that conversation I had in the homicide division three decades ago. And I wonder if, as the parity plan goes before voters, Houston police officers will muster the same political passion as their brothers and sisters in the fire department. Miller was a broadcast news reporter who spent more than 25 years in local television before joining the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board in 2016 On the eve of Mexicos election, even before the National Electoral Institute called the results, President Donald Trump tweeted congratulations to the presumptive victor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The two leaders followed up the next day with a congenial phone call. The following week three U.S. Cabinet secretaries, along with senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, headed to Mexico City to meet their counterparts and the president-elect. The press and markets have taken these gestures as signs of more positive relations ahead. Dont be too sure. These initial niceties paper over deep chasms in priorities, positions and domestic politics. A blow-up may not be far away. EDITORIAL: Trump vs. AMLO: Whoever wins, Texas loses Lopez Obradors recent letter to Trump shows how different his take is on what a promising bilateral relationship entails. The seven-page missive lays out his economic development plans for Mexico, in minute detail, and reflects his view that the solutions to bilateral challenges of migration, security and commerce depend on Mexicos economic advancement. It is safe to say Trump has little interest in ambitious plans to plant 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of trees in Mexicos most poverty-ridden states, much less any inclination to help finance this venture. The same goes for Lopez Obradors infrastructure goals: refineries in Tabasco and Campeche, a bullet train from Cancun to Palenque or a rail corridor connecting the Pacific to the Atlantic across the southern Isthmus of Tehuantepec in a bid to rival the Panama Canal. This U.S. administration isnt big on partnering on economic development. Look for Lopez Obrador to be turned down or ignored on the economic issues that matter most to him. OPINION: Not Trump or Chavez, Mexico's president-elect won't fit your political analogy Likewise, he is unlikely to be the NAFTA partner Trump is looking for. The incoming president supports keeping the 25-year-old free trade agreement, recognizing the benefits for investment. His designated trade lead, Jesus Seade, is working with the current Mexican negotiating team to prepare to pick up the mantle, joining them in Washington talks. Despite Trumps demand and veiled threats to quickly reach an agreement, Lopez Obrador and his team arent deviating from Mexicos current redlines - including the sunset clause, dispute settlement mechanisms and auto content rules - or showing any interest in bilateral talks, something Trump has also been encouraging. There is also little common ground on Central American migration. Led by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, the U.S. has pushed for a safe third-country agreement, which would force Central Americans passing through Mexico to apply there for asylum. OPINION: Why Mexicos next president makes novelists swoon While this would largely solve the U.S. problem - border agents could turn back every man, woman and child seeking refuge - there is less than nothing in it for Mexico. The new government would struggle to process tens if not hundreds of thousands of refugee applications and to build the infrastructure and camps required to house desperate Central Americans - a crisis potentially overwhelming Lopez Obradors young presidency. And the Trump administration looks unwilling to provide the billions of dollars Europe has used to gain Turkeys acquiescence to a similar deal. Instead, it is still fighting Congress for billions for a border wall. The two leaders are equally at odds about how to lessen these migration flows over time. Lopez Obrador calls for a comprehensive regional economic development plan to attack the root causes of migration. Trump has proposed cutting such aid to Central America by nearly $200 million, or 30 percent each of the last two years. OPINION: Will Mexico become authoritarian under AMLO, like Turkey? Security cooperation, too, looks to be interrupted. Every change in administration brings something of a pause. Yet this halt will be prolonged by Mexicos plans to create a new Public Security Secretariat, National Guard, and intelligence agency; setting up these new bureaucracies will delay the start of a yet to be defined domestic security strategy. And even once it is up and running, it wont be headed in the same direction as the U.S. Lopez Obradors ministerial appointees are talking about legalizing marijuana, providing amnesty for illicit crop farmers and expanding scholarships as ways to reduce violence. This doesnt jibe with the Trump administrations hard-line approach to regional security. Diplomatically, cooperation on an imploding Venezuela (let alone Nicaragua or Cuba) is also about to fade, as Mexicos new leadership reverts to a more traditional hands-off international approach. Washington wont be pleased. OPINION: Under AMLO, Mexico is poised for change Of course, few traditional allies have remained in the U.S. presidents good graces. Just ask Canadas Justin Trudeau, Germanys Angela Merkel, Japans Shinzo Abe and Frances Emmanuel Macron. As the 2020 elections approach, Trump will be tempted once again to demonize Mexico. With his own base to feed, Lopez Obrador will be hard pressed not to respond in kind. Lopez Obrador closes his letter to Trump by talking about how they both overthrew the establishment in their rise to office. What he misses is that this establishment actually cared about Nafta, the Dreamers and Mexico more broadly. True, the deepening partnership of the last 25 years has been more an anomaly than a norm. Yet even during past disagreements, despite mutual suspicions and distrust, the two nations found ways to work together. If a standoff between presidents leads back to a more institutional relationship, away from the personalization of the last year and a half between Jared Kushner and outgoing foreign minister Luis Videgaray, that, too, may set the relationship on a steadier path. Just dont expect it to be better. ONeil is a senior fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. input file 20180729WPBLOOM___BLM__mexico-us-comment.xml If the employee is looking dishevelled by personal choice then the employer could ultimately discipline them for not meeting the clear and set standards in the workplace, said Kynaston. We will put to one side any health reasons for that, as long as its just their personal choice thats dictating why they are dishevelled. Its important to check that you have communicated those standards and have given the employee an opportunity to reach those standards? Kynaston added that its critical to talk to them about why they are not meeting that standard and provide the support if need be. For example, it might be a financial thing, it might be a personal hygiene thing or it might be a health issue. Around 40% of the workforce will be required to have the jab This year's Imagine Cup is over and the winners who have claimed the trophy are Team smartARM from Canada with a robotic arm that uses AI technology to adjust its grip. When I first covered it for I Programmer, the Imagine Cup was in its ninth year and included competitions for software design, embedded development, game design and for Windows 7. The big announcement included in my 2010 report was the introduction of "Imagine Cup Solve This" in which aid and development organizations including some United Nations agencies, submitted real problems that student teams could work on, with the goal of developing innovative solutions that would make a real and direct impact on society. The following year the competition motto was: Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems. This emphasis persists and there have been other changes. There's no longer a games category and Microsoft made the use of Azure compulsory two years ago. This reinforces a focus on: using cloud-based technologies of today and tomorrow, including artificial intelligence (AI), big data, mixed reality and more. For 2018 the new slogan was: "Code With Purpose" and three new awards, with cash prizes of $15,000, were added for three key areas of digital transformation: AI, big data and mixed reality. So at last week's in-person finals held in Seattle there were 6 prizes to be decided and 49 teams from 33 countries competing for them from around 40,000 student competitors who originally registered for the 2018 contest. The winners of the newest awards were announced first. SochWare from Nepal, won the AI award for designing a solution to help farmers identify plant diseases, suggest mitigation strategies, connect with experts and get updated with recent agriculture findings. Drugsafe from India won the big data award for their solution to validate genuine drugs and decrease illness from counterfeit substances. Pengram from the United States won the mixed reality award for allowing engineers from around the world to be holographically teleported into a workspace when needed. As for the top three awards, after three days of showcases, pitches, and demonstrations in front of judges, third place went to Team Mediated Ear of Japan for its project, Mediated Ear, software for hearing-impaired individuals to focus on a specific speaker among a multitude of conversations. Mediated Ear can relay specific sounds in audio waveforms through deep learning. Team iCry2Talk of Greece earned second place with a low-cost and non-invasive intelligent interface between infant and parent that translates in real time the babys cry, and associates it with a specific physiological and psychological state, depicting the result in a text, image and voice message. First place went to Team smartARM from Canada who won a mentoring session with Satya Nadella, $85,000 in cash and a $50,000 Azure grant for their 3D-printed robotic prosthetic hand which calculates appropriate grip for objects utlilizing Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and Computer Vision. Satya Nadella with smartARM team members, the 2018 Imagine Cup World Champions, along with Chloe Kim, special guest and Olympic snowboarding gold medalist. The winning team consists of Hamayal Choudry, a second-year mechatronics engineering student at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and Samin Khan, a third-year computer science student at the University of Toronto. The prosthetic uses a camera in its palm to assess the object its holding and subtly adjust the grip. With machine learning, the device improves the more its used. Data is stored in the cloud, so even if the user switches devices, the information will be transferred to the new model. In recent years ImagineCup winners and finalists have gone on to form startups to make their projects into viable, marketable, products and no doubt some of these teams will follow this route. Comments Make a Comment or View Existing Comments Using Disqus or email your comment to: comments@i-programmer.info Patrick T. Fallon for The Washington Post via Getty Images(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) -- Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the powerful political arm of the Koch political network, said Monday at a biannual conference of donors that it cannot currently support the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in North Dakota, GOP Rep. Kevin Cramer, because of his "inconsistency" on key issues important to the group such as trade and spending. The North Dakota Senate race is one of ABC News' key "18 for '18" races this midterm cycle. "We cannot support him at this time," AFP President Tim Phillips told a crowd of wealthy donors gathered at the network's bi-annual retreat in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The groups said the move is an indication that it is "raising the bar" for Republican candidates to earn the support of the well-funded political apparatus. "Bottom line, we need lawmakers to do more, so we need to expect more out of them. Thats why weve got a message for lawmakers across the country. We are raising the bar, raising expectations. Thats how this network will achieve more," said Emily Seidel, another top AFP official. In June, AFP ran digital ads praising Cramer's opponent, Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, for her vote in support of reform to the Dodd-Frank financial regulation legislation. Phillips told donors "maybe [Cramer] needs to hear from you," adding that if the election were being held in 2014 or 2016, the group would "likely" have endorsed the Republican, who has held North Dakota's lone congressional seat since 2013. Cramer has the endorsement of President Trump, and at a campaign rally in Fargo, North Dakota last month, said he will be with the president "100 percent of the time." Seidel said that the Koch network looked at a situation where an elected Republican, "stood up in a Republican caucus meeting where they were debating a major piece of legislation and said flat out, Dont worry about the Kochs, theyre going to support Republicans regardless." "We cant keep falling into the trap of just doing what we need to do to get through November," Seidel said. Officials for the Koch network said that AFP is currently involved in seven races this midterm cycle across six states: Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, Michigan, Nevada and Florida. The group has also launched an all-out effort to boost the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Phillips said activists with the group have placed over "500,000" calls in key states urging Senators to confirm Kavanaugh, focusing specifically on senators up for re-election in states President Trump won in 2016, including North Dakota, Indiana and Montana. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The national union for public school principals plans to launch a recruitment program for charter school leaders. The initiative comes as unions are anticipating steep membership and funding losses as a result of the Supreme Courts recent decision in Janus v. AFSCME . The largely non-unionized charter sector could present amplealbeit rockyterritory for expansion for unions. The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that there over 7,000 charter school principals and nearly 90,000 regular school principals. The American Federation of School Administrators voted last weekend on a resolution to create a charter school recruitment program at its convention in Washington. This is the first concrete move by a union of educators to focus on organizing charter school personnel post-Janus. Neither of the national teachers unions offered up such resolutions during their conventions earlier this month. However, the resolution was not strictly a reaction to Janus, said AFSA spokesman Scott Treibitz. The unions membership is strongest in urban areas, which have also seen the most aggressive expansion of charter schools, particularly large charter school networks. The union currently has around 20,000 members, including principals, vice principals, administrators, and supervisors. And its in charter networks, which can include dozens of campuses, that Treibitz said there is the most potential. A lot of these networks, like a lot of school systems, everything becomes mandated, and they dont give a lot of flexibility to the person theyve empowered to lead, he said. Likening school leaders to CEOs, Treibitz said that joining a union will provide charter school principals with the power and autonomy they need and crave to run innovative schools. That will be a powerful message to charter principals, he said. Even within the charter sector, networks have at times been criticized as becoming too bureaucratic and district-like. A growing share of charter schools in the country belong to larger networks, and thats where at least teachers unions have seen the biggest gains in recent years. In 2010, less than 10 percent of unionized charter schools belonged to either a nonprofit charter management organization or a for-profit education management organization. Today, that number is pushing 20 percent, according to data from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. However, the overall number of unionized charter schools as a percentage nationally has dropped slightly since 2010, from 12.3 percent to 11.3 percent. How Janus Will Affect Charter Schools More aggressive charter school recruitment is just one way the Janus decision could impact charter schools and other school choice policies. Teachers unions have long been the strongest political opponents to charter school supporters, and with diminished war chests they may decide to put pull back from fighting efforts to expand charters at the ballot box. However, there is some evidence the reverse could be true, and that unions could choose to use their more-limited resources to double down on their opposition to school choice. EdWeek explored several ways the Janus fallout could affect charter schools in this article . Related stories: Dubai Business Events (DBE), the citys official convention bureau, has reported strong results for the first half of 2018, with 125 successful bids to host business events, reflecting a 29 per cent increase over the same period last year, a media report said. Conferences, meetings and incentive programmes secured in the first six months of the year, including from bids submitted in previous years, are poised to attract over 65,000 delegates from around the world, resulting in an expected economic impact of approximately Dh500 million ($136 million), reported Emirates news agency Wam. "Dubais success in attracting an increasing number of business events is a testament to the citys ability, across the public and private sectors, to coalesce together to position it on a global stage, said Issam Kazim, chief executive officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing. Dubai Business Events has worked closely with stakeholders to ensure the city is able to optimise its bidding opportunities, highlighting not only the tourism and events infrastructure, but also the knowledge exchange possibilities in Dubai. We thank all our partners and look forward to working with them to build on our collective efforts to contribute to our ambitious tourism targets. Key business event in H1 included Pro-Health China Incentive (2019), World Chamber Congress (2021), International Congress for the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (2021), World Congress of Gastroenterology (2021), as well as the Asia Pacific Congress of Cardiology (2023). During the first half of 2018, the DBE also increased efforts to highlight the citys offering to international audiences and strengthen strategic partnerships to help enhance the business event sector in Dubai. The DBE representatives attended over 70 trade events, where it showcased Dubais dynamic business events offerings and services to more than 9,000 international meetings, events, and incentives industry professionals. At IMEX, the DBE, along with 24 key stakeholders, including Emirates Airline, Dubai World Trade Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai and Jumeirah Group, demonstrated a strong focus on transforming Dubai into a global knowledge hub. The DBE also hosted 14 site inspections for 30 clients and hosted four in-depth study missions for a total of 136 hosted buyers in the first half of the year. During the first half of 2018, the bureau also organised three roadshows in key markets across Europe, South East Asia, and North America, attracting more than 400 business events planners. The roadshows acted as a platform to meet and engage with key decision-makers, educate them, and showcase the citys capabilities, as well as services offered by the DBE. By Imran Inamdar, TwoCircles.net Life has never been easy for Roshan Jahan Sheikh, daughter of a vegetable vendor in Mumbai. Until August 11, 2008, Rosha Jahan, then a promising student, had to endure economic hardships if she wanted to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. However, on that day, her life changed for much worse: a train accident left both her legs amputated. But then, Roshan Jahan was never going to give up and a decade after her accident, she has not only completed her MBBS but also on course to finish her MD in Pathology, even though she has had to fight at every level. After her accident, she was left bedridden for over three months but dropping out of school never occurred to her or her parents. Her mother started taking her to school to attend important practical classes and examinations on a wheelchair and by the next year, she had completed her Class 12 with impressive marks. She also achieved a stellar rank of 3 in the handicapped category for the state medical exams, but a legal technicality almost stopped her from enrolling. The existing law allowed only students with up to 70% handicap to study medicine but I was 90% handicapped post the accident, so I was not allowed to take admission, Roshan Jahan told TwoCircles.net during a conversation. Following the advice of Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Sanjay Kotharia, she knocked the door of the Bombay High court with help of advocate PB Patil in 2011 and won the case and took admission in KEM (King Edward Memorial) Medical College, Mumbai. Support TwoCircles Advocate Patil, who fought the case of Roshan Jahan without charging a single rupee, informed Twocirlces.net that as per the Disability Act 1995, Roshan Jahan was denied admission. But during case proceedings, I gave two examples of people who were more than 90% disabled and yet achieved astonishing things. Arunima Sinha, a disabled lady who climbed Mount Everest and athlete Oscar Pistorius, who took part in London Olympics with artificial legs. I tried to convince the court that 90% disable Roshan Jahan is also fully fit to become a medical practitioner. I showed the court that she could travel for court proceedings every time from Jogeshwari on a train. The honourable court served her physical activities and considered her disability at 70% and gave the decision in her favour, he said. Speaking with Twocircles.net, Roshan Jahan said, We stay in a rented 1010 feet home. Our financial condition was in a bad shape as my father was a vegetable vendor. But Allah helped us in his own ways. When I met with an accident and news came out in media, many good people and NGOs came forward and helped us in meeting the hospital expenditures and prosthetic limbs which cost Rs 6 lakh 10 years ago. When media highlighted court case around my MBBS admission, Congress MLA Amin Patel came to visit my house and promised to pay my medical course expenses. Finally after the court order when I got admission in MBBS, Amin Patel kept his words and fulfilled all my education expenses during the course duration and continues to sponsor my MD education. I must also thank Member of Parliament Kirit Somayya because again there were some hurdles for joining my PG course. But Somaiya took special efforts and within two days, a 20-year-old law was amended for my PG admission. Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda himself called and gave this welcome news, she added. But Roshan Jahan pointed out, getting admission was just one of the many hurdles she had cleared. During the medical course, I faced some difficulties due to my disabilities. Practical lessons are conducted in different buildings located at some distance which also involves long duration standing for about six hours. In my second counselling after the court order, I was informed about these hardships but there was no alternative for me except to move forward. During my MBBS course, I discharged 30 hours non-stop duty, attended emergencieseverything that fully-abled people did. I tried to set an example that people with disability can also achieve anything if they have the passion and determination, she said. Roshan Jahan said that her mother was the most constant source of inspiration. She studied only till 4th standard as women education was not considered important at that time in Azamgarh, UP, her native place. Despite receiving flak from family members and facing numerous hardships, my mom decided to educate her daughters. After a lot of efforts somehow my elder sister completed class 12. It was only then that the family members realized the importance of education but due to the financial condition, she was forced to quit her studies. Currently, she is working as a paramedical staff with Millat hospital. My younger sister is doing Masters in Textiles so our mom is our real inspiration, she said. BJP MP Kirit Somayya told TwoCircles.net that Roshan Jahans strong determination and learning spirit was extremely impressive. After going through her case I immediately swung into action and went to Delhi to amend the Law and get it done within three to four days, Somayya added. Amin Patel, the Congress MLA who also sponsors Roshan Jahan, said When I read about Roshan Jahans train accident in a local Marathi newspaper, I personally went to meet her. During our discussion, I found her to be very confident and a girl with a vision. Despite losing both legs, she didnt lose her hopes. So I decided to provide all assistance to her. Disclosing her future plans, Roshan Jahan said, I will try for civil services examinations to become an IAS officer after completing my MD (Doctor of Medicine). In future, I have plans to work for people with disability through some NGO or through my profession when I will have enough sources, she added. Imperial Valley News Center Virginia Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Traveling to Haiti and Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct Washington, DC - A Virginia man was sentenced Monday to 276 months in prison, to be followed by a life term of supervised release, for traveling from the United States to Haiti and engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen of the Western District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., announced. James Daniel Arbaugh, 40, of Stuarts Draft, Virginia, pleaded guilty on February 6, to one count of traveling in foreign commerce from the United States to Haiti in or about 2016 to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under the age of 18 before U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth K. Dillion of the Western District of Virginia, who sentenced him earlier today and remanded him to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. James Arbaugh was a wolf in sheeps clothing: he posed as a selfless missionary when in reality he was exploiting his position to prey on and sexually abuse vulnerable children in one of the most impoverished areas of the world, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. Todays sentencing is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners to hold sexual predators like Arbaugh accountable for their deplorable crimes. The defendant abused his position of trust to prey on vulnerable victims, and their lives will never be the same, said U.S. Attorney Cullen. As this case indicates, our office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify and vigorously prosecute those who exploit children. This kind of heinous and evil activity has no place here, abroad or in-transit, said Special Agent in Charge Lechleitner. Those seeking to commit such abhorrent crimes and evade detection cannot hide from our highly skilled and dedicated investigators. According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Arbaugh has lived in Haiti for approximately 15 years and has traveled regularly back to the United States during that time. According to statements made by the Court during Armbaughs sentencing hearing, during his time in Haiti, Arbaugh traveled as a Mennonite missionary regularly visiting remote towns and villages, where he would befriend and groom children in these communities. Arbaugh admitted that in 2016, while in Haiti, he engaged in illicit sexual contact with a minor under the age of 12 by touching the minors genitals under the minors clothing. The investigation of the case was conducted by HSI and the Harrisonburg Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kaylynn Shoop of the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeb Terrien of the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Western District of Virginia. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Imperial Valley News Center Owner of Durable Medical Equipment Company Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Medicaid of More Than $9 Million Washington, DC - The owner of a company that provided durable medical equipment pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of health care fraud for carrying out a scheme in which she fraudulently obtained more than $9.4 million in District of Columbia Medicaid payments. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBIs Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Philadelphia Regional Office and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas. Waveney Blackman, 72, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Her sentencing is scheduled on Oct. 18 before the Honorable Thomas F. Hogan. Blackman was the sole owner and chief executive officer of WaveCare Health Services LLC, also known as WaveCare Healthcare Services LLC. The company, based in the District of Columbia, was a provider of durable medical equipment, including wound care and incontinence supplies, to Medicaid beneficiaries and others. It became a Medicaid provider in 2008. According to the plea documents, Blackman devised and executed a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid for durable medical equipment, including incontinence and wound care supplies, which she knew were not purchased or provided to Medicaid beneficiaries. From January 2010 through approximately June 2016, Blackman sent and caused employees to send false and fraudulent invoices to a biller engaged by the company, which were then submitted to Medicaid. All told, she submitted and caused the submission of at least $9.8 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid. Blackman, through WaveCare, fraudulently obtained $9,431,979 from Medicaid. According to the plea documents, Blackman used the fraudulent proceeds to obtain properties, including three in Florida and four in Maryland, as well as a Mercedes Benz. Blackman was charged in a criminal information filed on June 26. The charges were filed as part of the nations largest ever health care fraud enforcement action. On June 28, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex M. Azar III, announced results of the nationwide effort. The various enforcement actions involved 601 charged defendants across 58 federal districts, including 165 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving more than $2 billion in false billings. Of those charged, 162 defendants, including 76 doctors, were charged for their roles in prescribing and distributing opioids and other dangerous narcotics. This case is being investigated by the FBIs Washington Field Office, HHS-OIG and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. Assistance has been provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Amy Markopoulos of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Tobin of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance with forfeiture issues was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marina Stevenson and Sean Welsh. Assistance also has been provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise A. Simmonds, Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys and Robert Fishman, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Teresa A. Howie, Lionel Andre, and Angela Saffoe also assisted with the investigation of the case. Imperial Valley News Center Two Members of Billion-Dollar Venezuelan Money Laundering Scheme Arrested Miami, Florida - Two alleged participants in a billion-dollar international scheme to launder funds embezzled from Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA using Miami, Florida real estate and sophisticated false-investment schemes were arrested. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement. Matthias Krull, 44, a German national and Panamanian resident, and Gustavo Adolfo Hernandez Frieri, 45, a Colombian national and naturalized U.S. citizen, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The complaint also charged Francisco Convit Guruceaga, 40; Jose Vincente Amparan Croquer, aka, Chente, 44; Carmelo Urdaneta Aqui, 44; and Abraham Eduardo Ortega, 51, all Venezuelan nationals; and Hugo Andre Ramalho Gois, 39, a Portuguese national, and Marcelo Federico Gutierrez Acosta y Lara, 40, a Uruguayan national, for their alleged participation in the scheme. These defendants remain at large. Krull was arrested last night in Miami and had his initial court appearance earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia M. Otazo-Reyes in Miami. Krull is scheduled to have a pre-trial detention hearing on July 30, and a preliminary hearing on Aug. 8. Frieri was arrested today in Sicily, Italy and faces extradition proceedings. According to the criminal complaint, the conspiracy in this case allegedly began in December 2014 with a currency exchange scheme that was designed to embezzle around $600 million from PDVSA, obtained through bribery and fraud, and the defendants efforts to launder a portion of the proceeds of that scheme. By May 2015, the conspiracy had allegedly doubled in amount to $1.2 billion embezzled from PDVSA. PDVSA is Venezuelas primary source of income and foreign currency (namely, U.S. Dollars and Euros). The complaint alleges that surrounding and supporting these false-investment laundering schemes are complicit money managers, brokerage firms, banks and real estate investment firms in the United States and elsewhere, operating as a network of professional money launderers. The alleged conspirators include former PDVSA officials, professional third-party money launderers, and members of the Venezuelan elite, sometimes known as boliburgues. The charges contained in the complaint are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation Money Flight, a partnership between and among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement. HSI Miami, HSI London, HSI Rome and HSI Madrid investigated this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief David Johnson of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco R. Maderal of the Southern District of Floridas International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. The Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom and Italian, Spanish and Maltese law enforcement authorities provided assistance. The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Imperial Valley News Center Justice Department Seeks to Revoke Citizenship of Convicted Felon Who Led Drug Organization Washington, DC - The Justice Department Thursday filed a denaturalization lawsuit against the former leader of a drug organization responsible for conspiring to distribute more than 40 kilograms of cocaine and 1,600 kilograms of marijuana, conduct he allegedly concealed during his naturalization proceedings. The civil complaint was filed in federal court in the Northern District of Florida. It is important for the Department of Justice to protect the integrity of the naturalization process, said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. In this case, the defendant allegedly concealed his serious criminal activitylarge-scale drug trafficking that put the health and safety of our communities at risk. We cannot tolerate, and will zealously pursue, this kind of fraudulent activity. Melchor Munoz aka Melchor Munoz-Correa, 42, a native of Mexico, was convicted pursuant to a guilty plea in 2012 of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(ii), and (b)(1)(B)(vii). As admitted in his criminal proceedings, Munoz distributed to co-conspirators an average of 80 pounds of marijuana on approximately 60 separate occasions between 2008 and 2010, keeping 400 to 500 pounds of marijuana, gallon zip-lock bags of methamphetamine, and multiple blocks of cocaine on hand most of the time. In 2012, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida found that Munoz was a leader of the drug organization and sentenced him to 188 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release. Munoz is currently serving his sentence at a federal prison in Jesup, Georgia. Although Munozs crimes began while he was a permanent resident of the United States, he was not arrested and his criminal proceedings did not occur until after he had naturalized. The civil denaturalization complaint alleges that Munoz concealed and affirmatively misrepresented his criminal conduct throughout his naturalization proceedings, and that his application would have been denied had immigration authorities known about his drug conspiracy. This criminal led a drug organization responsible for conspiring to distribute massive amounts of cocaine and marijuana, all while he defrauded the government during his naturalization process, said Derek Benner, HSI Deputy Executive Associate Director. Today he is being held accountable for his lies and stands to lose one of the greatest benefits our country offers, citizenship, which he obtained by defrauding immigration authorities. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Civil Divisions Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS). The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ari Nazarov of OIL-DCS, with support from ICEs Orlando Office of the Chief Counsel and ICE-HSI Tallahassee. The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Imperial Valley News Center Diabeloop Insulin Delivery System May Significantly Improve Glycemic Control for People with Type 1 Diabetes Orlando, Florida - New research finds that people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who used the Diabeloop DBLG1 therapeutic, closed-loop insulin delivery system in a home setting experienced a greater percentage of time in the target blood glucose range and fewer hypoglycemic events compared to patients who used an open-loop system, consisting of their regular pump and sensor. The findings from the study, Twelve-Week Home Use of Hybrid Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery System vs. Sensor-Assisted Pump Therapy in Adults with Type 1 DiabetesIntermediate Results of the Multicenter Randomized Crossover Diabeloop WP7 Trial, were presented at the American Diabetes Associations (ADAs) 78th Scientific Sessions at the Orange County Convention Center Convention Center. The Diabeloop DBLG1 system is an advanced, closed-loop insulin delivery system with a complex, customizable algorithm that predicts future blood glucose levels and instructs insulin delivery by connecting three devices: a glucose sensor, a patch insulin pump and a smartphone-like terminal device hosting the algorithm. The continuous glucose sensor monitors the users blood glucose level and sends data to the terminal, integrating the algorithm. The terminal controls the connected insulin pump by calculating and ordering the optimal amount of insulin. For maximum accuracy, users enter their food and physical activity information. The goal of this new study, a follow-up to a 2016, three-day study, was to assess whether patients using the DBLG1 system could achieve better glucose control compared to sensor-assisted pump therapy in a home setting. The trial was conducted at 12 centers in France and enrolled 68 adults (average age 47.2 years) with T1D and an average HbA1c level of 7.6. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups, with 33 patients using the DBLG1 system, and 35 patients using their normal, open-loop system (i.e., their usual pump and sensor). The study was a crossover trial in which both groups of patients were evaluated using the DBLG1 system for 12 weeks. This study details the results of the first 12-week timeframe. The results showed that the percentage of time spent in the target blood glucose range of 70-180 mg/dl was 69.3 percent for patients using the DBLG1 system compared to 56.6 percent for patients using an open-loop system. While the average glycemic level was lower for patients with the DBLG1 system compared to the one for patients with standard care, the lowered glucose level did not lead to more hypoglycemic events. The percentage of time spent in hypoglycemia (< 70 mg/dl) was about half the amount with the DBLG1 than with the usual, open-loop system (2 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively). The DBLG1 is a powerful and customizable algorithm system for type 1 diabetes treatment that may enable patients to significantly and durably reduce their glucose levels without an increase in hypoglycemic events, said lead study author Sylvia Franc, MD, research director and vice-president of CERITDCentre of Study and Research on Intensification of Treatment of Diabetesin France. The results of our study confirm in real life, over a 12-week period, the positive results previously observed in an inpatient setting. This system has the potential to substantially improve the glycemic control and the quality of life for patients with type 1 diabetes, decrease long-term chronic diabetes complications, and reduce the burden of the dozens of daily calculations and therapeutic decisions they currently have to make themselves. To speak with Dr. Franc, please contact the ADA Press Office on-site at the Orange County Convention Center on June 22 - 26, by phone at 407-685-4010 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The American Diabetes Associations 78th Scientific Sessions, to be held June 22-26, 2018, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, is the worlds largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention and care. During the five-day meeting, more than 16,000 health care professionals from around the world will have exclusive access to more than 3,000 original diabetes research presentations, participate in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts, and can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Continuing Education (CE) credits for educational sessions. The program is grouped into eight theme areas: Acute and Chronic Complications; Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Education and Exercise; Clinical Diabetes/Therapeutics; Epidemiology/Genetics; Immunology/Transplantation; Insulin Action/Molecular Metabolism; Integrated Physiology/Obesity; and Islet Biology/Insulin Secretion. Felicia Hill-Briggs, PhD, ABPP, President of Health Care and Education, will deliver her address, The American Diabetes Association in the Era of Health Care Transformation, on Saturday, June 23, and Jane E.B. Reusch, MD, President of Medicine and Science, will present her address, 24/7/365 Lifetime with Diabetes, on Sunday, June 24. In total, the 2018 Scientific Sessions includes 375 oral presentations; 2,117 poster presentations, including 47 moderated poster discussions; and 297 published-only abstracts. Join the Scientific Sessions conversation on social media using #2018ADA. Abstract 207-OR - Safety and Performance of the Omnipod Hybrid Closed-Loop System in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes over Five Days Under Free-Living Conditions BRUCE A. BUCKINGHAM, JENNIFER SHERR, GREGORY P. FORLENZA, THOMAS A. PEYSER, JOON BOK LEE, JASON B. OCONNOR, BONNIE DUMAIS, LAUREN M. HUYETT, JENNIFER E. LAYNE, TRANG T. LY, Palo Alto, CA, New Haven, CT, Aurora, CO, Billerica, MA The safety and performance of the Omnipod hybrid closed-loop (HCL) personalized model predictive control algorithm was assessed in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using an investigational device over 5 days in a supervised hotel setting under free-living conditions. Eligible participants were aged 18-65.0 y with A1C <10.0% using CSII or MDI. A 7-day open-loop (OL) phase of standard therapy (CSII/MDI) plus CGM use at home preceded the 96 h HCL phase. Meals during HCL were unrestricted, with boluses administered per usual routine. Moderate-intensity exercise was performed for 30 min/d. An adaptive approach was used to update participant parameters after the first 48 h of HCL. Eleven participants (MDI n=3) studied were (mean SD): age 28.8 7.9 y, diabetes duration 14.9 6.9 y, A1C 7.4 1.2% and TDD 0.67 0.24 U/kg. Glycemic outcomes are reported in the table. The percentage of time 70-180 mg/dL was 11.2% higher during HCL compared to OL overall (HCL 73.7 7.5 vs. OL 62.5 16.0) and 13.2% higher overnight (HCL 73.9 21.0 vs. OL 60.7 21.8). A concomitant reduction in the percentage of time <70mg/dL during HCL vs. OL occurred both overall (HCL 1.9 1.3 vs. OL 5.1 4.8) and overnight (HCL 0.7 1.1 vs. OL 5.7 7.4). The Omnipod HCL algorithm was safe and performed well over 5 days of use in adults with T1D under free-living conditions with unrestricted meals and moderate-intensity exercise. Author Disclosure Block: B.A. Buckingham: Advisory Panel; Self; ConvaTec Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc. Consultant; Self; Becton, Dickinson and Company, Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Medtronic, Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. J. Sherr: Advisory Panel; Self; Bigfoot Biomedical, Eli Lilly and Company, Insulet Corporation. Consultant; Self; Medtronic MiniMed, Inc. G.P. Forlenza: Advisory Panel; Self; Dexcom, Inc. Research Support; Self; Bigfoot Biomedical, Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Medtronic, Novo Nordisk Inc., Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. T.A. Peyser: Consultant; Self; Biolinq, Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation. Employee; Self; ModeAGC. J. Lee: Employee; Self; Insulet Corporation. J.B. OConnor: None. B. Dumais: Employee; Self; Insulet Corporation. L.M. Huyett: Employee; Self; Insulet Corporation. J.E. Layne: Employee; Self; Insulet Corporation. T.T. Ly: Employee; Self; Insulet Corporation. By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net The list of atrocities against marginalised communities in India can make for a small book, but the forms of resistance against these gruesome acts have, until now, mostly been enacted through literature and sometimes songs and theatre. Now, rap is being introduced into the resistance by Sumeet Samos, a 24-year-old postgraduate student from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). For him, rap is the most effective weapon to fight casteism and to develop a powerful anti-caste narrative. Associated with Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA), Samos sees Rap as the medium of his storytelling. Belonging to the Schedule Caste category, Samos witnessed caste discrimination and alienation at every level of his life. Support TwoCircles Talking about his various experiences, Samos told TwoCircles.net, Because of my background, I was always labelled as a criminal since my childhood. And the discrimination against me reflected from the same perception of my life. And not just mine, people from Dalit communities have been facing this for thousands of years. For Sumeet, the art of rap is the best medium of expression, and this has developed after passing through different popular mediums of expression. My idea is simple.. reach out to a big mass of audience. And this determination came with whatever social and political understanding I developed since my childhood, says Samos. I watched black hip-hop artists, and I watched them a lot. As I was writing on anti-caste issues, I found there was a rhythm in those texts, not literal but practical, one just had to polish and address through that, he adds. By rhythm, Sumeet Samos refers to a trend and pattern in the caste violence discrimination and caste-targeted violence incidents were happening in the country. Be it Laxmanpur, Bathani Tola or Una and Mirchpur, Samos verses are trying to cover it all through rapping. Samos first official rap video Ladai Seekh Le will be released later this week, but the trailer, released by Qweed Media, is already gaining attention, share and thousands of views on social media platforms. With the lines such as: Aadhi Raat Azaadi Foonkati Chhappar Teri Bastiyon Mein (At midnight, the freedom burns down the huts in our neighborhood), Samos tries to narrate, figuratively, what happened in Laxmanpur Bathe, Bihar in 1997 when Ranvir Sena killed 58 Dalits at midnight. He says, If I have to know the essence of existence, I just have to look at the attack and abuse the community has been facing. It is that simple and clear. He further says, The idea of existence can only exist with our destruction and that is what I have tried to mention here. In the same rap, Samos mentions Antonio Gramscithe Italian Marxist philosopherthrough Gramscis debate on traditional versus organic intellectuals, by saying, Padhe Ho jo Kitaabon Mein Hum Har Roz Usko Jeete, Asaliyat Mein Gyan kya hai Humse Ye Seekh Le (What you are reading in books, we live that every day. What is actual knowledge, learn it from us.) Samos first official rap video talks while appealing to live through resistance and to learn to fight. At one point, lyrics said, Maang-Maang Ke Thak Gaye, Ab Sab Kuchh Lenge Chheen Ke (We are tired by begging, now we will snatch everything which is supposed to be ours). Samos comes from Tentulipadar, a village in Koraput district, Odisha. He has seen caste atrocities since birth, and the area itself is affected by Maoist insurgency and hence the Armys actions as well. And Samos childhood involvement in the village theatre has helped him to get a hold of rapping in practice. My training in theatre basically helped me to talk in rhythm for minutes on end without any break and without the use of any kind of notes or papers, says Samos. For Samos, using an artistic method to express is powerful because of two basic reasons. One, it reaches masses more easily than speeches or articles, and two, it creates consciousness in the minds of the people. Adopting rap as a medium to express was also a result of an internal conflict of Samos. I have been seeing boys from Dharavi or Nala Sopara slum dominated localities of Maharashtra rapping over various things. They have been rapping on power, politics, and corruption in the system. They were addressing their very local problems, says Sumeet. But I wonder why the matter of caste and class did not come up in their raps. This thing also drove to go ahead to produce my kind of art, says Samos. He says, People are either too privileged or they do not want to talk about caste and associated problems. Maybe that is the reason artists have been refraining from touching these issues. At a time when Daaru-Gaadi-Ladki (Booze-Cars-Girls) kind of rap is prevailing in the country in the Indian Cinema and Music platforms, Samos has to fight an artistic battle to reach out to a cause. He says, The kind of rap people are enjoying here does not address the class or caste we are talking about here. Dalits do not have cars, they do not have access to sparkling liquor or top-notch alcohol. They drink cheap country-made liquor and go home to their wives where, many times, they beat them. So modern-day raps are kind of Utopia for Dalits of this country. But I am just beginning. My words wouldnt be entertained by production houses, because there is no glamour in there. But I depend on peoples love, my fellows, and social media for my buildup, said Samos. I hope I get my break soon, so I could reach to more people. After all, he raps, Rapperon Ki Bheed Mein Apna Naya Scene Hai (My scene is a bit new in this crowd of rappers). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL1-C10T6zA President Of Pinnacle Workforce Solutions Sentenced To Prison San Jose, California - John McEwan was sentenced Tuesday to over five years in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. McEwan pleaded guilty on March 20, 2018 to one count of wire fraud. According to the plea agreement McEwan admitted to owning and operating a payroll processing company called Pinnacle Workforce Solutions (Pinnacle). Pinnacle provided various payroll services to its customers, including distributing wages to employees, preparing employee paycheck withholdings, and paying income taxes. In order to provide these services for its customers, Pinnacle withdrew funds from its customers bank accounts, and had access and authorization to initiate wire transfers from its customers bank accounts. In his plea agreement, McEwan further admitted that, in as early as 2009, Pinnacle was operating at a financial loss. During this period of time, McEwan wired funds out of his clients bank accounts and used them in unauthorized ways. Specifically, McEwan paid one clients payroll with funds he took from another client. Pinnacles customers assumed that McEwan was continuing to handle their payroll and withhold and pay taxes on their behalf. Instead, through his guilty plea, McEwan admitted that this was not the case. In total, McEwan took and misspent approximately $6,916,256/48 from his customers. McEwan, 69, of Seaside, California, waived indictment and was arraigned on an information on November 15, 2017. He was charged with a single count of wire fraud for electronically transferring funds out of one of Pinnacles customers bank accounts without authorization. The sixty-three month sentence was handed down by The Honorable Beth L. Freeman, U.S. District Court Judge, following a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. Judge Freeman also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. Judge Freeman scheduled a hearing for October 2, 2018 to determine the amount of restitution McEwan will be ordered to pay. The defendant will begin serving the sentence on October 5, 2018. Jeff Schenk is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Monterey County District Attorneys Office, and the Monterey County White Collar Crime Task Force. Expanded Access to Prevention Programs and Acknowledging Increased Risk of Depression Among People with Diabetes Orlando, Florida - Diabetes is a unique and complex disease affecting more than 30 million Americans, and the individual living with diabetes is solely responsible for daily diabetes management. The added stress of this responsibility significantly increases their risk for depression and anxiety. Research has indicated that symptoms of depression have been shown to be associated with worsened blood glucose levels and increased diabetes-related complications. Therefore, diabetes prevention programs and increased awareness, screening and care for the mental health aspects of diabetes are key components in improving the quality of life for people with prediabetes (more than 84 million have prediabetes) and diabetes. Symposia presentations at the ADAs 78th Scientific Sessions at the Orange County Convention Center focused on the correlation between mental health and diabetes and on diabetes prevention initiatives. Mental Health Disorders and Diabetes Distress Among Adults with Diabetes A bidirectional relationship exists between diabetes and mental health. Recommendations on appropriate psychosocial care for people with diabetes indicate health care providers should be trained to screen for and identify signs of mental health disorders and diabetes distress, as well as be prepared to direct patients to appropriate care. A need exists for comprehensive care for people with diabetes that addresses both their physical and mental health, said Mary Beth Weber, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at Emory Universitys Rollins School of Public Health. Because mental health disorders are a risk factor for diabetes and occur more frequently among people with diabetes, patients should be empowered to adopt health-promoting behaviors; be educated in diabetes self-management; taught self-efficacy for decision making and be directed to counseling and/or medications as needed. Effective, combined management of diabetes and mental health disorders is vital to improving overall health outcomes for people with diabetes. Weber also notes some medicines used for mental health conditions may increase diabetes risk and diabetes risk factors, such as weight gain and increased body fat, and recommends that physicians select anti-psychotic medications with a lower risk of diabetes risk factors. Additionally, 18-45 percent of people with diabetes have diabetes distress, a state of emotional distress stemming from coping with the demands of diabetes and diabetes management. People with both diabetes and mental illness, or those who report having diabetes distress, often fare worse than other people with diabetes alone, reporting worse health status, poorer glycemic control and more risk factors, such as smoking and physical inactivity, that can worsen their health. Coordinated diabetes care must be practiced to properly address the needs of individuals with both diabetes and mental health disorders, said Weber. Coordinated care for people with diabetes and mental health disorders, possibly with the assistance of care coordinators, could be a potential solution. Physicians providing care to patients with diabetes must be aware of existing tools for screening for mental health disorders and diabetes distress and be knowledgeable about local resources for screening and care. Finally, diabetes prevention efforts are needed targeting individuals with mental health disorders. Research Perspective of Diabetes and DepressionThe Neuroendocrine Link People with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression as people without diabetes. Sherita Hill Golden, MD, the Hugh P. McCormick Family Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism and Executive Vice-Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, discussed the connection between diabetes and depression. According to Dr. Golden, researchers now understand that the relationship between depression and diabetes is reciprocal in that people with T2D are more likely to develop depression over time, and people with depression are more likely to develop T2D. Clinicians across multiple disciplines should routinely screen patients with depression for diabetes and inversely screen patients with diabetes for depression, said Dr. Golden. Addressing and treating both conditions together may have a beneficial effect on stress hormones and will be the subject of future ongoing research. Dr. Golden has done research in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a medical research study involving more than 6,000 men and women from six communities in the U.S. that is sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Study participants are seen at clinics in six different states, including one site at Johns Hopkins University. In the MESA study, Dr. Golden has found that people with T2D had a 50 percent higher risk of developing depression over three years, compared to those without T2D, even after factoring in obesity markers of diabetes severity and other risk factors for depression. Research also demonstrated that people with depression had a 21 percent higher risk of developing T2D over three years, which was only partially explained by obesity, poor health behaviors and elevated inflammation. Dr. Golden discussed how depression and diabetes share a common abnormal stress hormone profile. One potential explanation for the higher risk of T2D in those with depression that was not explored in the original study was the role of the bodys stress hormonescortisol and adrenalinewhich are made by the adrenal glands. Abnormal patterns of stress hormones represent one of several shared mechanisms linking T2D and depression. If researchers can identify and intervene on these shared risk factors, then medical professionals can develop new ways to prevent and treat both conditions simultaneously, said Dr. Golden. A better understanding of the biological links between T2D and depression will open the door to developing new drug interventions that target these mechanisms. That will allow us to develop new ways to prevent and treat both T2D and depression and complement existing successful behavioral approaches. Updates to The National Diabetes Prevention Program The CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) is a partnership of public and private organizations working to prevent or delay T2D. A year-long, evidence-based lifestyle change program, the National DPP is based on research which showed that people with prediabetes who take part in a structured lifestyle change program can cut their risk of developing T2D by 58 percent (71 percent for people over 60 years old). This finding was the result of the program helping people lose 5 to 7 percent of their body weight through healthier eating and 150 minutes of physical activity a week. Implementation has demonstrated that the year-long program could be modified for delivery in a group setting by community-based organizations and lay health workers and still maintain its effectiveness in achieving the outcomes necessary to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, said Ann Albright, PhD, RD Director of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the program is cost effective and can be cost saving depending on the risk level of the participants enrolled, and whether an individual chooses to participate in a group setting or as an individual. To successfully build the infrastructure for nationwide delivery of the National DPP lifestyle change program, CDC and its partners are working in four key areas simultaneously to increase: 1) the supply of quality program delivery organizations across the nation; 2) awareness and demand for the program among people at risk; 3) identification and referral of people with prediabetes through the health care sector; and 4) coverage for the intervention among public and private payers. From its inception, CDC has sought to establish an all-payer system supporting coverage for the National DPP lifestyle change program. Dr. Albright summarized efforts to expand coverage through Medicare and Medicaid, state/public employee benefit plans, and commercial health plans and self-insured employers. Learnings to date have been incorporated into the National DPP Coverage Toolkit. The Coverage Toolkit provides information about all aspects of covering the National DPP lifestyle change program for a wide variety of payer audiences, including state public health, Medicaid, Medicaid managed care organizations, commercial plans, and Medicare. The goal of these efforts is to help ensure long-term sustainability of the program and remove cost barriers to participation, so that the program will be accessible to all people who need it. We have a proven lifestyle change program that can help the estimated 84 million American adults with prediabetes prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, said Dr. Albright. Through the National DPP, the CDC and its partners are building an infrastructure for nationwide delivery of the programthe first effort of its kind in the U.S., and a key part of this infrastructure is health benefit coverage for the program through an all-payer system. This will eliminate cost as a barrier to participation and help ensure that the National DPP is accessible to everyone who needs it. To help support health care providers in the area of psychosocial support, the ADA issued its Position Statement: Psychosocial Care for People with Diabetes in December 2016, and it is included within the ADAs 2018 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes. The ADA is partnered with the American Psychological Association to present in-person, professional education courses for mental health providers to earn certification in providing support for the complexities associated with living with and managing diabetes to people with diabetes. Providers who have completed the Mental Health Provider Diabetes Education Program are listed in the freely available ADA Mental Health Provider Directoryfor physicians and patients. New York Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Provide Material Support To ISIS New York - Ali Saleh, 25, of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBIs New York Field Office, and Commissioner James P. ONeill of the NYPD. The plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz, II. Saleh was undeterred in his many attempts to travel to join ISIS, and although he failed in these efforts, he turned his attention to assisting others online to join ISISs murderous mission in Syria, said Assistant Attorney General Demers. I am grateful to our partners in federal law enforcement and the prosecutors who were able to apprehend and charge Saleh before he could do more damage or harm innocent Americans. Ali Saleh attempted to travel to the Middle East to become an ISIS fighter, funded other foreign fighters, posted instructions to make explosive devices and transported explosive materials, stated U.S. Attorney Donoghue. The defendants persistent efforts to aid ISIS were defeated by the outstanding work of law enforcement officers who stopped him before he could do harm. This Office will continue to work closely with the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York to keep our city safe from terrorists and prevent extremists from travelling abroad to join foreign terrorist organizations. Ali Saleh was persistent in his efforts to become a foreign fighter, but his persistence did not exceed the diligence of law enforcement, stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. The defendant went to great lengths to attempt to travel to the Middle East, while funding other foreign fighters in the process. As the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force continuously strives to protect citizens from potential terrorist threats, todays plea depicts one of the many efforts to achieve this goal. New Yorkers continue to benefit from the NYPDs robust counterterrorism capabilities and strong working relationships with our law enforcement partners on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, stated NYPD Commissioner ONeill. Todays guilty plea shows that in collaboration with the FBI and the Eastern District of New York, our skilled investigators and analysts will stop at nothing to further the critical mission of defending society from acts of terrorism wherever and however, they are being planned. According to court filings, Saleh was arrested after repeatedly attempting to travel to the Middle East to become a foreign fighter for ISIS. In 2013 and thereafter, Saleh became interested in the conflict in Syria, swore an oath of allegiance to ISIS and decided to travel to the Middle East in support of ISIS. On Aug. 25, 2014, Saleh stated online, Im ready to die for the Caliphate, prison is nothing. On Aug. 28, 2014, Saleh stated online, Lets be clear the Muslims in the khilafah [caliphate] need help, the one who is capable to go over and help the Muslims must go and help. That same day, Saleh made an airline reservation to travel from New York to Turkey, a country bordering Syria. The defendant was ultimately prevented from traveling because his parents took away his passport. Saleh then redirected his efforts to facilitating others support of ISIS. In October 2014, the defendant communicated with an ISIS supporter in Mali through an online messaging platform and sent a wire transfer in the amount of $500 to fund that persons travel to Syria. Around the same time period, the defendant communicated with several other individuals in an effort to facilitate their support of ISIS, including known ISIS supporters in the United Kingdom and Australia. In July 2015, the defendant purchased fireworks containing explosive powder, hid them in a concealed compartment in the trunk of his car, and drove from Indiana towards New York City. The fireworks contained approximately 1,196 grams of low explosive powder, consisting of both pyrotechnic material and black powder. Law enforcement agents located a cellphone belonging to Saleh during the time frame when he acquired the explosive powder and discovered on the phone an electronic pamphlet titled, Muslim Gangs: The Future of Muslims in the West (Ebook 1: How to Survive in the West). The pamphlet provided detailed instructions on how to create a bomb using explosive powder from fireworks. The pamphlet provided an example of a soda can grenade, and the instructions specifically stated that the soda can should be filled with [e]xplosive powder (i.e. from Fireworks). Saleh posted online the pamphlets image of a soda can hand grenade with instructions on how to build an improvised explosive device. Salehs car broke down on the way to New York City and was abandoned by the defendant. Subsequently, on July 24, 2015, the defendant made a reservation to travel from New York to Egypt, a country bordering Libya, and went to JFK International Airport. The defendant was ultimately denied boarding. The defendant subsequently visited three additional international airports in Newark, Philadelphia and Indianapolis, but continued to encounter travel restrictions. The defendant attempted to circumvent the apparent restrictions on his air travel by planning to take a train from Cleveland to Canada, where he intended to fly out to the Middle East. After law enforcement intervention, however, the defendant did not board the train and instead returned to New York. After his encounters with law enforcement, Saleh changed his online social media moniker and expressed his support for ISIS under new usernames. On Aug. 24, 2015, the defendant stated online, I am a terrorist. On Sept. 1, 2015, the defendant stated online, If they arent implementing shariah [Islamic law] grab ur gun and implement shariah and see how fast the world turns against u. That same day, the defendant also stated online, Akhi [brother] if implementing sharia [Islamic law] is easy do it in ur neighborhood and defend it from kuffar [the infidels] and give bayah [an oath of allegiance] to IS. When sentenced, Saleh faces up to 35 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant United States Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy, Margaret E. Lee and Alexander F. Mindlin of the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Lolita Lukose and Jacqueline Barkett of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section. Two Former Deutsche Bank Traders Charged With Deceptive and Manipulative Trading Practices in U.S. Commodities Markets New York - Two former employees of Deutsche Bank AG, a global financial institution, were charged in an indictment returned by a Chicago federal grand jury Tuesday with engaging in fraudulent and manipulative trading involving precious metals futures contracts, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge William Sweeney of the FBIs New York Field Office. James Vorley, 38, of the United Kingdom, and Cedric Chanu, 39, of France and the United Arab Emirates, were each charged in the Northern District of Illinois with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution. The indictment alleges that Vorley and Chanu, who were employed as traders at Deutsche Bank AGVorley based in London; Chanu based in London and Singaporeengaged in a years-long conspiracy to defraud other traders on the Commodity Exchange Inc., which was an exchange run by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group. The defendants and their co-conspirators, including former Deutsche Bank AG trader David Liew, are alleged to have defrauded other traders by placing fraudulent orders that they did not intend to execute in order to create the appearance of false supply and demand and to induce other traders to trade at prices, quantities and times that they otherwise would not have traded. The indictment further alleges that Vorley, Chanu, Liew and others placed such fraudulent and manipulative orders by themselves and in coordination with other traders at Deutsche Bank AG, including each other. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case was investigated by the FBIs New York Field Office. Assistant Deputy Chief Carol Sipperly and Trial Attorneys Michael T. ONeill and Cory E. Jacobs of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Conspiracy to Deprive Civil Rights and Deprivation of Civil Rights Miami, Florida - A former police officer with the Village of Biscayne Park pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Miami to conspiracy to deprive a person of his civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law. Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore for the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division; Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney; Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office; and Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), made the announcement. Guillermo Ravelo, 37, of Miami, Florida, was charged by a superseding information with depriving a person of his civil rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242 (Count 1); and conspiracy to deprive a person of his civil rights, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 241 (Count 2). For each count, Ravelo faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 4 before U.S. District Court Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in Miami. According to the allegations contained in the information, on Jan. 23, 2013 and Feb. 26, 2014, at the direction of a Biscayne Park Police Department Supervisor, Ravelo falsely arrested a victim identified as C.D. and another victim identified as E.B. C.D. was charged with two residential burglaries, and E.B. was charged with five vehicle burglaries; despite the supervisor and Ravelo knowing that no evidence existed linking either of the victims to these crimes. In a separate incident, on April 7, 2013, Ravelo responded to a request for assistance from another Biscayne Park police officer who had conducted a traffic stop. During the arrest of the driver, Ravelo assaulted the driver by striking him with his fists while the victim was handcuffed and caused bodily injury. This case is being investigated by the FBI, including the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force, and FDLE, and assisted by the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry C. Wallace, Jr., Department of Justice Trial Attorney Donald W. Tunnage, and Assistant State Attorney Trent Reichling. Who is Raj Bahadur, Rajinikanth's Friend of 50 Years and Biggest Supporter of His Acting Dreams This is a story about traveling with small children, a simple mistake--and customer service. It's a truly stunning tale, but I'm going to give away the ending: After everything, United Airline found the passports. (That will make sense in a minute.) First: a San Francisco family on United Airlines--mom, dad, and 3-year-old--were locked in a French immigration detention center overnight and deported to the U.S. last week, after a simple mistake that I suspect many people could imagine making. But while they acknowledge they messed up, the family blames a United Airlines employee for allegedly making the outcome much worse than it had to be. Here's what allegedly happened, plus a lesson for any business owner who might think they're technically right--but who also realizes they're dealing with an angry, sympathetic customer. Missing passports I first heard Daryl Guieb's story on a local newscast in San Francisco. We talked at length on Friday. Guieb is a California software engineer who works for a French company called Ivalua. With a business trip to Paris scheduled just as his wife would be turning 25, they decided to make a vacation out of it, taking their 3-year-old daughter along. The flight from SFO was an 11-hour redeye. As Guieb put it, they were "excited" when they landed at CDG in Paris, but "within about five minutes," he realized his family's passports were missing. His quick conclusion: "We'd left them on the plane." Guieb ran back and asked to to grab them, but was told he wasn't allowed. A United Airlines employee did spend a few minutes looking on the plane, but she returned to say that the documents weren't there. Stressful enough, right? Then Guieb says, the United Airlines employee implied that he was being untruthful, "accusing us of not having passports, or saying it was in our backpack or we checked [them] or something." Her suspicion allegedly created a cascade of troubles over the next 36 hours. What's more, as it turns out, she was 100 percent wrong. 'You're immigration's problem now' I'm going to give away the very end of this story. After everything described below, United Airlines found the passports. It seems likely they were on the plane, right where Gulieb told the United employee he'd left them. But now, the French immigration authorities got involved. Guieb said he understands French pretty well, and he listened as the United employee told police that she suspected he was not being truthful. That suspicion, he believes, led the French authorities to treat his family as immigration criminals, rather than as lawful visitors who needed help dealing with a paperwork problem. And that in turn led to detention and deportation "If the United employee didn't accuse us and dismiss our claims, it would probably have been different," he said. I asked United Airlines for comment. They responded with a statement: "French law does not allow passengers to return to the aircraft after leaving an international flight. However, we are reaching out to our customer to better understand what occurred." 'I swore on my life and my daughter's life' For Guieb and his family, the next 36 hours were extremely difficult. "I swore on my life and my daughter's life and was begging them, please look on the plane. They had to be there. We never went anywhere else," Guieb told me. But, mom, dad and toddler were taken into custody. They were in the French "system," now, locked up in a detention center overnight. "They took all our belongings, our phones, our laptops, our tablets," Guieb said. The facilities were "unsanitary" and cold. Guieb and his wife got no sleep, using the few blankets they had to try to keep their daughter warm. "Toilets were shared. It smelled, 20 to 30 people," Guieb said, adding that he was in "constant contact" with both the U.S. embassy and his French company from a pay phone, trying to get emergency travel documents. But, he learned, once they'd been processed into the French detention center, the only way out was to be deported back to the United States. 'A little traumatized' They next morning, French police drove the Guieb family back to the airport and put them on a United flight to San Francisco. They weren't allowed to access their luggage or their phones until they were back on U.S. soil. One day later, however, Guieb said United Airlines notified him with a form message that it had found the passports, and wanted $20 to cover shipping to return them. The travel documents were sitting at Dulles Airport in Washington--which Guieb says was the next destination of the plane they'd flown to Paris.. Guieb says he's talking with lawyers. Besides the cost of the flight, his family wound up charged for hotels and other attractions that they couldn't use in France. And he said, his three-year-old daughter is "a little traumatized. ... She doesn't want doors to be locked," and refuses to sleep in her room alone. Legally right versus morally right Let's assume that Untied is right about French law, and also let's presume that the United Airlines employee who went back on board to look for the passports really gave it a good effort. In other words, let's assume that the immediate problems--forgetting his family's passports on an airplane--were all Guieb's fault. If you've ever traveled on an international flight with a toddler, you understand the chaos. I suspect maybe you're hearing this story and thinking, "Maybe he messed up, but there but for the grace of God go I." What should United do, if anything? That's their choice. Sometimes, even if you're legally right, it makes sense to offer kindness and compensation anyway. At first, Guieb says all he really wanted was a sincere apology for his family's trouble, and some kind of compensation. My sense is that he is now growing angrier by the day. Meantime, he says he has an immediate problem he wants to get resolved. Before this whole debacle, he said he'd already booked his family's next vacation, to Hawaii. The airline? United. He wants to cancel the tickets and get a refund. So far, no dice. So, it's come to this. Unemployment is about as low as it's every been. But if you open your eyes in the right places, you can find people that it's just not working out for. So, meet David Casarez, who in some ways is becoming both my hero, and the most successful software developer in Silicon Valley. He's certainly the most successful homeless software developer in Silicon Valley. Texas-born Casarez, a 2014 graduate of Texas A&M University who had previously worked as a web developer for General Motors, headed to California almost a year ago, hoping to launch a startup. Things didn't work out, and he "he lost all of his money and the vehicle that he had been living in," according to People. Since then, he's been living in a park. Down to his last options, Casarez put on a suit and stood on a street corner in Mountain View with a big sign reading, "Homeless Hungry 4 Success Take a Resume." Wait, when's the last time you saw a panhandler actually giving things out, and not asking for money? (Even if what he's giving is his resume.) "Detail oriented and highly adaptable professional with experience developing, testing and deploying software," his resume summary reads, and lists 12 programming languages along with his experience as a freelancer and at GM. A passerby named Jasmine Scofield was moved, and asked if she could put his photo and his resume online. Casarez said yes. The whole thing went viral. Scofield wrote: "Today I saw this young homeless man asking for people to take a resume rather than asking for money. If anyone in the Silicon Valley could help him out, that would be amazing. Please RT so we can help David out!" Today I saw this young homeless man asking for people to take a resume rather than asking for money. If anyone in the Silicon Valley could help him out, that would be amazing. Please RT so we can help David out! pic.twitter.com/ewoE3PKFx7 -; FullMakeup Alchemist (@jaysc0) July 27, 2018 As of this writing, we're over 208,000 likes and 132,000 retweets. I have to admit, it's brilliant. I'm sure it's more than a bit embarrassing for Casarez to have to pull this stunt. But doing so got him far more exposure than he possibly could have achieved on his own. And it's worked. Reportedly he's had 200 job offers as a result. "Google reached out to me. So many other companies. Pandora. A bunch of startups," he told the New York Post. "A product manager from Bitcoin.com was wondering if I could work remotely of if I want to relocate to Tokyo," he said, with wonder in his voice as he scrolled through the offers." Editor's note: This tour of small businesses across the country highlights the imagination, diversity, and resilience of American enterprise. In medieval times, rust was a hassle. Knights would battle in the rain, blood slicking their armor. Back at the castle, they'd remove their chain mail and place it in casks filled with sand; children rolled the casks around the keep. "That would polish it up and get rid of any rust," Edie Ramstad says. "Now we have electric tumblers that do that." Ramstad is the founder of Weave Got Maille, a manufacturer of chain mail supplies in Ada, Minnesota. (" Maille" is the archaic spelling of "mail.") The company has dabbled in prop and costume work, crafting a few pieces for Game of Thrones and chain mail car seat covers for an unnamed Marvel film debuting next year. Mostly, though, Ramstad and her 16 employees produce jump rings--the tiny metal hoops from which mail is woven--as well as clasps, ear wires, and other materials for chain mail jewelry making. About 60 percent of Weave Got Maille's sales come from independent craft stores and chains like Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft. The rest is e-commerce to consumers in 82 countries. "If I had known we were going to be international, that would not be our name," Ramstad says of her company's punning moniker. "It does not translate well." To make jump rings, which range in diameter from about one millimeter to a half-inch, employees wrap wire in Slinky-like coils around mandrels (a type of spindle) and then slice it with a .006-inch blade so the rings can be linked. Originally, Ramstad thought she'd produce 1,000 rings a week. Today, the company churns out between two and three million a day. "There was no machinery to do it at that volume, so we had to build our own," she says. Lack of machinery was just one problem facing Ramstad, who at one point almost gave up, thwarted by Ada's sparse infrastructure. Founded in 2012, Weave Got Maille was the first nonagricultural manufacturer in this farm town of around 1,600 people, 45 miles northeast of Fargo. "You can't be an internet business with a post office that closes at 2 o'clock and puts a limit on how much you send because the mail carrier doesn't have a very big car," Ramstad says. Ramstad attributes Weave Got Maille's unlikely success to the help she got from an entrepreneur education and support program and from the intercession of local and national politicians. Business has expanded with the increasing number of entrepreneurial artisans who buy product in bulk and sell their creations at crafts fairs and online. Beth Myers, Ramstad's first internet customer, buys hundreds of dollars' worth of rings at a time, which she turns into bracelets, earrings, and other items for sale through Beth's Jewelry Stop in Mechanicsville, Maryland. "The consistency of the cut and color of their rings is phenomenal," Myers says. "I have never bought rings from anyone else in my five years' doing my business." Hearing from customers like Myers "that we had a small part of making their dreams come true is our greatest joy," says Ramstad. "That is better than any profit or bottom line." Lure of the links Ramstad grew up artsy and entrepreneurial. After high school, she shuttled around the country, starting tiny companies, like a hydroponic greenhouse business, wherever she went. She studied jewelry making, creating pieces--many of them reproductions of antiques--that sold for between $200 and $10,000. Early on, Ramstad became captivated by chain mail. She learned to make armor and immediately translated those skills to jewelry, fashioning the rings by hand and linking them one after another after another. While living in Arizona, she began teaching chain mail classes in jewelry supply and bead stores. "I love the history and the stories behind chain mail," she says. "I like the rhythm of it: The way it absorbs you into it." In 2011, Ramstad was working an art fair in South Dakota when she met her husband-to-be, a farmer from Minnesota who was in town visiting his daughter. "He is a super-sweet and giving man, but he refused to move his farm to Arizona," Ramstad says. So she joined him in Ada and retired. Two weeks later, with her former students still calling her to request jump rings, she ditched retirement to start Weave Got Maille. The idea was to work 10 hours a week and bring on a part timer for another six to 10. Her business plan projected $50,000 in revenue in five years. At first, customers arrived through word of mouth from former students. Then appearances at a couple of trade shows catapulted her onto the fast track. Sales doubled year after year. A rural rescue But the demand strained a business that, back then, operated out of a building in the middle of a wheat field. Ada is a county seat; but a few years ago it had only dial-up internet. The local post office turned away Ramstad's business because it couldn't handle the volume. As she struggled alone with infrastructure constraints and new challenges, like managing a scaling workforce, she grew increasingly frustrated. The only solution, Ramstad decided, was to close up shop and let everyone go. She resolved to deliver the bad news on a Friday in the summer of 2014. That week, "I was trying to find things to keep me out of the office because I could not face my employees," she says. One such evasive action was a 75-minute drive to Fargo for a meeting of 1 Million Cups, an education and networking program run by the Kauffman Foundation. That program, which Ramstad had never had time for in the past, was a revelation. The business had been struggling with phone calls, which could not be heard in the noisy manufacturing environment. A speaker suggested setting up an employee outside the office with an internet phone system. Another attendee connected her with a manufacturer for specialty production equipment she'd been unable to source. More important, Ramstad says, for the first time she no longer felt isolated. "I went home energized," she says. "Rather than letting people go on Friday, I put an ad in the paper and hired three more." Someone from Kauffman reached out to North Dakota senator Heidi Heitkamp on Ramstad's behalf; Heitkamp asked the U.S. postmaster general to intercede with the Ada branch to increase its hours. After hearing Ramstad address a later 1 Million Cups event, the mayor of Fargo advised the governor of Minnesota to bring fiber to Ada. "Three years ago, the kids here could not even do their homework online," Ramstad says. "Now we have good internet." An expanding chain In addition to improving Ada's internet and postal service, Ramstad's entrepreneurial streak is generating jobs there. Last year, she invested half a million dollars to open a second business: Premier Anodizing & Metal Finishing, a supplier to Weave Got Maille that employs two full-time and two part-time employees. Both companies occupy a former creamery in downtown Ada, directly across from the grocery store. Ramstad launched Premier Anodizing after learning that crafters new to chain mail prefer anodized aluminum rings to those made from more expensive metals like copper, bronze, and stainless steel. Unable to find a suitable vendor for the coating process, she built her own and landed several additional clients, including a company that makes fishing lines and one that makes drones. "I think in the next two years it will match Weave Got Maille [in revenue] if not go above it," she says. Weave Got Maille, meanwhile, continually introduces new products. Currently, it is working on four, including new materials for making armor. Although Ramstad personally prefers jewelry, armor enthusiasts can be good customers. After all, there are 100 to 500 jump rings in a bracelet. A piece of armor might require 70,000. Mark Hamill has said its bittersweet to start production on Star Wars: Episode IX without his beloved co-star and friend Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016. A recent Lucasfilm announcement revealed Fishers Leia will make an appearance in the film, as director J.J. Abrams stated: We desperately loved Carrie Fisher. Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG (computer-generated) character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carries legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII, he added, referring to The Force Awakens. With the announcement also unveiling a return for Hamills Luke Skywalker, despite his character seemingly meeting his end in The Last Jedi, the actor took to Twitter to post a moving message about the start of production. Its bittersweet facing my final chapter without her, Hamill wrote. She is simply irreplaceable. Im finding solace in the fact that she wont BE replaced & would love the worldwide outpouring of affection from those who loved her when they heard the news. #CarrieOnForever. The cast of Episode IX will also see Billy Dee Williams reprise his role as Lando Calrissian, with Anthony Daniels back once more as C-3PO; alongside Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyongo, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. The Star Wars universe will also open its doors to Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, and Naomi Ackie who will all feature in as-yet-unannounced roles. Filming will begin in London on Wednesday, for release in December 2019. Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more. Emily Bronte, the Yorkshire curates daughter who wrote Wuthering Heights, would have celebrated her 200th birthday on 30 July. Like her elder sister Charlotte, the young author defied her closeted origins in the village of Thornton in the West Riding of Yorkshire to write the extraordinary Gothic romance about passionate love defying all adversity, even death. The tale of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff and their tormented union remains a mainstay of the National Curriculums English syllabus in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Adapted for the big screen, William Wylers 1939 production for United Artists starred an up-and-coming Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff and Merle Oberon as Cathy. Recommended Kate Bush writes tribute to Emily Bronte for Yorkshire moors memorial More recent interpretations have included a 1992 feature starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliet Binoche. Andrea Arnolds gritty 2011 take on the book cast mixed-race actors Solomon Glave and James Howson as the child and adult Heathcliff, posing an interesting question about the characters origin as an orphan of the Liverpool docks. Last year, Michael Stewarts novel Ill Will meanwhile speculated on the rogues activities during his temporary disappearance midway through the book. But one of the most famous works based on the novel is Kate Bushs hit song Wuthering Heights. Inspired by Hugh Leonards 1967 TV dramatisation for the BBC starring Ian MacShane and Angela Scoular, of which she caught the final 10 minutes, the teenager went on to read the book. She also discovered that she shared a birthday with the writer Kate will turn 60 this year and was moved by the uncanny connection. Ten years later, she was inspired to write the song sung in the first-person as Cathy calling to Heathcliff from beyond the grave. Just 18 at the time, Bush had already written more than 100 songs, an output that attracted the attention of Pink Floyds Dave Gilmour, who recommended her to the bands label EMI. It swiftly signed her. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up The song became the debut single from her first album, The Kick Inside, becoming a smash hit and spending three weeks at number one. It was the first track in British chart history to take top spot that was both written and performed by a woman. Released at the height of the British punk era, Wuthering Heights was feminine, ethereal and quite unlike anything else. The mists at Top Withens on the North Yorkshire moors near Haworth, the setting for Emily Brontes only published novel (Getty) While this may have invited scorn, John Lydon, The Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten, is one of her most devoted fans. Kate Bush and her piano? Well thats like John Wayne and his saddle, he told the BBCs Queens of Pop in 2009. Those shrieks and warbles are beauty beyond belief to me. She supplies me with all the clues and its up to me to put the answers together well thats the Quran of music and thats surely what were looking for. No easy answers or anything. The twin music videos for the song are almost as beloved as the work itself. Bushs balletic interpretive dancing emerging from a fog of dry ice in a dark studio in one and among the wild and windy moors in a billowing red gown in another was choreographed by the mime artist Lindsay Kemp, who also worked with David Bowie to improve his stage performances. A contemporary etching of Emily Bronte (Rex) Bush of course continued to push the envelope over the course of a long and inventive pop career, making a triumphant return to the limelight in 2005 with Aerial after a 12-year hiatus to raise her son Bertie. Numerous female pop stars from Bjork to St Vincent have cited her as an influence. Choosing a book as the basis for a song has rarely been attempted, but several artists have tried, including Woody Guthrie whose ballad Tom Joad was named after the protagonist of John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath. Venus in Furs by The Velvet Underground, is based on a novella by the Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch and David Bowies 1984 was inspired by George Orwells novel of the same name. Similarly, White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane, Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones and Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds allude to works by Lewis Carroll, Mikhail Bulgakov and John Milton respectively. None, though, are so closely identified with their set text as Bush is with Wuthering Heights. Speaking at the unveiling of a series of memorial stones to the Brontes in their hometown of Haworth in April 2018, Bush described the book as an extraordinary work of art that has truly left its mark. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds couldn't resist but share their excitement on hearing their daughter James' voice blasted over the speakers at Taylor Swift's latest Reputation Stadium Tour concert. The musician had previously confirmed to fans that the small voice which debuts her track "Gorgeous", happily chirping the track's title, actually belonged the 2-year-old daughter of Lively and Reynolds, as revealed in the liner notes for Reputation. "James Reynolds" is listed as "baby voice intro" on the track. Swift and Lively are longtime friends, with the couple attending her star-studded (and heavily Instagrammed) July 4th party of last year. A fan caught the proud parents' reaction to hearing James' voice played to the crowd, while they attended the Gillette Stadium concert in Massachusetts on Saturday. The couple enjoyed Swift's concert from the VIP section, alongside fellow Swift girl squad member, Gigi Hadid. Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more. Close Who is America: Sacha Baron Cohen uses the 'paedophile detector' on Roy Moore Tonight Showtime airs the third episode of Who Is America?, a show that might be Sacha Baron Cohens most audacious project yet. Weve already seen former Dick Cheney, Bernie Sanders and Dana Rohrabacher be fooled by the comedian, and we know Sarah Palin and Roy Moore are still to come will tonight be their turn for humiliation? So far weve seen the characters Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr., PhD, Dr. Nira Cain-NDegeocello, Rick Sherman, Erran Morad and Gio Monaldo get people to publicly back absurd initiatives, and episode 3 very possibly might introduce a new absurdist caricature. Episode 2 was stronger and sharper than one, climaxing with a hilarious scene in which the residents of Trump-voting small town were informed by Dr. Nira that the millions of dollars worth of investment in their town would come in the form of Americas largest Mosque. Can Baron Cohen top this stunt? Watch along with me below as I give my thoughts on the episode and fill you in on all the notable people who unwittingly participate. Please allow a moment for the live blog to load: Follow Independent Culture on Facebook. The people of Bali have long been of two minds about endangered sea turtles. Some want to save them. Some want to eat them. But increasingly, the desire to save the turtle is winning out, especially among younger Balinese. By day, Legian Beach is crowded with tourists from around the world who come for the sand and surf. By night, when the beach is dark and nearly deserted, it becomes a critical habitat for turtles. Recommended Watch the hatching of 100 baby sea turtles Alex Unwakoly, a volunteer from the Bali Sea Turtle Society, was patrolling a beach across from a five star hotel one recent night when he spotted an olive ridley turtle that had crawled up on the sand to lay its eggs. So began a rapid operation to save the turtles offspring. He and a colleague kept a handful of tourists at a discreet distance while the turtle classified as a member of a vulnerable species laid its eggs. Other rescuers arrived. And as the turtle crawled back to the Indian Ocean, they dug up the 136 eggs, each about the size of a ping-pong ball, then put them in a bucket and took them away to hatch in a safer spot. Every time she lays eggs, she will come back to this place, the place she was born, Unwakoly says. That can be several times a year. The largely volunteer campaign to save Balis sea turtles is a rare success story on this popular tourist island, which struggles with environmental challenges, including shoreline litter, eroding beaches and soul-sapping traffic jams. Turtle eggs left to hatch on their own, as nature intended, face many threats. They can be crushed by beachgoers, swept away at high tide, dug up by wild dogs or stolen by poachers. Turtles laying their eggs on the beach face the risk of being carried off and becoming dinner. The most important thing about conservation is how to educate the humans, says I Wayan Wiradnyana, founder of the Bali Sea Turtle Society. The sea turtle belongs to everyone, so everyone should take responsibility. Volunteers release olive ridley turtle hatchlings on Kuta Beach (Reuters) Six of the worlds seven species of sea turtle inhabit Indonesias waters, and all of them are classified as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The groups primary success has been with the olive ridley, which appears to be less affected by the rubbish, noise and bright lights of modern Bali. The turtle is also said to have a fishy taste, unlike the green sea turtle that Balinese consider the most delicious. The plight of sea turtles has improved considerably since 2001, when I came here to investigate the trade. Catching, possessing or eating the animals was banned in 1999, but even so tens of thousands of turtles were being killed. Turtles awaiting slaughter were kept in plain sight in bamboo pens on the beach. Turtle meat was served openly at small restaurants and at Hindu ceremonies. Smugglers operated with impunity, at one point burning down a police post in protest at the ban. The turtles were butchered alive to keep the meat from sticking to the shell. One butcher described the gruesome, 10 minute process to me: he first cut off the flippers, then separated the meat from the shell, and at the end removed the still-beating heart. The authorities on the predominantly Hindu island began to crack down rather than risk a backlash from foreign tourists. Hindu priests helped protect the turtle by declaring that sacrificing them was not a religious practice. Today, turtle trade has been driven underground. Some smugglers and vendors remain in business, though, and last year Indonesias marine police in Bali seized more than 1,540lb of turtle meat, including more than 400lb packed in ice and sent by bus from the nearby island of Lombok. Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Show all 8 1 /8 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Winner Pikin and Appolinaire Pikin, a lowland gorilla, had been captured and was going to be sold for bushmeat but was rescued by Ape Action Africa. Jo-Anne took this photograph as the gorilla was being moved from her former enclosure within a safe forest sanctuary in Cameroon to a new and larger one, along with a group of gorilla companions. She was first sedated, but during the transfer to the new enclosure she awoke. Luckily, she was not only very drowsy, but she was also in the arms of her caretaker, Appolinaire Ndohoudou, and so she remained calm for the duration of the bumpy drive Jo-Anne McArthur Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Finalist Elegant Mother and Calf Every year from July to late October southern humpback whales migrate north from their Antarctic feeding grounds to give birth in the warm sheltered waters off Tonga. Ray encountered this humpback mother and calf peacefully floating in the plankton-filled water around the island group of Vavau, Tonga. After Ray gently approached them, the giants swam a bit closer to have a look at him. While they made this elegant turn, Ray took the shot. He later converted the image into black and white which he felt represented the simplicity of the scene Ray Chin/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Finalist Warm Embrace When polar bear mothers and cubs emerge from their dens in the early spring, the cubs stay close to their mothers for warmth and protection. Once the cubs are strong and confident enough, they make the trek to the sea ice with their mother so that she can resume hunting for seals. Debra waited six days near the den of this family, in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada, before they finally emerged. In the most challenging conditions she has ever faced, temperatures ranged from -35C to -55C with high winds, making it almost impossible to avoid frostbite and keep her camera gear functioning properly Debra Garside/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Finalist Roller Rider Lakshitha was on safari in MaasaiMara National Reserve, Kenya, when he spotted an unusual sight a lilac-breasted roller riding a zebra. Normally they prefer to perch high up in the foliage, but his roller spent an hour or more riding around and enjoying the occasional insect meal. Lakshitha waited for the surrounding zebras to form the perfect background before taking this tight crop Lakshitha Karunarathna/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Finalist Sloth Hanging Out Luciano had to climb the cecropia tree, in the protected Atlantic rainforest of southern Bahia, Brazil, to take an eye-level shot of this three-toed sloth. Sloths like to feed on the leaves of these trees,and so they are often seen high up in the canopy. Luciano Candisani/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Shortlisted Reach for the Sky Steven was taking pictures of a small group of adult roseate spoonbills in a rookery in Tampa Bay, Florida, when he noticed a newcomer flying in from afar. With just enough time to back up a few steps, Steven photographed the bird landing exactly square to his camera with its wings in a stunning symmetrical U-shape Steve Blandin/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Shortlisted Holding On This close-up captures the touching moment an infant lays its small hand in the big hand of its mother. Jami took this photograph while she was in Borneo working on a story about the effects of palm-oil agriculture on orangutan habitat. Loss of primary rainforest is a serious threat to this already critically endangered species Jami Tarris/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice award Shortlisted Blood Ivory In a protected area of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, a rangers bloody hand rests on a heavily grained ivory tusk, also covered in the blood of an African elephant. The bull had to be destroyed due to a severe tusk infection that couldnt be treated.The tusks were removed to a place of safekeeping, where they were carefully catalogued in accordance with legislation Peter Chadwick/Wildlife Photographer of the Year During the two years before that, police arrested three smugglers and seized more than 120 live turtles, records show. In a predawn raid in March on a restaurant in Jimbaran, a popular tourist area in Bali, police arrested a cook in the act of cutting turtle meat. If they had arrived much later, it would have been chopped so finely it would have been indistinguishable from other meat. When we got there, the flippers were already chopped up, says Budi Prasetyo, a marine police officer. We had to put the puzzle back together. In April, local police arrested a man near Kuta Beach suspected of stealing a womans purse. They searched his motorbike and found 97 newly dug up turtle eggs, Wiradnyana says. Police handed them over to the hatchery. Two were broken. Wiradnyana and I Gusti Ngurah Tresna, known as Agung, began trying to save sea turtles in 2001. They recovered the eggs from a single nest, hatched them and released the babies. The following year, they recovered eggs from two nests. Balinese consider green sea turtles to be a delicacy (Getty) Gradually, campaigners raised awareness in the community, attracted volunteers and built a network of lookouts, such as taxi drivers and hotel security guards, who report sightings of turtles on the beach. Last year the society retrieved eggs from a record 761 nests and released some 70,000 hatchlings. This year, they are on track to rescue and release even more. But nearly all of them are olive ridleys. Wiradnyana points out that the five other species known to inhabit Balinese waters are not making a similar recovery. And he worries about many long-term threats: hotel development, beach erosion and rising sea levels due to climate change all reduce the turtles nesting area. Illegal hunting and floating plastic garbage can kill them at sea. When rescuers recover eggs they take them to the societys hatchery at Kuta, one of Balis most crowded beaches. The hatchery, 30ft long, is built in the shape of a giant green sea turtle. The rescuers bury the eggs in sand and wait. The eggs hatch 45 to 60 days later. Most of the hatchlings are released within 24 hours in an uplifting, circus-style event that draws hundreds of tourists. At one event, the hatchery is prepared to release more than 400 hatchlings. There is little advance notice, but word spreads down the beach. By 4pm hundreds of people have assembled. Agung grabs a megaphone and climbs up on a small platform. Its time for action for the baby turtle now, he announces. He speaks briefly about the challenges the hatchlings would face to reach adulthood in the open ocean. For every 1,000 turtles we release on the beach, how many will survive? he asks. One! call out several people who have done their homework. As an afterthought, he mentions that the society accepts donations. But there is no hard sell. Participation is free. About 200 people, almost all foreign tourists, line up, receive a baby turtle in a plastic dish and head down to the beach. As directed, they stand behind a line in the sand facing the ocean. Agung stands near the waterline and issues instructions through his bullhorn. Are you ready? he calls. Everybody squat down! One, two, three, release your turtles! The race is on. The turtles scramble towards the water but stop short. The tide is out and the distance considerable. After the hatchlings get the feel of sand under their flippers, Agung directs the crowd to walk forward, pick up a turtle and carry it to the surf. Standing knee-deep in the water, they let them go a second time. Afterwards, the participants are enthusiastic about helping to save a threatened species. Its amazing, says Teagan Hercus, 18, a university student from Australia. Its the best thing we have done in Bali. New York Times Spiralling carbon dioxide emissions could give parts of Europe the kind of tropical climate that it has not experienced for millions of years. Under these conditions, temperatures comparable to those seen during the recent heatwave are likely to become the norm by the end of the century. Researchers from the University of Bristol investigated conditions found on Earth during the early Paleogene, a period 56-48 million years ago. During this time in the planets history, carbon dioxide levels were around the same as those predicted for the end of the century because of the massive quantities of greenhouse gases that humans are pumping into the atmosphere. As a result, the era is of great interest to climate scientists seeking to understand the impact of such high carbon dioxide levels. Analysis of ancient peat fossils allowed the scientists to estimate temperatures 50 million years ago. "We know that the early Paleogene was characterised by a greenhouse climate with elevated carbon dioxide levels, said Dr David Naafs, an earth scientist at the University of Bristol. "Most of the existing estimates of temperatures from this period are from the ocean, not the land what this study attempts to answer is exactly how warm it got on land during this period. The scientists found that annual land temperatures in Western Europe and New Zealand were between 23C and 29C - higher than first thought. 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke filled with the carbon that is driving climate change drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan This is up to 15C higher than current average temperatures in these regions. If the same conditions emerge in coming years it could have serious repercussions. Professor Rich Pancost, one of the studys co-authors said: "Our work adds to the evidence for a very hot climate under potential end-of-century carbon dioxide levels. Importantly, we also study how the Earth system responded to that warmth. For example, this and other hot time periods were associated with evidence for arid conditions and extreme rainfall events." Their results were published in the journal Nature Geoscience. The recent heatwave that struck Europe was associated with wildfire across the region, and caused major disruption to agriculture and wildlife. Experts in the UK warned that hundreds of people were likely to die as a result of the elevated temperatures, and a report by the Environmental Audit Committee warned that heat-related deaths will likely triple by the middle of the century. Climate scientists found that the heatwave was made more than twice as likely by human-induced climate change. The scientists behind the new research said there is also a need to investigate how ancient temperature increases affected the tropics, and whether temperatures in excess of 40C turned them into ecological dead zones. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I dont know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because youre trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back ... (But) that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs, and so its sort of comical how you think that youve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, youre wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada Fashion is trolling the masses. Of course it is. In recent seasons, against all the rules of contemporary taste, fashion has asserted that once-derided styles such as bum bags, Crocs, prairie dresses and chunky orthopaedic sneakers are desirable. This is an aesthetic provocation. A poke. The point is to agitate casual observers and leave them scratching their heads. But its not exactly a joke. Designers are not making these products for their amusement. Not completely. The ultimate goal is to make a sale. And heres the thing: all this dowdy, arguably ugly fashion? Consumers are going to buy it because its comfortable, familiar and, occasionally, practical. Aesthetics be damned. Discerning eyes will adjust to the aesthetics; they always do. It takes time and patience, but now shredded jeans look normal and so do oversize silhouettes. A high-necked, ruffled dress fit for Laura Ingalls Wilder? Just wait. Soon enough, soon enough. The gateway to ugly an adjective used here with affection was the Birkenstock. Known for its inelegantly moulded footbed and its crunchy-granola history, the classic German sandal was reimagined in a hyper-luxurious way for spring 2013 by the influential designer Phoebe Philo. For her Celine runway show, she lined her version of Arizona sandals in mink. She bedazzled them. They retailed for about $900 (684). This one model comes clomping down the runway in Birkenstocks and all the fashion insiders are licking their chops because theyre seeing something different, says Susie Sheffman, a Toronto-based fashion consultant and stylist. Its almost like a reverse snobbism. LA-based grunge designer Rick Owens reimagined the Arizona Birkenstocks (Birkenstock) Not long after that show, Sheffman saw a picture of actor Milla Jovovich on the cover of the December issue of Net-a-Porters magazine, The Edit. She was wearing a mannish white shirt and white trousers and black Birkenstocks, Sheffman wistfully recalls. It hit me at a cellular level: thats the girl I want to be. Who could resist? It was not long before Birkenstock, whose original suede Arizona sandals sell for about $125, partnered with Barneys New York to create a $270 version lined with blue shearling. A Rick Owens collaboration followed in 2018, reimagined as furry, cow-hair slides selling for $420. An assertively frumpy shoe with a devoted following of outdoorsy types and the approving nod of podiatrists had gathered a patina of fervid fashion desirability. The allure of the original version was burnished. And the fancy new version was comfortable and wearable. The fashionable Birkenstock is an exemplar of the rise of anti-fashion, says Sara Maggioni, the director of retail and buying for London-based trend forecaster WGSN. In 2012, Birkenstock sold about 10 million pairs of shoes; in 2017, the company sold 25 million pairs. Yes, theyre ugly, says Maggioni. But its a familiar silhouette. Its not scary or frightening. The same cannot necessarily be said for clunky Forrest Gump trainers, rubber Crocs or long, flowing Dust Bowl dresses. The giant trainers, which have been advocated by brands such as Balenciaga ($895) and Maison Margiela ($1,645), are an assemblage of suede, leather and mesh, often in a collage of clashing colours. The soles platforms stacked atop platforms are like a parfait of moulded rubber. Even French luxury fashion house Maison Margiela had a take on the Forrest Gump shoe (The Washington Post/Raymond Chan) The prairie dress, equally jarring to the eye, was interpreted in multiple variations by Raf Simons for Calvin Klein 205W39NYC for autumn 2018. One version of the ankle-length style comes with pin-tucking and a wide, ruffle-trimmed collar. Only its deep V-neck prevents it from looking Amish. Cost: $3,900. At Calvin Klein, the look is part of a collection that examines a broad swath of Americana that also includes firefighter jackets, cadet shirts and heirloom quilting. Its not just about taking what your grandmother had in her wardrobe, Maggioni says. It gets adapted to taste nowadays. The brand Batsheva is fully committed to the prairie: Laura Ashley meets Gunne Sax meets grunge. Its $420 floral cotton dresses have puffed shoulders and a ruffled Peter Pan collar. Some have ruffle-trimmed patch pockets. They are sometimes paired with coordinating bonnets for maximum fashion effect. Vogue delights in them. MatchesFashion.com sells them right alongside Prada and Saint Laurent. Wearing these styles with aplomb is like executing the triple axel of fashion: high level of difficulty, significant risk of failure, tremendous bragging rights if accomplished. But why? Why would Batsheva Hay who grew up in Queens and not on some windswept Nebraska prairie; who is a Georgetown-educated lawyer, not a goat farmer create an entire line of pioneer dresses that look like they should come with their own lean-to? I always wore vintage, she explains. But when I started working as a lawyer 10 years ago, I couldnt wear all the clothes Id collected. Then I quit and had kids and thought, I can do what I want. Batsheva Hay, New Yorks ready-to-wear brand for women and girls, has gone all-out prairie (Alexei Hay) Shed moved to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She noticed that many of older people were tooling around the neighbourhood in Laura Ashley-style dresses, sneakers and bum bags. Her mother was a hippie in the 1960s. Her father is Israeli. She was named after a figure from the Old Testament who is sometimes equated with feminism. After having a baby girl, she became obsessed with mother-daughter dressing. This tornado of influences led her to create a retro, Old World, earthy collection that refuses to sexualise the female form while also playing on traditional femininity. The prairie dress is a style that crosses all these cultures. People wear them in eastern Europe and down South. I loved the colours and the patterns, says Hay, 37. I started making them from personal desire and need, and I wore the crap out of them. She launched her collection two years ago. The dresses are now a thing among fashion insiders. And if you look at them closely and allow your eye to adjust, perhaps you can imagine them worn with roughed-up hair and a pair of mod boots or a fancy pair of sneakers. The thing you most certainly wouldnt wear these dresses with is a pair of prissy heels. I cant wear a dress with a pair of pumps, Sheffman says. It just seems so wrong. The pathway to this point began where? Fashion has cosied up to the ugly aesthetic in the past, most notable in the late 1990s when Prada rose to prominence with its eyesore prints and murky colours. But this go-round may best be traced back to normcore, that short-lived anti-fashion uprising that found its way into trend reports around 2013, promoting unremarkable clothing as hip. Throw in a bit of dad style. Mix in a rising revulsion with Instagram faux-perfection. Add a dash of fashion hate from the masses. And tip your hat to brands such as Vetements, Balenciaga, Y/Project, Gucci and a host of others that championed unorthodox beauty and gender fluidity. Back in the day, luxury usually meant femininity. It meant a beautiful bag or a beautiful cashmere sweater, Sheffman says. Most of these items have a lack of femininity. Its almost a revolt against luxury as we know it, she says. Instead of attention-seeking with extraordinary luxury, they went for the mundane. These anti-fashion looks were also born out of the collective ennui of fashion insiders searching for something more authentic. These products exude unpretentious, sexless populism. All of this is a reminder that the fashion industry has stopped dictating fashion. The Seventh Avenue elites have ceded control to the hoi polloi. And this is what your nextdoor neighbours have come up with. The consumer is dictating lifestyle fashion, says Shelley E Kohan, an assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology specialising in retail. Brands are taking the feedback and adapting the information and putting it back into the supply chain. In other words, consumers are responsible for these waves of ugly. We the people are trolling ourselves. But this doesnt necessarily mean the great unwashed have somehow sapped fashion of its power to hypnotise and woo. Designers look around and say, If people want to wear Birkenstocks, Im going to get my market share. And they design velvet Birkenstocks or jewelled Birkenstocks, Sheffman says. Givenchy made $295 rubber slides with its brand name stamped across the top. Gucci has a fresh offering in partnership with Dapper Dan. The Walmart version of this glorified shower shoe is $9.99. If authenticity is the irresistible elixir in all of this, is it cooler to have the designer version or the original? asks Sheffman. Its better to have the original as with anything. Its that honesty, integrity thing. But it takes a certain inner confidence to walk into a fancy gathering wearing a pair of 10-buck, no-name shower shoes. Most people wont. Theyre more inclined to flip-flop around town in Fenty Puma by Rihannas $90 ones because theyve been tweaked just so and have been stamped with her approval. The designers are laughing because they still have the power and clout to get everyone jazzed up, Sheffman says. Eventually, inevitably, the fashion pendulum will swing. The jarring, quirky ensembles will begin to look a little dated. A more refined and polished facade will suddenly look fresh. Or maybe hyper-femininity and masculinity will float to the top. Something will. Until then, marvel at the bum bag, which today is sometimes worn cross-body but can still conjure up images of sun-baked tourists waddling across the National Mall. Its a great resurrection. Its more relevant today than it was in the Nineties, Kohan says. Its a great way to have your phone right there at your side and have your hands free. Ugly fashion is, if nothing else, practical. The Washington Post Nasa has begun a major search for alien worlds. The agency's Tess spacecraft has started its science missions, exploring the universe as it looks for new planets. It engineers hope that it will eventually find thousands of alien worlds, some of which could be habitable. The craft whose name stands for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite will look deep in the universe for signs of planets. Any that are found will be explored from afar, as scientists try to work out what it might be like on those planets, and whether life could survive there. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region Like the Kepler satellite that preceded it, Tess will use a detection method called transit photometry. That involves watching distant stars for any dips of light caused by planets that pass in front of them, and using the patterns of those dips to work out how big they might be and what their orbits are. Recommended More than 100 new exoplanets found That technique has already allowed Kepler to find thousands of possible planets, some of which are key candidates for habitability. Tess is expected to find thousands more. Its work has already begun and it will send its first set of science data back in August. After that it will send down new findings roughly every fortnight, and the science team will scour through it for signs of planets as soon as it arrives. Im thrilled that our planet hunter is ready to start combing the backyard of our solar system for new worlds, said Paul Hertz, Nasa Astrophysics division director at its headquarters in Washington. With possibly more planets than stars in our universe, I look forward to the strange, fantastic worlds were bound to discover. Tess's mission is scheduled to last for two years. But Kepler and other Nasa projects have lasted much longer than those initial projects, so it could be peeking through our universe for much longer than that. A bridesmaid who wasnt fulfilling her bridal party role to the brides expectations was asked to relinquish her duties and return her wedding jumpsuit - to the dismay of the bridesmaid. Courtney Duffy, one of the bridesmaids in the upcoming wedding for her friend Alex, had just booked her cross-country flights to the wedding when she received the email dismissing her from the obligation - so she begged JetBlue for a refund. SOS @Jetblue! Booked my X-C (cross-country) flights for a wedding then was asked to relinquish my duties as a bridesmaid and mail my bridesmaid outfit X-C so another girl could fill in and wear it (Happy bday to me!) I am laughing and crying and must avoid this wedding at all cost. Please help? the dismissed bridesmaid wrote on Twitter, along with a copy of the email. Recommended The bridesmaidzilla phenomenon taking hold of bridesmaids and best men In the email, the bride-to-be wrote: Im so glad to hear you booked flights! Im sorry classes are taking such a long time to sort out. I know how hard youre working to be here for the wedding and it means so much to us! before informing Duffy she needed her to do a massive favour. Writing that this is one of the hardest things Ive ever had to ask anyone, Alex then requested Duffy relinquish her duties as a bridesmaid. According to the bride, when shed asked Duffy to be a bridesmaid, shed expected her to be available for all bridal party duties - including the bachelorette trip, prep, and the full night of the wedding. The whirlwind nature of what your travel has become just wont work with the duties as a party member, the bride-to-be wrote, referencing Duffys school obligations as an MBA student. Please dont feel youre letting me down, Im asking you to do this. The bride concluded the letter asking her former bridesmaid to mail the jumpsuit all the bridesmaids were required to wear to the wedding, a request she knows is incredibly awkward, but necessary - as she might have to ask someone else to fill the role. And if youd like to chat on the phone, let me know! I promise were totally cool! the bride wrote. On Twitter, Duffys plea went viral - prompting people to weigh in on the tricky situation. Maids to measure: Forget the taffeta and ruffles, bridesmaids are going down the aisle in style Show all 7 1 /7 Maids to measure: Forget the taffeta and ruffles, bridesmaids are going down the aisle in style Maids to measure: Forget the taffeta and ruffles, bridesmaids are going down the aisle in style 36-Maids-to-measure4.jpg Maids to measure: Forget the taffeta and ruffles, bridesmaids are going down the aisle in style 36-Maids-to-measure.jpg Maids to measure: Forget the taffeta and ruffles, bridesmaids are going down the aisle in style 36-Maids-to-measure1.jpg Maids to measure: Forget the taffeta and ruffles, bridesmaids are going down the aisle in style 36-Maids-to-measure2.jpg Maids to measure: Forget the taffeta and ruffles, bridesmaids are going down the aisle in style 36-Maids-to-measure3.jpg Maids to measure: Forget the taffeta and ruffles, bridesmaids are going down the aisle in style 36-Maids-to-measure5.jpg Maids to measure: Forget the taffeta and ruffles, bridesmaids are going down the aisle in style 36-Maids-to-measure6.jpg Many felt that the bride was asking too much of her bridesmaids. Ive read this a half dozen times, and have yet to find any way that she could possibly think you will be cool after this, one person wrote. Another said: Brides need to stop treating their bridesmaids like unpaid interns. Theyre not here to work for free. They want to celebrate with you and see you happy. Others took offence with the jumpsuit chosen for the bridesmaids and encouraged Duffy to do a photo shoot in the jumpsuit. Your bridesmaid outfit was a JUMPSUIT? Girl, that is a bullet dodged, one person commented. However, JetBlue is optimistic that the women will forgive each other in the future and remain friends. In response to Duffys request, the airline wrote: Hey Courtney, weve been thinking. The jumpsuit may have been borrowed, but well bring the (Jet)Blue. When youre ready to patch things up, wed like to help make your old friendship feel like new. A future girls weekend is on us! Deutsche Bank has moved almost half of its euro clearing business from London to Frankfurt because of Brexit. Euro clearing is the system through which euro-based financial transactions are settled, and London is known as a leader in the clearing business. Clearing house LCH, owned by the London Stock Exchange, previously dominated the market, processing almost 900bn in deals per day. However, since the Brexit vote, European rivals, including Deutsche Boerse-owned Eurex, have been making moves to steal Londons crown. Bruno Le Maire, Frances finance minister, said last year that Brexit could be an opportunity for eurozone states to take control of clearing and a 2016 report by consultancy firm EY suggested that a departure of euro clearing could cost 83,000 jobs in the City. Deutsches decision to relocate clearing activities has not had an impact on UK jobs. Effectively, the move means the bank will push a different button to route the clearing to Eurex. A spokeswoman for Eurex said that it now has a market share of 8 per cent of euro clearing, up from virtually zero a year ago. The group said in 2017 that it was committed to the UK, as it signed the lease on a new London headquarters, taking on space at new City site 21 Moorfields for 25 years. However, the lender said earlier this year that it planned to cut more than 7,000 roles in an effort to reduce costs, putting City jobs at risk. The bank employs 8,000 people in London. The job cuts followed the ousting of John Cryan as CEO in April, which came after three years of losses at the bank. Mr Cryan was replaced by Christian Sewing, who said Deutsche needed to focus on what it does best, with the result that the total number of staff at the group would fall from 97,000 to well below 90,000. Additional reporting by newswires More than half-a-million spoilt ballots in Cambodia's general election represent a protest against the vote that critics have called a sham, the opposition and an analyst said on Monday. Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) has said it won all 125 parliamentary seats up for grabs at Sunday's election, held without the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was dissolved by a court, and had its leader, Kem Sokha, jailed on treason charges. As many as 594,843 votes, or 8.4 percent, of the 7.64 million votes cast, were invalid and spoiled, figures from the National Election Committee showed. By comparison, spoiled ballots in the last election, in 2013, comprised just 1.6 percent of the total. "It is a significant vote of disapproval of this particular election and an act of defiance of the unlawful coercion on voters to go to vote," Cambodia-based political analyst Lao Mong Hay told Reuters. "A cunning yet legitimate protest against the powerful." Government spokesman Phay Siphan said the large number of invalid votes showed an anti-election trend. "They are anti-election and the Cambodian People's Party," Phay Siphan told Reuters. Cambodia is using rats to sniff out land mines During Sunday's vote counting in Phnom Penh, the capital, a Reuters journalist saw numerous ballots that had been ticked all over, while other ballots were left blank. Nineteen little-known parties contested against the ruling party, but none are particularly critical of it or the government. Exiled leaders of the CNRP had called for a boycott of the vote, prompting the government to warn that anyone who did not participate would be seen as a "traitor". "We praise the courage of all voters who came out to mark their strong message by spoiling their ballots as their way of rejecting the sham election and those who stayed home and kept their fingers clean," CNRP vice president Mu Sochua told Reuters, referring to the ink-mark that denotes a vote cast. Rights groups accused the CPP of coercing citizens to vote for the ruling party, leaving many no choice but to spoil their votes in protest. The White House said it would consider steps, including wider visa curbs on some members of the Cambodian government, in response to the "flawed elections". Reuters The National Curriculum was introduced 30 years ago this week. Part of the Education Reform Act 1988, which was given royal assent on 29 July 1988, the legislation sought to standardise teaching in schools across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. While the intention of ensuring students nationwide received instruction of even quality over the same modules was a noble one - making a pupils experience less of a lottery at the mercy of a particular teachers taste - critics of the curriculum argue that, in practice, repeating the same texts year after year can be a deadening business that does no one any favours. Just ask John Keats or the Metaphysical poets. With that in mind, heres our round-up of the books most ill-used by English teachers and their classes alike. To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) This American favourite from Harper Lee addressed themes of race and injustice still pertinent in US society today and unquestionably deserves it places in the classroom. Even students who do not pursue reading as a leisure activity after graduation remember Lees principled Alabama attorney Atticus Finch seen through the eyes of his daughter Scout as he comes to the aid of falsely accused black defendant Tom Robinson in the courtroom. Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird (Laura Cavanaugh/Getty) (Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images) Memorably played on screen by Gregory Peck, the work is also earnest to a fault and, as propaganda for lawyers, deserves to be taken with more than just a pinch of salt. Lord of the Flies (1954) A novel with much to say about the innate barbarity of man, a subject with which its GCSE level readership should already have firsthand experience, William Goldings work is bleak indeed and something of a slog. But the tale of Ralph, Jack, Piggy and their classmates forming their own tribe on a desert island before tearing themselves apart in a fury of self-destructive occult violence might be repurposed as a Brexit allegory, I suppose. A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) Tennessee Williams operatic Southern Gothic melodrama concerns Blanche DuBois, an ageing and deeply delusional ex-belle, who arrives in New Orleans to stay with her tirelessly patient sister Stella, only to find herself at war with her brother-in-law, the brutish, resentful Stanley Kowalski. Agreeably dark and even lurid at times, Streetcar was a safe choice for students due to its brooding adult themes and copious stage directions from the author, making it readily comprehensible and a neat introduction to stagecraft. Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire (Rex ) (Rex) However, it was always utterly excruciating to read aloud from as a class exercise, putting already awkward adolescents under pressure to imitate Marlon Brando or Vivien Leigh and attempt a period Louisiana accent without looking ridiculous in front of their smirking contemporaries. "Aaah have always depended on the kindness of strangers..." An Inspector Calls (1945) JB Priestleys play assumes the guise of an Agatha Christie-esque parlour whodunit as a means through which to explore Edwardian class prejudice and hypocrisy. The great public intellectual of his day, Priestley has fallen oddly out of fashion of late, kept alive primarily by this very text being handed out to Britains school kids on the syllabus. Fans of the twist ending may nevertheless still prefer The Usual Suspects (1995). The Return of the Native (1878) Thomas Hardy saw classical tragedy wherever he looked and this tale of the ill-fated marriage between free-spirited Eustacia Vye and idealistic schoolmaster Clem Yeobright amid the wilds of Egdon Heath is no exception. Shorter than much of Dickens, this is as fine an entry point to the Victorian novel as any other - and packed with breezy comedy compared with Jude the Obscure (1895). Many students are still put off by Hardys curious melding of grandiosity with folk detail and rustic humour and by his penchant for heavy symbolism and ornate literary references. Realistically, how many finish it in time for their exams without resorting to skipping long passages or even just guessing the ending? Wuthering Heights (1847) Another quintessential Victorian monster, Emily Brontes Gothic romance about the tortured love affair between Catherine Earnshaw and the untamable Heathcliff on the wild and windy moors must have been foisted on everybody at some point. Andrea Arnolds adaptation of Wuthering Heights from 2011 An extraordinary product of its young authors fevered imagination, especially given the secluded life she and her prolific siblings led, Wuthering Heights themes are sufficiently ghoulish to retain the interest but it's an unattractive group of villains on show to be sure. Kate Bush may or may not be a helpful teaching aid. Hamlet (1599) Conventional wisdom insists that Shakespeare must be put before young teenagers to improve their minds but surely more are alienated by the difficulties of the language at that age than are turned on to his totemic histories, tragedies, comedies and sonnets. Riz Ahmed as the melancholy Dane (Getty) The idea that the Bard should be held for maturity like fine whiskey and cigars never seems to cut any ice though and so the same old hump through Romeo and Juliet (1597) and Macbeth (1606) to the melancholy Prince of Denmark continues unabated. Hamlet is at least a malcontent and a wit and what interestingly gloomy teen has not practiced his famous soliloquy in front of the bathroom mirror? Mai Skaf, often anglicised as May Scaff during her career, was one of Syrias most popular TV and film actresses who became a leading activist and revolutionary against her nations leader Bashar al-Assad. She was a Christian in a mainly Muslim country and was outspoken in her attacks on Assad for failing to protect the countrys religious minorities. With her defiant hazel eyes and wild brown but greying hair, fellow protesters described her as the icon of the revolution. Recommended How novelist Emily Nasrallah inspired women in Lebanon in times of war Forced into exile in 2013 by the Assad regimes threats she had been detained several times during street protests she died suddenly in Paris on 23 July aged 49. Friends and family said the passionate pro-democracy campaigner had been in good health and that her death, reportedly after cardiac arrest, was mysterious. She did, after all, have enemies, in the Syrian state, in Israel, and among the pro-Lebanese Hezbollah militia which has forces in Syria. Her cousin, Syrian author Dima Wannous, posted on Facebook: To my friends, I apologise for not answering your calls and messages. My family and I have been in a very difficult situation... patience for us and for you. I will never forgive who is behind her killing. May left us in very ambiguous circumstances and we are awaiting the investigation results. Paris police made no immediate comment. Skaf was among the first of about 30 Syrian entertainers, artists and intellectuals to take the streets of Damascus on 23 July 2011 to protest a government crackdown on Arab Spring dissidents. The protests sparked a civil war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced 12 million people, something Skaf blamed mainly on the Syrian regimes bombing and alleged chemical weapons attacks against rebels. She and her fellow artist protesters were immediately blacklisted by the Assad regime, while most of the countrys artists remained silent or sided with the regime to maintain their privileges and avoid state reprisals. Echoing the regime, most Syrian production companies billed Skaf and her fellow dissidents as terrorists. Skafs own last public words, posted from Paris on Facebook on 21 July, were: I will not lose hope, never lose hope. It is Great Syria, not Assads Syria. She was first arrested after addressing the 23 July 2011 rally, calling for Assad to step down or be removed from power. Skaf was subsequently arrested, interrogated, charged with treason but released after pressure from international human rights groups. That was the first of several arrests during what the opposition calls the Syrian revolution. As the regime responded with a violent military crackdown, the protests developed into a major conflict from 2012. After one arrest, a Syrian interrogator asked her: What do you want? Freedom? She responded with her usual defiance: I want my son not to be ruled by Bashar al-Assad. Commenting on those first protests, Skaf said: They hurled big stones at us, showered us with raw eggs to make running away slippery. Then they came at us with batons, beat us on the head and body with the aim of inflicting injuries and breaking our spirits. Bloodstains were everywhere. She said she was blindfolded, handcuffed and interrogated. Her phone was tapped, her home watched, and finally she was charged with treason. After receiving several highly-credible death threats, Skaf fled with her teenage son in 2013, first to Jordan and later, in 2015, to Paris where she continued to lobby against the Assad regime. One artist described her as one of the worlds noblest people and strongest souls. Mai Skaf was born in Damascus on 13 April 1969, to a Muslim father and Christian mother, shortly before Hafez al-Assad, the current presidents father, seized power, launching a dictatorial dynasty that still endures almost half a century later. As she grew up, Skaf felt the need to support Syrias Christian minority, an uphill battle under the Assad regime. In her youth, she was strongly influenced by her uncle, the Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous, whom she considered something of a spiritual father. Like many of her peers, she learned French early France had controlled Syria for much of the first half of the 20th century and studied French literature at Al-Sham Private University (ASPU) in Damascus. Encouraged by Saadallah Wannous, she began acting while still a student. Skaf had yet to be born when Israel, in the Six Day War of June 1967, routed Arab armies and captured the Gaza Strip and the Sinai desert from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria and the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan. But the Israeli occupation of Arab lands profoundly affected her growing up and she became a passionate supporter of the Palestinians. After the 2011 uprising against Assad in Syria, she believed that resisting the Syrian regime and resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Golan Heights were inseparable. While still a student, she got into acting and appeared in several stage plays in the theatre of the French Cultural Institute in Paris, where she quickly came to the attention of Syrian film and TV directors. Her breakthrough came in 1992 when she was cast in the popular Syrian TV series Crime in Memory, an adaptation of Agatha Christies crime novel Sleeping Murder featuring the intrepid Miss Marple. In 1993, she starred in her first film, Echoes of Slides. In 1996, she played Taima her role of a lifetime, according to Arab critics in the joint Syrian-Dubai-produced TV series Al-Ababeed, the story of the third-century Syrian kingdom of Palmyra from the point of view of a wealthy upper class family. In most of her performances, she played a strong, rebellious woman or a fearless warrior for her own and womens rights. She once played a single mother who raised her daughter alone and stood up to her abusive husband. In the late 1990s, she founded Teatro, a theatre group that offered a wide range of acting classes and staged performances at an old Damascene home in the Al-Qanawat neighbourhood of the Old City. In 2006, she set up the Children of Teatro, specifically for child actors. All of Teatro was shut down by the regime after her part in the 2011 protests but she had hoped to revive it in Paris along with other Syrian exiles. News of her death came shortly after reports that two young Syrian dissidents had died under torture by Assads forces in Damascus prisons, adding fuel to online blogs that cast doubt that her death was from natural causes. Mai Skaf (and the two prisoners) all died together... maybe because they all refused to live this ugly moment of Syrian history, one blogger wrote. Kuwaiti poet and critic Saadiah Mufarreh, tweeted: May Scaff left today in exile but her free spirit will always be attached to the Great Syria, as she used to call it, always. Goodbye to her; she helped us restore hope in artists at a time when most of them went for the crumbs of power. Mai Skaf was a woman of principle and a dreamer. But she was able to translate her dreams into realistic ideas under which Syrians could take concrete action to restore democracy in their homeland. When the Syrian revolution started, I became like a newborn making her first steps, rediscovering herself and rediscovering her country, Skaf said in a recent interview in Paris. Like all Syrians who took to the street, I found my voice for the first time. In the same interview, she said she wanted to die in her beloved Syria and was scared of dying in Paris or elsewhere abroad. Dont say if we return to Syria or if the regime falls, she implored her fellow dissidents. Say when when we return to Syria and when the regime falls. For this moment will come. It has to. Cairo-based Syrian actor, director and producer Jamal Sulaiman paid tribute: Farewell May. Never in my life did I met anybody who is more honest or noble than you are. When we were filming together once, you asked me: When are we going to return to Syria? Every time I used to lie and say: Soon. I was certain that this is the answer you wanted to hear, even if you doubted it. Mai Skaf is survived by her mother and by her 20-year-old son, Joud. Mai Skaf (May Scaff), actress and democracy activist, born Damascus 13 April 1969, died Paris 23 July 2018 We won't be able to comfortably live on Mars, experts have revealed. Scientists as well as science fiction fans have long hoped that we might be able to change Mars so it has an Earth-like atmosphere, allowing us to comfortably live there. Plans to do so have included dropping thermonuclear weapons at the planet's poles an idea supported by Elon Musk. But there simply isn't enough carbon dioxide on the planet to allow the atmosphere to ever become habitable for humans, according to new research. At best we could achieve only a fiftieth of what is needed, and would only be able to raise the surface temperature by less than 10 degrees Celsius, the study published in Nature Astronomy reveals. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region Proponents of terraforming often suggest that we could use the greenhouse gases that are stored in Mars' rocks and polar ice caps. If those were released back into the atmosphere, it would make it thicker, heat up the planet, and allow liquid water to remain on the surface. That, in turn, would allow future Mars settlers to roam around the planet without dying, they suggest. The only greenhouse gas present in high enough quantities on Mars to warm it up is carbon dioxide, according to authors Bruce Jakosky and Christopher Edwards. They explored all of the known reservoirs of the gas across the planet to work out how much is available, by using information provided by the rovers and spacecraft that have surveyed the planet. It is far from enough, they write. As such, it will not be possible to terraform Mars without technology that is currently unknown, the authors conclude. Scientists will learn more about the water and carbon dioxide levels on the red planet in the coming years, as a variety of rovers and spacecraft head to the planet. But they will need to find huge and unknown reservoirs if the plan to use greenhouse gases is to work. Muslims genuinely fear being persecuted by the governments controversial counterextremism strategy because of the lack of official information, a report has warned. Research commissioned in Manchester following last years bombing found that although Prevent does good work tackling all forms of radicalisation, poor communication has caused a dangerous perpetuating cycle of fear and made people less willing to engage with the voluntary scheme. A commission set up to investigate extremism and social cohesion said that Prevents work was vital to community safety and vulnerable people are being safeguarded from being radicalised. But accurate information, statistics and positive news of interventions was are not reaching communities feeling high levels of distrust and suspicion towards authorities, it said. The lack of information is exploited by those with an anti-Prevent or anti-Islam agenda who maliciously miscommunicated the aims of Prevent or true nature of the issue, the report concluded. This has perpetuated the problem, leading to the creation of suspect communities and fear of persecution amongst Muslim communities. The eight person commission, which was chaired by Bury council leader Rishi Shori, warned that amid the threat of further Isis-inspired terror attacks and growing Islamophobia, there is a risk of Islamists and the far-right feeding off each other in a spiral of violence. Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said the nature of terrorism has changed and cities need to face up to the consequences of that. Home Secretary Amber Rudd makes statement on Government report on Manchester attack It is no longer the case that acts of terror are likely to be perpetrated by known terror organisations, the former Labour MP warned. Now, it can be individuals or small, localised groups who plan and carry out these atrocitiesif it was ever the case that the police and security services might be able to monitor every person who poses a risk to us, then it is certainly not possible now. We are living in turbulent times, with extremism on the rise in all communities and walks of life. The growth of social media seems to be fuelling a polarisation in society and creates the conditions for individuals to be influenced and radicalised in their own homes and local areas. The commission called for the Home Office to make detailed statistics on Prevents work available for Manchester and other cities to help dispel myths and challenge scaremongering. A government pilot aiming to improve information sharing on suspected extremists who are considered a security threat but cannot be prosecuted is also underway, after a report found that intelligence on the Manchester Arena bomber had not been properly handled. An inquiry by David Anderson QC found that MI5 may have been able to prevent the atrocity, which left 22 victims dead in May 2017, but two pieces of information were wrongly deemed to be of a criminal rather than terrorist nature. It is unknown if the arena attack could have been prevented had this information been shared with Greater Manchester Police, but it is hoped that, should this work be introduced, it may prevent future acts of terrorism, the commission said. Channel, the deradicalisation programme for people referred by Prevent, is currently run by police but the North West is among areas piloting bringing the efforts under local authority control. Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on Show all 10 1 /10 Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Flower Festival at St Ann's Church marking the Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trail in St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Flower Festival at St Ann's Church marking the Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trail in St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on Embracing Manchester Exhibition at St Ann's Church was created by artist Ghislaine Howard after being inspired by Muslim video blogger Baktash Noori who, after the attack spent days in the city centre trying to win the trust of the public. Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Flower Festival at St Ann's Church marking the Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes The Greater Manchester Combined Authority is also to set up an informal phone line where people can anonymously request advice on potential extremism or exploitation, and report concerns. It is families, friends and neighbours who are most likely to be the first to witness changes towards more extreme behaviour that might lead to violence, Mr Burnham said. This is not about encouraging people to spy on each other but creating a greater understanding of the signs that indicate where behaviour has crossed the line and then making it easier to report. Mr Burnham said that the reports recommendations will not necessarily stop further terror attacks, but argued a whole-society approach to vigilance and cohesion can help. The commission found that there was no one single driver of radicalisation, but that peoples vulnerability can be affected by poverty, unemployment, racial inequality and a lack of social cohesion. It said cuts to youths services could worsen the potential for teenagers to be drawn into terrorist activity, while reductions in public services have left little opportunity for people from different backgrounds to meet and exacerbated fear and suspicion. Experts warned that people with legitimate concerns felt ignored and silenced, calling for authorities to create spaces where people can have difficult conversations without being branded a racist or terrorist. Manchester bomber Salman Abedi was not considered a current threat by the security services (PA) The report, which used face-to-face meetings with hundreds of people, community organisations and academic research, said the top down imposition of a common identity like the governments British values drive did not work. Instead of a floated Greater Manchester charter on cohesion, it recommended authorities continue to use the organic #WeStandTogether movement to bring local people together. The report follows repeated warnings over the perception of Prevent, and effects of poor cohesion across Britain, including those by the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation and Dame Louise Casey. The number of terror arrests in Britain is at a record level, as is the number of referrals to Prevent following the introduction of a statutory duty on teachers and other public workers. Of the total 6,093 people referred in the year to March 2017 including 1,600 children under the age of 15 61 per cent (3,704) had raised concern about Islamist extremism, and 16 per cent (943) over far-right extremism. Sara Khan, the new lead commissioner for countering extremism, called the report an important contribution to the debate on challenging extremism as she continues separate nationwide research. The need for a whole society response is one I support, as well as a zero tolerance approach to those actively promoting extremism, better support for those challenging extremism and crucially the necessity of having the difficult and often uncomfortable conversations, she added. Our starting point is improving societys understanding of extremism in all its forms. Ben Wallace, the security minister, said: The the biggest challenge to the policy are the inaccuracies in reporting and perception. It is for that reason that ever since I have been the security minister I have ordered the publishing of Prevent data, worked with a broad range of stakeholders and broadened out the strategy to involve local government more. We now have champions in education, health, and local government who ensure that people understand that at its heart Prevent is about safeguarding people from being exploited and who are able to assure communities that it is not a discriminatory programme. Theresa May will publish scores of documents to prepare businesses and the public for a no-deal Brexit later in the summer but has denied putting the army on standby. No 10 rejected a report that soldiers are being lined up to deliver food, medicines and fuel in the event of shortages, insisting: There are no plans to involve the army in this. Downing Street instead revealed around 70 technical notices with advice to companies and consumers if the UK crashes out of the EU with no agreement would be issued in two sets in August and September. The prime ministers spokesman rejected claims that plans to drip feed details of the preparations had been dropped because of fears it would scare voters too much. But he said: These notices will be published in August and September. Its making sensible preparations so that, in the event of a no-deal scenario, this would be implemented in an orderly way. The spokesman said the UK still wanted and expected a deal, adding: Its about good planning and taking sensible precautions. The move comes after ministers lifted the lid on plans for ensuring food, medicines and blood will still be available after exit day next March. At the weekend, The Sunday Times reported that blueprints for the armed forces to assist civilian authorities had been dusted down as part of the no deal planning. Helicopters and army trucks would be used to ferry supplies to vulnerable people outside the southeast who were struggling to obtain the medicines they needed, it claimed. And the NHS would go on a year-round winter crisis footing, with drugs bought from outside the EU and stockpiled in hospitals. Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union. Ms Jenkyns also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliaments influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of unbalanced reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commissions sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely. He went on to argue that the general direction of Ms Mays policies would leave the UK in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Daviss main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as courageous and principled by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on. Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn. PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again. I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10. PA Brexit casualties Robert Courts - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. MP Mr Courts said: I have taken a very difficult decision to resign my position as [parliamentary private secretary] to express discontent with the Chequers [plans] in votes tomorrow. I had to think who I wanted to see in the mirror for the rest of my life. I cannot tell the people of Woxon that I support the proposals in their current form. Getty Brexit casualties Scott Mann - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. "I fear elements of the Brexit white paper will inevitably put me in direct conflict with the views expressed by a large section of my constituents. I am not prepared to compromise their wishes to deliver a watered-down Brexit. "The residents of North Cornwall made it very clear that they wish to have control over our fishery, our agricultural policy, our money, our laws and our borders. I will evaluate those principles against the Brexit white paper and ensure that I vote in line with their wishes." Rex While denying the army was being prepared, the spokesman did not dispute that Britain's grocers have had no contact with the government about stockpiling food. Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary, suggested last week that it would be an industry responsibility to ensure adequate food supplies but supermarket chiefs said it showed naivety about how the sector operated and were in the dark. The Food and Drink Federation said it would very much welcome a conversation with the government, if it was being asked to take charge of the process. Asked if the food industry had been told it would be leading the work, the spokesman said only: There have been discussions with all sectors of business since the Brexit process began. He also refused to say whether the government would publish an analysis setting out the impact of a no-deal Brexit on EU countries. Steve Baker has revealed that, before he resigned as a Brexit minister over the Chequers plan, he commissioned research intended to shine a light on the negative consequences across the Channel. Asked if this research would be published, the spokesman said: I would urge you to wait until the no-deal reports are published before speculating on their contents. Ms May is on holiday in the Italian Lakes, leaving her de facto deputy David Lidington as the senior government figure in the UK. No 10 defended ministers taking holidays despite the tense state of the Brexit talks, saying: The prime minister and other ministers are always fully engaged with their briefs. The UK should consider introducing ID cards after Brexit to avoid another Windrush-style scandal, a think tank has said. ID cards are nothing new for EU citizens arriving in the UK, all of whom have to apply for registration documentation. But the think tank Policy Exchange suggested the system should be extended to UK-born citizens. It argues that Brexit marks a natural point at which to reform the UKs immigration system. ID cards are a controversial topic, however, with opponents arguing that they infringe civil liberties. Tony Blairs government brought in a 5bn ID card scheme in 2006 but it was scrapped by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition just four years later. David Goodhart, Policy Exchanges head of demography, immigration and integration, said he believed ID cards were necessary but acknowledged that people would be wary and said ID cards should be phased in voluntarily. We strongly recommend reopening the debate about ID management to reassure people that we know who is in the country, for how long, and what their entitlements are, said Mr Goodhart. A proper national ID system would have prevented the harassment of the Windrush victims, he added. Sajid Javid answers questions on Windrush cases Other ideas put forward by Policy Exchange include reducing the cost of citizenship application fees and an amnesty for illegal immigrants who have been in the UK for 10 years or more. Such policies would de-incentivise illegal immigration, said Mr Goodhart. Your guide to immigration rhetoric Show all 5 1 /5 Your guide to immigration rhetoric Your guide to immigration rhetoric dripim.jpg The media have been impartial in their coverage of the 'immigration crisis' PA Your guide to immigration rhetoric keith-vaz.jpg Welcome to England: The Eastern European migrants were so determined to take advantage of the relaxed border controls that nothing, yes absolutely nothing, would act as a deterrent Your guide to immigration rhetoric romanians.jpg The Mail rightly points out the 'mass movement'. As many as six Romanians may be in London already. Your guide to immigration rhetoric keith vaz immigration.jpg Bloody foreigners, coming over here, taking all our conjecture Your guide to immigration rhetoric british-bar.jpg We'll be campaigning for all immigrants out of the UK from the Costa del Sol, ta very much! PA He added: Illegal immigration is not only unfair on legal immigrants who wait their turn in the queue and the employers and businesses who play (and pay) by the rules; it also fosters a twilight world of criminality, dependence and exploitation in which modern slavery flourishes. Combating illegal immigration should be overtly linked to minimum wage enforcement, private landlord licensing and action against modern slavery. While a general amnesty for the estimated 500,000 illegal residents here would send the wrong signal, some form of regularisation should also be considered for those who have been here for more than 10 years, who are now part of their communities with ties to the UK and often become the focus of grassroots campaigns. The trial of Donald Trumps campaign chairman is expected to tell of extravagant spending and secret shell companies funelling millions of dollars of Ukrainian money into the political consultants bank account. But no details about whether the presidential campaign colluded with Moscow during the 2016 election are set to emerge. Paul Manaforts financial crimes court case will revolve around his Ukrainian consulting work and broadly steer away from his involvement with the presidents campaign. Nevertheless, the implications of the high-profile case are expected to be far-reaching. The trial, the first arising from an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, will give highly-anticipated insights into the evidence gathered by the former FBI director and his team. Opening on Tuesday, the trial will hear testimony about the business dealings and foreign ties of a man Mr Trump entrusted with his campaign. Prosecutors have said they could call 35 witnesses, including five who have immunity agreements, as they try to prove Mr Manafort laundered more than $30m (22.9m) in Ukrainian political consulting proceeds and evaded US taxes. The 69-year-old denies all the charges. I continue to maintain my innocence, he said earlier this year in a public statement. Jurors are expected to see photographs of his Mercedes-Benz and of his Hampton property complete with waterfall pond, putting green and swimming pool. There is also likely to be testimony about high-end antiques, rugs, art and New York Yankees season tickets. The lavish lifestyle was funded by Mr Manaforts political consulting for the pro-Russian Ukrainian political party of Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed as Ukraines president in 2014. Mr Manaforts former deputy, Rick Gates, is to testify against him after making a plea deal with prosecutors. Mr Manafort is the only American charged to choose a trial rather than cooperating with the government. The other 31 individuals charged have either reached plea agreements, including ex-White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, or are Russians seen as unlikely to enter an American courtroom. Three Russian companies have also been charged. Lawyers have clashed over how much jurors will hear of his overseas political work, particularly about his ties to Russia and other wealthy political figures. At a recent hearing, US District Judge TS Ellis III, who will preside over the trial, warned prosecutors to restrain themselves and pointing to the current antipathy towards Russia. Most people in this country dont distinguish between Ukrainians and Russians, he said. Jurors will not be told about Mr Manaforts other criminal case in Washington where he faces charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and lying to the government. Nor will they hear why he has jailed since last month, after a judge revoked his house arrest over allegations he and a longtime associate attempted to tamper with witnesses in the case. They will not learn that Mr Manaforts co-defendant in the Washington case is a business associate named Konstantin Kilimnik, who lives in Russia and who US authorities assert has connections to Russian intelligence. There is speculation Mr Manafort, who faces prison sentences totalling up to 305 years if convicted on all counts, may be relying on receiving a pardon from the US president. Perhaps he believes that hes done nothing wrong, and because hes done nothing wrong, hes unwilling to plead guilty to any crime whatsoever even if its a lesser crime, said Jimmy Gurule, a law professor and former federal prosecutor. Obviously, thats very risky for him. Mr Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly sought to play down Mr Manaforts connection to the president, however the trial will reference the presidential campaign briefly, with Mr Muellers team arguing the job was relevant to some of the bank fraud charges. Prosecutors plan to present evidence that a chairman of one of the banks allowed MR Manafort to file inaccurate loan information in exchange for a job on the campaign and the promise of a job in the Trump administration. The administration job never materialised. Mr Muellers team has pressed for an interview with Mr Trump, but he has refused, branding the investigation a witch hunt. Additional reporting by Associated Press Labour is facing calls to suspend a member of its ruling executive after he was recorded telling a key meeting that reports of antisemitism in the party were being "made up" by Jewish "Trump fanatics". Peter Willsman, a long-standing supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, appeared to say he would not "be lectured to" by "people in the Jewish community" who he claimed support Donald Trump. He also said Labour should demand that nearly 70 rabbis who wrote an open letter raising concerns over left-wing antisemitism provide evidence for their claims. The comments are believed to have been made at a meeting of Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) earlier this month, at which the ruling body controversially voted to amend an internationally-recognised definition of antisemtism for use in the party's new code of conduct. Recommended Labour MPs back internationally recognised antisemitism definition The Jewish Labour Movement made a formal complaint about the comments and a Jewish Labour MP called for Mr Willsman to be suspended, but he is believed to have escaped a formal disciplinary inquiry after apologising for the remarks. Speaking during the meeting, Mr Willsman is reported to have described the 68 rabbis' claims about "severe and widespread" anti-Jewish sentiment in Labour as "simply false" and said he had never witnessed any antisemitism in the party According to the Jewish Chronicle, which published an audio recording of the rant, he said: "Some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump. They're Trump fanatics and all the rest of it. I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up fast information without any evidence at all. "So I think we should ask the 70 rabbis: where is your evidence of severe and widespread antisemitism in this party?" The recording begins with him appearing to question the authenticity of antisemitic comments posted online, saying: "They can falsify social media very easily." Later on, he can be heard angrily asking members of the NEC to raise their hands if they have ever witnessed antisemitism in the Labour Party. When several appear to have done so, he says: "I'm amazed. I've certainly never seen any." Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP Labour MP Luciana Berger, the parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), demanded that the party suspend Mr Willsman pending the outcome of a formal investigation. She said: "Anyone listening to this recording will be appalled to hear the venom and fury directed by Mr Willsman at the British Jewish community. "That he accuses the Jewish community of falsifying social media and being 'Trump fanatics' in order to deny the serious concerns of 68 rabbis beggars belief." She added: "Mr Willsman only has to take a look at his NEC papers or the many recent press reports to see evidence of antisemitism in the Labour Party. "In the past week alone two Labour councillors have been suspended and the party have confirmed that 252 people are being investigated for the comments theyve made online directed at Dame Margaret Hodge MP. "Now an accurate record of this diatribe has been identified the party should urgently conduct a formal investigation of this conduct and suspend him today." In response to their complaint, Jennie Formby, Labour's general secretary, told JLM she had written to Mr Willsman "reminding him about the high standard of conduct we expect from all members - particularly those serving on the party's governing body". She added: "I have made clear any repetition of similar conduct is likely to result in formal disciplinary action." Mr Willsman is currently seeking re-election to the NEC as part of a slate of nine left-wing candidates who are calling themselves the "JC 9" in reference to their support for Mr Corbyn. Margaret Hodge speaks about being on the receiving end of antisemitism as a Labour MP In his apology, he said: At the NEC... I spoke in support of the decision to confirm the adoption of the code of conduct on antisemitism and to reopen development of the code in consultation with Jewish community organisations. "Not all of what I said has been accurately reported. "But I accept that what I did say, and the way I said it, fell short of the requirement, which I accept, for discussions of contentious issues to be conducted in a fully civil and respectful way. "I deeply apologise for any offence caused to those present and those to whom my remarks were reported." The row over anti-Jewish abuse in Labour has deepened in recent weeks after the party decided not to replicate the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in its new code of conduct. It has not directly incorporated four of the IHRA's examples of antisemitism that relate to criticism of Israel, such as suggesting Jews are more loyal to the Jewish state than their home country, or comparing Israeli policies to those of the Nazis. The Labour leadership insists its code of conduct goes further than the IHRA definition and says the four examples that were not directly adopted have been incorporated elsewhere in the document. Families with babies, elderly people in wheelchairs and carried by relatives, men and women in brightly coloured outfits and their Sunday best Zimbabwean society in all its richness came out in overwhelming numbers for a landmark election. This is like 1980, the election after independence, my first as a free man, said Josiah Tambara, as a long line formed outside the polling station in Harare on Monday morning. It is the same kind of feeling of something really important happening. Mr Tambara added: The difference is at the time there was also so much hope. This time there is fear that things could get even worse if we do not get it right. God has given us this second chance. I keep telling the young generation they must vote and not throw away this opportunity. A former guerilla fighter against white rule, the 70-year-old adds that he is not overly impressed with Nelson Chamisa, the 40-year-old leader of the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) alliance but he is still voting for him. I think he has been saying some silly things in the rallies and he is disrespectful and insulting to people. But it is time for a change. I only hope he learns some wisdom and governs well if he wins, he said. Otherwise he would not last the full five years; the mood of the people is that they would not tolerate a leader who lied to them. Mr Tambara insisted that his decision was not influenced by the dramatic intervention of Robert Mugabe on the day before polling. The former president made his first public appearance since he was overthrown eight months ago in an extraordinary press conference to announce that he would not support Zanu-PF, the party he once led, and its candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa, endorsing Mr Chamisa instead. I just think it is time to give the young a chance. After all, we the old ones have not done too well for this country if you think about it Josiah Tambara, former guerrilla fighter Comrade Mugabe was our commander in the war and he sacrificed a lot to get us freedom. I know some friends who were undecided who went for Chamisa after listening to Comrade Robert. But I make up my own mind, Mr Tambara said. I just think it is time to give the young a chance. After all, we the old ones have not done too well for this country if you think about it. But age does not appear to be a deciding factor for many voters in this election. At the polling station in Kawadzara, where Mr Tambara offered support, albeit qualified, to Mr Chamisa and where the MDC leader himself voted yesterday, a number of young people were backing ED 75-year-old Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Show all 55 1 /55 In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate after officials announced the re-election of President Emmerson Mnangagwa Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters celebrate at the Harare International Convention Centre in the early hours Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters sing and dance soon after the announcement EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters sing and dance soon after the results of the Presidential elections were announced at the Harare International Convention Centre EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A vendor sells sponges near newspaper headlines on the streets of Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the newly reelected Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate in Mbare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man reads a Zimbabwean newspaper the day after the violence on the streets of Harare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A soldier fires shots towards demonstrators AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A wounded man reacts at the sight of soldiers while taking shelter in a stall at a market in Harare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) light a fire in the streets of Harare. Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers open fire to disperse crowds of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change supporters outside the party's headquarters in Harare REUTERS In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Opposition MDC party supporters hold a voting placard up high on a street in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of Zimbabwean opposition MDC Alliance allegedly beaten up by soldiers sits with blood on his face as other protesters assist him AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A vendor scurries for cover with her wares as soldiers disperse demonstrators AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A wounded man hides under a tarpauling while the Zimbabwean Army patrols the streets of Harare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Anti-riot police officers close the entrance to the Rainbow Towers, where the election results were announced in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers open fire on citizens REUTERS In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Citizens run the Zimbabwean army during protests in Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) protest the result of the election, which they allege to be fraudulent Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare as police fire tear gas AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A soldier assaults a man on the streets of Harare during protests AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean anti riot police officers sit in a truck amidst protesters on the streets of Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Citizens run from riot police amidst protests in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers patrol the streets during protests in Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A Zimbabwean soldier beats a man on the streets of Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man lies dead after the Zimbabwean army shot at protesters in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of the opposition party protests in the streets of Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean soldiers beats an opposition supporter on the streets of Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare as police fire tear gas Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition burn a campaign banner of the ruling Zanu-PF party Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man casts his vote in Mbare, a suburb of Zimbabwean capital Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A police officer keeps watch of queuing voters in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters stand in line outside a polling station in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Election officials remove political posters near a polling station on voting day Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Oppostion leader Nelson Chamisa arrives at a polling station in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Oppostion leader Nelson Chamisa casts his vote AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa arrives to cast his vote in Kwekwe Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa casts his vote AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters stand in line outside a polling station in Kwekwe AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman prays outside a polling station in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters arrive at a polling station in Harare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Former president Robert Mugabe prepares to cast his vote in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman casts her vote in Mbare, a suburb of capital Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman casts her vote in the township of Makokoba Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A police officer casts his vote in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman prays near a polling station in Mbare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man casts his vote in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Former president Robert Mugabe speaks at a press conference the day before the vote where he stated that he would not be voting for his former Zanu-PF party Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of the opposition MDC party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 EPA I voted for ED because he is experienced, he has been around for a very long time. He can look at the mistakes which have been made, policies which are wrong and put things right, said 31-year-old Tonderai Muzunze. Chamisa is too young, he hasnt done anything, maybe he should come back when he has had some experience and well think again. Rutendo Kudzai, 26, echoed this view. ED knows about government, he has been in charge as [acting] president for just some months, and he is already improving things slowly. We should give him a chance. Both Mr Muzunze, an electronic technician, and Ms Kudzai, a nurse, are unemployed and both felt job-creation must be the priority for whoever wins the election. You have a generation being wasted, Mr Muzunze pointed out. Chamisa is too young, he hasn't done anything, maybe he should come back when he has had some experience and we'll think again Tonderai Muzunze Both voters also felt that there will be no overall winner at the poll, with the decision coming at a second round in September. Mr Chamisa declared when he arrived to vote: This is a great moment for Zimbabwe. The people have spoken, I know we are winning, I know we have won. Later he claimed that victory could be snatched from him by attempts to suppress and frustrate in urban areas where the opposition is expected to do well, and vote-rigging in the rural regions where Zanu-PF is strong. Mr Chamisa was trailing Mr Mnangagwa, who was Mr Mugabes vice president, by three points in the last days of the campaign, although he had been attracting far larger crowds for his speeches. One MDC official, Denver Mudima, however, was concerned that the rallies may not translate fully into votes. Many of the young may not have registered, he worriedly muttered. The MDC leader had warned that there would be rolling street protests if he and the party were denied victory by an electoral commission which he claims is biased in favour of Zanu-PF, although he had also said, at times, that the protests would be peaceful. That was not, however, a guarantee that some of his supporters were prepared to give. At the polling station at Highfield, where Mr Mugabe voted, many MDC voters were convinced that there would be fraud. Zanu-PF has never given up power and why should they do so easily this time? asked 52-year-old Jairus Mujei. Maybe they will try to put it off for a second round, this gives them more time to manipulate. But if the election is stolen then there will be war, he said, holding up a rifle: Mugabe stole elections, we cant let that happen again, those days have gone. Mr Mugabe however, got a warm reception when he came to vote with a small crowd chanting support. It was the first time he was doing so without being a candidate: the 94-year-old former president walked with some difficulty, supported by his wife Grace, but raised a clenched fist before entering the polling station at Mofu Primary School, where an assistant helped him fill in the ballot paper. We miss him, he has been there all my life, its strange that he has gone, said 23-year-old Joyce Muto, dabbing her eyes. Mr Mnangagwa was casting his vote at his home town of KweKwe to a very different reception. There was no cheering or clapping as he arrived and people stood with arms folded, many grim-faced, as his motorcade left. The acting president responded to Mr Mugabes attack on him saying: He is a private citizen, he can engage with me anytime. His focus, he added, was to create a Zimbabwe where people have the right to express their views, positive or negative. Former leader Mugabe arrives to vote in Zimbabwe election KweKwe had been the scene of confrontation and violence between Zanu-PF and MDC over many years, with people killed and injured, driven out and their homes destroyed. Shadreck Tobaiwa, a former MDC mayor of the town, recalled assaults, systematic intimidation and threats to kill. I remember the warning I got that they were going to burn down my house, they came after three days of worry for me and my family, and it was a full attack by a very large gang. We had to fight them off with no help from the police who acted as agents of Zanu-PF at the time, recalled Mr Tobaiwa. This was just one of many instances of such violence. People have long memories and Mr Mnangagwa is not particularly welcome here. What will happen at this election? In 2008, MDC had won the first round and Zanu-PF then organised days of violence. We had to drop out of the second round to avoid any more violence, said Mr Tobaiwa. There are perhaps too many international eyes watching this election for that to happen again. Lets really hope that is the case. Firefighters in northern California have finally begun gaining ground on the massive wildfire that has claimed at least six lives after doubling over the weekend fuelled by hot, dry conditions and swift winds that pushed the flames. As those workers, spread thin by the unrelenting conditions, fight to contain the fire that has left a charred area the size of Denver in its wake, the tragic stories of people trying to save their loved ones have begun to unfold, as at least seven people still remain missing in the region amid thousands of evacuations. The family of a 70-year-old woman and two children killed by the massive fires, for instance, described the final moments of their loved ones, with the woman trying in vain to save her two great-grandchildren using a wet blanket at their house outside of Redding. Recommended TV station forced to evacuate live on air during California wildfires The victims were identified by relatives as James Roberts, five, his sister Emily, four, and their great grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70. Ms Bledsoes granddaughter, Amanda Woodley, said on Facebook: Grandma did everything she could to save them, she was hovered over them both with a wet blanket. The family that lives in town are all together mourning three amazing souls. My heart is crushed I cant believe this is real. California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Show all 45 1 /45 California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters try to limit the spread of the Carr Fire by backburning, a process by which areas in the path of a fire are burned up in advance to rob the fire of its fuel Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A street is devastated by the Carr Fire in the town of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A truck burned by the Delta Fire is abandoned along interstate 5 AFP/Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 This image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration highlights the major fire AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Ranch Fire spots out ahead of the main fire in Spring Valley, burning two homes AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A picture taken by German astronaut and geophysicist Alexander Gerst, showing wildfires in the state of California as seen from the International Space Station AFP/Getty/ESA/Alexander Gerst California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Evacuees from Lucerne, from left, Ken Bennett with Ember Reynolds, 8, and Lisa Reynolds watch the sunset as smoke from the Ranch Fire rises into the sky at Austin Park Beach in California's Clearlake with Mount Konocti in the background The Press Democrat via AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The memorial for Redding firefighter Jeremy Stoke AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 REUTERS California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Holy Jim volunteer firefighter Luke Senger stands next to a home destroyed the Holy Fire in Trabuco Canyon AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters try to stop the spread of a massive fire in Lake County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A woman walks out of the water after taking a dip as smoke rises in the distance from the Holy Fire in Cleveland National Forest Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A pyrocumulus cloud (or cloud of fire) explodes in the Carr fire near the town of Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Trees set alight near Whiskeytown Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 An firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant to slow the spread of the River Fire near Lakeport Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A firefighter lights backfires in an attempt to limit the spread of the Ranch Fire Reuters California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters light backfires to defend houses in the town Upper Lake from the Ranch Fire Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Flames consume a home in Lakeport AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Ranch Fire spread towards the town of Upper Lake AFP/Getty Images California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A firefighter lights a backfire in the city of Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns near Whiskeytown AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters try to limit the spread of the Carr Fire by backburning Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Flames flare in the Cajon Pass near San Bernardino AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 An firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant to slow the spread of the River Fire near Lakeport Reuters California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A schoolhouse burns in the Carr Fire in Shasta County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 by the city of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A car is seen amongst the devastation left by the Cranston Fire EPA California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A firefighter waters down a backfire on Cloverdale Road in Igo AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters convene while battling the Carr Fire in Shasta County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters assess the damage in San Bernardino County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 by the city of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 in Shasta County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The land around Mountain Centre has been left devastated by the Cranston Fire EPA California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters battle the Carr Fire in the town of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A home burns in Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Cranston Fire burns south of Idyllwild AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns through the town of Shasta AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A home burns in Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A collection of antique cars has been destroyed by the fire in the town of Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A home on Sunflower Road in Redding burns in the Carr Fire Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A helicopter aids utility workers as they work to repair burned power lines EPA California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A home burns in Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 by the city of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Sunflower Road in Redding burns in the Carr Fire Getty The childrens mother, Sherry Bledsoe, was quoted by the Sacramento Bee as saying: My kids are deceased. Thats all I can say. Ms Bledsoes husband cried as he recalled trying to get back to the house on Thursday after leaving to go to the shop. Ed Bledsoe discovered police had already closed the roads and he was not allowed through. He said he spoke to the children on the phone until they succumbed to the fire. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told a news conference near the city of Redding at the edge of the blaze on Sunday one more person had been killed in a residence consumed by fire, bringing the total to six, including two firefighters. He said the latest victim had not complied with an evacuation order. Positioned around 150 miles (240 km) north of Sacramento, the Carr Fire is the deadliest of the 90 wildfires burning across the US. Wildfires have blackened 4.4 million acres (1.8 million hectares) of land in total so far this year, around 20 per cent more than the average. More than 3,000 firefighters battling the Carr Fire had begun to make progress on Sunday afternoon, cutting containment lines around 17 per cent of its perimeter, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Gale force winds that drove the fire into a frenzy last week have eased, but temperatures are again expected to exceed 37.8C, according to the National Weather Service. Even so, firefighters say they still face difficult conditions on the western flank of the blaze, where the terrain is steep and the air is thick with smoke. Thats why we need to fly, Dominic Polito, who works for the Escondido Fire Department, said in an interview. We can still use helicopters, but we cant use the fixed-wing aircraft. Firefighting officials on Sunday said they would begin to return people to their homes as soon as possible. The fire grew rapidly beginning on Thursday, confounding fire officials with the speed of its movement. All told, nearly 1,000 buildings have been destroyed in the blaze, which has prompted President Donald Trump to issue an emergency declaration that allowed federal money to be spent on efforts to contain the fire. Included in those 1,000 buildings was the entire town of Kenswick, where 450 people live. Meanwhile, residents have also been rushing to keep their horses and livestock safe from the blaze as it runs through the rugged region known usually as a popular fishing destination. Additional reporting by Reuters The CBS board of trustees has elected not to suspend longtime CEO Les Moonves during its investigation into sexual harassment claims against him at least for the time being. The board convened on Monday in response to an explosive article detailing six womens allegations against Mr Moonves, as well as claims that the network responded inadequately to sexual harassment by its other employees. The board was reportedly considering whether or not to suspend Mr Moonves, who has led the company for more than two decades. On Monday evening, the company released a statement saying the board was "in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation". Recommended CBS investigating sexual misconduct claims against CEO Les Moonves "No other action was taken on this matter at todays board meeting," the company said, adding that its annual stockholders meeting would be postponed. The companys fell by approximately 4.5 per cent on Monday, amid uncertainty over who would lead the company. The loses followed a 6 per cent slide in CBS stock on Friday, when the allegations first surfaced. In article published Friday in the New Yorker , four women claimed Mr Moonves had forcibly kissed or touched them during business meetings from the 1980s to the late 2000s. Two more women who worked with Mr Moonves said he had physically or verbally intimidated them in the same time period. Among the accusers were Emmy-nominated actress Illeana Douglas, writer Janet Jones, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days producer Christine Peters. 'Me Too' movement - thousands of women take to social media In a statement, Mr Moonves acknowledged making advances in the past that may have made women uncomfortable. But he said that he had always understood and respected and abided by the principle that no means no. He added that he had never misused his position to hinder anyones career, and claimed to have promoted a culture of respect and opportunity for all employees at CBS. The 68-year-olds alma mater, Bucknell University, removed references to Mr Moonves from its website over the weekend. University President John Bravman said in a letter to students and staff that the school "will not stand for sexual misconduct on campus or beyond, according to PennLive.com. Mr Moonves gave the school's commencement address in 2016, according to its website. The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Show all 12 1 /12 The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Anne Hathaway The 32-year-old actress said she has already experiences job rejections because of her age. Now I'm in my early thirties and I'm like, 'Why did that 24-year-old get that part? I was that 24-year-old once. I can't be upset about it, it's the way things are, she told Glamour. EPA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Helen Mirren On news that Maggie Gyllenhaal had been turned down for being too old, aged 37, to play a 55-year-old mans partner: Its f***ing outrageous. Its ridiculous. Honestly, its so annoying. And twas ever thus. We all watched James Bond as he got more and more geriatric, and his girlfriends got younger and younger. Its so annoying. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Maggie Gyllenhaal Gyllenhaal revealed she was told by a Hollywood producer that she was too old, aged 37, to play the love interest of a 55-year-old man. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made feel angry, and then it made me laugh, she said at the time. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Meryl Streep Meryl Streep has helped fund an all-female screenwriters group called The Writers Lab to encourage more women to pen Hollywood scripts. She previously told Vogue in 2011: Once women pass childbearing age they could only be seen as grotesque on some level. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Emma Thompson The actress said she thought Hollywood is still completely s*** when it comes to treating women equally to men. When I was younger, I really did think we were on our way to a better world. And when I look at it now, it is in a worse state than I have known it, particularly for women, and I find that very disturbing and sad. EPA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Elizabeth Banks Banks said she was driven from acting to directing due to the lack of roles for older women in Hollywood. "[Industry sexism] drove me to direct for sure. I definitely was feeling that I was unfulfilled and a little bit bored by the things that were coming across my desk. I mean look at Gwyneth Paltrow who has her Oscar [for Shakespeare in Love] and played fifth banana to Iron Man, she told Deadline. PA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Viola Davis I had never seen a 49-year-old, dark-skinned woman who is not a size 2 be a sexualised role in TV or film. I'm a sexual woman, but nothing in my career has ever identified me as a sexualised woman. I was the prototype of the mommified role, she told The Hollywood Reporter. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Liv Tyler The Lord of the Rings actress said she only get cast in roles where she is treated as a second class citizen at the age of 38. When youre in your teens or twenties, there is an abundance of ingenue parts which are exciting to play. But at [my age], youre usually the wife or the girlfriend - a sort of second-class citizen. There are more interesting roles for women when they get a bit older, she told More magazine. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Cate Blanchett The actress famously called out sexism on the red carpet at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards. When a camera operator scanned her up and down, she said: Do you do this to the guys? In her Oscar acceptance speech for Blue Jasmine, she reminded the film industry that movies with leading women can still be successful. And thank you to... those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films, with women at the centre, are niche experiences. They are not -- audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people. Gareth Cattermole/Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Ellen Page Asked if she had ever encountered sexism in Hollywood, Page told The Guardian: Oh my God, yeah! It's constant! It's how you're treated, it's how you're looked at, how you're expected to look in a photoshoot, it's how you're expected to shut up and not have an opinion, it's how you... If you're a girl and you don't fit the very specific vision of what a girl should be, which is always from a man's perspective, then you're a little bit at a loss. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Zoe Saldana The actress says she refuses roles where she has to play the generic girlfriend, wife or sexy bombshell. "It's very hard being a woman in a man's world, and I recognised it was a man's world even when I was a kid. It's an inequality and injustice that drove me crazy, and which I always spoke out against and I've always been outspoken, she told Manhattan magazine. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Charlize Theron The actress spoke to ELLE about negotiating equal pay for the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel: "This is a good time for us to bring this to a place of fairness, and girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing. It doesn't mean that you hate men. It means equal rights. If you're doing the same job, you should be compensated and treated in the same way." Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Mr Moonves has had a successful television career of more than three decades, starting with his role as a executive at 20th Century Fox. He later moved on to Warner Bros Television, and then to CBS, which quickly became one of the most-watched networks in the country. His wife, Julie Chen, defended her husband in a statement on Friday, calling him a good man and a loving father. He has always been a kind, decent and moral human being, said Ms Chen, the host of CBSs Big Brother. I fully support my husband and stand behind him and his statement. CBS also came under fire this weekend over allegations that it had promoted male employees who were the subject of sexual misconduct suits. The company said in a statement that it took reports of sexual misconduct very seriously". But it claimed the New Yorker failed to paint an accurate picture of a larger organisation that does its best to treat its tens of thousands of employees with dignity and respect. We are seeing vigorous discourse in our country about equality, inclusion, and safety in the workplace, and CBS is committed to being part of the solution to those important issues, the company said. The reports about Mr Moonves are the latest in a string of allegations against powerful Hollywood figures accused of sexual misconduct. Film producer Harvey Weinstein is currently facing sexual assault charges in New York, while CBS anchor Charlie Rose was fired over sexual harassment allegations in November. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Paul Manafort, the one-time head of the campaign to elect Donald Trump as president, is about to stand trial on charges arising from Robert Mueller's investigation into potential Russian interference in US politics - the outcome of which could be highly significant for the president. Who is Paul Manafort? After becoming involved with the Trump campaign in spring 2016, political operative Paul Manafort took over from Corey Lewandowski as campaign manager in June the same year. Manafort can undoubtedly be considered a Washington insider. His lobbying firm Black, Manafort and Stone was a mainstay of 1980s US politics. It was dubbed the ultimate supermarket of influence peddling by Time Magazine. Manaforts presence partially undermined Trumps claims that he was the insurgent candidate. He was replaced by the then-chair of Breitbart News, Steve Bannon, in August 2016 after questions arose about his prior work in Ukraine. Trump had also begun to slide in the polls against Hillary Clinton. What are the charges against him? Manafort, currently held in custody, is due to stand trial twice in the next few months on charges arising from the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller. The first trial in Virginia relates to charges of tax evasion and bank fraud. The second is a federal trial due to take place in Washington DC in September. This relates to charges that Manafort failed to register as a foreign agent when conducting political work in the Ukraine and that he laundered millions of dollars. Ex-MI6 agent behind Trump Russia dossier breaks silence He eventually registered his work, but not until June 2017. Manafort was indicted in October 2017, along with Richard Gates, his former assistant. Gates has since signed a plea deal with Mueller. In doing so, Gates pleaded guilty to conspiracy, deliberately failing to register foreign political work and making false statements to the FBI at Muellers office about a 2013 meeting involving Manafort, a member of congress, and a lobbying firm by erroneously claiming that Ukraine was not discussed. Manafort, however, has consistently denied the charges against him. Originally granted bail, Manafort was taken into custody in June for violating the terms of his bail by contacting trial witnesses. How does all this relate to Trump? Besides the fact that the charges against Manafort arose from a special counsel investigating the work of the Trump campaign, it seems likely that the trials themselves will provide testimony and evidence that could feed back into the Mueller investigation. Such testimony and evidence could, for example, relate to what Manafort and others knew about any inappropriate behaviour by members of the Trump campaign and the alleged Russian attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election. There is also the possibility that Manafort could strike a plea deal, which could be detrimental to Trump and those around him. Potentially crucial in this regard is what occurred during a meeting attended by Manafort, a Russian lawyer with alleged links to the Kremlin, Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, and Trumps son Donald Trump Jr., and others in Trump Tower on June 9, 2016. Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Show all 29 1 /29 Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election St Petersburg, Moscow Station Russia's imperial capital is the starting point of our journey Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Chudovo market Chudovo was one of the first stops of Radishchev's journey Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Chudovo market "They say the fish rot from the head down" Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election On the way out of Chudovo Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Polling station "We choose our president, we choose our future" Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Sergei Mikhailov "People have become fussy and want clear water" Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Radishchevo village "Life is just great" Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Veliky Novgorod Once the seat of a forward-looking republic Russia's first experiment with democracy Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Veliky Novgorod Once the seat of a forward-looking republic Russia's first experiment with democracy Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Veliky Novgorod Once the seat of a forward-looking republic Russia's first experiment with democracy Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Veliky Novgorod Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Navalny HQ Navalny's activists continue campaign despite their leader being barred from the elections Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Navalny HQ Fake election newspaper "Putin's Pravda" Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Roadside cafe, Proletary, Novgorod Oblast "Thatcher was a bitch, but I liked her. This one is just a bitch" Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Service station, Valdai Propaganda keeping pace every step of the way Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Trucker's cafe, Yedrovo Two years ago, truckers staged a protest against new road taxes. Today, many of them are choosing to stay away from the elections Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Trucker's cafe, Yedrovo Two years ago, truckers staged a protest against new road taxes. Today, many of them are choosing to stay away from the elections Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Trucker's cafe, Yedrovo Two years ago, truckers staged a protest against new road taxes. Today, many of them are choosing to stay away from the elections Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Some roads lead to Moscow Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Along the road to Vyshny Volochyok Mikhail, an Afghan veteran, is proud of his mushrooms Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Along the road to Vyshny Volochyok Pensioners are the group most likely to vote on Sunday and most of them for Vladimir Putin Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Vyshny Volochyok The Soviet Union is still viewed by many as a golden era with social welfare and stability Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Nelle's Shop, Tver "People have cut back on the fags, but you won't see them turning away from alcohol they'd sooner steal it than go without" Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Polling Station, Tver Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Car scrapyard, Tver Peace to the world! Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Proletarian Courtyard, Tver Rats, black mould and communal living Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Proletarian Courtyard, Tver Rats, black mould and communal living Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Proletarian Courtyard, Tver Rats, black mould and communal living Dmitry Markov Welcome to the real Russia, on eve of election Grandma Masha "Help me! Ill get on my knees to beg you" Dmitry Markov Manafort is said to have attended the meeting after being forwarded an email chain by Trump Jr. that contained an offer of documents and information that would incriminate Clinton from a Russian official. Responding to the offer, Trump Jr. said if its what you say it is I love it. Manafort has been quiet about the meeting, but Trump Jr. has continually denied the meeting was significant. Kushner and others have said the meeting was focused on the issue of US citizens adopting Russian children. Regardless of the tone of the meeting itself, the emails that led to it seem to show Trump Jr.s willingness to take possession of damaging material on Clinton from the Russian state. As such, any awareness Manafort may have of the meetings broader context is likely to interest Mueller, who has shown curiosity about the exchange. Why does it matter? Most obviously, Manaforts trials are the first to arise from Muellers investigation. That means at least parts of the process set in motion by the firing of FBI head James Comey in May 2017 are starting to move to some kind of end game. Regardless of whether Manafort strikes a plea deal, there is always the chance that Trump could issue a presidential pardon. This could solve an immediate problem for Trump and Manafort. However, there would surely be further questions about the rationale for a pardon and it could provide significant ammunition for Trumps opponents to deploy in the court of public opinion. The president may also decide to fire Mueller himself, triggering a new crisis. Finally, the timing of the trials is significant. One of the most important mid-term elections in recent times is just months away, meaning that any damaging information that comes could directly impact how votes are cast in November. Given that the Democrats are desperately trying to retake the House of Representatives, they are unlikely to miss any opportunity to exploit the trials for their own advantage in their attempt to dent Trumps power. Similarly, if Manafort is successful in defending himself and the trials lead to little new evidence coming to light, Trump and his supporters are likely to use it to their own advantage. This would feed into their narrative that the Russia story is overplayed and that nothing untoward occurred during the 2016 campaign. That narrative may enable them to defend their congressional majorities and entrench Republican power. The Conversation Paul Manafort is on trial as part of the FBI investigation into alleged collusion between the 2016 campaign team he managed for Donald Trump and Russian officials. He turned himself over to the FBI on 30 October 2017 and faced his indictment of 18 counts, mostly for fraud. Mr Manfort has not pleaded guilty to any of the charges brought on by special counsel Robert Mueller. Mr Manafort is the first of Mr Trumps former aides to go on trial and he faces a 30-year sentence at least. Experts have said the current charged political climate and the judge, Thomas Selby Ellis who is known to be hard on prosecutors, is playing a major role in the outcome of the trial as well. For his part, the president has called Mr Manafort a nice guy who has been treated unfairly by Mr Trumps opponents and the media. He has repeatedly denied any collusion and called the entire investigation a witch hunt on numerous occasions. Now at the start of its second week, the trial is expected to last approximately three weeks, with Mr Muellers part lasting roughly eight to 10 days. Who is Paul Manafort? The 69-year-old joined Mr Trumps presidential campaign as manager in June 2016, taking over from Corey Lewandowski shortly before Mr Trump officially became the Republican candidate. He resigned from Mr Trumps presidential campaign in August 2016 after it was discovered he may have illegally received $12m from Ukraines President Viktor Yanukovych. Donald Trump suggests he would override his legal team submit to interview with Robert Mueller Mr Manafort had allegedly been working for Mr Yanukovych since 2004. In February 2017, Mr Manaforts daughters Andrea, 31, and Jessica, 34, were hacked and several text messages were stolen from them, spanning between October 2012 through September 2016. The texts have been posted to a darknet hacker website, according to Politico. In one text, Andrea Manafort said to her sister: Dont fool yourself, that money we have is blood money. Ms Manafort may have been referring to her fathers alleged role in the February 2014 Kiev police shootings which resulted in the death of approximately 100 people deemed as pro-West protesters. Why is he on trial? He has been charged with 12 counts from the original October 2017 indictment: conspiracy against the US, conspiracy to launder money, being an unregistered foreign agent - namely for Ukraine, lying on foreign agent registration forms, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts as well as not paying taxes on that money. The indictment alleged both he and deputy campaign manager and his business partner Rick Gates "generated tens of millions of dollars of income as a result of their Ukraine work" from 2006 to 2016 and that in order to hide the profits from US authorities, they laundered the money. Donald Trump firing Robert Mueller would be the 'end of his presidency' says Senator Lindsey Graham Mr Mueller also accused the businessman with witness tampering. FBI Special Agent Brock Domin, in a declaration filed with Mr Muellers motion, said Mr Manafort had attempted to call, text, and send encrypted messages in February 2018 to two people from The Hapsburg Group, a firm he had worked with in the past when promoting the interests of Ukraine in the US. Agents have recovered telephone and text records from Mr Manaforts iCloud account as evidence of his contact with the two individuals, Mr Domin said. The longtime foreign political agent was under house arrest at the time of the suspected contact and the new charge prompted Judge Amy Berman to put him in jail instead of remaining on house arrest until the trial. What can we expect from the trial? There are 35 potential witnesses and, according to Reuters, many of them bankers and accountants expected to verify documents and speak to Manaforts alleged intent to violate the law. Five witnesses were granted immunity. Mr Manaforts lawyers have said they will not be presenting any evidence pertaining to the alleged collusion with Russian officials at the trial, despite their clients ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin through Mr Yanukovych and his past work. The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images Mr Muellers team has asked for permission to ask questions regarding his work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, however. The judge has not ruled as yet on that matter. How could this affect Mr Trump? It is suspected Mr Trumps former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen may be cooperating with Mr Muellers team. The potential information could lead prosecutors to make a direct connection between Mr Manaforts Russian ties and Mr Trumps campaign. Last month, Mr Mueller also revealed a $10m loan from Russian aluminium magnate Oleg Deripaska to Mr Manafort. Mr Gates, who pleaded guilty in February to the same charges and is cooperating with prosecutors in Mr Manaforts trial, is also a liability for the president because he spent several more months with the Trump campaign than his business partner. Thus far, Mr Muellers team has indicted or received guilty please from three companies, 12 Russian intelligence officials, and 32 individuals - including former campaign aide George Papadopoulos and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. At the verge of extinction, vaquita porpoises have fallen victim to continued organised crime and greed within the illegal wildlife trade of Chinas black market, marine biologists say. The vaquita, nicknamed the senorita of the sea or the panda of the ocean, is considered to be among the most endangered marine mammals in the world. Its been estimated theres fewer than 30 vaquitas left in the wild, with some estimations citing to a significantly smaller number than that. Marine experts have warned that ongoing illegal wildlife trade is having grave effects on the endangered species which live in Baja California, Mexico. Some fisherman illegally use gill nets to catch totoaba, a fish which also lives off Mexicos coast for its swim bladder, which is purported to have medicinal effects including boosting fertility. Lorenzo Rojas Bracho, head of the marine mammal conservation and research for the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC) in Mexico told CBS that the demand for totaba has skyrocketed and can sell for up to $10,000 in the Chinese market. As it turns out, gill nets used to catch totoaba inadvertently snare and kill vaquita, making the illegal practice detrimental to the species. Organised crime moving this product from Mexico to China, entering the black market and you have authorities, bribes... Mr Bracho said in an interview with CBS. Some fisherman illegally use gill nets despite the two-year ban enacted by Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto in 2015 and then a permanent ban in 2017. Ongoing use of gill nets have, as a result, killed vaquitas. Research on the vaquita by the Porpoise Conservation Society found that from 2011 to 2016, the population of the mammals had decreased by 90 per cent. While estimations have revealed that only 30 vaquitas were left last year, Mr Bracho told CBS that this year there are fewer than 15 left in the world. Pair of endangered wildcat kittens rescued in Scottish Highlands In an interview with Quartz in 2015, Mr Bracho called the totoabas swim bladder market the cocaine of the sea. As various reports and documentaries have worked to uncover the grave effects the illegal activity to capture totoaba have on the vaquita, efforts to save the endangered species have been underway. A team of marine biologists and experts formed VaquitaCPR in 2017, for example, to rescue vaquitas by transporting them into temporary human care until the use of all gill nets had been fully eliminated. But the team halted operations after one female vaquita later died after attempts to acclimate her to her new environment. She died in the arms of a team that had courageously gathered to give vaquitas a chance at survival, the team at VaquitaCPR wrote. Heartbroken and devastated, the team halted capture operations. The VaquitaCPR team has continued its efforts to save vaquitas, by focusing on efforts to prevent gill nets from entering the water. On its website, the team has proposed exploring alternative fishing methods not harmful to vaquitas. Can alternative fishing gear that does not kill vaquitas be developed in time to save the species? the website states. We cant save the vaquita and drive fishers to extinction. How do you fight an illegal fishery that offers wealth in a climate of poverty? We need all hands on deck to save not just the vaquita, but also the fishing communities in Baja. And we dont have a moment to spare. Hundreds of tourists who were stranded on Mount Rinjani on the Indonesian island of Lombok by an earthquake that killed 16 people and triggered landslides are making their way off the mountain. More than 250 people have reached a relief post in Sembalun village and a team of rescuers has reached hundreds more near the mountains crater, a local military official told Indonesian TV on Monday. The official, known as Arifianto, said some suffered light injuries and were traumatised, but most were in good condition. More than 335 people were injured when the magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on Sunday, setting off landslides on the mountain and blocking the usual paths out. Indonesian and foreign climbers walk down from Mount Rinjani at Sembalun village in Lombok, Indonesia (Antara Foto/Akbar Nugroho Gumay/via Reuters) (Reuters) Indonesias National Disaster Mitifagation Agency said nearly 690 people were stranded on Rinjani, an active volcano, based on figures from its entry gates where visitors are registered. Hundreds of trekkers in the crater in climbing areas couldnt come down when they wanted to, because the paths were covered by debris from landslides and there were fears of subsequent landslides, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the agency, told a news conference. Most of the trekkers are foreign from 26 countries, including more than 330 from Thailand. A number of Britons have been confirmed safe, the Foreign Office has said. Houses collapsed after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Lombok (EPA) On Monday, the national park authority said a key route to the peak of the 3,726m volcano had been cleared and a helicopter was dropping supplies to others still picking their way to safety. Arifianto, who uses one name, said rescuers will escort trekkers down the mountain. Indonesians elite special forces have also been deployed to speed up the evacuation. It typically takes two days and a night for trekkers to get to the crater rim of Rinjani and back down again, the national park says on its website. The magnitude 6.4 earthquake killed 16 and injured 335 (USGS) The quake, which was centred on the northern part of Lombok, damaged more than 1,400 houses and was felt on the resort island of Bali. Indonesias meteorology and geophysics agency recorded more than 270 aftershocks. The countrys president, Joko Jokowi Widodo, said the government would give each family whose home was destroyed 50 million rupiah (2,600) to rebuild. Local and foreign climbers walk down from Mount Rinjani during an evacuation after the earthquake in Lombok (EPA) Much like Bali, Lombok is known for its pristine beaches and mountains. Hotels and other buildings in both locations are not allowed to exceed the height of coconut trees. Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, which is located on the seismically active Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines on the rim of the Pacific Ocean. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami which killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. Additional reporting by agencies The controls of missing MH370 passenger jet were likely deliberately manipulated, Malaysian investigators have said, adding they cannot rule out unlawful interference by a third party. The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 veered off course and exhaustive searches of the southern Indian Ocean have failed to turn up its remains. It vanished with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on 8 March 2014. Now, safety investigators have released a fresh report into the flights mysterious disappearance but said conclusive answers could only be gained if the wreckage is eventually found. Recommended Investigator says MH370 pilot was likely unconscious as plane crashed The only confirmed traces of the aircraft have been three wing fragments washed up along the Indian Ocean coasts. Malaysian and international investigators have been looking into why the Boeing 777 jet veered thousands of miles off course from its scheduled route before eventually plunging into the Indian Ocean. Experts believe someone may have deliberately switched off MH370s transponder before diverting it over the Indian Ocean. The last communication from the plane was from the Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah who signed off with Good night, Malaysian three seven zero, as the plane left Malaysian airspace. Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, said as the new report was released that the history of the pilot and first officer had been examined, and experts were satisfied with their background, training and mental health. We are not of the opinion it could have been an event committed by the pilots, he said, but added investigators were not ruling out any possibility since the in-air turn back was done manually and the systems in the plane were also manually turned off. We cannot exclude that there was an unlawful interference by a third party such as the pilots being held hostage, Mr Kok said. But he added that no group has said it hijacked the plane and no ransom demands have been made, compounding the mystery. MH370 debris - in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French police officers carry a piece of debris from a plane in Saint-Andre, Reunion Island. AP MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Police carry a piece of debris from an unidentified aircraft found in the coastal area of Saint-Andre de la Reunion, in the east of the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion AFP PHOTO / YANNICK PITOUYANNICK PITOU/AFP/Getty Images MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris The plane part is being taken to France for further investigation Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French gendarmes and police inspect a large piece of plane debris which was found on the beach in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French gendarmes and police inspect a large piece of plane debris which was found on the beach in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Johnny Begue, a member of a local shore cleaning association, in Saint-Andre, French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, holds the remain of a suitcase found the day before on the same site Getty Images MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Searches continued on Friday for other possible MH370 debris along beaches on the island of Reunion AP He added all the passengers of the 15 countries had their backgrounds checked by their respective countries and all came back with a clean bill of health. Mr Kok said the latest investigation showed lapses by air traffic control, including a failure to swiftly initiate an emergency response and monitor radar continuously, relying too much on information from Malaysia Airlines and not getting in touch with the military for help. A 440-page final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) last year showed that Mr Zaharie had flown a route on his home flight simulator six weeks earlier that was initially similar to the one actually taken by MH370. A forensic report by the Malaysian police previously concluded that there were no unusual activities other than game-related flight simulations. A kangaroo broke into a family home and left it looking "like a scene from the movie Psycho", according to a wildlife rescuer who took in the creature. Manfred Zabinskas who has named the marsupial "Norman Bates" after the famous character from Alfred Hitchcock's classic film, said habitat loss could be among the factors behind its behaviour. After entering the home in Melbourne, Australia, the creature smashed windows and destroyed things in the property. In doing so, it suffered cuts to its paws and legs and left a trail of blood through the house. Eventually the family, who were unhurt, were able to lock the marsupial in the bathroom. Manfred Zabinskas, an animal rescuer who came to recover the wounded kangaroo, told The Independent that the loss of the animals habitats to residential areas could be one of the reasons behind the break-in. Mr Zanbinzkas named Norman Bates because the house looked like a scene from the movie Psycho was now in care at the Five Freedoms Animal Rescue shelter after being treated for his wounds. Norman is still in care at our licensed wildlife shelter and is having some trouble settling in, he said. Each kangaroo is different and some take longer than others to settle down and come to terms with captivity while they receive care and treatment. The family locked the kangaroo in the bathroom after it caused havoc in their home (Five Freedoms Animal Rescue) The panicked kangaroo left a trail of blood throughout the home (Five Freedoms Animal Rescue) In a separate interview with the BBC, he said the kangaroo may have been alarmed by a dog or passing car before he crashed into the house. He would have been in a complete panic and in desperation just run in the path of what would have looked like a passage home, and just gone through the window, he said. They do get into trouble in suburbia where weve got urban areas expanding into the fields where they live. Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras has visited the site of deadly wildfires outside Athens as criticism mounts over his governments response to the disaster. At least 91 people have died in what has become Europes deadliest forest fire in more than a century, officials in the country said. As many as 25 people are still unaccounted for. Mr Tsipras visited the coastal village of Mati, where dozens of people were killed in the worst of the fire, which swept through tourist resorts near the Greek capital after breaking out last week. Recommended The fires tearing through Greece are a direct result of corruption Today, I visited the site of the tragedy. I spoke with citizens, engineers, soldiers, firemen and volunteers, Mr Tsipras wrote on Twitter after his visit. Unspeakable grief and infinite respect for all those who waged an uneven battle with the flames, and are now waging the battle of restoration. However, some have criticised his government's response to the tragedy. When defence minister Panos Kammenos visited the area last week, he was heckled by distraught survivors. Authorities have also come under criticism for how buildings and roads were laid out in the area and an alleged lack of adequate preparation for fire season. Dozens dead in Greece wildfires More than 2,000 homes were damaged in the fire and roughly a quarter will have to be demolished, Greek officials said last week. Mr Tsipras has accepted full political responsibility for the disaster and pledged a series of changes, including a crackdown on illegal and haphazard construction thought to have worsened the blaze. Rescue crews are still searching for 25 missing people, while the remains of 28 victims have yet to be identified, the Hellenic Fire Service said. According to records held by the Centre for the Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters in Brussels, the blaze is now the deadliest of its kind in Europe since 1900. Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Show all 30 1 /30 Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A house threatened by a huge blaze during a wildfire in Kineta AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A woman reacts as she tries to find her dog Reuters Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A helicopter flies over a wildfire raging in the town of Rafina, near Athens REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Firefighters, soldiers and local residents carry a hose as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A man walks on the beach where burned trees hug the coastline in Mati east of Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens People bring supplies for residents rescued from the wildfire in the village of Nea Makri AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Flames rise as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Firefighters carry a dead person AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks to the media during his visit to the fire brigade's operational center in Athens EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view of a burnt urban area following fire in Kineta Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Reuters Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Residents react as they look at their burned house EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Rescuers and volunteers push an inflatable boat as locals are evacuated REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view of an urban area burnt following fire in Mati Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Asimina Psalti, 87, reacts as she sits outside her burned house in Mati east of Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A burnt forest following a wildfire in the village of Neos Voutzas AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens People cover their faces from the smoke that fills the sky near Kineta AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Smoke rise over an avenue during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa, a northeast suburb of Athens EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Melted metals from burned cars after a fire in Argyra Akti, Mati EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Firefighters look for missing persons REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Smoke fills the sky as members of the emergency services block a road near Kineta, west of Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Burnt cars at the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Cars are blocked at the closed National Road AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A woman sprays water outside her house that was damaged in the wildfires near the village of Neos Voutzas AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Smoke from a wildfire burning outside Athens is seen over the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Flames are seen next to firefighting vehicle during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens People look inside a burnt car REUTERS Meanwhile, video has emerged of dozens of people sheltering in the sea as they were driven out of homes and holiday villas in Mati during the height of the blazes. The vast majority of victims died in the fire itself, though a number drowned in the sea while fleeing the flames. Dozens of volunteer divers, some of them retired Navy Seals, ventured into the sea again Sunday to look for more bodied of possible victims before bad weather called off the search prematurely. Greek authorities believe the fire resulted from arson and turned so deadly because winds of up to 62 miles per hour buffeted the pine-forested seaside resorts at the time. Additional reporting by agencies Easter Island, home to the mysterious Moai statues, is reducing the number of days tourists can stay on the island from 90 to 30 days. The decision has been made in an attempt to reduce the negative impact of tourism on the tiny island. Social and environmental concerns have been cited as reasons behind the rule change. At the last census in 2017, there were reportedly 7,750 people living on Easter Island, a figure almost double the population of 20 years previously, before the island was hit by a sharp increase in tourism and subsequent development. According to the islands mayor, Petro Edmunds, that number is 3,000 too many. Foreigners are already taking over the island. Theyre damaging the local idiosyncrasy, the 1,000-year culture is changing and not for the good, Edmunds told AFP. Edmunds was also reported to say that customs from the continent had begun to permeate the island and that this was not positive. The environmental impact of the increase in visitors is also being felt. A decade ago, the island produced 1.4 metric tons of waste per year, but that figure has almost doubled to 2.5 tons today, according to Digital Journal. Ana Maria Gutierrez, the local governments environmental advisor, told APF that environmentally, the island is very fragile. The ruling, which is due to be implemented from Wednesday 1 August, includes Chileans who are not part of the islands indigenous population, the Rapa Nui people. On arrival, tourists will be required to present their hotel reservation or an invitation from a resident. A limit to the number of visitors allowed on the island will also be introduced, although this figure is yet to be confirmed. Edmunds said he would prefer a total ban on the arrival of new residents, but conceded that the legislation was a good start. The enigmatic island, located 2,185 miles from the Chilean mainland, has been ruled by Chile since 1888 and was run as a sheep farm by a Scottish company until 1953. The investigators last word on the greatest mystery in aviation history appears on page 443 of the MH370 Safety Investigation Report: The Team is unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370. But they have covered every aspect from the credit-card records of the captain to the species of barnacles found on the aircrafts flaperon when it washed up on a beach on the island of Reunion. The 19-strong Malaysian investigation team was supported by national organisations, including the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. The final report is dedicated to the memory of the 239 passengers and crew missing on MH370. For their families, friends and colleagues, it at least fills in some of the blanks and rules out some of the speculation about the loss. And for the travelling public, the report makes some intriguing revelations. What happened to flight MH370? The Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Boeing 777 was on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Beijing on 8 March 2014 with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, commanded by Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a highly experienced captain. The first officer was Fariq Abdul Hamid, who was on his first Boeing 777 mission without a training captain overseeing him. At 1.19am, the captain acknowledged an instruction from Malaysian air-traffic controllers with the words: Good night Malaysian Three Seven Zero. This was the last recorded radio transmission from MH370. He did not read back the assigned frequency, which was inconsistent with radio-telephony procedures, notes the report. During the handover from Malaysian to Vietnamese air-traffic controllers, the aircraft disappeared. Analysis of radar and satellite data shows that it suddenly changed course, flew back across peninsula Malaysia, turning south of Penang to the northwest and then towards the southern Indian Ocean. The plane ultimately ran out of fuel and crashed in the Indian Ocean west of Australia, thousands of miles from its intended destination. There is insufficient information to determine if the aircraft broke up in the air or during impact with the ocean, says the report. What do we know about the planes turn off course? The turn would have been carried out with the autopilot disengaged, as it was not possible to achieve a turn time of 2 minutes and 10 seconds (as suggested by recorded data) using autopilot, says the report. Why did it disappear from radar screens? The transponder stopped transmitting, whether with intent or otherwise. Although it cannot be conclusively ruled out that an aircraft or system malfunction was a cause, based on the limited evidence available, it is more likely that the loss of communication prior to the diversion is due to the systems being manually turned off or power interrupted to them. MH370 debris - in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French police officers carry a piece of debris from a plane in Saint-Andre, Reunion Island. AP MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Police carry a piece of debris from an unidentified aircraft found in the coastal area of Saint-Andre de la Reunion, in the east of the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion AFP PHOTO / YANNICK PITOUYANNICK PITOU/AFP/Getty Images MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris The plane part is being taken to France for further investigation Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French gendarmes and police inspect a large piece of plane debris which was found on the beach in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French gendarmes and police inspect a large piece of plane debris which was found on the beach in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Johnny Begue, a member of a local shore cleaning association, in Saint-Andre, French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, holds the remain of a suitcase found the day before on the same site Getty Images MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Searches continued on Friday for other possible MH370 debris along beaches on the island of Reunion AP It was found that it was difficult to maintain successful call connectivity above 8,000ft. However, one brand of phone was able to make a call at 20,000ft. How was the disappearance handled? Extremely badly, at first. The report catalogues shortcomings and mistakes by air traffic controllers and staff in the airline duty office. Vietnamese air-traffic controllers failed to question the disappearance for 12 minutes. Had the report been made earlier, ground stations and other aircraft could have begun the search for the missing plane while there was still time to track it. Staff in the Malaysia Airlines Operation Control Centre reported variously that MH370 was over Cambodian or Vietnamese airspace, neither of which was correct. The false assertions led to early suggestions that the Boeing had landed in Cambodia, raising hopes among relatives of the passengers and crew that they were safe only to be later dashed. Recommended Investigator says MH370 pilot was likely unconscious as plane crashed Again, time was wasted in following up these mistaken statements. Military air-traffic controllers saw the aircraft way out of position, but did nothing since it was friendly and did not pose any threat to national airspace security, integrity and sovereignty. There was a long delay before the first DETRESFA message, indicating: There is a reasonable certainty that an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance. Did technical issues cause the disappearance? Investigators do not rule out a mechanical problem, but consider it highly unlikely: There is no evidence to suggest that a malfunction had caused the aircraft to divert from its filed flight plan route. The aircrafts maintenance history and events prior to the last flight do not show any issues that could have contributed and resulted in the deviation and subsequent changes in the flight path. The analysis of the relevant aircraft systems taking into account the route followed by the aircraft and the height at which it flew, constrained by its performance and range capability, does not suggest a mechanical problem with the aircraft. The investigation is unable to determine any plausible aircraft or systems failure mode that would lead to the observed systems deactivation, diversion from the filed flight plan route and the subsequent flight path taken by the aircraft. Is it likely someone was at the controls? Yes, but it is not clear who. Captain Shah was the last person to be heard by air-traffic controllers. The report notes: At the time of flight MH370, there were no requirements for an additional crew member in the cockpit in the event when one of two pilots were to leave the cockpit. "However, in response to flight MH370, MAS has, since introduced this requirement into its safety procedures effective 27 March 2014, a procedure subsequently introduced by other airlines following the GermanWings Flight 9525 accident on 24 March 2015. In a very significant phrase, the investigators say: The Team does not exclude the possibility of intervention by a third party. It could not be established whether the aircraft was flown by anyone other than the pilots. If not the pilots, who could have flown the plane off course? A passenger, or a member of cabin crew. The report does not countenance the possibility that there was one or more other people on board besides those on the manifest. What was the state of mind of the captain and first officer? On the captain, the report says: There was no known history of apathy, anxiety, or irritability. There were no significant changes in his lifestyle, interpersonal conflict or family stresses. Similarly, the FOs ability and professional approach to work was reported to be good. There is no evidence to suggest that the PIC [pilot in command, ie captain] and FO [first office] experienced recent changes or difficulties in personal relationships or that there were any conflicts or problems between them. Potential passenger belongings from MH370 Show all 13 1 /13 Potential passenger belongings from MH370 Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A bag and pen Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 The sole of a shoe Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A satchel with pen Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 The inside of a bag Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A shoulder bag Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 The word Mensa, from the high-IQ organisation, on an item Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A phone case and pen Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A wash bag Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A backpack Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A camera case Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A prayer hat Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 The sole of a shoe Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A luggage bag and pen Blaine Gibson There had been no financial stress or impending insolvency, recent or additional insurance coverage purchased or recent behavioural changes for the crew. The radio-telephony communications ... conformed to the routine procedure and no evidence of anxiety or stress was detected in the communications. On reports of the captains health, the report says: Scrutiny of his credit card transactions failed to reveal a pattern of regular purchase of over-the-counter medication of any significance, either in local or overseas pharmacies. What about reports that the captain practised manoeuvres on a flight simulator at home? Simulator equipment was taken from Captain Shahs home shortly after the disappearance, and analysed. There were seven manually programmed waypoint coordinates, that when connected together, will create a flight path from KLIA to an area south of the Indian Ocean through the Andaman Sea. But a forensic report concluded there were no unusual activities other than game-related flight simulations. Could the plane have been flown remotely? No. In 2003, Boeing took out a Patent on Remote Control Take-over of Aircraft, designed to foil hijack attempts. The uninterruptible autopilot envisioned by the patent could be activated, either by pilots, on-board sensors or remotely via radio or satellite links by the airline or government agencies if there were attempts to forcibly gain control of the cockpit. This system once activated would disallow pilot inputs and prevent anyone on-board from interrupting the automatic takeover. Thus, the personnel on-board could not be forced into carrying out the demands of any unauthorised person(s). But the aircraft maker told investigators: Boeing has confirmed that it has not implemented the patented system or any other technology to remotely pilot a commercial aircraft and is not aware of any Boeing commercial aircraft that has incorporated such technology. The report concludes; There is no evidence to support the belief that control of the aircraft 9M-MRO (operating as MH370) could have been or was taken over remotely as the technology was not implemented on commercial aircraft. Could it have been a terror attack? The word terror is not even mentioned in the report, but it notes no traces of explosion were found on two pieces of debris that are almost certainly from the cabin interior. What about the suggestion of a cargo fire? This theory is based on the fact that mangosteen fruits and lithium batteries were stored in the same cargo compartment, and could have got into contact with the batteries and produced hazardous fumes or in a worst case scenario caused a short circuit and/or fire. But tests showed the two items tested could not be the cause in the disappearance of MH370. Is there any other information in the report? Yes. The report reveals that the first officers mobile phone was in contact with a ground station on the island of Penang. The signal hit however did not record any communication except to confirm that it was in the on mode. A plane was sent up to 24,000 feet to see how mobile phones perform at altitude. One cabin crew member was missing. To efficiently carry out the duties that include in-flight customer services including serving passenger meals, MAS had established the need to carry 11 cabin crew members. MH370 however departed with only 10 cabin crew members, 1 less than the normal compliment. MAS was then facing acute shortage of cabin crew resulting in flights departing with under-strength crew complements from the numbers normally required on many of their aircraft operations in the past year. The investigators do not ascribe particular significance to either of these aspects. What recommendations does the report make? Mainly about keeping track of planes: The disappearance of MH370 and the search effort are unprecedented in commercial aviation history. Improvements must be undertaken to ensure that this type of event is identified as soon as possible, and mechanisms are in place to track an aircraft that is not following its filed flight plan for any reason. In this technological epoch, the international aviation community needs to provide assurance to the travelling public that the location of current-generation commercial aircraft is always known. It is unacceptable to do otherwise. Will we ever find out what happened? Two extensive underwater searches have failed to find any trace of MH370. It may be that advances in underwater drone technology allow a much lower-cost, larger-scale search of the sea floor to be carried out. This Report will necessarily be limited by a significant lack of evidence, concede the investigators, pointing out: The aircrafts Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) have not yet been located. The aircraft was equipped with two crash-protected recorders, both of which are designed to be protected against immersion in sea water to a depth of 20,000 feet. In the case of Air France flight 447, which crashed in the Atlantic, the recorders were invaluable in piecing together events that led to the tragedy. The FDR records 1,300 parameters from the most recent 25 hours of flight; it could reveal the controls that were commanded during the final flight of the Boeing 777. The CVR records sounds on the flight deck, but may be limited to the last two hours of the flight, rather than containing evidence of what happened when the fateful first turn was made. If and when the main wreckage is located, it could also provide clues about who was on the flight deck, as well as evidence such as whether the oxygen masks were deployed from which investigators could then begin to piece together an answer to the mystery of MH370. Even within the overall context of the governments grip on the Brexit process, which for some years now has made the Fawlty Towers hotel look like the moon landings, the latest comparatively minor train wreck is still worth briefly slowing down to admire. In Theresa Mays new year reshuffle (the one that was prompted by her de facto Deputy Prime Minister Damian Green making misleading statements about porn found on his work computer, not the one about the Defence Secretarys wandering hands, or the DfID Secretarys secret meetings with the Israeli Prime Minister or the Home Secretary not knowing her own department had targets for the deportation of ethnic minority British pensioners), she was widely expected to appoint a specific minister for No Deal Brexit. She didnt, in the end, but Brexiteer Steve Baker joined the department with effective responsibility for that job. He then quit over the Chequers agreement (the one that wasnt an agreement because the brexit secretary and the foreign secretary resigned over it, and the EU has completely ruled it out anyway), after having spent several months attacking various government departments for not doing enough for planning for the horror show that would be no deal Brexit. And now, plans to release details of those plans to the general public, and to businesses, to warn them quite what a horror show no deal Brexit would be, have been canned, because hard Brexiteers like Steve Baker (though not Steve Baker specifically) have dismissed it all as Project Fear 2, and a strategic attempt by Theresa May to bounce the public into backing her Chequers Agreement, which the EU has already ruled out in any case. It means that the various leaflets and online videos planned to be drip fed to the public throughout August and early September, warning of possible delays at Dover, and possible shortages of various foods and medicines, and rising prices, and even, it has been suggested, some vague advice not to book any flights until were sure they wont be grounded, will now all be released in a single day in late August. It is, even by the unprecedentedly high standards of Brexit, quite the multiple WTF clustergasm. On the rare occasions, over the last two years, that even Theresa May herself cannot face saying the words Brexit means Brexit she tends to turn instead to her second favourite stock phrase, which is that she will deliver on the will of the British people. Meanwhile, the version of the will of the British people she is trying to deliver, namely a slightly softer Brexit that offers a faintly manageable solution to the Northern Irish mess, is castigated as a betrayal of the will of the British people by the hard Brexiteers. And they are the people whose own version of the will of the British people now has to be kept secret from the British people, for fear that the will of the British people will be to never, ever vote Tory again. That the latest impossible contortion Theresa May must attempt is to have to keep the public in the dark about the various doomsday scenarios her own unhinged wing claims it voted for, is right up there with some of Brexits lowest moments yet, and there have been no shortage of those. The warnings that the government will now keep quiet include using the Royal Air Force to deliver crucial supplies of food and medicine to isolated communities and vulnerable people including the elderly. No one is sure how the Border Force would operate. Queues at Heathrow and Gatwick are already an international embarrassment, and that is under the current, far less complicated system. Though admittedly, the grounding of planes would at least sort that problem out. Even as the public is kept in the dark about the risks it has itself brought on, it would be fair to point out there have been some warnings. It is almost a year, for example, since John Redwood wrote a piece for The Sun newspaper, in which he made clear which food and drink items he expected the public to stop eating and drinking in order to satisfy his deranged sovereignty cravings. Australian and New Zealand wines are fine he said, so no need to buy European. The same would apply to countless types of cheese and ham and all manner of European produce that enriches peoples quality of life in ways they may only appreciate if or when they are gone. The political question at hand is whether the country really would blame the Tories for the mess they voted for. The Conservative party stretching its own private Europe neurosis on to the country as a deranged attempt to solve its internal problems will definitely go down as the most self-indulgent thing any governing party has ever done. But at least for the foreseeable future, the alternative is Jeremy Corbyn. Whether there is any depths the Conservatives can sink to before the public reverts to that option is for now the only unanswered question that remains. Just a few weeks before leaving office former Botswana president Lieutenant General Ian Khama slammed US President Donald Trump for his decision to lift the ban on elephant trophy hunting. Khama condemned in the strongest possible terms the decision by the Trump Administration that the US would start issuing permits for the importation of elephant trophies from six African countries, including Botswana. He accused America of undermining Botswanas efforts to protect elephants by encouraging poaching, saying Trump is well aware of legislation that prohibits trophy hunting in Botswana. How do you explain the import of elephant trophies from Botswana while we have a ban on hunting, Khama said. But barely three months into his retirement the new administration, under President Mokgweetsi Masisi, has all but validated Trumps decision to lift the ban on the import of elephant trophies. Recently the Member of Parliament for Maun East (known as The Gateway to the Okavango Delta) presented a motion calling on the government to lift the four year standing ban on hunting. Presenting his motion, which enjoyed unanimous support from fellow members of parliament, Markus said while the ban was mainly informed by the decline in wildlife numbers at the time, there are new developments and factors that are motivating the proposal to lift the hunting ban. The elephant population has increased to an extent that they are now found in areas which were previously not common such as the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and many other villages in Botswana, Markus said. He said while Botswana is faced with a challenge of wildlife decline, it is not necessarily the case with all the wildlife species in the country. Currently Botswana has approximately 237, 000 elephants as compared to our carrying capacity of 50,000, because there is no hunting of elephants and elephants numbers have continued to increase. Local farmers have also adopted innovative ways to keep away elephants from their farms and avoid conflict. Farmer Enoch Kegodile explains: We use ratchets to pull the belt from one gum pole to another, fencing the entire parameter of the farm with just a single 1.7 metre belt. He added elephants are used to breaking their way through everything but with this method theres nothing to break drown. Just a mysterious belt tied to gum poles meters apart. He says the method has helped prevent conflict between themselves and wild animals. If Kegodiles method of keeping elephants and other wild animals away from the farm is anything to go by, it could come in handy for other farmers like Isiah Moesi. I was raised in a farming family, commented Moesi at the Giants Club Summit in Kasane earlier this year. The Giants Club is an initiative of Space for Giants that unites sitting or former Heads of State of the four countries that represent half of Africas remaining elephants: Botswana, Gabon, Kenya, and Uganda. As farmers here in Chobe we face a big challenge from the many elephants that live around here. They raid our crops. The Ngamiland area is home to the largest population of elephants in Africa. They have made it impossible for us to have a successful harvest, he told the summit. Farmers in the region have been at loggerheads with the government regarding what they call little compensation for the damage caused by wild elephants. This article is reproduced here as part of the Giants Club African Conservation Journalism Fellowships, a programme of the charity Space for Giants and supported by the owner of ESI Media, which includes independent.co.uk. It aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Read the original story here Planting a tree is a long process. Ideally, it starts with sowing a seed that grows into a seedling, digging holes, transplanting and consistent watering. However, an innovative concept popularly known as 'seed bombing' is eliminating the tedious process and making tree planting fun. Whether its tossing seeds from aircrafts, launching them from a catapult or manually distributing them, the versatility of seed bombing is endless. This tree-planting technique is helping fight deforestation in Kenya was first introduced to the country two years ago by Teddy Kinyanjui. Kinyanjui, founder of Cookswell jikos, an energy-saving portable, charcoal-burning stove used for cooking, had spent many years researching on the most effective ways for dryland reforestation. But seeing healthy trees that randomly grew alongside Kenyan roads got him questioning his tree-planting method. Kinyanjui says I came across many acacia trees along the road during long drives across the country about five years ago. Surprisingly, these trees that were not planted or watered by anybody seemed to be doing better than those planted in the woodlots. On researching further, Kinyanjui found out that trees that grew from direct seeding had better chances of survival compared to seedlings due to a better developed root system. For arid areas where charcoal-making trees were mostly grown, direct seeding was also an easier and cheaper option. One would not incur the cost of buying a seedling, digging holes and watering, Kinyanjui says. However, he realised that seeds distributed are prone to predators such as birds and insects. Two years ago, Kinyanjui in partnership with Elsen Karstad, Director Chardust Limited, an alternative energy company, came up with the idea of encapsulating seeds in charcoal dust to protect them from damage by insects, birds, sunlight and heat. Each seed ball contains one seed coated in a layer of a substance called biochar. Charcoal dust is a preferred medium of coating the seeds since its porous, thus can allow water and air to pass through. Use of charcoal dust promotes seed to ash cycle and ensures that old trees are used to grow new ones, explains Kinyanjui. The medium is also rich in minerals that nourish the seed. Seed balls do not necessarily need to be distributed during rainy seasons as they can remain intact for more than two years. With some great success already behind them, now Kinyanjui and Karstad are working on expanding the production and distribution of seed balls. This article is reproduced here as part of the Giants Club African Conservation Journalism Fellowships, a programme of the charity Space for Giants and supported by the owner of ESI Media, which includes independent.co.uk. It aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Read the original story here We Greeks have barely had time to grieve. Friends are still looking among the ashes for loved ones caught up in the blaze that killed at least 91 people and left over 150 people injured in Attica last week. Dozens are still missing. Yet critics at home and abroad are already playing politics with the disaster, claiming plaudits for themselves that obscure its true heroes including our migrants. EU countries coming to help. Again, tweeted former Swedish prime minister and foreign affairs minister Carl Bildt, as around 400 Greek firefighters risked their lives to battle scorching flames and choking smoke. One firefighter lost his six-month-old son in the inferno he was struggling to put out. Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Show all 30 1 /30 Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A house threatened by a huge blaze during a wildfire in Kineta AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A woman reacts as she tries to find her dog Reuters Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A helicopter flies over a wildfire raging in the town of Rafina, near Athens REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Firefighters, soldiers and local residents carry a hose as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A man walks on the beach where burned trees hug the coastline in Mati east of Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens People bring supplies for residents rescued from the wildfire in the village of Nea Makri AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Flames rise as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Firefighters carry a dead person AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks to the media during his visit to the fire brigade's operational center in Athens EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view of a burnt urban area following fire in Kineta Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Reuters Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Residents react as they look at their burned house EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Rescuers and volunteers push an inflatable boat as locals are evacuated REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view of an urban area burnt following fire in Mati Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Asimina Psalti, 87, reacts as she sits outside her burned house in Mati east of Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A burnt forest following a wildfire in the village of Neos Voutzas AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens People cover their faces from the smoke that fills the sky near Kineta AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Smoke rise over an avenue during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa, a northeast suburb of Athens EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Melted metals from burned cars after a fire in Argyra Akti, Mati EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Firefighters look for missing persons REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Smoke fills the sky as members of the emergency services block a road near Kineta, west of Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Burnt cars at the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Cars are blocked at the closed National Road AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A woman sprays water outside her house that was damaged in the wildfires near the village of Neos Voutzas AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Smoke from a wildfire burning outside Athens is seen over the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Flames are seen next to firefighting vehicle during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens People look inside a burnt car REUTERS Russia has not bailed out Greece three times in a row, said the Dutch Embassy in Athens, responding to a user suggesting that Russian firefighting planes could help. The tweet has since been deleted. At home, Greeces far-right party Golden Dawn similarly sought to cover themselves in messianic glory. Members wearing party T-shirts appeared among the flames just long enough to provide a backdrop for their MPs televised interview. He claimed they were filling in for a government he said had vanished. The true character of the Greek far-right was visible elsewhere. Three Golden Dawn members were arrested for looting the homes of the fires victims, while another 15 fascists attacked a group of migrants in Thessaloniki. But the real heroes werent worried about capturing themselves on camera. As this unprecedented catastrophe unfolded, Greeks opened their homes and offered whatever they could to help those affected. Hundreds of people showed up to help distribute aid. Prisoners volunteered to prepare packaged food, supermarkets and cafeterias offered free meals and water. Roma communities donated their fruit and vegetable produce. Greeces migrants rose above the populists vilification to demonstrate how humanity reaches far further than citizenship. Egyptian anglers were among the first to save those fleeing into the sea to escape the fires. Palestinians and Kurds donated blood to help hundreds of badly injured people in our hospitals, while the Syrian community led efforts to recruit search parties. Those the far-right would have us hate proved the politics of vitriol false. Abroad too, our supposed enemies offered help. Despite years locked in a bitter name dispute only recently resolved, the Macedonian government made a generous offer of six million denars to help those affected across the border. Turkey too forgot our historic rivalry. Turkish newspapers led with headlines in Greek in solidarity, while the Turkish word for Greece, Yunanistan, became the countrys top trending hashtag as Turks sent compassionate messages to Greeks. Turkeys youth national volleyball team displayed a banner reading we pray for Greece before a match. Recommended The fires tearing through Greece are a direct result of corruption The last time our nations expressed such an outpouring of solidarity with each other was 19 years ago, when a powerful earthquake left thousands dead in Turkey. Greeks sent messages of compassion and offers of aid. A month later, when Athens was also struck by seismic activity, the Turks responded in kind. Those months are now remembered as the time of earthquake diplomacy. It shouldnt take a disaster to remind us that the enemy is not our neighbours, but those that seek to sow fear, hatred and loathing. Attica has shown once more that we have more in common than the artificial divisions created by hateful rhetoric and mistaken views of the past. This week in Greece, that is perhaps beginning to sink in. Attica locals chased Golden Dawn members away from the fire, with one woman shouting she wouldnt even take water from fascists. She made clear the town had no place for attacks on those who had tried to save strangers homes before saving themselves. The rest of Europe might want to think about Atticas example before shutting its doors to those in need of help. One day they might be helping you. Manos Moschopoulos is a Greek expert on forced migration and economic exclusion, working as a senior program officer at the Open Society Foundations This Friday, 3 August, will mark the fourth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, when Isis descended upon the Sinjar region of Iraq, home to hundreds of thousands of Yazidis, and systematically slaughtered and captured nearly all in their path. Thousands sought sanctuary in the mountains but those not lucky enough to escape were either murdered in their homes or taken captive. The Yazidis, an ancient religious minority from northern Iraq are not strangers to persecution and have faced an estimated 72 genocides in their existence. Although they are often termed Christians they are somewhat distinct, worshipping a peacock angel called Melek Taus. Much of the prejudice they face comes through a misinterpretation of their beliefs as being devil worshippers. An estimated 5,000 Yazidi men were killed and around 7,000 Yazidi women were sold to Isis fighters as sex slaves. There are still hundreds if not thousands of women still being held in captivity. Recommended Yazidis who suffered under Isis now face forced conversion to Islam It is estimated that around 120,000 Yazidis have sought refuge in Europe since 2014. Now some Yazidis in the UK are having their asylum denied. Yazda, an NGO which supports victims of the genocide, says that around 12 have currently been denied asylum in the UK and face potential deportation. Two of them, Majhor and Adel, face being returned to Iraq to cities where they still have legitimate concerns for their safety. Ive worked with this community and the potential deportation of Yazidis in the UK is deeply concerning. I taught in a school on a refugee camp for Yazidis where we had to ban the word Daesh. Some children could not stop saying it, whilst others would hold their hands over their ears, unable to hear the name even mentioned. When we did an art class with them they would produce pictures of helicopters (helicopters were sent to drop supplies to besieged Yazidis on Mount Sinjar), boats on the sea and sometimes dead bodies on the street. These were children no older than 12. One adult would sit at the back of the school and watch videos on his phone of all the women he knew who had been captured. Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Show all 15 1 /15 Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Isis in Sinjar town, walk towards the Syrian border, on the outskirts of Sinjar mountain, near the Syrian border town of Elierbeh of Al-Hasakah Governorate Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Isis in Sinjar town, walk towards the Syrian border, on the outskirts of Sinjar mountain, near the Syrian border town of Elierbeh of Al-Hasakah Governorate Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community settle at a camp at Derike, Syria. In the camps here, Iraqi refugees have new heroes: Syrian Kurdish fighters who battled militants to carve an escape route to tens of thousands trapped on a mountaintop Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis A pilot based at RAF Marham entering a Tornado GR4 prior to taking off for the reconnaissance mission over Iraq. Several RAF Tornado jets set off from RAF Marham in Norfolk this afternoon to travel to a "pre-position", from where they will fly to northern Iraq to provide improved surveillance of the situation on the ground. The jets, fitted with Litening III targeting and surveillance pods, will be able to fly over the crisis area to provide intelligence and help with the delivery of humanitarian aid Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis A British Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4 aircraft equipped with the Litening III pod from RAF Marham, eastern England, on their arrival at RAF Akrotiri Cyprus for their reconnaissance mission over Iraq Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Aid inside a Royal Air Force (RAF) Hercules C130 J aircraft before being airdropped to civilians in Iraq Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis A Royal Air Force (RAF) Hercules C130 J military transport plane at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Britain made a third round of airdrops of supplies to aid refugees stranded on a mountain in northern Iraq, officials said, as Tornado fighters arrived at an RAF base in Cyprus preparing to provide surveillance support for the humanitarian effort Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4 aircraft, flown in from Britain, stand on the tarmac at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis A displaced man helps a woman, both from the minority Yazidi sect fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Isis in Sinjar town, as they make their way towards the Syrian border, on the outskirts of Sinjar mountain, near the Syrian border town of Elierbeh of Al-Hasakah Governorate Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Iraqis including Turkmen, Shabaks, Kurds, Yezidis and Christians, fleeing from assaults of army groups led by Isis, take shelter at Bahirka Camp in Arbil Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community look for clothes to wear among items provided by a charity organization at the Nowruz camp in Derike, Syria Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community gather for food at the Nowruz camp in Derike, Syria Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community gather for food at the Nowruz camp in Derike, Syria Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Syrian Kurdish Peshmerga fighters take a sick Iraqi Yazidi woman to the clinic at Nowruz camp in Derike, Syria Iraq crisis: Yazidi nightmare on Mount Sinjar Iraq crisis Sick displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community wait for treatment at a clinic at Nowruz camp in Derike, Syria Everyone I worked with had lost someone close to them be it a family member or a friend. Most told me that they could never imagine returning to Iraq after everything that had happened. Currently the UK does not distinguish between Yazidis and other Iraqis in the asylum process, which is surprising considering the widespread condemnation of the Yazidi genocide in 2016 in a vote in the Commons. In 2016 a cross-party committee wrote to Amber Rudd, then home secretary, and Priti Patel, then international development secretary, asking for victims of the genocide to be included in the vulnerable person resettlement programme (VPR). This has generally not happened. The community has a couple of powerful advocates in the form of Nadia Murad, who escaped from Isis captivity, and her lawyer Amal Clooney, who has vowed to bring Isis to justice and hold them to account in a court of law. Voices like Murads and Clooneys should not stand alone. It is not enough to condemn a genocide. The UK government must actively support Yazidi victims and particularly those claiming asylum on UK soil. Time and time again in the past few months we have seen the impact of hostile environment policies upon the most vulnerable in our society. Its disappointing but unsurprising to see it in action once again. In her speech last year urging the UN Security Council to investigate war crimes committed by Isis against Yazidis, Amal Clooney said: If we do not change course, history will judge us, and there will be no excuse for our failure to act. This line could also be applied across the board to the UKs shameful and inhumane immigration system. If we are refusing to take in victims of a genocide then we have stooped lower than I could ever have imagined. Ireland may have to start stockpiling some medicines if a hard Brexit moves closer to reality. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has admitted there is "a concern around medicines" because a lot of our supply passes through the UK before coming to Ireland. Ministers in the UK have already admitted that plans are advancing for how the NHS will maintain a supply of vaccinations and other medical supplies if the country crashes out of the European Union. Asked whether similar precautions will have to be taken here, Mr Varadkar confirmed that the situation was under consideration. "There is potentially a concern around medicines, both because a lot of our supply chains go through the United Kingdom. Some companies see the UK and Ireland as a single market. "Everything down to the packaging, and the English language information that comes with your box of tablets, is done on a UK-Ireland wide basis," Mr Varadkar said. He added that some pharmaceutical companies "might see Ireland's market as just too small on its own". "So that is a concern that we have and it's one that we are developing contingency plans on," he added Mr Varadkar said many medicines were made in Ireland which should mitigate against the threat. "Even in the event of a hard deal/no Brexit, it is not that it would be impossible to import from the UK - it would still be possible - but there would be restrictions obviously, so part of our contingency planning does involve making sure that we have a supply of medicines." He said blood supplies would not be an issue even though there is currently a cross- Border arrangement between the Republic and Northern Ireland. "Certainly from the last briefing I got, blood supply isn't a concern. We are adequately provided for from the IBTS as things stand, so that is not a concern that we have," Mr Varadkar said. Meanwhile, the former head of the World Trade Organisation has said Ireland would need emergency aid from the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Ireland is set to be economically worst hit if Britain fails to find a solution before the March deadline next year, according to Pascal Lamy. "Ireland would be the most hit both in quantity and proportion and then there should be some sort of EU solidarity," he said, speaking on RTE's 'This Week' programme yesterday. "This is a scenario which one year ago I would have put at a low probability." German Chancellor Angela Merkel is welcomed by the farmer Ursula Trede during her visit at a dairy farm in Nienborstel, Germany July 19, 2018. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer Farmers in Germany need special aid of around 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) because of damage to harvests caused by drought and heatwave, the head of German farming association DBV said on Monday. The aid should be paid to farmers who have lost 30pc and more of their harvests, DBV president Joachim Rukwied told German regional newspaper group Funke Medien. This years drought and heatwave caused damage to crops in large parts of northern Europe, with harvests in Britain, Poland and Scandinavia also suffering. A billion (euros) would be desirable to compensate for crop losses, Rukwied was quoted as saying. German agriculture minister Julia Kloeckner said on Sunday she is concerned about harvest losses for grains, potatoes, maize and sugar beets. German federal and state authorities will meet on Tuesday to assess the situation, Kloeckner said. On Wednesday Kloeckner said she will report to the cabinet about the impact of the drought on farmers. It is remarkable how these cycling and walking Greenways are attracting huge numbers of tourists while proximity to these routes is being quoted in rural property sales as a distinct advantage. The original of the species is the Great Western Greenway on the bed of the old Great Western rail line running for 42km between Westport and Achill. It is a real hit with tourists, and has created a whole lot of businesses from bike hire to catering. Travelling the route by foot or pedal power is lauded as one of 'the' things to do. Newport Co Mayo auctioneer Frank Chambers, believes the Greenway will have an impact on the range of customers for a 73ac residential farm located 2.5km from the town All over the country these old railway beds are bringing new life. The Great Southern Greenway is under development in Limerick and Kerry on the old Limerick to Tralee railway line. I was in Waterford this week where a huge success story is unfolding on the Deise Greenway running on the old railway line from Waterford to Dungarvan. Local auctioneer Pat Harty was quoting the proximity of the Greenway as a selling point in relation to a 57ac farm near Clonea. Back in Newport, Co Mayo Frank Chambers is equally enthusiastic about the proximity of the c73ac residential farm to Mayo's Great Western Greenway. The executor sale of the property that includes a Georgian house and a substantial farmyard is guided at 500,000. Located 2.5km from Newport the house is a two storey Georgian construction in need of refurbishment. Reached by a driveway the 2,300 sq ft residence is at the centre of the farm with accommodation that includes a living room and a sitting room, both with bay windows, a study, a kitchen, a downstairs bedroom and a utility room. The building is also graced with a veranda. The stairway leads to a spacious landing and on to the upstairs where there are four bedrooms and a bathroom. Out of doors is a garage measuring 220 sq ft. The house is in solid shape but in need of renovation and modernisation. The farmyard is comprised of a mix of traditional and some modern outbuildings located in an adjoining yard. The buildings include a three column hayshed with double lean-to, a machinery shed, some stone buildings, a silage pit and stock handling facilities. The land is described by Frank Chambers as free draining ground that is well fenced and has been well maintained. All in one block the place has plenty of road frontage. It was previously a calf to beef operation but in more recent years was farmed for sheep and lamb production. It comes with entitlements. Mr Chambers describes the farm as one of the finest holdings to come for sale in the area and is experiencing a wide range of interest in the property from the farming and non-farming sectors. The 73ac residential farm is located close to Newport and the Great Western Greenway Farmers are voicing growing concerns about the availability of winter fodder after the long, hot, dry spell. Newtownards beef farmer Sam Chesney, who is also chair of the Ulster Farmers' Union's beef and lamb committee, said they are now left facing "a perfect storm". "The Ards peninsula is extremely dry and many farmers are contacting me to say they are over halfway through their winter stock of fodder already, which is extremely worrying at the end of July. "The longer the dry spell goes on, the harder it will be to get through the winter. "Don't get me wrong, as farmers we're enjoying the hot sunshine as well as everyone else, but the harsh reality is that from an economic point of view we need a little rain at some stage to ease concerns." Mr Chesney said it had been a hard winter during which many crops were lost through flooding - and now they were being lost to drought. He said: "Earlier this week I lifted three trailers of silage, when I'd normally be lifting 14. That's a big shortfall. "This time last year, a bale of straw was costing 40. This year, because of the difficulties, it's 80. "But we have to be resilient. I'm advising farmers to grow forage crops if they can, like turnips. "I'll also be using sawdust for winter bedding rather than straw, which has doubled in price. There are ways to try to get around this issue, but for many it'll be a case of resetting for next year already. "The dairy industry has been particularly badly hit as they would get through a lot of silage. It's been a very tough year for them so far." Ulster Farmers' Union president, Ivor Ferguson, said: "We have received a number of calls from farmers who are worried, a lot from the Co Down area, but we are hearing reports that grass yields are down across the countryside." Earlier this year, the UFU highlighted fodder concerns after months of wet weather during the winter and spring. Mr Ferguson said: "We have gone from one extreme to another, without time for recovery in between. "Undoubtedly this has had an impact on grass growth and indications are fodder levels will be down. "Farmers aren't complaining about the good weather, but the reality is, this type of dry, hot weather is highly unusual for Northern Ireland and it is posing challenges. Not just for fodder, but for vegetable and cereal crops as well." The UFU said the dry weather is increasing costs on farms, which will ultimately have an impact on cash flow. "Vegetable and cereal farmers are having to irrigate fields as best they can to save crops," said Mr Ferguson. "We are in regular contact with DAERA and CAFRE. However, I would encourage farmers to contact them directly so they have a robust understanding of the impact of the weather on farms. "One thing we know as farmers is that we can't control the weather." Irish meat processor Kepak has announced it has reached agreement with Boparan Holdings, Limited, to acquire the UK business and assets of 2 Sisters Red Meat, Limited, for an undisclosed sum. The company says the acquisition will significantly increase Kepaks value and scale providing a number of complementary strategic fits. It says the move strengthens the Groups key customer supply chain partnerships and it is both a Brexit and a / hedge for the existing and the new Irish-UK businesses and a a sustainable source of UK raw material for Kepaks meat based value added businesses which are located both in Ireland and in the UK and which supply Irish, European and UK customers. Under the terms of the agreement, Kepak assumes control of the business with immediate effect. This UK business is operated from four key production sites: McIntosh Donald, Portlethen, Scotland; and Three St. Merryn sites: Merthyr, Glamorgan, Wales, and Bodmin and Victoria in Cornwall, England. Collectively, these four sites and the associated central support office at Talgarrek House and cold storage facilities at Truro, process and market, mainly in the UK, about 250,000 cattle and more than 1million lambs annually from more than 13,000 farmers spread from Scotland to Cornwall. Commenting on the acquisition, John Horgan, Managing Director, Kepak Group, said Kepak has a clear strategy to grow its meat and food businesses in partnership with key customers and in markets that are complementary to its existing businesses in Ireland and in the UK. "The acquisition of this red meat business, with its very solid UK retail, foodservice and manufacturing relationships, marks a very significant next step in delivering on our strategy. It is a great fit for Kepak. The addition of these facilities to Kepak Group significantly increases the value and scale of our business. "We are delighted to welcome all our new colleagues that will transfer with the acquisition. We look forward to working with them to grow our combined Irish and UK businesses and to further develop relationships with existing and new customers. In doing so we will collaborate closely with the livestock farmers who have been loyal suppliers to these UK sites for many years, he said. Bank of Ireland has a reported an underlying profit of 500m for the six months to 30 June. During the period the banks net loan book grew by 500m to 76.6bn, while its net interest margin - the difference between what a bank earns and what it charges savers was 2.23pc. This, the bank said reflected the positive impact from new lending margins and its strong commercial pricing discipline. The bank also reported a net impairment gain of 81m, which it said reflected successful resolution strategies and "the positive economic environment and outlook in Ireland." However, profit before tax was 454m, down from 460m in the same period last year. Operating income at the bank was 1.4bn in the six months to 30 June 2018, down from 1.5bn in the six months to 30 June 2017. New lending of 7.7bn was up 16pc year-on-year, with new mortgage lending in Ireland up 30pc, according to the half year results from the bank. The banks Irish mortgage share stands at 28pc. During the period Bank of Irelands non-performing loans reduced by 10pc to 5.9bn, the banks non-performing loans are now at a ratio of 7.5pc of overall customer lending. Bank of Ireland has recently been engaging in a number of cost cutting measures, which the results reflected, with the bank achieving a cost reduction of 27m or 3pc compared with the second half of 2017. Commenting on the results, Francesca McDonagh, Bank of Ireland CEO, said she was pleased to report a strong financial performance in the first half of 2018. "The economies in which we operate continue to be supportive, and have enabled us to grow our loan book by 0.5bn on a constant currency basis while maintaining our commercial pricing and risk discipline." "Operating expenses have decreased by around 3pc compared to the second half of 2017 and asset quality continues to improve." Earlier this month it was reported that Bank of Ireland looks set to take a scythe to its workforce - with potentially 2,180 jobs on the line as the lender chases cost-reduction targets. The projected cuts to the payroll were included in a new research note on the group by Investec Ireland's Owen Callan, who retained his 'buy' rating on the stock and described its recently-unveiled medium-term growth strategy as "ambitious" but "attainable". But Mr Callan calculates the drive to lower operating costs by about 10pc by the end of the 2021 financial year "implies an underlying headcount reduction of 15-20pc". Bus Eireann has launched a new campaign to promote its urban services in towns like Limerick, Galway, Cork, Athlone and Waterford. The campaign was created by Connelly Partners Dublin, formerly known as Strategem iLabs and which was acquired by the Boston-based agency earlier this year. The campaign is running across press, digital, OOH, radio, TV and social. The TV ad was filmed in Limerick by local media, film and arts students using iPhones while the content was directed by respected videographer Burschi Wojnar and reflects what Bus Eireann says is the "collective perspective of the connectivity that occurs on-board Bus Eireann services every day". Ethics and compliance with strict disclosure rules is the first thing businesses sign up to when they get a stock market quote. One thing is certain, however. If accusations of corruption, money laundering and doing dodgy deals with highly questionable regimes in hot countries are being hurled around - as they have been against the huge international mining group Glencore - and the accuser is a powerful institution like the US Department of Justice, you are bound to see it in the share price. At the beginning of July, Glencore's stock fell sharply, wiping a staggering 5bn (5.6bn) off the company's market value. It also forced the Swiss-based group to set up a board sub-committee to investigate the accusations. In addition, its chairman quickly pledged a shares buyback this year of $1bn (860m), no doubt to placate investors. Glencore, clearly, is not an ordinary company and not just because it is by far the world's largest resource outfit. Figures show it to be more than four times bigger in revenue terms than its closest rival, BHP Billiton. It is also the company that the Reuters news agency once called the "biggest company you never heard of". Expand Close Click to view full size graphic / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Click to view full size graphic Early last year, world sanctions were imposed on Russia following its invasion of Crimea and other Ukrainian adventures. In spite of the sanctions, Glencore and Qatar Investments bought a 20pc stake in the oil group Rosneft from the Russian state. Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg received the Russian order of friendship from President Vladimir Putin for the investment. This did not go unnoticed in the US. This year has been challenging for Glencore. The group and others were summoned to a meeting with President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Mr Kabila informed the miners he planned to increase taxes, levies and royalties. This left Glencore's focus on its important cobalt mining in the DRC in tatters because the African republic has half of the world's global supply of cobalt - used in battery production and essential for electric cars. But key product supply problems in Africa paled when the company received a subpoena from the US authorities. Though Glencore has been assumed to have an undeniable competency when it comes to operating in disreputable markets and emerging with clean hands, the news put the skids under the share price. The US requested -under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other US money laundering laws - that the company explain its businesses in Nigeria, DRC and Venezuela. Interestingly the probe is also focused on its relationship with Dan Gertler, an Israeli businessman sanctioned earlier by the US Treasury for his "corrupt and opaque" deals in DRC. According to the US authorities, Mr Gertler used his close relationship with Mr Kabila to act as middle man for mining asset sales. Glencore denied it secured any mining assets through deals with Mr Gertler. But it admits it did end up in business with him and paid substantial sums. Interestingly, the subpoena was issued only weeks after Glencore settled a legal dispute over royalties with Mr Gertler. The news got worse for Glencore when it became clear that the UK authorities are also showing an interest. In spite of its struggles, the group's results last year were strong with revenues of 205bn (230bn) thanks to higher prices for copper, cobalt and zinc. Operating profits sparkled at 8.6bn, double the previous year. The group has a price earnings ratio of 10 and a market value of 47bn. The shares at 3.26 are way off the yearly high of 4.17 reflecting the present political trauma. But while they look good value, recovery could take some time and there may be too many storm clouds overhead. An investment only for the brave at this time. Nothing in this section should be taken as a recommendation, either explicit or implicit to buy any of the shares mentioned. The Trinity Summer Series came to a rocking finale last night with Imelda May superbly engaged in her hometown. Though she opened with the soulful sound of When its My Time, a gospel reflection on life and love, she quickly turned the night into laughter and loud craic, shimmying in her Gatsby-style LBD, she greets the crowd as gaeilge. Next up, one of her many love songs Be My Human is Mays reaction to be my babe/princess and like a priestess, she asks the audience to turn to greet each other, not unlike that peace be with you in church. Amusingly, she says that scene takes a moment in other countries, but in Dublin the audience start chatting and snogging. There is something therapeutic about Mays attitude, a grown-up who has changed her vision, her life, many times, and as she rightly says, were alive and have one and half hours to enjoy lets do it. There are so many backstories to Imelda Mays songs, full of depth, sorrow, tragedy, lust, love. Her song Love and Fear is one she wrote in Paris after the Bataclan massacre, in which a 32 year old man and 25 year old woman who worked with her recording company were killed, good people do bad things says so much, and not necessarily excusable. Last nights concert had more going for it than her vibrant music and Ragtime interludes. May likes to chat from the stage in between all the contemplative songs from her latest album Life Love Flesh Blood, produced by T Bone Burnett; its a combination of blues, soul, gospel, folk, rock and her acoustic talent. In the soft open air, her vocal range is utterly compelling with the soothing and soaring voice that pitches the emotion in 'Call Me,' the melodrama in 'Black Tears,' and hits the high notes in one of my favourite songs while driving 'Shoulda Been You.' Though we all became enchanted with Imelda as the rockabilly wonder girl, embedded in a classic 1950s mode, with wonderful musicians, the change is more about the real person coming through. The lyrics move from painful heartbreak, to tender intimacy 'Leave Me Lonely,' and 'The Girl I Used To Be' and leap into raunchy rock, animated by her bodhran. As if one national heroine is honouring another iconic figure, May sings her rendition of Molly Malone and the crowd is in silent respect. In between all, we have the bonus of hearing poet and playwright, Steven James Smith, recite his epic poem, Dublin You Are. It truly is a celebration of Dublin when May launches into Thin Lizzys masterpiece, The Boys are Back in Town and if you close your eyes, it is as if Phil Lynott is up there. Just for balance and kicks, politely nodding towards Derry, she gives The Undertones a twirl with legendary Teenage Kicks and celebrates the great Feargal Sharkey. Time is up and no rockabilly, the rules for ending open air concerts at 10.30 sharp mean we know there can be no encores. Except when our Liberties Dubliner plays in Dublin. And fair play to Ms May for rocking out Johnnys got a Boom Boom after closing time. Jonathan Rhys Meyers ruled himself out of the running to play James Bond once Daniel Craig departs the franchise on ITV's This Morning, as viewers commented on the actor looking 'healthy and happy'. The 41-year old Irish actor plays a spy in new film Damascus Cover, releasing in Ireland on August 3, but says he has no interest in playing the iconic character of 007. Rhys Meyers appeared on This Morning to speak about the new film and, quizzed about Bond, he said, "I just don't think that part would suit me at all to play, but I wouldn't mind playing a Bond villain. They are always much more fun." He added, "Actually sort of wanting to play James Bond himself? No, that would not be interesting to me." Damascus Cover is, he said, "about the darker, more unglamorous side of what [spies] do" and explained that his character, Ari Ben-Sion works for Mossad intelligence but is suffering mental anguish as he left a loaded gun in his house with which his son shot himself. "So he's already sort of like mentally not ready, not really fit for the job," said Rhys Meyers, who stars opposite the late John Hurt in his last ever film role. Speaking about the people who his character in Damascus Cover represents he said "They've given their lives in sacrifce. There are no rewards. Their successes are never known and their failures are international travesties." He added, "When you see something like Mission Impossible or a James Bond type movie, that's the very glamorous side of it. It makes it fun but there is no fun in what these people do. They do very dangerous jobs. They have very bad relationship with their wives or children because they're never there. When they get killed they disappear, they're disavowed, when they get caught and tortured they're disavowed, when they succeed nobody really knows that anything happened." #jonathanrhysmeyers on @thismorning came across so well, what a nice, intelligent, down to earth guy Holloydy (@hollyablloyd) July 30, 2018 The Tudors star also spoke about his portrayal of Henry VIII in the hugely popular series, which was filmed in Ireland. The series was criticised initially for casting the actor, who was much younger and more attractive than the real king. The actor said he was cast for "very, very particular reasons", as they "had to sell it to youth". Video of the Day "It was never going to work if we were trying to sell it to a younger audience," he said. "What they were trying to do and what we did, and I suppose in many ways The Tudors broke the mould and introduced things like Vikings and Game of Thrones. "For the first time on American television you could put people in castles, with horses and swords and make it successful. The only way to do that was to cast young, attractive-ish people." Viewers of This Morning commented on how "healthy and happy" the actor appeared on the programme. He made the appearance several weeks after an incident on a flight which led to him revealing that he suffers from "an allergy to alcohol". He told Event magazine with the Mail On Sunday: "Ive let myself down by relapsing, and its my responsibility. Nobody else is to blame. I actually dont like the taste of alcohol. "I would be known as somebody who relapses with problem drinking, not alcoholism. I dont suffer from alcoholism I suffer from an allergy to alcohol every time I drink it. But once I stop, I never think about it again. "That doesnt mean that the problem is any less, it just means I have a different version of it. But when I drink, the consequences are so devastating that it is a problem. But I never need a drink. Its not something that I crave." Leona Daly who appeared at Cork Court in connection with fraud of over 300,000 at Gurranabraher Credit Union, Cork PIC Michael Mac Sweeney/Cork Courts A WOMAN has been charged with the theft of more than 300,000 from an Irish credit union. Leona Daly (36) of Meadow Avenue, The Meadows, Knocknaheeny, Cork appeared before Cork District Court in relation to a total of 167 charges of theft and false accounting. The charges all relate to Gurranabraher Credit Union in Cork and involve a period dating from 2011 to 2016. Judge Olann Kelleher was told that Daly was admitting all the charges and would be sent forward on a signed plea in relation to each charge. The counts involve 109 charges of theft and 58 charges of false accounting. Daly is no longer an employee of the credit union. The charges followed a Garda investigation which was triggered by a complaint from the credit union management about alleged discrepancies involving funds. Judge Kelleher was told by Detective Garda Maura O'Riordan a total of 167 charges were levelled. She said the defendant was charged with the counts at the Bridewell Garda Station last week. After being cautioned and charged, the defendant made no reply. Judge Kelleher was told by Inspector Ronan Kennelly that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has ruled that the matter be dealt with before Cork Circuit Criminal Court. Defence counsel, Shane Collins-Daly, confirmed to the court his client would be going forward on a signed plea of guilty to each charge. The amounts involved in the charges range from less than 500 to more than 10,000. The charges are brought contrary to Section 4 and Section 10 of the Criminal Justice, Theft and Fraud Offences Act, 2001. Judge Kelleher formally remanded the defendant to appear before the next sessions of Cork Circuit Criminal Court at Angelsea Street on October 22. He granted free legal aid after it was confirmed to the court that Daly is not currently employed. Judge Kelleher remanded the defendant on bail after Gardai confirmed that there was no objection. Gardai further stressed that no specific bail conditions were required in the case. Patrick Collins, 36yrs, of Avila Park, Finglas, Dublin pictured leaving the Four Courts after his Circuit Civil Court action for damages was dismissed Pic: Collins Courts Six personal injury claims for damages totalling up to 360,000 in a single rear ending accident have been thrown out by a judge or withdrawn in yet another face-off by an insurer challenging the truth of evidence relating to injuries. In the first of five cases heard by Judge Patrick Quinn, the plaintiff Patrick Collins, (36) of Avila Park, Finglas, said in the Circuit Civil Court he would have told the defence of a previous accident if I had known it would be brought up. Judge Quinn said he had been particularly disturbed on learning from intensive cross-examination of Collins by Moira Flahive, counsel for Aviva Insurance and the defendant Martin Collins, that in another earlier accident Patrick Collins had been the driver and Martin Collins the injured. Judge Quinn said that in the accident before the court the roles had been reversed since Martin Collins was the driver and defendant and Patrick Collins the injured. Ms Flahive, who appeared with Stephen MacKenzie Solicitors, told the court that the accident had occurred at Soldiers Hill Roundabout on the Navan-Dublin N2 on 16th June 2015. Susan Cullen (50) of Claremont Estate, Navan, had been driving towards Dublin with her son Tadhg Cullen, now 19, and Craig McDonagh, Ashbrook, Clogherboy, Navan, now 18, when her car was rear ended. The car that had rear ended her was driven by Martin Collins, Cappagh Road, Finglas, and included passengers Patrick Collins; Julie Collins (34) Cappagh Drive, Finglas, and his grandson Michael McDonagh Junior, Tailtain Drive, Navan. All passengers in both cars had brought 60,000 damages claims against Martin Collins and his insurers Aviva Insurance but Julie Collins withdrew her claim half way through the hearings. An objection had earlier been raised about a single legal team representing the driver and the insurance company, particularly when certain specific allegations were likely to be raised during the hearing. Judge Quinn said the six claimants could take it that the legal representation was in court on behalf of the defendant Mr Collins. Ms Flahive cross-examined all claimants as to the extent of their injuries and how they had been caused in the two cars. She was told by some that the accident had taken place around 4:30pm and by others around 8:30pm. When Judge Quinn called the defendant Martin Collins to give sworn evidence about the time, Collins said he could not remember. The court was told the gardai had been called but they had stated they were too busy and advised the parties just to exchange their details. Judge Quinn, in throwing out five of the cases, referred to the confusion about time and the fact that despite all of the claimants being at the scene for more than half an hour only the two drivers had apparently got out of the cars. There had also been a matter of a claimant in one car being a friend on Facebook with a claimant in the other car. He made orders for costs against all claimants except Susan Cullen who, he said in dismissing her claim, had struck him as a genuine person. In the circumstances of all of the evidence he had been unable to resolve the dilemma he had been presented with in deciding her case. Rob Smyth, Head of Fraud, Aviva, said afterwards: "Although settling this type of claim for small sums of money may appear to be an attractive financial option it only encourages frivolous claims and ultimately adds to the cost of motor insurance premiums." TWO "foot soldiers" contracted by senior figures in an organised crime group to kill Michael Frazer have received jail sentences of 11 and 10 years at the Special Criminal Court. Stephen Dunne (39) and Gary Gleeson (34) were arrested and charged after detectives intercepted a Fiat doblo van during an operation targeting organised crime in Dublin in August 2017. They had a loaded gun sitting between them. The men had been secretly recorded by detectives as they planned the hit, with Gleeson recorded saying "aim for the head. Have to get him in the head. Head shots or we won't get paid." The Special Criminal Court also heard that detectives found a tracking device under Mr Fraser's van. Gleeson's lawyer Michael O'Higgins SC previously said his client was very remorseful and had written a letter of apology to Mr Frazer. Gleeson had also been blamed over a lost shipment of drugs worth 80,000 and had a bad time with those people who wanted their money back. His family became involved in the cross-fire, the court heard. Sentencing the men this afternoon, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, with Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Michel Walsh said the plan to kill Mr Frazer was "shambolic, confused and ill-prepared", adding that this was impacted by drug taking, which was clearly audible on the secret recordings of the pair. Judge Hunt described the defendant's scheme as a "dangerous and outrageous escapade" and said the audio recording was a "disturbing document" which included a "graphic description" of what each man proposed to do to the intended victim. However, the court accepted that neither man were "organisers" in this "deadly enterprise". The court sentenced Gleeson to 12 years in prison with one year suspended, and imposed a 12 year sentence on Dunne with two years suspended. Gleeson, of Muskerry Road in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 and Dunne, of Meile an Ri Drive in Lucan, pleaded guilty in May to possession of a 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol and 10 rounds of 9mm calibre Sellier and Bellot ammunition with intent to endanger life. The offences were carried out at Naas Road, Crumlin on August 7, 2017. The two men had previously been charged with conspiracy to murder Dubliner Michael Frazer (39) between July 28 and August 7 last. Detective Inspector David Gallagher, from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, previously told the court that the men's target was Mr Frazer. He had a threat to his life, and was targeted by senior figures in an organised crime group for internal matters. The defendants were contracted and paid to carry out the attack, the court heard. Mr Frazer did not want any involvement with gardai in this investigation, the inspector said. Defence lawyers Michael O'Higgins and Michael Bowman SC, for Dunne, emphasised that the mere essentially "hired hands" or foot soldiers and not the brains of the operation. In relation to Gleeson, Mr O'Higgins said he had a very adverse reaction to his mother's death and began to drink and take cocaine. A psychological report from a consultant clinical psychologist was previously handed into court which noted that Gleeson had full suicidal ideation in the lead up to this event. The report said his judgment would have been impaired and it indicated he was a depressed person. Mr Bowman said Dunne had struggled with heroin addictions for over 20 years. There have been serious attempts at self-harm and he also struggled to form meaningful relationships with his peers. Previously, Det Insp Gallagher told prosecuting counsel Garnet Orange SC that gardai received confidential information that a criminal gang in Dublin were involved in the active targeting of an individual who was based in the Drimnagh area of Dublin. An investigation was put in place and surveillance was conducted for a distinctive van, a Fiat doblo, with particular wording on it. A warrant was then got to place an audio surveillance device on the van which led to information being gathered. Insp Gallagher said gardai continued to gather information and to track the Fiat doblo van, as it moved through west Dublin. At 7.45pm on August 7, 2017 a decision was made to intercept the van. Insp Gallagher said officers found Gleeson and Dunne in the van with a gun sitting between them. The gun was loaded, and ready to fire. There was one round in the breach and there were nine further rounds in the magazine. A can of petrol, lighter and rubber gloves as well as a small amount of cocaine were found after gardai searched the vehicle. The court heard a conversation between the two men was recorded from when they entered the van on the evening of August 7 at 7.19pm. Det Insp Gallagher read the transcript of the conversation to the court in which Gleeson says: Aim for the head yeah? have to get him in the head. Head shots or we won't get f**king paid. To which Dunne replies: Once I get him a bit I'll keep walking towards him yeah, right up to the windscreen and I'll just keep shooting yeah, and around to the side and I keep shooting yeah? Gleeson then said: Riddle him. The shop has been forced to close for a number of days Gardai are hunting for two young criminals following an arson attack at a north Dublin store while staff and customers were inside. The early morning attack was carried out in the Santry area of the capital at around 8am on Saturday. The shop targeted, the Spar on the Shanowen Road, has been forced to close for a number of days due to the significant damage caused to the building. CCTV footage currently being reviewed by gardai captured two young men walk into the store who then produced two cans of petrol while a number of staff and customers are inside the store. 3 fire engines & an ambulance were called to a shop fire in #Santry this morning. Staff did the right thing & were able to escape through the clear fire exit, we can't stress the importance of keeping these obstacle free. Finglas & P'boro stns attended #Dublin #fire pic.twitter.com/lzildZvQ7v Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) July 28, 2018 The thugs then pour the accelerant on the floor near the entrance before setting it alight. The arsonists then flee the store as staff and customers inside desperately escape the flames through a fire escape at the rear of the building. A source told the Herald that inquiries to identify the two suspects are ongoing and stated it was "hugely fortunate" there were no serious injuries or fatalities. "The two suspects emptied cans of petrol at the entrance to the store, it could have been a grave situation if people became trapped inside the premises. "A definitive motive for the arson attack has not been established, and efforts are continuing to identify the two individuals involved. Somehow there were no injuries, which is hugely fortunate given the deliberate manner in which this was carried out," the source said. Images of the two suspects have also been circulated to garda stations across the city in an effort to identify them. It is understood that the images of the suspects are of good quality and garda are confident that positive identifications can be made. A garda spokesperson said that investigations into the criminal damage incident are ongoing and that no arrests have yet been made. Images of the fire-damaged store were shared by the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB ) on their Twitter page with three fire engines and an ambulance from Phibsboro and Finglas stations attending the scene. A DFB spokesman added: "Staff did the right thing and were able to escape through the clear fire exit, we can't stress the importance of keeping these obstacle free." Seven of the top lads in Hibernia Reit were due to be rewarded with a financial boost. About 21m, give or take. Separate from this, the salary of one top lad is due to be doubled, with another getting a huge increase. Advisors to company shareholders were unhappy about that, but I suspect itll all work out fine in the end. Expand Close Stock picture: PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stock picture: PA This is an uplifting tale of life in the property business. Leo Varadkar turns up later, bless him. This world can be depressing. Cruelty, homelessness, unfairness, conflict. For light relief, I read the business pages. There, its all uplift. Remuneration packages and second quarter growth sound so positive. In the photos, business people smile confidently as they tell us their philosophy of life. If things such as homelessness bring you down, read the business pages. Youll see that even an accommodation crisis has its bright side. It was there that I came across Hibernia Reit. Now, the business pages are written in a lingo that suits corporate strivers, not envious, lurking no-hopers like you and me. So, Ill do my best, but bear in mind that in my world cash flow is what happens when I get lucky with a slot machine. First, I saw a nice Irish Times photo of a man named Bill Nowlan. Bill, the paper said, is widely credited with a successful campaign to encourage the Irish Government to introduce legislation that has facilitated the introduction of real estate investment trusts (REITs) in Ireland. Reits provide a tax efficient way for investors to get into property. They were part of the Fine Gael/Labour Governments 2013 solution to the collapse of the financial business. Today, the housing market is unsustainable. Prices go through the roof, the market is unbalanced. So much so that the head of the National Treasury Management Agency told a Dail committee that the market has failed. Even those earning up to 50,000, he said, have been unable to afford homes. Some expect rents in Dublin to hit 2,000 a month by the end of the year. Traditionally, the State provides local authority housing at affordable prices and rents. This stabilises the market and ensures the workforce has a roof over its head. Since the 1980s, however, right-wing politicians have had a fetish about eliminating local authority housing. In Ireland, no party is more a slave to this fetish than Fine Gael. Figures from Dr Rory Hearne, of Maynooth University, suggest that local authority housing in the UK (where Tory politicians hate it) is at 17pc, as opposed to 33pc in the Netherlands. In Ireland its 9pc. Now, at the front of the newspapers and, in my case, on the back page were kind of obsessive about homelessness. The State cant even properly count the numbers of houses built - though we know its far fewer than are needed. In the joyful business pages, theyre exuberantly positive. It seems the desperation for a roof over peoples heads produces opportunities for those with the money to get creative. Bill Nowlan was one of the founders of Hibernia Reit, along with Frank Kenny. With the financial clout of numerous investors eager to get a steady income from housing needs, the reits have had a cash tsunami. Politicians are adamant that the private sector is the answer to everything, so an unceasing deluge of State cash flows into private hands subsidising landlords and builders and speculators. Nama has brought in the vultures, to buy and sell vast accumulated packages of housing. The reits, too, are happy. David Ehrlich, former CEO of Irelands largest landlord, Ires Reit, explained: Weve never seen rental increases like this in any jurisdiction that were aware of. He added, I truly feel badly for the Irish people. David got a bonus top-up of 376,500 added to his 753,000 salary that year. And, when he subsequently moved on he sold his stock options for 4m. And, as the State sought to avoid building affordable housing itself, it ensured the private sector wallowed in a comforting bath of money. The Irish Examiner predicted, a scramble amongst professional firms to be part of the first phase of the Governments 300m social house building Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme. They even set up a speed-dating system, at an event in the Round Room of the Mansion House, last March. There, firms were given five-minute slots to pitch for a tender for services, moving from table to table as they tried to woo buyers. Remember that PhD that Bill Nowlan got? It was for research into funding models for social and affordable housing. The Hibernia founders set up another company, Dad Property Fund, aiming to invest up to 200m a year in rental properties for the affordable market. Remember that 21m financial top-up the seven lads were looking forward to at Hibernia Reit? Long story short: by the time the dust settled the 21m was 39.9m. Thats the kind of remuneration package you might expect if you invented a cure for a deadly disease. It seems to me a little on the generous side for people whose achievement is to sell property in an accommodation crisis. What about those unhappy shareholders? Hibernia bumped up dividends, the kind of move guaranteed to warm shareholder hearts. Meanwhile, the Government was dicking around with whatever scatty plans its advisers thought up, in an effort to look busy. The obvious thing to do was to follow the lead of the politicians of the 1930s and 1940s. Declare a housing emergency, take the reins and build solid, habitable houses at a steady rate. But thats against their ideological beliefs. Instead, they had to find ways to incentivise the private sector. And the private sector, as it always must, did what it needed to do to maximise profit. Its not in the housing business, its in the money-making business. Guessing what will incentivise people to do what we need is not only slow and inefficient - its bloody expensive. Alan Kelly gave way to Simon Coveney, who gave way to Eoghan Murphy, all of them announcing imaginative ways to do nothing much. Alls well, then? Slight glitch, Im afraid. The number of homeless continues to rise. Businesses worry about locating here if their workers have nowhere to live. Dad Property got an 8m State investment, but it was in a terrible hurry. It found an exemption that allowed it raise rents by 6pc in a rent pressure zone where the limit was 4pc (those zones were one of Simon Coveneys gimmicks for doing nothing much). Then Dad Property announced a rent review but didnt notice that the law said they had to wait a year. Oops, they said, sorry about that. Sounds to me like they were pawing the ground with eagerness to ramp up rents. But, thats the nature of the beast. Asked if the legislation should be reviewed, Leo Varadkar said no. He said, the exemption Dad took advantage of helps build houses and apartments. Therefore its a good thing. Mr Varadkar will put up with anything as long as it might eventually, in some roundabout way, do the job his ideology forbids him allowing the State to do in an orderly way build, build, build. German pilots are expected to announce strike action against Ryanair today - adding to the airline's industrial relations woes. Janis Georg Schmitt, of the Vereinigung Cockpit union, said it was expecting a "big vote for yes" following a ballot for industrial action over pay. Mr Schmitt said members were demanding that a "fixed" portion of their income be increased and a flexible portion - that depends on the number of hours they fly - be reduced. "We do expect a big vote for yes," he said. "I don't think there will be industrial action directly after the vote, but possibly a week later." Irish-based pilots directly employed by Ryanair have already held three 24-hour stoppages. Some 3,500 passengers will be hit by flight cancellations during a fourth strike by the Irish-based pilots this Friday. Ryanair said this represented 20 out of 300 flights that are scheduled on the day. The directly employed staff, who represent a quarter of the pilot workforce, want their length of service to determine who gets holidays at popular times of the year, base transfers and promotions. Six hundred flights were cancelled last week when cabin crew in four countries went on strike. Meanwhile, the airline has denied it was trying to intimidate staff by putting 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew on protective notice last week. In a letter to Ryanair's chief people officer Eddie Wilson, the Spanish Sepla union accused the airline of trying to intimidate its staff after the Irish strikes. It warned the budget carrier it could find that "this unrest is only the beginning". The letter followed the airline's decision to put more than 300 staff on protective notice of lay-offs this October as it moves aircraft from Dublin to Poland. Ryanair said this was a "commercial move". "The actions you have taken after strikes by our colleagues in Ireland seem to have an intimidating purpose The memo giving information, which is only applicable to employees in Ireland, has been sent to every single Ryanair pilot," Sepla said. It warned that the airline's actions had in fact had the opposite effect. A Ryanair spokesperson said that claims of intimidation were nonsense. Ruth Morrissey outside court with her husband Paul. Both gave evidence in support of their claim against the HSE and the labs. Picture: Collins The laboratories at the centre of the CervicalCheck scandal are to field a team of scientific experts to argue that cancer victim Ruth Morrissey's incorrect smear test results were not the result of a mistake. The defence team will claim that the failure to detect any abnormalities in Ms Morrissey's tests was simply because of the limitations of the screening process. Ms Morrissey (37), of Schoolhouse Road, Monaleen, Co Limerick, received two test results in 2009 and 2012, which did not show any abnormalities. However, in 2014 she went on to develop cervical cancer, which is now advanced. Her lawyers are understood to have secured several expert opinions to support their case that mistakes were made in the reading and interpretation of both slides. But they will clash with the defence team's experts, who will question the alleged negligence. The laboratory opinions have yet to be finalised and an adjournment was sought at the High Court to allow time to secure them. Ms Morrissey is among 221 women whose test results were audited by CervicalCheck in 2014. The audits concluded that errors were made, which led to significant delay in diagnosis and treatment. Ms Morrissey, the mother of a seven-year-old daughter, also has breast cancer. She is the latest victim to become involved in an intense legal battle. She her husband Paul gave harrowing testimony during the three-day hearing last week. They have sued the HSE and US laboratory Quest Diagnostics Ireland Ltd, with offices at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin, along with Medlab Pathology Ltd, based at Sandyford Business Park. The HSE admits liability for the delay in giving the audit report to Ms Morrissey. But the greater part of any compensation would have to be paid for by the laboratories and they are resisting the claim. The State Claims Agency, which only acts for the HSE, had no further comment to make yesterday on its appeal to lawyers for the two labs to get back into mediation and spare the family further court ordeals. The case is due to come before the court again tomorrow and is expected to be adjourned until late September, although mediation may resume in the meantime. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris, who promised women whose cases were audited by CervicalCheck would not have to endure a court trial, are under pressure to allow the State to step in and compensate Ms Morrissey. Mr Varadkar previously suggested that in cases where the laboratories were contesting liability, the State could settle with the woman, then pursue the laboratories. In a scathing attack yesterday, Ms Morrissey's solicitor Cian O'Carroll, said: "It is both tedious and meaningless, the way they keep repeating the word 'mediation' like a mantra - as if by repeating it often enough, it becomes endowed with magical powers. "If the parties are interested in compromise, it will work but so will ordinary negotiations. If the defendants won't even make an offer, then it won't work. "The plaintiffs here gave all three defendants a day at mediation last Monday and they couldn't even pay them the courtesy of making an offer. "So they can forget it if they think we are now going to agree to another mediation just to spare the Taoiseach and Mr Harris their embarrassment at being caught out in their insincerity, if not bald untruths. "If they want to resolve the case, their extensive and well practiced legal team knows well how to negotiate. If they don't, then they should have the decency not to launch a public relations assault on Ruth and Paul Morrissey." Mr O'Carroll pointed to the role of the HSE, along with the labs, in the case of Emma Mhic Mhathuna, the mother of five who settled her case for 7.5m. She was told if she did not accept damages based on foster care - as opposed to home care - for her children, they would seek legal costs against her. The husband of a woman who was raped and killed in Melbourne in Australia in 2012 has shared a heartbreaking tribute to his late wife on what would have been their 10th wedding anniversary. 29-year-old Jill was walking home from a pub in Brunswick when she was raped and murdered in the early hours of 22 September 2012. Tom Meagher said he still carries the "scars" of Drogheda native Jill's death and described his wife as someone with love and compassion. "Ten years ago today, I was lucky enough to marry this incredible human," Tom posted on Facebook, alongside a photo of murder victim Jill in her wedding dress. "While I thought through this imagined future, I scrawled additions and scratched out redundant parts of my wedding speech, and as I wrote (my attention frantically jumping between wine and pen) I day-dreamed about what we will be doing in five years, in ten years, in twenty or thirty years - we never made it to five. "Four years later she was brutally and violently taken from this world." Tom said that Adrian Bayley, Jill's convicted killer, was someone who lived with "violence", unlike Jill who lived life with "love and compassion". "Jill communicates to us through that living space in those woods where we connect, through the ones she loved and who loved her, through everyone who lives life like she did - full of love, compassion, laughter and a force and energy that was literally breathtaking. "He communicates with us through violence, misogyny, hatred and death. His pallid shadow can never extinguish her light." Tom added that the scars of Jill's death are what give him the "strength" to carry on. Expand Close Jill Meagher who was murdered in Australia in 2012 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jill Meagher who was murdered in Australia in 2012 "I carry the scars of Jill's death because that's how I remember to carry her light inside me," he said. "Those scars are what connect me and her, they are what teach me, what give me strength, what allow me to hold the confusing mishmash of emotional chaos together and survive, not without her, but with her loving guidance and formidable strength." His tribute concluded with a thank you message to Jill for "persistently teaching" him how to live and that she is "loved at every moment". "Slainte Jill. You were a warrior for love, life and liberation. "Thank you for consistently and persistently teaching me how to live, how to think, how to embrace love wholly, and to bear witness to the fire you lit in me and so many others in your short time on this earth. "You are loved at every moment of every day." Adrian Bayley pleaded guilty to Meagher's rape and murder in April 2013 and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 35-year non-parole period. The convicted killer was sentenced to another 18 years in prison in 2015 for three other rape convictions. In September 2017, it was reported that he was stabbed with a fork in an Australian prison. Defor and Flynn, both Revenue Detector Dogs, assisted the searches at Rosslare Europort Two Revenue detector dogs assisted with the discovery of two separate drugs and cash hauls at Rosslare Europort this week, worth a combined total of over 550,000. Over 36kgs of drugs were seized by Revenue officers today, with an estimated street value of over 545,000. The drugs, suspected to be amphetamines, were discovered when an Irish registered truck was selected for scanning as a result of routine profiling. Assisted by detector dog Defor, the drugs were discovered in the cab of the vehicle. Expand Close Over 36kgs of drugs were seized by Revenue officers today, with an estimated street value of 545k. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Over 36kgs of drugs were seized by Revenue officers today, with an estimated street value of 545k. A man in his 40s was arrested by Gardai at the scene and taken to Wexford Garda Station, with investigations ongoing. In a separate haul, detector dog Flynn assisted with the seizure of 6,800 in cash found in a caravan. In Wexford District Court last night, Revenue officers were granted a three-month cash detention order by Judge Gerard Haughton. A ferry coming from Fishguard in Wales arrived in Rosslare Europort on Saturday, and a caravan was stopped and searched as part of routine profiling. With Flynn's assistance, the cash was found hidden in the floor of the caravan. The 6,800 was seized by Revenue officers with the belief of the intention for use in criminal activity. A man in his 30s was questioned and investigations are ongoing. Ireland could be in for a scorching August bank holiday weekend as temperatures in the mid 20s are set to make a return. High pressure from the south is expected to build over the country towards the end of the week, which means sunseekers can expect to see dry and settled conditions for the bank holiday. According to Met Eireann, current predications show temperatures ranging from the low to mid 20s. "It's looking like it will be mainly dry, maybe still the odd light shower in certain parts of the country," a forecaster told Independent.ie. "We can expect some variable highs with nice sunshine, with temperatures probably between the low to mid-twenties." In the meantime, longer spells of rain and wind are expected to continue across the country until Thursday. Tomorrow is set to be "breezy" with isolated showers along the Atlantic coast on Tuesday night. "Tomorrow will be a breezy day with fresh and gusty south to southwesterly winds, occasionally strong along coasts," Met Eireann said. "A generally cloudy day overall with outbreaks of rain, heavy and persistent at times in the Northwest but more sporadic elsewhere with a few brighter spells in parts." Wednesday will be mostly cloudy nationwide with patches of rain and light drizzle. Persistent rain is expected in the west and southwest later on in the day, with temperatures "no lower" than the mid-teens. Thursday will begin with rain and drizzle, but current indications show conditions improving in the afternoon ahead of the weekend. "Further spells of rain and drizzle on Thursday, but current indications suggest clearer sunnier conditions will develop in the east and southeast later in the day. "A warm day with maximum temperatures of 20 to 24 degrees, generally, but a little cooler in the Atlantic coastal fringes." Robin Smyth when she flew to the US for the first time three years ago. Picture: Ray Cullen An Irish teenager who has battled an aggressive cancer for 10 years is to be given pioneering new treatment in the US after a huge fundraising effort. Neuroblastoma sufferer Robyn Smyth (13), from Whitehall, north Dublin, will be the first Irish person to be admitted on to a treatment trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York. She was accepted on to the trial several months ago after being assessed at a Michigan hospital where she has been treated for three years. But because her family did not have the funds to pay, it could not go ahead and Robyn's health had begun to deteriorate. Her mother Bernadette Dornan-Smyth made a desperate plea for funds and was delighted when the target of 326,000 was reached this weekend. She told well-wishers: "We reached the magic mark of having enough money to pay for the groundbreaking trial treatment over the weekend and all of the family can't put into words how grateful and relieved we are. "My head was spinning at the thought of getting Robyn this far and not being able to get her on the trial that could potentially put an end to this monster. "We don't know what the future holds but because of you we have hope." Robyn will fly to New York on Wednesday and meet the medical team who will treat her on Thursday. Ms Dornan-Smyth added: "We are all so relieved but worried too. After we make the upfront payment to the hospital, there will be no money left. "So I'm pleading with people to keep donating as there will be non-stop flight and living costs. "I've come this far for my daughter who doesn't know what it's like to live a life without sickness and I'll fight and fight to keep her with us. She deserves to have a life but she's so fragile right now. "Our flight on Wednesday can't come soon enough. "Robyn's health battles have obviously affected our family over the years and it hasn't been easy but it's made us strong too and we will never give up on her." Robyn was given just a 30pc chance of surviving when she was diagnosed with cancer at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin. Three years ago, her chances dropped to 5pc and her family were told to bring her home to die. But they decided to fundraise to take her to the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Michigan. She has been on more than 80 flights to the US since and continues to have chemotherapy and other treatment at Our Lady's. Until last month, fundraising had stalled and just 70,000 had been raised for the New York trial. Ms Dornan-Smyth's plea led to Erin McGregor, sister of UFC fighter Conor, starting a floss dance challenge to help the cause. "Donations can be made on robynslife@live.com, idonate.ie/robynslife and gofundme.com/robynslife," added Ms Dornan-Smyth. There is an unexpected solemnity about Gavin Duffy, as he officially opens his campaign to seek a nomination to contest the Presidential election, which is expected to take place on October 28. "It will be a challenge to get four nominations... the main parties are trying to lock down their support for the incumbent Michael D Higgins, so we are looking to councils where there is a larger number of independents, and Fianna Fail have now relaxed the whip, so that opens up opportunities in 31 councils. It depends now on how many candidates there are in the race," Duffy said. He opens his campaign Tuesday next at a sitting of Waterford Co Council, which will also be addressed by another candidate - although he's not sure who that is. Duffy texted me at 5.55am to arrange to meet at an office in central Dublin to formally declare that he is looking for a nomination. Duffy (58) is an early riser, from his days working in radio with LMFM which he founded 30 years ago. He has since found more widespread fame as the longest-serving member on the panel of Dragons' Den. When we do meet later in the morning, he's dressed in a pin-striped suit. He slings the jacket on the back of the chair and faces me in shirt, tie and trademark braces. "I think Michael D Higgins has been an excellent President, he has served his seven-year term and what I now see is there is going to be a contest, because Sinn Fein have stated loudly and clearly, that they will run a candidate and a Presidential election between the incumbent and just Sinn Fein is something that concerns me," he says. "The President is above politics but I admire that he has not lost the art of politics itself, that dark art, and I think he has applied it very well over the summer," he says, in reply to a question on Michael D Higgins's decision to leave it until earlier this month to change his mind and seek a second term. "This is the latest declaration in the history of the Presidency and that makes the challenge of getting four council nominations all the more difficult," he says. The order for the Presidential election will be made at the end of August and "it does mean there will be a mad scramble in the first couple of weeks of September", he concedes. Mr Higgins has rejected suggestions that the timing of his announcement of his intention to seek a second term has impacted on any other potential candidate. He has said: "I have not delayed for a single day anybody who could have, if they wanted to, been seeking a nomination for the last six-and-a-half years." He has also said: "I'm not standing in the way of anybody making a decision." Meanwhile, Duffy says it would be "wrong" to say that people have been urging him to go forwards. "I looked at the prospect, first of all that we weren't going to have a contest at all, and I felt the people wanted an election, the polls have proved that. Then I looked at what is the job specification of president." These, he lists, as sound judgment, representing the people at home and abroad and being in touch with the mood of the nation. "I am somebody who has worked as a public speaker all my life. I am very comfortable with it. The difference between me and President Michael D Higgins is that, while he is a wonderful orator, he speaks to people's heads, I would hope to speak to people's hearts." Apart from the slog of getting a nomination, his main concern now is how the media will cover the campaign, which is the first since 1966 involving an incumbent president. Back then, Eamon de Valera decided not to campaign and the national broadcaster, now RTE, didn't cover the election, putting his opponent, Tom F O'Higgins, at a huge disadvantage. "I think, when the campaign starts properly, the candidates have to be deeply and properly scrutinised and I know there has been media debate 'do we over-do that?'. Nobody welcomes the scrutiny and interrogation, but it is very important that the potential candidates, including the incumbent, are tested and that leads to the most important critical requirement: do you have the integrity to be the President for Ireland? "I think the public will expect the media to conduct an open, fair, just, transparent campaign. In this election, we have to respect the office of President, but challenge the candidates and the President himself. In 2011, the only question he was ever asked by RTE is 'why would you bother wanting to be President?' We can't have a re-run of that. "I believe there has to be open debate and I feel President Higgins has to be there and has to stand up to the stump and answer the questions. "I can assure you that I will be asked about my business, assets and company accounts. I will be asked very personal questions about family, as will the other candidates in the race. I think it is unusual and unfair if the incumbent isn't asked questions as well." Born in Sallins, Co Kildare, Duffy grew up in Drogheda and now lives in Meath. He and his wife Orlaith Carmody, a former RTE reporter, have four grown-up children and, after his initial involvement in local radio, he has worked as a media consultant and TV personality in more recent years. One of the consequences of now "crossing that line" - by going for public office - is that it will be "life changing", he says. "I am in the fortunate position of having the support of my family to go and do something like this, and if it doesn't end in success, I would see myself being able to continue as I have done before. "I think if people, who are looking for a President who is above politics, they should at least consider somebody who is not from the political system. Because, effectively, what has happened here is the political establishment want one of their own, they want to avoid the cost of a Presidential election, they are keeping themselves for the job of getting ready for a general election next year or the year beyond. "Now we will have a contest and I intend to campaign, travel the country, meeting as many people as possible, yet it will have to be conducted in a modern, state-of-the-art fashion and I am confident that there will be people who, at least, want to consider an alternative to the political establishment." He agrees he is taking a financial risk and has taken out a mortgage to fund the early stages of a campaign, which could cost 500,000. He says that, although he has never been a member of a political party, he has a "rainbow" team already in place to hit the campaign trail, but he will not be looking to 'big businesses' to fund his campaign. "I am not of big business, I am about supporting small start-up businesses hopefully growing to small and medium enterprises," he says. "That is where I come from," adding that, as president, he would "maximise the potential of the people of Ireland". He believes a president with business acumen could be beneficial to the Government in Brexit, the arts and helping communities. He stresses that, as a long-time advocate against ageism, he will not be making an issue of Michael D Higgins's age. "We should celebrate that Michael D wants to be considered for second term and serving that term in his 80s. Neither I, nor anyone on my campaign, will be allowed to raise that issue." A potential Sinn Fein nominee for the presidency is embroiled in controversy over an interview in which she raised fears about the HPV vaccine. Liadh Ni Riada revealed during a 2016 interview that she had stopped one of her daughters getting the injection, which is aimed at preventing cervical cancer. The MEP told a radio station that she had spoken to medical professionals and they "didn't inspire huge confidence". In recent years, health officials have been fighting back against claims - made largely on social media - that the vaccine should be avoided. Uptake plummeted dramatically to just 51pc in 2016 but is on the rise again following a successful awareness campaign by the HSE. The HPV vaccine is approved by the World Health Organisation and prevents seven out of 10 cervical cancers. It works best when given to girls aged 12 and 13. In September 2016, Ms Ni Riada received a note from her child's school, asking for permission to allow the vaccine be administered. Initially, she signed the form but later sent back a letter, asking that her daughter not receive the injection. She posted her concerns on Facebook and later went on Cork's 96FM to discuss the issue as a parent. "The problem was I was given 24 hours to sign it and pass it on to the school. So I signed it because I discussed it with my husband and thought you're kind of damned if you do and damned if you don't," she said. Ms Ni Riada told listeners that the HSE had not provided enough information about the possible side-effects. She continued: "I was unaware of the amount of girls that have had negative side-effects from this. So it was really from other constituents talking to me (that she found out)." "I spoke to various medical professionals, who would be friends of mine, and they didn't inspire huge confidence. They didn't really. This was on a personal basis and I'm not politicising this in any way." However, the Sinn Fein representative for Ireland South added: "You see the HSE, it is in a bit of shambles. You kind of question how much can you trust that this is 100pc safe. I don't think you probably say that about anything. "It's better if parents are fully informed about all the facts before making that personal choice." Mention of the interview resurfaced online in recent days after it had emerged that Ms Ni Riada is the frontrunner to be the Sinn Fein candidate for the presidential election. Reacting to criticism, the mother of three insisted that she had "never actually said I was against the vaccine". She added: "I was clearly voicing my concern as a parent, not as an MEP, and that was the premise of the interview." Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris must "come out of hiding" to address the CervicalCheck scandal, a Labour TD said yesterday. Both Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris have not faced the media since the case of Ruth Morrissey, who has advanced cervical and breast cancer, emerged. Ms Morrissey, from Monaleen, Limerick, has faced a gruelling High Court ordeal and says she only learned of an attempt at mediation by the State Claims Agency after being alerted by the media. On Friday, Ms Morrissey's solicitor Cian O'Carroll said she and her husband were deeply hurt the State had sought to misrepresent the "sham mediation". Yesterday, Labour Party TD Alan Kelly said the court hearings faced by Ms Morrissey in recent days suggested that Mr Varadkar had "misled" the public with promises that none of the women affected by the screening scandal would have to go through such an ordeal. He told the Irish Independent: "The Taoiseach went on national television and in the Dail gave a commitment that none of these women would have to appear in court. "That they would take on the case and retrospectively go after the laboratories to avoid having all the women in court. "As a consequence, if the Taoiseach does not intervene and absolutely guarantee that these women don't end up in court, and instruct the State Claims Agency to protect these women, then the Taoiseach has misled the women and the public." Both Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris have issued statements on the case of Ms Morrissey. Mr Varadkar is scheduled to meet Vicky Phelan, whose court case brought the cervical screening scandal to national attention, on Wednesday. He is due to attend a policy launch today at which the issue is likely to be raised. A spokesman said that while mediation "may not always succeed at first, it must remain an option in all cases". He added: "The State participates in a sensitive and compassionate manner, as has happened in two previous cases." The RAF Red Arrows at the Bray Air Display. Picture: Doug O'Connor Eyes were glued to the sky as 140,000 people enjoyed the aerobatics at the 13th annual Bray Air Display over the course of the weekend. Spectators on the promenade were treated to a dazzling display of aviation expertise as the world-renowned Red Arrows, the UK royal air force aerobatic team, took to the sky. There was also a display by the Irish Air Corps and the Royal Jordanian Falcons. Other highlights of the day included a Mustang flown by world champion air racer Paul Bonhomme, and a Vans RV7 aircraft painted in the distinctive pattern of a Friesian cow piloted by 'The Flying Farmer', Gerry Humphries, from Limerick. Vintage aircraft were also popular with the crowds. A 1940s-era Aer Lingus DC-3 aircraft painted in the original livery of that era rumbled through the sky. Aer Lingus took delivery of its first Douglas DC-3 in April 1940, making it the fifth aircraft type to be operated by the airline. The first scheduled flight was a Dublin to Liverpool service on May 7, 1940. A 75-year-old Catalina Flying Boat PBY-5A and two Strikemasters from Wales also took part. The Irish Air Corps, Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue and the Garda Air Support Unit soared overhead while the LE Roisin was anchored offshore to acknowledge the work of the Irish Naval Service. The Irish Parachute Club closed the show with a free-fall demonstration. Peter Kearney, of the Irish Aviation Authority, said he hoped the event "has shone a spotlight on the wealth of aviation talent in Ireland". A woman is recovering in hospital after she was attacked by an American Akita dog in Co Donegal. The woman, a carer, called to a patient's home on the outskirts of Letterkenny where she was viciously set on by the dog in an unprovoked attack. She suffered a broken leg after she was bitten and dragged along the ground by the animal. She also suffered abdominal injuries. The woman was rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital where she is still recovering after her ordeal. It is understood she received multiple bites during the attack. The dog is believed to have been later destroyed. Local ISPCA inspector Kevin McGinley confirmed he was aware of the incident but could not comment any further. The American Akita breed - or Great Japanese Dog - originates from Japan and is popular in Ireland. Archbishop of Tuam Dr Michael Neary makes his way to the mountains pinnacle. Photos: Conor McKeown Richie Brown, from Limerick, and his daughters Marita and Maura take a selfie at the summit of Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday yesterday. Photos: Conor McKeown RTE presenter Joe Duffy reaches the top to complete his pilgrimage. Photos: Conor McKeown More than 1,500 years since St Patrick scaled the perilous slopes of Croagh Patrick's northerly flank, 5,000 pilgrims retraced the footsteps of the 'Holy Mountain'. For some - including RTE broadcaster Joe Duffy - the ascent was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But for others it's a perennial pilgrimage. John Commins, respectfully known as 'The Guardian of the Reek', makes the 765 metre-high summit up to five times a week in summer. Upon reaching the top, he cleans and repairs the mountain-top oratory. This year was John's 50th pilgrimage. He spent Saturday night on the mountain along with his daughter Mary Patricia, to ensure that everything was shipshape for 'Reek Sunday' Masses, which were celebrated yesterday every hour from 8am to 2pm. "John is very much a man of the mountain. He probably gets to the top about 500 times a year," explained Westport parish priest Father Charlie McDonnell. "He was even married in the chapel in 1984." There were fewer injuries than normal reported along the rocky pathways. However, one 46-year-old man from Mayo was airlifted to Galway University Hospital with a suspected cardiac arrest. The Order of Malta and Mountain Rescue teams reported no serious injuries on the climb, with over half a dozen people requiring treatment for minor injuries. The low number of injuries was attributed to the good weather. "No need for 4x4 tractors pulling parked cars out of the muck this year," remarked one of the delighted car-park attendants as the day progressed without hindrance. Many of those who made the ascent were parents with young children. This augurs well for the future of the pilgrimage, according to Fr McDonnell. The Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Fintan Monahan, celebrated the 9am Mass while the Archbishop of Tuam, Dr Michael Neary, celebrated Mass at 11am. In his homily for 'Reek Sunday', Dr Neary told his congregation: "The rugged, jagged, edges of the slopes of Croagh Patrick challenge and question us. "We are very conscious of the slow, silent decline of faith in Ireland. Many feel they are strangers in a strange land. "Pilgrimages provide an opportunity to take stock but also a time to discover new heart." Owen Ward, from Tuam, Co Galway, who was refreshing his tired feet in the stream at the foot of the mountain, said he makes the annual climb for personal reasons - a young son with serious illness. Eyeing the mountain, he pledged: "I'll be back again next year." Thomas Chiraypath, originally from India, along with his wife Telphi and their three children started their ascent early before 8am. "We are now living in Dublin," said Mr Chiraypath. "We climb this mountain every year. It is part of our Catholic belief. "In India we also had a sacred mountain. It is located in Kerala State." Brian O'Callaghan-Westropp and Zoe Holohan, who were on their honeymoon in Greece A newlywed Irishwoman who lost her husband in the Greek wildfires will face months of treatment in Athens for her severe burns. Preparations are under way to bring home the body of Zoe Holohan's husband, Brian O'Callaghan-Westropp, who died last week. It is understood the body will be flown home this week, probably around Thursday. It was revealed yesterday that Ms Holohan came within minutes of death in the inferno, which swept through the area around Athens as the couple honeymooned in the resort of Mati. Ms Holohan, who works for the 'Sunday World' as an advertising executive, is expected to stay in hospital in Athens for two months. She underwent her first medical procedure on Friday. Meanwhile, more details are emerging of the couple's ordeal in the wildfires. The 'Sunday World' reported yesterday that they had fled their rented holiday home on foot as the fire moved in, but couldn't start their car, so took off on foot. A driver who spotted them motioned for them to get into the boot of his car, which was the only space available. The car was stuffed with six children and three adults. A firefighter who came upon the car stuck in a jam of fleeing vehicles rescued Ms Holohan from the boot. Her husband had been lost at some point in the journey and his body was formally identified on Wednesday. Ms Holohan was given first aid treatment at the fire station by a nurse, before being rushed to hospital in Athens. The firefighter who found her said everyone in the car would have died in minutes had they not been rescued then. Memorial Meanwhile, a GoFundMe memorial page which has been set up by college friends of Mr O'Callaghan-Westropp has exceeded its original 5,000 goal. Mr O'Callaghan-Westropp had been studying for a Masters of business administration at the National College of Ireland. He was remembered by friends as someone whose "enthusiasm, passion and zest for life was infectious". The proceeds of the fundraiser will go to Ms Holohan "to try to help her through this most difficult time," the organiser said. The wildfires claimed the lives of at least 88 people and injured dozens more. Hundreds of mourners gathered in a church in Mati for a memorial service yesterday. The senior local Greek Orthodox Church clergyman, Bishop Kyrillos, said the community was mourning the loss of family, neighbours and friends. Rescue crews are still looking for survivors of the blaze. Volunteer divers have been searching the sea off Mati looking for the bodies of more possible victims. The wildfires were the worst in Europe since World War II. They left the area dotted with burnt-out trees, ashen earth and destroyed buildings. 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Abortion is contrary to Church teaching, and there's a suggestion that the Catholic hierarchy would object to them being carried out in hospitals where they have, either a role in ownership, or ethos. Minister for Health, Simon Harris, as well as other prominent politicians, have said that - whilst individuals may have a conscientious objection to providing abortion services and on that basis may opt out from involvement - institutions such as hospitals may have no such conscientious objection and there is only one set of laws in this country, those being the laws passed by the Oireachtas. In other words this is the law and irrespective of how you feel about it, Bishops - this will happen in all Irish hospitals. But that remains to be seen. There are currently many hospitals in Ireland where procedures that are perfectly legal are not carried out because of "Catholic ethos". We're focused on abortion now, because new laws will be passed on that shortly. But the Church is opposed to many aspects of women's healthcare, so contraception, sterilisation, assisted reproduction and other procedures that can have an impact on people's ability to 'procreate' have all fallen under its eye - and this is despite there being only one set of laws here. In Catholic hospitals internationally it's quite typical that procedures, contrary to Catholic teaching, are not carried out and that may be acceptable because people go to these Catholic facilities knowing what they are choosing - and what they're going to get. The difficulty for us here, is we have far too many hospitals where a religious ethos permeates the corridors; where sterilisations aren't carried out - despite grown adults requesting them. Doctors fudge the reasons for procedures to ethics committees in order to get things passed and where patients have to bring their own contraception in with them as it won't be available from the hospital pharmacy. It's also where people are denied access to cancer drug trials because contraception is a requirement of those trials. We've too many of them - and they include some of our most important tertiary, centres of excellence. And, in terms of funding, staffing and indeed to all other intents and purposes these 'Catholic hospitals' are, in fact, State hospitals. And that is the real issue. We've allowed some of our most important, tax-payer funded, State medical facilities to have a system of governance that gives huge say in what happens within them to the religious. There are, of course, historical reasons for this. But the upshot is, we the people, pay for these hospitals. We are perfectly legally entitled to access a wide range of medical procedures within these hospitals, but they, the religious, get a very large say in whether or not they will actually provide them. So despite us funding them, we are not fully in control of them, much like our education system. Do we want this situation? I'd suggest that no we don't. Although this was once a happy marriage, back when most people's beliefs were closely allied to Church teaching - and it was unlikely that the ethos of the hospital would be at odds with what patients wanted. However, this is no longer the case. Now - even putting abortion aside - the vast majority of Catholics here use contraception, are unopposed to IVF and believe they should be allowed to choose sterilisation if they wish. So this issue is far bigger than abortion. It is time for the State to change the way we do business with the religious in our hospitals in all regards. It is patients, who should in fact, get to make decisions about what medical care they receive - facilitated by the advice of their doctors. The Church should have no role in healthcare, other than to offer comfort where required. The National Maternity Hospital, above every other hospital in the State, cannot be allowed to have an 'ethos' that prevents women from accessing care they are entitled to and indeed have fought so hard for. Mary Aikenhead is long dead and her deeply-held convictions are a matter for her and her alone. They should have no bearing on other women in 2018. And, I for one, would stand in front of the diggers if that isn't going to be the case. @ciarakellydoc Ciara presents 'Lunchtime Live' on Newstalk, 12-2 weekdays. Premium Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus. The life and story of Nelson Mandela is known by people all over the world. As South Africas first black head of state, he paved the way for change and reform. Today, he is a symbol for hope and freedom. If you are looking for a deeper travel experience, then head to South Africa and get to know Mandela right from the heart of his country. From inside Madibas very own home, to the farmland where he took refuge from the apartheid authorities, visit some of these exciting places and get to know one of the worlds greatest leaders. Mandela House Start your journey in Soweto, which is a 40-minute drive from the centre of Johannesburg. Here you will find the Mandela house. This museum tells the story of President Mandela from a very unique angle his home. This building was the Mandela family home from 1946, right up to the 1990s. The house still holds some of the original furnishings, including photographs which belonged to Nelson Mandela. It is also where he returned after his release from prison in 1990. When speaking about the house in later years he said, For me, No. 8115 was the centre point of my world, the place marked with an X in my mental geography. Union buildings Just over one hour from Johannesburg sits the city of Pretoria. This area is hugely significant location in the Mandela story. With several spots marking different chapters of his life, it is a must visit. The very scenic Union Buildings are where Nelson Mandel spent his term as president from 1994 to 1999. Take a walk around the beautiful grounds, and enjoy the same sights that Mandela himself would have taken in during his time there. Be sure to stop by the statue of Nelson Mandela, which will greet you with open arms. Made from bronze and standing nine metres tall, this impressive figure will have you reaching straight for your camera. Palace of Justice The Palace of Justice, on Church Square in Pretoria, was once the stage for the most famous political trial in South Africa's history. The Rivonia Trial took nine long months and saw Nelson Mandela (and several other African National Congress members) convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life in prison. The Palace of Justice is also where Mandela made one of his most passionate speeches where he declared I am prepared to die. Feel the shivers run down your spine as you walk the halls of this historic place during your travels. Long March to Freedom Perhaps one of the most breath-taking sights in Pretoria, is the Long March to Freedom National Heritage monument. Visitors can walk amongst 100 life-size bronze figures, who represent real life anti-apartheid activists, Zulu chiefs and missionaries. Come face to face with the people who shaped South Africa into the remarkable country it is today. Plans to grow the collection by another 300 figures is well under way, as more and more statues are being added. Aside from being a place to plunge into the history of the nation, it also provides many jobs and opportunities to local craftspeople in the area. Liliesleaf Farm Once the underground headquarters of the African National Congress, Liliesleaf Farm is an enthralling site to visit. The farm was also used as a safe house for political fugitives, one of whom was none other than Nelson Mandela. Mandela posed as an employee of the farm during his time here and went by the name David Motsamayi. The farm was eventually discovered and raided by the apartheid authorities, leading to the arrests of several activists who later stood trial alongside Mandela. Located 25Km north of Johannesburg, means it is less likely to be as busy as the other attractions in the city centre. The stories of the farm and its political guests are told in exceptional detail through interactive and audio-visual exhibits. Throughout his own extraordinary life, Mandela changed the lives of hundreds and thousands of people. Visiting some of the many places in South Africa which pay homage to his journey, show that even today his voice is still heard by many. In the words of the great man himself, I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. Fly to Johannesburg from Dublin via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines from 440. Sponsored by: Make-up artists are the new stars of the fashion and social-media scene. Chloe Brennan talks to six of Irelands best known and most successful MUAs to find out how they achieved success in what is a very competitive industry, and, of course, to discover their insider top tips Paula Callan I started my make-up career by chance. It wasn't a career that I'd had in mind. I've always loved art, it was my favourite subject in school, and Ms Kearns, my art teacher at the time, wanted me to become an art teacher. That was my plan for the future. In my last year of school, my career path totally changed. I was in Brown Thomas one Saturday, and a woman came up and asked me if I'd ever thought of becoming a model - I hadn't! I modelled for about a year, and soon discovered it wasn't for me. But I did love being in the fashion industry, and something that stood out for me was doing make-up on other girls. My agent suggested that if I wasn't going to model, maybe I could be a make-up artist, as I seemed to have a natural flair. I started working with an up-and-coming photographer and networked to get my name out there. It was hard to build up a clientele and learn the trade. I had never done any make-up courses. Back then, there was no internet to help - I was completely self-taught. After a few years freelancing, the news broke that Mac was coming to Dublin. My sister created a CV and sent it off, resulting in a call-back. I started with Mac in 1997 - an incredible company to work for. I was soon promoted to senior artist for Ireland and the UK. This position brought me all over the world, working at fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris; teaching seminars and training new staff. I loved every minute of it. I went on to open my own salon, Callan & Co, in 2016. Being a freelancer, I really wanted to have a base to work from, and I love working with a team. I'm inspired by other creative people, and I have incredibly talented hairstylists, make-up artists, nail technicians and brow experts at Callan & Co. The journey of opening a salon was a challenge, to say the least. I had to find the right location and the perfect team. We fit Callan & Co into an old Georgian house in Ballsbridge. I wanted to restore it to its natural beauty, and keep it traditional with a modern twist. It was a challenge, but I loved every moment. We want our customers to feel like they are coming into Callan & Co for an experience, and to leave feeling relaxed and beautified. Having worked as a make-up artist for nearly 30 years, I have had amazing opportunities and I've met some incredible people. My most memorable to date was working with Nicole Scherzinger - so humble and kind - who was performing with Andrea Bocelli. Being a make-up artist and business owner is quite difficult when you have a young family; my kids are still quite young, and my work hours are long, but I hope it will instil a good work ethic in them. Video of the Day My dad always says: "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life!" It's so true. callanandco.ie Aideen Kate Murphy Expand Close Aideen Kate Murphy. Photo: Kip Carroll / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aideen Kate Murphy. Photo: Kip Carroll I studied beauty therapy in college and started my career around the same time, working in Inglot for about two-and-a-half years. The day I got my job in Inglot was hugely special to me. Looking back, it has led me to where I am today. I have always been interested in YouTube. I love watching other people's make-up channels, and it was something that I wanted to get involved in. I have really started focusing on it this year, and I'm thrilled to have just hit 10,000 subscribers. The make-up industry is constantly changing, but in the last few years, it has definitely become more video-focused. There are so many brands competing on the market at the moment, so it's hard to narrow it down and choose just one favourite. In saying that, I have been featured on the social-media pages of Anastasia Beverly Hills a couple of times now, which was a huge compliment. I find that working for yourself has its perks, but you do need to set weekly goals to make sure you get all of your work done, and keep on track. I like to set aside two or three days each week to focus on filming make-up tutorials and creating content for my social-media pages. I normally take Mondays to catch up on emails; Tuesdays and Thursdays are spent filming and editing videos for YouTube. I try to edit and upload on the same day. I have definitely improved in managing my time when editing videos; it can take me up to three hours from start to finish. I sometimes ask my sister for approval - you can always rely on your family to be brutally honest. Recently, I attended a make-up masterclass in London, taught by the well-known Kardashian-go-to make-up artist, Mario Dedivanovic. After the class, he shared one of the make-up looks that I had created on his social-media pages - a major pinch-myself moment. I think, as with everything, there are good and bad sides to the job. When you post so much of your life online and put yourself out there, you are always going to have someone that doesn't like what you do. I am lucky enough that I don't get too much hate online. However, any time I do receive a nasty comment on my social-media pages, I either ignore it, or treat it as constructive criticism. The Instagram page @bloggersunveiled definitely has both its pro and cons. I think some topics do need to be addressed, however, I feel the way people are reacting towards it is damaging. Nobody is made of stone, and once you write a nasty comment on the internet, it is there forever. aideenkate Dearbhla Keenan Expand Close Dearbhla Keenan. Photo: Kip Carroll / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dearbhla Keenan. Photo: Kip Carroll The make-up bug really kicked in when I used to accompany my sister, Sinead, on fashion shoots when I was 17. Sinead is a fashion stylist with a wealth of experience in the industry, and has worked with the best creatives. I started learning my trade as I put masking tape on shoe soles [so they stayed pristine] for her quietly in the background, while watching make-up artists create wonders. I've always been interested in make-up, but with Sinead and my other sister, Ciara, both working in fashion, I found myself wanting to be different, and so I focused more on film and prosthetic make-up. I loved art in school, and I always envisioned a career in a creative vocation. My mam, Grainne, has always been a glamorous woman, whom I idolise. Growing up in a house full of women, she always taught me strength and confidence; to follow my own path. She encouraged creativity in my sisters and me. Some of my earliest memories in the 1980s are watching my mam perfectly apply bold colour to her eyes and coral cream blush to her cheeks, always with a smile. I loved playing in her make-up bag - case! - probably much to her dismay, but she never let on. The two years I spent studying in IADT [Institute of Art, Design and Technology] will always stand out to me as an incredible stepping stone. It helped me understand the world I was entering. It's safe to say when I finished college I thought, 'That's it! I'm fully qualified', but I soon learned that you can never stop adding more strings to your bow and learning extra techniques. I've been working for Brown Sugar for over 10 years, and it was here I realised that, for me, job satisfaction came from the feeling of making people feel good about themselves in a relaxed, private environment, and giving confidence to clients that might not have had that experience with make-up before. The L'Oreal Colour Trophy in 2015 will always be a highlight of my career, as I was make-up creative director for the finale show, alongside Brown Sugar's Christian Shannon, who directed hair. Envisioning looks, and then watching them come to fruition by a team of talented make-up artists and stylists from Sugar Culture, was overwhelming. I also love working on TV productions, such as Operation Transformation and Ireland's Got Talent. They're always memorable days, working on set with Kathryn Thomas, Lucy Kennedy and talented crews. They get my adrenaline going, especially during live recordings. I'm very lucky to be working in a high-end salon in the heart of Dublin, and I get to work with interesting people on a regular basis. This does not only include famous people, but also people at the top of their game in the corporate or media industry, who are flying in for meetings or interviews. Unexpectedly, I had the pleasure of looking after Ed Sheeran a few years back. It was a very brief encounter, but it stays with me. My main goal, as always, is to consistently look after my clients, and to keep growing the salon services; offering our clients the level of professionalism and diversity they deserve. brownsugar.ie Natasha Ray I have always been quite an artistic person. Instead of taking notes in school, I was always doodling on my books. I knew when I finished school I wanted to have a career doing something creative. Growing up, I loved doing my mam's and auntie's make-up. They used to have so much in their make-up bags, and when I was allowed to play with their make-up, I was like a child in a sweet shop. I loved it. As I got older, I developed even more of an interest in make-up. I loved how it enhanced my appearance and made me feel beautiful. Looking back at old pictures though, I question my ability and skill level - thank god I decided to take up a career in make-up! My first job was working on a short Irish film. I found it fascinating - the difference in beauty make-up versus make-up for film, and I learned some tips that I still use today. I moved on, and found myself working for Mac for over 10 years. Last year, I started my freelance career - it was always something that I had dreamed of doing, but never had the courage to do so. I was made redundant from Mac, and, at the time, it felt like my world had fallen apart. When I think back, it's what gave me the push I needed to go out on my own and start my freelance career - and I haven't looked back. There is nothing more rewarding than working for yourself, and being your own boss. During peak season, April through to December, you need to make hay while the sun shines! I look forward to the down season too, and I'll use this time to make big plans for the year ahead. I've had some memorable experiences. I was once backstage at a Moschino show at London Fashion Week, a really hectic show, with lots of models to get through. I had finished a couple of models and was waiting for my next model to sit down. Hailey Baldwin [model and daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin] sat in my seat; I recognised her face, but just thought I might have worked with her on a previous show. Oblivious to who she was, I did her make-up, and it wasn't until I checked her name with the backstage manager that I realised who she was. Definitely one for the books! The McGregor family are really good clients of mine. Dee [Devlin, Conor's partner] and Aoife love subtle glam, while Erin loves full-face glam. They're the most down-to-earth people to work with, and I always leave with sore cheeks from laughing. They're a joy to be around. My goal for the future is to set up a make-up academy, which I'm working on now. With my training background this is where my passion lies, I love nurturing new talent and seeing them grow and develop based on what I've taught them. I can't wait for the next chapter. natasharayray_proartist Michelle Regazzoli Stone Expand Close Michelle Regazzoli Stone. Photo: Kip Carroll / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michelle Regazzoli Stone. Photo: Kip Carroll I finished school in 2003, and I studied theatrical and media make-up in Senior College Dun Laoghaire. Every day, I had to get two trains and a bus, but I adored it. One of the popular brands we discussed in college was Mac Cosmetics. I decided to get the best images of my work, and make a portfolio. I went into the Mac counter in Brown Thomas every Saturday and asked to speak to the manager and trainers to show them my work. I continued to do this, showing my determination, and, as a result, I started working with them in October of 2004, staying with them for nearly 10 years. After having my second child, I left Mac, wanting to pursue a career with more flexible hours to suit my new family. I knew I was ready to venture out and take on my own projects, so with a push from my family, I went freelance. They had observed my client base and personal requests building quite quickly. Like many individuals and entrepreneurs, I wasn't entirely confident it would work out; however, I chose to live by my mantra of feeling the fear and doing it anyway. If we don't take risks, we would never accomplish our aspirations. I spent some free hours doing the odd make-up appointment at a make-up counter in a friend's salon while on maternity leave, and immediately I could see the interest and demand growing. Disposable income was booming back into the beauty industry since the recession. One of the highlights of my career was flying to Ibiza to do Rosanna Davison's make-up for her wedding day. I will never forget how nervous I was doing her trial. My career changed dramatically after that, and demand grew at nearly an exponential rate after Rosanna posted her bridal make-up on social media. I received hundreds of emails overnight, and my freelance journey took a huge leap. The only downside is the long hours that I spend on my own. I travel a lot, and driving all over the country can be tiring, even isolating at times. I have to try and stay on top of my social media every day, which is nearly a full-time job in itself. I don't feel vulnerable with what I put online, as I feel my followers know who I am, and I keep it real. I think once you are honest, people see it and appreciate it. My goal for the rest of this year is to focus on more TV work. I've been a beauty contributor on the RTE Today Show, which has brought out my confidence immensely. In 10 years, I see myself with more children; I have always wanted a big family. I hope to have progressed further into my MRS product development. When my MRS Make-up Academy is established and up and running, I may take a little breather then. mrsmakeup.ie Aimee Connolly My starting-out story is slightly different to what most expect, in the sense that it was actually after my two weeks' work experience that I was offered a part-time job with Urban Decay cosmetics, while I was still in school. I worked every weekend through fourth, fifth and sixth year, and then I moved to Mac Cosmetics for a year. Once I had finished school, I went on to do a full-time four-year degree in commerce and French, but I kept up the make-up part-time. My own brand, Sculpted by Aimee Connolly, came into play once I graduated, and I could finally give it my full attention. It was a natural progression for me to start working for myself so young; I didn't even consider going in a different direction. I did my research and development for nearly a year before I launched my original Sculpted by Aimee Connolly make-up palette in November 2016. I had always known in college that I wanted to mix make-up with business, I just needed to be sure about the direction I wanted to go. A year-and-a-half later, I now have the original palette, the Essentials Brush Set and the Rose Gold Edition - all of which are flying. It has been the most stressful venture, but the most incredible thing I have ever done, and I hope to do it for the rest of my days. I have serious expectations, so I'd put a lot of pressure on myself, but I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. I have hired an assistant, and we are soon to have a business operations manager join us. I have been teaching make-up for just over five years. I'd always wanted to be a primary school teacher, but I chose business instead, so it's nice to be able to mix the two. I've always wanted to take my teaching to the next level and offer qualified courses. Last year, I spent the year doing my teacher training, assessor certs and being approved by VTCT in order to be able to deliver certifiable make-up courses. In September, I launched my own make-up school, Sculpted - The Academy, offering courses to those who want to learn for themselves and those who want to pursue a career in make-up. This year, I feel, or hope, will be the year that my brand really takes off. I have two or three products launching around September, which I have worked tirelessly on, and at times, it felt they were never coming. I also have the project with the Academy and big expansion plans for the brand, too. Fingers crossed all of my ambitions come true, but I continually visualise that happening. Seeing is believing. aimeeconnolly.com Photography by Kip Carroll Milliner Jennifer Wrynne at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Gerry Mooney Milliner Jennifer Wrynne at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Gerry Mooney Michelle Murphy at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Daniella Gardiner, Knocknacarra and Michelle Murphy at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Darina Kerr at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Kara Ellis with Karla Corcoran and Shauna Ellis at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Karla Corcoran at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Corinna Hynes from Sligo and Tracy McGuinness, Donegal, at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Karen Leonard at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Holly Carpenter at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Holly Carpenter at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Holly Carpenter at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Karen Leonard at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Emma Dillon with Nicola Dowling and Aine Ryan at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath McGrath 30/7/18 Sisters, Daniella and Charlene Small at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Tracy McGuinness at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath This year's Galway Races kicked off with a mixture of past winners and hopefuls for the coveted Best Dressed Lady prize. Dedicated fashion followers descended on Ballybrit Racecourse for the opening festivities of the annual event, the busiest on the racing calendar, including former Miss Ireland Holly Carpenter and milliner Jennifer Wrynne, a staple at all races in the UK and Ireland. Carpenter opted for an all-Irish ensemble, including a plunging blazer and mini-skirt suit from Cork-based boutique Phoenix Vire and an embellished crown by Taylor & Rose. Today's festivities was an introduction of the glamour expected to overtake the city over the course of the week, reaching its peak on Thursday, August 3rd for Ladies Day, where the lucky winner will walk away with a prize worth an estimated 10,000. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Holly Carpenter at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Tracy McGuinness at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Sisters, Daniella and Charlene Small at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Emma Dillon with Nicola Dowling and Aine Ryan at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath McGrath 30/7/18 Karen Leonard at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Holly Carpenter at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Holly Carpenter at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Karen Leonard at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Corinna Hynes from Sligo and Tracy McGuinness, Donegal, at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Karla Corcoran at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Kara Ellis with Karla Corcoran and Shauna Ellis at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Darina Kerr at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath Daniella Gardiner, Knocknacarra and Michelle Murphy at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Holly Carpenter at the opening evening of the Galway Races. Picture: Frank McGrath The prize, sponsored by the G Hotel, includes a diamond pendant from Cobwebs for 6,000, 2,000 in cash, flights and accommodation for two people in Paris, and an overnight stay at the hotel's penthouse suite. Local businesses are just as quick to capitalise on the busiest week of the year, with the Galmont Hotel & Spa also hosting a 'Galway Girl Squad' competition, which will bestow a best dressed title onto a group of ladies rather than one, at their city centre location on Wednesday. Film fans often show off their knowledge of cinema by recognising movies from a single quote, but could they recognise their favourite films from limericks about the plots? Thats what Reddit user zappy487 wanted to know when they asked: In limerick form (AABBA), and without saying its name, what is your favourite movie? Here are 10 of the best efforts can you guess them all? (Answers revealed at the end!) 1. Rex When the rex tears his way through the fence, Or the raptors leap up to the vents, You learn life finds a way, Thanks to frog DNA, And an old man who spared no expense. By Lost_Constellation 2. P. Sherman 3. Captain Miller Captain Miller was handed a plan: Search for Ryan, as fast as he can. He lost much of his corps As he traveled through war. Was it worth it, to save just one man? By Gabrosin 4. Game over, man. Game over. 5. I am Groot I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot. By croolshooz 6. Metal hunters 7. They walk for, like, weeks From the farm on the furthest Shire border, To the fires of Mt. Doom deep in Mordor, They walk for, like, WEEKS To the delight of most geeks; What the wizard cant conjure a four-door? By Lost_Constellation 8. Swamp 9. Agents have no chill A man had a bad hacking habit He had to follow the white rabbit The red or blue pill Agents have no chill In this fictional world they inhabit By zobotsHS 10. A cold Christmas Eve in L.A Answers 1. Jurassic Park 2. Finding Nemo 3. Saving Private Ryan 4. Aliens 5. Guardians of the Galaxy 6. Pacific Rim 7. Lord of the Rings (trilogy) 8. Shrek 9. The Matrix 10. Die Hard Children as young as five are increasingly "perpetrating sexual abuse" because of what they are seeing on social media, charities have warned. Increasing numbers of primary-school pupils are exhibiting "harmful sexual behaviour" as a result of the web - with others groomed in their bedrooms in live broadcasts, they said. The charity Barnardo's in the UK said children were increasingly becoming perpetrators, as well as victims, touching others' private parts or forcing them to watch pornography. Their evidence to British MPs also highlights growing evidence of an explosion of "live grooming", with parents oblivious that children were sharing explicit content. Experts said middle-class parents had no idea that their children were being coerced into stripping for strangers, in scenes which were live-streamed globally, and harvested by paedophilic websites. The evidence to the Commons Science and Technology Committee calls for stricter regulation of such sites, with live moderation of media which can broadcast live and other measures to prevent children broadcasting material online. Barnardo's said three-quarters of referrals for child sex abuse were now internet-related, a rise from 20pc in three years. Emily Cherry, the charity's assistant director of policy and public affairs, said young children were increasingly becoming perpetrators as well as victims. "Children are perpetrating sexual abuse against other children, which is an increasing concern for us," Ms Cherry told MPs. "We are seeing children come through the doors at a younger and younger age, below the age of criminal responsibility. "We are seeing children as young as five and an increase in the number of children aged eight to 10 coming through our doors for this. "They are telling us that they are on social media sites. The technology-assisted side of harmful sexual behaviour is definitely growing." Ms Cherry called for far more robust age verification to stop children getting on to sites where they could interact with potential groomers, and live moderators of sites like Periscope, Facebook.live, Musical.ly and Live.ly which stream content in real time. In a statement, Facebook's Antigone Davis said: We have zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation on Facebook. We have the technology to scan images on Facebook and flag known child exploitative material so we can quickly remove it. Together, our comprehensive reporting system and work with law enforcement officials, particularly an Garda Siochanas CyberCrime Unit, help build cases to bring criminals to justice. Well continue to work with experts to develop powerful tools to keep this illegal activity off Facebook, and to work with organisations such as the ISPCC, SpunOut and WebWise in Ireland to help ensure childrens safety online. Foxtons has swung to a loss amid a slowdown in the London housing market. The London-focused estate agent reported group revenues fell to 53 million for the half-year ended 30 June, down 9% year-on-year from 58.5 million. The firm swung to a 2.5 million loss for the period, as compared to a pre-tax profit of 3.8 million for the same six months in 2017. Foxtons has been hit by a softening in Londons property market, with the companys chief executive Nic Budden warning that homes sales in the capital had been very subdued. Mr Budden said: This is due to a number of factors including higher stamp duty affecting buyers of more expensive properties, second home owners, and buy to let investors; plus ongoing affordability concerns which are particularly acute in London. However, he said the business would benefit from strong growth in the lettings markets, with demand for rental properties remaining high. Foxtons has scrapped its interim dividend, having handed investors 0.43p per share at the same point last year. The figures come after Foxtons revealed that revenue dropped nearly 15% to 24.5 million in the first quarter, with the company bemoaning very challenging trading. At time of writing, Foxtons share price was up 2.94% or 1.4p to 49p. The one saving grace for Foxtons is a very solid balance sheet, which provides the capacity to ride out the soft market conditions, at least for a time, said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. However, the losses the company is beginning to rack up are having an impact. The net cash position fell from nearly 19 million at the beginning of the year to just short of 12 million as at the end of June. Foxtons needs market conditions to improve, and soon. Coastguard divers have recovered a body near an area of Greece ravaged by a deadly wildfire a week ago as the search for more victims focuses on the coastline where hundreds of people were forced to flee. The official death toll from the blaze 18 miles east of Athens rose to 92 and authorities confirmed that the body found offshore was related to the fire. The coastguard has mobilised massive resources in its search for potential victims of the July 23 fire, the deadliest in Greeces recent history. Coastguard patrol vessels, helicopters and a navy frigate have scoured the southern Euboean Gulf since some people trying to escape fast-moving flames raced to the water. Expand Close Devvastation caused by the fire in Mati (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Devvastation caused by the fire in Mati (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP) They have been joined by coastguard special operations forces, including divers able to reach depths of 120 metres and using underwater scooters to cover greater distances. A research vessel equipped with specialised sonar and a remotely operated underwater vehicle was also deployed, while dozens of civilian and retired naval divers have joined the search as volunteers. Fanned by high winds, the blaze gutted seaside resorts where many Athens residents and retirees have holiday homes. The high death toll has prompted criticism of the government over the absence of access roads, warning systems and other civil protection measures in residential areas surrounded by forest and at high risk of wildfires. Expand Close Alexis Tsipras talks with emergency services during his visit to the burnt area of Mati (Greek Prime Ministers Office/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alexis Tsipras talks with emergency services during his visit to the burnt area of Mati (Greek Prime Ministers Office/AP) Prime minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday visited Mati, the worst-affected area, tweeting that he spoke with citizens, engineers, soldiers, firefighters and volunteers. A government spokesman said more than 3,500 homes had been damaged by the blaze and a second fire near Athens, with more than 1,000 considered uninhabitable and slated for demolition. The fire burned through five kilometres (3.1 miles) in 90 minutes in an area where 20,000 people were present, so in those conditions is was not possible to have a fully organised evacuation effort, the spokesman, Dimitris Tzanakopoulos, said. The government plans to reorganise its Civil Protection Authority with advice from experts from other European Union countries, Mr Tzanakopoulos said. Greece has received emergency support from the EU, along with Sweden and Latvia, to battle forest fires. Christos Stylianides, the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, said climate change was considered a key factor in the growing number of devastating forest fires around Europe. Climate change is real. Its not fake news. The glaring example is the fires in Sweden, he told Athens daily newspaper Kathimerini. Referring to the Greek fire, he added: To have so many casualties from a fire of such limited size may indicate shortcomings in prevention and preparedness. Coastguard divers have recovered a body near an area of Greece ravaged by a deadly wildfire a week ago as the search for more victims focuses on the coastline where hundreds of people were forced to flee. The official death toll from the blaze 18 miles east of Athens remained at 91 while authorities confirmed that the body found offshore was related to the fire. The coastguard has mobilised massive resources in its search for potential victims of the July 23 fire, the deadliest in Greece's recent history. Coastguard patrol vessels, helicopters and a navy frigate have scoured the southern Euboean Gulf since some people trying to escape fast-moving flames raced to the water. They have been joined by coastguard special operations forces, including divers able to reach depths of 120 metres and using underwater scooters to cover greater distances. A research vessel equipped with specialised sonar and a remotely operated underwater vehicle was also deployed, while dozens of civilian and retired naval divers have joined the search as volunteers. Fanned by high winds, the blaze gutted seaside resorts where many Athens residents and retirees have holiday homes. The high death toll has prompted criticism of the government over the absence of access roads, warning systems and other civil protection measures in residential areas surrounded by forest and at high risk of wildfires. Prime minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday visited Mati, the worst-affected area, tweeting that he spoke with "citizens, engineers, soldiers, firefighters and volunteers". A government spokesman said more than 3,500 homes had been damaged by the blaze and a second fire near Athens, with more than 1,000 considered uninhabitable and slated for demolition. "The fire burned through five kilometres (3.1 miles) in 90 minutes in an area where 20,000 people were present, so in those conditions is was not possible to have a fully organised evacuation effort," the spokesman, Dimitris Tzanakopoulos, said. The government plans to reorganise its Civil Protection Authority with advice from experts from other European Union countries, Mr Tzanakopoulos said. Greece has received emergency support from the EU, along with Sweden and Latvia, to battle forest fires. Christos Stylianides, the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, said climate change was considered a key factor in the growing number of devastating forest fires around Europe. "Climate change is real. It's not fake news. The glaring example is the fires in Sweden," he told Athens daily newspaper Kathimerini. Referring to the Greek fire, he added: "To have so many casualties from a fire of such limited size may indicate shortcomings in prevention and preparedness." Greeces prime minister has visited the site of Greeces deadliest wildfire in decades, a week after the blaze swept through a seaside resort north of Athens, killing dozens. After visiting Mati, the worst-affected area, Alexis Tsipras tweeted that he spoke with citizens, engineers, soldiers, firefighters and volunteers. Mr Tsiprass office released photos of the visit, and the prime minister also took along a camera from state-run television. Expand Close Orthodox faithful attend a memorial service for the victims of the forest fire (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Orthodox faithful attend a memorial service for the victims of the forest fire (AP) Last week, defence minister Panos Kammenos visited the area and was heckled by distraught survivors who criticised the response to the fire. The blaze, whipped by gale force winds, raced through the seaside area north-east of Athens on July 23. The vast majority of victims died in the fire itself, with some drowning after swimming out to sea to escape the flames. Sednaya prison: at least 13,000 people have been secretly executed here, according to Amnesty International The Syrian government has begun updating the records of tens of thousands of activists who disappeared during the early stages of the seven-year civil war in the first tacit admission that many of them died while held by the regime. Families who have spent years awaiting answers over loved ones are now streaming into civil registry offices to collect the final official recognition of an estimated 13,000 deaths in detention. Experts believe that Russia has pushed Bashar al-Assad's government to draw a line under the deaths as a first step to possible "reconciliation", which a war-weary Moscow is eager to bring about. The 400 certificates issued so far have mostly recorded verdicts of heart attacks or strokes, but relatives suspect detainees were probably tortured to death or hanged without trial. None have had the bodies of loved ones returned or been told where they can find them. Amnesty International has described the Sednaya prison outside Damascus as a "human slaughterhouse", where detainees have been killed on an industrial scale. In a report released last year, the civil rights group said at least 13,000 people had been executed in secret. It was claimed that on the site of the prison complex, which sits in the hills above Syria's capital, was a crematorium used to "manage" the sheer numbers of bodies. The issue of political prisoners is one of the thorniest and most sensitive of the war and has been the major sticking point at peace talks - both at the UN-sponsored negotiations in Geneva and those backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey. Hassan Hassan, senior fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, agreed that Assad's was a calculated move, rather than a sudden pang of conscience. "This makes sense these days after the regime has secured most of the south," he said. "The regime has been preparing for the post-war period through new legitimations and this might be part of it." ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] A Minnesota prosecutor has said he will not charge two police officers over the fatal shooting of a black man last month. Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman said 31-year-old Thurman Blevins fled from officers with a loaded handgun and refused to follow commands to stop and show his hands. Mr Freeman said Mr Blevins turned toward the officers with the gun in his hand before he was shot on June 23. Expand Close Mr Blevins had a gun in his hand, police said (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Blevins had a gun in his hand, police said (AP) The prosecutor said there is no basis for criminal charges against the officers. He said Mr Blevins was a danger to them and to the community. The officers were responding to a 911 call of a man firing a gun into the air and into the ground on the citys north side. Mr Freeman made his announcement via news release after he was shouted down by community members at a news conference. Grieving relatives described their desperate two-day search for an elderly woman and her two great-grandchildren, before discovering they had died when flames engulfed their home in raging California wildfires. The death toll from the state's summer wildfires rose to six at the weekend when fire crews said they had found human remains at a charred home on the outskirts of Redding. More than 38,000 people remain under evacuation orders from a fire that has destroyed more than 500 buildings and continued to rage unchecked for a seventh day. Ed Bledsoe described how he left his home with the family's only car to run errands on Thursday leaving behind his wife Melody (70) and two great-grandchildren - James, five, and four-year-old Emily Roberts - behind. He said his wife telephoned an hour later. "She said, 'You need to come home right now. The fire's right next to our house'," he said. He tried to race home but was turned back at roadblocks. Expand Close Toys stand untouched near a home destroyed by the Carr fire west of Redding, California. Photo: Bob Strong/REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Toys stand untouched near a home destroyed by the Carr fire west of Redding, California. Photo: Bob Strong/REUTERS The children were "screaming for their lives", Jason Decker, the boyfriend of another of the Bledsoes' granddaughters, said. "The kids were saying: 'Papa, papa, come home. The fire's at the back door'." Then the line went dead. For two days they searched hospitals and refuges after being told the three had been rescued. But on Saturday, officials said three bodies had been found at what was left of their home. "My babies are dead," the children's mother Sherry Bledsoe cried, after she was given the news by sheriff's deputies. Her children had been in the care of their great-grandparents while she had spent the past four months in jail. Two firefighters also died last week and another body was discovered last night. President Donald Trump declared the fire an emergency at the weekend, freeing federal funds for disaster relief efforts. Almost 90 fires are burning across western states - stretching from Texas to Oregon - but the most destructive so far is the Carr fire, which has blackened almost 90,000 acres of parched land in California since it started last Monday. Cal Fire, the state fire brigade, said it was caused by the mechanical failure of a vehicle but has offered no further details. Since then, low humidity, high temperatures and gusting winds have accelerated it into a blazing, unpredictable storm. More than 5,000 buildings are at risk as 3,500 firefighters and a squadron of 17 water-dropping helicopters tried to contain its flames by carving buffer zones around it. They said they had contained just 5pc of the fire's perimeter. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani said the US president did not know beforehand about a 2016 meeting between his campaign and Russians, as Mr Trump's former attorney is reportedly ready to tell prosecutors. Mr Giuliani said those who were allegedly present when Mr Trump learned about the meeting also deny he knew about it. The meeting has become a central focus of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether anyone within Trump's campaign colluded with Russia's meddling in the last US presidential election. "It's just flat-out untrue," Mr Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, said on 'Fox News Sunday' about the claims. CNN reported last Thursday that Mr Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen is prepared to tell federal investigators that Mr Trump knew and approved of the Trump Tower meeting where a Russian lawyer with links to the Kremlin was expected to deliver damaging information about Hillary Clinton. The meeting was attended by the president's son, Donald Trump Jr, as well as Paul Manafort, the former chairman of Mr Trump's campaign, and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner. "It seems to me his default position is to lie," Mr Giuliani said of Mr Cohen, who in May he said was an "honest, honourable lawyer". In a separate interview on CBS, Mr Giuliani said he was aware of "something like 183 unique conversations on tape" from Mr Cohen. Mr Trump is on one tape discussing a possible payment to Karen McDougal, who said she had an affair with him, and another "11 or 12 others" in which Mr Trump is discussed. ( Washington Post) A van driver filmed apparently deliberately splashing pedestrians has been fired. The driver was recorded near the University of Ottawa appearing to veer towards large puddles and soaking people walking on the path. The company, Black & McDonald said the driving was "unacceptable" and reassured people that public safety was the company's number one priority. "This is an isolated incident and the individual is no longer employed with Black & McDonald," the company. Police thanked the company for their "quick and decisive" action. Thousands more people have fled their homes after wildfires surged near a small lake town in Northern California. In all, more than 10,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders from the two blazes in Mendocino and Lake counties. Those fires are among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews are stretched to the limit although the advance of the states largest, deadliest blaze has now slowed slightly after days of explosive growth. A man whose wife and two great-grandchildren are among the six people who died in the so-called Carr Fire, near Redding, California, said he did not receive any warning to evacuate. Ed Bledsoe told CBS News he did not know his home was in danger when he left his wife, Melody, and the four- and five-year-old children to run an errand on Thursday. Mr Bledsoe said he received a phone call from his wife 15 minutes later saying he needed to get home because the fire was approaching. He said one of the children told him the blaze was at the back door. When he tried to return, the road was blocked with cars, and flames prevented him from returning on foot. Expand Close Firefighters in Keswick, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Firefighters in Keswick, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told the network there is an investigation into whether the Bledsoe home received a warning call or a knock on the homes door. The sheriff said there is evidence that door-to-door notifications were made in the area. The latest evacuations included about 1,000 people in Mendocino County. The rest are in Lake County, where residents of the town of Lakeport, which has a population of 5,000, were ordered to leave on Sunday night. Two other towns with about 5,000 people are also under mandatory evacuation. Expand Close A burned vehicle in the mountain community of Keswick (Martha Mendoza/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A burned vehicle in the mountain community of Keswick (Martha Mendoza/AP) The two blazes have destroyed six homes and are threatening 10,000 others. The fires had blackened 87 square miles, with minimal containment. The wildfires that started on Friday are about 100 miles south-west of Redding. Crews handling the blaze near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as the massive fire slowed after days of rapid expansion. Expand Close Boats on Whiskeytown Lake (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Boats on Whiskeytown Lake (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) Were feeling a lot more optimistic today as were starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time, said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections incident commander on the blaze around Redding. As of Monday, the Redding fire had destroyed 723 homes, up from a previous count of 657 homes. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The victims identity has not been released. Authorities are also investigating at least 18 missing persons reports, though many of them may simply be people who have not checked in with friends or family, police said. Donald Trump has said he would certainly meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions, if he was willing. Speaking during a news conference at the White House, the US president said he would meet the Iranians any time they want to. Ill meet with anybody, he said. Theres nothing wrong with meeting. Expand Close Hassan Rouhani (Iranian Presidency Office/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hassan Rouhani (Iranian Presidency Office/AP) The overture comes as Mr Trump and Tehran have been escalating their rhetoric after the US presidents May withdrawal from a landmark nuclear accord. The US has also vowed to boost sanctions until Iran changes its regional policies, including its support for regional militant groups. It is unclear whether Mr Rouhani has any interest in meeting Mr Trump. The Iranian leaders chief of staff claimed earlier this month in Irans state-owned newspaper that he had rejected eight requests from the White House for one-on-one talks last year. Mr Rouhani recently warned the US that war with Iran is the mother of all wars, prompting an all-caps retort from Mr Trump. To Iranian President Rouhani, he wrote on Twitter. NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. He ended the message with a warning: BE CAUTIOUS! Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back with his own message that began: COLOR US UNIMPRESSED. Mr Trump tempered his threatening rhetoric two days later when he said his administration stood ready for Iran to come back to the negotiating table. Were ready to make a real deal, not the deal that was done by the previous administration, which was a disaster, he said. Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meetDonald Trump Mr Trump has long cast himself as a master negotiator who is most effective when he meets his counterparts face-to-face. He pointed to his recent one-on-ones with North Koreas Kim Jong Un and Russias Vladimir Putin as examples of the benefits of such get-togethers. I believe in meeting speaking to other people, especially when youre talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things. Asked whether he would set any preconditions for the meetings, he said: No preconditions, no. If they want to meet, Ill meet any time they want, any time they want. Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, Ill meet. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said recently that the administration was willing to talk with the regime in Iran, but relief from American pressure will come only when we see tangible, demonstrated and sustained shifts in Tehrans policies. Trade hostilities between the US and China have been rapidly escalating with the potential to reshape global geopolitics and trade patterns for years to come. In fact, the US has locked horns with the worlds largest economies China, EU, Canada, and India over what it continues to perceive as unfavorable existing trade policies and tariffs. With China, the US aims to reduce the countrys large trade surplus, which stood at almost US$350 billion (Rs 23.9 trillion) last year. India faces a similar problem with China as their bilateral trade is heavily in Chinas favor. The trade deficit between India and China stood at US$63 billion (Rs 4.3 trillion) last year. Still, China is Indias largest trading partner bilateral trade reached a historic US$84.4 billion (Rs 5.8 trillion) in 2017-18 and Indian exports showed a 40 percent increase. Yet, it is perhaps more important to ask will the ongoing trade hostilities with the US finally enable Indian producers to successfully compete for access to the Chinese market? If so, which sectors would gain the most from the new market openings? Part of the answer may lie in the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) between Bangladesh, China, India, Laos, South Korea, and Sri Lanka. For the first time since India signed onto the APTA pact in 1975, preferential tariffs under the agreement have come into force. More than a few sectors that were previously dominated by US imports are now open to Indian competitors in the Chinese market. India can position itself aggressively in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, software technology services, and agricultural products to fill in the trade gap left by the US in the Chinese market. Indian pharmaceuticals eye China opening India is a leading exporter of generic drugs; the sector added US$17.3 billion (Rs 1.2 trillion) to Indias GDP in 2017. The EU and US are Chinas main import partners. However, only one percent of their total exports go to China even though China is the worlds second largest market for pharmaceuticals. India has been pressuring the Chinese government to open its pharmaceutical and organic chemical sectors to Indian producers. In lieu of this, the Chinese government exempted 28 Indian drugs from import tariffs in May 2018 with promises of more reductions in future. The difficulty for Indian pharmaceutical exports arises from the complicated regulatory approvals process in China. China is presently considering the option of faster regulatory approvals to EU-approved Indian pharmacy suppliers to improve this relationship. Opportunities for Indian software exports The Trump administrations second list of goods subject to tariff hikes meant to hit back at the Make in China 2025 program. The list raised tariffs on advanced technological imports from China. China will now need to look elsewhere for software-related partnerships and joint ventures Indias information technology (IT) industry is well positioned to take on that challenge. The Indian government, on its part, needs to amplify its support to IT companies and ensure that proper intellectual property rights (IPR) protections are secured a murky area when it comes to dealing with Chinese businesses. Exporting Indian agro-based products The US is Indias main competitor for the global agro-products market. They have also continually opposed Indias initiatives to develop and reform rules governing the global farm goods market. Most recently, the US accused India of breaching its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments by running support programs for rice and wheat cultivation a case India might lose at the WTO leading to a removal of export subsidies to rice and wheat cultivators. Raised tariffs from China on US agriculture-based imports put India in a prime position to substitute these in the Chinese market. Trade opportunities for Indian cotton, yarn exports On Chinas retaliatory list of tariff imposition is a 25 percent duty on US imports of cotton. The US is Chinas main cotton supplier, and Chinas cotton reserves currently stand at 25 percent. India is the worlds largest cotton producer, with exports to China accounting for US$1.34 billion (Rs 91.8 billion) in 2017. This is expected to see a significant increase. The largest cotton export from India to China is recorded at US$4 billion (Rs 275 billion) in 2011, though it has since seen a significant decline. Similarly, cotton yarn also saw a sharp fall in export to China over the last few years. This is attributed to Chinese duties that stood at 3.5 percent for India, while being zero for Vietnam. Owing to raised tariffs for the US, and reduced tariffs for India under APTA, Indian cotton suppliers are back in the running to increase exports. Export opportunities for Indian sugar Sugar exports are also in contention for increased market access in China. India produces a surplus stock of almost eight million tons of sugar. Indian producers are keen to gain export access to a large market like China. Talks between Chinese sugar companies and the top management of the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) are ongoing. China is considering increasing sugar imports from India by almost 1.3 million tons, creating a significant advantage for Indian sugar producers in the Chinese market. Indian exports of soybean, groundnut, and oil cakes China has also imposed a 25 percent tariff on US produced soybean, while removing all tariffs on imports through APTA countries. Chinas annual soybean import of around 100 million tons is mostly for domestic consumption and, in part, for the manufacture of soybean oil and meal for export. Although this product does not have an exportable surplus in India yet, Indian industry players anticipate exports of US$100 million (Rs 6.85 billion) worth of soybean meal and US$50 million (Rs 3.4 billion) worth of groundnut to China. (Suppliers of both the leguminous plants are interconnected.) India is also expecting a bumper crop of soybean this year. A delegation of the Soybean Processors Association (SOPA) of India is expected to visit China next month. They want to assuage Chinese quarantine concerns and ensure market availability for Indian soybean exporters. Currently, there are no soybean oil and soybean flour exports and negligible oilcake exports from India to China. Stiff competition from Brazil and Vietnam will likely also diminish Indian soybeans competitiveness in the Chinese market. Indian producers appeal for oil meal exports Perhaps a better success story in Indias agriculture export sector is oil meals, which saw a 48 percent increase in overall exports standing at US$690 million (Rs 47 billion) in 2017-18. Yet, India has been unable to export to China. The Chinese government imposed a ban on oil meal imports from India citing quarantine protocol issues in 2012 more likely due to Indias ban on Chinese dairy products following the melamine milk contamination scandal in 2008. Indian producers have not been able to overturn this ban so far. The body in charge of oil meal produce in India, the Solvent Extractors Association (SEA), is seeking clarification from the Chinese government regarding the conditions required for a phytosanitory certificate a necessary protocol for plant produce exports to China. India competing for rice exports In 2016, 14 Indian registered rice exports received approval from China to export rice; however, their shipments were stopped due to alleged pest quarantine issues. In July 2018, another five exporters were approved; four more exporters have been asked to improve their storage standards and been allowed to reapply for approval. This comes as a relief to Indian rice exporters since China only allowed the import of basmati (a type of rice grain) rice earlier; it has now approved non-basmati rice for exports. Two teams of Chinas General Administration of Customs inspected 14 rice-processing plants in India between July 9 and 17, 2018. China is the largest producer and importer of rice globally, while India is the highest exporter. A partnership between the two countries will be beneficial for both, and help reduce the ballooning trade deficit between them. However, the US rice delegation visited China in April, 2018 and is putting pressure on China to open its market access to US-based rice exporters as well. Chinas rice imports, worth US$1.8 billion (Rs 123 billion) in 2017, see negligible contributions from India and the US; the two countries cumulatively account for US$20,000 (Rs 1.4 million) worth of rice exports to China. India may be in competition with US exports if the latters decade long effort to open the Chinese market to US rice producers is approved experts believe that due to the high demand for rice in China, this may happen despite the trade war. Challenges for Indian exporters looking at China While escalating US-China trade hostilities boost export opportunities for India, there are considerable challenges if Indian traders are to effectively exploit them. Indian food products are not highly regarded in the Chinese market, and changing this perception should be at the forefront of Indias strategy to pursue wider market access. Easing non-tariff barriers, such as extended timelines for manufacturer plant inspections as well as stringent and opaque quarantine protocols are other sore spots for the Indian agricultural exporter that need government intervention and policy change. Chinas policy focus is shifting to make exports from neighboring countries easier. With the logistical and competitive advantage of exporting goods faster to China from India as well as the lowered tariffs it is up to Indian producers, barring geopolitical irritants, to procure long-term market access to China. The 2018 election cycle has been a historic one for Native candidates and a Cherokee Nation citizen is riding the wave in Oklahoma. "As a registered Cherokee, I know first-hand what a tremendous benefit the tribes have been to our state, creating tens of thousands of jobs, expanding health care options in rural Oklahoma, and more," Stitt said in response to a MuskogeePolitico survey , when asked about upcoming gaming compact negotiations. But Stitt still has a big hurdle to clear if he intends to make history as the state's first Native American governor -- to secure the GOP nomination, he must defeat Mick Cornett . a former mayor of Oklahoma City, in an August 28 run-off.. A SoonerPoll released on Saturday shows the candidates in a dead heat as the race enters its final month. DEAD HEAT: Mick Cornett and Kevin Stitt tied at 37.5 percent in Republican run-off poll | SoonerPoll https://t.co/Bw7ICRasq3 pic.twitter.com/sfSZd6iPV9 SoonerPoll (@SoonerPoll) July 28, 2018 "It couldnt get much tighter than this," Bill Shapard, the founder of SoonerPoll, wrote of the results Oklahoma, which is home to 39 federally recognized tribes, has never had a Native governor. But Steve Burrage , a citizen of the Choctaw Nation , served as State Auditor and Inspector, a statewide elective office, between 2008 and 2011. Native Americans also have served in the Oklahoma Legislature and in various gubernatorial administrations. And the state boasts the only two tribal citizens in the U.S. Congress -- Rep. Tom Cole (R), who is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation , and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R), who hails from the Cherokee Nation. Overall, Native Americans represent 9.2 percent of Oklahoma's population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau . The state ranks second, behind California, in terms of the largest Native populations. Whoever wins the Republican nomination will face Drew Edmondson , a Democrat and a former attorney general of the state, in the November 6 election. And, as the MuskogeePolitico survey noted, the next governor will be negotiating a new Class III gaming compact because the current agreements start to expire on January 1, 2020. "When we enter negotiations, I will be looking at what is market (comparable with states around us) with tribal contracts and at what is in the best interest of the entire state of Oklahoma," Stitt told MuskogeePolitico. Cornett did not respond to the survey . He was the only top GOP candidate who declined to provide written answers. Join the Conversation Talented actors fade away into oblivion when they are stereotyped. Case in point - Mahie Gill, she is one phenomenal actress; she creates magic onscreen with her charm every single time. Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster is a hit franchise because she is one of the major contributing factors and we are sure everyone will agree with us. Even in the third installment of the film people are praising her. But one question we all have been dying to ask her is that what kept her away from the film scene despite being such a talented actress. Twitter Being the outspoken actress she is, she said, The kind of scripts and roles I was getting werent pleasing at all. People think I can only perform bold scenes, be a seductress, play a bar girl or prostitute, I dont know why I was offered only these kind of roles. I wanted to take risks, I want to do so much, I didnt want to play Biwi again like I did in Saheb Biwi And Gangster, I didnt want to do a film just for the sake of it or for money. Whats the point of doing such a film where I will be bored to go on set and not perform? So I feel do less work but do what you like. Twitter We quizzed Mahie about the kind of roles and films she wants to do, I want to do comedy films, light-hearted comedy , action and drama, something that I have not done before. Twitter Mahie is also aware of the competition, but says she is a very satisfied actress, I am a very happy person, I am a very satisfied actor, I am doing what I want to do, I am running out of work, I am really happy that other actresses are getting work, they all are mind-blowing. I love Alia Bhatt, I feel really happy when I see her onscreen. Also, I believe in destiny, what is meant for me, will come to me. Twitter The powerhouse of talent is happy with the fact that now women are taking up bold roles instead of only playing good on screen, When Tigmanshu sir approached me for Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Part one, I love the title of the film because there was biwi in it, I didnt know that biwi can be so dangerous in the film, it was the change that came, earlier woman was portraying only goodie roles, but now the transitions have changed and I am glad. Twitter The actress is keen to work with Anurag Kashyap again, I would love to be a part of Sacred Games if Anurag Kashyap offers me any role I would love to work with him again after Dev D. We hope to see her more. Everything you study in life has a different kind of impact altogether. Be it engineering, humanities or science, weve been expecting different lives. Talking specifically about medical students, here is what they have to say when we asked them how it changed their life. 1. I deserve a prescribed poison by myself for myself for taking medical as a career." Tenor 2. Before taking medical and after taking medical, I still believe that Pudin Hara is the remedy for every disease. Tenor 3. I was very serious about being cardiologist but I guess no medicine could cure 'Pyaar mei Dhokkha Tenor 4. No matter what field youve studied in medical, people will keep calling me and to ask about the cure for their random body problems. Kabhi kabhi lagta hai apun he bhagvaan hai. Tenor 5. What are you talking about, I am still a medical student. Its been 15 years. Tenor 6. Our lecturer told us that 70% of all medical students will think they have the illness theyve been learning about. I think its called Medical Student Syndrome. Tenor 7. Whatever happens to your body, you sort of know why and how. After a point, you stop caring. Tenor 8. During my college years, I was working with the obstetrics department. Helping several women with the delivery of their babies, taking care of the mother after the procedure and watching them go through multiple emotions has made me value life. I'm now studying neonatal care to make sure I can provide the best to babies who need it. Tenor 9. I was told by my professor that all doctors need to get comfortable with the human anatomy. On my very first case, I had to touch the testicles of a man who had hernia. The feeling of it all now makes me carry a disinfectant with me all the time. I think I'll be doing this all my life now. Tenor 10. I cant have conversations without bringing out the medical vocabulary. Your vocabulary will be so extensive that your cervical vertebrae and intervertebral discs will no longer be strong enough to lift your huge, vocabulary-filled head. tenor 11. I just know I should have played kitchen-Kitchen more seriously than Doctor-Doctor in my childhood. Tenor MG Roads Mall Mile, the first major nightlife hotspot to come up in Delhi-NCR, is in big trouble. In a massive crackdown following reports of illegal activities, Gurugram police has withdrawn the no objection certificates (NOCs) it had issued to 10 of the 15 nightclubs in the area. The cops have also recommended to the excise department that the licences of these clubs be cancelled. Fearing closure, the owners and employees of these clubs on Sunday protested on MG Road, alleging that police were biased against clubs on this stretch. The clubs that have had their NOCs revoked are Prisom, Ipsa, Odysee, Sydey and Ignite in Sahara Mall; King and Ion in JMD Regent Arcade Mall; and Empire, Queen and Phantom in MGF Metropolitan Mall. bccl/representational image The action follows police raids earlier in the month on several clubs on Mall Mile. On July 4, cops had arrested seven people, including two nightclub owners from two malls Sahara and MGF for their alleged involvement in sex trade, after a midnight raid on Phantom and Ignite. On July 19, another nightclub, Ion in JMD Regent Arcade, was raided and four people arrested, including two of the clubs dancers, again on charges of sex trade. In a letter to the excise department recommending cancellation of licences, police wrote: Residents of adjoining societies and public in general have raised objections against the clubs functioning in Sahara, JMD Regent Arcade and MGF Metropolitan malls on MG Road, for their regular involvement in illegal activities. bccl/representational image Three criminal cases have also been registered against three clubs for their involvement in prostitution. Keeping in view public interest, NOCs issued by police have been withdrawn with immediate effect, and cancellation of licences of these clubs is recommended. Club owners and employees hit the streets on Sunday protesting the police action. They claimed they were being harassed even after paying hefty taxes and fees. The NOC was withdrawn just three months after both our licence and NOC were renewed. What has changed in the last three months? asked a club owner. Club owners alleged that cops come to their clubs frequently to make recordings, which was affecting their business. Every club has several CCTV cameras. bccl/representational image They can take as many recordings as they want from these. But police make their own recordings to intimidate patrons, said Vijay Pal, owner of Ignite and president of MG Road Club Association. Pal denied any immoral activities at MG Road malls, and claimed that prostitution was going on at various guesthouses and societies, where girls can be seen soliciting at different parts of the city to lure customers. But cops only target MG Road clubs, said Pal. He added that the closure of the clubs would leave around 700 people jobless. Gurugram police commissioner K K Rao said there were 250-300 clubs in the city, but only MG Road residents had been complaining about sex trade, while people in others parts of the city had no issues with clubs in their neighbourhoods. bccl/representational image Police, he said, were withdrawing the NOCs they had given in the best interest of the public. Weve already written to the excise department for cancellation of licences of these clubs, said Rao, adding that cancellation of the licences, issued on the basis of NOCs, was now a forgone conclusion. Rao also said police were looking into legal ways of sealing the premises of these clubs, and were taking the opinion of officials. We can also seal the premises. Were studying ways to do it, he said. Deputy excise and taxation commissioner (east) Snehlata Yadav confirmed that she had received the request for cancellation of licences from police. Weve sent it to our headquarters in Panchkula for further action, said Yadav. Some 40 lakhs Assamese are not Indian citizens, at least for now as they failed to feature in the final draft of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) which was released on Monday. According to NRC officials, out of the 3.29 crore people who had applied 2.89 crore managed to make the cut as they were able to prove that their family have been residing in Assam before March 24, 1971, before the Bangladesh Liberation war began. REUTERS Those who have been left out in the final draft will not face immediate deportation or detention as it was roumord earlier. Based on this draft there is no question of any reference to Foreigners Tribunal or any person being taken to the detention centre, Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary (North East) said. REUTERS They have been given time till September 28 to challenge the exclusion. The final list will be published in December. "This is just a draft, and not the final list.The people who are not included can make claims and objections. The process for making claims and objections will begin on August 30 and continue till September 28. Adequate and ample scope will be given to people for making objections. No genuine Indian citizen should have any fear," NRC coordinator, Sailesh said. REUTERS The draft was released amid heightened security to avoid any untoward incidents across the state. NRC was first prepared in 1951 after a census and the latest updation of the list in Assam contains the names of descendants of those whose were in the 1951 list or those whose names were there in Assams electoral rolls till March 24, 1971. Assam, which is the only state to have a citizen's registry began the process in May 2015 in an effort to curb the illegal immigration from Bangladesh. AP People were asked to submit documents to prove that their families lived in the state before 1971. The demand for updation in the list gained steam in 1980 during the anti-illegal foreigners' movement in Assam. The move was aimed at protecting the indigenous culture of Assam from illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. REUTERS It is being updated in accordance with the 2005 tripartite agreement among the state government, the Centre and the All Assam Students Union as part of the process for implementing the 1985 Assam Accord. The move had courted controversy after some Muslim groups accused the government of targeting the community in the name of NRC. India has spent USD 100 billion in last one decade to buy 65 per cent of its defence equipment and unless the government works towards a goal of producing military equipments within the country, the cost of acquiring the weapons cannot be reduced drastically. Now keeping this in mind, the government will come out with a major policy next month outlining a roadmap to build a robust defence production industry with an objective to make India one of the top five producers of the military equipment globally. According to PTI, the Defence Production Policy (DPP-2018) will lay focus on investing adequate resources to develop critical technology for manufacturing defence equipment including fighter jets, attack helicopters and weaponry. According to the draft policy, the government aims to achieve a turnover of Rs 1,70,000 crore in military goods and services by 2025. bccl The largest buyer of arms India has spent USD 100 billion on imports of arms and military equipment in last decade, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute report came out in March. Indian import of weapons account for 12 per cent of the global arms trade which makes it the largest buyers. According to SIPRI report, Indias arm import has increased by 24 per cent in the last five years with imports from the US increased by a massive 557 per cent in the period 2013-2017 as compared to period 2008-2012. bccl India has inked defence pact worth Rs 2.40 lakh crore According to the official figures, India has 187 contracts worth Rs 2.40 crore with foreign and domestic firms for military equipment in last four years, however, the projects are yet to take off due to the procedural bottlenecks. Apart from cutting imports, India eye to export equipment worth Rs 35,000 crore The draft policy released in March, which is likely to become the major part of the bill listed the export of Rs 35,000 crores in military equipments and services by 2025. India currently exports small weapons and missiles to neighbouring and friendly countries. India is in talks to export Akash missile to friendly ASEAN countries. Tejas, Brahmos, Arjun etc are produced in India Despite criticism for the late arrival of Tejas- the Light Combat Aircraft and failure to make an assault rifle to replace the ageing INSAS, India has significantly produced some world class arms. Brahmos-the supersonic missile jointly developed by India and Russia is by far the best missile in the world in the category. BCCL Akash missile, Pinaka-the multiple rocket launchers, battle tank Arjun, and Nag missile are some of the most successful weapons India has produced over the years. TIO received almost 3,600 claims relating to Cyclone Marcus, of which around 1,700 claims have already been completed, Madden told News Corp Australia. In some instances repairs have been delayed due to other maintenance issues or other policy obligations, which need to be first addressed by the owner before we can commence repairs. It is certainly not our policy to leave any property in an unsafe condition and we are unaware of any that are. Insurance Council of Australia's Campbell Fuller said he was not aware of any significant issues relating to the weather event. Madden said TIO was expecting to complete majority of the claims within the coming months, News Corp Australia reported. Related stories: Insurers on alert after a weekend of natural disasters Update on NSW and NT weekend disasters QBEs Nicole Coleby is among those featured in the list originally joining the company in a casual customer service role, Coleby was recently promoted to business operations manager and is one of two senior female leaders in the firms specialty business. I have worked in the insurance industry for over 25 years and have found Nicole to be one of the most accomplished insurance professionals I have worked with, said one of her colleagues. Kim Nguyen, of Allianz Australia, also made the cut starting her insurance career as a broker, Nguyen has since transitioned to become a market-leading account manager, managing a $10 million GWP general insurance portfolio of marquee insurance brokers in NSW. Melbourne-based James Tsalkos is also included in this years list since joining Swiss Re Corporate Solutions less than a year ago, Tsalkos has emerged as a prominent underwriter of D&O and professional indemnity while also becoming an active member of various industry bodies. The full list of 2018 Insurance Business Young Guns is below: Celeste Abbondanza, assistant business relationship manager, QBE Jodie Maree Banks, senior underwriter, About Underwriting Alana Brown, broker, MGA Insurance Brokers Darwin Edward Burrell, senior associate, insurance and reinsurance, Clyde & Co Nicole Coleby, business operations manager, specialty, QBE Jess Dametto, account broker, Webber Insurance Services Matthew Dawson, business development manager, Direct Insurance Brokers Kim Dempster, acting underwriting manager, strata insurance, QUS James Dunstan, officer manager and account executive, North Queensland Insurance Brokers Claire Farmer, underwriting account manager, CHU Meggan Freestone, senior underwriter, accident and health, QBE Sarah Hando, underwriting manager, Rural Affinity Insurance Temika Hill, assistant account broker, Stewart Insurance Group Bailey Howden, senior underwriter and team leader, WA, Accident & Health International Leigh Moulden, director and principal, Doreen Insurance Solutions Ben Neat, executive loss adjuster, Integra Technical Services Kim Nguyen, senior account manager, Allianz Laura Nicol, claims consultant, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Chris Park, director, National Insurance Group Brodie Pigram, insurance officer, Queensland Urban Daniel Quintin, branch manager, Gallagher Samuel Rogers, account manager, financial lines group, cyber insurance specialist, JLT Jonathan Ross, account executive, Aviso WA Michelle Ross, national program manager, Cornerstone, Chubb Jenna Sammut, account manager, professional risks and direct, retail risk services, JLT James Skiba, senior claims officer, DUAL Australia Adam Sloan, general manager, Insure 247 Carla Taylor, business development manager, Vero Gareth Terrell, independent broker unit underwriter, casualty, Chubb James Tsalkos, assistant vice president and underwriter, finpro, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Schalk van der Merwe, director, Omnisure Adam Ware, partner, BJS Insurance Brokers Gippsland Nikita Willis, account executive, SRG Corporate Graham Whitty, sales and development manager, strata insurance, northern region, QUS Paul Wright, national manager, CMIB, Sear Insurance Related stories: Insurance head discusses industrys future How brokers can clinch client referrals The insurance industry supports this initiative, ICA CEO Rob Whelan said. Homes strengthened through the program could potentially place homeowners in a position to negotiate a reduction in their future building insurance premiums. The peak industry body is urging owners of pre-1984 homes, located up to 50km from the coast between Bundaberg and Cooktown, to check if they're eligible for the program by visiting www.qld.gov.au/strongerhomes. If this initiative can reduce the stress of homeowners in cyclone-prone areas just a little and also reduce the pressure on premiums, then its a program that should be supported and promoted, Whelan said. The program is an example of how governments can work to improve the resilience of homes and communities in disaster-prone regions. The ICA encourages governments at all levels to appreciate the importance of mitigation investment. Related stories: ICA: New Gold Coast flood maps not affecting premiums ICA welcomes move to boost Queensland natural disaster resilience The unrealised investment losses on fixed income securities in 2018 were driven by an increase in risk-free rates and credit spreads, and the unrealised investment gains on fixed income securities in 2017 were driven by a narrowing of credit spreads, explained PartnerRe in its interim results report. The majority of the company's investments, including all standard fixed income investments such as government bonds and investment grade corporate debt, are accounted for at fair value with changes in the fair value recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. In terms of underwriting profits, the firm enjoyed a rise from US$11 million in the first half of 2017 to US$46 million for the same period this year. However, a closer look at non-life reveals a lower underwriting profit for that segment only US$109 million for half-year 2018, from last years US$136 million. PartnerRe president and chief executive Emmanuel Clarke remains optimistic nonetheless. I am pleased to see our results reflect the efforts we have made, over the past two years, to gain relevance with our key clients and brokers, and to find new attractive business opportunities, commented Clarke. Notwithstanding a competitive reinsurance market, we achieved a positive July 01 renewal where we continued to see increases in business margins. These results, in conjunction with continued improved efficiency in operating expenses, and the impact of higher reinvestment yields on our investment portfolio, position our company well to deliver improved underwriting and financial results during the remainder of 2018. Related stories: PartnerRe reveals solid results following disasters PartnerRe reveals crop insurance partnership Pip Marlow, Suncorp's CEO of customer marketplace, said the new app, part of the group's marketplace strategy, would bring together a single view of all the products consumers held with Suncorp, and include links to businesses owned by other parties, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The Suncorp app also includes a budgeting tool to help consumers track spending, chat bots for answer simple customer queries, and links to other businesses that may be relevant to customers, such as those in conveyancing, car maintenance, or removalists. Marlow said the group was also making similar changes in its stores and call centres. "How do we expose the entire group to our customers with a level of, aggressive transparency, I guess, to make sure we can really tell our customers everything and show them everything? And that's what comes through in the marketplace strategy," Marlow told the publication. Multi-brand strategies are nothing new in finance, with rival insurer IAG selling cover under brands such as NRMA, CGU, and Swan, and Westpac using St George, Bank of Melbourne, and RAMS to sell its banking products, SMH said. A recent Productivity Commission's draft inquiry into financial services, however, warned that in insurance especially, the wide range of brands owned by a few players created "the illusion of more competition than actually exists, and called for greater transparency about which insurers underwrite products. In response to the report, Suncorp said it was working on greater transparency of brand ownership, and that the brands it owns had different features and benefits, and were targeted at different market segments, SMH reported. Related stories: Suncorp leader on marketplace strategy: Harder than we thought Suncorp confirms new Brisbane location Both Weinstein and his company, the Weinstein Company, are facing 18 lawsuits and other claims filed over the last year; it is currently unclear how much the litigation process is costing the disgraced movie executive. His insurers, which include Chubb, have argued in court that they should not have to pay for his defence against accusations of rape and sexual harassment. In their court filings, the insurers said that the policies they issued for the ex-producer specifically excluded coverage for such blatantly egregious and intentionally harmful acts. Mr. Weinstein has nevertheless repeatedly attempted to foist his defense of these lawsuits upon the plaintiff insurers, the lawyers representing the insurers wrote in a joint statement. Other insurers have also denied Weinstein coverage for his legal costs. One carrier had reportedly outlined that it would provide him with US$300,000 in crisis assistance benefits should he ever get in a situation involving significant adverse regional or national media coverage - but that carrier has since hesitated to provide a payout following the accusations, The Associated Press reported. Another insurer, National Union, had offered Weinstein US$10 million for legal defence including criminal investigations, the movie producers lawyers claimed in court papers. Weinsteins legal team is looking to force National Union to pay up, plus damages for withholding the money. Settlement talks with the insurer continue. Steadfast Insurance, an insurer for the Walt Disney Company, is also confronting the ex-producer. The company has filed a suit in New York seeking to avoid paying for Weinsteins defense. The ex-producers legal team has retorted the insurers allegations, saying that the insurers are attempting to waive liability over Weinsteins legal fees while unfairly siding with those accusing him of sexual harassment. Weinsteins lawyers added in court papers that the producer and his company had paid the insurers a fortune in premiums for the past 25 years. The lawyers allege that the insurers have been indignant in claiming that Weinstein is entitled to millions in coverage. Mr. Weinstein has been left in an untenable position, and his patience has run out, his lawyers wrote in one court filing. Weinstein has since filed a countersuit against Chubb and its affiliates, accusing the insurance companies of breach of contract and bad faith. Related stories: Disneys insurer to battle Harvey Weinstein Issue between Harvey Weinstein and Chubb takes new twist More than half of the abovementioned figure came from Hiscox Retail, which is made up of Hiscox UK & Europe and Hiscox International. In terms of gross written premium, the period saw an increase of 21% to US$2.2 billion this time around from last years US$1.8 billion. Hiscox said all segments contributed on this front. It has been a good start to the year, commented chief executive Bronek Masojada. Our investment across the business is driving strong profitable growth in all segments. We are on track to exceed one million retail customers in 2018. The Hiscox Group, which has customers worldwide and employs more than 2,700 people in 14 countries, also announced an interim dividend per share of 13.25 cents a 5% climb from the 2017 interim dividend. As for the companys outlook, Childs explained where the prospects lie. The London Market business is navigating the market and finding opportunities in areas such as flood, cyber, and general liability, said the Hiscox chair. In reinsurance we have grown and are achieving good margins. The retail businesses, in their respective regions and product lines, continue their good momentum. Childs added that the group is working hard to transform much of its underlying infrastructure. This includes the impact of Brexit, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), New York Cybersecurity Regulation, IFRS 17 accounting standards, the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD), and the updated Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SF&CR), he noted. The chairman, who said its going to be a busy second half and thanked employees for their efforts so far, continued: The finance and IT infrastructure projects we are undertaking across the group, especially in our retail businesses, position us favorably as we look to grow market share in key lines and geographies according to the size of the opportunity ahead of us. Both Weinstein and his company, the Weinstein Company, are facing 18 lawsuits and other claims filed over the last year; it is currently unclear how much the litigation process is costing the disgraced movie executive. His insurers, which include Chubb, have argued in court that they should not have to pay for his defense against accusations of rape and sexual harassment. In their court filings, the insurers said that the policies they issued for the ex-producer specifically excluded coverage for such blatantly egregious and intentionally harmful acts. Mr. Weinstein has nevertheless repeatedly attempted to foist his defense of these lawsuits upon the plaintiff insurers, the lawyers representing the insurers wrote in a joint statement. Other insurers have also denied Weinstein coverage for his legal costs. One carrier had reportedly outlined that it would provide him with US$300,000 in crisis assistance benefits should he ever get in a situation involving significant adverse regional or national media coverage - but that carrier has since hesitated to provide a payout following the accusations, The Associated Press reported. Another insurer, National Union, had offered Weinstein US$10 million for legal defense including criminal investigations, the movie producers lawyers claimed in court papers. Weinsteins legal team is looking to force National Union to pay up, plus damages for withholding the money. Settlement talks with the insurer continue. Steadfast Insurance, an insurer for the Walt Disney Company, is also confronting the ex-producer. The company has filed a suit in New York seeking to avoid paying for Weinsteins defense. The ex-producers legal team has retorted the insurers allegations, saying that the insurers are attempting to waive liability over Weinsteins legal fees while unfairly siding with those accusing him of sexual harassment. Weinsteins lawyers added in court papers that the producer and his company had paid the insurers a fortune in premiums for the past 25 years. The lawyers allege that the insurers have been indignant in claiming that Weinstein is entitled to millions in coverage. Mr. Weinstein has been left in an untenable position, and his patience has run out, his lawyers wrote in one court filing. Weinstein has since filed a countersuit against Chubb and its affiliates, accusing the insurance companies of breach of contract and bad faith. Related stories: Disneys insurer files suit against Harvey Weinstein Tussle between Chubb and Harvey Weinstein takes new twist International specialty insurer, Ryan Specialty Group, LLC (RSG) has reached an agreement to acquire certain assets of ARC Specialty Brokerage, LLC (ARC Specialty), the property and casualty division of ARC Excess & Surplus, LLC (ARC). Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. ARC is a Jericho, NY-based wholesale brokerage that specializes in management and professional liability insurance needs and P&C needs. The ARC Specialty team will join RT Specialty, the wholesale brokerage unit of RSG, in RT Specialtys Long Island office in Melville, NY. IBA: What are the biggest challenges in the multifamily and real estate market today? KM: The biggest challenge right now is the changing of the marketplace. We have been in a soft market for quite some time. With the number and magnitude of the natural disasters in 2017 from the fires in California and the hurricanes to the earthquakes and floods the catastrophic losses in 2017 have had a direct effect on the marketplace today. We are really starting to see the markets harden and premium increase in property & casualty lines of coverage. Whether or not you have claims, you can see increases upwards of 25% to 50%. On the multifamily side, on average, we are seeing premium increases somewhere between 10% and 25%. With that recent hurricane activity, reinsurance costs to carriers may continue to rise, resulting in increased premiums being passed on to consumers. In addition to the hardening from the natural disasters, some of the insurance carriers that typically write those coverages are pulling out of the marketplace, which leaves holes and gaps for other carriers to fill. In November, I was in London negotiating renewals for two of my largest clients, and while I was there, the industry was on the leading edge of all the changes that we are seeing now. IBA: What strategies have you used to grow Acentria and your multifamily/ real estate business? KM: For the first seven years that Acentria was in business, the partners did not take any profits out of the company except to pay taxes. We needed those profits to perpetuate the company and spend the money on hiring the right people in the right seats, and we really focused on growing our commercial, personal and employee benefits lines of coverage. To grow our multifamily and real estate businesses, we stay active and engaged with several chapters of the Community Associations Institute, an organization that serves community associations and homeowners. I have had the pleasure and honor to speak on topics concerning these areas to boards of directors, property managers, and more on the local, state, and regional levels. In addition, we leverage sponsorship opportunities at trade shows, serve on discussion panels and more. Lastly, our in-house marketing department works with clients to develop and co-brand materials for their clients for example, safety newsletters for property residents or presentations and collateral to promote the master program to attract additional properties to join a clients portfolio. Multifamily clients with multiple properties enjoy the benefits of a master program that is created specifically for their portfolio. IBA: Acentria was named Insurance Industry Employer of Choice at the 2017 Insurance Business America Awards. In your opinion, what makes an employer of choice in this industry? KM: In my opinion, it starts at the top and trickles down to how you treat your employees. I personally like to refer to our company team as our work family. Having compassion and empathy, asking for advice and not just receiving it, but also acting on that advice thats what helps grow a better organization. I make it a habit to speak with every person in the office every day, and on Mondays, I like to ask every person how their weekend was or something about their family. That really goes a long way in showing employees that we care about them and we care about their families. It truly starts at the top, and it is a requirement for those top people to treat employees with dignity and respect and listen to what they have to say. A Wisconsin refinery damaged by an explosion and fire earlier this year is not expected to resume operations until 2020. WDIO-TV reports Canada-based Husky Energy said in its second-quarter earnings statement Thursday that the refinery in Superior, Wisconsin, is not expected to restart for at least 18 to 24 months. Chief Operating Officer Rob Symonds said in a conference call that an investigation into the late April explosion continues, and that the company plans to use insurance proceeds to rebuild the refinery. The explosion injured at least 13 people and prompted an evacuation. The mayors of Superior and nearby Duluth, Minnesota, have called on the refinerys owners to stop using hydrogen fluoride to process high-octane gasoline. Hydrogen fluoride is a highly corrosive chemical that can produce toxic vapor clouds. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Wisconsin A jury awarded $1.25 million to a former Columbia University finance professor whose senior colleague sent dozens of emails disparaging her to industry professionals after she lodged a harassment complaint against him. The verdict is a fraction of the $16 million Enrichetta Ravina sought as her bias and retaliation lawsuit went to the jury in Manhattan federal court. Still, her lawyer welcomed the award. The $1.25 million in damages in this case should send a clear message to Columbia University and the world of higher education that workplace retaliation and abuse of power in academia will not be tolerated, David Sanford said. The jury ordered the payment a day after it concluded that Business School professor Geert Bekaert retaliated against Ravina, 42, and held Columbia responsible for his actions. The jury of four men and four women on Friday ordered Columbia and Bekaert to pay a total $750,000 in compensatory damages and ordered Bekaert to pay $500,000 in punitive damages. Ravina sued for gender discrimination and retaliation, claiming he sexually harassed her and then stalled her research and ruined her chances of gaining tenure because she complained. The jury rejected her claim of discrimination against Bekaert and Columbia. Jury Could Define University Liability in Sexual Harassment Trial I am very pleased that the jury cleared me of the false and heavily publicized sexual harassment claims that have been hanging over my head for the past two years, Bekaert said in a statement. I am also happy that the jury seemed to agree that nothing Columbia or I did had any impact on Professor Ravinas tenure vote. The jury awarded nothing for Ravinas loss of pay in the past or future. Yet the trial was still a black eye for Columbia, which had previously confronted a high-profile allegation of sexual misconduct on campus. During the three-week trial, Ravina testified that Columbia brushed aside her complaints and then denied her tenure, allegations that Columbia denied. One juror, Lisa Daniels, a retired salon owner, said the evidence was complicated. We were careful not to be emotional, she said after the verdict. Job Prospects The jury concluded that Columbia hadnt retaliated against Ravina, but held the school responsible for Bekaerts actions. In the damages portion of the trial, Ravina said she expects to wind up at a lower-ranking program because of the denial of tenure and Bekaerts badmouthing. Having found no retaliation or discrimination by Columbia, the jury awarded damages based on its finding that Professor Bekaert improperly retaliated against Professor Ravina, a university spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Columbia prohibits retaliation against any member of its community and very much regrets the actions by our faculty member in this matter. Ravina is a visiting assistant professor at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management, but the position is temporary. My reputation and standing in my field has been extremely damaged by Professor Bekaerts behavior, Ravina testified. Imagine if you apply for jobs and someone very powerful and influential in your profession had said that you are unstable, difficult to work with, a liar, not good at your job. Bekaert wrote at least 30 emails calling Ravina evil and crazy, including to a number of industry players at the Federal Reserve Bank, top-tier universities and economic journals, often from his Columbia email account, according to the evidence. Bekaerts lawyer, Edward Hernstadt, said it was a natural reaction for Bekaert to want to protect his reputation. The case is Ravina v. Columbia University, 16-cv-2137, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Education Universities Central Oklahoma residents wont get a trial this fall for a case against an oil company accused of triggering earthquakes that damaged homes and buildings. The Journal Record reports that a Cleveland County judge outlined rules for the class-action case that Jennifer Lin Cooper brought against New Dominion LLC. The judge issued a journal entry July 13 on the limited class certification, which allows the defendant to begin an appeal process. The lawsuit alleges that New Dominions wastewater disposal operations caused a swarm of earthquakes in November 2011, including a magnitude 5.7 quake in Prague that affected more than 170 homes. A trial was initially scheduled for September, but Cooper had told the judge earlier shed agree to remove the trial if her case was certified. Cooper, of Prague, filed the suit against Tulsa-based New Dominion and Spess Oil Co. of Cleveland, Okla., along with 25 unnamed companies in February 2015. She sought class-action status for people in Lincoln County and eight surrounding counties whose homes were damaged by earthquakes. Related: Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Oklahoma Energy Oil Gas Earthquake Tennessee is appealing a landmark federal court ruling that says its unconstitutional for the state to revoke or suspend drivers licenses over unpaid court costs. David Purkey, commissioner of the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security, filed a notice of appeal Wednesday, The Tennessean reported. The motion asks the U.S. Court of Appeals to review U.S. District Judge Aleta Traugers ruling from earlier this month. Trauger concluded that the revocations are powerfully counterproductive and deprive constitutional due process and equal protection. Her ruling could have wider implications for dozens of other states, since more than 40 allow similar suspensions. On Thursday, the state attorney generals office filed a motion for partial stay pending the appeal. In a court filing, the state says its not revoking any licenses due to unpaid court fees and has administratively lifted about 237,000 revocations affecting about 118,000 drivers. Older revocations that predate the current computer system are being manually lifted when drivers contact the state, the filing says. The state is requesting a temporary halt, pending appeal, on its 60-day deadline from the date of the ruling to submit plans for lifting revocations, including automatic reinstatement where legally appropriate. The state says that plans for automatic restoration would require review of drivers license records on an individual-by-individual basis, which would be a potentially wasteful use of government resources given the possibility of a reversal. Tennessee revoked 146,211 drivers licenses from July 2012 to June 2016 under state law for failure to pay court debts, according to Traugers ruling. Only about 7 percent of those licenses were reinstated. If a person has no resources to pay a debt, he cannot be threatened or cajoled into paying it; he may, however, become able to pay it in the future. But taking his drivers license away sabotages that prospect, Trauber wrote. Josh Spickler is the executive director for Memphis-based advocacy organization Just City and an attorney on the case representing people who have lost their licenses. He said its disappointing to see the state challenge the ruling instead of working to develop better public policy and have more Tennesseans driving safely and legally. Megan Buell, a spokeswoman for the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, declined to comment on the appeal. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Personal Auto Tennessee The food court illness that sickened 350 people in Kentucky has been identified as norovirus. Citing a Lexington-Fayette County Health Department release, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that test results from those who had gone to the Fayette Mall food court were consistently positive for the very contagious virus. Fayette Malls Chick-fil-A had closed voluntarily July 20, after many employees reported becoming ill. The entire food court closed July 23 for cleaning and sanitization. It reopened the following afternoon, after an inspection by the health department, which visited again Thursday. Most of the people who reported illness became sick a day or two after eating at the food court, experiencing fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Kentucky Thousands of dazed evacuees struggled to keep their emotions in check while trying to take care of themselves and their pets as a deadly wildfire in Northern California raged into its fourth day. Anna Noland, 49, was evacuated twice in three days before learning through video footage that the house she last saw under dark and windy skies had burned. She expected to spend Saturday night at a shelter at Simpson College in Redding while she searches for another place to live. I think Im still in shock, Noland said. Its just unbelievable knowing you dont have a house to go back to. Noland is among the 38,000 people evacuated after the Carr Fire roared into the outskirts of Redding in Shasta County, leaving five people dead, including two firefighters, a woman and her two great-grandchildren, ages 4 and 5. My babies are dead, Sherry Bledsoe said through tears after she and family members met with Shasta County sheriffs deputies. A vehicle problem ignited the fire Monday, but it wasnt until Thursday that the fire exploded and raced into communities west of Redding before entering city limits. On Saturday, it pushed southwest of Redding, the largest city in the region, toward the tiny communities of Ono, Igo and Gas Point, where scorching heat, winds and bone-dry conditions complicated firefighting efforts. The fire, which grew slightly Saturday to 131 square miles (340 square kilometers), is the largest fire burning in California. Nearly 5,000 structures were threatened and the fire was just 5 percent contained. The latest tally of 536 destroyed structures was up from 500 earlier in the day, and sure to rise. A count by The Associated Press found at least 300 of those structures were homes. Bonnie and Jerry Kieffaber grabbed most of their medications when they left their home in Redding on Thursday, but they forgot his insulin. Days later, police wont let them back inside because its still too dangerous. Bonnie Kieffaber, 69, says being away from home is expensive. All of our food was there, and now were draining our checking account trying to keep gas in the car and buy food too, she said while grabbing a hot meal at a Red Cross shelter. Its exhausting, she said. The heat and the stress of it all, and praying for everybody and all of our friends. The firefighters killed in the blaze included Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire. Redding fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, but details of his death were not released. Sherry Bledsoes two children, James Roberts, 5, and Emily Roberts, 4, were stranded with their great grandmother Melody Bledsoe, 70, when walls of flames swept through the familys rural property Thursday on the outskirts of Redding. The three were among more than a dozen people reported missing after the furious wind-driven blaze took residents by surprise and leveled several neighborhoods. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said he expects to find several of those people alive and just out of touch with loved ones. Officers have gone to homes of several people reported missing and found cars gone a strong indication they fled. About 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Redding, two blazes prompted mandatory evacuations in Mendocino County. The two fires, burning 30 miles (50 kilometers) apart, started Friday and were threatening more than 350 buildings. Authorities also issued evacuation orders in Napa County, famous for its wine, when several structures caught fire, the Napa Valley Register reported. The blaze had blackened 150 acres and was at 10 percent containment. Throughout the state, Cal Fire officials said more than 10,000 firefighters were on the line, making progress on 14 large wildfires. Big fires also continued to burn outside Yosemite National Park and in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs. Those fires had burned nearly 100 square miles (260 square kilometers). Yosemite Valley remained closed to visitors and wont reopen until Friday. In Shasta County, Matt Smith, a Forest Service pilot with 13 years experience as a smokejumper, says he used hoses to save his house in the well-kept neighborhood of Lake Redding Estates. Burned and twisted bicycle frames, refrigerators, and piles of rubble were still smoking Saturday around his property. Smith said he arrived home Thursday as evacuees were racing out. Save it for your family, save it for your family, he says he reminded himself during two adrenalin-filled hours. As a former firefighter, he said he always kept an escape route in mind possibly his neighbors pool. On Saturday, he had a blistering burn on his hand from grabbing his propane tank and wrestling it away from the house and into the front yard. His nose and ear also had burns. The good news is that our house is here. The bad news is that our neighborhood is devastated, he said. Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Martha Mendoza in Redding; Olga Rodriguez and Janie Har in San Francisco; Don Thompson in Sacramento; Amanda Lee Myers in Los Angeles also contributed to this report. Related: Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe California Natural Disasters Wildfire What Is a Viager? A "viager" is a real estate transaction, popular in France, where the buyer makes a down payment and then a series of payments for as long as the seller is alive. Key Takeaways A viager is a real estate transaction, popular in France, where the buyer makes a down payment and then a series of payments for as long as the seller is alive. Sellers are often widows or widowers who are in need of a regular source of income after the death of a spouse. For buyers, viagers offer the draw of a home purchase at reduced rates. Understanding Viager Essentially, a "viager" is a reverse annuity. For homebuyers, viagers are gambles, while for home-sellers, they offer the security of regular cash installments. A viager is sometimes called a reverse annuity mortgage or a charitable remainder trust. In a viager agreement, a person agrees to sell their property to a purchaser in exchange for a down payment, known in France as the "bouquet," and regular cash installments for the rest of their life. Additionally, the seller continues to live in the house for the remainder of their life. It is only when the seller dies that the purchaser is free to take over the property. In essence, the buyer in a viager is wagering on the remaining lifespan of the seller. In France, two private parties often negotiate a viager with the help of a lawyer and without the participation of banks or insurance companies. The deal can potentially benefit both parties. For example, sellers receive significant tax breaks. What's more, cash payments are strongly guaranteed. If the buyer defaults, the seller retains the down payment, all of the monthly payments up to that point, and ownership of the property. Sellers are often widows or widowers who are in need of a regular source of income after the death of a spouse. For buyers, viagers offer the draw of a home purchase at reduced rates. Viagers use the occupied value rather than the market value, which is often much higher. In addition, buyers pay no interest on the property, and if the seller dies earlier than expected, buyers get an even bigger discount. The risk is that the seller lives longer than expected, in which case the buyer must pay more. The typical viager buyer is a middle-aged person looking to secure a home for retirement. Viager Calculation The value of a property in a viager is calculated based on the age of the seller, and it is known as the occupied value. The occupied value of a home owned by someone 50 years old will be more than that of a home owned by someone 70 years old. The down payment tends to land at about 30% of the occupied value. Participants calculate the cash installments based on the average life expectancy of the seller. Because of these guidelines, very old sellers would often be better off selling their homes outright and receiving the full market value. Plans to get more women involved at the higher levels of business have been launched. The government has set up a group of business leaders to examine the gender diversification of company boards. Padraig Hoare Enet has said it remains committed to the National Broadband Plan project despite one of the consortiums major players dropping out of the process. Enet is the only bidder for the plan. Business and political leaders reacted with dismay after SSE said it would no longer be part of Enets bid for the long-delayed plan, which is supposed to bring broadband to around 500,000 houses and businesses in hard-to-reach parts of the country. SSE has confirmed that it is no longer a participant in the consortium bidding for the plan, but that it wished our former consortium partners and the Government well as they continue to progress discussions for the delivery of this important infrastructure project. Chairman of Enet, Irish-American businessman David McCourt, said the consortium now comprises Granahan McCourt, John Laing and the Irish Infrastructure Fund. In building this consortium, we have brought together the best global expertise in building networks, particularly in telecoms, and in co-ordinating all of the elements required to finance a project of this size in partnership with government. To this, we have added world-leading funds committed to the development of infrastructure around the world and to the National Broadband Plan in particular. He said despite SSE dropping out, the plan would be delivered. The process is very much on track. Were just weeks away from submitting our final tender. The team is very focused on concluding the procurement phase of this project and moving swiftly into delivery. Despite Communications Minister Denis Naughten saying the tender process for the contract was in its final stages in a series of answers to Dail questions since October 2017, there is still no date earmarked. When asked earlier this month if a timeframe for the contract to be awarded had been decided, the department said it was still in the process. The broadband plan has been beset by problems since it was first mooted in 2012. Eir, Siro, and Enet entered the tendering process to be granted the contract to design the programme, but a decision has been delayed on a number of occasions. Enet is now the sole bidder. Eir followed Siro, a joint venture between Vodafone and the ESB, which had previously pulled out. It is believed the costing of the plan, estimated at over 1bn, is still being ironed out between the Government and Enet. Despite the delay, the Government said most houses and businesses will have broadband by 2021. Labour spokesman on communications, Sean Sherlock said the plan was in shambles. Public trust is shot to pieces and the broadband plan is in shambles, and citizens will bear the brunt of this latest failure. The minister now has serious questions to answer. Weve had a litany of withdrawals from the process on his watch. The next moves from government on this will be critical SME representative body Isme said the latest move must be the final nail in the coffin for the plan, and called on the State to buy back the wholesale distribution network and nationalise it. In its pre-budget submission, Isme said: We consider the sale of distribution network when Telecom Eireann was privatised to have had catastrophic consequences for the market. Now is the time to reverse that decision. Sinn Fein communications spokesman Brian Stanley said the plan was now hanging by a thread. The tendering process is a logistical and financial mess. The taxpayer is now going to be faced with picking up the tab on another government mistake. The Government must to go back to the drawing board on this one and find an alternative, effective plan on ensuring everybody has access to broadband across Ireland. Fianna Fail spokesman on communications, Timmy Dooley said the Governments lazy attitude to rural Ireland had led to the latest disaster to befall the National Broadband Plan. Since Minister Naughten took office in 2016, every facade of the plan has been diminished and downgraded, and any opportunity to reduce the States involvement has been taken. Minister Naughten must deliver a fully independent review of the plan to date as was voted for by the Dail last February. Bottled water and beer are at the top of the shopping list for Irish consumers. Irish shoppers bought bottled water 1.8 million times more in the last three months compared to the same period last year. By Fiachra O Cionnaith and Padraig Hoare The Governments long-delayed national broadband plan could be open to a legal challenge because of SSEs decision to pull out of the deal. Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice made the claim after the firm confirmed at the weekend it will no longer form part of the three-pronged Enet consortium set to win the rights to the project. Speaking as the Irish Rural Link group demanded that the Dail and Cabinet be recalled to attend an emergency meeting on the broadband controversy, Mr Fitzmaurice said that SSEs decision to pull out meaning the only remaining bidder now only has two-thirds of a consortium has potentially hamstrung the national plan. Mr Fitzmaurice said while the Enet consortium consisting of Enet, SSE, and John Laing was allowed to tender for the project in part because each section would provide 100m, SSEs departure means it is no longer the same consortium. He said this means other broadband firms could potentially consider legal action if the Enet consortium is still awarded the plans rights. There are questions at the moment, because if you put a consortium together and its approved as that consortium, how in a legal framework can you be the same consortium if part of it is gone? Mr Fitzmaurice told RTE Radios This Week programme. This isnt a blame game, but broadband is as important as water and electricity now to rural Ireland and needs to be delivered. While the Department of Social Protection and the junior minister at the Department for Rural Affairs, Sean Kyne, said yesterday the roll-out of the national broadband plan remains on track and will begin in September, further concerns have been raised by Fianna Fails communications spokesman, Timmy Dooley, who said the plan is failing before it begins. "Fine Gael has made promises to people living in rural communities that it would roll out a National Broadband Plan. At every stage, they moved the goalposts to deflect from their abject failure," says Communications SPokesperson @timmydooley https://t.co/Mt9fRgFwaM pic.twitter.com/deQid9kyEv Fianna Fail (@fiannafailparty) July 29, 2018 Speaking on The Sunday Edition on Dublin City FM as the Irish Rural Link group said the situation means the Cabinet and the Dail should be brought back for an emergency meeting, Disabilities Minister and Independent Alliance TD Finian McGrath said he is open to the move. On Saturday evening, SSE confirmed that it has pulled out of the Enet-led consortium, which is now the only bidder for the national broadband plan. Rival bidders including Eir and Vodafone have previously stepped away from the bidding process. While Enet has said it remains committed to the project with its chairman, Irish-American businessman David McCourt, saying the consortium now comprises Granahan McCourt, John Laing, and the Irish Infrastructure Fund business and political leaders reacted with dismay to the SSE news. The long-delayed broadband plan is aiming to bring high-speed internet access to half a million homes, schools, and businesses in rural parts of the country. There are calls for transparency over how complaints are handled in Irish nursing homes. Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd discovered close to 700 complaints were lodged to HIQA last year but his request for details under the Freedom of Information Act was rejected. The rising demand at the countrys only dedicated, 24-hour forensic examination unit for child sex abuse victims underlines the high need for similar services across the country, a childrens charity has said. CARI said a report from Casats (the Child and Adolescent Sexual Assault Treatment Service), in Galway, raised the same old issue that children across the country continued to be denied the right that adults have in accessing sexual assault treatment units. The charity said the Casarts report also showed that a quarter of offenders are children, and that they are motivated by a range of factors, including unlimited access to pornography on smartphones. The Casats findings are contained within the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) report for 2017. It shows a continuing increase across all six adult SATUs (Cork, Donegal, Galway, Midlands, Dublin, and Waterford), with the total number of attendances rising from 628, in 2014, to 865, in 2017. The figures record an increase from 64 attendances, in 2014, to 73, in both 2015 and 2016, increasing to 98, in 2017. Eve Farrelly, manager of CARIs Child Accompaniment Support Service, said the figures showed a steady increase, but said it was difficult to explain the trend. She said that it could relate to gardai and social workers being more aware of the service and referring children there for forensic examination. What was clear, she said, was there was a high need for services, saying there was no other dedicated service, providing 24-hour care or examination to children aged up to 14. Ms Farrelly said that, without national data, it was impossible to detail the national situation and, in turn, document what was required. Without data, you struggle to identify the issues and therefore the needs, she said. Thankfully, we have Casats, but it is not countrywide. The problem does not just reside in one part of the country, but is the only part of the country that has the data to talk about it. She said children were entitled to the service that every adult has access to across the country. Last April, the Irish Examiner revealed that the States national body tasked with developing services for victims of child sexual abuse had not met since October, 2016. The Garda Inspectorate also reported last April that the State had failed to set up such services, even though it had highlighted the need in 2012. Four dedicated services were to have been set up, but only Galway exists. There are two assessment and therapy services in Dublin. The new National Childrens Hospital in Dublin will also have a forensic examination service when it opens in 2021. Ms Farrelly said that the Casats report also shows that 27% of perpetrators of the assaults on children were other children. Around half were under the age of 13 and a further half were aged between 13 and 17, the figures show. That is in keeping with our concerns of a growing rise of sexually harmful behaviour by children, said Ms Farrelly. She said there were multiple reasons behind this, including unlimited access to pornography by children on smartphones. She said: We are living in the worlds first generation gap: Parents who are digital tourists and children who are digital natives and parents cant keep up. Contact CARI on 1890 92 45 67, or cari.ie. For internet safety see: webwise.ie, spunout.ie, ispcc.ie, and wiredsafety.com Nearly half of parents say their biggest worry about the new school term is the cost of equipping their children. Some 46% say the financial implications are their top concern, and they are far more numerous than the 15% of parents whose biggest fear is that their child will not settle in or will be unble to make friends. The findings come from the Irish League of Credit Unions annual back-to-school costs survey, which found increases in the number of parents struggling to get their children ready for school next month and in the number resorting to moneylenders for help. Overall costs are down slightly this year, with the total bill for sending a child to school ranging from an average of 999, for a primary school pupil, to 1,379, for secondary. Last years figures were 1,048 and 1,401. Uniforms or other school-specific clothing are costing 128, on average, for primary school this year, plus another 71 for gym gear. The equivalent for secondary is 179, plus 107 for gym gear. Books are the biggest cost at second level, at 200 per child, while they cost 122 at national school level in both cases, a cost that has risen slightly since last year. Voluntary contributions have also risen, from 66 to 71 at primary level, and from 151 to 172 at second level. School trips add another 71 to the costs at primary and 107 at secondary, and transport costs are averaging at 74 and 175. School lunches cost 142 and 175. Extracurricular activities take another chunk out of the household budget, at 153 in primary and 164 in secondary. Afterschool care adds 140 more at primary and 48 at secondary. Seven out of 10 parents say schools are not keeping costs down. One in three said they believed savings could be made on books, by either more choice or rental schemes. One in five urged a change in uniform policies, asking for the adoption of generic uniforms or possibly free-uniform schemes. Paul Bailey, head of communications for the Irish League of Credit Unions, said it was a cause for concern that more families were going into debt to cover the back-to-school costs 36% of parents this year, compared to 29% last year and that 27% of those were borrowing from moneylenders, compared to 20% last year. Despite the current recovery of our economy, families continue to struggle to cope with the cost of sending their children to school, said Mr Bailey. He urged parents tempted to use moneylenders to try the credit union, even if their credit rating was bad. Theyre not offering a set loan, said Mr Bailey. Theyll look at your individual circumstances and your capacity to repay and see whats possible. Mr Bailey also encouraged social welfare recipients to ask about the It Makes Sense loan offered by many credit unions, specifically for people who do not have a wage. He said a 500 loan, repayable over six months, would cost just 15 in interest under the scheme, compared to as much as 150 with some moneylenders. Around 100m will be gambled this week as 140,000 punters head west for the week-long Galway Races, which runs from today until August 5. The city of the tribes is buzzing at any time of the year, but, in peak summer, the Galway Arts Festival and the Galway Races ensure its at the pinnacle of craziness. Thousands of pints will be imbibed, fortunes won and lost, with Ladies Day drawing 30,000 punters last year. Galway is one of the few festivals where the fashion stakes are almost as high as the gambling stakes. Normally, the King of Ballybrit, the leading trainer, is Dermot Weld. However, bookmaker Paddy Powers spokeswoman, Rachael Kane, said there may be a change in the wind this year, with trainers like Wille Mullins and Joseph OBrien potential threats to his crown. In years gone by, the mere mention of The Master of Rosewell, DK Weld, on the approach to Galway, would strike fear into the hearts of bookmakers, due to his absolute dominance of the meeting over the past 20 years, she said. However, in the words of the great Bob Dylan, the times, they are a-changin. The name on everyones tongues this week will be Willie Mullins. He only had the 12 winners at the festival last year and he looks to have a battalion lined up to go to war with this week. Young gun Joseph OBrien will be another trainer that punters will be looking to, while the wily Charles Byrnes is likely to have one or two lined up for the festival and is definitely a trainer to be looking out for. As always, the big race of the week will be Wednesdays Galway Plate. Henry De Bromhead chases his third triumph in four years and has put together a formidable team of seven horses for the race. A winner with Shanahans Turn three years ago, and subsequent Cheltenham Festival Ryanair Chase hero, Balko Des Flos, last year, the Waterford trainers entry is sure to be well-backed. Gordon Elliott has put one more than De Bromhead into the race, with his 2016 winner, Lord Scoundrel, among his eight. Willie Mullins has 13 horses in the race, with Alelchi Inios and Ballycasey, second and third to Lord Scoundrel two years ago, respectively. Both Jessica Harrington and Noel Meade have five entries, while last years third place, Slowmotion, is one of four entries for Joseph OBrien, while Supreme Vinnie could yet represent trainer, Denise OShea, after his success in the Galway Plate Trial Handicap Chase, at Limerick, this month. There are five entries from Britain, with Nigel Twiston-Davies, David Pipe, Harry Fry, Neil Mulholand, and Dr Richard Newland all bidding to emulate Paul Nicholls, who sent over Oslot to win in the hands of Ruby Walsh in 2008. Businessman Gavin Duffy says his ability to make big decisions will be key in making him a good president. The TV personality has announced he's seeking nominations from four local authorities to run in the Presidential Election. In recent weeks, the situation around Iran has once again escalated after Donald Trump's unprecedentedly tough statement addressed to the Iranian authorities. "Never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before. We are no longer a country that will stand for your demented words of violence & death. Be cautious," Trump tweeted. It was the US president's response to the statements made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani about the power of the Iranian army. Rouhani previously urged the United States "not to pull the lion's tail," in order not to regret it for life - obviously representing his own country as a lion. The escalation of confrontation between Tehran and Washington is linked to the firm intention of the Americans to impose sanctions on the countries that will take the risk of trading with Iran after November 4, 2018 - the deadline given by the US to the rest of the world to stop their oil cooperation with Iran. The fact that Donald Trump has been serious is also evidenced by a warning letter, recently sent by the Republican senators to Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. The Iranians also have no plans to give up. On the one hand, they are preparing for US sanctions, seeking workarounds and loopholes, such as the Oil-for-Food Programme. At the same time, Iran does not exclude regional military pressure - this is how the threat of blocking the Strait of Hormuz, voiced by the Iranian president, should be perceived. If the Iranians take this step, oil supplies from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE will be limited. However, these threats are not new - even Iranian president Rouhani's predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly threatened to play the "Hormuz" card in the midst of the international crisis. How real is the new Middle East war, and what domestic and foreign policy factors can play a role? According to Margret Johannsen, an expert on the Middle East at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg, President Trump has been under pressure from the US Congress, both from the Democrats and from the Republicans. He has been accused of giving rein to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Helsinki at the expense of US interests. According to Johansson, the threatening "tweet" addressed to Iran is, first of all, a distracting maneuver. "But Iran is also under pressure. Due to the people's dissatisfaction with the economic situation in the country and the prospect of tough economic sanctions from the US after Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, Iran's divided political and religious elites are trying to close ranks, using verbal threats," the expert believes. At the same time, according to the analyst, neither the US nor Iran is really interested in the war of words becoming a real war. For the US, a full military confrontation with Iran will be much more costly than the US wars against Iraq in 1991 and 2003. Such a war will require political and military resources to the detriment of Washington's security interests in relations with Russia and North Korea. In the case of a massive strike by the US military, Iran also has no chance to resist in military terms - ultimately, Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, unlike the US. Both sides, the US and Iran,know that further escalation threatens to lose control over the situation. "The factor of unpredictability of players is growing in the current war of words, and we cannot exclude the possibility of one side's miscalculation with regard to the opposing side's plans. However, it still just doesn't feel like the US or Iran are planning concrete steps that would lead to a real war," the expert believes. Analyst Adnan Tabatabai, an expert on Iran at the Bonn Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO), expressed a similar view: "On the one hand, President Donald Trump is under pressure because of his ambiguous statements during the NATO summit and the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moreover, the FBI investigation against the US president is still underway. Trump is to distract the public from it with his tough rhetoric on the external front - Iran is the hardest hit. In addition, Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both have huge anti-Iranian enthusiasm, and such outbursts will be regularly observed in the future. The violation and, ultimately, withdrawal from the nuclear deal by the US only strengthened anti-American stereotypes in Iran. In addition, Iran's ruling elite believes that US threats should be responded with even tougher rhetoric. Such rhetoric unites internal political forces during severe crises that will have to be overcome by the country." "If the escalation in Syria had such horrific consequences, then try to imagine consequences of the war in Iran. I do not see any indication that anyone in Tehran would like it to happen. Donald Trump is also not famous for being a supporter of inciting wars. As for John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, however, I would not be so sure," Adnan Tabatabai noted. Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy believes that Donald Trump's cabinet is considering its confrontational course against Iran as an opportunity to weaken the Iranian government by bringing Iran's economy and currency down. In turn, Knights noted that the Iranian regime is also trying to isolate Trump's government in the international arena and gain public support. Tehran is trying to form alliances with Russia and China, which would protect Iran from economic and military pressure. "Iran, with the help of its special services, is also trying to put pressure on the West - for example, with the help of cyber attacks on Saudi energy facilities, threats of blocking the important oil route - the Strait of Hormuz - and attacks on Israeli and US military in the region with the help of allied military formations," the American expert emphasized. The expert of the German Association of Foreign Policy (DGAP), Josef Braml, believes that the military scenario is real. "After the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, we may soon expect consequences. If Trump and his security advisers, including hardliners like John Bolton, come to the conclusion that Iran is making an atomic bomb, they will react quickly and carry out preventive strikes against Iran. Thus, Trump and his advisers not just want to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons and its ambitions as a regional power, but also to cross out China's geopolitical plans. Military strikes against Iran will cause instability in a region, which is located very far from the United States. The war will complicate the life of the US competitor - China. It is not able to get the raw materials he needs from this region quickly. Thus, China will become more dependent on Russian oil and gas, which Russia will be able to sell at higher prices, taking into account the instability in the Middle East. For this reason, Russia, with the exception of verbal protests, is unlikely to seriously oppose the actions of the United States. Moscow ruling circles urgently need higher prices for energy raw materials in order to stabilize the economy, which is dependent on oil and gas exports, and thus the political system," Josef Braml told the German media. "The price effect prompted by military strikes on Iran would also be welcomed by the US producers of shale gas, whose fate is currently under threat due to high production costs and credit burden. A significant increase in oil prices, on the one hand, will lie heavy on US energy consumers. On the other hand, they will save the US energy industry from bankruptcy, and the US financial and economic system - from direct large-scale consequences. The current US president is also interested in military action against Iran for domestic political reasons - due to the Congress midterm elections in November. In the case of targeted attacks on Iran, he can count on the effect of "bringing together" the electorate around the country's leader against the background of military operations. An alternative scenario would be much more dangerous for Trump: as a rule, American presidents lose the first interim elections. If the Democrats manage to regain control of both houses of Congress passes, and the Mueller investigation finds compromising material on Trump, it would put Trump on the path to impeachment," the expert of the German Association of Foreign Policy concluded. By Niall Murray Guidance counsellors are the best people in schools to assist students with mental health issues, their representative organisation has said. The Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) has welcomed the recent publication of a wellbeing policy for schools by Education Minister Richard Bruton. It sets out how schools can support students, but also how schools themselves will be supported through training for staff, an improved curriculum for the junior cycle wellbeing programme, and better resources for the teaching of relationship and sexuality education. While it deals largely with broad supports for the entire student population, practices are also encouraged to assist young people who have challenges and may need individual support. This includes the possibility of allocating a particular staff member to act as their one good adult, a role for a teacher or someone else who can guide a young person through a difficult time. While the IGC welcomes the principle of the policy document, there is a caveat that their members are the ones qualified and best equipped in situations when students present with mental health issues or in crisis. IGC president Beatrice Dooley said there is a strong collegial nature to how guidance counsellors work with management and teaching colleagues in this context, particularly through care team structures in place since 2014. During weekly care team meetings, students are most often referred to us for one-to-one dialogue when school management, year heads, and teachers flag to us students who are manifesting possible mental health challenges, she said. As the first point of contact for students experiencing difficulties in schools, Ms Dooley said it is reaffirming to see a focus on improved guidance counselling provision mentioned as an area where resources will be provided over the policys lifetime up to 2023. Minister Bruton Launches Wellbeing Policy for Schools https://t.co/tfYCDVJvGi Department of Education (@Education_Ire) July 20, 2018 The Department of Education is already committed to a phased reinstatement of guidance counselling hours that were lost in second-level schools as a result of education cutbacks during the recession. Ms Dooley said guidance counsellors have a unique role delivering personal, educational, and vocational guidance, including professional supervision of counselling work with students who have mental health challenges. Our colleagues are mindful that their interactions with such students do not drift into well-meaning counselling territory for which they have no training or professional supervision, she said. The department policy outlines how schools demonstrating best practice will have strong policies and actions to ensure a sense of belonging and safety for students, that student voices are heard, and that systems are in place to direct students experiencing challenges to external services when required. Schools will also be expected to evaluate themselves regularly to assess how wellbeing is being promoted and to identify areas for improvement. Training will be provided for schools to implement the self-evaluation of wellbeing promotion and to set and map out targets. The supports will be provided through a national professional development programme from next year. By Ellie O'Byrne Artistic director Mike Leahy tells Ellie OByrne how the south easts annual street art festival had its origins in a DIY ethos that sprang from the recession of the 1980s. There's a buzz in the air at Spraoi HQ, and its not only because the theme for this years closing parade for their annual street art festival is Bugs. With the countdown on to the August Bank Holiday weekend, Spraois artistic director Mike Leahy is a very busy bee indeed: one minute hes offering words of encouragement to volunteers who are meticulously painting a flotilla of plate-sized ladybirds, while the next hes issuing instructions to staff members who are perched on ladders, putting the finishing touches on the large floats, which include a towering praying mantis and a vast and ominous boot. Were having a ladybird band section, theres choirs, theres wasps, theres grasshoppers, Leahy says, as he gives a quick tour around the workshops and costume department. All the floats have strong individual stories, but if you delve deeper, there are nice little messages hidden in the stories too. Spraoi celebrated 25 years of their annual Waterford street arts festival last year, and theres no denying the cultural institution they have become in the Deise. As they move into their second quarter century, the August bank holiday weekend is known as the Spraoi Weekend in Waterford, and over 100,000 people attend the free outdoor events. The festival is comprised of three days of street theatre from Irish and international acts, as well as a free pub music trail and outdoor stages and SprOg, a programme of childrens events. It all goes out with a bang as 200 local performers take part in the night-time Spraoi parade, culminating with a fireworks display on the quayside. Its a huge homegrown production, with a budget of 300,000: up to 40 makers, costume designers and set-builders work on the annual production, a combination of Spraois staff team and volunteers. Im incredibly proud that weve assembled such a creative team out of the city and that we can mount this scale of a festival with the people around us, Leahy says. We could go to an events management company in Dublin, but we do it all ourselves, and theres a sense of ownership over it as a result. Spraois ethos was developed on an arts-for-all basis and the entire festival remains free to this day. Leahy says bringing the festival to the streets has seen audiences who may never walk into a theatre or a gallery be challenged and entertained. We didnt mention the word art for the first few years because we didnt want to scare people, he says. But it was a big part of the ethos, to reclaim the public space for something other than cars and going between Penneys and Shaws. Theres an economic barrier to walking into a theatre to see a play; there just is. But we bring it to people. Reaching out to other European cities with a strong culture of street theatre to bring in visiting acts is a large part of what Spraoi does well. But the parade is the huge, flamboyant centre-piece. The first time we see the whole thing together with lights and sound will be on the night, Leahy says. You cant do a full dress-rehearsal, so we do it by sections and cross our fingers and work to get the pacing and music right. And then, youll never see it again. A blow-in, Leahy is originally from Cashel and arrived in Waterford on an archaeological dig in the late 1980s. Eventually joining the dole queue, he says it was in the pubs, where young, bored creative people were hanging around, that Spraoi was born. The festival hes helped to create is a far cry from its inception in the early 90s, when a handful of makers, musicians and performers started staging a pop-up street performance on the bank holiday weekend. For Leahy, as for many, its been a question of learning on the job. Had we been starting now we would have disappeared within a couple of years, he says. Everything we did would have been up on Facebook and Youtube and the floats were shite, really pretty ropey. But luckily theres no record of it. We thought it was great, but wed nothing to compare it to. Spraoi director TV Honan is another co-founder, who was already well-known in the performing arts in Waterford for having been a founder of Red Kettle Theatre Company. Waterford had an underdeveloped arts scene in the eighties and nineties and was in the grips of a grim period of recession when Spraoi was formed, Honan says. Hatch 4, Wednesday, 2.15pm: that was my slot in the dole office. I think Mikes was on Friday. The queues out of the dole office stretched down the street. But with nothing to lose, all sorts of people started to gather under the Spraoi flag that you never would have gotten if they had been in employment. There were guitarists and drummers, there were makers. There were sculptors; they just didnt know they were yet. Founded in part because there were no arts events on in Waterford on the bank holiday weekend, for the first time this year Spraoi finds itself with a large-scale competitor in the county: All Together Now, a three-day music festival in Portlaw, is just 20km from Waterford city. With crowd-pleasing headliners like Fleet Foxes, Underworld and Roisin Murphy, its unclear as yet what impact All Together Now will have on Spraois audiences, or vice versa. Video by Ellie O'Byrne Honan shrugs and smiles. What impact it will have in terms of local audience remains to be seen, but all we can do is roll up our sleeves and get on with it, he says. Theirs is a destination-type event so were unlikely to share an audience. They were very good, and they came to us in the planning stages and were supplying them with decorative stuff for the site. What ambitions does Honan have for Spraois second quarter century? Spraoi could do anything it set its mind to, but Id like to see us foster more Irish acts, he says. To this end, the festivals NEST (New Emerging Street Talent) programme takes applications from Irish performers with shows in development and provides resources and mentorship to get their act street-ready. Two out of three of last years NEST acts are now performing at European festivals. Thats everything Spraoi is about, Honan says. Finding worthwhile and meaningful young talent and giving them a little leg up. I know it sounds idealistic, but this is the truth: Spraoi is the grand experiment of cultural togetherness, of how a community has found a way to express itself as a collective for three days a year. Spraoi International Street Arts Festival takes place in Waterford City, August the 3rd-5th. Info and programme: www.spraoi.com HIV preventative care is a huge issue for activists. Gilead Sciences in Cork manufactures the drug Truveda Caomhan Keane meets the head of commercial operations. There are few drugs, since Viagra, that have captured the global imagination more than Truvada, the most common tablet taken for pre exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) which can significantly reduce risk of infection among HIV-negative people at high risk. The most pressing issue for gay rights activists since the passing of Marriage Equality, the fight to attain accessible HIV preventative care has been the dominant topic of conversation on social media, at public meetings and even on lampposts, where PrEP NOW stickers were spotted around Dublin landmarks, as HIV activist group ACT UP demanded that the drugs manufacturer drop its patent to allow fair access to this revolutionary medication. That manufacturer is Gilead Sciences who next year will mark their 20th year in Cork where it recently opened a 9.5 million quality control lab at its Carrigtwohill site in the hopes of improving its production levels for the European, Middle East and Asian markets. 21 of the 25 products made by Gilead- a quarter of their global output, are produced here in Cork, an operation that costs the company 100 million each year. The product we would shift takes in only a fraction of that, so Gilead is a big investor into the Irish economy, says Killian MacDonald, Gileads head of commercial operations in this country. Weve met to discuss the companys sponsorship of Cork Pride which he hopes signifies the relationship between the community and the corporation. The areas of medicine we work in, HIV and Hepatitis C, affects LGBT disproportionately. We have been working with LGBT groups for years on risk prevention and education programs, such as the My HIV, My Rules website, which helps prepare people with HIV for their life long journey with the virus, or the HIV is just a part of me campaign which highlights the health issues that can affect them as they get older. Lots of long-term patients might have been dealing with side effects associated with older medications, which might impact on their quality of life. There are lots of patients who are on the older drugs some of which might be associated with have cardiovascular, kidney, or bone risks. So we need to insure that people with HIV are aware of this, are speaking to clinicians, and being assessed for those risks. Gilead have taken several pages out in the Pride Guide to highlight these issues. We see Pride as an inclusive phenomenon. It fits with our business. It fits with our culture. If any company shows support, we should be one of them. But with a new HIV diagnosis in Ireland every 18 hours, ACT UP claim that Gilead are profiting off of HIV by using its patent on PrEP to block cheaper versions currently available in the Irish market. According to ACT UP generic PrEP costs around one fifth of the price of Truvada, which they say costs an inaccessible 400. By combining multiple HIV treatments in one tablet, Gilead created a paradigm shift, where patients went from taking multiple tablets a day, to just one, says MacDonald. Were happy to spend huge amounts of money to develop drugs to make things better for those living with HIV and we continue to invest in trying to find a cure. But to do that, you have to make sure you get a return on your investment, and you have a tight time period in which to do that. That period is while you have intellectual copyright protection. Threaten that and you threaten access to new drugs in the future. However, speaking to the American publication Slate, Act Up pointed out that, during Gileads initial application for FDA approval, they cited three studies heavily funded by federal agencies, and that public and philanthropic investment in PrEP research and development in the past 10 years vastly exceeded commercial entities. To date Gilead has generated $14 billion in revenue from Truvada. PreP costs as much as the rent of a single room in Cork to purchase per month and Ireland has a diagnosis rate double the average EU rate. Theres a lot of passion and I understand that. But I regret they have conflated two issues. A company defending its intellectual copyright-which it believes is the only way to have innovation in the future, is separate to making sure that any person at risk gets access to our drug, or a version of it, in a safe and affordable way. The sooner you have a diagnosis, the better outcome you will have for your health, - Dr. Lorenzo Badia, Infectious Diseases and #HIV Consultant, University Hospital of Bologna, discusses the importance of an early #HIV diagnosis. #AIDS2018 pic.twitter.com/n3wkp601z1 Gilead Sciences (@GileadSciences) July 28, 2018 Gilead recently lost two separate battles, both in the Irish High Court and the European Court of Justice, relating to the sale of generics. Today they are back in the High Court again to set a date for another trial. ACT UP say, if successful, this could jeopardise the PrEP programme role out for January 2019 promised by Minister Simon Harris as Gilead have declined to partake in a Health Technology Assessment for Truvada. After they submitted their rapid review to The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics/HSE in 2017, Gilead were asked to submit for a Health Technology Assessment, which asked for more information. We werent sure if there was any more information we could provide than what was in the rapid review, which contained the same information we gave to countries like Scotland where they were able to make a decision. We would rather have negotiated with the HSE now, rather than go through the HTA and then have to negotiate terms anyway, which would have included a discussion on price. Im not saying we would have come to an agreement in those negotiations, but we were willing to at least have them. The HSE werent. Asked for comment the HSE said: HIV PrEP requires a pharmacoeconomic evaluation to inform policy around implementation. In the absence of a submission from individual companies, the HSE asked HIQA to carry out a health technology assessment (HTA) of HIV PrEP. The board of HIQA recently approved prioritisation of a HTA of HIV PrEP and work will commence shortly. MacDonald is keen to impress the companys sponsorship has nothing to do with improving its image. I would hate anyone to suggest we were supporting Cork Pride just to improve our reputation on these other issues. The local employees in the Cork manufacturing site wanted their workplace to show its support for Pride. MacDonald does respect the work that ACT UP has been doing, since it has raised awareness of issues - even if he does find the heckling of his employer hard to take. We delivered them those treatments in the first place and will deliver better treatments. I would love to sit down to have a calm conversation with them, if I would get a fair hearing. But were often not included because people think we are big bad pharma. https://myhivmyrules.co.uk/ www.getPrEP.online www.gilead.com The juxtaposition of Oliver Cromwell and Tommy Tiernan can only boggle the overwhelmed mind. On visiting the superbly attractive Inishbofin in Co. Galway the brain cant help but conjure these two polar opposites of humanity, writes Dan MacCarthy. One a puritan cut-throat, the other a zany comedian. Whatever else he was, Cromwell was no zany comedian. In the Puritan invasion of Ireland in the mid-17th century Inishbofin was one of the last places to hold out. When the island eventually fell, Cromwells forces took over the fort of a Spanish pirate, Don Bosco, and adapted it into a star-shaped fort to subdue any resistance and control the surrounding seas. The fort can still be seen today, its walls right on the edge of the precipice guarding this superb deep water harbour. Bosco had had a dalliance with the pirate queen Grace OMalley who occasionally used his fort. A chain across the throat of the harbour to capture enemy vessels may have been put in place by either pirate. Either way, it was a dastardly ambush on unsuspecting seafarers. The Cromwellites used the island as a staging post to expel Catholic priests to the West Indies after a parliamentary act discriminated against them. Tiernans connection to the island came about when he performed a gig here a few years back as part of his tour of islands on the western seaboard. And him probably not a zealous puritan. The fort is an eerie place at odds with the vivacity and energy of the harbour which in the summer at least is busy with fishing boats, passenger ferries, RIBs and the hustle and bustle normally associated with towns. Inishbofin is one of two islands so named in Ireland (not that there are others elsewhere) the other is a beautiful scimitar of an island just off Magheroarty Beach in Co Donegal which is minute in comparison. The Co Galway Island, the Island of the White Cow, with upwards of 3,000 acres is roughly the same size as Rathlin in Co. Antrim or the nearby Co Mayo island of Clare. It is 5.5km long and 3km wide and about 8km from the village of Cleggan in Connemara. The population peaked at around 1,400 in 1841 while nowadays stands at about 200 still lots of people to create a vibrant community. Inishbofin is a neighbour of the now-deserted Inishark a couple of kilometres away. The islanders were closely linked before the latter island was deserted in 1960. It stands as a reminder of what can happen to islands if circumstances erode the possibility of life on an island. Inishbofin has enough of a population to offset such headwinds. And how times change the island now has its own airstrip and even a helipad. It has several other satellite islands including Davillaun and Inishlyon to which it is possible to walk at low tide. Inishbofin has a lively arts scene and is running a movie club this summer. However, the jewel in its crown is its annual music festival which has just begun in The Dolphin Hotel on the island. Weekly concerts feature Lisa ONeill, The Frank and Walters and others are scheduled. Boatloads of music fans can be expected to beat a path to the Dolphin Hotel. As an escape from city life this island can have few equals. It has beautiful sandy beaches, enticing walks, scuba diving, angling, birdwatching, an equestrian centre, boat tours, childrens ecotourism and even an open farm. The island is a special area of conservation largely due to the habitat of the corncrake whose croaky call can sometimes be heard. Another image to counter the dreadful Oliver is from a few of years ago when the dreadlocked Northern Irish vaudeville punkster Duke Special thrashed the floor of the hotel bar with his didgeridoo doo-like instrument at his gig while belting out You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine while leading a bunch of ecstatic holidaying children on a merry dance. Asia Cambodia Hits Back at Criticism of 'Flawed' Election as Hun Sen Retains Power Cambodia's Prime Minister and President of the Cambodian People's Party, Hun Sen, prepares to cast his vote at a polling station during a general election in Takhmao, Kandal Province, Cambodia, on Sunday. / Reuters PHNOM PENH Cambodia woke to another chapter of rule by strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday, a day after his Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) declared victory in a general election that rights groups said was neither free nor fair. The White House said it would consider steps, including an expansion of visa restrictions placed on some Cambodian government members, in response to flawed elections in which there was no significant challenger to Hun Sen. CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said on Sunday the party won an estimated 100 out of 125 parliamentary seats. DAP news, a pro-government website, said later the CPP had won 114 seats. Two other parties, the royalist Funcinpec and the League for Democracy Party, won five and six seats respectively. More than 82 percent of those registered to vote cast a ballot, according to the National Election Commission. Turnout was 90 percent in the 2017 local election and 69.61 percent in the previous general election in 2013. Critics say the election was a backward step for democracy in Cambodia following the dissolution last year of the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and the jailing of its leader, Kem Sokha, on treason charges. Former CNRP president Sam Rainsy, who lives in exile, said the election was a hollow victory for Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander who has ruled Cambodia for nearly 33 years. The United States has imposed visa curbs on some Cambodian government members over a crackdown on critics and levied sanctions in June on a high-ranking official close to Hun Sen. The European Union has threatened Cambodia with economic sanctions. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Sundays vote failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people. The flawed elections, which excluded the countrys principal opposition party, represents the most significant setback yet to the democratic system enshrined in Cambodias Constitution, Sanders said, adding that the election campaign was marred by threats from national and local leaders. The United States will consider additional steps to respond to the elections and other recent setbacks to democracy and human rights in Cambodia, including a significant expansion of the visa restrictions announced on December 6, 2017, she said. Government spokesman Phay Siphan said the White House statement was an attempt to intimidate Cambodia. This is against the Cambodians who went to vote to decide their own fate, Phay Siphan told Reuters. Help the people Newspaper headlines in Cambodia on Monday greeted Hun Sens victory. CPP Dominates Election: Unofficial results show ruling party will increase its majority in the National Assembly, said the pro-government Khmer Times newspaper. Some independent media were targeted by Hun Sen and his allies in a pre-election crackdown. Many polling stations in the center of the capital, Phnom Penh, appeared quiet on Sunday. Polling stations Reuters visited in the city were less than bustling and some voters said they voted because not doing so would land them in trouble. The opposition CNRP had called on voters to boycott the election, but authorities warned anyone doing so would be seen as a traitor. At the Kapkor Market in Phnom Penh, Meas Sinuon, 60, said she was pleased with Sundays result. This government has done good things already, she said as she shopped for groceries. But I want the new government to do more to help the people. Another voter, a Phnom Penh tuk-tuk driver, described the result as same same. Hun Sen again, said the man, who declined to be named because he feared for his safety. Unofficial election results are expected in mid-August, with official results due in September. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan are expected to hold a meeting in September to discuss the Karabakh issue. The previous meeting of the foreign ministers was held on July 11 in Brussels with the mediation of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States). Political scientist and expert on the Caucasus Andrei Yepifantsev told Vestnik Kavkaza whether we should expect changes in the parties' positions after the recent Russian-US summit and the NATO summit. - Which South Caucasian country - Azerbaijan or Armenia - will benefit from the Brussels meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the highest level and the Helsinki summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump? - None of the countries will get visible bonuses or political advantages. The NATO summit maintained a policy of double standards, and it results in deadlock in which the Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved. The participants of the Brussels summit supported the territorial integrity of the South Caucasian countries. It's good for Baku, as the integrity implies the presence of Karabakh within Azerbaijani borders. However, there was a phrase in the final communique of the summit that it is possible to resolve the conflict only by peaceful means. That is, practically, it is a preservation of the status quo. Baku emphasizes that the NATO countries have recognized the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, while Yerevan emphasizes that the conflict can be solved only peacefully, as well as that there is a democracy in Azerbaijan, unlike in Armenia. But if you remove all propaganda dross, in reality, none of the sides has benefited from the NATO summit. If we recall Putin's meeting with Trump, the Russian president spoke of a referendum in Donbas, but it has no direct relationship to any South Caucasian country. If a referendum is held on the issue of who should get Karabakh, then the problem comes down to who will vote exactly. I would advise both Armenia and Azerbaijan to pay attention to how Putin and Trump behaved at the summit. The first one was more sure of himself, more active, and the second one was silent, even on issues requiring his active intervention. This suggests that, if a compromise found, the leaders of superpowers may blench in a certain sense or meet the needs of each other on regional conflicts. If Washington's relations with Tehran become even more tense, Azerbaijan may represent a certain asset for NATO and the United States. At the same time, the aggravation of the US-Iranian conflict represents a serious threat for Armenia, because contacts with Tehran are extremely important for Yerevan. Armenia must seek to avoid being drawn into this conflict. One way or another, both the NATO summit and the Russian-US summit didn't changed the situation, didn't give clear advantages to any side, but outlined the dangers that Azerbaijan and Armenia might face in the future, based on the current situation. - Trump continues to support Azerbaijan, taking into account this country's oil reserves, the development of energy projects and the confrontation with Iran. Is the US interested in Armenia? - Not at all, and we see it. The US is reducing the level of economic relations even with Europe. But now we see that Yerevan is on very thin ice, tacking between the EU, NATO, the US on the one hand, and Russia on the other. Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan started this game, but he is not great at it yet. If Armenia says that they have an anti-Russian outpost in Transcaucasia, then, probably, the attitude would be different, however, the losses for Yerevan would be great. - At the summit in Brussels, the Armenian Defense Minister met with the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, while the Azerbaijani Minister of Defense - with the US Secretary of Defense. What does the different level of the meetings mean? - I would not try to catch the nuances here and base some kind of long-term policy on this. The main thing is that the meetings were held. The outcome of meetings is judged by documents, and the documents say nothing, except for the usual statement that the situation will remain unchanged. - What is the chance that the process of Nagorno-Karabakh peaceful settlement will be accelerated, if the relations between Russia and the US are improved? - The problem is not just that the US relations with Russia are not very good. There are many other players. There is the OSCE Minsk Group, its members' interest are different. It seems to me that the question is not quite correctly formulated. If Russia's relations with the United States are improved, it will not fundamentally affect the resolution of the Karabakh conflict. The conditions must be radically changed in order to resolve it. Now the situation is balanced and not expected to be changed. Burma Gov't Names Members of Rakhine Investigation Commission A camp for displaced Rohingya along Myanmars border with Bangladesh near the town of Taungpyo Let Wei in northern Rakhine State. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy YANGON The government on Monday announced the formation of a four-member commission to investigate allegations of human rights violations in Rakhine State following attacks on police posts there by the militant Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in late August. The Presidents Office announced that it would form an independent commission of enquiry in May, after months of pressure from international rights groups to allow an impartial investigation of allegations of arson, rape and murder by the Myanmar military in Rakhine following the ARSA attacks. On Monday, the office announced that the commission had been formed and comprised two local and two international members. The commission is to be led by Rosario Manalo, a former deputy foreign minister of the Philippines. She is also a former chair and a current representative of the Philippines to the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. The commission also includes Kenzo Oshima, a former permanent representative to the UN for Japan. The two local members are U Mya Thein, a former chair of Myanmars Constitutional Tribunal, and a former senior official at UNICEF, U Aung Tun Thet, who is now chief coordinator of the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettle and Development in Rakhine, which was formed in October, one month after the ARSA attacks. A statement from the Presidents Office on Monday said the commission was part of the governments national initiative to address reconciliation, peace, stability and development in Rakhine. A UN Security Council delegation visited Myanmar earlier this year and called for a transparent investigation into accusations of violence against Rohingya Muslims, warning that a failure to do so could lead to military officials being referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. In June, Myanmars main opposition and former ruling party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, submitted an urgent proposal to the Lower House of Parliament imploring the government to exclude foreigners from the investigation commission. The proposal was followed by a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council which includes the president, state counselor, army chief and other senior officials in Naypyitaw to discuss the governments signing of a memorandum of understanding with UN agencies on the return of refugees from Bangladesh, the formation of an investigation commission, the latest Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore, and border security problems, according to the Presidents Office. Burma Monsoon Flooding Forces Thousands to Evacuate Homes in Myanmar Heavy downpours in recent days have caused severe flooding in Bago Region, where thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy YANGON Some 50,000 people in Myanmar evacuated their homes after days of heavy monsoon rains left villages inundated and swept away bridges, while authorities scrambled to deliver aid to the affected regions, authorities and media said on Sunday. President U Win Myint visited Bago Region in central Myanmar to meet displaced residents on Saturday and urged local officials to step up the provision of temporary shelters and aid. An estimated 100,000 people may be affected by the floods. Parts of Myanmar flood annually at the peak of the monsoon season, causing frequent landslides and widespread damage to farmland and infrastructure in the Southeast Asian nation. The country saw the worst monsoon flooding in a decade in 2015 when around 100 people reportedly died and over 330,000 were displaced. The National Natural Disaster Management Committee on Sunday warned residents living near rivers and in low-lying areas to immediately leave their homes as the water levelhas exceeded the danger level, according to state media on Sunday. Torrential downpours washed away a section of a 60-meter concrete bridge in the northern Shan State, while rice paddies and roads in the central Kayin State suffered extensive damage, state media reported. The western state of Rakhine also saw heavy rainfall submerge some roads. Aerial images shared on social media showed muddy brown water covering vast tracts of land. The Red Cross said on Twitter it was distributing hygiene, kitchen and shelter gear, posting photos of its volunteers getting people in flood-hit areas to safety in small boats. The United Nations said in a statement it was following developments with great concern. The UN in Myanmar is mobilizing its partners, resources and capacity and is offering to provide support to the ongoing assistance delivered to the victims of the floods by the government of Myanmar, said Knut Ostby, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator. Burma Naga Armed Group Says Myanmar Military Won't Let Ailing Chairman Travel NSCN-K negotiators pose for photos after a meeting with the Myanmar governments Peace Commission in Yangon on Dec. 23. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy YANGON/Mon State A senior leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) says the Myanmar military has refused to let the ethnic armed groups chairman leave the Hukwang Valley in Sagaing Region. The group says Chairman Khango Konyak is sick and wants to leave the valley for higher elevation. He does not want to stay in the hot area because he is sick, so he wants to move to a higher area where its cold, Eno Angang, an NSCN-K central committee member, told The Irrawaddy on Monday. But he said the Myanmar militarys regional commander in Sagaing has told the chairman several times since last month to stay in the valley. Sources close to the armed group say the chairman often goes into hiding for his safety and that NSCN-K leaders believe the military wants to keep him in the valley to better monitor his movements. The NSCN-K signed a ceasefire agreement with the Sagaing Region government in 2012. It has not signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the central government but attended the third session of the Union Peace Conference earlier this month as an observer. On Sunday, Indian news agency Firstpost reported that tensions between the NSCN-Ks fighters and the Myanmar military were currently high in the Hukwang Valley, where the rebels recently withdrew from an outpost under military pressure. The NSCN-K is based along Myanmars border with India and wants peace talks with Naypyitaw to cover ethnic Naga living on both sides. A splinter group, the NSCN-M, has been holding separate peace talks with Delhi. Naga living in Myanmar and India are known locally as eastern Naga and western Naga, respectively. They are one of six ethnic groups granted self-administered areas under the Constitution and have representatives in Myanmars local parliaments. Burma President Pushes for Speedy Trials, Govt Reform President U Win Myint (center) greets government officials after a meeting on Sunday in Yangon. / Phyo Min Thein / Facebook YANGON President U Win Myint warned local authorities in Yangon and Bago regions this weekend not to drag out high-profile legal cases or verbally commit to any projects the union government has yet to approve. In a meeting on Sunday with Yangon Region administrative, legislative and judicial officials aimed at speeding up government reform efforts, the president urged his audience to support the rule of law and to avoid bias and corruption. The president also stressed the importance of having the courts issue timely rulings in high-profile legal cases, according to lawmakers at the meeting. Among the high-profile cases in Yangon is the murder trial of the men accused of assassinating National League for Democracy legal adviser U Ko Ni; the trial has been going on for more than a year, and the key suspect is still at large. In a separate cases, two detained Reuters reporters were recently charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act after some six months of hearings; their trial has only just begun. Lawmaker U Kyaw Zeya said Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein also briefed the president on the controversial New Yangon City Project. The president did not object, he said, but he told the chief minister to make sure that existing new [parts of Yangon] are completed with urban facilities fit for human settlement. U Phyo Min Thein has come under fire for his determination to press ahead with New Yangon City, which he claims will generate 2 million jobs. Some urban planners say the massive project is unrealistic, noting that many newer parts of Yangon still lack basic infrastructure. U Win Myint also met with government officials in Bago Region on Saturday and warned them not to verbally commit to projects the union government has yet to officially approve, such as the planned Hanthawaddy International Airport. The union government has since March been in negotiations with Japan to finance the airport which would lie 80 km north of Yangon after talks with a Singapore-led consortium fell apart in January. Video of Saturdays meeting was posted online and shows the president looking annoyed when informed that compensation for land confiscated in the airport project area would be distributed soon. Let me ask you: Has the union government decided that it would be implemented? We havent decided yet. Its a union government decision. Please dont verbally commit, he said. U Win Myint said that if regional governments verbally commit to something the union government has not yet approved, the public will get the wrong impression. And then protests will erupt. Debates in Parliament will follow. The government will have to make it right, and our reform program will get nowhere as we spend time on issues like this. So please dont do it, he said. Burma Thousands affected as Sittaung and Bago Rivers Rise to Record Levels -- YangonThe Sittaung and Bago rivers in Bago Region have swelled to their highest levels in more than five decades, according to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology. The Sittaung River has risen to a record high of 1,270 cm in Bagos Nyaunglebin Township, its highest level in 53 years. Meanwhile, the water level of the Bago River reached 968 cm on Sunday, its highest level in 54 years. Water levels have risen because it rained heavily in Mon, Karen and Rakhine states for several days continuously, said U Kyaw Moe Oo, director-general of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology. Around 9,000 local residents have been dislocated by the floods and four relief camps have been opened in Madauk, U Nyi Nyi Htwe, a Nyaunglebin Township lawmaker in Bagos regional parliament, told The Irrawaddy. Weve warned locals [about floods], and asked them to pack up their belongings and important documents. Weve also opened relief camps for pregnant women and children, said U Nyi Nyi Htwe. Madauk has experienced flooding since July 24. The water level of the Sittaung River has reached around six inches and nearly seven feet above the danger levels in Toungoo and Madauk respectively. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology estimates that the river is likely to rise a further 1.6 feet in Madauk and another foot in Toungoo by Tuesday. The water level of the Shwekyin River is now six feet above its danger level and is expected to increase by a further 2 feet by Tuesday. The water level of the Bago River in Bago has also reached around three feet above its danger level. The Thanlwin (Salween) River has risen by around 5.6 feet above its danger level in Karen States Hpa-an. The water level of the Bilin River has reached around 2.6 feet above its danger level in Bilin Township. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology has advised local residents living near riverbanks and in low-lying areas in Hpa-an, Bago, Shwegyin, Madauk to move to safer places. Over 400 rail passengers were stranded through Sunday as heavy rains submerged railroads from Yangon to Mandalay, Mawlamyine and Bago, Myanma Railways (MR) said. They were stranded as of Friday, U Kyaw Kyaw Myo, general manager of MR, told The Irrawaddy. The MR will suspend its train services between Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyitaw until further notice, he said. It has also cancelled trains between Yangon and Mawlamyine after floods swept away around 100 feet of rail track in Mon State. Burma Work on Yangon Elevated Expressway to Begin Next Year, Says Minister Traffic congestion in downtown Yangon. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy NaypyitawConstruction of the Yangon Elevated Expressway project will begin next year and should be completed within three years, Deputy Construction Minister U Kyaw Lin said on Monday. The deputy minister made the comment in response to a question from lawmaker U Nay Myo Htet about the ministrys plan to build an inner ring-road in Yangon to ease the citys traffic woes. Fifty-three companies from 12 countries including Myanmar have expressed interest in the project. The ministry will invite requests for proposals in December and the later select the tender winner. We will start inner-ring-road construction in 2019. We wont fund its construction. The tender winner has to build it on its own, U Kyaw Lin told the Lower House. Then, it can collect road tolls from users, he added. Though the Construction Ministry said it would not use state funds to build the elevated road, it is likely it will have to take out international loans to fulfill its obligations to the project as it is a public-private partnership, said Lower House lawmaker U Aung Hline Win of Mingalardon Township. Usually, an elevated expressway costs around US$10 million, or around 14 billion kyats, per mile. It is such a huge amount, and it is not easy, said U Aung Hline Win. The Ministry of Construction inked a financial advisory services agreement (FASA) with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for the project in Napyitaw in January. The IFC, a sister organization of the World Bank, said that as part of the transaction, it would undertake due diligence and draft an internationally competitive tender to choose a qualified, experienced private sector developer for the project. A total of 16 local firms, 13 companies from China, seven from Japan, four from South Korea, two from Thailand, three from India, two from Turkey, one each from Vietnam, France, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, and a Malaysia-Myanmar joint venture have expressed interest in the project. When complete, the 47.5 kilometer-long elevated expressway will connect downtown Yangon, Yangon Port, Yangon International Airport, Mingalardon Industrial Zone and Yangon-Mandalay Highway. Ankara will continue supplying Iranian gas to Turkey despite Washington's intentions to reintroduce sanctions against Tehran, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. "They imposed sanctions to Iran. What happened? Did Iran collapse? When [former U.S. President Barack] Obama told us back then, I said 'I am sorry, but we are purchasing natural gas from Iran. How else will I supply natural gas if I cannot buy it?'" President Erdogan stressed. "If the U.S. does not change this attitude they should not forget they will lose a sincere and strong partner like Turkey," Hurriyet Daily News cited him as saying. Security risks from third parties are on the rise. A 2017 study from Ponemon Institute found that 56 percent of respondents admitted to a security incident caused by a third party, an increase of 7 percent over 2016. This is a concern at any time, but with GDPR now in place, security of third-party vendors and consultants is more important than ever. Their security failure will end up costing your company money if it results in a breach of your data. So how do you approach third-party security in a GDPR world? The first step, according to Darron Gibbard, chief technical security officer EMEA at Qualys, quoted in a Helpnet Security article, is to create a tier of your vendors and other outsiders with access to your network. These tiers are based on the level and volume of data they have access to, determining which are the most critical. To do this, your risk team should send questionnaires to everyone who has any access to get an accurate understanding of exactly what information they can access, why, and how often. With this information in hand, you can then develop an accurate response plan, focused by those tiers you created. You may also be able to revamp the amount or type of access some of the lower tiered-companies have. Also, if you havent done so already, Larry Lunetta, VP of marketing for security solutions at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, reminds us that your GDPR preparations should also take into consideration your third-party vendors. For example, when establishing a dedicated Data Privacy Officer (DPO), that person will help the company meet GDPR requirements and should keep tabs on third-party practices and data systems as they affect your business. Lunetta added: To support the DPO with additional expertise on making decisions such as, We need X solution to address Y compliance/security requirement, its imperative for IT security teams to conduct regular self-assessments for uncovering gaps and determining options for remediating them. Lunetta added the following tips for ensuring that your third parties are staying in GDPR compliance: Address cybersecurity governance because while its one thing to invest in security solutions that help address personal data protection, its another to use them in a manner that is also GDPR-compliant. Access Policy Governance Having robust access controls isnt good enough to comply with GDPR. Instead, you also need a set of policies that can be defined, implemented and enforced around how your enterprise controls access to personal data. In addition to governance around individuals who can access personal data as a requirement of their job function, pay attention to privileged users, such as systems administrators, who can circumvent standard controls inside of an application or a database. Its imperative to identify these users, establish governance controls, and implement enforcement mechanisms through technology solutions such as network access control. Sue Marquette Poremba has been writing about network security since 2008. In addition to her coverage of security issues for IT Business Edge, her security articles have been published at various sites such as Forbes, Midsize Insider and Toms Guide. You can reach Sue via Twitter: @sueporemba One of Australias largest debt collection firms, ACM Group, has been slammed in the Federal Court for its harassment and coercion in pursuing debts from consumers who had defaulted on their Telstra phone bills. The two telco customers had defaulted on phone bills, and in each case the debts had been sold by Telstra to ACM. The Court found ACM guilty of contravening Australian Consumer Law and of engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct, harassment and coercion, and unconscionable conduct in its dealings with two vulnerable consumers when seeking to recover money. The alleged conduct occurred between 20112015 in relation to one consumer, a resident in a care facility, and in September 2014 in relation to the other consumer, a single parent with a limited income. ACM was heavily criticised by Commissioner Sarah Court of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission who said its conduct was particularly egregious as it included ongoing harassment of a care facility resident who had difficulty communicating after suffering multiple strokes. Court also criticised ACM for its conduct relating to a Centrelink recipient who was falsely told their credit would be affected for up to seven years if they failed to pay immediately. ACM was found to have made empty threats to litigate against both customers despite knowing they had no means, or only limited means, to repay, Court said. One of the ACCCs enduring enforcement priorities is taking action against conduct that impacts disadvantaged or vulnerable consumers. She said the ACCC and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission hade done extensive work to improve debt collection practices noting that lower-income groups suffer greater stress because of debt collection practices and have limited access to legal support, while creditors are using improper ways to escalate disputes. In his judgment, the Federal Courts Justice Griffiths rejected a number of explanations of why ACM had contacted one of the consumers 34 times and found that conduct amounted to undue harassment and coercion. And Justice Griffiths also found that the multiple telephone calls, coupled with the number and content of its correspondence, was calculated to intimidate or demoralise the consumer. ACM cannot justify its conduct on the basis that it required verification of information about [the] medical or financial circumstances when ACM itself did not take reasonable steps to contact people who may have been in a position to provide such verification, Justice Griffiths said when delivering his verdict. Global assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services company EY has partnered with fintech industry peak body FinTech Australia to launch their third annual census aimed at tracking the growth and the progress of Australias fintech ecosystem. The 2018 EY FinTech Australia Census is designed to gather intelligence on the changes in the Australian fintech ecosystem and demonstrate how regulatory and economic factors are affecting market growth. FinTech Australia chief executive Brad Kitschke said the census was an important piece of work to demonstrate year-on-year trend base data about the market. This year, we have seen regulatory decisions about open banking and open data, and comprehensive credit reporting, so it will be interesting to see what the impact of this has been, and how the industry is tracking, Kitschke said. The census is not just a report about the industry, but a necessary tool to help FinTech Australia as it advocates for policy outcomes that will continue to grow the sector. We encourage everyone in the fintech ecosystem to participate. EY FinTech adviser Meredith Angwin said Australia was a fintech leader in the Asia-Pacific region and the annual census provided an important opportunity to obtain an accurate snapshot of the local market. As the Australian fintech industry matures rapidly, having a clear picture of the sector is integral to helping ensure both the overall ecosystem and individual participants continue to succeed and thrive. According to Angwin, EYs continued investment in helping to document and support the growth of the fintech industry in Australia had already resulted in valuable insights and the company looked forward to what this next iteration of the census "would tell us about the key trends, challenges and opportunities facing the sector". Results of the survey will be announced at FinTech Australias Intersekt Conference in Melbourne, on 29 October, and every survey respondent will be given the opportunity to go into a prize draw to win tickets to the conference. The number of rejections of H-1B visas, particularly for Indians, has gone up markedly in the last quarter of the 2017 fiscal year in the US, according to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services collated by the National Foundation for American Policy, a policy-based research group based in Arlington, Virginia. There was also a rise in the number of requests for additional evidence to substantiate applications for this category of visa, which is used to bring in about 85,000 people a year to work in the country. Many of them are Indians who work in the technology industry. In the first quarter of FY2017, the rejection rate was 19.8% for H-1B visa applications and this was 17.3%, 15.9% and 22.4% in the next three quarters. As far as requests for evidence went, they stood at 17.3% in the first quarter, and were 13.5%, 22.5% in the next two quarters before rising sharply to 68.9% in the final quarter. For Indians, the request for evidence rate went from 18.2% in the first quarter to 13.8%, then 24.2% and finally 72.4% in the final quarter, while the rejection rate fell from 18.3% to 16.6% (second and third quarters) before rising to 23.6% in the last quarter. The data document how the Trump administration is limiting the admission of high-skilled foreign nationals, even though nearly every economist believes America would benefit from the entry of more foreign-born scientists and engineers,NFAP executive director Stuart Anderson, a former head of policy at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service under President George W. Bush. The NFAP pointed out that the rise of both denials and requests for evidence came shortly after President Donald Trump issued his Buy American and Hire American executive order on 18 April 2017. "The data indicate the new administration needed time to get in place its new political appointees considered by observers to be a whos who of opponents of all forms of immigration and to exert their will on USCIS career adjudicators, who were not considered favourably inclined in the first place toward businesses or high-skilled foreign nationals," the NFAP said. Even though approximately 80% of the full-time graduate students in key technical fields at US universities are international students its clear the current administration would prefer these individuals not be allowed to work in the US, said Anderson. Its fair to say there isnt a high-tech company in America that thinks that makes sense. Chart: courtesy NFAP The Indian arm of American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation PepsiCo has obtained a court order that mandates the takedown of a mass of online material that makes jokes about its Indian corn snack, Kurkure, alleging that it contains plastic. Indian digital and telecommunications news site MediaNama reported that it had gotten hold of a copy of a Delhi High Court interim order obtained by PepsiCo India, mandating the deletion of posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. The site said the order covered 3412 Facebook links, 20244 Facebook posts, 242 YouTube videos, six Instagram links, and 562 tweets. Kurkure contains rice meal, edible vegetable oil (palm oil), corn meal, gram meal, spices, sugar and other unspecified components. But for some reason, jokes about it containing plastic have proliferated on social media. PepsiCo India filed a civil defamation suit to get the references to plastic removed from the various social media sites. The High Court order, known as an Ashok Kumar order in India the equivalent of a John Doe order in the US instructs the sites to block all the posts mentioned in PepsioCo's petition, apart from "just exceptions". The order will come up for hearing again on 14 November, MediaNama said. Pepsico has also sought damages of 2.1 crore Indian rupees (A$471,700). MediaNama cited two cases of tweets which had been later taken down. "In February, the novelist Samit Basu joked about Kurkures taste on Twitter, saying, 'Ive gone from having zero thoughts about Kurkure to complete and utter conviction that they are made entirely of plastic'. "PepsiCo India responded to his tweet, saying 'We know you have quite the talent at fantasy writing!' Three months later, the company sued Twitter to take that tweet down, along with hundreds of others. This month, the Delhi High Court ordered that Twitter block those tweets," it said. A second case concerned the current vice-president of the Internet, mobile and e-commerce council of the IT industry lobby group, NASSCOM, Prasanto Roy. He was reported to have said in a tweet "that a lot of people get news on WhatsApp. In that tweet, Roy imitated the kind of fake news forward that PepsiCo said was defaming its product: 'Did you HEAR the news?!! Kurkure has plastic! Coke melts teeth'. "When PepsiCos Twitter handle for Kurkure responded saying that such rumours are false, Roy pointed out that he was merely satirising those tweets," MediaNama said. "That clarification doesnt seem to have helped Roys tweet has since been taken down by Twitter in India." PepsiCo India told the website: "This step has been taken to protect our brand equity, a matter that we take very seriously at PepsiCo. "We are working constantly with all the platforms, to collectively counter the issue of spread of defamatory and damaging content, following all procedural obligations to ensure compliance with the court order." But it did not deal with MediaNama's queries which were: Why did PepsiCo file this case? Is this the first time PepsiCo has obtained a court order to remove discussion of its products online in India? Has PepsiCo obtained, or sought to obtain, similar orders in other countries where it operates? Was due diligence done by PepsiCo to ensure that humorous tweets that are discussing this myth in jest are not censored as a byproduct? PepsiCo's petition and the court's interim order can be seen here. Microsoft plans to raise the price of its perpetually-licensed Office suite by 10% in October. The increases are part of a larger strategy, said Wes Miller, an analyst and licensing expert with Directions on Microsoft. "If you add all of these motions up, and look at other lightly-announced price increases, it clearly points towards encouraging customers that have avoided licensing Office 365, or now Microsoft 365, to...look again," Miller tweeted. Microsoft announced the price increase on its partner network website on Wednesday. "Office 2019 commercial prices will increase 10% over current on-premises pricing," the company said. According to a separate FAQ (download PDF), the Office 2019 price jump "represent(s) the significant value added to the product over time and ... better reflect costs and customer demand and align with cloud pricing. Other price increases coming The application bundle will not be the only component to see a price increase. Also slated for an Oct. 1 boost will be prices for on-premise servers, including Windows Server 2019 Standard Edition and what Microsoft dubs "productivity servers," which include Exchange, SharePoint Server and Project Server. Those servers' prices will climb by 10% as well. Perhaps even more importantly, the CALs (client access licenses) required for personal computers to connect to, and access information on, Microsoft's server software, will jump up, too. Prices for the Enterprise CAL and Core CAL - suites that bundle several separate CALs - will go up by 10%, but the RDS per Device CAL (RDS stands for Remote Desktop Service) will climb 30%, Microsoft said, "to match the per user price." The last time Microsoft raised prices on the perpetual license version of Office was in 2010, with the debut of Office 2010. Microsoft categorizes software by how it is paid for, discriminating between a license that was bought outright from one that is essentially "rented" because it's paid for over time, like a subscription. The term perpetual license refers to a software license that is paid for with a single, up-front fee, which in return gives the buyer the right to use that software in perpetuity. In other words, the license has no expiration date, and users may run the suite as long as they want. On-premises software is, by definition, installed on an individual's or company's own devices and servers. The two terms, although commonly linked, are not synonyms. (The alternative to a perpetual license is a subscription - the rental model; the flip side to on-premises is cloud-based, with software packed onto a service provider's servers, then accessed remotely.) Although Microsoft defended the changes, including the new pricing for perpetual licenses of Office 2019, saying it wanted "to create consistency and transparency across our purchasing channels" and to get customers to "realize the long-term cost savings by shifting to the cloud," Miller saw it a bit differently. A clear preference for subscriptions If Microsoft had a time machine, he said, it would have started with subscriptions, not with one-time payments, for software. "In a perfect world, as far as Microsoft is concerned, all we'd have would be Office 365," Miller said, referring to the family of subscription plans that combined locally-installed client software and cloud-based services. "But we have a world in which enterprises are heavily invested in on-premises." According to Miller, the price increase for Office 2019, the associated on-premises server products and the CALs is part of the effort by Microsoft to "move more from that left column (of on-premises perpetual license software) to the right column (of cloud-based subscription software)." And if higher pricing on the former helps push more customers toward the desired result, so be it. Although the higher price for Office 2019 might have gotten all of the headlines, the price increase of various CALs for access to on-premises servers may be the most important aspect of the overall price-increase strategy, Miller argued - in part because October's 10% boost will be the third-straight price hike for those licenses. Microsoft raised CAL prices for Office 2019's two most-recent predecessors, Office 2016 and Office 2013. "As the last two generations arrived, the user CALs (were raised) 15% each time," Miller confirmed. It's unclear whether Microsoft has other price changes in mind, say to Office 365 itself. But if Miller's theory is correct, that's unlikely, since higher pricing for perpetual license and on-premises software is intended to motivate customers to look at the alternatives. "It's going to be harder to look at licensing for on-premises using perpetual, versus Office 365, when comparing on purely financial terms," Miller contended. Microsoft has issued previews of Office 2019 - for both Windows and macOS - to commercial customers, as well as more recently, betas of Office server titles, including Exchange 2019. Currently, the company has said only that the suite and servers would release this fall, without naming a specific date. With the price change effective as of Oct. 1, it's safe to assume the software will be available after that. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar. Pointing to Azerbaijan-EU relations, the president recalled his recent visit to Brussels and his meeting with President of the European Council Donald Tusk. Ilham Aliyev noted the importance of fruitful negotiations held during this visit and the conclusion of the Partnership Priorities document between Azerbaijan and the European Union in terms of the development of cooperation in the years to come. He also said that the conclusion of the document has once again demonstrated that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Europe. Describing the agenda of Azerbaijan-EU relations as broad, President Aliyev hailed the successfully developing bilateral cooperation. In addition, the Azerbaijani President described Azerbaijan as a reliable partner for NATO, saying the organization commends Azerbaijan for its involvement in peaceful operations in Afghanistan, APA reported. Toivo Klaar, in turn, said that they are aware of the fact that the meetings between Ilham Aliyev and Donald Tusk as well as the events in Brussels were held at a very good level. The EU Special Representative also hailed the expansion of EU-Azerbaijan relations, pointing to the good opportunities for the development of cooperation. He expressed his hope that a new agreement between Azerbaijan and the European Union will soon be signed in this regard. The sides exchanged views on cooperation prospects as well as the issues relating to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, and the development of bilateral relations in transport, trade and tourism areas. I am fascinated to the point of intense elation by NY-14 Congressional Candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She is all of my beliefs presented in a concentrated form. This perfection could only be rendered by placing the last 75 years of American education into an ISO 14644-1 Class 1 clean room with centrifugal spinning until stratified and pure. Ocasio-Cortez is the result. Im in giggly super love. She is far better educated than I am, yet can speak authoritatively about exactly nothing. Her supporters believe she is our future, one of pure compassion absent troublesome mathematics. Therefore, my heart is ablaze with flutter. Over the past few weeks, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been traveling the nation with a brand of socialism which should have Bernie Sanders running for the exits. Sanders, the previous award winner for government exploitation removed from any prior personal achievement, at least has the benefit of solid propaganda and decades of knowledge attained by time. My life as an American has been purely on the job training. I do not have a college degree, and care less about that than when I thought I wanted to teach at the secondary level. I may still wish to do that someday. For survival, I entered the workforce during my teens and made the best of it. There were no options. When I started my career in broadcasting at 18, I figured Id be in the field for a couple years to get my ground legs in some other field. Im happily still here. And I love it, and somehow this career has taken good care of me and my children. I kept reading and consistently studying technology, and in 2000 joined a biotech manufacturer as their adjunct information officer. Theyve kept my technical study on track and given me a range of solid experiences. Eighteen years later, Im still doing that. To get my kids raised in decent environs, I paid nearly a quarter million dollars in rent over the course of two decades because I was never in a position to buy property. When I could acquire property in the form of some apartments and two houses, I did. Every step has been a fight with noticeable risk attached. Along the way Ive paid a mountain of taxes and asked little of my government other than the underlying national structure which protects us all. Somehow, through immense personal upheaval and praying things didnt blow up around me, four amazing children were raised to adulthood. I arrived in Chattanooga as a kid with a crap car and a bag of clothes. Thats literally all I had. Over time, I had to endure numerous crash courses in general business and humanity. I was unwittingly milked by a leading local business owner who asked me to take a risk and apply hundreds of hours of technical skills toward his idea. He made millions partly from my cheap labor to prove his concept, throwing me to the wolves in the process. So I can state I helped make a multi-millionaire, it just wasnt me. I chalked this up to a learning process, and that particular mistake has not been repeated. He taught me a lesson about trust and getting promises on paper. I am thankful for that. Over the past 25 years, I have been through the absolute wringer trying to achieve my small corner of the American Dream. Im still upright and ambulatory ready for another couple decades I suppose. To Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, I am a very small player on her enemies list. She would gladly take what little I have and hand it over to her expanded electorate filled with individuals who have exactly zero vested interest in America or the risk and time it requires some of us to succeed, fail or die trying. That fail part, a necessary possibility in capitalism, is no longer allowed by Ocasio-Cortez and her band of freedom (from effort) fighters. My puzzlement is simple and concrete: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez passed through an American public high school and graduated Boston University with a degree in Economics and International Relations. Yet, she doesnt know how unemployment rates are calculated or anything at all about Israel and the Middle East. She speaks entirely in programmed slogans with a disquieting vacancy when asked any particulars on any topic. Any. Topic. Ocasio-Cortez wishes to take away the aforementioned basic protections I need to survive in something we refer to as a nation. She picks and chooses which fundamental processes a country needs for survival, deciding the abolition of an immigration and customs enforcement mechanism would somehow bring equality (or an increased electorate.) With her economics and international relations degree in tow, she has absolutely zero concept of what border agencies actually do. And she wants me to pay for that level of education for everyone, while the massive investment in her degree has apparently delivered no skill set other than making crazy posters. I, to the contrary, can make crazy posters without a degree. Unemployment is low because everyone has two jobs. Capitalism has not always existed in the world, and it will not always exist in the world. Capitalism was the most efficient and best economy, perhaps, for the time that it was at, perhaps. "... one of the largest drivers of wealth inequality in the United States is inherited wealth. "I think what I meant is, like, the settlements that are increasing in some of these areas and in places where Palestinians are experiencing difficulty in access to their housing and homes. Yeah. I mean, I think Id also just I am not the expert at geopolitics on this issue. You know, for me, Im a firm believer in finding a two-state solution in this issue, and Im happy to sit down with leaders on both of this on both of these for me, I just look at things through a human-rights lens. And I may not use the right words. All of the above statements came from one interview Ocasio-Cortez granted to PBS. Any of the above statements and positions should, back in the real world, disqualify anyone from being taken seriously about anything. Inherited wealth, for example, is necessary in every society which wishes to maintain broad consistencies across generations. This is why the estate tax is so damaging to small businesses and family farms, for example. Taxes have already been paid on wealth which is accumulated, and the ability to pass it to the next generation or set it on fire in the street should not be in question. While the Ocasio-Cortezes of the world focus on what she calls the tippy-top of the 1 percent (with her economics degree in tow), these policies affect about 5,000 families each year which comprise significant structural strength within their communities. Her statements regarding capitalism and unemployment simply reveal her lack of basic substance on matters of math and history. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants to offer free healthcare and college tuition to everyone, and open the borders so anyone who wishes to saunter in can access free healthcare and college tuition. She calls low-skilled undocumented immigrants entrepreneurial and demands the abolition of our systems of attaining citizenship and customs border monitoring. Delicious. I love it. All of it. And she wants to impeach President Trump, too. All the better. Keep the hits coming. love it because she was born the year I graduated high school, and represents absolute proof of my political fears. All the things Ive been talking about for a decade, here they are. She is the embodiment of what Ive worried about for a very long time, that our educational system from Kindergarten to college had essentially been diluted to the point an American can pass through the entire structure while gaining nothing at great expense. Fortunately, it remains possible to become knowledgeable and skilled, however thats no longer necessary. The NEA union assures students are but a tertiary concern in public education, while concepts of history are sanitized alongside professors who declare teaching math is white privilege because it was developed by Greeks and Europeans. (See: Rochelle Gutierrez) American students can self-select majors with little economic value while Ocasio-Cortez demands I pay for them. The more the merrier, off with your heads if you wish for science, incentive and forward thinking. Ocasio-Cortez won second place in an Intel Science Fair during high school and now espouses some really nutty things, so hats off to public education. With Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi both nearing retirement, people like me who just love the country and want it to survive need a replacement standard bearer for the new left which represents millennials: Welcome, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I want her to succeed in every one of her platform planks, as I feel the only cure for her thinking is to apply jet packs and let it fly. Too many agree with this path of no resistance for socialist notions to go away like seasonal viral flu. Its a long game perspective, that we are no longer able to learn from history or the unfortunate manufactured malaise in places such as Venezuela. We can simply declare money. The genuine sorrow of unbridled liberalism will have to visit our shores before it can wreck itself (again), be soundly revealed as unintelligent and replaced with something akin to common sense. You know who had this common sense? The Founding Fathers of the United States. Yet, instead of marveling at their timeless critical brilliance they are derided as animals for the era in which they lived. Burn the calendars, numbers and lessons already taught: Grant me your vote and Ill give you a lifestyle free of nasty work, planning, risk and maintaining your own nations responsibly. I can do that because equality is somehow an international economic constant which supercedes output with magic. Crash and burn is here, and her name is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. None of the numbers have to make any sense whatsoever, just made sure there are inverted exclamations outside the names and slogans for effect. And use a bold sans-serif font and voice bubbles. For the future of our nation, she brings all the lessons the next generation will apparently have to learn on its own without the benefit of thousands of years of human history which could perhaps be studied. Or even the past few hundred. So I love her. Jason M. Kibby (Walker) Chattanooga Delegations of the Azerbaijani and Turkish naval forces met in Baku today, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement. During the meeting held at the headquarters of the Azerbaijani Navy, the sides discussed the successful results of military cooperation between the two countries and its development prospects. The sides noted that military relations meet both countries interests, underscoring the need to ramp up efforts in this regard. Deputy Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces for Logistics Vice Admiral Fikret Esin expressed his satisfaction with the participation in the international competition Sea Cup 2018. He also wished Azerbaijani naval forces success in the competition. Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Reddit Email 558 Shares Ahed Tamimi and her mother were given petty and mean-spirited sentences of 8 months by a colonial Israeli military judge presiding over stateless, occupied people who are intensively patrolled by the Israeli jackboot while their land, water, and well-being are gradually stolen from them by the judges cousins. Tamimi as a 17-year-old girl slapped a couple of Israel Occupation personnel attempting to barge into her home. She and others had participated in a demonstration against Israelis squatting nearby on Palestinian land and encroaching on her home town, during which there was some stone throwing at the Israeli troops who came to stop people from protesting. Those troops shot her cousin in the head with a rubber bullet. That was when Ahed went out and slapped them. Amazingly, Tamimi used the experience of being jailed, as many colonial subjects in imperial detention cells haveincluding Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhito her advantage. Kuwaits KUNA news service reported: 1. Tamimi finished high school in jail! She organized a study group of other young women, and she succeeded in completing the high school examination while imprisoned. She turned her dreary sentence, intended to deprive her of nearly a year of her youth, into an educational opportunity. Lesson One: Any time you have free time on your hands, use it for self-improvement rather than stewing over your predicament. 2. That achievement, of completing high school in jail, did not come without struggle (nothing in her short life has). She said, I was afraid I would miss the school year, so I managed with a group of prisoners to study. We challenged the occupation, which tried to ban us from study. She is indicating that colonial, illegitimate Israeli prison officials actively tried to stop her from studying, and that she organized some sort of effective protest such that someone overruled the anti-intellectuals. (I say colonial and Illegitimate because they are not from the Palestinian West Bank, which they illegally occupy, since they have held it for 50 years and have altered its peoples lifeways dramatically). Lesson Two: If someone treats you unreasonably and unjustly, organize and protest. 3. Tamimi said she intends to go to law school and that she hopes to specialize in human rights law so that she can defend Palestinian activists and prisoners on the international stage. Lesson Three: When you encounter injustice, acquire the social and legal tools to combat it! 4. She said that prison taught her to love life, since she was nostalgic for her own room, her friends and her books. Lesson Four: Stop and take a moment to appreciate the good things in life, since they could go away at any moment. Were often so stuck in our grievances about the past or so anxious about the future that we dont bother to Be Here Now. 5. On her arrival in her home town of Nabi Saleh, she said, I am a witness that the Resistance will continue until the end of the Occupation. Lesson 5: Never give up hope in the victory of a just cause. The British occupied Bengal for 200 years, but in the end were forced to leave by the Indian Freedom Movement. The French took Saigon in 1859 but were forced to leave in 1954. The Palestinians will not be stateless and helpless forever. It is not easy to send money to Palestinian causes, since the big American financial corporations are partisans for keeping the Palestinians down, buying into Israeli discourse about these people the Israelis have warred on, displaced, and occupied being irrational and dangerous. One of the purposes for which the Israelis keep Palestinian stateless is precisely that stateless people dont have the right to have rights and certainly not the right to securely hold property or receive money transfers. But if there were a way to set up a donation account to establish a fund to send Ahed to law school, Id give, and it would be a great good thing. - TRT: Ahed Tamimi Released: Teenage Palestinian activist freed from prison Reddit Email 68 Shares When I first reported from China in 1980, bicycles outnumbered cars on Beijings major streets, and the tallest building in town was a 25-story hotel. I visited a small village that had one black and white TV, which everyone watched at night. Today Chinas major cities are jammed with modern factories, skyscrapers, and large public transportation networks. The Chinese governments socialist market economy led to unprecedented prosperity, as well as massive corruption and intensified class divisions. China now has the second largest economy in the world after the United States. The Trump administration, and many high-ranking Democrats as well, see China as a vicious competitor. They claim the Chinese government unfairly subsidizes its domestic industries and steals U.S. intellectual property. So Trump launched a massive trade war.. I think hes going to lose. The administration imposed $34 billion in tariffs on Chinese products, and threatened to order a total of $500 billion. China responded tit for tat, imposing its own tariffs aimed at regions full of Trump supporters. Agribusiness corporations from Trump country in the Midwest are taking big hits, with a 15% drop in soybean futures and another 14 percent in pork. Trump has now proposed to pay $12 billion in government subsidies to farmers and ranchers negatively impacted by the trade war. But soy bean losses this year alone are nearly $12 billion, according to Senator Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska). Many farm-state Republicans criticized the subsidies. Senator Bob Corker (Republican-Tennessee) said, You have a terrible policy that sends farmers to the poorhouse, and then you put them on welfare Its hard to believe that there isnt an outright revolt right now in Congress. A Trump supporter But Trump supporters say they are willing to wait out the trade war if ultimately the United States can export more. Jim Weston is co-owner of a small Los Angeles company buying and selling poultry, which was founded by my father in 1942. Weve remained friends over the years, and I was surprised to learn that Jim supports Trumps policies. I thought we needed a businessman who will disrupt things, Jim told me. US chicken imports were banned in China after the Obama administration slapped tariffs on Chinese steel pipe imports. The Trump administration is now pressing China to allow poultry imports once again. Jim noted that Chinas stock market and currency have gone down since the trade war began. Were all hoping China will back down. If it doesnt back down, it doesnt matter. Weve done without them for 100 years. Theres a distinct possibility, however, that China wont back down and the trade wars with China, Mexico, Canada and Europe will contribute to a major recession. Trump has introduced uncertainty and instability into the US economy, according to David Kotz, an old friend, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the author of The Rise and Fall of Neoliberal Capitalism. US businesses are having a hard time figuring out the effect of the trade wars on them, he told me. Uncertainty can lead to postponing investments, which could plunge the economy into recession. Who controls economic development? During my first visit in 1980, China was an isolated country with few outside visitors and almost no foreign investment. Dozens of people would stop on the street to stare at me and the other westerners. Even in a big city like Beijing, people hadnt seen foreigners before. Chinese officials realized the country would need outside help to modernize. US, European and Japanese companies tried to impose the traditional third world model on China. They wanted to bring in machinery and technology, and have Chinese workers assemble the parts. Then the foreign corporations would sell the products and rake in the profits. US administrations demanded free trade. But that meant freedom for US corporations to sell to the Chinese market. In a rare admission of guilt, a New York Times analysis article explained, The system of global free trade was set up as a kind of permanent win for the United States. Openness exploits the sheer size and development of the American economy so that its goods and services can dominate internationally. But China didnt play by the old rules and took steps to protect its sovereignty. Foreign investors had to partner with Chinese companies and share their technology. Until a few months ago, foreigners could own no more than 49 percent of a company, making sure China controlled important economic decisions. Foreign corporations were never happy with the arrangement, but they acceded in order to have access to the vast Chinese market. Unlike in most developing countries, the US government cannot exert its will over the Chinese government to allow US business to do whatever it wants, noted Kotz. Initially, China focused on low cost, low-tech industries. It manufactured shirts and plastic toys. Over time, however, it created vibrant automobile, computer, electronics, cell phone, and many other modern industries. In 2008 I visited a huge wind farm located in a vast desert of western China. Low mountains loomed in the distance and wind picked up considerable speed. A Chinese company had manufactured and installed 280 modern wind turbines. China has developed a green power industry at a time when the US government denies the existence of manmade climate change. Chinas critics say it has succeeded because the government subsidized selected industries. So what? U.S. agribusiness receives billions in government subsidies. Many modern U.S. high-tech industriesfrom satellites to the Internetwere originally developed by the U.S. government and then handed over to private enterprise for free. U.S. manufacturers regularly receive massive tax breaks to locate to a particular state. I dont care whether a government subsidizes certain industries. I want to know who benefits from the subsidies: corporate fat cats or ordinary people. Stealing jobs? In recent decades many US corporations have moved production to China, Indonesia and other third world countries. They seek greater profits by paying lower wages and having access to local markets. Kotz said US jobs in garment and textiles, for example, arent moving back to the United States because US wages wont go down to third world levels. But the US government can promote policies that will provide good paying blue and white collar jobs. Kotz proposes four components: government jobs programs to hire workers at a living wage promotion of a green economy using renewable energy, efficient mass transit and energy efficient buildings. well-funded worker retraining and education for those displaced by jobs moving overseas. increase the minimum wage to the level of a living wage. Such policies have little chance of adoption anytime soon. It will take a lot of grassroots pressure, not to mention the defeat of Republicans in November. But one thing is certain: waging trade wars with China, the EU, Canada, and Mexico will only make conditions worse for everybody. Featured Photo: China is developing a sophisticated green energy industry while the US government denies the existence of man made climate change. Here a wind farm in western China. Photo: (c) Reese Erlich. Reddit Email 27 Shares Ankara (AFP) President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the US in comments published Sunday that sanctions would not force Ankara to step back after Donald Trump threatened to punish Turkey if a US pastor was not freed. You cannot make Turkey take a step back with sanctions, Erdogan said in his first comments since relations soured after Trump threatened the measures on Thursday if Pastor Andrew Brunson was not released. The US should not forget that it could lose a strong and sincere partner like Turkey if it does not change its attitude, he was quoted as saying by Hurriyet daily. The change of attitude is Trumps problem, not mine, he told journalists during a visit to South Africa, calling the US threats psychological warfare. Relations between the NATO allies have worsened over the jailing of Brunson, who ran a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir. He was held in a Turkish jail for almost two years on terror charges but was placed under house arrest on Wednesday. Trump on Thursday hit back at the move, calling for his immediate release and warning that the US would impose large sanctions on Turkey for their long time detainment of Brunson. Ties had already been strained over multiple issues including Washingtons support of a Syrian Kurdish militia which Turkey views as a terrorist group and the failure to extradite the Pennsylvania-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan in September suggested Turkey could free Brunson if the US handed over Gulen an offer brushed off by Washington. No bargaining chip Ankara accuses Gulen of ordering the 2016 failed overthrow of Erdogan, a claim he strongly denies. The Washington Post on Friday reported a deal between Ankara and Washington was made to secure the release of a Turkish woman imprisoned in Israel in exchange for the freedom of Brunson. Ebru Ozkan, 27, had been held for over a month by Israel on charges of passing hundreds of dollars to a terrorist group, but she returned to Turkey on July 16. The newspaper said the agreement was personally sealed by Trump but fell apart when Brunson was transferred to house arrest. Erdogan addressed the claims, stressing that Turkey had never made Pastor Brunson a bargaining chip. However, he said Ankara had asked for Washingtons help in securing Ozkans return home. But we didnt say: In return for this, we will give you Brunson. Nothing like this was discussed, Erdogan insisted. Brunson risks up to 35 years in jail if found guilty of charges of carrying out activities on behalf of two groups deemed by Turkey to be terror organisations the Gulen movement and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Brunson rejects the accusations while US officials have repeatedly insisted the pastor is innocent. International arbitration Temperatures were further raised when the US threatened in June to block the delivery of F-35 stealth jets to Turkey if Ankara buys Russias S-400 air defence system. But Erdogan suggested Turkey would not sit idly by if this happened. We told (the US): If you dont give them, there is something called international arbitration. We will seek international arbitration, he said. Another source of tension is the prison sentence of 32 months for deputy director general of Turkish lender Halkbank Mehmet Hakan Atilla convicted of plotting to help Iran evade US sanctions on billions of dollars of Iranian oil proceeds. Turkish officials insist Atilla is innocent but Halkbank still faces a penalty from the US Treasury. Featured Photo: AFP/File / Brunson ran a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir. Puslinch, Ontario (FSCwire) - Sokoman Iron Corp. (Sokoman or the Company) (TSX-V: SIC) is pleased to announce that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement consisting of 20,000,000 Units at a price of $0.15 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000, subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Each Unit will consist of one common share ("Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable into one Common Share at a price of $0.25 per share for a period of two years from closing. There are three placees, Eric Sprott will subscribe for 13.35 million Units, Palisade Global will subscribe for 4.1 million Units, and Venture Ad Network will subscribe for 2.6 million Units. There are no finders fees associated with the transaction. Timothy Froude, P. Geo., President and CEO, states: We are very pleased to welcome Eric Sprott and Palisade Global into our family of shareholders. Eric Sprott is a renowned and respected leader in the investment community and one of the worlds premiere precious metals investors and is currently Chairman of Kirkland Lake Gold. His participation in our financing speaks to the potential of our assets, in particular the high-grade Moosehead Gold Project. Palisade Global is a leading entity in finance and development of mining interests around the world and will help advise Sokoman in delivering our story to a global audience. The proceeds of the financing will be used to advance the Companys flagship Moosehead Gold Project where multiple targets remain untested as well as follow up drilling following a successful Phase I program. A portion of the funds will be directed to the Companys other gold properties in Newfoundland, and for general working capital purposes. Qualified Person This news release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Froude, P. Geo., a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 and President and CEO of Sokoman Iron Corp. About Sokoman Iron Corp. Sokoman Iron Corp. (TSXV: SIC) is a discovery-focused company with projects in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. The Companys primary focus is its Moosehead Gold project in central Newfoundland where recent drilling in the Eastern Trend area has returned high-grade gold results from MH-18-01 highlighted by 11.90 m @ 44.96 g/t Au including 5.65 m @ 93.56 g/t Au released on July 24, 2018. (Note: reported intersection is a core length, true thickness estimated to be 80% of core length). The Companys other assets include a portfolio of early stage gold projects in Central Newfoundland and a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe/V/REE) project in Western Labrador. Contact: Timothy Froude, P. Geo., CEO Phone: 709-765-1726 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cathy Hume, Director Phone: 416-868-1079 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.sokomaniron.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of the Corporation should be considered highly speculative. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Sokoman Iron Corp. will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Sokoman Iron Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia / TheNewswire / July 30, 2018 - A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX-V: AIS, OTCQB: AISSF) (the "Company" or "AIS") is pleased to announce the engagement of Quantec Geoscience ("Quantec") to complete a Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) survey on the Salinitas lithium brine project (the "Project") in the Salinas Grande Salar in Salta, Argentina. AIS has partnered with MGX Minerals (CSE: XMG) on the Project who is currently earning an 80% interest. The TDEM geophysical survey will be conducted along 52 stations spaced in 500 meter intervals across the edge of the salar to test for shallow, near surface brines to determine locations with anomalous concentrations of lithium. About the Salinitas Lithium Brine Project The Salinitas tenements are located in the lithium triangle of Argentina, Salar de Salinas Grandes, Province of Salta. The 4,308 hectare land package resides in the Puna region of northwest Argentina near the border of Chile, an area renowned for its lithium- and potassium-rich brine resources. MGX can earn an undivided 80% interest at any time during the Agreement by making payments totaling US$3.2 million. MGX has also agreed to incur total expenditures of at least US$1.2 million prior to May 31, 2020. Figure 1. Proposed TEM Stations at Salinitas Brine Project Qualified person Phillip Thomas, BSc, Geol, MBusM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Thomas is not independent of the company as he is an officer and shareholder. About A.I.S. Resources A.I.S. Resources Ltd. is a TSX-V listed investment issuer, was established in 1967 and is managed by experienced, highly qualified professionals, who have a long track record of success in lithium exploration, production and capital markets. Through their extensive business and scientific networks, they identify and develop early-stage projects worldwide, that have strong potential for growth with the objective of providing significant returns for shareholders. The Company's current activities are focused exclusively on the exploration and development of lithium brine projects in northern Argentina. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, A.I.S. Resources Limited Marc Enright-Morin Contact A.I.S. Resources Limited Marc Enright-Morin President and CEO T: 778-892-5455 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.aisresources.com ADVISORY: This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning the anticipated use of the proceeds of the Private Placement. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The intended use of the proceeds of the Private Placement by the Corporation might change if the board of directors of the Corporation determines that it would be in the best interests of the Corporation to deploy the proceeds for some other purpose. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Eight people were killed in a house fire in the Russian city of Sochi, emergency services said. "During the extinguishing of the fire, the eight victim was found," TASS cited the source as saying. At the moment, firefighters are examining the scene, the fire is contained. Total area of the fire covers 300 square meters. The causes of the fire are currently under investigation. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mundoro Capital Inc. (TSXV: MUN, www.mundoro.com) ("Mundoro" or the "Company") announces it has entered into an earn-in agreement ("Agreement") with Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation ("Freeport"), in which Mundoro has granted to Freeport an option to earn-in to Mundoros Savinac and Bacevica exploration licenses (the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project) located within the southern portion of the Timok Magmatic Complex (Timok) in Serbia. Timok is one of the most prolific metallogenic domains in the Tethyan Belt. Timok hosts the Cukaru-Peki deposit and the Serbian state-operated producing mines: the Bor copper porphyry underground mine (Bor Mine) and the Veliki Krivelj copper-gold porphyry open-pit mine (see Figure 1: Location Map). Teo Dechev, CEO and President of Mundoro commented, This Agreement is our third partnership in Serbia, which reflects the continued industry interest in Timok, the Tethyan Belt and demonstrates the prospectivity of Mundoros land package within this region. Mundoro has approximately C$4.6 million (US$3.5 million) in treasury, an earn-in agreement with JOGMEC for the Timok North Projects, an earn-in agreement with Freeport for the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project, and an option agreement with a private company for the Saje Project in Bulgaria. Realizing value for our mineral property portfolio of over 10 licenses with multiple targets on various license is one of our corporate priorities. Summary of Key Earn-In Terms Pursuant to the Agreement, Mundoro has granted to Freeport an option to earn, over two phases, up to a 75% interest in the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project by sole funding expenditures of up to US$45 million (C$59.2 million) as follows: Phase One: Freeport has the right to earn a 51% interest in the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project by sole-funding US$5 million (C$6.6 million) in expenditures by the third anniversary of the Agreement. Mundoro will be the operator of the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project in Phase One. Phase Two: Following Phase One, Freeport has the right, exercisable within 60 days, to elect to enter Phase Two, whereupon it can earn an additional 24% interest in the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project, for a total 75% interest, by sole-funding an additional US$40 million (C$52.6 million) in expenditures (the Phase Two Option ) by the fifth anniversary of the election date. ) by the fifth anniversary of the election date. If Freeport (a) elects not to enter Phase Two, or (b) does not satisfy the Phase Two Option, then Freeport will, for a period of ten (10) years thereafter, pay to Mundoro an annual fee of US$100,000 (C$131,675) in each year in which the annual work program and budget adopted by the joint venture is a work program and budget proposed by Freeport. Additional Terms: The Agreement is subject to: (i) Freeports satisfaction with, or waiver of, a due diligence condition; and (ii) the transfer of the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project from a current Mundoro Serbian subsidiary to a special purpose Serbian subsidiary wholly-owned by the joint venture. If either partys interest in the joint venture is reduced below 10% through dilution, the diluted partys interest will be converted to a 2% Net Smelter Returns Royalty (NSR) of which up to 1% NSR can be re-purchased. Project Information Savinac license Savinac license is a 90 sqkm area that is located 15 km southwest of the Bor Mine. The property contains a significant area of hydrothermal alteration covering 14 sqkm elongated north-south area which hosts epithermal and porphyry targets marked by Cu-Mo-Au-Ag-Pb-Zn geochemical anomalies. The 9 km of hydrothermal alteration is defined in alteration mapping and coincides with an elongate zone of demagnetization of the host volcanic rocks. Within the hydrothermal alteration, exploration work identified the Tilva Rosh epithermal gold target which contains 12 m of 30 g/t gold and 171 g/t silver. Drill results from Tilva Rosh identified the continuation of the main north-south trending mineralized structure which strikes towards the north and under a lithocap that remains untested. The targets identified to date either require further exploration work or remain untested. Bacevica license Bacevica license totals 148 sqkm and is located directly south of the Savinac license. The property contains 8 km of hydrothermal alteration directly linked to the Savinac hydrothermal alteration to the north. Mundoro has completed geological mapping, rock and soil sampling, ground magnetics and tested various targets with shallow, reverse circulation, scout drilling. The targets identified to date either require further exploration work or remain untested. Further Joint Venture Discussions The Company continues to have ongoing discussions regarding potential joint ventures for Mundoros two Timok South licenses, Sumrakovac and Osnic, and the licenses in Bulgaria. Although there are ongoing discussions, the Company cannot provide assurance that a transaction will be concluded as a result of these discussions. On behalf of the Company, Teo Dechev, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director About Mundoro Capital Inc. Mundoro is a Canadian mineral exploration and development public company focused on building value for its shareholders through directly investing in mineral projects that have the ability to generate future returns for shareholders. The Company currently holds a diverse portfolio of projects in two European countries as well as an investment in a producing gold mine in Bulgaria and a feasibility stage gold project in China. The Company has earn-in agreements with: JOGMEC for the Timok North Projects, Freeport for the Freeport-Mundoro JV Project, and an option agreement with a private company for the Saje Project in Bulgaria. Mundoros common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "MUN". For further information please contact: Teo Dechev, CEO, President and Director of Mundoro Capital Inc. at +1-604-669-8055 Qualified Person Technical information contained in this Press Release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. G. Magaranov, P. Geo., Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This News Release contains forward-looking information and statements (forward-looking statements) under applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included or incorporated by reference in this News Release are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the completion of exploration work on any Projects and licenses and results of that exploration work, the prospect of one or more joint ventures and other statements regarding activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", promising, encouraging or "continue" or similar words or the negative thereof. The material assumptions that were applied in making the forward-looking statements in this News Release include expectations as to the Company's future strategy and business plan and execution of the Company's existing plans. There can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which these forward-looking statements are based will occur. We caution readers of this News Release not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements contained in this News Release, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include general economic and market conditions, changes in law, regulatory processes, the status of Mundoro's assets and financial condition, actions of competitors and the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this News Release are made as of the date of this News Release and Mundoro undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and for a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Figure 1: Location Map The eyes of the world are on Mali, where voters went to the polls on Sunday July 29 in presidential elections. It is hoped these polls will help the country emerge from its current stalemate in implementation of the 2015 peace accord, which provides notably for transitional justice mechanisms after years of serious human rights violations. The international community is also hoping that a relaunch of the peace accord could boost the fight against Jihadist groups which continue to launch attacks in Mali and in the whole Sahel region. On the eve of the poll, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged all political actors in Mali to commit to making this poll a peaceful, free and transparent process, and to resolve any possible dispute through the appropriate institutions in accordance with the law. Guterres stressed that peace and reconciliation for all Malian citizens must prevail, irrespective of the electoral outcome. Despite this call, there were some attacks on equipment and staff at polling stations in the north and centre of the country. This election comes after the one in 2013 which allowed a return to constitutional rule after a coup dEtat the previous year by junior army officers. The coup marked a crumbling of the institutions as parts of the north fell to Jihadist groups and separatist, mainly Touareg rebels. Public flagellation, destruction of cultural heritage, amputations, rape, assassinations and other serious crimes were committed during the occupation of the north, while deadly clashes between soldiers and kidnappings took place in the south. As Mali awaits the outcome of the vote, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) still does not know if its current president Joseph Kabila will be a candidate in elections scheduled for December. Filing of candidacies officially started on July 25 but Kabila, whose second constitutional mandate expired in December 2016, continues to maintain the suspense about his political future, fuelling suspicions that he may seek a third mandate banned by the Constitution. The peaceful struggle for democratic change already has its martyrs in the DRC. Many politicians believe like parliamentarian Nzangi Muhindo that if Joseph Kabila runs, the electoral process will stop. Meanwhile, in a move hailed by Trial International and Physicians for Human Rights as a strong signal against impunity, Congolese military justice on July 26 confirmed 11 life sentences handed down in the historic trial of 20 religious sect members. The 11, who include provincial parliamentarian Frederic Batumike, were found guilty of rape as crimes against humanity. On the same day in Cote dIvoire, the Supreme Court overturned the 2017 acquittal of former First Lady Simone Gbagbo for alleged crimes against humanity during the post-election crisis of 2010-2011. Simone, whose husband Laurent Gbagbo is on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), was not released after her acquittal judgment since she is already serving a 20-year prison sentence for endangering State security. Voters in the Comoros go to the polls on Monday in a politically explosive referendum that could change the constitution and allow President Azali Assoumani to rule beyond 2012, his current term limit. Burdened by a long history of turbulence, the Indian Ocean archipelago faces renewed potential unrest after Assoumani banned demonstrations and the opposition vowed to fiercely resist the proposed changes. Opposition lawmakers on Saturday demanded an unconditional halt without delay to the arbitrary and illegal process of the referendum, which they said they would boycott. Ahmed el-Barwane, secretary general of the opposition Juwa party, accused the president of wanting to craft a constitution which is tailor-made for him to do as he pleases. But Interior Minister Mohamed Daoudou dismissed the oppositions concerns, saying the referendum would go ahead with about 300,000 registered voters. Under the current constitution adopted in 2001, power rotates every five years between the three main islands as a means of balancing power in the coup-prone country. If the government wins the referendum, this arrangement would be scrapped and replaced by a president who would be elected for a five-year tenure, renewable for one term. Assoumani would also gain the power to scrap the countrys three vice-presidencies, another checks-and-balances feature of the present constitution. In addition, a constitutional clause on secularism would be scrapped and replaced by text saying Islam is the religion of state and the state draws from this religion the principles and rules of Sunnite observance. Ninety-nine percent of the Comoran population are Sunni Muslim. In June, one of the countrys trio of vice presidents, Ahmed Said Jaffar, urged Comorans to reject the dangerous abuse of power. He was later stripped of all but one of his ministerial portfolios. Early elections? If Assoumani wins the referendum, he is expected to stage early elections next year to try to extend his term in office. If he loses, he will step down, according to his spokesman, Mohamed Ismailla. A group of three islands between Mozambique and Madagascar and one of the worlds poorest countries, the Comoros has endured repeated coups and political turmoil, including intervention by mercenaries, ever since it gained independence from France in 1975. Assoumani, a 59-year-old former colonel, was president between 1999 and 2002, coming to power after ousting acting president Tadjidine Ben Said Massonde in a military coup. He won the countrys first multi-party elections in 2002, stepping down in 2006 to hand over power democratically to Ahmed Abdallah Sambi. In May 2016, he returned again as president after an election marred by violence and allegations of voting irregularities. Clampdown In April this year, Assoumani suspended the Constitutional Court saying it was incompetent. The following month, former president Sambi reputed to be close to Shiite Muslim Iran was placed under house arrest, and Assoumani outlawed demonstrations. Earlier this month, one of the vice presidents, Moustoidrane Abdou escaped an assassination attempt. He was travelling to his home village in the west of Anjouan island when assailants on a motorcycle raked his car with automatic gunfire near the islands biggest town of Mutsamudu. The three main islands of the Comoros Grande-Comore, the largest, and from which Azali hails, Anjouan and Moheli have a population of around 800,000 people. A fourth island in the group, Mayotte, remains part of France. The referendum results are expected on Monday night or Tuesday. bur-bgs/har Voters in the Comoros go to the polls on Monday in a politically explosive referendum that could change the constitution and allow President Azali Assoumani to rule beyond 2012, his current term limit. Burdened by a long history of turbulence, the Indian Ocean archipelago faces renewed potential unrest after Assoumani banned demonstrations and the opposition vowed to fiercely resist the proposed changes. Opposition lawmakers on Saturday demanded an unconditional halt without delay to the arbitrary and illegal process of the referendum, which they said they would boycott. Ahmed el-Barwane, secretary general of the opposition Juwa party, accused the president of wanting to craft a constitution which is tailor-made for him to do as he pleases. But Interior Minister Mohamed Daoudou dismissed the oppositions concerns, saying the referendum would go ahead with about 300,000 registered voters. Under the current constitution adopted in 2001, power rotates every five years between the three main islands as a means of balancing power in the coup-prone country. If the government wins the referendum, this arrangement would be scrapped and replaced by a president who would be elected for a five-year tenure, renewable for one term. Assoumani would also gain the power to scrap the countrys three vice-presidencies, another checks-and-balances feature of the present constitution. In addition, a constitutional clause on secularism would be scrapped and replaced by text saying Islam is the religion of state and the state draws from this religion the principles and rules of Sunnite observance. Ninety-nine percent of the Comoran population are Sunni Muslim. In June, one of the countrys trio of vice presidents, Ahmed Said Jaffar, urged Comorans to reject the dangerous abuse of power. He was later stripped of all but one of his ministerial portfolios. Early elections? If Assoumani wins the referendum, he is expected to stage early elections next year to try to extend his term in office. If he loses, he will step down, according to his spokesman, Mohamed Ismailla. A group of three islands between Mozambique and Madagascar and one of the worlds poorest countries, the Comoros has endured repeated coups and political turmoil, including intervention by mercenaries, ever since it gained independence from France in 1975. Assoumani, a 59-year-old former colonel, was president between 1999 and 2002, coming to power after ousting acting president Tadjidine Ben Said Massonde in a military coup. He won the countrys first multi-party elections in 2002, stepping down in 2006 to hand over power democratically to Ahmed Abdallah Sambi. In May 2016, he returned again as president after an election marred by violence and allegations of voting irregularities. Clampdown In April this year, Assoumani suspended the Constitutional Court saying it was incompetent. The following month, former president Sambi reputed to be close to Shiite Muslim Iran was placed under house arrest, and Assoumani outlawed demonstrations. Earlier this month, one of the vice presidents, Moustoidrane Abdou escaped an assassination attempt. He was travelling to his home village in the west of Anjouan island when assailants on a motorcycle raked his car with automatic gunfire near the islands biggest town of Mutsamudu. The three main islands of the Comoros Grande-Comore, the largest, and from which Azali hails, Anjouan and Moheli have a population of around 800,000 people. A fourth island in the group, Mayotte, remains part of France. The referendum results are expected on Monday night or Tuesday. Twenty-six countries were to hold a joint summit on Monday to discuss security threats in western and central Africa, beset by ethnic and jihadist violence. Discussions will focus on peace, security, stability and the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey told AFP. The one-day summit in the Togolese capital Lome gathers the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the 11-members of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). On Tuesday, ECOWAS will hold a session where talks are expected to be dominated by the political and security situations in Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Togo, said Nigerian President Muhammadu Buharis spokesman in a statement released Saturday. Illegal migration of Africans to Europe and the worrisome violent clashes between herders and farmers, will also be discussed, said Buharis spokesman, Garba Shehu. Malians went to the polls over the weekend in a presidential election marred by violence, while Togo has faced a rise in anti-government protests. While in Togo, the Nigerian government is expected to hold a meeting on a proposed single currency for ECOWAS, which is set to launch in 2020. On Tuesday, Dussey will officially hand over as head of ECOWAS to Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, Ivory Coasts former mining minister. str-sf/joa/ri United States hostile measures against Iran have quashed any possibility of talks between Tehran and Washington, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said. "The US policies against Iran and the case of the Iran nuclear deal are all very clear," Ghasemi said, speaking to reporters at his weekly press conference today. "Given the US hostile measures against Iran after its withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reinstatement of economic sanctions, there is no possibility for talks and Washington reveals its untrustworthy nature day by day," Mehr News Agency cited the spokesman as saying. "Mr. Trump thinks that every morning the world wakes up with him. One should not take him seriously," Ghasemi added. A meeting between the head of Presidential Office and Chief of Staff of Iran Mahmoud Vaezi and Azerbaijan's minister of transport, communication and high technologies Ramin Guluzade was held in Tehran. Vaezi noted that Iran is ready to share its experience in IT sphere with Azerbaijan. According to him, both countries have sufficient potential for further development and strengthening of bilateral relations. At the same time, the Chief of Staff stressed the need to intensify the activities of the Azerbaijani-Iranian intergovernmental commission. In his turn, the Azerbaijani minister expressed satisfaction with the relations between the two countries and stressed that the Azerbaijani side is interested in strengthening ties with Iran, including in the field of e-commerce, transport, customs, Trend reported. At least 36 PKK terrorists have been killed as part of anti-terror operations across Turkey over the past week, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. According to the ministry, the Turkish Armed Forces carried out 1,994 counter-terror operations on July 23-30 in ground raids and air strikes, Anadolu Agency recalled. The ministry said 18 of the terrorists were killed, six others were captured, and 12 surrendered to authorities. A computer generated image of Hyundai Engineering & Construction's Hillstate Sokcho Central residential complex which will be completed in 2021 in the coastal city in Gangwon Province / Courtesy of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Hyundai E&C) said Sunday it started selling apartments at Hillstate Sokcho Central residential complex which has been under construction in Sokcho, Gangwon Province. The complex, comprised of four buildings and collectively having 394 apartment units, is the coastal city's first Hillstate. Those who bought the apartments will be able to move in from the second half of 2021. According to Hyundai E&C, most of the apartments will provide panoramic views of the East Sea, Mount Seorak and Cheongcho Lake, as the area does not have other tall buildings nearby. The complex, which is only five minutes from public facilities and amenities by car, is also convenient to terminals for intercity buses, express buses, international cruises and ferries. In particular, the cruise and ferry terminals at Sokcho Port have attracted cruise ships from China, Japan and Russia. Recently, a 110,000-ton cruise ship that can carry up to 3,700 passengers entered the port. As for drivers, they can easily visit Seoul by taking expressways. National Route 7 will also allow them to conveniently drive to neighboring towns, such as Goseong and Yangyang. The Seoul-Gangneung KTX also enables faster travel to Seoul. The planned opening of the Chuncheon-Sokcho Line will allow residents of the apartments to travel to Yongsan within 75 minutes. Hyundai E&C said the complex will be equipped with internet of things (IoT) technologies for residents to control lighting, gas, heating, ventilation systems and home appliances remotely by smartphone. Hillstate Sokcho Central will also have a plaza and a garden, as well as various amenities such as a gym, library and cafes for mothers with their children. "Hillstate Sokcho Central has gained huge popularity, because it is located in the center of Sokcho and provides a sea view," a Hyundai E&C official said. "As it is Sokcho's first Hillstate, we will focus on designing various facilities." (Advertorial) A Wizz Air flight airplane was forced to return to Ben Gurion Airport shortly after takeoff this morning, reporting engine trouble. Wizz Air flight W62542 to Riga took off at 11:36 a.m. for its scheduled four-hour flight to Latvia. However, shortly after takeoff the pilot reported engine trouble while the plane was still making its climb over the Mediterranean, and declared a general emergency. The flight, with 178 passengers on board, turned back to Israel to make an emergency landing, the Times of Israel reported. Firefighting crews and emergency personnel were on standby as the Airbus A320 made its landing safely. The airport declared a level 2 emergency, summoning dozens of ambulances from stations in the nearby cities. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the leaders of the five-country block BRICS to let Turkey join the group. "If you take us in the name of the platform would become BRICST, I said," Erdogan said in South Africas capital Johannesburg on July 27. The president also said that the BRICS members welcomed his suggestion warmly. "Especially China says that it stands in favor of enlargement. I have seen that they are considering involving other countries in this platform. They are not opposed to it," Hurriyet Daily News cited him as saying. "We are in the G-20 with five of those countries. I wish they take the necessary steps to let us in and we take our place in the BRICS," Erdogan added. Pointing to the potential of partnering in economy, investments and development projects with the BRICS countries, "I believe that it is not right to stay away from such groupings," Erdogan said. Turkey and Iran have reached an agreement on the exchange of Turkish lira with Iranian rial in banking transactions, Irans Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Sadeq Najafi said. Speaking on the sidelines of the 24th round of Electronic, Computer and E-Commerce Exhibition in Tehran, the minister said exchanging lira with rial in Iran-Turkey bilateral trade has been approved and will be pursued through the banks of the two countries. "Although some private banks may not accede to this issue (using national currencies), there are various ways in which the two countries can do trade, and there are companies and individuals that pave the way (for it)," Tasnim cited him as saying. Najafi further pointed to the possibility of using digital currencies in bilateral transactions, saying that if the necessary infrastructure is provided, the two countries can trade using electronic money. Jul 30, 2018, 10:39am ET Audi teases PB 18 e-tron concept for Pebble Beach Inspired by the LeMans-winning R18 e-tron, the Pebble Beach concept was penned by the new Audi Design Loft in Malibu. Audi has released a teaser image for the PB 18 e-tron concept, due to be revealed at Pebble Beach. The name simply describes the Pebble Beach venue and year of the debut, though Audi says the car is inspired by the LeMans-winning R18 e-tron racing car. The company describes the PB 18 e-tron as a futuristic electric design study for the performance enthusiast driver. The concept was penned by the new Audi Design Loft in Malibu, California. The PB 18 will make its initial debut at Laguna Seca as part of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion reception. It will then head to The Quail on August 24, back to Laguna Seca on August 25 and finally the Pebble Beach Concept Lawn on August 26. James Heimbach, left, and Charles Yocum, right. (Courtesy photos | For lehighvalleylive.com) Two men accused of killing a man during a drug-fueled night in Bethlehem and then stuffing the victim's body in car trunk avoided the maximum prison sentence on Monday. James Heimbach, 31, and Charles Yocum, 33, both of Bethlehem, were each sentenced to 12 to 24 years in state prison for third-degree murder in the 2016 killing of Joseph Goda. The pair pleaded guilty back in May. While each man admitted they were involved in the actions that led to Goda's death, neither admitted being the person who killed him. Goda's friends and family sobbed as they left the courtroom. They declined to comment. There was no sentencing agreement as part of the plea, and the charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Both men apologized for their roles in the killing. "I would like to apologize to the Goda family from the bottom of my heart," Heimbach said. Judith Goda, the victim's mother, described the pain and heartache the family endured while police were looking for her son and the unimaginable pain they have lived with since his body was discovered in the trunk of a car. Her son's body was so badly damage that she couldn't say good-bye one last time. "There is an emptiness inside of due to Joe's death that will haunt us for the rest of our life," Judith Goda said in court. Police believe the 27-year-old Goda was killed the Friday before Labor Day weekend in 2016. The trio began partying in the early morning of Sept. 2 at the apartment where Heimbach lived and Yocum sometimes stayed at 945 E. Sixth St. in Bethlehem, authorities said. A building manager found the crime scene the afternoon of Sept. 2, when he went to the East Sixth Street apartment for a planned meeting with Heimbach to sign a new lease, authorities said. No one was in the apartment, but police found blood covering the walls of a back mudroom, and blood droplets on the floor and a living room wall. Officers also found a knife on the garage floor, a shotgun casing on top of the mattress and signs of drug use including a straw, white powdery substance and digital scale on a kitchen counter, the department said. Two days later, Heimbach's mother called a detective to report her son was being treated at Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg. Pocono Township police allegedly found him running in his underwear through traffic. In an interview with investigators, Heimbach reportedly said that on Sept. 1 or Sept. 2 he snorted the synthetic drug Flakka, also known as the "zombie drug," with Goda, and that Yocum was with them in Bethlehem. Heimbach believed Goda was trying to bite him, saying he jumped on top of him and started punching him in the face, police said. Heimbach allegedly told police Goda bit his hands and he was "fighting for his life." Heimbach said he was able to break free, run out a back door and his next memory was being in Pocono Township. On Labor Day, Sept. 5, 2016, Bethlehem police found a gray Saab registered to Yocum's mother in the parking lot of Weis Supermarket at the Tannersville Plaza. Investigators found blood on the driver's seat and headrest, and Goda's bloody body was found in the trunk during a search at Bethlehem's police headquarters after a search warrant was secured. Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek previously testified there were 13 drugs, including prescription drugs, found in Goda's system. The cause of death was blunt force trauma and the manner homicide. Police then interviewed Yocum, who told investigators he witnessed Heimbach fatally beat Goda in the head with a shotgun. Heimbach and Yocum rolled the body up into a rug and placed the body into the trunk of the Saab, according to police. Yocum allegedly helped drive the Saab with Goda in the trunk and Heimbach in the passenger seat into Monroe County. The pair planned to dump the body into the ocean of the Jersey Shore, but instead spent a few days continuing their drug-fueled spree, police said. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Joseph Marcus spent five years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. "It was merely weeks, if not less, before he was back doing it again," according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Stephan. The 52-year-old Wilson Borough man was sent back to federal prison Monday for 15 years, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Philadelphia. Marcus posted a video of child pornography on May 31, and police found a second video on his computer on Oct. 26. That video depicted a girl between the ages of 5 and 7 being sexually abused. Marcus pleaded guilty to two child pornography-related crimes. "Marcus has demonstrated that he cannot resist his urges to watch young children be sexually exploited for his own sexual gratification," Stephan wrote in her sentencing memorandum. She later added, "each time he downloaded and saved an image of one of the worst days of a child's life he re-victimized that child." According to Stephan, Marcus had a photography business, a family and was active in his church despite his crimes. "He has spent the past 10 years either exploiting children or being incarcerated for it," she wrote. "He had demonstrated that not even being caught, convicted, punished, incarcerated, supervised, and counseled would deter him from the urge to exploit children again." Marcus' attorneys didn't respond to emails seeking comment. Marcus was sentenced to six years in federal prison on Feb. 18, 2009, for possessing child pornography. Police said he had 52 photos and six videos of child pornography in 2004 and 2005. Most of them depicted adult men molesting young girls ranging from 2 to 4 years old. Marcus was granted early release from prison on May 9, 2014, federal court records say. He was ordered to participate in sex offender treatment as a condition of his release. Marcus was a professional photographer and one-time business leader, formerly chairing the small business council of the now defunct Two Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce. He was a freelance photographer who formerly sold photos to The Express-Times. Stephan asked for a 15-year sentence. Marcus was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery Schmehl. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. A man accused of fighting outside a Wilson Borough strip club is facing more serious charges after allegedly bolting from police. Wilson police said they were called at 2:45 a.m for a fight behind Spanky's East Gentlemen's Club, off Butler Street. When officers arrived, they found a group of men, including Cody Stelma, walking away. A witness identified Stelma as one of the men fighting, police said. When an officer told Stelma to walk to him, Stelma began screaming and cursing before allegedly taking off. An officer chased Stelma through the nearby neighborhood, and he ignored orders to stop, police said. Eventually he was cornered at gunpoint on a porch in the 1500 block of Butler Street, police said. Stelma took off again, but was wrestled to the ground and eventually handcuffed, police said. An officer injured his knee hopping a fence during the chase, police said. Stelma is charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct - engaging in fighting, loitering, and summary charges of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. He was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $40,000 bail. Stelma has a lengthy rap sheet, and was recently free on $1,500 bail in a DUI case from May in Bethlehem Township, records show. In 2010, Stelma was sentenced to two to four years in county prison for robbing a group of people at gunpoint. The judge refrained from sentencing Stelma to more prison time because of his work mentoring in the prison addiction program. Three years later, Stelma was sentenced to 16 months to 32 months in state prison, followed by one year of probation, in a drug case. Police said they found bag of marijuana, 20 packets of heroin and a letter addressed to Stelma in a coat, and then during a later search by police they found marijuana in his underwear and heroin on him, patch.com reported. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Organizers of a vigil for a man shot and killed by a South Whitehall Township police officer say police must be held accountable for the killing. The group Make the Road Pennsylvania is organizing the vigil Wednesday for the late Joseph Santos, who was shot dead on Saturday. "We want to make a space where people in the community can come and grieve and be together but also stand up to demand answers from the police force that took the life of Joseph Santos," said Ashleigh Strange, the communications director for the local Make The Road Pennsylvania group. Santos, 44, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, was shot at 5:44 p.m. in front of 3712 Hamilton Blvd. near Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, according to township police Chief Glen Dorney. Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin said Santos was acting "bizarrely." A witness said Santos was banging on car windows. Martin said Santos ripped the window out of a car, hung on to the car as it drove away and ignored police commands to get on the ground. The matter is under investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police. Strange said Santos' actions didn't warrant a "death sentence." "That officer had no right to play judge jury and executioner over this man's life," she said. Martin had no response to Strange's comment. He said he would comment when the state police investigation concludes. Strange said her organization operates across the state to support Latino and Latina residents. It's had organizational centers in Allentown and Reading for the past two years, she said. She had no estimate on the size of the gathering Wednesday, although she said as many as 150 people meet monthly with the group. The vigil will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1, at Hamilton Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue in a grassy area near the shooting site. "This is an event for affected members of the community to come together and grieve together," Strange said. STATEMENT Here's a copy of a statement on the vigil home page, "Lehigh Valley: End Police Brutality!" We are outraged at the senseless killing of a man in our community by the South Whitehall Police Department. This act of extreme police brutality is not a fluke or an accident, but part of the police system that regularly works to detain, deport, and kill black and brown people across the country. Our condolences go out to this man's family and our fight for justice will continue with a vigil held near the scene Wednesday night. Our members stand with the family and all families that face brutality at the hands of an overzealous and destructive police force. We remain vigilant while we wait for more details. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. The title on Tom Moran's July 15 Star-Ledger column, "N.J.'s climate fight widens the gap between rich, poor", is extraordinarily telling. The column describes the tragic death of an ill Newark grandmother, Linda Daniels, following shutoff of her electric service for nonpayment. The writer cites subsidies for solar and offshore wind projects that drive electric rates to brutal levels for the state's poor while the rich do just fine. This column reads like old news reports about Germany's global warming initiative. With more than 30 percent of its electricity coming from heavily subsidized wind and solar, that nation's electricity gets increasingly expensive. Their energy transformation program has long been recognized as a massive transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich. A growing part of Germany's population is now defined as "energy poor." New Jersey failed to see Germany's miserable lessons. As tragic as Daniels' demise is, the wider tragedy is that massive constituencies and special interests that thrive around the climate fraud now hold the state hostage. New Jersey's global-warming folly will never be corrected and the state will suffer interminably. The Star-Ledger has fully recognized the social and economic damage that global warming initiatives create, yet can't bring itself to call for an end to the notion that government programs can change the weather. Instead, they call for taxes to hide the damage. Whether through excessive energy costs or taxes, damage is damage. We must not allow Pennsylvania to fall into the Germany/New Jersey trap. James M. Policelli Plainfield Township Pennsylvania and New Jersey officials are trying to prevent state residents from downloading plans for 3D printable guns from the internet. In an emergency hearing in federal court Sunday, Defense Distributed -- the firm that recently won approval from the U.S. State Department to distribute 3D gun plans online -- agreed to block Pennsylvanians from accessing the files. The action came after Attorney Gen. Josh Shapiro, Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania State Police sued the company, arguing the downloads would make untraceable guns readily available to anyone with internet access. The federal go-ahead for Defense Distributed was supposed to take effect Aug. 1. According to Shapiro, a company representative said in court that it started distributing gun files Friday and 1,000 people had downloaded 3D plans for AR-15 semiautomatic rifles by Sunday. Cody Wilson, owner of Defense Distributed, has been suing to make blueprints accessible since 2013, when he posted posted a plan for a 3D-printable handgun. He was supported by the Second Amendment Foundation and other gun-rights groups. Several gun-control advocates, including the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, argued against it. Meanwhile, Defense Distributed filed suit Sunday against New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and the city of Los Angeles for attempting to block gun plans from being downloaded. What do you think? Should access to downloadable 3D gun plans be allowed or prohibited? Have a say in our informal poll, and feel free to elaborate in the comments section. A man in jail for allegedly dealing heroin in the Slate Belt has now been charged in a person's overdose death. Matthew Mucklin, 36, was arraigned Monday on charges of drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver drugs, and criminal use of a communication facility for the overdose death of 20-year-old Paige Caiazzo on July 21, 2017. Bail was set in that case at $100,000. Mucklin is already being held on $75,000 bail on drug charges from a February raid in Bangor. A message left for his defense attorney, Bob Patterson, was not immediately returned. In February, Mucklin and another person were charged after 200 bags of heroin and packaging material were found in a home at 45 N. Third St. in Bangor. Chief Scott Felchock said police began watching the home after neighbor complaints and several overdoses in the vicinity of the home. Mucklin is currently awaiting trial on drug dealing and related charges stemming from the raid. Felchock said phone analysis helped link Mucklin to Caiazzo's death. This is the department's first drug delivery resulting in death case, the chief said. The charges come after prosecutors in Northampton and Lehigh counties have increased their use of drug delivery resulting in death charges. Earlier this month, Northampton borough resident Alexander Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge for providing heroin that led to the fatal overdose of 21-year-old Kaitlyn N. Laumann. Daniel Fisher was sentenced last fall in Northampton County Court to three to six years in state prison in the fatal overdose of 26-year-old Thomas O'Brien. Meredith Corbet, of Warren County, is awaiting trial on the charge, stemming from the Feb. 17, 2016, death of Nicole Werst. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A homeless man is accused of lighting a Pen Argyl house on fire Sunday, and police say surveillance cameras caught him in the act. John Hofer, 41, is currently on parole for a separate case where he threatened to light his house on fire and kill his mother, and officers found a smoldering fire inside. Hofer was back in Northampton County Prison Monday, charged with arson, risking a catastrophe and criminal mischief. His bail was set at $50,000. Slate Belt Regional police said neighbors called at 1:41 p.m. Sunday for a house fire at 514 W. Pennsylvania Ave. in Pen Argyl. Officers found part of the front porch partially in flames. Neighbors described a man in a flannel shirt and shorts leaving the home after the fire was lit, police said. Officers said they encountered Hofer about three hours before the fire and he was wearing a similar outfit. Surveillance cameras recorded a man later identified as Hofer pour gas on the porch, place the gas can by the front door and light the porch on fire, police said. The flames caused the gas can to explode and damaged the home, police said. In the earlier case, Bangor police said they entered Hofer's home and found it filled with light smoke and an odor of burning wood. Police found a folding closet door smoldering in a hall, a gas-burning baseboard heater with its cover removed and a piece of scrap wood propped against the heating element, and Murphy's Oil Soap and a thick, white, glue-like substance poured on the kitchen floor, records say. Hofer was not home and was believed to have fled out a back door found ajar, police said. Police found a broken lighter inside the home's fenced-in yard, near a garage and next-door church, records say. Hofer pleaded guilty to making terroristic threats and risking a catastrophe in that case, and was sentenced in October to nine to 18 months in county prison, followed by five years of probation, records show, Hofer violated his probation with a defiant trespass and criminal mischief case in December, and was ordered in March to serve the balance of his sentence in the house fire and threats case, with parole after six months. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Anyone who's been to college knows the struggle: textbooks are expensive. They're often thick hardcovers, with bright, glossy pages you know will cost you a pretty penny. Many professors require the latest editions, and others request that students buy upwards of a dozen texts for a single class. Coupled with the rising cost of attendance at public and private institutions nationwide, many students are impelled to forgo books or drop out altogether. That's where Warren County Community College's new textbook subscription partnership with Cengage steps in. "Think of it like Netflix," said WCCC President Will Austin. "You get a subscription that gives you access to every textbook or online learning material in their domain." He said many books, especially those in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, can cost hundreds of dollars -- and that includes used or rented ones. By paying a flat fee, students can access any book within the Cengage imprint electronically, saving them "hundreds of dollars a semester," Austin said. That imprint includes over 22,000 products across 70 disciplines, and those who prefer the physical feel of a book can have a copy mailed for $7.99 each. The program is set to begin at WCCC for the spring 2019 semester. Costs for the program will be rolled into the college's tuition and fee structure, Austin said, and financial aid will be applied for those who have it. Though the college is still working out the exact price per student, he said the 1-year subscription will be less than what a single term of the service retails for on Cengage. The service normally costs $119.99 per term. Austin added that most faculty and staff he's met with are on board with the change -- because Cengage is such a large publishing company, most instructors are already using their material anyways. And for those who aren't, most seemed willing to change their syllabi to accommodate, he said. "It isn't as if one publisher has Shakespeare and no one else does," Austin said. "It's just a matter of finding the right books." He said people may prefer one type of book or publisher to another, but most introductory college-level STEM textbooks contain the same information, more or less. "Science is science. Math is math," Austin said. "Could professors have preferences? Yes, but a preference for, say, one statistics book over another would not outweigh asking (a student) to pay $300 for a single book versus half that for all their books." Plus, he said, the unlimited nature of the Cengage contract means professors can select chapters from multiple books or editions without burdening students with increased costs. That, coupled with the online technology and homework services Cengage provides, made the partnership "the kind of decision that makes itself," Austin said. Pivoting to subscriptions The Cengage Unlimited program itself is still rolling out, said Chief Strategy Officer Todd Markson. The first day individual students can sign up for the service is Aug. 1. The student has always been "at the core" of what Cengage does, Markson said, and the subscription method is an answer to both financial inaccessibility and changing tastes that favor digital access over physical ownership. "When we continued to see students not being able to access our materials, we saw that we needed to solve that," he said. "It didn't make sense to do all this work on developing pedagogy and materials ... and then have a certain percentage of students not be able to afford them." Markson added that the company has been working on cutting costs for student materials for the past few years anyways, with price reductions to textbooks and ebooks, as well as partnering with rental companies to offer students additional options. The program, said Cengage Vice President of Public and Media Relations Lindsay Stanley, was a "natural fit," since today's college students are so accustomed to subscription services like Netflix and Spotify. "This subscription model for today's students is a familiar one," Stanley said. "Not only is it a good deal, but it's a convenient one. It's simple and easy to understand." She added that WCCC is Cengage's first institution-wide partnership in the Northeast, with others in the area forthcoming. Its partnership with New Mexico's University of the Southwest was publicly announced earlier this month, and Stanley said other partnerships would be released publicly soon. Markson said this program is "just the start," with a recent collaboration with education technology company Chegg signaling the possibility of others in the future. He added that competitors like Pearson or McGraw-Hill just aren't in this domain yet. "We're really the first education company of our scale to roll something out like this that covers numerous disciplines and product areas," Markson said. "For the large-scale publishers with the scale and breadth (that we have), we're the only one. And that's exciting." Jake Holland may be reached at jholland@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jakewholland. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A Laois designer has been commissioned by An Post to design the stamps for the forthcoming Papal visit. Vermillion Design, which was founded by Coolrain woman, Anne Brady in 1999 won the commission for the historic occasion. The Dublin based graphic design business has a national and international client base. In 1979 during the last papal visit, Anne was in primary school in Camross N.S. She attended secondary school in the Brigidine Convent Mountrath where she was encouraged to be a designer by Sr Finbarr Richardson, the Art teacher and principal. I went on to study design in Athlone IT and University of Reading," says Anne. "I founded Vermillion Design in 1999. "In 2017, I was selected from a panel of over 100 Irish designers to create the commemorative stamps, first day cover and souvenir items for An Post. "It was a great honour to be chosen, says Anne. Vermillion diverse range of clients have included the OPW, Cambridge University, the Chester Beatty Library, Fyffes, the National Gallery of Ireland, University College Cork, Gas Network Ireland and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. A print run of 500,000 1 stamps bearing an image of the pontiff with a dove taking flight and 100,000 1.50 stamps featuring a family walking on a beach has been commissioned. The stamps went on sale at post offices nationwide last with special first day covers, stamp miniature sheets and souvenir sheets available at the GPO and online. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. 5 million will be invested in a new factory facility in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan supported by the Government through Enterprise Ireland. Approximately 80 full time jobs will be created at the facility by 2020. The development of Crust & Crumb into its new location at Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan will enable the company to further expand into the large and growing chilled pizza market in mainland EU countries. It already has a factory in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh. Making the announcement at Ballyconnell Business Park on Friday, July 27 , Heather Humphreys, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation said I couldnt be prouder that the Government is supporting this investment, which will go towards building a new, state-of-the-art facility and create 80 high-quality jobs. It is always a pleasure to announce new jobs but its especially positive when its in a place like Ballyconnell. I spent many years working here so I couldnt be happier to be making this announcement, which comes as a huge boost to the local area. Mark McCaffrey, spokesperson for Crust & Crumb stated, We wish to thank Enterprise Ireland for their support in this Project. This investment was necessary for the Companys Brexit Strategy and without financial support, this expansion could not have happened. We are hoping to have the factory operational by December 2018 and will start our employment recruitment campaign over the next coming months. Since announcing this expansion to our Customers, we have been able to attain 6m orders by having a presence in Europe. This Project is paramount to our survival after Brexit. Also welcoming the news, Kevin Buckley, Manager of Food FDI Europe, Enterprise Ireland, who said the announcement represented the second new Food FDI project secured in recent weeks, and the fifth so far in 2018. With the capacity to bring over 300 million of new investment into regional locations, he said: The result of this investment is 80 jobs supported by Enterprise Ireland which will deliver a positive impact to the North East region, supporting sustainable economic growth, regional development and secure employment. We are committed to working with Crust & Crumb to support this partnership. Also read: Community vows to fight downgrading of Ballyconnell Garda Station GARDAI have arrested a young man following two burglaries in the Castletroy area of the city. At approximately 7pm on Sunday, gardai received a call of a suspicious man who was seen leaving a house in the Cambridge Close area. A description of the man was circulated to garda members and a search of the area was carried out. A man in his 20s was arrested a short distance away, said a garda spokesman. Following his arrest, the suspect was brought to Henry Street Garda Station where he currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. Thanks to the local community keeping a look out for each other and reporting suspicious activity to the gardai, we have been able to arrest a man on suspicion of burglary. Having good neighbours is a vital component in crime prevention. If you notice any suspicious activity in your area, pick up the phone and call the gardai, said Sergeant Ber Leetch. If you are going away and your home will be left vacant, ask a neighbour to keep an eye on the place. The Garda Summertime Safety campaign has lots of useful crime prevention tips and can be seen on www.garda.ie or by calling into any garda Station, she added. WHILE recommendations to remove some restrictions on children self-declaring their gender identity have been welcomed, focus must also be placed on offering holistic supports to transgender and non-binary young people, according to a Limerick city charity. A review of the Gender Recognition Act, commissioned by the Government, has recommended to allow children under the age of 18 have their preferred gender recognised by the State, if they have consent from both parents. Currently, children under the age of 16 are prohibited from self-declaring their gender and sixteen and seventeen year-olds must go through a medical evaluation beforehand. GOSHH (Gender, Orientation, Sexual Health and HIV), a charity based in Limerick City, made a submission to the review, basing its recommendations on the experiences of its clients, according to Patrick McElligott of GOSHH. I think they are definitely moving in the right direction on the policy and legislation side, which is really important and extremely necessary for this whole process, Mr McElligott said. It's about giving people the chance to explore their own identity and make decisions for themselves around gender recognition, he added. We would have also highlighted the need for more holistic supports so that it isnt so clinical, that there is more space for people to get softer support like counselling and peer-led support. In its submission to the Government, GOSHH recom- mended that transgender and non-binary young people, who are 16 or 17, should have access to gender recognition certificates through the same process as those over the age of 18. The group also recommended the inclusion of an alternative marker for non-binary people or others who do not want their gender to be specified. Negative impacts on the mental health of transgender and non-binary people due to stigma and accessing services must also be addressed, the group wrote. The charity also recomm- ended that transgender and non-binary young people under the age of 16 have access to gender recognition certificates without requiring a medical assessment or diagnosis. There is still an absence of holistic supports, and not just around how people access these things but what process they have in place doing that, Mr McElligott said. Holistic supports include peer support, social supports, counseling and other therapies like art therapy or non-verbal therapy for young people, he added. At the moment it's a medical model and the medical model doesnt take into account the emotional impact of this whole process and what it feels like to be left waiting in a system for an extremely long period of time and building the coping mechanisms around that. GOSSH works with a wide range of people, from the ages of six to 80 years old from Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, Mr McElligott added. The Gender Recognition Act allows individuals to apply to be legally recognised under the gender they identify. When a person is issued with a gender recognition certificate their gender from the date of issue become the preferred gender. SOMETIMES it takes an outsider looking in to make us appreciate what we have. The Irish Shows Association president David Sheehan noted that you wouldnt get the crowd at some shows that you would get at the launch of the Cappamore Show. Hayes function room was packed to capacity last Wednesday night in advance of the day itself on Saturday, August 18 in Ballyvourneen, Cappamore. Among the large crowd was Sheila Deegan, Limerick City and County Councils arts officer, who are generously supporting the event. Ms Deegan said it is important to recognise communities that organise an event that has a huge impact. There is extraordinary commitment from their committee. They have 120 volunteers thats bigger than a small company! said Ms Deegan, who vowed to dig out her needles and knit an entry for August 18. This will be the 64th Cappamore Show but despite heading for retirement age they continue to innovate. At the launch, Sinead Toomey and Peter Hanagan, of Music Generation Limerick, really added to the atmosphere. Paddy Ryan Luke, who incredibly has been secretary for 59 of those 64 shows, said Cappamore started, like many shows did, through Macra na Feirme. Quite a lot have fallen away sadly. Cappamore has not only survived it has prospered, said Mr Ryan, who thanked sponsors for their continued support. He says some people ask why go to the bother of organising a show. Any community event is vitally important to rural Ireland. Volunteerism is the backbone of rural Ireland. The economy is booming but it hasnt filtered down to rural Ireland, said Mr Ryan, who hit out at over regulation by authorities. It puts obstacles in the way of communities working for the betterment of their communities. Those authorities would be better off helping communities instead of putting red tape in their way, said Mr Ryan. Insurance, health and safety regulations and now GDPR are all issues shows have to deal with. He thanked Ballyhoura and Limerick City and County Council who ran courses for committee members. Marie Hayes, chairperson, said the launch was the traditional kick-start to their show day and thanked sponsors, some of whom have been with them for the start. PJ Blackwell, treasurer, said 25% of their financial support comes from sponsors and without it there would be no show. We are not a profit making venture. At best we break even but the moral support of sponsors is as important as the financial support, said Mr Mr Blackwell. Amid all the honoured guests in Hayes was one Jimmy McCarthy. The 86-year-old president of Cappamore Show is the only continuous link by a serving committee member to their very first event. See more on the Cappamore Show in coming weeks THE Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has highly praised Limerick Prison for its focus on protecting human rights at the unveiling a profound new artwork on the prison grounds. Human Rights Commissioner Teresa Blake was speaking at the unveiling of The Space Between, a sculpture created by Limerick City Build, in the foregrounds of the prison on Mulgrave Street. Featuring three different outlines of a man, woman and child, The Space Between is representative of fathers, mothers and children, and looking at the care of a family as a whole unit within Limerick Prison. The piece was also unveiled ahead of the World Meeting of Families in August. This representation created by the Limerick City Build artists says so much, so much more than any of us could say, Ms Blake said. Its an emotional piece that represents what goes missing when a person comes to prison. This is a fantastic statement about family that really links with the Prison Service core values, she added. While a person is deprived of their civil liberty, it is still important that their human rights prevail. The Irish Prison Service, and Limerick Prison, has set their core values in line with human rights, she added. Im phenomenally honoured to have been involved in the project. Today we unveiled a new sculpture outside Limerick Prison. Congratulations to Limerick City Build. I also visited the new family room for visits. pic.twitter.com/Jfq7xTcqZf Cllr. James Collins - General Election Candidate (@jamesjcollins) July 26, 2018 The Space Between was unveiled along with two other new pieces of artwork in the foreground of the prison created by Limerick City Build. This includes Kathedra a steel bench and a revamp to the door of the original prison governors quarters, including a door created with wood from railway sleepers. A newly decorated family room was also unveiled on the day. It has been redesigned to make the area more homily for children visiting their parents. Mayor of Limerick City and County James Collins speaking at the unveiling described the piece as thought-provoking. Lets be honest here, the race in District 30 has been heated. But what is the truth here, who is being truthful, and what are the previous actions by the candidates? Lets take a look at reality: Healthy Insurance: Heltons Camp Has made claims that Mason is literally in the pockets of health insurance companies. Reality: Mason works for a supplemental insurance company (life insurance, accidental coverage, dental, disability, etc.). This could be equated to a company like Aflac. Health insurance is health insurance (Cigna, Bluecross Blueshield, etc.), and the attempt to group them together is comical. Heltons Camp Has made claims about her, as a nurse, being directly involved with this healthcare debacle that has devastated everyones coverage, and she predominantly wants to fight this. She wants, healthcare back to a relationship between you and your doctor. Reality Unless I am missing something, I cannot find anywhere online (her website or other social media platforms of Helton) showing that she is an active nurse in our community; where is she presently working as a nurse? If we are to assume she is an active nurse, Im not sure how that relates to her experience dealing with healthcare insurance. Its as simple as asking yourself the following question: when you are having insurance problems do you talk to your nurse or talk to your agent/directly with insurance company? Obviously its the latter. Reality Who would have more experience dealing with the new evolving healthcare system? I would have to say Mason would have to be more well versed in this subject as being a small business owner he must stay on top of the consistently changing structure and how it could potentially adversely affect his business. In truthfulness a practicing nurse could pay zero attention to the changing rules and still go on business as usual. Overarching Reality Helton has said time and time again this is her number one issue she is running on, but the truth here is very little can be done on the state level on the now federally controlled healthcare system. The little that can be done is not accepting the federal dollars which Tennessee is already doing. Fiscal Responsibility: Heltons Camp As of early July there was an article showing they had raised over $81,000 towards her campaign. This, if not the largest, is one of the largest figures raised for this seat. Reality Every voter should be very concerned with Heltons ability to effectively manage money, because she is quoted as saying, I have barely had enough to run this race. Masons Camp As of early July he had raised under $15,000 dollars towards his campaign. He is probably more in line with the average raised by candidates running for this seat. Reality Mason has stretched every penny in his campaign, as evident with all his signs throughout the community (which appears to the naked eye as more then Heltons signs), and never complained on a lack of funds. Furthermore Mason and his family have successfully operated their own business since his late 20s. Overarching Reality Clearly Mason is the better money manager of the two. This, at least for me personally, is a primary topic of any election. And it is important that we dont pass on our problems or future problems to the children of tomorrow. Obama Vote: Masons Camp Has made claims that Helton has voted for Obama twice. Reality If you pull Heltons records independently it is abundantly clear she voted Democratic during Obamas election years. Heltons Camp This one is confusing so follow me please: She has denied on Facebook voting for Obama, quoted saying I did cast a ballot in a Democrat primary, her campaign team claimed the picture of her voting record had been altered, and then her campaign team said she voted for Obama on Facebook. Reality These are conflicting statements that have come out of her camp and herself, but we all should just turn our attention to her voting record. If this is an important question for you then you need to independently go pull it. Overarching Reality Tennessee is a red state and any association with the Democratic Party/ Obama could hurt your chances of running for public office. It boils down to a traditional conservative belief system. This has opened the door for Democratic candidates to pretend to be Republican to get into office. This is why, as you can clearly see, there is confusion and denial at times from the Helton camp. To continue Heltons quote above in full, I did cast a ballot in a Democrat primary but my voting record as an elected official, my financial contributions and the time that I've spent working for other candidates reflects my Christian faith and my conservative values that make me a Republican. We can all agree Obamas Healthcare (again a platform Helton says is #1 for her), handouts, increased regulations, and growing the government are in direct contradiction to conservative values. Pro Life: Masons Camp Mason is quoted as saying, Tennessee Right to Life told our campaign Helton did not meet the criteria of the organization and has consistently voiced the pro life stance during public forums. Reality This is true and was further supported by a letter from Brian Harris (President of TN Pro Life). Heltons Camp Helton fought back saying this non-endorsement is completely untrue [and] is a line that has been breached. Helton claimed she never received any contact from TN Pro Life. Helton also claimed that TN Pro Life was reaching out to Mason to correct his comments. This led to excessive commercials saying she is pro-life and her son is living proof. Reality Brian Harris from TN Pro Life issued a letter claiming multiple attempts of reaching out to Helton with zero response; the claim of no contact and correcting the record fell silent. Again, Helton pivoted her focus with excessive commercials continually claiming she is pro-life by having her son. If having a child is proof of pro-life then every living American is pro life who has children, which we know is not the case. Yes, there are people who are pro-choice who have children. Overarching Reality Its an easy question: Who would you expect more to be pro life? The candidate who promptly responds to the institute reaching out or the one who completely ignores them? Its very clear this stance is very important to Mason, while it appears Helton is attempting to mitigate the damage with a flood of ads in an act of damage control. Even more concerning is TN Pro Life at times has supported both candidates in races, and in this instance they did not. Property Rights: Masons Camp Mason is for everyones property rights and against forced annexation. Reality Mason has stood steadfast in this stance as noted during the public forums he has engaged in. Heltons Camp Helton is quoted as saying, I believe one of our fundamental liberties as Americans is our property rights, which is also the foundation of prosperity. Reality This claim is contradictory to her actions in 2017 in where she moved forward a motion to put people in a position to have their homes in East Ridge taken away. Overarching Reality Mason has remained consistent while Helton has been on both sides of this argument saying one thing and doing another. 2nd Amendment: Heltons Camp Has made the claim that she is the only NRA member in the race. Reality She is a member of NRA, but not the only one in the race. Mason responded back to these comments with a picture of him holding his NRA card. Masons Camp Has said he will never apologize for his beliefs and supports 2nd amendment rights. Reality He has remained consistent with this belief. Overarching Reality They both appear to be in support of 2nd amendment rights. The only difference is Helton trying to use it to differentiate herself from Mason while the truth is this is a non-issue since they are in agreement. Peoples Voice: Masons Camp Mason has continually engaged the community and been involved in public debates and forums. Reality As mentioned above he is engaging the community. Heltons Camp Says she fights for you. Reality If you ask Helton a difficult question on Facebook. She will delete it and block you. She has avoided nearly all of the public debates with Mason. This gives the appearance she is afraid to engage the public directly and retreats to social media and ads for her exposure. Overarching Reality Of course every candidate always says they want to work for you. But the reality is it appears Helton cant handle any sort of conflict and fights back with press releases. Defending your integrity of course is okay, but its how you handle yourself during the defense is what is important. There is no where you can find Mason losing his calm demeanor in any response, but the same cannot be said on the other side. Negative Ads: Masons Camp Has made claims about Helton voting for Obama and not receiving the TN Pro Life endorsement Reality Helton claims these are negative ads, but the difference is the exposure of truth versus an outright false statement. Nothing, to date, has been proven a lie. Heltons Camp Has made claims that not one penny, not one second of our time has been devoted to anything negative. Reality If you receive mail you would have seen flyer after flyer aggressively attacking Mason (NRA and Health Insurances claim above). When Helton did not receive TNs Pro Life endorsement, she is quoted in the newspaper calling him a political hack. Even as of this morning I am writing this (July 29), Helton posted an article on her social media that she is still running a clean campaign but contradicts herself by posting an article that states: 1) Calls us the Land of Hicks and Rhubarbs, 2) calls Mason the biggest buffoon in the history of southeastern Tennessee politics, 3) calls Mason a known brawler. Again this all derives from the Obama vote that has sent her down this path with these type of responses. But ask yourself this easy question If you pull a Democratic primary that only has Obama or write in and this same person at times has admitted to voting for Obama is it that far of a leap to say she has voted for Obama? Overarching Reality Again, the major difference here is exposing an individual for truths that may be uncomfortable for them versus outright saying something that is false. The physical evidence to support Masons claims are apparent while Heltons are not and continues making contradictory statements. True Republican/ True Conservative: Heltons Camp Has made claims that she is a trusted conservative as evident in her commercials at the top of the screen. Reality If you pull her voting record, it would be impossible to claim she is a trusted conservative since she started voting Republican, switched to Democratic voting from 2008-2014, then switched back. The questions start coming up: What does she stand for? Is she likely to switch again? If you are a person who votes strictly on party lines, it would be impossible to trust a person with this voting pattern as a trusted conservative. Masons Camp Has made claims of being the only true conservative in the race. Reality This is pretty simple. If you pull his voting record independently you will see he has always voted Republican. And, if you pull his internet history you will see his active involvement in the Republican Party since he began being involved in politics as a young adult. His viewpoints are smaller government, less regulations, pro life, etc. All items that are in line with the Republican party. Overarching Reality Anyone who supported the Democratic party during 2008-2014, when some of the most progressive policies ever got implemented into our culture (specifically healthcare which is her #1 issue), cannot be called a trusted conservative. This is not saying that someone who is for these type of policies or is a Democratic is evil that is nonsense. Yes its possible to have different viewpoints and thats okay. The issue is Helton appears to try and play both sides and cannot refer to herself as someone who you can trust with conservative principles with her record. Conclusion: It appears that we have the following: Mason a candidate who has made you aware of public records, truths, his stances, and engaged the public on a consistent basis versus Helton a candidate who has flip flopped, spread lies while falsely accusing the other side of lying, hidden from the tough public debates, and voted in opposition of her claimed values. This is the reality. The reality is Mason is not only the true conservative in the race, but true to his word. Facts are stubborn things. Phillip Goldberg MEMBERS of DIslanders youth group, a branch of Limerick Youth Service, recently enjoyed an action-packed trip to Liverpool, at the invitation of a prestigious theatre company. The group from LYS were invited Merseyside by Emma Burns of the 20 Stories High Art Group, who saw the young people perform on stage at the Belltable as part of the Queens of the Island Field play. The play ran for three sold-old nights at the Belltable last November. Emma was so impressed by the young people that and was adamant that they visit Liverpool so we couldnt say no! said Gillian Boland of LYS. Ms Burns is part of the 20 Stories High community arts group which based at the famous Blue Coat Theatre, one of the oldest performing arts centres in the United Kingdom. The Blue Coat Theatre is celebrating its 300th anniversary making, so for our girls to be invited was a great honour, Gillian said. While at the Blue Coat Theatre the girls were given a private tour and saw rehearsals of Indebted: The Mix Tape, the latest production by 20 Stories High. Away from the arts centre the young people experienced a theatre of another kind as they paid a visit to Anfield, home of Liverpool FC. FIANNA Fail TD for Limerick Niall Collins has lambasted the government for its lazy attitude to rural Ireland and declared that the wheels have come off the National Broadband Programme. His comments come in as SSE has withdrawn from the last and only consortium still in the bid to roll-out broadband to 500,000 homes nationally. Fine Gaels lazy attitude to rural Ireland has been laid bare for all to see with the latest disaster to befall the National Broadband Plan, Deputy Collins said this Monday. The simple fact of the matter is that in their last two general election manifestos, Fine Gael has made promises to hundreds of thousands of citizens living in rural Ireland and across Limerick that it would roll out a National Broadband Plan. People across Limerick are becoming increasingly enraged at this fiasco and farmers, business and private residential homes are without one of the most basic services, decent access to broadband connectivity. Deputy Collins says with SSE withdrawing from the e-Net bid, its crystal clear that none of the companies capable of delivering the Plan can see an avenue towards a decent financial return. At every stage where progress was due, Fine Gael moved the goalposts to deflect from their abject failure. Time and time again, Fine Gael and their partners in government, whoever they may be, have failed to deliver the hard cash needed to roll out of the National Broadband Plan. Since Minister Naughten took office in 2016, every facade of the Plan has been diminished and downgraded, and any opportunity to reduce the States involvement has been taken, Deputy Collins continued. The wheels have come off the entire National Broadband Plan and Fine Gael and their independent colleagues have been caught out once again. They are quite happy to treat rural Ireland quite differently to their South Dublin bastions, he charged. Deputy Collins says the minister responsible, Denis Naughten and Fine Gael colleagues must now answer the hard questions: When did the minister become aware of SSEs decision to withdraw from the e-Net consortium? Why has e-Net not been designated as the Preferred Bidder? When will the contract be signed? When will the first homes be connected? he demanded. Over how many years will it take to connect the 540,000 households and businesses? Deputy Collins has also called for a fully independent review of the Broadband Plan to date, which was agreed in the Dail six months ago. Anything less and he (Minister Naughten) will once again fail to do what is right and proper by rural Ireland, the Limerick TD said. LIMERICK City and County Council has been urged to bring out big screens when Limerick vie to claim their first All-Ireland senior hurling title in 45 years on Sunday August 19. There will now be a major scramble for tickets for the final showdown at Croke Park as the boys in green will take on either Clare or Galway. Limerick delivered a Lazarus-like performance against a fatigued Cork, who had looked All-Ireland final-bound in the latter stages of the second half. But after ending full-time with a draw, a tired sea of red rivals were unable to keep up with the unblemished exuberance of the Treaty boys, thanks to goals by Shane Dowling and Pat Ryan. What had appeared to be a heartbreaking journey home for the Limerick lads in the second half, the boys in green ended the semi-final clash winning 3-32 to 2-31. Metropolitan mayor of Limerick, Cllr Daniel Butler has now called on the council and local businesses to arrange for a big screen to appear on All-Ireland final day in the city centre. That victory says everything about this team. Absolute belief to the end, honesty and intelligence tactically, Mayor Butler said, paying tribute to the victors. #AllIrelandFinal I have this evening formally requested Limerick Council Mgt to set about exploring the possibility of a large screen to show the All Ireland Final immediately. This is to ensure a safe, fun & importantly family friendly event can be organised. #LuimneachAbu pic.twitter.com/3hLH2yCoX2 Mayor Daniel Butler (@DanielButlerFG) July 29, 2018 We are witnessing a year of some of the finest hurling ever seen and possibly the finest Limerick team. Tickets will be at a premium and some of us are already looking and many will be disappointed. So I think to deal with that, I will be calling on Limerick Council and local businesses to come together and arrange for big screens in the city centre, he said. FIGURES published by the Department of Education indicate that Limerick could be facing an escalating student accommodation crisis, as the demand for beds is expected to outnumber current supply by more than 2,169 students by next year. With six weeks to go until college resumes, almost 5,000 student bedrooms at the University of Limerick are fully booked out for the academic year ahead, according to an advertisement taken by UL Campus Life Services. Just 15 purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) rooms are expected to come on stream in Limerick next year, according to the National Student Accomodation Strategy. Demand for PBSA rooms is increasing in Limerick, according to Edel Conlon, southern regional manager with Threshold, the national housing charity. I think the demand is also increasing for private rented properties for students as well because once students hit third year, they want to get out of the student built accommodation and get more independent, Ms Conlon said. According to an advertisement taken by UL Campus Life Services, there is currently unprecedented demand for accommodation this September, with more than 2,600 on-campus bedrooms, 1,000 off-campus rooms, and 1,400 beds in Castletroy complexes close to capacity for the upcoming year. The university has now launched an appeal to Limerick homeowners to consider renting rooms for digs accommodation. This follows the release of updated figures from the Department of Education that indicate demand for student beds in Limerick by 2019 is expected to outnumber current supply by more than 2,169 students. There is currently 6,816 PBSA beds in Limerick, owned by both publicly funded Higher Education Institutes and private organisations, according to the strategy. Demand for such beds is expected to reach 9,000 international and domestic students by 2019, the document predicts. If you have an influx of students coming in to a city seeking accomodation, that is going to drive rents up, Ms Conlon said. It will make it harder for families in the area and for people who are working in the Limerick area to source accommodation. This is also an issue nationally. It could result in students not taking offers if they cant source accommodation, she said. According to the report, first published in 2017 and updated each quarter by the Department, every four students housed in either PBSA or digs frees up an additional housing unit in the private rental sector. A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: As set out in the National Strategy, the University of Limerick is planning the delivery of 1,350 bed spaces in three phases between 2019 and 2021. The Department has also set a national target of 4,000 students availing of digs accommodation by 2019, the spokesperson added. The tax-free ceiling for income earned under the rent-a-room scheme was raised to 14,000 for 2017, up from 12,000 the previous year. A microbial mat in Yellowstone National Park. Scientists have recently uncovered a fossil of a microbial mat that is 3.22 billion years old and is the oldest evidence of life on land. About 3.22 billion years ago, slimy layers of microbes coated pebbles in what was perhaps an ancient riverbed. Those ancient microbial mats, preserved for eons and only recently discovered in South Africa, may be the oldest fossil evidence of life on land, according to a new study. The ancient evidence of terrestrial life is about a half billion years older than the previous record holder fossilized remains of microbes found decades ago in South Africa and Australia, said Stefan Lalonde, a geochemist from the European Institute for Marine Studies in France and a co-author of the new study, published July 23 in the journal Nature Geoscience. Geological evidence has hinted that life existed in the oceans as far back as 3.8 billion years ago. But signs of terrestrial life have been rarer possibly because much of the planet might have been under water until 3 billion years ago. [In Images: The Oldest Fossils on Earth] The idea that life made landfall this early in Earth's history has been around for decades, said Hugo Beraldi Campesi, a geobiologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, who was not involved in the new research. "The problem was always the lack of hard evidence until now." The new discovery adds to the growing body of evidence that the continents have harbored life for a long time, he added. The researchers, led by Martin Homann, a sedimentologist at the European Institute for Marine Studies, discovered the fossilized microbes on the side of a rocky cliff in the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains of eastern South Africa, home to some of the world's oldest geological features. The fossils are part of a chunk of rock called the Moodies Group, which represents one of the world's oldest shorelines, Lalonde said. The microbes are extremely well-preserved, he said, showing thick sheets that blanket pebbles, a sign that the critters lived on an ancient riverbed a terrestrial environment rather than a sandy beach. Ripple-like features suggest that water flowed in one direction in this area, further evidence that the microbes lived along a river or, perhaps, an alluvial fan. That's a geological feature formed when runoff flows outward in the shape of a fan. "This is essentially Earth's oldest riverbed," Lalonde told Live Science. "And it's already containing life." Unlike other evidence of land-based life, such as fossilized structures built by bacteria, the newfound fossils are of the preserved microbes themselves. The layered fossils formed when a layer of sediment covered a sheet of microbes, only later to have another blanket of microbes grow on top. Over time, layers of microbes and sediment stacked on top of each other like primordial lasagna and became preserved. Because these are directly preserved microbes, the fossils even contain organic matter, such as carbon and nitrogen atoms that once were part of the organisms. An analysis of the type of nitrogen atoms present in the fossils suggests that the ancient microbes thrived by consuming nitrate, or a nitrogen atom bonded to three oxygen atoms, Lalonde said. When these microbes lived, during the Archean eon (which lasted from 4 billion to 2.5 billion years ago), Earth's atmosphere wasn't filled with oxygen as it is now. But a nitrate-based metabolism is the most energy-efficient type of metabolism after an oxygen-based one which is what humans, for example, use. Nitrate would've given the microbes plenty of energy, Lalonde said. "Life may not have been so rough in the Archean if you're on land," Lalonde said. Indeed, the study suggests that Earth's landscape may already have been teeming with life at the time. "It confirms that terrestrial continents were fully developed." Beraldi Campesi said. Editor's Note: This article was updated to indicate that "much" of the planet may have been underwater until 3 billion years ago, not "most," as was previously stated. Originally published on Live Science. Once again, dark matter has failed to turn up where researchers hoped they might find it. PandaX essentially a tank holding 1,280 lbs. (580 kilograms) of liquid xenon beneath the Jinping Mountains of Sichuan, China is one of the most sensitive dark-matter detectors on the planet. If dark matter is capable of bumping into the matter we can detect, and if dark matter is made up of big, bulky particles called WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles) as scientists have long assumed, then sooner or later, some of the dark stuff should knock into xenon particles inside PandaX in a way researchers can detect. But recently reported data from an 80-day experiment at the facility, which was completed in 2015, tells physicists that hasn't happened. And that null result, the umpteenth null result in the hunt for dark matter, tells us something about dark matter. Dark matter is the big missing puzzle piece of the universe. When scientists study the way stars move through space and the large-scale structure of the universe, they can see that something's missing. Everything we can see behaves as if there's a lot more matter out there exerting a gravitational pull than shows up in our telescopes. That dark, missing matter accounts for at least 80 percent of the mass of the universe. But researchers have no idea what it's made of. [The Coolest Little Particles in Nature] In a paper published July 12 in the journal Physical Review Letters, a team of researchers interpreted the null data from PandaX to put new limits on what dark matter could possibly be and the work offers possible alternative explanations for what could really be out there. The basic process of elimination reported in the paper seems pretty simple: Dark matter is unlikely to be made up of particles that interact meaningfully with ordinary matter and have masses between about 5 million and 10 million times the mass of a proton. But that's a big deal, as Hai-Bo Yu, a physicist at the University of California, Riverside and co-author of the paper, explained. It shows, he said, that certain proposed explanations for dark matter most importantly, WIMPs, which should show up in an experiment on the scale of PandaX are likely incorrect. Dark-matter particles are likely much smaller than WIMPs would have to be, he said, and may not behave in ways that make them easy to study. "We have to be prepared for the idea that dark matter might not interact with other matter except through gravity," Yu told Live Science. Based on the limitations placed on dark matter by PandaX and other experiments, Yu and his colleagues are moving toward the conclusion that the best laboratory for understanding dark matter might be the night sky. Stars and galaxies exhibit subtle behaviors that researchers can use to glean information about dark matter. And astronomical observations, Yu said, point increasingly toward a model called self-interacting dark matter particles that interact primarily with one another through unknown means, rather than interacting primarily (or interacting at all) with the ordinary matter we're used to. And the best way to observe dark matter of this sort, he said, is through its effects on what we can see in outer space. (Not every scientist agrees, of course. There are even some skeptics who doubt that dark matter exists at all, though they're increasingly in the minority.) Still, Yu said, there's room for experiments here on Earth to probe deeper for dark matter and, at the very least, perform more process of elimination. A bigger, heavier xenon chamber that's capable of looking for much smaller possible dark-matter particles, like hypothetical elementary particles called axions, would be a good place to start, he said. Originally published on Live Science. The entrance to the West Valley of the Valley of the Kings is seen here. in the West Valley, archaeologists are excavating what may be the tomb of Tut's wife. The house of Theodore Davis (1838-1915), a wealthy man who explored the Valley of the Kings, can be seen in this image. Before ancient Egyptians constructed a tomb they would dig holes that contained buried artifacts. The tomb would then be built nearby. Recently, in the Valley of the Kings (where King Tut was buried), archaeologists unearthed a set of these "foundation deposits," but to their puzzlement, no tomb has been found. Discovered in 2010 near the tomb of King Ay(who married King Tut's widow), four foundation deposits were found that hold a blue-painted vase, knives with wooden handles and the head of a bovine. The four foundation deposits are in a rectangular shape. A radar scan of the site, in the West Valley, showed an anomalous void that hinted there was a tomb entrance near the deposits. Excavations resumedin January 2018. The fact that the deposits are located near the tomb of Ay raised the possibilitythat the tomb could be that of Ankhesenamun, King Tutankhamun's wife. [See Photos of Egypt's Valley of the Kings] However, no tomb has been found. "We did not discover anything yet in the West Valley," Zahi Hawass, a former minister of antiquities who is leading excavations, told Live Science in an email. The team dug down to the spot where radar indicated that a tomb entrance may be located, but the researchers found nothing. The team is still digging in other areas near the foundation deposits in hopes of finding the tomb. Hawass is undeterred, and his team will continue their dig. "Through my experience with radar, I want to tell you that radar never made a discovery in Egypt," Hawass told Live Science. "My excavation is not at all depending on any radar reading." The use of radar has proven problematic in the Valley of the Kings in the past. In 2016, a radar scan showed a hidden chamber in Tutankhamun's tomb, but later scans showed that the chamber doesn't exist. Most archaeological discoveries in the Valley of the Kings were made before radar was even invented. Howard Carter discovered King Tut's tomb in 1922, after years of excavations. In addition to work in the West Valley, Hawass is also starting to excavate in the East Valley, where archaeologists have found most of the Valley of the Kings tombs to date. Hawass has long been convinced that more royal tombs remain to be found in the Valley of the Kings. "The tomb of Thutmose II, not found yet the tomb of Ramesses VIII is not found yet. All the queens of Dynasty 18 [1550-1292 B.C.] were buried in the valley, and their tombs [are] not found yet," Hawass said in 2013 during a lecture at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum. While Hawass' team has not yet found the tomb suggested by the foundation deposits archaeologists have made other discoveries in the Valley of the Kings in recent years. In 2014 a Swiss-Egyptian team found a new chamber full of the mummified remains of princes and princesses in a tomb called KV 40 that was originally discovered in 1899. Evidence of an ancient flood-control system was found recently in the Valley of the Kings by a team led by Hawass. Originally published on Live Science. When the toxic algae Karenia brevis appear in large numbers along Floridas coastline, they cause a phenomenon known as "red tide." Scores of dead fish litter the shorelines of beaches in southwest Florida, and hundreds of dead and ailing sea turtles have washed up on shores there in recent weeks all victims of a toxic red tide caused by the single-cell alga Karenia brevis. Algal blooms occur seasonally in the Gulf of Mexico, when water conditions enable their populations to explode and spread. But this year's event includes especially high quantities of algae that produce a toxin, and the impact on marine wildlife is devastating, affecting sea birds as well as fish and turtles in unprecedented numbers, the Fort Myers News-Press reported. The algae's toxins can also be dangerous to humans if inhaled, particularly for those people who have respiratory issues. Concentrations of algae in some coastal areas have been so high that the National Weather Service (NWS) issued beach hazard advisories over the weekend, warning about risks of respiratory irritation. Those warnings remain in effect as of today (July 30), according to the NWS. [10 Ways the Beach Can Kill You] Though K. brevis algae individually appear greenish, in high enough concentrations their photosynthetic pigments often color ocean waters red or brown, earning the name "red tide," Michelle Kerr, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), told Live Science. Any algal blooms that produce toxins are typically called "red tides," she added. "Red tides caused by other algal species can appear red, brown, green or even purple. The water can also remain its normal color during a bloom," she said. Toxins produced by these particular algae can be inhaled or ingested and affect marine animals' nervous systems, Kerr explained. Animals that consume the algae absorb its toxins; they then become poisonous to other animals. In this way, a red tide can generate toxic ripples that decimate an entire aquatic food chain, Kerr said. A 230-pound male loggerhead turtle was brought to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Sanibel, Florida, suffering from the effects of red tide. (Image credit: Scott Keeler/Tampa Bay Times/Zuma) A lethal bloom Sea turtle mortality during the current red tide is far above average, with 287 dead or dying stranded turtles reported this year, Kerr said. By comparison, in previous years, the average number of stranded sea turtles reported for the same counties during the same time of year is usually half that number. One rare casualty of the red tide this year was a young whale shark that washed ashore on Sanibel Island on June 22 the dead shark tested positive for the K. brevis algae, according to the News-Press. Dead fish have been washing up on Florida beaches "for months," the News-Press reported on June 27, and a special FWC hotline for reporting fish kills masses of dead fish has logged about 300 reports since the red tide first appeared in November 2017, Kerr told Live Science. K. brevis typically exists at levels of about 1,000 cells per liter of ocean water near the Florida coast, according to the FWC. During algal blooms, which usually emerge in late summer or early fall, populations can climb to concentrations sufficient to kill fish about 250,000 cells per liter of water within just a few weeks, the FWC reported. Harmful algae blooms are considered "high-concentration" if the ratio of algae to water is more than 1 million cells per liter, Kerr explained. A recent sample of waters near Florida's Sanibel Island, where the dead whale shark was found, showed 5 million algae cells per liter, Rick Bartleson, a chemist with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, told the News-Press. Wildlife casualties of the red tide are likely even higher than suggested by the number of dead and dying animals found on beaches, as the majority of the algae's victims likely sink to the sea bottom, the News-Press reported. People in close proximity to strong red tides can experience tearing eyes, sneezing or coughing; and those with asthma, emphysema or other respiratory conditions may be more vulnerable to the airborne toxins, according to the NWS advisory. Original article on Live Science. Deadly wildfires continued to rip through California from the northern border to mountain ranges in the south of the state as furious flames burned unchecked and tens of thousands of people continued to flee their homes. Capt. Brian Hughes, a 33-year-old firefighter from Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, died after being hit by a falling tree Sunday. Hughes was a member of a tactical operation fighting the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County. He was the eighth person killed in the recent spate of blazes. Seventeen large wildfires in California continued to upend summer for residents and visitors alike, as closure of Yosemite National Park had to be extended through Friday, and 50,000 people were ordered evacuated from Riverside County to the Oregon border. Statewide tallies released Sunday show that the wildfires have burned more than 200,000 acres, and that they destroyed 874 structures in the Redding area alone. Almost 20,000 homes remain under threat as fire evacuees are being sent to safety in Red Cross shelters, colleges and public schools. More than 12,000 firefighters are working to contain the dozen and a half fires authorities describe as significant. We are well ahead of the fire activity we saw last year, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This is just July, so were not even into the worst part of fire season. Continued hot and dry weather conditions, along with gusty winds in some affected areas, posed little promise for a quick quelling of the fires. They continue to rage from Riverside Countys San Jacinto Mountains in the south to Mendocino, Lake and Napa counties, and as far north as the California-Oregon border. The recent fires have injured more than a half-dozen firefighters injured and have caused the deaths of Jeremy Stoke, a fire inspector for the Redding Fire Department; Don Ray Smith, 81, a private bulldozer operator; and in the Ferguson Fire, 36-year-old Braden Varney, Cal Fire heavy fire equipment operator, and the unidentified firefighter. Other victims were a great-grandmother and siblings ages 4 and 5 in Redding, plus another Redding-area person whose name has not been released. The largest wildfire to date remains the Carr Fire in Shasta County, which was just 17 percent contained after consuming 95,368 acres. Since Wednesday, all visitors have been barred from one of Californias greatest natural wonders, the Yosemite Valley. Officials have extended closure of the valley through Friday because of the Ferguson Fire, burning in the Sierra National Forest. The Ferguson Fire broke out 25 miles west of the park on July 13. In what is increasingly becoming a grim routine, residents of Mariposa County faced a similar wildfire threat a year ago this month, when thousands fled the devastating Detwiler Fire. Troublesome air quality has affected the areas surrounding the fires and even farther afield, with unhealthy conditions reported as far as northwestern Nevada. The spread of fine particulates there prompted Washoe County health officials to issue warnings about the smoky air to people with lung disease, the elderly and children. North of the Bay Area in Lake County, a chalky haze nestled into the Lakeport area Sunday, and visibility became more difficult into the afternoon. Every so often the wind would carry a loose ember into Kelseyville, and some of the evacuees there chatted while wearing surgical masks. The Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport evacuated 13 patients from all departments aside from the emergency room and family birth center Saturday evening. On Sunday, the hospital was forced to evacuate the seven new patients who had arrived Sunday afternoon. So far, air quality in the Bay Area has not been impacted too significantly from the fires, said Ralph Borrmann, a spokesman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. After consulting monitors Sunday afternoon, Borrmann said Bay Area counties remained in the good range, including Napa and Sonoma counties, where the impact would be most likely. The smoke from the fires up in Redding has been high aloft for the last couple of days, so it hasnt been impacting what we breathe down at ground level, Borrmann said. Despite some haze early on, it hasnt reached down to the breathing zone. Chronicle staff writers Megan Cassidy and Dominic Fracassa and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Karen de Sa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kdesa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KarendeSa1 Ron Dellums, a Marine turned antiwar activist and feisty Democratic politician, was never one to walk away from a fight, no matter who started it. Dellums, who died Monday at age 82, made that clear during his first run for Congress in 1970, when Republican Vice President Spiro Agnew, speaking for President Richard Nixons White House, pointedly branded the young Berkeley councilman as an out and out radical who needed to be purged from the body politic for his stance against the war in Vietnam and up-front fight against social ills. The attack, like many others to come during his decades on the political battlefield, never fazed him. If its radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War, if its radical to oppose racism and sexism and all other forms of oppression, if its radical to want to alleviate poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human misery, then Im proud to be called a radical, he told a scrum of reporters at his campaign headquarters. The unbridled passion behind that fiery rebuttal was characteristic of Dellums long political career, which included 27 years in Congress and a term as Oaklands mayor. Dellums died at his home in Washington, D.C., after a battle with cancer. Known for his trenchant speeches and unbending liberal views, Dellums started his adult life as a social worker and political organizer in Berkeley, and brought those sensibilities to Washington. He later used his connections on Capitol Hill to benefit Oakland, when he served four years as mayor. Born Ronald Vernie Dellums on Nov. 24, 1935, he was raised in 1940s-era West Oakland, at that time a predominantly black district that teemed with barbershops, nightclubs, restaurants and stores. Dellums was a fighter from his early childhood. He learned early not to take guff from anyone, including the well-off, sharply dressed white kids at Westlake Junior High School in the Westlake neighborhood near Lake Merritt, where Dellums was among only 14 black students. Once during a study-hall period in eighth grade, Dellums came to blows with a boy who called him a dirty black African. Recounting the incident in his autobiography, Lying Down with the Lions, Dellums said the boy was trying to cut me down verbally, but all my neighborhood practice (of trading insults) was getting the best of him. When the boy hurled a racial slur, Dellums recalled feeling a sharp spasm of rage. He leaped up and pummeled his adversary, stopping only when other kids shouted that a teacher was coming. Later on he bragged about the fight to his mother, who chastened him for regarding the words black and African as insults. I think you should have fought only because he called you dirty, if that made you angry enough, she chided. In the days that followed, Dellums wrote, she began bringing home books and magazines from the library to teach her children about their African heritage. After graduating from Oakland Technical High School, Dellums joined the Marine Corps, served two years, attended San Francisco State University, where he earned a bachelors degree in psychology, then went to UC Berkeley and got a masters degree in social work. In 1967, he won election to the Berkeley City Council, where he served three years before challenging incumbent Rep. Jeffery Cohelan in the 1970 Democratic primary. Cohelan, a former union leader and Berkeley councilman, was a traditionally liberal labor Democrat, but that wasnt enough for an East Bay district moving quickly to the left and becoming noisily antiwar. Dellums easily won the primary and the general election in November, becoming the first African American elected to Congress from Northern California. Ron was adamant about serving the community and making sure people received a response from their government, said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who entered politics as a graduate student intern for Dellums. He would say that the only question we should ask when we made decisions about anything is: Is this the right thing to do? Dont ask about political expedience. Thats how he got his staff to think. Lee and others saw Dellums as a staunch supporter of three social movements that converged in the Bay Area during the 1960s: the free-speech movement, the Black Panther Party movement and the antiwar movement. It was a period of rowdy protests on college campuses and bloody standoffs between demonstrators and police. That was a tumultuous era, said Lee Halterman, a longtime congressional staffer who was Dellums deputy campaign manager in 1970. What drew me? His idealism. He was a champion for issues that we as student activists were fighting for. As a congressman, Dellums is best remembered for his uncompromising opposition to the Vietnam War and compelling speeches on the House floor. He really came to Congress as an activist, Halterman said. He would go to the floor and challenge his colleagues, and they would challenge him back. And thats how he learned to work with them rather than just name-calling. In his autobiography, Dellums recounted many tense confrontations with other elected officials, some of whom saw the fiery, Oakland-raised peacenik as a political outlier and even as an agitator. Such perceptions sometimes led to insults. When Dellums went to the House Armed Services Committee in 1973, the committees chairman, Rep. F. Edward Hebert, left only one seat on the dais for Dellums to share with another antiwar Democrat, Rep. Pat Schroeder of Denver. Recalling the incident in his autobiography, Dellums said he responded with poise. Lets not give these guys the luxury of knowing they can get under our skin, he told Schroeder. Hebert didnt want this radical bomb-thrower from Berkeley on his committee, Halterman said. The irony is that 20 years later, Ron became chair, and people were saying, If only people ran the committee as fairly as Ron does. Dellums, Halterman recalled, said Hey, I remember being locked out, Im not going to shut others out. Over the years, Dellums earned the respect of his peers. He embraced his radical left-wing status and used it strategically, presenting liberal policy ideas that would shift the debate further left, even when he knew they were too extreme to win a majority vote. From Day One, he understood that he was the left-wing, pinko guy from Berkeley, and whatever he said demarcated the left end of the debate, said longtime congressional staffer Dan Lindheim, who later served as Dellums city administrator in Oakland. Dellums was also a consummate wheeler-dealer, willing to compromise at key moments. He had an uncanny talent for pulling people over to his side. When you think of the great speakers, the top four or five orators of the House of Representatives, Ron was on that list, Halterman said. People would come to the floor to listen to him. They would leave the back chambers. They would leave the caucus room. Dellums served 13 consecutive terms in Congress, chairing the House Committee on the District of Columbia on which he successfully pushed for funding to combat infant mortality and develop affordable housing and the Armed Services Committee, on which he led the fight to severely curtail production of B-2 bomber planes. In 1986, he sponsored comprehensive economic sanctions to protest the apartheid regime in South Africa. In 1997, Dellums announced his resignation from Congress, setting up a special election to fill out the remainder of his term. He endorsed Lee, a former member of his staff, who had served time in the state Assembly and was a state senator at the time. When Lee formally announced her candidacy at a party at Oaklands Lake Merritt Boathouse, Dellums was there to support her. She won easily. For the next eight years, Dellums ran his own lobbying firm, representing such clients as AT&T, AC Transit and the military contractor Rolls-Royce. In 2006, at age 70, Dellums returned to politics, winning a race to succeed Jerry Brown as mayor of Oakland. He took office in January 2007, just as the city was trying to build more housing and encourage commercial development downtown, amid a bitter economic downturn. Dellums term as mayor started off strong but ultimately led to complaints that he wasnt managing the city. Initially, he brought the citys police force up to 837 officers, a record high for the struggling department. He also steered several important projects, including massive port development at the Oakland Army Base, and the automated connector train that shuttles passengers from the Coliseum BART Station to the Oakland airport. And he used his connections with the administration of President Barack Obama to haul in more federal stimulus money than any other city, said Lindheim, the former city administrator. But Dellums ran into problems midway through his term. He drew criticism for being frequently absent from City Hall, and his boost to the police force turned out to be unsustainable in 2010, Oakland laid off 80 officers. Supporters who cheered him on in the beginning began to peel off toward the end, and in August 2010, he sent a written announcement saying he would not seek re-election. Even so, some members of Dellums inner circle describe him as a calming force during a turbulent era for Oakland. Margaretta Lin, who served as deputy city administrator under Dellums, recalled how the mayor stayed composed when riots broke out on Jan. 7, 2009 days after white BART police officer Johannes Mehserle fatally shot a 22-year-old black passenger, Oscar Grant. People were so angry, and so wounded, and because he was the Man they took it out on him, said Lin, who walked with Dellums through the streets of downtown Oakland the night they erupted in violence. But he would stop and talk to people even as they were screaming at him, she said. That old social worker came out. On Dellums 80th birthday in 2015, Lee delivered a rousing speech in the House, characterizing her former boss as a man who stuck to his principles, even when they were politically unpopular. He exemplified the finest in public service and set a new standard for elected officials, Lee said. For that, we are deeply grateful. Noel Gallo, an Oakland city councilman, was in grammar school when he first met Dellums, and the encounter served as an inspiration. He was definitely one person I looked up to and motivated me to get into the political arena, Gallo said. Yes, he played a role in national politics, but at the same time he was very active at the neighborhood level. I still remember him walking down Fruitvale and talking with the local businesses. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called Dellums a true American hero on Monday. Ron Dellums governed from a place of morality and compassion, and his political activism shed light on injustices within our country and all over the world, she said. His progressive values set the bedrock for Oakland values, and his life of public service will continue to inspire all of us to fight for a more just and equitable society. Dellums is survived by his wife, Cynthia, his children Rachel Chapman, R. Brandon Dellums, Erik Todd Dellums, Piper Monique Dellums and stepson Kai Lewis, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a daughter, Pamela Holmes. Services in Washington and Oakland are pending. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan WASHINGTON - The Archdiocese of Washington on Sunday called allegations of sexual abuse against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick "profoundly troubling" and encouraged other potential victims to step forward. In the local archdiocese's first public remarks since its former archbishop became the first cardinal in history to resign because of sexual abuse allegations, the church said it did not know of any sexual abuse cases that stemmed from McCarrick's tenure as archbishop of Washington from 2001 until 2006. McCarrick stepped down from the College of Cardinals on Saturday. Pope Francis has ordered him to remain in seclusion until a canonical trial. Saying McCarrick's reported actions "represent a breach of trust and wounding that no person should bear alone," the statement from the archdiocese sought to assure potential additional victims that allegations would be thoroughly investigated and handled with sensitivity. In June, the Catholic Church found McCarrick to be credibly accused of sexually abusing a teenager almost 50 years ago when he was a priest in New York. Additional reports of sexual abuse and harassment have surfaced since then, including from a then-minor and three adults. Each of the adult victims were young priests or seminarians when McCarrick allegedly abused them. The Diocese of Metuchen in New Jersey and the Archdiocese of Newark have said they reached settlements in the 2000s with two men who alleged that McCarrick sexually harassed them when they were adults. "We continue to pray for the survivors of such abuse and understand how difficult it is to share such painful memories," the Washington Archdiocese said in its written statement. "The archdiocese encourages all coming forward to share these experiences with any diocese in which they reside so that these grave issues can be reviewed promptly by Church authorities, and that we can offer assistance to begin the process for healing and peace." The Washington Archdiocese said reviews of its records triggered by the New York case turned up "no complaints of any kind" against McCarrick. The archdiocese further said that before June, it did not have any knowledge of the confidential settlements that had been reached by the dioceses in Metuchen and Newark. A Jacksonville womans donation of historic information related to her fathers life is providing a unique insight into life years ago at Illinois College. Elizabeth Aldridge of Jacksonville and her family visited campus for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Khalaf Al Habtoor Archives. The visit was planned in conjunction to view a recent donation to the archives. Aldridge donated a historic collection of material related her father, Henry Caldwell (1892-1938). Caldwell was a graduate of Whipple Academy and Illinois College in 1917. Born in Manchester, England, Caldwell was active in a range of academic and extracurricular pursuits while on the Hilltop, all of which are documented in letters and photographs in the collection. As a student, Caldwell served as a charter member of the Dramatic Club at IC, his English accent setting him apart as he actively participated in a range of Shakespearean productions. In addition to early 20th century college theater productions, the collection provides insight into campus life, dining, literary societies, dances and homework and studies. Caldwell also served as an editor of The Rambler, was an active writer and poet, and later served as the first editor of the Alumni Quarterly. He would go on to teach English at IC before later joining the faculty at the University of Florida. The collection contains photographs, correspondence and other items from Caldwells time as a student and instructor at Illinois College. The materials also includes his letters written while serving with the Canadian army during the war, as well as courtship letters to his future wife, Margaret Irving, who also attended Illinois College. Samantha Sauer, Illinois College professor and archivist, said the materials were a valuable contribution to the collections. She said the collection had been well cared for by family and friends through the years. While the materials come to the archive well-organized, there is still work to do to process the items to help long-term preservation and access for researchers. We have a wonderful team of archive student assistants who will gain, apply and hone skills handling and processing this collection, Sauer said. WASHINGTON - When hackers took over two-thirds of Washington, D.C., police's surveillance cameras days before the 2017 presidential inauguration, it appeared that the cyberattack was limited to elicit a single ransom payment. But court documents show that the alleged scheme that January was far more ambitious. Federal authorities say two Romanians accused in the hacking planned to use the police department computers to email ransomware to more than 179,000 accounts. That would have allowed them to extort those users as well - and use city government computers to hide their digital tracks. Prosecutors said the alleged hackers had also stolen banking credentials and account passwords and, using the police computers, could have committed "fraud schemes with anonymity." In addition, authorities said they uncovered a separate scheme run by the same people - an allegedly fraudulent business that tricked Amazon's offices in Great Britain into sending money to the Romanians. (Amazon's chief executive, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post.) The intrusion in the District of Columbia occurred Jan. 9-12, 2017, and caused 123 of the police department's 187 surveillance cameras to go dark eight days before Donald Trump was sworn in as president, sparking national security concerns. It appears the timing was a coincidence; prosecutors said the hackers probably did not know that the computers were used by police. Washington, D.C., police say the incident did not affect safety or harm any investigations, but cybersecurity experts said it highlights the digital threat faced by governments and businesses andraises questions about the city's ability to quickly identify hacking. "The question we should be asking of police is what controls were lacking and why were they unable to detect such an obvious intrusion," said Alex Rice, the chief technology officer and co-founder of HackerOne, a California firm that works with companies and the Defense Department to test computer security. District officials said they are working hard to protect the city against a constant stream of cyberattacks. They did not answer questions specifically about the police cameras, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. Kevin Donahue, the deputy mayor for public safety, said in a statement that the District's cybersecurity program "is critical to our public safety, health care, and public education agencies." His statement added that "each year, we see more than one billion malicious intrusion attempts, including ransomware, denial of service, and phishing attacks. We are continuously working to improve our cybersecurity defenses to ensure they protect our IT systems from the constantly evolving methods of cyber attacks." The U.S. attorney's office for the District of Columbia is seeking to extradite Mihai Alexandru Isvanca, 25, from Romania. His alleged accomplice, Eveline Cismaru, 28, has been extradited. She made her initial appearance on Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington. Prosecutors said Cismaru lacks ties to the United States and fled Romania while appealing a court order to extradite her from there to the United States. Authorities tracked her to London, where she was arrested, prosecutors said in court documents filed Friday. Isvanca and Cismaru have been charged with fraud and computer crimes and face 20 years in prison if convicted. An attorney for Isvanca did not return calls seeking comment. Cary Citronberg, who is representing Cismaru, said in a statement that his client has a 2-year-old son in Europe. "We believe Ms. Cismaru belongs back with her son and we are hopeful she will be able to put this ordeal behind her quickly so she can be reunited with her family," he said. A hearing in federal court is scheduled for Aug. 16. Cismaru is being detained. Police say the alleged hackers were detected only when they shut the system down. D.C. police said the hack that locked up the system was noticed after a city employee tried to sign on to the computer system that runs the outdoor cameras and saw a "splashscreen." A notice highlighted in red announced a "cerber ransomware" and warned that "your documents, photos, databases and other important files have been encrypted!" It said the system could be unlocked with a bitcoin payment of more than $60,000. Cerber, along with "dharma," are two types of ransomware programs. Both had been downloaded onto the police system that runs the cameras. Authorities said the hackers routed emails through the police servers, including some sent to "vand.suflete" on Gmail. The term in Romanian means "selling souls." D.C. officials quickly took the closed-circuit TV system offline, removed the software and restarted the cameras. They ignored the ransom demand. Authorities said they later learned that some of the emails routed through the police computers referenced IP addresses (a computer's unique address) that did not include systems owned by D.C. police. Authorities said one was a health-care company in London. One browser downloaded onto the police computer had a user name listed as "David Andrew" with a Gmail account of "david.andrews2005." In one affidavit filed in the case by the Secret Service, prosecutors say Isvanca and Cismaru also set up a fake company called Lake L. and linked it to Amazon.co.uk. Authorities said investigators found some of the same emails used by the fake company as used by the hackers on the police computers. When people placed orders with Amazon, the affidavit says, the suspects used stolen credit cards to buy the requested items at another website. Once those items were shipped from the other website, the affidavit says the suspects provided those postal tracking numbers to Amazon, which then released the money paid by the purchasers to the suspects. Police in Romania and in the United States were able to track various computer IP addresses and email accounts to the suspects, according to the affidavit. One tip came from an online takeout order from Andy's Pizza, a restaurant in Bucharest. The person placed an order on Jan. 9, 2017 - the same day the Washington, D.C., computers were hacked - using the david.andrews2005 account and giving the clerk the name "Mihai Alexandru," according to an invoice pulled by police and referenced in the affidavit filed in federal court. Later, during an interview with investigators, the affidavit says Isvanca told them that Cismaru lived in a fifth-floor apartment on Strada Bucur, near downtown and where the takeout order had originated. That, police said, helped them link the email address to the suspects. Rice said that police in cyber-investigations try to collect hard evidence such as a paper receipts to make it more difficult for a defendant to argue that someone else had used or hacked a computer. The receipt from Andy's, Rice said, is probably that type of evidence. Rice said it appears that U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies worked well together, but he warned "that we can't rely on law enforcement as a deterrent" to cybercrimes. "We have got to hold companies and organizations responsible for implementing basic security practices that make it difficult for criminals. They are tempted by this low-level fruit." PEORIA (AP) Ameren Illinois needs electric lines kept free of leafy vegetation. Wright Tree Service contracts with Ameren to keep wires clear by cutting leafy branches off trees. Giraffes at the Peoria Zoo like to snack on leafy branches, particularly but not exclusively honey locust and mulberry leaves. The unlikely convergence of seemingly unconnected facts has created an unlikely partnership. The zoos four giraffes, and other animals on exhibit, are the beneficiaries. (Ameren) called us, Zoo Director Yvonne Strode said July 23 while Emy the giraffe tongued and chewed a branch of yummy locust leaves proffered by a young girl nearby. We were thrilled that they would be able to provide us with the vegetation that the animals love anyway. Ameren and Wright recently brought to Peoria the free, community-spirited, giraffe-loving service it was providing to zoos in Decatur and St. Louis. The branches Wright workers trim daily typically are bound for the chipper or the landfill. The collaboration was described at a July 23 gathering of media, zoo officials, zoo campers and visitors, representatives of the tree trimming business and the local utility provider, four giraffes and one Thomsons gazelle. The sub-Saharan heat and humidity failed to diminish the giraffes appetite for what the zoo calls browse. Our crews are out trimming every day and this is a way of supporting the community with what would normally be a waste by-product of our work, said Bryon Honea, a general foreman with Wright. Wright brings a truckload of logs, branches and leaves to the zoo each week. They were very helpful. We tell them what we need and what we dont need and they are very good at supplying us with the trees that we can use, Strode said. That means identifying certain species of tree, such as the honey locust and mulberry, and trimming them into usable pieces. The zoo also uses other tree waste in other parts of the zoo. Rhinos, for instance, like to rub against big logs. We put word out that we could use some hollow logs and the next thing you know 12 hollow logs show up, Strode said. Ameren tends to 6,800 miles of electrical lines in Illinois. Trees falling on power lines is the No. 1 cause of outages, said Tucker Kennedy, Amerens director of community and public relations. Theres a huge need (for the vegetation) Kennedy said. We are very proud to share the partnership Ameren Illinois and Wright Tree Service have made wit the Peoria Zoo. Emy chewed off the last of the leaves and looked for more. Finished, the girl tossed the bare stick in the bin, surely thrilled with the one-on-one interaction with the magnificent beast with the long neck, big eyes and extraordinarily lengthy black tongue. Someone asked her: Have you ever fed a giraffe before? Yeah, she said as she slipped into the crowd. NEW DELHI - An estimated 4 million people living in a border area of India have been left off a controversial citizenship list designed stem the flood of illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh, the majority of them Muslim. Indian authorities published the final draft Monday of their National Register of Citizens for the state of Assam, a largely agrarian state of 33 million that shares a border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh and Bhutan and that has wrestled with a tide of illegal immigration for decades. Since 2015, Assam has been undergoing a Supreme Court-monitored update of its citizen rolls. Officials at both at the state and national levels stressed Monday that the list was merely a final draft and residents have time to appeal their citizenship cases. Those whose names do not appear on the list will not be immediately deported or placed in temporary camps, the officials said. Security forces were nonetheless beefed up in case violence breaks out. "No genuine Indian citizens should have any fear or panic," Sarbananda Sonowal, the state's chief minister, said at a news conference. Sonowal founded his political career in a student movement against illegal immigration decades ago. But the draft does raise the question of where migrants will go after the numbers are finalized; Bangladesh's government does not acknowledge them as citizens. Amnesty International India issued a statement of concern that the process could render a "significant number" of people stateless. "I'm worried about my future," said Saleha Begum, 40, a Barpeta resident who was born in Assam but was not on the list. "My parents were born here. We have all the documents. Still, my family's names are not on the list. I'm scared. I don't know if the police will put us into a detention center or deport us to Bangladesh." India's move to manage the problem of its illegal immigrants comes as countries around the world are cracking down on refugee movements and the United States is waging a major campaign against an influx from Central America, including recent moves to separate migrant children from their parents. Assam has grappled with its population of illegal migrants for decades, a problem that worsened in 1971, when Bangladesh - then East Pakistan - waged a war of independence from Pakistan, sparking a flood of refugees into India. The state endured six years of violent anti-immigration protests in the late 1980s and early '90s. Over the years, hostility between migrants and the natives of the state - nearly half of whom speak the regional language of Assamese - has deepened. The ranks of illegal migrants, who sneak over the country's marshy borders with relative ease - have grown, as have fears that they are bringing extremism with them. Assam's Muslim population grew faster than the national average - from about 31 to 34 percent between 2001 and 2011, compared to 13.4 to 14.2 percent nationally during that period, according to census figures. The movement to clarify the status of Assam's citizens gained momentum when the governing party of India's Hindu nationalist prime minister, Narendra Modi, took control of the state in 2016. Modi had vowed on the campaign trail that all Bangladeshis would have to leave Assam, "bag and baggage." Residents have been asked to prove their citizenship by providing documents that show they or their family lived in India before March 24, 1971. Those left off the list have until Sept. 28 to submit objection or correction forms. A retired junior officer of the Indian army, Mohammed Azmal Haque, also learned Monday that he was excluded from the list despite his lengthy military career. "I'm extremely hurt. Even after serving the nation, this is what I got?" he said. "If this can happen to me, what will be the plight of the common man?" - - - The Washington Post's Farheen Fatima contributed to this report. HERAT, Afghanistan -- Over the past four years, thousands of young Afghan Shiite men have been drawn into the war in Syria by Iran, part of a well-financed system of recruitment, training and incentives that funnels Afghan recruits to fight for a repressive Arab government. The Afghans are soldiers in someone else's war, propelled by economic woes and religious loyalty to join a foreign fight. Some have lost friends and relatives in battle or sustained severe injuries themselves. As many as 840 have been killed, according to researchers. Survivors can recount hard-fought battles near Aleppo or Damascus, and some believe they are helping to protect sacred Shiite shrines in those areas. Rare recent interviews with returned fighters and their families in Herat have shed new light on the desperation that drives such men to fight on Tehran's behalf in Syria, where a variety of foreign, Iran-backed forces have shored up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Even more than religion, these Afghan recruits seem mainly driven by necessity, reenlisting again and again to take home another few hundred dollars in military pay - even as they risk injury or death in front-line battles where few Iranian troops are sent. Although they can vividly recount specific battles, they have limited knowledge of the wider causes and complex international roles in the war. Between 5,000 and 12,000 Afghans have participated in such units since they were established within the Fatemiyoun Division of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to human rights and research groups. Most are refugees or workers living in Iran, but hundreds come from poor, ethnic Hazara and Shiite communities in this windswept city near the Iranian border, as well as other regions of Afghanistan. Afghans constitute only a part of what has been called Iran's Shiite foreign legion in Syria, which includes Lebanese, Iraqi and Pakistani fighters. Estimates on the numbers of each group vary widely, but a survey of funerals for Shiite foreign fighters killed in Syria, conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, shows the biggest share of fighters killed were from the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Afghan Shiites had the second-highest number of deaths. The Trump administration said in December that it believed 80 percent of the manpower supporting the Syrian regime was made up of "Iranian proxies," including foreign Shiite fighters. Israel has accused Iran of sending as many as 80,000 fighters to Syria. It is impossible to know the exact number of Afghan recruits in Syria, because many slip back and forth between Iran and Afghanistan, do not tell their families where they are, and hide their military service for fear of being sent to prison in Afghanistan for fighting on behalf of another country. Yet for some, especially those from the long-persecuted Hazara minority, it seems to be a secret badge of honor. "Nobody forced us to go fight, but it gives you a kind of pride," said Hussain, 26, a muscular Hazara man in Herat with scars on his face and hands from old shrapnel wounds. He has served in four deployments in Syria since 2014, earning upward of $600 a month, and returned again two months ago from the front. He said he originally decided to enlist while he was working as a carpenter in Iran and saw a video of Islamic State fighters chopping off victims' heads. The Islamic State, a brutal Sunni militia that views Shiites as apostates, is bolstered in Syria by its own array of Sunni foreign fighters, with most coming from Western Europe and the former Soviet republics. In December 2015, the number of Sunni foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq was estimated between 27,000 and 31,000, though that number has waned as the extremist group has lost ground. Hussain, who did not want to be fully identified for fear of arrest by Afghan security agents, gave a detailed account of his deployments. He described training under Iranian instructors with Russian weapons and tanks, long nights of fighting in the desert against the Islamic State and other anti-Assad militias, emergency hospitalizations in Iran for various injuries, and struggles with Iran's military bureaucracy to obtain further medical treatment. "You get caught up in a situation; they give you money and food, they promise you more medical treatment, they give you documents to move freely inside Iran," Hussain said. "They make you feel obligated." Human rights groups have described Tehran's use of Afghans and other foreign fighters as a tactic to save Iranian lives and mute domestic criticism of its involvement in a messy and destructive foreign conflict. Some groups said that boys as young as 13 have been induced to fight and that recruits received brief training and often suffered heavy casualties. Afghans and other foreign fighters were reportedly decisive in the battle for Aleppo and others that have turned the war in Assad's favor. Tehran denies using foreign fighters to avoid casualties among its own youths; Iranian officials describe the Afghans as religious volunteers. Experts say Iran's main stake in the war is to extend its influence across a broad stretch of the Middle East, from its border with Afghanistan to Lebanon. Afghan officials have other reasons for opposing the covert collaboration of Afghan citizens in a messy Middle East war. It has further complicated Afghanistan's close but tense relations with Iran, a more powerful neighbor and trading partner with a lengthy common border, and it has raised the specter of sectarian strife inside Afghanistan, which until now it has largely avoided. For years, Afghanistan's minority Shiites have endured discrimination and repression at the hands of its larger Sunni, mostly ethnic Pashtun groups. Often Shiites have looked to Iran for sanctuary and jobs. Now, Iran is deporting nonresident Afghan workers while recruiting them as fighters, leading to suspicion that Iran could use them to challenge Sunni dominance at home. But the pace and intensity of Iranian recruiting have slowed considerably as the Syrian regime has consolidated power. At first, Hussain said, the authorities "would take anyone, young or old, Shiite or Sunni. We would register in the morning, and they would send us for training in the afternoon." Now, he said, the program is more selective. Additional incentives to keep fighting, recruits say, include offers of work or residency permits that are no longer available to most Afghans. Moreover, aside from expressing horror and antagonism toward the Islamic State, the fighters interviewed in Herat did not express especially strong religious convictions or appear driven to keep fighting as an act of faith. "At first, a lot of guys believed they were fighting for something, but by the end that was gone. It was all about need," said Hussain, who now sells vegetables in Herat and swears he will never go back to Syria. Nonetheless, he said, it was gratifying to return home feeling like a hero instead of a beggar and to bring wads of cash to struggling parents who had worried for months. "In Iran, people curse us as refugees, but after Syria we get respect," he said. One fighter, named Razik, 21, from the community in Herat, once hoped to become a lawyer and was taking computer courses. But his mother, a widow named Siddiqa with two young daughters, said he had difficulty finding work and decided to enlist last spring. He never told his mother where he was, but he sent her $500 - enough to rent a run-down house and furnish it with a cheap carpet and sleeping cushions. "The war changed him into a different person," Siddiqa said, adding that Razik had come home briefly last month but soon headed back to Iran and the front. "He says he is the family breadwinner now, so he has to go fight. I have not heard from him since he left." Naeem, a fighter who survived four deployments in Syria, said he became caught up in the war in 2015 when he was visiting Iran, searching fruitlessly for work while his family in Herat pressed him to send money. Noticing posters in Tehran asking citizens to support the war effort, he decided to sign up. It was a desperate move that would eventually send him to an Iranian military hospital for weeks when a rocket smashed into his tank in the Syrian desert, knocking him unconscious. "Afghans are dying for $30 a day. My cousin died in front of my eyes," said Naeem, 27, who now sells fried pastries for pennies at a sidewalk stall in Herat. He also did not want to be fully identified for fear of official reprisal. "But there is no work for us anywhere. There is nothing to do but fight. I know I am gambling with my life, but it is a matter of necessity." A carefree, wisecracking man by nature, Naeem said he endured combat by keeping up his sense of humor. When his tank unit was ambushed by Islamic State militias and trapped for 12 days and nights, he said he joked with his frightened, claustrophobic tank-mates to keep their spirits up. After they were finally rescued by Syrian troops, he said, they all posed for selfies riding on top of their tank. The main reason he kept reenlisting, Naeem explained, was to save enough money to marry his fiancee, which in Afghan culture requires spending thousands of dollars on dowry gifts and a huge wedding. But when he got home from his fourth deployment in May, his pockets bulging with $700 in combat pay, Naeem's world collapsed. The girl's family, he was told, had given up waiting and called off the engagement. That night, he went out and gambled it all away. An estimated 10,000 people, including Illinois Gov. William G. Stratton and Texas Attorney General John Ben Shepperd, attended the formal dedication of the Mrs. Tuckers Foods plant in Jacksonville in 1953. The plant later became ACH Food Cos. The 1953 celebration not only officially opened the new vegetable oil processing plant, but observed Mrs. Tuckers Foods Inc.s 40th anniversary. The Texas-based company was a pioneer in the manufacture of vegetable oil food products. In early 1952, Mrs. Tuckers Foods merged with Anderson, Clayton & Co., a worldwide cotton merchandiser. Jacksonville civic leaders, politicians and plant officials went all out in dedicating the multimillion-dollar plant, which was one of the largest of its kind in the world in 1953. The grand opening did not coincide with the actual startup of the plant, though, which occurred in February 1953 when the production of shortening began. And by the time of the plants dedication, 140 people were already working there, according to 1953 newspaper reports. The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce helped arrange the dedication festivities and provide the hospitality for its out-of-town guests. Signs saying Welcome Texans and showing a waving cowboy were attached to utility poles around the public square. Local car dealerships brought in convertibles in which to carry dignitaries around Jacksonville. The honored guests were shown city landmarks during a motorcade around town on the morning of the grand opening. That afternoon, several local, state and company officials gave speeches from a stage in front of the new plant. Lamar Fleming Jr., president of Anderson, Clayton & Co., spoke of the founding of Mrs. Tuckers Foods in north Texas in 1913 and praised the people of Jacksonville. Mrs. Tuckers will give honest and efficient service to the public, Fleming said. There is no greater inspiration than the help and kindness your community has given us. Stratton followed the Texas industrialist in welcoming the new industry and visitors. It is heartening to see what can be accomplished by cooperation, Stratton said. Illinois has the finest skilled labor, the finest cooperation between management and labor. This plant stands as a tribute to industrial enterprise and civic cooperation. Other speakers included Shepperd; Francis R. Rantz, president of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce; Jacksonville Mayor Ernest L. Hoagland; and a recorded greeting from Texas Gov. Allan Shivers, who was unable to attend. Following the 40-minute formal dedication ceremony, the plant was opened for tours. Thousands of people walked through the plant to see the machines used to produce Mrs. Tuckers Meadolake Margarine, Shortening and Salad Oil. Four thousand orchids, which were flown in from Hawaii, were distributed to women touring the plant. Adults also received packets containing a commemorative brass coin and certificates for shortening, while children got a packet of two balloons and two suckers. The celebration culminated with a street dance on the east side of the Jacksonville public square. Jan Garbers Orchestra, a popular swing band of that era, furnished the music. Large crowds gathered on the square to dance and listen to the famous orchestra. Mrs. Tuckers and Anderson, Clayton & Co. officials said they had never witnessed such a demonstration of cordiality at the opening of an industrial center as Jacksonville staged, wrote Jacksonville Courier editor Birch B. Ridgway. This Way We Were story was first published Aug. 18, 2003. A cold front is coming in, but, no, that doesn't mean it's going to be cold. San Antonio will experience a minor cool off as the front, which is defined as such because it is cooler than the air around it, not because it's actually "cold," arrives Monday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The high for Monday is still going to be 100 degrees, but after that the front will keep triple digit temperatures away through at least Sunday, NWS meteorologist Yvette Benavides said. "(The front) is going to drop temperatures back to at least normal, which for San Antonio is about 97 for this time of year," Benavides said. RELATED: Pets need protection from South Texas heat And (don't) break out that windbreaker. Tuesday's high is going to be a chilly 94 degrees. San Antonio's warmest temperatures of the week will come Friday with a high of 99 degrees. The front is also bringing a 20 to 40 percent chance of rain from Monday evening into Tuesday morning, Benavides said. Isolated showers will bring parts of the city anywhere from a quarter to half an inch of rain. "It's not going to be any kind of drought-ender or anything like that," Benavides said. There is also another low chance of storms this weekend. "They'll be very isolated in nature," Benavides said. "It's not going to be anything I would really count on or anticipate. There just might be a stray shower here and there." Chase Karacostas is a staff writer for mySA.com. | Chase.Karacostas@express-news.net | Twitter: @ChaseKaracostas The Greater San Antonio Builders Association held one of their biggest events of the year: the 2018 Summit Awards July 28 at the Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade. Essentially Oscar Night for the home-building industry, this is the premier awards program in San Antonio for builders and associates. Since the program began in 1985, it has grown to feature 1[AK1] 20 categories that include promotional, product and personal achievement awards. This year, the program also includes five Grand Awards for the most number of winning entries to be awarded to a volume[AK2] builder, a custom builder, a developer, a remodeler and an associate member. I hope everyone is getting through winter okay, and I guess we are all looking forward to the first day of spring. I dont know about you, but to me the year seems to be moving very quickly. I am enjoying being part of a big, strong and well-organised Opposition with a laser focus on holding this Government to account. We will do this in a positive way, supporting legislation and decisions we feel are good for our country and opposing, organising petitions and running campaigns against poor decisions. We dont want to see our economy slow down or stall, but at a time when we see, for example, Australias economy begin to speed up, ours is beginning to show all the signs of a slowdown. A strong economy and business confidence are important because that is what allows us as a nation to generate the revenue we need to provide for our infrastructure, services and growth. Its great to be able to make the drive between Puhoi and Warkworth and see all the activity going on with the construction of the new motorway. One of the battles for me this term is to work on getting the Government to reverse its decision not to commit to the Warkworth to Te Hana section of the motorway. I am already assisting property owners who are deeply affected by the decision. It creates uncertainty and traps them in a situation that they have very little control over. I have received a lot of feedback in relation to the regional fuel tax and most of it I couldnt print in this column. The anger is understandable when you consider our transport network in Rodney is already tolled, we are subject to an excise tax and are now hit with a regional fuel tax. Meanwhile, two of our most important roading projects have either been cancelled or put back 10 years. One is Warkworth to Te Hana and the second is Penlink in the south of the electorate. By the way, its nice to be supporting Peter Thompson and the Mahurangi River Restoration Trust in their efforts to secure Government funding for a project that will deliver very positive environmental and economic outcomes for the area. Peter has put a lot into this project personally and I was able to see the work that is already underway from the comfort of the Jane Gifford recently. Mark Mitchell, National MP for Rodney https://markmitchell.national.org.nz/ Bullocks in front of the courthouse, policemans house and chandlery. The courthouse being demolished. In 2013, I recorded a group of friends Paddy Whynn, Judith Brown, Ivan Urlich and Jim Woods who were descendants of early settlers in the district. This column contains snippets of that recording, which were published as Reminiscences of Mangawhai: Walter Lawrence had his launch and a slip-way for the dinghies that he built. He also had a large Chandler shop. It had nothing much in it but tins and stuff, and fish hooks, so was popular with the kids when buying their fishing gear. He also made spade handles. The friends all agreed that he had the largest counter in his shop that they had ever seen, before or since. It was a slab of timber that they estimated would have been about eight feet across. A memorable old clock hung on the wall, and on the face of it was written NO TICK. Mr Lawrence used to smoke a pipe, which had a chain on it, and a bottle top to put over the pipe in wet weather. The Lawrence house was next to what was always known as the policemans house on Moir Street, in the village. A little further along the road was the courthouse, which was pulled down in 1939. The building had been left unlocked, and Paddy, as a child, recalled seeing a lot of papers strewn about the building after it was deserted, and remembered reading one which was a fine of 2/- (shillings) for someone! And after being demolished there were papers strewn all over the paddock. Documents hadnt been collected or burnt or looked after. Timber from the courthouse was used to build Tommy Chappels house. Near the junction of Insley Street and Molesworth Drive, a fisherman, Freddie Franich, lived. He caught hapuka, snapper, and netted for other varieties. He had a smokehouse, and his smoked fish was popular. His family ran a tea rooms from his home on Insley Road. He had a 30-foot launch, which he named Marina. This was prompted by the royal wedding of the Duke of Kent, George, to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, creating headlines all over the world. He is given the credit for naming the area for boats to moor as being a marina. He was commercial fishing for 25 years, before retiring to Leigh. Cliff Bowmar also did a lot of fishing from his boat and would take his catch around the roads in his truck for locals to see and choose from his offerings. Eddie Watts sold his boat to another fisherman, Asa Francis. During the years prior to rail reaching Kaiwaka, Mangawhai had to rely on sailing vessels and steam ships to bring in their cargo and take out their exports. Locals were able to let everyone know that an expected vessel was coming up harbour by using a flag system. One flag was hoisted on the top of a large macrocarpa tree, at the corner of Wood and Robert Streets. (Those streets werent developed at that time.) That flag was seen at Claude Wintles place up at the Tara, he then hoisted his flag which was sighted at Dan Bowmars old stone building, and the process repeated for those at Kaiwaka who let Baldiston, Donaldson and others know that they could go to Mangawhai to collect their supplies. That system was possible due to there being no trees left on hill or dale after all bush had been cleared for the timber trade. Bev Ross, Mangawhai Museum www.mangawhai-museum.org.nz Wellsford Plunket is looking for donations of old-style woollen blankets and flannelette sheet sets. Items collected will help families in need next winter. Please drop donations to Mike Pero Wellsford, Rodney Street, or call Tania on 021 264 0424. Dont overlook the importance of local customers to your business was the message delivered at a Matakana Coast Tourism meeting held at Plume Restaurant on July 19. Tourism member Fiona Angus presented an overview of the quarterly Marketview data, which underlined the importance of local spending in the area. In the last 12 months, consumer spending in the Matakana Coast region (Puhoi to Pakiri) totalled $228 million, and spending by Mahurangi and Rodney residents made up 70 per cent of that figure. In the quarter April-June, spending in the region grew by 4.8 per cent to $65 million, although this was $10 million less than the previous quarter, reflecting the regions seasonal pattern. Ms Angus reported that spending during the April-June quarter also showed a slightly different visitor mix, with proportionally more spending by locals and less from the rest of NZ. The meeting provided an opportunity for the groups chair, Penny Webster, to reflect on her first eight months in the job and Heather Johnson-Lee gave an update on social media improvements, which included enlisting the support of a local public relations business, RK Communications. One Warkworth manager Murray Chapman said the new One Warkworth/Matakana Tourism i-SITE partnership was working well and commented on the success of the recent Winter Festival of Lights event. A question directed to Mr Chapman regarding whether or not the word wine might be dropped from the Matakana Coast brand in future was quickly dismissed. Im not the person to answer that question and this is not the appropriate forum to talk about it anyway, he said. A Warkworth thundercat team has topped the national points table after winning four of the seven races in the Demon Energy Summer Thunder Competition held last month. Driver Steven Robertson, 30, and co-pilot Josiah Diprose, 24, now hope to represent New Zealand in an Australian series on the Gold Coast later this year. We were first in four races and second in two, but then didnt finish in the seventh race because we ran out of fuel, Josiah says. We were in front and only two kilometres from the finish line when the fuel ran out, so were pretty gutted. You try to make the boat as light as possible, which means putting in only enough fuel to finish the race, but we underestimated how much extra fuel the boat would use in the rough conditions. The seven races were held in various locations over five days and are designed to test the crews skills and endurance. They vary in length from five minutes to around three hours. This is the third year the Warkworth team has entered the competition, racing in We Raise, a tunnel hulled inflatable boat. Thundercat boats weigh around 150kg-180kg and are powered by two-stroke, 50hp outboard motors. The driver steers the boat, while the co-pilot uses his or her body weight to stabilise the craft for optimum speed. Josiah says whether or not the team can race in Australia will depend on securing further sponsorship. Current sponsors are We Raise and OXS. We Raise will be in action at Omaha Beach on Saturday, February 9, with racing starting at 11am. Anyone interested in sponsoring the team can contact Josiah on 0204 027 4829. The tuneful chattering calls of the Whitehead could soon be heard in Shakespear Regional Park, following the announcement last month that this species is likely to be the first bird to be reintroduced to the Open Sanctuary. Open sanctuary coordinator Matt Maitland says the process is well underway that will see around 60 of the little birds released at Shakespear, mainly sourced from Tiritiri Matangi Island. Whiteheads (or popokotea) are found on the mainland North Island in dense forests. Habitat loss and predation has seen them disappear from Auckland north, aside from sanctuaries. The birds gather in noisy flocks in the forest canopy and are often heard before they are seen. Matt says that he expects that the birds will be re-introduced to Shakespear this winter, or next, and that once they are there, robust monitoring is required. Reintroductions are a high-risk area of conservation management, Matt says. Whiteheads have been successfully reintroduced to a number of sites including Tawharanui Open Sanctuary, which has similar topography, habitat and site management. Robust monitoring will take place to observe and describe the result, whichever way it falls. In addition, the Open Sanctuary has noted two sightings of Forest Gecko, the latest in recent weeks, offering hope that this population is in recovery in the park. The confirmation that Forest Gecko are present means that the Open Sanctuary has seven out of the nine reptile species found in the Auckland ecological region. This gives us the greatest lizard biodiversity in mainland Auckland and is very exciting for our volunteers and supporters, Matt says. Next stop China A flock of around 30 bar-tailed Godwits left Okoromai Bay in Shakespear Regional Park late last month for their annual non-stop flight to China and then on to Alaska. They breed in the tundra there and are expected back at Okoromai in September. Photo, Donald Snook The future of Westmount School students in Maungaturoto is unclear, following a discovery that the school is breaching its resource consent. The privately-run Brethren school caters for students between Warkworth and Dargaville, and is managed by a trust. It currently has 210 students on its roll, but is only allowed a maximum of 150. Regional principal for the northern region Chris Gregory says the issue only became apparent when the resource consent was reviewed after the school lodged an application to do renovation work. The school has now made a publicly notified resource consent application to increase the school roll to 225, but has faced opposition from 14 residents on the same road. Submitting as the Whaka Street Residents Group, the residents have put forward concerns about increased traffic volumes and the schools ability to follow future consent conditions. Consequently, the application will go to an independent commissioners hearing later this year. We dont believe traffic will be an issue as many of the students arrive together in vans, Mr Gregory says. We dont want to be an illegal operation, so we are keen to rectify this consent issue and will work closely with Council and residents during the process. Kaipara District Council supports the resource consent application process as a solution to the non-compliance, but is unsure of the next step if the commissioners reject it. This is a unique situation in terms of a maximum roll breach so the future of the students and school is unclear at this stage if the school cant become complying, a Council spokesperson says. The New Zealand Transport Agency has approved the consent with the stipulation that within 12 months a turning bay into Whaka Street, off State Highway 12, is created. A hearing date had not been confirmed when Mahurangi Matters went to print. A suggestion that the proposed Matakana Link Road be reduced from four lanes down to two has alarmed local community groups, who fear it may create traffic snarl ups to rival Hill Street. Auckland Transport (AT) is under pressure from the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to slash the cost of the $89 million road, which will connect Matakana Road to SH1. In May, AT decided to progress the project, subject to NZTA funding subsidy approval. But the NZTA first wants to see the outcome of investigations to discover whether the cost of the project can be cut back to less than $55 million. At a meeting of the Warkworth Road Infrastructure Forum last month attended by representatives of various local groups an AT representative revealed that a move to two-lanes was among the cost-cutting options being considered. But the proposal is described as madness by Matakana Community Group chair Simon Barclay. Dr Barclay says a two-lane road will fail to cope with a planned new industrial park, increasing residential development and the opening of the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway in 2021. He says the new motorway will see a massive influx of visitors coming to Matakana, Leigh, Omaha and Point Wells and all will attempt to use the Matakana Link Road. This, coupled with the other developments, will create an enormous bottleneck if the road is cut back to just two lanes. All they are doing is creating another Hill Street further north, he says. To spend an enormous amount building something that is not fit for purpose by the time it is finished doesnt seem to me to be the best way to go or the best value for dollars. Dr Barclays comments are echoed by One Warkworth Business Association chair Chris Murphy who says the Matakana Link Road will become the main point of entry and exit for 50 to 60ha of new industrial-zoned land. I think its ludicrous personally particularly given the traffic volumes that are expected. Mr Murphy says AT has tried to justify the two-lane proposal based on revised traffic movement and usage predictions, but he remains concerned that the chief reason is financial. We are very concerned that they are cutting their cloth to suit their budget and we are going to end up with a compromised road, which will just add to the problems, as opposed to solving problems, he says. But the director of the independent think tank Greater Auckland, Matt Lowrie, said starting with two lanes and then moving to four may be no bad thing, especially as traffic volumes along Matakana Link Road would likely be light at first until other developments caught up. The problem we have got is that we have so much we need to build and spend to catch up on our infrastructure requirements. By spending extra money to do a four-lane road now could mean that there is something else that we are not doing that might be a more valuable use of the money. he says. Meanwhile, Roger Williams, of Fix Hill Street Now, says if AT does go ahead with two lanes for the Matakana Link Road then it must at least be sure to allow for four lanes in the future as they will certainly be required. Mr Williams is also a firm advocate of extending the Matakana Link Road to Sandspit Road, as AT has previously mooted. This will allow traffic from Snells Beach to access the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway and SH1 directly, rather than via Hill Street. If the Sandspit link is not in place then traffic from Snells Beach going to the new motorway will need to make a right turn at Hill Street. This will create far more congestion at the Hill Street intersection than currently exists, he says. AT spokesperson Mark Hannan says AT has budgeted for the Matakana Link Road to proceed over the next three years, but no final decisions have been made on modifying the proposed road. Auckland Transport and NZTA are working together over the next couple of months to optimise the staging of the project to ensure we can afford this important project, while also delivering more on region-wide safety and public transport initiatives, he says. Cllr Joe Flaherty has called on Longford Council to address an anomaly where the county will soon be the only one outside Dublin city, with parking charges, whilst electric car owners, are recharging their vehicles. Cllr Flaherty says that from September, Limerick City Council will no longer impose parking fees on electric vehicle users when they are charging their cars up to a maximum of four hours. That means that Longford will be the only Council outside of Dublin City centre to impose parking fees and not promote the current government's environmental policy, he added, before pointing out that there were currently three charge points in the town with one on Church St and another two on the Market Square. At the moment, electric car owners technically have to pay their parking charges whilst they recharge their car, but I do appreciate that the local traffic wardens are correctly using their discretion. Its an anomaly that simply needs to be cleared up; we are all well aware of the benefits of electric vehicles and in line with the Government's aim of encouraging the electrification of transport, it is important that we as a local authority are on point with stated national policy. Meanwhile, the use of the electric vehicles is being widely supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and according to Cllr Flaherty there were 3,800 electric vehicles (EVs) on Irish roads by the end of 2017 but registrations of new and imported EVs are currently up by 40% compared to same period last year. The local area representative in Longford town also highlighted grants for motorists or businesses who might be thinking of going electric and suggested a visit to the very informativewww.DrivingElectric.ie At present, electric vehicles make up less than 1% of the vehicle fleet in Ireland but there is a marked shift in this direction, said Cllr Flaherty. I appreciate that the local wardens have been exercising discretion but we need to clear up any ambiguity and if that means addressing the town's parking bye-laws then that's the route to go. Read Also: Longford car park branded a 'holy disgrace' Local News, Crime, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: July 30 2018 Defense Distributed recently announced that it would upload downloadable 3D-printed guns to the internet, essentially giving anyone with a 3-D printer access to these weapons. New York, NY - July 30, 2018 - New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood part of a coalition of Attorneys General announced that she will file suit against the Trump administration to block the distribution of materials that enable the printing of untraceable, undetectable guns using 3-D printers. It is, simply, crazy to give criminals the tools to build untraceable, undetectable 3-D printed guns at the touch of a button. Yet that's exactly what the Trump administration is allowing, said Attorney General Underwood. We won't stand by as New Yorkers safety is jeopardized by this abrupt about-face by the federal government. The lawsuit will be filed in federal court by the Attorneys General of Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York, and the District of Columbia. In 2015, Defense Distributed, an organization dedicated to global distribution of open-source, downloadable 3D-printed guns, sued the federal government after the U.S. State Department forced the removal of the instruction manuals from the internet. The federal government successfully argued that the manuals violate firearm export laws before a federal trial court and federal appeals court. The United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Then, in an abrupt reversal, the federal government settled the case on June 29, 2018. As part of the settlement, the Trump Administration will allow the downloadable guns for unlimited public distribution in any form. This will give anyone with a 3-D printer access to these weapons. Defense Distributed recently announced that it would upload the data files to the internet, essentially giving plug-and-play access to guns. The Attorneys General will now file suit, arguing that the Trump Administration actions resulting from the settlement violate the Administrative Procedure Act and the Tenth Amendment. They will also ask the court for a nationwide temporary restraining order. In defending against Defense Distributeds lawsuit, the federal government previously stated it was particularly concerned that [the] proposed export of undetectable firearms technology could be used in an assassination, for the manufacture of spare parts by embargoed nations, terrorist groups, or to compromise aviation security overseas in a manner specifically directed at U.S. persons. A federal judge in the Western District of Texas in 2015 rejected Defense Distributeds effort to temporarily block the governments regulation of its materials, finding that facilitating global access to firearms undoubtedly increases the possibility of outbreak or escalation of conflict. After the appeal of that decision was rejected, and the Supreme Court declined to hear it, the federal government moved to dismiss Defense Distributeds lawsuit in April of this year. It argued that the downloadable guns can unquestionably facilitate the creation of defense articles abroad and that the Department of State has consistently and reasonably concluded that it is not possible to meaningfully curtail the overseas dissemination of arms if unfettered access to technical data essential to the production of those arms is permitted. If the federal government were not permitted to regulate the dissemination of the downloadable guns, it argued, they could be used to threaten U.S. national security, U.S. foreign policy interests, or international peace and stability. Mere weeks later, Defense Distributed announced the case had settled. The government surprised the plaintiffs by suddenly offering them a settlement with essentially everything they wanted, according to a report from Wired magazine. The settlement agreement was not made public until July 10. The Trump Administration settlement requires the government to temporarily waive export restrictions on Defense Distributeds downloadable gun files. In order to do this legally, the Administration must get the concurrence of the Department of Defense and provide at least 30 days notice to Congress. The lawsuit will allege that there is no evidence either of those steps have happened, which violates the Administrative Procedure Act. The lawsuit will also argue that the Trump Administration action is arbitrary and capricious, also in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. For example, there is no indication in the settlement agreement or elsewhere that any analysis, study, or determination was made by the government defendants in consultation with other agencies, before the federal government agreed to lift export controls on the downloadable guns. In fact, the agreement states that it does not reflect any agreed-upon purpose other than the desire of the Parties to reach a full and final conclusion of the Action, and to resolve the Action without the time and expense of further litigation. In an ever-changing corporate environment, the likelihood of working with international branches will soon be inevitable. Your career advancement may very well hinge on how effectively you can communicate with the rest of the world. Therefore, knowing multiple languages will be quite valuable in your career advancement, especially if you work for a multinational corporation. The first step in your career development is deciding which languages will be valuable to you. Spanish and Simplified Chinese are the most useful, as they will help you communicate with a large percentage of the world. However, what if your company has markets elsewhere, such as India or Portugal? Itll be difficult to find a language instructor for each language you need. This is where Mondly comes in. Mondly offers an intuitive, user-friendly approach to teaching foreign languages, not unlike taking traditional lessons from a native speaker. You can find a Mondly subscription in the Macworld store for as low as $39.99. To accomplish this, Mondly employs state-of-the-art speech recognition technology that identifies keywords and phrases in your speech and rewards you for speaking correctly. Subscribers may also converse with Mondlys roster of native speakers, who will teach you the ins-and-outs of pronunciation and inflection. This ensures that your diction will be as authentic as can be. Currently, Android users can use MondlyAR with a cell phone VR headset such as the Google Cardboard. This provides an immersive experience where you can interact with animals, objects, or more in VR. Unfortunately, we Apple users dont have MondlyAR support just yet, but were looking forward to seeing it implemented! Mondlys pricing model offers lifetime subscriptions for one, three, and five languages for $239.95, $719.85, and $1,199.75 respectively. However, Macworld Shop currently features Mondly subscriptions for up to 94% off. You can find a 5-language Mondly subscription for $69.99, or less than the price of a single language subscription at MSRP. Employees who lost their jobs after the Necco candy plant closed its doors last week are suing the Connecticut-based company that laid them off. Round Hill Investments LLC bought the 171-year-old candy manufacturer during a bankruptcy auction in May, but shut down the Revere plant last Tuesday and sold the business to another national candy manufacturer. Now, the company is being sued in a class action lawsuit filed by two former employees -- Dexter Main of Lynn and Francesco D'Amelio of Revere. The complaint filed in federal court claims that Round Hill failed to give advance warning to its employees of the shutdown, which they say was in direct violation of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The workers are suing for 60 days of back pay, as well as attorneys' fees and other relief. They claim that Round Hill did not give employees any notice of the shutdown, which was effective immediately. Necco workers returned to pick up their final paychecks on Friday. The candy company has had a tumultuous year, plagued with health code violations and business deals gone sour. In May, Spangler Candy Co. took home the highest bid for Necco at a federal bankruptcy court auction in Boston, pledging $18.8 million. But in a dramatic turn of events, the deal fell apart and Round Hill -- the second-highest bidder- closed on a deal to acquire Necco for $17.3 million under the Sweetheart Candy Co. LLC entity, owned by Dean, Evan and Daren Metropoulos. Round Hill is already being sued for breach of contract and unfair and deceptive business practices by the court-appointed trustee handling Necco's bankruptcy case. Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed claiming Round Hill tried back out of a final payment of $1 million by claiming it didn't know about a warning issued to Necco regarding serious health code violations. In a complaint filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Boston, trustee Harry B. Murphy said Round Hill claimed it was unaware of the warning that was issued to Necco by the Food and Drug Administration in May. The warning had to do with serious health code violations, including rodent feces found in various areas where candy was produced late last year. Murphy disputed that claim. Classic movie fans may recall "The Petrified Forest" as a Humphrey Bogart vehicle with Bette Davis and Leslie Howard. The movie was based on the 1934 play by four-time Pulitzer Award-winner Robert Sherwood. Previews run Thursday and Friday at the the Fitzpatrick Main Stage with opening night set for Saturday. The Berkshire Theatre Group production runs through Aug. 25. Directed by Tony and Pulitzer Award-winner David Auburn, the tale is about a waitress, Gabby Maple, longing for poetry and romance; disillusioned writer Alan Squier; and fugitive killer Duke Mantee, who sweat out a manhunt in an Arizona diner. Theatergoers can expect "an exciting evening of theater with colorful characters" and "will surely leave feeling wildly entertained," commented Berkshire Theatre Group's Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire. Berkshire Theatre and the Sherwood family have a special connection: Sherwood's sister, Cynthia Sherwood, performed in a number of plays at The Fitzpatrick Main Stage, including starring alongside Ethel Barrymore in "Declasse." His other sister, Rosamond "Roz" Sherwood, was a trustee at the Berkshire Theatre Festival (1953-1989) and a Stockbridge resident he often visited. "The play was written in a period of great turmoil. It was after the stock market crash, the country was in the midst of thinking about war, and the disparity between wealth and poverty was extraordinary," Maguire commented. Sherwood has the play set in the desert, with people aching to get out. "You see young Gabby Maple, who is dreaming and longing; the sensitive poet, Alan Squier, hurting for the world; and Duke Mantee, who is fighting his way through everything," she continued. "I don't think one has to look too deeply to see the comparisons to today's world." She tries to present one great American classic every year. "The Sherwood family was a fixture in Stockbridge, and because it's Berkshire Theatre's 90th season, it felt right, and 'The Petrified Forest' felt particularly resonant," she said. "The Petrified Forest" will be staged Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South St., Pittsfield, by calling 413-997-4444 or online at BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. The Ticket Office is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or on any performance day from 10 a.m. until curtain. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change. For more information, go to BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. When it comes to wine, New Zealand's famous for its fresh, refreshing, grassy and affordable Sauvignon Blanc white wines. But that's not the only great wine produced by this beautiful country located in the South Pacific. You can also find many outstanding Pinot Noir red wines from New Zealand. And best of all, many of their Pinots cost less than $20 a bottle. Recently, I tried three, outstanding Pinot Noirs from New Zealand for under $18 a botle. Like many of New Zealand's best Sauvignon Blancs, all three Pinot Noirs this week come from the Marlborough region on the northern tip of the South Island of New Zealand. And while there are many wine producers in New Zealand, the three wines recommended this week come from some of the country's largest and best-known winemakers, which means it's relatively easy to find these wines in many wine stores. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Let me add that these wines tasted great on their own as well as with a wide variety of foods. Their flavors also held up the next day and two days after first opening the bottle, another added attraction since not all of us finish a bottle in one night. WINES RECOMMENDED THIS WEEK 2016 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir ($14.99 at Table & Vine in West Springfield) 2015 Matua Pinot Noir ($11.99 at Table & Vine) 2016 Kim Crawford Pinot Noir ($17.99 at Table & Vine) TASTING NOTES 2016 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir Of the three New Zealand Pinot Noirs recommended this week, this one has the lightest flavors of all three. This wine also has a slightly fruity taste straight out of the bottle that reminds me of a young, Beaujolais Nouveau wine made with Gamay grapes. But there's nothing sweet or cloying about this wine. And the day after opening this wine, it really smooths out nicely and takes on an even softer, smoother, velvet-like touch. A beautiful wine for people who like their Pinot Noirs on the lighter side. 2015 Matua Pinot Noir Slightly drier than the Oyster Ball, this bright, crisp wine has a long, clean aftertaste that lasts nearly a minute. The flavors are muted in this wine and not overpowering. This dry raspberries and almonds. So don't pair this one with a big, spicy meal. This gem tastes great with fish, soft cheeses or other understated foods. The day after opening, this wine still tastes clean and bright but not quite as complex as the first day. My advice - drink this one first if you're opening all three at the same time. 2016 Kim Crawford Pinot Noir My favorite wine of the three reviewed this week, this one inched ahead of the other two New Zealand Pinot Noirs thanks to its bigger, more complex flavors straight out of the bottle. Dry and flinty, slightly robust and jam-like, this complex wine has the longest finish of the three recommended this week. The day after opening the bottle, this wine still tastes great but not much different than the first day. So no need to rush if you can't finish the bottle the first night. Greatness awaits you the day after as well. Cheers! Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican's weekend section every Thursday. Follow Ken Ross on Twitter and Instagram. Malik Antonio Koval, the 21-year-old Falmouth man accused of shooting two police officers, will be arraigned from his hospital bed at Brigham and Women's on Tuesday. Koval allegedly shot Falmouth Police Officers Donald DeMiranda and Ryan Moore on Friday, July 27, after the officers approached Koval on the street in response to a disturbance call. The Cape and Islands district attorney's office said in a statement that the two Falmouth officers found Koval breaking bottles on the street in East Falmouth on Friday afternoon. Koval allegedly became agitated and ran back into his home, where investigators say he produced a gun and shot at the officers. Both Officer DeMiranda and Officer Moore appear to be recovering and in good condition, authorities say. Relatives of Koval, Marcus Maseda and Kimberly Koval, were arrested in connection to the shootout. The two were arraigned at Falmouth District Court on Monday on charges of interfering with the duties of a police officer, intimidating a witness or police officer, and assault and battery on a police officer. Investigators said Kimberly Koval, 38 and Maseda, 18, tried to obstruct the officers' pursuit of the main suspect. Kimberly Koval and Maseda posted $7,500 bail and are scheduled to return to court on August 22, according to the D.A.'s office. In the exchange of gunfire on Friday, Malik Koval was also injured and transported to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston for treatment. It is there he will be arraigned at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. CHICOPEE - Police Chief William R. Jebb was released from the hospital Sunday after being seriously injured in a motorcycle crash. Jebb, who has been head of the department since 2014, crashed his motorcycle at about 10:30 p.m., July 19, at the top of the 4B ramp of Interstate-391 near the intersection of Grattan Street. He was off-duty at the time and no one was involved in the crash. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center, in Springfield, with serious injuries. Sunday, Michael Wilk, public information officer for the department, announced Jebb is now recovering at home. "Again, he was overwhelmed with all the community support and looks forward to being back to work ASAP," Wilk said. On Friday Wilk posted another update that said Jebb was improving and included a photo of him with his left arm in a sling. Capt. Daniel Sullivan is serving as acting police chief while Jebb is recovering, Wilk said. The investigation into the crash was turned over to the Massachusetts State Police. The examination has not been completed yet and is ongoing, said David Procopio, state police spokesman. SPRINGFIELD -- The John Boyle O'Reilly Club will host the 20th annual Irish Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 11, with multiple bands including the headliner, Barley Juice. The festival is open to members and the general public from 3 p.m. to midnight at the club, 33 Progress Ave., rain or shine. There will be music in the upstairs hall, the downstairs lounge and in the outdoor music tent. The festival will include food and Irish crafts. The performances include The Rising, Shamrock of Kerry, The Healys, The Cabeys with Paul Richie, Erin Og, the Springfield Kiltie Band/Open Irish Session, and Barley Juice. Admission is $10 for adults, and free for children under 12. Tickets can by purchased in advance by calling the club at 413-788-8603, and can be purchased at the festival. The lawyer for the mother of a Falmouth man accused of shooting two police officers Friday said his client tackled her son to stop him and wasn't attempting to interfere with police, according to NECN. Kimberly Koval, 38, and Marcus Maseda, 18, is accused of interfering with the officers' work following the shootout with Malik Antonio Koval, 21, who allegedly shot Falmouth Police Officers Donald DeMiranda and Ryan Moore. Kimberly Koval and Maseda were charged with the obstruction of justice, interfering with the duties of a police officer and assault and battery on a police officer. DeMiranda and Moore were first called to Seacoast Shores Boulevard in East Falmouth around 5:30 p.m., after receiving a disturbance call. They found Malik Koval, who was allegedly smashing bottles in the street. Officials said when the officers tried to engage Koval, he became "agitated" and ran into a home at 2 Ashley Drive. Once inside the home, the authorities said Maseda and Kimberly Koval tried to interfere with the officers' efforts to follow Malik Koval into the home. Malik Koval then allegedly opened fire, injuring the two officers. He was injured when officers returned fire. Both Falmouth officers were transported to local hospitals for injuries following the shootout. Moore has been treated and released, and DeMiranda remains in good condition at a local hospital. Kimberly Koval's lawyer said at her arraignment Monday that she and Maseda returned home from work to find Malik Koval in the situation with police, tackled him and kicked a gun away, according to NECN. He added that the conflict with police stemmed from his client trying to warn police of a dog in the backyard. Kimberly Koval and Maseda had bail set at $7,500 and are set to return to court on August 22, according to the Cape and Islands District Attorney's office. Malik Koval was transported to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston for treatment. He will be arraigned in his hospital bed at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. HADLEY - The operator of a boat which crashed on the Connecticut River Wednesday has died from his injuries. The 32-year-old Ludlow man died Saturday, said Katie Gronendyke, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Environmental Police. Officials did not release the man's name or information about the operator's injuries. The Massachusetts Environmental Police continue to investigate the crash, Gronendyke said. The boat slammed into the bank of the Connecticut River shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday. When rescue crews arrived, they found the driver and two passengers on shore. The operator had lost consciousness but was breathing and the other two victims suffered injuries that were not critical, Hadley Fire Chief Michael Spanknebel said at the time. There were no other passengers and no other boats were involved in the crash, he said. The boat crashed during rainy weather and no one was certain where the accident had happened at first because there were few people on the water, he said. Hadley Fire and Police responded to the crash and were assisted by South Hadley and Northampton firefighters. Firefighters launched boats from the Sportsman's Marina on Russell Road and Mitch's Marina, on Mitch's Way to ensure rescue crews could find and rescue the victims as quickly as possible, Spanknebel said. Sportsman's Marina also provided the rescue crews with an additional boat. Spanknebel said he had also called for assistance from a hospital Lifeflight helicopter but pilots could not take off in the poor weather. All three victims were brought to Baystate Medical Center by ambulance after they were rescued. Are you a "real" person? A "character" man with a "tough" face? Mark Wahlberg wants you for his upcoming film. Or at least he wants you and your tough face to be an extra in it. Boston Casting Inc. put out an open call on Friday "searching for real people, character men with tough faces" for Wahlberg's latest movie. Among the descriptors: "construction workers, blue collar workers, DPW workers, and fishermen." And: "Mob guys, etc." Anyone with a photo and Saturday free is invited to try out for Wahlberg's latest film. Boston Casting will host an open call August 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 129 Braintree St. in Allston. A Massachusetts family is grieving the loss of a father days after the birth of his daughter. Kevin Quinn was driving his SUV west on Route 28 on Saturday, when a sedan crossed the center line and crashed into his vehicle, Barnstable police say of the preliminary investigation. Quinn was extricated from the wreckage of his vehicle and taken to South Shore Hospital where he died of his injuries. The driver of the second vehicle, 22-year-old Mickey Rivera, of Fall River, was pronounced dead at the scene and a passenger in his vehicle remains in critical condition. Quinn was combat veteran who survived two deployments to Afghanistan. Following his second tour of duty, he married Kara Sullivan, a fellow Marine. Back home on the Cape, the couple purchased their first home in his hometown and started a business, Quinn Excavating and Septic. He planned to pursue a career in law enforcement. The couple welcomed their first child early Wednesday morning. "Kevin was very much excited but nervous about being a father," the family wrote in a tribute. "We all told him that he was going to do just fine as a dad and that we felt really bad for any guy that wanted to date his daughter when she was old enough." He died three days following the birth of his daughter, the evening before she was to come home. The family has created an online fundraiser to offset the cost of laying Quinn to rest and support his wife and daughter following his death. Since it was started over the weekend, more than $100,000 has been raised. A legitimate fundraiser for the family of Marine veteran, new father and fatal crash victim Kevin Quinn has already raised $167,000, with over 2,500 people donating in less than two days. But some people are trying to take advantage of the tragedy, Yarmouth police warned Monday. "Relatives of the Quinn family advised YPD that there have been postings of fraudulent web pages posing as charities for the Quinn Family," Yarmouth police wrote. The only approved donor collection site is the Kevin Quinn Memorial Gofundme." Quinn, a 32-year-old Mashpee resident, was driving home Saturday after visiting his wife and newborn first child at Cape Cod Hospital when his car was struck by an SUV. He was taken to South Shore Hospital but died of his injuries. The driver of the SEV, 22-year-old Fall River man Mickey Rivera, was allegedly being chased by police at the time, NECN reported. Rivera, who was also killed in the crash, was awaiting trial in a 2015 armed robbery case after having his bail reduced from $35,000 to $1,000 in September, WCVB reported. Quinn served two deployments in Afghanistan and was married to fellow marine Kara Sullivan. Their daughter was born last Wednesday. Fraudulent fundraisers have also emerged in other recent high-profile tragedies. Police warned of fake charity solicitations following the killings of Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chesna and Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon. The driver of one of the vehicles involved in a fatal crash that claimed the life of a new father was out on bail in a violent robbery case, WCVB reported. Mickey Rivera, 22, of Fall River was out on bail when his car collided head-on with an SUV being driven by 32-year-old Kevin Quinn of Mashpee, who was returning from visiting his wife and first child in the hospital. The crash happened Saturday night on Route 28 in Cotuit. A police pursuit was in progress in connection with the crash, NECN reported. Mashpee police confirmed the pursuit, but did not give further details. WCVB reports that Rivera was out of jail after having his bail significantly reduced in an armed and masked robbery case from March 2015. A victim was shot and killed during the alleged crime by two other defendants, but Rivera was never charged with homicide, the television station reported. Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and a passenger in his car remains in critical condition. Quinn was extricated from the wreckage of his vehicle and taken to South Shore Hospital where he died of his injuries. Quinn was combat veteran who survived two deployments to Afghanistan. Following his second tour of duty, he married Kara Sullivan, a fellow Marine. Back home on the Cape, the couple purchased their first home in his hometown and started a business, Quinn Excavating and Septic. He planned to pursue a career in law enforcement. The couple welcomed their first child early Wednesday morning. Rivera's bail was reduced from $35,000 to $1,000 on Sept. 19, according to WCVB based, in part, on a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision that says bail should be set at amounts defendants can afford. The District Attorney's Office objected to the reduction, the television station reported. Rivera had been held for more than two years. When Bill Lee sent a cease and desist letter to fellow Republican primary candidate Diane Black just a week before this Thursdays election, it may have cemented the belief the dynamic Williamson County businessman will soon lay claim to the keys of our governors mansion. Lee has steadfastly refused to join the three other Republican front runners in attack ads in the primarys now-frantic race to the finish line, saying, Thats not what leaders do, and my hunch this morning is that such strategy will yield him this weeks nomination. Not in 50 years of voting have I been so immeasurably pleased with the four Republican candidates vying to replace the term-limited Bill Haslam, but first Diane Black, and then Randy Boyd have succumbed to desperation and Lee, an ardent Christian, has continued to view such behavior as counter to the voters logic. People who are willing to say anything or do anything to be elected are not the kind of people Tennesseans want as a governor. Last week an attack mailer from Diane Blacks camp insinuated Lees huge heating/air conditioning company terminated an Army National Guard employee because the veteran missed too much work due to doctors appointments. The voice-over claimed, They (soldiers) protected our freedom and what did Bill Lee give them in return? A pink slip A fact check confirmed the alleged action was bogus and that Blacks campaign most certainly had misrepresented Lee and his companys patriotic stand for veterans, but by then the damage had been done across the state you cant erase a TV ad after it plays. Blacks handlers had hoped Lee would be drawn into the repugnant cross-fire between Blacks campaign and Randy Boyd, but, instead, Lee emerged in one of the latest polls as having 26 percent of the Republican favor, this ahead of Boyds 20 percent and Blacks 19. A fourth candidate, House speaker Beth Harwell, has 16 percent. With just three days remaining in an outstanding primary, the negative campaigning may well be the reason Lee has grown in eleventh-hour support. After another mailer claimed Lees company had fired the soldier while he was actually on duty in Iraq, the cease and desist letter caused both Black and Boyd to quietly pull ads with any mention of the soldier never mind a lawsuit filed by the soldier over the incident had been dismissed some years ago. Blacks tactics included Lees past support of Democrat Phil Bredesen and Nashvilles disgraced former Mayor Megan Barry but the ready answer is that in both instances Lees donations were business decisions. The voice-overs line was Bill Lee is the kind of Republican who helps Democrats get elected dont let Bill Lee burn you again when a disclosure showed 99.7 percent of Lees contributions went to Republican candidates. Unlike Lee, Knoxville candidate Boyd has aired attacks aimed primarily at Black, who he claims is a career politician who in the last 20 years has seen her net worth increase over $40 million. What is closer to the truth is the Congressman (Diane doesnt enjoy being labeled as a Congresswoman in the male-dominated sector) has a tremendously-talented husband who minds the family business.) Lee downplays his recent surge after trailing for much of the primary campaign. We have momentum now because Tennessee voters believe I am the most conservative candidate in the race. Our campaign is surging even with all three of the other campaigns attacking us because Tennesseans are rejecting this dishonesty and rallying to us. His opponents are not about to concede anything. Boyds campaign leader, Chip Saltsman, said no one should fall for some deeply-flawed poll cooked up at the 11th hour by some unknown pollster. Right now we believe (Boyd) is in the lead statewide, winning both east and west and very strong in the middle of the state. Regardless, these last three days will be frantic, far greater than the general election itself, and who would have ever thought, in a time such as this, the cleanest pair of hands would produce a winner? Then again, some people have known all along thats what leaders do royexum@aol.com GREENFIELD - A Vermont man was killed and a passenger was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash Sunday night in Greenfield, according to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office. The deceased was not identified in the press beyond saying he was a resident of Jacksonville, Vermont. The name is being withheld pending notification of family. The crash occured at about 8 p.m. at the intersection of Deerfield and Cheapside streets. The operator apparently lost control of the motorcycle and crashed, the DA said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger was transported by a Lifeflight helicopter ambulance to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. According to the DA's office, the passenger is expected to survive The crash is being investigated by Greenfield police, state police assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney, and by the state police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section. Jacksonville, Vermont is a small town roughly 10 miles northwest of Greenfield. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would consider shutting down the government if Democrats refuse to vote for his immigration proposals, including a U.S.-Mexico border wall. Republicans, trying to protect their majority in Congress, are playing down the chance of a shutdown as the November election nears. Trump, however, isn't backing away from the idea. "I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!" Trump tweeted. "Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! "We need great people coming into our Country!" Trump said. Trump returned to the idea of shutting down the government over the border wall after meeting at the White House last week with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to discuss the fall legislative agenda. McConnell, asked about a shutdown during a Kentucky radio interview, said it was not going to happen. He did acknowledge, however, that the border funding issue was unlikely to be resolved before the midterm elections. Ryan said after the meeting: "The president's willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so that we can get that done." He added that money for the wall was "not a question of if, it's a question of when." Trump campaigned on the promise of building a border wall to deter illegal immigration and making Mexico pay for it. Mexico has refused. Congress has given the president some wall funding but far from the $25 billion he has requested. Trump wants changes to legal immigration, including scrapping a visa lottery program. In addition, he wants to end the practice of releasing immigrants caught entering the country illegally on the condition that they show up for court hearings. Trump has also demanded that the U.S. shift to an immigration system based more on merit and less on family ties. Democrats and some Republicans have objected to some of the changes Trump seeks. The federal budget year ends Sept. 30, and lawmakers will spend much of August in their states campaigning for re-election. The House is now in recess, returning after Labor Day. The Senate remains in session and is set to go on break the week of Aug. 6 before returning for the rest of the month. McConnell canceled most of the Senate's recess to give senators time to work on the annual spending bills that fund government operations. Both chambers will have a short window to approve a spending bill before government funding expires. Trump would be taking a political risk if he does allow most government functions to lapse on Oct. 1 -- the first day of the new budget year -- roughly a month before the Nov. 6 elections, when Republican control of both the House and Senate is at stake. Some Republican lawmakers doubted the government would be forced to shut down. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he didn't think shutting down the government just before the elections would be helpful "so let's try and avoid it." Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm for GOP House candidates, agreed. "I think we're going to make sure we keep the government open, but we're going to get better policies on immigration," he said on ABC's "This Week." ''The president, I think, wants us to have policies that work for America and work for Americans, and I think that's what we are going to move forward with." House Republicans released a spending bill this month that provides $5 billion next year to build Trump's wall, a plan he supports. Democrats have long opposed financing Trump's wall but lack the votes by themselves to block House approval of that amount. They do, however, have the strength to derail legislation in the closely divided Senate. The $5 billion is well above the $1.6 billion in the Senate version of the bill, which would finance the Department of Homeland Security. The higher amount matches what Trump has privately sought in conversations with Republican lawmakers, according to a GOP congressional aide who wasn't authorized to publicly talk about private discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity. At the White House meeting last week, Trump, Ryan and McConnell agreed that Congress is on track to enact more than half of federal spending before the new budget year begins Oct. 1, but that DHS funding, including the border wall money, doesn't have to be settled before then, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Two leading Democrats -- Reps. Nita Lowey of New York and California's Lucille Roybal-Allard -- called the $5 billion a waste that "only further enables this administration's obsession with cruel attacks on immigrants." Trump also tweeted on Sunday that there are "consequences when people cross our Border illegally" and claimed many who do so are "using children for their own sinister purposes." Trump's tweet came several days after the government said more than 1,800 children separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under Trump's "zero-tolerance" immigration policy have been reunited with parents and sponsors. A federal judge had ordered the reunions to be completed by last Thursday, but hundreds of children remain separated. The administration says some of their parents have criminal histories. "Please understand, there are consequences when people cross our Border illegally, whether they have children or not - and many are just using children for their own sinister purposes," Trump said. BOSTON -- When Gov. Charlie Baker signed the state budget last week, he vetoed $48.9 million in spending. Now, lawmakers are busy overriding his vetoes. House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, D-Boston, said the original $41.88 billion budget agreed on by the House and Senate was balanced and "fiscally responsible." Sanchez said overriding the vetoes "will help deliver on the promises and priorities we made to all our constituents" and will ensure lawmakers "protect the most vulnerable residents" of the state. Overriding the governor's vetoes takes a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate. Democrats have more than a two-thirds majority in both bodies, so they can generally easily override Baker's vetoes. The House started voting on vetoes on Friday, and the House and Senate continued voting on Monday. Among the vetoes that lawmakers are overriding: $2 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Council $2.5 million for community-based re-entry programs $4 million for MassHealth senior care and $12.8 million for the MassHealth fee for service program. $3.1 million in public safety earmarks $1.2 million for the state police $1.3 million for municipal regionalization $800,000 for school-based health programs Material from the State House News Service was used in this report. Massachusetts lawmakers will consider imposing a tax of up to about 17 percent on short-term room rentals like those done through the website Airbnb. The tax could be as high as 17.25 percent in Boston and 16.75 percent elsewhere, including in Springfield. For months, lawmakers have been debating how to regulate an industry that is increasingly competing with city hotels, with some owners renting out large numbers of units using websites like Airbnb. The hotel industry has cried foul because these renters do not have to pay the state's 5.7 percent tax on hotel rooms and do not have to comply with various state regulations. Under the bill that emerged from a conference committee on Sunday, a 5 percent hotel tax would apply to short-term rentals. A city or town could impose a local tax of up to 6 percent, or 6.5 percent in Boston. Rooms in Springfield, West Springfield, Chicopee, Worcester, Boston and Cambridge would also be subject to the 2.75 percent convention center facility fee that currently applies to hotel rooms in those areas and goes to pay for the convention centers in those communities. The tax would not apply to owner-occupied bed and breakfast homes with fewer than four units, which are exempt from taxes today. Municipalities could also levy a separate 3 percent "community impact fee" that would go partly toward local affordable housing or infrastructure projects. That fee would apply to any operator who rents out at least two professionally managed units in the city or town. Rentals on Cape Cod would be subject to a 2.75 percent tax that would go into a new water protection fund, which would be used for water pollution projects on the Cape. There are some exemptions -- for example, if a member of the military rents out his home while abroad, he would not be subject to the taxes. The taxes would not apply to seasonal accommodations provided by employers, certified alcohol and drug-free housing, month-to-month leases and time-share units that are already taxed. The State House News Service reported that lawmakers estimate the tax will raise $25 million in revenue for the state and $25 million for municipalities. A hosting platform, like Airbnb, could collect taxes on behalf of an owner. The bill would require the state's Office of Housing and Economic Development to develop a registry of all rentals, which is visible to the public. Each rental would have to obtain a certificate of registration from the state. A city or town could impose its own regulations on short-term rentals -- banning them, restricting their location, restricting the number of rental units available or the number of days someone can rent out a property. Municipalities could also impose their own requirements regarding registration and health and safety inspections. All state rentals would be required to post certain safety information, such as the location of fire extinguishers, gas shut-off valves, fire exits and fire alarms. Operators would have to maintain $1 million in liability insurance coverage or rent their unit through a service that provides insurance coverage. They would be subject to anti-discrimination laws. A new commission would look at whether short-term rentals could potentially be used as emergency shelters to house people displaced by extreme weather or other emergencies. The bill would go into effect Jan. 1, 2019. Airbnb has in the past said it will agree to collect taxes on behalf of its operators, but it has chafed at some proposed regulations. "While we appreciate the Massachusetts Senate and House for their progress on home sharing policy and taxation, a public registry of our hosts sets a precedent that negatively impacts families who home share, and the state's reputation as a business leader," Crystal Davis, a spokeswoman for Airbnb, said in a statement. "We look forward to Governor Baker's consideration of this legislation and its potential impact on every corner of the state." Paul Sacco, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, which represents the hotel industry, said in a statement that the conference committee "did an outstanding job of producing a plan that is quite fair to all concerned." "It goes a long way toward leveling the playing field for all lodging businesses while maintaining a welcoming environment for new home-sharing platforms," Sacco said in a statement. The bill will now go to the House and Senate for up-or-down votes. If it passes, it will go to Gov. Charlie Baker. Baker has said in the past that he wants to tax short-term rentals as a way to "level the playing field" with existing hotels. But he has also opposed some prior versions of the proposal because of who would be subject to the tax. Baker has not yet taken a position on the latest version of the bill. The conference committee was led by Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, D-Boston, and Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport. Clarification: The bill says the hotel tax applied to short-term rentals is 5 percent, but because of the way the tax is is calculated, it actually comes out to 5.7 percent. This story was updated with comments from an Airbnb spokeswoman. A $2.4 billion environmental bond bill that could fund projects from Cape Cod to the Berkshires has been approved by the Massachusetts Legislature and now heads to the desk of Gov. Charlie Baker. The Senate today approved a conference committee's report, following passage by the House on Friday. The bill is heavy on items that would help Massachusetts respond to the challenges of climate change. The bill, H.4835, authorizes borrowing for capital projects including dam removal and repair, culvert replacement, coastal resiliency measures, municipal water infrastructure, land conservation and transportation. It also mandates a statewide plan for climate change adaptation and resiliency, the first of its kind in the nation. Under the plan, state agencies and communities will assess their vulnerability to extreme storms, flooding, drought and other threats. The vulnerability assessments will help inform the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs as it develops an overall strategy for protecting people, property and nature. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, last week praised the bond bill for its savvy politics during a time when the mere phrase "climate change" can trigger heated partisan debates. "For years, environmentalists dismissed adaptation as an unsavory, if not unethical, alternative to climate mitigation," he wrote. "Many feared it falsely suggested to voters that we can somehow build our way out of the climate problem." Political gridlock, coupled with recognition that many climate-related hazards are unavoidable, prompted such naysayers "to eventually accept adaptation as a viable, if not essential, weapon in the fight to against climate change," DeLeo wrote. The bond bill authorizes borrowing for many projects in Western Massachusetts, including repairs to state and city parks, support for hiking and mountain bike trails and assistance for public works infrastructure in communities including Northampton and Colrain. In the final hours of debate, language was added to mandate training for animal inspectors. Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, said better training and record-keeping is needed to prevent animal cruelty. Mothers of police officers and overdose victims lent their voice Monday to a push to remove a Salem Superior Court judge from the bench, joining a group of Republican lawmakers who say they want to force a floor debate on the topic in Monday's House session. "As you know, the Democrats suspend the rules on a daily basis. We're hoping that they give us the same consideration that we give them, suspend the rules and let us debate this and take a vote on it," Rep. James Lyons said at a press conference outside his office. Lyons, an Andover Republican, said he plans to refile Monday a bill of address seeking the removal of Judge Timothy Feeley, a piece of legislation he first offered in May. Lyons said Feeley had "crossed the line of impartiality" by "favoring those who are non-citizens." Lyons' initial bill, filed May 17, has not been assigned a bill number in the Democrat-controlled House, a first step before any bill can get a committee hearing or otherwise advance in the legislative process. Feeley has come under fire over controversial rulings, including sentencing Manuel Soto-Vittini to probation instead of prison time after he pleaded guilty to drug-dealing charges. The Salem News has reported that Feeley said he would send Soto-Vittini, who was arrested in 2015 and found with more than half an ounce of heroin in a secret compartment in his car, to a house of correction if he had been an American citizen. Two Danvers mothers who had lost children to opioid overdoses, and a third who has two children who are police officers, joined Lyons and Reps. Geoff Diehl, Kevin Kuros, Marc Lombardo and David DeCoste for the press conference. Sheri Danforth said she doesn't want other families to go through what she experienced with the loss of her daughter, Bonnie. "For him to just let these drug dealers off, it was criminal," she said. Jackie Gagnon, whose children are police officers, called Feeley's decisions "a slap in the face to law enforcement all around." Diehl, a Whitman Republican running for U.S. Senate, tied the issue to the recent deaths of Weymouth Police Officer Michael Chensa and Yarmouth Sgt. Sean Gannon. He said rulings like Feeley's decision to lower bail for John Williams, who went on to allegedly kill a Maine sheriff's deputy, were "emboldening a criminal element." The Massachusetts Bar Association and the Committee for Public Counsel Service have cautioned against calls to remove Feeley, saying they undermine judicial independence. Lyons distributed copies of a letter Superior Court Chief Justice Judith Fabricant sent earlier this month to lawmakers, in which she said she could not comment on a particular case but noted "public controversy regarding a judge's discretionary and lawful decision is frequent and expected, and does not in itself inicate any misconduct on the part of a judge." "Judge Feeley has served on the Superior Court for the past ten years," the letter said. "In that time he has ruled on innumerable matters, both criminal and civil, and has earned widespread respect for his scholarship, dedication, courage and compassion. I have absolute confidence in his ability to continue to perform his duties as required in all matters. Accordingly, I find no ground to alter Judge Feeley's assignments." AMHERST -- U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, traveled across Western and Central Massachusetts Monday to bring attention to hunger-related issues and to highlight Summer Eats -- a program that offers free meals to kids across Massachusetts. With an estimated one in seven Massachusetts children facing uncertainty over where they will get their next meal, the congressman met with officials from Project Bread and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to tour summer feeding sites in Amherst, as well as other locations. The Worcester Democrat also discussed successes and challenges facing such state-administered programs -- including proposed cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- as part of his "Summer Food Rocks" tour. McGovern, a vocal anti-hunger advocate, said his afternoon visits to Amherst Regional Middle School and Mill River Recreation Area sought to highlight the locations' summer feeding programs, which seek to provide a steady source of nutrition for children who rely on free or reduced lunch during the school year. The congressman praised the state's efforts to combat summer hunger in Amherst by partnering with the University of Massachusetts to have the BabyBerk food truck serve free healthy meals to children and teens at seven apartment complexes and the Mill River Recreation Area. Such creative partnerships, he said, are needed to ensure all kids have access to food despite transportation and other challenges. "Amherst has done an incredible job -- in many respects it's on the cutting edge of this," he said in an interview. "We need to continue to work to expand enrollment in the summer feeding program." McGovern, however, cautioned that successes like those seen in Amherst could be in jeopardy if the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are successful in cutting SNAP funding. The congressman argued that millions of people could lose food stamp benefits --and countless children could lose access to school breakfast and lunch programs -- if Republicans "get their way." Such cuts, he further offered, would undo progress being made on the hunger prevention front. "These programs are nor either or," he said. "The summer feeding program is to make sure kids have access to breakfast and lunch during the day. If they cut SNAP, any gains we're making , we're going to lose. It doesn't make any sense to me." McGovern stressed that he believes "food ought to be viewed as a fundamental right for everyone." "I believe in universal breakfast and lunch programs. I think everybody should be able to have access to a health breakfast or lunch -- it's every bit as essential as a textbook. The same thing with summer feeding programs -- they ought to be available to all and they are in Amherst," the congressman said. Summer Eats, a federally funded nutrition program, served more than 2.5 million meals in Massachusetts in 2017, reaching about 60,000 kids each day, according to McGovern's office. Over 100 sponsors, meanwhile, operated 1,100 summer feeding locations across the state. In addition to Amherst, McGovern also brought his "Summer Food Rocks Tour" to Webster, Royalston and other locations. SPRINGFIELD -- U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said Monday that he looks forward to the possibility of debating Democratic opponent Tahirah Amatul-Wadud ahead of Massachusetts' Sept. 4 primary. Neal, who has represented Western Massachusetts in Washington for nearly 30 years, told reporters following a Springfield event that his campaign is negotiating terms for at least two televised debates with his opponent. "We opened (the negotiations) -- we started the conversation, we're raring to go," he said after briefing labor leaders on Congress' efforts to address pension fund insolvency. "I mean, I'm happy to discuss this sort of an issue, for example. Choose this one, choose climate change, you name it ... I'm anxious to do it." The congressman, who said his campaign has proposed holding such events in the coming weeks, further rejected claims that he is opposed to facing off against Amatul-Wadud on the debate stage. "I don't have the reputation of being a slouch when it comes to debating ... When was the last time I didn't debate opponents?" he said, noting that he debated former state Sen. Andrea Nuciforo Jr. and political activist Bill Shein ahead of the 2012 Democratic primary. Neal faced Nuciforo and Shein in two debates -- one broadcast on television and the other on radio -- ahead of the 2012 primary. He drew criticism from his opponents for refusing to take part in other proposed matchups. Amatul-Wadud's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment. BOSTON -- Nathan Eovaldi hurled a gem in his Red Sox debut. Seven shutout innings. Four hits. No walks. Five strikeouts. That'll play. The righty, who Boston acquired from the Rays in exchange for prospect Jalen Beeks on Wednesday, led Boston to a 3-0 win over the Twins on Thursday here at Fenway Park. He threw only 82 pitches (63 strikes, or 77 percent strikes). He entered the start averaging just 1.3 walks per nine innings. He talked Thursday about how important first-pitch strikes have been for him this year, leading to the best command of his career. He faced 24 batters and threw 18 first-pitch strikes He mixed in 28 four-seam fastballs, averaging 97.4 mph and topping out at 98.9 mph. He threw 33 cutters, averaging 93.3 mph and topping out at 94.9 mph. Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Craig Kimbrel recorded the save. Martinez provides the offense The Red Sox didn't use one of their typical lineups Sunday. Xander Bogaerts received a routine day off. Mitch Moreland, who has been dealing with knee soreness, received an expected day off after playing Saturday. Blake Swihart started at third base with Rafael Devers on the DL. J.D. Martinez stepped up. He stroked a 107.6 mph two-run double with the bases loaded and two outs in the second inning to give Boston a 2-0 lead. Martinez belted a 103.4 RBI single off the Green Monster in the fourth. That made it 3-0. Bradley's four-star catch Red Sox NESN analyst Jerry Remy said on the broadcast Jackie Bradley Jr.'s third inning catch was one of the best catches he has ever seen. This marks Remy's 31st season as an analyst. He also played 10 major league seasons. Bradley made a diving grab and crashed into the Green Monster to rob Twins' Bobby Wilson. He received a standing ovation. Ian Browne of MLB.com tweeted that Bradley went 78 feet in 4.4 seconds and it was a four-star grab, according to Statcast. Routine at this point. pic.twitter.com/9QVP9YnBp9 Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) July 29, 2018 Swihart at third base Blake Swihart made his first career start at third base. He started a 5-4-3 double play in the fourth inning. He caught a 96.9 mph liner to his right side while shifted over to the shortstop position during the sixth inning. He also stroked a double and single. The growing number of the geriatric population has catapulted the market growth as more than half of the patients suffering from heart failure belong to 60 and over age group. A study on aging population revealed that the global population of 65 and over would double up by 2050. Furthermore, the availability of skilled surgeons and convenience of medical tourism has boosted the heart transplant market. India is one of the leading players in medical tourism, and 90% of the heart transplant surgeries performed by Indian healthcare service providers are successful. The rising incidences of heart failures in children are also fueling the growth in the market. According to the Registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, approximately 12% of the patients undergoing heart transplant are children. The most common causes of heart failure in children are congenital heart defect and cardiomyopathy. The market for heart transplant has been expanding incessantly; for instance, Sri Lankas first successful heart transplant surgery was performed on July 7th, 2017 at the Kandy General Hospital. The amplifying count of the available skilled cardiac surgeon has been fueling demand in the market. However, the post-operative complications, high cost of surgery, stringent suitability criteria for patients, etc. are some of the restraints to the market growth. Get Sample PDF Illustration @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1836 Competitive Dashboard: Some of the key players of heart transplant market profiled by MRFR are SynCardia Systems, LLC (U.S.), Apaxis Medical, Inc., Optum Inc. (U.S.), CardiacAssist Inc. (U.S.), HeartWare International Inc., Calon Cardio, Thoratec Corporation (U.S.), CARMAT (France), and, others. Some of the tactics exercised by the prominent players to gain an edge over others are competitive pricing, upgrade medical infrastructure, acquisitions & mergers, clinical trials, research and development activities, etc. St. Thomas-West Hospital, U.S., received FDA approval for Total Artificial Heart devices which will act like a bridged transplant for qualified recipients waiting for a total human heart transplant. The device resembles a human heart, and a patient can stay alive for up to two years while waiting for transplant surgery. This device will help to bridge the gap between demand and supply in the heart transplant market. Heart Transplant Industry News: February 2017 The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Microsoft announced their partnership launching an initiative to build three specialty hospitals with a digital focus. UPMC declared the investment of USD 2 billion to add three tech-based hospitals to its healthcare system in Pittsburgh, including the UPMC Heart and Transplant Hospital, UPMC Hillman Cancer Hospital and UPMC Vision and Rehabilitation Hospital. Microsoft will act as creative force for developing the digital hospitals in this collaboration providing developers and leveraging its digital tools. March 2017 Research Team at the University of Minnesota, announced that they have discovered a groundbreaking process to successfully re-warm large-scale animal heart valves and blood vessels preserved at very low temperatures. The discovery is a major step forward in saving millions of human lives by increasing the availability of organs and tissues for transplantation through the establishment of tissue and organ banks. November 2017 Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic revealed the new understanding of cholesterol after a number of trials that have recently shown a 20 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in patients who took statins combined with a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs (PCSK9 inhibitors) to reach ultra-low LDL levels. This means now, doctors will have the tools and the research to take the fight to LDL cholesterol. With over 400,000 coronary disease deaths and 102 million Americans living with high cholesterol levels, these new strategies hold the promise to turn the tide in 2018. Regional Analysis for Global Heart Transplant Market By region, the global heart transplant market has been segmented into Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and, the Middle East & Africa. Americas region dominates the global market and is expected to retain its position throughout the projection period. Every year approximately 3500 heart transplants are performed, more than half of which takes place in the U.S. The U.S. is one of the major revenue generators in the global market. Other factors contributing towards the growth of the Americas market are increased incidence of heart diseases, technological advancements in the medical sector, increased research & development activities, etc. Europe will hold the second spot among the regional markets owing to the initiatives undertaken by the government and availability of funds. The market is poised to retain its position and grow steadily across the forecast period. The accelerated investments in healthcare domain are driving the growth of market in the region. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market owing to rapid advancements in medical tourism in the region. The lower cost of surgery in countries such as China and India as compared to the cost in developed countries has been driving the growth in the region. Asia Pacific has witnessed the adoption of state-of-the-art healthcare infrastructure which has improved its reliability as well as is flocked with skilled cardiac surgeons. The boom in the healthcare sector, increasing healthcare expenditure, etc. are some of the factors contributing towards the growth of the market. Middle East market dominates the Middle East & Africa region owing to major contributions from countries with well-developed healthcare infrastructure such as Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and, South Arabia. The market in Africa will hold the least share due to political instability and poor economic condition of the population living there. Some Brief Table of Contents of Report Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction Chapter 3. Research Methodology Chapter 4. Market Dynamics Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis Chapter 6. Global Heart Transplant Market, By Type Chapter 7. Global Heart Transplant Market, By End User Chapter 8. Global Heart Transplant Market, By Region Chapter 9. Company Landscape Chapter 10. Company Profiles Chapter 11. MRFR Conclusion Chapter 12. Appendix Get Prime Discount on Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/1836 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Global Pharmaceutical Excipient Market Overview With the growing advancement in the pharmaceutical industry, the need to satisfy patients therapeutic needs is also rising. Pharmaceutical raw materials and APIs pharmaceutical excipients are crucial for drug delivery within the body. Get Sample copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/868 Apart from active ingredients, inactive excipients play a major role in formulation development. The global pharmaceutical excipient market consists of number of pharmaceutical drug manufacturers, healthcare providers involved in the market. The market demonstrates steady growth. Further resulting in intensified competition. Top players are investing heavily in R&D and clinical trials to develop effective products in the pharma market space. Pharmaceutical Excipients Market Study Objective To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Pharmaceutical Excipients Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Pharmaceutical Excipients Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW). To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Pharmaceutical Excipients Market . Top Vendors: The Global Pharmaceutical Excipient Market consist of players such as Ashland, Inc. (U.S.), BASF SE (Germany), Croda International PLC (U.K), Evonik Industries Ag (Germany), Ferro Corporation (U.S.), FMC Corporation (U.S.), kzo Nobel NV (Netherlands), P&G Chemicals (U.S.), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.) and others. These are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the global pharmaceutical excipient market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis report. Get Amazing Discount @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/868 Global Pharmaceutical Excipient Market Regional Analysis The global pharmaceutical excipient market is growing at a moderate rate. This market is greatly benefitted by the increased aging population in the major regions all across the world. America region captured a significant share of the global pharmaceutical excipient market. American pharmaceutical market is well established with number of major pharmaceutical companies based in this region. High demand of over the counter drugs, rising prevalence of the chronic diseases leading to the high demand for the drugs. Rise in drug development has increased demand for the pharmaceutical excipients greatly in this region. European market is second highest revenue generator after America. Europe pharmaceutical excipient market has benefited by the presence of some major pharmaceutical companies in this region. Moreover, increasing patient pool for chronic diseases and changing over the counter drug scenario are driving the growth for Europe pharmaceutical excipient market. Asia Pacific region is the fastest growing region in pharmaceutical excipient market owing to the rising population with the acute and chronic health problems. Pharmaceutical industry has grown tremendously in this region in last couple of decades which has definitely impacted on the growth of the pharmaceutical excipients market. Apart from that, low cost of raw materials, availability of cost-effective workforce and untapped resources it offers in terms of manufacturing facilities has boosted growth of this market in Asia Pacific region. Middle East & Africa region is still in the growing phase with new opportunities are being created day by day. Many of the big pharmaceutical companies are expanding their business in the Middle Eastern region which has helped the growth of the pharma market in these region. Currently Middle East & Africa contributes least in the global pharmaceutical excipient market. Request for TOC @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/request-toc/868 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com by Tanya Gazdik , July 30, 2018 General Motors is expanding its Maven car-sharing platform to include a peer-to-peer offering that enables owners and eligible lessees to earn money by renting their personal Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac car or truck model year 2015 and newer. Called Peer Cars, it is available now in beta testing in Chicago, Detroit and Ann Arbor, Mich. Maven is an on-demand mobility-sharing service available through an app. It offers Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles loaded with technology to fit every need, from compacts, to electric vehicles to SUVs. Members are able to rent cars by the hour, the day, the week or the month. Maven users have access to all the benefits of a car without the costs of ownership or membership fees. The new peer-to-peer offering provides a hassle-free way for owners to generate income from their car when theyre not using it. The program will use the Maven app. Peer Cars will be available alongside Maven Cars for rental by more than 150,000 current Maven members. Eligible vehicle owners can start the process of listing their car with Maven by enrolling through GMs Maven website. advertisement advertisement The Maven service has resulted in more than 300 million miles driven and 180,000 reservations. All vehicles are insured through GMs $1 million insurance policy, and every driving member is vetted before they are approved to use the service. Owner support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from trained Maven and OnStar advisors. The Maven team will collect insights from the beta for additional U.S. launches in the fall, says Julia Steyn, vice president, General Motors urban mobility and Maven. Maven services are designed for many car-sharing communities and needs, including city station-based car sharing where vehicles are available to rent for round trips by the hour, day or month. With university campus sharing, cars are available on campus for students to rent. Via Maven Gig, cars can be rented by the week for rideshare and delivery drives. Peer Cars joins established car-sharing service, Turo, which is available in 5,500 cities worldwide and has about 7 million members and 258,000 cars up for rent, according to Forbes. To have a big player like GM invest in the space gives validation to the work we are doing," a Turo spokesperson tells Forbes. "That said, we feel we have a pretty good advantage, and a big head start in building the marketplace." by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, July 30, 2018 As parents dive into the madness of back-to-school shopping, Old Navy is hoping to make it a little more fun, teaming up with the ever-wacky Kristin Bell for a new campaign supporting its charitable efforts for kids. The new sweepstakes offers the chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree at Old Navy, as well as a little in-person singalong session with Bell, who needs help polishing her own back-to-school anthem. The effort benefits ONward, Old Navys cause-related platform, which supports the Boys & Girls Club. Fans can enter by contributing $10 through Omaze, the online fundraising platform. Bell is launching the effort with a series of videos that feature her singing a song stitched together from interviews with kids at from Boys & Girls Club programs. advertisement advertisement The Bell videos are running in conjunction with other back-to-school ads. And the retailer is also selling a special-edition of ONward-themed gear, including Our Generation Will Change the World tees, hoodies, totes and water bottles. Old Navy, owned by The Gap, says it intends to give $50,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs in honor of the collection, combined with a $1 million in-store fundraising effort, matching customer donations up to $300,000. And those who donate $5 or more while shopping get both an entry voucher for the Bell campaign, as well as $5 off a future purchase. The back-to-school season typically offers marketers a special window into cause-related campaigns. Kohls uses it as a springboard into literacy efforts, for example, while stores like Staples, Target and Burlington engage shoppers in helping teachers prepare for a better school year. But even niche brands get involved: Toms of Maine, for example, is donating 10,000 "Backpacks Full of Good" to kids around the country this year, and is inviting people to send an encouraging Good Luck note that it will tuck inside each pack. by Larissa Faw , July 30, 2018 Samsung has appointed Leo Burnett as global creative AOR for the brand's visual-display division (TVs). Adam&EveDDB previously handled creative for the U.S. and UK. Led by the agency's Chicago office, the 75 market remit will include global brand positioning, integrated communications strategy and creative. The first work under this new partnership will support Samsung's QLED TVs and launch in early 2019. Starcom will also provide media planning and buying expertise for this business, given its role as Samsung's global media agency of record. Samsung and Publicis Groupe have a longstanding relationship. Leo Burnett joined the Samsung roster in 2004 and has worked across much of the business since then, notably the mobile division (phones) and Global Marketing Center, as well as focusing on individual markets around the world. Samsung spent $27 million on measured media for its TV division last year in the U.S., according to Kantar Media. Global spending was not immediately available. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, July 30, 2018 Cision announced on Monday the acquisition of Berlin-based ShareIQ, which finds, analyzes and indexes original pieces of visual content. The companys patent-pending technology searches for images and earned media independent of text-based content. Searching for visual content that may or may not appear alongside text is a primary focus for Cision. The world is going image-based, said Kevin Akeroyd, Cision CEO. The whole earned media and marketing communications industry really enables marketers to capture data for visual content not tied to text. ShareIQs technology recognizes and monitors any type of earned media from images to logos, and enables marketers to monitor where products appear in pictures or where logos were placed next to tweets or in blog posts and written articles. Marketers can track patterns and create reports on the business impact through analytics. They can tell when an image gets picked up by influencers and how many times. The data is transcribed into reports or extracted into files that marketers can upload into other platforms. advertisement advertisement For example, an unnamed company, which displays and sells womens lingerie, tracks the types of images displayed and where. They focus on how the images are performing, rather than written articles filled with text, Twitter tweets or bloggers opinions. In another example, if a consumer searches on a brand such as Tommy Hilfiger, it will give marketers a 40-times higher return on search, compared with Google search engine, because it finds and analyzes the content that brands do not associate with text. [ Akeroyd said Cision has acquired about 11 companies to build what he calls a communications cloud. ShareIQ employees, less than 50, will join Cisions team of more than 4,000 employees located in offices across 15 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. Brian Killen, ShareIQ founder, and the team will become part of an Innovation Solutions group within Cision. Killen will oversee the new business and integration into the Cision Communications Cloud, which will remain in Berlin, a location that Akeroyd plans to build out. Groundbreaking laboratory-grown prostate cancer cells could change the way research is carried out. They will significantly increase the speed at which new drugs can be trialed. Share on Pinterest New prostate cancer models should drive research forward. Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with around 164,000 new cases each year. Although modern treatments, including radiotherapy and surgery, are often successful when the disease is caught early, there is still much to learn. For instance, some cases recur and multiple treatments are often needed. Current drugs can be effective, but cancer cells evolve so quickly that there is an ongoing arms race. New and innovative anticancer agents are needed, but the development of such drugs is relatively slow. Speeding up research One of the primary reasons why creating and testing new prostate cancer drugs takes such a long time is that prostate cancer tissue does not survive well outside of the body. Once the tissue has been removed from a patient, it is very difficult to keep it alive. Therefore, early drug screening must be carried out on oversimplified cancer cells that are grown in a laboratory. Although these trials are useful, genuine tumor cells are by far the best way to get a solid understanding of how a drug might work in the human body. Researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, have been looking for ways to circumvent this roadblock. The group, led by Prof. Gail Risbridger, has designed a way to grow tumors in the laboratory from donated tumor tissue. The resulting tissue is just as complex as the tumors found in people with prostate cancer. This access to realistic tumors means that new drugs and drug combinations can be trialed at a much quicker rate. Already, Prof. Risbridger has more than 20 laboratory-grown tumors ready to be used for this purpose. The lab-grown tumors will accelerate cancer research so that scientific discoveries benefit patients sooner. Prof. Gail Risbridger A new study conducted by researchers at Stanford University in California reveals that common foods can cause blood sugar spikes in otherwise healthy people. Paying closer attention to these spikes could prevent diabetes and some of its complications. Share on Pinterest Over the course of a day, blood sugar levels may spike to diabetic and prediabetic levels, even in healthy individuals. Diabetes affects over 30 million people in the United States, which is almost 10 percent of the population. An additional 84 million people have prediabetes. Abnormal blood sugar levels are a hallmark of this metabolic disease. To measure these levels, physicians use two main methods: they either take fasting blood sugar samples, which informs them of the level of sugar in the blood at that specific point; or they measure levels of glycated hemoglobin ( HbA1C ). The glycated hemoglobin test is routinely used to diagnose diabetes, and it relies on the average levels of blood sugar over a period of 3 months. Despite their widespread use, neither of these methods can say anything about the fluctuations in blood sugar that happen over the course of a day. So, researchers led by Michael Snyder, who is a professor of genetics at Stanford, set out to monitor these daily fluctuations in otherwise healthy individuals. They looked at the patterns of blood sugar change after a meal and examined how these patterns vary between different people who have had the same meal. Prof. Snyder and colleagues published the results of their research in the journal PLOS Biology. Meat allergy caused by tick bites could be a more common cause of anaphylaxis, or extreme allergic reaction, than previously thought. Share on Pinterest The Lone Star tick is implicated as a cause of anaphylaxis in a new study. An allergy clinic in Tennessee has found that 33 percent of their anaphylaxis cases of known cause were due to an allergic reaction to a molecule called alpha-gal. This molecule naturally occurs in red meats, such as beef, lamb, pork, and venison. The red meat allergy develops in people who have been bitten by the Lone Star tick, a small eight-legged bug that is most commonly found in the Southeastern United States. The researchers say that alpha-gal allergy used to be an unknown entity at the allergy clinic in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. However, as awareness has increased and diagnostic tests have become available, the tick-induced red meat allergy has become the centers most commonly identified cause of anaphylaxis. A paper on the findings is shortly to be published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Red meat allergy Allergic reactions to foods can cause symptoms that range from mild to a severe, life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis that makes it hard to breathe and causes blood pressure to drop. Scientists first suspected a potential link between allergy and alpha-gal a complex carbohydrate found in red meat and Lone Start tick bites in 2002. Although the exact prevalence of the red meat allergy is largely unknown, it seems to predominantly affect those living in the Southeast U.S. and also in certain parts of New England, New Jersey, and New York. In most cases, a reaction to foods that most commonly cause allergy for example some types of shellfish and peanuts is usually rapid, with symptoms beginning within 30 minutes of exposure. But in alpha-gal allergy, the reaction is much slower, and symptoms can take up to 6 hours to emerge after eating red meat. This makes it much harder to identify the cause. Now, it is possible to diagnose it with a blood test. While the link between Lone Star tick bites and alpha-gal allergy is now clear, scientists do not fully understand the biology of the connection. Searching for a job is one of the worst things ever; the struggle, the rejection, the entire process is so nerve-wracking. But, it's way more stressful when you're trying to start working so that you can support yourself and get off the streets. Instead of asking for money, a homeless guy had a brilliant idea. David Casarez, a web developer from Texas was little down on his luck, to say the least. After earning his bachelor's in management information systems from Texas A&M University, he managed to land a good web developer job at General Motors in Austin. But, he wanted to try out his luck so he cashed out his 401-K and drove to Silicon Valley to pursue the dream of his own tech start-up, but things didn't go exactly as he planned. After running out of cash, he ended up living in his car. In fact, he lived in his car for more than a year. He said, No one was hiring. I had an interview with Apple in January, but the job was filled internally. But after his van was repossessed, he ended up sleeping on a park bench. Then, one day he woke up in the park, put on a nice shirt and tie, and carried his hand-written cardboard sign to a nearby highway median. The sign read: Homeless. Hungry 4 success. Take a resume. Twitter And, I don't think even he knew the impact of his one sign at that moment. A passer-by clicked his picture and then shared it on Twitter. Soon, he went viral and received more than 200 job offers. He said, Google reached out to me. So many other companies. Pandora. A bunch of startups. A product manager from Bitcoin.com was wondering if I could work remotely or if I want to relocate to Tokyo. But tonight, I'll be back on my bench in Rengstorff Park. Today I saw this young homeless man asking for people to take a resume rather than asking for money. If anyone in the Silicon Valley could help him out, that would be amazing. Please RT so we can help David out! pic.twitter.com/ewoE3PKFx7 FullMakeup Alchemist (@jaysc0) July 27, 2018 Talking about the fateful day that changed his life, he said, To be presentable to my future employers. It was basically a make-or-break moment. I wanted to keep my head up high, keep looking forward and see what opportunity would come next. I was thinking you know, like this was like my last stop. If this didn't work, I'd go back home and give up on my dream. Twitter What are the essentials that make for a kick-ass party? Lots of food, free flowing alcohol and amazing music. Now when it comes to music, what you are playing is just as important as what you are playing it ON - which is where owning quality speakers comes in pretty handy. But finding the right pair of speakers isn't as easy as you might think, especially ones that don't cost a fortune. So on that musical note (pun intended!), we've found the best portable Bluetooth speakers for you that will ensure your party goes all night long. Check Out These Portable Bluetooth Speakers In India That Are Perfect For All Music Aficionados JBL Go Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speakers amazon When it comes to brands dealing in music essentials, JBL is probably the first one that comes to mind. Known around the world for delivering premium sound quality, these wireless speakers are equipped with a 3.5 mm stereo input, come with a battery life that gives up to five hours of music playback and are available in eight vibrant colours (including black, blue, silver and red). At a price of just Rs 1,799, they make for a pretty kick-ass deal! MRP: Rs 1,799 Buy it here Sony SRS-XB10 Wireless Speakers amazon Sony is yet another premium brand that is known around the world for delivering quality products. It's not surprising to see that these SRS-XB10 wireless speakers from Sony are loaded with incredible features that make them a must-have for every music aficionado. Equipped with a 1400 mAh battery that can last for up to 16 hours, one-touch listening with NFC and Bluetooth, extra bass for HD sound and even a built-in mic for hands-free calling, these speakers make for an absolute steal at just Rs 3,172. And the icing on the cake? They happen to be water resistant as well! MRP: Rs 3,172 Buy it here Boat Stone 200 Portable Bluetooth Speakers amazon First of all, just the fact that you're getting a pair of wireless speakers from Boat for such an affordable price is probably enough to make these one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers out there. But that's not all, available in three different colours (black, blue and orange), they give up to 8 to 10 hours of music playback and are shockproof and waterproof as well! MRP: Rs 1,099 Buy it here Skullcandy Barricade Mini Bluetooth Speakers amazon Available in black and grey/yellow variants, these stylishly-designed Bluetooth speakers come equipped with an IPX5 water-resistant rating, a wireless range of up to 33 feet, up to six hours of battery life and a built-in passive radiator that makes for amazing sound quality. You don't even have to worry about the quality of these speakers as Skullcandy is one of the most sought after and premium brands dealing in music essentials. MRP: Rs 3,199 Buy it here SoundBot SB571 12W Bluetooth Speakers amazon Considering their price and all the features they come equipped with, these SB571 Bluetooth speakers from SoundBot offer perhaps the most amazing value for money of any speakers listed on this list. Be it the built-in microphone, the LED indicator, hands-free functionality, the 40 mm premium drivers, the 2000 mAh battery, or a wireless range of up to 33 feet, these speakers (available in black and red) are simply too good to be ignored. MRP: Rs 1,748 Buy it here Portronics POR-622 Sublime III Bluetooth Speakers amazon These speakers from Portronics pretty much have it all - FM functionality, a micro SD card slot, 1 year of warranty, an in-built mic and even an alarm clock, these speakers are yet another budget-friendly variant that you could opt for. MRP: Rs 2,335 Buy it here Bose Soundlink Micro Bluetooth Speakers amazon Bose is one brand that simply needs no introduction whatsoever - the name speaks for itself vis-a-vis the sound quality you get from their music essentials. As such, these waterproof speakers (available in black, navy blue and coral orange) that come with a wireless range of 30 feet, make for a great addition to your party essentials. MRP: Rs 8,990 Buy it here More Related links: https://www.mensxp.com/social-hits/news/46272-from-headphones-to-speakers-every-music-lover-must-check-out-these-8-products-on-amazon-prime-day-sale-16-july-2018.html https://www.mensxp.com/social-hits/news/46126-7-best-deals-on-amazon-right-now-10-july-2018.html https://www.mensxp.com/technology/news/44137-these-are-the-6-best-bluetooth-speakers-under-rs-3-000-to-buy-in-india.html https://www.mensxp.com/technology/portable-media/43002-top-5-bluetooth-speakers-you-can-buy-in-india-that-cost-less-than-inr-10-000.html GRANT TOWNSHIP Authorities are looking for a suspect, or suspects, that shot out the back window of a 52-year-old Grant Township woman's vehicle. According to the Huron County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to the 4600 block of Kilmanagh Road around 11:18 p.m. Friday. The woman reported that her back window was broken out, by what she believed to be beer bottles being thrown at her vehicle as she drove by her neighbors'. EAST HADDAM Staehly Farm Winery was honored at the 2018 Eastern States Exposition Gold Wine and Gold Cider Competitions in June, earning the distinction of Best Connecticut hard cider and wine. Both competitions include entries from across the region, and a Best of State is featured for each of the participating New England states, according to a press release. EAST HAMPTON Local police have received reports from residents that an automated phone system has been leaving messages for people to call a phone number with an out-of-state area code claiming to be the IRS. The recorded message sounds official and states that the victim owes back taxes, according to a press release. If there is an issue with a federal taxes, people first receive a letter or notice in the mail from the IRS. Police urge residents not to fall for scam artists on the internet or over the telephone. Real IRS employees have badge numbers, the release said, and people should ask the caller for his or her badge number, and then call 800-829-1040 to confirm it. Sometimes the caller may volunteer a fake badge number before you even ask for one. Victims may be told they owe money to the IRS. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they may be threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or drivers license. In many cases, the caller becomes aggressive and insulting, the statement said. Those who get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS should take these steps: Those who know they owe taxes or think they may should call the IRS. Employees at that line can help with a payment issue if there is one. Those who know they dont owe taxes or have no reason to think they may (for example, an individual has never received a bill or the caller made some false threats as described above), call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484. Those who have been targeted by this scam should also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use its FTC Complaint Assistant at FTC.gov. People should add IRS Telephone Scam to the comments of a complaint. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov, the release said. GLASTONBURY Alondre Rush of advisor Brian Curhan Lichtensteins business, Lichtenstein Financial, LLC in Glastonbury, has been named to the 2018 Securities America Sales Assistant Advisory Board, according to a press release. Rush, who has more than 7 years of experience in the financial services industry, holds licenses in financial-related Insurances and is the Chief Operating Officer at Lichtenstein Financial, LLC. Rush earned a bachelors degree in Organizational Communications from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. Rush joined Lichtensteins office in 2017. The Sales Assistant Advisory Board is made up of nine sales assistants who serve two-year terms. The advisory board, which features members from across the United States, generates feedback on company issues, policies, procedures, services and quality. It also provides Securities America with views on industry issues and trends, and contributes perspective to company strategy and direction. Since its inception in 2000, the board has provided Securities America with more than 1,500 improvement ideas, many of which have been implemented. Securities America selects members of the advisory board from its top financial advisor offices. Board members represent a diverse mix of business, geographic regions and experience in the financial services industry. School system announces meal policy MIDDLETOWN The Middletown Public Schools recentlyannounced its policy for determining eligibility of children may receive free or reduced-price meals served under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). Local school officials have adopted the United States Department of Agricultures (USDA) Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEGs) for family size and income criteria for determining eligibility. Income guidelines will be used in Connecticut from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019, for determining eligibility of participants for free and reduced-price meals and free milk in the Child Nutrition Programs. Calculations are made based on the following formulas: Monthly income is calculated by dividing the annual income by 12; twice monthly income is computed by dividing annual income by 24; income received every two weeks is calculated by dividing annual income by 26; and weekly income is computed by dividing annual income by 52. All numbers are rounded upward to the next whole dollar. Children from families whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Application forms are being sent to all homes with a letter to parents on the first day of school. To apply for free or reduced-price meals, households should fill out the application and return it to the school. You may print up a copy of the application at www.middletownschools.org under Food Services Department; contact your childs school for a copy; or our office at (860) 704-4519. Only one application is required per household and an application for free or reduced-price benefits cannot be approved unless it contains complete eligibility information as indicated on the application and instructions. Records to be destroyed DURHAM/MIDDLEFIELD - The Student Services and Special Education Department of Regional School District 13 will destroy any and all special education/504 records of students who graduated or would have graduated with the Class of 2012. These records may be helpful or necessary for future referrals to social security and other state services. These records will be destroyed on Augu.22, 2018. If any student, as described above, would like a copy of his/her special education/504 records, he/she must submit a written request for a copy of the records no later than August 21, 2018. Please forward all requests to Scott Rossignol, Director of Student Services and Special Education, Regional School District 13, 135A Pickett Lane, PO Box 190, Durham, CT 06422. Also call the office of the Student Services and Special Education to confirm receipt of request at 860-349-7208 Mentor 2.0 begins this fall Big Brothers/Big Sisters will begin its Mentor 2.0 program in the fall. Mentor 2.0 is an innovative program conducted primarily online through e-mails and instant messages, augmented by monthly in-person get-togethers. Its purpose is to help high school students prepare for college and career by matching them one-to-one with college-educated mentors. It provides students with a curriculum that lasts through all four years of high school - focusing on developing the academic, social and emotional skills needed to successfully complete high school, win college admission and graduate from college, according to a press release. CRECs Academy of Science and Innovation (ASI) in New Britain will collaborate with Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters on Mentor 2.0, enrolling its entire in-coming 9th grade class in the program. Nutmeg is currently recruiting volunteers so it can match all 110 ASI ninth graders with caring, inspirational mentors to help them better prepare for college and career. Mentor 2.0 makes it easy for busy professionals to mentor, said Allison Holst-Grubbe, Director of School-Based Programs at Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters. Were asking mentors to commit to sending a weekly message - for which we provide a prompt - to the student theyre mentoring. Were also asking mentors to meet their mentees once each month at the Academy of Science and Innovation for a two-hour get-together conducted by Nutmeg. Mentor 2.0 is a streamlined method of mentoring designed specifically for busy professionals and students - one that pays big dividends to both students and mentors. Ninth graders in public schools with weak attendance records have a very small chance of graduating from high school and college, said Andy Fleischmann, President and CEO of Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters. Data from other states show that Mentor 2.0 can dramatically boost students chances of attending and graduating from college. And, Mentor 2.0 makes it easier than ever to become a Big Brother or Big Sister - since weekly online communication is not a challenge for most working professionals. If you would like to learn more about Mentor 2.0, or if you would like to volunteer for Mentor 2.0, visit: nutmeg.imentor.org. Or, contact Margarita Laboy, Program Manager at: Margarita@nbbbs.org. The U.S. Army has awarded a Bronze Star for valor to a 79-year-old veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division for his bravery during Operation Power Pack in the Dominican Republic in 1965. William Gaschler was serving as a sniper team leader with Company A, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, when his unit was deployed to the Dominican Republic to restore order after civil war broke out. Gaschler and his team were on a rooftop in the heart of Santo Domingo when rebel forces fired on their position, wounding two of his fellow paratroopers. "If this man bleeds out, he's going to die," William Gaschler said in a recent Army news release, recalling the events of May 13, 1965. "I called for a medic, but under the machine-gun fire, the medic could not advance to our position." Gaschler directed a wounded Emmanuel Block to move to safety and risked his own life to move Alan Isaacson out of harm's way, according to the release. "I picked him up and carried him off the rooftop under intense machine-gun fire and got him to safety," Gaschler said. Both wounded paratroopers were stabilized and evacuated. Isaacson sustained serious wounds to the neck and eyes, permanently losing his sight. Gaschler's team fought off the rebel attack and helped restore order so democratic elections could be held. Fifty-three years later, Gaschler, a resident of Sanford, North Carolina, received the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device for his heroic actions that day. "Today, we gather to recognize William Gaschler and his actions ... actions that have been overlooked for more than five decades," Maj. Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of the 82nd Airborne, said during a July 28 awards ceremony at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Kurilla, who presented the award, said the ceremony shone a light on a darkened corner of the paratrooper legacy and celebrated the thousands who fought in the Dominican Republic, according to the release. After Gaschler and his fellow paratroopers returned from the Dominican Republic, Operation Power Pack was soon overshadowed by the Vietnam War. "Today, we make things right," said Kurilla, as he addressed family, friends and many who made the event possible. "Today, William Gaschler serves as a stand-in for the more than 10,000 [troops who served in the Dominican Republic]. Today, in recognizing him, we recognize them." Gaschler said receiving the medal made him "feel really great." "I always felt like I earned it and deserved it, but I thought that I would have to go in my grave without it," he said. Gaschler's daughter Gunda Gaschler Bush worked with the Veterans' Legacy Foundation to ensure her father was recognized for his heroism, the release states. Bush said she heard her father's story for the first time in 2014, recalling that he told her, "I don't want to die before I get my medal." "My dad risked his own life to save him," she said. "Isaacson would certainly have died. We are so grateful my father was recognized while he was still alive." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. U.S. recovery teams could be on the ground in North Korea by next spring to search for the remains of service members lost during the Korean War if the thaw in relations continues, according to the Pentagon's top POW/MIA official. "Our collective goal is to commence field operations in the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] next spring," said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Kelly McKeague, director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). "We have not yet reached an agreement with the DPRK regarding future field recoveries. However, we are working closely with our DoD, State Department, and National Security Council partners on this matter," he said in a statement Friday to the National League of POW/MIA Families and veterans groups. Ann Mills-Griffiths, the long-time advocate for the families of the missing and board chairman of the League, said the return of 55 sets of remains thought to be those of U.S. service members last week was "an encouraging first step" but noted that North Korea has gone back on its commitments in the past. She asked, "Will they be serious" in future talks on more recoveries and "will there be compensation?" North Korea has previously demanded payment for its cooperation in joint recovery efforts. "Obviously, we want to continue with this humanitarian effort" on remains recoveries, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Pentagon reporters Friday. When asked why the North Koreans had handed over only 55 transfer cases, when the U.S. had been led to expect that there might be as many as 200, he said it was a good question. Mattis also said it is impossible at this point to tell whether the remains are those of U.S. service members or those of allies. In addition, animal bones have been mixed in with human remains in previous recoveries. "We don't know who's in those cases," he said. "We don't know. We can't confirm one way or the other." Earlier Friday, a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster made a rare flight into North Korea and returned from an airport near Wonsan to Osan Air Base south of Seoul with the 55 transfer cases. In his statement, McKeague said DPAA forensic specialists are conducting a preliminary review of the remains at Osan. Vice President Mike Pence is expected to attend the formal transfer Wednesday of the remains to the custody of the U.S. military at Osan. They will then be flown to Hawaii to begin the painstaking process of identification at DPAA labs, which could take years in some cases. "We are guardedly optimistic about the weeks and months ahead, as we endeavor to bring long-awaited answers to more families who lost loved ones in the Korean War," McKeague said in his statement. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Robert Wilkie took the oath of office Monday to become the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs and take over a department riddled by poor morale among employees and political infighting at the top. At a White House ceremony, President Donald Trump looked on as Vice President Mike Pence swore in Wilkie, 55, of North Carolina, who served as an intelligence officer in the Navy and holds the rank of colonel in the Air Force reserves. Wilkie was taking on "a very, very tough and important position," Trump said. "Since day one, my administration has been focused on serving the men and women who make freedom possible, our great veterans. These heroes deserve on the best and they will have it under Robert Wilkie." Wilkie was coming to the VA from a post at the Pentagon, and Trump joked that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was the only one upset by the move. "General Mattis is here someplace? He's the only one unhappy about this because I took him away from General Mattis, right? And General Mattis, I'm sorry to have done that, we have no choice," Trump said. "The vets are calling, right?" Trump said Wilkie had the task of implementing key legislation passed in his administration -- the VA Mission Act expanding private health care options and the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act aimed at speeding up the process of firing poor performers. Pence also swore in Wilkie's predecessor, Dr. David Shulkin, who was fired by Trump in March. Wilkie became the 10th VA Secretary since the department was made a Cabinet post in 1989. As was the case with Shulkin, the only holdover from the Obama administration in Trump's Cabinet, Wilkie was not the president's first pick. Trump nominated Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, his personal physician and head of the White House medical unit to head the VA, but Jackson withdrew his name amid questions about his lack of experience in top management post and never-proven allegations of misconduct involving his job performance at the White House. Wilkie, who had been serving as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, was brought over to the VA in early April to serve on an interim basis as VA acting secretary. Trump appeared to surprise him at an unrelated White House ceremony in May when he announced that Wilkie was his nominee for the permanent post. As acting secretary, Wilkie indicated he was well aware of the poor morale at the VA and backbiting at the top over the expansion of private health care option for veterans. "If we don't listen to each other, we won't be able to listen to our veterans and their families," said Wilkie, a Republican who previously served in a number of Capitol Hill and White House staff positions. "We must have a bottom-up organization," he said when he was named to become acting secretary. "The energy must flow from you who are closest to those we are sworn to serve. It is from you that the ideas we carry to the Congress, the VSOs [veterans service organizations], and to America's veterans will come." He stressed that he would listen to the rank-and-file. "Anyone who sits in this chair and tells you he has the answers is in the wrong business," he said. In his Senate confirmation hearing, Wilkie, who grew up at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, said his concern for the military and veterans comes from his late father, retired Army Lt. Col. Robert Leon Wilkie Sr., who died last year. His father's awards included three Purple Hearts, four awards of the Bronze Star (one with Combat "V" device), four awards of the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the senior Parachutist Badge and the Ranger tab. "At my Pentagon swearing in, I was proud when the officiating officer noted that I had been born in khaki diapers," Wilkie said. "I have been privileged to see this military life from many angles, as a dependent, as the son of a gravely wounded combat soldier; as an officer in two services, the Navy and the Air Force; and as a senior leader in the Pentagon," he said. The Washington Post reported Sunday that Wilkie would immediately set about reassigning several of the top-level Trump administration political appointees at the VA who have raised concerns among the VSOs and House and Senate Democrats. Peter O'Rourke, the current acting secretary and former chief of staff at the VA, has clashed with the VA's Office of Inspector General over access to whistleblower complaint data. O'Rourke formerly worked on Trump's campaign staff. Camilo Sandoval, another former Trump campaign staffer and current acting chief information officer at the VA, is expected to leave the VA in the coming months, The Washington Post reported. VA Press Secretary Curt Cashour issued a statement Monday saying that the VA "has no personnel announcements at this time." Cashour also said that Sandoval was remaining at the VA and that he himself "has no plans to leave the department." Wilkie will be taking over the nation's largest health care system, with 171 hospitals and more than 1,000 clinics and other facilities. At his Senate confirmation hearing, he heard from both sides of the aisle on morale at the VA and the political infighting that has targeted long-serving civil service staff. "Of all the challenges we have at VA, morale may be the biggest problem," Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, told Wilkie. "You are getting an agency that has problems, that's in need of help." Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, the ranking member of the committee, warned Wilkie that he would eventually come into conflict with Trump administration political appointees within the VA and at the White House who had pressed for a rapid expansion of private health care options. "Sooner or later, you're going to come to a crossroads with these folks," Tester said of the political appointees. "My only advice to you is to take the cues from the veterans and do what you think is right, even if political forces threaten your job because I want you to succeed. I really want you to succeed." Wilkie said his main concern in taking the VA secretary's job is getting veterans access to the treatment they have earned. "Many of the issues I encountered as acting secretary were not with the quality of care but were getting veterans through the door to get that care," he said at his confirmation hearing. Isakson asked Wilkie what "customer service" means at the VA. Wilkie responded, "Customer service means before the veteran walks through the door of the VA he's already been greeted by schedulers, by medical professionals. "I have no doubt that VA provides some of the finest care in America, but I also understand that getting to that care is something that the leadership of the Veterans Affairs Department has to focus on like a laser beam," he added. In addition to reassigning personnel, Wilkie will have several top jobs to fill. The VA currently lacks a permanent deputy secretary, the No. 2 post, and the jobs of undersecretary for health and deputy undersecretary for health are still unfilled. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Still undetermined is whether the impact caused the October leak, or if the line was hit by something else at a later date. To the public, he's a World War II hero who also happens to be the only member of the Coast Guard with a Medal of Honor (so far). To hundreds of Marines who fought at Guadalcanal on Sept. 27, 1942, Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro was a savior. Munro grew up in South Cle Elum, Washington before enlisting in the Coast Guard in 1938. When the U.S. entered World War II a few years later, Munro had already risen in the ranks, and become best friends with Cmdr. Ray Evans. Evans enlisted with Munro in 1939 and was stationed with Munro throughout Munros entire time in the Coast Guard. We were good pals, Evans said of Munro in a 2012 interview. We both joined before the war and we intended to make the Coast Guard a career. I did, and I know he would have. Coast Guard Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro, Medal of Honor Recipient. (Coast Guard photo) Like Munro, Evans was also a signalman, and they both practiced their signaling craft with each other. This is intense practice and pretty soon you get proficient; thats how we learned, Evans said in a 1999 interview. But we did do a lot of self-teaching where we worked together to get more proficient. He was the pusher perhaps more than I was, he had the energy. Although we were working together on that he was really the leader. When the U.S. entered World War II, Munro and Evans were ready to serve an important role along with other Coast Guardsmen: helping transport Marines to and from insertion points in the Pacific campaign. Of particular importance was the island of Guadalcanal, where Japanese forces were attempting to build a strategically valuable airfield. Ret. Cmdr. Ray Evans on Douglas Munro Retired Coast Guard commander Ray Evans reminisces about fellow Coast Guardsman and Medal of Honor recipient Douglas Munro. "Did They Get Off?" On Sept. 27, 1942, Munro was in command of several small Higgins boats as the Coast Guard dropped about 500 Marines at a beachhead known as Point Cruz near the Matanikau River. The goal: drive the Japanese from the river and establish an inland patrol base. But the Japanese were ready to counter the invaders and the Marines quickly fell under heavy attack. With time of the essence and the Marines facing extermination, Munro stepped to the fore. Map of Matanikau operations during Battle of Guadalcanal. (Coast Guard archives) Taking five of the small craft under his command, he mounted a rescue mission, all the while under continuous attack from the shore. As the boats were too small to transport all the Marines at once, Munro and his fellow Coast Guardsmen had to make several dangerous trips back and forth. At one point, a group of Marines came under particularly intense fire. In an effort to provide cover, Munro used his own boat as a shield between the beachhead and the other boats. As the last group of Marines were being evacuated from the island, Munro was hit by a fatal burst of enemy fire. Focused on his mission to the end, his dying words to his friend Evans, who was with him on the scene, were: "Did they get off?" His sacrifice had saved hundreds of Marines. In a letter to his bereaved parents, informing them of their loss, Munros Commanding Officer wrote that, without exception, those under his charge had praise for Munro. His Master Sergeant wrote that Douglas was kind, courteous, thoughtful, and, above all, courageous, the kind of American that made [that] war worth fighting. The medal posthumously given to Coast Guard member Douglas Munro for his heroic actions at Guadalcanal in September 1942. (Coast Guard photo) The Name Lives On In recognition of Munro's bravery, President Franklin D. Roosevelt posthumously gave him the Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart on May 27, 1943. Munros Medal of Honor is on display at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey, with a memorial dedicated to him close by. The Coast Guard has named two cutters for Munro, including the Coast Guard National Security Cutter Munro, which was launched in 2015.The Navy also named a ship in his honor a destroyer escort that served in World War II and the Korean War. The Munro Building houses Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC, Coast Guard recruits reside in Munro Barracks in Cape May, New Jersey, and Munro Hall at the Coast Guard Academy is where every Coast Guard officer is born. One of the Coast Guard cutters named after Coast Guard hero and Medal of Honor recipient Douglas Munro. (Coast Guard photo) In a 2017 speech commemorating the 75th anniversary of Munro's actions, Coast Guard Admiral and Commandant Paul F. Zukunft offered the following eulogy: Douglas Munros story is one of the first we teach to our new recruits, as he is the ultimate forebearer of our services core values and an enduring symbol of Duty to People. Douglas Munro was Service to Nation, Commitment to Excellence, Duty to People... The Munro cutter, the HQ building, and barracks and hall at our training centers they are all reminders every day of their namesake. Reminders of all that our Service is and all that we strive to be. Today we honor Douglas Munro the man and the legacy that lives time immemorial. Gasoline prices in Chattanooga have fallen 1.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.51 on Monday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 170 stations in Chattanooga. This compares with the national average that has increased 1.1 cents per gallon versus last week to $2.84 per gallon, according to GasBuddy. Average gasoline prices on July 30 in Chattanooga have ranged widely over the last five years: $2.01 per gallon in 2017, $1.74 in 2016, $2.27 in 2015, $3.17 in 2014 and $3.34 in 2013. Including the change locally during the past week, prices on Monday were 49.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago and are 0.6 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has dropped 0.5 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 53.4 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average has dropped 0.5 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 53.4 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. Areas near Chattanooga and their current gas price climate: Knoxville- $2.55, down 2.4 cents per gallon from last week's $2.57. State of Tennessee- $2.58, down 0.5 cents per gallon from last week's $2.59. Huntsville- $2.54, up 2.4 cents per gallon from last week's $2.51. "Pushed higher by signs of a lessening in trade tensions between the U.S and the European Union and a draw down in U.S. oil and fuel inventories following last Wednesdays Department of Energys Weekly Petroleum Status Report, pump prices across the country posted slight gains that could represent a U-turn in falling pump prices at the halfway point of summer," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "Indications of continued strong summertime demand for gasoline along with robust fuel export numbers could serve to help sustain moderately higher gas prices, but more geopolitical events such as the closing of oil ports on the Red Sea, affecting Saudi Arabian crude exports, will are sure to provide more upwards momentum for fuel prices in the week ahead." Guam-based Vietnam Vets Seek Benefits An estimated 50,000 men and women who served on Guam during the Vietnam War are asking Washington lawmakers to support giving them benefits after mounting evidence suggests they were exposed to Agent Orange. Retired Navy Cmdr. John Wells, the executive director of Military Veterans Advocacy, is an attorney leading the fight for national legislation to provide a financial lifeline for vets who, he said, were never told of the potential side effects of Agent Orange. For more information, visit the Military Veterans Advocacy website. For more on veteran benefits, visit the Military.com Benefits Center. A group of cannabis growers in northern California is donating part of their crop to veterans in the area. Scores of veterans in Santa Cruz lined up recently at the Veterans Memorial building for the giveaway sponsored by the Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance. The group provides medical marijuana to veterans at their monthly giveaway which includes lotions, pills, oils, and candies, as well as smokable flower. The alliance, founded by veterans Aaron Newsom and Jason Sweatt, grows cannabis and funds the giveaway out of sales to cannabis dispensaries. They view medical marijuana as a better alternative than addictive opioids that are typically are prescribed for pain or PTSD. One Vietnam veteran said he used marijuana infused oil to treat pancreatic cancer, another said that smoking it eased the pain from recent hip replacement surgery. Several swear by it for the affects of PTSD. Does Medical Marijuana Work For Veterans? The verdict is hazy... If you believe what you read, cannabis has been touted to cure everything from hemorrhoids to brain cancer, and not have the side effects that many drugs carry. THC, the chemical in marijuana that gets you high, and CBD, the one that makes you mellow have been studied in the civilian world, and shown promise in treating chronic pain, and myriad other medical conditions. Their affect on PTSD is not as well known though. Many veterans who self-medicate say that it helps them far more than the drugs they are given by the VA, has no bad side-effects, and is not addicting. However, critics say there is no scientific evidence of this, and doctors point out the risk for abuse of the drug exists as well. Cannabis - Legal, But Not From the VA A recent VA survey suggests that nearly 1 million veterans may be using medical marijuana. On their website VA says that "veterans will not be denied VA benefits because of marijuana use," and that "veterans are encouraged to discuss marijuana use with their VA providers." Anecdotal evidence suggests that this may not always be the case. Some doctors have been reported to withhold other medications or stop treatments if the veteran reports marijuana use. Other doctors, though will discuss possible interactions with prescribed medications and the veteran's overall well being. Legislation On The Horizon? Despite being legal for medical use in 30 states, and recreational use in nine states, VA doctors are still prevented by federal law from even discussing cannabis with their patients. House Bill 5520 which is sponsored by Rep Tim Walz (D-MN) and Rep Phil Roe (R-TN), who is a physician, seeks to end that prohibition. The VA says that even if that bill becomes law, studying the medical effects of cannabis would be difficult since cannabis remains a Schedule 1 drug. As such VA would need the approval of five separate agencies just to conduct studies. When times were different, VA did many studies on cannabis but they were done to see how harmful the drug was, not how helpful it may be. Until the federal government makes up its mind, veterans with limited financial means will still have to depend on the kindness of strangers, like those in California, to get affordable or free medical marijuana. Military members and veterans can get up to four free months of Apple Music through the Apple Music military discount -- but... A bill to expand job opportunities for Alaska veterans and members of the National Guard was signed into law recently during a signing ceremony in Fairbanks. Visit our veteran's job center to find a job, get a FREE resume assessment, locate a job fair, and more. Every state offers a hiring preference to veterans and National Guard members for employment in the public sector, but private employers can't offer a similar preference under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 unless the state passes authorizing legislation. Alaska is now the 38th state to adopt legislation to give private employers the option of offering a veteran hiring preference. A 2012 survey found that two-thirds of veterans reported that the greatest challenge in transitioning to civilian life was finding a job. In 2016, the National Bureau of Labor Statistics released data indicating that the jobless rate among young male veterans exceeded the unemployment rate of their civilian counterparts. The U.S. military discharges 160,000 active duty service members and 110,000 reserve and National Guard members every year. The Defense Manpower Data Center reports that in 2015 over 2,000 military personnel returned to Alaska upon separation. Alaska is currently home to the highest number of veterans per capita in the nation. The Alaska House of Representatives passed the legislation last year by a unanimous vote of 39-0. The Alaska State Senate unanimously passed the bill on May 12. Alaska Governor Bill Walker signed it into law last week during a bill signing ceremony at the VFW Golden Heart Post 3629 in Fairbanks. When lawmakers this month struck a deal over the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), they all but gave the final OK to a series of proposals for military families that we've been talking about for a few months. Once the bill gets the president's signature, the whole thing will be signed, sealed and delivered -- literally. And that's why although they aren't law just yet, we're confident enough this thing is in the bag to give you a rundown of what new military family proposals did and didn't make it into law as part of the 2019 NDAA. Look for these 2019 NDAA Military Family Measures New dental plan options for active-duty families. Right now, active-duty families can buy the Tricare dental plan through United Concordia. Starting Jan. 1, however, military retirees will purchase a dental plan through the Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) after Congress last year ordered Tricare's retiree dental plan to shutter. Both groups are also newly able starting late this year to purchase vision insurance through FEDVIP. The 2019 NDAA orders active-duty families to be given the option of purchasing a dental plan through FEDVIP. Unlike the Tricare system for military retirees, Tricare's dental program for active-duty families isn't going anywhere. This new rule just gives active-duty families more options. Given the woes United Concordia has caused military families and providers, this will likely be a welcomed option. Related: 6 Things to Know About the New Military Retiree Dental Coverage SGLI is automatic during combat deployments. Don't want Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) coverage during a combat zone deployment? Sorry. You've got it anyway after this bill is signed. Coverage will be automatically bumped up to the full amount when a service member is deployed to a combat zone. Protecting DoDEA students from sexual harassment. Right now, schools on military bases run by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) are exempt from the federal Title IX law, which includes rules about how to handle sexual assaults at schools. This new proposal not only requires DoDEA officials to establish protective policies that mirror Title IX, it also requires them to create a database for tracking students who commit those assaults. Space-A for P&T service-connected disabled veterans. Veterans with a service-connected disability who have been rated permanently and totally disabled, known as P&T, will be newly able to fly Space Available. But there are a few caveats. First, they won't get priority over any other passenger, which means there could be very long waits for flights to popular spots. Next, the bill specifically says the Defense Department or its contractors do not need to make special concessions or alterations to their aircraft to make them accessible for those users. In other words, if you're a P&T veteran who uses a wheelchair, they don't need to provide special accommodations for you. Commissary and MWR access for more veterans. We get a lot (and I mean a LOT) of email from veterans wondering why they don't have commissary access. A new provision included in this bill gives Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and veterans with any service-connected disability the ability to shop at the commissary and use MWR facilities, including military lodging ... for a fee. That fee will be calculated in the coming months, and the benefit will start in early 2020. It will be in addition to the five percent surcharge already charged to all shoppers on all orders. Employment help for military spouses. A series of military spouse employment help proposals were OK'd. One expands military spouse noncompetitive hiring to all government agencies. Another orders the DoD to drum up ways to remind eligible spouses that the My Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) scholarship program exists. Then there's a new report ordered on how military moves affect spouse employment. Next is a rule allowing temporary clearances for military child care employees who are otherwise caught up in a background check backlog. Finally, a report will look at ways to make it easier for spouses to run their small businesses on base. We get a lot of emails asking about a licensure fee rebate that was part of this original series of proposals. That idea is still awaiting action since it must be considered by a different committee and is not part of this bill. Keep waiting, y'all. Report on mother and infant mortality rates in the military health system. Lawmakers want a report within 180 days on mother and baby deaths in the military health system and at Tricare providers, compared with the larger U.S. rate. They also want the Pentagon to include recommendations for reducing that rate. Expanding Military OneSource. Early this year, the DoD decided to push into play an expansion to Military OneSource that allows veterans and their families to use the service, including the free non-medical counseling, for a full year after they get out. This measure puts that decision into law. These 2019 NDAA Military Family Proposals Didn't Pass Free birth control. Right now, Tricare requires co-payments for birth control received from a retail pharmacy or through mail order. This would have required all covered birth control to be free. Lawmakers ultimately said "no." This isn't the first time they've rejected this. It was first considered in 2015. Increases to retiree Tricare Select fees starting now. A Senate proposal would have bumped to 2019 a plan that increases costs for retirees using Tricare Select. That plan was rejected. Gold Star access cards. Rather than mandate base access cards for some families of the fallen that advocates said discriminated against those who lost a service member to a training accident or other non-combat death, lawmakers instead gave the OK to a plan to simply "establish procedures" to get these families on base when they want to visit. The plan that covered only Gold Star families was rejected. Flexible maternity and paternity leave. A House provision would have let parents split their paternity or maternity leave instead of taking it in one big chunk. That was cut from the final bill. Spouse Transition Assistance Program (TAP) pilot. This proposal would have let military spouses not only attend whatever TAP classes they darn well pleased, but also allowed them to fully participate in every aspect. It was not included. Brian Coester, CoesterVMS CEO, Speaks at R.I.C.A. Graduation Ceremony ROCKVILLE, Md., June 4th, 2018 Brian Coester, CEO at CoesterVMS, was honored as the guest speaker at the Regional Institute for Children & Adolescents (R.I.C.A.) graduation ceremony for their senior class. The speech was centered around believing in yourself and working hard towards your goals. Trust yourself, believe in yourself, be yourself, stand up for yourself, and work your butt off. Be you, be different, and understand that a lot of people can speak into your life but they can not speak for you, said Coester to the 2018 graduating class. We were honored to have Brian Coester there who has been an outstanding member of the Montgomery County School system for years. He spoke to the kids from experience, and we were glad to have him come, said principal Josh Munsey. The 2018 graduating class has a bright future ahead of them, with 15 graduates accepted into 4 year universities, 8 accepted into 2 year colleges, and 2 trade schools! RICA is a MCPS special education school for students with emotional disabilities, autism, specific learning disabilities, and other health impairments, serving Montgomery County and several counties in the state of Maryland. ANN ARBOR, MI - Avalon Housing has taken another step toward securing financing to build 70 new affordable housing units on South Maple Road. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority recently awarded Avalon low-income housing tax credits that will generate more than $8 million for the Hickory Way apartments project, said Wendy Carty-Saxon, Avalon's director of real estate development. Construction on phase one will begin in 2019, Avalon Housing announced on Friday, July 27, and the first 34 affordable apartments should be ready for occupants in 2020. The first phase of construction will cost $10.4 million, said Carty-Saxon. Avalon will apply for low-income housing tax credits for the other 36 units in October. "At a time when we're facing a critical shortage of affordable housing in Ann Arbor, receiving these tax credits is incredibly welcome news," Aubrey Patino, executive director of Avalon Housing, a nonprofit that provides affordable and supportive housing in Washtenaw County, said in a press release. Hickory Way apartments will consist of two three-story buildings with elevators and no-step entries, located at 1110 and 1132 S. Maple Road. City council signed off on the project in March 2017. The first building will house one-bedroom, one-bathroom units, with a community space for meetings, laundry and computer access, Carty-Saxon said. Residents will spend no more than 30 percent of their monthly income on rent. In the first apartment building, 17 units will be "supportive housing" for people making 30 percent of the area median income or less ($19,500 for a single person), four units will go to people making 50 percent AMI or less ($32,550 for a single person) and 13 units will go to people making 60 percent AMI or less ($39,050 for a single person). "Supportive housing" is for people who have been chronically homeless, and Avalon will coordinate additional support services for those residents. Veterans Administration Supportive housing has granted housing vouchers to subsidize six of the supportive housing units, and Avalon plans to request more rent vouchers for the supportive housing units through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. The vouchers allow the property manager to set rent at a fair market rates, while low-income or extremely low-income tenants still pay no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent. Other funding for phase one of Hickory Way comes from the City of Ann Arbor ($130,000 from its affordable housing fund); Washtenaw Urban County ($700,000 in federal funds); and a $1 million private loan. ANN ARBOR, MI - After being detained at an immigrant detention center for nearly eight months, Mexican journalist Emilio Gutierrez Soto will join the 2018-19 Knight-Wallace Fellowships for Journalists class at the University of Michigan. Gutierrez, who will be a Senior Press Freedom Fellow at Wallace House, and his son, Oscar, were freed July 26 from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Texas. "With so many challenges to press freedom, and in the midst of a crisis around immigration policy, it is easy to feel powerless," said Knight-Wallace Fellowship director Lynette Clemetson, who met with Gutierrez in April at the El Paso, Texas detention facility to invite him to join the Knight-Wallace program. "Emilio's release, due to the efforts of many, is a reminder that we all can do something to effect change." Gutierrez and his son were released a day before a federal judge's deadline for U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials to produce documents explaining why the journalist was detained. Though Gutierrez was released by ICE, he has not been granted asylum, National Press Club Freedom Fellow Kathy Kiely said. "We're extremely happy, but there was no settlement agreement reached," Kiely said. "We have been talking to the government about settling the case and discussing the terms of the settlement, but they never responded to that. In the end, they didn't agree to anything, they just released him." On July 10, Judge David Guaderrama filed an order citing constitutional protections of free speech and press freedom in raising concerns about immigration officials' treatment of Gutierrez. In 2017, an immigration judge in El Paso denied Gutierrez's asylum request and he was scheduled for deportation. The deportation was halted after protests from numerous journalism organizations including The National Press Club, Reporters Without Borders and the American Society of News Editors. Gutierrez entered the country 10 years ago seeking asylum after his reporting on corruption in his home country made him the target of death threats. He and his son had been held in an ICE detention facility near El Paso, Texas since December. He was previously denied asylum and is still in the process of scheduling an appeal. "He did everything that the immigration officials say refugees should do," Kiely said. "He came in through a port of entry, he declared himself, asked for asylum, he's gone to every immigration check-in. Why are they spending so much of our taxpayer resources if he's not a bad guy?" While Gutierrez's asylum status remains unclear, plans are moving forward for him to be a part of the fellowship at UM in the fall, Kiely said. "Wallace House, the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor community are eager to receive Gutierrez and his son as the family works to resume their life in the U.S. and Gutierrez has the opportunity to reconnect with journalism," Clemetson said. The Knight-Wallace Fellowships for Journalists is one of several organizations that signed amicus briefs organized by The National Press Club in support of Gutierrez's case. While at UM, Gutierrez will study issues related to global press freedom and safety. DETROIT -- Sunny skies and dusty grounds greeted indie music fans this weekend for the sixth Mo Pop Festival at Detroit's West Riverfront Park. The park along the Detroit River was filled with foods trucks, lawn games, colorful pianos and hammocks as crowds gathered for one of Michigan's most stacked annual festival lineups. Grammy award winning artist Bon Iver, performed on the Grande Stage Saturday night after a performance by rapper Vince Staples on the River Stage. On Sunday, Portugal the Man, St. Vincent and The National closed out the festival. Michigan's own Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seeker joined the lineup of 22 artists over the two-day festival. The festival, which began in 2013 at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights, moved to its current home along the Detroit riverfront in 2015. Once the site of a printing press, the property along the Detroit River was privately owned and closed to the public for nearly 100 years before the conservancy bought the site from the Detroit Free Press in 2007 and opened it as a park in 2014. The west riverfront is now set to be redeveloped after the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy awarded design firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, in April 2018, as the winner of a competition to reimagine the 22-acre park. The $50 million plans include a beach, performance area, paths for walking and biking, a promenade and an evergreen isle to "break up ice floes." GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Six people are vying for the Democratic nomination for the 49th District Michigan House of Representatives seat in the Aug. 7 primary. The primary race includes two names familiar to local politics, former Flint Mayor Dayne Walling and John Cherry, the son of former Lt. Gov. John Cherry and state Rep. Pam Faris. There are also several political newcomers entering the race. The 49th District includes Flint Township, Flushing, Swartz Creek, Mt. Morris, Mt. Morris Township and a portion of Flint. The Flint Journal-MLive spoke to the candidates about their qualifications and their motivation for getting involved in the House race. John Cherry, 33, of Flint After serving on the Flint Charter Commission, it became clear to small business owner and former Department of Natural Resource's employee John Cherry that issues like infrastructure or state revenue sharing had to be solved at a higher level. He is not to be confused with his father John D. Cherry, who served as Michigan's lieutenant governor for eight years. "He was always an honorable and hardworking representative when he was in office, and we have a tradition of public service in my family that's not just elected positions," Cherry said. The Flint resident is passionate about infrastructure, roads, public education and finding a permanent solution for Flint. Cherry recalls holding his infant daughter while she screamed and cried during lead tests suggested by their pediatrician. If elected, he hopes to ensure that those who will be seeing long-term effects of lead exposure will not be forgotten. LaShaya Darisaw, 30, of Flushing Darisaw believes that her five degrees and background in social work and public administration speak for itself. Darisaw said she is most known in the community for her advocacy during the Flint water crisis, which involved getting out to make residents aware of what was occurring. "It was my first time ever being in the political realm," Darisaw said. She is passionate about infrastructure, gun reform, education and green economy jobs. Darisaw said that residents need someone with a record of representing the public who won't just treat the position as a job. Notably, Darisaw has been endorsed by the People for Bernie Sanders, a national group that supports progressive candidates, and Flint water activist Melissa Mays. Dayne Walling, 44, of Flint Walling is stepping back into politics after a couple of years out of the spotlight after being defeated by Karen Weaver in his reelection bid as Flint mayor in Nov. 2015. "I think there's a lot at stake right now for our community, our state, even our country, our democracy seems to be under attack from a lot of different directions and I'm running to try to get government back on the side of the people," Walling said. The lessons he learned as Flint's mayor serve as his qualifications for the position, said Walling. If elected, his focus will be on addressing infrastructure, roads and water issues all over the state, like with Michigan's current battle with PFAS. Walling served as mayor during Flint's water crisis and he said he is aware there are some in the community who have concerns about his role in the situation. Ultimately, Walling is enjoying knocking on doors and working with the young people that are getting involved. He hopes to convey that for him, the issues aren't just talking points. Don Wright, 78, of Flint After time in the Marines, serving on the school board, and a happy retirement, Wright said he is ready for a leadership role. Though he competed for the seat unsuccessfully in 2013, he was inspired to run again by his late wife Sandra Wright, who was the longest running treasurer in Flint Township. "She was like a legend," Wright said. Wright is passionate about ending school violence and is frustrated with "career politicians" that are only seen during election season. If elected, he plans to be involved with the community and hold frequent town halls. "I've been in the trenches, I've stood up for people's freedoms in the Marine Corps, and I know what it takes to get the job done," Wright said. Justin B. Dickerson and Jacky King, the remaining two Democratic candidates competing for this seat, could not be reached for comment. Republican Patrick Duvendeck is running unopposed in the primary. MLive has partnered with the League of Women Voters to provide voting resources, including ballot information. You can learn more about the candidates here. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- An 87-year-old former missionary doctor accused of molesting several children overseas decades ago -- and also a young girl In Ottawa County in the late 1990s -- is not competent for trial. Ottawa County Circuit Court Judge Jon Hulsing on July 26 found 87-year-old Donn Ketcham to be incompetent for trial because of dementia related to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Hulsing, in a written opinion, also said Ketcham's prognosis for becoming competent in the next 15 months were not good. He said any further court action would be postponed "pending the prosecution's election of dismissal options." Hulsing earlier this month heard from two medical professionals on the state of Ketcham's mental condition and wrote an opinion last week. According to a report from the Association of Baptists for Worldwide Evangelism, Ketcham was alleged to have sexually abused 20 minors - most of whom were children of fellow ABWE missionaries - when he was a missionary doctor in Bangladesh. He also was alleged to have abused four women between 1966 and 1989. Ketcham voluntarily surrendered his medical license in 2012. He had a practice in Allendale. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids municipal drinking water contains low levels of toxic per- and polyfluorinated compounds called PFAS, according to recent tests from the city's water department. Michigan health officials say the low PFAS levels are not cause for alarm. Test results show combined levels of PFOS and PFOA, two PFAS compounds, in finished tap water product at 3.19-parts per trillion -- nearly 22 times below the federal lifetime health advisory of 70-parts per trillion, or ppt. Previous tests of the city's water system as late as November 2017 did not detect PFAS. But previous tests also had much higher reporting thresholds of 20-ppt for PFOA and 40-ppt for PFOS, meaning that anything below those levels was labelled "non-detect," according to Dave Harran, the city's water system manager. "These tests are getting more refined," Harran said. The system serves about 300,000 people in multiple municipalities across the greater Grand Rapids area. The detected levels, state health officials say, aren't cause for concern. "If it's a level of 3-ppt, it's not something residents should be concerned about in their municipal water," said Angela Minicuci, spokeswoman for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. "As far as municipal water goes, 3-ppt is not something we would be taking action on at this point." The state of Michigan has cleanup standards for PFOS and PFOA in groundwater that people drink but does not have a maximum contaminant level for public water systems. Exposure to PFAS has been linked in human studies to some cancers, thyroid disorders, elevated cholesterol and other diseases. PFAS compounds are called "forever chemicals" because they accumulate in the body and do not breakdown in the environment. Levels found in the Grand Rapids municipal water system also are below stricter health guidelines proposed in a new federal study. According to environmental chemists, the study's suggested "minimum risk levels" translate roughly to 7-ppt for PFOS and 11-ppt for PFOA. Because of that, Harran said he feels "comfortable" with the levels found and doesn't expect them to change. At this time, there are no plans to install PFAS filtration systems, he said. "Our test results showed what was expected: PFAS-related compounds have been in use around Lake Michigan for decades and a very small amount -- below the detection limits -- is present," Harran said in an email. "We expect PFAS levels to remain relatively consistent since Lake Michigan is a stable source of water." The Grand Rapids municipal system draws its water from Lake Michigan at a depth of 50 feet and about a mile from shore, according to Mike Grenier, superintendent of the Lake Michigan filtration plant. Of 24 PFAS compounds tested for in the water system, only PFOS, PFOA and 6:2 FTS were detected at levels above the reporting limit. PFOA was detected at 1.38-ppt, PFOS at 1.81-ppt and 6:2 FTS at 1.55-ppt, according to the results. The combined PFAS levels are 4.74-ppt. Unlike PFOS and PFOA, there is no federal health advisory for 6:2 FTS. The chemicals have been used in fire suppressant foam at airports, fire departments and refineries, as well as by industrial chrome platers and apparel manufacturers. They repel water and oil and resist heat. The recent testing was prompted by a pledge from the state of Michigan to test 1,380 public water systems and about 460 schools for PFAS. Results already coming in have sparked a public health crisis in a community of about 3,000, when PFOA levels of 670-ppt and PFOS levels of 740-ppt were found in the Parchment city water system. Harran said his team wanted to get ahead of the state's testing, so it took samples and sent them out for analysis about two weeks ahead of the state. They did so mirroring the state's testing protocol and used the same lab, Vista Analytical in California, for analysis, he said. The state's results are due any time now. Unlike the city's results, Harran said, the state plans to cut its reporting limit off at 2-ppt for each compound, meaning the state's results for the Grand Rapids water system would be a "non-detect" for PFAS if found at similar levels. Representatives for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality could not be reached for comment. The Grand Rapids water system serves Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Walker and parts of Kentwood, as well as the townships of Ada, Cascade, Grand Rapids and Tallmadge. In Ottawa County, the system serves Coopersville, Allendale Township and portions of Grand Haven and Robinson Townships. "We are proud of the high-quality and safe drinking water that we provide our customers every day, and we take this responsibility very seriously," Harran said. "Our customers should be confident in the system's water quality and safety." BERRIEN COUNTY, MI -- The cause of death for six family members killed in a fire at a motel near Benton Harbor has been ruled smoke inhalation. The fire started around 1:45 a.m. Saturday, July 28, in a room on the first floor of the Cosmo Extended Living motel, according to police. The six people killed in the fire, police said, were Kiarre Curtis, 26; Marquise Thompson, 10; Gerome Randolph, 7; Samuel Curtis, 5; Savod Curtis, 4; and Avery Curtis, 2. Rescuers and firefighters found the woman and the children unresponsive on the second floor of the motel. After attempting CPR, paramedics transported them to Lakeland Medical Center where the victims passed away. Autopsies were performed on all six victims on Sunday, July 29, at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. The autopsies confirmed all six died as a result of "smoke inhalation," according to a Sunday news release from the Berrien County Sheriff's Office. The victims involved in the fire were not staying in the first-floor room where the fire started, police said, but were on the second floor of the motel. Kiarre Curtis' husband, Samuel, 36, and her one-year-old child were able to escape from the motel during what police are calling a tragic incident, according to a news release from the Berrien County Sheriff's Office. Another resident of the motel who escaped the blaze described them as a "loving and caring family." Residents displaced by the deadly fire are temporarily being sheltered at Upton Middle School. Four first responders and several residents sustained smoke inhalation during the fire. At least two of those individuals were treated and released from Lakeland Medical Center as of 3 p.m. Saturday. The incident remains under investigation, but early findings from the Michigan State Police's fire marshal division and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms indicate that the fire may have been an accident. A test of the scene at 2699 M-139 Highway did not reveal the presence of a fire accelerant nor any indication that illegal narcotics were being manufactured at the hotel at the time of the fire, a news release said. Berrien County Sheriff Chief Deputy Robert Boyce said Saturday that the motel had smoke detectors and a sprinkler system, but said investigators were still working to determine if they were functional at the time of the fire. The county sheriff's office is contracting with a Grand Rapids-based security company to test the motel's fire alarm and smoke detector, according to the news release. That investigation is ongoing. According to a report from wndu.com, late Saturday night, Raj Bhardwaj of Cosmo Extended Stay released a statement expressing sympathy for the victims of the fire. "Each member of the Cosmo family is overwhelmed by the tragic loss of six lives early this morning at our Cosmo Extended Stay location," the statement said, in part. "We must find out the cause of this fire and make sure nothing like it happens again. We are working with the fire and public safety investigators to get to the bottom of this tragedy." The statement goes on to say hotel will not comment further "as we are directing our energy toward the situation at Cosmo Extended Stay." Darci Lynne Farmer is coming to the Jackson County Fair on Monday, Aug. 6. (Courtesy of Jackson County Fair) JACKSON, MI -- Michiganders will be singing "God Bless Texas" and learn to "Kick a Little" when Little Texas makes its Jackson debut on the first night of the Jackson County Fair. As part of the fair's second annual "Roots N Boots Country Jam," Little Texas shares the spotlight with John Anderson and Pam Tillis. The three acts are scheduled for the grandstand show at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 5. Tickets, which can be purchased on the Jackson County Fair website, range from $27 to $47. Though the Aug. 5 show marks the band's first appearance in Jackson, Little Texas has plenty of experience touring in Michigan. During the height of the band's 1990s fame, it performed so many sold-out shows at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit the catering staff knew the band members by name, said bassist Duane Propes. Propes is joined onstage by lead vocalist and guitarist Porter Howell, rhythm guitarist Dwayne O'Brien and drummer Del Gray. As a country band, Little Texas is more than familiar with the county fair environment, Propes said. While they are the 'bread and butter' of any country band touring during the summer, Little Texas has had decades to perfect the art of getting a crowd on its feet. "The crowd is about 50 percent of our shows - we expect everybody to get into it, have fun, get up front and party with us," Propes said. "It's a high-energy show - we are a country party band, basically." Originally forming in 1988 in Nashville, Little Texas rose to fame as one of the first groups to successfully meld the genres of country and rock music. After breaking up in 1997, the group returned in 2004 and has been touring ever since. Though the group's latest album - 2015's "Young for a Long Time" - is only three years old, the setlist for the Jackson County Fair show will comprise music from the band's nearly 25-year history. Among those songs are "God Bless Texas" and "Kick a Little" - Propes favorite songs to play - both of which made it into the top five of Billboard's "Hot 100" list when they came out. "It'll mainly be the hits - 85-90 percent of the show will be stuff that people know and grew up with," Propes said. "We'll have a few surprises in there though. We have a few things that will really bring the crowd into the show." The number one priority of any Little Texas show is to give the audience a good time, Propes said, and the band is hoping to appeal to fans young and old when they come to the Jackson County Fair. "You're going to be able to hear a lot of the hits and remember where you were when you first heard them," Propes said. "Hopefully people will bring their kids and bring a second generation of fans out." JACKSON COUNTY, MI - Democrats are 0-for-4 in the 64th District Michigan House of Representatives race since Martin Griffin was voted out in 2010. Brock Bachelder and Sheila Troxel hope to have the chance to break that trend, as the pair of Democrats battle in the Tuesday, Aug. 7 primary election. The winner faces Republican incumbent Julie Alexander and Libertarian Norman Peterson in the Nov. 6 general election. The 64th District includes the city of Jackson, Concord, Hanover, Napoleon, Parma, Pulaski, Sandstone, and Spring Arbor and Summit townships. MLive Media Group has partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information and other voting resources to readers. Each candidate was asked to answer a series of questions about their policy stances. Information on state and federal races and many of Michigan's county and local races is available at Vote411.org - a website run by the League of Women Voters. Here's a look at the priorities and backgrounds for Bachelder and Troxel. Brock Bachelder The 28-year-old sales consultant at a car dealership has been following politics for much of his life, although this is the first time Bachelder has run for office. "I believe that being a younger generation, (I'd bring) a new perspective, a new view and new take on things," Bachelder said. Like many candidates in 2018, Bachelder said infrastructure is a top priority. He's open to many different ideas in order to get assets like roads and bridges fixed. "We're on the same page on that in my district. We have terrible roads," Bachelder said. "The entire state itself needs more investment into infrastructure itself." Having read state and federal budgets, Bachelder said Medicaid spending is very high - an issue he believes the state needs to consider at its roots. He also wants to have the legislature consider tax bumps for nicotine products to pay for health care spending. Clean energy jobs using ideas like solar panels and wind energy is also a priority for him. Following the race for governor, Bachelder said his views most align with Gretchen Whitmer and Shri Thanedar. Sheila Troxel At 48 years old, this is also the first time Sheila Troxel has run for public office. Troxel works as the director of financial education at CP Federal Credit Union. "I look around and see that families are hurting," Troxel said. "I think there's an opportunity for us to do better." Troxel is the chairwoman of the city of Jackson Planning Commission. She calls herself an innovative person who prefers "solutions over ideology." When it comes to road solutions, Troxel said short-term patch jobs aren't cutting it. "As a financial educator, I see us patching the roads and adding those temporary solutions so that we can get from point A to point B," Troxel said. "And that costs us money, every time that we do that." While costs will be higher up front, Troxel said the investment into long-term road solutions is crucial. Businesses and families won't move to Michigan if roads are unsafe and unreliable, she added. "I would not want to bring a business here if I didn't know if my shipments would make it here safely and not broken," Troxel said. Education is another top priority for Troxel - ranging from elementary students to those in technical schools and colleges. With CP Federal Credit Union, Troxel teaches students skills like how to fill out an application, do an interview and manage a student credit union. If elected, she wants to continue using hands-on lessons to teach skills to young people. "We focus so much on English, reading, math and science," Troxel said. "But we need to show kids how to apply it." In comparing herself to candidates for governor, Troxel sees herself as a mix between Whitmer and Brian Calley. "I'm fiscally responsible, but I like to get things done." Nasim Ansari and Steve Carra are competing for the 10th District Republican nomination for the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners. Their names will appear on the Aug. 7 ballot. The winner will run for the seat against current 10th District Commissioner Mike Quinn, who is running unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination. This year, MLive Media Group partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information and other voting resources to our readers. Each candidate was asked to answer a series of questions about their policy stances. Here are survey responses from the candidates: Carra, 29, is a Legislative Aide for State Representative Steve Johnson, according to his response to an election survey. He graduated from Portage Northern High School in 2007 and WMU in 2011 with degrees in economics and political science and a minor in mathematics, he said. "After pursuing degrees in economics and political science, I did research assistance at Acton Institute in Grand Rapids. My time there helped organize my thoughts and strengthen my Christian convictions while simultaneously understanding and embracing the concepts of liberty and the proper role of government," his survey response states. Nasim Ansari, 71, is retired, and lists his education as "MS, MBA." Under experience, he lists Kalamazoo County Commissioner, Portage Mayor Pro Tem, Portage City Council member, Member Kalamazoo County Planning Committee, Vice Chair Inter-governmental Coop Committee, Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Board of Directors Convention and Visitation Bureau, Board Member Portage Community Center, President Portage Small Business Association, Retired local government employee, member Kalamazoo County Aeronautics Board, Adjunct Professor. How will your talents, experience and skills enable you to succeed in your work as a Commissioner to improve the quality of life for residents of Kalamazoo County? ANSARI As in the past, my experience on the Kalamazoo County Commission, the Portage City Council and multiple county and city boards will once again be an asset to the County Board of Commissioners. As a retired local government employee, a small business owner and adjunct professor, I am fortunate to have the leadership, administrative and personal relations skills necessary to serve effectively on the Board. I strive to be a compassionate public servant and a good listener. CARRA I believe in less government and more freedom. With each vote and consideration I take, I will consider whether it increases the size and scope of government and whether or not it restricts the actions of people in their individual lives. I have socially conservative values including profound respect for the sanctity of life. I also understand and respect your rights which are given to you by our Creator. With my youth, energy and innovative mind, I will be successful in protecting and restoring your God given rights. What are the two most critical issues facing your District in the next ten years? What actions will you take as a member of the Commission to address them in the next two years? ANSARI With such excellent success, the greatest opportunity lies in maintaining this pace of success while finding efficiencies to strike a balance between economic growth and a high quality of life for all citizens. Attracting talent is always a goal in our region. The units of government should focus on place-based development to attract and retain a strong workforce. There are opportunities for mixed-use housing. In case Crossroads mall were to follow the suit of closing like in other places in the country, I foresee the redevelopment of the area as a City Center with mixed-use housing. CARRA I stand on the side of freedom. Although I am supportive of having public safety and an enforced rule of law, I feel as though people are too frequently treated as guilty until proven innocent. I will also stand on the side of the taxpayer. Less taxes means more freedom to spend your money as you see fit. In general, I believe you know what's best for you and your family and I want to protect your ability to keep more of your hard earned money. What policies and programs will you promote to enhance citizen engagement in the well-being of our communities and the democratic process? ANSARI Communication has been the cornerstone of effective citizen engagement. Through my years serving the public my accessibility and open lines of communication have and will continue to forge a smooth understanding of all issues at hand. On a more specific level, outcomes can only be determined when there is a complete understanding of all viewpoints. The Kalamazoo Gazette published an editorial in which I was recognized as a "bridge builder". CARRA I will hold monthly office hours to give people the chance to come and share their thoughts and concerns with me. I pledge to be accessible and transparent. Good governance is of, by and for the people and you deserve to be heard throughout the process. In addition to being accessible to you, I will explain each of my votes and post them on social media. I hope to engage the public in the decision making process. Everyone drops a pearl, a wise man picks them up. I don't have all the answers and I want to hear what you believe will enhance the well-being of the community. Together, we can make good policy for our community. How will your political philosophy or platform guide your actions on the Commission? ANSARI Serving the very community that has welcomed me with open arms from day 1 is and remains my greatest opportunity and passion. One value I feel strongly about is maintaining wide-open transparency - especially with respect to decisions and actions that impact our community. Further, I have always maintained a firm distaste for frivolous politics that stray from the issues at hand. Through the years and till today, this viewpoint I hold is something our community has considered a valuable asset to our local government. CARRA Grounded in the principles of constitutional conservatism, I will respect all tax payers, not just the ones who want special treatment. I am for lower taxes across the board, not just for special interests. So each vote I take, I will be looking out for the interest of the people at-large. With less government and more freedom as a philosophy, the decision making process is left more locally to the community and families to discern what is in their best interest. That's what I believe in and I want to restore your opportunity to pursue your happiness as you see fit. KALAMAZOO, MI - A man was shot in the leg while fighting attackers trying to rob him. Kalamazoo police said the incident happened just after midnight, Monday, July 30, at 1018 Interfaith Boulevard. The victim, a 32-year-old man, said three men, armed with pistols, tried to rob him. When he fought back, he was struck in the head by one of the guns then shot in the leg. The robbers ran when the victim called for help from nearby security officers. Police set up a perimeter and used a tracking dog but could not find the attackers. Police asked anyone with information to call Public Safety at 337-8994, or Silent Observer at 343-2100, or go to www.KalamazooSilentObserver.com ST. JOSEPH, MI - Firefighters from multiple departments are battling a large fire at a farm on Business Route 131 near the U.S. 131 bypass in Constantine. "Still an active scene so please avoid the area and watch for tanker trucks shuttling water to the scene," Constantine Fire Department said on its Facebook page. Firefighters are battling a "multi-building structure," the department said. The fire was reported around 4 a.m. Monday, July 30, ABC 57 News reported. It said buildings and equipment were destroyed in a massive fire. ABC 57 said 10 fire departments responded to the fire. PARCHMENT, MI -- The city of Kalamazoo is extending its water system into Parchment after tests found high levels of PFAS contaminants in drinking water. Starting Tuesday, July 31, G Avenue from Mount Olivet to North Riverview Drive will be intermittently closed for a water main extension project. Kalamazoo Deputy City Manager Jeff Chamberlain said it will connect the two water systems, allowing Parchment's system to be fed by Kalamazoo's drinking water supply. Chamberlain said it's an "interim step" while both cities work to flush contaminated water from Parchment's water system and find a long-term solution. He isn't sure how long either project will take, but residents shouldn't ingest water from the tap until tests show PFAS levels below an EPA health advisory. Those using Parchment's municipal water supply were told late Thursday, July 26, to immediately stop drinking the water after high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances were discovered in the municipal water source. A Monday release from the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department states the Department of Environmental Quality identified an area where PFAS may have been used. The DEQ will begin testing water at that location Tuesday. DEQ spokesperson Scott Dean referred MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette questions about the location to Kalamazoo County Public Information Officer Lyndi Warner. She could not be reached for comment Monday. Follow-up tests from of three groundwater wells that feed the city of Parchment's water system were conducted during the weekend. Though the DEQ officials said the results would be available Monday, HCS Administrator James Rutherford said he did not receive them as of 6:50 p.m. Monday. The first test showed a level of total PFAS of 1,587 parts per trillion entering Parchment's municipal water supply. This level is more than 20 times higher than the EPA lifetime health advisory of 70-ppt for the two PFAS chemicals PFOS and PFOA. Private wells within a one-mile radius of the city of Parchment's groundwater aquifers -- established as an initial study area by the DEQ -- are being tested to determine if residents who aren't hooked up to the municipal water system are at risk of contamination. DEQ has sampled more 40 private wells in Cooper Township since Friday. It's still not clear what caused PFAS contamination in Parchment's drinking water system. In 2002, the DEQ initiated an assessment of Parchment's sources of drinking water. According to Parchment's 2017 water quality report, the three wells were determined by the DEQ to be "highly susceptible to potential contaminants." The city of Parchment began pumping from the wellfield in 1963. It initially contained two wells and a third came online in 1973. The wells range in depth from 51.5 to 58 feet. PFAS compounds are known to increase risk of cancer, kidney disease, thyroid conditions and auto-immune disorders. Cooper Township Supervisor Jeff Sorensen said he has heard growing concern from residents outside the DEQ study area about whether they will have to foot the bill for PFAS tests. Kalamazoo engineering firm Fleis & Vanderbrink told township officials tests can cost up to $1,000. The governor's office announced a state of emergency on Sunday, July 29. Sorensen said he's not sure if this could make funds available for private well testing. "I really feel that people need to sit tight on this for a short period of time to see where the actual contamination is," Sorensen said. The township manager hopes a Tuesday, July 31, town hall scheduled will "relax some angst" in the community. An open house runs from 5-6 p.m., followed by a program from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Haven Reformed Church, 5350 Sprinkle Road. Due to limited parking at the meeting venue, public transportation will be provided by Central City Transit Authority. Roundtrip service will run from Saint Ambrose Catholic Church at 1628 E G Ave from at 4:30 p.m. through the duration of the event. If door-to-door service is needed, rides can be arranged with Metro Connect at 350-2970. Distribution of free bottled water will continue at Parchment High School, 1916 East G Avenue from noon to 8 p.m. Residents will be asked to verify their address upon pickup. For more information, residents are directed by local officials to call a drinking water hotline set up at (269) 373-5346. Those unable to get to the bottled water distribution point are also encouraged to call the hotline. Sorensen said he's not sure if PFAS contamination is coming from Parchment's shuttered paper mill landfill, but it "would make sense." It's the only industry near the Parchment well fields, which are located in Cooper Township, he said. Parchment, known as the "Paper City," was a town built around the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Co. It was established in 1909 at an abandoned sugar beet factory on the east bank of the Kalamazoo River. The mill site changed hands multiple times through the years -- from Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Co., Sutherland Paper Co., Brown Co., James River Corp. and Crown Vantage Corp. Through the course of its long life, the plant produced paper and printed numerous products out of parchment paper, including kitchen parchment, paper packaging, paper plates and cups, garbage paper and wax-lined maps for aviators. Sorensen said an 80-acre landfill near the Kalamazoo River was capped after Crown Vantage went bankrupt in 2000. It was used to dump fly ash and other waste from the nearby paper mill until it was capped at the request of the DEQ. Wastewater from the mill was treated at a plant to the north of the site, also used until Crown Vantage left town. The former landfill north of East G Avenue is owned by Cooper Township. Working with River Reach Partners LLC, the city has been trying to repurpose or demolish buildings left after Crown Vantage closed. The site is now owned by River Reach Partners, a Colorado-based property redevelopment firm organized to work in Michigan 10 years ago. PORTAGE, MI -- The city of Portage shut down three wells in what it is calling a "proactive" response to traceable levels of PFAS contaminants detected in three of the municipal water system's 20 wells. Per- and polyfluorinated compounds, known collectively as PFAS, are an emerging public health threat contaminating water supplies across the Michigan. Public health experts link exposure to PFAS chemicals with increased risk for cancer, liver damage and other serious ailments. Portage tested its eight well fields, consisting of 20 total wells, on June 14. Results received Friday, June 27, showed low levels of the chemicals in three of the wells providing the city's drinking water. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality advised Portage officials that "no action is needed" in response to the test results, according to a city of Portage press release. The city decided to shut down the three wells Saturday, July 28, until further testing is conducted. Those follow-up tests are expected to be completed in about a month. Shutting down the three wells was a precautionary measure, said Kendra Gwinn, director of the Portage Department of Transportation and Utilities. Further action will be discussed after the three wells are retested. "It is important that our customers and residents know we are concerned about getting them clean drinking water," Gwinn said. A source for the trace levels of PFAS contamination in Portage's water system is not clear, she said. The location of the wells testing positive for PFAS cannot be disclosed due to security concerns, Gwinn said. During initial testing, two well fields -- one containing a single well and the other containing two -- tested above the non-detect level for PFAS. The well field containing two wells returned a result for total PFAS compounds of 13 parts per trillion, while the single-well location tested at 2 ppt. Those levels of PFAS are below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lifetime health advisory of 70 ppt, though that standard is applied to only the combined concentration of two specific PFAS compounds -- PFOS and PFOA. Testing in Portage looked at 14 different PFAS compounds and the results of 13 ppt and 2 ppt reflect total concentrations. Specific tests for PFOS and PFOA found no detectable concentration of the two chemicals in any of Portage's wells. Gwinn said it was a surprised to find traceable levels of PFAS in Portage after tests conducted in 2013 detected no traces PFAS contamination in Portage water. In 2012, the EPA required cities nationwide to test for six PFAS compounds under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Public water systems serving more than 10,000 people were required to be tested, including Portage. As part of its response to PFAS as an emerging contaminant, the state of Michigan is currently completing statewide testing of all public water systems. The state testing looks for 14 different PFAS compounds in water supplies. While the lower levels may be a relief for some Portage residents, at least one study from the Centers for Disease Control suggests the recommended safety should be six times lower than the current 70 ppt benchmark. That release of that study was ultimately blocked by the Trump administration, according to emails reported by Politico. According to one email, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has yet to release new draft toxicological profiles for several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, after White House aides deemed the new levels a "public relations nightmare" in January. The EPA's current level was set in 2016, and the ATSDR suggests it should be somewhere closer to less than 12-ppt for some PFAS chemicals based on its finding that exposure above that level "could be dangerous sensitive populations like infants and breastfeeding mothers." Adequacy of the 70-ppt benchmark has been the subject of substantial debate, with regulators and polluters generally loathe to endorse lower levels and public health advocates pointing to new studies calling its effectiveness into question. The release of city of Portage test results comes in the wake of news that similar tests of the nearby city of Parchment's water system revealed levels of PFAS in the municipal water system at more than 20 times the EPA health advisory level of 70 ppt. An estimated 3,100 residents in Parchment and neighboring Cooper Township have been warned to immediately stop drinking their tap water or using it for cooking or washing food. Bottled water is being provided to impacted residents, available at Parchment High School, and officials have scheduled a town hall meeting for Tuesday. No results have been released from renewed testing of the city of Kalamazoo's water system, though 2013 tests showed negligible levels of six PFAS compounds. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - A convicted sex offender has been sentenced for sexually assaulting a child. Travis Christopher Sippo, 34, of Norton Shores pleaded guilty to second degree criminal sexual conduct involving a person under age 13. He was sentenced by Muskegon County Circuit Judge Timothy Hicks to a minimum of four years and a maximum of 22 years in prison. Sippo was convicted of assaulting an 8-year-old child not related to him in December 2017, according to Muskegon County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Maat. He was on parole at the time of the assault, Maat said. He had been convicted in 2009 of two counts of third-degree CSC in the 31st Circuit Court in Port Huron, according to the Michigan Sex Offender Registry. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - A young man who was a juvenile when he raped and stabbed a pregnant woman to death in her own home, also killing her fetus, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Christopher Howard, 20, was given the sentence by Muskegon County Circuit Judge Annette Smedley, who was able to impose the sentence following a June ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court. Howard broke into the Muskegon Township apartment of Dominique DaShay O'Neal in June 2015, and was surprised the 21-year-old woman was there. She had grabbed a knife to fend him off, but he overpowered her and stabbed her to death, Howard told police. Her two young children were asleep in the apartment at Quail Meadows. Howard was apprehended 18 months later after he was arrested for a domestic assault and his fingerprints were matched with those lifted from the murder scene. He pleaded guilty to open murder, and Smedley following a hearing determined he was guilty of first-degree felony murder, committed during home invasion and possibly first-degree criminal sexual conduct. It wasn't clear if the CSC occurred before or after O'Neal died. "He took this to a vicious, savage place that no person should ever have to be placed in, and he stabbed her," Smedley said when finding Howard guilty of first-degree murder. "Whether he stabbed her while he was raping her, or he raped after he killed her is no different." Howard was 17 at the time of the murder. He stabbed O'Neal 12 times in the head and stomach, breaking the knife's 6-inch blade, according to court statements. Smedley also sentenced Howard to 43 months to 15 years for the death of O'Neal's male fetus. The Michigan Supreme Court ruled on June 20 that judges can order a no-parole life sentence for juveniles. The ruling overturned one made by a Michigan appeals court in 2015, which ruled that a no-parole sentence for a minor would fit only if a jury found that the crime was the result of "irreparable corruption" of the defendant. Muskegon Township Police officials testified about the murder during Howard's preliminary examination. Sgt. Tim Thielbar said Howard told him he entered O'Neal's apartment through a kitchen window with the intention of stealing televisions. He didn't think anyone was home, and did not know who lived there, he told police. "He said he went upstairs, the victim, Ms. O'Neal, surprised him with a knife and started attacking him with a knife," Thielbar testified. "He said that he was able to grab her by her wrists, take the knife from her and, what he described as self-defense, stabbed her numerous times." Smedley later seemed offended by the self-defense argument. "You weren't supposed to be in the house in the first place," she said to Howard when finding him guilty of first-degree murder. "You can't claim self-defense if she was trying to protect herself." O'Neal was a member of the Michigan National Guard and worked as a certified nurse aide at Brookhaven Medical Care Facility. The mother of two young children, she has been described as a hardworking homebody. Her boyfriend, with whom she lived in the Quail Meadow apartments, discovered O'Neal's body at 5 a.m. June 24, 2015, police said. OCEANA COUNTY, MI - Two Muskegon residents were seriously injured when their motorcycle collided with a pickup truck near Rothbury over the weekend. The 57-year-old man and 41-year-old woman were thrown from the motorcycle when the pickup turned in front of them into a private driveway, according to a news release from the Michigan State Police. The crash occurred at 4:15 p.m. Saturday on eastbound Winston Road east of U.S. 31, according to police. The motorcycle driver and passenger were not wearing helmets, according to the news release. The motorcycle was traveling east on Winston when the pickup, driven by a 45-year-old Spring Lake man, turned in front of it and the motorcycle hit the truck, according to the news release. The injured motorcycle riders were transported to Mercy Health Hackley Campus in Muskegon. An update on their conditions was not available Monday morning. Michigan State Police troopers were assisted at the scene by the Oceana County Sheriff's Office, Grant Township Fire Department, Rothbury Police Department and Oceana County EMS. The crash remains under investigation. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor, according to the news release. MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI - Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System ended its 2017-18 fiscal year with a deficit of nearly $1 million. The charter district took more than 10 percent of the money it spent during the year from its fund balance, which was depleted to less than 3 percent of annual expenditures. Total revenue for 2017-18 was $8,180,810, while total expenditures came to $9,135,209. That resulted in a deficit of $954,399. The deficit was covered by drawing from the fund balance, which now has $270,848. In its original budget, the district planned to dip into the fund balance for $550,000. The number increased throughout the year, partially due to an unanticipated nearly $200,000 increase in the price of special education programming through the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, said Superintendent Rane Garcia. The price increase came with expanded services, she said. "This increased service is a great opportunity for us to intervene early to serve our students, yet it requires us to be even more strategic with our limited revenue," Garcia said. As a charter, the district's only public revenue is per-pupil state funding, and 3 percent of that goes to Muskegon Heights Public Schools because it oversees the charter. Muskegon Heights Public Schools remains under the supervision of a Receivership Transitional Advisory Board appointed by the Michigan Department of Treasury. The RTAB was established after the district was taken out of emergency management in October 2016. It had been under emergency management since 2012 when it was $12 million in debt. The emergency manager established the charter academy district to educate students while Muskegon Heights Public Schools worked to pay off debts, using non-per pupil funding such as local millages. "We don't get any of our community's taxes - they go to Muskegon Heights Public Schools to pay off the debt," Garcia said, adding that the situation makes the budget tighter than at other schools. Adding to the financial burden in 2017-18 was the one-time purchase of English language arts and math curriculum for grades K-12. The cost was around $150,000 to $200,000, Garcia said. The purchase provides "students with the best and most updated programming to empower our scholars and teachers to reach their potential," she said. A look at 2018-19 The charter academy plans to add some money back to its fund balance during the 2018-19 fiscal year with an expected surplus of $198,741. With a $240 increase in state per-pupil funding, the academy expects revenue of about $8,354,668 and planned expenditures of $8,155,927. The academy expects to receive $7,634.87 per student (97 percent of the $7,871 per pupil foundation grant). Some grant funding is also expected. The addition of $198,741 to the fund balance would bring it to $469,589, or 5.7 percent of expenditures. To balance the budget, the academy leadership analyzed student trends and strategically right-sized programs and reassigned staffing, Garcia said. No one has been laid off. MIDLAND, MI - A woman's lawsuit against Planet Fitness' transgender-friendly locker room policy can move forward on allegations the gym violated the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. Yvette Cormier's lawsuit against Planet Fitness was filed in Midland County in 2015 after her membership was canceled because she complained to fellow gym members over several days about seeing a transgender woman using the locker room. While Cormier referred to the individual as a man, she said a gym employee told her the individual in question identified as a woman. Cormier's lawsuit may move forward on the issue that she did not know of Planet Fitness' unwritten self-identification policy concerning restrooms and locker rooms, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in an unpublished opinion on July 26. Planet Fitness transgender policy case 10 Gallery: Planet Fitness transgender policy case "Plaintiff was already a member of the gym when she learned of the unwritten policy and was thus subject to a financial penalty if she canceled her membership earlier than provided in the membership agreement," the opinion said. Midland County Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Beale dismissed the lawsuit in 2016. Cormier's attorney, David A. Kallman, appealed the judge's decision to the Michigan Court of Appeals 24 days later. The Court of Appeals affirmed Beale's ruling in June of 2016, but Cormier then took her case to the Michigan Supreme Court, which ordered the Court of Appeals to reconsider its decision. The issue that remains is Planet Fitness' alleged failure to reveal that it had an unwritten policy that allows an individual to use whichever locker room or restroom that corresponds with the gender that individual self-identifies. Cormier's initial lawsuit was seeking damages of $25,000 or more from Planet Fitness. NASA has been touting the Parker Solar Probe as "humanity's first-ever" mission to touch the Sun for years, and the space agency will launch the spacecraft no earlier than Monday, Aug. 6 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. In its latest update, the U.S. space agency reports it is targeting the early hours of Aug. 11 for the launch of the spacecraft named for living astrophysicist Eugene Parker. The 45-minute launch window will open at 3:48 a.m. Aug. 11, and the probe will launch on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37. The Parker Solar Probe is said to be the size of a small car, and NASA says it will attempt to travel into the Sun's atmosphere, and face "heat and radiation unlike any spacecraft in history. The spacecraft has a "cutting-edge heat shield" that is made of two panels of superheated carbon-carbon composite sandwiching a 4.5-inch-thick carbon foam core. The space agency says the spacecraft will come within 4 million miles of the Sun's surface, and that it will "provide new data on solar activity and make critical contributions to our ability to forecast major space-weather events that impact life on Earth." -- -- "This probe will journey to a region humanity has never explored before," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, said in past a news release. "This mission will answer questions scientists have sought to uncover for more than six decades." NASA also hopes the mission will help improve future forecasts of space weather events that impact not only life on Earth, but satellites, astronauts and stations in space. The Parker Solar Probe is to have the ability to travel at 430,000 mph, which is fast enough to travel between Washington D.C. and Tokyo in less than one minute. "The Sun's energy is always flowing past our world," Nicky Fox, Parker Solar Probe project scientist, said in a news release. "And even though the solar wind is invisible, we can see it encircling the poles as the aurora, which are beautiful - but reveal the enormous amount of energy and particles that cascade into our atmosphere. "We don't have a strong understanding of the mechanisms that drive that wind toward us, and that's what we're heading out to discover." -- -- Last week, the space agency released a video showcasing what it sounds like when the giant star moves, waves, loops and erupts to the human ear. NASA says the ability to study the sounds of our Sun will help the space agency study its "dynamic movement" like never before. The mission's namesake, Eugene Parker, received his bachelor's degree in physics from Michigan State University before getting his doctorate at Caltech. Zurbuchen emphasized that it was the first time the U.S. space agency had named a spacecraft for a living person. In the 1950s, Parker studied and proposed concepts of how stars and our Sun give off energy in what he called "the solar wind." He theorized an explanation of how the Sun's corona is hotter than the surface of the star itself, which is a theory NASA says it has continued to focus and study in what is known as heliophysics. -- REDDING, Calif. - Two Redding residents were arrested Sunday, accused of looting in areas that are evaculated due to the Carr Fire. Jack Fannin, 19, and Jade Ball, 25, of Redding, were arrested and charged with looting in areas evacuated by the Carr Fire in Redding. Jack Fannin, 19, and Jade Ball, 25, of Redding, were arrested and charged with looting in areas evacuated by the Carr Fire in Redding. Jack Fannin, 19, and Jade Ball, 25, of Redding, were arrested and charged with looting in areas evacuated by the Carr Fire in Redding. Shasta County Sheriff's Office deputies were conducting roving patrols in the evacuated areas of the Carr Fire Sunday. Officers were in the area of Quartz Hill Road when they were waved down by a homeowner who said that he was on another part of his property, returned to his house, and saw fresh shoe prints and water inside his residence. Allied agencies and Shasta County Sheriff's Office responded to assist and checked the area when they noticed a residence on McLeod with the front door forced open. As officers checked the interior of the residence, they found several electronic items stacked and staged by the front door. The items did not appear to be placed there by the owners, authorities said. Based on the close proximity of the crimes, investigators said they believed the suspects may hae been on foot in the area. Officers responded to a home in the 16000 block of McLeod Road, saing it had been known from criminal activities in the past. Upon arrival, deputies contacted the suspects, and said they found evidence at the residents that tied Ball and Fannin to the break-ins. According to the sheriff's office, Fannin told deputies that he and Ball went into three homes Saturday night and Sunday, looking for water.Fannin and Ball were placed under arrest for looting in an evacuated area. Both were transported and booked into Shasta County Jail. Indian Railway is infamous for running its trains late but it probably set a record when it took more than 1350 days to deliver a consignment merely 1,300 kilometres away averaging less than a kilometre per day. Uttar Pradesh-based trader Manoj Kumar Gupta had booked 21 wagons of compost to be delivered from Vishakhapatnam to Basti on November 10, 2014 and received just 20 wagons in time. One wagon with around Rs 10 lakh worth of fertilisers was delivered on July 25, 2018, as per a report by Hindustan Times. While I had booked 21 wagons of compost, only 20 reached my destination in time. However, one of the wagons presumably got lost, forcing me to approach the railways for compensation, the report quoted Gupta. Multiple visits and applications to Railway officials bore no fruit and he decided to focus on his business instead, forfeiting any hope of getting the missing consignment back, Gupta said. The goods included 1,236 sacks of compost. North Eastern Railways confirmed that Indian Potash Limited (IPL) had booked the wagon bearing number 107462. A public relation officer of the zone which owns the wagon said that goods were found to be safe and delivered. An enquiry into the delay has also been initiated. The official also tried to pin the blame for the delay on Gupta. He said, The consignee never tried to track the goods and hence it remained missing for so many months. Insisting that the wagon was lying unattended in Vishakhapatnam yard, the official said that possibly the wagon would have been detached from the goods train as it could have been declared unfit to travel. Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Enterprises live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Ajay Piramal-controlled conglomerate Piramal Enterprises Monday reported a net loss of Rs 70 crore for the quarter ended June, due to a one-time accounting charge related to the sale of imaging business. During the quarter, Piramal sold the Imaging business to Alliance Medical Group. Upon the sale of this business, there was a non-recurring and non-cash accounting charge of Rs. 452 crores towards Imaging Assets. The company reported a net profit of Rs 302 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous year. Excluding the exceptional item - the June quarter net profit grew 27 percent to Rs. 382 crore, on back of strong growth in its financial services and pharmaceutical businesses. Total income during the period rose 29 percent from a year ago to Rs 2,902 crore, Piramal Enterprises said in a filing to the BSE. Interest expenses rose 35 percent during the quarter as the company borrowed for making investments in financial services and funding acquisitions. We have commenced the new fiscal year with a strong financial performance on the back of robust growth across all our businesses, said, Ajay Piramal, Chairman of Piramal Enterprises, During the quarter, we sold our Imaging business, which we believe will lead to improved profitability of the Pharma segment in the coming quarters, Piramal added. The groups income from financial services rose 43.7 percent to Rs 1,559 crore in the quarter. During the period, loan book expanded 64 percent over last year to Rs 46,995 crore. Gross assets under management stood at Rs 7,620 crore as on June 30. Financial services account 53.7 percent of the groups revenues. The gross NPA ratio remained stable at 0.3 percent. The net interest margin stood at 7.1 percent. (All performance metrics excludes Shriram Capital) Post the completion of the merger of Piramal Finance and Piramal Capital with Piramal Housing Finance, we received a rating of AA+ Stable from CARE, a testimony to the strong performance of our loan book over several quarters, robust risk management metrics and our stringent in-house asset monitoring process, Piramal said. We remain committed toward delivering improved performances through focused business strategies and superior execution to create long-term value for all our stakeholders," he added. Revenue from pharma business rose by 17.6 percent to Rs 1,043 crore in the first quarter due to strong growth in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) development at Aurora, Canada, Riverview, US and Ennore, India, strong volume growth at Mahad, India for Vitamins and premixes and stable performance of inhalation anesthetic business and Indian rupee depreciation during the quarter. Revenue from global pharma that accounts for 94 percent of Piramals pharma revenues. The company successfully cleared 5 regulatory inspections (including 1 USFDA inspections) and 51 customer audits during the period. Shares of Piramal Enterprises dropped 0.31 percent and were trading at Rs 2652 at 2.22 pm on BSE, while the benchmark Sensex gained 0.40 percent to 37,487.27 points. South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges could soon end up becoming ineligible for significant tax benefits from the state. According to a report by CoinDesk, crypto exchanges in the country have enjoyed tax cuts of 50-100 percent due to a tax law that allowed these exchanges to be listed under the category of start-ups or small and medium enterprises (SMEs). On Monday, the South Korean government announced that crypto exchanges would now be excluded from this category. Under the new norm, they would only be able to enjoy cuts of 50-100 percent for the first five years, following which they can only apply for cuts of 5-30 percent. The government justified this move by saying that cryptocurrency brokerage is not effective in generating added value. A draft of the revised bill will be presented to the country's National Assembly by August 31, following which it will be open for parliamentary debate. A final decision will then be made on when and whether the legislation should take effect. Only recently, the South Korean government indicated that blockchain startups engaged in research and development could still be eligible for higher tax cuts. This move is part of the government's push for helping emerging technologies in the country. According to CoinDesk Korea, the government announced in May that it would establish a system of cryptocurrency taxation for investors. Saudi Arabia, the second largest producer of crude oil to world, faced an attack on its oil infrastructure facilities on September 14, which caused a sharp increase in fuel prices. Do you know where petrol prices were the highest? Here's a list of the countries where petrol is the cheapest and most expensive. (Note: All price comparisons are on rupee terms only. Global rates as of September, 16 2019 - Image: Reuters) The government plans to launch the auction of 60 oil and gas fields being offered in the second round of bidding for Discovered Small Field (DSF) on August 9, regulator DGH said. DSF-II was supposed to be launched around mid-June, but it was deferred. "Launch of Discovered Small Field (DSF) Bid Round-II on August 9, 2018, in New Delhi," the upstream regulator tweeted. The 60 discoveries have been clubbed into 26 contract areas spread over 3,100 sq km spread over eight sedimentary basins, it said. The fields are being offered in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kutch & Cambay shallow waters, Mumbai offshore, Assam and Tripura, Mahanadi shallow water, Andhra Pradesh onland and KG offshore. DGH said the main features of DSF-II include a single license for conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon, prior technical experience not a pre-qualification criterion, no upfront signature bonus and full pricing and marketing freedom. "Royalty rates further reduced as compared to DSF-I," it added without elaborating. The fields on offer hold an estimated 1.4 billion barrels of oil and oil equivalent gas. The government had in 2016 brought a new DSF policy, offering "idle" small discovered fields of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) in an auction on liberalised terms including marketing and pricing freedom and lower taxes. The Union Cabinet had in February approved the second round of DSF auctions, under which the government is offering a total of 60 discovered small fields with an estimated 194.65 million tonnes of oil equivalent (MMtoe). These discoveries have been clubbed into 26 contract areas spread over 8 sedimentary basins. Of the 60 fields which will be up for auctions, 22 fields belong to ONGC, five to OIL and 12 are relinquished discovered fields from the New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) blocks. In DSF-I launched in May 2016, 46 contract areas consisting of 67 discovered fields spread across nine sedimentary basins were auctioned. The auctions attracted 134 e-bids for 34 contact areas of the 46 offered. Later, 22 companies were shortlisted for 31 contract areas of which 15 companies were new entrants with no prior experience in the sector. As many as 21 fields which did not receive any investor interest in DSF-I will also be part of the second DSF round. Post the February decision of the Cabinet, an Empowered Committee of Secretaries (ECS) comprising of Secretary (Petroleum & Natural Gas), Secretary (Expenditure) and Law Secretary have finalised and approved Model Revenue Sharing Contract, Notice Inviting Offer (NIO) and other documents for DSF Round-II. To expedite award, the Cabinet had authorised Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Finance to approve of the winners based on the recommendations of the ECS. Representative image Indian refiners ordered about 12 percent less Iranian oil in June than in May, when the United States said it would reintroduce sanctions on Iran, but sales remained around 50 percent higher than a year ago. Refiners in India, Iran's top oil client after China, are weaning themselves away from Iranian oil after the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal. The first set of sanctions will take effect on August 6, and the rest, notably in the petroleum sector, following a 180-day "wind-down period" ending on November 4. Indian refiners bought around 6,64,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian oil in June, according to a statement presented by oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the lower house of parliament. Although that represented a fall from the previous month, purchases were still higher than a year ago. "Indian refineries imported 1.9 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in June 2017 and placed orders for 2.82 million tonnes in June 2018," Pradhan said in the statement. India's state-refiners, which account for about 60 percent of the nation's overall 5 million bpd capacity, curbed Iranian imports in 2017/18 due to a row over the development rights of a giant gas field. However, the state refiners raised imports in the current fiscal year starting in April after Iran offered free shipping and an extended credit period of 60 days. Iran became the second biggest oil supplier to Indian state refiners after Iraq in the April to June period but India has warned of a drastic cut in imports from the OPEC member. India loaded about 7,15,600 bpd oil from Tehran in the April-June 2018, a growth of about 45 percent from the previous quarter, the data presented in parliament showed. India's monthly oil imports from Iran declined by about 16 percent, according to tanker arrival data obtained from sources. Iran is now offering to insure oil cargoes to India after some insurers stopped providing the service in the face of the impending sanctions. Note: A conversion of 7.3 barrels oil in a tonne is used for calculation. REDDING, Calif. - Two men from Redding are behind bars after allegedly walking around areas under Carr Fire mandatory evacuations Sunday night, said the Redding Police Department. According to Redding police, officers found 44-year-old Brian Cordoza, of Redding, walking around the area of Benton Drive and Delta Street at about 9:41 p.m. Sunday. The area is under evacuation due to the Carr Fire. About an hour later police found 37-year-old Frank Webb, of Redding, around the evacuated area of Cedars Road. According to police, both men violated California Penal Code 409.5 which describes conditions under which law enforcement can arrest subjects who knowingly enter evacuated areas. Cordoza and Webb were booked into Shasta County Jail. Representative image A task force has been set up to identify various items and policy interventions for reducing the country's import dependence, the government said today. The terms of reference of the task force include identification of products for import substitution, assessment of domestic manufacturing capacity and identification of constraints in expanding production, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry C R Chaudhary said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. India's imports increased to USD 465.5 billion in 2017-18 from USD 384.3 billion in the previous fiscal. In a separate reply, the minister said that some countries including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have imposed ban on import of certain agricultural products. Saudi Arabia has imposed ban on imports chilled and frozen shrimps, and cultured fish since December 2016 and February this year respectively. Similarly, Kuwait has banned imports of frozen shrimp from India since January 2017. Thailand and Mexico have slapped ban on shrimps and chilli imports. Thailand has imposed temporary suspension in view of the reported occurrence of Infectious Myonecrosis Virus (IMNV) disease, Chaudhary said, adding that Mexico's ban on grounds of detection of larva of Trogodermagranarium (Khapra beetle) in Indian Chilli. It is not feasible to quantify the losses suffered by the farmers due to such bans as alternative avenues for disposal of the produce, both domestic and international, are always available, he said. "The government takes all possible steps to get the bans on import of Indian agricultural products lifted at the earliest. The matter is taken up with the relevant authorities in the respective countries through Indian Embassies. Corrective action, if required, is taken to eliminate the cause of ban," he added. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More What a week for Indian markets. Benchmark indices rose over 2 percent each for the week to hit fresh record highs. The August expiry which started with rollovers of 74 percent is a sign that more long positions got rolled over in the current series which is a healthy sign. More fresh highs are in the offing for benchmark indices before we take a breather from here on. For the coming week, earnings will be the focus point or one factor which could decide the trend for the markets. Around 450 companies are scheduled to report results this week for the quarter ended June in this week which include largecap names like HDFC Bank, Tata Motors, ONGC, Axis Bank, and Titan Company. The big event which will be watched by investors will be the MPC meet starting July 30. The decision of the MPC will be announced at 14:30 hours IST on August 1. Most economists expect the MPC to keep policy rates unchanged but the commentary would be a key thing to watch out for. Automobile companies will start declaring their July month sales data from August 1. So, automakers will be in focus such as Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, M&M etc. among others. On the macro front, India Core Infrastructure Output for June will be released on Tuesday. India Nikkei Manufacturing PMI for July will be announced on Wednesday and Nikkei Services PMI for July on Friday. Big News: The big news will come from earnings front because as many as 103 companies will declare their results later today which include names like Aban Offshore, Axis Bank, Central Bank of India, Avenue Supermarts, Escorts, Gujarat Gas, Idea Cellular, IDFC Ltd, Shree Cements, and Tech Mahindra among others. Axis Bank: PAT likely to fall by 39% YoY to Rs 791 crore Tech Mahindra: PAT likely to grow by 16% YoY to Rs 931 crore Avenue Supermarts: PAT likely to grow by 25% YoY to Rs 219 crore Idea Cellular: Telecom major likely to report a loss of Rs 1568 crore Escorts: PAT likely to grow by 78% YoY to Rs 111 crore Technical View: The Nifty formed a bullish candle on the daily charts Three levels: 11,200, 11,350, 11480-11500 Max Call OI: 11500, 11400 Max Put OI: 11000, 11200 Stocks in news: ICICI Bank reported a net loss of Rs 119.5 crore in the first quarter of FY19 compared to a profit of Rs 2,049 crore in the same quarter last year for the first time in 16 years The Oil & Gas major, RIL reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 9,485 crore for the quarter ended June 30 which was slightly lower than a CNBC-TV18 poll of Rs 9,570 crore, but revenue growth, EBITDA, and margins which were above Street estimates. Jio continue to power ahead. NTPC: State-run power generation company NTPC's first quarter net profit fell by 1.1 percent year-on-year to Rs 2,588.1 crore, dented by lower other income and higher finance cost. Technical Recommendations: We spoke to 5nance.com and heres what they have to recommend: Phillips Carbon Black Ltd: Buy| LTP: Rs 234.85| Target: Rs 260 | Stop-loss: Rs. 220 | Return: 11% Biocon Ltd: Buy | LTP: Rs 586| Target: Rs. 620 | Stop-loss: Rs. 553 | Return: 6% Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Ltd: Sell | LTP: Rs 1463| Target: Rs. 1,395 | Stop-loss: Rs. 1,542 | Downside: 5% The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Bank of Baroda soared almost 8 percent on Monday morning as investors cheered its strong results for the June quarter. The stock touched an intraday high of Rs 150.00 and an intraday low of Rs 144.75. The public sector bank reported a 160 percent jump in net profit to Rs 528.3 crore for the quarter ended June, beating analyst estimates. In the same quarter last year, profit was Rs 203.4 crore. The profit was driven by healthy net interest income (NII), stable loan growth and lower provisions. NII, the difference between interest earned and expended, rose 28.6 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 4,381 crore for the quarter from Rs Rs 3,405 crore in Q1 last year. The Reuters polls suggested an increase to Rs 4,201 crore. Provisions toward bad loans declined 8.5 percent to Rs 2,166 crore versus compared to Rs 6,672 in the March quarter and Rs 2,368 crore last year same quarter. Hit by treasury income during the period, non-interest income or other income decreased by 26 percent to Rs 1,147.8 crore from Rs 1,551 crore in the same quarter last year. A Reuters poll had projected the lender to report a net loss of Rs 102.6 crore while a Motilal Oswal report expected a 32 percent fall in net profit to Rs 138 crore. The poll expected a jump in loan loss provisions of 29 percent to Rs 3,061 crore from Rs 2,368 crore in June quarter a year ago. Gross non-performing assets (GNPA) for the quarter rose to Rs 55.875 crore. In terms of percentage of the total loans, it worsened to 12.46 percent from 12.26 percent in the March quarter and 11.40 percent in the June quarter last year. Net non-performing assets for the quarter was Rs 22,384 crore. This translates to 5.4 percent of the total loans compared to Rs 23,483 crore or 5.49 percent in the March quarter and 5.17 percent a year ago. Brokerage: Deutsche Bank | Rating: Buy | Target: Rs 180 The global research firm said that gross NPLs are down but slippages are elevated. Going ahead, it expects 7/12 percent RoE in FY19/20. Brokerage: Morgan Stanley | Rating: Equalweight | Target: Rs 165 The brokerage said that better margin & fees led the key surprise. Improvement In PPoP, IFRS Implementation Will Drive Double-digit RoE In FY20. The stock has risen 29 percent in the past one month, while in the past three days, it has risen 13 percent. At 09:55 hrs Bank Of Baroda was quoting at Rs 148.80, up Rs 10.75, or 7.79 percent, on the BSE. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Ajcon Global Services On the domestic front, focus will now shift to this week's Monetary Policy Committee meeting. Expectation is that the central bank could hold rates unchanged, but hawkish comments from the governor would be slightly supportive for the currency. Q1 FY19 results so far have been encouraging on a lower base due to Goods & Services Tax impact on earnings last year. In the coming week, around 450 companies will declare their corporate earnings. These include: Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), Tata Motors, Oil & Natural GAs Corporation (ONGC), Tech Mahindra, Shree Cement, Axis Bank, Vedanta, UPL, Power Grid Corporation of India and Titan Company. In the broader space, IDFC Bank, InterGlobe Aviation, Avenue Supermarts, Escorts, Idea Cellular, Central Bank of India, Godrej Consumer Products, IDFC, Dabur India, Bharat Electronics, Bank of India, Tata Global, Marico, Steel Authority of India and Wockhardt will announce earnings. Investors will also keep an eye on macroeconomic data like India core infrastructure output for June, which will be released on Tuesday. India Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasers Managers' Index for July will be announced on Wednesday and Nikkei Services PMI for July on Friday. Indias foreign exchange reserve for the week-ended July 27 and deposit and bank loan growth for the week-ended July 20 will also be released on Friday. Larsen and Toubro (L&T)| CMP: Rs 1,311 | Target: Rs 1,450 | Return: 10.6 percent L&T posted stellar set of numbers in Q1FY19. Consolidated PAT for Q1FY19 registered a strong growth of 36 percent on yoy basis to touch Rs. 1,215 crore. While revenue came in at Rs. 28,283 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, registering a growth of 18% on a y-o-y basis with pick up of execution momentum in project businesses, robust growth in services business and recognition of revenue on completed performances in Realty business under the newly introduced accounting standard for revenue recognition (IND AS 115). International revenue during the quarter at Rs 9,669 crore constituted 34% of the total revenue in line with previous year. In Q1FY19, its key infrastructure segment, accounting for 43 percent of revenue, delivered 9.7 percent year-on-year growth due to improvement in execution. Apart from the power segment which saw a degrowth of 39 percent, which accounts merely 3.8 percent of the business, other segments such as heavy engineering delivered 29 percent growth, followed by a 37.4 percent growth in defence and a robust 38.5 percent growth in the hydrocarbon segment. Hydrocarbon, which accounts for 12.4 percent of the total topline witnessed a strong revival owing to higher oil prices and growth in capex. Order flows of Rs 361.42 billion during the quarter, marking a growth of 37 percent, with pick-up in domestic ordering activity during Q1FY19 indicates better days for the firm ahead. The company has given 10-12 percent order inflow guidance for the current year, most of which is expected to come in the first half or by the third quarter of current fiscal. The company has bagged new orders worth Rs 36,142 crore at the group level during the quarter ended June 30, 2018, recording a growth of 37%, International orders at Rs 9,404 crore constituted 26% of the total order inflow. Infrastructure, Hydrocarbon and Heavy Engineering businesses largely contributed to the growth in order inflows during the quarter. Consolidated Order Book stood at Rs. 271,732 crore as at June 30, 2018 which provides strong visibility in terms of the revenue growth and profits over the next two years. International Order Book constituted 23% of the total Order Book. At CMP of Rs. 1,311 (Face value: Rs. 2), the stock trades at a P/E of 25x on FY18 EPS. Going forward, L&T management is expecting order inflows to remain strong in FY19 ahead of the general elections in 2019. And with the execution improving and other businesses such as technology and finance making higher contribution, it should deliver double-digit growth in sales and earnings. We expect a target of Rs 1,450 in 9-12 months (25x at estimated FY19 EPS). Asian Paints | CMP: Rs 1,434 | Target: Rs 1,600 | Return: 11.6 percent Decorative paints business in India registered double digit volume growth in Q1FY19, aided by the low base effect of Q1FY18. The Company witnessed 30.56 percent rise in consolidated profit at Rs 558.02 crore for the quarter ended June 2018. It has posted a net profit of Rs 427.41 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The company believes the GST rate reduction from 28% to 18% is a good move in the right direction and will help boost demand from small consumers. The company plans to pass on the benefit of rate reduction due to GST to consumers. However, the management is cautious about the fact that the input prices have been increasing continuously, and they expect costs to inflate by at least 10% in the next quarter. The management has said that the price hikes taken in March 2018 and May 2018 (cumulatively 3.3%), only partially pass on the impact of the rise in RM costs. It expected to take further price increases to mitigate the impact. However, it has deferred the decision in lieu of the GST rate reduction. In the Industrial business, good demand conditions in the General Industrial and Auto Refinish segment helped performance of the Automotive coatings JV (PPG-AP). While the Industrial Coatings JV (AP-PPG) saw good growth across both protective coatings as well as powder coatings segment. Overall, International operations faced challenging conditions with issues like forex unavailability, difficult weather conditions impacting business performance. The company expects the recent reduction in GST rate on paints from 28% to 18% to reduce price differential between organized and unorganized players and drive market share gains. The company is taking steps to pass on the benefit of the 10ppt GST rate reduction to consumers. This would entail re-stickering of all company owned inventory to reflect the GST rate adjusted price. While the reduction in GST rate should automatically drive 10% reduction in MRP, actual benefit passed on to the consumer may depend on the competitive intensity within the dealer network as most paint products are sold below MRP. The company remains hopeful of recovery in demand going forward on the back of upcoming festive season as well as demand recovery in key South India market. The company plans a capex of Rs. 1,000 crore in standalone books in FY19, of which Rs. 800 crore would be incurred for its under-construction greenfield facilities in Mysuru and Vishakhapatnam. Consolidated capex is likely at Rs. 1,200 crore. At CMP of Rs. 1,434 (Face value: Re. 1), the stock trades at a P/E of 67x on FY18 EPS which is at premium to its peers in the sector. Overall the rally in FMCG stocks is owing to a rush by investors to grab a piece of India's consumer demand story which has rerated the valuation of FMCG companies to the highest in nearly three decades. The sector's rich valuation is owing to a combination of strong fund inflows on and a relative lack of opportunity for investors. The stock of Asian Paints has rallied in recent times owing to strong result in Q1FY19, we still believe there is upside as it is one of the strong play on Indias consumption theme with quality management pedigree. We believe the stock will always trade at a premium as it is a market leader with a gigantic scale achieved over the years. We expect a target of Rs. 1600 by FY19 end. : The author is Vice President - Equity Research at Ajcon Global Services. The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Narnolia Financial Advisors Indices are soaring higher into uncharted territory without any interruption. Momentum is seen in state-run banks, whereas Nifty Metal and Midcap indices bounced back from their lows. The suggested Double Top Buy pattern on the Point & Figure chart has got achieved. The Nifty's 5-day simple moving average (DMA) stands around 11,159, which indicates that the bull run is intact unless the index trades below it. The benchmark index has a higher gap unfilled around 11,185 levels. So, the possibility of prices retracing to fill the gap cannot be ruled out. The Nifty has also given a classical flag pattern breakout. The target as per the pattern is 11,400, which is supportive for the bulls. It previous high of around 11,171 levels can act as support too. Looking at the options data, the highest put open interest is seen around 11,000 strike, followed by 11,200 strike. Maximum call OI is seen around 11,500 levels, followed by 11,400. The data signifies an immediate trading range between 11500 and 11,100 levels. We expect sideways to bullish movement in coming sessions, within a range of 11,450 on the higher side and 11,100 on the lower side. Stock specific action can also be seen. If the Nifty closes below 11,120 levels, it can correct to 10,930/10,880 levels. The Bank Nifty is trading higher after a breakout from the tight range of 27,200 and 26,650. We expect sideways to bullish movement in a 27,700-27,300 range. The psychological mark of 28,000 can act as a resistance, while support lies around 27,350 levels. Here is the list of five stocks that could return up to 20 percent in the short term: Hindustan Zinc | Buy Range: Rs 267-270 | Target: Rs 320| Stop Loss: Rs 255 | Upside: 20% After giving a decent fall, scrip seems to be bottoming out near its channel support line. Consistent formation of Bull candle near its support line giving a hope to Bulls for making long position in the scrip. Formation of inverted H&S where right shoulder is in progress which is price reversal pattern indicates up move in coming sessions. The weekly chart is showing parity with its historical levels. Oversold stochastic is also lending support its price action. One can go long around Rs 267-270 levels with the stop loss (SL) of Rs 255 for the target of Rs 320. Federal Bank | Buy Range: Rs 87-89 | Target: Rs 105 | Stop Loss: Rs 77 | Upside: 20% Daily chart of stock reveals that demand is increasing and supply is diminishing. Rising trend line from lower levels is displaying trend reversal and creates a buying opportunity at the current juncture. Breakout of Inverted H&S on chart augur well for the Bulls and indicate surge on the upside. Apart from this, the sustainability of MACD Histogram along with positive territory signals optimism, suggest upside move in the counter in the coming sessions. We suggest buying Federal bank around Rs 87-89 with SL of Rs 77 target Rs 105. Tata Motors | Buy Range: Rs 267 | Target: Rs 320 | Stop Loss: Rs 248 | Upside: 20% Strong support around Rs 260 levels suggests buying opportunity. Moreover, Bullish engulfing formation on weekly chart where current candle completely engulfs the previous candle is Bullish reversal pattern in nature and signals bullish tone in coming sessions. While looking in a shorter time frame of the chart, it has formed Cup and Handle pattern which is also showing strength in the counter. Indicator and oscillator are lending support to price action. One can take a long position at current level with the SL of Rs 248 for the target Rs 310 and Rs 330. Karnataka Bank | Buy Range: Rs 113-115 | Target: Rs 133 | Stop Loss: Rs 103 | Upside: 18% On a daily chart, the stock has formed Double bottom which is a bullish reversal formation indicates positive rhythm. Moreover, the stock has formed a Bullish Engulfing pattern which is also a Bullish reversal candlesticks pattern. Trendline breakout is expected above 120 from where the momentum of upside can be seen in the counter. Furthermore, Momentum indicator RSI reading comes at 40 with a positive crossover which is a signal of optimism. Based on the mentioned technical structure, we are expecting upside movement in the counter in coming sessions. We advise buying KTK bank around Rs 113-115 with SL of Rs 103 for the target of Rs 133. DLF | Buy Range: Rs 183-185 | Target: Rs 215 | Stop Loss: Rs 168 | Upside: 17% Price of DLF has seen a sharp rebound after hitting a low of Rs 168 where its key support is seen. The emergence of Tweezers bottom on the weekly chart is giving the possibility of a pullback on the higher side in coming sessions. Moreover, Prices are forming Falling wedge pattern on the longer time frame of chart and resolute trend line breakout is expected to come above 192 from where it will increase its velocity. RSI also gave trend line breakout after bottoming out near oversold zone and weekly MACD in uptrend along with declining histogram in negative territory thus supports bullish bias in the stock. We recommend buying DLF around Rs 184-185 with the stop loss of Rs 168 for the target of Rs 215. Disclaimer: The author is Head - Technical & Derivative Research at Narnolia Financial Advisors. The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. At present, the benchmark indices (Sensex and Nifty) are at their peak because of a handful of stocks such as TCS, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finance, etc. Investors are concerned if it is a good time to invest lump sum amount in equities given the high valuations, current economic scenario and upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2019. Financial experts are recommending that investors out in money directly in equity markets with systematic equity plan (SEP), which is similar to mutual fund SIP. Jimeet Modi, CEO and Founder at Samco Securities & StockNote said, An SEP strategy would work if an investor has conviction that the stock is of great quality as the SEP doesnt see if the market is over or under-valued and averages out the costs eventually. In Systematic Equity Plan (SEP), an investor prefers investing directly into the market a fixed amount, or quantity of specific stocks, that are identified for long-term investment. For instance, if an investor, say Sameer, can buy Tata Steel 20 shares every month on 15th of the month and instruct his/her broker to continue investment for next 3 years through SEP. Anugrah Shrivastava, Co-founder, smallcase Technologies said: This period of regular investments could be monthly, quarterly or even yearly, depending on the investors preferences and goals. The amount of investment made in every SEP installment could differ a little bit, depending upon the movements in the price of the stocks. Mustafa Nadeem, CEO, Epic Research said: SEP strategy saves investors from a lot of adversities like market volatility, event-based volatility and broad-based corrections, to an extent. Several brokers are now offering this strategy to invest in stocks. Investors need to select SEP activation option specifying time interval while opening a trading account. Why SEP works in current market? Tejas Khoday, CEO and Co-Founder, FYERS (Free Investment Zone) said: Considering that midcaps, smallcaps, and certain sectors have been decimated in 2018, it is a good place to start investing in direct equities through SEPs. As an investment strategy, SEP makes sense when there are uncertainties and fear in the market and there's scope of a bargain. Khoday explained, It makes sense in stocks which are consolidating in a healthy correction or were stuck in a trading range. This can be a good time to accumulate shares with SEP. A good example is Reliance Industries. It was stuck in a price range of Rs 870 to Rs 1,000 per share for eight months. Now, its trading around Rs 1,115 and several investors earned by accumulating with SEP strategy. It's not easy to perfectly time such stocks and hence, SEP becomes a weapon of choice. Shrivastava explained: The first step in starting an SEP would be to identify the right stocks to invest in. An investor should carry out adequate research before choosing stocks to invest in. An investor shouldnt rely on tips while selecting stocks. If the investor doesnt have the time, knowledge or expertise to build a portfolio of stocks, then he can choose a portfolio designed by team of analysts with a broker. Before investing in direct stocks through SEP, remember that one has to have thorough understanding of business of company whose stock one is choosing. Pritam Deuskar, Fund Manager, Bonanza Portfolio said: You should be able to read companys balance sheet, cash flows, ratios, fundamentals, micro and macros of the economy and have clear view about company. Deepak Jasani, Head - retail research, HDFC securities added, While building a portfolio for investing through SEP, investors should prefer concentrated positions (in say 3-5 stocks) rather than investing in a basket of 25-40 stocks (like in a focused mutual fund equity scheme). Nadeem said, While investing in direct stocks through SEP, identify momentum or sectors that are going to be future leaders and identify the stocks that have solid fundamentals to drive the growth in those sectors. Well-diversified portfolio will add a lot of value creation hence, it should not be stock or sector-centric. Jasani cautioned, Investors need to review the financials of companies in which they start an SEP and continue to devote as much time as necessary for study. Its important to have regular review so that investors can change the composition of stocks in portfolio (or exit particular stocks) when required. Investors who are undisciplined should invest through SEP as it is very systematic and the amount is fixed in advance. Modi suggested, Investors who are risk-averse and afraid to invest due to market volatility can use this strategy as the costs get eventually average out if invested for a long period of time when the entire cycle of the stock is complete. Deuskar said, As the amount invested is the same at all intervals (rounded to nearest share value amount), you get more stocks when the prices are low and less stocks when the prices are high. This way the pricing of the stocks get averaged. One can build a portfolio of substantial number of shares of good stocks over a period of time. An SEP allows the investor to hold the stocks in his demat account, which gives him the benefit of additional dividend income, Shrivastava said. SEP strategy is not useful in stocks which are already very bullish because investors will be paying a higher price each time to buy the same stock, Khoday said. At several instances, investor himself chooses the stock to invest through SEP strategy. Modi warned, This strategy can turn out to be a faulty investment for such investors if adequate research is not carried out before investing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi The Opposition called the Narendra Modi-government a "soot-boot ki sarkar" (government of the corporates), and accused it of befriending and prioritising industrialists over the common man. In his response to the jibe, Prime Minister Modi said, "I am not afraid of being seen next to an industrialist, they play as crucial a role in nation development as a labourer, a farmer or an artisan. We cannot insult them and call them chor-lootere (robbers)." Modi was speaking at an event attended by corporate giants like Kumar Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla group, Gautam Adani of Adani Group, Subhash Chandra of Essel Group and Sanjeev Puri, MD of ITC. Retaliation to Oppositions comment The PM's statement on July 29 seems to have come as a response to continuous attacks by the Opposition. In numerous speeches and rallies Gandhi claimed that Modi is a friend of corporate entities and is ready to let their mistakes slide by. He has alleged that PM Modi is on the same team as that of economic offenders Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi among others. This, he claimed was against the NDA government's claim of working as a pro-poor government. The Congress has often called the Modi government a "crony capitalist", accusing it of initiating developmental works citing "national interests", while ending up helping private entities. The Congress party recently called the controversial Rafale deal to be the "biggest example of crony capitalism". Even in Gujarat, opposition parties have accused the BJP of favouring private players over the people and the goodwill of the state. Following all the remarks, Modi finally defended his stand with industry leaders and said that they work hard for the country and it would be insulting if insinuated otherwise. Modi stressed that private players open up job opportunities for the masses and overall development of states. Shekhar Gupta, Editor of The Print, said that the PM's statement sends a strong political message that being pro-business is not always wrong for the government. It is a joke that the UPA is trying to call the BJP a crony capitalist. They fared no better during their regime. Modi cannot deny being close to capitalists during his reign as Gujarat CM, so now he is trying to normalise it by saying that it is not a big deal to work with businessmen, he said. Is Modi India Incs friend or foe? There is another possible reason for the PM's statement. While Indias formal sector has seemingly been compatible with the Modi-led NDA government, there have been underlying negative sentiments. The Modi governments crackdown on black money led to moves like demonetisation, forcing companies to reset their business models. The banking sector took a hit as bad loans rose for three years straight and a Rs 13,500 crore scam was detected at state-run Punjab National Bank. Further, Reserve Bank of India made NPA divergence by banks public, which took a toll on the sector. When GST, the centralised tax regime, was launched last year, it impacted almost all sectors as businesses again had to remodel their entire tax structure. Moreover, many companies frowned upon the freedom given to investigation agencies to probe big-ticket corruption cases. Other decisions such as making India a rules-based economy, like the proposed debt tribunal and forming a real estate regulator have not gone down well with Indian industries. With the latest statement on major corporates, many believe that Modi could be trying to repair his relations with industry giants and showcase himself as an accessible prime minister. AK Bhattacharya, editorial director at Business Standard, said that his message has nothing to do with politics. As a chief minister, Modi had interacted with many industrialists and the transition from that to the highest office in the country, may have posed him as inapproachable. This statement sets the record straight. Some would sure argue that in a country like India, a government would do well if it is pro-poor and pro-business, striking a right balance between the two would definitely lay the foundation for the NDA ahead of the 2019 general election. Angel Commodities' report on Cotton MCX Jul Cotton closed higher last week due to improved prices in the International prices. However, reports of lower exports and pickup in so wing progress in the Country is pressurizing prices. As per Commerce ministry data, cotton exports in May surged by 27.6% to 5.7 lakh bales as compared to last year. Cotton acreage till last week was down by 8% on year to 10 2.51 lakh hac compared to 111.4 lakh ha las year, according to the farm ministry data. FAS India forecasts marketing year 2018/19 cotton production at 28.7 million 480 lb. bales on 11.85 million hectares but cut its estimate for India's cotton closing stocks i n 2018 - 19 (Aug - Jul) to 14.07 mln bales (1 US bale = 218 kg) from 14.33 mln bales pegged earlier. Market participants are expecting higher imports in coming months as govt increase MSP for cotton by 26 - 28%. Outlook Cotton futures are expected to trade sideways to positive on improved demand, lower acreage and increase in MSP by government. However, weak international prices and expectation of higher acreage of cotton due to good prices may keep prices sideways. For all commodities report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More Tata H5X | The Indian auto manufacturer showcased the H5X SUV concept at the Motor Show. Tata had earlier unveiled the car at the Auto Expo 2018. It will be the first Tata product to carry the new Impact Design 2.0 design language. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Tata Motors is expected to post a 93 percent year-on-year decline in its consolidated net profit for the June quarter because of weak growth in subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover's sales and declining margins. According to a Reuters poll of 14 analysts, the Mumbai-headquartered maker of hatchback, trucks and luxury cars, could report a consolidated net profit of Rs 224 crore for the quarter under review, as against Rs 3,199.93 crore reported in the same quarter last year. Tata Motors, which is India's largest automotive company, gets 90 percent of its net profit from the two iconic British brands. Jaguar Land Rover's retail (dealer-to-customer) sales grew 5.9 percent on year during the June quarter to 145,510 units. The company is set to announce its results on Tuesday. "Expect consolidated EBITDA to be flattish year on year, as sharp turnaround in standalone is offset by margin contraction and higher depreciation in JLR," IIFL Institutional Equities said in a pre-earnings report. The British subsidiary's wholesale (company-to-dealers) sales, however, witnessed a fall of 5 percent to 131,560 units, as against 138,476 units sold in the last year same quarter. Retail sales of Land Rover grew to 101,386 units, while that of Jaguar grew to 44,124 units. Sales of the two brands across Europe declined 7 percent, while sales growth in China, their biggest market, slowed down to just 2.5 percent. Tata Motors' consolidated revenue is expected to come in at Rs 70,320 crore for the reporting quarter, 18 percent higher than the Rs 59,818 crore reported for the corresponding quarter a year ago. On the standalone level, the company is expected report a robust performance, which has been the case for the past few quarters. Its net profit is seen coming in at Rs 371.8 crore for the quarter under review, as against a Rs 467 crore loss reported for the same quarter last year. "We expect standalone revenues to increase by 91 percent YoY due to 61 percent YoY volume growth and higher ASPs led by a richer product mix (higher MHCV mix plus increased volumes of higher-priced launches in the PV segment)," Kotak Institutional Equities said in a report. "We build in standalone EBITDA margin of 7 percent in 1QFY19 (6.1 percent in 4QFY18) compared to EBITDA loss in 1QFY18; we assume flattish gross margin on QoQ basis but build in some benefit from the company's cost reduction efforts," the brokerage said. The company's total (domestic and exports) sales of passenger and commercial vehicles rose 61 percent year on year to 176,123 units during the quarter. Tata Motors, which is the third-largest manufacturer of passenger vehicles in India after Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai, saw its passenger vehicles sales increase to 59,138 units, 48 percent more than it sold in the same quarter last year. The company is also the largest domestic manufacturer of commercial vehicles (CV), sales of which rose 68 percent year on year to 117,123 units. Besides an extensive sales network push, which increased volumes, the company benefited from a revival in demand from rural areas, which had been subdued last year. The big infrastructure push by the government and implementation of GST has led to a sustained increase in demand for CVs. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More TVS Logistics is in talks with its rival Gati to buy a controlling stake for about Rs 1,500 crore in a bid to expand its business, according to a report by The Economic Times. One of the TVS' investors, Canadas CDPQ, is negotiating to buy the entire promoter holding of around 23 percent as well as buying out some of the existing public investors such as Goldman Sachs, sources aware of the development told the paper. The talks have advanced quite a bit. We intend to sign an agreement to this effect within a few weeks, one of the sources told the paper. The transaction may be followed by an open offer to minority shareholders of the Hyderabad-based firm. A Japanese freight-forwarding company, Kintetsu World Express, also holds a 4 percent stake in Gati. The firm's plan on stake-sale, however, could not be independently confirmed. The negotiations with TVS comes nearly a year after Gati settled its legal tussle with Goldman Sachs on issues connected with an FCCB repayment. In December 2011, Gati had re-issued FCCBs to Goldman Sachs for $22 million to redeem the outstanding FCCBs that were originally issued in 2006. In December 2016, during the time of maturity, Gati and Goldman Sachs had a legal tussle on repayment, which the company settled by issuing equity shares to Goldman. Gati, founded in 1989 by Mahendra Agarwal, started its journey by providing same-day courier and distribution services and courier management solutions between Chennai and Madurai and later expanded to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Hosur. REDDING, Calif. - Following the press conference at 2 p.m. on July 29, Cal Fire Fire Fighter Chris Harvey discussed some of the latest developments of the Carr Fire in an interview at Shasta College. According to Harvey, some of the biggest challenges that the firefighters are facing are weather, high temperatures and the topography of the area. A red flag warning has been issued for July 29 in terms of temperatures, and the fire fighters expect to be facing more of these conditions in the coming days. See more details in the video interview. A think tank on framework for a national policy on e-commerce has recommended a separate wing in the Enforcement Directorate - a specialised financial investigation agency under Finance Ministry - to look at the existing violations in the e-commerce sector. The meeting also discussed incentivising companies for domestic data storage. The draft for consultation also suggested that there should be 49 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in B2C e-commerce. Moneycontrol had earlier reported that the government is keen on 49 percent FDI in the sector. Currently, there is no focused approach to look into the violations in FDI (foreign direct investment) related rules, especially pertaining to Press Note 3, a senior government official said today, adding that the draft policy on e-commerce will address this issue. A panel headed by Commerce Secretary designate Anup Wadhawan on Monday met stakeholders comprising top e-commerce companies to deliberate and discuss their recommendations on the policy on e-commerce. The first draft of the policy will be made available for public consultation soon. At present, online retail firms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Shopclues and Snapdeal follow a marketplace model, wherein they merely help sellers and buyers connect with each other by providing a technology platform. As per the Press Note 3, 100 percent foreign direct investment is allowed in business to business (B2B) e-commerce, but not in business to consumer (B2C) commerce. Under the rules, large online retail firms were classified as B2B because they were earning commission from the vendors who sold goods and services on their platforms. However, for a long time, the online retail firms were skirting rules by setting up subsidiaries which would warehouse the goods. The company on the other hand masqueraded as a third party merchants. Even though the current rules bar the merchants, they still are still bypassing the law by procuring products from a preferred set of vendors and subsidizing these vendors who in turn spend million of dollars on advertisements. The think tanks proposal may bring some correction in these practices. The 19-page draft which was made available for the consultation on Monday also suggests the need for a commonly accepted definition of digital economy or e-commerce. There is inadequate data on the trade of digital products. Both these shortcomings hider effective policy making in the country, the draft said. Moneycontrol has seen a copy of the draft. On domestic data storage, the draft says that the government would be taking steps to develop capacity for and incentivise domestic data storage in India through creation of facilitative data infrastructure. The current proposal is to ensure that data centres would be accorded infrastructure states and there would be provision of direct, indirect tax benefits and customs duties rebate. The draft has also differentiated between what sort of data can or cannot be stored outside the country. Any data generated by users in India from various sources including e-commerce platforms, social media, search engines, etc, will have to be stored exclusively in India. The need for a framework development for sharing the data within the country has also been stressed upon. There's also a proposal that the marketplaces will share all the terms and conditions on which they sign up deals with their vendors. In its first meeting in April, Commerce Secretary Rita Teotia had said that the final policy framework will be out by October. However, while speaking to the reporters today, Wadhawan did not mention any timeline for the same. When asked if it would be finalised before the 2019 elections, he said that the government was working with the "tightest timeline". Of all people, one would expect a banker to be aware of con artists who trick people into sending money. However, a retired banker living in Gurugram was allegedly duped of Rs 35 lakh after falling in love with a girl over the internet. The 65-year-old ex-banker gave away Rs 13 lakh of his hard-earned savings and took a loan of Rs 22 lakh to help out a woman who claimed to be detained by immigration officials at the Mumbai airport, reported The Times of India. The man received a friend request from a woman named Jenny Anderson on May 19. He accepted it. Very soon, the pair exchanged mobile numbers and started talking via WhatsApp. According to the man, Jenny claimed she was single and lived with her mother in London, where she also owned a jewellery shop. On May 26, the woman invited the banker to her shops 11th anniversary but the man expressed his inability as he was alone. On May 29, Jenny informed the man that she was coming to India to procure gold as well as to meet him. Jenny said she would board the flight on June 1. She further said she would land in Mumbai and then take a connecting flight to Delhi, where she was supposed to stay for a week before leaving for Dubai, he told police. On June 1, the man received a call from one Pooja who claimed to be an immigration department official. She informed the banker than Jenny was carrying Rs 68 lakh worth of British Pounds without any valid document. For the next few days, he received multiple calls from people who claimed to be government officials. He also talked to Jenny who asked him to deposit the fine promising to repay later. She also suggested taking loans to do so. The man complied, making over 20 transactions to pay Rs 35 lakh. However, Jenny never came to visit him. A case in the matter has been registered with DLF 1 police station and an investigation is going on. The New York Times, in a recent feature, drew an uncanny parallel between Baba Ramdev and US President Donald Trump, further suggesting that the yoga guru could be next in line to become India's Prime Minister. Juxtaposing Ramdev with Trump, the article read, Like Trump, he heads a multibillion-dollar empire. And like Trump, he is a bombastic TV personality whose relationship with truth is elastic; he cannot resist a branding opportunity his name and face are everywhere in India. The feature emphasised on Ramdev's role during 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, claiming that his "tacit endorsement" helped Prime Minister Narendra Modi come to power. Touting him "a prominent voice on the Hindu right", the daily proclaimed him to be "more powerful than any prime minister". "He may be a wholly new breed: a populist tycoon, protected from critics (and even, to some extent, from the law) by a vast following and a claim to holy purpose, the article read. It also took into account Ramdev's achievements as a businessman in contrast to other "godmen" who syphon donations from wealthy followers. Ramdev is also the first godman to earn his millions as a businessman instead of just syphoning donations from wealthy followers. Patanjali has vaulted in just over a decade from a tiny operation into an economic powerhouse, with $1.6 billion in sales in the current fiscal year. Turn on a TV or glance at a billboard almost anywhere in India, and you are likely to see Ramdev advertising one of its products," it read. US_China_Trade_Trade war_Tariff The BRI "is a made in China, made for China" initiative, a senior Trump administration official has said as he asked Beijing to uphold internationally accepted best practices and adopt an open and inclusive approach to its overseas infrastructure projects. The Belt and Road Initiative is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea route. Welcoming contributions by China to regional development, Brian Hook, senior policy advisor to the Secretary of State and Director of Policy Planning, said the US just wants Beijing to adhere to high standards and to uphold areas such as transparency and rule of law and sustainable financing. His comments came ahead of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to make major policy initiative announcement for the Indo-Pacific region during the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum hosted by US Chambers of Commerce. "I would not say that this (new economic engagement) is a strategy to counter the one belt, one road," Hook said. "The belt and road is for the moment China's way of doing things. It is a made in China, made for China initiative," he said. Asserting that the US and its economic engagement benefits the Indo-Pacific region, Hook said that the Trump administration believes that America's model of economic engagement is the "healthiest" for the nations in the region. So the US encourages China to adhere to best practices and infrastructure development financing, he said. "And this only occurs when, infrastructure in other areas are physically secure, financially viable and socially responsible. "We encourage China to promote an uphold internationally accepted best practices and infrastructure development and financing and to adopt an open and inclusive approach to its belt and road initiative, especially these overseas infrastructure projects," Hook said. The US, he said, has a vision of a free and open Indo Pacific, which does not exclude any nation. The initiatives to be announced at the Forum by the Trump administration is meant to advance America's cooperation with its partners and to encourage new forms of collaboration between the United States and Indo-Pacific nation. Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the Centre has invited tenders to restart the sea route from Mumbai to the port city of Jeddah for Haj pilgrimage. The route, which was discontinued after the last ship was scrapped in 1995, would re-start in 2019 to make travel to Saudi Arabia economical, the minister said, Hindustan Times reported. He made the statement while flagging off the first batch of Haj pilgrims from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai on July 29. The minister revealed that India recently held talks with Saudi government to revive the sea route and received a go-ahead to restart the route. This is the first year the Haj pilgrimage is taking place without any subsidy, following the Centres order to abolish the aid in accordance with a Supreme Court order. As the subsidy has ended, [the government wants] to reduce cost, which is why this alternative (sea route) has been thought of, said Maqsood Khan, chief executive officer, Haj Committee of India (HCOI). Once the sea route starts, as many as 5,000 pilgrims will be able to travel on a single cruise liner. Earlier, it would take around seven to eight days to reach Jeddah from Mumbai, but with modern technology, the travel time can be reduced to just three days, Khan explained. However, he did not reveal the approximate cost of travel by ship. A record 1,75,025 Muslims from India will be making the Haj pilgrimage this year. For the first time, 1,308 Muslim women are travelling for the pilgrimage without "mehram" (male companion), Naqvi said. Skytrax released its list of worlds 100 best airports. Singapore Changi Airport continues to lead for the eighth consecutive year. Four Indian Airports managed to take their place in the list. Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport ranked 50th, while Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Bengalurus Kempegowda Airport and Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport ranked 52, 68 and 72 respectively. Here are the worlds top 10 airports of 2020 on the basis of airport customers review. (Image: PTI) The allocation of slots for non-schedule flights at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi will be conducted online from Tuesday to streamline the process, officials of the airport operator said. The Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) said the move will enhance transparency and increase efficiency in operation. "BAOA welcomes this move as real-time and online allotment of slots would bring greater transparency and efficiency in operations," it said in a statement. The IGI Airport is a key hub for the fast-expanding general aviation industry (non-schedule movements by private jets, business aircraft and helicopters) and as per an industry estimate, in 2016-17, the airport handled close to 15,000 non-scheduled flight movements. IGI airport handles 1,300 flight movements per day and 50 of them are general aviation flights, which is three to four per cent of the total operations, according to airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). The decision to shift to an online allocation of slots was finalised at a meeting between DIAL and general aviation operators in June. The operators assured to maintain the slot adherence level at 95 per cent. BAOA said it has been working collaboratively with DIAL to address operational issues in regard to slot discipline and optimisation of existing capacity. The association had earlier made a representation to the government, suggesting the use of alternative airports in metros for the operation of business jets. Industry insiders said with some little effort, older airports in Bengaluru and Hyderabad could be made operational for the business jets. In Delhi, the association is pinning hope on the infrastructure augmentation at the IGI airport which could give enough space for the general aviation aircraft movement to grow. An Indian abducted in Malaysia has been rescued by the police there and three Pakistani nationals have been arrested in connection with the case, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said. The Indian national, identified as Sanjeev from Madhya Pradesh, was rescued by the Royal Malaysian Police yesterday. "Abducted Sanjeev has been rescued. The Royal Malaysian Police has arrested three Pakistani abductors in the case. Indian ambassador Mridul (Kumar) and his team deserve praise," the minister tweeted. The Indian High Commission in Malaysia, in a tweet, said, "Abducted boy Sanjeev got released from the abductors by the Royal Malaysian Police from Johor state on 28 July. Indian High Commission was in constant touch with police during the operation. Heartiest congratulations to the police authorities for speedy action". Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also expressed his happiness over the rescue of Sanjeev and thanked the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian High Commission in Malaysia and the Royal Malaysian Police for their speedy action. "Under the leadership of @SushmaSwaraj, safety & security of Indians living abroad is the topmost priority of our govt," he said on Twitter. Stepping up efforts to forge a non-BJP front, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is likely to meet Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to invite her for a planned 'federal-front' rally in Kolkata on January 19. She is likely to meet Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other opposition leaders during her three-day visit to the national capital, according to TMC sources, Banerjee, who was earlier seen as wary of involving the Congress in any federal coalition to take on the BJP, has in recent weeks appeared to be more open to joining hands with the national party to consolidate the opposition forces. Though the meeting with Gandhi has not been scheduled, but Banerjee would try to meet her and all other prominent leaders from opposition parties during her visit. "There could be certain circumstantial meetings with leaders of opposition parties when Mamata Banerjee would visit Parliament on August 1. She may meet Sonia Gandhi, and also RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as he will be in Delhi during Banerjee's visit," said a senior TMC leader. The West Bengal chief minister, who would be visiting the Central Hall of Parliament, is expected to personally invite opposition party leaders for her rally of "federal forces" in Kolkata on January 19. The rally will help catapult Banerjee to the centrestage of national politics and also show her capacity to unite all opposition parties to take on the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections, according to another TMC leader. TMC leader Derek O'Brien said that apart from opposition leaders, Banerjee will also meet Ram Jethmalani, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha during her visit. Arun Shourie, a bitter critic of the Modi government, would meet Banerjee later in Kolkata as he would not be present in Delhi during TMC chief's visit, O'Brien said. Banerjee had recently met National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on the issue of cobbling an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP. Abdullah has maintained that the Congress has to be the "backbone" of the opposition unity with its chief Rahul Gandhi at the forefront of the campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Banerjee, who will be delivering a lecture at the conclave organised by Catholic Bishops Conference of India on July 31, is expected to attack the BJP on incidents of violence against members of minority communities. The West Bengal chief minister, who has strongly criticised National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft for Assam, has also sought an appointment with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue. Representative image On the background of the recent Maratha quota stir in Maharashtra, a number of other groups representing different communities from across the state have threatened to hit the streets demanding reservations, according to a report by Indian Express. On July 27, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Vikas Mahatme raised the issue of reservations for Dhangars, the shepherd community with a population of one crore, concentrated primarily in Western Maharashtra. Mahatme demanded that the community be granted a Scheduled Tribes (ST) status, enabling people from the community to avail reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. Currently, the community is classified as a Nomadic Tribe (NT). Mahatme was quoted in the report saying that the community could not be classified under the ST category because of a topographical error. "Due to a topographical error, Dhangar became Dhangad in the Centres list," he said, adding that a weighted index system should be used to ensure that only those who deserve quota are provided with it. "This is necessary otherwise the Dhangar community may hit the roads and start aggressive protests as being done by the Marathas," he told PTI. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the government is waiting for a report on Dhangars from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai to take a decision. Meanwhile, bodies representing the interests of the Other Backward Castes have decided to file a PIL to seek higher quota for OBC population. "If Marathas are given economically and socially backward caste status, it would open a Pandoras box. There would be 1,009 communities within Maharashtra which would challenge the decision of the state government in court," an OBC leader said as per the report. The Halba-Koshti agitation in Vidarbha, led by Nanda Parate of the Rashtriya Aadmin Kruti Samiti, is hoping to restore ST status to the Halba community. "Our ST status accorded by the Constitution has been challenged. We are not getting any relief from the BJP regime. Those Halba-Koshti people in jobs who availed the ST benefits are getting termination notices," Parate said, adding that the organisation has registered 700 cases of individuals who have lost jobs or have had their pensions stopped. Parate added that the BJP's recent defeat in the Gondia-Bhandara Lok Sabha bypoll is due to the anger of the community. "If it remains unresolved, the community will go against the BJP government in the state," she said. However, a senior official from the Law and Judiciary Department, quoted in the report, said that the state government does not have jurisdiction in these demands. "In each of these cases, the matter will have to be addressed through Constitutional provisions or fought in the Supreme Court," he said. Ever since Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman Ram Sewak Sharma tweeted his Aadhaar number on Friday, he has courted his fair share of controversy on Twitter. While Sharma fielded most of the tweet responses directed at him, continuing to ask people to cause him "real harm," on Monday, his daughter Kavita Sharma was sent an email that was marked to a few journalists as well. The email said that his bank information and all email accounts were compromised. The sender asked Kavita to pay a ransom, failing which all "sensitive files" would be released to the media if her father does not delete his accounts "immediately". Also Read: RS Sharma vs privacy champions: Both parties claim victory after TRAI chief's Aadhaar dare Sharma maintained throughout the weekend that no real harm was done to him. Apart from the fact that sharing the Aadhaar number, even your own, is not allowed under the Aadhaar Act, Sharma's tweet was seen as problematic on several levels. "It is not in keeping with the dignity of his office," said a corporate lawyer who deals with privacy and did not wish to be named. Nikhil Pahwa, the founder of Medianama and a co-founder of Save the Internet, said in a piece on Sunday that being a civil servant and technocrat, Sharma is unlikely to ever face the kind of harm a citizen might face if their Aadhaar number is made public. "For someone else it could mean monitoring of communications to determine when there's no one at home, and robbing the house. For a woman, it could mean someone stalking her, and landing up at her house," Pahwa wrote. Similarly, Virag Gupta, who is a cyber and constitution lawyer, said in a piece on Firstpost Hindi: "While the government places advertisements dissuading the public to not make their personal details public, the TRAI chairman seems to have a different understanding of it." The risk in the way Sharma made his Aadhaar number public, and downplayed the impact of his leaked mobile phone number, address and email information, is that it could make it seem "normal" and "unharmful" to the general public. "Twitter also tends to drive people to extremes," said the lawyer quoted above. Although Sharma was equally panned and supported on Twitter, most people agreed that the stunt he pulled was unnecessary. The TRAI chairman, who retires in August, was earlier the secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the second in command at Unique Identification Authority of India after Nandan Nilekani. He did not respond to requests for comment for this story. SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. - A body was found Sunday morning in Shasta County, bringing the death toll of the Carr Fire to six, according to the Shasta County Sheriffs Office. It is not known exactly where the body was found, but Sheriffs officials said "human remains" were discovered at the location. Five other people including a great-grandmother, two children, a Redding city firefighter and a private bulldozer operator were also killed in the Carr Fire. Three of the victims were identified by a relative as Melody Bledsoe and 5-year-old James Roberts, and 4-year-old Emily Roberts. The Redding firefighter who was killed while working on the fire Thursday night, was identified as Jeremy Stoke, according to the Associated Press. The private bulldozer operator, Don Ray Smith, 81, of Sacramento, was the first to perish during the Carr Fire as he was reportedly overtaken by flames, and authorities found his body Thursday. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee addresses during Youth Trinamool Congress rally at Damurjala Stadium in Howrah district of West Bengal on Friday. PTI The West Bengal government is looking to enact a law against the perpetrators of witch hunting and also to protect the victims. The move comes in the aftermath of the Bengal government's criticism of the BJP-led central government on recent mob lynching incidents reported from across the country, as per a report in The Times of India. The Mamata Banerjee-led government had formed a commission, headed by Justice Pranab Kumar Chatterjee, to submit recommendations on the law. After a year, the commission suggested penal action for branding any woman a witch and committing such atrocities. According to the recommendations, in case of a death on the name of witch hunting either murder or suicide - the instigators will face a maximum three-year prison term and fine for their acts. It further suggested to use the fine paid by the accused towards compensating the victims of their family. The state government is also mulling stringent action against those who practice black magic, adds the report. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the case related to the alleged abuse of girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur. "The story of ashwasan babu (the man of assurances) and susashan babu (the man of good governance)...We have heard that the one who was elected (Modi), has merely given the slogan 'beti bachao' (save the girl child)," Rahul tweeted. Nitish Kumar is often referred to as 'sushasan babu' for his good governance plank. Congress has often accused Modi of making false promises and assurances which are never kept. In his tweet, the Congress president also posted a news report that claimed 34 minors were abused at the shelter home in Muzaffarpur. Meanwhile, the CBI has taken over the probe into the alleged abuse of girls at the shelter home in Muzaffarpur district, an official said today. The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at the shelter home, according to an official. The CBI has booked officers and employees of the shelter home. The matter came to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by a Mumbai-based institute. The audit report stated that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints. The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani. Prime Minister Narendra Modi The Congress questioned the remark of Narendra Modi that he does not mind standing next to businessmen, asking whether the industrialists the prime minister was referring to were the ones accused in bank scams. Modi today attacked opposition parties for dubbing industrialists as "chor" (thief) and "luterey" (looters), saying "We are not those who are scared of standing next to businessmen." He said like farmers, bankers, government employees and labourers, industrialists also contribute to the development of the country. Hitting back at Modi, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said, "The question is not industrialists or businessmen, but what kind of businessmen... People who ripped the banking system and went to Antigua and London -- if he is okay with getting clicked with them then I leave it to his wisdom." He also said the Congress was not against industrialists but crony capitalism. Addressing an event in Lucknow today, the prime minister said, "You cannot have blot on you simply by standing with anyone if your intentions are good and clear." "Gandhiji's (Mahatma Gandhi) intentions were so pure that he never hesitated in staying with the Birla family," the prime minister said. "Public mey milna nahi, parde ke peeche sab kuch karna hai. Woh dartey rahtey hain, (Those who do not meet publicly and do everything behind curtains remain scared ," he said. Tewari felt that by referring to Mahatma Gandhi, Modi had insulted the father of the nation. "It is unfortunate that he compared himself with the father of the nation. The PM said Gandhiji too kept industrialists with him. But I again ask what kind of industrialists... They staked everything to fight the British along with Gandhiji," he said. AICC in-charge of communications Randeep Singh Surjewala said Congress does not need certificates from the prime minister about industrialisation. "In 60 years of Cong Govt, Industrial Production in India showed a compound growth rate of 6%. It is 3.3% in May 2018 ... Difference is- Making Industry Partner in Progress V/S Making Cronies Profiteer from Exchequer!" he tweeted. In another tweet he alleged that the prime minister's political career "reeks of a culture of cronyism". "From giving land to your crony friends at throwaway prices in Guj to GSCPC Scam,from promoting select mobile wallets in DeMo to gifting Largest Defence Contract in Rafael! So spare us the lecture!" he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi The Congress's Mumbai unit put up posters across the city, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "bhagidar" (partner) in the Rafale "scam". The party's Mumbai chief, Sanjay Nirupam, said the city unit put up about 100 posters, targeting the prime minister over the controversial deal. The BJP-led Union government was doing everything possible to avoid disclosing the price of 36 Rafale aircraft purchased from France, he alleged. The Congress's city unit will stage a protest over the issue on Monday, Nirupam said. "The prime minister is not just a partner in the sorrows and dreams of people, but also in this scam where he is planning to buy 36 Rafale aircraft at three times the price finalised by the UPA government in 2012," he alleged. "Chowkidaar Nahi, Bhaagidaar (not watchman but partner)," the posters, with a photo of Modi hugging industrialist Anil Ambani, read. Nirupam questioned the government's decision to give the contract for Rafale jets to Ambani's Reliance Defence, saying the company has no experience. Anil Ambani had written to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi earlier this week, refuting allegations of lack of experience, and stating that the government had no role in French Group Dassault picking up his company as a local partner. Gandhi has been attacking the government on the deal which he claims was inked at a much higher price than the one the UPA regime had negotiated. Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam At the moment, the spotlight in Tamil Nadu is on DMK patriarch and former chief minister M Karunanidhi's fluctuating health. The 94-year-old veteran has been a strong presence in Tamil politics for more than six decades, but has seen his health fail in recent years. His absence from active politics and the uncertainties it brings to Dravidian politics has put the state on tenterhooks. A different but equally important political uncertainty unfolding in the southern state is the terminal decline of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Recent events in Tamil Nadu and in Delhi clearly highlight the AIADMK's downward slide and the BJP's increasing ambition in the state. This uncertainty is reflected in the way the AIADMK now functions and how its leaders are treated. Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's (OPS') recent Delhi trip is the latest example of this trend. On July 24, OPS arrived in Delhi to convey his "heartfelt gratitude" to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for arranging a military helicopter to take his ailing brother from Madurai to Chennai. However, she refused to meet the deputy CM, saying he did not have an appointment. OPS then returned to Chennai and when asked by the press about it, he quoted former Tamil Nadu CM Annadurai as saying, "Yedhaiyum thaangum idhayam vaendum." (One must have a heart that can withstand anything). There are many layers to the AIADMK leaders snub, and the most prominent one is that a deputy CM (who is also a former CM), and that too the leader of a party that is a NDA ally, returned empty-handed from Delhi. What makes OPS Delhi visit interesting is that he is perceived to be close to the BJP, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi. OPS credited Modi for his and Edappadi K Palanisami (EPS) coming together to form the government. The AIADMK's downward slide began with the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016. That summer, the party had returned to power by breaking a three-decade-long anti-incumbency trend with a strong majority, and in the 2014 general elections, the AIADMK had won 37 of the 39 seats in the state. From that position of power, after a three-way split and its leaders being jailed, today the AIADMK government faces the threat of being reduced to a minority government. Though two of the factions the one led by OPS and the other by EPS have merged to run the current government, there is tension between the two leaders. If the recent income tax raids in Tamil Nadu were targeted at people close to EPS, the state government on July 25 (a day after OPS' Delhi trip) informed the Madras High Court that a disproportionate assets case against OPS was being probed. Add to this the fact that both EPS and OPS do not have the goodwill or command the respect of all leaders within the party and the cadre, and it's clear that the AIADMK is in a shambles and its government is living on borrowed time. This has got other parties ambitious. Sensing an opportunity, actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have made entries into politics. The DMK, under MK Stalin, is confident of returning to power, but the uncertainty and vacuum created by the AIADMK is cause for concern. However, it is the BJP that sees the biggest opportunity in the southern state. The party has one Lok Sabha MP at the moment, but if it can muster support in regions where the party and the RSS are strong, it has an outside chance of winning up to four seats in the upcoming general elections. While that in itself may not upset the apple cart, it will give the party the confidence to face the state's next elections, due in 2021. Welcoming leaders from other parties and forming a strong alliance will also help boost the BJP's confidence. It might be its association with the film industry that gives Tamil Nadu politics that extra element of drama. At the moment, the dramatic personae is OPS, who proved to be the showstopper in February 2017 when he refused to vacate the CM's post and paid a late night visit to Jayalalithaa's memorial. Can we expect him to repeat it once more? Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendar Modi, the Samajwadi Party today claimed he was trying to save his lost popularity and credibility bu laying foundations of various projects and building "castles of development in the air". In a statement issued here, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "Prime Minister was seen making a futile effort to sell developmental dreams during his two-day visit to Lucknow. He wants to save his lost popularity and credibility through laying foundations of various projects." Modi was here to launch as many as 81 investment projects estimated to be worth over Rs 60,000 crore, according to officials. The prime minister is making numerous announcements, as they (BJP) have not been able to implement a single scheme, like the several schemes implemented during the tenure of Samajwadi Party, he said. In the last six months there has been big talk about investment, but the truth is that in a state where there are law and order problems, how will the developmental schemes be successful, he added. Their speeches attack the SP, since the SP is competent enough to take on the politics of hatred and division practised by the BJP, Yadav added. Meanwhile, the BJP also hit out at the SP claiming the Akhilesh Yadav led party had neither policy nor intention to do good work. In a statement, state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey said, "During the SP regime, the only investments made in the state were by criminals and in crime. The SP neither had a policy nor intention." Taking a jibe at Yadav, he said, "While attempting to save the losing political ground and running from pillar to post in search of a coalition, the thought process of the prince of Saifai had become anti-developmental. Had the SP chief worked for the welfare of the people, they would not have been ousted." Earlier in the day, hours ahead of the launch of 81 investment projects worth over Rs 60,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party released a 40-second video clip ridiculing BJP's poll promises. The SP took to Twitter to counter the BJP by reminding it of the 10 points in its 'Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra' with background music of 'tumhara intezaar hai' (waiting for you)". Starting with "economic help to farmers" to reforms in police system, ambulance services in 15 minutes and "police help in 15 minutes", the video sought to remind people of the ruling party's promises including "every one has the right to work" and "free laptops and internet". Help to 'Shiksha mitras', 'women security', 'village-urban development' and 'cultural development' are still elusive and people are waiting, it claimed. Modi's Uttar Pradesh tour today was his sixth visit to the state this month and second to Lucknow in as many days. He was here yesterday to attend a programme on "Transforming Urban Landscape", marking the third anniversary of three key government initiatives related to urban development -- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation of Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Smart Cities Mission. Earlier this month, Modi visited his parliamentary Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, Azamgarh and Mirzapur, besides Noida (Gautam Buddha Nagar). He had visited Sant Kabir Nagar on June 28. Describing Modi's event in Lucknow as an attempt to "mislead" the people by talking about development, the SP chief alleged the BJP 'excelled' in taking credit. "BJP is an expert when it comes to quoting unfounded statistics on development. The PM praises the CM for having done nothing for the development of the state and the CM praises him in return, which is laughable," Yadav, a former chief minister, alleged. He said though the prime minister "built castles of development in air", he "conveniently skipped" mentioning the 302 km Lucknow-Agra Expressway, the Gomti Riverfront, Janeshwar Misra Park and Lucknow Metro, which were flagship projects of the SP government. Talking about investment and promising a better tomorrow is baseless when health services are in shambles and law and order situation in the state is at its worst, he said. Commenting on the frequent visits of the prime minister to Uttar Pradesh, senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav said, "This is just the beginning. As elections approach, he will have to come here on a daily basis." SP MLC Rajpal Kashyap alleged the Yogi government in UP and the Modi government at the Centre were engaged in propaganda before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to drum up support for the BJP. "The two governments have done nothing for the people and voters in UP are looking for a chance to bring about a change in governance," he claimed. Harley-Davidson CVO Limited: Rs 49.99 lakh live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More US-based cruiser bike specialist Harley-Davidson Monday said it will develop a small displacement motorcycle for Asia primarily targeted at Indian buyers. The 250-500cc bike will be developed through a strategic alliance for customer access and growth in India, one of the largest, fastest growing markets in the world, and other Asia markets, the Milwaukee-headquartered company said in a release. The company did not immediately specify by when this small bike will make it to the markets or if the local partner will be based out of India. The announcement by Harley comes after three consecutive years of declining sales in India. It also comes at a time when Harleys rivals such as BMW, KTM, and Triumph forged partnerships with TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto for locally developed products. From an all-time peak of 4,708 units sales in 2015-16 Harleys sales last financial year stood at 3,413 units. Though Royal Enfield does not sell its bikes at the same price point as Harley the buyer profile of both the brands is largely the same. Royal Enfield has more than doubled its sales in the last four years to 8 lakh units. Harleys smallest bike in its India line-up has an engine of 750cc and costs Rs 5.25 lakh (ex-showroom). In comparison bikes made by its rivals such as BMW and KTM have engines starting with 300cc-400cc. Royal Enfield has developed bikes that will help it enter the 650cc category later this year. To further expand its market Harley will also introduce a new modular 500cc-1250cc middleweight platform motorcycles that span three distinct product spaces and four displacements. Most likely these new class of bikes will make it to India too. This will start with the companys first Adventure Touring motorcycle, the Pan America 1250, a 1250cc Custom model and a 975cc Streetfighter model, all of which are planned to launch beginning in 2020. Additional models to broaden coverage in these product spaces will follow through 2022. The accelerated strategy will require significant investment to change the trajectory of the business globally, and the company plans to fund it entirely through comprehensive cost reduction and reallocation of previously planned investment and resources including operating investment through 2022 of $450 to $550 million and capital investment through 2022 of $225 to $275 million. In total, the company plans More Roads to Harley-Davidson to generate more than $1 billion of incremental annual revenue in 2022 as compared to 2017, said the company. Assam has released the second and final draft list of the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) today. The final list has excluded around 40 lakh people from the state. State NRC officials have assured that those not included in the list will not be sent to detention centres. Home Minister Rajnath Singh said those excluded from the list can approach the foreigner's tribunal. "No coercive action will be taken against anyone, hence there is no need for anyone to panic," he said. "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be spread. This is a draft and not the final list," Singh added. Citizens can check for their names online or at NRC sewa kendras (NSK). The list contains names, addresses and photographs of all citizens of the state residing in Assam before March 25, 1971. It also includes names from the NRC list of 1951. The first NRC list was published on December 31, 2017 and contained over 1.9 crore names out of the 3.9 crore people who had filed applications. What is the NRC? The NRC basically keeps a record of all legal citizens of a state. Initiated in 1951 along with the first census, the NRC takes into consideration things like property owned and houses in every village in the state and the number of people residing in them. Back then, the records were stored by local government officers, but eventually police was given the responsibility of handling them. What happens now to those who are left out? The list published by Assam has left out over 40 lakh people. However, state NRC officials have clarified that those excluded will not be sent to detention centres, neither will they need to appeal before the Foreigners Tribunal at this point, since its a draft and not the final list. During a press conference, registrar general and census commissioner of India, Sailesh, also stated that those who find themselves excluded from the final list but were included in the first list will be given an individual letter to file claim for her/his non-inclusion. Officials have stated that authorities will start receiving applications for claims and objections to the list from August 30. Why is NRC a controversial topic in Assam? The NRC update is a process whereby all those listed in electoral rolls up to 1971, the 1951 list or any of the prescribed documents are enlisted. Those who are not enlisted, therefore, are automatically deemed as "illegal citizens" and that has sparked panic in the state. The demand for the list to be updated was raised by All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) during the early 1980s, soon after the anti-foreigners agitation in the state. Both the organisations claimed that the move was to protect the culture of Assam from illegal immigrants, especially from Bangladesh. During the period from 1951 to 1961, Assams population jumped by 36 percent, and it jumped by another 35 percent during the decade after that, which was more than 10 percent of the national figure for those two decades. After six years of agitation by the AASU and AGP, the bodies reached an agreement with the government of India in 1985. According to this, all foreigners who had entered Assam during the 10-year period from 1951 to 1961 would be given full citizenship while those that entered after 1971 would be deported. This was called the Assam Accord. In 1999, during a meeting to review the Assam Accord, it was decided to update the NRC. The government sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for the project, out of which Rs 5 lakh was released. The final decision to update the list was taken in 2005. The incident has sparked a furor in Uttar Pradesh, drawing attention to how unsafe women and children in the state The Muzaffarpur shelter home case, in which over 34 girls were allegedly sexually abused, was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 29. The move comes a day after medical reports confirmed that the total number of girls sexually abused had increased to 34. What is the case about? A report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai to Bihars Social Welfare Department in April 2018 almost a year after the institute was asked to prepare a report on the conditions of shelter and short-stay homes in the state revealed that girls at a Muzzaffarpur shelter home, Balika Grih, were being sexually abused. In May, the Social Welfare Department registered an FIR at a womens police station in Muzaffarpur. Soon after, police arrested Brajesh Thakur, the man responsible for looking after the shelter. Thakurs NGO, Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, was given the contract to manage the shelter. Nine more people were later arrested in connection with the case, seven of whom were women employees at the shelter. Who is Brajesh Thakur? Brajesh Thakur is the manager of the NGO tasked with looking after the shelter home. The NGO has now reportedly been blacklisted, but Thakur has had other interests over the years. Thakur is a local politician with connections to both Janata Dal (United) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. He had contested on a Bihar Peoples Party (BPP) ticket in the 1995 and 2000 Assembly elections from Kudhani seat in Muzaffarpur, but lost both times. BPP was then a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner in Bihar. Thakur is also invested in the newspaper business, and runs a vernacular newspaper called Pratah Kamal. The paper is run from the same building where the shelter home is located, and has been empanelled by the public relations department of the government. The paper received advertisements from the government worth crores. Thakur was also a part of the state's Press Accreditation Committee. What are the recent developments in the case? After Opposition parties raised the issue in state legislature and accused the government of shielding Thakur, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a CBI probe into the case. According to reports, a CBI team has reached Muzaffarpur today. So far, 10 people have been arrested in the case. Another accused, Dilip Kumar Verma, is absconding and a proclamation notice has been issued against him by a special court. The Social Welfare Department Principal Secretary Atul Prasad said investigations into other shelters and short-stay homes mentioned in the report have been initiated. Five of the 110 such shelters and short-stay homes in the state were found to have irregularities, according to Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma. On July 29, Muzaffarpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harpreet Kaur said medical reports confirmed sexual abuse. Some of the girls had alleged that a girl was murdered after she resisted attempts to sexually assault her. Following this, police looked for her body in the shelter's compound by digging it, but did not find anything. Some of the girls have also reportedly recorded statements before a magistrate. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, who defrauded Indian banks to the tune of Rs 13,166 crore, spent a mere Rs 1.37 crore ($200,000) to acquire an Antiguan passport before the scam broke out. Choksi owes 34 Indian banks more than Rs 6,086 crore in addition to the Rs 7,080 crore siphoned off Punjab National Bank (PNB). The diamantaire is not the only Indian who has sought refuge in Caribbean countries with low tax regimes. A half-yearly report published by Antiguas Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance reveals that 28 Indians had applied for citizenship through the investment route since 2014. The Caribbean nation grants domicile to foreign applicants who invest upwards of $200,000 in the country. Of the 28 Indians who had applied for an Antiguan passport in the last four years, seven were granted citizenship in the first half of 2017. Despite claims that applicants are vetted by the Interpol and other regional agencies for a history of criminal conduct, many economic offenders slip through the net to clinch residency permits in tax havens. The CBI had released a statement saying it had not received any request for verification from the Interpol regarding Choksis application for Antiguan citizenship. So, what makes the Caribbean a tropical paradise for white-collar criminals? Also see: Looking to settle in paradise? Here are 5 countries where you can 'buy' citizenship Foreigners can acquire dual citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda by either investing in a pre-approved business, government-approved real estate or in the countrys National Development Fund (NDF). The level of investment required to buy citizenship using each of the three routes vary. Antiguan citizenship can be obtained by contributing upwards of $200,000 crore (Rs 1.3 crore) to the NDF, investing $1,500,000 (Rs 10.3 crore) in a business based in the country, or purchasing real estate worth $400,000 (Rs 2.7 crore). The non-refundable donation to Antiguas national fund to be eligible for citizenship was previously as low as $100,000. Since the inception of the Citizenship by Investment programme, 1,121 high-net individuals have sought a second home in Antigua, in anticipation of trouble from law enforcement agencies back home. The list is dominated by Chinese nationals, who account for 43 percent of all applicants. Indians queueing up for a one-way ticket to the island nation constitute 2.5 percent of the total inflow of citizenship-seekers. The relatively low investment barriers, compounded by the low tax regimes in place in those countries make the Caribbean a lucrative destination for runaway businessmen to park wealth earned lawfully, or otherwise. Among Caribbean nations, Dominica and Saint Lucia offer the best citizenship packages for individuals, while Barbuda, Antigua and Saint Kitts and Nevis are better for families. The time taken to process applications is the least in Saint Kitts and Nevis. An investment of $200,000 (Rs 1.37 crore) in a government-backed real estate project, or $150,000 (Rs 1.03 crore) to the Saint Kitts Sustainable Growth Fund is sufficient to buy a passport which grants visa-free entry to 151 countries, including India and the United Kingdom. Another option for foreigners seeking immunity from repatriation is Dominica. The island nation provides irrevocable second citizenship to individuals who cough up as little as $100,000 (Rs 68.7 lakh) towards the Dominica Government Fund. Dominican citizenship can be bought without proving residency, or ever visiting the country. Besides providing an exit route if the going gets tough in their home countries, investing in a second passport makes sound business sense for the worlds wealthy. Most Caribbean countries do not tax income, inheritance, long-term capital gains and dividend income. Individuals who are not deemed economic offenders in the country of their origin are also attracted by the laxity of regulations in the financial sector. Source: Henley Passport Index 2018 Most tax havens are not signatories to extradition treaties with the countries of origin of their foreign-born citizens. This will allow high-net individuals to transact business from their new domiciles using ill-gotten wealth. Mehul Choksi can travel without a visa to 132 countries, including the Schengen zone as well as the UK, both trading partners of India. Moreover, to retain his second passport, Choksi has to spend only five days a year in Antigua. A dual citizenship also leaves the door open for economic offenders to return if the situation at home blows over. India currently has extradition treaties in place with 42 countries including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kuwait, Mauritius and Switzerland. Signatories to bilateral extradition treaties are duty-bound to treat Indias requests. In the absence of a treaty, it is up to the country in question to consider the validity of the application in accordance with domestic laws and procedures. Usually, extradition is undertaken only in exceptional cases on the condition of reciprocity. The Swiss Re model generates a premium that is based on the unique characteristics of the exposure such as location of the structure, type of construction and insured value, rather than relying on rating tables which are less accurate. Security First policyholders will be among the first to receive enhanced coverage with a single deductible for wind and flood at a price that accurately reflects the risk. Keith Wolfe, President US P&C, Swiss Re, said: The need for this solution was clearly demonstrated by the devastation caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma last year. Swiss Res vision is to make the world more resilient and this innovative partnership is an important step in closing the property protection gap in Florida. This innovative policy is proof that flood is insurable in the private market and we believe it can be replicated throughout the US to help solve a profound underinsurance issue. While last years numbers were considerably in excess of previous yearly averages, the US experiences economic losses of about USD 15 billion from flooding each year, of which only USD 5 billion is insured, resulting in a protection gap of approximately USD 10 billion. Wolfe added: Until now, flooding has been difficult to accurately price because it is sensitive to the specific location. Using the Swiss Re model will help mitigate adverse selection by spreading the risk among more Florida residents, not just among those with the highest risk. Combining flood risk with wind risk and other perils into one policy with one deductible means there is no longer a need for consumers to distinguish between a loss being partially wind or partially flood; the loss is simply covered. Security First has just started offering the new, optional flood and water backup coverage to its customers and the company will handle the distribution, administration and claims servicing. Agents are able to generate quotes quickly. Security Firsts quoting and policy platform accesses the Swiss Re rating model, which provides the individual coverage premium. In addition to pricing, Swiss Re will provide expertise and the claims paying capacity supported by the full financial strength of Swiss Re. Locke Burt, Chairman and President at Security First, said: Before this partnership, flood insurance was not an option to add to an existing homeowners insurance policy, but now our customers will not have to worry about coverage for flood damage or having to manage a separate policy from a separate company. We are delighted to offer Floridians comprehensive flood insurance protection at an affordable price. Todays digitally-aware consumer can buy anything with the tap of a button. While making any purchase, consumers expect their buying journey to be less complicated and speedy, and any additional effort can make them exit the purchase funnel, also known as friction, which is an opportunity lost for companies. Anything can irk consumers while buying and this leads to friction, such as buffering of a page, filling a long form, switching windows, etc. It, especially, is seen when the purchase is a long-term investment and involves lot of money such as real estate, smartphones and automobiles. Speaking of automobiles, as per a report by IBEF on automobile sector, India is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing automobile markets with a production of 29 million vehicles in FY18 and an estimated production of about 60 million vehicles by 2022. In this backdrop, companies have to beat competition and ensure a friction-free buying journey for consumers. Before buying a two-wheeler or a four-wheeler, regarded as high-involvement process, consumers do months of planning, and companies need to catch hold of their interest right from awareness stage and take it forward to consideration, intent and purchase. As per a report stated-Eliminating friction in automobile path to purchase- by Facebook, KPMG and Nielsen, in the four-wheeler category, friction accounts for 26% of consumer dropouts, and one-third of this is caused by media. The report also read that in the two-wheeler category, friction accounts for 34% of consumer dropouts, and nearly half of this friction is cause by media. Clearly, media plays a pivotal role and companies have to be digitally equipped to keep consumers interested and within the buying funnel. For instance, the awareness stage is the first step and any friction, such as non-appealing ads, too many technicalities in information, not taking the interest to the next level, etc. can lead to consumer dropout. Likewise, if consumers are considering your automobile, he/she will take opinion from peers, go to showrooms for more clarity, check formalities, look for test drives and attractive discounts. It is important to get hold of the consumer at the showroom, as he/she has shown intent, who can be a prospective buyer. Any friction at this stage, such as inconveniences, bad experience with dealers, payments options and assistance from sales, can repel your consumer at the final buying stage, giving an advantage to the competitors. Henceforth, correcting the media platform, social media strategy, and dealerships to at least bring the consumer to the intent stage should be given emphasis. As per the report, mobile is expected to influence 8 out of 10 four-wheeler, and 7 out of 10 two-wheeler purchases by 2022 and can reduce friction by 1.2% for the former category. Also, Facebook is expected to influence nearly one in two purchases of both four-wheelers and two wheelers by 2022. By just reducing media friction with mobile, brands selling four-wheelers can tap into around one million units of sales opportunity, whereas, it can open 2.6 million units of sales opportunity in two-wheelers category. So, how to fill in the gaps? Todays consumer is information hungry and providing more information to the targeted consumers at the awareness stage can result in more engagement. Keep it personalised, non-intrusive and be prepared to resolve queries to convert them into buyers.For automobiles to images a zero friction future, they will have to re-strategize path to purchase and include consumer-friendly technologies such as AR/VR, consumer analytics through AI, machine learning and personalised offers.With the increasingly non-linear journey, you can definitely expect a zero friction future. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani called Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and congratulated him on his victory in the elections. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly (NA) after the July 25 elections, and the 65-year-old leader is poised to become the new Prime Minister of Pakistan. Ghani, who also extended an invitation to Khan to visit Kabul, took to social media to announce what was discussed in the first ever direct contact between the two leaders after the elections. "I just spoke to @ImranKhanPTI and congratulated him on the victory in parliamentary elections. We both agreed to overcome the past and to lay a new foundation for a prosperous political, social and economic future of both countries #Afghanistan and #Pakistan, he tweeted. The Afghanistan president further said that he had extended an open invitation to Khan who "expressed his wishes to visit Kabul soon". PTI Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said that Khan told President Ghani that Pakistan wants complete peace in Afghanistan, and that the PTI government wishes to establish better relations between the two countries. Earlier, Khan adopted conciliatory tone for Afghanistan in his victory speech and said that he would like to have "open borders" between the two countries on the pattern of Europe. Zetwerk Bagged $20,754,700 in latest round from investors. (Representative Image: Reuters) China's capital Beijing will shut around 1,000 manufacturing firms by 2020 as part of a programme aimed at curbing smog and boosting income in neighbouring regions, state media said on Monday. Beijing will focus on dynamic, high-tech industries and withdraw from "ordinary" manufacturing, the Communist Party paper People's Daily reported, citing a recent policy document published by the Beijing municipal government. The city has already rejected registration applications from 19,500 firms, and shut down or relocated 2,465 "ordinary" manufacturers, the paper said. China launched a plan to improve coordination in the smog-prone Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in 2014 amid concerns that competition between the three jurisdictions was wasting resources and creating overcapacity and pollution. It plans to strip Beijing of manufacturing and heavy industry, as well as relocating universities and some government departments into Hebei's new economic zone of Xiongan. The government also wants to create an integrated transport network and unify standards in areas such as welfare and education to make Hebei, known for its heavy industry, more attractive for investors. An official with Hebei province earlier this year said the plan has helped drive average incomes in Hebei up 41 percent since 2013, although they are still only half the level in Beijing. Representative Image Jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was today admitted to the country's top hospital on the orders of Pakistan's caretaker government, after his health deteriorated in the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Sharif, 68, is serving a 10-year jail term in a corruption case over his family's purchase of luxury apartments in London. He has been lodged in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since July 13. Doctors conducted a check-up of Sharif after he complained of chest pain and advised that he immediately be shifted to a coronary care unit (CCU) of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, Geo news reported. The decision to shift Sharif to hospital was taken by the Punjab government which has administrative control of the Adiala jail after a team of doctors recommended that Sharif needed proper medication and care as he has been suffering from acute pain in both his arms, likely due to lack of adequate blood circulation. Last week, it was reported that Sharif is on the verge of a kidney failure. Doctors recommended to shift him to hospital immediately. Doctors had advised Sharif's transfer to hospital after an electrocardiogram had shown "variations", Punjab home minister Shaukat Javed told state-run PTV. "How many days he stays in hospital depends on doctors," Javed said. He had earlier said that Sharif will be shifted to PIMS, where preparations have been made to keep the high-profile prisoner. Earlier, a team of doctors headed by Dr Ejaz Qadeer and comprising cardiologist Dr Naeem Malik, Medical Specialist Dr Shaji Siddiqui, neurologist Dr Sohail Tanvir and Dr Mashood carried out medical checkup of Sharif after he complained of pain in chest. Dr Malik, head of the PIMS cardiology department, suggested that authorities shift Sharif to the hospital as his blood tests showed clotting which, according to the doctor, was an alarming sign considering his medical history. His ECG was also not satisfactory. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo has diabetes and undergone bypass surgery in 2016. He currently takes medication for his heart condition, cholestrol and diabetes. Last week, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif wrote a letter to caretaker Punjab government seeking better facilities for them at Adiala Jail. Shehbaz had asked the authorities to ensure continuous provision of medicines and medical examination to Sharif from his personal doctor as he was suffering from dehydration and his blood urea content was 50 per cent higher than it should have been. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in and around the Adiala Jail. Security personnel have been deployed around its premises and also special arrangements have also been made at the PIMS. Tour de France winner Britain's Geraint Thomas, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, and Slovakia's Peter Sagan, wearing the best sprinter's green jersey, ride down Chams Elysees avenue as the Arc de Triomphe is seen in the background during the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France. (Image: PTI/AP) Hospital workers clean the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital after the water entered the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the medicine department during rainfall, in Patna, Bihar. (Image: PTI) The world's only giant panda triplets Meng Meng, Shuai Shuai and Ku Ku celebrate their fourth birthday at Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, China. (Image: Reuters) Cambodian voters take pictures of their ink stained fingers after they voted, outside a polling station during a general election in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Image: Reuters) Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi is welcomed by relatives and supporters after she was released from an Israeli prison, at Nabi Saleh village in the occupied West Bank. (Image: Reuters) Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Naramalli Sivaprasad protests for the special status to the state of Andhra Pradesh, during the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI) A man steps on the portrait of Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a protest over government's decision to increase the retirement age in Moscow, Russia. (Image: Reuters) People's Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and senior party leaders attend the 19th Foundation Day of PDP, in Jammu on Monday. (Image: PTI) Migrants disembark from a dinghy at "Del Canuelo" beach after they crossed the Strait of Gibraltar sailing from the coast of Morocco, in Tarifa, southern Spain. (Image: Reuters) Turkey's president said his government would not back down and was willing to "go its own way" if the United States imposes sanctions over an American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ended his silence yesterday on the escalating diplomatic dispute involving Andrew Craig Brunson, 50. The evangelical pastor was arrested in December 2016 and jailed until he was released to home detention last week. "They cannot make Turkey back down with sanctions," Turkish media quoted Erdogan saying during an official visit to southern Africa. "The US should not forget that unless it changes its attitude, it will lose a strong and sincere partner like Turkey," he warned. On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced possible sanctions against Turkey, a crucial NATO ally, for its treatment of Brunson. The pastor, who is originally from Black Mountain, North Carolina, has lived in Turkey for 23 years and led Izmir Resurrection Church. Brunson was detained in the aftermath of a failed 2016 coup on charges of "committing crimes on behalf of terror groups without being a member" and espionage. He faces a prison sentence of up to 35 years if he is convicted on both counts at the end of his ongoing trial. In an interview that aired today, US Vice President Mike Pence reiterated that there would be consequences if Erdogan's government did not free Brunson and drop the charges. "Transferring Pastor Andrew Brunson to home arrest is just not good enough, and the United States of America is prepared to bring sanctions against Turkey until Pastor Andrew Brunson is free," Pence said in the interview on Fox's "Sunday Morning Futures." Erdogan denied speculation that there had been an agreement to swap Brunson for Turkish citizens being held abroad, particularly 27-year-old Ebru Ozkan. Ozkan had been detained by Israel on terror-related charges, but was deported this month. The Turkish leader previously linked Brunson's return to the U.S. to the extradition of Fethullah Gulen. Ankara blames Gulen for the coup attempt, while the cleric denies involvement. Erdogan also warned that Turkey would seek international arbitration if the United States refused to deliver F-35 fighter jets in retaliation. Imran Khan today said that he will take oath as Pakistan's Prime Minister on August 11, according to a media report. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), led by 65-year-old Khan, has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly (NA) after the July 25 elections, but it is still short of numbers to form the government on its own. His party yesterday announced that it is trying to reach out to smaller parties and independents to form the next government. Will take oath as Prime Minister on 11th of next month (August), Khan was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan. "I have also decided about chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which I will announce in the next 48 hours. Whatever I have decided in this regard is in the best interest of people," he said while addressing PTI members of provincial assembly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He said alleviation of poverty from interior Sindh will be among top priorities of his government. Earlier, PTI spokesman Naeemul Haque on Saturday told reporters that party chief Khan will take oath as the Prime Minister before August 14. He said that he hoped the president would call an assembly session and Khan would take oath as premier before Independence day. Although the PTI has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the polls, the final results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) show that the party is still short of numbers to form its government independently. According to the results, the PTI has bagged 116 general seats 22 short of simple majority whereas the PML-N and PPP have won 64 and 43 seats, respectively. The PTI is short of the 137 needed for simple majority and is trying to woo independents to join the party. To meet the required number of votes, the PTI leadership has reportedly been approaching the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), PML-Quaid (PML-Q), and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), as well as independents. Meanwhile, two major parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party have agreed on formulation of a "coordinated joint strategy" if the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf manages to form its government at the centre. A version of this article was originally published in the June 2018 edition of Morningstar Prospects, which highlights promising managers that Morningstar Manager Research analysts currently do not cover but may cover in the future. The full list and publication are available to subscribers of Morningstar Direct. Morningstar Prospects is published on a biannual basis. Morningstar Prospects--a list of up-and-coming or under-the-radar investment strategies that Morningstar Manager Research thinks might be worthy of full coverage someday--added five new strategies in the first half of 2018. We highlight them below. A new study by the Canadian Bankers Association has found that that three times more borrowers in Saskatchewan are behind on their mortgage payments compared to the rest of the country. The analysis stated that 1 in every 126 homeowners in the province is 3 or more months behind in their payments, CTV Regina reported. Saskatchewans unemployment rate is currently at 6.3%, higher than the national average of 6%. The letter was co-signed by DigitalEurope, the Trans-Atlantic Business Council and the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME). The letter says such legal certainty is best achieved through an adequacy decision under article 45 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which means the Commission decides that the UK ensures an adequate level of protection for the transfer of personal data. Before such a decision can be made, the Commission first needs to launch the adequacy assessment process. The letter, therefore, calls for the launch of this assessment process as soon as possible. If an adequacy decision cannot be finalised in time, the letter urges the Commission to put an interim measure in place to allow for continuity in personal data flows until a full adequacy decision is adopted. Considering the importance of personal data flows between the EU/EEA and the UK, Insurance Europe also sent a joint letter to the British authorities calling on them to ensure that the UK meets all the conditions for the Commission to issue swiftly an adequacy decision, and to implement a suitable legal solution that will allow continuity of personal data transfer from the UK to the EU/EEA post-Brexit. The letter was also signed by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Trans-Atlantic Business Council and the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME). Joint letter to the European Commission Insurance Europe letter to British Authorities Recent home price declines in some areas of Metro Vancouver will not help improve the prospects of more affordable housing for first-time buyers, according to observers. This is because properties are staying in the market longer, which gives buyers of single-family estates the luxury of taking their time. In particular, when you get into $2- and $3-million properties, buyers have a lot more choice and they have the ability now to negotiate with sellers, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation market analyst Eric Bond told CTV News Vancouver. Overall, the main story in Vancouver is we do continue to detect overvaluation, said Eric Bond, a regional senior market analyst with CMHC. We have price levels that are far higher than the upper predicted values from our price models. Nonetheless, we do observe a broad-based cooling in the Vancouver market. Its become quite imbalanced between different sectors and geographies, where you have high demand and low inventories for properties under $1mln that are more affordable in the region. The national market has been vulnerable since mid-2016, but Dugan added that, while still early, there are signs of cooling. The assessment of the degree of vulnerability from the HMA [Housing Market Assessment] has been stable in recent quarters, said Dugan. Results continue to flag a high degree of overall vulnerability for the housing market at the national level for the eighth straight quarter. The rating is the result of detection of moderate evidence of overvaluation and price acceleration. Despite the stability in these results, we know the trends in overvaluation and price acceleration have been moving in such a way that suggests these vulnerabilities are gradually dissipating. Without a doubt, the dissipation is a direct result of the governments intervention in the housing market. According to Mortgage Professionals Canadas Report on the Housing and Mortgage Market in Canada, the stress test is being felt from coast to coast. Reforming housing finance would be the legislative priority in Congress if Democrats take the House in the mid-term elections, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said, according to a Bloomberg report. As the top Democrat on the powerful House Financial Services Committee, Waters would be in line to become leader of the panel if Democrats take control of Congress. Waters, responding to a question at a CNBC Capital Exchange event, said fixing Fannie Mae and Freddie is very important to me. Take a stroll around Main Street and Texas Avenue in downtown Midland, and youll see a lot of activity. Iron is in the ground for the new Midland Center. The marquee is up for Basin PBS headquarters at the former Ritz theater. Renovation has begun at the former adult probation office, the future home of the Midland County Historical Museum. While change is visible outside at these three corners, their neighbor at the Wall Street Lofts is already leading the way for downtown revitalization inside its space and the growth isnt done yet. Opened in 2014, the Lofts is a mixed-use development featuring 108 apartment units and a few ground-floor commercial spaces on Main Street. Developer Roger Gault of Dallas-based Gault Co. says the apartments filled up fast, but commercial tenants have been harder to get. Franchise sandwich shop Which Wich has been a success since the beginning, with lines forming out the door at lunchtime as workers seek out the fast dining option. The other three commercial spaces sat empty for years. We were getting a lot of interest during that time and were having lots of conversations, but either the prospects didnt have experience owning their own business or they didnt have enough capital, Gault said. He has had interest from a variety of uses: a bank, brew pubs, restaurants, even a yoga studio. We tried to think about what our residents would want, the developer said. Weve been through a long list of possibilities. We tried forever to get a quality and experienced coffee shop operator, and we just havent been successful. Starbucks wont do it because they want a drive-thru. There was a group out of Lubbock that we courted for a long time and just couldnt get them over the hump. The other use our residents have talked about wanting is a convenience store. We talked to a gentleman who was a retired 7-Eleven executive for several months about a startup convenience store. He was real excited about it, but he couldnt get his equity raised, so we couldnt get that one off the ground. This year marked a major move toward complete mixed-use development. Cosmetologist Chrissy Hale had worked a decade at high-end salons in Midland and Odessa before developing an entrepreneurial urge to set out on her own. Advice from a chance meeting with Mayor Jerry Morales at his Mulberry Cafe turned Hales business dreams into action. Morales encouraged her to use the services offered by the Small Business Development Center at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and to consider the Lofts as her home for hairstyling. She listened, but the process wasnt easy. Hale had to convince Gault to take the risk and give her a chance. Prior to striking a deal with Chrissy, we were approached by a number of salon operators, but most of them were startups, and we just werent comfortable with the capitalization or the experience, Gault said. Gault thought the concept would work at the Lofts because there isnt much competition downtown for salon services. Hales robust preparation, largely with the help of the SBDC, set her apart. I love working with the SBDC. They were so supportive. I met the assistant director first, and we started building off of my experience at prior salons and built a plan off of realistic numbers, Hale said. It was important to both of us that we werent inflating anything because that would end up hurting me in the end. You have to be as accurate as possible when youre a startup. The business plan was revealed, the capital was set, and the concept was presented. Next was getting the lease terms right. She drove a real hard bargain, Gault said. Asked if the upstart entrepreneur considers herself a tough negotiator, she replied, I think I can be. I realized a long time ago that you have to take the fear out of it because thats their leverage. Waiting for the deal to finalize was the hardest part. It was really uncomfortable. Once I just let go, one thing after another started falling into place. Gault took the risk, and he has been very pleased with Hales success. Even though its a tenant-landlord relationship, we always look at it as a partnership because were betting on her, shes betting on the location and its not good for anybody if theres a failure. We didnt want that to happen. She convinced us and it turned out to be true that a lot of her existing clients would follow her downtown and that being downtown would open up a whole new market and drive new business. She gets a lot of walk-in traffic from first-time customers that are coming back. To help Halo grow, the Lofts sponsored a grand opening event with residents that included a drawing giving away 40 free haircuts. It worked. We also thought a lot of our Wall Street Lofts residents would be customers, and thats proven to be the case, Gault said. Which Wich occupies one commercial space, and Halo holds two. The remaining spot could bring a big-city trend to downtown Midland. In Dallas, theres this model of wine bars where they sell wine by the glass and sometimes have live music and art shows, Gault said. A lot of women will have group functions there, like a shower or birthday celebration. They have become popular in Dallas with groups of women celebrating something or who just want to get together. We hope that same demographic and concept will transfer to Midland. Gault and his partner are in negotiations to be the primary investors in a wine bar. As of late May, the business was seeking an alcohol permit from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, a major step that, if achieved, could bring a new nighttime option downtown. Gault couldnt elaborate on the fine details but said, We are working on it. I cant say with 100 percent surety that its going to happen, but were well down the road. When you take into consideration permitting, design, construction and stocking, we probably couldnt open until the first quarter of 2019, he said. The commercial opportunities for the Lofts might not end there. Gault said he has considered the possibility of converting ground-floor apartments into business spaces. The amount of commercial space was dictated in our zoning approvals when we first started going through the city approval process. They wanted a mixed-use project, and we were open to it because we thought there were lots of retail opportunities. Once Which Wich opened and we saw how successful they were, we thought there were real opportunities here and have looked at ways to expand the retail on the Wall Street side. The challenge is, as a multi-family project, were already sort of small at 108 units, Gault said. When we did it, we were taking a chance that enough residents in Midland would accept and be interested in living downtown. It was an experiment. While its common in other urban areas Dallas, Austin, Houston Midland at the time had no downtown housing, and we werent sure how successful it would be. In hindsight, its done so well that we wish we would have doubled the size. Growth could come from buying more property. Were very interested in doing what were calling a phase two to the Lofts, but we just havent found the right fit yet in terms of real estate, said Gault, who added that he will continue to look for opportunities in the historic heart of the city. Our preference is to do something downtown. I think theres a much deeper market downtown than weve penetrated with our small project. After agreeing to take in a foster child nearly three years ago, Matt Waller sprang into action. His wife directed him again and again to the attic in search of an age-appropriate car seat. We were getting a placement and we were running around getting things, Jen Waller said. And we thought, theres probably a lot of families who need support and dont have this. To connect other West Texans to resources, the couple founded The Attic Foster Network. The organization has since collected enough gently used childrens clothing, toys, furniture and other items to fill three storage units. Locally, the Waller family is one of several that have put forth effort to support foster parents and others who have connections to Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Jen said people dont have to bring children into their homes to contribute. We had ladies come and fold our laundry for a month or cook meals just the little things that people can do, she said. There is a place for everyone in fostering. Supporting families Since its inception, Midlanders have helped The Attic expand its reach. Local churches host Foster Parent Night Out, a monthly program designed to give foster parents a break, while offering meals and activities for their children. Its been a game changer for a lot of our foster families, Matt Waller said. In order for us to have a babysitter come over, I cant just have one of my high school students come and do it. I have to have somebody thats checked off and approved by the agency and CPS. Community members have pitched in with other efforts, including making Crock-Pot-ready meals for families and providing Welcome Wagon gifts for foster care placements. Church leaders have also attended The Attics lunch forums to learn about local needs. In Midland County, 54 children were in foster care placements as of Aug. 31, according to DFPS statistics. About one-fourth originating here were placed inside the county. The Attic is working to increase awareness about foster care and has added support for biological and adoptive families. The Wallers think demand has helped the nonprofit grow from the onset. It was very clear that there was a need for support, Jen said. So many foster families were like, We were drowning. We felt alone. Monthly moms and dads nights have given foster parents chances to interact with people who share similar experiences, she said. For foster parent Bonnie West, support has come through social media. She said Facebook groups provide spaces to ask questions of other parents. The foster community in Midland is there, is prevalent, she said. And as soon as you begin that journey, it becomes really obvious that you have multiple resources and friendships that help carry you through. West and her husband, Tyler, became a foster family more than two years ago. She now talks to people who are considering the option and has made connections though Midlands support network. The community of foster families around me helped me realize theres not an us versus them, she said. We are all parents. We all struggle. And were all going to work together to love these kids. Recognizing caseworkers For the West family, an impactful moment came after a tough conversation with a CPS worker. Tyler West thought about the difficult nature of the job and wanted to do something to express gratitude. They really, truly are the unsung heroes of our community, he said. And they dont necessarily get that kind of recognition. He helped to launch appreciation lunches at the Midland and Odessa CPS offices. Each month, a company in one of the cities donates resources to provide meals. For Bonnie West, it was humbling to see the idea come to fruition. She has noticed the willingness of local businesses to offer support. I think that its just been cool how every month, its been provided, she said. Every month, someone has stepped up and the community has said, We care about these people. Daisy Campos, a family-based safety services specialist with CPS in Midland, said the lunches allow workers with busy schedules to spend time together. While she thinks those meals are meaningful, she is also grateful for the communitys involvement in another program of The Attic, called Adopt-A-Caseworker. I think its a wonderful idea just because we can talk more on a personal level, and they can see what we encounter every day, she said. Adopt-A-Caseworker gives each participating community member a chance to form a connection with a CPS employee while offering encouragement. Twenty matches have been made in Midland and Odessa. We ask that they do just one coffee, lunch in-person visit a month and then do one other encouragement, Matt said. Beyond that we just say, Let the relationship develop organically. Over time, people have shown gratitude to caseworkers through gifts and other gestures. Those behind the appreciation programs hope to keep CPS employees motivated to stay in that line of work. Matt referenced a January 2017 Texas Association for the Protection of Children report, which cited that kids with one caseworker have a 74.5 percent chance of permanency within a year. It dropped to 17.5 percent when the case was transferred to another worker. It is imperative that one child has one caseworker, Matt said. Its impossible to control in all scenarios. But what can the community do? We can at least adopt a caseworker. Meet the families Waller family Parents: Matt and Jen Children: Emma, 9, Ty, 6, Jaden, 5, and Knox, 1 Agency: Buckner International Jen on those considering becoming foster families: There are a lot of people who would band together with them to help. West family Parents: Tyler and Bonnie West Children: Carter, 5, and Gavin, 3 Agency: Buckner International Bonnie on the decision to foster: We felt burdened not only to love these children, but to give the whole family the opportunity to be healed and to become one again. There was soon to be few chances for Evoni Murray to enjoy a carefree nighttime stroll in Miami Beach. Murray was eight months pregnant Wednesday. And her Aug. 4 due date loomed as she walked in the sweltering summer heat with the father-to-be. Then the couple encountered off-duty police officer Ambar Pacheco. A confrontation began, during which, Murray says, Pacheco kicked her in the stomach. Murray, 27, was in severe pain, a responding officer wrote in a report, and was possibly having contractions on the street. The baby was coming - nine days early. RELATED: San Antonio police arrest Bexar County deputy on DWI charge Murray was rushed to a hospital, and Joseph Predelus III came into the world after seven minutes of labor, his father Joseph, 40, told WSVN. Across town, Pacheco, 26, was arrested and charged for aggravated battery, according to a Miami Beach Police Department affidavit provided to The Washington Post. North Miami Beach Police Chief William Hernandez fired Pacheco from the force less than two days later. "Due to Ms. Ambar Pacheco's recent off-duty actions, her employment with the City of North Miami Beach has been terminated effective immediately," Hernandez said Friday in a brief statement. She had been with the force less than a year and was in a probationary period, the Miami Herald reported. Details surrounding the incident are unclear. The arrest affidavit does not say how or why the confrontation started. But Ambar Pacheco told police that Predelus kicked her sister in the face, which prompted her violent reaction. "I saw red and beat the s- out of [Murray]," Pacheco said, according to the affidavit. She later said she couldn't recall who she kicked, the document says. Murray is described in the affidavit as "visibly pregnant." Predelus denied assaulting Pacheo's younger sister, 21-year-old Mikaela Pacheco, and suggested that the women were intoxicated. RELATED: S.A.-area man accused of sexually assaulting pregnant woman in front of 2-year-old son "I never did no kicking, nothing. I never touched nobody," Predelus told WSVN. "All I did was defend my baby mother and a child. To me, I don't put my hands on women, and that's how it should be, especially a pregnant woman, too." In an interview with CBS Miami, Murray speculated that the confrontation with the sisters began from a misunderstanding. "We were walking down the sidewalk enjoying the night and we saw them," she told the station. "These girls were crying. Then they thought we were talking about them, which was not true. They got belligerent and tried to jump because they thought I said something." A conviction for assaulting a known pregnant woman carries a maximum of 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine in Florida, according to law firm Hussein & Webber. Murray and the Pacheco sisters could not be reached for comment. Predelus told The Post that his newborn son and Murray are doing well, but he declined to comment further. Mount Sinai Medical Center, where Murray delivered her baby, did not respond to a request seeking comment. It is unclear if the alleged assault caused the premature birth, but physical trauma or injuries can contribute to early labor, according to a Mayo Clinic fact sheet. Murray told CBS that she hopes Pacheco gets help as she enters the criminal justice system. "It kind of troubles me to know that the people who are supposed to be serving and protecting us are hurting us," Murray she told the station. "I know it's not all of them and one apple doesn't spoil the bunch. It's just that sometimes you get a bad seed." Patriotism and new state leadership were the main themes at a Republican event Tuesday evening in Jacksonville. Attorney general candidate Erika Harold, state Senate candidate Steve McClure and incumbent state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer of Jacksonville, all of whom are members of the GOP, attended the Republican Womens Club of Morgan Countys Summer Patriotic Celebration at the Duncan Mansion. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who was scheduled to attend the event, was detained in Washington, D.C. Harold passed along Rauners regrets and took the opportunity to speak about patriotism. She talked about meeting a wounded Iraqi war veteran and laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. She recalled looking across the rows of marble gravestones at Arlington and thinking about what a privilege it is to live in America. She added that Americans owe a great deal of respect to the countrys military veterans. As Illinoiss attorney general, Harold said she would make sure the rule of law is maintained. We need to stay engaged to make our state and country flourish, she said. We cannot give up on our state. Think about the potential of things to come. McClure said Novembers election will make an impact on the state for the next 10 years. I want there to be fair maps for the congressional seats and for the state House and state Senate seats, said McClure, in reference to redistricting. Everybody I have met has been very positive, and I want to do my part to make Illinois a better place to live and a more inviting place, where people want to come. Davidsmeyer also spoke about the importance of patriotism and recalled welcoming home his father, Devon Davidsmeyer, and paternal grandfather, Paul Davidsmeyer, about four years ago after they returned on a Land of Lincoln Honor Flight at the Springfield airport. Paul was an Army veteran of World War II and Devon an Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient of the Vietnam War. It fills your heart with pride to know that people step up to serve in that way, and that people have a real appreciation for our military, C.D. Davidsmeyer said. He also mentioned going to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., about 25 years ago, when he was a Boy Scout. I traced the name of a friend of my Dads who died in Vietnam, Davidsmeyer said. I saw the emotion in my Dads eyes. You dont realize what members of our military go though because many of them dont talk about it. Davidsmeyer also addressed this falls election. We need to make sure to do all we can to push for change in the General Assembly to ensure a better direction for Illinois, he said. Kem Wilson, president of the Republican Womens Club of Morgan County, was pleased with the event, which drew about 75 people. I feel that our Summer Patriotic Celebration had a great attendance, great speakers and was very inspiring, Wilson said. The Republican Party in Morgan County is totally behind these three candidates. We will enthusiastically support them. Harold is running against Democrat Kwame Raoul. The current attorney general is Democrat Lisa Madigan, who was first elected in 2002 and was re-elected in 2006, 2010 and 2014. She announced in September that she would not seek a fifth term. McClure is running unopposed for the state Senate seat that was held by Sam McCann. Incumbent Davidsmeyer also is unopposed for his 100th District House seat. Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg. Illinois has a public pension crisis. Thats not really news, though. State officials have known about it for decades, before former Gov. Jim Edgar exacerbating the situation in the 1990s by leading an effort to push the problem onto future generations through whats now notoriously known as the Edgar Ramp. The ramp was a 50-year pension repayment plan. It allowed Edgar and the lawmakers of that era to wriggle off the hook, forcing the governors and legislators who would follow to make the difficult spending decisions in the future. The problem with the future is that it always ahead in the distance. Of course, future governors and legislators didnt make those tough spending decisions. Instead, they raised taxes to a point where Illinoisans pay the highest combined state and local taxes in the country. Yet those who have led Illinois have continued to ignore the growing pension debt. In 1994, when the Edgar ramp was introduced, Illinois had a $15 billion pension deficit. The state now says it has a $130 billion pension deficit, although Moodys Investors Service estimates its more like a $200 billion deficit. What was a big problem in 1994 today is a full-blown crisis. Not only are lawmakers refusing to deal with the crisis, local school districts continue to make it worse. An Illinois News Network investigation revealed this week that, despite the worst-funded public pensions in the country, many Illinois school districts continue to engage in a practice thats known as pension spiking. Pension spiking occurs when a governing body, such as a local school board, agrees to give soon-to-be-retiring employees excessive raises to increase the annual pension payouts these employees will receive during retirement. In 2005, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law that was meant to discourage pension spiking. That law placed a monetary penalty on governing bodies that continued to hand out end-of-career salary increases of more than 6 percent. Rather than end the practice, many school districts continued to spike salaries and stuck their own local taxpayers with the bill. INNs investigation found that Illinois school districts have paid more than $50 million in taxpayer-funded penalties to the Teachers Retirement System, including $23.8 million since fiscal 2014. Districts have used exemptions to avoid paying tens of millions of dollars more in penalties. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner was first elected in 2014. The state budget standoff between Rauner and the Democratic-controlled Legislature began shortly after that. School districts complained that late and lower state payments during the standoff were compromising their ability to do their jobs effectively. Yet many still managed to dole out excessive end-of-career pay raises and stick their taxpayers with the financial penalties. Thats inexcusable. Not all school districts are guilty of pension spiking. But this is by no means a rare practice. A little more than a third of the states 852 school districts paid a TRS penalty in fiscal 2018, INNs investigation revealed. Some, such as Huntley School District 158, even recognized the problem and put into place safeguards to prevent pension spiking from occurring. The district built a clause in recent teacher contracts stipulating that no raises should be given above 6 percent in the final years before retirement and that any earnings above that limit would be forfeited. Going forward, pension spiking penalties will kick in after 3 percent because of a new state law passed in the spring. While that was a good step, dont expect it to stop the problem. My guess is that if it was set to zero, wed still have problems, state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, told INN. If young teachers or other state workers in Illinois expect to actually have enough money to retire, theyd better start setting it aside on their own. The way local and state officials have been managing pensions in Illinois for more than two decades, the systems eventually are going to go broke. Dan McCaleb is news director of Illinois News Network and the digital hub ILNews.org. He can be reached at dmccaleb@ilnews.org. Tricycles to be banned from using ... Thursday, August 2nd Chattanooga Prep School Inaugural Class 300 Men Welcome - Union Ave will be closed from just after the parking lot of Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy at S Hawthorne St until S Orchard Knob from 7:15AM until 8:45AM on Thursday, August 2nd. First Thursdays at the Chattanooga Choo Choo - Station Street will be closed from Market Street to Brinks Inc., with Rossville Avenue closed to through traffic between Main Street and Market Street from 5PM until 12AM on Thursday, August 2nd. This is the a recurring event, with the final "First Thursday" happening on November 1st, 2018. Friday, August 3rd Nightfall - Market Street will be closed from East 8th Street to East 10th Street, and ML King Blvd will be closed from Broad Street to Georgia Avenue from 5:30 pm until 12:00 midnight on Friday, August 3rd, 2018. This closure will be in effect each Friday night through August 31. West Village Out on 8th - W 8th Street between Pine Street and Chestnut Street will be closed from 2 pm on August 3rd until 8AM on Saturday, August 4th. This closure will be in effect each Friday night through October 27, 2018. Saturday, August 4th Scenic City HBCU 5K - On Saturday, August 4th the eastbound lane of E. MLK Blvd from Lindsay Street to Magnolia Street and one northbound lane of Houston St from E 10th Street to E MLK Blvd will be closed from 6AM until 9:30AM. Runners will also be using the eastbound bike lane and shoulder of E 10th Street, running opposing traffic, from Magnolia St to Houston St. E 10th St. will remain open but drivers are asked to use caution when passing runners. Temple of Faith Back 2 School Bash - Foust Street will be closed at 4th Ave for a neighborhood block party from 10AM until 4PM on Saturday, August 4th. West Village Street Festivals- Pine Street between W 7th Street and W M.L. King Blvd, and W 8th Street between Pine Street and Chestnut Street will be closed from 8 am until midnight each Saturday through January 19, 2019. Sunday, August 5th Chattanooga Market - Reggie White Boulevard will be closed from the entrance to the pavilion parking lot to W 19th Street from 6:00 am until 8:00 pm each Sunday through November 18. View CDOT's map of event and road closures for full details of these activities and other projects underway in our public space. The epicenter of jihadism in Africa has long been the Sahel, the region that skirts the southern fringe of the Sahara Desert. Islamist groups such as Boko Haram have used the vast and relatively empty area to hide, recruit and organize. Now the threat is increasingly spilling over into nearby countries. Terrorist attacks struck Ivory Coast in 2016 and have occurred in Burkina Faso repeatedly since then. Multiple suspected terrorists have been arrested recently in the West African nations of Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. The latter, historically one of West Africas most stable nations, is now holding its largest-ever terrorism trial, with 29 people accused of trying to create an Islamic State-style caliphate in the region. Al-Qaeda affiliates in the area have also issued a new wave of threats against Western interests in West Africa, with one group identifying Senegal and Guinea, which have soldiers in a U.N. peacekeeping mission in neighboring Mali, as priority targets. Since the terror attacks in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, it has been clear that no country is completely immune. Anywhere there are embassies, international organizations, multinationals and especially Westerners there are targets, said Vincent Foucher, a research fellow at Frances National Center for Scientific Research who focuses on the Sahel. The presence of terrorist groups nearby has helped stoke the threat. Some of the suspected terrorists on trial in Senegal were trained in Nigeria by Boko Haram and some even met and received money from the groups leader, Abubakar Shekau, according to testimony given to investigators. Others had ties to extremist groups in Libya and northern Mali, according to court documents obtained by The Washington Post. And a late-2015 intelligence report obtained by The Post said instability made Guinea-Bissau a refuge for international terrorists from groups such as al-Qaeda and Boko Haram. As the trial in Senegal has illustrated, militants are returning from fighting with such groups in places like Libya, Mali and northern Nigeria, bringing ideologies, contacts and sometimes thousands of dollars home to start new cells. The investigations that led to the trial started in July 2015 thanks to a Facebook post showing Senegalese fighters who allegedly died while in combat alongside Islamist groups in Libya. Would-be terrorists also enjoy easy movement between West African countries. The 15-member Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, allows citizens of those countries to travel around the region without visas, and border areas are often poorly controlled. Governments, meanwhile, are often unable to track suspicious people as they move. Because of its [political] fragility, [Guinea-Bissau] is easy to penetrate. People can stay unnoticed for a long time, a senior Bissau-Guinean intelligence official told The Post. People suspected of having links with terrorist groups should be followed once they enter the country, he said, but the countrys intelligence services do not have so much as a car available to conduct surveillance operations. The state should have a prevention strategy. But the state is weak, said Aristides Gomes, Guinea-Bissaus newly appointed head of government, to The Post in an interview. Even ramped-up military operations in the Sahel may not solve the problem. U.S. and European troops are on the ground there with a regional force made up of troops from Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad and backed by millions of dollars in international funding. But the presence of soldiers could lead to a scattering of the terror threat in the region, according to Pierre Lapaque, who heads the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in West Africa. The explosion of militant groups that has plagued Mali since 2012 is still unlikely in the rest of the region. Rather than networks controlled by the jihadist groups fighting elsewhere, there is a web of members and ex-members, sympathizers that jihadist groups can call on, said Foucher, the researcher. But there are worries that West Africans are underestimating the threat, while politicians are nervous talking about radical Islamists as they woo Muslim voters. [Senegal] neglected the fight against violent extremism to avoid alarming tourists and foreign investors, said Bakary Sambe, the director of the Dakar-based Timbuktu Institute and a coordinator for the Observatory on Religious Radicalism and Conflicts in Africa. The current trial could lead to a shift in Senegals approach to counterterrorism, with harsh sentences used as a show of force designed to deter potential followers. But experts say a fair trial will be instrumental in preventing others from joining them. Often, state repression, especially torture and extrajudicial killings, are factors pushing people towards jihadism, Foucher said. From this point of view, the fact that Senegal is granting an official trial to suspected jihadists is to be encouraged. by Anna Pujol-Mazzini The US is set to scale back aid to African military units fighting terrorism, as it realigns its defence strategy to compete with more traditional threats from China and Russia. The shift comes despite a growing terrorist threat on the continent that has led to an increased American presence, resulting in attacks on US forces in Niger and Somalia that have left six US service members dead since early 2017. Militants last month even penetrated the headquarters of a military task force in Mali. American counterterrorism aid to sub-Saharan Africa a category that covers 46 countries increased dramatically in recent years as the terrorist threat expanded on the continent, rising to $954m in fiscal years 2015-18 from $327m in fiscal years 2011-14, according to Security Assistance Monitor, which analyses US security spending. But under the Trump administrations new defence strategy, that is all likely to change. In accordance with the national defense strategy, were going to see a shift in resources from dealing with violent extremist organizations first and foremost, to empowering our allies and partners to deal with some of the new old threats, Greg Pollock, the US acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for security co-operation, said in an interview. The most recent national defence strategy report, unveiled in early 2018 by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, cautions about the return to an era of great power conflict with adversaries such as China and Russia. Africa is mentioned only once in the unclassified summary of the strategy, in a section about strengthening alliances and attracting new partners. The shift means Americas allies in Africa find themselves in an all-too-familiar place. They had this brief period where some types of military assets were more available to them, said Alice Hunt Friend, an Africa security specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. But its not going to be unusual or unfamiliar to folks in the Africa-US security space to work with a reduction in resources because thats just where Africa has fallen on the priority list. That is not to say the anti-terrorism campaign in Africa from Boko Haram militants in Nigeria to Islamic State offshoots in Niger is being abandoned. Beheadings put $30bn in gas investments at risk in Mozambique The government has arrested hundreds of people and closed some mosques to try to quell the extremism, but some experts say a harsh response could manifest The American military has more than 7,000 personnel deployed across Africa, including 800 troops in Niger, where four US troops were killed in an ambush last year. In central Niger, the US is spending more than $100m on a drone base to help target terrorists. Separately, the Pentagon will also send more than $100m in aid to seven countries in Africa as part of a program to support the forces it sees as best able to combat a growing list of terror groups, according to a Pentagon document obtained by Bloomberg. The bulk of the support, about $70m, will go to Uganda, with nations including Cameroon, Kenya, Mauritania and Nigeria getting the rest. The money will go towards training and materiel, including Humvees, weapons and drones. But to bring Washingtons military aid programmes in line with the vision spelled out in the national defence strategy, the Defence Department is preparing to increase aid to countries in Europe and in the domain of the newly re-christened Indo-Pacific command. Some of that will come by putting fewer resources into Africa. Those plans are being made even as President Donald Trump has been critical of the Nato alliance and accused allies of not paying enough for their defence. For the Pentagon, its a question of risk: what can the department afford to sacrifice in the near term, in order to ensure it stays on top of evolving threats, particularly from countries that are intent on challenging the USs historic military advantage. Russias continued meddling in Ukraine has worried Americas Nato allies, while China has showed renewed aggressiveness in the South China Sea. The countrys vice-president brushes off the act of terrorism and assures citizens that the July 30 election will go ahead as planned Theres no doubt that there will continue to be risks associated with terrorist groups in Africa, Pollock said. We need to balance those risks against the risks of longer term strategic loss of position in the Pacific and Europe. Pollock said the Pentagon would not initiate a precipitous decline in aid to countries in Africa but would work to gradually realign its spending with the guidance of the new national defence strategy. According to Friend, this means spending on military aid in Africa will fall back to 2014 levels, even though the underlying causes of the security crises on the continent will remain largely unaddressed. In the meantime, US troops have continued to find themselves in harms way. In October 2017, militants associated with Islamic State in the Greater Sahara ambushed Nigerien and American troops outside the village of Tongo Tongo. Reinforcements, backed by two French jets, dispersed the militants but not before four American soldiers were killed and others wounded. An American soldier was killed in Somalia last month in an attack carried out by al-Shabaab, a Somali extremist group. Four other American soldiers were wounded in the strike. While some members of Congress including South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham have voiced support for an expanded military role on the continent, the Pentagon has signalled it is willing to reduce the number of special operations troops there to preserve forces for other parts of the world. A review of the number and character of special operations deployments could result in a 50% reduction in their presence in Africa, according to a June 4 report by the New York Times. The shift in strategy underscores the difficult nature of the problems that have been developing in the region over the last several years, according to Friend. This is just going to roil regardless of our presence because most of this is fundamentally about politics and economics, she said. But if we were to pull out and the French were to pull out that could make it hard for these governments to stay in power. Mauritanias deputy chief of staff General Hanena Ould Sidi will take charge of the five-nation G5 Sahel force following a series of deadly jihadist rebel attacks, official sources said. The decision to remove Malian commander General Didier Dacko from the post was reached July 2 at a G5 meeting of Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad but not announced, the sources told AFP late on Saturday. A spate of attacks in Mali and neighbouring Niger has left more than two dozen people dead since the end of June, including a suicide bombing at the G5 headquarters in central Mali on June 29. The day after the bombing, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, hosting an African Union summit of more than 40 leaders, pointed to failings at the French-backed G5 force which is supposed to lead the fight against terrorism in the region. If the headquarters has been attacked, its because there are a huge number of failings that we must correct if we want to bring stability to the Sahel region, he said. General Hanena Ould Sidi has been officially appointed to lead the combined forces of G5 Sahel, an official source told AFP. The general ran military intelligence in Mauritania, a field where G5 has been found to be sorely lacking, the UN and experts say. His deputy will be Chadian general Oumar Bikimo who led his countrys forces to fight jihadists in Mali in 2013. Bikimo, who replaces Burkina Fasos Major Colonel Yaya Sere, was deputy chief of the UNs MINUSMA peace-keeping mission in Mali from 2015-2016. The suicide bombing was the first attack on the headquarters of G5, set up with French support in 2017 to fight Islamist insurgents and criminal groups in the vast and unstable Sahel region. The Al-Qaeda-linked Support Group for Islam and Muslims, the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel, claimed both the attack on the G5 base and another on French troops in northern Mali on July 1. The G5 aims to have a total of 5,000 troops but has faced funding problems and lack of equipment. It is intended to operate alongside Frances 4,000 troops in the troubled tri-border area where Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso meet, and alongside the UNs 12,000-strong MINUSMA operation. President Donald Trump View Photos During the Weekly Address, President Trump said that Democrat politicians have called to abolish ICE and that his administration has ICEs back. Trump was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: On September 11th, 2001, America suffered the worst terrorist attacks in our history. The attacks were carried out by foreign nationals who exploited our lax immigration laws and defrauded our immigration system in order to murder nearly 3,000 innocent people. Following the attacks, Congress placed most immigration enforcement functions within a new agency known as the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, meaning ICE. One of the critical lessons of 9/11 is that immigration enforcement saves lives. We must enforce the rules against visa fraud, illegal overstay, illegal entry, and other immigration violations and crimes; and crimes they are believe me, crimes they are. These are the practices exploited by terrorists, drug dealers, child smugglers, human traffickers, gang members and countless unknown and unregistered criminals to gain illicit access to our country and threaten our citizens. In fiscal year 2017 alone, ICE arrested more than 127,000 aliens charged or convicted of crimes inside of the United States. These were very serious crimes and far too many of them. Yet, leading Democrat politicians have called to abolish ICE nobody even believes it, they want to abolish ICE in other words, they want open borders and more crime. And thats what youre going to get. Youll get more crime as you open up those borders. Last week, 167 Democrats in the House of Representatives refused to vote for a resolution to support the heroes of ICE. These are brave and great men and women. Theyre in the trenches every day taking the fight straight to vicious gangs. They prey on our people, they hurt our people, they kill our people. Without the brave heroes of ICE, we would have no enforcement, no laws, no borders and therefore we wouldnt even have a country. So to the courageous public servants at ICE men and women, great ones: we want you to know that the American people are with you and my Administration has your back 100 percent. You are the heroes who protect the lives of our citizens, the safety of our communities, and the sovereignty of our great nation. We love you. We support you. And we always will stand with you. Thank you. And God Bless America. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Sonora, CA Environmental and public health officials are alerting residents that a human case of West Nile virus has been confirmed in Tuolumne County. Environmental Health Director Rob Kostlivy shares that last Friday he received notification of what he is describing as an isolated case. The news has triggered an investigation into where the patient might have been exposed as well as examining the family members to determine whether or not they, too, may have exposure risk. Eight in ten people who are exposed to West Nile virus (WNV) show no sign of illness upon being infected, according to Kostlivy. He adds that the other 20 percent may experience a range of flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and/or swollen lymph glands. Officials stress that about one percent of the population do develop serious neurological symptoms relating to encephalitis or meningitis, which are illnesses caused by inflammation of the brain, membranes surrounding the brain and/or spinal cord. Signs are high fever, serious headache and neck stiffness; other symptoms may include stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. However, Kostlivy stresses that these instances are very rare and only occur in about one in 150 people who have the active WNV in their body. It should be noted that those with compromised immune systems and/or certain medical conditions (cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, organ transplant recipients) are also at greater risk for developing severe symptoms and illness with those over age 60 being the most susceptible. Use Three D Protection Humans can prevent exposure to mosquito bites and West Nile virus by practicing what Kostlivy refers to as the Three Ds. Below are the basic directions: 1. DEET Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaradin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 according to label instructions. Repellents keep the mosquitoes from biting. DEET can be used safely on infants and children two months of age and older. 2. DAWN AND DUSK The mosquitoes that transmit WNV bite in the early morning and evening, so it is important to wear proper clothing and repellent if outside during these times. Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes. Repair or replace screens with tears or holes. 3. DRAIN Mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water. Eliminate or drain all sources of standing water around homes and properties, including buckets, old car tires, rain gutters, birdbaths, and pet bowls. If a swimming pool is not being properly maintained, please contact environmental health to report green pools. What Spreads The Virus The main species of mosquitoes responsible for spreading WNV are Culex mosquitoes. Widespread in California, they feed on birds mosquitoes main host as well as other animals, and humans. Kostlivy says mosquitoes get the virus by feeding on an infected bird, and may transmit the virus to humans the next time they bite. Culex mosquitoes tend to bite in the morning and evening and are not known to spread Zika, dengue, or chikungunya viruses. In my other jurisdiction, I inspected a pond that had infected waterfowl [mallards], he recounts. The waterfowl behaved in an odd way; they would swim in a three-foot wide circle only to one side. Some bird species when infected produce high quantities of the virus, which can then be passed on to other mosquitoes that bite them, maintaining a bird-mosquito cycle. WNV infection has been reported in more than 225 bird species. Not all infected will appear ill, but the infection can cause serious illness and death in some. Signs in birds may include lethargy, uncoordinated movement, and difficulty breathing. The most severe illness and rapid death is seen among corvid birds, which include crows, jays, ravens, and magpies and tree squirrels with WNV can develop neurological symptoms such as uncoordinated movement, paralysis, shaking, or circling and may die, he points out. The public should be aware of birds that are lethargic, uncoordinated, or behaving oddly, Kostlivy emphasizes. Too, he warns, Horses can become ill from WNV through the bite of an infected mosquito. Clinical signs of WNV illness in horses may include stumbling, circling, hind leg weakness, inability to stand, drooping lips and lip smacking, hypersensitivity to touch or sound, muscle tremors, and death. He states that the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) recommends incorporation of a WNV vaccine as an annual core vaccine in equine vaccination protocols, advising horse owners to consult with a veterinarian about the WNV vaccine and other vaccines against mosquito-borne viruses, such as western equine encephalitis. A few months ago, we had an equine test positive for the WNV in the Don Pedro/La Grange area. You can call our office to report these animals for possible testing, Kostlivy directs. A television program written and produced by a former Midlander recently received silver and bronze awards during the national 39th annual Telly Awards. Linda Thorsen Bond wrote and produced the Longmont Channel video, "Hot Time in the Old Town --1925." The video received the Silver Telly Award for the People's Telly - TV Programs/Segments and a Bronze Award in the General-History television category. The program highlights the Hovers, a prominent family from Longmont, Colorado, who hosted famous suppers at historic Hover House. The suppers illustrated the hope, determination, commitment and success of the Longmont community, according to a press release about the award. "Last summer in Colorado, the television station in Longmont wanted to videotape the outdoor drama I was doing there, so I rewrote it for TV and they did an incredible job shooting and editing it," Bond said in an email. "The general manager of the TV station surprised us all by entering it to the Telly Awards. This was a huge, national win for all of us, including the actors, the production crew and the historic home. Before leaving Midland in 2002, Bond was a producer at KOSA-TV, director of development and marketing at Midland Community Theatre and executive director of the Arts Assembly of Midland. She wrote and produced historic plays about Midland's Brown Dorsey House, the Scarborough-Linebery House and the Santa Rita drilling rig at the Petroleum Museum. "I really owe a debt of thanks to Midland. That's where I wrote my first historic play 'The Wedding of Sarah Brown Dorsey,' she said. "It was so much fun I've kept on writing interactive historical dramas, and now I've written and produced about 20 of them. I've done other stage shows, like musicals in New York, Great Britain and all around the world. But it was really putting together a show to raise money for the Brown-Dorsey House that got me started." Bond said the People's Telly award has significant meaning because people from across the United States voted for the production. The General-History award was judged by experts to be one of the most significant historical productions of the year. "There's nothing more fun to me than creating immersive historic events that let people step into the past," Bond said. "It's an honor to be recognized for my work." College Heights Baptist Church, 802 Quincy St., will have its annual clothing giveaway from 8-11 a.m. on Saturday, in the church activity center. Clothing will be available for the whole family, along with some household items. It is free and open to the public. The youth at First Presbyterian Church are collecting canned goods, monetary donations, toilet paper and soap for Faith In Sharing House (FISH). To help, drop off items at 2101 Utica from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday or Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call (806) 296-2604 for additional information. Catholic Charities of Lubbock and the Youth and Family program provide youth skills-building counseling through the S.T.A.R. program. S.T.A.R. (Services to At Risk Youth) offers short-term services to youth ages 0-17 and their families who are dealing with conflict at home, school attendance issues, delinquency, or have a youth who runs away from home. S.T.A.R. services are not for families with an open CPS investigation or youth who have been adjudicated delinquent by a juvenile court. All services are without charge. Call (806) 296-7044 and ask a youth case manager for more information. Plainview Habitat for Humanity is a Christian, nonprofit housing organization, is currently accepting applications. Visit www.plainviewhabitat.org for application criteria and information. To contact its team, email plainview_habitat@yahoo.com or write Plainview Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 1125, Plainview, TX 79073. Covenant Health Plainview hosts the cancer survivors prayer support group "We Fight to Live" from 7-8 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month in Room B. The sessions will consist of a monthly topic and presenter, and a structured segment, allowing time for group sharing. The support group is open to those with a cancer diagnosis and anyone affected by their diagnosis. The group is led by Andrea Ingram, a cancer survivor, as well as Sherry Wall, hospital mission services. There is no charge for the group. For more information contact Andrea Ingram at (806) 293-7614 or Sherry Wall at (806) 291-3364. The Apostolic Lighthouse Church, 1504 Houston in Plainview, invites the public to pray at the church from 6-7 p.m. each Friday. You don't need to be a member of the church to attend and pray. For those who are homebound or sick, the church ministry will come and pray for you at your home. Call Pastor Armando Cardenas at 806-729-4057 for information. Alvin Petty will pick up garage sale-types of items, with proceeds going to the Ideal Village Chapel Scholarship Fund. Call (806) 685-2604. Bethel Baptist Church will host a free showing of I Can Only Imagine on Sunday at 5 p.m. The church is located at 1700 N. Interstate 27. St. Paul the Apostle Church in Kress will host its annual jamaica on Aug. 26. WASHINGTON - In one of his first acts as President Donald Trump's Veterans Affairs secretary, Robert Wilkie intends to reassign several high-ranking political appointees at the center of the agency's ongoing morale crisis and staffing exodus, according to three people familiar with his plans. Wilkie, who will be sworn in Monday, wants to form his own leadership team, these people say, and to ease lawmakers' continued concern that VA, historically a nonpartisan corner of the government, has become highly politicized. He discussed the proposed personnel moves with Trump in recent days aboard Air Force One, while en route to a veterans convention in Kansas City, Missouri, said an official close to the White House who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Announcements could come as soon as this week, pending approval from the White House Personnel Office. Carla Gleason, a spokeswoman for Wilkie, declined to comment on specific reassignments, saying in an email this past week that "any leadership changes will be announced next week." VA officials referred a request for comment to the White House press office, which did not respond. John Hoellwarth, communications director for AMVETS, an advocacy group with more than 250,000 members, praised Wilkie for acting quickly to ensure that VA "is driven by a desire to serve veterans first." "Over the last year at VA, widely publicized internal political turmoil among senior officials has gotten in the way of serving veterans," Hoellwarth said, "and it seems like Wilkie is acting decisively to stamp that out on his watch." The changes would sideline much of VA's interim leadership team under acting secretary Peter O'Rourke, who drew unfavorable reviews from lawmakers in both political parties following a dispute with the agency's inspector general and a Washington Post report that highlighted O'Rourke's efforts to purge civil servants and some political appointees whom he and others installed by Trump deemed unsupportive of the president's agenda. O'Rourke, a former Trump campaign worker, will be reassigned to a less visible role overseeing a new office focused on improving VA operations, according to people familiar with Wilkie's plans. The position does not require Senate confirmation. O'Rourke and others who face reassignment have told Congress they were trying to improve the effectiveness of an agency that has long struggled to provide timely health care and benefits to veterans, and to root out poor performers. Instead, they have estranged many career staffers who serve veterans day-to-day. Wilkie, who oversaw military personnel policy at the Pentagon before Trump tapped him to lead VA, is expected to name Pamela Powers his chief of staff, according to people familiar with Wilkie's plans. She has filled that role for him at the Defense Department. VA's general counsel, James Byrne, a Trump appointee, is expected be named acting deputy secretary. The role has been vacant since Thomas Bowman retired in June. Bowman was isolated by O'Rourke and the other appointees, who viewed him as too moderate. Wilkie will face multiple challenges leading VA, which has lacked a permanent leader since Trump fired former secretary David Shulkin in March amid a highly publicized power struggle between Shulkin and O'Rourke and his team. VA has numerous leadership vacancies. There is no permanent deputy secretary, the department's No. 2 leadership post; there is no undersecretary for VA's health system, the largest in the country; there is no deputy undersecretary for health; there is no assistant secretary for information technology. Additionally, dozens of senior-level staff have departed VA amid the turmoil that has marked the past six months, leaving numerous vacancies. Other expected reassignments include Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd, VA's deputy chief of staff, who has served as acting chief of staff since May and carried out the reassignments of many civil servants. Hayes-Byrd may take an acting role in human resources, according to two people familiar with Wilkie's thinking. John Ullyot, VA's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, will likely be reassigned to a role running internal communications, these people said. Ullyot, a former Senate aide, openly clashed with Shulkin and left VA on paid leave for several weeks at the end of Shulkin's tenure, returning after the secretary's firing. VA press secretary Curt Cashour, a former Capitol Hill aide who has clashed with reporters, is said to be searching for another job in the Trump administration, according to people familiar with the matter. Camilo Sandoval, acting chief information officer and the former director of data operations for Trump's campaign - who received poor reviews from lawmakers on his progress overseeing a $16 billion project to modernize VA's electronic health records system - is expected to leave the administration in coming months, according to a person familiar with his plans. After The Post's report revealed that O'Rourke had taken aggressive steps to sideline or reassign employees who were perceived to be disloyal, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., moved quickly to get Wilkie in place. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and seven other Senate Democrats have called for an investigation into political interference in VA's "transparency processes." Three House Democrats this month called on the Justice Department to investigate whether O'Rourke lied during congressional testimony related to a VA inspector general investigation of the agency's Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection. During Wilkie's confirmation hearing in June, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., told the nominee that sinking morale at VA would be Wilkie's biggest challenge. According to data compiled by the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, more than 26,000 full-time employees left VA last year, with most quitting or retiring. U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway of Midland was one of six Texas Republicans to receive financial support from President Donald Trump, according to a report Friday in the Texas Tribune. Trumps re-election campaign announced last week that it was donating the maximum contribution possible to about 100 House and Senate Republican candidates ahead of midterm elections in which multiple polls suggest Democrats could be poised for big wins, according to the Tribune story. Ensuring Republican victories across the country this November is of the utmost importance to continue accomplishing our agenda, Conaway wrote in a statement to the Reporter-Telegram. Im proud to stand with the president in this effort. Conaway was a more surprising pick for being singled out by Trump as he represents a solidly Republican district, wrote Tribune reporter Claire Parker. Proof of that can be seen in past election results, as Conaway has easily defeated all comers in general elections during his time in Congress. This November, Conaway goes up against Democrat Jennie Lou Leeder of Llano. Conaway is expected to be the favorite because of his support from Midland, Odessa and San Angelo. Since he was first elected in 2004, Conaway has received an average of 86.33 percent of the vote in the general election. Conaway has faced a Democratic opponent in only three of his seven general elections. The highest percentage of the vote a Democrat has received is 21.79 percent (Wayne Raasch in 2004). The three times a Democrat has appeared on the general election ballot against Conaway -- 2004, 2010 and 2012 the candidate has garnered an average of 18.56 percent of the vote. Conaway has run unopposed once (2006). Trumps maximum contribution possible will make the rich richer as Conaway went into July with a sizable advantage when it came to campaign cash on hand. According to the Federal Ethics Commission, Conaway had $1.51 million cash at hand at the end of June. Leeder reported $6,382. Conaways prowess when it comes to fundraising is shown in the report that covers the period from Jan. 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. The report shows $1.701 million in total receipts raised, including $657,873 in individual contributions and $994,665 in committee contributions. The report also shows $1.557 million in total disbursements. Leeders report ending June 30, 2018, shows $40,489 in total receipts and $42,105 in disbursements. The Tribune reported Republican National Committee spokesperson Christiana Purves confirmed Friday that the other candidates from Texas to receive contributions from Trump are U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess of Lewisville, John Carter of Round Rock, Michael Cloud of Victoria, John Culberson of Houston and Pete Sessions of Dallas. Three of those Republicans Carter, Culberson and Sessions recently learned they had been outraised by their Democratic challengers in the second quarter of the year, the latest sign, according to the Tribune, that Democrats are aiming to compete in more Texas congressional districts than they have in a generation. Plainview Police responded to a report of an assault at the 2400 block of N. Columbia St. just after 1 a.m. on Tuesday. Officials were called to the 1000 block of W. Fifth St. on Monday in response to a burglary around 10:20 a.m. The burglars forced entry, destroyed a slot machine and took more than $2100 and a television. According to the incident report, police have video footage from the scene. An Xbox 1 was taken from a residence Monday at the 1000 block of Nassau. Plainview Police were called to the residence around 5:40 p.m. Plainview Police arrested a male on a charge of a misdemeanor warrant at the 1000 block of Kokomo last Friday around 11 p.m. Two people were arrested Saturday at the 500 block of Independence on misdemeanor warrants. Police were called to the scene around 1:15 p.m. and arrested a man and a woman. Police arrested two people last Friday at the 200 block of St. Louis St. around 5:30 p.m. A man and woman were arrested on warrants. Officers responded to a theft at the 400 block of N. Interstate-27 Saturday around 1:45 p.m. The victim reported a loss of a 12-volt car battery. Plainview Police made an arrest at the 100 block of N. Columbia St. Saturday just before 9:20 a.m. A male was arrested on two charges a warrant and driving with an invalid license with previous conviction/suspension without financial responsibility. One individual was arrested last Friday just before 9 p.m. at the 800 block of Oakland. One male was arrested on a count of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle and a misdemeanor warrant. Plainview Police were called to the 900 block of S. Columbia on Sunday around 11:45 p.m. in response to a theft. The victim reported a stolen wallet. One male was arrested at the 600 block of 11th St. Sunday around 9:35 a.m. on a misdemeanor warrant. Two people were arrested Saturday for theft at the 1500 block of N. Interstate-27. Plainview Police were called to the Walmart around 2:45 p.m. in response to shoplifting. Two males were arrested on one charge of theft, each. Responding officers recovered stolen PS4 video games and Nintendo Switch controllers. Officers responded to a vehicle theft at the 2800 block of Dimmitt Road last Friday just before 8:30 a.m. One person was arrested at the 800 block of W. 11th St. last Friday around 6:45 p.m. on a charge of a misdemeanor warrant. A male and female were arrested Sunday just before 11:40 p.m. at the 1300 block of W. Fifth St. on warrants. One person was arrested at the 2500 block of W. 11th St. last Friday just after 11 p.m. on a charge of a warrant. Plainview Police were called to the 1500 block of Portland Sunday just after 9 a.m. in response to damaged property. Responding officers found an estimated $700 worth of damage to vehicle parts/accessories. Officers were called to the 1900 block of W. 26th St. Sunday at 10:50 a.m. in response to a theft. The victim reported stolen audio equipment from his vehicle. Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Senegal as the first West African country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China during his state visit on Saturday, with Chinese experts hailing the development as a milestone to kick-start a new era of China-Africa friendship as well as inject new impetus in the regions sustainable development. Xi arrived in Dakar, capital and the largest city of Senegal for a first state visit by a Chinese head of state in nine years, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Xi and his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall held talks Saturday and vowed to create a better future for China-Senegal ties, Xinhua reported. After their talks, Xi received Senegals top medal of honor from Sall, and the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents, including one on joint building of the Belt and Road. The signing of such a document is of great exemplary value as an overwhelming majority of African countries are heavily influenced by their former colonizers, such as France and the UK, although there are many China-Africa cooperation projects already going on all over the continent, said Meng Guangwen, a professor at Tianjin Normal University. It will open a new era for the development of the China-proposed initiative in African countries, under which all counties have access to cooperation based on mutual trust, mutual respect, win-win and mutual benefit, Meng told the Global Times on Sunday. China will continue to uphold the spirit of teaching a man to fish, expand and deepen cooperation with Senegal, and enhance its ability in independent development, Xi said. Senegal, Sall said, admires Chinas development achievements, appreciates Chinas precious support for Senegalese economic and social development and its implementation of a revitalization plan. Chinas Belt and Road initiative could be smoothly linked with Senegalese domestic development as key areas of the initiative overlap with the Emerging Senegal Plan and Senegal will become a bridgehead of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in West Africa, said He Wenping, a research fellow at the Institute of West Asian and African Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences based in Beijing. She told the Global Times on Sunday that China would not solely help build infrastructure such as highways, bridges and ports for these countries, but also help develop local maritime and tourism resources, introduce fishing and sea product processing technologies. Chinas help with core competitive industries will bring about a better debt-repayment capability and eventually improve the investment environment for African countries, driving them to a sustainable mode of development, Meng noted. Xi published a signed article SUNU JAPPO, China and Senegal! in mainstream Senegalese newspaper Le Soleil ahead of his state visit to the country. China has become Senegals second-largest trading partner and the top importer of Senegalese peanuts. China-Senegal trade volume has grown 16 times in just over a decade. China is also Senegals biggest source of financing, according to the article published on Friday. Many China-funded projects, including the Foundiougne bridge and the Thies-Touba highway, will boost Senegals economic growth. A rural water supply project funded by China, including 251 wells and 1,800 kilometers of pipelines, will benefit one-seventh of Senegals population, the article read. The Thies-Touba highway project is carried out by the China International Water & Electric Corp, and Liu Zengxue, the companys general manager told China Central Television on Sunday that the completion of the highway will link the three major Senegalese cities Dakar, Thies and Touba, effectively facilitating local tourism development and the countrys cement exports. Meanwhile, the construction project provides job opportunities to nearly 5,000 local residents, according to Liu. Xi has already visited the United Arab Emirates and will pay state visits to Rwanda and South Africa, attend the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, and visit Mauritius during a stopover, Xinhua said. Armed clashes broke out between the Joint Security Room of Murzuq (JSRM) and gunmen from Qatrun town, southwest Libya, the JSRM reported Saturday. The spokesman of the JSRM, Jaber Mohammed confirmed in a press statement that at least one person was killed and two others injured, claiming that the gunmen are likely to belong to a Chadian opposition group. He further added that their forces were able to arrest nine people during the clashes that took place in the area known as the forest of Tjeri in Qatrun, while in turn; the armed group kidnapped two members of the security room in response to the arrest of its gunmen. In the maze of subsidiaries that make up Goldman Sachs Group, two in London have nearly identical names: Goldman Sachs International and Goldman Sachs International Bank. Both trade financial instruments known as derivatives with hedge funds, insurers, governments and other clients. U.S. regulators, however, get detailed information only about the derivatives traded by Goldman Sachs International. Thanks to a loophole in laws enacted in response to the financial crisis, trades by Goldman Sachs International Bank dont have to be reported. A decade after a financial crisis fueled in part by a tangled web of derivatives, regulators still have an incomplete picture of who holds what in this $600 trillion market. Its a global market, so you really have to have a global set of data, said Werner Bijkerk, the former head of research at the International Organization of Securities Commissions, an umbrella group for regulators around the world overseeing derivatives markets. You can start running stress tests and see where the weaknesses are. With this kind of patchwork, you will never be able to see that. Derivatives are instruments whose values are derived from the prices of other things, like a stock or a barrel of oil or a bundle of mortgages. Originally designed to protect their holders against future risks, they evolved into vehicles that traders used for financial speculation. Unlike stocks, they often arent traded over public exchanges, which means the market and who is exposed to what is opaque. The 2010 Dodd-Frank law was supposed to improve regulators ability to monitor derivatives. U.S. banks had to start reporting specifics about their trades, including whom they traded with, to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The goal was to prevent a recurrence of the financial crisis, when fatal problems at Lehman Brothers caused a tidal wave of troubles at other banks that were connected through derivatives. In part because nobody could map out those connections, nobody knew where problems lurked, and fearful banks stopped lending to one another. But the Dodd-Frank Act contained a big gap: Banks dont have to disclose to U.S. regulators their holdings of derivatives housed in certain offshore entities. The critical variable is whether the U.S. parent company is legally on the hook to bail out its foreign subsidiary if it gets into trouble. As long as the answer is no, the foreign entity isnt subject to the Dodd-Frank requirements. The size and severity of this blind spot are hard to measure. One consequence is that U.S. regulators are unable to grasp the full exposure of U.S. banks to their foreign rivals. Germanys troubled Deutsche Bank, for example, is one of the largest players in the derivatives market, and much of its derivatives trading occurs in foreign markets that are outside the purview of U.S. regulators. That means they have limited visibility into U.S. banks connections to Deutsche Bank. Other countries regulators can seek information about those holdings, but they generally do not collect the same data that is reported to U.S. regulators. The Dodd-Frank law didnt really give a mandate to coordinate on the things that naturally would benefit most from coordination, one of which is the flow of information, said Guy Dempsey, a derivatives lawyer. Goldman, for example, reports its total exposure to the derivatives market as a single number: The bank had $45 billion in over-the-counter derivatives alone on its balance sheet at the end of 2017. Because of the trading in its Goldman Sachs International Bank unit and other foreign subsidiaries, a certain amount of those trades are invisible to U.S. regulators. A Goldman spokesman said less than 1 percent of the banks global derivatives activity wasnt visible to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, but he declined to comment further. For JPMorgan Chase, trades not reported to the commission account for less than 10 percent of all the banks derivatives, a spokesman said. (The firm reported $56.5 billion in outstanding derivatives for 2017.) A Citigroup spokeswoman said the banks European derivatives trades were made predominantly through subsidiaries that reported their trades to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The portion of Bank of Americas derivatives portfolio that isnt reported to regulators is not discernible in its public filings. A bank spokesman would say only that the percentage is small. A Morgan Stanley spokesman said virtually all of its trades were reported to U.S. regulators. The banks say that they arent trying to hide anything and that in some cases they are responding to demands from overseas clients who dont want the U.S. government looking at their transactions. Even foreign bank regulators argue theres no reason U.S. law should apply to financial instruments held outside the United States. This problem, I think, is really driven more by regulators each wanting their own silo, said Sheila Bair, a former chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. I think the industry would be fine with some type of consolidated reporting. Dempsey, the lawyer, said, What you have is a picture that has more clarity to it than what the regulators had in 2008, but you still dont have maximum clarity. Regulators can still monitor risk for individual institutions. The Federal Reserve, for example, can ask for specific information about derivatives trades as it sees fit. But because the trades arent automatically reported, the regulator would have to decide which trades to ask about beforehand. Theoretically, the Fed could ask for banks to report every single trade, but the central bank hasnt done that. In October 2016, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposed a rule that would have closed the reporting loophole by requiring all U.S. bank subsidiaries to report their derivatives exposure. It also would have subjected the subsidiaries to financial regulations that would have made derivatives trading less profitable. The banking industry opposed the rule. After President Donald Trump took office, it was never authorized. Officials at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission acknowledge that there is a problem. The agency noted in an April paper that the current reporting cannot provide regulators with a complete and accurate picture of risks in the market. Even so, Amir Zaidi, the director of the commissions market oversight division, said more data was available to regulators now than before the financial crisis, enough to enable effective oversight. In a recent paper, a University of Maryland law professor, Michael Greenberger, argued that banks were exploiting the disclosure loophole and creating a major vulnerability for the financial system. The largest banks have engineered a way to evade Dodd-Franks regulations at will, Greenberger wrote. He warned that in a period of financial stress, derivatives cause cascading losses. Because the ownership and connections of those derivatives remain murky, he wrote, the economic chaos and harm of the 2008 financial meltdown may very well be repeated. Greenbergers warnings published last month by the Institute for New Economic Thinking, a progressive think tank have been endorsed by the former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker and Thomas M. Hoenig, who stepped down as vice chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in April. Hoenig noted that the universe of derivatives was already very complicated, and so when you make it even more opaque in a foreign subsidiary, I think the ability to control outcomes is very different. He recalled earlier efforts to bring transparency to the derivatives markets. Such proposals were derailed by senior officials in the Clinton administration, and Hoenig warned against repeating that mistake. An increasingly popular culprit in the debate over high drug prices is the pharmaceutical rebate, the after-the-fact discounts that form the heart of the nations arcane many would say broken market for prescription drugs. Now, a growing chorus wants to get rid of them, or at least change the way they are applied after drug companies have already set their prices. Rebates, critics say, have pushed up the list price of brand-name drugs, which consumers are increasingly responsible for paying. Insurers generally get to keep the rebates without passing them along to their members. Last week, the drug industrys largest trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, took aim at the rebate system, proposing a change to the way middlemen handle rebates, and how those companies are paid. And the Trump administration has taken the first step toward eliminating a safe-harbor provision that allows rebates to be paid in Medicares Part D drug program without violating federal anti-kickback laws. The details, though sparse, briefly caused the fall of the stocks of major pharmacy benefit managers like Express Scripts and CVS Health as investors worried that company profits would be hurt by the rebates demise. Heres a rundown on everything you need to know about rebates. What is a rebate? Pharmaceutical rebates are similar to the type customers get for buying, for example, a toaster discounts that are redeemed after the transaction has taken place. Except with the toaster, the consumer gets to keep the money. With drug rebates, it is the insurer or employers who usually reap the benefit. Under the current system, drugmakers set a list price for their products, then negotiate with pharmacy benefit managers like Express Scripts or CVS over how much of a discount they will provide off that list price. The size of the rebate depends on a range of factors, including how many drugs are used by the insurers members, and how generously the product will be covered on a formulary, or list of covered medicines. Companies that offer bigger rebates are often rewarded with better access like smaller copayments. Most of the rebate and sometimes, all of it goes to those who are paying the bill for the drugs, mainly insurers or large employers who cover their workers health care. Pharmacy benefit managers usually keep a percentage of the rebate as payment. Insurers and employers get their rebates in lump sums that they say are often used to offset general health care costs and to hold down premiums. Whats all the fuss about? Although rebates have been used to negotiate drug prices for years, they did not catch much attention until 2011, when CVS, which operates one of the countrys largest pharmacy benefit managers, announced it was excluding 34 drugs from its national formulary. The rebate then became a potent negotiating tool, pitting drug companies against one another in an effort to secure a place on the formulary. Other benefit managers, like Express Scripts, soon followed suit. But that has led to an escalating game, where drug companies raise their list prices to maintain their profits and to offer bigger rebates. Some say the system has created a series of perverse incentives, where the middlemen have an interest in keeping the list price high. In addition to pharmacy benefit managers, wholesalers and pharmacies are also paid based on a percentage of the list price. Drugmakers on the defensive after weathering attacks by President Donald Trump, other elected officials and the public have pointed fingers at the pharmacy benefit managers, saying they are under pressure to raise list prices to keep all of these players happy. But pharmacy benefit managers and insurers disagree, arguing that rebates are a diversion and that their negotiating tactics have kept total drug costs in check. As proof they point to data that shows that in 2017, net spending on brand-name drugs grew only 1.9 percent, according to IQVIA, a drug research firm, while list prices grew 6.9 percent. In a twist, the pharmaceutical companies cite the same research to show that drug prices are not as steep as they seem. How are consumers affected? Even as insurers drug spending has grown slowly, critics say the rebate game has served to inflate the list price of drugs, which consumers are increasingly responsible for paying. This is especially true for expensive specialty drugs, which treat serious conditions like cancer and multiple sclerosis and whose prices have been skyrocketing. As the cost of these products has gone up, insurers have raised deductibles and out-of-pocket contributions so that many of the sickest Americans must now pay thousands of dollars a year to cover their drug costs. These out-of-pocket costs are calculated using something close to the list price of a product, not the net price. Whats being proposed? Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of health and human services, has singled out rebates as a primary way that patients costs could fall. Right now, everybody in the system makes their money off a percentage of list prices, Azar testified in June before a Senate committee. We may need to move toward a system without rebates. Last week, the Trump administration signaled that it might try to end the safe harbor exemption that protects rebates from falling under anti-kickback laws. That would affect government programs like Medicares Part D drug plans, but it would not affect rebates in private plans like those offered by employers. Changes to large programs like Medicare often have a rippling effect across the industry. Pharmacy benefit managers and insurers warn that eliminating rebates could face legal hurdles, and said that the move could wind up raising consumers premiums because insurers and employers use their rebate payments to plug other holes. Plan costs in the short run would go up thats just the reality of the situation, said David Dross, the national leader of the managed pharmacy practice at Mercer, which negotiates with pharmacy benefit managers on behalf of employers. Doing away with rebates will not fix other problems. The companies that sell the most expensive drugs newly approved products that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year do not offer many discounts because they have little to no competition. IQVIA, the drug research firm, found that rebates amounted to about 40 percent of the list price for treatments of some diseases, like diabetes. But they reduced the list price by only 10 percent in treating other diseases, like cancer. The Trump administration is also considering a proposal, first floated last fall, that would give a portion of rebates to Medicare beneficiaries at the pharmacy counter. The move would lower out-of-pocket costs for people with high drug bills, but could increase premiums for Medicare drug plans. Private insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, have also recently introduced plans that offer these point-of-sale rebates to some of their members. Will rebates disappear? Its unclear. The drug industry, though it has not specifically called for an end to rebates, has targeted the discounts and blamed the pharmacy benefit managers for the current situation. The industry is one of the most powerful lobbying forces in Washington, and with the support of Azar until recently a top executive with Eli Lilly it is not to be underestimated. But doing away with the rebate would create disruption that may be fought by a host of players. Things that seem simple, like lets cut the list price, are not actually simple, said Adam J. Fein, of the Drug Channels Institute. Under the current rebate system, he said, unless everybody does it at the same time, you cant reset the system. Thats the challenge of this. Convicted felon and former state Sen. Carlo Uresti will have to wait a couple of weeks to find out if he can start collecting his state pension. On Monday, a federal judge rescheduled a hearing on Urestis request to start receiving his pension. It had been set for Tuesday morning, but will be Aug. 14 instead. John Ritenour Jr., Urestis court-appointed lawyer, asked for the postponement in a Sunday court filing because he said he has not sufficiently mastered the issues at hand such that he could attempt to reach a negotiated resolution. A July 20 court filing said Uresti needs the pension checks because he doesnt have the money to survive. Attorney Michael McCrum, part of Urestis legal defense team during a five-week trial that ended in his conviction on 11 felony charges in February, filed the court document. RELATED: Famous S.A. house flipper sued again Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra last week, though, ruled McCrum cant appear on Urestis behalf now that the disgraced ex-lawmaker has a court-appointed lawyer handling his appeal. Uresti has valued his pension at more than $80,000 a year, a benefit for having served 21 years in the state Legislature. He resigned last month from the Senate just days before the judge sentenced him to 12 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $6.3 million to his victims. They were investors in a oil field services company that was a Ponzi scheme. Prosecutors have opposed to Urestis pension request, saying in a Friday court filing that he and his estranged wife want to retain control of property that rightfully belongs to his victims. Before Ezras ruling Monday, prosecutors asked that Tuesdays hearing go forward as scheduled. They argued that Uresti is not entitled to have a court-appointed lawyer paid for by taxpayers representing him on matters related to the enforcement of the criminal judgment. Prosecutors added that Uresti, who gave up his law license earlier this year rather than face disciplinary action, could represent himself during the hearing. Patrick Danner is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD NEW YORK McDonalds is fighting to hold onto customers as the Big Mac turns 50, but it isnt changing the makings of its most famous burger. The company is celebrating the 1968 national launch of the double-decker sandwich whose ingredients of two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and a sesame seed bun were seared into American memories by a TV jingle. But the milestone comes as the company reduces its number of U.S. stores. McDonalds said Thursday that customers are visiting less often. Other trendy burger options are reaching into the heartland. The Golden Arches still have a massive global reach, and the McDonalds brand of cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets and french fries remains recognizable around the world. But on its critical home turf, the company is toiling to stay relevant. Kale now appears in salads, fresh has replaced frozen beef patties in Quarter Pounders, and some stores now offer ordering kiosks, food delivery and barista-style cafes. The milestone for the Big Mac shows how much McDonalds and the rest of fast-food have evolved around it. Clearly, weve gotten a little more sophisticated in our menu development, McDonalds CEO Steve Easterbrook said in a phone interview. As with many of its popular and long-lasting menu items, the idea for the Big Mac came from a franchisee. In 1967, Michael James Jim Delligatti lobbied the company to let him test the burger at his Pittsburgh restaurants. Later, he acknowledged the Big Macs similarity to a popular sandwich sold by the Big Boy chain. This wasnt like discovering the light bulb. The bulb was already there. All I did was screw it in the socket, Delligatti said, according to Behind the Arches. McDonalds agreed to let Delligatti sell the sandwich at a single location, on the condition that he use the companys standard bun. It didnt work. Delligatti tried a bigger sesame seed bun, and the burger soon lifted sales by more than 12 percent. After similar results at more stores, the Big Mac was added to the national menu in 1968. Other ideas from franchisees that hit the big time include the Filet-O-Fish, Egg McMuffin, Apple Pie (once deep-fried but now baked), and the Shamrock Shake. The company has benefited from the ingenuity of its small business men, wrote Ray Kroc, who transformed the McDonalds into a global franchise, in his book, Grinding It Out. Franchisees still play an important role, driving the recent switch to fresh from frozen for the beef in Quarter Pounders, Easterbrook says. They also participate in menu development, which in the U.S. has included a series of cooking tweaks intended to improve taste. Messing with a signature menu item can be taboo, but keeping the Big Mac unchanged comes with its own risks. Newer chains such as Shake Shack and Five Guys offer burgers that can make the Big Mac seem outdated. Even White Castle is modernizing, recently adding plant-based Impossible Burger sliders at some locations. A McDonalds franchisee fretted in 2016 that only one out of five millennials has tried the Big Mac. The Big Mac had gotten less relevant, the franchisee wrote in a memo, according to the Wall Street Journal. McDonalds then ran promotions designed to introduce the Big Mac to more people. Those kind of periodic campaigns should help keep the Big Mac relevant for years to come, says Mike Delligatti, the son of the Big Mac inventor, who died last year. What iconic sandwich do you know that can beat the Big Mac as far as longevity? said Delligatti, himself a McDonalds franchisee. LAKEPORT, Lake County Firefighters made small but promising headway Monday on the two main fires bedeviling Northern California, but nobody was prepared to say the danger was over as the flames in Redding and near Clear Lake were being beaten away from homes and into wilderness areas. The worst of the threat remained in the resort towns on the western edge of Clear Lake, where the 68,487-acre Mendocino Complex fire surged to within a mile of the city of Lakeport, before being shoved back another mile by an army of fire crews armed with water-dropping helicopters. The string of little communities hugging the lakes northern shoreline, normally bustling with motor boats and fishermen this time of year, sat empty after emergency officials shooed more than 15,000 people away to safer locations to the south over the weekend and Monday. Rob Brown, a Lake County supervisor and veteran of earlier blazes in the area, said firefighters are doing what they can to keep it out of populated areas, and so far theyve made great progress. The fire was turning toward the Mendocino National Forest, but fickle winds could drive it toward houses again any time. By Monday evening, the Mendocino Complex had destroyed 10 buildings and was 5 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The agency said full containment was expected by Monday. Farther north, firefighters were getting a grip on the devastating Carr Fire around Redding, which in one week has killed six people, burned up 103,772 acres, consumed 818 homes and 1,132 structures total, and forced massive evacuations. Seven days after the Carr Fire roared to life, thousands of firefighters were beginning to slow its spread, allowing some of the 38,000 evacuees in Redding to return home as the city started its recovery. The massive conflagration was 23 percent contained Monday. Its progress, said Mary Eldridge, a Cal Fire spokeswoman. If the weathers with us and firefighters stay healthy, we will continue to battle and make progress. At a community meeting Monday evening, officials assured some 500 evacuees whose houses did not burn that they would help them get home quickly clearing streets, restoring utilities and removing downed power lines. Police also told residents they would prosecute any looters and price gaugers. Around the state, crews were stretched to the limit to combat at least 17 major blazes from San Diego to the Oregon border with one of those, the stubborn Ferguson Fire, continuing to force the closure of Yosemite National Park because of overwhelming smoke. The Ferguson Fire, which ignited July 13 in the Sierra National Forest, has consumed 57,041 acres and was 30 percent contained Monday. Yosemite officials have said they intend to reopen the park at 4 p.m. Friday. Cal Fire spokeswoman Heather Williams said 12,000 firefighters were battling infernos across the state, with the help of crews from at least a dozen other states. More than 52,000 people have been evacuated, an exceptionally high number for this time in the fire season, which usually hits its peaks in September and October. More Information How to help Tri Counties Bank in Chico is collecting donations to help Carr Fire victims and distributing them through United Way of Northern California. Donate online at https://bit.ly/2mYjRkU See More Collapse What were seeing is that one minute these fires are 100 acres, and the next minute theyre growing faster than you can imagine, Williams said. That was a common trend last year, and now here again its only July. Usually evacuations were pretty rare by this time. Kelly Huston, spokesman for the state Office of Emergency Services, said the states fire response crews are stretched and basically getting toward maximum. Its sort of bad luck of the draw that this fire season has started with such a bang, he said. Maybe its a combination of drought conditions, long-term issues with tree mortality, climate change maybe causing the worse winds. Theres no one thing you can point to it. Its a bunch of factors making these fires harder to fight than before. Of all the wildfires in Northern California, the combined twin blazes outside of Clear Lake posed the most immediate threat to homes as dawn broke on Monday. Engines, planes and battalions of firefighters attacked the Mendocino Complex just outside 5,000-population Lakeport, the county seat of Lake County, and any hold on the fire line was tenuous at best. Bait shops and jet-ski rental businesses were closed with a full evacuation in effect. Fast-food chains and motels were locked up. An eerie fog of smoke hovered over the still waters of the lake. Among those evacuated from Lakeport were 286 prisoners from the Lake County Jail. They were bused far south to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, which was just a little more than half full and, as the sixth largest jail in the United States, had plenty of room, according to Alameda County sheriffs spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly. The jail also housed prisoners from Butte County last year when the Oroville Dam emergency forced evacuations. Well hold onto them as long as they need the relief up there, Kelly said. Firefighters said searing summer temperatures and dry grass and timber were creating challenging conditions to beat back the blaze, even as more than 1,300 personnel joined in the early-morning battle above Lakeport to protect the waterfront hamlet. Along Highway 29 in Kelseyville, just prior to an evacuation order for the area Monday afternoon, several cars and motor homes had pulled over in dirt pullouts or parking lots, finding temporary refuge from the fire. The sheriff came by with his sirens on and said, You people, out of here, said Thomas Moore, 76, who fled late Sunday from northern Lakeport with his wife, Glenda, and their dog, Annie. The Moores were parked in front of Kelseyville Lumber, where the owner was letting evacuees sleep in their cars. I have a bucket seat that reclines, so that helps a little bit, said Moore, commenting on the rough slumber in his Nissan Versa. We might try to stay in the motel up the road tonight. Authorities did not say when the evacuation orders would lift, but it wont be before crews push the fire farther from the lake. About two miles west of the shoreline on Highway 175, where flames were chewing up patches of pine trees and racing through brush, firefighters attacked the lead edge of the River Fire, the southernmost of the two blazes that constitute the Mendocino Complex. The fire, which began Friday north of Hopland in rural Mendocino County, has burned steadily to the east. A handful of structures have burned, but the biggest fear was the fire getting to the lake and tearing into the tiny communities along its edge. Six helicopters, 37 bulldozers and 118 fire engines were part of the fight to stop the complex. The other fire in the complex, the Ranch Fire, which began Friday up north near the Mendocino County community of Potter Valley, was similarly headed east, threatening the community of Upper Lake. Chronicle staff writer Jill Tucker contributed to this report. Kurtis Alexander, Michael Cabanatuan and Kevin Fagan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com, kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KurtisAlexander, @ctuan, @KevinChron KELSEYVILLE, Lake County Two wildfires burning along the rural border of Mendocino and Lake counties grew Sunday as firefighters struggled with high temperatures and scarce crews, threatening a handful of small communities. The Ranch Fire, northeast of Ukiah, grew to 16,300 acres as it chewed through dry grass and timber near Potter Valley, authorities said. The nearby River Fire, north of Hopland, expanded through similarly parched hills to 14,200 acres as it neared towns on the western shore of Clear Lake. About 1,379 firefighters were working to keep the two blazes in the hills, above homes and neighborhoods. But they both were just 5 percent contained Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Theyre bringing in what they can to fight it, but its limited, said Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown, noting there are many fires across California that are demanding the attention of fire crews, including a blaze that broke out in Napa County on Saturday as well as the huge Carr Fire near Redding. Weve taken a lot of hits in Lake County, Brown said, referencing the several fires that destroyed thousands of homes in the county in recent years. But now the whole states on fire. Between the Ranch and River fires, dubbed the Mendocino Complex, six homes have burned and 10,200 structures remained threatened, according to Cal Fire. Thousands of people have been told to evacuate. In Mendocino County, the small community of Potter Valley and other areas north of Highway 120 remained under evacuation orders, while in Lake County the city of Lakeport and several neighborhoods west of Highway 29 were off limits. Mandatory evacuation orders were in place Sunday evening for much of western Lake County, including the communities of Blue Lakes, Upper Lake, Nice, Witter Springs, Bachelor Valley, Scotts Valley and Saratoga Springs. By Sunday evening, local officials were prepping to protect the Lakeport structures as the Mendocino Complex Fire peeked over hills and pushed east toward the town. We have personnel, engines, dozers all staged out here in the town of Lakeport, said Will Powers, a Cal Fire spokesman. Its everything from clearing brush away from the houses to pulling wood away from the houses anything that might be flammable thats up against your home they might try to clear off. Sutter Lakeside Hospital was evacuated for the second time in two days Sunday evening, discharging or transferring one inpatient and seven emergency room patients to area hospitals. Staff was instructed not to report to work until further notice. Well, (were) always concerned because they didnt have as many firefighters on this fire at all, said Gus Baldwin, who fled his Lakeport home with his wife. There was hardly anybody on the fire, and thats why they evacuated so many people. The Baldwins were among about 150 people staying at Mountain Vista Middle School in Kelseyville, which was serving as an evacuation shelter. On Saturday night, the couple shuttled their cars to a friends house, packed up a few belongings and piled into their vintage RV. In Napa County, just south of Lake Berryessa, firefighters were battling a 150-acre wildfire that exploded in the Berryessa Highlands neighborhood Saturday. The Steele Fire destroyed at least eight structures and forced several residents to flee. As of Sunday evening, the fire was 65 percent contained. But elsewhere, Cal Fire officials acknowledged that headway was limited because of the outbreak of so many fires over the past week. A lack of available suppression and overhead personnel will slow firefighting efforts, Cal Fire officials said in a statement. On Sunday morning, a handful of RVs and trailers dotted the road into Mountain Vista Middle School, where about 150 Lakeport residents took shelter. Red Cross Supervisor Deborah Smith stood watch as volunteers installed a disabled-accessible shower. Others were working to secure wheelchairs, walkers and medical equipment to tend to the shelters tenants, many of whom had fled from a nearby senior mobile home park. The drill had become routine for Kimberly Downing, who shared a bench outside with two new friends. Her stay at the shelter marked her seventh evacuation in Northern California. She had moved to Lakeport three weeks ago, because she figured it doesnt burn there, but on Saturday she said, I looked at the sky and said,Oh, its coming. This time around, Downing required minimal prep time. She and several evacuees keep overnight bags at the ready. We have supplies to just walk out the door, she said. Its the only way to go in these fires. You just dont have time. Chronicle staff writer Dominic Fracassa contributed to this report. Megan Cassidy and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy, @kurtisalexander BRIDGEPORT Police Chief Armando Perezs top aide was placed on administrative leave Monday following accusations the aide sent racist texts regarding another officer. Effective immediately, Captain Mark Straubel will be transferred from the chiefs office to administrative leave, states a memo issued Monday by Perez that was obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media. Administrative leave is paid leave. I can confirm he (Straubel) was put on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Office of Internal Affairs, said police union president Charles Paris. We are waiting to see where this goes. In one of the texts obtained by Hearst, Straubel states: I asked (an African-American officer) if he had seen planet of the apes He saidyes I asked him if it made him homesick. Straubel, who was promoted to captain in 2016, has played an integral part in the running of the police department including writing grant applications. During media interviews, Perez often turns to Straubel for information on department operations. On July 26, Chief Perez was notified by Internal Affairs that a citizens complaint had been filed by a retired police officer against Captain Straubel of the Bridgeport Police Department. Upon notification of the complaint, in accordance with policy and procedure, Chief Perez has relieved the captain of his duties and placed him on administrative leave pursuant to union contract. The matter is currently under investigation with Internal Affairs, said a statement released Monday from Rowena White, Mayor Joseph Ganims director of communications. In light of the sensitive nature of the allegations, I took swift action and immediately sent the captain home and placed him on administrative leave, Perez said Monday. I am assured by the office of Internal Affairs that this matter will be fully and thoroughly investigated. If the allegations are found true and accurate, the captain will be appropriately disciplined. Straubel could not be reached for comment. A graduate of the FBI Academy, he made $148,244 in 2016. Ken Kubel a retired Bridgeport police sergeant who now works for the Stratford Police Department, confirmed that he had made a complaint against Straubel with OIA and as part of that complaint turned over texts that he was not part of and had intercepted. He declined further comment. BROOKFIELD This summer is the first that residents have been able to stroll on downtowns new sidewalks but by the end of next summer the town hopes they can walk a bit farther. Design on the plans to extend the sidewalk and other amenities is nearly complete, with construction expected to begin next spring. Greg Dembowski, project manager, said the second phase of the project will include the same features, such as granite curbing, a crosswalk and a bike path, as the first. But trees will also be planted on the side of Federal Road. Its going to be more welcoming as you come into the Town Center, he said. Construction alone is expected to cost $1.2 million, with the town paying $450,000 and a federal grant covering $740,000. Other costs, such as utility relocation, engineering costs, easements and a required full-time field inspector, will bump the project up to $2 million. Dembowski said the town hopes to secure a grant to cover those costs. Dembowski sent the semi final design to the Department of Transportation last week for the state to review. But the Department of Public Works has already started preparing for construction. This week crews are digging holes to measure the depth of water, phone, gas and other lines on Federal Road. Dembowski said this information is necessary to ensure the lines will not be in the away when the stormwater system is updated. Design will be adjusted if there are any problems. We try to avoid any surprises when we go to construction, he said. The town broke ground on the first phase of the streetscape last summer and finished in December, but the second phase should not take as long, Dembowski said. He hopes to start construction on the second phase in spring 2019 and wrap up in the summer. The streetscape project is fundamental to Brookfields efforts to bring people downtown. The sidewalks are meant to make the area more attractive to new businesses, developers, shoppers and prospective residents. The plan appears to be working. More Information Phase Two Total cost: $2 million (construction, $1.2 million; other costs, $800,000) Features: Sidewalks, bike path, crosswalk, trees See More Collapse Several businesses, including Subway, Rich Farm Ice Cream and Traveling Chic Boutique, have already moved into Brookfield Village, a multi-use building at the heart of downtown. A nail salon, hair salon and Italian restaurant are expected to open. Two of Brookfield Villages buildings have already been completed, but two more are to come. The first phase cost $3.5 million and ran from the intersection of Federal and Station roads south to Brookfield Funeral Home, north to Alexanders Restaurant, west to the edge of the Mobil station and east to the Brookfield Craft Center. The second phase will extend the sidewalks on both sides of Federal Road to the Still River Greenway. A new bike path will connect to the existing one, while a crosswalk, similar to the one near the Brookfield Craft Center, will also be added between Dunkin Donuts and Panchos and Gringos. King Mohammed VI addressed his nation on Sunday evening in a formal speech delivered from Al Hoceima city, in northern Morocco. The King expressed his concern over persisting socio-economic disparities that are disturbing Moroccos efforts in development and urged citizens to work together to improve social issues. On the eve of his 19th Throne Day, King Mohammed VI expressed that he is giving special attention to social issuesechoing previous statements that he has made about disparities between the socio-economic classes. Despite the progress that has been made in Morocco, the King expressed his non-satisfaction since he cannot but feel that something has been missing in the social domain. The monarch sought to reassure Moroccan citizens that their complaints have been heard. A call for contributions to society and social well-being The King urged citizens to work together with the government to improve society and social well-being. We shall continue to work actively and resolutely in this field and seek to identify and to address weaknesses together, he stated. Evoking his speech at the state opening of Parliament, the King criticized Moroccos development strategy. The current strategy, he said, has failed to meet the needs of citizens and consequently requires urgent reform. Moroccos development strategy has long been among the most important issues raised by King Mohammed VI in his speeches. King Mohammed said, It does not make much sense for more than a hundred social welfare programs of varying sizes to be spread out among several ministries and public agencies, with billions of dirhams earmarked for them. The King blamed a lack of proper coordination between operators for creating the situation. He added that citizens cannot benefit from these programs if they do not efficiently meet their needs. I am not criticizing just for the sake of it. In fact, I consider self-criticism to be a virtue and a healthy phenomenon, so long as words are coupled with deeds and with reform, he said. The King called upon government officials to step up and take concrete measures by restructuring national social welfare programs and policies and submitting proposals for evaluation. He also urged the government to reinforce social dialogue, stating that it is necessary and it should be an ongoing process. Furthermore, he said, the cabinet should meet more frequently with trade unions, regardless of the potential outcome of that dialogue. Unemployment a chronic concern Unemployment is a major concern that the government should address, according to the sovereign. The King stated that citizens can be provided with a more dignified lifestyle and social protection if more jobs and opportunities are offered to them. However, this cannot happen without investment and support for the nations producing sector. The King recommended that the government adopt measures to implement an administrative decentralization plan no later than the end of October. The plan, according to the King, should enable the officials to make more effective decisions and implement development programs to help combat social issues. He also calls for the government to adopt a new investment plan and reform regional investment centers. GREENWICH There were cheers in Old Greenwich this weekend, as a father-and-son sailing duo took first-place honors as part of a crew in an around-the-world yacht race. The Sanya Serenity Coast arrived Friday at the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, with Benoit Ansart and his son Victor earning big gulps of Champagne as crew members who helped get the boat safely, and quickly, around the globe over the past 11 months. Benoit Ansart carried the burgee, the sailing pennant, of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club with him for the 40,000-mile trek through hurricanes and 30-foot seas. Now in its 11th year, the Clipper Race is a unique competition that draws many amateur and beginner sailors, along with experienced veterans, into its grueling test of endurance and maritime skill. According to the race organizer, 712 people representing 41 different nationalities, and all walks of life, took part in this years race. Benoit Ansart is one of 73 mariners who did the entire journey; others took part in stages. Victor joined the race and his father for three of the contests eight legs: Australia to China; across the Pacific to Seattle; and New York to the finish in Liverpool. This has been the best experience of my life. Just to complete the challenge is enough, but winning means so much more than I thought it would, Victor Ansart, 26, said in a statement. It is amazing to have raced around the globe and great that we managed to do it just slightly faster than the ten other teams. Benoit Ansart, a lifetime recreational sailor, said the completion of the journey was electrifying. I had the time of my life. Words cant express it. It is just incredible, he said. Benoit, who moved from France in the 1980s at age 32, said sailing with his son was a fathers dream, as well as a great adventure. We just love sailing together, we had the best time and always get along so well, he said. Word of the Ansarts achievement on the 70-foot-ocean racing yacht was being hailed among sailors in Old Greenwich. What an epic adventure, said the commodore of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club, Patrice Anibal. She noted that hurricanes, icebergs, whales and fishing nets were just a few of the obstacles the sailors encountered. The Sanya Serenity Coast, sponsored by the Chinese city Sanya, was helmed by an Australian sailor, Wendy Tuck. She became the first woman to win the round-the-world yacht race. When I try to learn more about schools, I often feel as if I am struggling to get inside a black box - the mysterious classroom. I can get data on what goes into the box, such as the backgrounds of teachers and students. I can measure what comes out of the box - test scores, graduation rates and student work. But what happens inside the classroom is hard to quantify. This is particularly true of the major educational reform of this era, the Common Core State Standards. The project of the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers was designed to use research results to remake K-12 teaching. It recommended more lessons about the real world, more nonfiction reading and writing, and more unified math instruction. How has this changed what is actually going on in the classroom? The Thomas B. Fordham Institute has given us answers with a survey of 1,237 teachers in fourth through 10th grades: "Reading and Writing Instruction in America's Schools." The Common Core has had a bumpy history since it became a hot trend in 2010 with powerful support from the governors association. Conservative politicians said it interfered with local school practices and needs. Scholars and education writers (sometimes including me) said its guidelines were too dense and its policies wrongheaded. But many educators liked its change in emphasis. After all the controversy, the new Fordham Institute report by David Griffith with Ann Duffett has some surprisingly good news. Teachers are making sure the material their students are reading is not too simple and boring. They are teaching vocabulary as it appears in the readings, not just word lists. They are asking students more questions that require evidence from the lesson being read. But the authors also found weak spots that could doom the standards to the decline suffered by most top-down educational reforms. Robert Pondiscio, a teacher who also writes for the Fordham Institute, has long cited two sentences from a key Common Core document as "the 57 most important words in education reform ever." Here they are: "By reading texts in history/social studies, science and other disciplines, students build a foundation of knowledge in these fields that will also give them the background to be better readers in all content areas. Students can only gain this foundation when the curriculum is intentionally and coherently structured to develop rich content knowledge within and across grades." The worst news for Common Core advocates is that this is not happening nearly as much as had been expected. Fifty-six percent of English language arts teachers said "building students' general knowledge" is not getting enough attention. Forty-six percent said the materials provided to boost content do "a poor job." Thirty-two percent said the number of students gaining the necessary background knowledge has dropped. The teachers also said they were slighting the "classic works of literature" the standards were supposed to protect in the move to more nonfiction. The teachers acknowledged giving students texts at their reading level, not the more challenging grade level as recommended by the Common Core. Writing instruction - my least favorite part of the program - continues to stagnate. More teachers (36 percent) said ability to write "well-developed paragraphs or essays" had worsened than said it had improved (27 percent.) The 2015 federal Every Student Succeeds Act has given states more power, which in this case is bad. Local politicians tend to dumb down standards so test scores aren't too low. Tom Loveless, a leading researcher on standards, has found that major top-down reforms often "have their strongest effects when first adopted." For many states, that was several years ago. I suspect much of the program will fall out of fashion, as did the New Math, Whole Language and whatever was done when you were in school. Yet the Common Core is so complex that some of it may stick. Creative teachers can try their own approaches and see what works best for them and their students. This is still a democracy. Schools will have to respond to what families are demanding in preparation for college and work. In my experience, what lasts longest, and produces the best schools, are ideas born in those little understood but sometimes exciting classrooms. Flooding along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers is an almost-annual occurrence in some areas. But one flood stands alone in the memory of many in western Illinois. This summer marks 25 years since the Flood of 1993, which devastated the Midwest and remains the standard by which other floods are judged. Though parts of the Jacksonville area were not as hard hit as others, hundreds of residents were affected and, in some cases, their lives were changed forever. Few area communities suffered devastation like Hillview, west of White Hall in Greene County, where a levee break on Aug. 1, 1993, swamped the town even though it was 3 miles from the Illinois River. Some areas around Hillview were under as much as 20 feet of water. Statewide, 39 counties were declared federal disaster areas, including Morgan, Pike, Cass, Greene, Scott, Brown and Schuyler. Each of the counties bordering the Mississippi was included, while five other counties received state disaster declarations. - Many counties in the Jacksonville area are bordered by rivers, especially the Illinois River. Pike County is sandwiched between two major rivers the Illinois and Mississippi. In addition, there are plenty of creeks and streams crisscrossing the area, so residents had plenty with which to contend. In southwestern Greene County, the Eldred Levee failed on the evening of July 30. To the north, the Hartwell Levee breached on Aug. 1 and flooded 8,700 acres. At 3:30 a.m. Aug. 1, the Hillview Levee in Greene and Scott counties collapsed and took 12,300 acres with it. By the following day, the village of Hillview was submerged. In Pike County, the Sny Island Levee, which gives its name to Levee Township in the northwestern part of the county, was a focal point of that summer. Part of the largest levee district in Illinois, Sny Island had not breached since 1903. But the bulging floodwaters proved too much for the big levee, which failed on July 25 and deluged large portions of western Pike County, including the small town of Hull, 8 miles from the banks of the Mississippi. Some 235 homes in the town were inundated, along with 45,000 acres and parts of four state highways. - Though the destruction in the area was not as sweeping as in other parts of Illinois and the waters did not set records, there still was plenty of damage in many locales. While the Flood of 1993 is the most expensive flood event in American history, another flood which also marks an anniversary in 2018 was even more devastating to the region. Seventy-five years ago, the Flood of 1943 set some high-water marks that are yet to be broken. Severe rains May 6-21, 1943, swelled rivers across the state, including the Illinois and Sangamon rivers. Several Illinois River communities set their all-time highs on May 26, 1943, including Valley City, Beardstown and Meredosia, where thousands of acres of farmland went under when two levees broke across the river near Chambersburg. The level of 25.95 feet at Valley City on July 27, 1993, now is the fifth-highest ever in that tiny village. Similarly, the crest of 26.96 at Meredosia the following day ranks ninth all-time there. At Beardstown on July 28, 1993, the river stood at 26.66, now the 13th-worst in city history. Though not as severe as previous ones, the 1993 disaster still inflicted plenty of havoc. In Beardstown, streets collapsed after groundwater carried material into the sewer system, while a dozen structures, including 10 residences, suffered damage at Valley City. Another 11 structures were affected at Florence, while two others were damaged at Montezuma. - Elsewhere, the Flood of 1993 didnt just break records it annihilated them. On Aug., 1, the Mississippi River at St. Louis hit 49.58 feet nearly 20 feet above the flood stage of 30 feet and 6.35 feet higher than the previous record, set in 1973. At the floods worst, an estimated 8.1 million gallons of water rolled past the Gateway Arch each second. In Alton, the Mississippi topped out on Aug. 1 at 42.7 feet just more than double the flood stage of 21 feet. It was 6 feet higher than the old record of 36.7 in 1973. In Grafton, the river reached 38.2 feet that same day, a mind-numbing 20.2 feet above flood stage. - Though the Flood of 1993 consumed most of the summer, the disaster had its origins months before. Starting in November 1992, the St. Louis area received 13 inches more rain than normal. In the Upper Mississippi Valley, it was even wetter. Rainfall in those areas was as much as 25 inches above normal, and a snowy winter did not help matters. All of that water had to go somewhere, and much of it flowed downstream as the rivers became wider with each passing day. After a brief reprieve in mid-May, the flood levels receded, but only for a while. The area then was soaked by frequent rain and thunderstorms for the next several weeks, and the drenched soil could not hold the influx of moisture. On June 27, 1993, the Mississippi went back over flood stage at St. Louis. In all, June and July 1993 proved the wettest two-month period in the Upper Mississippi basin since recordkeeping began in 1895. The final day of July was the only one that month in which rain was not recorded somewhere in the region. Many storms produced 2 inches or more. Rivers were above flood stage at 600 points across the Midwest that summer. Ultimately, 1,082 of the 1,576 levees in the Missouri and Upper Mississippi basins would fail. - Among the indelible images of that summer were the sandbags and the workers who relentlessly filled them in a bid to combat the onslaught. Volunteer help poured into the area from every corner of the country and the world. Workers from Greene County Boot Camp also were used to sandbag across the region, including in Hillview. Their efforts remain a cherished memory in the Hancock County town of Niota. Eventually, sandbags lined the streets and fields in practically every locale along the Illinois and other rivers. One of the many locations dominated by sandbags was Big Swan Drainage and Levee District near Valley City, where sandbags were stacked seven high in an attempt to curb the water. Today, a marker at the east entrance of the Illinois River bridge on Route 106, connecting Scott and Pike counties, commemorates the unyielding efforts of the Illinois National Guard and the sandbagging volunteers that summer. - Fifty people in the Midwest lost their lives in the flooding, and some 55,000 were left homeless across the region. Though paling to the human cost, the flood also was an economic catastrophe. Some 873,000 acres of farmland were inundated across Illinois, while across the Midwest, 6 million acres were under water. Farm losses alone in Illinois were estimated at more than $535 million. By July, more than 800 miles of river traffic both commercial and recreational was brought to a standstill. Some 3,100 barges were stranded on the swollen Mississippi, while 1,075 barges on the Illinois River north of Grafton were stalled. Barge companies lost an estimated $1 million to $2 million a day in the onslaught, which also was an economic blow to the nation. The industry accounted for 15 percent of all freight in the United States and employed 32,000 people. In Illinois, some 1,775 barge jobs a month were affected. Many rail lines also were shut down in what was called the worst single-event loss in the nations railroad history. Hillview and Hull were among 75 communities that were completely submerged across the Midwest. Dozens of others were partially under water, hammering small businesses and affecting peoples ability to work. Some couldnt even get to their jobs. With many roads impassable by summer, residents along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, particularly those in remote areas such as Calhoun County, were forced to drive two hours or more to reach destinations that normally required only a few minutes of driving. Bridges from Davenport, Iowa, to St. Louis were shut down for most of the summer. Many river towns depend on tourism, another industry the flood brought to a standstill. It all added up to the costliest flood event in American history. In the nine states affected by the disaster, total estimates of property damage reached as high as $16 billion. - A quarter-century later, the imprint of the Flood of 1993 still is seen in the area. Few feel the scars more than in Hillview, where a chunk of the population never returned. The 1990 census, three years before the flood, reported a population of 271. Ten years later, it stood at 179. The flood also is burned in the minds of those who lost homes and farms, and those who worked endlessly to fill sandbags, sometimes to see their efforts go for naught when the water just kept rising. Weather experts refer to the flood as a 500-year event, but that doesnt mean it will never happen again in our lifetimes. It only means there is a 1-in-500 chance of an occurrence in any year. The same odds start over, year to year. So the possibility remains. At least in this area, recent periods of high water surpassed the Flood of 1993 and all the others. The 1943 record at Beardstown was broken on April 27, 2013, while Meredosia set its all-time high on July 2, 2015. Those were two of several floods that were even worse than 1993s. Others in the Jacksonville region occurred in May 1995 and May 2002, as well as the Christmas week flood of 2015. Hillview also has endured several other floods, including a series of levee breaks along Hurricane Creek after heavy rains on July 19, 2015. Six people had to be rescued from the threatening water, while a dozen homes were evacuated. The nation is projected to experience a shortage of registered nurses that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for healthcare grows, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Compounding the problem is the fact that nursing schools across the country are struggling to expand capacity to meet the rising demand for care given the national move toward healthcare reform. In Jacksonville, MacMurray College is working to fill the need for registered nurses. While in school, our students do fellowships and internships with local hospitals, MacMurray director of nursing Angela Pierson said. Upon graduation, all of our nursing students have secured employment. In addition to MacMurrays traditional bachelor of science in nursing program, the college offers an online registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing degree. With a push for hospitals to have 80 percent bachelor degree-prepared nurses by 2020, MacMurrays online program has been very successful, Pierson said. Pierson, a registered nurse for 17 years, anticipates a greater shortage in direct patient care nursing. With higher utilization of advanced practice nurses, such as physicians assistants and nurse practitioners, we will see an increased shortage of registered staff nurses, she said. Pierson added that MacMurray continues to have a strong nursing program. For the past three years, MacMurrays nursing graduates have had a 100 percent pass rate with the first time of taking the nursing state board exam, Pierson said. I believe the national average for first time pass rate among nursing graduates is 85 percent. I would attribute MacMurrays success to supportive faculty who are willing to go above and beyond to ensure the success of their nursing students. Pierson said another issue affecting the shortage of registered nurses is the lack of faculty in college nursing programs to meet the demand of applicants. MacMurray continues to work with local hospitals and community colleges to recruit new nursing hopefuls, Pierson said. I feel very positive about what MacMurray has to offer our students and our community. Students who live in the southeastern portion of John Wood Community Colleges district may now take all pre-requisite courses for JWCCs nursing program at the colleges Southeast Education Center near Pittsfield. The facilitys new science lab, and an additional science instructor, Dr. Justin Cobb, allow JWCC to offer more science classes to help meet the demand for students pursuing nursing and other healthcare programs. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is working with schools, policy makers, nursing organizations and the media to bring attention to the shortage of registered nurses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections for 2014 to 2024, registered nursing is listed among the top occupations in terms of job growth through 2024. The registered nurse workforce is expected to grow from 2.7 million in 2014 to 3.2 million in 2024. The Bureau also projects the need for 649,100 replacement nurses in the workforce, bringing the total number of job openings for nurses due to growth and replacements to 1.09 million by 2024. Registered nurse recruitment is challenging across the nation due to the gap between the demand for registered nurses and the available supply, said Jessica Hand, system director of recruitment for Memorial Health System. While this is challenging, Passavant Area Hospital still has the registered nurses to care for patients. Passavant, as an affiliate of Memorial Health System, addresses its registered nurse recruitment in a variety of ways. It is centered on engagement in new and different ways, Hand said. For new nursing graduates, we are engaging them earlier while theyre in school to start a relationship between them and Passavant. Passavant has about 170 registered nurses. Leanna Wynn, affiliate vice president and chief nursing officer at Passavant, said the demand for registered nurses is pretty consistent. Today, its easier for Passavant to address the registered nurse issue because we are part of Memorial Health System, which provides larger recruitment capabilities. And we have very loyal employees who take care of our patients. Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg. NEW HAVEN All their lives, the Bangladeshi couple worked to see their only child become the first in their family to pursue a college education. They were overjoyed when their son, Samir Mahmud, 17, graduated June 19 from Engineering and Science University Magnet School and was ready to attend Quinnipiac University at the end of August to begin training for a career in software engineering. Five days later, however, his mother, Salma Sikandar, on a routine visit to the Hartford office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was told to buy a ticket to Bangladesh to leave by Aug. 23 to return to that country after almost 20 years. This is our dream. If his mother goes on the 23rd, he is going to college on August 27. His mothers lifelong dream was to go with him on the first day of college, said her husband, Anwar Mahmud, a manager at McDonalds in North Haven. Five days after she is scheduled to depart, Samir will turn 18. A resident in the country since 1999, she overstayed her visa, and in 2011, when they came here from New York so their son could attend a better school, she applied to ICE to remain in the U.S. She appealed for a cancellation of removal due to an exceptional hardship because of her then 11-year-old sons asthma. This legal avenue is open to undocumented residents here for at least 10 years who have relatives that would suffer sufficiently without them in the U.S. More for you Connecticut approach to reuniting immigrant families seen as model for country The familys immigration attorney, Robert Wang, said the Immigration Court in Hartford ruled it was a very close case, but the judge found the hardship was not strong enough. Wang said they are now asking the Board of Immigration Appeals to reopen the case. He said ICE has the discretion to let Sikandar stay until the appeal is heard. The attorney said he would not have any fight with ICE if they were deporting someone with a criminal record or with no ties to the U.S. She has a U.S. citizen child. She has never been arrested and she works, Wang said. The attorney said she is also part of her husbands case. He is seeking to stay his removal order because as a Mormon, his life could be in danger in Bangladesh, where members of a minority religion are persecuted. Sikandar has lost multiple appeals over the years, but is now waiting for a ruling from the Board of Immigration Appeals. The first request is to issue an emergency stay; the second request is to reopen the case, which her husband said usually takes four to six months. We need everybodys help to give us some time. We followed every single thing they are asking for. We bought the ticket. They already have her passport. We want to follow the law, Anwar Mahmud said. His wifes next check-in with immigration is Tuesday. We cannot live without her. We are a close family. We have never been separated. We have always been together, Anwar Mahmud said. He said the last week has been terrible for them. Samir Mahmud said they are in a state of despair. His father said they were elated with the prospect of watching their son go off to college. We did not have that kind of chance to go to college. They are not only separating families on the border. They are separating them here in Connecticut, here in New Haven. He is hoping U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Sen, Chris Murphy Mayor Toni Harp will reach out to help them. We dont have any organized group here. We are a very quiet family, so we dont know where to go for help, Anwar Mahmud said. Our time is going fast. We want to appeal to the judge. If the judge says, OK they have to go, that is different. But lets fight for it, Anwar Mahmud said. State Rep. David Yaccarino, R-North Haven, who has offices across from the McDonalds where Mahmud works, said he knows the family well. These are good people, Yaccarino said. He said they came here to make a life for their family and have done that. The state representative said these are the kind of people we want in America, self-supporting and paying their taxes. Yaccarino said when he is asked by residents how he can speak up for them because they are undocumented, he said the residents come around after he explains their situation. Yaccarino said he called ICE and was told if Sikandars paperwork is in order, she should get an extension. ICE was asked last week to comment on Samir Sikanders status, but did not answer an email. Anwar Mahmud worked at McDonalds when they lived in New York before coming to Connecticut. When he first got to this state, he worked at a gas station. John McKnight, who is the independent operator of the McDonalds where Anwar Mahmud works, said Mahmud came to him several times seeking a job four years ago. When he finally hired him, I realized how many of my customers he knew from his previous job who were happy to see him again. He said Salma Sikandar is a woman who would do anything for you. This is a woman who has done nothing. It is really horrible, McKnight said of their situation. Anwar Mahmud said he has been in the U.S. for 25 years, his wife for almost 18 years. All of a sudden, if she has to go, everything will be upside down, he said. If she goes, I dont know how I am going to stay. She is my mother. Both my parents are my support. ... I want to experience my college life growing up with them, not without them, Samir Mahmad said. We want to be with him. We want to give him guidance as much as we can give to him, his father said. We are surviving people. We are not hurting anyone. We go to work, we come back home. We have never spent a night out without each other. Samir is upset his mother now has to wear an ankle bracelet. He said ICE knows where they are. They know their history. We are absolutely clean people, he said. She is not a danger. She is just a mom. His father said they are not going to flee. This is our life, he said. They know where I work. Samir said it makes no sense to have a pending case, but before it can be resolved, his mother will be deported. It is a waste of resources, he said as they sat in their modest home in the city. His father said ultimately he wants his son to get all that he deserves. We want him to be educated. We want him to be a good human being. Everything the holy book says: Be good to your neighbor. Be good to your family. The simple principle things we are teaching him. Anwar Mahmad said they have no plan if his wife is deported. Samir, who was on the student council at ESMUS, said his family taught him to fight for what he thought was right. He said he will minor in political science at Quinnipiac since he sees what his parents are going through. My parents always put me first. That is why I dont want to live without them, Samir Mahmad said. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 In the middle of the Arctic Ocean, a collection of islands dot the icy waters between Norway and the North Pole. Described as "a genuine Arctic fairy tale," the archipelago is named Svalbard, which translated means "cold coasts." There, amid craggy mountains and barren tundra, polar bears outnumber people, wildlife roams freely and nature knows no bounds. While most photos taken in the Svalbard islands show idyllic scenes of walruses napping on ice floes or reindeer grazing in the middle of town, a picture of a polar bear taken over the weekend has sparked widespread anger. The bear is seen lying on its side on a gray sand beach. Its mouth is slightly open and a dark crimson smear stains the white fur around its neck. It's dead - shot "for reasons of self-defense" after attacking a Hapag-Lloyd Cruises employee who went ashore to survey the land, the German cruise line said in a statement posted to Facebook Saturday. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said its ship, the MS Bremen, was docked at one of the archipelago's islands preparing for shore leave when the attack happened. The ship can carry up to 155 passengers and has been awarded four stars by the 2018 Berlitz Cruise Guide, according to the company's website. Part of the preparations included sending a four-person team of "polar bear guards," experts assigned to expedition cruises by law, to "set up a land station and check the area again to make sure that there are no polar bears in sight," the statement said. If polar bears are spotted, shore leave is not allowed. While on shore, one member of the team was "unexpectedly attacked by a polar bear that had not been spotted and he was unable to react himself," according to the statement. "As the attempts of the other guards to evict the animal, unfortunately, were not successful, there had to be intervention for reasons of self-defense and to protect the life of the attacked person," the statement said. The Joint Rescue Coordination for Northern Norway tweeted confirming an attack had taken place and the polar bear was shot and killed. The guard suffered injuries to his head, Negar Etminan, a spokesperson for the cruise line told the Associated Press. According to the company's statement, the man was airlifted by rescue helicopter to a nearby hospital where he is in stable condition and "remains responsive." "We very much regret this incident," the statement said. "Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is very aware of its responsibility when traveling in environmentally-sensitive areas and respects all nature and wildlife." Polar bears are classified as vulnerable by the World Wildlife Fund. Climate change is threatening their sea ice habitat and their current global population ranges from 22,000 to 31,000, according to the WWF. The image of the dead polar bear provoked fierce outcry on social media, with many criticizing the cruise line for intruding on the bear in its natural habitat and calling for boycotts. The bear's death, which some have called "heartbreaking" and "needless," has reignited concerns over tourism and its potential to disrupt the environments of remote areas. "'Let's get too close to a polar bear in its natural environment and then kill it if it gets too close.' Morons," English comedian Ricky Gervais tweeted. "This # polarbear home was invaded from tourists from the Cruise Ship MS Bremen," biologist Daniel Schneider wrote on Twitter. "Here's a thought. Why not look at the bears from afar and leave them alone." Others, however, argued that killing the bear was the right thing to do because it saved the man's life. One Twitter user wrote that people who are taking the bear's side "need to have their heads examined." While polar bear attacks are generally rare, this is not the first time a person has been injured by the bears in the Svalbard islands. It is also not unusual for the bear to be killed as a result. "This great predator has little respect for humans and dangerous situations can easily arise if people get too close," according to the Norwegian Polar Institute, a government institution charged with researching the Arctic. "Almost every year a polar bear is killed in Svalbard after confrontations with humans or because of safety perspective in the settlements." In 1995, there were at least two deaths in the Svalbard islands caused by polar bear attacks. More recently, a group of students were attacked in 2011 while on an adventure trip sponsored by the British Exploring Society, a UK-based youth development charity. A 17-year-old was killed and four others were injured. The archipelago's polar bear population has increased significantly since 1973 when hunting them was banned after a century of over-exploitation, according to the Norwegian Polar Institute. Currently, about 3,000 polar bears call the islands home. For scale, Svalbard's human population is around 2,400. Given the large number of bears, seeing one is not uncommon and various visitors websites and cruise guides feature prominent safety warnings and lengthy precautions visitors should take. On its polar bear information page, the Svalbard's visitors site has an all-caps caution that reads, "POLAR BEARS ATTACK EXTREMELY QUICKLY WITHOUT WARNING. BE ACCOMPANIED BY A GUIDE OR A LOCAL WITH A FIREARM WHEN LEAVING THE SETTLEMENTS." Similarly, the Norwegian Polar Institute also recommends being prepared with everything ranging from flare guns to big-game rifles. When encountering a polar bear, people should make themselves visible and try to scare it away by making loud noises, such as shouting or clapping, the visitors' site advises. If the bear is within 50 meters, a warning shot from a signal pistol or rifle should be fired. In a Q&A for Polar Bears International, a nonprofit conservation group, Tom Smith, a professor of biological sciences at Brigham Young University said that while the odds of an attack are low, "they aren't zero" and taking the proper precautions could mean the difference between life and death. "It's important to remember that polar bears are very curious," Smith said. "In a world of ice blocks and ice holes, anything else gets their attention." Moroccos Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced that Chinas Citic Dicastal will build two factories to produce aluminum car wheels, in Tangier and Kenitra, 45 kilometers north of Rabat. The Chinese giant will invest 350 million to build the plants. The company will build the first factory in Kenitras Atlantic Free zone. The second factory will be built in Tangiers tech city. The Chinese firm aims to produce six million units every year for export. The project also seeks to create 1,200 job opportunities. Minister of Trade Moulay Hafid Elalamy said the implementation of this strategic project reflects the strong will of Morocco and China to reinforce their bilateral relations. He added that the construction of the first factory should take less than 10 months. Elalamy claimed that Moroccos automotive industry has established itself as a leading export sector and a driving force for the domestic industry. He added that more efforts will be made to further support the sector. Elalamy and Moroccos Minister of Finance and Economy Mohamed Boussaid signed the agreement with Vice President of Citic Group Corporation and Chairman of Citic Dicastal Xu Zuo. Xu said that through this project, Dicastal will expand its global coverage and contribute to the industrial development of Morocco. The Citic Dicastal Group has 30 production hubs in Europe, North America, and China dedicated to the production of light automotive components and aluminum rims. The company supplies major automakers, including Renault-Nissan, PSA, GM, Ford, FCA, Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW, and Audi. The agreement followed an announcement in June of the launch of construction on Magneti Marellis production plant in Tangier. The project will cost MAD 405 million and create 500 job opportunities. The plant will also be operational by 2019. The automotive industry led the list of growing sectors in Moroccos exports, with an increased production of 19.1 percent, in the first six months of 2018. This sector remains a top priority for Morocco. Morocco manufactured 341,802 passenger vehicles in 2017, for the first time surpassing South Africa which produced 331,311 units, according to a 2017 report conducted by IOL. The report stated that South Africa, traditionally the continents leading car-producing country, is intimidated by Moroccos growing production capacity in the automotive sector. In 2017, Elalamy announced Moroccos intention to exceed MAD 100 billion in export sales by 2020 and further make MAD 200 billion in exports with a production capacity of 1 million vehicles by 2025. Four west-central Illinois residents were among Iowa State University students who received degrees this year. David Sibert of Jacksonville received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering, graduating cum laude with honors. Johnathan Kettering of Rushville received a bachelor of science in materials engineering. Tyler Ring and James Stock of Virginia each received a bachelor of science degree in agricultural studies. Farmers State Bank has awarded $1,000 scholarships to two Pike County residents. Joel Cook and Paige Borrowman each received a Farmers State Bank Achievement Scholarship. Cook, who received the award for his school, is the son of Richard and Julie Bauer Cook of Pittsfield and is a 2018 graduate of Pittsfield High School. He will attend Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the fall, double majoring in physics and biology. Borrowman, who received the award for Pike County schools, is the daughter of Chris and Jill Borrowman of New Canton and is a 2018 graduate of Western High School. She will attend The University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana this fall, majoring in business. The Farmers State Bank Achievement Scholarship is awarded based on a students character, academic achievement, perseverance toward further education, extra-curricular activities and good works. Recipients can be planning to attend any college or university, pursuing any field of study. Young people are our most important asset. We feel supporting students in furthering their education is an investment in the future of our community, said Nevin Grigsby, Farmers State Bank president. Compiled by Angela Bauer and Laurie Bosworth Nine years after hijacked planes destroyed the World Trade Center and crashed into the Pentagon, undercover police officers quietly began scrutinizing the behavior of people in airports and aboard airplanes. Using recently developed technology to track travel patterns and classic gumshoe observation, they took things one step further than the familiar uniformed Transportation Security Administration agents at airport checkpoints. Called "Quiet Skies," the program originated in 2010 under then-TSA Administrator John Pistole, a former FBI deputy director who changed the TSA from an agency that simply screened travelers at checkpoints into one that made greater use of information gathered by intelligence sources to identify possible terrorists. "We looked at whether we could use our existing resources in more effective, efficient way," Pistole recalled Monday. "Really, we were looking at how can we buy down risk, mitigate those risks, through common-sense application of our resources." He pointed to the hijackers who commandeered four commercial planes on Sept. 11, 2001, to illustrate the type of travel patterns that might draw the TSA's attention. "The 19 hijackers on 9/11 did some pre-operational flights to assess security," Pistole said. He said the agency utilized the FBI's terrorist screening database to single out those people who still were permitted to fly. It also stationed plainclothes personnel in airport terminals and as in-flight air marshals to observe passengers. "For the unknowns it was just based on their behavior, their activity," he said. "Shame on us if we're doing pre-operation surveillance on the flight, but they weren't on anybody's radar." Pistole said he consulted with legal counsel at the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security before launching the program. Congress was unaware of Quiet Skies until reports surfaced over the weekend in a story broken by the Boston Globe and confirmed by The Washington Post. "It's one thing to provide additional security screening at the checkpoint, but shouldn't we be able to do something more during the flight, just to make sure that we're buying down risk the best way we can?" Pistole said. "We were trying to be forward leaning and a little more predictive in what the threats might be." The TSA screens more than 2 million passengers daily at 440 airports, employing a security force of 43,000 people. Several members of Congress said Monday they were seeking more information on Quiet Skies. "We were not previously aware of the program," said Drew Pusateri, Democratic communications director on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "We'll try to seek some answers from the administration." Republicans on the committee released a statement that said "The Committee has been in contact with TSA leadership and requested additional briefings so our Members and staff can get answers to critical questions regarding [federal air marshals'] policies and procedures regarding this program." Frederick Hill, spokesman for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the TSA, said that committee also has requested additional information on the program. "We had not heard of the program at the committee. We're asking to be briefed on it," said his Democratic counterpart, Bryan Gulley, a spokesman for ranking member Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. The program raises questions about the willingness of Americans to sacrifice privacy to ensure safety as they go about routine air travel within the United States and abroad. TSA undercover agents are trained to observe passengers waiting to board flights and those already on the plane, using a lengthy checklist of behaviors that, officials say collectively, suggest the person might be a terrorist. "It's a program where we identify people who have irregular travel patterns or exhibit behaviors that we know known terrorists have exhibited, so they come up as someone who is worth additional attention," TSA spokesman Jim Gregory said. "It's no different than how a police precinct might put additional police presence on a beat just to make sure that if anything happens there's someone close by who can address it." Gregory declined to provide details because "we're not excited about putting more information out about a program designed to catch bad people." Pistole said he did not know whether anyone had been taken into custody as a result of Quiet Skies, and Gregory declined to say whether there had been arrests made or plots disrupted. "I don't recall anybody offhand," Pistole said. NEW HAVEN U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who sometimes visits the Elm City to talk with constituents about issues, occasionally will apologize for getting political when he speaks about politics in terms of elections or political parties. On Monday, when discussing gun control with a group of local students involved in Squash Haven, a youth development program that teaches youths how to play squash while offering homework help and emotional support, Murphy said he was blue in the face from trying to convince legislators to entertain universal background checks for gun buyers. Right now we just dont have the votes for universal background checks, he said. Murphy encouraged the approximately 25 young people to vote for or canvass for candidates who will support measures for gun control, saying that even the two votes forced by his 15-hour filibuster in 2016 fell just narrowly short, and the only thing that could change it is having a Congress more ideologically aligned with his views. Some gubernatorial candidates might say they want to make gun laws weaker, he said. Dont let that happen. Besides ballot box victories, Murphy suggested economic boycotts could help to influence change. More for you Gun making drops off in state He mentioned that Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle banned guns from its stores, whereas retail giant Walmart sells certain guns and ammunition to those over age 21. If you can go somewhere else, send a message, he said. Its never too early to make a difference. Murphy said he wanted to talk with Squash Haven youth because, as the third-youngest member of the Senate, I feel like I have an obligation to be your voice. One of the unfortunate realities for a lot of young people ... is gun violence, he said. I dont know why this country accepts this. Even if young people arent dying by gun violence, he said, the fear and trauma felt by young people changes your brain chemistry. Murphy is not new to gun control advocacy: even before his filibuster following a massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., he told the press that the 2012 massacre of children at Sandy Hook Elementary School gave him a legislative focus. We have too many guns in this country, he said. In specific neighborhoods, there are way too many guns. Although Connecticut has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country, the guns used in violence here have serial numbers that can be traced back to states such as South Carolina and Texas, he said, which is why he believes background checks are a federal issue. Murphy said there are also intersecting issues, such as a generational hopelessness felt by young people They dont see a path, he said and a lot of mentally ill people which he said does not necessarily correlate with gun violence, but there is still a need for more resources. In fact, a 2014 North Carolina State University study found that, from a sample of 4,480 mentally ill adults, respondents were more likely to have been victims of violence than having perpetrated it. Responding to Murphys comments about youth hopelessness, Wengel Kifle, a rising junior at Middlebury College and alumna of the private Taft School in Watertown and a participant of Squash Haven, asked what the government is doing about wealth inequality in Connecticut. Going to Taft, she said, was the first time my eyes were opened to people in Darien. Coming back to New Haven didnt feel like I was in the same state, Kifle said. This really intense wealth inequality that exists in this state is baffling to me. Murphy said the issues of gun violence and wealth inequality are connected, and its not a coincidence that urban areas with high unemployment have higher rates of gun violence. Although the economy is growing, he said, working class wages are stagnant. A $15 minimum wage could be a needed economic stimulus, he said. Additionally, he said U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a candidate in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, had a proposal for free college that Murphy believes is worth considering. Murphy also said he believes lack of regional government in Connecticut works against cities such as New Haven that are surrounded by sometimes wealthier suburbs but are forced to solve problems not of their own making with limited federal, state and local funds. Although Murphy says he places more importance on a universal background check bill, he is also in favor of a bill that would prohibit individuals on the federal no fly terrorism watch list a controversial government program that has been accused of racial profiling and lack of due process from purchasing guns. When asked about gun violence perpetrated by police, Murphy acknowledged that it is certainly a major issue throughout the country and police shootings undermine departmental legitimacy. However, Murphy said he believes police shootings are best left to the heads of local police departments. I think our police chiefs get it and are taking the issue on, he said. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com Vote counting began in Mali on Sunday evening with expectations of low turnout in presidential elections following threats by Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists who have tightened their grip on the fragile West African nation, and targeted attacks on polling centers. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is seeking a second five-year term, but his popularity has plummeted as insecurity once confined to lawless northern regions has spread to the centre of the country, with weekly attacks on domestic and foreign security forces. (There) are polling stations in which we know insecurity wont make the vote possible there, said Cecile Kyenge, the head of the European Unions observer mission in the country. Ballot boxes were burned in Malis north and threats from extremists kept some polling stations closed in central Mali, according to reports, though the scale of such attacks is still emerging. Keitas biggest challenger is Soumaila Cisse, a former finance minister who came second in the last presidential election held in 2013. Malian outgoing president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita prepares to cast his vote in a polling station in Bamako Cisses team has claimed an alternative electoral roll and hundreds of fake polling stations will be used to rig the vote in Keitas favour. More than eight million Malians are eligible to vote and partial results are due on Wednesday, though if no candidate gains the requisite half of ballots a run-off will be held on August 12. In 2013 the situation was much more favourable to Keita, Andrew Lebovich, visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, told The media. There is a risk of violence in Bamako (the capital) if fraud is too obvious, he added. The poll coincides with the recent deployment of 100 British troops and three RAF helicopters in Mali, backing up a 4,500-strong French counter-terrorism force and 13,000 UN peacekeepers. Beyond the attacks mounted by Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an alliance of jihadist groups which has pledged loyalty to Al-Qaeda, rival ethnic militias regularly clash in the north despite signing a peace deal in 2015. The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali is already recognised as the most deadly active deployment in the world, with more than 100 peacekeepers killed by bandits and jihadists since 2013. It was set up to re-establish security after jihadists took control of northern cities in 2012 and began implementing sharia law Mondays scheduled bail hearing for a University of Incarnate Word student allegedly caught smuggling nearly $900,000 in drug money was postponed until next week. U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad reset the hearing for Juan Pablo Hoyos Avila, 19, for Aug. 6 after Hoyos lawyers said they needed to look further into his immigration status. Members of a group with ties to fascist and Nazi ideology have taken credit for partially tearing down an encampment run by the group Occupy ICE SATX. Around 8 a.m. Saturday, around 12 people most of them wearing masks and hats went to the Occupy groups makeshift camp outside a Northeast Side Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility at 3523 Crosspoint. FROM EXPRESSNEWS.COM: Group of young activists hold "noise demos" outside S.A. ICE facility In a video posted on the Occupy Twitter account, the group is seen yelling Strong borders! Strong nation! and holding flags displaying fasces, an ancient Roman symbol popularized by fascist Italy. Video and photos also show what appears to be the aftermath of the partial tearing-down of the Occupy camp, with coolers, chairs, tarps and a tent knocked over and scattered. In a blog post published Monday on the website of white identitarian group Patriot Front, the group took credit for the incident. Activists confronted assorted enemies of the nation which had created a makeshift campsite outside of an ICE detention facility, the post reads. A video accompanying the post shows individuals wearing Reclaim America shirts at the Occupy camp. The video then shows the Patriot Front members tearing down posters, kicking and throwing chairs, pushing over a tent and setting off several of what appear to be smoke bombs. Patriot Front is identified by the Anti-Defamation League as a white supremacist group whose members define themselves as American fascists or American nationalists, and by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a neo-Nazi network. The group has been frequently associated with the broader alt-right ideology and often brand itself with the phrase blood and soil, a Nazi slogan. Patriot Front did not respond to requests for comment. We really just had to stand back, said Mapache, of San Antonio, an 18-year-old self-identified anarchist and Occupy ICE SATX member. Wearing sunglasses and a black bandana over his face, he declined to fully identify himself for fear of retaliation. They outnumbered us five-to-one, so we pretty much stood back and allowed them to take their videos and to attempt to tear apart the camp though ultimately, after maybe two minutes at most, they had brought down one canopy but (then) left it alone. RELATED: Racist flyers from neo-Nazi group found in San Antonio-area neighborhoods He described the ultimate damage to the camp as very minimal, and the camp had been largely reassembled within a few hours. San Antonio police said they received a service call for a disturbance at the camp around 8 a.m., but no report was written. The Occupy ICE SATX movement formed after Portland-area activists calling for the abolition of ICE occupied an area facility on July 17. On Monday, the San Antonio group had been camped-out here for thirteen days. People are brought here from detention centers local ones, from local detention centers after theyve been picked up, or even if they are going through the immigration process and are here for a yearly check-up, Mapache said. Lawyers have come up and told us that the person they represent was taken by ICE; though they were here for a routine check-up, ICE said that they were being detained and deported. Mapache added that this was Occupy ICE SATXs first encounter with the Patriot Front affiliates, but that the Occupy members were already aware of the groups presence in San Antonio and has been keeping an eye on them. Mapache said the Occupy group plans to continue occupying the facility until ICE no longer operates in San Antonio, but also predicted that the Patriot Front display would ultimately prove a precursor to larger, state-sponsored disruption. Before DHS and before the police came in and antagonized us to clear us out, before this fascist state stepped in, in an attempt to clear us out, Mapache said, the foot soldiers of fascists the ones who are open about their beliefs, the ones who are openly flying fascist iconography and who are openly fascist on their websites theyre the ones who attempted to clear us out and the ones who attempted to scare us. ICE, he added, is doing what (Patriot Front) wants. Brian Contreras is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. | brian.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @_B_Contreras_ A 36-year-old man from San Antonio died in an apparent drowning Saturday at Lake Travis, the Travis County Sheriff's Office announced Monday. The man, identified as Luke Fashaw, was "literally the most positive and smiley, optimistic person," said his friend, Kyle Palmer. Fashaw had been swimming with his friends near the Devil's Hollow area of Lake Travis Saturday afternoon, witnesses told authorities. Around 3:20 p.m., the Travis County deputies responded to a call of a swimmer who had gone under water and not resurfaced. Their rescue efforts were unsuccessful, so they contacted the county's dive team for assistance. Shortly after 4 p.m., a civilian deep sea diver who was already in the area geared up and began searching for Fashaw's body in the area where Fashaw had last been seen. He found the body, and Fashaw was pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m. RELATED: Body found in San Antonio-area lake matches description of missing man, officials say Witnesses told police Fashaw had appeared to be swimming normally with his friends near an anchored pontoon boat. His body was recovered from an area 50 feet deep. Police are continuing to investigate the cause of Fashaw's death, but early evidence points to accidental drowning, according to the sheriff's office. Those who were at the lake with him Saturday later told his sister Deidra Fashaw he was trying to help out by grabbing a toy just before he died, she said. "He went out doing what loved, just trying to help people," Deidra Fashaw said. "He just lived life without risk. If he set a goal for himself, he definitely achieved or attained it. And he didn't let doubt keep him back. He was just the kind of person who practiced acts of kindness." Fashaw was athletic. He played football for Robert Morris University and he officiated basketball as a side gig after graduating. That's how he and Palmer met. "I don't think Luke found officiating very difficult, which is a testament to him because for most people, that's something that's extremely difficult and kind of traumatic," Palmer said. "He was always really confident and happy, no matter what." RELATED: Body found in Guadalupe River near Seguin park Fashaw was also talented as a salesman and was offered an opportunity to give a TED talk in New Orleans, but he ultimately turned it down to do a workshop with kids instead, his sister said. He put those kids in front of everything except family, Deidra Fashaw said. He devoted his free time to his two-year-old son and his wife, she said, and was a leader to her and her siblings as well. "He's always been a leader, you know, always encouraging," she said. "If I ever doubted myself he would coerce me into believing that I could do it no matter what. He always taught self-confidence, hard work, ethics. He was just a great person." Palmer said Fashaw woke up at 4 a.m. one morning to drive to Oklahoma City to watch him graduate college. "It's pretty incredible the kind of guy he was," Palmer said. Luke Fashaw was the second sibling in the family to die in an accident, Deidra Fashaw said. In 2004, his brother Michael died in a car accident. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the family. Fashaw's body is the third recovered from the area this year. Two others are still reported missing. S. M. Chavey is a staff writer for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here. | sarah.chavey@express-news.net | 210-250-3122 | Twitter: @smchavey A firefighter was injured Monday while battling a blaze at a West Side apartment complex. At about 3:30 a.m., firefighters responded to the burning apartment building in the 1400 block of Cable Ranch Road. RELATED: SAPD: Man ejected, killed in rollover crash along Loop 1604 The fire is believed to have started on the first floor and climbed all the way to the third floor, officials said. All residents from the building were evacuated. While working to extinguish the flames, one of the responding firefighters was scratched in the eye. He was taken to University Hospital for treatment. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns San Antonio police arrested a man Saturday accused of assaulting two bike patrol officers. Anthony Burdette, 47, was charged with assault causing bodily injury on a public servant in connection to the July 14 incident, records showed. On that day, two bike officers were waiting for a unit to transfer a different suspect to jail when they saw Burdette crossing the street when the intersection had a "no walk" sign on, according to an arrest affidavit. RELATED: Wife stabbed husband during fight at NW side home, police say One of the officers tried to discourage Burdette from crossing the street before asking for his identification, police said. Burdette ignored the officer and kept walking, according to the affidavit, so the officer grabbed him by the arm. Burdette resisted and punched an officer in the chest and face, police said. He also kicked the other officer on his legs, the affidavit says. The officers took Burdette to a psychiatric facility for evaluation before he was charged with the assault, the affidavit says. A judge set Burdette's bail at $20,000, jail records showed. A Kerr County man is facing a child abuse charge after his 6-month-old daughter was hospitalized with skull injuries in San Antonio, according to the Kerr County Sheriff's Office. Kerr County deputies responded to University Hospital on Saturday to investigate a child abuse call, according to the office's Facebook page. A man was arrested late Sunday after police said he drunkenly wrecked his Cadillac SUV on the Northwest Side, killing his passenger. Peter Jacob Zavala, 31, now faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter in the death of Jesse Anthony Cruz, 50. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $75,000 bond. The infant mortality rate (IMR) is one of the most important indicators of the socio-economic well-being and public health conditions of a country. The US childhood immunization schedule specifies 26 vaccine doses for infants aged less than 1 yearthe most in the worldyet 33 nations have lower IMRs. Using linear regression, the immunization schedules of these 34 nations were examined and a correlation coefficient of r = 0.70 (p < 0.0001) was found between IMRs and the number of vaccine doses routinely given to infants. Nations were also grouped into five different vaccine dose ranges: 1214, 1517, 1820, 2123, and 2426. The mean IMRs of all nations within each group were then calculated. Linear regression analysis of unweighted mean IMRs showed a high statistically significant correlation between increasing number of vaccine doses and increasing infant mortality rates, with r = 0.992 (p = 0.0009). Using the Tukey-Kramer test, statistically significant differences in mean IMRs were found between nations giving 1214 vaccine doses and those giving 2123, and 2426 doses. A closer inspection of correlations between vaccine doses, biochemical or synergistic toxicity, and IMRs is essential. [2] In the United Kingdom, an infant already receives by 12 months on the routine schedule (2):- [1] Vaccines are mentioned as one strategy against antimicrobial resistance (1) and this submission seeks to caution against the idea of substituting one kind of over-medication with another (Age of Autism is an on-line newspaper concerned with the publicly unaccounted adverse effects of vaccination). Below is a published "written evidence" from AofA's John Stone at data.parliament.uk. Data.parliament (DDP) is a platform that enables us to share our data both within and outside of Parliament. The aim of data.parliament is to ensure that our data is both accessible and useable. Most of the data is already public, but this project is about ensuring that it is exposed in a better and richer way. Its a big project, and the service will continue to develop and grow after the platform has launched. In time, we hope that all published Parliamentary information will be available on DDP. [4] There is presently no hard science supporting the general expandability of the programme and its safety despite several hundreds of products in the pipeline (4) all waiting to be licensed, recommended and in many other countries mandated. Often in the last decade, and even quite recently British health officials (including Prof David Salisbury (5), Sir Liam Donaldson (6) and Prof Elizabeth Miller (7)) were apt to cite the 10,000 vaccine doctrine of Prof Paul Offit (8) in order to reassure the public. There were several obvious things wrong with Offits claim that 10,000 or 100,000 vaccines administered to an infant in one go might be safe. Offit was comparing routine exposure to environmental pathogens, with cocktails of serious disease derived pathogens; it took no account, for example, of the use of adjuvants to boost the antigens and the route of administration was nothing like routine exposure to pathogens in the environment i.e. in most cases injected when normally we have skin, the digestive system, the lungs which have evolved to protect us (9). [5] Last year I was attacked by the Every Child By Two website (10), to which Offit is an advisor (11) and executive member (12), for suggesting he ever meant it literally (despite copious evidence (9, 13)), so the doctrinal/theoretical basis for the safety of the expanding programme seems to have evaporated, without it being replaced by anything else. [6] The can be no assumption that vaccines boost general resistance, and publications from the team led by Aaby and Benn suggest negative possibilities (14, 15, 16). [7] Recent studies have questioned whether pneumococcal vaccines actually result in a reduction of pneumococcal illness, or make the problem worse. For instance, Vila-Corcoles reported in a study of more than 2m middle-aged and elderly adults in Catalonia (17): After multivariable adjustments we found that the PCV13 vaccination did not alter significantly the risk of pneumococcal pneumonia (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio [mHR]: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.751.83; p = 0.493) and all-cause death (mHR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.971.18; p = 0.190), although it remained significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause pneumonia (mHR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.481.94; p < 0.001). In stratified analyses focused on middle-aged or elderly persons and immunocompromised or immunocompetent subjects, PCV13 vaccination did not appear effective either. [8] In Mawsons small but ground-breaking vaccinated vs. unvaccinated study of home-schooled children (18) it was found that 1.2% of unvaccinated children had had pneumonia against 6.4% vaccinated, while 5.8% unvaccinated had had Otitis Media against 19.8 vaccinated. However unpalatable it is to health officials and vaccine manufacturers it is urgent that this study which looked at the effects of general vaccination against a range of health outcomes - be expanded. [9] Vaccines may offer no panacea to the problem of antimicrobial resistance, will interact with it in unpredictable ways, and likely make it worse. Politicians need to be wary of being railroaded by industry objectives which are a matter of commercial exploitation and not the public good. FOOTNOTES (1) Jim ONeill etc., Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally: The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, May 2016, Intervention 6: Promote development and use of vaccines and alternatives, p.40-3 https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/160518_Final%20paper_with%20cover.pdf (2) Childhood vaccines timeline https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/childhood-vaccines-timeline/ (3) Miller NZ & Goldman GS, Infant mortality rates regressed against number of vaccine doses routinely given: Is there a biochemical or synergistic toxicity?, Human and Experimental Toxicology May 2011, http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0960327111407644 (4) Medicines in Development for Vaccines (sic), Washington, D.C. (April 20, 2012) Americas biopharmaceutical research companies are developing nearly 300 vaccines (5) John Stone, What David Salisbury said and the DOHs position on multiple vaccine safety, BMJ Rapid Responses 20 September 2004, https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/30/what-david-salisbury-said-and-dohs-position-multiple-vaccine-safety (6) John Stone, Irresponsible claims about vaccine safety? Questions for Sir Liam Donaldson and Prof Lewis Wolpert, BMJ Rapid Responses 3 July 2004, https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/30/irresponsible-claims-about-vaccine-safety-questions-sir-liam-donaldson-and (7) Elizabeth Miller, Controversies and challenges of vaccination: an interview with Elizabeth Miller, BMC Med. 2015; 13: 267. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4608187/ Miller can make a rhetorical defence: Despite strong arguments against the overload hypothesis but of course an argument is not evidence. The citation is to the Offit article. (8) Offit PA, Quarles J, Gerber MA, Hackett CJ, Marcuse EK, Kollman TR, et al. Addressing parents concerns: do multiple vaccines overwhelm or weaken the infant's immune system? Pediatrics. 2002;109:1249. doi: 10.1542/peds.109.1.124. (9) Paul Offit, Are childhood vaccines safe? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQQ7izQOPdw Segment 27mins to 29.20. (10) Joel A Harrison, John Stone and the Best of Age of Autism: Just Plain Wrong About Everything, 27 February 2017, http://www.ecbt.org/index.php/facts_and_issues/article/john_stone_and_the_best_of_age_of_autism_just_plain_wrong_about_everything (11) ECBT Advisory Board http://www.ecbt.org/index.php/about/article/scientific_advisory_board (12) ECBT Board http://www.ecbt.org/index.php/about/article/board (13) For instance, a newsletter from Offits hospital Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) states: No doubt about it, the immunization schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) can seem daunting. Your child can receive up to 23 shots by the time she's 2 years old and as many as six shots at a singledoctor visit. So it's not surprising that many parents have concerns about how vaccines might affect a child's developing immunity and often cite these as a reason to refuse a vaccine.But it should be the least of your worries. "Children have an enormous capacity to respond safely to challenges to the immune system from vaccines," says Dr. Offit. "A baby's body is bombarded with immunologic challenges - from bacteria in food to the dust they breathe. Compared to what they typically encounter and manage during the day, vaccines are literally a drop in the ocean." In fact, Dr. Offit's studies show that in theory, healthy infants could safely get up to 100,000 vaccines at once. https://web.archive.org/web/20060907100428/http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=81553 (14) Aaby P, Whittle H, Benn CS, Vaccine programmes must consider their effect on general resistance, BMJ 2012; 344 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e3769 (Published 14 June 2012) (15) Sankoh O et al, The non-specific effects of vaccines and other childhood interventions: the contribution of INDEPTH Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems, Int J Epidemiol. 2014 Jun;43(3):645-53. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyu101. Epub 2014 May 30. (16) Benn CS, Sorup S, Aaby P, BNJ Rapid Responses to Tielemans et al, Non-specific effects of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination in high income setting: population based cohort study in the Netherlands, 20 September 2017, 16 November 2017 and 7 May 2018 https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3862/rapid-responses (17) Vila-Corcoles A et al, Evaluating clinical effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination against pneumonia among middle-aged and older adults in Catalonia: results from the EPIVAC cohort study, 18 December 2017, BMC Infectious Diseases201818:196, https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-018-3096-7 (18) Mawson AR, Ray B, Bhuiyan AR, Jacob B, Pilot comparative study on the health of vaccinated and unvaccinated 6- to 12- year old U.S. children, Table 2 Vaccination status and health outcomes Acute Conditions, Journal of Translational Science, 24 April 2017, http://www.oatext.com/Pilot-comparative-study-on-the-health-of-vaccinated-and-unvaccinated-6-to-12-year-old-U-S-children.php#Article Addendum The following Freedom of Information request to the United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Care is now publishes on the government website 'What do they know?': Give President Donald Trump credit. When he chastised NATO allies over their failure to spend adequately on our common defense, his critics said he was endangering the Atlantic alliance. Instead, his tough stance persuaded allies to spend billions more on defense, strengthening NATO instead. Now, Trump is doing the same on trade. At the Group of Seven summit in Quebec, Trump was roundly criticized for publicly berating allies over their trade practices and provoking a needless trade war. Well, once again, it appears Trump is being proved right. On Wednesday, he and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced a cease-fire in their trade war and promised to seek the complete elimination of most trade barriers between the United States and the European Union. We agreed today to work together toward zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsidies on non-auto industrial goods, declared the two leaders in a joint statement. Zero tariffs. Wednesdays breakthrough with the European Union shows that, contrary to what his critics allege, Trump is not a protectionist; rather, he is using tariffs as a tool to advance a radical free trade agenda. In a little-noticed interview with Fox Newss Maria Bartiromo earlier this month, Trump revealed that during the G-7 summit he made a sweeping proposal. Trump offered to eliminate all trade barriers and his supposedly pro-free trade allies passed. Right before his meeting with Juncker last week, he repeated the offer, tweeting, The European Union is coming to Washington tomorrow to negotiate a deal on Trade. I have an idea for them. Both the U.S. and the E.U. drop all Tariffs, Barriers and Subsidies! Trump knows that most of our trading partners dont really want free trade; they want managed trade, where they can get access to U.S. markets while protecting certain industries from U.S. competition. Trumps strategy to get them to drop these protectionist barriers is to impose crushing tariffs. At a rally last week, Trump explained his strategy for getting to zero tariffs. You know, other countries have tariffs on us. So, when I say, Well, Im going to put tariffs on them, they all start screaming, Hes using tariffs, Trump said. I said (to the European Union), You have to change. They didnt want to change. I said, OK. Good. Were going to tariff your cars. They said, When can we show up? When can we be there? (Laughter.) Would tomorrow be okay? Oh, folks, stick with us. Stick with us. Now Trumps hard-line trade strategy is being vindicated. Not only is the E.U. negotiating zero tariffs, but also it agreed to immediately buy more American soybeans which helps Trump in his trade battle with China. After Trump imposed tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods, China responded with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, including soybeans. Beijing knows that China is the single largest importer of U.S. soybeans, and that about 96 percent of U.S. soybeans are grown in 18 states all but two of which voted for Trump in 2016. Their tariffs left soybean farmers none too happy with Trump and gave a political boost to vulnerable Senate Democrats in soy-producing farm states such as Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Claire McCaskill in Missouri. Now, Trump has enlisted the European Union to help U.S. soybean farmers counteract the repercussions of Chinese tariffs, in addition to the $12 billion in aid he has promised for U.S. farmers. Thats three-dimensional trade chess. Last week, Trump tweeted, Tariffs are the greatest! Either a country which has treated the United States unfairly on Trade negotiates a fair deal, or it gets hit with Tariffs. Its as simple as that. Well, maybe it is and maybe it isnt. Trump is a long way from a final deal. And in trade, nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to. But this is a surprisingly positive first step. If Trump succeeds in using trade wars to bring down European and Chinese trade barriers, he may end up being one of the greatest free trade presidents in history. In the early 1930s, one of Americas leading eugenicists, Madison Grant, received a letter thanking him for writing the book The Passing of a Great Race, which the letters author called his Bible. The compliment came from Adolf Hitler. And no wonder. In The Passing of a Great Race, Grant wrote: Mistaken regard for what are believed to be divine laws and a sentimental belief in the sanctity of human life tend to prevent both the elimination of defective infants and the sterilization of such adults as are themselves of no value to the community. The laws of nature require the obliteration of the unfit and human life is valuable only when it is of use to the community or race. In his brilliant history of the eugenics movement, War Against the Weak, Edwin Black traces the influence of Grants book in paragraph after paragraph of Mein Kampf. In the early 20th century, America was the world leader in the practice of eugenics, which was generally viewed as modern, scientific and progressive. The promotion of eugenics was generously supported by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Mary Harriman. It is better for all the world, argued Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for this imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. Teddy Roosevelt wrote that society has no business to permit degenerates to reproduce their kind. There was sporadic resistance to eugenics among scientists and religious leaders. But states eventually coercively sterilized around 60,000 human beings. It was only after Germany pressed eugenics to Grants logical conclusion that the practice was medically discredited (though not entirely discontinued). Why did so many decent people in America at the time fail to see the cruelty and unfairness of what they were doing? This question is comforting to us, because it is an accusation against the past. Less comfortably: What are the social practices we currently encourage or accept that future generations might find inexplicable? One might be the historically unprecedented level of imprisonment in a free nation. The number of people behind bars in America rose from 314,000 in 1979 to about 2 million in mid-2013. Taking violent criminals off the streets for longer periods surely had some good social effects. But routine incarceration involving millions of people is a vast, high-stakes social experiment. What happens when a criminal justice system sweeps up large numbers of people for relatively nonviolent offenses, including many African-Americans, and places them in dangerous, dysfunctional institutions and then, upon release, denies them basic democratic rights? Or consider the widespread use of psychoactive drugs. Three decades ago, about 1 in 50 Americans was on antidepressant medication. Today, it is 1 in nine. I am the last to dispute that antidepressants can play an essential role in the treatment of depression and have improved countless lives, but it is hard to deny a broader social tendency to use chemical compounds to take the hard edges off of life. My candidate for our most stunning form of complacency concerns the application of market principles to the control of humankinds genetic makeup a kind of decentralized eugenics based on parental choice. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that 126 million women are now missing around the world due to gender-biased sex selection which includes abortion after ultrasound scans, death from neglect and infanticide. In the West, this form of parental power has taken the form of eliminating fetuses with Down syndrome and other disabilities, which unavoidably increases the discrimination against the dwindling number that survive. But we are only beginning to see how the aggregation of private choices can lead to injustice. What will prevent parents who spend massive amounts on education to get their children into Harvard from also spending massive amounts on the selection of genetic traits that will get their children into Harvard? And how will this affect the problem of social and economic inequality? You probably have your own candidates for social blind spots. But it is worth stepping back and considering what apologies we might owe to the future. michaelgerson@washpost.com Impeachment. Its a word spoken way too carelessly and prematurely when it comes to President Donald Trump. But it is also a word just as reckless when applied to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. A group of conservative U.S. House members has introduced a resolution calling precisely for that. The resolution cites high crimes and misdemeanors that are nothing of the sort. Rosenstein stands accused of not responding with enough alacrity to members demands for documents, though the Justice Department has supplied plenty and is working on much of the rest, save for a document that the department believes, if released, could compromise special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Rosenstein also stands accused of obfuscating the source of some of the material cited to get a FISA court to allow surveillance of Carter Page, a Trump aide (who was indicted and pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI). But there was no such withholding of information, as the release of pertinent documents in the past few weeks demonstrated. Moreover, the investigation into Page began before Rosenstein was deputy attorney general he signed only one of the renewal applications to the court. He has redacted too much in the documents supplied, the members charge. But, even if true, there is no basis to the assumption that this was done for nefarious purposes. As a whole, the charges real intent is entirely clear: to give cover to President Trump, who has repeatedly called the investigation a witch hunt, to go into House re-election season with plenty of red meat to hand the base and, potentially, to hand the president a pretext for firing Rosenstein, replacing him with someone far more malleable who would either fire Mueller or hinder the investigation. House Speaker Paul Ryan says he opposes the resolution, which is offered by 11 Republicans, led by Reps. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, all members of the House Freedom Caucus. That, however, might not stop this group from pressing for a vote after Congress returns from a summer recess. The nation should be clear what the result of a Rosenstein impeachment and Mueller firing would be: a constitutional crisis that tests whether a presidential derailing of an investigation into the president constitutes obstruction of justice. The president mustnt go there. A developers plan to build a condo tower in Tobin Hill is at risk of tumbling down as three brothers battle over whether their mother was of sound mind when one of them sold the property on her behalf. Alice Gonzales, 93, raised her family on the property on St. Marys Street where local company Limitless Creations wants to build a cluster of four-story and eight-story condo towers named Legacy Lofts. For decades, she managed a food market in a squat brick building that would be incorporated into the development, selling groceries on credit to customers who couldnt pay, her grandson John Gonzales said. She finally retired after a robber hit her over the head with a pistol. The proposed towers would bring a new level of density to Tobin Hill, a neighborhood of single-family homes thats attracting interest from developers with the growth of the Pearl nearby. But a lawsuit between the brothers could entangle the project. RELATED: Proposed Hard Rock comes at fraught time for Alamo Alice sold the property to Limitless, led by CEO Robert Melvin, in April 2017. But the signature on the deed isnt hers its that of her son, Anthony Gonzales, who has taken care of her since her husband died in 1993. Anthony has sold two other Tobin Hill properties on her behalf in recent years. Anthony was sued last year by his brothers, Ernest and Lester, who claim that he sold the properties without his mothers knowledge and used some of the proceeds for himself, according to filings from Bexar County Probate Court. A doctor who examined Alice determined she has a major neurocognitive disorder, court filings show. Ernest and Lester are seeking more than $1 million in damages and to have their mothers property sales reversed. Anthony wasnt available for comment, but his wife, Adelina Gonzales, called the lawsuit a family matter that had nothing to do with Legacy Lofts. She said Alice is sound in body and mind. Thats fake news, sir. And someones going to find themselves in trouble, she said. They want to have guardianship. She does not want to go with them. She doesnt want to do anything with them. RELATED: Developer cancels $83 million apartment tower next to city hall Melvin, the developer, said he isnt concerned about the lawsuits impact on the project, which he hopes to start building in September. He wasnt aware of the dispute when he bought the land, he said. The property is owned free and clear, he said. This is new to me that she has dementia or is mentally incompetent. The legal battle started in August 2016, when Ernest Gonzales filed an application in Bexar County Probate Court to become his mothers guardian. To read more about the fight that could entangle the Tobin Hill condo project, click here or see Sundays Business section. Richard Webner is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | rwebner@express-news.net | Twitter: @RWebner Should I stay or should I go? For many homeowners, that's the question. Conventional wisdom strongly dictates that homeowners should live in their place for at least five years if they want to walk away with a legit return on their investmentor sometimes the shirts on their backs. But in an era when even "honesty is the best policy" is a matter of debate, aphorisms aren't what they used to be. In some parts of the U.S., homeowners seem afflicted with wanderlustpulling up roots, moving early and often. But in others, they're more apt to stay in their cherished homes for decades. The realtor.com data team identified the housing markets where folks are holding onto their residences the longestand where they're putting their properties back on the market in record time. Generally, for the past decade or so, more homeowners have been staying in their residences longer, according to the National Association of Realtors. They went from living at the same address for a median six years in 2008 to a median 10 beginning in 2014. That's partly because so many folks found themselves unexpectedly underwater on their mortgages when the housing bubble burst. (This figure includes only primary residences whereas our analysis includes home flips, rental properties, and vacation homes, which tend to be held for fewer years.) "I'm seeing people bottled up in their homes because they have nowhere to move to," says Dowell Myers, an urban planning and demography professor at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles. "We have burgeoning demand and an insufficient supply of homes for sale, which creates gridlock." On the flip side, "higher rates of construction will stimulate more turnover" in many markets as there are more homes to choose from, he continues. Some of "the markets where people had been underwater following the Great Recession, now have equity for the first time. You may have a surge in sellers as people try to act on their long-delayed plans to move on." In some markets, lots of churn is good for both buyers and sellers. It means there are more properties for would-be homeowners to choose from. And in the best-case scenario, home appreciation is so strong that sellers can walk away earlyand still make a profit. To find where owners are staying put for the longest and shortest periods of time, we looked at homes that sold over the past 12 months in the 100 largest metros. (Metros include the main city and the suburbs surrounding it.) We compared those sales with their previous ones going back as far as 2000, enabling us to calculate the average number of months that homes were owned between sales. We included only one metro per state to ensure geographic diversity. Now let's go the places where homeowners are holding on tight. Metros where homeowners are staying the longest Average time between sales: 99 months Median home list price: $170,000 Located along the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso has an abundance of Texas charm and great eats. But many residents of this border town, where most of the employment comes from government jobs and the oil and gas industry, are struggling. The median household income here is just $43,22233.3% less than national levels.. "Lower wages mean homeowners are less likely to sell and try to trade up," says Tom Torres, a real estate agent at Clear View Realty in El Paso. The folks who do sell are often nearing retirement and looking to downsize, he says. El Paso might not have lots of deep-pocketed homebuyers or megamansions, but the three-bedroom, two-bath homes on the market here are usually within buyers budget. In fact, realtor.com named El Paso one of America's middle-class meccas earlier this year, with 69% of the homes here being within reach of middle-income buyers. Average time between sales: 98 months Median home list price: $259,500 The largest city in New Mexico, Albuquerque is packed with the pueblo homes so common throughout the Southwest. These two-story abodes have flat roofs and walls that are good for staying cool during the region's hot summer. Residents here don't seem to have an overwhelming desire to trade up to McMansions. There's a strong cultural bent to stay to put, says Ben Levine, an associate broker at Re/Max Select in Albuquerque. He contends that Albuquerque is a decidedly down-to-earth, family-oriented community. "People here are not so driven to own luxury cars and designer clothes. Albuquerque has a mix of lifelong residents and retirees who moved here because of the mild winters, dry heat, and affordable home prices. While homes here aren't as cheap as those in El Paso, they're still well under the $299,000 national median price. Just because folks like to stay where they are doesn't mean there aren't properties for sale. Homes sell the fastest near downtown, in areas such as Nob Hill, a historic neighborhood with nightlife, shopping, and restaurants. This two-bedroom, pueblo-style home built in 1951 in Nob Hill is on the market for $149,000. Average time between sales: 97 months Median home list price: $700,000 On one side of Oxnard, which sits along the Pacific Ocean on the coast, is Los Angeles, where the median home cost is a whopping $762,600. But the other side is even more unaffordable, with median prices in Santa Barbara hitting a nosebleed-inducing $1.4 million. That may be why folks hoping to save a few bucks by living in Oxnard aren't looking to go anywhere. "A million-dollar home [in Santa Barbara] costs $500,000 in Oxnard," says Julia Otero, a local real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties. "It's its little own world, and you don't have to get out of Oxnard for beaches, shopping, or a night out." Most of the sellers Otero works with have been in their homes for about a decade and are moving to retire outside of the city. Meanwhile, most of her buyers are purchasing their first homes, which they hope to live in for years to come. Average time between sales: 97 months Median home list price: $215,100 Many Greensboro residents may dream of moving into a new homebut fast-rising prices and a lack of homes on the market are keeping many of them right where they are. Median list prices are up 11.1% in the past year alone. That's not an easy increase to stomach for those looking to trade up or down. If theres not a reason to move, what are you going to get in this frenzy?" asks local real estate agent D.J. McGarrigan of Allen Tate Realtors. "A lot of people are doing renovations to their house ... because its so hard to replace what youve got. Those who are sellingparticularly anything under $400,000 in a good school districtare in for a windfall. Just recently, he showed a four-bedroom home in a nice area 40 times and received eight offers. It's now selling for well over its $220,000 list price. But then what? "In order to replace what you have, you're going to have a hard time finding something new," McGarrigan warns. Average time between sales: 96 months Median home list price: $270,000 The City of Brotherly Love is filled with neighborhoods where folks know everyone and wouldn't dream of leaving their community behind. Many of these areas are packed with brick,100-year-old row homes often passed down from generation to generation. There aren't lots of people moving from neighborhood to neighborhood, says Liz Lutz, a real estate agent at Re/Max One Realty in Philadelphia. They're "so tied into their community they can't imagine being anywhere else." Another reason more folks are staying put is some of the schools in the city have been improving. That puts less pressure on families to move into the suburbs. The rest of the top 10 metros where homeowners are staying the longest are Cleveland (95 months), at sixth, followed by Seattle (94 months); Baltimore (93 months); Rochester, NY (93 months); and Jacksonville, FL (92 months). Got it? Now let's look at U.S. cities with the most peripatetic homeowners. Metros where homeowners are staying the least amount of time Average time between sales: 33 months Median home list price: $350,000 The reason for the constant churn in Providence is simple: It's filled with here-today-gone-tomorrow college studentsand the teaching professionals who mold 'em. The state capital is home to Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, and Johnson & Wales University among others. The savviest of students, recent grads, and their families are buying homes for a few years and then putting them on the market for a quick profit. We have a lot of transient professors from Brown and Johnson & Wales that will only stay for a year or two, says Joshua Deaner, real estate broker and owner of the Rhode Guide Real Estate Co. in Providence. Ive seen one house that has sold three times in 10 years. Its not haunted or anythingits just that academics tend to like similar things. The houses go from one professor to another." Single-family homes priced under $350,000 sell fast. And homes on the east side of town, where they tend to be nicer and larger, are even more in-demand, Deaner says. But the short buy-sell time frame isn't stopping local homeowners from walking away with some serious money. In fact, earlier this month the realtor.com data team found that home sellers in the past year in Providence made a roughly 11% return on their initial investment. Average time between sales: 35 months Median home list price: $299,800 Located two hours south of Tampa Bay along the Florida Gulf Coast, Cape Coral is a hotbed for retirees, snowbirds, and vacationers. And they're constantly on the move. We are a vacation community with lots of second homes, says Mike Lombardo, a broker in Cape Coral. A standard second home here is this three-bedroom, two-bath ranch in a private cul-de-sac for $209,900. "People dont hold those as long as primary residences." Like many other parts of Florida, Cape Coral was hit hard by the housing crash, with a deluge of foreclosures and plummeting home prices. Those who bought when the market was low, around 2011 and 2012, are realizing they now have quite a bit of equity in their abodes. And many are choosing to cash out. Average time between sales: 36 months Median home list price: $200,000 Government officials and business leaders in Greenville have worked hard to sell the region as a go-to spot for young families. With low taxes, a business-friendly environment, and a charming downtown with a damn fine whiskey distillery and boutiques oozing Southern charm, Ameco, Michelin, and General Electric all have established a big presence there. Those improvements and good salaries have brought lots of new residents into the area. (The population of just Greenville County swelled 12.3% from April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.) Some stay for a few years before moving to other cities in the South, such as Atlanta. Others simply keep trading up as they earn more money. They are here for three or four years. But to move up the ladder, they take a new job or assignment in a different city, says Melissa Morrell, a local real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Average time between sales: 44 months Median home list price: $286,100 Moving to NOLA may make your friends jealous, particularly come Mardi Gras. The region is constantly attracting new residents, particularly younger folks who dream of debauched strolls down Bourbon Street. Most folks move here simply for a lifestyle change, says Michelle LaBanca, a real estate agent at French Quarter Realty. Theyll stay for a few years hoping to get the New Orleans experience and then move on to something new. (The metro is also a college town, home to Tulane University, Loyola University, and Xavier University of Louisiana, among others, which contributes to the churn.) First-time buyers often pick up duplexes in parts of New Orleans like Mid-City, a hip neighborhood filled with restaurants and bars, where they run about $300,000, LaBanca says. They own these homes for a few years and then upgrade into something bigger. Some neighborhoods have lower inventory but a really high demand," LaBanca says. "So people will buy and sell two or three years later just to make a profit." Average time between sales: 47 months Median home list price: $310,000 Madison is another big college town, centered on the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its 44,000 students. Parents will buy two units and income properties for their kids to live in while theyre at UW, says Sara Alvarado, owner of Alvarado Real Estate Group. "After their kids graduate, they'll either sell the units or rent them out." In addition, she sees many folks who come to the area for work only to be relocated by their employers a few years later. That can happen quickly, and theyre forced to sell," Alvarado says. Single-family homes in the suburbs are the hottest segment of the market. This three-bedroom home with granite countertops and a big backyard in nearby Waunakee is going for $324,900. And because they're so in-demand, many of these abodes can fetch as many as 15 offers, Alvarado says. The rest of the top 10 metros where homeowners stay the least amount of time are Grand Rapids, MI (51 months), at sixth, followed by Knoxville, TN (54 months); Boston (57 months); Omaha, NE (66 months); and Augusta, GA (66 months. Sources: realtor.com and Corelogic Allison Underhill and Clare Trapasso contributed to this report. The post Sell or Hold? Top Cities Where Homeowners Stay Putand Where They Move Fastest appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. MADISON The Board of Selectmen has called a special town meeting for residents to vote on whether the town should continue negotiating with Our Lady of Mercy Preparatory School for the use of Island Avenue School. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Island Avenue School auditorium, 20 Island Ave. Island Avenue School is set to close in June 2019 as the Madison public school system reconfigures the school district due to declining enrollment. The event follows the controversial closing of Our Lady of Mercy School. Beginning with the 2018-19 academic year, Our Lady of Mercy School, at 149 Neck Road, Madison, will merge with St. Mary School in Branford to form the East Shoreline Catholic Academy at the current site of St. Mary School in Branford. OLM parents who oppose the merging of the two Catholic schools, plus students, alumni and community supporters, have formed OLM Prep, an independent Catholic school. Plans are for it to open by fall. The negotiations between the town and OLM Prep include a set of agreed-upon conditions. These stipulations start with the end of the 2019 school year, when the Board of Education turns Island Avenue School over to the town. At that time OLM Prep must meet certain criteria, including obtaining all insurance coverage requirements for use of the building, as well as responsibility for utilities, maintenance and capital. The lease agreement would be in effect for three years, and the lease payment to the town would be $535,000 per year. For the upcoming school year, OLM Prep has secured two separate campuses for its students. Last month, the group purchased property at 503 Toll Road in Madison, the former Learning Village preschool, across from Roberts Food Center. The property, for students from prekindegarten to third grade, will be the main campus for OLM Prep. Students from fourth to eighth grades will attend classes at 37 Soundview Road, Guilford, a building already zoned for school use, and will be leased by the school. Regarding tax on the building, which has become a hot topic on social media, Picard said they would not pay taxes as a lessee, but taxes would be collected if they were to purchase the building. If we were to buy this again, at some poin,t we assume the town is going to put this out for sale, he said. This has been done many times before and I have personal experience with this we would buy it as a for profit, so we would pay taxes. Then the school would be the nonprofit entity, leasing it from us, so the town would get the full tax revenue and the purchase price. The option to buy is not included in the discussions at this point. Thats not part of this deal, First Selectman Tom Banisch said. When the time comes that were going to sell the school, they will have the right to bid on it, like everybody else. The town meeting will be important in the ongoing process between the town and OLM Prep. If the people in town dont want them to use the school, dont want us to make the school available to them, theyre going to tell us that, that night, Banisch said. If they say, Yes, we think thats a good idea, go ahead and talk to them, he said, then well have the green light to negotiate with them. Zimbabweans woke up early to join long queues to cast their vote in an election they view as the most critical after the 1980 one. This is the first election since the removal of Robert Mugabe viewed by many for being the author of the economic problems in the country. 08:36 Voting started at 7 at Chikokonya Guruve south two ques fair attendance. 08:36 Voting in some place in Chegutu has been stopped. Wrong voting material delivered. 08:45 At Current Shopping Centre in Budiriro voting is progressing smoothly. People started queuing as early as 6am and many have expressed satisfaction with the pace of the queue following the arrival of a Sadc observer mission. 08:46 A male voter has failed to vote at Umvukwesi Primary as he is said to be on the exclusion list of code DR meaning he had registered twice so he was told to go and vote at the correct polling station. 08:48 No foreign observers yet here at Umvukwesi Primary School but ZESN and Human Rights commission officials are present. 09:00 MDC Alliance claiming voter intimidation in Budiriro. 09: 04 In Dangamvura/Chikanga constituency where there is a record 59 000 registered voters there was a massive turn out as early as 7 am with voters lining up to cast their vote. 09:06 Forester F Primary School enroute to Centenary long queues at the School with elderly complaining of the delays, youthful voters in their numbers. Forester F Primary is also the Command and Collation center for Mazowe North ward 27 were 842 people are said to have registered. 09:11 Voting ongoing at Mazowe citrus with long queues if mostly farm workers being witnessed. Zec chairperson Justice Chigumba voted early when at Bunnickburn in ward 20 Mazowe South. She called for peaceful elections and urged people to go out and vote. 09:12 The presiding officer at Forester F Primary claims the serious delays leading to the growing numbers are a result of illiteracy as they are taking much time in assisting the voters. 09:32 Chamisa: ITS A GREAT MOMENT FOR ZIM, WE HAVE NO DOUBT, IF THE BALLOT IS A GENUINE ONE THIS IS GOING TO BE A VICTORY. THIS IS GOING TO BE AN EMPHATIC VOTE FOR FOR THE YOUNG, FOR EVRYONE AND I REPRESENT THAT. 09:35 Chamisa on ZEC complaining about yesterdays presser which they view is breaking the law: ZEC is doing this bidding on behalf of Mnangagwa who is pannicking, who is scared of victory of the MDC Alliance. Its very clear from my reading that Mr Mnangagwa has been issuing statements, last night he issued a statement and Im surprised why they have not reported Mr Mnangagwa. So Im not going to waste my time on ZEC. My part is to play a positive role in making sure that there is peace in this country, Zimbabweans need peace and I know that we are winning this election, Im only here to confirm that we are ready to read. On Mugabe he said I cant discriminate on voters if Mugabe decided to vote for me I am sure he will be doing that in his own right. 09:47 Business is low at the usually busy Sakubva market in Mutare central constituency as most vendors have expressed their desire to register their vote. The few vendors at the market were optimistic to vote later in the day. One vendor who identified himself as Jennifer Kondo said they are hoping for change. We are going to vote in the afternoon. l just want to make some few sales but obvious l cant continue vending like this, she said. Zanu PF is represented by Nancy Saungweme in the contituency while MDC-Alliance is being represented by Innocent Gonese who has been occupying the seat since 2000. The seat is a known MDC-T stronghold. 11 candidates are vying for the seat. Former senator Patrick Chitaka also stands a chance of winning the election. In Mutasa Central MP Trevor Saruwaka claimed that there was intimidation to some of his polling agents by ZANU PF supporters. Some of my polling agents are claiming intimidation by ZANU PF. This started last week as some of them were randomly arrested for no apparent reason. l have polling agents who are known here in Mutasa Central so they are being targeted, he said. The dreadlocked Saruwaka has already defeated Zanu PF stalwarts in the seat such as the partys current chairperson Oppah Muchinguri and businessman Benza. Currently he is in the hat with seven candidates including Zimbabwe National Water Authority ZINWA boss Jefter Sakupwanya who is contesting under the Zanu PF ticket. 09:55 In Chikomba West at Riversdale primary school by 09:50 196 people had cast their vote and three assisted voters. No foreign observors only Zesn. The MDC Alliance does not have agents allthough a list of the same was provided to the presiding officer. 10:05 Bulilima East, Matabeleland South. Poor turnout at several polling stations with an average of less than 50 people where there are queues. Some polling stations are said to have recorded a zero turnout when voting started. These are the list of some of the polling stations that recorded a zero turnout when the voting started; Thekwane; Mbalule, Norwood, Watershed, Usher Secondary school, Sinotsi and Mdutshwa. Some had less than 10 people, the majority having an average of 20 people. These are rural areas. Dingumuzi primary (Plumtree urban) had the largest number of voters at the opening of polling station with 33 females and 35males. In terms of the largest number of voters between males and females, it has been a seesaw affair. In some stations there are more males than females and vice versa. No reports of violence or any other electoral malpractices reported as yet. 10:33 Three Beitbridge East Contestants for the parliamentary seat Albert Nguluvhe Zanu-PF, Patricia Ndlovu MDC Alliance, and Handsome Mbedzi cast their votes at Beitbridge Government Primary School just after the Polling Station opened. At 7 am queues had formed at the polling stations in town and voting started peacefully. Officers spend just under four minutes per person. Voting started on time in Rural Beitbridge West with Zanu PF Candidate Ruth Maboyi casting her votes at Madzivhe Primary School 90 kilometres west of the Border town. Villagers are travelling distances of up to 20 kilometres to vote. They are using their donkey drawn carts for transport. Atmosphere is peaceful and it is mostly women voters in queues. 10:40 In Muzarabani South, ward 15 short queues at Gatu Primary School were 668 people are said to have registered to vote. At Muzarabani South Constituency Command Center and there are no statistics yet as the Constituency Election Officer Blazio Chigwa claims that network problems has caused the delay to receive the results from other polling stations. No violence claims yet, with huge queues witnessed at some polling stations outskirts of Centenary such as Goromokwa, Clear Morning and Mwonga. The Election Officer claims that they have received enough material for the election. There are not foreigner observers yet but Zesn officials present. No campaigning or posters within the confined zone. Contesting candidates are Tapera Saizi of ZanuPF, Tapiwa Talent Choruwa of MDC ALLIANCE and Mika Gundani of National Assembly 10:50 Voter turnout in Mazoe South constituency has been low with other polling station virtually deserted. As at 10 am at Henderson Research station, 195 voters had cast their ballots with females constituting the largest part of voters. About three voters were turned away. Two voters did not appear on the voters roll while the other is an alien. Mururi Munetsi, chief polling officer said voting had been going on smoothly. European Union and NANGO observers were present. At Harmony farm tent ward 16, Mazoe South, 92 voters had cast their ballots by 10 am. Australian obsever mission said voting was largely peaceful ,although they were concerned about the pace at which voting was being conducted. 11:07 In Chikomba West Northwood Primary School 300 people has already voted. Two were turned away as one had a photocopied National ID and the other was not in the voters roll. In the rural chikomba, only Zanu PF has agents while the MDC Alliance has failed to have agents. So far no foriegn observors in the rural areas but Zesn members. 11:20 Sunningdale Primary School (Ward 10) Over 588 people had cast their within the first two hours of voting in Sunningdales Ward 10. 74 were turned away owing to a variety of reasons including not appearing on the voters roll and exclusion from the list will 15 were assisted due to poor eye sight and illiteracy. However, hundreds of other voters were still queueing at Sunningdale Primary School with their general sentiments pointing at a smooth sailing of the elections process. I think the process is free and fair so far I expect change (and) I think the candidates I have voted for will deliver. I have voted for my future and the family I will have in the future, said a first time voter Ngonidzashe Kondo after voting. 11:23 St Andrews Primari School, Zhombe constituency, long queues on both A and B, 1150 registered voters for both and as of 10 am, 327 had voted, 53 assisted to vote, most of them very young. Cases of political party agents cancassing support from queuing voters, Zanu PF, MDC Alliance and PRC reprsented at all poling stations in Zhombe, where Zanu PFs Edmore Sambwa and MDC Alliance Datson Mapfumo are leading contenters. One person turned away, his name on the exclusion list. At Bertha Summerview, Silobela 71 had voted by 10 am out of the 180 registered voters. MDC Allaince and Zanu PF represented, one assistef voter. Gomora Clinic, Zhombe, 216 had voted by 10, 10 assisted voters, one turned away, wrong polling station. Challenges removing campaign posters around the polling station, 11:29 Dama Falls, Open Spaced Proposed Secondary School polling station three have been turned away as they were registered to vote elsewhere with 919 registered to vote. Also, at Roman Catholic Church Tent A 966 have registered to vote with about a third having cast it but is moving slowly. At Roman Catholic Church Tent B, 966 have registered to vote four have been turned away. Three for not bringing IDs while one was just not registered to vote at this polling station. It seems the Dama Falls polling stations which is in Goromonzi South, wars 9, has a lot of voters that have been faced challenges finding the correct polling stations. 11:36 Mangwe Constituency Update: Alarn Redfern Primary school; Ward 6 polling station and collation centre. Zanu PF chief polling agent at the centre Simon Moyo complains some opposition candidates have been needlesly loitering at the poling station. Moyo says they lodged a complaint with Zec because this is an unfair practice akin to campaining at the polling station. An MDC Alliance polling agent also raises similar complaints against other candidates but refuses to be quoted on record in the absence of her polling agent. ZEC election officers at this Mangwe collation centre have communication challenges with Makhorokhoro (ward 17) and Maningi (ward 8). Telecomms connectivity is a challenge in those areas that are 190km and 135kms respectively from Plumtree town. Villagers there rely on Botswana networks. As a stopgap measure, ZEC election officers at Makhorokhoro and Maningi are now travelling to and from their centres to the nearest areas where there is telecoms connectivity to submit vote statistics. Voters at this polling station are taking an average of 6-7minutes to go through electoral processes to cast their votes. ZEC election agents report there has been an average of 30 people queueing to cast their votes at any given time since morning. Because of communication challenges with outlying areas, this Mangwe constituency collation centre is yet to have ready statistics of vote trends since 7am. 11:40 As at 11:30 at Bindura primary, 333 people had cast their votes. 4 people were turned away as their names not found in the voters roll. Polling officers recorded 4 assisted voters, most of whom could not write. Interestingly men constitute the largest part of voters. 20 observers were present at 7:30 when voting started. 12:04 Hurungwe: Voting started peacefully around Karoi urban wards with few people being at stations with some having as few as 13 people eg at Evangelical church polling station in Karoi while at Tavoy farm there were 87 people by 7 am. At Chikangwe hall at least 50 people turned away for double registration including aspiring candidates from MDC Alliance Modester Manjinjiwa Ephania Chihoboya affected. A written communication was entered into ZEC district election officer Taona Pfunye saying they are working on rectifying the issue. We are working with our superior to rectify the challenges. 10:50 am 119 females had voted and 130 males giving a total of 249 voters having casted their votes. She said only four people were returned because they were not in the polling station roll and were directed to their respective polling stations. She said only two elderly women were returned for not being registered voters.10:50 am 119 females had voted and 130 males giving a total of 249 voters having casted their votes. She said only four people were returned because they were not in the polling station roll and were directed to their respective polling stations. She said only two elderly women were returned for not being registered voters. 12:10 Bulawayo south: The presiding officer jamari Shanangurai said the voting was going on well and there were no hustles at all when the Barham Green poling station was visited at 12 noon. 12:45 Queues are very long at most Epworth polling stations. People are complaining that the polling officers are very slow. 36 people were turned away at Makomo A polling station in Epworth because they did not check with Zec where they were supposed to vote and their names did not appear at the polling station. They were referred to other polling stations. At Epworth High School polling station one of the indelible ink pens failed to write and had to be replaced. At Widdecombe Primary School polling station in Hatfiled the polling officers are saying that people are spending a long time in booths; maybe because of the long list of candidates or panic. 20 people are being turned away at Widdecombe Primary School for reasons such as their names not appearing on the voters roll, expired passports,and no identity cards. At Chadcombe, Wedzera Polling station a Zanu PF Parliamentary candidate called Musukuma tried to talk to people in an act suspected to be campaigning, but was asked to stop doing so by Zec officials. 12:57 At Emganwini Pentecostal Church polling station in Nketa Mganwini constituency ward 26 over 200 people were in the queue to vote with some saying the voting is very slow as they visited the polling station at around 6 am but at 12;50 they had not voted. Polling officer in charge refused to give details of the voting referring the news crew to Senzangakhona primary polling station where the ward command centre is located. 13:01 Zanu PF chief election agent for Chimanimani West, Tendai Matsikenyere complains that there is widespread intimidation by the MDC Alliance people against Zanu PF. He says the elderly are told to wait for many hours before casting their votes. This, he says its a ploy to frustrate them so that they dont vote. 13:13 InMuzarabani South Constituency ward 14 voters are complaining of slow process with some claiming they arrived at Clear Morning Primary School polling station around 4 am but they are yet to cast their votes. They are 959 registered to vote in the ward but the Ward Election Officer identified as Murove declined to give figures of who had casted their votes and turned away by 12:45. The MDC ALLIANCE aspiring candidate Tapiwa Talent Choruwa voted at Clear Morning Primary polling station around 8:20 am. No foreign observers yet at the polling station and one official from ZESN. Clear Morning Primary School polling station Presiding officer Gorden Gore was not forthcoming to give information. According to the ward elections office of the 6 polling stations about 1023 had casted their votes from the six polling stations namely Clear Morning Primary School polling station, Chipiri Farm Tent, Tekwani Farm Tent, Goromokwa Primary and Mwonga Farm Tent. The farm (Mwonga) is run by Stan Kasukuwere, brother to Saviour. The number of people who have been assisted and turned away not yet compiled. Above all the voters are excited to be voting easpecially the youths. 13:33 Maware business centre polling station in Gokwe Chireya constituency. There are no voters insight but the presiding officer said 274 people out of 324 registered voters have cast their votes and 41 assisted to vote while seven people were denied to vote. Maware polling station is situated less than a kilometre from mudondo primary school polling station where there are more than 500 people queuing to vote. 14:10 Alarn Redfern primary school, ward 6 polling station and Mangwe constituency collation centre. As at 12pm, 304 had voted. Of the figure, 148 were male and the remainder female. 9 Assisted voters and 6 turned away of the figure, 4 had come to the wrong polling station while thr other 2 are said to have been unregistered voters. Mangwe Constituency ZEC district elections officer (DEO) a Mr Ngwenya refuses with stats for the whole constituency, argues only the provincial office in Gwanda can release them. The DEO admits communication challenges with Makhorokhoro (ward 17), Maninji (ward 8) and Khalanyoni area (ward 16). In separate interviews, a number of self employed residents in Plumtree town are saying they will try to vote later in the day. For now, they claim be busy fending for their families. 14:16 The polling station at Kyle College in Masvingo Urban appears deserted with a few voters walking in and out. There are three tents. Police officers and polling agents can be seen lazying around and chatting in the tree sheds. 911 people had voted by 2pm, three assisted voters, one turned away. 14:30 Nomater Chikari who described the process as peaceful but said the elections was marred with done delays. She is accusing the the Zimbabwe electoral commission of of trying to frustrate them. There are reported clashes between MDC Alliance and Zanu PF supporters in Dangamvura Chikanga constituency. MDC Alliance candidate in Dangamvura /Chikanga constituency Prosper Mutseyami is accusing Zanu PF of bussing supporters to vote but he said he is confident of winning the seat 14:45 At Chaona Primary School in Mazowe North Ward 2 there are two long winding queues one for females and the other for males with voters pushing and shoving complaining to have been waiting for long in the queues. The presiding officer Kudzanai Baramasimbe claims that they are many voters who are being assisted as a result of being Iliterate and blindness. 5 males and 35 females have been assisted due to illiteracy by 15:00hrs. Two people one male and a female have been turned away as the former had only brought drivers license while the later was not registered. Among the assisted are two males and 2 females who were visual impired. The presiding officer claims that chaos is being caused by those voters who are not patient as they are having many people who need assistance. He was however confident that they will be able to clear the numbers by closing time. The three contesting candidates are Thulani Ndlovu of MDC ALLIANCE, Rambai Lumbe of Peoples Rainbow Coalition and Campion Mugweni Takura of ZanuPF. 15:25 A voter in Mutare North Taurai Bindu is complaining over the withdrawal of the former incumbent Zanu PF MP Batsirai Pemhenayi, he is saying Pemhenhayi was forced to withdraw from the race Madiro and reports here claims that Pemhenayi has handed over the stick to Agrippa Bopela Masiyakurima. 15:30 At Ariel Primary School polling station A, 482 voters as of 2pm voted against 630 registered voters with 12 being turned away due to being registered at another polling station. At polling station B, slightly more than 500 voted against 630 total registers with 12 turned away for not being at the required polling station. One was excluded, as of 12pm this polling station was already using a second ballot box for the presidential and national assembly votes. This is still Goromonzi South ward 25 as was the previous. 16:00 Hwange East Constituency Dete Ward 17 MDC Alliance councilor Joseph Bonda (44) arrested and detained to Dete police base on allegations of disorderly misconduct after speaking to observers complaining about politicians who bought voters to vote in polling stations where they do no reside in. Zimbabwe Human Right Lawyers Thulani Nkala says no charge has been officially put but police confirmed that he will appear in court tomorrow. Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Former Zanu-PF spin doctor professor Jonathan Moyo has criticised the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for allowing president Emmerson Mnangagwa to illegally voted with his campaign scarf. Moyo tweeted: Yesterday @ZECzim showed its bias against @NelsonChamisa by making a false report to @PoliceZimbabwe against him but didnt report Mnangagwa for his campaign video. Today Mnangagwa went into a polling station & illegally voted with his campaign scarf & again ZEC is cool with it!. Yesterday @ZECzim showed it's bias against @NelsonChamisa by making a false report to @PoliceZimbabwe against him but didn't report Mnangagwa for his campaign video. Today Mnangagwa went into a polling station & illegally voted with his campaign scarf & again ZEC is cool with it! pic.twitter.com/vNdH5LuquP Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) July 30, 2018 Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Keller Williams of Greater Downtown Chattanooga is celebrating the success of its collective agents and teams during the first six months of 2018with Jay Robinson and the Robinson Team finishing as the top agents for the brokerage.The Robinson Team lead the way by selling $51,612,838 during the first six months of 2018. Collectively, the entire Keller Williams Greater Downtown Chattanooga office sold $308,055,220 for the same time period.Team Leader/CEO Nathan Brown said, The second quarter was nothing short of amazing.Id like to offer my congratulations to all of the Greater Downtown Chattanooga Keller Williams teams. Jay and his team have set a high standard for the third quarter and I look forward to another two quarters of outstanding production for our market center.We are extremely proud of our team, said Jay Robinson, owner and founder of the Robinson Team. They are driven by a determination to meet our clients needs in a market that is frankly, as competitive as I have ever seen. The fact that weve been able to thrive in such a challenging environment demonstrates the effectiveness of the client-first approach to the real estate business.The 2018 production numbers are based on residential data from the Greater Chattanooga REALTORS Multiple Listing Service platform.The Robinson Team was recognized as the top team in the Southeast Region of Keller Williams in 2017 by closing 190 transactions totaling approximately $90,000,000 in sales volume. The region is comprised of 57 individual Keller Williams offices spanning across a three-state region that includes Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.We remain bullish about the future of the housing market in Chattanooga, said Robinson. Chattanooga remains at the center of the radar screen for those seeking a place where quality of life is equally matched with the beauty of the area and a welcoming business environment. - Fifteen people were kidnapped in Zamfara state, the speaker of the House of Assembly alleged - Sanusi Rikiji said unknown gunmen stormed Maradun local government area of the state on Saturday, July 28 - He added that the security situation in Zamfara needs to be reviewed The speaker of Zamfara House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, has said that 15 persons were kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Saturday, July 28, in Maradun local government area of the state. Rikiji told newsmen in Gusau on Sunday, July 29, in Gusau that the security situation in the state called for serious review. He recalled the ugly incidences recorded in the last two days in Zurmi local government area where bandits took over three districts comprising over 18 villages and towns. READ ALSO: EFCC detectives to quiz Ekweremadu over assets in UK, US, Dubai As I said yesterday in Zurmi the issue of insecurity in this state require general study system review to tackle the prolonged security challenges facing the state. Security agencies should do more and more to deploy enough security personnel in Zamfara; we need permanent security stations in the affected area. READ ALSO: Finally! Chief of Air Staff exposes those behind killings across Nigeria We thank the immediate intervention of the federal government to this issue. As I am speaking now the troops, security personnel, have been deployed to the affected areas in Zurmi. They have started restoring normalcy in the area. We appeal to the people of the area to remain calm as government in collaboration with security agencies is working to maintain peace and stability in the areas, he said. The speaker also thanked the Emir of Zurmi, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, over his concern and commitment to the protection of his people. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that some residents of Kwaddi village in Zurmi local government area of Zamfara state lost their lives after suspected armed bandits attacked their village on Tuesday, July 24. The incident which reportedly claimed the lives of 20 of the residents happened at a mosque during Asr prayer. It was gathered that the gunmen had earlier invaded the village and killed at least eight people for failing to oblige to a N1 million ransom demanded from the whole community. Should Nigerians pick up arms to defend themselves against herdsmen? (Street Interview) on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - A UK-based centre has released a new report on the growing crisis between herdsmen and farmers in nigeria - The Bridge Centre said there are possibilities that the conflicts between the herders and the farmers are sponsored - According to the centre, the United Nations Security Council need to intervene in the ongoing conflict in Nigeria A report from a United Kingdom-based organisation has indicted some governors and the opposition party in Nigeria over fueling the crisis between herdsmen and farmers across Nigeria. The report by the Bridge Centre said there are possibilities that chieftains of the opposition especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are supporting killers in their desperation to get at the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The report also claimed that this desperation may be the reason why many of the killings occur in communities that did not vote for PDP in the 2015 general elections. READ ALSO: Defection: 7 PDP senators set to decamp to APC - Ndume The centre in its report cited the case of one Gana of Benue state, who was reportedly linked to an ex-PDP governor who ruled between 2007 and 2015. The report said: Gana has been identified to be allegedly responsible for scores of deaths, including many that were initially attributed to herdsmen. Ortom is now formally back in the PDP." Also, head of research and documentation of the Bridge Centre, Elizabeth Robertson, called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene in the ongoing conflict in Nigeria. READ ALSO: Just in: EFCC detectives to quiz Ekweremadu over assets in UK, US, Dubai The report read in part: "The world has on several occasions been appalled by the wanton killings in Nigeria from incidents attributed to clashes between herdsmen and farmers. Attacks upon attacks in affected communities have been blamed on killer herdsmen, who in such instances prove elusive as not much would be heard about the daring killer squads that carry out such crimes against humanity The situation has triggered a cycle of blame game within Nigeria, with the consequence that the persons behind these killings, at least responsible in part, are successfully evading justice. Findings show that there is a need to investigate some of these persons who may have links with the PDP, which has its could have its imprint on the farmers/herdsmen crisis as the then ruling party and more recently as the countrys leading opposition party. Transhumance is a phenomenon that is not peculiar to Nigeria. It has been worsened by climate change, urban sprawl, changing cultures and economic pressure." READ ALSO: SARS nab dismissed US soldier for defrauding visa seekers It also noted that it is important that the federal government begins investigation into the killing, murder, robbery cases of in Plateau, Taraba, Kogi and Kwara states must by quizzing all PDP ex-governors and lawmakers including those who currently defected from the ruling party. Some political leaders of the PDP have in the period since the party was voted out of the Federal Government engaged in the formation of militias, which they armed with weapons prohibited under several international protocols. These weapons have been deployed in commission crimes against humanity as they resulted in mass killings. Taking cognisance of the continued desecration of the sanctity of human life, the United Nations Security Council is invited to order a full investigation into the role that politicians, especially the PDP, are playing in the killings attributed to farmers/herders crisis. Arising from the findings of the full investigation, it should take the steps necessary to deter the kind of disregard for human lives as it is presently the trend. Time is of essence for whatever intervention the council has to make since it is important that Nigerians are reassured ahead of the general elections," the report added. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that herdsmen and farmers in Mashegu local government area of Niger state signed a peace agreement. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app The agreement was aimed ending the clashes between the two groups in the area. Abdullahi Babayo, the director-general of nomadic affairs agency in the state said the aim of the meeting was to reconcile communities that were affected by farmers/herdsmen crisis in the area. He said the meeting was attended by chairman, Mashegu local government, Bala Saidu, Ardo Adamu, the chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Niger, Fulani herdsmen, farmers, district heads and community leaders from the area. Southern Kaduna killings: part 1 on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - A tricycle rider has been blessed with five beautiful babies - The tricycle rider and his wife welcomed their quintuplets in Anambra state - They welcomed four male children and one female child Abuchi Odoh, a commercial tricyclist popularly known as keke napep rider, has welcomed five bouncing babies with his wife Ndidi. The couple welcomed their babies on Thursday, July 26. The 30-year-old wife who is a seamstress delivered four male children and one female child through cesarean surgery at God's Mercy Maternity Home in Obiuno Otolo, Nnewi area of Anambra state. It was gathered that the couple already had three girls who were born in single births and a set of male triplets. Two of the triplets boys had sadly passed away three months after were brought into the world. Keke napep riders wife gives birth to 5 babies in Anambra Photo source: Vanguard According to the husband who reacted to the news of the newborn babies, he never hoped for quintuplets due to the fact that he was struggling to feed his family. The 40-year-old keke napep driver revealed that he had considered the possibility of running away from the responsibility of taking care of them. He noted that running away was not because he did not appreciate the blessing. He further added that he wanted to run becuase he did bnot know where to start raising them from. READ ALSO: 3 months old baby dies after mother forgot him in the car (photos) Odoh said: Im a Keke NAPEP rider. The keke is my own but it is very old. I never expected that my wife would deliver quintuplets. In fact, I was expecting one baby and that was my prayer. I dont have means to take care of one in addition to the number we have already let alone additional five babies at a go. Im shocked. This is over blessing. I wanted to run away yesterday but people held me back not because I am not happy for the gift of the babies but because I have nothing to take care of them. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News The 40-year-old father called on Anambra state government and the people of Anambra to come to his rescue. Meanwhile, Blessing Odoemena, the nurse who delivered the babies said: "When she was delivered of the triplets of three male children I celebrated that with them and even planned to hang their picture in my office. But when two of the triplets died it was very painful to the family and me too. I challenged God to prove Himself as the God of impossibilities and the family was surprised with this package of quintuplets. And the babies are very healthy, eating well. PAY ATTENTION: Get the hottest gist on Naija Uncensored Facebook Group Mom's Blog Ep 3: Does A Mom Have Weekends? | Legit.ng TV - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state has rejected an award given to him by the Nigerian Medical Association - Obaseki says he doesn't deserve the award yet, saying he still has more to do in the health sector - He says it'll be unfair for government to leave healthcare services in the hand of doctors alone Citing reason of low performance in the health sector, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state has rejected the award given to him by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Edo state chapter. Vanguard reports that the governor, who turned down the award presented to him during the annual general meeting/scientific conference of 2018 insisted that he had not performed much in the health sector to deserve such an award. Legit.ng gathers that Obaseki said it was too early for him to be receiving an award, when he has not done anything tangible to merit it. READ ALSO: Nigerian man killed by fellow countryman in South Africa - Official The governor said he did not believe that he has done anything worthy to receive an award from the NMA, adding that the honour would be well deserved in the future and not now as he has plans to transform the state's healthcare sector. He added: It'll be unfair for government to leave healthcare services in the hand of doctors alone, the government is ready to invest in healthcare. My government is ready to train doctors. The state is committed to the training of health personnel in the 18 local government areas in the state starting with 20 doctors." PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state said he would create more than the 200,000 jobs he promised during the electioneering campaigns. Obaseki made the statement on Thursday, March 8, at the launch of a partnership with several organisations training youths on information and communication technology, small scale businesses and vehicle repairs amongst others. The governor, who was represented by his senior special assistant on skills development and job creation, Ukinebo Dare, said the jobs would be sustainable as many of the beneficiaries would become employers of labour. N1,500 for health of Nigerians - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Yakubu Dogara is reportedly being sidelined from the affairs of the APC due to an alleged disagreement with Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi state - A group of concerned members of the House of Representatives warns the APC to desist from attempting to prevent Dogara from defecting to the PDP - 7 PDP senators set to decamp to APC - Ndume There are reports that the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, may formerly announce his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) this week in his home Bauchi state. READ ALSO: Breaking: 8 APC lawmakers reportedly take over Benue Assembly, serve Governor Ortom impeachment notice The Guardian reports that Dogaras alleged decision to leave the ruling party is due to claims that he had been sidelined from the affairs of the party due to an alleged disagreement with Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi state. The newspaper states that in anticipation of his reported defection, a group of concerned members of the House of Representatives under the auspices of Parliamentary Democrats Group (PDG) has applauded the decision of Dogara to dump the APC. Members of the group have reportedly warned the APC to desist from attempting to prevent Dogara from defecting to PDP. Spokesman of the group, Timothy Simon Golu, said the attempts by the APC to stop Dogara from defecting is futile and a sheer waste of time. It is laughable that the APC is running cap in hand begging the speaker to remain in a party that has for so long failed to acknowledge his relevance and contribution to its existence, Golu said. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Nemesis has now caught up with the party as the speaker and other men of conscience have decided to pitch their tents with a party (PDP) that recognises that the collective gain of Nigerians is greater than a few primordial interests.Dogara will defect to any party he chooses without fear of impeachment from his position as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He said the APC cannot remove Dogara from his position because the lawmaker was not elected by the APC as speaker of the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the ruling party is expecting to welcome seven senators set to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party. Ndume, who announced this while speaking to Vanguard, said the APC has managed to secure the majority seats in the Senate despite the recent defection from the party. The senator also said there was no coup whatsoever to remove Saraki as the Senate president of the National Assembly. Nigeria News: Buhari Reacts To APC Senators Betrayal | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - The VON DG, Osita Okechukwu, has insisted that Ndigbo need to produce Nigerias president in 2023 - He said this will in no small measure, cushion sulking and wrinkling of hands over marginalisation - Okechukwu pointed out that ceding the Presidency to Ndigbo in 2023 is more pragmatic than utopian Osita Okechukwu, director general of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari, has faulted Igbo leaders for rejecting the ceding of the Presidency to Ndigbo in 2023. He disclosed his position following a call by the Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT) group, an umbrella of Igbo statesmen intelligentsia led by Professor Ben Nwabueze, for a pursuit of restructuring of the country other than producing a president of Igbo extraction, Vanguard reports. READ ALSO: APC defectors are corrupt, afraid of getting arrested - El-Rufai Legit.ng gathers that Okechukwu disagreed with the ILTs position; stating that in order to end the cries of marginalisation, Ndigbo needs the Presidency. He said: I am in the know, that most of Ndigbo are keen on a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction come 2023. The Igbo president in 2023, will in no small measure, cushion sulking and wrinkling of hands over marginalisation. Restructuring will only succeed when the weaker states and people are assured of basic needs of survival. This is the target of President Buharis RRAP projects. Im accordingly pleading with Professor Ben Nwabueze and co to join us in appealing to all geopolitical zones in the country, to support any Igbo man or woman of their choice in 2023. For by then, southeast will be the only geopolitical zone in the South that has not been president since the zoning convention took off in 1999. This is more pragmatic than utopian. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that the Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT) told whoever was planning an Igbo presidency in 2023, that it was no longer on the cards for the ethnic group. They rather said that what would be more beneficial to Ndigbo and indeed the entire Nigeria, is a restructured country, where the Presidency would become less attractive and no longer an instrument for ethnic jingoism. Top 5 coolest facts about the Igbo people - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit - Music producer and brother, Jude Okoye, of defunct duo group, Psquare, has shared details of his humble beginnings - Okoye revealed that he spent his first days in Lagos sleeping under a bridge - Luckily for the music producer, it's a different story today One permanent thing in life is change. Music producer, Jude Okoye, shared detail of his humble beginnings on social media recently. Okoye who is the brother of defunct duo group, Psquare revealed what life was for him in 1995. Jude revealed that he moved to Lagos a few years before the millennium in search for a better life. It was however not so rosy for him as he spent his first four nights sleeping under Ijora bridge. Choosing to chase his passion, he ventured into music and in the early days of Psquare, Jude was responsible for the production of most of their music and also shot almost all their music videos. READ ALSO: Simi captures hearts as she went on her kneels on stage to greet music legend Lagbaja (video) Fortunately, all his hard work paid off and today, he is a happily married man with kids and of course, a swollen bank account as well as an array of exotic cars. Life is now good for the producer who revealed on his Instagram he once slept under a bridge: The real lesson here is one should never give up on their dreams and the beginning isn't a determining factor of the end. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app Why I decided to go solo - Paul Okoye of P-Square reveals on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Trade Will the U.S. and EU Revive the Damaging Pro-corporate, Anti-people TTIP Agenda? [Eyes on Trade]. Trump promised a new approach on trade policy that would fix past damage to working people. But what his administration and European Union officials said this week in their joint statement after European Commission President Jean-Claude Junckers visit to the White House sure sounds like a revival of the status-quo, pro-corporate agenda that Trump railed against in his campaign. The statement calls for zero non-tariff barriers. Non-tariff barriers is trade-speak for any domestic policy or regulation that can affect multinational corporations ability to move goods or services across borders. Many consumer, health, or environmental safeguards we rely on to protect people and the environment are considered non-tariff barriers by business interests. Given that, does inclusion of this clause mean that the goal of these negotiations will be zero domestic safeguards on either side of the Atlantic such as European GMO standards or U.S. financial regulations post-crisis that might inconvenience a multinational corporation? That would be an even more radical pro-corporate plan than what was tried (and failed) in the TTIP negotiations. Justifiably paranoid, i.e., with real enemies U.S., MEXICO NEAR AN AUTOS DEAL IN NAFTA: The United States and Mexico are in the final stages of reaching a deal on the automotive rules of origin section of NAFTA, two sources close to the talks told Morning Trade. Agreement on auto rules, a policy area that has been among the most contentious issues being renegotiated under the pact, would move the two countries forward significantly in their quest to wrap up talks by the end of next month so that current Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto would be able to sign the new deal before he leaves office in December [Politico]. Politics 2020 Eric Holder: Yeah, Im interested in White House bid [The Hill]. Maybe readers can help Holder out with some slogans. How about: Eric Holder: Americas Second Bank President! Too long for a bumper sticker? True Blue (interview with Eric Holder, Columbia grad) [Columbia College Today]. [HOLDER:] The thing that worries me most is that a lot of the norms that govern our society are being either challenged or discarded. I think our legal system is holding, and I think people will ultimately be held accountable for any crimes they may have committed . BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!! Holder actually says this with a straight face. Its GENIUS! 2016 Post Mortem The Democratic Party in Crisis [Democratic Autopsy]. In the wake of the November 2016 election, the Democratic National Committee chose not to do a public autopsy. Overall, the partys national leadership has shown scant interest in addressing many of the key factors that led to electoral disaster. Instead, the main emphasis has been on matters that the Democratic Party and its presidential nominee had little or no control over an approach that largely obscures the partys role in its own defeat The task force of political organizers and research analysts who conducted this Autopsy was coordinated by longtime Democratic activist Karen Bernal, who chairs one of the largest caucuses in the California Democratic Party, the Progressive Caucus, and by RootsAction.org co-founder Norman Solomon, a Democratic National Convention delegate in 2008 and 2016 who was the national coordinator of the independent Bernie Delegates Network. Churchill said: History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. Apparently, liberal Democrats refuse to learn that lesson, along with so many others. From the executive summary, which has plenty of linky goodness: First, its important to debunk some facile media myths about Donald Trump and the working class. The bulk of Trumps support is still from well-off whites who have always composed the core of the Republican Party funding and much of its voting base, and one should work hard to not feed into the easy media trope that Trump is overwhelmingly popular among blue collar or working-class voters. Nor should one fall into the trap (as some pundits have) of using working class and white working class interchangeably. Aside from erasing working people of color, this trap overlooks the fact that Hillary Clinton in fact won the working class across races, if one uses those making less than $50,000 a year as a proxy for the label. What did happen and what ought to deeply worry Democrats moving forward is the massive swing of white working-class voters from Obama in 2012 to Trump in 2016 and the depressed turnout of black and Latino voters for Clinton relative to 2012 Obama. There was a 16-point swing across all races (though this is overwhelmingly due to whites) for those making less than $30,000 from the D to R column and a six-point swing for those making between $30,000 and $50,000. Turnout among African Americans and Latinos was also far lower than many expected, which represents an ominous trend for the party moving forward. To put it in marketing terms: the Democratic Party is failing, on a systemic level, to inspire, bring out, and get a sufficient majority of the votes of the working class. The Democratic Party, as pollster Stanley Greenberg emphasizes, doesnt have a white working-class problem it has a working-class problem. If there was one area where Democratic turnout was undeniably weaker in 2016 than 2012 it was among African Americans, Patrick Ruffini wrote in FiveThirtyEight. Black turnout, especially in key swing states, was 14.1 percent less than election models predicted far more than the 3.2 percent decline among whites. While its important to note the damaging effect of Republican Party attempts at minority voter suppression through gerrymandering and voter ID laws, the Democratic Party has failed to give many of those who can vote a reason to do so. UPDATE At this point, lets remember that Failure to Learn is one of Cohen and Goochs categories for pathways to misfortune in their book Military Misfortunes. I used their methodology to diagnose Democrat failure in 2016, and it looks like Ill have to use it again. The Liberal Democrats Have Lost Their Minds Parody Is Not Dead (1): Time to fight back! PRESIDENT DRUMPF is maligning Brutalism. But a blue wave is coming. WE BELIEVE the style is defined not by its shabbiest examples but by its most audacious and elevated forms! RT to show these buildings THEY ARE NOT ALONE!#RESISTANCE #VOTETHEMOUT pic.twitter.com/2BXmjFS4O2 chris hooks (@cd_hooks) July 30, 2018 (Keying off this story). Hooks: If you hate brutalism now youre a Trump supporter. UPDATE Parody Is Not Dead (2): Colorado billboard replaces "O" in GOP with Soviet hammer and sickle https://t.co/AjoxoPhg7N pic.twitter.com/1oa5qWJJFU The Hill (@thehill) July 29, 2018 Historically ignorant and politically ineffective! Its a dessert topping! Its a floorwax! UPDATE Parody Is Not Dead (3): Steve Mnuchin. Useful tool of Putin. Corrupt plutocrat. Worst Treasury Secretary ever. https://t.co/MV3PxvzeVa Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) July 29, 2018 Worse than Paulson? Worse than Geithner? Heck, worse than Andrew Mellon? Really? New Cold War Manafort trial to focus on lavish lifestyle, not collusion [Associated Press]. The trial of President Donald Trumps onetime campaign chairman will open this week with tales of lavish spending, secret shell companies and millions of dollars of Ukrainian money flowing through offshore bank accounts and into the political consultants pocket. Whats likely to be missing: answers about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election, or really any mention of Russia at all. Wait, what? Realignment and Legitimacy In a divided U.S., therapists treating anxiety are hearing the same name over and over: Donald Trump [CBC]. [P]olitically induced anxiety [Elizabeth] LaMotte is hearing about from her clients certainly is [in earnest], says the founder of the D.C. Counselling and Psychotherapy Center. She refers to it as a collective anxiety among patients who feel on edge about how potentially dire the presidents decisions could be In a 2017 essay for a book co-edited by psychiatrists from Harvard Medical School and the Yale School of Medicine [Ooooh! Lanyards!], clinical psychologist Jennifer Panning of Evanston, Ill., called the condition Trump Anxiety Disorder, distinguishing it from a generalized anxiety disorder because symptoms were specific to the election of Trump and the resultant unpredictable sociopolitical climate.' Lets contextualize this a bit, shall we? Lets start with the idea that one of the indicators of membership in the 9.9% professional classes is client (as opposed to wage) relations. A quick search of the D.C. Counselling and Psychotherapy Center reveals Elizabeth LaMottes hourly rate for clients: Individual Therapy: Fees for 45 minute individual sessions: $185 (there is no mention of a sliding scale on the site). So a cynical person might infer from the CBC article that: (1) Trump Anxiety Disorder is prevalent in the Beltway, and (2) limited to the 9.9% on up, and that (3) gaslighting in the (9.9%) media creates a virtuous cycle for the (9.9%) therapists. Trump Anxiety Disorder is, then, a self-licking ice cream cone, or, to pick a more childish trope suitable for both LaMottes clients and LaMotte as a political analyst, a Woozle (see, e.g., A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh, Chapter Three): Pooh and Piglet are, of course, following their own tracks round the tree in the snow, and becoming more and more anxious about whats ahead of them. A less childish trope might be that after hubris comes nemesis, with the transition punctuated by anagnorisis, the tragic recognition, in this telling Trumps election as a consequence of the last forty years of policy (e.g., deindustrialization) supported and implemented by the same 9.9% now prostrate on LaMottes couch. Speculating freely, LaMottes role as a therapist would then be to prevent anagnorisis, and hence catharis. (Yes, the causes of your anxiety are all external to you. See, your fellow professionals have even given your disorder a name. Now you have a diagnosis, so theres really nothing worry about.) NOTE * The D.C. Counselling and Psychotherapy Center takes insurance, so those of her clients with excellent plans arent actually paying much out-of-pocket. Thats nice. 139 House Democrats Join GOP to Approve $717 Billion in Military Spending [Common Dreams]. No anxiety there! Charles Koch Says He Could Work With Democrats if Ideals Align [Slate]. No anxiety there, either! Schumer plays long game, avoids hardball with centrist Democrats over Supreme Court pick [WaPo]. Or here! No anxieties about the intelligence community! The same is true of the newfound reverence for the CIA, FBI, NSA and prosecutors. There are a huge number of people paying attention to politics for the first time because of Trump, and these are the political values, institutions and people they're being taught to venerate: https://t.co/8xQoEk2vW6 Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 29, 2018 Stats Watch Pending Home Sales Index, June 2018: After several months of flat to negative results, existing home sales finally look like they may be on the rise [Econoday]. But: The rolling averages remain in negative territory. The data is very noisy and must be averaged to make sense of the situation. There is no signs of a surge in home sales despite the headline growth, and the long term trends continue to be generally downward [Econintersect]. Dallas Fed Manufacturing Survey, July 2018: Energy prices are strong and the Dallas manufacturing sector shows it [Econoday]. Showing outright acceleration is the production index And despite delivery snags being reported across the manufacturing sector, shipments also accelerated Other readings include rising strength in employment and rising hours worked. Price and wage pressures remain highly elevated. And: This survey remains in positive territory with new orders improving and unfilled orders significantly improving and both in positive territory. Even though this survey declined, our opinion is that this was a stronger report than last month [Econintersect]. GDP: So the savings rate puzzle, where consumption was exceeding income, has now been reconciled with large upward revisions in personal income. And looks like the credit expansion that supplied the income and drove the spending was from non-residents (via credit expansion for the rest of world) [Mosler Economics]. Hmm. Shipping:Walmart stumbles with its last mile package delivery plan [Reuters]. Walmarts own store employees would bring online orders directly to shoppers homes after completing their usual shifts of up to nine hours on the sales floors. Aiming to lower the retailers shipping costs by tapping its massive workforce, the program was part of a multi-pronged strategy to boost its $11.5 billion U.S. ecommerce business and tackle one of the biggest challenges in retail: the so-called last mile of delivering goods to online customers. But months later, Walmart quietly retreated from its original vision for the pilot program launched in New Jersey and Arkansas and ended it altogether in January, according to company documents obtained by Reuters and interviews with more than two dozen Walmart employees. Here in New Jersey, Walmart started the program with the idea that store employees could courier all items that would fit in a car. But the initiative failed to gain traction with skeptical employees who had to use their time after work, according to sixteen workers who participated in the trial. I cant imagine why Walmart employees would be skeptical, though perhaps theyll be less skeptical when the economy collapses again. Shipping: Morningstar thinks Uber Freight has huge upside but questions remain [Freight Waves]. In sum, while freight brokerage in North America is a large and still quite fragmented business, we think that the weaknesses of Uber Freights technology, the significant network effects already exploited by the largest incumbents, and the as-yet extremely limited market penetration of digital apps all place strong barriers to what Uber Freight wants to achieve. The Bezzle: How to Sign Away the Rights to Your DNA [The Outline]. It wouldnt be Silicon Valley without a Privacy Statement where you sign away privacy. The Bezzle: This co-op lets patients monetize their own health data [Fast Company]. Savvy [is] a platform to bridge the gap between patients and practitioners. The platform officially launched in the fall of 2017, and recently became a public benefit corporation. Savvy also tackles another imbalance in the patient-practitioner relationship. Whenever a patient is seen by a doctor, or enters their information into a medical app or platform, theyre providing the health community an invaluable resource: their data. But theyre not getting compensated for it. To ensure that patients participating in Savvy get something in return, [founders] Horonjeff and Sharpe set their platform up as a cooperative, owned collectively by the patients that contribute to it. Any patient who wants to become a Savvy member pays a buy-in fee of $34, which establishes them as a member of the co-op (the fee is waived for patients who cannot afford it, and some other members give more than the base membership fee to subsidize others). When people become members, they have a voice in what we do, and they also share in our profits,; Horonjeff says. The Bezzle: Big Shorts Eisman Is Shorting Tesla for Execution Problems' [Bloomberg]. Execution problems, management turnover. (Interestingly, Eisman is also shorting Zillow: Its decision to start flipping homes means its entering a terrible business thats cyclical in nature and generates low margins. Maybe I shouldnt file this under The Bezzle if its a co-op. Readers? Tranportation: Munro & Associates finish Tesla Model 3 teardown, come away impressed [CNET]. The big shocker here is that Munro goes on record to say that the Model 3 is a profitable car. He estimates that Tesla has more than a 30 percent profit margin on it, while other EVs are struggling to see anywhere near the 30 percent mark. Considering the widespread speculation over Teslas profitability, perhaps the Model 3, manufactured and sold in significant numbers, is a way out of the red and into profitability for the company. Beating down the workers would help with that, of course. Transportation: Teslas Model 3 Teardown Shows It Is Already Profitable Really Profitable [The Street]. Tesla is achieving those margins through deep levels of systems integration. By relying on in-house technology to do more work, Tesla is able to keep the costs of its third-party components low. For example, Munro estimates the cost of Teslas rear-view mirror at $29.48. Meanwhile, his firm estimates that the rearview mirror from the Chevy Bolt costs $164.83. The difference comes from the fact that the Bolt puts electronics and a backup camera display in the mirror, while Tesla uses its custom-designed onboard computer and large central display to perform the same functions. Theres a similar story throughout the car. Tossing the automotive supply chain, and its markups, aside is interesting. Rapture Index: Closes down 1 on earthquakes. The lack of activity has downgraded this category [Rapture Ready]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 180. Will 175 be the new floor? Our Famously Free Press News Counts is a collaborative project to protect the 2020 Census (and help journalists get the best stories out of it) [Nieman Labs]. News Counts ambitious goal is to build a network of partnerships around the country, bringing together local news outlets, local computational or statistics groups, and social scientists and demographers to tell data-inspired stories around the census. Why your city government should buy your local newspaper [The Week]. Journalism is not that expensive. Even small cities could easily muster up enough cash to get a municipal paper started. Heres how it could work: A municipality would set up a public journalism corporation operating on an independent, nonprofit basis, and seed it with some public revenue For obvious reasons of journalistic independence, we wouldnt want this under the direct management of the city government. Overall control could be in the hands of an independent board, perhaps half appointed by the government and half elected by the papers employees; or perhaps elected by the general citizenry, or some other method. The point is that the city would own the paper, but not control it directly, to avoid the appearance (or reality) of political influence. Funding would be locked in over a long period, and the city government would be legally forbidden from pulling funding over unfavorable coverage. Ideally, revenues from subscriptions and advertising would cover ongoing expenses. It might take a couple years of subsidies to reach that point, but its not impossible. Many local papers cored out by capitalists were funding themselves easily the owners just preferred to take a quick one-time payout and destroy the business rather than collect 1 percent profits over time. Gaia In Appalachias Alcohol Alley, booze purveyors say a pipeline is threatening their industry [Belt Magazine]. Bold Rock is part of Alcohol Alley, a local nickname for the stretch of Route 151 that cuts through the northeastern edge of George Washington & Jefferson National Forest on or near which dozens of breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries have sprung up in recent years. According to Nelson Countys office of economic development & tourism, the alcohol beverage industry employs 425 locals directly, and helped power almost $200 million in tourism expenditures in the county in 2016 (the most recent year for which data is available). [Dominion Energy, a Richmond-based power & utility company] is spearheading the Atlantic Coast Pipeline: a 42-diameter, 600-mile-long, $6-billion natural gas conduit that it claims is needed to serve increasing natural gas demand throughout the region. In the middle of the ACPs proposed path from West Virginia shale to North Carolina power plants sits Alcohol Alley. Do everything right, and what happens Black Injustice Tipping Point Black Caucus members eject protesters from fund-raiser, call themselves gangsters' [Chicago Reader]. They must not know we got gangsters in here, 20th Ward alderman Willie Cochran chimed in, egging on the crowd. Last year Cochrana retired police officer whos been indicted on fraud, bribery, and extortion chargesannounced he wouldnt be running for reelection. If anybody else wanna protest you better take it outside, Austin said, laughing. Cause I guarantee you aint seen no gangsters like this citys aldermen.' I bet those protesters arent even Democrats. Health Care States sue Trump administration over expansion of skimpy group insurance plans [The Hill]. Democrats strongly oppose the rule as allowing for junk insurance that will not meet peoples needs and that will cause premiums to rise for those remaining in ObamaCare plans, once some healthier people are siphoned off into the new plans. Seven years after the Democrats took single payer off the table Guillotine Watch Lopping, Tips and the Z-List: Bias Lawsuit Explores Harvards Admissions Secrets [New York Times]. Generations of high school students have applied to Harvard thinking that if they checked all the right boxes, they would be admitted. Im sure someone, someday will give an account of how incentivizing generations of vulnerable young people to tick identical boxes engendered the herd-like behavior and hysterical tendencies of todays 9.9%, but thats not me, not today. However, Thomas Frank Im too lazy to find the link or podcast has an interesting riff comparing decisionmakers in the Obama and the FDR administrations. Obamas lanyard-wearing box-tickers were all from the Hahvahd/Yalie monoculture as was George W. Bush, come to think about it. But FDRs hires were from all over the place, including obscure state schools (like, say, the University of Missouri at Kansas City, or Fordham). Which system of personnel choices had better outcomes? Class Warfare UPS Teamsters Take On Two-Tier [Labor Notes]. There are no flashy special effects in Tyler Binders 12-minute video, Why the UPS 2018 contract sucks! No stirring soundtrack, no animation, no laugh track. Its just him and his whiteboard, explaining in plain language how the tentative agreement would affect every group of workers. But the video went viral. Just two weeks after he uploaded it, it had 90,000 views on Facebook and 50,000 on YouTube. Whats so bad about this pact? For starters, it would undercut the full-time drivers who deliver packages by allowing UPS to create a second tier of drivers at a much lower wage. UPS is forecasting $6 billion in profit this year. Already a vast underclass of low-paid part-timers do much of the inside worksorting, loading, and unloading parcels. But till now, package delivery jobs have been sacrosanct. This is awful; its the worse sort of Ive got mine, now lets pull up the ladder thinking. We should also abolish two-tier Social Security; I cant imagine why this isnt an issue. Of course, liberal Democrats are brain-dead, but even the left ignore this. Why Women Volunteer for Tasks That Dont Lead to Promotions [Harvard Business Review]. Our studies demonstrate that although neither men nor women really want to volunteer for thankless tasks, women volunteer more, are asked to volunteer more, and accept requests to volunteer more than men. These differences do not appear to result from gender differences in preferences, but rather from a shared understanding that women will volunteer more than men. Why Salt Was So Important Throughout History [Bookworms Club]. Mild shock: humans dont like it when their governments try to restrict access to resources that they need to survive. Many famous rebellions and revolts were partly caused by citizens reacting against governments that were too stingy with the salt. Early American settlers had vast amounts of fish that they could potentially export, but not enough salt to preserve them with, because the British imposed salt quotas on them. In the century leading up to the French Revolution, the burden of salt taxes fell disproportionately on Parisians, who would later become the major drivers of the revolution. In 1680 the Paris region was one-third of the total population, used one-quarter of the total salt, yet paid two-thirds of total salt taxes. News of The Wired Closed Loophole Confirms the Unreality of the Quantum World [Quanta]. Unless we accept retro-causality. Which is absurd. Right? Veterans Speak Out Against The Militarization Of Sports [WBUR]. And high time. A HISTORY OF INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED PROCESS CHEESE SLICES (PDF) [Marshall Italian and Speciality Cheese Seminars] (from 1979, still germane). Imagine, if you will, all present packers of individually wrapped slices (IWS) being ordered to cease and desist in the use of mold inhibitors, and then getting the news that K-film*, Mylar*, coated polypropylene, and all co-extruded films would have to undergo safeness tests that would not be completed for periods of 3 to 10 years. Now to really stretch your imagination. Assume no IWS machinery and no housewife who has even seen a slice of process cheese in its own wrapper. As far as process cheese products are concerned, we are now back to the conditions that prevailed in the U.S. and I daresay, the world, 30 years ago. So youre saying The Jackpot has a bright side? * * * Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Todays plant (TH): TH writes: This is our Breath of Heaven accessorized by a skipper butterfly. I read somewhere that back when ladies wore long flowing dresses, this plant was often placed near the entrance of the home so that the sweeping skirts brought in the scent, which, at least to my senses, is a cross between wild mustard and juniper. I recall one reader who was looking for lawn substitutes. Some say breath of heaven would work for that. Sadly, it seems not to be invasive * * * Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So do feel free to make a contribution today or any day. Here is why: Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of small donations helps me with expenses, and I factor that trickle in when setting fundraising goals. So if you see something you especially appreciate, do feel free to click the hat! To give more, click on the arrow heads to the right of the amount. Donate $25 $50 $75 $100 If you hate PayPal even though you can use a credit card or debit card on PayPal you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. By Sharon Kelly, an attorney and freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She has reported for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Nation, National Wildlife, Earth Island Journal, and a variety of other publications. Prior to beginning freelance writing, she worked as a law clerk for the ACLU of Delaware. Originally published at DeSmogBlog. The Department of Energy (DOE) missed the mark in its newly published draft Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) study, ignoring economic costs associated with climate change and the growth of the renewable energy industry, dozens of national and grassroots environmental groups said in public comments filed with the DOE on Friday. In June, the DOE published a draft study that predicted expanding LNG exports worldwide could double American natural gas prices by 2040 but that would carry relatively limited costs to the overall economy. The draft study is deeply flawed, as the authors chose to ignore both climate science and climate action in favor of what appears to be a political imperative over any objective analysis, Lorne Stockman, Senior Research Analyst with Oil Change International and lead author of the comments said in a statement. In my experience, this would not stand up to peer review in any academic institution. The new comments come the day after DOE Secretary Rick Perry arrived at a ribbon cutting for the Cove Point LNG export facility, now the second in the U.S., where he touted exports of more American fossil fuel to Europe and elsewhere. Were now exporting natural gas to 30 nations, Perry said via Twitter. Earlier this week, the Trump administration also finalized rules that would speed up approvals for small-scale LNG projects that would ship American fossil fuel to countries that havent signed free trade agreements with the >U.S. The new rules, slated to go into effect on August 25, allow the DOE to skip a public interest review, replacing that process with the presumption that small export facilites are a postitive for the U.S. As the shale gas rush has flooded American markets with cheap fracked gas, the U.S. has switched from building LNG< import terminals to terminals for exporting super-chilled methane via ocean tanker. In 2016, the U.S. exported 0.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of gas per day; last year that figure nearly quadrupled to 1.94 Bcf. Many more LNG export projects are underway, with the DOEcurrently considering 25 projects that combined would raise exports to a staggering 21.35 Bcf per day. That volume is so high that the DOE found it necessary to produce a study assessing the impacts of greenlighting those export projects could be on both Americas gas markets and the nations overall economy. The DOEs 144-page draft study, entitled Macroeconomic Outcomes of Market Determined Levels of U.S.LNG Exports, is focused on the years 2020 to 2050 and lays out a range of different export possibilities over those three decades. It describes 54 different scenarios, assigns each a probability, and concludes that its most likely that LNG< exports wouldnt cause US natural gas prices to rise over roughly $5 to $6.50/mcf in 2040 (more than double the current low domestic prices, but far shy of the over $10/mcf prices at the dawn of the shale gas rush). The study, drafted by NERA Economic Consulting for the DOE, also claims that the hit to the overall economy from higher gas prices will be offset by increased gas production (and therefore, presumably, the expansion of fracking and other environmentally destructive practices) and international trade benefits. For policymakers who are on the fence on whether or not capping LNG exports is a good policy objective, this will tell them it shouldnt be a priority, Katie Bays, an analyst at Height Capital Markets, told Bloomberg in June. Critics charge the DOEs study essentially writes off the possibility that demand for LNG will drop as countries seek to slash their carbon and methane emissions, which drive climate change. The DOE draft assigns only a 5% likelihood to the scenario that including pollution curbs to make two degrees of climate warming 50 percent less likely, the commenters wrote essentially refusing to plan for the possibility that the world takes action to prevent climate catastrophe. This is an entirely subjective and cynical statement, the environmental organizations, which include Food & Water Watch, Oil Change International, 350.org, the Center for Biological Diversity and dozens more, wrote, that does not constitute a methodology for assessing the likelihood of international climate change policy affecting the long-term demand for gas outside of the United States. The DOE draft also left out the role that fracking bans like those in New York and Maryland could play, improperly accounted for the considerable economic costs of continuing climate change impacts, including storm damage, loss of essential resources, mass migration and increased social and military conflicts, and failed to acknowledge the ongoing and rapidly accelerating transition to renewable energy and storage, the groups wrote. The LNG industry argues that by replacing coal as a fuel, it can help keep a lid on carbon pollution and therefore play a role in combatting climate change. A peer-reviewed study published in the journal Energy in December found that the exact opposite is true: LNG exports will exacerbate climate change, causing greenhouse gas pollution to rise. And not just a little bit, a lot, according to the studys co-author. [T]he greenhouse gas impacts from exporting U.S. natural gas, if youre really looking at how it impacts things here at home and abroad, Alex Gilbert, a D.C.-based energy researcher and co-author of that study,told E&E News, can be very, very bad. Environmentalist say that a more complete look at allowing the kind of unlimited LNG exports suggested by the DOE draft would also show economic costs that are very, very bad expecially once you look at the expense of failing to prevent significant climate change. Rising sea levels alone could bring a $14 trillion a year pricetag by 2100 if the climate warms more than 2 degrees Celsius, researchers from the UK-based National Oceanographic Centre warned in a peer-reviewed study published earlier this month (though to be sure, LNG exports are only one source among many of climate-changing pollution). Nonetheless, the DOE study ignored those costs and others like them without good justification, the groups wrote, skewing its projections in favor of the industry. The world will increasingly reject our gas exports in favor of truly clean, renewable power, predicted Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, which co-authored the comments to DOE, and as a result the costs of this policy to Americans will skyrocket. Related: Read DeSmogs series Finances of Fracking: Shale Industry Drills More Debt Than Profit Three leading Arabic travel writers are visiting Ireland this week, as guests of Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland. The journalists represent two lifestyle magazines and a daily newspaper with a combined audience of more than 728,000 readers, or potential Arabic holidaymakers for Ireland. Their action-packed itinerary includes time to explore Cashel and a guided tour of the Rock of Cashel. According to Tourism Ireland, we welcomed around 71,000 visitors from the Middle East to Ireland in 2017. The organisation is rolling out an extensive programme of promotions in 2018, to continue to grow that number. Aisling McDermott, Tourism Irelands Manager Asia & Middle East, said: Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite these travel writers to visit Cashel and Ireland. Theyve been really impressed by the places they visited and in particular by our wonderful scenery and the friendliness of the people they met. Fact-finding visits like this an important element of our overall promotional programme, helping us to spread the good news about holidays in Ireland through the media in the Middle East. While Tourism Ireland is working hard to promote the island of Ireland in traditional markets like Great Britain and the US, we also realise the importance of expanding our focus to the longer-term opportunities presented by emerging markets like the Middle East. In our promotions, we are highlighting the removal of Irelands visa requirement for UAE citizens, announced earlier this year. Our activity also includes extensive publicity and social media promotions, email marketing and co-operation with the travel trade. And, this autumn, we will undertake a sales mission, with Irish tourism partners, to the UAE. Tourism Ireland undertakes a busy publicity programme around the world each year to raise the profile of the island of Ireland and visits by international media are a key element of that programme. In 2017, media visits to Ireland helped generate articles and broadcasts around the globe worth about 330 million in equivalent advertising value. (Natural News) The Tithonia diversifolia and Parkia biglobosa plants can influence the growth, yield, and vitamin C content of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), when used as green manure, according to researchers from the Landmark University in Nigeria, together with the Nigerian Energy Commission and the National Horticultural Research Institute. The study, published in the journal Agroforestry Systems, compared the efficacy of the two materials with NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash [potassium]) fertilizers that are heavily used in the industry. NPK fertilizers applied to any number of fertilizers contain all three nutrients in differing percentages. In essence, the three nutrients help with crop development: Nitrogen promotes leaf growth, phosphorus helps with rooting and fruiting, and potassium helps develop the stems. However, the continued use of fertilizers in agricultural practices to cater to the global demand for food, coupled with the use of synthetic fertilizers, has led to negative outcomes for the environment such as degradation of soil quality. (Related: Too Much Fertilizer Causes Loss of Plant Diversity.) Moreover, quick-release fertilizers are known to cause runoffs in waterways. The elevated amounts of nitrogen can cause an increase in algae in the water, cutting off oxygen for fish and other marine creatures. Additionally, certain fertilizers contain heavy metals such as silver, nickel, selenium, and vanadium since they were made from residual wastes from wastewater treatment facilities. For this study, researchers examined two possible alternatives for NPK fertilizers P. biglobosa (also known as the African locust bean) and T. diversifolia (commonly referred to as the Mexican sunflower). The African locust bean is endemic to the savannah regions of the continent, where it is heavily used. It is known to have a wide-reaching crown and can grow up to 20 meters tall. Locals use all parts of the tree: The pulp can be eaten raw or used in traditional sweetmeat, while the seeds can be fermented and used in local cake production. The Mexican sunflower, however, is a fast-growing and aggressive weed that is considered to be an invasive species in South Africa. It is an annual shrub that spreads through seed dispersal and competes with plants endemic to the region. While there is little information regarding the potential of the African locust bean to provide nutrients to plants, the Mexican sunflower was previously noted to supply crop nutrients despite the complex nutrient required in the leaves. The authors also pointed out that both the African locust bean and the Mexican sunflower can provide an ample amount of biomass to sustain crops and help them grow. For the study, three main factors were considered: The effect of the green biomass on the growth of the radish, its ability to influence the yield, and its overall vitamin C content. Researchers found that a contribution of 10 tonnes per hectare of the Mexican sunflower can compete with that of NPK. On the other hand, the effect of the African locust bean was not able to be fully expressed because of its slow mineralization. Moreover, a combination of the two materials at varying levels also contributed to the growth and yield of the radishes; however, these were not significant enough. Researchers concluded that using the Mexican sunflower as organic manure at 10 tonnes per hectare can produce similar yields as that of 200 kilograms per hectare of NPK fertilizer. Moreover, the Mexican sunflower is eco-friendly and readily available over NPK, which has both economic and environmental impacts. Learn more scientific breakthroughs on farming and agriculture by following Science.news today. Sources include: Science.news Link.Springer.com TheSpruce.com Environment.co.za Blogs.WorldWatch.org Invasives.org.za LiveStrong.com (Natural News) Last week 11 brave Republican lawmakers stood up for whats right and filed an impeachment resolution against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. As reported by The National Sentinel, the lawmakers led by House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio accused Rosenstein of intentionally withholding documents and information from Congress; failing to comply with congressional subpoenas; and abusing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court. In addition, Rosenstein signed the third of three FISA applications used to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, even though Republicans note he was aware that the warrant applications relied heavily on the phony-baloney Russia dossier paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. If that wasnt bad enough, it was Rosenstein who then appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate the wholly fabricated narrative of Russian collusion and obstruction of justice further hampering POTUS Trump in his ability to run the country and conduct foreign policy, The National Sentinel reported. And yet, despite all of these allegations which are based on documented evidence Rosensteins supposed boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, publicly voiced support for his deputy the day the impeachment resolution was filed. Why would he do that? My deputy, Rod Rosenstein, is highly capable. I have the highest confidence in him, Sessions a former long-serving U.S. senator said, as reported by Reuters. What I would like Congress to do is to focus on some of the legal challenges that are out there, especially when it comes to dealing with illegal immigration. Reuters noted further: Rosenstein has become a frequent punching bag for Trump supporters for appointing Mueller to take over the Russia investigation from the FBI. The president has denied collusion with Moscow and characterizes the probe as a witch hunt. Russia has denied interfering in the election. Does the Deep State have something on Sessions? Its hard to take such reporting seriously there wasnt any Russian collusion between Team Trump and Moscow and most people in the establishment media know, or should know that, given the dearth of evidence following a lengthy investigation into the allegations by Muller. (Related: Jeff Sessions is not serving up the justice that Trump and the American people deserve on Comey, Clinton, and others.) But its equally difficult to hear Sessions say such things with a straight face, especially since not all that long ago as a serving lawmaker he was very likely frustrated by the Obama administrations repeated refusals to turn over information to congressional committees in a timely manner. And does he remember that Obamas first AG, Eric Holder, was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate on the Fast and Furious scandal; does he want to be remembered as running the same kind of Justice Department? Rosenstein hasnt just been withholding documents and thwarting Congress constitutional oversight role. Many of the documents he has allowed to be transferred to various committees are so redacted as to nearly be useless. He claims the redactions are heavy because of ongoing investigations but a) these lawmakers are cleared to see sensitive information; b) theyre entitled to see it; and c) many long-time Washington watchers know that heavy redactions most often are done to protect certain people or agencies from embarrassment or criminal exposure. There are also reports that Rosenstein, increasingly angry with the aggressiveness of Republican congressional investigators, threatened them with subpoenas for their personal records, emails, and phone calls during a tense meeting earlier this year. Some aides described the threat as a personal attack. For nine months, weve asked for documents, and thats all we want, Meadows told Fox News Laura Ingraham last week. Not only have subpoenas been ignored, but information has been hidden, efforts have been stonewalled. Jordan added: Were tired of the Justice Department giving us the finger. So are we. And were tired of Jeff Sessions allowing it to happen. He needs to go. Read more about conservative efforts to clean up Obama corruption at Conservative.news. J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel. Sources include: TheNationalSentinel.com AmericanThinker.com FoxNews.com (Natural News) Until just a few decades ago, sustainability was a term that was hardly ever used. When humans needed a new resource they simply searched for it, found a way to extract it, and then implemented its use. In recent years, however, there has been more and more emphasis placed on the sustainable use of our planets limited resources. At the same time, the populations of most major cities have exploded, increasing demand for the very resources we need to conserve. One of the greatest increases in demand has been felt in the energy sector. The race is on to find sustainable and affordable solutions that will satisfy this increased demand, while successfully conserving limited resources. The most readily available eco-friendly solutions like wind and solar energy are unreliable, however, since their availability is determined by environmental factors that cannot be controlled. Cities like Los Angeles that have really felt the pinch in terms of increased demand, particularly at peak times, have taken the matter into their own hands. LA recently announced its intention to install the worlds largest storage battery, which will have the ability to deliver in excess of 100 megawatts of power per hour over a four-hour period. (Related: Are resilience and sustainability two sides of the same coin?) The latest developments in the race to store sustainable energy As reported by the Cambridge Core blog recently, scientists are eager to find ways to store sustainably sourced power for use at peak times. This would reduce costs to consumers, who are currently charged at a higher rate for power supplementation at such times. A study recently published in the journal MRS Energy and Sustainability, considered some of the options currently available to meet this need. (Related: Three easy habits that you can pursue today to dramatically increase your sustainability score.) The Cambridge Core blog reported: Eminent authors from academia and industry provide an overview of energy storage technologies that can help reduce demand charges for commercial and industrial customers, as well as residential customers, in the future. While mechanical energy storage technologies like pumped hydro dominate the total energy storage (TES) capacity at the moment, the authors conclude that these technologies are too large and geographically dependent for wide-scale use. Instead, chemical devices like batteries, and thermal devices such as water heaters or ice storage, have the greatest potential for demand charge reduction. The authors argue that battery storage is more flexible than TES because it can power any device that uses electricity. They look at the pros and cons of batteries using technologies such as lead acid and conclude that lithium ion batteries have a far broader potential for performance increases. If other experts and scientists agree that battery storage is the best solution for storing sustainably sourced energy in the future, then Los Angeles is likely to be just the first of many cities to implement this technology. Concerned about the environment? Discover the issues that really matter at Environ.news. Sources for this article include: Blog.Journals.Cambridge.org Cambridge.org The hunt for alien worlds gets underway as NASA's much-awaited TESS spacecraft officially begins its science operations on Wednesday, July 25. The planet hunter is expected to give astronomers more than a thousand new exoplanets to explore and endless of possibilities in further studies beyond the solar system. TESS Begins Scanning The Stars TESS, also known as the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, has begun scouring the stars just outside the solar system for signs of alien planets in orbit, NASA reports. For the next two years, the satellite will be tracking the nearest, brightest stars and keeping a lookout for transits, which are periodic dips in the star's light. Transits can be caused by a planet passing between the star and Earth, which accounts for the temporary flicker in their shine. "I'm thrilled that our new planet hunter mission is ready to start scouring our solar system's neighborhood for new worlds," Paul Hertz, director of the NASA Astrophysics division, explains in a statement. "Now that we know there are more planets than stars in our universe, I look forward to the strange, fantastic worlds we're bound to discover." By monitoring transits in nearby stars, TESS is expected to identify thousands of previously undiscovered planets, some of which may even be supporting life. TESS is scheduled to transmit the first set of data it collected in August 2018. It will continue to send new data every 13.5 days, once every orbit as it makes its closest approach to Earth. Researchers will then analyze TESS' collected information for signs of transits and potential exoplanets. The Powerful New Planet Hunter TESS was launched on April 18, and made a splash a month later with a breathtaking image of a star-studded cosmos. The photo, a sample image sent back to Earth as part of the spacecraft's testing period, shows 200,000 individual stars. This new planet-hunting satellite will be trying to fill the large footsteps of NASA's previous hunter, the Kepler telescope, which logged in two missions and the discovery of 2,650 confirmed exoplanets. However, Space.com notes that Kepler was only able to observe a limited patch of sky during its missions. In contrast, TESS is capable of scouring a much larger area, although it will focus on the 200,000 brightest stars from its orbit. Around 1,600 new exoplanets are expected to be identified, a number of which are likely to be the subject of follow-up study by the controversial James Webb Space Telescope. While this telescope has been delayed over and over again it's now pushed back to 2021 it is projected to be extremely powerful and capable of studying exoplanets and their atmospheres in much greater detail. Denver Health officials have taken all precautions, isolating and testing an individual potentially infected with the Ebola virus in the city. Fortunately, the man has been cleared with the tests coming back negative for the potentially fatal disease. Ebola Scare In Denver According to CBS4, health officials announced the potential Ebola virus case on Sunday, July 29. The male patient, currently in isolation, traveled to the country of Congo and returned to the United States a few days ago. He fell very sick on Sunday morning and was brought to the hospital. Regardless of the unlikelihood, the hospital and the state experts have covered the bases for the Ebola virus, especially since Congo was hit with an outbreak of the disease earlier in 2018. Emergency responders donning what appeared to be hazmat suits were spotted in Denver Health in the afternoon of Sunday. No Ebola, Testing Confirms On late Sunday night, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed that the tests came back negative for Ebola, Denver Post reveals. While all the precautions were taken and Ebola has been considered as one of the possible illnesses, officials also spoke out and stated that it's unlikely, as the region the patient visited in Congo has been free of Ebola cases in over 45 days. "The symptoms can mimic a lot of common illnesses ... anything from the flu to appendicitis," Connie Price, an infectious diseases physician and Chief Medical Officer of Denver Health, says in CBS4. "From an initial review of the situation and the symptoms presented by the patient, it is unlikely that this will be confirmed as an Ebola case." About The Ebola Virus CDC reports that the potentially deadly Ebola virus disease can infect people and non-human primates, often transmitted through direct contact with an infected animal or a sick or dead person with the virus. The viruses causing the disease are found primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. Symptoms include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, fatigue, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and even unexplained hemorrhage. It's quite tricky to diagnose because it shares many symptoms with other diseases including influenza and malaria. Unfortunately, there is no proven or approved treatment for Ebola. New Ebola Species Discovered The possible Denver case of the Ebola comes just as scientists have discovered a new species of the virus in bats in Sierra Leone. According to Science News, researchers found this latest strain while sampling bats in Bombali. Pathologist Tracey Goldstein explains that while the Bombali strain can infect human cells, it's not certain that it could actually cause sickness in people. What to Know The destructive Carr Fire burning near Redding has claimed the lives of at least six people, including two firefighters. Two wildfires near the border of Mendocino and Lake counties flared up late Sunday, prompting new evacuation orders. The Steele Fire in Napa County is close to full containment but only after destroying eight homes and torching 135 acres. NEW MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS FOR MENDOCINO COMPLEX: Cal Fire on Monday afternoon issued the following mandatory evacuation orders: The Lake County Sheriffs Office has issued a Mandatory Evacuation for the Kelseyville and Finley areas. The Mandatory Evacuation area is north of the Sonoma-Lake-Mendocino County Line, east of Highland Springs Road, south of Clear Lake, and west of Bottle Rock Road extending north to Clear Lake State Park including the communities of Kelseyville and Finley. --- The number of people ordered to flee from twin Northern California wildfires in Mendocino and Lake counties has swelled to 15,000, authorities said Monday as flames rolled toward several small towns in a rural area of lakes, forests and mountains. Elsewhere in the same region, firefighters were hopeful that the state's largest and deadliest blaze of the year was slowing down after days of explosive growth. A fire official said Monday the Carr Fire is now the ninth most destructive in the state's history. State fire spokesman Scott McLean said the blaze rampaging in the area of Redding has destroyed 818 homes and 311 outbuildings. Another 165 homes have been damaged by the fire, which also killed two firefighters and four civilians. More than 27,000 people remain evacuated because of the blaze, which has burned for more than a week. However, another 10,000 were allowed to return home Monday as fire crews managed to reinforce some containment lines. The huge blaze is now 23 percent surrounded. The twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties flared up late Sunday, forcing the new evacuations from the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport and other communities near Clear Lake, about 120 miles (195 kilometers) north of San Francisco. The blazes the River Fire and Ranch Fire have destroyed six homes and threaten 10,000 others. So far, the flames have blackened 87 square miles, with minimal containment. Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit. At midday Monday, Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Corey Paulich put the number of people under evacuation orders at 14,000, up from a previous estimate of 10,000. Another 1,000 people have been displaced in neighboring Mendocino County. Paulich said residents have been heeding evacuation orders because they have seen the destruction caused by past wildfires, which have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least four people since 2015. To the north, near Redding, California, where the unpredictable Carr Fire killed six people, a man whose wife and two great-grandchildren were among the dead said he did not receive any warning to evacuate. The fatalities also included two firefighters. [[48934577, C]] Crews handling the blaze near Redding struck a hopeful tone for the first time in days as the massive fire slowed after days of rapid expansion. "We're feeling a lot more optimistic today as we're starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time," said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident commander on the blaze around Redding, a city about 230 miles (370 kilometers) north of San Francisco. Authorities were also investigating at least 18 missing persons reports, though many of them may simply be people who have not checked in with friends or family, police said. The Carr Fire that threatened Redding a city of about 92,000 people was ignited by a vehicle a week ago about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. Redding Police Chief Roger Moore kept up a round-the-clock work schedule despite learning that his home was one of those destroyed. He was finally able to shave on Saturday when his wife brought him a razor, he said. Moore was helping evacuate people from his River Ridge neighborhood in western Redding when the flames became unbearable. "I saw everything around it ignite, and I go, 'It's gone,'" Moore said. At least one person was arrested on suspicion of stealing from evacuated homes, and authorities were keeping watch for other potential looters, said Deputy Travis Ridenour, whose home also burned. "Lost our house like so many others," Ridenour wrote on Facebook. "Still out watching over the ones still standing. No looting on my watch." After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they didn't know whether their homes were still standing. Some evacuated neighborhoods were reopened Monday but many remained closed as firefighters mopped up. Fed up, Tim Bollman hiked 4 miles (6 kilometers) Sunday to check on the Redding home he built for his wife and two sons 13 years ago. He found rubble. "There's not even anything to pick up," he said. "It's completely gone." Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, was reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smoldering ruins. Meanwhile, officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree while removing brush and other fuel near the so-called Ferguson Fire's front lines, officials said. Originally from Hawaii, Hughes had been with California's Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots for four years and reached the rank of captain. Earlier this month, firefighter Braden Varney was killed when the bulldozer he was operating overturned while he was fighting the flames near the national park. Yosemite Valley, the heart of tourism in the park, will remain closed until Aug. 3. West in Napa County, the Steele Fire near Lake Berryessa is 75 percent contained as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire. The blaze has burned 135 acres and wiped out eight homes. The Cranston Fire continues to burn in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs, but officials lifted evacuation orders for several communities after reporting significant progress by firefighters. Firefighters have made progress in the fight against a wildfire that ignited in Napa County next to Lake Berryessa Saturday afternoon, but that breath of good news comes hours after the flames ravaged eight homes. The Steele Fire off of Arroyo Grande Drive and Steele Canyon Road in the Berryessa Highlands community has scorched 150 acres and is 65 percent contained as of Sunday afternoon, according to Cal Fire. In addition to destroying eight homes, the blaze damaged at least four other structures. Late Saturday night and into the morning hours of Sunday, fire crews were able to inch closer toward halting the fire's forward spread as well as bolster lines, Cal Fire reported. Crews continued to gain the upper hand on the blaze throughout the day Sunday. All roads in the Berryessa Highlands community were reopened at 2 p.m. Sunday, but Headlands Drive at the southern end of Westridge Drive remains closed, according to Cal Fire. Woodhaven Court also remains closed. Evacuation orders remain in effect for the areas where roads remain blocked off, according to Cal Fire. All other evacuation orders have been lifted. Firefighters working in Berryessa Highlands on the #SteeleFire in Napa Co. 8 homes destroyed. No injuries. Currently 50% contained. @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/Nse7hQBlxN Christie Smith (@christies_nbc) July 29, 2018 At least 185 fire personnel are battling the blaze on the ground and from the air, according to Cal Fire. The Steele Fire is one of several destructive wildfires in California that thousands of firefighters are trying to gain control of. The state's largest blaze the Carr Fire burning in Shasta County has claimed the lives of at least six people and wiped out more than 500 structures. The fire has charred 89,194 acres and remains just 5 percent contained. A small plane has crashed in the Connecticut River between New Hampshire and Vermont, injuring two people. New Hampshire State Police responded to the aircraft crash at approximately 12:36 p.m. Sunday. The small amphibious experimental aircraft was attempting to land in the river between Haverhill, New Hampshire, and Newbury, Vermont, when it crashed, police say. The pilot and a passenger on board the aircraft were taken to hospitals, one by helicopter, according to state police. One person is in stable condition with serious injuries at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The condition of the other person, who's in a hospital in Woodsville, wasn't immediately available. The cause of the crash is being investigated. Authorities say a man traveled from Massachusetts to Maine on a scooter using only his cell phone as a headlight. Maine State Police posted a photo and description of the incident on Instagram on Sunday. Police say a trooper stopped the motorized scooter on the Maine Turnpike in Kittery just before 1:30 a.m. Friday. The 26-year-old driver said he had traveled from New Bedford, Massachusetts. He did not have a valid driver's license, and the scooter wasn't registered. Police are reminding drivers that mopeds and motorized scooters are not allowed on the Maine Turnpike. Eight states are filing suit against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety. The suit, to be filed Monday in Seattle, asks a judge to block the federal government's late-June settlement with Defense Distributed, which allowed the company to make the plans available online. Officials say that 1,000 people have already downloaded blueprints for AR-15 rifles. "I have a question for the Trump Administration: Why are you allowing dangerous criminals easy access to weapons?" Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday. "These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors, and will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history." Joining the suit were Democratic attorneys general in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia. Separately, attorneys general in 21 states urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday to withdraw from the settlement with Defense Distributed, saying it "creates an imminent risk to public safety." People can use the blueprints to manufacture a plastic gun using a 3D printer. But gun industry experts have expressed doubt that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns are very expensive, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by. Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, first published downloadable designs for a 3D-printed firearm in 2013. It was downloaded about 100,000 times until the State Department ordered him to cease, contending it violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were downloaded by people outside the United States. The State Department reversed course in late June, agreeing to allow Wilson to resume posting the blueprints. The files were published on Friday. The company filed its own suit in Texas on Sunday, asserting that it's the victim of an "ideologically-fueled program of intimidation and harassment"' that violates the company's First Amendment rights. The company's attorney, Josh Blackman, called it an "easy case." States are free to enact gun control measures, but "what they can't do is censor the speech of another citizen in another state, and they can't regulate the commerce of another citizen in another state when that commerce is authorized by a federal government license," Blackman said in an interview Monday. "It's a violation of the First Amendment, it's unconscionable and we're going to fight it to the very end." Defense Distributed agreed to temporarily block Pennsylvania residents from downloading the plans after state officials went to federal court in Philadelphia on Sunday seeking an emergency order. The company said it has also blocked access to users in New Jersey and Los Angeles. Massachusetts lawmakers have reached a deal on taxing short-term rentals such as those offered through Airbnb. The compromise reached over the weekend by House and Senate negotiators is expected to go before the House and Senate for an up-or-down vote on Monday. It calls for extending the state's current 5.7 percent hotel tax to most short-term rentals. Cities and towns would have the option of tacking on an additional 6 percent lodging tax, and another 3 percent if an owner rents out two or more units in the same community. Airbnb renter Jason Kroaning-Roshay says the deal seems fair to him. "I think if there's been abuses of the system Id be willing to pay a little more," Kroaning-Roshay said. "So long as it's still a little cheaper than hotel rates I still think it's a good service," added Ben Davis, another Airbnb renter. Democratic Rep. Aaron Michlewitz tells The Boston Globe the measure is one of the strongest short-term rental bills in the country. "There needs to be some equity related to the hotel industry," said Michlewitz. Michlewitz, who is behind the bill, said the taxes will level the playing field and raise about $25 million for the state. The bill is, however, raising privacy concerns as a key component of the plan will create an online registry that shows where every Airbnb in the state is located. The compromise comes as the Legislature tries to finish work on numerous pending bills before the formal session ends at midnight Tuesday. The Massachusetts Lodging Association, a lobbying group, applauded the deal. "It goes a long way toward leveling the playing field for all lodging businesses while maintaining a welcoming environment for new home-sharing platforms," the group said in a statement. One person is dead and at least 10 others have been wounded in shootings across the city of Chicago on Sunday. In the 10600 block of South Green Bay, a 28-year-old man was standing on a sidewalk when a black SUV drove by, and a person inside fired shots at him. The man was hit in the left shoulder and the left side of his stomach. He was taken to University of Chicago Hospital in critical condition, and was later pronounced dead. No one is in custody in connection with the shooting. According to police, a 24-year-old man is in critical condition after he was shot in the head in the 200 block of East Garfield. The man was walking on a sidewalk at 2:30 a.m. when an unknown person opened fire. Police are still investigating for more details, and no arrests have been made. Later in the day, a 15-year-old boy was shot in the left hip while he was standing on a street corner in the 7900 block of South Vernon, police said. The person who fired the shots jumped back into a sedan and fled the scene after the shooting. No arrests have been made, and the victim was taken to Comer Childrens Hospital in stable condition. A 26-year-old man is in critical condition after he was shot in the left leg, police said. The incident occurred in the 6400 block of South Morgan at approximately 5:25 p.m., and the man was rushed to St. Bernard Hospital. No suspects are in custody in connection with the shooting. A 57-year-old man was shot late Sunday in the 4100 block of West Potomac, police said. Four men approached the victim in a gangway, and one opened fire, striking him in the armpit. The man was taken to Mount Sinai in critical condition, police said. Here are the rest of Sundays shootings: Three people were wounded in a drive-by shooting on Chicago's Southwest Side early Monday, according to police, who said one of the men shot was an unintended target, sleeping in his home nearby when gunfire erupted. The shooting took place at around 2:39 a.m. in the 2400 block of South Trumbull Avenue in the city's Little Village neighborhood, officials said. In what appeared to be a gang-related incident, three suspects in a blue car opened fire on two men standing on the corner outside, according to police. A 30-year-old man was shot twice in the left leg and was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in serious condition, officials said, while a 25-year-old man was shot in the chest and sustained a graze wound to the left bicep. He was taken to Mount Sinai in critical condition, according to police. Authorities said a stray bullet from that shooting pierced through the door of a nearby apartment building and struck a man who was sleeping in his bed. The victim, who a neighbor identified as 49-year-old Jose Hernandez, suffered a graze wound to the forehead and hand and was taken to Mount Sinai in good condition, according to police. A woman who lives in the same building said a neighbor knocked on her door and asked her to call an ambulance because his cousin had been shot, an incident that she said has traumatized her family after waking up to gunshots too close to home. "I want to move out of here," Magali Acuna said. "I'm moving out of here, I'm definitely moving. The reason we're staying here is because the rent is cheap but I guess I'll have to work harder." No one is in custody in connection with the shooting, according to police, who continue to investigate. A Lebanon woman reached out to NBC Connecticut Responds for help when an unexpected student loan charge came out of her account. Rita Parciak says she checks her bank account daily, so she was quick to spot a charge that didnt belong. FedLoan Servicing, Parciaks student loan servicer, withdrew $190.56 from Parciaks account on June 7, 2018. But Parciak says her payment usually comes out around the 15th of the month. Its also less than she was charged on June 7. Parciak contacted the company right away, but says a representative told her there was no record of the transaction. The rep asked Parciak to send proof of the charge from her bank. Parciak sent her bank statement and says she followed up with the company regularly. They said it would take time, so I just kept emailing them about the situation. They said maybe well look into it, it may take up to 90 days to get the refund, were not sure what it is, Parciak said. Parciak says she planned to use that money to pay some of her bills. After about a month passed with no answers, she reached out to NBC Connecticut Responds. Our consumer team got in touch with FedLoan Servicing on Parciaks behalf. Two days later, Parciak got a call from the company. I was relieved. And I really didnt worry about it as much after that because I knew Id eventually get my refund, Parciak said. Parciak says the rep told her the charge resulted from a payment plan she set up for her daughters student loan in 2012, before that loan was deferred. Parciak says she and her daughter were not notified the loan was no longer in deferment. FedLoan Servicing said federal privacy laws prevent them from discussing Parciaks account with NBC Connecticut, but confirmed they were in contact with her. Parciak says the company straightened everything out and she received a refund check for $190.56. New Britain police have arrested a man who is accused of forcing a teenage girl into his car, then forcing her to touch him inappropriately. Officers responded to South Burritt Street just after 12:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon to investigate reports of a kidnapping and spoke with a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl, police said. The girls said they had been walking on Black Rock Avenue when a man in an SUV asked them for sex in exchange for money, then forced the 14 year old into his vehicle, police said. The 15-year-old girl ran. She found a bystander and asked that person to call the police. The man then drove back by the 15-year-old and she ran up to the vehicle to try and free her friend, but the 14-year-old managed to wiggle out of the passenger side window, falling out onto the road to escape, according to police. The teens then ran back to the bystander and waited until police arrived. The 14-year old told investigators that the man forced her to inappropriately touch him while they were in the car. The witness and the girls gave a partial plate number from the vehicle the man was driving and officers identified 28-year-old Alan Damien Dejesus, of New Britain, as the suspected driver. Police said he was also identified as the perpetrator. Dejesus was charged with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of risk of injury, third-degree sexual assault, unlawful restraint, assault in the third degree and breach of peace. Dejesus was held on a $750,000 bond. McDonald's is fighting to hold onto customers as the Big Mac turns 50, but it's not messing with the makings of its most famous burger. The company is celebrating the 1968 national launch of the double-decker sandwich whose ingredients of "two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and a sesame seed bun" were seared into American memories by a TV jingle. But the milestone comes as the company reduces its number of U.S. stores. McDonald's said Thursday that customers are visiting less often. Other more trendy burger options are reaching into the heartland. The "Golden Arches" still have a massive global reach, and the McDonald's brand of cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets and french fries remains recognizable around the world. But on its critical home turf, the company is toiling to stay relevant. Kale now appears in salads, fresh has replaced frozen beef patties in Quarter Pounders, and some stores now offer ordering kiosks, food delivery and barista-style cafes. The Big Mac remains unchanged, showing just how much McDonald's and the rest of fast-food have evolved. "Clearly, we've gotten a little more sophisticated in our menu development," McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook said in a phone interview. As with many of its popular and long-lasting menu items, the idea for the Big Mac came from a franchisee. In 1967, Michael James "Jim" Delligatti lobbied the company to let him test the burger at his Pittsburgh restaurants. Later, he acknowledged the Big Mac's similarity to a popular sandwich sold by the Big Boy chain. "This wasn't like discovering the light bulb. The bulb was already there. All I did was screw it in the socket," Delligatti said, according to "Behind the Arches." McDonald's agreed to let Delligatti sell the sandwich at a single location, on the condition that he use the company's standard bun. It didn't work. Delligatti tried a bigger sesame seed bun, and the burger soon lifted sales by more than 12 percent. After similar results at more stores, the Big Mac was added to the national menu in 1968. Other ideas from franchisees that hit the big time include the Filet-O-Fish, Egg McMuffin, Apple Pie (once deep-fried but now baked), and the Shamrock Shake. "The company has benefited from the ingenuity of its small business men," wrote Ray Kroc, who transformed the McDonald's into a global franchise, in his book, "Grinding It Out." Franchisees still play an important role, driving the recent switch to fresh from frozen for the beef in Quarter Pounders, Easterbrook says. They also participate in menu development, which in the U.S. has included a series of cooking tweaks intended to improve taste. Messing with a signature menu item can be taboo, but keeping the Big Mac unchanged comes with its own risks. Newer chains such as Shake Shack and Five Guys offer burgers that can make the Big Mac seem outdated. Even White Castle is modernizing, recently adding plant-based "Impossible Burger" sliders at some locations. A McDonald's franchisee fretted in 2016 that only one out of five millennials has tried the Big Mac. The Big Mac had "gotten less relevant," the franchisee wrote in a memo, according to the Wall Street Journal. McDonald's then ran promotions designed to introduce the Big Mac to more people. Those kind of periodic campaigns should help keep the Big Mac relevant for years to come, says Mike Delligatti, the son of the Big Mac inventor, who died last year. "What iconic sandwich do you know that can beat the Big Mac as far as longevity?" said Delligatti, himself a McDonald's franchisee. President Donald Trump said Monday that he'd "certainly meet" with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and without preconditions, if the Iranian leader were willing. Speaking during a joint news conference with Italy's premier, Trump said he would meet with the Iranians "anytime they want to." "I'll meet with anybody," he said. "There's nothing wrong with meeting." The overture comes as Trump and the Iranians have been escalating their rhetoric after Trump's May withdrawal from the landmark nuclear accord. The United States has also vowed to boost sanctions until Iran changes its regional policies, including its support for regional militant groups. It's unclear whether Rouhani has any interest in meeting with Trump. Rouhani's chief of staff claimed earlier this month in Iran's state-owned newspaper that Rouhani had rejected eight requests from Trump for one-on-one talks last year. Rouhani recently warned the U.S. that "war with Iran is the mother of all wars," prompting an all-caps retort from Trump. "To Iranian President Rouhani," he wrote on Twitter. "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH." He ended the message with a warning: "BE CAUTIOUS!" Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back with his own message that began, "COLOR US UNIMPRESSED." Trump tempered his threatening rhetoric two days later when he said his administration stands ready for Iran to come back to the negotiating table. "We're ready to make a real deal, not the deal that was done by the previous administration, which was a disaster," he said. Trump has long cast himself as a master negotiator who is most effective when he meets with his counterparts face-to-face. He pointed to his recent one-on-ones with North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin as examples of the benefits of such get-togethers. "I believe in meeting," he said, talking up the benefits of "speaking to other people, especially when you're talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things." Asked whether he would set any preconditions for the meetings, Trump was clear. "No preconditions, no. If they want to meet, I'll meet anytime they want, anytime they want," he said. "Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNBC on Monday that he was onboard with the president's invitation, saying Trump "wants to meet with folks to solve problems" "If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their maligned behavior, can agree that it's worthwhile to enter in a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he's prepared to sit down and have a conversation with him," he said. Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the president's National Security Council, later said in a statement that the U.S. would not be lifting any sanctions or re-establishing diplomatic and commercial relations until "there are tangible, demonstrated, and sustained shifts in Tehran's policies." "Until then," he said, "the sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change course." Reaction on Capitol Hill was mixed, with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who is often critical of Trump, telling reporters: "I actually think that's a good idea." Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., characterized the overture as "fine," but only "as long as they are willing to talk about being a normal country in the future." Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., a frequent Trump critic, was more skeptical, calling it "another recipe for bad outcomes." "It's the same as North Korea," he said. "No preconditions, no preparation. And what do we have? We have Kim Jong Un was elevated from an international pariah to someone who seems like a legitimate statesman." Trump made the comments as he gave a joint news conference with the prime minister of Italy. Trump had endorsed how the country handled immigration issues as he welcomed the new premier to the White House for talks on trade and the military. Trump said at the start of his meeting with Italy's Giuseppe Conte that the country's new populist government "has taken a very firm stance on the border." The president said other European countries should follow Italy's lead on migration issues. "I agree very much what you're doing with respect to migration, illegal immigration and even legal immigration," Trump told Conte in the Oval Office. Italy under Conte's new government has pushed for the European Union to accept tens of thousands of migrants coming across the Mediterranean Sea every year. The meeting follows a recent standoff over a private aid boat carrying more than 200 people who were rescued at sea. Italy, Malta and France all refused to let the vessel disembark. Trump welcomed the prime minister to the White House for the first time since the Italian leader came to power in June, bringing together two outsider leaders who have emerged from populist waves within their countries. Conte leads the euroskeptic coalition of the 5-Star Movement, which considers itself anti-establishment, and the right-wing, north-based League party. Trump last week avoided escalating a trade dispute with the European Union and his administration is expected to begin negotiations quickly on avoiding tariffs on automobiles and removing trade barriers. The U.S. president noted the U.S. trade deficit with Italy, a member of the EU, and said he was certain "we'll straighten that out pretty quickly." The White House has noted that Italy is an important NATO ally and a key partner to U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Conte, in brief remarks, thanked Trump for his "warm hospitality." Trump told him "you'll always be treated warmly." A Fort Worth city leader is sounding an alarm about the number of incidents involving construction crews hitting underground water and natural gas lines. "They're trying to save time by not hand-digging," said council member Cary Moon. "But they lose time when the city has to come out and repair those lines and they get billed for those extra costs." Moon represents parts of north Fort Worth, where companies are digging in neighborhoods to install fiber-optic lines for high-speed internet connections. Atmos Energy said construction crews hit buried gas lines 39 times in Fort Worth in July. "When a construction crew accidentally damages a gas line, it can cause serious injury, evacuations and shut down roads or highways," Atmos said in a statement. "This is why we continually educate all of our employees, contractors and the public on the need to call 811 before you dig." In May, a contractor for AT&T hit a gas line on Los Padres Court in north Fort Worth, forcing firefighters to evacuate the neighborhood. Gordon Nelson and his wife were home taking a nap at the time. "I got up and in the bathrooms, the toilets were spouting water all over the place," he said. "Pretty soon we had firemen here telling us to get out now!" For Nelson, a wedding minister, it was a life or death situation. "They told us later on we were probably five minutes away from the house blowing up," he said. AT&T said it had no specific information on the May incident, but issued a general statement. "Our goal is to minimize the effect on residents as much as possible," the company said. "We instruct our contractors to dial the appropriate 'call before you dig' hotline and follow all the necessary guidelines." What happened on Los Padres Court may be an extreme case, but Moon said it's happening far too often with a variety of construction projects underway in his district. "There were several incidents, one right after the other, where crews were not hand digging in areas that required hand digging," he said. "They were using bulldozers." Construction is booming in that part of north Fort Worth. Entire new neighborhoods are going in. Accidents happen. Even when crews do check, sometimes maps of underground lines are wrong. But Moon said many of the accidents can be avoided. Construction crews can check the exact location of underground lines by calling 811. Moon also said Texas law doesn't hold contractors and subcontractors to the same standards as the companies that hire them, and he's working with state lawmakers to change that. For Nelson, the scare is over but he's said he's still working with the contractor's insurance company on settlement. He said the smell of natural gas lingers in his house. "We hope nobody else has to deal with what we have to," he said. In a neighborhood near Forest Lane and Midway Road in Dallas, orange construction cones still dot some streets in places where homeowners say Atmos Energy contractors have worked since March. Dale Shover lives four miles from where 12-year-old Linda Rogers died in an explosion in February. A few weeks later, he came home one afternoon to find crews on his street and the strong smell of natural gas outside. He said he asked the workers on site if it's safe for him and two young children to be in the house. At first, workers told him they were safe. He said a few minutes later, the fire department showed up. "Fire department says you need to get out now. In a panic, I grabbed my daughter out of the bathtub, got her dressed and ran out of the house," Shover said. The evacuation lasted several hours. Shover said communication from Atmos on the work done has been limited. He said workers told him a contractor, making a repair, had an accident which caused the evacuation he experienced. But Shover wants to know more about Atmos' plan in his neighborhood. "I feel fairly safe. I would like to know what's going on though. We hadn't received any communication from Atmos to let us know, 'Here's where we're going to be doing work, here's the work we already did, here's why we did it," Shover said. "I've heard nothing. It would be nice to get some information." Shover's neighborhood is among those identified as seeing a significant increase in hazardous gas leaks in the first half of the year -- according to The Dallas Morning News' analysis of natural gas leaks repaired by Atmos. "We found a notable increase in these Grade 1 hazardous leaks in places like Preston Hollow, in Oak Cliff, in part of Irving," said Holly Hacker, a reporter with The Dallas Morning News. Hacker is part of a team of journalists who sorted and mapped addresses provided by Atmos to the Texas Railroad Commission, reporting repaired leaks. Hacker said journalists focused in on hazardous or Grade 1 leaks caused by corrosion, leaking gaskets or other signs of an aging system. Hacker said their research showed potentially widespread problems with wear and tear on the natural gas delivery system, outside of the neighborhoods evacuated when Linda Rogers died. "Atmos has said it was this unexplained unusual confluence of really heavy rainfall, the geology of the area, the soil," Hacker said. "But as we've seen, as you go out in the larger part of northwest Dallas, when they look there they found a lot more leaks than they had before." In an email response to NBC 5, Atmos said the increase in leaks can be explained by its additional monitoring with new and more sensitive technology. "As would be expected, the result has been a higher number of found and repaired leaks, ultimately enhancing the safety of our system," according to the statement from Atmos. "I'm glad that they expanded the scope of the work or the geography they were working on," Shover said. "Obviously, it was needed, so I could ask the question: Why wasn't this done? Why wasn't this part of a regular maintenance plan?" Read more from our media partner The Dallas Morning News. Read Atmos' July 25 announcement below. What to Know Police said two gunmen opened fire on a crowd in New Orleans Saturday night, leaving three dead and seven injured The gunmen, believed to be dressed in hoods, fled the scene, police said One injured victim is in critical condition, and the others are in various conditions but considered non-life-threatening Two gunmen are on the loose after a shooting outside a New Orleans strip mall Saturday evening left three people dead and seven others injured, police said. Two people, believed to be wearing hooded sweatshirts, approached a crowd standing outside a business on Clairborne Avenue, about three miles from the city's French Quarter, authorities said. One armed with a rifle and one armed with a handgun, they opened fire indiscriminately, striking 10 people from behind. Police believe one gunman took time to stand over a victim and fire off multiple shots before fleeing the scene with the other suspect. Authorities said the suspect's current locations are unknown. New Orleans Police chief Michael S. Harrison called the shooting "personal." "Whoever did this, you should know that ... we're coming for you," Harrison told reporters. Three people two men and one woman were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The injured victims five men and two women were taken to local hospitals. One was in surgery in critical condition, and the other six were in various conditions but not considered life-threatening. Harrison spoke with family members and friends at the scene of the "volatile and tense situation." He called on people to come forward and help police find the killers and also asked people not to take matters into their own hands. "This was an extremely tragic incident. A lot of people were out here tonight. A lot of people, we know, saw what happened, heard what happened. And we need more than anything for people to come forward to help the NOPD right now solve this case," Harrison said. He said police do not know whether it was gang-related. Lawrence Russo was buying a scratch-off ticket at nearby gas station when he heard what he at first thought were firecrackers before he realized they were gunshots. He told NOLA.com/The Times-Picayunethat he heard a total of 13 to 16 shots fired. "They never stop killing each other," he said, shaking his head as he spoke. Near the scene of the shooting, beyond the police tape, people could be seen crying and hugging one another in comfort. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a statement: "There is no place in New Orleans for this kind of violence. I speak for everyone in our City when I say we are disgusted, we are infuriated, & we have had more than enough. Three more lives gone. It has to end. It's unacceptable anywhere." What to Know The lawsuit names the city and the officer as defendants in the June 6 shooting of Maurice Granton Jr. It alleges Granton wasn't a threat to police and the officer could have used a stun gun. Family members of a 24-year-old man who was fatally shot by Chicago police have filed a lawsuit against the city and the officer who shot him, alleging that Maurice Granton Jr. was not an imminent threat and did not need to be met with deadly force during the encounter. The lawsuit filed in Cook County comes days after the release of body-camera video showing an officer firing at Granton as he sought to hop a fence. It says a bullet severed Granton's spine as he grabbed the fence with both hands. It alleges Granton wasn't a threat then and the officer could have used a stun gun. Granton was shot at around 8:15 p.m. on June 6 in the 300 block of East 47th Street in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the city's South Side, officials said. Officers were conducting a narcotics investigation when Granton "fled on foot prompting officers to give chase," Chicago police said in a statement. "Responding officers commanded him to stop at which point the man produced a weapon and an armed encounter between the offender and police ensued," CPD said. Granton was taken in critical condition to an area hospital where he later died, according to police. While authorities said the initial investigation centered on drugs, his family insisted that Granton was not involved in narcotics or carrying a weapon. "I do not believe that. He was not a drug suspect," his sister Joanna Varnado said after the shooting. "He was from around that area. He did hang around there. But drug suspect? No, not at all." When asked if Granton would carry a gun, Varnado replied, "No, absolutely not." Chicago police said investigators recovered a weapon from the scene, and a CPD spokesman tweeted a photo of the handgun on the ground - but Granton's family said it didn't belong to him. An attorney for his family said the gun found at the scene was about 20 to 25 feet from where he was fatally shot. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released body camera video from the shooting on July 25, showing an officer firing from a sidewalk as Granton attempted to climb a fence. "[The officer] was looking at him. Then he started to run into the alley - and I heard shots, five shots," witness Joseph Lambus said. "They shot him in the back. They shot him in the back." Family members said Granton was shot multiple times and an autopsy revealed he had been shot in the back. His family argued that the video showing the shooting contradicts the police narrative that Granton was involved in an "armed confrontation." COPA has not yet ruled on whether the shooting was justified, as the agency continues to investigate. Nearly a year after President Donald Trump said the U.S. is losing the Afghan war, U.S. diplomats and commanders have held direct talks with the Taliban, gambling on a bid to kick-start peace negotiations, current and former U.S. officials told NBC News. The two sides met about a week ago and plan to meet again, U.S. diplomats and Taliban sources said. The Taliban to this point has welcomed American overtures. Trump reluctantly signed off on sending several thousand more troops to Afghanistan last year, but he remains skeptical about the mission, and U.S. officials are worried he could pull the plug without warning. "Just because he signed on to this policy in August, most of the people who work for him have no trust and confidence that he'll stick to his policies," said one former senior U.S. official familiar with administration discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Trump administration hasn't confirmed or denied discussions with the Taliban but acknowledged a U.S. delegation that visited Qatar a week ago. The trial of President Donald Trump's onetime campaign chairman will open this week with tales of lavish spending, secret shell companies and millions of dollars of Ukrainian money flowing through offshore bank accounts and into the political consultant's pocket. What's likely to be missing: answers about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election, or really any mention of Russia at all. Paul Manafort's financial crimes trial, the first arising from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, will center on his Ukrainian consulting work and only briefly touch on his involvement with the president's campaign. But the broader implications are unmistakable. The trial, scheduled to begin Tuesday with jury selection in Alexandria, Virginia, will give the public its most detailed glimpse of evidence Mueller's team has spent the year accumulating. It will feature testimony about the business dealings and foreign ties of a defendant Trump entrusted to run his campaign during a critical stretch in 2016, including during the Republican convention. And it will unfold at a delicate time for the president as Mueller's team presses for an interview and as Trump escalates his attacks on an investigation he calls a "witch hunt." Adding to the intrigue is the expected spectacle of Manafort's deputy, Rick Gates, testifying against him after cutting a plea deal with prosecutors, and the speculation that Manafort, who faces charges in two different courts and decades in prison if convicted, may be holding out for a pardon from Trump. "Perhaps he believes that he's done nothing wrong, and because he's done nothing wrong, he's unwilling to plead guilty to any crime whatsoever even if it's a lesser crime," said Jimmy Gurule, a Notre Dame law professor and former federal prosecutor. "Obviously, that's very risky for him." Manafort was indicted along with Gates in Mueller's wide-ranging investigation, but he is the only American charged to opt for a trial instead of cooperating with the government. The remaining 31 individuals charged have either reached plea agreements, including ex-White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, or are Russians seen as unlikely to enter an American courtroom. Three Russian companies have also been charged. Prosecutors in Manafort's case have said they may call 35 witnesses, including five who have immunity agreements, as they try to prove that he laundered more than $30 million in Ukrainian political consulting proceeds and concealed the funds from the IRS. Jurors are expected to see photographs of his Mercedes-Benz and of his Hampton property putting green and swimming pool. There's likely to be testimony, too, about tailored Beverly Hills clothing, high-end antiques, rugs and art and New York Yankees seasons tickets. The luxurious lifestyle was funded by Manafort's political consulting for the pro-Russian Ukrainian political party of Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed as Ukraine's president in 2014. Lawyers have tangled over how much jurors will hear of his overseas political work, particularly about his ties to Russia and other wealthy political figures. At a recent hearing, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who will preside over the trial, warned prosecutors to restrain themselves, noting the current "antipathy" toward Russia and how "most people in this country don't distinguish between Ukrainians and Russians." He said he would not tolerate any pictures of Manafort and others "at a cocktail party with scantily clad women," if they exist. Prosecutor Greg Andres reassured the judge that "there will be no pictures of scantily clad women, period," nor photographs of Russian flags. "I don't anticipate that a government witness will utter the word 'Russia,'" Andres said. While jurors will be hearing painstaking detail about Manafort's finances, they won't be told about Manafort's other criminal case, in the nation's capital, where he faces charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and lying to the government. Nor will they hear about the reason he's been jailed since last month after a judge revoked his house arrest over allegations that he and a longtime associate attempted to tamper with witnesses in the case. And they won't learn that Manafort's co-defendant in the Washington case is a business associate named Konstantin Kilimnik, who lives in Russia and who U.S. authorities assert has connections to Russian intelligence. Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly sought to play down Manafort's connection to the president, yet the trial won't be entirely without references to the campaign. Mueller's team says Manafort's position in the Trump campaign is relevant to some of the bank fraud charges. Prosecutors plan to present evidence that a chairman of one of the banks allowed Manafort to file inaccurate loan information in exchange for a job on the campaign and the promise of a job in the Trump administration. The administration job never materialized. The trial will afford the public its first glimpse of a defense that so far has focused less on the substance of the allegations than on Mueller's authority to bring the case in the first place. At one point, his defense lawyers sued Mueller and the Justice Department, saying they had overstepped their bounds by bringing a prosecution untethered to the core questions of Mueller's investigation whether Russia worked with the Trump campaign to tip the election. Ellis rejected that argument despite having initially questioned the special counsel's motives for bringing the case. He noted that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, had explicitly authorized Mueller to investigate Manafort's business dealings. Mueller's original mandate was to investigate not only potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, but also any other crimes arising from the probe. "When a prosecutor looks into those dealings and uncovers evidence of criminal culpability," said Stanford law professor David Alan Sklansky, "it doesn't make sense to ask him to avert his eyes." What to Know Today: Mostly cloudy and cooler with a 70 percent chance of storms Expect: Some gusty winds with stronger storms Tonight: A 30 percent chance for a few scattered showers or storms S Band Radar & Maps | Forecast | Weather Alerts Traffic | Send Us a Photo/Video | Live Cams A much-anticipated cold front brought welcome heat relief and good rain Monday. Wind gusts up to 50 mph were reported in Denton and Cooke counties after 6 a.m. with some power outages reported across the area. A ground stop was in effect for all flights arriving at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with some flights delayed an average of 56 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. [[489517701,C]] A few more spotty storms could redevelop this afternoon and evening. Cooler weather will also settle in from the north Monday. The rain will clear out late tonight and the rest of the week should be dry. Hotter weather will return later in the week. [[489498891,C]] Get the latest forecast information from NBC 5's team of Weather Experts here. What to Know The mountaintop parcel offers sweeping views of downtown Los Angeles and the ocean, including distant Santa Catalina Island The current owner of the property is Secured Capital Property. It's the highest point in the 90210 ZIP code Listing agent Aaron Kirman calls it "the crown jewel of Beverly Hills" A property touted as the finest undeveloped plot of land in all of Los Angeles is hitting the market with the most expensive listing in the history of the city: $1 billion. The 157-acre parcel, branded as "The Mountain," sits at the highest point in the 90210 ZIP code. Listing agent Aaron Kirman calls it "the crown jewel of Beverly Hills." Views stretch from downtown Los Angeles to Catalina Island, and the closest neighbor is half a mile away. Anaheim's Disneyland, at roughly 0.13 square miles, is a little more than half the size of the property. The billion-dollar price tag eclipses everything else by a long shot in the ultra-exclusive Beverly Hills market, including The One, a $500 million mega mansion. The current owner of the mountaintop is Secured Capital Property, according to Ronald Richards, an attorney and spokesman for the company. The land has been owned by trusts, entities and celebrities, including talk show host and game show producer Merv Griffin, since the 1970s, according to Forbes. It was purchased in the 1970s by the sister of the shah of Iran before being sold to Griffin, according to CNBC. The property was never developed until recently, when Secured Capital Partners provided the needed infrastructure. It's expected to attract a buyer seeking to build a sprawling private compound. The property is divided into 17 parcels, six of which are zoned for residential development. "There are 2,800 billionaires in the world," Kirman told The Los Angeles Times. "We realized there are 100 of those that could and would want to buy the property." What to Know The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act requires all Florida school districts to have safety officers at every campus. Broward County Public Schools will hire 55 armed guardians that will be stationed at its elementary schools. Broward County Public Schools has hired a new crop of armed guardians to keep up with a statewide mandate that requires safety officers at each campus by the new school year. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act requires all Florida school districts to either partner with local law enforcement to provide a school resource officer, or SRO; to hire its own SRO; or participate in an approved guardian program. Due to the shortage of cops, the Broward school district's target is to hire 55 armed guardians that will be stationed at its elementary schools, since the middle and high schools already have SROs. "The fact that we're having guardians in the schools makes us safer from day one than we would be without anything at all," said Broward Sheriff Scott Israel. Each new hire has either a law enforcement or military background and must pass a background test, drug test, psychological evaluation and complete 132 hours of comprehensive firearm safety and proficiency training from the Broward Sheriff's Office. "These aren't just average civilians that we put here, these are individuals that already had law enforcement backgrounds," said superintendent Robert Runcie. "This is what I would call refresher training for a lot of these individuals." Applicants should have a minimum of two years within the last 10 years of experience as a sworn law enforcement officer or corrections officer and be in "good standing" at the time they left employment. The position pays between $25,000 and $32,619 a year. What to Know Earl Jay Slaton disappeared after a warrant was issued for his arrest in 1990, authorities said Slaton had been living with his new wife in a small village in the remote Nayarit region of Mexico Slaton faces charges of sexual battery on a victim under 18 and aggravated child abuse in Florida A 72-year-old man who spent 26 years on the run in Mexico after he fled sexual battery and aggravated child abuse charges in southwest Florida has been arrested, authorities said. Earl Jay Slaton, who disappeared after a warrant was issued for his arrest in 1990, was extradited back to Lee County from California on Sunday, sheriff's officials said. The Lee County Sheriff's Office, working with the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force, discovered that Slaton had been living with his new wife in a small village in the remote Nayarit region of Mexico, some 400 miles west of Mexico City, officials said. His family had no contact with him since the alleged crime. After Slaton was found, the Mexican government deported him to Los Angeles due to his illegal entry into their country, officials said. Slaton, who faces charges of sexual battery on a victim under 18 and aggravated child abuse, remained behind bars without bond Monday, jail records showed. Attorney information wasn't available. A luxury hotel in South Beach is paying $2.5 million to settle a discrimination lawsuit that claimed a group of Haitian dishwashers were fired because of their race, color and nationality and were called "slaves" by managers. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday announced that the SLS Hotel, owned by nightlife company sbe, agreed to pay the 17 Haitian dishwashers to settle the suit that was filed in April 2017. The suit alleged that the Haitian workers were terminated on the basis of their race, color, and national origin and replaced with light-skinned Hispanics. It also claimed managers called the black employees disparaging names, even referring to them as "slaves." After the suit was filed, James Greeley, chief legal officer for sbe, said the company decided more than two years earlier to outsource the staffing of some departments at the SLS Hotel for economic reasons, to try to manage "the wide seasonal fluctuations in the Florida market." "When this issue first came to our attention, we immediately conducted a thorough internal investigation and found no evidence of wrongdoing," Greeley said in a statement at the time. In a statement released Tuesday, sbe said they are an inclusive company with over 60 nationalities employed. "Unfortunately, a number of peoples jobs were affected in 2014 when we made the business decision to outsource the entirety of one of our departments and all were given the opportunity to apply for their positions with the outsource company," the statement read. "The individuals who decided to outsource the stewarding department are not the two individuals the EEOC claims engaged in the mistreatment of the stewards. When this issue first came to our attention, we immediately conducted a thorough internal investigation." The company said there has been no evidence of any wrongdoing and they fully cooperated with the EEOC. "This matter has been going on for nearly four years and we made the decision to settle to draw closure for all involved in the most amicable way possible," the company's statement read. Under the settlement, sbe agree to provide comprehensive training for human resources officials, management personnel, and hourly employees across six of sbes South Florida hotels. The EEOC will also receive comprehensive data on any terminations, layoffs, or involuntary separations that may occur over the three-year period across the six sbe hotels in the Miami region. "EEOC will continue to protect workers in the hospitality industry, including the black Haitian community that makes up a significant part of the South Florida workforce," Michael Farrell, district director for the EEOCs Miami District Office, said in a statement. A GoFundMe has been established for the man, whose girlfriend is pregnant, found dead after he was apparently electrocuted in an under-construction Miami home. According to the GoFundMe page, Aliosky Garcia Marino, 38, was found dead on Friday at the home in the 2700 block of SW 36th Avenue. Garcia Marino's girlfriend is pregnant with a girl who is expected to be born in August, a post on the page reads, which adds that the girlfriend, Leyanis, does not have family in the country. The page asks for donations to cover funeral costs and costs related to the birth of the child. Co-workers said he was a construction worker helping remodel the house. "He was a young man of humble origin, with a very affable character and was much loved by his friends," the page reads. "In a very short time, he joined the working life, with admirable dedication and perseverance." A transgender student at a Florida high school can use the men's restroom during his senior year, a federal judge says. The judge ruled last Thursday that 18-year-old Drew Adams can use the men's restroom at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida when classes resume next month. Citing a district policy, the school had required him to use a gender-neutral bathroom before the ruling. "This is a clear warning to every school school district in Florida and across neighboring states that if you have a policy that discriminates against transgender students, then you are subject to being sued and are likely to lose," said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, an attorney for Lambda Legal, which represented Adams. Adams posed no threat to the safety or privacy of other students and the law required him to be treated "like any other boy," U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan said in his ruling. "Rather, Drew Adams is just like every other student at Nease High School, a teenager coming of age in a complicated, uncertain and changing world," the judge said. Adams said he can now return to being a normal student. "Now I can focus on my college applications... without this weight on my shoulders," Adams said. The Florida Times-Union reports Adams came out as transgender his freshman year of high school, underwent surgery and began hormone treatment. The school district established some gender-neutral bathrooms for transgender students and others to use. But Adams and his mother filed a lawsuit asking for a court injunction, arguing that it is unfair to treat him differently from other boys just because he was born with female sexual organs. Adams testified at the three-day trial in December. "I am a boy and I know that with every fiber of my being," he said. After 31 years of living in a lighthouse for free, Margaret Winski is giving up the best view on Long Island and moving to Maine. The New York Times reports the 62-year-old known as Marge has been living in the 222-year-old Montauk Lighthouse since April 1987, when the U.S. Coast Guard moved out of the property on the island's eastern end and turned it over to the Montauk Historical Society. She lived at the lighthouse for free but the caretaker's job came with no pay, so she worked during the day at the local post office for 30 years. Winski said after she turned 60 she decided to fulfill her longtime dream of moving to Maine. She's being replaced by Joseph Gaviola, a 63-year-old Montauk businessman and member of the lighthouse board. What to Know A woman in a green health department shirt told a 7-year-old NY boy he couldn't sell lemonade without a permit, the child said Spokeswoman Jill Montag says the department does not inspect children's lemonade stands; the department has launched an investigation Brendan Mulvaney plans to reopen his stand next month New York's state Department of Health has apologized to a 7-year-old while investigating why a woman who appeared to be one of its inspectors shut down his lemonade stand. Brendan Mulvaney tells the Times Union that he was "really mad" on Friday when a woman wearing a green health department shirt told his parents he couldn't sell 75-cent lemonade without a permit. Spokeswoman Jill Montag says the department does not inspect children's lemonade stands. The family's home in Ballston Spa is near the Saratoga County Fairgrounds. The county fair was winding down by the time the apology arrived. But Brendan is reopening during the fairgrounds' garage sale on Aug. 18. Nearly 11,000 school supplies were donated in a one-day push of the Supporting Our Schools drive. That's 20 percent more than last year. The drive collects school supplies for needy students. On Saturday, reporters and anchors from NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47 went to the Raymour & Flanigan stores where donations are collected in a big push to collect supplies. Based on in-store estimates, 10,903 supplies were collected, including notebooks, folders, backpacks, crayons, pencils and pens. The supplies will benefit students participating in City Year, tri-state Boys and Girls clubs and United Way youth programs. NBC 4 New York Family Helps Collect School Supplies Raymour & Flanigan also presented three checks for $3,500 each to the Boys & Girls Club, City Year and the United Way as part of the campaign. The drive continues through Aug. 26. Anyone interested in making a donation can find a map of participating stores here. Following is a list of items students will need most for the coming year: Backpacks Spiral Notebooks Black/Blue Pens Highlighters USB Flash Drive Pocket Folders Box of #2 Pencils Composition Notebooks Box of Crayons (24 Pack) Expo White Board Markers Rulers Kid-Safety Scissors Index Cards no description What to Know The Carr Fire near Redding has burned 95,368 acres and is 17 percent contained. The River and Ranch fires in Mendocino County have combined to burn 30,500 acres. The blazes are both 10 percent contained. The Steele Fire in Napa County is holding at 150 acres. It is 65 percent contained. A pair of wildfires that prompted evacuation orders for nearly 20,000 people barreled Monday toward small lake towns in Northern California, and authorities faced questions about how quickly they warned residents about the largest and deadliest blaze burning in the state. Ed Bledsoe told CBS News he did not receive any warning to evacuate his home in the city of Redding before the flames came through last week and killed his wife, Melody, and his great-grandchildren, 5-year-old James Roberts and 4-year-old Emily Roberts. "If I'd have any kind of warning, I'd have never, ever left my family in that house," Bledsoe said. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told the network there's an investigation into whether the Bledsoe home received a warning call or a knock on the door. The sheriff cited evidence that door-to-door notifications were made in the area. Bosenko did not return a message from The Associated Press on Monday. The dispute came as authorities on Sunday ordered evacuations around twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties, including from the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport, a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake, about 120 miles (195 kilometers) north of San Francisco. The blazes have destroyed six homes and threaten 10,000 others. So far, the flames have blackened 87 square miles (225 square kilometers), with minimal containment. Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit. "We have experienced fires the last four years, and so we're very aware of what can happen with fires and the damage they can cause," Lake County Sheriff Lt. Corey Paulich said. Derick Hughes II did not heed the order and remained behind at his property in Nice, California, where he ran sprinklers on his roof and removed yard plants that could catch fire. The 32-year-old Marine Corps veteran sent his wife and two daughters to safety along with three carloads of belongings. But he said he had too much at stake to leave himself. He bought his three-bedroom house last year using a loan from the Department of Veterans Affairs. "This is everything I bled for, and I've worked really hard to get to where I am, and I'm just not willing to give it up so easily," he said over the phone. "Some people may think that's selfish of me, and I have insurance. But the way things go, I'd rather not start over." Hughes said about five of his neighbors also disobeyed the evacuation text alert they got Sunday evening to protect their homes and keep looters out. Farther north, police said five people were arrested on suspicion of entering areas evacuated due to the explosive wildfire around Redding. That blaze killed six people and destroyed 723 homes. Authorities were also investigating at least 18 reports of missing people, though many of them may simply have failed to check in with friends or family, police said. Fire officials were hopeful that they could make progress containing the blaze. The fire that threatened Redding a city of about 92,000 was ignited by a vehicle problem a week ago about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. "It wasn't expected to travel that far that fast," California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Scott Mclean said Monday. The fire slowed down as winds subsided, and crews were able to get into neighborhoods to prevent embers from taking out additional homes, he said. Bledsoe said he did not know his home was in danger when he left his wife and great grandchildren to run an errand on Thursday. He said he received a phone call from his wife 15 minutes after he left saying he needed to get home because the fire was approaching. He said one of the children told him the blaze was at the back door. When he tried to return, the road was blocked and flames prevented him from returning on foot. The sheriff has said the fire was moving fast, but authorities still alerted residents in a variety of ways, including going door-to-door and using loudspeakers on emergency vehicles. Authorities also use electronic warning systems, including an emergency alert system that is repeated by local news media and an automated calling system that can be targeted to phones within a geographic area. Another method known as the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System can be directed to any cellphone within reach of a particular transmission tower, said Sherry Bartolo, operations manager for the Shasta County dispatch center. The drawback of the automated calling system is that it is designed to dial landlines, but cellphone users must register their phones if they are to receive alerts, she said. The dispatch center put out more than 18 emergency alerts between Thursday evening and midday Friday, Bartolo said. The center usually has eight dispatchers on duty, but overnight Thursday had at least 12, along with four supervisors and three managers who worked through the night, she said. Thanawala reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Lorin Eleni Gill and Olga Rodriguez also contributed to this report. An undisclosed federal program called "Quiet Skies" has armed air marshals gathering intelligence on thousands of Americans at airports and on airplanes, according to a Boston Globe report published this weekend. Meant to thwart emerging threats, the Transportation Security Administration program flags people who aren't already under investigation or on the FBI's Terrorist Screening Database and has agents monitor them for behavior like having an "Adam's apple jump," a "cold penetrating stare" or sweaty palms, tracking dozens of them every day on domestic flights, according to the report. Citing agency documents, it said that all U.S. citizens arriving in the country are screened under Quiet Skies, but travelers being monitored are not notified. The Globe reported that dozens of air marshals have raised concerns about the program internally one texted colleagues that the activities are "troubling and raising some serious questions as to the validity and legality of what we are doing and how we are doing it." The TSA acknowledged to NBC News that the program exists but said it's "not intended to surveil ordinary Americans" or factor in race or religion in its judgments. "In the world of law enforcement, this program's core design is no different than putting a police officer on a beat where intelligence and other information presents the need for watch and deterrence," a TSA representative said in a statement, claiming there is "robust oversight." While the report said the initiative began in March, senior government officials told NBC News it dates back to 2010 and that the screening process has evolved. The American Civil Liberties Union called the program nonsensical, wasteful and concerning on constitutional grounds. "Given TSA's track record of using unreliable and unscientific techniques to screen and monitor travelers whove done nothing wrong, we should remain especially vigilant," the organization tweeted Sunday. Cambodia's ruling party won an expected victory in an election Sunday widely considered illegitimate after the only credible opposition was silenced and which ensures that long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen will serve another five-year term. Although 20 parties contested the election, the only one with the popularity and organization to mount a real challenge, the Cambodian National Rescue Party, was dissolved last year by the Supreme Court in a ruling generally seen as political. Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith confirmed to The Associated Press that the Cambodian People's Party had topped the polls. He did not say how many of the of the 125 seats in the National Assembly the CPP had captured, but preliminary totals broadcast on state television showed that the party had won at least 70 percent of the vote in each of the country's 25 provinces. Under the election's system of proportional representation, the party would likely grab more than 100 seats. Local and foreign rights groups, along with several Western governments, had agreed that the election would not be credible. The United States said it regretted the flawed vote and wound consider its responses, including expanding on visa restrictions that were announced in December. The statement from the White House press secretary's office said the U.S. was disappointed in the government's choice to disenfranchise voters, citing the exclusion of the principal opposition party, the jailing and banning of its officials, and threats to punish non-voters. The disbanded CNRP's former leaders had urged people not to vote in what was dubbed a "Clean Finger" campaign because those who did cast ballots had to dip a finger in indelible ink, a practice meant to thwart multiple voting. According to detailed totals released by the state National Election Committee, more than 6.8 million registered voters, or 82.2 percent, cast ballots. The figure, if correct, would suggest that the promotion by opposition forces of a poll boycott was ineffective. In the last general election in 2013, voter turnout was 6.6 million, or 68.5 percent of 9.7 million registered voters. Hun Sen said on his Facebook page before the results were announced that he welcomed the big turnout, and congratulated his countrymen for exercising their right to vote. However, threats had previously been reported against anyone planning to boycott. In rural areas where the majority live, someone who didn't vote recognized by the lack of ink on their fingers might have been subject to retaliation by local officials who carry out civic functions, such as land registration. Voters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital and an opposition stronghold, were less susceptible to such threats because of their higher visibility and safety in numbers. However, according to the election committee, even there the turnout was about 80 percent. Doubts are likely to be raised about the actual turnout because several established poll-watching groups as well as contingents from the United States and the European Union declined to take part in polls they viewed as illegitimate. One of the bigger Cambodian groups watching the polls is led by one of Hun Sen's sons. Following the election, exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy called for peaceful protests, calling it "a sham election with a foregone conclusion." Speaking from south of Paris in Freteval where he lives, Sam Rainsy told The Associated Press that "it is a meaningless victory because (Hun Sen) won without any real challenger ... prior to the election he dissolved the only credible opposition party." Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party was alarmed by the results of the 2013 election, when the race was close enough for the opposition to claim that it would have won had the voter registration process not been manipulated. Along with fracturing the political opposition including pressuring Sam Rainsy into exile and jailing his successor, Kem Sokha Hun Sen's government also silenced critical voices in the media. Over the past year, about 30 radio stations shut down, and two English-language newspapers that provided serious reporting were gutted, one forced to close and the other put under ownership friendly to the government. Just ahead of the polls, the government ordered the temporary blocking of 17 websites, citing regulations prohibiting media from disseminating information that might affect security. The blocked websites included those of the U.S. government-funded Voice of America as well as local media. Hun Sen, whose 33 years in power make him among the world's longest-serving national leaders, promised peace and prosperity at a campaign rally Friday, but attacked the opposition's boycott call and called those who heed it "destroyers of democracy." Hun Sen, 65, has said he intends to stay in power for at least two more five-year terms. He was a member of the radical communist Khmer Rouge during its successful five-year war to topple a pro-American government, then defected to Vietnam during Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's 1975-79 genocidal regime that left nearly 2 million Cambodians dead. He became prime minister in 1985 in a Vietnamese-backed single-party communist government and led Cambodia through a civil war against the Khmer Rouge, which eased off with the 1991 Paris Peace Accords that also installed a democratic political framework. Associated Press writer Grant Peck contributed to this report. A hotshot firefighter killed while fighting the Ferguson Fire is one of six firefighters killed while fighting or training to fight fires in California this year. Captain Brian Hughes, of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots, died Monday. Hughes 33, and his crew were operating in a complex area when he was struck by a tree, according to Cal Fire officials. He was treated on scene, but passed away before he could be transported to a hospital. The unit is out of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Hughes' death is the sixth firefighter fatality reported this year in California. In comparison, of the 67 firefighter fatalities recorded in 2016 according to the most recent FEMA report, four occurred in California. July was the deadliest month in the 2016 report and it has proven to be so this year. Braden Varney, a firefighter/equipment operator with Cal Fire Sacramento, died July 14 while fighting the Ferguson Fire. His bulldozer overturned and rolled down a ridge. Varneys body was removed two days later. The cause of death is under investigation. Over two days last week, two men fighting the Carr Fire burning near Redding were killed. Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, was working as a bulldozer operator and helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire. Smith was overtaken by the fire on July 27, according to the Shasta County Deputy Coroner. His body was located by fire crews. Redding Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was killed on July 28, the first firefighter working for the city of Redding to be killed in the line of duty since 2004. Stoke was battling the Carr Fire when he was killed, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1934. No details have been released concerning what caused Stokes death. On June 25, Long Beach Fire Captain David Rosa with the Long Beach Fire Department was shot while responding to a fire at a senior living facility. Rosa was rushed to a nearby hospital but died from his injuries. Anthony Colacino, an inmate firefighter trainee with the Sierra Conservation Center California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation in Jamestown, collapsed on a training hike on April 21. The cause of death is under investigation. The FEMA report, the most recent one available, indicates that stress or overexertion and vehicle collisions are the leading causes of death for firefighters. ASSOCIATED PRESS As of Monday, July 30, the Ferguson Fire had burned 56,659 acres with 30 percent containment and 3,766 personnel fighting the fire. The Carr Fire had burned 95,368 acres and was 17 percent contained. There were 3,388 personnel fighting the fire. What to Know Virginia Republican Denver Riggleman said he wrote a book about the "mating habits" of Bigfoot but that it's not erotic. A Democratic rival said on Twitter, "This is not what we need on Capitol Hill." Riggleman said his posts were part of a running joke with friends, taken out of context. Bigfoot is now a campaign issue in a Virginia race for U.S. Congress. Democratic candidate Leslie Cockburn took to Twitter on Sunday to accuse her Republican opponent Denver Riggleman of being a devotee of Bigfoot erotica. Riggleman said the attack stems from satirical Instagram posts depicting a nude Sasquatch. Riggleman told News4 that he does not believe Bigfoot exists but that he's fascinated by the mythology of the ape-like creature. He accused Cockburn of taking out of context pieces of a long-running joke hes had with friends. He said he didnt know a subset of erotic fiction depicting sexual encounters with Sasquatch existed until Cockburn brought it up. "This has been one of the most bizarre, surreal and funny things Ive ever experienced," he said. The two are running in Virginias 5th Congressional District. It runs from the North Carolina border to Northern Virginia and includes Charlottesville. The seat is currently held by Republican Tom Garrett, who announced that he's an alcoholic and will not seek re-election. Cockburn's first tweet about Bigfoot is accompanied by a screenshot of an Instagram post showing a hand-drawn hairy, bearded figure with a censored bar over the groin area. The Instagram caption says Cover art for #matinghabitsofbigfoot almost complete. I hide nothing in this magnificent tome. Dont erase the censor box. My opponent Denver Riggleman, running mate of Corey Stewart, was caught on camera campaigning with a white supremacist. Now he has been exposed as a devotee of Bigfoot erotica. This is not what we need on Capitol Hill. pic.twitter.com/0eBvxFd6sG Leslie Cockburn (@LeslieCockburn) July 29, 2018 Cockburn then tweeted a second screenshot depicting Sasquatch with another censored bar and a crudely pasted square photos of Riggleman on the head. The caption reads, My buddies thought this pic was fitting for my birthday next week and to celebrate my new book release in about a month or 2 Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him The tweets caught fire, and the story has gotten national coverage. The Cockburn campaign declined to say whether they had evidence Riggleman had written Bigfoot erotica. "Sounds to me like the same old 'locker room talk defense. Denver is just more of the same, Cockburns campaign manager, Louise Bruce, said in a statement. Riggleman said he did write a book titled "The Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him," but its not erotic fiction. The cover image he posted on Instagram was a joke from a friend, he said. Riggleman said the unpublished book is a collection of Bigfoot stories shared among friends for more than a decade. All of the stuff you see is just 14 years of joking, he said. Riggleman told News4 he helped write a short story with outdoors writer Don Barone. It is titled, Bigfoot Exterminators Inc. The Partially Cautionary, Mostly True Tale of Monster Hunt 2006. Yes-I wrote a book about Bigfoot believers. Bigfoot pics by military bubbas are meant to be funny. I didn't know what Bigfoot Erotica was until @LeslieCockburn mentioned it. Weird things happening in her campaign-Let's stick to issues and Leslie's book. #bigfoot #DangerousLiaison Denver Riggleman (@Denver4VA) July 30, 2018 Riggleman, who is a co-owner of Silverback Distillery in Nelson County, Virginia, accused Cockburn of distracting voters with the erotica allegations posted to her Twitter account. During the campaign, Cockburn has faced accusations of anti-Semitism, and Riggleman has been accused of supporting white supremacists. The Republican Party of Virginia accused Cockburn, a former investigative journalist, of anti-Semitism over a 1991 book she co-authored. She has denied the claim. The book, called "Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the U.S.-Israeli Covert Relationship," examines the history of relations between the two nations. Melvin Leffler, a public policy scholar and history professor at the University of Virginia, told The Roanoke Times "the book contains no evidence that Cockburn is anti-Semitic." Bruce did not address the Virginia GOP's allegations that Cockburns book was anti-Semitic. Bruce drew a stark contrast between the two candidates, warning Riggleman would continue Garretts far right voting record. She tied his candidacy to Senate hopeful and Republican firebrand Corey Stewart. Cockburn took on Washington special interests when she was a journalist and gave voice to people unable to speak for themselves, her spokeswoman said. The pro-Democrat group Blue Virginia accused Riggleman of campaigning with Isaac Smith, who they called a white supremacist. Smith is one of the founders of Unity and Security for America, according to The Washington Post. The newspaper called the organization "a fledgling group that calls for 'defending Western Civilization.'" Riggleman wrote an editorial published in the Roanoke Times on July 25 renouncing white supremacy. He quipped Monday that Cockburn's mudslinging may not play well in the rural areas of the district, warning she could be "alienating Bigfoot voters." A man trying to rob a large home in Northern Virginia on Monday picked the wrong house the homeowner shot him. Burglary suspect Ethan Redd targeted a house on a large plot of land in Centreville, Fairfax County police say. He left with two gunshot wounds. Officers were called to the 6300 block of Fairfax National Way at 5 a.m. for a report of a burglary. The resident, a retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent, shot a man who tried to break in. The man ran bleeding from house to house, terrifying the neighbors. "I heard a series of probably four gunshots," one resident said. She asked News4 to withhold her name. "Five minutes later, I heard screeching, like car brakes, screeching down my street." Then, she got a text message from a friend warning her not to open the door. "He's armed. You need to get out, away from the front door. He's going from front door to front door, banging on the door, asking for help," the text said. Sources told News4 that when the man tried to break in to the back of the house, the homeowner confronted him. In the driveway, he fired several shots. One hit the man in the forearm. The suspect then ran from house to house. No one let him in. Chopper4 footage shows expansive homes on large, wooded lots. Somehow, the suspect then made his way to a hospital in Loudoun County. He then was airlifted to Reston Hospital Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Neighbors said the incident was one in a series of recent break-ins in the area. Resident Terri Mihokovich installed an alarm after someone tried to break in to her home. She hoped her neighbor's quick action put an end to the crimes. "It is a deterrent. Like, wow. At least he kind of learned a lesson this time," she said. Neighbor Keith Thompson, a neighborhood watch leader, said he was glad his neighbor was armed. "I'm grateful that he was prepared for the situation," he said. Police said in an update that Redd, 29, of Chantilly, was charged with unlawful entry. He was still in a hospital as of Tuesday morning, according to police. Information on whether he has a lawyer was not available immediately. A police spokesman says investigators will determine whether the homeowner's actions were warranted. "The homeowner is going to have to articulate in great detail that he was in immediate fear for his life or his family in order to use that type of force," a police spokesman said at a news conference Monday morning. Neighbors are hopeful that the homeowner will not be charged. Anyone with information for police is asked to call 866-411-TIPS or visit fairfaxcrimesolvers.org. Also, you can send a text with TIP187 to CRIMES. A reward of as much as $1,000 is offered. A grandson of a former governor of Virginia has avoided prison time after being accused of rape. The Daily Progress reports Stephen Dalton Baril's charges were reduced Friday from felony rape and felony sodomy to misdemeanor sexual battery and felony unlawful wounding as part of his Alford plea, which acknowledges sufficient evidence for conviction without admitting guilt. The woman told police that Baril, a fellow University of Virginia student, took her to his apartment and raped her instead of walking her home from a bar in January 2017. Judge Humes J. Franklin on Friday sentenced the 21-year-old former U.Va. student to five years' supervised probation. Franklin accepted the plea agreement, deeming it a fair compromise, in part because neither party was happy. In a victim statement, the woman condemned the "year and a half of hell," Baril put her through. She has rebuilt her life over 17 months and said she agreed to a plea deal to avoid reliving the trauma. "You raped me whether you want to hear it or not," she said. "You robbed me of feeling safe in a city I called my home." Baril is the grandson of John Dalton, a Republican who served as governor from 1978 to 1982. His father, Steve Baril, is a Republican who ran unsuccessfully in 2005 for attorney general. Defense attorney Rhonda Quagliana said she was confident Baril would have been acquitted. But since he faced a 10-year minimum sentence if convicted, she said they opted not to pursue a trial. "It is hard to predict and in the face of even the possibility he could have been convicted, he chose to enter an Alford plea," she said. Areshini Pather, a deputy commonwealth's attorney for Charlottesville, thanked the woman for her courage and said she hoped the plea agreement helps bring her closure. "When there is the ability to reach out across the courtroom and find some commonality in a plea agreement, it's the responsible thing to do," she said. A man made a series of phone threats against the White House and President Donald Trump Saturday morning, prompting the closure of Pennsylvania Avenue, the U.S. Secret Service said. A man called 911 about 6:15 a.m. saying he was in front of the White House waiting for police officers to kill him, according to court documents. In a second call from the same number, the caller said, Mayday, mayday. The White House has been taken over. In his next call, the man said he was in the White House and was going to shoot it up and shoot the president. In the fourth call, he claimed to be Osama bin Laden and said he was with the president and was going to kill him. Then he called to say he had a pipe bomb and was about to drive to the White House. In a sixth call, he said he was at the Embassy of Senegal and was going to shoot that up. Officers arrested a male subject following a series of threatening 911 calls in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 871, the Secret Service told News4. The threatening telephone calls resulted in temporary road closures in the vicinity of the White House." The suspect, Freddy Possian, is charged in U.S. District Court of D.C. with making a kidnapping threat against the president. What to Know Elkhart County, Indiana, was recently considered for a 1,200-bed immigration detention center The proposal was "a microcosm of all the different issues of immigration, right here in this county," one of its commissioners said It would bring new jobs and taxes, but the county seat and the largest employers had made a place for thousands of immigrants The sermon had been preached, the last prayers offered. Now, Mike Yoder decided, the time had come to share unsettling news. As congregants at Silverwood Mennonite Church chatted around a potluck spread, Yoder, a Republican county commissioner, huddled with Pastor Jeremy Shue. There was a good chance, Yoder confided, that a 1,200-bed immigration detention center would soon rise north of Goshen, Indiana. "One of the only positives is that it would be less of a drive to protest," Shue said. Yoder had paid attention when Elkhart County voters backed Donald Trump for president after a campaign lambasting immigrants. He knew, too, that the county seat and the largest employers had made a place for thousands of immigrants, a number in the U.S. illegally. The detention center proposal was "a microcosm of all the different issues of immigration, right here in this county," he said. Since 2011, contractors have proposed detention centers in seven communities near Chicago, with activists pushing a number to defeat. But demand has increased as the Trump administration steps up arrests. Immigration and Customs Enforcement doesn't own most of those facilities, instead contracting with companies whose for-profit lockups hold two-thirds of immigrant detainees; others are held in local jails. Last fall, ICE requested new detention sites. CoreCivic Inc., one of the largest private prison companies, proposed Elkhart, two hours east of Chicago and the hub of the booming recreational vehicle industry. With 9,000 local job openings, immigrants have helped fill the gap. Yoder recognized some residents would object to a detention center. But new jobs and taxes would make it hard to reject. Many Republican voters would back it. If a facility was likely, Yoder told Mennonite pastors, maybe it would be best to have it where clergy could minister to detainees. He also was mindful of the growing Latino population, about 16 percent countywide and twice that in Goshen. So the same day he spoke to clergy, Yoder met with Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, immigration activist Richard Aguirre and others. "I'd really like your help communicating calmness," the commissioner said. "My reaction was, 'No way!'" said Aguirre, a Goshen College administrator. Aguirre recast a pre-Thanksgiving rally, planned to celebrate new ID cards for immigrants, as a protest. "I want you to raise your hands if you believe that we do not want an immigration detention facility in Elkhart County, Indiana!" attorney Felipe Merino urged the crowd. "No!" they shouted. On Dec. 17, worshippers from many congregations filled an Elkhart church. "Whether or not our government builds a bigger wall to keep immigrants out, God's church is about breaking down dividing walls," preached Neil Amstutz, pastor of Waterford Mennonite Church. But many immigrants were apprehensive. When 19-year-old Lizeth Ochoa first heard about the detention center, she imagined a lockup filled with criminals. "Then I realized, oh, it's for people like me," said Ochoa. When Ochoa was 9 months old, her mother paid a smuggler to spirit them from Mexico. They joined her father, who had found work in Elkhart. President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative had eased worries about deportation, but Trump was pulling the plug. Ochoa and her parents avoided talk of the detention center. But quietly, she considered what they would do if ICE officers knocked on their door. To others, though, a detention center was just what the county needed. A decade ago, Bob Schrameyer and fellow Goshen residents lobbied police to partner with ICE and pushed employers to vet workers' legal status. The problem, Schrameyer contends, is that many immigrants don't pay their share of taxes, while collecting welfare benefits. The detention center "was a no-brainer," Schrameyer said. "We have a Constitution founded on the principles of God, and a lot of them, the illegals, they don't have that," said Roland Weaver, who lives near the project site. "That's what waters down what this country was founded on." At a holiday gathering, Mayor Stutsman talked with retired cardiologist Mark Smucker and poultry company owner Galen Miller. "The argument I made was if we ever solve our problems with immigration in this country ... at some point we aren't going to need an immigration detention center," Smucker said. "It seemed to me that the people in the RV manufacturing community would not like to see even more of their workers drift away." Stutsman, a Democrat, proposed a letter of opposition. Miller agreed to reach out to RV executives. Many are conservative but count on immigrant workers, some in the U.S. illegally, said Jim Siegmann, former owner of a printing company. "They know they couldn't run their businesses without them," he said. On Jan. 17, CoreCivic officials met with executives from RV companies and other big employers. Local executives declined to comment or did not respond to calls or emails. But people who attended or spoke with those who did said they were very direct. "I do business here. I've been here my whole life, and I don't want you to come here," Forest River Inc. CEO Peter Liegl is said to have told the visitors. The next day, Stutsman released his letter: "Any tax dollars generated by the project wouldn't be enough to offset the long-lasting damage such a facility would do to our county." Yoder counseled CoreCivic to think things over. "After careful consideration," a company official wrote, "CoreCivic has decided to withdraw its application." "We won!" Aguirre posted on Facebook. "We won!" Police in Maine are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in a pond. WCSH-TV reports two men fishing Sunday morning at a pond in Auburn known as "The Basin" discovered the remains floating offshore. Police were called to the scene and later removed the body from the pond. Following an autopsy and notification of her family, the woman was identified as 34-year-old Jessica Gallant of New Gloucester, according to WCSH-TV. Auburn Deputy Police Chief Jason Moen said in a statement that the investigation is in the "preliminary stages." No further information was available. What to Know Officers Ryan Moore and Donald DeMiranda were shot Friday while responding to a disturbance call in East Falmouth; both expected to be OK. Accused gunman Malik Koval shot several times after allegedly shooting Moore and DeMiranda; he's still in the hospital. Kimberly Koval, 38, and Marcus Maseda, 18, were charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the shooting. The mother and brother of a man charged with shooting two Falmouth police officers appeared in court Monday. Kimberly Koval, 38, and Marcus Maseda, 18, were charged with assault and battery on a police officer, intimidation of a witness/police officer and interfering with the duties of a police officer for a shooting on Friday. More than a dozen officers, including Falmouth Police Chief Edward Dunne, attended Monday's arraignment. Police said they received a call at 5:25 p.m. Friday for a disturbance in the street in the area of Seacoast Shores Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers saw 21-year-old Malik Koval breaking bottles in the street. The suspect ran inside a home at 2 Ashley Drive after officials attempted to engage him. Kimberly Koval and Maseda allegedly attempted to interfere with the officers efforts to follow the suspect, prompting their arrest. "Prior to the officer shooting, Koval and Meseda had attacked one of the officers, jumping on his back, struggling with him in the front yard and these actions hindered and obstructed the police in the performance of their duty," said Assistant District Attorney Jessica Crocker. Dunne said Koval retrieved a gun from the house and allegedly opened fire on officers Donald DeMiranda and Ryan Moore. Defense attorney Jens Bahrawy argued Koval was actually trying to help police get the situation under control. "She heard shots fired inside the house, she saw Malik running out and she went and she actually tackled Malik to the ground, held him there until the police officers came and dealt with him," Bahrawy said. "Close by was this firearm and she actually pushed it and kicked away from all the parties involved." Dunne said Koval and Mesedas actions were anything but helpful. "When you start grabbing a police officer who's trying to do his job, it puts them in danger," said Dunne. DeMiranda suffered a shoulder wound. His vest stopped a second shot. He was scheduled to undergo surgery on his shoulder on Monday. Moore was grazed in the neck area by a bullet. He was released from the hospital on Friday and is said to be doing OK. Malik Koval was struck several times after police returned fire. He was taken via helicopter to Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston in stable condition. He remains in custody at the hospital and is scheduled to be arraigned at 11 a.m. Tuesday. It is unclear if he has an attorney. Kimberly Koval and Maseda had their bail set at $7,500 following Monday's hearing and were led away in handcuffs. They are scheduled to return to court on Aug. 22. What to Know Jacob Raymond, Sarah Frost and Stephen Hansen were killed in the crash; Daniel Petruzzelli suffered life-threatening injuries. Police believe the accident happened as early as 6:30 p.m. Saturday; it was not reported until 11 a.m. Sunday. Excessive speed appears to be a contributing factor to the crash in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, but it remains under investigation. Three people were killed and a fourth suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash that went unnoticed for possibly more than 12 hours in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. The driver has been identified as Jacob Raymond, 21, of Exeter. The two passengers killed have been identified as Sarah Frost, 18, of Exeter, and Stephen Hansen, 22, of Seabrook. The third passenger, who was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital with life-threatening injuries, has been identified as 19-year-old Manchester resident Daniel Petruzzelli. Investigators believe the crash happened Saturday evening, possibly as early as 6:30 p.m., but it wasn't reported until 11 a.m. Sunday, when a passer-by walking along the roadway noticed the car hidden by some trees. State police say a preliminary investigation shows the 2009 Nissan Altima was traveling west on Route 88 when it went off the road going around a curve and struck a stand of trees. Excessive speed appears to be a contributing factor to the crash, but the accident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Kevin Dobson of the New Hampshire State Police at 603-679-3333. Weapons and narcotics were seized from a car during a traffic stop in Salem, New Hampshire over the weekend. Police said Jessica Cain, 34, of Manchester, is facing six counts of possession of a controlled drug, transporting drugs in a motor vehicle and breach of bail. She was out on bail for the sale of a controlled drug in Merrimack at the time of her arrest. An officer pulled Cain over on Interstate 93 northbound near Exit 1 just over the Massachusetts border early Sunday morning for operating erratically. Cain told police she had ash blown into her eyes and was having trouble seeing the road. As the officer investigated, he located glass pipes that are commonly used to smoke crack cocaine, as well as numerous prescription pills. Cain told officers she had 20 grams of heroin on her at the time of her arrest. An undisclosed amount of crack cocaine and a loaded handgun were also found in her vehicle. She is being held on $2,500 cash bail and was set to be arraigned on Monday in Rockingham County Superior Court. The wreckage of a plane that crashed this weekend into the Connecticut River between Newbury, Vermont and Haverhill, New Hampshire was removed from the water Monday in a complicated recovery project. As one of the people on the plane received treatment for serious injuries, the job of removing the wreckage took most of the day. In what everyone involved called a "first" for them, a wreckage recovery crew hoisted the small experimental plane out of the Connecticut River in Haverhill late Monday afternoon. The plane, capable of landing on water, crashed upriver Sunday afternoon while attempting a landing, New Hampshire State Police said. The pilot and a passenger were injured, one seriously, police said Sunday. "It's not often that you see a plane in a river," said Brandon Senoski, who watched part of the recovery of the plane Monday. Just getting the plane out of the water was complicated work. From a farm on the Newbury side of the river, the team waded in, first appearing to collect possible clues to help investigators, including what looked like a camera that had been mounted to the plane. They then used inflatable bags to boost the plane in the water. With the body of the plane floating, the crew hooked it to an amphibious ATV to tow it downriver, looking for a space wide enough to pull it out and onto dry land. The location targeted to retrieve the plane was the Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill. "I've never seen something like this before," observer Zack Winchester said of both the sight of a plane in the river and the amphibious ATV towing the plane. Along that several mile journey from the farm in Newbury downriver to the park, traffic stopped in places, with folks checking out the strange sight on the water and photographing the work. "This is very time consuming," observer Lynn Perry said of the effort on the river. "They can't be going more than two miles an hour down the river." There is no word yet as to what went wrong on the experimental amphibious plane. Now that it is back on dry land, the FAA and NTSB can start their investigation of the equipment aboard. Four people were arrested in Massachusetts and charged after police allegedly seized 90 grams of "crack" cocaine. Dudley Police and the Southern Worcester County Drug and Counter Crime Task Force executed a search warrant at 10 Williams Street in Dudley, Massachusetts at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, police said. The initial entry into the residence was conducted by members of the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council SWAT Team. According to police, they were able to seize approximately 90 grams of "crack" cocaine, over $3,000 in cash and a loaded 9mm firearm. Four people were arrested and charged, police said. Benjamin Wilterdink, 28, of Hampton, Connecticut is charged with trafficking in cocaine and conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substance Act. Jamal Tillman, 29, of New London, Connecticut is charged with trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substance Act and firearm charges. Shawn Gliniecki, 44, of Dudley is charged with trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substance Act and possession of a dangerous weapon. Sherri Wright, 44, of Brooklyn, Connecticut is charged with trafficking in cocaine and conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substance Act. All four suspects are being held on bail awaiting arraignment at Dudley District Court on July 30. It is unclear if any of them have attorneys. An independent school in Richmond, Rhode Island, will be looking for a temporary location to hold classes in the upcoming school year after a massive fire gutted the building. On Sunday, about 250 firefighters from 22 departments battled the blaze at the Meadowbrook Waldorf School. The fire was first reported at about 8 a.m. and continued to burn throughout the day. WJAR reports water had to be trucked in because there were no nearby fire hydrants. A portion of the roof of the one-story building collapsed at the height of the blaze. No injuries were reported. A school official says Meadowbrook Waldorf serves about 145 children from preschool to eighth grade. The cause of the fire remains under investigation but officials say it's possible that severe electrical storms reported in the area on Saturday evening may have played a role. STRATFORD Dylan Connor is jet-lagged but also wound up. Just back from a weeklong mission to aid Syrian refugees who are caught in a no-mans land between a just-lost bloody war and a Jordanian border most cant cross, Connor wants to keep his promise. We cant solve this, but when you bear witness to it, that is a powerful thing, Connor said from a suburban front porch where neighbors who walk by wave hi to welcome him back. Connor wants to make sure the Syrian people he met including the mom whose son suffered third-degree burns when a bomb fell on their kitchen and the 17-year-old artist in John Lennon-like glasses who refused to be defined by the leg she lost in the conflict are not forgotten. We need to do something to show our compassion for what they are going through, said Connor. His something was to bring about $9,000 raised through crowd sourcing to provide on-the-spot relief in the form of diapers, food, dental care, a second portable toilet and toys. And music. When Connor, a recent runner-up for Connecticut Teacher of the Year, is not teaching Latin at Bunnell High School, he is usually playing guitar and singing. Music changes the room, he said. Connor wore his guitar like a backpack, taking it everywhere on the trip. Most places, he sang a song called Feza, Feza which translates to Help, Help. It is a song he wrote in honor of the people of Daraa, the city where the recent Syrian revolution began, where his wifes family is from and which recently fell despite being considered a de-escalation zone. Connor was already planning to go to Turkey this summer to do art therapy with kids. The fall of Daraa kicked the Syria-American Council which Connor recently joined into high gear. They said We need to do a mission now ... I said I want to go, said Connor. He ended up leading the mission. Boots on the ground Connor, 43, was a finalist for state teacher of the year in 2016, the same year congressional candidate Jahanna Hayes from Waterbury not only captured the state title but the national one as well. The idea of the Teacher of the Year program, Connor said, is that you dont have to be an administrator to be a leader. The goal of the July mission was to work with Jordanian people who were helping Syrians. The American educator visited hospitals and gained access to an area called the free zone, a buffer between Jordan and Syria that Connor says feels like it is on the edge of the world. We were there to tell them they are not alone, he said. His group also wanted to hear firsthand from the men, women and children affected by the most recent attacks in Daraa, according to Michelle R. Taylor, a communications consultant for the council. Connor said he never felt unsafe. His only fear was to not be able to make a difference. He came back as the councils mission chair. Also on the trip was Dr. Talal Sunbulli, founder of the Syrian American Council, and Dr. Zahar Salhoul, co-founder of MedGlobal, which responds to humanitarian crises worldwide. Taylor said the council has a network of nearly 9,000 members nationally. It is unclear how many are from Connecticut. Since the Syrian uprising began in 2011, more than a half million people have been killed and half of Syrias 22 million inhabitants have been displaced. At this point, Connor said, Russia and the Assad regime have pretty much won the military fight. Rebels are surrendering. People by the busload are being removed from their homes to the city of Idlib. I am very concerned about what is going to happen to all these people. If I know this regime, they are going to try and kill them all. Like they did in Aleppo, Connor said. Before Connor left for Jordan, some 250,000 Syrians had fled Daraa to the free zone. By the time he arrived, he said the free zone held just 200 refugees. Connor said his next effort when, he is not sure will be to lead a mission to support volunteer aid workers who need help with their own trauma. They cant be much use to people theyre working with if they are fried, Connor said. To learn more, visit https://www.sacouncil.com/ or https://www.uossm.us/ Courtesy of Jim Delancy At the recent State Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Connecticut, New Milford native Jim Delancy was elected state commander for 2018-19. Delancy joined the United States Air Force upon graduation from New Milford High School in 1968. He served in South East Asia (Vietnam) from 1970-71 and was honorably discharged in 1972. Delancy is well known in the New Milford community for his many years as commander of the Andrew B. Mygatt VFW Post 1672. He is also Charter Organization Representative to Boy Scout Troop 431 and a member of American Legion Post 31. Delancy is known to local veterans for his participation in local parades, visits to local schools, Veterans Day events and other activities. In addition, he hosts a monthly radio talk show, Veterans, Lets Talk, for WPWL 103.7FM, Pawling, N.Y. Pictured above with him is Laurie Allen, president, Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars for 2018-2019 The continuous development of the technological sector has enabled the industry to merge with medicine in order to create new integrated, reliable, and efficient methods of providing quality health care. One of the ongoing trends in cardiology at present is the proposed utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) in augmenting and extending the effectiveness of the cardiologist. Cardiology is a vast field that focuses on a large number of diseases specifically dealing with the heart, the circulatory system, and its functions. As such, similar symptomatologies and diagnostic features may be present in an individual, making it difficult for a doctor to easily isolate the actual heart-related problem. Consequently, the use of artificial intelligence aims to relieve doctors from this hurdle and extend better quality to patients. Image Credit: Elnur / Shutterstock Ongoing Trends Results of screening tests such as echocardiograms, MRIs, or CT scans have long been proposed to be analyzed using more advanced techniques in the field of technology. As such, while artificial intelligence is not yet widely-used in clinical practice, it is seen as the future of healthcare. This is because AI or machine-learning would allow for an accurate measure of patient functioning and diagnosis from the beginning up to the end of the therapeutic process. In particular, the use of artificial intelligence in cardiology aims to focus on research and development, clinical practice, and population health. Created to be an all-in-one mechanism in cardiac healthcare, AI technologies incorporate complex algorithms in determining relevant steps needed for a successful diagnosis and treatment. The role of artificial intelligence specifically extends to the identification of novel drug therapies, disease stratification or statistics, continuous remote monitoring and diagnostics, integration of multi-omic data, and extension of physician effectivity and efficiency. Stanford researchers develop algorithm to diagnose heart arrhythmias Play Seemingly high-reaching, medical researchers, engineers, and scientists are also evaluating the use of artificial intelligence in genome and environmental analysis particularly for heart disease patients. A particular example of the use of artificial examination in cardiology is the experimental study of Dawes and his colleagues on heart disease patients, published in 2017. The researchers utilized cardiac MRI-based algorithms coupled with a 3D systolic cardiac motion pattern to accurately predict the health outcomes of patients with pulmonary hypertension. The experiment proved to be successful, with the technology being able to pick-up 30,000 points within the heart activity of 250 patients. With the success of the aforementioned study, as well as the promise of other researches on artificial intelligence, cardiology is seemingly moving towards a more technological practice. Issues and Challenges The primary issue about using artificial intelligence in cardiology, or in any field of medicine for that matter, is the ethical issues that it brings about. Physicians and healthcare professionals prior to their practice swear to the Hippocratic Oatha promise to do their best for the welfare and betterment of their patients. Many physicians have argued that the use of artificial intelligence in medicine breaks this oath since patients are technically left under the care of machines than of doctors. Furthermore, as machines may also malfunction, the safety of patients is also on the line at all times. As such, while medical practitioners see the promise of artificial technology, they are also heavily constricted about its use, safety, and appropriateness in medical practice. Future Directions Issues and challenges faced by technological innovations in cardiology are overpowered by current researches aiming to make artificial intelligence easily accessible and available for all. With that in mind, various projects are currently under study. For example, the use of wearable AI technology aims to develop a mechanism by which patients and doctors could easily access and monitor cardiac activity remotely. An ideal instrument for monitoring, wearable AI technology ensures real-time updates, monitoring, and evaluation. Another direction of cardiology in AI technology is the use of technology to record and validate empirical data to further analyze symptomatology, biomarkers, and treatment effectiveness. With AI technology, researchers in cardiology are aiming to simplify and expand the scope of knowledge on the field for better patient care and treatment outcomes. Further Reading Medicare has lowered its star ratings for staffing levels in 1 in 11 of the nation's nursing homes almost 1,400 of them because they either had inadequate numbers of registered nurses or failed to provide payroll data that proved they had the required nursing coverage, federal records released last week show. Medicare only recently began collecting and publishing payroll data on the staffing of nursing homes as required by the Affordable Care Act of 2010, rather than relying as it had before on the nursing homes' own unverified reports. The payroll records revealed lower overall staffing levels than homes had disclosed, particularly among registered nurses. Those are the highest-trained caregivers required to be in a nursing home, and they supervise other nurses and aides. Medicare mandates that every facility have a registered nurse working at least eight hours every day. "It's a real positive that they actually are taking the payroll-based system seriously, that they're using it to punish those nursing homes that either aren't reporting staffing or those that are below the federal limit," said David Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. "Could they do more? Sure, but I think it's a really good start." Nursing home industry officials have acknowledged that some facilities are struggling to meet the new payroll reporting requirements. Katie Smith Sloan, president of LeadingAge, an association of nonprofit providers of aging services including nearly 2,000 nursing homes, said the lowered star ratings were disappointing and attributed them largely to a workforce shortage. "Our members are battling on multiple fronts to recruit and retain all types of qualified staff, and nurses in particular," she said in a statement. Medicare rates nursing homes on a five-star system, and the homes' failures to either keep the facilities consistently staffed with registered nurses or to provide the data to prove they were doing so led the government to give its lowest rating for staffing to 1,387 of the nation's 15,616 skilled nursing facilities, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis of the latest data released by Medicare. They all received one star out of a possible five on July 25, when Medicare updated its Nursing Home Compare website, replacing the first ratings based on payroll data issued in April. In footnotes on the site, Medicare said those homes either lacked a registered nurse for "a high number of days" over three months, provided data the government couldn't verify or didn't supply their payroll data at all. The downgraded homes reported seven or more days without any registered nurses, the analysis found. For roughly half of the homes, the downgrades lowered their overall star ratings, which are the measures displayed most prominently on the site. But some of the homes saw their overall ratings stay the same or even rise, buoyed by their scores on other quality measures. Seventy-nine are still rated with a coveted five stars. While the Kaiser Health News analysis found substantially lower average staffing of nurses and aides at for-profit facilities than at nonprofits and government-owned homes, the number of downgraded nursing homes was roughly proportionally divided among the three categories, indicating an industry-wide issue with staffing by registered nurses in particular. Medicare concedes that because the payroll system is geared toward reporting hourly work, salaried staff may not always be reflected correctly, especially if they were working overtime. But Medicare had warned the nursing homes in April that the downgrades would be coming if facilities continued to show no registered nurses on duty. The agency noted it has been preparing nursing homes since 2015 for the new payroll system. "We've just begun to leverage this new information to strengthen transparency and enforcement with the goals of improved patient safety and health outcomes," the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in a statement. The new payroll data, analyzed by Kaiser Health News, showed that for-profit nursing homes averaged 16 percent fewer staff than did nonprofits, even after accounting for differences in the needs of residents. The biggest difference was in the number of registered nurses: At the average nonprofit, there was one RN for every 28 residents, but at the average for-profit, there was only one RN for every 43 residents. Researchers have repeatedly found lower staffing in for-profit facilities, which make up 70 percent of the industry. The data also revealed that nursing homes have large fluctuations in staffing. The average nursing home had one licensed nurse caring for as few as 17 residents or as many as 33, depending on the day. On the best-staffed days, each certified nursing assistant or other aide cared for nine residents, but on the worst-staffed days, each aide was responsible for 16 residents. Weekend staffing was particularly sparse. On weekends on average, there were 11 percent fewer nurses providing direct care and 8 percent fewer aides. KHN's coverage of these topics is supported by John A. Hartford Foundation and The SCAN Foundation Even as a young adult, being overweight may cause higher blood pressure and thicken heart muscle, setting the stage for heart disease later in life, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation. The study is the first to explore if higher body mass index (BMI) - a weight-for-height index - results in adverse effects on the cardiovascular system in young adults. While observational studies can suggest associations between risk factors or lifestyle behaviors and heart disease, they cannot prove cause-and-effect. Here, investigators triangulated findings from three different types of genetic analysis to uncover evidence that BMI causes specific differences in cardiovascular measurements. "Our results support efforts to reduce body mass index to within a normal, healthy range from a young age to prevent later heart disease," said Kaitlin H. Wade, B.Sc., Ph.D., lead author of the study and a research associate at the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol Medical School in the United Kingdom. Researchers used data on several thousand healthy 17-year-olds and 21-year-olds who have participated in the ongoing Children of the 90s study (also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) since they were born in the Bristol area of the United Kingdom. The researchers' findings suggest that higher BMI: caused higher systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure; and caused enlargement of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber. "Thickening of vessel walls is widely considered to be the first sign of atherosclerosis, a disease in which fatty plaques build up within the arteries and lead to heart disease. However, our findings suggest that higher BMIs cause changes in the heart structure of the young that may precede changes in blood vessels," Wade said. Two of the analyses used in the study (Mendelian randomization and recall-by-genotype) take advantage of the properties of genetic variation. Recall-by-genotype is novel and exploits the random allocation of genes at conception. "At a population level, this provides a natural experiment analogous to a randomized trial where we can compare differences in an outcome (such as heart structure and function) with differences in BMI, without the relationship being skewed by other lifestyle and behavioral factors," Wade said. Most participants in the longitudinal studies were white, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other ethnic groups. The researchers plan to investigate the relationship between higher BMI and other possible disease mechanisms, such as the abundance and diversity of microbes living in the gut. They also hope to explore the relationship between BMI and cardiac structure and function in a population now in their 70s. Posted on: July 30, 2018 3:38 PM Arsonists have destroyed the holy table, two kneeling stools and a prayer book in an attack on a church in Barbados; but the islands fire fighters prevent the blaze causing significant damage to the rest of the Church. The fire was started between 11.30 am and midday AST (3.30 pm to 4 pm) yesterday (Sunday) at St Martins Church in the Parish of St Philips. Eight fire fighters on two fire engines attended the blaze and swiftly bought it under control. Officers from the Royal Barbados Police Force have launched an investigation and are asking anybody with information to contact them. St Martins Church was built in 1859 to replace an earlier chapel on the same site and is something of an icon for the area as it can be seen for miles around. New research has shown that ovarian cancer patients with a tumor mutation in the BRAF gene respond exceptionally well to treatment with targeted drugs, known as BRAF inhibitors. BRAF inhibitors block the activity of mutated BRAF gene. They are currently used to treat patients with melanoma, which often have mutations in the BRAF gene. The study showed that BRAF inhibitors may be effective at treating a rare type of ovarian cancer, called low-grade serous cancer, which more commonly affects younger women. PhD student Dr Tania Moujaber from the Westmead Institute for Medical Research examined information from more than 1,000 ovarian cancer patients across Australia, including from the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study, to identify cases of low-grade serous cancer. Dr Moujaber identified nine women with the BRAF mutation. Four of these patients relapsed soon after regular primary treatment. "Two of these women went into a clinical trial to test BRAF inhibitors, following our research which identified their BRAF mutations," Dr Moujaber explained. "Both have had excellent, long-lasting responses. "In contrast, the other two women received standard treatment several years before our analysis, and sadly rapidly deteriorated and died." Dr Moujaber said the findings are encouraging for women with BRAF-mutated ovarian cancers, who may not respond to conventional chemotherapy. "This treatment may not be effective for all cancers with a BRAF mutation, but we are optimistic that a positive response is likely in patients with ovarian cancer," she said. The research was conducted by the ovarian cancer research team at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), led by Professor Anna deFazio and Professor Paul Harnett, together with collaborators in Melbourne and Brisbane. Outcomes for women with ovarian cancer are slowly improving, but the 5-year survival rate is still only 40 per cent. Professor deFazio said that one barrier to improving outcomes is that ovarian cancer is currently treated as a single disease. "Chemotherapy and surgery are the standard treatment for women with ovarian cancer, but each patient responds differently," Professor deFazio said. "Ovarian cancer is a complex and diverse disease, so we can't assume the same treatment will work for everyone. "This research highlights the importance of using targeted therapies for rare ovarian tumor types, such as those with BRAF mutations," Professor deFazio concluded. Professor deFazio and her team are leading a longitudinal study, called INOVATe, which aims to integrate this level of precision medicine into routine care for all women with ovarian cancer. Most students underestimate the impact of female and male age on fertility, new research published in Human Fertility finds. Less than half could correctly identify the age when a woman's fertility declines and even fewer knew when male fertility declines. The study - based on a large-scale survey of Australian university students - also found that having children was equally important to male and female students, and that many wanted to complete their families before a significant decline in fertility occurred. However, they also expected to achieve many other life goals before becoming parents. A team of researchers, led by Dr Eugenie Prior of the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority in Melbourne, surveyed 1,215 students, via an anonymous online questionnaire, about their intentions and expectations for parenthood, and knowledge of fertility. 38% of men and 45% of women correctly identified 35-39 years as the age at which female fertility declines significantly. However, only 18.3% of men and 16.9% of women correctly identified 45-49 years as the age when male fertility declines. Fewer than 10% of the students did not want children, and of those who did, 75% wanted two or more. Being in a stable relationship, having a partner with whom they could share responsibility and feeling sufficiently mature were rated by both men and women as the most important conditions prior to having children. While roughly equal percentages of male and female students considered these three conditions to be 'important' or 'very important' (over 90% in each case), women were more likely than men to rate completing their studies, advancing in their profession, having work that could be combined with parenthood and having access to childcare as such. Dr Prior comments, "Our study shows that university students overwhelming want to be parents one day. However, most also have an unrealistic expectation of what they will achieve prior to conception, whether that be in their career or financially. We need to educate young people about the limits of fertility and support them to become parents at a point that is ideal biologically, while balanced against the life goals they want to achieve." Many male and female students wanted to complete their families within the biological limits of fertility but, considering the other life goals they wished to accomplish prior to parenthood, it was questionable whether they would be able to achieve this, the authors warned. The study highlights the universal difficulty that many young people, particularly university-educated women, face in balancing the competing aspirations of study, career and other personal life goals with achieving parenthood at the age when they are most fertile. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, a 4-year, $9 million grant aimed at determining the long-term impact of cannabis exposure on the adolescent brain. Led by Daniele Piomelli, PhD, professor of anatomy and neurobiology at UCI School of Medicine, and director of the newly created UCI Center for the Study of Cannabis, the grant will fund a systematic series of preclinical studies to determine whether cannabis' active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), during adolescence causes persistent changes in endocannabinoid (ECB) signaling, synaptic plasticity and behavior. The research will be conducted by a group of principal investigators from UCI including Marcelo Wood, PhD, Christine Gall, PhD, Gary Lynch, PhD, and Stephen Mahler, PhD. The grant is UCI's only NIDA Center of Excellence. The ECBs are cannabis-like molecules produced by the brain, which are involved in a variety of physiological and psychological processes, such as emotion, learning and memory. "The ECB system is the main point of entry of THC into the brain. Now that cannabis is legal in many states, it's very important to understand whether excessive activation of this signaling system during adolescence can produce alterations in cognition and motivated behavior that last into adulthood," said Piomelli. Referred to as ICAL (Impact of Cannabinoids Across the Lifespan), the Center will seek to answer two specific questions: What are the long-term effects of adolescent exposure to THC on brain function and behavior? What are the molecular mechanisms underlying such effects? "Studies suggest that adolescents who are exposed to cannabis are at risk for development of various neuropsychiatric disorders later in life, but there is much research still needed," said Piomelli. "It is especially important to understand at what times in life and at what dosages cannabis may become dangerous, and to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies to manage this risk. This grant will allow us to take great strides toward gaining a solid understanding of the true benefits and dangers of cannabis and may lead to better ways to prevent cannabis dependence. It may also guide solid, evidence-based public policy decisions concerning medicinal and recreational uses of cannabis, as well as inform the development of medications aimed at treating harmful diseases." According to study published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2015, the prevalence of cannabis use in the adult population of the US has climbed from 4.1 percent in 2001-2002 to 9.5 percent in 2012-2013, while the total number of Americans diagnosed with cannabis use disorder (abuse or dependence) has now reached 6.8 million. As with other psychoactive drugs, cannabis use typically starts in early teenage years and progressively increases throughout adolescence - according to national survey sponsored by NIDA at NIH, in 2013, 11.7 percent of 8th graders and 35.1 percent of 12th graders used the drug at least once. Teenage boys and girls experiment with cannabis more than any other recreational substance and a substantial percentage of them (5.8 percent of 12th graders in 2013) also tried synthetic cannabis substitutes such as Spice and K2. Though striking, these numbers are likely to grow in the near future as risk perception of cannabis's potential consequences continues to decrease. Furthermore, the accelerating diffusion of medicinal cannabis-derived products is exposing new groups of young people to the drug. These trends are of particular concern within a social context in which changes to legislation and broadening acceptance fuel financial interests that can potentially override public health and safety concerns. Jul 30, 2018 16:34 (IST) Options Before 40 Lakh People Left Out of Assam NRC Final Draft | More than 40 lakh people were left out of the second draft of Assams National Register of Citizens (NRC) that was released on Monday. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Shailesh said, each and every person whose name hasn't featured will be given an individual letter to make claims."The process has been completely transparent, fair, objective and meticulously carried out. Adequate opportunity to all applicants were given," said Shailesh. The Registrar General emphasised that this is not the final list. Three forms claims, objections, corrections will be made available to persons who failed to make the cut."Every person whose name was in the first draft but is missing from final draft will be given an individual letter to file claim for her/his non-inclusion during claims and objections," said Shailesh. NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela said that the names of applicants left out in the draft list will not be revealed to protect their privacy. Starting August 7, those who missed out can find out the reasons for non-inclusion by visiting NRC Seva Kendra and by asking the Local Registrar. The officials clarified that those left out will not be branded as foreigner and no punitive action will be taken against them. Whoever does not have name will get opportunity to file claim/objections under adequate time. Those left out will have the option to file online application in NRC website or visit a NRC Seva Kendra, said Shailesh. The final NRC will be out in December 2018. A full moon partially enclosed by the Earth's shadow sets in the clouds over the city landmark, weathercock in the form of a ship fixed atop a spire of the Admiralty building at the end of a complete lunar eclipse in St.Petersburg, Russia. (Image: AP) Posted on: July 30, 2018 2:20 PM Zimbabweans are taking part in their first presidential elections in nearly 40 years without Robert Mugabe on the ballot paper. The ecumenical Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) has election monitors at polling stations throughout the country and are reporting mainly peaceful elections with some abnormalities. The front-runners are current acting-President, Zanu-PFs Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over when Robert Mugabe was forced to stand down last November and MDC Alliance opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. Earlier this month, bishops and pastors from ZCC member-churches led an ecumenical service at the Anglican Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints in Harare to pray for election observers. The service was attended by the retired judge, Justice Selo Nare, who chairs the new National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC). This body was established to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation and to develop and Implement programmes to promote national healing, unity and cohesion in Zimbabwe and the peaceful resolution of disputes. ZCCs General Secretary told the congregation to prepare for the day where we will pray to God thanking him for the peace that has prevailed thus far. He said that the Churches would continue to commit our work and country to God so that he leads us into prosperity. Zimbabwean Christians from many denominations gathered in Harares Anglican Cathedral for a service of prayer for the electoral process earlier this month.. Photo: ZCC via Facebook Yesterday, on the eve of the election, the ZCC issued a pastoral pronouncement which began with words of comfort: The words of our Lord Jesus Christ Let not your hearts be troubled give assurance to an anxious nation, the statement said. Some are anxious whether the peace we have enjoyed in this pre-election period will hold. Others are worried if their voice will be heard through the ballot. Still some wonder if the nation will find each other after so much divisive campaign period. Jesus reassures us, peace I give unto you not as the world gives. We receive this reassurance as we continue to pray for peace today, tomorrow and after the casting of votes. They say that: Elections tend to produce winners and losers. We know that sometimes results can get disputed. We pray that such electoral disputes will not be used to ignite politically motivated violence. We call upon Christians in political leadership to restrain their followers and to do all that which will prevent violence. We are not choosing from amongst angels but from amongst fellow human beings with strengths and weaknesses. We will therefore need to pray for whoever comes out the winner as they will need Gods help and our support to mitigate their weaknesses. In words directed towards the politicians, the Church leaders say: We know that in the context of political competition a lot of words are used and messages exchanged to promote one party or candidate over and against the other. When all has been said and done, we pray that our political leaders will find each other and work together for the prosperity of all Zimbabweans. And they concluded with a plea to Christians to pray and go out to vote and to all Zimbabweans to vote in peace. This lunchtime (Monday) they issued an update from polling stations around the country and report of peaceful elections. But in many they report long queues and slow progress; and a number of anomalies in a number of areas, including People being turned away because their names were not on the voters roll, at least one paper of an issued ballot already showing a vote for a candidate, and polling tents which are not accessible to people with disabilities. In Manicaland, they report that Zanu-PF is intimidating MDC individuals forcing them to lie on whether they are blind or deaf. Some 5,635,706 people are registered to vote in election to select a president, 210 members of parliament and more than 9,000 councillors. Polling stations opened at 7 am CAT (5 am GMT) and will remain open until 7 pm (5 pm GMT) this evening. Counting will begin straight away in districts and results for local and parliamentary elections will be announced as they are known. Presidential votes will be counted locally but the winner will be announced by the countrys electoral commission within five days. The Death of Doctor Strange uncovers a new facet to the origin of new Marvel hero White Fox The Death of Doctor Strange leads to White Fox being the prime suspect in other Marvel murders Beijing has already rejected registration applications from 19,500 firms New Delhi : Beijing, the massive capital city of China will soon announce recession for millions of employees as the officials has decided to shut down around 1,000 manufacturing companies by 2020. It is a part of a programme which aims to cut down smog and boost income in neighbouring regions, state media said on Monday. Beijing will focus on dynamic, high-tech industries and withdraw from "ordinary" manufacturing, the Communist Party paper People's Daily reported, citing a recent policy document published by the Beijing municipal government. The most populous capital city has already rejected registration applications from 19,500 firms, and shut down or relocated 2,465 "ordinary" manufacturers, the paper said. Lately, China has launched a plan to enhance coordination in the smog-prone Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in 2014 in the middle of concerns that competition between the three jurisdictions was wasting resources and creating overcapacity and pollution. It plans to shred Beijing of manufacturing and heavy industry, as well as relocating universities and some government departments into Hebei's new economic zone of Xiongan. The China government also wants to create an integrated transport network and amalgamate standards in areas such as welfare and education to make Hebei, known for its heavy industry, more striking for investors. Earlier in 2018, an official with Hebei province said the plan has helped drive average incomes in Hebei up 41 percent since 2013, although they are still only half the level in Beijing. Sorry! This content is not available in your region The Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hamilton Place recently hosted Dr. John Cosgrove who serves as executive director of the AEGIS Law Enforcement Foundation. Dr. Cosgrove discussed the strategy, support and training provided by the Law Enforcement Foundation to local law enforcement agencies. H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media BROOKFIELD The Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company reminded residents to be careful if they receive a call asking for donations. A group or groups have been soliciting donations over the phone in the areasomething the fire company never does, according to a post on its Facebook page. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - The party of Cambodian strongman Hun Sen is likely to take every available seat following Sunday's election, a spokesman said Monday, predictably cementing one-party rule in a vote widely dismissed as illegitimate. "We were so excited that we couldn't even eat last night," said Sok Eysan, spokesman for Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party in an interview. Official results will not be released until August. "We have worked so hard to achieve this result." The challenge now for Western governments that have backed Cambodia's experiment in liberal multiparty democracy over the last quarter century is to figure out how best to respond without completely alienating the country, punishing its poorest or pushing it towards a ready ally - its largest trade partner, China. The White House in a statement said Cambodia's elections "were neither free nor fair and failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people," and warned that it could expand visa restrictions against those who have undermined democracy and their family members in some cases. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would impose sanctions on members of Hun Sen's inner circle and others responsible for human rights abuses. The European Union also said the election did not represent the will of the Cambodian electorate and concluded that its "outcome lacks credibility." The EU is reviewing a preferential trade agreement under which Cambodian goods have tariff-free access to the European market. Hun Sen "has stripped away the facade of democracy," said Sebastian Strangio, author of a book on Hun Sen and his decades-long rule in Cambodia. "Western governments no longer have a door to walk through that they can say there has been democratic progress." "If [the West] doesn't follow through on their threats, they would be admitting that [a liberal democracy] in Cambodia is not possible," he added. Western governments donated billions to support a United Nations-led democratic effort following the 1991 Paris Peace Accords. Ahead of Sunday's vote, a court in Cambodia dissolved the main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, and jailed its leader, Kem Sokha, on trumped-up charges of attempting to unseat the government with the backing of the United States. When opposition leaders called for a boycott of the vote, the government cracked down on that too, slapping fines on former CNRP leaders who held up their clean fingers in a pre-election gathering, a reference to the indelible ink used to stain voters' index fingers. The government has also muzzled independent news media and banned access to a number of websites in the days leading up to the vote, including the U.S.-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. "The ban of the opposition and the imprisonment of its leader, the shutdown of independent media and civil society and threats on activists had made this election unacceptable before it even began," said a statement from the now-dissolved CNRP. "History will mark 29 July as the day Hun Sen's regime invited sanctions and ultimately [will] bring down the Cambodian economy with it." The election commission and the ruling CPP have remained defiant. They have rejected allegations of voter intimidation and vote buying, and claimed that over 80 percent of eligible voters showed up, a number that cannot be accurately verified since no credible election monitors participated for fear of validating the election. The government has relied instead on less-than-credible international monitors to sign off on the vote, including those affiliated with right-wing European parties and the Chinese Communist Party. Even so, the election commission has recorded half a million spoiled votes so far, in line with widely shared photos of opposition supporters crossing out all parties listed on the ballot or turning in blank votes as a form of protest. Hun Sen's CPP continues to insist that the CNRP was dissolved for legal reasons, insisting that it was plotting a "color revolution," a foreign-backed effort to unseat the government. "We cannot forgive those who want to overthrow the government," said Sok Eysan, the spokesman. "It was based on credible evidence. You cannot blame the CPP." This view of the events leading up to Sunday's vote diverges drastically with that of Western governments, human rights groups and indeed many Cambodians. But foreign governments may be limited in their ability to respond. Analysts say that the removing Cambodia's tariff-free access to the E.U. could hurt tens of thousands of Cambodian garment workers. Cambodia exports about $4.3 billion worth of textile and textile-related goods to the EU. The U.S. threat of visa bans and asset freezes do not worry the CPP, Sok Eysan said. "I've been to the U.S. several times, I don't need to go there anymore," he said. "As for assets, [CPP leaders] don't hold assets in the United States. So it doesn't bother us." Cambodia, he said, is open to investments from anyone, especially those "who do not want to interfere in our political affairs or give us any conditions" - a thinly veiled reference to China, its largest trading partner. In support of Hun Sen, Beijing has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure projects in Cambodia. The Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to requests for comment. Though Cambodia's ruling elites are happy to turn to China amid threats from the West, their views are not shared by all here. Sihanoukville, a port city on Cambodia's coast, has become an emblem in the minds of many Cambodians as a lesson of what happens when a city invites unbridled investment from China: large Chinese companies move in and launch big projects, bringing in their own workers rather than hiring locals. "It is a worry for us that China can ask anything from Cambodia, and we will give it to them, like we are under a remote control," said Meas Sokhen, a 29-year old air-conditioner service worker. "Of course it is good for development and job opportunities, but maybe there are side effects that we cannot see yet." - - - The Washington Post's San Sel contributed to this report/ Editors Note: Inspire Me is a series in which entrepreneurs and leaders share what motivates them through good times and bad, while also sharing stories of how they overcame challenges in hopes of inspiring others. We all have stressful days when things just dont go right. No one is immune, even people whose job is to help other people find their center, like Sarah Levey, the co-founder of celebrity favorite yoga studio Y7. But on one particularly frustrating day, a conversation with one of her colleagues helped Levey find the mantra that has stood her in good stead as she has grown her company. We were sitting down and talking, and [one of my fitness instructors] looked at me and said, It's like this now, Levey told Entrepreneur. That really resonated with me. Things are different now than they were five minutes ago. They are going to be different 10 minutes from now. All you can do is move forward with what you have. Moving forward was something Levey had grappled with even before she fully committed to her business, which combines hot yoga with a hip-hop music playlist. In the early days, co-founder Sarah Levey constantly asked herself this question: How do you know when youre ready to take your side hustle full time? Now 30, Levey started the company with her husband in 2013 and worked at her day job as a PR account executive at LAtelier Group until 2015. By that time, the company had been up and running for two years and opened three studios. It became clear that, if I wanted to provide the experience I had in mind, I had to leave my job. We were self-funded up until our sixth location, Levey recalled to Entrepreneur. It was a pretty big decision for us. The decision paid off. Today, Y7 has 11 locations in New York and California and a growing community that comes to class in the companys line of activewear. Levey says that when she has doubts or is in need of inspiration, she thinks about the studios clients and how to make it a place where they are excited to be. They are the reason I have a business, Levey explained. It is really important for me to make sure that the client experience is always top notch, and that we're always taking feedback from them about how to make the experience better. The young entrepreneur shared her insights about how to stay in the moment when stress feels overwhelming. What inspires you at work? My team really, really gives me my day-to-day inspiration. In the beginning, it was just my husband and I working and doing everything together. Now that we have a team, I have to show up every day no matter. The team is a constant source of inspiration for me about how to be a better leader, a better boss and really understanding the direction I want to take the company. Who is a woman that inspires you, and why? Someone who I always really look up to is [designer] Rebecca Minkoff. She is a client of ours, and someone I've gotten to know. She is a mentor to me and a constant source of inspiration. I really look to her in terms of how she is able to run a successful business and really have a fulfilling [personal] life as well. What I continue to learn from Rebecca is that you can have it all. It's about realizing how to make time and space for the things that are important to you. For me, that means making sure I am spending ample time in my office with my team and making space to spend my evening with friends and family away from the business. What has inspired you to be a better person? My sister inspires me to be a better person. She always really puts me in check, and she is a lawyer, so she is a huge sounding board for me in terms of business decisions. With any sort of partnerships I'm looking at, I always look to her. She is able to give me those really tough answers that I sometimes don't want to hear, but it makes me better. For those women who are looking to start a business or have begun one, but are feeling discouraged, what advice do you have for them to keep going? What I would say to any woman who is interested in starting her own business is that there is no time like the present. You'll never ever know if you don't take that leap. Related: This Boutique Fitness Co-Founder Uses These Four Simple Words to Find Inner Calm Amid the Storm Bluemercury Founder Marla Beck on Why You Should Do the Things That Terrify You Comedian and YouTube Star Grace Helbig Shares Why She Loves Tina Fey, Dealing With the Haters and When to Leave Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved President Donald Trump has expended significant political capital working to win the freedom of pastor Andrew Brunson, an American detained in Turkey for nearly two years now on baseless espionage and terrorism charges. Trump is right to do so, but he and his administration also have a moral obligation to come to the aid of three State Department workers facing a similar plight. We write to draw attention to the plight of the U.S. foreign service nationals - largely ignored by the Trump administration and the press - who have also been detained by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security apparatus. These "FSNs," as foreign service nationals are traditionally known in diplomatic lexicon, are State Department employees. Another term for them is locally employed staff, which reflects the fact that the State Department hires Turks in Turkey, Bulgarians in Bulgaria and Argentines in Argentina. These unsung employees form the backbone of U.S. diplomatic efforts abroad. No American embassy or consulate could operate without them. The three men have been detained in Turkey on bogus charges. Two are in jail, and one is under house arrest. As with tens of thousands of others imprisoned by the Turkish authorities in recent years, the charges against them are the product of paranoid conspiracy theories that beggar the imagination. Jailed since February 2017, Hamza Ulucay is a 37-year veteran of the U.S. diplomatic service. Dollar bills found in his home were offered up by Turkish authorities as proof that Ulucay had something to do with the attempted July 15, 2016, coup d'etat against the Erdogan government. It is especially bizarre that Ulucay is alleged to have connections both to the network of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in the United States whom the government accuses of organizing the failed coup, and to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the insurgency movement deemed terrorist by both the United States and Turkey.The Gulen network has historically been a fierce opponent of the PKK and is loathed by most of the Kurdish population in Turkey's southeast. (We know all too well the Turkish authorities' proclivity for inventing such farcical conspiracy theories; one of us, Barkey, has been accused of somehow orchestrating the failed 2016 coup, resulting in the issuance of an arrest warrant in absentia.) Twenty-year department veteran Metin Topuz was likewise detained for allegedly trying to overthrow the Turkish government and for links to the Gulen movement. In both cases, U.S. officials have not been able to ascertain the specific criminal charges involved. Nazmi Mete Canturk, who is charged with espionage and attempting to overthrow the government, has been under house arrest since January. Erdogan has ended Turkey's two-year state of emergency, but there is nothing to suggest that the Turkish government will stop using indictments as a means of detaining people indefinitely. In effect, Ulucay, Topuz and Canturk have become hostages whose fates rest in Erdogan's hands. The unwillingness of Washington to apply public pressure on Turkey to release these State Department employees sends an alarming message to other locally employed staff in Turkey: They are all subject to intimidation and pressure from Turkish authorities, and their employer doesn't have their back. In effect, Turkish intelligence now has leverage over part of U.S. operations, shattering diplomatic conventions. Many of these local employees have resigned. Worse, the Turks' actions may be copied by other authoritarian states that notice the U.S. government's indifference. It is quite possible that Erdogan will release Brunson, the detained pastor who was recently transferred to house arrest. Turkey may soon need help from the United States, a NATO ally, if its ailing economy slides into a meltdown. Brunson's release would be welcome, but it would also present a danger that the U.S. government would consider the matter of unjustified detentions resolved - condemning Ulucay, Topuz and Canturk to years in Turkish jails. Congress has an opportunity to play an important role here. A new U.S. ambassador to Turkey is likely to be nominated soon. The Senate should use the confirmation process to hold the administration accountable for the safety and security of all State Department employees. The president's letter of instruction to chiefs of mission enjoins them to undertake measures to ensure the safety of all the employees in their charge - Americans and their local colleagues. Ambassadors and consul generals have no more-solemn obligation. A U.S. failure to show that it stands by its people will cripple the State Department's ability to represent America overseas. Either foreign service nationals are on the U.S. team, or they are not. --- Barkey is a professor of international relations at Lehigh University and a senior fellow for the Middle East at the Council on Foreign Relations. Edelman was U.S. ambassador to Turkey from 2003 to 2005. Albion, N.Y. -- Two Upstate New York women are suing Walmart over the company's absentee policy, which they argue violates state protections for pregnant women. Both of the women, Leigha Klopp and Kaitlyn Hoover, worked at the Albion Walmart in Orleans County in 2017 while they were pregnant, according to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Hoover and Klopp both say they were later fired from their jobs as associates because they missed time due to pregnancy-related medical issues. Both were hospitalized due to complications and returned to work with doctor's notes explaining their absences and conditions, the Democrat & Chronicle said. They say Walmart told them the notes didn't matter and fired them anyway. "It felt very unfair that I was being punished for something that wasn't in my control and that the employers just didn't care about me as a person or my family or what I was going through," Klopp said, according to the D&C. Hoover said in a statement she was devastated when she was fired. "I had a baby coming and all of a sudden I couldn't pay my bills," she said in the statement, according to the D&C. The women's lawsuit argues that Walmart's policies violated New York's Pregnant Worker Fairness Act, which requires employers to make "reasonable accommodations" for medical needs related to pregnancy, the D&C said. That could include providing pregnant workers with limited time off or altering workers' schedules. The suit from Klopp and Hoover is the first brought under the law, which has been in place since 2016. A worker advocacy group, A Better Balance, filed the suit on behalf of the women. The group argues Walmart should change its policies immediately. The suit says that employees accumulate points for missing shifts or arriving late without advance approval from a supervisor, according to the D&C. Employees can be fired if they accumulate too many points, the lawsuit says, according to the D&C. Walmart supervisors gave Klopp and Hoover points for their unexpected absences, despite documented complications and notes from doctors about their pregnancies. Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove disputed that the company's policies discriminate. "We take these issues seriously and do not tolerate discrimination," Hargrove said in a statement, according to the D&C. "Like any company, we have an attendance policy that helps ensure we are taking care of our customers. We understand associates may have to miss work on occasion and we have processes in place to assist them. This includes legally protected and authorized absences, such as medical-related accommodation, FMLA leave, pregnancy and bereavement that are not counted against are attendance policy." The D&C said Walmart revised its policies in October 2017 to allow employees who are pregnant, breastfeeding or recovering from childbirth to ask for job adjustments, reasonable accommodations or a temporary transfer to a different position. Hoover and Klopp were both fired earlier in 2017, according to the D&C. Their lawsuit says that employees were told specifically that absences for pregnancy-related conditions could not be authorized and would result in them incurring points under the attendance policy. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Google + | 315-454-2112 ALBANY A group of state senators are calling on New York's health department to conduct a rigorous study into a new and potentially dangerous tick species that was recently discovered in the state. The longhorned tick, whose scientific name is Haemaphysalis longicornis, was recently found in Westchester County. It was the first time the species, which is not native to the U.S., was discovered within state lines. "Could this be a new superbug? We don't know yet," said state Sen. Terrence Murphy of the Lower Hudson Valley. "We need to be able to determine if this species of tick will have a detrimental effect on the health of human beings and animals," he added. The longhorned tick is common to Australia, New Zealand and eastern Asia, and until recently was not known to inhabit the U.S. In addition to New York, it has now been discovered in New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Arkansas. While the species has been shown to transmit diseases to humans in other parts of the world, both state and federal officials say more research is needed to determine whether this can happen in the U.S. One reason it's potentially dangerous is its ability to reproduce asexually and survive long winters, which are common in New York. In a July 25 letter to state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, Murphy as well as Sens. Sue Serino, Kemp Hannon, Thomas O'Mara, Patricia Ritchie and Pamela Helming asked the Health Department to conduct a study that examines: the extent to which the species has spread; the impact the tick could have on people, livestock or companion animals; improvements made by physicians and veterinarians in reporting; and recommendations that would eliminate the longhorned tick from our area. Any information gained through the report could be used to increase awareness of the species, publicize areas where the ticks may be found, and inform local communities of any increased activity related to the species, thereby potentially reducing additional infections, they wrote. It's not just humans who have to worry about the new species. The tick is particularly dangerous to cattle because it transmits a disease called Theileriosis, which can cause severe anemia or death. Symptoms of tick-borne disease in cattle include fever, lack of appetite, dehydration, weakness and labored breathing. Infected livestock may also experience reduced milk production. "Given the clear threat this species presents to our farms and livestock, and because it comes with so many immediate unknowns, we respectfully request that any action plan developed include research into this new and specific menace as well as robust solutions to better protect New Yorkers against the new threat the Longhorn tick presents," said Serino, who chairs the Senate's Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases. Ticks in general are contributing to rising rates of tick-borne illnesses nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this spring. Instances of Lyme disease, in particular, have nearly doubled since 2004 to 36,429 reported cases in 2016. Troubles with diagnosing Lyme mean actual cases are probably much higher. NEW HAVEN U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who sometimes visits the Elm City to talk with constituents about issues, occasionally will apologize for getting political when he speaks about politics in terms of elections or political parties. On Monday, when discussing gun control with a group of local students involved in Squash Haven, a youth development program that teaches youths how to play squash while offering homework help and emotional support, Murphy said he was blue in the face from trying to convince legislators to entertain universal background checks for gun buyers. Right now we just dont have the votes for universal background checks, he said. Murphy encouraged the approximately 25 young people to vote for or canvass for candidates who will support measures for gun control, saying that even the two votes forced by his 15-hour filibuster in 2016 fell just narrowly short, and the only thing that could change it is having a Congress more ideologically aligned with his views. Some gubernatorial candidates might say they want to make gun laws weaker, he said. Dont let that happen. Besides ballot box victories, Murphy suggested economic boycotts could help to influence change. More News Gun making drops off in state He mentioned that Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle banned guns from its stores, whereas retail giant Walmart sells certain guns and ammunition to those over age 21. If you can go somewhere else, send a message, he said. Its never too early to make a difference. Murphy said he wanted to talk with Squash Haven youth because, as the third-youngest member of the Senate, I feel like I have an obligation to be your voice. One of the unfortunate realities for a lot of young people ... is gun violence, he said. I dont know why this country accepts this. Even if young people arent dying by gun violence, he said, the fear and trauma felt by young people changes your brain chemistry. Murphy is not new to gun control advocacy: even before his filibuster following a massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., he told the press that the 2012 massacre of children at Sandy Hook Elementary School gave him a legislative focus. We have too many guns in this country, he said. In specific neighborhoods, there are way too many guns. Although Connecticut has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country, the guns used in violence here have serial numbers that can be traced back to states such as South Carolina and Texas, he said, which is why he believes background checks are a federal issue. Murphy said there are also intersecting issues, such as a generational hopelessness felt by young people They dont see a path, he said and a lot of mentally ill people which he said does not necessarily correlate with gun violence, but there is still a need for more resources. In fact, a 2014 North Carolina State University study found that, from a sample of 4,480 mentally ill adults, respondents were more likely to have been victims of violence than having perpetrated it. Responding to Murphys comments about youth hopelessness, Wengel Kifle, a rising junior at Middlebury College and alumna of the private Taft School in Watertown and a participant of Squash Haven, asked what the government is doing about wealth inequality in Connecticut. Going to Taft, she said, was the first time my eyes were opened to people in Darien. Coming back to New Haven didnt feel like I was in the same state, Kifle said. This really intense wealth inequality that exists in this state is baffling to me. Murphy said the issues of gun violence and wealth inequality are connected, and its not a coincidence that urban areas with high unemployment have higher rates of gun violence. Although the economy is growing, he said, working class wages are stagnant. A $15 minimum wage could be a needed economic stimulus, he said. Additionally, he said U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a candidate in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, had a proposal for free college that Murphy believes is worth considering. Murphy also said he believes lack of regional government in Connecticut works against cities such as New Haven that are surrounded by sometimes wealthier suburbs but are forced to solve problems not of their own making with limited federal, state and local funds. Although Murphy says he places more importance on a universal background check bill, he is also in favor of a bill that would prohibit individuals on the federal no fly terrorism watch list a controversial government program that has been accused of racial profiling and lack of due process from purchasing guns. When asked about gun violence perpetrated by police, Murphy acknowledged that it is certainly a major issue throughout the country and police shootings undermine departmental legitimacy. However, Murphy said he believes police shootings are best left to the heads of local police departments. I think our police chiefs get it and are taking the issue on, he said. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com For the fourth time in as many weeks, another former Stockton University student is suing the school, alleging she was raped after being incapacitated at a party hosted by an underground fraternity. In a civil case filed in federal court in Camden Friday, a young woman claims two men raped her a total of three times while she was blacked out and unable to consent on Sept. 7 and 9 last year. One is a current student and at the time was a sergeant in the campus' student-run, volunteer emergency medical services organization, Stockton EMS. Toms River attorney Robert R. Fuggi Jr. has filed each suit, and said Monday he expects to file more. "I don't know how many will come forward. I'm getting calls and emails from other victims," he said. "It's a systemic problem at Stockton." While none of the men they're accusing have been charged with sexual assault, they are named as defendants in the lawsuits, along with Stockton University and Pi Kappa Phi. The national fraternal organization has said it has not had a chapter at Stockton since 2010, but the university and the lawsuits state that students have continued to operate a rogue fraternity under that name at a house off campus in Egg Harbor City. The bruises on a former Stockton University student who says she was raped twice by a student. (Provided photo) Fuggi argues that the university knows the unauthorized frat and their location is a hotbed of underage drinking and sexual assault, and could have shut it down years ago by disciplining the student members. Diane D'Amico, a spokeswoman for Stockton, said the university warns students on its website and at orientation to avoid "unrecognized groups" like Pi Kappa Phi "for safety reasons, as these students are not regulated in any way by the University." The most recent lawsuit claims that the young woman, a freshman, drank two beers at a frat party Sept. 7. She became dizzy and passed out, only awakening to find an "unknown red headed male on top of her having sex with her" in a bedroom in the house, the suit said. She never learned his name and he is referred to in the lawsuit only as John Doe. When she got back to campus, her dorm roommates kicked her out, the suit said. She contacted William Murphy, a junior whom she knew, looking for support and a place to stay, the suit said. He was a sergeant in the EMS squad, an organization she had applied to join, according to the lawsuit. He brought her to his room, listened to what had happened to her, and then handed her a bottle of rum, encouraging her to take a few shots to calm down, she claims in the suit. The next thing she remembered was being in the shower with Murphy, and then waking up in his bed in the morning. She reported the alleged assault by the red-headed man to her resident advisor and spoke with someone at residential services, telling them she did not want to pursue criminal charges. However, she did go to the hospital and complete a rape kit, which showed evidence of sexual activity, the suit said. She did not report Murphy for rape, she said, because she was unsure what had happened when she blacked out. On Sept. 9, Murphy asked her to come over so they could talk about what had happened. In his room, he "tried to dispel her worries" and again plied her with rum until she was incapacitated and raped her a second time, the lawsuit claims. Afterwards, her roommates helped her photograph bruises they noticed on her neck, shoulders and chest, the lawsuit said. She went to the hospital but declined to go through the unpleasant process of completing a rape kit, the suit said. After the trauma of the events, the woman became depressed. She attempted suicide in November by taking medications, and left the university in December, the suit said. She's seeking damages and, as in the other three suits, a court order for the university to take steps to prevent future sexual violence. Murphy is still a Stockton student, but no longer on the EMS squad, D'Amico, the spokeswoman said. Murphy could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. Fuggi wrote in the lawsuit that the university never initiated a sexual assault investigation despite the young woman reporting the rape on Sept. 8. Even if the woman didn't want to pursue criminal charges, Fuggi said the university should have started its own investigation given the risk Murphy might assault other students. Stockton University President Dr. Harvey Kesselman speaks in this 2017 file photo. (Kristian Gonyea photo) On July 23, after three of the four lawsuits had been filed, university President Harvey Kesselman issued a statement saying the school takes sexual assault reports seriously and is cooperating with authorities. He said he cannot comment on specifics because of the pending litigation. "We advise our students to immediately report any incident or concerning situation to authorities. Campus authorities immediately initiate all protocols relating to any incident and document all such actions," he said. He said the university has specialized staff "who are devoted to supporting students in times of crisis." Kesselman said the university also tries to educate students about the risks of sexual violence through its orientation program. "As we prepare for the new academic year, we will be reinforcing those messages and reviewing our procedures as we strive to ensure all students feel confident that we are committed to their safety," Kesselman said. The first lawsuit July 6 claimed Stockton grad and former Pi Kappa Phi member Zachary Madle had raped her at her dormitory twice after she met him at a frat party. A week later, another woman claimed Madle violently raped her on two occasions at the frat house. The 18-year-old who alleges in the second suit that she was raped took photos of injuries to her neck after the Oct. 20, 2017 incident. (Provided) The third lawsuit claimed that a female student was drugged at the frat house and later raped on campus by student Daniel Novak, and possibly two of his friends. None of the men have been charged with sexual assault, according to court records. However, Madle, who allegedly posted a video of the assault on SnapChat, was charged with invasion of privacy by recording a sex act without consent in connection with the incident described in the first lawsuit. Each lawsuit claims that drinks were spiked at the frat parties, with the goal of incapacitating women so they could be sexually assaulted. Fuggi said in an interview that he believes the fraternity made a practice of mixing two different kinds of drinks for the parties, and making the women drink the green drink while the frat members drank a red mixed drink. The green drink was either spiked with a drug or mixed in some way to make it incredibly strong, he said. "We think there's something more nefarious going on," he said. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Standing before a Superior Court judge in Newark on Monday afternoon, former Bloomfield High School teacher Leo Donaldson expressed gratitude to the victim who exposed his crimes. "I just want to say thank you to the young man who got me out of the place I was in by forcing this into the light," Donaldson said, tearfully attributing his molestation of former students to his own trauma from sexual abuse as a child. Judge Richard T. Sules, however, told Donaldson, 32, that while his victimization had been tragic, it was neither "an excuse nor a justification" for his crimes, sentencing him to seven years in state prison on charges that included aggravated sexual assault and official misconduct. Donaldson, who was arrested by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office in October 2016, was charged by a grand jury last year with a total of 37 counts under an indictment that accused him of exploiting his position at the high school to coerce a number of male students into sex acts. Authorities said the assaults took place both at Donaldson's home and in his classroom. He ultimately pleaded guilty in March to aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child and official misconduct. One of the two students he was convicted of assaulting addressed the court Monday, describing how Donaldson had gained his trust as a friend and personal ally before threatening to kick the boy off the track team if he didn't engage in sex acts at the teacher's direction. "I am speaking for every boy and young man who didn't have the strength to speak after you took it away," the boy said. In making his case to the judge for leniency, defense attorney Vlad Tyshchenko described Donaldson's own abusive upbringing on a "cult-like" family compound in Sussex County, where he was viciously beaten by an uncle and molested by a sibling. Those traumatic experiences, the attorney said, stunted his client's development and led him to view his victims as peers, rather than as young students over whom he held power. "I've been practicing law for 20 years, and I've never seen a defendant more remorseful -- genuinely remorseful -- for their actions" than Donaldson, Tyshchenko said as his client, seated at the counsel table next to him, choked back tears. The testifying victim's mother wasn't buying it, telling Donaldson: "Character is who you are in the dark, and my son was brave enough to come forward." "No more evil," she said. "No more. It ends here." Tyshchenko asked the judge to sentence Donaldson to five years in prison -- the minimum end of the range -- arguing psychologists' assessments of his client showed a lack of compulsive behavior that would put him at risk of reoffending. Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Celeste Montesino, however, argued one of those very same assessments nonetheless had explicitly declared Donaldson as having an "above average" risk of committing further crimes. "There are no victims sitting at the defense table right now," Montesino said. Donaldson, who appeared in court wearing a dark suit, purple shirt and a tie, was largely stoic as a sheriff's officer handcuffed his wrists behind his back while Sules imposed the sentence. The teacher, who was immediately suspended from his Bloomfield High School job in the wake of his 2016 arrest, will forfeit his public position as part of his guilty plea. The State Board of Examiners had in April formalized the suspension of Donaldson's teaching certificates. Donaldson also will spend the rest of his life on parole supervision and must register as a sex offender under Megan's Law once he's released from prison, Sules ordered. Tyshchenko declined to comment further after the sentencing. Leo Donaldson's husband Bradley Donaldson also was charged in the case with endangering the welfare of a minor, but has been approved to enter the state's Pre-Trial Intervention program, Montesino said. Sules was scheduled to issue a final ruling on the application Monday afternoon after Leo Donaldson's sentencing. Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Attendees at the New Jersey Re-entry Corp.'s Immigration Conference at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Union City on Thursday, July 19, 2018, could pick up information on a variety of topics. UNION CITY -- As chairwoman of the Lowenstein Center for Public Interest, lawyer Catherine Weiss meets immigrants and families in crisis and sees how situations can have long-lasting effects. "A 4-year-old girl from Texas was separated from her father and held in New York City,'' she recounted as an example during the recent New Jersey Re-entry Corp.'s Immigration Conference. "They have been reunited but are traumatized by the separation. Now they panic whenever they are apart." Ways parents can protect children in the case of detainment, she told the audience, include placing children in the care of another adult. Ex-Gov. Jim McGreevey of the NJRC said he was deeply affected by Weiss' words. "I thought about that as a father, like what would I do?'' he said during the evening panel earlier this month. "Who would I assign the responsibility of raising my daughters? Those are gut-wrenching decisions that I wasn't fully aware of until I heard her presentation." McGreevey and the Rev. Bolivar Flores, also with the NJRC, hosted the conference, which they hope to make an annual event, at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church on July 19, at the request of Mayor Brian Stack. The conference focused on immigration enforcement and the law, health, finance, social services, and children, families and visitation. Other panelists included Sue Fulton, chief administrator of the state Motor Vehicle Commission, who said the MVC supports immigrants trying to get driver's licenses. "It is a point of pride for us that we represent one of the most diverse states in the union and we treat every individual as worthy of dignity and respect," she said. "I never want to take your service for granted, nor the cultural, social and economic value you bring." Erin Knoedler, director of operations for Union City, talked about the city's identification program, letting the audience know that any one of them could pick up a free ID from her office on the second floor of City Hall. The conference came to a close with immigration rights advocacy speaker Ravi Ragbir of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York, who is fighting his own deportation. He urged the audience to not be scared into giving up their rights. Everyone, he said, is entitled to go to court. McGreevey noted that the situations are very real. "It's important that people understand that this isn't an academic question," he said. "These are real families. These are people trying to do the right thing; trying to get a driver's license so that they legally can go to work, trying to provide for their children's health care, and trying to live the American dream." The NJRC plans similar events in Essex, Union and Middlesex counties. For information, visit www.njreentry.org. In an unprecedented move, Pope Francis has stripped Cardinal McCarrick of his title before a Vatican investigation into child sexual abuse allegations. McCarrick was a longtime archbishop in New Jersey and one of the most prominent prelates. There were numerous community festivals in Hudson County this weekend celebrating Caribbean culture, the Coptic faith and love of automobiles. In Sports, St. Dominic senior swimming star Danielle Prekop was named to the 2017-18 USA Swimming Scholastic All-American Team. A Hoboken woman told police she was bilked out of more than $100,000 because the man she thought was her prince had convinced her that he was a pauper. The woman, who was not identified by police, reported on July 27 that she had met a man who went by the name Phillip Cahill through an online dating app and spoke frequently with him via a messaging app. The victim, who believed she was in a dating relationship with "Cahill," told police that the man told her he is a New York resident who had moved to Turkey. She said she began to send him money when he asked, police said. When the man claimed he was experiencing financial difficulties, the woman wired him more than $100,000 over a six-month span, each time to a different account with a different name, she told the police. Eventually the woman figured out she had been deceived and she reported it the the police, who told her to stop sending money and to advise her financial institutions what had occurred. Hoboken police Lt. Edgardo Cruz provided these tips to avoided being victimized: -- Do not give your personal information or money over the internet or through an app; -- Scammers are extremely convincing when speaking with a potential victim. They will try to convince their victims that they have fallen on hard times and they are in need of financial assistance; -- If a scammer continues to call or harass you, notify the police and do not engage them in any more conversation. A New York City man has been charged with vehicular homicide following a Sunday morning crash on Interstate 80 in Morris County that killed his 18-year-old passenger, officials said. Chevron B. Rolle, 20, of Far Rockaway, New York, was under the influence when veered off the road and struck multiple trees around 3 a.m. The crash at milepost 26.4 in Mount Olive killed Maneya Green of Manhattan, New York, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said Monday. Rolle was also charged with obstruction for allegedly lying to State Police and marijuana possession. Anyone with information is asked to call the State Police at 973-347-1001 or the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at 973-285-6200 Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Traveling to Presque Isle, Maine, from New Jersey just got easier. Same with the bustling metropolis of Rapid City, South Dakota. That's because United Airlines has launched nonstop service from Newark Liberty International Airport to both of those remote locations. United, Newark's largest carrier, also now offers service to Elmira, New York. But since Elmira is just a 31/2 hour drive from Newark, it might about as quick to drive considering passengers are advised to get to the airport at least 90 minutes before departure time. United also announced Monday it's added service to similar small locations from major hubs Chicago (O'Hare), Denver, Houston, Los Angles, San Francisco and Washington (Dulles). The Presque Isle flights began July 2. There are two round trips from Newark Monday through Friday and one each on Saturday and Sunday. Presque Isle, a city of about 9,100, is about 15 miles from the Canadian border. The flight to New Jersey from northern Maine aboard a 50-passenger plane lasts roughly two hours, 15 minutes. The home of Mount Rushmore, Rapid City is home to about 73,000 people. The weekly round trip (on Saturday) between Newark and Rapid City takes about 31/2 hours. United began two round trips between Newark and Elmira on April 9. Each segment last about 1 hour 10 minutes. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. What began as a household argument Sunday morning in Manchester Township ended with a 46-year-old man hospitalized with knife wounds and his 20-year-old son facing attempted murder charges, police said. In a statement, township police said Christopher Kenny got into an argument with his son Sage Kenny after the younger man punched the family television set and began breaking items around their home in the Pine Acres Manor mobile home park on Route 37. After the dispute spilled outdoors, witnesses told police, Sage Kenny brandished a knife and stabbed in father in the abdomen, arm and chest as they struggled outside their home. Officers arriving at the scene around 7:30 a.m. found the elder Kenny lying in the street bleeding from his wounds, police said. Authorities said he was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was listed in stable condition as of Sunday evening with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening. Police have charged Sage Kenny, who was arrested at the scene, with attempted murder, aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and weapons offenses. It was unclear Sunday night whether he had retained a lawyer who could comment on the charges. The stabbing remains under investigation, police said. Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips By Afsheen A. Shamsi As a civil rights advocate having worked for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, on the Princeton Civil Rights Commission and as an ACLU-NJ board member over the course of my life, I am well aware of the challenges that minorities, in particular the Sikh American and Muslim American communities have faced over time in the United States -- especially after 9/11. Being on the front lines of advocating for the rights of the Muslim American community, I became the target of hate groups who sent me hate mail, left me threatening messages, and labeled me a terrorist. As a practicing Muslim, while I don't observe the headscarf myself, I have advocated for the right of women to freely practice their religion and wear the headscarf or hijab. I admire them tremendously as by this bold and courageous expression of their faith they often become targets of hate and bias. Because of this, I can only imagine the anxiety that they must live with as they go about everyday tasks, such as grocery shopping or taking their children to the park. That is not an easy life. I know that the Sikh American community has faced similar challenges, particularly since 9/11. And so in the face of recent racist commentary by NJ 101.5 FM radio hosts about Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, I want him and all members of the Sikh American community to know that I admire them for their commitment to their faith and their silent courage. With this expression of their faith, every day they advance the cause of diversity and inclusion in New Jersey and the United States and for that, I am grateful to them. Given the current national discourse, I am also thankful to Gov. Phil Murphy for his commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion with his appointment of Grewal and other well qualified and diverse community members to prominent leadership roles in his administration. I hope that Grewal knows that his leadership and service to the great state of New Jersey is admired and supported by many. We are living in particularly divisive times, creating a time of tremendous anxiety for minority communities. But even during these times, I am heartened to see people around the country stand up for justice and equity. To all these people and to those who want to do something to help, I ask you to consider smiling when a woman in a hijab or a Sikh man walks past you in the street - it's a small gesture but it goes a long way to alleviating the anxiety that one may feel due to the targeting of those who are visibly of a different faith over the last several years. If you want to do something more, consider reaching out to the Sikh Coalition or the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and ask how you can help them during these challenging times for their communities. And then of course you can always donate to strengthen the ability of these organizations to advance equity and justice in New Jersey and beyond. Afsheen A. Shamsi lives in Princeton. She wrote this in her personal capacity, not as a representative of any organization. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. here New Jersey workers recently celebrated the signing of a bill requiring most employers to offer sick days for every job. Legislators celebrated themselves for having enacted it. It not only was the right thing to do, it made a lot of sense. Who needs a chef sneezing in the soup or a salesclerk coughing as he wraps your package? Who wants to sit next to the accountant sweating, sniffling and exhaling germs into your cubicle while she fights the flu? And you sure don't need a child care worker with an itchy rash bathing your infant. Let's hope the thanks they got for that bill stiffened the spines of legislators for the next big sick day challenge they'll face. This one's a lot tougher. In 2010 then-Governor Christie signed a cap of $15,000 for sick-day payouts for municipal, county and school workers hired after that date. But he vetoed a bill putting the same cap on sick-day payouts for already hired workers. He said that wasn't good enough, so the payouts continued. However, since then six-figure payouts to police and fire chiefs, school superintendents, and others got the voting public really incensed. They demanded reform and Governor Phil Murphy agreed. A-1851 is the latest version of a bill Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden) has presented for the past eight years. This iteration has Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin as a co-sponsor, however, and that greatly improves its chances of passage. It's already been approved by the Assembly State and Local Government Committee. In 26 pages it says all public employees would get no more than $7,500 in payouts for unused sick time. If they're already earned that much, they will be able to get it. But they'd earn no more. Employees whose unused sick time hadn't reached a value of $7,500 would be able to use additional money only for health care coverage or medical costs for five years after retirement. Senate President Steve Sweeney signed on as a co-sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, but now that it's begun moving toward enactment, unions are in an uproar and some legislators, as well as the governor, appear to be having second thoughts. Murphy spokesman Dan Bryan said recently the governor would support a plan that "protects taxpayers, respects collective bargaining and most importantly supports fairness." It's that "collective bargaining" bit that is giving legislators the willies. Both the New Jersey Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers unions say the bill would hurt many low-level employees who counted on those sick day payouts as their retirement nest egg. Patrick Colligan, president of the state PBA said his police officer members already negotiated a $15,000 payout limit and he's not willing to change that. In addition to the unions, other opponents say the bill hits low-salaried workers who might receive only a few thousand at retirement while public outrage should be directed only at high-salaried administrators who get the eye-popping dollars they jokingly refer to as "boat money." In response, supporters point out that in the real world (not government employee world) sick pay is used to pay people when they're sick. Ones healthy enough never to need a day off should rejoice, not complain, they say. There's lots of taxpayer money involved. In May The Record reported municipal employees in Bergen, Morris, Passaic and most of Essex Counties are owed more than $273 million in retirement payouts, including unused sick time. Add to that number Hudson and the other 16 counties, as well as state, school and county workers, and the figure is close to two billion - and growing. A former Assemblywoman from Jersey City, Joan Quigley is the president and CEO of North Hudson Community Action Corp. Submit letters to the editor and guest columns at jjletters@jjournal.com Nobodys stockpiling blood because of Brexit Its certainly true that there could be problems flowing from Brexit. If we crash out without a deal then we can all imagine more than just the one cockup or traffic jam until people come to their senses. But despite what the papers and the Health Secretary are saying its really very unlikely indeed that were going to stockpile blood: Any wise government has to plan for outcomes it would not have chosen to happen. And so it is with Brexit. The health minister Matt Hancock has revealed that the NHS is stockpiling medicines and blood supplies in the case of disruption should there be no agreement over the terms under which the UK leaves the EU next year. The basic idea is entirely sensible. Sure, plan for disasters that might not happen. But blood? The government is making plans to stockpile vital blood products and medicines in case of a no-deal Brexit, the new health secretary has said. Matthew Hancock admitted he had already met with industry leaders to discuss building up NHS reserves of vaccinations and other medical supplies if Britain crashes out of the European Union without a deal. Well, no, not really. Despite half the press delighting in being able to report something so gory, even sanguinary: We are working right across government to ensure that the health sector and the industry are prepared and that peoples health will be safeguarded in the event of a no-deal Brexit, he told MPs on Tuesday. This includes the chain of medical supplies, vaccines, medical devices, clinical consumables, and blood products. And I have asked the department to work up options for stockpiling by industry. Theres good reason to be suspicious concerning blood and blood products though, even if that basic idea is sound. The thing is, the UK is pretty much self-sufficient in blood. That system of voluntary donations of blood works pretty well, we extract enough from Brits to pump into Brits. Where the donation system doesnt work is with blood products by far the most important of which is plasma. Voluntary donation systems just dont produce enough of this. Not enough people are willing to take the time to donate it for the demand. This then affects such things as Factor VIII for haemophiliacs and so on. And the thing is that no voluntary system anywhere extracts enough of these. Meaning that the UK and largely so European system which bans payments for body products means that weve not got enough. Everyone therefore relies, for plasma and the like, on the American system of paid donations. Which is why theres good reason to be suspicious of the claims of stockpiling blood which we produce domestically and blood products. For we get the blood products from outside the EU right now, something that wont be affected by Brexit. Sure, nice story, but not a great deal of truth behind it. Tim Worstall Posted: 30th, July 2018 | In: News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink By Greg Sargent Over the weekend, President Donald Trump escalated his rage-tweets about special counsel Robert Mueller, threatened a government shutdown to get his great wall on the southern border, and blasted the news media for selling out the country while basically shrugging at the idea that egging on his supporters' hatred of the press might be placing independent journalists in greater danger. It's a reminder that Trump's authoritarianism and bigotry will be front and center in this fall's midterm elections. An important new analysis of the House map by Nate Cohn of the New York Times may help explain Trump's escalations on all those fronts -- or if not, it certainly provides crucial context for understanding how those escalations might shape the battle for control of the lower chamber. Cohn's central finding is that the House map is turning out to be a lot broader than we expected. The districts that are in play aren't merely suburban ones in which Hillary Clinton did well in 2016; they also include many working-class and rural districts that voted for Trump. Cohn analyzed the 60 GOP-held House seats that are rated competitively (Lean Republican, Toss Up, and Lean/Likely Democratic) by the Cook Political Report. Here are the key conclusions about the aggregate electorate in those districts: The electorate in those 60 districts is 78 percent white, whereas the United States is 70 percent white overall. The electorate in those 60 districts is 65 percent suburban, whereas the United States overall is 55 percent suburban. The electorate in those 60 districts boasts about 31 percent college graduates, whereas the United States overall is 28 percent college graduates. Forty-nine percent of the electorate in those 60 districts voted for Trump in 2016, while 46 percent voted for Hillary Clinton. (Nationally, of course, Clinton actually won the popular vote by over two points.) In short, the House battleground is only a bit more suburban and educated than the United States overall, and crucially, it's whiter and more pro-Trump. The data is complicated by the need to use different voter pools to break out different demographic categories, but that's the overall picture. The bottom line: The fact that this electorate shows Democrats with so many pickup opportunities suggests, as Cohn says, both that Democrats have recruited strong candidates in tough areas and that the national political environment may be "more favorable to Democrats than the generic ballot polls imply." What's more, Cohn notes that in special elections, Democratic candidates have already been running further ahead of Clinton in Trump districts than in Clinton-friendly ones. There is No Collusion! The Robert Mueller Rigged Witch Hunt, headed now by 17 (increased from 13, including an Obama White House lawyer) Angry Democrats, was started by a fraudulent Dossier, paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC. Therefore, the Witch Hunt is an illegal Scam! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 In that context, Republican hopes of holding the House may turn on energizing core supporters and Trump voters. If the map were narrower, and largely focused on suburban pro-Clinton districts, Republicans might have a better shot running on the GOP tax cut and the good economy, which could win back more affluent, better-educated, GOP-leaning whites who might be willing to overlook Trump's ongoing lunacy on that basis. But Republican incumbents are campaigning much less than expected on the tax cut, and the broader map may help explain why: Working-class whites (and, of course, minorities) are not the tax cut's beneficiaries. Indeed, a new Politico analysis finds that some of the "biggest winners" from the tax cut are "corporate executives who have reaped gains as their companies buy back a record amount of stock, a practice that rewards shareholders by boosting the value of existing shares," even as it is producing "less clear long-term benefits for workers." Not exactly a potent message in fabled Trump country. Enter Trump's weekend rage-tweets. Trump went further than ever before in casting Mueller as corrupt (blasting unspecified "conflicts of interest") and his investigation as illegitimate (an "illegal Scam"). Trump claimed he is "willing" to shut down the government if Democrats don't support his wall. After New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger privately informed Trump that his anti-press rhetoric could lead to more violence against journalists, Trump only escalated his assaults on the media, claiming its "anti-Trump haters" are selling out the country. It is not clear whether Trump deliberately intends these escalations to juice the base in advance of the midterms. But some Republican candidates have already been embracing Trump's race-baiting immigration rhetoric and policies. And as the Mueller probe advances -- and the news media fills in new details about possible Trump obstruction and collusion -- Trump's public rage will intensify, and GOP candidates will likely amplify his attacks on the investigation and on the press, to keep pro-Trump voters sufficiently energized behind them, an imperative on this broadening House map. I would be willing to shut down government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 Trump's latest rage-tweets, then, signal that an election that Republicans hoped would be about how their awesome tax cuts are supercharging the Trump economy may end up being shaped to no small degree by Trump's bigoted and authoritarian appeals. RELATED: Does the Cohen tape show Trump wanted to conceal the payment? And many more questions A porn star, a Playboy model, a TV show contestant may put Trump in greater danger How many more hush-money payoffs are out there? Greg Sargent writes The Plum Line blog, a reported opinion blog with a liberal slant -- what you might call "opinionated reporting" from the left for The Washington Post. Find him on Twitter at @theplumlinegs Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Two bodies burned beyond recognition were found late Sunday night (July 29) in Algiers, New Orleans police said. The deaths are being investigated as homicides. Authorities said they were responding to a brush fire at 11:35 p.m. Sunday when they found two "charred" bodies in the woods near the intersection of Maumus Avenue and Bennett Street (map). Both bodies "show evidence of foul play," NOPD said early Monday morning. Police did not initially provide any details about the bodies, but said Wednesday one of the bodies was male and the other was female. No other information was immediately known. The Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal is working with NOPD in the investigation. Anyone with information about this double homicide is asked to call Homicide Detective Nicolas Williams at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111. --- Carlie Kollath Wells is a morning reporter at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Have an early-bird tip? Send it to her: cwells@nola.com or Twitter @carlie_kollath. A Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola corrections sergeant was arrested Sunday (July 29), accused of trying to smuggle drugs hidden in a Subway sandwich into the prison. Jeffery Day, 33, of Centreville, Miss., was booked with one count each of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute synthetic marijuana and malfeasance in office, the state Department of Corrections reported. Day was arrested at the front gate of the state prison during a routine shakedown Sunday afternoon. Corrections officers at Angola found 4.8 ounces of marijuana and 3.6 grams of synthetic marijuana tucked into a Subway sandwich in Day's vehicle, which was inside the prison, the corrections department reported in a news release. Corrections officers immediately notified the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office and Day was taken into custody. After his arrest, Day admitted his guilt to investigators and voluntarily resigned from the department. He had worked at Angola since November 28, 2016. Pastor Tyrone Smith left Sampson Park tired but joyous, buzzing from the success of the Stop the Violence rally he helped organize in the Desire area Saturday evening (July 28). Smith went back to his house, turned on the TV and immediately learned 10 people had been shot on South Claiborne Avenue, three suffering fatal wounds. "I didn't even have a chance to celebrate. It was devastating, my heart sunk," Smith said Sunday. "We worked so hard on this event. We're trying to do something about this issue that plagues our entire city, and to have such a vicious act of violence follow on the heels of it is heartbreaking." However, Smith said, he would not let the incident take away from the success of the rally. "It just shows that we need to do more. We can't stop now," Smith said. New Orleans police have said investigators believe Saturday's mass shooting was likely tied to gang violence, but have not yet named any suspects. NOPD Chief Michael Harrison said early Sunday that two people opened fire on a crowd of people in the 3400 block of South Claiborne. The pair, Harrison said, wore hooded sweatshirts and fled the scene on foot toward Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Also Saturday night, a woman was shot in the back underneath Interstate 10 where Metairie Road meets City Park Avenue. Police haven't said whether it was related to the mass shooting earlier in the evening. The anti-violence rally attracted hundreds of people who spent the evening enjoying free food, music and a free school supply giveaway. Saturday marked the fourth year the neighborhood gathered at Sampson Park for a back-to-school drive, Smith said. Smith and his congregation -- Next Generation of Original Morning Star Full Gospel Baptist Church -- partnered with six other local pastors to put on the event, which was the first in what's planned as a new monthly program aimed at strengthening community ties to reduce the rate of crime across New Orleans. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "This is about saving lives," attendee Gwen Williams said Saturday. "We need to show young people there are people out here rooting for them." Smith said events like these are important to engage with at-risk youth and intervene before they get trapped in a cycle all too common in New Orleans. "We have to interest them, give them things they like. We need to show them love and compassion and support," Smith said. "We hope they will join the church and find God, but we won't get through to them from within the walls of our church." Smith said the main mission of the monthly event is to promote community unity and show young people there are better opportunities in life. Smith said his focus is on young people who have not yet "pulled the trigger" by participating in the violence that often surrounds them. "We want to get people to be neighbors again, to act like true neighbors," Smith said. "We want to get our community to love each other again, not kill each other." Michael Willis, who helped organize the event, said Saturday he grew up in New Orleans and has witnessed crime and violence his whole life. "We need to stop asking for help, we need to stand up and do something about this ourselves or else it's never going to change," Willis said. "The police, the government -- they say they care and want to help, but they aren't living through it. They aren't growing up in it, watching their kids grow up in it. Nothing they've done has been successful, so it's our turn to try to make it right." The Louisiana State University School of Dentistry is getting in on the latest viral internet craze inspired by Canadian rap star Drake's chart-topping hit "In My Feelings." The American Student Dental Association chapter at the LSU School of Dentistry in New Orleans posted a YouTube video Monday (July 30) showing dental students joining in on the dance challenge. The video came with a dentistry-inspired twist -- students challenged every other ASDA-affiliated school to participate in the "In My Fillings" challenge, a play on words with the viral trend. The "In My Feelings" challenge started on Instagram when a comedian performed a dance he named the "shiggy" on June 29. The comedian's video has received more than 6.5 million views since. On Instagram, more than 388,000 posts have been tagged with the #inmyfeelingschallenge hashtag. LSU's School of Dentistry is the state's only dental school. The school falls under the umbrella of the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Watch the video above to see LSU's take on the viral dance challenge. . . . . . . . Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles. A polar bear was shot and killed after it attacked a guard leading a group of tourists off an Arctic cruise ship onto a remote island between mainland Norway and the North Pole on Saturday (July 28), the Associated Press reported. Another cruise employee shot the polar bear, according to the AP. A spokesperson for the German Hapag Lloyd Cruises company, which operates the tour, told AP the bear was killed in self-defense. According to the spokesperson, all cruise ships visiting the area are required to have polar bear guards onboard. The guard who was attacked was transported for non-life-threatening head injuries. Tourism in the area is increasing, AP reported, and 18 cruise ships will dock at same port next week. The polar bear's death has been met with angry responses on social media, with many questioning why the bear was killed in its natural habitat by those invading it. The burgeoning Florida-based Virgin Voyages offered new images in recent days that reveal some of what one of its upcoming cruise ships will offer in terms of amenities and style. The new cruise liner, The Scarlet Lady, will be the company's first and is due to hit the water in 2020, sailing from the Miami area with a 2,700 passenger capacity and space for 1,150 crew members. Virgin Voyages, which comes from music industry executive Richard Branson, partnered with London-based firms Design Research Studio and Softroom, and New York firms Work AC and Roman and Williams, a group the company cohesively calls the Creative Collective. "Ranging from gritty to glamorous, we've collaborated with a collection of brilliant interior designers and architects to create a variety of spaces that our sailors will love," Dee Cooper, Senior Vice President of Product Design for Virgin Voyages, said in a press release. "With careful thought, humor and attention to detail, the Creative Collective has designed a ship that's styled for those thirsty for a wonderfully modern holiday at sea. Planned amenities on The Scarlet Lady include an outdoor lounge for suite guests dubbed Richard's Rooftop, a Mexican restaurant called Pink Agave, another restaurant called The Test Kitchen, the outdoor lounge called The Dock and a nightclub inspired by Branson's music industry heritage, called The Manor, according to a press release. Business Insider reports The Scarlet Lady will only cater to guests 18 years of age and older. Egyptian bishop found dead was murdered Fractured skull, investigation underway (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, JULY 30 - Egypt's Bishop Epiphanius, Head of the Saint Macarius Monastery, was found dead on Sunday and was likely murdered. His body was found in the monastery he presided over in the Wadi Natroun area about 80 kilometers north of Cairo. There were multiple fractures on the back of his skull, which would seem to imply that he was murdered, according to a statement released by Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church that quoted Father Basilius, one of the priests living in the monastery. His funeral will be held on Tuesday at noon. Investigators and police were at the scene of the crime on Monday. Several Coptic monasteries are found on the highway from Cairo to Alexandria. The Copts account for about 10% of the population, about 10 million people, though official figures cite a slightly lower percentage. The last significant violent incident against the religious minority was on May 26, 2017, when a group of armed men opened fire on a convoy of Copts heading towards the Amba Samuel monastery on a southern desert road in Egypt. The attack killed 35 people including many children. (ANSAmed). Man jailed for filming himself driving nearly 200mph on a motorbike A 26-year-old man has been jailed after admitting driving dangerously. Adam Campion, of Nottingham Road, Hucknall, was sentenced to 21-months at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday (18 July 2018) after pleading guilty. He admitted five counts of dangerous driving offences, where he rode motorcycles on public roads, while pulling wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic. He also pleaded guilty to assisting an offender in the retention of stolen goods. On 22 September 2016 officers searching an abandoned car in Orchard Court, Hucknall, found a licence plate in the boot which was connected to a stolen motorbike. Further enquiries then linked Campion to the stolen motorbike and a warrant was executed at his address. A laptop containing hundreds of videos and images of the dangerous use of motorcycles was recovered. This extensive investigation involved the interrogation of hours worth of video footage along with the complexities of piecing together evidence to prove Campion was responsible. Officers also used forensic facial recognition which identified Campion, despite at times him wearing a crash helmet. One of the videos shows Campion driving one handed and holding his mobile phone in the other while videoing his speed which topped 189mph. Others included him driving through red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road, pulling wheelies and speeding in and out of traffic. Ashfield District Commander Inspector Glenn Longden said: The illegal and dangerous use of motorcycles is a massive issue to our communities and although this investigation was immensely complex and time consuming, the result in court has been satisfying. I hope this prison sentence will make those who think it is acceptable to put themselves and others in danger by driving dangerously think twice. They are not above the law and no matter how long it takes; we will bring them to justice. I would like to say thank you to the officers within the Neighbourhood Policing Team whose tenacity during this investigation was outstanding. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Crown Prosecution Service team, who worked alongside us, whose advice and guidance throughout was intrinsic to the success of this prosecution. Enquiries are on-going to identify other offenders seen in the videos. Anyone with any information should call us on 101. Jul 30, 2018 NR Megastar Chiranjeevi's Sye Raa Team which has recently wrapped up a crucial 35 days of night schedule in Hyderabad is heading to Europe for the shooting of some heavy duty fight sequences. We are told that DOP and director Surender Reddy is flying to Europe this week for location hunt. A training program will be held in Hyderabad close to two weeks to train the star cast for action sequences Chiranjeevi. Click the Movie button below for more info: Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy An 11-year-old girls marriage to a 41-year-old man the father of her best friend, above has reignited debate in Malaysia about the persistence of an age-old Islamic practice. [The New York Times] The death toll from a wildfire that raged in a coastal town outside of Athens was raised to 91. An additional 25 people are still missing nearly a week after Greeces greatest tragedy in a decade. [Associated Press] A Palestinian teenager jailed for slapping an Israeli soldier was released. She received a heros welcome in her village. [The New York Times] A polar bear was shot and killed after it attacked and injured a guard from a cruise ship on a Norwegian island. Its killing drew fierce condemnation on social media. [The New York Times] The New York Timess publisher, A. G. Sulzberger, disputed President Trumps account of a meeting between the two and said he told Mr. Trump that his attacks on journalism were dangerous. [The New York Times] Geraint Thomas, a Welshman with Team Sky, claimed his first Tour de France victory on Sunday. He was met with Champagne and thousands of fans along the Champs Elysees. [Associated Press] The board of CBS Corporation spent most of the weekend discussing what immediate actions it should take involving Les Moonves, the companys chief executive, after a published report that included allegations of sexual misconduct from six women. At least two of the boards 14 members have questioned whether Mr. Moonves should continue to run the company during an internal investigation, according to two people familiar with the conversations who asked not to be named because the matter was confidential. The board has also discussed how they should proceed with the investigation. The board hopes to hammer out some of the details, including the scope of the inquiry, during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, the people said. CBS declined to comment on board discussions on Sunday. The investigation was prompted by a report in The New Yorker on Friday that included detailed descriptions of allegations from six women who said that Mr. Moonves had asked them for sexual favors and retaliated when they declined. Four women spoke on the record, including the Emmy award-winning actress Illeana Douglas, who described a 1997 meeting with Mr. Moonves during which, she said, he was violently kissing her while holding her down. JERSEY CITY Every city in America knows that its a bad idea to prosecute low-level, nonviolent marijuana offenses. It wastes scarce municipal resources and does nothing to enhance public safety. Whats more, even though whites and blacks use marijuana at similar rates, blacks are more harshly punished for it. Thats why, on July 19, marijuana offenses were effectively decriminalized in Jersey City, New Jerseys second most populous city. Prosecutors treated every marijuana case that day as a violation instead of a misdemeanor, unless driving under the influence was involved. We told our prosecutors to ask for no more than a $50 fine, or just five hours of community service if the defendant couldnt pay that fee. Instances like the absence of any public nuisance or a low likelihood of re-offense would warrant outright dismissal. We also stressed the importance of diverting people with an obvious drug addiction toward social services. The goal of the policy was to avoid the collateral consequences of a conviction. Our assistant prosecutors approved. It meant less time subpoenaing police officers for marijuana prosecutions that had zero impact on public safety, and more time preparing for more consequential prosecutions of assault, theft and domestic violence. GUA MUSANG, Malaysia Norazila and Ayu were best friends and they shared everything that girls do: sleepovers, selfies, musings about cute boys. But their friendship, which had blossomed in their placid hamlet in northern Malaysia, was destroyed late last month when Norazila, 14, discovered that Ayu, 11, had secretly become her fathers third wife. My best friend is my stepmother now, said Norazila, whose family name is Che Abdul Karim, as she scrolled through her Facebook page filled with posts of the girls posing with adolescent pouts and fingers forming peace signs. It doesnt make any sense. Ayus marriage to Che Abdul Karim Che Abdul Hamid, a 41-year-old rubber trader with a prominent role at his mosque and a fleet of fancy cars, has reignited debate in Malaysia about the persistence of conservative Islamic traditions in this modern, multiethnic democracy. Conte eyes support for Med control room at Trump meeting Rome counting on Washington backing for conference on Libya (ANSAmed) - WASHINGTON, JULY 30 - Premier Giuseppe Conte is seeking to win support for an Italian-American 'control room' in the Mediterranean to boost security, fight terrorism and illegal immigration during a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump later on Monday, government sources said. Rome is also counting on the American government's support for a conference on Libya that is set to take place in Italy and is seen as a crucial step in preparing the political, legal and security conditions for the upcoming elections in the North African country. (ANSAmed). Did your Hogwarts letter get lost in the mail? If so, this fall, the New-York Historical Society will offer muggles a chance to immerse themselves in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. The museum, which is presenting the exhibition Harry Potter: A History of Magic, is offering a series of workshops, book clubs, meetups, talks, classes and other events to accompany the exhibition. These events are part of a yearlong celebration of the 20th anniversary of the publication in the United States of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. Jim Dale, whose memorable voice can be heard on all seven Harry Potter audiobooks, will give a talk on Jan. 9 about his experience developing voices for the more than 200 characters in the books. And the artists Mary GrandPre and Brian Selznick will discuss their approaches to illustrating the books. Other talks will examine the series effect on popular culture, the process for translating the books from British English into American English and the history of childrens literature. An event called Growing Up With Harry Potter, on Jan. 7, will give fans who grew up with the books a chance to talk about their personal experience and relationship with the world of Harry Potter, while Halloween activities will take place on Oct. 30, with magical crafting. Christopher Reuning, the owner of Reuning & Son Violins, an appraiser and dealer of violins in Boston, said it was not uncommon for stolen violins to be sold to a pawnshop at a very low price. Stolen violins are impossible to sell, he said. People usually think they are a guitar. Gagliano was from a family of artists trained in the Neapolitan School style of violin making. In the 1700 and 1800s, Naples was a cultural center of southern Italy where opera and musical theater thrived. He was the son of Nicolo Gagliano, who owned a workshop where he trained his sons and other violin makers. Nicolos father, Alessandro, was a master violin maker too. It was a big family and they were prolific well into the 19th century, said Adam Tober, director of the fine musical instruments department at Skinner, an auction house in Boston. Sometimes, Gagliano artisans made instruments that were sold under the name of another person in the family, he said. As the Gaglianos became more famous, competing violin makers copied their style. Mr. Tober has not viewed the violin and could not attest to the appraisal or the authenticity. (Mr. Reuning said it was possible that his company had appraised it, but he was not certain.) A violin made by Gagliano was sold at auction in 2011 in the United States for $222,000, Mr. Tober said. Five years later, another violin was sold in Britain for 180,000 pounds, or about $234,000, based on the exchange rate in July 2016. Mr. Reuning said the artists work could fetch even more. He was the best of the familys third generation, he said. Orange Is the New Black When to watch: Now, on Netflix Orange is back for a sixth season, and after the three-day riot of Season 5, most of our characters have been moved from the lower security prison down the hill to a higher security facility. A few of the Litchfield favorites have been shipped off to Ohio instead (come back to us, Boo!), but there are some intriguing new characters and some bafflingly tedious ones to keep things complicated. Luckily, Season 6 has a lot more story and humor and energy than the over-the-top torture porn of last season. Unluckily, you will still be best served by rewatching the Season 5 finale, because its specifics matter tremendously to this season. (Or, just read our guide to where we left everyone.) Crippling floods in Southeast Asia. This years monsoon season has inundated many areas, endangering lives and forcing evacuations. In some cases, poor dam construction, deforestation and a lack of emergency preparations have worsened the effects. Some government officials blamed climate change. In Myanmar, heavy flooding in eight states has killed at least 10 people since Friday and prompted the evacuation of more than 50,000. Above, the Bago region on Sunday. Meanwhile, a record heat wave has wreaked havoc on four continents. Our correspondents around the world spoke with people in Hong Kong, Pakistan and beyond to find out how theyre coping. Its known for its Slurpees and Big Gulps, but over the years, 7-Eleven has also put its logo on frozen pizza, foam cups, laundry detergent and hundreds of other products. Customers dont always choose these so-called private-label items, even though they are usually cheaper than competing products from companies like Nestle and Gatorade. Franchisees who run nearly all of the 9,100 7-Eleven stores in the United States must stock the items anyway. At their annual convention in Kissimmee, Fla., last week, the franchisees cited the private-label items as just one way the company had made it hard for them to make money. They also criticized 7-Eleven for forcing a new contract on them that they said aggravated broader tensions over the suppliers they must use and how much they have to pay for the goods they sell in their stores. Its no longer, You make a dollar, we make a dollar, said Michael Jorgensen, the owner of three 7-Eleven stores in the area of St. Petersburg, Fla., and executive vice chairman of the National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees. The alignment of interests for 7-Eleven has changed. Get the DealBook newsletter to make sense of major business and policy headlines and the power-brokers who shape them. __________ Fixing the privacy and misinformation failures plaguing big tech companies is no easy task but on both sides of the Atlantic, lawmakers are attempting to jump-start policy conversations in a bid to tackle the issues. The office of Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has written a paper outlining potential policies to regulate social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The suggestions made by Mr. Warners office aim to address how privacy, competition and public discourse are being affected by the misuse of those companies services. The existence of the paper was first reported by Axios and confirmed by The New York Times. In Britain, the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee also has published a report that provided the government with recommendations about how to achieve similar results. Unfortunately, the agreement was narrowly drawn, and covered possible violations arising only from its investigation involving the Libyan Investment Authority. The charges the S.E.C. filed later were far broader and had little to do with that investigation. The S.E.C. could respond to the Kokesh case by requesting broader tolling agreements when it starts to bump up against the five-year limit. Defendants often agree to these agreements in the hope that the S.E.C. will decide to pass on pursuing a case, or at least to appear cooperative. But lawyers for those under investigation are likely to balk at an across-the-board waiver if it puts their clients at greater risk. The Supreme Courts decision also spawned a class-action lawsuit in Boston seeking reimbursement from the S.E.C. of over $14 billion paid by defendants in disgorgement for conduct that was more than five years old. A hearing was held Tuesday on the agencys motion to dismiss the case, and the judge has not yet ruled on it. If the S.E.C. is unsuccessful, it may face claims in numerous cases to repay amounts that it received for misconduct beyond the limitations period. A better approach for the S.E.C. may be to ask Congress to lengthen the statute of limitations for disgorgement. It is common for misconduct involving accounting issues and fraudulent trading, such as a Ponzi scheme, to come to light years after the misdeeds took place. Five years may not be enough time to get back money from those violations. In other words, the thief may get to keep what was stolen. There is precedent for congressional action. In 1989, at the height of the savings-and-loan crisis, Congress adopted the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act, which extended the statute of limitations for bank-related crimes to 10 years from five because of the complexity of the investigations. The extension applied to civil bank fraud claims, which allowed the Justice Department to obtain multibillion-dollar settlements with large banks like JPMorgan and Bank of America over mortgage practices in the years before the financial crisis in 2008. Whether Congress is amenable to giving the S.E.C. more time to pursue cases is an open question, and Wall Street is sure to oppose such a move. To get Congress to change the law, the S.E.C. may need a situation that starkly shows the problem posed by the five-year limitation. Nothing motivates Capitol Hill like a gripping story of someone getting off on what looks like a technicality. Absent that, enforcement of the securities law will require a quicker response from the S.E.C. to wrongdoing, a significant challenge when violations are hard to identify and may not surface quickly. Leslie Moonves, the embattled chief executive of CBS Corporation, survived the meeting. On Monday, three days after the publication of an article detailing allegations of sexual harassment against Mr. Moonves, the company went through with a regularly scheduled meeting of its board of directors in advance of a Thursday earnings call. Afterward, CBS said in a statement that its board was in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation. The company had announced the planned investigation on Friday, hours after The New Yorker published a report that included six women who said Mr. Moonves had asked them for sexual favors and retaliated when they declined. The CBS statement on Monday added, No other action was taken on this matter at todays board meeting. And so ended the speculation that Mr. Moonves would face immediate consequences for his alleged behavior. Florida has an algae problem, and its big. This year, an overgrowth in the waters off the states southwestern coast is killing wildlife and making some beaches noxious. The toxic algal bloom, known as a red tide, is not unusual. Red tides appear off the states coast almost every year. But this one, still going strong after roughly nine months, is the longest since 2006, when blooms that originated in 2004 finally abated after 17 months. The blooms can poison marine animals like sea turtles and manatees, while waves and ocean spray can carry toxins into the air and cause respiratory problems in people. They can also hit the local tourism industry hard. Were all being really devastated, said Rachel Wells, 24, who manages an ecotourism business in Englewood, Fla., that runs catamaran tours in the Gulf of Mexico. Business is just being hurt because we cant conscientiously suggest for our guests to come out. SANTIAGO DE CUBA The best rum bar in Cuba may be the one in the basement of a sparse museum in the center of this colonial port city, an 11-hour drive from Havana on the islands southeastern coast. The bar, El Traguito, occupies just a few hundred square feet that open onto a quiet side street below the Museo del Ron, the rum museum upstairs. It bears little resemblance to the expansive rum palaces of Havana like El Floridita, with its assembly-line drinks, its throngs of tourists and its statue of Ernest Hemingway, who made it world-famous, leaning over the bar. What El Traguito does have is Eduardo Corona, its cantinero, or head bartender. Bald, compact, animated and wearing sunglasses even in the bars dark, cool interior, Mr. Corona is a master craftsman, whose rapid-fire patter counterpoints the slow precision with which he makes his drinks. He is also a fierce advocate for Santiago de Cubas underappreciated legacy as the birthplace of not just Cuban rum, but its most popular vehicle, the daiquiri. The Photographic Society of Chattanooga will have its Grand Re-opening Show on Aug. 3. The theme will be Chattanooga History. There will be a reception that night from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided and the public is welcome. PSC members currently have their works displayed at the Gallery at Blackwell. Prints are on display for viewing and purchasing. The Gallery is located at Blackwell Automotive, 71 Eastgate Loop in Chattanooga. The hours of operations for the Gallery are Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The show will end on Oct. 25. On Thursday, Aug. 16, the Photographic Society of Chattanooga will present Kathryn Kolb. Ms. Kolb is an awarding winning fine art photographer who began work in 1985 as a freelance photographer in journalism and editorial content. In the mid-1990s, she shifted her focus to fine art images of natural forms and landscapes. She has been widely published in many different magazines, including Smithsonian, Rolling Stone and Nature Conservancy. Her work is displayed in numerous private and institutional collections throughout the world. Ms. Kolb is currently the director of the non-profit EcoAddendum.org, and frequently leads naturalists walks throughout the Southeast. Her program will be Minimalistic and Artistic Photography. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome. For beginners or photographers that want to get their camera off of Automatic, join the Boot Camp at 6 p.m. The presentation will be held at the St. John United Methodist Church, 3921 Murray Hills Dr. in Chattanooga. For more information, call 423-344-5643 or e-mail Ed Laughlin at president@chattanoogaphoto.org. CAIRO - Egypt's Bishop Epiphanius, Head of the Saint Macarius Monastery, was found dead on Sunday and was likely murdered. His body was found in the monastery he presided over in the Wadi Natroun area about 80 kilometers north of Cairo. There were multiple fractures on the back of his skull, which would seem to imply that he was murdered, according to a statement released by Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church that quoted Father Basilius, one of the priests living in the monastery. His funeral will be held on Tuesday at noon. Investigators and police were at the scene of the crime on Monday. Several Coptic monasteries are found on the highway from Cairo to Alexandria. The Copts account for about 10% of the population, about 10 million people, though official figures cite a slightly lower percentage. The last significant violent incident against the religious minority was on May 26, 2017, when a group of armed men opened fire on a convoy of Copts heading towards the Amba Samuel monastery on a southern desert road in Egypt. The attack killed 35 people including many children. Mr. Bessons lawyer, Thierry Marembert, declined to comment on the accusations, which began becoming public in May. But he said that Mr. Besson, who has not been charged, had been extremely surprised when he learned about them. Luc Besson will keep his explanations for the police, and he is confident that he will be able to prove his innocence, Mr. Marembert said. Mr. Besson, 59, is the first prominent film figure in France to face accusations in the #MeToo era, and in a country where cinema is central to the nations identity, he is considered as important a figure as Harvey Weinstein once was in American film. But that is where the comparisons end. Allegations about Mr. Weinsteins abusive conduct sparked an entire movement that has brought down many men and began changing the way women are treated in Hollywood. But in France, few celebrities have spoken up in support of Ms. Van Roy, and the initial reports about Mr. Besson have not led to a similar housecleaning in the entertainment industry. Though the French star Isabelle Adjani has denounced a film culture that masks sexual predation with gallantry, suggestive behavior and crudeness, several forces have kept #MeToo and its French counterpart, #BalanceTonPorc, or Expose Your Pig, from having the same impact in France that it has had in the United States. Cynthia Nixons insurgent bid to unseat Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo got a lift on Monday: The national arm of Indivisible, the liberal grassroots network that sprang up following the election of President Trump, endorsed her. The endorsement occurred a day after Ms. Nixon announced she was backing Jumaane Williams, a New York City councilman from Brooklyn, for lieutenant governor, and he endorsed her, making the allies an official ticket. Ms. Nixon and Mr. Williams are the underdogs in the contest and the backing of Indivisible, with 400 registered chapters in New York scattered all across the state, according to the group, provides them a potential network of supporters for her shoestring candidacy to tap into during the races final six-plus weeks. The endorsement comes after Mr. Cuomo personally wooed at least some Indivisible leaders in recent weeks, including a lengthy meeting at Docks, the governors favored seafood haunt beneath his office in Midtown Manhattan. Good morning on this clear Monday. The first time I dialed 911 in New York was on a subway platform at 42nd Street last week. A woman was bleeding on her head and neck; she had fallen on the stairs between the platform and turnstiles. Some passengers hurried past her. Others stopped to look and moved on. Several took out their phones not to call for help, but instead to record the scene. Maybe youve witnessed a similar episode in the city:curious onlookers who hesitate to act, or opt not to do anything at all. The effort has come at a moment of instability, but also invention, for the news media. National news organizations like The New York Times and The Washington Post have attracted a surge of new readers since President Trumps election, even as he has persisted in his attacks on journalists. (The momentum has trickled downward: The Village Green gained 100 new subscribers after the presidential election, a not insignificant sum, Ms. Mann said.) Yet evidence of the dismal landscape for many local news organizations abounds. Journalists at The Denver Post rebelled in the newspapers pages against its hedge-fund owner over continuous cuts and the mass layoffs at The Daily News alarmed elected officials and longtime readers, highlighting how a once-mighty voice in New York, still drawing attention with its splashy front-page headlines critical of the Trump administration, was reeling. Journalists have had to get creative to countervail the forces that have undermined the industry, like the erosion of print advertising and pressure from corporate overseers to prioritize profits ahead of maintaining coverage. Wealthy patrons have stepped in and nonprofits and public radio stations have sought to fill holes. Given the dire situation, government funding has become an increasingly reasonable solution, said Ms. McBride, a senior vice president at Poynter, a nonprofit focused on journalism education and democracy. There is deep, deep need across much of the country for local public-service journalism, Ms. McBride said. Information is hard to come by. I have a theory that if you dont see media writing about your life that you can trust, its very hard to trust any media. Still, government involvement in journalism raises concerns about public officials potentially working to sway news coverage or interfere with damaging reporting. Even though the legislation includes what proponents argue are safeguards against such intrusion, experts said maintaining a healthy distance will be a critical element in judging the consortiums success. Critics contend that it is not the governments role to fund journalism and questioned whether the consortium was an effective use of public money. It just didnt seem like an appropriate expenditure of $5 million without more detail and more explanation, said Jon M. Bramnick, the Republican leader in the Assembly. The investors were surprised when the restaurant and nightclub became so successful that it paid them generous dividends. She really believed in it, and shes really a force of nature, said one of them, Leah Caplan, a chef from Seattle who consulted with Mr. Kriger on her eclectic menu. There were so many things that happened in creating Ricks that any normal mortal would have given up. Ms. Kriger said running Ricks was assisted living, of the best kind, and when asked if she planned to retire, she liked to quote Humphrey Bogarts character, Rick Blaine, who said to Ingrid Bergmans Ilsa Lund: Im going to die in Casablanca. Its a good spot for it. Kathleen Anne Kriger was born in Portland, Ore., in June 1946. After founding a travel agency in 1974, she joined the State Department, which posted her as a commercial attache to Casablanca, an Atlantic coastal port that is Moroccos business center and biggest city. Her marriage to Robert Ewing, from 1982 to 1988, ended in divorce. She is survived by a son, Kyle Ewing, and two grandchildren. She was buried in Casablanca after a small funeral. In an interview with The New York Times only weeks ago, Ms. Kriger said that Ricks had been good for her. Friends had commented on how much younger she looked than she had years earlier, she said. Among the many titles in the white supremacist canon, The Turner Diaries is the most important and one of the few titles recognized by mainstream Americans. Written by William Pierce, then-head of the neo-Nazi group the National Alliance, and published in 1978 under the pseudonym Andrew Macdonald, it is a fictitious diary written by its hero, Earl Turner. A young white man, Turner joins a terrorist group called the Order, which commits a series of attacks designed to incite a wider race war. One thing leads to another and a nuclear-armed battle is waged between Turners forces and the government, which in Mr. Pierces telling is run by Jews and blacks. The plot climaxes with the establishment of a white ethno-state, and Turner is martyred. The novel ends with a memorial: He gained immortality for himself on that dark November day, it reads, and in so doing he helped greatly to assure that his race would survive and prosper, that the Organization would achieve its worldwide political and military goals, and that the Order would spread its wise and benevolent rule over the earth for all time to come. The Turner Diaries was an innovation of sorts, a hybrid of fantasy and how-to, and it has inspired hundreds of terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe, including the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people and injured 684 others. The attack was a copycat of the one Mr. Pierce outlined in the book, right down to the time of day and type of explosives used. Pages of the book were found in a plastic bag in the car of the plots leader, Timothy McVeigh. The mainstream attention caused a kind of miniboom in the genre that lasted into the early 2000s, as other would-be authors, Mr. Kendall and Ms. Williams among them, tried their hand at writing fiction. Sitting beside The Turner Diaries at the top of the white supremacist best-seller list is Jean Raspails 1973 novel, The Camp of the Saints. It is a brooding parable that warns of the dangers of immigration and is something of a standout for being relatively well written, even in translation from the original French. Mr. Raspails caustic, often-humorous, ellipses-littered prose is reminiscent of that of his fellow countryman Louis-Ferdinand Celine, whose own history as a Nazi sympathizer cast a shadow over his otherwise brilliant work. The books central problem begins in Belgium, where priests are encouraging the adoption of Indian children as a form of charity. In an early scene, a roiling sea of desperate Indian mothers wretched creatures storms the gates of the Belgian embassy in Kolkata, each with a child in her outstretched arms. The country is soon swamped with these adoptions, and authorities announce an end to the policy. But its too late; the mob gains strength as the Indians are joined by Arabs and other nonwhites. They eventually grow to one million strong, board a flotilla and set sail for France. The countrys liberal government hesitates to defend against the onslaught, and as it stammers and acquiesces, the immigrants begin to enter the country. Frances whites retreat northward, but are eventually absorbed by the demographic shift, and the trend spreads throughout Europe, as indigenous populations and other hoards are inspired to rise up. They eventually take over the world, erasing the white race from existence. White supremacists seem convinced that the novels white genocide is coming to life, and are petitioning Mr. Trump for help. This past spring, Andrew Anglin, the deeply sinister and darkly clever force behind Daily Stormer, the most Millennial-y neo-Nazi site on the web, started to spread the news of a migrant caravan that was moving through Central America, toward the United States-Mexico border. It was a protest march, organized by the Central American pro-immigration activist group Pueblo Sin Fronteras. The march has taken place every year since 2010 without ever getting much traction in the press. But Mr. Anglin saw an opportunity in the implication of a literal enactment of The Camp of the Saints. He rallied his troll army to petition Mr. Trump to use the word caravans publicly, and on April 1, he did. In fact, he and Vice President Mike Pence used the word multiple times, then issued an order to send the National Guard to the border. The story dominated the news cycle for days, and Mr. Anglin took a well-deserved victory lap, bragging that the media was not talking about this, only the alt-right was, and Trump is posting about it so he does hear us. Its a little complicated, I tried to explain. And it really was complicated to explain the law that Israels Parliament passed earlier this month without using terms like racial segregation, discrimination and supremacy. How was I going to explain to a 12-year-old that he is a citizen of a state that holds that he is inferior because of his non-Jewish origins? Not everyone in the country is Jewish, I said. At least 20 percent of the citizens are not. But its a country where Jews enjoy rights that others dont have. Meaning, non-Jews are less equal than Jews. Cant we be Jewish then? my youngest son asked, as if hed instantly solved the inequality problem. Sorry, I told him, thats not up to me. According to Israeli law, in order to be Jewish you have to have a Jewish mother. So its not my fault; its your moms. Great, my wife protested, now youre shouldering me with your childrens inequality? When Israel was founded on the ruins of the Palestinian people in 1948, it was defined as a Jewish state. The Israeli flag was always a Jewish one, bearing a Star of David; the national anthem invokes the Jewish soul, excluding anyone who is not Jewish from these national symbols. The Palestinians who became Israeli citizens when the state was founded like my family have always been viewed as an undesirable demographic burden and subjected to discrimination. So what does the issuance of the Nationality Law change? In essence, perhaps not that much. It has turned de facto racism into de jure racism. The law asks progressive Israelis both Jewish and Palestinian to suspend our fantasies of equal rights and a future in which all the countrys citizens, regardless of religion, race or gender, have a sense of belonging. It seeks to legislate what Israel has been effectively telling non-Jewish minorities all along: You will never be a part of this country, you will never be equal, you are doomed to be unwanted citizens forever, to be inferior to the Jews to whom the state belongs and for whom it was founded. A state in which Judaism is the only national expression permissible by law will, by definition, reject any minority member who wishes to be part of it, even if he is, like me, fluent in its culture or, as I do, writes literature in its language, respects its laws, serves its society. To the Editor: Re President Plays Shutdown Card, Flustering G.O.P. (front page, July 30): Now President Trump has threatened to shut down the government if the Democrats do not give him the votes for border security, including the wall. The border wall was one of Mr. Trumps primary campaign promises. Of course, he also promised, time and time again, that Mexico would pay for the wall. I would think that if Mexico puts up the required $25 billion to fund the wall, Congress would have no problem voting for it. I would hope that in the event Mexico does not pay for the wall and Mexico has, not surprisingly, said it would not Congress will not appropriate the money for the wall. My guess is that Mr. Trump is not really prepared for the consequences if he shuts down the government . But if he does it, voters are going to blame him and not the Democrats. And the consequences for Mr. Trump and the Republicans will not be pretty. By the way, I am a Republican. Gerald S. Tanenbaum Pound Ridge, N.Y. To the Editor: When toddlers in a supermarket scream for junk food, they may rage till theyre blue in the face, but its short-lived and they quickly find something else to do. Likewise the child in the White House: He may throw a temper tantrum and frighten some less experienced minders, but theres plenty to distract him on the gravy train and hell be demanding something else before we can spell shutdown. The rest of us know that without them, Buena Vista County could fade away, losing population as 71 of Iowas 99 counties have over the last decade. Here, young immigrant families seed a positive birth-to-death ratio. Storm Lake is the rare blue oasis in Representative Steve Kings Fourth Congressional District that is growing organically with brown babies. The crime rate here has been falling over the decade. Mr. King is the congressman who was for building a wall before Donald Trump knew we needed one. For every one whos a valedictorian, theres another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds and theyve got calves the size of cantaloupes because theyre hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert, Mr. King said in 2013. He says that we should take care not to dilute our culture with immigrants, even though their culture was here before Columbus brought his. People around here voted for Mr. Trump and Mr. King, but not necessarily for the reasons you might think. They like Mr. King because they think he is a straight-talker willing to be blunt, just like President Trump. But they dont like making soybean prices nose-dive for no understandable reason. And they dont want to run the Julio Barrosos off to Guadalajara when we need young workers in Iowa. A local banker, George Schaller, whose grandfather, also a George, lured meatpacking here in the 1920s, gave Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowan and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, a talking-to a few weeks ago. The short of it is that Storm Lake needs a solution to immigration, and weve needed one for decades, he told the senator. We need help in Iowa, especially in Storm Lake. Tyson needs good maintenance technicians, and will pay them more than $20 per hour. But young white workers arent bidding for those jobs. Theyve moved off for engineering degrees and other greener pastures. The jobs are there. Where are the skilled workers to fill those jobs? the commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, asked at the Peosta round table. Where? They are in the shadows in America. Or they are in Mexico. George Schaller and Kevin Cone dont want to scare off the Latina attending Buena Vista University who dreams of teaching. Iowans are ashamed when refugee children are caged like criminals. We all want order at the border. And we wish that Julio could come home to Storm Lake someday. We need him and miss him. Art Cullen, the editor and co-owner of The Storm Lake Times in Iowa, won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 2017 and is the author of the forthcoming Storm Lake: A Chronicle of Change, Resilience, and Hope From a Heartland Newspaper. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter. Between 1982 and 2010, the already shallow lake declined by about 13 feet, losing a quarter of its total volume because of declining rainfall and increasing runoff carried into the lake. Various efforts to rehabilitate Patzcuaro have met only limited success. Achoques arent the only Mexican salamanders in trouble. Of the 17 species in their genus found in Mexico, 12 are listed as endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Worldwide, salamanders face numerous threats, from habitat loss to the illegal pet trade. A new fungus has been killing salamanders in Europe. At Lake Patzcuaro, fishermen have been catching and eating achoques since before the Spanish arrived in Mexico. In the late 1970s and early 80s, achoques caught in the lake were piled high at the fish market in town, recalled Brad Shaffer, a professor of biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has studied the salamanders. But the numbers of achoques started to fluctuate wildly in the 80s and crashed in 1989. In 1985, a friar suggested that the nuns start their own colony because the lake was deteriorating, according to Sister Ofelia. It wasnt until 2000 that the nuns had their own thriving community of salamanders in the convent. The nuns have been cooking up jarabe, however, for nearly a century. People have faith in it because the nuns make it, said Dolores Huacuz , an expert on the regions amphibians and a retired university professor. It is not crazy in astrobiology circles these days to hold the opinion that the life that now envelops Earth started on Mars and then some pilgrim microbe was brought here on an errant asteroid. We know now that the sky is an endless conveyor belt with cosmic riffraff shuffling debris from planet to planet, even star to star, as personified by Oumuamua, the wandering comet from outside our solar system that cruised blithely through the planets last winter. In the fullness of time, everything gets everywhere. [Sign up to get reminders for space and astronomy events on your calendar.] We could all be Martians, then, which could help explain the seemingly endless lure of the Red Planet. The dream of the exile to return to what might once have been Eden. Elon Musk has said he wants to die there, but hes not r ead y to go there quite yet. I grew up terrified as well as curious about the place, after I saw the previews of Invaders From Mars. The film showed a boy my age seeing a flying saucer go under a hillside, after which the townspeople, including his parents, were kidnapped and turned into robots. My parents never let me see the whole movie. It paid homage to a part of a mythology that dated to the beginning of the century, of Mars being the dying home of a dying civilization of super smart beings little green men hunkered by canals bringing water from the poles. Those visions sprang from a misunderstanding of the work of the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, who in 1877 thought he saw long, thin lines he called canali, (channels in Italian) lacing the surface of Mars. Percival Lowell, a socialite and astronomer took the notion seriously and proceeded to map what he thought were cities and canals on the planet. TH: It is paralyzing. Without getting too into the weeds, what are some of the underlying causes that contribute to our feeling F.O.B.O.? PM: I see F.O.B.O. as an affliction of affluence. In order to have F.O.B.O. you must, by definition, have options. It is a byproduct of a hyper-busy, hyper-connected world in which everything seems possible, and, as a result, you are spoiled for choice. Its also driven by narcissism. People with F.O.B.O. put themselves and their needs and wants squarely around the people around them all of the people who are adversely affected by their F.O.B.O. TH: You also coined another four-letter acronym I love: F.O.D.A. Can you talk about that? PM: Well, a note of warning to any Brazilian readers: F.O.D.A. is a swear word in Portuguese, but my meaning is G-rated. When you have F.O.B.O. (and particularly when you combine it with F.O.M.O.), your paralysis turns into a Fear of Doing Anything. You are a deer in the headlights. TH: How can people beat their F.O.B.O. and F.O.D.A.? PM: Its all about being decisive. I have two helpful tips I use almost every day: 1. For everyday things, I do what I call Ask the Watch. I whittle something down to two options and then assign each item to a side of my watch. Then I look down and see where the second hand is at that moment. Decision made. It sounds silly, but if you try it asking the universe you will thank me. 2. For the big things, I try to think like a venture capitalist. I write everything down on the topic pros, cons, etc. and I read it out loud. That process is basically like writing an investment memo for a V.C. investment, but in this case the investment is of your time, money, energy, etc. TH: I love those! And I love that you, the person who named these concepts, struggle with them, too. Whats the most recent thing you had F.O.B.O. over, and what did you do? PM: I just had the pleasure of spending time in Ethiopia, for work. On the way back home, I stopped in Istanbul, one of my favorite cities in the world. To pick my hotel, I used three apps, four websites and probably invested six days. I knew I had F.O.B.O., I name-and-shamed myself, but I just couldnt break out of it. Tours and tastings at olive oil estates and wineries are a popular part of any trip to Italy, but why visit for only an hour or two when you can spend the night? Several of these estates throughout the country hope to attract overnight guests with new accommodations and a lineup of activities. Hanging your hat in a winery or with a local olive oil producer is an opportunity to enjoy a countryside getaway and connect with the local culture, said Luanne Savino OLoughlin, manager of the Olio2Go, an online shop that specializes in Italian olive oils. She has stayed at more than a half-dozen of these properties over the last few years. These estates have a small number of rooms and an intimate feel, and you interact in an informal way with the people who live in that destination, including producers, farmers and cooks, she said. Here are six producers across Italy with rooms that may be new, but olive oil and wine that has been around from decades to centuries. Vittorio Cassini, Liguria Situated close to the border of France, about a 20-minute drive from the Mediterranean Sea, this olive oil estate and farm is run by the Cassini family and has three houses available to rent. The homes each have two to four bedrooms, full kitchens and views of the olive groves; the property also has a large fruit and vegetable garden and a pool. Paul Manafort was once President Trumps campaign manager. By the fall of 2018, he was expected to face at least a decade in prison for 10 felony counts. Those counts included financial fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Mr. Manafort is disappointed of not getting acquittals all the way through. He is evaluating all of his options at this point. In the hopes of getting a more lenient punishment, Manafort agreed to fully cooperate with the special counsel, Robert Mueller. Now, federal prosecutors are saying he violated his plea deal by repeatedly lying during their investigation. Manaforts lawyer also allegedly passed information to President Trumps legal team. But this isnt Manaforts first scandal. Controversy has trailed the veteran Republican adviser since his earliest work as an international lobbyist and consultant. In the 1980s, Manafort testified before Congress and admitted to using his political influence to win millions of dollars in contracts from federal low-income housing programs. The technical term for what we do and what law firms, associations and professional groups do is lobbying. For purposes of today, I will admit that in a narrow sense some people might term it influence peddling. That same decade, Manafort advised the Philippine dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, on improving his image in the U.S. Manafort allegedly received $10 million in cash from a Marcos confidante. It was apparently money intended for Ronald Reagans presidential campaign. But the campaign said it never received that money. Foreign contributions to U.S. presidential elections are illegal. Also in the 1980s, Manafort was linked to the prime minister of the Bahamas at a time when the island nation had alleged ties to drug traffickers. Manaforts company said that the goal of its work was to help the Bahamas obtain more U.S. aid to help curb the drug smuggling. Decades later, Manafort would run Trumps presidential campaign. We want America to understand who Donald Trump the man is. Not just Donald Trump the candidate. The composite of his career. Not just from a business standpoint or a political standpoint, from a human standpoint as well. But he resigned five months into the job in August 2016, in the wake of reports that he received more than $12 million from Viktor Yanukovich, the former Ukrainian president and pro-Russia politician. Yanukovich and his political party relied on advice from Manafort and his firm, which helped them win several elections. The Times uncovered that Manafort and others close to Trump met with the Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer in June 2016. That lawyer claimed to have damaging political information about Hillary Clinton. As for this latest brush with controversy, Manaforts lawyers insist that their client has been truthful. But they acknowledge that Manafort and Muellers team are at an impasse. Aside from serving as a vehicle for two populist leaders to voice their immigration concerns, the news conference was the first time Mr. Trump had taken questions from journalists since a taped conversation surfaced between him and Michael D. Cohen, his longtime lawyer, in which they discussed payments to a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump. The conversation, taped weeks before the 2016 election, showed that Mr. Trump knew about the payments, a fact that his campaign had denied. His comments on immigration did not find a welcome reception on Capitol Hill, where Republicans staring toward Novembers elections were quick to distance themselves. The party risks losing control of one or both chambers, and its leaders have made abundantly clear they see no upside to a messy government shutdown in the weeks before voters cast their ballots. Obviously up here, we want to keep the government up and functioning, said Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 3 Senate Republican. Im not sure where the president is coming from. Senator Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, the longest serving Republican in the Senate, chalked the comments up to a negotiating technique though perhaps an ill-advised one. He knows the game, Mr. Hatch said. But we dont want to do that again. Nobody wants that. Republican leaders in both chambers expect to pass the majority of the 12 appropriations bills necessary to keep the government operating before Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. Between those bills and a short-term spending measure to bridge the gap, they believe they can push off any potential fights including over border wall funding until later in the fall. WASHINGTON President Trump, who walked away from a nuclear deal with Iran despite that countrys documented compliance, said Monday that he would meet with President Hassan Rouhani with no preconditions as soon as the Iranian leader agreed to do so. But hours before Mr. Trump spoke, Iran said that talks with the United States would be impossible under what it called the Trump administrations hostile policies, seeming to close the door on any chance of a dialogue. Mr. Trump said at a White House news conference with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy that he was open to meeting with Iran. Ill meet with anybody, Mr. Trump said. If they want to meet, Ill meet. Anytime they want. Mr. Trump compared the possibility of a face-to-face summit meeting with the Iranian leader to meetings he has held with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Whenever I write about children getting medications for anxiety, for depression, or especially for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a certain number of readers respond with anger and suspicion, accusing me of being part of a conspiracy to medicate children for behaviors that are either part of the normal range of childhood or else the direct result of bad schools, bad environments or bad parenting. Others suggest that doctors who prescribe such medications are in the corrupt grip of the drug companies. And there are parents with stories of unexpected side effects and doctors who didnt listen. (Of course, there are also parents who write to say that the right medication at the right moment really helped, or adults regretting that no one offered them something that might have helped back when they were struggling.) Putting children, especially young children, on psychotropic medications is scary for parents, sometimes scary for children and also, often, scary for the doctors who do the prescribing. As a pediatrician, I have often had occasion to be grateful to colleagues with more experience and training who could help a family figure out the right medication, dosing and follow-up. It is a big deal, and there are side effects to worry about and doctors should listen to families concerns. But when a child is suffering and struggling, families need help, and medications are often part of the discussion. And so, without presuming to judge what should be done for any specific child, I want to talk about the discussion that needs to take place around medicating a child in distress, and how the doctor and the family should monitor medications when they are prescribed. BEIJING More than two dozen Chinese parents, shouting phrases including Justice for the victims, gathered outside a government building in Beijing on Monday to protest a vaccine scandal that has become one of the most visible public health crises in China in recent years. The protest followed reports this month that hundreds of thousands of children across China had been injected with faulty vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. While the children appear to be unharmed, the episode undermined President Xi Jinpings vision of a newly resilient China and his vow to eliminate corruption and abuse in the nations food and drug industries. The protesters, standing outside the offices of the National Health Commission, called for stricter oversight of Chinas drug industry, according to interviews with parents and images posted on social media. Holding a banner showing photos of children, the demonstrators rejected assurances by Chinese leaders that the issue was under control. The international community is fighting to stop a process that is alarmingly on track to potentially render millions of people stateless, and vulnerable to indefinite detention, violence or worse, Mr. Patel said in the statement. The list, which is called the National Register of Citizens but only applies to Assam, was last updated in 1951, and government officials have said the records are in desperate need of revision. Upamanyu Hazarika, a lawyer who works on migration issues, said the number of illegal immigrants living in Assam now reached into the millions. But the decision to update the register has inflamed passions in Assam, where anti-immigrant protests in the 1980s culminated in the massacre of around 1,800 people in several Muslim villages. In the past few decades, the proportion of Bengali Muslims in Assam, home to over 30 million people, has climbed, but observers have pointed out that the jump could relate to higher birthrates among the Muslim community and not to migration from Bangladesh. In December, the state government released an early draft of the citizenship list, which left out some 13 million people. In some cases, children were on the list, but parents or members of older generations who often do not have citizenship documents were not. Families said they feared being torn apart, and several suicides were linked to the long, bureaucratic process. Mondays draft shaved the number of excluded to four million, and Aman Wadud, an independent lawyer in Assam who works on migration cases, said, no one has been rendered stateless. The appeals process would continue, he said, and a date for the release of the final list has not been set. There is no mechanism to deport people and that question shouldnt arise now, he said in a telephone interview. Just because your name is not there, doesnt mean that you cant cross the hurdle. In an interview with The Indian Express newspaper, Sarbananda Sonowal, the chief minister of Assam, said that the final list will have names of all the genuine Indian citizens residing in the state. Earlier this year, Mr. Sonowal said illegal immigrants would be immediately stripped of their constitutional rights. MANDALAY, Myanmar U Kyaw Swa, an environmental activist, received an urgent government warning on Saturday to evacuate his home immediately because of the danger of heavy flooding in eastern Myanmar. But it was too late. The water had arrived nearly 24 hours earlier and flooded his home so quickly that he and his family had to be plucked by boat from a second-floor window. The flow of water was so fast, our house was flooded in 30 minutes, he said. We have nothing, and now we have to start our life from the beginning. This years monsoon season has brought crippling floods to many parts of Southeast Asia. In some cases, poor dam construction, deforestation and a lack of emergency preparations have worsened the effects. Migrants: Brussels proposal for Sophia mission Friday Italy calling for overhaul, saying it has unfair burden (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, JULY 30 - Brussels' proposal to revise the EunavForMed (Sophia) mission will be presented at Friday's meeting of the COPS Political and Security Committee, sources said Monday. The revision of the Sophia mission in the Mediterranean was one of the issues raised by Premier Giuseppe Conte in a letter to EU chiefs on managing migrant flows from North Africa. Under the terms of the the naval mission, which was launched in 2015 to combat human traffickers, asylum seekers rescued at sea are taken to Italian ports. Rome says the situation is unsustainable as this system puts too much of a burden on Italy. (ANSAmed). ISLAMABAD, Pakistan It has been a difficult few days for the party that used to run Pakistan. First, the party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, known as the P.M.L.-N., came a distant second in the national election last Wednesday, winning about half as many parliamentary seats as the party headed by Imran Khan, a former cricket star. Then Nawaz Sharif, the partys figurehead and a former prime minister who was jailed by an anticorruption court this month, was rushed to a hospital on Sunday because of chest pains. And on Monday, it appeared as if the party could lose another piece of its empire: the provincial assembly in Punjab, regarded as the silver medal of Pakistani politics. Mr. Khan, whose campaign was said to have been backed by the military, is still trying to gather enough support to form a majority coalition in the national Parliament. But on Monday, the influential newspaper Dawn was already calling him the prime minister in waiting. WASHINGTON Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged on Monday to ramp up the Trump administrations diplomatic engagement with Asia in a speech that followed a blistering attack on the presidents trade policies by a usually stalwart Republican business ally. Thomas J. Donohue, the longtime U.S. Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive, introduced Mr. Pompeo at an Indo-Pacific business forum by criticizing protectionist trade measures that he said led to both the Great Depression and World War II. He said American commitment to free trade since then had kept the peace around the world. If our companies lose access to foreign markets, they will struggle to remain competitive in the global economy, Mr. Donohue said in a clear reference to President Trumps trade war and tariffs. Today, foreign policy is domestic policy. Mr. Pompeo spoke ahead of his travel to the region this week for a ministerial meeting in Singapore of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as bilateral meetings in Indonesia and Malaysia. The trip comes as Asian nations are moving away from the United States. MOSCOW A car ran down a group of touring cyclists in the Central Asian state of Tajikistan over the weekend, killing four people from the United States, the Netherlands and Switzerland. On Monday, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. In a video obtained by Radio Free Europe on Monday that purports to show the attack, a car can be seen making a U-turn on a rural road and then speeding back through a group of fallen and injured cyclists. Tajik authorities said the occupants of the car then got out and stabbed and shot some of the survivors, leaving little doubt that the assault was intentional. In a bulletin issued by the internal news agency of the Islamic State on Monday, the group described the assailants as soldiers of the Islamic State and said the attack was in response to calls to target citizens of Coalition countries. That wording is a reference to a 2014 speech by the terrorist groups former spokesman, in which he called on the groups followers to carry out attacks in their countries in any way they could, including by using cars to crush pedestrians. The choice of language indicates that the militants view the attackers in Tajikistan as having been inspired by propaganda, and that they were not directly deployed by the terrorist organization. HONG KONG Jeremy Hunt, the new British foreign secretary, made a diplomatic gaffe on Monday, calling his Chinese-born wife Japanese during a discussion with his counterpart in Beijing. China and Japan have been longtime military rivals: During the 1930s and 1940s, Japan invaded and seized much of China, provoking a conflict that still haunts the nation. Mr. Hunt committed the flub during a meeting with Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi. My wife is Japanese my wife is Chinese, he said. Thats a terrible mistake to make. SYDNEY, Australia The cattle are more bones than meat, the dirt more dust than soil and the rain, the glorious rain, just never comes. The drought that has been suffocating Australia for months just keeps tightening its grip. In response, state officials in New South Wales announced a new assistance package on Monday worth 500 million Australian dollars, or about $370 million, that will expand existing loan programs and subsidize transportation for shipments of feed and water. The package also includes funding for mental health and critical services like road repair. But is it enough? Farmers across the affected region, an area of southeastern Australia larger than Texas that has not seen substantial rain in two years, said they were grateful but certain: Its not even close. ROME For the second time in three days, Pope Francis on Monday accepted the resignation of a powerful prelate this time, an Australian archbishop in a sexual abuse scandal, as the pontiff tries to send the message that high officials no longer enjoy near-immunity from consequences within the church when it comes to sexual misconduct. The archbishop, Philip Edward Wilson of Adelaide, had resisted intense pressure in Australia to resign, despite his criminal conviction for covering up for sexual abuse by a priest. Two months after being found guilty, he submitted his resignation on July 20, though it was not made public until the pope accepted it on Monday. Two days earlier, on Saturday, Francis accepted the resignation from the College of Cardinals of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, a former archbishop of Washington and of Newark the first time in memory that a cardinal stepped down over sexual abuse allegations against him. Early this year, the pope drew criticism for speaking in defense of a Chilean bishop caught up in another abuse case, and many advocates against clerical sex abuse said that Francis seemed to have a blind spot on the issue. FLORENCE, Italy Alan Friedman is Italys professional American. A former journalist with a baritone voice and perfect, if heavily accented, Italian, he has for decades provided the American perspective to Italians. He hosted and produced Italian television shows, ran in elite circles, wrote the authorized biography of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and still contributes columns to the countrys most prestigious newspapers. But for all his fame and influence in Italy, few had heard of Mr. Friedman in the United States until he helped land President Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, in jail. Documents filed last month by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, as part of the investigation into Russias influence campaign in the 2016 American presidential election, showed that Mr. Friedman worked closely with Mr. Manafort in creating the so-called Hapsburg Group. LONDON Families and doctors of patients in a persistent vegetative state will no longer need permission from a court to withdraw end-of-life care if both the relatives and the doctors agree, Britains highest court ruled on Monday. The accepted practice in Britain has long been that nutrition and fluids could not be withheld from a patient in a vegetative state without the approval of a specialist tribunal, the Court of Protection. But that approval process can take months or years, and cost health authorities thousands of pounds in legal fees. Decisions on whether to withdraw end-of-life care are made for thousands of patients each year, the National Health Service reported, though it was not clear how many were in a persistent vegetative state, or in how many cases the families and doctors were in agreement. The Supreme Court ruled that when there was a disagreement, the question would still have to be decided by the Court of Protection. International students in the United States are more susceptible to plagiarism using someone elses academic work as ones own and are more likely to be caught than their American counterparts, studies show. Plagiarism has long permeated American universities among all students. But increases in international student enrollment have raised new concerns on where plagiarism happens and how to combat this form of cheating. At the University of Minnesota, approximately 85 per cent of investigated plagiarism cases originate from students whose native tongues are not English. Similar research from other universities shows international students are reported for plagiarism at twice the rate of their domestic peers and are more likely to misunderstand the methods of avoiding academic integrity violations. This discrepancy can be linked to language and cultural barriers. FILE - Students attend a new student orientation at the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson, Texas in 2015 In the case of plagiarism, one factor is that it concerns written material. International students are often not native English speakers, said David Mills, a University of Virginia economics professor. Their skills and comfort in using the English language may be more limited. Students from India and China, who make up half of the international student population in the United States, often come to America without an understanding of plagiarism and how to avoid using another's work. In the past five years, the percentage of Chinese international students expelled specifically because of academic dishonesty and plagiarism has increased every year, reaching 33.5 percent in 2017, according to the WholeRen Education Research Center. One factor to consider regarding plagiarism statistics is American students who copy another persons work may be more adept at avoiding getting caught, compared to their international peers. Culturally, international students may come from a background in which using words or ideas from other sources is not considered punishable, since some cultures may consider individual works as shared or communal. As a result, students don't put as much emphasis on attribution. International schools also place more of an emphasis on memorization learning rather than original writing and concept creation.This creates a further divide between a students expectations and a universitys standards. Many students struggle at first to adjust to a more vigilant system that is tougher on certain uses of another persons work. Ive seen people get caught for it, and Ive thought about, What if they did the same thing back home and its two completely different consequences because of the notion of what the word means and how much is tolerated, said Smaran Shantharaju, a University of Virginia student from India. Educators and researchers alike have also pointed to the stress of university classes as a contributor to rates of plagiarism. Among international students, the stresses of a new environment, new language, and new education system make educational resources on plagiarism and academic guidelines vital in any university hoping to aid international students. Youre facing many different cultural and social differences in terms of how people treat you, which could add on unreasonable pressure. You could be thinking that if everything else isn't working, I want to be good at something, so you spend your time stressing on education and you no longer see whats right or wrong, Shantharaju said. Universities taking action Universities are stepping up their efforts to address this lack of understanding on U.S. standards of academic integrity. Writing centers, mandatory workshops and other resources have become a focus for universities trying to educate incoming international students. Schools such as Western Kentucky University and Columbia University graduate school have adopted plagiarism tutorials, requiring incoming students to complete an academic integrity workshop. In recent years, universities like California State University, Los Angeles have made plagiarism statements mandatory on all course syllabi, so students can gain a clearer understanding of what each professor expects. These small measures have been created specifically to provide simple explanations and resources to all students. Jayati Chaudhuri, a Cal State university librarian and researcher who runs plagiarism workshops, says schools must adopt a more comprehensive effort to educate foreign students. Educators like Chaudhuri have found the biggest motivator for students to learn about plagiarism comes only after they have received a poor grade or been caught for plagiarism and sent to their universitys writing center. Although progress has been made as universities identify a disconnect between their expectations and international students, a divide remains in how these students are being informed. Chaudhuri says different departments and educators must work jointly to give students ample opportunities to learn. There has to be a collaboration of faculty, librarians, and international student education, said Chaudhuri. And there has to be more writing intensive courses or training for students. We need to offer it in the beginning of their academic careers, so when they are actually going through a semester, they are well-equipped to fight this problem. People claiming to be holding a 6-year-old girl, Angel Ahereza are demanding for Shs 120 million ransom for her release. Ahereza, a top class pupil of Kibuzigye primary school in Bubaare sub-county, Rubanda district went missing on July 16 while on her way to school. The victim was last seen being offered a cake by an unidentified woman. Judith Asiimwe, says that she has tried to trace for her daughter in vain. Joseph Besigye, the grandfather says that kidnappers first sent him a message this week demanding Shs 180 million. The suspected kidnappers then sent another message saying they have now reduced the amount to Shs 120 million. Besigye says that he lacks money to give the kidnappers. Besigye says that the kidnappers claim to be holding Ahereza in Bombo, Kampala. "They first sent a message asking for Shs 180 million, then they sent another message that they have reduced the ransom to Shs 120 million. They only send the message through an Africell number and when you call it, you cant find it," said Besigye. The head teacher of Kibuzigye primary school, Francis Twesiime, says that efforts by the school administration and parents to find the child have failed. Rubanda district police commander, Tai Ramadhan says that the matter is being followed up by police. Kidnap for ransom cases were rampant at the start of this year. New Yorks BerlinRosen is providing strategic communications and media relations support through August for the Cambodia National Rescue Movement, which was formed in January by exiled opponents of prime minister Hun Sen. The former Khmer Rouge commander, who has been in power for than 30 years, dissolved the CNRMs political party, Cambodia National Rescue Group, last year and won a sham election on July 29. The CNRG won 40 percent of the vote in 2017 local elections. Sam Rainsy, president of the CNRM, wrote an op-ed piece in the July 27 Washington Post, calling for the international community to turn a blind eye to the rigged vote to deliver a forceful rebuke of authoritarianism and send a warning to leaders who might be tempted to follow Hun Sens path." He wants countries to recall their ambassadors to Cambodia, impose sanctions on Hun Sen and collaborators and revoke trade privileges for Cambodian business with ties to the regime. Sam Rainsy praised Congress for passing the Cambodia Democracy Act earlier this month to impose sanctions on government officials for their role undermining free and fair elections. Neil Bradley The US Chamber of Commerce today released a study showing that the US manufacturing sector requires a $27B bailout from the Trump administration to compensate for some of its anticipated losses from his toxic tariff policy. The $27B is the relative level of financial aid equal to the $12B bailout that the White House proposed for farmers last week. Neil Bradley, CoCs executive VP & chief policy officer, noted that manufacturerslike farmerswant trade not bailouts. He chided Team Trump, writing: The best way to protect American industries from the damaging consequences of a trade war is to avoid entering into a trade war in the first place. To Bradley, the administration should be working on expanding free trade and removing its harmful tariffs, not allocating taxpayers money to only marginally ease the suffering for some of the industries feeling the pain of the trade war. The CoCs report follows a rare on-the-record interview on July 29 with Charles Koch, the bete noire of the left-wing, in which he warned Trumps trade war could plunge the economy into a recession. [Charles, 82, has stepped into the Koch Brothers spotlight following the retirement due to failing health of his 78-year-old brother, David. His 41-year-old son, Chase, is being groomed as heir apparent] Protectionism is very detrimental, said Koch at a meeting of the Seminar Network in Colorado Springs, adding that prosperous nation's don't get involved in trade wars. The Koch Industries head is tired of shelling out money for Republicans who become soft on free-trade once they win elections, according to a report in Time. He looks forward to working with Democrats in the event that they score big in the mid-term elections. I dont care what initials are in front or after somebodys name, said Koch. What are the chances that Trump will listen to either the CoC or Koch? A man is due to stand trial over the next five days over the death of 38-year-old Birr native William Corrigan in a UK road crash. William Corrigan died having been struck by a stolen car in Bedford in February of this year. The loving father, husband, son and brother died at the scene. The car that struck the Offaly native reportedly left the scene, but the driver was later apprehended by police. 38-year-old accused, a Carl Lawrence from Bedford, was charged with five offences, including causing death by dangerous driving, aggravated taking of vehicle, failing to remain at the scene of an accident, and driving without insurance of a license. Mr Corrigan had been living in the UK for a number of years and was widely known as a truly gifted banjo player. Such was his talent, he was nicknamed, Willie 'The Fingers' Corrigan. Many tributes were paid at the time of his death from his friends and loving family. The trial of Mr Lawrence is expected to last five days. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you have a story for us, sports news, an event happening in your area, or if you want to submit pictures or videos, contact the Offaly Express team via email to justin.kelly@iconicnews.ie, or through our Facebook. 5 things AAP did to make Delhi govt schools better than they ever were India oi-Vikas SV By Vikas New Delhi, July 30: The condition of government schools in Delhi used to be really bad and such was the situation that these schools were seen as meant for only those who were economically deprived. The opinion that most people in Delhi had about government schools was that they were meant for kids of those dwelling in slums. These schools had bad infrastructure, poor attendance, dirty campus, smelly toilets and more students could be seen loitering outside the school than inside the classrooms. But things seem to be changing now. Ever since AAP government came to power in Delhi, the government schools have undergone a sea of changes. The learning ability of Delhi government school students has improved significantly over the past year, a recent report said. In 2017-18, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia had allocated Rs 13,997 crore, which is 26 percent of the total budget, for the education sector in the budget for 2018-2019 fiscal. This year, the pass percentage of students of Delhi government schools has increased by 2.37, touching 90.64, even as private schools of the city lagged behind at 88.35. The pass percentage is not the only that has improved in recent years. More and more people are now willing to admit their kids in government schools of Delhi. To know the steps taken by AAP government to bring about a positive change in state-run schools, we spoke to Aam Aadmi Party's Prithvi Reddy. Reddy said that government school teachers were better qualified than their private counterparts, but they lacked work ethics. It is the government school system which has failed us, he said. The AAP leader said that there were long queues for admission to government schools in Delhi, which was unheard of before. Here is what Prithvi Reddy told OneIndia about the five-pronged approach that the AAP government adopted to drastically improve the government schools in Delhi. Infrastructure: "It has been 3 years of very hard work to bring this system. First thing we focused on was in improving the infrastructure. We built 8,000 class and going to build another 10,000. We have plans to buid 23 new schools. Its not just about class room, we have built complete experience including libraries , gyms, swimming pools. So the first thing was infrastructure," AAP's Prithivi Reddy told OneIndia. Teacher Training: "Then we invested in teacher training. Teachers have gone to Harvards, Cambridge, Singapore for training. This was a great upliftment for them. They are already better qualified, all that they lacked was work ethics, so tried to fix that," he said. School management committees: "Third step was to build school management committees. We built a parent-teacher kind of a relationship. In Delhi, schools run in two shifts. What used to happen was that in the evening shift that the school used to shut at 3.45 pm instead of 5 pm and nobody would ask. You cannot expect the minister to go and sit there everyday. So, in some schools parent took turns to sit at the gate. They would lock the gate to ensure that teachers cannot leave. When you empower the beneficiaries to be masters, it does wonders. So, parents are now involved," he said. Special programs: "Fourth step was specific programmes like summer camps. We started organising parent-teacher meetings. We organised special learning programmes to read. Such was the state they class 5th students were not able to read class first text books. We organised special programs and the children were able to read in just two months," he told OneIndia. The government found out that 3.5 lakh students in class 6-8 could not read and launched a campaign to ensure they gained basic reading abilities.The two-month long campaign ended on November 14 last year with the government claiming that 1 lakh students between class 6-8 were able to read their textbooks. Happiness Curriculum: The Delhi government has launched the 'happiness curriculum' for government. Students between Class nursery and Class 8 of Delhi government schools have a 45-minute 'happiness period' which includes meditation, storytelling, question and answer sessions, value education and mental exercises.A team of 40 Delhi government school teachers and educators were involved in the drafting process for six months. Will 7th Pay Commission pay hike come in August? While one could expect some announcement to this effect in August, the chances are more that the hike could be effective from November only. While deliberations continue, there are still several issues that have to be resolved. Going by the pace at which the deliberations are taking place, it may be difficult for the government to make any announcement in August. However sources tell OneIndia that there could be an assurance made on the lines of what Arun Jaitley had said. 7th Pay Commission meeting, the latest: On July 17, a meeting of the Anomaly Committee meeting was held in New Delhi. The meeting was presided over by Chandramouli, the secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training. There were six items on the agenda: Removal of condition of 3% stipulated to grant bunching benefit Fixation of pay on promotion Removal of Anomaly in Pay Matrix Lesser Pay in higher level of Pay Matrix Bunching of steps in the revised pay structure Grant of GP 5400 to Sr Section Officer of Railways and AAOs of IA&AD and Organised Accounts (Civil Accounts, Postal Accounts and Defence Accounts) Decisions taken at the DoPT meeting: The suggestion of the Staff Side to fix the pay on promotion at the next higher stage after granting one increment was not accepted. After discussion it was agreed that Govt would address the issue on case by case basis. Those who are covered by the anomaly described under this item have been advised to make representation to Fin. Ministry directly. The staff side however insisted that the entire anomaly would he resolved if two increments are granted while on promotion/MACP. With regard to the removal of anomaly in the pay matrix, the government said it would consider how the matter only after assessing the financial implications. This means that the matter would be placed before the Union Finance Ministry and only after deliberations would a decision be taken. Hence it may be difficult to come to any conclusion by August. Increase in DA could be expected: Following the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, government employees and pensioners can expect a salary increase. This is because the government is planning on modifying the index and base year for calculating dearness allowance. It may be recalled that the CG employees had got a hike by 2 per cent in the DA. Reports indicate that the labour ministry is working on a new series of consumer price index for industrial workers, which is used to determine dearness allowance (DA). The ministry has finalised the new CPI-IW with base year 2016 and it is proposed that the base be revised every six years to capture the changes in living expenses more quickly, a ET report said while quoting an official. The last revision in the base year was in 2006 by the 6th Pay Commission to 2001 from 1982. Once these changes come into affect it would be seen as a relief for CG employees who have been awaiting news on the 7th Pay Commission. After the new revision several new items such as cars and mobiles are being added to the list to reflect the change in lifestyle of industrial workers over the last one and half decades. 7th Pay Commission: New LTC rules: While CG employees await for good news on the 7th Pay Commission, there is some good news on the travel front. The Government has approved a new rule which lets employees avail Leave Travel Concession when they travel abroad. The new rules are to be applied in the next few months. Five countries in Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have been included in the new policy. Article 35A: Kashmir separatists call for two-day strike India oi-Staff By Oneindia Staff Writer Srinagar, July 30: Kashmiri Separatists have called for a two-day strike in the valley from August 5 against what they called "serious challenge" to Article 35A of the constitution - relating to special rights and privileges of permanent residents of the state - and warned of a "mass agitation" if any tinkering is allowed with the Constitutional provision. "JRL (Joint Resistance Leadership) met to deliberate serious challenge posed to Art (Article) 35A, want to make it clear to GOI (Government of India) any and every attempt made at changing the demographic nature of the state will be stiffly resisted," moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said in a tweet. JRL - a unified front of the separatists - comprises Mirwaiz, hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik. Mirwaiz said the separatists were in touch with all the sections of the society including legal fraternity, traders, civil society and academia. "There is complete unanimity and cohesion among all with regard to resisting & (and) fighting this serious assault together. 5th and 6th of August a complete protest strike will be observed throughout, people will register their total disapproval & resistance to this politically motivated move," the moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman said. He warned of a mass agitation if any tinkering is done with the special provision of the Constitution. "A mass agitation of hitting and occupying streets will be launched if any tinkering with 35A is allowed to take place under a legal garb, the consequences of which will be entirely on those perpetuating such mischievous ploys against people of J&K," he wrote in another tweet. Mirwaiz also asked people in the valley to be ready and carry forward the agitation if the separatists were "gagged". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 5:56 [IST] Fake: This is not an image of a protest in Assam against Bangladesh violence As Assam gets NRC final draft ready, IB warns of big trouble by Lashkar, ISI India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Guwahati, July 30: A high alert has been declared in Assam as the final draft of the Assam National Regiser of Citizens (NRC) is being published. The NRC will feature the names, addresses and photographs of all Indian citizens who have been residing in the northeastern state before March 25 1971. There is heavy security across the state to prevent any law and order problem. Moreover the Intelligence Bureau has now warned that following this exercise, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba may activate its modules through Bangladesh and West Bengal and create trouble. The IB warns that the ISI backed Lashkar would look to foment trouble in the area on communal lines. It would target the disgruntled elements and get them on board to create trouble, the IB also says. The IB has also said that there is fake news that is being manufactured to create trouble in the area. Security will need remain on the highest levels of alert for next couple of months as there are chances of the ISI trying to create havoc. With the elections in Pakistan over, one would have anticipated more trouble in the Valley. However, all intelligence reports point towards the northeastern states, where there is a greater possibility of trouble. The IB goes on to state that the trouble would created to pressurise the government to withdraw the NRC. Several lakhs of people would be asked to leave if found to be illegal immigrants. The exercise has been dubbed as a controversial one, but the Supreme Court was adamant that the NRC be done. The NRC is being undertaken under the supervision of the Supreme Court with March 24 1971 as the cut-off date for genuine Indian citizens in Assam. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 9:23 [IST] CM Sonowal calls it a 'historic day' Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal congratulated the people of the state after the successful publication of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). "The historic day will remain etched in their memories forever," PTI quoted Sonowal as saying. The CM thanked the officials who were involved in updating the NRC. "For this remarkable feat, I extend my heartiest congratulations to the 55,000 officials engaged in NRC updation process and the people living across the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys, plains and hills of the state," he said. The chief minister has also urged people to refrain from making "inflammatory" remarks, an official release said, news agency PTI reported. It's just a draft, says Rajnath Singh Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured that there will be adequate time for those left out of the NRC list to appeal. "People should not be scared. The NRC procedure has been done without any bias. I would like to assure that all those who have been left out will be given a chance to raise objections," he said. Congress calls draft 'political motive of BJP' Calling out the 40 lakh names that were not included in the NRC draft a "very high figure" and "very surprising", Ripun Bora, the Congress Chief in Assam, said: "There are lot of irregularities in the report. We will raise this issue with the Government and in the Parliament. Political motive of BJP is also behind this," ANI reports. Kiren Rijiju on Assam NRC Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the NRC issue is sensitive and appealed others to not spread misinformation. Responding to the Congress' claim that the NRC issue was raised with political motivations, Rijiju said: "Why are such claims being attested to an exercise ordered by the Supreme Court. The SC is monitoring the entire process. Government is only doing its job." My humble appeal to all media channels today is be sensitive regarding the draft list of NRC in Assam. People have responded positively and been very cooperative. The previous Congress Govt initiated a historic exercise. My thanks to all Govt employees who have worked so hard. Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) July 30, 2018 Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi asks media to be sensitive Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has urged media channels to be 'sensitive' while covering the final NRC draft list. He also expressed gratitude towards government employees for working hard on the NRC draft. Govt intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh applicants: TMC Central Govt has intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh religious & linguistic minorities from NRC(National Register of Citizens) which will have serious ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam, PM should come to house & clarify it, said SS Roy, TMC. Mamata Banerjee calls it a game plan West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the NRC draft list, calling it a "game-plan" and a "divide and rule policy". "There were people who have Aadhaar cards and passports but still their names are not in the draft list. Names of people were removed on the basis of surnames also. Is the Government trying to do forceful eviction?" she asked. Govt has no role in NRC, entire process carried out under SC's direction, says MoS Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament MoS PMO Jitendra Singh said the Opposition, particularly the Congress was trying to politicise the issue, when the government has no role in the NRC process. "Home ministry categorically said that government has no role in it. The entire process was carried out under Supreme Court's direction. The draft is not final, people can still file their claims. Opposition particularly Congress is trying to politicise the issue," he said. SC refuses to stay decision on Maratha quota, says no retrospective effect on decision Congress seeks Governor's intervention in Maratha Reservation matter India oi-Vikas By Vikas Mumbai, July 30: A Congress delegation led by Prithviraj Chauhan met Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao on Monday and asked the latter to direct the state government to expedite its efforts for providing 16% reservation to Maratha community. The state has witnessed massive protests by Maratha community over the issue. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday initiated a dialogue with a section of Maratha organisations in Mumbai to pacify the community staging agitations demanding 16 percent reservation in government jobs and education. Fadnavis has announced to convene a special session of the state Assembly to resolve the issue. But several Maratha groups have refused to make room at the dialogue table and have announced a fresh agitation to push for their demands. While the Maratha Kranti Morcha Coordination Committee announced a state-wide agitation starting August 1, another outfit, the Maratha Coordination Committee has given a bandh call for Monday (July 30). In Pune today, police imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code prohibiting the assembly of more than four persons at one place. Police resorted to lathicharge initially, but later used tear gas canisters to control the violent mob. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 20:10 [IST] Maratha stir: Uddhav Thackeray calls for calm, Sena MLAs to meet Fadnavis India oi-Deepika By Deepika Mumbai, July 30: Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the Maratha issue. Shiv Sena chief said that party MLAs would be meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the reservation issues today. Thackeray took to Twitter and urged that calm be maintained. "Maratha society should give up its aggressiveness and should not be violent anywhere," he urged. "All the MLAs of Shiv Sena will meet Chief Minister Devendra Fanadvis today. Considering all the demands of the community, let's take a firm decision about it." Marathas have been agitating over the demand of 16 percent reservation in government jobs and education for over a week now. An all-party meeting was also convened on Saturday by the state government to discuss the quota issue. The BJP-led government has faced criticism over its handling of the state-wide agitation, which turned violent in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and parts of Marathwada this week. Early this week, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had claimed that there were "talks within the BJP" to replace Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a claim denied by senior party ministers. There were no discussions within the BJP on replacing Fadnavis, the source said, adding that the CM was "adequately capable" of handling the ongoing protests, reported PTI. The government's stand on the Maratha community's demand for reservation in government jobs and educational institutes has been that the issue is pending before the Bombay High Court. Om Birla says it pained him that Lok Sabha did not run smoothly during Monsoon session Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018: Explained India oi-Vikas By Vikas New Delhi, July 30: The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018, was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday. The bill provides for stringent punishment including the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years. The demand for the death penalty for those convicted of raping gained momentum after Kathua gangrape incident involving an 8-year-old girl. Several states including Haryana and Rajasthan have already passed such a law in their assemblies. The amendment bill, once approved by Parliament, will replace the Criminal Law ( Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another woman in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convicts' "natural life". The punishment for gang rape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict, another official said. Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gang rape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death. The measure also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed. There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years. It has also been prescribed that a court has to give notice of 15 days to a public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. You have right to protest not right to block roads: SC to farmers Face trial in illegal telephone exchange case, SC tells Dayanidhi Maran India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 30: The Supreme Court has said that former union minister, Dayanidhi Maran must face trial in the illegal telephone exchange case. The Bench upheld an order of the Madras High Court. The Madras HC had said Dayanidhi Maran and his elder brother Kalanidhi Maran must face trial in the case. The court had remitted the case back to the special court for CBI cases and directed that the trial and complete framing of charges be done in 12 weeks. As a result of this, the Maran brothers will face trial before the special CBI court. On March 14th, a special judge had said he was discharging all seven accused from the case since there was no prima facie evidence. The CBI however said that between June 2004 and December 2006, Maran, while he was the union minister had misused his office and installed a private telephone exchange at his home in Chennai and used it for business transactions. A loss of Rs 1.78 crore was caused to the exchequer because of this, the CBI said. Hopeful IT panel will take up Pegasus; officials may have been instructed to skip last meet: Tharoor Have achche din come for you?: Shashi Tharoor attacks Modi govt India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff New Delhi, July 30: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor seems to be in no mood to spare the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime at the Centre over its "multiple failures". According to the Lok Sabha member of Parliament (MP) from Thiruvananthapuram, the Narendra Modi government's slogans are "empty" rhetoric and it has no achievements to show during its more than four years rule. The Congress is raising real issues such as farmers plight, while the BJP is "seizing" on anything to promote its "polarisation agenda" as it has no achievements to show, Tharoor said on Sunday. He asserted that the BJP's "achche din" (good days) promise remains unfulfilled. Claiming that the government has "failed" on the foreign policy front, Tharoor said the Congress would highlight these "failures" as also the so called schemes that have remained "empty slogans" with no effect on the ground. "The simple question to the voters is: Are you better off than you were in 2014? Have achche din come for you? Most will say no," he asserted. Achche din was a popular slogan coined by the BJP in the run up to the 2014 general elections that reverberated throughout India as the Modi-led BJP government came to power with a thumping mandate. The MP from Thiruvananthapuram also said Congress president Rahul Gandhi's speech during the no-confidence debate in Parliament earlier this month clearly showed that the party was setting the agenda, raising issues such as the "Rafale scam" and the plight of farmers. Asked what had brought about the change in Rahul's image from a "reluctant politician" to a "real challenger", he said it was the Congress chief's own efforts. "Rahul Gandhi has been especially sharp and incisive in his statements, while at the same time attentive and involved with the concerns of the country. His enthusiasm on social media, his wit, energy and sense of humour are all on display," the former Union minister said. "This is a man whose engagement on social media platforms speaks to a wider engagement with politics. There is neither reluctance nor frivolity on display here, only commitment and passion to make a better India," he said. Tharoor said he does not regret his comments--"Hindu Pakistan" and "Taliban in Hinduism"--that have created a huge deal of controversy. "I did not say India is a Hindu Pakistan. I said if the BJP wins again and has the strength in both Houses of Parliament and the states, there will be nothing restraining them from fulfilling their project of creating a Hindu Rashtra, which would be a mirror image of Pakistan (since it too would be state for a religious majority) and so reduce us to a Hindu Pakistan," he clarified. You have right to protest not right to block roads: SC to farmers Illegal telephone exchange case: It took just 2 mins for SC to tell Maran to face trial India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 30: It took 2 minutes for the Supreme Court to decide that former union minister, Dayanidhi Maran must face trial in the illegal telephone exchange case. Go face trial, the court said while disposing off the matter. When the question of why the Madras High Court had interfered in the matter came up, the court said, " the court interfered because you were the telecom minister at the relevant time. You got a PLI line installed in your house. You had 30 baby telephone lines from this PLI line. In turn these 30 lines had 300 different telephone lines. And these were used for business of your brother (Kalanithi Maran) who ran a TV channel." When the advocates persuaded the court to re-think on the order, the judge said, ' as long as Maran is concerned it is dismissed and that is final.' The court had said that Maran must face trial in the illegal telephone exchange case. The Bench upheld an order of the Madras High Court. The Madras HC had said Dayanidhi Maran and his elder brother Kalanidhi Maran must face trial in the case. The court had remitted the case back to the special court for CBI cases and directed that the trial and complete framing of charges be done in 12 weeks. As a result of this, the Maran brothers will face trial before the special CBI court. On March 14th, a special judge had said he was discharging all seven accused from the case since there was no prima facie evidence. The CBI however said that between June 2004 and December 2006, Maran, while he was the union minister had misused his office and installed a private telephone exchange at his home in Chennai and used it for business transactions. A loss of Rs 1.78 crore was caused to the exchequer because of this, the CBI said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 16:30 [IST] We are a big loser, J&K better off when governed by CMs: Ghulam Nabi Azad Protect country without worry, Modi govt will take care of your families: Amit Shah to troops Amit Shah spends night at CRPF camp in Pulwama; says will see a peaceful J&K 'in our lifetime' J-K cops detain 6 over derogatory video after Pakistan's victory against India in T20 match Balkanisation of India: Lt. Gen would look to further bolster Operation Tupac in Kashmir J&K: Terrorists hurl grenade at CRPF party, three injured India oi-Vikas By Vikas Srinagar, July 30: Three security personnel were injured on Monday evening after terrorists hurled a grenade at a CRPF party in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. The incident took place at Sherbagh in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. Yesterday (July 29), the terrorists shot dead a CRPF jawan in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. The attack is said to have taken place in Naira Tahab area. The martyred jawan has been identified as Naseer Ahmed who was part of 134th battalion CRPF. On July 24, a jawan was killed after terrorists attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) patrol near the police control room in Batmaloo area of Srinagar On July 26, security forces gunned down one terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara region. On July 25, the security forces gunned down two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag region. One of the slain terrorists was identified as one Bilal Ahmad Dar. Earlier this month, the Army had gunned down three LeT terrorists who had abducted and killed Constable Saleem Shah of the Jammu and Kashmir police. The encounter had taken place at the Wani Mohalla locality of Khodweni, around a kilometre away from where Saleem's body had been found. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 22:54 [IST] PM says notion that Army, police meant for men no longer exists, lauds rise in number of women cops PM Modi to visit Italy, UK from Oct 29 to Nov 2 for G-20 summit, COP-26 conference PM Modi launches Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission: What we know about the scheme, so far? Karunanidhi laid to rest with full-state honours at Marina Beach India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff Chennai, Aug 8: DMK patriarch and five-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi was finally laid to rest on Wednesday alongside Jayalalithaa, DMK founder CN Annadurai and MGR at Marina beachfront in Chennai as a sea of humanity bid him a tearful farewell. He was buried with full state honours next to his mentor and former chief minister C N Annadurai at the Marina beach. No Hindu rituals were performed as Karunanidhi was a self-proclaimed atheist and rationalist. Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin received the national flag wrapped around his father's body. Other family members including the leader's wife Rajathi Ammal, other sons and daughters showered flower petals at his feet. Draped in a tricolour, the five-time chief minister was taken for his burial in an open procession. A sea of supporters were lined up along the route to catch a final glimpse of the departed leader and chanted slogans for their Thalaivar. The last journey of 'Kalaignar' Karunanidhi began at 4:00 pm. The 94-year-old Dravidian icon, who was affectionately called as Thalaivar and Kalaignar, had breathed his last at Kauvery hospital after fighting for life for 11 days. He had been battling age-related ailments for a long time. Earlier today, leaders from across the country, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, came to Chennai to pay their last respects to the doyen of Tamil Nadu politocs who breathed his last at Kauvery hospital in Chennai on Tuesday. Several Chief Ministers and political leaders paid tribute to late DMK chief M Karunanidhi at the Rajaji Hall here today. Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, former chief ministers of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, Oommen Chandy and Akilesh Yadav respectively, among other leaders paid homage to the departed leader. Here are the Highlights: DMK working president MK Stalin said in an interview that DMK supremo Karunanidhi's health is stable and that doctors are monitoring his condition at the hospital. Actor Vijay meets DMK leader MK Stalin at Kauvery hospital where former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment Chennai: Actor Vijay meets DMK leader MK Stalin at Kauvery hospital where former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment pic.twitter.com/CxRFxzKYOz ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018 Rajnikanth meets Karunanidhi. On July 31, Congress president Rahul Gandhi met Karunanidhi and wished him a speedy recovery. I wanted to come and see M Karunanidhi Ji. He is a tough person, I met him & he is stable. Sonia ji has sent her best wishes and regards to the family: Rahul Gandhi Congress President Rahul Gandhi to travel to Chennai today to meet DMK chief M Karunanidhi who is admitted to Kauvery Hospital. Stalin says Karunanidhi's condition is stable and that the veteran leader continues to remain under keen observation of doctors. Representatives of Sri Lanka President, Maithripala Sirisena, visited Kauvery hospital to meet former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi. They submitted a letter from Sirisena to DMK working President MK Stalin wishing speedy recovery to Karunanidhi. NCP leader Sharad Pawar visited Chennai's Kauvery hospital today. He met M K Stalin and Kanimozhi and inquired about the Karunanidhi's health. Supporters of DMK chief M Karunanidhi pray at his residence in Coimbatore where he used to reside in 1945. He is currently admitted in Chennai's Kauvery hospital. Visuals from outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment #Visuals from outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment. #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/ious2kR6GT ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 DMK supremo Karunanidhi is fighting with Yaman (the God of death) but he will return victorious, said MDMK general secretary Vaiko Kaveri after visting him at Kauvery Hospital on Monday. Isha Yoga founder and spiritual guru Jaggi vasudev also visited DMK chief Karunanidhi at the Kauvery Hospital on Monday, News18 Tamil reported. AIADMK member Nanjil Sampath and famous Tamil poet Vairamuthu visited DMK chief Karunanidhi in Kauvery Hospital on Monday, according to local media reports. E Palaniswami met Karunanidhi in ICU. He said that the DMK chief is doing fine and a team of expert doctors team is monitoring him, according to reports. DMK volunteers need to maintain peace and cooperate with the police, MK Stalin requests to supporters. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami and and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam have arrived at the Kauvery hospital to enquire about M Karunanidhi's health, according to sources. DMK workers continue to gather outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment. According to Thanthi TV, DMK chief Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi who had stayed at the hospital overnight has said that he is doing good and his well-wishers and party workers should be "brave" in these testing times. DMK workers continue to gather outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment. pic.twitter.com/Y98hwdh0RZ ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018 A DMK worker died of a heart attack in Thiruvarur on Sunday morning after hearing about the deteriorating health of party veteran M Karunanidhi. Another DMK worker, Raju, committed suicide by hanging himself on Sunday, according to local media reports. The security was beefed up both at the hospital and Karunanidhi's residence on Sunday. DMK leader A Raja, in an address to people outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, asked not to believe in rumours. Raja said, "Karunanidhi is responding well to treatment". A massive crowd has gathered outside Kauvery hostpital and a tight security has been put in place. Some reports had earlier said that Karunanidhi's condition was upgraded to 'very critical' from 'critical'. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami, who was in Salem, has reportedly cancelled all his meetings and rushed for Chennai. Leaders cutting across party lines are arriving at Kauvery hospital. Massive crowds have gathered outside the hospital. People are shouting slogans "Long live Kalaignar". MK Stalin issues statement over M Karunanidhi's health condition,states 'There was unexpected setback in his health but after intense medical care,he's normalising.Doctors' team is continuously monitoring him.Appeal to cadres to not indulge in violence or disturb police or public pic.twitter.com/1tsAoUF4mU ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2018 Karunanidhi was admitted to the Hospital in a critical condition around 1.30 a.m. on Saturday after his blood pressure began to fall. He was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance past Friday midnight from his Gopalapuram residence. Former BJD leader Bijayant Jay Panda earlier called on M Karunanidhi at Kauvery hospital today and wished for the DMK president's speedy recovery. "I came here to convey my best wishes for Karunanidhi Ji's speedy recovery. He has played a tremendous role in social transformation and economic development of the nation. I met MK Stalin, Kanimozhi and other DMK leaders," Panda told ANI after meeting. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu earlier today met the DMK Chief at Kauvery hospital where Karunanidhi is admitted following a drop in blood pressure. The crowd stayed put outside the hospital even past midnight. Despite assurances that Karunanidhi was recovering, the crowd refused to disperse. Anna University has announced that there has been no holiday declared for its constituent colleges. BJD leader Bijayant Jay Panda calls on M Karunanidhi. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu meets DMK Chief M Karunanidhi at Kauvery hospital where the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was admitted following a drop in blood pressure. DMK supporters gathered outside Chennai's Kauvery hospital, where DMK Chief M Karunanidhi was admitted following drop in blood pressure. Police personnel have cordoned off for the entire area for general public. Karunanidhi's condition has hogged attention over the past couple of days, with political leaders from across the spectrum lining up to visit him. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will meet Karunanidhi at the hospital on Sunday. Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's health condition continues to remain stable with ongoing active medical support, said the latest bulletin issued by Kauvery Hospital in Chennai. The hospital statement said, "DMK President and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Kalaignar Dr M Karunanidhi's health condition continues to be remain stable with ongoing active medical support. He is continuously being monitored & treated by the panel of expert doctors in the Intensive Care Unit." Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman meets DMK's MK Stalin at Chennai's Kauvery hospital to inquire about M Karunanidhi's health condition Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad visits Karunanidhi at Kauvery Hospital TN CM E Palainiswami's statement: Karunanidhi was not feeling well & was undergoing treatment at home. Now, he is being given the best treatment at the hospital. Our ministers had met MK Stalin and inquired about his health. He will recover soon. If necessary we are willing to provide any help with medical aid. He is better. His blood pressure has stabilised: DMK leader Kanimozhi on DMK President M Karunanidhi's health condition. Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit met MK Stalin at Kauvery Hospital, where DMK President M Karunanidhi was admitted late last night. DMK supporters continue to gather outside Kauvery Hospital, where DMK President M Karunanidhi is admitted. Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit visits DMK President M Karunanidhi at Kauvery Hospital who was admitted to the hospital late last night following a drop in blood pressure. MK Stalin arrived at Kauvery Hospital, where DMK President Karunanidhi is admitted following a drop in blood pressure. DMK supporters gathered outside Kauvery Hospital, where DMK President is admitted. Karunanidhi, 94, was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of Kauvery Hospital at 1:30 am. After the hospital informed that Karunanidhi was responding to treatment, the crowd started to disperse. His family members including Stalin and former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran too left the hospital. The hospital in a statement said he was brought there after his blood pressure had dropped. "His blood pressure has been stabilised with medical management and he continues to be monitored and treated by the panel of experts," the hospital said. Several senior DMK leaders, including working president M K Stalin and his estranged elder brother M K Alagiri were at the hospital. Other frontline leaders such as Duraimurugan, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and former Union minister A Raja were also there. Hundreds of party cadres and well-wishers have gathered at the hospital. Security beefed up in and around the area. Slogans like "Long Live Kalaignar Karunanidhi" rent the air. Earlier in the day, Kauvery hospital in Chennai released a medical bulletin stating that Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's health had deteriorated and a team of medical experts were treating him for fever due to urinary tract infection and had kept him under observation for 24 hours. "There has been a decline in the health of DMK president M Karunanidhi's due to age-related ailments. He is being treated for fever due to urinary tract infection. He is being given hospital level treatment at home," a medical bulletin released by the Kauvery Hospital said. Given his condition, the team of doctors attending to him has recommended the restriction on visitors. DMK working president and Karunanidhi's son, M K Stalin, told that the veteran leader is recovering steadily as his fever is coming down. News agency ANI quoted him as saying "he (M Karunanidhi) is recovering steadily as his fever is coming down." Stalin was made the party's working president in 2016 after Karunanidhi retreated from the mainstream politics. He tweeted: "I am thankful to Rahul Gandhi, SitaramYechury & D Raja for calling to inquire about Thalaivar Kalaignar's health. The concern and wishes from everyone will surely aid @kalaignar89's recovery and we hope he will be able to meet everyone soon." On behalf of the DMK, I thank @rashtrapatibhvn & @PMOIndia for their enquiries about @kalaignar89's health. I am extremely grateful for their offers of help. Thalaivar is getting the best medical care and treatment. We hope he will recover soon and thank everyone in his own words M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) July 27, 2018 Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he spoke with Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin, who is the Leader of Opposition, and daughter Kanimozhi and enquired about the veteran leader's health. "I pray for his quick recovery and good health," wrote Modi on Twitter and added that he has offered any assistance required. Also, President Ram Nath Kovind spoke to Karunanidhi's family members, President's office tweeted, "Spoke to Thiru Karunanidhi's family members on the phone and inquired about his health. Wishing the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, a veteran of our public life, a quick recovery." Spoke to Thiru Karunanidhis family members on the phone and inquired about his health. Wishing the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, a veteran of our public life, a quick recovery #PresidentKovind President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 27, 2018 Arpudhamaal, the mother of Perarivaalan who is accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, visited Gopalapuram to meet Karunanidhi. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to wish for Karunanidhi's speedy recovery. MK Stalin took to Twitter to thank PM Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi for enquiring about Karunanidhi's health. Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot took to Twitter to wish Karunanidhi a speedy recovery. Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan said that meeting MK Stalin & Kanimozhi, he was apprised that Karunanidhi's health is improving and that PM Modi spoke to them inquiring about his health. Karunanidhi's house has been flooded with party workers today after Kauvery Hospital stated a "slight decline" in his health Thursday night. Stalin's estranged brother and former union minister M K Alagiri arrived at the residence along with his son Durai Dayanidhi. Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan said, "Kalaignar should get back to active life and that is my prayer. He presided over my marriage..." Among other visitors were, MDMK chief Vaiko, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan, CPI leader D Pandian and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader Velmurugan who enquired about his health from family members and Stalin. "Such fever after a tracheostomy procedure is usual. Stalin told me that he is fine. I am confident that he will bounce back with the same magnetic voice," Vaiko told reporters. Karunanidhi completed 50 years as party chief today and the DMK had planned to celebrate it by distributing sweets and welfare assistance. Lalu returns to Patna and minutes later son storms out of mothers home Bihar By-polls: Lalu Yadav to campaign for RJD candidates on Wednesday to ensure 'visarjan' of Nitish Kumar He can get me shot, cant do anything else: Nitish on Lalus visarjan claim IRCTC scam: Lalu Prasad, wife, son Tejashwi Yadav summoned by Delhi court India oi-Deepika By Deepika New Delhi, July 30: A Delhi Court on Monday issued summons to RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, son Tejashwi Yadav, wife Rabri Devi and others as accused in alleged irregularities in granting operational contracts of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm. The charges in the case include criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption. Special Judge Arvind Kumar directed them to appear before the court on August 31 in a case related to alleged irregularities in granting operational contract of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm. The CBI, which had on April 16 filed the charge sheet in the case, had said that there were enough evidence against the accused. Besides Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, former union minister Prem Chand Gupta and his wife Sarla Gupta, B K Agarwal, then managing director of IRCTC P K Goyal and then IRCTC director Rakesh Saxena were also named in the charge sheet. The other names in the charge sheet include then group general managers of IRCTC V K Asthana and R K Goyal, Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel. Delight marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and Sujata Hotels Private Limited, have also been named as accused companies in the charge sheet. The CBI had registered a case in July last year and carried out searches at 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurugram in connection with the case. The charges in the case include criminal conspiracy (120-B), cheating (420) under IPC and corruption, the central probe agency had said. According to the charge sheet, between 2004 and 2014, a conspiracy was hatched in pursuance of which BNR hotels of Indian Railways, located at Puri and Ranchi, were first transferred to the IRCTC and later, for its operations, maintenance and upkeep, it was given on lease to Sujata Hotel Private Limited, which is based in Patna. It is alleged that the tender process was rigged and manipulated, and the conditions were tweaked to help the private party (Sujata Hotels). It also claimed that Vinay Kochhar on February 25, 2005 sold commercial property in the form of three acres of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds for Rs. 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing, in which Sarla Gupta was a director as a front benami holder on behalf of Lalu Prasad. Between 2010 and 2014, this land was further transferred, the CBI alleged. In 2001, it was decided to handover the management of catering services of Indian Railways, including of its hotels, to the IRCTC. Two such hotels -- BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri -- were also identified and an MoU was signed between the Railways and the IRCTC on March 19, 2004. According to an FIR flied by the CBI, Lalu Prasad Yadav, the then railway minister, entered into criminal conspiracy with the owner of Sujata hotels Sarla Gupta, the wife of his close associate Prem Chand Gupta, an RJD MP in the Rajya Sabha, and IRCTC officials for "undue pecuniary advantage to himself and others". The probe agency also alleged that BNR hotels were transferred to Sujata Hotels through a rigged and manipulated tender process managed by P K Goel, the then MD of IRCTC. The CBI enquiry shows that the Railways sought bids for developing, operating and maintaining Rail Ratna Hotels on September 16, 2006. The probe agency has alleged that Lalu Prasad Yadav, as the railway minister, was aware about the whole process and was keeping a track of the tender proceedings. It surfaced that while over 15 bid documents were received for both the hotels, IRCTC has no records of bidders other than Sujata Hotels. It was also alleged that with an intention to render undue pecuniary gains to Sujata Hotels, the bid of another hotel was deliberately and unreasonably given low marks under technical evaluation. "As a result, Sujata Hotels remained the only bidder in financial evaluation and was qualified," the CBI has alleged, adding after the tender was awarded to Sujata Hotels, the ownership of Delight marketing also changed hands from Sarla Gupta to Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav between 2010 and 2014. By this time Lalu Prasad Yadav had demitted the office of railway minister. Despite highest disruptions since 2014, here's the list of bills passed in Parliament New parliament building will be a monumental work of skill, speed, scale: Govt official Monsoon Session ends, most productive for Lok Sabha since 2000 India oi-Staff By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, Aug 10: The Monsoon session of Parliament, which ended, was the "most productive" for Lok Sabha since 2000, a think tank has said. According to the data compiled by PRS Legislative Research, 20 bills were introduced during the session and 12 were passed. The Lok Sabha, it said, worked for 110 per cent of the scheduled hours and the Rajya Sabha for 66 per cent. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha spent 50 per cent and 48 per cent of their time on legislative business respectively, the data said. This, the PRS Legislative Research data said, is the highest by both Houses in the 16th Lok Sabha and second highest since 2004. Fewer bills (26 per cent) were referred to parliamentary committees, as compared to the 15th Lok Sabha (71 per cent) and the 14th Lok Sabha (60 per cent). This Monsoon session also had one of the most productive Question Hours of the 16th Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha functioned for 84 per cent and 68 per cent of their scheduled Question Hour time respectively, the data said. The highest number of 999 Private Member Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha since 2000, the think tank said. In the 16th Lok Sabha, the highest number of government Bills were introduced by the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In the 15th Lok Sabha, the highest number of Bills were introduced by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law and Justice. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the session has been the "more productive and safisfactory" compared to the previous Budget Session and last year's monsoon session. The session, which began on July 18, also witnessed a discussion on a no confidence motion against the Government brought by Opposition. The motion was defeated later. The House also greeted the people in advance on the occasion of the Independence Day. Here are the Highlights from the Monsoon Session: Newest First Oldest First Monsoon Session of the Lok Sabha adjourned Sine Die. "Triple Talaq Bill will not be taken up today because no consensus could be built around it," says Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu. Some reports say that the Triple Talaq Bill could be tabled in the Winter Session. The government and opposition failed to reached a consensus on the issue of triple talaq. Senior ministers in the government including Union law minister and senior Congress leaders are discussing the matter to reach a meeting point. However consensus seems unlikely. Congress demands JPC into Rafale issue. After ruckus over the matter, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned. Uproar by Opposition in Rajya Sabha over Rafale Deal issue. Congress raises Rafale deal issue in Rajya Sabha. Sonia Gandhi takes part in the protest by Opposition in Parliament premises over Rafale Deal issue. "Our party's position is absolutely clear on this, I will not say anything on this further," former Congress president Sonia Gandhi tells media when asked about Triple Talaq Bill. Congress, CPI, RJD and AAP hold protest outside Parliament over Rafale deal issue, reports ANI. The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved amendments in the Triple Talaq Bill. Under the amendments cleared, a magistrate will have powers to grant bail. The woman can approach the magistrate to seek subsistence allowance for herself and her minor children, and can also seek custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the matter. Union Cabinet yesterday also approved inclusion of provisions that the complaint in such a case can only be filed by the victim (wife) or blood relations With the Union Goverment set to table the Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha today, a BJP strategy meeting is curently underway in the Parliament. BJP President Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh , Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and other senior leaders are present at the meeting, reported ANI. Triple Talaq Bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today Lok Sabha adjourned till 11am tomorrow. Triple Talaq Bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha tomorrow TDP MP demands Centre intervention in view of several kidney ailment cases in Uddanam Zero Hour begins Lok Sabha has passed the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will rally across the country & expose Congress who ruled for 55 years but did nothing. It's a slap in the face of those who call NDA & Modi govt as anti-dalit, says Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister, on passage of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Amendment Bill New talent would do better in upcoming games&championships. Manipur is known as sports powerhouse.I want to make it super sports powerhouse. Whatever Govt needs to do in this, I would be very happy to help:Mary Kom,Rajya Sabha MP,on passage of National Sports University Bill 2018 Lok Sabha extends functioning till 7 pm LS debates the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2017. The Bill seeks to amend the Representation of People Act, 1950 and the Representation of People Act, 1951 to allow for proxy voting for NRI voters and to make certain provisions of the Acts gender-neutral. Lok Sabha has passed The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018, The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018, The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2018 and The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018. National Commission for Backward Classes (Repeal) Bill, 2017 has been passed by Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, The DNA Technology (Use And Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 11.00 am tomorrow. Parliament has passed the National Sports University Bill 2018 as the Rajya Sabha has given its approval. The Rajya Sabha is currently discussing The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The Lok Sabha is discussing The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018. "We've proposed 3 changes. If any husband gives triple talaq instantaneously & breaks marriage then FIR shall only become cognizable when it is filed by victim or blood relation or relation by marriage," he said. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party, or TDP, has given notice for a no trust motion against the NDA government in the Lok Sabha. The no-trust motion does not endanger the BJP-led government which has 273 members in the Lok Sabha, much more than the half-way mark. Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav said at the all-party meeting: We will not allow the House to function till an assurance is given by the government on the floor of the House on reservations to SCs and STs in higher education. With the Supreme Court coming down heavily on inaction by states in cases of cow vigilantism, a debate on an anti-lynching law is likely to take place. With parliament session starting from today, several key bills are likely to be passed, tabled or debated. Before the bills are tabled and discussed, the opposition is likely to rake up issues that might delay the session. Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu has urged both ruling and opposition parties to stop blame game over house disruptions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday sought cooperation of all political parties and asked them to ensure that it turns out to be a productive session. While the BJP has accused the Congress of Muslim appeasement and practising divisive politics, the Congress on its part has accused Modi of pursuing divisive agenda to win elections after his governance "failure". In Rajya Sabha, members will pay their Obituary References to the passing away of- Vishwasrao Ramrao Patil, Mohammed Amin, Ashok Mitra, Balkavi Bairagi, Kameshwar Paswan, Shantaram Naik, Surinder Kumar Singla and M.M. Jacob Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hit out at the government through a pop quiz. In a veiled attack at the BJP-led central government, Gandhi said, "Pop Quiz I bow to the most powerful in the line. A person's strength & power are all that are important to me. I use hatred & fear to maintain the hierarchy of power. I seek out the weakest & crush them. I rank all living beings based on their usefulness to me. Who am I? (sic)." Over eight opposition leaders have sent an unusual rejoinder to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's request to cooperation during parliament's monsoon session with a letter of their own. The opposition leaders wonder whether she had written to the government too, pointing that it was the ruling BJP-led coalition which disrupted parliament for 13 days during the budget session. The Shiv Sena was undecided on supporting the no-confidence motion that the TDP sought to move in Parliament against the BJP-led NDA government. Trinamool Congress gives Zero hour notice in Rajya Sabha over Mob Lynching issue. List of Issues Opposition Will Raise During Monsoon Session Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said opposition parties will demand grant of special status to Andhra Pradesh, apart from raising issues such as lynchings, atrocities against women and Dalits and dilution of a law meant for SCs. He said that attempts to abolish reservation policy and the falling value of the Rupee will be also be raised in the monsoon session. After TMC in Rajya Sabha, now RJD MP JP Yadav has also given an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over cases of mob lynching. CPI MP D Raja has given adjournment motion notice in Rajya Sabha over cases of mob lynching and attack on Swami Agnivesh. With opposition all geared up to corner the Centre over host of issues including contentious mob lynching incident, what the Members of the Parliament should remember is that a total of 68 pending bills need to to be taken up the next 18 sessions. The Budget Session of Parliement was a toatl chaos during which the Lok Sabha worked for only 21 per cent of its scheduled time while the Rajya Sabha worked just 27 per cent. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter to express hope for a peaceful Monsoon Session, while taking a dig at the BJP and its allies. "It would be a disgrace if we saw a repeat of proxy disruption so the government can push its bills through in the din," he said in the tweet. Looking forward to a productive #MonsoonSession2018 with support from all political parties. #Parliament pic.twitter.com/fqu5AecGyD Ananthkumar (@AnanthKumar_BJP) July 18, 2018 Ananth Kumar hopes for a productive session. TDP MP Kesineni Srinivas has already wrote to Lok Sabha Secretary-General to include a no-confidence motion in the list of business for the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament, which begins today. The government is unlikely to go for election to the post of Rajya Sabha's deputy chairman in Parliament's Monsoon Session beginning tomorrow and will push for a consensus candidate. The post has been lying vacant since June after the retirement of PJ Kurien, who was elected to the Upper House of Parliament on the Congress ticket from Kerala, and later became its deputy chairman in the UPA government. Meeting of Telugu Desam Party(TDP) MPs underway at YS Choudhary's residence in Delhi. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrive in Parliament. YSR Congress MPs protest at Gandhi statue in Parliament, demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Special category status for Andhra has been a long pending demand. It over this issues that the TDP severed ties with the BJP and walked out of the NDA. "We hope that MonsoonSession of Parliament functions smoothly, whatever issues any party has, it can raise on the floor of the house. Government is ready for discussion on all issues," says PM Modi before entering Parliament. PM Modi seeks cooperation of all political parties and asked them to ensure that the Monsoon Session turns out to be productive. The Budget Session of Parliament was a total chaos during which the Lok Sabha worked for only 21 per cent of its scheduled time while the Rajya Sabha worked just 27 per cent. "May the productivity of the forthcoming session and the rich levels of debate also become a source of inspiration for the various state assemblies," the PM says. Important bills and ordinances listed for the Monsoon Session: 123rd Constitutional Amendment bill Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill or the triple talaq bill Rights of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017 Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill National Medical Commission Bill, 2017. Code of Wages Bill, the Factories (Amendment) Bill Contract Labour Amendment Bill Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill Ordinances that would be replaced: Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of HCs (Amendment) Ordinance Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance National Sports University Ordinance Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance Complain on these numbers if you are charged more than MRP at cinema halls Are you being charged for carry bags? Here is what you should know Karnataka: Here are the revised traffic offence fines; Can phones be used for navigation New law to blacklist, non-filers of income tax returns mooted India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 30: The government is set to bring in a law that would black-list non-filers of income tax returns. Currently, the law does not provide for any stringent penalty for non-filers. The current provisions state that non-filers would not be eligible to apply for loans, tenders etc. The move to bring in a new law is aimed at increasing the government's tax revenue and also create data on of employment in the unorganised sector. Government officials say that demonetisation had brought more people under the tax net. However, with cash use increasing once again, a new batch of private practitioners and business owners had emerged, who would need to be brought under the tax net. The government had extended the date for filing income tax returns from July 31 to August 31. In case one missed the deadline, there is time till December with a penalty of Rs 5,000 and also till March with a penalty of Rs 10,000. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 5:49 [IST] NRC draft: No reason to panic, completely impartial report, says Rajnath Singh India oi-Deepika By Deepika New Delhi, July 30: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the draft National Register of Citizens for Assam is completely "impartial" and those whose names are not included shouldn't panic as they will get an opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship. "People should not be scared. The NRC procedure has been done without any bias. I would like to assure that all those who have been left out will be given a chance to raise objections," he said. "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be spread.This is a draft and not the final list," he added. "Even someone whose name is not in the final list can approach the foreigners tribunal. No coercive action will be taken against anyone, hence there is no need for anyone to panic," he further said. The government today released the final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRCNSE 2.22 %) list. The final draft contains names of 28,983,677 citizens and around 40 lakh people have been left out of the list. The first draft of the NRC process was released in December 31, 2017 in which name of around 1.9 crore people out of the total application of 3.29 crore people were included. The state government has beefed up security across the state and has requested the citizens to not believe in any rumours. Prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in seven districts-- Barpeta, Darrang, Dima Hasao, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Golaghat and Dhubri. NRC report: Not Hindus or Muslims, but Bengalis being targeted, says Mamata India oi-Deepika By Deepika Kolkata, July 30: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday lashed out at the NRC draft list, calling it a "game-plan" and a "divide and rule policy". Addressing the media, Mamata Banerjee claimed that Bengalis living in Assam were being targetted, and said that they are "Indians, not Rohingya". "How can they send women and children to detention centres? Aren't people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states living in Bengal? Bengalis living in Assam are being targetted. They are not Rohingyas, they are Indians," she said. "There were people who have Aaadhar cards and passports but still their names are not in the draft list. Names of people were removed on the basis of surnames also. Is the Govt trying to do forceful eviction?" she asked. "This is politics ahead of the 2019 elections," said Mamata. The chief minister said the state government has tried to get in touch with the home ministry and other departments, but there was no response. "What is this lack of transparency? Why can't I speak to Mr Rajnath Singh?" "People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also," she said. "People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also," she said. "Where will the 40 lakh people whose names have been deleted go? Does Centre have any rehabilitation program for them? Ultimately it is Bengal which will suffer.Its just vote politics by BJP. Request Home Minister to bring an amendmen," she said. "I will also try to go to Assam, my MPs are already going. Let's see if they are restricted or not," she further said. In the final draft of NRC released on Monday, 2.48 lakh D-voters are among the 40 lakh people who have not qualified to the final draft. State NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela said the these included the descendants of D-voters, people whose reference is pending in Foreigners' Tribunal and descendants of those who have pending cases in Foreigners' Tribunal. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 13:40 [IST] 27 passenger trains cancelled, 7 trains diverted Owing to the closure of Yamuna bridge, as many as 27 passenger trains have been cancelled and seven trains have been diverted. People evacuated from low-lying areas in Delhi About 3,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas of Delhi to makeshift camps and traffic was suspended on the Old Yamuna Bridge as the water level in the river continued to rise on Sunday, reaching its highest level in the last five years a day after breaching the danger mark. Sisodia took stock of ongoing evacuation work Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took stock of the ongoing evacuation work in the low-lying areas and appealed to the people to move to safer areas. The water level had reached 205.30 metres at 7 pm on Sunday, prompting authorities to rescue people from the low-lying areas. Haryana CM Khattar conducts aerial survey Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal conducts an aerial survey of Hathnikund barrage located on the Yamuna River, in Yamuna Nagar district on Sunday. He also directed officials to conduct a special 'girdawari' (revenue survey) to assess the crop damaged by heavy rains. On Mehul Choksi, India tells Antigua to prevent him from fleeing by land, air, sea India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 30: The Indian government has requested Antigua to prevent Mehul Choksi from leaving the country. The request was made verbally and in writing, the Ministry for External Affairs said. "As soon as MEA received info of likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, Indian envoy alerted the local govt, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea," the ministry said. The Indian High Commissioner in Antigua would be meeting with local authorities to discuss the issue. The move comes in the wake of Antigua saying that the lack of an extradition would not come in the way of the case relating to Choski, who is an accused in the PNB fraud case. E P Chet Greene, minister of foreign affairs and immigration said that he was not aware that the government of Antigua and Barbuda had received any requests from any Indian government or law enforcement body for cooperation or extradition regarding Choksi, according to a report in the Antigua Observer. He however added that if a request is received, the same shall be honoured. We will honour any legitimate request notwithstanding that we do not have any extradition agreements with India. That is the extent of our commitment to preserving the integrity of our programme," Greene said. The comments were made a post Cabinet press conference. Members of opposition parties have questioned how thorough the vetting process could have been in 2017 if Choksi and his company, the Gitanjali Group were not long after, named as suspects in a massive fraud investigation. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 12:50 [IST] Coronavirus crisis: Rajasthan farmers to get loan at 3 per cent by pledging their produce Rajasthan Public Service Commission re-releases admit cards for RAS Prelims 2018 after error India oi-Shubham Jaipur, July 30: The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) on Monday, July 30, released admit cards for the RAS Preliminary Examination 2018. The commission released the cards on Sunday, July 29, but withdrew the same owing to error in some hall tickets. The error was rectified subsequently and the admit cards are now available for downloading on the official website (rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in). Earlier, the commission said that because of some printing errors, the admit cards for Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Competitive Examination-2018 were not available. The RAS Prelims examinations will be held on August 5 in district headquarters and tahsils across the state. Nine hundred and eighty vacancies were notified for the recruitment in RPSC RAS. The last date for application was May 11. How to download admit cards? Step 1: Visit the official website of RPSC (rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in) Step 2: Clink on the link "Admit card" on the homepage Step 3: Click on either 'Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Competitive Examination-2018' or on 'Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Competitive (TSP) Examination-2018' link. Step 4: Enter the details Step 5: Log in and download admit card Step 6: Take a printout For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 12:16 [IST] DU cut off: 52k students have secured admission so far SC planning to introduce digital filing in district courts India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar New Delhi, July 30: The Supreme Court is planning to introduce digital filing of cases in all districts of the country to ensure that the justice delivery system reaches all. According to the Times of India report, the apex court is working on a pan-India programme which will be launched soon. The plans were shared with the top judges who had assembled in New Delhi to deliberate upon the rising pending cases. If implemented litigants living in remote areas won't have to go to the (District) Court to file a case. The Supreme Court judges stressed on the need to appoint retired judges on an ad-hoc basis to deal with pending cases. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 17:45 [IST] You have right to protest not right to block roads: SC to farmers SC wont take into account Justice Srikrishna report on data while delivering Aadhaar verdict India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 30: The Supreme Court has declined to take into account the Justice Srikrishna Committee report on data privacy and safety, while writing the Aadhaar judgment. Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra consults with Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud and told the Attorney General that it would not require the report. The AG, K K Venugopal had told the court that the Centre could submit the report, if the Bench wanted it. However the Bench said that it would not be necessary. The court had reserved the verdict on Aadhaar in May. The Justice BN Srikrishna committee submitted its report on the data protection law on Friday. The government had set up the committee under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court judge Srikrishna in August last year. Justice Srikrishna said data privacy is a burning issue and there are three parts to the triangle. "The citizen's rights have to be protected, the responsibilities of the states have to be defined but the data protection can't be at the cost of trade and industry." The report has proposed penalities for violations, criminal proceedings, setting up of a data authority, provision of withdrawal of consent and concept of consent fatigue. Highlights of the report: The law will have jurisdiction over the processing of personal data if such data has been used, shared, disclosed, collected or otherwise processed in India. Additionally, personal data collected, used, shared, disclosed or otherwise processed by companies incorporated under Indian law will be covered, irrespective of where it is actually processed in India. However, the data protection law may empower the Central Government to exempt such companies which only process the personal data of foreign nationals not present in India. The law will not have retrospective application and it will come into force in a structured and phased manner. The Aadhaar Act needs to be amended to bolster data protection. The data protection law will set up a DPA which will be an independent regulatory body responsible for the enforcement and effective implementation of the law. The Central Government shall establish an appellate tribunal or grant powers to an existing appellate tribunal to hear and dispose of any appeal against an order of the DPA. Penalties may be imposed for violations of the data protection law. The penalties imposed would be an amount up to the fixed upper limit or a percentage of the total worldwide turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher. The state can process data without consent of the user on ground of public welfare, law and order, emergency situations where the individual is incapable of providing consent, employment, and Reasonable purpose. The law will cover processing of personal data by both public and private entities. Sensitive personal data will include passwords, financial data, health data, official identifier, sex life, sexual orientation, biometric and genetic data, and data that reveals transgender status, intersex status, caste, tribe, religious or political beliefs or affiliations of an individual. However, the DPA will be given the residuary power to notify further categories in accordance with the criteria set by law. Consent will be a lawful basis for processing of personal data. However, the law will adopt a modified consent framework which will apply a product liability regime to consent thereby making the data fiduciary liable for harms caused to the data principal. Cross border data transfers of personal data, other than critical personal data, will be through model contract clauses containing key obligations with the transferor being liable for harms caused to the principal due to any violations committed by the transferee. Personal data determined to be critical will be subject to the requirement to process only in India (there will be a prohibition against cross border transfer for such data). For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 12:34 [IST] SJM opposes the Bill which intends to change the definition of MSMEs India oi-Vinod New Delhi, July 30: Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an affiliate organisation of the RSS, has demanded from the government to halt the process of change in the definition of MSMEs which is planned through a bill of Parliament. SJM demands, "We urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and MSME Ministry to immediately halt the process of passage of the bill in the interest of the small industries, make in India, entrepreneurship development and our youth with a dream of working for India." It was decided by the cabinet on February 7 to amend the definition of MSME. At present, Micro units are those that employ plant and machinery worth up to Rs 25 lakh, whereas for Small Scale Enterprises this limit is Rs 5 crore and for Medium Industries this limit is Rs 10 crore. The basis of this definition is being tweaked from cost of plant and machinery to turn over basis, by introducing a bill in Parliament. According to the proposed definition, micro-units would be defined as those units with an annual turnover of Rs 5 crore. For small units this limit would be Rs 75 crore and for medium units, this limit would be Rs 250 crore. "This is our considered opinion that there is no reason or legitimacy to change the definition of MSME. We should not forget that even this concept of clubbing of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises in one category is also not good as nature and problems of each of their types of units are very much different and we need to keep non manufacturing enterprises separate for non-manufacturing enterprises, for promoting manufacturing in the country," said Ashwini Mahajan of SJM. He said that small scale industries (SSIs) need to be supported by the government agencies but despite the government creating a full fledged ministry dedicating to MSME, new economic policy, obsession of political leadership and bureaucracy for globalisation and corporate world, several such policies are made that are detrimental to the interests of SSIs and favouring big corporate at the cost of SSIs. SJM said that SSIs have been playing an important role in GDP growth, employment, exports and decentralisation. This is despite the onslaught of globalisation faced by them, open trade policy causing flooding of Chinese products giving unjust competition, plethora of laws and complete absence of ease of doing business and numerous other problems including marketing, finance, technical issues etc. The first victim of the New Economic Policy was product based reservation for SSIs as reservation was successively withdrawn causing destruction of SSIs on a large scale. Along with this policy of preference for procurement was also drastically tweaked. Despite SSIs being in the priority sector category, MSMEs face problems with availability of finance; policies regarding marketing, technical assistance and Industrial estates became subject matters of history. "With the introduction of GST, facility of excise duty exemption of SSIs up to Rs 1.5 crore was automatically withdrawn; however there was partial resolution of this issue, when SSIs were given relief by way increasing the scope of 'Composition Scheme' and reduction in the rates of GST," added SJM. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 21:20 [IST] Sterlite plant in Tamil Nadu to remain shut: NGT India oi-Deepika By Deepika Chennai, July 30: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday rejected Vedanta's request to grant interim stay on Tamil Nadu Government's order to shut down Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi. The matter has been posted to August 9. This is the second time that the NGT has refused to entertain Vedanta's plea to reopen the smelter plant. Earlier, on July 5, the NGT refused to grant interim stay on the state government's order for the closure of the copper smelter plant. Sterlite had appealed under section 16 of the NGT Act 2010, which states that, "any person aggrieved by an order or decision made, on or after the commencement of the National Green Tribunal Act, may, within a period of thirty days from the date on which the order or decision or direction or determination is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to the Tribunal." On 28 May, the Tamil Nadu Government issued an order to permanently shut down the Sterlite Copper Smelter plant in Thoothukudi, "Under sections, 18(1)(b) of the Water Act, 1974 in the larger public interest, the Government endorse the closure direction of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and also direct the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to seal the unit and close the plant permanently." On 22 May, violence had broke out on the 100th day of the Sterlite protest after police opened fire on residents who were marching towards the District Collector's office. Thirteen civilians were shot by the police during the confrontation, and scores of others were injured. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 17:23 [IST] What is Assams NRC: A brief explainer India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff New Delhi, July 30: All eyes would be on Assam as the government is set to release the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). A total of 3.29 crore people had filed an application for the NRC. The exercise is aimed at identifying illegal immigrants in the state. Here is an explainer on what the Assam NRC is? What is the NRC, 1951: The National Register of Citizens, 1951 is a register prepared after the conduct of the Census of 1951. It shows the house, holdings in a serial order and covers every person enumerated during the Census of 1951. Also Read | Tense moments as Assam's final NRC draft set to be released today Why is the NRC being updated? The exercise was undertaken to enlist the names of those persons or their descendants, whose names appear in any of the Electoral Rolls upto 1971, 1951 NRC or any of the admissible documents stipulated. The demand was first made by the AASU, around 30 yers back. The organisation had submitted a memorandum to the Centre on January 18 1980, after launching the anti-illegal foreigners Assam Movement. How will it impact illegal immigrants: The Assam accord was signed between the leaders of AASU-AAGSP and the Government of India in 1985 marking an end to a six-year-long agitation. It was agreed that all foreigners who had entered Assam between 1951 and 1961 would be given full citizenship. It was however stated that those who entered after 1971 would be deported. Also Read | As Assam gets NRC final draft ready, IB warns of big trouble by Lashkar, ISI How is the NRC being updated: The NRC will be updated as per the provisions of The Citizenship Act, 1955 and The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 (As amended by 1. G. S. R. 803(E), dated 9th November 2009 (with effect from 9/11/2009.) 2. Ministry of Home Affairs (Office of Registrar General, India), Order No. S.O. 596(E), dated 15th March, 2010, published in the Gazette of India, Extra, Part II. No. 504 S.3(ii), dated 16th March, 2010 p.1.). As per the two statutes, the eligibility status would be ascertained based on the NRC, 1951, Electoral Rolls up to 1971 and in their absence the admissible documents upto 24th March (midnight) 1971. The updated NRC shall contain names of persons eligible for inclusion in updated NRC by virtue of being original inhabitants of Assam. DU cut off: 52k students have secured admission so far Yamuna river crosses danger level, over 1000 families evacuated India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Central Water Commission Official Flood Forecast alerted that River Yamuna at Delhi Railway Bridge is now flowing in 'SEVERE SITUATION' on Monday morning. The water level has reached 205.62m. The CWC tweeted the alert, "River Yamuna at Delhi Railway Bridge in North dist #Delhi is now flowing in SEVERE SITUATION at 06hrs today, its WL205.62m with rising trend its DL204.83m.CWC ND." River Yamuna at Delhi Railway Bridge in North dist #Delhi is now flowing in SEVERE SITUATION at 06hrs today, its WL205.62m with rising trend its DL204.83m.CWC ND. Central Water Commission Official Flood Forecast (@FFM_CWC) July 30, 2018 More than 1,000 families evacuated till Sunday evening, the danger mark has crossed 204.83 meters in the national capital. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar conducted an aerial survey of Hathnikund barrage on Sunday. He has instructed the concerned officers to conduct a survey of flood-affected areas. Farmers who have lost their crops to the flood will be provided compensation by the state govt. Also, the CM held an emergency meeting with senior officials in the wake of rising level of Yamuna river due to heavy rains in the catchment areas and directed them to stay alert to deal with any untoward situation. Khattar sought information on the water level from the deputy commissioners of Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat and Palwal, and other officers through video-conferencing. He also reviewed the arrangements made by them, an official spokesperson told PTI. Haryana had released around six lakh cusecs of water from which the officials expect the river to rise to 206.60 meters on July 31. The water discharged from Hathnikund barrage, normally reaches Delhi in 72 hours. Aerial survey by Manohar Lal Khattar Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal conducts an aerial survey of Hathnikund barrage located on the Yamuna River, in Yamuna Nagar district on Sunday, July 29, 2018. Swollen Yamuna river People swim across the swollen Yamuna river, in New Delhi on Sunday, July 29, 2018. PTI Evacuation People shift with their belongings from inundated Yamuna Khadar, as the water level of Yamuna river rises in New Delhi on Sunday, July 29, 2018. PTI Submerged shanty A woman stands outside her submerged shanty at Yamuna Khadar, as the water level of Yamuna river rises in New Delhi on Sunday, July 29, 2018. PTI Relief operations Flood-hit people queue up to collect food provided by an NGO at Yamuna Khadar, after the water level of Yamuna river rises, in New Delhi on Sunday, July 29, 2018. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 10:39 [IST] Woman dies in attack by migrant worker in Kochi Kochi oi-PTI Kochi, July 30: A 22-year-old woman died this morning after she was allegedly attacked by a migrant worker with a sharp-edged weapon at her residence near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district this morning, police said. Nimisha, a second-year degree student at a private college, reportedly suffered grievous injuries in her neck in the attack allegedly by the migrant worker from Odisha who barged into her house. She died as she was rushed to a hospital in Perumbavoor, police said. One of her relatives was also injured in the attack. He was admitted in the hospital, and his condition was not serious, they said. The migrant worker has been taken into custody and is being interrogated, police said, adding that snatching is suspected to be the motive behind the attack. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 14:09 [IST] Lameness prevention: it's all in the head An understanding of how cows think, how they see the world and how they move is essential for lameness prevention. On the weekend of Aug. 11-12, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present living history programs at Snodgrass Hill focusing on the experiences of the 58th North Carolina Infantry, a unit which participated in the attack on Snodgrass Hill. Programs will take place at Snodgrass Hill (Tour Stop 8). Follow the special event signs to get to Snodgrass Hill. "On Sunday, Sept. 20, 1863, the men of the 58th North Carolina found themselves in a place not all that different from home. Most of the men hailed from the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in the western corner of North Carolina, and as they marched towards Chickamauga, the hills of East Tennessee and Northwest Georgia must have reminded them, in some way, of home," officials said. At 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, living historians will share accounts and experiences of men from the 58th North Carolina, which suffered tremendous casualties as they stormed Snodgrass Hill late in the afternoon on Sept. 20, 1863. For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241 x123 or the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786. Air India owes about 18 billion rupees to its vendors, including lessors and banks. State-owned carrier Air India has sought 21.21 billion rupees (USD 309 million) of additional equity from the government for the fiscal year 2018-19. State-owned carrier Air India has sought 21.21 billion rupees (USD 309 million) of additional equity from the government for the fiscal year 2018-19 to make pending payments to its vendors, a source at the airline told Reuters on Monday. Air India owes about 18 billion rupees to its vendors, including lessors and banks that have demanded payment from the beleaguered airline, after the governments unsuccessful efforts to find a buyer for its 76 percent stake. The airline expects to receive the additional equity within the next 7 to 10 days after which it will be able to clear all dues, the source said, adding that this is above the 6.5 billion rupees it has already received for the year. India last month shelved a plan to sell a majority stake in Air India due to lack of interest from bidders, in the latest setback in its ambitious efforts to rescue the ailing airline that has survived for years using taxpayer funds. The government will continue to support the loss-making airlines financial requirements while it works on alternatives, Junior Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha had said, without giving a specific timeline for a new plan. Three banks and two aircraft leasing firms have served default notices on Air India over the last few weeks, the Business Standard newspaper reported earlier on Monday, raising concerns about the state-owned carriers finances and credit-worthiness. San Francisco, United States-based Wells Fargo Trust Services and UAE's state-owned Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) have sent letters of demand for pending rental payments, the newspaper said, citing sources. A DAE spokesman told Reuters that they were not owed USD 10 million by Alliance Air, and that they had not issued a notice of default to Alliance. Alliance Air is a unit of Air India that operates regional flights to smaller towns and cities in India. Wells Fargo could not be reached outside usual US business hours. Three lenders from a 22-bank consortium have also written to Air India raising concerns that the company is turning into a non-performing asset, Business Standard said. The three banks are Standard Chartered Bank, Dena Bank and Bank of India Ltd. The airline has received a notice from banks for non-payment of dues that is being looked into by the government, the source confirmed. A Standard Chartered spokesman in India declined to comment. Bank of India and Dena Bank did not immediately respond to requests for comment. JNPT pegs annual rental per square feet at Rs 150 whereas airlines projection is Rs 450 New Delhi: The proposed sale of iconic Air India tower in Mumbai could turn out to be a damp squib as the prospective buyer JNPTs projection of earnings from the property is much lower than the airline's expectation. The initial estimate by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), the government-owned entity that is being prodded to acquire the building on Queen's necklace in the financial capital, has pegged the annual rental per square feet at Rs 150 whereas Air India's projection of the same is Rs 450. The wide variance could force the debt-laden carrier to hold back its plan. This would add to a series of setbacks to the government in the last four years. The Centre has already dropped its plan to divest the majority stake in Air India. Besides, the government has failed to sell helicopter operator Pawan Hans and privatise two airports in Jaipur and Ahmedabad After government plan to privatise Air India recently failed, it said that the focus would now be on monetising airline's real estate. Selling the iconic tower is part of the plans to raise funds and revive the airline. The national carrier earned Rs 291 crore as lease rental from its prized Nariman Point building between 2012-13 and January 2018. In all, Air India monetised a sum of Rs 543.03 crore from its fixed assets during this period. According to official sources, shipping, road transport & highways minister Nitin Gadkari first suggested the idea of JNPT buying the Air India building to ensure that the property does not go to a private company. Since the building is a landmark and pride of Mumbai, Gadkari saw enough merit in transferring the ownership and control of the building to another government entity instead of a corporate. But there has not been enough progress so far on taking up the proposal. The government is yet to formally constitute a panel and its terms of reference (ToR) to decide the contours of sale. "After the committee is formed and it gives its report, the proposal would be taken up by the boards of Air India and JNPT separately. It depends on the board of JNPT if they need another building and whether it makes commercial sense. It is supposed to manage port and not real estate. I personally do not see the deal having any merit for it," said an official wishing not to be named. Financial Chronicle was the first to report on June 25 that government was planning to sell Air India's Nariman Point building in Mumbai to JNPT. Saddled with a debt of Rs 50,000 crore, state-run Air India has been surviving on taxpayer money since 2012 when the then UPA government cleared a Rs 30,231 crore bailout. The regulator has ordered a detailed investigation on a complaint filed by Noida Software Technology Park Ltd. New Delhi: Competition Commission has ordered a probe against broadcasters -- Star India and Sony Pictures Network India -- for allegedly indulging in unfair business practices with regard to pricing of television channels. The regulator has ordered a detailed investigation on a complaint filed by Noida Software Technology Park Ltd, which is into the business of satellite communication. In its 28-page order, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has directed its investigation arm -- Director General -- to probe whether Star India (Opposite Party-1) and Sony Pictures Network India (Opposite Party-2) refused to deal with Noida Software Technology by way of price discrimination. The DG has also been directed to look into the role of the persons/ officers who were in-charge of and responsible for the conduct of the businesses at the the time of the alleged contravention, the order, dated July 27, said. Citing a judgement of the TDSAT, the fair trade regulator said that broadcasters, despite regulatory oversight, had the ability to discriminate amongst distributors and use RIO-based agreements as a mechanism of refusal to deal. "So much so, that TRAI was constrained to issue new regulations to ensure non-discrimination. Thus, the contention of informant (Noida Software Technology) that agreement by OP-1 and OP-2 in RIO terms amounted to refusal to deal by them has some merit," the watchdog said. The CCI also noted that such agreements are prohibited under the Competition Act. All similarly situated distributors are to be offered the same non-discriminatory prices by broadcasters in accordance with the Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO). TDSAT is the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal while TRAI is the telecom sector regulator. Noida Software Technology has a 'Head-End In The Sky' (HITS) license to establish, install, operate and maintain HITS project for digital cable services in India. The company is also a distributor of television channels. An HITS operator retransmits television content to its local cable operators via satellite. In final draft of National Register of Citizens 2,89,83, 677 have been found eligible among 3.29 crore total applicants. Those who have been left out can apply for claims and objections, said State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Assam has released the draft of National Register of Citizens or NRC in the state on Monday. 2,89,83, 677 (two crore eighty nine lakhs, eighty three thousand six hundred and seventy seven) people have been found eligible Indian citizens among 3.29 crore total applicants. The forty lakh now on the edge to prove their nationality will have to apply for claims and objections, said State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela. Applications will be taken till September 30 until which time no one will be considered an illegal immigrant. Officials also requested people not to panic if their names did not appear on the list as "all genuine applicants would get ample time for claims and objections". Officials asserted that this is only a draft, and no one would be deported and punished based on it. "Based on this draft no reference case will be sent to the foreigner tribunal or put in a detention Centre," said Satyendra Garg, home ministry officer in-charge of the northeast. Read: National Register of Citizens impartial, no need to panic: Rajnath Singh Nearly 40 lakh citizens have been left out in the draft list, said Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary of Northeast Affairs of Ministry of Home Affairs. Garg said that the citizens who have been left out will be given "opportunity" to prove their citizenship claims. Also Read: Historic day: Assam CM congratulates people of state on release of list of citizens Prateek Hajela said, "It's a historic day in the country and Assam towards fulfillment of a major milestone of publishing draft under monitoring of Supreme Court. The exercise of the NRC in its scale size is unprecedented." The NRC has been updated for the first time since 1951 to account for illegal migration into Assam from Bangladesh. Also Read: Political motives of BJP leaving nearly 40 lakh names: TMC, Cong on Assams NRC Security has been strengthened and the Centre has sent extra troops to maintain order in the state. The updated list counts only those as Assams citizens who can prove they were living in the state before March 21, 1971. The list has included descendants of those whose names were in the 1951 list and also those who were voters in Assam till March 24, 1971. Descendants of those who can prove they were Indian citizens till March 24, 1971 are also on the NRC list. Those who came between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 and registered themselves with the Foreigners Registration Regional officer have also been considered Indian citizens. The first list of 1.90 crores was released on December 30. India maintains that hundreds of thousands of people have illegally entered the country from neighbouring Bangladesh over decades and settled down in the northeast. Bangladesh rejects the claim. The application process for inclusion in India's national register started in 2015. Maran had appealed against a Madras High Court ruling that sent back case to CBI for framing of charges. The special CBI court had in March discharged Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi and others accused in the case. (Photo: PTI/File) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an appeal by former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran and reconfirmed a Madras High Court ruling that directed him to face trial in the decade-old illegal BSNL telephone exchange case. The Madras High Court had in March set aside a trial court order discharging Dayanidhi and his elder brother Kalanithi. Last week, it sent the case back to the special CBI court for trial and framing of charges within 12 weeks. The special CBI court had discharged Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi and others accused in the case. The trial court had allowed the petitions filed by Maran brothers and others seeking their discharge, holding that there was no prima facie case against them. A three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice Dipak Misra heard the appeal filed by the Maran brothers on Monday. The Supreme Court said on Monday: "The allegation is that you used phones for your brother's TV. You face the trial." In 2013, the CBI had accused Dayanidhi of misusing his office and installing a virtual private telephone exchange at his residence in Chennai, which was used for business deals involving elder brother Kalanithi's enterprise, Sun Network. Maran was telecom minister between June 2004 and December 2006. The agency had alleged that more than 700 high-end leased telecom lines were installed at the Maran residence in Chennai under the service category, against which bills were never raised. CBI had claimed alleged this scam caused the exchequer a loss of almost Rs 1.78 crore. The agency filed a chargesheet in the case on December 9, 2016. Assailing this order, the Maran brothers said the high court had allowed the CBI's appeal without affording them an opportunity of hearing the matter on merits. The order was in contravention of the statutory mandate of Section 40 (1) of CrPC and the principles of natural justice. They pleaded for quashing the High Court order. Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: OP Investment Management (OPIM), a leading hedge fund platform based in Hong Kong, is partnering with L Squared Management, to launch Long-Term Leader Fund I SP. The Fund is Cayman-domiciled for professional investors only. Mr. Liyang Lu, the fund manager and founder of L Squared Management, will deploy a long-short strategy focusing on companies with China exposure. His investment approach will target companies with a sustainable and increasing economic moat. "We believe in 'Global vision, China perspective'. As China becomes more integrated into the world economy, the ability to analyze companies from both global and local angles gives us an edge in identifying long-term winners" Mr. Lu explained. Mr. Lu was previously assistant vice president at Sanford C. Bernstein's Hong Kong Office where he was responsible for research Asian insurance and Chinese consumer finance companies. Before, he worked for several hedge funds in the United States and Hong Kong as a research analyst and involved with numerous Chinese and international IPO's in the investment banking department of Morgan Stanley Huaxin Securities. He began his career as a consultant with Capgemini consulting in Beijing. Mr. Lu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Banking from Peking University, and an MBA from Columbia Business School. "Having successf...................... To view our full article Click here In the week ending 27 July 2018, investors withdrew an estimated $7.88 billion from global hedge funds in June 2018, bringing overall Q2 2018 net flows for the industry to -$5.43 billion, the industry's second quarterly net redemption since Q4 2016. Total estimated hedge fund assets are now $3.308 trillion. Still, rising volatility is motivating asset owners to take a close look at investment strategies that mitigate risk. Volatility managers running long- and short-volatility strategies and tail-risk specialists report a sharp rise in inquiries and investment, particularly from institutions. Meanwhile, the U.S. insurance industry is said to reduce its risk appetite for hedge fund investments, as holdings declined by 8.5% to $16.4bn from $17.9bn in 2016. Hong Kong's asset and wealth management business reached $3,108 billion in 2017, the SFC said. Institutional assets available to asset management firms in Asia topped...................... To view our full article Click here The much-anticipated second and final draft of the NRC with 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants was published today. Sonowal expressed confidence that the NRC would be able to pave the way for realising the hopes and aspirations of the genuine Indian citizens. (Photo: File) Guwahati: Congratulating the people of the state for the successful publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said: "The historic day will remain etched in their memories forever". The process of publishing the final draft on Monday was carried out in cooperation with the Registrar General of India, along with the central and the state government officials, under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court, the chief minister said. The much-anticipated second and final draft of the NRC with 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants was published around 10 am. The first draft, with 1.9 crore names, was released on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, this year. Assam is the first Indian state where the NRC is being updated after 1951, with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date, to include names of "genuine Indian citizens". The CM thanked the officials, who were involved in updating the NRC. "For this remarkable feat, I extend my heartiest congratulations to the 55,000 officials engaged in NRC updation process and the people living across the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys, plains and hills of the state," he said. Sonowal expressed confidence that the NRC, which has become the "instrument to safeguard the interest of greater Assamese society", would be able to pave the way for realising the hopes and aspirations of the genuine Indian citizens. Both the central and the state governments have extended their support from the very beginning of the NRC publication exercise, he asserted. "After the government led by the BJP and its allies assumed power in 2016 in the state, I went to the NRC office on May 25 that year to take forward the process," he said. Sonowal also urged people not to panic if their names did not appear in NRC draft as genuine Indian citizens would get "full opportunity" to make claims and objections. "NRC is a national programme. It is the duty and obligation of every Indian citizen to maintain peace in the wake of its publication. I appeal to all sections of the society to desist from making any inflammatory or communal remarks," he added. The names of 40.07 lakh applicants did not find a place in the historic document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity. The NRC will include the names of all Indian citizens who have been residing in Assam before March 25, 1971. The application process for the NRC started in May 2015 and a total of 6.5 crore documents were received from 68.27 lakh families across Assam. Currently: Cash Looking to: Short @ 1,765.50 As of 3/21/21 @ 9:02pm EST: 1,738.90 LAST WEEK: We suggested covering shorts / getting long at 1,655 with stops on a close below 1,617 and with a target of 1,775 for selling longs / getting short. Stops on shorts were suggested on a close above 1,783 and we gave a target of 1,655. UPDATE: Technically it looks like gold may have strong resistance at either 1,753.8 or 1,765.5 in the very short-term and that it should trade down towards 1,655.4 or 1,617.30. We would look to sell longs at 1,753.80 and get short at 1,765.50 and would look to cover shorts at 1,655.40. We would look to get long of gold on an extended dip to 1,617.30 with stops on a close below 1,613 and would look to take profits on longs at 1,765. Currently: Long Looking to: Sell @ $52.25 As of 3/19/21 close: $50.20 LAST WEEK: We suggested buying at $49.70 with stops on a close below $48.25 and with a target of $52.25. UPDATE: The European ETF (IEV) had a tough day Thursday along with US stocks. However, it finished higher for the week and remains in bullish technical position right now. We still are looking for a continued move up to $52.25. Try new long positions at $49.27. Honor stops on a close below $48.25 and look to take profits up at $52.25. Curr: Long Looking to: Sell 13,810 / short 13,971.50 As of 3/21/21 @ 7:58pm EST: 12,858.25 LAST WEEK: We suggested buying at 12,664 with an upside target for taking profits at 13,810. We suggested shorting at 14,100 with a covering target of 12,466. UPDATE: NQ futures had a very difficult session on Thursday but remain poised to move higher potentially leading the rest of the market short-term. This could be a perfect example of a catch-up trade. We would buy starting at 12,681.75 with a profit-taking target of 13,829. We would not short until 13,890 with stops on a close above 14,100 and with a covering target of 12,466. Currently: Long Looking to: Sell @ 31,865 As of 3/21/21 @ 8:22pm EST: 29,310 LAST WEEK: We suggested buying any dips down to 28,308 with stops below 28,308 and with a target of 31,865. UPDATE: The Nikkei 225 Index has held raised support at 28,308 thus far and has started to move higher. We believe this rally will continue up to 31,865. Buy any dips from current levels down to 29,037 with stops below 28,308 and with a target of 31,865. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From Asia Times BRICS Leaders Pose for Family Photo before Closed Door Session (Image by YouTube, Channel: CCTV+) Details DMCA The key take-away from the BRICS summit in Johannesburg is that Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- important Global South players -- strongly condemn unilateralism and protectionism. The Johannesburg Declaration is unmistakable: "We recognize that the multilateral trading system is facing unprecedented challenges. We underscore the importance of an open world economy." Closer examination of Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech unlocks some poignant details. Xi, crucially, emphasizes delving further into "our strategic partnership." That implies increased BRICS and Beyond BRICS multilateral trade, investment and economic and financial connectivity. And that also implies reaching to the next level; "It is important that we continue to pursue innovation-driven development and build the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) to strengthen coordination on macroeconomic policies, find more complementarities in our development strategies, and reinforce the competitiveness of the BRICS countries, emerging market economies and developing countries." If PartNIR sounds like the basis for an overall Global South platform, that's because it is. In a not too veiled allusion to the Trump administration's unilateral pullout from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), Xi called all parties to "abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations and to settle disputes through dialogue and differences through consultation," adding that the BRICS are inevitably working for "a new type of international relations." Relations such as these certainly do not include a superpower unilaterally imposing an energy export blockade -- an act of economic war -- on an emerging market and key actor of the Global South. Xi is keen to extol a "network of closer partnerships." That's where the concept of BRICS Plus fits in. China coined BRICS Plus last year at the Xiamen summit, it refers to closer integration between the five BRICS members and other emerging markets/developing nations Argentina, Turkey and Jamaica are guests of honor in Johannesburg. Xi sees BRICS Plus interacting with the UN, the G20 "and other frameworks" to amplify the margin of maneuver not only of emerging markets but the whole Global South. ""So how does Iran fit into this framework? Immediately after President Trump's Tweet of Mass Destruction the rhetorical war between Washington and Tehran has skyrocketed to extremely dangerous levels. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. Dr Ian Hodgson, CNS (Citizen News Service) Do not leave Nurses behind in fight to end AIDS by 2030 (Image by CNS (Citizen News Service)) Details DMCA (CNS): Since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, nurses have been at the forefront of the response to this once-fatal infection. The nurse is involved at every stage of the trajectory of a person living with HIV--from usually being the first to counsel the newly diagnosed person, to one of the last to be with him/her at the point of death. This significant, albeit less recognized, role played by nurses across the world in the care, support, and treatment of people living with HIV (PLHIV) was the key theme of an important event hosted by the US based Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) at the recently concluded 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Nurses are the backbone of effective HIV response Nurses have always been the front and centre of public-health crises. In the most recent outbreak of Ebola during May 2018 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the first health professional to die of the infection was a nurse. At the beginning of the HIV epidemic, nurses provided the bulk of in-hospital care during the difficult pre-ART phases, and though there are no recorded incidents of nurses catching HIV in the workplace, there is an associated toll. Nurses can often be stigmatized because of their place of work, and/or work alone in rural clinics with little support and the expectation that they provide all the required care. Nurses also provide point-of-care HIV tests, support people following a TB test, counsel pregnant young women following a positive HIV diagnosis, and give immediate information about treatment and lifestyle. Indeed, according to Carole Treston, Executive Director of ANAC, nurses are in a prime position to be champions of human rights, "stigma busters and discrimination fighters." Why are nurses absent from HIV policy-making? Yet nurses are usually absent from policy-making, and even the International AIDS Society has never had a nurse on its board. Nurses do seek influence, not through hubris but rather a desire to shape policy impacting directly on the lives of people affected by HIV. This is something they have in common with civil-society organisations, a cohort that since the beginning of the HIV epidemic has become, and rightly so, increasingly vocal and influential. But where are the nurses? Often, they are simply too busy working at the ground. Then again, in some areas of Africa and South America, for example, nurses are routinely rotated around specialties, working as HIV nurses for only a limited period of time and with little opportunity for career progression in the field. There is also the question of gender, with female nurses less likely to progress in countries where gender inequality is endemic and with hierarchical health systems dominated by male doctors. This is perhaps the reason ANAC and other HIV nursing associations find it difficult to reach out and connect with nurses in eastern Europe and central Asia, where nurses are relatively disempowered compared to the west. Nurses here are unlikely to reach the levels of autonomy required for policy-making involvement and networking. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From NBC News We need to reform a broken system that punishes Americans for crimes even if they're never convicted In a country in which we pride ourselves on the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" we should not be keeping hundreds of thousands of people locked up before they have actually been convicted of a crime. And yet in 2016, more than 65 percent of the over 700,000 people in county or city jails on any given day in the United States were "unconvicted" -- meaning that more than 400,000 people were in jail who had not been convicted of a crime, often because they lack the money to pay bail. In other words, we have criminalized poverty. That is not acceptable. Pretrial detention should be not based on how much money a person has, what kind of mood the judge is in on a given day, or even what judge the case happens to come before. When a person is arrested, they are brought before a judge to evaluate the charges against them and decide whether or not to set bail -- and, if they set bail, at what amount. But bail is not supposed to be set above a person's ability to pay; people should not be sitting in jail awaiting their trial simply because they are poor. In 2016, the average length of stay in jail for the entire jail population was 25 days, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. It might not sound like much, but the sad truth is that people who can't afford bail, and who thus spend three or four weeks in jail awaiting trial, are likely to lose their jobs and their income, they won't be able to pay their rent and may find themselves homeless, and they may even lose custody of their children -- all because they don't have enough money to buy their way out of jail. Further, a recent study showed that people who have to stay in jail before their trial are more likely to plead guilty -- presumably just to move the process along. According to the ACLU, "pretrial detention is the greatest predictor of a conviction." Overall, the U.S. spends nearly $14 billion each year locking people up who haven't been convicted and might never be. It's clear the system is a poor use of resources. In 2015, the city of New Orleans collected $4.5 million in bail, fines and fees, but spent $6.4 million detaining people who couldn't afford to pay their bail, fine or fee. And, as with so many other aspects of our society, for-profit companies are making huge profits off of poor defendants. The for-profit bail industry makes well over a billion dollars each year -- and the U.S. is one of only two countries in the world that even allows for-profit bond companies. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. This piece was reprinted by OpEdNews with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. From Caitlin Johnstone Website Last Tuesday a top lawyer for the New York Times named David McCraw warned a room full of judges that the prosecution of Julian Assange for WikiLeaks publications would set a very dangerous precedent which would end up hurting mainstream news media outlets like NYT, the Washington Post, and other outlets which publish secret government documents. "I think the prosecution of him would be a very, very bad precedent for publishers," McCraw said. "From that incident, from everything I know, he's sort of in a classic publisher's position and I think the law would have a very hard time drawing a distinction between The New York Times and WikiLeaks." Do you know where I read about this? Not in the New York Times. The New York Times is aware of this, and as evidenced by McCraw's comments it is also aware of the dangerous precedent that such a prosecution would set for all news media publications. The New York Times editorial staff are aware that the US government prosecuting a publisher for publishing important documents that had been hidden from the public would make it impossible for the Times to publish the same kind of material without fear of the same legal repercussions. It is aware that the maneuvers being taken against Assange present a very real existential threat to the possibility of real journalism and holding power to account. You might think, therefore, that we'd be seeing a flood of analyses and op-eds from the New York Times aggressively condemning any movement toward the prosecution of Julian Assange. You might expect all media outlets in America to be constantly sounding the alarm about this, especially since the threat is coming from the Trump administration, which outlets like the New York Times are always eager to air dire warnings about. You might expect every talking head on CNN and NBC to be ominously citing Assange as the clearest and most egregious case yet of Trump's infamous "war on the free press." Leaving aside the issues of morality, compassion and human rights that come with Assange's case, you might think that if for no other reason than sheer unenlightened self interest they'd be loudly and aggressively defending him. And yet, they don't. And the fact that they don't shows us what they really are. They're not next. Very few will ever publish anything substantive enough to generate serious blowback. -- WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 25, 2018 Theoretically, journalism is meant to help create an informed populace and hold power to account. That's why it's the only profession explicitly named in the United States Constitution, and why freedom of the press has enjoyed such constitutional protections throughout US history. The press today is failing to protect Julian Assange because it has no intention of creating an informed populace or holding power to account. This is not to suggest the existence of some grand, secret conspiracy among US journalists. It's just a simple fact that plutocrats own most of the US news media and hire the people who run it, which has naturally created an environment where the best way to advance one's career is to remain perpetually inoffensive to the establishment upon which plutocrats have built their respective empires. This is why you see ambitious reporters on Twitter falling all over themselves to be the first with a pithy line that advances establishment agendas whenever breaking news presents an opportunity to do so; they are aware that their social media presence is being assessed by potential employers and allies for establishment loyalism. This also why so many of those aspiring journalists attack Assange and WikiLeaks whenever possible. "Everyone hoping to gain admission to the cultural elite must now strenuously cultivate their social media so as to avoid controversy," journalist Michael Tracey observed recently. "Eventually they will internalize controversy-avoidance as a virtue, not a societal imposition. Result: a more boring, conformist elite culture." A great way for an aspiring journalist to avoid controversy is to never, ever defend Assange or WikiLeaks on social media or in any media outlet, and certainly under no circumstances allow yourself to look like the sort of journo who might someday publish the sorts of materials that WikiLeaks publishes. An excellent way to prove yourself is to become yet another author of yet another one of the many, many smear pieces that have been written about Assange and WikiLeaks. Why Americans Need to Defend Julian Assange's Freedom https://t.co/J8nUjta64a -- Common Dreams (@commondreams) July 28, 2018 Mainstream media outlets and those who thrive within them have no intention of rocking the boat and losing their hard-earned privilege and access. Conservative mass media will continue to defend the US president, and liberal media will continue to defend the CIA and the FBI. Both will help advance war, ecocide, military expansionism, surveillance and police militarization, and none will leak anything that is damaging to the power structures that they have learned to serve. They will remain innocuous, uncontroversial defenders of the rich and powerful at all times. Meanwhile, alternative media outlets are defending Assange ferociously. Just today I've seen articles from Consortium News, World Socialist Website, Disobedient Media, Antiwar and Common Dreams decrying the persecution of the most important government transparency advocate living today. Alternative media outlets and independent writers aren't bound by establishment servitude, so the value of WikiLeaks is clear as day. One's eyes are only blinded to the pernicious behaviors of power when power is signing one's paycheck. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Podcast Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their podcasts after publishing them. To see if the podcast was renamed or re-published, please click here. Enago enters Africa with a series of Author Workshops in Nigeria https://www.enago.com/ Enago conducted a series of author workshops at four different locations in NigeriaNational Universities Commission (NUC), University of Lagos, University of Port-Harcourt, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University. These workshops, which were organized in collaboration with NUC, were organized as an initiative to address the fundamental issues of academic publishing of Nigerian researchers. For this series of workshops, the speaker was Mr. Duncan Nicholas, a publication and training consultant with Enago Academy. The sessions attracted a response from over 2000 researchers!A large number of graduate students and early-stage researchers attended these sessions. The first session commenced with an introduction to the basic guidelines on preparing research articles, tips on appropriate structuring, as well as key steps for submission of manuscripts, which can affect the possibility of the manuscript being published in reputed journals. The second one discussed the important concepts related to journal selection such as aims and scope of journals, understanding journal quality, and avoiding predatory journals/publishers. Understanding these issues is important as they can have a significant impact on the visibility of published research and acceptance of manuscripts by journals. An interactive Q&A session helped the audience share their concerns with the speaker and resolve their queries.NUCEnagos workshops helped the academic community from Nigeria get clarity on the expectations of international peer-reviewed journals. Also, the session on journal selection definitely helped improve awareness of predatory journals/publishers among Nigerian researchers, some of whom have unknowingly selected them for publishing their research. Every researcher will have to be aware of these concepts and thats exactly what we aimed to share through our workshops. said Rajiv Shirke, Vice President, Global Operations, Enago.Dr. Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf, Director-Research Innovation & Information Technology, National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja mentioned, For making a mark on the global research map, publishing in international high-impact journals is a key endeavor for many universities and research institutions. However, the challenge of understanding the various aspects of research communication and publication persists, especially for an early-career researcher. We collaborated with Enago to fix this issue and to provide our researchers with continuous support, and are extremely happy with the results of the workshops conducted. The topics presented were apt for our audience, and we would not be surprised if some of them insist on another set of workshops by Enago.Prof. Ndowa E. S. Lale, FAVH, FESN, FISCEST, Vice-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt stated, On behalf of Governing Council, Senate, Staff and the entire students of the University of Port-Harcourt, I wish to thank Enago for organizing these workshops for our researchers, faculty, and students. We received a lot of impressive feedback from the participants. We are happy that this event has also raised the overall level of awareness about the publication process. We will continue to interface with Enago for such knowledge initiatives with the aim of reducing the gap between research and publication.Prof. Wellington A. Oyibo, Director Research and Innovation Office, University of Lagos mentioned Thank you Enago for conducting the workshops here at UNILAG, Nigeria. The response was simply overwhelming! The Q&A sessions were enlightening for the attendees and the speakers connection to the audience was excellent. Throughout the sessions, the best practices and tips shared by Enago have given our academics an insight into improving their chances of getting published in high-impact journals. We are sure that acquiring such knowledge will expedite the global dissemination of research conducted in Africa.Prof. Charles Esimone, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Nnamdi Azikiwe University added It is important to note that research production in Nigeria has been increasing in recent years. In this vein, the workshops conducted by Enago helped the countrys researchers in expanding their knowledge, thereby helping them to publish their research results successfully. The two sessions allowed them to explore topics such as writing scientific manuscripts, use of publishing technological tools, open access publishing, and communication with journal editors, among other aspects. The workshop was handled by Enagos speaker in an appropriate manner and met the expectations of the audience. This will undoubtedly help the participants to improve the dissemination of their research work at an international level.Enago is the trusted name in author services for the global research community. Since 2005, we have worked with researchers in more than 125 countries improving the communication of their research and helping them to achieve success in publication. Enago is a preferred partner for leading publishers, societies, as well as universities worldwide.Enago1732, 1st Ave #22627, New York, New York, 10128 The Supreme Court refused to interfere with Gujarat HC order directing Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to demolish illegal constructions. The Gujarat Cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt was suspended in 2011 for remaining absent from duty without permission and misuse of official vehicles and later sacked in August 2015. (Photo: File | PTI) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the demolition of illegal structures at the residential property jointly owned by controversial sacked IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt and his wife in Ahmedabad. The top court refused to interfere with the Gujarat High Court order directing Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to demolish the illegal constructions. A bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi, R Banumathi and Navin Sinha said that there is no ground to interfere with the high court verdict. "We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment. The Special Leave Petitions are accordingly dismissed," the bench said. Senior advocate Harin P Rawal, appearing for Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt, said that the municipal corporation has not given ample opportunity to the petitioner to hear their case and had taken an arbitrary decision. "Earlier, you came to us, we had then protected you. We have now examined the matter. We can't interfere. Sorry", the bench said. He said that even the high court erred in its finding and "it is a jointly owned property with my husband, who was a police officer". "Your husband was a policeman. It does not mean you will take law in your hand. Sorry, we can't interfere with the order of high court," the bench said. The Gujarat Cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt was suspended in 2011 for remaining absent from duty without permission and misuse of official vehicles and later sacked in August 2015. Bhatt's wife Shweta has unsuccessfully contested assembly election as a Congress party candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad in 2012. On July 25, immediately after the high court ordered demolition of illegal structures at Bhatt's residence, the former cop's wife moved the apex court and had managed to secure the stay of demolition drive. Shweta Bhatt had claimed before the apex court that just after the pronouncement of the verdict by high court at 11 am, the municipal corporation team had reached outside her house to demolish it. The apex court, in its order, while staying the demolition exercise till Monday, had allowed Shweta Bhatt to file the appeal against the order of the high court. "It is in the circumstances that we entertain this oral mentioning and direct that till Monday i.e. July 30, 2018, there shall be no demolition pursuant to the order of the High Court dated July 25, 2018, passed in Letters Patent Appeal," the bench had said. A division bench of the high court had upheld a single judge order directing the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to demolish the illegal construction at former IPS officer's house and had asked the civic body to comply with its order without any delay. The residential property in Ahmedabad's Sushil Nagar Society is jointly owned by Bhatt couple. A petition was filed in 2012 by one of the Bhatt's neighbours alleging illegal construction at the residential property based on information gathered through RTI applications. Premium Amplifier Boards without the Need for External Power Supplies or Noisy Fans ICEpower Models Available Only At Parts Express! www.parts-express.com Premium Amplifier Boards without the Need for External Power Supplies or Noisy FansDAYTON, OH (July 27, 2018) Create your own powered subwoofer or active speaker system with these combination power supply amplifier boards by ICEpower.ICEpower supplies superior audio solutions based on world class technologies and competences within class D amplifiers. ICEpower amplifier modules have been a staple in the audio amplifier world for years, and now they are in stock, right here in the United States at Parts Express. Their dependability and accuracy have made them a legend, now you have the ability to put ICEpower into your next project.You will find ICEpower amp boards are built into active sound systems, powered speakers, and rack amps used by live sound professionals. That's because ICEpower boards handle more G-force, making them more durable than other amp boards on the market. ICEpower's built-in thermal overload protection keeps your amps from overheating when bands crank-it-up.Parts Express is the exclusive United States supplier, and offers same day shipping when the order is received before 4 PM ET, making it easier than ever to acquire ICEpower amp modules for your project. Since ICEpower has been built into active sound components for close to twenty years, having them in stock in the USA makes repair time estimates shorter, and more accurate.About Parts ExpressParts Express is the leading provider of Audio, Video and Speaker Building components and solutions since 1986. With over 18,000 products in stock, we are proud to offer our customersranging from sound technicians to audio enthusiaststhe highest quality electronic parts and accessories. Parts Express is an authorized distributor for some of the most respected brands in the audio, video, and speaker-building industry, including: Dayton Audio, Pioneer, Neutrik, Eminence, and Peavey. Our corporate office, warehouse, and retail store are located in Springboro, Ohio, about 25 minutes north of Cincinnati. Visit us online at725 Pleasant Valley DriveSpringboro OH 45066-1158 3 Types of Painkillers that make you Vulnerable to Addiction Many different types of painkillers are available today from the safest ones that are available over the counter, such as aspirin to the most powerful painkillers that contain opiates. Here is a closer look at some of the most addictive painkillers in the world the opiates. Oxycodone Oxycodone is a painkiller that can change your perception of pain. It interrupts CNS (central nervous system) communication to reduce the sensation of pain. But it can also lead to an addiction with serious physical and psychological side effects. Oxycodone is available as OxyContin. Oxycodone mixed with acetaminophen is available under the name Percocet. Fentanyl Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is used to relieve pain. Fentanyl is many times more powerful than morphine! This is why it is prescribed only for people who are suffering from intense, excruciating pain. Illegally sold fentanyl is often mixed with other dangerous substances, making it highly dangerous to users. Fentanyl is the reason for the majority of opioid-related overdose deaths. Since fentanyl is so powerful, even a slight overdose can prove fatal. Codeine Codeine is an extremely common painkiller in the United States. It is also a component in many medications, such as cold medicine or cough syrup. Although codeine is harmless in small doses, its an opiate nevertheless. That means users addiction to the drug may develop very quickly. While prescription painkillers serve a useful purpose and help chronic pain patients live better quality life, it is not difficult for a person to turn from prescription use to abuse and addiction. The risk is extremely high. If you or a loved one is dependent on painkillers, it is important to seek professional help. Leading rehabs, such as Pacific Bay Recovery in San Diego, offer medical detox, inpatient and outpatient rehab and ongoing care as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that sets them up for successful recovery under the supervision of experienced experts. Effective painkiller or prescription drug addiction treatment programs include the a few or more of the following Medical detox Pain management Dual Diagnosis Individual counseling and therapy Group therapy Behavioral therapy Trauma and grief therapy Family therapy Good rehabs offer a long-term outpatient program after inpatient or residential treatment to prevent relapse and provide ongoing support as the person returns to the home or work environment they are a part of. To learn more about pain management in San Diego, call one of the leading alcohol detox and rehab centers San Diego, Pacific Bay Recovery at 858-263-9700 Today. Pacific Bay Recovery offers a wide range of treatment programs in San Diego, customized to your specific condition, for drug and alcohol rehabilitation and long-term success. Pacific Bay Recovery 1501 5th Avenue, Suite 100 San Diego, CA 92101 (858) 263-9700 This release was published on openPR. Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release. Rotary Club of Fort Myers South brings Josh the Otter to SWFL students https://joshtheotter.org www.rotarysouth.org The Rotary Club of Fort Myers South is working to solve a deadly problem that affects more children in Florida than in any other state. Club members are bringing the Josh the Otter Water Safety and Literacy Project to local kindergarten students in an effort to educate children with a simple message: Stay away from water unless accompanied by an adult and always swim with a buddy.Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in children ages 1 through 4 in the United States. With pools, beaches and year-round swimming weather, Florida led the nation in child drownings during 2017. The program aims to incorporate its lifesaving message into every educational curriculum in the United States. Rotarians will distribute and read Josh the Baby Otter books to children to help them understand the importance of water safety. The book comes with a CD that includes a song called Learn to Float, along with a pledge about water safety and a coloring book.Parents Blake and Kathy Collingsworth created the program in honor of their 2-year-old son, Joshua, who died in June 2008 after falling into the family pool. The couple felt compelled to help reduce the dramatic numbers of death by drowning that occur around the world. The book Josh the Baby Otter, written by Blake, has been translated into 12 languages and distributed to over 1 million children.The presentations will take place at the following times and locations: Tuesday, July 31 from 9:50-10:50 a.m. at Lockmiller Child Development Center on 13311 FSW Lane in Fort Myers Thursday, Aug. 2 from 9:50-10:50 a.m. at the P.A. Geraci Child Development Center on 3713 Canal Street in Fort MyersFor more information about the Josh the Otter Water Safety and Literacy Project, visit their website atRotary Club of Fort Myers SouthRotary Club of Fort Myers South has more than 120 members who are among the 1.3 million Rotarians worldwide. Service Above Self is the motto of Rotary International, which has contributed more than $1.2 billion and tens of thousands of volunteer hours toward polio eradication in addition to projects such as water quality, world peace and literacy. Rotary Club of Fort Myers South meetings are held each Monday at noon at the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower Shops hotel, 13051 Bell Tower Drive. For more information, visitJosh Milton, Vice President of Media RelationsCONRIC PR & Marketing6216 Whiskey Creek Drive, Suite BFort Myers, FL 33919239-690-9840Josh@ConricPR.com | ConricPR.com Flow Chemistry Market Quadruples by 2023; with a ~ 9.68 % of Whooping CAGR | AM Technology, CEM Corporation, Syrris Ltd, Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik, Milestone S.r.l, Chemtrix B.V, Biotage and FutureChemistry Holding BV Flow Chemistry Market https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report-sample/CM04685 https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report/flow-chemistry-market https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/check-discount/CM04685 Flow Chemistry Market - Competitive Insights:The leading players in the market are AM Technology, CEM Corporation, Syrris Ltd, Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik, Milestone S.r.l, Chemtrix B.V, Biotage and FutureChemistry Holding BV. The competitive atmosphere in the market is driven by development in innovation for the usage of flow chemistry. The organizations have been putting intensely in R and D and creating instruments that upgrade the generation technique as well as enhance the yield of the product.Flow Chemistry Market - Industry Outlook and Trend Analysis:The Flow Chemistry Market was worth USD 0.87 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach approximately USD 2.01 billion by 2023, while registering itself at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.68% during the forecast period. Expanding infiltration of technology in the pharmaceuticals segment is anticipated to be the real driving component over the gauge time frame. It is considered as green technology because of its environment-friendly nature and outstanding properties compared to the batch production processes. High safety level offered by the technology while performing gas-based responses is foreseen to increase the demand over the estimate time frame. Furthermore, invaluable properties including reduced reaction steps, low maintenance, and controlled environment are expected to boost the market development.Get Sample Copy of This Report @Flow Chemistry Market - Reactor Outlook and Trend Analysis:CSTR reactors ruled the worldwide market with an income share of 44.0% in 2015. Compatibility of these reactors amid different reaction stages including fluid stage, gas-fluid stage, and strong fluid stage has prompted the high reception rate over the previous years. In addition, simple construction of these reactors is anticipated to impel its demand over the gauge time frame. Microreactors are anticipated to witness the speediest development over the figure time frame by virtue of quickly developing use in the pharmaceutical and fine chemicals industry.The Flow Chemistry Market is segmented as follows-Flow Chemistry Market - By Reactor:ChemicalsAcademia & ResearchPetrochemicalsPharmaceuticalsOthersFlow Chemistry Market - By Application:Plug Flow ReactorMicroreactorCSTRMicrowave SystemOthersFlow Chemistry Market - Application Outlook and Trend Analysis:Chemicals represented the biggest share of the overall industry of 37.1% in the worldwide market in 2015. Developing application in fine chemicals and specialty chemicals because of expanding focus towards environmental regulations, safety, and cost-effectiveness is foreseen to drive the request over the figure time frame. Expanding focus on scaling up the generation procedure is anticipated to drive the request from chemical industry. It permits a lessening in the quantity of steps and reaction rate which is probably going to positively affect the market development.Flow Chemistry Market - By Region:North America - U.S, Canada, MexicoEurope - Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Rest of EuropeAsia-Pacific - Japan, China, Australia, India, South Korea, Rest of Asia PacificRest of the World - Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, OthersFlow Chemistry Market - Regional Outlook and Trend Analysis:North America was the biggest market, representing an income offer of 36.8%, in terms of income, in 2015. The presence of booming chemical manufacturing infrastructure combined with technological progressions is anticipated to increase the interest for flow technology in the locale. Moreover, expanding interest in petrochemical producing is anticipated to drive the request over the gauge time frame. Europe is one of the quickest developing regions and represented an income offer of 22.1% in 2016. The area has seen a quick increment in the interest for stream reactors from chemicals industry in the course of recent years.Browse Full Report @Table of Contents:1.Introduction1.1.Report Description1.2.Research Methodology2.Executive Summary2.1.Key Highlights3.Market Overview3.1.Introduction3.2.Market Dynamics4.Market Analysis by Regions4.1.North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)4.2.Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Rest of Europe)4.3.Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Rest of Asia-Pacific)4.4.South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Rest of South America)4.5.Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Rest of MEA)5.Flow Chemistry Market, By Application5.1.Introduction5.2.Global Flow Chemistry Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Application (2014-2018)5.3.Pharmaceuticals5.4.Chemicals5.5.Academia & Research5.6.Petrochemicals5.7.Other Applications6.Flow Chemistry Market, By ReactorAvail Discount on Report @.ContinuedAbout Crystal Market Research:Crystal Market Research is a U.S. based market research and business intelligence company. Crystal offers one stop solution for market research, business intelligence, and consulting services to help clients make more informed decisions. It provides both syndicated as well as customized research studies for its customers spread across the globe. The company offers market intelligence reports across a broad range of industries including healthcare, chemicals & materials, technology, automotive, and energy.Contact Us:Judy304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107,United StatesToll Free: +1-888-213-4282Email: sales@crystalmarketresearch.com Alzheimers Disease Diagnostic Market To Grip Success by Crossing 10.0% CAGR and USD 12 Billion by Revenue and Demand | Confirms MRFR with Eli Lilly and Company, TauRx, Alector, Etc Alzheimers Disease Diagnostic Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2149 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/2149 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2149 According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, the global Alzheimers disease diagnostic market is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The market will demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2022, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a sound CAGR during the anticipated period (2017 2022).Regional Analysis for Global Alzheimers disease Diagnostic MarketThe global market is led by the Americas. Rising per capita healthcare expenditures, presence of global players like CogRx and Accera, Inc. along with a huge patient population drives the market growth within the region. In 2015, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. the total healthcare expenditure accounted for 17.8% of the total gross domestic product (GDP), which accounted for USD 3.2 trillion. Europe is the second largest market. Huge patient population, increasing government support the R&D fuels the market growth within the region. According to the Alzheimer's Society, the number of the patients suffering from dementia in the U.K is expected to reach over one million by 2025. Asia Pacific region consists of the developing economies like India & China making it to be the fastest growing region. The Middle East & Africa region holds the least share, especially due to the African region. The Middle East region holds the market of this region due to huge healthcare expenditures.Get Sample PDF Illustration @Global Alzheimers disease Diagnostic Market - OverviewThe major drivers will be the increasing per capita healthcare expenditure and growing geriatric population. With it the market for diagnostic test, including diagnostic molecules and assays will contribute significantly to the health and wellbeing of the patients.In 2017, according to the Alzheimer's Association, 5.5 million Americans lives with Alzheimer's dementia, and estimated 5.3 million are at 65 years old or above. Moreover, according to the National Institute of Health, the global geriatric population is expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2050 from 617 million in 2016. From the illustrated facts it is clear that the market will grow significantly in the presence of the need of diagnostics.Key Players for Global Alzheimers disease Diagnostic MarketSome of the key players in this market are: Eli Lilly and Company (UK), TauRx (Republic of Singapore), Alector LLC (US), Accera, Inc. (US), Treventis Corporation (US), Neuro-Bio Ltd (UK), Cognition Therapeutics Inc. (US) and others.Global Alzheimers Disease Diagnostic Market - Competitive AnalysisCharacterized by the presence of several well-established and small players, the global market of Alzheimers disease diagnostic appears to be highly competitive and fragmented. International players are increasingly expanding their footprint in the developing economy, making it difficult for regional vendors to compete with them, especially in terms of features such as product differentiation, product portfolios, quality, and pricing. The market is witnessing intensified competition which is expected to get more intensified further during the forecast period. The intense competition prevalent in the market dictates the consolidation among players.Well established players followed acquisition, collaboration, partnership, expansion, and product launch in order to gain competitive advantage in this market and to maintain their market position.Eli Lilly and Company is one of the major players in the global Alzheimers disease diagnostic market. The total revenue generated by the company in 2016 was reported to be approximately around 21.2 billion. Followed by such huge revenue the company invested 24.7% of its revenue on the research and development. Following such a trends from the past few years, Eli Lilly and Company became a global leader in the fight against Alzheimers disease and it is leading the market since last 30 years. Today, Eli Lilly and Company has molecules to treat and diagnose Alzheimers disease in various stages of clinical development, including seven investigational compounds to treat Alzheimers disease and two diagnostics to help better diagnose the disease condition. To enhance the product development and commercialization the company in Jan. 27, 2016 announced an arrangement to partner with Roche Diagnostics on its ongoing development of a commercially scalable cerebrospinal fluid assay for amyloid-beta 1-42.Get Prime Discount on Report @Some Major Chapter from Table of Contents of ReportChapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market IntroductionChapter 3. Research MethodologyChapter 4. Market DynamicsChapter 5. Market Factor AnalysisChapter 6. Global Health Supplements Market, By TypeChapter 7. Global Health Supplements Market, By Diagnostic TestsChapter 8. Global Health Supplements Market, By End UserChapter 9. Global Health Supplements Market, By RegionChapter 10 Company LandscapeChapter 11 Company ProfilesChapter 12 MRFR ConclusionChapter 13 AppendixDo You Have Specific Requirement? Ask To Our Experts@About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureHadapsar, Pune 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Drilling Rigs Market - Key trends/opportunities/challenges | Simco Drilling Equipment Inc, Bauer Maschinen GmbH, Weatherford International Ltd., https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=311 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=311 https://www.tmrresearch.com/drilling-rigs-market Around the world, there are seven different types of drilling rigs that are currently in use for offshore operations. Drilling rigs are available in a number of sizes that range from single person operated to those capable of making holes several thousands of meters below the earths surface. Not only can this, drilling rigs test sub-surface material for a know-how of physical properties of a drill site.Drilling in oil and gas industry involves creating holes in the earths surface as a preparation to oil and gas exploration activities. Drilling rigs are used in offshore exploration in deep water, shallow water, and ultra-deep water. Semi-submersible rigs are used in deepwater areas, jackup rigs are used in shallow water region, and drillships are used in ultra-deep water regions in offshore explorations.Request a sample copy of the Report @Jackup rigs are offshore rigs equipped with legs that can be descended to the seabed in order to form a foundation to support the drilling platform. Typically, jackup rigs can operate in water ranging from 350 to 450 feet deep. Drillships rigs are usually used in deepwater applications. They are usually self-propelled and are in the shape of conventional ships. Semi-submersible rigs are submerged in water by means of a water ballast system in such a manner that the lower hull portion is beneath the water surface during drilling operations.The growth of drilling rigs market in mainly dependent on increasing oil and gas exploration activities worldwide. In the recent past, the discovery of oil and gas reserves in remote locations along with technological advancements in exploratory equipment have made drilling activities more feasible and cost-effective.Global Drilling Rigs Market: OverviewDrilling rigs are mechanical devices used to create holes in ground. They are giant structure and are mainly used during drilling oil wells, water wells, and natural gas wells. The equipment can be mounted on trailers, trucks, and can be installed on land as well for onshore drilling. The report on the global drilling rigs market highlights the prevalent opportunities worldwide and the factors that could restraint its growth.Request TOC of the report @The report has been compiled to provide a holistic overview of the global drilling rigs market and covers aspects such as segmentation, key trends and opportunities, investment feasibility, and vendor landscape.Global Drilling Rigs Market: Trends and OpportunitiesDue to the increasing drilling activities worldwide, the demand for drilling rigs has significantly risen especially in offshore regions. As onshore drilling activities have reached maturity, no alternatives are left aside from explore offshore reserved, owing to which the enterprises operating in the drilling rigs market are focusing on the latter. Therefore, on account of having huge offshore crude oil reserves, European countries such as Spain and Norway have gained prominence in the global drilling rigs market.According to the Oil and Gas Journal, a larger portion of crude oil reserves in Norway is located in the offshore region of the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The region is further divided into North Sea, Barents Sea, and Norwegian Sea. Among these, North Sea accounts for a major share in the overall oil production in Norway, besides Norwegian Sea. The market therefore witnesses huge opportunities to gain from in Europe, which makes it one of the most lucrative regions to explore by leading players.Global Drilling Rigs Market: Key SegmentsThe global drilling rigs market can be majorly segmented into land rigs and marine rigs. The marine rigs segment can be further classified into bottom supported rigs and floating rigs. As several explorations are carried out using marine drilling rigs, their demand is evidently higher in the market. Marine drills are also used in production activities, which is fuelling their demand around the world. The rising exploration of crude oil in offshore regions will therefore help in the segments expansion in the coming years.By type, the global drilling rigs market can be segmented into rotary rigs, A-frame rigs, large mud rotary drill rigs, tracked rigs, truck mounted drill rigs, and portable minuteman rigs. The market is further segmented based on power into hydraulic, electric, steam, and mechanical drilling. The report provides a round-up of the segments that would prove most lucrative for the enterprises operating in the global drilling rigs market. It also identifies key restraints, which could limit the scope of expansion for market players across the aforementioned segments.Global Drilling Rigs Market: Vendor LandscapeSome of the most prominent enterprises operating in the global drilling rigs market include Simco Drilling Equipment Inc, Bauer Maschinen GmbH, Weatherford International Ltd., Dando Drilling International, Baker Hughes Inc, Maersk Drilling, Haliburton Company, Schlumberger Ltd, Schramm Inc, and Nabors Drilling.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @The report delves into studying the various strategies adopted by the companies profiled and the impact of the same on the overall market operations. It conducts SWOT analysis to present insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the leading market players. The analysis also helps the report foretell opportunities and threats that these companies may face over the course of the forecast period.About Us:TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. 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All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns have been determined using secondary sources and verified primary sources.To study and analyse the global PC compounding market size (value & volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2025.For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Request To buy Full Report@About Us:QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in consulting industry.Contact US:QY Research, INC.17890 Castleton,Suite 218,City of industry, CA 91748USA: +1 626 295 2442Email: enquiry@qyrsearch.comWeb: Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market Analysis By Demand, New technology, Key Region, Top Players, Latest Trends and With Cost Structure - Global Review 2018 to 2028. https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=1246 https://www.factmr.com/report/1246/automotive-fuel-transfer-assemblies-market https://www.factmr.com/checkout/1246/S https://www.factmr.com/ Global Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market: OverviewAutomotive fuel transfer assemblies are used for improving the fuel system availability and safety during the transmission of fuel to the combustion unit of an automotive engine. A fuel pump transfer assembly is mounted in a fuel tank for sending fuel to a fuel injector, which includes a driving means for supplying a driving force for sending or returning fuel. With increasing temperatures and increasing electronic controls, the need for efficient coolants is also increasing. For the lower temperature range, companies are producing advanced multi-layer tubing, and for the higher temperature range, they provide hybrid lines consisting of steel tubing with high-performing lightweight fluorocomp hoses. Automotive fuel transfer assemblies play an integral role in running any vehicle smoothly. These fuel transfer assemblies assist the engine in running as estimated under a wide range of driving conditions and rates of fuel consumption. As the demand for automotive components is surging in developing countries such as India, China, Brazil, Japan, and others, governments are undertaking many initiatives to increase the sales of these components. Technological developments in this niche, but significant products with the highest penetration rate in a vehicle is expected to enhance the growth of the automotive air fuel transfer assemblies market.Request Customization of this Report-Global Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market: DynamicsDrivers:Rates of fuel consumption and high efficiency are some of the major drivers for the growth of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market. The ability of these fuel transfer assemblies to transfer a constant pressurized fuel supply to the fuel injection from the fuel tank on the engine is escalating the demand for automotive fuel transfer assemblies. The growing demand for passenger vehicles with technological advancements is spurring market growth. The growing automotive industry and demand for auto components are expected to support the growth of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market.However, the low replacement rate of fuel transfer assemblies in vehicles restrains the growth of the global automotive fuel transfer assemblies market.Global Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market: SegmentationThe global automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is segmented on the basis of product type, vehicle type, and sales channel.On the basis of product type, the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is segmented as: Brake Line Fuel Line Oil Line Twin Turbo Emission Control Line Valve Actuation Line Air Compressor Line Coolant EGR, Turbo, Doser, Injector Coolant Engine, Air CompressorOn the basis of vehicle type, the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is segmented as: Passenger Vehicles Light Commercial Vehicles Heavy Commercial Vehicles Luxury VehiclesOn the basis of sales channel, the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is segmented as: OEMs AftermarketGlobal Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market: Region-wise OutlookNorth American countries such as the U.S. and Canada are expected to show vigorous growth in the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market, owing to the large number vehicles production in these countries. The same perspective holds true for European countries such as Germany, Spain, and France. These countries exhibit high potential growth in the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market, due to escalating vehicle sales and a renewed interest in electric vehicles. India and China are expected to forefront the growth of the market in the Asia Pacific region, due to the major contribution of these two economies in the automotive industry. The aftermarket segment of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is expected to increase in the MEA region, due to the augmented demand for luxury vehicles in this region. Japan is also expected to show high potential for the market, due to the presence of a large number of OEMs in the country. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market in the Latin America region is expected to experience slow growth, due to the decline in automotive industry in the regions largest economy, Brazil, but is projected to pick up steam in the latter stages of the forecast period.To know more about the Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market Trends, Visit the link Global Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market: Key ParticipantsKey market participants of the global automotive fuel transfer assemblies markets are the following: Robert Bosch GmbH Akron Polymer Products Hutchinson ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc Kongsberg Automotive Jalex automotive Pvt. Ltd.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market, and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments, such as geography, application, and industry.The report covers an exhaustive analysis on: Market Segments Market Dynamics Market Size Supply & Demand Current Trends/Issues/Challenges Competition & Companies Involved Technology Value ChainRegional analysis includes: North America (U.S., Canada) Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru) Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, BENELUX, Nordic, Eastern Europe (CIS and Russia) Asia-Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, South Korea) Japan Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa, Turkey, Iran, Israel)The report on the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, and inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market report provides an in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators, and governing factors, along with market attractiveness as per segment. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Report Highlights: Detailed overview of parent market Changing market dynamics in the industry In-depth market segmentation Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape Strategies of key players and products offered Potential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growth A neutral perspective on market performance Must-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprintPre-book this Report-About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb: Tissue Engineering Market Outlook Analysis with Cook, Acelity, Baxter, Medtronic, Zimmer, etc. by 2022 Avail at MRFR Tissue Engineering Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2134 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2134 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/2134 Exclusively Available at MarketResearchFuture.com with titled Tissue Engineering Market. By Major Industry Trends, Business Analysis, Major Segments and Sub segments. Tissue Engineering Market is projected to Grow by 17.22% CAGR during The Assessment Period 2022.Avail Premium Sample Copy atTissue Engineering Market OverviewThe industry is anticipated to generate revenues worth USD 48,017.5 million by the year 2022 while growing at a CAGR of 17.22 percent in the forecast period. With favorable focus on science related sectors, the tissue engineering has gathered significant momentum to accelerate its growth. Market reports linked to the healthcare sector made available by Market Research Future along with published reports on other sectors have been recently published along with a report on this market.The demand for tissue engineering has risen favorably, especially due to the increased number of cases that involving genetic abnormalities. Amplified level of investments into the industry by new and established players is expected to favor the development of the sector especially in the long term. Cost effectiveness of the sector is also likely to contribute in a major way to the development of the industry in the forecast period.Detailed Regional Analysis:The industry for tissue engineering market has been segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and rest of the world. The Americas region has been credited as having the largest portion of market in 2016, due to the well-developed setup in the healthcare industry, rising healthcare spending, and the existence of important players.The second largest region in the tissue engineering market is the European region, which accounts for a noticeable portion of the market globally. The European industry is estimated to develop considerably during the review period due to a well-developed healthcare industry and growing investment in research and development in the healthcare sector. Furthermore, government reinforcements for the life sciences industries will enhance the market development over the review period. Countries in the region such as Germany, the UK, and France contribute significantly to the development of the European market. In Asia Pacific, the rising number of research & development institutes, growing demand for treatment methods and better diagnostics and cost-effective services are instrumental in growing the market.Have Any Query, Ask to Experts atIndustry Segments:The market for tissue engineering has been divided on the basis of materials and applications. The material segment includes composite materials, nano-fibrous materials, biomimetic materials and nano-composite material. On the basis of applications, the industry is segmented into musculoskeletal, orthopedics and spine, cancer, dental, cardiology, urology, cord blood & cell banking, skin/integumentary, neurology, GI & gynecology among others.Global Competitive Analysis:Contenders who are a part of the industry have devised their corporate strategy blueprint in a way that that can bring the best outcomes for development in the current scenario. With the ability to sustain their competitive edge being one of the primary factors driving their efforts, the scope for growth in the industry appears to be promising through the forecast period. The rising affinity for diversification in the market, has indirectly enabled the players to utilize the many prospects available. The companies in this particular industry are also trying to maintain and enhance financial liquidity that can be instrumental to invest in growth strategies as and when they become available. This particular trend has enabled portfolio improvements along with the affinity for diversification in the sector, which has benefitted the market competitors tremendously in this industry.The noteworthy players in the tissue engineering market are Baxter, DePuy Synthes Companies, Acelity, Medtronic, Cook, Zimmer Inc., and Stryker to name a few.Major TOC of Tissue Engineering Market Research Report - Global forecast till 2022:1 Report Prologue2 Market Introduction3 Research Methodology: Tissue Engineering Market4 Market Dynamics5 Market Factor Analysis6 Global Tissue Engineering Market, By Material7 Global Tissue Engineering Market, By Application8 Global Tissue Engineering Market, By Region9 Competitive Landscape10 Company Profile11 MRFR Conclusion12 AppendixAvail Stunning Discount atAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com There was high drama outside the hospital with the police having to resort to mild force in a lathicharge to disperse the swelling crowd. Chennai: DMK president M. Karunanidhi suffered a serious setback to his health condition late on Sunday night despite showing significant improvement due to medical intervention through the day at Kauvery Hospitals ICU. Under treatment for fever due to urinary tract infection, he was brought to the hospital from his Gopalapuram residence in the early hours of Saturday when his pulse dropped. The DMK earlier on Sunday released a photograph showing vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu standing beside the 94-year-old Dravidian patriarch in his hospital bed. With TV channels flashing images of the picture and commentators noting that the leader was doing well even without any support systems such as the ventilator, the huge crowd of party cadres and fans filling up the Alwarpet junction outside the hospital burst into cheers. There was high drama outside the hospital with the police having to resort to mild force in a lathicharge to disperse the swelling crowd. Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, executive director of Kauvery Hospital, issued a bulletin at 9.50 pm saying there was a transient setback in the critical condition of Mr Karunanidhi. With active medical support, his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors, said the brief statement. Vice-president Naidu had earlier tweeted that doctors at Kauvery told him that Mr Karunanidhis condition was stable. Visited Kaveri Hospital and met former Chief Minister Thiru Kalaignar Karunanidhi. Met his family members and doctors and enquired about his health. Doctors said he is stable. Wish him a speedy recovery, Mr Naidu tweeted. However, unconfirmed reports trickling from hospital sources insisted that the DMK chiefs health condition was fast deteriorating and his pulse had once again dropped. Police reinforcements were rushed and after repeated appeals from former Union minister A. Raja asking the cadres to go home as Kalaignar was on the recovery path, failed to get any response from the crowds that only grew, the police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse the people and clear the roads. At about 10.50 pm, Mr Karunanidhis son M.K. Stalin, the partys working president, left the hospital in what might have been an attempt to convey to the cadres that his father was stable and they too could go home. E-Health Services Market 2023 Top Key Players are IBM Corporation, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc., GE Healthcare, McKinsey & Co., Motion Computing Inc., Epocrates Inc., Telecare Corp. E-Health Services Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1252 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/1252 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1252 The Market Research Future has been published New Research Reports which is E-Health Services Market & In This Report the Information has been Provided like Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends & Forecast which is making through primary and secondary research which is done by professional healthcare researcher.E-Health Services Market Top Key Players:IBM Corporation (U.S), Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. (U.S), GE Healthcare (U.S), McKinsey & Co. (U.S), Motion Computing Inc. (U.S), Epocrates Inc. (U.S), Telecare Corp. (U.S), Proteus Digital Health (U.S) Apple (U.S), GE Healthcare (U.S), Boston Scientific Corp (U.S), Cerner (U.S)Get Premium Sample copy @Market Scenario:Global market of e-health services is expected to reach USD 270 billion in 2023 from USD 120 billion in 2016 with a CAGR of approximately 12.9% during the forecast period 2017-2023. E-health is the management of healthcare organization with the help of information and communication technology (ICT). ICT has been widely used in the form of medical health records and telemedicine. With the help of telemedicine, it is possible Data related to patients, staff and finance of the hospital is stored electronically. This has resulted into transformation in the means of storing healthcare data. Initially, data was recorded manually by the healthcare staff. But now single unique identification number is needed to be entered and all the data of the patient is available within seconds. E-health has many advantages over conventional methods of clinical data management such as avoidance of manual records and timely access to patient data. The factors driving for the growth of this market are extensive use of software and ICT healthcare, reduce cost, improve quality, availability of infrastructure for implementation of e-health and safe and adequate storage of data. Cost of installation of e-health service may act as a restraint for this market.Segmentation:Global e-health services market has been segmented on the basis of type of e-health technologies which includes Electronic Health Records (EHR), ePrescribing, Telemedicine, big data systems, Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS), Consumer health IT, Knowledge Management System (KMS). On the basis of service the market segmented into administrative services, clinical services and financial services and the end user are hospitals, clinics, health insurance companies and others.Get Attractive Discount @Regional Analysis:Globally, e-health services market consists of four regions Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa. North America is the largest market. Concentration of major market players and extensive use of software for data management in The Regional Market is driven by US. Europe is the second largest market. Asia Pacific shows fastest growth in this market. Whereas the market in Middle East and Africa shows steady growth.Table of Contents:1 Report Prologue2 Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Market Structure2.4. Market Segmentation3 Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Threats4.5 Macroeconomic IndicatorsContinuedAsk Query to Expertise @Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems Market is Expected Grow with Significant CAGR Over Forecast Period of 2018 to 2023 https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/sample/HnM/QBI-MR-HnM-2108 https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/enquiry/HnM/QBI-MR-HnM-2108 https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/discount/HnM/QBI-MR-HnM-2108 https://www.qurateresearch.com/ Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems Market from Qurates Repository provides detailed information, in depth analysis and forecast which is developed by team of experts and professionals.The Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems market revenue was xx.xx Million USD in 2013, grew to xx.xx Million USD in 2017, and will reach xx.xx Million USD in 2023, with a CAGR of x.x% during 2018-2023. Based on the Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems industrial chain, this report mainly elaborate the definition, types, applications and major players of Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems market in details. Deep analysis about market status (2013-2018), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise Products, industry development trends (2018-2023), regional industrial layout characteristics and macroeconomic policies, industrial policy has also be included. From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems market.The Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems market can be split based on product types, major applications, and important regions.Request Sample Report@Major Players in Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems market are:MaestrogenCleaver ScientificUVPThermo Fisher ScientificSpectronics CorporationFOTODYNE IncorporatedBio Imaging SystemsVWR InternationalMajor Regions play vital role in Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems market are:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanMiddle East & AfricaIndiaSouth AmericaOthersMost important types of Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems products covered in this report are:Standalone Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging SystemsPortable Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging SystemsMost widely used downstream fields of Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems market covered in this report are:Pharmaceutical IndustryForensic LabsBiotechnology IndustryAcademic InstitutionsOtherEnquiry about Report@There are 13 Chapters to thoroughly display the Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems market. This report included the analysis of market overview, market characteristics, industry chain, competition landscape, historical and future data by types, applications and regions.Chapter 1: Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems Market Overview, Product Overview, Market Segmentation, Market Overview of Regions, Market Dynamics, Limitations, Opportunities and Industry News and Policies.Chapter 2: Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems Industry Chain Analysis, Upstream Raw Material Suppliers, Major Players, Production Process Analysis, Cost Analysis, Market Channels and Major Downstream Buyers.Chapter 3: Value Analysis, Production, Growth Rate and Price Analysis by Type of Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems.Chapter 4: Downstream Characteristics, Consumption and Market Share by Application of Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems.Chapter 5: Production Volume, Price, Gross Margin, and Revenue ($) of Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems by Regions (2013-2018).Chapter 6: Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems Production, Consumption, Export and Import by Regions (2013-2018).Chapter 7: Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems Market Status and SWOT Analysis by Regions.Chapter 8: Competitive Landscape, Product Introduction, Company Profiles, Market Distribution Status by Players of Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems.Chapter 9: Ultraviolet Transilluminator Imaging Systems Market Analysis and Forecast by Type and Application (2018-2023).Chapter 10: Market Analysis and Forecast by Regions (2018-2023).Chapter 11: Industry Characteristics, Key Factors, New Entrants SWOT Analysis, Investment Feasibility Analysis.Chapter 12: Market Conclusion of the Whole Report.Chapter 13: Appendix Such as Methodology and Data Resources of This Research.Get Discount@About Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Runwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.com Global Access Control Systems Market Survey 2018: Key Players- Honeywell Access, Hidglobal, Silva Consultants, Doorking, Bosch, CEM, Mircom, Inner Range, Hirsch Electronics, Morpho, ASO Safety Solutions, BaranTec Reports Monitor https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/49376 https://www.reportsmonitor.com/check_discount/49376 https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/49376/Access-Control-Systems-Market SummaryThe report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.Get Your Free Sample Report @The Access Control Systems market Report provides a detailed analysis of the Access Control Systems industry. It provides an analysis of the past 5 years and a future forecast till the year 2025.It also studies the future market trends in the global market. It studies the market by the various parameters such as sales, volumes, and the revenues. It also gives us an insight in the Access Control Systems industry and is also making strategic decisions. It is also prepared with a view to understand the current market trends, opportunities and global analysis in the market.For your understanding and application wise distribution, the consumption figures are also given. With the important data of supply and consumption the gap between both the parameters is explained in detail. It also provides a detailed overview of the competitive landscape and also analysis the gross market landscape. It also studies the sales, production revenue market price also the import and export value and the trending section of the Access Control Systems market report.This Write up presents in detail analysis of Access Control Systems Market especially market drivers, challenges, vital trends, standardization, deployment models, opportunities, future roadmap, manufacturers case studies, value chain, organization profiles, Sales Price and Sales Revenue, Sales Market Comparison and strategies.The research covers the current market size of the Global Access Control Systems Market. The Access Control Systems market can be split based on Major Players, product types and major applications.Top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including such as Honeywell Access, Hidglobal, Silva Consultants, Doorking, Bosch, CEM, Mircom, Inner Range, Hirsch Electronics, Morpho, ASO Safety Solutions, BaranTec, Quintron Systems, EMX Industries, Accuride International, Euchner-U.S.A., Johnson Controls, KENTEK Corporation, Rutherford Controls Int'L.The in-depth information by segments of Access Control Systems market helps monitor future profitability & to make critical decisions for growth. The Access Control Systems report will the intensive investigation of the key business players to get a handle on their business routes in which, yearly income, organization profile and their commitment to the Global Access Control Systems piece of the overall industry.Check Discount For this Report @The Access Control Systems Market, presents critical information and factual data about the Global Access Control Systems Market providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread Global Access Control Systems opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Access Control Systems industry.Access Control Systems Market On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Password Identification, Card Identification, Biometric Identification, Qr Code Identification.Access Control Systems market On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, including Household, Commercial, Industrial, Other.All aspects of the Access Control Systems industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the Global as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Access Control Systems market are also discussed in the report.Geographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, coveringNorth America, Europe, China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa).Some points from TOC:Global Access Control SystemsMarket Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by TypeGlobal Access Control Systems Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20183. Global Access Control Systems Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region4. Global Access Control Systems Market Competition by Players/Suppliers5. Global Access Control Systems Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category)ContinuedBrowse full Report Description and TOC @What our report offers :Assessments of the market share from different countries and regions were conducted.Top key market players market share analysis is included.3. Strategic suggestion and proposals for the new entrants those are willing to enter the market.4. The market observations such as constraints, drivers, threats, opportunities, investment opportunities, challenges, and recommendations are included.5. Based on the market estimations, the strategic recommendations are made in the business segments.6. The competitive landscaping mapping of the current trends is included.7. Detailed profile of the companies is included.8. The latest advancements made in the technology is mapped with the trends of the supply chain.9. The conclusion gives a summary to the deep research about the report on the Global Access Control Systemsmarket.Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like Asia, United States, Europe.About UsReports Monitor is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. With an intrinsic understanding of many business environments, Reports Monitor provides strategic objective insights.Contact Us- Office C & D - 4th Floor, Siddhi Towers, NIBM Road, Pune 411048, Maharashtra, India The Impact of Modern Media on the Use of Chemicals in Consumer Products The media voice is no longer restricted to newspapers, magazines and television. Modern media is the place of bloggers, activists, social media and independent outlets and it allows stories to permeate places where previously they may have failed to reach. This can have a profound effect on the decisions being taken by brands, retailers and authorities.The chemical world has always been the preserve of the specialist, and this has afforded it a certain amount of protection. Modern mainstream media, however, has broken into this cossetted world and it is forcing fundamental change as these examples show:The award-winning film, Erin Brockovich, told the story of the contamination of Californian drinking water by a utilities company. For years, wastewater containing the rust preventative, chromium VI, was discharged into the local environment. This then found its way into the food chain, causing damage to the health of local residents. After it was investigated, the resulting legal action led to the largest financial settlement from a direct-action lawsuit in US history. The uproar and the popularity of the movie contributed to the introduction in 2014 of a limit for chromium VI in drinking water of 10 parts per billion (ppb).In another example, in 2009, the European Union (EU) restricted dimethyl fumarate (DMFu) toAbout SGSSGS is the worlds leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 95,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,400 offices and laboratories around the world.1, Mons CalpeChitcombe RoadBroad OakRyeEast SussexTN31 6EU Espresso Machines Market 2018-2023: Analyzed by Business Growth, Development Factors, Application and Future Prospects Research for Markets https://www.researchformarkets.com/sample/global-espresso-machines-market-126381 https://www.researchformarkets.com/reports/global-espresso-machines-market-126381 https://www.researchformarkets.com/buy-now/global-espresso-machines-market-126381/one The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global Espresso Machines market based on services and industry vertical. It also provides market size and forecast for overall Espresso Machines market with respect to five major regions, The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of global Regions along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.Espresso machine or Espresso coffee machine is a segment market of the global coffee machine market; this report will cover all product types.Get Free Sample Copy of Report atMarket Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers Bosch, Mr. Coffee, Simens, Hamilton Beach, Krups (Groupe SEB), Dalla Corte, La Pavoni, Breville , DeLonghi, Jura, Philips (Saeco), Melitta, La Marzocco, Nespresso, Ali Group (Rancilio), Gruppo Cimbali, Nuova Simonelli, Panasonic and Illy.Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.) Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, covers Manually & Semi-automatic Fully-automaticMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into Individual & Household CommercialBrowse Complete Report atScope of the Report: This report focuses on the Espresso Machines in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application. DeLonghi, Jura and Philips (Saeco) are the top three Revenue share spots in the Espresso Machines market in 2016. DeLonghi dominated with 26.62% Revenue, followed by Jura with 18.56% Revenue share and Philips (Saeco) with 10.14% Revenue share. The technical barriers of espresso machines are high, and the core technology of espresso machines concentrates in relative large companies including Panasonic, Nestle Nespresso, Jarden, Delonghi, Electrolux, Melitta, Morphy Richards, Philips, and Hamilton Beach. These companies mainly concentrate in USA, Europe. However, more than 80% of coffee machine are mainly produced by the Chinese enterprises for OEM. Europe is largest region for the global automatic espresso machines market. Developed countries in Western Europe are predominantly the major markets for automatic espresso machines. The high purchasing power of consumers in Europe coupled with a growing interest in adopting technologically advanced kitchen appliance products will drive the market. Countries such as the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Russia are already major consumers of the automatic espresso machines market. Europe will continue to dominate the global market, with Eastern Europe also expected to witness considerable progress in terms of demand. The rise in disposable income of lower and middle-income segments in countries like Russia and Poland will drive the market in this region. With the increase in cost of espresso at quick service restaurants, consumers are increasingly switching to home-brewed alternatives. New machines launched in the espresso machines market are equipped with features to deliver quality espresso that matches professionally served coffee. This trend is expected to continue over the forecast period and significantly drive the market. In the next five years, the global consumption volume of Espresso Machines will show downward tendency further, consumption volume is expected in 2022 will be 171.3 K Units. The average selling price will be around 181 $/Unit in 2022. The market is not only influenced by the price, but also influenced by the product performance. The leading companies own the advantages on better performance, more abundant products types, better technical and impeccable after-sales service. Consequently, they take the majority of the market share of high-end market. Looking to the future years, prices gap between different brands will go narrowing. Similarly, there will be fluctuation in gross margin. Despite the presence of competition problems, due to the global recovery trend is slightly, investor are still optimistic about this area; the future will still have more new investment enter the field. The worldwide market for Espresso Machines is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly 6.5% over the next five years, will reach 3710 million US$ in 2023, from 2550 million US$ in 2017Place Direct Purchase Order of Espresso Machines Market atNote: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Contact Info:Name: Research For MarketsEmail: alan.naidu@researchformarkets.comPhone: +44 8000-4182-37Research For Markets indulge in detailed and diligent research on different markets, trends and emerging opportunities in the successive direction to cater to your business needs. We have established the pillars of our flourishing institute on the grounds of Credibility and Reliability. RFM delve into the markets across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East And Africa.Level 21, Dashwood House69 Old Broad StreetLondon EC2M 1QS, United Kingdom Disagreements at Concensum CLLB Rechtsanwalte www.cllb.de Concensum, formerly Copytrack, has apparently made inaccurate statements in its white paper and may have deceived investors. CLLB attorneys represents damaged investorsMunich, Berlin 27.07.2018: Another planned success story on the crypto market does not seem to meet investors' expectations. Concensum, formerly Copytrack, is a company that prosecutes copyright infringements on images on the Internet.Concensum's goal is to create a global, decentralized copyright register for digital content that authenticates users and links digital intellectual property, creating a unique ecosystem for rights owners and thereby supporting a new, efficient marketplace. A core function of the register is the reliable proof of authorship of photos.In order to raise the necessary capital, Concensum PTE Ltd, formerly Copytrack PTE. Ltd., based in Singapore, conducted an ICO (Initial Coin Offering) from 10 December 2017 to 9 February 2018 and offered the company's own CPY token to interested investors. A so-called "pre-sale" started on 10 December 2017 and the main public phase began on 10 January 2018.The CPY token was advertised with a whitepaper describing the business model and the economic and financial framework of the ICO.There have recently been doubts about the economic and financial framework conditions.For example, the whitepaper presents a company history that is said to have started as early as 2015 and represents the company's most important successes. According to some investors who have in the meantime contacted the law firm CLLB, this is probably absolutely incorrect, since Concensum PTE Ldt., i.e. the company that issued the ICO, was only founded in October 2017.Concensum's white paper also appears to list employees who were not working for the company or who were no longer working for the company at the time of the ICO.According to various investors, it is even unclear whether Concensum PTE Ltd. had any other employees besides the managing director at the time of the ICO.Against this background, ICO participants now doubt that Concensum actually has the business operations described in the whitepaper and can achieve the goals set out in the whitepaper.In the whitepaper, the roadmap provides for the establishment of a foundation for the global copyright register, among other things. The capital generated by the ICO should be used as foundation capital for the establishment and thus secure the existence of the global copyright register for a specific purpose and independently.However, Concensum is no longer talking about a foundation.The token swap (exchange) of CPY tokens on the Etherium blockchain to CPY tokens on an in-house blockchain announced in the whitepaper is also a long time coming.This swap was announced for the second quarter of 2018, but is now at the end of July 2018 and there is no information on a date for the conversion of the swap.These inconsistencies are also reflected in the price development of the CPY token. The CPY token is currently a long way from the issue price of $ 1.14.The current price is approx. $ 0.08. It is currently impossible to predict where Concensum and the CPY token will go and whether the price will ever recover.Investors concerned should have their legal claims examined by a specialist lawyer for capital market law.The Kanzlei CLLB supports concerned investors with the enforcement of their demands.CLLB Rechtsanwalte stands for outstanding expertise in the field of civil procedure law. The development and successful implementation of a target-oriented process strategy is a decisive factor not only in large-scale proceedings with several hundred injured investors. Even complex individual proceedings, especially those with an international dimension, can only be optimally managed through the use of specific experience and detailed specialist and legal knowledge. Our lawyers are therefore very familiar with the functioning of financial products of regulated and unregulated markets, are proven specialists in capital market law and have many years of relevant judicial experience, i. e. in some cases more than ten years, before courts throughout Germany. The Kanzlei CLLB of attorneys was created in the year 2004 in Munich and could establish itself by numerous successes in sensational procedures already after short time. In addition to the four founding partners Istvan Cocron, Steffen Liebl, Dr. Henning Leitz and Franz Braun, whose initials stand for the "CLLB" brand, Alexander Kainz (2008) and Thomas Sittner (2017) are two other partners responsible for the client's success. Meanwhile twelve lawyers of CLLB represent the legal interests of their clients. They are mainly active on the plaintiff's side and assert claims for damages on their behalf. In a nutshell, that means: We can sue.CLLB Attorneys at Law, Cocron, Liebl, Leitz, Braun, Kainz, Sittner Partnership mbB, Attorney Steffen Hartmann, Panoramastr.1. 47, 10178 Berlin, Phone: 030 / 288 789 60, Fax: 030 / 288 789 620; Mail: kanzlei@cllb.de, Web: Blue Biotechnology Market 2023 Top Competitors are Aker BioMarine, Marinova, New England Biolabs, PML Applications Ltd., Sea Run Holdings, Inc., PICES, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Blue Biotechnology Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/713 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/713 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/713 Namely Blue Biotechnology Market Report has Been Published by Market Research Future Which Covers All the Geographical Locations with Demand, Trend Analysis with near about Forecasted results and Also Covers the Market Expectations.Market Synopsis:Blue biotechnology deals with the application of biotechnology to marine or aquatic sources at a molecular level to extract active new ingredients for development of new drugs and other purposes. Market Research Future (MRFR) has published a report asserting that the Global Blue Biotechnology Market is anticipated to expand at a strong CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period of 2017-2023.Competitive Analysis:The major players of the Global Blue Biotechnology Market that are profiled in the report by MRFR are Aker BioMarine (Norway), Marinova (Australia), New England Biolabs (the U.S), PML Applications Ltd. (the U.K), Sea Run Holdings, Inc.(the U.S), PICES (Canada), Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (the U.S), Shell Marine Products (the U.S), GeoMarine Biotechnologies (India), GlycoMar (Scotland), Cellgen Biologicals Pvt Ltd. (India), Nurture Aqua Technology Pvt. Ltd. (India), Samudra Biopharma Pvt.Ltd (India) and Sanosil Biotech (India).Get PDF Sample Copy @Market Latest Update:The rapidly increasing research and development expenditure by the players for innovative product launch in medical, cosmetics, food and other industries is triggering competition in the global blue biotechnology market. The nascent stage of blue biotechnology has created huge opportunities for the product manufacturers and research institutes to explore higher verticals in the global blue biotechnology market.In June 2018, Hilton Lifestyle, LLC, a skincare manufacturer in the U.S., has announced the launch of its first full skincare line under the Paris Hilton brand called ProD.N.A. These skin care products are manufactured with the use of enzymes sourced from marine microalgae.Market Driver and Restraints:Oceans and Seas consist of large biodiversity and the development in the field of biotechnology has made it possible to utilize the marine and aquatic sources for obtaining various products that are useful for mankind. The availability of large market for blue biotech products in the various sectors is majorly driving the Global Blue Biotechnology Market.The increasing demand for blue biotech products in the pharmaceutical industry for production of various medicines and drugs is fueling the expansion of the global blue biotechnology market. The flexibility, adaptivity and constant development of blue biotechnology are widening its application range in various industries.The vital application of blue biotech products in cosmetics, food and feed industries is impacting positively on the expansion of the global blue biotechnology market. The increasing consumer demand for biologics over the conventional synthetic products is one of the major factors driving the growth of the global blue biotechnology market.The rapid development in the field of biotechnology owing to the increasing research and development expenditure is resulting in the significant expansion of the global blue biotechnology market. However, the strict regulatory framework for conservation of marine ecosystem is likely to act as a restraint on the expansion of the global blue biotechnology market.Market Segmentation:The global blue biotechnology market has been segmented on the basis of product, application and end-users. Based on products, the blue biotechnology market is segmented into enzymes, pharma products, bulk chemicals, biopolymers and other products. Based on application, the blue biotechnology market is segmented into bio-engineering, genomics, vaccine development, drug discovery and others. Based on end-users, the blue biotechnology market is segmented into hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, research institutes, laboratories, and others.Get Discount @Regional Analysis:The global blue biotechnology market has been segmented into five major regions such as North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East and Africa. The North America region is dominating the global blue biotechnology market owing to the rapid development in the field of biotechnology and large number of players focusing on development of blue biotechnology in this region. The Europe region is the second largest market in the global blue biotechnology market due to the increasing consumer demand for biotech products in this region. The Asia Pacific region accounts for the steady growth in global blue biotechnology market as the blue biotechnology is still at a nascent stage in this region. Lack of awareness and less technological penetration in the underdeveloped area is resulting in the slow growth of blue biotechnology market in the Middle East and Africa region.Table of Content1 Report Prologue2 Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Market Structure2.4. Market Segmentation3 Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Threats4.5 Macroeconomic IndicatorsContinuedEnquiry Form @Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Healthcare Information Governance Solution (IGS) Market Expert Financial Overview | Success Milestones | Top Players Revenue and Forecasts by 2023 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/757 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/healthcare-information-governance-solution-igs-market-757 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/757 Healthcare Information Governance Solution Market Research Report, by Type (eDiscovery,), Deployment (Web and Cloud, In-Premise), by Applications (Financials, Records), by End-User (Hospitals and Clinics, Research and Academics) - Global Forecast Till 2027Market ScenarioHealthcare information governance solutions enable the management of healthcare information by implementing processes, controls, metrics, and retrievals of information from storage in a suitable format whenever demanded. Healthcare information governance systems aim at making information a business asset available in a cost-efficient way to ensure compliance and reduce the cost of non-compliance. The rising cost of legal risks and increasing stringency of regulations have been the strong driving factors behind the growth of healthcare information governance solutions. Compliance reduces the legal risks associated with the poor and inconsistent information. Another goal of information governance is to centralize the data which is fragmented across different domains into one place to increase its accessibility and flow speed. Information governance treats data as a flow which needs to be controlled and managed but needs to be accessible at any time quickly. This results in benefits to the organizations in times of events such as a lawsuit, compliance audit, or corporate merger not to mention its benefits in capturing increased market share and revenue for the company.The market for healthcare Information Governance Solution (IGS) is driven by factors such as growing biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, increasing costs of noncompliance, rising expectations from data management and information technology, and advancements in processing power, capturing power, selectivity, etc. of information technology systems. The U.S. is the largest market for biopharmaceuticals and accounts for one-third of the global market. Moreover, it is estimated that the U.S. biopharmaceutical sector accounted for around 17% of all the domestic R&D funded by the U.S. businesses and added an estimated USD 1.2 trillion in the economic output of 2014. The constraints on the market are the high costs of the information governance system, cultures of secrecy, traditional organization structures, fragmented data structures, etc.Considering all these factors, the market for healthcare Information Governance Solution (IGS) diagnosis and treatment is to grow at a CAGR of ~16.7 % during 2017 to 2023.Get Exclusive Sample Copy @SegmentationThe global healthcare Information Governance Solution (IGS) market is segmented on the basis of type, deployment, application, and end-user. Based on type, the market has been segmented as content management, analytics, information archiving, eDiscovery, information security, and others. Based on deployment, the market has been segmented as web and cloud and in-premise. Based on application, the market has been segmented as financials, records, customer support, and others. Based on end-user, the market has been segmented into pharmaceuticals and biotechnological industries, hospitals and clinics, consulting companies, research and academics, and others.Regional AnalysisAmerica dominates the healthcare Information Governance Solution (IGS) market owing to favorable insurance penetration, excellent reimbursement scenario, and increasing expenditure on healthcare. The high consumption of information technology boosts the market. The faster market uptake of new technology in the U.S. is also an important driver of the market for global healthcare Information Governance Solution (IGS).Europe is the second in the market due to factors such as availability of funds for research and growing pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. In 2017, according to the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the U.K. pharmaceutical market is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 4 to 7% by 2021.Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing region for the market due to the presence of continuously developing economies such as India and China and a developing healthcare sector within the region.On the other hand, the Middle East and Africa hold the least share of the healthcare Information Governance Solution (IGS) market. This can be attributed to the presence of poor economies, stringent government policies, and lack of healthcare services, especially within the African region. The Middle East holds a majority of the market in the Middle East and Africa.Key Players in the Healthcare Information Governance Solution (IGS) MarketThe key players in the healthcare Information Governance Solution (IGS) Market are electronic Medicines Compendium (U.S.), HP Autonomy (England), Symantec Corporation (U.S.), Information Governance Solutions, LLC. (U.S.), FTI Consulting, Inc. (U.S.), Google (U.S.), Microsoft (U.S.), Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (U.S.), Veritas Technologies (U.S.), NovaDigm Therapeutics (U.S.), iDiscovery Solutions, Inc. (U.S.), and othersObtain Report Details @Chapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 LimitationsChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationChapter 4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & AssessmentGet Discount @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Medium Voltage Vacuum Contactors showing Compound annual growth rate and forecast till 2026 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/1931 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/medium-voltage-vacuum-contactors-market-1931 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/1931 Contractor is an electrically controlled switch used for switching an electric power circuit. It comprises three parts, namely Contacts as the current carrying component, electromagnet as the driving force to close the contacts, and enclosure is a frame enclosing the contact and electromagnet. Vacuum contactors utilize vacuum bottle encapsulated contacts. Vacuum contractors are widely used at medium voltages i.e. 1000V-5000V, as effective circuit breakers in various applications. Vacuum contactors are only applicable for use in AC systems. These contactors are used in conveying and elevator systems, pumping stations, air conditioning systems, as well as in systems for reactive power compensation, and can therefore be found in almost every industrial sector.Download PDF To explore detail study @The power sector growth is a major driving factor for the medium voltage vacuum contractors marketVacuum contactors are very efficient at disrupting the energy of an electric arc and are used when relatively fast switching is required, as the maximum break time is determined by the periodicity of the AC waveform. For example, in the case of 60HZ power (U.S. standard), the power will discontinue within 1/120 or 0.008333 of a second. Medium voltage vacuum contactors are load breaking devices with a limited short-circuit making and breaking capacity for applications with high switching rates of up to 1 million operating cycles. Advantages associated with using a vacuum as a switching medium are long electrical and mechanical life, extremely compact size and no arc chutes or blow out coils. Thus, the market of medium voltage vacuum contactor is expected to grow with growth of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioners (HVAC) application.The rapid growth of the power sector, owing to the increasing power consumption across the globe, is also expected to fuel growth of the medium voltage vacuum contractors market. For instance, according to a 2016 publication by University of Oxford, the global primary energy consumption increased to 151,548.48 Terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2016, up from 150,307.8 TWh in 2015. Vacuum contactors enable safe and efficient switching capability at power plants, as compared to air break contactors, which makes them a relatively more feasible solution in power generation, transmission and distribution substations.Browse More About the Market Study @Medium Voltage Vacuum Contractors: Regional InsightThe market for medium voltage vacuum contractors is segmented on the basis of six regions into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa.Asia Pacific is the largest and fastest-growing market for the medium voltage vacuum contactors, owing to the growing electrical equipment and power generation sectors in the region. Asia Pacific encompasses some of the fast-growing economies such as China, India, and Japan, that will majorly contribute in the growth of Medium Voltage Vacuum Contactors. India is will majorly contribute to the medium voltage vacuum contactors market in the region, owing to the growth in its growing power sector. For instance, according to May 2018 report by India Brand Equity Foundation, India ranked fifth in the world for its power generation capacity. In May 2018, India ranked fourth in the Asia Pacific region, out of 25 nations on an index that measures overall power. Electricity production in India reached 1,201.543 Billion Units (BU) during 2018, accounting for 55.72% growth, compared to that in 2017. Medium voltage vacuum contactors are favoured in typical load equipment, such as transformers, which is majorly used in the power sector. Thus, growth of the power sector in Asia Pacific in turn, is expected to fuel grow of the medium voltage vacuum contactors, over the forecast period.North America is the second-largest market for medium voltage vacuum contactors due to increasing generation and consumption of power in this region. For instance, according to Enerdatas Global Energy in 2017, the rate of energy consumption in North America was 4,365 TWh, accounting for around 21% of the total consumption in the world. Similarly, the region generated 4,970 TWh in 2016. Medium voltage vacuum contactors are suitable for application that require large transformers or large motors, such as applications in the power generation and transmission industry. Thus, growth of the power sector in the region is expected to boost growth of the medium voltage vacuum contactors in North America.Medium Voltage Vacuum Contractors: Competitive InsightSome of the key players operating in the medium voltage vacuum contactor are Eaton, ABB, Toshiba, Siemens, General Electric, Joslyn Clark, Mitsubishi Electric, Arteche, and Tavrida Electric.Ask for Discount before Buying @:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com The bill replaces Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following outcry over Kathua and Unnao rape cases. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. (Representational Image | PTI) New Delhi: A crucial bill seeking to provide death penalty to those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years and making the law against such sexual offences more stringent, was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday. The bill replaces the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another woman at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Although the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was supported by most members across the political spectrum and passed by a voice vote, some in the Opposition objected to the government adopting the ordinance route to enact the law. A statutory resolution disapproving the ordinance on the matter and several amendments moved by the opposition members were also negated by voice vote. Replying to an over two-hour discussion on the measure, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the stringent law was aimed at providing safety to minor girls. He said the existing Indian Penal Code provided for punishment to those convicted of raping a woman, but there was no provision for rape or gangrape of minor girls below 16 or 12 years of age. These are "very important provisions" which the government has proposed, Rijiju said. He said the recent incidents of rape and gangrape of women below the age of 12 years has shaken the conscience of the entire nation. Therefore, the offences of rape and gangrape of women under the age of 12-16 years require effective deterrence through legal provisions of more stringent punishment, he said. During the debate, Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai, who was in the Chair, suggested that the provisions of the legislation be given maximum publicity, which would act as a deterrence. The Union Minister agreed to it. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. The minimum punishment in cases of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, Rijiju said. According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life". The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict. Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death. The measure also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for the investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed, the bill says, adding that there will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gangrape of a girl under 16 years. It has also been prescribed that a court has to give notice of 15 days to a public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding on bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. Rijiju said, "This bill reflects the concern of the nation. It shows the determination of the government towards the safety of women and girl child. We want that the women in the country do not feel insecure." Participating in the debate, BJP member Kirron Kher said the bill was "well-timed" and provides hope for safer future for women. She said the opposition should not selectively highlight the case of child rape but speak about how to deal with the heinous crime. She was referring to the issue of Kathua rape case which was raised by N K Premachandran (RSP) who had moved a statutory resolution to disapprove the ordinance promulgated by the President on April 21 this year. Premachandran said it was appalling that a minor girl was gangraped in a temple and brutally murdered thereafter. Kher said the bill deals with the current reality and lesser than a death penalty in case of rape of minor girl cannot be justified. CPI (M) member P K Sreemathy Teacher asked the Centre to suggest to the state governments to utilise the Rs 3,000 crore Nirbhaya Fund to compensate the child victims. Ranjeet Ranjan (Congress) raised the issue of rape of minor girls inside a government children home in Muzaffarpur in Bihar and made a strong plea for registration of FIRs against other similar cases reported from other parts of the state. She said there was a need to ensure that "the attitude of police should be positive and friendly towards minor girls with whom rape has been committed." AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill and said we need a deterrent law but this proposed legislation will put India in the same category of that of Saudi Arabia and Iran. BJD MP Pinaki Misra suggested that the bill should have been sent to a standing or select committee and added that its structure requires further improvement. Expressing concern over rising rapes in the country, NCP member Supriya Sule asked whether as a society, "we are becoming regressive." She also suggested that the measure should have provisions to act in cases of cyber crimes against women and also ensure that the identity of the victim is not revealed. She said the bill should be gender neutral and minor boys should also be included in its ambit. Harish Chandra Meena (BJP) demanded that there should be a check on the internet and social media, claiming that majority of the users watch porn on Internet. His party colleague Meenakshi Lekhi also supported the bill. AIADMK member TG Venkatesh Babu, P Ravindra Babu (TDP), Konda Vishweshwar Reddy (TRS) and YSRCP member Renuka Butta also participated in the debate. E-house Industry Trends and Global Forecasts by Top Players are TGOOD Global Ltd.(Hong Kong), Powell Industries.(US), Elgin Power Solutions (US), Others E-house Market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-e-house-market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/inquire-before-buying/?dbmr=global-e-house-market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-e-house-market Global E-house Market Research Information: By Type (Fixed E House, Mobile Substation), By Application (Industrial (Metals & Mining, Oil & Gas), Utilities), By Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa) - Forecast Till 2025E-house, also known as power house, is defined as plug-and-play solution which provides electrical power. There are various advantages of e-house such as it is quick and easy to install on site. Its durability provides insulated protection to equipment thus reducing work of civil engineers .Parnis Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd (Johannesburg) company manufactures e-house which is fully equipped with electrical substations and is constructed using insulated steel panels. It is designed in such a way that it provides the best customized solutions. In 2017, according to the article published by industrial buyer online, Parnis Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd Company obtained a contract to fabricate modular electrical houses (e-house) intended for a mine in Africa . Moreover, Siemens AG (Germany) company also manufactures e-house which helps in cost optimization for investment and operation with a range of more than 20% of less cost. It also maintains time efficiency up to range of 50%. Hence, due to increase in manufacture of e-house provided by company such as Parnis Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd (Johannesburg), Siemens AG (Germany) will get affected by increasing demand of global e-house market in future.Download PDF Sample Copy of Report @Regional Analysis:North AmericaSouth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificMiddle East & AfricaSome of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and, Brazil among others.Segmentation - Based on type, the market is segmented into fixed E-house and mobile substation On the basis of application, the market segmented into industrial and utilities.To Buy Complete Report Click Here @Top Key Vendors -Electroinnova Instalaciones y Mantenimientos SL (Spain), WEG (Brazil), TGOOD Global Ltd.(Hong Kong), Powell Industries.(US), Elgin Power Solutions (US), MEIDENSHA CORPORATION (Japan), Matelec (Lebanon), Aktif Group (Turkey), PME Power Solutions (India), EKOS Group (Turkey), Efacec (Portugal), among others.The global e-house market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of e-house market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America.Download Detailed TOC @About Us:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Data Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com Crustacean Market In-depth Analysis by Prominent Players - Seaview Crab Company, The Crab Company, Asmak, RDM Aquaculture, Ichiboshi, International Fish Farming Crustacean Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/1552 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/crustacean-market https://www.gminsights.com http://algosonline.com/news Global Crustacean Market size is likely to expand at promising CAGR in the forecast period. Crustacean is huge family of arthropods which includes animals such as lobsters, prawns, crabs and other distinct species of sea animals. Most of the crustaceans are aquatic animals, while some are parasitic, sessile and terrestrial. Every year, almost 11 million tons of the product is cultured in aquatic farming or fisheries, across the globe, for human consumption.Crustacean market is one of the rapidly growing animal production industries across the globe. The prime factor responsible for crustacean market size growth in future is the growing demand for seafood globally. The rising product demand is due to the awareness created among consumers about the health benefits related to product consumption. For example, crabs contain omega-3 fatty acids and proteins, which have anti-inflammatory characteristics useful for treatment of arthritis.Request Table of content of this Report @Moreover, amplified consumer spending is being observed in recent years on food products. This is due to the changing lifestyle patterns, that can be attributed to increased disposable income of consumers. This change in consumer behavior is expected to drive the seafood and frozen food industry growth considerably, which in turn, will be propelling the crustacean market size across the globe by 2024.Furthermore, e-commerce and online channels have boosted the seafood market considerably through both platforms, business-to-customer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) operations. For instance, big chain retailers such as Target and Walmart offer in-store pick up and home delivery of seafood after order placement by customer. The major challenge for crustacean market is to compete with other aqua farming and agro industries. The crustacean market is still lagging others in terms of advanced biotechnologies which can enhance production output and value.Based on product, the crustacean market can be divided into crabs, lobsters, shrimps and prawns. Other species in product family include woodlice, barnacles, crayfish and several diverse types of species. The product contains vital nutrients such as minerals, vitamins and proteins and can prevent numerous diseases.Based on the culture area, the crustacean market can be segmented into inland waters and marine waters. The marine waters segment accounted for largest share in global crustacean market in 2016. The natural ocean conditions in marine areas are conducive for product growth. Countries including Australia and Thailand are home for shrimp and crab farming. However, periodic high currents affect product population in marine environment. Accordingly, aquaculture farms use drugs for preventing diseases and algae growth in the culture areas, which also affects the product population considerably. Thus, government agencies such as MAFW (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) in India and FAF (Federal Agency for Fishery) in Russia are trying to promote sustainable farming practices in these areas.Browse Full Report Details @In 2016, Asia Pacific, led the global crustacean market in terms of production and consumption. China is likely to lead the regional crustacean market by 2024, as the product is one of the most valued species family preferred in Asia Pacific, for consumption. Countries such as India, South Korea, China, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka are biggest consumers of seafood in Asia Pacific, thus, anticipated to contribute in crustacean market growth. Asia Pacific is full of small scale product vendors, as they receive full support from government pertaining to aquaculture and fish farming. Due to drift in consumer preference for rich in quality seafood, domestic consumption is likely to witness a prominent growth over the forecast period.The prominent market share contributors functional in industry are Seaview Crab Company, The Crab Company, Asmak, RDM Aquaculture, Ichiboshi, International Fish Farming and Holding Company and Surapon Foods, Normad Foods, Norway Royal Salmon, AquaChile, Russian Aquaculture, Findus Group, Nireus Aquaculture, Beijing Princess Seafood and Mogster Group.The product vendors, both international and regional, are intensifying the competition, by competing on the basis of portfolio, pricing and product differentiation. For instance, Normad Foods acquired Iglo Foods in 2015, to solidify their position in frozen foods segment. Small crab farmers, medium level domestic crab farmers & fisheries are also trying to enter the crustacean market.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Explore Our Blog @ Europe Debt Collection Software Market Worth $1,784 Million by 2025 Europe Debt Collection Software Market - AMR https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4738 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4738 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/4738 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com The Europe debt collection software market was valued at $794 million in 2016, and is projected to reach at $1,784 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2018 to 2025, according to recent statistics from Allied Market Research.Rising need to control, manage, and automate all debt collection & recovery processes, need to reduce bad debt and improve the cash flow while optimizing collection costs, and rise in omni-channel collection efforts majorly contribute towards the growth of the market. However, high implementation and integration cost and difficulty to track and reconcile accounts hamper Europe debt collection software market growth.Request Sample Copy@Based on component, service segment dominated the market in 2016, and is expected to continue this trend during the forecast period. Also, the segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to surge in demand for software-as-a-service model, owing to adoption of cloud based technologies to minimize the investments cost and increase the scalabilityOn the basis of deployment type, the Europe debt collection software market was led by on-premise in 2016, owing to better maintenance of servers and continuous system security checks facilitate the implementation of on-premise security solutions. However, the Cloud based debt collection software is expected to witness the highest growth, owing to its increasing adoption among large enterprises and SMEs to reduce infrastructure investment.Purchase Inquiry@Key Findings of the Europe Debt Collection Software Market:By component, service segment is expected to exhibit significant growth in the Europe debt collection software market during the forecast period.In 2016, the UK accounted for the highest revenue among the other countries.Based on deployment type, the on-premise segment generated the highest revenue in 2016.Dominating Market Players Profiled in the Report:Concent ASCodix S.A.,Advantage Software FactoryEXUSAltitude Software SolutionsQUALCOAtradius CollectionsExperian Information Solutions, Inc.Scorto, Inc.ApticFerber-Software GmbHOnguardTIETOBS Software GmbHRequest Customization@Integration of numerous technologies into debt collection software is expected to boost the growth of the market. For instance, emergence of predictive analytics, which helps segment customers into identical groups based on their attributes, and formulates customized debt management and advisory policies targeted to a particular customer segment. It clubs various techniques such as data mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statistical modelling to improve debt collection process. For instance, WNS, a utility company, adopted predictive analytics to increase its debt collection by 50%. Furthermore, integration of artificial intelligence to make debt collection smarter and easier is anticipated to offer lucrative opportunities for the market expansion.About Us:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Shriram Dighe5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: White Carbon Black Market Top Research By Zhuzhou Xinglong, Fujian Zhengsheng, Shandong Link, Fujian ZhengYuan, ShanDong JinNeng, Hengcheng Silica White Carbon Black Market, White Carbon Black Market Study, White Carbon Black Market Size, White Carbon Black Market Segmentation https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1202476/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1202476/ https://www.reuters.com/brandfeatures/venture-capital/article?id=43395 https://empowerednews.net/author/gminsights/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/category/news-releases/ http://reports.algosonline.com/ The White Carbon Black Market Report gives a clear picture of the current situation of the market which covers global industry analysis, size, share, growth, trends, key statistics and forecast Till 2023. The report on global White Carbon Black Market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research.White Carbon Black Market analysis is offered for global market including development trends by regions, competitive analysis of the White Carbon Black Market. Document Readers Industry report concentrates on the main drivers and constraints for the key players.Description: This report studies the global White Carbon Black market status and forecast, categorizes the global White Carbon Black market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia India and Other regions (Middle East & Africa, Central & South America).Request a sample of this premium report at: @This report focuses on the top Manufacturers and players in global market are given bellow:-Evnoik, Rhodia, Huber, PPG, OSC, Grace, Tosoh Silica, Akzonobel, Quechen Silicon, Zhuzhou Xinglong, Fujian Zhengsheng, Shandong Link, Fujian ZhengYuan, ShanDong JinNeng, Hengcheng Silica, Fujian Fengr et al.And MoreThe information for each competitor includes:*Company Profile*Main Business Information*SWOT Analysis*Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin*Market ShareSome key points of White Carbon Black Market research report: -Who Are White Carbon Black Market Key Manufacturers? Along with this survey you also get their Product Information (Type, Application and Specification).-What Overview White Carbon Black Market Says? This Overview Includes Diligent Analysis of Scope, Types, Application, Sales by region, manufacturers, types and applications.-What Is White Carbon Black Market Competition considering Manufacturers, Types and Application? Based on Thorough Research of Key Factors-What is White Carbon Black Market forecast (2018-2023) Considering Sales, Revenue for Regions, Types and Applications?The next part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Apart from the mentioned information, growth rate of White Carbon Black market in 2023 is also explained. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption tables and figures of White Carbon Black market are also given.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:@Research objectivesTo study and analyze the global White Carbon Black consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, product type and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2023.To understand the structure of White Carbon Black market by identifying its various subsegments.Focuses on the key global White Carbon Black manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the White Carbon Black with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).To project the consumption of White Carbon Black submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.More ReportsHybrid Solar Wind Energy Storage Market Growing at 9.8% CAGR to 2024Global Hybrid Solar Wind Energy Storage Market Size, Status and Segmentation added to its database. The report provides key statistics on the current state of the industry and other analytical data to understand the market.Click Here to More Read:More Report At:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:More Report at: Smart Education and Learning Market Witness Highest Growth Rate During 2018 to 2024 - Adobe Systems Incorporated Educomp Solutions Ltd. NIIT Limited Smart Technologies, Inc. Blackboard, Inc. Ellucian Company L.P. Smart Education and Learning Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/375 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/smart-education-learning-market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/375 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com The global smart education & learning market was valued at $240 billion in 2017, and is projected to reach at $994 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 22.7% from 2018 to 2024. In 2017, the educational content segment accounted for the highest revenue share in the smart education & learning market.Request Sample Report at:Increased acceptance of e-learning in corporate & academic set-ups, proactive government initiatives for the promotion of e-learning in the developing markets, technological advancements in smart education & e-learning, growth in number of mobile learning applications majorly contribute towards the growth of the market. However, factors such as security & privacy concerns and high cost of implementation hamper the growth of the smart education & learning market.Based on component, the educational content segment dominated the global market in 2017, and is expected to continue this trend during the forecast period, owing to the emergence of digital learning libraries and increase in emphasis on personalized learning. Furthermore, the services segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to increase in adoption of software-as-a-service trend.Access Full Summary at:The global smart education & learning market was led by the academics segment in 2017, and is projected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. However, the corporate segment is expected to witness the highest growth, owing to surge in adoption of smart education & learning to impart corporate training through a range of online training courses.In 2017, the global market was dominated by the virtual instructor-led training segment, and is expected to remain dominant during the forecast period. However, the adaptive learning segment is expected to witness the highest growth, owing to increase in need for individualized learning.Key Findings of the Smart Education & Learning Market: By component, the educational content segment is expected to exhibit significant growth in the global smart education & learning market during the forecast period. In 2017, North America accounted for the highest revenue among the other regions. Based on learning mode, the virtual instructor-led training segment generated the highest revenue in 2017. By end user, corporate segment is anticipated to exhibit substantial growth during the forecast period.Some of the key market players profiled in the report include Adobe Systems Incorporated, Educomp Solutions Ltd., NIIT Limited, Smart Technologies, Inc., Blackboard, Inc., Ellucian Company L.P., Saba Software, Inc., Unit4, Desire2Learn Corporation Ltd., and Cisco Systems, Inc.Request for Customization:About Us:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Shriram Dighe5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Pre-Clinical Imaging (In-Vivo) Market - Share Assessments for the Regional and Country Level Segments https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/pre-clinical-imaging-market https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/pre-clinical-imaging-market/report-sample https://www.psmarketresearch.com/send-enquiry?enquiry-url=pre-clinical-imaging-market https://www.psmarketresearch.com The global pre-clinical imaging (in-vivo) market is growing significantly due to development of high resolution and sensitive imaging devices with various applications in the industry. Massive unexplored market in pre-clinical imaging (in-vivo) industry of developing economies are creating ample opportunities for the pre-clinical imaging (in-vivo) market to grow at a considerable rate in the coming years. Further, technological advancement in pre-clinical imaging will support the growth of the global pre-clinical imaging (in-vivo) market in the coming years.Access Detailed Report Summary:Pre-clinical (in-vivo) imaging is bridging a gap between the vivo clinical research and vitro exploratory. It is increasingly being deployed across the drug development process, specifically in oncology therapeutic area. The advanced research and development facilities and new product developments of the companies are supporting the growth of pre-clinical imaging (in-vivo) industry. Moreover, integration of pre-clinical MRI systems with other imaging modalities is also expected to propel the growth of the global pre-clinical imaging market in coming years.Request to Get the Sample Pages at:Geographically, North America will be leading the global pre-clinical imaging (in-vivo) market in the coming years due to high volume pre-clinical research, entrenched infrastructure to conduct pre-clinical research, rising government funding, and easy availability and accessibility of resources.Make Enquiry Before Buying the Report:Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region in the global pre-clinical imaging (in-vivo) market; attributing to the growth are factors such as increasing government funding for development of pharmaceutical companies, and rising research and development activities by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the region. Moreover, the pre-clinical imaging (in-vivo) market is growing due to increasing number of contract research organizations in the emerging countries, such as India and China, of Asia-Pacific region.Some of the companies operating in the pre-clinical imaging (in-vivo) market are Perkinelmer Inc., Mr Solutions Ltd., Mediso Ltd., Bruker Corporation, Trifoil Imaging, Fujifilm Visualsonics Inc., Biospace Lab S.A., Milabs B.V., Li-Cor Biosciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Agilent Technologies and Aspect Imaging.About P&S IntelligenceP&S Intelligence, a brand of P&S Market Research, is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness.Contact:P&S Intelligence347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb: Global Web Content, Search Portals and Social Media Market, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Application Development Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast 2023 https://www.researchnreports.com/request_sample.php?id=223572 https://www.researchnreports.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=223572 https://www.researchnreports.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=223572 Global Web Content, Search Portals, And Social Media Market is a complete overview of the market. The competition for search traffic is increasing amongst major players like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Also, value-added services like Gmail and Microsoft outlook are the additional services provided by these players. Recently strategic partnerships are seen amongst major competitors contributing a large share to their revenues. for instance, Apple uses Google as its default search engine which has contributed as much as $8.8 billion to annual revenues of Google and Yahoo switched to Microsoft Bing.The top five companies covered are Google, Facebook, Tencent, Baidu, and Netflix. Google was the largest company in the market. The countries covered are the USA, China, Germany, Brazil, Japan, UK, Spain, Russia, France, Australia, Italy, India and the rest of the world.For Sample PDF Copy of this Report: -The report on the Global Web Content, Search Portals And Social Media Market is a complete overview of the market, covering various aspects product definition, segmentation based on various parameters, and the prevailing vendor landscape. It compiles in-depth information and research methodologies. It is also combined with relevant charts and tables to enable readers to get a better perspective of this global market.The key opportunity areas in the market and the top trends impacting the development of the market have also been presented through this report. The current growth and development patterns of this market have also been encapsulated in this study. The competitive background section of the report covers the key vendors and throws light on the strategies being adopted by them for better penetration into the market.The report also creates a clear picture of the various factors that will drive the global Web Content, Search Portals And Social Media market in the years to come. In order to help companies, spot potential threats and to give them a clear picture of the opportunities that exist in the market, the report offers a SWOT analysis of the global market. For the purpose of the study, market analysts have employed rigorous primary and secondary research techniques. This makes the analyses and forecasts more accurate and helps analysts to examine the market from a broader perspective.Avail discount on this report: -The research report analyzes the Global Web Content, Search Portals, And Social Media Market in a thorough manner by clarifying the key characteristics of the market that are anticipated to have a measurable influence on its evolving prospects over the forecast period. The major growth drivers, challenges, and trends influencing the market are examined at length. Through qualitative and quantitative data on the impact, these factors have on the market's future growth prospects are presented in the report.Table of Contents: -Global Web Content, Search Portals, And Social Media Market Analysis & Forecast.Chapter 1 Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Web Content, Search Portals And Social MediaChapter 3 Global Web Content, Search Portals And Social Media Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Web Content, Search Portals, And Social Media Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2013-2018)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Market AnalysisChapter 9 Web Content, Search Portals And Social Media Cost AnalysisChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast.Chapter 13 AppendixFor more Information on This Report: -If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently, we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,+1-8886316977, Indepth analysis of Cryotherapy Devices Market | Top Key Players (Medtronic, Cooper Surgical, Galil Medical, Impact Cryotherapy, Metrum ,Brymill Cryogenic Systems) | Global Foreseen till 2025 https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/request_sample.php?id=76 https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=76 Cryotherapy Devices MarketThe global market has been elaborately defined in a study file and placed on sale with the aid of research N reports in its repository. The report titles, world Cryotherapy Devices Market document. The newsletter has estimated the earnings forecast values for the global marketplace for the period 20182025. The forecast of the earnings growth of the market has also been calculated on the foundation of style, utility, and neighborhood. A bit on the evaluation of market effect causes has shed light upon some of the most significant features corresponding to environmental alternate as a result of monetary or political explanations, alternate in purchaser alternative, and technological evolution in related sectors.Get sample Copy of this Report@The global Cryotherapy Devices market is expected to register a tremendous CAGR over a forecast period. The increasing prevalence of the diseases globally is expected to boost the demand and pressure the worldwide market. The increasing research and progress routine for the brand new medicinal drugs and new combos of medicinal drugs, can be expected to force the market. The powerful initiatives taken through the more than a few state governments and regulatory our bodies reminiscent of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to decrease the incidence of illnesses throughout the arena, is likewise expected to gasoline the demand and has come to be the one of the crucial aspect that drives the worldwide market over a forecast period.Cryotherapy Devices Market - By TypeCryosurgeryIcepack TherapyChamber TherapyAsk for discount for this report@Market - By ComponentCryogunCryo ProbesCryo ChambersOthersCryotherapy Devices Market - By ComponentOncologyCardiologyPain ManagementOthersNevertheless, the possible part effects of the could hamper the demand and restrain the development of the worldwide Cryotherapy Devices market. The supply of pure exceptional of drugs in the Southeast Asia and Saharan African nations results in the inadequate cure, which can pose a risk to the demand of and restrain the development of the worldwide market for the duration of the study period.Geographically, the global market is segmented into: North the us, Europe, Asia Pacific, middle East & Africa and Latin the us. Currently, North America is contributing principal share to the worldwide Cryotherapy Devices market in phrases of price and is predicted to register a gigantic CAGR over the study period. Additionally, Europe is also subsidizing moderate market shares as a result of the developed clinical services and availability of the medicinal drugs out there. Asia-Pacific is probably the most profitable market due to the absolute best incidence of illnesses in the neighborhood and anticipated to show a potent growth within the world market.Table Of ContentChapter 1 Cryotherapy Devices Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Global Cryotherapy Devices Market ForecastResearch N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),+1-8886316977, On August 1st 2018, it officially marks Earth Overshoot Day. When we think of Earth, we think it will supply us for a lifetime. According to Global Footprint Network (GFN) we have used 1.7 Earth to support human civilization. The result of this is caused by economic damages, pollution, deforestation, and species being extinct across the planet. As an advocate of clean energy America Green continues to spread the word Christ Unity Church's Sunday Celebration Service this Sunday will host Jesse Herriott, new thought scholar and teacher. "We will have Christian Collier presenting some of his spoken word pieces during the service," officials said. A pot luck will follow with a special musical guest during the dinner. Service begins at 11 a.m. Karunanidhi's supporters remained outside hospital and urged staff to update them about the leader's health condition. Talking to the media after meeting DMK chief M Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy said: 'I have just met him in Kauvery hospital, he is better and is recovering well.' (Photo: Twitter| ANI) Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy and his deputy O Panneerselvam met ailing DMK president M Karunanidhi at a Chennai hospital on Monday. Talking to the media after meeting the DMK chief, Palanisamy said: "I have just met him in Kauvery hospital, he is better and is recovering well." The AIADMK leaders also praised Karunanidhi as a Tamil leader. The medical team attending to the 95-year-old political icon have maintained that his vital signs are "normalising". In a late night statement, the hospital said his health was improving and called it a "transient setback". Large number of DMK president Karunanidhi's supporters have congregated outside Kauvery hospital and despite appeals from DMK leaders refused to leave. Despite being lathi-charged by the police, supporters remained outside the the hospital and urged the hospital staff to update them about the leader's health condition. "For the past three days, we have been waiting here without food and water. We don't want anything, give us our thalaiva back. Why has nothing been said on him yet? We want him back," a supporter of the 94-year-old leader told ANI. The crowd, who was trying to barge inside the hospital was lathi-charged by the police deployed to avoid or control any unwelcome situation. The crowd has also gathered outside DMK chief 's Gopalapuram residence. Meanwhile, heavy security was deployed at both the hospital and M Karunanidhi's residence. M Karunanidhi was admitted to hospital on Saturday following a drop in his blood pressure. The DMK stalwart, who is suffering from fever due to urinary tract infection, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. He is on intravenous antibiotics. (With inputs from ANI) A 13-year-old girl was injured Saturday evening in Vancouver when a plastic bottle exploded in her hands, police said. Someone in a green SUV threw a bottle out of the car's window near Fort Vancouver Way and East 26th Street around 7:40 p.m., according to the police report. The car then drove off. When the girl picked the bottle up to throw it away, it exploded and injured her arms and hands, the report said. She was transported to a hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Police said video footage and statements from the girl have helped the investigation, but anyone with additional information should call the Vancouver Police Department. The department's non-emergency number is (360) 693-3111 A 6-year-old girl was seriously injured Saturday morning during a town parade in Newberg. She was sitting on a float during the Old Fashioned Festival Parade when she fell suddenly, said Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Kim Haughn. The girl fell underneath the float, and the tires ran over her. Her injuries were serious but not life threatening. It was purely accidental, Haughn said. The incident took place less than a block from the fire station, so parade goers picked her up and rushed her to the station hoping to find medics. Her family was close by, Haughn said. Medics called for a Life Flight airlift after examining her injuries. The helicopter landed at Edwards Elementary School and flew her to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, Haughn said. She remains Sunday in the hospital. Living in the shadow of the Cascadia Subduction Zone -- a fault that runs for 600 miles parallel to the Oregon Coast -- can make folks a little jumpy, especially when the seafloor starts to rumble as it did last week. A series of nearly a dozen quakes, ranging from magnitude 2.8 to 5.6, shook the bottom of the ocean off the coast near the California border July 24. The temblors were well offshore, about 126 miles west of Crescent City, California, but anytime the earth starts to move it can conjure up worst case scenarios. The Cascadia Subduction Zone is capable of producing an earthquake of at least magnitude 9 and has a 15 to 20 percent chance of rupturing in the next 50 years, according to the most recent studies. A quake of that size, and the tsunami that would likely follow it, would be devastating. But Chris Goldfinger, a professor of marine geology at Oregon State University, said the cluster of quakes was a reminder that complex geological forces are at work under the waters of the Pacific Northwest. But not necessarily a warning that a larger quake is imminent. "This is normal operation," he said. "It's a good reminder that the Cascadia Subduction Zone is active." To understand why, you need to know about the diminutive tectonic plate that sits off the southern Oregon coast. The Gorda Plate, the boundary of which is where most of the most recent quakes were clustered, is young by geologic standards. Younger plates are thinner and more vulnerable to fracture. The Gorda Plate is also surrounded by the Pacific and North American plates, much older and thicker by comparison. When those plates move, Goldfinger said, the younger plate essentially gets squeezed through a funnel. "Imagine you had a quarter-inch piece of plywood bordered on all sides by 2-inch pieces of plywood," Goldfinger said. When you think about pushing those pieces together, it's easy to see which piece would buckle first. "Because the Gorda Plate is so young and fragile, it's cracking and groaning under the pressure from the big dogs," Goldfinger said, referring to the North American and Pacific plates. "It's very active. We see quakes out there all the time." While the clusters don't make the "big one" any more or less imminent, Goldfinger noted that it's a good reminder that the Cascadia Subduction Zone is being constantly loaded with pressure and that, someday, it will blow. "There's an extremely small chance that, when the Cascadia Subduction Zone is ready to go, a small disturbance could set it off," he said. "But this is more just a flag that the subduction zone is constantly being loaded." -- Kale Williams kwilliams@oregonian.com 503-294-4048 BEND Feral swine may not come to mind when thinking of the most dangerous invasive species in Oregon, but the pigs can cause great damage to fish and wildlife habitat. And one invasive species specialist calls the super-sized porkers "a walking disease factory." The Bend Bulletin reports that the state has managed over the past decade to cut the population through trapping and aerial hunting from more than 3,000 to less than 200. The remaining swine roam in the vast wilderness of Central Oregon and open terrain along the California border. Feral swine spread in Oregon mostly through people bringing in exotic European and Russian boars for private hunts. Feral swine can start breeding as early as 6 months old, and produce at least two litters per year with up to 12 in a litter. They can grow to nearly 300 pounds, and as omnivores they eat almost anything in their paths. They can eat small birds and young deer but also dig up roots in farmland and protected riparian areas. Most of the damage is done during the night because they are nocturnal animals. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife displaces photographic evidence of the damage feral pigs can inflict on the land to help motivate people to take part in its "Squeal on Pigs" tattle-tale campaign. In 2001, state lawmakers reclassified the pigs from livestock to predatory animals, allowing them to be hunted without regulation. Eight years later, the Legislature passed a law requiring landowners to notify state wildlife officials if they see feral swine on their property. The state wildlife department calls its information campaign "Squeal on Pigs." Besides the environmental damage, feral pigs also carry up to 40 separate diseases that are dangerous to humans and livestock. Boatner said the Oregon population is relatively disease free, although one was found with swine flu, a respiratory disease in pigs that can spread to humans. "Feral swine are a walking disease factory," Boatner said. -- The Associated Press with information taken from the Bend Bulletin House Speaker Paul Ryan and his hoped-for successor will attend a private fundraiser in Wilsonville Monday night for Oregon Republican Rep. Greg Walden. The fundraiser for Walden, who has represented the state's largest congressional district since 1998, starts at $2,500 a plate, according to an invitation obtained by Willamette Week. Donors at the $10,000 "committee chair" level receive four dinner seats and a photo. A $25,000 "co-host" donation includes a VIP meeting, although the invitation does not specify a VIP by name. Fundraiser guests Ryan and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy would certainly qualify. Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who was Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick on the 2012 ticket, is retiring from Congress at the end of his term. McCarthy, a Californian representative, was endorsed by Ryan to take over the speaker's chair. Walden, who represents the 2nd Congressional District comprising most of central and eastern Oregon, is the lone Republican in the state's congressional delegation. He played a key role in President Donald Trump's decision to pardon Dwight and Steven Hammond earlier this month. The case inspired the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by armed protesters. The father and son were sent to prison for five years -- the mandatory minimum -- after they'd already served sentences imposed by an earlier judge. The first judge deemed the sentencing guideline excessive and refused to follow it. This is not the first time Walden has received fundraising support from Ryan. Ryan attended a fundraiser for Walden in August 2017 at the Waverly Country Club. The event drew about 200 protesters, who stood outside the club and criticized Walden and Ryan for their stances on issues such as health care. Jamie McLeod-Skinner beat out six other Democrats in the May primary for the right to challenge Walden in the November general election. She is the former city manager of Phoenix, in Oregon's Jackson County. McLeod-Skinner spoke out against the fundraiser Monday morning on Twitter. She said he should be hosting a town hall instead. "We need a representative who's loyal to our district, not wealthy donors," McLeod-Skinner said. -- Lydia Gerike lgerike@oregonian.com @LydiaGerike An employee at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has won the first refund of mandatory union fees stemming from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that public employees cannot be required to pay unions dues or fees if they opt out of membership. Debora Nearman filed a lawsuit in April challenging the mandatory union costs as a condition of her employment at the agency. After the Janus decision was issued June 27, the Service Employees International Union Local 503 moved to settle the case and return more than two years of fees to Nearman, or $2,959.81. Nearman, the wife of Oregon Rep. Mike Nearman, R-Independence, said the SEIU actively opposed her husband's election efforts, forming a political action committee and spending some $53,000 to campaign against him, including distributing disparaging fliers. Nearman also said she is a devout Catholic and strongly opposes SEIU's position on abortion and its financial support of pro-choice political candidates and legislation. Finally, she said, SEIU takes policy positions that conflict with her political beliefs, including its support of a ballot measure that sought to impose a gross receipts tax on corporations. The SEIU spent millions lobbying in support of Measure 97, which was ultimately defeated. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision ended a provision in Oregon and 21 other states that required public employees to pay what's known as "fair share" fees as a condition of their employment, even if they opted out of union membership. The fees are supposed to cover bargaining and contract administration, including handling grievances. The plaintiff was Illinois public employee Mark Janus, who sued his union in 2015. He argued the union's non-member fees still supported its political activities in violation of his First Amendment rights. Janus filed his case with legal aid from the Illinois-based Liberty Justice Center and the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, the latter group said. The decision's impact has been hotly debated. Some maintain that it is likely to result in a significant loss of union membership and the fees that are used to bankroll candidates and union lobbying at the Capitol. Oregon still ranks among the top states in the nation for public employee membership. "Nearman's refund represents the first of what should ultimately be hundreds of millions of dollars or even more returned to public employees for union fees seized from them in violation of the First Amendment," Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation, said in a news release. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is handling some 200 other cases across the country, including a class-action lawsuit in California by 30,000 state employees, Patrick Semmens, the group's vice president, told the Associated Press. If the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules in favor of the plaintiffs in the California case, they stand to be refunded more than $100 million, Semmens estimated. Union advocates say public employees recognize the benefits of union membership and will continue to support them. SEIU's settlement with Nearman was explicit that the union has not admitting wrongdoing and was settling "for no other reason" than "to avoid the expense and inconvenience of further proceedings." Union officials said that meant it was not setting any precedent, and that it's not liable to repay any fees paid before the Janus ruling. "SEIU 503 is a strong union because we focus on our members' priorities: bargaining strong contracts, funding critical government services, and lifting standards for all Oregonians," Melissa Unger, executive director of SEIU Local 503 said in an emailed statement. "In order to keep that focus, we made the decision to settle this case rather than go through a costly and time-consuming legal battle. "The national anti-union groups will try to make this about more than it is, but our members want us to keep our eyes on their priorities rather than engaging in protracted lawsuits." The Oregon branch of the SEIU claims 72,000 members who work in state, local government, nonprofit agencies and higher education. Its spokeswoman, Jill Bakken, told the Associated Press that the Supreme Court's ruling that eliminated obligatory fees has led to a drop in membership "well within our expectations." "While we're not sure what the long-term impacts will be yet the case is still relatively new we're very encouraged," Bakken said. - Ted Sickinger 503-221-8505; @tedsickinger Sergio Jose Martinez, convicted of sex crimes for attacking two women in Portland last year, was sentenced Monday in federal court for illegally entering the United States before the assaults. The case inflamed the illegal immigration debate and drew national attention to Oregon's status as a sanctuary state. It also highlighted an ongoing dispute between local authorities and immigration agents about when to share information on immigrants held in jail. U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones sentenced Martinez to seven years and eight months, plus three years of supervised release, in the federal case. The sentence will run at the same time as Martinez's 35-year state sentence for the attacks. Martinez had been removed from the country or deported more than 10 times before the two violent assaults in Portland, Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Bolstad told the court. The two women who were attacked by Martinez on July 24, 2017, attended his federal sentencing but didn't speak. The women supported the plea deal, Bolstad said. When the judge asked Martinez if he had anything to tell the court, he said he wanted to verify that he'll serve out his sentence in state prison, Twin Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla County, where he's now being held. The judge said that was correct but pressed if Martinez wanted to apologize. Turning slightly toward the women sitting in the public gallery, Martinez said, "I do apologize. I wasn't in the right set of mind when I did these crimes.'' Martinez blamed his drug addiction for the assaults and said he started using drugs at age 12. The past year, he said, marks "the longest I've been sober.'' Martinez sexually assaulted a 65-year-old woman after entering her Northeast Irving Street apartment through an open window, threatening her with a metal rod, tying her up with scarves and socks, punching her then escaping with her car. Hours later, authorities said, he attacked another woman at knifepoint as she was leaving work and walking to her car in a parking garage on Northeast Halsey Street. He forced the 37-year-old woman into her car, but she got out. He then tackled her to the ground and repeatedly bashed her head into the concrete before taking her car, according to state prosecutors. Martinez, 31, pleaded guilty in December to first-degree sex abuse, first-degree attempted sex abuse, first-degree sodomy, first-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree robbery and two counts of second-degree assault. Martinez will be deported after completing his 35-year sentence. The three years of federal supervised release was issued in case Martinez were to return to the United States after completing that sentence. "We must stop dangerous criminals with no right to be in the U.S. from returning to our streets and reoffending after completing their state sentences," Oregon's U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said in a statement. Williams said nothing in state or federal law prevents local police and jails from sharing information with federal agents about people in the country illegally who face criminal charges. Martinez had been arrested and released a half-dozen times from the Multnomah County jail system without notice to immigration officials, who had placed a hold on him. He faced a string of low-level allegations -- including TriMet fare-jumping, failing to appear in court on a trespassing accusation and an escape warrant -- before his final release and the attacks. The sheriff has said he needs a federal criminal arrest warrant signed by a judge to notify immigration officers about an inmate. "Giving ICE notice that a defendant is in custody on state charges is permitted under Oregon state law and could have prevented these horrific crimes," Williams said. "Oregonians deserve and expect more. As evidenced by this case, effective communication between federal and state law enforcement is imperative to ensure dangerous illegal aliens are identified and deported according to law." Mat dos Santos, legal director of the ACLU of Oregon, said the ACLU condemns the violent sexual assaults Martinez committed. "Mr. Martinez' offenses are unrelated to his immigration status,'' dos Santos said in a prepared statement. "Tying these offenses to his immigration status does nothing but appeal to the stereotype that immigrants are dangerous. Instead, research shows that undocumented immigrants commit significantly less crime than citizens born in the United States." -- Maxine Bernstein Innovation Law Lab lawyers on Monday will urge a federal judge to order continued daily access to lawyers for immigrant detainees held at the federal prison in Sheridan. The nonprofit law group, representing the detainees, is seeking a preliminary injunction against the Department of Homeland Security. Government lawyers argue that the lab's request is too broad and only the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., has authority to hear a claim that immigrants facing expedited removal proceedings have a constitutional right to a lawyer. On May 31, 124 immigrant men were transferred to the Sheridan prison. They had been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon issued a temporary restraining order on June 25 requiring legal counsel be provided to the detainees through July 30. Since then, the law lab mobilized more than 80 legal volunteers and interpreters to provide free legal advice to any detainee who requested it. The court has allowed lawyers to meet with detainees for at least six hours a day, seven days a week. Detainees also are supposed to have phone access to contact lawyers. Pro bono teams of lawyers have visited the prison nearly daily since June 26. The lab has provided "Know your rights'' presentations to 114 immigrant men in nine languages and completed 100 initial client screenings and 95 client consultations. The lawyers have represented 38 men at asylum screenings to determine if they have a credible fear of persecution or torture if returned to their native country; 22 men have been determined to have a credible fear and another 16 men have been screened by a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officer. The screenings are expected to be completed by the first week of August. Men who pass the screenings likely will be eligible for release from detention if they can prove their identity and show they're not a flight risk and not a danger to the community, according to the lab attorneys. The lab seeks to represent other men seeking "credible fear" interviews and help them through to their release. The lab also is working with community groups to create a post-detention respite network to provide shelter for up to three days to immigrant men released from Sheridan and travel help to an ICE-approved sponsor or other residence. But the lab lawyers say they have faced challenges from the prison to see the detainees. The prison has required 48-hour notice in advance to meet with some detainees placed in isolation cells in a segregated housing unit. In one case, this prevented a lawyer from meeting with a detainee before his immigration-related interview with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officer. Telephone consultations with lawyers have been hampered because the phones at the prison are placed side by side, preventing confidential consultation. And the court-ordered six-hour minimum for visits has been hampered by inadequate staffing or other prison disruptions. "Given the unexplained and total denial of immigration attorney access for nearly the entire month of June up until this court's intervention it cannot be presumed that defendants would not revert back to some level of denial of the detainees' rights to access counsel," the law lab's attorneys wrote. "Immigrants in detention face extraordinary hurdles in gathering the evidence they need to defend against deportation hurdles made all but insurmountable by defendants' denial of access to counsel and communication with the outside world." Government lawyers say these detainees -- people who haven't been admitted or paroled and who can't establish physical presence in the United States for 14 days -- weren't facing a removal proceeding before an immigration judge at the time the law lab raised a due process claim and therefore weren't required to have a lawyer. They also argue that requiring legal representation would disrupt the expedited removal system, burden the prison and result in a significant increase in the length of the detention. Oral argument is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday in Simon's federal courtroom on the 15th floor of the U.S. District courthouse in downtown Portland. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian Supporters of a tax increase on big retailers' Portland sales to pay for eco-friendly causes have gathered more than enough valid signatures to appear on the ballot this fall, the city election office announced. If adopted, the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Initiative, officially called PDX 04, would levy a 1 percent tax on all Portland sales by businesses with at least $1 billion in annual revenue and $500,000 in sales within city limits. Groceries and medicine would be exempt from the tax. Backers say the tax would raise at least $30 million a year. Money would be set aside in a fund for clean energy projects and eco-jobs training for women, people of color, the disabled and "chronically underemployed." Public opinion about PDX 04 is unclear because no polling data has been released, but Portland voters are typically a tax-friendly electorate. Multnomah County was one of only two counties to vote yes on Measure 97, the statewide retailer tax that appeared on 2016 ballots. Backers of the tax include more than 100 grassroots political organizations, nonprofits, members of clergy and Commissioner Chloe Eudaly. Mayor Ted Wheeler has come out against the tax, as have the Portland Business Alliance and the Oregon Business Council, an advocacy group for the state's largest employers. -- Gordon R. Friedman The Long Hollow fire burning near Dufur in north-central Oregon is 58 percent contained as of Sunday night, fire officials said. Firefighting teams will work Sunday night and Monday morning to finish containment lines for the 34,500-acre fire, officials said. Only a few areas, such as the southeast corner, are still fairly active. Evacuations levels for segment three of the Deschutes River, between Buckhallow and Macks Canyon, have lowered to a Level 1, meaning people should be prepared to leave. Earlier in the week, evacuations were at Level 3, meaning leave immediately. Oregon 216 and the Deschutes River access road are now open, although officials recommend driving under the speed limit to watch out for debris and firefighting teams. Ferry Canyon Homestead, upstream of Macks Canyon, is the only structure officially confirmed to have burned down. It was a historic home used for railroad workers in the early 1900s. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management acquired the homestead and used it to for campsite workers and volunteers in the 1990s until recently. BLM was working with the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office to determine a new use for the site. Officials said the homestead is now a hazardous area. -- Lydia Gerike lgerike@oregonian.com @LydiaGerike FMG or khatna is a practice prevalent among the Dawoodi Bohra religious community of Shia sect. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday orally questioned the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) of minor girls in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community and observed a woman does not have to live her life only for a marriage and a husband.) FMG or khatna is a practice prevalent among the Dawoodi Bohra religious community of Shia sect. This practice is an age-old tradition in this community to mark the arrival of womanhood. At the outset, the Chief Justice Dipak Misra, heading a three judge bench observed that women are not chattels and their subjugation to please their husbands must pass the test of constitutional morality and right to privacy. The bench, which also included justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, was hearing a PIL filed last year by an advocate Sunita Tihar seeking a ban on Female Genital Mutilation. The CJI observed that in the guise of FMG or circumcision as no one can use the religious practices to touch a females body and violate integrity of her body part. The CJI said this is violative of Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution as the child is put to trauma. There are possible health hazards. When this court is pushing for affirmative action in favour of women, how can we go against them. Justice Chandrachud added religious practices like FGM cannot pass the test of Article 25 (1) of the Constitution, which is subject to health issue. Something, which is treated as a crime cannot be treated as an essential religious practice. This practice cannot continue only because women need to get married. A woman may have several other obligations too. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal sought a ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) on the ground that this religious practice has already been banned in 42 countries. He said the government was in favour of a ban on religious practices that force girl child to undergo genital mutilation or circumcision. The A-G said that the FMG is a crime with a punishment of seven years of imprisonment. Under the existing laws dont permit FMG and that the court can further clarify on the matter and issue guidelines. He also pointed out that the United Nations has deprecated this practice and FMG has been banned in 42 countries including USA, UK, Australia, Canada and 27 African countries and it should not be allowed to continue. The petition filed by the advocate described the practice as inhuman and violative of girls rights under the Constitutions Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 21 (Right to Life). It sought a direction to declare it illegal and unconstitutional, non-compoundable and a non-bailable offence. It asked the court to frame guidelines to curb the practice and to issue directions to the state police chiefs to take action against those who indulge in such practice. Senior counsel Rakesh Khanna and Indira Jaising submitted that under the current laws, a complaint can be registered under IPC Section 324/326 for causing grievous hurt or assault but there are no specific provisions that deal with such gender specific violence. Further Section 3 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act children are protected from any sort of penetrative assault using an object. It was argued that there should be provisions against people who aid and abet such practices. Arguments will continue on Tuesday. Three candidates are running for the Ward 1 seat on the Midland City Council in the Aug. 7 primary election. Current Ward 1 Councilman Tom Adams has been on the council for 13 years, and is not running again. Ward 1 residents will have the choice of voting in the Aug. 7 primaries for John Metevia, Jeremy Rodgers or Pam Hall to take his place. The two people with the highest number of votes cast in the primary will be placed on the Nov. 6 ballot for their ward. The person receiving the highest number of votes in the November election will be declared council member for that ward, and be sworn into office on Nov. 12 for a two-year term. John Metevia Metevia said his experience in the business world and with city government make him "uniquely qualified" to represent the first ward. "I'm looking forward to going around through the communities in the first ward, meeting more people and seeing exactly what they'd like to have done on the city council in the fall," Metevia said during the recent League of Women Voters candidate forum. Metevia has lived in the first ward for 28 years and will soon be retiring from his current job as a ticket operations manager with the Great Lakes Loons. He has operated small businesses in Midland for more than 15 years, and has more than 20 years of retail management experience in Midland and other communities across the state. The Midland native graduated from John Glenn High School and served two different six-year terms on the Midland Parks and Recreation Commission. For three years, Metevia served as the commission chairperson. He also has participated in the City of Midland Citizens Academy. Metevia said with the high price for improving Midland's sanitary and storm sewer systems, it will likely be a 10- to 20-year fix, especially since those costs will only increase over time. It will be important to see what the city's study says, he added. "It's something that definitely needs to be addressed," he said. In regards to balancing the city's budget, Metevia said the city council has done an excellent job through the years, but the key is increasing the tax base. "The way to do that is enticing development either in business or in housing to bring in more taxpayers and increase our tax base," he said. It is important that other areas are looked at for development other than just downtown, he said. "There's a lot of neat and exciting things going on in the downtown area, but I think we need to expand that out to other parts of the community," Metevia said. If elected, Metevia plans on being accessible to constituents by phone, but also focusing on "walking around and talking to people," he said. "I don't think we see nearly enough of that in our community now," Metevia said. Jeremy Rodgers Since deciding to run for city council, Rodgers said he has been going door-to-door talking with residents, and listening to their concerns, which mostly center around poor road condition and flooding. Rodgers graduated in December with a degree in history and political science from Central Michigan University. He also was in the last cohort of the City of Midland Citizens Academy. Rodgers has worked in landscaping, construction, manufacturing and multiple local political campaigns. He is currently the Mid-Michigan field director for Bill Schuette's campaign for governor. Previously he worked on state Rep. Gary Glenn's campaign in 2014, and volunteered for U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar and Schuette. "I have developed excellent people skills in my campaign experience and have demonstrated my ability to build a rapport with my co-workers, neighbors, and even our congressman, attorney general and state representative," Rodgers said. For Rodgers, the campaign process has highlighted how expansive Ward 1 is, and how many different problems people face based on where they live. "One of the things that appeals to me about city government is that it's local, it's close to the people," he said. That is evident in the city's sewer study input sessions, he said. In terms of flooding, the solution won't be "an overnight fix," Rodgers said. "We just need to do it in a fiscally responsible manner, but I think the city is already starting with a good approach, and I would like to be a continuation of that," Rodgers said. Rodgers said the city has done a good job of maintaining services and balancing the budget, but a long term plan is needed to responsibly fund infrastructure upgrades and pay off unfunded liabilities. Rodgers plans on being accessible to constituents by phone, email and Facebook. Pam Hall Pam Hall was born in Kalamazoo and raised in Saginaw, but has lived in Midland for 38 years. She has experience working in the service industry, journalism, sales and office administration. Hall is an advocate for many social issues and causes, and is a member of the League of Women Voters and the Humane Society. Hall has attended council meetings in the past, and has been regularly attending since her decision to run for the Ward 1 seat. "I would encourage the public to get more involved with their government and see what is going on," Hall said. "It's a good experience." When it comes to drawing new development to Midland, Hall believes people already living here will drive economic growth. "It is a well-known fact people in Midland tend to have a higher education and make more money," she said. "It's important to be inclusive with those folks that are working harder for less, trying to include them." Hall said she is a big supporter of public schools and supports education in the trades, because there is a big need to fill those jobs, she said. "There is value in those other positions and our education has to allow for that," she said. Hall thinks she is the best choice for Ward 1 because she offers a needed change on council, she said. "People want change from what currently is going on in their government and they see me as a catalyst for that because of the people who I have already connected with," Hall said. "The community sees my values." If elected, Hall would make sure to diligently follow through with people when they bring questions and concerns to the city council, she said. "It would be of utmost importance if a resident from Ward 1 has voiced a concern, that you get back with them," she said. Hall plans on being accessible to constituents by phone. "I have an understanding from real work experience things coming up in city council because I'm already relating and applying them," Hall said. One great thing about Windows 10 is that it has lots of small but essential tweaks for power users. For this tutorial, were looking at a great option for anyone running a multi-monitor setup, especially for folks rocking 4K monitors. Windows 10, like Windows 8.1, includes an option to adjust the DPI (dots per inch) scaling on a per-monitor basis using a percentage scale. This wonderful tool gives you more granular control when youre using monitors of varying resolutions or monitors with the same resolution but different screen sizes. This is far preferable to applying a single DPI scaling percentage to all of your monitorswhich can result in nasty sizing wonkinessas older versions of Windows did. Per-monitor action To get started, right-click any empty space on your desktop and select Display settings towards the bottom of the context menu. Alternatively, you can go to Start > Settings > System > Display. IDG The Settings app in Windows 10 is ready for per-monitor display scaling. Once youre there, youve won half the battle. You should see a graphical layout of your monitor setup. In this case I have a laptop display labeled 1 and an external monitor labeled 2. Lower down the screen under Scale and layout youll see a drop-down menu labeled Change the size of text, apps, and other items: X% (Recommended). It used to be a slider in earlier versions of Windows 10, but because this feature defaults to certain scaling pre-sets, a drop down made more sense. Before you start changing the scaling, check to see which monitor is highlighted. In this case, the laptop monitor is highlighted in blue, but I dont want to change the scaling for this displaythe 1920-by-1080 view automatically scaled to 125% is just fine. The larger 1080p monitor, however, would be easier for my tired eyes to handle with a little scaling applied. IDG Windows 10s per-monitor display scaling in action. All I do is click on monitor 2 in the Settings screen, and then choose my scaling as seen above. The pre-set choices for my 1080p monitor were 100, 125, 150, and 175 percent. Some displays will have different scaling options. I have a laptop with a 1366768 display that maxes out at 125 percent, for example. Your mileage will vary depending on the resolution of your monitors. IDG For best results sign out and back in to Windows 10. Now that weve applied different scaling settings we have to do a little clean-up. At this point, Windows 10 may tell you that you need to sign-out and back in again before some apps on your PC respond to the new scaling settings. When we first looked at this feature back in 2015, you definitely wanted to follow Microsofts advice right away. Now that were deeper into the age of 4K, however, its not as necessary as many developers are packaging high-dpi assets in their programs. Still, if youve got a lot of older programs that dont get updated much, signing in and out again is advised. Once youre back in, weve got one more scaling setting we can use. Open the Settings app again to System > Display. Under the scaling drop-down, select the Advanced scaling settings link. IDG Windows 10s advanced scaling settings. That will take you to a second page. Here, turn on Let Windows try to fix apps so theyre not blurry by clicking the slider. This will let Windows try to scale up any apps that arent making the cut. A note for power users Power users with multiple monitors at the same resolution may want more refined scaling than the pre-sets can offer. They can return to the advanced settings screen under Custom scaling (pictured above). Here you can enter a percentage between 100 and 500 to apply a blanket scaling to all your monitors. This article originally published July 30, 2015. Union Canal House restaurant is temporarily closed following flooding. Last week, water filled the South Hanover Township establishment's basement, however, the dining rooms and kitchen remained unscathed. Co-owner Deborah Albright said she hopes to reopen the historic restaurant, which is near Hersheypark and other attractions, as early as this weekend. "This is our first time going through this," she said. She took over the restaurant four years ago with her husband, William Albright. Unoin Canal House dates back to 1751, and served as "public house" and inn catering to soldiers from the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars. It sustained flooding in 2011 when the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee dumped heavy rain on central Pennsylvania. Floodwaters rose 6 inches into the restaurant's second floor, higher than flooding from Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. It took then-owner Sterl Simmons 18 months to reopen the restaurant. Deborah Albright said duct work from the cooling system and electric need to be repaired. She said they have lost five days of business so far and expect to be closed at least until the end of the week. Water has receded from the restaurant's basement. They have not determined an official reopening date. "We've got a few days to go here," she said. Two years after opening Yak N Yeti in New Cumberland, owner Tenzin Norbu is expanding with a second restaurant. A Yak N Yeti will open at 49 W. High St. in Carlisle in the former Misenos Pizzeria next to the Hamilton Restaurant. Norbu said he expects to open the 100-seat restaurant in early August. "I have a lot of customers who come from Carlisle. Every year I do the Amani Festival and get a great response," Norbu said. The restaurant will serve a similar Himalayan menu to Yak N Yeti in New Cumberland with a few additional items, he said. When it opened in 2016, Yak N Yeti quickly became a favorite spot among Harrisburg-area diners for its cuisine representing Nepal and Bhutan. "Maybe it's the food itself; it's unique to the area. And we try and do as much local, fresh as possible," he said. Yak N Yeti follows recipes from Norbu's Nepalese mother and Bhutanese father. Before he opened Yak N Yeti, Norbu worked as an executive in the diamond industry in New York. There, he met his wife, who is from Lancaster, and the couple relocated to the midstate when they decided to have children. Norbu said he has no plans to close the New Cumberland restaurant. Another new restaurant, Jewels of India, is expected to open in August in Carlisle. The incident occurred on Sunday under the City Kotwali police station area, police said. The accused, identified as Zahid Ansari, allegedly barged into the house of the minor and set her ablaze after dousing her with kerosene, Circle Officer Abhishek Pandey said. (Representational | File) Bhadohi: A 17-year-old girl was set on fire allegedly by a spurned lover in the Alamnagar area in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi, police said on Monday. The incident occurred on Sunday under the City Kotwali police station area, police added. The accused, identified as Zahid Ansari, allegedly barged into the house of the minor and set her ablaze after dousing her with kerosene, Circle Officer Abhishek Pandey said. The victim gave the accused a chase in an attempt to catch him but lost unconscious as the flames engulfed her, he said. She was rushed to a local hospital from where she was referred to hospital in Varanasi, Pandey said, adding that she suffered 80 per cent burns. The accused often teased the girl, he said. A case has been lodged and efforts are on to nab Zahid Ansari, who is on the run, the circle officer added. The USS Indianapolis was hit by Japanese torpedoes just after midnight on July 30, 1945, in the Philippine Sea, during World War II. The U.S. Navy's Portland-class heavy cruiser sank in 12 minutes. According to ussindianapolis.org, there were 1,196 men on board - 300 went down with the ship while around 900 were stranded with no lifeboats, no food and no water. By the time the survivors were spotted four days later by accident only 316 men were still alive. Because the ship was on a secret mission it was not reported as overdue when it did not arrive when expected. Three SOS messages had been sent - and received - but never acted upon. The Indianapolis was headed to the Philippines for training after making a trip to the U.S. Army Air Force Base at Tinian to deliver parts for the Little Boy nuclear weapon. The ship's captain, Charles McVay III, survived and was court-martialed for "failing to zigzag," meaning to steer the ship on a zigzag pattern to avoid torpedoes. Years later it was determined that McVay was made a scapegoat. He was the only captain of a Navy ship lost in combat in World War II to face a court martial. Even the commander of the Japanese submarine that attacked the Indianapolis said a zigzag would not have prevented his torpedoes from finding their mark. He said that McVay's court martial conviction was unjust. McVay was exonerated in 2001. McVay was from Ephrata, Lancaster County. He died in November 1968 at the age of 70 in Connecticut. He killed himself. The story of the Indianapolis has been told in the book by Dan Kurzman, "Fatal Voyage," and in the play, "The Failure to ZigZag" by John B. Ferzacca. There also have been three movies. "Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the USS Indianapolis" was a 1991 TV movie. "USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage," starring Nicholas Cage came out in 2016 as did "USS Indianapolis: The Legacy" film with survivors telling their stories about what happened. The weather forecast for the Harrisburg region as of early Monday called for lots of clouds and a high chance of rain, sometimes heavy, through Friday. While it included the possibility of storms that could drop three-quarters of an inch on some areas, total rainfall amounts were expected to be considerably smaller than last week, when some areas received a foot of rain from storms that battered the region from Saturday through Wednesday. Still, most of the northeast was expected to be affected by storm that could drop up to three inches on some areas. With the drenching the area received last week, it won't take a huge amount of rain to trigger problems. An AccuWeather forecaster wrote in a blog post, "residents from Baltimore to Harrisburg and Williamsport, Pennsylvania, should not let their guard down." Monday's forecast for the Harrisburg region called for a cloudy day with a high of about 82 and a 50 percent chance of rain in the latter part of the day. Tuesday is expected to bring an 80 percent chance of rain with thunderstorms possible and a high of about 84. Showers and thunderstorms are likely on Wednesday, which is expected to bring a 70 percent chance of rain and a high of about 84. The forecast for the remainder of the workweek as well as Saturday called for cloudy days with a chance of showers and thunderstorms and highs in the low- to mid-80s. As of early Monday morning, the forecast from the National Weather Service made no mention of sunshine in the Harrisburg area until Sunday, which also brings a chance or rain and thunderstorms, but is predicted to be a partly sunny day. The forecast for the Pittsburgh region also called for a run of cloudy days with rain likely, although it called for partly sunny days from Thursday though Saturday, and a mostly sunny day on Sunday. The forecast for the Philadelphia area called for cloudy days with a chance of rain and thunderstorms through Friday, followed by a partly sunny Saturday and a mostly sunny Sunday. A former McDonald's employee is charged with indecently assaulting six teenage girls who were working at the West Hanover Township restaurant. Quinten Nelson Quinten Shane Nelson, 23, of Harrisburg, was charged with incidents between September 2016 and June 24, 2018 at the McDonald's at 7845 Linglestown Road, state police said. State police said they began the investigation after receiving a report that a 14-year-old girl was inappropriately touched by a man working at the restaurant. Police said other victims were discovered, ranging in age from 14 to 20. One victim, who was 14, told police Nelson began by winking at her, and then began touching her on the buttocks with his hand, court documents say. She said it happened "so many times that she cannot remember," and also said he sometimes grabbed her butt. A 15-year-old worker said Nelson would whistle at her and "give flirtatious looks" while intentionally bumping into her with his genitals, and also accused him of touching her on the butt, court records say. Another victim, age 15, accused Nelson of "aggressively" grabbing her buttocks as many as five or six times a shift, and also whispering suggestive comments in her ear. She said he also elbowed her in the breast at least once a shift, and did these things when no else was watching. The girl told police she was afraid of Nelson, since he is "a big guy." A manager at the McDonald's would only say that Nelson no longer works there. Nelson was charged July 24 with two counts of indecent assault; four counts of indecent assault of a person less than age 16; four counts of corruption of minors - age 18 and above; and four counts of unlawful contact with minors - sexual offenses. He was placed in Dauphin County prison in lieu of $10,000 bail. The McKean County judge who once presided over the Jerry Sandusky criminal case has been named as the special master tasked with determining how much of the findings in the long-awaited grand jury report into clergy sex abuse across Pennsylvania is redacted. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday afternoon appointed Senior Judge John M. Cleland, of the Court of Common Pleas of McKean County as the special master to hear challenges regarding the redaction of names. "AND NOW, this 30th day of July, 2018, the Honorable John M. Cleland, of the Court of Common Pleas of McKean County, is hereby APPOINTED as special master, consistent with this Court's opinion and order dated July 27, 2018. The instant order is unsealed," the order read. The high court last week order the appointment of a "special master" tasked with reviewing the redacted report on the findings of the the 40th Statewide Grand Jury, which investigated clergy sex abuse across six of the state's eight Catholic dioceses. Several dozen individuals, including clergy, have petitioned the court with challenges that their right to due process are violated by the report as currently written with their names included. The court last week ruled that a redacted report could be released. It ordered the Commonwealth to release the findings of the 18-month-long investigation no later than Aug. 14. The report names more than 300 "predator priests," according to the court order, which was unsealed and released to the public. In an opinion written by Chief Justice Thomas Saylor, the court ruled that the bulk of the report will be released and that a redacted report would not violate the constitutional rights to due process of petitioners. The report has been described as graphic and sobering. In 2016, Cleland, who had been selected by a jury to preside over Sandusky's highly-watched criminal trial on child sex abuse charges, recused himself from the case. Cleland at the time explained that he was doing so because of what he saw as over-the-bounds attacks by Sandusky's appellate attorneys. Those concerns included questions raised about Cleland's attendance at a December 2011 meeting between Sandusky's trial attorneys and state prosecutors. Sandusky, now 74, is serving a 30-year minimum sentence at a state prison in Green County. Victims and their advocates have blasted the court sanction of a redacted report. This report has been updated to clarify Cleland's role. A Johnstown pediatrician already facing sexual abuse charges filed earlier this year is now facing more charges for incidents related to 29 victims dating back to the 1980s. Dr. Johnnie Barto, 70, was charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, mulitple counts of aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a release from Attorney General Josh Shapiro's Office. Barto is already incarcerated on charges related to other assaults, and his medical license is suspended. The release states the newest charges stem from abuse dating back to the '80s, and includes male and female victims, most of which were between the ages of 8-12. One infant girl was 2 weeks old when Barto sexually assaulted her, causing her to cry out in pain, according to the release. Another girl was 21 months old when Barto repeatedly assaulted her, touching her in medically inappropriate ways. These assaults were committed in an examination room at Laurel Pediatric Associates of Cambria County, as well as other local hospitals in Cambria County, the release states. Investigators believe Barto either waited for parents to leave the exam room or used his own body as a shield to block parents from seeing his assault on the victims, the release states. He would also claim the assaults were part of a standard medical exam. Many of his victims were groped, and sexually touched in ways that were "unarguably inconsistent" with any standard medical protocol, according to the release. Some girls would come in with the flu or migraine headaches, and he would touch them sexually, not wearing gloves. "Barto used his position of authority as a pediatrician - the family doctor everyone relied on to treat and heal their children - and abused it to feed his own, sick sexual desires," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said at today's press conference with Richland Township Police Chief Michael Burgan and members of his prosecution team according to the release. "Our agents and Richland police continued interviewing young victims - some assaulted by Barto as recently as January - and older victims as well, who came forward and told of being assaulted by Barto years ago in his office, when they came as young children, seeking his care." Shapiro thanked the people who came forward and shared their experiences with investigators. "I have a message for these courageous individuals, and for any person or institution that believes they can get away with sexually abusing children and covering it up," Shapiro said. "We will pursue every allegation of child sexual abuse wherever we find it - in a doctor's office, in a school or church - and we will hold child sexual predators accountable for their crimes under Pennsylvania law." The Office of Attorney's special hotline for the Barto case is 412-565-7680. Victims or families can also call Richland Township Police at 814-266-8333. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Simquita Bridges. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- Authorities in Pennsylvania are set to announce new charges against a pediatrician who is already charged with inappropriately touching a 12-year-old patient. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro has scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference in Johnstown. Shapiro says the new charges against Johnnie Barto involve the sexual assault of "multiple, additional victims" including toddlers. Barto's medical license was suspended when he was arrested in January on charges including indecent assault. At the time, police said they'd received more than 30 phone calls with information regarding allegations of past abuse by Barto. Barto's attorney didn't immediately respond to a phone message left at his office early Monday. Barto has offices in Cambria and Somerset counties. Many water utilities struggle with crumbling infrastructure, mounting debt and treatment problems but Pittsburgh, rightly or wrongly, has become the poster child for these issues. Bottled water and filter pitchers are a fact of life for many of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority's 80,000 customers, who've dealt with a succession of boil water advisories and elevated lead levels. In people, lead can lower IQ and cause a laundry list of behavioral and physical symptoms. The PWSA, which is already shouldering about $750 million in debt, is subject to a state consent decree calling for it to replace thousands of lead service lines. Meanwhile, leaky storage tanks waste about half of the system's treated water and utility workers risk electrocution at its pump stations. Juggling all of these problems, PWSA's interim Executive Director Bob Weimar told PennLive earlier this year, is no simple task. Several companies, including PA American Water, expressed interest in taking over the PWSA. Some Pittsburgh residents and politicians, however, balked at any move to privatize the system due to concern over rate hikes and a focus on profit that could make public health a secondary priority. Into this fray came Peoples Gas CEO Morgan O'Brien, who stirred up controversy with an open letter earlier this month. His big idea? The gas company would invest a billion dollars or more to replace Pittsburgh's lead pipes and build a state-of-the-art water treatment plant as part of a long-term partnership with the water utility. Peoples would shoulder much of the financial burden and, eventually, share in the profits of a fully functioning system. Under the proposal, sewer and stormwater infrastructure would remain under the PWSA's purview. O'Brien, who sat down with PennLive last week while he was in Harrisburg, said the Steel City has seen a renaissance of sorts as a research hub for major tech companies like Uber and an influx of investment dollars due to the Marcellus Shale natural gas boom. "What's the one thing that could bring this all to a halt?" He said. "It's the water." This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. What is a gas company doing getting involved in drinking water? What we've proposed, just to be clear: I'm not taking over the water system. I want to partner with PWSA. Peoples CEO Morgan O'Brien I'm sitting there, every week, tearing up streets replacing gas lines. Every one of those streets has an old water line in it. The mathematics is that, particularly in the city of Pittsburgh, so much of the cost of a project is tearing up the street and then restoring it -- the street paving, the sidewalks and all of that. When you factor that in, you can reduce the costs of the project by about 50 percent. The actual installing of the pipe is about half of the project. My folks are literally in ditches every week tearing up the same streets these guys need tore up. My guys are saying, "Wouldn't it make sense to be tearing these up at the same time?" We're spending, over the next five years, close to a billion dollars replacing these gas lines. PWSA needs to replace its water lines. If we did it together, it would be cheaper for me and cheaper for them. I spent three or four hours with PWSA's financial director about a year ago. They're searching for a new billing system. They don't have an effective billing system... And today if someone replaces a pipe at PWSA, they do it manually. They put it on a piece of paper, put it in a file and eventually someone enters it into the system. We have automated all of this. I have a state-of-the-art billing system. I'm sending a bill every month to every one of PWSA's customers. They could leverage the billing system I have in place rather than paying to create their own. I understand the principle behind your argument. It's the same thing as consolidating school districts or municipal services or police services. It's a bunch of fixed costs and you're trying to leverage them across more people. What would the new structure of a Peoples/PWSA look like? Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto When I first started talking to [Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto] about two years ago, we presented a written offer to buy the water system. I said, "We'll buy it from you. We'll fix it and you'll never have to worry about it again." What I didn't know, and has become obvious, is the political issue of privatization is huge for the mayor and a lot of his constituencies. What we evolved to was the idea of partnering: PWSA and Peoples would form a partnership. PWSA owns all of its existing assets, they have all the debt on the books and these employees. They have their whole water system. The partnership would pay PWSA for all of its existing assets, give them a guaranteed cash-flow stream that would pay down the debt. We'd each be a 50 percent owner of the partnership. Any decisions that are made, they'd be half of the board and we'd be half of the board. We would be investing all of the new capital--new pipes in the ground and the new water treatment plant we've been talking about. The business model we've built for the first at least 10 years this is a net cash investment from our side. We're not taking any cash out of the business because of the pipe replacement and continuing capital will exceed the earnings from the business. At the end of that time, if it's important to the city, they can buy us out and own the whole thing. Or we could continue this partnership forever, as far as we're concerned, but we would not have the right to buy them out. It's a one-way street. Our goal would be to partner with them forever. But forget the business case. Everyone should have a right to clean water and not have to rely on bottled water. What kind of entity is that partnership? It could be an LLC [shorthand for limited liability company]. We haven't worked through exactly what it would look like. But the concept is it would be a non-taxpaying entity. We would be paying taxes on what we get. They wouldn't be. Who takes ownership of the current infrastructure and the stuff you would be building? It never leaves PWSA. We thought of it as a guaranteed lease. The partnership would pay them and we'd schedule it out: Here's what their debt payments are so here's what our payments would be. Literally for the first 10 years, that's the only cash flow this partnership derives because it's all about reinvesting cash back into the partnership to accelerate the pipe replacement. You're running a business. Businesses are designed to make money. How do you make money on this deal? We're not in a business with a lot of volatility. The investors who invest in my gas utility have said to me, "We're not looking for cash flows. We're looking to reinvest cash that you generate into your business and create more value at the end of the day than when I created it." For them, if you think big pension funds and big insurance funds, they sit on cash, they can't find places to invest it. A utility asset where the valuation is going to be greater over time is the perfect investment for them. We need the cash. We need more cash. They can keep investing cash into it. Their whole business case is: You'll fix it, you'll make it work and it'll be more valuable in the future. Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority General laborer Sager McDill replaces a lead service line on Denny Street on Thursday Feb. 22, 2018 in Lawrenceville. So your idea is, people don't stop needing water. After 10 years, in your conception, you'll be making this money back. You'll be making money back and you'll have a business that's operating correctly. You've got clean running water. You've got customers who are happy with it. In the conversations I've had with the mayor, [I said] there are a lot of people who can fix this system. It's not solving cancer. It's investing capital and knowing how to manage it. What we said, "I'm a Pittsburgh-based company. I get how important it is for everyone in the region." Sixty-five percent of people in Pittsburgh drink bottled water or filtered water. The other 35 percent just can't afford it. We live in a city where you can't just turn on the tap and drink water. I don't want to live in a city that does that. For us, as a utility, my entire valuation is based on the value of the region. Making sure this issue doesn't blow up actually protects my gas utility business, too. I want to drill down into some of the details of this proposal. After this 10-year period of investment, if this partnership becomes profitable, who gets the revenue? It's a 50/50 partnership. Once the debt is paid down, the city gets 50 percent of the cash flow. And who owns the infrastructure? If you cut to the chase, they've got the customers and I'm bringing the assets, if you assume the current assets don't have much value because it's an old, broken system. They have some value and we'll be paying rent on that. If they at some point they want to buy the assets from us, they'll have the right to do that. We won't have the right to steal the customers from them. The partnership is a one-way street and our goal is this to be a long-term partnership. So it's not like you own everything and, at some point, can say, 'We're pulling out of this. You need to pay us.' That will all be in the partnership. And there's a lot of other municipalities with similar issues. Whether they're wholesale customers buying water from the new plant or partnering with us like the city, we'd give them either option. But none of those municipalities who all have the same issues PWSA has would partner with them today. They're afraid of their debt, of all their issues. [The PWSA is] making progress but they haven't fixed the broken system, so no one wants to partner with them because they think, "My people will have to pay to fix this." And part of this is a new $350 million water treatment plant--not in Pittsburgh but in a neighboring community. Yes. It's adjacent to where Pittsburgh has its main source in O'Hara Township, which is a suburb of Pittsburgh. We went there, presented this plan. Everyone asked questions like you're asking. Morgan O'Brien walks us through Peoples Gas' plans for the new water treatment plant in the video below, with 3D renderings of what the plant will look like: You brought up several other struggling water systems that may be interested in this. Does this plan happen without PWSA? The reality is, [the number of customers at] the municipal authorities around Pittsburgh are multiples of Pittsburgh. PWSA has 70,000 or 80,000 customers. There's a couple hundred thousand in these municipalities. It's an easy business case to say we don't need Pittsburgh and [we can] do the partnership with these municipalities but from where we started and what we're trying to achieve [we want to partner with PWSA]. That's where I'm spending all my time and effort. We're trying to avoid the Flint, Michigan, story that says, "Don't drink the water." I met with a lot of restaurant owners as I was trying to get my head around this and one of the gentlemen said he owns a bunch of restaurants in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Columbus. Pittsburgh was the only city he had to train his employees on how to manage their business if you can't use public water. They don't have that plan in Philadelphia or Columbus. One of the other restaurants said to us that the PWSA is putting so much chemical into the water to deal with lead and other issues that when they use the tap water it causes all these problems for their equipment. One of our most important industries are [the] restaurants and we're causing them to stumble. And you feel the people who are most exposed to these issues are the poorest of the poor. If everyone turns on their tap, they should have the right to know they can drink their water. Now, you understand the concern that comes with privatization or even private lease agreements. What that often means are rate hikes for what residents pay for water, like what happened near here in Middletown, if you're familiar. It's where the conversation has taken us. What we're hoping for at some point is to lay all the numbers and details out on a table so people can compare the standalone case [of PWSA shouldering infrastructure costs by itself] against the partnership. They can sit here and see the pros and cons. You've asked some of the questions. We want to put that all on the table and let people decide which is the most likely scenario that gets us to clean water and gets us there the most cost-effective way. There are no hidden agendas here. This is truly a partnership. You're proposing a billion-dollar investment into Pittsburgh's water infrastructure, right? Yes, we're proposing a billion dollars in [gas] pipe replacement over the next five years and we'd be looking at a similar amount in water pipe replacement at the PWSA. A billion dollars is a nice round number. Ideally, we'd actually sit down and create an accelerated pipe replacement plan. Of course, for all of these numbers, everything in infrastructure is fungible. What's needed is often three or more times what's originally estimated. Yeah, and that doesn't change whether it's a standalone or a partnership. What the partnership does is, if it's three times what you think it is, it'll be cheaper in the partnership than as a standalone. Rebecca Zito,Communications Project Manager at Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, takes a photo of the Lanpher Reservoir on Thursday Feb. 22, 2018 in Shaler. Do you have concrete figures on what you'd need? Earlier this year, for example, the PWSA told me it would cost at least $560 million to replace lead service lines alone. That doesn't include the cost to deal with problems at pump stations or storage tanks or with water treatment. The billion dollars is purely in pipes, not the other equipment. The plant we're designing eliminates the needs for other pump stations and infrastructure. And it has a storage facility that's factored into the $350 million. This replaces all that equipment. The conclusion we reached with the engineers' support is it's cheaper to build something brand new, in the long run, than to fix all these old pieces. Even if you fix them, you're still dealing with old technology. Another of the concerns with privatization or public-private partnerships is that the profit motive isn't always compatible with protecting public health. The difference--this is a huge difference--is I'm a public utility. My investors have invested in me for the long-term. This isn't a short-term play. It's 10 years of throwing cash at this thing and, as you said, it might even be a more money than we think because that's what happens. If anybody ever invested in a utility business for the short-term, I haven't seen it done. If I say something to you today, and if I come back in three years, it has to be true or I don't have any credibility. Our investors and our whole philosophy is we're in this for the long run. And, guess what, we're doing these exact same things on the gas side. Three years ago, we acquired a gas utility and we've invested $400 million. This company's gone 10 years without a rate increase. If I were the greedy guy everyone's afraid of, I would've been in there every year [requesting] rate increases. It's the long-term view that says I don't need the rate increases. I can get efficiencies by doing the kinds of things I've talked about with the water company. Veolia [the French company that managed the PWSA from 2012 through 2015] wasn't investing capital--significant difference--but I am. Secondly, they had a contract for a definitive period of time. This is a long-term perspective here and I think the partner, Peoples, has a track record we do things, treat our customers right, we're involved in the community [and] our system's better today than when it took over. We're here. I'm going to drink this water for the rest of my life. My kids drink that water. I have all the same interests and concerns as anybody who's worried who you partner with. That builds the case, if you're going to partner, you're going to partner with somebody who's committed to the city. Is PWSA your water company? It is. When I get up in the morning, I turn on the shower and use PWSA water. I don't drink the water. I have bottled water and filters. This is a business play, and it benefits my company, but I'm concerned that the people of Pittsburgh can't drink their water. We have a long-term view that says, eventually, I want my grandkids to be able to drink out of water fountains. Instead of us all carrying around bottles of water, I want us to be able to walk over to a water fountain and drink from the tap. What happens now? For all I know about [the PWSA] system, it's going to take a herculean effort to fix it, particularly on a standalone basis. Our view is that we're going to go out, meet in the community, educate people and there will people who hate it because of the privatization threat. Others will say it makes a lot of sense. We'll get everyone's input on it and then put our case up against their standalone case, which they're still developing. [PWSA] will make a compliance filing with the [Public Utility Commission] in September, outlining how they'll bring the system up to compliance. To us, that's the perfect time to discuss this. There's also the consent decree with the state Department of Environmental Protection saying the PWSA needs to do X, Y and Z to fix this. And then under the commission order, they need to do a filing with the PUC showing their long-term plan for replacing pipes and doing all the things that need done. Are there any places similar to what you're proposing that can serve as examples? There are definitely combinations of gas and water utilities. [Reporter's note: Here is one of many examples, in Richmond, Va.] The public-private partnership, there's thousands of them across the country. [Reporter's note: PennDOT, for example, oversees many such partnerships.] We didn't research the specifics of a true 50/50 partnership like this, mostly because this evolved from our conversations. They said to me, here are our five [requirements] and here's how we deal with those things. You can't have a transfer of public assets. OK, I get that. I need a seat at the table. OK, I get that. I need to participate in the value to you. OK, I get that. Our partnership evolved from the things people said to us. Our first offer was, we'll buy it from you, fix it and take responsibility from there. This is where we are two years later. So this is a result of feedback you got from the PWSA, Bill Peduto and... Yes, the mayor, the council people, the community. The people who protested at the last [Pittsburgh city] council meeting, I had them in my conference room, where I did the same presentation to them. I handed them my business card. At the bottom is my cell phone number. You don't have to send me an email. You don't have to call my office. Call my cell. We want something that everyone can get behind and, if you have some ideas, we're open to them. Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook. Read the 'TAPPED OUT' special investigation and share your comments on Facebook. By David French By now we've grown sadly accustomed to watching horrific videos. We've seen a police officer shoot a man named Daniel Shaver while he was crying and crawling on his hands and knees. We watched a police officer gun down Philando Castile in front of his girlfriend and her young child as he tried to follow the officer's confusing instructions. And this week brought us video of a civilian named Michael Drejka shooting and killing Markeis McGlockton after McGlockton merely shoved him to the ground. All these men share something tragically in common: They were killed by cowards. They also have something else in common: Their killers are walking free. Cowardice is not an accusation one should make lightly. It is perhaps the ultimate insult, often delivered by people who haven't faced danger themselves. But when a man panics in the face of risk and wrongly takes a life, cowardice is the explanation. Cowardice can have many causes, including an irrational, racist fear of black men or a simple lack of moral fortitude. And when it's on display, it can be ugly to see. Over the past two years, as a senior writer at National Review, a gun owner and a defender of gun rights, I have condemned each of these killings. Yet each time I write, I've received strong pushback. The theme is always the same: The cops were afraid. The man who killed McGlockton was afraid. How can we second-guess decisions made under duress, critics ask, when seconds count and lives could be on the line? This is the excuse juries use when they vote to acquit. It's the excuse law enforcement officials make when they refuse even to bring charges. But we second-guess these decisions because the law requires us to. We also judge these decisions because respect for life and liberty demands it. No man or woman is required to be a police officer. No man or woman is required to carry a gun on their person. When you pick up a weapon, you are exercising a constitutionally protected freedom, yes, but you are also taking on an awesome responsibility. And the gravity of the responsibility requires an armed citizen - like a police officer - to tolerate a degree of risk and danger before he or she escalates to deadly force. Any other rule reaches absurd (and deadly) results. This week, I was a guest on a talk-radio show when a caller earnestly tried to convince me that McGlockton's push justified deadly force. After all, he "could" have done worse. But where's the limiting principle? Every punch "could" do worse damage. Every kick "could" bring another. Every ambiguous move in encounters with police "could" be a prelude to deadly violence. But here's the proper, default answer when the armed citizen or armed officer wonders what "could" happen next. Risk it. Risk that next move. Be more certain before you take a life. And what about the law? In reality, we don't need to reform it, we need to apply it. Specifically, in the context of police shootings and civilian self- defense, the fear of imminent death or great bodily harm that justifies lethal force has to be reasonable. That means law enforcement officials and juries are required to second-guess the decisions made under stress, and the fact of fear, by itself, does not exonerate the defendant. It only begins the inquiry. It is simply a fact that the irresponsible or reckless exercise of any given freedom undermines public support for that liberty. Thus, those who support, say, the First Amendment should be among the most vigilant in exercising those rights virtuously. Those who support the Second Amendment should be unrelenting in preaching responsibility, prudence and courage. Applying these principles to the McGlockton case, was it reasonable for Drejka to believe his life was in danger after one shove? How about when McGlockton backed away the instant Drejka brandished his gun? This month, The Post published a long and detailed account of a true act of heroism. Two armed citizens confronted a man who opened fire on a restaurant. They showed courage. They ran to the sound of gunfire. They showed prudence. They took great care in fixing their target and making sure he was a threat before they opened fire. I'd argue that they represent the true face of lawful American gun ownership. Survey the crime statistics, and you'll see it's remarkably rare for concealed-carry permit holders to commit crimes. The best available evidence suggests they're more law-abiding even than the police. But cultures are enforced by norms, both legal and moral. Want to defend the Second Amendment? Uphold the original intent of the Constitution, yes. But you must do more. Give cowards no quarter, in our culture or in our courts. David French is a senior fellow at the National Review Institute. He wrote this piece for The Washington Post, where it first appeared. By Hidetaka Hirota and Natalia Molina This year we marked the 150th anniversary of the 14th Amendment in a strange way: with an assault on the idea of citizenship that is at the amendment's core. In June, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it had launched a denaturalization task force to revoke the citizenship of and deport "people who should not have been naturalized." A more aggressive attack against citizenship came a few weeks ago, when Michael Anton, a former national security official in the Trump administration, claimed in an op-ed in The Washington Post that U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants should not be conferred birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, since, in his view, these children do not rightfully belong to the United States. These attacks on citizenship are the latest chapter in the long history of the denial of citizenship in this country. While the Supreme Court upheld denials of citizenship based on race, first and most famously in the 1857 Dred Scott decision, which denied African-Americans citizenship, nativist public officials have also used their discretionary powers to disregard the citizenship of other groups as well. The experiences of Irish-Americans in the 19th century and Mexican-Americans in the 20th century demonstrate the fragility of citizenship rights, as well as the ways nativist and racist ideas have long been used to attempt to undermine them. Narrowing the scope of birthright citizenship is less about shifting patterns of immigration and more about allowing prejudice and intolerance to run loose. And in the end, the triumph of a nativist political agenda hurts all citizens. The Irish were the first immigrant group that faced challenges to citizenship. As "free white persons," the Irish could become citizens under the Naturalization Act of 1790. Also, unlike African-Americans, the birthright citizenship of Irish-Americans was never legally questioned. Nonetheless, despite meeting the legal qualifications for citizenship, the Irish faced significant barriers to being accepted by the United States in the mid-19th century. The mass arrival of impoverished Irish Catholics fleeing the potato famine provoked an outburst of anti-Irish nativism. Besides disparaging the Catholic faith predominant among the Irish, nativists expressed disdain for the immigrants' poverty, dismissing Irish men and women as lazy welfare abusers. In Massachusetts, the legislature developed state laws to deport foreign-born paupers back to Europe. Just like undocumented immigrants today, the Irish poor were categorized as people who had no right to public benefits or even residence in the country. Massachusetts's deportation law technically applied only to noncitizens, but at the height of anti-Irish nativism during the 1850s, state officials used it to expel even citizens of Irish descent. In May 1855, Massachusetts officials seized and deported Mary Williams, an Irish-born woman, to Liverpool from a state almshouse. Banished with Williams was her American-born daughter Bridget. Naturalized adult citizens, such as Irish-born Hugh Carroll, were also targeted. Carroll was expelled from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, "across the seas for the crime of being poor," reported an Irish-American newspaper. Though he was a citizen, the law failed to protect him. The nativists who controlled the Massachusetts legislature maintained that the law had been enforced "with all proper humanity and discretion" and that "there is no room for the operation of any improper motives or unreasonable severity." But their ability to pass such a law and enforce it was a byproduct of the lack of explicit federal protection. Indeed, before the 14th Amendment established the constitutional definition of national citizenship in 1868, the rights and privileges of American citizens remained undefined and fragile. In such a situation, nativist local officials felt little obligation to follow the formal guidelines for deportation, easily disregarding the citizenship of destitute Irish-Americans, who they believed belonged in Ireland rather than the United States. Prejudice also drove officials and nativists to treat Mexican-Americans as noncitizens despite their legal status as citizens. After the Mexican-American War (1846-48), the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo extended U.S. citizenship to Mexicans living in the ceded territory, something not afforded to any other nonwhite group at the time. But this was only a political concession. While Mexicans were legally citizens, many white Americans, from politicians to ordinary people, simply ignored this legal dictate. They did not believe Mexican-Americans to be citizens because of their indigenous blood. Political leaders fought the legal classification of Mexicans by claiming they were neither white nor black, but in a "race of their own." Even the 14th Amendment failed to protect Mexican-Americans from continued assaults on their citizenship in the 20th century. The Great Depression exposed how vulnerable Mexican-Americans' citizenship was. During that time, mixed-status Mexican-American families were subject to "repatriation" programs, both voluntary and involuntary, and the citizenship rights of thousands of American-born children were routinely ignored as they were deported, sometimes forcibly, along with their families. The reason for expulsion? Many had simply received some kind of charity or assistance - like seeking treatment in a public hospital or getting assistance to pay for a child's funeral expenses. Like the Irish immigrants before them, they, too, were expelled for the crime of being poor - a notable difference from mixed-status European families, for whom only a criminal record could warrant deportation. In 1935, when Congress introduced bills meant to prevent immigrants of "good moral character" and with no criminal offenses from being separated from their families, it was clear that the legislation was only intended to offer a path to citizenship for European immigrants. The congressional hearing featured only cases of all-white or European families; no Mexican or Asian families were included. One senator argued that it was inhumane to send immigrants back to Germany or the Soviet Union given the political situations in those countries. Another described a Canadian mother who had entered the country legally with her baby in her arms but had not registered the child, who was thus now deemed "illegal" and would have to be deported. The 14th Amendment established national citizenship for African-Americans and anyone born in the United States, serving as a bulwark against attempts to encroach on the citizenship of racial minorities. And yet, nativism and racism have long invalidated citizenship rights in practical terms, from Wong Kim Ark, an American born to Chinese immigrant parents who was barred from re-entering the United States in 1895, to the tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans incarcerated during World War II. Nativist policymakers target everyone: the native-born, the naturalized and the undocumented alike, and so we need to ensure that all are protected from nativist and racist coercions. If we hold that the 14th Amendment excludes from citizenship the U.S.-born children of citizens from other countries, we also deny citizenship to tens of thousands of people of European parentage who have been considered citizens of the United States. Weakening this core provision of our Constitution weakens it for everyone, not just those who are deemed "less worthy" at a given moment in history. We must protect this core American principle. The citizenship we save may just be our own. Hidetaka Hirota teaches American history at the City University of New York-City College and is author of "Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Nineteenth-Century Origins of American Immigration Policy." Natalia Molina is a professor of history at University of California, San Diego and author of "How Race Is Made in America: Immigration, Citizenship, and the Historical Power of Racial Scripts." They wrote this piece for The Washington Post, where it first appeared. By SherAli Tareen The lead-up to philanthropist turned politician Imran Khan's election as Pakistan's new Prime Minister generated copious alarming prognostications across international media. These vilifying accounts must be taken with a grain of salt. Rest assured, the sky is not falling in Pakistan. To the contrary, Khan's decisive victory represents a monumental moment in the country's checkered history. The dominant international narrative, stitched together by self-professed foreign experts such as Indian journalist Burkha Dutt and Sadanand Dhume of the American Enterprise Institute, followed these lines: the Pakistani election represents a battle between puppets of the Pakistani military establishment, exemplified by the figure of Imran Khan, and champions of democracy such as the recently convicted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The corruption scandals engulfing Sharif, this narrative held, represent the product of a conniving campaign engineered and executed by the military, in cahoots with the judiciary, to punish Sharif for his efforts to mend relations with India. Dhume, in a recent Wall Street Journal piece, went so far as to say that Khan is "playing a fixed match," and that Sharif had been "railroaded." No doubt, the monstrosities of the Pakistani military, past and present, are indefensible. However, viewing Pakistani politics solely through the lens of a pro/anti-military binary is egregiously reductive. The Panama documents, which exposed Sharif's and his family's off-shore companies and millions of pounds worth of properties in the UK, were not the military's making. The ensuing legal saga that led to the former premiere's jail sentence lasted almost two years. Dhume conveniently overlooks how during this period, Sharif and his family behaved criminally with false and contradictory statements, forgeries, legal obfuscations, fake letters from Qatari princes, and refusals to answer a simple question: where did the money come from? These shenanigans amply to demonstrate that massive corruption represents the only viable explanation for Sharif's otherwise unexplained mountain of wealth. Why would a person who has not committed any corruption try so hard to obstruct proceedings of law? That the properties in question were bought in the early 1990s, precisely when Sharif was at the helm of power, only confirm the corruption that enabled them. Hence, skeptics within and outside Pakistan, who argue that corruption against Sharif has not been proven, are wrong. It is more accurate to say that the precise mechanism of corruption has not yet been fully detailed. The murderer stands in front of the corpse with a bloodied dagger; how the dagger entered the victim is all that is left to be established. The results of the election also mitigate strongly against the notion of military engineering. T he outcome generally followed pre-election opinion polls, with the undecideds breaking heavily for Khan in the last few days. In fact, some heavy-weight candidates suspected to have been backed by the military actually lost. Moreover, voter turn-out was historically high, especially among women, and in the smaller provinces often disenchanted by electoral politics. Critics also suggest Imran Khan is dangerous not only because of being in bed with the military, but because of his regular invocation of Islam on the campaign trail and his close ties with religious groups in the country. This simplistic view is partial and misleading; it reflects a less than nuanced understanding of the current political dynamics in Pakistan. Moreover, it rather insidiously aims to discredit a populist leader whose politics do not neatly fit Western and Indian neo-liberal expectations and priorities. Imran Khan's popularity that propelled him to victory comes at vindication of his more than two-decade long argument that Sharif and Asif Zardari, leader of the Pakistan People's Party, the other major Pakistani political outfit, were drenched in corruption. But a more important factor that explains Khan's attraction, especially among the urban youth, is the impressive performance of his Pakistan Tehrik-i Insaf/Justice Movement party or PTI in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwah (KP) that it ruled the last five years. The PTI's most notable achievements were de-politicization of the police, unprecedented health-care coverage for low-income households, record enrollments in government schools, and a successful drive to plant a billion trees. People of the KP province have never re-elected an incumbent government and yet, Khan's PTI not only won re-election but by a significantly bigger margin than before. Clearly, such popular support is not the military's work. On the issue of Khan's proximity to religious hardliners, this again is a mis-directed concern. The two central pillars anchoring his long-running position on militancy have been: 1) terrorism cannot be rooted out through military force alone, but also must involve political solutions through dialogue, and 2) the disturbances and displacements generated by the U.S. war on terror are intimately tied to the recent explosion of militant violence in Pakistan. These positions might be unpopular in some quarters, but they are hardly extremist or reactionary. Moreover, invoking Islam and prophetic ideals of justice is a common feature in Pakistani politics; this is hardly a cause for concern and criticism. Though it is curious to note the disproportionate alarm that often accompanies invocations of religion by politicians in Muslim majority countries; organizations like the American Enterprise Institute seemed much less bothered by the compassionate Christian conservatism of a recent US president who waged a war that maimed thousands of Iraqis and Americans. Is this not hypocrisy? Given the massive corruption and fulsome hereditary politics that mark his rivals, it's easy to see Imran Khan's election to the premiership as a welcome prospect for both the people of Pakistan and for global stakeholders. SherAli Tareen is an associate professor of religious studies Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. Readers may email Tareen at stareen@fandm.edu. Says important for Cong to reach out to victims of violence. New Delhi: Taking up the dalit cause, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the inaction of BJP governments in states, especially Uttar Pradesh, has created an atmosphere of fear among dalits and religious minorities. Alleging that the current dispensation, had allowed the climate of fear and lawlessness to not only prevail but also flourish, Mr Gandhi asserted that it was important for the Congress to reach out to the victims of mindless violence. The hate speeches made by various BJP ministers and leaders exhorting their followers to target certain communities encourages local goons to act with impunity, the Congress president added. The complicity of state agencies, that makes such large-scale persecution possible must be exposed. It is important for the party to reach out to the victims of the mindless violence and publicly support them, Mr Gandhi wrote in a letter to the schedule caste (SC) department of the AICC. There is an urgent need for a larger public discou-rse regarding the system-ic persecution unleashed by this regime. Towards this end, I request you to take up these issues in all relevant platforms. And apprise me on the same, the letter said. It would be expedient on part of the SC department of the party to examine the recent instances of violence against dalits where the state had failed to act against the perpetrators, he added. By John Sigle "He's just different, and he's not a politician." John W. Sigle (PennLive file) That's the trope that is repeatedly used to excuse the divisive and often confounding rhetoric and the erratic behavior of President Donald Trump. But that's no excuse at all. Different can be good. For example, a leader who virtually never lies, or one that shows extraordinary courage or humility. But different can be bad, and Trump has shown us that with his constant lying, bullying, bragging, and name calling. "Being different" doesn't excuse his lack of knowledge and his unstable performance I continue to be amazed that around 40 percent of Americans still find Trump's speech and behavior acceptable. Some of these 40 percent actually appreciate the president's belligerence, hateful behavior, and ugly words. They want a rough, tough and even mean guy in the White House. That's their idea of a leader, one who can "win" by intimidation and authoritarian methods. Damn "them", it's all about "us". A second group of supporters were conned into believing that he would, like Bernie Sanders, champion the little guy - the impoverished and working poor. It should be clear by now that Trump is about wealth, for himself and his cronies. The swamp of corruption has gotten deeper and corporate interests have even more influence. A third group are often bothered by his speech and behavior. However, they believe that he has protected, and will continue to, protect, their way of life and will keep/make this country the way they think it should be. This group rationalizes their support of Trump on the basis of the ends justifying the means. And Trump is their means, even if he is often mean, crude and immoral. A fourth group is so polarized by the far right media that they just want to stick it to the "liberals" and the mainstream media. According to them, if Trump is a problem, the left and the media are to blame, not those who voted for him out of backlash. Of course these groups overlap and a subset of their totality is now a hardened cult, tethered to their leader who could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and wouldn't lose their support. "And he is not a politician." Certainly we have had a few presidents who were not politicians. Dwight Eisenhower is a fine example. But he had extensive experience leading a very large and critical organization in a time of crisis. And he had a strong knowledge of world affairs. And most of all he had a temperament that was steady, strong, and honest. On the other hand, Trump seems to know little about world affairs; seems to read very little; knows little about how government works, and what doesn't work. He is erratic in his words and deeds. He hires people then gets rid of them in short order. Currently Trump's main White House advisors, apart from Chief of Staff John Kelly, are senior adviser Stephen Miller; his daughter, Ivanka Trump; son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and various personalities from Fox News. Undeniably, many of our current politicians have failed us badly. Many are more interested in staying in power and imposing their ideological views than in genuinely serving our interests and actually solving our nation's problems. But, anyone in a major leadership position, especially President, should have significant knowledge of our government and political system. This isn't a job for an apprentice. We certainly don't need The Rock, Chris Rock or Kid Rock as President. And we don't need Oprah, Mark Cuban or Mark Zuckerberg either. We need someone who has wide knowledge of the world, understands how our government and political system work, speaks well, has good character and integrity, has the ability to inspire and unite, and most importantly, is someone we can trust. We now have a president we can't trust to tell us the truth, but instead, one who actively tries to sabotage our traditional sources of factual information. "Just remember: what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening." - Donald Trump, July 2018. "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - George Orwell, in "i984" If we don't have truth, we don't have trust, and without trust we are in deep trouble as a nation. "What have you got to lose?" was one of Trump's campaign lines to black voters. We now know the answer - loss of respect from much of the world, and a serious and frightening challenge to our democratic principles and institutions, as well as to our national integrity. John Sigle writes from Carlisle. His work appears occasionally on PennLive Opinion. By Katanga Johnson WASHINGTON (Reuters) Democratic lawmakers stepped up pressure on President Trumps pick to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, demanding more information on her role in the administrations immigration policies and her stance on consumer finance issues, according to letters seen by Reuters on Friday. The requests for information filed with the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Catherine Cortez Masto and Robert Menendez could delay Kathy Kraningers confirmation as CFPB chief if it emerges she had a bigger role in the Trump administrations zero-tolerance policy on immigration than she revealed during her confirmation hearing last week. Kraninger, a senior official at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), fended off repeated attacks by Senate Democrats regarding her role in the policy that separated more than 2,000 children from their parents. She told Congress she had no role in setting or developing that policy but that she had attended meetings relating to its implementation. You dodged questions about your involvement in the administrations policy to separate children from their parents at the [Mexico-U.S.] border, refusing to answer or using passive language to avoid describing your personal role, the senators wrote. They demanded Kraninger further clarify the exact nature of her role, including a list of those meetings and who else attended. Under the confirmation process, Kraninger must provide a written response for the Congressional Record by July 31, a spokeswoman for the committee told Reuters on Friday. Brown and Warren previously wrote to Kraninger in June to press her on the immigration issue but received no response. In Tuesdays letters, the senators also probed Kraninger, who runs the financial regulation file at OMB, to clarify her position on an extensive range of consumer finance and enforcement issues. The CFPB was created after the 2007-2009 financial crisis to protect consumers from predatory lenders. Republicans say the agency has overstepped its legal statute and are hoping Kraninger, who would take over from interim chief Mick Mulvaney, will continue to rein it in. Democrats and consumer advocates hope to defend it from being further weakened. Kraninger and the OMB did not respond to requests for comment on Friday. The White House has previously said her extensive management experience in government makes her well-qualified for the role. On Wednesday, two Washington-based consumer advocacy groups filed a lawsuit seeking details about Kraningers work at OMB, including travel, pay and expenses she had incurred. (Reporting by Katanga Johnson; Editing by Michelle Price and Dan Grebler) By Zeba Siddiqui, Euan Rocha, Rajendra Jadhav and Sankalp Phartiyal MURKI/MUMBAI, India (Reuters) In the tiny hamlet of Murki in the hinterlands of south India, Inspector V.B. Yadwad surveyed a pile of bricks and stones in a ditch where he and other police officers had been attacked earlier this month while trying to save a group of five men on a road trip from a violent mob. We tried hard to stop them, said Yadwad, pointing to injuries on his back. They wouldnt listen to anyone. Yadwad was one of eight policemen who rushed to the village on July 13 to try to control a mob of more than 200 that attacked the five friends, wrongly assuming they were child kidnappers. The vicious assault left one of the five men, Mohammed Azam, a UK-educated IT worker from Indias tech hub in Hyderabad, dead, and at lest two of the others badly beaten. All eight officers were injured, two seriously. Azam, who was 32 and worked for global consulting services firm Accenture ACN.N, is one of the latest victims of a wave of lynchings in India, as ill-equipped and outnumbered police struggle to contain mob violence triggered by false messages about child kidnappings spread via platforms like Facebooks FB.O WhatsApp messaging service, which is very popular in India. The Indian government says it is not tracking data for lynchings, but data portal IndiaSpend has tallied more than 30 deaths from nearly 70 such incidents since January 2017. Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration, which has been facing criticism from opposition parties and the public for failing to do enough to stop the lynchings, has blamed WhatsApp, warning the messaging service of legal action if it did not curb the spread of fake news. (Full Story) On July 20, WhatsApp said it was limiting the number of people someone can forward messages to simultaneously, and said it was considering more changes to curb the spread of fake messages in its largest market. (Full Story) But it is unclear how much this will restrain mob violence. Police probing the lynchings of Azam and others say they are often triggered by deep-rooted prejudices against minorities in India. Azams own job at Accenture, according to his younger brother Akram, included reviewing the propriety of video content before it was uploaded to Alphabet Incs GOOGL.O YouTube. India is already vulnerable due to religious and caste fault lines, said Rema Rajeshwari, a superintendent of police in the southern Telangana state, where some recent lynchings took place. When you add WhatsApp to the mix, things can easily spiral out of control. HIT THESE BASTARDS In Murki, messages circulating in a local WhatsApp group, late in the day Azam was killed, simply said: Child kidnappers found in Murki. Videos and photos of Azam and his four friends, taken just before, were attached. The five, who were in a new cherry red SUV, had set out from Hyderabad that day for a drive into the countryside. While passing through a hamlet where they planned to picnic, they tossed chocolates towards a group of children, according to three of the survivors. What the men thought was a kind gesture in a poor village cost Azam his life, as a mob of angry villagers savagely attacked him and his friends. The assault began when the group stopped to take selfies amid lush green fields beside a pond, just after driving by the kids, according to interviews with the survivors, police, villagers and other eye witnesses. Three villagers first walked up and started deflating their tyres. We asked them why are you removing the air? They yelled: you men are child kidnappers, said retail worker Mohammed Afroz, one of the four survivors. While the five tried to plead their innocence, dozens of villagers gathered. Some carried pick-axes and sticks. Photos and videos of the five men were posted on a 180-member WhatsApp group named Mother Murki, according to police. That video, seen by Reuters, shows the five, most wearing western attire, trying to calm the crowd. It did not work. Salham Al Kubassi, a Qatari national, who was friends with Azam, was among the first to be hit. While two of the friends tried to reason with the mob, Kubassi, who is a policeman in Qatar, jumped into the SUV with Azam and their friend Mohammed Salman, who works at a Hyderabad car repair shop, and sped away, according to police and the survivors. But a makeshift roadblock was set up at a nearby junction. The SUV careened off the road after it hit a tree trunk the villagers had put in the road and ended in a small, dry riverbed, police said. It was the attack here that claimed Azams life. Many villagers, both men and women, threw bricks and rocks at the toppled SUV, shattering its windows. Some then tied ropes around Azam and Salman and dragged them out of the vehicle as at least 200 others gathered, hurling abuse at them, police said. They came here to steal kids. Lets hit these bastards and kill them! people in the mob shouted, according to a police report. Dont let them go! HIGH ALERT, PLEASE SHARE While police say there were no child kidnappings recorded in or around Murki, child trafficking is a problem in India, and many children are sold into slavery, especially forced labor. About 250,000 children were registered as missing on the governments Track Child portal between January 2012 and March 2017. Villagers in Murki said they had been hearing about child kidnapping gangs for months. Photos and videos of the bodies of children being mutilated by alleged child abductors have been circulating via WhatsApp in many parts of India. Police showed Reuters some of the material they have gathered. One video purports to show the bloodied body of a boy with his mouth gagged, as a man leans in and repeatedly stabs his heart. The messages exhort viewers to share them, High Alert. Please Share As Much as Possible, one said. In all the areas where the recent lynching cases occurred, there were no such gangs, and the messages and reports were all false, police said. The problem is that people may not be able to read or write, but everyone understands photos and videos, said Telangana Superintendent Rajeshwari. PEOPLE MADE A MISTAKE In many recent lynchings, police say minority groups such as those from lower castes, have been targets. Hindu vigilantes have also killed over two dozen Muslim people for transporting cows in the past year, accusing them of slaughtering the animals considered sacred in Hinduism. (Full Story) Indias home ministry issued a notice to police nationwide on July 4, calling lynchings over child kidnapping rumors a serious concern, according to a copy reviewed by Reuters. The government also issued a statement on Wednesday urging action against cow vigilantes. Azams killing has sent a chill through Murki, where many fear discussing the attack following the arrest of more than 30 men and women from the area in the police investigation. No one has yet been charged. When asked why villagers attacked the men, Vijay Biradar, a village elder, said people made a mistake. Did you see the Qataris face? His big beard? he said. He looked like a terrorist. [ngg_images source=galleries container_ids=14 display_type=photocrati-nextgen_basic_slideshow gallery_width=600 gallery_height=400 cycle_effect=fade cycle_interval=10 show_thumbnail_link=1 thumbnail_link_text=[Show thumbnails] order_by=sortorder order_direction=ASC returns=included maximum_entity_count=500] (Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui and Euan Rocha in Murki, Karnataka, and Rajendra Jadhav and Sankalp Phartiyal in Mumbai; Additional Reporting by Sharnya G in Bengaluru; Editing by Martin Howell) WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) North Korea transferred the remains of an unspecified number of soldiers killed in the Korean War, the White House said on Thursday, a first step by Pyongyang to implement an agreement made in a landmark summit in June in Singapore. The repatriation of remains of U.S. soldiers missing in the 1950-53 conflict is seen as a modest diplomatic coup for U.S. President Donald Trump because it was one of the agreements reached during his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12. Today, (Kim) is fulfilling part of the commitment he made to the President to return our fallen American service members. We are encouraged by North Koreas actions and the momentum for positive change, the White House said in a statement. A U.S. military transport plane flew to an airfield in North Koreas northeastern city of Wonsan to bring the remains to Osan air base in South Korea, the statement said. A formal repatriation ceremony would be held at Osan on Wednesday, it said. The transfer of the remains coincided with the 65th anniversary of the 1953 armistice agreement that ended fighting, although the two Koreas are technically still at war because a peace treaty was never signed. The pledge to transfer war remains was seen as a goodwill gesture by Kim at the June summit and, while it has taken longer than some U.S. officials had hoped, the handover will rekindle hopes for progress in nuclear talks. Kim committed in a broad summit statement to work toward denuclearization but Pyongyang has offered no details about how it might go about this. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said the return of the remains could boost the momentum for the nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington. More than 7,700 U.S. troops who fought in the Korean War remain unaccounted for, with about 5,300 of those lost in what is now North Korea. (Reporting by Eric Beech in WASHINGTON and Joyce Lee in SEOUL Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Paul Tait) President Donald Trump on Monday called for increasing border security and overhauling the U.S. immigration system a day after he threatened to shut down the federal government if it were necessary to do that in order for him to get his way and to get Congress to pass the legislation he wants. The president tweeted on Monday morning: We must have Border Security, get rid of Chain, Lottery, Catch & Release Sanctuary Cities go to Merit based Immigration. Protect ICE and Law Enforcement and, of course, keep building, but much faster, THE WALL! We must have Border Security, get rid of Chain, Lottery, Catch & Release Sanctuary Cities go to Merit based Immigration. Protect ICE and Law Enforcement and, of course, keep building, but much faster, THE WALL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2018 Trumps comments on immigration law came the day after he announced via Twitter that he would be willing to shut down the government if Democratic lawmakers did not agree to his demands on border security and changes to immigration laws. He also made clear that any bill he approved would have to include building his long-promised (but very unpopular) wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. I would be willing to shut down government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country! I would be willing to shut down government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 Trump has often demanded an end to both family-based immigration, which he refers to as chain migration, and the so-called diversity visa lottery program both of which increase the number of legal immigrants to the U.S. The difficulty is that Congress is running up against a deadline in September for agreeing upon and passing a new spending bill. Even if Congress can agree among themselves and pass spending legislation, the president must also agree since he has to sign it into law. If Trump allows the government to shut down it will be the second time this year. It also happened in January because of a very heated disagreement about protections for beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which Trump rescinded last year. He could have unilaterally extended the DACA program but did not, so he now blames Congress for not coming up with a deal for the so-called Dreamers who have participated in the DACA program with the understanding that they could stay in the United States. Trump has in recent months been heavily criticized for his zero-tolerance immigration policy, which arrests and prosecutes people who enter the U.S. without proper documentation, leading to thousand of children being separated from their parents. The truth is that the majority of the American people do not support Donald Trumps immigration policies, including the zero tolerance policy and the border wall with Mexico. His most recent tweets are nothing more than his lame attempts to look tough for his anti-immigrant base of supporters. If he shuts down the government it would be a disaster before the midterm elections. Donald Trump wont shut down the government, he wont bully Congress into meeting his demands, and he wont get The Wall. Donald Trump is a failure as a president and his days in office are numbered. Maxine Waters had it right. American citizens are not going to pay for this wall, hes not going to shut down the government, and were not going to be intimidated by his bluffing and his bullying. Rep. Maxine Waters on Pres. Trumps government shutdown threats over immigration. https://t.co/WHMpJTpVmM MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 29, 2018 By Nathan Layne and Karen Freifeld (Reuters) Paul Manafort on Tuesday will become the first of President Donald Trumps former aides to go on trial, accused of bank and tax fraud by federal investigators probing Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Despite a focus on financial crimes, the trial could yield politically damaging headlines about a man who ran Trumps campaign for three months and attended a June 2016 meeting with Russians offering damaging information about Trumps Democratic rival Hillary Clinton that is now a focal point of Special Counsel Robert Muellers 14-month-old probe. My guess is you will see O.J.-type frenzy at this court event, said Michael Caputo, a former Trump aide and longtime Manafort associate, referring to the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder case. I really hope the president continues to watch and make public comments about this case. He said Trump could help the public understand what is at stake in Muellers probe, which both Trump and Caputo have called a witch hunt aimed at ending his presidency. Prosecutors are expected to argue that Manaforts lavish spending on suits, homes and luxury items did not match the income declared on his tax returns and that he misled lenders when he borrowed tens of millions of dollars against New York real estate. Joshua Dressler, a law professor at Ohio State University, said the evidence against Manafort, 69, appears strong, but that he drew a favorable judge in the 78-year old T.S. Ellis, who is known to be tough on prosecutors, and said the politically charged climate increases the chances of a hung jury. Manafort, who has pleaded not guilty, faces 18 counts. The nine bank fraud and conspiracy charges alone carry maximum sentences of 30 years each, and Judge Ellis noted in April that Manafort was potentially facing the rest of his life behind bars. Given the strength of the evidence, however, some legal experts have suggested Manafort may be banking on an eventual pardon from Trump, who has called his former campaign chairman a nice guy who has been treated unfairly. The trial, starting with selection of a 12-member jury, coincides with growing speculation that Trumps former personal lawyer Michael Cohen may cooperate with federal investigators against the president, now 18 months in office. Muellers team has estimated it could take 8 to 10 days to present its case to the jury, suggesting the trial may last at least three weeks. A TRUMP PARDON? Mueller submitted 500 pieces of evidence, including tax filings and mortgage statements, and pictures of luxury watches and homes to illustrate Manaforts wealth. There are 35 potential witnesses, many of them bankers and accountants expected to verify documents and speak to Manaforts alleged intent to violate the law. Five witnesses were granted immunity. Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for Trump, said no one facing trial should proceed expecting a pardon, but he did not rule one out. Giuliani said he and Jay Sekulow, another Trump lawyer, had told the president: This would be a very bad thing to do now. But once Muellers Russia investigation ends, Giuliani told Reuters, he has a right to consider it Its his power. Muellers team said it would not present evidence about any possible campaign collusion with Russia at the trial in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia, potentially saving it for a second Manafort trial in Washington in September. Even so, prosecutors have asked permission to discuss Manaforts work for pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine, which they allege was a source of wealth he laundered through overseas bank accounts. Manafort is seeking to exclude information on the details of that work. The judge has yet to rule. RUSSIAN CONNECTIONS? If allowed, prosecutors may delve deeper into Manaforts Russian connections. Last month Muellers team disclosed in a court filing what it said was a $10 million loan to Manafort from Oleg Deripaska, a magnate known to have close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It seems to me were seeing deeper ties that Manafort has had financially with his business deals in the Ukraine and with Russia, said Shanlon Wu, a former lawyer for Manafort associate Rick Gates, who pleaded guilty in February and is aiding Muellers probe. He could expose himself to further criminal culpability if he has to expose the full extent of those ties. One transaction set to take center stage is an alleged quid pro quo arrangement between Manafort and a senior executive at the Federal Savings Bank, which public records show lent Manafort $16 million against New York properties in December 2016 and January 2017. Prosecutors say the loans were a favor for Manafort bringing the executive, who sources say is Federal CEO Stephen Calk, into Trumps inner circle. Calk was named an adviser to the Trump campaign, and Democratic lawmakers say he inquired about, but did not get, a key Army post. Federal did not respond to a request for comment. Expected to be a key witness, Gates was Manaforts right-hand man for years and has knowledge of their offshore accounts and work for Deripaska and in Ukraine. Gates is going to be the narrator for this entire trial, said Dan Goldman, a former federal prosecutor in New York. Muellers team has indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people and three companies, including the indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officials. Of the four former Trump aides ensnared by the probe, Manafort is the only one to go to trial. Gates, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser on the campaign, have all pleaded guilty. Trump denies any collusion. But Trump and his aides have struggled to control the damage from his acceptance at times of Putins denials that Russia interfered over the word of American intelligence agencies that it did. (Additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller) 1.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manaforts criminal trial on bank and tax fraud charges begins Tuesday with Manafort facing charges of tax evasion and money laundering of $30 million he earned overseas. This will be the first actual trial resulting from special counsel Robert Muellers probe into possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign. The trial, however, will not be about collusion but about financial crimes. If prosecutors secure a conviction on any of the 18 criminal charges facing Manafort it will be a major victory for Muellers investigation that has led to the indictment of 32 people so far. As drama unfolds in the courtroom there will be much speculation about whether Manafort is still in a position to strike a deal with prosecutors. Many legal analysts have said they expected Trumps former campaign chairman to negotiate reduced charges and lenient sentencing in exchange for his testimony about Donald Trump, his family members, and other Trump associates. Some have said the trial delay meant Manafort is ready to flip. Manafort has always said that hes not interested in a plea deal, but the legal experts have said that its not too late. Everyone knows that Manafort faces the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison, which should be a motivator for him to flip on Trump and negotiate a deal with prosecutors. Jonathan Turley, a highly-regarded law professor from George Washington University said Manaforts position as the first person in the Mueller probe to be put on trial might work against him. According to Turley: Manafort is in the unfortunate position of being the matinee defendant in the Mueller investigation. Hes the highest figure to be indicted, with the exception of Michael Flynn, but Flynns was a small charge of making false statements. He has to bring serious deliverables to the table to reach a deal. Manafort also faces a second trial in September in Washington, D.C., on separate charges brought by Mueller. These include conspiring to defraud the government and launder money, making false statement to federal officials, and failing to disclose he was acting as a political consultant and lobbyist for now-former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Given the large number of criminal charges against him, and the mountains of documentary evidence the government has compiled to prove his wrongdoing, it is puzzling why Manafort continues to take the risk of going to trial. Turley said it may be because Manafort still expects Donald Trump to give him a presidential pardon. Manafort seems to have stuck with this pardon strategy that Michael Cohen recently abandoned, Turley said. Manafort has refused to cooperate with Mueller and has refrained from attacking the president. But Glenn Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor who worked with Mueller in the U.S. Attorneys Office in D.C., said Manaforts reluctance to cut a deal may be due to fear of retaliation from Vladimir Putin. It may be that Manafort is scared of the Russians, Kirschner said. Look what theyve done to others who have crossed them. People who cross Putin often end up dead. This isnt spy novel fiction, Kirschner went on. If he cooperates with the government, the Russians might go after his family. Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman chimed in, saying that even though its not clear why Manafort hasnt decided to turn states witness and cooperate with law enforcement, he should have flipped long before now. Is he irrational, is he hoping for a pardon, does he fear the Russians more than he fears Trump? We really dont know, Litman said, expressing puzzlement at Manaforts behavior. If Manafort actually goes through with the trial and doesnt flip to testify against Donald Trump nobody will know for sure why, but everyone will believe its because of threats from Trumps handler in the Kremlin. 2.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Did Rudy Giuliani just announce to the world that Donald Trump colluded with Russia in order win the U.S. presidency in 2016? After Trump has spent the last several years tweeting and saying in public no collusion every chance he gets, his television lawyer may have just admitted on Fox & Friends that there was indeed collusion but that it is not a crime. Giuliani: Collusion is not a crime Appearing on Fox on Monday morning the former New York City mayor said: I have been sitting here looking in the federal code trying to find collusion as a crime. Collusion is not a crime. Giuliani also said that his client Donald Trump is absolutely innocent and that the recently released audio recording of conversations between Trump and his former lawyer Michael Cohen prove that he didnt do anything wrong. Trump has not been formally accused of anything in Special Counsel Robert Muellers wide-ranging investigation into Russian election interference and has even been told by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that he is not a target of the investigation. Trumps attacks on Robert Mueller, Rod Rosenstein and the FBI have intensified in recent months in his attempts to destroy the credibility of the law enforcement agencies and their investigations into Trumps alleged crimes. He as dismissed the special counsels Russia probe as a witch hunt and has said dozens of times that there is no collusion. It is widely known, however, that Mueller is not just looking for possible collusion but is gathering evidence into crimes such as witness tampering, obstruction of justice, money laundering and tax evasion. Several former Trump campaign officials have already been indicted for similar crimes and some have pleaded guilty. Trumps former campaign manager and longtime associate Paul Manafort has been charged with many crimes including tax evasion, money laundering, bank fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy against the United States. Manaforts criminal charges, however, relate to things he did before joining the Trump campaign. The first of his two scheduled criminal trials will start tomorrow. Michael Cohen is also under federal and state criminal investigation in New York for his alleged financial crimes and campaign finance violations. On Monday Giuliani tried to focus the discussion on the recently released audio recordings of Trump conversations which Cohen secretly recorded. That might be a punishable offense, for all those morons out there, Giuliani said, referring to members of the media who have reported on the tapes but have not addressed their possible illegality (which is unclear). Stormy Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti once said that every time Rudy Giuliani opens his mouth it helps Daniels case. By saying collusion is not a crime Donald Trumps attorney seems to have admitted on national television that collusion in fact did exist, and it did help his client become president. Here is what one commentator had to say today about Rudys performance: NEW: Giuliani just moved the goal posts in 2 big ways on Fox & CNN : 1. Hes no longer claiming Trump didnt collude with Russia. Hes claiming collusion is not a crime. 2. Hes not saying Trump did not know abt 2016 Russia mtg in advance. Hes saying Trump did not ATTEND it. NEW: Giuliani just moved the goal posts in 2 big ways on Fox & CNN : 1. He's no longer claiming Trump didn't collude with Russia. He's claiming "collusion is not a crime." 2. He's not saying Trump did not know abt 2016 Russia mtg in advance. He's saying Trump did not ATTEND it. Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) July 30, 2018 Sometimes when you listen to Rudy Giuliani speak you have to wonder whose side he is on. Clearly his comments on Fox & Friends today did nothing to help his clients case. 477 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard This is your regularly scheduled hypocrisy alert. Video: President Donald Trump said during a White House press conference that he would be willing to meet Iran without preconditions. Asked whether he was willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Trump said, I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet, Trump added, saying he would require no preconditions. You will hear this touted as Trumps willingness to negotiate, which might actually be a decent thing if he werent throwing bombs first like pulling out of the Iran Deal in an attempt to look like a strongman. But the real issue here is conservatives berated President Obama for being willing to meet without preconditions. It was actually a right-wing scandal at the time. Sean Hannity, for example, said on October 26, 2008 that being willing to meet without preconditions was a display of Obamas lack of foreign policy expertise: One of the most disturbing displays of Obamas lack of foreign policy expertise came during last years YouTube debate. The junior senator from Illinois gave what many called a naive answer for a question from the audience about whether he would meet with the leaders of Syria, Venezuela, Cuba or North Korea without preconditions. The Washington Post reported at the time that the Republican National Committee circulated stories ridiculing Obamas willingness to meet without preconditions: Anything that looks like pandering to dictators is bad politics in South Florida, said Republican state Rep. David Rivera of Miami. He predicted Obamas comments would come back to haunt him, particularly if he becomes the Democratic nominee. The Republican National Committee on Tuesday circulated stories calling attention to and ridiculing Obamas remarks. Sure, politicians can flip flop and stand on both sides of an issue depending on their team, but this is absurd. This is a basic tenet of what used to be Republican foreign policy the Bush doctrine approach. The strongman. It would be great if this could be an area where Trump might be doing some good, but Trumps word is worthless. He takes credit for negotiations after throwing a bomb to destroy previous work, so his negotiations are often to bring us back to where we were under Obama or Bush. This is not progress to be touted. It is a lot of distraction and chaos, but not actual progress. One of the prevailing challenges under Trump is accurately reporting whats going on, since what is going on changes by the moment and Trump misleads the press corp on the most basic issues. The North Korea talks are a good example. Even in the above linked PolitiFact fact check, they say that Trumps stated policy was tougher on North Korea than Obamas stated policy. Because Trump SAID he was getting some kind of concessions before talking. Those concessions were about testing but this was later conflated and reported as a huge policy win of getting North Korea to stop developing nukes. But North Korea is still developing on nuclear fuel in spite of its pledge to denuclearize, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Now Trump is just willing to talk with no preconditions. Republicans thought Obama was inexperienced and naive, but now they support this man who not only knows less about what hes doing than Obama did and has less experience, but stood on the side of Russia while Russia is attacking our country, so his motives and understandings of foreign policy are questionable way past naive. Naive would be a compliment at this point for Trump. It matters that Republicans will excuse and justify anything Trump does, even when it goes against their most basic previous stances, because they are standing for Trump even when Trump stands against the United States. 975 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Yesterdays headline on ABC News read: Joint defense with Cohen over; experts hired to analyze Trump-Cohen tape: Giuliani. This may not have seemed like a very important news item but it actually is confirmation that Michael Cohen is cutting a plea deal with prosecutors and is ready to now flip on his former boss Donald Trump. When Giuliani announced on ABC News on Sunday that the joint legal defense between Trump and Cohen has truly been severed it ended weeks of speculation. This is the final official legal move that Cohen had to make before he could enter into a formal plea agreement and start cooperating with prosecutors. The announcement of Cohens intentions was actually made earlier in the month when he told George Stephanopoulos that he was planning to terminate his joint defense agreement but it hadnt been made official yet. In order to make it official he had to hire new lawyers. And now Giulianis announcement is confirmation that Cohen has done that. During Cohens July 2nd appearance on ABCs Good Morning America he made very clear that he was planning to sever his joint legal defense with Donald Trump once he got his new criminal defense attorney in place. The process took a few weeks, and it now has happened. Heres the report yesterday from ABCNews.com: Giuliani has confirmed that the joint defense agreement between Trump and Cohen has ended. It was expected that they would stop sharing information and documents when Cohen retained new attorney Guy Petrillo in July, but Giuliani confirms that there has been no contact between the two teams. Usually you dont discuss joint defense agreements, but I think its obvious theres been so much public discussion that there isnt one right now, Giuliani said. We wouldnt consider it in our best interest to share confidential information with them and they would feel the same way. This is a huge new development because severing the joint defense agreement is what has to happen before anyone is able to make a plea bargain with prosecutors. Michael Flynn and Rick Gates each did the same thing just days before they cut their plea deals with Robert Mueller. Here is what a former federal prosecutor said to explain the significance of this move by Cohen that was announced by Giuliani: According to @abcnews, Michael Cohen will break his joint defense agreement with Trump when his new attorney starts. Thats a signal that he will actually flip, because deciding to flip is a typical reason to leave a joint defense agreement. A joint defense agreement is a way for different defense teams in a government investigation to share information without losing attorney-client privilege. But they only work when the interests of the defense teams are aligned. Thats because they rely on an exception that allows people who have a common interest to share info without waiving privilege. Typically joint defense agreements require each party to notify the others if they flip. So leaving the joint defense agreement actually means something. The fact that Cohens lawyer hasnt started yet may help explain the interview with @GStephanopoulos, which I doubt a lawyer would advise him to do. 1/ According to @abcnews, Michael Cohen will break his joint defense agreement with Trump when his new attorney starts. Thats a signal that he will actually flip, because deciding to flip is a typical reason to leave a joint defense agreement. https://t.co/Gl4QDEDCLn Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 2, 2018 Now we can look back on all that has transpired over the past week in the public eye and see that it makes sense. This is why Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani have been panicking. The leaked Trump-Cohen tape about the McDougal payoff, and the disclosure about Donald Trumps knowledge and approval of the Trump Tower meeting were circumstantial evidence that Cohen was going to flip very soon. Giulianis comments on television yesterday sealed the deal. There is no question now that Cohen is cooperating with prosecutors. There is no question that Cohen was convinced by his attorneys that cooperation is the only way out for him if he cares about his family and wants to avoid spending the rest of his life in prison. Maneka Gandhi also announced that in future all official communication will use the term TGs for transgenders. Talking about the inclusion of information on prevention of human trafficking in school textbooks, Maneka Gandhi, on Thursday, called transgenders 'the other ones' in Lok Sabha. (Photo: File | ANI) New Delhi: Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Monday apologised for using the term "the other ones" for transgenders in Lok Sabha, saying she did not "snigger but was embarrassed by her own lack of knowledge". Talking about the inclusion of information on prevention of human trafficking in school textbooks, Maneka Gandhi, on Thursday, called transgenders "the other ones" in Lok Sabha. The minister drew flak from the transgender community for using the word, with Meera Sanghamitra, a member of the National Alliance for People's Movements and a trans woman, saying that Maneka Gandhi and all the MPs who "thumped and laughed must apologise". The minister on Monday apologised for using the term during the debate, saying she did not "snigger". "I sincerely apologise for using the term 'other ones' during the debate on the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, in Lok Sabha. I did not 'snigger', I was embarrassed at my own lack of knowledge," Gandhi said in a tweet. "I was not aware of the official terminology for the transgender community," she added. She also announced that in future all official communication will use the term TGs for transgenders. "I would like to assure that the Anti-Trafficking Bill 2018 is gender neutral and provides protection to the aggrieved," she added. 3.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump and his campaign could be facing criminal charges on everything from election violations to bank fraud and cyber crimes if they are found to have conspired with Russia. Video: Frank Figliuzzi, former FBI Asst. Director for Counterintelligence said on MSNBCs Deadline: White House: If you look in the dictionary, which I did, it says illegal cooperation or conspiracy. So really we should stop using the phrase collusion and just say criminal conspiracy. There is a host of criminal charges that could come into play here if its proven that there was so-called collusion. What are those charges? Look, if its proven that Russian money was flowing into the campaign, youve got election and campaign contribution violations. You have violations of the Emoluments Clause. If they were masking the origin of the Russian money, then you could have bank fraud and wire fraud and money laundering, and there is conspiracy, and there is accessory after the fact depending they knew what was happening. Heres the key on the hacking. If they can indeed show campaign officials gave a green light or knew or encouraged the hacking into the DNC, then you have the same violations, cybercrime, computer fraud and abuse charges we saw lobbed onto the Russian hackers, you see conspiracy charges against the president or his campaign officials. So it is about crime. Rudy Giulianis claim that the Russia investigation is about collusion, not crime, doesnt hold up. Collusion is a form of illegal cooperation or criminal conspiracy. The accurate term for what is being investigated is conspiracy or criminal conspiracy, so Trumps claims of no collusion have as much bearing on this case as if he was saying no hot water. It is meaningless. Trump and his campaign could be facing some serious criminal charges. Trump may not be charged with a crime while he is in office, but any one of those ten potential crimes would be enough to get him impeached. The Special Counsel doesnt need to get the Trump campaign on all ten. One or two would be enough to end his presidency, and potentially land Trump in prison. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. 4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trumps tariff on aluminum is projected to cost 20,000 Americans their jobs in beer-related industries. An analysis by the Beer Institute found that Trumps tariff is going to amount to a $347 million annual tax on beer: I estimate that the aluminum tariff will increase the annual cost of beer production in the U.S. by $347.7 million per year. To put that in perspective, after decades of persistent effort, last December the U.S. beer industry successfully lobbied Congress to reduce its federal excise taxes by about $130 million per year for the next two years. The aluminum tariff will not only wipeout every cent of beers hard-won excise tax relief it will pile on an additional $217.7 million in costs each year the tariff is kept in place. The U.S. beer industry creates 2.23 million American jobs, which is 1.4% of all U.S. employment. The aluminum tariff will put more than 20,000 of these jobs at risk. About half of the jobs that would be lost will be from brewers, distributors, and retailers who sell beer to American drinkers. The other half would be from companies that sell inputs to beer production like aluminum cans and from other jobs that exist because of household spending by people who work in beer. The broader economy will also suffer due to the tariff on beer cans. The beer industry generates more than $350 billion in economic activity throughout the U.S., which is equal to 1.9% of GDP. Beer also generates more than $63.5 billion in annual tax revenue to the federal government and to communities across the country. The proposed aluminum tariff will reduce beers economic output by nearly $2.5 billion and reduce the amount of tax revenue paid through the production and sale of beer by more than $550 million (excluding any revenue collected via the tariff itself). Tens of thousands of jobs could be lost, and billions of dollars in economic output will go down the drain because Donald Trump thinks that tariffs are great. The Trump administration is scrambling to promote trade deals that do not really exist, as they are viewing the tariffs as a political message to be managed, not a threat to the US economy. The Beer Institute analysis also warned that the negative impacts of the tariff are already being felt as the price of aluminum is going up. The tariffs are not short-term pain. Tariffs build a long-term cumulative negative impact on an economy. The longer the tariffs are in place, the worse the consequences become. Trump is killing jobs, and the situation will only worsen, the longer he sticks to his plan to try to take the US economy back to the 1950s. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. On July 30, Russian state-owned media outlet RT published an article with the headline Call to break up Russia by Latvian MP Proof of NATOs Hostile Plans Senior Lawmaker. The senior lawmaker in question is Russian State Duma Deputy Leonid Kalashnikov, a member of the conservative Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF). He is also head of the State Duma Committee on Eurasian Integration. We should not be shy, we should offer tough resistance, RT quotes the politician as saying,resistance not even to such statements, but rather the danger of our country being split up that arises after them. In reality, there has been no NATO proposal to invade or break up Russia. Instead there was just a tweet by a member of the Latvian parliament, Aleksandrs Kirsteins, who belongs to a party that is described as right-wing and nationalist, but clearly in the countrys minority. While the RT article mentions the tweet, the Russian state publication did not embed or link to it. Only when Russia splits into smaller countries, in line with ethnic composition, will military conflicts end, and a lasting period of peace will exist in Europe, the tweet reads in Latvian. Kirsteins is a member of a minority Latvian political party, the National Alliance of Latvia, nationalist and anti-immigration and only a small part of the countrys ruling coalition.The party holds several seats in the Saeima, the Latvian Parliament. Kirsteins, a member of the Saeima, seems to have no connection to NATO. A July 30, 2018 aggregate of polls in Latvia by a non-profit project based in Vienna puts the National Alliances support from the countrys electorate at 11%. While his tweet suggests a split of Russia along ethnic lines, even Kirsteins does not suggest Russia be divided by military force. And NATO has made it clear in the past that while it condemns Russias aggressive actions toward Ukraine beginning in 2014, it still seeks to maintain dialogue and stability with Russia. The Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia, an official statement from the NATO summit in Warsaw in 2016 reads. But we cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which our Alliance and security in Europe and North America rest. NATO will continue to be transparent, predictable and resolute, the communique continued. NATO has also post a page it says corrects myths about its relationship with Russia, pointing out that the alliance has extended invitations for cooperation to Russia that have never been offered to any other non-NATO member. Even though Kirsteins tweet suggests an unrealistic division of Russia, even he does not propose that any division of Russia should be carried out by military action of NATO or any outside force. In general, his tweet appears to be his own opinion and cannot seriously be called a proposal, and certainly not one being considered by NATO. Angie Jackson covers crime and breaking news for The Post and Courier. She previously covered the same beat for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive.com in Michigan. When shes not reporting, Angie enjoys teaching yoga and exploring the outdoors. Political Reporter Caitlin Byrd is a political reporter at The Post and Courier and author of the Palmetto Politics newsletter. Before moving to Charleston in 2016, her byline appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times. To date, Byrd has won 17 awards for her work. Maria Bartiromo had House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes on the Fox News Sunday Morning Futures show to discuss the heavily redacted FISA warrant applications that were released by the Department of Justice on July 21 in the Saturday night document dump (video below). I posted the documents here as released. Query whether the DoJ released these documents on a Saturday night because they are proud of their handiwork and understood that it vindicated the integrity of their efforts. I dont think so. I will return to this subject at greater length in the context of the current Weekly Standard cover story by April Doss. In the cover story Doss disparages Nunes as a crazy conspiracy theorist. Again, I dont think so. See, for example, Byron Yorks Examiner column FISA warrant application supports Nunes memo, Andrew McCarthys NR column on the FISA applications and, ahem, the Standards own profile of Nunes by executive editor Fred Barnes a few pages before Dosss cover story. Although Maryland is one of Americas bluest states, it has a Republican governor. In 2014, we elected Larry Hogan. It was only the second time in 48 years a Republican had won that office here. We havent had a Republican Senator since 1987. This year, the Democrats nominated Ben Jealous to run against Hogan. Jealous, formerly the head of the NAACP, is a hard leftist. He favors debt-free college, a state-based single payer health insurance, a 29 percent increase in teachers pay, and shrinking the prison population. Hogan is a popular governor, but in a state as blue as Maryland this doesnt assure his reelection. Just ask Bob Ehrlich, our last GOP governor. He had a positive approval rating, yet lost to Martin OMalley (remember him?) in his reelection bid. However, to have a good chance of defeating Hogan, who is even more popular than Ehrlich was, Jealous will probably need a unified Democratic party. This entails securing support and endorsements from elements of the party that arent hard left. Jealous still has work to do. According to the Washington Post, influential State Senate President Mike Miller has offered only tepid backing for Jealous while praising Hogan for governing from the middle. Isiah Ike Leggett, the executive of Montgomery County where I live, has thus far declined to endorse Jealous because of concerns that the candidates positions on taxes, school funding, and Amazon.coms second headquarters would penalize the County. Im not sure they [in the Jealous campaign] have thought through the impact and implications of some of the positions that theyve taken, says Leggett, charitably. He estimates that the county would pay 38 percent of the total revenue raised under Jealouss socialism-in-one-state plan. Thats more than double our share of the states population. Other influential Democrats are strongly backing Jealous, but express disagreement with him on issues like state-based, single-payer health care. Sen. Ben Cardin is the best example of such a Democrat. The reservations regarding Jealous seem mainly the product of doubts he can defeat Hogan by running hard left. As a Democratic strategist told the Post, everybody in the Democratic establishment is concerned that if he doesnt moderate himself, he has no chance against Hogan. But there is more to it than just electability. Leggett, the Montgomery County Executive, expresses his concerns in policy, not political, terms. He believes that Jealous policy preferences will hurt the County. Hes right, of course. In the end, socialism hurts almost everyone. However, the affluent are the first to be hit. Montgomery County is still affluent. Leggett would like to keep it that way. In relatively affluent suburban counties policy and pragmatism intersect for Democrats. In many states, the party needs well-to-do, college educated suburban white voters to offset the defection of white working class voters fed up with Democratic elitism and identity politics. Elitism, if anything, appeals to affluent whites and identity politics per se does not seem to turn them off in large numbers. Economic policies are a different matter. Hit them hard enough in the pocketbook (or mess with their schools or the racial composition of their neighborhoods) and upscale suburban voters will balk. They will still hate Donald Trump, but traditional Republicans wont look so bad, and moderates like Larry Hogan will look good. The Post suggests that Jealous understands the need to soften his pitch. Hes going to meet with Leggett and I wouldnt be surprised if the meeting leads to an endorsement. However, the long-term problem signified by the mild resistance to Ben Jealous the enormous tension between the Democratic lefts policy preferences and the interests of suburban voters (and not just white ones) wont go away. The hope of Democrats that they can stop the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh rests largely on two moderate Republican Senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. So far the signs regarding these two arent encouraging for Democrats, though were still relatively early in the process. Democrats recall that during the fight over repealing Obamacare, Collins and Murkowski bucked the GOP leadership and, along with Sen. John McCain, defeated legislation that would have effectuated a repeal. The Washington Post reports that, in the hope of a repeat performance, a well-organized campaign is under way to pour millions of dollars worth of anti-Kavanaugh ads into small towns throughout Maine and Alaska. The Post also reports that, so far, constituents are unmoved. In separate interviews with the Post, Collins and Murkowski say that voters view the health-care debate and the Supreme Court very differently: The protests are similar, the media campaign is more aggressive this time, but the constituent involvement is less. And I think thats because health care is so personal and affects everybody, Collins said. A different level of intensity, a different level of intensity. What I was hearing at home were very personal stories, Murkowski recalled of last summers interactions with constituents. Literally people in tears. The level of just emotional outpouring that made it just intense is the best word is different than it is now. That doesnt surprise, but this does: Some Senate aides said the confirmation battle for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sparked more constituent outreach than either Kavanaughs nomination or last years confirmation of Justice Neil M. Gorsuch. Murkowski attributed the lack of an anti-Kavanaugh groundswell to the fact that Supreme Court confirmations turn on somewhat esoteric arguments about hypothetical legal questions. Democrats try to simplify their arguments, as when Ted Kennedy described Robert Borks America in gruesome terms. However, Democrats have been crying wolf for so long that voters may be tuning them out, or at least rejecting doomsday claims. Perhaps more importantly, Republicans no longer nominate judges who seem as threatening as Bork. Kavanaugh hasnt met yet with either Collins or Murkowski. A lot will be riding on those meetings and on whatever the two Senators make of Kavanaughs judicial opinions and speeches. At least as things stand now, however, Kavanaugh wont be fighting head winds with these two key Senators. PR-Inside.com: 2018-07-30 13:31:02 Bombardier Transportation / Bombardier to Supply 36 Additional Francilien Trains to Ile-de-France Mobilites in Greater Paris . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Passengers on Lines L, P and J to benefit from modern trains with new features for increased comfort Highly performing trains for dense and congested urban transportation ecosystem BERLIN, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Note to editors: To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7b303aa4-0092-4cba-b3d2-f375022d0789 Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation has received an order for 36 Francilien train sets (270 cars) from the French national railway corporation, Societe nationale des chemins de fer francais (SNCF) on behalf of the Greater Paris public transport authority, Ile-de-France Mobilites. The order, a call off from a contract signed in 2006 with SNCF for a maximum of 372 trains, is valued at approximately 261 million euro ($303 million US). These trains, entirely financed by Ile-de-France Mobilites, will be rolled out on lines L, J and P on the SNCF Transilien network to continue modernizing the fleet. Bombardier supports Ile-de-France rolling stock renewal program by accelerating production pace from September 2019 onwards. "This train, specially designed to meet the challenges of the dense and congested Transilien network, has proven its strengths. Fully adapted to this urban transportation ecosystem, it's the most reliable fleet operating on the network. The trains offer exceptional energy efficiency, optimized maintenance costs and of course a sleek design with amenities that are particularly appreciated by travelers," said Laurent Bouyer, president of Bombardier Transport France. These new trains will feature upgrades to improve the comfort of passengers. They will be equipped with USB ports, new and more ergonomic handrails, and large panoramic screens to increase readability of passenger information. As best performing fleet in Ile-de-France, the Francilien trains contribute to the punctuality of the lines where they operate. From the start of the project, Bombardier engineers focused on passenger needs and designed a modern spacious commuter train. The Francilien offers room for up to 1,000 people and includes large seats, wide doors and open gangways to increase passenger flow. In addition, they are equipped with the latest energy efficient and "intelligent" technologies as well as with improved security systems. This new order consists of 18 short trains sets, totaling 126 cars, to operate on lines L and J from and to Paris Saint-Lazare station; and 18 long trainsets, 144 cars, for line P from Paris Est station. Altogether, SNCF will operate a fleet of 313 Francilien commuter trains. To date, 230 Francilien trains are in operation. Renowned as France's first industrial rail site, about 2,000 people work on Bombardier's facility in Crespin (Nord), including 500 engineers and managers. The company designs, builds and commissions different types of equipment and is specialized in double deck platforms. Three emblematic projects are now in production: 1) OMNEO (in the Premium and Regio 2N regional versions) is an extra-capacity, double-deck train for the Regions of France, which ordered 382 train sets in a contract signed in 2010. 2) Francilien is an ultra-modern commuter train for Greater Paris. Ile-de-France Mobilites has ordered 313 trains. Operating since December 2009, it is the best performing train of the SNCF Transilien network, servicing the P, L, J, K and H lines 3) RER NG, under a contract signed in 2017 as part of a consortium for Ile-de-France Mobilites, will operate on the E and D lines of the RER. About Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation is a global leader in rail technology and offers the broadest portfolio in the industry. It covers the full spectrum of rail solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling. The company also provides complete transport systems, e-mobility technology and maintenance services. As an innovation driver, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility. It provides integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 39,850 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries. About Bombardier With over 69,500 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries across the segments of Transportation, Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion US. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier. Notes to Editors To receive our press releases, please visit the RSS Feed section. Bombardier is a trademark of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. For Information Media Relations, France Anne Froger +33 6 07 78 95 38 anne.froger@rail.bombardier.com Group Media Relations +49 30 98607 1687 press@rail.bombardier.com You can also contact one of our worldwide contacts for specific press inquiries. PR-Inside.com: 2018-07-30 16:01:02 RESTON, VA. & CHICAGO, IL., July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellis, a leading provider of risk management and operational security and logistics services, announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with LifeLine Response. LifeLine Response is the bridge between our operational risk, crisis and resilience capabilities and the intelligence that drives situational awareness for global clients, Christian Ronnow, Executive Vice President of Constellis. We now offer an all-encompassing travel safety solution accessible on smartphones through the LifeLine Response app, providing our clients with over-watch and locator applications, a unique personal safety alarm connected to a rapid response mechanism and a robust, timely, proactive notification system, all supported by a 24/7 global operations centre and extensive analytical capability." Our geo-spatial intelligence platform combined with Constellis world class operational risk management services is a timely and robust solution for our clientele as well. In the business of seconds, I would trust no other with the mission critical work that our clients present to us, Peter Cahill, CEO of LifeLine Response.The wide global network, extensive resource capability and intimate knowledge of the diverse contexts in which they work, enables both Constellis and LifeLine Response to deliver tailored, innovative and cost-effective travel risk management solutions to global businesses.We are very pleased to form this strategic partnership with LifeLine Response which extends the range of risk management services we are able to offer our clients, significantly augmenting their performance in meeting duty of care obligations towards their personnel around the world, said Jason DeYonker, CEO of Constellis. About Constellis Constellis is a leading provider of risk management, humanitarian, social intelligence, training and operational support services to government and commercial clients worldwide. From security, training and crisis response to logistics, life support and munitions clearance, Constellis helps clients achieve success, no matter their location. With a commitment to highly compliant and ethical business practices, Constellis leverages its operational excellence, world-class training facilities and global network of partners to quickly deliver tailored, cost-effective and innovative services. Spanning five continents in over 40 countries, Constellis 20,000 employees operate in the most challenging environments around the world. For more information, visit www.constellis.com. About LifeLine Response LifeLine Response is a global security company that utilizes technology and ground assets to provide global threat intelligence, personal safety and travel security, utilizing comprehensive global imagery, communication tools and proprietary AI algorithms in 175 countries. The innovative LifeLine Response platform ensures operational safety and security oversight to businesses operating worldwide. Several government agencies, large universities and Fortune 500 companies currently use the product. To learn more, please visit www.llresponse.com. Naqvi dubbed Rahul's speech during no-confidence motion against BJP-led government as one full of 'confusion, contradiction and comedy'. There would be no vacancy for the prime minister's post in 2019, the senior BJP leader said. (Photo: File) Mumbai: The proposed "Mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) against the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls looks like a "band, baja, barat" without a groom, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Sunday. There would be no vacancy for the prime minister's post in 2019, the senior BJP leader said. "The 'Mahagathbandhan' is like the 'band, baja, barat' are ready but the groom is absent. There are nearly two dozen candidates who are staking claim for the post of prime minister," he said. Several parties such as the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), along with other outfits, are planning to form a front to counter the BJP in the 2019 general election. Naqvi took a dig at the Congress for projecting Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate after the recent extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting and later withdrawing his name, apparently due to reservations expressed by other parties. "The Congress first announced that its prime ministerial candidate was Rahul Gandhi. However, within 12 hours, they withdrew it. This could be the first such incident, wherein the Congress withdrew it (Gandhi's name) within 12 hours. It was withdrawal even before nomination. This is how the 'Mahagathbandhan' looks like," the minority affairs minister said. Naqvi also sought to blame the Congress over Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's recent emotional outburst, when the JD(S) leader said he was swallowing the pains of running a coalition government like Lord Shiva, who had drunk poison. The JD(S) shares power with the Congress in the southern state. "The country has seen Kumaraswamy's statement and the people know that he is sharing power with the Congress," Naqvi said. He dubbed Rahul Gandhi's speech in Parliament during the no-confidence motion against the BJP-led government as one full of "confusion, contradiction and comedy". "He (Gandhi) has become a mixture of these three aspects. He himself has dented his own image, instead of projecting himself as a serious politician or public figure. Our wishes are with the Congress under his leadership," Naqvi said. In an unprecedented gesture, the Congress chief had hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha after the speech. Gandhi was later seen winking at a party colleague after coming back to his seat. Responding to a query, the minister said there was no permanent friendship or disappointment in politics. "The BJP has not put up a no-entry board," he said, responding to criticism of the party by the TDP, a former NDA constituent, and the Shiv Sena. Naqvi said incidents of lynching should not be given a communal colour. "Lynching is a heinous crime. Unfortunately, when such things get politicised, a criminal incident is made to look like a communal incident, then criminals involved in such acts get a social shield," he added. "We believe that a crime is a crime. Do not mix crime with communalism and do not project such heinous crimes as a communal thing. There is a criminal mindset behind it. Crimes do not have a religion or caste," Naqvi said, deprecating the efforts of certain sections to project such incidents as a crime against a minority community. Asked why lynching over cows would not qualify as an organised crime as most of the victims belonged to a particular community, while the attackers were from the majority community, the minister said he did not think it was an organised crime. "These people (perpetrators of such incidents) have a criminal mindset. When such incidents take place, it is not that only one particular community is involved. It is not that only Hindus are behind it. Whatever it is, a crime is a crime. I cannot see it linked to a community," he said. Advocating a tough law to curb such incidents if needed, Naqvi said things that divided the society should not happen. "Even the Muslim community has understood that Modi is the name of development," he said. Dubbing "triple talaq" as a "bad tradition", Naqvi said at least 1,000 such cases were reported to various agencies in the country, even after a Supreme Court verdict held the practice unconstitutional. The apex court had last year ruled that the practice of triple talaq followed by Muslim men was unconstitutional and void. "We will mostly pass the legislations concerning triple talaq in this (Monsoon) session (of Parliament)," Naqvi said. The "triple talaq" bill, which proposes to criminalise the practice, has been passed in the Lok Sabha, where the BJP enjoys a majority, but is pending in the Rajya Sabha. PR-Inside.com: 2018-07-30 08:16:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 387 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Calgary, Alberta (FSCWire) - Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited (TSX Venture:XOP). has issued a press release with the following headline:COPL Receives Project Financing Term SheetTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Canadian Overseas Petroleum LimitedSource: Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited (TSX Venture: XOP, LSE: COPL, WKN: A1C29E, ISIN: CA13643D1078)Date: July 30, 2018Time: 2:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2018-07-30 15:15:18 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 406 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Great Atlantic Resources Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Great Atlantic Resources Corp. (TSX Venture:GR). has issued a press release with the following headline:Great Atlantic Begins 2018 Diamond Drilling Program at its - 100% owned Keymet Base - Previous Metal Project - Bathurst, New BrunswickTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Great Atlantic Resources Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Great Atlantic Resources Corp.Source: Great Atlantic Resources Corp. (TSX Venture: GR, FWB: PH01, WKN: A1JZ4T, ISIN: CA3900871045)Date: July 30, 2018Time: 9:15 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Great Atlantic Resources Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2018-07-30 11:06:02 Mawdoo3 to launch the Arabic Alexa later this year Mawdoo3: Worlds Biggest Arabic Website Raises $13.5m from British and American VC funds MHP Communications Mike Robb Mawdoo3@mhpc.com +44 (0) 20 3128 8100 Mawdoo3.com (Mawdoo3), the world's most visited Arabic website with more than 45 million unique users per month, has completed a US $13.5 million Series B round. The raise was led by UK-based Kingsway, with participation from US-based Endure Capital. This investment will enable Mawdoo3 to expand its content and AI technology as it seeks to further its mission of enriching the Arabic language online, with just 1% of web content in Arabic when more than 5% of the worlds population, some 420 million people, speak it. Currently the website serves 45 million unique users monthly and has nearly 150,000 articles online covering a wide-range of topics, ranging from lifestyle, health, education and food. The site continues to grow at pace, with the equivalent of two novels published on the platform every day. Earlier this year, the company announced its plans to launch 'Salma', an Arabic version of Siri and Alexa, which will be deployed to answer factoid questions from Mawdoo3's platform, thus adding a new channel for consuming Arabic content. Salma will be used as an Arabic voice interface service for businesses in multiple sectors including travel, automobile, telecom and electronics, enabling consumers to engage and transact with these businesses via voice. Commenting on the investment, Rami Al-Qawasmi, Co-founder and CEO of Mawdoo3.com, said: "The worlds Arabic speakers are the most underserved online, with the availability of quality Arabic content limited and technology, particularly in voice, not having the same impact as other languages. Our mission is to change that and build on our strong position as the most visited daily Arabic website in the world today. This investment from international investors is a validation of Mawdoo3's potential. Our success is a result of the trust built over the past six years with our users, which is a motivation for us for an even greater impact in the coming years as we expand our content and the channels through which we deliver that content to the Arabic-speaking world online." Tarek Fahim, Partner at Endure Capital, said: If you think being the number one Arabic destination worldwide with more than 45 million monthly unique visitors is enough, think again: this is just the beginning. Mawdoo3's unique data sets and technical talents give them a head start on the AI race. We at Endure Capital are proud to be a part of their journey." ENDS View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005 Worlds biggest Arabic website raises $13.5m from British and American VC funds PR-Inside.com: 2018-07-30 12:42:29 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 550 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 SINGAPORE, July 30, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - NEST ("mew-nest"; iotee.io) held a meetup in Singapore on July 27, in which the team gave an update on the progress of their IoT blockchain solution to an enthusiastic crowd.NEST integrates solid applied cryptography knowledge with rich experience in smart hardware production to build an ecosystem which will include a public chain network, hardware wallets, smart contracts, and distributed applications (DApps).Neo Ma, CEO of NEST, spoke about the overall vision and key technology infrastructure of NEST. He gave a detailed introduction on how NEST solves the problem of data security in IoT implementations as well as the issue of transaction throughput levels in blockchain. NEST's mission is to "protect" generated data from IoT devices, which is essentially the core value in IoT deployment, by addressing the purity, integrity, and privacy issues commonly associated with IoT data.At the same time, NEST seeks to solve security problems for the whole system chain of trust with hardware trust root. Using a combination of local Zone level software and hardware, the team aim to solve low transaction throughput on the blockchain, with a contribution-award algorithm (Proof-of-i/o) to strengthen P2P network robustness and solving ledger and data storage problems. A lightweight virtual machine (nVM) will be used to solve the problem of smart contract running environment.In the near future, the team's proprietary hardware wallet can easily handle Machine-to-Machine (M2M) payment scenarios. With hardware and software interface standardizations, secure circulation and exchange of data as well as frictionless M2M payments, non-trusted multi-party value exchanges and efficient collaboration can occur free from counterparty risk.Hardware and software interface standardizations, plus Clean data securely circulation/exchanging as well as M2M easily payment makes non-trusted multi-party value exchanges and efficient collaboration possible in real life.The event ended off with an engaging panel discussion with Neo Ma and two other guest speakers, Lee Kwai Seng and Kelvin Ong. Lee is the Managing Director of AIRmaker, a leading IoT accelerator based in Singapore and Ong is the CEO of FocusTech Ventures, a private investment firm with deep roots in precision engineering and technology.Both Lee and Ong shared their thoughts as investors in the IoT space, citing key challenges in the IoT space such as data security and data sharing. According to them, the fields of medical data and logistics are ripe with opportunities for disruption with blockchain technology. Ma also offered insights on how he envisioned NEST's blockchain solution addressing those issues head on. The panel concluded with a key takeaway; the combination of IoT and blockchain technology will be a driver for change in the near future.The meet up was hosted by the Singapore chapter of global blockchain incubator, LongHash.About NESTNEST is an open source IoT+Blockchain project established by a team of technologists with over 20 years' experience in applied cryptography and smart hardware production. Using standard hardware interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C) and software interface specifications (SDK, API), the team aims to greatly reduce the barriers that developers face to reaching a Proof-of-Concept, making it easier and faster for projects to realize real-life application scenarios. For more details, check the official homepage https://iotee.io For Media Enquiries:Longhash SingaporeEmail: admin.sg@longhash.com The Tin Can Island Port Customs Command said it generated N162.70 billion in the first six months of 2018, up from N130 billion generated in the corresponding period of 2017. The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Port, Musa Abdullahi, a Comptroller, said this when he met with some stakeholders in his office on Monday in Lagos. According to Mr Abdullahi, the figure generated increased by N32,695 billion. He noted that the command had been repositioned as the most business friendly port, as all compliant declarants would be duly compensated and given special preference. We are deploying multi-layered approach in addressing the issues of compliance which is a panacea to Trade Facilitation, through reward for compliance and ensuring that compliant declarants are given expeditious attention. This is in line with the presidential directive on Ease of Doing Business. The Command is at the verge of fully automating key seats to enable seamless operations with reference to the just concluded training of officers on E-Transire and NSA-End User Certificate Procedure. The command effected seizure of assorted items ranging from used clothing, children toys, different types of furniture, bags of rice, shoes, handbags, used vehicles etc with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N138,75 million as against that of 2017 with DPV of N88,06 million. Tin Can Island Customs Command is in steady progression in all aspects of its primary functions and urged stakeholders to take advantage of the various complaints platforms in channeling their genuine grievances for necessary action. According to Mr Abdullahi, I recall that during the period under review, the command also effected seizures of large quantity of ammunition and other Military Hardware. The ammunitions were intercepted during scheduled examinations and the command would not lower its guards in ensuring that such illicit consignments does not pass through the command. He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, his management team, officers and men of the command, and other stakeholders at the Tin Can Island port for their support. Mr Abdullahi noted that the command would continue to leverage on the already harnessed competences of its hard working personnel to carve a niche and remain outstanding in performing its statutory mandate. On recurring multiple alerts due to noncompliance with the Fiscal Policies, Mr Abdullahi assured that with the takeoff of the One Stop Shop under construction, the issue would soon become history. The Controller urged importers/agents to be honest about declarations, adding that the command remained committed to the change mantra of Ali and would not renege on its statutory responsibilities. (NAN) Nigeria, Africas leading producer of hydrocarbon, is fast losing her competitive advantage, as the long delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), analysts have said. Participants in a one-day roundtable on PIB organised by the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) in Abuja said the absence of the PIB was driving fresh investments in the oil industry to rival destinations in the continent. This development, they noted, has costed Nigerias oil and gas industry several billions of dollars investment and returns to the economy. The event organised in collaboration with the Media Initiative on Transparency in Extractive Industries (MITEI) blamed the loss on uncertainties in the operational environment, particularly on legal terms of contracts and acreage allocations. Draft PIGB transmitted to Buhari On June 8, the final harmonised draft of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) was transmitted by the National Assembly to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent into law. The draft law is coming more than 17 years after the effort to update the legal framework of the countrys oil and gas industry began, to replace the outdated provisions with a comprehensive and updated petroleum industry law. The PIB seeks to empower institutions and not individuals, take away bad governance which leads to inefficiency, ineffectiveness, rent-seeking tendencies, inequity, secrecy and corruption in the countrys petroleum industry. The PIGB is one of four parts of the proposed petroleum law submitted for consideration by the National Assembly. The other parts include the Petroleum Industry Administration Bill (PIAB), Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill (PIFB) and Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Bill (PHICB). The PIAB focuses on the transparent and efficient management of exploration and production operations, while the PIFB deals with fiscal terms, in term of tax regimes and contractual terms to help realize full value in line with global standards. Also, the PHICB takes care of the rights and opportunities for local benefits, in terms of restitution for environmental and social costs of resource extraction activities. Participants root for speedy passage A communique sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday observed that the delay in passing the PIB has resulted in a lot of leakages, theft, and sabotage. Nigerias competitive advantage is consistently being eroded by increasing discoveries of crude oil in more stable economies operating within Africa, such as Tanzania, Ghana, Mozambique, etc, the communique noted. To get the industry back on track, participants emphasized prioritizing good governance as key, having relied on the outdated 1969 Petroleum governance framework to run the industry for almost five decades. Participants urged Nigerians to see the 2019 elections as the best opportunity to get the countrys political leadership to get the PIB passed into law, by giving that as a condition for their votes. Considering the strategic importance of the PIB to the restoration of growth in the oil and gas industry, participants underscored the need for the PIGB to be assented to as soon as possible. They called on the National Assembly to ensure expeditious consideration of issues raised during the public hearings on the other three draft Bills(PIAB, PIFB,PHICB). Besides, they want the relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, particularly the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Federal Ministry of Finance, Department of Petroleum Resources, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, etc, to join in demanding for the assent of the PIGB soon for the benefit of the Nigerian economy. Also, they enjoined advocates of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill to push for the passage of the PIB as it was Nigerias main revenue source and therefore necessary to attain all their stated objectives. Stressing the need to continue to sensitise Nigerians on essence of the Bill, they identified key issues for public engagement to include harmonisation, presidential assent and public education about the new oil and gas governance regime. Other issues include passage of the remaining complementary three bills, effective implementation of the PIGB as well as close monitoring and reporting. The NNRC/MITEI Roundtable was on the PIB was themed: The Impact of Petroleum Sector Reforms on Nigerias Global Economic Prospects. Discussions during the roundtable centred on global prospects for the Nigerian economy and the opportunities presented by the review of the petroleum governance, administrative, fiscal and host community frameworks. These themes were informed by the NNRCs 2017 Benchmarking Exercise Report (BER), which showed Nigeria performing poorly in the exploration and license allocation, taxation, managing local impacts and state-owned enterprises. The police were informed on Sunday by the hospital authorities about a foetus being found in a washroom of the Emergency unit. The foetus was sent for postmortem to ascertain its gestational age, officials said. (Photo: Representational | ANI) New Delhi: A foetus was found abandoned in a washroom in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, the police said on Monday. The police were informed on Sunday by the hospital authorities about a foetus being found in a washroom of the Emergency unit. The foetus was sent for postmortem to ascertain its gestational age, officials said. A case was registered under Section 318 of the IPC, which pertains to concealment of birth by secret disposal of dead body and is punishable with a maximum jail term of two years and a fine, they added. Following the United States decision to reduce UN funding for Palestinians, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has cut its workforce in the Gaza Strip. Of the 13,000 UNRWA staffers working in the coastal area, the cuts would have repercussions for some 1,000 people who are responsible for humanitarian aid, UNRWA Director Matthias Schmale told dpa on Monday. The majority of those humanitarian staffers would be shifted from full-time to part-time work, while around 100 would lose their jobs starting on September 1, Schmale said. We have to scale down in order to safeguard the food aid, he said. U.S. President Donald Trump cut aid to UNRWA amid tensions between his administration and the Palestinian leadership over the presidents move to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital in December. The U.S. provided 365 million dollars for humanitarian aid and projects in 2017, Schmale said. Washington has only provided $60 million so far this year. The UNRWA supports around 1 million people with food aid, operates 275 schools and 22 health centres. (dpa/NAN) Al-Qaedas franchise in the Sahara has claimed responsibility for multiple mortar attack on a village in northern Mali during Sundays election that disrupted voting, the SITE Intelligence Group said. During voting, militants fired 10 mortar rounds in the village of Aguelhok in the northern region of Kidal. One exploded about 100 metres from a polling station, causing voting to be temporarily suspended. In a statement picked up by SITE, Jamaa Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an umbrella group for al-Qaeda-linked militants in the Sahara, claimed credit for attacking French and UN mission forces in Aguelhok before the Malian elections. This bombardmentin Mali is a clear message from us to France and its pawns in the country that the war between us will not end, the group said. Everyone knows that the winner in this election is only a pawn in the hands of France and the countries of the Cross. Vote counting was underway on Monday, the day after a presidential election in which President Ibrahim Keita is seeking a second term despite worsening insecurity since he took power five years ago. The election mostly took place peacefully across the largely desert nation, but there were pockets where insecurity was so bad that no voting could take place at all. The Ministry of Territory said overnight that 644 polling stations out of about 23,000 had been unable to function. Islamist militants are seen as the biggest threat to Western interests in the Sahara and semi-arid Sahel just to the south of it. They have hit several foreign targets in Mali and its neighbours and kidnapped scores of Westerners. It had been feared the militants, who see democracy as contrary to Islam, would try to disrupt the polls. Security has been high on the agenda for voters, especially where in the north and centre of the country where the jihadists operate. Mr Keitas main rival, Soumaila Cisse, has pledged to restore peace across Mali. (Reuters/NAN) South Africas High Court on Monday overturned a decision by the government to grant Zimbabwes former first lady, Grace Mugabe, diplomatic immunity after she was accused of whipping a woman with an electric cord. Model Gabriella Engels, the woman behind the assault allegation, last August filed a court application challenging the governments decision. Grace returned to Zimbabwe immediately after South Africa granted her diplomatic immunity, allowing her to evade prosecution for assault and causing a row in South Africa where the opposition Democratic Alliance also challenged the ruling. She denied assaulting Engels with an electric cable, saying an intoxicated and unhinged Engels had attacked her with a knife. South African advocacy group Afriforum, which represented Engels, dismissed the allegations as lies. Former president Robert Mugabe, 94, accompanied by his wife, cast his vote in a Harare township on Monday in Zimbabwes first election that does not include his name on the ballot paper since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980. According to Engels, an irate Grace Mugabe burst into the room where she was waiting with two friends in a Johannesburg luxury hotel suite to meet one of Mugabes sons in August 2017 and started attacking her with an electric cable. Photographs taken by Engels mother soon after the incident showed gashes to the models head and bruising on her thighs. Judge Bashier Vally ruled that the decision to grant diplomatic immunity was inconsistent with the constitution. Willie Spies, a lawyer for Afriforum, said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) should now take action to prosecute Grace Mugabe and seek her extradition from Zimbabwe to South Africa. Spies said if the NPA failed to take action, Afriforum would start proceedings against Grace Mugabe. The ball is in their court now, Spies said, adding that Afriforum had argued that Grace Mugabe committed the attack on Engles while she was on a private visit to South Africa and therefore did not qualify for diplomatic immunity. NPA spokeswoman Phindi Mjnonondwana said the case was still in the hands of the police and had not yet been sent to the NPA for action. However, NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said South Africa and Zimbabwe had previously cooperated on extraditing suspects from one country to the other. (Reuters/NAN) Congolese opposition leader Moise Katumbi, plans to return home this week after two years in exile to submit his candidacy for Decembers presidential election, his political platform said on Monday. But both Mr Katumbi and another prominent opposition politician, Jean-Pierre Bemba, could be barred from contesting the election, potentially easing the way for sitting President Joseph Kabila or his chosen successor. Mr Katumbi, a millionaire businessman and former governor of the copper-mining Katanga region, left Democratic Republic of Congo in May 2016, accused by the government of plotting against Mr Kabila. He was sentenced to three years in prison the following month for real estate fraud. Mr Katumbi denies the charges and says they are aimed at preventing him from contesting the election. The general secretariat of Ensemble Pour le Changement informs the public of the return to the country this Friday, Aug. 3 in the city of Lubumbashi of its president, his excellency Moise Katumbi, Ensemble spokesman Jean Bertrand Ewanga said in a statement. Mr Katumbi also wrote to Congos civil aviation authority on Monday to request permission to land his private plane in Lubumbashi. Government spokesman, Lambert Mende, said the question of whether Mr Katumbis plane would be allowed to land was beyond his competency. Once on Congolese soil, he said, Mr Katumbi would be at the disposition of the prosecutor. Now, what will the prosecutor do with him? That I dont know. Mr Kabila, who took power in 2001 after his fathers assassination, is barred by constitutional term limits from standing for a third term in the December 23 vote. However, he has refused to commit publicly to stepping aside and some of his allies have in recent weeks argued that a legal technicality allows him to stand again. The deadline to submit candidates is August 8. Security forces have killed dozens of protesters since Mr Kabila overstayed the expiry of his mandate in December 2016, saying that elections could not be organised in time. Mr Bemba, a former vice president and militia leader, plans to return to Congo on Wednesday to file his own candidacy. He was acquitted on appeal in May by the International Criminal Court of war crimes after spending over a decade in prison but Mr Kabilas ruling coalition says he should be disqualified from the race due to a witness tampering conviction. (Reuters/NAN) The French parliament has approved a far-reaching ban on mobile phones in schools, radio broadcaster Franceinfo reported on Monday following the result of the vote in the National Assembly. The law fundamentally bans the use of mobile phones in all preschools and primary schools, as well as middle school. The move had been a campaign demand by centrist President Emmanuel Macron. French students are already not allowed to use their mobile phones during class, and each school can decide individually to implement rules that go even further. With the new law, that position will be reversed: The use of mobile phones is generally banned in the entire school, with each one deciding to make exceptions to that rule. Senators and national assembly deputies reached the agreement late Wednesday on the ban for all three tiers of French education (primary, middle and high school), except for educational purposes. Teachers have been calling for the ban to curtail a growing distraction in classrooms, with nearly nine out of ten French teens aged 12 to 17 now owning a smartphone. Besides cutting down on screen time, the bill also aims to protect children from dangerous online content such as violence or pornography, as well as cyberbullying. Each school will decide how to apply the ban, for example by making students hand them over when entering school premises or requiring them to keep them turned off in their backpacks. (dpa/NAN) The Not Too Young To Run Movement has asked political parties to make their nomination fees for elective posts affordable. This, the group said, will make purchase of party nomination tickets for various offices, easy for young aspirants. A representative of the movement, Cynthia Mbamalu, made the demands while addressing journalists at a press conference on the national day of action on youth candidacy and democratic party primaries. She said based on the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), party primaries are expected to commence from August 18 and to this end, the movement will be engaging political parties to make requests of them. Top of their request is that political parties prescribe and enforce spending limits for party nomination fees and charges. The group also wants the cost for nomination fees of candidates not to exceed the following: House of Assembly Aspirant N200,000 House of Representatives Aspirant N400,000 Senatorial Aspirant N600,000 Governorship Aspirant N1,000,000 Presidential Aspirant N2,000,000 It also demanded that political parties reserve party tickets for young men and women with character, capacity and competence The group promised to monitor how money will exchange hands (during electioneering) and also keep the media involved. It also said it is willing to convene young people and get them to vote out each party that fails to accede to its demands. Member of the movement and founder of Connected Development, Hamzat Lawal, stated that the group remains resolute in its belief that increased representation of young persons including those with disability, in political office, will enhance the quality of democracy and governance in Nigeria. He announced that the movement has declared August 8 as the National Day of Action on Youth Candidacy and Democratic Party Primaries. He said the group will march to political parties (offices) across the nation as they prepare to hold primary elections to select candidates for the 2019 general elections. He said the march will involve members from top political parties. We believe that election remains a mechanism for asserting our sovereignty as a people and we commit to mobilising 50 million registered young men and women to collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and vote in the 2019 elections. We will also mobilise registered young voters to vote for parties that accede to our demands and uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in the candidate selection process. As a movement of citizens committed to democratic development we recognise the value of political legitimacy in representative democracy, we commit to mobilising citizens against all forms of voter inducement, electoral corruption and electoral violence, he said. The Borno State commissioner of police, Damian Chukwu, has suspended the states Central Motor Traffic Division (CMTD) until investigations into allegations of extortion levelled against its operatives by motorcycle riders in the state are concluded. The Keke-NAPEP operators have also accused the local government authorities in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council of collecting illegal levies even without providing any park. PREMIUM TIMES earlier on Monday reported how Maiduguri, the state capital, was rocked by protests by the riders over alleged police maltreatment. Hundreds of commercial tricycle riders barricaded all major routes and highways to register their displeasure. Despite the deployment of soldiers and the use of teargas on the riders by the police, the protest, which had stagnated movement in most part of the city, went on for hours. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the protesters only decided to move their vehicles off the roads following the intervention of the Borno State government. Speaking on the development, Mr Chukwu said though things have been put under control, the police had gone extra steps to launch an investigation into the allegations levelled against CMTD. He also said the unit would cease functioning until the investigations are concluded. In the morning hours of today, different groups of tricycle operators mobilised themselves and blocked some roundabouts within Maiduguri Metropolis, claiming illegal collection of levies by local government authorities without provision of motorparks, the official said. The protesters also alleged harassment and extortion by security personnel especially the Central Motor Traffic Division, Maiduguri. The Borno State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and I promptly intervened and the situation was brought under control. No loss of life or injury sustained; and no damage to property recorded. Normalcy has returned with free flow of vehicular traffic and persons. In the meantime, I have disbanded the Central Motor Traffic Division pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation by the State, he added. The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has concluded the selection of successful applicants for its controversial railway scholarship, sources have told PREMIUM TIMES. The scholarship would involve sponsoring over two score Nigerian undergraduate students in Chinese universities to study railway engineering. It is part of the CCECCs corporate social responsibility having benefitted from major railway and other construction projects across Nigeria. However, only the candidates nominated by ministers and other top officials of the Buhari administration, and who were allowed to take part in the selection interview, made the final list, officials of the construction firm told the anti-graft agency, ICPC. The CCECC also told the investigators that the names of students finally selected had been submitted to the Chinese Embassy for processing, sources in the ICPC told PREMIUM TIMES. CONTROVERSY PREMIUM TIMES reported how, rather than make the scholarship available for all eligible Nigerian youth, the scholarship slots were simply shared among select government ministers and other top public officials. On June 20, at the ministry of transport which coordinated the application process, scores of young Nigerians, who travelled long distances from all over the country, besieged the ministry complex to submit applications for the scholarships. To their amazement, authorities at the transport ministry rejected their applications, saying no such opportunities exist. The youth then protested, and at a point blocked the ministrys entrance. To douse escalating tension by the restless youth, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Sabiu Zakari, issued a press statement the same day suggesting that any claim that the Chinese firm was offering railway engineering scholarships is a scam. What Mr Zakari did not state in his press release was that his office had shared the available scholarship slots among top government officials. Regardless of the claim that the scholarship was false, the youth stormed the CCECC headquarters the following day, which was the scheduled date for the commencement of the interviews. The Chinese firm was conducting interviews for about 42 shortlisted applicants in the scholarship scheme that would see successful candidates train as railway engineers in China. On getting there, the applicants found out that without a signed letter by a minister or permanent secretary, they were not be allowed to participate in the interview. Only candidates who had been nominated by top officials at Mr Zakaris prompting were allowed for the interview. The top officials, who benefitted were identified in a document used by the construction firm, CCECC, to permit selected candidates to participate in the scholarship interview. Some of the officials who sponsored candidates include the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; the Minster of Communication Technology, Adebayo Shittu; Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Suleiman Hassan; and the Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru. Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi briefing State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday (2/1/18) 0015/2/1/2018/Callistus Ewelike/NAN The day after the interview, at the CCECC headquarters, there was a signboard at the gate which indicated that the scholarship had been suspended till further notice. That board was promptly removed when this reporter introduced herself. Attempts to speak with officials at the CCECC headquarters have been unsuccessful. Each time our reporter visited the corporations headquarters, the security officials were uncooperative. Two days after the controversial interview date, our reporter visited the CCECC headquarters again to make enquiries on the reason for the suspension, but was told the officials who would speak concerning the issue were not around. The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, [Photo credit: THISDAYLIVE] Last week, our reporter revisited the corporation hoping the officials would be around. To her amazement, she was told by the same security officer who called out the names on the controversial list, that there was no such scholarship programme. On Thursday, the reporter visited the corporation with a letter addressed to the Managing Director. After a taking a look at the letter, consulting with a fellow security official, and making her wait a while, she was told the secretary who ought to receive her letter just delivered a baby so there was no one to attend to her. The officials also refused to accept the letter. ICPC INVESTIGATION Earlier this month, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that ICPC commenced investigations into the allegations. According to sources, the CCECC, which is providing the scholarship, was invited on Thursday, July 5. It sent its representatives and they cooperated with the investigators, the source said. They confirmed everything you people wrote. It was exactly as you reported, a source at the agency told PREMIUM TIMES. The CCECC officials also told the investigators they had concluded the selection process from the list which they claimed they got from the transport ministry. They also said the names and details of the selected applicants have been sent to the Chinese Embassy to further processing, the source said. Another official who has appeared before the investigators is Mr Zakari, the permanent secretary in the transportation ministry who wrote the letters asking top government officials to nominate candidates for the scholarship. Mr Zakari was questioned last week and provided relevant information to investigators. The anti-graft agency has also questioned some of the students, and their parents. who protested at the transport ministry when they were denied the opportunity to be part of the scholarship process. OTHER CCECC SCHOLARSHIPS The controversial railway scholarship is, however, not the only one being provided by the CCECC, which is apparently focusing on education as its corporate social responsibility. Last Tuesday, the Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Ibrahim Garba, paid a courtesy visit to the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Zhon Pingjim, to appreciate the government of China for its support to Nigeria and growth of his university. The don told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview after the visit that the CCECC had given 30 ABU students full scholarships. He however did not comment on the controversy surrounding the railway scholarship. This one is actually to come and say thank you to the ambassador who has been of tremendous support to the University in a number of ways. We started long ago, well about a year and a half ago, by requesting that he provide us a teacher to teach Chinese language which he has provided. The CCECC company has now reconstructed a new language lab to teach the Chinese language and then of course through the support of the ambassador, the CCECC with collaboration with another university in China, they joined hands to have a joint degree programme which we have gone to China and perfected the Memorandum of Understanding. The ABU vice-chancellor also disclosed that his university signed an MoU with the Central South University in China. He said the university also offered scholarships to 15 students and to 13 lecturers to obtain doctorate degrees. While explaining the terms of the scholarship, he said so 45 students of our own are going to China for a joint degree programme. They spend three years in ABU, they go to China and spend two years, they earn their degree there and they earn our degree, joint degree so that we would have a very good international approach, he said. President Muhammadu Buhari said Sunday night that he was not bothered about the defections in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The president made his feelings known while responding to a question during an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Togo at the Nigerian Embassy, Lome, Togo. Garba Shehu, the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Monday, quoted the president as saying that most Nigerians appreciated the performance of his administration. President Buhari said: I am not bothered about the defections. Ordinary Nigerians have developed confidence in us and are defending us. I assure you, majority of Nigerians back home are appreciative of our efforts. While expressing delight in seeing the Nigerians who had travelled from the five regions of Togo to welcome him in Lome, President Buhari said he was pleased to hear them commend the performance of his administration. He assured them that his administration had remained steadfast in keeping to its three campaign promises of providing security, improving the economy and fighting corruption. The president noted that if past governments had utilised even 25 per cent of the huge oil revenue available to them, Nigerians would not be complaining today. He cited the16 billion dollars reportedly spent on electricity and yet Nigerians could not see the power. He, however, restated his administrations commitment to providing critical infrastructure, providing loans to farmers thereby cutting rice importation by more than 90 per cent. President Buhari said all recovered illegally acquired assets would now be sold and the money paid into the treasury in the administrations renewed anti-graft campaign. I assure you that we are making progress in security as some displaced farmers are returning to their farms. We will continue to work very hard for our dear country, he stressed. In his welcome address, the Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Joseph Iji, said the close to two million Nigerians in Togo were law-abiding and peaceful. He, however, drew the presidents attention to the inability of the Nigerian Mission in Lome to issue Nigerian passports, making applicants to go to Ghana or Benin Republic. Representatives of top bank executives, who spoke at the event, commended the economic policies of the Federal Government especially the Ease of Doing Business, agricultural revolution and anti-corruption campaign, According to the presidential aide, other leaders of the Nigerian Community at the event also lauded the discipline, transparency and accountability that the current administration has introduced into governance. They also called for government assistance towards the completion of communitys on-going school building project in order to overcome the lack of good English schools in that country, he said. On its part, the APC Togo Chapter, told President Buhari not to be worried about the defections from the party, assuring him of its support in the 2019 presidential election. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting with the Nigerian Community was the Presidents first official engagement on arrival in Lome ahead of the Joint ECOWAS/Economic Community of Central African States Summit, President Buhari will also be participating in the 53rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, among others. (NAN) Eight of 30 lawmakers of the Benue State House of Assembly have served impeachment notice on Governor Samuel Ortom. The eight lawmakers also took control of the premises of the state parliament with the support of the police, Tahav Agerzua, a spokesperson for Mr Ortom said. They have taken over the House of Assembly and served the governor an impeachment notice despite a court order forbidding them from doing so, Mr Agerzua told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone. Mr Agerzua said George Akume, a former governor and APC senator from the state, brought police officers from Abuja to use eight lawmakers to impeach a governor in a House of 30 lawmakers. The crisis came a few days after Mr Ortom defected from the APC to the PDP. It also came days after 23 PDP lawmakers impeached Speaker Terkimbi Ikyange. He was accused of failing to carry other members along in legislative activities. Mr Ikyange, who remained in the APC despite recent mass defection of his colleagues to the PDP, was said to have been impeached because he was no longer in the majority party. Some of the majority House members who impeached him insisted it had nothing to do with his status as a minority lawmaker. Last week, PDP lawmakers said they were compelled to use the Government House in Makurdi to conduct legislative businesses after security agencies locked the states Assembly complex. Benue State House of Assembly The states police commissioner was changed last week. The mass defection of APC lawmakers in the House was in ancitipation of Mr Ortoms planned defection to the PDP from APC, which eventually came last week. Mr Akume did not immediately return requests for comments. Details HERE Rohan, who was caught in violence on July 25 at Kopar Khairane, was assaulted by mob. He died because of injuries in JJ Hospital on July 27. Mumbai: "You just stay at home, do not come out, stone-pelting is going on. I will come, along with appa and daji" -- this was the last conversation 21-year-old Rohan Todkar had with his cousin Shital Shinde, before the violence during the Maratha quota stir in neighbouring Navi Mumbai claimed his life. Rohan Todkar, who was caught in the violence on July 25 at Kopar Khairane, was assaulted by a mob. He later died because of his injuries in the state-run JJ Hospital at Byculla in Mumbai on July 27. The youngster worked in a private mobile phone firm and was out that day with a group of friends, Shital Shinde told PTI on Sunday. The family originally hailed from Khonavali village in Patan tehsil in Satara district and Rohan Todkar was staying at his uncle Shankar Shinde's residence in Sector 15 of Kopar Khairane, she said. "He had come home at around 6:15 pm, had something to eat and gone out to see the incidents unfolding on the street below. At around 7 pm, I called him and asked him to come home. My husband Sandip and my father-in-law had also gone out. It is then that he told me not to venture out of the house as stones were being pelted." "He said he would come, along with appa (uncle) and daji (brother-in-law). This was his last call and there was no word from Rohan after that," Shital Shinde added. Calls made on Rohan Todkar's phone by both Sandip and uncle Shankar Shinde went unanswered, she added. "We had told him not to go out during the protest. But he went out with his friends and reached Kopar Khairane, where he was beaten up by a local mob," Shankar Shinde recounted over phone from Satara. He was at Khonavali in Satara to attend Rohan Todkar's last rites, the family said. "Unaware about what had happened to him, we looked for Rohan for two days, but the Navi Mumbai police was unable to give us proper information. They did not take cognisance of our complaint about Rohan being missing either," Rohal Todkar's uncle alleged. He said the family looked for Rohan Todkar at the police station, assuming he might have been detained during the protests, and at hospitals, fearing he might have been injured in the violence. "On the night of July 27, we got a call from the police, informing us that Rohan was in JJ Hospital. We rushed there and identified the body. He was the only son to his parents, who are farmers back in Satara," Shankar Shinde said. The couple, he said, was distraught on losing their son and had demanded compensation as well as action against the members of the mob that beat him to death. "The government should take stern action against Rohan's killers. They should give compensation to his parents as they have lost the family's sole breadwinner," the uncle said. The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have condemned the plot to impeach the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom. The lawmakers, not more than 10 of the 30-member Assembly, were provided cover by the police to meet at the states parliament building on Monday morning. The majority lawmakers, who are of the Peoples Democratic Party, were blocked from accessing the complex. The APC lawmakers later served impeachment notice on Governor Ortom after accusing him of corruption. The duo in a joint statement, signed by their aides in charge of media, Yusuph Olaniyonu and Turaki Hassan respectively, described the current situation in Benue as a desecration of legislative sanctity. They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the police to order and stop them from being used to achieve political purposes. They said the situation is an act of illegality and does not conform to parliamentary procedure on impeachment. They also expressed surprise at the role of the police in the undemocratic event in which the minority is seeking to impeach a Governor against the position of the majority. We believe it is the sacred institution of the legislature that is being desecrated and rubbished in all these negative developments. The situation in Benue State House of Assembly has grave implication for the nations democracy and it represents a throw-back to the period of dictatorship in our country. It also represents how the Nigeria Police are being misused to achieve political end. In a statement recently, the Presidency derisively referred to an era in the past where a minority number of legislators was used to impeach Governors who were unfriendly with the Federal Government. What we are seeing in Benue now is a return to that inglorious era, part of the statement read. The lawmakers said the unlawful and unconstitutional move to impeach Mr Ortom by a minority should be condemned by all lovers of democracy, at home and abroad. They also called on friends of Nigeria in the international community to lend their voice in condemning the perpetration of illegalities and actions that can subvert our democracy. There is already a tense atmosphere in Benue State following the recent killings. Nobody should encourage any action or move which may exacerbate the security situation in the North-central State. As leaders of the Federal legislature, we are ready to work with our colleagues in both chambers of the National Assembly to prevent any attempt to destroy any state legislature or use it to derail democracy, they said. In his reaction, Inibehe Effiong, a lawyer, condemned the act, describing it as illegal and unconstitutional. In a telephone interview, Mr Effiong accused the federal government of conniving with the police to carry out the act. He also said the move to impeach the governor clearly is connected to Mr Ortoms decision to leave the party. Constitutional procedure is clearly enshrined in the constitution. For a governor to be impeached, such a letter has to be signed by at least one-third of the members of the house and presented by the members to the speaker and that speaker has to be one elected in line with the constitutional provisions, not an impostor, like what happened today. What they have done is an act of illegality. They dont even have the quorum or the number to impeach the governor. They dont even have a speaker properly elected. Whether they were eight or 12, it is not enough. And even if they were 12, who convened the sitting of the house? Constitutionally, only the speaker or his deputy can convene the sitting of the house. Do not forget also that there was a restraining order against the impeached speaker from parading himself as the speaker. So if the said individual is the one championing the removal of the governor, that is an act of impunity. What they have done is unconstitutional The federal government is apparently responsible in connivance with the police in staging the culture of impunity in Benue State and this may not be unconnected with the decision of the governor to leave the APC. It is clearly partisan. It is not about fighting corruption in the state. Why didnt they notice all this before now?, he said. Mr Effiong, who said he was more concerned about the constitutional argument of the matter than the partisan argument queried the impeached speaker of the house for acting against the law. He is clearly acting against the law. Even if he is still a speaker, it doesnt justify what he has done, he said. Nelson Ekujumi, a pro-democracy activist, also condemned the act. He also described the impeachment plot as mere drama. The fact that eight lawmakers out of 30 are trying to impeach the governor, is not right and it stands condemned. The process of impeachment must be followed. The principal officers have to be available and it has to be by two-third majority of the house. If that constitutional provision has not been followed, that is totally null and void and has no effect. We expect the legislature to follow the path of constitutionalism, he said. Reacting to allegations against the governor, Mr Ekujumi said there is a legal procedure for tackling offences like misappropriation of funds which must be followed. The legislature cannot be the judiciary. The only authority under the law that can convict you or find you guilty of misappropriating is the judiciary. That they (lawmakers) have made an allegation does not mean they will now sit on that allegation and confirm it. That is not justice. If he (the impeached speaker) has been impeached legally, according to the constitution and has now taken another route against the said constitution, there are procedures for disciplining such a member. It is not right that because he or she has been impeached, he now wants to take his own pound of flesh. Theres nothing stopping him from going to court to challenge his impeachment and the court will rule on it. The National Working Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dissolved the Kwara State Executive of the party loyal to Senate President Bukola Saraki. The dissolution was announced in a resolution signed by the partys National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and its National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, on Monday in Abuja after the NWC meeting. The dissolved party leadership is loyal to Mr Saraki, and the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed. Messrs Saraki and Ahmed have not formally defected from the APC, but are believed to be on their way out. Mr Saraki last week supervised the defection of 14 senators from the APC. Majority of them, including the other two senators from Kwara, joined the main opposition party, PDP. Mr Ahmed, who in 2011 took over from Mr Saraki as Kwara governor, also said last week that he could soon leave the APC. Both men are expected to join the PDP. Earlier this month, PREMIUM TIMES published how the Kwara APC leadership pledged total loyalty to Mr Saraki. In a statement by its now sacked chairman, Ishola Fulani, the Kwara APC also said it believes the bond of unity and cohesion in the APC has been weakened, damaged, fractured and severed. On Monday, the APC national leadership said a caretaker committee to be led by Bashir Bolarinwa shall be appointed to head the Kwara State executive committee of the party. It added that caretaker committees would also be constituted in the wards and local government areas of the state. The NWC at its meeting of 30th July, 2018, examined the unfolding developments within the party in Kwara State, the party stated. Specifically, the irregularities that characterised the conduct and outcome of the congresses that produced the leadership of the party at all levels. The committee also reviewed the actions of some of the leaders of the party that emerged from the above congresses who participated in an open rally calling on the Senate President to decamp to the PDP, the resolution said. Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, acknowledging cheers from party faithful during stakeholders meeting at State Banquet Hall, Ilorin. It added that after a careful and exhaustive deliberation on the issues and other developments in the partys Kwara chapter, the NWC invoked its constitutional power to dissolve all the states organs. This it added, was in pursuant to the provisions of article 13.4 (xvi) and (xvii) of the partys Constitution. According to the resolution, the appointment of Mr Bolarinwa as the chairman of the caretaker committee of the state executive committee shall take immediate effect. The Government of Nigeria has endorsed Dr. Abubakar Sadiq Hussaini as the countrys sole candidate to contest the position of Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union in August. Currently an assistant professor and chair of the Telecommunication & Wireless Technologies programme in the American University of Nigeria, Dr. Abubakar is running on an agenda to accelerate broadband availability, including the 5G technology, and expand the Global Information Society to include more African users. He is also promising to nudge the ATU into developing a programme of work for Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR). This should look at the various PDR options that might be best suited to the requirements of Africa and suggest policies (such as spectrum or joint purchasing schemes) that can best achieve Africas security needs. A diplomatic note verbale No A.90/2018, dated July 13 from Nigerias Foreign Ministry supporting Mr. Hussainis candidacy and transmitted to the ATU secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya, was received and acknowledged by the Secretary-General, Soumaila Abdoulkarim on the 17. The Foreign Ministry affirmed in the cover letter that Mr. Abubakar, who holds a PhD in Telecommunication from the University of Bradford in the UK, possesses a great wealth of experience in telecommunications which are necessary attributes to hold the prestigious office on the continental level. President of AUN, Dr. Dawn Dekle, described Dr. Abubakars chances as very bright considering his wealth of experience, passion for telecommunications scholarship and commitment to human development. Dr. ASH is the best man for the job and will proudly fly the Nigerian and AUN flags with the utmost integrity. We wish him good luck. He is coordinating faculty for the Senior Design Project, AUNs School of Information Technology & Computing most esteemed academic showpiece. The SDP is the largest component for AUNs BSc & MSc degree programs in ICT, allowing students to develop and demonstrate their ability to apply scientific and engineering principles to the solution of practical problems in engineering systems and processes. Since 2012, Dr. Abubakar has served as Head of Programmes/Director, Commonwealth ITU Group (CIG), a body consisting of senior Government officials and Regulators from member-States of the Commonwealth that are also a part of the ITU. The body meets on a regular basis to establish a standard set of objectives to be achieved at various conferences and meetings of the ITU on International Telecom Regulation, Policy and Radio Spectrum. The CIG also discusses standardization, typically addressing the concerns of Commonwealth member states in all aspects of telecommunications development and implementation. Dr. Hussaini, also served as Project development manager (PMD), 4TELL Research Group at Institute of Telecommunications (IT), Aveiro, Portugal; the Instituto de Telecomunicacoes, an organization of public interest, a partnership of four institutions with experience and traditions in research and development in the field of Telecommunications: Attained new sources of research funding; and involved in cutting edge research targeting a research program initiative on nanoelectronics aimed at enhancing the further integration and miniaturization of devices, and increasing their functionalities in emerging wireless technologies. Dr. Abubakar has authored or co-authored over 52 technical papers published in global journals and presented at numerous international conferences. His most recent publication, a chapter on Design of MMwave Antenna for 5G Applications (co-authored with Elfergani, A. Mahmoud, J. Rodriguez & R. Abd-Alhameed) appeared in Optical and Wireless Convergence for 5G Networks (John Wiley & Sons, London, 2018). Dr. Abubakar published a book entitled Antenna Fundamentals for Legacy Mobile Applications and Beyond in Springer International Publishing, Switzerland, 2017, together with I. Elfergani, J. Rodriguez, and R. Abd-Alhameed. The Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Monday described his colleague and former governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu, as a deceptive, manipulative and desperate liar. Mr Saraki verbally lashed Mr Adamu while reacting to statements allegedly made by Mr Adamu. Mr Adamu had allegedly accused the Senate President of calling a senator, Dino Melaye, a clown in a private chat with him. Mr Saraki alleged that Mr Adamu made the statement in an interview with a national newspaper. Although PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm if Mr Adamu indeed issued the statement, efforts to get Mr Adamu to deny or confirm this were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls put across to him. The Senate President who said he has, for a while, ignored the antics and insults of Mr Adamu out of respect for his age, stated that he (Mr Adamu) was nothing but a compulsive liar and an unreliable man who will do or say anything to suit his situation at any point in time. In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Mr Saraki said he could not have referred to Mr Melaye as a clown, knowing that from available records, Senator Melaye has so far outshined and has performed better than Senator Abdullahi in terms of the number of bills sponsored, motion raised and contributions to debate on the floor. Clearly, Adamus seven years cannot be compared to Senator Melayes three years. Senator Adamu is free to challenge this assertion by showing his records. I have deliberately ignored the antics of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, especially his constant media attack on me and the Senate since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dusted his file on alleged case of corruption and also went ahead to arraign his son in court. So far, I had refrained from responding in kind out of respect for his age. However, it seems he has misread my maturity and respect for docility. He feels the best way to play his self-survival game and ingratiate himself to the government in order to save his skin is for him to be seen to be fighting Saraki, even if that would require him to tell brazen lies and peddle mischief in his old age. Again, I restate that Senator Adamu is a deceptive, manipulative and desperate liar. He only says what suits him as the occasion demands. I urge people to check his contributions on the floor before the EFCC moved against him and his son and they will see that this is a latter day, selfish supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari. We know what he was saying about the President and his administration and what should happen in 2019 before then during discussions with our colleagues, particularly the former governors in the Senate. I specifically recall some statements he made on the President and his administration during an official trip we made together to Morocco in March last year. At the appropriate time, we will give more details, the statement read in part. Senator Abdullahi Adamu Mr Saraki said Mr Adamus statements should not be relied upon. He questioned why he (Mr Adamu) is just realising that the Senate has a bad leadership after three years. Well, since Senator Abdullahi Adamu became the attack dog of the executive in the Senate, using language unbecoming of a man of his age against me and other colleagues who he perceived he needs to disparage to reassure his handlers in the Presidency, I have realised that he simply deserve our sympathies. I am sure those he thinks he is working for know he is a man who is only useful for the present moment, the statement noted. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says there is no going back on delivering Kwara State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. Mr Mohammed hails from the state. The minister, in a statement he personally issued in Abuja on Monday, said that with the recent gale of defections, the APC members and supporters in Kwara were determined to strengthen the party. He said the party would open its doors to hordes of those willing to join and reposition it ahead of the 2019 general elections. The minister noted that with the defection of the APC members in the National Assembly, the wheat had been separated from the chaff. Responding to a statement made by one Jimoh Balogun at a press conference in Ilorin, the state capital, Mr Mohammed said his new leadership of APC in Kwara would not cede the state to double agents. He said the challenge by Mr Balogun to his membership of and contributions to the APC was inconsequential. The issue of my membership of the APC, as well as my contributions to the growth of the party in Kwara and indeed in Nigeria as a whole, is settled and not subject to any contestation. For those who may be engaging in mischief over this, the massive turnout of APC members and supporters to welcome me during my trip home this past weekend for a stakeholders consultative meeting should serve as ample confirmation. The truth is that those who are making this allegation are the ones who need to validate their membership of our great party since they have left no one in any doubt about their status as double agents. Alhaji Balogun is one of the three Kwara Senatorial Chairmen who recently called on their leader to take them out of the APC. As far as our members are concerned, these Janus-faced people are just waiting to crash the APC in Kwara before they escape to the other side, he said. The minister said his critics were rattled because of the decision not to allow them to actualise their nefarious plan. He reiterated Sundays resolution of APC stakeholders in the state calling for the immediate dissolution of the partys current executive committee and conduct of new congresses at all levels. The minister said the stakeholders insist on their resolution that those who got various appointments under the pretext of being APC members should resign immediately or be sacked. (NAN) A former minister of works, Tony Anenih, has said he will not be celebrating his 85th birthday with pomp as a result of the poor state of affairs of the nation. Mr Anenih, a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, said in a statement on Monday that he was putting off the celebration initially scheduled to hold on August 4. There is no doubt that attaining a milestone of 85 years on earth is a privilege enjoyed by a few; and, it is, therefore, an occasion worth celebrating with loved ones and friends, Mr Anenih said. On reflections, however, whilst I remain grateful to God for His unfailing love and sustenance that have kept me all through the years, I am, sadly, unable to fulfill this earnest desire to celebrate the milestone because of the unfortunate recent losses that befell my family in quick succession, the condition of my health and the sad state of the nation that has witnessed so much losses, bloodshed and apprehension. Nonetheless, I sincerely appreciate the effort being made by government and some influential Nigerians to restore peace. I believe that with prayers and faith in God, there is hope for restoration of peace and good neighbourliness in Nigeria soon and in the years ahead. Mr Anenih urged all well-meaning Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora to be united in purpose and join in prayers for Gods intervention in the affairs of our nation. Indeed, members of my immediate family have decided to respect my decision and they have already cancelled initial arrangements to celebrate my 85th birthday with pomp, said Mr Anenih, who is also titled as the Iyasele of Esanland. While I pray to the Almighty God to perfect my health and give me the grace to witness many more years on earth, I believe that the future holds a great promise of wonderful times to get together for birthday celebrations and other festivities. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has said he is confident President Muhammadu Buhari would win the 2019 presidential election for a second term in the office. Mr Akeredolu told the Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Atlanta, U.S. that Mr Buhari had done well and deserved to be re-elected, in spite of obvious challenges. I followed the achievements he (Buhari) has had within this four short years but hes not someone that is given to making noise. A lot has changed in our country and theres need for continuity; no doubt, we have had our challenges. No doubt, at the tail end, a number of challenges came about on security. But that notwithstanding, to get us out of recession within a short time is not a mean feat; people dont just appreciate it. To now talk about a number of other things; when you talk about light, where you have light, is anybody talking about it? To talk about what we have been able to save in terms of cutting corruption, so many lives are affected by that. So, I believe that within this short four years, President Buhari has done a lot, the governor told NAN. He urged Nigerians to re-elect the president for another term to stabilise the economy and block leakages. According to him, re-electing another person might lead to the reversal of what the president has done in the last three years. He said: Let him (Buhari) continue and probably stabilise the economy more, and at least, block a few areas of leakages when it comes to corruption in this country. Let him block it totally and make sure that we are on a sound footing to now move. Somebody else can come but its not like now. So for us, who are supporting him, we believe that in the interest of stability, continuity and for the progress of the nation, we need President Buhari to have another four years and then we can move ahead. On the implications of the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) leading to the gale of defections by some National Assembly members and Benue Governor Samuel Ortom, Mr Akeredolu said there was no cause for alarm. According to him, the defections were not because the politicians had any problem with Mr Buhari but due to problems related to states. President Buhari will win the election, let us leave what is happening here and there; he has captured it very well. Look at the issue of the gale of defection that people are doing, he said most of them are not because of him, which is true. We have states in which people have created problems and these problems now cascaded into the national level. So, in that circumstance at the end of the day, when elections are held, President Buhari will win. I am sure by the grace of God, we will win the election. The only thing is that I dont know about senators, I cant talk about governors or some of the elections in the states. But if its the election for the president, President Muhammadu Buhari, by the grace of God, will win. His chances are very bright, Mr Akeredolu said. (NAN) Three Nigeria students have won gold for proper documentation of processes on engineering note at the 2018 World Adolescent Robotic Competition in China. The students Tawakalitu Giwa, Oluwaseun Omotayo and Ayomide Adetunji also won the Rajaa Cherkaoui El Moursli Award for Courageous Achievement at the event organised by the China Association of Science and Technology. The National Coordinator of the competition, Remi Willoughby, announced the victory in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday Mr Willoughby said that the students returned to Nigeria on Friday after the five-day event which ended last Tuesday in China. The competitions challenge was on Water Problem. NAN reports that the students two females and a male from Lagos State schools were part of the Team Nigeria to the FIRST Global Robotic Olympics (GRO) in Washington DC in 2017. They were selected for the China competition based on their performances at the FIRST GRO. The team was sponsored by Aramex and Doculand Nig. Mr Willoughby told NAN that proper documentation of processes on engineering note was one of the 10 award categories in the competition. Rajaa Cherkaoui El Moursli Award for Courageous Achievement is awarded to the team that exhibits a `can-do attitude throughout the challenge even under difficult circumstances, or when things do not go as planned. It is bestowed on the team that can best demonstrate resilience and perseverance in the face of great difficulty. This award looks at how teams embody professionalism, face challenges they encounter and how they overcome them, she said. Willoughby also told NAN that three other student who represented Nigeria at the 2018 Pan African Robotic Competition in Senegal emerged second in robotics performance. The Managing Director of Aramex and Doculand Nig., Faisal Jarmakani, had at a press conference in Lagos announced that five other students would represent Nigeria at the next edition of the annual FIRST GRO scheduled for Mexico from August 13 to August 19. He listed the students as Anjolaoluwa Olowo, Iroagachinachi Udodirim, Samuel Mbah, Tochukwu Anyigbo and Daberechi Onyeacholem. The 2018 challenge in Mexico will be on Energy Impact. Competitors will be expected to solve problems related to energy with the use of robotics, he said. The managing director said that all the students were building the foundation blocks for a technology-advanced Nigeria. Without any doubts, we will soon join other countries of the world where science and technology have become the backbone of economic development. (NAN) Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the political development in Benue State where lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress launched a bid to impeach Governor Samuel Ortom. The lawmakers, not more than 10 of the 30-member Assembly were provided cover by the Nigeria Police Force to meet at the states parliament building on Monday morning. The majority lawmakers, who are of the Peoples Democratic Party, were blocked from accessing the complex. The APC lawmakers later served impeachment notice on Governor Ortom after accusing him of corruption. Reacting to the development in a statement in Abuja on Monday, the former Vice President said he was greatly embarrassed by the unfolding political drama in Benue State. He condemned the aberration and arbitrariness in the plot to oust Mr Ortom contrary to the provisions of the countrys constitution. According to him, any attempt to disregard the rule of law and constitution in the impeachment of a governor is a recipe for anarchy and officially sanctioned lawlessness. Atiku regretted that for a state facing security challenges like Benue, the introduction of lawlessness in the impeachment process could only complicate an already bad situation. He urged the police to remain politically neutral and avoid aiding lawlessness, adding that partisanship could destroy professionalism and image of the police. He argued that the loyalty of the police should be to the constitution and the rule of law. The former Vice President noted that whatever might be the short term political benefits of lawlessness, the long term dangers are by far greater than those perceived benefits. He warned that if unchecked, the political situation in Benue State could lead to a domino effect across the country, thereby jeopardizing our democracy and endangering innocent lives and property of lawful citizens. Even the faith that is supposed to unify the country is subject to many regional and sectarian variations. The reflection is not on the NRC as such, but on the bigotry of the multitude that has received explicit and implicit encouragement since 2014. No one can really fault the concept of a National Register of Citizens. Its the use to which the document, officially released by the Assam government on July 30, may be put that causes concern. The reflection is not on the NRC as such, but on the bigotry of the multitude that has received explicit and implicit encouragement since 2014. That bigotry can exploit the NRC to cause strife between Indian states, sow fear and suspicion among the peoples of different race and religion, and poison Indias relations with its neighbours. There is no dearth of politicians like Karnatakas Basangouda Patil Yatnal, a former junior minister under Atal Behari Vajpayee, or Hari Om Pandey in Uttar Pradesh to muddy the political waters with dangerously reckless statements. Like Mahesh Sharma, Prime Minister Narendra Modis culture minister, and the shaven-headed saffron-draped Surendra Singh, they can be expected to grasp every demographic differentiation to push their majoritarian case. What they dont realise is that despite the appearances, India is a land of minorities that must pull together if economic growth is not to be sacrificed at the altar of communal discord. Even the faith that is supposed to unify the country is subject to many regional and sectarian variations. Assam reflects this diversity in microcosm. But for the special political meaning of minority, the United Minorities Front, set up in 1985 in response to the All-Assam Students Union and All-Assam Gana Sangram Parishad agitation, might logically have claimed to speak for the entire state. Even people with names like Mahanta, which one thinks of as dyed-in-the-wool Assamese, fall in that category. We are brahmins from Kanauj! a Mahanta once boasted, harking back to the early 16th century. As chief minister, the late Hiteswar Saikia (commander of a hundred, just as Hazarika commands a thousand) imported a Laotian scholar to teach his fellow Ahoms their forgotten ancestral Tai language. Rome conquered Greece, Greece conquered Rome, the erudite chief secretary explained at the time, meaning Ahoms had been completely assimilated in exile. Almost everyone being an immigrant, swarms of Marwaris also arouse no resentment. If Assam were to be ethnically cleansed, some Assamese would have to be dispatched to China, others to Myanmar. Todays problem is with those who might be of Bangladeshi origin. The campaign against them that some Guwahati University students forged in 1979 was rooted in the old Banga kheda movement of British times. It led to Rajiv Gandhis Assam Accord of August 1985, prompted the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, and set the midnight of March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date for detecting and deporting illegals. The Centre accepted an Assam Assembly resolution to revise the 1951 NRC in the context of the 1971 electoral rolls. Its an entirely different Assam now. The passions of the past are spent. Dads from Sylhet and Mums from Goalpara, a smart young police officer once told me in Guwahati, adding: My wife is from Bihar. Fluent in English, my taxi driver in Imphal was also nonchalantly cosmopolitan. His father was Bangladeshi, his mother a Naga, and he worked in Manipur. The landscape, too, has changed. In 1951 Assams eight districts embraced Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Todays truncated Assam has 33 districts. I am told 95 per cent of the population or 30 million people belonging to 6.5 million families used the legacy data (the information in the 1951 NRC and the electoral rolls up to the midnight of March 24, 1971) stored in 5,000 laptops to apply for NRC inclusion. The close of this exercise to update and authenticate the citizens list means that those who cannot prove that they or their ancestors entered the country before midnight on March 24, 1971 will be deemed to be illegal immigrants. Since the mapping has reportedly produced a booklet for each of Assams 27,000 villages and a page for each family, we probably wont hear of the old zoolum when policemen picked up illiterate peasants and demanded proof of citizenship. Nevertheless, worried neighbouring states must be assured they will not have to cope with an influx of evicted foreigners from Assam. Some states like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and most of Nagaland can claim the protection of the Inner Line Permit system dating back to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations of 1873. Metei nationalists in Manipur, which recently passed a contentious inner line permit bill of its own, demand similar protection. Meghalaya shares a border of nearly 900 km with Assam, and could be a convenient refuge for individuals with nowhere else to go. Nagaland, which has deployed forces along the 434-km border it shares with Assam, is considering its own updated version of the NRC. Tripura alone seems unfazed, possibly because indigenous tribals were long ago reduced to a minority by Hindu refugees from Comilla district in Bangladesh. Assam started updating the NRC in 2015. The first draft released on New Years Day this year claimed that 1.9 crore of the 3.29 crore people who had applied for listing had been accepted as citizens. That would suggest that 1.39 crores are still in limbo. If not included in the final NRC, they will have a months grace period to file claims and objections, besides the option to seek subsequent judicial remedy. Hence the surrounding nervousness. Gen. Zia-ur Rahman, the former Bangladeshi military dictator, once flew into a rage when I mentioned infiltrators, maintaining that Bangladeshis enjoyed a high living standard at home and had no reason to migrate. He was concerned only because instability in the neighbourhood could impact on his own country. No doubt Bangladeshs current ruler, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, would similarly resist any deportations from India. Its a situation that calls for tact and finesse. Hundreds of commercial tricycle riders in Borno state have barricaded all major routes and highways of Maiduguri, as they protest alleged ill treatment by the police in the state. Though it is not clear what actually triggered off the protest, some of the commercial tricyclists under the aegis of All Commercial Motorcycle Riders Association of Nigeria are accusing the police of alleged extortion. Their action has since caused massive gridlock in most part of the city. Army officers have also been mobilised to the streets to chase the commercial tricycle riders from the major junction. At the Lagos street, soldiers were seen mounting watch on the major junction there while ordering every commercial tricycle to continue driving on. But one of the protesting Keke-NAPEP members at the Motor Traffic Division of Dandal police station, Bala Isa, said they would not leave even if soldiers asked them to. The police have been harassing us too much of late, said Mr. Isa. Dandal Police station is even one of the most notorious police stations where our members are frequently maltreated and extorted over flimsy offences. At some point, the policemen on guard in front of the police station fired tear gas canisters at the protesting Keke-NAPEP riders. Efforts to get the ACOMORAN leader for comment proved abortive. The police too have not issued a statement on the development. Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has described the change in leadership in the State House of Assembly as another process for strengthening internal democracy. The leadership change shows how Kano as a state is serious about internal democracy, he said. PREMIUM TIMES reported the removal of Abdullahi Ata by his colleagues in the assembly. The lawmakers also re-elected Kabiru Rurum, the immediate-past speaker of the house who was impeached over allegations of corruption. The change in leadership is believed to be related to the feud between Mr Ganduje and his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso; and to ensure a core loyalist of Mr Ganduje holds the position of speaker. Mr Kwankwaso has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party and intends to fly the partys presidential flag. Speaking on the leadership change, Mr Ganduje said, Being an issue of internal democracy, that was why it took place smoothly without any fracas on the floor of the House. It is indeed a smooth change. As a veteran with legislative issues, I know this will further strengthen our internal democracy. Mr Ganduje spoke on Monday when the newly elected speaker paid him homage at Kano State Government House. He also advised the new leadership to carry all along in the discharge of its duties. I am advising you that there should be no faction in the House. Mr Speaker and other principal officers, you are aware how carrying all along can boost our great party. We will work together for the development of the state. We will also work together as partners in progress, he stated. Mr Ganduje said he appreciates the new speakers statement that he would always support the governor and President Muhammadu Buharis re-election bid. I am happy that you are solidly behind our great party, the state government, behind me, behind President Muhammadu Buhari, behind the national leadership of our great party and also behind our re-election bid. In his remarks, the new speaker, Kabiru Rurum, said that, We are here Your Excellency, to pay homage to you. We are solidly behind you and all government activities. We are loyal card carrying members of our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC). We have been with you for many years, long before now. We were with you even before you were elected as the governor of Kano State. In fact we were in the forefront when we fought for your nomination to become the gubernatorial flag bearer. We also contributed immensely to win the election. Nobody can use us against you sir. No shaking! Our loyalty is undivided and is built on very strong foundation. We are also assuring you that, no member of our party, the APC will move to any other party. We shall remain in the party. And even those who decamped to PDP, we will bring back some of them into our fold, he said. Mr. Rurum assured that he and other lawmakers were solidly behind the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari and that of Mr Ganduje in next years general election. We shall always remain committed in supporting the policies of government. And we will not relent in supporting you sir. What we did today on the floor of the House, that brought me to the seat of the Speaker, we did everything in the presence of the state party chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas. So the process was very transparent, he said. The police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have arrested 35 suspects in connection with kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and cell phone theft in the territory. The suspects are Henry Ikoro, 29: Joseph Raphael, 29: Friday Moses, 24: Isreal Akpan, 31: Godwin Onah, 27: Ezugwu Valentine, 24: Osita Ajibo, 25: Gambo Nana, 18: John Yusuf, 18: Kelvin James, 18: among others. The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Bala Ciroma, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Monday in Abuja. Mr Ciroma said items recovered from them included five vehicles, four firearms, one toy gun, three master keys, one cutlass, one knife, four cell phones and one camera. The commissioner said all the suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigation. He called for the support of residents of the territory, adding that the call became pertinent because the task of crime fighting required the involvement of all. Mr Ciroma noted that the fight against crime was not the sole responsibility of the police and other security agencies, stressing that residents must support the police with information if the desired result must be achieved. I wish to assure FCT residents that every piece of information shared with us will be treated with confidentiality. He said as part of the renewed effort of the command in fighting crime, it had chosen to be proactive through aggressive information gathering and sustained raid on black spot. We are also making efforts to visit communities, interact with the residents and their leaders to understand their security challenges, he said. The commissioner said the command would intensify the use of scientific approach that had been in operation in the command. (NAN) The Kaduna State All Progressive Congress has said that it will not be distracted by the recent comments made by the senator representing Kaduna North, Suleiman Hunkuyi, that he is back to the Peoples Democratic Party to help the party regain power in 2019. Mr Hunkuyi is among 14 senators who decamped to other parties on July 19. The senator, while on a visit to the PDP secretariat in Kaduna on July 27, said he decided to join the party in line with the agreement between the R-APC and the opposition party. We came to tell you that we have formally left the APC and we shall not turn back again. We have moved to the PDP with all our structures to join hands to take back power in Kaduna State from the APC, Mr Hunkuyi reportedly said. Meanwhile, in a statement on Monday signed by Salisu Wusono, its assistant publicity secretary, the APC said the senator was only boasting as he has no relevance in the state anymore. Hunkuyi boasted in 2003 that he will defeat the incumbent governor. He failed, only to hurry back to the PDP as soon as he was defeated to the surprise of the APP that had given him its governorship ticket, it said. Mr Wusono said after his tenure as a local government chairman, Mr Hunkuyi failed in every election until the APC gave him its ticket to contest the senatorial election in 2015. Mr Hunkuyi was formerly a close ally of Governor Nasir El-Rufai before a conflict ensued between them. Their altercation led to the Kaduna State building planning agency, KASUPDA demolishing his (Hunkuyi) property after alleging the senator did not pay his ground rent. The state government has started building a children playground on the land. According to Mr Wusono, Mr Hunkuyi is desperate to prove to his new masters that he still has some political utility. But he needs to understand that it is Almighty God and the citizenry, that made President Buhari and Governor El-Rufai victorious, and he rode on their backs to win a Senate seat, something that had eluded him for over a decade because of peoples dislike of his political baggage and ego. We wish to counsel Hunkuyi to reflect on why he fell out with former Governor Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, former Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo and a host of other politicians in the PDP. He has a constant political trade mark of ingratitude and betrayal, traits that robbed him of any standing in the eyes of the public. He has shamelessly returned to the party from which he has decamped on a few occasions. The people of Kaduna State have documented his mischievous and unprincipled politics. They are poised to retire him from politics. PREMIUM TIMES sought to get Mr Hunkuyis reaction but several calls put through to his number did not connect. But a close ally of Mr Hunkuyi, Mohammed Umaru, said the state APC is working on a script by the state governor. I want you to know that the state APC is just playing on the state governors script. Hunkuyi is not scared, but as you can see they are already jittery. Hunkuyi and his supporters have since moved on and I tell you today, they will see what it means not to have a Hunkuyi in their camp after 2019, Mr Umar said. A youth group in Nigerias Niger Delta region has accused the countrys secret police of arbitrary arrest and detention of several youth from the area. The group, the Ijaw Youth Council, said this on Sunday following the arraignment of a journalist from the area who had been held for more than two years by the State Security Service, SSS. The 50-year-old journalist, Jones Abiri, accused of militancy, was kept incommunicado in a secret detention by the SSS since 2016. Rights activists and journalism groups had condemned his detention. The IYC wishes to alert the world that apart from Mr. Jones Abiri, there are several other Niger Delta youths who were arrested in connection with the Niger Delta Avengers inspired hostilities in the Niger Delta region and who are in the detention of the DSS without charging them to court, Eric Omare, a factional leader of the youth group said in a statement. At the time of issuing this statement, Niger Delta youths such as Mr. Alex Odogu (Spokesman, IYC, Abuja Chapter), Mr. Census Oluba, Mr. Germachy Oboko, John Fortune, Michael John, Gabriel Ogbu, Justice Golubus, Joshua Golubus, Felix Mieminye and several others are still in detention. In some of the cases like that of Mr. Census Oluba, courts of competent jurisdictions both in Delta State and Abuja have ordered for his release but the DSS refused to obey the orders of court, Mr Omare said in the statement. Mr Omare told PREMIUM TIMES, Monday, that he could not tell the exact number of the youths that are in the SSS detention. From the account of one of the boys released about two months ago, there are several others who are still in detention, he said. The group demanded that the detained youths be released immediately or charged to court if the Nigerian government has any case against them. The SSS has been operating without a spokesperson for several months now. The Bayelsa State Government has received N10.8 billion as allocation from the Federation Account for the month of July, 2018. The Commissioner for Finance, Maxwell Ebibai, said in a statement on Monday that the state earlier received N12.7 billion for June. He said the receipts from the federation for June showed a shortfall of about N2 billion from that of July. Mr Ebibai said the state government would give priority to the payment of workers salaries in consonance with the emphasis placed on workers by the Restoration Administration. He stated also that while ongoing capital projects would also attract priority attention, other state expenses would be treated on their scale of importance. The commissioner explained that the government had to brief the citizens of the state on receipts from the Federation Account, in line with the transparency policy of the state administration. He recalled that the state government had to generate funds from alternative sources to pay June salaries and other duties, as a result of the delay in the meeting of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee. Mr Ebibai said: Last month, the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee meeting was delayed. But, the state government generated funds to pay workers salaries and other responsibilities of the government, through alternative sources of revenue. That was an expression of commitment. The state got N12.7 billion for the month June and N10.8 billion for July. The June receipts indicated shortfall of about N2 billion in federal receipts for the month of July. In line with our covenant with workers, their salaries would be on first line charge. Our capital projects would also get attention. Other expenses will be treated on a case by case basis. Mr Ebibai said that the shortfall in federal receipts had brought to the fore the fragile state of the economy, in spite of the massive drive to boost the internally generated revenue in the state. He called for further commitment and efforts from stakeholders to give the deserved attention to the creation of a sustainable financial base, which is not overdependent on the allocations from the Federation Account and to manage the cost of doing business in the state. The commissioner called on the Bayelsa citizenry to ensure prompt payment of their taxes, in the interest of the development of the state. Since April, three Nigerian universities have been in the spotlight, after their lecturers got involved sexual harassment scandals. These scandals followed actions of female students who opened up on abusive conducts of lecturers towards them in the three universities; namely Obafemi Awolowo Universities, Ile-Ife; University of Lagos, Akoka; and Lagos State University, Ojo. While OAU, the first hit, dismissed its lecturer involved in the scandal, the other two, LASU and UNILAG, have said they are still proceeding with investigations. The Scandals OAU made headlines at the beginning of April when a lady, later known to be Monica Osagie, leaked a phone recording, which showed a professor, Richard Akindele, seeking sex five times from her for a pass in an examination. The student repeatedly addressed the other person in the conversation as Prof. Akindele, who, later, protested: stop calling my name!. Later, the lecturer said he demanded five rounds of sex in one date as a deliberate attempt to discourage the student and at the same time invite her to his office to obtain evidence. The following month in May, Joy Nwanna, a student of the University of Lagos also accused Olusegun Awonusi, a professor of English and former Vice Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education, of habitual sexual harassment. The student who released semi-nude photos of the lecturer through Linda Ikejis blog said the lecturer was used to molesting students and that she was reaching out to the public to curb his excesses. Also, reacting to the allegation levied against him, Mr Awonusi, the lecturer at the centre of the sex scandal in UNILAG, in an interview with New Telegraph, said he was blackmailed, insisting that he did not sexually harass any female student. It is blackmail. The said pictures were taken about four years ago. But sometimes ago, I received a message from a particular lady, saying she was in possession of my unclad photos and that I should pay her N400,000. The lady said if I did not pay the money, she would go public with the photos. I think this is what she had promised. Then, this month, Sunkanmi Odubunmi of the Department of Economics at the Lagos State University was also caught in sexual harassment scandal. He was said to have invited a yet-to-be-identified female student to his office to rewrite the paper she failed. The victim was said to have involved an NGO to help track the lecturer before proceeding to his office. A surveillance gadget was reportedly placed on the student while the NGO stationed the laptops connected to the spy cameras on her to monitor what would happen between the lecturer and the student. Unfortunately for Mr. Odubunmi, he reportedly fell for the trap as he was reported to have removed his shirt and started cuddling the student from behind after giving her papers to rewrite the exam he invited her for. University of Lagos (UNILAG). Reports have it that while trying to resist his sexual advance, the lecturer found out that the lady was with a spy eyeglass which he allegedly seized and destroyed immediately. He was thereafter arrested by the university security officials and the NGO representatives. Efforts to get the reaction of Mr. Odunbunmi were unsuccessful as his mobile number was switched off. He could not also respond to text messages sent to him on the allegations. REACTIONS Immediately the news about the first scandal broke out, OAU got ensnared in public attention, with condemnations and demands that the school should act to safeguard its institutional integrity. Every Nigerian adult, who is not a liar, who schooled in Nigeria, knows a Nigerian girl that was hassled for sex over marks/not failing a course in Nigerian public universities, commented Japhet Omojuwa, one of the social media users demanding authorities act to deter others. A Twitter user then suggested an independent ombudsman deal with issues of sexual abuses in Nigerian schools. If reliance is placed on universities to get rid of sexual harassment, nothing will ever happen. There needs to be an ombudsman for the tertiary education sector with people from private sector sitting on sexual complaints committees, the user tweeted via @Mofe_To. Commenting, Remi Sonaiya, OAU retired professor and former presidential aspirant, said: Terrible! Unfortunately, many universities dont have strong deterrence or punishment for abusers. Students should be encouraged to speak out when such things happen. There must be at least someone in the institution who can be trusted and confided in. Justice must be done. The good thing about such cases becoming public is that it will force the institutions to address them more seriously if only to protect their name. Sadly, our universities have not dealt seriously with the issue of sexual harassment. Actions By Authorities Following the scandal and the reactions, OAU acted decisively to raise public trust. Many Nigerians monitored on social media believe predatory lecturers, even when exposed, are left unpunished, thereby increasing the rate at which lecturers sexually abuse female students. However, OAU set up a committee and mandated it to submit its report within a week. It also issued a query to Mr. Akindele. Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) On June 20, the university announced the dismissal of Mr. Akindele after he was found guilty of misconduct. He had earlier been placed on an indefinite suspension immediately the panel was set up. The Council, at its meeting of today, Wednesday, 20th of June, 2018, having considered the recommendation of Senate, as well as the report of the Joint Committee of Council and Senate, decided that Professor Richard I. Akindele should be dismissed from the services of the University for gross misconduct, the Vice Chancellor, Eyitope Ogunbodede, said. Like OAU, the other two schools, UNILAG and LASU, have also set up panels to look into allegations against their lecturers. On July 12, LASU issued a query to the accused lecturer and the case is already before a Joint Action Disciplinary Committee. Adekoya Martins, the universitys spokesperson said the management of the institution had zero tolerance to such act. The LASU Registrar, Olayinka Amuni, had said the sanction for such act once established would be dismissal. Also, UNILAG called for submission of memoranda to its probe panel. Its management appealed to Linda Ikeji to assist in convincing Nwanna Joy, the lady in question, to defend her sexual harassment claim. The institutions vice-chancellor also said UNILAG may involve the police to invite her. Residents of Ile Ife, Osun State, on Sunday counted their losses after a downpour wreaked havoc in the ancient city. Many were also reportedly injured while trying to save their properties from destruction. Houses in Parakin, Mayfair, Damico, Asherifa and Ede road amongst other areas were submerged and properties destroyed at the areas affected by the rain. PREMIUM TIMES correspondent who visited the communities after the rain observed that most residents were hurriedly trying to salvage their property after the downpour, which lasted for barely four hours. A victim of the rainfall, Alabi Oyayinka, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES told our correspondent that all his property were detroyed before his arrival from Church. It saddens my heart to get home to realised that I cannot have access to my storey building apartment where I stayed at the ground floor. The flood took away every of my belongings and further made me homeless, he narrated bitterly. While narrating her ordeal at Parakin, Esther Aiyeomoni, a student of Obafemi Awolowo University said: the rainfall finished my properties including my phone which already makes it difficult to reach my parents and inform them about my plight. I have test tomorrow but I cant even think straight, she said. I ran out of the room with my shorts when I realised the water was already entering with full force. I need people to help me. At Ede road, where the flood also wreaked havoc, Summonu Aisha said the flood was caused by refuse clogging the gutters in her residence. The rain has done lots of damage. One of our neighbors fell and got his hand damaged while he was trying to save his property. He is presently at Seventh Day Adventist Hospital. The refuse in the gutter led us to this. It was not as bad as this last year. I rented the apartment for the sum of N200, 000 after the hike in rent recently, I never knew I would find myself in this mess. Nothing is as disastrous as this. I have no home, nothing to point to as my property. The flood filled my house to the window level. I was rescued by a male occupant who was available when the rain started, a student, who simply identified herself as Bisi said. Another student, Adebisi Elizabeth, told PREMIUM TIMES about her homeless state. Look at me now, I dont have anywhere to stay and all my belongings as a student have been flooded away because when the erosion started, I had to run for my dear life. A flooded room A resident, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES hinted at the intervention of some government officials, though unsure of the agencies they represent. Oluwaseun Farombi , who resides along Ede road, explained that a fire service vehicle was spotted draining the flooded parts of the roads. We saw the fire service vehicle along Mayfair draining the water, Mr Farombi said. Another resident from the Ibadan Road area, Akeem Ishola, explained that the disaster almost claimed his life. The erosion that nearly caused my life is because almost all the motorable roads here in do not have drainage that even for a small rain people will be having difficulty in getting to their various place of resident, he said Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigerian University and Administrative and Technical Staff Union.(NUATSU), OAU branch, Wole Odewumi, charged the monarchs of the two communities affected to provide measures to prevent future occurrences. One of the flooded compounds One of the flooded compounds The Ooni of Ile-Ife and the Oba of Modakeke should look for a way to solve this problem and prevent it from reoccurring, he said. He also warned the management of OAU, whose students were affected the most, to have a meeting with the landlords of the houses to reach a consensus on the accommodation services rendered. He added that most houses were built beside waterlogged areas and without a drainage system. You will get to some of these houses, where students stay and discover that those houses are not fit for animals not to talk of humans. A landlord at Asherifa part of the community, Musibau Adedokun, told our correspondent that a meeting to discuss the best way to prevent the bitter experience they had on Sunday had been called. Some of us we have to vacate our homes perhaps to churches and mosques to spend the night. Many have been psychological traumatised. An emergency landlord association meeting has been summoned to discuss a way out of this lost, he said. Meanwhile, the Osun State Commissioner for Information, Adelani Baderinwa, has blamed the federal government over the flood disasters. Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Baderinwa highlighted that the affected roads are federal governments responsibilities and not the states. Its the federal road; and the facilities by which water could pass are too inadequate and thats the cause of the flood, he said. He said officers of the Osun State Emergency Management Agency (OSEMA) have been deployed to the affected parts. We have dredged the river belt as usual and thats the only reason why weve not had flood cases in recent times. But this one is peculiar is because its around where we have a federal highway. Mr Baderinwa noted that the only lasting solution to stop subsequent flooding in the areas is through the intervention of the federal government. We can only manage the situation; but a lasting solution is until the federal government will be contacted to come and do the places affected because the only solution is to have the reconstruction of those bridges and more bridges. Trump wants Congress to pass legislation that addresses immigration issues, including border wall, changing way visas are allotted. US President Donald Trump has used the threat of a government shutdown several times since taking office in 2017 in a bid to get his priorities in congressional spending bills, especially funding for a wall along the southern US border. (Photo: AP) Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would allow the federal government to shut down if Democrats refuse to back his demand for a wall at the Mexican border and other major changes to immigration laws his administration wants. I would be willing to shut down government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 The Republican president has used the threat of a government shutdown several times since taking office in 2017 in a bid to get his priorities in congressional spending bills, especially funding for a wall along the southern US border. A disruption in federal government operations in the months before November congressional elections could backfire on Trump if voters blame Republicans, who control Congress, for the interruption in services. Trump wants Congress to pass legislation that addresses immigration issues, including the border wall, changing the way visas are allotted and other immigration restrictions. Although Republicans control Congress, disagreements between moderates and conservatives in the party have impeded a speedy legislative fix. Standoffs over spending levels and immigration led to a three-day government shutdown, mostly over a weekend, in January and an hours-long shutdown in February. The Republican president has made tougher immigration laws a centerpiece of his administration, from the first ill-fated travel ban on people from predominantly Muslim nations to the current battle raging over the separation of illegal immigrant children from their parents at the US-Mexico border. A federal judge on Friday urged the US government to focus on finding deported immigrant parents so it could reunite them with their children who remain in the United States. Trump has requested USD 25 billion to build the border wall and USD 1.6 billion has already appropriated for the project. US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said lawmakers were considering an appropriations measure seeking an additional USD 5 billion for the wall. However, its passage in the US Senate, where Republicans have a slim majority, is a long shot. Lawmakers met with Trump last week to discuss the appropriations process to fund the government by the September deadline. We really just want to get the military funded, on time, on budget on schedule this year. And thats the primary concern, Ryan said Wednesday on Fox News. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. Physicians Care has hired a new physician assistant to the East Ridge healthcare team. William Rawson, PA-C, graduated magna cum laude from Kettering College of Medical Arts in Ohio after an intensive nursing program with full-time clinical rotations. He joins the Physicians Care - East Ridge team after most recently serving at East Tennessee Medical Group. Prior to that position, he was a physician assistant and associate director at University Health Center at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, where he treated a variety of urgent and primary care conditions with students, as well as assisted with Occupational Health for staff. Mr. Rawson has also worked in family practices, walk-in clinics and emergency rooms. We are excited to have William join our team, said Ellis Harris, DVP, East Division, Physicians Care. His vast nursing and patient care experience, particularly in emergency and urgent care settings, will be a wonderful addition. Physicians Care - East Ridge is located at 403 McBrien Road, near East Ridge Theater. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. New patients can register online. No appointment is necessary and most insurances are accepted. Imran Khan's PTI emerged as single largest party in National Assembly after elections, but is short of numbers to form govt on its own. Khan's party on Sunday announced that it is trying to reach out to smaller parties and independents to form the next government. (Photo: File) Peshawar: Imran Khan on Monday said that he will take oath as Pakistan's Prime Minister on August 11, according to a media report. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), led by 65-year-old Khan, has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly (NA) after the July 25 elections, but it is still short of numbers to form the government on its own. His party on Sunday announced that it is trying to reach out to smaller parties and independents to form the next government. Will take oath as Prime Minister on 11th of next month (August), Khan was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan. "I have also decided about chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which I will announce in the next 48 hours. Whatever I have decided in this regard is in the best interest of people," he said while addressing PTI members of the provincial assembly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He said that alleviation of poverty from interior Sindh will be among top priorities of his government. Earlier, PTI spokesman Naeemul Haque on Saturday told reporters that party chief Khan will take oath as the Prime Minister before August 14. He said that he hoped the president would call an assembly session and Khan would take oath as premier before Independence Day. Read: Imran Khan to be sworn in as Pakistan's new PM before August 14: Party Although the PTI has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the polls, the final results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) show that the party is still short of numbers to form its government independently. According to the results, the PTI has bagged 116 general seats 22 short of a simple majority whereas the PML-N and PPP have won 64 and 43 seats, respectively. The PTI is short of the 137 needed for a simple majority and is trying to woo independents to join the party. To meet the required number of votes, the PTI leadership has reportedly been approaching the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), PML-Quaid (PML-Q), and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), as well as independents. Meanwhile, two major parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party have agreed on the formulation of a "coordinated joint strategy" if the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf manages to form its government at the centre. DUBLIN, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Plastics beyond Petroleum: Biosourced/Greenhouse Gases/Recycled Raw Materials; the New Crude Oil" conference has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. A spirit of innovation in the field of chemicals/polymers is brewing; a phenomenon we have not seen in the chemical industry since the 1960's. Driven by consumer awareness, Brand-Owners are pushing the manufacturers to respond with technology that takes Sustainability & Environmental impact to new heights. Use of Renewable/Bio-Sourced raw-materials (vs petroleum) addresses Sustainability/Global Warming; invention of New Plastics from Newer Building Blocks being an added benefit while maintaining the production of traditional polymers & plastics Use of Polymer & Plastic Waste (vs petroleum) addresses Sustainability/Global Warming Conversion of GreenHouse Gases (CO2/CH4) into building blocks for polymers has a Compounded Impact on Sustainability/Global Warming Agenda June 25: Tuesday 8:30-11:30AM Pre-Conference Course Overview of Bio-Sourced & Recycled Plastics: Orientation 101 June 25: Tuesday 1:00-5:30PM Bio-PolyEsters: Today & Tomorrow June 25: Tuesday 5:30-7:30PM Cocktail Reception & Networking June 26: Wednesday 8:30-5:30PM Breadth of Bio-Sourced Plastic Products June 26: Wednesday 6:00-10:00PM Networking Dinner by New York City Waters & Skyline June 27: Thursday 8:30-5:30PM Recycled Plastics: Value-Creation Opportunities & Challenges Speaker Yash P. Khanna CEO InnoPlast Solutions Dr. Yash P. Khanna, recipient of two international awards in the areas of Plastics and Analytical Sciences, has over 40 years of highly diversified industrial experience. His career is credited with over 120 research publications, 25 U.S. patents, Society of Plastics Engineer's International Engineering/Technology Award (2001) and North American Thermal Analysis Society's Fellowship (1988) and its highest honor, the International Mettler Award (1997). A highpoint of Dr. Khanna's career has been to identify several new phenomena in common polymers, already in existence for 40-60 years. His industrial affiliations include Chief Technology Officer at Applied Minerals (2013-2015), Senior Technology Fellow / Director of Technology at Imerys (2005-2009), a $5B minerals company and Manager of Reinforced Engineering Thermoplastics Program at Rayonier (2001-2004), a $3B forest products company. The great majority of his career was at Honeywell (1975-2001) formerly AlliedSignal, a $40B conglomerate company at its Corporate Research & Technology Center as a Research Group Leader / Senior Principal Scientist. During 1990-2001, he also held positions as Business Unit Liaison to Specialty Films and key technologist for Packaging Resins, where scientific fundamentals formed the basis of new product / process development as well as technology marketing in North America and Europe. These significant business contributions were recognized through 5 Special Recognition awards and 3 business awards (Growth, Sale of the Year, and Save of the Year). Now at InnoPlast Solutions, Dr. Khanna's technology driven business experience is playing a key role in offering Value-Driven conferences and courses. For more information about this conference visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/stq6fd/3_day_conference?w=5 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com BOSTON, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Analysis Group, one of the largest economics consulting firms, assisted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in its successful effort to block Wilhelmsen Maritime Services AS's proposed $400 million acquisition of Drew Marine Group Inc. In February, the FTC sought a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction in federal court to block the deal from closing while the agency conducted an administrative trial to determine its legality. The FTC contended that the acquisition would diminish competition with the combined entity commanding 85% of the market share for marine water treatment chemicals and effectively create the only truly global supplier of these products. On July 21, following a three-week bench trial (FTC v. Wilhelm Wilhelmsen, et al.), US District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan issued a sealed opinion granting the FTC's motion for an injunction. Analysis Group Managing Principal Dov Rothman testified that the cost efficiencies projected by Wilhelmsen could not be verified, and that many of the projected cost efficiencies would not be merger-specific. Dr. Rothman also addressed the extent to which any verifiable and merger-specific cost efficiencies would have affected the merged firm's pricing incentives. Following the decision, Wilhelmsen Maritime announced that it will abandon the transaction and pay a termination fee of $20 million to Drew Marine. Supporting Dr. Rothman were a team of economists from Analysis Group, led by Managing Principal Aaron Yeater, with Associates Philipp Tillman and Alex Robinson. To learn more about Analysis Group's capabilities, visit www.analysisgroup.com About Analysis Group Analysis Group is one of the largest economics consulting firms, with more than 850 professionals across 14 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. Since 1981, we have provided expertise in economics, finance, health care analytics, and strategy to top law firms, Fortune Global 500 companies, and government agencies worldwide. Our internal experts, together with our network of affiliated experts from academia, industry, and government, offer our clients exceptional breadth and depth of expertise. Contact: Analysis Group Eric Seymour, 617-425-8103 [email protected] SOURCE Analysis Group, Inc. Related Links http://www.analysisgroup.com PETALUMA, Calif., July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For a variety of reasons, dress codes are an inherent part of a cohesive business. They lend themselves to an air of professionalism or let customers know immediately that they're who to ask if they need assistance. However, Brandon Frere, successful entrepreneur and CEO of Frere Enterprises, says that a dress code or appearance policy should also keep in mind the overall environment when deciding upon what is acceptable for employees to wear to work and what is not. "West coast standards of dress aren't the same as east coast. Keeping in mind what is already semi-established as acceptable may be a good baseline for deciding on what will be used at your business," says Frere. Some CEOs may feel a more formal look lends itself to higher-quality work because it may help an employee be in a more professional mindset. Having a certain standard keeps employees from showing up in sleepwear or ratty jeans and t-shirts because a certain level of professionalism does have to be maintained. Depending on the type of workplace and business location though, perhaps the dress code could be adjusted. During hot summer months, allowing for more relaxed dress may help productivity levels because employees do not feel stifled in clothing that is inappropriate for the weather. Or if the overall work culture is different, allowing well-maintained jeans along with a more business appropriate shirt may go over well at a company. Allowing employees different types of freedoms may help them feel more comfortable at a business. There are ways to have an appearance policy that still projects an air of professionalism that isn't stifling to an employee. Some employees may even still dress more formally than is required because that is what they are comfortable with. An uncomfortable employee is often a less productive employee, and so having realistic guidelines for work attire in place may result in a more healthy and productive work environment. "If it's boiling outside and the inside of the workplace isn't temp-controlled, people are going to be more focused on how uncomfortable they are usually than the work in front of them if they're stuck inside heavy business wear. There are a lot of things that have to be balanced in a work environment to make it as productive as possible," says Frere. About Frere Enterprises Run by CEO Brandon Frere, Frere Enterprises is a California-based company with a global vision based around the usage of special financial technology, or SpecFinTech, with a current focus on financial wellness and productivity. He has designed and created multiple companies to meet the ever-demanding needs of businesses and consumers, alike. Frere's website, www.FrereEnterprises.com, is used as a means to communicate many of the lessons, fundamentals and information that he has learned throughout his extensive business and technological endeavors. Through Frere Enterprises, he aims to apply those lessons to other business opportunities. Frere Enterprises' mission is to acquire traditional businesses and digitally transform them to meet and exceed modern day demand. This mission seeks to transform such businesses by developing the newest and most evolved technologies to speed up the evolution of financial services in order to meet the demands of the modern consumer and exceed the potential of the modern era. FrereEnterprises.com Related Images employees.jpg Employees dolgachov/Bigstock.com image2.png Related Links Frere Enterprises SOURCE Frere Enterprises Related Links http://www.FrereEnterprises.com Newbuild sets the standard for modern elegance with thoughtful touches; New videos showcase the design and artists SEATTLE, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- When Holland America Line welcomes Nieuw Statendam to the fleet in December 2018, the ship will showcase the evolution of design that was introduced with Koningsdam, the first Pinnacle Class ship. Focusing on the importance of thoughtful details and special touches, Nieuw Statendam's musical design and "artfully inspired" finishing perfectly blend Holland America Line's past, present and future and is showcased in a trio of videos on the design and artists now available on hollandamerica.com and the line's YouTube channel. The new 2,666-guest ship will have an interior that balances a fresh, contemporary styling in perfect harmony with the line's renowned classic elegance, while continuing a bold course forward. At the helm of the design and interiors once again are internationally acclaimed hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany and Bjrn Storbraaten, one of the world's leading architects working in the cruise industry. "Nieuw Statendam will join our fleet in just over four months and guests are excitedly reserving their place to sail on this beautiful new ship in its premier season," said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. "Like its sister-ship Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam is all about fine details and thoughtful touches throughout the ship that create an ambiance of both elegance and style. From the public areas to the staterooms, Nieuw Statendam is going to be stunning and very popular with our guests." A leader in creating luxurious and creative interiors at some of the world's most iconic properties and the designer for sister-ship Koningsdam, Tihany is approaching Nieuw Statendam with an eye toward creating public spaces that reflect the tradition and signature elegance for which Holland America Line is known, while elevating the design by introducing innovative new features. Focusing on fluid curves and graceful lines, light-filled spaces and the natural flow of public areas, the key to Tihany's concept is utilizing visual interaction, where guests actively engage with the interiors rather than passively moving through them. Nieuw Statendam will showcase a dramatic three-deck-high central atrium that is graced by an airy stainless-steel sculpture that is meant to emulate the feeling of being inside and surrounded by a musical instrument. Like music, the experience changes as guests move around and through it, so no two perspectives are the same. The atrium is capped by a ceiling skylight that serves as a backdrop for subtly changing high-definition projections. Guests will look up by day and see wispy cirrus clouds floating in an azure sky or perhaps soothing images of light in water. By evening, the atrium takes on dramatic lighting hues or reflects the starlit constellations of the night sky. The Dining Room aboard Nieuw Statendam will span two floors and be framed by views of the sea. A bright interior will be inspired by a modern, global design and sets the stage for the exceptional culinary experience to come. Strong, curved architectural pillars will accentuate the soaring ceiling. Chic, custom furnishings and modern glass lighting are being fabricated especially for the ship. The centerpiece is a curved copper sheath surrounding a two-story wine tower showcasing an impressive selection. Rudi's Sel De Mer, Holland America Line's intimate French brasserie, is reimagined on Nieuw Statendam with expanded seating for 54 guests. The restaurant retains its original curving shape and polished walnut wood accordion-inspired column structure, while richly colored decor creates a sense of sophistication and elegance. The back wall is adorned with a collection of porcelain plates decorated with Chef Rudi Sodamin's Food Faces culinary pop art, produced by the famed French brand Bernardaud. Architect and Designer Bjrn Storbraaten Joins Tihany in Blending Contemporary Styling with Brand Hallmarks Architect and designer Bjrn Storbraaten joins Tihany in bringing the ship to life in a familiar yet innovative style. With his previous work on Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam, Storbraaten adds continuity of the brand while taking elegance to the next level. Storbraaten's hand is clearly present in the design of the central pool area. The Magrodome area is two levels to create a vast glass-enclosed space. The lower level will feature traditional poolside elements, while the mezzanine level will showcase more seating, a giant screen for poolside movies and New York Deli and Pizza. In addition to other areas, Storbraaten is designing the exotic look of Tamarind, the line's Pan-Asian restaurant that emphasizes nature's basic elements: water, wood, fire and earth. On Nieuw Statendam, the Tamarind experience expands with the addition of a new outdoor dining area, so guests can take in the sweeping views and fresh sea air. Across the ship, Tihany and Storbraaten are working together to make Nieuw Statendam an exquisite evolution of the Holland America Line experience. Nieuw Statendam Showcases the Caribbean in its Premier Season Arriving just in time to whisk travelers away from winter weather, Nieuw Statendam will spend its first cruising season exploring the golden beaches and sun-kissed skies of the Caribbean, sailing roundtrip Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from December 2018 through April 2019. All Caribbean cruises include a day at Holland America Line's idyllic and award-winning island Half Moon Cay. Next spring, the ship will cross the Atlantic Ocean and spend the summer and fall exploring northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Nieuw Statendam then returns to the Caribbean in October 2019. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a professional travel agent, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com. Editor's note: Renderings and video are available at https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/gxpuvzkk. Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog. Access all social media outlets at hollandamerica.com. About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)] Holland America Line's fleet of 14 ships offers more than 500 cruises to more than 400 ports in 98 countries, territories or dependencies around the world. From shorter getaways to 113-day itineraries, the company's cruises visit all seven continents, with highlights including Antarctica explorations, South America circumnavigations, Cuba cruises and exotic Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages; four annual Grand Voyages; and popular sailings to the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada and New England, Bermuda, Europe and the Panama Canal. The line welcomed Koningsdam in 2016 and has a second Pinnacle-class ship, Nieuw Statendam, to be delivered in December 2018. A third Pinnacle-class ship will be delivered in 2021. The company is undergoing $300 million in brand enhancements to secure its position as the leader in premium cruising. Fleetwide, the ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. Guests can expand their knowledge through an exclusive partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine; during an America's Test Kitchen show; at Explorations Cafe presented by The New York Times; and by taking a Digital Workshop powered by Windows. Outstanding entertainment fills each evening at venues including Lincoln Center Stage, Billboard Onboard and B.B. King's Blues Club. The dining experience can be savored at a variety of restaurants with menus that feature selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council, comprising world-famous chefs who design dishes exclusively for our guests. SOURCE Holland America Line Related Links http://www.hollandamerica.com HERNDON, Va., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Greg Karr, former president of AmAudit, has joined Avenu to lead the revenue enhancement and administration operations for cities and counties in Illinois. Avenu will assume contracts previously managed by Karr. The addition is part of Avenu's national expansion strategy and gives the company renowned talent with deep relationships among leaders in the state's local jurisdictions. Karr's career includes 16 years of finding revenue opportunities through compliance audits in Illinois. These have covered sales taxes, utility taxes and cost-audit services for natural gas, electricity, wireless telecommunications and cable. Karr has been responsible for finding more than $30 million through audits of more than 100 communities. "Local governments don't have the resources to scrutinize every payment they receive for fees and taxes, so they are often underpaid," says Karr. "Equally important is that they lack the knowledge to decipher complex utility bills to ensure that rates are correct. As part of a national company with the resources to support cities and counties in many ways, we can turn that around." Adds Avenu CEO Paul Colangelo, "The need to ease the financial pressure on local governments presents a lot of opportunity for us. With Greg in our new Illinois location we will discover and recover more funding for communities to maintain services and align their budgets." About Avenu Avenu provides local governments with ways to achieve more predictable revenue that supports growth, fuels modernization and ensures compliance with mandated but underfunded programs. Avenu's revenue enhancement and administrative solutions find and recover taxes, license and permit fees that cities and counties struggle to collect. The insights and improved fiscal posture enables governments to deliver expected services and sustain a high quality of life for residents. Avenu is a portfolio company of Mill Point Capital. www.avenuinsights.com About Mill Point Capital Mill Point Capital is a middle-market private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments in the business services and industrial sectors. The firm works with Executive Partners to leverage its investment professionals' experience while providing strategic and operational guidance designed to drive long-term value creation in its portfolio companies. Mill Point is based in New York, NY. For more information, please visit www.millpoint.com. SOURCE Avenu Related Links http://www.avenuinsights.com Based in Washington DC, Mr. Seto will be responsible for enhancing and supporting Ankura's financial performance and helping to guide its evolution into a unique global business advisory firm. As a senior finance and operations executive, he has more than 25 years of experience in strategy development, financial planning and analysis, mergers and acquisitions transactions, and the integration of new businesses. Mr. Seto combines strategic and analytical thinking with a deep understanding of business needs in order to lead, build, and grow global organizations. "We are thrilled that Ben is joining Ankura at such a pivotal time in our firm's growth story," said Roger Carlile, CEO at Ankura. "As we enhance our capabilities to serve clients globally, it is important that we have outstanding financial and operational leadership on our team, ensuring we have the financial and operations structure to support our growth and ability to provide comprehensive and customized expertise across a wide array of issues, industries, and disciplines. Ben brings a collaborative nature and client-centric outlook that, coupled with his strong business acumen, extensive international experience. and depth of experience in M&A and the integration of new businesses, will be an invaluable asset to our firm, its people and its clients." Mr. Seto has held corporate and international roles in multi-billion-dollar companies and privately-held businesses, working in industries such as professional services, energy, consumer products, information technology, and commercial finance. Prior to serving as Chief Financial Officer of Avendra, Mr. Seto oversaw country and regional finances for AES Corporation, an international power company, in a series of senior executive positions. He began his finance career in the consumer products industry, with Haagen-Dazs Company and Philip Morris USA. And, over the past decade, Mr. Seto has also served on the boards of directors at privately-held companies and joint ventures. "I am extremely honored to join the talented team here at Ankura and am eager to build on the efforts already underway to position the firm for continued success well into the future," said Ben Seto. "The added scale and capabilities gained through Ankura's significant organic growth, recently completed acquisitions, and the agreement to acquire Navigant's DFLT segment and TAS practice position the firm as a market leader of its service offerings in the U.S. and globally. As we look to harness our combined capabilities and scale, it is critical that we have a strong infrastructure in place to support our financial performance, guide our growth, and sustain our professionals as they leverage their talents to create long-lasting value for new and existing clients." About Ankura Ankura is a business advisory and expert services firm defined by HOW we solve challenges. Whether a client is facing an immediate business challenge, trying to increase the value of their company or protect against future risks, Ankura designs, develops, and executes tailored solutions by assembling the right combination of expertise. We build on this experience with every case, client, and situation, collaborating to create innovative, customized solutions, and strategies designed for today's ever-changing business environment. This gives our clients unparalleled insight and experience across a wide range of economic, governance, and regulatory challenges. At Ankura, we know that collaboration drives results. For more information, please visit: www.ankura.com. SOURCE Ankura Related Links http://www.ankura.com MONTREAL, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - BioAmber Inc. (OTCPK: BIOAQ) announces that the current stage of the Sales and Investor Solicitation Process (SISP) has concluded without an acceptable offer having been received from a Qualified Bidder as of the due date of July 27, 2018. The company will now seek to obtain court approval to pursue liquidation as well as alternative offers in order to realize the greatest value on behalf of its creditors. Moving forward, subject to the approval of the court and with support from its monitor or receiver appointed by the court, the company intends to: solicit liquidators to bid on the acquisition and disposal of the company's assets, including the Sarnia plant; plant; continue to actively engage with Qualified Bidders and other interested parties to determine if, and under what terms, a transaction that would result in the continuation of the company's operations is still possible. We estimate this process will be conducted over an approximate two-week period with a target conclusion date of August 14. The company will engage with Maynbridge Capital, its interim lender, and all other secured lenders to determine the best going-forward strategy. "We are clearly disappointed that the Qualified Bidders did not place an acceptable offer for Bioamber," stated Richard Eno, CEO. "We will continue to be actively engaged with potential investors to seek an acceptable transaction and avoid the liquidation of the company's assets. Most importantly, I'd like to thank our dedicated and highly capable employees for their outstanding service to the company." Potential investors can contact Richard Eno in order to express interest in acquiring the assets or investing in the business. Note that there can be no guarantee that the company will be successful in securing further financing or achieving its restructuring objectives. Failure by the company to achieve its financing and restructuring goals will likely result in the company and its subsidiaries being liquidated. Liquidation will almost certainly result in no residual value for non-secured creditors and equity investors. About BioAmber BioAmber (OTCPK: BIOAQ) is a renewable materials company. Its innovative technology platform combines biotechnology and catalysis to convert renewable feedstock into building block materials that are used in a wide variety of everyday products including plastics, paints, textiles, food additives and personal care products. For more information visit www.bio-amber.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve significant risks and uncertainties about BioAmber. BioAmber may use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," "would," "plan," "projected" or the negative of such words or other similar words or phrases to identify such forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are risks relating to, among other things, whether BioAmber will be able to obtain the additional financing necessary to continue as a going concern and to grow its business, whether it will be able to enter any acceptable transaction as a result of the SISP, or whether it will need to enter into a liquidation process and/or cease its operations. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by BioAmber, see disclosures contained in BioAmber's public filings with the SEC, including the risks discussed under the heading "Item 1.A Risk Factors" in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, and under the heading "Risk Factors" of the recently filed prospectus supplement. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included in this press release and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and BioAmber undertakes no obligation to update such statements as a result of new information. SOURCE BioAmber Inc. Related Links http://www.bio-amber.com/ The new latch and spring assembly is designed for durability. The heavy-gauge, high-strength steel latch with reinforcing rib provides rigidity and bending resistance and has a yellow chromate finish for corrosion resistance. A double-strength spring ensures the latch is held against the hook to securely retain slings and other components. For added durability, the hooks are designed with dual forged support bosses, providing lateral support for precise latch/hook engagement. "These U.S.-made hooks have been completely redesigned, but the new latch and spring assembly is what users will appreciate the most," said Lyn Bethea, Campbell product manager. "Extra-thick steel latch, double-strength spring, stainless steel latch bolt, two support bosses and if a latch gets damaged, there's a forged-in code, so knowing the correct part is easy. Also, the new replacement procedure is much simpler." The new hooks have a 5:1 design factor and the various sizes offered have a working load limit range of 3/4 ton to 15 tons. They are available in carbon steel (blue or galvanized) or alloy steel (orange). Along with Rated Capacity and Made in USA markings, two new hallmarks are forged into each hook: the Latch Code and, on both sides of the hook, 45-degree Guide Markings. For more information about Campbell Eye Hoist Hooks, visit www.campbellchainandfittings.com. About Campbell Campbell is a premier brand of chain and fittings from Apex Tool Group, one of the largest hand tool and chain manufacturers in the world. Campbell has distribution and service centers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Campbell pioneered the development of Grade 100 chain and fittings, providing chain users with lighter, more ergonomic chain assemblies. For more information, visit www.campbellchainandfittings.com. About Apex Tool Group Apex Tool Group, LLC, based in Sparks, MD, is one of the largest worldwide producers of industrial hand and power tools, tool storage, drill chucks, chain, and electronic soldering products. Apex serves a multitude of global markets, including automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, hardware, industrial, and consumer retail. For more information, visit www.apextoolgroup.com. SOURCE Apex Tool Group Related Links http://www.apextoolgroup.com SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chegg, Inc. (NYSE: CHGG), the Smarter Way to Student, today reported financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2018. "We had a great Q2; achieving 32% total revenue growth, driven by 38% year-over-year Chegg Services revenue growth and subscriber growth of 45%," said Dan Rosensweig, Chairman and CEO of Chegg, Inc. "We expanded our services, introduced the Chegg Math Solver subscription and, through the acquisition of StudyBlue, added flashcards, one of the most popular learning tools used by students around the world. We enter the fall semester with significant momentum, giving us confidence to once again raise our guidance for the year." Q2 2018 Highlights: Total Net Revenues of $74.2 million, an increase of 32% year-over-year of $74.2 million, an increase of 32% year-over-year Chegg Services Revenues grew 38% year-over-year to $61.8 million , or 83% of total net revenues, compared to 79% in Q2 2017 grew 38% year-over-year to , or 83% of total net revenues, compared to 79% in Q2 2017 Net Loss was $3.9 million was $3.9 million Non-GAAP Net Income was $15.5 million was $15.5 million Adjusted EBITDA was $19.3 million was $19.3 million 1.7 million : number of Chegg Services subscribers, an increase of 45% year-over-year : number of Chegg Services subscribers, an increase of 45% year-over-year 158 million: total Chegg Study content views, an increase of 62% year-over-year Total net revenues include revenues from Chegg Services and Required Materials. Chegg Services includes Chegg Study, Chegg Writing, Chegg Tutors, Chegg Math Solver, Brand Partnership, Test Prep, Internships and Chegg CareerMatch. Required Materials includes rental and sale of print textbooks and eTextbooks. For more information about non-GAAP net income and adjusted EBITDA, and a reconciliation of non-GAAP net income to net loss, and adjusted EBITDA to net loss, see the sections of this press release titled "Use of Non-GAAP Measures," "Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA," and "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures." Business Outlook: Third Quarter 2018 Total Net Revenues in the range of $68 million to $69.5 million in the range of $68 million to Chegg Services Revenues in the range of $52 million to $53.5 million in the range of to Gross Margin between 71% and 73% between 71% and 73% Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $10 million to $11 million Full Year 2018 Total Net Revenues in the range of $306 million to $311 million in the range of $306 million to Chegg Services Revenues in the range of $248 million to $251 million in the range of to Gross Margin between 73% and 75% between 73% and 75% Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $79 million to $81 million in the range of to Capital Expenditures in the range of $30 million to $35 million For more information about the use of forward-looking non-GAAP measures, a reconciliation of forward-looking net loss to EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter 2018 and full year 2018, see the below sections of the press release titled "Use of Non-GAAP Measures," and "Reconciliation of Forward-Looking Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA." Our adjusted EBITDA outlook does not include any amortization for intangible assets of StudyBlue, Inc. as the amount of any such amortization cannot be appropriately estimated at this time. An updated investor presentation and an investor data sheet can be found on Chegg's Investor Relations website http://investor.chegg.com. Prepared Remarks - Dan Rosensweig, CEO Chegg, Inc. Thank you, Tracey and welcome everyone. It's been an exciting first half of 2018, and we are thrilled to report another great quarter. And as a result, we are, once again, raising our guidance for the full year. We outlined three key priorities for the year: meeting our financial goals, expanding our TAM, and adding new capabilities that leverage our reach, our student graph, and the strength of the Chegg brand. Our team has stayed focused on executing against these priorities, and, in a moment, Andy will walk you through our financial results in greater detail. In Q2, we delivered outstanding growth across our business, reaching 32% total revenue growth year-over-year and 38% Chegg Services growth, driven by 45% subscriber growth. As our numbers suggest, the power of the Chegg brand is at an all-time high and we enter the fall semester with significant momentum. Chegg Study remains the center of our flywheel and we continue to expand the depth and breadth of the content and capabilities we offer students, which expands both the TAM and the engagement. In Q2, we increased our catalog of textbook solutions to over 30,000 ISBNs and our library of proprietary, expert answers and solutions is now nearly 24 million, an increase of 42% year-over-year. And students seem to be valuing Chegg Study more than ever, as evidenced by an increase in usage. We had over 315 million Chegg Study content views in the first half of the year, which is up 60% year-over-year. We believe the more content and modalities that we add, the more popular and indispensable Chegg will become. We will continue to invest in ways to create greater value for our students, as we have with our writing service. Writing is one of the most underserved areas in education, with 75% of high school seniors lacking proficiency in writing competencies. We are already providing help to students in this category and we have over 100 million annual visits to our writing sites and 130 million citations were added in Q2 of this year. We have always had the view that technology can speed up the process of citing sources and creating bibliographies but, more importantly, we believe that technology can be used to teach people how to write. Our acquisition of WriteLab, an A.I.-enabled writing platform, which we announced in Q2, allows us to provide more personalized writing tools to students, helping address their specific pain points and academic challenges for grammar, sentence structure, writing style, and more. This accelerates our ability to take students from citing to writing. As powerful as A.I. technology is, we know that every one of our services is enhanced when it is backed by integrated expert human help. Students continue to validate our strategy as over 60% of our Tutor customers come from other services across the Chegg platform. In addition, we have learned that students prefer chat-based tutoring, versus live video-based tutoring. So, we continue to re-architect our system to build more capabilities, allowing more students and tutors to leverage chat, enabling us to provide high quality, personalized tutoring at a very low cost. Math is another subject area where students struggle. As 33% of high school graduates in the U.S. lack basic math skills and 64% of students are unprepared for college-level math. To meet this need, in June we launched a desktop version of the Chegg Math Solver subscription. This service helps students understand math by providing guided, step-by-step explanations to help them learn difficult concepts in subjects like pre-algebra, pre-calculus, calculus, and linear algebra. It is designed to increase comprehension and understanding of the subject matter and accelerate learning in high school and college. We will continue to increase the number of subjects we cover in the months and years ahead, and plan to expand from the current desktop service to mobile in the back half of this year. With the addition of math to our growing suite of Chegg Services, we have started testing our first bundle, the Chegg Study Pack, which we anticipate launching in the fall of 2019. This combines Chegg Study, with Math Solver and EasyBib Plus, our math and writing subscriptions, into a single subscription offering. Students will have access to all three services, for the first time, seamlessly integrated and for a substantial discount. Students trust Chegg to provide services that help them master their academic experience and we feel that we are in the very early stages of services we can provide to help students to improve their outcomes. As such, we will continue to expand the products and services we offer when we see an opportunity to address key pain points. Our most recent example is our exciting acquisition of StudyBlue. And, in that spirit, we couldn't be more thrilled to add StudyBlue to the Chegg family of services, as research shows that 37% of students are using flashcards to accelerate their learning online. Our vision is to make our flash tools the most comprehensive and easy-to-use study tools. With nearly 500 million pieces of user-generated content already, we plan to grow that and pair it with the professional content including content that is currently available on Chegg. We believe this will create the most useful and robust free flashcard service available. By making it free, we expand our funnel deeper in to high school and the college market and open up more opportunities to serve students around the world. Even as we continue to expand in the learning space, we know that 85% of all students say they go to college to get a better job. So, we are investing in our CareerMatch platform which utilizes our reach and our proprietary data to help match students to the best job opportunities for them. We just expanded our beta test, which will enable us to learn and adapt the services even better to the demands of both students and employers. Chegg reaches a huge and valuable audience, which has led more brands to approach us to find creative and impactful ways to connect with students. The extension of our partnership with Sallie Mae is one such example. We will now be able to offer the Study Starter benefit, which gives borrowers with new Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan or a Sallie Mae Parent Loan, access to a suite of study support services from Chegg platform and now for the next three years. As we look to the future, our team's passion for our mission is at an all-time high. For the first time in Chegg's history, we participated in the Great Place to Work Survey and, thanks to the responses of our employees, we were honored with the distinction of being certified as A Great Place to Work. By building a company that is committed to its mission, focused on putting students first, and leverages the talents of our employees to improve student outcomes, we have seen growth across our key business metrics while building a culture that attracts and retains top talent. We are incredibly optimistic about the path ahead of us. We see tremendous opportunity to utilize technology and the internet to transform learning, making it online, on-demand, personalized, adaptive, affordable, and backed by human help. Our goal is to accelerate the time it takes for a student to go from learning to earning. And we feel like we're just getting started. And with that, I will turn it over to Andy. Prepared Remarks - Andy Brown, CFO Chegg, Inc. Thanks Dan and good afternoon everyone. It's been a great first half of the year for our company, with all key metrics and financials ahead of our expectations. The strong results we achieved in the first half and the momentum we carry into Q3, gives us confidence to raise our guidance again for 2018. Specifically, for the second quarter, total revenue was $74.2 million, above the high-end of our guidance and a 32% increase year-over-year, with both Chegg Services and Required Materials exceeding our expectations. Chegg Services revenue increased 38% year-over-year, driven by continued strong demand for our subscription services. Required Materials first half revenue was comparable to the prior year, indicating we continue to take share in a declining market. This resulted in gross margin coming in higher than we expected reaching 76%, as much of the incremental revenue from the subscription services goes straight to the gross margin line due to its relatively fixed cost structure. Our strong performance in both revenue and gross margin drove adjusted EBITDA of $19.3 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the quarter was 26%, and 24% for the first half of the year. We ended the quarter with cash and investments of $482 million, bolstered by a very successful convertible debt offering early in the quarter. We believe we now have one of the strongest operating models and balance sheets in the education industry. As we look to the second half of the year, we are increasing our guidance based on Q2 results and continued strong demand for our subscription services. The updated guidance takes into account the recent acquisitions of WriteLab and StudyBlue. These acquisitions will not contribute to revenue or subscribers in 2018 but will add several million dollars of operating expenses. The momentum of our subscription services has allowed us to absorb these additional costs, while still raising adjusted EBITDA guidance for the year. As a result, for Q3 we expect: Total revenue to be between $68 and $69 .5 million, with and .5 million, with Chegg Services revenue between $52 and $53.5 million ; and ; Gross margin between 71% and 73%; And adjusted EBITDA between $10 and $11 million . For full year 2018, we now expect: Total revenue to be between $306 and $311 million , with Chegg Services revenue between $248 and $251 million ; and , with Chegg Services revenue between and ; Gross margin between 73% and 75%; And adjusted EBITDA between $79 and $81 million or approximately 26% margin. and or approximately 26% margin. And finally, we expect CapEx to remain in the $30 to $35 million range, with approximately 80% being used to fuel expansion of content and add new modalities such as video to our subscription services. We believe these investments increase engagement on our platform and expand our TAM. In closing, it's been a strong first half. We delivered above the high-end of our expectations, we strengthened our balance sheet, we made acquisitions that extend our market opportunity and add overwhelming value to our students and we see this momentum continuing into the second half of the year. With that, I'll turn the call over to the operator for your questions. Conference Call and Webcast Information To access the call, please dial 1-877-407-4018, or outside the U.S. +1-201-689-8471, five minutes prior to 1:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (or 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time). A live webcast of the call will also be available at http://investor.chegg.com under the Events & Presentations menu. An audio replay will be available beginning at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on July 30, 2018, until 8:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on August 6, 2018, by calling 1-844-512-2921, or outside the U.S. +1-412-317-6671, with Conference ID 13680591. An audio archive of the call will also be available at http://investor.chegg.com. Use of Investor Relations Website for Regulation FD Purposes Chegg also uses its media center website, http://www.chegg.com/mediacenter, as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor http://www.chegg.com/mediacenter, in addition to following press releases, Securities and Exchange Commission filings and public conference calls and webcasts. About Chegg Chegg puts students first. As the leading student-first connected learning platform, Chegg strives to improve the overall return on investment in education by helping students learn more in less time and at a lower cost. Chegg is a publicly-held company based in Santa Clara, California and trades on the NYSE under the symbol CHGG. For more information, visit www.chegg.com. Use of Non-GAAP Measures To supplement Chegg's financial results presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), this press release and the accompanying tables and the related earnings conference call contain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP operating expenses and margin, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP weighted average shares, and non-GAAP net income per share. For reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, please see the section of the accompanying tables titled, "Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA," "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures," and "Reconciliation of Forward-Looking Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA." The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Chegg defines (1) adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expense, other income (expense), net, restructuring charges, and acquisition-related compensation costs; (2) non-GAAP income from operations as loss from operations excluding share-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, restructuring charges, and acquisition-related compensation costs; (3) non-GAAP income from operations margin as non-GAAP income from operations divided by total net revenues; (4) non-GAAP net income as net loss excluding share-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, restructuring charges, acquisition-related compensation costs, and amortization of debt discount and issuance costs; (5) non-GAAP weighted average shares outstanding as weighted average shares outstanding adjusted for the effect of dilutive options, restricted stock units and warrants; and (6) non-GAAP net income per share is defined as non-GAAP net income divided by non-GAAP weighted average shares outstanding. To the extent additional significant non-recurring items arise in the future, Chegg may consider whether to exclude such items in calculating the non-GAAP financial measures it uses. Chegg believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide meaningful supplemental information regarding Chegg's performance by excluding items that may not be indicative of Chegg's core business, operating results or future outlook. Chegg management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing Chegg's operating results, as well as when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods and believes that such measures enhance investors' overall understanding of our current financial performance. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate comparisons of Chegg's performance to prior periods. As presented in the "Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA," "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures," and "Reconciliation of Forward-Looking Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA" tables below, each of the non-GAAP financial measures excludes one or more of the following items: Share-based compensation expense. Share-based compensation expense is a non-cash expense that varies in amount from period to period and is dependent on market forces that are often beyond Chegg's control. As a result, management excludes this item from Chegg's internal operating forecasts and models. Management believes that non-GAAP measures adjusted for share-based compensation provide investors with a basis to measure Chegg's core performance against the performance of other companies without the variability created by share-based compensation as a result of the variety of equity awards used by other companies and the varying methodologies and assumptions used. Amortization of intangible assets. Chegg amortizes intangible assets that it acquires in conjunction with business combinations, which results in noncash operating expenses that would not otherwise have been incurred had Chegg internally developed such intangible assets. Chegg believes excluding the accounting expense associated with acquired intangible asset from non-GAAP measures allows for a more accurate assessment of its ongoing operations. Restructuring charges. Restructuring charges primarily relate to expenses related to the exit of Chegg's print coupon business, and Chegg's strategic partnership with the National Research Center for College & University Admissions. These restructuring charges are excluded from non-GAAP financial measures because they are the result of discrete events that are not considered core-operating activities. Chegg believes that it is appropriate to exclude restructuring charges from non-GAAP financial measures because it enables the comparison of period-over-period operating results from continuing operations. Acquisition-related compensation costs. Acquisition-related compensation costs include compensation expense resulting from the employment retention of certain key employees established in accordance with the terms of the Imagine Easy, Cogeon GmbH, and WriteLab acquisitions. In most cases, these acquisition-related compensation costs are not factored into management's evaluation of potential acquisitions or Chegg's performance after completion of acquisitions, because they are not related to Chegg's core operating performance. In addition, the frequency and amount of such charges can vary significantly based on the size and timing of acquisitions and the maturities of the businesses being acquired. Excluding acquisition-related compensation costs from non-GAAP measures provides investors with a basis to compare Chegg's results against those of other companies without the variability caused by purchase accounting. Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs Under GAAP, we are required to separately account for the liability (debt) and equity (conversion option) components of our convertible senior notes that were issued in private placements in April 2018. Accordingly, for GAAP purposes we are required to recognize the effective interest expense on our convertible senior notes and amortize the debt discount and issuance costs over the term of the notes. The difference between the effective interest expense and the contractual interest expense, and the amortization expense of debt discount and issuance costs are excluded from management's assessment of our operating performance because management believes that these non-cash expenses are not indicative of ongoing operating performance. Chegg believes that the exclusion of the non-cash interest expense provides investors an enhanced view of our performance and enables the comparison of period-over-period results. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which include, without limitation statements regarding Chegg's ability to meet or exceed its long term financial targets in 2018; Chegg's momentum, and those included in the investor presentation referenced above, those included in the "Prepared Remarks" sections above, and all statements about Chegg's outlook under "Business Outlook." The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "project," "endeavor," "will," "should," "future," "transition," "outlook" and similar expressions, as they relate to Chegg, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and are based on management's expectations as of the date of this press release and assumptions that are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements include the following: Chegg's ability to attract new students, increase engagement and increase monetization; the rate of adoption of Chegg's offerings; the effect of Chegg's acquisition of Imagine Easy Solutions, Cogeon, WriteLab, and StudyBlue; Chegg's ability to strategically take advantage of new opportunities to leverage the Student Graph; competitive developments, including pricing pressures; Chegg's anticipated growth of Chegg Services; Chegg's ability to build and expand its services offerings; Chegg's ability to develop new products and services on a cost-effective basis and to integrate acquired businesses and assets; the impact of seasonality on the business; Chegg's partnership with Ingram and the parties' ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of the partnership, including the potential impact of the economic risk-sharing arrangements between Chegg and Ingram on Chegg's results of operations; Chegg's ability to effectively control operating costs; changes in Chegg's addressable market; changes in the education market; and general economic, political and industry conditions. All information provided in this release and in the conference call is as of the date hereof and Chegg undertakes no duty to update this information except as required by law. These and other important risk factors are described more fully in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Chegg's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 2018, and could cause actual results to vary from expectations. CHEGG, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except for number of shares and par value) (unaudited) June 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 384,926 $ 126,457 Short-term investments 80,938 81,742 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $333 and $259 at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively 8,096 10,855 Prepaid expenses 8,707 2,043 Other current assets 7,742 7,845 Total current assets 490,409 228,942 Long-term investments 15,957 20,305 Property and equipment, net 51,516 47,493 Goodwill 135,842 125,272 Intangible assets, net 22,591 21,153 Other assets 4,256 3,765 Total assets $ 720,571 $ 446,930 Liabilities and stockholders' equity Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 5,337 $ 7,049 Deferred revenue 13,710 13,440 Accrued liabilities 29,460 31,074 Total current liabilities 48,507 51,563 Long-term liabilities Convertible senior notes, net 276,578 Other long-term liabilities 6,767 4,305 Total long-term liabilities 283,345 4,305 Total liabilities 331,852 55,868 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, $0.001 par value 10,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding Common stock, $0.001 par value 400,000,000 shares authorized; 113,551,003 and 109,667,640 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively 114 110 Additional paid-in capital 787,480 782,845 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (661) (282) Accumulated deficit (398,214) (391,611) Total stockholders' equity 388,719 391,062 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 720,571 $ 446,930 CHEGG, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net revenues $ 74,222 $ 56,317 $ 151,171 $ 118,919 Cost of revenues(1) 17,784 17,042 38,008 38,438 Gross profit 56,438 39,275 113,163 80,481 Operating expenses(1): Research and development 26,218 19,899 51,751 39,201 Sales and marketing 11,437 10,098 26,773 26,062 General and administrative 19,479 14,501 37,735 29,843 Restructuring charges 15 59 235 959 Gain on liquidation of textbooks (4,766) Total operating expenses 57,149 44,557 116,494 91,299 Loss from operations (711) (5,282) (3,331) (10,818) Interest expense and other income (expense), net: Interest expense, net (3,664) (18) (3,684) (37) Other income (expense), net 894 (9) 1,458 (208) Total interest expense and other income (expense), net (2,770) (27) (2,226) (245) Loss before provision for income taxes (3,481) (5,309) (5,557) (11,063) Provision for income taxes 428 716 969 1,363 Net loss $ (3,909) $ (6,025) $ (6,526) $ (12,426) Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.03) $ (0.06) $ (0.06) $ (0.13) Weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share, basic and diluted 112,738 95,047 111,826 93,943 (1)Includes share-based compensation expense as follows: Cost of revenues $ 103 $ 88 $ 197 $ 155 Research and development 3,529 3,387 7,662 6,628 Sales and marketing 1,730 1,201 3,319 2,327 General and administrative 6,681 4,423 12,507 8,267 Total share-based compensation expense $ 12,043 $ 9,099 $ 23,685 $ 17,377 CHEGG, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands) (unaudited) Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 Cash flows from operating activities * Net loss $ (6,526) $ (12,426) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization expense 10,665 9,093 Share-based compensation expense 23,685 17,377 Gain on liquidation of textbooks (4,766) Loss from write-offs of textbooks 314 Interest accretion on deferred consideration (626) Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs 3,421 Deferred income taxes (315) Other non-cash items 115 (55) Change in assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 2,609 1,989 Prepaid expenses and other current assets (6,773) 9,072 Other assets (500) 473 Accounts payable (1,712) (3,591) Deferred revenue 270 (2,379) Accrued liabilities (2,678) 1,181 Other liabilities 1,254 858 Net cash provided by operating activities 23,515 16,514 Cash flows from investing activities Proceeds from liquidations of textbooks 6,943 Purchases of marketable securities (66,634) Maturities of marketable securities 71,980 Purchases of property and equipment (10,087) (12,507) Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired (14,438) Net cash used in investing activities (19,179) (5,564) Cash flows from financing activities Common stock issued under stock plans, net 18,050 9,765 Payment of taxes related to the net share settlement of equity awards (40,314) (14,850) Payment of deferred cash consideration related to acquisitions (16,750) Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes, net of issuance costs 335,601 Purchase of convertible senior notes capped call (39,227) Repurchase of common stock (20,000) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 254,110 (21,835) Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 258,446 (10,885) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period 126,963 77,433 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $ 385,409 $ 66,548 Supplemental cash flow data: Cash paid during the period for: Interest $ 37 $ 48 Income taxes $ 944 $ 821 Non-cash investing and financing activities: Accrued purchases of long-lived assets $ 5,337 $ 1,144 Restricted cash included in other current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 384,926 $ 66,086 Restricted cash included in other assets 483 462 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 385,409 $ 66,548 * Adjusted to reflect the adoption of ASU 2016-18. CHEGG, INC. RECONCILIATION OF NET LOSS TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net loss $ (3,909) $ (6,025) $ (6,526) $ (12,426) Interest expense, net 3,664 18 3,684 37 Provision for income taxes 428 716 969 1,363 Depreciation and amortization expense 5,448 4,704 10,665 9,093 EBITDA 5,631 (587) 8,792 (1,933) Share-based compensation expense 12,043 9,099 23,685 17,377 Other (income) expense, net (894) 9 (1,458) 208 Restructuring charges 15 59 235 959 Acquisition-related compensation costs 2,456 1,500 4,704 3,000 Adjusted EBITDA $ 19,251 $ 10,080 $ 35,958 $ 19,611 CHEGG, INC. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (in thousands, except percentages and per share amounts) (unaudited) ` Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net revenues $ 74,222 $ 56,317 $ 151,171 $ 118,919 Operating expenses $ 57,149 $ 44,557 $ 116,494 $ 91,299 Share-based compensation expense (11,940) (9,011) (23,488) (17,222) Amortization of intangible assets (1,446) (1,375) (2,863) (2,778) Restructuring charges (15) (59) (235) (959) Acquisition-related compensation costs (2,456) (1,500) (4,704) (3,000) Non-GAAP operating expenses $ 41,292 $ 32,612 $ 85,204 $ 67,340 Operating expenses as a percent of net revenues 77.0% 79.1% 77.1% 76.8% Non-GAAP operating expenses as a percent of net revenues 55.6% 57.9% 56.4% 56.6% Loss from operations $ (711) $ (5,282) $ (3,331) $ (10,818) Share-based compensation expense 12,043 9,099 23,685 17,377 Amortization of intangible assets 1,446 1,375 2,863 2,778 Restructuring charges 15 59 235 959 Acquisition-related compensation costs 2,456 1,500 4,704 3,000 Non-GAAP income from operations $ 15,249 $ 6,751 $ 28,156 $ 13,296 Net loss $ (3,909) $ (6,025) $ (6,526) $ (12,426) Share-based compensation expense 12,043 9,099 23,685 17,377 Amortization of intangible assets 1,446 1,375 2,863 2,778 Restructuring charges 15 59 235 959 Acquisition-related compensation costs 2,456 1,500 4,704 3,000 Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs 3,421 3,421 Non-GAAP net income $ 15,472 $ 6,008 $ 28,382 $ 11,688 Weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share 112,738 95,047 111,826 93,943 Effect of dilutive options and restricted stock units 11,449 9,517 12,450 8,497 Non-GAAP weighted average shares used to compute non-GAAP net income per share 124,187 104,564 124,276 102,440 Net loss per share $ (0.03) $ (0.06) $ (0.06) $ (0.13) Adjustments 0.15 0.12 0.29 0.24 Non-GAAP net income per share $ 0.12 $ 0.06 $ 0.23 $ 0.11 CHEGG, INC. RECONCILIATION OF FORWARD-LOOKING NET LOSS TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ending September 30, 2018 Year Ending December 31, 2018 Net loss $ (15,600) $ (14,700) Interest expense, net 4,000 11,700 Provision for income taxes 600 2,100 Depreciation and amortization expense 6,100 23,200 EBITDA (4,900) 22,300 Share-based compensation expense 13,400 50,500 Other income, net (900) (3,200) Restructuring charges 200 400 Acquisition-related compensation costs 2,700 10,000 Adjusted EBITDA* $ 10,500 $ 80,000 * Adjusted EBITDA guidance for the three months ending September 30, 2018 and the year ending December 31, 2018 represents the midpoint of the ranges of $10 million to $11 million and $79 million to $81 million, respectively. Our adjusted EBITDA outlook does not include any amortization for intangible assets of StudyBlue, Inc. as the amount of any such amortization cannot be appropriately estimated at this time. SOURCE Chegg, Inc. Related Links http://www.chegg.com The 17-year-old girl who slapped an Israeli soldier in the West Bank was released yesterday. Back home, she declares: "My resistance continues until the occupation ends". Meanwhile, a ship with medicines and humanitarian aid to Gaza was seized by the Israeli Navy. Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Ahed Tamini was released yesterday after eight months in prison. The 17-year-old Palestinian girl was arrested after slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier outside her home in Nabi Saleh in the West Bank. She had become a symbol of resistance against Israel for the Palestinian people. Back home, the girl declared: "My resistance continues until the occupation ends". In a preliminary hearing, Ahmed Tamimi had explained that she had attacked the Israeli soldiers because, on the same day, she had seen one of them shoot her 15-year-old cousin in the head with a rubber bullet. Many Israelis say the girl's image has been exploited by her family and the Palestinians. Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said Ahed and her cousin Nour, involved in the clashes, "deserved to be imprisoned for life". For the Palestinians Ahed Tamini has become a symbol of courage and opposition to the Israeli occupation. The Israeli police also arrested and then released two Italian street artists, after they had painted the face of Ahed Tamini on the wall that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem. Meanwhile, yesterday, a ship of the NGO Freedom Flotilla Coalition was stopped by the Israeli Navy. They tweeted: "The #FreedomFlotilla ship carrying medicines to Gaza was stopped by the Israeli army". The NGO calls for a safe passage and "a rapid delivery of the medical cargo for the Palestinians of Gaza". Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee confirms the seizure of the ship: "A naval operation was completed shortly during which a boat from Europe that wanted to violate the naval blockade imposed on Gaza was taken." The ship has sailed from Norway. On board there are about 36 activists from all over the world. The situation in Gaza has worsened in recent months, after Israel also blocked humanitarian aid by land. SAN MATEO, Calif., July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SiFive, the leading provider of commercial RISC-V processor IP, today welcomed Chipus Microelectronics, a semiconductor company with proven expertise in the development of ultra-low-power (ULP), low-voltage, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits, to the growing DesignShare ecosystem. Through the partnership, Chipus will provide ULP IP for power management and ULP RF Front-Ends. Chipus' customizable technology will make it easier for SiFive customers to save power and extend battery life for IoT edge devices. Chipus also plans to add temperature sensors and switched regulators to the DesignShare program in the near future. "Chipus is thrilled to partner up with SiFive to bring more chip design opportunities to reality, enabling innovation with our Ultra-Low-Power and simple-to-customize IP solutions," said Murilo Pilon Pessatti, CEO and co-founder of Chipus. "Our mission, together with SiFive, is to enable innovation. With our expertise, Chipus looks forward to contributing to new IoT applications and edge devices." The availability of Chipus' ULP IP through the DesignShare program shortens the time to market and removes common barriers to entry that have traditionally prevented smaller companies from developing custom silicon. Companies like SiFive, Chipus and other DesignShare partners provide low- or no-entry fee IP to emerging companies, minimizing the upfront engineering costs needed to bring a custom chip from design to realization. "Startups today go through extensive processes, from sourcing viable IP to negotiating legal contracts, before they can even develop a prototype," said Shafy Eltoukhy, vice president of operations and head of DesignShare for SiFive. "With Chipus joining our growing DesignShare economy, we continue to simplify the prototyping process and spur innovation across the industry." Since DesignShare launched in 2017, the program has grown to include a wide range of IP solutions, from complete ASIC solutions and trace technology to embedded memory and precision PLL. For more information on DesignShare and to see the complete list of available technologies, visit www.sifive.com/designshare. About SiFive SiFive is the leading provider of market-ready processor core IP based on the RISC-V instruction set architecture. Led by a team of industry veterans and founded by the inventors of RISC-V, SiFive helps SoC designers reduce time-to-market and realize cost savings with customized, open-architecture processor cores, and democratizes access to optimized silicon by enabling system designers to build customized RISC-V based semiconductors. SiFive is located in Silicon Valley and has venture backing from Sutter Hill Ventures, Spark Capital, Osage University Partners, Intel Capital and Chengwei Capital, along with strategic partners Huami, SK Telecom and Western Digital. For more information, visit www.sifive.com. About Chipus Microelectronics Chipus Microelectronics is a semiconductor company with proven expertise in the development of ultra-low-power, low-voltage, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs) and systems on chip (SoCs). Relying on a strong experience in power management and data converters, the company has more than 200 IP mixed-signal blocks in process nodes from 40nm to 0.35um of various foundries. Since its foundation in 2008, Chipus has provided IC design services in leading edge technologies also, including down to 28nm and 10nm, with firm commitment and flexible client support to customers worldwide (USA and Americas, Europe, and Asia). Headquartered in Florianopolis, Brazil, Chipus has a US subsidiary in Silicon Valley and sales team in Europe. SOURCE SiFive Related Links http://www.sifive.com LONDON, July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb has today announced that it has partnered with cyber security company DynaRisk to offer a cyber loss mitigation service* to Chubb's Cyber Enterprise Risk Management policyholders in the UK and Ireland. The DynaRisk service assesses a person's devices and digital footprint to provide a personal cyber security score and report, which highlights vulnerabilities an individual may have and trains them on how to fix these issues. DynaRisk checks whether they have had information stolen and traded on the Dark Web. It also educates users how to protect themselves from phishing and other email scams. The platform then generates simple step by step actions for users to take to protect themselves and their company. Chubb's Cyber Enterprise Risk Management proposition provides an end-to-end risk management solution for businesses before, during and after a cyber incident. Chubb's loss mitigation service partners provide support and guidance before an incident occurs, and its incident response management solution provides post-loss assistance to get businesses back to normal. Both of these are backed by Chubb's Cyber Enterprise Risk Management insurance policy. Kyle Bryant, Cyber Risks Manager, Europe, Chubb said: "With the cyber threat dynamic changing all the time, understanding how to be safe online is more important now than ever before. DynaRisk's service offers Chubb Cyber Enterprise Risk Management insurance policyholders and employees the opportunity to assess their personal cyber risk profiles, helping to educate and improve personal online activity and behaviour. People are the biggest weakness from a corporate cyber security perspective, so greater digital risk awareness among staff will help improve their practices at work." Andrew Martin, DynaRisk founder and CEO said: "We are very excited to be working with the team at Chubb who truly understand the cyber risk landscape. Both of our organisations recognise that transforming the behaviour of people is central to protecting companies against cyber attacks." This offering is available to both new and existing Cyber Enterprise Risk Management policyholders. *Five free DynaRisk licences are available for each Cyber Enterprise Risk Management policyholder. About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com/uk About DynaRisk DynaRisk has created a personal cyber security score and report to help individuals and businesses protect themselves online. Headquartered in London, DynaRisk provides cyber security products to help enterprises and SMEs protect their most important assets, their clients and staff, from cyber attack. Find out more about DynaRisk by visiting DynaRisk.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/324916/Chubb_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.acegroup.com/eu-en SOURCE Chubb NOTTINGHAM, England, July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbus honoured by Microsoft for outstanding sales achievement and innovation Columbus, the global digital business services provider, has achieved the prestigious 2018/2019 Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications. Membership in this elite group is based on sales achievements that rank Columbus in the top echelon of the Microsoft's Business Applications global network of partners. Inner Circle members have performed to a high standard of excellence by delivering valuable solutions that help organisations achieve increased success. This recognition came during Microsoft Inspire, the annual premier partner event, which took place July 15-19, 2018, in Las Vegas. Microsoft Inspire provides the Microsoft partner community with the opportunity to learn about the company's road map for the upcoming year, establish connections, share best practices, experience the latest product innovations and learn new skills. "Each year we recognise Microsoft Business Applications partners from around the world for delivering innovation and driving unsurpassed customer success," said Cecilia Flombaum, Senior Director, Microsoft, One Commercial Partner organisation. "Our Inner Circle members are chosen based on their business performance as well as capabilities as an organisation, whether that's creating IP, developing solutions, or having an industry leading focus on digital transformation. Microsoft is honoured to recognise Columbus for their achievements this past year, their dedication to our customers, and their innovation around the Microsoft Cloud." As a Microsoft partner, Columbus maintains and builds strong expertise of the Microsoft platform which enables the company to develop cutting-edge solutions that provide real value to its customers. Columbus has received numerous awards and accolades from Microsoft including the 2016 Microsoft Global ERP Partner of the Year Award, being named to the Microsoft Dynamics President's Club and a number of prestigious Inner Circle achievements. Mary Hunter, Managing Director, Columbus UK "Our close collaboration with Microsoft over the years has enabled us to deliver truly effective solutions which have helped our customers thrive in highly competitive markets, not just in the UK, but across Europe and the US. Columbus is proud to have been a member of the prestigious Inner Circle for over 10 years and join the ranks of this year's most innovative, effective and experienced Microsoft Dynamics partners." "The Columbus team is fully committed to delivering innovative applications and services to digitally transform our customers and support them throughout the entire lifecycle of their solutions - making sure they generate maximum value from their data and business systems. Our close collaboration with Microsoft ensures we offer the very best solutions alongside our in-house consultancy expertise and maintain our strong track record of success in our focus industries." About Columbus Columbus is an international IT services company serving customers worldwide. We are experts in developing and providing digital business applications that help our customers in the digital transformation of their business. We are specialist within the industries retail, distribution, food and manufacturing. We've proved this through more than 28 years of experience with more than 8,000 successful business cases. Columbus has offices and partners all around the world. www.columbusglobal.com SOURCE Columbus PORTLAND, Oregon, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, "Enteral Feeding Devices Market, by Product, Age Group, Application, and End User: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018-2025," the market was valued at $2,503 million in 2017, and is projected to reach $3,848 million by 2025 at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2018 to 2025. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg ) Enteral feeding is nutritional therapy that provides nutrients directly to gastrointestinal tract in patients who cannot swallow food or who cannot get enough nourishment by eating or drinking. Enteral feeding therapy involves the usage of feeding devices such as pumps and tubes. These medical devices deliver the medications and nutrients directly into the stomach, duodenum, or jejunum via either the nose, mouth, or the direct percutaneous route. Request Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/704 Increase in prevalence of several chronic disorders such as cancer, neurological disorders across the world, upsurge in the adoption of enteral nutrition, rise in geriatric population, and growth in incidence of malnutrition cases drive the market. However, stringent governmental regulations and inadvertent dislodgment of tubes leading to accidental disabilities and deaths impede the market growth. Conversely, the development of newer products with lesser side effects and presence of untapped market in the emerging economies are expected to provide lucrative growth opportunities for the market. The enteral feeding pumps segment accounted for the largest share in 2017 owing to growth in usage and lesser side effects as compared to other devices. The enteral syringe segment is expected to grow at the high CAGR from 2018 to 2025. The neurological disorder segment is the largest application segment in the global enteral feeding device market in 2017 and is estimated to grow at a moderate CAGR during the forecast period. On the other hand, the cancer segment is anticipated to record a highest CAGR during the forecast period. By age group, the adult segment dominated the global enteral feeding devices market in terms of revenue in 2017 and the trend is projected to continue throughout the forecast period. The utilization rate of enteral feeding devices in hospitals is high owing to high availability of these products in hospitals and placement of tubes in hospitals with high success rate. However, the home care segment is expected to grow at a high CAGR during the forecast period. For Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/704 Key findings of the study The enteral feeding tube segment accounted for nearly one-fifth share of the global enteral feeding devices market in 2017. The pediatric segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2018 to 2025. The gastrointestinal segment accounted for around one-eighth share of the global market in 2017. North America accounted for around one-third share of the global market in 2017. accounted for around one-third share of the global market in 2017. LAMEA is expected to provide lucrative market growth opportunities and grows with the CAGR of 6.0% from 2018 to 2025. Europe was the leading revenue contributor to the global enteral feeding devices market in 2017, and is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. This is attributed to the early approval of enteral feeding devices and high adoption of enteral feeding pumps in this region. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.6% during the study period, due to increase in affordability, surge in healthcare expenditure, and rise in awareness toward safe enteral feedings products. Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas. Similar Reports: IVF Devices and Consumables Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018-2025 Endotherapy Devices Market - Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2024 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: Shriram Dighe 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1855550-5975 [email protected]rketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com SOURCE Allied Market Research CHERRY HILL, N.J., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PreparedHealth today announced that FOX Rehabilitation has joined the enTouch Network to streamline health-related communication around their patients. FOX Rehabilitation is a clinician-owned and operated professional private practice of full-time physical, occupational, and speech therapists, built on the foundation of Geriatric House Calls, with over 950 clinicians practicing in 16 states and growing. FOX Rehabilitation intends to roll out enTouch in their Pennsylvania and New Jersey markets, with a focus on care transition management and care coordination. The partnership is a significant step in expanding the care continuum in the area, keeping to the enTouch promise of connecting providers from hospital to home. "At FOX we focus on incorporating innovative practices and technology that allow us to better serve our older adult clients," said Tim Fox, PT, DPT, GCS Emeritus, Founder and CEO of FOX Rehabilitation. "There is nothing else in the industry like PreparedHealth's health communications technology. Their cutting-edge tools are in line with our own approach and will result in a complete sharing of information throughout our client's continuum of care which we believe will result in better outcomes." enTouch is a powerful platform that connects everyone involved in a patient's care, enabling real-time, HIPAA-compliant, and sometimes life-saving communications at the speed of touch. With enTouch, providers are seeing an increase in referral acceptance, faster transition times and reduced readmissions for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. "We are thrilled to welcome FOX Rehabilitation to the enTouch network. They bring an innovative approach to the industry and we're proud to partner with them to enhance patient outcomes across the care continuum," said Tim Coulter, COO of PreparedHealth. About FOX Rehabilitation FOX Rehabilitation is a high growth entrepreneurial private practice of physical, occupational, and speech therapists that provides proactive, clinically excellent and evidence-based treatment interventions to the older population. FOX was built on the strong clinical foundation of Geriatric House Calls, and throughout its growth, the practice has stayed true to its mission of rehabilitating lives by believing in the strength of people. For more, see http://www.foxrehab.org. About PreparedHealth PreparedHealth is a Chicago-based healthcare technology company empowering healthcare providers to better communicate with one another around the care of their patients. The company has built enTouch, an innovative mobile-first network that connects hospitals and post-acute providers in real-time to achieve improved patient outcomes. For more information, visit entouchnetwork.com. SOURCE PreparedHealth Related Links http://www.preparedhealth.com AUSTIN, Texas, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, today announced Hicks Electric & Utility Supply Company (HESCO) has chosen the award-winning Epicor Eclipse software as its new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to maximize margins and better manage inventory. Many customers want to do business with the smaller independents like HESCO, but they expect us to have the inventory management, dynamic pricing capabilities, project management, and e-commerce offered by the large companies. Epicor Eclipse software fits our vertical so well it will help us become more competitive and get to where we want to go. -David Hicks, President, HESCO From its humble beginnings in 1989 as DH Supply Company, the family-owned, Doraville, Ga.-based business grew to become one of the 250 largest distributors in the country. After a five-year absence from the industry, the team at HESCO is back with plans to once again be one of the leading independent electrical distributors in the industry. HESCO has doubled its business in the last three years and expects to continue this trend in the coming years. This growth prompted HESCO to look for a more robust ERP solution that allowed for optimal inventory management, a dynamic pricing system, and direct-through-stock job management. Moving to Eclipse software will allow the company to focus on the strategic aspects of the business and maximize margins. "Many customers want to do business with the smaller independents like HESCO, but they expect us to have the inventory management, dynamic pricing capabilities, project management, and e-commerce offered by the large companies," said David Hicks, president, HESCO. "Epicor Eclipse software fits our vertical so well, it will help us become more competitive and get to where we want to go." Maximizing margins with industry-specific software Job management has become a more significant part of HESCO's business, and the Eclipse system is designed to create efficiency, limit errors, and allow the company to grow without adding more people. HESCO is also planning to fully automate its warehouse operations through the Eclipse radio frequency (RF) warehouse management application, which provides up-to-the minute information transmission of warehouse activity and drives productivity. The Eclipse pricing matrix offers unparalleled flexibility to handle complex pricing and costing rules, which will allow the company to manage costs and maximize margins. "Epicor Eclipse software is a fit-for-purpose, ERP solution for distributors," said Mark D. Jensen, senior director of product management, Epicor. "Based on feedback from our customers, the Eclipse solution has been designed to be easy to learn and easy to use. Eclipse helps distributors such as HESCO win in today's competitive markets by growing sales, improving margins, and increasing productivity. It's just that simple." If you would like to learn more about Eclipse software, please visit the Epicor Eclipse solution hub. About Epicor Software Corporation Epicor Software Corporation drives business growth. We provide flexible, industry-specific software designed to fit the precise needs of our manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service industry customers. More than 45 years of experience with our customers' unique business processes and operational requirements are built into every solutionin the cloud or on premises. With this deep understanding of your industry, Epicor solutions dramatically improve performance and profitability while easing complexity so you can focus on growth. For more information, connect with Epicor or visit www.epicor.com. Epicor, the Epicor logo, and Eclipse are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners. The product and service offerings depicted in this document are produced by Epicor Software Corporation. Contact: Katie Chubb Public Relations Specialist Epicor Software Corporation +1 512 278 5365 [email protected] SOURCE Epicor Software Corporation Related Links http://www.epicor.com STOCKHOLM, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Impilo has launched Immedica Pharma a pan-European specialty pharma commercialization and distribution platform. Immedica's plan is to quickly establish a fast-growing EUR 100m+ leading pan-European niche specialty pharma portfolio composed of partner products as well as proprietary products rights and spanning from pre-approval stage through peak sales. This will be achieved through world-class launch, commercialization, and distribution capabilities lead by a management team with a very strong and established track record within niche specialty pharma. Immedica was formed through the combination of an existing platform, recruitment of new management and key employees. Immedica will be built on the initial acquisition of Medical Need Europe a rapidly growing, Northern Europe focused, launch- and commercial distribution partner for rare disease therapies and orphan drugs. With a portfolio of 15 drugs and an organic growth trajectory of over 30% per year, Medical Need Europe is a formidable starting point for a significant expansion across a pan-European and Middle East territory. Medical Need Europe's employees will continue in their current roles and the company's CEO and co-founder Peder Walberg will remain committed to the business, both as a shareholder and as an operative board member with specific focus on business development and partner relations at Immedica. In addition, Immedica is delighted to have recruited Anders Edvell as CEO for Immedica and Carl Belmadani as Head of Commercial Operations. Mr. Edvell, most recently serving as CEO for Unimedic and prior to that as Head of SOBI Partner Products and Mr. Belmadani, most recently Head of Commercial Operations at SOBI Partner Products, both hold unmatched track records and experience from this niche business model and sector and will be instrumental in realizing Immedica's ambitions. Immedica is looking to add several additional key positions across Europe in the short term as a consequence of its significant scale up of activities. Just recently, a significant addition to the portfolio was signed with the Spanish pharma company PharmaMar, under which Immedica becomes the exclusive distributor for their innovative anti-cancer drug Yondelis in the Nordics and the Central and Eastern European territories. Yondelis is an established treatment for patients suffering from soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and platinum sensitive ovarian cancer. "I believe Immedica will fill an important role in the European pharma environment as a facilitator making new niche specialty medicines available for patients with rare diseases", says Anders Edvell, CEO of Immedica. "Our ambition is to leverage our experience and capabilities in providing market and patient access for new niche therapies. By providing these services combined with an understanding of the commercialization requirements for niche pharmaceuticals in a broader EU and Middle East territory, we believe Immedica will become the preferred partner for many innovative small biotechs with the ambition to make their medicines commercially available in Europe and the Middle East." "We are highly impressed with what Medical Need has achieved during its short history and pleased that its founder Peder Walberg will continue to serve its partners and remain invested in the business. Taken together with Mr Edvell's and Mr Belmadani's outstanding track records and relationships, we have the foundation to establish the leading pan European launch and distribution partner for niche specialty drug originators, as evidenced by the significant new partnership established with PharmaMar" says Magnus Edlund, partner at Impilo. Impilo, which was established in 2017, has more than SEK 3.5 bn in capital from leading Nordic and international investors. For more information: Magnus Edlund, Impilo, Partner [email protected] +46-761-15-10-61 Fredrik Stromholm, Impilo, Partner, and Chairman of Immedica [email protected] +46-761-15-10-65 Anders Edvell, Immedica, CEO [email protected] +46-705-44-61-26 Impilo is an investment company focused on investments in Nordic healthcare companies active in the pharmaceutical, medical devices, care services and other health related areas. Impilo's perspective is that the portfolio companies must contribute to a positive development in their field and thus society in order to be successful longer term. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/impilo/r/impilo-launches-immedica---a-platform-for-pan-european-niche-specialty-pharma-launch--commercializat,c2583394 SOURCE Impilo "For more than 60 years, Aflac has been there for policyholders, providing reassurance when they caught a tough break that threatened their financial security," said Catherine Hernandez-Blades, senior vice president, chief brand and communications officer at Aflac. "Aflac isn't major medical insurance that pays the hospital or doctor; we are a company that pays cash benefits to our policyholders, unless otherwise assigned. 'Good Break' continues to showcase not only the Aflac Duck's famously funny side, but that Aflac is a compassionate company consumers can count on when it matters most." The new commercial illustrates that Aflac is there for customers when they need help and even when they don't. The spot opens with a young woman swimming laps; as she concludes and looks at her watch, she says, "Broke my personal record." The Aflac Duck appears with cash to help cover costs resulting from a break, to which the young woman shakes her head and responds, "No. Good break, gooood break." The commercial continues with two friends chatting outside. One friend apologizes to the other for missing her barbeque, noting she's "just sick about it." Hearing someone is sick, the Aflac Duck again appears with cash (and soup!) to help, but the policyholder responds, "Different kind of sick." The spot concludes with the woman telling a friend she is worried about paying her rent and bills after surgery. The Aflac Duck appears with cash, reminding the women that Aflac pays policyholders cash quickly with One Day PaySM, helping with everyday expenses like rent. "With health care expenses rising, a sudden injury or an unplanned surgery can create financial stress," Hernandez-Blades added. "'Good Break' reminds policyholders that Aflac insurance is designed to help ease the financial burdens associated with unexpected injuries or accidents." Developed in partnership with Publicis Seattle, the summer-themed television commercial is Hernandez-Blades' second advertisement in her role as Aflac's chief brand and communications officer, where she oversees brand strategy, advertising, communications and the company's award-winning corporate social responsibility program. To learn more, visit aflac.com. About Aflac When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite. Through its trailblazing One Day PaySM initiative, for eligible claims, Aflac U.S. can process, approve and electronically send funds to claimants for quick access to cash in just one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For 12 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2018, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the 20th consecutive year and included Aflac on its list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 17th time. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day PaySM, visit aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol. Media contact Kristen Fraser, 706.580.3813 or [email protected] Analyst and investor contact David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667, FAX 706.324.6330, or [email protected] Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York. SOURCE Aflac Related Links http://www.aflac.com CHAPEL HILL, N.C., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) is pleased to announce that its open access journal, Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (RPTH), is now indexed in PubMed Central (PMC). All content published in RPTH, starting with the first issue, will be deposited in PMC and discoverable through PubMed. PMC is a free archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM). Full participation in PMC has been a major goal of RPTH since its official launch in July, 2017. This achievement reflects the growing success of the journal, its high quality scientific articles, and the diversity and excellence of the editorial board and authors. RPTH is the second ISTH title to be indexed. Indexing provides greater exposure and scientific validation for the journal and greater access to authors' articles by other scientists. "I am grateful to my editorial team and the authors from the global thrombosis and hemostasis community who have supported RPTH, allowing us to achieve this important milestone," said Dr. Mary Cushman, RPTH Editor in Chief and professor of medicine at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont in the United States. "This indexing allows the journal to more broadly disseminate the important scientific discoveries we are publishing, and serve a wider research and patient community." Published in partnership with Wiley, RPTH provides an innovative new open access platform for science and discourse among researchers, clinicians and patients. Led by Cushman and supported by a world renowned editorial board, RPTH publishes a broad array of peer-reviewed article types covering the widest possible spectrum of topics in thrombosis, hemostasis and related areas. For more information and to submit an article for consideration, visit rpth.isth.org and follow RPTH on Twitter (@RPTHJournal). About the ISTH Founded in 1969, the ISTH is the leading worldwide not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thrombotic and bleeding disorders. Visit ISTH online at www.isth.org. SOURCE International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Related Links http://www.isth.org Water solution was given in lieu of rabies shot; expiry dates changed to sell vaccines. According to experts, the scandal that hit the Changsheng Bio-tech is just the tip of the iceberg of a system that is based on forged data and corruption. Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) The scandal that has recently beset Changsheng Biotech is not an isolated incident, according to experts. Chinas State Drug Administration (SDA) reports that Changsheng Bio-tech forged data on the effectiveness of its rabies vaccines and sold substandard DPT (diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus) shots for children as young as three months old. The vaccination programme is state-sponsored and delivered through the countrys 3,000 or so local disease control centres for free. While there are no official figures or reliable independent assessments about the full extent of the problems, authorities have found fraud throughout the domestic vaccine supply chain, from laboratories to vaccination centres. The head of one disease control centre for about half a million people said problems with the quality of vaccines had existed for a long time and everyone inside the loop knows it. Another problem is funding shortages. Government funds are allocated to the local health bureau, but the bureau only gives a very small amount of money to my station, the centre head said. In one extreme case, a staff member at the centre filled a syringe with water and sold it to a patient as a rabies shot, the source said. The source also said it was a common practice for lower-level disease control centres to push clients to have optional, paid-for injections. If everyone comes here for free vaccines, how can the centre maintain its operations [without adequate funding]? he said. It was also common practice to sweep the numbers for some diseases under the carpet rather than treat them, the source said. Basically, we did not do anything to prevent malaria and many medicines are stored in our station too long and they pass their expiry date, he said. Another issue was changing the production date. When a batch of products was close to its expiry date, the production date was changed so that they could still be sold. In Changsheng Bio-tech case, the company forged production logs and product inspection records and randomly altered production technical parameters and equipment, according to the SDA. A government investigation of the manufacturer found that the company had used expired materials and conducted experiments on mice at the wrong time. To cover up its procedural violations, the firm faked production and testing records, and issued receipts that contained false information about when the mice had been bought. The Health Ministry introduced rules barring all individuals and institutions, other than expert consortiums set by Chinas disease control authority, from determining whether an illness was caused by vaccine, making it impossible for anyone other than the vaccine authority to question quality and effectiveness of vaccines. However, many parents said they lost faith in the health care system even though Beijing is trying to reassure the public that the scandals are isolated cases and the consequences are under control. Joseph Wu, an epidemiology professor at the University of Hong Kong, said ineffective vaccines given to a large population could increase the possibility of an outbreak, particularly for highly transmissible infectious diseases such as measles. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale will kick off the fall season by hosting its annual Rally Day celebration on Sunday, September 9, 2018 from 10:30 a.m. to Noon. Members and non-members are invited to partake in this free event featuring informational booths from the Church's ministries and programs. There will be fun for everyone, including a dunk tank, live music, family-friendly crafts, face painting, a balloon artist, cotton candy and a petting zoo! "Rally Day is one of our most exciting events because we can welcome new members to First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale and show them the myriad programs we have to offer," said Mona Petersen, Director of Adult Spiritual Formation Ministry, Small Groups and Women's Ministry at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale. "Congregation members, both new and old, can gather on Rally Day to enjoy fellowship and learn about Christian Education opportunities and all of the wonderful programs that we have planned for the upcoming year." Everyone is invited to Fellowship Hall, located at 451 Tarpon Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, directly across from the Sanctuary, to explore display tables featuring the Church's ministries including; the Adult Activity Center, Adult Education Ministry, Women's Ministry, Youth Ministry, Children's Ministry, Missions and more! "People of all ages can grow in their faith and with the Lord by getting involved in the numerous Christian Education and fellowship opportunities offered at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale," Petersen said. Participants are invited to partake in Rally Day activities before, in between, or after worship services. 1st Traditional Worship Service 8:30 a.m., Chapelinthe-Sky, located on the third floor of the Neumann Center, 451 Tarpon Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 Contemporary Worship Service 9:30 a.m., Fellowship Hall, 451 Tarpon Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 2nd Traditional Worship Service 11 a.m., Sanctuary, 401 SE 15th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 For more information about First Pres Rally Day, the weekly worship schedule or the diverse array of ministries and social programming, please visit firstpres.cc, call (954) 462-6200 or visit the Church's Facebook page. About First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale Founded in 1912, First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale is located on the banks of the New River in the historic Colee Hammock neighborhood in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. With more than 1,800 members, and a strong core of volunteers, First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale prides itself in offering something for everyone, regardless of age. Since 1947, First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale has operated Happyland Day School, a pre-school for ages two to Kindergarten that provides a quality Christian environment for the children of the community. Adult, youth and children's choirs as well as youth groups offer ample opportunity for fellowship at any age. An Adult Activity Center is open to senior citizens and features weekly lunches, entertainment and monthly bus trips. First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale offers three regular Sunday services as well as special worship services held throughout the year to commemorate significant days. For more information, please visit firstpres.cc. MEDIA RELEASE CONTACT Laurie Menekou, (954) 732-0754 (or) [email protected] SOURCE First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale Related Links http://firstpres.cc SPRINGFIELD, Mo., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kutak Rock is pleased to announce that 11 attorneys have joined its new office in Springfield, Missouri. The attorneys make the move from the Springfield office of Lathrop Gage, effective July 27. The additions strengthen the firm's service offerings in the areas of intellectual property, banking, construction, litigation, bankruptcy, corporate and real estate transactions, and grow the firm's attorney count to 530. Joining Kutak Rock from Lathrop Gage are Randell Wallace, James Jeffries, Jim Meadows, Mike Textor, Dan Nelson, Joseph Reid, Taylor White, Jarica Oeltjen, Josh Christensen, Amanda Cochran and Elijah Haahr. "Kutak Rock has particular strengths in certain areas of practice, including corporate and municipal finance expertise, which we have never really been able to offer our clients in the past," said Randell Wallace. "Kutak Rock is a major player among law firms in the Midwest and nationally, and its broad range of expertise will provide a great benefit to our clients who we believe will appreciate Kutak Rock's commitment to cost-effective client service. This move presents new opportunities for us and our clients and we know it is the right choice." "We are thrilled to enter the Springfield market," remarks Eric S. Johnson, managing partner for Kutak Rock's Kansas City office. "I am confident that our new colleagues will continue to be the premier legal service provider in southwest Missouri and will further strengthen Kutak Rock's Missouri presence." "As we continue to identify growth opportunities which respond to the needs of our clients, our focus remains the samehiring talented, experienced and personable attorneys while honoring and upholding our values and maintaining the culture of the firm," said Jay Selanders, Chair of Kutak Rock. "Our new team in Springfield represents who we are as practitioners and as a firm and we are delighted to welcome them. We also look forward to becoming an integral part of the Springfield business community, an expansion that makes sense for us given our strong presence in the Midwest." The new office will be located at 300 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway, Suite 800, Springfield, Missouri. About Kutak Rock LLP With 500+ attorneys in 18 U.S. locations, Kutak Rock represents clients in business and corporate, public finance, litigation, and real estate law. For more information, see www.KutakRock.com. SOURCE Kutak Rock LLP Related Links https://www.kutakrock.com/ LOS GATOS, Calif., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyvos Insights, a big data analytics company, today announced that Ajay Anand, the company's vice president of products and marketing, will participate in a complimentary meetup titled "Breakthroughs in BI on Big Data" held at Zillow in San Francisco. The event will explore how information technology (IT) professionals can utilize breakthrough technologies to make their business intelligence (BI) systems and tools effectively perform in today's rapidly evolving IT environments. BI is the leading big data use case for many organizations - a recent survey found that 70 percent of enterprises consider it the most important - but most BI tools can't handle the scale of today's data sets. Also, the performance of traditional SQL on Hadoop solutions decreases dramatically when numerous users query the same information at the same time. As a result, despite significant investments in related infrastructure like data lakes, most organizations are not able to achieve the promise of their big data or empower business users to interactively uncover or utilize the insights within it. In fact, only 25 percent of respondents felt they are deriving substantial value from their big data investments, according Kyvos Insights' research. The panel discussion will be followed by a question and answer period. Attendees will gain actionable information on how breakthrough innovations address these issues while empowering thousands of technical and business users to process, analyze and act on their big data simultaneously with nearly instantaneous responses times. "Data volumes are growing rapidly and the speed with which insights are needed is accelerating," said Anand. "Now it's possible for thousands of concurrent users to analyze and query Big Data at massive scale with nearly instantaneous response times, on both on-premises infrastructures as well as in the cloud." Details Include: What: "Breakthroughs in BI on Big Data" "Breakthroughs in BI on Big Data" When: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 from 6:00pm 9:00pm Pacific Daylight Time from Where: Zillow - 535 Mission Street, Suite 700 in San Francisco Zillow - 535 Mission Street, Suite 700 in Who Should Attend: IT and business professionals interested in acting on the insights within their organization's data IT and business professionals interested in acting on the insights within their organization's data Cost: There is no cost to attend There is no cost to attend RSVP: Attendees are asked to register for the event here The meetup will be moderated by Carol Fan, director, operations research at SoFi. Panelists include Junaid Saiyed, VP product management and engineering of Birst, Inc. Additional panelists will also be announced shortly. About Ajay Anand: As VP of Product Management and Marketing at Kyvos Insights, Anand oversees the company's implementation of OLAP on Big Data technology to provide business users with the ability to visualize, explore and analyze Big Data interactively. Before joining Kyvos Insights, he served as the director of product management at Yahoo! and, later, founded Datameer and served as its first CEO. He has a master's degree in business administration and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. The world's fastest BI on big data platform, Kyvos enables organizations to create a BI Consumption Layer that allows organizations to create data cubes with near limitless scalability and performance. To learn more about Kyvos visit www.kyvosinsights.com or request a demonstration at: www.kyvosinsights.com/request-demo. About Kyvos Insights Kyvos Insights is committed to unlocking the power of big data analytics with its unique "OLAP on Hadoop" technology. Backed by years of analytics expertise and a passion for big data, the company aims to revolutionize big data analytics by providing business users with the ability to visualize, explore and analyze big data interactively, working directly on Hadoop. Headquartered in Los Gatos, California, Kyvos Insights was formed by a team of veterans from Yahoo!, Impetus and Intellicus Technologies. The company has partnered with companies including Cloudera, Hortonworks, MapR, Qlik and Tableau. For more information, visit www.kyvosinsights.com or connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Media Contact: Ken Phillips LEWIS 781-418-2437 [email protected] SOURCE Kyvos Insights Related Links https://www.kyvosinsights.com WAYNE, Pa., July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Letco Medical, L.L.C. ("Letco Med" or "Letco"), a leading national supplier of quality compounding products, supplies and equipment, announces the launch of their Pharmacy Financial Services program, another in a series of new Letco Med offerings designed to partner with compounding pharmacies to grow their business and enhance profitability. Detailed information about Letco Med's Pharmacy Financial Services may be found at www.letcomed.com. Letco's Pharmacy Financial Services offering is uniquely designed to assist pharmacies by providing financing to purchase or lease capital equipment critical to running their business. The array of benefits compounding pharmacies can take advantage of through this attractive program include: Financing up to 100% of equipment costs, including all associated expenses (tax, delivery and installation); A broad menu of financing options with flexible payment methods tailored to each customer's specic business needs and the status of their growth cycle; An option to upgrade equipment as new technology becomes available with no additional up-front out-of-pocket monies required; and Pharmacy Financial Services is a separate program, having no impact on customers' existing lines of credit with Letco. Letco's Chief Financial Officer, Todd Way, said "Letco is excited to offer a unique financing program for customers at a time when new investments are required to satisfy emerging market and regulatory requirements such as USP<800> compliance for handling of hazardous substances. We are very enthusiastic about this new offering and believe customers will be as well, as it allows compounding pharmacies to build a plan that aligns with their specific sales cycle, cash flow and budget needs." Equipment financing through Letco is the smart choice for compounding pharmacies. By helping customers operate smarter, without the need to dip into valuable capital, pharmacies experience a range of business benefits while still adhering to their own unique budgetary and cash flow requirements. About Letco Medical, L.L.C. Letco Medical, L.L.C. ("Letco Med"), a 100% employee-owned company headquartered in Wayne, PA, is the supply partner of choice for profit-conscious compounding pharmacies everywhere. Letco Med has invested heavily in building a company that can serve the needs of compounding pharmacists today, tomorrow and into the future, with a full line of products and complementary programs and services. With a dedicated focus on the U.S. compounding market, Letco Med provides a wide and comprehensive portfolio of safe and consistent top-quality chemicals, compounding supplies and equipment at highly competitive prices. Letco Med's product line includes chemicals covering a broad range of therapeutic categories, as well as supplies, equipment, capsules, pre-made topical bases and oral delivery vehicles. In addition, Letco Med carries a deep assortment of dosage forms and delivery systems. Since its inception in 1993, Letco Med has earned and built a reputation as one of the most innovative companies in the compounding industry. Letco Med is focused on unwavering quality, exemplified by the company's industry-leading quality assurance programs, stringent quality control procedures and an unblemished record with the FDA. SOURCE Letco Medical, L.L.C. Related Links http://www.letcomed.com SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In the early 1980s Jill Summerhays wanted to provide for her 'Ohana (family) so she opened the first Maui Wowi Hawaiian, a Hawaiian-themed smoothie hut offering a healthy alternative to the sugary and fat laden foods that were seemingly everywhere. Fast forward three and a half decades, and the franchise is spending 2018 celebrating its 35th anniversary. The premium Hawaiian coffee and smoothie franchise has a lot to celebrate in its 35th year; since 1983 it has grown to 450 franchise units globally and has sold upwards of 45 million smoothies. But instead of a traditional promotion or party to commemorate its anniversary, Maui Wowi is putting the focus towards the 'Ohana, though this time a much larger one the people of Hawaii. From July 30 to August 31, 2018, participating Maui Wowi carts, concession trailers, and brick-and-mortar locations will have a donation box where guests can donate to Red Cross of Hawaii's relief fund for those impacted by the continued eruption of the Kilauea Volcano. The money raised will go toward providing shelter, relief supplies and comfort to those affected. The Kilauea Volcano began erupting on May 3, and in two short months it has claimed more than 600 homes on the Big Island. Lava and smoke has engulfed homes, schools and small businesses. The peaceful island state has served as a major inspiration for Maui Wowi throughout the brand's 35 year history, and the franchise system couldn't sit idly by as it watched the Big Island in trouble. "One of the best things about Maui Wowi is the importance every corporate team member, franchise owner, and employee places on the concept of 'Ohana and supporting the community around us," said Mike Weinberger, brand president. "We are proud that we are able to use our anniversary as a way to spread awareness and garner donations for what is happening on the Big Island. We invite all new and longtime fans of the Maui Wowi brand help us celebrate by pitching in anything they can from a couple cents to a couple of dollars. Cheers to another 35 years of serving delicious smoothies and coffees, and always being there for the 'Ohana." About Maui Wowi Since 1983, Maui Wowi has embraced the Hawaiian culture and has been serving paradise in a cup since the day it began, 35 years ago. From event carts, mall kiosks and stand-alone retail locations, Maui Wowi offers premium smoothies, as well as gourmet Hawaiian coffees and espresso beverages. The company maintains strong community involvement through fundraising efforts by its franchisees, in addition to Team Karma; an initiative that promotes corporate responsibility and giving back to the community. The brand has more than 450 operating units and an online store. In November 2015, Maui Wowi was acquired by Kahala Brands, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 27 quick-service restaurant brands and approximately 2900 locations in 28 countries. For more information about Maui Wowi, visit www.MauiWowi.com. For more information about Kahala Brands, visit www.KahalaBrands.com. SOURCE Maui Wowi Related Links http://www.MauiWowi.com FELTON, California, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Metal Foam Market is expected to value at USD 117.7 million by 2025 with a CAGR of 4.1%. The market is driven by factors such as boom in construction industry, industrial sector and aerospace domain. Market entrants are exploring new arenas for development and application of production processes. Rising environmental concerns and government inclination towards lessening automotive pollution control have enabled automotive manufacturers to enable innovative techniques to curb pollution problems. Foundry owners are now adopting sustainable techniques to overcome issues such as high capital costs, labor law and government regulations rigid by nature. However, negatively influencing drivers for metal foam market include disparity in properties and considerable uses. Metal foams are a new class of materials with unique characteristics such as highly mechanical, robust, electrically efficient and so on. Metal foams are known to offer lightweight structures, thermal management and energy absorption features. In fact, metal foams are recyclable and non-toxic by nature offering significant performance, efficient absorption of energy and high in thermal management. Commercially, these are used for automobile production such as car body, chassis, external coverings etc. Metals foams find extended use in aircraft designs, civil engineering and road & highways infrastructure. A basic feature of metal foam is high porosity that ranges within a significant percentage. Foam density thus makes up to a high portion in manufacture of metal foams. Densities of common foam made out of aluminum and pure metal alloys enables to change their characteristic parameters. Browse 149 page research report with TOC on "Global Metal Foam Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/metal-foam-market Applications of metal foam include heat sinks & exchangers, absorption and fragmentation capture. Other uses include battery plates, automotive, aircraft light weighting, and catalyst surfaces. The market is segmented based on material, application, end-use and geography. Material segmentation for metal foam market comprises Nickel, Copper, Aluminum, Tantalum, Tungsten and Zinc. End-use segmentation includes construction & maintenance, industrial and automotive. Segmentation by application for metal foam market includes heat exchangers, anti-intrusion bars, catalysis, medical implants and sound absorbers. Geographical segmentation for metal foam market includes North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Asia-Pacific metal foam market accounted for a significant market share in the forecast period owing to rise in emerging economies as and significant applications for automotive sector. North American market is anticipated to rise at a staggering CAGR in the forthcoming period due to rise in stringent emission standards, increasing investments, consumer preference for electric powered vehicles and government policies for efficient resource utilization. The key players in the metal foam industry include Cymat Technologies Ltd, and ERG Aerospace Corporation. Browse reports of similar category available with Million Insights: Material Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Thousand, 2014 - 2025) Aluminum Nickel Magnesium Copper Application Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Thousand, 2014 - 2025) Heat Exchangers Energy Absorbers Side Impact Bars Others End-use Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Thousand, 2014 - 2025) Automotive Construction Industrial Aerospace Regional Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Thousand, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S Europe Germany UK France Asia Pacific China Japan India Middle East and Africa Central & South America About Million Insights: Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying, is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive. Contact: Ryan Manuel Research Support Specialist, USA Million Insights Phone: +1-408-610-2300 Toll Free: 1-866-831-4085 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.millioninsights.com/ Blog: https://millioninsights.blogspot.com SOURCE Million Insights The International Pageants system promotes community service with the majority of each contestant's competition score based on knowledge of and work with her platform. A victim of sexual assault, Ewing launched BRAVE ( www.ChooseBravery.com ) in 2015 which will serve as her platform -- to empower other victims. In 2017, she also lost her father unexpectedly and then expanded her mission to help all those facing life-altering events. BRAVE focuses on educating and mentoring children facing hardship through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and similar organizations. The organization also advocates for sexual assault and rape victims via state legislation and provides comfort items to children, teens and women living in foster and shelter care. "The Miss International title and role will amplify my voice and help me spread my message of making courageous choices in the face of tragic, life changing events," said Ewing. "BRAVE is my life's mission, and this platform chose me. I am passionate about helping others choose bravery no matter their circumstances." Ewing is entering her senior year at the University of Georgia where she is working toward a double major in Management Information Systems and Marketing. She is the President of the Management Information Systems Advisory Board, a Presidential Scholarship Recipient, a member of the University of Georgia Tap Dawgs Dance Team, and enjoys traveling abroad and playing with her pet mini pig, Scout. The Miss International Pageant system is owned and operated by Roanoke, Va.-based International Pageants, Inc., which also operates the newly launched Miss Pre-Teen International, and Miss Teen International and Mrs. International competitions. Miss International showcases the achievements of women ages 19 to 30-years-old. For more information, visit www.miss-international.us. Follow the International Pageants System on Twitter (@intlpageants), Instagram (@IntlPageants), Snapchat (@IntlPageants) and Facebook (@ IntlPageants) SOURCE International Pageants, Inc. Related Links http://www.miss-international.us The International Pageants system promotes community service with the majority of each contestant's competition score based on knowledge of and work with her platform. During her reign as Miss Teen International 2018, Clark will support young voter education through interactive workshops targeting elementary-aged students. Recently turning 18-years-old and a newly registered voter, Clark realized her passion for politics during the 2016 Presidential Election and recognized the need to promote the importance of voting among today's youth. "I found that many young adults had strong feelings about the 2016 Presidential Election, yet didn't exercise their right to vote," said Clark. "This sparked my passion for politics and my platform, to work with children to educate them about our country's voting system and the importance of exercising their right to vote. With my new role as Miss Teen International, I'm excited to take my mission nationally." Clark recently graduated with honors from high school and will attend Troy University in the fall where she'll study political science. While in high school, she served in the ROTC, was a member of her school's Student Government Association and volunteered for numerous local organizations. During her free time, Clark enjoys creative writing, twirling, teaching swimming lessons and playing with her dog, Mr. Puddles. She describes herself as having a strange fascination with sloths and is the proud owner of a baby blue 1978 Ford Thunderbird. The Miss Teen International Pageant system and is owned and operated by Roanoke, Va.-based International Pageants, Inc., which also operates the newly launched Miss Pre-Teen, and Miss International and Mrs. International competitions. Miss Teen International showcases the achievements of young women ages 13 to 18-years-old. For more information, visit www.missteeninternational.us. Follow the International Pageants System on Twitter (@intlpageants), Instagram (@IntlPageants), Snapchat (@IntlPageants) and Facebook (@Intlpageants) SOURCE International Pageants, Inc. Related Links http://www.missteeninternational.us DALLAS, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nathan Carlisle Homes, a private, Texas-based developer of active adult neighborhoods, is not content to provide new homes for just the 55-plus market. In a unique new partnership with Dog Ranch Rescue, Nathan Carlisle will also help rescue dogs find new, loving homes. At its two new North Texas communities--Lakes at Legacy in Prosper and ArrowBrooke in Aubrey--Nathan Carlisle will build secured dog play areas that are certain to be among the most popular amenities in each neighborhood. Each dog play area will also feature doghouses painted in Nathan Carlisle brand colors. But the company's love for man's best friend will go much further, as it supports one of the area's fastest-growing rescue organizations, Dog Ranch Rescue in Anna. "More than 60 percent of active adult homebuyers have a pet, and the majority of them are dogs, so the dog play areas will be extremely popular at our new communities," said Richard Dix, CEO. "In addition, as a locally-based company, we believe it is important to give back to the community, so we're excited to support Dog Ranch Rescue, which is a true hero in helping save and find homes for hundreds of special dogs each year. We see this partnership as a perfect complement to our commitment to serving dog-loving homebuyers." "Dog Ranch Rescue began as a labor of love when our boarding business, Lone Star Dog Ranch, was asked to help nurse one dog back to health and find him a home," said Owner/Operator Renee Eden. "This led to us starting the non-profit, Dog Ranch Rescue. We now rescue hundreds of dogs each year and have more than 70,000 supporters across the country. We're very excited to welcome Nathan Carlisle Homes as an important new corporate sponsor of our lifesaving work." Nathan Carlisle Homes will be the title sponsor for Dog Ranch Rescue's second annual Villagefest Gala--Pawsitively Unforgettable--to be held Saturday, October 27th at the Courtyard Dallas Allen at the John Q. Hammons Center. Nathan Carlisle will also provide Dog Ranch Rescue with some unique auction items for the gala, including a customized doghouse and two Villy Custom cruiser bikes built exclusively for Dog Ranch Rescue. The doghouse will be painted in Nathan Carlisle colors, as will one of the special Villy Custom cruiser bikes. The other bike will feature a special emblem and Dog Ranch Rescue colors. Villy Custom, which is already building custom bikes for each homebuyer in Nathan Carlisle's Lakes at Legacy and ArrowBrooke communities, is the perfect company for this effort as it is named after the founder's dog, Villy, and features Villy's likeness in its logo. "In our marketing, we talk about the 'Nathan Carlisle Difference' and this partnership with Dog Ranch Rescue is an important way to make that difference truly meaningful for our buyers beyond just building them a nice home," said Dix. "We look forward to continuing our work with Dog Ranch Rescue in the future and will be excited to have homebuyers supporting our efforts as well." About Nathan Carlisle Homes Based in Dallas, Texas, Nathan Carlisle Homes exclusively builds communities for residents 55+ who are ready to enjoy the benefits of a beautiful home and a fulfilling active adult lifestyle. "Living Life. Loving Life." That philosophy drives Nathan Carlisle to provide a setting for the exciting lifestyle its active adult customers have been looking for, without compromising the livability of their homes. Nathan Carlisle Homes provides exceptional customer service, superbly crafted, energy efficient homes, exclusive lifestyle amenities, and flexible plans. Visit nathancarlisle.com for more information. SOURCE Nathan Carlisle Homes Related Links http://www.nathancarlisle.com CARLSBAD, Calif. and LOS ANGELES, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OrangeTwist, a Southern California-based premier aesthetics treatment boutique with locations throughout the country, is partnering with ALASTIN Skincare, Inc., a specialty aesthetics company dedicated to developing and marketing innovative, clinically-tested physician-dispensed skin care products with proprietary TriHex Technology. Announced with this new partnership is the addition of ALASTIN Skincare's award-winning line of products to OrangeTwist's family of carefully curated medical-grade skincare solutions. With products designed for both daily skin care as well as for patients undergoing rejuvenating skin care procedures, ALASTIN products contain patent-pending TriHex peptides. These peptides and other key ingredients support the skin's ability to produce elastin and collagen, facilitate recovery from rejuvenating treatments, and maintain the overall effects of these procedures. TriHex Technology goes beyond traditional skincare to reawaken the skin's natural ability to rejuvenate itself, leading to a more youthful appearance and healthier skin while enhancing skin elasticity and youthful volume. Plus, TriHex Technology helps rebuild and recycle the skin's extracellular matrix (ECM) by clearing out byproducts of aging from exposure to sun and pollution, promoting the skin's ability to generate fresh, new skin that is strong and supple. "Many skincare products sit on the surface of the skin and may not actually penetrate to provide the desired effects. It is important to choose a skincare product that is optimally formulated to penetrate the skin and provide the expected beneficial effects," says W. Grant Stevens, MD, FACS, OrangeTwist's Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer. Stevens is founder and medical director of the prestigious Marina Plastic Surgery and is internationally recognized as a pioneer and leader in non-invasive aesthetics. He recently was elected president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Dr. Stevens continues, "Over time, our skin sags because the collagen and elastin deterioratethink of it like an old rubber band that no longer has the same recoil properties as it did when it was new. I've studied ALASTIN products, and I was immediately struck by the benefits observed in the skin's extracellular matrix. A healthy extracellular matrix with fresh collagen and elastin is what makes skin thick and plump and looking fresh." "ALASTIN is the only skincare line that has been shown to support the skin's natural process of elastin production as well as collagen production," says Diane S. Goostree, President and CEO of ALASTIN Skincare. "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with all of the nation-wide locations of OrangeTwist to bring our procedure products and daily skincare products to their customers." ALASTIN's procedure line works to precondition skin prior to a procedure to ensure optimal health for a successful treatment and contains potent antioxidants and other soothing ingredients to help the skin recover quickly after injectables, lasers and other in-office treatments. The daily skin care line can be used alone, or after a procedure to allow patients to maintain and optimize the results of their procedure. "We're thrilled to partner with ALASTIN. They're among the most effective products you can buy, whether used alone or in concert with an OrangeTwist treatment," Stevens said. "Once my patients start using ALASTIN, they never want to stop." All eight OrangeTwist locations throughout Southern California, Texas and Washington (www.orangetwist.com) now carry the TriHex Transition Duo, Alastin Nectar, Restorative Skin Complex, Restorative Eye Treatment, Restorative Neck Complex, and HydraTint SPF 36. ALASTIN products are fragrance-free, paraben-free, and cruelty-free. Visit https://orangetwist.com/treatment-types/alastin-skincare/ to learn more. ABOUT ORANGETWIST OrangeTwist is an aesthetic treatment experience for women and men co-founded by world-renowned medical director Dr. Grant Stevens, M.D. F.A.C.S. and Clint Carnell, an experienced healthcare services/medical technology executive and CEO of the HydraFacial Company. OrangeTwist offers a selection of the most effective non-invasive treatments for the body, face, and skin from our private, convenient locations across Southern California, and in the Seattle and Dallas-Forth Worth areas. Our expert treatment specialists use revolutionary technique and attentive care to guide you in bringing out the best version of you. About ALASTIN Skincare, Inc. ALASTIN Skincare is dedicated to developing innovative, clinically-tested skin care products that correct, protect and maintain healthy skin for a lifetime. Our unparalleled Procedure Enhancement and Restore & Renew products are formulated with a proprietary combination of key peptides and other synergistic ingredients using the latest technology and are clinically tested to demonstrate safety and their ability to help reawaken the skin's youthful regenerating processes. SOURCE ALASTIN Skincare, Inc. Related Links http://Alastin.com The bishops deliver a memorandum to the state governor. The investigations have intensified after the sale of newborns involving the Sisters of Mother Teresa. For Bishops Councils secretary general, the government is trying to show that the officials of Christian organisations are terrorists. Ranchi (AsiaNews/Agencies) Christian NGOs in Jharkhand are neither illegal nor a terrorist den, this according to a memorandum that the states Catholic bishops sent to Governor Droupadi Murmu. The work of Christian organisations has come under close scrutiny by state authorities after an orphanage run by the sisters of Mother Teresa was caught up in a baby selling scandal, which led to an investigation into all of Missionaries of Charitys activities. Now, however, the bishops complain, the investigation has spread to include all Christian associations, which have become the target of discrimination "just because they are Christian". The Jharkhand Bishops' Council made the memorandum public yesterday at a press conference. The delegation of bishops was led by Card Telesphore P. Toppo, archbishop emeritus of Ranchi. In the text delivered to the governor, the prelates accuse the Crime Investigation Department of subjecting Christian NGOs to violent attacks and making false accusations. The bishops point out that all Christian NGOs have been registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and have submitted audit reports to the federal Home Ministry and have filed income tax returns regularly, details of which are available on government websites. It is surprising that the state CID has launched such an investigation even after the Centre (federal government) has verified all the accounts and renewed permission, the memorandum reads. Furthermore, NGOs are autonomous bodies; hence, a blanket investigation of all NGOs merely because they are Christians, is unjust, unfair, illegal and against natural justice. We would like to request your excellency to make it possible for us, a peace-loving community, which is always in the service of the people, the nation and the poor, to carry out our work without any harassment, the memorandum says. Later, addressing the media, Council Secretary General Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas said that by involving the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the state government was perhaps trying to show that the officials of Christian organisations are terrorists. Christian organisations are not alone in receiving foreign aid under FCRA. Why have other NGOs been spared? he asked. BOSTON, July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Custom software development company Perfectial will start accepting payments from their clients in the form of cryptocurrency. Three main cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Litecoin (LTC) will be used as payment options. Custom software development company Perfectial will start accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin as a payment option. For a company that is actively engaged in researching and adopting the latest technology trends, this seems like a natural step. Perfectial's CTO and co-founder, Ivan Kohut is a Forbes Technology Council Contributor writing and expressing his opinions on the future of Crypto. As a part of the company's strategic plan, Ivan Kohut made a crucial decision to invest in Perfectial's Blockchain expertise. Cryptocurrency is the future of payments, and by introducing this modern payment option, we aim to make our services more comfortable and accessible; Our primal goals have always been customer convenience and satisfaction. So we've decided to adopt crypto payment alternative. "We expect this payment method to be a more fitting option for companies that have received funding with crypto assets as it will allow them to avoid making a conversion," says Ivan Kohut, Perfectial's CTO and co-founder. "Cryptocurrencies are borderless money that allows making our services reachable. On top of that, they help to circumvent certain limitations that conventional payment systems like PayPal have." About Perfectial Perfectial is a custom software development company committed to excellence in developing innovative applications for a range of businesses in Europe and the U.S. Perfectial's competence in working with modern platforms and frameworks is recognized and highly valued by our customers and partners. Perfectial houses over 200 professionals that includes project managers, solutions architects, .Net, Java, Ruby on Rails, Python and Node.js developers, UI/UX design, and Quality Assurance teams. We offer full-cycle of outsourcing software development: from initial identification of business requirements to system testing, deployment, and maintenance. Media Contact: Volodymyr Svinchuk Phone: 857.302.3414 Email: [email protected] Related Links Perfectial Website Blockchain at Perfectial Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVXmvjJQHhA SOURCE Perfectial MADRID, July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PharmaMar will receive an up-front payment of 2 million euros This agreement will replace the current agreement between PharmaMar and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum International PharmaMar (MCE: PHM) has announced today the signing of an agreement with Impilo Pharma, a part of Immedica Group, for the exclusive promotion and distribution of its antitumour compound, Yondelis, throughout the Nordic countries and Eastern Europe. This agreement will come into effect in six months. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/624563/PharmaMar_Logo.jpg ) According to the terms of the agreement, PharmaMar will receive an up-front payment of 2 million euros. Impilo Pharma will be responsible for the promotion and the distribution of Yondelis throughout the above mentioned territories, and PharmaMar will be the manufacturer of the product. This agreement will replace the current contract between PharmaMar and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum International for the promotion and distribution of Yondelis in the Nordic countries and Eastern Europe. "This agreement will help us to strengthen the sales of Yondelis even more throughout various European Countries, also maintaining our compromise with the patients, facilitating their access to novel therapies," explains Luis Mora, Managing Director of the Oncology Business Unit at PharmaMar. About PharmaMar Headquartered in Madrid, PharmaMar is a world-leading biopharmaceutical company in the discovery and development of innovative marine-derived anticancer drugs. The company has a pipeline of drug candidates and a robust R&D oncology program. PharmaMar develops and commercializes YONDELIS in Europe and has other clinical-stage programs under development for several types of solid and hematological cancers, Zepsyre (lurbinectedin, PM1183), PM184 and PM14. PharmaMar is a global biopharmaceutical company with subsidiaries in Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Belgium, Austria and the United States. PharmaMar fully owns other companies: GENOMICA, a leading molecular diagnostics company; Sylentis, dedicated to researching therapeutic applications of gene silencing (RNAi); and two other chemical enterprises, Zelnova Zeltia and Xylazel. To learn more about PharmaMar, please visit us at http://www.pharmamar.com. About YONDELIS (trabectedin) YONDELIS (trabectedin) is a multimodal, synthetically produced antitumor agent, originally derived from the sea squirt, Ecteinascidia turbinata. The drug exerts its activity by targeting the transcriptional machinery and impairing DNA repair. It is approved in close 80 countries in North America, Europe, South America and Asia for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas as a single-agent and for relapsed ovarian cancer in combination with DOXIL/CAELYX (doxorubicin HCl liposome injection) in the European Union. Under a licensing agreement with PharmaMar, Janssen Products, L.P. has the rights to develop and sell YONDELIS globally except in Europe, where PharmaMar holds the rights, and in Japan, where PharmaMar has granted a license to Taiho Pharmaceuticals. About Immedica AB Immedica is a fast growing private European niche pharma company. The company is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a pan-European commercial coverage with the Nordics as its stronghold. Immedica provides significant know-how and experience from commercialization of niche/specialty care products across the European and Middle East territories, and the company's management team has an outstanding track record of operating niche pharma products in Europe. Immedica has capabilities to provide optimal access of specialty care medicines to patients with significant medical needs, including key areas such as regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, medical affairs, pricing & reimbursement, and product distribution. Today, Immedica manage many of its products via operations at Medical Need Europe, a niche/orphan pharma company recently acquired. Immedica's main owner is Impilo AB, a private Swedish Health Care investment company established in 2017, and with more than SEK 3.5 bn in capital from leading Nordic and international investors. More information is available at www.immedica.com or www.medicalneed.com Disclaimer This document is a press release, not a prospectus. This document does not constitute or form part of an offering or invitation to sell or a solicitation to purchase, offer or subscribe shares of the company. Moreover, no reliance should be placed upon this document for any investment decision or contract and it does not constitute a recommendation of any type with regard to the shares of the company. https://twitter.com/phrmmar https://es-la.facebook.com/PharmaMarES/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/pharmamar https://www.instagram.com/pharmamar/ https://www.youtube.com/c/Pharmamar_official Media Contact: Alfonso Ortin, Communications Director, [email protected], Mobile: +34-609493127 Miguel Martinez-Cava, Digital Communication Manager, [email protected], Mobile: +34-606597464 Phone: +34-918466000 Investor Relations: Phone: +34-914444500 Or please visit our website at http://www.pharmamar.com SOURCE PharmaMar NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network it's easy and free. Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform EXPERT ALERTS Cyber Skills in the Workplace Benefits and Drawbacks of Investing in Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies 5 Business Lessons Learned from Riding in Ubers 3 Reasons to Find a Passion Outside Your Business MEDIA JOBS Member of the Editorial Board The Wall Street Journal ( New York ) ) Copy Editor LevFin Insights ( New York ) ) Video Reporter Arabian Business ( Dubai ) OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES News in a Snap: 11 News Agencies to Follow on Snapchat Be Your Own Editor: 5 Tips For Expertly Editing Your Own Work Blog Profiles: Vegetarian Blogs ------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPERT ALERTS Cyber Skills in the Workplace Kathleen Hyde Chair, Cybersecurity Programs Champlain College Online "Cybersecurity cuts across all fields and areas of study. From the standpoint of employers, having someone with cyber skills versus someone who doesn't will always be preferential. There's a natural tendency to assume you have to be interested in math or science to do cybersecurity, but I don't see this at all. My undergraduate degree is in art." Hyde is an expert in cybersecurity education/training, women in cybersecurity, small-business/end-user best practices, physical security's role in cyber, cybersecurity policy, and general cybersecurity/privacy issues. Website: https://www.champlain.edu/online/ Contact: Tommy Morgan, [email protected] Benefits and Drawbacks of Investing in Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies Tom Meredith Co-Founder and CEO BitMinutes Meredith is available for interviews on the benefits and drawbacks of investing in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies: "The problem with Bitcoin is that it is not tied to an asset and there is no practical use for it." Meredith is a serial entrepreneur who has been crafting solutions in online security, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending and other ventures for more than a decade. He founded P2P Cash in the mid-2010s to focus on the fintech space, which led to the creation of Smart Token Chain, a breakthrough combination of block chain advances, cryptocurrency innovation and cybersecurity mandates. He founded BitMinutes to apply these new tools to the social mission of profitably removing the structural constraints on the expansion of financial service delivery globally. Website: www.bitminutes.com Contact: Mark Goldman, [email protected] 5 Business Lessons Learned from Riding in Ubers Dave Woodward Chief Revenue and Business Development Officer ClickFunnels Woodward, host of the popular #FunnelHacker Radio podcast, recently visited Phoenix with Myles Clifford, ClickFunnels relationship manager, where they experienced adventures with Uber drivers they've distilled into five lessons for entrepreneurs: "1) Don't make the customer take a hike: On our first ride, the driver asked us to walk half a mile to a place he was familiar with rather than coming to where we were. 2) Know your customers (and don't insult them): A driver started ranting about Millennials wearing shorts and flip-flops, despite the fact that one of her passengers was a member of the Millennial generation and the other was wearing flip-flops. 3) Utilize tools designed for your industry: A driver ended up driving in circles, unable to find a destination a few blocks away because he wasn't using the mapping software he had been provided. 4) Know your numbers: A driver told us he was paying $250 a week to rent a car to make 71 cents a mile -- meaning he has to drive 1,400 miles just to rent his vehicle, before paying for fuel or making a profit. If you don't understand the numbers in your business, you can be spending a whole bunch of time and energy doing a whole bunch of work and never, ever getting ahead. 5) Hire the right people; build the right culture: Dire consequences can occur when someone you hire bails rather than accomplishing a task." Woodward is the chief revenue and business development officer of ClickFunnels and host of the weekly ClickFunnels Podcast, Funnel Hacker Radio. ClickFunnels is a SaaS software that lets people design and create sales pages, landing pages, order forms, and membership sites. Through this software, people can manage their entire sales and marketing funnel, and it also helps people with anything to buy or sell to do so in the most effective and efficient way. Podcast: https://go.funnelhackerradio.com/optin Online Press Kit: http://clickfunnels.onlinepresskit247.com Website: www.ClickFunnels.com Contact: Michelle Tennant, [email protected] 3 Reasons to Find a Passion Outside Your Business Allison Maslan CEO, Founder Pinnacle Global Network "1) It's crucial for you, as a business owner, to be involved in a passionate activity outside your company. Otherwise you run the risk of becoming a single-focused, compulsive workaholic! Been there, done that, and I don't recommend it. 2) When you are engrossed in a non-work-related passion project, the sting of the problems troubling you will fade out. 3) This is when you will do your most revolutionary, innovative thinking and will come up with solutions to many of your dilemmas." Maslan is the CEO and founder of Pinnacle Global Network, offering business mentorship and mastermind programs to established business owners who want to accelerate their growth, capitalize on their success, and balance it all with a meaningful life. She is also the author of two books: Amazon #1 bestseller "Blast Off!: The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams into Reality" and her newest book "Scale or Fail: How to Build Your Dream Team, Explode Your Growth, and Let Your Business Soar" (October 2018, Wiley), which hit #1 on Amazon even before its release. For further high-impact support, watch Allison's free video series for business owners, "The Scale Blueprint" for Established Companies That Want to Multiply Their Growth. Video Series: https://www.allisonmaslanlive.com/scale Online Press Kit: http://allisonmaslan.onlinepresskit247.com Website: www.AllisonMaslan.com Contact: Michelle Tennant, [email protected] **************** MEDIA JOBS Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/ Member of the Editorial Board The Wall Street Journal ( New York ) ) Copy Editor LevFin Insights ( New York ) ) Video Reporter Arabian Business ( Dubai ) ***************** OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected] NEWS IN A SNAP: 11 NEWS AGENCIES TO FOLLOW ON SNAPCHAT. Here are some news organizations to keep on your Snapchat radar: https://prn.to/2uRQt4b BE YOUR OWN EDITOR: 5 TIPS FOR EXPERTLY EDITING YOUR OWN WORK. It's tempting to just write and submit. But, if you want to be a really good writer, you need to master the craft of self-revision: https://prn.to/2JZGP4e BLOG PROFILES: VEGETARIAN BLOGS. Each week, we select a topic and handful of blogs that do a great job contributing to the conversation. This week, we look at vegetarian blogs: http://bit.ly/2v0BvsS **************** PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. To contact ProfNet: [email protected] or 800-776-3638, ext. 1 SOURCE ProfNet Related Links http://www.profnet.com From newly innovated intermediate sockets, wrenches, extensions, and ratchets, to torque tools and accessories, select PROTO hand tools meet the specifications mandated by the SAE International group of engineers (SAE AS954G, AS955, AS4984A, and more). These hand tools meet both dimensional and plating specs to help promote productivity, safety, and durability suitable for most heavy industrial verticals. PROTO engineers, manufactures, and tests its products in its own Dallas, TX facility to help ensure quality and precision manufacturing. For users in industries like Aerospace, Oil and Gas, Petrochemical, Manufacturing, Automotive, and more, aerospace-compliant tools meet next-level durability and quality standards necessary to perform in extreme conditions. Over 1,500 PROTO mechanics tools meet the required aerospace specifications needed to accommodate precise applications demanded in aviation, government, and military verticals. Products in the new line-up include, but are not limited to: PROTO 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4" Intermediate 12-Point Sockets The new intermediate length allows for access in tight areas when standard and deep sockets can't cut it. This range of full polish sockets meet both dimensional and plating specifications. PROTO 15 Double Box Offset Wrenches (J111214L, J111820L) These full-polish wrenches meet and exceed stringent aerospace plating and dimensional specification AS954G, which requires box ends to feature thin outside diameters as well as thick nickel-chrome coating for greater corrosion-resistance. The offset box end allows access to recessed fasteners and keeps hands clear of obstructions. PROTO Precision 90 Ratchets (J4749HTC, J5249HTC) and PROTO 1.4" and 3/8" Drive Precision 90 Torque Wrenches (J6062HTC, J6064HTC) The PROTO Precision 90 Pear Head Ratchets and PROTO Precision 90 Pear Head Torque Wrenches are available in multiple lengths and finishes and are a staple for mechanical jobs. A compact pear-head design and 4 swing arc provide users access in even the tightest working areas. With a tooth count of 90, the PROTO Precision 90 Ratchet delivers high precision, while offering high access. Made with tough jobs in mind, the ratchet provides an ergonomic handle that can help reduce fatigue during use. The PROTO Precision 90 Ratchet is proudly manufactured in the USA. "PROTO understands that the aviation mechanic needs to get his job done the right way, the first time," commented Nick Filipone, Product Manager. "PROTO's commitment to quality manufacturing provides end users the peace of mind that their investment was well spent on tools that are precise enough to access the hardest to reach fasteners AND durable enough to stand the test time in the roughest of environments." About PROTO Industrial Tools PROTO has been making durable, high-quality hand tools in the USA for more than 100 years, having grown from a small machine shop to a worldwide supplier. Our tools are developed according to strict industry standards, with features that let users work quickly and efficiently, including double nickel-chrome plating to help protect against corrosion on sockets, wrenches, ratchets, and torque tools, and thinner* outside diameters on box end wrenches to better reach obstructed 12-point fasteners. We are exhaustive in our efforts to make safe tools and provide tool safety education. For more information on the PROTO line of industrial tools, call 800-800-TOOL, or visit www.protoindustrial.com. *Thinner/slimmer than tools that meet ASME specifications. Contact: Chrissy Davies Phone: (860) 406-9199 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE PROTO Industrial Tools LONDON, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarkson PLC ("Clarksons") discovered a cyber security incident that may affect the security of certain personal information. Clarksons take issues of IT security extremely seriously and is working to provide potentially affected individuals with information and access to resources so that they may take steps to best protect their personal information. What Happened? On November 7, 2017, Clarksons learned that it was the subject of a cyber security incident in which an unauthorized third party accessed certain Clarksons' computer systems in the UK, copied data, and demanded a ransom for its safe return. As soon as the incident was discovered, Clarksons took steps to respond to and manage the incident, including launching an immediate investigation into the nature and scope of the event, notifying regulators, working with third party forensic investigators, and informing law enforcement. Through the forensic investigation, Clarksons quickly learned that the unauthorized third party had gained access to its system from May 31, 2017 until November 4, 2017. Clarksons learned that the unauthorized access was gained via a single and isolated user account. Upon discovering this access, Clarksons immediately disabled this account. Through the investigation and legal measures, Clarksons were then able to successfully trace and recover the copy of the data that was illegally copied from its systems. What Information Was Involved? While Clarksons were able to successfully trace and recover the copy of the data that was illegally copied from its systems, as a precautionary measure, Clarksons have also been working diligently, in cooperation with law enforcement and forensic investigators, to determine what data may have been involved. In an abundance of caution, Clarksons are notifying potentially affected individuals. While the potentially affected personal information varies by individual, this data may include: date of birth, contact information, medical information, tax information, insurance information, Social Security number, CV / resume, driver's license/vehicle information, bank account information, passport information, payment card information, ethnicity, digital signature, visa/travel information, financial information, criminal conviction information, login information, seafarer information, and address information. What We Are Doing. Clarksons take the security of personal information very seriously. While Clarksons has enhanced security measures in place to protect data in its care and while Clarksons has notified the necessary regulatory and law enforcement bodies across the relevant jurisdictions, as a precautionary measure, Clarksons is also providing potentially affected individuals with information about this event and about the further steps individuals may take to best protect their personal information. As an added precaution, Clarksons is offering potentially affected individuals access to one (1) year of identity protection services. This service is being offered at no cost and will be paid for by Clarksons. What You Can Do. You can review the information Clarksons is providing on steps individuals can take to protect their information. For More Information. If you have additional questions, please call our dedicated assistance line at 888-785-1475, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time, except holidays. STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION Monitor Your Accounts Credit Reports . We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your personal account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Under U.S. law, you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report. Contact information for the credit reporting agencies can be found below. Fraud Alerts . At no charge, you can also have the three major credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it may also delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below: Equifax P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348 800-525-6285 www.equifax.com Experian P.O. Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013 888-397-3742 www.experian.com TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19106 800-680-7289 www.transunion.com Security Freeze . You may also place a security freeze on your credit reports. A security freeze prohibits a credit bureau from releasing any information from a consumer's credit report without the consumer's written authorization. However, please be advised that placing a security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests you make for new loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing, or other services. If you have been a victim of identity theft, and you provide the credit bureau with a valid police report, it cannot charge you to place, lift, or remove a security freeze. In all other cases, a credit bureau may charge you a fee to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. Fees vary based on where you live, but commonly range from $3 to $15. You will need to place a security freeze separately with each of the three major credit bureaus listed above if you wish to place a freeze on all of your credit files. In order to request a security freeze, you will need to supply your full name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, current address, all addresses for up to five previous years, email address, a legible copy of your state identification card or driver's license, and a copy of a utility bill, bank or insurance statement, or other statement proving residence. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft. If you are not a victim of identity theft include payment by check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover only). Do not send cash through the mail. To find out more on how to place a security freeze, you can use the following contact information: Equifax Security Freeze P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348 1-800-685-1111 www.freeze.equifax.com Experian Security Freeze P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/freeze TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 1-888-909-8872 freeze.transunion.com Additional Information You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, security freezes, fraud alerts, and the steps you can take to protect yourself against identity theft and fraud by contacting the Federal Trade Commission or your state Attorney General, as well as the credit reporting agencies listed above. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should be reported to law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission, and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed as the result of a law enforcement investigation. For Maryland residents , the Maryland Attorney General can be reached at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-888-743-0023; and www.oag.state.md.us. For North Carolina residents , the North Carolina Attorney General can be contacted by mail at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; by phone toll-free at 1-877-566-7226; by phone at 1-919-716-6400; and online at www.ncdoj.gov. For Rhode Island residents , the Rhode Island Attorney General can be contacted by mail at 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; by phone at (401) 274-4400; and online at www.riag.ri.gov. There are currently seven (7) Rhode Island residents potentially impacted by this incident. There are currently no known Rhode Island residents potentially impacted by this incident. You have the right to file and obtain a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that, in order to file a crime report or incident report with law enforcement for identity theft, you may be asked to provide some kind of proof that you have been a victim. For New Mexico residents , you have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act: the consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from a violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing to the Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. For Massachusetts residents , you have the right to file and obtain a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that, in order to file a crime report or incident report with law enforcement for identity theft, you may be asked to provide some kind of proof that you have been a victim. If you have been the victim of identity theft, and you provide a credit reporting agency with a valid police report, it cannot charge you to place, lift or remove a security freeze. In all other cases, a credit reporting agency may charge up to $5 to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit file report. The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five (5) business days and provide you with a unique personal identification number (PIN) or password, or both, that can be used by you to authorize the removal or lifting of the security freeze. To lift the security freeze in order to allow a specific entity or individual access to your credit report, you must call or send a written request to the credit reporting agencies by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze, as well as the identities of those entities or individuals you would like to receive your credit report or the specific period of time you want the credit report available. To remove the security freeze, you must send a written request to each of the three credit bureaus by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze. The credit bureaus have three (3) business days after receiving your request to remove the security freeze. SOURCE Clarkson PLC Red Beach National Scenic Corridor is located between 40 degrees 39 minutes to 41 degrees 27 minutes latitude north, and east longitude 121 degrees 25 minutes to 122 degrees, where is the northernmost coastline of China. Red Beach National Scenic Corridor is one part of the Liaodong bay coastline, which stretches for 118 kilometers in Panjin city, extending in the shape of a trumpet. China has more than 32,000 kilometers of coastline, water of this part will freeze every winter, commonly known as "sealing-off the sea", forming a magnificent ice row. As the entrance of Liaohe River into the sea, the affiliated shoals of Red Beach National Scenic Corridor are formed by a large amount of sediment deposited by Liaohe River, commonly known as "great mud bank", which are very suitable for the growth of seepweed and reed, breeding the world-famous red beach and green reed. There are more than 100 kinds of seepweeds over the world, and the seepweed growing in Red Beach National Scenic Corridor is unique, which has two red opposite leaves, like the wings of a pair of birds. On the tidal marsh, the seepweed and reed are keeping a thick growth from summer to golden autumn, which forms a world spectacle of "red beach green reed". October is always considered as the best viewing season for Panjin red beach. Panjin city has entered a new era of regional tourism, implementing a further advance on "Making an illustrious red beach and singing reeds". The representative tourism of Red Beach National Scenic Corridor concludes visiting flowers, beautiful countryside, characteristic ancient towns, hot springs, sightseeing and leisure, which is favored by tourists at home and abroad. Image Attachments Links: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=316812 SOURCE Panjin Red Beach Wetland Resort Administrative Committee "While it's disappointing for the retail sales pace to post declines again, it's important to remember that July only has 24 selling days this year, the fewest for the month since 2012 and one less weekend than last year," said Thomas King, Senior Vice President of the Data and Analytics Division at J.D. Power . "More notable is that incentive spending is on pace to post year-over-year declines for the first time in 54 months." Incentive spending through the first two weeks of July was $3,665 per unit, down $204 from the same time last year. The decline has been driven by reduced spending on cars, down $579, while spending to trucks/SUVs is up $5. "Reduced spending is a positive indicator for the health of the industry, but it is being driven solely by performance from cars," King said. "Sustaining lower levels of incentives will remain a challenge, and considerable potential exists for spending to rise at the end of July and in the months ahead." J.D. Power and LMC Automotive U.S. Sales and SAAR Comparisons July 20181 June 2018 July 2017 New-Vehicle Retail Sales 1,156,200 units (-3.2% lower than July 2017)2 1,219,711 units 1,243,911 units Total Vehicle Sales 1,327,500 units (-2.1% lower than July 2017)2 1,549,845 units 1,412,032 units Retail SAAR 13.5 million units 13.7 million units 14.1 million units Total SAAR 16.1 million units 17.4 million units 16.7 million units 1Figures cited for July 2018 are forecasted based on the first 16 selling days of the month. 2July 2018 has 24 selling days, while July 2017 had 25 selling days in the month. The average new-vehicle retail transaction price to date in July is $31,561 , an all-time monthly record. The previous high for the month of July$30,950was set last year. , an all-time monthly record. The previous high for the month of July$30,950was set last year. Average incentive spending per unit to date in July is $3,665 , down from $3,869 during the same period last year. , down from during the same period last year. Consumers are on pace to spend $36.5 billion on new vehicles in July, which is nearly $2 billion less than last year's level. on new vehicles in July, which is nearly less than last year's level. Trucks account for 68% of new-vehicle retail sales through July 22the highest level ever for the month of Julymaking it the 25th consecutive month above 60%. Days to turn, the average number of days a new vehicle sits on a dealer lot before being sold to a retail customer, is 68 days through July 22 , down 4 days from last year. , down 4 days from last year. Fleet sales are expected to total 171,300 units in July, up 6.1% from July 2017 . Fleet volume is expected to account for 13% of total light-vehicle sales, up 1 percentage point vs. last year. Jeff Schuster, President, Americas Operations and Global Vehicle Forecasts at LMC Automotive, said, "With the first half of 2018 being slightly ahead of volume expectations, the second half is poised for a pullback from the robust second half of 2017. July's expected performance is consistent with that notion. Short-sighted tariffsand retaliatory responsesare the most significant risk factor for the U.S. and global markets. In fact, significant escalation of tariffs could derail America's strong economic growth and even push the market into a premature recession." LMC's base case forecast for 2018 total light-vehicle sales is holding at 17.1, a decrease of 0.4% from 2017. The retail light-vehicle forecast remains at 13.8 million units, a decline of 1.6% from 2017. Fleet mix is up slightly with an additional 135,000 units expected from a year ago, or 19.6% of total light-vehicle sales compared with 18.8% in 2017. About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info About LMC Automotive www.lmc-auto.com. Media Relations Contacts Geno Effler; J.D. Power; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected] Emmie Littlejohn; LMC Automotive; Troy, Mich.; 248-817-2100; [email protected] No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power or LMC Automotive. www.jdpower.com/corporate www.lmc-auto.com SOURCE J.D. Power Related Links http://www.jdpower.com NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Simmons Research, the leading source of essential consumer intelligence, today announced the launch of Brand Catalyst, an advanced brand strategy and predictive segmentation tool. Built on the Simmons Insights platform with Smart Search technology, Brand Catalyst helps brand marketers and their agencies understand consumer perception towards their brands using advanced psychographics, intent, category preferences, brand and product consumption patterns. Brand Catalyst also uses advanced predictive models to identify potential prospects and their characteristics. A built-in recommendation engine converts all these differentiating attributes (including over 200,000 consumer data points) to create unique consumer personas for a brand. Brand Catalyst by Simmons Research Brand marketers and their agencies can use Brand Catalyst to: Create unique personas and messaging strategies that resonate with these personas Build media strategies that identify the best media channels and properties to engage with those personas Inform partnership strategies that can help increase customer retention and acquisition Highlight unique differences between their brand identity VS their competitors "Brand Catalyst is a game changer in defining brand strategy. Simmons has an unparalleled depth of information about American consumers. Brand Catalyst brings this rich data together with advanced technology to super-charge the development of brand strategies," said Andrew Feigenson, CEO at Simmons Research. "Today, brand marketers and agency planners spend days mining through data to build personas. They follow this with days of executive level Q&A. With Brand Catalyst, all it takes is a search bar and a few seconds. This allows teams to innovate much more quickly." "I loved being able to see the prospects of a brand and run Simmons questions against them," said Leah Grimes, Senior Strategies for The Marketing Arm. "We're doing acquisition plays more often these days on behalf of our clients, so being able to understand prospective customers and what moves them through the world is invaluable." Brand Catalyst is available for licensing immediately. To learn more visit https://simmonsresearch.com/simmons-insights. About Simmons Research Simmons Research is the leading source of cross-channel consumer intelligence. Simmons measures American consumer psychographics, preferences, attitudes, and media behaviors by closely overlaying survey and passively measured data using advanced measurement sciences. For more than 60 years, Simmons has helped leading brands, agencies, and media companies effectively engage with consumers, providing measurement of over 200,000 consumer elements, including all major media, 600 attitudes and opinions, 500 product categories, and 8,000 brands. For more information, please visit www.simmonsresearch.com and follow @simmonsresearch on Twitter. Media Contact: Matt Cumello, Senior Marketing Director [email protected] 212.380.2999 SOURCE Simmons Research Related Links https://simmonsresearch.com PLEASANTON, Calif., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 2018 second quarter net sales of $308.0 million increased 17.1% yearoveryear 2018 second quarter earnings of $0.94 per diluted share increased 59.3% year-over-year Declared a $0.22 cash dividend Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: SSD), an industry leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, today announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2018. Refer to the "Segment and Product Group Information" table below for additional segment information (including information about the Company's Asia/Pacific segment and Administrative and All Other segment). In the third quarter of 2017, the Company reclassified year to date expenses associated with a recent acquisition. As a result, the 2017 second quarter financial results presented below have been revised to reflect these changes with $1.3 million of costs being reclassified from research and development and engineering expense to general and administrative expense ($1.2 million) and selling expense ($0.1 million). The 2017 year-to-date (6-month) financial results presented below have been revised to reflect these changes with $2.6 million of costs being reclassified from research and development and engineering expense to general and administrative expense ($2.3 million) and selling expense ($0.3 million). 2018 Second Quarter Financial Highlights All comparisons below (which are generally indicated by words such as "increased," "decreased," "remained," or "compared to"), unless otherwise noted, are comparing the quarter ended June 30, 2018 with the quarter ended June 30, 2017. Consolidated net sales of $308.0 million increased 17.1% from $263.0 million . increased 17.1% from . North America net sales of $259.8 million increased 20.4% from $215.7 million , primarily due to increases in sales volume. Canada's net sales were positively affected by foreign currency translation. net sales of increased 20.4% from , primarily due to increases in sales volume. net sales were positively affected by foreign currency translation. Europe net sales of $45.8 million increased 1.2% from $45.2 million , primarily due to approximately $2.7 million of positive foreign currency translations resulting from Europe currencies strengthening against the United States dollar, as well as increases in sales volume. Net sales were partly offset by reduced sales volume due to the late 2017 sale of Gbo Fastening Systems' Poland and Romania subsidiaries (acquired in January 2017 ), which contributed $4.3 million in net sales for the second quarter of 2017. net sales of increased 1.2% from , primarily due to approximately of positive foreign currency translations resulting from currencies strengthening against dollar, as well as increases in sales volume. Net sales were partly offset by reduced sales volume due to the late 2017 sale of Gbo Fastening Systems' and subsidiaries (acquired in ), which contributed in net sales for the second quarter of 2017. Consolidated gross profit of $141.5 million increased 14.5% from $123.5 million . Gross profit margin decreased to 45.9% from 47.0% mostly due to increased material costs. increased 14.5% from . Gross profit margin decreased to 45.9% from 47.0% mostly due to increased material costs. North America gross profit margin decreased to 47.6% from 49.4%. gross profit margin decreased to 47.6% from 49.4%. Europe gross profit margin increased to 38.2% from 37.2%. gross profit margin increased to 38.2% from 37.2%. Consolidated income from operations of $60.7 million increased 34.6% from $45.1 million . Income from operations for the second quarter of 2018 included severance expenses of $2.2 million recorded for the quarter and increased SAP related expenses of $1.1 million . Consolidated operating profit margin increased to 19.7% from 17.2%. increased 34.6% from . Income from operations for the second quarter of 2018 included severance expenses of recorded for the quarter and increased SAP related expenses of . Consolidated operating profit margin increased to 19.7% from 17.2%. North America income from operations of $58.5 million , which included severance costs of $0.7 million recorded in cost of sales, increased 39.2% from $42.0 million . income from operations of , which included severance costs of recorded in cost of sales, increased 39.2% from . Europe income from operations of $2.8 million , which included severance costs of $1.6 million recorded in general and administrative expense and increased SAP related costs of $0.5 million , decreased 31.2% from $4.1 million . Europe income from operations for the second quarter of 2018 was negatively impacted by the late 2017 sale of Gbo Fastening Systems' Poland and Romania subsidiaries (acquired in January 2017 ), which subsidiaries contributed $0.4 million in income from operations for the second quarter of 2017. income from operations of , which included severance costs of recorded in general and administrative expense and increased SAP related costs of , decreased 31.2% from . income from operations for the second quarter of 2018 was negatively impacted by the late 2017 sale of Gbo Fastening Systems' and subsidiaries (acquired in ), which subsidiaries contributed in income from operations for the second quarter of 2017. The Company's effective income tax rate decreased to 27.2% from 37.2%, primarily due to the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which reduced the United States statutory federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. statutory federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. Consolidated net income was $44.1 million , or $0.94 per diluted share of the Company's common stock, compared to net income of $28.2 million , or $0.59 per diluted share of the Company's common stock. Year-to-Date (6-month) 2018 Financial Highlights All comparisons below (which are generally indicated by words such as "increased," "decreased," "remained," or "compared to"), unless otherwise noted, are comparing the six months ended June 30, 2018 with the six months ended June 30, 2017. Consolidated net sales of $552.8 million increased 14.5% from $482.9 million . increased 14.5% from . North America net sales of $466.0 million increased 16.7% from $399.5 million , primarily due to increases in sales volume. Canada's net sales were positively affected by foreign currency translation. net sales of increased 16.7% from , primarily due to increases in sales volume. net sales were positively affected by foreign currency translation. Europe net sales of $82.1 million increased 3.1% from $79.6 million , primarily due to approximately $7.1 million of positive foreign currency translations resulting from Europe currencies strengthening against the United States dollar. Net sales were partly offset by reduced sales volume due to the late 2017 sale of Gbo Fastening Systems' Poland and Romania subsidiaries (acquired in January 2017 ), which contributed $7.3 million in net sales for the six months ended June 30, 2017 . In local currencies, Europe net sales increased primarily due to increased sales volumes and average net sales unit prices. net sales of increased 3.1% from , primarily due to approximately of positive foreign currency translations resulting from currencies strengthening against dollar. Net sales were partly offset by reduced sales volume due to the late 2017 sale of Gbo Fastening Systems' and subsidiaries (acquired in ), which contributed in net sales for the six months ended . In local currencies, net sales increased primarily due to increased sales volumes and average net sales unit prices. Consolidated gross profit of $250.0 million increased 11.8% from $223.7 million . Gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased to 45.2% from 46.3%. increased 11.8% from . Gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased to 45.2% from 46.3%. North America gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased to 47.3% from 48.9%. gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased to 47.3% from 48.9%. Europe gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased to 35.4% from 35.0%. gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased to 35.4% from 35.0%. Consolidated income from operations of $93.5 million increased 38.0% from $67.8 million . Income from operations for the six months ended June 30, 2018 included a $1.0 million gain reported in 2018 due to the resolution of an eminent domain claim, severance costs of $2.3 million and increased SAP related expenses of $4.3 million . As a percentage of net sales, consolidated income from operations increased to 16.9% from 14.0%. increased 38.0% from . Income from operations for the six months ended included a gain reported in 2018 due to the resolution of an eminent domain claim, severance costs of and increased SAP related expenses of . As a percentage of net sales, consolidated income from operations increased to 16.9% from 14.0%. North America income from operations of $94.5 million , including severance costs of $0.7 million , increased 37.3% from $68.8 million . income from operations of , including severance costs of , increased 37.3% from . Europe income from operations of $1.2 million , which included severance costs of $1.6 million recorded in general and administrative expense and increased SAP related costs of $1.2 million , decreased 48.0% from $2.3 million . Europe income from operations for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was negatively impacted by the late 2017 sale of Gbo Fastening Systems' Poland and Romania subsidiaries (acquired in January 2017 ), which subsidiaries contributed $0.6 million in income from operations for the six months ended June 30, 2017 . income from operations of , which included severance costs of recorded in general and administrative expense and increased SAP related costs of , decreased 48.0% from . income from operations for the six months ended was negatively impacted by the late 2017 sale of Gbo Fastening Systems' and subsidiaries (acquired in ), which subsidiaries contributed in income from operations for the six months ended . The Company's effective income tax rate decreased to 25.4% from 32.2%, primarily due to the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which reduced the United States statutory federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. The effective income tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2017 was also reduced by a nonrecurring gain on a bargain purchase related to the Gbo Fastening Systems acquisition, which was not taxable. statutory federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. The effective income tax rate for the six months ended was also reduced by a nonrecurring gain on a bargain purchase related to the Gbo Fastening Systems acquisition, which was not taxable. Consolidated net income was $69.5 million , or $1.48 per diluted share of the Company's common stock, compared to net income of $51.3 million , or $1.07 per diluted share of the Company's common stock. The $51.3 million consolidated net income for the six months ended June 30, 2017 included an $8.4 million nonrecurring gain on a bargain purchase of a business, which increased diluted earnings per share for the same period by $0.18 . , or per diluted share of the Company's common stock, compared to net income of , or per diluted share of the Company's common stock. The consolidated net income for the six months ended included an nonrecurring gain on a bargain purchase of a business, which increased diluted earnings per share for the same period by . Cash flow provided by operating activities increased approximately $47.6 million to $55.4 million from $7.7 million . to from . Cash flow used in investing activities decreased approximately $39.3 million to $17.0 million from $56.4 million . Capital expenditures were $19.0 million compared to $30.2 million . The Company did not make any asset acquisitions in the first six months of 2018 compared to $26.3 million of asset acquisitions, net of cash received, in the prior year period. Management Commentary "We had an excellent second quarter with our net sales up 17% year-over-year to $308.0 million," commented Karen Colonias, President and Chief Executive Officer of Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. "Positive demand trends, supported by strong North American housing starts, resulted in high growth in sales volume throughout almost all areas of our company. We do not believe our growth in second quarter sales volume was a result of significant pre-buying activity in advance of the 11.5% average price increase for a majority of our U.S. wood connector products which became effective on July 1, 2018. So far in the third quarter, demand remains strong." Mrs. Colonias continued, "During the quarter, we continued to execute against our key operating initiatives, many of which stem from the 2020 Plan we unveiled three quarters ago to provide more clarity into our longer-term strategy and financial objectives. I am pleased to reiterate our 2020 financial targets as part of this plan today. In addition, we made important headway in the second quarter with our third-party consultants in regard to identifying improvements to our cost structure and working capital and these improvements are expected to be realized in the future. We also continued to concentrate on growing our market share and improving our technologies and systems to provide best-in-class service to our customers, an important part of our longstanding, trusted reputation, and what sets the Simpson Strong-Tie brand apart. We remain confident in our ability to execute based on current market conditions and believe our key objectives will provide additional runway to continue returning capital to shareholders." Corporate Developments Effective July 1, 2018 , the Company increased prices on a majority of its wood connector products sold in the United States by an average of 11.5% in an effort to offset rising raw materials costs. , the Company increased prices on a majority of its wood connector products sold in by an average of 11.5% in an effort to offset rising raw materials costs. On July 26, 2018 , the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22 per share. The dividend will be payable on October 25, 2018 to the Company shareholders of record as of October 4, 2018 . , the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of per share. The dividend will be payable on to the Company shareholders of record as of . During the first two quarters of 2018, the Company received and repurchased 627,271 shares of the Company's common stock, including 445,100 shares of its common stock repurchased in the open market at an average price of $57.15 per share, for a total of $25.4 million and 182,171 shares of its common stock received as the final delivery of a $50.0 million accelerated share repurchase program initiated in December 2017 . As a result, as of June 30, 2018 , approximately $126.1 million remained available for share repurchase through December 31, 2018 under the Company's previously announced $275.0 million share repurchase authorization. Business Outlook Subject to changing economic conditions, future events and circumstances: The Company currently believes the market price for steel will continue to be volatile during the third quarter of 2018, due to uncertainty related to steel tariffs. The Company estimates that its 2018 full-year gross profit margin will be between approximately 45% to 46%. The Company estimates that its 2018 full-year effective tax rate will be between approximately 26% to 27%, including both federal and state income tax rates. The ultimate impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law in 2017 and the Company's 2018 effective tax rate may differ materially from the Company's estimates due to changes in the interpretations and assumptions made by the Company as well as additional regulatory guidance that may be issued and actions the Company may take as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, such as cash repatriation to the United States , if any. The Company will continue to assess the expected impact of the new tax law and provide additional disclosures at appropriate times. Conference Call Details Investors, analysts and other interested parties are invited to join the Company's second quarter 2018 financial results conference call on Monday, July 30, 2018, at 5:00 pm Eastern Time (2:00 pm Pacific Time). To participate, callers may dial (877) 407-0792 (U.S. and Canada) or (201) 689-8263 (International) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start time. The call will be webcast simultaneously and can be accessed through http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=130399 or a link on the Company's website at www.simpsonmfg.com/financials/events.html . For those unable to participate during the live broadcast, a replay of the call will also be available beginning that same day at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, August 13, 2018, by dialing (844) 5122921 (U.S. and Canada) or (412) 3176671 (International) and entering the conference ID: 13681442. The webcast will remain posted on the Company's website for 90 days. A copy of this earnings release will be available prior to the call, accessible through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.simpsonmfg.com . About Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc., headquartered in Pleasanton, California, through its subsidiary, Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc., designs, engineers and is a leading manufacturer of wood construction products, including connectors, truss plates, fastening systems, fasteners and shearwalls, and concrete construction products, including adhesives, specialty chemicals, mechanical anchors, powder actuated tools and reinforcing fiber materials. The Company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "SSD." Forward-Looking Statements This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, based on numerous assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control), such as statements regarding the achievement and the effects of the Company's 2020 Plan and other operating initiatives (including the financial targets thereunder such as improvements to the Company's cost structure and working capital); the impact of the Company's price increases and its efforts to offset rising material costs; the future demand for the Company's products and services, the Company's future market share, the Company's technology and system improvements; the Company's 2018 full-year gross profit margin and effective tax rate; the Company's potential cash repatriation to the United States; as well as future steel prices. Forward-looking statements are necessarily speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions of the forward-looking statements the Company furnishes will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it does not and cannot give any assurance that its beliefs and expectations will prove to be correct, and our actual results might differ materially from results suggested by any forward-looking statement in this document. Many factors could significantly affect the Company's operations and cause the Company's actual results to differ substantially from the Company's expectations. Those factors include, but are not limited to: (i) the impact, execution and effectiveness of the Company's current strategic plan, the 2020 Plan (including the financial targets thereunder), and the Company's efforts and costs to implement the plan, (ii) general business cycles and construction business conditions; (iii) customer acceptance of the Company's products; (iv) product liability claims, contractual liability, engineering and design liability and similar liabilities or claims, (v) relationships with key customers; (vi) materials and manufacturing costs; (vii) the financial condition of customers, competitors and suppliers; (viii) technological developments including software development; (ix) increased competition; (x) changes in industry practices or regulations; (xi) litigation risks and actions by activist shareholders, (xii) changes in capital and credit market conditions; (xiii) governmental and business conditions in countries where the Company's products are manufactured and sold; (xiv) changes in trade regulations; (xv) the effects of acquisition activities of the Company or the lack thereof; (xvi) changes in the Company's plans, strategies, objectives, assumptions, expectations or intentions; (xvii) natural disasters and other factors that are beyond the Company's reasonable control; (xviii) changes in U.S. and international taxes, tariffs and duties including those imposed on the Company's income, imports, exports and repatriation of funds; and (xix) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission including in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading "Item 1A - Risk Factors." Actual results might differ materially from results suggested by any forward-looking statements in this document. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release any update or revision to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise. The information in this document speaks as of the date hereof and is subject to change. Any distribution of this document after the date hereof is not intended and should not be construed as updating or confirming such information. In light of the foregoing, investors are urged not to rely on our forward-looking statements in making an investment decision about our securities. The Company further does not accept any responsibility for any projections or reports published by analysts, investors or other third parties. The financial information set forth herein is presented on a preliminary unreviewed and unaudited basis; and the reviewed and unaudited data will be included in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2018, when filed. Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries UNAUDITED Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net sales $ 308,007 $ 263,002 $ 552,786 $ 482,869 Cost of sales 166,538 139,477 302,791 259,188 Gross profit 141,469 123,525 249,995 223,681 Research and development and engineering expense 11,249 11,967 22,398 23,785 Selling expense 29,201 28,646 56,774 58,283 General and administrative expense 40,400 37,725 78,592 73,846 Loss (gain) on disposal of assets (125) 50 (1,309) (1) Income from operations 60,744 45,137 93,540 67,768 Income (loss) in equity method investment, before tax 2 (12) (22) (41) Interest expense, net (184) (199) (274) (388) Gain on bargain purchase of a business 8,388 Income before taxes 60,562 44,926 93,244 75,727 Provision for income taxes 16,476 16,712 23,729 24,392 Net income $ 44,086 $ 28,214 $ 69,515 $ 51,335 Earnings per common share: Basic $ 0.95 $ 0.59 $ 1.50 $ 1.08 Diluted $ 0.94 $ 0.59 $ 1.48 $ 1.07 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 46,323 47,634 46,468 47,634 Diluted 46,677 47,920 46,842 47,922 Cash dividend declared per common share $ 0.22 $ 0.21 $ 0.43 $ 0.39 Other data: Depreciation and amortization $ 9,945 $ 8,572 $ 19,633 $ 16,935 Pre-tax equity-based compensation expense $ 2,904 $ 3,209 $ 6,020 $ 11,185 Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries UNAUDITED Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets (In thousands) June 30, December 31, (Amounts in thousands) 2018 2017 2017 Cash and cash equivalents $ 155,035 $ 140,950 $ 168,514 Trade accounts receivable, net 211,179 172,331 135,958 Inventories 258,180 265,293 252,996 Other current assets 15,772 17,765 26,473 Total current assets 640,166 596,339 583,941 Property, plant and equipment, net 269,127 261,362 273,020 Goodwill 136,398 137,160 137,140 Other noncurrent assets 40,196 46,616 43,422 Total assets $ 1,085,887 $ 1,041,477 $ 1,037,523 Trade accounts payable $ 47,985 $ 37,742 $ 31,536 Capital lease obligation - current portion 1,072 525 1,055 Other current liabilities 118,935 95,989 103,900 Total current liabilities 167,992 134,256 136,491 Capital lease obligations - net of current portion 2,154 1,477 2,607 Deferred income tax and other long-term liabilities 11,939 6,333 13,647 Stockholders' equity 903,802 899,411 884,778 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 1,085,887 $ 1,041,477 $ 1,037,523 Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries UNAUDITED Segment and Product Group Information (In thousands) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, % June 30, % (Amounts in thousands) 2018 2017 change* 2018 2017 change* Net Sales by Reporting Segment North America $ 259,822 $ 215,739 20.4% $ 466,034 $ 399,510 16.7% Percentage of total net sales 84.4% 82.0% 84.3% 82.7% Europe 45,784 45,234 1.2% 82,077 79,615 3.1% Percentage of total net sales 14.9% 17.2% 14.8% 16.5% Asia/Pacific 2,401 2,029 18.3% 4,675 3,744 24.9% Total $ 308,007 $ 263,002 17.1% $ 552,786 $ 482,869 14.5% Net Sales by Product Group** Wood Construction $ 260,103 $ 224,013 16.1% $ 472,650 $ 414,890 13.9% Percentage of total net sales 84.4% 85.2% 85.5% 85.9% Concrete Construction 47,859 38,917 23.0% 80,015 67,734 18.1% Percentage of total net sales 15.5% 14.8% 14.5% 14.0% Other 45 72 N/M 121 245 N/M Total $ 308,007 $ 263,002 17.1% $ 552,786 $ 482,869 14.5% Gross Profit (Loss) by Reporting Segment North America $ 123,639 $ 106,484 16.1% $ 220,377 $ 195,474 12.7% North America gross profit margin 47.6% 49.4% 47.3% 48.9% Europe 17,480 16,809 4.0% 29,048 27,865 4.2% Europe gross profit margin 38.2% 37.2% 35.4% 35.0% Asia/Pacific 343 326 5.2% 530 455 16.5% Administrative and all other 7 (94) N/M 40 (113) N/M Total $ 141,469 $ 123,525 14.5% $ 249,995 $ 223,681 11.8% Income (Loss) from Operations North America $ 58,483 $ 42,011 39.2% $ 94,450 $ 68,778 37.3% North America operating profit margin 22.5% 19.5% 20.3% 17.2% Europe 2,845 4,138 (31.2)% 1,198 2,304 (48.0)% Europe operating profit margin 6.2% 9.1% 1.5% 2.9% Asia/Pacific 541 71 662% 692 (124) 658% Administrative and all other (1,125) (1,083) N/M (2,800) (3,190) N/M Total $ 60,744 $ 45,137 34.6% $ 93,540 $ 67,768 38.0% * Unfavorable percentage changes are presented in parentheses, if any. ** The Company manages its business by geographic segment but is presenting sales by product group as additional information. N/M Statistic is not material or not meaningful. CONTACT: Addo Investor Relations [email protected] (310) 829-5400 SOURCE Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. Related Links http://www.simpsonmfg.com The arrival of about 500 asylum seekers on the South Korean island has split civil society. The local bishop, Msgr. Pietro Kang U-il, at the forefront to welcome and integrate them. The Nuncio Msgr. Xuereb visits the diocese and brings the solidarity of Francis to the bishop. Jeju (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis has donated 10 thousand dollars to support the Yemeni asylum seekers blocked by the South Korean government on the island of Jeju. The sum was brought to the local bishop, Msgr. Peter Kang U-il, by the Apostolic Nuncio to Korea and Mongolia, Msgr. Alfred Xuereb. The Vatican diplomat wanted to meet the refugees, lunch with them, and celebrate mass in the cathedral with the diocesan bishop: "The work of Msgr. Kang is completely in line with the magisterium of the pontiff ". On the island of Jeju, the migration dispute exploded with the arrival of more than 500 asylum seekers from Yemen, who came through a program to promote tourism that allows them to enter South Korea without a visa. Their arrival raised concerns about safety and possible abuse of the asylum system for economic benefits. Since April 30, the South Korean government has prevented the Yemenis from leaving the island and going to other parts of the country. Since 1 June, Yemen has entered the list of 11 countries whose citizens are excluded from entry without a visa. The local bishop wrote a pastoral letter in which he defines the rejection of migrants "a crime that affects the ultimate responsibility of every human being". According to Msgr. Xuereb, the visit to Jeju has a specific purpose: "To put into practice a wish of Pope Francis, who wants to support Msgr. Kang. The work of this prelate is in perfect harmony with the teachings and with the documents of the pope on refugees ". Before returning to Seoul, the archbishop - who took office last May in place of Msgr. Padilla, now retired - stopped at the Park of Peace "April 3rd". The site commemorates the victims of the clashes between the military and civilians that took place in the years between 1948 and 1953, the years of the ideological division within Korea newly liberated from the Japanese oppression. LONDON, July 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- US demand for UK-built cars rises 1.5% in first six months of 2018, as market responds to growing range of premium and high performance models America remains UK Auto's second largest market after the EU, with more than 108,000 US motorists buying British in first half US runs annual 1.3 billion trade surplus in parts and accessories, as American components worth 4.8 billion help build British cars Global demand drives output, with 80.9% of UK-built cars exported to 160 countries worldwide American demand for British-built cars rose by 1.5% in the first six months of 2018 with more than 108,000 motorists choosing one, according to the latest figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Increasing popularity of the UK's growing range of premium, luxury and high performance cars helped drive UK exports, which, although down by a marginal -0.8%, accounted for more than eight out of every 10 cars produced. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/634002/SMMT_Logo.jpg ) A total of 834,402 vehicles rolled off UK production lines from January to June, a -3.3% decrease on the same period in 2017 as the domestic market was affected by factors, including tax changes and uncertainty over future policies on diesel. The UK Government's recognition in its Road to Zero Strategy of the critical role this advanced technology will play for years to come is hoped to restore this certainty over the coming months. Meanwhile, exports to some 160 countries worldwide now represent 80.9% of all UK car output. In the first six months, global demand grew in a number of markets, notably India (+83%), Japan (+77.3%) and South Korea (+67.8%), while China maintained its position as the UK's third biggest customer after the EU and US, taking 6.4% of exports. Although British-built cars for EU customers fell -3.6% in the first half of the year, Europe remained the UK's biggest trading partner, accounting for more than half of all cars produced for export (53.4%). EU countries make up half of UK Automotive's top 10 export destinations, highlighting the importance of continued free and frictionless trade with the bloc. The US has also retained its position as the UK's largest customer outside of the EU, with American drivers buying more British-built cars than those in any other single country. In the first half of 2018, 108,307 cars crossed the Atlantic from the UK, up 1.5% on the same period last year and taking 16% of all exports. However, the US-UK automotive trading relationship is not only based on exports. In the UK, almost 20,000 British buyers invested in cars built in US factories in the first six months of the year, representing 1.5% of the market. Meanwhile, both countries enjoy a lucrative trade in vehicle components - with the US running a significant 1.3 billion surplus from the Anglo-American trade in parts and accessories. While the US buys an annual 3.5 billion worth of components from the UK, more than 4.8 billion worth of parts from America help build UK-made vehicles every year. Mike Hawes, Chief Executive, SMMT, said, "The US is one of UK Automotive's most important global partners, with our trade in vehicles and components working both ways, so we welcome the announced new phase of dialogue between the EU and US. In principle, a progressive elimination of tariffs and the removal of non-tariff barriers would provide a boost to both our economies, as well as increasing choice for consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. Our sector is committed to free and fair trade and we urge negotiators to explore options that avoid restrictive measures to automotive trade and solve any ongoing tensions." Top 5 British best-sellers in America HONDA CIVIC LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER SPORT MINI ONE LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER VELAR About SMMT and the UK automotive industry The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is one of the largest and most influential trade associations in the UK. It supports the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad, promoting a united position to government, stakeholders and the media. The automotive industry is a vital part of the UK economy accounting for 82 billion turnover and 20.2 billion value added. With some 186,000 people employed directly in manufacturing and 856,000 across the wider automotive industry, it accounts for 12.8% of total UK export of goods and invests 3.65 billion each year in automotive R&D. More than 30 manufacturers build some 70 models of vehicle in the UK supported by 2,500 component providers and some of the world's most skilled engineers. More detail on UK automotive available in SMMT's Motor Industry Facts 2018 publication at smmt.co.uk/facts18 Broadcasters: SMMT has an ISDN studio and access to expert spokespeople, case studies and regional representatives. SOURCE Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) SAN RAMON, Calif., July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Managing a mental illness can be very expensive, especially if a person is trying to do everything that his or her doctors recommend. From eating healthier and exercising to taking prescribed medications and going to regular checkups with their therapist and/or psychiatrist, it can add up quickly both in time and money. Not taking care of one's mental health can have even worse effects on a person's well-being and career. For example, skipping out on sleep can increase risk for mental illness, such as depression and anxiety, and it can increase weight gain, accidents and risk for heart disease and cancer. Financial Education Benefits Center (FEBC), a health and financial wellness benefit company, advocates for healthy living and a balanced lifestyle. "What healthy means to you could be different for the next person," said Jennifer Martinez, manager at FEBC. "We don't claim to replace the expert advice of your doctor or medical team. But if you need access to savings on your journey to living a healthier life, FEBC can help you." Financial Education Benefits Center has resources that may help an individual who is struggling with their health costs. FEBC offers savings on dental services, which can benefit a person's hygiene and overall well-being. Prescription savings could assist them with their expensive medications, some of which don't have generic versions yet. If they have imperfect eyesight, FEBC also offers vision discounts. Improved vision can do a world of difference for someone who struggles with day-to-day living. Seeing a chiropractor or other alternative medicine practitioners, which FEBC has savings on, could also have great health benefits for a person looking for healthy ways to cope. Exercise is often touted as a key way of dealing with stress. During the process of working out, a person can release endorphins, which are chemicals the brain produces that act as natural painkillers. However, experts claim endorphins are only released during anaerobic exertion, or in simpler terms, high-intensity exercises. FEBC provides fitness discounts for those who are interested. If exercise seems like an overwhelming step, other options include mindfulness, such as meditation and breathing. These techniques don't cost anything except for a few moments to practice them. For example, one concept for breathing is the "5 3 7" method: a person breathes in for five seconds, holds their breath for three seconds, then exhales slowly for seven seconds. The 4-7-8 method is a similar practice, and possibly more popular. Regardless of which approach a person chooses, breathing exercises are reported to reduce anxiety, pain and blood pressure. Members of certain membership tiers in FEBC have access to telemedicine and nurseline resources, which can put them in contact with health professionals to ask about how to better handle their mental health and stress. "While these different recommendations could boost your well-being, they are not a substitute for what your doctor advises you," added Martinez. "Be sure to check in with your primary medical team before making any drastic changes to your daily routine." About Financial Education Benefits Center Financial Education Benefits Center is located in San Ramon, California. The membership company has already helped thousands save money and obtain the necessary education required to live a financially healthy life. Financial Education Benefits Center has partnered with several name brand third-party companies to expand the financial and educational products and services available to its members and to provide a variety of wellness services as well. Financial Education Benefits Center Newsroom Contact To learn more about Financial Education Benefits Center, please contact: Financial Education Benefits Center 2010 Crow Canyon Place Ste. 100 San Ramon, CA 94583 1-800-953-1388 [email protected] Related Images image1.jpg distortion.jpg Distortion julos/Bigstock.com Related Links Financial Education Benefits Center SOURCE Financial Education Benefits Center NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaolin Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Paper, Ceramics, Paint, Fiberglass, Rubber, Metakaolin), By Region (North America, CSA, Europe, APAC, MEA), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025 Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05479693 The global kaolin market size is projected to reach USD 9.83 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.8% over the forecast period. Growth of ceramics and paints industries, owing to rapid infrastructural development, is anticipated to drive the market. Rising government spending in emerging economies such as India and China, has resulted in expansion of construction industry. This is expected to contribute toward an increased demand for kaolin. Kaolin is extracted from open-pit mines.Ore processing consists of enhancing certain properties through chemical and thermal treatment, removing impurities, and engineering particle size and shape. Prices of kaolin are expected to have a significant impact on application industries.Key manufacturers are mining kaolin for use in rubber, plastics, and paper industries. Growth of rubber and paints and coatings industries is expected to further propel demand for kaolin over the forecast years. Several regulations such as European Union (EU's) Regulation 1169/2011, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA's) Food Labeling Guide, and India's Food Safety & Standards (Packaging and Labeling) make it mandatory to print food-related information on packaging. These regulations have promoted market expansion of paper-packaging materials. From marketing and branding perspective, it is very important for companies to print their logos and trademarks on packaging materials. This is expected to positively impact demand for kaolin in paper applications. Increasing number of ceramic manufacturing companies in China has contributed to kaolin market growth over the past few years.This trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. The Middle East is expected to be a potential market, owing to on-going and upcoming construction projects, which, in turn, is expected to augment product demand in near future.Economic slowdown in Europe has had a negative impact on regional manufacturing and construction industries. This may hamper product growth in the region over the forecast period. Further key findings from the report suggest: In terms of revenue, the ceramics application segment is anticipated to reach USD 3.82 billion by 2025 The paper application segment is anticipated to continue dominating the market in terms of revenue in the forthcoming years. Ability of kaolin coating to add gloss, smoothness, brightness, opacity, and printability to paper is expected to bode well for the market The U.S. kaolin market is anticipated to exceed USD 1.22 billion by 2025 owing to presence of various kaolin mines in the country The market for kaolin is competitive with presence of a number of multinational companies with wide product portfolios Some of the key companies present in the market are LB Minerals s.r.o., BASF SE, Kaolin AD, AKW Ukrainian Kaolin Company, Sibelco N.V., KaMin LLC, and Thiele Kaolin Company Market players are increasing prices of kaolin due to continued rise in labor, fuel, energy, and freight/logistics costs. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05479693 About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Structural health monitoring market expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.93% between 2018 and 2023 Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04603859 The structural health monitoring market is estimated to grow from USD 1.48 billion in 2018 to USD 3.38 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 17.93% between 2018 and 2023. Major factors driving the growth of the structural health monitoring market include the catastrophic failure of the infrastructure that results in loss of lives and incurs higher costs, stringent environmental regulations pertaining to the sustainability of structures, and aging infrastructure and the superior benefits of structural health monitoring. However, high installation and monitoring costs, inaccurate results due to errors in readings, slow growth of developing countries are the major restraining factors for the growth of the structural health monitoring market. Wired structural health monitoring technology expected to hold a larger market share by 2023 Considering today's scenario, wired structural health monitoring systems are widely adopted for monitoring different types of structures as they offer reliable connectivity, and there is no limitation on long-distance data transfer. Additionally, wired minoring systems are already being used for the overall assessment of numerous structures such as bridges, buildings, and dams in various countries. Structural health monitoring market in APAC expected to grow at the highest rate between 2018 and 2023 This growth can be due to the rapid infrastructure building activities being undertaken in APAC, mainly in China, India, and Japan where structural health monitoring paves the way for the modernization of infrastructure. Further, investments from the government sector are also increasing to enhance the infrastructure facilities in the region. In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews have been conducted with key industry people. The breakup of the profile of primary participants has been given below: By Company Type: Tier 1 = 20%, Tier 2 = 45%, and Tier 3 = 35% By Designation: C-Level Executives = 35%, Directors = 25%, and Others=40% By Region: Americas = 45%, Europe = 25%, APAC = 20%, and RoW = 10% The report profiles the top players in the structural health monitoring market, along with providing their respective market ranking. Prominent players in the market include COWI (Denmark), Pure Technologies (Canada), Structural Monitoring Systems (Australia), Acellent (US), Geocomp (US), Campbell Scientific (US), Nova Metrix (US), Geokon (US), SIXENSE (France), Digitexx (US), Bridge Diagnostics (US), Sisgeo (Italy), RST Instruments (Canada), AVT Reliability (UK), and Geomotion Singapore (Singapore). Research Coverage: The structural health monitoring market based on technology has been segmented into wired and wireless. The structural health monitoring market based on offering covers hardware, and software and services. The structural health monitoring market based on vertical comprises civil infrastructure, aerospace & defense, energy, mining, and others (including industrial machinery, automotive, transportation, and marine structures). The geographic analysis has been done with regard to the Americas, Europe, APAC, and RoW. Reasons to Buy This Report: From an insight perspective, this research report has focused on various levels of analysismarket ranking of top players, value chain analysis, company profiles that provide the overview on the competitive landscape, emerging and high-growth segments of the structural health monitoring market, high-growth regions, and market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges. The report provides insights on the following pointers: Market development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging markets and analysis of the structural health monitoring market across regions Market diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographic regions, and recent developments in the overall structural health monitoring market Competitive assessment: In-depth assessment of ranking, strategies, products of the leading players in the structural health monitoring market Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04603859 About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com Mr. Girardi is being recognized as "Top National Consumer Trial Attorney of the Year" for 2019, for his successful 50 years of service as a practicing trial attorney, his outstanding leadership, dedication and commitment to the legal industry, his endless list of accomplishments, awards accolades, and his continuous contribution to society. Thomas Vincent Girardi has certainly proven himself as an accomplished professional and expert litigator who has become a household name. From being the trial lawyer on the famous Erin Brockovich case to his solid victories against Vioxx, Merck and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mr. Girardi is regarded by his peers as one of the nation's top trial lawyers of all time. He has obtained more than 30 verdicts of $1 million or more and has handled more than 100 settlements of $1 million or more. He has tried more than 100 jury cases, winning the first California medical malpractice verdict of $1 million or more, back in the 1970s and he has had a few billion dollar settlements under his belt. His areas of practice include Wrongful Death, Commercial Litigation, Products Liability, Bad Faith Insurance and Toxic Torts. Mr. Girardi attended Loyola Law School and graduated in 1964. He then enrolled in a master's program at NYU receiving his LLM in 1965. In addition to running the firm, he has also been an Associate Professor at Loyola Law School from 1976 to the Present and was recipient of the "Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1997 and in 2005 named "Champion of Justice" from the law school. At Loyola Law School, Mr. Girardi also backed the construction of the Albert H. Girardi Advocacy Center which is named in his father's honor. Throughout his illustrious career, Thomas Girardi has been active in his community, received numerous awards, accolades and recognized worldwide for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the legal profession. The International Association of Top Professionals just completed Mr. Girardi's film documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MckYFQ0l6x8&t=57s For more information please visit: http://www.thomasvgirardi.com Contact: Stephanie Cirami, 212-634-4427 SOURCE IAOTP Related Links http://iaotp.com SANTA CLARA, California, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Trianz, a global digital transformation consulting and technology services firm, today announced its selection as a Gold winner in the 'Best Deployments in USA' category at the 13th Annual Network PG's 2018 IT World Awards. The Silicon Valley-based Network Products Guide (NPG) is a leading technology research, analysis and advisory guide, which publishes conscientious research methodologies developed and enhanced by industry experts. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/626944/Trianz_Logo.jpg ) The IT World Awards is a premier industry and peer recognition program honoring achievements in every facet of the IT industry including technologies, products and services, leadership, organizational performance, customer satisfaction, and public relations from all over the world. Trianz' nomination entry for the NPG awards highlighted the firm's deployment and service excellence of an industry-leading digital solution for a Fortune 500 client, which produced quantifiable results and immense client satisfaction. More than 80 judges from a broad spectrum of industry voices from around the world participated and their average scores determined the 2018 award winners. Winners will be honored on Monday, July 30, 2018 during the annual SVUS Red Carpet Awards Ceremony Dinner in San Francisco attended by the finalists, winners, judges and industry peers. Speaking on the recognition, Sri Manchala, CEO and President of Trianz, said, "We're delighted to receive the Network Products Guide's recognition for our efforts, especially because the validation comes from industry and peers. It also reflects how much our clients and partners trust us with the enablement of their digital evolution." "Receiving the NPG IT World Award for 'Best Deployments and Customer Success' is immense motivation for Trianz to continually advance the best of digital platforms and solutions to enterprises globally. Our business theme, 'Digital Evolution Simplified,' reflects our commitment to helping business and technology leaders drive transformations through simple yet effective techniques, and thanks to our teams, we have been able to deliver a brand promise we are proud of," Prashant Bhavaraju, Vice President - Marketing at Trianz, said in a statement. About NPG's IT World Awards As industry's leading technology research and advisory publication, Network Products Guide plays a vital role in keeping decision makers and end-users informed of the choices they can make in all areas of information technology. The Annual IT World Awards is part of the SVUS Awards recognition program from Silicon Valley in the United States of America, which also includes other programs such as CEO World Awards, Consumer World Awards, Customer Sales and Service World Awards, Golden Bridge Awards, Globee Fastest Growing Private Companies Awards, Info Security PG's Global Excellence Awards, Pillar World Awards, PR World Awards, and Women World Awards. To learn more, visit http://www.networkproductsguide.com. About Trianz Trianz simplifies digital evolutions through effective strategies and excellence in execution. Collaborating with business and technology leaders, we help formulate and execute operational strategies to achieve intended business outcomes by bringing the best of consulting, technology experiences and execution models. Powered by knowledge, research, and perspectives, we enable clients to transition to a digital enterprise by leveraging Cloud, Analytics, Digital, Infrastructure and Security paradigms. With offices in Silicon Valley, Washington DC Metro, Rosemont, Chicago, Austin, Boston, Denver, Irvine, Raleigh, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Dubai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, we serve Fortune 1000 and emerging organizations across industries globally. For more information, visit http://www.trianz.com. Contact: Trianz Media Team [email protected] +1-408-387-5800 SOURCE Trianz PHOENIX, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation for nine University of Phoenix business programs in the School of Business and School of Advanced Studies has been granted by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a leading specialized accreditation body for business education. ACBSP accreditation reaffirms the University's commitment as one of the leading providers of career-relevant, higher education offerings for working adults and permits the University to continue to host a chapter of Delta Mu Delta, an international honor society that recognizes the academic accomplishments of business students. On June 10, ACBSP recognized University of Phoenix for the reaffirmation at the annual ACBSP Conference in Kansas City, Mo. The following business degree programs received ACBSP programmatic accreditation: School of Business School of Advanced Studies "Through the ACBSP accreditation, the quality of University of Phoenix's program offerings are continuously benchmarked to ensure the relevancy of program offerings to help educationally prepare students for today's business careers and the careers of the future," said Dennis Bonilla, executive dean for the School of Business, College of Information Systems and Technology and College of Criminal Justice. "The Schools are proud to continue to meet the high standards of exceptional educational offerings that demonstrate University of Phoenix's continued commitment to academic performance." "The University's Doctor of Business Administration and Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership are strong programs for those in the business world looking to begin the doctoral journey," said Hinrich Eylers, vice provost and executive dean of the School of Advanced Studies. "We're proud that the ACBSP recognizes our commitment to the quality of these programs." The ACBSP Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners first accredited University of Phoenix business programs in 2007 and accounting programs in 2009. In order to maintain accredited status, University of Phoenix is required to undergo the reaffirmation process every 10 years. ACBSP was established in 1988 and is the first and only organization to offer specialized business accreditation at all degree levels. To learn more about ACBSP, please visit: www.acbsp.org. For more information on programmatic accreditation, please visit: http://www.phoenix.edu/about_us/accreditation.html. About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix is innovating to help working adults move efficiently from education to careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant and engaging courses, and interactive learning can help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. About University of Phoenix School of Business University of Phoenix School of Business is a contemporary business school with the curriculum, faculty structure and ability to scale that reflect market needs. The School is committed to educating business leaders and leverages employer advisory boards in diverse sectors to help align curriculum with current business dynamics. Students are taught by faculty members who are often driving critical business decisions in their organizations, including hundreds in the C-suite. The School offers associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs, as well as non-degree programs, including certificates, individual courses and non-credit professional development. Doctoral programs are available through the School for Advanced Studies. To learn more about University of Phoenix School of Business programs, visit phoenix.edu/business. About University of Phoenix School of Advanced Studies University of Phoenix School of Advanced Studies is home to doctoral programs at University of Phoenix and develops leaders who create new models that explain, predict and improve organizational performance in their fields. The practitioner degrees offered through the School of Advanced Studies at University of Phoenix are designed around the Scholar, Practitioner, Leader Model, incorporating lifelong learning (scholarship), social and workplace contribution (practice), and the ability to exert positive influence (leadership). More information can be found at phoenix.edu/colleges_divisions/doctoral.html. SOURCE University of Phoenix Related Links https://www.phoenix.edu CLEVELAND, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- US demand for frozen foods is forecast to total $90.8 billion in 2022, according to Frozen Foods: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Population growth, rising disposable personal income, and increased desire to purchase foods that are convenient will drive gains over the forecast period. More information about the report is available at https://www.freedoniafocusreports.com/Frozen-Foods-United-States-FF10015/ Demand for frozen meat and poultry is projected to remain the largest segment through 2022. Gains will be driven by increasing per-capita consumption of such foods. Demand for frozen seafood is projected to advance the fastest of any segment through 2022, fueled by rising disposable personal income and the desirable health benefits of fish consumption. These and other key insights are featured in Frozen Foods: United States. This report forecasts US frozen food demand and shipments in nominal US dollars at the manufacturer level to 2022. Total demand and shipments are segmented by product in terms of: meat and poultry meals produce and juice seafood ice cream and frozen desserts baked goods To illustrate historical trends, total demand, total shipments, the various segments, and trade are provided in annual series from 2007 to 2017. About Freedonia Focus Reports Each month, The Freedonia Group a division of MarketResearch.com publishes over 20 new or updated Freedonia Focus Reports, providing fresh, unbiased analysis on a wide variety of markets and industries. Published in 20-30 pages, Focus Report coverage ranges from raw materials to finished manufactured goods and related services such as freight and construction. Additional Consumer Goods reports can be purchased at Freedonia Focus Reports or MarketResearch.com. Analysis is intended to guide the busy reader through pertinent topics in rapid succession, including: total historical market size and industry output segmentation by products and markets identification of market drivers, constraints, and key indicators segment-by-segment outlook in five-year forecasts a survey of the supply base suggested resources for further study Press Contact: Corinne Gangloff +1 440.684.9600 [email protected] SOURCE The Freedonia Group Related Links http://www.freedoniafocusreports.com "Recently major players in the hospitality industry both in the US and abroad have announced they have taken steps to eliminate plastic straws, which is a good start, but it's not enough. By implementing a Vero Water program, hotels and resorts can eliminate plastic bottles which represent a massive threat to our environment on a global scale," stated David Deshe, President of Vero Water. It is estimated that over 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, having a catastrophic effect on marine life. Deshe continued, "Just last week, an island of over 30 tons of plastic waste was found floating off the coast of Playa Montesinos near the capital of the Dominican Republic and some of it has since washed up onshore. This not only threatens the marine eco-system but is a major threat to local businesses who rely on tourists attracted to the pristine beaches at their resorts." Through the OneLink partnership, Vero Water has rapidly expanded in the region, establishing a presence in many of the leading hotel and resort operators such as Iberostar Hotels & Resorts who have made a corporate strategic commitment to "go green", incorporating Vero Water into the total guest experience. Collectively, these clients have projected to reduce waste by over 4 million plastic bottles this year alone. "As experts in both the region and meeting the unique needs the hospitality industry through sustainable solutions, we are proud to be a part of eliminating plastic waste in the Caribbean and Latin America," said Gennaro Cirone President of OneLink Global. Vero Water is committed to meeting the growing demands of consumers and the hospitality industry for sustainability. Vero enables clients to purify, chill and fill still and sparkling water on-site and on-demand, delivering a consistent signature taste, swiftly, profitably and sustainably. Transforming tap water results in a significant reduction in food miles and carbon footprint versus sourcing, bottling and transporting bottled water, often from various countries thousands of miles away from the end consumer. Bottle waste is minimized as the signature luxury VERO WATER bottles are reusable-- sanitized and refilled on-premise. About VERO WATER Vero Water is a healthy lifestyle choice for Inspired Living. VERO WATER is a leading provider of luxury still and sparkling water to the hospitality industry and is served to over 40 million consumers a year in six countries and in the United States from coast-to-coast in over 40 states. Vero is an exceptionally great tasting still and sparkling water for consumers, more sustainable for the environment, and a more profitable for the hospitality industry versus traditional bottled water brands. Vero's proprietary purification and bottling process enables clients to purify, chill, fill and serve Vero still and sparkling water on-premise and on-demand. Served perfectly chilled from a luxury branded bottle with every pour, Vero's signature taste is pure and crisp - noted by a distinctively luxurious mouthfeel and a light and refreshing finish. The exceptional taste and quality, combined with the unparalleled level of concierge service, has propelled Vero Water into many of the most acclaimed restaurants worldwide, firmly establishing it as the water brand proudly served by the most demanding and successful chefs, restaurateurs and owner operators in the hospitality industry. verowater.com ABOUT IBEROSTAR: IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts is a resort hotel chain based in Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain), founded by the Fluxa family in 1986. IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts is an integral part of GRUPO IBEROSTAR, one of the main Spanish tourist companies with over 60 years of experience, which currently has 100 hotels of 4 and 5 stars in 17 countries around the world. For more information, please visit: IBEROSTAR.com About OneLink Global: OneLink Global (OLG) was established with the aim of providing sustainable solutions to the hospitality industry, specifically targeting the needs and requirements of Hotels and All-Inclusive Resorts across the Caribbean and Mexico and Latin America. OLG are the exclusive distributors or authorized dealers for; EcoLogic Solutions, an EPA Award winning Green Chemical Program. Vero Water, allowing hospitality clients to serve exceptionally great tasting still and sparkling water, be environmentally responsible, and lower operational costs, and EcoBruner, a safer, cleaner, greener product for your chafing dish needs. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKHX4mgSEY4 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/722839/Vero_Water_Logo.jpg SOURCE Vero Water Related Links http://www.verowater.com PETALUMA, Calif., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nothing in life is free. It's a blanket statement, sure, but it is true. Something may not necessarily cost money outright, but it'll cost some form of time and effort. In a society that loves the phrase "time is money," any sort of effort is costing someone something. Because people are very hard-pressed to make sure they get their money's worth, it can go a long way to ensure people are properly compensated for their time. CEO Brandon Frere, successful entrepreneur and owner of several businesses, says that one of the best ways to make sure that as many people as possible get their money's worth in relation to a business is to pay and treat employees well. A CEO is concerned with running a thriving business. An employee in that business might be more focused on making sure ends meet and doing good enough work to keep it that way, rather than focused solely on the tasks at hand. If employees are paid well enough and treated well enough in other ways, there is a much higher likelihood that the employees will put forth their best effort into their job. "My first concern in a business is my employees. Those who have chosen to come and assist with the work I'm doing. If you take care of your employees, they'll take care of you," says Frere. Being appropriately compensated - both with a living wage that is reflective of the area lived in and other creative ways such as catering - is a strong way to start getting the most out of an employee. "A business physically cannot run without employees. Surviving isn't thriving, and an employee that's just barely surviving won't bring the best they can to the table. Keeping an employee's needs taken care of is part of that concept of a thriving business," says Frere. About Frere Enterprises Brandon Frere is an entrepreneur and businessman who lives in Sonoma County, California. He has designed and created multiple companies to meet the ever-demanding needs of businesses and consumers alike. His company website, www.FrereEnterprises.com, is used as a means to communicate many of the lessons, fundamentals and information he has learned throughout his extensive business and personal endeavors, most recently in advocating on behalf of student loan borrowers nationwide. As experienced during his own student loan repayment, Mr. Frere found out how difficult it can be to work with federally contracted student loan servicers and the repayment programs designed to help borrowers. Through those efforts, he gained an insider's look into the repayment process and the motivations behind the inflating student loan debt bubble. His knowledge of the confusing landscape of student loan repayment became a vital theme in his future endeavors, and he now uses those experiences to help guide others through the daunting process of applying for available federal repayment and loan forgiveness programs. FrereEnterprises.com Related Images happy-employee-happy-boss.jpg Happy Employee, Happy Boss photosvit/Bigstock.com image2.png Related Links Frere Enterprises SOURCE Frere Enterprises Related Links http://www.FrereEnterprises.com by Mathias Hariyadi The tremor that yesterday struck the popular tourist resort killed 14 people, seriously injuring another 162. More than a thousand homes were damaged. Indonesias president ordered the distribution of funds for basic necessities. Rescuers are at work to evacuate the last tourists stranded on Mount Rinjani. Makassar (AsiaNews) Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo arrived this morning on Lombok to oversee rescue operations. Then island was hit yesterday by a 6.4 earthquake on the Richter scale. The tremor killed at least 14 people, injured another 162 people and damaged about a thousand homes. One of the victims was a Malaysian tourist, Siti Nurmada, who died as a result of the collapse of the hotel where she was staying. The president ordered the distribution of funds to quake victims to buy basic necessities and has requested the immediate evacuation of tourists stranded on Mount Rinjani, the only volcano on Lombok Island. Some 850 visitors were located yesterday on the mountain. Despite the tragic event, life on the island goes on. Lombok is considered one of Indonesias foremost tourist resorts, attracting both Indonesian and foreign visitors. Just a few nautical miles from its north-west coast lies the world-famous Gili Trawangan Island, second only to Bali for the number of tourists. Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, is located on the so-called Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean, an area with high seismic activity, often hit by earthquakes, many of which are harmless. However, seismic events are closely monitored given the high risk of tsunami. We know most of you know that none of the above is true. And that you're aware the most recent chapter of Kilauea volcano's 35-year-old eruption directly affects only a small portion of east Hawaii Island's Puna district equating 10 square miles of the 4,028-square-mile island. We know you know that, sadly, two-thirds of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, one of the Earth's most unparalleled natural areas, is, for now, closed to the public due to instability at the Kilauea summit area related to the Puna eruption nine miles away. And we're also aware you might be thinking, "OK, the park's closed. What else can we do and where else can we go on Hawaii Island?" The answer to that is easy: Just about everything, and just about everywhere. Along the western coast of the island, four other national park sites largely centered on Hawaiian history and culture await. East side Hilo town is home to tasty multicultural eats and a couple of great interactive science centers exploring Hawaii astronomy and marine life. The Hamakua Coast's rustic offshoot roads reveal hidden rainforests, streams, waterfalls and coastline, while the island's north tip is home to one of Hawaii's most exquisite valleys. From ziplining and kayaking to snorkeling and horseback riding, there are activities galore island-wide, all open for business. There's even lots to see and do in the districts closest to the eruption, Puna and Kau, including a vast yet little-visited section of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. So, yes, the island of Hawaii is business-as-usual, safe and open for business, with its wide-open spaces still very much wide open and ready for exploring. You won't accidentally wander anywhere near where the eruption's current fixed-channel, 9-mile lava flow is descending from an upland vent into the sea. And, honestly, it's just a great time to visit. So where can you go and what can you do on Hawaii Island? Start here. All Five National Park Service parks, sites and trails are OPEN . Hawaiian history and culture, as well as nature in all of its wild diversity, drive the narratives of every one of Hawaii Island's National Park Service-managed parks, sites and trails. Walk on the restored lava-rock seawall of a centuries-old Hawaiian fishpond and check out native wetland birds and beach-snoozing honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles) on the coastal trail of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park preserves the structures and landscape of a tranquil oceanfront site that for three centuries provided protection for fugitives who had violated the early Hawaiian kapu system of sacred laws, and all others fleeing death or danger. A visit to the massive namesake seaside heiau (temple) of Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site shares the epic history of its 1790 construction on the orders of King Kamehameha the Great, who was told by prophecy that building it would earn him the favor of Hawaiian war god Kukailimoku in all of his battles. Explore the sights and sounds of the Alakahakai National Historic Trail, a 175-mile island-circling foot trail used by early Hawaiians for traveling between coastal settlements. Restored portions of the scenic trail can be trekked within Kaloko-Honokohau NHP, Puuhonua o Honaunau NHP and Puukohola Heiau NHS. Finally, while it's true that Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's visitor center and its most-visited Kilauea volcano summit- and coastline-area attractions are, for now, closed indefinitely, folks interested in experiencing the before-and-after landscapes of a volcanic eruption up-close can make plans to explore the park's Kahuku Unit, an hour's drive south of park's main entrance. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, with admission free, Kahuku offers ranger- and self-guided hikes exploring Maunaloa volcano's 1868 lava flow, its post- and pre-lava flow native forests, historic pasturelands, and history of people on the landscape. On the way to the Kahuku unit from Hilo (or on the way to Hilo after visiting it from Kona), stop in the towns of Volcano (aka Volcano Village) for sit-down meals, fast eats, to-go grinds and more at one of the town's restaurants, drive-ins and general stores, or Naalehu for fresh-made Portuguese sweetbread, stuffed or traditional Portuguese malasadas, bread puddings and lots more baked delights at Punaluu Bake Shop. You say you want adventure? Choose from more than a dozen hiking trails managed by the state's Na Ala Hele Hawaii Trail and Access system from upland rainforest and valley hikes to coastal and mountain treks scattered throughout the island's diverse landscapes and climate zones. Experience the workday views of the island's storied paniolo (cowboys and cowgirls) firsthand via a horseback ride on the green rolling hills and rugged working ranches of North Kohala and Waimea, or along the rim of breathtaking Waipio Valley. With their bounty of stream- and waterfall-carved valleys, and acres of verdant forest, the coastlines of northeast Kohala, Hamakua and north Hilo offer up some of Hawaii's most idyllic landscapes for intrepid zipline enthusiasts. Explore the island's undersea world at its many marine-life filled snorkel and scuba spots or sign up for a night dive for manta rays and other post-sunset underwater denizens. A circle-island helicopter tour offers sky views of the vast lava fields of Kilauea, Maunaloa and Maunakea volcanoes, and the emerald amphitheater valleys, rugged sea cliffs and hidden rainforest waterfalls of the Hamakua Coast. Peer into massive Waipio Valley from its uber-scenic lookout or hike into rain-kissed Pololu Valley from its own similarly scenic overlook. Or join a tour and snorkel the crystalline waters of marine life conservation area Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park on the island's Kona side. How about we drop some history, science and culture on you? Learn about the federally protected waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands' 583,000-square mile Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and see some of its live marine life at the Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo. Bonus: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park rangers are currently stationed at the center for visitors interested in learning about Hawaii's volcanoes and the current Kilauea eruption. At Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, interactive exhibits dive into early Hawaiian studies of the stars and modern day astronomical studies at the summit of towering (and dormant) Maunakea. Speaking of, brag that you were at one of the best places in the world for naked-eye stargazing (and atop the tallest mountain in the world when measured base to peak) on a guided tour of Maunakea's summit. The Kona Coffee Living History Farm offers tours of its still-producing coffee estate first homesteaded in 1900, weaving in interpretive history of the daily lives of early 20th century Japanese immigrant coffee farmers. Tour the pioneering aquaculture and mariculture activities, sea- and sun-powered renewable energy production, and other high-tech businesses of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) on the Kona Coast, including a seahorse farm. A hike into Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve reveals a third of its 3,000 kii pohaku (images in stone) depicting early Hawaiian spiritual and everyday life. Take in Hilo's Native Hawaiian, immigrant and missionary resident history, and the island's natural history, at Lyman Museum and Mission House. The ranching town of Waimea is home to a heritage center and real-life ranches ready to share the stories of Hawaii Island's celebrated paniolo and longtime place in U.S. ranching history. Get lost figuratively, not literally in nature. South of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, explore the coastline of Punaluu Beach, whose black sands much-loved by Hawaiian green sea turtles for sunning are actually fine, sea-worn granules of Kilauea volcano lava. Seek out the scenic, multi-length segments of the Old Mamalahoa Highway once the main road connecting the sugar towns of the island's Hamakua Coast as they wind through rainforests, over century-old bridges, and past rugged coastline, small towns and old sugar mill remnants. Help restore native plant life and forests that once dominated the windward, mid-elevation slopes of Maunakea on a seedling-planting mission with the state's Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project or nonprofit Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative; or, further downslope, with the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative. Grab your binoculars and trek one, five or all 90 miles of the island-crossing Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail on a quest to tick native seaside, mountain and rainforest birds off your been-there-seen-that birding checklist. Or embark on a waterfall road trip of North Hilo and the Hamakua Coast, beginning with 80-foot Waianuenue (aka Rainbow) Falls and its sister Wailuku River cascades in Hilo, and continuing with 442-foot Akaka Falls in Honomu and other waterfalls viewable along Highway 19 (aka modern Mamalahoa Highway). Hungry yet? Follow the locals and you'll find great eats in just about every Hawaii Island town from fresh, farm-and-ranch-to-table dining in Waimea and the resorts of the Kohala Coast, to brew pubs, fresh-catch restaurants, and longtime mom-and-pop eateries in Kailua-Kona, and an array of eclectic small town eateries in Hawi, Honokaa, Pahoa and Volcano Village. The island's biggest town, Hilo, is an burgeoning food-enthusiast neighborhood in its own right, offering everything from the local-style menus of resident-favorite drive-ins and lunch shops, to fresh-caught fish and multiethnic comfort food, to loco moco, okazuya, poke, mochi and farm-and-farmers-market-to-table cuisine, to inventive bakeries, pizza joints and taquerias. A number of farmers in Hawaii Island's Kona, Kau and Puna coffee-growing districts offer educational farm tours and tastings of their coffees, while annual java festivals in Kona and Kau celebrate each district's distinct award-winning roasts. Sample island-produced ambrosial organic honeys, nature-infused with hints of kiawe wood, mac nut, ohia lehua blossom and other floral varieties, at farmers markets or on an actual bee farm tour. Grapes grown on vines at the 4,000-foot elevation of Kilauea volcano bring unique character to the vintages produced by longtime vintners Volcano Winery. The twice-weekly downtown Hilo Farmers Market with its fresh produce, flowers, gourmet culinary products, multiethnic to-go foods, arts and crafts, and fashion is the island's most well-known outdoor market, but you'll also find awesome Saturday morning farmers markets in Waimea (tip: definitely do breakfast here), and around the island, including Kona, Volcano, Kau, Waikoloa, Hawi and Kapaau. While perusing the farmers markets, look for jellies, jams, marmalades and other small-batch preserves crafted from specialized fruit varieties poha berries, lilikoi, mountain apple and more grown on the island's many micro-orchards. Travelers planning a trip to the island of Hawaii who have questions regarding Kilauea volcano or air quality can contact the Hawaii Tourism United States Call Center at (800) GO-HAWAII [(800) 464-2924]. For more information, visit www.GoHawaii.com/Island-of-Hawaii. SOURCE Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau Related Links http://www.GoHawaii.com COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle, the nation's first fast-food hamburger chain and home of The Original Slider, announced today a new partnership with last-mile logistics platform DoorDash to expand delivery options for nearly 300 White Castle locations. The partnership further boosts convenience and availability for Cravers looking to get their hands on the restaurant's iconic sliders and other fan-favorite menu items. Cravers can order any of White Castle's coveted menu items, such as The Original Slider, the celebrated Veggie Slider, breakfast anytime or even a Crave Case for those with the boldest of appetites, through DoorDash's online and mobile platforms. Now, more Cravers than ever will have access to delivery from White Castle. "We're thrilled to further our mission to accommodate our many Cravers where they're at, and this new partnership with DoorDash will take our delivery capabilities to the next level," said Lisa Ingram, president and chief executive officer at White Castle. "Since 1921, our team members have been using innovation and creativity to fine-tune the White Castle experience and that experience just got better thanks to this new partnership." In celebration of the new partnership, DoorDash will offer free delivery on all orders of $10 or more from White Castle restaurants between July 30 and August 5, 2018; no promotion code needed. Cravers in the participating areas can use the DoorDash app or website to order their favorite White Castle products with just a tap or a click, without leaving home or work. Service fees, surge fees, gratuities, and/or taxes still apply. Deliveries subject to availability. "DoorDash was founded to help local business owners scale, which is why our partnership with White Castlea multigenerational family-owned businessis so meaningful to us," said Christopher Payne, chief operating officer at DoorDash. "We're proud to be an integral part of their next phase of growth and innovation, and to continue to offer high-quality restaurants to our customers." To learn more about White Castle or find restaurants and retail products near you, visit www.WhiteCastle.com. To start your delivery order through DoorDash, visit DoorDash.com. About White Castle White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain based in Columbus, Ohio, has been making Bold Moves as a family-owned business for 97 years. The company was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921, serving The Original Slider, made from 100 percent USDA inspected beef. Today White Castle owns and operates nearly 400 restaurants in 13 states. The pioneering original slider, Time Magazine's most influential burger of all time, is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted sliders and other tasty food options. White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants and bakeries as well as three frozen food processing plants. The retail division markets White Castle's famous fare in grocery, club stores, convenience stores, vending operations and concessions across the United States and in a growing number of international locations, including military base exchanges around the world. Cravers on-the-go can access sweet deals and place a pick-up order any time in the official White Castle app. Download the app today from the iTunes App Store or Google Play. For more information on White Castle visit whitecastle.com. About DoorDash DoorDash is a technology company that connects customers with their favorite local and national businesses in more than 850 cities across the United States and Canada. Founded in 2013, DoorDash empowers merchants to grow their businesses by offering on-demand delivery, data-driven insights, and better in-store efficiency, providing delightful experiences from door to door. By building the last mile delivery infrastructure for local cities, DoorDash is bringing communities closer, one doorstep at a time. Read more on the DoorDash blog or at www.doordash.com. SOURCE White Castle Related Links http://www.whitecastle.com "Charlotte is the largest city in the Carolinas and home to some of the country's most distinguished financial institutions, medical centers, and universities, each of which generates a healthy demand for extended stay accommodations," said Ron Burgett, vice president, franchise development, WoodSpring Suites, Choice Hotels. "Our collaboration with Brookwood Hotels continues to grow with the opening of these properties, and we cannot wait for guests to experience these hotels and the essential amenities the brand offers." Both new four-story, 122-room properties are within driving distance to downtown Charlotte, the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and several other corporations and attractions including, the Bank of America Financial Center, Duke Energy, NASCAR, Microsoft, Sonic Automotive, and Wells Fargo corporate offices. In addition, both hotels include a mix of queen and king size beds, an in-room kitchen equipped with a full-size refrigerator, an expanded lobby with coffee station, a fitness center with 24/7 access, 100-percent smoke free premises, free parking, complimentary guest Wi-Fi, and 24/7 guest laundry. "Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, attracting a diverse and talented labor pool and new business sectors, making it the ideal location to open multiple WoodSpring properties," said Darien Wright, chief operating officer, Brookwood Hotels. "We believe in the WoodSpring Suites product, and these two hotels expand our footprint into the largest city in the state of North Carolina." To learn more about WoodSpring Suites visit www.woodspring.com/ourbrand/. About WoodSpring Suites WoodSpring Suites is the nation's fastest-growing economy extended-stay hotel brand. Franchised by Choice Hotels, these properties typically feature 122 all-suite rooms and are purpose-built for longer visits. There are more than 240 WoodSpring Suites hotels in over 35 states. All are new construction, with the average hotel being built in the last seven years. For more information, visit www.woodspringfranchise.com. About Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 6,800 hotels, representing more than 550,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of March 31, 2018, the Choice family of hotel brands provide business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended stay and economy segments. Choice Privileges, an award-winning loyalty program, offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com. About Brookwood Hotels Brookwood Hotels (the "Company") is a hospitality platform company which was formed simultaneously with the acquisition of the WoodSpring Suites brand by Choice Hotels in February 2018. The Company owns more than 100 hotels in the economy extended-stay segment across the U.S., with the largest concentration in Florida. The Company is owned by a Brookfield Asset Management (Brookfield)-sponsored private real estate fund. Brookfield is a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $285 billion in assets under management. 2018 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved. SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc. Related Links http://www.choicehotels.com DUBLIN, July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Blockchain in Telecom Market Analysis & Trends - Industry Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Block chain in Telecom Market is poised to grow strong during the forecast period 2017 to 2027. Some of the prominent trends that the market is witnessing include growing usage of the block chain technology for implementing 5G technology, increasing security concerns among Telco's and rising support for operation support system/business support system (OSS/BSS) processes. Depending upon provider, the market is segregated into infrastructure providers, application providers and middleware providers. By organization size, the market is segmented into large enterprises, medium-sized enterprises and small enterprises. On the basis of application, the market is classified into connectivity provisioning, payments, operation support system/business support system (OSS/BSS) processes, smart contracts, identity management and other applications. Other applications are further sub-segmented into digital asset management and roaming. This industry report analyzes the market estimates and forecasts of all the given segments on global as well as regional levels presented in the research scope. The study provides historical market data for 2015, 2016 revenue estimations are presented for 2017 and forecasts from 2018 till 2027. The study focuses on market trends, leading players, supply chain trends, technological innovations, key developments, and future strategies. With comprehensive market assessment across the major geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Latin America and Rest of the world the report is a valuable asset for the existing players, new entrants and the future investors. The study presents detailed market analysis with inputs derived from industry professionals across the value chain. A special focus has been made on 23 countries such as U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, Spain, France, Italy, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, etc. Report Highlights The report provides a detailed analysis on current and future market trends to identify the investment opportunities Market forecasts till 2027, using estimated market values as the base numbers Key market trends across the business segments, regions and countries Key developments and strategies observed in the market Market Dynamics such as Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and other trends In-depth company profiles of key players and upcoming prominent players Growth prospects among the emerging nations through 2027 Market opportunities and recommendations for new investments Key Topics Covered 1 Market Outline 1.1 Research Methodology 1.1.1 Research Approach & Sources 1.2 Market Trends 1.3 Regulatory Factors 1.4 Application Analysis 1.5 Strategic Benchmarking 1.6 Opportunity Analysis 2 Executive Summary 3 Market Overview 3.1 Current Trends 3.1.1 Growing Usage of the Blockchain Technology for Implementing 5G Technology 3.1.2 Increasing Security Concerns Among Telco's 3.1.3 Rising support for Operation Support System/Business Support System (OSS/BSS) processes 3.1.4 Growth Opportunities/Investment Opportunities 3.2 Drivers 3.3 Constraints 3.4 Industry Attractiveness 3.4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers 3.4.2 Bargaining power of buyers 3.4.3 Threat of substitutes 3.4.4 Threat of new entrants 3.4.5 Competitive rivalry 4 Blockchain in Telecom Market, By Provider 4.1 Infrastructure Providers 4.1.1 Infrastructure Providers Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 4.2 Application Providers 4.2.1 Application Providers Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 4.3 Middleware Providers 4.3.1 Middleware Providers Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 5 Blockchain in Telecom Market, By Organization Size 5.1 Large Enterprises 5.1.1 Large Enterprises Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 5.2 Medium-Sized Enterprises 5.2.1 Medium-Sized Enterprises Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 5.3 Small Enterprises 5.3.1 Small Enterprises Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 6 Blockchain in Telecom Market, By Application 6.1 Connectivity Provisioning 6.1.1 Connectivity Provisioning Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 6.2 Payments 6.2.1 Payments Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 6.3 Operation Support System/Business Support System (OSS/BSS) Processes 6.3.1 Operation Support System/Business Support System (OSS/BSS) Processes Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 6.4 Smart Contracts 6.4.1 Smart Contracts Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 6.5 Identity Management 6.5.1 Identity Management Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 6.6 Other Applications 6.6.1 Other Applications Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 6.6.1.1 Digital Asset Management 6.6.1.1.1 Digital Asset Management Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 6.6.1.2 Roaming 6.6.1.2.1 Roaming Market Forecast to 2027 (US$ MN) 7 Blockchain in Telecom Market, By Geography 7.1 North America 7.1.1 North America Market Forecast by Countries to 2027 (US$ MN) 7.1.1.1 US 7.1.1.2 Canada 7.1.1.3 Mexico 7.2 Europe 7.2.1 Europe Market Forecast by Countries to 2027 (US$ MN) 7.2.1.1 France 7.2.1.2 Germany 7.2.1.3 Italy 7.2.1.4 Spain 7.2.1.5 UK 7.2.1.6 Rest of Europe 7.3 Asia Pacific 7.3.1 Asia Pacific Market Forecast by Countries to 2027 (US$ MN) 7.3.1.1 China 7.3.1.2 Japan 7.3.1.3 India 7.3.1.4 Australia 7.3.1.5 New Zealand 7.3.1.6 Rest of Asia Pacific 7.4 Middle East 7.4.1 Middle East Market Forecast by Countries to 2027 (US$ MN) 7.4.1.1 Saudi Arabia 7.4.1.2 UAE 7.4.1.3 Rest of Middle East 7.5 Latin America 7.5.1 Latin America Market Forecast by Countries to 2027 (US$ MN) 7.5.1.1 Argentina 7.5.1.2 Brazil 7.5.1.3 Rest of Latin America 7.6 Rest of the World (RoW) 7.6.1 RoW Market Forecast by Countries to 2027 (US$ MN) 7.6.1.1 South Africa 7.6.1.2 Others 8 Key Player Activities 8.1 Mergers & Acquisitions 8.2 Partnerships, Joint Venture's, Collaborations and Agreements 8.3 Product Launch & Expansions 8.4 Other Activities 9 Leading Companies 9.1 Spinsys 9.2 IBM 9.3 Recordskeeper 9.4 SAP 9.5 Huawei 9.6 Cegeka 9.7 Chain 9.8 Reply 9.9 Blockpoint 9.10 Abra 9.11 Blockcypher 9.12 Blockchain Foundry 9.13 Auxesis Group 9.14 Blocko 9.15 Shocard 9.16 Blockstream 9.17 Filament 9.18 Bitfury 9.19 Oracle 9.20 Microsoft 9.21 Sofocle 9.22 Guardtime 9.23 TBCASoft 9.24 AWS For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/twdq6q/worldwide?w=5 Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Amy Greene joins as Vice President, Investor Relations LONDON, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE: AVP), a global leader in direct selling of beauty products, today announced that Amy Greene has been appointed Vice President, Investor Relations, effective 13 August 2018. A seasoned financial communications professional, Amy led investor relations and corporate engagement at Herbalife Ltd. and GNC Holdings Inc. following a 10 year career publishing investment research on consumer products companies. "We are pleased to have an investor relations professional of Amy's calibre join the Avon team," said CFO Jamie Wilson. "She brings 20 years of experience in sell-side research and communications combined, a deep knowledge of capital markets and a strong network of relationships within the investment community. Further, Amy has a tremendous understanding of the direct selling industry and consumer products. We look forward to the value she will add in engaging analysts and investors with our plans to achieve sustainable, profitable growth." Amy Greene brings two decades of experience as an industry analyst and as in-house investor relations executive. She built an award-winning investor relations programme at Herbalife Ltd. optimizing the investor base, during her tenure as Senior Vice President of Global Engagement and Senior Vice President of Investor, Government & Community Relations, as the company grew from a small to mid-cap business. Amy served as Vice President of Investor Relations & Government Relations at GNC Holdings Inc., the global vitamin and supplements retailer, where she led the external engagement with investors, analysts and various Congressional offices and industry groups, to change the narrative around topics such as wellness and care. Earlier in her career Amy spent more than 10 years as an equity analyst at Avondale Partners LLC and First Union Securities, covering the direct selling, personal care and restaurants and beverage sectors. Most recently she founded and served as Chief Strategy Officer of LAILA Strategic Consulting, an independent consulting company that assists corporate executives in designing and implementing investor and public affairs strategies. She received a BS in Politics from Randolph-Macon Women's College. About Avon Products, Inc. Avon is the Company that for 130 years has proudly stood for beauty, innovation, optimism and, above all, for women. Avon products include well-recognized and beloved brands such as ANEW, Avon Color, Avon Care, Skin-So-Soft, and Advance Techniques sold through approximately 6 million active independent Avon Sales Representatives. Learn more about Avon and its products at www.avoncompany.com. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including efforts to achieve profitable growth. Because forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties, actual future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the possibility of business disruption, competitive uncertainties, and general economic and business conditions in Avon's markets as well as the other risks detailed in Avon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Avon undertakes no obligation to update any statements in this press release for changes that happen after the date of this release. SOURCE Avon Products, Inc. Related Links http://www.avon.com Funded by the Defense Logistics Agency, the scope for the program includes the design of six new, above-ground storage tanks that will be environmentally compliant. The tanks will replace 40 existing underground tanks, from the World War II era, that store 75 million gallons of fuel. "We are honored to be a part of this project that is so important to the NAVFAC Northwest and the region surrounding Manchester," says Dave Barr, vice president and leader of the firm's Federal Group. "The improvements will allow the facilities to better meet the Navy's fuel logistics requirements in a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. It will also minimize maintenance-related outages, thus increasing availability to support critical missions." This is the second largest federal fueling project in the U.S. The largest federal fueling project was also designed by Burns & McDonnell at Point Loma NAVSUP FLC San Diego, where eight new storage tanks occupy a smaller site than the tanks they replaced, while maintaining a storage capacity of 1 million barrels. All the contract work will be performed at government facilities within NAVFAC Northwest's area of responsibility, including the Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Puget Sound and Manchester Fuel Department. The Manchester Fuel Department averages a yearly throughput of 2.3 million barrels of fuel to its customers, which include Air Force, Army, Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard. Burns & McDonnell is the only company awarded the eight-year contract, which is the largest, single AE IDIQ for the firm's Federal Fueling Group to date. Completion is expected by June 2026. Burns & McDonnell has been involved in military projects since 1942. Since then, the firm's experience has expanded to include diverse projects and services for federal and military clients worldwide. Learn more about comprehensive services for military and federal projects. For photos and support materials, please visit our MEDIA KIT. About Burns & McDonnell Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of more than 6,000 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is proud to be on Fortune's 2018 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit burnsmcd.com. Contact: Mary Young, Burns & McDonnell 816-822-4369 [email protected] SOURCE Burns & McDonnell Related Links http://www.burnsmcd.com ATHENS, Greece, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's first 100% solar-powered 24-hour off-grid mobile cabin has been successfully piloted for the construction workforce by global leader Consolidated Contractors Company. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713482/Consolidated_Contractors_Company_Logo.jpg ) Partnering with German energy storage experts Tesvolt and working in accordance with the agenda set by the UN's General Assembly, CCC developed the world-first off-grid 100% solar-powered 24-hour office and accommodation cabin - which meets day and night energy demands, maintaining a room temperature of 25[o]C, considering a peak outside ambient temperature of 50[o] C (assuming a minimum of 6 hours direct sunlight per day). PV panels supply power during daytime and the excess generated power is fed into the battery storage to support the demand during the evening hours. Consolidated Contractors Company Manager M.I.S. & Business Processes Re-engineering, Aref Boualwan, said the system could be constantly monitored, analysed and adjusted anytime online - from anywhere in the world. "The majority of our personnel are positioned on sites across the MENA region, where average temperatures are always high. For this project, we wanted to focus on off-grid renewable energy systems for our workers day and night, which are the most appropriate due to geographical constraints and costs for grid extension," Mr Boualwan said. "A group of engineers with diversified technical backgrounds and subject matter experts, based in different locations around the world, developed the off-grid mobile cabin. The energy system was designed, engineered, constructed, tested, and commissioned following the latest codes and IEC Standards. "CCC and Tesvolt are proud of this collaboration, and believe that this success story represents a great foundation for the future strategic partnership of both companies." About Consolidated Contractors Company: Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) is a global leader in the engineering and construction industry. Established in 1952 and operating worldwide, CCC has provided more than 65 years of project management, engineering, procurement and construction services to the industry and employs around 172,000 people internationally. The company's landmark construction projects include the Dubai Mall, the Abu Dhabi International Airport - Midfield Terminal Building, residential towers, hotels, power stations, water and sewage treatment plants and networks, roads and bridges, industrial and process plants and pipelines worldwide. Consolidated Contractors Company contributes to the Partnering Against Corruption Initiative of the World Economic Forum, along with the UN Global Compact, to ensure business ethics, anti-bribery policies and sustainable growth in all forms of its operations. Katie Clift +30-6944-743-417 [email protected] SOURCE CCC SAN FRANCISCO, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Education Ecosystem will be attending several events and meetups in major cities throughout North America as part of their Q3 Roadshow. Some of the cities will include Las Vegas, Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle. During the roadshow, Education Ecosystem is expected to have exhibition booths to display their project. In addition, CEO Dr. Michael J. Garbade will be a guest speaker at some of the events. Education Ecosystem Education Ecosystem is building a decentralized learning ecosystem where people learn how to build complete products in future technology fields. Currently, they are ramping up development for their first product, online education platform LiveEdu. The platform is currently in beta but will soon be transformed to a new platform that will be powered by LEDU coins. For this roadshow, the team will be at events to promote their project and explain to potential partners and platform users how the company plans to disrupt the $360B professional development industry. The role of blockchain in the professional development industry and what it means for the future of learning will also be a hot topic during their educational talks. More information about specific events will be announced on the Education Ecosystem website and their blog. Get LEDU coins now on Livecoin, Mercatox and Exrates. Read more about LEDU coins on their project page and ask any questions you might have in their Telegram group chat. Media Contact Michael J. Garbade [email protected] Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y39Vhhb0kPU SOURCE Education Ecosystem Related Links https://education-ecosystem.com PITTSBURGH, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board today announced that Jesse Bongiovi will sign purchased bottles of Diving Into Hampton Water wine at 6:00 PM Wednesday, Aug. 1, at Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection, 5956 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh. Jesse Bongiovi is a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he received a degree in political science with a minor in business economics. A New Jersey native, Jesse spent nearly every summer of his youth vacationing with his family in East Hampton, New York. His lifelong affection for the Hamptons is what motivated him to create Diving Into Hampton Water. Jesse is the son of Rock-n-Roll Hall-of-Famer Jon Bon Jovi, who played a key role in the creation of this wine. Jesse and Jon collaborated with French winemaker Gerard Bertrand, and the wine is produced in France's southern Languedoc-Roussillon region. Samples will be offered to those 21 years of age and older. The wine, which received 90 points in Wine Spectator, is available in two sizes: Diving Into Hampton Water Rose 2017 750 mL (Code 75801), $24.99 Diving Into Hampton Water Rose 2017 1.5 L (Code 75804), $49.99 The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits totaling $15.8 billion since the agency's inception are returned to Pennsylvania's General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania's schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit www.lcb.pa.gov. MEDIA CONTACT: Shawn M. Kelly, 717.783.8864 SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Related Links http://www.lcb.pa.gov By Vincent Mitchell, Professor of Marketing, University of Sydney Shutterstock When it comes to digital privacy, there are plenty of organisations making money out of using your data Google and Facebook are just two examples. But what if you were the one making the money? What if those organisations profiting from your data had to pay you a share of that earning? Read more: If its free online, you are the product This idea raised in a recent article in Quartz is gaining ground. American author and law professor Eric Posner says data creation is labour, pointing out that in the largest technology companies, the share of income going to labour is only about 5-15%. Thats way below the estimated 80% share that Walmart, for example, pays for labour. So if you accept Posners theory that data is labour, then companies who make money from marketing your data are essentially getting labour for free. And its not only your personal data they exploit. Its also the many hours of labour it takes to create social media content in the first place and the hours we spend viewing and responding to the content made by others. Working out what your data is worth Despite the personal data industry generating some US$200 billion in revenue every year, data brokers give little, if any, money back to the providers of this asset. Admittedly, valuing personal data isnt easy. Lets take Facebook, for example. If we divide its revenue (US$40.7 billion in 2017) by the number of monthly active users (2.196 billion), then each user is worth US$18.53 on average. Read more: Your next social network could pay you for posting You could think of this figure as the amount that your Facebook data is worth. Of course, this is a very simplistic calculation. Even without using your data to target you with ads, Facebooks size means it could still make money from advertising just like any other media outlet. But its the targeting that helps Facebook dominate the digital advertising market. Indeed, concerns about Facebooks ability to continue to exploit personal data have likely contributed to Facebooks recent drop in share price. If you combine your Facebook data with the rest of your digital footprint, some estimate that an average US consumer could make up to US$240 per year. This amount could be much higher if you include other valuable data, such as your purchase history, location, and financial information. So our data could make us money. Some companies already pay for it Market research companies have been paying people for their data for decades. Nowadays, YouTube pays creators for posts via AdSense. Opinion Outpost pays you for voicing your opinion. Swagbucks pays you to do everyday things on the internet. And Small Business Knowledge Center even pays you for your junk mail. So if some companies are already paying for personal data, why isnt everyone paying for it? There are two main reasons for this. First, our data are dispersed, fragmented and inaccessible. People who use ad blockers, do not track tools, and high privacy settings erode the quality of data that can be gathered about them. So each company with which they interact has only a small portion of their data, which can lead to errors in targeted marketing. The holy grail of data integrity is when your data comes directly from you. This means its 100% accurate, comprehensive, and handed over with explicit consent. Second, unlike other possessions, its hard for individuals to trade data. If data cant be easily sold at the owners will, its difficult to extract value from it. Read more: 7 in 10 smartphone apps share your data with third-party services Companies such as the UK startup digi.me allow users to upload and store their data in a single app where they have control over it. Others, such as the European Union-based Wibson, Singapore non-profit Ocean, and the US startup Datacoup, promise users the ability to trade their data with interested parties for money or credit. The beginning of the Internet of Me revolution This philosophy of placing power over data back in the hands of the people it belongs to is embodied in the concept of the Internet of Me. While still small, these startups represent a significant step in correcting the exploitation currently seen in personal data markets. More accurate data should allow for better targeted advertising, more accurate credit scoring, improved market research, important training of AI systems, and even more personalised health care. Finally we might have fairer option when it comes to dealing with our digital data. Vincent Mitchell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Originally published in The Conversation. CHICAGO and BELFAST, Northern Ireland, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Chicago and Queen's University Belfast today announced Bertie Ahern, Former Taoiseach, Republic of Ireland and Lord David Trimble, PC, Former First Minister, Northern Ireland will join as conference panelists at Global Conflict | The Human Impact in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Thursday, August 23 and Friday, August 24. Global Conflict | The Human Impact convened by The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts at the University of Chicago and the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen's University Belfast aims to promote the ongoing discussion, understanding and resolution of global conflicts, while contributing to the advancement of a global society more at peace. As two leading voices in Northern Ireland's peace building, Mr. Ahern and Lord Trimble will offer Global Conflict | The Human Impact firsthand accounts and distinctive perspectives of the Good Friday Agreement and the lessons learned in the two decades since. In Mr. Ahern's first term as Taoiseach, he played a vital role in successfully negotiating the peace agreement and establishing a framework for power-sharing in Northern Ireland after 30 years of violence. These negotiations, however, wouldn't have been possible without the involvement of Lord Trimble, who soon after his election as head of the Ulster Unionist Party, agreed to take part in the "all-party" peace talks and demonstrated willingness to work towards lasting peace. In addition to Mr. Ahern and Lord Trimble, it was announced that the two-day conference will include the presentation of two special video messages. The first video message will be given by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has served in that position since January 2017. A second video message will be delivered by Hazim Avdal, an Iraqi refugee whose undergraduate education at the University of Chicago is being sponsored by the Clooney Foundation for Justice, helmed by George and Amal Clooney. Mr. Avdal's story was featured earlier this year on David Letterman's popular Netflix series, "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction." The Most Reverend Noel Treanor, Bishop, Down and Connor, Ireland will also join as a speaker. Mr. Ahern, Mr. Trimble and Bishop Treanor join other international leaders such as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, former US Senator George J. Mitchell, former US Assistant Secretary of State Anne C. Richard and CEO of Concern Worldwide Dominic MacSorley, all of whom were first announced in June 2018. The conference agenda incorporates the academic strength and excellence of two leading institutions while bringing together scholars, leaders and practitioners to address the human cost of violent conflict by identifying important lessons for conflict resolution through academic research and experience. Confirmed participants for Global Conflict | The Human Impact include: For more information regarding Global Conflict | The Human Impact or if interested in attending the conference, please visit www.globalconflict2018.org. Limited seating is available to the public. For more information about The University of Chicago and The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts please visit: thepearsoninstitute.org. Additional information regarding Queen's University Belfast and the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice can be found here: https://www.qub.ac.uk/ MEDIA NOTE | FOR PLANNING PURPOSES : For questions regarding conference content, to request a speaker interview and/or to apply for media accreditation, please email: [email protected]. About The University of Chicago & The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts: The University of Chicago is a leading academic and research institution that has driven new ways of thinking since its founding in 1890. As an intellectual destination, the University draws scholars and students from around the world to its home in Hyde Park and campuses around the globe. The University provides a distinctive educational experience, empowering individuals to challenge conventional thinking and pursue research that produces new understanding and breakthroughs with global impact. Home to more than 90 Nobel laureates, the University of Chicago is dedicated to an environment of fearless inquiry and academic rigor. In 2015, the University announced the creation of The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, the first of its kind research institute dedicated to applying rigorous, evidence-based inquiry to the issues of peace and conflict. Established through a grant from The Thomas L. Pearson and The Pearson Family Members Foundation, and led by Institute Director James Robinson, co-author of Why Nations Fail, the Institute seeks to understand the complex causes and consequences of conflict by mobilizing the best minds and the most innovative tools and technology to drive new breakthroughs and understanding that informs policy and leads to a world more at peace. About Queen's University Belfast & the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice: Queen's University Belfast is a member of the Russell Group of 24 leading UK research-intensive universities, providing world-class education underpinned by world-class research. The university is in the top 200 universities in the world and is a UK top ten research-intensive university. The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice strives to create dialogue within which all voices can be heard and to underpin the pursuit of peace through world class research. The Institute connects the perspectives of all those who seek to contribute to conflict transformation and social justice from the insights of world leading researchers to the experience of practitioners, policy makers, politicians and activists. CONTACT: Meg Kane Office: 1-484-385-2938 Cell: 1-215-704-4745 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE The University of Chicago Related Links http://www.globalconflict2018.org HOUSTON, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- InTech Aerospace, the aircraft interiors MRO experts, are attending the annual Air Carriers Purchasing Conference (ACPC) on August 18-21, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Suppliers at the Orlando event have the unique opportunity to meet airline executives from all over the world. Likewise, airline attendees can meet scores of supplier companies in one settingsaving valuable time and money. InTech Aerospace is a leading provider of interior MRO services for the commercial and government aviation market. Located near Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH), InTech operates from a newly expanded and enhanced interiors retrofitting factory and repair station. InTech has grown to meet the needs of its customers both locally in the ever expanding aerospace industry in Texas and nationwide supporting an increasing and diverse customer base. InTech Aerospace is poised for continued growth as commercial airlines fleets continue expanding. InTech provides AS-9110 level quality and reliable delivery in a consistently cost-efficient, value-adding manner. Its extensive capabilities of "nose-to-tail" aircraft interior solutions include seating, components, galleys, lavatories, monuments, soft goods, leathers, composites, sidewalls of all types, floor panels, and plastics. Scott Mowery, President and COO of InTech Aerospace, said: "Every year at ACPC, we meet with more airline executives in 3 days than we could meet in many months. It's our best annual venue for expanding relationships with multiple airlines." InTech's client list is expanding, and the company seeks to showcase its new interiors capabilities. Customers wishing to schedule a 1:1 meeting in advance with InTech at the ACPC event can contact [email protected]. Some aircraft interiors companies have diminished or moved their Texas operations, but InTech Aerospace keeps getting stronger there. The company and its predecessor operations have 35 years of deep expertise in Texas . InTech Aerospace is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ranger AeroSystems LLC in Greenville SC, an aviation growth platform created by Ranger Aerospace and institutional investors. Ranger is expanding InTech through internal investments and organic growth, entering new lines of technical capacity, improving operations, Lean-based facilities enhancements, and possibly acquiring complementary companies. For more information, visit www.intechaero.com and www.rangeraerospace.com. Forward Looking Statements: The Company from time to time may discuss forward-looking information. Except for factual historical information, all forward looking statements are estimates by the Company's management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company's control and may cause actual results to differ materially from management's expectations. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss. SOURCE InTech Aerospace Related Links http://www.intechaero.com PHOENIX, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SOCIALDEALER is pleased to welcome Jeff Clark to our family as Chief Sales Officer. Jeff is an automotive industry and military veteran. Perhaps best described by his heart for service, passion for high performance, and love for family, Jeff's career tells a long story of success. SOCIALDEALER's leadership team is ecstatic to add him to our executive roster. Jeff previously served as the Chief Sales Officer for DealerOn, Inc., a leading automotive website and digital marketing provider. Jeff's leadership role was responsible for DealerOn's entire sales operation, including inside and outside sales, strategic partner business development, enterprise accounts and OEM relationships. Jeff was instrumental in helping DealerOn be recognized on the Inc. 500/5000 list. Prior to this role, Jeff held senior sales, marketing and management roles at Coca-Cola, Cars.com, Dealer.com, and Auto-Bid Systems. Jeff's professional DNA also includes a strain of entrepreneurial endeavors. Jeff co-founded the retail division of NewCars.com, which was acquired by Classified Ventures (Cars.com). Jeff also built the first, patented, bid automation engines for automated online e-negotiations. In addition, he developed a revenue-generating parts and accessories solution for distributors and retail dealers. Jeff is most proud of what prepared him for his professional sales and business success -- his service in the United States Navy during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Awarded and commended for his service, Jeff credits his military experience for his perspective on hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and perseverance in both life and business. Jeff is also a well renowned and highly respected speaker for NADA, Digital Dealer, IS20G, JD Power, along with countless OEM, and industry events. He is also a member of Manchester's "Who's Who of Executives and Industry Leaders". His heart for service is also found in his time spent volunteering with numerous charitable causes, including the American Cancer Society, the PaulieStrong Foundation, Ellie's Hats, and Toys for Tots. "I have known Jeff for over a decade and have always been impressed with his drive, attention detail, and focus on the customer. Having the opportunity to bring a true industry veteran and sales leader to our team was a no-brainer. Jeff brings to our team a powerful sales vision that our organization has been looking for," said Sean Seltzer, SOCIALDEALER's CEO and Managing Partner. About SOCIALDEALER: SOCIALDEALER is a leading provider of social media marketing and reputation management as a full-service agency and development center for the automotive industry. SOCIALDEALER's leaders, Joe Castle and Sean Seltzer, are true car guys and dealers themselves. With over 20 years' experience in the industry, they share a vast knowledge of automotive social technology as well as dealership operations and OEM executive management. For more information contact us at [email protected]. SOURCE SOCIALDEALER NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins and Nyack College announce the third season of excavations have been completed at Khirbet el-Araj (Beit ha-Bek) on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. New discoveries have come to light, which strengthens its identification with the ancient Jewish fishing village of Bethsaida. The city is mentioned in the New Testament as the home of the Apostles: Peter, Andrew and Philip. A 300 kg basalt stone with smoothly carved niches. This may have been the reliquary from the Byzantine church of Bethsaida that was built over the house of Peter and Andrew. If so, it may have contained remains of the Apostles. (Credit: Mordechai Aviam) The excavation is being conducted by the Institute for Galilean Archeology at Kinneret College, under the direction of Dr. Mordechai Aviam, in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism and Dr. R. Steven Notley from Nyack College, New York, who serves as the excavation's academic director. This season hosted over 80 students and volunteers. Among the participants were faculty, staff and students from Nyack College, students from Kinneret College and others from the United States, Hong Kong and Brazil. "The current excavations have demonstrated beyond any question that the site of el-Araj was settled in the Roman period and was not underwater as the archaeologists of et-Tell have claimed," shared Dr. R. Steven Notley of Nyack College. "Since our settlement is situated between et-Tell and the Sea of Galilee, we have strengthened our claim that el-Araj is the leading candidate for the fishing village of Bethsaida, home of the Apostles. Not only have we uncovered buildings and artifacts from this early period, we have unearthed more evidence from the later Byzantine church, which was reported by pilgrims to be built over the house of Peter and Andrew. Among this season's finds is a fascinating stone with smoothly carved niches that may have been a reliquary from the Byzantine church and preserved remains of the Apostles under the altar of the church." Last year unearthed the first material evidence that the site was settled in the Roman period. The discovery challenged previous assumptions that the lake covered the entire area under two meters of water in the Roman period and that el-Araj was settled only later in the Byzantine period. Dr. Rami Arav has theorized that a lagoon extended inland to the vicinity of the Jordan Park, where he has excavated over the last 30 years attempting to identify Bethsaida with the site of et-Tell. However, the results of the current excavations have demonstrated that the lake did not extend inland to et-Tell, leaving el-Araj on the lakeshore and therefore the leading candidate for the site of Bethsaida-Julias. This season, the previously excavated Roman stratum at el-Araj was expanded. The most important finds were from a newly excavated area about 50 meters east of the Roman bathhouse discovered last year. At a depth of three meters below the surface and 211 meters below sea level, remains of buildings from the Roman period were unearthed. These findings indicate that el-Araj was, in fact, a large settlement and not merely a single bathhouse on the shore of the lake as some have claimed. Among other discoveries, the new area has also yielded many fragments from oil lamps, including a knife-pared Herodian oil lamp. This type of lamp was produced in Jerusalem from the days of the Second Temple period. It appears primarily in Jewish settlements and points to an early Jewish presence at el-Araj. In addition, red fresco fragments were found, indicating luxurious buildings of private or public space. Also, in several excavated areas, many lead weights for fishing nets were found. These are characteristic of the fishing communities surrounding the lake. The excavated area where the Roman bathhouse was discovered last year was widened, finding many fired bricks, both square and hollow (tubuli) typical to Roman baths, fragments of marble and large chunks of mosaic reinforced with a thick layer of cement. A massive square-built structure was also unearthed, which could be part of the bathhouse. The assemblage of pottery and coins clearly date the settlement to the Roman period from the first century to the beginning of the fourth century CE. After the abandonment of the settlement in the late Roman period, the site was covered by floods from the Jordan River and water streams east of el-Araj. In the Byzantine period, a building complex was erected that may have included a church. This is affirmed by architectural elements typical of a church that has been discovered at the site. These finds correspond to the testimony of a Christian pilgrim by the name of Willibald who passed this area in 725 CE. He states that he visited a church at Bethsaida that stood over the house of Peter and Andrew. This is likely the church the team has found fragments of in the excavation. One unusual and interesting artifact was discovered this season. It was not found in situ but was in secondary usage as part of the Ottoman building that once stood on the site. It is a large block of basalt, weighing some 300 kgs. with three smoothly carved depressions. It might have been used as a reliquary in a church, perhaps the church described by Willibald. If so, it may have held the relics of the Apostles under the altar of the church. The findings from the excavation continue to indicate that the water level of the Sea of Galilee in the New Testament period was much lower than previously thought, perhaps comparable to the level of today, approximately 215 meters below sea level, which some geologists have already suggested. In the next season, the excavators will deepen the excavated area exposing more layers from the Roman settlement and open additional areas to understand the extent of the settlement. The El-Araj Excavations Project was made possible through the generous support of the Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins, Nyack College, the Assemblies of God and HaDavar Yeshiva (Hong Kong). Excavations will resume in 2019 from June 16 through July 11. For more information and to view images from the 2018 excavation season, visit our website at https://www.elarajexcavations.com/. The Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins (CS-AJCO) seeks to foster greater understanding of the cultural, linguistic and physical setting for Second Temple Judaism and nascent Christianity, the relationship of these faiths and their shared socio-religious milieu, and to support efforts that will make current research about these topics more widely available. Our programs and resources support scholarly endeavors with the intention of making current research available to underrepresented students, clergy and wider public audiences. Contact: Constance L. Diggs 646.378.6148 [email protected] Related Images 300-kg-basalt-stone.jpg 300 kg Basalt Stone A 300 kg basalt stone with smoothly carved niches. This may have been the reliquary from the Byzantine church of Bethsaida that was built over the house of Peter and Andrew. If so, it may have contained remains of the Apostles. (Credit: Mordechai Aviam) 2nd-century-hippos-coin.jpeg 2nd Century Hippos Coin The coin is: A 2nd century CE city coin for the city of Hippos, one of the cities from the Decapolis. (Credit: Yehoshua Dray) red-painted-roman-fresco.jpeg Red Painted Roman Fresco Red painted fresco from ornately decorated homes from the Roman period at el Araj. These are additional evidence of the type of urbanization Josephus the Jewish historian describes was begun by Herod Philip when he transformed the village of Bethsaida to the city of Julias. (Credit: Mordechai Aviam). Related Links El-Araj Website SOURCE Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins WASHINGTON, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The global travel and tourism industry is expected to be the first sector to dispense with human-only translations, according to Ofer Shoshan, CEO of One Hour Translation (OHT), the world's largest online translation agency and a leader in Hybrid translations. OHT was the first to offer business customers Hybrid translation services, comprising of Neural Machine Translation (NMT) and human post-editing and quality assurance. "Within 6 to 12 months most of the travel and tourism industry, starting with the high-volume travel websites, will stop using traditional human-only translation services," predicts Shoshan. Results from the One Hour Translation's "ONEs - OHT NMT Evaluation Score", a quarterly evaluation of NMT systems, show that the average machine translation quality score of typical travel and tourism material is above 90%. The Q3 2018 ONEs shows that Neural Machine Translation of travel and tourism material from English to some of the most common target languages, namely French, Spanish, and German, produce high quality results. German scored highest at 5.78 on OHT's 6-point scale using DeepL, French followed with 5.48/6 using DeepL, Spanish with scoring 5.39/6 using Google Translate. With above 90% translation quality score (ONEs) in the travel and tourism sector, the need for human post editors is reduced to a minimum. In effect, only minor fixes are required to bring the texts to 'human level' quality. Quality assurance after post-editing is done, also does not require a lot of work. OHT is a major player in translations for the global travel and tourism industry, where the use of Hybrid translation has led to faster and cheaper translation, while maintaining high translation quality. One of the major sites that is known to have switched entirely to NMT technology is Booking.com, which uses "home-trained" NMT along with human post editors. "It is evident from close analysis of the results of our recent NMT evaluation score (ONEs), that the similarity between websites in the travel and tourism industry will accelerate the shift to Hybrid translation, i.e. NMT+ human post editing and human quality control, in that industry," says Shoshan. One Hour Translation is at the forefront of the NMT-related changes, offering the first business-oriented Hybrid translation service on a large scale. To provide customers with the best product, OHT has partnered with the biggest NMT engine providers: Amazon Translate, Google Translate, DeepL, Bing Translator and other commercially available NMT engines. OHT's ONEs will continue to measure and publish NMT engines performance in different fields and languages on a regular quarterly basis. For more information you are invited to visit https://www.onehourtranslation.com/translation/enterprise/nmt-score. About One Hour Translation One Hour Translation, the world's largest online translation agency, provides high-quality professional human translation of 98 languages and over 3000 language pairs. The company is providing high-quality translations around the clock, any day, any time, thanks to a community of over 25,000 Professional Translators from over 100 different countries. One Hour Translation is a leader in Hybrid translations for enterprise customers: leveraging Neural Machine Translation (NMT) technology and human post-editors and quality reviewers. One Hour Translation specializes in providing business translations on a large scale in different fields including legal, technical, websites, applications and software, marketing and more. One Hour Translation serves more than 60% of the Fortune 500 listed companies, including Coca Cola, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, HP, Xerox, Shell, Deloitte, HSBC, Procter & Gamble, IKEA, 3M, McCann, Alliance and many others. For more details: The company website: https://www.onehourtranslation.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/OHT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneHourTranslation Meirovitch Public Relations, One Hour Translation PR: +972-77-2129988 SOURCE One Hour Translation SAN FRANCISCO, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- One Legal, a leading legal support software company, today announced the appointments of Martin Kilmer as Chief Operating Officer and Michael Grow as Chief Technology Officer. Martin Kilmer, who will take on the post of Chief Operating Officer and Head of Product, brings nearly three decades of legal information technology experience to the company. "I'm very excited to join One Legal," said Kilmer. "One Legal has a strong history of innovation, and an exceptionally talented team focused on building new and relevant software solutions for the legal industry. The company's depth of experience in electronic court filing and other online legal support services, along with a large and loyal customer base, mean the company is well positioned to become a national market leader in case management and legal document delivery solutions." Before joining One Legal, Kilmer spent 25 years at Lexis Nexis helping lead that firm's digital transformation and platform re-engineering. Most recently, Kilmer served as COO and Head of Product for FiscalNote a D.C. based startup focused on regulatory issues management. Martin is a licensed attorney (U.C. Davis, 1990) in California and Colorado. One Legal is further bolstering its technology leadership with the addition of seasoned executive Michael Grow, who will be heading up the company's technology division. "The legal industry is ripe with opportunities to realize substantial efficiencies and cost reductions through the use of innovative and leading-edge technology," said Grow. "The paper-intensive and manual ways of conducting business are a thing of the past in most industries and I am excited to join One Legal and help drive innovation and technology within the legal space to the benefit of our customers. I believe One Legal is uniquely positioned in the industry to provide law firms with the full suite of technology solutions they need and will greatly benefit from." Grow is a customer-centric technology executive with over 15 years' experience building and leading innovative teams. Before joining One Legal, he was Senior Vice President of Technology & Services at Stonecrop Technologies and has held positions as Chief Technology Officer at eWinery Solutions and Vice President of Client Services at First Data Corporation. Michael holds a BS in Computer Science and an MBA. Both executives will be based at One Legal's headquarters in Sonoma County, California. For more information, contact Lindsey Dean at [email protected]. About One Legal One Legal challenges traditionally complicated and bureaucratic systems by making the processes of filing court documents, serving legal papers, and sharing and managing information easier. Today, through nationally available cloud-based solutions, One Legal provides legal professionals with tools that help them to better manage litigation logistics, from concept to court. SOURCE One Legal Related Links http://www.onelegal.com NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Amy F. Shulman, whose practice has covered a wide range of labor and employment law litigation and transactional matters, has joined Outten & Golden LLP's New York office as Counsel, the firm said today. Ms. Shulman, who has joined Outten & Golden's Individual Practice Area, has negotiated employment-related agreements for executives and professionals, counseled individuals in employment and other workplace disputes, and litigated whistleblower, discrimination, retaliation, contract, workplace tort, and wage-and-hour actions. She also has represented private and public-sector unions in contract interpretation and disciplinary arbitrations. Outten & Golden's Managing Partner Wayne N. Outten said, "We are thrilled that Amy is joining Outten & Golden. Our firm's growing team strives to provide excellent representation to employees nationwide, and Amy enhances our ability to do so in New York and beyond. Our clients will benefit from her years of legal experience and her excellent lawyering skills." Ms. Shulman said, "Outten & Golden is an exceptional, nationally recognized firm whose members and staff pride themselves on providing extraordinary representation to individual employees. My experience and skills are a great match for the firm's client base. I look forward to continuing to work with clients who need our help in resolving workplace issues." Ms. Shulman has been appointed to numerous leadership roles in national and local bar associations, including the American Bar Association (ABA) and NELA/NY, the New York affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA). She has authored and co-authored numerous articles focusing on labor and employment law in ABA and New York State Bar Association publications, among others. Before joining Outten & Golden LLP, Ms. Shulman was a partner at Broach & Stulberg LLP in New York. She clerked in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico for the Hon. Aida M. Delgado-Colon, then U.S. Magistrate Judge (now U.S. District Judge). Ms. Shulman is admitted to practice in New York, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First and Second Circuits and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of Puerto Rico. Ms. Shulman graduated from Cornell University and received her law degree, cum laude, from Washington College of Law, American University. About Outten & Golden LLP With offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC., Outten & Golden LLP focuses on advising and representing individuals in employment, partnership, and related workplace matters both domestically and internationally. The firm counsels individuals on employment and severance agreements; handles complex compensation and benefits issues (including bonuses, commissions, and stock/ option agreements); and advises professionals (including doctors and lawyers) on contractual issues. It also represents employees with a wide variety of claims, including discrimination and harassment based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, disability, national origin, religion, and age, as well as retaliation, whistleblower, and contract claims. The firm handles class actions involving a wide range of employment issues, including economic exploitation, gender- and race-based discrimination, wage-and-hour violations, violations of the WARN Act, and other systemic workers' rights issues. Outten & Golden has nine practice groups: Executives & Professionals, Financial Services, Sexual Harassment & Sex Discrimination, Family Responsibilities & Disabilities Discrimination, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Workplace Rights, Discrimination & Retaliation, Whistleblower Retaliation, Class & Collective Actions, and WARN Act. Contact: Wayne N. Outten, Outten & Golden LLP, New York, 212.245.1000. SOURCE Outten & Golden LLP VANCOUVER, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Power Metals Corp. ("Power Metals Corp." or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:PWM)(FRANKFURT:OAA1)(OTC:PWRMF) is pleased to announce that geological mapping at Paterson Lake, 60 km north of Kenora, northwestern Ontario successfully identified high-grade Lithium (Li) and high-grade Tantalum (Ta) mineralization. The geological mapping program also identified three target areas for follow up exploration: Western extension of Marko's Pegmatite Rhea's Pegmatite Cook's Pegmatite Paterson Lake grab sample assay highlights from the western extension of Marko's Pegmatite include (Table 1 and Figure 1 and 2): Three pure petalite samples (159037, 159201, 159222) with 4.43, 4.17 and 3.90 % Li 2 O O Two petalite dominate samples (159217, 159038) with 3.62 and 3.36 % Li 2 O O Sample 159218 with abundant petalite with 1.57 % Li 2 O Petalite is an ore mineral of Lithium. Petalite (LiAlSi 4 O 10 ) is the high temperature lithium aluminosilicate whereas spodumene (LiAlSi 2 O 6 ) is the low temperature/high pressure lithium aluminosilicate. In addition to Lithium, the western extension of Marko's pegmatite grab samples are also enriched in extremely high-grade Tantalum (Ta) and Cesium (Cs) with: Sample 159219 with 1236 ppm Ta and 2473 ppm Cs Sample 159221 with 725 ppm Ta and 472 ppm Cs. Dr. Selway, VP of Exploration, stated "Paterson Lake Property has so many known pegmatites. I am ecstatic that our due diligence mapping has confirmed the presence of petalite and identified three target areas for exploration follow up. Both the lithium and tantalum grades are extremely high and this gives us great confidence following up these assays with a drill program. Exploration activities on the Paterson Lake Property are ongoing." The western extension of Marko's pegmatite's grab samples were collected between Marko's petalite pegmatite outcrop to the east and the J-series petalite pegmatite to the west. The grab samples are up to 260 m west of the historically known Marko's pegmatite outcrop. Historical mapping has shown that the Marko's pegmatite occurs along the contact between mafic metavolcanics, gabbro and iron formation. Power Metals grab sampling found the petalite pegmatite samples along strike of Marko's pegmatite along the same lithology contact. Historical mapping has shown that the Marko's pegmatite has a central core of petalite surrounded by blocky pegmatite which hosts Ta-oxide mineralization. In 2002, historical drilling indicated that the Marko's pegmatite was 170 m long and made up of 2 to 12 m wide boudinaged lenses. The 2002 drilling also intersected North Marko's pegmatite, a 10 to 30 m wide pegmatite dyke, parallel to Marko's pegmatite with an unknown strike length. This historical drilling did not test the western extension of the Marko's pegmatite. Since Power Metals Li-rich grab samples are along strike of the Marko's pegmatite and North Marko's pegmatite, there is an excellent potential for the Marko's pegmatite to extend westward. Figure 1 Grab sample 159037 of pure petalite from the western extension of Marko's pegmatite, Paterson Lake Property, Ontario. Paterson Lake grab sample assay highlights from Rhea's pegmatite include (Table 1 and Figure 2): Sample 159021 with 2.31 % Li 2 O and 111 ppm Ta O and 111 ppm Ta Sample 159022 with 198 ppm Ta. Cook's pegmatite has elevated Li values up to 0.34 % Li2O and up to 161 ppm Ta. Rhea's pegmatite and Cook's pegmatite are 312 m apart along strike along the contact between mafic metavolcanics, metasediments and mafic tuffs. Rhea's and Cook's pegmatites are along the same contact between mafic metavolcanics and metasediments as other petalite pegmatites historically mapped by Ontario Geological Survey: Draven, Black Bear, Ballpeen, Pegmatites # 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. The exploration potential is excellent that more petalite pegmatites will be found along this contact on the Paterson Lake Property. The Cook's pegmatite is an enormous pegmatitic granite 420 m long by 140 m wide covered by black lichen. A thorough cleaning of the Cook's pegmatite may result in discovery of lithium mineralization similar to that at Rhea's pegmatite. Paterson Lake Property occurs within the Separation Rapids Greenstone Belt which is also home to the Big Whopper and Big Mack petalite pegmatites (Figure 2). Separation Rapids Greenstone Belt is known as the Bird River Greenstone Belt in Manitoba which hosts the Tanco pegmatite. Power Metals' Paterson Lake property consists of 106 cell claims within the Paterson Lake and Treelined Lake Areas. The Property is approximately 7 km x 3 km in size. Power Metals optioned the Paterson Lake property in 2017 because the property has multiple known petalite pegmatite dykes on surface, but yet is still underexplored. Quality Control The grab samples were delivered to SGS preparation lab in Red Lake by Power Metals' geologist. The samples were then shipped to SGS analytical lab in Lakefield, Ontario which has ISO 17025 certification. Every 20 samples included one external quartz blank and one external lithium standard. The ore grade Li 2 O% was prepared by sodium peroxide fusion with analysis by ICP-OES with a detection limit of 0.002 % Li 2 O. A QA/QC review of the standards and blanks for this mapping program indicate that they passed and the assays are accurate and not contaminated. Paterson Lake Paterson Lake Property is located in Paterson Lake and Treelined Lake Areas, 60 km north of Kenora, NW Ontario close to the Ontario-Manitoba border. Paterson Lake Property is located within the Separation Rapids Greenstone Belt and hosts multiple petalite-bearing pegmatite dykes. The Property was optioned from Exiro Minerals Corp. in 2017 (Power Metals press release dated April 20, 2017). Avalon Advanced Materials Separation Rapids Lithium Project with 8.12 Mt at 1.37 % Li 2 O measured + indicated resources as of November 15, 2017 is located 1.2 km from the Paterson Lake Property. Power Metals has an 80% interest with its 20% working interest partner MGX Minerals Inc. Table 1 Grab samples from Paterson Lake Property, northwestern Ontario. UTM NAD 83, Zone 15. Sample Number Easting (m) Northing (m) Li 2 O (%) Ta (ppm) Cs (ppm) west along strike of Marko's pegmatite 159001 393086 5569688 0.096 151 327 159002 393085 5569685 0.204 116 373 159035 392852 5569586 0.233 3.1 935 159037 392864 5569586 4.43 23.1 170 159038 392865 5569592 3.36 157 1742 159039 392866 5569589 0.121 200 1307 159201 393087 5569689 4.17 17.4 39.5 159217 392853 5569581 3.62 74.3 1025 159218 329400 5570239 1.57 1.9 230 159219 392386 5570235 0.245 1236 2473 159221 392901 5569591 0.118 725 472 159222 392900 5569594 3.90 29.7 185 Rhea's Pegmatite 159021 391872 5570163 2.31 111 32.1 159022 391872 5570160 0.018 198 22.9 Cook's pegmatite 159018 329400 5570239 0.221 22.3 195 159043 392275 5570234 0.217 17.4 81.8 159045 392331 5570238 0.275 161 120 159206 392303 5570225 0.337 25.8 170 Figure 2 Paterson Lake Lithium Project geology and pegmatite occurrences map. Case Lake Case Lake Property is located in Steele and Case townships, 80 km east of Cochrane, NE Ontario close to the Ontario-Quebec border. The Case Lake pegmatite swarm consists of five spodumene dykes: North, Main, South, East and Northeast Dykes on the Henry Dome. All five of the dykes contain spodumene mineralization. Power Metals has an 80% interest with its 20% working interest partner MGX Minerals Inc. Qualified Person Julie Selway, Ph.D., P.Geo. supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. Dr. Selway is the VP of Exploration for Power Metals and the Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Dr. Selway is supervising the exploration program at Case Lake. Dr. Selway completed a Ph.D. on granitic pegmatites in 1999 and worked for 3 years as a pegmatite geoscientist for the Ontario Geological Survey. Dr. Selway also has twenty-three scientific journal articles on pegmatites. A National Instrument 43-101 report has been prepared on Case Lake Property and filed on July 18, 2017. About Power Metals Corp. Power Metals Corp. is a diversified Canadian mining company with a mandate to explore, develop and acquire high quality mining projects. We are committed to building an arsenal of projects in both lithium and high-growth specialty metals and minerals. We see an unprecedented opportunity to supply the tremendous growth of the lithium battery and clean-technology industries. Learn more at www.powermetalscorp.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Johnathan More, Chairman & Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The securities being offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, a "U.S. person" (as defined in Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act) unless pursuant to an exemption therefrom. This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information based on current expectations, including the use of funds raised under the Offering. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, Power Metals assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to several factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The TSXV has neither reviewed nor approved the contents of this press release. SOURCE POWER METALS CORP BELLEVUE, Wash., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Second Amendment Foundation and Defense Distributed took the necessary action of filing a federal lawsuit on Sunday against the New Jersey Attorney General and Los Angeles City Attorney, accusing them of "unconstitutional prior restraint" by attempting to prevent online sharing of 3-D firearms printing technology despite a Justice Department settlement of a lawsuit several days ago. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in Austin. Both New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and L.A. City Attorney Michael Feuer sent letters threatening legal actions that the plaintiffs allege violate their First Amendment speech rights, according to court documents. A settlement between Defense Distributed and the U.S. Justice Department ending a lengthy legal action allows the Texas-based firm to post its 3-D printing information online, as of Aug. 1. "What Grewal and Feuer are attempting is an unconstitutional exercise of prior restraint," said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. "They are trying to prevent Defense Distributed and its founder, Cody Wilson, from exercising free speech under color of law." "We have the right to publish this information," added Wilson, "and now the New Jersey Attorney General and Los Angeles city attorney can pay for it." Wilson and SAF had been engaged in a lawsuit against the government for preventing the online publication of the 3-D technology. With the settlement announcement earlier this month, Wilson was preparing to resume the online availability of the information, but Grewal and Feuer both advised by letter that they would take action. Feuer also tweeted threats of legal action, the complaint notes. "This is quickly turning into a classic First Amendment case," Gottlieb observed. "People publish all sorts of information online, but because this case involves technical information on production of firearm components on a 3-D printer, these anti-rights officials are trying to squelch it. We cannot allow this to happen. "You cannot exercise the right to keep and bear arms without being able to buy or make your own firearm," he said. The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SOURCE Second Amendment Foundation Related Links http://www.saf.org IRVINE, Calif., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinclair Pharma announces a survey on the Silhouette InstaLift, a minimally invasive procedure to lift the midface, published in the July 2018 issue of Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (JDD), which details the proper placement technique necessary to achieve optimal cosmetic results. Silhouette InstaLift uses resorbable suspension sutures with bi-directional cones to redefine the contours of the midface. The sutures lift and reposition tissue while the cones anchor the suture and facial skin in an elevated position. The sutures are absorbed over time, but the sutures and cones, made of glycolide / L-lactide (PLGA), stimulate fibroblasts for gradual collagen maturation (neocollagenesis). With this dual mechanism of action, Silhouette InstaLift delivers an immediate lift followed by an ongoing volumizing effect that improves with time. Drawing on their collective experience treating more than 500 men and women with Silhouette InstaLift, researchers led by New York Plastic Surgeon Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc describe a technique, based on physics, called straight-line vector planning that produces the ideal lifting effect and sets the stage for maximum collagen regeneration. Sutures should be placed in a straight line that is perpendicular to the skin that requires lifting in order to maximize the mechanical lift and anchoring. If the goal is to lift the nasolabial folds (the smile lines that run from the side of the nose to the corners of the mouth), the sutures must be placed perpendicular to the lower part of the fold near the mouth for the most efficient pull on the tissues. The cones serve to anchor the sutures into this position. "The results we can achieve with Silhouette InstaLift are largely technique-driven and if the sutures are not placed as a straight-line, you are losing pull and won't have an anchor in the correct position," explains Dr. Lorenc. When the procedure is performed correctly and in the right individual, Silhouette InstaLift results can last for 18 to 24 months. While the physical lifting capacity of the suture declines as it is absorbed, the complementary collagen-stimulating properties provide ongoing revolumization, Dr. Lorenc says. Silhouette InstaLift fills an important void in aesthetics. "It's the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved non-surgical way to suspend midface tissue that has immediate lifting, and then volumization over time," Dr. Lorenc says. "This is huge." Silhouette InstaLift can be used in combination with injectables and/or energy-based skin rejuvenation devices used on other areas of the face (avoiding the midface region) to achieve optimal non-surgical results for patients. In this study, there were no serious side effects seen in the 500 treated patients, and noticeable bruising occurred in just five percent. Access the JDD abstract here: Learn more about Silhouette InstaLift by visiting www.instalift.com About Sinclair Pharma Sinclair is a global aesthetic company renowned for its collagen stimulation expertise and focus on facial shape: Providing best in class products that enable physicians all around the world to meet their patients need for safe and effective rejuvenation solutions. Sinclair is committed to support medical professionals with excellent customer service and high-quality training programs. For more information: www.sinclairpharma.com About Silhouette InstaLift Silhouette InstaLift is indicated for use in midface suspension surgery to temporarily fixate the cheek sub-dermis in an elevated position. Users should be familiar with recommended techniques involving Silhouette InstaLift devices, as well as proper patient selection and suture placement. The Silhouette InstaLift device should not be used in patients with any known allergy or foreign body sensitivities to plastic biomaterial or in situations where internal fixation is otherwise contraindicated, (e.g. infection). The device should also not be used in patients appearing to have very thin soft tissue of the face in which the implant may be visible or palpable. Connect with us: Facebook: @InstaliftUS Twitter: @InstaliftUS #SilhouetteInstaLift SOURCE Sinclair Pharma Related Links http://www.instalift.com PHOENIX, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Warehouse workers and checkers who work at Swire Coca-Cola have voted to ratify a first-time, three-year agreement. The workers, who are represented by Teamsters Local 104, voted 97 percent in favor of the contract. The workers have shown strength and determination in the 17-month battle for a first-time agreement. When they had their first organizing meeting, the workers at Swire Coca-Cola had been working for four months straight without a day off. The workers also had major safety concerns that were not being addressed by the company. This is the first Swire Coca-Cola location in the nation to choose Teamster representation after the buyout from Coca-Cola Refreshments. "Swire took all of the paid time off we had earned and didn't care what we had done for the company. Some of us have worked here over 30 years and now have to start over," said Richard Nicosia, a Swire checker. "All we want is what is fair." During the past 17 months, Local 104 has filed over 50 unfair labor practice charges against Swire Coca-Cola. "This was a true 'David vs. Goliath' story," said Local 104 Business Representative Russell Medigovich. "The newest members of Local 104 have fought a long and hard fight, but in the end accepted nothing but the best as a first-time contract." "It has been a long fight, but the workers at Swire Coca-Cola showed diligence and true unity," said Local 104 Vice-President Josh Graves. "They defeated the company's anti-union campaign not once but twice. This allowed our committee to continue the fight and deliver a great first-time contract with industry-setting language and benefits." This first-time agreement secured an 8 percent pay increase over the three-year agreement, an hourly contribution to the company 401(k) plan, a 40-hour guarantee, strike language, safety improvements, seniority language, time-and-one-half on the first sixth day worked and double time on each consecutive day worked after that and strong production standards language. Teamsters Local 104 Secretary-Treasurer Karla Schumann offered her congratulations. "Teamsters Local 104 is proud of the workers at Swire Coca-Cola for having the courage and tenacity to stand up and fight tirelessly for improvements and a fair contract. Their efforts, along with their negotiating committee, will prove to be beneficial for all workers for years to come. Great work!" Teamsters Local 104 represents over 8,000 members in Arizona from airlines to UPS. Follow us on Facebook: Teamsters Local 104. Contact Info: Russell Medigovich II, (602) 477-9060 SOURCE Teamsters Local 104 Ms. Skerritt is a successful leader whose background as a commercial banker, industry consultant, and corporate treasury professional combined with deep expertise in global financial markets, regulatory compliance, and strategic project management are hallmarks of her 35-year career. She is currently a Non-Executive Director of Royal Bank of Canada USA, a $130B bank holding company, serving as the Chair of Human Resources & Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Committees. She is also a Senior Advisor to Promontory Financial Group, an IBM company, guiding clients on regulatory, governance, and risk management matters. Prior to her role at Royal Bank of Canada USA, Skerritt was the Chairwoman, CEO and President of Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Deutsche Bank's U.S. commercial banking entity with over $50B in assets from May 2016-January 2018. During her tenure at Deutsche Bank, she led the transaction banking business in North and South America. Under her leadership, these businesses grew over 40% and increased significantly their net contribution to global profitability. Ms. Skerritt has made significant contributions to industry thinking about de-risking, new financial technologies, and regulatory compliance while leading the global correspondent banking business during a period of extensive market change. Previously, Ms. Skerritt was an Executive Member of the Board of Directors of Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company and served as an Executive Vice President in a variety of increasingly important roles in the cash management, trade finance, and securities servicing business. She successfully co-led the acquisition and integration of the JPMorgan Corporate Trust business, which more than doubled the size and global scope of the division. As a Partner and Director of Treasury Strategies, she was the only non-founding member of its Board and established the New York office while leading the corporate consulting practice. Early in her career, she worked for Ernst & Young and Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. In recognition of her leadership and expertise, Ms. Skerritt was included in the American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking ranking for multiple years. She is currently a member of the Women's Forum of New York, The Committee of 200, and has been a Director of The Brooklyn Hospital Center since 2013. Skerritt also received the certification of 'Board Leadership Fellow' from the National Association of Corporate Directors. Ms. Skerritt graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. in Economics, where she was recently elected Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees. She received her M.B.A. in Finance and International Business from New York University's Stern School of Business and continued her education completing the Leading a Global Enterprise 2013 Program at the Harvard Business School. About Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT), is a publicly-traded REIT headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina that presently operates and owns, or has an ownership interest in, a portfolio of 44 upscale outlet shopping centers. Tanger's operating properties are located in 22 states coast to coast and in Canada, totaling approximately 15.3 million square feet, leased to over 3,100 stores which are operated by more than 500 different brand name companies. The company has more than 37 years of experience in the outlet industry. Tanger Outlet Centers continue to attract more than 189 million shoppers annually. For more information on Tanger Outlet Centers, call 1-800-4TANGER or visit the Company's website at www.tangeroutlets.com. Contact: Quentin Pell, [email protected] SOURCE Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. Related Links http://www.tangeroutlet.com NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The China Fund, Inc. (NYSE: CHN) (the "Fund") today announced that Mercer Investments (HK) will be retained to undertake a comprehensive search for an investment manager. The Fund has given its current investment manager notice of termination of its investment management contract and a search is underway which will include the existing manager in the initial screening. The Fund and City of London Investment Management Company Limited ("CLIM") also announce the following: (i) Discussions between Fund counsel, CLIM counsel and the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") regarding Fund repayment of certain legal expenses have been unsuccessful. (ii) A Committee of the Board and CLIM will meet on August 2nd to discuss a resolution of other outstanding matters including, but not limited to, the ultimate size and structure of the Fund, a shareholder event such as a significant tender, and the adoption of enhanced Corporate Governance standards for the Board. ***** The Fund is a diversified closed-end investment company, which seeks long term capital appreciation primarily through investments in China companies. Shares of the Fund are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CHN." For further information regarding the Fund and the Fund's holdings, please call (888)-CHN-CALL or visit the Fund's website at www.chinafundinc.com. City of London Investment Management Company Limited is authorized and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority, registered in the US as an Investment Advisor with the SEC, and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. The World Markets Umbrella Fund Plc. is registered in Ireland and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered in England and Wales No 2685257 (City of London Investment Group plc.) and 2851236 (City of London Investment Management Company Limited), VAT No 629 6908 93. Registered office: 77 Gracechurch Street, London, EC3V 0AS, United Kingdom http://www.citlon.com For further information regarding CLIM, please call Barry Olliff (CEO), City of London Investment Group PLC, (215)-313-3774. SOURCE The China Fund, Inc. Related Links http://www.chinafundinc.com IRVING, Texas, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences, a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, today announced that the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC) and its clinical partner Banner University Medical Center Tucson (Banner UMC Tucson) have joined Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance (POA). They join other leading cancer centers to develop standards of care and best practices for the use of tumor profiling, making cancer treatment more precise and effective. "We look forward to working with Caris Life Sciences and the Precision Oncology Alliance to further advance molecular profiling and precision medicine," said Andrew Kraft, M.D., UACC Director. "As oncology continues to move toward individualized medicine, it is critical that we develop capabilities to accurately profile cancerous tumors and identify effective treatments, ultimately improving patient care and survival." The POA, which consists of 25 academic, hospital and community-based cancer institutions including seven NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, is broadening patient access to precision medicine tools and establishing evidence-based standards for tumor profiling and molecular testing in oncology. The POA will leverage Caris' comprehensive genomic profiling plus (CGP+) tumor profiling service, Caris Molecular Intelligence, to identify therapy options and clinical trial opportunities based on the unique molecular characteristics of a patient's tumor. "Banner UMC Tucson is currently the only nationally ranked hospital in its region, and has a long history of developing and advancing precision medicine programs," said John Marshall, M.D., Director of the Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancer at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and Chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and Chairman of the POA Executive Committee. "With Banner as their clinical partner, UACC will be a particularly valuable and productive member of our Alliance." Caris Molecular Intelligence assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular profile to guide more precise and individualized treatment decisions. Based on the unique molecular characteristics of an individual patient's cancer, the results help inform treatment decisions by identifying therapies that have the potential to be most effective and to rule out those that are less likely to work. About Caris Life Sciences Caris Life Sciences is a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation, and the world's leading immunotherapy diagnostic expert. Caris Molecular Intelligence, the company's Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Plus (CGP+) molecular testing service, assesses DNA, RNA and proteins, including microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutational burden (TMB) and PD-L1, to reveal a molecular blueprint to guide more precise and personalized treatment decisions. Caris' profiling services are routinely covered by third-party payors, including CMS for Medicare patients. The ADAPT Biotargeting System, the company's revolutionary and unbiased profiling platform, is currently being utilized for drug target identification, therapeutic discovery and development, fixed tissue-based companion diagnostics, blood-based cancer screening and biomarker identification. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences offers services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit www.CarisLifeSciences.com. About the Precision Oncology Alliance The Precision Oncology Alliance (POA) was established by Caris Life Sciences to promote the study and appropriate use of molecular testing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The POA consists of 25 leading cancer centers, including seven NCI-Designated Cancer Centers, that have demonstrated a commitment to precision medicine and work collaboratively toward a common goal: to advance tumor profiling and establish standards of care for molecular testing in oncology. The POA has produced more than five peer-reviewed manuscripts and presented over 50 posters at industry conferences. About the University of Arizona Cancer Center The University of Arizona Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center with headquarters in Arizona. The UACC is supported by NCI Cancer Center Support Grant No. CA023074. With primary locations at the University of Arizona in Tucson and at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, the UACC has more than a dozen research and education offices in Phoenix and throughout the state and 300 physician and scientist members work together to prevent and cure cancer. For more information: uacc.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube) About Banner University Medical Center Tucson and South Banner University Medical Center Tucson, nationally ranked as a Best Hospital by U.S. News and World Report, and Banner University Medical Center South, are part of Banner University Medicine, a premier academic medical network. These institutions are academic medical centers for the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson. Included on the two campuses are Diamond Children's Medical Center and many specialty clinics. The two academic medical centers are part of Arizona-based Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit health-care systems in the country, with 28 hospitals in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit BannerHealth.com/UniversityTucson or BannerHealth.com/UniversitySouth. Media Inquiries: The Ruth Group Kirsten Thomas / Joanna Zimmerman [email protected] / [email protected] Tel: +1-508-280-6592 / +1-646-536-7006 University of Arizona Cancer Center Media Contact: Anna C. Christensen, 520-626-6401, [email protected] SOURCE Caris Life Sciences Related Links https://www.carislifesciences.com LOS ANGELES, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In the light of Facebook algorithm changes, branded content and the growth of social platforms, it has been quite the year for those businesses that rely on social as their content distributor. When it comes to content that is branded, First Media's largest platform, Blossom, has set the standard high in the world of partnerships. Each video rolls out millions of views along with tens of thousands of comments. This is why companies such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, and ShopRite see Blossom as a sure investment. These viral sensations don't just happen overnight, a set of content rules are used by the Blossom team during the creation process of their next big idea. With one of these content rules being, "Be considerate about who you partner with," it is safe to say that the platform decides to go forward with companies that match their aesthetic and values as a brand. Read below to see how these companies collaborated and succeeded with Blossom. While partnering with Bed Bath & Beyond, the home goods powerhouse, Blossom was able to ring in a whopping 76 million views and about 2 million shares with its assortment of slow cooker hacks that left our audience running straight to the kitchen and dusting off that old slow cooker that they hadn't used in ages. It seems that getting people to indulge in their creativity is something that Blossom has always prided themselves in. The success of this viral video has left their audience and partners happy and is just one example of Blossom doing brand integration tastefully and efficiently. Since Walmart is the biggest retailer in the world, its massive number of loyal shoppers were surely to love Blossom's two-part video collaboration revolving around Easter hacks for 2018. If you love a bit of simple, cute, and sweet, then they definitely hit the spot with these hacks that included adorable budget-friendly baskets as well as table party ideas that party guests would adore. These videos were rolled out in a two-day span and received about 30 million views, a great amount of engagement and helped the Blossom audience get ready for Spring. In the past year, Blossom has rolled out 3 branded videos with ShopRite, a leading East Coast grocery store chain. The most recent collaboration with ShopRite had us preparing for Independence Day with yummy summer time grilling hacks and had us planning our next backyard barbeque. These awesome hack ideas were a huge success with 10 million views in the first 24 hours. It is currently standing with 87 million views, 2 million shares, and still continuing to grow. This is just another prime example of the power that Blossom holds on its own as a brand and that a partnership with them will not only help a company build a relationship with their audience, but also learn about the wants and needs of their consumers on more of a connected level. SOURCE First Media Related Links http://first.media Washington, July 30 : US President Donald Trump and New York Times editor A.G. Sulzberger on Sunday got involved in an exchange of comments and denials concerning the White House's regular attacks on the press. The President launched the exchange on Sunday morning when he revealed in a tweet a meeting he had held with the journalist on July 20. "Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, 'Enemy of the People'. Sad!" Trump said on Twitter. Even before he became President, Trump had frequently publicly criticized media outlets that did not report favourably on him and had regularly taken to the social networks to attack journalists after they published stories he did not like, Efe reported. With his Sunday morning tweet, the billionaire, however, seemed to insinuate that Sulzberger, the editor of one of the dailies that has been most critical of his presidency, agreed with his opinion that some media outlets publish "fake" stories with the sole objective of harming him and his agenda. The editor's response, however, came a couple of hours later in the form of a statement in which he provided his version of the White House meeting. "I told him that although the phrase 'fake news' is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labeling journalists 'the enemy of the people,'" Sulzberger said. "I warned (Trump) that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence," he added. The New York Times editor also did not hesitate to deny Trump's claim that it was other people who had first began refering to the press as "the enemy of the people," given that it was the president himself who first used the term at the beginning of his mandate. It seems to be no coincidence that Trump tweeted on the subject at this time, since this past week the White House has had to face significant criticism for its decision to deny access to a press conference to a CNN journalist who, minutes earlier in the Oval Office, had fired a series of questions at Trump that obviously had made the president uncomfortable. The ban led the White House Correspondents Association - and even Fox News - to join the criticism of the administration's move and express their solidarity with CNN. Moscow, July 30 : Around 1.2 million Syrian refugees have returned to their homes since September 2015, since Russia launched its anti-terror operations there, the Defence Ministry here has said. According to the country's ministry-affiliated Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper, as many as 1.186 million internally displaced Syrians have returned to their homes from refugee camps during this period, Xinhua news agency said. The Russian Ministry said on July 20 that more than 6.9 million people have left Syria since 2011 when the Syrian civil war broke out. Most of them are now living in 45 countries. Jakarta, July 30 : More than 200 hikers are trapped on a mountain on the Indonesian tourist island of Lombok, after a deadly earthquake triggered landslides which cut off escape routes. They are from France, Thailand, the Netherlands and Malaysia. Hundreds of rescue workers are now working to evacuate them from Mount Rinjani, a popular hiking destination, the BBC reported. The 6.4 magnitude quake struck early on Sunday not far from the base of the mountain. At least 14 people have died, and more than 160 were injured. Thousands of homes have been damaged and hundreds have been left homeless as substantial aftershocks rocked Lombok and neighbouring Bali island. A Malaysian tourist who was on a hiking trip to Mount Rinjani was among those killed. Another young Indonesian hiker was also killed by falling rocks. Authorities said more than 500 people, mostly foreign tourists, have already come down from the mountain but 266 are still trapped up there. Helicopters are now searching for the stranded. Rinjani, a volcanic mountain, draws hundreds of thousands of climbers from across the world each year, said the BBC. Dramatic footage filmed by guides on the mountain at the time of the quake showed huge landslides near the crater lake. Tour guide Sukanta said: "Some of the people [were at] the lake, because the location of the lake is in the middle...they cannot go anywhere because of landslides... They have to stay near the lake." A group of Malaysian tourists, who have now reached safety and are due to leave Lombok by plane on Monday had earlier posted for help on Facebook. "We need helicopters to evacuate us from this area please. The road here is badly damaged, nearest airport is three hours away. The tremors are getting more frequent and 3G is getting slower. "Please be quick and save us anyone. At the moment, the locals are keeping us full, they cooked and prepared us shelter. Can someone, anyone, contact the rescue team to be faster please?" the post read. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it lies on the Ring of Fire -- the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim. More than half of the world's active volcanoes above sea level are part of the ring. New Delhi : Book: The Disobedient Indian; Author: Ramin Jahanbegloo; Publisher: Speaking Tiger; Price: Rs 499; Pages: 169 Iconic as he was, the life and times of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi continue to attract scholars and researchers for relevant lessons in contemporary times even some seven decades after his assassination. The latest attempt comes from philosopher and academic Ramin Jahanbegloo, who has attempted to highlight a lesser explored facet of the Mahatma -- the dissenter. Setting the record straight in his introduction to the offering, Jahanbegloo points out that disobedience is far from being "an invitation to chaos and violence"; instead, he notes, it is "a constructive and creative attitude" that can go a long way in the pursuit of, what he calls, "a self-reflecting and non-conformist community". "In a deeper sense, it is a serious and conscientious commitment to explore new vistas of change and exchange for our common life, in a time when populism and mass immaturity are holding each other in a sway," notes the Iranian-Canadian philosopher, who has authored 28 books till date and is currently the Executive Director of Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Nonviolence and Peace at the Jindal Global University here. The first part of the book explores the formulation of disobedience throughout history by looking at and critically examining works by scholars and thinkers such as Henry David Thoreau, who was himself one of the greatest influences on Gandhi's practise of nonviolence and disobedience; George Woodlock, who declared that humanity would not be enslaved so long as men continued to disobey; and, among others, Greek-French philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis, best known for authoring "The Imaginary Institution of Society". In this section, the idea of dissent and the practise of disobedience is minutely observed, and then dissected, point by point, from the pages of history. Separating protest from dissent, the acclaimed author narrates the journey that disobedience, both as a principle and as a political tool, has travelled so far. In doing this, fortunately, Jahanbegloo does not ignore that first-time reader -- who may not have been introduced to the writings on the subject -- and provides background on what dissent and disobedience mean, and how they have been interpreted and propagated by academics and scholars, as also their use as a political tool over the course of history. "This is where a look back at the Gandhian philosophy of resistance becomes a call to political wisdom," he asserts. Jahanbegloo reminds the readers, by quoting Gandhi extensively, of his firm belief in the fact that every citizen is ultimately responsible for every act of the state. "This," the author notes, "is the most extreme act of disloyalty in modern politics. It destroys our habits of willing obedience to the state, but it also changes the whole definition of a law-abiding citizen". So is a disobedient Indian a law abiding citizen? The answer is not revealed, at least openly, but this particular section of the book makes elaborate references to Gandhian beliefs and principles, before dwelling on Bapu's civil disobedience movement. Readers are bound to ask: What else was Gandhi if not a disobedient Indian? Jahanbegloo then explores the Gandhian philosophy of dissent in the context of present times. Contending that Bapu was the arch dissenter of the 20th century, he points out that Gandhi never accepted "the idea of consent as a common justification of political obligation" and quotes him on "legitimation of the state" to establish his point. The author maintains that the idea of disobedience was an innovative one for Gandhi. According to Jahanbegloo, Gandhi's idea of dissent and Gandhi as a disobedient Indian, were not merely a critique of authorities but also a revolution of values. As Ashok Vajpeyi notes in the foreword: "For him (Gandhi), 'disobedience, as a spirit and as an act has an ethical significance more than just a tactical value in non-violent struggle'." The book will remind readers of the inherent fragility of human existence and the frailty of the human political condition while also serving as a reference point for future studies on Gandhi, particularly in the context of his positions on dissent and the law abiding citizen. Written with extensive research and backed by a notes and reference section, the book makes its evidences available for the reader to cross-check the facts and quotes used by the author. Even as it deals with a heavy subject as this, it has been written in simple language and will be accessible for most readers. (Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in) New Delhi, July 30 : Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman R.S. Sharmas open Aadhaar challenge to critics and hackers is nothing but a case of "misplaced enthusiasm" which dilutes the debate on securing the Aadhaar eco-system, emphasise cyber law experts. Sharma, who made his 12-digit Aadhaar number open on July 28 and created a tweetstorm -- not as a government servant but "as a normal citizen of India" -- can set a dangerous precedent for millions of Indians who are still not aware what privacy is all about. "Throwing such a challenge only shows misplaced enthusiasm. He is treading a dangerous path which can be detrimental in days to come as his personal and bank details are now out in the open," Pavan Duggal, one of the leading cyber law experts in the country, told IANS. What the TRAI Chairman has perhaps forgotten is that the central data repository at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) may be secure, but several third-party vendors are now increasingly accepting Aadhaar as a key document -- and that opens it up for misuse, especially given the weak cyber security laws in the country. "Several FIRs have been lodged against Aadhaar misuse across the country. People's confidence in Aadhaar is slowly being eroded and, at this juncture, rather than working extensively on securing Aadhaar, we see a top government official posting his Aadhaar number on Twitter," Duggal lamented. Ethical hackers have exposed at least 14 personal details of the TRAI chairman since he revealed his Aadhaar number -- including mobile numbers, home address, date of birth (DoB), PAN number and voter ID, among others. Ethical hackers can't go beyond this as creating financial break-ins will land them in legal trouble. "By the way, were you able to cause any harm to me, because now you know my Aadhaar number?" Sharma tweeted to a French security expert, who goes by the nickname Elliot Alderson and uses the twitter handle @fs0c131y, as his personal details began flying all over Twitter. Alderson replied: "If your phone numbers, address, DoB, bank accounts and others personal details are easily found on the Internet you have no #privacy. End of the story." According to Duggal, personal privacy breach begins with the phone number and it is a tragedy that most Indians - unlike Europeans or Americans - are still not aware what exactly constitutes privacy. "Your phone number (becoming public knowledge) is the first hint that your private space has been breached. Would you wait for hackers to clean up your bank accounts?" asked Duggal. As part of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that came into force from May 25, EU citizens may, at any point, object to an organisation's handling of their personal data. The regulation specifically names "direct marketing and profiling" as personal data uses to which individuals may object to. The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data protection in India has also suggested amendments to the Aadhaar Act to provide for imposition of penalties on data fiduciaries and compensations to data principals for violations of the data protection law. The 213-page report suggests amendments to the Aadhaar Act from a data protection perspective. Jared Cohen, a former US State Department official and an expert on social media and cyber-crime issues, has also stressed there are serious concerns about the collection of biometric data for Aadhaar cards in India and these must be allayed. "I don't want to meddle in India's politics. But there are concerns (about collection of personal details for Aadhaar card)," Cohen told an IANS correspondent on the sidelines of the third annual BCTECH Summit at Vancouver, Canada, in May. Cohen, currently the CEO and Founder of Jigsaw, a Google arm started to tackle threats to online security, conceded there are arguments on the merits of the Aadhaar system but there are also concerns that must be addressed. According to Duggal, "Not just cosmetic changes, there is an urgent need for addressing newly-emerging legal and cyber-security challenges concerning the Aadhaar ecosystem on an urgent basis." "There is a need for a more comprehensive legal framework to protect and preserve data and the privacy of individual Aadhaar account holders in particular, and the Aadhaar ecosystem stakeholders in general," he noted. (Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) Toronto, July 30 : Journalists should take extra care while reporting suicides as providing details such as methods of suicides on the headlines can influence vulnerable people to take the extreme step, warns a study. "It is important for reporters and media outlets to understand that how they report on suicide can have a real impact across the population," said study co-author Mark Sinyor, a psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University of Toronto in Canada. The findings, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), suggest that exposure to media reporting on suicide may lead some vulnerable people to similar behaviour, a phenomenon called suicide contagion, and in some circumstances, may also lead to help-seeking behaviour. "When media reports include resources such as crisis services and messages of hope, it can have a positive impact on the public, and potentially help persons in crisis by reminding them that suicide isn't the only option and that help is available," Sinyor said. For the study, researchers from Canada, Austria and Australia examined the relationship between potentially harmful and helpful elements of print and online media reports about suicide. They looked at almost 17,000 articles in 13 major publications (including The New York Times) in the Toronto media market and suicide deaths in Toronto from 2011 to 2014. Specifically, the study looked for a link between certain types of reporting and suicide deaths within the seven days after publication. From 2011 to 2014, there were 6,367 articles with suicide as the major focus and 947 suicide deaths in Toronto over the same period. Several elements were associated with increased suicides, such as describing the method -- especially in the headline -- describing suicide as inevitable and reporting on suicide in celebrities. Articles about murder-suicides were associated with decreased suicides. "This study emphasises the importance of responsible reporting and identifies that relatively few media reports included helpful information such as crisis resources and messages of hope," Sinyor said. Guwahati, July 30 : The first complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), comprising names of 2,89,83,677 people of Assam, was published on Monday. Releasing the document online at the state NRC headquarters here, Registrar General of India, Sailesh said that a total of 3,29,91,384 people had applied for inclusion of their names in the document, but 40,07,707 had been left out due to some discrepancies in their documents. "This is a draft NRC and not the final NRC. All genuine Indian citizens whose names did not figure in the NRC will get ample opportunities to enter their names in the final NRC," Sailesh said, terming the day "historic". "It's a historic day for Assam and India as a whole. Today we have achieved a milestone of publishing the first complete draft NRC. "The scale, size and complexity of the whole exercise are unparalleled. The process has been transparent, clear and meticulously executed with involvement of over 52,000 government officials over a period of three years," he said. Assam State Coordinator for NRC, Pratik Hajela said that all those whose name did not figure in the document need not worry as there is a laid down procedures for claims and objections, which will start from August 30. "Whoever, wishes to file a claim for inclusion of their names in the NRC can approach the NRC Seva Kendras and file claim from August 30. "We will start distribution of claims and objection and correction forms from August 7. The process of filing of the claims, objection and corrections will continue til September 28," Hajela said. There would also be assistance for those who need assistance in filing the claims and objections, he added. Hajela said that the 40,07,707 people whose name did not figure in the NRC will be intimated through separate letters about the discrepancies and there will be opportunities for them to correct the same. "Details of these 40,07,707 (people) will not be disclosed as we have to respect their privacy. "Out of them, there are 2.48 lakh people whose cases are pending before different Foreigners' Tribunals," he said adding that the status quo of these people -- whose name did not figure in the NRC -- will remain as "applicant" and not as "Indian" or "non-Indian". Satyen Garg, Joint Secretary, Northeast, in the Union Home Ministry, reiterated that the none of the persons, whose name did not figure in the NRC, will be taken to the detention camps or Foreigners' Tribunals. Sufficient opportunity will be given to those persons to include their names in the final NRC, he assured. The Assam government has intensified security arrangements across the state following apprehensions that there might be trouble after publication of the NRC. The Central government had already sent over 200 companies of security forces to assist the state police in handling the situation. The Assam government had started the process of updating the NRC on December 2013. On December 31, 2017, the Assam government had released the first draft of the NRC which included the names of 1.90 crore people. Athens, July 30 : The death toll from last week's wildfire near the Greek capital city Athens reached 91 on Monday, according to the Fire Department. The blaze which broke out on Monday was the deadliest in Europe since 1900. Eighty-seven bodies were found in the seaside town of Mati and another four people later died in hospital, Efe news reported. Authorities said on Sunday that they had been able to identify 59 of the victims and that 25 people were still missing. Forty-five peopled remained hospitalized, including one child. Inspections by rescue teams consisting of firemen, soldiers and volunteers of the affected areas were almost concluded. Coast guard divers were also searching for further casualties who might have drowned while trying to flee the fire. New Delhi, July 30 : Eyeing Rs 100 crore in revenue in the next two years, domestic handset-maker M-tech Mobile on Monday announced a new mobile accessories brand "Nexez". The accessories brand will initially roll out products in five categories -- headphone, earphone, Bluetooth speaker, power bank and USB cable and charger. "After establishing our reputation in the affordable mobile phone market, we felt the time is ideal to foray into the exploding mobile accessories market," Goutam Kumar Jain, Co-Founder, M-tech Informatics Ltd, said in a statement. "The brand 'Nexez' with its elegant, Japanese design, product quality and affordable pricing has all the right ingredients to appeal to customers," Jain added. According to US-based market research firm Nester, the Indian mobile phone accessories market is anticipated to clock a CAGR of 10.5 per cent till 2024. The market is expected to reach $3.54 billion by the end of 2024 up from $1.42 billion in 2016. M-tech Mobile also plans to leverage its existing network of over 600 distribution centres, 20,000 retailers and more than 700 service centres to ramp up sales and effectively serve its customers. Earlier in July, the company launched two feature phones called "Raga" and "V10". Panaji, July 30 : Youngsters are leaving the state and migrating abroad with the help of 'Portuguese passport' due to lack of jobs in Goa, MLA Francis Silveira told the state assembly on Monday. He said that the youth especially from his St. Andre's constituency are leaving the coastal state. "They say there are no jobs in Goa and are migrating by taking the Portuguese passport," Silveira told the Goa legislative assembly during a debate on labour and employment. Portuguese immigration law allows residents of Goa, whose parents and grandparents were born in Portuguese-held Goa, to obtain the passport and migrate to the European country. The Portuguese passport and nationality allows migrating Goans to get access to jobs in Europe, without the need of a work visa. Over the last ten years, more than 1,200 natives of St. Andre constituency have opted for the Portuguese passport and nationality. New Delhi, July 30 : A five-month-old abandoned foetus has been found in the women's washroom of a hospital here, police said on Monday. Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma said the matter was reported from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Sunday afternoon. "An unknown lady left it in the washroom. Whether she aborted her pregnancy or delivered a premature baby without informing anyone -- is not known as yet. We will inquire into it." The police are searching for the woman to find out under what circumstances she did so. A case has been registered under Section 318 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deals with concealment of birth. In a similar incident last week a foetus, believed to be around six months old, was recovered from a lavatory of an AirAsia plane after it landed here from Guwahati. New Delhi, July 30 : Building a strong value system in the organization is vital. It primarily reflects the work efficiency of the employees of a company that helps to retain clients and get new businesses by timely delivery of quality work resulting in customer satisfaction. So every boss should try the basic things that can help in improving efficiency of employees. Sumesh Menon, CEO and Co-founder, U2opia suggests some ways to improve efficiency at workplace. Delegate Tasks Based on Skills and Passions: Identifying skill sets and behavior of employees is the epicenter while allocating work to employees. Before assigning tasks, one must assess strength and weaknesses of the employees to execute the timely deliveries. A street-smart, creative, offbeat thinker can be a great match for business development while they may find it difficult to perform routine detail-oriented tasks. Persuade and Incentivize Employees: Taking in account employees' views while making a decision can persuade them to work efficiently and encourage them to foster a high level of ownership in their decision making process. A great way to boost the employees' enthusiasm for working efficiently is to reward them for their efforts towards the organization's goal. Recognizing a worker's dedication encourages them to be consistent and further increases their productivity. Increase responsiveness With Mobile Technology: Technology has influenced every aspect of human life, for instance in this world of communication, email has actually made surface mail redundant, mobile phones empowering us to talk to anyone instantly by click of a button or through video conferencing wherein we can actually see and partially experience people whom we are talking to. With the inclusion of e-learning, technology has tremendously increased the reach. Prioritize the Important and urgent tasks: One can realize the urgency of the task based on the deadlines assigned to it. It is really important to maintain a TDL every day and segregate them in terms of Primary, secondary and least important i.e. which can be carried forward to the next day. This helps in analyzing if the primary tasks of the day are accomplished. Neerav Jain, CEO and Founder, Cityfurnish India's fastest growing furniture and consumer durable rental platform, recommend the following ways to improve efficiency at workplace: New Delhi, July 30 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that was published on Monday was not the final list and there was no need to create panic, while urging the opposition not to politicise it. He also assured that people whose names are not included in the final draft will get the opportunity to prove their citizenship. "Whatever work is going on in the NRC, is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. To say that the government has done it, and it is inhuman and brutal...such allegations are baseless. "It is not the right thing to say," Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour. In a statement released later, Rajnath Singh said he wanted to "emphatically say that this is only a draft and not the final NRC". The final draft comprising the names of 2, 89, 83,677 people of Assam was published online by the Registrar General of India. The Home Minister also said that there is "no question of any coercive action against anyone", while stressing the NRC process is "being carried out with complete fairness and transparency". Urging not to create panic, he also said that if anyone was not satisfied with the final draft of the NRC, that person would get an opportunity to file claims and objections as per provisions in the law and also approach the Foreigners' Tribunal. Only after the disposal of claims and objections, will the final NRC be published, he said. "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. I want to assure all that there is no need for any apprehension or fear. Some misinformation is also being spread...," he added. Around 40 lakh people have been left out of the list. The first list of the NRC process was released in December 31 last year, in which around 1.9 crore people out of the total applications of 3.29 crore people were included. Appealing to the House, the Minister said: "This is a very sensitive issue. Everyone should lend their support. I want to make it clear...you can express your anger...but let me tell you that the government is not doing anything...everything is being done under the supervision of Supreme Court." "If you are saying so..., then I want to urge the House that the opposition should decide what is government's role. "Don't level baseless allegations. Such sensitive issues should not be unnecessarily politicised," he added. Trinamool Congress' Sudip Bandyopadhyay, whose party moved an adjournment motion on the issue, asked where will these 40 lakh people, whose names have not figured in the final draft, go. "It is inhuman. It is a mental torture. I would request the Central Government and Home Minister to take this issue up very seriously. Justice should not be denied to these people at any cost. Fresh revision should be the top priority. If necessary, amendment must be moved so that these people may get shelter," said Roy. "Why this step has been taken only in Assam? Why not in other states? Government must assure that these 40 lakh people will not be denied justice," he added. Supporting him, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said: "I would demand a seperate discussion on the issue and an amendment should be brought on this. This is an issue related to citizenship of 40 lakh people, whose names have been deliberately purposely." "They are trying to create a division in the society by doing this," he added. New Delhi, July 30 : Samajwadi Party MP Neeraj Shekhar on Monday expressed surprise over the "removal" of a reply to his question on the deposit of a sum of Rs 745 crore in an Ahmedabad District Cooperative (ADC) Bank from the Rajya Sabha website. "I came to know of it only yesterday. I don't know why the reply was removed from the Rajya Sabha website and at whose behest. But what everybody knows is that who was coming under the lens in that question. The public knows everything and it can't be fooled. I have asked the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to restore the reply and they have said they would do it," Shekhar said when asked about the issue. The reply to the unstarred question posed by Shekhar on July 24 pertained to the demonetized currency deposited in the ADC Bank. Normally replies to the questions are uploaded on the Rajya Sabha website on the same day as they are tabled. However, the reply to this question - 'unstarred' question number 668 - was not uploaded till Monday. Shekhar said that he came to know of the matter on Sunday and inquired about it with the Question Branch of the Rajya Sabha. BJP President Amit Shah is one of the Directors of the ADC Bank that received the highest amount of demonetized currency among the cooperative banks - Rs 745.5 crore - in the five days after demonetization in November 8, 2016. Shekhar had asked how much amount of the banned currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was deposited or exchanged at the ADC bank in the five days post demonetization announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and if the authorities launched any probe into the alleged "huge deposits". "The 'unstarred' questions are meant for public consumption as the MPs cannot ask any supplementary questions on that. Though I have already got the reply from the government, but they (officials) did not give any satisfactory answer as to who asked it to be removed from the website. The Question Branch said the replies are uploaded by the respective ministries and they would ask the ministry to upload it," he added. He said he will "write a letter" and seek explanation from the authorities concerned. Shekhar said the "removal" of the reply showed that the government was allegedly trying to avoid making some information public. However, the officials at the Rajya Sabha Question Branch said it were the respective ministries that upload the questions/replies and the delay in uploading sometimes happen due to "technical reasons". "These days a new system is being adopted where a person can upload the replies through a link. But to open that link, one needs an OTP (one-time password). Sometimes the OTP may be delayed or there could be other technical glitches," said the official who did not wish to be named. In the reply to Shekhar's question, the Finance Ministry disclosed that the ADC Bank got notes worth Rs 745.5 crore in five days after demonetization. "The Income Tax Department (ITD) has taken suitable action as per law against persons found to be involved in making unaccounted deposits, post-demonetization, in various banks including, inter alia, cooperative banks," the reply read. "During the period November 2016 to March 2017, the IT Department conducted searches in 900 groups, involved in various activities and business, leading to seizure of Rs 900 crore, including cash seizure of Rs 636 crore," it added. Kollam, July 30 : Kerala Congress (B) chairman R Balakrishna Pillai on Monday called off the partys proposed merger with the Kerala Congress faction of Skaria Thomas. The two parties had earlier held talks on a potential merger with a view to getting inducted into the Left Democratic Front (LDF) as a single party. However, Mr. Pillai told reporters on Monday that the KC(B) would become a constituent of the LDF on its own. He dismissed reports of a potential merger between KC(B) and Skaria Thomas Kerala Congress as nothing but a figment of imagination of the media. Mr. Pillai has reportedly written to the CPI(M) and the CPI, the two major constituents of the LDF, seeking his partys entry into the left front. The merger talks between the KC(B) and the Kerala Congress (Skaria Thomas) had reportedly fallen through due to failure to find common ground on who would be the chairman of the party following the merger. The Skaria Thomas faction had reportedly staked claim for the chairman post pointing out that since Mr. Pillai held a cabinet post as chief of forward communities, it was only right to install Mr. Thomas as chairman of the new party to strike a balance. There had also been confusion between the two parties as to how to go about the process of merger, whether the two parties should merge to form a new party or whether the KC(B) should merge with Skaria Thomas Kerala Congress since the latter was already a part of the LDF. Merger talks between the two parties were reportedly initiated at the behest of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who told Mr. Pillai and Mr. Thomas at a meeting in Kollam last Monday that the CPI(M) preferred the splinter Kerala Congress factions associating with the LDF to come together and join the left coalition as one party. Bengaluru, July 30 : Karnataka will soon issue an official order with guidelines to waive off agricultural loans worth Rs 49,000 crore, giving relief to distressed farmers across the state, said an official statement on Monday. "An official order on guidelines will be issued soon to waive agricultural loans to the tune of Rs 49,000 crore," said the statement from the Chief Minister's Office. Earlier, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has directed Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Zilla Parishads (local bodies) in all the 30 districts across the state to implement the waiver scheme transparently. "The Chief Minister has cautioned the DCs and CEOs on the role of middlemen who try to misuse the waiver scheme and misguide the farmers," added the statement. Addressing a two-day conference of DCs and CEOs from all the districts here, Kumaraswamy directed them to redress public grievances, visit talukas (local bodies) and clear the files at the earliest. Though the Chief Minister first announced Rs 34,000 crore crop loan waiver from the state's co-operative banks in the state budget on July 5, the relief was subsequently extended to farmers who raised loans from state-run banks as well. Total loans amounting to Rs 49,000 crore to be waived include about Rs 38,000 crore crop loans granted to the farmers by state-owned banks and about Rs 9,500 crore of current loans. The Chief Minister advised the district officials to provide skill development training to unemployed youth. Jaipur, July 30 : The Rajasthan government has allotted 320.42 acres of land to Mohanlal Buladevi Ojha Gaushala, a private trust, to develop the first cow sanctuary of the country in Napasar in Bikaner district, said Ashok Vij, joint Director, Animal Husbandry, Bikaner. The allotted land can accommodate around 10,000 cattle, Vij said, adding even stray animals as well as abandoned ones will be allowed in the proposed facility. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who visited Bikaner last week, signed two MoUs on July 27. The first was meant for a cow sanctuary in Napasar and the second was for development of Nandishala in Bikaner. There are plans to project the sanctuary as a tourist destination, said Vij adding that adequate quantity of fodder will be available there. The state already has a ministry dedicated to the welfare of cows. In June, the state government levied a 20% surcharge on stamp duty to gather funds for cow protection. Nainital, July 30 : The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday sought an explanation from the state government on the ongoing private bus operators strike in the hill state and asked it to respond within the next 24 hours. Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a resident of Haldwani town, the bench of Justice Rajeev Sharma and Justice Alok Singh asked the state government on its stand on the matter while posting the matter for hearing on Tuesday. Private bus operators have been off roads since the last week, leading to serious problems for commuters who largely depend on their service as only 10 per cent of the state is covered by the state-owned buses and for the rest, private buses are the sole option. In the PIL, it has also been pleaded that with the strike, state-run buses are overloaded and hence risk the lives of commuters traveling on them. The petitioner has also demanded that ESMA be invoked against the private bus operators. Meanwhile, there were indications now that the strike might end as the state government is opening channels of communication after the court took cognizance of the matter. New Delhi, July 30 : There is a difference between the "Mission: Impossible Fallout" seen in Paris and the one seen in India -- the missing Kashmir link. In a special screening of the film for select global media, including IANS, in Paris earlier this month, "Mission: Impossible Fallout" showed a strong connect and presence of India -- more importantly of Kashmir -- in the narrative. The story started with a small pox epidemic breaking out in Kashmir, with India coming on the radar of the after-effects of an attack in several cities around the world. To wrap the affairs and save the world, the team crosses borders and heads to Kashmir to avert the danger which is threatening a large population of India, Pakistan and China. The makers transformed a valley of New Zealand into a small village of Kashmir to shoot the portion. But when you see the India cut, there are snow-capped mountains, there's a mention of Nubra valley and Siachen Glacier, there's a glimpse of an Indian soldier and there's Tom Cruise's team fighting against the odds to save the world from a nuclear attack, but what is missing is the mention of where all the action is taking place. Clearly, there has been a 'fallout' of the Kashmir connect from the "Mission: Impossible Fallout" version, which released in India on July 27. According to the buzz, the makers had to delete references to Kashmir for its India release as suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). A censor board circular has surfaced online, and it directs the makers to remove the visuals of maps misrepresenting the boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir, and the word India-occupied Kashmir. IANS tried contacting CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi, but did not get a response. What has been omitted from the film? As the film approaches its climax, Cruise as an Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt asks "where do we go" after being shown a portion of Southeast Asia map, and then it directly leads the team in a car driving on a road in a mountainous terrain. The team discusses the problem in hand as well -- saying that the nuclear attack is threatening a large population. In the cut which was screened in Paris, there was a prominent mention of Kashmir, Pakistan and China. Film and trade business analyst Girish Johar is yet to see the film, but he explained the possible reason behind the omission. "The makers are sensitive to the Indian audience and their needs. They didn't want to unnecessarily act as a catalyst to all the brewing tension which is under the cover. Right now, the Southeast Asia region is a little volatile," Johar told IANS. "We know the political backdrop that we are having at the moment. So, the makers are sensitive towards this and wanted to avoid this unnecessary confusion that the movie might rake in... They wanted to completely avoid it." In an interview to IANS, "Mission: Impossible Fallout" director Christopher McQuarrie had expressed his disappointment as he was unable to come to India to shoot the sequence. "Everything we did in the movie was designed around where the action can take place. We wouldn't have had a permission to shoot a helicopter chase sequence anywhere in the world apart from New Zealand," he said, adding that he would have loved to shoot the movie in India. McQuarrie explained that he picked Kashmir as the backdrop as they wanted "something politically dangerous". The sixth instalment in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise has got good reviews, and amassed $153.5 million worldwide, including $92 million from 36 international markets, reports variety.com. The Paramount film, distributed in India by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, also stars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett and Vanessa Kirby. (Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in) Bengaluru, July 30 : Leading full-service carrier Jet Airways will be connecting India's tech hub Bengaluru with Guwahati in Assam through its daily flights starting August 1, the airline said on Monday. "Commencing August 1, Jet Airways wil introduce its first daily direct service between Bengaluru and Guwahati, thus connecting emerging cities to our metropolises," a statement from Jet said. The airline's service 9W 659 will depart daily from here at 10.15 a.m to arrive in Assam capital city at 1.15 p.m. The service 9W 660 will take off from Guwahati at 4.20 p.m everyday to arrive in Bengaluru at 7.30 p.m. The airline, however, has not mentioned the fare for the service. Jet will also be connecting Telangana capital Hyderabad with Chandigarh through its new service, which will operate four times a week starting August 1. The company will operate its service 9W 955 from Hyderabad at 10.50 a.m to arrive in Chandigarh at 2.45 p.m via Indore in Madhya Pradesh, while on its return journey, the flight 9W 958 will depart from Chandigarh at 3.15 p.m and arrive in Hyderabad at 7.25 p.m via Indore. The services between Hyderabad, Indore and Chandigarh will be operated every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, the statement added. "With the aviation industry witnessing growth in travel from emerging and Metro cities in India, Jet has introduced direct flights between new city pairs to provide enhanced connectivity," airline's Executive Vice President - Commercial Marnix Fruitema said in the statement. Chandigarh, July 30 : In the face of reservations from some ministers and legislators, including cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, the Punjab cabinet on Monday gave its approval to a new policy framed to regularise illegal colonies. The approval was granted to unauthorised colonies developed before March 19, 2018, an official spokesperson said on Monday. "With a view to curbing the mushroom growth of unplanned and haphazard constructions across the state, the Cabinet on Monday cleared a policy for regularization of unauthorized colonies and plots/buildings falling in unauthorized colonies," the spokesperson said. As per the policy, any developer, Resident Welfare Association (RWA) or a cooperative society can apply for the regularisation. "However, in case of plots, compounding of colony is not mandatory for regularization of plots and plot owners can directly apply for regularization," the spokesperson said. The policy would be applicable to the entire state, including municipal limits falling under the Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952, but shall not be applicable to the rest of the periphery area. This policy shall also not be applicable to the colonies having apartments," the spokesperson said. "The developer would be given four months to apply for regularization under this policy. After the expiry of this period, a timeline of three months would be given to the authorities concerned for finding unauthorized colonies," the spokesman said. A penalty of 20 per cent of regularization fee would be imposed if the applicant applies for regularization after the expiry of time. However, any applicant who fails to apply under this policy would be penalized under the relevant provisions of the law," he added. The spokesperson said that civil or criminal proceedings, if any, against the colonizers may be suspended after receiving 25 per cent of the composition charges. However, these proceedings would be withdrawn only after final regularization of the colonies. "All charges for regularization colonies and plots shall be as per the previous policy, notified on April 20, 2018," he added. The revenue thus collected from the process of regularization of unauthorized colonies/plots would be utilized for providing basic civic amenities to the residents of those colonies, the spokesperson said. The policy was, earlier this month, approved by a Group of Ministers (GoM) of the PunjabAgovernment despite reservations over the issue. Colonizers and property dealers had welcomed the new policy being brought in by the Punjab government and assured that in future no colonizer would develop a colony in an illegal manner. In the past couple of decades, a number of illegal colonies, which did not have prior approval and were not part of urban planning, sprung up in all cities and towns across Punjab with authorities looking the other way. Thousands of families had built houses and settled in these illegal colonies and removing them from is practically impossible for the government. The regularization of these colonies will help them to get access to facilities such as authorized power and water supply, sewerage and roads. New Delhi, July 30 : Minister of state for HRD Upendra Kushwaha told Parliament on Monday that 38 children from across the country's schools fell sick this year after eating their mid-day meal. "The Government has issued guidelines on quality, safety and hygiene in school-level kitchens to all the states and Union Territories (UTs)," Kushwaha informed Lok Sabha in a written reply. To ensure food quality, the minister said, instructions have been issued to procure 'Agmark quality and branded items' for cooking the meal and also for tasting of the prepared meal by teachers and a member of a school management committee. In another written reply last Thursday, Kushwaha had informed Rajya sabha of as many as 887 children falling sick after consuming midday meals across the country in the last three years with 30 complaints being registered against the poor quality of such meals. "A total 30 complaints from 15 states and UTs, including Delhi, regarding poor quality of meals were reported in the last three years. A total of 887 children were reported ill after having midday meals in the same period," Kushwaha had said. According to the details provided by the minister, the Centre spent over Rs 9,000 crore on the mid-day meal scheme during 2017-18. Chennai, July 30 : Dravida Kazhagam (DK) leader K. Veeramani on Monday urged DMK leaders and cadres not to pray to God for their leader M. Karunanidhi's speedy recovery, saying he would get better only due to medicines. A known atheist, DMK President Karunanidhi, one of India's longest serving politicians, has been admitted to Kauvery Hospital here since Saturday due to health issues. Veeramani said in a statement here that Karunanidhi, 94, was recovering from his ailment with the help of medicine and called upon DMK leaders and activists not to resort to superstitious activities like religious prayers. There have been reports of DMK members holding prayers for Karunanidhi's better health. Students of the school at Tiruvarur where Karunanidhi had studied held a prayer for the well being of their illustrious alumni. A DMK member tonsured his head for Karunanidhi's betterment -- like it is done in some Hindu temples. Veeramani, also a diehard atheist, said those who consider Karunanidhi their leader have to respect his beliefs and principles. Karunanidhi had once called the ritual of fire walking by a party leader as barbaric and urged other party members not to emulate him. The DMK President also objected to a party member sporting a 'tilak' on his forehead saying that this amounted to going against the basic ideology of E.V. Ramasamy or Periyar, the founder of Dravida Kazhagam as a rationalist party. The DMK was born following a split in the DK but remained ideologically on the same path. Meanwhile, a large number of DMK supporters continued to mass outside the Kauvery Hospital. Some kept appealing to Karunanidhi vocally: "Come out, Come out." DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan told IANS: "Party cadres have a special affection for Karunanidhi. They would disperse silently if they hear his unique voice." Chandigarh, July 30 : Former Shiromani Akali Dal minister Sucha Singh Langah, who was facing rape and cheating charges, was on Monday acquitted in the case by a court in Punjab's Gurdaspur town. The rape case was filed against him by a woman who is an employee of the Punjab Police Vigilance Department. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Prem Kumar acquitted Langah after the complainant turned hostile in February this year. "The truth has finally emerged. The case was registered against me was out of political vendetta," Langah said after the acquittal. He had surrendered before the Gurdaspur court in October last year, just days ahead of the Lok Sabha by-election for the Gurdaspur parliamentary seat. Langah, who had remained underground after the registration of the case was booked under Sections 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at the Gurdaspur City police station.The case was registered following a complaint by a Punjab Police woman constable who alleged that she had been sexually exploited and raped by Langah since 2009 under the threat of death. She also said that she was a classmate of Langah's daughter in college. An intimate video of a woman with Langah went viral before the bypoll. The complainant later told the court that it was not her in the video and had filed the complaint under pressure. The Akali Dal had immediately expelled Langah from the party. Kathmandu, July 30 : China will provide assistance through various projects to the social development endeavours of Nepal as part of a memorandum of understanding reached between the two nations. The MoU was signed on Sunday between the Social Welfare Council of Nepal (SWCN) and the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) to run projects in the field of community development, livelihood, disaster management, skills-oriented training, education and health services, said the Council. With the move, Beijing enters into Nepal through its non-governmental organisations to counter thousands of NGOs operating in the Himalayan nation mostly funded by West and Europe. The SWCN is an umbrella organization of Nepali NGOs responsible for their promotion, facilitation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the activities. The MoU was signed by Minister for Women, Children and Elderly Citizens Thammaya Thapa on behalf of the Council and on behalf of China by visiting Chinese Deputy Minister for External Affairs Wang Yajun. Thapa also chairs the Council. According to the MoU, Chinese NGOs will promote and strengthen the bilateral ties and will channel funds according to the priorities of the Nepali government. Similarly, Chinese NGOs will also extend all possible cooperation to the Nepali NGOs and SWCN for effective implementation of the country's policy and developmental activities. The Chinese NGOs after registering in Nepal will get all kind of benefits as other NGOs are getting. "All developmental assistance will be implemented by honouring the foreign policy of the both countries," the MoU stated. At a time when Nepal is imposing stringent regulations to registration and renewal of NGOs with K.P. Oli government carrying the "nationalist" plank, the mass entry of Chinese NGOs raise several questions about their intent. The Chattanooga Cotton Ball Association announces that Queen Emily Sharp Powell and King Joseph Edward Petty reigned over the 84th Annual Chattanooga Cotton Ball Saturday night at the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center.Queen Emily, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Preston Powell of Signal Mountain, was born and raised in Chattanooga. She is the youngest of four children. Emily graduated from Signal Mountain High School in 2015, was presented as a belle in the 2016 Cotton Ball, and served in the Royal Court in 2017. Among other family ties to the Ball, her great aunt Katherine Rawlings Poindexter was queen in 1934, the second queen of the Cotton Ball. Emily attends the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.King Ward is a graduate of the McCallie School and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and is manager of the Chattanooga branch of Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. He is married to Nancy Collins Petty and they have two children, Tyler and Mimi. Mr.Ward has been involved in many charitable foundations and organizations, including Siskin Childrens Institute, the American Red Cross, the McCallie Alumni Board, the Creative Discovery Museum, Cystic Fibrosis, WTCI, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Memorial Healthcare System. In 2012, Mr. Ward received the Distinguished Alumnus award from the McCallie School, an award that recognizes an individual whose service to the school sets him apart from others.Ladies of the Court were:Hayden McKlain Bryant, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Patrick BryantCameron Scott Ford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Winfield FordLaura Katherine Holmes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Louis HolmesCynthia Ferrrell Lavender, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Blake LavenderCharlotte Temple McGuire, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Stuart McGuireTigris Grace Nevans, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Lynn NevansElizabeth Ann Reynolds, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Grant ReynoldsLogan Elizabeth Wheland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Carter Garrett, Sr. andMr. and Mrs. Ryan Eugene Berube Jaipur, July 30 : Three women were arrested in Rajasthan's Alwar with 40 kg beef on Monday, police said. Govindgarh police station's Sub Inspector Dhara Singh told IANS that police received a tip that beef was being packed in polythene bags in the house of Khaleel to be sold, and raided the location where they found cow fur and the large quantity of beef. Akbari, wife of Khaleel, Bhoori, wife of Shakeel and Sajeena, wife of Sameem, all found on the spot, were arrested. On questioning, Akbari confessed that her son Shakeel and his friend Sattar had brought beef to her house after slaughtering a cow to sell it further, he said The samples of the meat were sent for testing which confirmed it to be beef, said Dhara Singh. Shakeel and Sattar are absconding and a manhunt has been initiated to nab them at the earliest, he said. "Once they are arrested, we will get clues if they are regular suppliers of beef to shops or if they are supplying it to any particular house in this region," he added. Meanwhile, a peaceful bandh was staged on the call of Hindu associations including Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, he said, adding that shops were closed since morning. Rakbar Khan was lynched to death in this area on intervening night of July 21-22 on charges of cow smuggling. Jakarta, July 30 : The hundreds of people who were trapped on an active volcano in Indonesia after a deadly earthquake killed 16 people were on Monday began descending to safety. The 6.4 magnitude quake struck early on Sunday near Mount Rinjani on Lombok island, triggering landslides on the volcano that cut off escape routes. More than 330 people were injured. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said: "Hundreds of trekkers in the crater in climbing areas couldn't come down when they wanted to, because the paths were covered by debris from landslides and there were fears of subsequent landslides." The volcano, which rises 3,726 metres above sea level and is the second-highest volcano in the country, is a favourite among sightseers. Rescuers set off on Monday morning to help nearly 700 trekkers and climbers who became stranded at two points on the peak, Indonesia's disaster agency was cited as saying by the Guardian. However, the exact number of people stuck on Rinjani was still unclear as there was a register of how many people ascended the volcano, but not how many came back down. The national park authority said a key route to the summit of the 3,726-metre mountain had been cleared and that a helicopter was dropping supplies to people on other routes who were still picking their way to safety. Rescue officials said many of the mostly foreign hikers were unlikely to reach the bottom before nightfall, the BBC reported. According to reports, among the foreigners climbing the volcano mostly Thai tourists, with French, Dutch and Spanish making up the next-largest contingents. A Malaysian tourist on a hiking trip to Mount Rinjani was among those killed. Another young Indonesian hiker was also killed by falling rocks. Thousands of homes were damaged and hundreds were left homeless as substantial aftershocks rocked Lombok and neighbouring Bali island. More than 5,000 villagers were left in camps and the buildings destroyed included a health centre. Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Lombok to meet the victims and oversee the provision of aid, including cash to help residents rebuild their homes. New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, July 30 : Senior BJP leader P.S. Sreedharan Pillai was on Monday appointed the new President of the party's Kerala unit while party MP V. Muraleedharan has been appointed state in-charge of Andhra Pradesh along with Sunil Deodhar, who will be state io-incharge. The appointments by party president Amit Shah come into immediate effect, a statement by BJP General Secretary Arun Singh said. Pillai, who is termed by his friends and foes as the "sober face" in the BJP's Kerala unit, reacted to his appointment, saying that he was never an aspirant for the post. He succeeds Kummanam Rajasekharan, who was recently appointed Governor of Mizoram. "I will say with pride that I was there when the BJP was first formed and I have contested various elections in the state as my party's candidate in Kerala. I held the same post during 2003-06 and it was during that time we won two seats to the Lok Sabha (P.C.Thomas who contested from the Muvattupuzha constituency as IFDP candidate, which was an ally of the NDA alliance and also the Lok Sabha seat in Lakshadweep)," Pillai told media persons in Thiruvananthapuram. He pointed out that this time it is going to both a challenge and an opportunity for him. "In Kerala, the BJP has not done well in electoral politics and hence it's a great challenge for me. I am hopeful that with my contacts across the cross section of the Kerala society, I will be able to perform," said Pillai. Patna, July 30 : A special CBI court on Monday granted bail to six persons accused of abducting and murdering a school girl Navruna Chakravarty, after the investigating agency failed to file a chargesheet within 90 days, police said. "The special CBI court in Muzaffarpur has granted bail to the six jailed accused on the ground that the CBI failed to file a chargesheet against them," a police officer said. In April this year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested six persons in connection with the abduction and murder of Navruna. She was abducted from her home in Muzaffarpur in 2012. In 2014, the CBI told her parents that she was killed soon after. The CBI officials told her parents that a DNA test has confirmed that a skeleton discovered near their house was hers. Six persons including Shah Alam Shabbu, Brajesh Singh, Vikrant Shukla, Vimal Agrawal, Abhay Gupta and Rakesh Kumar were arrested in the case by the CBI after they were interrogated for hours. Navruna's parents repeatedly said property dealers had abducted her since they had refused to give up a prime piece of land in Muzaffarpur. According to police officials, all the six arrested were associated with property deals and the CBI has described them as "bahubali, middlemen". After an initial probe by the district police and the Crime Investigation Department (CID) failed to achieve a breakthrough, the CBI was assigned the investigation on the direction of the Supreme Court in 2013. New Delhi, July 30 : The government has not made any assessment of the direct impact on small traders of the US retail giant Walmart's stake purchase in Flipkart, Parliament was informed on Monday. In its biggest takeover till date, Walmart Inc recently announced their acquisition of 77 per cent stake in Bengaluru-based e-commerce major Flipkart in a deal valued at $20.8 billion. Minister of State for Commerce C.R. Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha, in a written reply, that foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail has been allowed in a calibrated manner after intensive consultations with stakeholders including concerned ministries, state governments, industry chambers, associations and other organizations. "Suggestions and views received from various stakeholders and public on various aspects of FDI regime are examined before taking appropriate action," he said. The Minister also said that there is no proposal to set up a special group to keep tabs on any violation of the government's foreign investment policy by online retail platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra. "However, any violation of FDI policy regulations is covered by the penal provision of the FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act), 1999," he said. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has been opposing the Walmart-Flipkart deal, describing it as a clear attempt by American multinational to control and dominate retail trade in India in the long run through e-commerce. The government is working on a draft national policy on e-commerce which is to be released soon for seeking public comments. New Delhi, July 30 : The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Commissioner of the Agra Division are responsible for maintenance of the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ). The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) told a bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta that its Director General will be responsible for the maintenance of the 17th century Mughal monument. On July 26, the apex court had made it clear that somebody has to take responsibility for protection of the Taj Mahal and asked the Centre to inform it as to which departments of the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments would be responsible for the maintenance and protection of the TTZ. TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. The court has been hearing a plea filed by environmentalist M.C. Mehta seeking protection of the Taj from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area. During the hearing, the apex court agreed with Mehta's suggestion that TTZ committee should be "re-vamped", and asked him to give suggestions in writing by August 30 to Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Centre. Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted its first draft report of its 'Vision Document' on protection and preservation of the Taj Mahal before the court, suggesting that the entire Taj Mahal precinct should be declared a no-plastic zone and all polluting industries in the region closed. It also suggested use of bottled water inside the monument should be prohibited and more tourism hubs should be created. The court had earlier slammed Uttar Pradesh government for not be able to come up with report to protect Taj Mahal that was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. For not being able to protect the iconic Taj Mahal, which is turning yellow, the bench had even asked the Centre and Uttar Pradesh governments to "shut it down" or "demolish or restore" the Mughal structure. Beijing, July 30 : As permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Britain should strongly uphold multilateralism, as well as the free trade regime and WTO rules, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday. Wang made the remarks when co-chairing the Ninth China-UK Strategic Dialogue with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt here, Xinhua news agency reported. Noting China-British relations have maintained steady growth momentum in recent years, Wang welcomed Britain to participate more ambitiously in international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, in areas such as nuclear power, finance and innovation and in new industries including artificial intelligence, green energy and the digital economy. "China and Britain should treat each other's development as an opportunity instead of a threat," he said, adding that both the countries should uphold their responsibilities and obligations to firmly maintain multilateralism, the free trade regime, WTO rules, as well as opposing unilateralism and trade protectionism." The two sides should also seek political settlements for global and regional hotspot issues, cooperate to promote the common prosperity on the Eurasia continent, improve global governance system and work for the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity. Hunt said Britain appreciated China's achievements in poverty reduction as well as economic and social rights. Britain is willing to strengthen strategic dialogue and deepen exchanges and cooperation with China in various areas to boost the development of the "Golden Era" of bilateral relations, Hunt said, adding his country "stands ready to deepen communication with China" to jointly address various challenges and safeguard multilateralism and global order. HARARE, July 30, 2018 - Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe(L) and his wife Grace Mugabe meet reporters after addressing in a press conference in his residence in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 29, ... Image Source: IANS : Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe(L) and his wife Grace Mugabe meet reporters after addressing in a press conference in his residence in Harare, Zimbabwe, ... Image Source: IANS Johannesburg, July 30 : South Africa's Johannesburg High Court has set aside the decision to grant former Zimbabwean First Lady, Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity after an assault on a local model. Delivering his judgment on Monday, Judge Bashier Vally stated that the decision by the former International Relations Minister Nkoane-Maite Mashabane to grant Mugabe diplomatic immunity was "inconsistency with the Constitution" and should be set aside, Xinhua news agency reported. "It is declared that the decision of the minister of August 19, 2017, in terms of the diplomatic immunities to recognize Grace Mugabe's immunities is inconsistence with the Constitution of South Africa. The decision is reviewed and set aside," the judgment stated. It is alleged that Mugabe assaulted model Gabriella Engels and two other women in an upmarket Sandton hotel in August last year. Engels is said to have sustained severe facial injuries as a result of the alleged assault. She also laid a criminal charge of assault against Mugabe with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. It is believed that Mugabe assaulted them after she had found them in the company of her young sons who are university students. Mugabe left South Africa for Zimbabwe after she was granted a diplomatic immunity. Following the judgment, International Relations and Cooperation Department under Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said it was still studying the judgment. Former International Relations Minster Maite-Mashabane explained in court that Mugabe automatically qualified for immunity from prosecution by virtue of her status as a wife of a head of state. She also argued that not awarding Grace diplomatic immunity might have serious implications for relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe. New Delhi, July 30 : An amount of Rs 12.68 crore was set aside for conservation, preservation and environmental development works at the Taj Mahal in the last three years, Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma told the Lok Sabha on Monday. The expenditure incurred by the government from 2017-18 on the monument's conservation, preservation and environmental development was around Rs 4.12 crore. In the previous two years, close to Rs 3.6 crore (2015-16) and Rs 4.6 crore (2016-17) have been spent by the government, Sharma said. "The essential conservation, preservation and environmental development work at Taj Mahal is attended regularly to keep the monument in good condition," a statement by the Ministry of Culture said. The information was given by Sharma in reply to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha. The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed both the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments for the neglect of Taj Mahal, wondering what will happen if Unesco withdrew the historic monument's world heritage title. New Delhi, July 30 : The Supreme Court on Monday warned BJP councillor Mukesh Suryan against issuing threats to officials carrying out sealing unauthorised and illegal construction in Delhi, saying "dadagiri" would not work. "This kind of dadagiri' (bullying) would not work. He (Suryan) cannot say like this that he is fighting for the people," Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta told Suryan, chairman of the wards committee of the Najafgarh zone. Suryan was present in the court. The court said the affidavit filed by Suryan was "not at all satisfactory" since he was tendering an unconditional apology on one hand and trying to justify his action on the other. Suryan apologized to the court, with his counsel saying he would file a fresh affidavit, tendering an unconditional apology within three days. The court was hearing a plea of the Forum of MCD Engineers, which has alleged that Suryan had threatened the officials when they had gone to seal unauthorised constructions. The court also ordered that Vishvender Singh, who was Najafgarh zone Deputy Commissioner and was transferred within hours allegedly at Suryan's instance, be restored to the position of the Deputy Commissioner (Najafgarh zone) within 24 hours and that he will complete his normal tenure in that position. The court posted the matter for August 6. New Delhi, July 30 : Five members of a gang involved in robberies and snatchings at gun point here have been arrested, police said on Monday. The arrested men have been identified as Asif, 23, Salman, 26, Anil, 27, Abid, 28 and Arif, 34. They are residents of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. "They were arrested on Sunday following a tip-off when they came to Sonia Vihar to commit a robbery. Police recovered two bikes, five improvised pistols and over Rs 1 lakh in cash from their possession," Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Kumar Thakur said. "During interrogation, they revealed that Abid, after being released from jail two years ago, had organised a gang of robbers. Later, he befriended another criminal, Kamal. Abid got leads of cash movements of various businessman from Kamal," Thakur said. "Kamal and Abid, to evade their arrest, used to contact each other on social media platforms," the police officer said. The gang on July 16 snatched Rs 11 lakh from a Narender Aggarwal, who works as a distributor with an MNC, in Usmanpur. Abid was later seen in a CCTV footage installed near the robbery spot. "Kamal, who is still at large, purchased firearms with that money the next day. The gang was planning to commit more robberies. Efforts are on to arrest other criminals of the gang," the officer added. Beijing, July 30 : The former chief of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), who was responsible for online censorship in the country, was on Monday officially charged with accepting huge sums of money in bribes following a nine-month long investigation. Lu Wei, who headed the CAC between 2013-2016, was accused of using his position to benefit third parties in exchange for money and property, according to the prosecutors of the eastern city of Ningbo, where he is expected to be tried on a yet-to-be determined date, Xinhua news agency reported. Lu was once one of China's most senior officials, overseeing the department of online media regulation. His role as China's "Internet tsar" meant he was once listed as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. He was accused of corruption not only during his four years as CAC chief but also while he worked at the state-run news agency Xinhua, for the Beijing municipality and the propaganda department of the Communist Party of China, the prosecutor's office said in a statement. As head of the CAC, Lu had played a crucial role in drafting the strict cybersecurity policy of China, where Internet censorship is among the worst in the world. Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram have been blocked in China for years along with several other foreign media. Lu accompanied Chinese President Xi Jinping on his official trip to the US in 2014, where he met tech tycoons including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. New Delhi, July 30 : The Supreme Court on Monday, acknowledging the piles of junked vehicles lying around several police stations across the capital, asked Delhi Police Commissioner to frame a policy to dispose of impounded vehicles. A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta asked Delhi Police Commissioner, who was present in the court pursuant to its direction, impounded vehicles were lying abandoned in Delhi police stations "stinking up" Delhi. The court, which had summoned the Police Commissioner for non-removal of encroachments and traffic bottlenecks despite several recommendations, asked him that 54 meetings have held in a year on the issue but there is still no timeline. "You (police) want a film like 'tarikh pe tarikh' on the 'meetings pe meeting'," said the bench while referring to the number of meeting it has held with other authorities without any outcome. The court asked police to come up with timeline to reduce congestion, encroachment and bottleneck traffic in the city and directed PWD and other authorise to cooperate with police. On the issue of framing policy on impounded vehicles lying in police stations, the bench said there "must" be a policy in this regard and people are frightened to go to the police stations, as the stations become junkyard for these vehicles. It said outside Nizamuddin police station the junked vehicles becoming breeding ground for mosquitos, and congestion. These vehicles are either towed away for traffic violations or seized in crimes like theft or murder, and are kept at the police station's compound and, sometimes, outside the complex due to space constraint. Earlier, the bench had said that it was "frightening" that a large number of people were dying in road accidents caused by potholes and summoned Delhi's Commissioner of Police for non-removal of encroachments and traffic bottlenecks despite several recommendations. Observing that there are more deaths due to potholes than terrorist attacks in India, the bench had asked why the police has not implemented the February 2017 report of a special task force that had recommended clearance of traffic bottlenecks and encroachments. The bench, while hearing a matter relating to road safety across the country, had said the two-year time given by the Delhi government for clearing bottlenecks was too long. Delhi government had told the bench that the time-line was drawn keeping in view construction of flyovers, underpasses and foot over-bridges. The Delhi government had filed an affidavit and stated that it had worked out a detailed roadmap to remove 77 "severe, moderate and mild bottlenecks" in two years and that an action plan involved both short-term and long-term measures. New Delhi, July 30 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the "tardy" release of Assam's draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) that excluded more than 40 lakh applicants has created a "massive insecurity" in the state. "There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam, of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state," Gandhi said in a Facebook post. Noting the NRC was initiated by the previous UPA government under Manmohan Singh to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985, he said: "However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP governments at the Centre and in Assam leaves much to be desired.... "Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis." Further, Gandhi appealed to all Congress party workers to maintain peace and help those against whom "injustice" is done in the draft NRC irrespective of their religion, caste, gender, linguistic group or political affiliation. After the release of draft NRC, the Central government has urged people not to panic as "ample opportunity" will be given to the applicants if they file claims and objections between August 30 and September 28 before the final list is prepared. The process to finalise the list will be done by December 31, 2018. New Delhi, July 30 : Four criminals, including two accused in an attempt to murder case of a member of another gang, have been arrested, the police said on Monday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Devender Arya said Nandu gang's Yogesh Sharma, 25, along with three of his associates, were arrested from Vasant Kunj. "They hit the barricade and tried to open fire on the police party in a bid to flee but could not succeed," the DCP said. One sophisticated semi-automatic pistol, two country-made pistols and 10 live cartridges were recovered from their possession. "Two of them are wanted in the sensational day-light attempt to murder Shiva, associate of rival Manjeet gang," the police officer said. A stolen silver colour Swift Dzire car and two scooties were also recovered from their possession. Panchkula (Haryana), July 30 : In yet another blow to Haryana Police investigation, a court in Panchkula town on Monday acquitted six more activists of the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda sect for the large-scale violence in the town following conviction of the sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in two rape cases on August 25 last year. In May this year, another six activists of the sect were acquitted of charges of rioting by a local court, which cited lack of evidence. The court had also dropped the sedition charge against the 19 sect activists, including three key aides of the sect chief earlier this month. These close aides against whom sedition charges were dropped are Pawan Insan, Surinder Dhiman and Chamkaur Singh. This is the third time that the Haryana Police is facing a setback in its investigation into the Panchkula violence. Several activists of the sect were booked by the state police on charges of sedition, inciting violence and being involved in a conspiracy to help the Dera chief escape after his conviction by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on August 25 on two counts of rape of female disciples in 1999. Ram Rahim has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of over Rs 30 lakh. His rape conviction led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured. A few of the closest aides of the disgraced sect chief, including Honeypreet, Aditya Insan and Pawan Insan, were booked by the police on charges of sedition, inciting violence and criminal conspiracy. New Delhi, July 30 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to step up efforts to forge a 'federal front' during her three-day visit to the national capital and invite opposition leaders, including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, for a rally in Kolkata on January 19. Banerjee, who has arrived in the capital, will be the chief guest at the a conclave by Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Tuesday and is expected to hit out at Modi government during her speech. She will meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the evening and express her strong concern over the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the first draft of the the National Register of Citizens in Assam. During the day, she will also go to the residence of former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani where she will also meet actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha and Rashtra Manch leader Yashwant Sinha. While Shatrughan Sinha has been taking digs at the BJP leadership, Yashwant Sinha had quit the party earlier this year. Banerjee will be in Parliament on August 1 and meet leaders from opposition parties as also from Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP. She is expected to personally invite leaders for the Kolkata rally. Though her meeting with Sonia Gandhi has not been scheduled, party leaders said there could be certain circumstantial meetings with leaders of opposition parties when Banerjee will be in parliament, which is in session. The Kolkata rally is expected to help Banerjee emerge as a pivot of the opposition efforts to dislodge the Modi government in the 2019 elections. She would also interact with the media during her visit to the parliament. New Delhi, July 30 : Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said Jio Institute has not been granted the status of Institution of Eminence yet, and has only been issued a Letter of Intent, under which it should complete the process of setting up in three years. "As far as Jio Institute is concerned, let me make it very clear that it has nothing to do with the government. The Letter of Intent has been issued by the government to this Institute under which the Institute should be set up within three years. Only then the government will grant it," the Union Human Resource Development Minister told the Lok Sabha. He said: "No greenfield university, which is not in existence but has a plan to come up in future, has been given the status of Institution of Eminence. They have been only issued Letter of Intent with a clear guideline of what they should do for three years, complete the process and then only they will be granted status after verification and inspection," he said during a reply in Question Hour. The Minister said there were 114 applications -- 74 from public institutions, 29 from private universities and 11 greenfield category universities -- which did not exist but had a plan to have major investment in education and better education. "A committee headed by N. Gopalaswami included Tarun Khanna of Harvard University, Renu Khator of University of Houston, Pritam Singh (former Director of IIM Lucknow) took presentations from all of them. "The criteria were to have a 15-year vision and five-year implementation plan," he said replying to a question regarding the criteria adopted for granting the Institutions of Eminence status. The question was raised by TMC MP Prasun Banerjee. "The implementation plan includes academic plan, recruitment plan, research plan, administrative plan, infrastructure plan, collaboration plan, finance plan, governance plan, outputs and outcomes per year, and clear annual milestones and action plan," said Javadekar. "So, all these aspects were comprehensively considered by the committee. The government kept it at arm's length because this was an empowered committee," he added. The minister also said out of 11 institutes which were to be selected under the greenfield category, only one had been recommended. "So, the issue is very clear. The government is giving Rs 1,000 crore only to public institutes, that is, IITs and IISCs. No single paisa is given to the private institutes," he said. Raising a question, TMC MP Sougata Roy said: "I appreciate the Minister's effort in bringing about improvement. What steps are being taken by the government to bring the best Indian professors working abroad to work in Indian universities or institutes of technology?" Los Angeles, July 30 : Actor Chris Pratt has shared an open letter, co-signed by the stars of "Guardians Of The Galaxy", in support of James Gunn, who has been ousted as director of "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3" Gunn was fired after some of his old offensive tweets on pedophilia and rape resurfaced. "Although I don't support James Gunn's inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a good man," Pratt wrote Monday in an Instagram post in which he shared a letter co-signed by the cast, reported The Hollywood Reporter. "I'd personally love to see him reinstated as director of Volume 3. If you please, read the following statement- signed by our entire cast." In the open letter, signed by Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn and Pom Klementieff, the cast referenced a Change.org petition asking for Gunn to be reinstated. Disney severed its business ties with Gunn on July 20. "We fully support James Gunn. We were all shocked by his abrupt firing last week and have intentionally waited these ten days to respond in order to think, pray, listen, and discuss," began the letter. "In that time we have been encouraged by the outpouring of support from fans and members of the media who wish to see James reinstated as director of Volume 3, as well as discouraged by those who were so easily duped into believing the many outlandish conspiracy theories around him." Gunn's offensive tweets were resurfaced by conservative personalities, and the "Guardians..." stars referenced political division in the US in the letter. "There is little due process in the court of public opinion. James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial. "Given the growing political divide in this country, it's safe to say instances like this will continue, although we hope American from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality," the letter continued. Before this letter, various cast members had taken different approaches to publicly addressing Gunn's firing. Bautista, Rooker and the director's brother Sean Gunn had been the most outspoken in their support of the filmmaker, The Hollywood Reporter said. While announcing Gunn's firing, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn had said: "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him." New Delhi, July 31 : A petition was filed on Monday seeking a direction to the Centre to immediately notify all recommendations for appointment of judges that have been sent it by the Supreme Court Collegium. The petition filed by NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) through advocate Prashant Bhushan also sought notification of appointment of those whose recommendations has been pending with the government for more than six weeks. The Centre's act of not notifying the names that have either been recommended more than six weeks back or have already been reiterated by the collegium is violative of the Supreme Court verdict, stated the PIL. The petition contended that it has been settled by the top court that if the Supreme Court Collegium sends its recommendations to the Centre, the government may send the name back for reconsideration by the Collegium. However, if the collegium reiterates its recommendation unanimously, the President is bound to issue the warrant of appointment. "The facts not only show complete disregard of the law so declared by this curt but also a virtual breakdown of the consultative process thereby diminishing if not destroying the primacy of the Chief Justice of India with regard to appointment in the manner laid down in the judgment. "The picture that emerges reflects an extremely sorry state of affairs with regard to appointments and transfers of judges to the higher Judiciary thereby seriously eroding the Independence of the Judiciary and violating the Basic Structure of the Constitution," added the plea. New Delhi, July 31 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday slammed Prime Minister, saying the journalists reporting the Rafale scam are being threatened. "Supreme leader's minions are now sending threatening messages to journalists reporting on the #RafaleScam asking them to 'back off or else...'," wrote Gandhi in Twitter. "I'm really proud of the few brave press people who still have the guts to defend the truth and stand up to Mr 56 (a reference to Modi)," he tweeted. Gandhi on Saturday claimed that owing to the Rafale fighter jet deal, the Indian taxpayers will have to pay the "Prime Minister's friend's joint venture Rs 1 lakh crore over five decades to maintain the aircraft". The Congress has earlier accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of "lying" on Reliance Defence Ltd -- which, he claimed, did not have experience in manufacturing fighter jets -- for having secured an offset contract from Dassault Aviation for Rs 30,000 crore and a consequent Lifecycle Cost Contract of Rs 1 lakh crore in the Rafale deal. New Delhi, July 31 : An amount of Rs 41,127.86 lakh (Rs 411.27 crore) was allocated for conservation of 3,687 protected monuments during 2018-19 under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), parliament was told on Monday. Stating protected monuments and museums are in "a fairly good state of preservation", Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma told the Lok Sabha, in a written reply, that they are attended to regularly as per specific requirements and availability of resources. "ASI has already formulated comprehensive conservation policy for conservation of protected monuments," he said, adding the amount set aside for Uttar Pradesh -- having the highest number of monuments at 743 -- is Rs 1,675 lakh. "The protected monuments are kept in good condition. Public amenities are upgraded as per needs. All such features attract tourists visiting heritage monuments in the country," he said. Gandhinagar, July 31 : The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) will include training on teaching methodology in a nine-month Business Hindi course for Chinese students, an official said on Monday. The EDI Institute will commence sixth batches of the course likely from mid or late August. About 25 Chinese students have shown their desire to enrol this current academic year. During the last 5 years, about 100 Chinese students have undergone 'Business Hindi' course at the EDI. Around 40 per cent of them have found jobs in India. This initiative was carried out to promote the national language Hindi as well to add to the cultural exchange between the two neighbouring countries. "Following the suggestions from the recent batches, we have decided to add more on teaching methodology training in our courses as it is likely to help them in their academic career. We believe different teaching methodologies are effective and, therefore, we decided to add it in our 'Business Hindi' course," said Avdhesh Jha, Course Director, EDII. New Delhi, July 31 : The Congress continued to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his speeches in Lucknow last week, saying he should "stop dramatising" poverty. Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters here that speaking was part of Modi's DNA and if he does not give speeches, "it probably can affect his health". Noting Modi shapes his address according the composition of audience, he said: "The Prime Minister should stop this drama of poverty. He should not play with sentiments of the poor. He cheated people with these sentiments in 2014 elections. Now it is time to give account of his performance." Sharma said. He said Indian's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was from an affluent background but he left everything and adopted khadi, while Modi was the first prime minister who wears "such good clothes" and changes his dress often. Sharma said former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was from a humble background but never mentioned about the poverty he faced while occupying the high post, while all the others from Indira Gandhi to Manmohan Singh life with simplicity. Modi had said in a speech on Saturday in Lucknow that poverty had given him honesty and courage. Sharma also referred to Modi's remarks in Lucknow that he was not was "not afraid of" publicly standing beside industrialists because his intentions were "noble" and accused him of making baseless allegations against the Congress, which has never insulted the captains of Indian industry nor used abusive words. "He (Modi) should talk responsibly. Congress Party has always encouraged industrialization, investment, capital formation and redistribution of the capital for the common good. That has been the governing philosophy and the ideology of the Congress and the successive governments and that is why this country had seen unprecedented growth during our time," he said. He also said Modi should answer how BJP became "the richest political party in the world in four years". WASHINGTON, July 30, 2018 - U.S. President Donald Trump attends a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (not in the picture) at the White House in Washington D.C., the ... Image Source: Xinhua/Liu Jie/IANS Washington, July 31 : US President Donald Trump on Monday offered to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani without any preconditions, at any time he wants. "If they want to meet, we'll meet," BBC quoted Trump as saying at a news conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. "I would meet with anybody. I believe in meetings," Trump said, adding that he would set "no preconditions" for a meeting with the Iranians. "If they want to meet, I'll meet." Ever since Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in May, the relations between the two countries have deteriorated, with Washington preparing to re-impose sanctions on Tehran within days. However, the other signers of the pact - Russia, China, the UK , France and Germany - are trying to salvage the nuclear deal, the future of which depends in large measure on guaranteeing the sale of Iranian crude. The latest move by the US President comes after he and the Iranian President exchanged hostile warnings earlier this month amid rising tensions. In an earlier tweet, Trump said: "Never, ever threaten the US again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before." The tweet was in response to Rouhani's warning that if Washington launched any conflict with Iran it would find itself in "the mother of all wars". Washington, July 31 : US President Donald Trump on Monday praised the "very firm" immigration policy of the new Italian government and said that "a lot of other countries in Europe should be doing it also". "I agree very much what you're doing with respect to migration and illegal immigration, and even legal immigration," Efe Trump as saying in his remarks welcoming Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to the White House. Along those lines, Trump remarked that the Italian government "has taken a very firm stance on the border", something that he said other countries should do, commenting that "some have taken that stance a long time ago, and they're doing a lot better". Trump has repeatedly claimed that there is a lack of border control in the US and has insisted on the need to build a wall along the US-Mexican border to halt the arrival of illegal migrants. The Italian government, pushed by controversial Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, has launched a firm migration control policy to close the country's ports to humanitarian organizations that are attempting to save lives among illegal migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. Conte, a neophyte with no political base of his own, was proposed for the post of prime minister by the two parties that got the most votes in the Italian elections: the anti-establishment Five-Star Movement and Salvini's far-right Lega party. Beijing, July 31 : Two men were sentenced to death for killing four people in 1995, a court in east China's Zhejiang Province ruled on Monday, after police managed to make a DNA match of the duo in 2017. The defendants, surnamed Wang and Liu, were convicted of robbery and homicide by the Intermediate People's Court of Huzhou. They were also deprived of political rights for life, and all of their personal property was confiscated, Xinhua reported. The court said a family of three, who ran a guesthouse in Shengshe Village, Zhili Township, were killed in the early hours on November 29, 1995. A guest was also killed. The court said the crime was cruel and the consequences were grave. Wang and Liu became suspects after police made a DNA match in 2017. By then, Liu had become a well-known writer in neighbouring Anhui Province. GUEST OBSERVATION There are jackhammers everywhere. A new Parramatta is emerging out of the rubble, seeking to make real its tag line: Australias next great city. Thickets of new residential and commercial towers are rising testament to the citys ferocious ambition overshadowing what remains of the squat, 1970s office blocks built during Parramattas previous development boom. There are many today who loudly proclaim Parramattas centrality to the story of Sydney. Mike Baird, when premier of NSW in 2015, called Parramatta nothing less than the infrastructure capital of the world, its fortunes tied closely to those of the state and the nation. The west is booming, as the New South Wales government releases huge tracts of land in the north-west and south-west of Sydney for development, and developers are cashing in on Parramattas rise. Its been claimed Parramatta is the infrastructure capital of the world. redwolfoz/Flickr, CC BY National Australia Bank is setting up its new headquarters at the A$2 billion development that is Parramatta Square. A new light rail network is on the way. Western Sydney University has completed its A$220.5 million high-rise campus. A new A$1 billion health precinct at Westmead is coming. So, Parramatta is a city on the make. And the numbers tell us why. The NSW governments population projections show Greater Sydney growing by more than 1.5 million people over the next two decades. The City of Parramattas population is forecast to grow by over 75,000 over the next decade alone. Presented as objective fact, too often its forgotten that such numbers are primarily expressions not of a certain future but of a recent past, projected forward in time. Todays population projections are comprised, to no small extent, by yesterdays migration policies. They are not an inevitable future, but an intentional one, a story about where we want to go. Western Sydney attracts a high proportion of Australias migrants. Parramatta, in particular, is a city being radically reshaped to meet the volume of demand projected off the back of this recent, record-breaking intake. Between the 2001 and 2016 census dates, the city welcomed almost 20,000 more Indian-born residents and 16,000 Chinese-born arrivals. Over the same period, the number of Parramattas Australian-born grew by just 6,000. Today, the proportion of Parramattas population that identifies as Australian by ancestry is just 13%, compared to 23% for Australia as a whole. Clearly, Parramattas A$10 billion transformation is preparing the city for a future that will be culturally distinct from its past. Australias next great city is emerging as a beacon of our nations hopeful, cosmopolitan future, built on growth, multiplied. But what kind of city will it be? What makes a city A city, after all, is more than the sum of its speculative real estate invest- ments and projected demand. Cities, as Leonie Sandercock reflected in her essay Practicing Utopia, are neither organisms nor machines. They are flesh and stone intertwined. They are built thought. Surely, to be great a city must capture our imaginations. It must offer, all at once, a place to get lost in and a place in which to belong. In great cities we seek both refuge in the crowd and a sense of connection with something bigger than our selfies. The greatest cities of the world also immerse us in experiential encounters with the archaeology of other eras. They are storied landscapes. Walking through these cities, we quite naturally absorb the daily integration of archaic infrastructures horse troughs, cobblestones, ceramic piping with the computationally connected services of our emergent present. It is through the remnant traces of past eras that we can imagine a sense of physical connection with those who came before us. We hear a lot about the challenges that population growth brings to Australian cities. Mostly, we are conditioned to thinking of these challenges as infrastructural, or monetary. But as our new, denser urban forms are rapidly realised, with forests of cranes and thickets of high-rise apartments replacing the sleepy suburbs that once represented the Australian dream, were also going to need to rebuild, as it were, the narratives of place and of belonging that define our cities. As Robert Hughes once said, delivering a National Trust lecture in 1998 on Australias forgotten histories: "An urban culture that predicates itself chiefly on an obsession with development is not worth having. A city needs deep memory, without which it becomes merely a stage set." It is the accumulation of stories and experiences inscribed in built form that gives a place its distinct identity. Such stories are not only for the culturally sensitive: they drive real-estate investment too. When a city is rebuilt from scratch, we risk losing these stories and connections. Australian cities have never been particularly good at celebrating the stories of people and place that have shaped them over time. Is this still true? More and more, our planners, designers, architects and developers seek to use the resources of the past to cultivate a contemporary sense of place. Decades of urban sprawl and featureless, automobile-dependent suburban landscapes have led to a renewed push for the creation of liveable urban identities that celebrate place and community. The art of city building is now the art of place-making. In this context, local heritage becomes an asset; an important contributor to both economic and cultural vitality. You can see this in the prices paid for the converted warehouse buildings and sugar mills dotted across the suburban landscape. So, if its going to be Australias next great city, the radical rebuilding of Parramatta is also an opportunity to ask questions about how we make use of the past as a resource for building the future. Parramatta a gathering place So often celebrated within historical accounts as the cradle of the colony, Parramattas history has been synonymous with the story of Australias beginnings as a nation. This, after all, is where Australias identity as an agricultural nation was first forged. Having followed Arthur Phillip down the river in search of arable land, it is where early convicts successfully proved not only the economic viability of the fledgling colony, but their worthiness as free citizens. It is likewise in Parramatta that the British government first tested its limits of moral and administrative governance in its new colony through the building of not only the first Government House, but also of prisons, factories, asylums and native institutions. This heroic story about Parramattas colonial foundations continues to be told through sites like Experiment Farm, the Parramatta Female Factory and the many other colonial administration buildings that remain. You walk into the Parramatta Heritage Centre and you will learn much about this story. And yet, cleaving to the notion of European founding, somehow standing in for the beginning of time, has in turn obscured other narratives. The Parramatta Female Factory continues to tell Parramattas colonial story. Wikimedia Commons Parramattas founding is a big story, particularly when it helps forge the identity of Australia as a largely Europeanised nation. But the cradle story has also contributed to a certain blindness about the experiences of people in Parramatta since the days of Phillip and his men. It excludes millennia of Aboriginal occupation, their custodianship of the environment and continuing urban presence, as well as the great diversity of people who have arrived here from nations across the globe. Rich as it is, Parramattas story requires considerable rethinking and public conversation in order to bring it into a stronger relation with the present. As Australias next great city appears in view, this dialogue is beginning to happen, and new evidence is being found within the rubble. A cultural plan for the new CBD released by the City of Parramatta in 2017 acknowledges that Parramatta always was, always will be, a gathering place. An archaeological analysis recently undertaken by Comber Consultants as part of the redevelopment of Parramatta Square has tentatively found the area may have been used as a gathering place for at least some 5,000 years. Such discoveries prompt a reassessment of the nature and experience of early interactions between settlers and Aboriginal peoples. This gathering place likewise witnessed the Battle of Parramatta in 1797, when a hundred Aboriginal warriors led by Pemulwuy arrived in formation down George Street. They were fighting against the many injustices inflicted upon them by the new arrivals. Pemulwuy would be shot, his warriors dispersed. A rich history The City of Parramatta commissioned us in 2017 to offer an account of Parramattas many waves of migration, a project inspired by this revived notion of Parramatta as a gathering place. We found that not all the convicts who first settled here were European. Africans and Indians were among the first convicts. The different nationalities caught up in the convict system reflected a number of diverse political struggles being fought at the time of European arrival in Sydney. Political activists from around the world included the Scottish martyrs of 1794 and 1795, Irish rebels of 1798 and 1803, trade unionists and insurrectionists from Canada, military prisoners from India and rebellious slaves from the West Indies. In the early years of Parramattas settlement there are records of the presence of various Maori, Afro-Americans, Indian, Chinese, Maltese and others. There is a long association in Parramatta with Maori connecting to the colony through trade, shipping, whaling and missionary activity. Parramatta was also central, we found, to the story of Australias embrace of immigration after the second world war. The formation of a federal department for immigration after the war, and massive growth of European migration from the late 1940s through the 1960s, would alter the fabric of Australian life in decisive ways. Parramatta, where experiments in European food production were first tried and tested, is also where our early experiments in migrant support took place. It was here that many new arrivals from war-torn Europe first settled. An American naval base hospital, established in Granville Park in 1942, was used after 1945 as one of the first hostels for migrants. Other migrant hostels were located in nearby Ermington, Dundas and Villawood to accommodate displaced persons and recent migrants. The US naval base hospital in Granville Park was used to house migrants after 1945. Holroyd City Library/Flickr, CC BY We saw that over the 20th century processes of chain migration would shape Parramatta fundamentally. Chain migration the term used to describe how migrants follow others from their town to a new host destination was most strongly practised by Lebanese and Greek communities. We learned of the significance of two women from the Lebanese village of Kfarsghab, Rosie Broheen and Zahra Youssef Assad Rizk, who were among the first to have settled in Parramatta, after arriving in Australia in the late 1890s. Since their arrival, families from the Kfarsghab village continued to migrate to Parramatta, a process that intensified as part of the post-war wave of migration to Sydney. Chain migration was actively supported by Australian migration policy at this time, which placed strong emphasis on family reunion. By 2008, an estimated 10,000 people in Parramatta could trace their ancestry to the village of Kfarsghab. Indeed, the importance of Parramatta to this community was commemorated when the main street of the village in Lebanon was renamed Parramatta Road. Another Lebanese village of importance to Parramatta is the Maronite village of Hadchit in northern Lebanon. There are now about 500 Hadchiti households in areas such as Westmead and Harris Park. We found great gaps in knowledge about the continued presence of Aboriginal people after the initial years of contact (gaps that are beginning to be filled). One woman we spoke to said she was sick of hearing about her culture being thousands of years old while not being listened to in the present. And so, while we did gather together diverse stories of migration and movement in and around Parramatta sometimes free movements, some under adverse circumstances what was ever-present was the invisibility of lives not previously deemed of any real importance to the evolving story of Parramatta and its role in accommodating different ideas about Australias place in the world. Keeping place In commissioning our research, the City of Parramatta Council has sought to fill some of the gaps in its historical knowledge of migration impacts on the city. It plans to acknowledge and celebrate these many experiences of both gathering and dispersal through interpretive artworks within new developments like Parramatta Square. There are hopes for a Keeping Place that acknowledges stories of Indigenous lives, including their dispossession. Through ongoing practices of interpretation, documentation and story-telling, as well as continuing dialogue about the most appropriate future uses of significant historical sites such as Parramatta Park and the Parramatta Female Factory, we hope Australias next great city can also be a place where new cultural imaginaries of place can be celebrated. Looking beyond the exaggerated localism of much local history and the foundational narrative of colonial beginnings, Parramatta is a place where many different versions of becoming Australian can be cultivated and explored. Sarah Barns, Engaged Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Phillip Mar, Research Associate in Cultural and Social Research, Western Sydney University This piece is republished with permission from Who We Are, the 61st edition of Griffith Review, via The Conversation. The abandoned home building block of flamboyant billionaire tycoons, Pankaj and Radhika Oswal was passed in at Saturday auction in Perth. The top bid was $15.6 million with three of the five registered parties competing for the prize parcel at Peppermint Grove. . Marketed as "the most famous block in Australia" the 2 Bay View Road site was listed through Ray White agent Vivien Yap inconjuction with Sotheby's agent Graham Bowie. Two years ago there were $30 million hopes for the prestigious Perth offering, after the partially built so-called Taj on Swan mansion was demolished under council orders. The 6582 sqm site, which could fit six homes, had reduced $19.5 million hopes last year. The mansion with Swan River views sat unfinished after the Oswals quit Australia in 2010 amid a dispute with bankers about the wind up and sale of their fertiliser business. The Oswal family had controlled WA's $700 million Burrup Fertilisers gas-processing plant New home sales rose 2 per cent in June, the first rise this year, according to the HIA New Home Sales report. Despite the monthly bounce in June, new home sales during the entire 2017/18 financial year were 5.3 per cent lower than in the previous financial year, stated HIAs principal economist, Tim Reardon. The increase in sales in June is small in comparison with the fall in sales that has occurred throughout 2018. New home sales for the first six months of this year are 2.9 per cent lower than in the last six months of 2017. AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver noted despite the first rise this year the "moderate downtrend was continuing." "The deterioration of sales over the financial year reflects shifts in housing market conditions," noted Mr Reardon. The availability of credit has tightened over the past 12 months with banks responding to the decline in house prices and the Banking Royal Commission. Although credit availability has tightened, overall building activity remains elevated when compared with building levels over the past decade. New home sales rose in all states except Victoria, which have been in decline since February 2018 and declined a further a 0.4 per cent in June. Activity in the Victorian market has reached record levels over recent years and has remained elevated well above historical trends and well in excess of growth in other states," stated Mr Rearden. The decline in sales in Victoria is well overdue." A pickup in new home sales in the other states, particularly NSW, is a welcome reprieve from a year of slow sales," he added. Sales in NSW were 13.3 per cent lower in 2017/18 than in the previous year. Sales in NSW picked up in June 2018, by 8.3 per cent compared with the previous month, giving a positive end to an underwhelming year. Across the other markets, new home sales also rose in Queensland (2.7 per cent) and WA (1.5 per cent) and SA (0.2 per cent). Mr Rearden stated that Australias population growth has slowed over the past three quarters in response to tighter visa requirements that have constrained inward migration." The Sydney and Melbourne markets have seen a decline in their rates of population growth since 1 July 2017. ABS data shows approvals for private sector detached houses fell dramatically in May 2018. "Approvals data typically trails the new home sales data by three to six months and the dramatic fall in approvals in May is likely to be reflected in the June data, concluded Mr Reardon. Landbanking firm KSI investments has advised the DomaCom Fund to close the fundraising for the purchase of a second parcel of land at Badgerys Creek early given strong investor interest. It came after an influx of investment from local and overseas property investors following the announcement of a $100 million university and research precinct within 3.8kms of the land located at 60 Devonshire Road, Rossmore (pictured above). The campaign for the land in Rossmore near Badgerys Creek was oversubscribed by 20 per cent. Investors who missed out will be able to invest in other upcoming crowdfunded land investment which will be available over the next few months. DomaCom is Australia's leading property crowdfunder. It allows anyone to invest a little or a lot into property investment. Arthur Naoumidis CEO of DomaCom Ltd, said it was very exciting to have completed the second parcel of land so quickly after the first transaction. "It sees the realisation of what the DomaCom Fund was established for, allowing retail investors access to an asset which would not normally be accessible to this market," he said. "We now have close to 100 investors owning a fractional interest in this asset. KSI investments CEO Robin Luo says there are some factors at play in the Sydney property market pushing land prices higher leading to heightened interest in crowdfunding of land near Badgerys Creek. As the Sydney residential property market cools, investors have been looking for alternative ways to make money in property he said. "Appreciating the topography of Sydney is key to understanding why land prices are surging, Sydney is landlocked by mountain ranges to the west and ocean to the east, meaning flat land is limited to a 80 km radius of the CBD." "In contrast, Melbourne has flat land for over 200kms from the CBD. The south-west Sydney region is the last frontier for land in Sydney. Its the last opportunity for investors to buy unimproved farm land to convert into residential. Basically, everywhere else in Sydney has already been through this transformation process over the past 30 years, Mr Luo concluded. Endre Kollo, KSI Executive Director said the Government will break ground on the construction of Badgerys Creek airport later this year In preparation, the State Government has already committed hundreds of millions of dollars to building new train stations and putting in new roads. "The infrastructure support from the State Government has been wonderful for land prices in the region," Mr Kollo said. Mr Luo said that many people want to buy in the Badgerys Creek region but few have the funds and resources to acquire the properties. In the past, landbanking was only available to big developers however the DomaCom fund has opened this up to mum and dad investors via a crowdfunding structure. He suggests that residential housing values will continue to fall while rural land prices will continue to rise for the next few years. Given the 70 per cent price increases weve seen in Sydney over the past 5 years, even after a correction, prices are still higher than the long-term trend growth of 7.25 per cent and remain unattractive to most, particularly noting the still unattractive rental yields on residential property. "The land market in the south-west region on the other hand, is a buoyant market and we need to act quick to snap up good land otherwise it gets taken up by another developer within days. AFL legend Kevin Sheedy is an ambassador for Domacom. MaintenX is ready to help customers prepare for or recover from natural disasters like hurricanes, floods and fires. MaintenX technicians are trained to prepare buildings for extreme weather and provide emergency maintenance after a disaster has occurred. MaintenX International is ready to help customers through any bad weather during the summer months. From fires and floods to hurricanes and droughts, the hotter months can bring damage and chaos for facility managers. However, MaintenX technicians are trained to prepare buildings for extreme weather and provide emergency maintenance after a disaster has occurred. Weve been in business more than 35 years. Our team has seen it all hurricanes, fires, floods, said Bill Schaphorst, MaintenXs VP of Business Development. Our technicians are aware of how critical our services are to helping facilities maintain business continuity. While some natural disasters like fires, tornadoes, or flash flooding are unpredictable, others provide time for preparation. MaintenXs home state of Florida is prone to severe storms and hurricanes, and MaintenX technicians are ready to help businesses prepare in advance. Whether a facility manager needs sandbagging help, pre-storm roof repairs, refrigeration services or emergency power generation, MaintenX can help. MaintenX also ensures that their team is available after a major storm by transporting additional technicians near to where help is needed. During last years hurricane season, technicians were stationed safely outside Houston, Texas prior to Hurricane Harveys landfall so they could be available as soon as the storm passed. This dedication to customers is what sets MaintenX service apart from the rest. As one of the nations largest providers of emergency response and recovery, MaintenX can help facilities from coast to coast. For more information about MaintenX and emergency response services available across the nation, visit http://MaintenX.com. ABOUT MAINTENX INTERNATIONAL: MaintenX International is a fully-licensed, facilities repair company. They are one of the largest national self-performing facility maintenance and repair companies in the U.S. MaintenX has created a network of knowledgeable and professional technicians throughout the country. With their team of well-trained technicians, MaintenX self-performs and manages facility maintenance for clients. In the event there is not a MaintenX technician in the area, the company has fostered a network of preferred vendor partners throughout the country to provide superior service for their clients. For more than 35 years, MaintenX has been expertly serving multi-location retail stores, restaurant chains, and Fortune 500 companies nationwide. Learn more at http://www.MaintenX.com. The Grand Theatre, sponsored by Salt Lake Community College, is proud to present The Marvelous Wonderettes, Aug. 16 to Sept. 8. As part of the Backstage at the Grand Series, The Marvelous Wonderettes is under the direction of Jim Christian, with music direction by Ken Plain. Performances will take place Wednesday Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at 801-957-3322 or online at http://www.GrandTheatreCompany.com. As always, junior high and high school students and teachers receive one free ticket with their school ID. Written and created by Roger Bean, this smash hit off-Broadway musical kicks off the Grand Theatres 28th season. Tap your toes from start to finish with this musical trip down memory lane as we follow four girls from the 1958 Springfield High School prom to their 10-year reunion. With more than 20 chart-topping hits, this female quartet serenades us through their lives and loves. Packed with charm and sweetness, youll be smiling from ear to ear as the Wonderettes take you on their journey. The Grand Theatre is a 1,100-seat venue located at Salt Lake Community Colleges historic South City Campus, home of the innovative and state-of-the-industry Center for Arts and Media at 1575 South State Street in Salt Lake City. The theatre dates back to the 1930s and retains its Depression-era charm while incorporating the latest technology in lighting and sound. Every season the Grand is host to many concerts and award-winning theatre and dance productions that attract arts enthusiasts from all along the Wasatch Front. The venue also serves as an official screening venue for the annual Sundance Film Festival. ALP Supply a long-time supplier of accessories for the manufacturers of precast concrete products -- has rejoined AltusGroup as an Innovation Partner to lend its expertise and technical support to precaster members. ALP Supply provides a wide range of technical products through its various operating groups and subsidiaries, bringing valued, innovative and cost-effective products to the precast manufacturing segment. John Carson, Executive Director for AltusGroup, said we are pleased to have ALP back into the fold. We anticipate adding other firms that seek new channels for the advancement of precast technology and support our charge of Precast innovation powered by collaboration that has endured for 15 years now. ALP Supplys involvement will include partnering with AltusGroup precasters on the development and refinement of proprietary anchorage and bracketing systems for the ARCIS line of precast-prestressed panels for the rainscreen, facade enclosure and decking markets. Utilizing non-corrosive stainless steel cable in a novel manufacturing process, ARCIS technology delivers a versatile, lightweight panel (as low as 9 psf) that offers the strength and aesthetic beauty of precast concrete. ARCIS panels offer exceptional strength, crack control and durability at thicknesses not available with alternative cement-based products such as GFRC and celluosic cement. The ARCIS system is competitive with metal cladding systems, terra cotta, natural stone and many others. As A.L. Patterson, ALP Supply was one of the original AltusGroup Innovation Partners. Its corporate headquarters in Pennsylvania was made using CarbonCast High Performance Insulated Wall Panels a signature AltusGroup technology as they expanded to new facilities. The company has returned to AltusGroup in concert with the continued growth of its business. The addition of ALP Supply expands AltusGroups Innovation Partner roster to nine. AltusGroup Innovation Partners work with member precasters to advance breakthrough precast concrete technology. Through AltusGroup, these companies are focusing on innovative ways to improve the performance, connectivity, aesthetics and resiliency of architectural and structural precast concrete components. With more than 40 years of experience, ALP Supply is the largest single source supplier in North America to precast and prestress producers. The company produces ALP Brand precast concrete accessories including the QUIKLIFT Lifting System, Lifting Pin Lifting System, Utility Lift Lifting System, R-Anchor and Coil and Ferrule Inserts. It also supplies products such as rebar and mesh supports, wire ties, chamfer, prestress and post tension mono strand, prestress and post tension anchors, strand chucks, coil rod, nuts and bolts, various fiber reinforcements, and steam curing systems. About AltusGroup The first-ever national partnership of precast companies, AltusGroup was founded in 2003 to develop, manufacture and market precast innovations such as the award-winning CarbonCast line of products, ARCIS ultra-thin precast panels and the Graphic Concrete technology for imparting patterns, designs and images on concrete faces. With more than 30 structural and architectural manufacturing locations in the United States, the 19 North American and two international AltusGroup companies have an unparalleled network of plants, technical staff and sales personnel to ensure architects, engineers and contractors get the help they need as well as the consistent quality and performance they expect. For more information, visit altusprecast.com or call 866-GO-ALTUS. American Natural Gas (ANG), a premier distributor of alternative motor fuels, and a portfolio company within HC2 Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HCHC), announced today that it has opened a heavy duty fast-fill compressed natural gas (CNG) station in Lynchburg, Virginia. The facility, located at 110 Jefferson Ridge Parkway, will be open to the public and PepsiCos Frito-Lay division will be a major customer with its fleet of CNG tractor-trailers. Located within a mile of the intersection of Lynchburg/Northwest Expressway (US-501)) and US-221, the new station will meet regional demand for high-performing, easily-accessible CNG fueling facilities for heavy-duty and long-haul trucking fleets and provides easy on-and-off highway access for class 8 vehicles. As oil prices continue to rise, it becomes more important than ever to make domestic alternative fueling options available to American fleets, said Drew West, Chief Executive Officer of ANG. It also creates new opportunities for fleets located in or traveling through the Central Virginia region that are interested in CNG and exploring the industrys new zero emission engines. They will now have convenient access to the cleaner, safer and more affordable fuel. ANG currently owns and operates approximately 44 fueling stations in 15 states across the United States, inclusive of stations in process and under development. This is ANGs first station in Virginia and the second located in close proximity to a Frito-Lay manufacturing facility. Delivering products using a more efficient fleet is a key component of achieving PepsiCos goal to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain, and our Frito-Lay CNG tractor-trailers are an important piece of our overall strategy, said Ken Marko, Senior National Fleet Sustainability Manager, PepsiCos Frito-Lay Division. Having a national infrastructure for alternative fuel is critical to the continued expansion of Frito-Lays CNG fleet and for other companies currently using or considering this technology. This Lynchburg station is built around best in class equipment and features fully redundant systems, including a top-of-the-line 250 HP GE compressor packaged by Cobey Energy, with two points of temperature compensation and a Xebec dryer. The station features Bennett CNG dispensers equipped with NGV1 nozzles for light and medium-duty use and NGV2 nozzles to accommodate heavy-duty and transit vehicles. The fast-fuel station is designed to accommodate high-capacity, large volume users. Brent Archer, president of Columbia Gas of Virginia, said, As the natural gas service provider for both American Natural Gas and for Frito-Lays Lynchburg manufacturing facility, we are pleased to play a part in making this important and environmentally beneficial fuel option available to the public. It's a great example of the essential and expanding role natural gas plays in the daily lives of virtually all Americans. We look forward to our partnership with ANG and other Columbia Gas customers. Natural gas is the cleanest burning alternative fuel available that has the power to run heavy-duty vehicles. It is also quieter, safer, less expensive and abundant in America. Business owners or fleet managers interested in learning more about the Lynchburg station, or converting to CNG, are encouraged to contact ANG, 866-264-6220 or info@americannaturalgas.com. About American Natural Gas, LLC At American Natural Gas (ANG) the future is within reach and we can bring you closer. Through our growing network of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations for the transportation industry, were delivering opportunity to fleets across the country. Our team of highly-trained strategists, designers and operations professionals is changing perspectives and increasing potential as we improve the CNG experience and move the alternative fuel industry forward. ANG is a portfolio company within HC2 Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HCHC). To learn more, visit http://www.americannaturalgas.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains, and certain oral statements made by our representatives from time to time may contain, forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements include information describing actions, events, results, strategies and expectations and are generally identifiable by use of the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "could," "might," or "continues" or similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this press release include without limitation statements regarding the beliefs and assumptions of ANG's management. The Company believes these judgments are reasonable, but you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results, and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, both positive and negative. Such important factors include, without limitation, issues related to our ability to realize efficiencies, cost savings, income and margin improvements, growth, economies of scale and other anticipated benefits of strategic transactions; and difficulties related to the integration of financial reporting of acquired or target businesses; effects of litigation, indemnification claims, and other contingent liabilities. These relationships, and the trust that my patients place in me, are the reasons why I continue to practice today and why I am so honored to have again been recognized as an Atlanta Top Doctor in the field of plastic surgery Dr. Philip Beegle, a board-certified plastic surgeon who has been on the forefront of cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery for more than thirty years, has once again been recognized as a Top Doc in the field of Plastic Surgery by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a leading national healthcare organization. In the many years that I have been practicing plastic surgery in Georgia, I have had the opportunity to work with thousands of patients, and I place a great deal of value on the relationships that I have built, said Dr. Beegle. These relationships, and the trust that my patients place in me, are the reasons why I continue to practice today and why I am so honored to have again been recognized as an Atlanta Top Doctor in the field of plastic surgery. Unlike other physicians awards, recipients of the Castle Connolly Top Doc honor are selected through a comprehensive, multi-stage process that begins with extensive peer-nominations. Licensed physicians from across the country can vote for physicians in fifty-eight different medical specialties who not only excel in academic medicine and research but who also exhibit exceptional patient care. Castle Connolly asks physicians to nominate those to whom they would send their own families as a way to find the very best health care providers. These nominees are then subjected to a highly rigorous screening process conducted by an experienced, physician-led research team. A full list of the Atlanta-area physicians who have been honored as Castle Connolly Top Docs can be found each year in the July issue of Atlanta Magazine. A good doctor-patient relationship is based on open-communication, Dr. Beegle explained. Thats why it is such an honor to be recognized by an organization that puts so much emphasis on both the evaluations of medical professionals and the testimonials from real plastic surgery patients. The value of educating and connecting with patients is the primary reason why I decided to create my Blogging for Breast Care website, which I maintain with my physician assistant Maura Bauman Chey. Dr. Beelge continues to provide exceptional plastic surgery services to patients from all over the world. If you are interested in undergoing cosmetic or reconstructive surgery with an Atlanta Top Doc, contact Dr. Philip Beegles office today at (470) 553-9438 or visit his website http://www.bloggingforbreastcare.com to learn more. About Dr. Philip H. Beegle Dr. Philip H. Beegle is a leading expert in aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery and practices reconstructive breast and facial aesthetic surgery in Newnan and Atlanta, Georgia. As a partner at Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C., he was instrumental in the early development of the revolutionary TRAM flap breast reconstruction technique, and throughout the years he has helped develop other methods of microsurgical breast reconstruction as well, including the free TRAM, thigh flap, SIEA flap, and hip flap (or Rubens) techniques. In 1993, Dr. Beegle was invited to become a member of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons in recognition of his contributions to microsurgical breast reconstruction techniques and for his consistently exceptional breast reconstruction results. Dr. Takayasu Ohtake and Dr. Shuzo Kobayashi A new type of stem cell treatment is showing promise for patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) who suffer from critical limb ischemia (CLI). Results of a clinical trial, reported on in a recently published article in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, show that five out of the six patients in the trial were CLI-free one year after treatment. The study offers good news for anyone with this painful condition, which the National Center for Biotechnology Information has declared a critical public health issue due to its high mortality rate exceeding 50 percent at five years after diagnosis along with many other negative impacts on quality of life including a high rate of amputation (10 to 40 percent) and painful ulcers. CLI is caused by severe blockage in the arteries of the lower extremities. It can be treated with bypass surgery, but the outcome is generally poor in patients undergoing HD or who have diabetes, said Takayasu Ohtake, M.D., Ph.D., of Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Kamakura, Japan. He was lead author on the study in which his colleague, Shuzo Kobayashi, M.D., Ph.D., served as principal investigator. Previous studies had examined whether transplanting autologous mononuclear cells (derived from bone marrow or peripheral blood) in these patients might help, but the results were disappointing, Dr. Ohtake said. We know the cells have the potential for vascular regeneration, he explained, but their effectiveness is severely decreased in HD patients due to their uremic conditions and inflammation. He and his research colleagues wondered whether this deficiency might be overcome by using granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), a type of protein that stimulates the bone marrow to produce more stem cells and deliver them to the blood stream. We hoped this might significantly increase the number of CD34 positive cells in peripheral blood and, consequently, prove beneficial to the patients, Dr. Ohtake said. Six male patients with CLI were recruited for a phase II clinical trial to test their theory. Each was given a five-day series of G-CSF injections, then their stem cells were harvested from their peripheral blood, the cells were then treated and reintroduced back into the patients affected limb by intramuscular injections. Dr. Ohtake said dramatic improvements were seen in a short time. Just four weeks after treatment, ulcer size was significantly improved compared with the baseline and within 12 weeks, three out of five ulcers completely healed. At 52 weeks, he continued, the improvement rate from CLI stage to non-CLI stage was 83.3 percent, no amputations had to be performed and no major adverse events related to the treatment were experienced. Taken together, Dr. Kobayashi added, these results demonstrate that G-CSF-mobilized CD34+ cell therapy is safe and dramatically improved CLI in HD patients. However, we want to caution that the small sample size and lack of control arm were major limitations in this study. Long-term observation and larger-scale clinical studies are urgently needed to further confirm the potential benefits of this cell-based therapy, particularly for patients with life-threatening CLI who require HD. "These clinical trial results are certainly encouraging and demonstrate the need to further pursue this regenerative therapy to treat critical limb ischemia, a devastating disease, said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. We look forward to seeing this work continue. The full article, Autologous G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood CD34 positive cell transplantation for hemodialysis patients with critical limb ischemia: a prospective phase 2 clinical trial, can be accessed at https://stemcellsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/21576580/0/0. About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices. SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation. About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS (http://www.StemCells.com), celebrating its 36th year, is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist (http://www.TheOncologist.com), also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, in its 23rd year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines. About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com. About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF): The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit, honouring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, and promoting educational initiatives. Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, today announces a certification program for secondary schools and higher education in partnership with EC-Council, a global leader in cybersecurity education. Certiport and EC-Council will launch the EC-Council Associate Series certification exams, practice tests, and curriculum beginning in fall 2018 starting with the Ethical Hacking Associate (EHA) and Cyber Forensics Associate (CFA) exams. Cybersecurity jobs are in high-demand. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, there are roughly half a million cybersecurity-related job openings in the United States. EC-Council currently offers professional-level certifications, but the new Associate Series exams validate entry-level knowledge and prepare individuals to continue learning best practices for todays cybersecurity threat landscape. Many schools have already recognized the need in the marketplace for graduates with cybersecurity skills and have launched CTE and degree programs to fill that need, said Ray Murray, Vice President, Business Development, Pearson VUE. Now, the EC-Council Associate Series certification exams will give academia a method to validate those skills with industry-recognized certification. Graduates can fill the demand for cybersecurity jobs while schools add credibility to their programs. Beginning in fall 2018, schools can offer the new EC-Council Associate Series EHA and CFA certification exams easily with curriculum and practice exams that align to exam content and are easy to implement into existing courses. EC-Council, or the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants, is the worlds largest cybersecurity technical certification body. They have certified over 200,000 information security professionals globally and have influenced the cybersecurity mindset of countless organizations worldwide, coining the phrase Ethical Hacking in 2001. EC-Council programs are vendor neutral and focus on best practices on a global scale, making the new EC-Council Associate Series of certifications exams especially valuable for students around the world. "EC-Council is very pleased to have forged this strategic partnership with Certiport to offer hands-on cybersecurity certification programs to students across the world, said Wesley Alvarez, Director of Academics U.S., EC-Council. We strongly believe that educating high school students on today's threat landscape from both an offensive and defensive perspective will develop their interest and skills at an early age. The EHA and CFA programs challenge students with dynamic red-team, blue-team concepts, without hindering hands-on activities or creativity." EC-Council Associate Series certification curriculum is available for review so schools can begin to prepare for the 2018-2019 school year. Visit https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Certifications/EC-Council/EAC/Overview for more information. About EC-Council EC-Council has been the worlds leading information security certification body since the launch of their flagship program, Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH), which created the ethical hacking industry in 2002. Since the launch of C|EH, EC-Council has added industry-leading programs to their portfolio to cover all aspects of information security including EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (C|HFI), Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO), among others. EC-Council Foundation, the non-profit branch of EC-Council, created Global Cyberlympics, the worlds first global hacking competition. EC-Council Foundation also hosts a suite of conferences across the U.S. and around the world including Hacker Halted, Global CISO Forum, TakeDownCon, and CISO Summit. For more information about EC-Council, please see http://www.eccouncil.org About Certiport Certiport is the leading provider of learning curriculum, practice tests, and performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners. Certiport provides certification development, delivery, and program management services through an expansive network of more than 14,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide. More than 3 million Certiport exams are delivered in 26 languages across 148 countries each year throughout the academic, workforce, and corporate technology markets. Certiport is a Pearson VUE business, and is a part of the worlds leading learning company, Pearson. To learn more, go to http://www.certiport.com. "Certiport" is a registered trademark of NCS Pearson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Lawgical, the parent company for Legal Talk Network, ServeNow, and ServeManager, has launched CourtFiling.net as an electronic filing service provider (EFSP) for the state of California, in addition to several other states. Effective September 1, 2017, many California district courts, including the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, began requiring electronic filing for civil and criminal court cases. Many other courts offer eFiling services but do not mandate them. Lawgical recently created CourtFiling.net to facilitate court filing for process servers, attorneys, paralegals, other legal professionals, and private individuals who wish to have a seamless eFiling experience. The EFSP assists Lawgicals current clients using ServeNow and ServeManager products who want to eFile in California. Since most process servers and legal support professionals provide court filing services, CourtFiling.net is a natural addition to the current marketing and software solutions for Lawgicals ServeNow and ServeManager clients. Our customers and their clients consider eFiling an important part of their workflow said Trent Carlyle, co-founder and CTO of Lawgical. CourtFiling.net is a perfect addition to our suite of products. We are always looking to add low-cost and easy-to-use systems that legal support professionals can utilize alongside our current products. Hopefully, our clients can use this to grow their business and offer more services with low personal overhead. The CourtFiling.net portal includes 24/7 support, instant access to case summaries, file-stamped documents, PDF conversion, detailed reports, support articles, and FAQ pages. While switching to an EFSP can be intimidating to many legal professionals, especially those filing traditionally with the court, it can enormously increase efficiency and even be more environmentally friendly. CourtFiling.net was built with an easy transition and learning process in mind. Ultimately, CourtFiling.net will be fully integrated into ServeManager, where documents and affidavits can be filed with a click of a button, eliminating duplicate entries and provide a single interface where process servers and their customers can view the status of their serves, filings, and more. Process servers and law firms nationwide will be able to use ServeManager and CourtFiling.net together for a faster and more accurate legal process overall. CourtFiling.net is currently live in Alameda Superior Court, Butte Superior Court, Calaveras Superior Court, Fresno Superior Court, Kern Superior Court, Kings Superior Court, Los Angeles Superior Court, Merced Superior Court, Monterey Superior Court, Napa Superior Court, Orange Superior Court, San Diego Superior Court, San Luis Obispo Superior Court, Santa Barbara Superior Court, Santa Clara Superior Court, Santa Cruz Superior Court, San Mateo Superior Court, Stanislaus Superior Court, Sutter Superior Court, and Yuba Superior Court. CourtFiling.net also offers eFiling in Illinois courts and, will soon launch in Indiana, Texas, and Maryland. About Lawgical Lawgical provides online marketing, software, and media for the legal industry, with a specific focus on process servers and private investigators. In addition to several partner sites, our portfolio includes more than 15 brands founded as early as 2004, all of which are leaders in their respective industries. This includes Legal Talk Network, the premiere online media network for the legal industry, ServeNow.com, PInow.com, and ServeManager. Summer Comix Fun! MakeBeliefsComix.com has won citations from the American Library Association, the Parents Choice Award and was selected by Google as one of the worlds most creative web sites to encourage literacy and reading. If youre a parent looking for a way to deal with a child home from school who says shes bored and doesnt know what to do, look no further: MakeBeliefsComix.com to the rescue. The free comic generator offers youngsters the opportunity to create digital comic strips on any web or mobile device which they can print and email to friends and families. Creating comic strips is the perfect way to help youngsters retain their writing and reading skills while school is out, and at the same time use their imaginations and communicate their ideas through their comic stories. Best-selling author Bill Zimmerman, the creator of MakeBeliefsComix, says, The best educators understand that playing is learning. Parents and teachers can use the process of creating comic strips to encourage youngsters to practice language, reading, writing, and communication skills. The site also shows teachers and educational therapists how to use comics to teach English, to work with children with special needs, such as those on the Autism Spectrum. Zimmerman adds, Comic strips provide a perfect vehicle for learning and practicing language. Each strips three or four panels provide a finite, accessible world in which funny, interesting looking characters live and go about their lives. And children with limited reading skills are not as overwhelmed in dealing with the size of a comic strip as they may be with a book of many pages. Comic strips also dont require long sentences or paragraphs to tell a good story. Only a few words are required for the characters to go about their lives and reveal their stories. And, anyone who sees a blank talk or thought balloon floating over the head of a character wants immediately to fill it in with words and thoughts; doing so is the beginning step to telling a story. MakeBeliefsComix.com has won citations from the New York Times, HuffPost News, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), TeachersFirst, the Parents Choice Award and The Goethe Institut. At the site, users can build online comic strips using scores of fun characters and fill in blank talk and thought balloons with text. The site also offers hundreds of free printables to encourage writing and free interactive e-books into which readers can type their thoughts from their computer screens. The New York Times Learning Network recently recommended MakeBeliefsComix.com as a resource in a lesson plan for teachers on using comics in the classroom to teach current events. The creator of MakeBeliefsComix.com is Bill Zimmerman, who has written more than two dozen books for children and parents, including the best-selling Lunch Box Letters: Writing Encourage Words to Youngsters and Pocket Doodles for Kids. For many years he created and edited the nationally syndicated Student Briefing Page of the News for Newsday newspaper which was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Representatives with Crescent Harbor Lighting announced today that its online store now features new products from Vermont Modern by Hubbardton Forge. For more than 40 years, Hubbardton Forge artisans have been handcrafting every product, made-to-order and one-at-a-time, in Castleton, Vermont and the addition of new products from Vermont Modern to our online store adds a creative flare and uniqueness that were sure customers will simply fall in love with, said Tim Fossett, president and spokesperson for Crescent Harbor Lighting, which is the online arm of The Lighthouse, a family-owned lighting company founded in 1972. Fossett described Hubbardton Forges brand, Vermont Modern, which is now part of Crescent Harbor Lightings online store, as an edgy, contemporary line with stylish, inspired designs with six bold colors that come in sleek shapes with a young, urban feel. The first of the four newly added products added to Crescent Harbors online store is the Vermont Modern More Cowbell LED Pendant which features five adjustable cable-hung LED pendants with Vermont maple accents hung from a single linear canopy. Each pendant is slightly staggered to allow for independent height adjustability. Choose between clear glass or frosted glass and a range of finish options, Fossett pointed out. The second product is the Vermont Modern Stretch Sconce, a direct wire wall sconce with finish options, handcrafted to order by skilled artisans in Vermont. The third newly added product is the Vermont Modern Bookie LED Table Lamp. This table lamp comes with plug-in LED task lamp with swiveling head and integrated bookend, Fossett explained. The Vermont Modern Loves Me LED Pendant, the fourth newly added product is an adjustable cable-hung LED pendant with finish and accent options. Choose a finish for the canopy and fixture core and an accent for the decorative flower. The pendant includes adjustable cable and canopy kit, added Fossett. For more information, please visit crescentharbor.com/hubbardton-forge.html. About Crescent Harbor Lighting Crescent Harbor Lighting is the online arm of The Lighthouse, a family-owned lighting company founded in 1972. The company specializes in a high-touch customer service approach to retailing lighting fixtures, ceiling fans and other related items. Contact Details: Tim Fossett President 88 York Street US Route One Kennebunk, Maine, 04043 Toll Free Phone: 1-888-355-9525 Local Phone: 1-207-985-3535 Fax: 1-207-985-4569 Source: Crescent Harbor Lighting ### The Master Guides at Marabou Ranch specialize in teaching the entire family how to fly fish. Marabou Ranch a premiere luxury ranch offering picturesque Steamboat views offers world-class fly fishing on more than two miles of private waters on Colorados renowned Elk River. Marabou Ranch owners can also enjoy 10 still-water fisheries known for trophy trout fishing and access to more than 100-miles of private and public Northwestern Colorado water. Our home waters are really awesome, teeming with a variety of rainbow trout, brown trout and cutbows, said Pat Stefanek, Marabou Ranchs Master Fly Fishing Guide. Marabou Ranch is the perfect place for a family to learn how to fly fish because the conditions are so incredible and the views are so gorgeous. The Marabou Ranch Outfitters Cabin provides all of the gear necessary for fishermen to get on the river and a staff of four local Master Guides to share their expert insights and guarantee an incredible experience. A longtime Steamboat resident, Stefanek holds a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University and is a licensed outfitter who has been guiding fishermen at Marabou Ranch for over a decade. What I enjoy most is the long-term relationships that we build with our owners - we can help you work on your cast and technique and truly help you become a better fisherman over time, which is really unique, said Stefanek. Just last week we had a 10-year-old boy catch his first fish, he was so thrilled, his smile was infectious. I cant wait to work with him again and hopefully watch him grown into a serious fly fisherman. Celebrating the authentic Western lifestyle, Marabou Ranch offers 1,717 acres of incredible ranch land located just five miles from the Colorado mountain town of Steamboat Springs. Priced starting at $1.5 million, each homesite at Marabou Ranch is its own private refuge of at least five acres, all offering sweeping panoramas of Colorados Yampa Valley, with views of rolling mountain meadows of sage and oak brush and the Elk River. Owners can design their dream mountain getaway, one that is ideal for boisterous family gatherings and quiet evenings on the porch basking in another spectacular Steamboat sunset. Other amenities include the Downstream Spa, the zero-entry kid-friendly Rivers Edge Pool with two hot tubs and a Fitness Center with cardio machines, kinesis strength equipment and free weights. All owners at Marabou Ranch can enjoy four weeks of lodging each year at the Owners Cabins, six luxuriously appointed retreats that are available for use only by property owners and their guests. Marabou Ranch offers a wide variety of additional Steamboat Springs recreational opportunities, including 20 miles of equestrian, mountain biking and hiking trails. For hunters, Marabou Ranch is home to deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, waterfowl, sharp-tailed grouse and many other species of wildlife. In the winter months, skiers and snowboarders can enjoy the famous Champagne Powder at Steamboat Ski Resort. Marabous Ranch offers a private Mountain Camp located at the base of Mount Werner next to Steamboats main gondola, an ideal gathering place to gear up for the day with ski lockers featuring boot dryers. To learn more about Marabou Ranch or to set up a private homesite tour, please call 970-875-2992, marabouranchtours.com, or email maraboucgr@mybrokers.com. Our own advisory has benefited greatly from combining Platinums strategic guidance with FMG Suites powerful technology. Now, every advisor can experience the same great solution, said Robert Fross. The acquisition was announced on July 30th, 2018 by FMG Suites CEO, Scott White, and the Co-Founders of Platinum Advisor Strategies, Thomas Fross and Robert Fross, who will remain on board in an advisory capacity. Our customers have expressed to us their desire for more personalized consulting and guidance when it comes to implementing their marketing strategies, said FMG Suite CEO, Scott White. Bringing Platinum under our banner adds to our offering a group of experienced marketing consultants, as well as a vibrant content machine. Our clients will now have access to strategic consulting, branding and logo services, weekly email newsletters, quarterly print newsletters, checklists and invitations for over 100 different client appreciation and educational events, and other incredible services and content. Thomas and Robert Fross founded Platinum Advisor Strategies in 2009 to help advisors achieve greater levels of retention and reach through cutting-edge marketing strategies. The company is operated in Summerfield, Florida. Financial advisors are not only responsible for the task of managing money, but managing their branding as well. It can be overwhelming, said Thomas Fross. Our own advisory has benefited greatly from combining Platinums strategic guidance with FMG Suites powerful technology. Now, every advisor can experience the same great solution, said Robert Fross. FMG Suite will be offering this solution as part of their latest product addition, Elevate, available to new and existing customers starting August 1st, 2018. About FMG Suite FMG Suite provides an advisor marketing platform powered by award-winning content and backed by a marketing team that helps advisors stay connected to clients. Their products automate proven marketing strategies so advisors can build deeper relationships and grow AUM with the least amount of effort. By combining websites, email, social, print, and events with full compliance integration they take the pain out of communicating with clients and prospects. FMG Suite is passionate about helping financial advisors become extraordinary marketers. http://www.fmgsuite.com About Platinum Advisor Strategies Platinum Advisor Strategies was launched in June 2009 and rapidly grew from a handful of financial advisors to a network of thousands of the nations leading advisors. As owners of the firm, Thomas Fross and his brother, Robert Fross, have never lost sight of the most important aspect of their industry taking care of clients. Every system, tool, and marketing strategy Platinum introduces to its members is ultimately designed to help them serve their clients in a superior way. By teaching advisors how to run world-class businesses, they enable them to stand out from the competition, attract more clients, and live the life they desire. https://platinumstrategies.com/ Karla Jo Helms, CEO for JoTo PR, discusses the impact Tranquilmoney's practice management technology has in resolving the backlog of medical data. The technology behind Tranquilmoneys products mitigates the pressure on physicians nationwide, enabling them to direct their full attention towards patients who demand quality, comprehensive medical care. added Helms. From 2007 to 2013, researchers discovered that almost 10 percent of physician practices were acquired by a hospital. Once acquired, prices for physicians services rose by an average of 14 percent, going against the preconceived notion by physicians that prices will drop if they sold their practice to a hospital.1 Tranquilmoneys advancement in practice management technology contributes to resolving the overwhelming backlog of medical data. JoTo PR will highlight Tranquilmoneys services to alter physicians perspectives of merging with hospitals and improving their medical enterprise. Today, more physicians are consolidating through investor-owned companies to better handle cost pressures, and to match the bargaining power of bulked-up health insurers and hospitals. Some companies tell physicians that by selling, they can focus on medicine and hand off chores like collecting patient bills and negotiating reimbursement arrangements with health insurers.2 Per reports, the fear of physicians to sell their practices has been exploited based on the misconception that itll solve current issues surrounding their operations, Karla Jo Helms, CEO, Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR Strategist for JoTo PR, said. But statistics tell the opposite narrative. Tranquilmoneys services equip a wide range of medical practices in need of overhauling medical billing procedures so they can focus on practicing medicine. Tranquilmoney was incorporated in 1995 to provide solutions aimed at reversing the trend of doctors in independent practices feeling at a loss with the increased complexity of the business and regulatory side of the healthcare industry. The pattern of physicians selling their practices to large hospitals is one that is avoidable. Tranquilmoney has the tools in place to provide physician practices with financial management services, such as physician receivables management, pharmacy receivables management, healthcare insurance forms processing, and data capture services. In short, doctors can focus on patient care knowing that their practices are in order. The technology behind Tranquilmoneys products mitigates the pressure on physicians nationwide, enabling them to direct their full attention towards patients who demand quality, comprehensive medical care. added Helms. JoTo PR has a background of proven PR services that demonstrate reliability in disseminating services to national and international organizations for impact-on-revenue results. The firm is a constantly adapting with the modern age of digital media, blending traditional PR expertise with advanced disruptive PR tactics to exemplify full advantage of todays media landscape. JoTo PR specializes in the healthcare, finance and technology sectors, but has worked for numerous industries and non-profits, using a proprietary process to consistently recognize, transfer and disclose news to the press thats most valuable to its readers, viewers and listenership. About JoTo PR: After doing marketing research on a cross-section majority of 5,000 CEOs of fast-growth trajectory companies and finding out exactly how they used PR, how they measure it and how they wanted the PR industry to be different, PR veteran and innovator Karla Jo Helms created JoTo PR and established its entire business model on those research findings. Astute in recognizing industry changes since its launch in 2009, JoTo PRs team utilizes newly established patterns to create timely PR campaigns comprising both traditional and the latest proven media methods. This unique skill enables JoTo PR to continue to increase the market share and improve return on investment (ROI) for its clients, year after yearbeating usual industry standards. Based in Tampa Bay, Florida, JoTo PR is an established international public relations agency. Today, all of JoTo PRs processes are streamlined PR services that have become the hallmark of the JoTo PR name. For more information, visit JoTo PR online at http://www.jotopr.com. About Karla Jo Helms: Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR Strategist for JoTo PR. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the lineand how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumna of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators and the media to help restore companies of goodwill back into the good graces of public opinionKarla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances, and doing what it takes to excel. Karla Jo has patterned her agency on the perfect balance of crisis management, entrepreneurial insight and proven public relations experience. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of PR to drive markets and impact market perception. 1. Sachin Waikar. Based on the research of Cory Capps, David Dranove and Christopher Ody, When Healthcare Providers Consolidate, Medical Bills Rise. Kellogg Insight, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. 1 Feb. 2018. 2. Snowbeck, Christopher. Why Local Doctors Are Selling Their Practices to National Companies. Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 16 June 2016. Our latest release will help school administrators better support and protect their students as the K-12 environment becomes more connected and educational resources continually move online. Kajeet, the industry leader for safe K-12 mobile solutions, today announces the latest release of its patented Kajeet Sentinel connectivity cloud platform, highlighting an all-new user interface (UI). Based on continual feedback from educators, the improved Sentinel UI provides school districts with a more intuitive dashboard, enhanced functionality for school administrators to manage devices, quicker and simpler access to usage data, and additional metrics to better track program success. Kajeet Sentinel is the core of the Kajeet K-12 connectivity solutions, powering the Kajeet SmartSpot and Kajeet SmartBus. With filtering, device management, asset allocation tracking, network security, and reporting tools all in one convenient platform, schools and districts easily and securely connect students to the mobile and digital world across multiple carrier networks. Students focus on their schoolwork and remain safe from malicious web pages and any known viruses. CIPA-compliant filters help keep students on task, while the Sentinel dashboard provides administrators complete visibility into student usage patterns and suspicious activity on the network. The latest Kajeet Sentinel release is designed to support not only the increasing need from the school districts to better manage their devices, but to prepare Kajeet for continued growth as districts become more connected. The enhanced UI was designed to be more intuitive and easier to use. New functionality includes: A redesigned dashboard providing a more detailed overview of the school or district account, including student hours spent online doing homework, the top educational websites accessed, and the top domains denied. Enhanced functionality for school administrators to manage devices, including visibility into device allocation and an updated Media Center for device checkout. Faster and easier device management with bulk tools for complete device management in fewer transactions. Powerful per-student reporting options to evaluate individual student progress. The new [Sentinel] portal runs much faster and is very smooth-looking, said Tim Elkins, device inventory administrator for Cincinnati Public Schools, a long-standing Kajeet customer. I like being able to pinpoint all the dashboard info down to one [student] user if necessary, without running a separate report. Also managing devices is much easier to use with the bulk actions available. Kajeet Sentinel enables students to access online educational content, filtering out unsafe and non-educational material; manages data allocations across multiple national carriers to better understand how students use devices and resources outside the classroom, including which educational sites were visited by students. To do this, Sentinel analyzes and categorizes millions of new URLs every day to keep students focused on homework and safe from cyber threats. Educators need the ability to effectively report on student performance and how ed tech tools impact their success, said Kajeet CEO and Founder Daniel Neal. The Kajeet team constantly listens to customer feedback, resulting in a completely refreshed Sentinel UI. Our latest release will help school administrators better support and protect their students as the K-12 environment becomes more connected and educational resources continually move online. Kajeet connects students outside the classroom and on the school bus through six North American 4G LTE networks. Kajeet serves nearly 650 districts, libraries, and other organizations across 43 states and the District of Columbia. About Kajeet Kajeet, the industry leader for safe, mobile student Internet connectivity, powers the K-12 connected environment. Paving the way for student and teacher success, our secure Kajeet Sentinel platform centrally manages and enables safe, online connectivity and visibility into learning. Manage student mobile devices anywhere to create an ideal learning environment. Extend the school day with Wi-Fi on the bus and Internet access outside the classroom. From school to home, Kajeet has mobile covered. Kajeet products and services, which operate on five U.S. wireless carriers, are protected by the following issued U.S. patents: 10,009,480; 9,237,433; 9,137,389; 9,137,386; 9,125,057; 8,995,952; 8,929,857; 8,918,080; 8,774,755; 8,774,754; 8,755,768; 8,731,517; 8,725,109; 8,712,371; 8,706,079; 8,667,559; 8,644,796; 8,639,216; 8,634,803; 8,634,802; 8,634,801; 8,630,612; 8,611,885; 8,600,348; 8,594,619; 8,588,735; 8,285,249; 8,078,140; 7,945,238; 7,899,438; 7,881,697. Other patents are pending. For more information, please visit us at kajeet.com. Earning the IAC accreditation was worth every step along their stringent process, and we are proud to be the only dedicated vein clinic in San Diego to have earned this achievement Distinguished San Diego vein clinic, La Jolla Vein Care, recently earned an esteemed vein center accreditation by Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in the area of Superficial Venous Treatment and Management, becoming the first dedicated vein center in San Diego to achieve this standard of excellence. Accreditation by the IAC means that La Jolla Vein Care has undergone an intensive application and review process, is found to be in compliance with the published standards, and demonstrates a commitment to quality patient care in vein treatment and management. Founded by Dr. Nisha Bunke in 2010, La Jolla Vein Care has prided itself on being the first to provide the newest technology and most comprehensive services for their clients. Dr. Bunke is a leading expert in the field, completing the first fellowship in venous and lymphatic medicine and co-editing the medical school textbook on veins. Under Dr. Bunkes leadership, La Jolla Vein Care has become the leader in non-invasive treatments in Southern California. As I ensure that we give the best possible care to our patients by building a team of expert staff and using the most advanced treatments and procedures, I knew we also had to distinguish this outstanding service within the medical industry; said Nisha Bunke, M.D., CEO of La Jolla Vein Clinic. Earning the IAC accreditation was worth every step along their stringent process, and we are proud to be the only dedicated vein clinic in San Diego to have earned this achievement. There are many factors that contribute to accurate vein treatment and management and that create a positive patient outcome, including: The training and experience of the vein specialist performing the procedure, the type of equipment used, and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure. Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts, the IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports. IAC accreditation for La Jolla Vein Care is a seal of approval that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a dedication to continuous improvement. To learn more about La Jolla Vein Care, please visit lajollaveincare.com About La Jolla Vein Care La Jolla Vein Care was founded in 2010 by Nisha Bunke, M.D., FACPh, RPhS, who co-edited The Vein Book, a distinguished medical textbook on veins. La Jolla Vein Cares board-certified physicians and staff are trained specifically in the diagnosis and treatment of vein disorders and offer patients a variety of non-surgical treatment options and on-site vascular ultrasound imaging. La Jolla Vein Care is the only dedicated vein center in San Diego that is accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). IAC accreditation and seal of approval indicates that the facility has been carefully critiqued on all aspects of its operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of Vascular Testing and as a Vein Center. About IAC IAC provides accreditation programs for vascular testing, echocardiography, nuclear/PET, MRI, diagnostic CT, dental CT, carotid stenting, vein treatment and management and cardiac electrophysiology. The IAC programs for accreditation are dedicated to ensuring quality patient care and promoting health care and all support one common mission: Improving health care through accreditation. IAC accreditation is widely respected within the medical community, as illustrated by the support of the national medical societies related to venous disorders, which include physicians, physician extenders, nurses and ultrasound technologists. To date, the IAC accrediting divisions have granted accreditation to more than 14,000 sites throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. ### The need for medical care is inevitable for everyone at least once in their lifetimes. However, a patients expectations of their physician and/or healthcare provider can be unclear or misunderstood. To help bridge this gap, The Making of the Ideal Physician is a guidebook for physicians and patients alike to help improve the quality of individual healthcare. Edward C. Rosenow III, MD; J. Keith Mansel, MD; and Walter R. Wilson, MD, have more than 100 years of combined experience in medicine and medical education. They are sharing that expertise with members of the medical community to help them better navigate the patient interaction and offer them practical guidance as they progress in their careers. The authors strongly support the Platinum Rule of Medicine, which is to take care of each patient as if he or she is a family member. We wrote this book to help reverse the loss of trust the public has in their healthcare providers, said Dr. Rosenow. The truth is that all patients deserve the best possible care. The Making of the Ideal Physician is a timely, deeply informed, invaluable reference for physicians at every stage of their careers, stated a Foreword Clarion Review. From the beginning of the book to the end, the focus is always on patients and remembering that every doctor should help their patients in the most professional manner possibleand always with empathy. The Making of the Ideal Physician By Rosenow, Mansel, and Wilson ISBN: 9781490783703 (softcover); 9781490783710 (electronic) Available at the Trafford Publishing Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the authors Edward C. Rosenow III, MD, received his medical degree from The Ohio State University in 1959 and completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in pulmonary disease at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science in 1965. He then joined the Mayo Clinic staff in Rochester, Minnesota, and is now retired from the Mayo Clinic Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. J. Keith Mansel, MD, earned his medical degree in 1979 from the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine. He trained in internal medicine and thoracic medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science from 1982 to 1985 and then worked in private practice in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Mansel returned to the Mayo Clinic in 2011 for a fellowship in palliative medicine and then joined the palliative care staff at Mayo Clinic until 2016. Walter R. Wilson, MD, received his MD from the Baylor College of Medicine, graduating AOA, and then completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships in infectious diseases and microbiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science. Visit http://www.themakingoftheidealphysician.com to learn more. General Inquiries: LAVIDGE Phoenix Bryan Beach 480-306-6554 bbeach(at)lavidge(dot)com Generous Customer Donation Cards Collected at VIOC locations in Maryland We appreciate our customers generosity in this time of need and want to show our support for the communities we serve. says Don Smith, CEO of Henley Enterprises, the largest franchisee of Valvoline Instant Oil Change Eight Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchise locations around the state of Maryland collected donations for the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. This effort is to help support the community of Ellicott City as it has once again been struck with floods. The franchisee ended the campaign matching customers generous contributions. The donation will total $1,000 to the Red Cross. We want to give back to the community of Ellicott City, says Don Smith, CEO of Henley Enterprises, the largest franchisee of Valvoline Instant Oil Change, we appreciate our customers generosity in this time of need and want to show our support for the communities we serve. Here is the list of the eight Valvoline Instant Oil Changes that participated in the campaign: Annapolis 1922 West St. 21401 Bowie 16505 Ballpark Road 20716 Brooklyn Park 5515 Ritchie Hwy. 21225 Edgewater 57 Mayo Road 21037 Ellicott City 4215 Montgomery Road 21043 Glen Burnie 7391 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd. 21061 Laurel 8301 Spruce Hill Drive 20707 Middle River 1324 Martin Blvd. 21220 About Valvoline Instant Oil Change Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services. Its service brand, Valvoline Instant Oil Change (VIOC), is the No. 2 quick-lube chain by number of stores in the United States. The company operates and franchises more than 1,100 Valvoline Instant Oil Change centers in the U.S. Service centers invite customers to stay in their cars and watch VIOCs certified technicians perform the service. In addition to full-service oil changes done in about 15 minutes, centers offer a wide range of preventive maintenance services for most vehicle makes and models, including luxury, diesel, and hybrid. Visit http://www.vioc.com to learn more. TM Trademark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries SM Service mark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries About Henley Enterprises, Inc. Founded in 1989, Henley Enterprises, Inc. is the largest Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchisee. They operate more than 175 service centers in 10 states including: California, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. Louisiana Red Hot Records is pleased to announce the release of Noisewaters self-titled national debut release on August 10, 2018. The instrumental sextet fuses rock, jazz, reggae and metal to re-ignite the funk genre, with only one question in mind... Will it Funk? Noisewater is a New Orleans favorite on the local music scene, and its seasoned members have played a wide spectrum of music that includes everything from Metal to Big Band, Jazz and Progressive Rock. Their eclectic background comes together in their approach to Funk creating a harder, rock edge that instills a sharp, crisp groove, infused with jazz, reggae and psychedeliaa cocktail that always leaves audiences thirsty for more. The band is made up of Norwegian born Ole Oddlokken on tenor sax, Brandon Hotard on guitar, John Meunier, Jr. on bass, drummer Cody Fahnestock, percussionist Chad Toups, and keyboard and harmonica player Chad Carlile. Focus tracks are Whatcha Know, a guitar driven New Orleans funk groove with lots of featured solos ending in a no-holds-barred jam. Funk as Prescribed, is a bass-driven jam that transitions from an ambient guitar riff into a frantic and fun finale. The nine minute Funkoteque is a funk rock showcase with punchy arrangements and dynamic, psychedelic elements that enrapture the listener. Other tracks include Smacka Pitch, a soaring, high energy number. The reggae-inspired Peaches and Cream features a piano solo with blues and classical overtones. Starting with a catchy guitar riff and continuing with multiple solos, Soul Glo, morphs into a heavy sing-along chorus. Nutella is another reggae infused tune with an austere atmosphere and screaming organ choruses. Jam-Balaya includes numerous solos featuring a blazing and blistering harmonica. The danceable song, Funky Chinatown, is inspired by martial arts action movies and has an eastern flair. Boose Looty is considered an industrial funk track that alternates between laid back grooves and heavy-hitting breakdowns. The Noisewater album was recorded last year and produced by the band. It was recorded at Word of Mouth Studio in New Orleans, engineered and mixed by Tim Stambaugh and mastered by David Farrell. Graphic design is by Ole Anders Oddlokken with photography by Nonney Oddlokken. In addition to performing all over New Orleans, Noisewater has made its presence known in venues and on festival stages all over the Gulf Region including the Baton Rouge Funk Fest, New Orleans esteemed Jazz In the Park series, and the Performing Arts Center of the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint. They are featured in the New Orleans Jazz Museum Collection and have performed live on WWOZ radio, as well as opening for The New Orleans Suspects, Soul Rebels, Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives, Bo Dollis Jr. and the Wild Magnolias. The Noisewater record release party, at the world famous Tipitinas, is scheduled for Saturday, August 11. The venue is located at 501 Napoleon Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70115. Tickets are $7.00. Doors open at 9:00pm. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana Red Hot Records is the home for the next generation for Louisiana legends. For over twenty years, the label that launched and supported the careers of Cyril Neville, Hunter Hayes, Trombone Shorty, Dumpstapunk, and New Orleans Suspects has specialized in providing the world with a richly varied catalog of more than 200 albums by a brilliant array of Pelican State blues, jazz, rock, R&B, Cajun and zydeco artists. Louisiana Red Hot Records continues to represent the best of the past and future of music made in and inspired by the profound and incomparable Louisiana musical heritage. The Noisewater release will be available on all the usual distribution outlets. The Louisiana Red Hot Records Catalogue number is LRS 1187. The UPC number is 888295539838. For more information on the release please visit http://www.louisianaredhotrecords.com and for more information on the Noisewater band please log on to http://www.noisewatermusic.com Jeff Gau, CEO of Marco This purchase allows us to continue to grow our client base and presence in our Illinois and Wisconsin markets, said Marco CEO Jeff Gau. Marco announced today that it has acquired the Managed and Infrastructure Support Services previously provided by Ticomix, a technology company headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The 21 employees from Ticomix that support these IT services have joined Marcos team and will be serving clients from Marcos current office in Rockford, IL and Ticomixs office in Milwaukee, WI. Marco, a leading technology services provider in the United States, now has 1,200 employees and 52 locations throughout the Midwest and nationally. This is Marcos fourth acquisition this year as the company continues its strategy to expand its geographic footprint and technology solutions in existing markets. This purchase allows us to continue to grow our client base and presence in our Illinois and Wisconsin markets, said Marco CEO Jeff Gau. We welcome Ticomixs clients to Marco and look forward to providing them with access to over 700 technical service representatives and a full portfolio of technology services. Ticomix will continue as a dedicated software application development firm from their office in Rockford, IL and can be reached at 815.847.3444. We are excited about the opportunities Marco will provide our employees and clients, said Tim Ancona, Ticomix President/CEO. Marcos reputation as a top workplace and for providing their clients with outstanding sales and service were key factors in our decision to sell this portion of our business to them. About Marco Marco specializes in business IT services, managed services, cloud services and copiers/printers. Its technology experts break down complex solutions into simple terms to position your business for success. You can learn more at marconet.com. FMS Solutions Holdings LLC (FMS) announces the addition of Matt Short as CFO. He replaces current CFO David Goggin, who is retiring. Mr. Short was most recently with Weight Watchers Australia/New Zealand, which he joined after his time with E&Y in Sydney. Prior to his time in Australia, Matt earned his degree from the University of Florida and was in the Marine Corp Reserves before getting his CPA License and Joining Deloitte in the US. He brings over a decade of public accounting experience from two of the most respected public accounting firms, along with solid corporate accounting experience. Bob Graybill, CEO FMS, Matt will be a great addition to FMS, bringing the skills our company needs in the Finance area as we continue to grow and face a more complex regulatory environment both domestically and abroad. A native of Florida, Matt joins the FMS team in its Ft Lauderdale Florida office. FMS Solutions Holdings LLC Since 1974, FMS has helped independent retail grocers succeed by transforming historic accounting activities into timely, accurate decision support tools. The companys keen understanding of the challenges the industry faces has positioned it as the National Grocers Associations (NGA) preferred provider of industry benchmarking, best practices and mission-critical decision support. To learn more about FMS, please visit fmssolutions.com. Milgard and Goodwill of the Olympics Rainer Region We are so excited to partner with Goodwill to help eliminate workplace barriers, said Lisa Ridgeway, Manager of Recruiting & Talent Management at Milgard. Milgard Windows & Doors is partnering with Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainer Region to help eliminate career advancement barriers and bring growth opportunities to non-English speaking Milgard employees in Tacoma, Washington. As part of the #MascoMillionDifferences initiative, Milgard and Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainer Region announced the collaboration of a pilot program to bridge the gap for Milgard employees as it relates to their growth and development within the company. Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) is a new program that includes instructional support from educators at Clover Park Technical College. Milgard has underwritten the project with a $25,000 grant provided by Masco Corporation, its parent company. We are so excited to partner with Goodwill to help eliminate workplace barriers, said Lisa Ridgeway, Manager of Recruiting & Talent Management at Milgard. Weve worked with them on apprenticeship programs that help support job training and employment opportunities, so this new project utilizing their case management support and resources is a great fit for both of us. Milgard employs entry level workers who demonstrate varying levels of fluency in English as their second language. At times, these language deficiencies can slow their ability to advance within the company. It is anticipated that participation in this program will lead to greater employee retention, and higher job satisfaction rates. Masco Corporation has committed $1,000,000 of its 2018 charitable contributions to its Masco Million Differences campaign, which supports diversity and more inclusive practices in Americas corporate workplaces. Since January, a total of 30 nonprofit organizations working to break down barriers to the inclusion of traditionally underrepresented groups in the workplace have been individually nominated by Masco business units to receive funding to support programs in education and career resources. About Milgard Windows & Doors Milgard Windows & Doors, a Masco company based in Tacoma, Washington, offers a full line of vinyl, wood, fiberglass and aluminum windows and patio doors for builders, dealers and homeowners, backed by a Full Lifetime Warranty, including parts and labor. The company has been recognized as Builders Choice for vinyl and fiberglass windows in the Western United States, in a yearly survey sponsored by Hanley-Wood Inc., publishers of BUILDER Magazine. Milgard is the highest online rated window and patio door brand, as measured by the 2017 NRS consumer sentiment study conducted by MetrixLab and commissioned by Masco. Milgard has approximately 3,800 dealer locations nationwide. For more information, visit milgard.com or call 1.800.MILGARD. About Masco Corporation Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS), parent company of Milgard Windows & Doors, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Our portfolio of industry-leading brands includes Behr paint; Delta and Hansgrohe faucets, bath and shower fixtures; KraftMaid and Merillat cabinets; Milgard windows and doors; and Hot Spring spas. We leverage our powerful brands across product categories, sales channels and geographies to create value for our customers and shareholders. For more information about Masco Corporation, visit Masco.com. About Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region Goodwill uses thrift store revenue, community support, and their training campuses to provide career skills, other education and job placement in a variety of fields. This year Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region will help 9,800 people with key skills and contacts to become independent self-supporting citizens with a higher quality of life. These career development and placement services are funded through generous financial gifts, grants, fees, commercial services and the operation of 37 thrift stores (including our online store) throughout our western, southwest and central Washington operations. Visit goodwillwa.org. # # # Immutable Mura 7.1 "The future of content and the development of business applications comes down to one thing: Freedom." - Sean Schroeder, CCO, Blueriver Mura, a leading Digital Experience Platform, today announced that it has released Mura 7.1, the latest version which brings new functionality, flexibility and agility to digital experiences for organizations of all sizes. Key components of Mura 7.1 include a containerized, Docker-First approach to architecture, API-led development, continuous deployment, and immutable infrastructure. With a Docker-optimized core enabling continuous deployment, and fully-integrated API, Mura 7.1 turns the concept of immutable infrastructure into a reality with ease of installation, migration, and deployment, helping reduce the amount of time spent maintaining and troubleshooting infrastructure. Mura JS and the JSON/REST API allow seamless access to content and objects via standard javascript frameworks and libraries such as Vue.js, React.js, and Angular.js, and are fully supported by Mura's robust security and integrated permissions model. This provides a path to API-led development and one of the most sought-after aspects of modern Content and Experience Management, Content as a Service (CaaS), often referred to as Headless or Decoupled. In addition, Mura 7.1 frees developers from the tedium of kickstarting development projects with the new Mura Assembler and Scaffolder. These allow developers to quickly begin fleshing out business applications without needing to touch code. Add support for Bootstrap 4 as the default theme for Mura 7.1 to eliminate the distraction of creating layouts and making design decisions, and building robust experiences becomes a lot easier. But Mura 7.1 isnt just for developers, its also GDPR-friendly, with the ability to easily allow consent and for users to have their history removed, complying with the new EU legislation. And marketers will appreciate not having to rely on thrird-party services to easily create Calls-To-Action and display forms in full-screen overlays, bars, slide out drawers and modal windows. Native CTA widgets are now built into Mura. Integrations with Google Data Studio, popular marketing automation platforms and Salesforce provide further MarTech and Content Marketing support. High Customer Satisfaction Named as a High Performer in the web content management category on G2 Crowd for the past five consecutive quarters, Mura earns strong customer satisfaction marks across all business sizes including enterprise, mid-market and small businesses. Customer reviews include accolades such as, Powerful and flexible CMS, The best CMS I have ever used, and Mura is very simple to use yet super powerful. Mura has received a 4.5 out of 5 stars in user satisfaction based on 75 real user reviews. Get Mura All of this is available to the public and can be accessed through the complete Mura 7.1 documentation. Download the Mura Docker image or the latest version of the standard install l from getmura.com, request a demo, or contact us to learn about subscription plans. PR CONTACT Sean Schroeder sean.schroeder@blueriver.com Headquartered in Sacramento, CA, Blueriver is a leading provider of agile digital experience solutions for medium to large organizations. The Mura Digital Experience Platform addresses a critical business need to create, manage and deliver content to multiple channels, applications and devices, connect experiences, as well as measure contents contribution to the business. Mura is a modern platform that gives developers, product managers, and marketers the power to manage their digital experience, freeing them from digital angst. To learn more about Mura, and the latest issues and trends in digital experience management, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and subscribe to the Mura blog. I am very pleased to be joining the staff, board, and members as we work on new solutions while continuing to offer the programs and services for which NACUBO is well known, Susan Whealler Johnston said. The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) is pleased to welcome Susan Whealler Johnston, Ph.D., as its next president and chief executive officer, effective August 1, 2018. Johnston is the associations first female CEO and will succeed John Walda, who will retire from NACUBO as president and CEO after leading the association for 12 years. Johnston joins NACUBO from the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), where she has worked since 2000, serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer since 2012. Before AGB, Johnston was a professor of English and dean of academic development at Rockford University in Illinois, as well as associate dean at its campus in London, Regents College. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Rollins College, the Board of Visitors of Radford University, and the advisory committee of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). She also has served on a variety of board committees and has chaired committees on governance and academic affairs. NACUBO is a tremendous organization focused on some of the most critical issues facing higher education today, Johnston said. I am very pleased to be joining the staff, board, and members as we work on new solutions while continuing to offer the programs and services for which NACUBO is well known. Johnston will take the helm during an exciting time of growth for NACUBO. In March 2017, the association embarked on a new strategic blueprint that guides the development of new products, programs, and services with the vision to have higher education valued as an outstanding investment. We are thrilled to welcome Susan Whealler Johnston as NACUBOs next president and CEO, said Mary Lou Merkt, 2017-18 NACUBO board chair and Furman University vice president for finance and administration. Throughout the search process, I came to admire her broad experience, thoughtfulness, and her love for higher education. Susan is the right person to continue to lead the organization forward. Media inquiries can be directed to Kellee Edmonds, senior director of communications and marketing, at 202.861.2549, or Katy McCreary, public relations manager, at 202.861.2503. A photo of Susan Whealler Johnston is available upon request. About NACUBO NACUBO, founded in 1962, is a nonprofit professional organization representing chief administrative and financial officers at more than 1,900 colleges and universities across the country. NACUBO works to advance the economic vitality, business practices, and support of higher education institutions in pursuit of their missions. Visit us at http://www.nacubo.org. IKEA 2019 Catalog Cover In our 2019 catalog, we are thrilled to introduce a multitude of exciting new products that stay true to our heritage, providing form and function thats both easy on our wallets and our planet. IKEA announced today the release of the 2019 IKEA U.S. catalog as the iconic Swedish home furnishings retailer marks its 75th anniversary. Filled with new product offerings, home furnishing inspiration, and smart solutions for every area of the home, the 2019 IKEA catalog will be available to the public starting this August. Celebrating how differently we all live and 75 years of enabling a better everyday life at home for the many, this years catalog features seven distinct homes representing a wide range of styles, sizes and budgets. From a space-limited apartment serving a large family to a home totally dedicated to eco-friendly choices, the newest IKEA catalog highlights products and solutions that can help everyone achieve a better everyday life at home, no matter how they live. For 75 years we have been driven by the belief that furniture can be affordable without sacrificing principles of quality, design and sustainability, said Shideh Hashemi, Marketing Manager, IKEA U.S. In our 2019 catalog, we are thrilled to introduce a multitude of exciting new products that stay true to our heritage, providing form and function thats both easy on our wallets and our planet. Each of the seven homes featured in the 2019 catalog, which have their own unique backstories and living situations, were derived from insights in the IKEA 2018 Life at Home Report. The annual in-depth research study behind the report includes a series of home visits, interviews and surveys from consumers around the world to better understand both the joys and challenges of life today. The insights gleaned from the report not only inspired the fictional homes in the 2019 catalog, but also the new products featured throughout its pages. To find out more about whats new at IKEA, view the digital version of the catalog and request a printed copy (also available at local stores), U.S. consumers can visit IKEA-USA.com/catalog. Celebrating 75 Years of Inspiration This year, to pay homage to 75 years of inspiring a better everyday life at home, IKEA fans in the New York and Chicago area will be able to encounter IKEA in a whole new way with the limited-time IKEA Inspiration Experience. This free, interactive pop up event is designed to both surprise and delight IKEA fans by simultaneously allowing them to step into room settings from the 2019 catalog, test their trivia knowledge while learning more about IKEA and even walk away with IKEA prizes. The IKEA Inspiration Experience will be open to the public in New York, NY and Chicago, IL for a limited time this August: New York City: From August 1 - 5, 2018, consumers can visit the IKEA Inspiration Experience located at 477 Broadway (between Broome and Grande St.) during the following hours of operation: o Wednesday: 10am - 6pm ET o Thursday: 10am - 6pm ET o Friday: 10am - 8pm ET o Saturday: 10am - 8pm ET o Sunday - 10am - 6pm ET Chicago: At the end of August, consumers can visit the IKEA Inspiration Experience located at 679 North Michigan Avenue (corner of Michigan Avenue and E. Huron St.). Exact dates and times to be announced soon. For more information about the IKEA Inspiration Experience, follow IKEA on social media @IKEAUSA. NOTE FOR PRESS: Please visit our press site at IKEA-USA.com/2019catalog for downloadable information and assets, including the press kit, digital catalog, images, videos and more. For additional information, product loans or images, please contact the IKEA U.S. Press Office at press.us@ikea.com or contact Kathy.Boerner@Ketchum.com. About IKEA Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function at low prices. The IKEA Group operates 363 IKEA stores in 29 countries, including 48 in the U.S. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information see IKEA-USA.com, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA or IKEAUSA on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest. NterOne Wins Global Cisco Award - 2018 NterOne is honored to be recognized with this prestigious award, said Fred Cutaran, VP, Strategic Partner Alliances NterOne Corporation is pleased to announce being this years recipient of the Global Cisco Acceleration and Transformation Learning Partner of the Year Award. Cisco unveiled this prestigious award in Honolulu, Hawaii earlier this year. This Cisco Platinum Learning Partner Award recognizes the partner who is at the top of their class in enabling Cisco Channel partners, Cisco Engineers, and the ecosystem as a whole, in new product introduction, sales enablement, and demand generation training. Areas of consideration include new technology adoption, expansion into new markets, year-over-year revenue growth alignment, and creativity, as well as collaboration with Cisco and its Channel Partners, Distributors, and other ecosystem business partners, NterOne is honored to be recognized with this award, said Fred Cutaran, VP, Strategic Partner Alliances. We will continue to create and develop technical training and sales enablement programs for essential business outcomes for partners and the ecosystem in general. With this recognition, NterOne Corporation further demonstrates its capabilities in the channel and commitment to its partnership with Cisco. NterOne has delivered numerous global roll-outs of partner enablement training over the past 12 months in security, data center, and SD-WAN. Most recently notable programs include delivery of Cisco ISE training to over 170 partners, and Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela) in more than 10 countries globally training hundreds of engineers. NterOne is currently rolling out Cisco ISE for SDA, and Tetration for account managers. We have a long history of being on the cutting edge of technology we deploy in our company-owned and operated data centers. This strategic direction has been a cornerstone of our growth as we focus on driving business outcomes for our partners and customers, said Anthony Hamilton, CEO of NterOne. About NterOne Corporation: NterOne Corporation is a global IT training, consulting, and solutions provider with a strategic focus on Virtualization, Cloud, IoT, Security, Big Data Analytics, Wireless, Collaboration, Software-defined solutions, Enterprise Networking, Service Provider, Data Center, and multi-vendor integrated Cisco infrastructure platforms. Chairs of the Object Management Group (OMG) Task Forces (TFs) and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) presented updates about their standards work during a plenary session on the last day of the OMG quarterly membership meeting, which took place from June 18-22 in Boston, Massachusetts. OMG is an international, open membership, not-for-profit technology standards consortium where members develop and maintain standards that influence the future direction of technology as well as industries including space, government, finance, manufacturing, robotics, retail and healthcare. The following Chairs reported on their groups' accomplishments: Claude Baudoin, co-chair of the Business Modeling & Integration Domain Task Force (BMI DTF) and owner and principal consultant at cebe IT and Knowledge Management: The Business Modeling & Integration Domain Task Force heard presentations of three initial submissions made in response to its Business Architecture Core Metamodel (BACM) RFP and expects revised submissions in November 2018. Edie Bice, chair of the Workplace Benefits Domain Task Force (WB DTF) and architect, Unum Group: The WB DTF is gearing up for letters of intent to be filed and initial submissions to be presented in December, in response to the approval of their RFP issued on June 22nd for the EDI standard for non-medical workplace benefits. Professor Charles E. Dickerson, chair of the Mathematical Formalism Special Interest Group and professor of Systems Engineering at Loughborough University: The UML Profile for ROSETTA (UPR), an object-oriented facility to structure information in support of a variety of systems analyses for relational oriented architecture description and transformation into design, has been adopted by the OMG and a Finalization Task Force has been chartered to complete the process of UPR becoming an international specification. Dr. Alan Fish, co-chair of the Decision Model and Notation 1.1 Revision Task Force and principal consultant, FICO: The Architecture Board has provisionally approved the RTF report for DMN v1.2. Sanford Friedenthal, chair of the Systems Engineering Domain Special Interest Group (SE DSIG) and consultant at SAF Consulting: The SE DSIG included several presentations on Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools, environments, and practices. In addition, the SysML v2 API & Services RFP was issued at the Boston meeting. This RFP, along with the complementary SysML v2 RFP, which was issued in December, 2017, specifies the requirements for the next generation of SysML to enhance precision, expressiveness, usability, and interoperability. Bart McGlothin, chair of the Retail Domain Task Force and solution architect at Cisco: Dennis Gerson (IBM) gave an outstanding presentation on blockchain in retail, which turned into a 3-hour training and learning session on the pros and cons of this technology and its success, which relies on business processes being ready for the stringent structure that blockchain brings. Additional highlights include the OMG board accepting UnifiedPOS v1.15 and Video Analytics as new OMG standards! Kenichi Nakamura, co-chair of Robotics Domain Task Force and director of Japan Embedded Systems Technology Association (JASA): "We discussed the Hardware Abstraction Layer for Robotic Technology (HAL4RT) 2.0 RFC and Robot Service Ontology (RoSo) RFP." Jeff Smith, co-chair of the Analysis and Design Platform Task Force (ADTF) and chief systems engineer at Multi Agency Collaboration Environment: The ADTF had a productive meeting passing a motion for recommending the UPR RFC for adoption and reopening the PSoT RFP deadline. Authors presented the SIMF updated specification, Profile for UML Modeling, UTP 2, API4KB, small changes to UML that would significantly improve its support for execution and simulation, Intro to (Onto) Interaction Modeling and UPR summary presentations and discussions. To participate in OMG specifications, please visit https://www.omg.org/public_schedule/. About OMG The Object Management Group (OMG) is an international, open membership, not-for-profit technology standards consortium with representation from government, industry and academia. OMG Task Forces develop enterprise integration standards for a wide range of technologies and an even wider range of industries. OMG modeling standards enable powerful visual design, execution and maintenance of software and other processes. Visit https://www.omg.org for more information. Note to editors: Object Management Group and OMG are registered trademarks of the Object Management Group. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit https://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Proliant Settlement Systems is pleased to announce the appointment of real estate and title veteran Bill Haider in the position of the Vice President of Franchise Sales of the company. The leading title company franchise platform finalized the employment arrangement and range of responsibilities with Mr. Haider in the last week. Mr. Haider will officially take over the responsibility of developing the overall growth strategy of Proliant, initially focused in Michigan and expanding into other States in 2019. We are excited to have signed Bill as our Vice President of Franchise Sales. Hes a well-connected real estate veteran in the Metro Detroit region, and Mr. Haider brings to us his seasoned skills in networking, lead pursuance and ultimately, franchise recruitment, which will contribute to the overall growth of our company. We are confident, under his leadership, Proliant will reach its growth goals in the near future, stated Michael Strat, President and co-founder of Proliant Settlement Systems. An expert in title insurance and settlement services, Mr. Bill Haider comes with more than 25 years of sales and operational experience in real estate, mortgage and title insurance services. An alumnus of Wayne State University, he has gone on to own and operate a variety of local and national title agencies. A leading consultant in the industry, Mr. Haider is acknowledged for his excellent skills in sales, negotiations, and multi-state agency operations. As the Vice President of Franchise Sales for Proliant, Mr. Haider will shoulder the responsibility of the expanding the growth of franchise units, enhancing company revenue as well as improving brand recognition and presence of Proliant. I am honored to join Proliant Settlement Systems as their Vice President of Franchise Sales. They have been doing a great job in launching their model and introducing the concept. I am convinced that, with Proliant, many aspiring entrepreneurs will able to launch their own compliant title company quickly and without the enormous cash outlay traditionally associated with start-up. As the Vice President of Franchise Sales of the company, I am excited to take on this new role and responsibilities and help grow this model and organization into a nationally recognized franchise brand, noted Mr. Haider. Proliant Settlement Systems is a first-to-market title company franchise platform which is poised to revolutionize the title insurance industry through its breakthrough turnkey franchise system. The company extends the most comprehensive title agency franchise program in the industry to make it easier for real estate entrepreneurs to launch their own title company without the traditional barriers. Proliant helps aspiring entrepreneurs with extensive training, full regulation compliance as well as complete support for IT infrastructure, back-office title production, quality control reviews, post-closing duties and also ongoing support after the launch of the title company. For more information visit http://www.proliantsms.com. About Proliant Settlement Systems, LLC: Proliant Settlement Systems, LLC is a turnkey franchise system that offers qualified entrepreneurs an opportunity to own their own title company. At present, the service is available in Michigan with expansion to other states in 2019. Location Information: 2100 Coe Ct Auburn Hills, Michigan Contact: Michael Strat Director of Franchise Operations, Proliant Settlement Systems, LLC info(at)proliantsms(dot)com 248-484-4100 Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/titlecompanyfranchise/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/billhaider/ The free RoboScience Simulator looks like a rudimentary video game on the screen, but gets the job done when it comes to teaching students to code. Robots are unforgiving, says Dr. Jeffrey McGough, professor of mathematics and computer science at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. And maintenance of robots is painful. SD Mines News South Dakota School of Mines & Technology 501 E. Saint Joseph St. Rapid City, SD 57701-3995 SD Mines Students Develop Free Robot Programming Simulator When it comes to programming actual robots, things get very expensive, very quickly. Robots are unforgiving, says Dr. Jeffrey McGough, professor of mathematics and computer science at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. And maintenance of robots is painful. Students learning to program autonomous robots often spend more time repairing them after they are damaged as a result of coding mistakes than they do learning to actually program. An incorrectly programed robot might drive off a table top or crash into a wall, requiring hours of hands-on repair work, McGough says. McGough began looking for curriculum and/or software to teach his students robot programming seven years ago. He quickly realized there was little available. He experimented with a Roomba Robot Vacuum, but the maintenance costs quickly added up. Eventually, McGough conceived the RoboScience Simulator, which became a senior design project for a group of his computer science Mines seniors during the 2017-2018 academic year. McGough says the K-12 level of robotics programming already has adequate curriculum available to schools. And while there are simulator packages on the market for post high school students, they tend to be excessively expensive. The least costly program McGough found on the market priced at $3,000 per student. My goal was to create something more affordable, he says. The RoboScience Simulator will be an open source simulation program that universities can use without cost, including an online portal, free textbooks and basic robotics software. On the computer screen, the RoboScience Simulator program looks a bit like a rudimentary video game, with a simple outline of a robot moving through various obstacles. RoboScience Simulator allows new programmers to work out the kinks of a program, watching a simulation of an autonomous robot on a screen, before applying it to an actual machine. It may start with something as simple as programming a robot do a figure 8 on the screen. If the programming is not quite right, and the robot launches into the wall instead, theres no harm. The student simply starts over on the computer coding. McGough says students learn programming at a much faster pace with a simulation program than they would an actual robot. Mistakes in programming on a simulator can easily be corrected. Students will also be able to use the simulators at home, which increases the amount of time they can experiment with programming. The RoboScience Simulation student team started from scratch at the beginning of the academic year, putting aside earlier programming attempts. They started from zero ground up, McGough says. I described what I wanted to see, and they figured out how to build it. And they engineered it correctly because they are our students. The team logged about 1,000 hours together and about 200 per student on the RoboScience Simulator. Members of the RoboScience Simulator senior design team are computer science majors Samuel Williams of Woodland Park, Colo; Kendra Deziel of Rapid City, SD, Andrew Stelter of Mankato, Minn, and Riley Sutton of Aspen, Colo; and Christopher Smith of Black Hawk, SD, a masters student in computational sciences and robotics. McGough hopes to teach his class using the RoboScience Simulator course materials in the fall of 2018. By summer 2019, it could be ready to test in another university setting. And by 2020, he hopes it will be available to everyone. To learn more about the open source RoboScience Simulator, go to the website at http://www.roboscience.org. ### MEDIA CONTACT Lynn Taylor Rick Strategic Communications Coordinator University Relations Lynn.TaylorRick@sdsmt.edu Work: 605.394.2554 Cell: 605.431.9818 About SD Mines Founded in 1885, the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a science and engineering research university located in Rapid City, S.D., offering bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. The university enrolls 2,778 students with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The SD School of Mines placement rate for graduates is 97 percent, with an average starting salary of more than $61,300. Find us online at http://www.sdsmt.edu and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat. This lawsuit is about defending the right to be left alone to engage in a legal activity in the privacy of ones own home. Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment (C.L.A.S.H.), joined by several residents who live in public housing, filed a lawsuit on July 23rd challenging the Department of Housing and Urban Developments (HUD) regulation that directs all state and local housing authorities to ban smoking inside and out of public housing facilities nationwide, most notably within residents apartments. HUDs anti-smoking regulation was finalized at the end of the Obama Administration with an effective date of compliance no later than today, July 30, 2018. The regulation requires public housing authorities to implement and enforce rules accordingly. Public housing tenants, many of whom are minorities and veterans, are subject to eviction for violating the new regulation. The Observer [1] described the regulation as maybe the most far-reaching, intrusive and over-reaching executive order of the entire Obama administration. Audrey Silk, founder of C.L.A.S.H. says, Anti-smokers claim that HUD's smoking ban is a valid exercise of government power because there is no general right to smoke, but that claim is intentionally misleading because the government doesn't have the right to reach into our homes and dictate our personal behaviors and habits. This lawsuit is about defending the right to be left alone to engage in a legal activity in the privacy of ones own home. HUD claims the ban is necessary to protect non-smoking residents in other apartments but, not only are they exceeding their authority, the lack of sound scientific evidence that someone smoking in their own apartment puts other tenants health at risk hasnt stopped them either. Frustrated by the holdouts whove refused to submit to their current coercive measures and quit smoking, this is really the story of public health zealots partnering with HUD to begin the despotic breaking down of front doors to reach them. It wont end at public housing if theyre not stopped here. C.L.A.S.H.s attorney, Edward Paltzik, says, The smoking ban is constitutionally deficient on many levels. This is also another profound example of an administrative agency run amok. Nowhere did Congress bestow on HUD the power to intrude into peoples homes to regulate this sort of lawful behavior. The suit, filed through the Manhattan-based law firm, Joshpe Mooney Paltzik LLP, was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Related Material: CLASH v. HUD (18cv1711): http://www.nycclash.com/CLASHvHUD-Complaint-18cv1711.pdf *** NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment (C.L.A.S.H.) is a grassroots organization established in 2000 dedicated to advancing and protecting the interests of adults who choose to smoke cigarettes or enjoy other forms of tobacco or use electronic cigarettes. Joshpe Mooney Paltzik LLP is a full-service Manhattan-based constitutional, litigation, and corporate law firm. Contact: Audrey Silk, Founder, NYC C.L.A.S.H. Phone: (917) 888-9317 Email: nycclash(at)nycclash.com Web: http://www.nycclash.com Edward Paltzik, Joshpe Mooney Paltzik LLP Phone: (516) 526-0341 Email: epaltzik(at)jmpllp.com Web: http://www.jmpllp.com Footnote: 1. The Nanny State Shames Poor Smokers in Their Homes. Editorial. 12/7/16 http://observer.com/2016/12/the-nanny-state-shames-poor-smokers-in-their-home Our primary goal is to support Brenau University in developing a strategic roadmap for expanded opportunity for students seeking entrance into these new and expanding programs. Synergis Education Inc. recently announced that it will assist Gainesville, Georgia-based Brenau University to enroll candidates for three degree programs in education and nursing at bachelors, masters and doctoral degree levels. Pending approval by all appropriate licensing and accreditation organizations, the degrees include an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science in Nursing for family nurse practitioners and a doctorate in education with concentrations in higher education leadership, early childhood education and middle grades education. Our primary goal is to support Brenau University in developing a strategic roadmap for expanded opportunity for students seeking entrance into these new and expanding programs, said Norm Allgood, founder and CEO of Synergis Education. This enables the programs to grow rapidly to meet the demand without diluting the quality of the academic environment. The 140-year-old university has held full university status since the early 1990s and currently operates undergraduate and graduate degree programs on four campuses in Georgia and one in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1999 Brenau became the first private, not-for-profit institution in Georgia to offer online degree programs. Brenau began training nurses with four-year undergraduate degrees in 1974. In 2010 the university began enrolling students for its first doctorate the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Educating classroom teachers also has been a strong suit for Brenau throughout its history. Teacher education is so highly regarded that the first 2+2 agreement between Brenau and Anhui Normal University in China was in early childhood education. Brenau University has a rich history of innovative program design and delivery, said Brenau President Ed Schrader. With the educational needs for students as the principal focus, we are counting on Synergis expertise to help us attract and retain the highest quality students and provide them the kind of complete education necessary for success in their chosen fields. Schrader said that both nurses and education administrators are careers that rank highly on the U.S. Department of Labors annual listing of best-paid and most recession-proof jobs in America. Dr. John Donohue, chief academic and development officer with Synergis, said that the successful academic institution today must embody, three points of excellence, in its pursuit of academic goals: a willingness to embrace multiple delivery options in its academic portfolio; the capacity to identify and act on new opportunities; and consistent support from institutional leadership for linking academic initiatives with the institutions strategic vision.When we look at prospects for success in our partnership with Brenau, he said, we see all three. Synergis will initially embed seven of its employees at Brenau locations to work seamlessly with the Brenau enrollment management personnel in the direct recruitment of students for the three programs. The company under direction of university administrative personnel will develop and execute marketing strategies and tactics to advertise and promote the programs to targeted prospects. Synergis also will consult with academic personnel in structuring curriculum and course scheduling. With a projected launch date of January 2019 and pending required approvals by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Synergis will work with Brenau College of Education to recruit candidates for a doctorate designed for mid-career teachers and administrators seeking to enhance their credentials for moving to higher levels in their profession through completion of a terminal degree that builds on their knowledge and expertise. Brenaus Mary Inez Grindle School of Nursing, meanwhile, already offers a fully accredited Master of Science in Nursing for family nurse practitioners. However, Synergis will help Brenau expand the overall program reach by recruiting and training qualified candidates with bachelors degrees in nursing to move to a higher level of direct patient care in a wide variety of health care settings, including clinics, community-based settings, long-term care facilities and hospitals. The new accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, or ABSN, already approved, is designed to enable individuals with bachelors degrees in areas other than nursing to expand their undergraduate credentials through a focused, full-time program leading to the BSN and eligibility to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination. All three programs will be based on the universitys North Atlanta/Norcross campus. ABOUT SYNERGIS EDUCATION: Established in 2011, Synergis was founded on three core principles: partner success, student outcomes and financial transparency. Rather than being defined as an online program manager (OPM), Synergis is a premier service provider (PSP) and uniquely positioned to partner with colleges and universities to co-develop and launch in-demand programs on three formats: face-to-face on campus, online and a blended on-campus/online format. The turnkey collaborative model Synergis uses enables institutions to combine and customize services, including academic expertise; informed technology; strategic marketing; enrollment and retention; that best facilitate institutional growth. Synergis has built and supported 61 degree programs on behalf of its institutional partners and has enrolled more than 12,000 students. ABOUT BRENAU UNIVERSITY: Since 1878, private, not-for-profit Brenau University has expanded its tradition of providing prestigious higher education from the campus environment it still operates to global reach through online programs. The 140-year-old Womens College in Gainesville, Georgia, continues to offer enriched single-gender undergraduate residential experiences alongside coeducational undergraduate, masters, specialist and doctoral degrees in several locations in Georgia and Florida as well as throughout the world in its virtual classrooms structured upon Brenaus nationally acknowledged values of small class sizes, personal attention to individual students and reasonable costs. Wayback Burgers, Americas Favorite Hometown Burger Joint and one of the nations fastest-growing burger franchises, is excited and honored to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The non-profit operates after-school care programs nationally, and Wayback Burgers wholeheartedly believes in its quest to help young people, particularly those who need the most support, reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. This fantastic new national partnership involves several major initiatives and fundraisers. For the next two years, a portion of the proceeds from each burger or sandwich purchased at participating Wayback Burgers will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Wayback Burgers and its franchise partners are pledging an annual donation of up to $150,000, with a minimum of $100,000. In addition to the financial commitment, Wayback Burgers is implementing a new workforce training program. The program is designed to teach BGCA members important work and life skills; necessary as they develop into young adults. Plus, Wayback Burgers is planning on adding the Boys & Girls Clubs of America logo on select packaging material, and potentially team member uniforms, to inform the public of the partnership. Wayback Burgers, in a search for a charitable organization with whom to partner, quickly determined it shared the same values and devotion to community as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America following an inspirational meeting. Waybacks President John Eucalitto, who has a long-standing relationship with the youth advocacy organization, says he is passionate about improving the outlook and destiny of one of the nations most vulnerable demographics. We have been looking for a charity to forge a strong partnership with for several years, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a perfect fit, says Eucalitto. The organizations commitment to mentor and uplift young people in cities and towns across America is a mission that we fully support. End of summer/Back-to-school time is a perfect time to launch our partnership as its an exciting time for students, parents, teachers and the community. Our full partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America allows families to sit back, relax, enjoy a quality meal together while at the same time creating life-changing opportunities for local youth. In an effort to allow kind-hearted guests to contribute to the endeavor to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Wayback Burgers will host two national fundraiser days. The first designated day is scheduled for Saturday, August 11. Wayback Burgers invites guests to visit their local restaurant to help millions of local kids in conjunction with the 2018 Back2School campaign. The Back2School campaign highlights BGCAs emphasis on addressing the critical after-school hours for kids and teens as they return to school. Ten percent of daily sales at participating restaurants on August 11 will be donated to BGCAs Back2School cause. After-school programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of America support the learning kids do during the school day to increase BGCA members overall academic success, said Jim Clark, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Wayback Burgers and their guests will ensure BGCA members have the resources they need to have a successful school year. Prepared and equipped youth, coupled with a safe, supportive after-school environment at BGCA, will mean even more kids and teens can build toward a great future. Patrick Conlin, Wayback Burgers Senior Vice President, is looking forward to ramping up the workforce training concept, which gives BGCA members unprecedented access to local Wayback Burgers restaurants. We are just as passionate about the workforce training concept as we are about the donations well deliver through the Back2School campaign and our ongoing partnership, says Conlin. Realistically, higher education doesnt make sense for all kids, so workforce training at a young age is critical. This program is phenomenal for kids who will get hands-on experience in a job that will teach them how to be a part of a team, train for interviews and develop critical life skills. Our workforce program partnership will give these kids an excellent opportunity to learn how to do important jobs in a real-life setting. For more information on Boys & Girls Clubs of America, please visit https://www.bgca.org/. For more information on Wayback Burgers and its partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, please visit http://www.WaybackBurgers.com, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more information about the Wayback Burgers franchise opportunity visit https://franchise.waybackburgers.com/. About Wayback Burgers Founded in 1991 in Newark, DE, Wayback Burgers is a Connecticut-based fast-casual franchise with a reputation for fresh, never frozen, cooked to order burgers and thick, hand-dipped milkshakes, served in an environment that hearkens back to a simpler place and time when customer service meant something, and everyone felt the warmth of the community. Wayback Burgers currently operates in 30 states with over 161 restaurants nationally and internationally in Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Pakistan. Through its executed master franchise agreements, Wayback Burgers plans to open in 37 provinces/countries in the Middle East, South Africa, Argentina, Bangladesh, Ireland, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Netherlands. For more information about Wayback Burgers, please visit https://waybackburgers.com/. 'Best of Show' winning cheese, 'Harbison' by Cellars at Jasper Hill Cellars at Jasper Hill and COWS Creamery win top awards at American Cheese Society's Annual Judging & Competition. Harbison from Cellars at Jasper Hill in Vermont was named Best of Show among 1,954 entries at the American Cheese Societys (ACS) 2018 Judging & Competition. The results were announced at a ceremony today at the 35th Annual ACS Conference: Forged in Cheese, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh. Second place Best of Show went to Calderwood, also from Cellars at Jasper Hill. Third place Best of Show was awarded to Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar from COWS Creamery in Prince Edward Island, Canada. What a thrill! These wins represent the efforts of many dedicated people from our cropping crew and herdsmen, through production and affinage, to sales and support. It took a village working in concert to pull this off, said Mateo Kehler, cheesemaker at Cellars at Jasper Hill. Andy and I set out to become the reference for artisan cheese in this country, and today because we have the best team, we feel like we are getting close, he added. We dedicate this one to the mongers, who worked the front lines of the industry and helped us build our vision one wheel at a time, said Zoe Brickley, director of development and marketing at Cellars at Jasper Hill, "What an amazing way to celebrate our 15th year. Growing from just 89 entries 35 years ago, the ACS Judging & Competition this year welcomed 1,954 entries of cheeses and cultured dairy products from 259 companies representing 35 U.S. states, 5 Canadian provinces, Mexico, Columbia and Brazil. ACS awarded a total of 364 medals including 103 gold medals, 124 silver medals, and 137 bronze medals. This years competition once again featured the very best cheeses and cheesemakers in the Americas, said Nora Weiser, ACS executive director. This diversity of cheeses displays the skill and passion of American cheesemakers. In taking two top honors, Cellars at Jasper Hill exemplifies how American artisan cheesemakers seamlessly meld tradition and innovation, said Weiser. Andrea White, wholesale manager at COWS Creamery, said, This prestigious award for Avonlea is a true honor and were very pleased to represent not just Prince Edward Island, but also Canada. I would like to thank ACS and the Judging Committee for their support of all cheesemakers. New this year, a Boss of the Brunch special recognition was given to Herbed Rose Butter from Cherry Valley Dairy, Wa. The 2018 ACS Judging & Competition media kit gives a complete breakdown of awards by product, dairy location and milk source, as well as producers contact information. The 36th Annual ACS Conference & Competition will take place July 31 Aug. 3, 2019 in Richmond, Va. About the American Cheese Society The American Cheese Society (ACS) is the leader in promoting and supporting American cheeses. At 1,800 members strong, ACS provides the cheese community with educational resources and networking opportunities, while encouraging the highest standards of cheesemaking focused on safety and sustainability. ACS strives to continually raise the quality and availability of artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheese in the Americas. Since its founding in 1983, ACS proudly hosts Americas foremost annual educational conference and world-renowned cheese judging and competition. For more information, visit http://www.cheesesociety.org. Neroli Salon & Spa In a busy salon environment like ours, theres no time to waste on data that doesnt drive business decisions. Neroli Salon & Spa, a luxury Aveda salon and spa with six locations in Wisconsin, has switched to Zenoti software. Neroli operates a robust salon and spa business, with approximately 300 team members serving nearly 4,000 guests each week. Prior to making the change, Neroli used Millennium software, a desktop-based solution that was installed locally at each salon location. When the company was ready for a cloud-based enterprise solution, they chose Zenoti for its unique ability to handle the most demanding needs of busy luxury salons and spas like Neroli. Zenoti Analytics offers Neroli on-demand access to the insights the company needs to drive business decisions. The customizable analytics dashboard provides at-a-glance reporting across all of their locations, so the company always has access to all of their data. With Zenoti Analytics, Neroli can monitor customer retention to reduce attrition, and quickly determine which customers, employees and products show the most promise for growth. Since managers and owners spend less time collecting and analyzing data, theyre able to focus on business goals like driving sales, team member development, and managing productivity and resources. In a busy salon environment like ours, theres no time to waste on data that doesnt drive business decisions, said Susan Haise, owner and CEO at Neroli. Zenoti offers real-time access to our customer, employee and business data, so we can better analyze our performance across KPIs and focus our time and investments on growth opportunities and build on our successes. Analytics isnt the only way Zenoti is meeting Nerolis needs. With Smart Marketing, Neroli will be able to create effective automated marketing campaigns specifically designed to match guest needs and preferences to the services and products Neroli offers. Smart Marketing analyzes the appointment book and customer behavior to predict and fill slower days, retain customers and recover lost customers. Since customers are targeted by only the offers that best match their individual profiles, theyre never inundated with emails. Zenoti Analytics and Smart Marketing, combined with the full power of Zenotis all-in-one software, offer the cloud-based platform and industry-leading tools high-performance businesses like Neroli need to grow. Im excited that Zenoti continues to take on the challenge of supporting some of the most intricate business operations in the industry, said Sudheer Koneru, CEO at Zenoti. Zenoti offers unique support for complex business needs, providing companies like Neroli with the technology they need to reach their full business potential. About Neroli Neroli Salon & Spa provides full-service Aveda Lifestyle experiences in hair, nails, massage, facials, waxing and Ayurveda services, as well as offering a full array of Aveda products at six convenient locations. Neroli also owns and operates two Aveda Institutes and an independent Aveda Experience Center in southeastern Wisconsin. Some of Nerolis most popular salon and spa services include therapeutic massage, eyelash extensions, hair color and cutting, spa manicures and pedicures, and Aveda facials. To learn more about Neroli, visit https://www.nerolisalonspa.com/. About Zenoti Zenoti provides an all-in-one, cloud-based software solution for the spa, salon and med spa industry. The Zenoti platform is engineered for reliability and scale, harnessing the power of enterprise-level technology for businesses of all sizes. Zenoti powers thousands of spas and salons in more than 50 countries. Zenoti allows users to seamlessly manage every aspect of the business in a comprehensive solution: online appointment bookings, POS, CRM, employee management, inventory management, built-in marketing programs and more. Zenoti helps clients streamline their systems and reduce costs, while simultaneously improving customer retention and spending. To learn more about Zenoti, visit https://www.zenoti.com/. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. Elaine Mokhtefi has waited 44 years to return to Algeria. Its not that she lacked the ability to travel; in fact, as we speak shes preparing to head to Brazil. Rather, in 1974, she was deported under suspicious circumstancesbarred from reentering the North African nation that defines a core period of her life and of which she writes in her stirring memoir, Algiers, Third World Capital: Freedom Fighters, Revolutionaries, Black Panthers (Verso, Aug.). So how did a young American woman, born to a secular, working-class New York Jewish family and raised during the Depression, end up in Algiers during such a heady period of revolutionary fervor? In the 60s, we had the impression that what we did could have an impact, Mokhtefi says as we talk in her Manhattan apartment. We felt that we were on the edge of a new world. It was the end of colonialism; the Cold War had only begun. Mokhtefi has lived here since 1995, around the time she and her late husband, Mokhtar Mokhtefi, returned to the U.S. after two decades in France. Algiers begins in 1951, as Mokhtefi finishes college and heads to a Paris that she describes as still bandaged and suffering from the loss of status and self-respect inflicted during WWII. On May Day 1952, she writes that she experienced an enlightenment regarding colonialism and racism that stemmed from seeing the French trade union confederation block Algerian laborers from marching with them in the parade. I was shocked into reality, she says. Not long after, Mokhtefi began work as a translator and interpreter, which allowed her to travel to India, Italy, Mali, and Sweden. At international meetings, you would always meet representatives of Algerian independence movements, she says. In the background, France had commenced and continued to wage a brutal war, which would last nearly eight years, against Algeria, which was bent on independence. In 1960, Mokhtefi landed in Brussels at the World Assembly of Youth headquarters. I organized the international conference in Accra, and as a result I met these people from all around the world. The hustle took its toll and Mokhtefi soon returned to New York, where she worked with the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale until 1962, when France finally conceded to Algerias demands for independence. Our role was to convince the world that Algeria had to be independent and France had to stop this crazy war, she says. It was difficult, but very fulfilling. Once Algeria was independent, I decided I would go there. I had never been. Algeria was an underdeveloped rural nation pillaged by generations of French settlers, nearly all of whom left at the end of the war. It was really a new country, Mokhtefi says. They had to become a real country, not just an appendage to France. Mokhtefi became a journalist, and in 1969 she was tapped to help organize the Pan-African Cultural Festival in Algiers that year. How we did it I really dont know, but it came off and it was a beautiful event, she says. Every single country of Africa came, with theater groups, musicians, dancers; it was absolutely extraordinary. And from the African diaspora as wellfrom Brazil, from the United States. It was a total success. It followed on the heels of another momentous occurrence: The Panthers arrived one month before the festival opened. Eldridge arrived in early June 1969 and the festival took place in July, Mokhtefi says. Facing attempted murder charges, Cleaver fled the U.S. to Cuba, then headed to Algeria, which, since obtaining independence, had become a haven of sorts for revolutionaries. Over the next few years, Mokhtefi, Cleaver, and other exiled Panthers engaged in an array of over-the-top adventures and international intrigue. Her descriptions of Cleaver shed new light on the controversial figure. He was very smart, he was funny, he was very attractive as a man, she says. He was bigger than life. I think I served as a kind of conscience for him. He could tell me whatever he wanted to tell me, he could ask my advice, he could talk to me and it had no consequences. But Mokhtefi has no illusions about Cleavers dark side. Eldridge was an operator, she says. He liked to push things further than they should go. Did Mokhtefi ever doubt his revolutionary zeal? He changed his life when he had to, she says. He became a revolutionary, and when it was no longer useful for him, he became something else. He became a born-again Christian, and he became a drug addict, which he wasnt when he was in Algiers, of coursenot at all. As Mokhtefi explains, in the revolutionary milieu of the time, there was much more to liberation than just political institutions: it was about living in a way that felt liberatory and new and open. Independence isnt just a question of a flag, she says. Independence was learning how to talk, it was learning how to build, it was learning how to accept others. Concretely, how is this country going to survive? In the midst of the liberation war, oil and gas were discovered in Algeria. They didnt know they were going to be one of the suppliers of gas and oil to the world, Mokhtefi says. So they had to build that industry. And they had to build other industries. Imagine a country without any doctors, without any teachersa university with no professors. They were tough times but very exciting. When something succeeded, it was so wonderful. Mokhtefi runs through the numerous quandaries the Algerians faced. The main tendency was toward socialism, she says. So they started taking over everything that the French left behind, which were apartments, small industries, small businesses, but then they had to manage it all. I personally felt very involved, Mokhtefi says of her engagement with nation building. But in 1974, she was forced to leave, suspecting that a refusal to inform on a friend tipped the Algerian police apparatus against her. She returned to France, where she was technically also banned, but through some fortunate connections was able to rectify her residency status. She and Mokhtar lived in Paris making and selling jewelry, among other things, until family circumstances brought them to the States. Mokhtefi no longer makes jewelry, but paints instead, and some of her portraits hang in her apartment. I was always interested in art, but I never drew or painted during that period of time, she says. One day, she walked by the Art Students League in Manhattan and said, Thats itIm going there. Mokhtefis painterly eye is apparent throughout the book, and she describes her experiences in painstaking detail. Yet she never kept journals. All of those memories are stuck in my mind, she says. Theyre rich and full; theyre not things you forget. I cant remember who I met yesterday, but I can pull all that stuff out. And with my husband, we would talk about it all the time. A main topic of conversation was Algeria and everything that happened to him and to me. It remains with me. Mokhtefi informs me that she recently received clearance from the Algerian consulate in New York to enter Algeria again. She has already made plans to visit in the fall, after she launches the book. Its a magnificent feeling that I can get to go back, she says. Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 72 self-published titles below. Each appears with a list of retailers that are selling the book and a description provided by its author. Some of these writers are waiting to be discovered; others have track records and followings and are doing it on their own. If you are a self-published author interested in listing titles in this section, please visit publishersweekly.com/pw-select for more information. Fiction All the Lies We Live Don Trowden. Publerati. $16.95 paper (258p), ISBN 978-0-9979137-3-6; $7.99 e-book, ASIN B077Y9CN7C Amazon, BN.com, BookBaby, Indiebound, Ingram A cast of octogenarians pursue their dreams as a hurricane approaches a Maine island. The theme is redemption through love. The Family Jewels Vincent Graziano. GGP Publishing. $24.95 hardcover (290p), ISBN 978-0-692-93682-5 Amazon, BN.com Destitute middle-aged brothers are forced to return to the tenement apartment where they grew up. Their aged mother will be glad they are home. A third brother, not so much. Fortunes Son Jennifer Scoullar. Pilyara Press. $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-648-30892-8 Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo Set against a backdrop of wild Tasmania, Australian gold, and African diamonds, this is an epic story of betrayal, undying love, and one mans struggle to find his way home. Island Fever (Jimjeran, Book 1) Sarah Carrell. Sarah Carrell. $12.25 paper (363p), ISBN 978-1-980414-73-5; $4.99 e-book, ASIN B07D4KT65F Amazon Carlie Beecher, a spunky American nurse, leaves her fiance in the States in her hunt for adventure and volunteers for a term on a tiny atoll in the Marshall Islands. Lagging Indicators Jennifer Anglade Dahlberg. Jennifer Dahlberg. $5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-77342-049-3 Amazon, BN.com, Chapters Wall Street executive Mia Lewis finds herself suddenly unemployed and disgraced. A handsome single dad ignites questions about her future, but then the past comes calling. Man on the Floor! Daniel L. Coberly. Man on the Floor Productions. $26.99 paper (566p), ISBN 978-1-71949-284-3 Amazon The son of a military father and a French war bride tries to make sense of a brave new world in post-WWII Munich and Verdun. My Friend Marilyn: The Great American Destination Series Christopher Lentz. Christopher Lentz. $3.99 e-book, ASIN B07DDBZZ8C Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo, Smashwords After being named Marilyn Monroes assistant, a sassy small-town spinster is surrounded by showbiz temptations and hidden dangers. On Burning Mirrors Jamie Klinger-Krebs. J2K Creative. $14.99 paper (450p), ISBN 978-0-692-11305-9; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-692-11300-4 Amazon, BN.com Journalist Jules Kanter seemed to have it all, but she also had well-hidden secrets. With everything left unsaid, can those she loved move on, or will they be destroyed by her lies? Sacred Secrets of the Cedar Chest Angela Pisaturo. WestBow Press. $17.95 paper (187p), ISBN 978-1-973613-71-8 Amazon, BN.com A wounded woman, a childhood trauma, a mysterious cedar chest. The poignant story of growing up with bipolar disorder and how God healed the pain. Sin and Redemption: The Pink Elephant Connection James E. McCarthy. Ashanti Victoria Publishing. $19.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-944136-02-4 Amazon, Ingram A story of crime and coming-of-age, from street thug to international heroin smuggler, to murder, to prison inmate, to vengeance, to redemption. Taming the Twisted 2: Reconstructing Rain Jodie Toohey. Wordsy Woman Press. $11.95 paper (154p), ISBN 978-0-692-07276-9 Amazon Alice Sinkey must put her family back together in this sequel to Taming the Twisted. Tough Love Aalia Lanius. Catalyst Group. $14.99 paper (201p), ISBN 978-0-692-99921-9 Relationshipsunsugarcoated.com, Amazon, BN.com Aleyna, known for her passion, success, and picture-perfect family, hides a marriage on life support. When cancer returns, she faces a journey of self-love, courage, and healing. Uncommon Counsel Art Smith. Obumbravit Press. $14.95 paper (300p), ISBN 978-1-73217-330-9 Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo Rip Taylor is a lawyer wrestling with schizophrenia and difficult choices. His journal entries and psychiatrists notes offer a novel first-person perspective on mental illness. The Weekend Warriors James W. Burke Jr. Toplink Publishing. $11.99 paper (238p), ISBN 978-1-948962-01-8 Amazon, BN.com What if the Cold War suddenly ran red-hot? Burkes debut novel unfurls the grim historical possibilities of a world lost in war. Poetry Beyond the Wire Gary Galsworth. Close Hand Press. $14 paper (153p), ISBN 978-0-9798063-4-6 Amazon, BN.com This collection follows an explorer who candidly delves into the nuances of love and loss, beauty and pain, change and reinvention. Glimmerglass Girl Holly Lyn Walrath. Finishing Line Press. $14.99 paper (30p), ISBN 978-1-63534-545-2 Finishinglinepress.com In her debut chapbook, Walrath explores the boundaries of womanhood through speculative poetry. Life. Alysa VanderWeerd. WestBow Press. $30.95 paper (456p), ISBN 978-1-973606-96-3 Amazon, BN.com These poems are modern-day hymnsopenly expressing VanderWeerds heart in the presence of God and man. Tales from the Trails Melissa K. Melton. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (158p), ISBN 978-1-5434-3704-1; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5434-3703-4 Amazon A collection of stories from the trails and the roads, which gives a slice of life from a runners point of view. Mystery/Thriller And the Walls Came Tumbling Down William S. Moody. AuthorHouse. $10.99 paper (62p), ISBN 978-1-5462-0731-3; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5462-0730-6 Amazon This novel examines the possibility of sophisticated Western European countries being legally overthrown by Islamic groups using the ballot box as the vehicle to achieve their goal. Coyote Alibi: A Naomi Manymules Mystery J. and D. Burges. Naaltsoos Press. $15.95 paper (281p), ISBN 978-0-9998573-3-5 Ingram Rookie Navajo paralegal Naomi Manymules navigates a colorful assortment of criminals, surly teenagers, prominent locals, some polygamists, and a mobster or two. I Didnt See This Coming from My Family Niecy M. AuthorHouse. $20.99 paper (272p), ISBN 978-1-5462-1530-1 Amazon, AuthorHouse, BN.com A mystery/thriller/suspense journey conveyed through the eyes of a razor-sharp nine-year-old named Sofay White. Sig Alert David Scott. AuthorHouse. $20.99 paper (322p), ISBN 978-1-5462-3047-2 Davidscottsigalert.com, Amazon, AuthorHouse Darcy Garcia and Peter Dale are solving the biggest crime of their careers. The future of Los Angeles hangs in the balance. Tetterbaums Truth (Book 1, Just Call Me Angel Series) S.R. Claridge. Global Publishing Group. $14.99 paper (300p), ISBN 978-0-9898467-0-7 Amazon, BN.com, Smashwords Angels life hangs in a twisted balance of deception and revenge, and her only hope for staying alive is to expose the truth. The Thanks You Get Corey B. Collins. Dorrance Publishing. $17 paper (218p), ISBN 978-1-4809-4100-7 Dorrancebookstore.com Hank Goodman is drawn into a mystery by wealthy Benjamin Beasley and lovely Sonia Santaria. Searching for Beasleys long-lost brother, the three face surprises and adventure. Tied to Deceit Neena H. Brar. Penguide Books. $19.99 paper (326p), ISBN 978-1-77515-803-5; $7.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-77515-802-8 Amazon, BN.com, Google Play, IndieBound In the hill town of Sanover, the exquisite, secretive, malicious, thoroughly immoral Devika Singh is murdered. SP Sharma probes the sinister web spun around a tangle of lies and deception. The Tribal Case Theresa M. Janson. Red Garnet Press. $14.95 paper (188p), ISBN 978-0-692-06461-0 Amazon, BN.com FBI Special Agent Samantha Wright inherits the serial killer case of her life when her mentor at the bureau dies. The case sends her to the Cheyenne reservation in the wilds of Montana. SF/Fantasy/Horror The Aesir: Midgaard Cycle, Vol. 2 Tim Slee. T.J. Slee. $12.99 paper (634p), 978-1-983047-95-4 Amazon Norse mythology and crime noir join in this sequel to Publishers Weeklys BookLife Prizewinning novel The Vanirim. Angelvoice John Keeling. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (166p), ISBN 978-1-5434-4857-3; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5434-4858-0 Amazon Eric, a mortal, is conscripted to find angel Ariel trapped in hell and take her from the depths of her prison to salvation. Will he complete his perilous mission? Die to Live Again David Crane. Foremost Press. $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00FZW20AQ Foremostpress.com, Amazon, BN.com Tanya Gray made a promise to her father on the day the missiles were launched. She promised to survive the unthinkable. Eris Adrift Bruce Post. CreateSpace. $9.99 e-book, ASIN B07DBT551W Amazon Civilization collapses and chaos erupts after the cruise ship Eris sails out of Jamaica. Capt. Willa Freundlich has the strength and confidence to keep the ship safe, but Dave Sturgis knows the odds are bad. Heart of the Dragon: The Oracle Peter Man. iUniverse. $20.99 paper (358p), ISBN 978-1-5320-4855-5; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-4856-2 Amazon, BN.com, Chapters, iUniverse Victoria, a Canadian teenager, goes on a perilous odyssey to China, where she discovers that her family was from a mythical paradise planet. She must save her parents and then save the world. Short Days, Long Nights Shawn Scuefield. Archway Publishing. $19.99 paper (304p), ISBN 978-1-4808-6120-6 Amazon, Archway, BN.com Six tales take readers on a journey through the dark and unknown, where nothing is certain except uncertainty. The Warrior Revealed (The World of Evendaar, Book Four) A.R. Winterstaar. Evendaar Publishing. $5.97 e-book, ASIN B07DFDTGRS Amazon The fourth book in the World of Evendaar series, a tale filled with adventure, romance, and unlikely heroes. Romance/Erotica Mary Poser Angel A. Angels Leap Pty. $16.99 paper (480p), ISBN 978-0-9876222-2-8; 99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9876222-0-4 Amazon, Apple iBooks, Google Play, Ingram Theres troubled love in Music City, U.S.A. Despite deeply entrenched obstacles, Mary falls for Simha Das, a visiting Bolly-wood director. The Unexpected Wife Caroline Warfield. Soul Mate Publishing. $3.99 e-book, ASIN B07FGGC918 Amazon, BN.com Canton, 1838: the Duke of Murnane expects work to heal him; he doesnt expect to confront his wreck of a marriage or find the love of his life. Nonfiction 10 Most Common Mistakes Dog Owners Make: And How to Resolve Them! Tammie Rogers. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (156p), ISBN 978-1-5484-8279-4 Amazon Relying on 30 years of experience, Rogers offers an honest, compassionate, and dependable approach to solving 10 of the most common problems that plague dog owners. Are You Happy? A Guidebook on How to Earn Happiness Lea Colleens, illus. by Calvin Tony. Harlen Books Pty. $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-648-22951-3 Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Booktopia, Google Play, Kobo The guide aims to offer a clear definition of what happiness is, lay out the recipe to achieve it, and describe how to find ones own unique path. A Better Human: The Stoic Heart, Mind, and Soul George J. Bradley. Bradley Publishing. $12.95 paper (250p), ISBN 978-0-692-90492-3 Amazon, Apple iBooks This book looks at what the Stoic philosophers said and did, and how it impacted their lives by increasing their tranquility, joy, and success, and it shows how the Stoic lifestyle can be beneficial. Blessings and Betrayals: A True Story of One Womans Fight for Freedom and Love R.J. Blum. Bookstand Publishing. $14.95 paper (208p), ISBN 978-1-63498-634-2 Amazon, BN.com The true story of one 90-year-old womans fight with her son for her freedom and to be with those she loved. Enerjettics: Your New Energy Jeremy Gorman. Toplink Publishing. $7.99 paper (92p), ISBN 978-1-948962-09-4 Amazon, BN.com This is a guide to enjoying saving money while saving the Earth. The worlds outrageous demand for energy is destroying the atmosphere and poisoning the oceans, so we must change our energy sources from fossil fuels to clean energy. Etiquette... Manners... Uncensored Unfiltered & Raw! Claudio Capra II. Uncensored Publishing. $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-73250-210-9 Amazon A candid take on how people should and shouldnt be conducting themselves, delving deeper into some very relevant life lessons that we should all be reminded of today. Extrapolating the Unknown: A Unified View on Spirituality M.V.K. Mohan. PartridgeSingapore. $13.77 paper (144p), ISBN 978-1-5437-4141-4; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5437-4142-1 Amazon This philosophical and spiritual commentary explores the law of correspondence and how it, along with Hindu spirituality, can answer lifes most profound questions about the universe, God, and humanity. A History of the People and Events at One of the Residential Hotels that Proliferate the Cities of America Frank M. Lick. Dorrance Publishing. $30 paper (630p), ISBN 978-1-4809-4564-7 Dorrancebookstore.com True stories from the authors residential hotel, which hosts a mix of people with different talents and disorders, leading to many adventures. The Hormone Shift: Using Natural Hormone Balancing for Your Mood, Weight, Sleep & Female Health Dawn M. Cutillo. Book-Art Press Solutions. $14.99 paper (272p), ISBN 978-1-948817-23-3 Amazon A 30-day guide for those who wish to lose a stubborn 1020 pounds, diminish hot flashes, improve sleep, and banish mood swings. In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, Part 1: The 1998 Footsteps of Alexander the Great Tour Mansur Johnson. CreateSpace. $40 paper (212p), ISBN 978-1-976392-63-4 Amazon This book follows the authors journey through six Middle Eastern countriesGreece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egyptin 1998, with more than 200 color illustrations. Journey into Health: Heal Yourself with Meditation and the Aid of Your Spirit Guides Katrina Blecher. Balboa Press. $12.99 paper (156p), ISBN 978-1-5043-8336-3; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5043-8337-0 Amazon Blecher employs hypnosis, meditation, and other holistic healing methods as a conduit to self-healing. The book also introduces ways readers can meet their own spirit guides. Mountaintop Mornings Alysa VanderWeerd. Xulon Press. $34.99 paper (792p), ISBN 978-1-5456-2036-6 Amazon, BN.com This is a 365-day devotional that is pure Scripture pieced together, with every devotion ending in an amen. Included is a three-year journal. Not So Politically Correct: A Collection of Laughs, Inspirations, Favorite Emails, and Great Stories Martha Howald. iUniverse. $20.99 paper (252p), ISBN 978-1-5320-3027-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-3026-0 Amazon The author recalls lifes funny moments of growing up on a farm and spending time with her dad, even if he was loading the manure spreader. Principles to Fortune: Crafting a Culture to Massively Grow a Business Scott J. Bintz. Red Headed Rebel. $19.95 paper (214p), ISBN 978-0-9996234-0-4 Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com Bintz shares hardcore experience and practical actions any business can take to create a winning workplace culture, and provides many ideas that can be used in everyday life. Reverse Mortgage 360, a New Perspective Jim Hostler. CreateSpace. $17.95 paper (132p), ISBN 978-1-981192-46-5 Amazon Hostler writes to dispel yesterdays myths and misconceptions, explaining how todays reverse mortgages work; simple and clear with real-life stories of their benefits. The Rise and Fall of Paradise I.K. Fleming. iUniverse. $24.95 paper (372p), ISBN 978-1-4917-3529-9; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4917-3527-5 Amazon Fleming shows ancient Paradises scattered symbolism survives to offer an alternative perspective on how life might be lived on this Earth. Rule Breaker: An Entrepreneurs Manifesto Shelly Weinig. CreateSpace. $12.95 paper (224p), ISBN 978-1-71957-494-5; $3.95 e-book, ISBN 978-1-71957-494-5 Amazon Thousands of entrepreneurs from all over the world seek advice from Weinig, the father of electronics materials. Here are his rules for rule breakers. Secrets to Tame a Mystical Dragon: Cracking the PTSD Code... Now You Have a Choice Sharron Gleason. Conscious Media Publishing. $12.99 paper (176p), ISBN 978-1-941595-00-8 Amazon, BN.com Gleason argues that our deepest, darkest emotions hold us back in life, preventing us from achieving happiness. She explains from personal experience, study, and helping trauma survivors what works best and why many therapies today are ineffective, and puts forward a method to crack the PTSD code. Slave to the Dream Gaylan D. Wright. Outskirts Press. $20.66 hardcover (152p), ISBN 978-1-4787-5611-8; $11.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-68118-678-8 Outskirtspress.com A memoir of one mans intense rebellion, roadblocks, and ultimately his inspiring growth, powered by the healing powers of family support and divine intervention. Two Journeys: Father and Son Wresting Meaning and Hope Through Suffering, Forgiveness, and Prayer Daniel C. Nelson. Xlibris. $15.99 paper (166p), ISBN 978-1-4931-5261-2; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4931-5263-6 Amazon This is about the spiritual journey of two people who found purpose and meaning in their lives through their suffering, their struggle to forgive, and their faith in the power of prayer. A Vermont Idyll Laurence Grey. Dorrance Publishing. $14 paper (162p), ISBN 978-1-4809-5131-0 Dorrancebookstore.com At 84, a coldhearted professor encounters the great love of his life, and everything is transformed. An unusual memoir of torment and love, with a startling revelation. Whistleblower: Having Ethics Regardless of the Outcome Edward R. Lane. Dr Rock Press. $12.99 paper (92p), ISBN 978-0-692-14588-3 Amazon This book details Lanes story as the focus of a whistle-blower case that garnered national attention and was eventually ruled in his favor by the U.S. Supreme Court. Why Being Happy Matters: Discover How the Power of Joy Will Energize Your Life Peter Jennings. Peter Jennings. $17.26 paper (200p), ISBN 978-0-9949013-1-6 Whybeinghappymatters.com, Amazon, BN.com, Chapters Profiles of 37 people from the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia who share how happiness improves their outlook, adds value to their days, and enhances their peace of mind. Wild Child to Couture Style: The Shailah Edmonds Story Shailah Edmonds with Chester L. Fultz. Lyons Publishing. $21.99 paper (242p), ISBN 978-0-9712338-4-3 Amazon This book follows international model Edmondss journey from Portland, Ore., to the couture runways of Paris. The stories are intended for people of all ages, and the book ends with a tutorial for aspiring models. Childrens/YA The Adventures of Anna and Andy Hummingbird Linda P. Young. Xlibris. $21.99 paper (42p), ISBN 978-1-4568-9568-6 Amazon This story follows Anna and Andys journey through a backyard full of beauty and adventures. This was inspired by little hummingbirds who were born in a tree on the authors back patio. The Adventures of David and Kringer in Italy Eddie R. Johnson Jr. Book Venture Publishing. $11.99 paper (38p), ISBN 978-1-64348-038-1 Amazon, BN.com, Bookventure What happens when a young boy and his dog take the wrong plane and end up at the wrong destination? It turns out to be a great adventure. The Adventures of Smelly the Garbage Truck: From PU to Woo-hoo! Tamara M. Lucas, illus. by Toby Mikle. Tamara M. Lucas. $12.99 paper (58p), ISBN 978-0-692-91023-8 Amazon Smelly teaches children to find an individuals inner beauty regardless of size or shape. Children learn that heroes are ordinary people that do extraordinary things. Bank Magic: Financial Literacy for Young People K. Samuel Murray. Murray Wealth Group. $17.99 paper (58p), ISBN 978-1-977848-34-5 Amazon, Ingram This book addresses the critical need for young people to become financially literate. It covers chores and allowances, savings, credit cards, budgeting, investing, giving, and taxes. Dead Perfect P.G. Shriver. CreateSpace. $13.99 paper (230p), ISBN 978-1-4699-7054-7 Amazon, BN.com Two auto accidents turn Mels well-planned, get-outta-town future into chaos, and she finds herself falling for a handsome new guy with ghostly secrets. Excuse Me Maam, Excuse Me Sir: Im Amina, an All-American Girl Shayma Mustafa, illus. by Ella Newman. CreateSpace. $17.85 paper (30p), ISBN 978-1-983694-76-9 Amazon Join Amina on her adventure through different states highlighting Americas beauty. Every state is one of a kind, as is Amina, the all-American, proud Muslim girl. The Flying Rock Robert Rush, illus. by Ruth Whiting. Prior Manor Press. $19.95 hardcover (38p), ISBN 978-0-9990665-3-9 Amazon, BN.com, IndieBound, Ingram A boy learns a valuable lesson after accidentally injuring another child. Henderson the Cottontail Rabbits Special Luncheon B.J. Colvin. Dorrance Publishing. $23 hardcover (30p), ISBN 978-1-4809-5224-9 Dorrancebookstore.com This story cordially invites readers to a special luncheon at Henderson the rabbits place. Whats more special than getting together with friends and loved ones to enjoy one anothers company? Leftover Girl C.C. Bolick. Dirt Road Books. $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-946089-00-7 Amazon Found on a dark highway at four, Jes cant have a normal life without the truth about her parents. Could the mysterious new guy have answers shes never dreamed of? Lord Computesalots Quintessential Quest to Banish Bullies: A Creative Fun Activity Book Regina Davis and Carolyn Royer Spencer. AuthorHouse. $11.95 paper (52p), ISBN 978-1-4817-4847-6; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4817-4848-3 Amazon Composed by two experienced elementary educators, this activity book with reproducible pages uses poetry, puzzles, games, and cheers to teach children about bullying in a creative way. The Moon and Stars: A Tale of Dakota Rising R. Calhoun Sargent and Thelonius Fix. No Doubt Imagination Book Publishing. $14.99 paper (294p), ISBN 978-0-692-11422-3 Amazon Living on the Greek island of Santorini becomes a vague memory for Dakota Dagger when his parents plane crashes, leaving him an orphan. The Scouts of St. Michael: Operation Archangel Dan Morales. ELM Grove Publishing. $17.99 paper (339p), ISBN 978-1-943492-37-4 Amazon, BN.com In 1940 England, six orphan boy scouts find themselves conscripted for a covert mission deep inside Nazi Germany. Success means they grow up heroes. Failure means they dont grow up. The Shadow (The Guardians of Time, Book 4) Marianne Curley. MTC Services Pty. $15.45 paper (345p), ISBN 978-0-648-26360-9 Amazon, BN.com, Powells The war is won, but Ethan struggles with all that he lost, while Jesilla, the Goddesss secret daughter, swears vengeance on the Guard, propelling them both into an impossible future. In a statement, ISODEC said that the government is implementing a wrong solution to the infrastructure and funding challenges confronting the implementation of its flagship Free SHS programme. There is no doubt that the Akufo Addo government has good intentions for the poor, reflected in several laudable social protection programmes it has or plans to introduce. However, there is something fundamentally wrong with its approach to implementing some of these programmes ISODEC noted. The government has said that it will introduce the double tracking system to accommodate the increasing student population following the introduction of free SHS last year. ISODEC is not the only group criticising this move. The President of IMANI Africa Franklin Cudjoe said that It doesnt make sense. Below is ISODECs statement First, the government makes very little effort to build consensus around its policies. This is evident from the inadequate public consultations it carries out ahead of its policy implementation, and which in the view of ISODEC, does not help in ensuring durability and consistency in policy implementation. Indeed such non-consultative approach to governance always comes with the risk of policy reversals by succeeding governments. We often get the impression that, some of these policies are not properly thought through. Several of them have no proper, and publicly available policy papers backing them. Examples are: Ghana Beyond Aid, One Constituency- One Million Dollars, Leveraging Ghanas Bauxite for infrastructure and the Free SHS programme. It is common knowledge that the policy papers for these and other announced programmes are still being worked on. The speed with which government is trying to introduce the two-track SHS system i.e. two months from now, without any meaningful broad stakeholder consultations in consonance with the principles of good governance is worrying. Some of us are beginning to ask ourselves whether or not the initiatives blueprint, assuming it exists, envisaged the congestion we are confronted with today, and whether or not it proposed ways of responding to it? If it did, then, was the two-track system one of the recommended responses? If so, why are we only now hearing about it? The Way to Address Social Inequity Because the Free SHS blueprint document has not yet been publicly disclosed, we will proceed to assume its purpose and to suggest that, it is to address the problem of inequitable access to high school education. If this assumption is correct, then the current approach to achieving this objective may not be entirely appropriate. The way to address social inequality is not to accentuate it by creating equal access even for those who can afford, but rather to introduce affirmative action policies and programmes, which create opportunities exclusively for those that ordinarily cannot afford. It is this principle that actuated Ghanas first president to introduce free secondary education (feeding grant) in the northern part of the country, and NOT across the whole country. The suggestion has been made that assessing who qualifies for free SHS and who does not, would be difficult. While that may be true, we should not lose sight of the fact that Free SHS could also serve as the platform for broadening the tax net, which eventually will make it easier to make such determination. Proof of tax registration could be used as parents qualification to access this benefit. Beyond that, it is easy to start from the formal sector. All workers over and above a stated grade or salary threshold should be excluded from the programme. For the informal sector, as already indicated, proof of tax registration should form the initial qualification, and subsequently, turnover used to assess continued eligibility. All children coming from rural and urban poor communities and schools should automatically qualify for the programme. To encourage farming, we may even want to automatically qualify children of full-time farmers. Source of the Classroom Congestion At the inception of the Free SHS programme, ISODEC called for the accommodation of dissenting views. We indeed went on to call for a national dialogue on the policy. These were however disregarded. It was clear to us that, the implementation of the policy was going to create problems that will eventually come back to threaten its sustainability. Available information on 2017 SHS enrolment suggests that, though there has been some increase in senior high school enrolment since the inception of the Free SHS, the increase has been very marginal. The question, therefore, is, how this marginal increase has led to so serious a congestion as to warrant the introduction of a two-track system? The evidence on the ground suggests that the congestion has been brought about not by enrolment numbers, but by the majority of students, including those who under normal circumstances would have opted for day stream, now opting for boarding. The pressure, therefore, is on boarding facilities, compelling many schools to convert some of their classrooms into sleeping places, and therefore creating congestion in the classrooms. The two-track system may therefore not be the best approach to decongest the boarding facility and the classrooms. As weve been told, that approach will require the recruitment of 10,000 new teachers, a recurrent cost that will further compound governments liquidity challenges. The Way Forward Two main options in our view, could best decongest our schools and improve the quality of teaching and learning. First, is to make parents cater for the feeding of their wards either in part or fully. This will provide the incentive for some to revert to the day stream. Such policy measure should be accompanied by continuing with the NDCs school infrastructure projects to continually expand classroom infrastructure. The second option, which Uganda has implemented quite successfully, is to pre-qualify some private High Schools with adequate facilities to participate in the Free SHS programme. In fact, we have done the same in the health sector, where some private health facilities are accredited to provide NHIS sponsored services. The lesson we draw from the path we have travelled so far is that, perhaps, if the government had modelled the input-output-impact of its policy, consulted more, a lot of the challenges besetting the programme today would have been averted. Maybe the Free SHS wouldnt have been introduced in the first year. Bringing it on in the second or third year of the governments current term would have provided the space and comfort to prepare for the challenges that confront us today. So lately I have been getting messages on my phone and inbox, a lot of people are asking me to sign a girl who talks and sings like my late artist ebony reigns and this had got me thinking. these are the same people that said Bullet was too quick to bring out a new artist, and these same people been attacking my new artist wendy shay saying she is trying to sing and act like ebony reigns even though Y'all know she is different. If you guys are attacking wendy shay because you claim she is trying to be like Ebony reigns then why are you all forcing me to sign another artist who sings and talk like ebony reigns? chale we for stop this hypocritical life oo. The event will be held at WheatBeaker Hotel, partners for this year's event. Actors, Diplomats and Industry Stakeholders in the African movie industry will attend the invite-only nominations announcement event. Dorothee Wenner, German Filmmaker and Berlin Film Festival Curator who is also the president of the jury and Chairman of the screening committee, Shaibu Husseini will announce the nominees for this year's edition. Munachi Abii and Enyinnaya Nwigwe will be comperes for the evening. Moet & Chandon champagnes are also partners for this year's event. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Get them a dance floor, put on some good music and you are guaranteed to be entertained. That expressive nature has helped give birth to some of the greatest dance hits in, if not all, most African countries and they keep coming. Its almost impossible not to want to jam the way they do whenever a great song comes on. Heres a list of some of the dances Nigerians have been so gracious to bless us with. 1.Shaku shaku DJ Prince - Skaku Shaku (Official Video) ft Skales The latest Nigerian dance craze that has Kenyans going wild is undisputedly the shaku shaku dance. 2.Shoki Lil Kesh - Shoki Rmx [Official Video] ft. Davido, Olamide Lil Kesh helped to catapult the shoki dance across borders and we as Kenyans are beyond grateful for that. 3.Etighi dance Iyanya - Kukere [Official Video] Popularized by Iyanyas Kukere dance video, the Etighi dance is a definite go to dance move on the dance floor. 4.Skelewu Skelewu - Davido (Official Music Video) Thanks to Davido, the Skelewu dance was a hit back in 2016. 5.Shakiti bobo Olamide - Bobo [Official Video] The media had the opportunity to listen to the 10 track album namely You Are My God, Mmrane, Today Na Today, The Arm of God, Pass Me Not and Maba. Sound engineers who worked on the album include Dan Bassey, Francis Osei and Philipo. The leader of the group Apostle Frank Nyamekye explained the motivation behind two songs from the album which is his favourite. On You Are My God, the artistes sing their heart saying they will only worship God and no other God because He is God who is trustworthy Praise Covenant lifts God high for his grace and endless love for his children on Mmrane. The group, which is made up of Apostle Frank Nyamekye, Dominic Kyereh and Clara Kanu have set out on a mission to win souls for God and they say making money isnt their goal. Our purpose in Ministry is to set people on the right path with the word of God and not what we will gain from it. God has been good to us and the only way to reciprocate the gesture is to live for Him, Apostle Frank Nyamekye, So far, we have performed at different churches namely All Nations Church, Action Chapel, Gracefields Chapel just to mention a few and the reception was awesome. Our live worship sessions have been loved by audiences and that has been a positive sign for us, he said. The album wouldnt have been successful without the help of Dr Kwaku Frimpong of Champion Divine Clinic and Dr Ralph Dartey of TLC, we are grateful for the support they have given us, he added. The group intends to do collaborations with some of the renowned Ghanaian Gospel musicians in future. In a video that has been circulating on social media, the angry unidentified man is seen physically assaulting his rival who was still seated in the car in which he had been romping the married woman. The video shows the supposed adulterous woman in a long red skirt attempting to prevent her husband from further beating her illicit lover who was obviously trapped in the black saloon car. During the womans efforts to restrain the angry husband, the trespasser quickly jumped out of the car through the other side of the car and ran away half naked. Reports say 25-year-old Kofi Sarpong was caught red-handed abusing the animal on his fathers cocoa farm, and the owner has refused to take back the cow. Rainbow Radios Sir Joe is reported to have said that Kofi Sarpong took to his heels leaving his pair of trousers and a shirt at the scene of the bestial act. Having presented the pair of trousers and shirt to the chiefs palace as an evidence of his claim, the cows owner is reportedly demanding GHC1, 500 in return for his animal. As if that was not enough, adomonline.com reported that the man is further demanding another compensation of GHC2, 000, making a total of GHc3, 500. READ MORE: Man arrested for having sex with 3 cows leading to the death of one Men engaging in sexual intercourse with animals has been ongoing since time immemorial, but the appalling act is gradually becoming rampant in Ghana and some other African countries lately. Just last week, a 32-year-old Daniel Ackon was arrested by the Assin South District Police Command for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a goat at Fa-Wo-Ma-Nye Anomabo Kuma in the Ajumako Anyan Asiam District of the Central Region. The quartet took this picture as covers of the July issue of Agoo Magazine. They all looked fashionable in their various African print styles. The guys were clothed in African print blazer with matching pants but their fabrics differed from each other. They also rocked the blazer bear chested with each of them accessorizing with distinct chains. His comments come after the government suspended a directive to sack foreign retailers from the Ghanaian market. READ ALSO: ICGC goes electronic in tithes and offering collection He welcomed the decision to suspend the directive and promised to educate his members on the need to pay taxes. Meanwhile, the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) said they were disappointed in the government for the reversal. The Association has accused the foreigners of selling fake and substandard goods to the Ghanaian consumers. It has also accused the foreigners of evading taxes. READ ALSO: New tax measures take effect from August 1 But Yahaya Alhassan told Accra-based Citi FM that the Nigerian traders are many so we cannot control all of them but we will make sure that they all do the right things. We are very law-abiding and we mean no evil. I understand their frustration but they should understand that God gives and will give all of us our share of the market, he added. He said Ghana can emulate other developed nations that allows for younger participation in leadership. We need to spark up the debate on the appropriate age for Presidency in this country. As young parliamentarians, the ball is in your court. It is up to you to bring it before the House, start a conversation, he said. He made these comments at the inauguration of the Young Parliamentarians Forum at the Speakers Lounge, Parliament House. Citing examples of young leaders around the world, Dr Dzani said Indeed, the World over, young people are leading the way. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada at the age of 37 years of age. President Macron became President of France at age 39. Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern was elected at 37 years of age in 2017. Before my election to the Council of State, the assumption was that only old people could serve in that capacity, I am happy I got the chance to make history, as the youngest person to be elected as member of the Council of State in the commonwealth and I know that whether or not other young people will get the chance to serve on the Council depends on how I serve, he said. The meeting, which will be chaired by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu is intended to address the concerns of the doctors. Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Robert Cudjoe, said on Monday, 30 July that an emergency meeting has been scheduled for either the same day or Tuesday, to deal with the doctors issues. The Ghana Medical Association has tabled a list of demands for redress by the government, threatening to embark on a strike action if the demands are not met. A statement issued by the association at the end of its 4th annual executive council meeting in Jirapa in the Upper West Region noted. The doctors threatened an indefinite strike, effective Monday, 6 August 2018, until a list of their demands are met by government.All doctors in the public sector will withdraw their outpatient services until August 19 and heighten the industrial action by withdrawing emergency services from 20 August until 27 August when they declare a full-blown strike if their demands are still not met. His lawyer, Jonathan Dzansi went back to the court with a repeat application, urging the court to grant the accused person bail. In moving the application, he told the court that Dr. Obeng-Andoh had done everything possible to reach the phone number the deceased provided for contact in times of emergency but there was no response. He told the court that it was 12 hours after the death that the doctor had ordered for the body to be taken to the mortuary to prevent it from going bad. Dzansi told the court that the accused person never told the morgue attendants to embalm the body, but rather added a note to the body asking the hospital officials to preserve it for an autopsy. He disclosed that the autopsy report on the deceased has been released and it indicated that she died after massive fat transfer. He also told the court that his client is law-abiding and will readily make himself available for the trial. But Ashong Okai, a Senior Attorney, last week vehemently opposed the bail application on the basis that investigations into the various roles played by the accused had not been completed. He said if Dr Obengfo and his cleaner were granted bail they would interfere with the witnesses and evidence because the incident took place at Dr Obengfos health facility. He further informed the court that autopsy on the deceased Stacy Offei-Darko was not out yet and invited the court to take a look at the circumstance of the matter. Okai explained that before surgeries were conducted at health facilities, relations of the sick person have portions on a form where names and phone numbers were provided. He, however, said that though the court has the power to grant bail it should exercise its discretion judiciously. The court presided over by Justice Kofi Dorgu had heard defence counsel and a lawyer from the Attorney General's office on the bail pending trial application filed on behalf of Dr Obengfo and his cleaner, Edward Amponsh who is also being held for impersonation. According to Justice Kofi Dorgu, in such circumstances, the proper charge would have been medical negligence which is not necessarily a crime. The suspects, Ibrahim Sambo and Sulemana Sambo, were picked up while robbing passengers upon a tip-off. According to the Public Relations officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh, on July 28, 2018, at about 10.30 am, the Kwahu Mpraeso Police patrol team had a tip-off that armed robbers have blocked a section of the Kwahu Tafo -Kwahu Pitiku motor road and were robbing drivers and passengers. He said the Police swiftly rushed to the scene and met three Fulani men armed with single barrel short guns. But the armed robbers fled into the bush on seeing the Police and were given hot chase by the patrol team following which suspect Ibrahim Sambo was arrested. Police retrieved one single barrel short gun from him. This promoted the Assembly to take immediate action, with a special task force being set up to stop traders from selling on the streets. The move is geared towards ensuring that traders do not expose themselves to danger, as was the case when they decided to sell on the streets. The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Assembly, Albert Boakye Okyere, said the taskforce has been charged to permanently stop traders from breaching road markings to sell their goods. According to him, a 30-man taskforce team has been put together to patrol the streets in a bid to ward off any potential street traders. He further disclosed that plans are underway to relocate the traders to a more suitable place. We are not going back, we will station people here permanently while we also find an alternative space for the traders, Mr. Okyere added. Last Thursday, a KIA truck run through some traders and pedestrians at Ashaiman, killing one and injuring six others. The truck, which was loaded with cement blocks, reportedly lost control and run into the traders selling on beyond street markings. Victims of the gory accident are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals in the capital. Ayariga said prior to the demolition of the project, he had issued a crossed cheque of GH2,400 to the Ga East Municipal Assembly as commitment fee to convince the authorities that he was willing to pay whatever amount they would demand to grant him the building permit. In a Facebook post, he wrote: "Ghana policemen under the supervision of crime officer Asp Sarpong of Taifa, NPP Party executives and Abokobi Municipal Assembly went to Dr. Hassan Ayarigas Hospital project and his children park project in Haatso and demolition the project he is putting up for the people of Ghana with the pretext of not having a building permit. They beat and assaulted his workers. Without a demolition permit police now acting as Land guards and misconducting themselves. The police demolished his property. This is where lawlessness has got to in our country. We will resist police brutality and misconduct in our courtroom. We paid for our permit but they want the money in cash and not cross CHQ. Corruption everywhere now". The encounter was brief, but, for Loeffelholz, unsettling. In notes he jotted down and in text messages to a friend, he said that the director had been brutal and that the musical director had criticized his performance. At the end, Loeffelholz wrote, the director told him to respect the production, which he interpreted as a suggestion that he should consider quitting. Six days later, Loeffelholz killed himself. It is rarely possible to know exactly why someone takes his own life, and suicide generally has multiple causes. But the death of Loeffelholz on June 29 has rattled the cast, crew and creative team of one of Broadways marquee shows. Its something that has really unnerved the whole company, Bruce Bonvissuto, a trombonist in the orchestra, said. Its really been a very difficult period to go out and do a show every night. However complex the causes of Loeffelholzs death may be, widespread discussion of his final rehearsal has brought new attention to the way theatrical creative teams wield power in an era of increasing concern about how managers treat subordinates in the workplace. Since Jeffs tragic death, we have heard from a new round of Equity members that bullying is still far too common in the theater, despite our work on harassment prevention, Mary McColl, executive director of Actors Equity, the union representing performers and stage managers, said. Some have taken to social media to detail instances in which they felt mistreated or abused. Backstage bullying is essentially Broadways dirty little secret, Robert DuSold, an actor, wrote in a blog post about Loeffelholzs death. The shows producers, director and musical director all expressed sadness over Loeffelholzs death; the production and the director declined to comment on details while investigations are underway, while the musical director said she has always behaved professionally. An investigation is being conducted by Actors Equity, which hired a lawyer to review the death and said it would share the results with the cast. The producers hired their own lawyer to investigate, but then decided to rethink the process, according to a spokesman, after that lawyer complained about a lack of cooperation from the cast, some of whom were suspicious about whether the shows inquiry would be objective. Anger has been directed at the producers and directors, but whether that is fair is a difficult question. Broadway, the mountaintop of theater, is by nature a demanding place. Tough rehearsals happen all the time. And Loeffelholz, at 57, was dealing with the kind of career and life pains every actor goes through indeed, the pains that many everyday workers go through. He was not getting any younger, and his character, a small but demanding role, was not getting any older. He and his partner had also lost control of a chocolate shop they ran in Rockefeller Center and were fighting with the owners. But no one not his friends, not his partner, not his bosses, and not his colleagues seemed to know the depths of his despair until he was found, near death, in his apartment. Dream Role for an Unusual Talent Chicago, a musical satire about a group of murderous women seeking to parlay their notoriety into careers in vaudeville, is among the best-known shows Broadway has produced; a 2002 film adaptation was the rare musical to win an Academy Award for best picture. The current Broadway revival the original ran for two years in the 1970s opened in 1996, and has been performed more than 9,000 times, grossing $625 million thus far; the show is also running in London, and has had multiple tours. Only The Phantom of the Opera, which opened in New York in 1988, has been on Broadway longer. Loeffelholz was an unusual figure in the Chicago milieu a standby for the character Mary Sunshine, a journalist with a soft spot for sob stories who is played by a male soprano dressed in womens clothing. Loeffelholzs responsibilities involved calling in eight times a week to see if he was needed, and, if not, staying near the theater while the show was running. When the revival opened, he signed a standard contract guaranteeing him a job for the life of the show; such a provision was not unusual, but most productions measure their life spans in months rather than decades. The role was a dream for Loeffelholz, a theater lover who could sing high notes most men cannot reach. He brought a comic flair to the part, and took pride in the enormous applause he routinely received when his character is revealed to be a man. "It was the perfect role for him it fit his voice and it fit his personality, a cousin, Donna Wynn, said. Loeffelholzs domestic partner, Peter De La Cruz, said the couple chose their apartment to be near the Ambassador Theater, where Chicago is performed, so he could dash over when needed, and when they would eat out, they would choose a restaurant in the neighborhood. He loved it, De La Cruz said. Sometimes he would go on midway through the show. You have to have nerves of steel, and he did. Loeffelholz was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma. His father, Ray Loeffelholz, died by suicide at the age of 23, about three months before Jeff Loeffelholzs birth, according to a friend and a news report at the time. His mother died, apparently of a heart attack, at 45, when Loeffelholz was in college; he sang Youll Never Walk Alone from Carousel at her funeral. Jeff discovered theater in high school, and studied drama at the University of Oklahoma. In college he got experience performing in womens clothing appearing in drag in one of the plays that became Torch Song Trilogy and began developing his soprano, at first as a way of mimicking the divas he adored. He lived as if in a musical, said a friend, Bart Ebbink. Certain songs would fit a situation he was in, and he would burst into song. Upon graduation, he, his boyfriend and Ebbink piled into a car and drove to New York. They found an apartment in Astoria, Queens, and embarked on new lives; in 1986 he met De La Cruz, who was with him until his death. Loeffelholz began performing in comedic cabaret acts where he would sing songs normally performed by women at first in Soprano Showstoppers, and then, with Michael Tidd, in Dangerous Duets. He played Mary Sunshine in summer stock in Potsdam, New York, years before landing the Broadway standby role. In the revivals early years, Loeffelholz went on as Mary Sunshine many times, but in recent years he was rarely used. Under the contract, Loeffelholz could be fired only for cause. He could be bought out a step that would have cost the budget-minded production, which has used tight cost controls to continue running for 22 years, about $30,000 to $40,000, according to his friends. Adrian Bryan-Brown, a spokesman for the production, said the amount of a buyout would not be a limiting factor in making decisions that benefit the production and that the producers had no reason to buy out Mr. Loeffelholz. Called in Before Rehearsal Loeffelholz feared that the production no longer supported him, and he was worried when he was asked to come in just before a full-cast rehearsal, on June 22, to work with the shows director, Walter Bobbie, and musical director, Leslie Stifelman. Bobbie, 72, is an admired stage veteran with 21 Broadway credits as an actor, director and writer; he won a Tony for his direction of Chicago. Stifelman, 58, was a Chicago pianist who in 2003 was elevated to musical director; she conducts the onstage orchestra and speaks a few lines of dialogue. She has described the cast as family, and even met her wife, Melissa Rae Mahon, through the show. Loeffelholz had no real relationship with Bobbie, and he felt that Stifelman didnt like him, friends said. He thought something might be up, said Brian Rardin, a close friend and Tidds partner. Loeffelholz texted Rardin during breaks in the rehearsal, and jotted down notes afterward. Walter was Brutal and I feel like it was a set up directed towards me personally! he texted to Rardin. They made me do the song about 5 times at one point he got mad and walked out. In the notes Loeffelholz left, he said that, as he repeatedly sang Mary Sunshines big number, A Little Bit of Good, Bobbie asked him to quit overperforming it and being draggy; said he couldnt hear the songs lower notes; and described himself as very disappointed and very upset before leaving the auditorium. Stifelman then said she wanted to work on the middle section of the song with Loeffelholz, saying you always do it wrong, according to his notes. Much of his description was confirmed by witnesses who heard parts of it, but asked not to be identified because they feared endangering their positions with the show. Bryan-Brown said those descriptions do not represent our understanding of the events of that day but declined to be more specific while the investigations are ongoing. According to Loeffelholzs notes, he and Bobbie had a brief final conversation at the lip of the stage, which none of the witnesses heard. He wrote that Bobbie had asked him to respect the production, said I cannot tell you what to do, but 22 years; said that he did not agree with run-of-production contracts; and said you make more money than I do with this production. (Bryan-Brown said the actor did not out-earn the director. Loeffelholz made an estimated $106,000 a year, the current Broadway minimum.) Stage rehearsals, of course, can be demanding, and repeating a song or scene is common; witnesses said the interaction with Loeffelholz was not as tough as some they had experienced at Chicago, and a stage managers report that day noted nothing unusual. But the Mary Sunshine song is taxing for the male voice, and the exchange hit Loeffelholz hard. He was in a dark mood by the time he got home. He was definitely upset, depressed, despondent, Tidd said. The following Monday, Loeffelholz met with a representative from Actors Equity, the union, to report the interaction. But over the next few days, he remained out of sorts. He said, I have a scarlet letter,' De La Cruz recalled. He was so mad that they took this route. On Thursday evening, Loeffelholz sent a round of texts to friends, saying I love you; wrote No joy on a notepad; and then swallowed a lethal amount of alcohol and pills. When De La Cruz got home from work, he found him unresponsive; the next day he was removed from life support. The medical examiner ruled the death a suicide. Backstage Despair Determining the cause of suicide is, of course, difficult. Many people are treated roughly at work, and even lose their jobs, without killing themselves. Loeffelholz had experienced some financial stress. After working at, managing and investing in a Teuscher Chocolates shop in Rockefeller Center for years (he would often bring Champagne truffles to Chicago), De La Cruz was laid off and Loeffelholz resigned in 2016, when the shops owner moved to bring in new leadership. The couple sued Teuscher, and the case is pending in state court. They werent struggling, but they were worried, and the stress of being an older performer on Broadway is tremendous, said the couples lawyer, Juan C. Restrepo-Rodriguez. Chicago performers interviewed said that, although they were stunned by Loeffelholzs suicide, they were not surprised by the incident that preceded it. Multiple current and former musicians, most speaking anonymously because they feared retribution, said Bobbie could be intimidating and Stifelman could belittle or disrespect performers. She would regularly be cursing, slamming things, and trash-talking musicians and performers, said Dan Peck, a musician who previously played the bass and tuba for the show. And whenever Jeff was on, despite the audience loving him, she would be throwing shade and rolling her eyes. Stifelman, who has stayed away from the show since shortly after Loeffelholzs death, disputed the descriptions, saying in an email, In two decades working at Chicago Ive trained hundreds of performers with the utmost of professionalism and respect and any insinuation to the contrary is just not true. She said she never told Loeffelholz you always do it wrong. No words can ever begin to express how profoundly saddened I am by Jeffs passing and for all that Jeffs family and friends are going through, she said. In the 20-plus years I have worked for the producers of Chicago, my job has been the music, never hiring or firing, and in all that time without incident. She has support from Rob Fisher, the shows original musical director, who said, Ive never seen her belittle or humiliate, and its hard for me to imagine that. Fisher also said everybody loved Jeff, but added that the role of Mary Sunshine is not something that people can do for 22 years male vocal cords cant sustain singing in that range. Bobbie declined to comment, but his union, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, released a statement on his behalf. With two investigations ongoing, it is not appropriate for our member Walter Bobbie or for SDC to discuss the tragedy, the statement said. Walter is deeply saddened by Jeff Loeffelholzs death and offers his sincere condolences to Jeffs family and loved ones. Bryan-Brown said the production had received no prior complaints about Bobbie or Stifelman. Initially the producers, Barry and Fran Weissler, named as their investigator a lawyer, Judd Burstein, who had represented them, leading some performers to believe he would not be objective. Many performers refused to meet with him, and another lawyer, Bruce Maffeo, appointed by Equity to conduct a separate investigation, discouraged such meetings. When Burstein publicly objected, and said Equity was in circle the wagons mode because of its own handling of Loeffelholzs concerns, the Weisslers decided to reconsider how to proceed. It is important to them that both the unions and the company have confidence in the process for investigating the matter, Bryan-Brown said. Loeffelholzs friends are hoping the investigations will have an impact. We want the whole truth, said Marshall Coid, the Chicago violinist. We seek change in his name as a fitting legacy for a wonderful and much-beloved man. While the investigations proceed, family and friends are planning an Aug. 7 memorial at St. Malachys Church, known as the actors chapel, where Loeffelholz, who was raised Catholic, would occasionally attend Mass. And in a backstage stairwell at the theater, there are two tributes to Loeffelholz. In one corner is a shrine with candles, photos of Loeffelholz, and a plastic bag holding his body mic. And on the next landing, cast and crew have begun writing in iridescent markers on a black wall words expressing their hopes for change: Love. Kindness. Support. Respect. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. We try to be as authentic as we can without getting dysentery, Brennan said of his unit, several of whom were frying bacon and brewing coffee over a fire. They were camped in a sea of canvas tents that housed many of the 6,000 re-enactors at the event. Beyond the spectator stands and hot dog stalls, the Confederates were camped just out of sight. The 155th Gettysburg anniversary re-enactment, which was held over the second weekend in July, was a chance for dedicated hobbyists to blast away at each other with antique rifles and rekindle old friendships over campfire-cooked meals. Spectators paid $40 to watch nearly a dozen mock skirmishes over the course of four days, and there was an old-timey ball Saturday night. An Abraham Lincoln impersonator was on hand to pose for photos. It was also a snapshot of a hobby in decline. Gettysburg is among the biggest re-enactments of the year, and it still draws thousands to the sweltering Pennsylvania countryside in the middle of summer. But thats nothing compared with the re-enactments of the 1980s and 1990s, when tens of thousands would turn out. In 1998, at the 135th anniversary of Gettysburg, there were an estimated 30,000 re-enactors and 50,000 spectators. Many of todays re-enactors were born as the last Civil War veterans were dying, and grew up amid the celebrations and re-enactments of the centennial that lasted from 1961 to 1965. But the heyday of re-enacting was the 90s, during another moment of national fascination with the Civil War. In 1990, Ken Burns Civil War documentary pulled in nearly 139 million viewers (huge ratings for a PBS program), and James McPhersons 900-plus page academic book, The Battle Cry of Freedom, published in 1988, spent months on the best-seller lists. Interest in the battlefield experiences of Civil War soldiers was fueled by cinematic hits, like the 1989 Oscar-winning film Glory and Gettysburg, a 1993 release that was more than four hours long. (Hundreds of re-enactors were cast as extras.) But in the past decade or so, the crowds at large scale re-enactments have dwindled. Longtime hobbyists are aging out and retiring soldiers in their 50s and 60s filled much of the camp at Gettysburg and younger people arent marching onto mock battlefields in nearly the same numbers. Enthusiasts cite a number of factors. Video games are to blame, some grouse, while others attribute diminishing interest to the rising expense of gear. A reproduction Civil War rifle alone can cost more than $1,000. But many are more introspective about it. In the 1980s and 90s, the whole tone of the country was different, said Thomas Downes, 68, a retired machinist from Cleveland, who has been re-enacting for the Union side for 38 years. Up until the last five or 10 years, the social causes of the war did not come into what we do, he said. We were paying tribute to the fighting man. It wasnt Im racist and I want to glorify slavery,' he said. Nobody really thought a lot about the social reasons of why the South went to war. It was just these poor guys who were underfed, undermanned, underequipped, fighting valiantly to the last man, until they couldnt stand anymore. Brad Keefer, a 61-year-old corporal in the Union re-enactor ranks and a professor of history at Kent State University, said: Re-enactors look at the war as a four-year period between 1861 and 1865 in which you can cut out all the stuff leading up to the war and very much ignore everything that happened afterward. We dont get tangled up in all the messy bits, which are the causes and outcomes, which are complicated and uncomfortable, he said. Its a vision of history placed in narrow context. The military details are meticulously researched and re-created down to the stitching of a uniform, but the broader social and political realities of the Civil War the profound struggle over slavery and emancipation, racism and equality, citizenship and disenfranchisement are largely confined to the margins. Still, those issues cant be ignored. After a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, where demonstrators wore swastikas and carried Confederate flags, and where an anti-racist protester named Heather Heyer was killed, at least two smaller Civil War re-enactments were canceled. That the battle flag Confederate re-enactors carry is still used as a means of intimidation makes it hard to defend as a purely historical object, independent of its racist implications. You build a comfort zone for the hobby to function, Keefer said. Pointing to the Confederate camp, he said: And give them the benefit of the doubt that they werent at Charlottesville. There are many ways to be a Civil War re-enactor. Its not just the battlefield roles. At Gettysburg this year, there were also nurses and surgeons, nuns and chaplains, and 1860s-era government volunteers. Steven Mark Diatz, a retired librarian from Alexandria, Virginia, had appointed himself the role of war correspondent for the New York Herald, one of the largest newspapers at the time and, in Diatzs words, a sensationalist rag. I was always intrigued by how the war was brought home, Diatz, 63, said. Plus I can go anywhere on the battlefield as long as I stay out of the way of the firing. Diatz spends much of his free time portraying other historical characters, including soldiers in the American Revolution, the Spanish-American War and World War II. After Gettysburg, he planned to shave off his mustache and spend the next weekend dressed as a Royal Navy officer at a Jane Austen festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Katie Mullins, who was portraying a volunteer for a long-extinct government organization, said that technically, she and her fellow volunteers on the U.S. Sanitary Commission shouldnt be at the re-enactment at all. Its a bit of an anachronism that were here now during the course of the battle because the Sanitary Commission arrived afterward, she said. But nobody does a re-enactment of a battles aftermath. Despite the obsession with historical detail, there were plenty of re-enactors who brought air mattresses, propane burners, flashlights and jugs of Gatorade. Some camped out with entire families in tow. There are many hard-core re-enactors the kind of people who want to know what it felt like to march 25 miles in disintegrating shoes, sleep in ditches and subsist on hardtack and rancid salt pork who eschew Gettysburg as a mainstream event. But at least one Union unit spent several days marching along highway shoulders to get to this years re-enactment, retracing the movements of the Army of the Potomac. Another unit traveled from Germany, and hundreds of cavalry re-enactors showed up with their horses. One cavalryman, Nathaniel Williams Sr., said he grew up riding in southern Virginia but didnt learn that his ancestors served in the 2nd U.S. Colored Cavalry, a Union regiment of free blacks and liberated slaves, until later in life. I had no idea we were in the Civil War, said Williams, his horse grazing in a field behind his tent. It was never taught to me. It opened up my eyes to a lot of things. Williams first organized a re-enacting group about 20 years ago, recruiting relatives, friends and members of his church. This year, about two dozen people in his unit made the trip. They were the only black unit there. Black re-enactors form a small faction within the overall hobby. But groups who portray U.S. Colored Troops the designation the Army gave to ranks of all-black regiments tend to re-enact battles where black troops played key roles in the fighting, including the Battle of Fort Wagner in South Carolina, depicted in Glory. Army commanders initially made black regiments perform menial labor and didnt regularly order them into combat until after Gettysburg. Even though we didnt fight here, we make it a family event, said Williams, sitting alongside his wife, Angela, who was wearing period dress. Weve got three days, we can spend time together and have fun. The actual battle of Gettysburg was some of the most savage fighting in the Civil War, but no one wants to die early in a re-enactment. If you catch an imaginary bullet in the beginning of a skirmish, you miss out on most of the action. (For the cavalry, dying in mock battle is even rarer because it means falling out of the saddle.) But casualties inevitably mount. Sometimes, theres just no way around it, Keefer said, not long after going down under intense fire from the Confederate lines. We were getting killed there, he said. There were just too many Rebs shooting. Once down, some of the wounded took the opportunity to pull out their smartphones and take photos and videos. A crew of bucket-carrying women made their way around the battlefield, topping off the canteens of both the living and the dead. Re-enactors shoot gunpowder, not bullets, but serious accidents do happen from time to time. Usually its heatstroke and heart troubles that pose the greatest threat, a problem that has grown as the average participant has aged. A Friday evening skirmish at this years event was interrupted when an infantryman collapsed in the sun. Modern medics carted him off the field. The fighting was over when the buglers sounded Taps. The soldiers placed their caps over their hearts, shook hands and congratulated each other on a good fight. Union and Confederate re-enactors alike turned out to a ball Saturday night, as did women in hoop skirts, bonnets and period jewelry. Music was provided by the 2nd South Carolina String Band, which played several hours worth of popular mid-1800s ballads and waltzes with a decidedly pro-Southern slant, ignoring requests for Yankee Doodle in favor of Dixie. (The bands website boasts that all five of their recordings have been listed in the Top 30 selections on Amazon.coms Civil War Music page for the past 5 years running.) Back in the army camps, re-enactors pulled out bottles of whiskey and moonshine, traded stories and rehashed historical debates. Well talk about McClellan moving too slowly on the peninsula and then well talk about Joe getting divorced, said Frank Beachem, a 59-year-old from Manassas, Virginia, and onetime mall Santa who works in government procurement. At one camp, a seasoned re-enactor tested a new recruits recipe for hardtack, the tooth-cracking bread that formed the backbone of a soldiers field rations. If its edible, its not real hardtack, he said. As he bit into a piece barely edible, passably accurate the sound of a banjo and fiddle wafted over. Historical flourishes and stacked rifles aside, the camp at a Civil War re-enactment resembles a Boy Scout jamboree. The slice of rustic outdoor life is one of the hobbys big draws. I tell people its a chance to have a guys weekend out camping, just doing it a little more old school than people are used to, said Christopher Wesp, 34, a relatively recent recruit and former Marine who served three tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. From my first event, the camaraderie that I felt and started building was very close and comparable to what it was like being in the service, he said. Thats the thing I missed most about being in the Marine Corps. Politically, Civil War re-enactors tend to be conservative, perhaps a reflection of the demographics of a hobby that skews heavily white and middle-aged. But its not a monolith. One Union infantryman, a 20-year-old college student, described himself as a Marxist and card-carrying member of the International Workers of the World. Most re-enactors have strong preferences, but few stick exclusively to one side, instead switching into Confederate or Union garb if the opposing ranks are too thin. Still, some Union re-enactors said they chose to wear blue at least in part because of their political convictions or because they wouldnt fight against the U.S. flag. The Confederates were more likely to say family history had a role in how they picked their side. We portray Confederates because they were the underdogs and they had all the odds stacked against them, said Bill Adams, known as Pork Pie, an engineer from southern Michigan who has been playing a Confederate soldier for the past 35 years. The politics that caused the war, we dont even care about. Some Confederate re-enactors, including Kenny Glass, 46, an emergency medical technician from Selma, Alabama, said that slavery had little to do with Southern secession, an assertion that is at odds with historical scholarship. Ive been called a racist, a bigot, everything you could think of in the world when people find out I do this, Glass said. I tell them they need to learn their history. It wasnt fought over slavery. It was fought over Southern rights, thats just the way I see it. Don King, a Confederate re-enactor who grew up in North Carolina and now lives near Sykesville, Maryland, disagreed. The South fought the war because of slavery, he said, but you cant fight a battle with only one side. Think of what a Star Wars movie would be without the Empire, he said. Just because youre acting on one side doesnt mean you embrace their historical beliefs. Part of the problem is that the historical beliefs have modern day implications. Scrutiny of Civil War re-enacting from outside as well as introspection and concern about its future on the inside reached a fever pitch after the violence last year in Charlottesville, Virginia. But it built along with protests in many cities that demanded the removal of Confederate statues and monuments from state grounds, spurred by the murder of nine black worshippers in South Charleston, South Carolina, by white supremacist Dylann Roof. Recently, threats against re-enactors have disrupted several events. In October, police in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia discovered a suspicious device possibly a pipe bomb amid the concession stands at the annual Cedar Creek re-enactment. A month later, a threat was made against participants in a parade that commemorates Lincolns Gettysburg Address. Those incidents cast a shadow over Gettysburg this year. Word trickled out that Cedar Creek had been canceled entirely, and while the reason was not stated, many thought it was obvious. Who would mess with Civil War re-enactors? said Downes, the retired machinist from Cleveland. Were just a bunch of nut cases running around playing cowboys and Indians. After a skirmish Saturday afternoon, Downes was in a melancholic mood. He said that problems with the heat were forcing him to consider retirement. Lighting his pipe in the shade of the generals tent, he reminisced on nearly four decades of re-enacting, saying it provided an outlet and escape. This is so fulfilling, he said. It carries over. Historically, Im way too old to be doing anything like this, he said. A lot of the people I re-enacted with have either crossed over the river are just too old. His wife tagged along for years, portraying a camp washerwoman, but she finally caught what Downes called a severe case of common sense about a decade ago. Ive got friends whose knees are gone, whove got bad backs. You just keep coming out for the friendships, he said. Like other re-enacting units, his group finds itself back in Gettysburg and other battlefield towns with some regularity. They occasionally set up camp on National Park Service land to serve as a living history exhibit, and they also meet up during the winter to practice drills. Afterward, the troops may head to a local bar for a cold beer, and theyve learned to leave their costumes on. Without their Union insignia, no women are coming up and asking to take their picture with us, Keefer said with a wry smile. Without these uniforms, he said, were just a bunch of middle-aged schlubs. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who blames Gulen for the failed coup, has purged tens of thousands of suspected Gulen supporters from government and military posts, and seized dozens of people from abroad. Turkey has maintained that it extradites suspected Gulenists only with the permission of the foreign governments concerned. But the case of Akcay, who has lived in Mongolia for nearly 25 years, appears to cast doubt on that claim. Akcay was near his apartment building in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, on Friday morning when he was bundled into a Toyota minivan, according to a colleague, Ganbat Batbuyan, who was in communication with Mongolian police. That account was corroborated by two other people, including another colleague and a senior Mongolian official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case. Ganbat, the Mongolian general director of the Empathy foundation, which runs the Mongolia-Turkish schools, said Mongolian police told him that the vehicle had a fake license plate and that three masked people were inside. Several hours later, what the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described as a Turkish-chartered aircraft landed at Ulaanbaatars airport. It was a Bombardier jet with a call sign matching that of a plane operated by the Turkish air force, according to an online flight-tracking service, Flightradar24. As word leaked out about the aircraft Friday afternoon, Akcays friends and family congregated at the airport. Later that afternoon, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that the Mongolian government had ordered the flight grounded. Any seizure of Akcay, it added, would constitute an unacceptable act of violation of Mongolias sovereignty and independence and Mongolia will strongly object. The jet left before 9:15 p.m., without Akcay on board. He was released several hours later, officials said. In April, Bekir Bozdag, Turkeys deputy prime minister, said in a television interview that Turkish intelligence operatives in 18 countries, including Kosovo and Malaysia, had seized dozens of Turks suspected of having links to Gulen and taken them back to Turkey. Erdogans government has pressured foreign countries to shutter schools that it says are allied with the spiritual movement of Gulen, who now lives in Pennsylvania and has denied involvement in the attempted coup. In 2016, for instance, the Turkish ambassador to Cambodia urged the closure of schools he said were linked to Gulen, whom he accused of running a terrorist organization. The same year, Turkish diplomats attempted to do the same with the educational network now run by Akcay, according to his colleagues. The Turkish government accused six Turkish citizens who were deported from Kosovo on March 29, of having connections to Gulen, whose Islamic movement has garnered support in the Balkans, among other places. Kosovos prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, said he had not authorized the deportations, and he fired his interior minister and secret service chief on the grounds that they had known about the operation and failed to inform him in advance. This month, Erdogans son visited Mongolia and met with high-level officials, according to a post on the Turkish Embassys Facebook page. Turkeys Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But in its statement, the Mongolian Foreign Ministry said that a Turkish diplomat in Mongolia had reaffirmed that the Republic of Turkey respects the independence and sovereignty of Mongolia, and any illegal activities, including the abduction of persons, have not been conducted on the territory of Mongolia. For their part, Akcays friends and family said that the fast response of Mongolian authorities underscored the relative openness of the countrys political system. I would like to thank the Mongolian police and government for acting so quickly, Ganbat said. We are a democracy with human rights, and this is not the kind of place where these things normally happen. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. However,some African countries are tough to get in even when you are an African. The African Development Bank (AFBD) released its inaugural Africa visa openness report that confirmed it was easier for North Americans and Europeans to travel in Africa than it was for Africans. Very surprising! To travel to other countries in Africa, Africans need visas to enter 55% of states on the continent, the report points out. North Americans have an easier time travelling to and within the continent than do Africans, needing a visa to travel to just 45% of African countries. They can get a visa on arrival in 35% of countries and dont need a visa at all in 20%. The recent creation of a platform by the African Development Bank that allows Africans to check visa requirements by citizenship is a major asset in increasing access to information. The portal helps one to know at a glance whether or not one needs a visa for a certain country. The 2017 visa openness index report on openness, that is just how hard it can be sometimes to obtain a visa to another African country. Although there is a growing momentum on making movement on the African continent for Africans easier these African countries are still hard to get in whether as business people, students or tourists. Zimbabweans began voting on Monday, July 30, 2018, for the first post-Robert Mugabe election in four decades in the South African country. Mugabe, the former president, was thrown out of power in a bloodless coup in 2017. Zimbabweans will be electing a new president, parliamentarians and conduct local elections on the same day. The leading presidential candidates are: Emmerson Mnangagwa - ruling Zanu-PF party The 70-year-old revolutionary leader was the country's vice president until November 2017 after he ousted President Robert Mugabe. He is a strong member of the ZANU-PF and longtime ally of the former Zimbabwean leader. Nelson Chamisa - Democratic Change (MDC) 40-years old Chamisa leads the opposition. He is Zimbabwe's youngest ever presidential candidate. Mugabe's appearance Zimbabwe's former president Robert Mugabe in a dramatic intervention and appearance on Sunday, July 29, 2018, rejected his successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and said he will not be voting for him in today's' election. International observers President Mnangagwa has vowed to hold a free and fair election and invited international observers, including the previously-banned European Union team. Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Reports say 5.6 million registered voters will vote in the election and the electoral body is due to announce the results of the presidential, parliamentary and local elections by August 4, 2018. Following a shady Instagram post from the last son of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), these two have been exchanging words for the past three days. Everything you need to know about Leke Adeboye and Daddy Freeze's battle online It started withLeke Adeboye shady post about people with expensive wristwatches who only criticise his father and refuse to acknowledge the church's good deeds. Freeze, OAP, well known religious critic and leader of the free the sheeple movement, responded with a lengthy post the next day. He wrote: "Dear Leke, No need to sell my watches, I have already bought glasses and all I see is enterprise, false humility, private jets, lies, business centres, more lies, Pentecostal franchising, poverty, even more lies, pastor idolizing, spiritual harlotry and still more lies....... Its all I see... maybe I need stronger glasses to see the tiny little giving, easily dwarfed by the large, expensive airplanes, monumental harvests and continuous streams of income from some of the worlds poorest people.... "Laying on of hands??? The only things yall need to be laying your hands on are your CVs! You need to find work, THE LOT OF YOU, starting from the top! 2 Thessalonians 3 [6] And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and dont follow the tradition they receivedd from us. [7] For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. [8] We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. [9] We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow." He continued in a second post asking, "Is Adeboye's son Leke admitting here that the Church has taken in trillions, more than all the banks in Nigeria can hold??? Could this be why we are so poor???" Leke responded by thanking Freeze for promoting an upcoming RCCG convention. He taunted his critics in another post: The RCCG G.O's son took things a step further by putting the controversial personality's face in a flyer for a RCCG event. Freeze reacted yesterday, July 29, 2018. He said, "These redeemed people are really taking my matter seriously. Leke if your dad wants me to come and preach all he has to do is ask." Leke is yet to respond to this post. Between Leke Adeboye and Daddy Freeze These two have a history of exchanging words. Recently, the controversial media personality criticised Pastor Adeboye's son for telling Nigerians to stop asking the church for financial assistance. Leke posted an Instagram video in which he encouraged people to farm and use their produce for trade by barter instead of turning to the church for help Freeze reacted by writing,"how are you and how is your daddy? Tell him I send my utmost regards and kind considerations. You are making a lot of sense with this trade by batter suggestion, but let me ask you this, does your dad pay his private jet pilots with cassava or rice? Does he exchange garri for aviation fuel?" He goes on to offer his own advice writing, "Charity they say begins at home, why not start by collecting tithes and offering in grains and cattle like it was originally intended in the Bible? The 'jokers' you mentioned so respectfully, could go to one of the numerous redeemed schools littered across Nigeria, can't they? This shouldn't be rocket science. You speak of money 'saved'. I ask from where precisely? Through what means was this money 'earned'? Do accept my kind regards to yourself and Pastor E. A. Adeboye, your father." The two crossed paths in 2017 when Leke thanked Daddy Freeze for his anti-tithing protest, which he said had led to a 33% increase in tithers. He shared the photo with the caption: "Thank you my brother. DaddyFRZ." In May 2017, Stutern, an online platform that connects interns with employers with available internship positions rated Nigerian universities in relations with the employability of their graduates. According to Stutern, the followings are the 20 Nigerian universities with graduates that have chances of being employed over their counterparts in other universities. 1. Covenant University According to the report, this institution has the highest employable graduates in Nigeria. The faith-based institution has 90% employability rate. 2. University of Abeokuta The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun state has an employability rate of 84.62% and occupies the second position in the rating. 3. Obafemi Awolowo University Obafemi Awolowo University OAU is the third institution on the list with 83.33% per cent employability rate. The university is one of the first generation tertiary institutions in Nigeria, established in 1961. 4. Federal University of Technology, Akure The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) is one of the foremost tech-based institutions in Nigeria. The institution is placed fourth in the Stutern's ranking with 80% employability rate. 5. University of Ilorin Popularly known as UNILORIN and prides itself as an institution that is better than others by far, the University of Ilorin has an employability rate of 77.78 per cent. According to Economic Confidential reports in 2017, UNILORIN is one of the two most sought-after universities in Nigeria. 6. Ekiti State University Established in 1982 as none of the first generation state universities, EKSU has an employability rate of 75.00%. 7. University of Uyo Formerly known as the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), University of Uyo ranks sixth with 75.00%. The university was established in 1991. 8. Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye (OOU) Named after the former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, OOU is the owned and controlled by the Ogun State Government. The University which was established in 1982 is rated 7th in Stutern's most employable universities with 75.00%. 9. Babcock University, Ilisan Remo Babcock is the second private university on the list, The faith-based university has an employability rate of 73.68%. The university was established as the Adventist College of West Africa (ACWA) in 1959. 10. University of Lagos Popularly knowns as UNILAG and prides itself as the number one first choice university, UNILAG occupies the tenth position in on the list with 73.24% employability rate. 11. Federal University of Technology, Owerri FUTO is the second tech-based institution on the list. The institution is one of the most popular universities of technology established in the 1980s. The employability rate of this institution according to Stutern report is 72.73%. 12. University of Port Harcourt UNIPORT has 65.00% employability rate. The University of Port Harcourt is a second-generation Federal University located in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria with over 50,000 students. 13. University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan is believed to be the best university in Nigeria according to world universities rankings. The institution is also the first university in the country and has a good history too. However, the institution graduates employability according to Stutern has 62.50 % rate. 14. University of Benin Popularly known as UNIBEST among students, the university which was established in 1970 as one of the second generation Federal Government Universities has 59.09 % employability rating. 15. Lagos State University Lagos State University LASU is believed to be the best state university in Nigeria as always shown in webometrics world university ranking. LASU occupies 15th position in employability rating with 58.82%. 16. University of Nigeria, Nsukka With 56.25%, UNN, a first generation university in Nigeria came 16th in employability rating. ALSO READ: 17. Abia State University Built by Sam Mbakwe, the Governor of old Imo State in 1981, Abia State University Uturu, also called ABSU is a state-owned public higher institution in the Eastern part of Nigeria. The institution has 18. University of Maiduguri Despite the Boko Haram Insurgency that repeatedly attacked the institution, UNIMAID is still reportedly one of the most sought-after institutions in Nigeria. However, the Stutern graduate employability report lists the institution in 17th position out of 20 with 55.56%. 19. Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Founded in 1991, UNIZIK is a multi-campus university with the main campus in Anambra state. The institution has a 55.56% employability rate. 20. Ahmadu Bello University Akeredolu told the Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Atlanta, U.S. that Buhari had done well and deserved to be re-elected, in spite of obvious challenges. I followed the achievements he (Buhari) has had within this four short years but hes not someone that is given to making noise. A lot has changed in our country and theres need for continuity; no doubt, we have had our challenges. No doubt, at the tail end, a number of challenges came about on security. But that notwithstanding, to get us out of recession within a short time is not a mean feat; people dont just appreciate it. To now talk about a number of other things; when you talk about light, where you have light, is anybody talking about it? To talk about what we have been able to save in terms of cutting corruption, so many lives are affected by that. So, I believe that within this short four years, President Buhari has done a lot, the governor told NAN. He urged Nigerians to re-elect the president for another term to stabilise the economy and block leakages. According to him, re-electing another person might lead to the reversal of what the president has done in the last three years. He said: Let him (Buhari) continue and probably stabilise the economy more, and at least, block a few areas of leakages when it comes to corruption in this country. Let him block it totally and make sure that we are on a sound footing to now move. Somebody else can come but its not like now. So for us, who are supporting him, we believe that in the interest of stability, continuity and for the progress of the nation, we need President Buhari to have another four years and then we can move ahead. On the implications of the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) leading to the gale of defections by some National Assembly members and Benue Gov. Samuel Ortom, Akeredolu said there was no cause for alarm. According to him, the defections were not because the politicians had any problem with Buhari but due to problems related to states. President Buhari will win the election, let us leave what is happening here and there; he has captured it very well. Look at the issue of the gale of defection that people are doing, he said most of them are not because of him, which is true. We have States in which people have created problems and these problems now cascaded into the national level. So, in that circumstance at the end of the day, when elections are held, President Buhari will win. I am sure by the grace of God, we will win the election. The only thing is that I dont know about senators, I cant talk about governors or some of the elections in the states. According to a statement signed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu, the girl, identified as Zainab Mohammed, was found by troops of the 28 Task Force Brigade deployed in Operation LAFIYA DOLE on Sunday, July 29, 2018. Brig-Gen Chukwunoted that she will be handed over to the appropriate authority on completion of the investigation. The Army spokesperson also revealed that troops successfully repelled an attack by Boko Haram terrorists and recovered one AK-47 rifle and one magazine containing four rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition. Boko Haram menace Since the insurgency of the terrorist group escalated after a 2009 crackdown by the military, Boko Haram, chiefly under Abubakar Shekau'sleadership, has been responsible for the death of over 20,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.5 million scattered across Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps across the country and its neighbours. Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, made this known in a statement in Abuja, and said that personnel in the squad were drawn from the Army, Air Force, Police and the Civil Defence. Shehu said that the formation of the Force was directed by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to him, the Nigerian Air Force has begun the deployment of fighter aircraft to Katsina, the airport with the closest proximity to Zamfara, to make for immediate and effective response to the menace of the bandits. This had not been possible in the past because there was no fuel depot in Katsina, but NAF has devised a way around the problem, he said. Shehu disclosed that the President had also authorised the engagement by NAF, of advanced satellite surveillance technology to help in accurate detection of movement and locations of the bandits. He said: the government had to go to this extent because of the limitations of conventional surveillance as the use of satellite technology could make the task of NAF less problematic. Following directives from the President, at the weekend, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall , was in Gusau where he met the Deputy Governor of the State. The presidents aide said that while in Gusau, Abubakar reiterated the Buharis pledge that he would never abandon victims of attacks to their fate. He also reaffirmed that security remained one of the cardinal pillars of his campaign promises and no leader would be happy to see his own citizens killed by criminal groups across the country. Shehu recalled that since his election, the president had kept faith with his promises to re-equip and motivate the countrys military and other security services. He also observed that the army and other security services are now better equipped and motivated to face the challenges of their responsibilities. Shehu, therefore, appealed to all Nigerians to unite and speak with one voice on security issues and urged politicians to stop exploiting national security challenges. Those praying for the president to fail in this effort can be likened to one stabbing oneself in the heart and celebrating about it. In this regard, security should not be reduced to petty politics as doing so could only embolden the terrorists and other murderous gangs. We therefore appeal to members of the Nigerian media to avoid unhelpful and deleterious sensationalism in the coverage of events that border on national security. The media should under no circumstances make the bandits or terrorists feel like super stars because doing so could hurt all of us, he stated. According to Shehu, terrorists seek to achieve maximum publicity and they do so by launching large-scale attacks on soft targets. This is coming on the heels of reports that eight out of 30 lawmakersin the Benue state Assembly issued a notice of impeachment to Governor Ortom. The forum also called on the international community to call the Buhari led administration to order. According to Daily Post, they also said that the incident in Benue is a throwback to full blown dictatorship and the dark days of putting human beings in crate. The statement reads: It has been reported that a ruthless and desperate plot was hatched this morning which involved drafting policemen from Abuja and neighbouring states to force the majority 22 members of the State Assembly out of the Assembly complex to pave way for the impeached Speaker,Hon Terkimbi Ikyange and six others to sit. The gangsteric operations which was said to have been led by Benue State AC OPS,Emmanuel Adesina saw the minority members sitting without the mace and the clerk of the Assembly, suspending the majority 22 members and serving impeachment notice on Governor Ortom It is shameful that President Buhari who realised after about four months that his Inspector General of Police did not obey his directive to go and secure lives in Benue State and has done nothing to him is so eager to deploy policemen to the State to enforce illegality for political calculations. We are worried that till date the President and his security team have yet to bring anybody to book for the killing of hundreds of people in Benue. They have only been putting pressure on the governor to suspend the anti-open grazing law and cede land for imperialistic and land -grabbing notion of ranches. It is equally embarrassing that a supposed democratic government would resort to thuggish tactics where political engagement is needed . This is a throwback to full blown dictatorship and the dark days of putting human beings in crate. We want to let President Buhari know in advance that he will be held responsible for any breakdown of law and and order in Benue and any possible loss of lives . We call on the international community to pay particular attention to the on-going subversion of the democratic process in Benue by the Buhari government. We stand in solidarity with the people of Benue at this dark moment as evil walks on four legs across their state. They must not flinch or surrender as this shall come to pass. PDP Reps threaten Buhari Also, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives have threatened to frustrate any request that Buhari will send to the National Assembly if he does not look into the impeachment move. According to Channels TV, Madumere was impeached on Monday, July 30, 2018. The Deputy Governor, who recently signified his interest to become Imo state Governor, had been at loggerheads with Governor Rochas Okorocha. Speaking on Madumeres impeachment, the Imo House of Assembly Speaker, Acho Ihim said the decision was taken after careful consideration of report from a panel constituted by the states Chief Judge. The Deputy Governor was accused of abandoning his duty for three months and failure to carry out his constitutional duties among others. According to Premium Times, Madumere was impeached by 19 of the 37 members of the state House of Assembly. You will recall that Justice Ben Iheka of the Imo High Court issued an order restraining the lawmakers and the Imo Chief Judge, Justice Paschal Nnadi from continuing the Deputy Governor's impeachment process. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Imo state Head of Service, Callistus Ekenze was named as Madumere'sreplacement. Ortoms notice of impeachment Also, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has been served a notice of impeachment by eight members of the House of Assembly. The lawmakers were reportedly led by the House former Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange, who was impeached recently. According to reports, the incident occurred on Monday, July 30, 2018. Senator Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East - PDP) had raised an alarm on Thursday, July 26, 2018, that Melaye had been kidnapped by unknown gunmen. However, on Friday, July 27, Melaye announced on his Twitter account (@dino_melaye) that he escaped an assassination attack and was "in the wilderness" for 11 hours. He tweeted, "I thank God once again for escaping another dangerous attack. I also thank Nigerians for their prayers and show of Love. Spent 11 hours in the wilderness traumatized but God preserved me. God is the best and in whom ONLY I trust. They will continue to try. WE SHALL OVERCOME!!!" A lot of reactions has trailed the lawmaker's recent episode as many have alleged that he staged the attack or fabricated the story in an attempt to avoid his criminal trial in his native Kogi State on Thursday. The lawmaker has dismissed those allegations and narrated the story of how he was attacked and escaped from his attackers. In an interview with Premium Times, Melaye said he was travelling to Lokoja for his court appearance when a convoy of three vehicles drove recklessly by his vehicle, intercepted him along the Abuja-Lokoja highway and forced him to stop. He said after the attackers opened fire on his bullef-proof vehicle without success, they attempted to burn him and searched for tyres to set his vehicle ablaze, giving him enough time to flee into the bush. He said, "They started shouting that they wanted to burn me, they said, 'Burn him, burn him down,' and crossed the road to look for tyres to set the vehicle on fire. I jumped into the bush, and I started running." Melaye said even though the attackers pursued him into the bush, he was able to outsmart them by climbing a tree, out of sight of his attackers. He said he waited on the tree until his attackers left and waited for hours to ensure his safety. "They pursued me and I was able to outmanoeuvre them and climb a tree. I was on top of the tree when I saw them run past looking frantically for me. When they didn't find me, they also ran back." The lawmaker further told Premium Times that his attack was sponsored by police elements as he had noticed that the three cars that attacked him had been trailing him since his separate trial in an Abuja court on Wednesday, July 25. "They were exactly the same vehicle that were used to attack me on Thursday morning," he said. He also said he could not identify his attackers because the incident was so traumatic for him that he was only concerned about survival. Melaye also dismissed allegations that he staged the attack to avoid his court appearance, especially since he already knew the trial would not take place on Thursday. He said, "Alex Izinyon is the prosecutor and he had written to my lawyer to inform him that he would not be in court on Thursday and that the judge should adjourn the matter. So why would I not want to be in court when I know that nothing would happen to me?" "I have been attending all previous court hearings. I have been told that the prosecutor wanted an adjournment. I have been granted bail long ago which I continue to enjoy. So why would I not want to go to court that day? There is no sense in that claim. It is completely against logic." Melaye missed court trial due to 'attack' Senator Melaye failed to appear for the commencement of his criminal trial at the Senior Magistrate's Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Thursday, July 26. The lawmaker faces charges of criminal conspiracy, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, political thuggery and other violent crimes in Kogi state. During Thursday's hearing, his legal representative, Yemi Mohammed, told the court that the whereabouts of the lawmaker was unknown after he was attacked on his way to Lokoja. He said, "I learnt that he was attacked yesterday (Wednesday) in Gwagwalada on his way to Lokoja to attend his trial and up till now, I have not been able to reach him, I don't know where he is at the moment." Senior Magistrate, Sulyman Abdullah, was compelled to adjourn the case till August 9, 2018. After Kabiru Saidu, a.k.a Osama, and Nuhu Salisu, aka Small, were arrested at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi on January 19, 2018, they confessed to the police that Senator Melaye hired them to cause unrest in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections. The criminal suspects disclosed that the lawmaker handed them a bag containing one AK-47 rifle, two pump action guns and the sum of N430,000 to unleash mayhem in Kogi. The Senator has always maintained that he's being politically persecuted by state governor, Yahaya Bello, as he faces two other criminal cases. According to the committee, Obono-Obla, the Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, forged the secondary school certificate which he used to gain admission to study Law in the University of Jos. According to a report by Vanguard, the committee, chaired by Ahman Pategi, who recently defected from the All Progressives' Congress (APC) to the People's Democratic Party (PDP), said the certificate saga has put Obono-Obla's "integrity and character" into doubt, especially as he's refused to honour invitations to be questioned. The committee noted, "In view of the petition received from Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria against the Chairman of the panel, Chief Okoi Obono Obla, copies of the statement of result, which he was alleged to have used to gain admission to study Law was sent to the West African Examination Council and University of Jos for verification. "The university confirmed that the statement of result sent to it was the result Chief Obla used to gain admission to study Law. However, the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the result for Candidate No: 094051247 May/June 1982, showed that the candidate was absent at the exam for Literature. In the result with University of Jos, he claimed to have credit in Literature in English in the statement of result issued to him by Mary Knoll College, Calabar. "However, WAEC disclaimed the result in the Certified True Copy sent to the committee. This cast doubt as to the integrity and character of the Chairman of the Panel."The committee proceeded to recommend that the Obono-Obla be arrested and charged to court for forgery and misrepresentation. The committee also recommeded that Obono-Obla be fired as Buhari's aide and urged the president to dissolve the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property due to the arbitrary abuse of office committed by its chairman. The committee further called on the Body of Benchers to withdraw Obono-Obla's Law School Certificate because it was obtained through fraud. Obono-Obla responds to allegations In his response to the allegations of forgery, Obono-Obla said the committee has no power to investigate his panel or his educational qualifications. He described the committee's findings as a "hatchet job" done to "smear and ridicule" him by lawmakers who are being investigated by his panel. He noted that the forgery allegation can only be investigated by the police since it is a criminal offence. President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, made the assertion in a statement in Abuja on Monday. The statement was jointly signed by Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser to Saraki on Media and Publicity and Mr Turaki Hassan, Special Adviser to Dogara on Media and Public Affairs. Saraki and Dogara deplored allegedcomplicity of police officers in the development,saying that 22 other members who constituted more than two-third majority of the 30-member assembly, were kept away from the complex. They called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the police to order, while stopping them being used to achieve political purposes. We have monitored closely the development in Benue in which the impeached Speaker, Terkimbir Ikyange, led seven other members to serve impeachment notice on the state governor, Samuel Ortom. This is happening while the 22 other members who constitute more than two-third majority have been prevented from having access to the chamber. We believe this is illegality and does not conform to parliamentary procedure on impeachment. We also note with surprise the role of the police in this undemocratic event in which the minority is seeking to impeach a governor against the position of the majority. We believe it is the sacred institution of the legislature that is being desecrated and rubbished in all these negative developments. The situation in Benue House of Assembly has grave implication for the nations democracy and it represents a throw-back to the period of dictatorship in our country. It also represents how the Nigeria Police are being misused to achieve political end, they said. The national assembly presiding officers recalled that in a statement recently, the Presidency derisively referred to an era in the past where a minority number of legislators was used to impeach governors unfriendly with the Federal Government. What we are seeing in Benue now is a return to that inglorious era. We believe this unlawful and unconstitutional move to impeach Gov. Samuel Ortom by a minority should be condemned by all lovers of democracy, at home and abroad. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the police to order and prevent a break-down of law and order. They also called on the international community to lend its voice in condemning the perpetration of illegalities and actions that could subvert the countrys democracy. They noted that there was already a tensed atmosphere in Benue following recent killings, and cautioned that nobody should encourage any action or move that may exacerbate the security situation in the state. The governor's spokesperson, Tahav Agerzua, said the lawmakers, despite heavy police presence, took over the House of Assembly complex with the help of an APC senator and former state governor, George Akume, who brought police officers from Abuja. The lawmakers are believed to have been led by Terkimbi Ikyange who was impeached as Speaker of the 30-member House and further suspended for six months for "unparliamentary behavior" last week. The former speaker has remained defiant, insisting in public that he was still Speaker, ruling his impeachment an illegality as the right procedure was not followed in the impeachment process. The other APC lawmakers believed to be behind the impeachment plot are: Adanyi Benjamin, Terhemba Chabo, Benjamin Nungwa, Bem Mngutyo, Adams Okloho, James Okefe and Nick Eworo. The remaining 22 lawmakers, led by the newly-elected speaker, Titus Abua, were prevented from gaining access into the complex on Monday. According to a report by Channels Television, the spokesperson of the eight lawmakers told journalists on Monday that 16 lawmakers have been suspended for six months. Ikyange accused Governor Ortom of embezzling N22 billion from security votes and N32 billion from local government funds, while neglecting to pay the salaries of workers and pensioners. He noted that civil servants in Benue state are being owned seven months salaries, while local government workers are owed 11 months and pensioners are owed for 14 months. After Monday's plenary, Ikyange said the notice of impeachment will be communicated to the governor in seven days. Contrary to previous reports, Ikyange claimed that he has nine other lawmakers in his camp without revealing their identities. Impeachment move is illegal - Ortom's aide The governor's media aide, Terver Akase, told Pulse Nigeria on Monday that the notice of impeachment is an illegal process as the eight lawmakers are not enough for a legislative sitting. According to a report by TheCable, Alhassan Rurum, a former speaker of the current House was elected as his replacement. Rurum resigned as speaker in July 2017 amid allegations of bribery to the tune of N100 million. Attah was voted as his replacement. After a committee set up to investigate the allegations cleared him, he was recently elected deputy speaker of the House. Rurum has been sworn in as speaker for the second time on Monday. Why Attah was impeached During impeachment proceedings against Attah, he was accused of incompetence, corruption, and failure to carry other members of the Assembly along. He was almost impeached in May when 21 members of the 40-member House reportedly signed to remove him from office due to allegations of being incompetent. Armed police officers shut down the Kano State House of Assembly complex on May 14 to stop members from gaining access to the premises, which led Attahto order the suspension of all House activities until after the Eid-El Kabir festivities. On Monday, July 30, 2018, impeached Speaker of the House, Terkimbi Ikyange, led seven other members, who belong to the All Progressives' Congress (APC), to accuse Ortom of embezzling N22 billion from security votes and N32 billion from local government funds, while neglecting to pay the salaries of workers and pensioners. The lawmakers took over the House of Assembly complex reportedly with the help of police officers who prevented the other 22 lawmakers of the 30-member House from gaining entry into the legislative chamber. After Monday's plenary, Ikyange said the notice of impeachment will be communicated to the governor in seven days. In response to the resolution of the Ikyange faction, Ortom held a press conference in Makurdi, the state capital, to ridicule the entire process that led to it. He said it could only possibly happen in a shithole country, a remark that was allegedly made by United States president, Donald Trump, in describing African countries back in January. Ortom said, "The impeached speaker and other principal officers paraded themselves in a flagrant disobedience of the Makurdi High Court's order that they should not do so until the substantive matter was held. As law-abiding citizens, that is what we encourage. "Without the Clerk of the House, an eight-member senate suspended 22 members. It's only in a shithole country that you can see this kind of thing. "The same members, without forming a quorum, claimed to, illegally, move a motion to serve an impeachment notice on me. It doesn't make any sense." Ortom calls on Buhari to caution IGP The governor also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rein in the impunity of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, for using the instrument of state to meddle in Benue State's politics. He said, "Police detachment from Abuja on the directives of Akume, IG and DG SSS forcefully allowed the eight members to occupy the House of Assembly despite the court injunction restraining the impeached Speaker from parading himself as the Speaker. "Whereas Police sent away the 22 members last Friday when they wanted to sit, today, the same Police provided security for the eight members. As a law-abiding citizen, I believe in the rule of law and I will pursue it to tackle this illegality. "Is it an offence to join any party of my choice? I appeal to Mr. President to rise and protect our democracy." In a statement signed by the Senate President's special adviser on media and publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, he said the former Nasarawa State governor is a compulsive liar whose statements should not be relied upon because of his deceitful ways. Saraki's comments follow a claim by Senator Abdullahi that the senate president once referred to Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West - PDP) as a "clown" in a private conversation. Saraki said he couldn't have made such a remark about Melaye to Abdullahi because the Kogi lawmaker has so far outshined and performed better than Abdullahi. He noted that Abdullahi simply deserves sympathies as he's made himself into an attack dog for the executive who only see him as a disposable tool. Read Saraki's full statement: "I have deliberately ignored the antics of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, especially his constant media attack on me and the Senate since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dusted his file on alleged case of corruption and also went ahead to arraign his son in court. So far, I had refrained from responding in kind out of respect for his age. "However, it seems he has misread my maturity and respect for docility. He feels the best way to play his self-survival game and ingratiate himself to the government in order to save his skin is for him to be seen to be fighting Saraki, even if that would require him to tell brazen lies and peddle mischief in his old age. "However, I feel his latest statement in an interview with a national newspaper deserves a reaction from me. "First, I could not have referred to my colleague, Senator Dino Melaye as a clown, knowing that from available records, Senator Melaye has so far outshined and has performed better than Senator Abdullahi in terms of the number of bills sponsored, motion raised and contributions to debate on the floor. "Clearly, Adamu's seven years cannot be compared to Senator Melaye's three years. Senator Adamu is free to challenge this assertion by showing his records. "Again, I restate that Senator Adamu is a deceptive, manipulative and desperate liar. He only says what suits him as the occasion demands. I urge people to check his contributions on the floor before the EFCC moved against him and his son and they will see that this is a latter day, selfish supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari. We know what he was saying about the President and his administration and what should happen in 2019 before then during discussions with our colleagues, particularly the former Governors in the Senate. "I specifically recall some statements he made on the President and his administration during an official trip we made together to Morocco in March last year. At the appropriate time, we will give more details. "Senator Abdullahi's statements should not be relied upon. He is a deceitful fellow who says what suits the situation that he finds himself. So, it is now he knows the Senate has a bad leadership after three years? Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," read a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed. The declaration came just three weeks after Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to two decades of conflict, rapidly restoring diplomatic ties and flights between their capitals. The history of the three nations, and their fallouts, have been intertwined. Somalia and Eritrea were once close. Under Somali dictator Siad Barre, the military regime in Mogagishu backed Eritrea's long fight for independence from Ethiopia, which was attained in 1993. In 1998 Ethiopia and Eritrea began a bloody two-year war over their shared border which left 80,000 dead before settling into a bitter cold war. After the fall of Barre in 1991, Somalia fell into chaos. By around 2006, it became the site of what observers called a proxy war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Ethiopia backed backing a weak interim government in Mogadishu while Eritrea was accused of backing the Islamic militants fighting to overthrow it, a charge it denied. The United Nations Security Council in 2009 imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militants, which continue to launch regular deadly attacks despite losing territory in recent years. The declaration placed special emphasis on its support for the Somali government. "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the countrys rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," it said.The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." End of 'epoch of conflict' At a state banquet on Sunday, Afwerki bemoaned the gloomy post-Cold War history of the Horn of Africa. He said the region had been destroyed by "ethnic and clan cleavages" and "external pillage and internal thievery" in the speech which also lashed out at the "micromanagement of anarchy" by the United Nations and NGOs. "Under these bleak realities, interventionist and expansionist regional agendas in the name of religion, cultural intoxication under various extremist ideologies, terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, as well as trade in weapons and narcotics became the new normal," he said, according to a speech posted on the information ministry's website. "But this epoch of crises, conflict and instability is not inherently sustainable. As such, it is nearing its end. We are indeed entering a new, transitional, phase." Ethiopia, which is undergoing lightning reforms under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has already formally requested that sanctions be lifted against Eritrea. The DPP, who spoke on a local TV station revealed that his decision to return the case files to the EACC was a way to prop up his case against government officials. Mr Haji said that he now wants the EACC to include officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) land fraud department in the investigations to help unravel the puzzle. The case has been dragging on despite parliament summons of Education CS Amb Amina Mohammed and Interiors Fred Matiangi. The DPP is seemingly unconvinced with the evidence already presented before him, said that the case involves very powerful people and that he wants to tie all the loose ends and present a watertight case. He hinted that this, however, might take time, given the involved individuals. In unprecedented move, however, he noted that there are very powerful individuals involved meaning that a weak case would risk being thrown out by the Judiciary. There is a case, and a strong one. I want it tight so it can stand in court as the accused are powerful and I dont want to fail or bring a shaky case into which holes can easily be poked, Haji said. Earlier, speculations from a section of the media were rife that Education PS Dr Belio Kipsang, NLC Chairman Mohammed Swazuri and former Education CS pocketed millions in the deal. No official record, however, have since been posted. Speaking Monday morning on a local radio station, the former Government spokesperson said that he already has over Sh3 billion in savings, after a concerned listener phoned in to seek clarification on how he will be raising the money, given his salary is known. I have the Sh3 billion and you see, I have been abroad for a long time. I schooled abroad. I have friends in the United Arabs Emirates, US, Japan and Hong Kong who are ready to fund my campaigns. The source of money should not worry you, join me to change Kenya. I have so many friends who have contributed to that course. They have told me that Kenya needs visionary and young leader like me. So, I have friends who are committed to see me take that job. They are already contributing, the governor said in an interview. ALSO READ: DPP Noordin Haji makes rare confession on controversial Ruaraka Land Earlier on a local TV station, the Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader shocked Kenyans when he said that he was in a bid to raise Sh18 billion to compete with big fish like Deputy President William Ruto but cautioned of the dangers of having too much money. "It opens the way and I have my own cash. I can compete on the same level as others. It is worth it because I'm not doing it just for me but for the people of Kenya. "Anything you spend beyond that will not help. You need money to reach a certain stage," he said, adding the funds will be used to get Kenya from a dark age to a new era. "That's the kind of money needed. It is worth it if you want to move this country to a new age. You have to do it. A time comes when you say that you are doing this for the people. Former Transport and Public Works CEC Peter Karugami has moved to the Labor and Employment Court in Nyeri seeking to quash the decision that saw him sent home by Ms Waiguru late June. He has claimed in court papers that the governor forced him to sign his resignation documents, adding that the sacking was politically motived. I am apprehensive the governor will arbitrary and maliciously use the purported resignation letter to dismiss or terminate my employment, Karugami notes in his memorandum of claims. Ms Waiguru took the tough decision to send home Mr Karugami on June 28, citing incompetence and lack of commitment to his job. The suspension was too vague and does not raise any matter that would warrant summary actions without giving me a hearing, the claimant has argued. The final report into the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been released with no final conclusions. The plane vanished while carrying 239 people en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014. Paul Weeks, a Kiwi, was one of those who lost their lives on that infamous flight. His wife Danica told RadioLIVE Drive the report is disappointing. I know I shouldnt be surprised. I knew it was going to be the end of it but I thought 1500 pages theres got to be something in there. Im just saddened at the moment, deflated I suppose that this has brought nothing, Mrs Weeks told RadioLIVE. Mrs Weeks says she was hoping the report could shed a little snippet of information as to what happened to MH370 and her husband. We live this every day and constantly look for something thats going to say this is what happened. Logically, its a Boeing 777 a commercial airplane and you cant understand how it can just go missing off the face of the earth. I maybe deluded but when you live through this you hold onto every little piece of information, she said. Listen to the full interview above. Drive with Ryan Bridge and Carly Flynn, filling in for Lisa Owen, 3pm - 6pm Weekdays and streaming live on 'rova' channel 9 - available on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. QUIZ: Guess the Road Songs We can't wait to get back on the road again! Play this quiz and see if how many you can get right! The war in Yemen - and sanctions being reimposed on Iran - are adding to concerns about an already volatile oil market. Saudi Arabia ordered its oil tankers to stop sailing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, off the coast of Yemen, after Riyadh said two vessels were attacked by Houthi rebels linked to Iran. Iranian commanders have threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz - the gateway to the Gulf - if the United States blocks its oil exports. Tensions are rising because of the reimposition of US sanctions on Iran after President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal. Will regional tensions further escalate? And what about the price of oil? They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists, said Donald Trump of immigrants from Mexico and Central America, as he launched his election campaign in 2015. Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here? he later asked, as President, referring to immigrants from Haiti and the African continent. In a tweet last month, while rationalizing policies that segregate, imprison and summarily deport asylum seekers, he framed the problem as one of outright pestilence: Democrats . . . don't care about crime and want illegal immigrants . . . to pour in and infest our country. And Trump's nativism is not unique among powerful American politicians: the House Speaker, Paul Ryan, has urged higher birth rates in this country as a way of boosting the economy. As the immigration attorney Matt Cameron wrote in a recent issue of the Baffler: [Ryan] did this within weeks of backing massive legislative cuts to legal immigration rates and passively blocking a legislative solution to the DREAM Act that would have ensured the lives and futures of more than one million young aspiring Americans who happened to have been born in the wrong kinds of countries to the wrong kinds of parents. Macroeconomics is a tautology and a myth, a dangerous one at that, sustaining the illusion that prosperity is necessarily linked with territory, national units, and government spending in general. Reuven Brenner, Labyrinths of Prosperity Amid years of persistent collectivism and Bolivar-devaluation in Venezuela, the country has unsurprisingly suffered an outflow of its richest citizens. Countries and economies are just people, and people respond to incentives. If governments intend to expropriate wealth through devaluation, taxation and nationalization, those with wealth will logically migrate elsewhere. According to the New York Times, Spain has become a popular destination for those escaping an ideology that consistently equates with misery. Apparently Venezuelans have snapped up 7,000 luxury apartments in Madrids fashionable Salamanca district alone. Even better, the Times reports that some Venezuelans have become successful entrepreneurs in Spain, starting delivery services, opening restaurants and shops or taking over franchises. One refugee started up a hamburger chain that was recently valued at $175 million. The fact that some of the Venezuelan arrivals have revealed an entrepreneurial bent in Spain that Chavez and Maduro governments had been suffocating in Venezuela is very telling. Or maybe it isnt. Think about it. That Spaniards will benefit from the arrival of these people is a given. That life will improve speaks to an important truth about the productivity of other people: it elevates us. Formerly unable to be productive, newly free Venezuelans will get to participate in the marketplace again. The more people producing, the more people competing to meet our needs. Better yet, the more people producing, the more were able to specialize. Specialization is obviously the path to greater productivity and greater wealth. But what if Chavez had been an energetic proponent of economic freedom, and Maduro too, such that the countrys richest never had a reason to leave Venezuela? Would Spain be worse off as a result? The answer is that it only would be if the government placed tariff barriers on Venezuelan production. If not, whats produced in Venezuela would benefit Spaniards much as if it had been produced in Spain. This is the genius of open borders to goods and services: the openness means that we benefit from the production as though it had happened next door. To see why this is true, readers need only ask themselves if they own Apple or Dell products, and when they last purchased something on Amazon. Odds are most own at least one Dell or Apple product, and judging by Amazons soaring share price, odds are most reading this have purchased something on Amazon fairly recently. Ok, but how many readers live in Austin, Cupertino or Seattle? Probably very few, but so what? What matters is that we benefit from the genius of people like Jeff Bezos. Would it matter to any of us if California, Texas and Seattle were three separate countries, and those of us reading this piece didnt live in any of them? Logically it wouldnt. What would hurt us is if the companies didnt exist at all. It cant be stressed enough that the city, state, or country origin of a good or service is of no consequence. What matters is that people are able to showcase their skills in the marketplace. If so, and if borders are open, everyone benefits as though the good work were taking place nearby. Theres no such thing as an economy. There are just individuals. Free individuals logically want to serve and be served. The bigger the market, the better. In that case, lets assume Amazon, Apple and Dell all move to Shanghai. If so, wed gain from the genius of all three companies as though they were still based in the U.S. Again, the companies mentioned are all highly venerated by Americans even though a tiny percentage of Americans actually live where they headquarter. To believe that Americans would suddenly be imperiled by these companies if they moved to China is as silly as an American saying the Chinese have had their booming economic growth threatened by the fact that Apple and Dell are not headquartered there. What would hurt the Chinese is if Dell and Apple didnt exist at all. Applied to the U.S., imagine how much poorer we Americans would be if the rest of the worlds inhabitants were largely indolent. Not only would our corporations be expanding much less quickly, they would also be less innovative for them not feeling the heat of global competition. All that, plus Americans would suffer much lower living standards related to a much smaller portion of the world producing. People getting up and going to work dont steal our jobs as much as their participation changes how we work. Nearly always for the better. If anyone doubts this, imagine if BMW, Sony, and Samsung didnt exist. And never had. Would Americans be better off? Would the rest of the world be? Bringing this all back to Spain, its great for the country that enterprising Venezuelans have made their way there. But so would it have been great for Spain if those same Venezuelans had been free to produce for Spaniards from Venezuela. Whats true for Spain is true for the United States. While no sane person would look askance at Alibabas Jack Ma moving to the U.S., Americans will benefit from his entrepreneurial genius just as much if it keeps its markets open to Mas innovations crafted on the other side of the world. To focus on where a good or service is produced is to vainly search for a distinction without finding any real difference. Jack Ma is Jack Ma no matter where he lives. Same with Jeff Bezos. Same with the late Steve Jobs. The only thing that keeps us from benefiting from their genius is a lack of freedom. This week, Washington and Brussels struck an unexpected agreement to lift levies in the tariff conflict between the U.S. and the EU. The move represents a victory for all sides, but especially beleaguered European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. When our team of auditors at OpenTheBooks.com reviewed the most highly compensated employees at every level of government in Florida, we found more than 35,000 state and local government employees brought home six and seven-figure salaries, costing taxpayers $5.5 billion annually. Would you rather show up at work on time or stretch out on the sofa and watch TV? Stupid question. Most people punch a clock out of necessity. But progressive Democrats want to make work optional, and to guarantee a slew of benefits to everyone, whether they get off the couch or not. It's a slap in the face to America's workforce. Some 70 Democrats in the House of Representatives -- more than one-third of the party's representatives -- endorsed a plan on Thursday to outlaw private health insurance and force all Americans into a government-run system. Let's be clear. This plan is not about helping the needy. The plan would rip away medical coverage from half of all Americans, including the 157 million who get their insurance the old-fashioned way -- earning it through a job. The plan, dubbed "Medicare for All," would prohibit employers -- even giant companies that self-insure -- from covering workers, retirees or their families. Union workers with gold-plated health benefits would have to give them up and settle for the same coverage as people who refuse to work at all. Why work? Apparently, the Democratic Party no longer believes in work. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is taking the opposite route -- beefing up work incentives. Last Thursday, the president's Council of Economic Advisers revealed that about half of able-bodied adults who collect benefits, such as food stamps, housing aid or Medicaid, work zero hours, while the nation's working stiffs pay the tab. Why should people toil if they can get take it easy and get freebies instead? No wonder nearly 1 out of every 5 working-age adults collects these benefits. Dependence soared during the Obama administration, while workforce participation plummeted. The Trump administration wants to reverse this grim trend. The administration is urging states to require able-bodied adults on Medicaid to do something -- work, go to school, go to job training, get addiction treatment, take English as a second language or care for a family member. But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., bashes these efforts as "mean-spirited," and left-wing advocacy groups are suing to stop them. No surprise. After all, back in 2010, Dems sold Obamacare to a doubting public with the argument that it would allow them to quit their jobs in the "pursuit of happiness." Obamacare's Medicaid expansion and health plan subsidies would liberate them, Pelosi promised. "Just think, if you could be a photographer, a writer," instead of being locked in a job to get health coverage. The Congressional Budget Office warned that the Affordable Care Act would reduce the incentive to work. Astoundingly, Democrats considered that a positive. And the predictions are coming true. Medicaid rolls are nearing 74 million, and are projected to reach 87 million within a decade. Even more outrageous, the progressive wing of the party is ready to sabotage those working stiffs. Congressional bigwigs like Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are staying quiet about the Medicare for All proposal. It won't become law anytime soon. But confrontational progressives like Democratic Party Deputy Chair Keith Ellison, D-Minn., New York's newly nominated congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and salivating presidential wannabes Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., are pushing hard for it, showing where the party is headed. They don't care that employees with on-the-job coverage would be the biggest losers. Working people be damned. Unlike single-payer in the United Kingdom, which allows residents to buy private insurance, Medicare for All outlaws any escape from the government-run system. Even if you're desperate for better care, you're trapped. The idea is no one should receive more or better care by earning it. That's crazy. People who work hard should have the freedom to spend their earnings on top-of-the-line health insurance, if that's what's important to them. Democrats used to be the party of working people. But the party's fast-becoming their worst enemy. COPYRIGHT 2018 CREATORS.COM The conventional wisdom about the 2018 midterm elections is that the Democrats have a far better chance of winning a majority of the House than the Senate, and I have no reason to question it. The Senate election map is soaked in red, with 10 incumbent Democrats running for re-election in states that Donald Trump won two years prior. Only one incumbent Republican is in the reverse position. This is partly why we see much more Democratic energy invested in House races; its the lower-hanging fruit. Yet Democrats would be foolish to write off the Senate. They only need to net two seats to gain a majority, and the community of professional handicappers has classified just enough races as tossups to make that dream possible. Moreover, while control of the House would blunt Trumps legislative agenda and rev up congressional oversight, control of the Senate gives Democrats the power to slow, if not stall, Trumps quest to stack the judicial branch with conservatives. Not only would Democrats be able to block lower court nominations, but any retirement thoughts from Clarence Thomas would probably get shelved. With rank-and-file Democrats increasingly panicked about the judiciary drifting rightward, you might expect them to empty their pockets to seize the Senate. But the House is where Democrats are spending most of their money. Case in point: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the partys official House campaign arm, has raised double the amount of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. (The DCCC typically raises more than the DSCC, but not that much more.) This is not to say the Senate Democratic candidates are starved for cash. Most of the vulnerable ones have outraised their Republican opponents, and three have broken records in their states. (A notable exception: Florida incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson, who is facing free-spending, independently wealthy Republican Gov. Rick Scott.) But considering how uphill the Senate battle is for Democrats, they are going to need every last dollar, as well as every last volunteer. Yet it may be hard for Democratic small donors and activists to generate the same level of enthusiasm for their Senate field as their House field. Why? The House lineup is teeming with fresh faces, including a huge influx of women and military veterans with sterling resumes. And the contingent of Berniecrats organizing to push the party leftward are excited for candidates who could prove the potency of their platform, such as Nebraskas Kara Eastman and New Yorks incumbent-slayer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But the Senate? The first order of business is to defend a bunch of weathered incumbentsexactly the kind of moderates whom Ocasio-Cortez and her allies are trying to purge from the party. Senators like Montanas Jon Tester and Missouris Claire McCaskill arent running as card-carrying members of the Resistance. They are running as bipartisan, independent-minded problem-solvers. Some tout (perhaps even exaggerate) their working relationships with Trump. And the few Democrats mounting credible campaigns for Republican-held seats are largely running in a similar bipartisan mold, particularly Arizonas Kyrsten Sinema and Tennessees Phil Bredesen. Any attempt to drum up excitement for the slate of Senate moderates will likely soon be doused by the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanuagh. Chances are many of the red staters will end up voting aye, especially if no Republican breaks ranks, making his confirmation a certainty anyway. Such a vote will be politically necessary for vulnerable Democrats to square with their own bipartisan campaign rhetoric, but will anger Democratic base voters, and further incentivize them to steer their energies towards the House. But progressive voters should not assume that just because these red state Democrats take a strategicand in all likelihood, non-determinativeSupreme Court vote, they can never be relied upon and therefore arent worth saving. If Democrats are to have any hope of throttling the Republican march on the judiciary, they need the Joe Manchins and Doug Joneses of this nation to occupy Republican territory, as well as get additional reinforcements. Thats going to require swallowing the occasional annoying vote. One Senate Democratic challenger who is firing up the progressive base is Texas Rep. Beto ORourke. While his bid is considered a long shot by professional prognosticators, and he has banned political action committee donations, in the last three months he has raised more than twice as much the incumbent, Ted Cruz, thanks to a huge network of small-dollar donors. How is that possible? ORourke is charismatic. His represents generational change, exemplified by his penchant for live-streaming his many cross-state campaign car trips. He is running a decidedly liberal campaign (albeit with bipartisan flourishes), offering the chance to prove that authentic ideological conviction can turn a red state blue. And he is running against a perfect villain in the caustic conservative Cruz. An ORourke upset would taste far sweeter to the left than protecting the bland Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota or Bill Nelson of Florida. Democrats need not treat the midterms as a zero-sum game. They can and should invest in both the House and the Senate, shore up vulnerable incumbents and place bets on long shots, and support candidates of the left and candidates of the middle. However, as campaign activity becomes more driven by grassroots individuals and less by party machinery, money and time naturally gravitates toward the more exciting candidates, the fresh faces, the compelling back stories and the viral videos. But if Democrats are going to take the Senate, they will need to protect a group of candidates who offer none of the above. Largely ignored amidst the theatrics of President Trumps NATO summit performance was the announcement of the alliances potential next member: the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. July has fed the world plenty of sound and fury: Germans were condemned, royal protocol flouted, and Russian dictators flattered. Macedonian accession to NATO, though, tells us more about the alliance and its value to America than any of the other headlines from Europe. In order to join NATO, Macedonia will rebrand itself as the Republic of North Macedonia to avoid antagonizing the neighboring Greeks, a move that must be approved in a national referendum in September or October. Nonetheless, government-organized concerts and parties raged across the countryon July 14. The odds seem low that Macedonia will fail to become NATOs 30th member. NATO enlargement, like most of the foreign policy orthodoxy that has afflicted America, is a bipartisan faith. The U.S. Senates non-binding resolution in support of NATO expansion passed by a vote of 97-2 -- only Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee had the wisdom and independence to vote against it. Despite his constant and often justified attacks on NATO, President Trump gave his approval to adding both Montenegro last summer and Macedonia now. There is no mainstream opposition in the United States to the self-propelling policy of endless NATO expansion. With 8,000 troops in its entire military, the addition of Macedonia to NATO is only slightly less farcical than that of nearby Montenegro was. Macedonia spent $119.6 million on defense in 2017. At the latest bargain price, thats enough money to afford not quite 1.5 American F-35A fighter jets. Then again, Macedonia has no combat jets at all. The Army of the Republic of Macedonia has a few dozen tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, mostly old Russian models. The army has made small deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Balkan peacekeeping missions -- never more than an infantry company, and usually only a handful of men. At 1.1 percent of GDP, Macedonias paltry defense spending puts it in the company of some of NATOs worst free-riders. Alliances may not be purely transactional arrangements, but they also cannot be devoid of strategic logic. Macedonia clearly cannot offer more than a symbolic contribution to NATOs collective defense. In return, this small, landlocked country can potentially call on the military might of the United States and most of Europe through NATOs Article 5. Adding Macedonia to NATO, or for that matter adding any militarily and geographically irrelevant nations, contravenes two of the most basic lessons of defensive alliances. First, weak allies often bring potential liabilities and conflicts with them. Though the historical debate rages on, for a century many historians have made the case that the cataclysm of World War I began because Germany was dragged into war by her weak ally Austria-Hungary. More recently, in 2011 we saw the United States pulled into the strategic idiocy of the Libyan intervention by our weak European allies, Britain and France. The Balkans have been a proverbial powder keg for centuries. One of the greatest statesmen in history, Otto von Bismarck, correctly predicted that the next major European war would start over some damned foolish thing in the Balkans. More recently, British General Sir Michael Jackson refused a U.S. order to confront Russian troops in Kosovo in 1999, telling General Wesley Clark, Im not going to start the Third World War for you. While Macedonia does not have any issues as dangerous as the real and frozen conflicts of Ukraine and Georgia, it remains a nation with plenty of its own troubles. Last month, Macedonias Prime Minister accused Greek businessmen allied with Russia of meddling in his country to undermine the referendum. Barely a year ago, Macedonia seemed to be on the verge of war with its large Albanian minority. It has also been described as the fake news factory to the world. There is reason to fear that Macedonia could drag NATO into another nasty little Balkan war. Second, weak and distant allies undermine deterrence. Deterrence, not token European contributions to U.S. interventions, is NATOs chief value now. Yet expanding the alliance with more peripheral members calls NATOs credibility into question. Does anyone seriously believe that we would send American soldiers to die for Macedonia, particularly if the conflict had even a shred of ambiguity via little green men or other aggression short of full-blown conventional war? This weakening of deterrence is already clear to even a casual observer. On July 17, Fox News Tucker Carlson asked President Trump bluntly: Why should my son go to Montenegro to defend it from attack? The presidents reply? Ive asked the same question. Of course, any lack of clarity about Americas commitment to NATOs collective defense under Article 5 makes Russian provocations or even attacks more likely. When this uncertainty is combined with the continued failure of our wealthy European allies to meaningfully contribute to collective defense as required by NATOs Article 3, we have an alliance that is becoming hard to take seriously. While the commitments exist, America can and must defend its allies, for reasons of both honor and self-interest. But adding another weak partner to an alliance that is already full of them is the last thing in Americas -- and NATOs -- best interest. Gil Barndollar is Director of Middle East Studies at the Center for the National Interest. A former U.S. Marine infantry officer, he has deployed to Afghanistan, the Republic of Georgia, Guantanamo Bay, and the Persian Gulf. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Cambridge. The views expressed are the author's own. Central Asia rarely appears in Western media. So many observers have missed Kazakhstans steady consolidation of a leading and independent regional role. Kazakhstan is deploying its convening, economic, cultural, and diplomatic power to forge a leading role in Central Asia. The countrys step forward comes at Russias expense, and Moscow has been slow to recognise that Kazakhstan is eluding its grasp. Perhaps Kazakhstans greatest display of independence was the decision to Latinise its alphabet, moving away from the Cyrillic script shared with Russian. This provoked a hysterical reaction from Russian commentators, who saw the move as an attack on Russian culture and threat to Russian hegemony in the former Soviet Union. Although Kazakhstan cannot afford to antagonise Moscow gratuitously, this move clearly signalled Kazakh independence. It also reflects President Nursultan Nazarbayevs conviction that Central Asia does not need external interlocutors to solve its problems. The government is also more openly expressing a version of Eurasianism an emphasis on the centrality of Eurasia in world politics animated by Pan-Turkism, a call for the unity of Turkic peoples. This stance dovetails with growing state-supported nationalism and promotion of Kazakh language and culture. Kazakhstan has used its convening power to establish itself as a party that can provide mediation and hosting services for diplomatic initiatives. One example is the Astana process for the Syrian conflict. Another will be on 12 August when Astana hosts the littoral states of the Caspian Sea to ratify a treaty demarcating territorial claims allowing it to be used for commercial purposes. Similarly, Kazakhstan hosted a summit of all the Central Asian states in March 2018, where Nazarbayev argued that Central Asia could solve its problems without outside mentors. Observers saw this meeting as the assertion of sovereignty by Central Asian states, indicating a new readiness to act on their own in big politics. Inevitably, this generated Russian concerns. Central Asian states are still subject to their geography, so they will all need to respect Russian and Chinese interests. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan and the other Central Asian states are showing signs they will step out of their giant neighbours shadows. Kazakhstan is also displaying real regional economic power. Its economy recovered from a major crisis in 201415 and is growing at a solid 3.5% in 2017, a low growth rate compared to 200213. Kazakhstan is also now exporting petroleum to other Central Asian states, apparently following Chinas example by edging Russia out of Central Asian markets. In addition, warming bilateral relations will give Kazakh banks access to Uzbekistan, opening the way to major lending and investment. Finally, Kazakhstan has laid out an economic plan to assist Afghanistan rebuild after 40 years of war. In the security realm, Astanas new defence doctrine also aims to strengthen domestic security against Russias hybrid cyber-interference and systematic propaganda warfare tactics. All these trends are also visible in Kazakhstans increasingly assertive diplomacy. Astana has encouraged the opening up of Uzbekistans economy and government. But the most notable developments have occurred in Kazakhstans relations to the US. The Trump administration has outlined and started to implement a more robust Central Asian economic policy than its predecessors, emphasising economic cooperation with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In his visit to Washington earlier this year, Nazarbayev elevated Kazakhstans strategic partnership with the US. Even more aggravating for Moscow, Nazarbayev flatly refused to accede to Russias demand to abolish the visa-free regime with Washington. Moscow protested, saying that such a regime would allow spies to come to Kazakhstan and then enter Russian territory. In response, Nazarbayev directed Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov to publicly respond that changing visa policy was the legitimate right of any sovereign state. Finally, Kazakhstan granted the US access to the ports of Aktau and Kuryk for supplying Afghanistan, bypassing Russia. This decision coincided with Kazakhstans efforts to develop Aktau through a special economic zone. These actions clearly raised concerns in Moscow about a strengthened US Naval presence through the Caspian ports. Russian unease about its eroding position in Central Asia is rising. Kazakh media shot back, clearly under Nazarbayevs direction, that US use of those ports is for the transit of non-military supplies, and that Kazakhstan does not tolerate foreign military presence on its soil. As the American journal Eurasia Insight reported, what irks Moscow is probably not so much threats it has made about US bases or alleged bio-defence labs across the Caucasus and Central Asia; rather, it is that Central Asian states are willing to cut deals with Washington without consulting Moscow. Kazakh readiness to exercise its independence and shake off Moscows influence promises significant changes in regional politics and the energy market. With China investing billions in Kazakhstan, and Washington ready to follow suit, Kazakhstan has an opportunity to step into the light. More Western attention may be the catalyst for a major political development in Central Asia. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Eleven years ago, the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce kicked off another important initiative that addressed the major challenge of the aging of our workforce, by creating the Young Professionals Organization. We were driven by these statements and statistics that gave credence to this issue: *The New England Economic Partnership stated that Connecticut faces steep declines in its economic growth and quality of life if it does not address the consequences of its aging population and loss of young workers. *Census data shows that Litchfield County is the oldest county in Connecticut. *In preparing the current Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, the NW CT Economic Development Corporation and the Council of Governments incorporated the need to retain and attract young professionals to the region in the document. *CBIAs Availability of Skilled Workers found that 78% of Connecticut businesses would be negatively impacted if there were a continued decline in the number of workers between the ages of 25 and 34. The challenge has only increased according to statistics gathered by the Working Cities Design team and the trends in Community Crossroads, the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation publication, that the number of young adults is expected to decline by one third impacting the labor pool, social services, provisions for transportation and access to healthcare services. The Chamber firmly believes that we must attain a balance by supporting our aging workforce through job training and utilization of the resources of the Workforce Investment Board. However, we must also retain our young talent for the future growth and prosperity of our region especially in this highly competitive, global economy. Under the direction of our own Young Professional, Lauren Zordan, young leaders in their twenties and thirties are participating in this initiative. They meet regularly with an agenda that includes seminars, workshops, networking events and community projects. This forum has provided educational, cultural, social, recreational and philanthropic opportunities for young business people to build professional links throughout the community. How beneficial for all of us in building a better place in which to live and work. JoAnn Ryan is President & CEO of the NW CT Chamber of Commerce. You can reach her by email: joann@nwctchamberofcommerce.org or phone: 860-482-6586. WASHINGTON - Despite evidence showing otherwise, it remains conventional wisdom in many parts of the education world that private schools do a better job of educating students, with superior standardized test scores and outcomes. It is one of the claims that some school choice supporters make in arguing that the public should pay for private school education. The only problem? It isn't true, a new study confirms. University of Virginia researchers who looked at data from more than 1,000 students found that all of the advantages supposedly conferred by private education evaporate when socio-demographic characteristics are factored in. There was also no evidence found to suggest that low-income children or children enrolled in urban schools benefit more from private school enrollment. The results confirm what earlier research found but are especially important amid a movement to privatize public education - encouraged by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos - based in part on the faulty assumption that public schools are inferior to private ones. DeVos has called traditional public schools a "dead end" and long supported the expansion of voucher and similar programs that use public money for private and religious school education. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 27 states and the District of Columbia have policies allowing public money to be used for private education through school vouchers, scholarship tax credits and education savings grants. The new study was conducted by Robert Pianta, dean of Virginia's Curry School of Education and a professor of education and psychology, and Arya Ansari, a postdoctoral research associate at the university's Center for Advanced Study for Teaching and Learning. "You only need to control for family income and there's no advantage," Pianta said in an interview. "So when you first look, without controlling for anything, the kids who go to private schools are far and away outperforming the public school kids. And as soon as you control for family income and parents' education level, that difference is eliminated completely." Kids who come from homes with higher incomes and parental education achievement offer young children - from birth through age 5 - educational resources and stimulation that other children don't get. These conditions presumably carry on through the school years, Pianta said. Pianta and Ansari used a longitudinal study of a large and diverse sample of children to examine the extent to which attending private schools predicts achievement and social and personal outcomes at age 15. They started with data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. That was a 10-site research project that followed children from birth to 15 years with a common study protocol, including an annual interview and observations at home and school and in the neighborhood. In that years-long study, there were 1,364 families that became study participants, with ethnicity and household income largely representative of the U.S. population, though Pianta and Ansari looked at 1,097 of those children for their analysis. The Pianta-Ansari study examined not only academic achievement, "which has been the sole focus of all evaluations of private schooling reported to date, but also students' social adjustment, attitudes and motivation, and even risky behavior, all of which one assumes might be associated with private school education, given studies demonstrating schooling effects on such factors." It said: "In short, despite the frequent and pronounced arguments in favor of the use of vouchers or other mechanisms to support enrollment in private schools as a solution for vulnerable children and families attending local or neighborhood schools, the present study found no evidence that private schools, net of family background (particularly income), are more effective for promoting student success." "In sum, we find no evidence for policies that would support widespread enrollment in private schools, as a group, as a solution for achievement gaps associated with income or race. In most discussions of such gaps and educational opportunities, it is assumed that poor children attend poor quality schools, and that their families, given resources and flexibility, could choose among the existing supply of private schools to select and then enroll their children in a school that is more effective and a better match for their student's needs. It is not at all clear that this logic holds in the real world of a limited supply of effective schools (both private and public) and the indication that once one accounts for family background, the existing supply of heterogeneous private schools (from which parents select) does not result in a superior education (even for higher income students)." Pianta and Ansari note in the study that previous research on the impact of school voucher programs "cast doubt on any clear conclusion that private schools are superior in producing student performance." A 2013 book, "The Public School Advantage," by Christopher A. Lubienski and Sarah Theule Lubienski, describes the results of a look at two huge data sets of student mathematics performance, that found public school students outperform private school ones when adjusted for demographics. Pianta and Ansari refer to this book in this part of the report: "Although recent studies separating enrollment from length of attendance suggest that the longer lower income students remain enrolled in a private school (at least up to 4 years) the higher the likelihood of accruing substantial benefits, the present report finds that length of enrollment was not associated with student outcomes, once family income was taken into consideration, consistent with other nonexperimental work (Lubienski & Lubienski, 2013). For the one-third of the sample enrolled at any time in private school, on average these students attended private schools for 5 to 6 years, which is longer than the most recent follow-up evaluations of voucher programs (Berends & Waddington, in press; Mills & Wolf, 2017). Thus, even for students who remained in private school for almost half of their K-12 experience, there was no discernible association with any of the wide range of outcomes we assessed at age 15." TORRINGTON Arts organizations and their audiences are economic engines with annual spending reaching $3.4 million in Northwest Connecticut. Supporters of the arts learned about the substantial monetary influx the arts provide for the region during a recent presentation at the Five Points Gallery at 33 Main St. The gathering was a launch event for the recently released Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Northwest Connecticut. The eight-month long initiative provided information on five key areas including the arts and entrepreneurial innovations. Arts are important for attracting young and new residents to the area, said Amy Wynn, executive director of the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council. She noted that for the first time, that the city and surrounding municipalities were part of a national survey, which benchmarked the business of art in the region. The survey, called Arts and Economic Prosperity 5, provided information about the impact arts make on Litchfield County. The results show that nearly 319,000 residents in the region attended a cultural event in 2015, according to the latest survey conducted by the groups umbrella organization, Americans for the Arts. It was their biggest survey ever, Wynn noted, with 341 communities included in the report. With the data in hand, she said, arts organizations will be able to specifically measure their growth in future years. Residents who want to find out what arts events are being held in the region will soon be able to get the information on a new website, which is being built in response to the regional report. Jocelyn Ayer, Community and Economic Development Director for the Northwest Hills Council of Government, said the site DiscoverLitchfieldHills.com, will list events on a centralized website. Information will be included for all Litchfield County towns as well as several other adjacent municipalities. More for you Leisure and hospitality jobs increase as economy grows Economic development will be realized, Ayer said, by public/private partnerships. The vision for the next 10 years, according to the regional strategy report, anticipates gaining a reputation for providing a unique collection of historic New England towns with outstanding arts, culture recreation and event offerings... The vision statement notes visitors will be surrounded by scenic farmlands and recreational trails where people of all ages want to live, work and visit. CHICAGO When he was a child sitting around the dinner table with his family during the holidays, Wayne Brazeau often heard the story of his missing great-uncle John . The uncle, U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John H. Canty, 22, of Winsted, had been flying over France during an attack in World War II. His plane was shot down, and all eight men died. But because they were killed during the war, American and British forces were unable to properly search for them. Over the years, Brazeau watched his family mourn the missing family member, particularly his father, Wayne Brazeau Sr., who lives in Moultrie, Ga., with his wife, Dorothy. The senior Brazeau and his family originally are from Winsted. Then, everything involving the missing John Canty changed in 2017 with the discovery of his remains in France, near the very spot where the plane had gone down in flames. Canty was officially accounted for on Dec. 12, 2017, and was buried July 10 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency had Cantys remains returned to his family for burial with full military honors. The DPAA reported that on June 22, 1944, Canty was a member of the 555th Bombardment Squadron, 386th Bombardment Group, IX Bomber Command, aboard a B-26 Maurader on a nighttime bombing mission from Easton Lodge-Essex, England, against targets near Caen, France. His B-26 was shot down between the villages of Baron-sur-Odon and Gavrus, France. Because the location of the crash was in German-held territory, U.S. forces were unable to make a detailed search for the crew at the time of their loss, the DPAA said. For the family, it was an unsolved mystery filled with sadness. Like millions of Americans, they lost a loved one during WWII and had no way of knowing what happened. Weve always wondered about it, and weve always wanted to know exactly what happened, Brazeau said in a recent telephone interview. My earliest recollection of Uncle John was when I was small and my mom and dad would visit my grandmother in Winsted. She talked about him every time we saw her. Another soldier The younger Wayne Brazeaus memory of the missing great-uncle never left him. He grew up on his parents farm in Georgia, and joined the Army at the age of 19. He served three tours of duty in Europe, and retired at 39 after serving in the 82nd Airborne, maintaining Apache helicopters among his many duties. He now resides in Chicagowith his wife, Michelle, and sons Kyle, 19, Devon, 17, and Ashton, 12. When he was serving the Army in Europe, he had no way of knowing where John Cantys plane had gone down. Had I even had an idea, I would have tried to find it, he said. I talked to my dad about it before, and he said the plane might have been shot down over the ocean. We didnt know anything back then. I did some investigations when I got older, and I asked the Army for any documents about the missing soldiers who were shot down, he said. They sent me 22,000 pages of documentation. I found his mission in those pages, and it listed that there were 36 planes that took a bombing run that night. Uncle Johns was the first to drop bombs, and the other planes would follow him. The documents are no longer classified information, Brazeau said, and that was why he was provided with so much detail on the planes fateful night. Its declassified, so its available now, he said. What was happening was that the British were trying to push through into France ,and they were going to bomb the (German) SS, it was supposed to be a quiet night. But it wasnt. It turned into a big thing and a lot of people died. Brazeau said Canty had already flown 25 missions and had met his responsibility as a soldier. He could have come home, Brazeau said. He was so young. He flew more than 25 missions and he was supposed to come home. But this was right after D-Day, and I guess he felt he should go again. Finding Canty In the decades that followed World War II, French residents often visited areas where battles and crashes took place, searching for artifacts. A man walking his dog near the crash site found dog tags and bone fragments, and the mystery of the missing soldiers who were shot down by the Germans began to come together. According to a report from the DPAA, following the liberation of France, the American Graves Registration Command, U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, searched for and disinterred the remains of U.S. service members who were killed in battle. Residents of Gavrus recalled that a two-engine airplane crashed just outside the village on June 22, 1944. An American was recovered and buried in a nearby British cemetery. In 1945, the remains were exhumed and he was identified as an airman aboard the same aircraft as Canty. However, no other remains were identified and Canty was declared non-recoverable, the DPAA said. In 1986, a French citizen located remains and personal effects recovered from a crash site near Gavrus, according to the DPAA. The remains were handed to the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, France, and were later identified as four individuals from the same aircraft as Canty. In October 2014, Michael Jurd, a British researcher, contacted U.S. authorities to report that he found remains, as well as personal effects that corresponded to Canty, near Gavrus. In 2016, a DPAA investigation team surveyed the reported crash site and recommended it for excavation. Between April and May 2017, a DPAA recovery team excavated the crash site between Baron-sur-Odon and Gavrus, locating possible remains and personal effects, according to the report. To identify Cantys remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his family, as well as dental and anthropological analysis, which matched his records, and material evidence, according to the DPAA report. The military had found three or four of the other guys already, who were in the plane when it crashed, Brazeau said. Three were still missing. When the French guy was (walking his dog), he found the pieces of bone and the dog tag, and they searched for more and found (Canty) in a grave. He was buried respectfully ... his hands were crossed over his chest. They also found British artifacts, like grenades and things, so they think a British soldier might have found him and that they took care of him. When the Brazeau family went to the burial ceremony in July, they were presented with a book that detailed the search and how Canty was found. It was an amazing book, Brazeau said. It showed all the places where they did the excavating; there was a picture of the skeleton, and a forensic report. It was really amazing. Going to Arlington When the Brazeau family was invited to Arlington National Cemetery for the ceremony, Wayne Brazeau Sr. was overwhelmed. He was worried, because he wanted everything to be OK, the younger Brazeau said. But he was so happy to have (John Canty) home, to have closure. My nephew Cecil Lawrence flew to Nebraska and escorted us to Arlington, and he was able to do that because hes still in the military, the younger Brazeau said. Cecil flew into Reagan Airport, and he escorted the family to the funeral home. When we got there, we prepared the uniform and helped Uncle John get ready for burial. That was pretty special. Family members walked behind the carriage , drawn by horses, that carried Cantys casket. A lot of the family members walked behind it like that, Brazeau said. And at the end of the day, after everything was settled, we went back to the cemetery. The sun was going down, and it set over the grave. So Uncle Johns got a really nice spot there. A special moment came when Wayne Brazeau Sr. received Cantys official military flag from his casket. That was something my grandmother always talked about, that she never got Uncle Johns flag, Brazeau said. My father was very happy about that. The Brazeau family thanked Gov. Dannel Malloy for flying flags at half-staff in honor of Canty. We appreciated that, the younger Brazeau said. What he did for Uncle John was so thoughtful. Also, the man who found Uncle John in France, sent a text to the family prior to the service, and said they were having a service for him (in France) that day in memory of him. Still missing Two other soldiers who were on the plane with Canty have never been found. Brazeau spoke with members of their families and said hed help any way he could. I gave my appreciation to them, my thoughts and prayers to them, I want to help them too, he said. I think they can be found they could be right there. Thats what we can hope for. I offered my support to them, and hopefully they can find them. If we get them home, Ill go to their funerals, too, Brazeau said. Theres a lot of information out there now, and you never know whats going to happen. For the Brazeaus, the funeral and information regarding their long-lost family member has brought closure for them all. My kids are very excited, Brazeau said. Having a WWII MIA soldier come home was super exciting. It meant a lot, just being part of the whole thing. Now, when were around the table at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the topic will be Hey, we got him home, he said. Well have a whole new story to talk about. According to the DPAA, of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,906 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Cantys name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. For additional information, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call 703-699-1420/1169. Cambodias National Election Committee (NEC), the top electoral body, acknowledged Monday that as many as nine percent of ballots cast in the weekends general election were invalid, with an observer suggesting that many of the votes were intentionally spoiled to protest what was seen as a bogus poll. Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) claimed a lopsided victory in the election, saying it won some 77 percent of the vote and likely secured all 125 parliamentary seats in play as voters, many under threat of losing government services, ratified an outcome decided in November when the government dissolved the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). The NEC said more than 82 percent of registered voters cast 6,946,164 ballotssuggesting that a boycott called for by the CNRP failed in the face of threats from authorities to withhold licenses, land registration and other government services from voters who did not turn out. But the committee acknowledged that 596,775 or 8.59% of ballots were invalid, up from 1.6 percent in the countrys 2013 general election. When asked on Monday about how the ballots had been made invalid, NEC spokesman Hang Puthea refused to comment, but he said that some voters had expressed their opinions on some of the ballots, instead of checking a box to select one of the 20 listed political parties. While he did not comment on what opinions had been expressed, Hang Puthea said that some voters had drawn images of the suna symbol of the CNRPor other pictures. The invalidated ballots were those written in a way that allow people to recognize the identity of the voter, and included words or numbers, he said. Purposefully spoiled Independent political commentator Meas Ny told RFA that the invalid ballots had been purposefully spoiled. He said that amid official threats, many voters felt compelled to cast their ballot, but had invalidated them to show their support for the CNRPs boycott campaign. Meas Ny also suggested that the number of invalid ballots may have been higher than what the NEC announced. We believe the number of spoiled ballots is significant, but we have been unable to verify it or fact-check because the NEC lacks an independent mechanism to do so, he said. During the [local] commune election in 2017, we had NEC members from other political parties [the CNRP] and [independent] election observers were present at both the local and national levels, so the NEC didnt need to try to claim independence [from the ruling party]. These days, no one completely trusts what the NEC says. CNRP response While ballots are still being counted and an official announcement is not expected until mid-August, unconfirmed preliminary results indicate a strong CPP showing, ensuring long-ruling strongman Hun Sen will add another five-year term to his 33 years in office. On Monday, in a statement issued from Jakarta, Indonesia, CNRP officials living in self-imposed exile slammed what they called a sham election, and called on the international community to reject its outcome. July 29 marks the funeral of democracy in Cambodia and will be seen as one of the darkest days of the countrys history, the statement said, adding that the choice and the will of the Cambodian people was taken away even before the election started [when the CNRP was] smashed by the politically motivated judgement of the Supreme Court. The international community must not recognize the sham election organized by the biased, so-called NEC, and governments around the globe should refrain from doing business with Hun Sens regime, it said. The CNRP will continue to act as a political party representing the people of Cambodia. International concerns Meanwhile, governments from around the world registered their concerns with the election following a statement from the White House on Sunday, which expressed regret that the polls were neither free nor fair and failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people. Late on Sunday, Canadas Global Affairs office said in a statement that it was troubled by undemocratic elections in Cambodia, and urged the countrys government to reinstate freedom of expression and political participation and release CNRP president Kem Sokha, who has been held in pre-trial detention since September last year on charges of plotting a coup. On Monday, the European Union said in a statement that the lack of genuine electoral competition and the absence of an inclusive political process mean that the 29 July election is not representative of the democratic will of the Cambodian electorate, and therefore its outcome lacks credibility. Spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said the EU expects Cambodian authorities to restore democracy, engage in dialogue with the opposition, and to create conditions conducive to free political debate and competition, and said the bloc stands ready to assist. Both the U.S. and EU had withdrawn support for the elections ahead of Sunday, citing actions seen as limiting democracy in Cambodia, and the EU is currently reviewing a preferential trade scheme for Cambodian exports amid Hun Sens political crackdown. Also on Monday, the office of Australias Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop issued a statement highlighting serious concerns with the election, which it said had reversed more than 25 years of progress towards democracy in Cambodia. Australia is disappointed that Cambodian people have been unable to freely choose their representatives, the statement said, adding that Canberra would continue to urge the Cambodian Government to take steps to allow free and open political debate without violence and intimidation. Rights advocates The polls also drew condemnation from Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian Parliament and chairperson of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), who said they were marked by widespread political repression. This election marks a dark day in Cambodias history, he said, adding that millions of Cambodians were denied a genuine choice as the CPPs victory was guaranteed even before the first ballot was cast. Nothing can take away from the fact that this was a sham election. The international community, including ASEAN countries, must stay vigilant and ensure that the world does not forget about Cambodia after these polls have closed. Phil Roberson of New York-based Human Rights Watch told Agence France-Presse in an interview from Phnom Penh on Monday that Cambodias flawed election signalled the final ringing of the bell for democracy in Cambodia. With such an overwhelming majority for the CPP the parliament becomes a little bit irrelevant because the government can rule by fiat, knowing that anything that they want to do can be rubber-stamped by lawmakers, he said. The key issue is what the international community is going to do about this next? Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong are holding dozens of workers at a technology factory after they tried to set up their own trade union with the help of Maoist activists. More than 20 workers at Shenzhen Jasic Technology are being held on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," after their cause was supported by a group of Maoists from the far left of China's political spectrum. On Monday, activist Shen Mengyu and 14 other supporters were themselves held briefly by police, and subjected to "legal education," in a local police station, before being released late on Monday, the group said via Twitter. "We're out!" Shen says in a video statement posted by supporters to Twitter. "This afternoon at about 5.00 p.m., on our way back from handing in our open letter to party secretary Tao Yongxin at the Pingshan [district] government, we were intercepted and forcibly brought to this police station for questioning by a huge group of police officers." We were released only after undergoing legal education," he said. Before her detention, Shen told RFA that a number of workers remain in criminal detention that could lead to criminal prosecution on public order charges. "They still haven't released the workers," she said. "It's been nearly three days now. We heard ... yesterday that they are now being held under criminal detention." "However, you should be able to find the information you need online. I can't really give interviews." 'Picking quarrels' An anonymous source close to the protests told RFA that the workers were detained by police from the local Yanziling police station. "When Shen Mengyu went up there with around 20 supporters ... a police officer came out and said that they they have more than 20 people now being held under criminal detention for 'picking quarrels and stirring up trouble'," the source said. "They haven't issued any documentation, though." "They have been transferred to the detention center," the source said. An employee who answered the phone at the Yanziling police station on Monday declined to comment. "We can't confirm your identity over the phone, so we can't very well give telephone interviews," the employee said. "You can contact our publicity department." Calls to the supplied number rang unanswered during office hours on Monday. According to the open letter delivered by Shen and fellow activists, Jia Lei, owner of the Jasic factory and personnel manager Guo Liqun are both delegates to the Shenzhen People's Congress, a rubber-stamp body entirely controlled by the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Guo's husband is also a high-ranking official in the local government. "We hope that party secretary Tao Yongxin will immediately deal with this matter, urge the police to release the detainees immediately, and severely punish those who beat up the workers, compensate them for their losses, and apologize," the letter, a copy of which was available on the overseas documentation site HackMD, said. "The Pingshan government and the regional branch of the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) should pay attention to directives from the central government, and encourage these workers to set up a union for the legal protection of their rights, and to play a positive and supervisory role in managing the company," it said. The detention of workers came on July 27 as they protested the dismissal by factory management of those involved in a bid to set up a union through legal channels. "No illegal dismissal! We want to go back to work!" they chanted in a protest last week outside the factory. Protesters also sang the communist anthem The Internationale, Hong Kong-based labor rights group SACOM reported. Beaten by police Seven workers also said they had been beaten up by police for their involvement in the campaign to found a union. "When the police came, they knocked us to the ground without a second thought and started to beat us up," one of the seven said in a video statement posted to SACOM's Facebook page. "This is discrimination ...They treat ordinary people and the bosses quite differently." A source close to the protests who gave only his surname Chen said more than 30 people had been detained, while dozens of Maoist activists had protested on their behalf outside the local police station. Some Maoists had deliberately sought employment at the Jasic factory in the hope of helping the workers stand up for their rights, Chen said. "The workers wanted to set up a trade union to protect their rights," he said. "The Maoists thought that they needed to unite the workers, and that a union would act as a breakthrough for them, so they came over to support them." "Around 90 percent of the supporters are Maoists, who actually carry copies of the Thoughts of Chairman Mao and banners with Chairman Mao's image on them." "There are also a few liberal-minded people involved, but they all have the same aim." Momentum lost Chen said activists had started their action on July 18 ... and about 30 people had been detained since, on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble." He said Jasic employs around 1,000 workers, but suggested that the movement may be losing some momentum among workers on the shop floor after the crackdown by the authorities. "Some people have been appeased by management," Chen said. Democracy activist Ren Ziyuan, who has previously served a 10-year jail term, said Shen was among those who sought jobs at the factory with a view to helping the workers organize. "She was employed at the factory, and then she helped them to unionize to fight for their rights," Ren said. "That's pretty unusual." "But she believes in all that Maoist stuff, in communism, which is a pity," he said. "They believe that Mao stood up for the rights of workers, and they believe that the famines of the Great Leap Forward [1958-1960] were all a lie ... they think that the figure of 38 million dead in the famine was all cooked up by the rightists, and that's why Mao went after them." Reported by Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Yang Fan for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Parents of children sickened and disabled by substandard vaccines gathered in protest outside China's state health and family planning commission on following arrests at a major vaccine manufacturer in the northeastern province of Jilin. More than 20 parents attended the protest, holding up a banner that read "Disabled by vaccines; give us back our health!" outside the government buildings, until police came in and escorted them away, eyewitnesses said. "The authorities sent several dozen police officers and two vehicles to tell us to go down [to the police station]," Henan-based He Fangmei, known by her online nickname Shisanmei, told RFA. "We went, and they took our details and told us to leave." "They haven't given us any kind of explanation ... so I think there will be more of this [sort of protest] in the days to come," she said. "We want some kind of assurance about our kids' medical treatment going forward." He said her daughter developed gray matter spondylitis after being administered a substandard DPT vaccine made by Wuhan Bio at the age of three months, and had to be taken to the emergency room. Even now, she still can't move her limbs properly, she said. "We want the government to provide humanitarian assistance to our children for their medical treatment," she said. "Our kids' health can't afford to wait ... and we need some guarantees for the future." A parent surnamed who attended the protest said there were around 20-30 protesters present. "We are in the police station right now, and we have to register, so we are waiting to do that," she said, as a voice called out: "Let's go! Don't stand there; how will you get this sorted if you never register your ID?" Substandard vaccines A parent surnamed Liu said the parents aren't pleading on behalf of specific cases, but on behalf of all children affected by substandard vaccines. "We want a vaccination law, and we want them to authorize a third-party verification system like they have for drug-testing of athletes, so that the health authorities don't get to dictate everything," Liu said. "Then there's the question of [financial] guarantees for their future treatment," he said. The protest came after vaccine manufacturer Changchun Changsheng issued a recall of its rabies vaccine, which had been administered to thousands of children across the country, sparking a police investigation at the company. The Changsheng recall was the latest in a string of tainted or substandard vaccine scandals to hit China, with commentators hitting out at endemic corruption and profiteering in the country's biotech industry. State-owned vaccine maker Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co and Changchun Changsheng had previously been found to have sold ineffective or harmful DPT vaccines to inoculate children against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus. Police in the northeastern city of Changchun said on they would formally arrest 18 people in connection with the scandal. Meanwhile, China's Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) highlighted problems with the generic hypertension and heart drug valsartan made by Huahai Pharmaceutical, which contained a human carcinogen. Huahai's valsartan stock has now been recalled and production halted, while heathcare professionals have been warned not to use it. Averting public anger The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also alerted healthcare professionals and patients after "an impurity, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) ... was found in the recalled products." "Zhejiang Huahai has stopped distributing its valsartan ... and the FDA is working with the affected companies to reduce or eliminate the valsartan ... impurity from future products," it said in a statement on its website. Beijing-based rights activist Li Wei said the authorities are keen to be seen taking action to avert widespread public anger over the vaccine scandal, but that similar cases in the past have rarely attracted any form of assistance or compensation. "A lot of parents are calling for legislation to guarantee their children's healthcare [expenses]," Li said. "But we have seen a lot of such cases, and they still haven't been resolved, even a long time after the event." Parent activist Zhao Lianhai, who campaigns for children sickened during the 2008 melamine-tainted infant formula scandal, said he is working on a comprehensive database of children affected by tainted vaccines. "We are going to submit it to the State Health and Family Planning Commission, providing them with this information from the parents, and then hope that they will help us," Zhao said. Zhao said in an online statement that the problem of children made sick or disabled by vaccines is a very serious one, and that many families have been in need of help for years. Amnesty International hit out at the scandal in an article on its website on . "For a more effective system compliant with Chinas human rights obligations, the government must change its approach," the article said. "Without fear of consequence in the form of public outrage, independent reporting, or class-action lawsuits, companies will continue to cut corners and this collective moment of deja vu will only happen again," author Hana Young wrote. Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Flooding triggered by annual monsoon rains across Myanmar has killed 11 people and made 119,000 homeless, with relief workers struggling to find boats to deliver aid to inundated towns and villages and warning about food shortfalls, aid workers and government officials said on Monday. Seasonal rains that have also hit Myanmars Southeast Asian neighbors Laos, Cambodia and Thailand have hit eight states and divisions in the country, where authorities have set up relief camps for thousands of villagers who have escaped to higher ground. Five states and divisions -- Mon and Karen States; and Bago, Taninthayi, and Magway Divisions -- have more than 119,000 victims from 25,000 households according to the list we have, an officer from the National Natural Disaster Management Department told RFAs Myanmar Service. A second official said Ayarwaddy Division, Saigaing Division, and the capital Naypyidaw were also flooded. In Bago division, more than 70,000 people have taken shelter at 150 temporary relief camps, while 25,000 have found haven at 67 relief camps in Karen State, In Mon State, 50 camps are housing 15,000 evacuees, and 6000 people are being are being accommodated at 11 camps in Taninthayi Division, authorities said. The national government has provided food for victims at camps, while regional governments and lawmakers have formed groups and help victims who remain in villages. There are more than 20 villages flooded in Hpa-An township in Karen State. They are staying at higher elevations in groups, but they cant go to relief camps as they dont have motorboats to cross the strong current of the Thanlwin (Salween) River, said Saw Kyaw San, a relief worker from Hpa-An. The water is about four feet high in the town, so we need boats to deliver food for flood victims. We are worried for them as the flood has been going on for about a week, added Aung Moe, a relief worker from the Karen State Youth Organization. Officials in Bago Division faced similar troubles. We need a lot of help for victims. We have food enough for three or four days, but it seems the floods will last a long time, Win Myint, a member of the Bago parliament from Shwe Kyin township, told RFA. Zin Ko Oo, the chief of Palon Tontone in Taninthayi Division, said incessant rain caused a landslide on Monday that buried houses, killing five villagers and leaving another one in critical condition. Landslides started at around 8 am and five houses were destroyed. No one was occupying four of the houses, but the fifth one had six people in it. All were buried under mud and they were sent to Kawthaung township hospital. Five of them died at the hospital and one is still in the critical condition, he told RFA. It was not immediately clear where the other six reported deaths occurred. Union Minister Win Myat Aye told RFA in an interview that the central government had provided seven speedboats and 100 fiberglass motorboats to help rescue or deliver supplies to flooded areas across the country. There was 13.7 inches of rainfall within 10 hours in Mon State, an amount that we have never had in our history. A huge amount of floodwater gushed down from the mountains and washed away houses, the minister said. National government aid extended so far is more than enough for the victims at relief camps, but we are still trying to support people who remain in their houses. Although it is not 100 percent successful, we can help them to some extent now, the minister said. Win Myat Aye added that Myanmar was in contact with the World Food Program and the ASEAN Centre for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives (ACEDAC) about international help. We have already talked with several international organizations about accepting their assistance. We can still manage for the victims by ourselves now. Well just need to ask the international agencies for help when we need it, he said. Reported by Thi Min Zin and Kyaw Lwin Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Paul Eckert. Six U.S. Senators have penned a letter to Washingtons top diplomat, urging pressure on Chinas government to provide information about the relatives of reporters with RFAs Uyghur Service missing in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), and to free those who have been detained or jailed. Beginning in April 2017, Uyghurs accused of harboring strong religious views and politically incorrect ideas have been jailed or detained in re-education camps throughout the XUAR, where members of the ethnic group have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule. China is believed to have detained more than two dozen close relatives of six U.S.-based reporters for RFAs Uyghur Service in apparent retaliation for their coverage of the XUAR. In a letter dated July 26, and recently obtained by RFA, Senator Mark Warner of Virginiathe vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligenceand five other bipartisan Senators wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to raise concerns about Chinas attempts to punish the RFA reporters for their work. RFAs Uyghur Service journalists, most of them U.S. citizens and residents of Virginia, have relatives in Chinaincluding elderly parentswho have been detained, jailed, or forcibly disappeared in what appears to be an act of direct retaliation against these U.S. journalists for their work in exposing the deteriorating human rights situation in the XUAR, the lawmakers wrote. We are deeply concerned that these cases illustrate that a foreign nation is pursuing extreme measures in an attempt to interfere with Radio Free Asias congressionally mandated mission of bringing free press to closed societies. The Senators noted that most of the relatives are believed to be held in the re-education camps which, aside from a brief mention as training centers in state media recently, China's central government authorities have not publicly acknowledged the existence of. While the number of inmates kept in each facility remains a closely guarded secret, local officials in many parts of the region have in RFA telephone interviews forthrightly described sending significant numbers of Uyghurs to the camps and even described overcrowding in some facilities. In your capacity as the United States senior diplomat, we urge you raise this urgent issue in your diplomatic communications with your Chinese counterparts, seek answers as to the whereabouts and well-being of these missing, detained, and jailed relatives, and appeal for these individuals to be unconditionally released at every opportunity, the letter said. We ask you to make clear to the Chinese government that these cases are a priority for the U.S. Government. We also ask that you brief our offices within the next few weeks with an update on their cases, to include specifics about your engagement with the Chinese government to date, and your plan for future engagement. The letter to Pompeo came after several top U.S. officials and a U.S. lawmaker called out China last week for its treatment of Uyghurs in the XUAR, slamming Beijing for what they said was a systematic effort to destroy the Muslim minoritys religious and cultural identity. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and Senator Marco Rubio spoke at separate events in Washington decrying Chinas re-education camps in the XUAR and calling on the country to end its religious persecution of the Uyghurs, in a rare example of U.S. officials at such senior levels concertedly drawing attention to the issue. Earlier in July, Pompeo told Voice of America in an interview that China should refrain from using the guise of a counter terrorism investigation to persecute religious freedom and condemned Beijings draconian policies in the XUAR. Citing credible reports, Rubio and his CECC co-chair Representative Chris Smith, said recently that as many as 500,000 to a million people are or have been detained in the re-education camps, calling it the largest mass incarceration of a minority population in the world today. Adrian Zenz, a lecturer in social research methods at the Germany-based European School of Culture and Theology, said the number could be closer to 1.1 million, which equates to 10-11 percent of the adult Muslim population of the region. In March, several human rights and press freedom watchdog groups slammed Chinas detention of the RFA Uyghur Service reporters relatives and called for their release. Twenty protesters went on trial on Monday and were quickly sentenced for their roles in June 10 protests in Vietnams Bien Hoa city, with prison terms handed out of from eight months up to one and a half years in prison, sources in the country said. Tran Nguyen Duy Quang was sentenced to one and a half years, Pham Ngoc Hanh to one year and four months, and 13 others given prison terms of from eight to ten months. Five others, needed at home to care for their children, were placed under house arrest for terms ranging from one year to one year and two months. All had been convicted of disrupting public order in the June 10 protest in southeast Vietnams Dong Nai province, which official media in Vietnam said had blocked roads and created traffic jams on major highways in the area. Speaking to RFAs Vietnamese Service following the trial, Nguyen Ngoc Trungfather of defendants Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong and Nguyen Thi Truc Anh, both womensaid that he and other family members had been barred from the court building during the trial. They did not let us in. We had to sit outside, he said. Though we looked around for a lawyer, we couldnt find one, adding that he had been allowed to meet with his daughters only three times before their trial. Trung had earlier sought the help of lawyers to defend his daughters, but none would agree to take the case, he said. Also speaking to RFA, Nguyen Duy Tan, the parish priest of Tho Hoa church in Dong Nai province, said that protesters detained on June 10 had demonstrated peacefully, and were only expressing their opinions. But the government took away the protesters' right to express themselves by intimidating them, Tan said. On June 9 and 10, protests rocked major Vietnamese cities including Hanoi and Saigon, also called Ho Chi Minh City, as demonstrators challenged government plans to grant long-term leases for foreign companies operating in special economic zones (SEZs). The protests prompted clashes with police that saw demonstrators beaten and an unknown number detained. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha. Written in English by Richard Finney. The European Union's envoy for the South Caucasus has visited Azerbaijan amid ongoing efforts to forge a new pact governing ties between the EU and Baku. President Ilham Aliyev's office said that he and EU special representative Toivo Klaar discussed EU-Azerbaijan cooperation and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the meeting on July 30. Aliyev highlighted what he called Baku's "successful" cooperation with the EU and NATO, his office said. It said that Klaar "expressed hope" that a new partnership agreement between the EU and Baku "will be signed in the nearest future." There was no immediate comment from Klaar. The sides are in talks on a deal to replace their 1996 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The talks began in February 2017. A man the Federal Security Service (FSB) claims was behind an alleged attempt to smuggle nearly 400 kilograms of cocaine from Argentina to Russia has been extradited from Germany and is in a Moscow jail, his lawyer says. Suspect Andrei Kovalchuk "is in Matrosskaya Tishina detention center and has been formally charged with illegal drug trafficking," the lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said on July 30. Zherebenkov did not say when Kovalchuk, who was detained on the outskirts of Berlin on March 1, had been extradited. He said his client was not answering investigators' questions, citing his constitutional right to refuse to testify against himself. Russian authorities have said Kovalchuk is the main suspect in a case involving 16 pieces of luggage that officials say were packed with more than $60 million worth of cocaine and left in a storage area at the Russian Embassy school in Buenos Aires. The Argentinian security minister, Patricia Bullrich, said in February that 389 kilograms of cocaine was found in the bags when they were seized in December 2016, following a tip from the Russian ambassador and three FSB officers. The cocaine was replaced with flour and the luggage was flown in 2017 to Russia, where two men were arrested when they came to pick it up, Bullrich said. The FSB said earlier that three suspects had been detained in Russia and two in Argentina as a result of what both countries said was a joint operation. They said the alleged mastermind -- later identified as Kovalchuk, a former technical worker at the Russian Embassy in Argentina who then resided in Germany -- was wanted under an international arrest warrant. Russia's Foreign Ministry said later that Kovalchuk had never worked either for the ministry or for the Russian Embassy in Argentina. With reporting by TASS and Interfax MINSK -- The leader of a prominent independent trade union that played a role in street protests in 2017 is being tried on tax-evasion charges he contends are politically motivated. Henadz Fyadynich and union accountant Ihar Komlik arrived for the start of their trial at the Lenin District Court in Minsk on July 30 wearing white shirts adorned with traditional Belarusian-Ukrainian embroidery patterns, a symbol of patriotism. Belarusian authorities laid charges in August 2017 against Fyadynich, Komlik, and the union, which represents electronics-industry workers. Komlik was taken into pretrial custody but was released in October. He and Komlik were ordered not to leave Minsk while the investigation was under way. Fyadynich denies guilt and says the case against him, his assistants, and the union is politically motivated punishment for the union's role in organizing protests in February-March 2017 against legislation that would impose a tax on the unemployed. Critics of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the authoritarian leader who has held power in Belarus since 1994, says his government routinely uses the justice system to suppress dissent. Kyrgyzstan is demanding an explanation from Belarus following media reports that showed a man who looks like former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov, who was sentenced to life in prison after an in-absentia trial in Bishkek, and identified him as a Belarusian state agricultural corporation CEO named Daniil Uritski. Usenov, along with ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiev and 24 other defendants, was sentenced in 2014 after being convicted of involvement in ordering a crackdown that led to the deaths of nearly 100 people who were killed when security forces fired on protesters during demonstrations against Bakiev in April 2010. Belarusian media covering a groundbreaking ceremony at an agricultural facility showed a man identified as Uritski, chief of the Belarusian National Biotechnological Corporation, along with Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Rusy and Agriculture Minister Leanid Zayats. The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said on July 28 that it had summoned Belarusian Ambassador Syarhey Ivanov and handed him a protest note calling it "absolutely unacceptable" that Usenov, who was sentenced to life in prison in Kyrgyzstan, "is residing and conducting activities on the territory of Belarus." Usenov, Bakiev, and others fled Kyrgzstan after the government's ouster in 2010. Bakiev later appeared in Belarus, and Minsk has refused to extradite the former Kyrgyz president to Bishkek. On July 30, Kyrgyz lawmaker Abdyvakhab Nurbaev told RFE/RL that the parliamentary committee on international relations, defense, and security will look into the new revelations regarding Usenov and his whereabouts once parliament returns from summer holidays. Usenov's ex-wife, lawmaker Dinara Isaeva, told RFE/RL on July 30 that she had not been in touch with her former husband for eight years but that she was confident that the man in the Belarusian reports was Usenov. TBILISI -- Georgia's Constitutional Court has abolished administrative punishments for the consumption of marijuana, making the Caucasus country the first former Soviet republic to legalize usage of the drug. The ruling by four senior court judges on July 30 concerns only the consumption of cannabis, while cultivation and selling remain a crime, the court said in its ruling. It added that punishing a person for consuming cannabis would comply with the constitution only if consumption put a third party at risk. "According to the applicants [Zurab Japaridze and Vakhtang Megrelishvili], the consumption of marijuana is not an act of social threat. In particular, it can only harm the user's health, making that user him/herself responsible for the outcome. The responsibility for such actions does not cause dangerous consequences for the public," the court said. "The Constitutional Court highlights the imposition of responsibility of marijuana consumption when it creates a threat to third parties. For instance, the court will justify responsibility when marijuana is consumed in educational institutions, public places, such as on public transport, and in the presence of children, it added. The ruling was prompted by a lawsuit filed by activists of the opposition Girchi party. "It can only harm the health of the consumer, who is responsible for the results of the action," the lawsuit read. Japaridze told reporters the ruling was a victory for a freer Georgia. "This wasn't a fight for cannabis. This was a fight for freedom," he said. In late November, the Constitutional Court decriminalized use of marijuana or other forms of cannabis-based drugs but preserved administrative punishment, such as a fine, for marijuana use. Before that, Georgia's Criminal Code defined repetitive use of marijuana and possession of more than 70 grams of dried cannabis as a crime for which individuals could face punishment that does not include imprisonment. The Girchi party, which has led a drive to legalize marijuana since November 2016, said then that it will fight for complete decriminalization of marijuana in the country. A Greek court has approved a supplementary request from Moscow to extradite a Russian cybercrime suspect, who is also wanted in France and the United States. Aleksandr Vinnik's lawyer, Ilias Spirliadis, said on July 30 that a court in Thessaloniki ruled in favor of Russia's request to take custody of the 39-year-old suspected of being involved in cyberattacks and a multibillion-dollar fraud. Vinnik was first arrested in Greece last year on a U.S.-issued warrant. The same court ruled to extradite Vinnik to the United States in October, a ruling upheld by the Supreme Court in December. On July 13, the court also ruled to extradite Vinnik to France, which irked Moscow. Greece's justice minister is expected to decide where Vinnik will be sent after examining the competing extradition requests from the three countries. Vinnik, who has denied doing anything illegal, remains in jail in Greece pending the final decision on his extradition. The ruling to extradite Vinnik to France came a day after authorities in Athens confirmed that two Russian diplomats were being expelled for allegedly providing funding to Greek groups opposed to a name deal with neighboring Macedonia that paved the way for the former Yugoslav republic to secure an invitation to join NATO. Greece had been opposed to Macedonia's joining both the alliance and the European Union before the country changed its name for fear it might raise territorial claims on the historical Greek region of the same name. France is seeking Vinnik for alleged cybercrime, money laundering, membership in a criminal organization, and extortion. The Greek Supreme Court earlier approved Vinnik's extradition to the United States to stand trial for allegedly laundering billions of dollars using Bitcoin. Greece's leftist prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, favors better ties between Russia and the European Union, and invited President Vladimir Putin to Greece two years ago, but Moscow and Athens disagree over Macedonia's goal to join NATO. With reporting by TASS and Interfax Macedonia's parliament has approved a government proposal setting September 30 as the date for a referendum on a deal with Greece to rename the country. Sixty-eight deputies in the 120-member parliament voted on July 30 in favor of holding a referendum on the question: "Are you in favor of NATO and EU membership, and accepting the name agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and Greece?" Ahead of the vote, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told reporters the agreement -- aimed at ending a long-running dispute with Greece that should help pave the way for Macedonia to join the European Union and NATO security alliance -- will "define the future of the Republic of Macedonia." Protests have taken place both in Greece and Macedonia since their foreign ministers signed a deal on June 17 to rename the country the Republic of North Macedonia -- North Macedonia for short. Macedonian lawmakers later voted in favor of the bill to ratify the agreement, which is strongly opposed by the main opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE . The nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party also disputes the announced referendum question, saying the deal with Athens should not be linked with the country's EU and NATO membership bids. The party's deputies did not attend the vote in protest. "The question must be understandable, simple...it should state, 'Do you support or oppose the agreement with Greece which envisages a name change,'" VMRO-DPMNE deputy head Aleksandar Nikolovski told RFE/RL before the vote. The name dispute between Skopje and Athens dates back to 1991, when Macedonia peacefully broke away from Yugoslavia, declaring its independence under the name Republic of Macedonia. Neighboring Greece has objected to the name Macedonia, saying it implies territorial claims on the northern Greek region with the same name. Because of Greek objections, Macedonia was admitted to the UN under a provisional name, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). With reporting by AP, Reuters, and MIA Moldovan opposition leader Andrei Nastase has added his voice to strong international criticism targeting the recently approved legislation to cut taxation and introduce an amnesty on registering assets. Nastase, in an open letter to the U.S. and EU embassies in Chisinau, called on Western countries and international bodies on July 30 to urge Moldova to stop the implementation of the measures, which were rushed through parliament last week and should take effect from October. Under the new package, Moldovans earning less than the equivalent of $95 monthly will be exempt from paying income tax. The average monthly salary in Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, was $106 in 2016, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Meanwhile, a fiscal amnesty will offer Moldovans a chance to declare and register assets without proof of how they acquired them provided they pay a 3 percent tax. "The fiscal amnesty law recently approved by the parliament in reality amounts to the legalization of fraudulently acquired money," Nastase said in his letter, which he made public at a news conference in Chisinau. The pro-EU Nastase scored an upset win in the mayoral election in Chisinau last month against an adversary from the Socialist Party of Moscow-backed President Igor Dodon. But his victory was annulled by Moldovas courts in a series of rulings that found both candidates had addressed voters on social media after the official end of campaigning -- a decision that was condemned by both the European Union and the United States and sparked street protests in the capital. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the EU and the U.S. embassies to Moldova have all criticized the new fiscal measures and urged their reversal. "Moldova has committed itself to better relations with the EU, and has signed both an Association Agreement and memorandum on macro-financial assistance. If this tax legislation, adopted in a hasty and opaque manner, is applied, it could lead to the violation of Moldova's obligations," said Peter Mihalka, head of the EU mission in Moldova. "The legislation is incompatible with current reforms aimed at strengthening the rule of law; the fight against corruption, money laundering, and organized crime; and improving the business climate," he added. Confronted with international and domestic criticism, the ruling Democratic Party (PDM) has argued the measures are designed to reduce poverty and downsize the shadow economy in one of Europe's poorest countries. Parliament speaker Andrian Candu said the aim was to assist the poorest segment of the population, and he rejected accusations that the package would help the rich and corrupt legalize dubiously acquired fortunes. According to some estimates, the measures would deprive the budget of the equivalent of $157 million -- causing concern at the IMF, which supports Moldova with a $183 million loan program. The laws "are not in line with the objectives of the fund-supported program," the IMF's mission to Moldova said. "Specifically, the adopted measures will increase the regressivity of the tax system, could undermine tax compliance, and pose significant fiscal risks," Volodymyr Tulin, the IMF resident representative in Moldova, said on July 27, a day after parliament approved the laws. Regressive taxation refers to a tax rate that decreases as the amount subject to taxation increases, and imposes a larger financial burden on the poor than on the rich. Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova is plagued not only by endemic poverty, but also by corruption. The disappearance of an estimated $1 billion, or one-eighth of the country's gross-domestic product, in 2015 enraged a large majority of Moldovans, who took to the streets in protest of what they dubbed "the heist of the century." It also disrupted negotiations with the IMF and the European Union on funding and triggered a political crisis. The former deputy director of the anti-money-laundering agency in Moldova, Mihail Gofman, told Moldovan media last week that the new laws represented an attempt by the PDM to legalize the money stolen in the "heist of the century." PDM President Vladimir Plahotniuc, an influential but controversial oligarch, has been accused by some critics of being involved in the disappearance of the $1 billion. "Their only option is to bring the stolen money back to Moldova [and launder it], since there is a risk abroad that it could be blocked by foreign governments," Gofman said. The U.S. Embassy in Chisinau said on July 27 it was "extremely disappointed" by parliament's move. "The law on voluntary declaration and tax incentives (called the law on amnesty of capital) legalizes theft and corruption, and also damages the business environment in Moldova," the embassy said in statement. "Citizens of Moldova have already suffered as a result of major financial crimes. Criminals should be punished, not encouraged. The people of Moldova deserve more," it said. Moldova has had to grapple with mass emigration and a decades-old frozen conflict with its Moscow-backed Transdniester region and the presence of more than 1,000 Russian troops on its territory. With reporting by Reuters Amateur video shared with RFE/RL's Tajik Service is said to show an incident in which a car crashed into a group of foreign cyclists in the Khatlon region of southern Tajikistan. The origin of the video is not clear, but the images appeared to match numerous photos from other sources at the scene. Tajik officials say a driver hit the cyclists with a car before at least one assailant attacked them with firearms and a knife. Four cyclists were killed -- two Americans, one Dutchman, and a Swiss citizen -- and at least three others were injured. The Tajik officials say terrorism is being considered as a motive. Warning: disturbing images The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility for the killing of four foreign cyclists who were attacked by at least one assailant with a gun and knife after being run down by a vehicle in southern Tajikistan. The group's Amaq news agency published the claim on July 30, but did not provide details or evidence to back up its statement, which was also published by the SITE intelligence group. The attackers were soldiers of the Islamic State and carried out the attack in response to calls to target the citizens of the coalition countries, a statement by the group said. There are no previously known terrorist attacks on foreigners in Tajikistan. Earlier on July 30, Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda said in Dushanbe that a governmental group had been formed to investigate the incident, in which two Americans, one Dutchman, and a Swiss citizen were killed. Three other foreigners -- including one French citizen -- were injured in the July 29 incident, in the Danghara district of the Khatlon region, about 150 kilometers south of the capital. Authorities said at least one person had been detained in connection with the attack and one other was killed in a confrontation with security forces. That contradicted earlier reports suggesting two suspects had been killed and several more detained. Three young men were named by police and are being sought in connection with the attack. "The driver and passengers of a car that hit the foreign tourists, [then] got out of the car and attacked [the cyclists] with firearms and knives," Rahimzoda said. Officials are exploring "all possible" motives, he added, "including a terrorist act." Three of the cyclists were pronounced dead at the scene, while a fourth died in the hospital. Khatlon health officials said the bodies of the dead tourists showed knife wounds. Police said they believe a car found in the nearby village of Torbulok was the vehicle used to run down the cyclists. Presidential Probe Eyewitnesses told RFE/RL's Tajik Service that the incident did not appear to be an accident. One local resident who was at the scene of the incident shortly after it occurred said one of the injured cyclists told him that people jumped out of the car after hitting the cyclists and started stabbing them. The U.S. Embassy to Tajikistan issued a statement saying that "according to multiple sources, on July 29 Tajik citizens hit seven foreign cyclists with their vehicle, exited the car, and stabbed the cyclists with knives." The statement said that "the Ministry of Internal Affairs has detained one suspect and killed at least three other suspects." "We condemn the senseless attack, offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and wish the injured a speedy recovery," the statement adds. The dead and injured cyclists were reportedly spread out over a considerable area, indicating that some may have been chased. The U.S. Embassy said in its statement that it had "no evidence that indicates a heightened level of threat to U.S. citizens. We encourage U.S. citizens to maintain awareness of their surroundings." The Dutch Foreign Ministry said the Dutchman who was killed was 56 years old and the other Dutch citizen injured in the attack was 58 years old. Rahimzoda said the investigation was being put under the personal control of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, whose country has recently sought to boost its foreign tourism. Rahmon described the incident as a "cruel act" in a message of condolence to U.S. President Donald Trump. 'Very Worrisome' Like several of its Central Asian neighbors, Tajikistan has battled extremism, and hundreds of Tajiks are believed to have left the country to join Islamic State in the Middle East or elsewhere. Hidajet Biscevic, the EU ambassador to Tajikistan, told RFE/RL that he was "really shocked" by the incident, which he said was "very complex" and "very worrisome." "People tend to believe that this is not an isolated attack done by these four, five, whatever number, young people in the Danghara region," he said. "[This incident] could also have a very strong psychological and social impact on the security of foreigners in the country at the time when Tajikistan is focusing its attention to attract foreign investment and foreign assistance for the development of the country, in particular in the area of tourism." Biscevic said on July 30 that an extraordinary meeting of EU member state ambassadors in Tajikistan along with U.S. officials would be held later that day in Dushanbe, and he did not rule out that someone might propose sending security experts to Tajikistan to assist in the investigation. The disappearance of a former special-forces commander to join IS in Syria in 2015 embarrassed Tajikistan, the poorest of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia. The government has used appearances by returning former IS sympathizers and other public-relations efforts to discourage extremists' recruitment of Tajiks. A report by The Hague-based International Center for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) noted that Tajiks carried out the highest number of suicide operations by foreigners in Iraq and Syria during a stretch in 2016 among cases in which the attackers' country of origin was identified. Scientist warns Cancun could disappear due to global warming Cancun, Q.R. A Mexican scientist says that global warming should matter to Mexicans since it could affect Cancun and Villahermosa. The melting of glaciers in Antarctica is leading to a rise in the sea level, which could mean the potential disappearance of places such as Cancun and Villahermosa, said Mexican scientist Sandra Guzman. Guzman, who participated in a 20-day expedition in the Antarctic in May, explained that her work consisted of researching the effects of global warming and documenting the effects of climate change with other established scientists in the region. She was part of an expedition in Antarctica that involved 80 women scientists from around the world. She says her findings highlight that the melting of ice in the Antarctic Peninsula, which is caused by the increase of the planets temperature, has been continualy accelerated, resulting in the disappearance of huge portions of ice. Antarctica is a territory that is composed of 90 percent ice with the largest fresh water reserves on the planet, which is between 70 and 80 percent. This boundless ice extension helps regulate the climate, counterbalancing global warming. Unfortunately, its melting in an accelerated manner and in recent years, a strong weakening of the ice has been detected. If the temperature continues to rise, the Antarctic will not be enough to balance the climate, she warned. Mexican scientist Sandra Guzman Another problem she found was the lack of expertise when communicating with governments and society in general about the enormous amount of information being collected at these bases. There is a lot of information that is being generated in Antarctica, but not all of this information is public, said Guzman who is also the coordinator of the Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean. She says she wants to identify these gaps in terms of information and share the information with international leaders, starting with the president of Mexico. Regarding Mexico, she explained that its necessary to account for the increase of tourism in the region that 10 years ago was in the thousands, and now, is in the millions. She says this is one reason its important for Mexico to be part of the Antarctic Treaty, to implement action. Maybe many people in Mexico dont care about that, but just to give datum, with the melting of the glaciers the sea level increases more and more and some cities like Cancun and Villahermosa are on the map of potential disappearance because of this rise in sea level. Guzman added that Mexico should care about the changes that have been detected in Antarctica since the country is vulnerable to hurricane events, which, with these climate alterations, could increase in number and intensity. Although we are too late to save many of the ecosystems that are already in severe danger, we can still do something to recover species, to recover ecosystems, she clarified. The election of Joao Lourenco as Angolas new president last September after almost four decades of Jose Eduardo dos Santos rule has brought so much hope in the southern African country, which is one of the leading crude oil and diamond producers. Dos Santos family had a tight grip on Angola, but that has changed, as the new leader was acting on his promise to tackle family monopolies and make Angola more attractive to investors. Lourenco dismissed the former presidents daughter, Isabel, from her position last November as chairperson of state-owned oil company Sonangol. The Angolan state-owned diamond company Sodiam, which markets the countrys diamonds, then pulled out last December of an investment in Geneva-based jewellery maker De Grisogono controlled by Sindika Dokolo, who married Isabel. Bloomberg quoted Sodiam as saying at the time that it was cancelling its ties with De Grisogono for reasons of public interest and legality. Reuters then reported in March this year that Isabel had lost diamond exploration licenses previously reserved for her to investors. She previously held the Camafuca-Camazambo and Chiri licenses. President of state diamond company Endiama, Jose Manuel Ganga Junior said in a video clip of a closed-door meeting with mining companies in February that the licenses had expired and were now available for new exploration partners. It is true that these kimberlites we presented to promote and offer for exploration were already granted as licenses in the past, many years ago, he said. These licenses have expired ... At this time, we dont have any commitment with any former owners of these projects. New direction Just recently, Ganga Junior revealed that Endiama had suspended its exploration and mining projects in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Venezuela to focus on the exploration and mining of new diamond reserves in Angola. He said the contract, involving diamonds and other mineral resources, with the CAR government had been suspended because we understand that we do not have the conditions to develop various projects outside of the country. In June, the Angolan government also approved a new policy of rough diamonds trading, which would guarantee an effective system. Reuters saw a draft presidential decree that revealed a plan to set the price of rough diamonds against an international benchmark and give producers greater influence to pick their own buyers. Diamond producers like Catoca would be allowed to sell up to 60 percent of their output to companies of their choice, as well as to their own trading divisions, breaking Sodiams power to select buyers. Diamonds would be priced according to a benchmark based on a sample of typical nationally-produced stones, along with an evaluation using a price list in line with the international market. The southern African country was also set to introduce sales sessions for pre-approved diamond buyers, while rare stones would be individually placed under the hammer. Lourenco visited Antwerp, Belgium earlier this year where he said his country had been absent from the diamond bourse and he wants that to change. It has been said that Angola has been absent from Antwerp, but that is set to change. We are going to be represented in Antwerp, and will work together in partnership, the Angolan leader said. Angola produced 9 million carats last year worth $1.1 billion, but about only a fraction of that was sold on the Antwerp diamond market. The new Angolan leader and his team have clearly hit the ground running and are keen to spruce up the diamond sector, which was expected to augment the oil industry. The sectors future was bright, should they continue on this trajectory. Mathew Nyaungwa, Rough&Polished It is not a secret that the rate of kimberlite discovery in Botswana has dropped considerably and research has shown that termites can help diamond explorers have an understanding of the transport mechanism of kimberlite indicator minerals from the kimberlite to the surface. Studies have also shown that the concentration of indicator minerals at surface was directly dependent on the physical characteristics, capabilities and behavioural patterns of termite species common in the exploration area. Pangolin Diamonds chief executive Leon Daniels told Rough & Polisheds Mathew Nyaungwa on the sidelines of a mining conference last month in Gaborone that the company has for the past few years been using termites in its diamond exploration activities. He said they were starting to see results, although it will take some time before they make some discoveries. Below are excerpts from the interview. How are termites helping you in your kimberlite exploration activities in Botswana? In Orapa, for example, you get macro-termites (inaudible) and they have a very high workload, they build these very high big termite hills, they move an enormous amount of earth, but those termite hills have a single focal point, so they build up the concentration in that point. When the termite nest dies down that termite hill weathers down and spreads the indicators, but it's local, right? If you take (inaudible) the one that really gets into your woodwork and chews up your door and everything very quickly, they discard their waste at little holes above surface, the near-surface below ground, so they don't cause these high concentrations at a single focal point, they discard one indicator here another one there, that kind of thing. There was one research programme where the researcher counted the number of vent holes in 1 hectare and he found 139. So instead of having one hill concentrating you've got 139 tiny little spread points in that hectare. So, when you go and sample it, you are sampling a hectare that is 10,000 square meters. When you take a [regular] sample, you are sampling maybe 5 or 10 square meters, you know and you only going to get a very low indicated count. So that's the first thing to understand. Then the second thing is that we actually look at the texture, the surface texture of the indicator that we find. And if that surface texture says to us that that indicator has been in contact with kimberlites and hasn't been transported very far to weather that texture off, then we know we should be within 500 meters of the kimberlite. So, have you made any progress with this method? Yes, but there's one step further, let's first go one step further. So, because to the very low counts, what we did was we started sampling the same position, the same grid at the same GPS controlled positions over and over again, every month, in the last week of the month, we go and sample those same positions, we process those samples and then for each sample site, we add up the indicators month after month that's recovered from that site to get a total for that site, not total per sample, but total for that site. And then we plot that up and so eventually we can start seeing a pattern forming where we get the most indicators and when we get no indicators so that's the process that we are following. Have we gotten something? Yes! The problem is there are many potential sites, but we only started this programme two years ago. We are the first company that has even attempted to do something like this. We are starting to see results where we believe we are going to make some discoveries, so we think it's the right path to follow. Someone argued that for Botswana to remain a top diamond player there is need for the country to find one or two, tier-one diamond deposits. Do you agree with that notion as a junior company? Well, I don't think discovering the next big kimberlite is necessarily in the private domain of a large company, currently it is DeBeers that is a large company doing exploration here. The problem is they're very few companies actually still doing exploration. I am a bit puzzled by the definition that tier-one is a $20 billion [revenue] and tier-two is 400,000 carats per year. It depends on the quality of the diamonds that you find. 400,000 carats per year can also be $20 billion revenue, you know in the deposit, so I don't know how they changed the definition from one measurement yardstick to another one. Having said that, if Karowe is a tier-two, is it a tier-two because of the high value diamonds it gets? Is it a tier-two because of the high dollar per carat price or is it a tier-two because it's got a grade at the moment of 12 to 13 cpht? It was only 7 hectares in size and I think there are still 10 hectares kimberlites to be discovered with a higher grade. So, tier-two, I dont see a problem, but tier-ones, there's only seven in the world you know, the odds are very thin. But it's not impossible. It's only impossible until the next one is found. You previously suggested that there is need for a mind shift in diamond exploration as there is no easy way anymore. Can you elaborate on that? The obvious high concentration indicator anomalies have been found and the kimberlites associated with them. Most of the perspective countries have been covered by aeromagnetic surveys, those targets have been drilled and have been found so you're now sitting with a situation that they are no inexpensive way of finding kimberlites in the sense that - as you have seen my presentation - the number of indicators is decreasing, so the old method of soil sampling doesn't work anymore. The inexpensive way of using airborne geophysics doesn't work anymore. De Beers is now flying a big aeromagnetic survey, but you know, it's only companies like De Beers that can afford that. Junior companies can't afford that, so we have to change the way of thinking and so that's where Pangolin Diamonds has gotten involved with understanding the termite species working in the area Why is there little exploration taking place in Botswana? Actually, we dont have few companies involved in diamond exploration in the country, there are an enormous number of licenses issued to numerous companies. You just need to get the prospecting license map for precious stones from the (minerals) department to see that, but almost none of them do any exploration. Why is it like that? It's extremely speculative, I mean that's the nature of all kinds of exploration. It's extremely speculative. It's high risk, and it's extremely difficult to raise capital to do that exploration. I mean, it's as simple as that. If we can get the government to say listen all you pension funds put 0.1% of your money into a high-risk exploration. Yes, it's high risk so only 0.1%, you might lose it all, but you know, eventually one will be found, and they'll recover everything plus. So, it's a tough business, you know, in terms of getting the capital. How are you coping given the funding challenges? We have very good investors that believe in what we do and so they kindly keep on providing us with capital, but we don't spend a lot of money, you know, I think I'd be surprised if we are not the most cost-effective exploration company in the world in terms of the amount of capital we have, the amount of samples we collect and process, the number of targets we cover with geophysics. We drill two to three times a year. What is your annual budget? If we manage to raise C$600,000 a year, we can squeeze by on that. So, are you looking beyond Botswana? No, it's the best address. Why go [elsewhere]? You want to be in high street. There's no question on my mind, it's the best address. So, should you find something economical, would you want to become a producer? Very much so, but then at the same time one has to consider that, as I always say, big projects kill small companies, you know, and so if you find something as big like a 12-13 hectares kimberlite it's going to be difficult for a small company like us to develop it so we would probably go into partnership with somebody else in order to come in and you know we are explorers, we are not miners. I have done mining, I have turned two kimberlites into mines, I understand what it requires, I understand the metallurgy, the mining, everything, but in my heart, I do exploration, you know, not mining. Which one of your projects do you think is capable of coming on stream soon? None. It takes time to come on stream. I would say we are probably between two and three years from coming on stream with anything. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished NCDIA opens office in Bangkok 30 july 2018 News The Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA) opened a new office at the Jewelry Trade Center in Bangkok recently, bringing it closer to other industry organizations.The location also houses the Bangkok Diamonds and Precious Stones Exchange (BDPE), as well as the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS) laboratory. NCDIA and the BDPEs board of directors are in alignment and will speak with one voice to the Thai government, advocating for laws that facilitate and promote the diamond business as a whole, said Barbara Wheat, director of NCDIA Asia and vice president of international relations for the Ho Group of Companies, which includes AIGS. The new office will be used to hold educational seminars for consumers on natural colored diamonds. Additionally, the AIGS is working on issuing a quality mark to raise awareness and appreciation of natural colored diamonds, while NCDIA Asia is working on an exclusive colored-diamond exhibition to be held in China in 2019. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished Image redit: WFDB The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) has responded to the revised U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) guidelines released this week as they relate to the issue of descriptors for diamonds. The new guidelines are not in line with the Diamond Terminology Guidelines as agreed last year and implemented by the WFDB, the International Diamond Council, the International Diamond Manufacturers Association and CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, said WFDB President Ernie Blom. However, he pointed out that the new guides do require that all lab-grown diamonds must be clearly and conspicuously disclosed."We have a united stand regarding nomenclature which was agreed with all the combined knowledge and experience of the leading industry bodies, but the FTC appears to have moved in a different direction," Blom said.Previously, the FTC's guidelines approved non-mined diamonds: laboratory-created, laboratory-grown, [manufacturer-name]-created, and synthetic as descriptors, and while the first three remain, it has removed the term synthetic. "We feel that these changes provide too much of a bias towards the lab-grown diamond sector," said Blom. "We appreciate the hard work of the FTC, but we do not feel that the views of the diamond sector were taken sufficiently into account, though we acknowledge there was consultation with American industry bodies. The guidelines do not include the views of the global diamond trade which the WFDB represents, although we are pleased that lab-grown stones have to be clearly marked as such."Our paramount aim is always consumer confidence and the revision has the potential to cause a degree of confusion. The FTC notes that manufacturers that make diamonds in a factory setting are free to use other descriptors as long as they 'clearly and conspicuously convey that the product is not a mined stone,' but we feel that this might provide too much latitude in their marketing claims."We appreciate that the FTC rejected a bid by diamond growers to include terms such as [manufacturer-name]-grown, foundry, created, and grown. These are stones created to order in a factory. We are also pleased that the FTC makes clear that any descriptors for non-mined diamonds must be absolutely clear and prominently displayed to consumers. A diamond sold without any descriptors must be a natural diamond."We hope that the door is still open for us to go back and approach the FTC in order to try and persuade the organization to re-think its decision," Blom added. Lucapa Diamond said Ross Stanley, who has an extensive background in the resources industry in Australia and Africa, has joined the companys board as a non-executive director.It also said that Gordon Gilchrist and Albert Thamm had stepped down as non-executive directors.Ross is a well-respected resources industry figure who brings an extremely valuable and complementary skill set to the Lucapa Board through his extensive and successful background in the global mining and exploration industries, said Lucapa chairperson Miles Kennedy.Gordon and Albert have been exceptional servants to Lucapa for many years and I express my heart-felt gratitude for the contributions both have made towards building Lucapa from a small exploration company to a growing producer of world class diamonds.Stanley was said to be the founder and managing director of Stanley Mining Services prior to its merger with Layne Christensen in 1997.Lucapa had a portfolio of high-quality production, development and exploration assets in Angola, Lesotho, Australia and Botswana.Its flagship asset was the Lulo Diamond Project in Angola, which had produced 11 +100ct diamonds to date. Image credit: Lucapa Diamond Lucapa Diamond has recovered a 11.88 carat diamond from the ongoing bulk sampling programme at its 70 percent-owned Mothae diamond mine in Lesotho.The diamond, unearthed from the north zone, was the first special recovered from that section of the Mothae kimberlite pipe from the bulk sampling.It said the latest recovery at Mothae meant that all three zones sampled had produced specials.An 89 carat was the largest special recovered from the south-east zone and a 25 carat was also recovered from the neck zone in May and June respectively.The concurrent Mothae bulk sampling program was planned to provide additional data over and above the information used to compile the original JORC resource, said company managing director Stephen Wetherall.Certain areas of the kimberlite pipe which hadnt historically been sampled (neck zone), or where there had been very limited historical testing (south-east and north zones), were thought to be underestimated as a result.The Mothae kimberlite pipe was a high-quality diamond resource located within 5km of Letseng, the highest US dollar per carat kimberlite diamond mine in the world. Hurricanes bring heavy rainfall and strong winds to coastal communities, a potent combination that can lead to devastating damage. In 2016 NASA launched a set of eight satellites called the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, mission to gather more data on the winds in these tropical cyclones as part of an effort to increase data coverage of hurricanes and aid forecasts. As the first year of data is being evaluated, a new and unexpected capability has emerged: the ability to see through clouds and rain to flooded landscapes. The flood maps are possible thanks to one of the innovations of the CYGNSS constellation. The microwave signal the CYGNSS satellites use to detect wind speed based on the choppiness of the ocean is actually not generated by the satellites at all. Instead the satellites use the constant and ubiquitous signals from the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system, which is also responsive to reflections from standing water and the amount of moisture in the soil. "Before about 2015, people had inklings that you could use GPS reflection data over land to look at various things, but there hadn't been many observations to prove it," said Clara Chew, a researcher at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. "With the launch of CYGNSS we've finally been able to really prove that yes, these signals are very sensitive to the amount of water either in the soil or on the surface." Chew developed flood inundation maps of the Texas coastline after Hurricane Harvey and of Cuba after Hurricane Irma, as well as flood maps of the Amazon River in Brazil, which overflows its banks seasonally. "When we made our first complete map of the Amazon, everyone was really shocked because you can see a lot of the tiniest, tiniest rivers throughout the basin, and nobody knew that we were going to see rivers a hundred meters wide or so in the data," Chew said, noting that the native resolution of data over the ocean varies between 10 and 15 km and it is averaged to a consistent 25 kilometers. "When I saw the first land images of inland water bodies, I was amazed at their quality," said Chris Ruf, CYGNSS's principal investigator at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "We had known beforehand that there would be some instances of coherent scattering possible. That's the phenomenon that creates such high-resolution images. It rarely happens over the ocean and we hadn't really considered how often it might happen over land. It turns out that it happens quite frequently, and almost always when observing small inland water bodies. This promises to open up entirely new areas of scientific investigation." CYGNSS's advantage over other space-based sensors for flood detection is its ability to see through clouds, rain and vegetation that may otherwise obscure floodwaters. Currently, flood detection is generally done by optical sensors on the U.S. Geological Survey-NASA Landsat satellites, which can't see through clouds, and the microwave sensors on the European Space Agency's Sentinel 1 and 2, which can't see through vegetation. Capturing data from eight satellites instead of one is another advantage because it decreases the time between observations for locations, meaning more coverage, more rapidly, of flooding in the tropics. Together this means CYGNSS could bridge gaps in current coverage. However, this type of detection is still in its early days of development, and Chew and others are exploring how to infer the amount of water present and other parameters to complement soil moisture and flood data from other satellites. In addition, CYGNSS data currently takes two days to go from observation to data users. "It's very fitting that one of the new things that CYGNSS is unexpectedly good at determining, the extent of flood inundation, is very often a direct consequence of the thing it was designed to measure, namely hurricanes," Ruf said. "So now, not only will we be able to observe the hurricanes while they are over the ocean, we will now also be able to map much of the damage they cause from flooding after landfall." A new drug discovery system allows scientists to specifically target members of an important family of enzymes, called phosphatases, which were previously considered mostly "undruggable." Scientists from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, in Cambridge, UK, demonstrated the capabilities of the new system by identifying a molecule that could successfully target a phosphatase to reduce the accumulation of Huntington's disease-associated proteins in the brains of mice. The findings, published in Cell, could enable scientists to screen for drugs that can target specific phosphatases. Phosphatases are a type of enzyme that are a key part of signalling in cells -- turning processes on and off. Most signalling starts with an activation signal -- often when a type of enzyme called a kinase attaches a chemical tag, a phosphate group, to specific proteins to change their function. The signal is stopped by phosphatase enzymes, which cut off the phosphate group. There are more than 200 types of phosphatases involved in many different processes in cells, so any drug must selectively target only the right one, otherwise it will produce serious side-effects or kill the cell. Many drugs have been developed that can target specific kinases (such as anti-cancer drugs), but developing drugs that can specifically target particular phosphatases has proved difficult -- because the functional part that cuts off phosphate groups is common to all phosphatases, so drugging one phosphatase inhibits hundreds of them and kills cells. Dr Anne Bertolotti from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, who led the study, said: "For decades, with no way to selectively target phosphatases, research into them has lagged behind kinases and they've been described as undruggable. Our new system is only a first step, but we hope cracking this problem will stimulate phosphatase research and drug development. advertisement "Targeting phosphatases -- instead of kinases -- is like targeting the brake, rather than the accelerator, on signals in cells. By inhibiting a phosphatase, we prolong a signalling event that has already been turned on, which may offer safer ways to specifically alter signalling in cells and help to create new drugs with fewer side-effects." The new system builds on previous work by the same scientists in which they created functional synthetic versions of phosphatase proteins. These synthetic phosphatases are tethered to chips so they can be screened to find a molecule that binds to one type of phosphatase, but to none of the other types. The successful molecule is then tested in cells grown in a dish to check it is safe before beginning testing in mice. Targeting Huntington's disease The researchers used the system to discover a molecule that showed promise in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntingdon's diseases, feature misfolded proteins that accumulate in cells in the brain. The researchers hoped that slowing down a cell's production of proteins could leave its 'quality control machinery' with more capacity to clear up the misfolded proteins. In this study, they aimed to slow down the cell's protein production machinery by targeting a specific phosphatase (designated 'PPP1R15B'). They used their new drug discovery platform and found a molecule, called Raphin1, that targeted only that phosphatase. When they tested Raphin1 in a mouse model of Huntington's disease, they found it could cross into the brain where it reduced the accumulation of the disease-associated misfolded proteins in neurons. The scientists emphasise that this is early stage research and more work is needed to test if the drug will be safe or effective in humans. Dr Anne Bertolotti said: "Since Huntington's disease runs in families and can be diagnosed genetically, early diagnosis could provide what we hope is a window of opportunity to target the disease before symptoms appear. Our unique approach manipulates cells to slow down normal functions and give them a chance to clear up the misfolded proteins that are characteristic of Huntington's. However, it will take some years before we know if this approach works in humans and is safe." Scientists from the University of Konstanz and Paderborn University have succeeded in producing and demonstrating what is known as Wannier-Stark localization for the first time. In doing so, the physicists managed to overcome obstacles that had so far been considered insurmountable in the field of optoelectronics and photonics. Wannier-Stark localization causes extreme imbalance within the electric system of crystalline solids. "This fundamental effect was predicted more than 80 years ago. But it has remained unclear ever since whether this state can be realized in a bulk crystal, that is, on the level of chemical bonds between atoms," says Professor Alfred Leitenstorfer, Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Konstanz. Analogues of the effect have so far been demonstrated only in artificial systems like semiconductor superlattices or ultracold atomic gases. In a bulk solid, Wannier-Stark localization can only be maintained for an extremely short period of time, shorter than a single oscillation of infrared light. Using the ultrafast laser systems at the University of Konstanz, Wannier-Stark localization has now been demonstrated for the first time. The experiment was conducted in a high-purity gallium arsenide crystal grown at ETH Zurich using epitaxial growth. The research results were published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on 23 July 2018. What is Wannier-Stark localization? If we tried to picture the atoms of a crystal, it would have to be as a three-dimensional grid composed of small beads that repel each other and are only kept together by rubber bands. The system remains stable as long as the rubber band is as strong as the repulsion is. If this is the case, the beads neither move closer to each other, nor do they move away from each other -- the distance between them remains about the same. Wannier-Stark localization occurs when the rubber bands are removed abruptly. It is the electronic state that happens at the precise moment in time when the rubber bands have already gone but the beads still remain in place: The chemical bonds that hold the crystal together have been suspended. If this state is maintained for too long, the beads will break apart and the crystal dissolves. To analyze Wannier-Stark localization, the physicists had to remove the stabilizing structures, capture the system within a fraction of a light oscillation using light pulses, and finally to stabilize it again to prevent the atoms from breaking apart. The experiment was made possible through the highly intense electric field of an ultrashort infrared light pulse, which is present in the crystal for a few femtoseconds only. "This is what we specialize in: studying phenomena that only exist on very short time scales," explains Alfred Leitenstorfer. "In perfect insulators and semiconductors, electronic states expand throughout the entire crystal. According to an 80-year-old prediction, this changes as soon as electrical voltage is applied," says Professor Torsten Meier from Paderborn University. "If the electric field inside the crystal is strong enough, the electronic states can be localized to a few atoms. This state is called the Wannier-Stark ladder," explains the physicist, who is also Vice-President for International Relations at Paderborn University. New electronic characteristics "A system that deviates so extremely from its equilibrium has completely new characteristics," says Alfred Leitenstorfer about why this state is so interesting from a scientific perspective. The short-lived Wannier-Stark localization correlates with drastic changes to the electronic structure of the crystal and results, for example, in extremely high optical nonlinearity. The scientists also assume that this state is chemically particularly reactive. The first-ever experimental realization of Wannier-Stark localization in a gallium arsenide crystal was made possible through highly intense Terahertz radiation with field intensities of more than ten million volts per centimetre. The application of more ultrashort optical light pulses resulted in changes to the crystal's optical characteristics, which was instrumental to proving this state. "If we use suitably intense light pulses consisting of a few oscillations lasting some ten femtoseconds only, we can realize the Wannier-Stark localization for a short period of time," says Alfred Leitenstorfer. "Our readings match the theoretical considerations and simulations carried out both by my own research team and by that of my colleague, Professor Wolf Gero Schmidt," adds Torsten Meier. The researchers are planning to study the extreme state of Wannier-Stark localization on the atomic scale in more detail in the future and intend to make its particular characteristics usable. Facts: Most students underestimate the impact of female and male age on fertility, new research published in Human Fertility finds. Less than half could correctly identify the age when a woman's fertility declines and even fewer knew when male fertility declines. The study -- based on a large-scale survey of Australian university students -- also found that having children was equally important to male and female students, and that many wanted to complete their families before a significant decline in fertility occurred. However, they also expected to achieve many other life goals before becoming parents. A team of researchers, led by Dr Eugenie Prior of the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority in Melbourne, surveyed 1,215 students, via an anonymous online questionnaire, about their intentions and expectations for parenthood, and knowledge of fertility. 38% of men and 45% of women correctly identified 35-39 years as the age at which female fertility declines significantly. However, only 18.3% of men and 16.9% of women correctly identified 45-49 years as the age when male fertility declines. Fewer than 10% of the students did not want children, and of those who did, 75% wanted two or more. Being in a stable relationship, having a partner with whom they could share responsibility and feeling sufficiently mature were rated by both men and women as the most important conditions prior to having children. While roughly equal percentages of male and female students considered these three conditions to be 'important' or 'very important' (over 90% in each case), women were more likely than men to rate completing their studies, advancing in their profession, having work that could be combined with parenthood and having access to childcare as such. Dr Prior comments, "Our study shows that university students overwhelming want to be parents one day. However, most also have an unrealistic expectation of what they will achieve prior to conception, whether that be in their career or financially. We need to educate young people about the limits of fertility and support them to become parents at a point that is ideal biologically, while balanced against the life goals they want to achieve." Many male and female students wanted to complete their families within the biological limits of fertility but, considering the other life goals they wished to accomplish prior to parenthood, it was questionable whether they would be able to achieve this, the authors warned. The study highlights the universal difficulty that many young people, particularly university-educated women, face in balancing the competing aspirations of study, career and other personal life goals with achieving parenthood at the age when they are most fertile. A gene that's associated with an autoimmune form of hair loss could be exploited to improve cancer immunotherapy, suggests a new mouse study by Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) researchers. The paper was published on line last month in the journal Cell Systems. "While immunotherapies have shown great promise in cancer, most patients do not benefit from these treatments because their tumors are able to evade the immune system," said study leader Angela M. Christiano, PhD, the Richard and Mildred Rhodebeck Professor of Dermatology and Genetics and Development at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. "But one way around this obstacle is to harness genes that cause the recruitment of T cells in autoimmune disease, and use them to attract T cells to kill tumors. In this study, we showed that a gene that recruits T cells in alopecia areata -- a condition in which immune cells attack and destroy hair cells -- is turned off in various types of cancer, protecting them from the immune system. But if we turn that gene back on, we can make those cancers vulnerable to the immune response." The study began with the recognition that autoimmune diseases and cancer represent opposite ends of the immune signaling spectrum. When the immune system is overactive, a patient may be at risk for autoimmune disease; when it's underactive, cancer can evade the immune system and progress. "We should be able to identify genetic signals that are hyperactive in autoimmune disease, and then harness those signals in tumors that have developed a way to avoid the immune response," said lead author James Chen, PhD, a precision medicine fellow at CUIMC. In a previous study, the research team identified such a genetic signal -- a gene called named IKZF1 -- in alopecia areata. In this condition, an overactive IKZF1 gene leads to overproduction of immune cells, killing the hair follicles. advertisement "The key immune cells in alopecia areata are the same cells that many cancers can evade. These so-called killer T cells are crucial for the success of cancer immunotherapies," said Christiano. In this study, the researchers investigated whether they could activate IKZF1 in tumor cells in order to attract T cells to tumors, mobilizing them to attack the cancer. Using an algorithm designed by Chen, the researchers screened genomic and bioinformatic data on thousands of cancer patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas, searching for tumor types that had IKZF1 in their regulatory networks. The algorithm predicted several types of cancer, including melanoma, that would be amenable to targeted immunotherapy, and two types that would not. The predictions were first tested in a mouse model of melanoma in which the tumors were genetically modified to express IKZF1. The mice were found to have increased levels of infiltrating immune cells in their tumors, compared to control mice with conventional melanoma, a sign that the tumors had lost as least some ability to evade the immune response. "We were particularly struck that IKZF1-expressing tumors responded significantly better to anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 treatment. Tumor growth was almost completely suppressed," said study co-author Charles G. Drake, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and director of genitourinary oncology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, co-director of the immunotherapy program, and associate director for clinical research of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at CUIMC. advertisement The team then analyzed data from a previous study of melanoma patients with disabled IKZF1. Patients with disabled IKZF1 had higher recurrence rates and worse survival compared to other melanoma patients. The team is currently searching for additional candidate genes that can similarly be used to enhance the response to immunotherapy in melanoma. The algorithm also predicted that prostate cancer could be made more responsive to immunotherapy. In lab experiments, the team found that restoring IKZF1 activity in prostate tumor cells made them susceptible to immunotherapies. "Clinically, this is an especially exciting finding, since prostate cancer is generally very poorly infiltrated by immune cells. Turning these 'cold' tumors 'hot' could be a key to therapeutic success," said Drake. In addition, the algorithm correctly predicted that colorectal and kidney tumors would not respond to immunotherapy if IKZF1 expression was increased, since the gene was found to be inactive in these tumors. Therapies based on these findings would be years away, in large part because different approaches would be needed to activate IKZF1 in humans. However, the approach could be used soon to predict whether patients are likely to respond to immunotherapy and to assess their prognosis. As a staunch defender of multilateralism, Britain seeks to work with China to protect free trade, British Ambassador to China Barbara Woodward said. File photo of British Ambassador to China Barbara Woodward. [Photo: Xinhua] Amid the current tensions over global trade, Britain would like to work with China to make sure the World Trade Organization (WTO) becomes an effective part of the dispute-solving process, Woodward told Chinese media on Friday during a joint briefing in Beijing. For the moment, as part of the European Union (EU), Britain is pleased to see China and the EU working together on WTO reforms to improve the organization, she said. Woodward said Britain-China relations in trade and investment remain close. Britain welcomes China's further opening-up measures, and is pleased to see progress in the project connecting London's stock exchange with Shanghai's. Britain will send a high-level delegation to take part in the China International Import Expo in November. In the future, "we will be able to export British beef into China, and there will be more UK petrol stations setting up in China," she added. Woodward hailed the good momentum of the Golden-Era relations between the two countries and highlighted the "new chapter" that was opened following Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to China early this year. On Monday, Jeremy Hunt starts his first visit to China as Britain's newly-appointed foreign secretary. He will also attend the ninth round of strategic dialogue between the two countries. At the forum, the two sides are expected to deepen their cooperation in multilateralism, security and foreign policies, as well as free trade. On July 16, 2018, a federal court in Boston, Massachusetts entered final judgment against the former senior director of regulatory affairs for Puma Biotechnology, Inc., who was charged with insider trading ahead of two company announcements regarding cancer drug trials. The SEC alleged that Robert Gadimian pocketed more than $1.1 million in illicit profits by secretly purchasing Puma stock and short-term call options based on nonpublic information that he learned about positive developments in two clinical trials for Puma's cancer drug, neratinib. Gadimian allegedly bought Puma securities before the results from the first trial were announced in December 2013, and again before the results of the second trial were announced in July 2014. In a parallel case, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts brought criminal insider trading charges against Gadimian for the same conduct alleged in the SEC's Complaint. Gadimian pleaded guilty, he was ordered to forfeit his illegal profits of $1,161,000, and he was sentenced to 27 months in prison, plus 24 months of supervised release and a $25,000 fine. After pleading guilty, Gadimian agreed to settle the SEC's case. Under the settlement, which the court approved in the final judgment, Gadimian was permanently enjoined from violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and he was held liable for disgorgement of $1,161,000, which was deemed satisfied by the order of forfeiture in the criminal case. The SEC's investigation and litigation were conducted by Timothy K. Halloran, with assistance from Martin L. Zerwitz and Michael C. Baker. The matter was supervised by Stacy L. Bogert, Deborah A. Tarasevich, Cheryl L. Crumpton, and Antonia Chion. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. For more information, see Litigation Release No. 23662 (Sept. 29, 2016). Deadly wildfires continued to rip through California from the northern border to mountain ranges in the south of the state as furious flames burned unchecked and tens of thousands of people continued to flee their homes. Capt. Brian Hughes, a 33-year-old firefighter from Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, died after being hit by a falling tree Sunday. Hughes was a member of a tactical operation fighting the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County. He was the eighth person killed in the recent spate of blazes. Seventeen large wildfires in California continued to upend summer for residents and visitors alike, as closure of Yosemite National Park had to be extended through Friday, and 50,000 people were ordered evacuated from Riverside County to the Oregon border. Statewide tallies released Sunday show that the wildfires have burned more than 200,000 acres, and that they destroyed 874 structures in the Redding area alone. Almost 20,000 homes remain under threat as fire evacuees are being sent to safety in Red Cross shelters, colleges and public schools. More than 12,000 firefighters are working to contain the dozen and a half fires authorities describe as significant. We are well ahead of the fire activity we saw last year, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This is just July, so were not even into the worst part of fire season. Continued hot and dry weather conditions, along with gusty winds in some affected areas, posed little promise for a quick quelling of the fires. They continue to rage from Riverside Countys San Jacinto Mountains in the south to Mendocino, Lake and Napa counties, and as far north as the California-Oregon border. The recent fires have injured more than a half-dozen firefighters injured and have caused the deaths of Jeremy Stoke, a fire inspector for the Redding Fire Department; Don Ray Smith, 81, a private bulldozer operator; and in the Ferguson Fire, 36-year-old Braden Varney, Cal Fire heavy fire equipment operator, and the unidentified firefighter. Other victims were a great-grandmother and siblings ages 4 and 5 in Redding, plus another Redding-area person whose name has not been released. The largest wildfire to date remains the Carr Fire in Shasta County, which was just 17 percent contained after consuming 95,368 acres. Since Wednesday, all visitors have been barred from one of Californias greatest natural wonders, the Yosemite Valley. Officials have extended closure of the valley through Friday because of the Ferguson Fire, burning in the Sierra National Forest. The Ferguson Fire broke out 25 miles west of the park on July 13. Now Playing: As fires blaze across Northern California with varying degrees of containment and dry and windy weather conditions, Cal Fire Information Officer Heather Williams explains fire containment over the phone on July 2, 2018. Video: San Francisco Chronicle In what is increasingly becoming a grim routine, residents of Mariposa County faced a similar wildfire threat a year ago this month, when thousands fled the devastating Detwiler Fire. Troublesome air quality has affected the areas surrounding the fires and even farther afield, with unhealthy conditions reported as far as northwestern Nevada. The spread of fine particulates there prompted Washoe County health officials to issue warnings about the smoky air to people with lung disease, the elderly and children. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California North of the Bay Area in Lake County, a chalky haze nestled into the Lakeport area Sunday, and visibility became more difficult into the afternoon. Every so often the wind would carry a loose ember into Kelseyville, and some of the evacuees there chatted while wearing surgical masks. The Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport evacuated 13 patients from all departments aside from the emergency room and family birth center Saturday evening. On Sunday, the hospital was forced to evacuate the seven new patients who had arrived Sunday afternoon. So far, air quality in the Bay Area has not been impacted too significantly from the fires, said Ralph Borrmann, a spokesman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. After consulting monitors Sunday afternoon, Borrmann said Bay Area counties remained in the good range, including Napa and Sonoma counties, where the impact would be most likely. The smoke from the fires up in Redding has been high aloft for the last couple of days, so it hasnt been impacting what we breathe down at ground level, Borrmann said. Despite some haze early on, it hasnt reached down to the breathing zone. Chronicle staff writers Megan Cassidy and Dominic Fracassa and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Karen de Sa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kdesa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KarendeSa1 Ron Dellums, a Marine turned antiwar activist and feisty Democratic politician, was never one to walk away from a fight, no matter who started it. Dellums, who died Monday at age 82, made that clear during his first run for Congress in 1970, when Republican Vice President Spiro Agnew, speaking for President Richard Nixons White House, pointedly branded the young Berkeley councilman as an out and out radical who needed to be purged from the body politic for his stance against the war in Vietnam and up-front fight against social ills. The attack, like many others to come during his decades on the political battlefield, never fazed him. If its radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War, if its radical to oppose racism and sexism and all other forms of oppression, if its radical to want to alleviate poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human misery, then Im proud to be called a radical, he told a scrum of reporters at his campaign headquarters. The unbridled passion behind that fiery rebuttal was characteristic of Dellums long political career, which included 27 years in Congress and a term as Oaklands mayor. Dellums died at his home in Washington, D.C., after a battle with cancer. Known for his trenchant speeches and unbending liberal views, Dellums started his adult life as a social worker and political organizer in Berkeley, and brought those sensibilities to Washington. He later used his connections on Capitol Hill to benefit Oakland, when he served four years as mayor. Born Ronald Vernie Dellums on Nov. 24, 1935, he was raised in 1940s-era West Oakland, at that time a predominantly black district that teemed with barbershops, nightclubs, restaurants and stores. Dellums was a fighter from his early childhood. He learned early not to take guff from anyone, including the well-off, sharply dressed white kids at Westlake Junior High School in the Westlake neighborhood near Lake Merritt, where Dellums was among only 14 black students. Once during a study-hall period in eighth grade, Dellums came to blows with a boy who called him a dirty black African. Recounting the incident in his autobiography, Lying Down with the Lions, Dellums said the boy was trying to cut me down verbally, but all my neighborhood practice (of trading insults) was getting the best of him. When the boy hurled a racial slur, Dellums recalled feeling a sharp spasm of rage. He leaped up and pummeled his adversary, stopping only when other kids shouted that a teacher was coming. Later on he bragged about the fight to his mother, who chastened him for regarding the words black and African as insults. I think you should have fought only because he called you dirty, if that made you angry enough, she chided. In the days that followed, Dellums wrote, she began bringing home books and magazines from the library to teach her children about their African heritage. After graduating from Oakland Technical High School, Dellums joined the Marine Corps, served two years, attended San Francisco State University, where he earned a bachelors degree in psychology, then went to UC Berkeley and got a masters degree in social work. In 1967, he won election to the Berkeley City Council, where he served three years before challenging incumbent Rep. Jeffery Cohelan in the 1970 Democratic primary. Cohelan, a former union leader and Berkeley councilman, was a traditionally liberal labor Democrat, but that wasnt enough for an East Bay district moving quickly to the left and becoming noisily antiwar. Dellums easily won the primary and the general election in November, becoming the first African American elected to Congress from Northern California. Ron was adamant about serving the community and making sure people received a response from their government, said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who entered politics as a graduate student intern for Dellums. He would say that the only question we should ask when we made decisions about anything is: Is this the right thing to do? Dont ask about political expedience. Thats how he got his staff to think. Lee and others saw Dellums as a staunch supporter of three social movements that converged in the Bay Area during the 1960s: the free-speech movement, the Black Panther Party movement and the antiwar movement. It was a period of rowdy protests on college campuses and bloody standoffs between demonstrators and police. That was a tumultuous era, said Lee Halterman, a longtime congressional staffer who was Dellums deputy campaign manager in 1970. What drew me? His idealism. He was a champion for issues that we as student activists were fighting for. As a congressman, Dellums is best remembered for his uncompromising opposition to the Vietnam War and compelling speeches on the House floor. He really came to Congress as an activist, Halterman said. He would go to the floor and challenge his colleagues, and they would challenge him back. And thats how he learned to work with them rather than just name-calling. In his autobiography, Dellums recounted many tense confrontations with other elected officials, some of whom saw the fiery, Oakland-raised peacenik as a political outlier and even as an agitator. Such perceptions sometimes led to insults. When Dellums went to the House Armed Services Committee in 1973, the committees chairman, Rep. F. Edward Hebert, left only one seat on the dais for Dellums to share with another antiwar Democrat, Rep. Pat Schroeder of Denver. Recalling the incident in his autobiography, Dellums said he responded with poise. Lets not give these guys the luxury of knowing they can get under our skin, he told Schroeder. Hebert didnt want this radical bomb-thrower from Berkeley on his committee, Halterman said. The irony is that 20 years later, Ron became chair, and people were saying, If only people ran the committee as fairly as Ron does. Dellums, Halterman recalled, said Hey, I remember being locked out, Im not going to shut others out. Over the years, Dellums earned the respect of his peers. He embraced his radical left-wing status and used it strategically, presenting liberal policy ideas that would shift the debate further left, even when he knew they were too extreme to win a majority vote. From Day One, he understood that he was the left-wing, pinko guy from Berkeley, and whatever he said demarcated the left end of the debate, said longtime congressional staffer Dan Lindheim, who later served as Dellums city administrator in Oakland. Dellums was also a consummate wheeler-dealer, willing to compromise at key moments. He had an uncanny talent for pulling people over to his side. When you think of the great speakers, the top four or five orators of the House of Representatives, Ron was on that list, Halterman said. People would come to the floor to listen to him. They would leave the back chambers. They would leave the caucus room. Dellums served 13 consecutive terms in Congress, chairing the House Committee on the District of Columbia on which he successfully pushed for funding to combat infant mortality and develop affordable housing and the Armed Services Committee, on which he led the fight to severely curtail production of B-2 bomber planes. In 1986, he sponsored comprehensive economic sanctions to protest the apartheid regime in South Africa. In 1997, Dellums announced his resignation from Congress, setting up a special election to fill out the remainder of his term. He endorsed Lee, a former member of his staff, who had served time in the state Assembly and was a state senator at the time. When Lee formally announced her candidacy at a party at Oaklands Lake Merritt Boathouse, Dellums was there to support her. She won easily. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. For the next eight years, Dellums ran his own lobbying firm, representing such clients as AT&T, AC Transit and the military contractor Rolls-Royce. In 2006, at age 70, Dellums returned to politics, winning a race to succeed Jerry Brown as mayor of Oakland. He took office in January 2007, just as the city was trying to build more housing and encourage commercial development downtown, amid a bitter economic downturn. Dellums term as mayor started off strong but ultimately led to complaints that he wasnt managing the city. Initially, he brought the citys police force up to 837 officers, a record high for the struggling department. He also steered several important projects, including massive port development at the Oakland Army Base, and the automated connector train that shuttles passengers from the Coliseum BART Station to the Oakland airport. And he used his connections with the administration of President Barack Obama to haul in more federal stimulus money than any other city, said Lindheim, the former city administrator. But Dellums ran into problems midway through his term. He drew criticism for being frequently absent from City Hall, and his boost to the police force turned out to be unsustainable in 2010, Oakland laid off 80 officers. Supporters who cheered him on in the beginning began to peel off toward the end, and in August 2010, he sent a written announcement saying he would not seek re-election. Even so, some members of Dellums inner circle describe him as a calming force during a turbulent era for Oakland. Margaretta Lin, who served as deputy city administrator under Dellums, recalled how the mayor stayed composed when riots broke out on Jan. 7, 2009 days after white BART police officer Johannes Mehserle fatally shot a 22-year-old black passenger, Oscar Grant. People were so angry, and so wounded, and because he was the Man they took it out on him, said Lin, who walked with Dellums through the streets of downtown Oakland the night they erupted in violence. But he would stop and talk to people even as they were screaming at him, she said. That old social worker came out. On Dellums 80th birthday in 2015, Lee delivered a rousing speech in the House, characterizing her former boss as a man who stuck to his principles, even when they were politically unpopular. He exemplified the finest in public service and set a new standard for elected officials, Lee said. For that, we are deeply grateful. Noel Gallo, an Oakland city councilman, was in grammar school when he first met Dellums, and the encounter served as an inspiration. He was definitely one person I looked up to and motivated me to get into the political arena, Gallo said. Yes, he played a role in national politics, but at the same time he was very active at the neighborhood level. I still remember him walking down Fruitvale and talking with the local businesses. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called Dellums a true American hero on Monday. Ron Dellums governed from a place of morality and compassion, and his political activism shed light on injustices within our country and all over the world, she said. His progressive values set the bedrock for Oakland values, and his life of public service will continue to inspire all of us to fight for a more just and equitable society. Dellums is survived by his wife, Cynthia, his children Rachel Chapman, R. Brandon Dellums, Erik Todd Dellums, Piper Monique Dellums and stepson Kai Lewis, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a daughter, Pamela Holmes. Services in Washington and Oakland are pending. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan 2 1 of 2 Google Map screenshot; Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Justin Sullivan Show More Show Less The Carr Fire sweeping through Shasta County is the deadliest of the fires moving through California this month, as residents of the area undergo evacuations and a state of emergency for the area was declared Thursday. As flames continue to tear through the area and firefighters attempt to gain the upper hand on the fire, photographers are transmitting images of neighborhoods and homes lost over the past few days. REDDING People say its just stuff. But right now, it doesnt feel that way, Laura and Wayne Rathe said. What about the molds of the kids handprints, the ones their two children pressed their tiny hands into three decades ago? What about the 110-year-old painting Waynes grandmother made or the pictures and plaques from Waynes career as a K9 officer with the Petaluma Police Department? The house they meticulously renovated over the past 18 years in the Muletown area of Redding is gone, and so are all the cherished mementos that filled it. The ravenous Carr Fire tore through their rural neighborhood Friday night. By Saturday morning, a neighbor who stayed behind broke the news. All that was left was their Jeep and a little-used hammock. Its not just stuff, its your whole life, Laura, 63, said Saturday through tears. I thought it was just stuff. But, its not. Its really not. As the fire moved their direction, the Rathes focused on finding people who could take their animals a horse, dogs, goats, cats and a guinea hen. But they couldnt catch their donkey, Kyle, so they had to leave him with food and buckets of water. We thought we were coming back, Laura said. At a community meeting Saturday afternoon at Alta Mesa Elementary School in Redding, Laura was the first to raise her hand to ask if there was anything that could be done to check on animals such as Kyle. Emergency officials told her their priority was saving lives and that many areas remain too dangerous to return to right now. There is no timeline for allowing residents back in, particularly in hard-hit areas where the fire continues to threaten to boomerang and downed power lines make it dangerous to navigate. They have so much going on they cant deal with one donkey. I get that, she said after the meeting. But still, even saying Kyles name choked her up. Hes ornery, but a good boy, she said. The Rathes desperately want to ask someone to put hydrogen peroxide in their large koi pond to lower the pH for their five fish. That would give them a fighting chance for another couple days. They know this too is a low priority given the wrath of the Carr Fire. But those fish have names and personalities, they said. Wayne shakes his head thinking of the 6-foot-deep koi pond, where after puttering around his property all day, he relaxed with a cocktail and fed the fish. I had my dream house, Laura said. It was our retirement home. It is where we planned to live the rest of our lives. Laura, who retired a month ago from a nonprofit that rescues dogs from high-kill shelters, said the thought of rebuilding is daunting. They are camping in their trailer while the evacuation orders remain in effect. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California We lost photographs, documents, a whole lifetime of careers, Wayne, 71, said before stopping abruptly. Laura knew what had crossed his mind, and they shared a knowing look. He was thinking of the gift Laura had made him when he retired, a shadow box with his police badge and that of his K9 dog. Its gone, and these are things you cant get back, Laura said. But there are things she can get back. By Saturday, Laura had learned that Kyle the donkey was found safe and that the koi fish are doing well, thanks to the nonprofit Haven Humane and emergency workers. Losing the home is no longer unbearable, she said. She also smiled at one thing that can be re-created. Her children, now 41 and 36, offered to recast their handprints. Those will go on our new wall, she said. Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez The historic courthouse museum, general store, blacksmith shop and other ruins in the old mining town of Shasta sat remarkably unscathed Saturday in a sea of charred landscape left by the ferocious Carr Fire. Now a ghost town and State Historic Park, the once-bustling town was nearly wiped out as the deadly flames surged through Shasta County on Thursday and Friday. Its just fate, Gerrit Fenenga, a senior state archaeologist, said as he marveled how the fire had spared the onetime commercial center just 6 miles west of Redding. We spend a lot of resources to protect these, he said of the towns brick ruins, cemeteries and restored buildings. This area is historic and a big asset to the community because of the tourism it brings. But while the buildings of old Shasta were mostly spared, many nearby homes and structures along Highway 299 were not so lucky. Rows of houses nearby were leveled by flames. The surrounding foothills of the Klamath Range were blackened by the charred remnants of the fire surge. Whenever state historic structures come under the threat of wildfire, Fenenga gets a call to come in and record the toll. He usually does his assessment a week or more after a fire erupts, but he got called in early as the Carr Fire still raged to the north and south because of how historic the buildings are in Shasta. At its peak, Shasta was a major commercial and social hub of Northern California, with wagons traveling through en route to the gold-rich Sierra foothills. Gold was later discovered in nearby Clear Creek, 30 miles south. By the early 1850s, tents became houses and stores, hotels and saloons sprang up, creating the largest row of brick buildings in the state north of San Francisco. But as the gold dried up in the 1860s and the Central Pacific Railroad opted to cut through Redding, Shasta was abandoned and fell into disrepair. But several groups worked to restore the town over the years, and it was acquired by the California State Parks Commission in 1937. The public likes history, it doesnt matter what end of the political spectrum youre on, Fenenga said. You want to protect history. Thirteen miles northwest of Shasta, the historic town of French Gulch experienced a similar stroke of luck. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California These firefighters were the greatest, Lissa Carlson said as she smoked a cigarette outside the French Gulch Hotel and Saloon, one of the few establishments in the main town center. Across the street is a family-owned bar that has been there since the 1800s. As Carlson and a few others sat on the porch of the saloon Friday night, she said they watched an ominous red hue glowing from the mountains surrounding them. It got bad, said one man who walked out from the saloon Saturday afternoon. While a few homes were destroyed in French Gulch, the fire never made it down to the small towns church, mobile home park, cemetery or downtown leaving a place that Carlsons family has lived in for eight generations mostly intact. These firefighters were on point, she said. Trisha Thadani and Evan Sernoffsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle, esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani, @EvanSernoffsky KELSEYVILLE, Lake County Two wildfires burning along the rural border of Mendocino and Lake counties grew Sunday as firefighters struggled with high temperatures and scarce crews, threatening a handful of small communities. The Ranch Fire, northeast of Ukiah, grew to 16,300 acres as it chewed through dry grass and timber near Potter Valley, authorities said. The nearby River Fire, north of Hopland, expanded through similarly parched hills to 14,200 acres as it neared towns on the western shore of Clear Lake. About 1,379 firefighters were working to keep the two blazes in the hills, above homes and neighborhoods. But they both were just 5 percent contained Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Theyre bringing in what they can to fight it, but its limited, said Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown, noting there are many fires across California that are demanding the attention of fire crews, including a blaze that broke out in Napa County on Saturday as well as the huge Carr Fire near Redding. Weve taken a lot of hits in Lake County, Brown said, referencing the several fires that destroyed thousands of homes in the county in recent years. But now the whole states on fire. Between the Ranch and River fires, dubbed the Mendocino Complex, six homes have burned and 10,200 structures remained threatened, according to Cal Fire. Thousands of people have been told to evacuate. In Mendocino County, the small community of Potter Valley and other areas north of Highway 120 remained under evacuation orders, while in Lake County the city of Lakeport and several neighborhoods west of Highway 29 were off limits. Mandatory evacuation orders were in place Sunday evening for much of western Lake County, including the communities of Blue Lakes, Upper Lake, Nice, Witter Springs, Bachelor Valley, Scotts Valley and Saratoga Springs. Now Playing: Firefighters use three basic types of aircraft to help fight fires from the air. From transporting fire crews to dropping water and fire retardant, helicopters and planes play a major role in combating serious fires. Video: Katie Wood / SFGATE By Sunday evening, local officials were prepping to protect the Lakeport structures as the Mendocino Complex Fire peeked over hills and pushed east toward the town. We have personnel, engines, dozers all staged out here in the town of Lakeport, said Will Powers, a Cal Fire spokesman. Its everything from clearing brush away from the houses to pulling wood away from the houses anything that might be flammable thats up against your home they might try to clear off. Sutter Lakeside Hospital was evacuated for the second time in two days Sunday evening, discharging or transferring one inpatient and seven emergency room patients to area hospitals. Staff was instructed not to report to work until further notice. Well, (were) always concerned because they didnt have as many firefighters on this fire at all, said Gus Baldwin, who fled his Lakeport home with his wife. There was hardly anybody on the fire, and thats why they evacuated so many people. The Baldwins were among about 150 people staying at Mountain Vista Middle School in Kelseyville, which was serving as an evacuation shelter. On Saturday night, the couple shuttled their cars to a friends house, packed up a few belongings and piled into their vintage RV. In Napa County, just south of Lake Berryessa, firefighters were battling a 150-acre wildfire that exploded in the Berryessa Highlands neighborhood Saturday. The Steele Fire destroyed at least eight structures and forced several residents to flee. As of Sunday evening, the fire was 65 percent contained. But elsewhere, Cal Fire officials acknowledged that headway was limited because of the outbreak of so many fires over the past week. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California A lack of available suppression and overhead personnel will slow firefighting efforts, Cal Fire officials said in a statement. On Sunday morning, a handful of RVs and trailers dotted the road into Mountain Vista Middle School, where about 150 Lakeport residents took shelter. Red Cross Supervisor Deborah Smith stood watch as volunteers installed a disabled-accessible shower. Others were working to secure wheelchairs, walkers and medical equipment to tend to the shelters tenants, many of whom had fled from a nearby senior mobile home park. The drill had become routine for Kimberly Downing, who shared a bench outside with two new friends. Her stay at the shelter marked her seventh evacuation in Northern California. She had moved to Lakeport three weeks ago, because she figured it doesnt burn there, but on Saturday she said, I looked at the sky and said,Oh, its coming. This time around, Downing required minimal prep time. She and several evacuees keep overnight bags at the ready. We have supplies to just walk out the door, she said. Its the only way to go in these fires. You just dont have time. Chronicle staff writer Dominic Fracassa contributed to this report. Megan Cassidy and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy, @kurtisalexander Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Theres a new act heading to the former home of Docs Lab in North Beach. The venue was one of few remaining in San Francisco where folks could eat, drink, and listen to comedians or musicians on any given night. In February, Docs Lab (124 Columbus Ave.), along with its subterranean neighbor, Doc Ricketts restaurant, closed abruptly before quickly being put up for sale. Brett Kavanaughs nomination to fill a crucial U.S. Supreme Court seat is headed toward a Senate confirmation vote but how fast it gets there will be determined by whether outnumbered Democrats succeed in a tactic that could postpone a decision until after the midterm elections. Those elections could maintain Republican control of the Senate, virtually guaranteeing confirmation of Kavanaugh and solidifying conservative control of the high court for years to come. But if Democrats succeed in both putting off a vote on Kavanaugh and prevailing in an election in which theyre defending more Senate seats than Republicans, the nomination could be in trouble. The Democrats strategy, led by Californias Sen. Dianne Feinstein, is to demand to see every document that crossed Kavanaughs desk while he served as President George W. Bushs staff secretary from 2003 to 2006. Republicans are pushing back, hoping to confirm Kavanaugh, now an appeals court judge, by the time the Supreme Courts next session starts in October. What are Republicans and the White House trying to hide? asked Feinstein, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will consider President Trumps nomination of Kavanaugh to succeed retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. She said the importance of the records in evaluating Kavanaugh is shown by his statements that as staff secretary, he worked closely with the president and with the senior staff and was called on by Bush to provide advice on a full range of subjects. Republicans say the only records that are relevant to Kavanaughs qualifications are the rulings he has issued in 12 years as an appeals court judge, and possibly documents he wrote as a White House lawyer from 2001 to 2003, but not the voluminous paperwork that crossed his desk in three years as staff secretary. Democrats are playing a delay game, said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. If its a game, the majority Republicans hold most of the cards, with the votes to decide what information gets released ahead of the hearing. Whether they have anything to hide is uncertain, but one Democrat finds a clue in the history of a current federal appeals court judge in San Francisco. In 2003, recalled Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Bush nominated Justice Department attorney Jay Bybee to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Leahy, then the Judiciary Committees top Democrat, asked him whether he had dealt with legal issues in the administrations war on terror. He said Bybee did not answer. A year after he was confirmed by the Senate, Bybee was revealed as the official who had signed off on a 2002 memo drafted by another Justice Department lawyer, John Yoo now a UC Berkeley law professor authorizing torturous treatment such as waterboarding for terror suspects in U.S. custody. Had we known that at the time, Mr. Bybee would not have become Judge Bybee, Leahy said in a column in the New York Times. Because Kavanaugh was directly involved in some of the most politically charged moments of our recent history, he wrote, the Senate owes the American people an unsparing examination of his nomination. Another Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, says hes been waiting more than a decade for Kavanaugh to explain his involvement in Bush administration detention and interrogation policies. At Kavanaughs 2006 confirmation hearing to be appeals court judge, Durbin asked what he knew about another officials role in those policies. Kavanaugh replied that he was not involved in the questions about the rules governing detention of combatants. That response was misleading, Durbin said at a recent hearing. He cited reports in 2007 by the Washington Post and National Public Radio that Kavanaugh had discussed with other officials the detention of U.S. citizens held as alleged enemy combatants. Kavanaugh reportedly told them that Justice Kennedy, for whom he had clerked, would probably rule that they were entitled to lawyers, contrary to the Bush administrations position. It proved to be an accurate prediction. After those reports, Durbin sent Kavanaugh a letter asking about the apparent contradiction and calling on him to disqualify himself from appeals court cases involving detainees. He said he never got an answer. Democrats arent any more likely to get the answers theyre looking for now, said Rory Little, a law professor at UC Hastings in San Francisco and a former Justice Department attorney and Supreme Court law clerk. Feinstein and her colleagues are making a very legitimate request for records of Kavanaughs White House years, Little said, but Republicans also have a basis for responding that this is a fishing expedition and youre just trying to delay things. He said Democrats are clearly hoping to delay a vote on Kavanaugh until after the November elections, when they hope to take control of the Senate. That will be difficult: While Republicans current majority is only 51-49, 26 of the 35 seats up for election this year are being defended by Democrats. Little also recalled the seemingly explosive revelation of Supreme Court nominee William Rehnquists writings at his 1971 confirmation hearing. Senators learned that as a Supreme Court law clerk 20 years earlier, Rehnquist had written a memo saying the courts 1896 ruling upholding racial segregation was right and should be reaffirmed. Asked about the memo, Rehnquist said he had merely been expressing the view of his boss, Justice Robert Jackson. Most historians have rejected that explanation noting, among other things, Jacksons participation in the unanimous Brown vs. Board of Education ruling in 1954 that outlawed state-sponsored segregation but enough members of the Democratic-controlled Senate accepted it to confirm Rehnquist to the court. Even if Democrats unearthed a copy of the torture memo with Kavanaughs initials on it, indicating it passed through him, would that change peoples votes? I dont think so, Little said. Kavanaugh was screened extensively during his confirmation process as an appeals court judge, and its unlikely the Democrats will uncover anything embarrassing now, said Jessica Levinson, who teaches courses in law and politics as a Loyola Law School professor in Los Angeles. Describing Kavanaugh as very conservative but within the judicial mainstream, she said Democrats lack the votes needed to pry loose any records and must rely on trying to sway public opinion. Little also said a galvanized grassroots movement might change the equation. On Thursday, civil rights groups are hoping to initiate such an effort locally at a meeting in Berkeley theyve labeled #StopKavanaugh (Bay Area). A similar meeting took place more than 30 years ago to organize local opposition to President Ronald Reagans nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court, recalled San Francisco attorney Eva Paterson, president of the Equal Justice Society and organizer of Thursdays session. Nobody thought we could stop him, she said, but the Senate rejected Bork, and Reagan later named the more moderate Kennedy to fill the vacancy. This is a 50-state strategy, said another participant, Leslie Proll, a Washington, D.C., civil rights lawyer and adviser to the NAACP on judicial nominations. She said organizers, who include leaders of feminist and abortion rights groups, want to encourage Californians to support Feinsteins effort to obtain Kavanaughs records, and to use their networks ... to reach out to their friends, families, colleagues, classmates who live in other states. But local action isnt limited to Kavanaughs opponents. The antiabortion group Susan B. Anthony List, which supports the nomination, says nearly 500 of its canvassers have visited more than 1.1 million homes in states including Indiana, Florida, Missouri and North Dakota, where Democratic senators face re-election challenges. Advocates for and against Kavanaugh have also budgeted millions of dollars for television ads, mostly targeting swing states. There might be one more role for selected members of the public, said UC Hastings Little: Democrats who cant get Kavanaughs documents from officials channels are signaling, he said, that theyll accept them from anyone who has them. The fact that this (need for records) has been announced publicly is, in todays world, an invitation to leak, he said. The message is, Anybody who has information out there, send it to us. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko The heiress of a Dutch art dealer cannot reclaim two Renaissance paintings that were looted by the Nazis during World War II, a federal appeals court ruled Monday in deference to the Dutch governments decision that the artworks had been legally acquired by a museum in Southern California. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco also said the heiress, Marei von Saher, and her family could have filed claims for the paintings long ago but declined to do so. The rulings could signal the end of a lengthy legal battle over Adam and Eve, life-size oil paintings by the German artist Lucas Cranach the Elder that date from about 1530. The paintings had been purchased by Jacques Goudstikker, a Jewish art collector, who left them behind, along with 1,200 other artworks, when he and his family fled the Netherlands in 1940. Nazi leader Hermann Goring acquired the art dealership in a forced sale. The Allies found the paintings at his country estate at the end of the war and delivered them to the Dutch government. During his flight from Europe, Goudstikker died in an accident on the ship that carried his family to South America. When the Dutch government invited claims for Nazi-looted art, the family, for financial reasons, decided not to seek return of the paintings. The government instead sold the Cranach paintings in 1966 to a Russian man, George Stroganoff-Sherbatoff, who claimed he and his family had actually owned the paintings before the Soviets stole them in 1931. Stroganoff sold the paintings for $800,000 in 1971 to the Norton Simon Art Museum in Pasadena, where they remain on display. They have been appraised at $24 million. Von Saher, Goudstikkers daughter-in-law and heiress who now lives in Greenwich, Conn., sued in the Netherlands in the late 1990s for the paintings, but the Dutch courts ruled that her family had relinquished its claims. The Dutch government then adopted what it described as a more moral policy approach that allowed von Saher to recover more than 200 paintings that were still in the governments possession. She sued the Norton Simon museum for the Cranach paintings, arguing that the museum had acquired them in an invalid sale because Stroganoff had not been their rightful owner. But the appeals court, upholding a federal judges decision in the museums favor, said the issues von Saher raised had been resolved against her by the Dutch courts. The Netherlands highest court found in 1999 that von Sahers family had consciously foregone their restoration rights in the paintings, Judge M. Margaret McKeown said in Mondays ruling. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Second-guessing the Dutch government would violate our commitment to respect the finality of appropriate actions taken by foreign nations to facilitate the internal restitution of plundered art. In a statement, the Norton Simon Art Foundation said the ruling should finally put this matter to rest, and we look forward to continuing to make these important artworks accessible to the public, as we have since 1971. Lawrence Kaye, a lawyer for von Saher, said his client was disappointed by the ruling and was considering her next steps in her long, frustrating battle to achieve justice in this case. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko After the recent slaying of 18-year-old Nia Wilson at an Oakland BART station, followed by the revelation that it was possibly the systems third fatal attack in less than a week, agency representatives pointed out that this was a rare series of events for the commuter rail. That much, fortunately, appears to be true: Over the past 10 years, BART has reported six homicides. A broader look at crime on the system, however, is less reassuring. BARTs total violent crime a less volatile and more useful measure than homicides alone has risen dramatically over the past decade, The Chronicle reported. Worse, the BART crime wave has defied state and regional trends and outpaced ridership. The data suggest Wilsons death allegedly at the hands of a man who was riding the rails again the next day is not just a horrific anomaly. Rather, BART has a serious and endemic public safety problem. The system saw 428 violent crimes last year, according to the state Department of Justice, an increase of 28 percent from the year before and 69 percent from 2007. In the first half of this year, BART reported 222 violent crimes, approximating last years pace. Ridership has grown over the past decade, too, but at a more modest rate. From 2007 to 2017, the number of annual trips increased by only 22 percent, and ridership was slumping last year even as crime was spiking. The growing danger to BART commuters is at odds with whats happening outside the systems trains and stations. Violent crime statewide fell by nearly 7 percent over the past decade. Similarly, while violent crime in San Francisco fell slightly during that period, it more than doubled on the citys portion of the BART system. And while the same crimes decreased 27 percent in Oakland, they jumped 62 percent on BART property within Alameda County. BART has taken steps that could help. It has reduced vacancies on its police force over the past year and a half from 41 to 25 of 176 positions. It replaced fake security cameras with real ones after The Chronicle revealed the decoys. And it has belatedly begun to address an estimated $25 million a year in fare cheating. Still, the statistics show the agency has a lot more work to do, and BARTs repeated failures of transparency about major crimes show officials arent taking the problem seriously enough. Granted, offenses committed within the transit system represent a small fraction of violent crime overall. But given its importance to a region with too much traffic and too little housing, BART shouldnt be growing more dangerous while the Bay Area is getting safer. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. The National Rifle Association received an unlikely gift last week when the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled in favor of open-carry of firearms. News of the decision gives the trade group masquerading as a civil liberties organization a chance to reload its campaign against American civility. To be clear, the court is not the villain; that Judge Diarmuid OScannlain interprets the right to bear arms in the Second Amendment to mean as on your person and for purpose of self-defense is not unreasonable; the U.S. Supreme Court will get the final word upon appeal at a later date. The bad guy is the NRA itself. Originally formed to promote rifle shooting on a scientific basis, the NRA went through a devolution in recent decades, morphing into a chimera of social, political and industrial interests and aimed at increasing firearms sales through undermining American sensibilities. The NRAs connections to an accused Russian spy and her countrys influence in our 2016 presidential election were like armor-piercing, green-tipped rounds, aimed at destroying our political process from the inside out. While the exact damage to Americas internal organs from that wound is pending autopsy, the NRAs long history of subverting American values and culture is well established through much smaller-caliber bullets fired at state-level lawmaking. Take the killing of Markeis McGlockton in Florida this month. The NRA believes Americas onerous legal system, wherein individuals risk severe repercussions if they are found to use firearms negligently, is a deterrent to gun ownership. Its solution? Create a legal bulletproof vest, shielding the shooter from any burden of justification. Floridas Stand Your Ground law gives an individual the legal right to not retreat from a situation in which he or she believes to be threatened with harm or property theft; and allows for the use of lethal force in such instances. Florida was the first to pass this law in 2005. As of today, 21 other states have enacted similar laws. In all cases, the NRA authored, funded and promoted the legislation and the legislators who pushed it forward. Of those 22 states, 15 implemented the NRAs version of the law, which gives the shooter full immunity from arrest and a legal presumption the use of lethal force was lawful. The same states allow for a Stand Your Ground claim even if the shooter provokes and creates the deadly situation. McGlockton had stepped inside a convenience store with his 5-year-old son while his girlfriend and two children waited in the car. She had illegally parked in a handicap spot, an infraction that store patron Michael Drejka felt he should confront (and had confronted with others before in that same parking lot). Upon seeing Drejka arguing with his girlfriend, McGlockton pushed the self-appointed parking cop to the ground. Drejka pulled a gun from his waistband and, without warning, shot McGlockton dead. Drejka claimed he was Standing His Ground and was not arrested. Nor will charges be filed. The absurdity of Stand Your Ground becomes even more apparent when considering a scenario in which the girlfriend is also carrying a weapon. Feeling threatened (and perhaps suspecting Drejka has a gun) she could justifiably have shot Drejka dead first, and she certainly could have after he shot her boyfriend. Even more of a conundrum, the store owner could have seen the conflict occurring and, fearing for his own safety or that of his property, could have justifiably shot both Drejka and the boyfriend. Are these the scenarios the NRA wants for America? In the NRAs distorted view of law, order and justice, every American is openly carrying and concealing multiple firearms at all times; simultaneously fighting and deterring crime what a boon for gun sales! And what a disaster for American society. Not a single one of those states has seen a decrease in crime since passing Stand Your Ground laws. Conversely, justifiable homicides have increased in all states with Stand Your Ground defense and disproportionately toward the killing of young black men. Where Stand Your Ground really gives off a tainted smell is in how it undermines all aspects of law enforcement. In both this latest tragedy and in the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012, Stand Your Ground deputizes the gun wielder and encourages vigilantism. Judge, jury and executioner am I under Stand Your Ground. American courts give the accused a presumption of innocence and honor the notion that the punishment fits the crime. Parking in a handicap spot is not punishable by death. The weeks ahead will see how successful the NRA was at dodging these recent bullets, but the question for Americans remains: Will we unite to stand our ground against an association that poses such a lethal threat to civility? Or will we continue to allow the NRA to divide us through provoking a false conflict around the Second Amendment? Chirag Asaravala lives in the East Bay. Upcoming political events in the Bay Area. MONDAY Salvadoran massacre commemoration: Panel discussion on the 1975 massacre of students by the Salvadoran military and its fallout. Event is sponsored by the Bay Area Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador. 7-9 p.m., Redstone Labor Temple, 2940 16th St., San Francisco. More information is here. THURSDAY Climate change: Panel discussion for upcoming climate summit in San Francisco and launch for Making Green a Threat Again Diablo Rising Tides new zine about the anti-capitalist politics of the climate movements. Sponsored by Diablo Rising Tide. 7-9 p.m. at the Eric Quezada Center for Culture and Politics, 518 Valencia St., San Francisco. More information is here. FRIDAY Rent control: Event in support of Proposition 10, the state ballot measure to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Act and allow cities to expand rent control. Sponsored by the Party for Socialism and Liberation. 6 p.m., 24th and Mission streets, San Francisco. More information is here. SATURDAY Swalwell town hall: Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Dublin, holds a town hall meeting at Hayward High School. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1633 East Ave., Hayward. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to get free tickets in advance here. SUNDAY Paint Congress Blue: An art and action festival to rally support for flipping control of Congress. Free. 3-7 p.m., Mercury 20 Gallery, 475 25th St., Oakland. More information is here. AUG. 6 Antinuclear march: Rally and the opportunity to peaceably risk arrest at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Organized by the Livermore Conversion Project. 8 a.m.-noon outside the lab, Vasco and Patterson Pass roads, Livermore. More information is here. AUG. 7 D4 supervisor forum: Candidates forum for San Francisco supervisorial District 4. Sponsored by the Outer Sunset/Parkside Residents Association. 6-8:30 p.m., Ortega Branch Library, 3223 Ortega St., San Francisco. More information is here. AUG. 8 Rally for S.F. State professor: Palestinian rights activists rally in support of San Francisco State University Professor Rabab Abdulhadi, who has been sued along with the university for allegedly fostering an anti-Semitic climate on campus. 1-3 p.m., Phillip Burton Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco. More information is here. AUG. 9 New citizen voting: Register new U.S. citizens to vote after they take oath of allegiance. Organized by Democracy Action. Two sessions, 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m., Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. More information is here. AUG. 14 D2 supervisor forum: Candidates for San Francisco supervisorial District 2 debate. Confirmed participants are Supervisor Catherine Stefani, Schuyler Hudak and Nick Josefowitz. Sponsored by the Westside Democratic Club. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Gallery 308, Landmark Building A, Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd., San Francisco. More information is here. Greg Gutfeld: Fox News host speaks at the Commonwealth Club. $30 for nonmembers, $10 for students. Noon-1 p.m. 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. AUG. 15 Jason Kander: President of Let America Vote and mayoral candidate in Kansas City, Mo., gives a talk at the Commonwealth Club. $35 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:45 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. Economic future: The Berkeley Institute for the Future of Young Americans at the Goldman School of Public Policy hosts a summit to discuss how young activists in California can help lead a movement for more affordable and accessible housing, for better jobs with a livable wage, and for greater opportunities to build wealth over time. Free. 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m., David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley. More information is here. AUG. 20 U.S.-Japan: Author and trade expert Glen Fukushima discusses U.S.-Japanese relations in the age of President Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Sponsored by Japan Society of Northern California. $30 general admission, $20 students. Noon-2 p.m. at PricewaterhouseCoopers, 3 Embarcadero Center 20F, San Francisco. More information is here. AUG. 25 Anti-gun violence rally: Stand Up for Change sponsors a rally against gun violence. Noon-2 p.m., Walnut Creek Civic Park, 1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. More information is here. AUG. 25-26 Silicon Valley Pride: A weekend of LGBTQ Pride events. Aug. 25: Trans and Friends Rally, 5- 6 p.m.; Night Festival: 6- 11 p.m. Aug. 26: SV Pride Parade, 10 a.m.-noon; Day Festival, noon-6 p.m. Plaza de Cesar Chavez, 1 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose. More information is here. Building civic leaders: A Commonwealth Club discussion on how young people can access civic education and skills. Panelists include Adam Kubey, civic educator at Oakland Charter High School. $30 nonmembers, $8 students. 6:30-8:15 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. AUG. 30 Steve Israel: Former New York congressman, House Democrats chief political strategist from 2011-15, speaks at the Commonwealth Club. $30 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. SEPT. 6 Climate politics: Environmental justice advocate Mustafa Ali, scientist and former House candidate Jess Phoenix and Mother Jones reporter Rebecca Leber discuss climate politics and the possibilities for grassroots action. Sponsored by Ben & Jerrys and FreeSpeechTV. $20 until July 31, $25 after. Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., San Francisco. More information is here. New citizen voting: Register new U.S. citizens to vote after they take oath of allegiance. Organized by Democracy Action. Two sessions, 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m., Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. More information is here. SEPT. 8 Climate day of action: Rallies, town halls and community forums to call for action on climate change. San Francisco rally at 10 a.m. at Embarcadero Plaza. More information about that and other events is here. SEPT. 10 LGBTQ and the high court: A discussion on the future of LGBTQ rights under a changing U.S. Supreme Court. Panelists include Elizabeth Gill, senior attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, and Joel Engardio of the San Francisco Examiner. Sponsored by United Democratic Club. 6:30-8 p.m., San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market St. More information is here. SEPT. 18 DeRay Mckesson: Black Lives Matter activist and Pod Save the People podcast host talks about his new book, On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope. $35 for non-Commonwealth Club members, $10 for students. 6:30-7:45 p.m., Marines Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco. More information is here. SEPT. 25 Truth decay: RAND Corp. CEO Michael Rich discusses truth decay the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life, at the Commonwealth Club. $35 nonmembers, $10 students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. SEPT. 29 Tech politics: Candidates for statewide and Bay Area offices invited to discuss issues of importance to Silicon Valley and the technology industry. Sponsored by Royce Law LLC. Noon-4 p.m., Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF, 1675 Owens St., San Francisco. More information is here. SEPT. 30 Preventing nuclear war: Free forum marking 50th anniversary of Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty features ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern and anti-nuclear activists Jacqueline Cabasso and Marylia Kelley. Sponsored by San Francisco Public Library and Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament. 1 p.m., Main Public Librarys Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco. More information is here. OCT. 2 The Browns and California: Journalist Miriam Pawel, author of The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty That Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation, discusses Pat Brown, Jerry Brown and the modern history of the state, at the Commonwealth Club. $20 for nonmembers, $7 for students. 6-7:15 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. To list an event, email Politics Editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle Longtime India Basin resident Jill Fox isnt overjoyed at the prospect of a pair of 14-story towers sprouting up from the mudflats across the street from her blue 1874 Victorian overlooking Innes Avenue and the bay. Nor is she is excited about the sheer density of development headed to her quiet corner of the Bayview 1,575 units of housing and 150,000 square feet of commercial space in about 20 buildings, ranging from townhomes to 200-unit mid-rises. Yet despite her misgivings Fox, chairwoman of the India Basin Neighborhood Association, is supporting developer Build Inc.s plan to redevelop 17.5 acres of waterfront land in India Basin. Thats because she and her neighbors see the plan as their best shot at getting some of the amenities and services that people in most San Francisco neighborhoods take for granted public transportation, a grocery store, a cafe or two, parks and perhaps even a library. We are the opposite of NIMBYs, said Fox, referring to the not in my backyard groups that often oppose development. What Build Inc. is proposing is an awful lot of housing. But what we are hoping is that along with that will come some things that the existing neighborhood needs. The San Francisco Planning Commission will vote on the development agreement next month after passing the environmental impact report and other elements last week. The project is a comprehensive reimagining of India Basin, which runs along the citys eastern edge south of Islais Creek. The property is reclaimed tidal flats consisting of dirt and rocks excavated during the construction of Interstate 280. It lies just to the north of the former Hunters Point Shipyard, the Superfund site where questions over its botched cleanup have stalled the development, planned to include more than 12,000 housing units. In addition to the housing at India Basin, Build Inc. would hand over 5.6 acres of waterfront land to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, which would combine that acreage with about 17 acres of publicly and privately owned land to both the north and south. The combined swath of open land along the entire India Basin shoreline will be roughly the size of Crissy Field and be called India Basin Shoreline Park. Its being billed as a major addition to public space in the citys southeast. Todd Trumbull Much of the plan for India Basin grew out of a community vision the India Basin Neighborhood Association released in 2010 that emphasized fun, food and family homes. It proposed a restaurant row, a waterfront park with boat docks, bike paths, a farmers market, and 21st century village homes. While the 1,575 homes Build Inc. has proposed far exceed the number the neighborhood group had envisioned, the developer has included most of the residents other goals, according to Michael Hamman, a contractor who lives in a historic former boatbuilding barn overlooking the development site. Very few developers are willing to work with the neighborhood like these guys did, Hamman said. They actually listened to our concerns and incorporated many of them into the project. On balance, most people feel we got a good bargain. One of the major concessions the developer made was to move all the housing back from the shoreline, opening the waterfront for parkland. The tallest buildings would line Innes Avenue, while the shortest town houses would sit closest to the water. A pedestrian-oriented main street with restaurants and a farmers market would run north to south through the middle of the tract. The developer has also agreed to preserve a historic shipwrights cottage, which would be open to the public. Much of what makes India Basin special is its isolation and wildness. More than 100 species of birds have been observed on the property, and about two dozen have nested there, including American avocet and killdeer. Among the invasive weeds like pampas grass and yellow star thistle are native species such as goldfields and lupine. The downside is that the property has long attracted illegal dumping and homeless camps. And that very isolation means the simplest of errands requires a car trip or riding more than one bus line. I love this place the way it is undeveloped, wild, the hawks and coyotes, Hamman said. It is fabulous. But the trade-off is that we are going to get an urban neighborhood, cafes I can walk to and take friends to. That is the trade-off the hawks and coyotes for a loaf of bread. Im tired of having to get in my car if I want a cup of coffee. India Basin has one corner store Surfside Liquors at 950 Innes Ave. a small, friendly neighborhood hangout where mostly retired African American men barbecue and play cards. For groceries, residents typically drive to the Safeway at 16th Street and Potrero Avenue, 4 miles away, or the Grocery Outlet on Silver Avenue, 2.5 miles away. While Bayviews Third Street commercial corridor offers services like a library, restaurants and some retail, those lie on the other side of the hill from India Basin and require a bus transfer. The only bus that goes through India Basin is the notoriously unreliable 19-Polk. While a bus rapid transit line is planned for Innes Avenue, construction on that is not scheduled to start until 2021. In the meantime Fox says the city needs to get creative in connecting the rapidly growing area with water taxis, pedicabs, bike share and infrastructure for bicycles and scooters. The city is approving the housing development, which we need, but it is lagging behind in infrastructure in terms of amenities and transit, Fox said. For too long the city has said the Bayview, and lumped us together. We are on the the other side of a big hill. Third Street doesnt really serve us well. Fox said she has asked Build Inc. to create temporary uses on the site while the project permits are being lined up, similar to what developers have done in Hayes Valley and Lot A near AT&T Park, where pubs, cafes and other uses have occupied land still to be developed. Put something out here as soon as possible, Fox said. Whack the weeds. Pick up the trash. Just make a place where people who are already here in the neighborhood can have a cup of coffee and look at the view. In a city where any major development fuels fears of displacement and gentrification, India Basin is no exception. The eastern Bayview contains some of the poorest precincts in the city, and several affordable housing developments sit on the hillside overlooking India Basin. The Build Inc. development will include about 400 affordable units 25 percent of the total. Supervisor Malia Cohen, who represents the area, said she strongly backs the plan. She pointed out that 40 percent of the 400 units of affordable housing about 160 units would be set aside for current Bayview residents. That is a critical piece in helping my fellow community members digest the massive amount of housing coming to the Bayview, she said. Not everyone is a supporter. Tori Freeman, who grew up in the Bayview and has lived in India Basin since 1998, said she likes the proposed park, but that the proposed towers are excessively tall. She is also concerned that the new housing and retail would be too expensive for current residents. The developers are feasting, and the changes are coming so fast, she said, I am not happy about the towers at all. I dont want us to become Mission Bay. Meanwhile, Build Inc. is watching the scandal at the San Francisco Shipyard project, where engineering company Tetra Tech has been accused of fraud in the $1.1 billion cleanup of the site, which housed a Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory from 1946 to 1969 and was contaminated with radioactive materials. Vasquez emphasizes that the India Basin land was never used by the Navy or for other dirty industrial uses most of the site was covered with water until it was filled in with dirt from Interstate 280 in the mid-1950s. The Shipyard development controversy is a public relations issue for us but not a scientific issue, Vasquez said. If the Board of Supervisors approves the project in September, infrastructure work water, roads, sidewalks, streetlights, power will start next spring and the first buildings would be completed by 2022. The first phase would be 500 units. The entire project would cost $700 million. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen Welcome to Housemade, a Chronicle column by culinary scientist Ali Bouzari. Here, we take diners on a guided tour of the silent science, brilliant ideas and awesome techniques behind your favorite restaurant menus. At Mister Jius in San Franciscos Chinatown, Brandon Jew and his team cure, steam, fry, simmer, confit and roast an electrifying mix of charcuterie, dumplings, rice, vegetables, seafood and large-format meat dishes. Jews restaurant is located in a landmark building that previously housed the Four Seas banquet hall, which has a history that dates back to before we landed on the moon. Jews food crackles, creating an atmosphere where a standing ovation could break out in the dining room at any moment, yet a vexing question tends to lurk in the shadows of his glowing reviews: Is this deliciousness aligned with authentic Cantonese food, or is it something new, a bold take from a California heretic? The debate over cultural authenticity in food hinges on the bogus notion that there exists a set of canonical flavors pulled from a single moment in history to which we must compare our cooking. Flavor, however, is moment-specific; it surges up from pulses of real-time information gathered by our senses of taste, smell, touch, hearing and vision, which are amplified and shifted by our mood, memories and attention. Every decision a chef makes choosing to age a piece of meat before cooking, adding garlic before ginger to a hot pan or baking a cake at 325 degrees versus 375 embeds physical and chemical information in the final dish to light up our senses and rouse whatever unique emotions we may be feeling that day. Food culture is a constantly evolving transfer of information, from cook to diner and vice versa, via infinite combinations of ingredients and techniques passed through this sensory hotline. Jew, pastry chef Melissa Chou and their cooks have a massive culinary vocabulary that they execute with poetic precision to articulate ideas more nuanced than just Cantonese or Californian. Here are the stories they tell with three of their dishes. Sizzling Rice Soup Blanch and simmer chicken bones. Strain stock, add more blanched bones plus chicken feet. Simmer, re-strain and clarify with egg whites, ground chicken, mirepoix, ginger, white peppercorn and savory. Reserve rendered chicken fat, puree with green garlic. Blanch and chill asparagus, fava beans and water chestnuts. Confit shrimp in garlic oil, cut in half, chill. Brine pork leg to cure, steam and dice. Steam rice, compress into cake and dehydrate overnight. Reheat vegetables, shrimp and ham in hot broth to order. Garnish with green garlic oil, fry rice cake. Table side, drop sizzling rice cake into soup. Beneath the surface of a simmering stockpot, heat wages warfare on bones. Animal proteins recoil and huddle together in tight clumps when first exposed to heat, but aided by plenty of water and time, heat slowly infiltrates and dismantles those clumpy strongholds to yank strand after strand of succulent gelatin into the watery abyss. A pot full of bones and meat yields a finite amount of gelatin, so the Mister Jius crew simmers a second round of bones and protein-laden chicken feet in the same liquid to pack it with astonishing quantities of sticky protein. Even the most carefully tended stock contains undissolved clusters of protein and scraps of fat left over from the battlefield, which cloud the finished product. Jew and his cooks polish the broth by whisking egg whites and ground chicken into the hot liquid to gel and form a floating protein refinery. The meshy protein network captures and assimilates any lingering bits, turning the rich stock into a sparklingly clear consomme. The first garnishes to land in the consomme are crunchy spring vegetables. Plants derive crispness and stability from a brick-and-mortar foundation of microscopic cell walls in place of bone and muscle. The mortar begins to soften and dissolve when heated, causing crunchy to give way to mushy. Every day, a Mister Jius cook gently blanches, peels and chills asparagus and fava beans, preserving enough spring in their cell walls to stand up to the cascade of hot broth as each order is assembled and delivered to the table. John Storey/Special to the Chronicle Next in line are water chestnuts, which dont require the same level of pampering as the other garnishes. Even in the face of intense heat, a rare and bulletproof fiber reinforcement in their cell walls allows water chestnuts to stay crunchy, making them a favorite of canned-food manufacturers. Jew uses fresh, not canned, water chestnuts punched into the familiar button shapes that diners recognize from their ubiquitous canned counterparts, while delivering a brighter, cleaner aroma than any tuber could ever hope to have after spending years locked in an aluminum prison. To match the bouncy resilience of the vegetable garnishes, Jews cooks add shrimp confited at low temperature in garlic oil and cubes of house-made ham cured in salty brine. Just before each bowl heads out of the kitchen, Jew laces the broth with a green garlic oil made from rendered chicken fat skimmed from the simmering bones. Rather than shambling aimlessly as emulsified droplets in a cloudy haze, this fragrant schmaltz receives a second life as emerald droplets dancing atop the shimmering soup. To prepare the culminating pyrotechnics, Jew cooks short grain rice, presses it into a cake and dehydrates it overnight. This leaves the rice with just enough residual moisture to puff each grain like a balloon when it hits the spitting hot fryer oil. Once that last gasp of heat-absorbing water vapor is gone, the temperature of the rice skyrockets, turning the block of starchy grains a nutty golden brown. Table side, a server drops the superheated rice directly into the soup. It sizzles and sears the surface liquid, launching a burst of perfumed steam skyward. This soupy aromatherapy carries the essence of each meticulously prepared ingredient, enveloping the diner in a chemical and physical manifestation of Jews jubilant childhood memory as interpreted through the skills and perspective he accumulated as an adult. Sizzled Alaskan Halibut John Storey / Special to The Chronicle 2016 Simmer oyster shells, kombu and dehydrated seafood in water, strain. Trim and cut bok choy in half, sear on one side. Grate and salt summer squash, remove excess juice, saute solids with ginger and garlic until tender, puree with reserved squash juice. Season and cook halibut fillet in a low temperature oven. Remove, top with julienned scallions and ginger, baste with hot peanut oil. Season oil with white soy and lemon, serve with halibut, fresh tatsoi, flowering coriander, green squash puree and oyster shell broth. In addition to the vibrant green color of this dish, which Mister Jius serves ripping hot, it smells green. Hot food doesnt usually smell green because grassy, herbal aromas are some of the most heat-sensitive edible compounds in existence. With even mild exposure to heat, honeydew becomes butternut squash, basil transforms into spinach and the subtle cucumber aroma of fresh salmon gets washed away in a storm of fishiness. Jew solves this puzzle by uniting diverse sources of greenness from land and sea. The fresh scent of the sea, often described as salty, actually has nothing to do with salt. That smell comes mainly from tiny wisps of the aromatic fat of marine life, lofted into balmy coastal breezes. By loading the base sauce for the dish with kombu seaweed, oyster shells, and dehydrated clams and squid, Jew captures some of the verdant magic of crisp sea air. Anyone who has ever experienced the smell of low tide as exposed fats languish on scalding hot sand knows these aromas can turn overwhelmingly fishy if not properly tended. By using fresh seafood oysters shucked in house and leftover trimmings of squid and clams dehydrated at low temperatures Jew avoids the brunt of the fishiness. Seared bok choy, fresh tatsoi and flowering coriander also contribute to the green bouquet, but the star of this land-based contingent is the squash puree. Zucchini is about 95 percent water by weight, so rather than attempting to concentrate flavor with prolonged cooking, which would destroy color and aroma, Mister Jius takes a different approach, cooking the solid and liquid components separately. Grating and salting the flesh of the squash ruptures their cells, opening the floodgates to allow easy separation of concentrated pulp from watery juice. Cooks briefly saute the pulp with ginger and garlic before adding back just enough of the squash juice to rehydrate as the freshest puree possible. All living cells are balloons full of water, and Jew implements a version of his squash trick to build the sauce for the halibut starting from the ground up, with juices from the halibut itself. He and his crew salt and slow roast each piece of halibut in a low oven to prevent escaped juices from evaporating into a burnt crust on the bottom of the pan. They then mound a nest of thinly sliced scallions and ginger on each piece, and pour hot peanut oil over it to order. The peanut oil scalds the vegetables, shepherds their aroma to the flesh and dapples fried blisters across the surface of the halibut without browning or drying it out. Finally, the cooks season the collected scallion, ginger and halibut liquor with white soy and lemon to create a deeply flavorful vinaigrette that rests beneath the fog of the green aromas. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Frozen Whipped Honey John Storey/Special to The Chronicle Juice green pineapples, add sugar and glucose. Freeze. Combine buckwheat honey with cream, egg whites and gelatin, heat to thicken. Freeze. Combine jasmine tea and milk, simmer and steep. Remove jasmine and dissolve gelatin, chill to set. Temper white chocolate, chill, smash to shards. Combine flour, sugar, butter and ground walnuts, bake to form lace tuile. Roast pineapple, dice, chill. Assemble sorbet, jasmine jelly and then whipped honey. Top with walnut tuile, white chocolate and roasted pineapple. Pastry chef Melissa Chou should submit this dish as a graduate school dissertation and get a Ph.D. in crystal physics. As water freezes, water molecules organize themselves into neat rows within perfectly geometric ice crystals. Impurities like sugar, protein, carbs or fat get in the way of these obsessively straight lines to create a spectrum of crystal sizes and textures. Chou skips across this spectrum, summoning a diverse textural landscape of smooth, gravelly, jiggly and jagged experiences within a single dish. On the creamy side of the continuum lies the whipped honey. She unites pungent buckwheat honey and cream with gelatin, egg whites and technology to get there. She mixes the base ingredients together and heats them until the egg white proteins lash out to thicken the mixture. Lacking the space for a full-size commercial ice cream machine, Chou and the Mister Jius pastry team use a Pacojet to create their frozen desserts. The Pacojet works like a miniature lathe, shaving microscopic layers off a frozen-solid brick of whipped honey with a slowly descending blade whirling at high speed. All but the smallest crystals are obliterated by the process, and the egg whites and gelatin reinforce the sensation of smoothness. In spite of these protein fail-safes, Chou makes sure to spin fresh whipped honey three times a night during service to prevent any rogue graininess. By comparison, she designed the pineapple sorbet to be slightly coarser. Chou prefers the tang of slightly under-ripe pineapples, so rather than bury that tartness beneath a heap of cream, she simply sweetens juiced green pineapples with table sugar and a small amount of glucose. Glucose is a simple sugar with a greater affinity for reigning in water than table sugar, which affords Chou just enough control to keep the largest crystals in check. The starch from the young pineapples pitches in as well, thickening the sorbet to help it melt evenly in the mouth. Chou and her team dont actually freeze the jasmine jelly, but rather, they use gelatin to set jasmine-infused milk into a wobbly gel at room temperature. That gel solidifies further with a gentle chill from the sorbet and whipped honey that rest atop it, inhabiting a delightfully uncanny area between frozen and thawed. White chocolate shards and Chous walnut lace tuile comprise the conclusion of her crystal thesis by pulling shattering crispness from two more sources: fat and glass. Chou tempers the white chocolate by leading it through a series of temperature changes to orient fatty cacao crystals in exactly the right shape to shatter dramatically when cooled and smacked. The walnut tuile is a mic-drop ending to the delicious crystal exploration; by melting the sugar-rich dough in an oven and quickly cooling it, she creates edible glass, a molecular logjam that solidifies so quickly that crystals dont even have a chance to form. Fifty years from now, people might squabble over whether a new dish fits with the Authentic Sensibilities of the Golden Era of Mister Jius cooking. That new dish probably wont, which will be awesome. Ali Bouzari, Ph.D. is a culinary scientist, co-founder of Pilot R&D and Render, and author of the book Ingredient: Unveiling the Essential Elements of Food. Twitter: @alibouzari Instagram: @bouzariali Email: food@sfchronicle.com Hedge funds go to the Cayman Islands to incorporate. Big companies are generally domiciled in Delaware. And online poker companies often set up their bases in Gibraltar and Malta. Now the race is on to become the go-to destination for cryptocurrency companies that are looking for shelter from regulatory uncertainty in the United States and Asia. In small countries and territories including Bermuda, Malta, Gibraltar and Liechtenstein, officials have recently passed laws, or have legislation in the works, to make themselves more welcoming to cryptocurrency companies and projects. In Malta, the government passed three laws July 4 so companies can easily issue cryptocurrencies and trade existing ones. In Bermuda this year, the legislature passed a law that lets startups doing initial coin offerings apply to the minister of finance for speedy approval. We are 65,000 people, and 20 square miles, but we have a very advanced economy, the premier of Bermuda, E. David Burt, said in an interview at a cryptocurrency conference in May in New York, where he was trying to pitch companies on the islands charms. We want to position Bermuda as the incubator for this industry. The competition for cryptocurrency companies is part of a broader rush by governments to figure out how to approach a new industry that took on outsize prominence over the last year. Becoming a crypto center has many potential upsides, including jobs and tax revenue. But the drive to be a crypto nexus also comes with significant risk. Hackings and scams have followed the industry everywhere. They have been aided by the underlying technology introduced by bitcoin, known as the blockchain, which was built to make it possible to send money without requiring approval from government agencies or existing financial institutions. And the cryptocurrencies are hardly stable, with the prices of most having plunged in 2018 after skyrocketing last year. The use of cryptocurrencies by hackers was reinforced this month when the Justice Department announced charges against 12 Russian intelligence officers accused of hacking the Democratic National Committee and said they had principally used bitcoin to fund their work. Volatility and uncertainty have deterred some countries and caused others to hesitate in embracing crypto companies. In China, the government banned cryptocurrency exchanges and initial coin offerings after many of its citizens were swept up in the frenzy and bet their savings on digital tokens. And Japanese authorities halted the operations of several crypto exchanges this year after one of the biggest licensed exchanges was hacked. In the United States, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Jay Clayton, has warned that most companies that have raised money by selling cryptocurrencies have most likely not followed the law. But his agency has not provided clear guidance on the line demarcating legal and illegal projects. All of this has opened the door for smaller jurisdictions to provide a friendlier environment, separate from private efforts such as in Puerto Rico to create crypto havens. And many countries moves are already having an effect, with dozens of companies including the largest exchange in the world announcing plans to set up offices in the small jurisdictions that have passed laws. Bermuda has been a leading player. Apart from passing the law to allow for fast approval of initial coin offerings, the British territory has a law in the works to open the doors to cryptocurrency exchanges and related services. Burt said his government was modeling its approach on one it had taken with the insurance industry, in which Bermuda has become a major player. Bermudas measures have attracted Will McDonough, founder of a new cryptocurrency called iCash. He said he had decided to base his company there because of the islands experience in international finance and the governments willingness to listen to the companys input. The largest issue blockchain companies have is not knowing how theyll be governed or regulated, said McDonough, a former vice president at Goldman Sachs. Those markets that have made the rules clear have found many companies coming to play by the rules. McDonough is planning to raise $35 million by selling iCash tokens to investors around the world, including some in the United States. The iCash tokens are initially designed to be the method of payment for an online gambling site. He said he would still be based in Florida, but would have an office and a head of operations in Bermuda, which the island requires of all companies. Other companies are playing the field more. Binance, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, went shopping for a new location after Japan shut it down this year for operating without a license. The exchange, which is known for its desire to skirt regulations, announced in March that it would open offices in Malta, with hundreds of employees, as a result of the friendly laws the country had put into motion. That prompted Maltas prime minister, Joseph Muscat, to post a congratulatory tweet and proclaim the islands intention to be the global trailblazers in the regulation of blockchain-based businesses. But a month later, Binance CEO Zhao Changpeng traveled to Bermuda to announce that the company would also open up compliance operations there and invest $15 million in the island. At the signing event with Burt, Zhao wore a tie and blue Bermuda shorts. Zhao did not respond to requests for comment. Many of the countries passing the new laws have said they are not interested in becoming a home for illicit activity. Albert Isola, Gibraltars finance minister, said his government was accustomed to making hard decisions after regulating online gambling companies for the past 25 years. For every one license weve issued, weve probably said no to 10, he said. When youre considering a new sector, to bring in big names is extremely attractive, but theyve got to be good names. So youve got to be willing to say no to even some of the bigger ones. Online gambling is responsible for around 3,000 jobs on Gibraltar, or about 10 percent of the territorys population. Isola said he saw a similar possibility in the blockchain, calling it the next significant new flow of business. Gibraltar is in the final stages before voting on regulations that, similar to Maltas, would let companies issue and trade digital tokens. Already, 35 companies have applied to the government for licenses to operate blockchain businesses. Liechtenstein, the Alpine nation between Austria and Switzerland, is also among the newer entrants to the race, with the prime minister circulating a Blockchain Act this summer to allow companies to sell tokens. The activity has spread to other areas, too. Wyoming and Delaware have passed laws aimed at welcoming certain blockchain businesses, though they have been less focused on ones that trade in tokens. In 2014, New York created a so-called BitLicense, which initially drew businesses to the state, but it has since been viewed as a deterrent because of the governments wide-ranging requirements and slow approval process. Nathaniel Popper is a New York Times writer. When he was Cupertino mayor, Barry Chang said he was turned away from Apples headquarters because he didnt have an appointment. Now, he and others on the City Council may have a little more clout. On Monday, the council received a letter from Apple vice president Kristina Raspe touting the companys investments in the city, including sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, and a commitment that Apple would continue to work with Cupertino and other regional partners to improve transportation. The letter came on the eve of a council vote on whether to put on the ballot a measure that would tax large employers based on their number of employees. The money would go toward efforts such as reducing traffic congestion. Cupertino on Tuesday night will consider raising up to $10 million through the proposed tax. In one model under consideration, the city could charge $425 per employee for companies with at least 5,000 people. Apple is the citys largest employer; it built its grand new campus, Apple Park, for 13,000 employees. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chang, no longer mayor but still a member of the council, had pushed unsuccessfully in 2016 to charge Apple and other large businesses $1,000 per employee. He says hes still inclined to push forward with the tax. During the day, there are 180,000 people in Cupertino, compared to roughly 60,000 at night, he said. Employers need to pick up their fair share, Chang said. If Cupertinos council votes to put the tax on the ballot, it would follow Mountain View, where residents will vote on a similar tax in November. Under that measure, Mountain Views largest employer, Google, could be taxed $3.3 million. When the economy starts to cool off, these types of job taxes will be a big disincentive to employers, said Matt Regan, a senior vice president of public policy at the Bay Area Council, which counts Apple and Google as members and opposes per-employee taxes. Apple did not mention the employer tax in its letter. But the company asserted that it has contributed more than $70 million in public benefits in relation to the building of its new headquarters campus, called Apple Park. It funded sidewalk and crosswalk improvements on Bubb Road and built a visitor center and Apple Store near its campus after receiving input from the community, the company said. When deciding where to build our new headquarters, we had many options, but worked hard to secure enough land to build in Cupertino, Raspe wrote. Raspe said Apple has worked to reduce its traffic, with more than 25 percent of employees using alternate transportation options. In her letter, she said that Apple is committed to working with the city and other regional partners to look for transportation solutions in areas such as Highway 85 and Stevens Creek Boulevard. For Cupertino and Apple to thrive we need to partner on both long-term and short-term solutions that will move our residents and employees more efficiently and effectively, Raspe wrote. Still, Chang says he would like to see more specifics on which projects the iPhone maker wants to tackle regarding transportation, and deadlines for those projects. Its good that Apple is willing to work together, but its not specific (enough), Chang said. Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee LAKEPORT, Lake County Firefighters made small but promising headway Monday on the two main fires bedeviling Northern California, but nobody was prepared to say the danger was over as the flames in Redding and near Clear Lake were being beaten away from homes and into wilderness areas. The worst of the threat remained in the resort towns on the western edge of Clear Lake, where the 68,487-acre Mendocino Complex fire surged to within a mile of the city of Lakeport, before being shoved back another mile by an army of fire crews armed with water-dropping helicopters. The string of little communities hugging the lakes northern shoreline, normally bustling with motor boats and fishermen this time of year, sat empty after emergency officials shooed more than 15,000 people away to safer locations to the south over the weekend and Monday. Rob Brown, a Lake County supervisor and veteran of earlier blazes in the area, said firefighters are doing what they can to keep it out of populated areas, and so far theyve made great progress. The fire was turning toward the Mendocino National Forest, but fickle winds could drive it toward houses again any time. By Monday evening, the Mendocino Complex had destroyed 10 buildings and was 5 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The agency said full containment was expected by Monday. Farther north, firefighters were getting a grip on the devastating Carr Fire around Redding, which in one week has killed six people, burned up 103,772 acres, consumed 818 homes and 1,132 structures total, and forced massive evacuations. Seven days after the Carr Fire roared to life, thousands of firefighters were beginning to slow its spread, allowing some of the 38,000 evacuees in Redding to return home as the city started its recovery. The massive conflagration was 23 percent contained Monday. Its progress, said Mary Eldridge, a Cal Fire spokeswoman. If the weathers with us and firefighters stay healthy, we will continue to battle and make progress. At a community meeting Monday evening, officials assured some 500 evacuees whose houses did not burn that they would help them get home quickly clearing streets, restoring utilities and removing downed power lines. Police also told residents they would prosecute any looters and price gaugers. Around the state, crews were stretched to the limit to combat at least 17 major blazes from San Diego to the Oregon border with one of those, the stubborn Ferguson Fire, continuing to force the closure of Yosemite National Park because of overwhelming smoke. The Ferguson Fire, which ignited July 13 in the Sierra National Forest, has consumed 57,041 acres and was 30 percent contained Monday. Yosemite officials have said they intend to reopen the park at 4 p.m. Friday. Cal Fire spokeswoman Heather Williams said 12,000 firefighters were battling infernos across the state, with the help of crews from at least a dozen other states. More than 52,000 people have been evacuated, an exceptionally high number for this time in the fire season, which usually hits its peaks in September and October. What were seeing is that one minute these fires are 100 acres, and the next minute theyre growing faster than you can imagine, Williams said. That was a common trend last year, and now here again its only July. Usually evacuations were pretty rare by this time. Kelly Huston, spokesman for the state Office of Emergency Services, said the states fire response crews are stretched and basically getting toward maximum. More Information How to help Tri Counties Bank in Chico is collecting donations to help Carr Fire victims and distributing them through United Way of Northern California. Donate online at https://bit.ly/2mYjRkU See More Collapse Its sort of bad luck of the draw that this fire season has started with such a bang, he said. Maybe its a combination of drought conditions, long-term issues with tree mortality, climate change maybe causing the worse winds. Theres no one thing you can point to it. Its a bunch of factors making these fires harder to fight than before. Of all the wildfires in Northern California, the combined twin blazes outside of Clear Lake posed the most immediate threat to homes as dawn broke on Monday. Engines, planes and battalions of firefighters attacked the Mendocino Complex just outside 5,000-population Lakeport, the county seat of Lake County, and any hold on the fire line was tenuous at best. Bait shops and jet-ski rental businesses were closed with a full evacuation in effect. Fast-food chains and motels were locked up. An eerie fog of smoke hovered over the still waters of the lake. Among those evacuated from Lakeport were 286 prisoners from the Lake County Jail. They were bused far south to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, which was just a little more than half full and, as the sixth largest jail in the United States, had plenty of room, according to Alameda County sheriffs spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly. The jail also housed prisoners from Butte County last year when the Oroville Dam emergency forced evacuations. Well hold onto them as long as they need the relief up there, Kelly said. Firefighters said searing summer temperatures and dry grass and timber were creating challenging conditions to beat back the blaze, even as more than 1,300 personnel joined in the early-morning battle above Lakeport to protect the waterfront hamlet. Along Highway 29 in Kelseyville, just prior to an evacuation order for the area Monday afternoon, several cars and motor homes had pulled over in dirt pullouts or parking lots, finding temporary refuge from the fire. The sheriff came by with his sirens on and said, You people, out of here, said Thomas Moore, 76, who fled late Sunday from northern Lakeport with his wife, Glenda, and their dog, Annie. The Moores were parked in front of Kelseyville Lumber, where the owner was letting evacuees sleep in their cars. I have a bucket seat that reclines, so that helps a little bit, said Moore, commenting on the rough slumber in his Nissan Versa. We might try to stay in the motel up the road tonight. Authorities did not say when the evacuation orders would lift, but it wont be before crews push the fire farther from the lake. About two miles west of the shoreline on Highway 175, where flames were chewing up patches of pine trees and racing through brush, firefighters attacked the lead edge of the River Fire, the southernmost of the two blazes that constitute the Mendocino Complex. The fire, which began Friday north of Hopland in rural Mendocino County, has burned steadily to the east. A handful of structures have burned, but the biggest fear was the fire getting to the lake and tearing into the tiny communities along its edge. Six helicopters, 37 bulldozers and 118 fire engines were part of the fight to stop the complex. The other fire in the complex, the Ranch Fire, which began Friday up north near the Mendocino County community of Potter Valley, was similarly headed east, threatening the community of Upper Lake. Chronicle staff writer Jill Tucker contributed to this report. Kurtis Alexander, Michael Cabanatuan and Kevin Fagan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com, kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KurtisAlexander, @ctuan, @KevinChron As the Carr Fire raged through Shasta County, Redding resident Megan Ball wanted to help. She said she asked a Cal Fire firefighter what she could do. His answer, according to a post she wrote on Facebook, was: more thank-you signs and cards. So Ball got to work. She made a post in one of a handful of California wildfire-centric Facebook groups, asking if anyone would be interested in helping her make cards. "I'm going to buy a bunch of paint and paper and my three girls and I are going to start this immediately," she wrote on Friday. "Wouldn't it be amazing if each and every firefighter received a card with a note of encouragement and thanks?" READ MORE: Family's desire to feed Carr Fire victims grows into large volunteer effort Hundreds of commenters agreed. Many from other parts of California offered to make thank-you notes and mail them to Ball, she said. Ball's post was also shared in Oregon, where firefighters have been struggling with large wildfires. Ball, her mother and her young daughters along with three helpers cranked out about 200 cards. Ball said a friend hosted another card-making party, bringing the combined total to about 350. AWW: 2-year-old hands out sandwiches to Carr Fire firefighters in Shasta County That may not be enough for everyone as of Monday, 3,388 fire personnel had been dispatched to combat the blaze, according to Cal Fire but the gesture will be appreciated, as the Shasta County Sheriff's Department wrote on Facebook. Thank-you signs, the department wrote, "mean more to the firefighters than donations of food or water." Ball said the card-making project had proven to be "quite an undertaking," but was worth it. "The love and support I've received from local and non-local residents has been encouraging, to say the least," she told SFGATE. "It's been incredibly moving to witness just how special this community is to so many people." NOW READ: Cooler temperatures help firefighters make progress on Carr Fire As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and Britain should strongly uphold multilateralism, as well as the free trade regime and WTO rules, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) meets with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Beijing on July 30, 2018. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn] Wang made the remarks when co-chairing the Ninth China-UK Strategic Dialogue with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Beijing. Noting China-British relations have maintained steady growth momentum in recent years, Wang welcomed Britain to participate more ambitiously in international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, in areas such as nuclear power, finance and innovation, and in new industries including artificial intelligence, green energy, and the digital economy. "China and Britain should treat each other's development as an opportunity instead of a threat," Wang said, "Under the current situation, China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should uphold their responsibilities and obligations to firmly maintain multilateralism, the free trade regime, and WTO rules, as well as opposing unilateralism and trade protectionism." The two sides should also seek political settlements for global and regional hotspot issues, cooperate to promote the common prosperity on the Eurasia continent, improve global governance system, and work for the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity. Hunt said Britain appreciates China's achievements in poverty reduction as well as economic and social rights. Britain is willing to strengthen strategic dialogue and deepen exchanges and cooperation with China in various areas to boost the development of the "Golden Era" of bilateral relations, Hunt said, adding his country stands ready to deepen communication with China to jointly address various challenges, and safeguard multilateralism and global order. ANTIOCH (BCN) An 18-year-old man died and two teenage boys were injured in a shooting early this morning in the parking lot of a business complex in Antioch, according to police. Officers responded at 1:17 a.m. to several calls reporting multiple shots fired in the 2700 block of Hillcrest Avenue. The officers arrived to find two male victims on the ground in the parking lot, including the 18-year-old who died at the scene, police said. His name has not been released. A 17-year-old boy was taken to a hospital to undergo surgery for his gunshot wounds, according to police. While officers were at the scene, they learned that a third victim, a 17-year-old boy, arrived at a hospital for treatment and investigators determined his injuries were linked to the parking lot shooting, police said. Police believe the shooting was part of a confrontation between the victims and another group of people. No suspect information has been released by the Police Department. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Antioch police at (925) 778-2441 or text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword ANTIOCH. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. BART is reporting a 10-minute delay at the Bay Fair Station in the Dublin/Pleasanton direction due to a track inspection early this morning, transit officials said. The delay was first reported at 5:38 a.m. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN JOSE (BCN) A Sunnyvale man accused of killing his co-worker in Santa Clara's Central Park earlier this month made his first court appearance today in the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice. Gage McCartney, 25, represented by Deputy Public Defender Matt Wilson, was arraigned on one count of murder and will remain in custody without bail. He did not enter a plea. McCartney and the victim, Raynard Hyde, 54, of Campbell, both worked at a Safeway on 2760 Homestead Road, according to Santa Clara police. On the night of July 19, Hyde clocked out of work at 9 p.m. and met McCartney at a McDonald's at 3509 Homestead Road a couple hours later to eat dinner and drink alcohol, police said. The two men went back to Safeway at about 11 p.m. to buy more alcohol. Surveillance video showed the two men dancing, intoxicated and in good spirits, according to police. The men then went across the street to Central Park in Hyde's car. In a statement of facts, police said McCartney told officers that Hyde made unwanted sexual advances toward him at the park. According to police, McCartney said he pushed Hyde away and punched him twice in the face when Hyde allegedly tried to kiss him. McCartney said he then put his hands around Hyde's neck and squeezed, making the victim fall to the ground. McCartney thought Hyde had become unconscious, and left the park "furious" over Hyde's alleged sexual advances, police said. McCartney allegedly demonstrated to investigators how he choked the victim, and explained that "instinct took over" when he attacked Hyde. Police were initially investigating Hyde's death as "suspicious," but the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office later ruled it a homicide by strangulation. McCartney was arrested last Tuesday and was booked in the Santa Clara County Main Jail without bail. McCartney's suggestion that he attacked Hyde because of unwanted sexual advances invokes the "gay panic defense," which was banned in California in 2014. Only two other states, Illinois and Rhode Island, have also implemented the ban. D'Arcy Kemnitz, executive director of the National LGBT Bar Association, could not comment on the specifics of McCartney's case, but said the "gay panic" defense has led to light sentences after suspects committed brutal attacks in states where the defense is not banned. "It is unconscionable and unfair to the victim to bring up whether or not they are gay or not gay," Kemnitz said. "Otherwise it turns into, 'Did the victim bring it upon themselves? Were they asking for it?'" Deputy District Attorney Alaleh Kianerci said outside of court that detectives are still investigating the motive for McCartney's alleged homicide, but noted the "gay panic defense" can still be used in a limited capacity despite the 2014 ban. The gay panic defense can no longer reduce a murder charge to involuntary manslaughter by claiming the murder was a "heat of passion" act, according to Kianerci. However, attorneys can still consider the claim -- if it is backed by reliable evidence -- to determine if the victim was provoked. Kianerci added that there is currently no indication of race-based motivation for the homicide. A Safeway spokeswoman said last week that the store is cooperating with police in their investigation. "We mourn the unexpected loss of Ray Hyde. We send our deepest and heartfelt condolences to Ray's family, friends, and co-workers. Our team at the Homestead store will miss seeing him at work," spokeswoman Wendy Gutshall said in a statement. Ramone Hyde, the victim's brother, shared the news of Hyde's death on Facebook last week, saying Hyde loved his family and God, loved to laugh and was the "absolute best big brother ever." Hyde attended the Cathedral of Faith in San Jose, according to the church, and many remarked on Hyde's faith in God and the religious songs he would sing. Others said Hyde was a beautiful person and a "joy to have known." Judge Arthur Bocanegra set McCartney's plea hearing for Sept. 25 at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. To Save Mexico's Vaquita, U.S. Court Bans Fish Imports Washington D.C. - A trade court Thursday ordered the Trump administration to implement a ban on seafood imports from Mexico caught with a method tied to harming an endangered porpoise species. The United States Court of International Trade ruled that the government must ban Mexican imports of seafood caught using gillnets, a fishing technique that has been found to injure and kill the critically endangered vaquita porpoise. Scientists believe there are only 15 vaquitas left in the wild, which could leave the species extinct by 2021. The court denied the Trump administration's motion to dismiss the case, writing, "Evidence shows that vaquita are killed by gillnet fishing and are on the verge of extinction: because the statutory duty to ban fish imports resulting in such excessive marine mammal bycatch is mandatory, the Government must comply with it." Gillnets are a type of fishing net that is hung in the water to catch passing-by seafood. The case brought by three conservation groups, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Animal Welfare Institute, against the Department of Commerce argues that it is the U.S. government's duty to enact a ban on Mexican seafood imports under the Marine Mammal Protection Act for the vaquita, the smallest species of porpoise. The court agreed, determining that the "law commands" that "the Secretary of the Treasury shall ban imports of fish and fish products from northern Gulf fisheries that utilize gillnets and incidentally kill vaquita in excess of United States standards." The vaquita is most often found in the upper Gulf of California. Seafood products typically caught with gillnets include shrimp, corvina, Spanish mackerel and bigeye croaker. According to data compiled by the National Marine Fisheries Service under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States imported more than $55 million worth of seafood from Mexico in 2017. More than 90 percent of the seafood eaten in the U.S. is imported. Save 50% on Main Courses at Kaiser Maximilian Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - After enjoying a short summer vacation, Kaiser Maximilian is celebrating their reopening with Early Bird Specials at Espresso Bar. Through Thursday, August 2nd, this sidewalk charming cafe is offering 50% discounts on all of the restaurant's main courses from 12:00 noon until 6:00 pm. Chef/Owner Andres Rupprechter opened the restaurant 23 years ago in two separate spaces. Espresso Bar, on the corner of Olas Altas and Manuel Dieguez, and the main dining room at 380-B Olas Altas. Los Arcos Hotel sits between these two establishments. The restaurant is open for dinner from 6 to 11 pm and Espresso Bar is open from 8 am until 11 pm, and this is where you can save 50% on a wonderful Austrian main course dish during the Early Bird Special. Whether dining al fresco at the European-style sidewalk cafe tables, or in the intimate air-conditioned dining room, you'll enjoy the fabulous cuisine, professional service and elegant atmosphere that have made Kaiser Maximilian a top spot for fine dining on the south side of Puerto Vallarta. So, if you enjoy European sidewalk cafes and fine continental cuisine, be sure to stop by Kaiser Maximilian between 12:00-6:00 pm through August 2 to enjoy great food and unbeatable savings. VATICAN CITY Pope Francis on Monday accepted the resignation of an Australian archbishop convicted of covering up the sexual abuse of children by a priest, taking action after coming under mounting pressure from ordinary Catholics, priests and even the Australian prime minister. It was the second major announcement of a sex abuse-related resignation in as many days, after Francis sanctioning over the weekend of U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, suggesting he is determined to clean house before he heads to Dublin next month for a major Catholic family rally. The sex abuse scandal is likely to dominate the trip given Irelands devastating history with predator priests and the bishops who covered for them. An official Malaysian investigation into the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared four years ago and has not been found despite extensive searches, was unable to determine what happened to the plane, safety investigators said Monday. The head of the team, Kok Soo Chon, said the available pieces of evidence, including the planes deviation from its flight course and the switching off of a transponder, irresistibly point to unlawful interference. WASHINGTON President Trumps trade policies are turning long-established Republican orthodoxy on its head, marked by tariff fights and now $12 billion in farm aid that represents the type of government intervention GOP voters railed against a decade ago. President George W. Bush increased the number of countries partnering with the United States on free trade agreements from three to 16. President Ronald Reagan signed a landmark trade deal with Canada that was later transformed into the North American Free Trade Agreement and expanded to include Mexico. Both those Republican presidents also enacted tariffs, but their comments on trade were overwhelmingly positive. We should beware of the demagogues who are ready to declare a trade war against our friends, weakening our economy, our national security and the entire free world, all while cynically waiving the American flag, Reagan said in a 1988 radio address. Trump, by comparison, has called NAFTA the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere, and his administration has opted to use tariffs as a tool intended to leverage more favorable agreements with virtually every major U.S. trading partner. He shredded the trade agreement the Obama administration tried to work out with Pacific Rim nations that had strong backing from farm groups and chief executives from major U.S. corporations. Republicans also have altered the priority of tackling the national debt, an issue the GOP hammered President Barack Obama on as the country struggled to recover from the 2008 economic crisis. Our nation is approaching a tipping point, GOP Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, now the House speaker, said in January 2011 when the national debt hit $14 trillion. Today, the Congressional Budget Office projects the $21 trillion debt will rise to more than $33 trillion in 10 years. That estimate notes that the tax cut lawmakers passed in December would increase economic output but add $1.8 trillion to the deficit over the coming decade. The GOPs evolving priorities are not lost on some in the party. Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., who lost a close primary election this year after butting heads with Trump on some issues, said he finds it perplexingly destructive for the GOP brand. It takes a long while to build a brand, but brands can be diminished or destroyed in relatively short order, and I think the administration is destroying bedrock cornerstones to what the party has historically stood for, Sanford said. There is no conversation on the debt, deficit and government spending these days. That has been a cornerstone. Sanford made headlines as South Carolina governor when he said he would reject stimulus money approved during the financial crisis because he did not think the country should go into debt to fund recovery efforts. Here we are now with a hypothetical $12 billion bailout package and you dont hear a word, Sanford said. That is quite a transition in not so many years from decrying what the Obama administration had done with bailouts to now endorsing the idea of bailouts. Trump, in a Friday interview on Fox News Sean Hannitys radio show, said the strong economy would help the U.S. reduce the deficit. The economy, we can go a lot higher. ... We have $21 trillion in debt. When this really kicks in well start paying off that debt like water. Well start paying that debt down. The administrations plan on the bailout announced last week would borrow money from the Treasury to pay producers of soybeans, sorghum, corn, wheat, cotton, dairy and hogs. Many farmers have criticized Trumps tariffs and the damage done to commodity prices and markets. Some GOP lawmakers are expressing concerns. I didnt come up here to start new government programs, said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. But its unlikely that the Republican-controlled Congress will try to block the administrations agricultural aid plan. Im looking at this and saying, Youre going to single out one sector? What about the manufacturing sector? What about the energy sector? said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Where do you draw the line? Ive got some real concerns. Kevin Freking is an Associated Press writer. HARARE, Zimbabwe With hope and pride, millions of Zimbabweans voted peacefully Monday in an election that many believe is their best chance to escape the toxic politics and dead-end economics of the era of Robert Mugabe, who wasnt on the ballot for the first time in the nations nearly four-decade history. But opposition activists used to the violence, intimidation and vote-tampering that marred elections under Mugabe called for vigilance against the same kind of abuses this time around. Western monitors noted some problems at polling stations, but said it wasnt yet clear whether they reflected a deliberate effort to manipulate the elections. They may be peaceful, but we dont know how credible they are, said Classified Chivese, a voter who, like many Zimbabweans, is unemployed. Zimbabwes political climate has opened up since 94-year-old Mugabe, who once said he would rule for life, resigned in November after a military takeover and ruling party move to impeach him. Throngs celebrated the removal of Mugabe, in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980, but many Zimbabweans view Mondays election as an equally important milestone. More than 5.5 million people were registered to vote in an election featuring more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties vying for parliamentary seats. If no presidential candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held Sept. 8. The two main contenders were President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, a former deputy president and longtime enforcer for Mugabe who has reinvented himself as a candidate for change; and Nelson Chamisa, 40, a lawyer and pastor who became head of the main opposition party a few months ago after the death of its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. After polls closed at 7 p.m. and vote-counting began, Mnangagwa appealed to Zimbabweans to be patient and wait for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to announce results. The final, official tally is expected within five days. Today, Zimbabwe experienced a beautiful expression of freedom & democracy, Mnangagwa tweeted. No matter which way we voted, we are all brothers and sisters. Earlier, however, Chamisa said on Twitter that voting delays in urban areas, where his support is strong, were a deliberate attempt to undermine his election bid. The head of the European Union mission monitoring the election said his team saw huge differences in the pace of voting at polling stations. Voters at one location waited less than an hour to cast their ballots while others at a nearby station waited more than half the day, Elmar Brok said. Christopher Torchia and Farai Mutsaka are Associated Press writers. REDDING, Calif. -- The death count from a Northern California wildfire rose to five Saturday after two young children and their great-grandmother who had been unaccounted for were confirmed dead. "My babies are dead," Sherry Bledsoe said through tears after she and family members met with Shasta County sheriff's deputies. Bledsoe's two children, James Roberts, 5, and Emily Roberts, 4, were stranded with her grandmother Melody Bledsoe, 70, when walls of flames swept through the family's rural property Thursday on the outskirts of Redding. The three were among more than a dozen people reported missing after the furious wind-driven blaze took residents by surprise and leveled several neighborhoods. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said he expects to find several of those people alive and just out of touch with loved ones. Officers have gone to homes of several people reported missing and found cars gone -- a strong indication they fled. The fire sparked Monday by a vehicle in forested hills had scorched 131 square miles (340 square kilometers) by late Saturday, up slightly from 127 square miles (327 square kilometers) in the morning. It pushed southwest of Redding, the largest city in the region, toward the tiny communities of Ono, Igo and Gas Point, where scorching heat, winds and bone-dry conditions complicated firefighting efforts. It's now the largest fire burning in California. Two firefighters were killed in the blaze, including a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the wildfire's path. He was identified as Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines. Redding fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, but details of his death were not released. About 38,000 people were under evacuation orders, 5,000 homes were threatened and the fire was just 5 percent contained. The latest tally of 536 destroyed structures was up from 500 earlier in the day, and sure to rise. A count by The Associated Press found at least 300 of those structures were homes. Meanwhile, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Redding, two blazes prompted mandatory evacuations in Mendocino County. The two fires, burning 30 miles (50 kilometers) apart, started Friday and were threatening more than 350 buildings. Cal Fire officials said more than 10,000 firefighters were on the line, making progress on 14 large wildfires across California. President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for the state Saturday, allowing counties affected by wildfires to receive federal assistance. Big fires also continued to burn outside Yosemite National Park and in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs. As of Saturday afternoon, those fires had burned more nearly 100 square miles (260 square kilometers). Yosemite Valley remained closed to visitors and won't reopen until Friday. In the Redding area, authorities were investigating reports of looting in evacuated areas. Police Chief Roger Moore said people were reportedly driving around evacuation zones and busting down doors of houses still standing. Sheriff Bosenko announced at a community meeting that authorities had made their first looting arrest, a parolee. Anxious residents cheered. About 100 law enforcement officers and 260 National Guard soldiers were helping with evacuations and providing security in empty neighborhoods. Moore was among the many people who lost homes. Greg and Terri Hill evacuated their Redding home of 18 years Thursday night with little more than medications, photo albums, clothes and firearms, assuming they'd be back home in a few days. They returned Friday to find little more than ash. "It's pretty emotional," Terri Hill said. "But we'll make new memories and get new stuff. Everybody's safe." The so-called Carr Fire wiped out forest around much of Whiskeytown Lake, burning dozens of boats docked at a marina and then swept through the historic Gold Rush-era town of Shasta and destroyed nearly all of Keswick, a hamlet just west of Redding. The fire blew across the Sacramento River and burned a path to the property where Melody Bledsoe was living with her great-grandchildren. Bledsoe's husband, Ed, who had the couple's only car, had gone to buy supplies before any evacuation order was issued, family members said. His great-grandson phoned him at the store to say the flames were approaching and "we need your help," according to Jason Decker, who is dating one of Bledsoe's granddaughters. Bledsoe rushed home, but was turned back by police because the fire was raging. He spent Friday searching in vain for the three at shelters while Decker's girlfriend posted desperate messages on social media for any help locating them. Decker rode his motorcycle up to view the property and found smoldering ruins too hot to enter. "It looked like a war zone," he said. "I couldn't smell death in the air, which is good." While he discussed the worst-case scenario of the three staying put as the flames closed in, Decker held out some hope Saturday morning until he got the word they were dreading. "We got horrible news. I have to go," he said and hung up. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The safety of children across New York City's five boroughs can depend on how quickly a child protective specialist (CPS) agent can respond to abuse and neglect reports during the day, night, and on weekends and holidays. Nicole Dimolfetta, who works as a CPS, said getting around Staten Island -- especially from one shore to the other -- can be challenging when taking public transportation, and using a car service can be expensive. CPS agents work for the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) by investigating reports of child abuse and neglect across the city through field visits. They have the ability to remove a child from an unsafe home and place him or her in protective custody, as well as coordinate services. Since having access to a Zipcar, Dimolfetta said she has increased her case productivity 50 percent, allowing her to ensure the safety of potentially vulnerable children on Staten Island in a timely matter. ACS recently partnered with Zipcar, a car-sharing program, after years of complaints about travel times impacting service times. "Before the Zipcars, some of the other staff said they would either get in a cab to save time, spending their own money, or use public transportation. Unfortunately, public transportation [on Staten Island] is not like the other boroughs," Dimolfetta said. She said that on a recent Monday she had access to a Zipcar and was able to see 10 families across Staten Island. "If I didn't have that Zipcar I probably would have only been able to see five," she said. ACS Commissioner David A. Hansell said: "As first responders for child safety, our Child Protective Specialists need to be able to travel immediately, day or night, to reach a child in need. These expanded transportation options will provide on-demand access to vehicles, allowing our CPS to quickly respond to reports of child abuse or neglect and ensure children are safe." BENEFICIAL FOR STATEN ISLAND ACS Borough Commissioner Sandra Graydon-Long told the Advance the Zipcar technology is especially helpful for a borough like Staten Island when compared to the other outer-boroughs that have connecting subways that service the entire area. "It's been an ongoing conversation -- but for Staten Island, seeing how our staff has to travel from one side of the Island to the other with public transportation and the amount of time it takes; it really impacted service," Graydon-Long said. She thanked Hansell for listening to his CPS staff and putting the transportation wheels in motion. "For safety we want to make sure they can get there in a timely manner," she said. Staff retention has also been a concern, as many CPS agents who work on Staten Island live in other boroughs and the commute can be daunting, she explained. Approximately 15 percent of CPS staff members are currently using Zipcars, as well as city-issued agency vehicles. Staten Island has access to eight vehicles, however, Graydon-Long said that number will soon increase. In addition to the Zipcars, ACS also: provides permit placards to more than 250 frontline workers, allowing easier parking throughout the city; reimburses staff for public transportation use, and provides CPS agents with EZ Pass accounts and gas cards. LOCAL MOTION TECHNOLOGY Beginning in fall 2018, CPS agents will have access to vehicles equipped with Local Motion Technology, allowing them to reserve and access Zipcars more quickly. Dimolfetta explained the process: "Right now, you have to request a car in advance. With the Local Motion Technology, you just take your issued card, place it on the dashboard and it will unlock the vehicle's doors." At this time, CPS agents must request a vehicle through the ACS transportation department. Once the agents have access to the new technology, vehicles can be requested online via the ACS website or mobile app. Grayfdon-Long said staff who expressed interest in the cars have already been trained on the new technology and have completed defensive driving courses. The ACS transportation department would be notified if drivers receive any infractions, such as speeding or parking tickets. Small Quake Off Oregon Coast Sunday After Little Swarm of Quakes This Week Published 07/29/2018 at 6:52 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Yachats, Oregon) After a string of almost a dozen minor quakes last week, the waters off the southern Oregon coast rumbled with yet another small quake on Sunday morning. (Graphic courtesy USGS). The U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 5.3 quake occurred shortly after 7 a.m., approximately 280 miles west of Florence, Oregon. There was no tsunami alert issued, and there are no reports of it being felt on land. The quake was about seven miles beneath the sea floor. It requires at least a 7.0 magnitude quake to generate a tsunami. A string of 10 quakes happened Tuesday morning, mostly about 125 miles west of Gold Beach. The largest was a 5.6 magnitude. Although the region will at some point produce a massive subduction quake and tsunami, USGS scientists say this isnt the sign of the big one. Small quakes like this are common along the fault lines off the Oregon coast. A network of them runs parallel to the coast, stretching some 600 miles long along the western U.S., called the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Measurements of earthquake magnitudes are extremely wide, although the increments may appear small. A 7.0 is 1,000 times bigger than a 4.0, according to the USGS. But it is 31,622 times stronger in its release of energy. Stay up-to-date with Oregon, Coast Earthquake Updates - Live Data Oregon, Washington, California, Tsunamis. More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Graniteville mother has filed a lawsuit in relation to a 2017 incident in which a Staten Island summer camp director was accused of harming her epileptic son. Robert Busan, 65, allegedly slapped the 10-year-old boy's hand and placed his hand over the child's nose and mouth on Aug. 4, 2017, at the summer camp at PS 861 in Graniteville, law enforcement sources said at the time. Busan was arrested and charged with several crimes in connection with the incident, but pleaded to a noncriminal harassment charge, according to a report in the New York Daily News. At the time, the city Department of Education (DOE) barred Busan from working in all schools. Stephanie Kruithoff is now suing Busan, the city of New York, the DOE and the New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID), the organization that operated the summer camp, according to a civil complaint. In the suit, which was filed Thursday, Kruithoff accuses the city and NYCID of failing to protect her son. Police said at the time of the incident that the boy was unharmed. Kruithoff seeks an unspecified amount in damages, according to the complaint. Busan could not be reached for comment Sunday night. The city Law Department, the DOE and NYCID did not respond to requests for comment Sunday night. Before his arrest, Busan was an active member of the Staten Island community. He founded Project B.U.I.L.D., a nonprofit organization formed in 1992 that helped Staten Islanders with HIV/AIDS and their families, according to an NYCID blog post from 2008. In an Advance article from 2011, Busan joined Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore), who announced the addition of an extra S46 bus to pick up students at PS 861. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police work will be a little less "ruff" out there for the Erie County K9 units in Buffalo thanks to a Staten Island group. Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard announced that the nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s recently donated six bullet- and stab-resistant vests to the Erie County units. The donation was sponsored by the Staten Island Companion Dog Training Club in Tottenville, according to the Erie County Sheriff's Office. Each approximately five-pound vest costs $950 and has been embroidered with "Gifted by SICDTC, Staten Island, NY," according to the sheriff's office. The vests will be used to protect Cali, Ciro, Drago, Haso, Loki and Monty, the sheriff's office said. Cali is the Erie County Sheriff's Office first female dog in service and is dedicated to narcotics detection. Haso and Monty also are narcotics detection dogs, while Ciro, Drago and Loki are all explosive detection dogs. Vested Interest in K9s has donated more than 3,000 vests with the help of donations, according to the sheriff's office. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Hoping to learn and try new things, Gabrielle Ryan, 16, couldn't miss the opportunity to embark on a two-week Arctic expedition with 130 students from around the world. Ryan, of New Springville, is traveling with students and educators as part of the Students on Ice Arctic Expedition, visiting the Eastern Canadian Arctic, Baffin Island and Greenland. Students embarked on the journey on July 23, and are scheduled to return on Aug. 7. "I've been a part of the culture side of this experience at this point and I've learned so many new things about the Inuits and climate change, and how they're adapting to that," Ryan said. "It's a really cool experience. I'm trying new things I've never tried before. It's so surreal." She will continue to learn about the impacts of climate change, the importance of ocean conservation and the impact the Arctic has on the world and society. Students are guided by a team of about 80 staff members, including scientists, artists, elders and educators. Ryan, a student at Port Richmond High School, won a scholarship from the Beatrice Snyder Foundation through Students on Ice -- enabling her to attend the expedition. When students apply to travel on the expedition, they have an option of also applying for a scholarship offered by expedition sponsors. During the application process, students are required to answer seven essay questions - no more than 250 words each - and send two letters of recommendation. "I always had an interest in the Arctic ever since I was young," Ryan said. "I'm someone who loves to try new things and learn about other people so it was definitely an experience I had to take on. I couldn't miss this opportunity." The last two summers, Port Richmond students Patrick Perrigo and Kiara Caesar traveled with Students on Ice. Expedition activities include researching, listening and interacting with the native Inuits, exploring Arctic communities, observing exotic wildlife and hiking through the Auyuittuq National Park. To see some of the sights captured by Caesar during last year's Arctic expedition, view the video below. Ryan said that this year she is most excited to visit communities and meet locals. "I hope to learn about the culture and to relay the messages to my community back home, to my friends and family, to bring awareness of climate change and the culture of Inuit," Ryan said. You can follow the expedition by reading student and educator blog posts on Students On Ice's website. Students on Ice was formed 16 years ago with more than 2,500 students and educators from 52 different countries engaging in life-changing experiences in the Arctic and Antarctica regions. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A special prosecutor on Monday dropped criminal charges against a former chairwoman of the borough Conservative Party accusing her of unlawfully evicting a Muslim tenant from her Eltingville apartment and stealing from the woman. Mary Lou Shanahan, 55, was arrested on Oct. 4, 2015, and charged with illegally removing everything from Hasna Jalal's apartment, including TVs, furniture, sofas, a bed, kitchen appliances and other personal items three days earlier. She was also accused of changing the apartment's locks. Jalal was living on the third floor of Shanahan's home. Jalal, who later sued Shanahan unsuccessfully in Brooklyn federal court, had moved in about a month earlier, court papers said. In her civil suit, Jalal alleged Shanahan had disparaged her when she heard Jalal speaking on the phone with Moroccan relatives in her native tongue, called her offensive names and threatened her. Shanahan was charged in the criminal case with felony counts of grand larceny and stolen-property possession. She was also accused of misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass, unlawful eviction, petit larceny and stolen-property possession. Then-Acting District Attorney Daniel Master recused himself in the case and applied for a special prosecutor because he was acquainted with Shanahan. Shanahan was elected chairwoman of the borough's Conservative Party in September 1998 and served a two-year term, according to Advance reports. The prosecution was assigned to the Brooklyn district attorney's office. The felony charges were subsequently dismissed, but the misdemeanor charges remained. The misdemeanor counts were tossed Monday at a proceeding in Criminal Court, said Joseph Sorrentino, Shanahan's criminal defense lawyer. "We presented voluminous evidence of the unreliability and lack of veracity of the complainant," Sorrentino said. "This case should never have been brought," said Sorrentino. "It's my opinion the authorities, particularly the New York City Police Department, took the path of least resistance and they arrested the law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying landlord because the tenant was playing the race/ethnicity card, and she alleged she was being victimized by the landlord because she's a Muslim. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The only victim here was Ms. Shanahan." A spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney's office confirmed the criminal charges were dismissed but declined further comment. As for the civil suit, Jalal alleged that Shanahan had evicted her and removed pricey personal property in the process because of her religion. Jalal contended in the $1.2 million suit that neighbors told her Shanahan and her landscaping employees took a $35,000 Hermes bag, a $35,000 Rolex watch, a $15,000 24-karat gold necklace, $6,000 worth of flat screen televisions, and an $8,000 Louis Vuitton luggage set from her apartment. A Brooklyn federal court jury was not convinced and in February voted in Shanahan's favor. Besides rejecting Jalal's claim, the panel awarded Shanahan $16,570 on her counterclaims of fraudulent inducement, slander and property damage, online federal court records show. In May, District Judge Carol Bagley Amon denied Jalal's motion for a new trial. Jalal has appealed to a federal appellate court. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An armored man who police shot in a bizarre incident in a wooded area of Charleston last year won't go to trial before autumn. Patrick Allen's criminal trial in state Supreme Court, St. George, was scheduled to start Monday, but was adjourned because the lead prosecutor is currently trying an unrelated murder case. Justice Mario F. Mattei ordered both sides back to court on Sept. 5 for pretrial preliminaries. He may set a new trial date then. However, the trial wouldn't begin until October at the earliest. Mattei is scheduled to preside over a murder trial beginning Sept. 4, which is expected to take most of that month. And Allen's lawyer, Jay Goldberg, told the court his experts may not be available again until late October. Allen faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of second-degree criminal weapon possession, the top charge against him, stemming from the Jan. 5, 2017, incident. The defendant, who is free on bail, did not make a statement at Monday's conference. Allen and Jonathan Derbyshire, both 26, were busted on Jan. 5, 2017, after police responded to a 1:10 a.m. call of shots fired in the vicinity of Androvette Street and Arthur Kill Road. Authorities allege Allen displayed a gun as cops approached him. Officers shot and wounded Allen, who was wearing body armor at the time, said police. Derbyshire fled into the woods when police responded to the report of shots fired, said authorities. Officers recovered a Bushmaster semiautomatic rifle and a 9-mm semiautomatic pistol at the scene, said police. A law enforcement source said fingerprint results obtained as the case progressed connected Derbyshire to the rifle. He was not originally charged with possessing that weapon. According to a criminal complaint, Derbyshire and Allen were staying at a nearby Kreischer Street home. Afterward, police searched the residence and found a .45-caliber and a .38-caliber handgun, plus ammunition, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint says Derbyshire indicated he lived there. The defendants were indicted on various charges -- Allen for criminal weapon and firearm possession, reckless endangerment, menacing a police officer and unlawful wearing of a body vest; Derbyshire for weapon and firearm possession. In November, Derbyshire pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to third-degree criminal weapon possession with respect to the Bushmaster rifle. He was sentenced in January to a year in jail and could be released in late September. Assistant District Attorneys Mark Palladino and Frank Prospero are prosecuting the case. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Years ago, Elissa Montanti agreed to write a song for a fundraiser to benefit the children of war-torn Bosnia. Little did she know writing that song -- which she titled "Let's Do A Miracle" -- would eventually lead her to her current line of work: Devoting herself to the children of the world. Ms. Montanti is a 2011 Advance Woman of Achievement. You are the founder and director of the Global Medical Relief Fund (GMRF). Tell us about it. While participating in a fundraiser for the school supplies needs of children in Bosnia, I learned there were stronger needs, and I arranged a meeting with the Bosnian ambassador at the U.N. to see how I could further help. The idea of pencil cases flew out the window on 1st Ave. when he reached into his drawer and handed me a picture and a letter written from a 13-year-old boy asking for two new arms and a leg that he lost by stepping on a land mine. I was driven to help him. How did you start? I recruited airlines, hospital prosthetic companies and obtained the kind and wonderful assistance of Dr. Bhyupathi, and a month and a half later that boy, Kenan Malkie, arrived. Tell us about what happened to Kenan after he arrived here. He and his mother lived with me for four months. When he finally went home, he left with two new arms and a leg. A new beginning for him. You, too, had a new beginning. Tell us about that. In the time Kenan was with me, I learned more about the suffering of so many children. I knew I wanted to do more. The Shriners Hospital for Children (headquartered in Tampa, Fla.) found out what I had done and said that's what they do for free for all children here with orthopedic and burn issues, and that they were there for me if I wanted to bring more kids. Next step [I took] was [to] file for a 501(c) (3) status to start a charity. Where did you go from there? For almost 14 years, I worked alone out of my walk-in closest in my small, one-bedroom townhouse. I put a window in it so I could peek through the trees to see a bit of the ocean. I traveled to countries to get children, worked with the embassies, airlines and hospitals, and traveled to and from airports. I did grocery shopping, wrote grants and kept the books. I provided whatever recreation I could -- all on a thread and literally on a prayer. After CBS's "60 Minutes" did a segment on my work, support opened up. During those years, I had been able to be housed in Mount Loretto and then in Mount Manresa. Now, due to donors, Tyler Perry and MDC partners and Miles Nadal, who had seen that program, I was able to obtain a house, which I named the Dare to Dream House. How is the project running now? I have two wonderful girls who work for me. The three of us do the work of six. It is 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. We do everything that was done before but for a much larger volume of children. We fundraise. I speak at churches, synagogues, corporations and [take] any opportunity to talk about GMRF. We have volunteers, schools, teachers, doctors and clubs that show support. We raise funds for airfare, visas, passports, room and board, transportation, recreation, clothing and the operating expenses of the Dare to Dream House. Can you give us a kind of current overlook of the agency? To date, we've helped close to 300 children in 46 countries, including the U.S. Because we follow up with them, as they outgrow their prosthetics and or need more surgery until they are 21, many return. We arrange the travel from their home villages to here. We pick them up at the airport and take them back to their home "away from home," the Dare to Dream House, where they are joined with other families. I'm proud to say it's a mini-U.N. right here on Staten Island. What gave you the courage to start this project? Seeing, experiencing and learning about human suffering ignited a compelling need to try to help and heal the less fortunate. You have seen children in very bad shape. How do you manage to handle it? I'm blessed to have more-than-adequate food and shelter. Some of these kids, aside from no limbs, have nothing. I have to handle it. It's the only right thing to do. I think it's the natural instinct in all of us to help the needy. This project requires a great amount of energy. How do you see the future? I've been blessed with good energy and health, and a strong urgency to continue to fill my days with useful productivity and accomplishment. How do you view the future for your charity, and what is your major wish for it? Generally, I am an optimistic person. However, with rising temperatures and more hatred, I see my charity up in volume, and the number of children needing help will grow. My ardent hope is to teach those of us who are fortunate to remember there are those who need our help. ... I hope we don't just think or say, "Ahh yes, that's too bad." I hope to encourage people to act, participate and truly care about improving life situations for as many as they can. I will always guide or make suggestions to those who want to help. GET TO KNOW ELISSA Where she was born: "I was born in Staten Island hospital. I lived in Arrochar all of my life, with the exception of two years when I thought I wanted to live in Florida, but I was homesick and moved back." Her early passions: "Ever since I could move and talk, I loved music and would play records and sing and dance all over the house and the neighborhood, for that matter. ... Aside from my love of music, I wanted to go to art school in the worst way, but my mother was terribly ill for many years and I [concentrated] on her." Her kids: "[I don't have any] biological children, but [I do have] over 300 [kids] from all over the world. They are Buddhists, Christian, Muslims and Hindus, and I love them all. They bond and heal together and go home friends forever. If only the world could get along as well they do." The awards she's received: "[I've received] an Advance Woman of Achievement, an honorary degree from St. John's University, a doctorate from Muhlenberg College, New York State Woman of Distinction. All of my awards go to my 300+ children around the world." How she decompresses: Writing, singing, painting, spending time at the ocean and walking in the woods. Who she admires: Mother Teresa; Martin Luther King Jr.; her uncle, Dr. Vincent Montanti; and her cherished parents. After a weekend of behind-the-scenes discussions, CBS board members were expected overnight to decide how to respond to allegations that chief executive Leslie Moonves sexually harassed women decades ago, according to several people familiar with the matter. The 14-member board already was planning to meet in a previously scheduled telephone conference call. But now, the group must decide how best to investigate explosive allegations that were contained in a story published by The New Yorker on Friday. Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS, has been accused of sexual harassment of female staff. Credit:Bloomberg CBS owns the Ten Network after sealing a $41 million deal last year. Six women accused Mr Moonves of "forcibly kissing" them, and some of the women believe that their careers were hampered when they spurned his advances, according to the article. Private hospital operator Healthscope will use the proceeds from selling its Asian pathology business to reduce debt and fund its expansion plans. Healthscope announced the sale to funds managed by TPG Capital Asia on Monday with a headline sale price of $279 million equating to 15.3 times the division's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). The Asian pathology operations consist of 39 pathology laboratories across Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. Credit:Louise Kennerley Healthscope said in a statement it expected to complete the transaction by the end of August and that the sale proceeds to be used to pay down debt and fund expansion. Last week something, two things really, happened that would have sent a frisson of concern through those monetising "Big Data. First, Facebook shares plummeted on Thursday, wiping more than $US120 billion off its market capitalisation. Then, on Friday, Twitter lost 15.5 per cent of its market value. The precipitous falls came after both of the social media networks reported user numbers and sales growth that disappointed the market. Both groups rely on a network effect the more people who join and use their services, the more useful and attractive the networks become to others, creating a virtuous cycle that feeds into the financial metrics in a leveraged way. If the cycle were to be reversed, of course, the leverage would work in the opposite direction. Facebook and Twitter were also priced for perfection in a very hot stockmarket trading at near record levels. Facebook shares were trading at more than 25 times this year's expected earnings and Twitter at nearly twice that level. Even the slightest query over their ability to maintain their growth rates was predestined to cause an implosion in their share prices. Small business people alleging misconduct by the Australian Taxation Office have thrown their support behind proposed changes to the law that would strengthen current rules that require government agencies to behave like model litigants during legal disputes. In submissions to a Senate inquiry examining whether the laws should be amended to increase rights of taxpayers, they say the ATO fails to fulfil its Model Litigant Obligations. Small business people have told a Senate inquiry that the ATO fails to fulfill its Model Litigant Obligations. Credit:Louie Douvis But the ATO has denied these allegations, saying in its counter submission to the inquiry that it takes its obligations very seriously and always endeavours to uphold them. A recent joint Fairfax Media-Four Corners investigation into the ATO heard from a number of small business people who alleged the agency mistreated them and difficulties in seeking compensation when taxpayers are wronged. The Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport Selects ParishSOFT for its Church Management Solution Parishes will utilize the web-based ParishSOFT Family Suite church management solution for secure, easy-to-use management of parishioner and church data Contact: Annette Gannon, Marketing Brand & Content Manager, ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 30, 2018 / Patricia Krause, Parish Finance Services Project Coordinator at the Diocese of Bridgeport, noted the importance of the company's software delivering accurate parish information instantly to diocesan and parish staff members. Says Krause, "We made the decision to switch to ParishSOFT Family Suite so the diocese and our parishes can have a progressive common, shared technology platform to assist in our ministry. Being able to securely access the ParishSOFT web-based software from any device with Internet access will be a big plus for our diocesan and parish staff." Dioceses across the country continue to place their trust in ParishSOFT. Earlier this year, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, the Diocese of Birmingham, the Diocese of La Crosse, and the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux purchased ParishSOFT Family Suite for their parishes. Additionally, the Diocese of Corpus Christi decided to move their diocesan staff over to Diocesan Development Manager, which connects appeals and capital campaigns with the diocese's database of families and members. This will allow diocesan staff in Corpus Christi to run strategic, targeted appeals from a common, integrated, and standards compliant software platform. "The heart of ParishSOFT's mission is to further the work of the Catholic Church and better serve our customers," stated Paul K. Knickelbein, General Manager at ParishSOFT. He continued, "We have been blessed this year to see increased adoption of both the ParishSoft Family Suite and the Diocesan Development Manager, helping our diocesan and parish customers better serve and connect with their parishioners." The ParishSOFT advantage has also won over numerous individual parishes in 2018. In the city of Greenwell Springs in Louisiana, St. Alphonsus Catholic Church chose ParishSOFT Family Suite due to our strong focus on the Catholic Church with software solutions that offer a single database which included Religious Education. After initially using and evaluating other competitors, it became apparent they needed a better solution which offered both time-tested modules and included Religious Education. In the end, ParishSOFT was the best fit to meet the needs of their Catholic church. Product enhancements and Catholic-centric features have continued to make ParishSOFT the preferred web-based solution for the company's growing list of customers, which includes over 9,000 parishes in 185 arch/dioceses. About ParishSOFT Since 1998, ParishSOFT has been committed to providing the highest quality church management software for Catholic Churches throughout the world. Today, ParishSOFT is part of the Ministry Brands Family and offers mobile church management and accounting systems - including ParishSOFT Family Suite, ParishSOFT Accounting Suite, and ParishSOFT Diocesan Suite - in more than 9,000 parishes in 185 arch/dioceses. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we empower Catholic churches with the technology and service they need to achieve their missions. For more information, visit About Ministry Brands Ministry Brands is the leading provider of SaaS platforms for churches, parachurch ministries, and other faith-based organizations in the United States and Canada, serving more than 90,000 customers. Under the leadership of a kingdom-driven management team, the company seeks to equip the 21st century church with technology that allow pastors, church executives, technology professionals, and administrators to carry out their Biblical mission with excellence, reverence, and efficiency. Ministry Brands suite of solutions includes church management, giving, mobile applications, website development, background checks, content, and messaging. For more information, visit Share Tweet Contact: Annette Gannon, Marketing Brand & Content Manager, ParishSOFT , 866-930-4774 ext 1941, agannon@parishsoft.com ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 30, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- ParishSOFT announced today that the Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport is transitioning all parishes to the company's web-based Family Suite software. With 82 parishes and over 410,000 parishioners, it was essential that the chosen solution provide secure management of the family and member records. With the adoption of Family Suite the diocese will be empowered by real-time data, providing accurate, on-demand information to support parishes; manage staff and organizations; and power ministry, evangelization and appeals efforts.Patricia Krause, Parish Finance Services Project Coordinator at the Diocese of Bridgeport, noted the importance of the company's software delivering accurate parish information instantly to diocesan and parish staff members. Says Krause, "We made the decision to switch to ParishSOFT Family Suite so the diocese and our parishes can have a progressive common, shared technology platform to assist in our ministry. Being able to securely access the ParishSOFT web-based software from any device with Internet access will be a big plus for our diocesan and parish staff."Dioceses across the country continue to place their trust in ParishSOFT. Earlier this year, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, the Diocese of Birmingham, the Diocese of La Crosse, and the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux purchased ParishSOFT Family Suite for their parishes. Additionally, the Diocese of Corpus Christi decided to move their diocesan staff over to Diocesan Development Manager, which connects appeals and capital campaigns with the diocese's database of families and members. This will allow diocesan staff in Corpus Christi to run strategic, targeted appeals from a common, integrated, and standards compliant software platform."The heart of ParishSOFT's mission is to further the work of the Catholic Church and better serve our customers," stated Paul K. Knickelbein, General Manager at ParishSOFT. He continued, "We have been blessed this year to see increased adoption of both the ParishSoft Family Suite and the Diocesan Development Manager, helping our diocesan and parish customers better serve and connect with their parishioners."The ParishSOFT advantage has also won over numerous individual parishes in 2018. In the city of Greenwell Springs in Louisiana, St. Alphonsus Catholic Church chose ParishSOFT Family Suite due to our strong focus on the Catholic Church with software solutions that offer a single database which included Religious Education. After initially using and evaluating other competitors, it became apparent they needed a better solution which offered both time-tested modules and included Religious Education. In the end, ParishSOFT was the best fit to meet the needs of their Catholic church.Product enhancements and Catholic-centric features have continued to make ParishSOFT the preferred web-based solution for the company's growing list of customers, which includes over 9,000 parishes in 185 arch/dioceses.About ParishSOFTSince 1998, ParishSOFT has been committed to providing the highest quality church management software for Catholic Churches throughout the world. Today, ParishSOFT is part of the Ministry Brands Family and offers mobile church management and accounting systems - including ParishSOFT Family Suite, ParishSOFT Accounting Suite, and ParishSOFT Diocesan Suite - in more than 9,000 parishes in 185 arch/dioceses. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we empower Catholic churches with the technology and service they need to achieve their missions. For more information, visit www.parishsoft.com About Ministry BrandsMinistry Brands is the leading provider of SaaS platforms for churches, parachurch ministries, and other faith-based organizations in the United States and Canada, serving more than 90,000 customers. Under the leadership of a kingdom-driven management team, the company seeks to equip the 21st century church with technology that allow pastors, church executives, technology professionals, and administrators to carry out their Biblical mission with excellence, reverence, and efficiency. Ministry Brands suite of solutions includes church management, giving, mobile applications, website development, background checks, content, and messaging. For more information, visit www.ministrybrands.com Oregon Coast Fall Beach Cleanup Date Announced: September 29 Published 07/30/2018 at 2:12 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Oregon Coast) SOLVE has announced the date of its fall Beach & Riverside Cleanup: it takes over the states beaches and waterways on September 29. Thousands of volunteers will hit the Oregon coast alone - from all across the state and sometimes beyond - to help remove trash from hundred of miles of sands along with taking out invasive plants, cleaning out the beaches, rivers and city streets before fall rains wash litter and debris into storm drains that make their way out to sea. SOLVE, in partnership with the Oregon Lottery, brings in over 5,000 Oregonians, organizing them as they mobilize across the state for the 35th annual Beach & Riverside Cleanup. Since 1984, over 130,000 Beach & Riverside Cleanup volunteers have removed an astounding 1.7 million pounds of litter and marine debris from project sites across Oregon. This annual, family-friendly event is part of the International Coastal Cleanup and National Public Lands Day. The event takes place that Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., although times may vary at some work sites. SOLVEs Beach & Riverside Cleanup includes over 100 hands-on volunteer litter cleanup and restoration events across the state, including 45 beach cleanup sites along the entirety of the Oregon coast. The SOLVE beach cleanups have been around since 1984, with the organization first going by S.O.L.V (for Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism), and then simply shortening the acronym to SOLV. In recent recent years it added the E for the new and more direct name of SOLVE. Over those three decades, over 250,000 volunteers have removed an astounding 3.5 million pounds of debris from Oregon's beaches. This debris comes in many forms: from the single bottle cap littered on the beach to a thousand-pound commercial fishing net. One recent study published in the journal Science indicates that the entire ocean system of the world gets about eight million tons of plastic dumped into it each year. This number is on the rise, scientists say, and the impacts on the ocean, coastlines and marine life are getting worse. "Thousands of pounds of marine debris both from Oregon and across the Pacific basin wash ashore on our iconic beaches each year, threatening the health of our wildlife and coastal communities," said a SOLVE spokesperson back in 2017. "While this is a worldwide problem, local citizens have the power to make a difference here on our own shores." For those participating, you'll want to come prepared. Dress with the weather in mind which could mean rain, wind, sun or all three interchanging. Organizers say you'll need sturdy shoes. All cleanup supplies will be provided. Volunteers who would like to help make the event more sustainable are encouraged to bring their own reusable bucket and work gloves. The most common items found during this event are broken pieces of plastic and cigarette butts, which are harmful to local wildlife. Bring an old colander to sift the tide lines for these tiny pieces. Visit solveoregon.org or call SOLVE at 503-844-9571 ext 332, or 1-800-333-7658 to get more details, pick your project, and sign up. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted The 'gig economy' is a myth, globalisation is killing Australian small business owners, and men have significantly more autonomy in their jobs but feel less secure in their roles. A survey of 17,000 Australians over almost two decades has found "there is no evidence of any growth in the use of independent workers in Australia," despite widespread fears of companies such as Uber and AirTasker flipping a century-old industrial relations model. The findings of the Melbourne Institute's Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia research, released on Tuesday, show the rates of self employment have been in marked decline since the survey began in 2001, levelling out at 8.5 per cent in 2016. The HILDA survey has cast doubts on the size of the gig economy. Credit:Jason South "On the surface, the conclusion appears at odds with the widespread commentary about the emergence of the 'gig economy'," the survey found. They say dying is easy, comedy is hard. But if getting a crowd to laugh is tough, it's exponentially more difficult to get them to shudder. In 20 or so years of professional theatre-going I could count on two hands the shows that have tried to scare me, unsettle me, creep me out. None have succeeded at keeping me up at night. Horror is one of the most lucrative genres in the movie biz, so why are theatre productions that curl our toes so rare? Swedish theatre director Jakop Ahlbom says that film has an easier time pushing our buttons: "Films look real, which makes it easier to believe that it's really happening. You can play much more with cross-cutting and getting very close, whereas theatre is like a camera that has only one point of view. In film you can choose shots and in theatre the audience can see everything all of the time." Jakop Ahlbom's Horror comes to Arts Centre Melbourne in September. Theatre's liveness, its presence and immediacy, paradoxically makes its artifice more apparent. We can see the corpse breathing, the strings that cause the table to levitate. That's why Ahlbom faced a daunting task when creating Horror. Inspired by his love of the cinematic genre, the show attempts to produce the same thrills, tension and shock in a live context. By all accounts, he's succeeded. Horror's London season drew raves: "A masterclass in time-and-motion stagecraft" wrote a Guardian reviewer. The Stage described it as "a genuinely, persistently terrifying theatre show". Maybe it's the tight menu of just three major options, or the ritual of gently cooking your own dinner one swish at a time, but Poppu Uppu, the temporary shabu shabu restaurant that Simon Denton has replaced Kappo with for winter, may be the most soothing dining experience in Melbourne. For the uninitiated, shabu shabu is Japan's evolution of the Chinese hotpot. It's important to know the difference. Where other table-set soup pots may see you dip ingredients into an intensely flavoured base or dump everything in to make one big soup, this is a far more subtle situation. Shabu chic: Master Den's Poppu Uppu. The name refers to the swishing motion as you wash individual pieces of meat, fish or vegetables through a bare-bones broth until cooked to your liking. Most flavour comes from a post-swish dunk in sauces and drinking the liquor is futile until the end, when enough flavour has transferred, and udon is added. Denton, Melbourne's favourite Japanophile, has been the custodian of this site for 17 years. It has been sustainable Verge, bento and noodle specialist Nama Nama, and Kappo, with the elegant Hihou added upstairs six years ago. All great gets. And while this recent change was born of necessity following the illness of Kappo's star chef, the pieces have dropped impressively into place. The ACT government will introduce free, universal childcare for three-year-olds as part of its new strategy on early childhood education. Education Minister Yvette Berry has revealed the government aims to offer 15 hours a week or 600 hours a year free to parents, based on recommendations from a national review released in February, but the details are yet to be ironed out. 85 to 90 percent of brain development occurs in the first five years of life Right now, only four-year-olds are offered free pre-school in the ACT, where childcare prices are the highest in the country. In a recent discussion paper, the government estimated up to 20 per cent of children aged between one and four years were missing out on early education and identified cost as a key barrier. Having been part of those directly contributing to the high rents in the ACT, Ms Le Couteur now proposes that property owners reduce their rent by a quarter to become exempt from land tax. In my case I would need to reduce my annual rent by $5000 to save an annual land tax bill of $2500. For many owners their rent is their superannuation; don't ask them to become a charity. J. Sever, Higgins Old immigration fallacy Your recent article "Immigration cut to cost $500million a year" (canberratimes.com.au, July 28) uncovers a troubling piece of spin from the Department of Immigration/Home Affairs. Knowing some government ministers fear the pain voters feel from congestion and sky-high house prices, the Department seeks to convince ministers that immigration cuts would actually cost money, and cites a Treasury briefing that shows immigrants pay more in tax than they cost the budget. This is an old fallacy. Tax revenue is not some sort of communal pot into which we all pay money, so that those of us down on our luck (or recently arrived) can receive grants or subsidies. Most of the money we pay in tax never comes back to us personally. Instead it buys infrastructure and services; and these cost more as population rises, with infrastructure alone costing more than $100k per extra person. Hence to argue that high immigration benefits Australia because immigrants pay more in tax than they receive in subsidies is almost as naive as arguing that immigrants benefit the economy by increasing total tax revenue. I'm sure most of our highly skilled tax officials know these are ludicrous ways to calculate the costs and benefits of high migration. But they are required to dance to the will of their political masters, who in turn dance to the tune of those business lobbies (and generous donors) who expect big profits from forcing up Australia's population currently at more than a third-world rate. Mary O'Connor, Dickson Light fingered rail Contributors to The Canberra Times letters regularly comment on the efficiency and value for money of the light rail project. Here is another issue that I have not yet seen discussed. The major source of project funding is rates and general revenue raised by the ACT government, including passenger fare revenue. Revenue estimates may well prove to be grossly optimistic, and not only related to projected passenger numbers, which are only part of the equation. I wonder what allowance is being made for fare evasion. While most passengers will honestly tap on and off and incur a cost (fare), light rail is a very different arrangement to that for buses and trains. Buses have a single supervised entry point where the fare must be paid. Trains have multiple entry points but passengers are in fenced stations and must pay before exiting. Light rail has several unsupervised vehicle entry and exit points (an access advantage) but no supervision of payment. Stations may be open and unfenced with no supervision of who has paid or not. It is likely there will be fare enforcement officers ("Connies"), but that may be of little concern for those passengers who want a quick free trip. The temptation to cheat may be quite strong, especially in the zone close to Civic. I believe non payment on trams in the CBD area of Melbourne by virtue of overcrowding and passengers being physically unable to tap on/off, or the temptation to have a freebie, led to Melbourne's CBD zone now being completely fare free ie revenue free. The light rail model facilitates the opportunity for significant levels of non payment. Business cases should address this issue seriously. John Mungoven, Stirling Bans on headgear seem ludicrous compared with selfie-stick risks A recent visit to Canberra's National Art Gallery incited acute worry about accidental damage to artwork. Security checks at entrances are reassuring to dissuade those intending to harm others. Small backpacks that are not required to be cloaked have to carried in front of the visitor so that he remains acutely aware of the pack's encroaching proximity to precious artwork. If selfie sticks that could cause serious facial injuries and accidentally stab artwork remain uncensured, then banning the wearing of a cap seems ludicrous. The concern the cap's visor could come into contact with a painting if one came too close to inspect it made little sense. It's time gallery and museum staff improve their scrutiny to police rampant children and errant adults that can't keep their hands off delicate items or use disallowed flash photography mounted at the end of extended sticks. Let's focus on "big budget" self-regarding and ignorant behaviours rather than those who don head gear. Joseph Ting, Carina, Qld Seismic shift in Mayo As a sometime geophysicist with a passing interest in tectonic plates and seismicity, I was impressed by Richard Denniss' comments about the so far under-recognised tectonic shift in voters views on politics in Australia ("Mayo a portent of change" Forum, July 28, p10). The major parties would undoubtedly be shaken enough to take notice of this shift if only we could change the voting system for the House of Representatives to create multi-seat electorates and give better representation to the wider views of our society. It is bad enough that our Senate is held to ransom by minorities on the far left and far right of politics. We need to loosen the grip of these minorities on our major parties while simultaneously improving the breadth of views among our elected representatives in the House. Multi-seat electorates will do that without creating the shambles we so often see in the Senate. They might also see the creation of some new "sensible centre" parties along the lines of the successful Centre Alliance in Mayo, perhaps even spun-off from the major parties, thus completing the tectonic plate analogy by subjecting the far left and right elements to annihilation in the deep subduction zones of political history. Malcolm Robertson, Chapman Byelections aid Abbott The turmoil and hubbub of the byelections has subsided. The Coalition says the pro-Labor outcome is small beer. The Labor party says the pro-Labor outcome is superb. Who benefits from Malcolm Turnbull's Coalition losing 30 opinion polls? His predecessor in 2015: Tony Abbott. Most prime ministers who lose office get high-paying positions advising corporations here or overseas. But Tony Abbott stays on the back bench. With his far-right cronies, Abbott lives for one purpose: To undermine and destroy Malcolm Turnbull so Abbott can rule again. In olden days, Tony Abbott would be hanged for treason. Graham Macafee, Latham Memories swallowed Yes, "Times, they're a changin". Ode to Jack Waterford, The Canberra Times and Fairfax. I first saw Jack's name was on a pamphlet glued to an electricity pole near the ANU. Among other things the pamphlet said "Free Jack Waterford". It was the year 1969. The pamphlet has been put there by some student movement. Unfortunately it wasn't clear to me at the time, due to my poor English, the reason why Jack was being kept in detention. But, as a barely 20-year-old recently escaped from the tyranny of Franco's Spain, I sympathised with Jack's predicament, whatever his sins, and wondered who this person was. Years later I started to notice his name in the "local rag". So I became an avid reader of the CT and keen follower of a number of contributing journalists of the calibre of Jack (will not mention names). I finally met Jack in person at a function held at University House almost three years ago to the date. Jack was "leaving the CT" and to tell us he chose the event "In conversation with Jack Waterford". Of course, as we all know, Jack never really left the CT. Which is why I am writing this letter. Sadly, Channel 9 is about to swallow into oblivion my memories of Jack, a very honest and brave journalist, the CT, a great newspaper and Fairfax's century-old tradition of fair journalism. Viva el periodismo valiente! John Rodriguez, Florey Independence vital Perhaps there should have been an extended caption for Jack Waterford's 1991 photo which read "Then deputy editor Jack Waterford in 1991 now does some serious soul searching" ("'Times, they're a changin"', Forum, July 28, p1). The Canberra Times is a unique publication, which currently reflects much of the editorial content of its more venerable and more senior, sister mastheads, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Yet its role and purpose is to more than just reflect the national political news, it is very much the "parish pump". In the population stakes, Canberra is a "small town" and traditionally the local "rag" is often a reflection of the social fabric of the community it serves. No matter who eventually takes ownership of the masthead, whether it remains in the Fairfax stable, becomes part of Nine or even falls into someone else's hands, the Charter of Editorial Independence must form part of the deal. And it needs to be more than a handshake, wink or a nod. It must be part of the Deed of Arrangement and a condition of shareholder and regulatory approvals. As it currently stands, the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook NSW Let's honour Kirsty On the June 3, 2017, Ms Kirsty Boden of South Australia, sacrificed her life while trying to save others who were wounded in the London Bridge terrorist attack. She has been honoured, and remembered, by the award of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct at the intitiation of British authorities. The news of her imperial award by the British, may have been smothered by the coverage of the unprecedented immediate, and multiple awards to the Australians involved in the Thai cave rescue, due largely to the intervention of the Australian Prime Minister. Ms Boden, like the recent awardees, was an Australian citizen, killed in a foreign country while valiantly trying to save others, in an event which captured the attention of world wide media. The British have acknowledged her bravery, so perhaps her home country could do so with the same enthusiastic influence of the Australian Prime Minister, now that a precedent has been set. David Hewett-Lacon, Gowrie TO THE POINT LEST WE FORGET Friday marked the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War truce. A large assembly of VIPs and the few remaining interstate veterans attended at the Korean War memorial on Anzac Parade. No mention at all from The Canberra Times; truly the forgotten war. Norman Lee, Weston REVERSE EFFECT I would like to send a message to the cowardly person who sent out an anonymous dirt sheet on Kel Watt. You have made a big mistake. I am now closer to deciding to vote for Kel. I had been still thinking, until I received your message. Auriel Barlow, Dickson, ACT. A RAW DEAL Why is it that vegetables are considered to be some kind of luxury when dining out? We are expected to pay an additional $8 or $10 each per vegetable after paying in excess of $35 for a main course. Please could restauranteurs be encouraged to do the right thing and give us a balanced meal, less meat, less carbohydrate and more of what we all need. Alayne Richardson, Narrabundah THE RIGHT TRACK Ben Hebbes (Letters, July 27) argues that trackless trams cannot deviate from their virtual track. What he failed to mention was that the opportunities to include the virtual track on existing roadway such as a busway are considerable, and unlike some light rail there seems to be opportunity to share the roadway with other vehicles. John L.Smith, Farrer FOR THE GOOD TIMES Re the Nine takeover of Fairfax, vale The Canberra Times. I am sure David Pope will find another outlet for his brilliant cartoons and I hope that I can access the Gemini cryptic crossword online somewhere. John Passant, Kambah PREDICTIONS CORRECT For months now our Prime Minister has been telling us that Labor should win Braddon and Longman and that no opposition has ever lost a byelection. Right both times. R.J.Wenholz, Holt IN FULL VOICE With Super Saturday over, I expect Tony Abbott is now recovered from his temporary bout of political laryngitis. Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld A GOOD DAY Whats not to like about Super Saturday my footy team won, a nice drop of rain, and ABCs radio news didnt start with The US President Donald Trump ... More, please. Peter Baskett, Murrumbateman, NSW MUMS THE WORD A German foreign exchange student was on Monday the first to be sentenced under the ACT's revenge porn style laws after he sent a SnapChat video to a friend of a half-dressed woman after they had sex. The 22-year-old avoided a conviction for his offending, which the ACT Magistrates Court heard did not easily fit into established categories of what constituted "revenge porn". But while declining to convict the man, the magistrate pointed out that since being charged he had been barred from the university campus and unable to finish the semester, had to live in a hostel for months, incurred debt to his father while staying in Australia to face the charges and given "excruciating" evidence about his "stupid" conduct in court. The exchange student at the University of Canberra, who has not been named to protect the identity of the victim, was out drinking with the woman at Mooseheads on February 8 this year. When treasurer Scott Morrison announced beer excise tax cuts in this years budget everyone got a little excited, thinking that their occasional schooner would be a little cheaper. But when the team from Capital Brewing Co crunched the numbers they realised they could make the beers two cents cheaper or use the cuts to give something back to the community. Capital Brewing Companys Community Engagement Manager Dan Watters offers up the first of many cases of free beer. It was a no brainer really, says community engagement manager Dan Watters. So they launched Good Natured Community, an initiative where theyll donate $70,000 worth of beer and brewery experiences for community groups to use to raise their own much needed funds. They'll also donate "karma kegs", an initiative where drinkers donate whatever dollar amount they choose to for a drink. A Canberra man was acquitted on Monday of allegations he shot his neighbour through a door over a parking dispute. The court heard Wayne Chatfield, 27, had pulled his car into his neighbour's Narrabundah driveway about 9pm on November 16, 2016. Prosecutors alleged the pair fought before Mr Chatfield left and the neighbour returned indoors. It was further alleged Mr Chatfield returned with a gun that he allegedly used to shoot through the front door. The neighbour was allegedly shot in the leg. But after deliberating for several hours on Monday, the jury returned verdicts of not guilty on the two charges, of discharging a firearm endangering life and recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm. There are positive trends in the Australian legal profession's efforts to improve equality among the ranks of barristers, but the challenge will be monitoring the situation locally, the ACT Bar Association president has said. Last week, the Law Council of Australia, which represents the law societies and bar associations in each state and territory, released its inaugural report on its equitable briefing policy. The Law Council's inaugural report on its equitable briefing policy was "encouraging". Credit:James Davies The policy was launched in 2016, with the goal of encouraging the people and organisations who brief barristers to brief women in at least 30 per cent of all briefs available, and for the women to receive at least 30 per cent of the value of all brief fees, by 2020. While women make up half the profession, and the majority of graduates from law schools, they currently comprise a significantly lower percentage of barristers who spend fewer hours in court and get paid less in fees. The Judas Kiss. By David Hare. Directed by Karina Hudson. Mockingbird Theatre. The Courtyard Studio. Canberra Theatre Centre. Until August 5. For ages 16+: contains udity and adult themes. Bookings: canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 62752700. Chris Baldock, left, as Oscar Wilde and Patrick Galen-Mules as Robert Ross in The Judas Kiss. Credit:Brenton Cleaves Director Karina Hudsons production of David Hares The Judas Kiss opens with Cardogan Hotel staff Arthur (played by Cole Hilder) and Phoebe (Meaghan Stewart) romping naked in pleasurable heterosexual lust. Victorian England, however disapproving, would regard their frolic as natural. Not so the judgment against Oscar Wilde (Chris Baldock) for gross indecency and engaging in the love that dare not speak its name. It is the night of Oscar Wildes impending arrest and loyal and devoted friend Robbie Ross (Patrick Galen-Mules) urgently pleads with Wilde to leave England before the police arrive. Wildes churlish young lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, nicknamed Bosie (Liam Jackson), resists Rosss attempts and urges Wilde to remain to fight the injustice of the charges, with dire consequence. Act Two, in stark contrast, opens in a room in Naples shortly after Wildes release from Reading Gaol. He is a broken man, tired and destitute, attended by Bosie who is now obsessed with his Italian lover, Galileo (Ben Russell). Destiny has driven Wilde to the depths, tormented by his love for the self-obsessed Bosie, defiantly obdurate to the advice of the devoted Robbie and seemingly hell bent on destinys inevitable path to self-destruction. As Ian Greenshields proudly places his specialty lamb roast on the dinner table, his two sons groan. 'We had this last week Dad!' Since semi-retiring, the father of two has taken on the lion's share of household chores. And, he says, he feels unappreciated. I have not enjoyed taking more on. Cooking... its a chore because it goes unnoticed. Ive learnt to try and not be adventurous when cooking and shopping, as it is filled with risk, he says. The boys in particular dont appreciate it even if the risk pays off. If youre not adventurous enough, however, then I get complaints about food being too boring. Sometimes you cant win. A fierce blaze has torn through a pub in Sydney's inner west, forcing an adjoining boarding house to be evacuated. Fire crews arrived at the General Gordon Hotel in Sydenham just after 1.15pm on Monday and found the fire on the second storey, a Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman said. More than 70 firefighters battled the flames for more than an hour before the fire was brought under control around 3pm, and they continue to work to extinguish the flames with the help of two aerial platforms. An exclusion zone was set up in the area due to a number of gas cylinders being present on the premises. Eighteen cram into Mini Eighteen girls from Sydney Technical College crammed into a Mini car, claiming a world record. They beat the previous record of 17, set last week by British army girls serving in Germany. The Australian Army had declined a suggestion to take on the British army girls, so the budding secretaries accepted the challenge. They broke the record in their lunch hour at Wentworth Park, in a Mini-Deluxe supplied by the British Motor Corporation. 'Fascist feeling' in Australia There is an "undercurrent of Fascist feeling in Australia", author Martin Boyd claims in his autobiography Day of My Delight, published this week in London. It shows itself, he says, more seriously in many people employed by the state. "A man who belonged to it told me that if there was any trouble they were ready to 'rope in every shade of pink." Boyd is the uncle of Australian artist Arthur Boyd and spent his childhood in Australia. Millionaires' playground transformed A woman accused of attacking three people with an axe in Sydney's inner west last year was driven by a "deep-seated anger" at the world and people, a jury has heard. Evie Amati, 26, allegedly armed herself with an axe and walked 450 metres from her home to the 7-Eleven store in Enmore just after 2am on January 7, 2017. She swung the axe at two people inside - hitting a man in the face and a woman in the back of the head - then approached a man outside, who managed to ward off two blows by holding his backpack in front of him. Evie Amati is accused of attacking three people with an axe. At the opening of her District Court trial, she pleaded not guilty to six charges including wounding with intent to murder and attempted wounding with intent to murder, arguing she was not guilty because of mental illness. A controversial plan to build thousands of apartments on industrial land in Marrickville may still proceed despite the NSW government announcing it will hand planning powers along the Bankstown rail line to local councils. The Planning Minister, Anthony Roberts, met with the mayors of the Inner West Council and the City of Canterbury Bankstown last week, and committed to allowing the councils to lead the planning for changing land uses along the rail corridor. The Sydenham to Bankstown corridor. Credit:NSW Government However the decision to hand responsibility for strategic planning along the rail line, which is to be converted to a higher-frequency 'metro' rail service by 2024, was met with alarm by developer groups, who said it could jeopardise future housing supply. The Labor Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne said the return of planning control to councils would derail property giant Mirvac's rezoning proposal for apartment towers along Carrington Road, Marrickville, near the Cooks River. A Sunshine Coast woman who was left on the top of Mount Tibrogargan after she fell and injured her hand is now heading to a Pink concert with a new date. Sarah Wylie's story went viral after she went on a hike with a friend from university who took her to the Glass House Mountains - when Ms Wylie fell down the side of a mountain, injuring her hand, the man told her he would be late for work and left. Mount Tibrogargan is part of the Glass House Mountains National Park. Credit:File Ms Wylie, 23, was rescued by four other hikers who spotted her predicament, three of which were firefighters. Speaking to Stav, Abby and Matt on Hit105 on Tuesday morning, Ms Wylie said it wasn't a date but the pair had similar interests so decided to go on a hike. Queenslanders will have their say on whether the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital should be renamed to the Queensland Children's Hospital. Amid concerns that the hospital was viewed as a private hospital rather than public due to the name, Health Minister Steven Miles announced the review on Tuesday morning. Lady Cilento could soon have a different name. Credit:Christopher Frederick Jones The state's major children's hospital was originally named after Brisbane medical practitioner and journalist Lady Phyllis Cilento. Health Minister Steven Miles spoke to staff about their campaign to change the name, saying they had convinced him to consider the change. "Saturday 4th August we are going to gather to take a stand against violence in the community. We are going to place white ribbons on the cypress trees in Cowes (and any other trees along) Thompson Ave," Samantha Fraser's friend Alice Bradley wrote on a Facebook fundraiser page. "We will start at 10am and finish about 3pm. Everybody is welcome to come and help. If you have white sheets or fabric or any other craft supplies that would be helpful please drop them at the Cowes Medical Centre or bring them on the day. "We have at least 70 trees to ribbon up. Come and show your support." Indian student Maulin Rathod was allegedly killed after meeting a woman on a dating app. Credit:Age Library A young woman accused of fatally attacking an Indian student she met on a dating app has had her charges upgraded to murder. Jamie Lee Dolheguy, 18, sat impassively with her head slightly down as she appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday, via a video link from custody. Ms Dolheguy was arrested last week over an alleged attack on Maulin Rathod at her home in Sunbury last Monday, which left the 25-year-old with fatal injuries. He died in hospital the following day. The second comparison Mr Salt made was a global one. The Perth as defined in population projections was about the same length from Yanchep to Mandurah (124 kilometres) as Los Angeles is wide, from Malibu to Riverside (139 kilometres), he said. And the two cities had roughly comparable footprints overall. But Perths footprint was occupied by only about two million people. In Los Angeles it was about 19 million, nearly ten times the number. The city of LA was as car-centric as Perth, but it was able to work as a city, Mr Salt said, because it was criss-crossed by a famously vast network of freeways. The government had been able to build these because of the revenue raised from its huge population. Population projections say Perth and Peel will be home to 3.5 million residents by 2050, 30 years away. Lets assume its six million by the end of the century, Mr Salt said. You cant keep spreading it to Geraldton and Margaret River. And you cant get enough tax out of four million or even six million people to support a freeway network stretched out across that distance. At some point its got to fill out. If youre going to the trouble and the expense of building a Mitchell Freeway down to Clarkson and a train to Mandurah, the clever thing to do as a community is to build population around those corridors so everyone can jump on the freeway or the train. Hence the governments push for higher density development in already built-up areas, to limit sprawl and the demand for expensive new major transport and utilities infrastructure on the citys rural outskirts. The aim is for 50 per cent of the 800,000 homes that must be built before 2050 to be infilled in this way. The WA government has pushed hard for councils to implement town planning laws to this effect in 2016, the rate was 41 per cent of homes were infill homes but state and local councils have met strenuous resistance from some communities. Sometimes that seems to be because of poor outcomes from poorly planned high-density housing. The WAtoday survey showed both city and suburban residents net satisfaction rates for Perths performance in the area of infill development and its impact on the environment were overwhelmingly negative. But Perth people also sometimes seem resistant to just the idea of apartment living, and Mr Salt said this aversion had its origins in history. East coast cities had largely developed their present shapes in the 19th century, when workers had walked to factories in the city centres from terrace homes the original medium-density developments before anyone had ever heard the phrase. Perth had still been a tiny country town, smaller than Ballarat, in 1900. All the muscle and sinew of its urban fabric was added in 1950 and 1960 in the era of the motor car and emerging mining wealth. By then no one was going to live in a terrace, Mr Salt said. By then everyone had a car and everyone wanted the size and modernity of a suburb. People said you beauty; well start going up the freeway towards Clarkson. When I first ever went to Perth in 1992 I went to the office of my firm and said, I have to go to Bunbury. How far is that? The receptionist told me it was just down the road. That was before the freeway was completed. She meant it was three hours away. Perth people have a different conception of distance and time to the east coast. To them three hours is not a big deal, you can do it in the breeze on a Friday night. Sydney and Melbourne think very differently. One hour would pull them up. Melbourne and Sydney had developed along three axes (north, south and west) and even Brisbane was developing an inland corridor to Ipswich. But Perth was like no other Australian city, being painted across an extraordinarily elongated canvas from Yanchep to Mandurah; a long sausage with a bit of a bump towards the hills. Everyone wants the coast, Mr Salt said. And its fine; it works, up to a city of two million. But I dont see how it can work to four million. And that is where you get the bunfight. Mr Salt said residents should not take the citys present economic and population plateaus as a reason to doubt population projections. Its a boom and bust town, Mr Salt said. My view is there will come a time in the 2020s where the 70,000 per year growth rate will return ... Its now around 20-25,000, one third of what it was. In urban city planning you need the view of the horizon. Its like climate change. Just because youre not hot now doesnt mean its not going to happen. Mr Salt said Perth would also need to develop substantive suburban or regional centres, that provided employment as well as shopping opportunities; functioning as Sydneys Paramatta and Chatswood; Melbournes Box Hill and Frankston; and Brisbanes Mount Gravatt and Chermside. He thought a university town planning think-tank would be a step in the right direction. But the biggest issue was cultural. For two generations, if not three Perth people have grown up and bought houses and lived a life theyre very proud of but unfortunately its based on low density suburbia, he said. The Perth mindset and metric is that that is normal and any deviation from that is bad. You need an honest discussion with people; to say we are adding 1.5 to two million people; we need to think carefully about how it is added and the Perth way of life you have known as a kid may have to be re-imagined. Do you want your kids to grow up and get jobs here? To say yes, but I dont want growth isnt realistic. The cities that grow and offer opportunity will attract people. Those that dont will find the next generation saying things are a bit dull here. The kids will head off to Shanghai or London or Melbourne or Sydney. - with Conal Hanna Read more in this series: Loading Loading Western Australia's Mid West has been denied a boost to its local economy and tourism after it was revealed producers on a major feature film had pulled the plug on shooting in the region. ScreenWest announced Tim Winton's award-winning 2001 novel Dirt Music set in White Point, south of Dongara and Wittenoom would be filmed on location in Esperance, Broome and Cape Leveque by Sydney-based production company Aquarius Films. WA author Tim Winton is renowned for showcasing the state's coastal towns in his works. Credit:Erin Jonasson Speaking to ABC Kimberley, ScreenWest's head of production and development Matt Horrocks said there was no doubt the film would showcase some of WA's scenery to the world. "What's not to like? It's from our most iconic writer and it's an iconic WA story that takes place with great WA characters right across the state," he said. ACTU head Sally McManus has called for Employment Minister Michaelia Cash to resign, as it emerged that a federal police investigation into raids on the Australian Workers Union will be referred to the Commonwealth prosecutor. The Australian Federal Police has advised the union that it has been "liaising" with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, and will formally refer at least one aspect of the investigation to it in coming weeks - meaning criminal charges could be laid. "Michaelia Cash should have resigned a long time ago," Ms McManus told reporters on Monday afternoon. ACTU secretary Sally McManus on Monday. Credit:AAP "She's got no credibility on these issues; she is driven by her hatred of working people's organisations." Economic growth must not be sacrificed for political point scoring, business leaders have warned, as they increase pressure on the Turnbull government not to dump its signature company tax cuts in the wake of Saturday's byelection results. Fearful Labor's victories in Longman and Braddon could also spark a Labor-led state rebellion against the National Energy Guarantee, business has called for investment certainty to become the top priority as negotiations over the energy deal move into their final ten days. The twin debates over tax policy and energy are the focus of business interests in the lead up to the next federal election, as the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce of Industry pledge to campaign for company tax cuts to make Australia more competitive and deliver relief from soaring energy prices. James Pearson, of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has urged the Turnbull government not to drop its company tax policy. Credit:Andrew Meares Australian Chamber of Commerce of Industry chief James Pearson warned against emboldened Labor state governments using Saturday's wins to block progress on the Turnbull government's energy policy, despite industry support for emissions reduction, which will see the reduction target of 26 per cent by 2030 reviewed after five years. The head of a Great Barrier Reef charity awarded a controversial federal government grant was unaware a corporate partner had funded climate denial groups and says companies involved in the charity are deeply committed to rescuing the natural wonder. Appearing at the first hearing of a Senate inquiry into the grant in Brisbane on Monday, Great Barrier Reef Foundation managing director Anna Marsden also insisted the charity would "do what the reef needs us to do", but said this excluded calling for accelerated action on climate change. The Great Barrier Reef Foundation says its remit does not include tackling climate change. Credit:Darren Jew The inquiry is examining the awarding in April of a $443 million Turnbull government grant to the foundation. The money will fund projects to improve the health of the reef including boosting water quality and tackling the crown of thorns starfish. Critics have questioned why a competitive tender process was not held and say government agencies are already equipped to deliver such funding. Malaysian air safety authorities have declared more than four years after the disappearance of flight MH370 they do not know what caused the plane to crash into the southern Indian Ocean and wont know unless the wreckage is found. The view was shared by frustrated family members of Australians who died in the bewildering aviation tragedy. Irene Burrows, 89, whose son Rodney and daughter-in-law Mary were on the flight, said the mystery would stay unsolved until such time as they find the plane and Im sure it wont be found in my lifetime. The official search ended last year and the latest, private hunt wrapped up in May, meaning Monday's Malaysian report is effectively the final word on the mystery that claimed 239 lives, including six Australians. The investigation report released on Monday afternoon cleared the pilot and first officer, and said the plane itself was in good condition. That left the possibility of intervention by a third party, which the investigators did not rule out. Public servants in the federal Communications and Arts department could lose weeks of paid parental leave for partners of women with newly-born infants under a workplace deal pushed by the federal government. The new workplace agreement put to the vote at the agency on Monday would change parental leave entitlements in a way the public sector union has warned would be a "disgusting backwards step" for parents. Community and Public Sector Union deputy secretary Beth Vincent-Pietsch described the offer as a "disgusting backwards step". Credit:Graham Tidy But the department says it "at no time anticipated" 18 weeks' paid parental leave offered in its nearly-expired 2015 agreement would apply to partners of women with newborns. The current agreement says parental leave is "available to an employee who is the birth mother of a child and employees who have or will have responsibility for the care of a child". Energy and Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio is giving the PM an ultimatum on energy policy. Credit:Hayley Mills/Latrobe Valley Express Victoria is refusing to sign up to the National Energy Guarantee until Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull can give assurances that his entire caucus is locked in behind the scheme. The ultimatum from the Andrews government is the latest obstacle before the Turnbull government as it seeks to end 15 years of political inertia on climate policy and push through an energy blueprint that has been attacked as too timid by renewables advocates and too green by internal critics. Victoria is one of three Labor-governed states and territories yet to agree to sign off on the national energy guarantee because of concerns the schemes modest emissions reduction target could kill off the boom in renewable energy generation. Energy and Environment Minister Lily DAmbrosio is expected to put the Turnbull government on notice on Tuesday, in a speech to the Clean Energy Councils national summit in Sydney, that Victoria could yet reject the scheme, which requires sign-off from all states and territories. Premier Daniel Andrews and his deputy James Merlino. Credit:AAP The Andrews government is refusing to release significant evidence that it claims will show Coalition MPs inappropriately used taxpayer-funded staff for political campaigning. Deputy Premier James Merlino sought to turn the tables on the opposition by referring several of their MPs conduct to police while the Labor government itself is under investigation for misusing almost $400,000 in taxpayer funds before the 2014 election. But when asked if the government would make its evidence public, Mr Merlino said it had been appropriately given to police. The dust has settled on WA's two 'Super Saturday' byelections and, as widely predicted, Labor has retained both the seats that were up for grabs. But an examination of the numbers reveal very different stories about Labor candidates Patrick Gorman in Perth and Josh Wilson in Fremantle. Newly elected Perth MP Patrick Gorman, his wife Jess, and Shadow Health Minister Catherine King watch the count on Saturday night. Credit:AAP Image/Tony McDonough In both byelections, voters stayed home in droves, choosing to risk a $20 fine instead of bothering with the trouble of casting a vote. Only 62.5 per cent of enrolled voters turned up in Perth and 64.8 per cent in Fremantle. Asked whether the Turnbull government had struck the right privacy and security balance with My Health Record, Ms Falk said: "I think what the debate has done is bring that balance to the forefront and we know that Australians certainly at the moment have a very heightened awareness of how their personal information and data is being handled." Tim Kelsey (centre), head the Australian Digital Health Agency, which is rolling out My Health Record. Credit:ADHA Ms Falk said she supported Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's comments from Friday, in which he told ABC's AM radio program "we are obviously going to do everything we can to reassure concerns". "I have welcomed the comments by the Prime Minister that these matters are getting serious concern by government and I am in active discussions in relation to the matter," Ms Falk said. Malcolm Turnbull will not be opting out from the My Health Record data collection, despite security concerns from IT experts. Credit:Daniel Pockett Ms Falk's comments came as a new report from her office, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), revealed that the private healthcare sector had the highest number of reportable data breaches, with 25 per cent of all reported breaches involving health information. The OAIC received 242 notifications under the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme in the period April 1 until June 30, according to the second quarterly statistical report, released on Tuesday. Since the scheme started on February 22, the OAIC has received 305 notifications in total. Loading The private healthcare industry was the top sector for reporting data breaches under the NDB scheme, with 49 notifications in the quarter, followed by the finance sector with 36 notifications. The OAIC said the healthcare notifications did "not relate to the My Health Records system". The report said the main causes of data breaches were malicious or criminal attacks (142 notifications or 59 per cent), followed by human error (88 notifications or 36 per cent). The majority of malicious or criminal breaches reported were the result of compromised credentials, and the most common human error was sending emails containing personal information to the wrong recipient. But Anna Johnston, director of privacy consultancy Salinger Privacy and a former NSW deputy privacy commissioner, said the report did not paint a full picture of the Australian data breach landscape, as public state-based hospitals and state-based law-enforcement agencies are not covered by the NDB scheme as they are exempt from the federal Privacy Act. Loading "That the healthcare sector is the number one sector reporting data breaches that are likely to result in serious harm is bad enough, but when you consider that this is only half of the story, then the state of data protection compliance is presumably a lot worse in the healthcare sector than this report suggests," Ms Johnston said. To get a true picture of the state of data protection compliance across Australia, Johnston said Australia "would need either harmonised privacy laws, or at least a harmonised breach reporting scheme". This was a point the commissioner acknowledged. "[The report] paints an accurate picture of the organisations who have an obligation under law to report [a breach] to the OAIC," Ms Falk said. But not a picture of the entire nation, Fairfax inquired. "Thats right," Ms Falk said. Name and shame Loading Another criticism of the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme by privacy advocates is that the OAIC has chosen not to name companies who report breaches to it. Former Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim told Fairfax Media in February that he had deliberately decided not to "name and shame". "For the first 12 months, we will be providing statistical information on the number of breaches," he said at the time. "We won't be publishing every breach at this stage." But Ms Falk said this could change after a review is held next year. "I certainly havent ruled it out and I have said that we will review that as time goes by," Ms Falk said, adding that she wanted to ensure Australia was in step with international laws "because ... publication in [one] country for a global entity is going to be publication to the world at large". "I ... will be looking to see the developments that are happening in the EU and the timing of when, and if, the EU decides to publish names of their data breach reporting scheme," Ms Falk said. "I want to be satisfied that our scheme has had an opportunity to develop and for the maturity of organisations to develop." Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has defended the My Health Record scheme. Credit:AAP Johnston said it was still too early to assess the effectiveness of the mandatory data breach reporting scheme in terms of whether a name and shame approach should be taken up. Jakarta: The Turnbull government should "finally take some action" and ban Cambodian officials from Australia following Sunday's whitewash election, the country's banned opposition party has insisted. As expected, Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party won Sunday's election in a landslide, extending his 33-year rule in a result described as marking the death of democracy in Cambodia. The main opposition party, the Cambodian National Rescue Party, was banned last November and its leader, Kem Sokha, now languishes in jail and the party's former leader Sam Rainsy, and deputy leader Mu Sochua have gone into exile. While official election results will not be released until August, an official from Hun Sen's CPP said the party had won overwhelmingly, with an estimated 100 seats in the 125-member parliament. The victory of Hun Sen in Cambodia's fake election is depressing but, other than express sadness, Australia can do little given China's growing power in the region. The demise of Cambodian democracy, which the election formalises, is particularly bitter given the role Australian diplomacy played in its birth. The Hawke government helped to broker the Paris Peace Accords in 1991 that ended the country's horrific civil war against the Khmer Rouge. Cambodia's democracy was far from perfect but for almost two decades it supported a lively and contested political system. Hun Sen, who has ruled the country for 33 years, was always ambivalent in his commitment to democracy. Shocked by the opposition's strong showing in the 2013 election and increasingly confident of the financial and political support of China, he finally dropped the pretence. He banned the opposition CNRP last year and trumped up a charge of treason against its leader Kem Sokha for the crime of giving a speech in Melbourne in which he spoke about talking to American advisers. This was taken as proof he was planning a US-led coup. Hun Sen then turfed out Western-backed non-government organisations and shut down the country's free press, including arresting Australian filmmaker James Ricketson on espionage charges. Abdullah says he may finally receive approval to be reunited with them in Phnom Penh in a couple of weeks' time. That he is even contemplating a hunger strike if approval doesn't come through this time underscores how desperate he has become. Abdullah's long journey to Phnom Penh began in Al Harah, in Syria. Back in 2012, he and his family fled to Lebanon as life became dangerous under the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. After a few months in Lebanon, Abdullah left his family to blaze a path to what they all hoped would be a new and better life in Australia. He spent two months in Egypt, a month in Malaysia, another month in Indonesia and finally, took the dangerous boat journey with 71 other passengers on what became Suspected Illegal Entry Vehicle 821, after it was intercepted by Australia and taken to Christmas Island in June or July 2013. All up, Abdullah spent about $US15,000 ($20,000) in his attempt to get to Australia. After being intercepted, Abdullah spent eight months on Christmas Island and two years and three months on Nauru. The authorities were blunt, he says. "They speak to me [and say] any refugees on a boat cannot go inside Australia," he says. They speak to me, you need to come back to Syria. But I speak that I cannot go back to Syria, because at that time big problems in my country ... Not Daesh [also known as Islamic State], just the government. When I left my country there was no Daesh, no Al Nusra [another extremist group]." Time on Christmas Island and Nauru passed slowly, he says, and the people were desperate. He takes out his phone and shows videos and pictures of an Iranian man who set himself on fire one day, after being told the refugees would likely be on Nauru for ten years. "Some[times for] two or three days, cannot sleep. Cannot do anything, cannot go do anything just stay, stay, stay," he says. After six or seven months, the refugees began to be given tablets to help them sleep. He took them, many many, because cannot sleep". One day, after the September 2014 refugee deal was announced with Cambodia, Australian government representatives told the refugees they could be re-settled in the south-east Asian nation. "I speak to them, 'OK, I go to Cambodia, but can I meet with my family'?" he tells Fairfax Media. The response was that after three or four months, his family would be able to come from Lebanon and join him. After six months, Abdullah spoke to the Australian government because his family still had not joined him. I say, 'What's problem? You say after three or four months'. The IOM speak to me, the government Australia need letter from government Cambodia." That letter, which would clear the way for Abdullah's family to move to Cambodia as refugees, has now been secured. The government Cambodia agree, Abdullah have family, Abdullah have business, Abdullah good, not have any problem. If everything OK, what the problem [with] my family come? Sembalun, Indonesia: Hundreds of tourists stranded on Mount Rinjani on the Indonesian island of Lombok by an earthquake that killed 16 people and triggered landslides have been evacuated from the mountain, shaken by their experience but mostly unharmed, an official said on Monday. By Tuesday morning, all tourists had been evacuated from the summit, Fairfax Media understands. Last month Mount Agung spews ash and smoke in Karangasem, Bali. Credit:AP A local military official, Arifianto, told Indonesian TV that some suffered light injuries and were traumatised, but most were in good condition. The magnitude 6.4 earthquake early on Sunday killed 16 people, including an Indonesian student who was among the Mount Rinjani climbers. The shallow quake set off landslides on the mountain that's carpeted in boulders and rocks, blocking usual paths out. Chris Graham, publisher of New Matilda, is aboard the boat that sought to break the Gaza blockade. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an umbrella group comprising pro-Palestinian and Islamic charities from around the world, said on Twitter that Israel had "hijacked" the vessel. The boat bound to Gaza Strip and intercepted by Israeli navy arrives to Ashdod port, Israel, on Sunday. Credit:AP It said the passengers were notified they were "violating the legal naval blockade" and that humanitarian aid could an be delivered to Gaza in other ways. It said the incident passed "without exceptional events" and that the ship has been taken to an Israeli port. Gaza City: The Israeli navy intercepted a ship carrying activists en route to Gaza in the latest attempt to break a blockade on the coastal territory ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas, the military said. On board is Australian Chris Graham, publisher of the New Matilda, who was quoted by a group statement as saying Israels blocking of the Gaza bound flotilla was obviously a predictable act, but that doesnt make it any less hostile, nor any less illegal. It is a fundamental right of the Palestinian people not to be subjected to collective punishment by the State of Israel." The statement from the group characterised the action as an Israeli "attack" saying the crew and passengers had been "kidnapped". A list of people on board names activists from 16 countries, mainly from Europe but also Malaysia, the US and Israel, on the ship carrying 13,000 worth of medical supplied for Gaza. The group said the supplies were "a small but important contribution to the increasingly dire medical situation" in Gaza. "In the long term, the only solution is ending the blockade," it said. Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza after the Islamic militant group Hamas took over the territory in 2007. Israel says it is crucial to prevent Hamas, a group sworn to Israel's destruction, from arming. Critics say it is collective punishment of Gaza's 2 million people. Washington: The trial of US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, is set to begin with tales of lavish spending, secret companies and millions of dollars of Ukrainian money flowing to his pocket from offshore bank accounts. But what is expected to be missing from the trial, which begins on Tuesday (US time), will be answers about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election or any mention of Russia at all. Manafort's trial, the first arising from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, centres on his Ukrainian consulting work and will only briefly touch on his involvement with the president's campaign. But the broader implications are unmistakable. Locating, Tracking and Reporting via App? the new kind of Fishing Posted by Publisher Telecommunication Commercial Fishing Companies as well as local Fishing Communities need to get reliable information about where are the vessels located and where the ?catch of the day? was caught by any vessel which has went out. Another important fact to know is to see the full track of the vessel, not only where the caught was done. The German Weatherdock AG has developed the small locating beacon vmsTRACK-PRO which can be mounted easily on every seagoing vessel. The vmsTRACK-PRO is transmitting GPS based position reports in a pre-set reporting interval via VHF frequencies to the harbor or the control center. Additional to a huge range of special features the vmsTRACK-PRO system is a very cost effective alternative to other tracking systems, because there are no fees or charges. The vmsTRACK unit is able to store up to 1,000s of nautical miles for route documentation afterwards. Geo-fencing and additional ?push-to-alert? button Special areas of non-entering or non-leaving can be programmed easily into every vmsTRACK-PRO unit placed on the vessels. Additional to all the tracking functionality there is a separate ?push-to-alert? button which increases the safety of the fishermen especially on the small artisanal vessels. By pushing the alert button In event of emergency a AIS MOB safety message is send out into the standardized AIS traffic system that every vessel in the vicinity of the victim is able to help as fast as possible. ABALOBI mobile app suite ABALOBI is a co-designed and fisher-driven mobile app suite to transform small-scale fisheries governance from ?hook to cook?. ABALOBI wants to ?turn the lights on? when and where the catch has been made. No legal grey area ? ?just pure and full transparency for community catch monitoring to fulfill all IUU regulations. The ABALOBI app installed on a mobile device like a smartphone or a tablet is able to read out and integrate the vmsTRACK-PRO data stream when connected once. Key outputs of ABALOBI will be a more complete fisher log for operation fine-tuning, a better seafood traceability chain and a huge improvement of community safety at sea. The data stream will be forwarded to the ABALOBI server located onshore. vmsTRACK-PRO ? high flexibility, but rugged and palm The mobile transmitter unit vmsTRACK-PRO has got a high flexible power management from battery driven mode to current power supply via solar panel or vessels engine. The usage can be done on regular AIS frequencies because of built-in CSTDMA technology or on customized VHF frequencies to create ?closed used group? behavior. In upcoming September Weatherdock is going to present the vmsTRACK-PRO on the SMM trade show in Hamburg, Germany from 4th to 7th September 2018 on the own booth B6-405. ? Weatherdock Cooperation, Germany (Founded 2003) World leader in AIS based, commercial vessels approved, personal locator beacons in the VHF band Founder of the year 2008 Among the best 100 midsize companies in Germany (12.000 applicants for that award!) How AI and security guards work together using video analytics How AI and humans can work together is a longstanding debate. As society progresses technologically, theres always the worry of robots taking over jobs. Self-checkout tills, automated factory machines, and video analytics are all improving efficiency and productivity, but they can still work in tandem with humans, and in most cases, they need to. Video analytics in particular is one impressively intelligent piece of technology that security guards can utilise. How can video analytics help with certain security scenarios? Video analytics tools Before video analytics or even CCTV in general, if a child went missing in a shopping centre, we could only rely on humans. Take a crowded Saturday shopping centre, a complex one with a multitude of shops and eateries, youd have to alert the security personnel, rely on a tannoy and search party, and hope for a lockdown to find a lost or kidnapped child. With video analytics, how would this scenario play out? Its pretty mind-blowing. As soon as security is alerted, they can work with the video analytics tools to instruct it precisely With the same scenario, you now have the help of many different cameras, but then theres the task of searching through all the CCTV resources and footage. Thats where complex search functions come in. As soon as security is alerted, they can work with the video analytics tools to instruct it precisely on what footage to narrow down, and theres a lot of filters and functions to use. Expected movement direction For instance, they can tick a human field, so the AI can track and filter out vehicles, objects etc., and then they can input height, clothing colours, time the child went missing, and last known location. Theres a complex event to check too, under child kidnap. For a more accurate search, security guards can then add in a searching criterion by drawing the childs expected movement direction using a visual query function. A unique function like this enables visual criteria-based searches rather than text-based ones. The tech will then narrow down to the images/videos showing the criteria theyve inputted, showing the object/child that matches the data and filter input. Detecting facial data There are illegal demonstrations and troublesome interferences that police have to deal with A white-list face recognition function is then used to track the childs route which means the AI can detect facial data that has not been previously saved in the database, allowing it to track the route of a target entity, all in real time. Then, security guards can confirm the childs route and current location. All up-to-date info can then be transferred to an onsite guards mobile phone for them to confirm the missing childs movement route, face, and current location, helping to find them as quickly as possible. Often, there are illegal demonstrations and troublesome interferences that police have to deal with. Video analytics and surveillance can not only capture these, but they can be used to predict when they may happen, providing a more efficient process in dealing with these types of situations and gathering resources. Event processing functions Picture a public square with a number of entries into the main area, and at each entry point or path, there is CCTV. Those in the control room can set two events for each camera: a grouping event and a path-passing event. These are pretty self-explanatory. A grouping event covers images of seeing people gathering in close proximity and a path-passing event will show when people are passing through or entering. The video analytics tool can look out for large gatherings and increased footfall to alert security By setting these two events, the video analytics tool can look out for large gatherings and increased footfall to alert security or whoever is monitoring to be cautious of protests, demonstrations or any commotion. Using complex event processing functions, over-detection of alarms can also be prevented, especially if theres a busy day with many passing through. Reducing false alarms By combining the two events, that filters down the triggers for alarms for better accuracy to predict certain situations, like a demonstration. The AI can also be set to only trigger an alarm when the two events are happening simultaneously on all the cameras of each entry to reduce false alarms. There are so many situations and events that video analytics can be programmed to monitor. You can tick fields to monitor any objects that have appeared, disappeared, or been abandoned. You can also check events like path-passing to monitor traffic, as well as loitering, fighting, grouping, a sudden scene change, smoke, flames, falling, unsafe crossing, traffic jams and car accidents etc. Preventing unsafe situations Complex events can include violations of one-way systems, blacklist-detected vehicles Complex events can include violations of one-way systems, blacklist-detected vehicles, person and vehicle tracking, child kidnaps, waste collection, over-speed vehicles, and demonstration detections. The use of video analytics expands our capabilities tremendously, working in real time to detect and help predict security-related situations. Together with security agents, guards and operatives, AI in CCTV means resources can be better prepared, and that the likelihood of preventing unsafe situations can be greatly improved. Its a winning team, as AI wont always get it right but its there to be the advanced eyes we need to help keep businesses, premises and areas safer. Participants gather at the start line of the 2017 Glo-n-Go Fun Run in Georgetown. WASHINGTON A secretive California company carried out a suborbital launch from an Alaska spaceport July 20, but a week after the event few details about the event are clear, including its outcome. Astra Space carried out a launch at 6 p.m. Eastern July 20 of its "Rocket 1" vehicle from Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska on Kodiak Island, Alaska. Foggy conditions made it difficult to observe the launch, according to one local reporter covering the event. Astra Space received a license from the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) in March for a suborbital test flight of its vehicle. According to the license, the launch would carry an inert upper stage on a trajectory traveling to the south. The FAA also issued a notice to airmen restricting airspace in the vicinity of the launch site from July 14 to 21 "due to rocket launch." [SpaceX Lands Rocket in Harshest Conditions to Date and Attempts to Catch Fairing] See more The launch, though, does not appear in the list of licensed launches maintained by AST on its website, even though the list includes launches, both orbital and suborbital, that took place since the Astra Space event. In a statement provided by the FAA July 24 in response to a SpaceNews inquiry, it confirmed that the launch took place but that a "mishap" of some kind occurred. "The Astra Space, Inc. launch from the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska at Kodiak Island on Friday, July 20 experienced a mishap," the FAA stated. "It was an FAA-licensed launch, and the agency is reviewing the event." Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska, formerly known as the Kodiak Launch Complex, is operated by Alaska Aerospace Corporation. Craig Campbell, president and chief executive of Alaska Aerospace, told SpaceNews July 27 that a nondisclosure agreement with the customer limited what he could discuss. "Our customer has requested we not discuss their operations with the press," he said. "I can confirm that a launch from the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska occurred on Friday, July 20th and that the customer is very pleased with the outcome of the launch." Campbell made no mention of a mishap or other incident taking place during the launch. "While a post-launch team is reviewing the results of the launch, I can state that there was no material damage to our facilities as a result of this launch," he said. "We look forward to working with this customer to support their next launch from Alaska." Astra Space is one of a growing number of companies developing small launch vehicles for dedicated launches of small satellites, but has kept a very low profile, lacking even a publicly accessible website. The company is based in Alameda, California, where it leases a building from the city in an area that formerly hosted a naval air station. In its lease documents, it described efforts to develop "next-generation launch services" starting with a rocket called Astra capable of placing 100 kilograms into low Earth orbit. Astra Space is not the only small launch vehicle company interested in launching from Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska. Prior to this launch, Vector was at the spaceport, performing operations tests ahead of the first launch of its Vector-R rocket from the site, planned for later this year. Rocket Lab has also shown interest in the spaceport, identifying it as one of four finalists for its second launch complex. The company plans to announce the location of that complex in August. This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry. Color reproductions show different parts of the nebula, in its "cool phase," surrounding the star CK Vul. 26AlF, which is now the first detected radioactive molecule in space, can be seen in cyan, green and yellow. For the first time ever, scientists have detected a radioactive molecule in space and it came from an ancient stellar explosion. In the 17th century, astronomers saw a nova shining brightly in the Vulpecula constellation. But while they could see the star with the naked eye, it wasn't until 2013 that astronomers were able to tracean unusual isotopic molecular gas to the stellar event, reigniting interest in the nova. Now, in a new investigation, an international research team, led by Tomasz Kaminski from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,has shown that the nova was likely caused by the merger of two starsin what is known as a red nova. In a red nova, two stars merge in an explosive event, cool off, and then, in this "cool phase," produce large amounts of molecular gas and dust. This team has observed this molecular gas, 26AlF, a radioactive isotope of aluminum, 26Al, in the remnants of the nova, known as CK Vul (or Nova Vul 1670). This is the first time that a radioactive molecule has been detected in space. This is also the first time that an object that produces 26AlF has been directly identified, according to the study published today (July 30) in the journal Nature Astronomy. [Kilonova Photos: Hubble Telescope Spies Cosmic Explosion] This artist's illustration shows the collision of two stars, like the ones that formed CK Vulpeculae, an ancient stellar explosion that created the radioactive molecule 26-aluminium. (Image credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF; S. Dagnello) By observing 26AlF, scientists can better understand how the merger in CK Vul happened, according to a statement. Additionally, studying the merger process shows that a stellar collision, like this red nova, can expose even the deepest layers of a star, according to the statement. In this collision, the research team has found that, in the low-mass binary system that merged, there was a red-giant-branch star with a mass between 0.8 and 2.5 solar masses. But, while this study has shined new light on this ancient collision, it has also raised new questions. It has been known for years that there are about two solar masses of 26Al across the galaxy, according to the statement. It is still unclear where this radioactive material originated, but with estimates of the mass of 26AlF in CK Vul, researchers think that the merger can't be solely responsible for all of the isotope detected, according to the statement. So, the amount of the isotope found and its origin in the galaxy remain a bit of a mystery. This artistically created image shows a color reproduction of the nebula surrounding the star CK Vul superimposed over an image of the ALMA antennas in Chile. For the first time, scientists have detected a radioactive molecule in space in this star. (Image credit: T. Kaminski; ESO/Y. Beletsky/ALMA photo) Still, this research has highlighted CK Vul an object that had not before been considered as a 26AlF producer. Through this work, the research team has also found that tools like the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) could be more useful in searching for 26Al producers than gamma-ray observatories, according to the statement. This could be useful in future investigations of the stellar remnants and 26AlF in the galaxy. Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her @chelsea_gohd. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. This time-lapse photo shows the moon passing through Earth's shadow as it rises side by side with the planet Mars over Amman, Jordan. On Friday (July 27), the moon turned blood red as it passed through Earth's shadow. Meanwhile, the Red Planet made its most stunning appearance in 15 years as it reached opposition, shining brightly in the sky alongside the "blood moon." When Mars is at opposition, the planet is on the opposite side of Earth from the sun, with Earth in the middle, and the three objects form a straight line in space. Mars shines at its brightest during opposition, because more sunlight is reflecting off its surface and toward Earth than at any other point in its orbit around the sun. This time, Mars' opposition happened to coincide with perihelion, when it is closest to the sun. This so-called "perihelic opposition" made for some spectacular views of the Red Planet this weekend. While Mars has been hogging everyone's attention in the night sky for the last few days, the Red Planet had some celestial competition on Friday when the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century stole the show. Visible from most of the world with the exception of North and Central America, where the moon was below the horizon the moon spent 1 hour and 43 minutes passing through the center of Earth's dark shadow. [Amazing Photos: The 'Blood Moon' Eclipse and Mars Opposition of July 27, 2018] Astrophotographer Amirreza Kamkar captured this photo of Mars and the total lunar eclipse over Tehran, Iran, on July 27, 2018. @amirrezakamkar) (Image credit: Amirreza Kamkar Although the lunar eclipse may not have been visible to everyone, skywatchers around the world had the chance to enjoy at least one of the red celestial sights in the sky on Friday. Space.com readers who were lucky enough to see them both sent in some gorgeous photos to Space.com. Amirreza Kamkar, an astrophotographer in Tehran, Iran, caught Mars snuggling up close to the eclipsed moon next to the starry core of the Milky Way galaxy. "This location has a rather dark sky, and [the] Milky Way was easily visible during the totality," Kamkar told Space.com. "Planet Mars at its brightest in 15 years was another attraction in the sky, just below the eclipsed moon." The bright planet Mars twinkles near the "blood moon" above Sydney, Australia, in this photo by Robbie Pesiwarissa. (Image credit: Robbie Pesiwarissa In Sydney, Australia, photographer Robbie Pesiwarissa snapped a photo of Mars and the eclipsed moon above the Sydney Opera House. The two red objects in the sky line up almost perfectly with another bright-red light on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Astrophotographer Stojan Stojanovski got an even closer view of the moon and Mars using a 600-millimeter lens. He photographed the celestial pair from Ohrid, Macedonia, where he was enjoying the show with members of the Ohrid Astronomy Association, he told Space.com. Astrophotographer Stojan Stojanovski snapped this image of the blood-red moon with Mars from Ohrid, Macedonia, on July 27, 2018. (Image credit: Stojan Stojanovski Don't miss these eclipses! If you missed Friday's total lunar eclipse and are experiencing eclipse envy, don't worry there's plenty more where that came from! Before the next lunar eclipse arrives on Jan. 20, 2019, eclipse fans can look forward to two solar eclipses. The next eclipse (and last one of 2018) will be a partial solar eclipse on Aug. 11. Visible from parts of Asia and Europe, the moon will slide in front of the sun and will appear to have taken a bite out of the sun's disk. On Jan. 5 to 6, 2019, skywatchers in the north Pacific and northeast Asia can watch the moon pass in front of the sun once more. The world will finally see its next total solar eclipse on July 2, 2019, when the moon will completely block the sun and darken skies over most of South America. The moon will steer clear of Earth's shadow until Jan. 19, 2019, when we'll see another total lunar eclipse. Those of us who missed out on Friday's "blood moon" in North America will have an excellent view of this total lunar eclipse, weather permitting. Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. STAMFORD A damning text message sent just before a city man allegedly nearly hacked another mans hand off with a saw in a jealous fit of rage over two years ago played a central role in closing arguments of a trial at the Stamford courthouse. Arguments made to the six person jury early Tuesday afternoon ended the week-long trial of Cesar Olivero, who is facing up to 50 years in jail after being accused of first-degree assault, burglary and home invasion in a bloody late night assault that took place in a Camp Avenue condominium complex on June 25, 2015. Evidence presented to the jury by Supervisory Assistant States Attorney Paul Ferencek showed that within an hour of the attack that badly maimed a 44-year-old New York City businessman who was driven to Stamford by Oliveros former fiance, Olivero had sent the woman a text message saying, Laugh now, cry later. Ferencek told the jury the message showed Oliveros intent to cause harm that night. While acknowledging the text presented a problem, defense attorney Philip Russell argued that it fell far short of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Russell also acknowledged that Olivero and his fiance had a contentious relationship with big ups and downs that mitigated the importance of the text message. In the context of the bickering, acrimony and silliness that these people took as just another day in their life... Its problematic, sure. Embarrassing, sure. But guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. What can you really attach to that message. What does it really mean when this kid says it, said Russell, turning toward Olivero sitting in a suit with shackles around his ankles, hidden from the view behind the wooden defense table. Ferencek, seeking to discard the claim that Olivero acted in self defense, argued that the only evidence indicating the victim had initiated the assault came from Oliveros former fiance, who said that the businessman took two steps toward the accused. But Ferencek speculated that Oliveros ex was aligned with the defendants attorneys and that she did not want to testify in the case. Ferencek presented evidence given to police by the fiance following the assault showing that she and Olivero, who have a son together, broke up about 10 days before the incident at her home. He said the woman told police that Olivero had a 13-inch saw in his hand when he came out of the shadows of the condominium the two shared for more than a year before the incident. The victim said he did not see Olivero until he began hacking at him with the saw about 15 times. Do you think he was looking to get into a fight with someone a saw fight of all things? It makes no sense at all, Ferencek said. The jury was scheduled to begin deliberating Tuesday afternoon. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com P roperty entrepreneur Matt Robinson is under no illusion about how much Brits love to hate estate agents. Its crazy that the idea of a trusted estate agent remains an oxymoron in the transparent world we live in, he remarks. Sitting in the Clerkenwell headquarters of Nested, the agency-cum-lender he founded in 2016, Robinson claims: Last year 61% of London properties were withdrawn from the market because agents consistently failed to deliver what they had promised. The well-spoken 30-year-old, who is also the co-founder of online payments group GoCardless, wants to help shed his industrys shady wide-boy reputation. He thinks start-up Nested can help. Looking relaxed with his hands in his jeans pockets, he outlines what his firm does: We give you funds to buy your next house whilst we take the time to get you the best price for your current home. It is a popular method, judging by Robinsons assertion that Nested is on track to boost turnover to 10 million this year, up from 3 million in 2017. The firm has also caught the attention of investors such as tech specialist Passion Capital. Robinson says there is significant access to debt capital for funding property advances, and he plans to expand Nested. His company handles the valuation, marketing and sale of a property. On top of that it gives the vendor 93%-97% of the market value of their home upfront to put towards buying a new home prior to their old one selling. When a sale completes, Nested takes back what it advanced plus fees of between 2% to 3.5%. For example if you want to sell a two-bedroom flat in Muswell Hill at 600,000, Nested will make available an advance of 570,000. If the customers home sells for the listed price and they dont end up using the loan, they pay a 2% fee. If they do use the loan, they pay 3.5%. Instead of being stuck on the market for months you can go with Nested and be ready to pounce on your dream home whenever you are ready, says Robinson. The father-of-one has always had an entrepreneurial streak. His first venture came as a schoolboy in High Wycombe, teaming up with his mates to provide temporary waiting staff for local events. After getting a law degree at Oxford, he realised the bar was not for him and instead got on to a graduate scheme at consulting giant McKinsey. He says that taught him a work ethic because of long hours involved. It was at McKinsey that Robinson met future business partner Hiroki Takeuchi. The colleagues founded GoCardless in 2011 along with Tom Blomfield, who later founded Monzo. Today the business is valued in the hundreds of millions, says Robinson. He admits the growth was not without its challenges: There were a handful of moments where it was the toss of a coin whether we would have survived, but our luck held and the company has gone from strength to strength. The entrepreneur remains on the board of GoCardless and is a shareholder, but stepped away from running it in 2016. I loved the business but wanted something different. So I sold part of my stake, making sure I had enough money to buy a nice house and invest in something new. It was the purchase of his Herne Hill house around that time that inspired him to launch Nested. Since then, Nested has sold more than 200 homes. There is always the risk a property wont sell. It happens, says Robinson bluntly. If a property sells for less than Nested advanced to a customer, the firm takes the loss itself. The potential risks are not enough to deter the tech fan from expanding. Nested expects to open its first UK offices outside London before the end of this year. Robinson also says an IPO is not out of the question, and adds: I want to be in this business for the long haul. I want us to build a trusted consumer brand that reinvents estate agency. Its no easy task, but Robinson could be on the right track to becoming the one estate agent that Brits dont entirely dislike. Nested Founded: 2016 Staff: 80 Turnover: 10 million (forecast for this year) Best moment: Its still to come (touch wood) Worst moment: An extremely personal trolling on a forum when we were just starting GoCardless. L ondons dire housing market pushed estate agent Foxtons to its first loss in a decade on Monday. The agent, renowned for its branded Minis and pushy sales tactics, span to a 2.5 million pre-tax loss in the first half of 2018 as it paid the price for a very subdued market in the capital. That compared with a 3.8 million profit a year earlier. Todays results are the worst since Foxtons, then under private equity ownership, racked up losses in the financial crisis, and also mark its first plunge into the red as a listed company after floating on the stock market in 2013. Chief executive Nic Budden said: The property sales market in London is undergoing a sustained period of very low activity levels with longer and less visible transaction outcomes, which clearly impacts our business. Property sales have been rocked by stamp duty hikes, attacks on buy-to-let investors and economic uncertainty in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum. According to official figures, London is the worst-performing housing market in the UK and prices have fallen for four months running. Sales revenues of 17.2 million were 23% down on the previous year, and the immediate outlook for the London sales market also looks poor with less visibility on exchanges proceeding. The losses were also driven by Foxtons increased spending on marketing and branding as well as a new, more lucrative pay scheme for its agents to help weather the storm, which put up short-term costs. Foxtons is betting on steadier income from its lettings business, 60% of group revenue, to combat the volatile sales market. But lettings revenues fell 1% on the prior year, driven by lower rents and there is the prospect of a Government clampdown on letting agent fees. Its mortgage broker, Alexander Hall, also suffered as rising deal volumes were offset by a greater proportion of lower-margin remortgage business. Shares in Foxtons, which floated at 230p, have halved in the past year but recovered slightly today, rising 2p to 49.6p. Credit Suisse analysts noted a cautiously more optimistic tone from the agent as it gears up for the peak letting period over the summer. It also has 11.8 million of cash on the balance sheet. AJ Bells Russ Mould said: The one saving grace for Foxtons is a very solid balance sheet, which provides the capacity to ride out the soft market conditions, at least for a time. A uditor Grant Thornton on Monday heaved a sigh of relief as it was cleared over its role in the sudden implosion of London-listed technology business Globo. Grant Thornton, which replaced BDO as Globes sole auditor in March 2014, was cleared by the Financial Reporting Council, saying there was no realistic prospect of a finding of misconduct. It added: This matter will, therefore, be closed without further action. Closing the investigation into Grant Thorntons auditing of Globo accounts for 2013 and 2014, marks the end of a turbulent chapter in its corporate history. The AIM-listed Greek mobile phones software company was sent into a tailspin in October 2015 after its boss, Costis Papadimitrakopoulos, and finance chief, Dimitris Gryparis, resigned, notifying their board of directors about misrepresentation of the companys financial situation. Within days the company was placed into administration and it was delisted little more than two weeks after the drama kicked off. Around that time short-seller Quintessential Capital Management had put out a damning report about Globo, which suggested its revenue was based on fictitious sales invoices generated by shell companies it had created and controlled, a claim then refuted by founder Papadimitrakopoulos. He admitted he sold 12.4 million worth of shares without telling the company and the market. The denouement comes after audit blunders have recently made headlines including outsourcer Carillions collapse, with KPMG and Deloitte being criticised for missing red flags. There was also the unexpected implosion of Conviviality, which revealed it had to pay an unexpected 30 million tax bill under KPMGs watch. Grant Thornton, reportedly in the running to audit Goldman Sachs, had to pay almost 1 million in 2015 to settle a two-year investigation for failing in its audits of Manchester building societys use of interest-rate swaps. I nsurer Hiscox has said it is too early to tell what impact Britains record heatwave will have on possible insurance claims. The specialist insurer, which offers cover to homes and small businesses in the UK, saw several claims from the Februarys Beast from the East cold snap but the fallout from the heatwave could take longer to materialise. Chief executive Bronek Masojada said the concern over Britains record-breaking temperatures was longer term, such as the impact on building foundations and possible cracking. Its much slower and it affects you in different timescales, he said. I suspect if we have a reasonably normal autumn then it wont have much [impact]. The FTSE 250-listed company, which has a large Lloyds of London business, reported good half-year numbers today with gross written premiums up to $2.3 billion (1.8 billion) from $1.8 billion due to rising prices. Pre-tax profits were $163.6 million, up from $129.1 million, and the company is on track to get more than one million retail customers this year. I t seems every investor worldwide is keen to access technology stocks as the industry is red hot. Tech firms can grow rapidly from an idea started in a garage to a New York listing, sometimes in the space of a few years. But so awash with cash is the tech sector that even trying to invest in start-ups can be difficult, as venture capitalists and private equity firms dominate. One company listed on AIM specialising in start-ups is Tern. The company invests in what analysts call grown-up technology, which means Tern tries to find businesses which provide software to industrial and medical devices firms. Al Sisto, chief executive at Tern, explains: We look for high-margin businesses which are perhaps slower to grow but which, in the long run, make more money. Consumer and gaming apps might be a hit on the apple store and get 10 million downloads but they are rare. Our businesses aim to provide expertise in key areas. So far it has seven investments: Device Authority, flexiOPS, FundamentalVR, InVMA, Push Technology, Seal Software and Wyld Technologies. FundamentalVR a virtual reality firm for practising surgeons is a good example of what Al Sisto is looking for. The technology allows surgeons to feel whats its like to cut, drill or saw tissue without having to worry about mistakes. A licence costs 10,000. Sisto also likes to invest in firms which are based in the UK but which can be quickly rolled out across the US. Tern has said it plans to raise more money to grow its portfolio, adding it could tap investors for 3 million to 4 million: it wants to add a further five firms to its investment portfolio by the end of next year. The only downside to the business is that for investors looking for rapid growth, there are other options. For instance tech-focused venture capital firm Draper Esprit announced in April that the value of its portfolio has more than doubled over the past year, to 244 million. The firm, which has invested in businesses such as customer review site TrustPilot and indirectly backs fintech unicorn TransferWise, put the increase down to 71 million of new investments and a 75 million boost in the fair value of its existing investments. Nevertheless buying into Draper Esprit is not cheap as its share price has grown from 444p to 620p in just six months. It also counts the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, as its fourth-largest shareholder. NAIROBI, Kenya - Entries for the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) Awards are now open for best journalistic coverage of the United Nations and UN agencies. Courage The Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize, sponsored by the Alexander Bodini Foundation, for written media (including online media). The prize is for print and online coverage of the UN and UN agencies, named in honour of Elizabeth Neuffer, The Boston Globe bureau chief at the UN, who died while on an assignment in Baghdad in 2003. The Ricardo Ortega Memorial Prize for broadcast (TV and radio) media. The prize is for broadcast coverage of the UN and UN agencies, named in honour of Ricardo Ortega, formerly the New York correspondent for Antena 3 TV of Spain, who died while on an assignment in Haiti in 2004. The Prince Albert II of Monaco and UNCA Global Prize for Climate Change. The prize is for print (including online media) and broadcast media (TV and radio) for coverage of climate change, biodiversity, and water. The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) invites media worldwide to submit entries for its 23nd annual UNCA Awards for the best print, broadcast (TV and radio) and online, web-based media coverage of the United Nations, UN agencies and field operations.This year also marks UNCA's 70th anniversary celebrating seven decades of journalism committed to reporting on the UN and its many causes and objectives.The deadline for submissions is September 15, 2018 and the awards are open to all journalists anywhere in the world. Work in print, broadcast (TV and radio) and online coverage, must have been published between September 2017 and August 2018.Coverage of the UN and UN agencies is specified in each category, and the committee welcomes coverage of all issues particularly on the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, peacekeeping operations and nonproliferation, including the elimination of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.The judges will look for entries with impact, insight and originality, and will consider the courage and investigative and reporting skills of the journalists. Entries from the developing world media are particularly welcome.Entries can be submitted in any of the official UN languages (English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian), however a written transcript in English or French is necessary to facilitate the judging process.Each candidate can submit to no more than two prize categories, with a maximum of three stories in each. Joint entries are accepted. Electronic files and web links uploaded to the online Entry Form are required.The various awards are:The UNCA awards committee is: Sherwin Bryce-Pease, UNCA President; Giampaolo Pioli, awards chairman; Valeria Robecco, UNCA vice president; Carole Landry, UNCA treasurer; Seana Magee, UNCA secretary; Oscar Bolanos, UNCA executive member; Widad Franco, UNCA executive member; Tuyet Nguyen, awards selections coordinator.*Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of UNCA. L ondons population is already big enough to include Brighton, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and two dozen other English cities. Soon it will squeeze in an extra Birmingham, too. But as anyone buying or renting a home knows, there just arent enough places to live in. Every Mayor promises to build more homes and then every Mayor struggles to make anything happen. Boris Johnson once boasted of raising housebuilding to levels not seen since the 1930s, to almost zero effect. Now its his successor who is coming under fire. In his draft plan for housing, Sadiq Khan says hell increase the target for construction from 42,000 a year to 65,000. But, as we report today , the new Communities Secretary, James Brokenshire, has hit back, saying that while its a helpful first step its nowhere near enough. We agree. London can and should build much more. And the problem isnt a lack of money. After all, ours is one of the richest cities on the planet. So what will it take to make it happen? For a start, we need something better than a row over targets. It hardly matters whether the level is set at 42,000 or 65,000 or even the 100,000 some think is needed when the reality is that in 2017 just 27,140 extra homes were added to Londons housing supply. Thats more than in recent years but less than in the 1970s or 1930s, and less than Londoners have been promised. A weakening property market isnt likely to boost future levels, either. What counts is finding more places to build and getting approvals through fast. That means a better use of brownfield sites: the Olympic Park in Stratford is a model, with 10,000 homes planned by 2030. London is Europes biggest city by area, but also one of its least densely populated and theres plenty of room to add homes while making the city a more pleasant place to live. After all, the most expensive boroughs in the capital are also some of the most intensely built. But it also means a properly planned use of marginal sites in the green belt, too. Last week the Government toughened up rules to protect the green belt, which will make hitting housing targets harder. A sensible planning policy would protect countryside near the capital but allow homes on waste land. We need to hear more about that from ministers and the Mayor, if the number of new houses Londoners are being promised is to become more than a fantasy. Corbyns critics are right Not, as you might think, for their views but because they have dared to speak out about Jeremy Corbyns weak and increasingly baffling handling of the issue. Either he doesnt realise Labour has a problem with the way it is seen by Britains Jewish community, which is worrying, or he does, but doesnt care, which would be worse. He may think this is all a plot by moderates to undermine him: after all hes spent decades in politics believing in conspiracies. But this issue is real and toxic and goes to the heart of the decent society Labour, until now, has claimed to represent. Remember, its not Mr Corbyns political opponents in other parties who are judging him for this it is brave MPs in his own. The fact that they risk being investigated for it speaks volumes about the sort of political movement he now leads. Opioid abuse online Weve reported before about the huge risks that come from the excessive and casual use of opioids. Our special investigation in March showed that overdose admissions to hospitals had nearly doubled in a decade. There is one obvious fix: stop web pharmacies selling them without a formal doctors prescription. N ous faisons le camping. Ah a phrase to conjure with, instantly evoking the GCSE French textbooks of my youth. They love le camping, do our garlic-chewing cousins across the Sleeve. And whos to blame them? Where we are it is warm and breezy, and at the ablution block you can hear many European languages cheerfully passing the time of day around a mouthful of le, or possibly la, dentifrice, and a small sandy beach gives on to a broad shallow stretch of cool brown river where dragonflies lift and settle and flit and the water chatters constantly over the rocks. And, as if its an unimpeachable norm of existence, coils of good meaty Toulouse sausage and fresh crusty bread, and decent cheese are everywhere easily and cheaply obtained. Which brings me, a bit roundabout, to my point. A bit of distance; perspective. For now and again I consult my phone and peek back at the conversation back home, and I think: have you (by which, unfortunately I mean we) gone completely mad? Talk about signs and portents the weeks of heat ; the biblical thunderbursts. And now you (by which I mean we) are talking, no more than a few hundred miles from this land of easy camping and plentiful charcuterie with which we have hitherto enjoyed easy commerce, about contingency planning that will involve hoarding tinned goods and the actual army being drafted in to ferry vital food and medicine to deprived areas. I mean, yes, no doubt this is all Project Fear. But we might note that Project Fear, in this case, is being promulgated (despite some admirable efforts to keep all this scary planning on the down-low with confidentiality clauses) by exactly the people who are ostensibly trying to bring Brexit about. Its HMG, not LBC, thats readying the military convoys and stockpiling vaccines just in case. And in any case, its all about the narrative, right? And youd have to admit that the remoaning liberal elite, at this stage, have control of the narrative. Bendy banana rules are an affront to true-born Britons had a good long run. But now holy **** theres going to be no food or medicine and military rule were all going to have to eat the old people is enjoying a late surge. And, sure, stop talking Britain down and all that but theres a bit of ground to make up between food riots and a wonderful new era of independence and prosperity, from a PR point of view. Maybe someone like Iain Duncan Smith needs to make a speech or something. "Theres a bit of ground to make up between food riots and a wonderful new era of independence and prosperity" Narrative-wise, there was always a science fiction vibe to the Brexit conversation. A bit steampunk, to start with the vision of an 1890s buccaneering empire with 21st-century tech. But now were heading more for John Wyndham territory: strange weather, national breakdown, canvas-sided convoys of olive-drab army trucks with bulbous headlamps thundering up the M1 and triffids all over the shop. No doubt itll all work out. But, sitting here in a place where everythings basically fine, and remembering that all of this is entirely voluntary, I have to say it does look bloody odd. Roll on, the Astley and Berry show Since we all need a bit of cheering up, hats off to Mary Berry the Bake Off emerita who at 83 took to the stage at a rock festival in Dorset to deliver a scorching Animal-from-the-Muppets-style drum solo during, of all things, a set by Rick Astley . Theres always a careful calculation to be made in these matters: would appearing on stage with Rick Astley fatally damage Marys street cred with the Kids? She clearly decided that shes a big enough star these days that she could do him a favour. (Those who marvel that Mary can wear jeans and play drums at her age should remember Alan Bennetts remark that in England if you can eat a soft-boiled egg at 90 they think you deserve a Nobel Prize.) Odd to think that around the time he was singing Never Gonna Give You Up she was probably writing The Aga Book neither for a moment imagining how their destinies were to twine. Its nice to imagine that this wont be a one-off collaboration. At the very least, for instance, she might pay tribute to his contribution to the early days of memes by baking a Rickroulade. *TV presenter Davina McCall has been on the receiving end of unpleasant comments after posting a picture of herself on Instagram wearing a bikini. Its said she looked too thin and was therefore setting a bad example to her younger followers. She says shes being thin-shamed . Davina McCall / PA You found the most beautiful hotel with the most incredible view. You have decided, importantly, on your favourite lounger and your tan is accelerating at a similar rate (even more importantly) as your friendship with the barman. Its a perfect poolside scene. Dont ruin it by slinging some old denim shorts on over your bikini for lunch, max out your absolutely fabulous holiday vibe with some equally killer resort wear. Remember: dress for the yacht you want. Lelloue If you're not big on boho and prefer your beachwear with a side of serious sass, then Lelloue is the brand for you. Founded in 2017 by designer Amy Molyneux (co-owner of fashion label PPQ) and Helen Johnson, Lelloue make the sort of silky slips, kimonos and wide-leg trousers that look just as appropriate on a night out in London as they do shimmying on a yacht in Mykonos. Think super cool neon leopard prints, bold rainbow stripes and even sequinned eveningwear. Pool party anyone? Prices range from 100 for a silk turban to 970 for silk chiffon dresses. Available at Selfridges. Three Graces London Catherine Johnson initially launched Three Graces London in 2015 as a luxury nightwear brand. However when she discovered people were flocking to Selfridges in droves to buy her floaty white cotton nighties to wear to the beach, launching beachwear became a very natural next step. Think billowing, super-fine silk and linen in gorgeous Grecian, 'grammable styles. Prices from 250-730. Available on Farfetch, Matches and Net-a-Porter. Evarae Central Saint Martins graduate Georgia Thompson worked as a designer for Reiss, Topshop, French Connection and Heidi Klein before launching her own label in 2016. And her experience and knowledge of technical cuts and fabrications certainly shows from delicate cut work on digital prints to double-faced lycras, these are beach garms youll feel your most gorgeous in. Prices for beachwear start at 275 and go up to 425. Kalita If your idea of a perfect holiday involves drifting from the pool to a sunset Aperol spritz without a care in the world or need to change outfits, stuff your suitcase to the brim with Kalita. The brainchild of London-based Texan-Iraqi Kalita Al Swaidi who has more stamps in her passport than most, each piece is cut from parachute silk, hand-dyed by artisans and designed to breeze beautifully from the beach to the bar. Prices start at 350 and go up to 820. Available at Matchesfashion.com, Net-a-Porter and Moda Operandi. Lee Pfayfer Ukrainian architect-turned-designer Lidiya Pfayfer embroiders symbols of her favourite places, onto lightweight linen dresses - think corals for Saint-Tropez, monstera leaf for Bali and vases for Shanghai using a hand embroidering technique that takes ten days per dress. Gorgeous and uber-grammable power beachwear. Add to basket stat. Prices from $690. Cult Gaia This LA cool-girl label shot to social media stardom thanks to its coveted crescent-shaped bamboo Ark clutch bag. Now, designer Jasmin Hekmat has expanded into clothing and, my god, are we glad. Chic, sustainable and sartorially bang on the money, these are dresses that will take you from beach to wedding in a breeze. Prices from 655. Available on Moda Operandi. Cloe Cassandro Inspired by a love affair with Bali, Cloe Cassandro launched her namesake brand in 2016. Her signature crinkle cut silk designs are all ethical and handmade using artisan Indonesian tailoring techniques and batik. Prices from 104- 290. Available on Net-a-Porter. Dodo Bar Or In just four short years Dodo, a former actress based in Tel Aviv, has succeeded in creating a cult resortwear brand with an instantly recognisable aesthetic. Her colourful, tasselled tunics and shift dresses take inspiration from the bold colours and energy of her hometown of Tel Aviv, and have been worn by everyone from Bar Rafaeli to Leandra Medine. Prices range from 85 - 578. Available on Matches, Selfridges, Harrods and Net-a-Porter. Athena Procopiou What initially started as a scarf line has now extended into a full resort collection consisting of dresses, kimonos, cover-ups and swimwear. Worn by everyone from Kate Moss to Lily Allen and Alice Naylor-Leyland, Central St Martins graduate Procopious designs are an ultra-feminine, blissed-out boho collection of pastel florals, frills and candy stripes. D uring the summer cravings for ice-cold drinks kick in, so piping hot coffee doesnt quite cut it. We all know the capital does hot coffee well but London also has a great selection of its colder counterpart. From refreshing cold brews to more indulgent creamy creations theres a variety to tickle every tastebud. These are the places to pick up an iced coffee in the city. Opso This upmarket Greek joint serves a selection of standout iced coffees. Their iced espresso bar is open until 8pm and it boasts a variety of chilled treats. Choose between an Espresso Freddo, Cappuccino Freddo, Latte Freddo or a signature Opso Iced Coffee. If that wasnt enough choice, theyve also got cold brew on offer. 10 Paddington St, W1U 5QL, opso.co.uk Shoreditch Grind With sites in Shoreditch, Soho, Holborn, London Bridge its clear Londoners cant get enough of this espresso bar franchise. The original Grind, Shoreditch Grind, is located on the Old Street Roundabout. The iced coffee here is a crowd pleaser, bringing in all kinds of east London characters. To keep things slightly more sustainable, all their coffee is roasted in their Grind HQ just around the corner. 213 Old St, EC1V 9NR, grind.co.uk Department of Coffee and Social Affairs Get your fix: The Carnaby St venue This popular chain has recently launched their own cold brew bottled coffee in stores. While its not an iced coffee per se (if were getting technical), its still a colder, refreshing version of the hot drink. Theyve been working on it for a few years to perfect the recipe look out for notes of toffee, cocoa, caramel, peach and nectarine. 3 Lowndes Ct, W1F 7HD, departmentofcoffee.com The best cold brew coffee in London 1 /5 The best cold brew coffee in London Monocle Cafe Marylebone spot the Monocle Cafe boasts some of the most refined cold brew in the capital, with plenty of delicate and naturally sweet textures. Monocles deliciously creamy take on iced coffee is also well worth checking out; grab a takeaway cup of either of them for a refreshing morning pick-me-up or take a seat and enjoy a leisurely drink in the stunning Scandinavian and Japanese-inspired setting. Timberyard Seven Dials is home to some of the very best coffee shops in the city but nowhere in the area does cold brew quite as well as Timberyard. The artisan coffee makers produce deliciously smooth cold brews with deep and intense espresso flavours and also offer a sweeter option made with sugar syrup. The chains other locations in Shoreditch and Soho are similarly well-stocked and home to some of the best alternative and cold brew coffees in the city. Vagabond Holloway Roads Vagabond teamed up with cold brew specialists Sandows London back in 2014 and have hosted their brewery out of the cafes basement ever since. Brewed over 16 hours and served in bottles, the cold brew served in both their N4 and N7 branches is naturally sweet and as smooth as youre likely to find in London, with the extended brewing process adding intensity and complexity to the flavour. Department of Coffee and Social Affairs Whereas some coffee shops only offer one variety of cold brew, if any at all, Department of Coffee & Social Affairs offers a range of different options across selected London chains. Their Amber Nectar and The Ghost Orchid variations boast bold mango and honey flavours, with producers implementing a shorter brew time to optimize the fruitier textures of the coffee. Head to their outlets in Carnaby, Piccadilly, Leather Lane, Whitechapel, Spitalfields, Norton Folgate and Kingston to try the deeply refreshing concoctions. Kaffeine Aussie coffee institution Kaffeine know better than anyone how to cool down in the warm weather. The chains excellent cold brew is packed with sweet textures and goes perfectly with any number of the chains fantastic and varied cake selection. Their iced coffee is crisp and refreshing too - try adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream into the mix too for a really indulgent summer treat. Iris & June This neighbourhood spot has a super-chilled vibe, so its no wonder that Victoria locals can't get enough of it. All their coffee beans are roasted in small batches in Shoreditch and they even rotate the coffee to give customers a chance to experience different brands in the UK. They also only serve organic milk as well as dairy-free alternatives including almond, cashew, oak and soya milk. 1 Howick Pl, SW1P 1WG, irisandjune.com Timberyard Ice ice baby: Timberyard's coffees This creative public workspace specialises in tea and coffee so much so that it was even crowned Best Independent Coffee Shop in Europe back in 2014. Impressive stuff. This spot will 'ice' any coffee on the menu be it a cappuccino, mocha or turmeric latte. Both almond milk and oat milk are available on request too. 7 Upper St Martin's Ln, WC2H 9DL, tyuk.com Brooklyn Coffee The vibe may be minimalist at this Shoreditch spot but the iced coffees pack a punch in all the best ways. The folks here serve up Caravan-blended coffee either black or with milk. This place should be top of the list for any hot and bothered east Londoner. F orget the Nae Nae and the floss, a new dance craze has taken the internet by storm - the #KiKiChallenge. If you've even done so much as scroll through Twitter over the past month, you've probably already seen the videos (some better than others). The dance trend characteristically features an individual dancing alongside a moving car to Canadian rapper Drake's hit single, In My Feelings. At first, it started off as a bit of fun and games in the name of Instagram likes, but it's now become a global safety issue, with police around the world warning people against stepping up to the challenge. But what is the #KiKiChallenge, where did it come from and why are police cracking down on the viral dance? Here's everything you need to know: What is the #KiKiChallenge? As social media veterans will know, when it comes to viral challenges, we've just about seen it all. But the #KiKiChallenge is in equal parts both ridiculous and impossible to look away from, and before you know it you've spent your entire lunch break scrolling through the best ones. The #KiKiChallenge, also known as the #InMyFeelingsChallenge, involves a willing volunteer who opens the passenger door of a moving car and proceeds to dance alongside it to the opening lines of Drake's "In My Feelings," from his latest album, Scorpion. The now-iconic lyrics go as follows: "KiKi, do you love me? Are you riding? Said you'd never ever leave from beside me, 'cause I want you and I need you, and I'm down for you always." If you haven't heard it yet, look it up - you'll be singing it to yourself probably for the rest of eternity. Where did the #KiKiChallenge come from? The dance itself went viral after internet comedian Shiggy posted a video of himself on Instagram busting some moves to Drake's song. Interestingly, the original video did not involve a car. The plot thickened when Shiggy's friend Odell Beckham Jr. filmed himself doing the dance outside of a vehicle. And thus, the #KiKiChallenge was born. What has Drake said about the #KiKiChallenge? Drake has let the money do the talking, and can largely thank Shiggy for making In My Feelings skyrocket to the top of the charts. This is despite the song not originally planned to be released as a single. On the day the song went to number 1 in the US, Drake posted a photo of him with Shiggy to his Instagram. Shiggy has since slyly hinted that Drake should cut him a share of the profits. What celebrities have done the #KiKiChallenge? Everyone from Will Smith to Ciara has had a go. Will Smith went the extra mile and did the challenge on top of a bridge in Budapest. In the video, which he posted to Instagram, he says whilst scaling the bridge: "this is definitely illegal." Even Drake couldn't resist giving fans a show during his set at Wireless festival. Why are police saying it's too dangerous? As one would expect, there are going to be multiple risks involved with jumping out of a moving car and dancing alongside it in the middle of the road. Police in Florida have said that anyone caught jumping out of a moving car and dancing alongside it could be slapped with a $1000 fine plus criminal charges. Mumbai police posted a warning tweet reading: "Not just a risk for you but your act can put life of others at risk too. Desist from public nuisance or face the music!" T he father of a young woman killed in a speedboat accident during a date in London has warned the boat owner that justice is coming after he skipped bail and fled. Shepherd faces six years' imprisonment over the death of Miss Brown, who was killed when his speedboat capsized on the Thames in December 2015. The pair had been on their first date and drunk several bottles of wine before going on a late-night cruise on his speedboat. Guilty: Jack Shepherd has skipped bail and is on the run / Metropolitan Police Shepherd, who was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence at the Old Bailey after a trial in his absence, has ignored repeated pleas by Ms Brown's family to hand himself in. Her father, Graham Brown, 52, urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact police. "Those who know something need to examine their consciences," he told The Sun. "I'm sure someone will make that call. Justice is coming, of that I'm certain." Tragic death: Charlotte Brown was killed in the crash / PA The paper has offered a 10,000 reward for help in finding Shepherd. The pair met on dating website OkCupid and went out for the first time on December 8 2015. He treated Ms Brown to a 150 meal at Oblix in the Shard, where they drank two bottles of wine. Fighting: Charlotte Brown's mother Roz Wicken and sister Katie / PA The couple took a taxi back to Shepherd's home, a houseboat in Hammersmith, where they took champagne aboard the speedboat for a trip past the Houses of Parliament. In mobile phone footage, Ms Brown could be heard shouting that they were going "so fast" as Shepherd drove at more than double the 12 knot speed limit. On the return journey, Shepherd handed over the controls to business development consultant Ms Brown, who followed suit and went "full throttle". Mobile footage of date driving defective speedboat The speeding boat hit a submerged log and tipped over near Wandsworth Bridge, sending both occupants into the water. Shepherd was found clinging to the hull and Ms Brown was pulled from the water unconscious and unresponsive. Paramedics battled in vain to save her as she was already in cardiac arrest and suffering from hypothermia. Guilty: Jack Shepherd pictured at court before he skipped bail / PA The court had heard how Shepherd bought the 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO from Gumtree to "pull women". In the months before Ms Brown's death, Shepherd had entertained up to 10 women on the 1980s model, having invited them back to his houseboat. During that time, he had been caught speeding by marine police more than once and advised on the importance of wearing life jackets. Police interview with man who encouraged date to drive defective speedboat An arrest warrant was issued after his conviction on Friday. F our teenagers have been arrested after a group of yobs allegedly attacked a woman with flour and eggs and posed for a Snapchat picture of their severely distressed victim. The woman, aged in her forties, was disabled and vulnerable, according to posts on social media. Police said she was set upon by a group of teenagers who threw flour and eggs on her after a verbal altercation on Friday evening. A shocking photo was then shared on Snapchat of four youths posing and laughing next to the victim who is seen hunched over on a bench completely covered in flour. People on social media reacted with horror to the alleged assault, which happened in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, with some calling for the boys to be hunted down. Comedian Robin Armstrong who posted the image to his 750,000 followers and said he wanted the boys to be hunted down and deserved to have their heads "stoved in". But Mr Armstrong was criticised for encouraging vigilantism after a man said he had been threatened because he was mistaken for one of the boys. Police said the woman was severely distressed by the incident, despite being physically unharmed. Two 17-year-olds and two 15-year-olds were arrested on Saturday and have been released on bail. Inspector Anthony Bridgland said: "This type of behaviour is totally unacceptable and we are treating the matter seriously. We have made three arrests so far and we are continuing to carry out further lines of enquiry. "We know this incident may have caused concern and anger both in the local community and online but we would like to reassure everyone that we are tackling the matter robustly and supporting the victim." A judge has criticised a Scotland Yard investigation into the suspected murder of a 10-year-old girl highlighting a series of police blunders. Police originally dismissed the death of the child in 2016 as an accident, believing she had hanged herself on the lace netting decorating her bunk. But a High Court judge has pointed out series of errors made by detectives. Mr Justice Francis says police failed to properly search for fingerprints, failed to carry out forensic tests on fibres and hairs found in the girls bed, failed to properly seal the crime scene and failed to interview relatives who were with the girl. He also identified 13 police blunders in the investigation, describing it as replete with the sort of mistakes in the Poppi Worthington case, a reference to the 13-month-old who died in Cumbria in 2012. Police also failed to check whether 15 samples of male DNA found on the girls underwear matched any on the national DNA database, according to the Sun. Detectives also neglected to follow up the family claims that a relative known as Mr B might have been the killer. In a statement the Met said officers from the Homicide and Major Crime Command continue to lead the investigation into the girls death. It said: Detectives are working with a range of partner agencies in this case including the local authority. Enquiries into the full circumstances continue. This remains a live investigation. S adiq Khan's plans to deal with Londons housing crisis were savaged today by the Government. Communities Secretary James Brokenshire has threatened to intervene if the Mayor fails to radically improve his London Plan. In a letter, he warned Mr Khan that his target to build new homes is too low. Mr Brokenshire has also asked Government officials to investigate how more information on newbuilds could be made public, amid claims that City Hall has exaggerated the number of homes being built, an allegation Labour has rejected. Mr Khan hit back at the letter, accusing the Government of abject failure on housing, slashing funding for more affordable homes in the London, while raking in billions in stamp duty from the capital. City Hall also insisted that last year the Mayor started building more genuinely affordable homes at a higher rate than that achieved by Boris Johnson or Ken Livingstone. Mr Brokenshire has asked Government officials to investigate how more information on newbuilds could be made public(Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) / Getty Images In his hard-hitting letter, Mr Brokenshire, MP for Old Bexley & Sidcup, stressed that London faces the most severe housing pressures in the country. He said average house prices are now more than 12 times average earnings, compared with an England-wide ratio of less than eight, and far more than what an individual can typically expect to borrow for a mortgage. Mr Brokenshire added: This is clearly unacceptable. Housing will continue to remain out of reach of millions of hard-working Londoners unless we see a step-change in housing delivery. He welcomed the proposed increase in Londons housing target in the Mayors draft plan from 42,000 to 65,000 a year. But he said it was just a helpful first step and accused Mr Khan of failing to recognise the scale of the challenge. I am not convinced your assessment of need reflects the full extent of housing need in London to tackle affordability problems, he said. Government officials believe the target should be as high as 100,000 a year. The figure cited in revised planning policy guidelines is 72,000. Mr Brokenshire urged Mr Khan to get on with housing schemes but stressed he should review the London Plan, taking on board the planning changes, at the earliest opportunity. I remind you that if this is not forthcoming, I have powers to direct the review to ensure London delivers the plan and homes that communities need, he warned. City Hall accused the Government of giving London an affordable housing grant of 700 million a year, compared with 1.75 billion in 2009/2010. A spokesman for the Mayor said: Rather than criticising the Mayors ambitious plan and plucking numbers out of thin air, ministers should meet with him to discuss the powers and investment London urgently needs. With Sadiq as Mayor, City Hall started building more genuinely affordable homes including more social homes last year than in any since devolution, smashing the record under previous mayors. The fall in house prices in London picked up during April to June to the fastest pace for almost a decade. The drop means that the average London homeowner has seen more than 9,000 wiped from the value of their property over the past year, making it worth 468,845, according to lender Nationwide. Such a price is still beyond the dreams of many Londoners paying exorbitant rents. Tens of thousands of people are also on councils housing waiting lists. Other issues raised by Mr Brokenshire include fears that the Mayor is banking on many homes being built on small sites by small or medium-sized firms. It is also claimed the London Plan lacks detail on achieving housing targets, including how City Hall will work with boroughs. Mr Brokenshire added: I would remind you that I have powers to intervene before the Plan is published, by giving a direction to avoid any inconsistencies with current national policy. J eremy Corbyns problems just keep growing. After last weeks front-page stories by three Jewish newspapers calling the Labour leader an existential threat and the Observer digging up comments Corbyn made about Israel being behind Egyptian Islamist attacks, author Dave Rich has uncovered some historic associations that wont do the Labour leader any favours. In August 2012, Corbyn (right) appeared on Irans Press TV with a convicted Hamas terrorist named Dr Abdul Aziz Umar. He got seven life sentences for helping to organise a Hamas suicide bombing in Jerusalem in 2003 that killed seven people, Rich points out. The bombing at the Cafe Hillel took place during the second intifada. Among the victims were Dr David Applebaum, head of the emergency room at Jerusalems Shaare Zedek Medical Center, and his daughter Nava, who was due to be married the next day. Umar was charged with providing a safe house for the terrorists and guarding the property as they fitted the bomber with a suicide belt. He was released a year before his Press TV appearance as part of the prisoner swap arranged to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. You have to ask the question why they are in prison in the first place, said the now Labour leader. Im glad that those who were released were released. Umar was appearing on the show by video link but Corbyn pointed out the pair had met before. I met many of the brothers, including the brother whos been speaking here when they came out of prison, when I was in Doha earlier this year, he said.Rich also notes that this appearance on Press TV took place seven months after the channel lost its Ofcom licence. This followed a 100,000 fine for broadcasting the forced interrogation of a Newsweek journalist held prisoner in Iran. The Labour Press office said this morning: In 2012 Jeremy was commenting on the prison conditions of Palestinian prisoners, including elected representatives. He was of course in no way supporting or endorsing the actions of the prisoners, but defending their rights under international law. Stones guru who flared up the 1960s Christopher Gibbs, antiquarian and style guru to The Rolling Stones, has died. Gibbs, who passed away last week aged 79, had an eventful life: he is credited with bringing about the flares and floral shirts revolution of the 1960s. He was also at Keith Richards Sussex mansion when it was raided by the police and Marianne Faithfull was escorted out wearing nothing but a fur rug. Model Jasmine Guinness and fashion journalist Hamish Bowles were among those to pay tribute online to the original man of wealth and taste. No shave: Ed Balls: (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images) / Bloomberg via Getty Images HIS documentary series Travels in Trumpland with Ed Balls saw the former shadow Chancellor slip into a wrestling leotard last night. They asked me to do a full body shave in order to oil up, he says. I figured that for the BBC it was a step too far Ive never shaved my legs for television and Im never going to. --- Former MP and one-time Celebrity Big Brother contestant George Galloway is bracing himself for a hard-cheese Brexit: Dont Panic, he tweeted last night. If through EU perfidy we crash out of the Bankers Club in March, we have been there before. If we run out of brie, we can always eat cheddar. Thats comforting. Elon's ex Talulah quickens pulses with details of her next novel Ascot revellers: Victoria Pendleton, Zafar Rushdie, Patrick Grant, Lucy Clayton, Talulah Riley, Georgia May Foote and Natalie Rushdie (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse) / Dave Benett/Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse Amber Le Bon, model daughter of Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon, was enjoying the sunshine at the Flannels Summer Party on Saturday in Windsor. It wasnt her first time in the area: she was one of the lucky few who attended the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May. Models Betty Bachz and Eliza Cummings were also at this weekends event, held at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club. At Ascot, Westworld actor Talulah Riley was attending the King George Weekend with Olympian Victoria Pendleton, presenter Kirsty Gallacher and tailor Patrick Grant. Riley, ex-wife of tech giant Elon Musk, is writing a dystopian fiction novel entitled The Quickening. I was inspired after the US election, and I was thinking about if Hillary Clinton had won? She would be one of these global leaders, along with Angela Merkel and Theresa May. And what if having these women in charge turned out not to be a good thing? SW1A A gaffe worthy of Boris: new Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (below) referred to his Chinese wife, Lucia Guo, as Japanese during a conference in Beijing. My wife is Japanese, he said, then paused. My wife is Chinese. Thats a terrible mistake to make. In an attempt to salvage the situation, a panicked Hunt added: My wife is Chinese and my children are half-Chinese and so we have Chinese grandparents. --- Hove MP Peter Kyle, who is dyslexic, was subjected to primitive treatment as a child. I was sent off to a quack therapist in London who made me wear a wooden contraption on my head every night after school, he recalls. --- Wheatus, the US band famous for Teenage Dirtbag, have turned from pop to politics. UK friends, they ask on Twitter, why does the UK Labour account have no mention of Brexit despite it being a world-wide trend and front-page news? Wheatus for President. Quote of the day Millennials are all very sweet to me but Ive read theyre all virgins Author Jilly Cooper is worried about the sex drive of the younger generation Gladstone's revenge The Fine Collection is a sales and marketing company that represents hotels and lodges in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia. It recently partnered with Chloe Yoga, a yoga education and empowerment platform that provides people from all walks of life with easy and accessible tools to introduce yoga and well-being into their everyday lives. Yoga to be a differentiator in a crowded marketplace Candle-lit meditation to improve sleep The goal is to provide yoga retreats at their properties as an added attraction in the increasingly competitive hotel market. Chloe Yoga retreats were launched at the Krystal Beach, a four-star graded contemporary hotel in Gordons Bays Harbour Island development.Although Chloe Yoga is grounded in the Kundalini tradition, their approach is a multidisciplinary one that uses yoga to bring transformation of, in their words, body, mind, and soul. Were about putting the treat back into the retreat, says Chloe Guilhermino, explaining that the whole experience is intended as a nourishing one.For Brenda Munro, a partner in the Fine Collection, this offering is yet another differentiator and way to increase interest in and sell more bed nights in the collections portfolio. For Guilhermino and her business partners, the retreats are a way to strengthen the regular yoga classes and growing online platform which includes a weekly free Facebook Live yoga session every Wednesday evening.For the person seeking a weekend away with a little more, the retreat, which includes a wonderfully written and illustrated e-book about yoga and meditation, is a great way to begin or re-energise a yoga practice. And because Chloes focus is on the individual - any level of fitness or flexibility is welcomed. I can attest to this personally as I have very limited mobility in my back and neck as a result of an arthritic condition, Ankylosing Spondylitis, which I raised with her before joining the session. Unlike some yoga practice, where the goal is to attain perfect position and posture, her approach is much kinder and softer and works to explore, in a gentle and nurturing way, what works for you. That said, there were experienced yogis at the retreat too who were given more advanced and challenging positions to consider.The Saturday afternoon session began with a greeting and introduction, which was followed, a little later, by a one-hour class. After a delicious meal together (curried butternut soup, beautiful cob with choice of sides or a steak and vegetarian option and dessert), the evening ended with a candle-lit meditation before bed. I dont recall when last I slept as well.There was another hour-long session before the hotels lavish buffet breakfast, the next morning. The goal was to have the mornings yoga outside, overlooking the yacht marina and onwards to the mountains of Gordons Bay, but the weather didnt play along.I was lucky enough to be at the launch event of this hotel, which you can read about here , and what impressed me at this return visit was how solidly the hotel had developed. It felt comfortable in its skin and there was a vibrant energy about the place. Their art gallery space is still an exciting one and our one-bedroom suite was as elegant and pristine in its grey and soft blue-colour palette as the day it was built. J eremy Corbyn was hit with fresh fury today over Labours handling of an anti-Semitism row after a second MP was threatened with disciplinary action. Senior MP Chris Leslie said he was mortified at how party chiefs had reacted when Ian Austin MP confronted Labours chairman Ian Lavery over its stance on anti-Semitism. Dudley North MP Mr Austin, the son of adoptive Jewish parents, is facing possible disciplinary action following the clash with Mr Lavery, which came as he defended Dame Margaret Hodge. Barking MP Dame Margaret was also threatened with disciplinary steps earlier this month after accusing Mr Corbyn of being a racist and an anti-Semite. The row centres on Labours National Executive Committee refusing to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances full definition of anti-Semitism in its new code of conduct. Labour MP Ian Austin who has accused party leader Jeremy Corbyn of "supporting and defending" extremists and anti-Semites / PA Can you be allowed to compare Jews to Nazis [and claim] somehow thats not anti-Semitic? Its mortifying, former shadow chancellor Mr Leslie told BBCs The Westminster Hour. Ian Austin speaks his mind. Does he have a right as a backbencher to put those points forcefully to the establishment? Absolutely. Yvette Cooper, Labour chair of the home affairs committee, added: Ian Austin has always been a powerful voice campaigning against the far Right. Responding to Labours anti-Semitism problems with an investigation into Ian is getting things completely wrong. Mr Austin said the incident with Mr Lavery was just a heated discussion. This is disputed by some Labour insiders. He later said he was deeply ashamed of Labour for not fully adopting the IHRA definition. He questioned whether Mr Corbyn was a suitable party leader, accusing him of supporting and defending all sorts of extremists. A party spokesman insisted Mr Corbyn was a militant opponent of anti-Semitism. But Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the party leader was leading Labour into a dark place of ugly conspiracy theories which had become a home for overt anti-Semites. Labour insisted the IHRAs examples of anti-Semitism are covered in its new code. A spokesman said the party is fully committed to the support and defence of the Jewish community and its organisation. He added: The NEC has concerns about half of one of the IHRAs 11 examples, which could be used to deny Palestinians their rights to describe discrimination and injustices they face in the language they deem appropriate. F oreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he made a terrible mistake after referring to his Chinese wife as Japanese during his first visit to Beijing as foreign secretary. Mr Hunt made the gaffe at an official meeting with Chinese counterparts which he was hoping to use to boost trade ahead of Britain leaving the EU next year. He may have hoped that his personal connection to the country through his wife Lucia could help forge strong links with the Beijing government, but that was undermined when he got her nationality wrong. During a meeting Chinese government figures including foreign minister Wang Yi, he said: My wife is Japanese my wife is Chinese. Thats a terrible mistake to make. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and his wife Lucia / PA My wife is Chinese and my children are half-Chinese and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xian and strong family connections in China. Mr Hunt married Lucia Guo in 2009 and the couple have three children together. China and Japan have been rivals for thousands of years and relations between the two remain delicate over Japans occupation of the country in the 1930s and 40s. Jeremy Hunt is on his first trip to Beijing as foreign secretary / AFP/Getty Images Before heading off to China, Mr Hunt hailed UK-China relations, saying that the two countries were both major powers with a global perspective. During his visit, he will stress Britains commitment to deepening ties post-Brexit between the nations. He will also discuss North Korea, nuclear weapons and climate change during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. Mr Hunt took over the role of foreign secretary following the resignation of Boris Johnson earlier this month. T oo many Conservatives have their eyes shut to the Brexit threat to tens of thousands of jobs and the wider economy, a senior MP warned today. Nicky Morgan, chairwoman of the Commons Treasury select committee, spoke out after Brexiteers accused the Government of seeking to panic the public by publishing assessments of the potential impact on Britain of crashing out of the EU with No Deal. Their complaints have sparked astonishment given that they have been demanding that ministers spend billions on preparing for the UK splintering away from the EU in a bitter divorce. Have I got this right? Those who have spent two years saying that No Deal is not a problem are now complaining bitterly because the Government is quantifying what No Deal would actually mean, tweeted Hilary Benn, the Labour chairman of the Commons Brexit committee. The Brexit Department had planned to put out a regular series of papers during the summer on what a No Deal could mean for the UK. But this plan is now understood to have been put on hold after uproar from Brexiteers amid claims that it is Project Fear 2.0. However, former Education Secretary Mrs Morgan told the Conservativehome website: There are far too many Conservatives at the moment whose eyes are shut and whose fingers are crossed as they hope for something to turn up. Nicky Morgan said: 'there are far too many Conservatives at the moment whose eyes are shut and whose fingers are crossed' / Getty If we fatally undermine our economy, or turn a blind eye to its fate during the Brexit process, then the Conservative Party will write itself out of the political history of the UK. She believes that both the Tories and Labour are almost irretrievably split over Brexit and urged Conservative MPs who want a soft Brexit to speak up after Theresa May made concessions to the European Research Group (ERG), led by Right-winger Jacob Rees-Mogg. For many of us, the Prime Ministers capitulation to the ERG amendments on the Customs Bill, which were intended to fatally undermine the Chequers proposals, was a watershed moment, Mrs Morgan said. Cabinet ministers are touring European capitals seeking to persuade them to offer Britain a better trade deal than currently on the table from Brussels. New Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt was in Beijing today, where he said China had offered to open discussions on a post-Brexit free trade deal, and is then heading to Paris and Vienna. However, trade experts do not expect China to suddenly throw open its markets to British firms on a large scale. Meanwhile, German finance chief Hubertus Vath said he hopes to lure 1,000 more jobs from the City to Frankfurt over the next year. Mr Vath, chief executive of marketing group Frankfurt Main Finance, said 1,500 had already moved and a catastrophic Brexit could take the total to 10,000. S peculation over who is the mother of Skeptas baby is growing after the Mercury Award winning artist posted an ultrasound picture of a baby. Skepta, real name Joseph Adenuga, posted a sweet image of an ultrasound with the name Babe Adenuga above it on Instagram on Monday. The Grime star did not reveal too much about the announcement, only adding a rose emoji for a caption. Social media was quick to fire off rumours about who the mother could be, with many posing it could be Naomi Campbell, who Skepta posed with on the front cover of GQ earlier this year. One user said: WAIT, SKEPTA POSTED AN ULTRASOUND ON IG... IS IT NAOMI CAMPBELLS BABY????? While another said: Congrats and that but who is Skepta's baby Mum???????" N ew drone laws come into force today with punishments including up to five years in prison for anyone who endangers an aircraft. The UKs new Drone Code bans people from flying a drone above 120m, and within 1km of an airport or airfield. Legal responsibility is placed solely on the user. Earlier this month, a report found a drone came within six metres of colliding with a plane which had taken off from Luton Airport in May. Another drone put 130 lives at risk after a near miss with a plane preparing to land at Gatwick Airport in July last year. The UKs skies are among the busiest in the world for drone use and the code also rules drones have to be kept 50m away from people and properties. The new law has been welcomed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Assistant director Jonathan Nicholson said: As recreational drone use becomes increasingly widespread across the UK, it is heartening to see that awareness of the drone code has also continued to rise: a clear sign that most drone users take their responsibility seriously and are a credit to the community. A file image of a drone and helicopter flying over London / PA A msterdam has become lawless because of disruptive behaviour from Brits on pub crawls and stag parties, the citys ombudsman has said. Arre Zuurmond said that the city has no authority and police can no longer handle the situation after dark because of the out of control behaviour. He said that the city becomes lawless after dark especially in the red light district with groups of men prowling the streets. Mr Zuurmond moved into the centre of Amsterdam for two weeks to see problems in the city and said that many of those involved were either from the UK or other parts of the Netherlands. He told Trouw newspaper that the city centre becomes an urban jungle at night and police can no longer handle the situation". He claimed that there was open drug dealing, and drag racing throughout the city. One night we counted 900 offences. There is violence but no action. England fans hurl beer over tourists in Amsterdam "You can even pee on the van of a mobile (police) unit and the driver won't say anything." In May, Amsterdam warned British and Dutch tourists who party excessively that they could face fines of around 100 euros. The Enjoy and Respect campaign targets men aged between 18 to 34 years visiting the city. Tourists found caught urinating in the streets and late-night singing outside homes and residences can be fined around 140 euros (124). D onald Trump has praised Italys hard-line approach to immigration and encouraged other European countries to follow suit. In a meeting at the White House on Monday, the US president told his Italian counterpart he very much agreed with the way he has handled Europes migrant crisis. Mr Trump told Giuseppe Conte: "I agree very much with what you're doing with respect to migration, illegal immigration and even legal immigration. He added: He has taken a very firm stance on the border, a stance that few countries have taken. And frankly he is doing the right thing in my opinion. A lot of other countries in Europe should be doing it also," Mr Trump said. The two leaders held talks at the White House on Monday / AP Mr Trump welcomed the prime minister to the White House for the first time since the Italian leader came to power in June, bringing together two outsider leaders who have emerged from populist waves within their countries. Mr Conte leads the eurosceptic coalition of the 5-Star Movement, which considers itself anti-establishment, and the right-wing, north-based League party. Mr Trump last week avoided escalating a trade dispute with the European Union and his administration is expected to begin negotiations quickly on avoiding tariffs on automobiles and removing trade barriers. The US president noted the US trade deficit with Italy, a member of the EU, and said he was certain "we'll straighten that out pretty quickly." The White House has noted that Italy is an important NATO ally and a key partner to U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. H undreds of climbers are trapped on a volcano in Indonesia following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that left 16 people dead. According to the countrys disaster agency, 500 people remain on Mount Rinjani on Lombok island, a day after the powerful earthquake struck the popular tourist destination. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency said that 820 people had been on the volcano when the earthquake struck with 246 successfully evacuated so far. The two trails on Mount Rinjani were impassable following the earthquake. Those left stranded have been urged to remain in their locations until rescuers reach them. Hundreds of hikers are waiting to be rescued / AP According to the Foreign Office, a number of Britons were caught up in the earthquake but have been confirmed safe. A spokesperson said: ""Embassy officials are in close contact with Indonesian authorities about the search and rescue operation on Mount Rinjani. "A number of British nationals are confirmed safe; we are continuing to monitor the situation Hikers from France, Thailand, the Netherlands and Malaysia are among those waiting to be rescued. A house is left destroyed following the Lombok earthquake / AFP/Getty Images The death toll currently stands at 16 with more than 67 people seriously injured in the quake. A 30-year-old Malaysian woman visiting Mount Rinjani was among those killed. Two helicopters have been deployed to take trekkers off the mountain and also distribute food. Agung Pramuja, an official of the West Nusa Tenggara Disaster Mitigation Agency, said: The latest information from the team in the field is that today all the families stuck on Mount Rinjani will be evacuated via the Sembalun trail. "This is being handled by the management team from Mount Rinjani National Park. Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the affected area on Monday / AFP/Getty Images The quake struck at 6.47am on Sunday and was centred 31 miles northeast of the city of Mataram. It was also felt strongly to the west of on the neighbouring island of Bali. Nearly 80 subsequent tremors were recorded, with the largest aftershock recorded at 5.7 magnitude, Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics Agency said. The earthquake was on land and did not trigger any waves or tsunami. Over 1,000 homes have been damaged on the island. Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the area on Monday and spent time with locals. Mount Rinjani is 3,726 metres high and is the second largest volcano in Indonesia. S hocking CCTV footage shows the moment a woman is attacked outside a Paris cafe after telling a man to stop sexually harassing her. The video has sparked nationwide outrage in France and kick-started a debate in the country over how women are treated while walking the streets. Student Marie Laguerre was walking past a cafe in the north east of the French capital when the man made comments and noises at her. When she confronted him, they exchanged words and he forcibly slapped her round the face in front of a restaurant of shocked diners. The man also threw an ashtray at her but missed. Ms Laguerre shared the video online, and reported the incident to police, in a bid to take a stand against street harassment. The CCTV footage has since been viewed thousands of times and sparked outrage across France, where new laws are poised to come into place making street harassment a finable offence. Ms Laguerre, 22, said in a Facebook post that she was walking in the 19th district of Paris on Tuesday when a man began making humiliating and degrading comments to her, as well as noises of a sexual nature. She said the harassment was not the first she had been subjected to that day, that week or that month She said she told the man to shut up because I don't tolerate this kind of behaviour. The man then became angry when his advances were spurned, she said, and tried to throw an ashtray at her. Harassment: Ms Laguerre, seen in the far of the image in red, reaacted after the man made sexual comments to her / Marie Laguerre/Facebook The pair exchanged jibes and the man walked back towards her. He is then seen striking her, with people sitting nearby jumping up in shock. Ms Laguerre said in a radio interview she knew he was going to hit her when he walked towards her. I could have run off but there was no question of that. I wasn't going to look down and certainly wasn't going to apologise." She added in a newspaper interview: "I felt hatred. I refused to be demeaned." Witnesses remonstrated with the man and Ms Laguerre initially went home, before returning to the cafe to take witness statements. She said the owner let her use the CCTV and she filed a complaint to the police. Slap: People at the cafe reacted angrily to the incident / Marie Laguerre/Facebook Harassment is daily, she wrote on Facebook. These men who think they're all allowed on the street, who can humiliate us and don't stand to be offended, that's unacceptable. It's time for this kind of behaviour to stop. She told Le Parisien that she was overwhelmed by the response that the video has got since she shared it on her page. "It's not about me now, it's about all women. It happens every day, women talk about it. As long as the phenomenon continues, we can never talk about it enough." Equalities minister Marlene Schiappa, responsible for the new street harassment laws being introduced, told local media she was outraged by the incident. An inquiry has been opened but, according to the BBC, the man has not yet been traced. T he mystery surrounding the fate of missing flight MH370 will never be explained unless the planes wreckage is found, investigators revealed today. They said a significant lack of evidence made it impossible to say what caused the Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people to divert from its flight path and disappear from radar less than 40 minutes after take-off in Kuala Lumpur in March 2014. The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found, Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, said today as a key report into the disaster was released. He said there was no reason to suspect the pilot or co-pilot but added: We cannot exclude the possibility there was unlawful interference by a third party. Relatives of the dead hoping for definitive answers were left in tears. Missing: MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 / Wikipedia The report also highlighted a delay in air traffic control launching search missions. Grace Nathan, a lawyer whose mother Anne Daisy was on the plane, said: We hope these mistakes will not be repeated. Contact was lost with the plane a minute after pilot-in-command Captain Zaharie Shah, 53, radioed air traffic control in Malaysia saying: Good night Malaysian Three Seven Zero. His sister Sakinab Shah today said the report put to rest the theory that her brother, a married father of three, was responsible for the planes disappearance. Four-year search that has yielded nothing Malaysia airlines MH370, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, departed from Kuala Lumpur at 12.42am on March 8, 2014. It was due to arrive in Beijing about five and a half hours later. At 1.19am, Captain Zaharie shah radioed air traffic control in Malaysia. It was the last communication from the plane. A search started later that day and continued for 1,046 days until January 17, last year without success. On January 10 this year, US firm Ocean infinity began a 90-day search. It also failed to locate the missing aircraft. Several pieces of debris were found washed ashore the coasts of South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania, and the islands of Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion. Todays report said: The fact remains that there are 239 persons still missing. Despite two exhaustive searches of the southern Indian Ocean, neither the fuselage nor any bodies have been found. The plane had 227 passengers and 12 crew on board. Only three small pieces of wreckage washed up on or near the east coast of Africa have been confirmed to be from the Boeing 777. The flight is known to have diverted off its planned route to Beijing. Todays report, ordered by the Malaysian government, said the diversion was likely made while the aircraft was under manual control and not the autopilot. It said there was no evidence the airworthy MH370 was evading radar, and that loss of contact with air traffic control was probably caused by the systems on the plane being switched off or failing. It could not be established whether the aircraft was flown by anyone other than the pilots, it added. The plane is thought to have crashed into the sea, probably after running out of fuel. The 10th Brics Summit, which took place in Johannesburg from the 25th to the 27th of July, has been hailed as a huge success by President Cyril Ramaphosa. President Cyril Ramaphosa Agreements signed Brics Outreach We have come to the end of the Brics Summit, which has been hugely successful. We as South Africa are very pleased with the way the Brics summit succeeded in achieving the many objectives we had in mind. It was one of the most well organised summits as articulated by the heads of state from the Brics countries, Ramaphosa said.The three-day summit brought together leaders who represent 40% of the worlds population and 22% of the worlds GDP.Among the positions taken, Ramaphosa said the Brics grouping took a fairly firm stance against protectionism and felt the need to do everything to protect the multilateral system which is now under attack".Commitment to the multilateral trading system was reaffirmed by the bloc which spoke against protectionism and called for openness and multilateralism.We confirmed our commitment to the World Trade Organisation, as the most effective mechanism available to ensure that a rules based transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system, he said.President Ramaphosa said the 2018 summit was proof that Brics is not merely a talk shop but a forum that takes clear decisive decisions to better their nations as a collective.On day-two of the summit, leaders signed the Johannesburg Declaration which among others supports an open and inclusive multilateral trading system.In addition, two agreements were signed, one on environmental cooperation and a memorandum of understanding on a regional aviation partnership amongst the Brics countries.The summit agreed on the establishment of a Brics Womens Forum, a vaccine centre to be based in SA and a tourism track to promote people-to-people cooperation.As part of Brics Outreach as informed by the 2011 Sanya declaration, leaders from the five countries committed to expand their cooperation and partnerships to non-member countries. In line with this, Brics-Africa and Brics-Plus sessions were held on Friday.Ramaphosa said South Africa, which took a stance to be truly representative of Africa in Brics, achieved this objective during the course of the 2018 summit.When we took up our membership in Brics, we felt that we were representing the African continent and that that we would use our participation in Brics as leverage for the African continent and advocate for the development and progress of the African continent.This time around we achieve that in more than one way as various countries were able to network and have bilateral meetings, he said.African Union (AU) Chair and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Togo President and Chair of the Economic Community of West Africa States (Ecowas) Faure Gnassingbe, Angolan President Joao Lourenco, Ugandan President and Chair of the East African Community, Yoweri Museveni and Namibia as incoming chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) participated in the Brics-Africa outreach session.Meanwhile, Chair of the G20 and influential Common Market of the South (Mercosur) Mauricio Marci; Chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and President of Turkey Recep Erdogan and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took part in the Brics-Plus session on Friday. - A CRISP winter sun rose this morning over a country crackling with excitement and apprehension. Zimbabweans flocked to polling stations across the southern African nation, joining long queues at dawn to vote in the first post-independence election not to involve the ousted former president, Robert Mugabe. For me, voting today is regaining my power, taking hold of my future, said Tsungai, an administrator voting in an affluent suburb of the capital Harare. Were living from pay cheque to pay cheque, added Mona, a 29-year-old graphic designer, referencing the countrys ongoing and severe economic turmoil. Id like to design a better Zimbabwe and thats why Im here. Diaspora Zimbabweans have also been flooding back to vote, desperate to finally grab hold of the democratic freedoms long denied under Mugabes 37-year rule. I had to come, a firefighter who had travelled from Dubai with his young family told me wryly. It might just count this time. As campaigning drew to a close on Saturday, Zimbabweans gathered at massive rallies held by Emmerson Mnangagwas Zanu-PF and the opposition MDC. Tens of thousands of MDC supporters were just metres from the Zanu-PF HQ, a political display that would have been unthinkable even a year ago. People were ebullient, and many somewhat intoxicated both from the heady promises of change made by the MDC presidential candidate, as well as the popular local beer, chibuku. And at the eleventh hour, Uncle Bob as Robert Mugabe is often referred to by Zimbabweans had one more surprise in store. Summoning journalists for a rambling press conference at his Blue Roof mansion, Mugabe said that he would be voting for the opposition candidate and not his one-time deputy who orchestrated his removal. It was a stark reminder from Mugabe, and his much-reviled wife Grace, that their ability to grab the headlines still endures. But headlines aside, Zimbabweans voting today know that together they are taking a significant step out from under Mugabes far-reaching and painful shadow. Zoe Flood is a freelance reporter based in Africa. P olls have closed and counting is under way in Zimbabwes first general election since long-serving ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted. Voter turnout was 75 per cent, it was reported, in what is expected to be a tight contest between the incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa and main rival Nelson Chamisa. Many citizens of the African nation are anxious for change after economic and political paralysis during the nearly four-decade rule of 94-year-old Mr Mugabe who was ousted in a military coup. Electoral workers tally presidential candidates ballots during counting operations for Zimbabwe's general election / AFP/Getty Images The two main contenders are president Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, a former deputy leader who took over after Mr Mugabe stepped down last year, and 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who became head of the main opposition party a few months ago. Opinion polls gave Mr Mnangagwa, who heads the ruling Zanu-PF party, a narrow lead over Mr Chamisa, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, according to reports. The official result has to be announced within five days but there will likely be an indication of the outcome on Tuesday. Observers check the tally of votes at a polling station for the general election in the suburb of Mbare of Zimbabwe's capital Harare / AFP/Getty Images Mr Chamisa yesterday claimed victory was certain as millions cast their vote. He told cheering crowds the people have spoken after voting at a primary school in the countrys capital Harare. He was welcomed with greetings and shouts of our new president, despite the indications of opinion polls giving Mr Mnangagwa the edge. President Mnangagwa in a surprise speech said he would not vote for his successor after being forced from office by the party I founded. I cannot vote for those who tormented me, he said. An opinion poll last week saw the MDC close the gap with the ruling Zanu-PF party from 11 percentage points to three, with 20 per cent of voters undecided. President Mnangagwa urged the country to remain peaceful during the historic election, tweeting: Let us vote with peace in our hearts. We are one people, with one dream and one destiny. We will sink or swim together. D anny Dyer has admitted his fears over his daughter Danis relationship with Jack Fincham when they leave the Love Island bubble and come back to reality. The EastEnders star, 41, has said that hes worried that the pen salesman will get caught up in the whirlwind of fame when the show ends and might struggle to maintain the romance. He has no idea. When he comes out hes from South East London and hes going to be the nations sweetheart and so his mates are going to want a bit of that, Dyer told the Mirror. Hell get caught up in the whirlwind of it. And of course they have got the added pressure of being in a public relationship which is again really difficult, really difficult. Back to reality: Dani and Jack will be tested outside the villa / ITV Dyer said that, while he didnt think Jack would cheat on his daughter, he would need to be careful about who he is photographed with in future. Everywhere they go they are going to be followed around, especially for the first couple of months, he said. Love Island's Jack and Dani make up in 'adorable' reunion clip So when he is out with his mates, Im not saying at all if he would ever cheat, but there will be pictures of him. Dyer previously admitted that he has been watching the show every night before jetting to Florida with his family last week. Love Island: Everywhere you can meet the Islanders after the final 1 /10 Love Island: Everywhere you can meet the Islanders after the final Love Island: Live Four of the biggest Islanders are starting their personal appearances at London Island: Live, which takes place at Londons Excel centre on August 10. Dani, Megan, Wes, Eyal and Adam will all be taking part in a stage show and Q&A, dishing dirt on their fellow islanders and discussing their time in the villa. There's also be a meet and greet section, where fans will have the opportunity to meet all four reality stars and take pictures. The stage show is 20, while entry to the show and the meet and greet is 35. A bargain, if you ask us. ITV Adam Collard Things went from the sublime to the ridiculous for Adam after leaving Love Island. After announcing a herculean 61-date tour, he partied in Mallorca before returning to the UK for a club night in Peterboroughs Edwards nightclub the following night. He can currently be found visiting such hotspots as Romford, Guildford, Stafford, Basildon, Redcar and Bromsgrove before ending on November 17 in Glasgow. While it sounds like a huge undertaking, Adam is certainly making the most of his new situation hes estimated to earn over 300,000 for the tour. Fair play. ITV Eyal Booker Eyals deep ethics seem to have gone out the window after being dumped from the villa he can now be found flogging bars of chocolate on Instagram. Wow, spiritual. Elsewhere, Eyal is making public appearances in nightclubs up and down the land. August sees him visit the likes of Manchesters Tiger Tiger (August 16) and Hastings Grand Electra (August 31), before visiting Bangors Cube Nightclub (September 1), Kingdom in Liverpool (September 22) and Cafe De Paris in London (September 26) among others. ITV Jack Fincham The UKs most loved pen salesman and diamond geezer Jack is on his travels over the next few months after the final, visiting Pryzm nightclub in Plymouth (August 3), Club 88 in Croydon (August 4) and Blackpools Home & HQ (August 6). Will Dani be alongside him? Only time will tell... ITV Wes Nelson The Do Bits society hits the road this August, with founding father Wes hitting up some of the UKs top regional nightclubs. Punters will have the chance to meet him at Hanley club Chicago's (August 4), Pryzm Watford (August 6) and Croydons Club 88 (August 18). Wes could well have won the competition by the time he rolls into town. If him and Megan do win, expect a lot more dates to be announced very soon. ITV Dani Dyer Dani Dyer has spent the last few months winning over the hearts of the nation. She's come across as one of the most likeable faces on telly and now shes coming to a nightclub near you, appearing at Lincolns Home (August 7 and August 24), Readings Q Club (August 18), Crawleys Moka (August 31), Plymouths Pryzm (September 1) and Blackpool's Home & HQ (September 20). ITV Sam Bird Sams time on Love Island was been dominated by talk about his eyebrows. Hes reportedly fixed them since leaving the show though and fans can see them in person at Pryzm Bristol (August 4). Talking of eyebrows, Sam raised a few after officially coupling up with Georgia recently too odds are the happy couple will announce a few more joint appearances over the coming weeks. ITV Jack Fowler Londons own Jack Fowler is one of the biggest lads in the competition, and probably the most likely to go for a cheeky Nandos straight after getting off the plane back to Heathrow. Hes taking time out to make a joint appearance with Frankie Foster at Pryzm Watford (August 3), before flying solo at Kooky Wakefield (August 4). Lads, lads, lads get yourself down. ITV Josh Denzel Josh seems to have rebuilt his reputation with the UK public after splitting with Georgia early on. Now, hes coming to the Pryzm nightclub chains in Cardiff and Bristol (both on August 11) and Plymouth (August 26), as well as Halifax's Atik (August 16) and Guildfords Bar Thirteen (August 18). Joshs road to redemption starts here. ITV Alex Miller Remember Alex? The one that wore specs and looked a bit like a young Danny Dyer? Basically, he came in, got rejected and left. Now, hes hitting up the likes of Pryzm Kingston (August 1), Pure Basingstoke (August 17) and Code Sheffield (September 26). Unmissable stuff. ITV Viewers were delighted when the TV hardman and wife Jo popped up on screens via video link-up during Sundays penultimate episode. No listen, I will say, I got it wrong baby. I told you not to do it. Were so proud of you, you are incredible. Youre an absolute hero babe, he told his emotional daughter. Telling her what he really thinks of her other half, he added: Babe hes lovely. Hes a proper geezer mate. Youve found a right proper geezer in there. He then told Jack: Listen, I approve of you mate. I think youre absolutely bang on. I werent at first, I thought oh here we go. On this series of Love Island, we've been gripped by bed-hopping, break-ups and betrayal. We're on the edge of our seats waiting to find out which couple will reign victorious - but what of the others who came before them? Ahead of this season's climax, we take a look at the couples of last summer and what they're up to now. From cheating scandals to a marriage made live on television, here is all the latest from the class of 2017... Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies - split Split: Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies / ITV Last year's winning couple took home a share of the prize money each and a piece of each other's hearts but their romance just wasn't meant for its fairytale ending as they split just nine months after getting together . In a statement last December they said: With sadness, weve decided to separate. We fell in love in the villa and want to thank all the fans of the show for supporting us. Our schedules made it difficult. Well remain good friends. Love Island 's Amber Davies admits Chem was 'right person at the wrong time' Since then, Cetinay has remained on our small screens as a finalist in Dancing On Ice, rebooted by ITV earlier this year, as well as slots on This Morning. He will return to the Love Island scene this summer as he hosts a podcast called The Morning After alongside Arielle Free. Montana Brown and Alex Beattie - split All over: Montana Brown and Alex Beattie / ITV2 While this pair famously were one of the friskiest on the show, much to Montanas mums disappointment, their romance proved to be lust rather than love and has fizzled out after just a few weeks. After rumours circulated that the pair had split, with Montana leaving the reunion show wrap party accompanied by former flame Simon Searles, both she and Alex confirmed things had ended on social media. Love Island Series 3 - in pictures 1 /35 Love Island Series 3 - in pictures ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV Alex went to work for boohooMAN while Montana kicked off a career in presenting by leading a fashion feature on This Morning. The 22-year-old had a brief role as a presenter on MTV, but things didn't work out and she was dropped just six months in. Reports claim she has since moved on from Beattie with model Elliott Reeder. Jessica Shears and Dom Lever - still together and MARRIED Tied the knot: The couple have since wed / ITV2 The loved-up couple were certainly not short of drama in the villa after nearly reaching breaking point over Muggy Mike Thalassitis. But, since then, they appear to have come through the worst are stronger than ever. The couple proved their love for each other on Valentine's Day 2018 when they married live on Good Morning Britain dressed in their swimwear. Right, so they never actually married because it turns out it wasn't all that legal but...it's the thought that counts, right? They are, however, engaged. Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes - split Split: Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood / Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Chris and Olivia had one of the most turbulent relationships ever seen on Love Island, thanks in part to that man Muggy Mike Thalassitis again, but their relationship fared little better on the outside. The couple finally called time on their relationship in March after seven months together officially, their break up playing out in front of the cameras on their own reality show Chris and Olivia: Crackin' On. Love Island 2017 Contestants return to UK - in pictures 1 /12 Love Island 2017 Contestants return to UK - in pictures Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt Rex Features Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies Rex Features Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood Rex Features Chris Hughes, Olivia Attwood, Kem Cetinay, Amber Davies, Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt Rex Features Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville Rex Features Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies Rex Features Kem Cetinay surrounded by friends and family at Stanstead Airport Rex Features Rex Features Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes returning home Rex Features Chloe Crowhurst Rex Features Gabrielle Allen at Stanstead Airport Rex Features Gabrielle Allen and Ethan Allen Rex Features Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt - still together Eschewing social media promotion for something a little more meaningful, Jamie and Camilla stayed true to their word by heading out to Greece to volunteer at a refugee camp. They kept their followers up to date with snaps of them preparing meals for the children at the centre, Jamie teaching them how to play guitar and Camilla showing off her sporty side. ITV Romance-wise the pair are rather less keen on gushing social media declarations of affection, but to all appearances seem to still be going strong. Nearly a year down the line and they are still travelling with their charity work and posting sweet snaps of each other. Sam Gowland and Georgia Harrison - split Done and dusted: Sam Gowland and Georgia Harrison are all over / ITV These two only had a few days in the villa to get to know each other before they were dumped from the show which may have contributed to the demise of their short-lived love affair. After days without being seen together and several photos of Sam looking cosy with other ladies on nights out, Georgia confirmed on Twitter that the pair were no longer together. Her post hinted that Sam just might have been unfaithful - she wrote: "Would like to confirm that myself and Sam are no longer together. Unfortunately for some men one girl isn't always enough," but later denied that the Geordie lad had cheated on her. Happy to have had a taste of reality television, Sam has gone on to join the cast of Geordie Shore and is dating Chloe Ferry. Marcel Somerville and Gabby Allen - split Over: Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville / Ian West/PA Although Gabby was accused of faking her feelings for ex-Blazin Squad member Marcel while on the show, the pair had a much smoother time of things since leaving the house. They were hit by split rumours but they proved to be just speculative as the pair went on strong. Somerville confirmed the reports were true , saying he was unfaithful during a bad stage in their relationship and that he will regret it forever. A representative for the star told Mail Online: Sadly the rumours are true, Gabby and Marcel have split up. Marcel can't really defend his actions as he knows he did wrong and will regret it forever. "Marcel is upset that he broke the heart of someone he loves and someone that he shared so many special moments with, but with all the good times there are difficult times, and sadly Marcel and Gabby had been in a bad place at this stage." The annual Gagasi FM Shero Awards are back. Every year in August, Gagasi FM celebrates women's month through the Shero campaign. The campaign recognises and honours women who are making a significant difference in their communities. Creative Arts (Fine arts, poetry, literature, fashion and architecture) Entertainment and Music Sports Science and Technology Big Business Professional (Legal, medical, finance, etc.) Enterprise (Small businesses) Social Entrepreneurship Education Public Service (Police, nurse, etc.) Community Leadership KZN Ambassadors While the campaign has been there for a number of years, last year the station introduced the awards element to take the campaign to new heights and to have a more tangible recognition of women who are the real imbokodos of KZN.The call is now open to the public to send through names for nominees consideration. The entries will close on 2 August and the awards ceremony will be held on 11 August in Durban. The unique thing about Shero Awards is that it recognises not only women in the public spotlight, but also ordinary women in communities.The primary criteria for the submission entries is that the chosen nominees' work and contributions must fly the KZN flag high, contribute to the growth, development and national visibility of the KZN province and its community. All candidates must originally be from KZN even if they currently reside in a different province.The list of categories is as follows:Every year the overall Shero Award is named after a South African female icon who has made a significant contribution or influence in the history of the country. Last year the overall Shero Award was named after Queen Nandi and this year it will be named after another national icon who will be announced in due course.The overall Shero Award is received by one of the 11 preselected Sheros and is awarded to that woman that best resonates with the value system and the characteristics of an icon that the award is named after in that year.A panel of independent judges will go through all the entries received and shortlist the nominees as per the categories above. This panel is made up of women only who are coming from various academic and professional backgrounds. All the shortlisted nominees will also go through the independent auditing process to ensure that they meet the requirements as per the terms and conditions of the awards.We are very happy with the campaign and the awards as it recognises KZN women who are making a mark in various walks of life, who are touching other peoples lives and are an inspiration to the next generation. The awards also come at a time when we continue to see violence against women happening in our communities. We hope that the Shero campaign and the awards will assist in the fight against women abuse and actually profile the roles that women play in uplifting our communities and building a better nation. We call upon people to submit their entries and join us in celebrating good work that our women are doing, says Gagasi FM Head of Brand, Phinda Magwaza.For more information about Shero Awards and how to submit entries, visit www.gagasiradio.fm Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe United Nations human rights experts have urged Egyptian authorities to release a poet and songwriter arrested for writing a song critical of government policies. Galal El Behairy, Egyptian poet. We stand by Egyptian artist Galal El-Behairy as he awaits his court sentence today. No artist should fear making their voice heard. Join us with @AtRiskArtists in the fight for #FreeExpression. Sign the petition to #FreeGalal: https://t.co/dWfpQsNHBZ @free_galal pic.twitter.com/xARrtTvNRh PEN America (@PENamerican) July 28, 2018 Galal El Behairy was arrested earlier this year by National Security Police and disappeared for a week before appearing to face charges of terrorist affiliation, disseminating false news, abusing social-media networks, blasphemy, contempt of religion, and insulting the military.El Bahairy wrote the lyrics to the song Balaha, performed by Ramy Essam, and released on 26 February 2018. The music video was posted on social media, drawing over 3.7 million views.In March, El Behairy was arrested by National Security Police before being charged. In May, he attended his first trial in the Military Court. The Courts sentence has been delayed three times since 16 May, and is now expected on 31 July. He remains detained in Tora Prison in Cairo.We are alarmed at the arrest and alleged ill-treatment of El Behairy which appears to be related solely to the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity, said the UN experts.The statement was issued by UN experts: Karima Bennoune, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Seong Phil Hong, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; Nils Melzer, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and Bernard Duhaime, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Councils independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.El Behairys detention takes place against a backdrop of restrictions to freedom of artistic and other forms of expression and to the right to take part in cultural life in the country. We have received allegations that it is increasingly common for artists, activists and journalists to be arrested and detained on charges such as publishing false news.We are very worried at the reported criminalisation of the legitimate exercise of artistic expression through the imposition of a range of dubious charges.We urge the relevant authorities to investigate the alleged ill-treatment of El Behairy, and to acquit him of all charges related to the creative expression of his political views. We recall that all individuals have the right to participate in varied information exchanges, to contribute to artistic expression, and to take part in cultural life and in the development of their society, including through political debate and expression of opinion and dissent, without fear of sanction or reprisals, the UN experts said in a statement. The second stage of the national campaign "Information at Home! Safety in the World" will continue during August-September, for Romanians that wish to travel, to work, or to live outside the country, Minister for Romanians Abroad, Natalia Intotero told a press conference on Monday, where she presented the first-semestre stocktaking report of the Ministry she runs. She specified that the second part of the campaign will focus on involving county councils. "We will discuss with all the representatives of the territorial-administration units of each county and we will try to inform, as well as possible, the citizens who wish to travel, work or live outside the country, in collaboration, surely, with the associative environment from outside the country's borders, with Romanian parishes, and media representatives," said Intotero. Moreover, she talked about the demarches carried out for the return and social re-insertion process of the Romanians abroad. "Until now we have had working meetings in view of initiating a draft law concerning the return and social re-insertion process," said Intotero.The Minister mentioned that discussions have taken place for identifying solutions, so that students who were born outside Romania's borders and who are facing difficulties in adapting when their families return home, benefit from the support of teachers in educational units."Anytime Romanians abroad faced delicate situations, we tried to answer "present", she maintained.In this sense, the Minister specified that she was in the Bari area, Italy, in order to discuss with representatives of the authorities, but also of the social centers as well. "In these centers we have a lot of institutionalized minors, but we also have Ms. Cristina Condrea (...) the Romanian woman who was held captive for 10 years. We made sure that (...) both she and her children benefit from the most decent living conditions," Intotero declared.Intotero also said that she was in the area of Seville, Spain, to analyse the situation of two minors whose mother passed away. "We made sure that these two girls are getting all the love and attention from the authorities," the Minister for Romanians Abroad said. She also added that she talked with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as from the the National Authority for Child Rights Protection and Adoption, procedures being kicked off to bring the two minors back to Romania. Romania's three-month interbank offered rate ROBOR, which serves as benchmark for floating-rate loans in lei, climbed 0.02 percentage points on Monday to 3.47 percent per annum, announced the National Bank of Romania (BNR). A higher value was registered on February 24, 2014, of respectively 3.55 percent per annum. According to central bank data, early this year the three-month ROBOR was 2.05 percent, whereas one year ago, on July 30, 2017, it was 0.87 percent.As regards the 6-month ROBOR that is used for pricing mortgage loans, it went up to 3.53 percent, while the nine-month ROBOR - a measure of what banks charge each other for loans - it reached 3.57 percent per annum. The 12-month ROBOR stood at 3.63 percent per annum on Monday, up 0.01 percentage points that the value recorded on Friday. Last week, we considered how the Bush and Obama administrations worked in tandem wittingly or unwittingly, but Im betting on the former to move forward with the construction of a US missile defense system smack on Russias border following the attacks of 9/11 and Bushs decision to scrap the ABM Treaty with Moscow. That aggressive move will go down in the (non-American) history books as the primary reason for the return of Cold War-era atmosphere between Washington and Moscow. Currently, with the mainstream news cycle top-heavy with 24/7 Russiagate baloney, many people have understandably forgotten that it was during the Obama administration when US-Russia relations really hit rock bottom. And it had nothing to do with Hillary Clintons home computer getting allegedly compromised by some Russia hackers. The year is 2008; welcome to the international peace tour although farce tour would be much more accurate. Fatigued by 8 long years of Bushs disastrous war on terror, with over 1 million dead, maimed or on the run, the world has just let out a collective sigh of relief as Barack Obama has been elected POTUS. Due to Obamas velvety delivery, and the fact that he was not George W. Bush, he was able to provide the perfect smokescreen as far as Washingtons ulterior motives with regards to Russia were concerned; the devious double game America was playing required a snake-oil salesman of immeasurable skill and finesse. Just months into his presidency, with hope and change hanging in the air like so many helium balloons, Obama told a massive crowd in Prague that, To reduce our warheads and stockpiles, we will negotiate a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the Russians this year. President Medvedev and I began this process in London, and will seek a new agreement by the end of this year that is legally binding and sufficiently bold (Applause!). It would take another 8 years for the world or at least the awakened part to come to grips with the fact that Americas first Black president was just another smooth-talking, Wall Street-bought operator in sheep clothing. In the last year of the Obama reign, it has been conservatively estimated that some 26,000 bombs of various size and power were duly dropped against enemies in various nations. In other words, nearly three bombs every hour, 24 hours a day. But more to the point, US-Russia relations on Obamas watch experienced their deepest deterioration since the days of the US-Soviet standoff. In fact, with the benefit of hindsight, we can say that the 44th US president picked up almost seamlessly where Bush left off, and then some. Initially, however, it looked as though relations with Russia would improve as Obama announced he would shelve the Bush plan for ground-based interceptors in Poland and a related radar site in the Czech Republic. Then, the very same day, he performed a perfect flip-flop into the geopolitical pool, saying he would deploy a sea-based variety which is every bit as lethal as the land version, as then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates admitted instead of a land-locked one. Following that announcement, Obama appeared intent on lulling Moscow into a false sense of security that the system was somehow less dangerous than the Bush model, or that the Americans would eventually agree and cooperate with them in the system. In March 2009, a curious thing happened at the same time relations between the two global nuclear powers were hitting the wall. A meeting more of a photo opportunity than any significant summit took place between then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva. To the delight of the phalanx of photographers present, Clinton, in a symbolic gesture of resetting relations with Russia, produced a yellow box with a red button and the Russian word peregruzka printed on it. You got it wrong," Lavrov said to general laughter. It should be perezagruzka [reset]," he corrected somewhat pedantically. "This says peregruzka, which means overcharged. Clinton gave a very interesting response, especially in light of where we are today in terms of the bilateral breakdown: "We won't let you do that to us, I promise. We mean it and we look forward to it." As events would prove, the US State Departments mistaken use of the Russian word for overcharged instead of reset was far closer to the truth. After all, can anybody remember a time in recent history, aside from perhaps the Cuban Missile Crisis, when US-Russia relations were more overcharged than now? In hindsight, the much-hyped reset was an elaborate ploy by the Obama administration to buy as much time as possible to get a strategic head start on the Russians. It deserves mentioning that the fate of the New START Treaty (signed into force on April 8, 2010), the nuclear missile reduction treaty signed between Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, hung in the balance on mutual cooperation between the nuclear powers. Nevertheless, it became clear the Obama sweet talk was just a lot of candy-coated nothing. What is truly audacious about the Obama administrations moves is that it somehow believed Moscow would radically reduce its ballistic missile launch capabilities, as prescribed in the New START treaty, at the very same time the United States was building a mighty sword along the entire length of its Western border. The Obama administration clearly underestimated Moscow, or overestimated Obamas charm powers. By the year 2011, after several years of failed negotiations to bring Russia onboard the system, Moscows patience was clearly over. During the G-8 Summit in France, Medvedev expressed frustration with the lack of progress on the missile defense system with the US. When we ask for the name of the countries that the shield is aimed at, we get silence, he said. When we ask if the country has missiles (that could target Europe), the answer is 'no.' Now who has those types of missiles (that the missile defense system could counter)? We do, Medvedev explained. So we can only think that this system is being aimed against us. In fact, judging by the tremendous strides Russia has made in the realm of military technologies over a very short period, it is apparent the Kremlin understood from the outset that the reset was an elaborate fraud, designed to cover the administrations push to Russian border. As I wrote last week on these pages: In March, Putin stunned the world, and certainly Washingtons hawks, by announcing in the annual Address to the Federal Assembly the introduction of advanced weapons systems including those with hypersonic capabilities designed to overcome any missile defense system in the world. These major developments by Russia, which Putin emphasized was accomplished without the benefit of Soviet-era expertise, has fueled the narrative that Putins Russia is an aggressive nation with imperial ambitions, when in reality its goal was to form a bilateral pact with the United States and other Western states almost two decades ago post 9/11. As far as Russiagate, the endless probe into the Trump administration for its alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 election, not a shred of incriminating evidence has ever been provided that would prove such a thing occurred. And when Putin offered to cooperate with Washington in determining exactly what happened, the offer was rebuffed. In light of such a scenario, it is my opinion that the Democrats, fully aware despite what the skewed media polls erringly told them that Hillary Clinton stood no chance of beating the Republican Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential contest, set about crafting the narrative of Russian collusion in order to not only delegitimize Trumps presidency, possibly depriving him of a second term in 2010, but to begin the process of severely curtailing the work of alternative media, which are in fact greatly responsible for not only Trumps victory at the polls, but for exposing the dirt on Clintons corrupt campaign. These alternative media sites have been duly linked to Russia in one way or another as a means of silencing them. Thus, it is not only Russia that has been victimized by the lunacy of Russiagate; every single person who stands for the freedom of speech has suffered a major setback one way or another. Part I of this story is available here. On July 29, Russia marked its Navy Day. After many years of neglect, the service is going through the period of resurgence to become a second to none blue water force equipped with state-of-the-art weapons. Its a lot more operational today than it has been in many years. In some areas the Navy demonstrates technological lead. Pretty much anywhere in the world, one can see the "Saint Andrew Flag", the naval ensign of the Russian Federation, a radical change in comparison with what it was like just ten years ago. In 2017, Russian ships made 46 port calls to drop anchor at 28 ports of 27 countries worldwide. The list includes five Western or West-friendly states: Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Japan and South Korea, which account for 19% of the countries visited by Russian ships. Nine (33%) of the states on the list belong to the Asia-Pacific region, with other 13 (48%) situated in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The 81% vs.19% ratio illustrates Russias rebalancing from the West toward other countries and power poles. The Russian Navy also conducted six international exercises, demonstrating its global presence and power projection capability. The service has become strong enough to make the US re-establish the Second Fleet in the Atlantic. A task force comprising three surface ships and three auxiliary vessels of the Baltic Fleet is on a voyage around the world. The route lies across the Atlantic, the Arctic, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Indian and Pacific Oceans. On May 16, President Vladimir Putin made a statement to say that Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea will be permanent. The standing force will include warships with long-range land attack cruise missiles. With new ships and weapons coming in, the Navy is quite capable of defending Russias maritime approaches and coasts, long-range precision strike missions with conventional and nuclear weapons, power projection and defense of the sea-based nuclear deterrent. It has recently acquired the capability to conduct long-range attacks with conventional weapons against fixed infrastructure targets. Russias shipbuilders offer corvette-frigate size surface ships, such as the Admiral Grigorovich-class and the new Admiral Gorshkov-class, packing a really potent punch to make them formidable warriors. Oniks anti-ship missiles, Kalibr long-range cruise missiles capable to strike land targets at great distances, Pantsir-M point defense weapons, Poliment Redut air defense systems and Paket-NK anti-torpedo systems are contained in vertical launch systems (VLS). Normally the armament suite includes seventy-six-millimeter gun or a one-hundred-millimeter gun and close-in weapon systems (CIWS) to enhance the versatility of the ship. Multi-mission frigates have become the backbone of the Russian Navy. Vasily Bykov, the first project 22160 corvette, started sea trials in April to join service this year. The Drive (War Zone) the concept is innovative enough that it should be studied by western navies as a source of inspiration for their own future multi-role combat vessels. The source believes that the ship has a pretty genius design with its relatively small frame providing great strike power. Project 636.3 Varshavyanka conventional submarines are cheap, quiet and deadly with their Kalibr missiles. The newest Yasen-class nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine is to be armed with land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine missiles, including several variants of Kalibr-PL designed for a wide range of missions. A single Yasen-class can carry thirty-two nuclear-tipped Kalibr missiles to strike deep into the enemys territory. The Russian industry is capable of producing some of the most sophisticated platforms in the world. There are 11 nuclear powered submarines laid down. The shipbuilders can build a conventional submarine in just 18 months. Ivan Gren-class (Project 11711E), the first amphibious assault ship designed and built in Russias modern history, was commissioned on June 20 to join the Northern Fleet. On June 25, The Russian Navy commissioned Ivan Khurs, the second Project 18280 intelligence-gathering ship. The ships of the class are called after Russias naval intelligence chiefs. The vessel can conduct electronic warfare, radio, and electronic intelligence. It was reported this month that the Bulava (RSM-56) intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) had entered service with Russian Navy to become the backbone of the nuclear triads sea-based component until 2040. A salvo of four missiles launched in rapid succession within 20 seconds in late May confirmed the SLBMs operational readiness. Modernized to M3M standard, the Air Force Tu-22 long-range bomber primarily designed for naval missions will take to the sky next month. The Navy is testing the Poseidon (Status-6), a new unmanned underwater vehicle (a doomsday weapon) that can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads, which enables to engage various targets, including aircraft groups, coastal fortifications, and infrastructure. According to Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Korolev, precision guided weapons and blue water ships are the priority for the future. The Navy also leads in superfast weapons. The Kalibr travelling over Mach 3 is a good example. A higher speed makes interception almost impossible and destruction is maximized by imparting more kinetic energy upon impact. Put on a wide range of ship and submarine classes, the weapon provides for a qualitative leap to drastically enhance the fire power of the Russian sea forces. The Kalibr allows the ships based in the Caspian and Black seas to cover the entire Caucasus and large parts of Central Asia and the Middle East the areas where threats to Russias national security are most likely to emerge. The 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missile going through final tests has a 500km strike. It will impact at a speed of Mach 6. As yet, the US Navy does not have a weapon to match it. According to the State Armament Program for 2018-2027 adopted in late 2017, the naval component of the nuclear triad will consist of six Project 667 BRDM (Delta IV-class) and eight Project 955B (Borei-class) strategic ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), to be evenly divided between the Northern and Pacific Fleets. 12 submarines to be in service at given moment with two undergoing overhauls and modernization. The program envisages the construction of Super Gorshkov-class 8,000-ton frigate and six-seven Yasen-M nuclear attack submarines. Russias 2017 Naval Doctrine set the goal of building a strong force to enable the country to achieve and hold the leading positions in the world until 2030. The Navy is on the way to accomplish this mission with balanced forces able to support the operations of strategic ballistic missile submarines and maintain a strong conventional component, carrying out a range of missions, including power projection, with its cutting-edge ships, naval aviation, coastal defense forces, and even ground effect vehicles. Russia has made a strong comeback as a sea power. Four years after adopting conscription the UAE (United Arab Emirates) has increased the length of time conscripts must serve on active duty. Those with a high school education will serve at least 16 months and those who did not finish high school it will be 24 months. Back in 2014 implementing conscription was seen as a bold move for a wealthy Arab oil state. But the UAE felt they had no choice. Conscription was needed so the UAE could create a reserve force of trained citizens and thus be less dependent on mercenaries. Conscription is rare in Arabia, but the growing Iranian threat is causing many radical ideas to become acceptable. The main idea behind the UAE conscription plan is to get all qualified (for military service) Emirati men aged 18-30 trained so they can fight effectively if called up in an emergency. In effect, the UAE wants to emulate the Israeli system. Initially, the UAE only planned to keep conscripts in uniform for 9-24 months and that was mostly for training. College educated men would stay in longer and be trained as officers or technical experts. After that everyone will be in the reserves and organized into units that will train regularly for as long as they are able. That usually means for about twenty years. That was the plan and it was meant to be a work in progress because a lot of details were expected change as the program is implemented. The UAE goal is to have an armed force of 270,000 trained troops within days of mobilization. Before conscription the UAE relied on volunteers (a mixed bag) and mercenaries (very expensive and an ancient custom in the region). The decision to adopt conscription got off to an uncomfortable start because by late 2015 there were angry UAE parents of sons who were recently killed in combat in Yemen. UAE customarily hires foreign mercenaries whenever possible but times have changed and some UAE families have not adapted. In late 2015 the UAE government has a public relations problem because hundreds of these conscript soldiers were sent to fight in Yemen and several had been killed and many more wounded. Families complained that their conscripted sons, none of whom have any combat experience, should not have been sent to a war zone. The parents were told that the only way to gain combat experience is by being in combat and thats why their sons were conscripted in the first place. Moreover, most UAE citizens understand that the Shia rebels in Yemen are openly backed by Iran and this is just the sort of situation that conscription was instituted to deal with. But the grim consequences are another matter. The UAE troops in Yemen initially comprised about half the strength of the hastily formed mechanized combat brigade. This unit initially had about 3,000 troops and over a hundred armored vehicles and landed Yemen in mid-2015. This unit came to be called the Arab Brigade because about half the rest of brigade was largely Saudi. Since then troops from other nations, including Sudan, have joined. But initially UAE and Saudi troops were seen as best suited for the job because many of the troops had family ties to Yemen and knowledge of local dialects and customs. The Yemen family connections of many of the UAE soldiers was one reason the conscripts were sent. The brigade arrived via the port of Aden in early August and immediately joined the fight. The Arab Brigade was apparently responsible for many of the subsequent victories of the Yemeni government forces. Three years later the fighting is still going on and the rebels are losing but not yet defeated. The Arab Brigade keeps its casualties down by relying on the modern air forces the UAE and Saudi Arabia have and using a lot of smart bombs to hammer the resourceful and elusive rebels. The smart bombs have also killed a lot of civilians but that is easier to deal with than a lot of dead soldiers being shipped back home for funerals attended by unhappy families. The UAE and Saudi Arabia also convinced many other (generally less wealthy) Moslem nations to send ground forces with assurances that they would be well-taken care. If wounded, all medical expenses would be paid. If martyred (the favorite Moslem term for killed in combat for any legitimate cause) the families would be well taken care of. The fighting in Yemen revealed a lot of other interesting details of the UAE armed forces. Soon after the Arab Brigade arrived in Yemen, UAE commandos found and rescued a British citizen who had been held captive by Islamic terrorists for 18 months. This was one of the few times the UAE admitted publicly that it had a SOC (Special Operations Command) and commandos capable of finding and rescuing someone held captive by Islamic terrorists. The UAE has been particularly secretive about its special operations force. What is known is that since 2008 the UAE has been actively trying to upgrade and expand its special operations capabilities. One of the new units established (in 2010) was a Presidential Guard Command (PGC). This was described as a best of the best unit containing the most reliable and capable troops the UAE had. There are only about 5,000 troops in the PGC and most of them appear to be in the even more mysterious SOC (Special Operations Command). The UAE has been trying to train its own citizens for special operations ever since they found out how effective Arab special operations troops had been in Afghanistan and Iraq. But by 2010 the UAE appeared to be recruiting non-Moslem foreigners for a special security battalion that was more royal guard than SOC. By 2011 this battalion of 800 troops and was composed of Western contractors who were already combat veterans. This force was recruited from men who had combat experience and were then organized as a counter-terrorism and rapid reaction force. Officially this new battalion was to provide security for key facilities in UAE but that may have just been a cover story. Apparently, there was also special operations training for some of the men in the contractor battalion. Some of these foreign troops already had special operations training and experience in their home country. Many Colombian combat veterans were known to be in the UAE unit. It is unclear if the UAE commandos in Yemen were all UAE citizens or largely men from the contractor battalion or even special operations troops from foreign countries wearing UAE uniforms. It is known that the head of the PGC is a retired Australian general who spent most of his career in special operations. Since 2015 the UAE has expanded its special operations training program for UAE troops and these have been successful going after al Qaeda and ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) Islamic terrorists in some of the more remote parts of the country. These Islamic terrorists are Sunni and not working with the rebels but they will be a problem in post-war Yemen and having UAE commandos go after them now is an opportunity that will not be available once the civil war is over. The contractor battalion and many other members of the PGC were but a small portion of the many foreigners already serving in the UAE armed forces. Hiring foreign mercenaries, to ensure that the rulers are protected by troops who are the most skilled and reliable, is an old custom in the region. Actually, it used to be a widespread practice worldwide. Some Western nations, like the Vatican, still retains foreign mercenaries. In this case, it's the Swiss Guards, which the popes have been using for over 500 years ago because the locals were too often unreliable. The UAE has been trying to reduce their reliance on foreign mercenaries for a long time. A part of that program was a 2011 decision to give military retirees a 70 percent increase in their pensions. The active-duty armed forces only consisted of 65,000 troops, and for a long time, many of them were foreigners. But now, most of the military retirees are locals, and the aristocrats that run the place want to make sure that these older men, with military experience, remained loyal. This was particularly true with all the calls for tossing out existing rulers that has been going on throughout the Arab world during the Arab Spring uprisings that broke out in 2011. Actually, taking good care of military veterans has become increasingly important in nations that are prone to civil disorder or revolution. Military veterans can turn the disorder into a well-organized rebellion. This is especially true in the UAE, where only 20 percent of the population are citizens, the others are foreigners imported to help spend all that money and make the economy work. The UAE is a confederation of seven small Arab states (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain) at the southern end of the Persian Gulf. With a population of only 5.6 million, and large oil and gas deposits, the Emirates have a per-capita income of over $40,000. Thus the UAE has a lot to defend, and an increasingly belligerent neighbor just across the Gulf. The UAE controls one side the entrance to the Gulf (the Straits of Hormuz). Iran is on the other end, and both nations dispute ownership of some islands in the middle. The UAE wants to defend itself from potential Iranian aggression. To that end, they have become the third largest importer of weapons in the world and the largest in the Middle East. In the Middle East, the UAE imports 50 percent more weapons than Israel. This includes high priced items like the American THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile systems, U.S. F-16s and French Mirage 2000-9 fighters. Other recent aircraft purchases include ten U.S. C-13oJ and four C-17 transports. Then there are munitions, thousands of American laser and GPS guided bombs. Several warships are also on the way. The UAE also spent nearly a billion dollars to put up four radar satellites. The GulfSAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellites will use an orbit that will cover an area 43 degrees north and south of the Equator. The UAE is also spending billions on armored vehicles, artillery and other equipment for their ground forces. More billions being spent on bases, training, support and logistics. Despite all the imported weapons UAE never forgot that the ultimate weapon was the guy on the ground willing to fight to protect the emirates. Bay of Plenty The civil season is about to kick off here in Tauranga and we have positions for 2 class 2 truck drivers who would be interested... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz The cast of "Guardians of the Galaxy" is calling for James Gunn's reinstatement as writer-director of the Marvel superhero franchise. Gunn was fired by Disney Studios earlier this month after he came under fire for past tweets containing offensive and "indefensible" jokes about pedophilia, 9/11, rape, and the Holocaust. Gunn was expected to write and direct the next sequel, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," later this year after the first two "GOTG" movies grossed more than $1.5 billion together. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista and more co-stars signed an open letter posted Monday, saying "We fully support James Gunn." "Although I don't support James Gunn's inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a good man," Pratt wrote. "I'd personally love to see him reinstated as director of Volume 3. If you please, read the following statement- signed by our entire cast." "There is little due process in the court of public opinion. James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial. Given the growing political divide in this country, it's safe to say instances like this will continue, although we hope American from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality," the letter said, ultimately calling for Gunn's reinstatement. A Change.org petition also calling for Gunn to be re-hired has received more than 330,000 signatures, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gunn has since deleted the questionable tweets and apologized. "My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since -- not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don't reflect the person I am today or have been for some time," he wrote July 20. "Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all." THR reports "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" was scheduled to begin filming this fall with a planned 2020 release date. Disney and Marvel Studios have not responded to the stars' statement. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A Syracuse man was identified as the person shot and killed late Sunday night on the 200 block of Furman Street, according to police. James A. Mike, 36, was found with a gunshot wound when police arrived at a parking lot of an apartment complex at 11:58 p.m. on Sunday, police said. He was determined to be deceased shortly afterward by medical personnel. Police are still investigating the shooting and will release more information as it becomes available, said police spokesman Sgt. Richard Helterline. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the homicide to call the department's Criminal Investigations Division at (315)442-5222. Calls can be conditional. Anonymous tips can also be submitted via the "SPD Tips" app. TOWN OF ONONDAGA, N.Y. -- Onondaga County sheriff's deputies have identified the driver killed in a one-vehicle crash early Sunday as a Marcellus teen. Matthew Norris, 16, died after the van he was driving struck a tree on Southeast Townline Road, just south of Collins Road in Onondaga, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jon Seeber said. Neighbors in the area called 911 at 4:05 a.m. after hearing a loud crash, deputies said. Navarino, Marcellus and South Onondaga fire departments, as well as sheriff's deputies responded to the scene, Seeber said. "When first responders arrived in the area, they discovered a Toyota Sienna van had struck a tree on the east side of the road just south of Collins Road," Seeber said in a release. Southeast Townline Road was closed for several hours while the Sheriff's Office Accident Investigation Team processed the scene. Speed and driver inexperience likely played a role in the crash, Seeber said. The crash remains under investigation. by Kristina Knight One of the keys from Amazon's recent Prime Day is this: websites need to be functioning and fast loading. This fact isn't new, but new data highlights just how important it is for sites to run well for consumers. Researchers with Eggplant found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of consumers abandon slow-running sites and their usual next stop is to a competitor site. The data also shows that most (80%) of consumers find slow-running sites "more frustrating" than downed websites. "This goes to show that when it comes to business performance, slow websites are a silent killer. This is especially true in an age of instant gratification -- the two-second attention span and quick social media retaliation at anything less than full performance. Today, speed, connectivity, and an outstanding user experience are critical to ongoing business success, and while customers will forgive and forget the odd bug, crash, or period of site maintenance, they will not tolerate a site that doesn't move at the speed they've become accustomed to," said Dr. John Bates, CEO, Eggplant. The survey polled consumers in both the US and the UK. Breaking the results down by region: Consumers in the UK: 7 in 10 UK consumers report website speed important 75% will go to competitor sites if websites don't perform well 60% "feel negatively" toward brands with slow site loading times Consumers in the US: 79% report slow sites "more frustrating" than down/non-working websites 69% of American consumers will switch to competitor sites because of slow load times 59% "feel negatively" toward brands with slow site loading times "With retailers already preparing for the holiday shopping season, we urge them to make sure they analyze and optimize every element of their online presence to make sure it is running as efficiently as possible. As the research has shown, a slow website will drive consumers away, negatively impacting the health of the business," said Dr. Bates. Tags: advertising, digital marketing, ecommerce, Eggplant, loyalty marketing, mobile marketing, website load times A crash prompted the closure of westbound Erie Boulevard at Forman Avenue on Monday afternoon. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A Syracuse police officer and two other people were taken to area hospitals after a three-vehicle crash Monday afternoon on Erie Boulevard East, according to Syracuse Police. Police did not release the names of anyone involved in the crash, but they did explain how the crash happened. At 2:27 p.m., the officer involved in the crash swerved to avoid another vehicle at Erie Boulevard East and Foreman Avenue, city police spokesman Lt. Dave Brown said in a news release. Witnesses said the officer, a woman, was driving west on Erie Boulevard East. A car turned from Foreman Avenue onto the westbound lanes of Erie Boulevard East and the police officer swerved to miss the car, police said. The police vehicle went off the road and struck a third vehicle, which was preparing to exit a nearby parking lot, police said. The driver of the car struck in the parking lot was a 37-year-old man, who was taken to a Syracuse hospital after complaining of dizziness, police said. The driver of the car entering Erie Boulevard East from Foreman Avenue was a 64-year-old woman, police said. She was taken to the hospital after she, too, complained of dizziness. The officer was taken to the hospital for evaluation of a minor head injury, Brown said. None of the injuries are believed to be serious, he said. Police did not release any drivers' names. Nancy Wolcott, a passenger in a Toyota Prius that was waiting to pull out of a parking lot, said her son was among those taken to a hospital. He could be seen taken away on a stretcher. Wolcott said her son was taken for an evaluation due to head pain. The front end of the Syracuse police SUV was badly damaged, with both of its front tires flattened by impact with the Toyota Prius. Wolcott was with her husband and son, who was driving their Prius. The car was waiting to pull right onto westbound Erie Boulevard East from the Spectrum headquarters when the crash occurred. Wolcott said the driver of a blue sedan was exiting the U-Haul business across the street, facing north, and slowly creeped across Erie Boulevard East into the westbound lanes. A police officer in an SUV was driving west and had to drive up onto the sidewalk in front of Spectrum to avoid the sedan, Wolcott said. The police SUV struck the driver's side front and rear door of the Prius, causing the vehicle to be knocked about 10 feet into the parking lot of the next-door tire shop, Wolcott said. The police car came to a rest on the sidewalk near the Spectrum headquarters, 815 Erie Blvd. E. The blue sedan was not struck by the police vehicle. It could be seen undamaged on the north side of Erie Boulevard East. A security guard ran over to aid the officer, and the police officer was quickly taken to the hospital, Wolcott said. The officer appeared to be conscious, Wolcott said. The people in the blue sedan stayed in their car as paramedics arrived, Wolcott said. Wolcott's son complained of pain but she said she believes he'll be OK. He appeared conscious and breathing when taken away on the stretcher. "We're very lucky, very, very lucky," Wolcott told Syracuse.com. Firefighters, paramedics and ambulances responded. Syracuse police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the crash. Westbound traffic was diverted onto Forman Avenue and eastbound traffic is reduced to one lane, but traffic movement was largely restored as of 3:15 p.m. Syracuse police say the cause of the crash remains under investigation. They also said they are not releasing any additional information at this time. "Views" have always been central to Believe in Syracuse, a well known Non-profit singing the praises of our community. The organization exists, in part, to "promote positive perceptions" of the Greater Syracuse area to its 20,000-pllus followers across social media and beyond. So when Believe in Syracuse announced the theme of its upcoming fall fundraising event it seemed appropriate to name the event: Views Over Syracuse - Focus Your View . "Some people view Syracuse as just this small rust belt town, not even a real city," says Executive Director John DeSantis. "When I drive downtown and see our beautiful skyline, updated buildings and streets full of people I can see that Syracuse is once again a bustling city." DeSantis believes that Views Over Syracuse - Focus Your View can be an opportunity for people to view Syracuse differently and more positively. The fundraising event - a cocktail party with a variety of foods to eat, music, and prizes - will center around the panoramic view of the city from the Horizon Ballroom at Crowne Plaza Syracuse. Guests will be able to eat, drink and be merry in front of a breathtaking backdrop of the downtown Syracuse skyline. Believe in Syracuse wants to accomplish more than just enjoy a pretty view. In addition to scenic downtown, the Crowne Plaza ballroom also features surround landscape views of the Northside, Southside and University area - all while sitting a few hundred feet across from the controversial I-81. At the event, informational boards showcasing historical facts and current news about each area will sit next to the windows. According to the Special Events Chairperson, Yvonne Scott-Younis, "We envision that the birds-eye-view of the city will stimulate conversations about current issues and possible solutions which affect local neighborhoods and the community at large." "I'm Italian-American and my family has roots to the Northside," DeSantis said. "It's always been an area with a huge immigrant community; it used to be predominantly from Germany and Italy and Polish and now it's home to immigrants from all over the world." Views Over Syracuse - Focus Your View is an event dedicated to celebrate Syracuse's diversity of views and is purposely set at an affordable price of $55 for non members, $45 for members. Music, excellent food, cash bar, prizes and a time to connect with one another while having a look at Syracuse from the top of the Crowne Plaza is sure to provide a fun-filled Fall Nite Out. Who: Believe in Syracuse members and members of the public What: Views Over Syracuse - Focus Your View Where: Horizon Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Syracuse When: 6 to 10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 28. For information about the event, visit Letter-writers respond to our July 29, 2018, editorial, "Let's unite Syracuse: Replace I-81 with a community grid." Downtown worker: Grid is more economical for taxpayers To the Editor: I've worked in downtown Syracuse for 24 years, and agree we need to connect the city (with Syracuse University and hospitals) by eliminating the Interstate 81 bridge. The grid would make that part of the city so much more attractive and easier to navigate. I travel from downtown to DeWitt on a lunch break and it takes three minutes (when traffic is flowing), so I don't see much lost time for travelers going south. And with extra lanes for travelers turning off to head up the hill or into the city, the drive through should only take minutes. Even with stoplights. The grid is more economical for the taxpayers of Central New York. The tunnel is a bad idea. One accident can clog the traffic for a long time. I've been in tunnels in Boston, Pennsylvania and New York City. Not to mention moving the steam plant, etc. We've paid for enough studies. Any politician who votes against this loses my vote for re-election. Christina Monroe Cicero Grid, monorail would 'reignite the spirit of our community' To the Editor: It was a time of optimism and civic pride for those of us who were fortunate to have lived in Syracuse during the leadership of former Mayor William Walsh. Sadly, during the ensuing years this feeling of civic spirit has gradually dissipated. The message of the inaugural address given by grandson Ben Walsh, calling to create a better future for our community, was very uplifting. With the I-81 community grid model, we have perhaps a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the face and perception of our once vibrant city. We need an idea that will reignite the spirit of our community. The construction of a mile-long tunnel which would cost $10 million annually in maintenance alone will not provide that spark. It's unlikely that an out-of-towner would visit Syracuse to view our beautiful, billion-dollar tunnel. With that said, let's consider another variation of the boulevard plan that would most certainly cost less than $4.5 billion and take less than 10 years to build. Let's envision an environmentally friendly, elevated monorail system, one of the cheapest modes of public transportation, with a terminal and large commuter parking lot south of the Seventh North Street ramp of I-81 with stops at downtown, Upstate Medical Center and a renovated Carrier Dome, with a terminus at the Brighton Avenue area. Additionally, a spur could take passengers from the Seventh North Street Station to the doorstep of nearby Destiny USA with a second stop at the entrance of the St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview. The advantages to this concept are many: the elevated monorail could run along the footprint of I-81 above the median of the proposed boulevard (what a sight to behold!) which would eliminate much of the cost of property acquisition, zoning issues, and furthermore would reduce exhaust toxins and gas consumption as well as providing a means for stress-free commuting during difficult wintry driving conditions. This above-street model may also eliminate altogether the need to demolish many historic buildings in the downtown area. Another bonus is instead of ESPN and ACC networks gleefully depicting our fair city as a dreary, snow-laden place to live, how cool would it be to show smiling SU fans departing an orange decorated, climate controlled metro! It's difficult to wrap our heads around just how much $4.5 billion can buy. But let's say for example the Boulevard/Metro plan would cost one-third of this vast sum of money. With the remaining capital, 13,000 city houses in the state of disrepair could be replaced with $150,000 single family homes with over one billion dollars left over. Wow. Forward-looking, strong-willed leaders can make this happen. Make this your legacy. Joseph DeVita III Syracuse We need better travel times analysis before deciding To the Editor: My first thought when I saw the headline for the I-81 editorial was that I somehow missed the draft environmental impact statement that documents the effects of each alternative. In order to make a considered opinion that document will provide comprehensive descriptions of the alternatives. I am disappointed that The Post-Standard jumped the gun with their recommendation. I say this because there are missing details in the preliminary work. For example, the editorial showed a table of average travel times for three alternatives. I agree that is an important rationale for the decision, but the editorial does not recognize any nuance to the results. These results are based on a model and a model presumes it knows how drivers will react then optimizes those actions to project travel times. In a situation where there are limited choices, this is not a big issue, but the community grid option has many choices. The problem is that there usually is someone who does not react rationally. When modeling the community grid, the projections only reflect the ideal situation when the majority of the drivers have learned their best option. When inexperienced drivers choose less-than-optimal options, then the travel times will be worse than the model predicts. Therefore, the averages presented in the table under-estimate community grid travel times. Furthermore I don't care so much about average travel times as I care about the distribution of travel times. I live in Liverpool and my particular concern is travel time to the hospitals. What I want to see is a frequency distribution of travel times for the alternatives to each hospital. Before I make a decision, I want to know how often I will be required to go to St. Joseph's because of travel time changes due to the alternative chosen. Roger Caiazza Liverpool Community grid will be a catalyst for Syracuse, region To the Editor: To whomever chooses a thriving city: Syracuse is the Kingpin of Central New York. It can continue to thrive and grow as a home for our neighbors. The Community Grid will, with planning and masterful follow through, prove to be a catalyst for continued prosperity in Central New York. Thanks for listening. No tunnel, no rebuilt viaduct. Gary Crawford Syracuse Community grid traffic will deter people from coming downtown To the Editor: I strongly disagree with your proposal to have a community grid. I remember well when my mother almost died from hemorrhaging while my father tried to maneuver city streets to get her to the hospital. This was before I-81 was built. I can't imagine why anyone would think that a community grid would bring more people downtown. If anything, it would be a deterrence to have to maneuver all that traffic. And shunting travelers way around Interstate 481 would definitely send them far from the city, with no incentive to get off the highway and spend some money in our community. The economic vitality that you speak of might be enhanced if Salina Street were a bit more appealing. The storefronts at present leave a lot to be desired. Spruce up the streets, make them more safe, and then, maybe people will be willing to pay to park to come downtown. A community grid won't make the difference. Sandy Collins Marcellus Syracuse DPW can't afford to maintain community grid To the Editor: In response to the opion of The Post-Standard's editorial board on replacing I-81 with a community grid system in the city of Syracuse, I too, was of that opinion several years ago. The problem with a community grid system in the city of Syracuse is only one, but it is a big one, maintenance. We cannot expect our existing DPW to maintain a grid system designed to move traffic smoothly and efficiently through the downtown and uptown neighborhoods. It will not happen. Nineteenth century technology in the 21st century will not work. We could go all day discussing existing problems, but why? Very few people have the answers and they are not in the position to give them. It is how it has been for years. My solution to the Interstate 81 maintenance project in the city is to rebuild the existing viaduct to today's standards, combined with a well-planned community grid system. This grid would be free flow when possible, plenty of free parking, a fully automated traffic signal system to be maintained through a signal contractor and paid for by state and federal funds. If you truly want to unite Syracuse, pay attention to these suggestions. Jim Stelter Syracuse Complete southwest bypass to alleviate truck traffic To the Editor: If the so-called community grid replaces I-81 through Syracuse, the abandoned southwest bypass will need to be completed. Probably sooner than later. For those who are unaware, the I-695 Camillus bypass was originally planned to connect with I-81 south of the city. The current problems with truck traffic for residents of the western suburbs will surely explode when diversion to Thruway Exit 34 becomes the only other option. The cost of reacquisition of the necessary property and rights-of-way will be astronomical, not to mention the cost of construction. With all the discussion about this project, I haven't heard or seen any mention of eastbound Thruway traffic making the transition to I-81 south. Jon Sherman Oswego Without I-81, how do you get from west of Syracuse to south of it? To the Editor: You proclaim "The community grid is hands-down the best solution for replacing Interstate 81", and you ask "who's with us?" It is categorically NOT me, or many of my community. Your entire editorial and your evidence starts with an incorrect premise! You said opponents to the grid's "real concern is that residents of the suburbs will have longer commutes to and from downtown." All the data you publish in your editorial addresses that issue -- which is not at all a concern! No one I know thinks it would make downtown unreachable. We do think everywhere else I go on Interstate 81 South would take 10-15 minutes longer, and would add 15 miles to the trip- an extra half gallon there and another returning. I live in Baldwinsville, and I do go downtown at least 1-3 times a week, but my route would not change at all for those trips. However, I also drive almost weekly to church in Syracuse, which is near the Syracuse/DeWitt border. The two most direct and fastest routes involve driving from I-690 East to I-81 South. Sometimes I drive to Cortland, Binghamton, or even places in Onondaga County such as LaFayette or Tully. Until our "ring road" of I-481 is built to cover the southwest corner of the county (Onondaga Hill, not very suitable for a high-speed freeway) there will be no alternative that would not either add 15 minutes plus more gas to the drive or involve driving on the streets of downtown to get back to I-81. There is no reasonabale route to those places from Baldwinsville except through downtown Syracuse. A friend of mine works in LaFayette and lives in Liverpool, as his spouse works in Baldwinsville. Try to draw a reasonable daily commute for him that would not go through downtown Syracuse. Seriously. This is the issue: how to go from the west suburbs to places south of downtown, not downtown itself. Please show me the data on that! Julia E. Schult Baldwinsville The 2018 race in Virginia's 5th Congressional District has taken an unusual turn, leading some voters to ask: What is Bigfoot porn? Mediaite reports Democratic candidate Leslie Cockburn has accused her opponent, Republican nominee Denver Riggleman, of promoting "Bigfoot erotica." "My opponent Denver Riggleman, running mate of Corey Stewart, was caught on camera campaigning with a white supremacist. Now he has been exposed as a devotee of Bigfoot erotica. This is not what we need on Capitol Hill," Cockburn wrote on Twitter Sunday. She also tweeted two screenshots from Riggleman's Instagram account showing images of a naked Sasquatch with a "censored" bar over its genitalia. Mashable reports Riggleman's account is currently set to private as "Bigfoot" continues to be a trending topic on social media Monday. My opponent Denver Riggleman, running mate of Corey Stewart, was caught on camera campaigning with a white supremacist. Now he has been exposed as a devotee of Bigfoot erotica. This is not what we need on Capitol Hill. pic.twitter.com/0eBvxFd6sG Leslie Cockburn (@LeslieCockburn) July 29, 2018 From my opponent Denver Rigglemans Bigfoot erotica collection. pic.twitter.com/ELe0TWJh21 Leslie Cockburn (@LeslieCockburn) July 29, 2018 According to the Washington Post, Riggleman is a craft distillery owner and former Air Force intelligence officer who was selected last month to replace Rep. Thomas Garrett on the November ballot after Garrett revealed he was an alcoholic and abruptly ended his re-election campaign. Riggleman previously ran for Governor in 2017, but has never held public office. "You've never seen a fighter like Denver Riggleman," he said in a speech after accepting the nomination in June, according to the Post. "I've been through hell, and I've got hell to give!" Last week, the Cook Political Report said Riggleman had an "offbeat sense of humor," such as a Facebook page claiming he is the author of a book called "The Mating Habits Of Bigfoot And Why Women Want Him." The screenshots from Riggleman's Instagram included references to the same title. Riggleman told the Daily Progress that the images and the book are not actual "Bigfoot erotica," but rather a joke his military friends played on him. He described Cockburn's tweets about it as "absurd." BuzzFeed reports that Riggleman is, however, the co-author of a real book called "Bigfoot Exterminators Inc. The Partially Cautionary, Mostly True Tale of Monster Hunt 2006." A source close to the candidate told the Daily Progress it was about people who look for Sasquatch, and "assuredly not" a sexual story. As for the allegations that he supports white supremacists, BuzzFeed points out that congressional candidates don't actually have "running mates" but Stewart, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia, has been called "the Alt-Right's Favorite Candidate," and criticized for saying the Civil War was not about slavery. Riggleman distanced himself from white nationalists, the alt-right and the KKK in an op-ed last week saying "any white supremacists intending to come back to Charlottesville... are not welcome." Meanwhile, according to the Daily Progress, Cockburn is also facing scrutiny over a book she co-authored about a very different subject: "Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the U.S.-Israeli Covert Relationship." The Republican Party of Virginia has accused Cockburn, a journalist and first-time candidate, of anti-Semitism in the 1991 book. The Post reports the 5th Congressional District is typically won by Republicans, but the race is one of nearly 100 being targeted by Democrats seeking to take control of the House in midterm elections. President Donald Trump surprised Democrats and Republicans this month when he concluded a summit with Vladimir Putin without strongly condemning Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump met Putin in Helsinki, Finland, days after special counsel Robert Mueller indicted a dozen Russian military officers on charges they hacked computers of Democrats and published stolen files as part of a coordinated effort to disrupt the election. Trump, standing with Putin at a news conference, raised doubts about the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies. Democrats and Republicans in Congress condemned the president's remarks, prompting some to call for legislation to protect Mueller's investigation and tighten election security. With that in mind, we asked the candidates in the 24th Congressional District election -- Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, and Democrat Dana Balter -- the following question: Both of you have criticized President Trump for failing to stand firmly behind U.S. intelligence agencies and to publicly confront Vladimir Putin about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. What specific actions, if any, should Congress take to prevent interference from Russia in U.S. elections? What steps, if any, should Congress take to protect the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian meddling in the election? The candidates' written answers to the question are below. Katko and Balter were asked to limit their responses to 250 words. Look for a new candidate question each week. Have something you'd like to ask all the candidates? Email Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com with the subject line "weekly question." Dana Balter (D) Congress needs to immediately increase election security spending and ensure that the funds are being put to timely and effective use across the country. Past efforts have not been enough, and the federal role in coordinating them has been badly undermined by the Trump administration. Russia has attacked us. They attacked our elections, they stole personal information about our citizens, and undermined our democracy. This was a military operation against the United States, and words after the fact aren't enough. To force the president's hand, Congress should refuse to move forward any non-essential legislation, spending, or appointments until these issues are settled, we have strong prevention measures in place and are sure that any foreign interference will be detected. We need to be assured the results of our elections are free from outside influence. With far-right members of the House introducing articles of impeachment against the deputy attorney general, I would also be sponsoring legislation to protect the Mueller investigation from interference. The special counsel has a tremendous record of service to our nation, and his investigation has produced significant results. Congress should act to prevent the president or Justice Department from impeding or ending the investigation prematurely. I would support H.R. 5476, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, and would work with my colleagues and legal experts to protect the separation of powers and rule of law established under our Constitution. John Katko (R) I support the Mueller investigation and believe it must continue without impediment. As a former prosecutor, I know firsthand the importance of trusting the process of a thorough and proper investigation. Moreover, I know the work of Robert Mueller, and trust his efforts. It is critical to the safety and security of our country that this investigation continue, and I have criticized members of my party for divisive efforts to obstruct it. I trust the unanimous conclusion of our nation's intelligence agencies that Russia conducted an aggressive hacking and disinformation campaign. I fervently criticized the president's failure to stand with our intelligence agencies and European allies in confronting Putin's aggressive actions. Along with my Democratic colleagues, I voted to impose new sanctions against Russian individuals, intelligence agencies, and companies that continue to undermine our democratic process. Further, I support increasing funding for election security. Together with Congressman Mike Quigley, D-Ill., I introduced bipartisan legislation (the Prevent Election Hacking Act of 2018) to allow private cyber experts to work with the Department of Homeland Security to protect our election infrastructure. As a leader on Homeland Security, I am working to improve cyber defenses and information sharing, and combat ever-evolving global threats. After years of sustained and determined undermining of democracies around the world, we must work across the aisle to rebuff Russian aggression. I remain committed to doing so. Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Rep. John Lewis of Georgia was released from the hospital Sunday, his office told the New York Daily News. "All tests have been completed, and doctors have given him a clean bill of health," his spokeswoman said. "He thanks everyone who shared their thoughts, prayers and concerns during his stay." The 78-year-old Democrat and civil rights icon was hospitalized Saturday after suffering a medical emergency aboard a flight to Atlanta, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lewis reported feeling "dizzy and sweaty" and was hospitalized for "routine observation" at a local hospital, his office told the newspaper. Lewis is best known for his role in the civil rights movement, including marching with the Rev. Martin Luther King in Selma, Ala., in 1965, as well as the 1961 Freedom Rides and the 1963 March on Washington. Last month, Lewis joined thousands of people in Atlanta during the nationwide March For Our Lives against gun violence. Lewis has represented the 5th Congressional District in Georgia since 1987. -- By Kate Feldman, New York Daily News WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump said Monday that he'd "certainly meet" with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and without preconditions, if the Iranian leader were willing. Speaking during a joint news conference with Italy's premier, Trump said he would meet with the Iranians "anytime they want to." "I'll meet with anybody," he said. "There's nothing wrong with meeting." The overture comes as Trump and the Iranians have been escalating their rhetoric after Trump's May withdrawal from the landmark nuclear accord. The United States has also vowed to boost sanctions until Iran changes its regional policies, including its support for regional militant groups. It's unclear whether Rouhani has any interest in meeting with Trump. Rouhani's chief of staff claimed earlier this month in Iran's state-owned newspaper that Rouhani had rejected eight requests from Trump for one-on-one talks last year. Rouhani recently warned the U.S. that "war with Iran is the mother of all wars," prompting an all-caps retort from Trump. "To Iranian President Rouhani," he wrote on Twitter. "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH." He ended the message with a warning: "BE CAUTIOUS!" Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back with his own message that began, "COLOR US UNIMPRESSED." Trump tempered his threatening rhetoric two days later when he said his administration stands ready for Iran to come back to the negotiating table. "We're ready to make a real deal, not the deal that was done by the previous administration, which was a disaster," he said. Trump has long cast himself as a master negotiator who is most effective when he meets with his counterparts face-to-face. He pointed to his recent one-on-ones with North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin as examples of the benefits of such get-togethers. "I believe in meeting," he said, talking up the benefits of "speaking to other people, especially when you're talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things." Asked whether he would set any preconditions for the meetings, Trump was clear. "No preconditions, no. If they want to meet, I'll meet anytime they want, anytime they want," he said. "Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said recently that the administration was "willing to talk with the regime in Iran, but relief from American pressure will come only when we see tangible, demonstrated and sustained shifts in Tehran's policies." Eight states are filing suit against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety. The suit, to be filed Monday in Seattle, asks a judge to block the federal government's late-June settlement with Defense Distributed, which allowed the company to make the plans available online. Officials say that 1,000 people have already downloaded blueprints for AR-15 rifles. "I have a question for the Trump Administration: Why are you allowing dangerous criminals easy access to weapons?" Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday. "These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors, and will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history." Joining the suit were Democratic attorneys general in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia. Separately, attorneys general in 21 states urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday to withdraw from the settlement with Defense Distributed, saying it "creates an imminent risk to public safety." People can use the blueprints to manufacture a plastic gun using a 3D printer. But gun industry experts have expressed doubt that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns are very expensive, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by. Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, first published downloadable designs for a 3D-printed firearm in 2013. It was downloaded about 100,000 times until the State Department ordered him to cease, contending it violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were downloaded by people outside the United States. The State Department reversed course in late June, agreeing to allow Wilson to resume posting the blueprints. The files were published on Friday. The company filed its own suit in Texas on Sunday, asserting that it's the victim of an "ideologically-fueled program of intimidation and harassment" that violates the company's First Amendment rights. The company's attorney, Josh Blackman, called it an "easy case." States are free to enact gun control measures, but "what they can't do is censor the speech of another citizen in another state, and they can't regulate the commerce of another citizen in another state when that commerce is authorized by a federal government license," Blackman said in an interview Monday. "It's a violation of the First Amendment, it's unconscionable and we're going to fight it to the very end." Defense Distributed agreed to temporarily block Pennsylvania residents from downloading the plans after state officials went to federal court in Philadelphia on Sunday seeking an emergency order. The company said it has also blocked access to users in New Jersey and Los Angeles. LONG LAKE, N.Y. -- A Rochester-area man vacationing in the Adirondacks with his family drowned Sunday afternoon, according to the State Police. Scott J. Karlnoski, 43, of Churchville, drowned at Buttermilk Falls at Long Lake in Hamilton County, police said in a news release Monday. Police said Karlnoski was on vacation at the nearby Forked Lake Campground, a state campground. At around 2:15 p.m. Sunday, Karlnoski was seen jumping into the pool at the side of the falls and then swimming closer to the base of the waterfall, police said. He disappeared and was found about five minutes later, unconscious in an area of shallow rapids, police said. Paramedics and, eventually, police arrived but were unable to revive the man with CPR. His body was taken to St. Mary's Healthcare in Amsterdam for an autopsy, according to police. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse University's campus judicial process has concluded in the case of the Theta Tau videos, but the college won't say the outcome of appeals. Offensive videos made by pledges to the engineering fraternity Theta Tau rocked the Syracuse University campus this spring less than a month before graduation. The videos, described by the fraternity as part of a "satirical roast" were condemned by university administrators, who called the recordings racist, homophobic, sexist, anti-Semitic and offensive to disabled people. The videos depicted members of the fraternity acting out an offensive "oath" and the sexual assault of disabled person. University officials immediately expelled the fraternity and took action against 18 students affiliated with the videos. Three students accepted punishments proposed by SU; the others took their cases through the campus judicial process. In a message to the campus community last week, university officials said the process, including appeals, had come to a conclusion. Officials said the individual students had received letters informing them of the outcome of their cases. Officials declined to comment further. "The University cannot comment on the specific outcomes due to federal privacy law," Senior Vice President M. Dolan Evanovich wrote in the message to campus community members. Attorneys who worked with the students through the appeals process said the decisions in the cases they were aware of affirmed the original punishments, of one or two years' suspension from SU. Attorney Karen Felter, whose firm Smith, Sovik, Kendrick & Sugnet is representing nine of the students in a federal lawsuit, said she had not spoken with all of the students involved in the hearings. She said of those she had heard from, all of the one- or two-year suspensions had been affirmed. SU Law professor Gregory Germain, who assisted three students with the judiciary and appeals process, said he had heard the same. Neither was able to provide the results for all the cases. Both noted that the students they worked with had encountered difficulties in recent months with transferring to other schools or finding options for the next year. Felter said notations about the punishments that were placed on the students' transcripts made transferring difficult. She said some students opted to go to community colleges, and others found employment. A lawsuit against Syracuse University by the nine suspended students is still pending in federal court. Lawyers for SU and the students appeared in court last week. A federal judge is considering whether to allow the students to proceed anonymously. Read our continuing coverage of Theta Tau's expulsion Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992 KENILWORTH, N.J. (AP) -- The "super pooper," a New Jersey school superintendent accused of repeatedly defecating on another high school's track, has resigned. The Star-Ledger of Newark reports the Kenilworth school board accepted Thomas Tramaglini's resignation Thursday. In an email and voicemail sent to staff, the board said it became clear his continued service became "too much of a distraction." Tramaglini is charged with public defecation, lewdness and littering. A court hearing is pending. Authorities say surveillance video caught Tramaglini in late April following an early morning run at Holmdel High School. Police said staff members were watching to see who had been leaving human feces on the property. His lawyer, Matthew Adams, issued a statement saying that Tramaglini will continue to fight the allegations and that his resignation should not "be construed as an acknowledgement of guilt." Neither Adams nor authorities have said why Tramaglini allegedly did what police allege. Adams also said Tramaglini plans to sue Holmdel police over the mug shot taken after his arrest, claiming they should not have photographed him at police headquarters because the public defecation, lewdness and litter charges were low-level municipal offenses. "It's like getting photographed and fingerprinted for a speeding ticket," Adams told the newspaper. He has filed a tort claim notice that lists potential damages of more than $1 million due to loss of income, harm to his reputation, emotional distress and invasion of privacy. "It is our position that the photograph that has been widely disseminated was unlawfully taken and maliciously distributed," Adams said. Holmdel officials did not return a call seeking comment. Sorry, kids, your snowman-making and sledding time is being cut down by a South Carolina school district embracing the 21st century and boldly planning to end snow days. Anderson School District 5 in Anderson, S.C., has announced that it will be the first in the state to no longer close school on days where inclement weather prevents students and teachers from traveling to school. According to CBS, students will instead participate in an "eLearning" day where teachers will send homework assignments online. "Technology has changed every profession, and we have the technology in place to keep kids working during the snow days and eliminate the makeup days," Superintendent Tom Wilson told the Anderson Independent-Mail. CBS reports school officials said students will be able to access their schoolwork via Chromebook computers without requiring internet service. Students without power or other technology issues will be allowed five days to complete their assignments. The district says it will still make school closings announcements on snowy days, but will instead say "closed for eLearning Day" instead of a traditional snow day. According to the AP, the new policy will help parents plan for family vacations and childcare arrangements. Wilson also said it makes no sense to have makeup days in June when only a quarter of students attend classes. "From an educator's standpoint, it's easy to plan for the expected. It's the unexpected things, like snow days, that disrupt schedules and teaching plans," Robert Anderson Middle School principal Leonard Galloway told CBS. "This will enable teachers to stay on schedule." WTF?! There have been plenty of questionable viral challenges in the past, but the latest has seen law enforcement around the world warn participants that they face fines and criminal charges if caught. Who would have thought all this could come from a comedian dancing to a catchy Drake song? Remember the Tide Pod challenge from earlier this year? The dangerous practice involved members of the public and YouTubers filming themselves eating the detergent-filled pods that resemble fruit-flavored snacks. Stupid, but arguably not as bad as the latest viral phenomena, the Kiki Challenge, which involves getting out of a moving vehicle and dancing alongside it. Those who take part in the challenge are videoed dancing along to Drakes In my feelings track, leading to the hashtag #InMyFeelings Challenge. They do this next to their slowly moving cars as they travel down the street, something that has already resulted in several injuries. Comedian Shiggy started the craze after an Instagram post of him dancing to the song went viral. Celebrities including Will Smith have also posted videos of themselves dancing to the music, but none have been jumping out of cars, obviously. Police everywhere from the US to India to the Middle East are warning of the challenges dangers, adding that those caught could face fines up to $1000 and possible criminal charges. Bruh, Im a do the keke challenge and you gon run me over with your car. We gon get a million views with this. Its litt pic.twitter.com/AnUwOIBNaE Mark!E Young (@YoMarkie) July 29, 2018 Weve already seen videos of people smashing into objects, falling down holes, and being hit by other cars while dancing. One clip sees thieves stealing a womans handbag as she moves alongside her vehicle. Mumbai polices twitter account shows a man crashing into a post as he takes part in the challenge. Desist from public nuisance or face the music! the Indian force wrote. Not just a risk for you but your act can put life of others at risk too. Desist from public nuisance or face the music ! #DanceYourWayToSafety #InMySafetyFeelingsChallenge pic.twitter.com/gY2txdcxWZ Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) July 26, 2018 In the US, Connecticut State Police said anyone caught performing the Kiki challenge could face a reckless endangerment charge, while the National Transportation Safety Board also posted a warning on Twitter. Creativity: Some will argue that this could easily be done in CGI and they're right. But, there's an artistic and genuine feeling that comes with doing it in the real world. It's an impressive bit of creativity and perhaps even more impressive in terms of the robotic build. Light painting is a photography technique that utilizes long exposure times and sources of light to paint or draw in a scene. Youve no doubt seen this used in still photography streaks of light as cars whizz by or in star trails, for example but it takes on a whole new artistic value when you take control of the light source in a deliberate manner. Then of course, youve got people like Josh Sheldon who take things to a whole new level. Whereas most people paint with light by hand, Sheldon created a robot to do the deed for him. This granted precise control over the light source and allowed him to create stunning 3D animations that simply wouldnt be possible by hand. Sheldon used 3D modeling software Blender and notes that each of the animations took between four and 12 hours to shoot. Those looking to delve deeper into Sheldons techniques are encouraged to check out his work over on GitHub. Its a pretty complicated rig so if youre like me, its something thatll be best enjoyed from the sidelines. Found is a TechSpot feature where we share clever, funny or otherwise interesting stuff from around the web. The president of the ICC, Omar Aziz, asserted that the report will be sent to the corresponding judicial bodies. | Read More His new play had a spectacular launch - a world premiere for the Sydney Theatre Company, directed by Neil Armfield, at the Sydney Opera House. But instead of revelling in the standing ovation on Friday night and the warm reviews over the weekend, Indigenous playwright H. Lawrence Sumner was upset about the latest example of what he called "whitesplaining" Aboriginal stories in Australian theatre. Sumner has withdrawn a second play from the STC and believes it is time for a national Aboriginal theatre company, to avoid plays being "hijacked" by non-Indigenous directors telling stories from their own perspective. "A tense week for me as a writer": H Lawrence Sumner. Credit:James Brickwood While believing the play is moving and beautifully acted, Sumner said the company made him battle to retain elements of it in the lead-up to opening night. Borsht's seafood main and pavlova dessert wowed the judges, while Cheliah's chicken lemak and Malaysian pineapple tart helped him slip into the final cook-off. The semi-final saw the Melbourne DJ, 25, fall short of the finale thanks to a series of mishaps that began with crispy garlic and ended with burnt fish. In a moment made for reality TV, Ong was forced to plate-up fresh barramundi with just five minutes to spare. Queensland builder Ben Borsht is set to go head-to-head with South Australian prison officer Sashi Cheliah. The pair scraped into season ten's grand final after a dramatic cook-off against Khanh Ong. Ong told Fairfax Media his early mistakes in the semi-final cook led to him getting a "little overwhelmed" in the kitchen - as a result, he's had to hang up his MasterChef apron for good. "I took a lot on for the main and so many things happened," he said. "I was like, let's just get a dish out. It was unfortunate but at the same time I didn't think I was going to make the top ten. So making the top three was amazing. "Everyone has bad days in the kitchen, but if you have a bad day on MasterChef you're probably sent home. You can't be on your A-game the whole time." MasterChef finalists Sashi Cheliah, left, and Ben Borsht. Credit:Channel Ten Ong said he wasn't sure whether Cheliah or Borsht would take home Tuesday night's crown, but he does have an idea of who he'd like to come out on top. Researchers surveyed 1,215 University of Melbourne students aged between 18 and 30 on their knowledge of fertility and future plans for a family. These are the results of a large-scale Australian study on young people and fertility, which found that, while young people overwhelmingly want children, few understand the biological limits on natural conception. Less than half of women university students are able to correctly identify the age when a woman's fertility declines, but most are committed to the idea of establishing their career before having a family. More than half of young women do not know when their fertility will decline, an Australian study has revealed. Credit:Stocksy Just 45 per cent of young women and 38 per cent of young men correctly identified 35-39 as the age range when a woman's fertility begins to decline. Unfortunately, over half of the women surveyed expected to be having children over the age of 35. Participants' knowledge about men's fertility was worse: only 18.3 per cent of young men and 16.9 per cent of young women knew a man's fertility begins to decline between the ages of 45 and 49. However, only 3.8 per cent of men expected to be having children past this age. The study, published in Human Fertility this week, showed young people overwhelmingly were interested in having a family, with less than 8 per cent of young men and women saying they did not want kids. Of those who had not ruled having a family out, the men were more likely to say they definitely wanted children, with 78.2 per cent of male participants making this statement, compared to 72.7 per cent of women. The remaining students said they were "not sure". Dr Eugenie Prior, lead author of the study, said it was concerning that so many women wanted to have children at a time associated with declining fertility, noting they may be "making decisions about their future fertility without having the necessary information to make an informed decision". Blake Corney plays with his toy trains. The 4-year-old died at the scene of a multi-vehicle crash on the Monaro Highway near Mugga Lane on Saturday. Let's have a look at what's making news this morning. We're heading for a partly cloudy top of 13 degrees today, with no rain looking likely. Some sad news to start the day - it's been confirmed four-year-old Blake Corney was the person killed in a multi-vehicle crash on the Monaro Highway on Saturday morning. He's been remembered as a delight to play with - especially when it came to his toy trains. "He knew them all by heart and had many wonderful adventures pushing them along the tracks," Blake's aunty Christine Heard said. Blake Foden has the story here. Malcolm Turnbull's chief of staff named as new APS commissioner Rejuvenated and reinforced by Super Saturday byelections success, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten mused that voters want him and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to respectfully debate public policy ideas and to focus less on their own political interests. People dont want more of the same from Malcolm Turnbull, Mr Shorten declared. They want a government that acts in the interests of people. To be honest, thats the message I get out of it, too. The people of Australia are sick of me and Turnbull being in a Punch and Judy show he runs around complaining about me, we complain about the government. They want better from us. Bill Shorten has spotted public interest. Credit:AAP They deserve better. In few areas has this been more evident than in the failure of successive Parliaments to generate an energy policy. Ideology and internecine strife have stymied multiple attempts by governments of both hues to deliver the policy stability and certainty for which investors and the power industry have long been clamouring. Australia is finally on the cusp of a policy, the National Energy Guarantee, with the potential to reduce prices, meet our international commitment to cut carbon emissions and unlock investment in the new capacity required to guarantee baseload supply. Margaret Riddle was a former President of the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand and Head of the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Melbourne. She has died aged 84, an age that surprised many who witnessed her drive and energy. Earlier she had introduced Melbourne University's curatorship course providing a practical course with a career path, a rarity in an arts faculty and been largely responsible for its conservation centre, a notable double made all the more remarkable given her background. Margaret Riddle: passionate about the arts and publishing. Later she achieved further distinction as the publisher and editor of Fifty-Plus News which for more than 20 years kept older readers informed with a circulation reaching 60,000. Born in 1933 in Ivanhoe to Dorothy (Dot) Williams and father "unknown", much of Margaret's early life was spent in foster care. When Margaret was aged seven, Dot married Eric McPhail and brought her home permanently. It wasn't until Margaret was in her 60s that she discovered the identity of her biological father. Forty-one seconds. That was the amount of time between police arriving to find Courtney Topic holding a knife near Hungry Jack's at West Hoxton and an officer firing a fatal shot into her chest. NSW Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan found Ms Topic's death was a preventable tragedy as she urged sweeping improvements to police mental health training, some of which have been backed by NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller. "Errors were made that morning which made the resort to lethal force a tragic inevitability," Ms Ryan said as she delivered inquest findings on Monday. "Courtney's death is emphatically not one where it can be said, 'This couldn't have been prevented.' A Queensland man who obtained 10 litres of petrol to create Molotov cocktails who prosecutors say was prepared to wage a violent jihad, is due to be sentenced tomorrow in the Supreme Court of Brisbane. Agim Kruezi, 25, from Logan pleaded guilty to preparing for incursion into a foreign state, and preparing or planning for a terrorist act. During the sentencing hearing before Justice Roslyn Atkinson, a shaved and bearded Kriezi appeared handcuffed wearing a white skullcap (taqiyah), white shirt and blue jacket, and was seated in front of a group of supporters including his parents, sister and aunt. Mr Kruezi, who worked at the iQraa Islamic Centre in Underwood, attempted to travel to Syria in July 2014 to illegally fight alongside Jabhat al-Nusra, a jihadist organisation fighting Syrian government forces, the court was told. Peter Pavlis arrives at the Supreme Court in Melbourne on Monday. Credit:AAP A Melbourne muesli company boss who murdered his business partner has described her as a "nice person" in an apology that the victim's supporters found hard to take. Peter Pavlis, the 76-year-old founder of The Muesli Company, has pleaded guilty to murdering co-director Jennifer Borchardt, 49, at her Richmond home on July 25, 2017. While the motive remains blurry, prosecutors say Pavlis killed Ms Borchardt out of "jealousy or anger" that morning before heading to work as if nothing was wrong. Deputy Premier James Merlino did not provide extra evidence of his claims of Liberal rorts. Credit:Chris Hopkins James Merlino was alleging some serious stuff on Sunday evening. Two million dollars of taxpayers money rorted by the Liberals at and around the last election by using their Parliamentary and ministerial staff to work on their election campaigns, the Deputy Premier claimed. This was so serious, Merlino said, hed called the cops. It all sounded a bit like the red shirts affair that has Merlinos Labor government in such strife, now that Victorian Police are investigating. Jill Meagher on her wedding day. Credit:Facebook Jill Meagher's husband has posted a powerful tribute to his wife on the date of their 10th wedding anniversary as he passionately condemned the "everyday spectrum of male violence". Ms Meagher was killed while walking back to the home she shared with her husband in Brunswick in September, 2012. Adrian Bayley, 46, was found guilty of her rape and murder. Almost six years after her death, Tom Meagher on Friday described his wife as a woman full of love, compassion, laughter with a "force and energy that was literally breathtaking". "Ten years ago today, I was lucky enough to marry this incredible human. When I woke up that day, continuously fumbling over the elusive art of tying a tie and nervously downing cheap white wine way too early in the morning, I imagined the seemingly endless stretch of time we would have together," he wrote on Facebook. There is widespread support for a banned drinkers register with ID-scanning technology in the Pilbara communities it is set to be trialled in, as residents grow weary of increasingly onerous liquor restrictions imposed over the years. Karratha Liquor Accord acting chairman Bart Parsons told WAtoday surveys carried out in the town over the past few years had shown most residents were opposed to further restrictions. The Pilbara mining hub of Karratha is one of the towns to trial the proposed banned drinkers register. Credit:Aaron Bunch Karratha City Council voted in March last year not to support planned restrictions by the Department of Racing Gaming and Liquor on the back of a resident survey in 2016 that revealed a vast majority didnt believe they targeted the issues they sought to address. Mr Parsons, the managing director of Blanche Bar group and a former Karratha councillor who as part of the Accord was instrumental in bringing the planned register to the table, said people were tired of the majority of the population being punished for the actions of a minority. The Turnbull government is suffering from open division over its economic direction as backbenchers split on company tax cuts worth $35.6 billion, with one Coalition MP going public with a call to dump the policy within weeks. Critics of the big business tax cut are canvassing drastic options to abandon the policy before it is put to the Senate when parliament resumes on August 13, arguing the government should take the initiative to reset its plans. The case for swift change is based on the belief that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should declare a change in direction rather than respond to a Senate decision, if the outcome is to be a significant shift. LNP MP Luke Howarth (left) has called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to drop the government's policy of company tax cuts. Credit:Andrew Meares The debate on the policy comes as Mr Turnbull prepares his office for the next election campaign, appointing top adviser Clive Mathieson as his chief of staff after the departure of long-time diplomat and public servant Peter Woolcott, who will become the next Australian Public Service Commissioner. The state government will give NSW farmers an extra $500 million in emergency drought relief as the bush battles worsening conditions in one of the driest winters on record. Premier Gladys Berejiklian was in Bathurst on Monday morning to announce the package, which includes $190 million for drought transport subsidies backdated to January. The subsidies will cover up to 50 per cent of the full cost of transporting fodder, water for stock and livestock to pasture, slaughter or sale. They will be up to $20,000 per farm business. Ms Berejiklian said 99 per cent of NSW was now in drought, resulting in failing crops, drastic water shortages and a diminishing supply of fodder to sustain livestock. Queensland MPs have been told to take a "mature" approach to estimates hearings, after last week's sessions included tape measures, complaints about cufflinks and allegations of manhandling. Manager of opposition business Jarrod Bleijie raised eyebrows by wearing cufflinks with the letters "F" and "U", which he later explained related to his affinity for House of Cards, in which the character Frank Underwood wears a similar pair. LNP MP Jarrod Bleijie's "F" and "U" cufflinks caused a stir during estimates hearings. Credit:AAP Image/ Dan Peled After a break in hearings, Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said she would formally complain to Speaker Curtis Pitt, arguing it could amount to intimidation of a witness. Ms D'Ath later withdrew her complaint and referred it to the committee. Investigators with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have said that everybody on the plane - the captain, his co-pilot, the passengers and crew - was unconscious as the uncontrolled craft ran out of fuel and plunged into the Indian Ocean. The Malaysian investigation now says someone controlled the craft for at least some of the time after Zaharie's goodbye. MH370 captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah. Credit:Fairfax Media Still, Malaysian investigators said they have no way of determining who that person was - especially because the plane and most of its wreckage haven't been found. The culprit could be the pilot or the co-pilot - or "unlawful interference" from one of the other 237 people on board who managed to get into the cockpit and wrest control from the plane's operators, Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, said at a news conference Monday. We have examined the pilot, the flight officer. We are quite satisfied with their background, with their training, with their mental health, mental state. We are not of the opinion that it could have been an event committed by the pilot. But at the same time we cannot deny the fact that there was an air turnback. We cannot deny the fact that, as we have analysed, the systems were manually turned off with intent or otherwise. So we feel that theres also one possibility that could account for all these No matter what we do, we cannot exclude the possibility of a third person or third party or unlawful interference. He added that they were not ruling out any possibility. A relative of passengers on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 reacts as she arrives for MH370 safety investigation report briefing at ministry of transportation in Putrajaya, Malaysia on Monday. Credit:AP The notion that a person was behind the disappearance, of course, is head-slappingly obvious to scores of investigators and conspiracy theorists who have opined on the fate of MH370. Zaharie and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid were prime suspects in the plane's disappearance from the beginning. Although both have been cleared by the Australian government's investigation, there were rumours that Zaharie's marriage was falling apart and that he downed the plane after learning that his wife was about to leave him. A reporter from the New Zealand Herald in 2014 claimed to have spoken to one of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah's friends, a fellow pilot, who said the 52-year-old was going through a number of relationship problems and felt that his life was crumbling at the time of the ill-fated flight. And Zaharie is also at the centre of a chilling theory posited by a team of experts gathered by 60 Minutes. The show's experts claim a suicidal Zaharie put on an oxygen mask and depressurised the Boeing 777, rendering everyone else unconscious from a lack of oxygen - and helpless to interfere with his fatal plot. The modern aircraft tracked by satellites and radar disappeared because Zaharie wanted it to, the experts said. And the veteran pilot, who had nearly 20,000 hours of flight experience and had built a flight simulator in his home, knew exactly how to do it. For example, at one point, he flew near the border of Malaysia and Thailand, crisscrossing into the airspace of both, Simon Hardy, a Boeing 777 senior pilot and instructor, said on 60 Minutes. But neither country was likely to see the plane as a threat because it was on the edge of their airspace. Possible MH370 debris. American investigators concluded that a large object that washed up in July 2015 on the shore of Reunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean, came from a Boeing 777, making it likely that it was debris from MH370. Credit:Reuters Zaharie's suspected suicide might explain an oddity about the plane's final flight path: that unexpected turn to the left. "Captain Zaharie dipped his wing to see Penang, his hometown," Hardy said. "It might be a long, emotional goodbye. Or a short, emotional goodbye to his hometown." Shah's family members have defended him, and said they were glad the official investigation cleared him of blame. There are other theories. Some have claimed that Zaharie hijacked the plane in protest of the jailing of Anwar Ibrahim, who was then the opposition leader in Malaysia, or that it was an act of terrorism. A shadowy group called the Chinese Martyrs' Brigade has also claimed responsibility for the downing, although skeptical officials called this a hoax. Two men on the plane were flying with phony passports, but one was apparently an asylum seeker, authorities said, and neither had terrorism links. But all those theories - the ones by professional investigators, family members of victims and conspiracy theorists alike - lack the same thing: evidence. London: Families and doctors of patients in a persistent vegetative state will no longer need permission from a court to withdraw end-of-life care if both the relatives and the doctors agree, Britain's highest court ruled on Monday. The accepted practice in Britain has long been that nutrition and fluids could not be withheld from a patient in a vegetative state without the approval of a specialist tribunal called the Court of Protection. But that approval process can take months or years, and cost health authorities thousands of dollars in legal fees. Decisions on whether to withdraw end-of-life care are made for thousands of patients each year, the National Health Service reported, though it was not clear how many were in a persistent vegetative state, or in how many cases the families and doctors were in agreement. The Supreme Court ruled that when there was a disagreement, the question would still have to be decided by the Court of Protection. Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would be willing to meet Iran's leader without preconditions to discuss how to improve ties after he pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying, "If they want to meet, we'll meet." Asked at a White House news conference whether he was willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Trump said: "I'd meet with anybody. I believe in meetings," especially in cases where war is at stake. Trump's remarks represented a marked softening in rhetoric from a week ago, when he lashed out at Rouhani in a tweet, saying "Never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before." Austin Pendleton is prolific, and it seems like it has been that way ever since his 1964 Broadway debut as Motel in the original production of Fiddler on the Roof. Five decades and hundreds of shows later, he's still singing "Miracle of Miracles," most recently with Ben Liebert, who plays Motel in the Yiddish-language revival from National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene. An actor, director, and adapter, Pendleton is wearing all three hats in the upcoming Wars of the Roses: Henry VI & Richard III (August 1-19), which traces the malice of Shakespeare's famously wicked king back to its source. After that, he's directing Tennessee Williams's rarely produced late play, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, for La Femme Theatre Productions (September 14-October 21). Earlier this summer, he helmed the revival of John Wulp's The Saintliness of Margery Kempe (closing August 26). And on December 27, he makes his return to the Broadway stage in Tarell Alvin McCraney's Choir Boy following a nearly two-decade absence. Pendleton spoke to TheaterMania about his busy year. He also shared one of his biggest takeaways from half a century in the business. You've condensed Richard III's story in the War of the Roses tetralogy into one play, you've directed it, and you're appearing in it as Henry VI. How did that happen? Matt de Rogatis came to me and said he wanted to play the part. Now, I've played Richard twice. When I was working on it, I became aware that I could find the source of a lot of his behavior in Henry VI, Part 3, which may be the best of Shakespeare's early history plays. The problem with Richard III is that what you see at the beginning with him is what you get: He's mean and he's going to kill people. But in Henry VI, Part 3, you really see what he was like before. So I promised to direct, but only if we could connect the two plays and make a whole bunch of cuts so our play won't be any longer than either of those two. How does Richard become a villain? He murders Henry VI, which is unnecessary because he's already in the tower and the Yorks have won the war. But he probably thinks a Lancaster faction will rise up again, so he kills the head so there is no one to rally around. But he doesn't become a serial killer until he has the crown. He thinks it will make him feel better, but he starts worrying how to hold on to it. If he thinks anyone is beginning to turn against his, he executes them. Matt de Rogatis plays Richard III in Wars of the Roses: Henry VI & Richard III. ( Chris Loupos) Did you cut any famous lines? Matt asked me if our cuts meant that he doesn't get to say, "Now is the winter of our discontent." He doesn't get to say that in our version, but he has a much better monologue in Henry VI, Part 3. He starts it off saying that that there's nothing left for him. The cornerstone of his life was his father. His father loved him, took him seriously, and gave him his name. Then his father is brutally murdered. While Richard's brother, Edward, is really hurt by that, Richard decides not to feel anything. He shuts down a part of himself. And we never hear about his mother until she appears at the very end to tell him she doesn't like him and never has. Why did you want to play Henry? I offered it to an actor who couldn't decide whether to do it or not. He loved the part, and I kept extending the deadline when he could make up his mind. Finally, deep into the rehearsal period, he said he couldn't do it. So I decided to do it, because if he changed his mind again, I could step down. It's a good part, but I never expected to play it. Your next show is A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur. Is this one that you have wanted to direct for a while? Yes. I've been very fond of Tennessee Williams's late plays. I've directed Vieux Carre three times and I recently directed The Two-Character Play. I've also directed Cat on a Hot Tin Roof three times. The first thing I ever directed was The Glass Menagerie, starring my mother. Austin Pendleton (center) played Mr. Pendleton in the 2013 off-Broadway production of Tarell Alvin McCraney's Choir Boy. He reprises the role on Broadway later this year. ( Joan Marcus) You're reprising the role of Mr. Pendleton in Choir Boy on Broadway. How different will the Broadway production be from the off-Broadway debut in 2013? We did a workshop for a week in January. By the time we did the reading for the Manhattan Theatre Club staff at the end of the week, Tarell had rewritten about 50 pages. He and Tripp would have these complex discussions and Tarell would stay up half the night and come in with a new scene that would be better. They went through every scene that way. The play tells exactly the same story, but the writing is different. How do you choose what projects to work on? I take almost everything I'm offered. I only turn it down if the script just doesn't speak to me at all. But even if I don't understand the play and I like it, I'll direct. I don't have a list of plays I want to direct. I never have. Early on in the business, I realized that it was stupid to do that, especially as an actor. You get fixated on certain roles, and you get shattered if they come up and you've not been allowed to do them. It's a waste of energy. Is that a lesson you learned from personal experience? I lost a part the second year I was an apprentice at Williamstown, and I was counting on getting it. It upset me so much that I was actually like Scarlett O'Hara throwing up in the garden. I decided, as God as my witness, I will never want a single part that much again. I've come close to it twice, but the alarm bells went off. One was for Mozart in Amadeus and the other was the lead in The Normal Heart. I came so close, but then I would stop myself and say, "Don't do this." I talk about that to my students all the time: Don't fall into that trap. SKB Records has announced that the eighth month of Tony winner Lena Hall's yearlong series of Obsessed EPs will be Obsessed: David Bowie. The EP will be released in digital and streaming formats on Friday, August 3, and is now available for preorder at www.LenaHallObsessed.com as well as iTunes and Amazon. Customers who preorder the EP will immediately receive a download of the first single, "Rebel Rebel." Obsessed: David Bowie begins with an acoustic version of "Rebel Rebel" followed by "Lazarus," the title song from the only stage musical that Bowie wrote; "Queen Bitch" from Bowie's 1971 breakthrough album Hunky Dory; "As the World Falls Down," written for the 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth; and "Five Years," the rarely covered opening number of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. Obsessed will ultimately consist of 12 EPs, each released on the first Friday of every month. Performance music videos have been created for all 54 songs in the series, and a new music video will premiere every week in 2018. Previous releases in Hall's Obsessed series have focused on Jack White, Radiohead, P!nk, the Cranberries, Elton John, Peter Gabriel, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, in which she gave her breakout, Tony-winning performance as Yitzhak in the musical's 2014 Broadway revival. DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Pickup Truck Companies in China" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This study focuses on China's Pickup Truck industry assessments and company profiles. In the two past decades, the industry has been growing at a fast pace. The dramatic expansions of the manufacturing capabilities and rising consumer consumptions in China have transformed China's society and economy. China is one of the world's major producers for industrial and consumer products. Far outpacing other economies in the world, China is the world's fastest growing market for the consumptions of goods and services. The Chinese economy maintains a high speed growth which has been stimulated by the consecutive increases of industrial output, imports & exports, consumer consumption and capital investment for over two decades. Rapid consolidation between medium and large players is anticipated since the Chinese government has been encouraging industry consolidation with an effort to regulate the industry and to improve competitiveness in the world market. Although China has enjoyed the benefits of an expanding market for production and distribution, the industry is suffering from minimal innovation and investment in R&D and new product development. The sector's economies of scale have yet to be achieved. Most domestic manufacturers lack the autonomic intellectual property and financial resources to develop their own brand name products. This new study analyzes the industry structure, capacities and output. Major producers' production locations, market shares and profiles are presented. The primary and secondary research is done in China in order to access up-to-date government regulations, market information and industry data. Data were collected from the Chinese government publications, Chinese language newspapers and magazines, industry associations, local governments' industry bureaus, industry publications, and in-house databases. The author is one of the leading sources for up-to-date market information and research on the fastest-growing Chinese markets. They have published over 1,500 reports focusing on the Chinese markets, industry forecasts and company profiles. The report provides hard-to-find market data and analyses. The publications are intended to help international marketers identify business opportunities and promote their product sales in the Chinese markets. Companies Mentioned General Motors (China) Co., Ltd Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Pickup Truck Industry Assessments 3. Pickup Truck Producer Directory For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/wnft42/china_pickup?w=4 Contacts ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Related Topics: Trucks New Yorks Sex Diaries series asks anonymous city dwellers to record a week in their sex lives with comic, tragic, often sexy, and always revealing results. This week, a publicist who took the summer off from dating but believes he might meet someone when he least expects it: 26, gay, West Harlem. DAY ONE 7 a.m. Today is my first day back at work after a weeklong trip to Aruba with a group of friends. Im also going to Fire Island this weekend, which, I know, makes me sounds like one of those assholes who uses summer as a verb. Im not. I just lucked out with some good deals on trips for this month. 8 a.m. Im a publicist, so coming back to work after a vacation usually means coming back to a boatload of emails. Luckily, I have to go to a press day for one of our clients later, which means I can work from home until then. I get to catch up on everything while still in bed in my underwear. 10 a.m. It dawns on me as Im working that Im pretty horny. Aruba was an awesome trip, but it was also firmly a friends trip, so I didnt get laid or even jerk off for a full week. Obviously I took care of business the night I got home, but I still have an itch that needs scratching. I decided at the beginning of June that Im taking the summer off from dating. I just started a new job and want to focus on getting acclimated. Summer in New York is also the most fun, so getting bogged down with anything too serious feels counterintuitive. But, okay, if Im being honest with myself, almost everyone I know whos in a happy relationship said it happened when they werent looking for one. So maybe Im trying out some reverse psychology on myself. Still, it felt cleansing to delete a bunch of my dating apps (trust me, I had A LOT). 11 a.m. The press day is being held in a suite at the Mandarin Oriental. Man, this view is breathtaking. 3 p.m. Everything goes really well and the press day is officially wrapped! I get a Good job from my boss, which feels great since Im still pretty new here. The best part is that we have the suite for the day so we get to stay and work from there and order room service. I feel like a grown-up Eloise, which might be one of the gayest things Ive ever thought. 8 p.m. Home and catching up on the TV I missed while I was on vacation when R texts me to ask what Im up to. He lives in my neighborhood and we met on Scruff (one of the dating apps I still have because its not really for dating) a few months ago. Hes good-looking, older than me, and a food critic thats all I really know about him. Like I said, I have an itch I need to scratch and whats the point of small talk if you know deep down it isnt going to lead anywhere? 9:10 p.m. At Rs place. I get about half a sentence in before he pounces on me and we start making out. Im not mad about it. 9:30 p.m. R gives me a look that says Im done with foreplay, lets do this and I give him a look back that says, Yes, please. 10 p.m. R finishes super loudly and I cant help but think, Nailed it. We spoon a little afterwards and then I tell him I have to leave. DAY TWO 8 a.m. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I overslept. 9:20 a.m. Okay, 20 minutes late isnt the worst. Still trying to make a good impression here, though. 11 a.m. Lots of work to do. 5 p.m. A bunch of my friends have been raving about the movie Eighth Grade, so I decide Im going to go see it after work. I know seeing a movie alone sounds pretty sad, but I actually love it. 8 p.m. Well, Im really glad I saw that movie alone because I cried. A lot. What a fantastic film. 9:30 p.m. In bed. I decide to make some headway in the book Im reading for my book club, which is Crazy Rich Asians. I actually picked this one out. Yes, I am one of those people who reads the book once they find out a movie is being made. Sue me. 11 p.m. I watch some porn and then fall asleep. Porn is like my Ambien. DAY THREE 9 a.m. We have a pretty fancy coffee machine in the office, so Ive taken to drinking espresso in the morning. Today we receive an all-staff email that its not working. This is the worst. 9:15 a.m. Another all-staff email that there are pastries from a breakfast meeting left over in the kitchen. What a fantastic turn of events! 3 p.m. Im in two group chats: one with the people Im going to see Janelle Monae with tonight and one with the people Im sharing a house with in Fire Island this weekend. Theres a conversation about where we should meet for drinks before the show and conversation about a grocery order. My phone has basically been buzzing nonstop. 6 p.m. Head to meet my friends at a diner before the show. We get some light dinner and drinks and then head over. 8:30 p.m. I missed the opening act waiting in line for the tour T-shirt and getting a drink. Worth it. 10:30 p.m. Janelle Monae is a goddess. Were all lucky just to be standing here. DAY FOUR 9 a.m. I do that thing kids did in high school where if you go to a concert you wear the tour shirt the next day. A guy on the street stops me on my way in and said he was jealous he couldnt go. 12 p.m. Work, work, work, work, work, work. 4 p.m. My friend V is texting me about going out for drinks for his birthday tonight. Im missing the main festivities to go to Fire Island this weekend, so I say yes. I tell him Im probably going to be a little late, though, because I have to do laundry and pack. 8 p.m. Thankfully, I have laundry machines in the basement of my building so I can sit and watch TV while everythings getting clean. Tonights pick is Younger, a quintessential summer show. 10 p.m. V tells me hes en route to Hardware. Ive just now finished folding my clothes. I quickly make myself a drink, hop in the shower, and get ready as fast as I can. 10:45 p.m. Im somehow the first one at the bar and feeling pretty beat from the week so far. I remember vodka Red Bulls are a thing. 11 p.m. V arrives and we begin catching up immediately. I know him from my last PR agency. He starts filling me in on the latest office drama. 11:30 p.m. Theres a drag show going on and the drag queen calls for volunteers from the audience. V nominates me and Im pulled up onstage before I have time to protest. The drag queen makes everyone onstage do their best orgasm noise. I want to die. 12:30 a.m. Were at Industry now and I buy V a shot for his birthday, even though Im slightly annoyed with him for posting the video of me onstage at Hardware in his Instagram Story. Theyre playing great music here, so I get over it pretty quickly. DAY FIVE 9:05 a.m. Only five minutes late to work and I even managed to stop at Penn Station and get my train/ferry tickets before the summer-Friday rush. 9:15 a.m. Fuck, I forgot to pack the white T-shirt I bought for the White Party were supposed to go to. 1 p.m. Rushing to Penn Station to meet W, one of the guys in my house whos taking the same train as me. 1:20 p.m. And so begins the very long journey to Fire Island. First a train, then a shuttle bus, then a ferry. I pass the time alternating between catching up with W, reading more Crazy Rich Asians, and attempting to nap. 4:30 p.m. Were in the Pines, baby! W and I take a while to get settled. We drop our stuff off at the house and then head to the beach, where the rest of our housemates are. 5 p.m. After saying hi to the rest of the crew, I decide this is a good time to peel off and look for a replacement white shirt. I stop in one store that is literally selling a white T-shirt that says Pines on it for $100. Um, no. I end up settling on a tank top in a different store thats still kind of pricey at $35, but its Andrew Christian so I sort of get it. 6:30 p.m. Were all at the Blue Whale for Low Tea, which is basically just happy hour. The punch is strong and delicious. 8 p.m. Back at the house for dinner. Ws making burgers. 9 p.m. Were gearing up for an underwear party at Cherry Grove. I brought some cute black Calvin Klein briefs, but Im wishing I had worked out more before I got here. Oh well. 10:40 p.m. We made it and were 20 minutes early. Whoops. 11 p.m. Time to check all of our clothes. 1 a.m. The music is bumpin, Ive had several drinks, and there are cute boys here. Cant complain! 2:30 a.m. Shit. I dont know where any of my friends are. 2:45 a.m. I run into D, who Ive hooked up with before, actually, but nothing ever came of it. D cant find his friends either so I ask if he wants to walk back to the Pines together. He says yes and Im grateful because I wasnt really sure how I was going to get back on my own. 3:30 a.m. Im now at Ds hotel and were fooling around in his bed. This escalated quickly 4 a.m. Ds in a twin bed at his hotel so we both agree I should probably head back to my house. At this point, I know where I am, so the walk is easy. I fall asleep almost instantly when I get back. DAY SIX 10 a.m. Wake up to W shouting at us to get breakfast. Its eggs with some meat and peppers mixed in. Tastes glorious. When I get to the kitchen I realize Im still in my black underwear from last night. Except theyre not mine. Theyre a different pair of black briefs. Fuck. Nothing gets between me and my Calvins except another dude, apparently. 1:30 p.m. Time to get ready for the White Party! The tank top I bought actually works really well with the rest of my outfit. 3 p.m. After stopping for some booze, we arrive. The White Party is being thrown by some other guys from volleyball and their house is great. They have a full pool and hot tub and a roof deck. 5 p.m. K, one of the guys in my house, has taken over as DJ. His playlist is full of gay bops, which basically means lots of Ariana Grande, Britney, Beyonce, Rihanna, Charli XCX you get it. Basically all the best music for a pool party. Im several drinks in and loving it. 6 p.m. Fire Island is all about tradition, so were back at Low Tea. Everyone in my crew is pretty drunk at this point, so its probably not the best that I decide to buy a round of punches for everyone. Oh well. 7 p.m. Once again, everyone has scattered, but the bar is a five-minute walk from our house this time so Im not worried. W texts everyone that dinner will be at 7:30 and to be on time. Im about to leave when I meet P. Hes older than me, mid-30s, sexy and very nice, works in management consulting. Im not really sure how long into our conversation it is before we start making out. 7:30 p.m. Fuck, Im late for dinner, but having sex with P feels so good. Were back at his house and he knows exactly how fast to go and where to put his hands. 8:15 p.m. P and I are cuddling and I remember dinner again. We exchange numbers and make plans to meet up later. It seems a little too good to be true. Trying not to get my hopes up. 8:30 p.m. As it turns out, everyone else was late to dinner too, so it was no biggie. We eat, then I chug some water and decide to go lie down. I pass out pretty quickly. 10:30 p.m. When I wake up, everyone is in my room playing games. Theyre switching from Heads Up to Mafia. I have a text from P that says heading to Pavilion in a few, we should meet up. Holy shit, he wasnt kidding. 11 p.m. Im somehow able to corral the group into going out even though this seems like a never-ending day. Such is the magic of the Pines. 1 a.m. It takes a while for me to find P at Pavilion. When I do, we start making out almost immediately. He is such a good kisser. We dance and have a drink or two before deciding to head back to his place again. 3 a.m. P holds me in his arms on the couch while we make out. We have some good pillow talk, get to know each other a little better. This is so not what I expected going into this weekend, but I dont hate it at all. 4 a.m. P and I alternate between sleep and fooling around. He tells me he wants to spend a day with me just having sex and watching movies, which are two of my favorite things. DAY SEVEN 8 a.m. Oh my God, I think I got maybe two hours of sleep? Probably less. I feel like death, but dont really care. Theres a volleyball tournament on the island today and P has to get ready for it. We have a long kiss good-bye and then I head back to the house. 9:30 a.m. Im on my beach towel chugging a giant bottle of water while the rest of the guys warm up. I put on sunscreen and try to nap. 12:30 p.m. This tournament is supposed to go on all day so I alternate between watching, napping, and walking back into the main dock area to get food/more water. P finds me on the beach and we make out on my towel a little. Everyone sees, but, like, whatever. 3:30 p.m. Theres a break before the final playoffs and P asks if I want to come with him to get food. I still feel like death, but I say yes. He holds my hand while we walk on the beach and Im not gonna lie, its pretty fucking romantic. Im not trying to get ahead of myself or anything, but COME ON. I find out hes obsessed with The Golden Girls, and can quote it on demand, which is adorable. 4:30 p.m. The tournament is over. We all decide to grab our stuff, hop in the pool to cool off, and then take the next ferry home. 5:30 p.m. P is staying an extra day so I text him good-bye from the ferry. He tells me hes going to come meet me to see me off. I have a tendency to jump several steps ahead with guys I like in my head, so I tell myself to calm down and that hes just being polite. 5:40 p.m. Theyve started boarding and its raining so I cant wait for P much longer. I text him to let him know and he apologizes for not making it in time. Then he asks if I want to hang out on Wednesday. I didnt get a rom-com good-bye, but I think this is better, right? 6:30 p.m. Were on the Long Island Rail Road now and the rain is coming down HARD. I get a text from P that says, I had so much fun with you this weekend with a bunch of heart emoji. I cant wait until Wednesday Want to submit a sex diary? Email sexdiaries@nymag.com and tell us a little about yourself. Ancient Chinese Stories: Saving Mother From the Tigers Mouth One day, after collecting firewood from the forest, Zhao Zan was on his way home. His mother was in the yard preparing to cook dinner. Then, a tiger ran into the village and directly into Zans yard. At that moment, Zan arrived at the village and all the villagers called out to him, Dont go home, a tiger just ran over there! Upon hearing this, Zan immediately thought of his mothers safety. He took his pole and rushed to his yard. The tiger was just coming out of the yard with his mother in its mouth. Using all his strength, Zan beat the tiger with the pole. The yard was so narrow that the tiger could not turn its body with a person in its mouth, and neither could it fight back. The tiger received heavy and repeated blows from Zan. Finally, it put his mother down and turned to attack Zan. At that critical moment, the county official sent more brave men to help, and they killed the tiger with arrows. Zan and his mother were saved from this disaster. The head of the county knew that Zan was very frugal, and filial to his mother. He saw it with his own eyes when Zan fought with the tiger to save his mother. He praised Zan by hanging a banner on the front of Zans house. On the banner were two big characters that read Filial Piety. All the villagers were very happy to see it. His high moral standard had a large impact on the whole village, and everyone learned to have more filial piety from him. Translated by Dora Li into English, this story is reprinted with permission from the book Treasured Tales of China, Vol. 1, available on Amazon. Australian Archbishop Resigns Over Child Sexual Abuse Coverup Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson amid mounting calls for the high-ranking cleric to step down, following an earlier conviction for failing to report allegations of child sexual abuse. The Vatican made the announcement in a sentence-long statement released on July 30. In May, Wilson, 67, was convicted by an Australian court for not disclosing to police the abuse committed by a pedophile priest after Wilson was told about it in 1976 by two victims, one who was an altar boy. The boys, who were 10 and 11 years old at the time, said Wilson did nothing with the information after they told him. The priest who abused them, James Fletcher, was convicted in 2004 of nine counts of child sexual abuse. He died of a stroke in 2016, while in prison. Wilson was sentenced in July to a 12-month sentence but likely will spend it through home detention, as authorities assess the case. I welcome Philip Wilsons resignation as archbishop of Adelaide today, which belatedly recognizes the many callsincluding my ownfor him to resign, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on July 30. There is no more important responsibility for community and church leaders than the protection of children. Wilson, who submitted his resignation on July 20, said he made the decision because he became increasingly worried at the growing level of hurt that my recent conviction has caused within the community. The president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Mark Coleridge, said in a statement on the same day that the judicial process in Wilsons case was to continue, that the resignation is the next chapter in a heartbreaking story of people who were sexually abused. This decision may bring some comfort to them, despite the ongoing pain they bear, he said. When the case was first raised in May, Wilson stepped away from his role as Archbishop of Adelaide but refused to resign amid growing pressure from Turnbull calling for his full resignation. In July, he also said he would appeal his conviction. Only the pope can approve the resignation of an archbishop of Wilsons status. It is the second time within a week that Pope Francis has taken such action. On July 28, the pope accepted the resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington after accusations surfaced that he sexually abused a minor. McCarrick, an 87-year-old political force in Washington, maintains his innocence. A review board comprising psychologists, law enforcement experts, jurists, parents, a priest, and a religious sister concluded that an allegation that he abused a teenager almost five decades ago was credible and substantiated. Prolific Trend A soon-to-be-released report on clergy sex abuse by a Pennsylvania grand jury identifies over 300 predator priests in six of the states Catholic dioceses, according to The Morning Call. The report, which reviews decades-old allegations of cover-up efforts by clergy, will be made public without the names of or individual-specific information about the priests after some challenged the initial version of the findings. The 900-page report is expected to be released on Aug. 8. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the courts recent decision to make the report public, even with redactions, is a win. Our fear throughout this process has been that the entire grand jury report would be shelved and victims truth would be silenced, Shapiro wrote on Twitter on July 27. Today is a victory for survivors, but our work is not yet done. On July 11, a report compiled by law firm Jeff Anderson and Associates PA and the Law Office of Mark Gallagher found that 58 priests in Hawaii have been accused of sexually abusing children. The report found that high-ranking church officials at the Diocese of Honolulu had knowledge that Bishop Joseph Ferrario had sexually molested children before he was appointed bishop. Local psychiatrist Dr. Robert Browne, who treated the sexually abusive priests, recommended predatory clerics return to ministry, according to the report, which stated that Browne himself was a prolific pedophile that abused many children throughout his career. In May, the Diocese of Buffalo,New York, released a list of diocesan priests who were removed from ministry, were retired, or left ministry after allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. In total, there were 42 mentioned. But according to media reports, the actual number is higher. In Wyoming, a new investigation was opened into allegations Bishop Emeritus Joseph Hart sexually abused two boys from Wyoming after he became the bishop of Cheyenne, according to a July 2 release. Bishop Steven Biegler, from the same diocese, said he was continuing restrictions placed on Hart years ago, after the boys claims were found to be credible and substantiated. Nothing is more important than the safety of our children, Biegler said. We have zero tolerance for sexual abuse of any kind. If there is ever any indication of abuse brought to our attention, it will be reported to the civil authorities and investigated thoroughly, even when the allegations involve a bishop. Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the date Archbishop Philip Wilson submitted his resignation. Wilson resigned on July 20. The Epoch Times regrets the error. A vehicle drives past a closed factory on a polluted day after the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays in Beijing, China, on February 3, 2017. (Jason Lee/Reuters) Beijing Upgrades Manufacturing Sector at the Expense of Low-Income Population SHANGHAIThe city of Beijing will shut about 1,000 manufacturing firms by 2020 as part of a program thats aimed at curbing smog and boosting income in neighboring regions, state media said on July 30. The move is part of Chinas plan to upgrade its manufacturing sector, with a focus on developing dynamic, high-tech industries and withdrawing from ordinary manufacturing, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece Peoples Daily reported, citing a recent policy document published by the municipal government of Beijing . The plan, however, appears to be moving forward at the expense of ordinary citizens, such as migrant workers. In December 2017, Beijing authorities began to evict the so-called low-class population, including laborers, migrant workers, street hawkers, and out-of-town petitioners, following a deadly fire that engulfed a suburb where many of these workers lived. Similar evictions soon spread to other Chinese cities. In early July, police officers shut down multiple clothing factories in Daxing District in Beijing, resulting in large numbers of migrant workers losing their jobs, according to a July 19 report by Radio Free Asia (RFA). Local citizens complained that the closing of these factories would be devastating to the local economy. One unidentified local clothing businessman told RFA that the local economy boomed upon the arrival of these migrant workers, with many new businesses opening, such as supermarkets and factories. Beijing has already rejected registration applications from 19,500 firms, and shut or relocated 2,465 ordinary manufacturers, Peoples Daily said. China rolled out a plan to improve coordination in the smog-prone Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Province region in 2014 amid concern that competition between the three jurisdictions was wasting resources and creating overcapacity and pollution. The goal is to phase out manufacturing and heavy industry in Beijing, and relocate universities and some government departments into Hebeis new economic zone of Xiongan. The Chinese regime also wants to create an integrated transport network and unify standards in areas such as welfare and education to make Hebeilong known for its heavy industrymore attractive to investors. By David Stanway. Epoch Times staff member Frank Fang contributed to this report. California Bill Seeks to Prohibit Counseling for Sexual Orientation Change First amendment groups and pro-family groups to combat bill A new bill, which aims to ban counseling resources for those with unwanted same-sex attractions or gender confusion, is scheduled to move to the California State Senate as early as Aug. 6. First Amendment groups and pro-family groups throughout California are voicing opposition to the bill as they believe it would violate their rights and values. The bill, called AB 2943, declares that advertising, offering for sale, or selling services constituting sexual orientation change efforts to an individual is illegal under the states consumer fraud law. The bill was initiated by Assemblyman Evan Low (D-San Jose), chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, and passed by the State Assembly on April 19 this year with a 50-18 vote. Legal experts have pointed out that the bill would prohibit church organizations and many counseling services from providing their services to people who either have gender confusion or are trying to deal with unwanted same-sex attraction, since these organizations and services are not necessarily in favor of same-sex attraction or transgender practices. This bill, if passed, will violate the First Amendments free exercise clause, free speech clause, freedom of association, as well as privacy rights of individuals who are giving counseling or receiving counseling with regards to sexual orientations or gender identity issues, said Brad Dacus, president and founder of the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), in an interview. PJI is a nonprofit legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. PJI is one of a number of organizations that intend to challenge the bill as unconstitutional. The bill, if passed by the State Senate and made into law, will shut down any counseling or activities meant to assist people who have homosexual attraction, gender identity confusion, or gender identity dysphoria, but dont want those feelings or dysphoria. The bill makes it impossible for these people in the state of California to legally get the counseling that they want or that they feel is necessary for them. This bill is a blatant violation of individual rights of self-determination, which is so fundamental to the concept of free society, Dacus said. Many people who seek counseling to address sexual orientation or gender identity do so for religious reasons, and many counselors offering such counseling likewise do so for religious reasons. This bill even prohibits a religious minister to hold a conference on sexual purity if he encourages the attendees to avoid homosexual behavior, said Frank Lee, chairman of the Bay Area Advisory Board of PJI. Besides the issue of counseling services, concerns have also been raised about how the bill would regulate written materials, videos, CDs, and so on. The First Amendment rights not only protect the rights to speak, but also the rights to hear and receive information, Lee said, citing the 1969 Supreme Court case Stanley v. Georgia. Lee added that if the bill is passed, even books written to help people struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction or gender identity confusion will be banned. Conservative elected officials in California have already openly criticized the bill. This is really directly hitting at our First Amendment rights as American citizens, Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen told One America News Network after the assembly passed the bill in April, Now the Democrat legislators in the California state legislature, they want to tell you how to think, what sort of books that you can read, write, and purchase. This isnt the first time the California state legislature has faced criticism in recent years for challenging the First Amendment and traditional family values. In May 2015, California passed AB 775, which requires family and pregnancy service providers to inform their clients about abortion services. The bill was signed by Governor Jerry Brown and became law in California in October 2015. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rebuked AB 775 as a violation of the First Amendment. The logo of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is seen outside its headquarters in Shenzhen, China, on April 17, 2012. (Reuters//Tyrone Siu/File Photo) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Reportedly Alarmed by Huaweis Threat to National Security Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is alarmed about the national security threat posed by Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei, according to a Globe and Mail article citing an unnamed senior government official. The article said Trudeau has been hearing about the risks directly from U.S. President Donald Trumps national security adviser John Bolton, and has also been in discussion with leaders of Five Eyes member nations on cybersecurity risks posed by Huawei. Five Eyes is an alliance between Canada, New Zealand, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom that facilitates collaboration in intelligence activities According to the Globe report, the senior official said the leaders of Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand agreed during the April Commonwealth summit in London that their countries cannot become dependent on 5G technology from Huawei due to the companys close links with the Chinese communist regime. Bolton has also reportedly told Trudeau that Huawei needs to be blocked from dominating 5G technology, the next evolution in wireless technology that promises faster speeds. Australia is already poised to ban Huawei from supplying equipment for the countrys 5G broadband network, as urged by its intelligence agencies. Founded by a retired officer in the Peoples Liberation Army, Huawei has been cited as part of Chinas espionage apparatus. Last February, the heads of six major U.S. intelligence agencies including the CIA, FBI, and NSA, warned Americans not to buy phones made by Huawei and the other Chinese telecom giant ZTE. Former heads of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service have also called the company a national security threat to Canada. Michael Hayden, a former head of the CIA, said in an interview with the Australian Financial Review that intelligence agencies have hard evidence that Huawei spies on behalf of the Beijing regime. Australia barred Huawei from bidding on national broadband network contracts in 2012, citing national security concerns. The same year, Canada blocked Huawei from bidding to build the governments telecommunications and email network. On July 26, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that tightens regulations on Chinas investments in the United States and bans the U.S. government from using technology from Huawei and ZTE. Huawei has broad operations in Canada, and its smartphones are widely sold in retail stores across the country. The company is actively engaged in 5G technology research in Canada, with an investigation by the Globe showing that Canadian professors have been transferring the full rights of their intellectual property to Huawei. A spokesperson with Canadas Ministry of National Defence said she cant comment on specific companies, but added that Canadians can be assured that appropriate measures are in place to protect Canadas critical infrastructure and communications systems. We follow the advice of our expert security officials and we will never compromise our national security, Renee Filiatrault commented in an email. With files from Reuters Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping (R) congratulates Russian leader Vladimir Putin after presenting him with the Friendship Medal in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 8, 2018. (GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images) Chinese and Russian Regimes Vs. Democracies and the Rule of Law Despite similar totalitarian rule following 1949 under Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin, China and Russia for various reasons experienced considerable bilateral friction for many of the decades following 1950. Today, the Chinese and Russian regimes are linked by shared contempt for democracy and the rule of law. Their two regimes are also closely linked economically. As of 2016, almost 20 per cent of all imports to Russia came from China, while China bought almost 10 per cent of Russias exports, worth about $28 billion. Last month, Xi presented Putin with Chinas first friendship medal calling him my best, most intimate friend. Whether it is friendship or convenience is difficult to judge. They often pursue complementary agendas and support each other with their permanent vetoes at the U.N. Security Council. Just over a week ago, three Chinese warships sailed into the Baltic Sea for Chinas first war games in those waters with Russias fleet. Beijing wants Russian oil and gas to fuel its economy. Moscow needs Chinese trade and investment more than ever following its estrangement from the democratic world over its 2014 invasion and occupation of Crimea. Raised ages for pension eligibility in recent days for Russians confirms a highly stressed treasury. Richard McGregor, senior fellow at Australias Lowy Institute, agrees there is a strategic nature to the Russia-China partnership, joining together to push back against the U.S. and Europe in their respective spheres of influence. Russia has passively supported China around its claims in the South China Sea, similarly Beijing never has a critical word about the Russian annexation of Crimea. Similarly, Xi does not acknowledge that Russia under Putin has sought to attack democratic institutions and the integrity of elections in numerous countries and continues to act as a rogue regime in Ukraine and Syria. Earlier this year, when Russia was facing international condemnation for its widely-reported role in the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in the United Kingdom, the Beijing party-state said nothing. Michael Cole, a Canadian Taipei-based security analyst, says Beijing is in conflict with a world order and a system of democracy that it now regards as an impediment to its global ambitions. The party-state is expanding its influence through neo-imperial projects like the New Silk Road, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative, which involve nations where rule of law and democratic norms are weak. To break through the democratic firewall, Cole asserts, Beijing uses sharp power or united front activitiesa combination of political and psychological warfare, corruption, co-optation, disinformationas well as economic incentives and sometimes its soft power, to change our institutions, and to change perceptions in as many nations as it can mislead. As the world begins to understand the full scope and ramifications of Chinas sharp powermost of which is either illegal or unethical, Taiwan is an indispensable partner to the international community as it strives to counter efforts by revisionist forces and to defend democratic values. Chinas unending assault on Taiwan is really directed at the entire liberal democratic order, which has underpinned independent nations since the end of World War II. The enemy isnt China or the Chinese, but rather its Communist party and its growing efforts to undermine and displace the universal values democrats cherish. Recently, on the eve of what would have been Nelson Mandelas 100th birthday, former U.S. President Barack Obama addressed an audience of about 15,000 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mandela had been imprisoned for nearly three decades in racially segregated South Africaapartheid South Africabefore his release in 1990. Four years later, he was elected South Africas first black chief executive. Americas first African-American president honored Mandelas legacy even as he described the world as it is todayand how it might be tomorrow. His speech was both an eloquent celebration of Mandelas life and a paean to democracy: Democracy depends on strong institutions, and is about minority rights, checks and balances, freedom of speech and freedom of expression, free and independent media an independent judiciary, and everybody having to follow the law. democracy best upholds the idea that government exists to serve the individual and not the other way around. And it is the only form of government that has the possibility of making that idea real. Obamas words offer a bold vision for those who are concerned that the rise of authoritarian leaders will inevitably lead to greater discord. Says Obama: It doesnt have to be. We have the power to control our own destinies. Wise words indeed. David Kilgour, a lawyer by profession, served in Canadas House of Commons for almost 27 years. In Jean Chretiens Cabinet, he was secretary of state (Latin America and Africa) and secretary of state (Asia-Pacific). He is the author of several books and co-author with David Matas of Bloody Harvest: The Killing of Falun Gong for Their Organs. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Visitors from China photograph one another in front of a statue of philosopher and revolutionary Karl Marx on May 4, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Marxs 200th birthday was May 5, 2018. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Chinese Regime Recruits American Communists Beijing opens new chapter, seeking to take the lead among world's communist parties News Analysis With little fanfare and no mainstream media publicity, two of the worlds most important communist parties have begun rebuilding relations after five decades of minimal contact. At the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CCP), a two-member delegation from the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) toured China from May 26 to June 3. The duo, Chicago-based party Chairman John Bachtell and New York official Carol Widom, represented the CPUSA at a conference on the 200th anniversary of Karl Marxs birth. Bachtell wrote: We were invited to attend a forum to celebrate the 200th birthday of Karl Marx with 70 communist, socialist, left, and revolutionary parties in Shenzhen, an eco-planned city, followed by a week touring Beijing, Hefei, Fengyang County, and Xiaogang Village, the site of the first rural economic reforms. The event reflected the feeling by the Communist Party of China [CCP] that a qualitative turning point has been reached in socialist construction and that China is playing a new role on the global stage. The meeting is an example of China and the [CCP] opening wider to the world and expanding and deepening relations with communist and workers parties. Indeed, the meeting did signal a new era. With CCP leader Xi Jinping re-orientating the Party to a more revolutionary path domestically, it follows that old revolutionary ties would be rekindled internationally. Moscow Loyalties The worlds largest communist party, centered in Beijing, had little contact with the worlds most important Western communist party for almost half a century. After the China/Soviet split of the early 1960s, the CPUSA sided with Moscow and was openly hostile to China and pro-China American communists. In the United States, this was more than political rivalry; it often spilled over into violence. Both factions spied on each other for their respective masters in Moscow and Beijing. According to the archives of the former East German intelligence services, in January 1963, leading CPUSA official Henry Winston met with leaders of the Moscow-aligned East German Communist Party. Winston secretly provided the East Germans with a list of members of the Progressive Labor Party, the pro-Beijing communist organization in the United States. The list was prepared by CPUSA comrade Mille Stand, a chemical engineer who fled Germany in the 1930s to escape Nazi persecution. It is very likely that the list of Beijing parrots was also passed on to Moscow. American Maoists were regarded as traitors to the Soviet cause and were treated as such by the Moscow loyalists. The enmity smoldered until the 1980s and only officially ended after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Even then, the CPUSA would remain very standoffish to China for more than a decade. Mille Stand, incidentally, would go on to introduce his own son Kurt to East German intelligence. Kurt Stand, a member of the CPUSA youth wing, would go on to recruit two comrades, his friend Jim Clark and his future wife, Theresa Squillacote, to the East German cause. Squillacote worked in the Pentagon and handed over many sensitive documents to her East German contacts. The trio were eventually arrested, and, in 1997, were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. On his release in 2012, Kurt Stand returned to activism. He is now a leader of the Washington chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which serves as the backbone of Sen. Bernie Sanderss political movement. Incidentally, members of the so-called Metro DC DSA received recent gushing news coverage for harassing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen while she was dining at a restaurant in Washington on June 1. The American communist movement has always been disloyal to the United States. Hard Times After the retreat of East European communism, the once-dominant CPUSA was hit by mass defections and decreased political influence. Membership fell from a peak of 100,000-plus in its heyday to about 2,000. The party continued to maintain strong ties to the communist parties of Cuba, the UK, Iraq, and Vietnamand even to the still-strong Communist Party of the Russian Federationbut it lacked a strong international sponsor. The CPUSA also lacked money. It was estimated by Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky that between 1981 and 1991, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union secretly financed the CPUSA to the tune of $21 million. In 1987 alone, the figure was about $3 million. That was a big deficit to make up. CPUSA slashed staff and turned the five-day-a-week CPUSA publication Peoples World into the Peoples Weekly World. In 2009, the long-standing print publication went to online only. While the 1990s and early millennial years were very hard for the CPUSA, fortunes have improved in recent years. The CPUSA has recovered about 5,000 members and the party has formed an alliance with the 47,000-strong Democratic Socialists of America. That lack of foreign money is still a problem, though. Thaw CPUSA/CCP relations did begin to improve a little in the mid-2000s. One high-powered CPUSA group visited China and Vietnam in late 2006. The delegationcomprising CPUSA then-National Chairman Sam Webb, Executive Vice Chairman Jarvis Tyner, International Secretary Pamela Saffer, and Labor Secretary Scott Marshallreturned with a wealth of political and cultural experiences they say they hope to share with the U.S. public in order to build better understanding and friendship between the peoples of the U.S., China, and Vietnam. In China, the American comrades were hosted by the CCPs International Department and met with leaders of the All-China Womens Federation and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. While much of the U.S. news media portrays China as a land of freewheeling capitalism and exploitation, Saffer said, she indicated that she was impressed by the countrys socialist construction. In China, laws are made to support working people. Saffer and Webb both affirmed that relations between the CPUSA and the Chinese and Vietnamese parties had been further strengthened, and they look forward to building even stronger relations in the future. However, nothing much actually happened for several years. What little activity there was mainly focused on studying the CCPs economic model. Wadhih Halabi, a Massachusetts academic who serves on the CPUSA Economics Commission, has made several visits to China since 2000, to lecture and attend conferences on world political economy. On July 6, 2011, a forum titled China, the Working Class, Unions and the Economy was held at the CPUSA-connected Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library in Oakland, California. A description of the event read: China is now developing into the largest economy in the world and this forum will discuss how this affects Chinese working people, unions (official & independent) and the Chinese people. It will also look at how the U.S. government, U.S. unions and media look at this development. In a sign of communist rapprochement, Halabi spoke alongside David Ewing, of the San Francisco branch of the old Beijing line U.S.China Peoples Friendship Association. Rapprochement Six years later, on Oct. 14 and 15, 2017, Halabi and another Boston Communist Party member, Dylan Walker, participated in the Eighth World Socialism Forum of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. The conference focused on the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia and an examination of the temporal characteristics of the Great Transformation Era, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Halabi, invited to address the forum, spoke on the topic What is the greatest honor we can pay the October Revolution? Halabi said, The Great October Socialist Revolution was probably the single greatest step forward in human history. It strengthened Marxism and the working class. The Revolution gave birth to all Communist Parties worldwide, and to the Communist International. He continued: It is true the Comintern suffered serious weaknesses, especially after Lenins death. They are not reason to reject unity among Communist Parties, but it is essential to identify why they developed and to address them. The greatest honor we can pay to the October Revolution is to rebuild international Communist unity. CPUSAs Bachtell addressed international communist unity in his speech to the conference Marxism in the 21st Century and the Future for World Socialism, sponsored by the CCP, on May 28 in Shenzhen. We enthusiastically join in celebrating Karl Marx on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of his birth and express deep appreciation to the International Department of the Communist Party of China for hosting this event, Bachtell told the assembled communists: Marxism is the worlds most influential body of thought and has changed the course of human history. It is more relevant than ever for addressing humanitys urgent challenges, despite the desperate efforts by the capitalist class to bury it. Only socialism can ultimately restore a harmonious relationship between society and nature and between humans and their labor. And the remarkable experience in China shows a socialist-oriented system makes the transition to sustainability on a massive scale possible, Bachtell went on to address the dangers posed to world peace by U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration: The danger of authoritarianism and fascism has grown in the U.S. and Europe. Trump and the so-called alt-right, or fascists, linked to him pose an unprecedented threat to democracy, peace, and the environment, he said. Trump is governing as he campaigned. He deploys anti-China trade rhetoric to divide the working class domestically and pit U.S. workers against those of other countries. Trump has assembled a war cabinet whose members have the fantasy of restoring U.S. imperialism as the worlds sole superpower. Building a united front to defeat the extreme rights domination of the U.S. government is an overarching strategic objective. Defeating the US Right By Bachtells logic, the U.S. government is the major threat to world peace, while the CCP is a force for good. Therefore, the moral thing to do by communist standards is to defeat Trump and the U.S. right. But what would the American communists do if things turned violent? What would they do if the United States got into a full-scale military confrontation with China? An advertisement for a CPUSA reading group at the Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library in Oakland on Dec. 4, 2010, answered the question this way: The United States government has been committing direct acts of provocation against Chinas economy, and other aspects of its society, including its military. If these confrontations are allowed to become full-blown, it will demand from all of us new energies on yet anotherperhaps the biggestdomestic front against U.S. Imperialism. Flush with wealth to lavish on its allies, and with rapidly growing military might, the CCP is clearly embarking on a new phase of the international revolutionary process. Reaching out to (and secretly funding) foreign communist parties will be a necessary part of this program. Once the CPUSA would readily commit espionage and treason for Soviet money and praise. What crime will they not commit when the CCP money starts flowing into their bank accounts? Disneyland Resort Proposes to Raise Minimum Wage for California Park Workers Reuters CALIFORNIAWalt Disney Cos Disneyland Resort said on Thursday that it proposed to raise the minimum wage of employees at its California theme park to $15 per hour by January 2019. The agreement with Master Services Council, provides for a minimum wage rate increase of 40 percent within two years of the deal, making it one of the highest minimum wages in the country, Disneyland Resort said. The current minimum hourly wage of $11 will be hiked immediately to $13.25. Subsequently, hourly wages will increase to $15 in January and rise further to $15.45 in mid-June 2020, Disneyland said. Disneyland Resort, which features two theme parksDisneyland and Disney California Adventuresaid the agreement also includes at least 3 percent increases to wage rates for each year of the contract term for those near or above the minimum rates. In February, Disney, which has a three-tier structure that charges visitors more during peak periods to help spread out crowds, raised the admission price for its U.S. theme parks by almost 9 percent. Reporting by Rishika Chatterjee in Bengaluru An aerial view taken over the Parry Sound 33 fire is shown in this handout image. The blaze, known as Parry Sound 33, sprung up on July 18. Ontario firefighters have been fighting it with the help of their counterparts from other provinces, as well as the United States and Mexico. (The Canadian Press/HO-AFFES Ignition/Response Specialist-Dan Leonard) Forest Fires Continue to Blaze Across Northern Ontario ONTARIONorthern Ontario has been facing a series of forest fires, ranging in severity from being held to not under control. By the evening of July 29, there were 39 active forest fires across the northeast region of Ontario, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Ontario. Fourteen of those are not under control. The Parry Sound 33 blaze is one of the most raging of the northeastern forest fires. Compromising air quality due to smoke along Highway 69, the fire is about six kilometres west of the highway. Fire response crews continued with structural protection and aerial suppression using water techniques on July 29. In the northwest, there were 94 active fires with 27 not under control by mid-afternoon July 29. A common cause of these forest fires is lightning, with human activity as a cause for some as well. Wildland fires are a natural part of forest ecosystems. Some natural fires are not controlled and a small number of fires are prescribed by authorities to help maintain healthy ecosystems, according to Natural Resources Canada. This makes fire control strategies a complex process. The ministry reports that Ontario is receiving support from across North America. Over six hundred firefighters and support staff, along with equipment, came from across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced the passing of a firefighter from Alberta in a statement posted on Twitter. Yesterday, an Alberta wildland firefighter, Mr. Jerry Gadwa, a resident of Kehewin, unexpectedly passed away while supporting fire suppression efforts in Red Lake, Ontario. My full statement is below. #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/NiMnUTE4yY Rachel Notley (@RachelNotley) July 27, 2018 We are one country, and we look out for one another, Rotley said in the statement, Mr. Gadwas brave and selfless actions will be remembered. Jerry Gadwa, a 20-year veteran in firefighting, died while helping suppressing forest fires in Red Lake, Ontario. Many Canadians offered their condolences on Twitter, including Premier Doug Ford who extended sympathies on behalf of Ontario. While observing the fire suppression effort in Northern Ontario today, we honoured and remembered Jerry Gadwa from Alberta, who unexpectedly passed away while fighting forest fires in Red Lake, ON. The people of Ontario extend our deepest sympathies to his family. Doug Ford (@fordnation) July 27, 2018 The ministry released an interactive map with information about the locations and statuses of forest fires around the province. According the the ministry, there have been 831 forest fires in 2018 so far, more than three times the amount in 2017 of 243. Underbrush burns on the south edge of the Carr Fire near Igo, Calif., on July 29, 2018. (REUTERS/Bob Strong) Great-Grandmother Killed in California Fire Tried to Save Kids REDDING, Calif.A 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren died as she tried in vain to save them from a wildfire that raged through an area of northern California and engulfed their home, officials and family members said. Two firefighters have also died and another 12 people are missing. More than 38,000 people remained under evacuation orders on Sunday in and around the city of Redding, about 160 miles north of the state capital Sacramento. The Carr Fire, which has destroyed more than 500 buildings, is the deadliest and most destructive of nearly 90 wildfires burning from Texas to Oregon. The Carr Fire has charred 89,194 acres of drought-parched vegetation since erupting last Monday. Redding Police Sergeant Todd Cogle confirmed that the three bodies discovered at a fire-ravaged home on the outskirts of Redding were two children and their great-grandmother. The victims identified by relatives on Facebook and in news media reports were James Roberts, 5, his sister Emily, 4, and their great grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70. Such a tragedy. Emily & James Roberts and their Grandmother Melody Bledsoe did not survive the #CarrFire. If you would like to help them, their family has asked us to share their GoFundMe: https://t.co/UZiN0ej80O @ABC10 pic.twitter.com/abcfPZL8wa Madison Wade (@madisoncwade) July 28, 2018 Bledsoes granddaughter, Amanda Woodley, said on Facebook the elderly woman desperately put a wet blanket over the children as their home burned. Grandma did everything she could to save them she was hovered over them both with a wet blanket, Woodley said in a Facebook post. The childrens mother, Sherry Bledsoe, was quoted by the Sacramento Bee as saying: My kids are deceased. Thats all I can say. Unpredictable The weather on Sunday is expected to offer no relief for firefighters as it will hit more than 100 Fahrenheit with low humidity and gusty winds, the National Weather Service said. We are simply not getting a break, said Chris Anthony, a division chief with the CaliforniaDepartment of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The blaze remained unpredictable, he said by telephone from Redding. Under these conditions that we are seeing right now, its not going to take much for the fire to have the extreme spread that we saw a couple of days ago. The fire is no longer threatening communities around western Redding. But with power lines down and large trees uprooted in places, Anthony said significant work remained before residents could return to neighborhoods under evacuation orders. An army of some 3,500 firefighters and a squadron of 17 water-dropping helicopters had carved buffer lines around just 5 percent of the fires perimeter as of Sunday. President Donald Trump on Saturday declared the fire an emergency, authorizing federal funds for disaster relief efforts. At the height of its fury on Thursday night, the fire was whipped into a storm-like frenzy by gale-force winds that drove flames across the Sacramento River into the western end of Redding, as thousands of residents fled for their lives in a chaotic evacuation. The nearby town of Keswick, with a population of about 450, was reduced to cinders, and two firefighters were killed. We have seen really extremely explosive fire behavior on this particular fire, but its not unique any more to what we are seeing on fires in California, Cal Fires Anthony said. That is kind of that new normal that we are dealing with in California. Fire-Ravaged Home Bledsoes husband wept as he recalled trying to get back to the familys house after he had left to run an errand on Thursday, only to learn that the fire was closing in on them. Ed Bledsoe told the Sacramento Bee that he spoke to the children on the phone as he raced in vain to return in time to save them. A Go Fund Me effort, launched overnight to help Ed Bledsoe, had raised almost half its $30,000 goal by midday Sunday. It said the elderly couple had been caring for the great grandchildren for years in their rental home. So far this year, wildfires have scorched almost 4.3 million acres across the country, less than last year but still more than the 3.7 million-acre average for the same period over the last decade. California has been particularly hard hit with several fierce blazes menacing large populated areas. Cal Fire estimates more than 300 fires were burning across California as of Sunday morning. One of the California fires prompted a rare closure of much of Yosemite National Park last week, while another forced mass evacuations from the mountain resort community of Idyllwild, east of Los Angeles. By Alexandria Sage A 26-year-old homeless man received hundreds of job offers after handing out his resume on the street in California. (Jasmine Scofield via Storyful) Homeless Man Hands Out Resume on Street, Receives Hundreds of Job Offers Texas native David Casarez has been sleeping on a park bench in San Jose, California since June when his van was repossessed and he ran out of money. Last year, the 26-year-old web developer left his job at General Motors in Texas and moved to California to pursue his dream of launching his own startup tech company. After arriving at San Jose, he realized it was tough getting a foot in the door as an outsider. When his startup plans fell through and his 4-months-worth of savings were drained away, he knew he had to find a jobhowever, that wasnt easy either. With a degree in Management Information Systems at Texas A&M University, Casarez managed to get an interview with Apple but the position was filled internally. No one was hiring. I had an interview with Apple in January, but the job was filled interally, Casarez told the New York Post. Despite this, he was able to land a few freelancing jobs in web design and logo design but it was still not enough. In June he ran out of cash and his vanwhich he had lived in to save money on rentwas repossessed. Instead of giving up and returning home, he started sleeping in the park as he continued to pursue his dreams. Desperate for work, he then began to think of innovative ways to get his name out there. I call it the power of broke mentality. Youre gonna do what you need to do to survive. That mentality kicked in, Casarez told NBC. On July 27, he donned a clean shirt and tie and made his way to an intersection in Mountain View with a hand-written cardboard sign and a stack of his resumes. The sign read, Homeless. Hungry 4 success. Take a resume. While standing on the median, a passing driver, Jasmine Scofield, took notice of him. She asked whether she could take his photo and post it online, which he happily agreed to. Today I saw this young homeless man asking for people to take a resume rather than asking for money, she wrote on her Twitter on July 27. If anyone in the Silicon Valley could help him out, that would be amazing. The post quickly caught the attention of the internet and Casarez became a sensation. It was retweeted over 131,600 times and had over 210,600 likes, at the time of writing. Today I saw this young homeless man asking for people to take a resume rather than asking for money. If anyone in the Silicon Valley could help him out, that would be amazing. Please RT so we can help David out! pic.twitter.com/ewoE3PKFx7 FullMakeup Alchemist (@jaysc0) July 27, 2018 I didnt expect this kind of overwhelming response, she later tweeted. What Casarez thought was a make-or-break moment turned out to be a complete success. His inbox was flooded with messages of support and opportunities. He received more than 200 job offers after the unexpected publicity, reported the New York Post. Google reached out to me, he told the Post. So many other companies. Pandora. A bunch of startups. A product manager from Bitcoin.com was wondering if I could work remotely of if I want to relocate to Tokyo. He added that things were now happening very quickly. I wasnt expecting that kind of response, he told the Post. It kinda blew up. It is not clear which opportunity Casarez has decided to go for. The 26-year-old said that he hopes that his story would inspire other people who are pursuing their dreams. Never give up. An opportunity is sure to come your way. Keep your head up high, and dont be afraid to stand out. Dont be afraid to be that pin drop in a haystack, he said, reported NBC. Manhunt Begun for Speedboat Owner Convicted in Death of Woman From Alcohol-Fueled Crash on Thames British man, convicted in absentia, is accused by own defense lawyer of cowardice LONDONAn international manhunt is on for a speedboat owner who was convicted on July 26 in connection with the death of his boat passenger during a champagne-fueled date in 2015. Jack Shepherd, 30, is being sought in connection with the death of Charlotte Brown, 24, in a speedboat crash on Londons Thames River in December 2015. Shepherd was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence at a trial at Londons Old Bailey, but did not attend court. He was sentenced to six years in prison, of which he will have to serve at least three. Detective Sergeant Christopher Davis from the Met Police said in a statement: A jury has decided that Charlottes life was lost due to Jack Shepherds reckless actions. To take his boat out at night, whilst drinking, in winter conditions and without offering Charlotte a life jacket or even asking if she could swim was a recipe for disaster. That night ended in a tragedy and the consequences will live with Charlottes family forever. While Shepherd had attended previous hearings, his lawyer, Stephen Vullo, told the court he did not attend the final one because he could not have faced the Brown family. Its cowardice. It is not some clever trick to avoid justice, Vullo said, according to the BBC. Police said they were keeping an open mind on whether Shepherd had left the country because he had traveled abroad in the last year. During the trial, the court heard how Shepherd had used the small red boat to pull women and had let at least five of his previous dates take control of the boat. Following the trial, Browns mother told the BBC that it had been pretty devastating that Shepherd had skipped bail because hes brought devastation to us. Browns twin sister, Katie, said: Hes been able to choose not to turn up and it just didnt seem fair. We wanted him to face the trial. Browns father told The Sun that justice is coming for Shepherd. Graham Brown, 52, said: Those who know something need to examine their consciences. Im sure someone will make that call. Justice is coming, of that Im certain. Shepherd, a web designer, had met Brown on the dating website OkCupid and treated her to a $200 meal at a restaurant in Londons iconic Shard building. They drank two bottles of wine and then took a taxi back to Shepherds home in Hammersmith, west London. In a police interview, Shepherd described the events of the evening as being hazy because of the amount of alcohol the pair consumed. He said they took his speedboat out on the Thames, along with a bottle of champagne, for a trip past the Houses of Parliament. In cellphone footage released by the Met Police, Brown can be heard exclaiming that they were going so fast. It was later discovered that Shepherd had been going more than twice the 12-knot speed limit. Shepherd admitted to police that he did not tell Brown about the lifejackets he had on board, or ask whether she could swim. After returning from the Houses of Parliament, Shepherd handed the controls of the boat over to Brown, who went full throttle. At around 11:45 p.m., the boat hit a submerged log and capsized, tipping both Shepherd and Brown into the water. Neither was wearing a life jacketalthough there were two on board. While Shepherd managed to cling to the hull, Brown was pulled from the water unconscious and unresponsive. Paramedics were unable to revive her. An Iraqi Airways plane is pictured on the tarmac at Erbil Airport, in the capital of Iraq's autonomous northern Kurdish region, on Sept. 28, 2017. (Safin Hamed/AFP/Getty Images) Iraqi Airways Pilots Suspended After Fight in Cockpit at 37,000 Feet: Report Two Iraqi Airways pilots were suspended after an argument turned physical in the cockpit, according to reports. The flight was going from Mashhad, Iran, to Baghdad, Iraq, with 157 passengers on board. Two pilots allegedly got into a heated argument over a food tray when the plane was 37,000 feet in the air, the Independent reported. The co-pilot allegedly said, Conversation with the pilot became heated because he forbade an air hostess from bringing me a meal tray, under the pretext that I hadnt asked him for authorization, according to the paper. The pilot hit and insulted [the co-pilot], prompting the arrival of a security agent, who came to break them up, the paper reported. Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Then, once the plane landed, the two kept arguing, and the pilot again hit and insulted the co-pilot, the report said. The plane landed in Baghdad without incident. None of the passengers were injured. Iraqi Airways suspended the two pilots after the melee. They have already been ordered to stop flying, it said, according to Flight Global. LASD Investigation Highlights Police Officer Tattoo Culture Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell announced the launch of a comprehensive study into tattoos and their relation to deputy subgroups in the law enforcement department on Thursday, July 26, at a meeting of the Sheriffs Civilian Oversight Commission. The announcement followed recent news coverage regarding a tattoo of a skeleton holding a rifle allegedly shared by some of the deputies stationed in Compton, located near Los Angeles. One of the deputies, who was accused of a racially motivated shooting, said in a recent deposition that 10 to 20 deputies shared the tattoo. As the largest Sheriffs Department in the world with about 18,000 employees, such concerns about specific members of the department have surfaced before. A lawsuit filed in 1991 alleged that some deputies with matching tattoos at the Lynwood station were members of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist gang known as the Vikings and accused the deputies of systematically engaging in racial abuse, beatings, unjustified shootings, and other unlawful conduct. The lawsuit was later settled for $6 million to the plaintiffs, while $1.5 million was allocated for use of force training by the LASD. Other allegations of deputy subgroups date back to the 70s, said Sheriff McDonnell. However, despite all this, no one has undertaken a serious, comprehensive study of the issue. I intend, on my watch, to get to the bottom of it, he said. The Sheriff said the department will be partnering with the county counsel and inspector general for the study. At the Civilian Oversight Commission meeting, McDonnell invited the commission and the unions to join the investigation and bring in outside experts to provide their input in how to resolve the issue. At the end of the day, everyone, most importantly our public, should be confident that there are no gangs of deputies operating subversively anywhere within the department, said McDonnell. Group tattoos of law enforcement officers appear to be common and mostly benign. The president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs was photographed with McDonnell sporting a tattoo on his ankle, which appeared to be a tattoo shared by members of the Firestone station, according to LASD.News. Chinese workers preparing to destroy fake medicines seized in Beijing, on March 14, 2013. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on July 13, 2018 the recall of the heart medicine valsartan, made by Chinese firm Zhejiang Huahai, which was found to be contaminated by a carcinogen. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Made-in-China Valsartan Heart Drug Pulled From Chinese Hospitals Over Cancer Risks: Report Worldwide recalls highlight defective, counterfeit drugs made in China The Chinese communist regimes health regulator announced the recall of made-in-China pharmaceutical valsartan, which is being subject to a recall in the United States and Europe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on July 13 that 29 types of single and 51 types of combination valsartan medicines are being recalled. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced a recall of the drug on July 5 when it was informed by Chinas Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticala major global manufacturer of generic valsartanthat the drug had been contaminated by a substance called N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which has been linked to cancer. Chinas National Health Commission said that the recalled drug, which is used to treat patients with high blood pressure, shouldnt be used for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, Reuters reported on July 30. The Chinese regimes health regulator also said there were six local companies that used valsartan manufactured by Huahai, according to Reuters. Five of the firms have issued recalls, Reuters reported. Rosemary Gibson, who is a senior adviser at The Hastings Center and an author of several books on health care issues, said that the tainted valsartan shows how defective medicines and pharmaceutical ingredients made by Chinese manufacturers are becoming a health hazard for other countries. There is a lack of trust in medicines made in China now, Gibson told The Epoch Times earlier in July. The public wants their medicine to be safe. This carcinogen hidden in valsartan raises the question whether other products that are made in China have been made contrary to the global standard we came to accept. The U.S.China Economic and Security Review Commission said in an annual report published in January that China has been a prolific source of defective and counterfeit drugs. Chinese consumers may prefer U.S. pharmaceutical products due to concerns over the quality of domestic drugs. China has been a prolific source of counterfeit and defective medicine. In 2012, Chinese authorities seized 77 million domestically produced gel capsules that were created from industrial waste and contained excessive levels of cadmium, the commissions report said. Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. It added that, for more than a decade, China has been a key producer of counterfeit drugs. About 90 percent of all counterfeit pharmaceuticals seized at the U.S. border were from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, or India. While quality concerns may boost U.S. pharmaceutical sales to China, the inability of Chinese regulators to restrict counterfeit medicine risks the health of U.S. consumers, the report stated. The American and European public have to realize China doesnt have consumer protection laws like we do, Gibson added of generic drugs manufactured by China. If consumers here want to file a lawsuit against a Chinese company, they are out of luck. Gibson described the growing reliance of Americans on medicines made in China as a national security threat. We need to view medicine as a strategic asset, just like how we view oil and energy supply, Gibson said. A strategic asset is something that will make our country fall apart if we dont have it. Watch Next: How Doctors in China Turn into Murderers Former Chinese surgeon Enver Tohti said he was turned into a killing robot while thinking he was working for a great cause. A Malaysia Airlines plane (below) prepares to go onto the runway and pass by a stationary Chinese Ilyushin 76 aircraft (top) at Perth International Airport on March 25, 2014. (Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images) Malaysia Airlines MH370 Report: Unlawful Interference by Third Party Not Ruled Out Missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was likely steered off course by someone and was flown to the Southern Indian Ocean for seven hours after its communications were severed, according to a new report (pdf) published on July 30. But the report from a 19-member international team provided no conclusions as to what really happened, leaving the mystery unsolved. Flight MH370 disappeared March 8, 2014, as it was going to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board in one of the greatest aviation mysteries of all time. The wreckage of the plane or its black boxes were never found after years of searching. Investigators have never been able to explain why the jet abandoned its route to Beijing before going south over the Indian Ocean. The report said that it is difficult to attribute the change in direction to a system failure, and it is more likely that such maneuvers are due to the systems being manipulated. There was insufficient information to determine whether the aircraft broke up in the air or when it crashed into the ocean, the report stated. The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found, Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters. Kok said the investigators examined the history of the pilot and the first officer, and they were satisfied with their background and training and mental health. We are not of the opinion it could have been an event committed by the pilots, he said, but added they were not ruling out any possibility since the in-air turn back was done manually and the systems in the plane were also manually turned off. We cannot exclude that there was an unlawful interference by a third party, Kok said. According to The Guardian, he also emphasized that no terrorist group claimed responsibility. He added all the passengers of the 15 countries had their backgrounds checked by their respective countries and all came back with a clean bill of health. The report also concluded that every one of MH370s emergency locator transmitters had malfunctioned, and they didnt give off the normal distress signals to help locate the aircraft. A search carried out by Malaysia, Australia, and China, covered 710,000 square kilometers. The search was suspended in January 2017. A private Texas-based firm reached an agreement with the Malaysian government to search, but that was also stopped in May 2018. The disappearance of MH370 and the search effort are unprecedented in commercial aviation history, the report stated. Improvements must be undertaken to ensure that this type of event is identified as soon as possible, and mechanisms are in place to track an aircraft that is not following its filed flight plan for any reason. It continued to say that international aviation community needs to provide assurance to the traveling public that the location of current-generation commercial aircraft is always known. If it does otherwise, it would be unacceptable, the report added. Reuters contributed to this report. Officials: Legionella Bacteria Found in Water Supply at NYC Hospital The bacteria that causes Legionnaires disease was detected in the water supply of a New York hospital in the Bronx, according to health officials. In a statement on July 28, health officials said they detected very low levels of the Legionella bacteria at Jacobi Medical Center during the routine testing of their potable water supply. Per guidance from the New York State Department of Health, which regulates hospitals, we have taken steps to prevent any impact on our patients, staff, or visitors, the statement read, reported ABC 7. Sources with the knowledge of the matter told Daily News that bottled drinking water was being shipped in for the staff and patients at the 450-bed hospital. Patients are also washing using packaged bath wipes while the hospital installs new water filters in their showerheads, according to the news website. NYC Health and Hospitals said the risk to patients, staff, and visitors is very low and there was no risk to the surrounding community. There are currently no reports of any patients being affected by the Legionnaires disease. The disease, a type of pneumonia, is contracted when people breathe in water vapor that has the bacteria Legionella, which grows in warm water in spaces like hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks, and cooling towers. Legionnaires disease is generally associated with bacteria found in active cooling towers, the New York City Health Department said in its warning to residents. All cooling towers in the area have been inspected and sampled, and building managers have been ordered to disinfect any with positive results. The detection of the bacteria at the New York hospital comes weeks after the citys Health Department reported an outbreak of Legionnaires disease in Manhattans lower Washington Heights neighborhood. As of now, one person has died and 27 cases have been reported, according to the department. NYC Health Department said the outbreak of the disease is separate from the discovery of the Legionella bacteria in Jacobi Medical Center. The department has put out a warning to residents saying that anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, chills, and difficulty breathing, should see a healthcare professional. Holly Kellum contributed to this report From NTD.tv Ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sits on a plane after landing at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, Pakistan, July 13, 2018. (Reuters/ Drazen Jorgic) Pakistan Opposition Party Calls for Investigation of Election Rigging LAHOREPakistans main opposition party called on July 29 for a judicial investigation into what it said was rigging at an election this week that it lost. Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or Pakistan Movement for Justice, emerged as the largest single party in the July 25 vote, defeating the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) party of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. During the campaign, Sharif said the military had influenced the judiciary to deny him a second term. The military denied this. It has ruled Pakistan for about half the time since the countrys formation in 1947. We demand constitution of a judicial commission to probe incidents that took place on July 25, senior party leader Khawaja Asif told reporters in Lahore. We will issue a white paper on the election rigging and other incidents. PML-N will not accept these elections as legitimate and we are ready to start movement along with other parties, Mushahid Ullah Khan, a senior leader, told reporters. PTI did better than expected to win 16.86 million votes and beat PML-N, which got nearly 13 million votes. PTI opened coalition talks with at least one smaller party and independent politicians on July 28. European Union observers were critical of the political climate in the run-up to the vote, saying that some parties had been disadvantaged. The United States voiced similar concerns. Pakistan witnessed the most disputed elections in the countrys history, Ahsan Iqbal, a senior leader of PML-N and former interior minister, told reporters. Sharif was taken to hospital in Islamabad on July 29 with a possible heart problem, said a government official and Sharifs party. https://www.ntd.tv/2018/07/30/pakistan-opposition-party-calls-for-investigation-of-election-rigging/ Sharif and his daughter Maryam were arrested on July 13, minutes after they returned from Britain seeking to revitalise their flagging PML-N party ahead of a July 25 election. An anti-corruption court sentenced him on July 6 to 10 years while his daughter and political heir was sentenced to seven years over the purchase of luxury flats in London in the 1990s. They were moved to Adiala jail in the garrison town of Rawalpindi. After initially refusing to be shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Sharif agrees to be treated outside prison after consulting with his personal doctor, said a PML-N tweet on July 29. Doctors at Adiala jail have observed changes in the ECG (electrocardiogram) of Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Hasan Askari Rizvi told Reuters. An ECG checks the hearts electrical activity. We cannot take any risk about Sharifs health, Rizvi said. By Mubasher Bukhari An aerial view of the Pentagon building in Washington, on June 15, 2005. (Jason Reed/Reuters) Pentagon Creates Software Do Not Buy List to Keep Out Russia and China WASHINGTONThe Pentagon is working on a do not buy list to block software vendors who use code originating from Russia and China, a top Defense Department acquisitions official said on July 27. Ellen Lord, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, told reporters the Pentagon had been working for six months on the list, which is meant to help the departments acquisitions staff and industry partners avoid buying problematic code for the Pentagon and suppliers. What we are doing is making sure that we do not buy software that has Russian or Chinese provenance, for instance, and quite often thats difficult to tell at first glance because of holding companies, she told reporters gathered in a conference room near her Pentagon office. The Pentagon has worked closely with the intelligence community, she said, adding, We have identified certain companies that do not operate in a way consistent with what we have for defense standards. Lord did not provide any further details on the list. Lords comments were made ahead of the likely passage of the Pentagons spending bill by Congress as early as next week. The bill contains provisions that would force technology companies to disclose whether they allowed countries like China and Russia to examine the inner workings of software sold to the U.S. military. The legislation was drafted after a Reuters investigation found that software makers allowed a Russian defense agency to hunt for vulnerabilities in software used by some agencies of the U.S. government, including the Pentagon and intelligence agencies. Security experts said allowing Russian authorities to look into the internal workings of software, known as source code, could help adversaries like Moscow or Beijing to discover vulnerabilities they could exploit to more easily attack U.S. government systems. Lord added an upcoming report on the U.S. military supply chain will show that the Pentagon depends on foreign suppliers, including Chinese firms, for components in some military equipment. She said the Pentagon also wants to strengthen its suppliers ability to withstand cyber attacks and will test their cybersecurity defenses by attempting to hack them. The Pentagon disclosed the measures as the federal government looks to bolster cyber defenses following attacks on the United States that the government has blamed on Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China. By Mike Stone. Polar Bear Killed After Attack on Island Off Northern Norway A polar bear was killed off a cruise ship on an Arctic archipelago on July 28, Norwegian authorities said. The polar bear had injured a man who was leading tourists off a cruise ship, and was then shot dead by another employee of the ship in an act of self-defense, The Associated Press reported. The German Hapag Lloyd Cruises company, which operates the MS Bremen cruise ship, said the man was attacked by a polar bear and injured on his head, AP reported. The injured man was one of two polar bear guards who went onto the island where the ship landedthe most northern island of the Svalbard archipelago, between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The island is known for its glaciers, reindeer and polar bears. All cruise ships that travel in the northern region are obliged to have polar bear guards aboard, spokeswoman for the cruise company Nagar Erminan told AP. She said the polar bear was shot dead by the second polar bear guard in an act of self-defense. The injured man was transported via helicopter to Longyearbyen town on Spitsbergen island. Etminan told AP that the man is being treated and is not in life-threatening condition. Workers work at SK HYNIX Inc. plant in Icheon, South Korea, on Aug. 25, 2015. (Kim Min-Hee-Pool/Getty Images) South Korea Vows to Support Chip Industry With $1.34 Billion Investment South Korea plans to invest 1.5 trillion won ($1.34 billion) over the next 10 years in its semiconductor industry, according to Yonhap News Agency. Paik Ungyuthe Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energymade this announcement Monday when visited key semiconductor production lines of Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. We will support the development of the chip industry by focusing on three strategies, Paik said during the visit. The three strategies Paik mentioned include developing next-generation materials to replace existing memory chips, seeking combined growth of fabless and foundry business, and hosting production lines of global semiconductor companies. South Koreas industry ministry will work with the Ministry of Science and ICT to make the necessary investment going forward, Yonhap reported. Less than a week before the announcement, Hynix declared around July 26 that it would invest $3.1 billion to build a new semiconductor plant in South Korea, Reuters reported. The governmental announcement and Hynixs plan of the new plant come amid a rapid price drop of some memory chips due to oversupply and slower sales in the smartphone sector. The global memory chip industry has enjoyed an unprecedented boom since late 2016, with profits surging to record highs and margins rising above 70 percent thanks to disciplined production after years of consolidation. But the industrys shift to a new technology of 3D NAND flash stacks, which are cheaper to assemble than two-dimensional chips, has seen output grow faster than demand this year. It forced smaller semiconductor companies to cut prices in order to keep market share. SK Hynix has said the types of chips produced at the new plantwhich will be completed in October 2020will be decided later depending on future market conditions. Heekyong Yang from Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD.tv Watch Next: Business is War UK Court: Feeding Tubes for Vegetative Patients Can Be Withdrawn If Family and Doctors Agree LONDONFeeding tubes can be withdrawn from patients in a persistent vegetative state without legal permission, as long as the family and doctors are in agreement, the UKs highest court has ruled. Prior to the Supreme Court ruling (pdf) on July 30, each case was referred to a judge before artificial nutrition and hydration could be withdrawn. It is estimated about 24,000 people in the UK are in a permanently vegetative state or a minimally conscious state. The Supreme Court ruling stemmed from the case of a banker in his 50s who had suffered a heart attack and never regained consciousness, and was left unable to eat or drink, relying on a tube to his stomach to provide nutrition and hydration and keep him alive. The doctors had reached the conclusion that there awas no prospect of any significant improvement in his condition. His family and doctors had agreed that it was not in his best interests to continue providing clinical nutrition. The High Court had ruled that permission was not required from a judge to withdraw this nutrition, known as Clinically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration (CANH). However, the Official Solicitor appealed on behalf of the patient, taking it to the highest court, the Supreme Court. That appeal did not challenge whether it was in the best interests of a patient to have CANH withdrawn, but instead challenged who should make the decisionthe family and doctors, or a judge in a Court of Protection. When the man died from unrelated causes, the court case continued to provide clarification on future cases. Supreme Court Justice Lady Black said in the ruling: Having looked at the issue in its wider context as well as from a narrower legal perspective, I do not consider that it has been established that the common law or the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights), in combination or separately, give rise to the mandatory requirement, for which the Official Solicitor contends, to involve the court to decide upon the best interests of every patient with a prolonged disorder of consciousness before CANH can be withdrawn. If the provisions of the MCA 2005 (Mental Capacity Act) are followed and the relevant guidance observed, and if there is agreement upon what is in the best interests of the patient, the patient may be treated in accordance with that agreement without application to the court. Lady Black said that medical knowledge and procedures around the issues had also developed considerably in recent decades. She also said it was still a matter of best practice to seek clarification in the Court of Protection. But opponents of assisted dying criticized the ruling. Advocacy group Care Not Killing said that it had dramatically moved the goalposts on end of life decision-making. Campaign Director of Care Not Killing Dr. Peter Saunders said in a statement, People with PVS (awake but not aware) and MCS (awake but only intermittently or partially aware) can breathe without ventilators, but need to have food and fluids by tube (clinically assisted nutrition and hydration or CANH). These patients are not imminently dying and with good care can live for many years. Some may even regain awareness. But if CANH is withdrawn, then they will die from dehydration and starvation within two or three weeks. Saunders said that the ruling left patients vulnerable to cost-based decisions on the part of relatives, and the state-run and state-owned National Health Service. Given that it costs about 100,000 per year to care for a person with PVS or MCS the potential saving for the NHS could be as much as 2.4 billion annually if most seek to go down this route. Given the huge and growing financial pressure the health service is under is this really an additional pressure, no matter how subtle we want to put medical staff and administrators under. The NHS defines a vegetative state as awake but is showing no signs of awareness. While they may wake up, open their eyes, and fall asleep at regular intervals, and even blink when theyre startled by a loud noise or withdraw their hand when its squeezed hard, they show no meaningful reactions, such as responding to voices, according to NHS England. A permanent vegetative state is defined by over six months if caused by a non-traumatic brain injury, or more than 12 months if caused by a traumatic brain injury. U.S. President Donald Trump and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker speak about trade relations in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., on July 25, 2018. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) USEU Trade Agreement a Stand Against Chinese Regime As the U.S.China trade war heats up, U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker have met in Washington and signed a trade agreement on July 25 that could further tip the balance to Beijings disadvantage. Per the deal, the United States will suspend further tariffs on the EU, including a proposed 25 percent tariff on European auto parts, while the EU will buy more American soybeans and energy in return. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the deal also included an agreement under which the United States and the EU will work to tackle Chinas market abuses and reform the WTO [World Trade Organization] together. A day after the deal, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow confirmed the joint effort to counteract China, according to a separate Reuters report. U.S. and EU will be allied in the fight against China, which has broken the world trading system, in effect, Kudlow said. President Juncker made it very clear yesterday that he intended to help us, President Trump on the China problem. The U.S.EU deal is a blow for which Beijing has no counter, said Wu Qiang, a former speaker at Chinas prestigious Tsinghua University The zero-tariff agreement between the United States and the EU, as well as [the possibility of one] between the U.S. and Japan, signals an interesting development in the Trump administration, Wu said in an interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA). [Trump] dislikes and avoids multilateral organizations like the WTO. He prefers to advance his diplomatic agenda through bilateral agreements. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on July 27 that he and Japanese economy minister Toshimitsu Motegi would discuss a free-trade agreement in the next 30 days, according to the Japan Times. A little over a week earlier, on July 17, the Japan Times reported that Japan and the EU had signed an economic partnership agreement, creating a free trade zone that would account about for 37 percent of global trade. On July 12, prior to the most recent trade deal between Japan, the EU, and the United States, prominent Chinese economist He Qinglian spoke with the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times about the present state of global trade, which Trump is working to restructure. In Hes analysis, China has been the biggest beneficiary of the present global economic system, since the communist regimes repeated violations of WTO regulations have gone unpunished. She also said that Chinese companies have been able to compete against their U.S. counterparts by stealing intellectual property. China has not genuinely opened up its market as it promised 17 years ago when joining the WTO, said Xia Yeliang, former professor of economics at Peking University, in an interview with RFA. To illustrate his point, Xia said that Chinas requests to be granted the status of market economy had been repeatedly turned down because of the communist regimes excessive interventionism. It is difficult for the United States to coax China into further reforms under the current WTO framework, Xia said, but creating a new trade mechanism could change this. In an article published on July 27, Xinhua called the U.S.EU agreement a temporary halt rather than an official truce. The article described Trump as an aggressive robber committing forcible entry and urged the EU to stand up to the American bullying. Zheng Yongnian, a professor of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, gave an interview with the regime mouthpiece Peoples Daily, saying that the recent developments in global trade were not unexpected. His comments appeared in an article posted on the medias WeChat page. Zheng said that China never was a match for the United States, since China still lags far behind in terms of military, GDP, and technological development. For China to invite foreign investment and become competitive, it has no choice but to carry out reformsfor example, by protecting intellectual property rights. Wang Chong, a researcher and deputy secretary general with the Chahar Institute, a Chinese nongovernmental think tank based in northern Chinas Hebei Province, said the U.S.EU agreement had absolutely marginalized the WTO and the world trade rules will be rewritten. Leveraging their massive combined market, Wang said, the United States, EU, and Japan could effectively become the board of directors in a reordered world economy. President Donald Trump meets with the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on July 25, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) USEU Trade Deal Welcomed by German Leaders The result was well above expectations, Germanys Foreign Minister Maas says The United States and the European Union declared a new phase in relations in reaching a trade deal and putting brakes on escalating tension, with German leaders hailing the agreement as an important step that benefits both sides of the Atlantic. The DAX, Germanys blue-chip stock market index, jumped 1.8 percent the day after the announcement. European shares also climbed, rising to a six-week high. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose almost 1 percent on the news. On July 25, Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed to work together to eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers on all industrial goods other than cars. Both leaders also agreed to cooperate against unfair Chinese trade practices and reform the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Trump administration agreed to put on hold any new tariffs, while the EU pledged to increase imports of American soybeans and liquefied natural gas (LNG). There was huge relief expressed in Germany, the EUs export powerhouse. Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a tweet through her spokeswoman that she welcomed the agreement, and that the EU Commission could count on our continued support. According to Germanys foreign minister, Heiko Maas, the result was well above expectations. This is still not the outcome that we are aiming for, he told reporters in Seoul. But it has made a positive outcome more likely than it was beforehand. America and Europe are not opponents. We are partners and allies with common values and interests, he said, adding it was good that both sides agreed to resolve unfair trade practices and reform the WTO. German economic minister Peter Altmaier applauded both Trump and Juncker. Breakthrough achieved that can avoid trade war & save millions of jobs! Great for global economy, he wrote on Twitter after the announcement. Trade and investment flows between the United States and the EU create the worlds biggest economic relationship. The economies have a trillion-dollar bilateral trade relationship and account together for about half of the worlds GDP. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) welcomed the agreement, calling it a big step. The automotive industry regards the removal of import duties and non-tariff trade barriers on both sides as the right path to take, VDA President Bernhard Mattes said in a press release. He urged the leaders to commence negotiations quickly and put the agreement into practice. The United States is a strategically important market and production location for the German manufacturers and suppliers, Mattes said. German carmakers, including BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen, operate more than 300 U.S. plants and employ more than 118,000 people. And they build more than 800,000 vehicles per year in the United States, with over half of those exported to Europe, Asia, or the rest of the world, according to the VDA release. Mattes also welcomed the intention to remove non-tariff trade barriers between the EU and the United States. As part of the deal, both leaders agreed to establish a dialogue on standards to ease the non-tariff barriers and to lower costs. U.S. exporters face challenges in accessing the EU market, as many of their products that conform to international standards cannot meet strict EU standards. The mutual recognition of standards, and regulatory cooperation eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and reduce costs, Mattes said, adding this would create more opportunities to small and medium-sized companies in particular, and boost competition. Germans have been particularly concerned about the trade war, as Trump specifically focused on German carmakers in tweets that were critical of the EUs high barriers to American cars. The EU applies a 10 percent tariff on passenger vehicles, whereas the United States imposes a maximum 2.5 percent tariff on imported cars. Trump earlier asked EU leaders to scrap all tariffs and non-tariff barriers to American cars imported into the bloc. He said he would otherwise impose a 20 percent tariff on all EU cars coming to the United States. Under the new deal, both sides agreed to halt any new tariffs for now, including on autos, pending the outcome of negotiations. However, not everyone is happy with the result. According to critics, the EU only managed to achieve delaying new tariffs, while existing tariffs on steel and aluminum imposed by both sides would not be lifted but re-examined for the time being. The critics also say the EU made actual concessions, promising to boost its imports of soybeans and LNG. What Mr. Juncker achieved over there was not a success, Bernd Lange, a trade expert for the SPD party, told German public radio. He criticized Juncker for caving to Trumps demands and failing to halt tariffs on steel and aluminum. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters on July 26 that steel and aluminum tariffs would remain in place during the negotiations. Ross also said Trump had directed him to continue the investigation into auto tariffs, adding that the investigation report would be completed in August. According to the Financial Times, Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, was among the leaders who welcomed the US-EU agreement, saying that it was very important cooperation. However, French President Emmanuel Macron was more cautious, saying Paris would seek clarifications on the agreement. Europe and France never wanted a trade war and the talks yesterday were, therefore, useful in reducing the tension, he told reporters after a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid on July 26. According to the AFP, Macron opposed including agriculture in any trade deal with the United States. I believe that no European standard should be suppressed or lowered in the areas of the environment, health or food, for example, he said. Phan Van Anh Vu (Vu Nhom) listens during the verdict session of his trial at a court in Hanoi, Vietnam July 30, 2018. (VNA/Doan Tan via REUTERS) Vietnam Jails Fugitive Tycoon for Nine Years After One-Day Trial HANOIA Hanoi court sentenced a fugitive Vietnamese tycoon to nine years in prison on Monday for deliberate disclosure of state secrets following a one-day trial, the government said. Property developer Phan Van Anh Vu had fled to Singapore seeking passage to Germany but was arrested in Vietnam earlier this year after Singaporean authorities deported him back home. The government gave few details on its website of the trial, which was held behind closed doors under Vietnamese regulations that allow closed hearings to protect state secrets. Vietnamese authorities are staging a crackdown on corruption that has led to the arrest of dozens of officials and business figures, and is entangled in political intrigue in the one-party communist state. Vu had previously told his foreign lawyers that he was also a senior officer in Vietnams secret police. He had been trying to get to Germany and could have details of an operation in which another Vietnamese fugitive, Trinh Xuan Thanh, was spirited home from Berlin last year. Last week a German court jailed a Vietnamese man named only as Long N.H. for helping his countrys secret services to kidnap Thanh, a former oil executive, and smuggle him back to Vietnam. On Monday the Hanoi court also jailed two former police officials, Phan Huu Tuan and Nguyen Huu Bach, for seven and six years respectively for the same charge as Vu, the government said. No one was available for comment at the Peoples Court of Hanoi City outside of office hours. Top officials have also become caught up in the crackdown. Earlier this year, a former member of the Politburo, Vietnams top decision-making body, was jailed for a combined 31 years for economic mismanagement and violating state regulations while heading a state firm. Then last week, Vietnam also suspended the minister of information and communications for mismanagement at a state telecoms firm. Vu was also separately accused of tax evasion and abusing power while performing public duties in a separate case involving the selling and purchase of state properties in various provinces and cities, the police ministry had said. By Mai Nguyen WeChat Spreads Nationalist Propaganda, Fake News to Chinese Communities Overseas WeChat is a behemoth among the many social media apps developed in China. Chinese citizens use it not only to keep in touch with their friends and family, but also to read the news and make online transactions. For many Chinese who decide to study abroad or immigrate overseas, WeChat remains their main source of news, and there are some media and individuals who use it to cater specifically to Chinese abroad. But in Australia and the United States, many of these WeChat accounts publish content that contains nationalist propaganda and fake news about Western society, with shocking headlines, in an effort to drive traffic and advertising dollars. Australian Red Scarf, an account named after the scarves worn by the Young Pioneersa Communist Party organization for school childrenonce ran a story in 2016 that alleged the terrorist group ISIS was planning to attack parts of Sydney and Melbourne. That was, in fact, ISIS propaganda; local police had said there were no specific threats, according to a recent report by Australia Broadcasting Corporation. Meanwhile, an article targeted at Chinese living in the United States, originally published by Chinese news site Guancha and circulated via various WeChat accounts, contained this headline: U.S. President Donald Trump bellows: Get all the Chinese people out of America! The article goes on to claim that the United States was inspecting the visas of all Chinese nationals living in the country and would confiscate any disqualifying onesnone of which was true. Because the platforms barrier to entry is low, WeChat accounts that publish content can range from individual bloggers to big media companies. According to an April report by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism examining WeChats news environment and its effect on the Chinese-American community, there are about 10 million official accounts on the platform. Fake News Some of them are responsible for the spread of misinformation in the Chinese-American community. One story by an account called Voice of North American Chinese claimed that a wildfire in Sonoma County, California, was started by an illegal immigrant. Another claimed that a Lebanese-born driver purposely struck a Chinese jogger in California in order to extend his stay in the United States. However, no English-language media mentioned any alleged motive of the driver. This was part of a pattern of false information peddled by WeChat accounts that heightened fears about illegal immigrants and provoked anti-Muslim sentimentsomething commonly seen on the Chinese internet and seemingly exported via the Chinese-American WeChat sphere, according to the Tow Center report. The way WeChat is structured also lends itself to spreading information to a broad audience. While users can follow WeChat accounts similar to how Twitter works, most usually join chat groups with friends and family. Some chat groups include many membersfor example, a group for a certain graduate class of a university. News articles shared to such groups can be seen by many. Nationalism Oftentimes, articles contain provocative language meant to incite nationalist sentiment. Some articles recently posted by popular accountsboth mainland Chinese and those geared toward Chinese-Americansinclude a story about a Chinese triad, boasting of their fearful reputation among U.S. law enforcement and their mission of fighting against white people who bully Chinese; a story about a Chinese-American who got involved in an altercation with a non-Chinese and fought back, urging Chinese people [to] stand up for themselves; and a story advocating Chinas sovereignty of disputed territories near India. In Australia, too, nationalism is championed. In June, when Australian airline Qantas announced that it would refer to Taiwan as a Chinese territory, following Beijings demands, the Australian Red Scarf account published an article boasting that Chinas sovereignty cant be challenged, along with a map of China that included Taiwan. Alex von Kleydorff / Hearst Connecticut Media Frontier Communications extended a contract through September 2020 with a union covering about 2,700 California workers, in advance of negotiations with a CWA counterpart in Connecticut on a pact covering more than 2,400 employees that expires in October 2019. Under the new California deal, Frontier will extend existing employment contracts by 18 months with a no-layoff prevision; award pay increases of 2 percent to 2.25 percent; and fill 75 open jobs. WOOD RIVER - To help find the right worker for their particular needs, some businesses in Madison County have relied on the resources of Madison County Employment & Training. Others have gotten help re-training their own workers they hoped to promote to leadership positions. Some have also come to MCE&T to view demographic and labor market information that would help them decide whether moving to Madison County made economic sense. And when U.S. Steel announced in March that they would be hiring back 500 people, MCE&T stepped in and helped with the hiring process. We did all their pre-screening testing for about three weeks, because they didnt have the professional staff hired yet, said MCE&T Director Tony Furhmann. When they hired their professional staff, then we were done. Similarly, when the Wood River Refinery needed hiring assistance, the department stepped in to help. MCE&T can reimburse businesses for on-the-job training to laid off workers and for those who qualify for the departments adult program. The latter category is designed to help low-income people, people with learning disabilities and those with other barriers to employment. If they fit into that category we will pay up to 50 percent of a persons wages to a business for the first six months, as theyre getting trained, Furhmann said recently. The thought is, These people have more barriers to deal with, so theres a risk for the employer to bring them on. In this way, youll cut their financial risk in half. For businesses that qualify, MCE&T also offers compensation for Incumbent Worker Training. If a steel mill, say, needs to train its workers to operate a new laser engraver and cutter machine, MCE&T can compensate the mill for the training sessions. Or nowadays you see much more that companies want to train people in leadership skills, Furhmann said. A company may want to move a worker up leadership position but find that he or she lacks the skill and training to get to the next level. In the past few months, MCE&T has written contracts for nearly $200,000 with various businesses in Madison County. The training is done by a company known as IMEC, which typically comes to the workers place of business. Incumbent Worker Training has become something of a trend for businesses across the country. Were seeing this jump because employers are figuring out that its easier and better to keep the employees they have and train them, as opposed to having them go somewhere else and try to find new bodies to come in businesses would prefer - if they have good people - to keep them and move them up. Get them skills and make them feel valuable, he said. Companies wanting to learn more about Incumbent Worker Training and other programs can call Work Base Learning Coordinator Sarah Ray Lorio at (618) 296-4306. Lorio works at the MCE&T Administrative Office in Wood River, at 101 E. Edwardsville Road. The offerings at MCE&T are available as Madison Countys unemployment rate has fallen to 3.8 percent, which is below the national average. The city of Edwardsvilles rate is even lower: 3 percent, according to March figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. From April to May of 2018, more than 800 people in Madison County entered the workforce although the number of unemployed is still slightly more than 5,000. In the near future, MCT&E aims to offer more apprenticeships. Such a move takes advantage of a push by the U.S. Department of Labor to bring apprenticeship programs to each of the 22 areas in Illinois. Neighboring St. Clair County has recently been approved as a registered intermediary for apprenticeship program, allowing them to bypass federal approval. Apprenticeships offer a combination of classroom training and work based learning. Said Furhmann: Its based on the union model where a carpenter goes out and works, goes to class, and then goes to work. EDWARDSVILLE - The artwork of students in kindergarten through fifth grade who attended the Edwardsville District 7 Summer Zone program will be on display in the Edwardsville Arts Centers DeToye Student Gallery beginning Aug. 3. The exhibit features the artwork the students made this summer as part of their Masterpiece Mondays art curriculum that was designed by EAC Art Teacher Sarah Willig. Willig explained that the classes were held every Monday for seven weeks between June 4 and July 16. We had between 80 to 100 students each week. Classes were all an hour-and-a half long, she noted. The students were taught in age groups of kindergarten/first graders, second/third graders and fourth/fifth graders. There were two teachers - myself, and Kelsey Seidel. We are both full-time art educators. I teach kindergarten through fourth grade in Edwardsville and Kelsey will teach kindergarten through twelfth grade for her first year in Brownstown, Illinois, Willig added. Willig said that she designed the summer curriculum to focus on a different media every week. I wanted to show our students in-depth art projects they may not be able to achieve in a traditional classroom setting that only allows 30 minutes or less of work time, Willig said. Every week we would introduce the media and do a short art appreciation lesson with two to three artists who work in that particular area of study. After exploring different ways artists may work in that medium, our students would plan and execute their own expression of the material. Mediums the students learned included collage, printmaking, painting, clay, found-object sculpture, mixed media, and fibers. Some examples of projects include found object sculpture, where our students would use recycled materials to construct a piece that would be painted. Some students decided to build animals while others decided to make small models of parks or landscapes, Willig explained. For fibers week the students made sewn or glued stuffed animals from felt. Kelseys classes created monsters and animals while my classes made animals or food, she pointed out. Some memorable projects were pizza slices, some amazing animals like turtles and dinosaurs, and a few of my kindergarten and first grade students created functional purses. The EAC show will offer a variety of projects from each weeks lessons and will reflect different age groups. All of the lessons were fun to teach, but I really enjoyed the stuffed animal fibers project. In fact, most students were unwilling to put their project in the show because they knew they wouldnt get to take it home until September, Willig said. Painting is always a fun week because we get to use stretched canvas and acrylic paint which are higher grade materials then we typically get to use in school. I enjoy the process of a student sketching an idea, creating it, and seeing the pride and accomplishment they feel when they successfully achieved their idea, Willig added. I have to say, it is an incredibly rewarding job. The EAC Masterpiece Monday exhibit begins Friday evening with an opening reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and runs through Sept. 8. 21 minutes ago Italy hosts a climate-focused G20 as geopolitics shift ROME (AP) The leaders of Russia and China arent coming. Turkey nearly set off a diplomatic incident on the eve of the meeting. And the United States, Australia and France will be at the same table for the first time since Washington pulled the rug out from under Paris $66 billion submarine deal Down Under. Read Article New life for local mixed martial arts as Fury Fights returns After three years of waiting, Watertown once again got to cheer as they watched their favorite fighters enter the cage during Fury Fights on Saturday. CALGARYAs Calgarys Saddledome boomed with repetitive chants of his name, mixed martial artist Hakeem Dawodu tried to block it out and stay focused while he squared off against Austin Arnett. I was making sure the crowd didnt play any part of my game plan. I didnt want to walk into something stupid or get over-excited, the Calgary-based fighter said after the bout. Dawodu and Arnett, from Lewiston, Idaho, were part of Saturdays preliminary fight card for the Ultimate Fighting Championships first event in Calgary since 2012. The main fight card featured the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier, Jose Aldo and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. And despite the hype surrounding those bigger UFC names on the main card, Dawodu said it was a treat to fight in front of some of his closest friends and family in his hometown. Read more: Focus on fighters health ahead of UFCs return to Calgary As MMA fights get ready to resume, Edmontons moratorium is over, but not forgotten Edmonton Combative Sports Commission says fighters injuries better tracked since Tim Hagues death It gave me energy, especially at the end there I was two rounds ahead, and I was like OK, Im going to put my seal on the show, he said. The Calgarian won his bout by unanimous decision, with each of the three judges scoring him a 30-27 victory. The win gives Dawodu a 1-1 record in UFC and he now sits 8-1-1 overall in MMA. He lost his UFC debut to Scotlands Danny Henry by technical submission via guillotine choke in March. Dawodu was one of two Alberta men fighting on Saturday; Lethbridges Jordan Mein defeated Alex Morono by unanimous decision in their preliminary welterweight fight. Being part of what he calls a new wave of Canadian fighters is a good thing, Dawodu said. I feel like ever since George St-Pierre (of Montreal) has kind of been out, Canada hasnt gotten as much respect as we deserve, he said. Dawodu thinks he can fill that void, and be the face of Canadian MMA. I think Ive got the looks, I think Ive got the personality and Id love to represent Canadian MMA, he said. Shifting more MMA attention to Western Canada, away from the countrys central regions is a process Dawodu thinks hes helped start. I feel like I am a representative of Western Canada, so it feels awesome. Im a respectful fighter; I dont talk too much trash, I just do most of my talking in the octagon, and I feel like Im a true Canadian. Dawodu added that he hopes his next UFC fight will be in Moncton in October or in Toronto in December. In a bit of out-of-octagon drama Saturday, current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov took a verbal jab at former lightweight title-holder and No.2-ranked fighter Conor McGregor. (Ill) make him humble, and not only smash, change his face. Ill change his face, he said in anticipation of the pair squaring off in the future. Of course with face I can change his mind, too. Nurmagomedov didnt fight Saturday, but was in attendance to watch his teammate Islam Makhachev beat British Columbias Kajan Johnson by submission via an arm bar. UFC president Dana White stripped McGregor of the lightweight title earlier this year. The Irishman hadnt defended it since winning the crown from Alvarez in November 2016. Nurmagomedov won the lightweight title after defeating Al Iaquinta in April. He admitted its out of his control whether hell face the fiery McGregor or perhaps Alvarez or Poirier for a title defence. But he added hes ready for whoever challenges him. That may be Poirier, who beat Alvarez by technical knockout at 4:45 of the second round in the nights main event. Louisianas Poirier twice recovered from being pinned by Alvarez, including a first-round chokehold that looked like it might end the match. Soon after, the referee called an illegal strike on Alvarez in the second round for a vertical elbow on top of Poiriers head. The referee took away Alvarezs dominant position for the infraction, which allowed Poirier back on his feet where he responded with a hard elbow and a flurry of punches along the cage to send Alvarez stumbling to the mat and end the fight. People are always going to point to something, Poirier said of the call. These cheques are gonna cash and I have another win on my record, and Im another step closer to fighting for a world title. Poirier said the referees call was out of his control, even though he told him that Alvarezs elbow strike didnt actually hit him on the head. On the womens side of the card, the No. 1-ranked strawweight Jedrzejczyk beat Tecia Torres by unanimous judges decision. Brazilian featherweight Jose Aldo earned a technical knockout against Jeremy Stephens after pinning him to the mat and delivering several head punches four minutes in to the first round of their fight. Evan Radford is a reporter/photographer for StarMetro Calgary. Follow him on Twitter: @EvanRadford Read more about: PARISIn French filmmaker Luc Bessons thrillers and science-fiction movies, the women are serious, smart and strong, occasionally stronger than men. Sometimes, they even save the world. But recent allegations of sexual abuse against Besson, best known in North America for his 1997 hit The Fifth Element, put his regard for his actresses in a different light. One of the women, Sand Van Roy, has told the Paris police that Besson raped her more than once and even injured her to the point of bleeding. During one unwanted visit to her apartment in April, she told the police, she showed Besson a toy pig that she called Weinstein and then said, I will call him Luc. She told Besson that she did not want to have sex with him. But he pushed her down, reached under her skirt and then forced himself on her, she told the police. Luc wouldnt stop, she said. Bessons lawyer, Thierry Marembert, declined to comment on the accusations, which began becoming public in May. But he said Besson, who has not been charged, had been extremely surprised when he learned about them. Luc Besson will keep his explanations for the police, and he is confident that he will be able to prove his innocence, Marembert said. Besson, 59, is the first prominent film figure in France to face accusations in the #MeToo era, and in a country where cinema is central to the nations identity, he is considered as important a figure as Harvey Weinstein once was in American film. But that is where the comparisons end. Allegations about Weinsteins abusive conduct sparked an entire movement that has brought down many men and began changing the way women are treated in Hollywood. But in France, few celebrities have spoken up in support of Van Roy, and the initial reports about Besson have not led to a similar housecleaning in the entertainment industry. Though the French star Isabelle Adjani has denounced a film culture that masks sexual predation with gallantry, suggestive behaviour and crudeness, several forces have kept #MeToo and its French counterpart, #BalanceTonPorc, or Expose Your Pig, from having the same effect in France that it has had in the United States. In France, if an accused man is not convicted of a crime, it is relatively easy for him to sue his accuser for defamation. The woman has everything to lose by speaking out, said Sandrine Rousseau, a former spokeswoman for the Green Party who in 2016 accused a member of Parliament of kissing and touching her against her will five years earlier. The authorities said the allegation was too old to prosecute under the law, and now the man she accused is suing her. People want to see justice, but they dont want to name names, Rousseau said. Other reasons are cultural. The French have a long-standing belief that their approach to sexuality is different from that of Americans, which they view as rigid and puritan in its effort to draw hard lines between approved and disapproved behaviour. The French pride themselves on appreciating the art of seduction and flirtation in a way that Americans do not. And resistance to political correctness is held in high regard not only on the intellectual French right, but also among some on the left. An open letter signed by more than 100 women in January, including Catherine Deneuve, Frances grande dame of cinema, rebuked the #MeToo movement, claiming it was unfairly punishing men in the workplace when they try to steal a kiss, talk about intimate things during a work meal, or send sexually charged messages to women who did not return their interest. Deneuve apologized to victims of sexual violence who were upset by the letter. In more moderate comments in Harpers Bazaar this month, she said: Desire is at the heart of many creative professions, like film, music and fashion photography. The challenge is to know the limit and to understand the difference between flirting and going too far. But those blurred lines can also leave women uncertain of how much to tolerate, simply because it is part of the culture. Eventually, Van Roy said in an interview with The New York Times, the price of feeling forced to have sex with Besson in return for parts in his films became too high. So she went to the police. An official at the Paris prosecutors office, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with official policy, said that the police were still investigating the accusations. Van Roys complaint to the police was the subject of an extensive article this month in the French investigative news website Mediapart, which also described allegations from three other women against Besson. Unlike in Weinsteins situation, those women have not agreed to have their names published. (Weinstein, who has been charged in New York City with sexually assaulting three women, has denied all accusations of nonconsensual sex.) One of the unnamed women in the Mediapart article, a former casting director who has left the profession, also has spoken to the French police about her encounters with Besson, which took place more than 10 years ago, according to her lawyer, Valence Borgia. Bessons lawyer told the French radio station RMC that the filmmaker knew Van Roy as he knew nearly the whole world in the milieu of cinema and that Besson had never raped either her or anyone else. Besson, who is one of Frances most influential producers and directors, has helped shape the careers of many young actresses, including Natalie Portman and Marion Cotillard. Besson also gave starring roles to models who wanted to become actresses, such as Milla Jovovich, whom he later married and divorced, and Cara Delevingne, who appeared in one of Bessons latest films, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, in 2017. Van Roy, 27, who is half Dutch and half Belgian, started her career as a model and then became a standup comedian before turning to film acting, which had been a lifelong dream. In her interview with The Times, Van Roy said she met Besson when she tried out for a part in Valerian in 2015. She got the role and the two became acquainted with each other over meetings for tea at Fouquets, a see-and-be-seen restaurant on the Champs-Elysees. It was during the shooting of Valerian that Besson began approaching her sexually, she said. Although Van Roy said she was reluctant, she also did not completely shun him for fear that it would be the end of her movie career. But their sexual contact became rougher, she told the police, sometimes causing bleeding. In at least one instance, he refused her request to use protection, and on two occasions he began having sex with her while she was asleep, stopping when she woke up and pulled herself away, according to her account to the police. On April 10 of this year, he stopped by her apartment though she had been avoiding him for several weeks. I was stressed in his presence, she told the police. She showed him the toy pig aware that it might irritate him, but not expecting that he would rape her, she said. When she was at the Cannes Film Festival in May, she told The Times, Besson ordered her to return to Paris for a working session on the film Anna, which is due for release next year. He asked her to come late on the night of May 17 to the luxurious Bristol Hotel, where Besson, who lives in Los Angeles, often stays during his frequent trips to Paris. It was around 1 a.m. when she sat down on a couch in his suites living room. Shortly after, she told The Times, he put his hand up her dress and penetrated her. I told him: Stop. You are hurting me, she told the police, according to the report she filed. When I said that, he said: What, I didnt hear you, or I didnt understand. Van Roy said in the Times interview that she began crying. I tried to fake an orgasm for him to stop, she said. It was very dark and I thought, If I leave now, its the end of my career. Besson was editing Anna at the time, and Van Roy had a modest role that could easily be cut. She said Besson had demoted her in the credits of another film, Taxi 5, after she had stopped answering his calls for a while. When their sexual encounter at the Bristol was over, she went into the bathroom. Moments later, she told the police, she felt something hit her back, then she found herself on the floor. She is still not sure what happened, but later she realized she had a black eye from the fall. She managed to get up and leave, but when she returned home, she said in the interview with The Times: I felt pain in my back, I felt like I had a urinary infection. When I tried to go to the bathroom, it hurt so much I felt like I was going to faint, I could not sleep. It was then that she called the police. But since Van Roy began telling her story, the response from the rest of the film industry has been muted. No figures in French film have spoken up for her, and no other major film figures have been accused of sexual misconduct. The absence of #MeToo scandals in the French film world has not gone unnoticed. There have been some scandals in the media world in France, but not in the world of cinema, said Jean-Michel Frodon, who has written about French cinema for decades for various publications, including the daily Le Monde. There is no reason to think that this world would have escaped. OTTAWA The federal government says it will not consider decriminalizing drugs beyond marijuana, despite calls from Canadas major cities to consider the measure. As the opioid epidemic washes over the country, Montreal and Toronto are echoing Vancouver and urging the federal government to treat drug use as a public health issue, rather than a criminal one. Montreals public health department has just thrown its support behind a report released recently by Torontos board of health which urges the federal government to decriminalize all drugs. Mylene Drouin, the director of Montreals public health department, said last week that she is in favour of Torontos report and that decriminalization will be on the agenda at provincial and national health meetings. A Health Canada report last month found that nearly 4,000 Canadians died from an apparent opioid overdose in 2017, including 303 opioid overdose-related deaths in Toronto. In Montreal, the number of deaths relating to probable opioid overdoses was 140 for a period of a little over a year, ending June 30. Vancouver Mayor Greg Roberston has long called for the decriminalization of all drugs, which has been repeated by health officials and advocates across British Columbia. In Vancouver, there was an estimated 335 opioid related deaths in 2017. Read more: Chief medical officer calls for decriminalization of all drugs for personal use Montreals public health director backs Toronto health authorities call for drug decriminalization Opinion | A tough-on-drugs stance in the Canadian prison system harms prisoners Despite calls from three cities, the federal government is not budging on its position, insisting that decriminalization is not an option. Thierry Belair, a spokesman for federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, said the federal government is not looking to decriminalize or legalize any drugs aside from cannabis. Belair said the government understands that stigma and barriers to treatment need to be reduced, and Ottawa has taken steps in that direction. He said the federal government has made it easier for health professionals to provide access to opioid substitution therapies; and the federal government has also approved more than 25 supervised consumption sites. Fardous Hosseiny, national director of research and public policy at the Canadian Mental Health Association, which has advocated for decriminalization, said the organization welcomes the call from Vancouver, Toronto and now Montreal, and hopes it puts some pressure on the federal government. Given the scale of the opioid crisis in Canada, we know that we need to take bold action, he said. We know that evidence tells us that the war on drugs hasnt worked, so criminalization really stigmatizes people and creates barriers for them accessing treatment and accessing help when they need it. Hosseiny raised Portugals model as an example, which B.C. urged the federal government adopt. The EU country decriminalized all drugs by eliminating criminal penalties for small possession and consumption of illicit drugs in 2001. While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Petitpas Taylor may not be keen to add the decriminalization of all drugs to the election banner in 2019, their partys supporters like the idea. The Liberal convention in Halifax last April saw delegates adopt a resolution that supported decriminalizing all illegal drugs. The resolution put forward by the national Liberal caucus for debate at the convention called for illegal drugs to be treated as a public health issue. It also urged the government to adopt the Portugal model. Petitpas Taylor said at the time that what works for a small country like Portugal wouldnt work in a large one like Canada. Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh urged Trudeau last fall to decriminalize all illegal drugs and he also campaigned on a promise to decriminalize all drugs during his partys leadership race. Conservatives have been largely opposed to legalizing pot and would object to the idea of decriminalizing even harder drugs. Read more about: LETHBRIDGE, ALTA.Police in the Netherlands have arrested a man who is accused of sexually extorting a 14-year-old Lethbridge, Alta., boy online. Investigators in Alberta say the accused met the boy through a social media platform and believed at first that he was speaking with a 14-year-old girl. They allege the man later coerced the teen into sending sexually explicit photos, which progressed into threats and extortion for more pictures. An investigation began when the youth went to police in April 2017. Authorities in Alberta worked with their counterparts in the Netherlands and a 28-year-old man was arrested in Rotterdam on July 4 on charges that include possession of child pornography and threatening a minor to commit lewd acts. Police in the Netherlands say that since then they have identified four other alleged victims. Lethbridge police worked on the case with the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams Internet Child Exploitation unit. Forensic technicians were able to identify a suspect through information gleaned from the boys cellphone. Under Dutch privacy laws, the mans name cannot be released. Read more about: SAINT-PRIME, QUE.Authorities are investigating after a fishing boat belonging to Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard sank while docked at a marina in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Quebec provincial police are looking at mechanical failure and not vandalism as the reason for the sinking. While police wouldnt say the vessel belonged to Couillard, a spokesperson for the premier confirmed he is the owner. Sgt. Hugues Beaulieu says the boat has been sent for a mechanical inspection. Police were called at around noon Sunday about a boat that had sunk in Saint-Prime, located on the shores of Lac-Saint-Jean, about 450 kilometres northeast of Montreal. The town is located in Couillards Roberval riding. The sinking gave rise to numerous partisan jokes on social media with a provincial election coming in October. Couillards press secretary, Jocanne Prevost, refused to be drawn into the social media swipes. Thats a funny question, she said. I dont see it as an omen: we cant control whats happening on social media. Read more about: Ontario will have a cannabis retail system open for business when recreational marijuana is legalized across the country in less than three months, says Finance Minister Vic Fedeli. We are going to be operational by Oct. 17, Fedeli said Monday as questions swirled about how the province will sell weed following reports private retailers are being tapped instead of the government stores planned by the previous Liberal administration. Youre going to be hearing more from us in the future, but our sole goal will be to provide public safety for children, keeping the stores away from schoolsand eliminating the organized crime activity, said the finance minister. He would not say what form the stores would take or whether existing marijuana dispensaries which are illegal would be allowed to apply for cannabis sales licences. An announcement is expected as early as Tuesday. Under former premier Kathleen Wynne, the province was setting up Ontario Cannabis Stores through the LCBO, which would control distribution and handle online sales. Read more: Late switch to private sector pot sales could be a scramble, experts say Feds say they wont decriminalize any drugs besides marijuana, despite calls from cities Opinion | Significant economic opportunities for Indigenous communities in the new cannabis market NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Premier Doug Ford has left Ontarians guessing by saying during the election campaign hes open to private sales, later backing the LCBO model and then musing about private stores again. Hes obviously flip-flopped all over the map on this particular issue and all we know is whichever lobbyist got to him most recently is probably who hes making his decisions for, Horwath told reporters. What Im very concerned about is the social responsibility aspect and ensuring that not only the outlets, but the people who work in them, are able to ensure that the product is not being distributed to people that should not be receiving it. Ford said on June 22, when asked about cannabis stores, I dont believe the government should stick their nose into everything but added the LCBO has infrastructure in place. This is a road that we have to tread carefully, he added. What do you think? Wynne slammed Ford in March, shortly after he became Progressive Conservative leader, for being reckless in saying he was open to a free market in marijuana sales. The first four Ontario Cannabis Stores were to be located in Toronto, Guelph, Kingston and Thunder Bay. The Toronto location, in a strip mall on Gerrard St. East at Victoria Park alongside a student tutoring services, a childrens martial arts centre and a McDonalds, is within a kilometre of several public schools, including Blantyre Public School about 450 metres south. Read more about: Peel police are investigating a Sunday-evening incident in Mississauga as a hate crime after a woman was accused of yelling racial slurs, trying to remove another womans hijab and flicking a lighter at her. The woman has been arrested and charged, but police are still trying to track down one of the victims. The attack occurred around 6:30 p.m. Sunday at a bus shelter at the corner of Hurontario St. and Paisley Blvd. Police say an 18-year-old woman from Brampton was was approached by a woman who started yelling racial slurs and began flicking a lighter toward her. Police are calling this hate-motivated because of what was said at the scene, said Peel regional police Const. Danny Marttini. In a statement, Peel Police said an unidentified female who intervened was also attacked and an attempt was made to remove her hijab. This woman left before police arrived. Police said they are concerned for the unidentified victims well-being, and want to speak to her regarding the details of the incident. We're really hoping that either somebody knows (something) or that the victim sees this or hears about it and then comes into contact with us so we can make sure that they're OK, Marttini said. Read more: Words are where the hate and violence starts Hamilton man investigated for possible hate crime after confrontation in Walmart parking lot Man arrested for suspected-hate crime seen in viral video of confrontation at ferry terminal A third victim, a 56-year-old Mississauga woman, also had racial slurs made toward her and was also assaulted, police said. Sandra Alexander, 35, of Mississauga, has been charged with assault with a weapon, uttering threats to cause bodily harm and assault. She will be in court next month. Police say the incident is believed to be hate motivated. The attack is the latest in a string of racially charged incidents in the GTA in recent weeks. Muhammed Abu Marzouk, 39, was brutally assaulted by in front of his wife and two daughters outside Mississauga Valley Community Centre and Library on July 15 in an attack Peel police are investigating as a hate crime. Two brothers, Adem and Janis Corhamzic, 27 and 19, both from Brampton, have been charged with aggravated assault and two counts of assault in the case. Last week, a video of a man confronting a family near Torontos waterfront, threatening them and profanely shouting they are in my province went viral on social media. On Friday, Toronto police charged Lombray Ball, 50, with two counts of assault and threatening death. On Saturday, Hamilton police charged a 47-year-old Stoney Creek man with dangerous driving, failing to remain at the scene of an accident and threatening death after another video of a racial confrontation went viral. In the video, taken in a Walmart parking lot, the driver of a pickup truck can be seen shouting at a couple and threatening their children. Im racist as f---. I dont like you. I dont like her. I would kill your children first, the man says. Anyone with information can call police at 905-4532121, ext. 1233 or Peel Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. With files from the Canadian Press WASHINGTON Jennifer Arrow, a stay-at-home mother in Culver City, California, has a new voting rule for herself: Ladies Only. She wouldnt vote for a Republican woman over a Democratic man. But in a race featuring two qualified Democrats, say a judge election or a presidential primary, shes done with picking a man over a woman. Arrow, 41, is married to a man, and loves her dad and her brothers, and her comfortable life used to give her little motivation to fight the patriarchy. But then, she said, a monster was elected president because a majority of men supported him. For the first time, she feels anger and apprehension toward men as a group. She is now willing to be explicitly sexist when she casts her ballots. You made Donald Trump the president of the United States. Go to hell, Arrow said Thursday. Im livid. All the time. And thats I think a lot of womens opinions on politics. Just like: we dont trust you anymore. Read more: Trump made 54 false claims last week. His last six weeks are all among his 10 most dishonest as president How a community that backed Trump said no to an immigration detention centre and won Opinion | Emma Teitel: With Trump getting to pick another Supreme Court judge, womens rights in the U.S. are in serious peril The results of Democratic primaries so far this year suggest Arrow is not alone. Though there is no evidence of widespread man-boycotting, many party voters, women and men both, appear to be making a concerted effort to choose women. Women have succeeded in Democratic races at a remarkable rate. As of Tuesday, female candidates had won 66 per cent (70 of 106) of Democratic House primaries in which there was a man, a woman and no incumbent, according to analyst Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report. Women have won 48 per cent of all Democratic House races without an incumbent, according to Kelly Dittmar, a Rutgers University-Camden professor and scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics. By contrast, they make up only 32 per cent of the 193 Democrats currently in the House. Dittmar noted that Democratic women are still not at 50 per cent parity. And she said the numbers are likely to get less rosy in the general election, in which many women who won primaries will face tough races against Republican incumbents. But something is happening. Democratic voters and a growing share of independents are hungry to elect the opposite of what they see from Trump-controlled Washington, and there is nothing more opposite than electing women, especially younger women and women of colour, said Jesse Ferguson, a former top spokesperson for Clintons campaign and former senior official at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Democratic strategists and pollsters attribute the surge by Democratic women to a variety of factors, all of them Trump-related. Anger with Trump himself. A desire to avenge the defeat of Hillary Clinton. Democratic voters focus on health care, an issue on which voters have traditionally seen women as adept. The #MeToo movement. The predominance of women in the grassroots resistance groups that have sprung up to oppose Trump, many of which emerged out of the post-inauguration womens marches. And the simple fact that more Democratic women have signed up to run this year than ever before. The Democratic trend continued in Tuesday primaries in Georgia. Gun-control activist Lucy McBath, a Black woman who entered public life after the murder of her son, defeated a businessman. University professor Carolyn Bourdeaux defeated another businessman. Their wins followed the biggest primary upset of the year so far, in New York City in June, when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old Latina activist, unseated incumbent Joe Crowley. The movement toward women may affect the partys choice of a presidential nominee. Several women, possibly including senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand, are expected to run against several men. I hope a woman runs again in 2020. She will likely get my support, said John Totels, a retired information technology project manager in Maryland. Totels, a white man in his 70s, tweeted last week to call for votes for candidates who dont look like him. (We had our shot for too long.) He said he had been stunned and changed by Clintons defeat. That's when I became more aware of white privilege and decided to concentrate on electing women and people of colour in the local elections, he said. The triumph of female candidates in Democratic primaries has come as female voters of all kinds appear poised to overwhelmingly pick Democrats of all kinds in the general election. In a Quinnipiac poll released this week, women preferred Democrats by a margin of 57 per cent to 32 per cent, while men preferred Republicans 46 per cent to 44 per cent. Polls suggest candidate gender is much more relevant to Democratic voters than Republican voters. In June, 87 per cent of Democratic voters said the country would be better off with more women in office. Among Republicans, that number was 49 per cent. Republican women are not winning their primaries at nearly the same rate as Democrats: theyve prevailed in just 38 per cent of no-incumbent races with a woman and a man, according to Wasserman, and just 17 per cent of all races without an incumbent, according to Dittmar. Connie Nance, 71, retired from a career as a military civil servant, voted in a Democratic primary in Fredericksburg, Virginia in June. She chose a Black woman, strategic planner Vangie Williams, over two male military veterans. Williams won. Nance, an independent, said she has become more inclined to pick women because of the high calibre of the women now running: Its the qualifications of the women. What theyre saying. How they are conducting themselves. She said, in future primaries, I could vote for a man, but boy, hed have to be pretty outstanding. The men have controlled everything for so long. And look at how well it works now. Hello! So maybe its time we can balance those scales of justice social justice, she said. Read more about: OTTAWACanada will join Mexico and other European and Asian auto-producing countries this week to plot strategy ahead of the potential imposition of tariffs on vehicles and auto parts exported to the United States. Japan and the European Union organized the meeting for Tuesday in Geneva, where vice and deputy ministers from Canada, the EU, Japan and South Korea will gather to talk about the punishing levies threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump. A Canadian government official told The Canadian Press on Sunday that deputy international trade minister Timothy Sargent would attend the meeting on Canadas behalf. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs under Section 232 of the decades-old U.S. Trade Expansion Act. The legislation allows the president, under certain circumstances, to impose duties recommended by his commerce secretary under the notion that the goods being imported are a threat to national security. Just as it did after the U.S. imposed hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and other nations, the Trudeau government has said it would respond to auto tariffs with its own countermeasures. The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association has warned that dollar-for-dollar retaliatory levies would have a much more significant effect on Canadas auto sector than counter-tariffs on aluminum and steel. Read more: NAFTA optimism doesnt necessarily lessen auto threat to Canada Trump and European Union come to vague agreement to reduce trade tensions Facing Trumps auto tariff threat, Canadas response isnt so clear Critics warn the potential tariffs of up to 25 per cent, plus retaliatory measures, could add thousands of dollars to the price of a vehicle, kill jobs and cause significant harm to the global auto industry. But auto parts makers have said Canada and other countries would have little choice but to respond in kind to any U.S. trade actions. Trump ordered the Section 232 investigation of auto imports on May 23. Its not clear when the probe will be completed, although the one launched last year into steel and aluminum took several months to issue its conclusions. While the Geneva meeting is only preliminary, it could lead to a co-ordinated response among auto-producing nations outside the U.S. The meeting is meant to bring together major auto-producing nations so we can discuss our concerns over the U.S. Department of Commerces section 232 investigation of automobiles and parts, said the Canadian official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the gathering. Sargent was also scheduled to meet with World Trade Organization director general Roberto Azevedo Tuesday, according to the WTOs website. Read more about: NORRISTOWN, PA.Bill Cosbys lawyers are challenging the legality of the process under which a Pennsylvania board recommended he be classified as a sexually violent predator. They also claimed in a court filing last week that the states recently revised sex offender registry law is unconstitutional and should not be applied retroactively. The 81-year-old Cosby is due to be sentenced Sept. 24 on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He was convicted in April of drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia mansion 14 years ago. He plans to appeal. A judge must decide whether to accept the finding he is a predator. The designation would require the former TV star to receive sex offender counselling by a state-approved provider at least monthly for the rest of his life. Read more: Bill Cosby to fight violent predator designation Bill Cosby dumps legal team ahead of sentencing Andrea Constand says she forgives Bill Cosby, is proud of #MeToo moment Read more about: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIAThe ruling party of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen congratulated itself Monday on its election victory, while the opposition party unable to contest the polls said they marked the death of democracy in the Southeast Asian country, making its government and any dealings with it illegitimate. Sok Eysan, the spokesperson for Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party, described Sundays vote as a brilliant victory, and said the country would move forward under the umbrella of peace and political stability. Although 20 parties contested the election, the only one with the popularity and organization to mount a real challenge, the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), was dissolved last year by the Supreme Court in a ruling generally seen as political and ensuring that Hun Sen would extend his 33 years in power by another five-year term. The opposition CNRP, in a statement issued Monday by some of its former leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia, said that following the sham election ... what was left of a democracy in name only has been replaced with an outright dictatorship. The statement predicted that in reaction to the polls, foreign countries would apply punitive sanctions that would cripple the economy. Read more: Cambodias Hun Sen coasts to win after opposition silenced Declaring Hun Sens government illegitimate, it warned governments and businesses across the world that the agreements, deals and accords signed as of today by Cambodias de facto regime will have no legal validity and will be revised by the future democratic government of Cambodia. Preliminary election results released by the state National Election Committee showed that Hun Sens party won at least 70 per cent of the vote in each of the countrys 25 provinces. Under the electoral system of proportional representation, the party will likely take more than 100 of the 125 seats in the National Assembly. The disbanded CNRPs former leaders had urged people not to vote in what was dubbed a clean finger campaign because those who cast ballots had to dip a finger in indelible ink, a practice meant to thwart multiple voting. But its campaign fizzled, if the official turnout tallies are accurate. According to the National Election Committee, more than 6.8 million registered voters, or 82.2 per cent, cast ballots. Criticism of the election as unfree and unfair came from Western governments and other groups. The United States said it regretted the flawed elections and would consider its response, including expanding visa restrictions that were announced in December. A statement from the White House press secretarys office said the U.S. was disappointed in the governments decision to disenfranchise voters, citing the exclusion of the principal opposition party, the jailing and banning of its officials, and threats to punish non-voters. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement that Hun Sens moves to eliminate his political opponents had reversed more than 25 years of progress toward democracy in Cambodia. Australia is concerned the election took place in an environment where not all political parties, civil society organizations and media could operate freely, Bishop said. She added that Australia will continue to urge the Cambodian government to take steps to allow free and open political debate without violence and intimidation. A veteran Indonesian politician and lawyer who has championed human rights said the Cambodian election was a sign of danger for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that could set back democracy across the region. Former Indonesian attorney general Marzuki Darusman, who currently heads the United Nations fact-finding mission on Burma investigating abuses by security forces in Rakhine state, said as one of the worlds largest democracies, Indonesia must seriously address the Cambodian situation. He told a news conference held by the disbanded CNRP in Jakarta that I think were looking at a possible domino effect of what is happening in Cambodia across ASEAN as a whole if this is not addressed. Read more about: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, missing since 2014, was probably deliberately steered off course and flown to the southern Indian Ocean, according to the Malaysian governments safety report into the disaster. MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board. Investigators have never been able to explain why the jet abandoned its route shortly into the flight, traversed Malaysia and then cruised south over the Indian Ocean. Its difficult to attribute the change in course to any system failure, according to the report released Monday. It is more likely that such manoeuvres are due to the systems being manipulated, the report said. Experts mapped the Boeing 777s course only after picking through hourly data hookups with a satellite. Extensive sonar searches of remote waters off Australias west coast failed to locate the wreckage. Mondays 449-page report offered little to solve modern aviations biggest mystery and stopped short of apportioning specific blame. Theres nothing to suggest the plane was evading radar, or evidence of behavioural changes in the crew, it said. Significant parts of the aircrafts power system, including the autopilot function, were probably working throughout the flight, the report said. We are unable to determine with any certainty the reasons that the aircraft diverted from its filed planned route, Kok Soo Chon, chief inspector of the MH370 investigation team, told reporters in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur. The possibility of intervention by a third party cannot be excluded. Read more: Four-year search for Malaysia Flight 370 to end, leaving an unsolved mystery Australian search director for missing Malaysia Flight 370 slams Canadian authors theory No sign of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 after new scan, but U.S. company still determined to find it Without the help of cockpit data recorders, search teams could only guess what happened in the flights final moments. Analysis by the Australian government suggested MH370 ran out of fuel before plummeting at as much as 25,000 feet a minute into the water. Other investigators speculated that a person was at the controls until the very end, gliding the plane into the ocean beyond the furthest limit of any search area. Mondays report didnt support either theory explicitly, but struggled to come up with a mechanical explanation for the aircrafts deviations. The change in flight path likely resulted from manual inputs, it said. Similarly, the planes loss of communications before veering off track was more likely due to systems being manually turned off or power interrupted to them than a malfunction, it said. A few pieces of wreckage from MH370 did wash up in Africa but no bodies have ever been recovered. A fresh underwater search this year by U.S. exploration company Ocean Infinity ended without success. The jets disappearance produced a slew of safety recommendations aimed at preventing a repeat of the tragedy. New aircraft must broadcast their locations every minute when theyre in trouble, but only from January 2021. A gradual tightening of requirements starts in November, when airlines must track planes every 15 minutes under regulations adopted by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization. MH370s cargo included 221 kilograms (487 pounds) of lithium batteries and 4.6 tons of fresh mangosteen fruit, according to its manifest. After extensive tests, Mondays report ruled out smoke or fire caused by those goods mixing in the planes hold as a cause of the tragedy. The report documented shortcomings among Kuala Lumpur air traffic controllers: they were too slow to initiate emergency procedures and there was no evidence to suggest they were continuously monitoring radar displays, it said. The report recommended better training to handle emergencies. Read more about: A polar bear that injured a cruise ship guard on an Arctic archipelago was shot dead by another of the ships workers, Norwegian authorities said. The incident Saturday sparked criticism that tourists intruded in the wilderness and then killed one of the reasons they were there. The attack occurred when tourists from the MS Bremen cruise ship landed on the most-northern island of Svalbard archipelago, according to Joint Rescue Coordination for Northern Norway. The remote region is known for glaciers, reindeer and polar bears. The German Hapag Lloyd Cruises company, which operates the MS Bremen, told the Associated Press that two polar bear guards from their ship went on the island and one of them was attacked by a polar bear and injured on his head. The polar bear was then shot dead in an act of self-defence by another guard, spokeswoman Negar Etminan said. The incident occurred when the four-person polar bear guard team, who are always on board for these expedition cruises as required by law, prepared for a shore leave, the company said in a post on Facebook. But the guards failed to spot one bear. After it attacked, other guards shot it, the company said. There had to be intervention for reasons of self-defence and to protect the life of the attacked person, the company said. We are extremely sorry that this incident has happened. The injured man was taken by helicopter to the town of Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen island. He was flown out, was responsive, and is currently undergoing medical treatment, Etminan said, adding that the victim was not in a life-threatening condition. Adam Hart, a biologist and BBC broadcaster, tweeted: Tourism ... again proving itself to be harmful to wildlife. British comedian Ricky Gervais tweeted: Lets get too close to a polar bear in its natural environment and then kill it if it gets too close. Morons. Read more about: HARARE, ZIMBABWEWith hope and pride, millions of Zimbabweans voted peacefully Monday in an election that many believe is their best chance to escape the toxic politics and dead-end economics of the era of Robert Mugabe, who wasnt on the ballot for the first time in the nations nearly four-decade history. But opposition activists used to the violence, intimidation and vote-tampering that marred elections under Mugabe called for vigilance against the same kind of skullduggery this time around. Western monitors noted some problems at polling stations, but said it wasnt yet clear whether they reflected a deliberate effort to manipulate the elections. They may be peaceful, but we dont know how credible they are, said 51-year-old Classified Chivese, a voter who, like many Zimbabweans, is unemployed. Zimbabwes political climate has opened up since 94-year-old Mugabe, who once said he would rule for life, resigned in November after a military takeover and ruling party move to impeach him. Throngs celebrated the removal of Mugabe, in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980, but many Zimbabweans view Mondays election as an equally important milestone. More than 5.5 million people were registered to vote in an election featuring a record more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties vying for parliamentary seats. If no presidential candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the vote, a runoff will be held Sept. 8. The two main contenders were 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former deputy president and longtime enforcer for Mugabe who has reinvented himself as a candidate for change; and 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who became head of the main opposition party a few months ago after the death of its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. Read more: Zimbabwes former president Mugabe rejects Mnangagwa in election Zimbabwe holds final rallies before historic election Zimbabwes top opposition wont boycott vote despite worries After polls closed at 7 p.m. and vote-counting began, Mnangagwa appealed to Zimbabweans to be patient and wait for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to announce results. The final, official tally is expected within five days. Today, Zimbabwe experienced a beautiful expression of freedom & democracy, Mnangagwa tweeted. No matter which way we voted, we are all brothers and sisters. Earlier, however, Chamisa said on Twitter that voting delays in urban areas, where his support is strong, were a deliberate attempt to undermine his election bid. The allegations by the head of the Movement for Democratic Change party intensified concerns about management of the election and the prospect of a dispute over its outcome. The head of the European Union mission monitoring Zimbabwes elections said his team saw huge differences in the pace of voting at polling stations. Voters at one location waited less than an hour to cast their ballots while others at a nearby station waited more than half the day, Elmar Brok said. In some cases, it works very smoothly, Brok said. But in others, we see that its totally disorganized and that people become angry, that people leave. He noted a case of the ruling ZANU-PF party delivering 100 people by bus to vote in a district where they didnt live. Observers have to check whether it was a single example or part of a pattern which might have influence on the result of the elections, Brok said. The fact that Brok and other Western observers were even in Zimbabwe and free to operate wherever they liked reflected a new transparency after years of Mugabe banning outside monitors. Still, there were concerns about bias in state media, a lack of transparency in ballot printing and reports of intimidation by pro-government traditional leaders who are supposed to stay neutral. Among opposition objections was that the ballots listed presidential candidates in two columns of 14 and nine names, with Mnangagwa at the top of the second column a spot that would presumably make it easier for people to vote for him. Observers say the law requires a single column of names in alphabetical order. Also, millions of Zimbabweans living abroad, including in neighbouring South Africa, were barred from voting unless they travelled home to do so. The government said it did not have the resources to organize voting for expatriates, many of whom are believed to support the opposition. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, accused of manipulating election wins for Mugabe in the past, has said this vote will be free and fair. We need peace and we need everyone to be comfortable, to go out and exercise their right to vote without fear, Priscilla Chigumba, a judge who chairs the commission, said during voting Monday. Chigumba also said police have been informed about two presidential candidates who might have violated the law by campaigning after the cutoff time. She didnt name them, but they are likely to be Chamisa and Mnangagwa, both of whom issued public statements on Sunday. Despite Mugabes troubled legacy, dozens of cheering Zimbabweans gathered outside the polling station in the capital where he voted. Struggling to walk, Mugabe raised his fist to acknowledge them. He made his way into the polling centre, had his finger inked and was assisted by his wife into the booth. On Sunday, Mugabe said Chamisa was the only viable candidate and rejected Mnangagwa and the ruling party, saying: I cannot vote for those who have tormented me. Mnangagwa hopes an election viewed as credible will bring international legitimacy and investment to Zimbabwe, though a seriously flawed process could signal more stagnation. The president is himself the target of U.S. sanctions imposed on some government leaders and companies over human rights concerns during the Mugabe era. Despite expectations that the elections could bring a better life, Zimbabwe remains plagued by the hopelessness of unemployment, cash shortages and moribund industries. Many problems are due to mismanagement exacerbated by the countrys old status as an international pariah. We need change because we have suffered a lot here, said 65-year-old Mable Mafaro, a voter in Harare. Another voter was exultant, comparing the election to the end of white minority rule. Im so happy, said 28-year-old Tapiwa Kahondo. This is 1980 for Zimbabwe. We are so happy for today. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman handing over the indigenised engines of Tanks T-72 and T-90 tanks to the Indian Army. Photo: Twitter CHENNAI (PTI): Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has formally handed over two types of indigenously built high-power multi-fuel engines to the Indian Army. The engines manufactured by the Engine Factory, Avadi a unit of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Department of Defence Production were fully indigenised for the first time under the Centre's 'Make in India' programme. "Earlier, we were importing some of the components for defence. Now, with these two engines produced by you, you have proved that the Army does not look outside (other countries) than to look at you," she said at a function in the factory, 35 km from Chennai, on Saturday. The first engine of 1000 HP engine V92S2 engine powers T-90 Bhisma Tank, the second engine V-46-6 engine powers the T-72 Ajeya Tank and its variants are manufactured with '100 per cent Made in India' parts, officials said. Earlier, local content of the two engines was up to 73 per cent, they said. Sitharaman formally handed over the documents of the two types of engines to Vice Chief of Army Staff Devaraj Anbu. Sitharaman said the Engine Factory General Manager, Anil Kumar has said the factory would be producing fully indigenised engines for the BMP-1 tank as well. "You have made us proud," she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been encouraging the Make in India programme since there was a thought that products engaged in country's security need to be locally sourced, she said. Though these engines were manufactured based on Russian design, India was depending on Moscow for its supply of critical assemblies like turbocharger, supercharger, fuel injection pumps, Defence (Production) Secretary Ajay Kumar said. "By localising the components for engine manufacturing, the country can save around Rs 800 crore for the next 10 years," he said. Sitharaman appealed to the employees to produce products that are 'world class' so that such defence public sector undertakings need not await orders from the government, but can attract good business in the domestic and overseas marketspace. The indigenisation effort also exhibits the self-reliance of the Ordnance Factory Board in manufacturing these engines in India without any import support, officials said. The Engine Factory has manufactured more than 12,000 engines since its inception in 1987. Torontos recent spate of shootings has led many to declare the city is in the midst of a surge of gun violence, the likes of which we havent seen in over a decade. The data tells a more complicated story. Between Jan. 1 and July 23, the Toronto police recorded 228 shooting incidents. There were 208 shootings by the end of July in 2016, and 205 in 2017. In other words, there has been a 10 per cent increase in the number of shootings since 2016 a measurable increase, certainly, but hardly a surge. If the total number of shootings is not so different from previous years, what is fuelling the rising panic? And, could the mismatch between rhetoric and reality harm our ability to develop appropriate policy responses to gun violence in Toronto? One explanation for the alarm is that this year, shootings have been more lethal. While the media is quick to highlight that shooting deaths are up 70 per cent from last year, when we compare 2018 with 2016, the increase is only 16 per cent. A more likely explanation is that there has been a shift in the location of shootings across the city. Shootings in 52 Division, which includes Kensington, University, and Richmond and Spadina neighbourhoods, increased by over 250 per cent compared to 2016. These neighbourhoods have historically recorded few shooting incidents. By contrast, the number of shootings in neighbourhoods like Rexdale, Jane and Finch, and Lawrence Heights, which tend to experience higher rates of gun violence, have declined by a combined 40 per cent since 2016. TOP STORIES. IN YOUR INBOX: For the days top news from the Stars award-winning journalists, sign up for our daily headlines newsletter. So far, the proposed response Torontos gun violence seems out of touch with the changing patterns of violence. Last month, the Peel police chief and Sgt Mark Hayward publicly blamed the increase in shootings on restrictions around carding practices in high crime neighbourhoods. Residents of Rexdale, Lawrence Heights, and Jane and Finch experienced some of the highest rates of carding. If carding restrictions were to blame, wouldnt we expect increases in shootings in these neighbourhoods? On Tuesday, City Council approved $8 million to address gun violence, with $7.4 million earmarked for enforcement and surveillance activity and only $1 million for investment in community initiatives aimed at tackling the root causes of violence. Council also committed $4 million over two years to purchase highly controversial ShotSpotter technology, which has been criticized by civil liberties groups as a means of increasing surveillance of communities overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Absent the belief that we are in the midst of a gun violence crisis, it is doubtful that City Council would have had the stomach to approve such an invasive technology. Additional police have also been deployed to patrol at risk neighbourhoods. Police have not disclosed where additional enforcement and surveillance will take place; descriptions of at risk neighbourhoods suggests responses will target communities that have had historically higher proportions of the Torontos gun violence, but are not driving the recent increase. Read more: Two men arrested after shooting follows heated argument in north Toronto Danforth shooter was afraid he was going to hurt people Opinion | Dont make uninformed decisions about guns based on fear, Michael Bryant says By highlighting the relative decline in shootings in Rexdale, Jane and Finch, and Lawrence Heights, I do not suggest that these communities are safer today than in previous years. In absolute terms, these communities continue to experience the highest numbers of shootings and suffer disproportionately from the socioeconomic drivers of crime and violence. While the data demonstrates that the uptick in shootings is occurring downtown, Rexdale, Jane and Finch, and Lawrence Heights, considered at risk neighbourhoods, will likely be targeted with additional enforcement and surveillance. These communities have safety and well-being needs that are not being met, but investing in the many positive local initiatives aimed at addressing root causes of violence must be more than a footnote in the citys enforcement plan. As we consider how best to respond to gun violence in Toronto, we must recognize that the increased visibility of shootings in more central areas of the city may be fuelling a kind of moral panic. When scary things are thought to be rising, the instinct is to bring them down by whatever means possible. A misdiagnosis of this years gun violence problem has so far led to heavy-handed responses that risk further diminishing trust between police and community members, which may jeopardize public safety further down the road. Last week, Premier Doug Ford blindsided Torontonians and their elected representatives by announcing a dramatic reduction of council seats on the last day of nominations for upcoming municipal elections. The day prior, Mayor John Tory made a speech explaining his ostensible need for strong mayor powers. Both propositions are deeply flawed, and, taken together, they shine a spotlight on the problems facing Canadas municipalities in the 21st century. As with other Canadian municipalities, the relationship between Toronto and the Province of Ontario was established in law in the 19thcentury when Canada was a rural, agrarian society with a small and dispersed population. In 1867 the British North America Act divided powers between the federal government and the provinces and left to the latter legislative powers over Municipal Institutions in the Province as well as other Matters of a local or private Nature. Legally and practically speaking, the basic services we rely on in our day-to-day lives remain just that matters local and subject to the political and financial whims of the real orders of government. The introduction of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 extended important constitutional protections to the media, religions, trade unions, women, and Indigenous peoples among other groups. But municipalities have no such constitutional recourse. In constitutional terms it is as though municipalities dont even exist. And yet, it is municipalities that provide the services of everyday life to people across the country, over 80 per cent of whom now live in urbanized population centers of 1,000 people or more. Read more: Toronto should take province to court over Fords plan to slash city council, David Miller says Toronto is the only city targeted by Ford in legislation Fords city hall slash hurts diversity, aspiring candidate says Consider your own daily life. Maybe you make a coffee and have a shower before work. You take out the recycling and then head to a transit stop or get in your car. Maybe the kids are off to a park or a swimming pool to beat the heat. All of these services water, solid waste, transit, roads, parks and recreation, and much more are provided by the municipality. But the power of municipalities to raise funds to pay for this is constrained by their subordinate status. Depending who you ask, they receive between $0.08 and $0.12 of every tax dollar raised by all governments, but deliver some 60 per cent of services people use. In this sense, the challenges facing municipalities are anything but local. Whether 25 councillors can effectively govern a geographical area that 20 years ago was represented by over a 100 elected officials is questionable at best. But beyond this, the way in which the premier has introduced this change reveals a deep distain, both for the City of Toronto and for institutions of democratic municipal governance more broadly. This should be very concerning to observers across the province. The mere act of saving or claiming to save money is not in and of itself democratic. Democracy is both a process and an outcome. A democratic process would entail meaningful consultation with municipalities and the people who live there. A democratic outcome would be one that prioritizes equitable access to services across the city and its diverse communities. The problems facing Toronto and other Canadian cities, such as the widening gap between rich and poor, are big problems that need bold solutions. A strong mayor would only wield more power within an already unsustainable status quo. The strong mayor proposal presumes that the power imbalance to be fixed is between the mayor and council. But the kind of power municipalities need is economic. The sustainable way to secure that power is through a legal redefinition of the relationship between all three levels of government. Anything short of this means the services that most intimately touch our daily lives remain beholden to political oscillations between benevolence and distain. In a perverse way the premier has done us a favour by shining a bright light on this. The 21st century has famously been declared the urban century. In 2018 its time for Canada to get serious about entering it. Jessica Parish received her PhD in political science from York University in 2017. She is currently a visiting scholar at the City Institute, York University. Steve Parish has been mayor of Ajax since 1995. He was first elected to Ajax town council in 1980. He will not be seeking re-election this fall. Read more about: The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, started door knocking in 2004 in Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton. Since then we have facilitated 20- to 40-minute house visits with over 150,000 of the lowest-income tenants across these three cities. During each visit we ask, What is the biggest issue you would like to see changed? Undoubtedly, the most common issue we hear about is the substandard state of both public and private housing. Common issues experienced by low-income tenants are leaking pipes causing mice, rats, cockroaches, bedbugs and mould; as well as poorly insulated windows leading to freezing temperatures in the winter and extreme discomfort due to heat in the summer. For many vulnerable people, substandard units lead to negative health outcomes, such as asthma, stress, diseases carried by bugs and more. In addition, it is incredibly difficult for people to even consider carbon emissions when they have no option but to heat their apartment with their oven, or have faulty windows that need to be left open while running air conditioning units. In the previous governments Climate Change Action Plan, tenants were promised $385 million to $500 million for social housing retrofits, plus $300 to $400 million in incentives for retrofits in other private apartment buildings, funded through cap-and-trade revenues. The diversion of this money away from retrofits represents a huge loss for hundreds of thousands of tenants across the province. We are concerned about the ripple effect that substandard housing will have on tenants, and anticipate an increase in socioeconomic and health inequality as a result of this funding cut. Research has shown that every $1 million spent on social housing retrofits generates energy savings of $1.3 million to $3.9 million, as well as additional benefits to residents, such as improved wellbeing. Without this money, the provinces most vulnerable tenants will be forced to continue living in substandard units that are up to 25 per cent less energy efficient than houses. Its shocking to think that in the 21st century, Canadian cities remain at the mercy of a premier like Donald, er, Doug Ford bent on showing an upstart municipality like Toronto whos boss. At a time when the countrys economic success depends more than ever on the social, cultural, economic and technological synergies of urban Canada, the failure to empower our cities is dumb and self-defeating. Not even Fords more Toronto-friendly predecessor, Kathleen Wynne, was above sticking it to the city when it suited her. In 2017, she turned down Mayor John Torys plan to toll the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway. Wynne was worried about upsetting voters in the 905. Its not much better at the federal level. Mired in red tape, Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus much touted $125-billion infrastructure renewal program has fallen far behind schedule, leaving many Canadian cities in the lurch. Many believe the root cause of the problem is the constitution his father, Pierre Trudeau, brought into being in 1982. As Torontos city solicitor noted in 2000, The Canadian Constitution gives the provinces exclusive control over cities and other municipalities ... As a creature of a province, a city has no inherent powers only the powers given by the province. Certainly, Ford has taken full advantage of the citys impotence. It wasnt enough to cut council in half without a nanosecond of consultation, he also announced his decision in the middle of a municipal election. Not that he cares, but such contempt runs contrary to provincial laws. The 2006 City of Toronto Act (COTA) specifically states that relations between city and province will be conducted with mutual respect, consultation and co-operation. Clearly no one told Doug Ford. Regardless, since the heady days when then premier Dalton McGuinty and mayor David Miller presided over the creation of COTA, the city has lost interest in pushing for independence, both economic and regulatory. Indeed, when Dougs baby brother, Rob, became mayor in 2010, his first act was to cancel the vehicle registration tax, implemented by Miller under new powers granted by COTA. Fords successor, John Tory, has studiously avoided the issue of enhanced civic powers. Despite his complaints about having to go to Queens Park like a boy in short pants, he has never hesitated to approach the federal and provincial governments for money for everything from transit and infrastructure to social housing and immigrant services. Though COTA was initially seen as a breakthrough in civic empowerment, it gave Toronto little of substance. That became clear when Wynne nixed Torys road tolls. Though the city had the right to impose tolls, it was subject to provincial permission. COTA also revealed Torontos reluctance to use the limited powers it did gain. There were exceptions, but essentially the city was anxious to avoid the responsibilities that come with them. Its easier to blame Queens Park rather than yourself. But the sheer vindictiveness of Doug Fords recent moves makes it difficult for the city to turn the other cheek. Though there are arguments for and against reducing the size of council, his arbitrary and abrupt intervention into the internal affairs of Toronto amounts to a coup. Though chatter about a Toronto Charter and enhanced city independence has fallen silent, it may be time to restart the conversation. Not only will Fords vengefulness hurt the city, the GTA and Canada, internationally it will make Ontario look like a banana province run by a local strong man with a big axe to grind. The same is true of the Conservatives cancellation of several hundred energy contracts. Ford says his attack was justified because Toronto city council is dysfunctional. Hes right. But thats the nature of democracy. Its messy, expensive and time-consuming; dictatorships are much more efficient. He points to transit as an example of council indecision. Again, hes right. But he conveniently forgets the provinces role in the matter, including, notably, the contribution of a predecessor, Mike Harris, who cancelled the Eglinton subway in 1995 and spent $50 million filling in the hole. The problem, then as now, is that no ones sure whos in control; city or province? The premiers ill-conceived and ill-timed intervention will worsen the situation. Ford wants to remind us hes the boss. His move has sparked chaos and confusion but we now know whos in charge. So all hail Mayor Doug Ford, unelected, unwanted and at the helm of a ship quickly taking on water. Christopher Hume is a former Star reporter who is a current freelance columnist based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @HumeChristopher Read more about: GRANITE CITY People with past criminal charges often have difficulty re-entering the workforce and building a better life for their families. Expunging or sealing a record can give people a second chance by removing that employment and housing barrier. Eligible individuals will get that second chance on Saturday, Aug. 25 in Granite City. Simmons Hanly Conroy and county agencies will join forces with county agencies will join forces from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that Saturday to host Second Chance Saturday at the Granite City Township Building, all at no cost to participants. Eligible individuals will be able to expunge or seal criminal records and resolve outstanding traffic warrants, criminal warrants and ordinance violations that occurred in Madison County without concern for arrest. The Madison County States Attorneys Office, Madison County Circuit Clerk, Madison County Third Judicial Circuit Court and lawyers from Simmons Hanly Conroy and the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation will be onsite that day to assist individuals. Activities for children, employment assistance and voter registration services will also be available. Pre-registration for the event is strongly encouraged. The necessary paperwork is available at www.simmonsfirm.com/2ndchance and should be returned no later than Aug. 10. Those who do not pre-register will be served on a first come, first served basis. Photo identification is required the day of the event. Participants will also need to submit a fingerprint criminal history transcript prior to the event. To fulfill this requirement: 1. Visit one of two special paperwork sign-up sessions at the Six Mile Regional Library in Granite City. You can choose between these dates and times: a. 5-7 p.m. July 25 More Information WHAT TO EXPECT Participants can expect to meet with an attorney on a pro-bono basis when they arrive. The attorney will review their paperwork, ensure they are eligible to participate, and answer any questions they may have. He/she will then work with the participant to complete the petition for expungement/sealing. The county agencies in attendance will assist in expediting the processes of expungement/sealing by allowing participants to file all necessary paperwork at once. After meeting with an attorney, they will go to the Circuit Clerk booth on-site to file their paperwork. Once the petition is filed, the regular court process begins. Copies of the petitions will be sent to relevant agencies that will have up to 60 days to respond or object. If no agency objects, the judge may grant the petition. If there is an objection, a hearing will be scheduled, at which time the participant will be able to state his/her claim in front of a judge. Once a petition is granted, judicial orders will be sent to all parties, who will be directed to either deploy or seal the record. It takes approximately 3-4 months following the event for the record to be expunged/sealed. See More Collapse b. 4-6 p.m. July 31 2. If you cannot attend one of the special sign-up sessions, you can instead visit a partnering agency to have this requirement completed. The dates, times and locations are located at www.simmonsfirm.com/2ndchance. 3. No one will be considered pre-registered until the fingerprint transcript has been submitted. 4. Please remember to bring your photo ID to the event. Second Chance Saturday will also give individuals the opportunity to resolve outstanding traffic warrants, criminal warrants or ordinance violations that occurred in Madison County without fear of arrest. The event is not for offenses that occurred after July 15, 2018 or any of the following warrant types: domestic violence, child support, violations of orders of protection, civil contempt, or federal, felony or juvenile warrants. A similar expungement event was hosted in 2016 at Simmons Hanly Conroys office in Alton and again in 2017 in Venice, Illinois. Last year, attorneys and organizers were able to help start the expungement process for more than 553 cases. Additional organizations on-site for the event will include the Madison County Sheriffs Department, Madison County Probation Department, Illinois Secretary of State, and employment experts. For more information regarding Second Chance Saturday, call 618-259-6559 or to register online visit www.simmonsfirm.com/2ndchance. Scientists at the University of Manchester and the University of Bristol have used powerful X-rays to peer inside the skeletons of some of our oldest vertebrate relatives, solving a 160-year-old mystery about the origin of our skeletons. Living vertebrates have skeletons built from four different tissue types: bone and cartilage (the main tissues that human skeletons are made from), and dentine and enamel (the tissues from which our teeth are constructed). These tissues are unique because they become mineralised as they develop, giving the skeleton strength and rigidity. Evidence for the early evolution of our skeletons can be found in a group of fossil fishes called heterostracans, which lived over 400 million years ago. These fishes include some of the oldest vertebrates with a mineralised skeleton that have ever been discovered. Exactly what tissue heterostracan skeletons were made from has long puzzled scientists. Now a team of researchers from the University of Manchester, the University of Bristol and the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland have taken a detailed look inside heterostracan skeletons using Synchrotron Tomography: a special type of CT scanning using very high energy X-rays produced by a particle accelerator. Using this technique, the team have identified this mystery tissue. Lead researcher Dr Joseph Keating, from the University of Manchester, explained: Heterostracan skeletons are made of a really strange tissue called aspidin. It is crisscrossed by tiny tubes and does not closely resemble any of the tissues found in vertebrates today. For a 160 years, scientists have wondered if aspidin is a transitional stage in the evolution of mineralised tissues. The results of this study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, show that the tiny tubes are voids that originally housed fibre-bundles of collagen, a type of protein found in your skin and bones. These findings enabled Dr Keating to rule out all but one hypothesis for the tissues identity: aspidin is the earliest evidence of bone in the fossil record. Co-author, Professor Phil Donoghue from the University of Bristols School of Earth Sciences, added: These findings change our view on the evolution of the skeleton. Aspidin was once thought to be the precursor of vertebrate mineralised tissues. We show that it is, in fact, a type of bone, and that all these tissues must have evolved millions of years earlier. CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) An Illinois high school student accused of shooting a classmate last year has waived his right to a jury trial. Typically, suspects in juvenile cases are limited to a trial by judge. However, Coles County Circuit Judge Matt Sullivan made a blended juvenile and adult prison sentence possible, opening up the option for a jury trial. The Political Assistant drafts and researches required annual reportingas well as voluntary reporting as assigned. The incumbent takesmeetings independently as well as scheduling meetings for U.S.officers. The incumbent briefs colleagues within the section, otherEmbassy officials including the Ambassador, and visiting officials on currentand political developments and trends. The incumbent occasionallytravels independently within Uganda, and frequently supports travel of U.S.officers. Incumbent must maintain a wide range of contacts at thehighest level inside and outside government. The incumbent must alsowork closely with other sections in the Embassy. The incumbentassists in organizing representational events, including recommending andliaising with appropriate invitees. An orphan girl's valiant journey from Goa to Kuwait to find freedom, dignity and self-respect, Karmelin was a searing portrait of sexual exploitation and other abasements domestic helps suffer in Gulf countries. Written in Konkani by Goa-based Damodar Mauzo, it won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1983. The novel was progressive for its time in the way it tackled taboos concerning sex. It has been translated into 15 Indian languages. Mauzo, who was actively involved in the 1967 opinion poll referendum, which sought to determine the political status of Goa, has been outspoken in his views about the activities of right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha. Today, the 74-year-old writer is under police protection after the alleged killers of slain rationalist Gauri Lankesh revealed his name as a possible target. Mauzo's pathbreaking novel, Karmelin, will be translated for English readers under a new partnership, which will see publishing house Speaking Tiger, JSW Group and Indian Novels Collective finalise Indian literary titles from the 20th century for translation, design and marketing. Indian Novels Collective, a non-profit network of individuals, was started in 2017 to select and translate 100 contemporary novels from the annals of non-English Indian literature. These translations will be freshly commissioned and produced for a contemporary audience. The collective had published last year its shortlist of Hindi works, and are in the process of selecting titles from other language groups. The deal with Speaking Tiger and JSW furthers that commitment where Indian Novels Collective will identify 10 regional literary masterpieces for translation, and Speaking Tiger will publish, market and distribute these titles across India. Literary agent, author, consultant and publishing commentator Kanishka Gupta drives home the importance of the collective's work. "It's a much needed initiative and reminds me of the Murty Classical Library of India. The membership of the collective suggests it won't be too difficult to deal with issues such as permissions and good quality translations. I am also glad that the collective is not discriminating between genres and plans to translate short stories, essays and even children's literature in the future. That's almost impossible to achieve in today's profit-driven industry." The founding team of the collective includes Sangita Jindal, chairperson of JSW Foundation, Amrita Somaiya, owner of Munbai-based Kitab Khana and Ashwani Kumar, poet and professor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Padma Nadir Majhi by Manik Bandopadhyay (Bengali), Ranangan by Vishram Bedekar (Marathi) and one of Qurratulain Hyders Urdu novel are the other three shortlisted books set for translations under the current agreement. Bandopadhyay rebelled against the romantic sensibility of Tagore and wrote a timeless story on the hapless lives of fishermen round the Padma river, while Bedekar's incendiary novel, written in 1939, was premised on a forbidden love between an Indian boy and English girl in the backdrop of World War II. It created a furore in literary circles back then. The Narendra Modi government has requested authorities in Antigua and Barbuda to detain PNB scam fugitive Mehul Choksi after it received information about his presence in the Caribbean island, government sources said on Monday. They said the Modi government was in touch with the island nation following reports of Choksi's presence there and requested the authorities there to restrict his movements by land, sea and air. "As soon as ministry of external affairs [MEA] received information of the likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, our High Commission in Georgetown had alerted the A&B [Antigua and Barbuda] government, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea," a government source said. Last week, Choksi reportedly claimed he had taken Antigua citizenship last year to expand his business as the passport of the Caribbean nation provides visa-free travel to 132 countries. "Our high commissioner is meeting the relevant authorities in A&B government today. We continue to liaise with relevant GOI agencies and the government of Antigua and Barbuda to follow up on this matter," the source said. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation after it was detected that they allegedly cheated the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,400 crore with the purported involvement of a few of the lender's employees. The scam, which reportedly began in 2011, was detected in January this year, after which PNB officials reported it to the probe agencies. Choksi and Nirav Modi fled India in January this year nearly a fortnight before the scam was detected. Choksi's valid passport was revoked in February 2018. Actor Adil Hussain is delighted that Akshay Kumar has expressed interest in making a biopic on sprinter Hima Das. He hopes an Assamese actor gets to play the part. Reacting to a news article wherein Akshay said he would like to make a biopic on "young achiever" Das, Adil tweeted: "That's a good news.. But I hope that an Assamese actor is cast to play the role... Or may be Hima Das herself should play the part!?" A Twitter user was not pleased with the idea of a biopic on Das. "Adil, please save her. She is precious. Tell your friends (Akshay) to stay away. This is not a good idea. Do what you like in 2030. August she has Jakarta, 2020 she has Tokyo. And do not forget in 2030 she will be just 30. Mary Kom was done after she got 5 medals. "She is running her first senior international event and you all are disturbing her with talks of films and casting. A biopic can wait. Do it in 2030. If she fails and you dump the biopic, do you have any idea what damage it will have. This is track and field, not takes and retakes of Bollywood and a microsecond counts." On his part, Adil said: "I don't know Akshay Kumar. Never met him. It would be appreciated if she is left alone to do her practice. But I guess no one can stop anyone from making a movie hence I suggested an Assamese Actor to play her role." The MC Mary Kom biopic, directed by Omung Kumar, saw Priyanka Chopra play the boxer on the big screen. A mother at just 17, Seema* went back to her village in Jharkhand with her two-month-old baby last week, five years after she had been sold to a family in Gurgaon where she was raped by a co-domestic worker. As another World Day Against Trafficking in Persons dawns on Monday, Seema's life story is a stark reminder of the millions of people who are trafficked each year, sold into prostitution, forced labour or domestic work, either forcefully or on the pretext of a better life. Activists say even a small hint from the public could play a very big role in busting human trafficking rackets, appealing to people to stay alert and report if they see anything unusual. Trafficking victims like Seema are often hiding in plain sight, working in upscale homes but overlooked by all those who visit them. Her sexual assault last year was preceded by years of servitude in the corporate suburb of Gurgaon with 19-hour workdays and barely enough food for the young girl who once dreamt of becoming a painter. Working hours were from 4am to 11pm every day and I was made to do all household chores. I was the same age as the children in the family. While they would be preparing for their exams, I would be scrubbing floors, Seema said. She was given food left over in the plates of her employers. If the plates were empty, she would sleep hungry. She found her peace in painting on newspapers but her world was shattered again when she was raped by another domestic worker. I did not understand what was happening to me when my stomach started bloating. My employers took me to a doctor who said I was pregnant. They tried to get the child aborted but it was too late, Seema said. Seema gave birth to a baby girl in May this year and has been in severe depression since then. A case has been registered against the accused but Seema's life will never be the same again, said anti-trafficking activist Ashok Rawat. All I want is that no other person goes through the trauma I did," said Seema. But that is a wish that is not about to be fulfilled anytime soon. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), almost 20,000 women and children were victims of human trafficking in India in 2016, a rise of nearly 25 per cent compared to 2015. India is home to the largest number of slaves globally, with 8 million, followed by China (3.86 million), Pakistan (3.19 million) and North Korea (2.64 million), a Reuters report said. Srimoyee* is two years older than Seema but her story of exploitation and servitude is the same. Tired of being a farm worker in her village in West Bengal's Asansol disrict, she wanted to become a model but got trapped in the trafficking ring and was forced to become a sex worker in Delhi. She was rescued during a raid but says she is too ashamed to return home. I can't face my family and have nothing to look forward to. I am looking for alternative means of livelihood but without proper education there is nothing really that I can do, she said. The stories are many, including not just girl children and young women but also young boys. Twins Satram* and Raveesh* left their homes in Siliguri to escape their abusive father when they were just eight. They made their way to Delhi and started living at the Delhi railway station, eking out a living reselling used mineral water bottles. Then, eight months ago, Raveesh came into contact with a trafficker and has been missing since then. Satram, 14, said he has been looking frantically for him but to no avail. Seema, Srimoyee and Raveesh are the tragedies unfolding behind the numbers. Such people face so much discrimination at home that they think life in cities would be better but once they come to cities they are caught in the vicious circle of trafficking, Rawat rued. Statistics from the Ministry of Women and Child Development state that 19,223 women and children were trafficked in 2016 against 15,448 in 2015, with the highest number of victims being recorded in West Bengal. In a bid to make stricter laws against trafficking, the Lok Sabha last week passed an anti-trafficking bill. Said to be India's first comprehensive anti-trafficking bill, it seeks to deal with the crime from the point of prevention, protection and rehabilitation. Besides taking up prevention, rescue and rehabilitation, it covers aggravated forms of trafficking such as forced labour, begging and marriage. P.M. Nair, professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, said the bill brings in accountability. So far, a duty was cast upon police to rescue and there was no accountability on agencies of the government concerned with rehabilitation. By endorsing the new provision of bringing in accountability of the government agencies concerned on matters of rehabilitation, it is not only the victim who will benefit the entire justice delivery process stands to gain, Nair said. Rekha Sharma, chairperson of the National Commission for Women, has said people can play a very important role in rescuing trafficking victims. She advised people to keep their eyes open. Often, it gets very difficult to identify victims who many a times are walking among us but are not able to ask for help. In 2013, UN member states adopted a resolution designating July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights. The second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was officially published at 10am on Monday. The much-awaited draft of the NRC was released by Registrar General of India Sailesh, along with officials of the state and Central governments. Sailesh said the draft NRC excludes nearly 40 lakh people, noting 2,89,83,677 out of 3.29 crore applicants were found eligible [as citizens]. During the release of the NRC draft, officials reiterated that there was no need for panic among those who were excluded as they would have opportunities to appeal and file objections. Officials declared there would be no deportations based on the NRC draft. Satyendra Garg, joint secretary of the MHA, who was present at the release of the draft NRC, said, there would be no question of referring anyone to the Foreigners Tribunal or sending people to detention centres. Prateek Hajela, the coordinator for the NRC, had earlier explained to THE WEEK that the draft NRC would be a "completed, not final" draft. The Central and state governments have deployed 220 companies of paramilitary forces to different parts of Assam to deal with possible unrest. In the first draft of the NRC, published on December 31, 1.9 crore applicants were deemed eligible. The NRC is being updated with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date for legitimate claims to Indian citizenship in Assam. Assam is the only state in the country having an NRC, which was first prepared in 1951. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Union government over the exclusion of 40 lakh Bengali speaking people from the National Register of Citizens (NRC), making them illegitimate settlers in Assam. Though the draft is not final, chances of a drastic fall in this number when the final list is out by the end of the year is slim. The CM said she will visit Assam and also send a team of Trinamool Congress leaders to assess the situation there. However, despite this show of sympathy, a few months ago the chief minister had warned her partymen about the possibility of a large number of people from Assam, whose names did not appear in the NRC, sneaking into the northern part of West Bengal. In the 1980s, during the Assam Agitation, the influx of Muslims from Assam into West Bengal had altered the demography of north Bengal. Interestingly, Banerjee's outburst on Monday was similar to Jyoti Basu's during that period. Basu lambasted Rajiv Gandhi for his inability to contain the riot which caused the influx. It was only a few months ago that the chief minister took on the BJP government in Assam, accusing it of harassing Bengali speaking Muslims. The Assam government had then lodged an FIR against her in the Guwahati police station. A senior official of the Assam government said, "How could a chief minister make such an outburst when everything was done at the instance of the Supreme Court?" Banerjee had earlier said if the Bengali speaking people in Assam have nowhere to go, she will initiate steps to take care of them. Nonetheless, as the figure stands at a whopping 40 lakh, Banerjee is finding it tough to invite all of them to Bengal. She also feels that the BJP would score a political point if a large number of Muslims comes to north Bengal. Such an influx would also make a large part of Hindu voters antagonised, which would prove fatal for her. It was possibly because of these reasons that she decided to play politics instead of offering a red carpet welcome to people who have been made foreigners in their own land. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has, however, found the fear that Muslims would leave Assam for neighbouring state baseless. "What do you think of us? No one will leave Assam. It is our birth land. We will stay here. None of us will leave our land. We need no invitation from anyone," said AIUDF secretary and MLA Aminul Islam. The politics over NRC, it seems, has only started. The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite... Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been cornered on the issue of Maratha reservation. After cancelling his visit to temple town Pandharpur to perform pooja of Lord Vithoba on the day of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi', Fadnavis reportedly had to cancel his visit to Sangli where he was scheduled to campaign for his party in the municipal corporation elections. The Maratha Kranit Morcha unit in Sangli had warned that they would disrupt the chief minister's political meetings. The Morcha had said the chief minister should come to the town only with a final decision on the issue of reservation for Maratha community in jobs and education. It is learnt that Fadnavis has cancelled his visit and instead sent a seven minute video clip of his speech for the purpose of BJP's campaign. Monday is the last day of campaigning for Sangli municipal corporation elections. Earlier Fadnavis had to cancel his trip to Vithoba temple in Pandharpur on July 23. Fadnavis has already announced that the government will call a special session of state legislature to discuss the issue of Maratha reservation. The chief minister has said that he will urge the state minority commission to table its report on the issue at the earliest, in a month's time. He has also declared that in the upcoming mega recruitment by the state government, 16 per cent of total 72,000 jobs will be reserved for Maratha community. However, all these announcements, made after an all party meet on Saturday, have failed to pacify the Maratha community which comprises 32 per cent of state's population. Complicating the situation further for Fadnavis, he was left all alone to fight the battle. Party's state president, Raosaheb Danve, a prominent Maratha himself, did little to help the chief minister. Fadnavis' cabinet colleague Pankaja Munde used the opportunity to air her chief ministerial ambitions by stating that had she had the file before her she would have cleared it in just one hour. "Fadnavis is clearly cornered and fighting alone on the issue of Maratha reservation in his government. He is alone because of the sensitivity of the issue as nobody wants to be seen going against politically powerful Maratha community. He is also alone because he happens to be Brahmin by caste. He can't ignore the agitations and he can't rush with the decision to announce the reservations either. But so far he has handled the issue in a very mature manner and this issue won't lead to his removal from the post of chief minister. It will not be acceptable to the RSS. We must also understand that the BJP has nothing much to gain politically by giving reservations to Marathas who have traditionally voted for the Congress and the NCP," Girish Kuber, noted writer and chief editor of Loksatta, a prominent Marathi daily, told THE WEEK. In a related development, Shiv Sena, Congress and the NCP called meetings of their legislators to discuss the unrest in Maratha community. Shiv Sena's meeting was held at Matoshree, the residence of Uddhav Thackeray. The meetings of Congress and the NCP are being held at the residences of Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly) and Dhananjay Munde (Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council) respectively. After his meeting with party legislators, Uddhav Thackeray demanded that the government announce 16 per cent reservation for Maratha community without waiting for the report of state minority commission. He said that a special session of the state legislature should be called and all parties should come together to send a letter to the central government favouring reservation for Maratha community. Meanwhile, there are reports that a 31-year-old man belonging to Maratha community committed suicide by jumping before a train in Aurangabad. Pramod Hore Patil reportedly wrote a Facebook post declaring his intention to end his life on the issue of Maratha reservation. A Bengali worker has been arrested over the murder of young woman at Idathikad at Vazhakulam, near Perumbavoor, on Monday morning. Vazhakulam MES College student Nimisha's throat was slit as she reportedly resisted a bid by the accused, Bija, to steal her grandmother's gold chain, the police said. Nimisha was at home on Monday as it was a holiday for her batch on account of ongoing examinations. Nimisha died before doctors could attend to her. The crime was committed around 10.45 am. A final-year BBA student, Nimisha is the daughter of Thamby and Salomi of Anthinadu House in Kizhakkambalam panchayat. Her sister Anna is a class-9 student. Nimisha's father, an autorickshaw driver, was injured in the attack as the suspect intruded into the house. His brother Elias was also injured in the scuffle. The accused, a native of Murshidabad in West Bengal and the victim's neighbour, was hiding in a nearby shed from where local people picked him up and handed over to the police. Latest reports say angry locals rushed to labour colonies inhabited by migrants and threatened them. Fearing protest from locals, around 70 migrant labourers approached the Edathala police station seeking protection. Thirty-six years after losing his parents, sister and a four-year-old daughter in one of Indias worst sectarian massacres, Abdul Suban says he is still trying to prove hes a citizen of the Hindu-majority nation. Suban is one of hundreds of thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims categorised as doubtful voters, who will not find their names in a National Register of Citizens (NRC) the northeastern border state of Assam released today. If the government has decided to brand us foreigners what can we do? said the 60-year-old. NRC is trying to finish us off. Our people have died here, but we will not leave this place. Suban was seated with his wife at their house a few hundred metres from a vast paddy field where, in 1983, scores of people were chased down and killed by machete-armed mobs intent on hounding out Muslim immigrants. He survived by running as hard as he could and hiding behind a bush for days. Work on the citizens register has accelerated under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With an eye on the 2019 national election, the BJPs Hindu-first campaign has become more strident, critics say, playing to its core base with divisive programmes such as the citizenship test in Assam, already a tinderbox of ethnic and religious tensions. Elsewhere in the countrys northern heartland, lynchings of Muslim cattle traders have risen under Modi in the country where many Hindus consider cows sacred, further deepening social divides. The BJP has denied the lynchings have any connection with it being in power. Modi has at least twice publicly spoken out against cow vigilantes. Mass grave Several other survivors of the Nellie Massacre, which killed around 2,000 people from more than a dozen villages, gave accounts of burying bodies in a mass grave now partly under water. They said they hoped the release of the NCR list on Monday would not spark further violence. Security has been tightened across Assam. The citizenship test is the culmination of years of often violent agitations by Assamese demanding the removal of outsiders they accuse of taking jobs and cornering resources in the state of 33 million, known for its tea estates and oil fields. The NRC is extremely important to make the Assamese people feel protected, said Santanu Bharali, the legal adviser to the BJP chief minister of Assam. Its a moral victory. The ethnic Assamese always maintained the presence of foreigners and this will prove that. But the opposition Congress party and rights activists say the government is misusing the register to target even legal Indian Muslim citizens who have traditionally voted for non-BJP parties. The BJP and NRC authorities have repeatedly denied the allegations. Communal politics To be recognised as Indian citizens, all residents of Assam had to produce documents proving that they or their families lived in the country before March 24, 1971. Suban said both he and his father were born in Assam, and showed a soiled yellow document that showed his fathers name in the list of voters in Assam for 1965, before the cut-off date. The local border police declined to discuss individual cases, but said not all documents furnished by suspected illegal immigrants were valid. Hundreds of thousands of people fled to India from Bangladesh during its New Delhi-backed war of independence from Pakistan in the early 1970s. Most of them settled in Assam, which has a near-270 km (165-mile) border with Bangladesh. The migrants included many Hindus, but Modi has issued orders stating that no Hindu or members of other minorities from Pakistan or Bangladesh would be considered an illegal immigrant even if they entered the country without valid documents before 2014. BJPs only aim is to do communal politics, including through the NRC, Congress lawmaker Ripun Bora said. The BJP said the NRC was monitored by the countrys top court and there was no question of discriminating on the basis of religion. Following an outcry from rights groups over possible harassment of Muslims in Assam, Interior Minister Rajnath Singh said that the NRC exercise was being carried out in an impartial and transparent manner. Singh also reiterated that people finding their names missing from the list could raise objections and appeals, and said that they would not be thrown into detention centres. Rivals say that as Modis government faces disillusionment for failing to deliver on jobs and prosperity, it will step up religious mobilisation across the country. Fear in the countryside The first draft of the NRC, released on December 31, confirmed the citizenship of 19 million people, leading to jubilation for some and heartbreak among others. The NRC office, however, told the Supreme Court this month that 150,000 people from the first list, a third of them married women, would be dropped from the next one, mainly because they provided false information or gave inadmissible documents. Political activists in Assam say most of those are Bengali-speaking Muslims. NRC chief Prateek Hajela, whose office has processed 66 million documents and spent nearly $180 million in the whole NRC process, declined comment on the religion of people who would be removed from the register. We are doing an exercise that is unprecedented and if there are course corrections which are required to be done, we will need to do that, said Hajela, who is guarded round-the-clock by a team of police. Hajela said that most of Assams 126,000 so-called doubtful voters, and an estimated 150,000 of their descendants, would be excluded from the NRC in accordance with a court order. One of them is Nellie farmer Subans son Nabi Hussain, 28, who said he has voted in two Indian elections but now fears arrests. We are scared, said Hussain, his wife looking on from their mud-coated bamboo house, their nine-month-old daughter in her arms. Terrible things happened to our family once, we dont want a repeat. -Reuters The water level in the Yamuna river continued to rise and stayed over the danger mark for the third consecutive day on Monday with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal directing the Revenue minister to make proper arrangements for affected people. The river was flowing at 205.78 metres this evening with the danger mark being 204.83 metres, officials said. Even as officials said the peak water level is expected to reach 206.50 metres, a political blame game started over lack of proper rehabilitation of people who were left on streets after water entered their houses. Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot visited the affected areas and directed officials to ensure all proper arrangements were made. Traffic movement on Old Yamuna Bridge in Delhi was closed yesterday after the water level in the river rose due to rains. Last evening, the river was flowing at 205.5 metres. Commuters faced traffic woes today with the Delhi police diverting traffic to Geeta Colony flyover and ITO flyover. Passengers are advised to plan their journey keeping in mind the extra time they would require to reach their destination, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Alok Kumar said. "As the water level in the Yamuna river breached the danger mark, the Shahdara district magistrate issued orders for the closure of Old Yamuna Bridge. Accordingly, we have diverted the traffic towards Geeta Colony flyover and ITO," he said. Old Yamuna Bridge, colloquially known as 'Lohe Ka Pul', is a road-cum-rail bridge on the Delhi-Howrah line that was built over 150 years ago. It serves as a major connectivity link between Delhi and the neighbouring states. Commuters faced long delays as they were stuck in jams on the Geeta Colony flyover this morning. Meanwhile, discharge from the Hathani Kund Barrage between 6 am to 9 pm was 5,13,554 cusecs, with water level expected to rise further. Amid the crisis, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan hit out at Kejriwal, alleging that there was no advance planning to rehabilitate people affected by rising Yamuna water in Delhi and they were at the "mercy of an insensitive" dispensation. He also attacked the AAP for failing to keep its election promise to install CCTV cameras in the city, a day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tore apart a report of a panel set up by the Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on installation and monitoring of surveillance cameras. "People along the #Yamuna in Delhi are at the mercy of an insensitive government. As the river is rising above danger mark due to incessant rains, no advance planning in place, not enough shelter for people caught up in flood waters. @BJP4Delhi, @BJP4India," he said in a tweet. The highest water level recorded at Old Yamuna Bridge was 207.49 metres in 1978. It was 207.11 metres in 2010 and 207.32 metres in 2013, according to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority. As politics over the National Register of Citizens intensified, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that the process was initiated by the United Progressive Alliance, but there was a problem with the manner in which it has been undertaken by the Narendra Modi regime at the Centre and the BJP government in Assam. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singh Ji to fulfil the commitment made in the Assam Accord of 1985. However, the manner in which this exercise has been undertaken by the BJP Governments at the Centre and in the State of Assam leaves much to be desired, Rahul said in a Facebook post. On a day when opposition parties, including the Congress, raised the issue of NRC in Parliament and demanded answers from the government, Rahul said there were reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to 1,200 cr, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The Government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis, he wrote. The Congress has asked the government to immediately convene an all-party meeting on the NRC. The government must immediately call a meeting of leaders of all parties and should inform about the steps it proposes to take, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said. The final draft of the Assam NRC was released on Monday, triggering criticism that a large number of bona fide citizens had been left out. Opposition parties have also alleged that the NRC was used to target certain populations, and there would now be forced eviction of people. The 2019 BMF All Industry Conference, which takes place next June, has sold out in record time, just six weeks after launch. There has been a huge amount of interest in the Conference venue the stunning coastal city of Dubrovnik - and its theme, Building Excellence, since it was launched at the end of this years All Industry Conference hosted by NMBS in Italy. The BMF managed to allocate additional delegate places but the event is now fully subscribed and no further bookings can be accepted. More than 80 merchant and 60 supplier companies will be attending the 2019 BMF All Industry Conference. For the first time, those attending will include members from Ireland, following BMFs group membership agreement with Allied Merchants Buying Association, Irelands leading independent merchant buying group last year. Despite expecting the 2019 Conference to prove popular with the industry, BMF CEO John Newcomb has been astonished at the speed at which it has sold out. He said: There was phenomenal interest in next years Conference immediately the venue was announced. Yet again we can see how important it is for the whole industry to come together for the biggest event in the industrys calendar. We have increased the total number of delegates we can accommodate since our last All Industry Conference, to enable 11% more merchants to attend, but we are now absolutely full. It is going to be a fantastic event, and I am only sorry that we cannot accommodate more people. The BMF All Industry Conference takes place from 13-16 June 2019. The event will be hosted by broadcaster and TV personality, Gethin Jones. Details of the first keynote speaker will be announced at the BMF Members Day Annual Conference and Awards Dinner in September. For Conference registration details and regular programme updates visit www.bmfconference.co.uk Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman R.S. Sharma's open Aadhaar challenge to critics and hackers is nothing but a case of "misplaced enthusiasm" which dilutes the debate on securing the Aadhaar eco-system, emphasise cyber law experts. Sharma, who made his 12-digit Aadhaar number open on July 28 and created a tweetstormnot as a government servant but "as a normal citizen of India"can set a dangerous precedent for millions of Indians who are still not aware what privacy is all about. "Throwing such a challenge only shows misplaced enthusiasm. He is treading a dangerous path which can be detrimental in days to come as his personal and bank details are now out in the open," Pavan Duggal, one of the leading cyber law experts in the country, said. What the TRAI Chairman has perhaps forgotten is that the central data repository at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) may be secure, but several third-party vendors are now increasingly accepting Aadhaar as a key documentand that opens it up for misuse, especially given the weak cyber security laws in the country. "Several FIRs have been lodged against Aadhaar misuse across the country. People's confidence in Aadhaar is slowly being eroded and, at this juncture, rather than working extensively on securing Aadhaar, we see a top government official posting his Aadhaar number on Twitter," Duggal lamented. Ethical hackers have exposed at least 14 personal details of the TRAI chairman since he revealed his Aadhaar numberincluding mobile numbers, home address, date of birth (DoB), PAN number and voter ID, among others. Ethical hackers can't go beyond this as creating financial break-ins will land them in legal trouble. "By the way, were you able to cause any harm to me, because now you know my Aadhaar number?" Sharma tweeted to a French security expert, who goes by the nickname Elliot Alderson and uses the twitter handle @fs0c131y, as his personal details began flying all over Twitter. Alderson replied: "If your phone numbers, address, DoB, bank accounts and others personal details are easily found on the Internet you have no #privacy. End of the story." According to Duggal, personal privacy breach begins with the phone number and it is a tragedy that most Indiansunlike Europeans or Americansare still not aware what exactly constitutes privacy. "Your phone number (becoming public knowledge) is the first hint that your private space has been breached. Would you wait for hackers to clean up your bank accounts?" asked Duggal. As part of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that came into force from May 25, EU citizens may, at any point, object to an organisation's handling of their personal data. The regulation specifically names "direct marketing and profiling" as personal data uses to which individuals may object to. The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data protection in India has also suggested amendments to the Aadhaar Act to provide for imposition of penalties on data fiduciaries and compensations to data principals for violations of the data protection law. The 213-page report suggests amendments to the Aadhaar Act from a data protection perspective. Jared Cohen, a former US State Department official and an expert on social media and cyber-crime issues, has also stressed there are serious concerns about the collection of biometric data for Aadhaar cards in India and these must be allayed. "I don't want to meddle in India's politics. But there are concerns (about collection of personal details for Aadhaar card)," Cohen told a correspondent on the sidelines of the third annual BCTECH Summit at Vancouver, Canada, in May. Cohen, currently the CEO and Founder of Jigsaw, a Google arm started to tackle threats to online security, conceded there are arguments on the merits of the Aadhaar system but there are also concerns that must be addressed. According to Duggal, "Not just cosmetic changes, there is an urgent need for addressing newly-emerging legal and cyber-security challenges concerning the Aadhaar ecosystem on an urgent basis." "There is a need for a more comprehensive legal framework to protect and preserve data and the privacy of individual Aadhaar account holders in particular, and the Aadhaar ecosystem stakeholders in general," he noted. -IANS As cornered Islamic State fighters flee conflict zones of Syria, and Mosul in Iraq, leaving a trail of death and destruction, Maqsoud Kruse, executive director of Saudi Arabia-based Hedayah Centre, a global centre for countering violent extremism, says the world community must address the question of how to deal with the men, women and children of Daesh coming from conflict zones. What are some of the issues that must be kept in mind when we talk of de radicalisation? When we are dealing with a foreign terrorist , we must keep in mind that he is in a totally foreign country. He is smuggled into the conflict areas, and, in matter of weeks or months, he ends up killing complete strangers whom he has never met before or starts blowing himself up. What was his process of radicalisation and can we reverse it? The other issue is with regard to dealing with terrorist fighters who are fleeing conflict areas. As we are seeing in Iraq and Syria today, once the security forces enter the conflict zones, a large number of extremist fighters flee back to their home countries. How do you begin their de-radicalisation process? The other concern is of children born in these conflict areas. The children of Daesh. All these issues need to be addressed. How important are national strategies in countering terrorism? Developing national strategies is the key to countering violent forms of extremism. Most countries have some sort of counter terrorism strategy which is a collaborative effort of security, policing, intelligence and defence forces, where terrorists are either killed or put behind bars. However, when we talk of formulating a strategy for countering violent extremism, it relies a lot on preventive efforts, which require the involvement of everyone from the teacher in the school, the parent at home, the communicator on the television, the policy maker in Parliament, the Imam in the mosque or the priest in the church. I am happy to note that a lot of effort is being made by the Indian government on this front. Who all should be part of the de-radicalisation process? If we are truly sincere in countering all forms of extremism, then we are all part of the solution. The empowerment of civil society leaders, NGOs, community leaders, those people who can have an impact on the society and inspire and make a difference have a key role. So, we have programmes for training Imams, civil society leaders, educators and all forms of individuals who influence and impact the society. When we counsel a radicalised youth and tell him not to walk the path of extremism, we also need to have an alternative ready for him to show him that the cure to all problems does not lie in taking someone else's life or your own life. How important is the role of education here? I feel that the role of education is paramount . All forms of extremism, regardless of the labelling, starts as an idea. This idea triggers an emotional response, and this in turn triggers a certain kind of behaviour pattern which takes the form of violence or terrorism or something else. So, during this entire process, when an idea develops into an emotion and then a behaviour, we have multiple opportunities to intervene and make a difference. So, what we have developed is the Abu Dhabi memorandum of good practices which talks about the role of education in countering violent extremism which shares a set of good practices. This policy document was endorsed in September 2015 by 29 countries, European Union and members of the Global Counterterrorism Forum. It was followed by an action plan the following year. It is about teaching leadership, team work and working on cognitive skills and critical thinking of young children. Some people ask this question: should we monitor online activities of children or explain what is terrorism? The answer is we will not be able to do that. What we can do instead is impart them the necessary skills and mental ability to empower them to carry out their own autopsy of things, so that they are able to deconstruct the narrative that comes before them and find out what is true or not and reject it accordingly. It is true that ideas cannot be defeated. They simply exist. Yes, it is true that we cannot defeat an idea. What we can do is to build a counter narrative that is not always reactive or defensive. Merely banning social media platforms is not enough. We must also be able to build our social media outreach for a counter narrative. Why is it that when these terrorist groups create a social media message, it resonates with some of us and not with some others? The answer is simple, it is the content. So we need to create a better idea that resonates more. In this competition of ideas, we need to be innovative, creative and visionary. Can you explain how Hedayah Centre works in countering violent extremism. Hedayah was created in 2012 in response to the growing desire from the members of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) and the wider international community for the establishment of an independent, multilateral centre devoted to Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) in all of its forms and manifestations. We don't work with extremists or terrorists directly, but we work with practitioners and policy makers who are engaging with them. We are building training curriculums in collaboration with a variety of key strategic partners such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the Global Center on Cooperative Security, and the International Institute on Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) on a variety of issues like building national strategies, community policing, social media, foreign terrorist fighters, and Imams training. Hedayah also acts as a hub for exchanges of good practices around the world. Can you tell us something about the recent activities? One of our activities was the CVE Hackathon, which is an exercise of gathering CVE and Communications experts together to generate solution-focussed prototypes on how can we counter the Daesh online messaging? For example: Our Sawab centre is a digital communications hub that aims at degrading Daeshs propaganda and recruitment efforts through direct online counter messaging. It was established in July 2015 as a joint initiative by the UAE and the US, as part of their collaboration within the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh (GCCD). This year, we will be organizing the second CVE Global EXPO that will take place in Abu Dhabi where we will be studying the advancement of preventing and countering violent extremism, not as a soft option, but as a strategic imperative. Maqsoud Kruse is the Executive director of Hedayah, The International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, Abu Dhabi NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 As the world marks a day against trafficking in persons, Ranis Voice, a global social enterprise focused on human trafficking prevention, is joining forces with Thomson Reuters in a public-private coalition, to help step-up the fight against financial crime and modern slavery. Human trafficking and other financial crimes have a devastating impact on individuals and communities around the world. Every year, an estimated $2.4 trillion in proceeds from this and other causes of human misery such as forced prostitution, terrorism and drug trafficking are laundered through the worlds financial markets and banking systems. Independent research conducted by Thomson Reuters reveals that 47% of the 2,300 organizations it surveyed have been a victim of at least one type of financial crime in the last 12 months. The high level of incidence means that financial crime is now a depressingly common practice. Public-private cooperation is key to the identification and implementation of innovative strategies that address this challenge and safeguard the integrity of the global financial system. The formation of the public-private coalition was announced in January 2018 at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Its objective is to mobilise and influence decisions-makers at the highest levels to improve awareness of the extent of financial crime and modern slavery, promote more effective information sharing, and establish enhanced processes to share best practice. The inclusion of Ranis Voice in the coalition gives a voice to the millions of enslaved people throughout the world, drawing attention to their suffering, and highlighting the importance of finding new ways to secure their freedom. Rani's Voice is led by Rani Hong, who at the age of seven was stolen from her family and sold into slavery. As a survivor of child slavery, Rani has dedicated her life to speaking for those without a voice, becoming one of the foremost advocates for combating the crime of human trafficking. The United Nations has designated today as World Day against Trafficking in Persons and this gives us cause to celebrate freedom, said Rani Hong, CEO of Ranis Voice and former UN Special Advisor. While I am conscious of how far we still need to go to end the trafficking in children and young people, I believe we are taking a significant step forward through this alliance of influential organisations. We welcome the addition of Ranis Voice to the coalition as we look to raise more global awareness of financial crime as a critical challenge with grave human and financial costs, said Phil Cotter, Managing Director, Risk, Thomson Reuters. Increased collaboration is key to fighting financial crime and Ranis passion and expertise will be invaluable as we work to bring forward innovative, high-impact solutions that help disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks that cause incalculable harm around the world. The founding members of the public-private coalition include Thomson Reuters, Europol and the World Economic Forum. Its membership has expanded to include the Royal United Services Institute, the Atlantic Council and now Ranis Voice. To learn more about the costs of financial crime, read the independent report from Thomson Reuters: Revealing the True Cost of Financial Crime Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters is the worlds leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com. CONTACT Paul Sandell PR & Communications Tel: +(44) 20 7542 8616 paul.sandell@thomsonreuters.com NEW YORK, JULY 30, 2018 Reuters, the worlds largest international multimedia news provider, today unveiled a personalized news app designed to help business professionals make better decisions. The new Reuters news app available today on iOS devices has been built to provide users with an indispensable news utility. The design puts an emphasis on topic-based feeds, providing fast, accurate and relevant information that will quickly inform business professionals judgement across industries, interests, markets and countries. Users of the app can discover thousands of topic feeds from Reuters vast global news resource and curate these into a highly-customized news service. Additionally, the app offers a range of personalization features, including customized alerts, market watchlists and bespoke analysis of stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities. Isaac Showman, Managing Director of Reuters Consumer, said, People rely on Reuters to inform their personal and professional decision-making. In building the new app, we wanted to make it easier for users to access quality news and data across the thousands of specialist topics we cover. By being a news utility, were focusing on being incredibly useful, fast and relevant for our users. The app also features Editors Highlights cards that provide a summary of major stories in each feed; a personalized news bulletin from Reuters TV, where users can select their program length; and offline access. The app is available for iOS devices today. An Android version will be available in coming weeks. Reuters Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Follow news about Reuters at @ReutersPR. CONTACT Heather Carpenter PR Manager, Head of Special Projects Reuters heather.carpenter@thomsonreuters.com 646-223-8551 Our privacy policies have changed. Please click here to read our updated Privacy Statement. The following companies are subsidiares of Sealed Air: A.P.S. (Holdings) Limited, AFP Trading (China) Co. Ltd., AFPTOH LTD, APS Automated Packaging Systems GmbH & Co. KG, APS Verwaltungs-GmbH, Air Ride Pallets Hong Kong Limited, Austin Foam Plastics Inc. (dba AFP Inc.), Automated Packaging Systems, Automated Packaging Systems Asia Holding Company Limited, Automated Packaging Systems Comerciale Importacao do Brasil Ltda., Automated Packaging Systems Europe, Automated Packaging Systems LLC, Automated Packaging Systems Limited, Automated Packaging Systems Southeast Asia Co. Ltd., B+ Equipment, B+ Equipment SAS, Beacon Holdings LLC, Biosphere Industries, BluPack (New Zealand), Blue Dot Packaging Pty Ltd., Cactus (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Cryovac (Malaysia) SDN. BHD, Cryovac Brasil Ltda., Cryovac Holdings II LLC, Cryovac International Holdings Inc., Cryovac LLC*, Cryovac Leasing Corporation, Cryovac Londrina Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal Embalagens Ltda., Cryovac-Sealed Air de Costa Rica S.R.L., DELTAPLAM Embalagens Industria e Comercio, Diversey, Diversey J Trustee Limited, Diversey Trustee Limited, Entapack Pty. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packaging Co. Ltd, Fagerdala (Shanghai) Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shanghai) Polymer Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Thailand) Limited, Fagerdala (Xiamen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Leamchabung Limited, Fagerdala Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Mexico Supply Chain S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Packaging Inc. (Indiana), Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd, Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Ltd., Getpacking.com GmbH, Invertol S. de R.L. de C.V., JSC Sealed Air Kaustik, KRIS Automated Packaging Systems Holding Company, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal Limited, Nelipak Holdings, Pack-Tiger GmbH, Polyrol Limited, Polyrol Packaging Systems LLC, ProAseptic Technologies S.L., Producembal- Producao de Embalagens LTDA, Reflectix Inc., SLD Air Packaging Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Saddle Brook Insurance Company, Sealed Air (Asia) Holdings BV, Sealed Air (Barbados) S.R.L., Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE, Sealed Air (Canada) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Limited, Sealed Air (Israel) Ltd., Sealed Air (Korea) Limited, Sealed Air (Latin America) Holdings II LLC, Sealed Air (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sealed Air (New Zealand), Sealed Air (Philippines) Inc., Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Sealed Air (Ukraine) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Pty.) Limited, Sealed Air Americas Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Sealed Air Argentina S.A., Sealed Air Australia (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Real Estate Pty Ltd, Sealed Air B.V., Sealed Air Belgium N.V., Sealed Air Central America S.A., Sealed Air Chile SpA, Sealed Air Colombia Ltda., Sealed Air Corporation (US), Sealed Air Cyprus Ltd., Sealed Air Denmark A/S, Sealed Air Finance B.V., Sealed Air Finance II LLC, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Funding LLC, Sealed Air General Trading LLC, Sealed Air GmbH (Germany), Sealed Air GmbH (Switzerland), Sealed Air Hellas SA, Sealed Air Holding France SAS, Sealed Air Holdings (New Zealand) Pty. Ltd., Sealed Air Holdings South Africa Proprietary Limited, Sealed Air Holdings UK I Limited, Sealed Air Holdings UK Limited, Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Sealed Air Hungary Ltd., Sealed Air Investment and Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Japan G.K., Sealed Air LLC, Sealed Air Limited (Ireland), Sealed Air Limited (UK), Sealed Air Luxembourg (I) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg (II) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Management Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Sealed Air Multiflex GmbH, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) I B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands Holdings V B.V., Sealed Air Norge AS, Sealed Air OY, Sealed Air Packaging (India) Private Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Packaging LLC, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging S.L.U., Sealed Air Peru S.A.C., Sealed Air Polska Sp. Zoo, Sealed Air Pty Limited, Sealed Air S.A S., Sealed Air S.r.l., Sealed Air South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Sealed Air Svenska AB, Sealed Air Taiwan Limited, Sealed Air UK Limited Partnership, Sealed Air US Holdings (Thailand) LLC, Sealed Air Uruguay S.A., Sealed Air Verpackungen GmbH, Sealed Air de Mexico Operations S. de RL. de C.V., Sealed Air de Venezuela S.A., Sealed Air s.r.o., Shanklin Corp, Shanklin Corporation, TTS-Ciptec, TXAFP Asia Pacific Ltd., TXAFP GP LLC, and Trigon Industries. An 8,000 km charity bike ride is being sponsored by a decorating and building supplies merchant. The Broke.Bike.Mountain team are 23-year-olds Louis Blaxill, George Jones and Calum Craig, who have just finished their studies. They aim to ride from the UK through France, Holland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Italy, Austria and Spain, is to raise money for the mental health charity Mind. They are being sponsored by Kent Blaxill, and hope to raise 3,000. The mammoth challenge kicked off on Saturday and is expected to take four months to complete. Blaxill said: We decided we wanted to raise money for Mind because of the advice and support they offer to anyone experiencing mental health issues. Having been at university for the last three years, we all saw first-hand students with mental health issues of one type or another and Mind did a terrific job in supporting them. We all really wanted to help ensure this type of support continues. Simon Blaxill, Managing Director at Kent Blaxill and Louis father, said: We are thrilled to be supporting the boys as they raise money for Mind and it will be incredibly interesting to follow their journey. Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Japan ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Japan ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. SCHENECTADY The hitman hired to kill a Schenectady man over $150,000 in life insurance money will spend the rest of his life in prison without any chance of parole, while his getaway driver received 25 years to life for his role in the crime, according to prosecutor Pete Willis. On Monday, Joevany "Moon" Luna, 42, received the penalty in Schenectady County court after earlier being convicted of first-degree murder and other felonies related to the killing of Charles Dembrosky outside his Campbell Avenue home in the Bellevue neighborhood just before 7 a.m. on Nov. 19, 2016. While Luna did not address the court Monday, his accomplice and friend Kyshaan Moore professed his innocence and apologized to Dembrosky's family members, two of whom gave victim impact statements. The 27-year-old Moore allegedly drove a car belonging to his girlfriend's grandmother from Wilmington, Del., to Schenectady and then back the execution-style shooting. He was convicted of second-degree murder. The pair are from Wilmington, where they once worked together at Dunkin' Donuts. They also received prison time for weapons possession and conspiracy, said Willis. Their attorneys could not be immediately reached for comment Monday, but Willis said the defense planned to appeal the convictions. Willis said a visibly upset Judge Matthew Sypniewski rebuked both defendants, describing them as assassins and not worthy of being called human beings. The prosecutor said the court also heard from Jake Dembrosky and his mother, who was formerly married to Charles Dembrosky, who was 49 when he died. A third defendant, Tarchand Lall, is accused of hatching the murder plot and is set to go on trial in the fall. Lall, who remains jailed without bail, knew Dembrosky and would occasionally hire him to perform general contracting and landscaping work for his construction company. Court papers indicate that Lall paid $10,000 for the hit. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Besides the first-degree murder and conspiracy offenses, Lall is also charged with trying to convince Luna to write a statement falsely stating that the contract killing was a drug deal gone bad. Police and prosecutors relied on surveillance cameras that captured a sedan as it traveled from Campbell Avenue and Broadway into the Mont Pleasant neighborhood, where Lall lives. The weapon, identified in court papers as a 9 mm gun, has not been recovered. Willis credited the hard work of the Schenectady and State Police investigators coupled with the "camera system here in Schenectady capturing some vital pieces of evidence," including the car the two men were in approaching Lall's residence and then moving on to Dembrosky's residence. "It was a pretty compelling case, but it took a lot of time and a lot of effort from a lot of different people to put together," added Willis. Bishop Edward Scharfenberger released a letter to the Albany diocese after a Glens Falls priest spoke out about abuse he suffered at the hands of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick over 30 years ago. In the letter, Scharfenberger calls for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to take action to hold bishops as accountable as priests, calling the moment a spiritual crisis. In 2002, in the midst of a wide-ranging child sex abuse scandal, the conference adopted a zero tolerance policy for priests accused of abusing children. "As the Holy Spirit impels me, I will use every power my office holds on all levels at which I serve, local and national, to further this charge," Scharfenberger wrote. The letter was sent to Albany diocese clergy members and others on Friday and released to the entire diocese on Sunday. McCarrick, 88, the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., resigned from the College of Cardinals on Friday. He was the first cardinal since 1927 to resign and one of the highest members of the clergy in the world to be accused of sexual abuse, according to the New York Times. On Saturday, Pope Francis ordered him to live a life a prayer and penance, suspending him from any public ministry, pending a Vatican trial. In his letter, Scharfenberger says cardinals are not excused from behavior that other clergy members are held accountable for and that the behavior of McCarrick toward those he had power over cant be minimized or rationalized. In an article with America Magazine, The Rev. Desmond Rossi, who serves as an associate pastor at St. Marys Church in Glens Falls, shared his experience with McCarrick when Rossi was a seminarian in Newark in the 1980s. Rossi said McCarrick never sexually assaulted him but instead engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment and grooming behaviors. He told the magazine that revelations of McCarricks abuse of young boys last month in the New York Times spurred him to tell his own story, with Scharfenbergers support. Rossi met McCarrick when he was studying to become a priest in Newark in 1986. Rossi told the magazine that McCarrick would often initiate physical contact, commenting on seminarians weight or appearance. He was so disturbed by McCarricks behavior that he eventually transferred to another diocese before he was ordained, Rossi told America. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. When Im in that office with him, I know that hes touching me because he has power over me, Father Rossi told the magazine. And Im allowing him to touch me because he has power over me. McCarrick was among the highest-profile faces in American Catholicism for years before his retirement. He was known for his work to advance human rights and often worked with leaders of other faiths. But, Rossi said, there were rumors about inappropriate behavior with seminarians in New Jersey for years. The New York Times reported that on June 20 that McCarrick, 88, was removed from ministry after an investigation found credible allegations that he had abused a teenager 47 years ago while serving as a priest in New York. In a statement to the Times, McCarrick said he had no memory of the alleged abuse. The Times also reported that there had been at least three other allegations of abuse against McCarrick by men who were teenagers when McCarrick served in New Jersey. Two of those allegations resulted in settlements. 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It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. Over 100 former staff from Highbridge Radio Station (known locally as Portishead Radio) gathered at the Ritz Social Club on Saturday (28th July) to mark the 90th year since the station officially opened. The long-range maritime radio service commenced in 1920 from a site in Devizes, but the transmitters were moved to Portishead in 1928, with an associated receiving/control centre at Highbridge opening at the same time. The station provided essential ship-to-shore communication facilities for 72 years before closing on April 30th, 2000. Numerous celebratory activities have taken place this month, including special amateur radio stations which incorporated the stations callsigns (GKA, GKB and GKC), articles in the regional press, culminating in the staff reunion. It proved to be a successful evening, with a celebratory cake being commissioned, and an original ex-radio station morse key being auctioned for charity, raising 520, says organiser Larry Bennett. It was a rare opportunity for ex-staff to meet each other again, some having left the station over 30 years ago. Staff from all over the country attended, including one who travelled from Australia to join the celebrations. Plans for a memorial at the former radio station site are ongoing, and with the support of local MP James Heappey it is hoped that something can be arranged during this year. Further information about the station and its history can be found at the website www.portisheadradio.co.uk TROY A Castleton demolition company that was hired to tear down several buildings on King Street in 2013 pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act and admitted that one of its employees had falsified federal documents by claiming asbestos was not present at the site. The guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge by M. Cristo Inc., which is owned by Michael Cristo, follows a years-long investigation by the FBI and state attorney general's office that had also focused on the decision by city officials to order the buildings razed on an emergency basis. The company's plea agreement indicates that a former employee, Ron Martin, falsified the federal document with the company's knowledge, and "intentionally assisted the employee in order to hinder and prevent their apprehension or punishment for the crime of making a false statement." Martin is no longer employed by the company, according to court records. The King Street building the city ordered torn down in August 2013 under an emergency demolition order had been marked for demolition by both city code officers and its owner, who wanted to develop the parcel. Former Councilman Mark McGrath subsequently filed a complaint with the state Department of Labor and said he saw dust spreading across the property and onto the adjacent Bombers Burrito Bar, which stayed open during the demolition. The FBI subsequently intervened and began interviewing city officials about their decision to declare the structures unsafe and allow a controversial emergency demolition. The demolition company, which is located on Kraft Road in Castleton, agreed to pay a $10,000 fine. Cristo, the company's owner, referred comment to his attorney, John J. Privitera, who could not be reached for comment. Martin was vice president and asbestos abatement supervisor for M. Cristo Inc. Court records indicate that Martin had been aware of the asbestos in the King Street properties several years prior to the demolition, including reviewing an asbestos survey of the properties. The case against M. Cristo Inc. was prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office in Buffalo because of an undisclosed conflict in the office of the U.S. attorney in Albany. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Buffalo last week declined to confirm whether the investigation is ongoing. The properties 4, 6, 8 and 10 King Street had been owned by Columbia Street Associates of Albany, which is controlled by attorney Donald Boyajian, and had a market value of $140,000, according to prior published reports. Boyajian on Friday said he was unaware of the plea agreement by M. Cristo. Boyajian previously said that he had not requested an emergency demolition for the properties. Cristo was on a list of contractors kept by the city and city officials called him with Boyajian paying the bill. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The investigation of the situation has languished. In 2014, the Times Union reported that the FBI interviewed city Engineer Russ Reeves about the decision by Bill Dunne, the city's commissioner of planning and economic development, and Fire Chief Thomas Garrett to order the buildings knocked down. Dunne and Reeves left their jobs with the city a few years ago. John Salka, a spokesman for Troy Mayor Patrick Madden, said Friday that city officials had not been aware of the demolition contractor's plea and have not had any recent contact with law enforcement agencies that probed the incident. The demolition of the King Street building, which survived Troy's Great Fire of 1862, came the day after Reeves left the state for vacation. He told the Times Union several years ago that he had no knowledge that Garrett ordered the razing. The day the buildings were demolished Aug. 5, 2013 the fire department had identified a three-story, wood-frame, yellow row building at the site as being too dangerous for firefighters to enter in the event of a fire. Garrett then ordered it to be torn down. The emergency demolition may have saved tens of thousands of dollars in asbestos abatement costs, but also created controversy because some onlookers were worried about the dust cloud that followed. ALBANY Whether New York's missing moon rock is one small step away or one giant leap, there's one sleuth who's dedicated to finding it. In November 1969, four months after Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the moon, President Richard Nixon asked NASA to create 250 displays containing moon material to go along with the flags of 135 countries, states and U.S. possessions. Each would receive the moon rock sample as a gift. Nearly 50 years later, New York is home to a sample of moon rock but not the sample from Apollo 11. New York is one of four states missing the rare and extremely valuable gift, according to Texas attorney Joseph Gutheinz, a former senior special agent at NASA and almost certainly the world's leading authority on missing moon rocks. Gutheinz explained that every state was gifted two moon rock gifts, one from Apollo 11 and another from Apollo 17, the last space mission to the moon in 1972. That sample, known as one of the Goodwill moon rocks, is in the State Museum. The whereabouts of New York's Apollo 11 moon rock is unknown. All hope is not lost, however, as Gutheinz has a history of finding rare lunar materials, each of which he said is worth around $5 million. The vanishing of the moon rock comes to light at a time when the State Museum recently displayed a Native American artifact stolen seven decades ago. The pipe tomahawk given to Seneca Chief Cornplanter in 1792 by President George Washington during treaty negotiations was returned to the museum by anonymous donors who came into possession of the ax stolen from the collection in 1947. Gutheinz and his fellow NASA agents once ran a criminal investigation dubbed "Operation Lunar Eclipse" that led to the recovery of the sample of Apollo 17 moon rock intended for Honduras. As a college professor, Gutheinz launched a project in which his students have hunted down 78 additional moon rocks around the globe. "I have hunted down moon rocks for the last 20 years, first drawing a salary for doing so as a special agent and then out of love for my country and NASA," Gutheinz said. "I know that New York received both moon rocks and I have had about a dozen students hunting for them in New York. I know that Gov. Nelson Rockefeller once had possession of the Apollo 11 moon rock as I have seen a picture of him with it. Because the states did a lousy job of archiving these treasures, states are often unaware that they had two." During "Operation Lunar Eclipse," Gutheinz said he asked an astronaut in the post-Apollo 11 era how much a moon rock was worth. "He answered that question this way: As a kid he always wanted to be a pilot but never thought about being an astronaut. Then while in a museum, he saw for the first time a moon rock, and from that moment he did everything he could to become an astronaut," Gutheinz said. "I hope the New York Apollo 11 Moon Rock is found and placed in a museum and some kid sees it and decides to be an astronaut as well and journeys back to the moon, Mars or beyond." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Delaware, Utah and Louisiana also are missing Apollo 11 samples. So are the Virgin Islands and the majority of the countries that received them, Gutheinz said. Louisiana is missing both moon samples. Other states missing Apollo 17 samples include Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and South Carolina, as well as the territory of Puerto Rico and the countries of Portugal, Russia, Panama, Israel. Afghanistan and the Philippines. The State Museum displayed New York's Apollo 17 rock from Dec. 19, 2012 to Feb. 10, 2013. 'This is something that longtime staffers periodically search our store rooms for, but it doesn't appear to have been in the state's possession for at least several decades," said Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "It's a mystery, but who knows, maybe the moon men wanted their stuff back.'' Gutheinz spent part of his youth growing up in Buffalo and on Long Island. His father, Joseph Gutheinz Sr., was born and raised in Utica. "I have tried hard to find missing moon rocks all over the world, but this one is special for me, as it connects me to a state I grew up in as a kid and one that my dad called home," Gutheinz said. "In my mind, culturally and financially New York is America's first state, and it is missing another first, the first moon rocks dust brought back by man." rgavin@timesunion.com 518-434-2403 Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle QUEENSBURY - A Hawaiian man was injured during a boating accident Sunday evening when he fell overboard and was hit by boat's propeller, deputies said. Just after 7 p.m., Warren County Sheriff's deputies were called to a boating accident on Glen Lake. Redding, Calif. The deadly Northern California wildfire that has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes slowed down Sunday after days of explosive growth, giving officials hope even as they announced the discovery of a sixth fatality. Meanwhile, officials said a second firefighter died fighting a huge blaze to the south near Yosemite National Park. The firefighter was treated for injuries at the scene Sunday but died before he could be hospitalized, said Mike Theune, a spokesman for the so-called Ferguson Fire. The firefighter was part of a crew removing brush and other fuel near the fire's front lines, Theune said. He didn't have additional details. In Redding, officials stuck a hopeful tone for the first time in days. "We're feeling a lot more optimistic today as we're starting to gain some ground rather than being in a defensive mode on this fire all the time," said Bret Gouvea, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident commander on the blaze around Redding, a city about 230 miles north of San Francisco. Gouvea spoke at a news conference with fire and law enforcement officials. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames, though he declined to say where. The victim's identity was not released. The sheriff's department is also investigating seven missing persons reports, Bosenko said. Redding police have an additional 11 reports of missing people, though many of them may simply not have checked in with friends or family, said Redding police Sgt. Todd Cogle. The so-called Carr Fire that affected Redding a city of about 92,000 people was ignited by a vehicle problem on Monday about 10 miles west of the city. On Thursday, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation. It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding. The latest tally showed at least 517 structures destroyed and 135 more damaged, with the fire having consumed 139 square miles. A count by The Associated Press found at least 300 of those structures were homes. After days of fortifying the areas around Redding, fire crews were increasingly confident that the city would escape further damage. The fire had not grown inside the city limits since Saturday, Gouvea said. Some of the 38,000 people forced to evacuate said they were frustrated because they didn't know whether their homes were standing or were destroyed. Authorities had not reopened any evacuated neighborhoods where fires raged due to safety and ongoing investigations and urged people to be patient, saying they would soon let residents back. Fed up, on Sunday morning Tim Bollman hiked 4 miles on trails up steep terrain to check on the Redding home he built for his wife and two sons 13 years ago. He found rubble. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "There's not even anything to pick up," he said. "It's completely gone." He took hundreds of photos, recorded video and texted his wife. "It's the craziest frickin' thing you have ever seen," he said, his eyes filled with tears. But then he composed himself. "It is what it is," he sighed, and then hiked off. The fire around Redding was among 17 significant blazes in the state on Sunday that had forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a Cal Fire spokeswoman. About 12,000 firefighters were battling the fires, she said. "We are well ahead of the fire activity we saw last year," she said. "This is just July, so we're not even into the worst part of fire season." ALBANY Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Republican challenger for governor is suing to find out if the Democrat is under state ethics investigation as the result of a GOP complaint. Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro and state party chair Ed Cox filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Albany on Friday in an attempt to force the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics to reveal if it has taken up calls to investigate allegations against the governor and his former top aide Joe Percoco, who was convicted on corruption charges in March. There is a precedent for the success of such a lawsuit: In 2015, several months before announcing his bid for president, Donald J. Trump was successful in suing JCOPE on the same grounds. Cox filed a complaint with JCOPE in February asking it to investigate Percoco for potentially violating the state Public Officer's Law, which prohibits the use of government resources to benefit political campaigns. Testimony and evidence in Percoco's trial revealed that the former aide had extensive access to his former Executive Chamber office in Manhattan during an eight-month period in 2014 when he had quit his official post to run Cuomo's 2014 re-election campaign. Cox also asked the body to probe whether Cuomo or his employees knew of this potentially illegal activity or played a role in it. In April, Molinaro also filed a complaint with JCOPE alleging Cuomo had broken the law by using state resources for political gain. But neither Cox nor Molinaro have heard anything back from the seven-year-old ethics panel, which has been criticized for its perceived closeness to the Cuomo administration. JCOPE's top staffer is a Cuomo veteran, and six of the body's 14 commissioners are appointed by the governor. In their lawsuit, the Republicans maintain that JCOPE is required to vote on whether to conduct a probe within 60 days of receiving a sworn complaint. They also maintain that the law requires JCOPE to notify complainants such as Cox or Molinaro if it determines no violation has occurred, or if a case has been closed. That must occur in writing within 15 days, they argue. The suit claims JCOPE was required to vote on whether to pursue Cox's complaint by April 16, and on Molinaro's by June 12. "The failure and/or refusal of the Commission to inform the petitioners as to the vote on their complaints and even as to whether such a vote occurred is in violation of Executive Law, contrary to the state purpose of the Commission," stated their attorney, Michael J. Hutter, in the civil lawsuit. The suit asks the court to compel JCOPE to reveal the results of any vote on whether to pursue the Republicans' complaints. If such a vote has not been taken, the suit says JCOPE should be forced to hold one, then notify the complainants of the results. So far, Hutter argues that JCOPE has taken "no or little investigative actions" on the matter. "In fact, the only investigative actions regarding the complaints appear to have been conducted by journalists and reporters," he writes. During eight months in 2014 when Percoco was managing Cuomo re-election campaign and was off the state payroll Percoco continued to use his desk at the governor's office in Manhattan, Cuomo staffers testified at Percoco's corruption trial. Cuomo's desk in that government office was just steps away from Percoco's, and records obtained by the Times Union show that on several days when Percoco's state phone was used to make campaign-related calls, Cuomo was present in the Manhattan office. Cuomo has said he was unaware that Percoco was campaigning from his old office, and believed he was merely "transitioning" out of his former position as Cuomo's executive deputy secretary. Percoco was convicted of taking more than $300,000 from two development firms in exchange for government favors, and is currently awaiting sentencing. While Percoco's possible campaign work in the state office was key context in the trial, it was not itself the basis of any federal charges. In February 2015, state Supreme Court Judge Henry Zwack ruled against JCOPE in a similar case involving Donald Trump. Trump, then a private businessman, filed an Article 78 proceeding against JCOPE, seeking to compel the agency to take a vote on an ethics complaint the mogul had filed against then-Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Trump alleged that Schneiderman had solicited Trump's daughter, Ivanka, for campaign donations while the Democrat was investigating Trump University over fraud allegations by former students. The Trump ethics complaint was filed in December 2013, but nearly two years later JCOPE had not taken a vote. In his decision, Zwack ruled in favor of Trump, and ordered JCOPE to take a vote. "Surely, the statute's plain language ... is incapable of any other understanding," Zwack wrote in his decision. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Ultimately, JCOPE decided not to pursue an investigation into Schneiderman, and had to notify the court of the decision. David Grandeau an attorney who once ran the lobbying enforcement agency that preceded JCOPE advised Trump in the Schneiderman case. "They can close an investigation if they want, but they can't just slide it into the garbage pile and not act on it," Grandeau said. A JCOPE spokesman, Walter McClure, told the Times Union earlier this year that under its interpretation of the law, the agency is required to notify a complainant that a case has been closed only if JCOPE had previously voted to officially open an investigation. On Friday, McClure said he the agency does not comment on litigation. The Times Union reported two weeks ago that Percoco's phone records show that over the eight months in question, 68 calls were made from his former state desk phone to call Cuomo's Manhattan campaign headquarters an apparent violation of state regulations. The Percoco government phone line was also often used to call Cuomo's fundraisers, campaign consultants and the campaign's election lawyer. There were 837 calls over 68 days made from his old desk phone at Cuomo's Manhattan office. Percoco's lawyer said that many of the calls were not made by his client, and that the campaign manager did not make campaign-related calls from that office. But swipe card records presented at Percoco's corruption trial indicate he was often present when those calls were made. In the wake of the Times Union report, Cox called on Cuomo to resign and face prosecution. In February, Cox also asked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance in February to launch a criminal investigation. It's not clear if either Vance's office is investigating, either. The Cox-Molinaro lawsuit notes that JCOPE's executive director, Seth Agata, is a former counsel in Cuomo's office who testified to witnessing Percoco using his old government desk in Albany while Percoco was off the state payroll. JCOPE's commissioners who are appointed by Cuomo, as well as Senate and Assembly leadership stood by Agata in the wake of political opponents' calls for him to resign. The commissioners have said that Agata would recuse himself in matter involving his prior position in Cuomo's office, which would seem to include any investigation of Percoco's activities. In the wake of Percoco's conviction, Cuomo told reporters he was not aware of Percoco "violating any rules or using the equipment for non-government purposes." "Coming back and forth to be a part of a transition and help that is fine," Cuomo added. "What's not fine is using government equipment for an unauthorized use, and that is a rule and everybody knows it." ALBANY The citys incoming police chief aims to build on Albanys years-long strategy of community policing to tackle crime drawing from decades of his own experience. Eric Hawkins comes to Albany from Southfield, Mich., where he was the Detroit suburbs police chief for a department where he spent nearly 30 years rising through the ranks. During his time with the department, violent crime incidents ballooned to 1,101 in 1997 and he then watched as strategies to address that crime aided in dropping those incidents to 228 in 2015. Albanys violent crime incidents in 2015 totaled 793. Hawkins is joining the Albany department, subject to Common Council approval, at a time when the city has had nine homicides in the first seven months of the year. The total eclipsed all homicides for 2017. I cant promise anything, but what I can say is that I know what it looks like. I know the fundamentals of addressing issues like this, he said during a news conference Monday at City Hall. I know you cant arrest your way out of these types of problems. Hawkins, who is 50 and a Michigan native, joined the Southfield department in 1990 as a police cadet and was sworn in as an officer a year later. Rhe rose through the ranks and, in 2012, became police chief for the city of roughly 72,000 people a majority of whom are African American. By comparison, Albany has a population of about 98,000 where 57 percent are white, 31 percent are black, and the remainder identify as Asian, Pacific Islander or mixed race, according to Census data. Hawkins emphasized taking a comprehensive approach to addressing crime by working with social service groups, the school district, community organizations and various other city entities to tackle the root causes. There are social and economic elements to crime and disorder in communities, so Im committed to working with all these different stakeholders, he said. Working closely with economic development, the schools, individuals who are working with folks who have mental illness, or are dealing with extreme poverty. Working with all those social agencies to come up with a comprehensive holistic strategy for dealing with these is the way out from my experience. Beyond Hawkinss emphasis on community policing, it was the partnership approach he laid out that solidified Mayor Kathy Sheehans selection that she announced July 20. Seeing that Chief Hawkins has the actual hands-on experience of accomplishing it is something Im really excited about, she said. Bringing law enforcement into the conversation of economic development can help identify businesses in certain areas that may not be appropriate, Hawkins said. In Southfield, police noticed a trend between crime clusters and the types of businesses in those areas, and worked with economic development officials, giving advice and guidance, he said. He has a solid track record, but what comes across when you speak to him is that he is deliberative, he is strategic, he really thinks things through, not just implementing a great idea, but backing that up and saying that these are all things that we need to have in place to move forward, Sheehan said. This approach runs parallel to talks of examining corner-store operations and business hours. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The Common Council, which has 45 days from Hawkins selection to confirm his employment, is scheduled to meet him at a Public Safety Committee meeting on Aug. 21 with a possible vote at the full council meeting Sept. 6. If the council does not act on the appointment, it takes effect. If the council rejects him, the mayor would have to make a new selection. In the meantime, Commander Michael Basile is filling the role of chief after Acting Chief Robert Sears retired last week. Hawkins would be the second black chief in the department's history, and the 10th chief in the last 29 years. His salary will be $145,000. Hawkins said he wished he could start immediately and is looking forward to getting to know the community and officers. To the residents in the community, I want to let you know that I am ready and willing to begin to be your partner in this community, he said, noting he and his wife plan to take up permanent residence in the capital city for years to come. Hawkins also plans to have a strong relationship with the Albany Police Officers Union. The departments patrol union has been outspoken in recent months over a lack of resources and unfilled positions, among other concerns. Hawkins said tension between police unions and leadership is not unique. Its not good for progress if there are internal challenges when youre already dealing with challenging things out in the community, he said. To the men and women in the Albany Police Department, I want to let you know I will be your biggest supporter, and I will back you and give you all the support you need to do what you need to do in this contemporary policing environment. ALBANY Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon slammed Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday for his campaign's refusal to address whether it had been approached by a donor about $400,000 in potentially problematic campaign contributions. Nixon, who is running a Democratic primary campaign against Cuomo, called on him to return the campaign funds from the company, Hudson Valley-based Crystal Run Healthcare, one of New York's fastest-growing health care firms. In a Times Union article on Sunday, Cuomo's campaign spokeswoman refused to say whether the campaign had been approached by anyone at Crystal Run concerning the donations, which are now the subject of investigations by the FBI and the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office. A source with knowledge of the matter told the Times Union that the criminal probe is examining whether a series of bonuses paid to Crystal Run executives were in fact meant fund a spate of campaign donations to Cuomo. "With all the corruption scandals coming out of the Cuomo administration, it is hard to be truly shocked anymore," Nixon said in a statement. "But even by the low standards of Albany, accepting $400,000 in donations from straw donors is pretty bad, and refusing to return those contributions is even worse, particularly now that the company is under federal criminal investigation." In May, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York gave more than $35,000 from Crystal Run executives, doctors or their spouses to the U.S. Treasury. Crystal Run had told the Maloney campaign that the donations were problematic and had been "incorrectly attributed," the Democrat's campaign told the Times Union. "When Congressman Maloney was told that the donations he accepted from Crystal Run were potentially illegal, he returned them," Nixon continued. "When Gov. Cuomo was asked about the same improper donations, he refused to respond. This is not leadership. This is corruption. Cuomo must return the money now." Cuomo campaign spokeswoman Abbey Collins again on Monday refused to say if Crystal Run had approached the campaign about problems with the $400,000 in donations. "There's an investigation," Collins said. "Of course we will return the money if there's any wrongdoing." The Republican candidate for governor, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, has previously called in June for Cuomo to donate his Crystal Run funds to the state treasury. In response to Sunday's story, he tweeted that Cuomo "has enabled & encouraged a total abuse of campaign finance rules. He arrogantly refuses to accept responsibility & pretends to be an ignorant bystander. After 8 years, we know who & what we are dealing with enough is enough." Like New York state law, federal election law prohibits giving donations through so-called "straw donors," a tactic often used to circumvent contribution limits. Occasionally, such donations have resulted in prosecutions on the state and federal level. Over a two-day period in October 2013, Crystal Run officials, doctors or their spouses gave Cuomo 10 donations of $25,000 apiece. The donations came during a Cuomo fundraiser, though the governor's campaign has repeatedly refused to discuss its location and details such as whether it was an exclusive Crystal Run event. Of the 10 Crystal Run donors to Cuomo, seven had not made a donation in a New York election in at least a decade. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Similarly, several of Maloney's Crystal Run donors had never given before in federal elections, but in the fall of 2015 gave the congressman exactly $500 apiece. "When we heard there might be a problem from Crystal Run, we voluntarily gave the money to the Treasury Department rather than keep any questionable donations," said a Maloney spokeswoman. Emails obtained by the Times Union show that in 2011, after giving Cuomo a $25,000 contribution using Crystal Run's funds, the company's CEO Hal Teitelbaum quickly got a direct line to top Cuomo aide Joe Percoco. He soon arranged a meeting with a top Department of Health official, which according to Teitelbaum's emails sped up the resolution of a regulatory issue for the company. In addition, in 2016, the Department of Health awarded more than $25 million to build two new Crystal Run health care projects in the Hudson Valley, despite the fact that both had broken ground six months earlier, and were well on their way to completion without any subsidy. The Cuomo administration says grants were awarded in the exact order of agency scoring, and campaign contributions do not impact administration policy decisions. A Crystal Run spokesman has refused to say if the company reimbursed officials for donations, but has steadfastly maintained no improper "pay-to-play" activity occurred. 3 1 of 3 State Police Show More Show Less 2 of 3 State Police Show More Show Less 3 of 3 MONTGOMERY Troopers seized what they said is $1 million worth of marijuana during an Orange County traffic stop Friday. Danny A. Aguayo, 35, of Stamford, Connecticut, and Anthony Donofrio, 69, of New Rochelle, Westchester County, were arrested and both face a felony criminal possession of marijuana charge. Buea Paramount Ruler W. Musa The passing away of the Chief of Lysoka Village in Buea subdivision will not go unpunished, the Paramount ruler of Buea, HRH Robert Esuka Endeley, has said. In a statement one day after the unfortunate incident, HRH Esuka said Moving forward, while we have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to look for possible ways and means of liberating our chiefs and also developing preventive measures to ensure such acts NEVER EVER happen again in Bakeweri land, several initiatives have been put forward by some Bakweri men and women of courage. I will not delve into the details in this write-up for obvious reasons. Full Speech of HRH Esuka Endeley Wonyamoe, It was with profound pain that we learned of the horrific disappearance of His Majesty Mbanda Njie, Chief of Lysoka Moliwe Village, and Vice President of the Buea Chiefs' Conference. His kidnapping, which was already a sacrilegious act in itself in the Bakweri tradition, has been made worse by the unacceptable circumstances of his disappearance. Tears rolled down into my stomach (misoli mamba njombe a nyame) as I watched a video of Chief Bernard Woloko of Woteva Village and Chief Njombe Johnson of Wokaka Village peer down at the lifeless body of their fellow chief. We as Bakweris cannot sit still while our chiefs are being kidnapped and killed. There is a Mokpwe adage that says _Vesongo veyondi ve mbgeli lisengi e-kumba_; the pride and splendor of our chiefs are derived from his people. We the Bakweris from _Likolo, Mokunda mo Mbenge, Sofa Woteke, Ngali Efase, Wonganjo, Vewonde ve meyanga, Vasingi, Ekona Lelu, Wonyavio, Wonakanda_ and beyond need to rise and give Chief Mbanda, and the other chiefs still in captivity, the pride and honor they deserve by bringing the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice. Regardless of the mistakes they made in the past, regardless of the mistakes we as leaders have also made in the past, we are determined to give the strength of our arms for the rest of our days to make sure justice is served. The intrinsic peace-loving nature of the Bakweri man has been insulted by these acts; the consequences will be severe. We are, therefore, inviting any Bakweri man or woman whose heart is courageous, to join us in this resolution. Moving forward, while we have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to look for possible ways and means of liberating our chiefs and also developing preventive measures to ensure such acts NEVER EVER happen again in Bakeweri land, several initiatives have been put forward by some Bakweri men and women of courage. I will not delve into the details in this write-up for obvious reasons. However, as a non-casual Bakweri person who wants to do something about upholding our pride, heritage, and cultural identity, I implore you to please join in one of these initiatives. You dont have to agree or belong to all of the ongoing initiatives at the same time; deep in our hearts we know we have a common goal, our destination is the same. Contact me directly or the Royal Traditional Council of Buea if you need more information. _Wonyamoe koko, moto a moonda te o tena maliwa, asa oka ve esisa wongo_ _Mbando Lio! lio! lio!_ Chief Esuka Endeley Paramount Chief Elect of Buea ALBANY (AP) A "citizen science" survey for wild turkeys is getting underway in New York state, and the Department of Environmental Conservation is asking residents to help out. Participants report information about turkeys seen around their homes or while traveling around the state. The Department of Environmental Conservation says having up-to-date population data is necessary for making management decisions and understanding how populations fluctuate. Saratoga Springs When the news broke Saturday, Mark Casse knew his phone was going to blow up. Text messages. E-mails. Calls. The second word got out that his 3-year-old filly Wonder Gadot was going to run in the Travers, it became a major story. Girls running against the boys in the signature race of the Saratoga summer doesn't happen very often. The last time a filly ran in the Midsummer Derby was 1979 when Davona Dale finished fourth as the favorite. In the 148 prior runnings of the Travers, the only time a filly won it was in 1915 when Lady Rotha did it. For the next four weeks, the hype will be on Casse and Wonder Gadot, who is named for Gal Gadot, the actress who has played super hero Wonder Woman on the big screen. "Anybody that knows me knows that I love horse racing," Casse said outside his barn on the Saratoga backstretch Sunday morning. "Anytime we can get excitement, it's good for horse racing." The excitement started to roll like a tidal wave late Saturday night when Casse said that Gary Barber, the owner of Wonder Gadot, told his trainer he wanted to bypass Saratoga's premier race for 3-year-old fillies, the Alabama, and take on the best 3-year-old colts in training in the $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 25. Reason No. 1 to try is that if Wonder Gadot is to have any chance of knocking Monomoy Girl from her perch as the top 3-year-old filly in the land, she has to do something special. Winning the Travers would be special. "(Wonder Gadot) is a great horse and I wish her tons of luck in the Travers," said Sol Kumin, who owns Monomoy Girl with Michael Dubb. "Gary (Barber) is a friend of mine. I love that they are taking the shot." Kumin, though, thinks that even if Wonder Gadot wins the Travers, it won't be enough to wrestle the Eclipse away from Monomoy Girl. Monomoy Girl is scheduled to run in th $1 million Grade I Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 22 and then the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3. Kumin said there are no plans on changing that schedule. Monomoy Girl is not going to run again at Saratoga during this meet. "If she were to win the Travers, that would be one Grade I (for Wonder Gadot) vs. four (for Monomoy Girl)," Kumin said. "If Wonder Gadot would then win the Cotillion and the Breeders' Cup, it's a different story. I don't care if you beat King Kong ... one Grade I vs. four ... I don't think that is enough." Wonder Gadot has faced Monomoy Girl once, finishing second to her in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Since then, Monomoy Girl has gone on to win two more Grade Is against 3-year-old fillies, giving her four this year. Wonder Gadot is coming off a pair of wins in the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown against Canadian-bred colts, the Queens Plate and Prince of Wales. The competition gets much tougher in the Travers. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "There is no doubt about that," Casse said. "But does it get any deeper than Monomoy Girl in the (Kentucky) Oaks? I think Monomoy Girl is as good as any 3-year-old out there. We said we wanted to try her again, but that's not going to happen, so maybe the next best thing is the Travers." Casse said that Wonder Gadot is scheduled to leave Canada Monday morning and get to his Saratoga barn sometime Monday evening. Casse said she will train at the Spa on Tuesday. He also said he expects Barber, a Los Angeles-based film producer and former chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, to be here for the race. Maybe there is a chance that Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, might be here, too. Casse said the actress is aware of her namesake, but did not know if she would be making a trip to watch Wonder Gadot run. But it's a safe bet that a lot of other people will be looking forward to seeing a filly run against the boys. "Anything that gets people's attention is good for Saratoga and it's good for the Travers," Casse said. "We just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope everything stays well." twilkin@timesunion.com 518-454-5415 @tjwilkin The exhibition currently on view in Damer House Gallery, Roscrea, Something about Water is the work of three Tipperary based artists, Verona Stellet, Donal Sheehan and Carol Kennedy. Water is the source of life and is essential for living. All three artists draw their inspiration for this exhibition from water and its environs and all explore the subject in different ways in terms of concept and practice. Carol Kennedy, who also curated the exhibition, grew up close to a river and has always been drawn to water. Using various media, (drypoint, monoprint, digital photography), her work focuses on memory the memory of moments that she experienced and passed away all too quickly. As she says Life is fast moving and the chaos of todays world reminds me that nothing stays the same and all we have are our memories Water is constantly moving, constantly changing, and constantly reflecting the environment around and above it. Her work has an ephemeral quality, fleeting moments captured forever. While the moment she experienced is captured in time, we get the impression of gentle movement, as in the images of jellyfish and the ever changing colours and ebb and flow of water, continuously moving like life itself. She manages to capture both the essence and the reality of the memory while reminding the viewer of the cleansing, refreshing and healing power of water. Donal Sheehan uses a variety of media to express his thoughts on and in water. He is looking at water, he says as the element of beginning and centre of everything. I n 2015, he decided to study water, literally to immerse himself in it. He chose the Shannon River as his teacher. He swam in its source pool and spent the summers of 2015 to 2017 walking and swimming all the 365km of the river. During this time, he wrote, photographed and filmed his journey, creating a body of research that he is now he says only beginning to piece together. The short film on view in this exhibition is as Sheehan describes it, a fragmentary beginning of the story Even without knowing the context of the film, it is a beautiful and self-contained meditation on water. The ever changing sky is mirrored in the water below, the gently moving reeds, the light reflected as movement. The viewer is also aware of a journey, the journey of the artists exploration and of us who join him on this journey as we watch the film. Occasionally a ships bell rings, reminding us of time and perhaps of beginnings and endings. Sheehans Water Poem can also be described as a meditation on water. It is written in the style of a Concrete or Shape poem where the visual appearance matches the topic of the poem. The words and lines form shapes which illustrate the poem's subject as a picture, as well as through their literal meaning. In this poem we are looking at a flowing rhythm, reminiscent of waves. The words used are connected to, or in some way associated with both the feeling and emotion which water evokes as well as the reality of water. Opposite this work is a rubbing of a tetrapod track way, discovered on Valenta Island in 1993. The track way was formed some 365 billion years ago, when Ireland was still part of the southern hemisphere continent of Euramerica. Tetrapod footprints are the oldest evidence of four-legged vertebrates walking on land. As we evolved into mammals and ultimately humans, we all came originally from water. In a very real sense, water is the essence of life and this is a powerful reminder of that. Verona Stellet work is concerned with the impact of the throwaway society upon the worlds oceans. This increasing problem of discard and waste (in particular plastic can be witnessed all over the world. It is becoming a serious and dangerous health problem for marine and human life. Plastic bottles, it is estimated take up to 450 years, to decompose and fishing line, 600 years. In reality, no one really knows how long plastics will remain in the ocean. With exposure to UV rays and the ocean environment, plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller fragments. Stellets work explores this theme of marine pollution, and the concept of the oceans and shores as both human and natural environments. Using natural and marine debris which she collects, the artist creates images that are at once beautiful but which also confront the viewer with a sense of uncertainty and disturbance. As she says the detritus attains an aesthetic quality, thus creating an ambivalent confrontation between the beautiful and the repellent Tidal Treasures is the embodiment of this, where we see found objects, and the artists book in a case created from driftwood. The found objects include sea glass, a stone, a gull feather, seaweed, fishing line and a small plastic medicine container. It is a poignant reminder of the responsibility we all have to ensure the health of our oceans. Ultimately it is humans who cause pollution which impacts not just on us, but on all life on the planet and that the health of the life source from where we came water - is being destroyed by us. The exhibition was opened by the poet and author Sean O Connor who noted that the theme of the exhibition is a timely one, given the heat wave that much of the Europe is experiencing, with consequent water shortages, while flooding in Japan killed 200 people in recent weeks. Water is essential for life, but it can also take it away. Something about Water, in Damer House Gallery, Roscrea is open to the public from 10am 4pm each day until August 5th. Admission is free Chief Edwin Mbanda Archives Tongues have been wagging in Buea Subdivision, Fako Division in the South West region following the death of HRH Chief Njie Mbanda of Lysoka Village. The chief was abducted last week among other 8 chiefs by Separatist fighters on their alleged role in working with Military to expose the secrets of the fighters and for indicting villagers for arrest. Chief Mbanda died last Friday in one of the camps where they were held captive. In a video released by the fighters, the later Chief is seen lying on the ground while two others stood before him explaining that he died as a result of poor health since his abduction. Anglophone Activists have dispelled rumors that the Chief was shot dead at close range. But denizens have received the news with mixed feelings. While some say every Village head who betrays his subjects, should be dealt with, others opine that traditional rulers be given maximum respect. Based on anonymity, one person said, Why is his death of any importance or making news. Chiefs are government officials and they are to be treated as such unless they denounce their allegiance and stand with the people and their culture. His life is not better than all the lives la republic army has killed. Another against the abduction of Chiefs opined that, I'm Bakwerian and you calling us means nothing. We will investigate and if he was guilty then he deserves it but if not we shall punish those involved. But calling us to rise up means nothing because others Chiefs have been killed who have been betraying our struggle. Let me state this clear to you, no one is above this revolution and we will bring them down if you don't want to support you better keep quite there are chiefs that are silent and nothing has happened to them so remain neutral, and nothing will happen to you that is just simple. The remains of the Chief has been taken to the Buea Mortuary but Bakwerians are already furious about the sictuation and are talking about an eminet revenge. But the question is who will they attack. Doubts about the future of Tipperary towns Sky Innovation Park have been dismissed by Labour TD Alan Kelly this week. Tipperary town Cllr Denis Leahy said he understood that the businessman who owns the building, and operated a warehouse for the Mr Price retail chain had decided to move his operation to Athlone. The warehouse had employed about 15 people. The Sky Innovation Park was launched in 2017 and has the potential to create 700 jobs. Cllr Leahy told the Tipperary Star that more work needs to be completed on the 100,000-plus sq ft building, set on 1.5 hectares just outside Tipperary town, before the IDA can take over the site. Planning permission and zoning were changed for the site, but its understood this now has to be re-zoned, and upgraded with certain works, before the site can be officially handed over to the IDA, who will then fill it with clients. It will be handed over to the IDA in its entirety, said Cllr Leahy. The handover date has yet to be announced. Even if only half the expected 700 jobs materialised, it would transform the town completely, said Cllr Leahy. 300 jobs would do us fine. You could turn around the whole town with 300 jobs. Youd open the shops. There would be huge spin-off effects. Deputy Alan Kelly TD, who was instrumental in the parks launch in 2017, has clarified that the park is still going ahead. Backers of the project say up to 150 permanent jobs can be created in phase one of the sites occupancy, with an additional 84 jobs supported by the facility, while 450 jobs could be in place by phase three, with an extra 251 indirect positions. Labour TD Alan Kelly, who worked on the development of the site with owners Corajio - operators of the successful Mr Price retail chain - described Sky Innovation Park a game-changer for Tipperary. IDA Ireland have told Corajio, at meetings organised by Alan Kelly, that Sky Innovation Park will be added to its list of sites to promote once planning is secured and the fit-out of the building is ready for visits. Nenagh library was delighted to welcome Dr. Brian Lucey on Thursday 28th June, the first in our series of speakers who will talk on different subjects pertaining to Ireland and the EU. Dr Lucey, Professor of International Finance at Trinity College Dublin School of Business and columnist with the Irish Examiner newspaper, spoke on the subject of Brexit, giving a very interesting presentation entitled Brexit: Not as Bad as You Think? He opened with an overview of Brexit what exactly the UK were leaving. He then asked the question why are they leaving? Why did the UK vote to leave the European Union, albeit by a narrow majority? He suggested a number of different factors contributed to the decision to leave, but concluded that there was no single major cause but several major threads including, but not limited to, fears about the pace of immigration. A campaign run by populist charismatic politicians, using easy emotive slogans in a country with a huge economic and educational divide and a young population that largely doesnt vote, all influenced the outcome of this decision. Moving on to the question of how are they leaving ie how will they make this work and retain their position at the heart of European affairs, Dr. Lucey suggests there are a number of scenarios but the end result is the same, a decline in the importance of Britain and a shift in its position in terms of being a global trading power. Moving on to the peculiar case of Ireland and what everyone here really wants to know what will it cost, Brian acknowledged there will be a cost to us but it will be one we can absorb; life in Ireland will continue after Brexit. Dr. Lucey feels in conclusion that Brexit was a mistake, a mess that will have to be untangled, but it is done now and we must all move forward from it. He wishes we would stop wringing our hands over what may happen and advocates seizing the opportunity to persuade companies who wish to leave the UK to look to Ireland now as their gateway to accessing the EU. After his talk there was a lively question and answer session and it was obvious that there was great interest and concern amongst people here in Ireland as to what the future holds as regards Brexit. As Europe Direct information contact for counties Tipperary, Limerick, Cork and Kerry part of Nenagh Librarys remit is to inform citizens of current developments within the EU and in this, the first of our talks, we were delighted with the success of the event. With only days to go, INDIE18 is shaping up for its biggest festival to date as the three-day event at Deer Farm, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, gets ready to open its gates. The best Irish summer in living memory looks set to continue with temperatures forecast for 25C with Weekend Camping Tickets almost sold out. As always, INDIE mixes the best in Irish music with some top shelf international artists coming from the UK Primal Scream, Jake Bug, Kate Nash, Tom Grennan, Cast and more join the likes of Walking on Cars, Hudson Taylor, Delorentos, Le Galaxie, King Kong Company, HamsandwicH and around 100 more set to play the festival this weekend. The new Urban Village Stage sees the cutting edge of Irish hip hop visit INDIE, with Mango x Mathman, Kojaque, Erica Cody and Tebi Rex just some of the names that will bring the beats to this great new addition. Combined with a Comedy and Spoken Word line-up featuring Andrew Stanley, Kevin Gildea, Totally Wired, Jinx Lennon, Shakalak ft, John Cummins and Tony Clayton-Leas Culture Vultures. ATMS will be on site for festival goers and all bars will have VISA Contactless facilities. Weekend tickets for INDIE18 are expected to sell out this week and there will be a limited number of Day Tickets for all days available on the gate. The site is looking great after an amazing summer here at Deer Farm, says festival organiser, Shane Dunne, and we cant wait to open our gates to our brilliant patrons this Friday. Bring suncream and we hope everyone has a fantastic time at INDIE18. For further information and ticket details at www.indiependencefestival.com [July 29, 2018] Game Changing Regulation: Outdoor PtMP 60GHz Connectivity Now Allowed in Australia FORT LEE, New Jersey, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Siklu ready to serve this massive new opportunity with the auto aligning PtMP MultiHaul product family Siklu, the global market leader in mmWave wireless solutions announced today that its MultiHaul Point to Multipoint solution is now available in Australia, following the recent amendment to the LIPD Class License. With the introduction of the award winning MultiHaul solution Siklu expands the portfolio of multi-gigabit solutions available in Australia. When a MultiHaul deployment is combined with Siklu's EtherHaul PTP products for high capacity backhaul, operators and customers have access to Siklu's comlete end to end portfolio of mmWave solutions. MultiHaul is delivering carrier grade performance in 5G Fixed Wireless and Smart City applications worldwide. By taking advantage of Siklu's beamforming technology to auto-align links and simplify out of the box deployment, Siklu offers a true plug & play, small form factor system. The MultiHaul is also supported by Siklu's SmartHaul WiNDE software, an automated network design tool for PTP and PTMP Siklu radios. The solution's 90-degree scanning antenna makes installation by a single person a reality. By combining auto-alignment on the Terminal Unit with the same capability on the Base Unit, multiple terminal units can connect to a base unit with virtually no manual alignment. Unlike traditional wireless radios that use wide beams that can be easily intercepted or interfered with, the MultiHaul leverages narrow beams in the widely available and license exempt 60GHz frequency band. This helps ensure interference free and secure communication, connecting up to 8 terminal units at up to a range of 400 meters. Siklu's broad E-band and V-band product portfolio has already crossed a milestone of 130 Smart City installations, and hundreds of 5G GTTH applications installed. The City of Wichita is one of many examples where MultiHaul radios are used to deliver multi-gigabit connectivity, running multiple applications on the same wireless network simultaneously, unaffected by 5GHz saturation in the area. "We are thrilled to introduce our innovative, leading mmWave Point to Multipoint product to the Australian market," said Eyal Assa, Siklu's CEO. "The MultiHaul series is ideal for the emerging 5G Gigabit Wireless Access (GWA) market with enterprise, residential and smart city customers demanding gigabit connectivity". About Siklu Siklu delivers multi-gigabit wireless fiber connectivity in urban, suburban and rural areas. Operating in the mmWave bands, Siklu's wireless solutions are used by leading service providers and system integrators to provide 5G Gigabit Wireless Access services. In addition, Siklu solutions are ideal for Smart City projects requiring extra capacity such as video security, WiFi backhaul and municipal network connectivity all over one network. Thousands of carrier-grade systems are delivering interference-free performance worldwide. Easily installed on street-fixtures or rooftops, these radios have been proven to be the ideal solution for networks requiring fast and simple deployment of secure, wireless fiber. http://www.siklu.com. Press Contacts Shiri Butnaru Marketing Manager, Siklu shiri.b@siklu.com Dave Sumi VP Marketing, Siklu dave.s@siklu.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 29, 2018] BNP Paribas Showcases Digital Innovation at Symphony Hackathon HONG KONG, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- During the month of June 2018, over 125 software developers from across the financial services and fintech industries gathered in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo to compete in the Symphony Innovate Hackathon. Thirty-five teams split across these regions participated in a challenge to improve business processes for critical financial transactions and communications via Symphony's secure collaboration platform. Awards were given for Most Cutting-Edge Development and Most Impactful Automation Development in each city. Teams from BNP Paribas, a Symphony customer, won in all three locations, demonstrating the firm's dedication to evolving their digital strategy and use of secure collaboration to do so. "Symphony is a core pillar of BNP Paribas' digital transformation efforts. We are using Symphony's open and secure framework to create collaboration forums and improve efficiencies through automated workflows for key business processes. Symphony has helped enable key innovations, enforce the security of our communications and enhance our competitiveness," says Cyril Cottu, Global Head of Electronic Commerce and Digital, Global Markets, BNP Paribas. BNP Paribas currently uses the platform for internal communication, such as between sales and trading functions, and communication with customers. In addition, the company is beginning to build AI-driven bots and integrations and plans to expand its usage of Symphony's platform in the coming months. BNP Paribas currently has more than 6,000 users on the platform across its Global Markets, Asset Management and Securities Services divisions. Symphony offers resources to develop cstom applications to enrich, embed and extend its secure collaboration platform. Participating teams in the Symphony Innovate Hackathon developed new applications and integrations in areas like streamlining internal systems, automating steps within the trading cycle, and facilitating faster business processes using Symphony's APIs. "We were thrilled to see the developments that came out of the Innovate Hackathon, and to have the support from companies like BNP Paribas to make Symphony the operating system for the financial services industry. Using our APIs, these developers have engineered new and interesting workflows that far extend the initial vision for the platform and we can't wait to see what comes next," said David Gurle, founder and CEO, Symphony. The Symphony Innovate Hackathon was hosted and arranged in cooperation with Credit Suisse in Singapore, Societe Generale in Hong Kong, and BNP Paribas in Tokyo. Learn more about BNP Paribas' winning developments on the Symphony blog. About Symphony Symphony transforms the way users communicate effectively and securely with a single workflow application. Forging a new path in the industry, Symphony is designed to help individuals, teams and organizations of all sizes improve productivity, while meeting complex data security and regulatory compliance needs. Symphony was founded in October 2014 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, with offices in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Stockholm, Sophia-Antipolis and London. For more information, visit www.symphony.com and connect with Symphony on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. About BNP Paribas in Asia Pacific (www.apac.bnpparibas.com) In Asia Pacific, BNP Paribas is one of the best-positioned international financial institutions with an uninterrupted presence since 1860. Currently with over 16,000 employees* and a presence in 14 markets, BNP Paribas provides corporates, institutional and private investors with product and service solutions tailored to their specific needs. It offers a wide range of financial services covering corporate & institutional banking, wealth management, asset management, insurance, as well as retail banking and consumer financing through strategic partnerships. Worldwide, BNP Paribas has a presence in 73 markets with more than 196,000 employees. It has key positions in its three main activities: Domestic Markets and International Financial Services (whose retail-banking networks and financial services are covered by Retail Banking & Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking, which serves two client franchises: corporate clients and institutional investors. Asia Pacific is a key strategic region for BNP Paribas and it continues to develop its franchise in the region. * excluding partnerships Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180725/2195662-1LOGO SOURCE Symphony [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 29, 2018] MILAN Automotive GmbH Unleashes Hyper Car MILAN RED LEOBERSDORF, Austria, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A car against the tide. This is what Austrian born Markus Fux, 36, CEO of MILAN Automotive GmbH is doing: bringing to the road the cutting edge know-how of Austrian companies - uncompromising in design and technic - in what will be the new generation of hyper cars: the MILAN RED. Named after the famous bird of prey, the MILAN RED is designed by a team of extraordinary specialists aiming to combine again the skills of speed record, design object and an ultra-intense driving experience. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/723337/MILAN_RED.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/723338/MILAN_RED_from_MILAN_Automotive.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/723339/MILAN_Automotive.jpg ) Limited to only 99 pieces the MILAN RED will be the first of its kind crafted by MILAN Automotive GmbH and comes with a breathtaking list of characteristics: 1325 horsepower meets 1300 kilogram dead weight propelling the MILAN RED from naught to hundred in only 2.47 secons to race way beyond 400km/h. This power explosion is the result of the 6.2 litre V8 Quad Turbo rear drive operating entirely without electric support and crafted by AVL, supplier of global automotive companies and Formula One racing. The bloodline of MILAN RED reads like the who is who of Austria's leading companies in the automotive sector: Alongside Styria based AVL it is the simulation technology of AVL List - as well a close development partner of Formula One racing - and PANKL Racing Systems contributing with exclusive SLM wheel carriers. At this point one of the highlights of the MILAN RED can be revealed: for the first time in the history of street legal cars the wishbones of the MILAN RED will be manufactured wholly from carbon. This sensation is produced by PEAK Technology from Upper Austria. Another special add-on in context with the stunning interior design is the visualisation of the driver's heartbeat. No compromise in every aspect of the MILAN RED, has and will always have, the highest priority. The spectacular opportunity to own one of these rare superlative cars close to the 2 million Euro regions has already inspired 18 car enthusiasts to add the MILAN RED to their portfolio. Statement of Markus Fux, CEO MILAN Automotive GmbH: "Nowadays you can drive an artistic car, a high-tech-monster, a throne on four wheels - or a car, that only serves one purpose: stealing everyone the show. And this is where we come into play." About MILAN Automotive GmbH: MILAN Automotive GmbH is an Austrian based car manufacturer - the first and only producer of Hyper Cars 'Made in Austria'. Markus Fux, CEO, former race driver and thus with a profound understanding of speed and equipped with a wide varieties of contacts in the world of the fast lane. Siegfried Wolf, one of Europe's leading managers is acting as advisor to the board. MILAN Automotive's inhouse Design and Technical Departments worked closely together to implement an idea of a young, talented artist in this technical masterpiece. Contact: Ms. Monika Ottermayr, PR & Marketing Tel: +43-676-6-1212-04 E-Mail: office@milan-automotive.com Web: http://www.milan-automotive.com/media Company: MILAN Automotive GmbH Aredstr. 29, 2544 Leobersdorf, Austria, Europe [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] FlipNpik Announces Partnership with Atayen Inc, Facebook iFrame Apps Developer FlipNpik, the world's first-of-its kind blockchain-based collaborative social media platform, which remunerates users for their social media engagements, is pleased to announce a partnership with American-French company, Atayen Inc. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180729005043/en/ Specializing in the development of applications such as the iFrame apps, which is an all-in-one Facebook (News - Alert) app suite to enhance businesses' engagement of users, Atayen offers unique expertise in social media networks that will no doubt be beneficial to the FlipNpik platform and ecosystem. As part of the partnership, Atayen will register its over half-million merchants across the globe onto the FlipNpik platform. In addition, FlipNpik will embark on extensive marketing collaborations with Atayen to reach out to over one million users of Atayen. "The strategic alliance with Atayen will not only accelerate FlipNpik's penetration of the global market and allow our users access to a huge selection of merchants worldwide, it will also significantly increase the intrinsic value of the FlipNpik ecosystem,"says Henri Harland, CEO of FlipNpik. Currently in the last phase of its democratic and unconventional private sale, FlipNpik is offering special 'whale' bonuses (reaching up to 100% token bonus) to the public with a low minimum buy-in of USD100. The private sale will be opened to the public for only 5 more days and ends on August 3. For more information on FlipNpik, please visit https://flipnpik.io About FlipNpik FlipNpik is the first blockchain-based collaborative social media to allow users to monetize their social media posts by supporting their favourite local shops. Users are rewarded for posting and promoting businesses, and this translates to enhanced marketing and visibility for businesses. The FlipNpik mobile app is available on iOS and Android (News - Alert) , and FlipNpik has listed businesses in Switzerland, Great Britain, Ireland, Singapore, Canada and France. https://flipnpik.io About Atayen Atayen Inc is an American-French company with a unique expertise in developing applications dedicated for business pages on Facebook and social networks. The most popular Atayen app is the iFrame app which is a web-based social media marketing platform that helps small and medium-sized businesses engage their customers on Facebook. https://www.atayen.us View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180729005043/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] CCC Goes Off-Grid - Global Construction Company Creates World-First 100% 24-Hour Solar-Powered Portable Cabin for the Industry ATHENS, Greece, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's first 100% solar-powered 24-hour off-grid mobile cabin has been successfully piloted for the construction workforce by global leader Consolidated Contractors Company. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713482/Consolidated_Contractors_Company_Logo.jpg ) Partnering with German energy storage experts Tesvolt and working in accordance with the agenda set by the UN's General Assembly, CCC developed the world-first off-grid 100% solar-powered 24-hour office and accommodation cabin - which meets day and night energy demands, maintaining a room temperature of 25[o]C, considering a peak outside ambient temperature of 50[o] C (assuming a minimum of 6 hours direct sunlight per day). PV panels supply power during daytime and the excess generated power is fed into the battery storage to support the demand during the evening hours. Consolidated Contractos Company Manager M.I.S. & Business Processes Re-engineering, Aref Boualwan, said the system could be constantly monitored, analysed and adjusted anytime online - from anywhere in the world. "The majority of our personnel are positioned on sites across the MENA region, where average temperatures are always high. For this project, we wanted to focus on off-grid renewable energy systems for our workers day and night, which are the most appropriate due to geographical constraints and costs for grid extension," Mr Boualwan said. "A group of engineers with diversified technical backgrounds and subject matter experts, based in different locations around the world, developed the off-grid mobile cabin. The energy system was designed, engineered, constructed, tested, and commissioned following the latest codes and IEC Standards. "CCC and Tesvolt are proud of this collaboration, and believe that this success story represents a great foundation for the future strategic partnership of both companies." About Consolidated Contractors Company: Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) is a global leader in the engineering and construction industry. Established in 1952 and operating worldwide, CCC has provided more than 65 years of project management, engineering, procurement and construction services to the industry and employs around 172,000 people internationally. The company's landmark construction projects include the Dubai Mall, the Abu Dhabi International Airport - Midfield Terminal Building, residential towers, hotels, power stations, water and sewage treatment plants and networks, roads and bridges, industrial and process plants and pipelines worldwide. Consolidated Contractors Company contributes to the Partnering Against Corruption Initiative of the World Economic Forum, along with the UN Global Compact, to ensure business ethics, anti-bribery policies and sustainable growth in all forms of its operations. Katie Clift +30-6944-743-417 katie@katieclift.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Ctrip's Gourmet List Holds Restaurant Evaluation Session for "Taste the City" Food List in Hong Kong SHANGHAI, China, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ctrip, the largest online travel agent in Asia and the second largest in the world, today announced that its independent gourmet food ranking brand Gourmet List held its first publicly semi-overt annual restaurant evaluation session, allowing patrons to discover restaurants on its Taste the City Food List and get a feel for the future prospects and development of Hong Kongs restaurants. Gourmet List Gourmet List Gourmet List Traditional Cantonese cuisine found in Hong Kong is revered by foodies not only in Asia but all over the world. The recent boom in local Yum Cha eateries is only a small part of the delights which Hong Kong's varied cuisine cene can offer. The city offers a rich and unique selection of Western cuisine, while Chinese cuisines which are not from the Cantonese tradition, in particular Hakka cuisine, are just as much of a hit with both locals and visitors. The HK culinary scene took off in the 1970s and 1980s, with the emergence of a number of outstanding chefs and food critics who have contributed to the prosperity and development of Hong Kong's catering industry. As a leading cuisine platform, Ctrips Gourmet List regularly attracts a large number of celebrated local Hong Kong cuisine critics to their events. Attendees of the session included food columnist Kinson Loo, TV presenter Angela Shen, internationally renowned food critic Cai Hao, as well as the famous food writer Liu Jianwei. The conference in Hong Kong marks the first time that the evaluation process for Gourmet Lists Taste the City Food List has been made semi-overt to the public. Kimi Liu, CEO of Ctrips Gourmet List stated that the brands most important values are practicality and impartiality. Given the transparent and credible nature of the Gourmet List platform, it is hoped that the selected food will represent the very best of Cantonese flavor. Offline selection rounds are also underway for Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. The purpose of the review conference is to discuss the positioning of our annual list of top restaurants. Members of the review committee will give special consideration for both popular and new restaurants to be included in the list, said representative of Gourmet List Zhou Zhihan. In addition to the restaurant evaluation process, Gourmet List also established a segment for discussions at the end of the review session. While providing top gourmet services is crucial for customers, it is equally as important to keep an eye on the development of the industry. At the Hong Kong Gourmet List evaluation session, gourmet experts and the committee held discussions on the practicality of the Taste the City Food List and the developmental prospects of Hong Kong restaurants. Food columnist Kinson Loo suggested that Gourmet List should add a Top Ten List to the current star and top flavor rating system. The list could, for example, include Shanghais top ten sushi restaurants or top ten dim sum places. Food critic Cai Hao brought up the fact that Mandarin is important as most of Gourmet Lists customers are domestic tourists. If you dont know the language then that can lead to issues, so Hong Kong needs to make improvement on this, said Cai Hao. TV presenter Angela Shen added: I agree with the philosophy of Gourmet List. Cuisine is not just about food or the taste but also its place within local life and culture. About Ctrip.com International, Ltd. Ctrip.com International, Ltd. is a leading travel service provider of accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China. It is the largest online consolidator of accommodations and transportation tickets in China in terms of transaction volume. Ctrip enables business and leisure travelers to make informed and cost-effective bookings by aggregating comprehensive travel related information and offering its services through an advanced transaction and service platform consisting of its mobile apps, Internet websites and centralized, toll-free, 24-hour customer service center. Ctrip also helps customers book vacation packages and guided tours. In addition, through its corporate travel management services, Ctrip helps corporate clients effectively manage their travel requirements. Since its inception in 1999, Ctrip has experienced substantial growth and become one of the best-known travel brands in China. For further information, please contact: International PR Ctrip.com International, ltd. Tel: (+86) 21 3406 4880 ext 196455 Email: Pr@ctrip.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e8a8a2da-80fd-42d1-ac75-eaa134df701c //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/27ec08c4-41ca-4324-adc5-cc29a3d04727 //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9de4a66a-c7b0-4ebe-b106-17e0675c39de [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Investment Metrics and InvestorForce Announce Merger Investment Metrics and InvestorForce, two leading providers of investment analytics and reporting solutions for the global institutional investment industry, are merging to further focus on the dynamic and increasingly complex needs of investment consultants, wealth managers and investment managers. Resurgens Technology Partners has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire InvestorForce from MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MSCI), and will merge it with its portfolio company, Investment Metrics. The transaction is expected to close within the next three months, subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The merger enables the combined entity to provide best-in-class investment tools for performance analysis, investment reporting, investment policy statements, peer benchmarking and competitive insights, leveraging the unique and substantial data assets of the combined company. The newly combined company will have clients with approximately $10 trillion in assets under advisement (AUA) running on the platform. This will provide unprecedented insights into global industry-wide asset allocation trends, performance benchmarks, asset flows, plan sponsor and style universe performance, empowering its clients to make more informed investment decisions. In addition, with the resources and development capabilities of the combined entity, the merger enables the firm to strengthen its commitment to solving the many other evolving challenges facing the institutional investment industry, including data aggregation, reconciliation, and the need to produce rich analytical and reporting output. The Investment Metrics and InvestorForce teams have over forty years of combined institutional investment technology industry expertise. The combined company's clients include industry leaders such as Aon Hewitt, Mercer, Morgan Stanley, Pension Consulting Alliance, RVK and Segal Marco Advisors, among many others. The company, which will operate under the Investment Metrics name, will continue to support both the Investment Metrics and InvestorForce software, data and service offerings. Sanjoy Chatterjee, Founder & President of Investment Metrics, said, "The merger of Investment Metrics and InvestorForce is a logical next step for our clients, employees and the industry. In this changing market where investors are demanding more from their investment solutions, we are confident that our exanded unique data offering, paired with the best in class analytics and reporting solutions, will uncover further opportunities and increase efficiencies for our clients. Together, we will further enhance our existing relationships and build new alliances with the industry's leading investment consultants, wealth managers, asset owners, trusts, OCIOs and players within the alternatives space." Blake McLaughlin, Executive Director, Head of Product Management of InvestorForce, said, "We are pleased to be joining forces with Investment Metrics. The combined company is committed to finding the balance between continuity and growth, from maintaining a disciplined focus on the challenges our clients face today while partnering with them to envision, design, develop and launch next generation data solutions, flexible workflows, powerful analytics and intuitive report output." McLaughlin continued, "We very much look forward to the exciting things ahead for our clients." John Baumstark, Managing Director of Resurgens Technology Partners, said, "This is a major milestone for the institutional investment community. We are excited to support the combination of these two great companies. This merger enhances our ability to support the growing needs of our clients, leverage the talents of the two teams, provide our clients with an expanded and unique dataset and more rapidly address the market's evolving requirements." For more information about the merger, please visit www.invmetrics.com/investorforce. About Investment Metrics Investment Metrics is a leading provider of investment performance analytics and reporting solutions for institutional investment consultants, asset managers and private wealth advisors. Our platform enables the world's leading investment professionals to analyze and report on over $6.5 trillion of assets under advisement with accuracy and efficiency. Our solutions include PARis (performance analytics and reporting), InvestWorks (manager research and due-diligence), EQuest (manager data portal), RaaS (outsourced investment reporting services) and InterSec Research (market intelligence). For more information, please visit www.invmetrics.com. About InvestorForce InvestorForce is a premier provider of performance reporting solutions to the institutional investment community, providing investment consultants with an integrated solution for daily monitoring, analysis and reporting on institutional assets. InvestorForce's technology leverages automated data collection to provide institutional investment consultants and their institutional investor clients with greater operational efficiencies and real-time insight, transparency and deeper analysis into investment portfolios. The InvestorForce platform is used by institutional investment consultants to report on over $3.5 trillion of assets for over 9,000 institutional plans. About Resurgens Technology Partners Resurgens Technology Partners is an Atlanta-based private equity investor focused on partnering with software and technology-enabled businesses located throughout North America. The firm is a true partnership of experienced investors and operators, uniquely committed to delivering exceptional operating support to our growing portfolio of enterprise technology businesses. The Resurgens founders have worked with and for some of the most highly regarded private equity firms in the industry and are building an entrepreneurial and differentiated investment firm with an "operator first" mindset. For more information, please visit www.resurgenstech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005372/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] | BY Ricki Green | Edge, the advertising and content agency, reached its fifteenth birthday this month. The company celebrated last week with a party at its Surry Hills offices with clients and industry friends. Fergus Stoddart, one of the founding partners commented on the achievement: Reaching fifteen is no mean feat in our industry. The pace of change has been relentless, but we managed to evolve faster than many of our direct competitors in the content space. We set out to lead the content revolution and Im proud we achieved some industry firsts. We were one of the first custom publishing companies to introduce agency disciplines. We were the first to publish an Australian custom magazine on iPad, in partnership with Adobe. We pushed hard into social earlier than others, and our campaign for the Victoria Derby ensured AAMI was the first Aussie financial services brand to use Snapchat. Were proud of what weve achieved. Edge was founded 15 years ago in Manly as a travel publishing business, operating out of the Manly Pavilion. It quickly pivoted in its early years to custom publishing, winning contracts with P&O Cruises, Intercontinental Hotels and Jetset Travel World before moving into other industry sectors. In around 2010 the company began evolving into a digitally-led, data-driven content marketing agency and then in 2017 merged with retail communications agency Creative Oasis to become a full-service creative and content business. Says Stoddart: Were excited about the future, our offer of fusing advertising, content and media is really gaining traction and resonating well with clients. Says Richard Parker, executive planning director who joined Edge as a partner 6 years ago: The pace of change is only going to accelerate. Last year, when we merged with Creative Oasis, we launched our agency proposition of Creating Relevance. Relentlessly for our clients. The idea of this positioning was to help our clients adapt to this pace of change. The truth is that the philosophy applies just as much to us an agency and Edges history really reflects that. [July 30, 2018] Gettysburg Foundation Announces Ford Family Day, Saturday, August 4, 2018 The Gettysburg Foundation today announced that Ford Motor Company Fund is sponsoring a day of free educational programs at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center on Saturday, August 4, 2018. The event is open to the public to enjoy free admission to the Cyclorama, Film and Museum, along with special activities held only on this day. Since 2014, the Ford (News - Alert) Motor Company Fund has provided funding for the annual Ford Family Day each summer, which offers a broad range of free, family-friendly educational programming at the Museum and Visitor Center. Special Ranger-led activities focus on stories and themes that appeal to families and children. An encampment of living historians, representing the 15th New Jersey infantry, will be located on the front lawn of the Visitor Center. There will also be period-dressed living historians demonstrating 19th century crafts. Musicians will perform Civil War-period music. A local ice cream shop will provide visitors with free ice cream. FREE programs include: Cyclorama, Film and Museum Experience 8:15 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Start with feature film "A New Birth of Freedom" narrated by Morgan Freeman, then spend time with the world-famous "Battle of Gettysburg" Cylorama painting, followed by a browse through the world-class Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War. National Park Service Family Activities 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. A Family Activities Area with a Junior Ranger Station and a Hands-on History Cart will be offered as will be several interactive, ranger-led Join the Army children's programs. Tap Snap Photo Booth 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Have an 1863 Civil War photo at the photo booth. HiSTORY Time 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. Living historians will presents readings of popular Civil War themed children's books. Live Music 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Enjoy Civil War period music outdoors at Ranger Site #3. Ice Cream Break 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Family History Hike 2:45 p.m. Gear up for a hike to The Brian Farm. Hikers should meet on the sidewalk near Ranger Site #1. Picnic Lunch 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. A specially priced picnic lunch will be available for purchase. Meet the Author: Book Signings Join us in the Museum Bookstore for book signings from authors: William Styple, 8:00 a.m. - Noon and Jared Frederick from Noon - 4:00 p.m. For more information, call 717-338-1243 or view full schedule here. Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center is located at 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, PA, and is open from 8am-6 pm. Ford Motor Company (News - Alert) Fund Ford Motor Company Fund is the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company. Established in 1949, Ford Fund invests in transformational programs that advance innovation, empower people, promote social mobility and improve community prosperity. Ford Fund works with local and global partners to create opportunities in education, encourage safe driving, enlist employee volunteers and enrich community life. For more information, visit http://community.ford.com, or join us on Facebook and Twitter. Gettysburg National Military Park Gettysburg National Military Park preserves, protects and interprets for this and future generations the resources associated with the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, during the American Civil War, the Soldiers' National Cemetery and their commemorations. Learn more at www.nps.gov/gett. Gettysburg Foundation The Gettysburg Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit philanthropic, educational organization operating in partnership with the National Park Service to preserve Gettysburg National Military Park and the Eisenhower National Historic Site, and to educate the public about their significance. Learn more at www.gettysburgfoundation.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005073/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Three Orange Affiliates Earn Certification to the COPC Customer Experience Standard COPC Inc. today announces that Orange, a provider of convergent fixed and mobile telecom products, has met the qualifications for its Spain, Romania and Madagascar contact centers to be certified to the COPC Customer Experience (CX) Standard, Customer Service Provider (CSP) version. The COPC (News - Alert) CX Standard is the most prestigious and widely used performance management system for call centers, CX operations and vendor management organizations. Certification to the COPC CX Standard demonstrates an organization's commitment to excellence and validates their achievement of high performance for quality, efficiency, service, and customer satisfaction. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005404/en/ These three contact centers join a growing list of Orange (News - Alert) affiliates that have been certified including Poland, Tunisia, Moldova and Senegal, with many others working towards certification. The COPC CX Standard has been used in a variety of Orange's CX operations including customer service, technical support, retention, billing and retail in both business-to-business and consumer operations. "Orange began its journey toward certification to the COPC CX Standard in 2013 with an initial assessment of its Polish operations and the training of a group of internal auditors who are responsible for rolling out COPC approaches. Since then, it has been a pleasure to watch the COPC CX Standard take root and flourish across the group. We congratulate all the affiliates for their outstanding efforts," said Iain Ironside, COPC Inc. vice president. Since 1996, more than 500 companies worldwide have certified their call center and CX operations to the COPC CX Standard. Certification provides external validation of high performance, demonstrates to customers a company's commitment to providing a superior experience, and ensures that all internal operations and third-party suppliers are producing consistently high evels of service. Companies that get certified to the COPC CX Standard not only receive prestigious recognition but are rewarded with higher customer satisfaction, lower-cost operations and improved revenue performance. Certification to the COPC CX Standard begins with an assessment of the company's operation covering four key areas: leadership and planning, processes, people, and performance. Next, the COPC Inc. team develops a structured plan with a list of actionable recommendations that are prioritized for activities that deliver the greatest return on investment for the company. This often includes COPC Inc. providing training and support to implement operational change to close gaps and improve key metrics. A final step for a company to be awarded COPC Inc. certification is an audit that validates improvements are scalable, sustainable and consistently implemented. "A more customer-centric contact center means customers are served more quickly, accurately and efficiently. Thanks to these three new countries, 10 Orange Group subsidiaries now have at least one COPC-certified site and are all seeing significant increases in customer satisfaction," said Pierre Grauby, director of customer relations for Orange, in charge of the COPC Orange program. All certification efforts are based on the COPC CX Standard, which can be applied to any type of CX operation in any industry. The COPC CX Standard is available in three versions-the CSP version for internal operations, the OSP version for outsourced service providers, and the VMO version for internal organizations managing third-party service providers. All versions of the COPC CX Standard are available for download free of charge. For more information about the benefits of COPC Inc. certification, visit https://www.copc.com/what-we-do/certification/. About Orange Orange is one of the world's leading telecommunications operators with sales of 41 billion euros in 2017 and 149,000 employees worldwide at 30 June 2018, including 91,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 260 million customers worldwide at 30 June 2018, including 199 million mobile customers and 20 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 28 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services (News - Alert) . In March 2015, the Group presented its new strategic plan "Essentials2020" which places customer experience at the heart of its strategy with the aim of allowing them to benefit fully from the digital universe and the power of its new generation networks. Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN). For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com or to follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) : @orangegrouppr. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. About COPC COPC Inc. provides consulting, training, certification and the RevealCX software solution for operations that support the customer experience. The company created the COPC Standards, a collection of performance management systems for call center operations, customer experience management, vendor management, and procurement. Founded in 1996, COPC Inc. began by helping call centers improve their performance. Today, the company is an innovative global leader that empowers organizations to optimize operations to deliver a superior customer experience across all channels. COPC Inc. is privately held with headquarters in Winter Park, FL, U.S. and with operations in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America, India and Japan. www.copc.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005404/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] IARPA selects Raytheon for predictive analytics competition CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity awarded Raytheon BBN Technologies (NYSE: RTN) a $14.5 million contract to develop a system that improves the accuracy of predicting a range of geopolitical events including elections, conflict, and disease outbreak. The contract was awarded last year under IARPA's Hybrid Forecasting Competition. "Event forecasters have struggled with the best way to combine the capabilities of human and machine analysts," said Lance Ramshaw, principal investigator and lead scientist at Raytheon BBN Technologies. "We're identifying the optimal combination to develop the best forecasting system possible." While human analysts are flexible and can apply context to their event forecasting models, machines can more quickly process massive amounts of data to make unbiased forecasts. Together, Raytheon BBN's hybrid forecasting system uses the benefits of both by providing: Automated aids that increase human forecasters' efficiency, including intelligent search, automatically computed indicators and alert about changes or new information. Tools for sharing machine reasoning and results with human forecasters. Automatic combination of varied human forecasts, with more weight assigned to predictions from historically accurate forecasters. Tufts University About Raytheon Raytheon Company, with 2017 sales of $25 billion and 64,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 96 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5ITM products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. Follow us on Twitter. www.raytheon.com Media Contact Joyce Kuzmin +1.617.873.8120 pr@bbn.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iarpa-selects-raytheon-for-predictive-analytics-competition-300688409.html SOURCE Raytheon Company [July 30, 2018] Weld North Education's Imagine Learning Acquires Early-Learner Digital Math Curriculum Company Reasoning Mind NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Weld North Education (WNE), a leading digital education technology company focused on developing digital curriculum and tools for grades pre-K12, today announced its Imagine Learning business acquired Texas-based Reasoning Mind, a leading innovative math curriculum organization addressing the early learning market. Serving more than 100,000 students last year, Reasoning Mind adds an important complement to Imagine Learning's portfolio of digital curriculum. Terms were not disclosed. "We are excited to partner with Reasoning Mind and add their rich curriculum and math expertise to our product line," stated Jeremy Cowdrey, Co-President of Imagine Learning. "We will now be able to offer a complete supplementary pre-K through middle school math program, helping us more fully serve students, teachers, and schools across the country." "We were looking for a partner that shared our mission and could increase our distribution," explained Gregg Fleisher, CEO of Reasoning Mind. "After exploring many possibilities and learning about Imagine Learning's passion for helping all students reach their potential, we knew that partnering with Imagine Learning would make for a wonderful marriage." Jonathan Grayer, Chairman and CEO of Weld Northparent company to Imagine Learning, said, "Imagine Learning develops critically important learning tools for the young student and delivers this curriculum in compelling and innovative platforms, providing educators important tools to foster learning," said Grayer. "We are pleased to welcome Reasoning Mind to the Imagine Learning family and look foward to expanding the audience for their learning solutions." Imagine Learning, acquired by WNE in 2014, is a leader in harnessing the power of technology to instruct students with engaging language, literacy, and math software, delivering effective supplementary instruction solutions to schools and districts across the country. Imagine Learning currently serves over three million students in 25,000 schools across all fifty states. About Reasoning Mind: Founded in 2000, Reasoning Mind has established itself as one of the highest-quality blended learning organizations for mathematics in the United States, servicing nearly a million students and teachers over 18 years, across several states. The program's results have been confirmed by Teachers College Columbia University and the Education Research Center at Texas A&M and reviewed by SRI Education and WestEd. In 2015, Reasoning Mind earned the Deloitte RightStep Innovation Prize, a national competition designed to identify and help scale the next "cutting edge solution in education." Read more about Reasoning Mind at https://www.reasoningmind.org. About Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning delivers award-winning language, literacy, and mathematics solutions for pre-K12 students, revolutionizing the way kids learn. Students and teachers love Imagine Language & Literacy, Imagine Math, Imagine Math Facts, and Imagine Espanol because they are research- and evidence-based, data driven, instructionally differentiated, and incredibly fun to use. After more than a decade of growth and continuous improved student outcomes, Imagine Learning has established itself as a leader in the digital education arena. The Imagine Learning family is dedicated to changing lives and opening doors of opportunity for kids. To learn more about Imagine Learning, visit www.imaginelearning.com About Weld North Education: Weld North Education is a leading digital education technology company focused on developing digital curriculum and tools for pre-K12 students. The company is built around two underlying businesses, Edgenuity and Imagine Learning. Edgenuity is a leading digital courseware provider focused on providing online curricula and intervention solutions. Imagine Learning is a leading digital supplemental solutions provider focused on addressing language, literacy, and math. Read more about Weld North at http://www.weldnorth.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/weld-north-educations-imagine-learning-acquires-early-learner-digital-math-curriculum-company-reasoning-mind-300688423.html SOURCE Weld North Education [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] ShowStoppers announces new press event at IFA GLOBAL MARKETS AUSTIN, Texas and BERLIN, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ShowStoppers and IFA today announced that ShowStoppers will produce a new and second official press event at IFA ShowStoppers @ IFA GLOBAL MARKETS. IFA GLOBAL MARKETS is the supply chain show-within-a-show that is staged in parallel with IFA. IFA GLOBAL MARKETS is the largest European sourcing platforms for original equipment manufacturers (OEM), original design manufacturers (ODM) and component manufacturers, suppliers and yet-to-be discovered brands from all over the world. ShowStoppers @ IFA GLOBAL MARKETS invites journalists to discover manufacturers, suppliers and private-label makers of new technologies that are connecting at IFA GLOBAL MARKETS in Berlin with distributors and retailers to power the next-generation of tech for the OEM/ODM markets. The 2018 edition of IFA GLOBAL MARKETS runs 2-5 September at STATION-Berlin. The first edition of ShowStoppers @ IFA GLOBAL MARKETS is scheduled for Monday, 3 September, 5-7 pm, at STATION-Berlin in hall S8. The new press event expands the exclusive partnership that IFA and ShowStoppers renewed in May 2018 for ShowStoppers events at IFA 2019, 2020 and 2021. "IFA GLOBAL MARKETS is where the next generation of technology comes to market first," said Jens Heithecker, executive vice president, Messe Berlin Group, and IFA Executive Director. "ShowStoppers is the platform o tell that story for these innovators and future industry leaders to meet the press." IFA 2018 is scheduled for 31 August through 5 September 2018 in Berlin, with two advance press days 29 and 30 August. The first ShowStoppers press event, ShowStoppers @ IFA 2018, takes place 30 August on-site at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Developed by ShowStoppers and Global Fairs-TT Messe (tt-messe.de) -- an agency based in Osnabrueck, Germany, that specializes in business-to-business reseller exhibitions -- ShowStoppers produces the new event with two Global Fairs projects, both located in hall S8 at STATION-Berlin -- ISP@IFA Global Markets and -- working with New Times Overseas in Shenzhen, China -- the New Tech Brand Zone. About ShowStoppers Now in its 24th year, ShowStoppers is the global leader in producing press and business events spanning the US, Europe and Asia. Each event organizes product introductions, sneak previews and demonstrations for selected journalists, bloggers, industry and financial analysts, venture capitalists and business executives. Industry leaders, innovators and startups exhibit to generate news coverage and product reviews, make new connections, promote brand, and open new markets. To exhibit at ShowStoppers events, contact Dave Leon, director of sales, dave@showstoppers.com, +1-845-638-3527. Contacts: Steve Leon sl@showstoppers.com Partner, ShowStoppers +1-310-936-8530 Nicole von der Ropp vonderRopp@messe-berlin.de IFA Press Officer, Messe Berlin GmbH +49 (30) 3038-2217 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/showstoppers-announces-new-press-event-at-ifa-global-markets-300688426.html SOURCE ShowStoppers [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Leo Burnett Wins Samsung Electronics Visual Display Creative Business CHICAGO, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Leo Burnett today announced it has been appointed as the lead agency solution for Samsung's global Visual Display business, following a competitive pitch. Starcom will provide media planning and buying expertise, given its role as Samsung's global media agency of record. Today's news demonstrates the capabilities of the Power of One and the value of integrated creative and media offerings across Publicis Groupe agencies. "Samsung Electronics has been working with Publicis Groupe agencies for more than a decade and we are thrilled to grow our successful partnership," said Songha Ji, Vice President of Visual Display, Samsung Electronics. "Publicis Groupe's creative track record and expansive geographic reach are key to our success as we create work that is globally relevant for the Visual Display business." The agencies are tasked with global brand positioning, integrated communications strategy and creative. New work supporting Samsung's QLED TVs will launch in early 2019. "We live in a golden age of content in which the screen reigns supreme," said Mark Tutssel, executive chairman and chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide. "It's a great honor and tremendous privilege to partner with a team that has the vision and ambition to lead the visual display category, and to create real human value in the proess." Leo Burnett was the first Publicis Groupe agency to join the Samsung roster in 2004 and has worked across much of the business since that time, notably the Mobile Division and Global Marketing Center, as well as focusing on individual markets around the world. This partnership has resulted in numerous awards in recent years for work including "Ostrich" and "Anthem," which introduced the current "Do What You Can't" campaign, launched during the 2016 Rio Olympics. Samsung was named "Creative Marketer of the Year" at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2016. "Today's announcement demonstrates that Publicis Groupe agencies are strongest when they offer clients an integrated solution that represents The Power of One," said Matt Blackborn, Samsung Global Client Leader, Publicis Groupe. "We are tremendously grateful for the opportunity to expand our relationship with Samsung and to develop ever-more integrated and impactful work for one of our longstanding clients." Publicis Groupe agencies' work with Samsung spans more than 75 markets worldwide. About Leo Burnett Worldwide Leo Burnett Worldwide is a creative solutions agency network, and part of Publicis Communications. Leo Burnett has 96 offices in 85 countries and more than 8,500 employees around the globe. The agency works on behalf of some of the world's most valued brands including Coca-Cola, Fiat, Kellogg's, Kraft, McDonald's, Nintendo, P&G and Samsung among others. To learn more about Leo Burnett and its rich, 83-year history, visit LeoBurnett.com. Follow on Facebook and via @leoburnett. Contact: Gina Ribaudo +1.312.261.0237 gina.ribaudo@mslgroup.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leo-burnett-wins-samsung-electronics-visual-display-creative-business-300688459.html SOURCE Leo Burnett Worldwide [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Worsham Law Firm selects Identillect's Delivery Trust to Secure Email Communications IRVINE, Calif., July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Identillect Technologies Corp. (the "Company" or "Identillect") (TSX-V:ID) (OTCQB:IDTLF) (Frankfurt:8ID), announces Worsham Law Firm has selected Delivery Trust to meet and exceed the regulatory requirements to protect their client-sensitive communications. Identillect has continued to see growth with law firms through the Partnership with Arkansas Bar Association. The legal community has become more concerned about cyber security attacks across the United States and Identillect is here to serve them. Worsham Law Firm is a well-respected firm in Little Rock, Arkansas practicing Family Law, Appellate Law, Civil Litigation, Probate, Personal Injury, and Criminal Defense, and is led by Richard E. Worsham, a member of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2005. Richard was also voted Best of the Best lawyers in Central Arkansas by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Worsham Law Firm has always put confidentiality as one of the most important items when representing its clients. Identillect partnered with the Arkansas Bar Association to ensure the integrity of digital communication to its members. This partnership has come with Identillect providing increased education and awareness around cyber-security and the simplest way to implement secure communication for the Bar Members. Richard Worsham managing partner at Worsham Law Firm states, I attended the annual association meeting and was able to join Todd Sextons lecture, it was both informative and eye-opening as to the dangers everyone is exposed to when communicating digitally. When representing our clients, we place their confidentiality high on the priority list and therefore ar pleased to deploy Delivery Trust throughout our practice to protect client data. Identillect CEO Todd Sexton states, The legal community in Arkansas is increasing the standard at which law firms should protect electronic client communications. Identillect is currently in negotiations with nine other Bar associations across the United States with the goal of duplicating the success we have seen with Arkansas. Identillect is proud to be serving a well-respected firms like Worsham Law Firm and pleased to assist in advancing their client security measures. The cyber security market is one of the fastest growing markets in technology. Breaches involving accidental email/internet exposure of information were the second most common type of breach incident reported by the Identity Theft Center. Global spending will cumulatively exceed $1 trillion dollars over the next 5 years, with cyber security damages predicted to reach $6 trillion globally by 2021 reported by CSO online. The need for advanced cyber security tools to prevent data breaches will only continue to increase with an estimated 4 billion individuals online requiring security by 2020. About Identillect Identillect Technologies is the leading provider of the email encryption service Delivery Trust, empowering enterprises of all sizes to protect their business and their clients critical information against cyber security attacks. Delivery Trust is an award-winning, multi-platform plug-in, which gives users complete control of their emails, for one low price. One simple integration complies with all regulations and most importantly provides peace of mind. For more information, or your free trial, please visit www.identillect.com About Worsham Law Firm Worsham Law Firm is a well-respected firm in Little Rock, Arkansas practicing Family Law, Appellate Law, Civil Litigation, Probate, Personal Injury, and Criminal Defense. Richard Worsham was voted Best of the Best lawyers in Central Arkansas by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and is a distinguished member of the Supreme Court. For more information, please visit http://www.worshamlawfirm.com/ On Behalf of the Board of Directors of: IDENTILLECT TECHNOLOGIES CORP. Todd Sexton Chief Executive Officer Tel: (949) 468-7878 Email: todd.sexton@identillect.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Executives of Leading Global Service Providers Round Out MEF's Board of Directors LOS ANGELES, July 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEF is pleased to announce the results of the 2018-2019 Board of Directors elections at the MEF Annual Members Meeting in Nashville. MEFs new Board includes an experienced team of service and technology provider executives and creative minds focusing on the MEF Mission accelerate worldwide adoption of Assured Services across Automated Networks with MEF 3.0. The broad geographic representation of major service providers on the Board directly reflects MEFs transformational influence on communication services across the globe. MEF Board of Directors and Advisory Director Nan Chen, Executive Vice Chairman, CENX Frederick Chui, Senior Vice President, Global Data Sales and Presales, PCCW Global Shawn Hakl, Senior Vice President Business Products, Verizon Aamir Hussain, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, CenturyLink Scott Mansfield, Standardization Researcher, Networks, Ericsson Kevin O'Toole, Senior Vice President, Product Management, Comcast Business Roman Pacewicz, Chief Product Officer, AT&T Business Ralph Santitoro, Head of SDN/NFV/SDWAN Services, Fujitsu Network Communications Michael Strople, President Allstream, Managing Director - Canada, Zayo Group Mirko Voltolini, Global Head of Network on Demand, Colt Technology Services Rami Yaron, Senior Director SDN/NFV Solutions, NEC/Netcracker Jean-Claude Geha, SVP of International Services and Technology, Deutsche Telekom (Advisory Director) MEF Officers Nan Chen, President Mike Strople, Chairman Shawn Hakl, Treasurer Scott Mansfield, Secretary Kevin Vachon, Chief Operating Officer Pascal Menezes, Chief Technology Officer Dan Pitt, Senior Vice President MEF is pleased to welcome such a powerful group of world-class executives and creative minds to the MEF board. They represent many of the industrys most prominent business, technology, and thought leaders, said Nan Chen, President, MEF. They will bring unique insights and capabilities to advance our Mission accelerate worldwide adoption of Assured Services across Automated Networks with MEF 3.0. The new Board of Directors will continue to focus on expanding MEFs ecosystem of service providers, technology vendors, and other companies that are committed to building a global ecosystem of automated networks that power MEF 3.0 services. Together with the broader MEF Community, the Board is advancing a rigorous roadmap that will enable services that provide an on-demand, cloud-centric experience with unprecedented user- and application-directed control over network resources and service capabilities. About MEF An industry association of 200+ member companies, MEF recently introduced the MEF 3.0 transformational global services framework for defining, delivering, and certifying assured services orchestrated across a global ecosystem of automated networks. MEF 3.0 services are designed to provide an on-demand, cloud-centric experience with user- and application-directed control over network resources and service capabilities. MEF 3.0 services are delivered over automated, virtualized, and interconnected networks powered by LSO, SDN, and NFV. MEF produces service specifications, LSO frameworks, open LSO APIs, software-driven reference implementations, and certification programs. MEF 3.0 work will enable automated delivery of standardized Carrier Ethernet, Optical Transport, IP, SD-WAN, and Layer 4-7 services across multiple provider networks. For more information: https://www.mef.net. Additional resource: MEF 3.0 Overview MEF YouTube Channel Media Contact: Ashley Schulte Witz Communications for MEF ashley@witzcommunications.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] New Data from FiscalNote Ranks Productivity of State Legislators FiscalNote, a technology innovator at the intersection of global business and government that provides advanced, data-driven Issues Management solutions today unveiled new data on the most productive state legislators nationwide. FiscalNote ranked all representatives and senators in accordance with their legislative productivity, defined as how successful a legislator is at sponsoring and steering legislation through each stage of the legislative process. Using the platform's real-time global data, advanced analytics and proprietary algorithm, FiscalNote determined the most productive state legislators by evaluating the quantity, endurance and substantiveness of all bills each legislator sponsored and introduced in their state legislature. "State legislators play an important role in shaping both local and national policies which is why it is so important to recognize their productive legislative contributions said Tim Hwang, Founder and CEO of FiscalNote. "Despite the partisan politics that play out in Washington, the most productive state legislators are markedly balanced between party lines, demonstrating the importance of bipartisanship when addressing the most pressing issues facing our communities today." The following state senators and representatives are ranked in order of productivity by chamber for their cumulative legislative achievements: Senator John Bonacic (R-NY) Senator Curt Bramble (R-UT) Senator Lonnie Randolph (D-IN) Senator Judy Lee (R-ND) Senator Jerry Hill (D- CA (News - Alert) ) Senator Dick Sears (D-VT) Senator Missy Irvin (R-AR) Senator Margaret Henry (D-DE) Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-TX) Senator Emmett Hanger (R-VA) Representative Alan Clemmons (R-SC) Representative Jim Hughes (News - Alert) (R-OH) Representative Jody Richards (D-KY) Representative Ji Keane (D-MT) Representative Calvin Say (D-HI) Representative Michael Madigan (D-IL) Delegate Alfred Carr (D-MD) Representative Garry Smith (R-SC) Representative Michael Pitts (R-SC) In addition to meeting with the legislators during the 2018 NCSL Legislative Summit in Los Angeles, FiscalNote will formally recognize the legislators at their 2018 Reinvent Summit in Washington, D.C. "Leveraging FiscalNote's powerful Issues Management Platform, we were able to review years, and in some cases, decades of data to identify the important factors that enable a legislator to be productive," said Dr. Vlad Eidelman, Vice President of Research at FiscalNote. "By identifying key data points that defined their productivity, FiscalNote was able to contextualize and explain their success in generating policy change, which can be used as a model for all legislators looking to address the complex socio-political issues impacting their constituents." In addition to ranking the productivity of state legislators, FiscalNote also identified the legislator's closest bipartisan colleague, top policy issues and ideological rating based on voting history relative to colleagues within the same chamber. For more information on the methodology, data and full list of rankings, please visit FiscalNote's Medium Page. About FiscalNote FiscalNote's mission is to connect the world to their governments. It is the leading technology innovator at the intersection of global business and government, whose revolutionary Issues Management solutions combine real-time policy data from Congress, all 50 states and nearly 30 countries with machine learning, advanced analytics, and innovative workflow tools to help organizations better understand the risks and opportunities of today's socio-political environment. With offices in D.C., NYC, Baton Rouge, Seoul, India, and Brussels, the company has raised more than $50 million from prominent early-stage investors including Mark Cuban, Jerry Yang (News - Alert) /AME Cloud Ventures, Steve Case's fund, Rise of the Rest, Renren, First Round Capital's Dorm Room Fund, Green Visor Capital, MoneyToday, Visionnaire Ventures, Perle Ventures, NEA, and 645 Ventures. Organizations - from small startups and nonprofits to multinational corporations - that rely on FiscalNote's suite of products and services include Toyota, Intel (News - Alert) , Johnson & Johnson, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, Microsoft, PhRMA, Salesforce, the Consumer Technology Association, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, Schlumberger (News - Alert) , and the National Education Association. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005531/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Adrealm Foundation to Hold First Press Conference Adtech leader going global with blockchain, new DApp, and vision of the future SHANGHAI, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For Brian Xie and his team, the Ritz Carlton hotel in Pudong New District, Shanghai, might be a grand enough to match their aspirations. Maybe. On 2 August, Xie and his team will officially announce the launch of The Adrealm Foundation and the Xhance DApp. Xie will also share his vision for how to recreate the global digital advertising industry. "We've all worked very hard for this," Xie said, "and the August 2 press conference is just the beginning." Xie, the founder of Adrealm Foundation, is also the top man at Holaverse, UpLTV, and Avid.ly, three companies known to clients over the world for innovation in game publishing and game-analytics. Xie is also expected to announce the christening of the initialism "HUA" and its adoption as a name. HUA incorporates the names of the three other companies Xie is steering, and points to the Chinese word commonly used to refer to the peoples of China and the nation (hua). "All three companies acknowledged by the name HUA are already on the world stage," Xie said. "Looking towards future branding opportunities for Adrealm Foundation, 'HUA' is a nice, natural way of simplifying the three names while pointing to the great teams behind Adrealm. HUA is also a nice allusion to the company's roots in Shanghai." One item on the confirmed agenda is the unveiling of the company's blockchain- ecosystem, Adrealm, and its innovative approach to establishing "consensus." A "consensus mechanism" is a fundamental aspect of how blockchains work. For Adrealm, their consensus mechanism is also source of their products' unique value as business tools. "Our engineers hae come up with something quite incredible, really," Xie smiled. "It builds on good ideas that have been out there for a while, but it takes the functionality and purpose of the consensus mechanism to another level." Named PoVT (Proof of Valid Traffic), the proprietary mechanism was custom-built for use by advertisers and by those in the digital advertising industry. The team describes it in their whitepaper as a Business Incentive Oriented Consensus mechanism, or BIOC for short. They created the term to contrast it with Computational Incentive Oriented Consensus mechanisms -- also their formulation. Both initialisms were created in-house. According to Alix Liu who is the partner of R&D and Jack Chen who is the VP of product at Adrealm, PoVT, and much of the nomenclature used to define how Adrealm and Xhance work, are firsts of their kind. "Our system was purpose-made to reward those who use the tools we've created to defeat ad fraud," he said. "We can't turn code into law, but we can influence behavior in a positive way, a way that combats effectively the fraud rampant in the digital advertising industry." Carl Cai, VP of Business Development, leads the team charged with bringing Adrealm to the attention of investors worldwide. "We've called it BIOC because our ecosystem consists of a suite of tools that save advertisers time, money, and improve their ROI," he said. "It isn't going to be a difficult sell, because we have succeeded in creating a blockchain-based system that works in the real world." The Xhance app, which is native to the Adrealm ecosystem via a service layer, is gunning for competitors like AppsFlyer. By seamlessly applying dynamic encryption, blockchain storage methods and TEE (Trusted Execution Environment), Xhance not only gives advertisers the much needed enhanced security on their campaign data, freedom of private deployment on attribution and analytics functionalities, but also a new "data alliance" function that yields greater returns on campaign insights. The press conference will be attended by a number of industry notables, including Perry Jung from Chainers, Andy Ji from Ontology, as well as partners and investors from China's blockchain investment scene. Among the words and phrases the company has been churning out is "metatransparency," which is part of the name of the August 2 press conference. Not their coinage, it captures an central aspect of Xie's vision, explained Henry Zhang, Marketing Director at Adrealm. "Brian [Xie] is committed to crushing the kind of opacity we find in the digital advertising industry" he said. "And it isn't just the asymmetries of information we find in the digital advertising marketplace. Brian's idea of transparency goes well beyond that, and includes commitments to policies about data-ownership." "Xhance is going to be a boon for advertisers, because it makes money and saves money. But there's more to it than that. There's nearly as much social philosophy behind Adrealm as there is technology," he said. "And we're proud of that." Contact: Melinda Photo: +86-182-1032-9481 Email: melinda@adrealm.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adrealm-foundation-to-hold-first-press-conference-300688542.html SOURCE Adrealm [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] | BY Ricki Green | Today the integration of content management systems and ecommerce platforms is of critical importance in delivering exceptional customer experiences. Isobar, a global digital marketing agency, has published a white paper to explain how Headless Commerce, an approach to technology architecture, is more important than ever before. Headless Commerce: Differentiating Your Approach To Experience Commerce Strategy, is available to download from Isobars website now. The white paper shares how Headless Commerce is an opportunity for brands, making the argument that the reconfiguration of legacy systems can support the functional, emotional and tangible needs of a customer experience. It explains how the Headless Commerce approach provides brands with greater control over the UX, giving them a consistent identity across an entire ecosystem of touchpoints, and a foundation to create long-term customer relationships that can deliver sustainable business growth. Says Konrad Spilva, CEO, Isobar Group Australia and head of innovation at Dentsu Aegis Network ANZ: As a business focused on creatively unlocking the digital potential of our clients, the findings of this White Paper resonate strongly. In an increasingly competitive retail landscape, the way we shop continues to evolve and Headless Commerce must be at the core of a brands retail strategy to deliver a seamless user-experience and truly capture the consumers attention when their intent to purchase is at its highest. Brands who are after clear recommendations on how to improve UX through a headless approach, whilst still working with their existing ecommerce infrastructure, should read this paper. Says Vikalp Tandon, global chief technology officer, Isobar: One of the biggest challenges in the experience economy for brands is to engage consumers at every touchpoint across an ecosystem. This goes beyond serving the right content at the right time, it originates in the brands technology infrastructure that powers their digital presence. The Headless Commerce approach allows brands to deliver a truly customer-centric experience at speed and scale which is key in todays landscape, and moving forward. The white paper provides C-Suite brand leaders an overview of: The context behind the emergence of unified commerce experiences The opportunities of the Headless Commerce architecture approach A Customer Experience Framework The limitations of conventional or legacy architecture approaches (Monolithic architecture) The opportunity for immersive experiences through rich content approaches How Headless Commerce provides brands with a centralised view of customer data The requirements of a Headless Commerce strategy & what the future holds [July 30, 2018] MIM Software Inc. to Collaborate with Radialogica to Provide Monte Carlo Dose Calculation CLEVELAND, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MIM Software Inc., a leading global provider of Radiation Oncology software, announced today its intention to collaborate with Radialogica to provide an integrated, advanced Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm for adaptive therapy assessment and quality assurance. MIM Software is currently demonstrating its latest solutions at the 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Annual Meeting in Nashville. Monte Carlo simulation is considered the gold standard in dose calculation and MIM Software will leverage its existing data management and automation platform to deliver this technology. "We are excited to partner with MIM Software to apply the accuracy of Monte Carlo for adaptive assessment," said Andrew Cowen, CEO of Radialogica. "This partnership will allow us to combine first-class automation along with first-class dose calculation on a vendor-neutral platform," said Andrew Nelson, CEO of MIM Software. "This will expand our ability to provide unique and impactful software solutions to enhance patient care."> Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm will provide a leap forward in automating adaptive assessment during therapy while providing 3D dose verification using independently verified beam models. "We believe our advanced SciMoCa dose calculation algorithm has a significant opportunity to enhance the quality and safety for patients undergoing radiotherapy," said Dr. Markus Alber of Scientific RT. About Radialogica Radialogica, a privately held business headquartered in St. Louis, is a healthcare IT company focused on advanced software solutions for radiation oncology. The company provides sophisticated tools and robust analytics to elevate quality of care for cancer patients. Radialogica has a partnership with Scientific RT to provide the SciMoCa dose calculation algorithm. Radialogica's organizational strategy, capabilities and resources are unified around a deep commitment to quality and value in oncology, and the goal of reducing the physical and financial burden of cancer treatment and survivorship. For more information visit www.radialogica.com. About Scientific RT Scientific RT, a privately held business based in Munich, is a healthcare consulting and IT company specializing in Medical Physics in Radiotherapy. The company's mission is to develop best-in-class algorithms for radiation dose computation and optimization together with its clinical customers, academic research collaborators, and commercial partners. The company has successfully consulted for virtually all major players in Radiotherapy. For more information, visit www.scientific-rt.com. About MIM Software Inc. MIM Software Inc. is committed to enhancing patient care by providing customer-centered and innovative imaging solutions in the fields of radiation oncology, radiology, nuclear medicine, neuroimaging, and cardiac imaging. Headquartered in Cleveland, OH, MIM Software is a privately held company with offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.mimsoftware.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/709760/MIM_Software_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Global Image Sensor Market by Technology, Processing Type, Operating Spectrum, Array Type, Application, and Geography - Forecast to 2023 - ResearchAndMarkets.com The "Image Sensor Market by Technology, by Processing Type, by Operating Spectrum, by Array Type, by Application by Geography - Global Market Size, Share, Development, Growth, and Demand Forecast, 2013 - 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global image sensors market is expected to reach $23.2 billion by 2023. Rising demand for dual-camera mobile phones, development of low-power and compact complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors, and increased use of image sensing devices in biometric applications are some of the major factors driving the growth of the image sensor market. In terms of technology, the image sensors market has been categorized into CMOS and charge-coupled device (CCD). The CMOS technology has been contributing higher revenue to the industry, with an estimated share of more than 65% in 2017. It is because of the increasing adoption of the CMOS technology by the market players owing to the several advantages offered by it, including lower power consumption, faster frame rate, easier on-chip integration, and lower fabication cost. During the forecast period, the market for linear image sensors is expected to grow at a higher rate than that for area image sensors, because of the increasing utility of these sensors in applications that demand both speed and high image quality, such as multifunction printers, scanners, copiers, bar code readers, and cash machines. The increased demand for bar code scanners used in areas of production, sales, and distribution has led to the growth of the linear image sensor market in recent years. Key Findings APAC continues to be the largest market for image sensors Rising demand for dual-camera mobile phones is the key growth driver Increasing application of image sensors in automobiles offers lucrative opportunities to the market players Key Topics Covered Chapter 1. Research Background Chapter 2. Research Methodology Chapter 3. Executive Summary Chapter 4. Introduction Chapter 5. Global Market Size And Forecast Chapter 6. North America Market Size & Forecast Chapter 7. Europe Market Size & Forecast Chapter 8. APAC Market Size & Forecast Chapter 9. RoW Market Size & Forecast Chapter 10. Competitive Landscape Chapter 11. Company Profiles Sony Corporation Panasonic Corporation Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Omnivision Technologies Inc. Canon (News - Alert) Inc. STMicroelectronics N.V. Toshiba Corporation SK Hynix Inc. ON Semiconductor Corporation Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6tvh7z/global_image?w=4 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005646/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Sara Lee Frozen Bakery Commences Operations with a Lineup of Iconic Premier Frozen Bakery Brands, Led by a Dynamic Team of Food Industry Veterans Today, Sara Lee Frozen Bakery is commencing operations with the closing of the sale of Tyson Foods' Frozen Bakery business to private equity firm Kohlberg & Company. Drawing on its heritage as a leading bakery and dessert maker, the new Sara Lee Frozen Bakery will focus on its iconic Sara Lee, Van's, Chef Pierre and Bistro Collection brands, especially in the fast-growing premium dessert food service market. Sara Lee Frozen Bakery will establish its headquarters in the Chicago suburb of Oakbrook Terrace, and continue operations at two manufacturing facilities in Traverse City, Michigan, and Tarboro, North Carolina, just outside of Raleigh-Durham. The new management team, led by Chief Executive Officer Craig Bahner, President and Head of Sales Don Davis, and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Gronbeck, will be recruiting 60-80 new senior-level professionals in the areas of sales and marketing, research and development, finance, human resources, and supply chain, bolstering the resources and team needed to accelerate innovation in these competitive categories. The new company will employ approximately 1,300 people at the headquarters and plant locations. Bahner, who has a long history of building iconic brands at Procter & Gamble, Wendy's and Kellogg Company, said, "Tyson Foods did a great job with this portfolio of businesses, but their primary focus was on protein. Moving the frozen bakery products into a standalone company concentrated in the frozen bakery business will enable us to contiue delivering quality products while accelerating growth, increasing innovation and achieving operational excellence." "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to breathe new life into this outstanding portfolio of brands," said Chairman CJ Fraleigh, who worked for Sara Lee from 2005 to 2011, including a stint as its North American CEO. "We have assembled an exceptional management team, and our partners at Kohlberg have a long track record of success in carve outs and reemerging businesses. Together we will accelerate Sara Lee Frozen Bakery's growth." In addition to hiring new employees, Sara Lee Frozen Bakery will invest in its research and development efforts, and will soon begin building a new R&D facility and test kitchen, including a pilot plant. This facility will be co-located with the corporate headquarters to facilitate collaboration and accelerate innovation. "We are very excited to create a great growth-oriented company that allows our employees' careers and families to thrive, with a culture that respects and values all," added Bahner. About Sara Lee Frozen Bakery Sara Lee Frozen Bakery is a leading maker of frozen bakery and dessert products headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Oakbrook, Illinois, with production facilities in Michigan and North Carolina. The company's product lines include Sara Lee Frozen Bakery, Van's, Chef Pierre and Bistro Collection. Each day, the company's employees delight consumers and deliver outstanding products, service and value to customers. For more information, visit www.saraleefrozenbakery.com. About Kohlberg & Company Kohlberg & Company, L.L.C. ("Kohlberg") is a leading private equity firm headquartered in Mount Kisco, New York. Since its inception in 1987, Kohlberg has organized eight private equity funds, through which it has raised $7.5 billion of committed equity capital. Over its 31-year history, Kohlberg has completed 76 platform investments and approximately 170 add-on acquisitions, with an aggregate transaction value of approximately $18 billion. For more information, please visit WWW.KOHLBERG.COM. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005645/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Three Local San Diego UBS Advisors Make the Forbes "Next Generation Top Financial Advisors" List Forbes has announced its second annual ranking of America's Top Next Generation Wealth Advisors from all 50 states. Three San Diego-based UBS wealth advisors have made the listing. The local UBS rising stars include: Alex Howell of the La Jolla branch, Bryan Thompson of the downtown San Diego branch, and Kalyn Maher Walker of the Carmel Valley branch. In all, there were 126 UBS advisors included in the total list of 500. Chris Marsh, market head for UBS in San Diego, says, "These advisors are the industry's future leaders who provide financial stewardship for both their current clients and a legacy for the next generations. We are quite proud of Alex, Bryan and Kalyn, as well as the other people who support their UBS clients every day, and we look forward to a bright future for the wealth management industry with these intellects leading it." According to Forbes, to qualify for this ranking, advisors must have been born in 1980 or later and must show leadership capabilities beyond their years. The magazine conducts deep due diligence by interviewing advisors, via telephone and in person, to measure them qualitatively, and to identify best practices, service models, investing process, business types, eadership capabilities, and integrity. Each advisor completes a lengthy survey. Forbes considers such factors as compliance records, client retention, revenues produced for their firms and assets managed. They do not consider portfolio performance because of varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Both quantitative and qualitative data are fed into an algorithm that produces a ranking score. Background on the listed advisors Alex Howell, first vice president of wealth management, is part of The Baldwin Group, a UBS financial services team located in La Jolla. He joined the firm in 2008 and is in his 12th year working in the financial services industry. Over the past 10 years at UBS, he has focused on team branding and business development efforts for The Baldwin Group. He partners with financial advisors, not just in San Diego, but across the country to develop relationships and close multimillion-dollar relationships with corporate executives. Howell and his team manage financial planning and deliver ongoing advice and insightful guidance to their clients. This strategy has served Baldwin Group clients well and has helped it to grow its business and remain a relevant resource to select corporate executives. A graduate of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, Howell holds a degree in marketing. He lives in San Diego with his wife, Kristen, and their three children. He values the mentorship and insight he has gathered from his colleagues over the years, and still remembers the best piece of business advice he has received in his experience: to be disciplined and persistent. Earl B. "Bryan" Thompson III has been with UBS for 10 years, initially working at the firm's national sales department in New Jersey and as a financial planning resource for wealth management teams in Southern California, before joining his father, Earl B. Thompson, at the UBS San Diego-based Thompson Wealth Management Group in 2008. In 2017 he was promoted to VP of Wealth Management. Very community focused, Thompson, a nine-year resident of San Diego's Little Italy, was recently nominated to the community's association board and is vice chairman of the renowned Ferragosto event, which hosts a few hundred thousand people to raise funds for the community's elementary school, parish and safety programs. He also mentors veterans transitioning back into the private sector. Thompson says he lives and breathes looking for ways to help his clients achieve their personal financial goals through financial analysis and a comprehensive approach. Thompson earned his B.B.A. degree in finance and marketing from the University of Washington, Seattle. Kalyn Maher Walker, senior vice president, wealth management, who joined the firm in 2014, has a decade of experience in financial services. She leads a team of seven at the Maher-Walker and Zeigler team located in the UBS Carmel Valley branch, which serves select clients and families in San Diego and surrounding areas. She has received several accolades and awards; in 2018, she was listed by Forbes on both the Top Women Advisors and Best-in-State Wealth Advisors lists as well. In 2015, Walker was ranked No. 12 on Rep. magazine's list of Top 40 Wirehouse Advisors Under 40 as well as No. 11 on the publication's list of Top 50 Wirehouse Women in 2015. In 2016 and 2018 she was named to UBS's list of Top 35 under 35. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Walker holds a degree in finance. She believes in giving back to her community and is an active supporter of the Boys & Girls Club, Special Olympics, and Monarch School in San Diego. She lives in Encinitas with her husband and baby daughter. About UBS Global Wealth Management As the world's largest wealth manager, UBS Global Wealth Management provides comprehensive advice, solutions and services to wealthy families and individuals around the world. Clients who work with UBS benefit from a fully integrated set of wealth management capabilities and expertise, including wealth planning, investment management, capital markets, banking, lending and institutional and corporate financial advice. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005692/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Zenabis Secures Third Provincial Supply Agreement with British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch Zenabis Ltd. ("Zenabis" or "the Company"), a New Brunswick-based licensed producer of cannabis, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch to supply cannabis to the British Columbia recreational market. The agreement strengthens the Company's standing as one of Canada's major cannabis suppliers. "Our vision is to become a national supplier of high-quality cannabis products and to serve the needs of each province as we ramp up production," says Kevin Coft, CEO of Zenabis. Over the next few months, Zenabis will be entering additional negotiations with other provinces. With the British Columbia agreement in place, the Company will be hiring additional workers at its Atholville, New Brunswick facility. According to Coft, an additional 60 jobs will be posted over the next few weeks, effectively doubling the Company's New Brunswick workforce. "The BC agreement, together with our commitments to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, is great news for the workforce and the community in Atholville," says Coft. "We made a commitment to the Government of New Brunswick to increase the size of our operations as we entered into new agreements, and we are pleased to have delivered." More than 50 different varieties of cannabis products will be available to customers in each province. "The breadth and scope of our poduct line means that we will appeal to customers seeking both recreational and/or medical cannabis," says Coft. Legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada is effective October 17, 2018 and Zenabis products will be available in retail outlets throughout British Columbia, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia at that time. About Zenabis Ltd. Zenabis Ltd. is a privately-held, cannabis company with one of the largest, federally licensed indoor medical cultivation footprints in Canada. Zenabis currently operates two licensed production facilities in Surrey, British Columbia and Atholville, New Brunswick, with a third coming shortly in Nova Scotia. These facilities encompass 660,000 square feet of indoor pharmaceutical grade cannabis production space across Canada. Zenabis' operations are strategically positioned on Canada's coasts, facilitating national distribution and access to international markets. Zenabis is currently working towards globally recognized EU GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certifications. Zenabis has one of the most experienced management teams in the industry, with an extensive background in retail consumer packaged goods, global pharmaceutical sales and manufacturing, quality assurance, and commercialized cultivation. Their growing team has decades of experience in organic cultivation and distribution of herbs and nutraceutical products throughout the Americas, North Africa and the Middle East. Their sales team has more than 20 years of experience in product development, commercialization, and retail and pharmaceutical sales including international distribution. Join us on Facebook (News - Alert): https://www.facebook.com/zenabismmj/ Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) : @Zenabis View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005721/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2018] Health Net Provides Assistance to River Fire Evacuees in Lake County Health Net of California, Inc., one of California's largest health care service plans, announced today that it is providing assistance to members who are residents of Lake County and affected by the River Fire. Health Net is helping ensure that plan members who have lost their homes or have been evacuated due to current wildfire activity in Lake County have access to essential prescription medications, critical Health Net information, and other healthcare services to help them cope with grief, loss, stress or trauma. On July 28, 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Lake County due to the effects of the River Fire, which has destroyed homes, threatened critical infrastructure and caused the evacuation of residents. Prescription Information Health Net will approve any essential prscription medications (with current copayments and deductibles) for any Health Net member in Lake County whose medicine was lost in a fire or remained behind during an evacuation. To obtain an emergency supply, affected members need to return to the pharmacy where the original prescription was filled. If the pharmacy is not open due to the state of emergency, or for questions or assistance, Health Net members should call 1-800-400-8987. Coping Assistance Health Net members who have lost their homes or have been evacuated due to the current wildfire should contact MHN, Health Net's behavioral health subsidiary, for referrals to mental health counselors, local resources or telephonic consultations to help them cope with stress, grief, loss or other trauma resulting from the fire. For the duration of the fire and its immediate aftermath, affected Health Net members should contact MHN 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-227-1060. Information for Healthcare Providers The company is taking steps to help ensure that Health Net providers in areas affected by the wildfire are able to continue providing services for Health Net members. Healthcare providers who contract with Health Net should call 1-800-641-7761 for guidance on prescription refill guidelines, length of time to obtain authorizations for treatment, or approval for out-of-network services in the event a contracting provider or facility becomes unavailable. Other Important Information Depending on how the fire situation progresses, Health Net may make additional changes to its policies as needed to help ensure members have access to necessary healthcare services. About Health Net Health Net of California, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. and Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), provides and administers health benefits through group, individual, Medicare (including the Medicare prescription drug benefit commonly referred to as "Part D"), Medi-Cal and dual eligible programs. Health Net also offers access to behavioral health, substance abuse and employee assistance programs, and managed healthcare services related to prescription drugs. For more information on Health Net, please visit the company's website at HealthNet.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180730005803/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] All signs point to Apple releasing three new iPhones this fall. Unfortunately though, one of them may not release on time, according to a report from the production line. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) Among Apple's two iPhone X successors believed to be sized at 5.8 and 6.5 inches Cupertino has long been rumored to be planning an entry-level 6.1-inch model which will incorporate a single rear camera and LCD screen, unlike the more expensive dual-lens, OLED-fitted models. According to Japanese blog Macotakara, it's this 6.1-inch iPhone that will face shipping delays, as supplier Japan Display is reportedly facing low yields in manufacturing the LCD panels that will power that particular version. MORE: The 2018 iPhones Just Leaked in New Photos The issue might sound surprising to those who remember the iPhone X's delay last year, which was said to relate to limited supply of OLED screens. The dilemma this time around concerns the particular process Japan Display is using the construct these compact LCD panels, which feature a slimmer border around them than LCD displays typically do. The results haven't been meeting the high yields sufficient for launch, Macotakara reports, which may result in the 6.1-inch iPhone being held back until November, while the other models achieve their targets for October. LCD screens may be cheaper than their OLED counterparts, but they're also more difficult to shape. That may explain why renderings, prototypes and images of the entry-level iPhone show a device with larger bezels than the current iPhone X. The overall shape of the display remains the same, but the border surrounding it is noticeably thicker. This isn't the first time we've heard of delays facing the 6.1-inch iPhone. A Morgan Stanley analyst stated to Barron's just a few days ago that the cheapest of Apple's 2018 handsets would show up a month late to market. That was actually an improvement over the initial forecast of six weeks. You needn't look further than Apple's 2017 iPhones to find a recent example of the company being forced into shipping a pillar of its product line later than the rest to accommodate production woes. In other words, there's definitely a precedent at play here, and it's looking increasingly likely that a similar story will play out this fall. With a little more than a month to go until Apple reveals everything, this surely won't be the last we hear on the subject so keep an eye on our iPhone rumor roundup for the latest news. If you own a Samsung SmartThings Hub to control your smart-home devices, check to make sure its firmware has been automatically updated, as a number of security flaws were recently found in the Hub. (Image credit: Samsung) An attacker could chain together several of the vulnerabilities to take over the SmartThings Hub and unlock smart locks on your front door, use smart cameras to watch you, turn your smart lights off and on and, well, adjust the settings on your smart thermostat. Samsung pushed out a firmware patch for the flaws earlier this month. As Samsung SmartThings Hubs are designed to automatically update their own firmware, you're probably all right, but you'll still want to check. [UPDATE: Samsung confirmed with us that only the second-generation Hub was affected, and that updates have been pushed out to all active units.] MORE: Best Smart Home Hubs It's not clear if other devices that use Samsung SmartThings Hub software, including the Samsung Connect Home, ADT Security Hub, Nvidia Shield or the first-generation Hubs are affected by these flaws. We're checking with Samsung and will update this story when we learn more. Cisco's Talos lab detailed last week how it found 20 different vulnerabilities in firmware version 0.20.17, which runs on second-generation Samsung SmartThings Hubs (model numbers STH-ETH-200, STH-ETH-250, F-HUB-US-2, F-HUB-UK-2, F-H-ETH-001 and possibly others). The second-generation Hub has two USB ports on the back, while the first-generation Hub has none. "Samsung did a lot of things right and should be commended for the way they designed their devices to be easily updated," Cisco Talos official Craig Williams told ZDNet. To make sure your Hub's firmware is up to date, check the SmartThings mobile app. In the newer version of the app, tap Devices, then Hub, then the three dots on the upper right, then Information, then Firmware Version. In the older version of the app, tap the menu icon, then Hub, then scroll to Firmware Version. As of this writing, the latest firmware version for second-generation Hubs was 000.022.00014, or 22.14. How Jay-Z's new docuseries on Trayvon Martin exposes America This March, five years after being acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman was back in the news for threatening another African-American man - Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. "[I said] I would beat him as if I was Solange," Zimmerman told a local newspaper, referencing Jay-Z's much-publicised fracas with his sister-in-law, Solange Knowles, in 2014. An aging rapper offers provocative content that may or may not explain why Ferguson has one less Quiktrip & and a reasonably newTake a look: | BY Ricki Green | As a gifted storyteller hailing from New Zealand, In The Thicket is thrilled to add Jason Bock to its roster of directors. Bocks visual aesthetic is not only uniquely expressive, but invokes strong emotional responses in audiences. Bocks striking style and storytelling capabilities draw from the strengths of music video, film and commercial work. Bock has previously directed commercials for international brands and music videos for acclaimed artists. His latest commercial was for the New Zealand Defence Force. With a background in art and design, Bock seamlessly weaves between these different forms. He has been influenced by diverse cultures and experiences owing to his international exposure. His travels have exposed him to a diverse palette of influences that he channels in his work. Click here to view Jason Bocks showreel. Duck Boat Talk Starts The Week Attorneys set to make major announcement in Branson duck boat disaster Monday morning Kansas City, Mo -- A major announcement will be made Monday morning regarding the July 19th Branson, Missouri duck boat disaster. There were 17 people killed when the duck boat they were on sank on Table Rock Lake. Dead-Tree Encourages Pointless Ethics Conversation At City Hall KC Council defeats ethics reform, but issue deserves attention | The Kansas City Star The Kansas City Council's rejection of a less-than-ambitious ethics reform bill was disappointing but illuminating. By a vote of 7-4, council members rejected a modified measure that would have limited gifts to $50, required monthly disclosure of members' travel and ordered a review of ethics rules every other year. Local Heavy Metal History On Display The Great Car Show held at WWI Memorial KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Great Car Show got underway Sunday on the grounds of the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Money raised from the benefit, which included a wide variety opf vehicles, will support to the KC Auto Museum and WWI Museum. The Great Car Show took place from 9 a.m. More Insight On Murder Victim Mother of four children killed in KCMO KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Saturday morning, Deandrea Vine became Kansas City's 67th homicide victim of 2018, and less than nine hours after Kansas City's Cease Fire Weekend began. She was 27 years old, and a mother of four children. The front lawn is freshly mowed in front of Deandrea Vine`s home near 92nd street and Wallace in Kansas City. Show-Me Conservation Talk Missouri could offset carbon emissions from agriculture by conserving the soil, report says Farmers and ranchers in Missouri could help cut the state's contribution to climate change by using practices that store carbon from the atmosphere in the soil, according to a climate science report released this month. In Missouri, many farmers use no-till or reduced-till practices, which means not using mechanical equipment to overturn the soil. Newsie Legend Sails Away End of an era: Water-skiing squirrel holds final show A squirrel that used a toy boat to glide across water is getting some more free time. Talking Kansas City Moneyball Moves Kansas City Royals: Recap of the 2018 trades the Royals have made When the Kansas City Royals decided not to re-sign Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer, the writing was on the wall. The team was going to be going through a massive rebuild. In order to help the rebuild move in the right direction quickly, some moves had to be made. Quick view of the local news scene for Sunday night and more than a few stories worth checking:And this is thefor right now . . . "Application/Annual Permit Review Fees. A fee of twenty ($20.00) dollars for each rental property due at time of submission of the initial application for the permit and fee of twenty ($20.00) dollars per rental unit due annually." "A re-inspection fee of $150.00 assessed for the re-inspection of the first rental unit. A $100 re-inspection fee assessed at the time of the re-inspection for every additional unit requiring re-inspection." "Re-instatement Fee of $300.00 for the reinstatement of any permits that have been suspended." "A Late Fee equal to 10 percent of the amount due per month for fees not paid when due." LANDLORDS ACROSS KANSAS CITY GUARANTEE THAT THESE EXORBITANT CITY HALL FEES WILL SPIKE LOCAL RENTS!!! TRANSLATION: SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORS ARE RAISING RENTS FOR EVERYONE IN KANSAS CITY VIA PO'FOLK ADVOCACY!!! Because local news is now nothing more than a collection of special interests disseminating press releases, there's a dearth of coverage or examination of Kansas City election issues. Today the newspaper is touting testimony from a well-meaning but paid activist in order to talk aboutBetter than that, we'd like to inform our reader community with ballot language whichhow the vote could impact local rents for the worse.At first glance, a $20-inspection fee doesn't seem to bad.While this could add up for landlords who own multiple units, 20 bucks won't totally kill a profit margin for most people unlucky enough to try and eek out a living in the rental property market.But the costs don't stop there . . . Don't forget about the fees for landlords who don't meet standards that have yet to be clearly defined, are often arbitrary given the opinions or life journey of the inspector and are designed enforced randomly or based on subjective complaints.And then there's the fee for landlords to get back in the good graces of KCMO:One last fine for good measure:The ballot question also offers a clause for KCMO tobased on not only the Dept. of Labor consumer price index (CPI) for KCMO but alsofor those years in which fees were not previously adjusted.And so . . .Brief conversations & messages with a coalition of landlords opposed to this measure highlight the following reasons for the upcoming KCMO rent spike caused by Question 1 . . .- These fees will work. A lot of unqualified landlords will be forced out of the game rather than working to improve their properties. But limited lower-income options means those who can pay fees will have a strangle-hold on the low-income housing market.- Renters who might not think this problem applies to them don't really understand the financial interests of their landlords who also own lower-tier properties in other locations. Overall, higher fees & taxes arepassed along to consumers at higher end of the market.- Again, the impact of these inspection fees hitsLocal denizens who rent from middle & upper-level corporate apartment complexes have no idea how their properties are financed. KCMO adding a potential cost of at least $550 to every unit increases theof companies who leverage their financing from bigger lending institutions. Those lenders calculate the costs and increase borrowing rates over time . . . Again, these fees and the assumedis passed on consumers using an actuarial algorithm calculated by the big banks which well-meaning street level activists never thought to consider.Again, the sad part of all this is that this struggle has been misrepresented in the media as a war between slumlords vs. po'folk the the reality is that the vote has far-reaching implications that will impact prices forin KCMO.You decide . . . For a lot of us, buying a car comes with a lot of anxiety, especially when it comes to models that are going to cost a lot of money. But there are some models in the market that provide us with what we want out of a vehicle at costs that arent going to burn holes in our pockets. These models can either be attractive, have posh interiors, provide ample amounts of power, or are just fun to drive. In some cases, some cars check off more than just one criteria, though all of them have one common factor among them. They all cost at or less than $35,000. Pricing for the BMW 2 Series starts at $35,300, so it technically shouldnt count on this list, right? Pricing for the BMW 2 Series starts at $35,300, so it technically shouldnt count on this list, right? Were going to make an exception, though, because the 2 Series is that good of a car. Forget the way it looks for a second, though it can be argued that there is something inherently attractive about a no-frills Bimmer with a long nose and a short deck. The 2 Series makes it on this list because it not only looks good, it also has one of the most dynamic driving characteristics of any car at its price point. You dont often get a car that drives as well as the 2 Series does for the amount of money it sells for. And yet, BMW has somehow accomplished it. Youll need to pay a little extra for the car, but chances are, youre not going to regret doing it. Read our full review on the BMW 2 Series Ford Mustang GT - $35,095 Even the most popular version of the Mustang the Mustang GT barely goes over $35,000 with a price point of $35,355. Theres no shortage of legacy cars on this list, and one of the most iconic American nameplates deserve a spot on this list. The Ford Mustang is a car of its own making. Theres nothing pretentious about it. The Stang is the embodiment of American muscle, and its a status it has had since it first broke into the scene back in the 1960s. These days, the Ford Mustang still reveals itself as one of the most popular cars on the market. Even better, most of its trim levels are priced below $35,000. Even the most popular version of the Mustang the Mustang GT barely goes over $35,000 with a price point of $35,355. Imagine getting a car with a 5.0-liter V-8 engine that produces 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque for that price. There may be faster, more powerful, and overall better cars than the Mustang. But with a base price of under $26,000, youre going to have a hard time finding a car that offers as much value as the Stang does. Read our full review on the 2018 Ford Mustang. The best part about the CLA is that even if it does trace its roots on the more expensive CLS-Class, its base price starts at $32,975 The Mercedes CLA-Class is the kind of car you didnt think would exist as recently as a decade ago. But with more and more companies embracing the compact segments of the industry, the CLA was born as a miniaturized version of one of Mercs most popular models, the CLS-Class. To be fair, the CLA isnt the most engaging car to drive in the world. But it does benefit from having one of the most gorgeous designs of any car in its class. And the best part about the CLA is that even if it does trace its roots on the more expensive CLS-Class, its base price of $32,975 means that you wont have to pay a fortune for the chance to own a Mercedes. Read our full review on the 2018 Mercedes CLA-Class. The Renegade Trailhawk starts at just over $25,000, a bargain compared to what youll have to pay for other SUVs with similar capabilities The Jeep Renegade may look quirky next to some of its big brothers in the Jeep lineup, but there is nothing the subcompact SUV cant do what other Jeep models can. If youre looking for an SUV with excellent off-road capability at a fraction of the price, the Renegade is for you. The SUV holds its own in any surface, be it smooth pavement or rough roads. Opt for the range-topping Trailhawk trim, and youll also get standard full-time four-wheel-drive to go with a taller ride height and low-range gearing. You can even get Jeeps Selec-Terrain system, which lets you adjust the suspension characteristics of your Renegade to the terrain youre driving on. Heres the best part about the SUV, though. The Renegade Trailhawk starts at just over $25,000, a bargain compared to what youll have to pay for other SUVs with similar capabilities. If by some way you still think thats expensive, you can opt for cheaper versions, beginning with the base Renegade Sport trim that costs just $18,445. Read our full review on the 2018 Jeep Renegade. With a starting price of just $30,995 for the Wrangler Sport and $34,195 for the Wrangler Sport S, you know that youre money is going to be well-spent. There is one SUV that happens to have better value compared to the Jeep Renegade. It also happens to be a Jeep model. The Wrangler is arguably one of the best off-road vehicles on the market today. Its off-road capabilities are second to none, and it has the benefit of having a bigger engine than the ones found on the Renegade. That engine, a 3.6-liter V-6, produces 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, enough power to help it tackle just about any road surface its thrown on. It may not be the best handling car in its segment, but youre not buying the Wrangler because you think its going to own corners on a race track. Youre buying the Wrangler because you think it can go anywhere you want to take it. And with a starting price of just $30,995 for the Wrangler Sport and $34,195 for the Wrangler Sport S, you know that youre money is going to be well-spent. Read our full review on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The QX30 also excels in fuel efficiency, has a tight suspension setup, and, best of all, starts at just $29,950 Truth be told, there are a lot of compact SUVs these days that deserve to make it on this list. I just hold a particular fondness for the Infiniti QX30 because it offers one of the best make up of stylish looks, a luxury interior, and all-around presence of any compact SUV on the market today. Theres something about the QX30s aggressive styling that makes it stand out. A big part of it involves the dynamic body lines, but the front sections design is attractive, as well. It doesnt sit too high off the ground so some might confuse it for a high-riding hatch, but the QX30 still looks an SUV that youd want to be seen in. Then theres the ride. Theres one engine across the range a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 208 horsepower but that one engine is punchy enough that it makes you feel like theres more power there than advertised. The QX30 also excels in fuel efficiency, has a tight suspension setup, and, best of all, starts at just $29,950. Some versions exceed the $35,000 threshold, but even then, the range-topping QX30 Sport costs just $38,500. Read our full review on the 2018 Infiniti QX30 The Audi Q3 starts at $32,900, too. This isnt a pro SUV list by choice. This is a pro SUV list by current trends. Crossovers and SUVs are outselling sedans and hatchbacks by hilarious margins, so its only fair that a lot of vehicles on this list are of the crossover and SUV persuasions. The Audi Q3 is Audis smallest and most affordable SUV, and it also happens to be one of the best ones in its segment. The exterior design is typical of what youd expect from Audi, but the Q3s calling card is its interior. The luxurious look of the Q3s cabin is a testament to Audi designers who have shown unique abilities to craft cabins that come with exceptional fit and finish, rich materials, and eye-pleasing shapes. Even at its price point, theres very little about the Q3s cabin that feels cheap. Its fresh, upscale, and teeming with technology. The Audi Q3 starts at $32,900, too. Imagine having the opportunity to own an SUV that doesnt look and feel the part of a vehicle that costs under $35,000. Read our full review on the 2019 Audi Q3 The SUVs base price barely clips $35,000 $34,385, to be exact but if you really want to enjoy the GLA-Class for all of its worth, the costs could balloon north of $35,000 easily. Its only fitting that the Mercedes CLA-Class SUV counterpart, the GLA-Class, also makes it on this list. The GLA, by all accounts, is the kind of entry-level SUV that most people would want as a first car. Sure, the prestige of the model being a Mercedes is a big reason why its so appealing, but theres more to the GLA-Class than just a high-riding version of the CLA. The GLA actually looks more like a stylish, taller hatchback than a traditional SUV, but dont let its profile fool you. This baby Mercedes has the agility and versatility that few models in its segment can compete with. It also has all-wheel drive capability and an off-road package for venturing off-pavement. The GLA also offers the best of what Mercedes offers in terms of prestige, style, and tech and safety features. It may not drip in luxury like upper-tier Merc models, but it is, in every sense of the word, a true Mercedes-Benz. The SUVs base price barely clips $35,000 $34,385, to be exact but if you really want to enjoy the GLA-Class for all of its worth, the costs could balloon north of $35,000 easily. Read our full review on the 2018 Mercedes GLA-Class. The Cadillac ATS is another model that cheats our list a little bit because it starts at $35,495. The Cadillac ATS is another model that cheats our list a little bit because it starts at $35,495. But Id be remiss if I didnt include the ATS on this list because the model represents a return to form for a brand that has languished in the face of competition from its German rivals. The ATS changes that narrative, in large part because of the kind of offerings it has. It has an attractive design that embraces the quintessential Cadillac design language. It also has a rich and premium interior thats defined, in part, by the prevalence of high-quality materials that Cadillac gave the sedan. The ATS isnt shortchanged in power, either. It comes with a 2.0-liter turbo-four that produces 272 horsepower, an impressive number for a car that costs just $35,495. Combine all of that with a car regarded for having one of the best driving dynamics of any car in its segment, and you have a model thats justifiably becoming the apple in a lot of peoples eyes. Read our full review on the 2018 Cadillac ATS. For all of that, the MX-5 Miata starts at just $25,295 for the base Sport trim, $29,155 for the Club trim, and $30,195 for the range-topping Grand Touring trim. The last car on this list also happens to be one of my favorites. For almost 30 years, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has been a crowd favorite in the industry, and that sentiment hasnt changed almost three decades later. The MX-5 is one of the most beloved roadsters in the business, and that still holds true when it comes to the latest model. Mazda has done a great job evolving the MX-5s looks, keeping it as fresh and as modern as it can be. It also packs a good amount of power, thanks in large part to a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 182 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque, improvements of 27 horsepower and three pound-feet of torque over the incumbent model. With that much power on tap, the driving dynamics of the MX-5 should also improve, a luxury for a car that already is one of the most fun cars to drive in the business. For all of that, the MX-5 Miata starts at just $25,295 for the base Sport trim, $29,155 for the Club trim, and $30,195 for the range-topping Grand Touring trim. Read our full review on the 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata. As part of the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority's (TCTDA) ongoing effort to raise awareness about waterfall safety, inserted in this edition of The Transylvania Times is a flier intended to promote safe behavior around waterfalls. Residents are encouraged to place the flier anywhere that it might be seen by both locals and visitors: bulletin boards, restaurants, shop windows, churches, schools, etc. Everyone in the community is also encouraged to familiarize themselves with the safety guidelines and some of the history of waterfall accidents mentioned in this article, and... There has been a lot of press about how this merger of the Mission Heath Care System with HCA is going to be the best thing since sliced bread. The bottom line for any health care recipient is the quality and cost of care. If by HCAs own admissions, Mission Healths programs are already better than most of their own programs (MHC has multiple national top place recognition achievements), how will partnering with another system that is not as acclaimed going to benefit the populations of Asheville, Brevard and western North Carolina? From the discussion, it looks like Mission sho... Many years ago when we lived in Europe, I took this picture in the graveyard in Roermond in the southern part of the Netherlands. For centuries the town was ruled by French, Germans, Spanish and Dutch, as various peoples vied for power and control. However, the most significant was the long struggle between the Roman Catholics in the south next to Belgium and the Protestant Calvinists in the north. The tensions were great between peoples, even neighbors. Distrust was rampant. During the Spanish rule, the Inquisition was carried out; witchcraft and heresy were reported so that, in 1613, 64... The three giant U.S. airlines have given in to China's demand to change how they refer to Taiwan before the deadline that was set by Beijing. Earlier this year, China instructed 44 international airlines and other companies not to distinguish Taiwan as a non-Chinese territory. Currently, Taiwan's status is sensitive as it is considered by Beijing as a province of China. China's Territorial Claim Recently, American Airlines, Delta, and United changed its website's booking details to show that Taipei is not listed as part of Taiwan. Now, when its customers choose to fly to Taipei, there is no mention of Taiwan. Before, airlines would offer flights to "Taipei, Taiwan." According to The People's Daily, the Chinese state newspaper, all 44 airlines in which they issued the demand have complied with its request. Geng Shuang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that the country is willing to share the development opportunities in China with foreign companies and encourages them to invest and operate in China. He added that the government hopes that when they have operations in China, the companies obey the country's laws and rules, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the feelings of the Chinese people. Compliance Of Airlines Furthermore, Shannon Gilson, American Airlines spokeswoman, said that just like other airlines, American has been implementing the changes that were demanded by China. She added that air travel is a global business, and they need to go by the rules in the countries in which they operate. Cathay Pacific also released a statement where it said that the carrier is a registered airline of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or HKSAR, of the People's Republic of China. HKSAR is the base of their operation and they must obey with whatever rules and regulations are set by the relevant civil aviation officials. The issue of Taiwan's label has been a controversial topic for Beijing. However, in recent years, the government has increased their claim in ending perceived violations of its territorial claims. Since 1949, Taiwan has been self-ruling following the Communist victory on the mainland after the civil war, but China still considers it as a breakaway province which it will reunite with soon. Moreover, the demand issued by Beijing was dismissed by the White House and was labeled as "Orwellian nonsense." Despite this, carriers all over the world have complied with it rather than being dismissed and shut out by one of the biggest aviation markets in the world. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 | BY Kim Shaw | Telstra chief marketing officer Joe Pollard is set to depart the telco at the end of August as part of a major shake-up at Australias largest telco. Telstra CEO Andrew Penn said a new topline organisational structure and leadership team, effective from 1 October, were an important step in delivering its Telstra 2022 (T22) strategy. Pollard joined Telstra in 2014 initially as Group Managing Director Marketing and Media before becoming Chief Marketing Officer and Group Executive Media the following year. She has been instrumental in evolving Telstras brand and the experience provided to customers including through the Brand 3.0 work. Pollard has also been responsible for building Telstras extensive portfolio of digitally enabled media assets. Says Penn: Last month I announced the T22 strategy to the market and today I am making further announcements on Telstras structure and leadership to ensure we deliver rapidly and effectively on all of the commitments we made to our customers, the market and our team. At the heart of these changes is the simplification of our products and services built on new technology. By mid-next year we will have fully rolled out our market leading products and services. To help deliver these changes, we are announcing a new end-to-end products and technology division of Telstra. It means we will significantly increase our technical capabilities around product development and management. The changes I am announcing today will ensure we continue to deliver market leading innovation in networks and support the build out of 5G and Internet of Things. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service amritsar, July 29 The jail staff confiscated two smart phones along with SIM cards from two inmates during inspection on Saturday. The accused have been identified as Sajan Kalyan, alias Daddu, of 55 Futa Road and Abhishek Chetal of Indira Park, Model Town, Jalandhar. They have been booked under Sections 42 and 52-A of the Prisoners Act. The jail staff also seized 120 intoxicating tablets from two persons, identified as Baljit Singh and Dharamvir Singh, both residents of Babuwal village under Kathunangal police station here. They have been arrested. According to the police, the jail authorities seized 70 intoxicating tablets from Baljit and 50 from Dharamvir. They were arrested during a prisoners meet. They have been booked under Sections 21, 22, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act and 42 of Prisoners Act. An probe has been launched to ascertain how did the accused got the mobile phones and intoxicants. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 29 The rural police have busted a gang of robbers who used to target migrants in the district. They used to call migrants on the pretext of paint and plaster of paris (POP) work and later robbed them of their mobile phones and cash. The accused have been identified as Palwinder Singh, alias Gora, Manjinder Singh, alias Silli, and Resham Singh, alias Kalu, all residents of Harsha Chhina Vichla Killa village. A case under Sections 420, 473, 379 and 411 of the IPC has been registered at Jhander police station. SSP Parampal Singh said the gang used to target migrants involved in the work of plaster of paris and paint. When the victims came for work, they used to take them to a secluded place and robbed them of money and mobile phones. He said the gang also used to steal motorcycles from religious places to use the same for robbery. The police have seized nine mobile phones and three stolen bikes from them. The SSP said the accused also carried out snatchings in different parts of Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Batala. In a similar incident, Arjun Pandit, a resident of Ram Nagar Colony, was looted on July 24. He had stated to the police that he received a call from a person for POP work and when he reached Jethuangal village, three youths waiting for him on a bike took him to a village canal and snatched Rs 8,000 and his mobile phone. The police had registered the case under Section 379-B of the IPC. | BY Kim Shaw | The Australian design industry will be saddened to hear of the passing of legendary Adelaide-based designer Barrie Tucker, who passed away on Friday. In an email from the AADC to members Tucker was described as a trailblazer for Australian design and illustration, who made an enormous contribution to the profile and standards of the industry. After gathering a wealth of experience in Europe, he returned home in the early 1970s where he became the first designer in the region to be included in the New York Art Directors Awards Exhibition and the first Australian-born designer to have work adorn the cover of Graphis magazine. Local and global recognition continued in the form of awards and major assignments including the Sanctuary Cove development and many of the nations most notable wine companies. Among numerous AADC awards, Tucker won the 1987 Gold Chair and along with Ian Kidd, was awarded the Presidents Award (the Watering Can) in 1979 and inducted into the AGDA Hall of Fame. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Mumbai, July 30 Apex banking lobby Indian Banks Association (IBA) on Monday offered to increase the wages of over three dozen bank employees by 6%, compared with the 2% hike offered earlier, bank unions said on Monday. However, unions, under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), rejected the offer again, but said they are open for further negotiations. The IBA improved the offer from 2% to 6%. The UFBU has rejected the offer but have agreed to continue to negotiate, UFBU convener for Maharashtra Devidas Tuljapurkar said after the 13th round of wage negotiations with the IBA on Monday. He said the bank unions are demanding a 25% hike and the IBA has agreed to fresh discussions on the issue by the end of August. Close to 37 banks, including public, private and foreign banks, have mandated the IBA to decide on wage hikes for their employees. The current wage revision is due from November 2017, after the 10th Bipartite Settlement ended in October 2017. In the 10th Bipartite wage settlement, which was signed in May 2015, for the period between November 2012 and October 2017, the IBA had offered a 15% hike. In the May 5 round of negotiations, the IBA had offered a meagre 2% wage hike. The banks unions did not accept the offer and went on a two-day strike starting May 30. Banks management had justified the nominal hike citing huge losses incurred in the past few quarters. However, bank unions said the fall in profit are on account of higher provisioning towards non-performing assets and the employees are not responsible for that. They also said employees have been tirelessly working towards implementing various government schemes such as Jan Dhan, demonetisation, Mudra and Atal Pension Yojana, among others. PTI Fresh negotiations in August Close to 37 banks, including public, private and foreign banks, have mandated the Indian Banks Association (IBA) to decide on wage hikes for their employees Earlier, the IBA had offered a meagre 2% wage hike. But the bank unions did not accept the offer and went on a two-day strike starting May 30 The bank unions are demanding a 25% hike and the Indian Banks Association has agreed to fresh discussions on the issue by the end of August . ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 30 With the Municipal Corporation getting an assurance of funds to light up the dark spots, the 15 accident-prone spots in the city, which claimed 30 lives in 2017, are also expected to get well-lit. The road accident analysis cell of the Chandigarh Traffic Police has identified 15 killer spots where accidents are frequently witnessed. The Sector 8 AB/DC dividing road witnessed five accident deaths last year, the maximum among the accident-prone spots. Four persons were also injured in accidents on the same stretch. Similarly, the Airport light point witnessed four deaths due to road accidents followed by three deaths reported from the Transport light point. Many accident spots need the attention of the UT Administration to ensure these are properly lit to prevent accidents. The police said the 15 accident spots, including the Modella light point, Industrial Area, the road stretch near the railway bridge, Mauli Jagran, the Sector 31/Industrial Area light point, the road near the PGI and the Sector 46/47/48/49 light point, needed better lighting to prevent accidents. The police have been sending various proposals to the UT Administration to ensure proper lighting on roads. rajivbhatia82@gmail.com Chandigarh, July 30 Rejecting outright any move to change the present status of Panjab University, Chandigarh, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying his government was open to increasing the grant-in-aid for the varsity through a mutually consultative process. In the demi-official letter written, the chief minister asserted that the Haryana government could not take advantage of the ongoing proceedings in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. "The transitory financial resources problem and its resolution by the statutory stakeholders do not permit the Government of Haryana to turn back the clock," he wrote, according to an official statement today. Notably, Amarinder Singh's Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier this month urged the central government for restoration of Haryana's share in Panjab University, Chandigarh. This had come days after Khattar reiterated Haryana's claim on Chandigarh, asking Punjab to consider making New Chandigarh as its capital. Khattar had explained that the process of restoration of Haryana's share in the PU was required as over the years the composition and character of Chandigarh had evolved as a larger entity, that is 'tricity'. Besides, a large number of students from Haryana take admission in various courses of the PU, he had said. The proposal of the Haryana Government for restoration of the state's share in the university is "historically, logically, rationally and culturally unsustainable," wrote Amarinder Singh adding that "the state of Haryana cannot arrogate to itself the privilege of altering history as and when it wishes." The Punjab chief minister pointed out that as per sub-section (4) of section 72 of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, the maintenance deficit grants to the university were shared and paid by the states concerned--Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh UT administration in the ratio of 20:20:20:40, respectively. "The states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh decided to withdraw from this sharing arrangement. The Government of Haryana also withdrew the affiliation of its colleges from the Panjab University and transferred the same to the other universities within Haryana State. These decisions of the Haryana government were unilateral and unconditional. Thus from 1976 onwards the state of Punjab and Chandigarh UT administration paid the maintenance deficit grants to the University in the ratio of 40:60, respectively, he said. "Thereafter, the Government of India vide its notification dated October 27, 1997 ceased the representation of Haryana in various governing bodies of the Panjab University," Punjab chief minister said in the letter. Amarinder Singh said the University was managing and conducting its financial affairs unilaterally. "The state government has increased the grant-in-aid from Rs 20 crore to Rs 27 crore during the current financial year, which amounts to an increase of 35 per cent. This substantial increase may not be commensurate with the needs of the Panjab University, but this is due to the reason that there is no bilateral consultative process in place through which the University's financial management is affected," he added. The need of the hour, said the chief minister, was to create a financial balance through a consultative process, vis-a-vis the university and the Punjab Government, so that a concrete plan or vision document for reasonable period, for example 10 years, may be charted out. "Notwithstanding the alleged change in the character and composition of Chandigarh into a 'tri-city' (Chandigarh-Panchkula-Mohali), as claimed by Haryana, the unalterable fact is that the 'tri-city' was always in existence even when the state of Haryana decided to de-affiliate its colleges from this university and severed its all linkages with the university," Amarinder Singh said. He said Haryana withdrew from the arrangements existing at that time on its own will and unilaterally and cannot be allowed to reverse its stand arbitrarily now. The argument of tri-city is not plausible and is an afterthought, asserted Amarinder Singh. "In view of these circumstances, the Punjab government is of the firm view that no change in the nature and character of this university should be considered," he added. He also mentioned that the entire territorial jurisdiction and the populace, which the Panjab University is catering to, falls primarily, in Punjab, in addition to the area under the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Earlier, Amarinder Singh had rejected Khattar's suggestion to set up a statutorily empowered and dedicated board or authority for homogeneous development of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab. Khattar had impressed upon the Centre the need to create a statutorily empowered and dedicated board or authority for homogeneous development of Chandigarh, and the adjoining towns of Panchkula and Mohali. - PTI Sanjoy Hazarika Assam is tense; internet services have been suspended and security forces on standby with the final draft list of the controversial NRC out. Sanjoy Hazarika, a specialist on the north-east, explains why it is sitting on a powder keg IM not getting into the numbers game for Assam and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process which is a draft in progress. The first draft, published last December had 19 million names, triggering consternation in some circles. The second and final draft has now been published after a month's delay due to floods. What is the NRC draft list and how does one get onto it in Assam? Essentially, it seeks to fulfill a long-standing demand for updating the NRC of 1951 - yes, you got that right, 1951 - which had all our parents or grandparents' names on it. The idea was to create the equivalent of the ideal but digitised citizen. The state government provided formats to establish family trees going back till 1951 or earlier. Catch Number One: you had to produce documents to establish that connection. Catch Number Two (of several more): should there be a spelling error or a mismatch, you were sunk. Repeated summons to the local NRC office would follow. Both Hindus and Muslims find to their alarm that they have been left off this list (for those who didn't know, the forbears of some Assamese Muslims go back 500-700 years). But more Muslims appear to be having to rush around trying to establish their identity. There is a sense of acute vulnerability, fear mixed with deep resentment and confusion over the whole process and growing prejudice. To this add the total disregard for responsibility, privacy, facts and law shown by some local media as well as individuals and groups. There are three principal stakeholders - the state government and the Centre besides the Supreme Court playing the role of arbiter. But the most affected -- the general public including the many ethnic groups -- are preceptors who are impacted by the decisions of all three. Assam's ethnicities, before insurgency reared its head in the 1980s, had long given internal strength to the state. These stand deeply fractured and stressed by an uncertain future. Add to this mess, the ingredients of the Foreigners Tribunals which have been functioning in one form or another for 35 years has ``proved' an average of about 150 Bangladeshis per year. This speaks poorly of the effectiveness of the scheme. In addition, the Centre has tossed a fresh controversy into the whole numbers game by proposing a bill to grant citizenship to illegals from every religion barring Islam from three Muslim-dominated neighbours: Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The whole idea is preposterous. Partly since it harks back to the Partition theory and would seek to vivisect South Asia a third time after 1947 and 1971. But, what happened to the vision of an Akhand Bharat driving the Hindu right-wing? Is it also not worried about putting its minority Hindu brethren in these countries at risk? Is it so blind to the scientific principle that governs politics and society - that each and every action produces an equal and opposite counter action? All that this has done to Assam is drive a bitter, ever widening wedge between the Bangla Hindu dominated Barak Valley and the greater Brahmaputra Valley where Hindus, Muslims and many other groups including the majority Assamese speakers live. In all this tumult, growing alarms are being finally sounded about future uncertainties should the draft second list produces lakhs of potential non-nationals. What will happen to them? Well, the Union Home Minister says that this is not a final draft and the excluded lot can challenge their non-inclusion. Which means that the Centre and the state have become unnerved by the specter of looming statelessness that this may unleash, something they have neither the skills, understanding or will to deal with. In addition, should such a situation arise, what about the weaknesses in law? Not to have thought about, let alone planned for is a huge mistake. Thus, would families be torn apart and where would they be accommodated? Has anyone even thought about the future of children? The twin furies of potential violence and abuse would bring international opprobrium on us and generate mobilisation of rights groups. Have our 'strategic thinkers' been so obtuse as not to have seen this coming, given to what Assam has suffered over the past 50 years. What this also means is that we would have to head back to the drawing board as far as foreign nationals are concerned. Deportation will never happen because there is no such legal treaty between India and Bangladesh. Over 20 years back, I had proposed that work permits for nationals for both India and Bangladesh to enable them to travel to the other country for work, stay for a specific number of years and repatriate funds before returning home. It's still at the proposal stage though the National Security Advisory Board agreed in 2000 that it should be part of an internal security policy. The 'Bangladeshi' issue could unwittingly become a powerful weapon in the armory of the Bangladesh Opposition, especially the Jamaat, as our neighbour prepares for elections later this year. It could be surprisingly effectively against the incumbent side of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed and put her on the defensive. All this brings us to a fundamental conclusion: the NRC is not a panacea to finalise the citizenship issue and create identity markers through the politics of accommodation and manufactured consent. These are hugely fraught processes governments and political parties end up stoking greater angers and anxieties while trying to calm the fears of one group. In the process, we have created a land of draft citizens, miring the struggle against 'illegal migrants' that began with torch-lit processions in 1979 in a tingling atmosphere of fervour. I know because I was there and have seen its impact across the Brahmaputra Valley. We cannot go back to the lost years. gspannu7@gmail.com London, July 30 British MPs are conducting an inquiry into the UKs relations with India to enhance trade and explore the implications of the UKs visa policy on bilateral relations amidst Indias growing role in international geopolitics and its increasing importance as an economic powerhouse. The Global Britain and India inquiry by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee (FASC) was launched on July 20 as part of a wider Global Britain series in the context of Brexit. It is inviting written submissions to establish what more needs to be done to strengthen ties as the UK prepares to leave the European Union (EU) on March 29, 2019. The committee will be looking at our relationship and considering the opportunities for greater cooperation, said FASC chair Tom Tugendhat. India is half of the Commonwealth and a fifth of the world. Its importance as an economic power is growing. As a democratic partner it has never been more important. How we work with India will be key to our place in the world in coming decades, the Conservative party MP added. As part of its evidence to an earlier part of the Global Britain inquiry, the UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: The UKs enduring relationship with India iscentral to our aspirations. India is an economic powerhouse, with a growing role in Asian and international geopolitics. A shared past and strong people-to-people links give us influence and access, helping us to tackle security threats, encourage stability, and exploit prosperity opportunities. While much of the discussion of relations with India in the context of Global Britain has tended to emphasise trade, the committee said it is interested in exploring the full range of issues affecting the relationship between the UK and India, including regional security and counter-terrorism, technology and innovation, and the role of multilateral institutions. The purpose of the new inquiry, which has a September 3 deadline for submissions from interested parties, is to take stock of the UKs relationship with India, and to examine the relationship as an important test case of the Global Britain strategy. The inquiry will also be an opportunity to consider a number of cross-cutting issues, such as the relationship between trade and broader strategic relationships, and the implications of the UKs visa policy in a foreign policy context, the committee said. The FASC has issued a series of questions as a guide to subjects they plan to explore, including: How strong is the UK-India relationship at present?; What are Indias perceptions of the Global Britain strategy?; What impact does the UKs visa regime have on our relationship with India?; and How should relations between the UK and India be managed in the run-up to and after Brexit? The inquiry will also evaluate the effectiveness of the FCO and other parts of the UK government in building effective relations with India and capitalising on shared objectives and values and the British governments approach to leveraging soft power in the relationship between the UK and India. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Washington, July 30 Indian-American Seema Nanda, who took over as CEO of the opposition Democratic National Committee last week, has vowed to fight for the soul of the country and help elect Democrats in every corner of the US. We are fighting now for the soul of our countryfor our democracy and for opportunity, Nanda, the first Indian-American ever to be CEO of either the DNC or the Republican National Committee took over reigns of the main opposition party last week on July 23. In this capacity, she will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the powerful DNC. Democrats are offering the positive solutions so desperately needed right nowsolutions forged by the strength of our diversity, the rigour of our ideas, and the decency of our values. Since Trump took office, its been clear that the number one best way for us to set our country back on track is to elect Democrats in every corner of our country. Thats why I took this job, Nanda said in her first message to Democratic supporters. Nanda said supporting the Democratic party is synonymous with building a future for the children that they can be proud of. My promise to my two teenage boys is to do all I can to create an America that is bright, fair, and that works for everyonewhere opportunity for all means something, she said. Our party is strong because its built on forging positive solutions that include everyone. Im proud to be the first Asian American in recent memory to lead the DNC. Democrats are leading with our values and empowering people from diverse backgrounds to speak up and make our voices heard, Nanda said. The fight to take back the country for working families is one that all must fight together, she said, adding At the DNC, we have committed to helping Democrats win back seats at all levels of government, because we need Democrats from the school board to the Senate to take back our country. Noting that everything is at stake with this years midterms, Nanda said Democrats are investing in state parties, putting organisers on the ground in all 50 states, and mobilising 50 million voters by November through their nationwide IWillVote campaign. Were setting our sights and our goals higher than ever before in order to help Democratic leaders fight and win all across our country, Nanda said. PTI laxmi@tribune.com UTTAR Pradesh is politically very crucial for both the ruling party as well as the Opposition. While its people are high on political consciousness, they look at capitalism with disdain unlike their Gujarat counterparts. Lucknow may have provided the right venue for PM Modi to assert that there is nothing wrong in siding with businessmen. Apparently, the message and its timing were well calculated the buildup to the 2019 polls, the launch of over 80 investment projects worth Rs 60,000 crore and the presence of industrialists such as Kumar Mangalam Birla and the controversial Gautam Adani. Ostensibly, PM Modi turned a business event into a political opportunity to refute Congress president Rahul Gandhis accusation that his policies helped his capitalist friends. In one shot he also tried to dismiss the Congress recent allegation that the Rafale deal with France was non-transparent and would benefit one industrialist. It is not unusual for inter-government business to eventually benefit industrialists, especially when the public sectors importance is fast diminishing. There have been several historical evidences that businesses have flourished under political patronage. Gun-boat diplomacy defined the terms of trade during the colonial era. Todays global politics is also business-centric where countries negotiate trade terms at multilateral forums, keeping their industries and industrialists in mind. The economy has always been central to any political system. President Trumps overzealous attempt to protect American bike maker Harley-Davidson threatens to rock bilateral ties with India. Japan and South Korea built their financial muscle by complete support to their industries; overt government backing to Korean chaebols was in evidence when its President visited Noida to inaugurate Samsungs mega mobile manufacturing unit. Therefore, the governments support to industry is axiomatic but it should be transparent and devoid of any quid pro quo. The Rafale deal will remain controversial without a clean chit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. The issue will remain controversial unless the government comes clean on its many aspects. The government needs to appreciate that quick-witted political replies may not go far if doubts continue to persist, especially in a politically sensitive area like defence. vermaajay1968@gmail.com IN Punjab, the enticement of foreign lands is as real as the collapse of that dream; often times, ending in death, deportation or incarceration for illegal entry. In 1996, 238 youths lost their lives in the Malta boat tragedy. They were headed to Italy, illegally. In 2002, an overloaded boat capsized near Turkey, killing 30 youngsters from Doaba; on their way to Greece, illegally. In 2016, 25 men from Punjab drowned after their boat capsized near Panama. They were travelling to the US, illegally. This year, 39 Indians, suspected to have been sent to Iraq illegally, were found dead after their abduction by the IS at Mosul. After each tragedy, there was fever pitch for action against illegal operatives, and yet, they have only prospered. The illegal immigration business is worth over Rs 1,000 crore in Punjab; and growing. Flagging concern over dubious agents, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, addressing a conference on NRI marriage and trafficking of women and children, pointed at Punjabs inaction, despite the matter being taken up by the Ministry of External Affairs. While Punjab must shoulder the bulk of the blame, the merger of the Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry (set up by the UPA) with the External Affairs Ministry in 2016 was not the best idea either. An independent ministry carries more heft. Relegated to a department, what influence can it possibly wield? It would be incorrect to say Punjab did not try. In 2012, it enacted the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act to regulate the working of immigration agents. Whether it tried enough, and is still trying, is moot. In 2017, the High Court had directed Punjab to issue instructions to district magistrates to publish a list of registered agents and warn citizens not to go to unauthorised agents. The list had to be made public regularly. The chimera of a great life abroad comes at a great risk, and price. Most are forced to sell land or raise money from various sources. The sum is not small: Rs 10-25 lakh. All for nothing. The kin is usually unaware of even who the agents are. Punjab must come down hard and heavy on fly-by-night operatives; forcing them to fold up their dirty business. Until such time, it will remain a case of a tragedy in waiting. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Karnal, July 30 The Philippines police have rescued a 20-year-old Karnal youth from the clutches of kidnappers late last night after the local police wrote a letter to the Indian Ambassador in that country, requesting him to take prompt action in the matter. As per Karnal SP Surinder Singh Bhoria, Pardeep Kumar was allegedly kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 5 lakh. His father, Rajinder, a resident of Dhanokheri village, had approached the SP on July 28 night and informed him about the kidnapping of his son. Without wasting time, the Karnal SP wrote a letter to the Indian High Commission in the Philippines, requesting the Indian envoy to take up the matter with the authorities concerned for saving the life of Pardeep. Pardeep had gone to Singapore to study hotel management after completing his Class 12 from a school here in September 2016. The SP said the family members were informed by a girl through Facebook Messenger. The girl, a Facebook friend of Pardeep, said that he was abducted and a ransom of Rs 5 lakh had been demanded by his kidnappers. The youth is safe now and has also spoken to his family members. We are thankful to the Indian High Commission and also the Philippine police, the SP said. Karnal Deputy Commissioner Aditya Dahiya also appreciated the efforts of Karnal SP in rescuing the youth. The father of the youth said he has requested the Indian Ambassador for a routine health check-up of his son. We are happy with the prompt action of the Karnal SP and thank him for rescuing my son, he said. The SP said the role of the girl in Pardeeps kidnapping was being investigated by the Philippines police. editorial@tribune.com Arteev Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, July 30 In the wake of a raging controversy over the hearing on Article 35-A in the Supreme Court on August 6, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday warned that any tampering with Article 370 would perish everything as it acted as a bridge between J&K and the rest of India. I remained in government for two years but never made any compromise. I tried to implement the Agenda of Alliance (AoA), which was formulated by Mufti sahib to bring J&K out of the present morass. My father used to say this and I too say that stop talking about Article 370 as it acts as a bridge between India and J&K. If you break it (the bridge), everything will perish, Mehbooba said while addressing her party workers here. This was the first public meeting of the PDP president in Jammu after the collapse of the PDP-BJP government on June 19. The occasion was the 19th Foundation Day celebrations of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). She reminisced about the golden times under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said her father and she had suffered a lot by joining hands with the BJP under the current Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre. Describing her tenure of over two years as Chief Minister while leading a coalition government with the BJP as very problematic, Mehbooba said: Mufti sahib had agreed to join hands with the BJP again because we had a good alliance during the Vajpayee jis government. But this time, it was a difficult decision. It was like drinking poison.s Mufti sahib suffered for 10 months and I suffered during the two years and two months of alliance with the BJP. Mehbooba said she fought on two fronts. I fought in Kashmir for improving the situation and in New Delhi I fought for implementation of the AoA. She said the alliance with the BJP was not forged to form a government and enjoy the power but it had a bigger purpose of bringing J&K out of the morass. Feels dizzy, stops speech midway Mehbooba Mufti had to stop her speech midway on Monday after she felt uneasy and exhausted in the humid weather conditions in Jammu. During her 20-minute speech, the PDP chief had to take plenty of water and stopped her speech twice. She left the dais and sat on a chair and concluded her speech seated. I felt dizzy because of the hot weather. I had a lot to speak but could not complete it due to uneasiness, she told her party workers. The days temperature in Jammu was 34C and the relative humidity 70. No bias against Jammu, Ladakh Mehbooba Mufti strongly rejected the allegations of discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh regions during her rule, asserting that she never considered Jammu and Kashmir different entities and evenly distributed the funds among them. | BY Lynchy | Hakuhodo took centre stage when it bagged the Agency of the Year award with three Gold, two Silver, 10 Bronze and 10 Merit awards for a total of 150 points at the recent Kancil Awards 2018, Malaysias most celebrated creative excellence awards competition. Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur placed 2nd with five Silver, 13 Bronze, 13 Merit awards and 141 points, followed by Naga DDB Tribal in 3rd place with three Silver, 12 Bronze, 21 Merit awards and 132 points. QSR Stores Sdn Bhd was named the Advertiser of the Year, while Reprise took home the Golden Kancil for their The Other Sanders campaign. Themed Celebrating Humanity in Creativity, Technology, and Culture, the re-fashioned Kancil Awards have been simplified into channel-based categories, with special awards introduced this year to reward impact, public service work, cultural insights and innovation. The Kancil for Good, a new award which focuses on purpose-driven creative ideas that has a positive impact on community, was awarded to Grey KL for their outstanding work on the Unforgettable Bag ad for Tesco. Production House of the Year, another new category, was awarded to Directors Think Tank. Chevie Law emerged the winner of The 666 Young Directors Challenge with a script called In Memories. A new initiative introduced this year, the challenge saw aspiring film directors submitting scripts for a 6-minute film, with a chance to have their work produced for free by one of 6 production houses. The Young Kancils 24-Hour Challenge named Carolyn Chow, Shrny Chin and Hilmi Muzzy from Dentsu LHS as the winners for their work on a brief for an Instagram-centric campaign focused on Grab drivers. The One Academy took home four Golds for the Student Kancil x Scoolers Awards, a creative challenge that showcases students work against a professional barometer. This was followed by Raffles College of Higher Education with two Gold Awards. A special award was given to IACT College for best use of cultural insight with their project called Kuih and Cherki. Creativity goes far beyond the confining filters of Ad-land, and sometimes can lose the human touch. This years Kancil Awards aims to bring back humanity as the center of creativity by rewarding creative excellence that is meaningful and compelling, which in turn becomes impactful, said Alvin Teoh, Creative Council Chairman of the 2018 Kancil Awards. Meanwhile, Andrew Lee, President of the 4As Malaysia (pictured above) said, While the Kancil Awards celebrates creative excellence, we need to think about our roles in marketing how we can use our creativity to sell products for our clients and to take a step back in reassessing how to create meaningful connections through content that resonates, just like the work we celebrate tonight. editorial@tribune.com Azhar Qadri Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 30 As the petition seeking the repeal of Article 35A is coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court next week, Kashmir has been gripped by tension. Separatist groups, mainstream parties, traders and business bodies have threatened to launch an agitation if the Act was tinkered with. The possibility of a repeal of Article 35A which grants special privileges and rights to the permanent residents of J&K and debars non-residents from buying land or property, getting government jobs, or voting in the Assembly elections in the state has evoked strong resentment in the volatile region. The latest to join the bandwagon to defend Article 35A are 27 organisations of traders, businessmen, industrialists, hoteliers, transporters and fruit growers who warned that the hereditary state-subject law of Jammu and Kashmir will be protected at any cost. This matter is related to the life and death of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and we all are ready to spill our blood to safeguard this law, the traders warned on Monday. The Article 35A incorporated in the Constitution in 1954 has been in the eye of a storm for the past several years since a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking its repeal. The petition was filed by a New Delhi-based NGO, We the Citizens, before the Supreme Court in 2014 and is scheduled for hearing on August 6. Residents fear the repeal of the Article would threaten the majority status of Muslims in the region and also open a floodgate for non-locals to purchase property and settle in the state, which is illegal under the existing law. The fear has been accentuated by the separatist and mainstream leaders, including legislators, who have warned of an agitation against attempts to tinker with the law. Any attempt to tinker with the distinctive status of Jammu and Kashmir will be opposed tooth and nail, said Aijaz Mir, a Peoples Democratic Party legislator from south Kashmir. Congress legislator from north Kashmir Usman Majid said: If Article 35A is scrapped, it will engulf whole India. If Article 35A is scrapped, it will lead to a civil war in Kashmir. If the BJP and RSS think that this war will remain restricted to Kashmir, they are living in a fools paradise, Majid said. If they do (repeal the law), they will invite trouble for entire India and the region. Article 35A is our right and we will not tolerate any attempt to fiddle with it, said Majid, who is also a former minister. While mainstream political leaders have adopted the rhetoric of separatists and are issuing threats to launch an agitation, the separatist leaders have called for a two-day shutdown in the region and have described any attempt to change or repeal the law as a serious assault launched against the people of Kashmir. We want to make it clear that Kashmiris will not take this attack on them lying down. Any and every attempt made at changing the demographic nature of the state will be resisted, three key separatist leaders warned in a joint statement. editorial@tribune.com Ishfaq Tantry Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 30 A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Monday visited the residence of woman separatist leader and Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi in Srinagar to verify certain facts which cropped up during the investigation of the case registered against her. Andrabi and two of her woman associates were taken by the NIA into custody on July 6 and lodged at Tihar Jail in a sedition case. The NIA team accompanied by the local police inspected Andrabis residence located in Soura on the outskirts of the city, sources said. The NIA, however, clarified that it was not a raid carried out at Andrabis residence. During the investigation, certain facts had come to the fore. Just to verify those facts, an NIA team was in Srinagar, and that was misunderstood as a raid, an NIA spokesman told The Tribune. He further said that during the investigation, the hoisting of Pakistan flag cropped up and to verify some facts, the team had visited Andrabis residence in Srinagar. On June 29, the NIA had revealed that an FIR had been registered against Andrabi and her two associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, for allegedly advocating secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India and calling for jihad and use of violence against the country. The Dukhtaran-e-Millat has already been proscribed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. gspannu7@gmail.com Los Angeles, July 30 True to his wry wit, Ryan Reynolds marked the four year "leak-iversary" of the early footage from the first "Deadpool" film in the Marvel franchise. Reynolds, who stars in the title role of the Merc with a Mouth, has said in the past that he struggled to get the project up and running for 11 years. But the film got a green light after the test footage went viral on the internet. The 41-year-old actor quipped he is still hunting for the person who leaked the test footage. Its the 4 year Leak-iversery. UPDATE: Still searching for the bastard who leaked our test footage onto the internet causing Deadpool to receive a green light. Taking over the investigation myself. #Angry. pic.twitter.com/gJ1Y5HSWlc Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) 28 July 2018 "It's the 4 year Leak-iversery. UPDATE: Still searching for the bast**d who leaked our test footage onto the internet causing Deadpool to receive a green light. Taking over the investigation myself. #Angry," Reynolds wrote on Twitter. The actor reprised his role in "Deadpool 2" this year. Reynolds, who co-wrote the sequel with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, recently downplayed the chances of another "Deadpool" movie, saying the team will cross that bridge when they come to it. PTI. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 29 The Director General School Education (DGSE) has written to all school heads to motive children to participate in Young Reporters for Changemakers. It is an initiative under United Nations (UN) India which aims at helping students in developing research, writing and reporting skills. Students of Class XI and XII can apply before July 31 for the event. It has been mentioned in the letter that students can seek help of the internet for research but plagiarism is strictly prohibited. Teachers have been directed to prepare at least two-three students from each section. Students will collect and scout for exceptional stories on women entrepreneurs who are flag-bearers of the next wave of innovation. The stories must be of women entrepreneurs who are breaking the glass ceiling and challenging stereotypes through businesses, enterprises and initiatives that provide solutions to address key developmental challenges and impact communities. Students must ensure that the women profiled should be at least 18 years old as on January 1, 2018. The young reporters with winning entries will be recognised by the United Nations in India and participate at the Women Transforming India award ceremony. The winners will also get a chance to engage with leaders from the UN. pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, July 30 Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the draft National Register of Citizens for Assam is completely impartial and those whose names are not included should not panic as they will get an opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship. The Home Ministers reaction came after the draft NRC was published today with the names of about 40 lakh residents of the state not being included. No coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence, there is no need for anyone to panic. This is a draft and not the final list, he told reporters here. Even someone whose name is not in the final list can approach the foreigners tribunal, Singh said. Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. I want to assure all that there is no need for any apprehension or fear. Some misinformation is also being spread. The NRC process has been done impartially, he said. Singh said some people may not have been able to submit necessary documents and they will get full opportunity through the claims and objections process. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a list of Assams citizens and it is being updated following a direction of the Supreme Court. The Home Minister said only after the disposal of claims and objections, the final NRC will be published and even after the final NRC, every person will get an opportunity to approach the foreigners tribunal. This means that even those whose names do not figure in the final NRC will get an opportunity to approach the tribunal. There is no question of any coercive action against anyone, he said. The home minister said the NRC process is being carried out with complete fairness and transparency and it has been monitored by the Supreme Court. The much-anticipated final draft of the NRC was published today with 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants in Assam. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com New Delhi, July 30 The row over the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam on Monday echoed in Parliament where Home Minister Rajnath Singh asserted the Centre had no role in the preparation of the draft list and it was done on the directives of the Supreme Court. Singh also asked the opposition parties not to create panic and to politicise the "sensitive" issue. As the Trinamool Congress(TMC), the Samajwadi Party(SP) and other opposition parties triggered an uproar in the Rajya Sabha leading to the adjournment of the House ahead of schedule, Singh told the Lok Sabha that allegations against the government were baseless. In the Lok Sabha, the Trinamool Congress, Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Samajwadi Party criticised the Centre over the publication of the list, saying it puts "human rights and democratic rights" of people at stake.1 Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in Assam. The second draft of the NRC was published today in Guwahati. Singh said the NRC was being demanded in Assam for a long time and the previous state government had set up foreign tribunals following the Supreme Court order. "In publishing NRC, the government has done nothing. Everything is being done as per Supreme Court order. The allegation of the opposition against the government is baseless," Singh said. He appealed to opposition members not to create "panic" since it is a "sensitive issue". "The government is not doing anything. Whatever is happening is under the supervision of the Supreme Court," Singh said. Singh said the NRC list published today is not the final list and applicants will have the option of raising claims and objections. "People who feel their name should have been part of the NRC can file claims and objections. In how much time those claims and objections would be disposed off that will be decided by the Supreme Court," he added. Asking the opposition to list out what role the government has played in the NRC, Singh said, "It is a sensitive issue and should not be politicised unnecessarily". Unsatisfied with the Minister's response, an unrelenting opposition staged a walkout from the House. The Trinamool Congress had moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on the NRC issue, which was not taken up by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Asking where the 40 lakh people will go, Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) asked the Centre to ensure that justice should not be denied to the people who have been living in Assam for decades now. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said "original citizens" of the state are being asked questions and this is creating division in the state based on caste and creed. Mohd Saleem (CPI-M) said the situation in Assam is fragile and "human rights and democratic rights" of the people of the state are at stake. Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav (SP) said the move would lead to "hatred" and "violence" in Assam and dubbed it as a "war on people" who are living in the state for the last 40 years. The Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournmments earlier in the day due to the continued uproar over the issue before the Chair called it a day at 2:13 pm. When the House reconvened at 2 pm after the last adjournment, TMC leader Derek O'Brien stood up demanding a discussion on the notice given by him on the NRC. However, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he had taken the initiative earlier in the day and even called Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the House to respond on the issue, but the House was not in order. Later, O'Brien told reporters that TMC has decided to circulate a note on NRC among other political parties. "We think the NRC is inhuman and violates human rights. We would circulate a note on it among all political parties," he said. lleging that the government did not consult West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the issue, the TMC leader said that a delegation of party MPs would soon visit Assam. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com Vadodara, July 30 A woman was injured and her four-month-old son snatched, for a brief while, by a leopard, which attacked them in Gujarat's tribal-dominated Chhotaudepur district, about 100 kilometres from here. "Vikram Rathwa, wife Sapna and their four-month-old son were travelling on a motorcycle when the leopard attacked them yesterday near Raipur village in Pavi Jetpur tehsil in Chhotaudepur," said an official. "Around dusk on Saturday, the leopard, which emerged from a nearby field, attacked us, injured Sapna on her knees and snatched our infant son Ayush," said Rathwa. He claimed that his cries for help alerted villagers who assembled at the spot and managed to scare the leopard into releasing the child from its grip. An official said that the three were taken to the state-run Shri Sayajirao General Hospital in Vadodara. Doctors there said that the infant had received injuries to his back and legs. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Smita Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 30 India has requested the Antigua government to detain PNB scam fugitive Mehul Choksi after it received information about his presence in the Caribbean island, government sources said on Monday. They said India was in touch with the island nation following reports of Choksis presence there and requested the authorities there to restrict his movements by land, sea and air. Choksi along with main accused and nephew Nirav Modi are wanted for defrauding PNB (Punjab National Bank) of over 13,500 crores in loans. Cases under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) have been filed against the duo who continues to defy summons for legal hearings from both the ED (Enforcement Directorate) and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and have not returned to India since January this year. As soon as the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) received information of the likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, our High Commission in Georgetown had alerted the Antigua and Barbados (A&B) Government, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea, said an official privy to discussions. Choksis Indian passport was earlier revoked in February. Choksis lawyer recently issued a statement claiming that his client has decided to reside in A&B which is his country of citizenship and will abide by laws of the country. High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam, with residence at Georgetown, is also accredited to Antigua & Barbuda. Mahalingam is engaged in official meetings on the case today. Our High Commissioner is meeting the relevant authorities in A&B Government today. We continue to liaise with relevant GOI agencies and the Government of A&B to follow up on this matter, said a source. Choksis lawyer in his statement added that a lawful application has been made by the diamond merchant to register as a citizen of A&B under the Citizenship by Investment Program. Choksi reportedly got citizenship of the Caribbean country in November last year but took oath of allegiance on 15th January this year, just days before the CBI filed its FIR in the PNB scam. The Antiguan passport allows for visa-free travel up to nearly 130 countries. The countrys Prime Minister Gaston Browne though earlier on Friday speaking to an Indian news channel claimed that his government had not been approached by India on the case so far but assured of all cooperation. He was also quoted as saying that Choksi had sought citizenship of Antigua citing political persecution and a probe would ensure if his claims were true. If found false, Choksis Antiguan citizenship could be revoked said Browne. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Chennai, July 30 DMK president M Karunanidhi is stable and well, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami said on Monday after visiting the Kauvery hospital here to enquire about the leader's health. DMK workers continued to swarm the hospital premises, where Karunanidhi is being treated at the ICU for the third consecutive day, here despite police asking them to avoid crowding the area and party leader M K Stalin appealing for calm and cooperation with police in maintaining law and order. "DMK chief's health condition is stable. He is well. A medical team is attending on him. Me and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam along with DMK party working president M K Stalin and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi visited him in person," Palaniswami told reporters after visiting Karunanidhi. State ministers, including Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam, accompanied the chief minister to the hospital. Last night, a medical bulletin issued by the hospital said,"There was a transient setback in the clinical condition of DMK president M Karunanidhi. With active medical support his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors," Police had late last night resorted to a mild baton charge as cadres did not disperse from the area to make way for DMK leaders to leave the hospital at upscale Alwarpet Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of Saturday after his blood pressure dropped. On July 18, he had underwent a procedure at the same hospital for replacement of a tracheostomy tube to help him breathe normally. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Satya Prakash Tribunew News Service New Delhi, July 30 CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma on Monday told the SC that the agency had filed two chargesheets against 15 security personnel in connection with fake encounter killings and 14 of them had been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence. Verma, who was summoned by the top court to explain the delay in implementing the courts order, told a Bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur that five more chargesheets/final reports would be filed by August-end. The Bench, which also included Justice UU Lalit, grilled him on various aspects of CBI Manual that provides for almost seven layers of scrutiny before a chargesheet is filed in a case. The agency had maintained that it was simply following its Manual and that was one of the major reasons of the delay. To cut short procedural delays, the Bench asked the CBI SIT to have only three-layered scrutiny before filing of final reports/chargesheets as the SIT chief himself was a Joint Director-rank officer. In view of serious allegations, petitioners demanded that the accused be arrested and subjected to custodial interrogation. However, the Bench left it to the discretion of the CBI Director to take the final call and posted the matter for further hearing on August 20. It asked Verma to remain personally present on the next date of hearing as well. Angry over non-compliance of its order to file chargesheets in seven cases relating to Manipur extra-judicial killings, the SC had on July 27 ordered the CBI Director to personally appear before it on Monday. | BY Lynchy | Into its 1 4th year, Singapore Media Awards is still celebrating promising growth with new entrants. Several new categories were introduced Best Use of Programmatic, Best Partnership (for a campaign) between a Media Owner and an Agency, Best Local Media Agency and a host of Specialist Awards to recognize media professionals who demonstrate passion and excellence in their work. Once again, this years entries were judged by a jury made up largely of clients and media owners. After more than five hours of judging, more than 80 finalists were unveiled. Awards will be presented at an exciting and colourful dinner in line with this years theme Be The Extraordinary to be held at Marina Bay Sands on August 29, 2018. Finalists Best Use of Digital I Am We #Closeup Sony Electronics Year End Promotion Defining A Customer First Approach WTA Finals 2017 Best Use of Mobile Subway Buy One Get One 2017 Sony Electronics MYP & YEP Building Blocks of Success Taking the Chat Out of the Bot Best Use of Search Taking the Love of Learning to the Heartlands Sony Electronics Always On Best Use of Newspaper The Smoothest Ad Where Dreams Set Sail Pepsi Refresh Your Imagination Samsung #S9After Dark KFC Hot Devil Drumlets The Biggest Little Comeback Best Use of Out-of-Home Oreo Catch Me If You Can Knorr Salted Egg Vending Machine SK-II Change Destiny: Your Statement, Your Bottle Fizz Up With #CokeBreak5 KFC Curry Crunch For the Love of Curry Best Use of Audio McDonalds Good Times at McDonalds Bringing Families Together Again The Unsung Powerful Umma (Mums) Fizz Up Your Playlist ACM, The HipStory of Joseon Korea Best Use of Video I Am We Times Have Changed Scam Alert Campaign Biore Bare Face Off Best Business to Business Campaign Trendjacking in B2B Best Experiential Marketing Campaign Shell Make the Future Be The One Who Dares Hunt Coca Cola Zero Sugar Taste It To Believe It! McDonalds Happy Connections Table Oreo Catch Me If You Can Best Integrated Media Campaign Shell Make the Future Be The One Who Dares Hunt McDonalds Minions Takeover Escape From The Concrete Jungle KFC Red Hot Sze Chuan True You Best Use of Budget McDonalds Good Times at McDonalds Bringing Families Together Again McDonalds Singapore Chocolate Pie Kopi Run Singapore ACM, The HipStory of Joseon Korea Biore Bare Face Off Best Millennial Campaign Shell Make the Future Fizz Up With #CokeBreak5 Kopi Run Singapore Biore Bare Face Off Singtel Ready Set Roam Best CSR Campaign Share #YRReasonToRun Best Use of Data Driving Performance with Viewability HP Connected Moments CocaCola Social E-Commerce Pilot Defining A Customer First Approach Escape From The Concrete Jungle Best Use of Content Times Have Changed Dove Hair Tie Challenge #MyHairSoulSister Singtel Ready Set Roam KFC Hawaiian Double Down #sorrynotsorry Best Use of Social Media McDonalds Nasi Lemak Burger: Just For You, Singapore #GilletteSalutes Kopi Run Singapore Share #YRReasonToRun KFC Hot Devil Drumlets The Biggest Little Comeback Most Innovative Use of Technology Copilot Human Intelligence Meets Machine Learning To Deliver Unrivalled Outcomes for KFC #Closeup The Learning Lab Using AI to Build Data Singularity Taking The Chat Out Of The Bot Best Use of Programmatic Starhub Google Wifi Internetting for Audience Targeting Delivering True Hospitality Through Programmatic Powering The Learning Lab Through Data and Technology to Stay as Market Leader Best Partnership (for a campaign) between a Media Owner and an Agency McDonalds X SPH Chinese Media Group Bringing Families Together Again Fizz It Up with #CokeBreak5 Taking The Chat Out Of The Bot Samsung #S9AfterDark KFC Red Hot Sze Chuan True You Most Innovative Contribution to a Campaign By A Media Owner Carlsberg Smooth CokeBreak5 Restart A Heart Jiak Ba Buay Guntung Telemovie editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Kolkata, July 30 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today claimed updating of NRC in Assam was a calculated move to corner Bengali Muslims and Bengali Hindus. Addressing the media, she alleged some Biharis too were left out from the list published on Monday. The BJP-led Centre thought only the Bengali Muslims would suffer if NRC was updated. However, it turned out that the names of Bengali Hindus too had been dropped indiscriminately from the draft. People belonging to religious and linguistic minority communities have been identified by their surnames and left out from the list, she said. She claimed the Assam formula of driving away non-Assamese from the state would destroy the country as it could inspire parochial forces in other states also to push for similar steps. The NRC updating process in Assam was forcing people who were bona fide Indians to become refugees in their own country, Banerjee said and added that West Bengal and Bangladesh would bear the brunt of this problem since the stateless people of Assam would try to find shelter in these two neighbouring areas. Asked if West Bengal would give shelter to people quitting Assam out of fear, Banerjee said why people settled in Assam for generations should be forced to leave the state. She demanded that Parliament enact a law to give protection to those whose names did not feature in the second NRC draft. She said Parliament must amend the law and protect 40 lakh people of Assam who were staring at statelessness. The Centre had earlier tried to amend the existing Act and give shelter to religious minorities (Hindu, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Persis) who may come to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan following religious persecution. editorial@tribune.com Mukesh Ranjan Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 30 As both Houses of Parliament on Monday witnessed uproar over the publication of draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam with the Opposition accusing the government of doing the exercise purposefully, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh countered the allegations by saying the exercise is not coercive and status of those, who are left out, will not change till the Foreigners Tribunal takes a final call. Terming the issue sensitive, Singh asked those, who were opposing NRC in the Lok Sabha, not to politicise it. Insisting that the whole exercise was being conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court and the government has no role to play, he asked the agitated opposition members to spell out what it did in the preparation of the draft NRC, which was published on Monday. In the Lok Sabha, the TMC, Congress, CPM and the RJD criticised the government over the publication of the list, saying it puts human rights and democratic rights of people in jeopardy. Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in Assam. Singh said the NRC was being demanded for a long time and the previous government had set up foreign tribunals following the SC order. Allaying fears expressed in the House, Singh said the NRC list published on Monday was not final and applicants would have the option of raising objections for which they have two months. Unsatisfied with his response, an unrelenting Opposition staged a walkout from the House. Even TMCs adjournment motion on the issue was disallowed by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha, which witnessed uproar over the issue, was adjourned thrice through the day without transacting any business. TMC and SP members created ruckus in the House. The Congress demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the issue and flagged its humanitarian aspects. The jury was out on whether the Centre represented the issue properly, Congress Anand Sharma said, adding that a majority of those left out of the first draft had valid identifications. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also opposed the exercise and is scheduled to meet the Home Minister on Tuesday. Rs 1,200 cr spent, but execution tardy: Rahul Congress chief Rahul Gandhi took to Facebook to question the NRC exercise, saying it left much to be desired The NRC was initiated by the UPA under Manmohan Singh to fulfil the commitment made under the Assam Accord of 1985. However, the manner in which it has been undertaken leaves much to be desired After spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical exercise has been tardy. The government must resolve this crisis, he said How things shaped pardeepdhull@gmail.com Bijay Sankar Bora Tribune News Service Guwahati, July 30 The complete draft of the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been published in Assam with 2,89,83,677 names in it out of the total applicants of 3,29,91,384, leaving 40,07,707 applicants out. Registrar General of India (RGI) while briefing the media along with Union Home Secretary (N-E) Satyendra Garg and NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela said those whose names did not appear in the complete draft NRC need not worry as they would be given ample opportunity to submit claims and objections. I will like to make it clear that it is a complete draft NRC and not the final NRC. There will be plenty or scope for filing claims and objections and process for it will begin on August 30. No genuine Indian citizens who have been left out should worry at all. The NRC state coordinator will launch an intensive information campaign in this regard to help people who lack sufficient knowledge to file their claims and objectives. There will be specific modality to help these people, Sailesh said. Union Home Secretary (N-E), Satyendra Garg said, The published document should be treated as a draft document, not the final NRC. The process has started the draft stage today. I will like to reiterate the Centres stand that no person whose name has not figured in the NRC draft could be referred to Foreigners Tribunals or to detention camps. Garg said the Centre would closely monitor the law and order situation in the state in the aftermath of the publication of the complete draft of the updated NRC and any quarter trying to create trouble over the draft NRC issue would be dealt with sternly as per the law of the land. The state coordinator of the NRC, Prateek Hajela, said those people whose names were there in the first draft of NRC published in December 31, 2017, but had failed to make it to the final draft of the NRC would get opportunity to file claims and objection during August 7 to September 28. He said the reasons for rejection of any person from the final draft would not be made public and would be intimated to the persons concerned personally. The state coordinator and the RGI, however, did not specify any date for publication of the final NRC as it would depend on the time to be taken to dispose of claims and objections. The NRC updating process was initiated way back in December 2013 and process of receiving applications started in 2015. Over 55,000 government officials besides technical staff were involved in the process of updating of NRC of 1951 in Assam with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. The NRC in Assam is being updated in view of the burning problem of illegal migration from Bangladesh so that it becomes easier to differentiate between genuine Indian citizens and illegal migrants who had sneaked into the state after March 24, 1971 which is the cut-off date mentioned in Assam Cord for detection of illegal migrants. The NRC authority has facilitated people to check their names in the final draft NRC in at least three websites, through SMS and phone. Meanwhile, All Assam Students Union (AASU) who has been spearhead of the tirade against illegal migrants, expressed happiness and satisfaction over publication of the final draft NRC terming it a historic step towards ensuring protection of interests of indigenous people in the state. amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, July 30 The Supreme Court today allowed the demolition of illegal structures at the residential property jointly owned by controversial sacked IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt and his wife in Ahmedabad. The top court, refused to interfere with the Gujarat High Court order directing Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to demolish the illegal constructions. A bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi, R Banumathi and Navin Sinha said there is no ground to interfere with the high court verdict. "We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment. The Special Leave Petitions are accordingly dismissed," the bench said. Senior advocate Harin P Rawal, appearing for Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt, said the municipal corporation has not given ample opportunity to the petitioner to hear their case and had taken an arbitrary decision. "Earlier, you came to us, we had then protected you. We have now examined the matter. We can't interfere. Sorry", the bench said. He said even the high court erred in its finding and "it is a jointly owned property with my husband, who was a police officer". "Your husband was a policeman. It does not mean you will take law in your hand. Sorry, we can't interfere with the order of high court," the bench said. The Gujarat Cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt was suspended in 2011 for remaining absent from duty without permission and misuse of official vehicles and later sacked in August 2015. Bhatt's wife Shweta has unsuccessfully contested assembly election as a Congress candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad in 2012. On July 25, immediately after the high court ordered demolition of illegal structures at Bhatt's residence, the former cop's wife moved the apex court and had managed to secure the stay of demolition drive. Shweta Bhatt had claimed before the apex court that just after the pronouncement of verdict by high court at 11am, the municipal corporation team had reached outside her house to demolish it. The apex court, in its order while staying the demolition exercise till today had allowed Shweta Bhatt to file the appeal against the order of high court. "It is in the circumstances that we entertain this oral mentioning and direct that till Monday i.e. July 30, 2018 there shall be no demolition pursuant to the order of the High Court dated July 25, 2018 passed in Letters Patent Appeal," the bench had said. A division bench of high court had upheld a single judge order directing the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to demolish the illegal construction at former IPS officer's house and had asked the civic body to comply with its order without any delay. The residential property in Ahmedabad's Sushil Nagar Society is jointly owned by Bhatt couple. A petition was filed in 2012 by one of the Bhatt's neighbour alleging illegal construction at the residential property based on information gathered through RTI applications. - PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Satya Prakash Tribunew News Service New Delhi, July 30 Weeks after a judges' report indicted the Faridabad Jail and Observation Home for lack of proper infrastructure and pathetic condition in which inmates were lodged, the Centre on Monday told the top court that it's the responsibility of state government to deal with the issue. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra had on July 13 ordered immediate measures to improve the condition in Faridabad Jail and Observation Home after a report by two judges highlighted poor infrastructure and pathetic conditions in which inmates lodged there were living. It had sought the assistance of Attorney general KK Venugopal in improving infrastructure for jails and courts to help speed up trial for those in jails for years. On Monday, Venugopal told a Bench headed by the Chief Justice that the Centre could not do much beyond issuing advisories to states. He said security, sanitation, provision of other basic amenities, installation of CCTV cameras and video-conferencing needed attention. Advocate Gaurav Agrawal, who is assisting the Bench as Amicus Curiae, submitted his report after an inspection of the Faridabad Jail and Observation Home. "After Your Lordships order, the situation is improvingbut several issues remain to be addressedas many as hundred juveniles have been accommodated in a capacity meant for 30," Agrawal told the Bench, which asked him to prepare a consolidated report and posted the matter for hearing in first week of September. The Bench had taken up the matter after a scathing report given by Justice AK Goel (since retired) and Justice UU Lalit after visiting the Faridabad District Jail. Justice Lalit and Justice Goel had visited the Faridabad Jail and the Observation Home on their own after being invited by the Haryana Legal Services Authority to a function earlier this year. The two judges found there was lack of infrastructure and situation was pathetic as sanitary condition, quality of food and medical and health care was not up to the mark. The judges had then ordered the Faridabad District Judge to conduct a survey and prepare a report along with recommendations to improve the condition. rchopra@tribunemail.com Sanjeev Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 30 The United States will announce new initiatives and funding in the areas of digital economy, energy and infrastructure as part of its strategy to expand economic cooperation with allies including India, Japan and Australia in the Indo-Pacific region. The announcements will be made on Monday night by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo while addressing the Indo- Pacific Business Forum to be organised by the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington. Pompeo tweeted that that forum will include participants from India, Japan, Australia, Singapore and Indonesia. Allies and partners are essential to US aims in the Indo Pacific, he said. Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, Brian Hook, said in a conference call that the US would also announce its first-ever contribution for the Indian Ocean Rim Association. Hook said India is a key partner in the region for ensuring peace, stability and prosperity and the US and India are working together to deepen economic, security and diplomatic ties. Hook said the core message of the administration at the Indo-Pacific business forum would be that a free and open strategy is good for the region and business and the US is deepening economic engagement in the region with countries like India, Japan, Australia. He said the event is being held at the US Chamber to highlight the importance of the private sector as the private sector is crucial to expanding strong commerical ties with the region and the US government is fully supportive. The senior policy advisor in the Trump administration said the new initiatives would boost FDI from American companies in the region and boost export creating job opportunities. He said Secretary Pompeo would be visiting the region shortly to meet with ASEAN counterparts and the initiatives announced today are just the initial commitment to growing strong economic ties with the Indo-Pacific region. As per US government estimates, the Indo-Pacific has emerged as a critical engine for growth, with Asian economies projected to create 50 per cent of global GDP in the coming decades. To realise that potential, the countries of the Indo-Pacific will need to attract nearly $ 26 trillion in capital to fund their energy and infrastructure needs. According to the preview of the event, the United States will be a critical player in both investing the capital, and building the technology and infrastructure that the region requires. The Indo-Pacific also represents one of the most important and fastest-growing markets for US goods and services, it said. The Indo-Pacific Business Forum will bring together key US Cabinet Secretaries and senior leaders from government and business to discuss how government tools and policies can facilitate private sector partnerships to unleash the full potential of the Indo-Pacific region. The Forum will also include the announcement of several initiatives in sectors such as energy, infrastructure and the digital economy. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 30 Accepting the recommendation of the Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday announced his governments decision to hand over the probe into Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing that followed the Bargari sacrilege to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Chief Minister also announced compensation and jobs for the victims and families of the police firing at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan that took place on October 14, 2015. The government, he said, had decided to enhance the compensation amount from that recommended by the Commission, whose report was legally examined by Advocate General Atul Nanda before being considered by the government. Addressing a press conference here, the Chief Minister said the decision to hand over to the CBI further probe into the matter against all those implicated by the Commission had been taken to ensure and impartial and objective investigation after registering a case under Section 307 of the IPC. It may be recalled that the CBI is already probing certain other cases of sacrilege of Holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, which were handed over to the central agency by the state government earlier. The Commission of Enquiry headed by Justice (Retd) Ranjit Singh submitted its first (part-I) report on June 30. Though the full report is awaited, the government has decided to accept the recommendations made by the Commission so far, said Captain Amarinder. The report of the Commission would be laid on the floor of the Vidhan Sabha in its next session after the Commission completes its proceedings. Captain Amarinder told medipaersons that the government had also agreed to the Commissions recommendations to provide monetary compensation and jobs to the affected persons. The government has, however, raised the compensation amount for the families of the two deceased from Rs 75 lakhs as recommended by the Commission to Rs 1 crore each, whereas the compensation for the seriously injured S. Beant Singh has been raised from Rs 35 lakh as recommended by the Commission, to Rs 50 lakh. A member of each of their families would also be offered a job in the government, said the Chief Minister. Further, the compensation for S. Ajit Singh, who has been incapacitated for life, has been raised from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 60 lakh. He would also be provided an attendant and reimbursement of medical expenses, the Chief Minister disclosed. All other injured in the firing incidents would be given Rs 10 lakh each, Captain Amarinder announced, adding that the government had decided on these measures as part of its efforts to instil a sense of justice in the general public, though it could not, unfortunately, bring back the people who had lost their lives. The Chief Minister said the Commission, in its 1st report, has recommended appropriate action against the then SDM Kotkapura and those police officials who, though not apparently guilty of any criminal act, were nevertheless seen to be responsible for police action. A number of police officers have been found liable for failing to carry out proper and fair investigations of incidents of sacrilege and in the cases, which were registered regarding use of force at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan. The Commission has recommended appropriate action in accordance with law against all such officials. The Commission has, in particular, mentioned the role of Inspector Pardip Singh, SI Arriarjit Singh, and SSP Bikramjit Singh and recommended them to be named as accused in FIR No 130 Police Station Baja Khanna and their role be thoroughly investigated, which has not happened so far. The role of gunman Charanjit Singh Sharma has also been cited in this context and the Commission has recommended that his role, and that of Constable Shamsher Singh, Constable Harpreet Singh, Constable Gurpreet Singh and Constable Parminder Singh, as also of Inspector Harpal Singh SHO Ladowal, be thoroughly investigated as they were carrying assault rifles at Behbal Kalan. The role of the Commando Police for use of indiscriminate lathi-charge, causing injuries to number of persons, has also been recommended to be investigated, which has not been done till date. The Captain Amarinder Singh government had set up the Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission in April last year to investigate the incidents of sacrilege of holy Guru Granth Sahib and other religious texts. The government had rejected the findings of the Zora Singh Commission set up by Akali Dal government, saying its findings had been inconclusive. Radicals shun move, say itll delay probe Faridkot: Radical Sikh leaders, who have been sitting on a dharna at Bargari village since June 1, said the government's decision to hand over the investigation to the CBI amounted to dilly-dallying over taking action against the accused. Baljit Singh Daduwal, parallel Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, said the government was hell-bent on denying justice to the victims. "We have never demanded a CBI probe. As the investigation by the CBI into the sacrilege incidents at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Bargari has made no headway in the past over two years, handing over the probe into the firing incidents will also serve no purpose," he said. TNS AISSF seeks arrest of indicted cops Moga: The AISSF on Monday criticised the government for handing over the probe to the CBI, claiming that it was just an eyewash. Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, AISSF president, said commissions set up by the Akali-BJP and Congress had already probed the incidents. He demanded that the top cops named by the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission should be arrested. TNS editorial@tribune.com Parvesh Sharma Tribune News Service Sangrur, July 30 Sunam resident Jagga Singh, a relative of Shaheed Udham Singh, on Monday alleged that the state government had not given him a job despite making a promise in 2006. Jagga Singh is the great-grandson of Aas Kaur, who was the daughter of Udham Singhs uncle. I have been visiting government offices for over a decade. I request the CM to look into the matter, he said, showing the job approval letter issued by the government. Meanwhile, after a meeting with Sangrur ADC Rajdeep Brar, the families of freedom fighters, under the banner of the Punjab Freedom Fighters and Descendants Association (PFFDA), have reiterated that they would hold a protest during the state-level function to mark Udham Singhs martyrdom day at Sunam on Tuesday. They are demanding action against the officers who helped seven distant relatives of the martyr get government jobs in violation of the norms. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) Senator Sonny Trillanes said he plans to file plunder charges against former Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo and her brothers for their refusal to return millions of pesos paid by the government for a questionable tourism advertising deal. "I intend to file a plunder case against the Tulfo siblings in relation to the P60-M Department of Tourism ad controversy," he said in a statement on Monday. Trillanes clarified the charges will be filed against the former Cabinet Secretary and her brothers Erwin and Ben. The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier said the Department of Tourism (DOT) under Tulfo-Teo paid 60.009 million in three tranches to her brother's production house Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. (BMUI) to place commercials on Kilos Pronto, the show on PTV-4 which features Ben and Erwin Tulfo and Alex Santos. Broadcaster Ben Tulfo on July 25 said they will not return the P60 million paid to them by the Department of Tourism for an ad placement. In the caption of a video posted on July 25, he said, "Sa mga nagsasabing isauli ang pera at hinihintay daw ang 60-M, mamuti na mga mata niyo! Wala kaming isasauli! Sa mga nagsasabing ilegal at nangulimbat kami, e'di sampahan niyo kami ng kaso, tutal nandyan naman ang COA at Ombudsman!" Related: Ben Tulfo: I will not return 60-M to gov't Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace accepts Ben Tulfo's decision, but President Rodrigo Duterte would like to see the legal process carried out. The case is being investigated by the Ombudsman. "Since Ben said na hindi na sila magbabalik, so be it. Ang huling deklarasyon po ng Presidente diyan when I asked him explicitly, is we will let the legal process proceed. Let the legal process proceed. Let those liable be held responsible," he said in a media briefing on Monday. He said the names of those who may have received "cuts" from the deal even those within the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) should be divulged. "Dapat lahat ng nabigyan ng cut ay maisama sa demanda... Kung sino po lahat yan, ilabas lang po pangalan. I'm sure dapat po maimbestigahan sila," he said. On May 7, Ferdinand Topacio, the then-legal counsel of Teo-Tulfo, said the money would be returned to the Department of Tourism. But days later Mon Tulfo wrote in his newspaper column that neither he nor his brothers Ben, Erwin or Raffy were consulted about the issue. Trillanes also urged the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to act on his resolution calling for an inquiry into the issue. "So we could determine the magnitude of corruption, specifically, how much more of the people's money was squandered by the previous DoT leadership," he said. Senate President Tito Sotto said there is a need to find out now why the Tulfos have not returned the money, because this will be brought up eventually when the Senate deliberates on the budget of the DOT. "The question that should be asked is: bakit nailabas na ba nila? Kung nailabas na, nabayaran na sila, eh talagang wala silang isosoli. Pero kung hindi pa then there must be other reasons," he said on Monday. "That's when the committee has to step in kasi even if we don't take it up in the hearing, this will come out when we take up the budget of the Tourism (Department)." Sotto said the ball is now in the hands of Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Richard Gordon, but he will talk to the senator. Tulfo-Teo has denied there were any irregularities, however, the COA said she could be liable for corrupt practices. The great blue-green algal bloom outbreak of 2018 has impacted numerous municipalities across Southwest Florida- with Cape Coral being right at the forefront. Residents have taken to social media and government platforms to voice their opinions and displeasure about water quality issues along with the impact its having on their health, businesses and property values. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District announced a series of public meetings, originally slated for three-locations the closest for Cape residents being Lehigh- to allow the public to learn more about the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project that will, hopefully, remedy water quality. The Corps has now added a fourth location Cape Coral. Over the weekend, the city of Cape Coral announced an additional meeting to be held at 12:30 p.m. the Yacht Club Ballroom on Tuesday, before the 6 p.m. Lehigh session, thanks to the determination of local advocates. I went to a meeting a few weeks ago where our residents were quite frustrated about our waterways and water quality. I have been following this issue for a very long time and have clients and customers who are affected by the algae, said Gloria Tate, a former Cape council member who spearheaded the drive for the additional meeting in the city. There was a posting by the Cape Coral Civic Association for the meeting to discuss the Lake O long-term water release plan in Lehigh tomorrow night on Facebook. I realize that meeting is for the long-range plan for Lake O, but it seems to me this type of information is what our residents need to hear first-hand. At the last meeting we were encourage to write to our elected officials and educate ourselves on who to vote for. I just didnt think the residents felt like they had an opportunity to voice their concerns to the people who are releasing the waters. Tate initially reached out to a spokesperson from the Corps and posed this question: Lehigh is a long drive for Cape Coral residents, and the most affected area in Lee County in Cape Coral, so my simple question was why not come to Cape Coral and hold a meeting? The response she received was one of venue and audio visual capabilities. Tate assured Corps officials she could provide the same accommodations for the meeting as the Lehigh venue at the Lee County Mosquito and Hyacinth Control Districts office. The Corps told her if she could secure a venue, they would come to Cape Coral. I called the city manager and the mayor with this information. From that point of confirmation that a meeting was possible for Tuesday, Mayor (Joe) Coviello and City Manager (John) Szerlag took charge of the set up and coordination of a facility, Tate said. Tates efforts have come to fruition as the meeting has been given the green light so that many more Cape residents can hear straight from the Corps about the nutrient-rich water releases that critics say continue to pollute Cape canals and waterways. I hope the residents of Cape Coral have the opportunity to have their concerns addressed by the government agency that is directly affecting our quality of life, Tate said. I know from my career in politics, we can write letters, we can vote people in and out of office, but it is ultimately the voice of the people who come together to have their concerns heard directly to those affecting our health that will create change. The intended subject of the meetings called by the Corps is the creation of an above-ground wetland attenuation feature and several aquifer storage and recovery wells in an area north of the lake. The proposed plan also describes the restoration of 5,300 acres of wetlands in the area. This plan provides additional flexibility for managing water north of the lake in a manner consistent with Everglades restoration goals, said Lisa Aley, planning technical lead for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project in a written statement. We hope that people join us for the public meetings, and look forward to hearing from people living and working in the area on this proposed plan. Those planning to attend the meeting in Cape Coral should be aware that official public comment will not be taken down for submission into the Army Corps project report pertaining to features proposed north of Lake Okeechobee. This will be offered at the Lehigh meeting and available for submission via email at the link below. The Cape Coral Yacht Club, site of the 12:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday, is at 5819 Driftwood Parkway. The Lee County Mosquito and Hyacinth Control Districts, where the Corps will gather input from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, is at 15191 Homestead Road in Lehigh Acres. The two other public meeting locations will be in Stuart and Okeechobee. For more information on the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project and to email your comments to the Corps, visit www.saj.usace.army.mil/LOWRP/. Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj amansharma@tribunemail.com Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, July 30 Former SAD minister and SGPC member Sucha Singh Langah was acquitted by a local court here on Monday in a rape case filed against him by a Punjab Police employee. Langah was present in the court of Prem Kumar, Additional Sessions Judge, when the judgement was pronounced. He was mobbed by scores of his supporters when he came out around 5pm. Langah was represented by defence counsels Santokh Singh Basra and Karanjit Singh. "The truth has finally emerged. I had all along been maintaining that the case which was registered against me was out of political vendetta," he said. The victim, an employee of the vigilance department, had filed a complaint with the then SSP Harcharan Singh Bhullar on September 28 last year claiming that she was repeatedly raped by the Akali leader. As evidence, she also handed over a video clip to the SSP. To strengthen her case, she got her confessional statement recorded under Section 164 CrPC in front of the judge. The video later went viral during the Gurdaspur by-polls severely denting the image of the SAD-BJP combine. After a preliminary inquiry was conducted by then DSP (city) A.D. Singh, the police booked the SAD leader on September 29 at the Gurdaspur (city) police station under various sections of the IPC, including 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation). Langah, who was removed as Gurdaspur district SAD president soon after the case was registered, now stands exonerated of all charges. The prosecution produced 23 witnesses in the court while the defence did not produce even a single witness. Legal experts say the prosecution case fell flat the moment the woman retracted her statement on February 28 this year. She reportedly told the judge that she was not the same woman seen in the video seen in a compromising position with Langah. She also added "that she did not know the SAD leader and had heard about him only in newspapers". She also maintained that "that whatever she had done was under pressure". vermaajay1968@gmail.com Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 29 The Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana are pushing for a road encircling Chandigarh-Mohali-Panchkula tricity on the Delhi pattern. In separate proposals, they have sought a 100-km-long ring road touching the Chandigarh-Ropar, Chandigarh-Ambala, Nalagarh-Baddi and Panchkula-Nariangarh highways to ease inter-state traffic. Citing the Chandigarh Master Plan: 2031, UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore too has taken up the matter with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, say sources. Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has shot off a demi-official letter to Gadkari, saying the proposed road would ease the traffic flow from the national capital into Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, and back. Punjab PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla said they had urged the Centre to declare it a Centrally-funded project, inclusive of the cost of land acquisition. Since the project is of national importance and involves land acquisition in two states, it requires Central intervention, he held. Citing the recommendation for a bypass by a joint committee for Chandigarh regions integrated development, Punjab has pointed out that it will not only reduce congestion on Chandigarhs arterial roads, but also link GMADA expressway near Mullanpur and Banur up to Baddi in Himachal Pradesh and some parts of Haryana. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 29 State BJP president Shwait Malik has alleged that a group of Congress goons tried to attack him and his colleagues on Sunday. Malik and party leaders Anand Sharma and Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina have lodged a police complaint. They alleged that Congress workers tried to attack them at the behest of Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu. Malik alleged that a group of Congress workers staged a dharna outside his house in the morning. He said he along with Sharma and Chhina left for the BJP office taking an alternative route. While we were waiting in the car for others, protesters, led by Sourabh Madaan Mithu, general secretary, Youth Congress, ran towards us to attack us, he alleged. Mithu claimed that Malik was trying to seek attention and extra security by levelling frivolous charges. He said Sidhu had nothing to do with their protest. We only wanted to show black flags to Malik. But when we came to know that he had taken another route, we just tried to approach them, he said. Sidhu said: It is utter nonsense. Malik is a defeated councillor, who wants cheap publicity by levelling frivolous and baseless charge against me. DCP Amrik Singh Pawar said the matter was being investigated. No case was registered. editorial@tribune.com Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 30 Less than three years after the police fired at Sikh activists protesting peacefully at Kotkapura against the incidents of sacrilege, Justice Ranjit Singh Commission has held the then Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini responsible for the action. The Commission has also indicted IG Paramjit Singh Umranangal, DIG Amar Singh Chahal and three SSPs SS Mann, Charanjit Sharma, Raghbir Singh along with two gunmen. It has ruled that the use of force at Kotkapura was unwarranted, uncalled for and not needed at all. The firing took place between 6 am and 7 am on October 14, 2015. The Commission stated that direct evidence was not available on the exchange of talks between the then CM Parkash Singh Badal and the then DGP before the police action. But indication was in abundance that they did talk to each other at that time. That being so, the DGP was required to be firmly told by the CM not to carry on with the adventure in sync with the view of the district administration, unless he was in agreement with the DGP, or he was of the same view. Available information suggests that the Commission is in the process of submitting a supplementary report to the government on the issue after receiving Sainis vague reply. The exact role of the then CM is expected to be commended upon in it. In its report to be tabled before the Vidhan Sabha, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted that the responsibility of action at Kotkapura to forcefully evict the protesters sitting on a peaceful dharna lied squarely with the police. Justice Ranjit Singh added that the incident of sacrilege was such that the public was bound to react in the manner it did. In any case, it was not unusual for the public to sit on a dharna. The compulsion on the part of the police to act was due to pressure from the government/DGP Saini, who was keen to get the dharna lifted for some reason or the other. Referring to a protest by Dera Sacha Sauda followers a few days earlier, Justice Ranjit Singh added that the use of force, as per evidence, was forbidden by the government even though they had blocked road and rail traffic. But the police were keen to get the dharna lifted due to the direction of the then DGP or the CM. If only the police or the DGP had shown some patience, the situation could have been saved. As such, DGP Saini could not be allowed to escape the responsibility for directing the police to get the dharna lifted forcibly. IG Umranangal, DIG Chahal, SSPs Mann, Raghbir Singh and Sharma must share the blame for executing the avoidable action. They were senior enough to suggest a course of action, when DGP Saini asked them to use force to lift the dharna. They could not even take the defence that they carried out the orders of the government or the DGP unwillingly. sanjiv@tribunemail.com Tokyo: Japanese scientists said on Monday they will start clinical trials next month on a treatment for Parkinsons disease, transplanting reprogrammed stem cells into brains, seeking a breakthrough in treating the neurodegenerative disorder. Parkinsons is caused by a lack of dopamine made by brain cells and researchers have long hoped to use stem cells to restore normal production of the neurotransmitter chemical. The clinical trials come after researchers at Japans Kyoto University successfully used human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) to restore functioning brain cells in monkeys last year. Reuters Pureval embraces gun control despite political risks West Orange: Aftab Pureval, a Democrat seeking to unseat a Republican congressman in Ohio, knows the political risks in calling for gun restrictions and taking on the powerful National Rifle Association. But after a spate of school shootings, Pureval believes voters in the Republican-leaning district have had enough of congressional inaction. An analysis shows Pureval is among Democrats in the most competitive congressional races who have embraced gun control in far greater numbers than in 2016, defying the conventional wisdom that doing so is a losing proposition in close contests. Reuters Vegetative state patients to die: UK top court London: In a landmark judgment, the UK Supreme Court on Monday ruled that legal permission will no longer be required to end care for patients in a long-term permanent vegetative state. The ruling makes it easier to withdraw food and liquid to allow such patients to die when families and doctors are in agreement. Medical staff will now be able to remove feeding tubes in such cases without having to apply to the Court of Protection, under previous laws. Currently, both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in the UK with the only exception passive euthanasia, when treatment that might extend someones life is withdrawn. PTI UKs top envoy makes Japanese wife gaffe in China Beijing: In a slip of the tongue during his maiden trip to China as Britains new foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt on Monday told his Chinese counterpart that his wife was Japanese, but backtracked quickly. At the start of talks in Beijing, Hunt told the governments top diplomat Wang Yi that he had a long relationship with China, beginning with a backpacking trip when he was 19. My wife is Japanese - my wife is Chinese. Thats a terrible mistake to make, Hunt said, to laughter in the room. He married his wife Lucia in July 2009 and they have a son and two daughters, according to his website. Reuters pardeepdhull@gmail.com Riyadh, July 30 Saudi Arabia has reassured Arab allies it will not endorse any Middle East peace plan that fails to address Jerusalems status or refugees right of return, easing their concerns that the kingdom might back a nascent US deal which aligns with Israel on key issues. King Salmans private guarantees to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his public defence of long-standing Arab positions in recent months have helped reverse perceptions that Saudi Arabias stance was changing under his powerful young son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, diplomats and analysts said. This in turn has called into question whether Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam and site of its holiest shrines, can rally Arab support for a new push to end the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, with an eye to closing ranks against mutual enemy Iran. In Saudi Arabia, the king is the one who decides on this issue now, not the crown prince, said a senior Arab diplomat in Riyadh. The U.S. mistake was they thought one country could pressure the rest to give in, but its not about pressure. No Arab leader can concede on Jerusalem or Palestine. Palestinian officials told Reuters in December that Prince Mohammed, known as MbS, had pressed Abbas to support the US plan despite concerns it offered the Palestinians limited self-government inside disconnected patches of the occupied West Bank, with no right of return for refugees displaced by the Arab-Israeli wars of 1948 and 1967. Such a plan would diverge from the Arab Peace Initiative drawn up by Saudi Arabia in 2002 in which Arab nations offered Israel normal ties in return for a statehood deal with the Palestinians and full Israeli withdrawal from territory captured in 1967. Saudi officials have denied any difference between King Salman, who has vocally supported that initiative, and MbS, who has shaken up long-held policies on many issues and told a US magazine in April that Israelis are entitled to live peacefully on their own land a rare statement for an Arab leader. The Palestinian ambassador to Riyadh, Basem Al-Agha, told Reuters that King Salman had expressed support for Palestinians in a recent meeting with Abbas, saying: We will not abandon you ... We accept what you accept and we reject what you reject. He said that King Salman naming the 2018 Arab League conference The Jerusalem Summit and announcing $200 million in aid for Palestinians were messages that Jerusalem and refugees were back on the table. The Saudi authorities did not respond to a request for comment on the current status of diplomatic efforts. Red lines Diplomats in the region say Washingtons current thinking, conveyed during a tour last month by top White House officials, does not include Arab East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, a right of return for refugees or a freeze of Israeli settlements in lands claimed by the Palestinians. Senior adviser Jared Kushner, President Donald Trumps son-in-law, has not provided concrete details of the US strategy more than 18 months after he was tasked with forging peace. A diplomat in Riyadh briefed on Kushners latest visit to the kingdom said King Salman and MbS had seen him together: MbS did the talking while the king was in the background. Independent analyst Neil Partrick said King Salman appears to have reined in MbS politically reckless approach because of Jerusalems importance to Muslims. So MbS wont oppose Kushners deal, but neither will he, any longer, do much to encourage its one-sided political simplicities, said Partrick, lead contributor and editor of Saudi Arabian Foreign Policy: Conflict and Cooperation. Kushner and fellow negotiator Jason Greenblatt have not presented a comprehensive proposal but rather disjointed elements, which one diplomat said crossed too many red lines. Instead, they heavily focused on the idea of setting up an economic zone in Egypts Sinai Peninsula with the adjacent Gaza Strip possibly coming under the control of Cairo, which Arab diplomats described as unacceptable. In Qatar, Kushner asked Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to pressure the Islamist group Hamas to cede control of Gaza in return for development aid, the diplomats said. One diplomat briefed on the meeting said Sheikh Tamim just nodded silently. It was unclear if that signalled an agreement or whether Qatar was offered anything in return. The problem is there is no cohesive plan presented to all countries, said the senior Arab diplomat in Riyadh. Nobody sees what everyone else is being offered. Kushner, a 37-year-old real estate developer with little experience of international diplomacy or political negotiation, visited Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Israel in June. He did not meet Abbas, who has refused to see Trumps team after the US embassy was moved to Jerusalem. In an interview at the end of his trip, Kushner said Washington would announce its Middle East peace plan soon, and press on with or without Abbas. Yet there has been little to suggest any significant progress towards ending the decades-old conflict, which Trump has said would be the ultimate deal. There is no new push. Nothing Kushner presented is acceptable to any of the Arab countries, the Arab diplomat said. He thinks he is I Dream of Genie with a magic wand to make a new solution to the problem. A White House official told reporters last week that Trumps envoys were working on the most detailed set of proposals to date for the long-awaited peace proposal, which would include what the administration is calling a robust economic plan, though there is thus far no release date. Reuters pardeepdhull@gmail.com Phnom Penh, July 30 Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) said on Monday it had won all 125 parliamentary seats up for grabs in a general election a day earlier that critics said was neither free nor fair. The CPP won 77.5 percent of the votes and won all the parliamentary seats, CPP spokesman Sok Eysan told Reuters by telephone. The other parties won no seats. Cambodia woke to another chapter of rule by strongman Hun Sen on Monday, a day after an election that was heavily criticised by rights groups, the United States and other Western countries. The White House said it would consider steps, including an expansion of visa restrictions placed on some Cambodian government members, in response to flawed elections in which there was no significant challenger to Hun Sen. Critics say the election was a backward step for democracy in Cambodia following the dissolution last year of the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and the jailing of its leader, Kem Sokha, on treason charges. Former CNRP president Sam Rainsy, who lives in exile, said the election was a hollow victory for Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander who has ruled Cambodia for nearly 33 years. The United States has imposed visa curbs on some Cambodian government members over a crackdown on critics and levied sanctions in June on a high-ranking official close to Hun Sen. The European Union has threatened Cambodia with economic sanctions. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Sundays vote failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people. The flawed elections, which excluded the countrys principal opposition party, represents the most significant setback yet to the democratic system enshrined in Cambodias constitution, Sanders said. The election campaign was marred by threats from national and local leaders, she said. The United States will consider additional steps to respond to the elections and other recent setbacks to democracy and human rights in Cambodia, including a significant expansion of the visa restrictions announced on December 6, 2017, Sanders said. Government spokesman Phay Siphan said the White House statement was an attempt to intimidate Cambodia. This is against the Cambodians who went to vote to decide their own fate, Phay Siphan told Reuters. Death of democracy CNRP Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Monovithya Kem told a news conference in Jakarta on Monday the party welcomed the White House statement and hoped others would follow suit. The CNRP also called on the international community to reject the result of the election. 29 July 2018 marked the death of democracy in Cambodia, a dark new day in recent history, said CNRP vice president Mu Sochua. The result announced by the CPP and the National Election Committee must be fully rejected by the international community. Newspaper headlines in Cambodia on Monday greeted Hun Sens victory. CPP Dominates Election: Unofficial results show ruling party will increase its majority in the National Assembly, said the pro-government Khmer Times newspaper. Some independent media were targeted by Hun Sen and his allies in a pre-election crackdown. More than 82 percent of those registered to vote cast a ballot, according to the National Election Committee. Turnout was 90 percent in the 2017 local election and 69.61 percent in the previous general election in 2013. Polling stations visited by Reuters in the capital, Phnom Penh, were quiet on Sunday and some voters said they voted because not doing so would land them in trouble. The CNRP had called on voters to boycott the election but authorities warned anyone doing so would be seen as a traitor. At the Kapkor Market in Phnom Penh, Meas Sinuon, 60, said she was pleased with Sundays result. This government has done good things already, she said as she shopped for groceries. But I want the new government to do more to help the people. Another voter, a Phnom Penh tuk-tuk driver who declined to be identified, described the result as same same. Unofficial election results are expected in mid-August. Reuters sanjiv@tribunemail.com Kuala Lumpur, July 30 Investigators released a report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Monday, saying the Boeing 777s controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course but they were not able to determine who was responsible. The 495-page report draws no conclusion about what happened aboard the plane that vanished with 239 persons on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, leaving one of the worlds greatest aviation mysteries unsolved. The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found, Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters. On May 29, Malaysia called off a three-month search by US firm Ocean Infinity, which spanned 112,000 sq km in the southern Indian Ocean and ended with no significant findings. It was the second major search after Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200 million ($147.06 million) search across an area of 120,000 sq km last year. Malaysian and international investigators have been looking into why the jet veered thousands of miles off course from its scheduled route before eventually plunging into the Indian Ocean. The last communication from the plane was from the Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah who signed off with Good night, Malaysian three seven zero, as the plane left the Malaysian airspace and later turned off course. A 440-page final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) last year showed that Zaharie had flown a route on his home flight simulator six weeks earlier that was initially similar to the one actually taken by MH370. The Malaysian police previously concluded there were no unusual activity on the home simulator. Kok said the investigators examined the history of the pilot and the first officer, and they were satisfied with their background and training and mental health. We are not of the opinion it could have been an event committed by the pilots, he said, but added they were not ruling out any possibility since the in-air turn back was done manually and the systems in the plane were also manually turned off. We cannot exclude that there was an unlawful interference by a third party, Kok said. He added all the passengers of the 15 countries had their backgrounds checked by their respective countries and all came back with a clean bill of health. In all, 27 pieces of aircraft debris have been collected from various places around the world but only three wing fragments that washed up along the Indian Ocean coast have been confirmed to be from MH370. Reuters Worlds most enduring aviation mystery After years of fruitless searching in the worlds most enduring aviation mystery, the report offered nothing concrete to grieving relatives of passengers-most of whom were Chinese-and crew hoping for some sort of closure Relatives who were briefed at the transport ministry before the reports public release expressed anger that there was nothing new in the document, with some storming out of the briefing as frustration boiled over The disappearance of MH370 triggered the largest hunt in aviation history. But no sign of the jet was found in a 120,000-sq km Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led hunt was suspended in January last year US exploration firm Ocean Infinity resumed the search in a different location at the start of this year on a no find, no fee basis, using high-tech drones to scour the seabed Conspiracy theories & online debates sanjiv@tribunemail.com Fasihur Rehman Khan Islamabad, July 30 Pakistans main Opposition parties on Monday announced not to boycott the upcoming National Assembly but to continue to protest inside and outside parliament over vote rigging. Bilawal Bhuttos PPP and jailed former premier Nawaz Sharifs PML-N, after a hectic meeting, were finally able to enlist the support of the MMA an alliance of religious parties for this endeavour. Imran Khan-led PTI won last weeks elections but failed to get a simple majority. Imran Khan, who is all set to form the government with the help of small parties and Independents, is eager to take oath as PM on August 11, say sources. The joint Opposition has announced an all-party conference in Islamabad where it will announce the future course of action. The lower house of parliament is expected to meet in the first week of August to administer oath to the newly elected legislators. But there is no official word about any such arrangement by the caretaker government or the Presidents office. The PTI is thinking of holding the oath ceremony at the sprawling lawns of parliament with invitees, expected to be in thousands, gathering at the adjacent Constitution Avenue. But security clearance will have to be worked out, if at all it happens. Meanwhile, reports say Sharifs personal physician has advised the interim government to seriously consider sending him to London for treatment. The News International said he could be flown to London on August 2. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Moscow, July 30 MMK, one of Russias largest steel producers, has postponed the launch of a lucrative project in Turkey due to uncertainty created by global trade wars, Andrey Eremin, the companys director for economics, told Reuters in an interview. The project - the re-launch of hot-rolled steel production at its Turkish site - was expected to add between $90 million and $100 million to MMKs core earnings, Eremin said, but a sudden surge in global trade barriers caught the company off guard, forcing it to delay. We had completely restored equipment at the plant to working condition, had figured out all the contracts for supplying energy and raw materials, Eremin said. Unfortunately, we made this decision before the US introduced tariffs against metallurgical companies. We did not know that this would happen. The MMK Metalurji complex, located near Iskanderun on Turkeys Mediterranean coast and in Istanbul, was built by MMK between 2007 and 2010, at a cost of over $2 billion. Hot-rolled steel production at the site was put on hold in 2012 amid a global slump in steel prices, but was due to restart this summer as the market recovered. Now MMK has put the re-launch on hold, and plans to decide its fate in November, when the dust has settled on a wave of protectionist measures introduced by the United States and Europe in recent months. We hope that by that point, the transformation on global markets will have ended and there will be clarity, Eremin said. U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium in March in a move mainly aimed at curbing imports from China. Last week, the European Union introduced a quota and tariff policy in response, fearing the impact on its own producers of a surge of steel imports following Trumps decision. MMK is not affected directly by these measures as it does not export steel to the U.S. and EU markets, but 30 percent of production at its Turkish plant was intended for the European market and neighbouring countries. Iran sanctions also bite Tariffs are not the only Trump policy to affect MMKs strategy. The steelmaker has also stopped deliveries to Iran, Eremin said, against the backdrop of new sanctions Washington has promised to impose on Tehran. The US measures, announced soon after Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, are due to kick in next month and include a ban on the sale, supply and transfer to or from Iran of raw or semi-finished metals. Although the Kremlin opposes the move and says that unilateral U.S. actions against a third country should not affect how Russia does business, steel traders told Reuters earlier this month that Russian metals firms were cutting back on sales to Iran for fear, at least in part, of falling foul of the sanctions. MMK, which previously shipped hot-rolled steel coils to Iran along with its Russian competitor Severstal, was not affected by the move, Eremin said, as it had already redirected deliveries to other markets. This was the result of Irans growing domestic production and consequent reduction in the volume of its imports. Even before the introduction of sanctions, deliveries were insignificant, Eremin said. We even cleared out the port warehouses where stocks were intended for delivery in that direction, and sold off supplies, he said. Downgrading demand In terms of the Russian domestic steel market, MMK has halved its forecast of growth in demand this year, from 4 to 2 percent, Eremin said. Last year, demand for steel products in our range grew around 6.5 percent in Russia, he said. This year, the pace has slowed, and we assess it to be around 2 percent this year, despite the fact that just recently we expected growth to be at 4 percent, Eremin said. MMK changed its forecast following the governments proposal to raise value-added tax (VAT), from 18 percent to 20 percent. In essence, VAT may increase. We believe that this could slow down the pace of growth in demand for steel in Russia, Eremin said. Reuters Tissue samples from the body of a whale shark that recently washed ashore on Sanibel indicate the animal had been exposed to a red tide bloom, but it was not necessarily the cause of its death. On July 22, the nearly 26-foot young male shark was discovered near the Island Inn. Staff from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the scene, collecting samples off the body before the city of Sanibel helped FWC dispose of the carcass by digging a hole and burying it. The muscle, liver, intestine tissue and contents and stomach contents of the whale shark all tested positive for the red tide brevetoxin Karenia brevis, Melody Kilborn, spokeswoman for FWCs Southwest Region Office, said. The whale shark was exposed to the red tide bloom, but this does not necessarily indicate this is why it died. FWC scientists have measured similar and higher levels in live fish caught from bloom areas. Given the high Karenia brevis concentrations in the area and the large number of recent fish kill reports, its fair to say that it may have been red tide-related, but we cannot know for sure, she said. Staff with the citys Natural Resources Department have been communicating with FWC about the matter. Dr. Leanne Flewelling, with FWCs Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, explained to them that the samples were analyzed using an antibody-based screening assay for the presence of brevetoxins. Brevetoxins are the neurotoxins produced by Karenia brevis, also known as red tide. This fish was definitely exposed to the bloom, and we know brevetoxins are very ichthyotoxic, Flewelling said. Were in the process of collating all the information obtained from this stranding. She also pointed out the brevetoxin levels in the tissue samples. According to the analysis results, the liver contained 696 parts per billion, the stomach contents had 148 parts per billion, the intestine contained 75 parts per billion and the muscle had 44 parts per billion. The levels in the whale shark tissues are actually lower than many weve measured in live fish including other species of sharks during blooms, Flewelling said. However, this is the first time weve had the chance to analyze tissues from a whale shark for brevetoxin, and all species are different. Dr. Gregg Poulakis noted that FWC staff plan to run a toxicity test on the liver. To see if that helps inform us on the cause of death, but a definitive cause may not be established, he said. In general, there was nothing obvious that we noticed during the necropsy. Holly Milbrandt, environmental biologist with the Sanibel Natural Resources Department, reiterated that the initial results are only an analysis of the four samples and further research will be required. This isnt really meant to be a final report, she said. Milbrandt echoed that the whales exact cause of death may never be revealed. But I can say this is a contributing factor, she said, referring to the existence of brevetoxin in the tissue samples. Red tide definitely played a part. Milbrandt noted the recent sea turtle strandings on the islands and other local sea life being impacted, pointing out that the area is in the midst of a red tide bloom that has been lingering since October. This is a really challenging time for our beaches and the Caloosahatchee, she said. I think its evident that things are not right in our shore waters. Mote Marine Laboratory Dr. Bob Hueter explained that the organization was alerted when the body was discovered and he monitored the situation via phone through the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. Museum staffers were conducting a public beach walk the morning the animal was found. In mid-June, we tagged two whale sharks about 25 or so miles off, Hueter said. With one being a young male, Mote staff were concerned upon learning about the carcass. We were concerned that it might be the one we tagged, he said. It was not, Hueter added. We confirmed that. FWC publishes a red tide status report on Wednesdays and Fridays that can be found online at www.myfwc.com/redtidestatus. For sick, injured or dead sea turtles contact the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Sea Turtle Hotline at 978-SAVE-ONE (728-3663) or FWCs Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). The FWC Wildlife Alert hotline can also be used to report on any sick, injured or dead marine mammals. To report a fish kill, contact FWCs Fish Kill Hotline at 800-636-0511 or submit a report online. The public can also download the free FWC Reporter app to their mobile device. To report a bird mortality, visit legacy.myfwc.com/bird. For more information on how red tide effects fish and other marine animals, visit online at myfwc.com/research/redtide/general/marine-animals. vermaajay1968@gmail.com Islamabad, July 29 Jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was today admitted to the countrys top hospital here, after his health deteriorated due to heart trouble in the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Sharif, 68, was shifted to the Cardiac Centre of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad this evening, where his condition is said to be stable, a hospital official said. The three-time Pakistan premier is serving a 10-year jail term in a corruption case over his family's purchase of luxury apartments in London. He has been lodged in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since July 13. Last week, it was reported that Sharif is on the verge of a kidney failure. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Islamabad, July 30 Nawaz Sharif's personal physician has advised the interim government to "seriously consider" sending him to London for further treatment, a media report said on Monday, a day after Pakistan's former prime minister was admitted to a top hospital after his health deteriorated. Sharif, 68, was yesterday shifted to the Cardiac Centre of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here after his health deteriorated due to heart trouble in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The News International reported that the former premier could be sent to London on August 2. Sending Sharif to London for treatment is being seriously considered, the report said. His personal physician Dr Adnan Khan examined him and evaluated his medical test conducted over the past few days and advised Shari'f treatment abroad, it said. Sharif had earlier stayed in London for three months for cardiac surgery. His wife Kulsoom Nawaz, 68, is also in a London hospital undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Meanwhile, his private hospital ward in Islamabad has been declared as a sub-jail by the authorities. The capital's police will provide security to the convicted premier, according to the government notification. Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court last year in the Panama Papers case. The three-time Pakistan premier is serving a 10-year jail term in a corruption case over his family's purchase of luxury apartments in London. He has been lodged in the Adiala Jail since July 13. - PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Washington, July 30 US President Donald Trump has called American journalists unpatriotic as he accused them of putting lives at risk by their reporting. When the media - driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome - reveals internal deliberations of our government, it truly puts the lives of many, not just journalists, at risk! Very unpatriotic! Trump said in a series of characteristic tweets. Freedom of the press also comes with a responsibility to report the news accurately, he said accusing the mainstream media of wrongful coverage. Ninety per cent of media coverage of my administration is negative, despite the tremendously positive results we are achieving, its no surprise that confidence in the media is at an all time low! he said. I will not allow our great country to be sold out by anti-Trump haters in the dying newspaper industry. No matter how much they try to distract and cover it up, our country is making great progress under my leadership and I will never stop fighting for the American people! Trump said. He alleged that the failing New York Times and the Amazon Washington Post do nothing but write bad stories even on very positive achievements - and they will never change! Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted that he had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A G Sulzberger, publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, Enemy of the People. Sad!, he said. The account of the meeting was challenged by Sulzberger. My main purpose for accepting the meeting was to raise concerns about the presidents deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric. I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous, said the NYT publisher. The meeting between the two took place at the White House on July 20. Sulzberger said the meeting was off the record, but Trump by tweeting about it had made it on the record. I told him that although the phrase fake news is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labelling journalists the enemy of the people. I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence, he said in a lengthy five-paragraph statement. I repeatedly stressed that this is particularly true abroad, where the presidents rhetoric is being used by some regimes to justify sweeping crackdowns on journalists, he said. Sulzberger said he warned Trump that it was putting lives at risk, undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our countrys greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press. Throughout the conversation I emphasised that if President Trump, like previous presidents, was upset with coverage of his administration he was of course free to tell the world, he said. I made clear repeatedly that I was not asking for him to soften his attacks on The Times if he felt our coverage was unfair. Instead, I implored him to reconsider his broader attacks on journalism, which I believe are dangerous and harmful to our country, he said. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Peshawar, July 30 Imran Khan on Monday said that he would take oath as Pakistans Prime Minister on August 11, according to a media report. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), led by 65-year-old Khan, has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly (NA) after the July 25 elections, but it is still short of numbers to form the government on its own. His party on Sunday announced that it is trying to reach out to smaller parties and Independents to form the next government. Will take oath as Prime Minister on 11th of next month (August), Khan was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan. I have also decided about the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which I will announce in the next 48 hours. Whatever I have decided in this regard is in the best interest of people, he said while addressing PTI members of provincial assembly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He said alleviation of poverty from interior Sindh will be among top priorities of his government. Earlier, PTI spokesman Naeemul Haque on Saturday told reporters that party chief Khan will take oath as the Prime Minister before August 14. He said that he hoped the President would call an Assembly session and Khan would take oath as premier before Independence Day. Although the PTI has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the polls, the final results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) show that the party is still short of numbers to form its government independently. According to the results, the PTI has bagged 116 general seats 22 short of simple majority whereas the PML-N and PPP have won 64 and 43 seats, respectively. The PTI is short of the 137 needed for simple majority and is trying to woo Independents to join the party. To meet the required number of votes, the PTI leadership has reportedly been approaching the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), PML-Quaid (PML-Q), and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), as well as Independents. Meanwhile, two major parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party have agreed on formulation of a coordinated joint strategy if the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf manages to form its government at the centre. PTI sanjiv@tribunemail.com HARARE, July 30 Zimbabwe held its first election on Monday since former leader Robert Mugabe was ousted in a de facto coup but the Opposition leader alleged voter suppression, raising fears of a disputed result. Nelson Chamisa is the main challenger to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who served for decades under Mugabe. Mnangagwa is viewed as the frontrunner, though the latest poll shows a tight race. The election winner faces the task of putting Zimbabwe back on track after 37 years of Mugabe rule tainted by corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation that caused a crisis in a country that once had one of Africa's most promising economies. Chamisa on Monday said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was impeding voting in urban areas where he enjoys strong support but gave no evidence to back the claim. The ZEC was not immediately available to comment. It has denied Chamisas previous allegations of bias. Chamisa said his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) would win if there was no "ballot mischief", making it likely he will challenge the outcome if Mnangagwa prevails. A contested result is likely to lead to street protests and possible violence. A credible vote is essential if Zimbabwe is to exit painful sanctions and secure the donor funding and investment needed to stem chronic cash shortages. As a result, the views of election observers are seen as crucial. EU chief observer Elmar Brok said many voters, particularly young women, left voting queues in frustration at long delays. The EU has not yet concluded how to judge the vote, he said. Reuters President Mnangagwa, opponent Chamisa in tight race President Emmerson Mnangagwa (L), a long-time ally of Mugabe, faces Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa in first vote since Mugabes fall. Opinion polls give the 75-year-old Mnangagwa, former intelligence chief, only a slim lead over Chamisa, 40. There will be a runoff on September 8 if no candidate wins more than half the votes. Reuters -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- Tripadvisor staff has removed this post because it did not meet Tripadvisor's forum guidelines with regards to off-topic chat. Please limit conversations to subject matter directly related to the host forum. For example: when in the London forum, please stick to topics that relate to travel within the London Metropolitan Area. Off-Topic Chatter is a forum for discussions gone afield from the topic of travel. Please note that the Off-Topic Chatter forum is un-moderated -- the Forum Posting Guidelines are not enforced, with the exception of pornographic images or text, hate speech, unauthorized re-prints of copyrighted text, and messages that promote or encourage illegal activities. Each user is expected to take responsibility for his or her own conduct. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Firstly, 1/4 is 1st April. We write dates the other way around, or simply use 19 Dec to 4 Jan. You are coming in peak peak peak period. You are likely to struggle finding accommodation in the touristy areas like the GOR and KI. This is likely to define your itinerary. So you have 16 nights. Stick to 3 locations max. You may find 2 is better at this time of year. You are right when you say weather may not be the best around the northern GBR as it's wet season. It's also stinger season, so you can't swim in the sea without wearing a stinger suit. There is still a lot of good stuff to see, such as the Daintree Rainforest. If you can fly into Cairns, this is probably a good option for you. The other alternative is Lady Elliott Island or Heron Island in the southern GBR. No stingers, but I suspect you won't find accommodation there at this time of year. From Melbourne, Phillip Island is in the opposite direction to the GOR, so needs a complete extra day. The GOR needs 3 days / 2 separate overnights (usually Apollo Bay and Port Campbell). The trouble at this time of year is finding somewhere that will allow one night stays. Many places will ask for a full week, especially between Christmas and New Year. You may have to allocate 4 nights (2 x 2 nights) for this area, but there is heaps to see and you'll have no trouble filling in 4 or 5 days. Kangaroo Island will be a similar story. Anything less than 3 nights is selling it short. You might also need to check rental car availability if you are flying to KI, and if you are driving from Adelaide, check that your car is allowed on the ferry. I'd recommend flying between Melbourne and either KI or Adelaide. Tasmania really needs a minimum of a week to see both ends of the island. Car hire here is also at a premium at this time of year. I think your first task needs to be a draft itinerary and then check accommodation availability. You may have to move your dates around for each location. Check booking.com, airbnb and stayz.com.au. Here is the information I received last week: "The Ningaloo Coast, and in particular Exmouth Gulf, sees the highest density of humpback whales in in the Southern Hemisphere during their annual 11,000km migration from Antarctica (June to November). During this period, an estimated 30,000 humpback whales visit the Ningaloo Coast on their way to their breeding and birthing grounds off the Kimberley. Humpbacks are typically seen along the Ningaloo Coast from June, but numbers peak during July-November when these whales gather in and around the Exmouth Gulf to rest up before making their return journey south. At this time of year, many of the humpbacks are mothers with newborn calves which can be seen at close range. In a first for Western Australia, tours to swim with humpback whales are now available out of both Exmouth and Coral Bay. Snorkelling with Ningaloo humpbacks provides a whole new perspective on the size and majesty of these great whales, with snorkellers permitted to approach within 30 metres of a humpback for a mind blowing face to face interaction. Humpback whale interaction tours are available from August to November. Please see below a list of the operators running these tours as well as the link to our website for more information. Exmouth Dive Centre Kings Ningaloo Reef Tours LIVE Ningaloo Ningaloo Discovery Whaleshark N Dive Whaleshark Swim Ocean Eco Adventures Three Islands Ningaloo Reef Dive Coral Bay Please keep in mind that prices shown on our website are subject to change, as operators may offer specials from time to time, so please confirm prices at time of booking. All prices are GST inclusive. Tour will start running from the 1 August 2018 here in Exmouth. In Coral Bay they have already commenced. If you have any further questions or if there is anything else I can assist you with, please dont hesitate to email or call me. Our office hours are 9am-5pm (western standard time), 7 days a week. Kind Regards, Jade Newcombe | Visitor Centre Officer | Ningaloo Visitor Centre A: PO Box 149 EXMOUTH WA 6707 | T: +618 9949 3070 E reservations@exmouthwa.com.au | W: Best place to Ski near NYC in Dec 2018? Recommendations Best place to Ski near NYC in Dec 2018? Recommendations Hi everyone, I'm travelling to NYC in Dec 2018 and am wondering what is the best ski resort with decent snow around 20-25th Dec 2018? Preference is within 2-3 hours of drive I heard Vermont and Stowe were decent? What would you recommend? Please help! Any advice will be great This will be my first time travelling to NYC Thanks ORLEANS When they meet Aug. 1 , the selectmen will be looking at proposed building and site evaluation contracts to help determine whether the Cape Cod Five Operations Center at 19 West Rd. can be reused as affordable apartments. Faced with a lack of options for housing, town meeting voted in May to create a new affordable housing trust and fund it with hundreds of thousands of dollars, some from Community Preservation funds. That sense of urgency prompted increasing interest in the future of the bank's building in Orleans as the company builds its new operations center in Barnstable. The selectmen are proposing to take a look at the CC5 Operations Building to see if its structure can be converted to another use, board Chairman Alan McClennen wrote in an e-mail response. Any change in use will require an evaluation to see if a new use is possible and what the code requirements might be. The initial talk has been some kind of housing although I have heard community center as well. Studies by the planning department and the Cape Cod Commission have shown that Orleans needs an expansion in our rental housing stock. CBI Consulting, LLC, of Boston would charge $19,400 to opine on the condition of the building envelope, the building layout, roof structure and roof top equipment, the viability to residential unit build out from a structural standpoint, zoning issues associated with the project, and building code concerns for the conversion so that the Town of Orleans may understand the efforts involved in converting the existing structure to one bedroom affordable apartments. Also before the selectmen will be a proposal from Bennett Environmental Associates, Inc., of Brewster to perform a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment... to identify any Recognized Environmental Condition(s)... The company's fee for the services would be $2,850. To this point, McClennen wrote, The discussions with the CC5 have been very preliminary and have focused on getting permission to 'take a look.' He added that no estimates of renovation cost or purchase price have been made as both are a function of what we learn from the proposed study. All of this is very preliminary, CC5 First Executive Vice President Bert Talerman said in an interview Monday, adding that the bank would not object to the town taking a look at the building. We need to take a prudent approach to the disposition of the property. If we're able to dispose of this property in a way that it serves a public purpose, that's certainly a positive. Talerman noted that the bank will keep a significant presence in Orleans after the new operations center opens in Barnstable in the latter half of 2019. We have a building that's just over 10 years old across the street from the operations center that we will continue to maintain and have a big commitment there, he said, and we have a large branch (bank) in Orleans that's a very important part of our business. Asked whether the bank might participate in a conversion project, McClennen, noting that his remarks were speculative, wrote that CC5 could lend us the funds needed for the construction phase of the project, and, depending on what type of housing is built, they could provide long term financing. Remember, CC5 is a mutual bank that prides itself in returning its funds back into the community. As a former chairman of a mutual bank in Massachusetts I remember how we dealt with developments like this. It can be a 'win-win.' I would say that Alan's comments are very kind, Talerman said after they were read to him. The availability of diverse housing options in our community has been very well documented as something that's going to be important for the long-term vitality of our community, and clearly it has been documented that workforce housing and entry-level housing are in short supply in our community. -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Re: Best way to get to shin-Yokohama station from Narita airport 4. Re: Best way to get to shin-Yokohama station from Narita airport Shin-Yokohama Station is located in Yokohama Station in about 12 minutes by subway. In the case of the JR Yokohama line, there are also cases of transfer at the next Higashi Kanagawa station. Map of Yokohama Station The station which contains the "Shin" character in Japan often leaves a little from the center. For example, Shin Osaka, Shin Kobe etc. There was a direct bus until 2015, but it seems that it was canceled. Perhaps NEX and Shinkansen are the most convenient. In that case, you need to change trains at Tokyo station. NEX arrives at the 5th floor underground at Tokyo Station. (Sobu Line (Underground Platform) Because the bullet train arrives on the second floor, it may be at the same station, but it may take 15-20 minutes to walk. (Tokaido, San-yo Shinkansen) Map of Tokyo Station As another method, it is a pretty rare way, but there is a way to go by bus from Narita Airport to Nakayama station. (2 service per day) From Nakayama station to Shin-Yokohama station, 3 stations on the JR Yokohama line, so it may be good to take a taxi from there. This is JR's route map around Tokyo. (Narita is in the east (right), Shin-yokohama is in the west (left)) Hi, Next year (March) we are planning our first visit to Japan, we are starting with a cruise (Nagoya - Osaka - Okinawa - Taipei - Yokohama) followed by a 2.5 road and rail trip around Japan. We have most of the itinerary for the road trip mapped out, but couldn't fit in Himeji Castle, which looks like one not to miss! As we will be sepnding time in Osaka later in the tour, would it be possible to visit Himeji Castle on our days stop in Osaka Cruise port? We are scheduled to be in port from 8am to 6pm. If it is feesible, is it easy to make the trip under our own steam or does anyone know of organisations the have such a trip? I have unsucessfully tried googling and as yet the cruise company arr not offering such an excursion. Also when we get off the cruise in Yokohama, we have a day and night to spare before travelling to Tokyo city centre to meet up with friends and relatives for our land trip. Does anyone have a view as to whether we should spend the day in Yokohama or travel to Kamakura, neither of which we are visiting later in the trip. Thanks a million for any advice. Mick My husband (American) and I (Irish) will be visiting his parents for Thanksgiving and taking a trip with them to Niagara falls. We both live in Ireland. His mother wants to walk over the bridge to Canada while we are there because shes never been. I'd like to go as well because they seem to still do the Falls boat cruises on the Canadian side until the end of November, while on the US side they stop them early November. But I'm a little worried about going over to Canada and then going back to the US. Everyone else is a US Citizen and will have a US Passport, but I only have an Irish Passport and will be visiting the US on the VWP. Do I need to apply for any pre-authorization before entering Canada? Also, will I be allowed back into the US on the same VWP stamp or will I be going through the entire immigration process again? I have fears of not being allowed back into the US and being stranded in Canada with all my stuff in my mother-in-laws house and our return flight to Ireland is back in New York! - A photo of the administrator seen with Interior CS Matiangi elicited sharp reactions on Social Media - Netizens trolled the deputy county commissioner with nasty comments linking him to corruption - The government has come to his defence and revealed the administrator is ill - His huge size is a result of a medical condition according to a government official Social media has been in a frenzy for days on end after a viral photo of Interior CS Fred Matiang'i speaking to an overweight administrator made rounds on the internet. After tons of criticism from netizens, the government finally issued a statement regarding the officer's weight stating the unnamed official suffers from a genetic disorder. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Mtangazaji wa Ebru TV amuonyesha Eric Omondi uchi wake kwenye video, Wakenya hawaamini READ ALSO: Desperate parents plead for help after son falls into fire, sustains serious injuries According to Mwenda Njoka, the official has tried to seek treatment on different occasions but nothing has helped with his condition. "This Chief in Homa Bay suffers from a rare genetic disease and has tried all sorts of treatment to no avail. It is callous and inhuman to accuse him of being corrupt by virtue of a genetic illness," Mwenda Njoka said. READ ALSO: Kenyan woman goes berserk, insults and embarrasses broke boyfriend who asked for KSh4k loan The chief, donned in uniform, stood firm as he addressed the CS whose face had shock written all over. Most social media users had accused the deputy county commissioner of being corrupt stating he had eaten up all county resources. Other netizens could not understand how someone who was that plump was capable of serving in a public office. Their words were however viewed as heartless as the man did not deserve the criticism netizens kept dishing out. A few people sympathised with the Homa Bay chief stating it was not right to ridicule someone who was suffering from an undisclosed disease. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Penne Pasta With Minced Meat Sauce: An Amazing Recipe From Chef Rachel | Tuko Lifestyle Source: Kenyan Breaking News - Mutunga argued Sonko's decision to cancel Chandarana's licenses was unconstitutional - The retailer came under harsh criticism after leaked email revealed it was biased against blacks - Whereas some agreed with Mutunga, others supported Sonko's radical move - Chandarana's management apologised for the discriminatory email but that did not help much Retired Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has laughed off decision by Nairobi County governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko to cancel all licenses of Chandarana following claims of racism at the high-end supermarket's retail chains. Mutunga questioned the wisdom behind Sonko's decision and wondered whether or not the governor had any legal minds around him. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Mtangazaji wa Ebru TV amuonyesha Eric Omondi uchi wake kwenye video, Wakenya hawaamini Chandarana Supermaket was on Saturday, July 28, put on the chopping board by Kenyans after a leaked email revealed open discrimination against blacks. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kenyans react with rage after supermarket openly shows favour to white people A seemingly enraged Mutunga asked who governor Sonko's advisers were, arguing his action against Chandarana was unconstitutional. "Who is the Governor Sonkos legal adviser? Surely, this act by the governor is unconstitutional under Article 47(2) of the Constitution," the ex-CJ tweet seen by TUKO.co.ke on Monday, July 30, read. READ ALSO: Excitement as a Mombasa supermarket exposes petty thieves on social media Mutunga's tweet quickly grabbed attention of some of his over 800,000 followers, among them city lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi who could not agree more with the retired President of the Supreme Court. "CJ, last time you tried to explain it in his mother tongue...he can't get it no matter how simple the advise is..." Abdullahi scoffed. READ ALSO: Government proposes Wednesday and Sunday as car free days in Nairobi CBD Governor Sonko on Sunday, July 29, revoked licenses of all Chandarana retail chains for discriminating against black people. The supermaket came under harsh criticism from Kenyans after a leaked email revealed open discrimination against blacks. READ ALSO: 17 hilarious and fastest ways to get rich in Kenya without breaking a sweat as told by Kenyans The email sent by one Rima Patel, a marketing specialist, reminded marketing managers of free gifts and raffles for upcoming events "as we are now focusing on white people". Chandarana, which interestingly is one of the oldest retail chains in Kenya, apologised profusely to Kenyans for the embarrassing email claiming it was written by a new employee. The apology did not seem to quell the rage, with many threatening to boycott the retailer's products. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Kenyans React to Sonko's 100 Days in Office - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko - Farah Maalim argued forming a government of national unity would be good for Kenya - Maalim previously had issues with the handshake but appeared to change tune when Wiper joined Jubilee - Kalonzo had earlier announced they had resolved to be part of the building bridges initiative by Uhuru and Raila - Political analysts are however concerned move by Raila and Kalonzo to work with Uhuru weakened Opposition Wiper party Secretary General Farah Maalim has proposed for a government of national unity following decision by his party boss, Kalonzo Musyoka, to join the building bridges initiative by President Uhuru Kenyatta and former prime minister Raila Odinga. Maalim, who ironically was not a huge fan of the March 9, 2018, handshake and even accused Raila of pocketing KSh 2.5 billion before he could sign the unity agreement, now believes the handshake was good for Kenya. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Mtangazaji wa Ebru TV amuonyesha Eric Omondi uchi wake kwenye video, Wakenya hawaamini Wiper party Secretary General Farah Maalim (L) proposed for a government of national unity after his party leader Kalonzo Musyoka joined Uhuru and Raila. Source: UGC READ ALSO: DP Ruto welcomes Wiper to Jubilee after Kalonzo announces partnership with Uhuru Appearing on NTV's morning talk show on Monday, July 30, the former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly posited establishing a government of national unity would be the next step to take after Uhuru, Raila and Kalonzo resolved to work together. "It is a bold step and I think it will be a good thing to have a government of national unity. I doubt it but I also have a strong feeling that Uhuru wants to leave a certain legacy," Maalim said. Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Saturday, July 28, announced he was ready to work with the Jubilee government and ODM in the spirit of the handshake. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Sulking Kamba leaders ditch Uhuru, troop to NASA as new alliance takes shape Maalim added the handshake had restored peace and stability in the country and investors who feared doing business in Kenya due to political instability now have no reason to leave. "Before the 'handshake', things were shaky and investors were trooping out of the country," the Wiper Secretary General pointed out. READ ALSO: Uhuru's secret night meeting with Raila leaves tongues wagging The Wiper party on July 28 announced it was ready to work with Uhuru and Raila in the spirit of the handshake and were warmly welcomed by Deputy President William Ruto. Political pundits however warn the move by both ODM and Wiper parties to work with the government could seriously weaken the Opposition. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga: Full Speech at Harambee House - On Tuko TV Source: Breaking News Isnt it funny how the world acts as if you are non-existent only for you to say one word and bam! Everybody is up in your business. Kenyans On Twitter (KOT) is up your neck. Your memes start trending on Facebook, especially if the words you say are that women should literally wash men like how their mothers used to wash them when they were little. Ask Lisa Gaitho, she knows just too well how this works. She is beautiful, sassy even, but she has received a rather harsh backlash from Kenyan women and some sweet pampering from the men. So, without so many hubbubs, let us introduce you to this overnight media sensation. Image: hot96.co.ke Source: UGC Lisa Gaitho is a blogger who has been under wraps for some time until she just said one sentence and her low key status took the opposite turn. A couple of days ago, KOT has been busy echoing and criticizing her comments and her ideas about relationships and love. In the past, she has been in the hot seat but none of them was as hot as the one she sat on when she said women should wash their men, scrub their bodies, oil their skin and then clothe them. All these in the name of love. Apparently, this is what she does to her boyfriend and in turn, she is showered with gifts and expensive outings and vacations. As you would expect, she pressed the wrong button, particularly for Kenyan women. They could not contain their rage, disapproval and mockery. Some even told her she was a disgrace to feminism for relying on a man to maintain her lifestyle. So, as everyone is busy blowing up social media about her comments, we cant help but wonder who the woman behind these words is, can we. READ ALSO: Blogger Lisa Gaitho under fire for asking women to wash their husbands as show of love Lisa Gaitho Kenya Image: hot96.co.ke Source: UGC Lisa Gaitho is the daughter of Macharia Gaitho. Macharia is a former editor at Nation Media Group. Most Kenyans love Macharia for his non-political stand and how he remains unbiased even in hot political situations. Lisa, on the other hand, is a blogger, Vlogger, and social media personality who majors in fashion and lifestyle issues. She loves traveling and exploring nature. She is also a professional chef and natural hair and fitness enthusiast. In her blog, she experiments with grey, white and black outfits. Gaitho plays around with sassy trends cutting across as elegant. Together with her sister, they founded Siristudio which is famous for their trendy female outfits. Lisa studied in Kenyan schools before going to South Africa for her university studies. READ ALSO: Kenyan celebrities enjoying twins in their lives Lisa Gaitho blog Image: mpasho.co.ke Source: UGC Lisa runs a blog, lisagaitho.com. Here she writes about her experiences traveling the world. She also doesnt fail to praise her older but incredibly rich boyfriend who funds her trips, much to the chagrin of women. Her blogs usually attract a backlash from her readers, most accusing her of looking down upon her Kenyan fellows and relying on a man to make her dreams happen. But, Lisa intoxicated with love and floating in its whirlwind will hear none of it. Who will anyways, especially if the boyfriend has deep pockets and is willing to spend it on someone? Anita and Lisa Gaitho Image: shopsiristudio.com Source: UGC Dont all parents wish they had drop-dead gorgeous and handsome kids, better still if the kids are twins? Macharia Gaitho seems to have been blessed with every other parents wish. Not only is Lisa Gaitho ravishingly beautiful but she also has a twin who is as beautiful as her, if not more. Lisa Gaithos twin sister Anita Gaitho is also a fashion blogger and model. Anita and Lisa Gaitho age is kept under wraps. Lisa Gaitho married Image: kenyabuzz.com Source: UGC Lisa is still unmarried but actively dating. She found herself an Igbo man who owns a chain of restaurants in Lagos, Nigeria but is based in the States. Theres just a thing about foreign men that seems to attract most of the Kenyan women, and it is so strong they cannot help it. Lisa is among the latest Kenyan girls to bag a Nigerian man. No wonder she will break all feminism rules to please her boyfriend, whom, she hopes will soon put a ring on that finger. READ ALSO: HOT daughter of ex-Nation journalist is dating a RICH man, and some people are HATING (photos) Source: Tuko Breaking News - Mutua said Kenya needs a paradigm shift from pre-colonial mentality and focus on development - He believes he is the man to speed up the Country's shaky development progress - The Maendeleo Chap Chap leader is known for his quick solutions to many problems facing Machakos county Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has maintained his position to run for presidency in the 2022 presidential elections. The Maendeleo Chap Chap leader said he wants to become the president of Kenya so he can speed up development in Kenya. Send News' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Alfred Mutua was right to join Uhurus government, Wiper now admits I will be on the presidential ballot in 2022 Alfred Mutua Source: UGC READ ALSO: Battle brewing in Machakos as Governor Mutua ignores county assembly, appoints ministers In his twitter on Monday, July 30, Mutua said Kenya has many self-inflicted problems and it is time to shift from the pre-colonial mentality to a development guided period. "I will be on the presidential ballot in 2022. Because I want to speed up development in Kenya," he said. Mutua who has been at loggerheads with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka for a long time said he had no problem with Musyoka and welcomed his move to work with the government for the benefit of the people of Ukambani. READ ALSO: Do not wait to be president in 2022, William Ruto told He also called on the government to focus on the real culprits in its fight against corruption instead of blanket blame on the county governors. The Machakos governor joined the race along other politicians who have declared their 2022 presidential ambitions including Deputy President William Ruto. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news Kenya News: Kenyans Donate to Street Women | Tuko TV Source: Tuko.co.ke - Jeff Koinange claimed he pays at least KSh 72,000 to Kenya Power in monthly power bill - He accused the government of staring at a stalled 320MW cheap power project in Marsabit - On Monday, July 30, ERC scrapped the KSh 150 fixed charges on power bills, promising cheaper power - Consumers have for long decried exorbitant power rates and delayed payment processing Even as Kenyans celebrate a little relief on power bills, many still have their tongues wagging in disbelief on how TV personality Jeff Koinange has his accumulating to a whooping KSh 72,000 every month. The Citizen Television news anchor made the revelation on Sunday, July 29 during an evening interview with Energy Principal Secretary (PS) Joseph Njoroge. READ ALSO: Huyu ndiye mtoto mrembo zaidi duniani? Jeff Koinange (l) made the revelation on Sunday, July 29 during an evening interview with Energy Principal Secretary (PS) Joseph Njoroge (r). Photo:Jeff Koinange Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kenya Power initiates new projects to end blackouts in Western Kenya The revelation has since sparked varied reactions from netizens who gave their take on Jeffs claims while others shared their own testimonies. Koinange lamented his power bills were extremely exorbitant and accused the government of staring on a dormant wind power project lying Marsabit and which could provide cheaper power. READ ALSO: Kenya Power's tight monopoly under threat as new players apply for licenses He insisted that if the stalled project had life, it would cushion citizens from what he termed as economic exploitation by the power distributor. The KSh 70 billion wind power project has a capacity of 320 Mega Watts and would go along way in lighting-up thousands of homes. READ ALSO: Kenyans protest angrily after Kenya Power buys drinks for Judiciary officers On Monday, July 30 the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) scrapped the KSh 150 fixed charges. This will see a relief on power prices from KSh 17.87/KWh to KSh 16.64/KWh and the move, according to ERC boss Pavel Oimeke, is envisaged at giving the citizenry a better understanding of their monthly bills. The changes are set to take effect on Wednesday, August 1. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Kenyans call on government to end Kenya Power's monopoly - On Tuko TV. Source: Kenya Breaking News Today One Ukrainian serviceman was wounded in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in eastern Ukraine over the past day. Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson Dmytro Hutsuliak said this at a press briefing on Monday, July 30, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. One our serviceperson was wounded in combat actions. He was immediately taken to a military hospital. He is now in good condition, said Hutsuliak. According to the ministrys spokesperson, the situation in the JFO area remained unchanged. The Russian-backed troops continued provocative attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian army. iy The Government of Canada has decided to grant Ukraine $50 million annually during the next five years. "A new aid package for Ukraine in the amount of about 50 million has been recorded. It will be granted annually over the next 5 years (35 million - technical assistance, 5 million - humanitarian aid, 10-12 million - operations in the security sector). This aid does not take into account the large-scale military mission UNIFIER, which is funded from the budget of the Canadian Defense Ministry," Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Andriy Shevchenko stated, 112 TV Channel reported. According to him, it is important for Ukraine that this is the first large-scale package adopted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Government. As reported, Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said that Canada Canada unwaveringly supported Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. ish The share of exports of agricultural products in Ukraines total exports over the first six months of 2018 exceeded 37%. "According to the scientists of the Institute of Agricultural Economics, the share of exports of agricultural products in Ukraines total exports over the first six months of 2018 exceeded 37%," the press service of the National Scientific Center "Institute of Agricultural Economics" reports with reference to deputy director Mykola Puhachov. Puhachov informed that, according to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the exports of agricultural products in January-June 2018 remained almost at the level of last year's figures for the corresponding period (-2%), having exceeded USD 8.6 billion. In the first half of 2018, the cost of exports of poultry meat increased from $196 million to $241 million, the cost of oil exports grew from $45 million to $74 million. The reason was the rising prices for those types of agricultural products, Puhachov explained. As reported, in 2017/2018 marketing year Ukrainian farmers exported 39.4 million tons of grain crops totaling $6.4 billion to foreign markets. ol Canada unwaveringly supports Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said this after completion of his visit to Latvia, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Canadian support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression is unwavering," Sajjan said. According to him, the presence of Canada in Ukraine "allows the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend the sovereignty of the country and promote regional and international stability." "Our loyalty moves beyond military training. Within the framework of comprehensive support for Ukraine, Canada has provided the Armed Forces of Ukraine with non-lethal military equipment worth more than $16 million, and more things worth $7.25 million will be delivered by the end of March 2019," the minister said. He stressed that Canada "is working persistently with partners to develop a safe, successful and democratic Ukraine." "We are convinced that maintaining security in Eastern Europe helps preserve peace and security throughout the world," Sajjan summed up. ol Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States of America Valeriy Chaly personally thanked U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for adopting the Crimean Declaration. "On behalf of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, I personally thanked U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for adopting the declaration on the non-recognition of Russias illegal annexation of Crimea (I think in the future it will be mentioned as "Pompeo's Declaration")," the ambassador wrote on his Facebook page. According to him, they also discussed further joint steps and noted the successful development of the partnership between the two countries. "Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, as they say, is gaining momentum!" he said. As reported, on July 25, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement, titled "Crimea Declaration," stating that the United States does not recognize Russias illegal annexation of Crimea and accuses it of undermining international principles of peace and security. ish Canada strongly condemns actions taken by Russia towards the forcible integration of the Crimean peninsula into Russia. "Canada reaffirms its enduring commitment to the territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemns actions taken by Russia towards the forcible integration of the Crimean peninsula into Russia, including through the opening of the Kerch Strait Bridge in May 2018," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Chrystia Freeland, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. She drew attention to serious human rights violations on the peninsula after its illegal annexation. "Since Russias occupation of Crimea, we have witnessed severe human rights violationscommitted by state agents of Russiaincluding the suppression of freedom of expression and association, arbitrary arrests, torture, detentions and disappearances. Many of these grave human rights violations were documented last fall by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights," the minister stressed. Freeland also called on Russia to immediately release all Ukrainian political prisoners. "We call for the release of all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens, including Oleg Sentsov, who have been removed to Russia and sentenced by courts whose jurisdiction in Crimea we do not recognize," she said. According to Freeland, "Crimeas rich cultural heritage has also been targeted by Russia, including through the mistreatment of the Crimean Tatar population and their historic sites. Canada is steadfast in its support for the people of Ukraine. Together, the international community must maintain its pressure, including through economic sanctions, until Russia respects international law and Ukraines sovereignty," the Canadian Foreign Minister summed up. ol Ukraines representative in the Trilateral Contact Group Iryna Gerashchenko predicts the activation of Russia's dialogue on the exchange of prisoners before the start of election campaign in Ukraine. Gerashchenko does not rule out that the Kremlin will try to use this issue in favor of presidential candidates and parties loyal to the Kremlin, she wrote on her Facebook page. "All this makes us think that the Kremlin will wait for the start of the Ukrainian election campaign and then try to use the hostage issue, as well as Donbas, war and peace, pushing for "direct negotiations" with ORDLO and demonstrating its attitude toward certain candidates and parties willing to talk on the terms of the Kremlin, but not from the position of Ukraine," she wrote. The vice-speaker recalled that since March Ukraine had not received any response from the Russian Federation on the offer to exchange 36 Russians for Ukrainian political prisoners. In addition, other proposals of the Ukrainian side in Minsk on the continuation of liberation of Ukrainians from the occupied territories were unsuccessful. As reported, on July 27, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova sent an official letter to Russian Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova with an offer to exchange 36 Russian citizens detained or convicted in Ukraine for crimes against the state. ish The effectiveness, impartiality, and integrity of the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor Office is critical to Ukraines fight against corruption. "The effectiveness, impartiality, and integrity of the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor Office (SAPO) is critical to Ukraines fight against corruption. The Ukrainian people deserve nothing less. The World Bank has supported the establishment of Ukraines new anticorruption institutions. We will continue to follow developments in the prosecution of cases that can be heard by Ukraines new High Anti-Corruption Court," the World Bank Ukraine posted on Facebook. As reported, on July 26, the Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors decided not to remove Head of the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor Office of Ukraine Nazar Kholodnytsky from office. He will be reprimanded. Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine Artem Sytnyk said that he would appeal against the reprimand to Kholodnytsky. The United States said that Kholodnytsky should leave his post to keep up the reputation of the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor Office. On March 30, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuri Lutsenko and Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine Artem Sytnyk sent a complaint to the Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors about committing disciplinary violations by the Head of the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor Office and asked to remove Kholodnytsky from his post. The complaints of NABU and PGO described five episodes of violations by Kholodnytsky. In particular, he was charged with putting obstacles in the investigation into a number of criminal proceedings by NABU. ol As of July 29, almost 14 million Ukrainians have already signed declarations with primary care physicians as part of the nationwide campaign Doctor for Each Family. The relevant report has been posted on the website of the E-Health national electronic healthcare system. Since the start of the campaign on April 2, 13 million 959 thousand 972 patients have signed declarations with primary care physicians. Also, as of July 29, 1,322 healthcare establishments and 22,739 primary care physicians were registered in the E-Health system. iy Tarakaniv Fort or the new Dubno fortress is one of the most interesting sites in Rivne region, which became the most mystical place for travelers in Ukraine, according to the local website Light. "The fort received its mystical name from the village of Tarakaniv, near which it is in fact located. This unbelievable place is amazing not only for its legends, but also for its size. Only the tunnel, located under the outer walls, is about 100 meters long. Today we can see only the ruins that were left of a formerly magnificent fortress," the report says. The fortress was built in the 19th century to protect the western borders of the Russian Empire. During the First World War, the Russians decided that the fort was not much needed so they gave the fortress to the Poles almost without a fight. But then they changed their mind. As a result, the fort, destroyed by Russian artillery, was taken back. In the years of the Second World War, the new Dubno fortress was handed over to another enemy - Nazi invaders. According to some legends, the Germans tested a secret weapon in this place. There are also rumors that the fort has turned into a place where ghosts live. They are based on the fact that many soldiers died here in the early 20th century. op The Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine puts a lot of efforts to promote the image of Ukraine in the world. State Secretary of the Information Policy Ministry Artem Bidenko said this at a meeting of the Board of the Information Policy Ministry, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. "We launched a big campaign to promote Ukraine in the world. The CNN TV Channel broadcasts videos about Ukraine," he said. In addition, the Information Policy Ministry actively worked during the Year of Japan in Ukraine. "We carried out many campaigns within the framework of this project. The creation of the film "Diakuyu" ("Thank you") was the greatest project, which received several awards," Bidenko added. The state secretary also noted that the Ministry was trying to implement the all-Ukrainian social media campaigns. "We launched the full cycle from creating commercials to working with TV channels, agencies, radio stations regarding the dissemination of this information," he said. Bidenko reminded that Information Policy Ministry was also working on the development of international broadcasting. ish Nasirov says he has only a Ukrainian passport. Ex-head of Ukraine's State Fiscal Service (SFS) Roman Nasirov says "he will do his best to become president." "Every day I think about it more and more ... I've even started preparations for this. I'm encouraged by friends, advisers. I think that's probably so ... I will do everything to become president," Nasirov told Channel 112 Ukraine on July 29. He also says he thinks he could "find a common language" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is also fond of judo. "It is always necessary to find a common language," he said. Also, Nasirov says he has only one passport the Ukrainian one, although he would like to receive citizenship of other countries: "Ukrainian citizenship, that's all. They claim I have British, Hungarian, Israeli citizenship. "Unfortunately, I have none of them, but I would like to...," he said. Read alsoUkraine tax chief Nasirov fired amid embezzlement probe media He also noted he was wearing an ankle monitor as a suspect in a case related to abuse of office. Asked a question from a journalist whether Nasirov could be jailed, he answered: "Certainly not. There is nothing [to be jailed for]." As UNIAN reported, prosecutors from the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) on November 10, 2017, filed an indictment against Nasirov and his subordinate, the head of the SFS debt repayment department, Volodymyr Novikov. Nasirov is accused of abuse of power or official position and official forgery under Articles 364 and 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. His subordinate is charged with committing crimes under Part 5 of Article 27 (complicity) and Part 2 of Article 364 (abuse of power or official position). Investigators insist Nasirov, acting in the interests of Member of Parliament Oleksandr Onyshchenko, initiated unsubstantiated installment of the tax debt to three companies in 2015-2016, which caused almost UAH 2 billion in budget losses. The Cabinet of Ministers on March 3, 2017, suspended Nasirov during the investigation, and on January 31, 2018, he was dismissed from his post. Hearings on Yanukovych's claim are scheduled for September 13. Former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych has lodged a lawsuit with Kyiv's Pechersky District Court against Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko for the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation and refutation of inaccurate information. This is stated on the website of the court, the lb.ua news outlet said. According to the resolution, Yanukovych's claim filed on June 23 was accepted by the court for consideration. However, the court's decision does not specify what exactly he wants to be refuted. Hearings on Yanukovych's claim are scheduled for September 13. Read alsoYanukovych used Russia's aircraft to flee from Ukraine witness In addition, the court ordered Lutsenko to provide a statement of defense within 15 days after he receives a ruling on the beginning of the proceedings. As UNIAN reported earlier, the British law firm, Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP (JHA LLP), representing the interests of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, appealed to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko with an official letter. The letter required that the chief prosecutor should officially and publicly apologize for statements about Yanukovych voiced at a UN meeting on May 23, 2018, when Lutsenko announced the involvement of the ex-leader of Ukraine and his allies in the theft of $40 billion and a special confiscation of $1.5 billion under a ruling by Kramatorsk's District Court. What is more, on July 30, Kyiv's District Court will start legal debates between the parties to the trial related to Yanukovych's high treason. On November 28, 2016, Yanukovych was indicted by Lutsenko at Kyiv's Sviatoshynsky district court on charges of treason, assistance to Russian authorities in deliberate actions aimed at redrawing the borders of Ukraine and conducting an aggressive war. Yanukovych is being tried in absentia due to the fact that he is hiding from justice in Russian territory. Practical cooperation with Ukraine started in 2014 with the Russian annexation of Crimea. With Slovakia leading the Visegrad Group for the next year, Ukraine is now hoping to revive stalled cooperation with the group, possibly turning the V4 into the V5. During the Hungarian presidency that ended in June, Budapest ignored numerous Ukrainian proposals due to concerns around the new Ukrainian Law on Education, which, according to the Hungarian government, violate human and minorities rights, Emerging Europe reported. Read alsoHungary set to continue blocking Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations In 2004 the four Visegrad states committed to assist third countries in preparing themselves to become part of the European Union and NATO. Among the V4's ambitions, there was a development of EU policy towards Eastern (European Neighborhood policy) and Southeastern (Enlargement process) Europe. "The V4 has forged a path in Europe, and the policies that the Visegrad Group pioneered are now being followed by several countries," Hungarian Minister of the Interior Sandor Pinter said at a meeting between the interior ministers of the V4 countries and Austria in June. Practical cooperation with Ukraine started in 2014 with the Russian annexation of Crimea. Visegrad states were among the first to deliver joint statements in support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, engaging other countries such as Austria, the UK, Germany and France to do the same. Furthermore, as energy security is one of the V4 top priorities, with the group's direct support Ukraine managed to secure alternative supplies of natural gas, thus, diminishing energy dependence on Russia. Good relations seemed to come to an end after 2014: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called for the autonomy of Ukraine's 150,000-strong Hungarian minority, and the federalisation of the country while the Czech President, Milos Zeman criticized the Euromaidan political protests and suggested that Kyiv should not have illusions about Crimea's return. Regardless, Ukraine continues to look at the V4 countries as role models of democratic reforms and supporters of its European aspirations. Today, Ukraine is one of the biggest recipients of International Visegrad Fund support. According to the Slovak programme for its presidency of the group, Bratislava is planning to revive the V4 Road Show format, holding four sectoral roundtables devoted to specific reforms in Ukraine. Devyatko put off the meeting until 10:00 on July 31. Lawyers of fugitive Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych did not attend Monday's meeting of Kyiv's Obolon District Court, where the legal debate was to be held. Presiding judge Vladyslav Devyatko said the lawyers in the morning filed a motion "about the allegedly valid reason for non-appearance." According to their motion, they are in the Supreme Court where they are asked to change the jurisdiction in the case, as reported by the news outlet Censor.NET. Read alsoFugitive ex-president of Ukraine Yanukovych sues incumbent chief prosecutor Lutsenko According to the judge, this is the third appeal of lawyers to the Supreme Court with a request to change the jurisdiction and is "actually a disruption of the debate." Devyatko put off the meeting until 10:00 on July 31 and also apologized to all who had come. He explained he could not do otherwise, since it is necessary to respect Viktor Yanukovych's right to defense. As reported earlier, Yanukovych is being accused of high treason, complicity with the Russian authorities, deliberate actions aimed at altering the borders of Ukraine in the breach of the procedure established by the Constitution of Ukraine, and waging aggressive war. On June 29, 2017, Kyiv's Obolonsky district court granted the prosecution's request for the trial in absentia in the Yanukovych case. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are integral parts of Ukraine in its internationally recognized borders. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) strongly protests against Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's recent visit to Ukraine's Crimea, which is occupied by Russia, saying it is a gross violation of international law. Medvedev is reported to have visited Crimea on July 28-29. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says it has "repeatedly stressed the inadmissibility of unauthorized visits of Russian officials to the sovereign territory of our state in its internationally recognized borders, which includes the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol," the ministry said in a statement available to UNIAN. Read alsoRussian PM Medvedev arrives in occupied Sevastopol Ukrainian diplomats emphasize that Medvedev's visit to Crimea is a gross violation of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, cynical and demonstrative disregard by the Russian side of universally recognized norms of international law, obligations under bilateral and multilateral treaties to which Ukraine and Russia are parties. Among the documents mentioned are the UN Charter, resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations "Territorial Integrity of Ukraine" A/Res/68/262 of March 27, 2014, "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)" A/Res/71/205 of December 19, 2016, "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine" A/Res/72/190 of December 19, 2017. "The Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are integral parts of Ukraine in its internationally recognized borders, which is recognized by the entire international community, which has repeatedly assessed the internationally wrongful act of the Russian Federation by adoption the relevant resolutions of the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and other international organizations, as well as imposing sanctions against the occupying state," the Ukrainian diplomats stressed. Similar registries have been created in many European countries. Head of the Department for Combating Human Trafficking of the National Police, Artem Kryshchenko, spoke in favor of creating an open register of pedophiles. The official made a corresponding statement in an interview published on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. "I believe that we must introduce in Ukraine an open register of pedophiles, such as in many European countries where such people will never be able to find a job in public service or in a prestigious firm. They can even be banned entry to any other country," he said. According to Kryshchenko, the approach is also practiced in Ukraine where those included in such foreign databases are denied entry. Read alsoIn Ukraine, 286,000 people live in "modern slavery" "For example, when a foreigner, who is in such an open registry, tries to cross into Ukraine, our foreign colleagues tell us about the expected arrival of such a 'guest.' We meet them at the airport and notify them of an entry ban," said Kryshchenko. The law enforcer emphasized that the introduction of such a registry would make it possible to prevent many crimes against children. Kryshchenko also said that law enforcers discovered five facts of child trafficking over the past six months. In four cases, newborns were sold by their "mothers," and in one case, the woman decided to "lease" her 4-year-old son to be engaged in street begging. In addition, this year the police forwarded to court a case against a family couple who had been sexually abusing their underage daughter. From day-start, militants shelled positions of Joint Forces 10 times, including from heavy weapons. Three Ukrainian defenders were wounded as a result of enemy shellings in eastern Ukraine, according to the press center of Joint Forces HQ's report as of 18:00. "Today, from 7:00 to 18:00 Kyiv time, Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire 10 times, including once using heavy weapons," the report said. Read alsoDonbas update: Russia-led forces attack Ukraine troops three times It is noted that the invaders opened aim fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms at the positions of Joint Forces in the areas of the settlements of Krymske, Svitlodarsk, Maryinka, Novomykhailivka, Novotroyitske, Lebedynske, and Pavlopil. Defenders of Vodiane came under fire from an 82mm mortar. "Enemy losses are being clarified," the HQ reported. Erdogan said that the BRICS members welcomed his suggestion warmly. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the leaders of the five-country block BRICS to let Turkey join the group. "If you take us in the name of the platform would become BRICST, I said," he told reporters in South Africa's capital Johannesburg on July 27, according to Hurriyet Daily News. Read alsoErdogan declares victory in presidential election in Turkey The BRICS group, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, invited Turkey to 10th annual meeting as the term chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Erdogan traveled to Johannesburg along with the country's foreign minister, finance and treasury minister, defense minister, commerce minister and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials on July 26. Erdogan also said that the BRICS members welcomed his suggestion warmly. "Especially China says that it stands in favor of enlargement. I have seen that they are considering involving other countries in this platform. They are not opposed to it," he said. "We are in the G-20 with five of those countries. I wish they take the necessary steps to let us in and we take our place in the BRICS," he added. Pointing to the potential of partnering in economy, investments and development projects with the BRICS countries, "I believe that it is not right to stay away from such groupings," Erdogan said. Graham said the president met with the National Security Council on Friday, ordering them to harden electoral infrastructure against Russia and other actors for 2018. U.S. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has said U.S. sanctions imposed against Russia are not working, therefore new restrictive measures are in the pipeline. Answering a question in an interview to Fox News whether he wants to see new sanctions put against Russia, he said: "One hundred percent." Read alsoBloomberg: Senators propose boosting sanctions on Russia, including debt "I will give President Trump credit for being tougher on Russian than Obama. That is without a doubt clear. Army, the Ukraine, expelling diplomats, imposing sanctions, tougher than Obama did," he said. "But it's not working. They're still trying to interfere in our election. This week was good news for me in two ways. The president met with the National Security Council on Friday, ordering them to harden our electoral infrastructure against Russia and other actors for 2018. That's presidential leadership I've been looking for," Graham said. "I've talked to homeland security folks, I've talked to everybody in the government. I think a good package is coming out of the administration to protect the 2018 election. [U.S. Secretary of State Michael] Pompeo told [Senator Robert] Menendez that he would work with myself and Senator Menendez and other groups to put new sanctions on the table for Russia. I'm going to come out with sanctions from hell on Russia. Because what we're doing is not working," he added. UK select committee criticises Facebook response and urges tighter internet regulation. The DCMS select committees far-reaching interim report on its 18-month investigation into fake news and the use of data and dark ads in elections offers a wide-ranging, informed and sustained critique that carries with it the full weight of parliament. The verdict is withering: Facebook failed. It obfuscated, refused to investigate how its platform was abused by the Russian government until forced by pressure from Senate committees and, in the most damning section, it aided and abetted the incitement of racial hatred in Burma, noting that even the companys chief technical officer, Mike Schroepfer, called this awful, the Guardian reports. Recommendations include: Clear legal liability for tech companies to act against harmful and illegal content with failure to act resulting in criminal proceedings; Read alsoRussia meddled in U.S. elections via Facebook, Zuckerberg confirms Full auditing and scrutiny of tech companies, including their security mechanisms, and full algorithm auditing. Strengthen the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). Impose a levy on tech companies operating in the UK to pay for it. The Competition and Markets Authority should investigate fake profiles and advertising fraud; A ban on micro-targeted political advertising to similar audiences; A new category of tech company to be formulated which tightens tech companies liabilities and which is not necessarily either a platform or publisher; Sweeping new powers for the Electoral Commission and a comprehensive overhaul of existing legislation that governs political advertisements during election; A further demand for Mark Zuckerberg to come to the committee to answer questions to which Facebook has not responded adequately to date; and A code of ethics that all tech companies will agree to uphold. It was the Cambridge Analytica scandal that blew open the committees inquiry in March, though it had already been a focus of its investigations. At its hearing in Washington in February, it had asked a series of pointed questions of Simon Milner, a Facebook executive, whose answers the report describes as disingenuous. DCMS committee chair Damian Collins told the Observer that when it first started asking questions about Russia, it very quickly led to questions about interference in British elections, including the EU referendum. And we noticed an aggressive campaign against us even asking these questions. It underlined the need to persist, which we have done. He said that the committee believed the evidence it had received so far from Facebook represented only the tip of the iceberg. The report includes: A call for a full investigation into contacts between Arron Banks millionaire backer of Leave.EU and Russian officials and his business dealings with Russian companies. We understand the National Crime Agency is investigating these matters. We believe that they should be given full access to any relevant information that will aid their inquiry; Read alsoFacebook's Zuckerberg says 'sorry' to EU deputies media A call for a full investigation into the source of Bankss donations to the referendum to verify that the money was not sourced from abroad. It notes that should there be any doubt, the matter should be referred to the NCA; A proposal for limits in future elections on individual donors and for major donors to demonstrate the source of their donations; A demand for further investigation by Facebook of Russian interference on its platform. Facebooks denial of direct Russian interference using Facebook in the Brexit referendum was disingenuous and typical of Facebooks handling of our questions; Calls for a full ICO report on Aleksandr Kogan, the Russian-born scientist who was working in Russia with grants from the Russian government while harvesting Facebook data for Cambridge Analytica; A request for more information about the ICOs statement that Cambridge Analyticas systems had been accessed from IP addresses that resolve to Russia and other areas of the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States]; and A statement from the British government on how many investigations are currently being carried out into Russian interference in UK politics. It says: It would be wrong for Robert Muellers inquiry to take the lead about related issues in the UK. It calls for coordination between all relevant authorities. (@FahadShabbir) The Khushhali Microfinance Bank (KMBL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Allied Solar to address Pakistan's energy consumption needs. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2018 ) :The Khushhali Microfinance Bank (KMBL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Allied Solar to address Pakistan's energy consumption needs. Under the MoU, KMBL would now offer Solar Home Systems and Solar Lighting Solutions on easy installments to its customers, said a statement issued by the bank here Monday. Talking about the agreement, President KMBL, Ghalib Nishtar said that KBML and Allied Solar would work together to address the energy issues of masses living in far-flung areas, a move which would also positively impact their livelihoods. "Solar energy is a renewable energy source and exploring such alternative energy sources is an important priority for the country as well given the current shortfall in energy supply," he said. Given the energy crisis in the country, this strategic alliance envisages to promote the use of renewable energy by facilitating the bank's customers in accessing world class renewable energy products on easy financing services. KMBL and Allied Solar would also initiate a social awareness campaign to educate the users about the benefits of shifting to renewable energy sources. The products being offered would be from the international brand d.light, the global leader in providing quality off grid solar products, to ensure sustainability. Initially, this service would be launched at Gilgit, Hunza Ghizer, Lodhran and Sukkur, as KMBL was committed to supporting product innovation for bottom of the pyramid markets that provide economic opportunities to the majority of the population in Pakistan. The Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) here on Monday announced the results of its annual Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) examinations for 2018, with the top three positions for both sets of examinations secured by girl students. KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2018 ) :The Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) here on Monday announced the results of its annual Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) examinations for 2018, with the top three positions for both sets of examinations secured by girl students. Maya Ahmed, Maryam Siddiqa Girls Higher Secondary School, Punjab obtained first position overall for SSC examinations, with an impressive 1033 out of 1100 (94.27%) marks. In addition to her overall first position, Maya Ahmed also came second as part of the SSC Science Group High Achievers, obtaining a total of 436 out of 450 marks. Yumna Khabir, P.E.C.H.S. Girls' School, Karachi, came in second overall for SSC examinations with 1019 out of 1100 marks (92.64%), followed by Zehra Abbas, Al-Murtaza School, Karachi, who obtained 1010 out of 1100 marks (91.82%) and came in third overall. Maryam Ihsan, Nusrat Jahan College, Punjab obtained first position overall for HSSC examinations, scoring 1018 out of 1100 (92.55 %) marks. In addition to her overall position, Ms. Ihsan also came in first as part of the HSSC Pre-Medical Group High Achievers, obtaining a total of 579 out of 600 marks. Fareeha Hashmi and Alina Fatima, both students of Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Karachi, obtained 1013 and 1010 marks out of 1100, coming in at second and third position overall, respectively. Fatima also came in third as part of the HSSC Pre-Medical Group High Achievers, obtaining a total of 570 out of 600 marks. The overall pass rate for SSC students was announced to be 95.1% with 73.8% of students scoring a B grade or higher, whereas the overall pass rate for HSSC students is 95.5% with 77.1% of students scoring a B grade or higher. Mansoora Urooj, Principal, Nusrat Jahan College, Punjab, noted that AKU-EB had greatly influenced the methods of teaching employed at the school. "Education has been made comprehensive, and we have adopted better ways of learning thanks to AKU-EB," she said mentioning that both students and teachers perform brilliantly under this system. Director, AKU-EB, Dr Shehzad Jeeva, extended his congratulations to all AKU-EB students. "As an indigenous board dedicated to uplifting national educational standards and offering quality assessment, the success of our students endorses our mission," he said. Dr Jeeva said AKU-EB's Matric and Intermediate qualifications reinstill confidence in the country's education system. Associate Director, Assessment, AKU-EB, Dr Naveed Yousuf, noted that the examination results were a triumph in multiple aspects. "The sheer diversity of high scoring students across Pakistan exemplifies the standards students across the nation hold themselves to," he said. Associate Director, Operations, AKU-EB, Hanif Shariff shared that he was proud of the institution's role in providing a fair platform for students to take their examinations in. The Coalition Forces Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen has rejected a statement by humanitarian coordinator in Yemen Lise Grande on the vulnerability of civilians in Yemen to the risk of air strikes carried out by the coalition. RIYADH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 31st Jul, 2018) The Coalition Forces Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen has rejected a statement by humanitarian coordinator in Yemen Lise Grande on the vulnerability of civilians in Yemen to the risk of air strikes carried out by the coalition. ''The coalition's operations take into account international law and protection of civilians in accordance with Articles 51 and 52 of the Fourth Geneva Conventions,'' Coalition Spokesperson Col Turki Al-Malki said in a press conference Monday. Al-Malki noted that the military operations in Yemen aimed to restore the legitimacy of the government, restore state institutions and rebuild the national army, as well as protecting the Yemeni state. "Grande's statement ignored the international and humanitarian violations carried out by the Houthi militias in the territory it controls in Yemen," the spokesperson said. (@ChaudhryMAli88) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Jul, 2018 ) :The Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi announced a new free bus service "Hail and Ride" in Abu Dhabi and its suburbs. The service in its pilot phase will start in Mussafah for free, Khaleej Times reported. The new service will transport the public from different sectors in the area to the main bus stops there. The service is available every day from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm within specified routes. It is asserted that this service contributes to the improvement of the Public Transport Network by facilitating the daily transport of the public. DoT strives to regulate and improve the Transport Network by following the best international practices that mainly support the economy of the Emirate. DoT will evaluate the customers' feedback and their level of satisfaction to improve the service. It will also study the possibility of implementing it later in other areas in Abu Dhabi. (@FahadShabbir) Lt General (Retd) Naeem Khalid Lodhi, Minister for Defence visited Naval Headquarters Islamabad and called on Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, said a statement issued by Directorate of Public Relations of Pakistan Navy here Monday. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2018 ) :Lt General (Retd) Naeem Khalid Lodhi, Minister for Defence visited Naval Headquarters Islamabad and called on Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, said a statement issued by Directorate of Public Relations of Pakistan Navy here Monday. Upon arrival at the Naval Headquarters, the Minister was received by Chief of the Naval Staff. A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Navy clad in ceremonial dress presented him guard of honour. The visiting dignitary was then introduced to Principal Staff Officers. Later, the Minister for Defence was called on the Naval Chief in his office. During the meeting, professional matters of mutual interest and Pakistan Navy's role in Regional Maritime Security and Operational Development in the Indian Ocean Region came under discussion. Pakistan Navy Ship SAIF, F22-P class destroyer of Pakistan Navy Fleet, visited Port Muscat at Oman, during first Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP) deployment in Gulf of Aden & Southern Red Sea Region ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News 30th July, 2018) Pakistan Navy Ship SAIF, F22-P class destroyer of Pakistan Navy Fleet, visited Port Muscat at Oman, during first Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP) deployment in Gulf of Aden & Southern Red Sea Region. The objective of RSMP is to maintain PN presence along critical choke points/ sea areas in Indian Ocean Region to fulfill international obligations for maritime security and safeguarding national/ international shipping by preserving freedom of navigation at high seas. During the visit, Commanding Officer of PNS SAIF called-on Royal Navy of Omans Head of Fleet Staff and other officials. He conveyed well wishes from Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi to the people of Oman in general and Royal Navy of Oman in particular. A reception was also hosted onboard PNS SAIF; Commodore Saif Bin Mohammad Al Habsi, Commanding Officer Said Bin Sultan Naval Base graced as Chief Guest, while H.E. Mr Ali Javed (Ambassador of Islamic Republic of Pakistan) was the Chief Host of the event. The reception was attended by large number of guests including Pakistani & Omani community members, diplomats, officials & other dignitaries. Ship remained open for local visitors, which provided unique opportunity to overseas Pakistanis to have a glimpse of life onboard ships of their homeland Naval force. Pakistan and Oman enjoy close diplomatic ties and cordial relations. The visit of PNS SAIF is expected to provide new vistas to further strengthen these relations. Officers and men of PNS SAIF were engaged in various interactions during the Port visit to ensure continuity in bilateral collaboration. In order to enhance interoperability with Royal Oman Navy, PNS SAIF will also conduct Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with RNOV Ship KHASSAB. Upon completion of PASSEX, PNS SAIF will resume Regional Maritime Security Patrols in the Gulf of Aden. Pakistan Navy has always been contributing significantly in assuring a secure maritime environment for merchantmen by actively deploying ships in Counter Terrorism and Anti-Piracy Operations. Continued active presence of Pakistan Navy depicts its resolve to curb menace of Terrorism, Drug & Human Trafficking and Piracy on high seas. Easter Island is known for its unique Moai monumental statues carved by the Rapa Nui people, believed to have arrived on the remote landmass in the southeastern Pacific Ocean in around the 12th century. Santiago, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2018 ) :Easter Island is known for its unique Moai monumental statues carved by the Rapa Nui people, believed to have arrived on the remote landmass in the southeastern Pacific Ocean in around the 12th century. Despite its isolated location some 3,500 kilometers (2,000 miles) from the coast of Chile, the island is a popular tourist destination, not least due to its remarkable collection of around 900 tall human figures with distinctive features and standing up to 10 meters (32 feet) tall. However, it is those very tourists, alongside mainland migrants, who have become a threat to the island's well-being. Chile, which annexed the territory in 1888, has decided to act. In 2007, Easter Island was designated a special territory while back in March, congress voted to limit the number of tourists and foreign or mainland residents allowed on the island, and the time they're allowed to stay. As of Wednesday, new rules will come into effect that reduce the time tourists -- Chileans not part of the Rapa Nui people and foreigners -- can stay on the island from 90 to 30 days. "Foreigners are already taking over the island," Mayor Pedro Edmunds told AFP. At the last census in 2017, there were 7,750 people living on Easter Island, almost double the population of a few decades ago, before the island was hit by a tourism boom and the real estate development that accompanied it. Edmunds says that number is 3,000 "too many." "They're damaging the local idiosyncrasy, the thousand-year culture is changing and not for the good," he added, saying that "customs from the continent" were infiltrating the island and "that's not positive." Crime and domestic violence figures are also rising. It's not just obnoxious people from the mainland causing problems, though -- the increase in tourism is harming the environment. All basic services are straining under the pressure, not least waste management, Ana Maria Gutierrez, the local government's environmental adviser told AFP. Chinese scientists have proposed a simple, effective, and versatile method to make carbon materials (CMs) with high electric conductivity, good chemical stability, and unique microstructure, according to a study published in the latest issue of Science Advances. WASHINGTON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2018 ) :Chinese scientists have proposed a simple, effective, and versatile method to make carbon materials (CMs) with high electric conductivity, good chemical stability, and unique microstructure, according to a study published in the latest issue of Science Advances. It has been a significant challenge to develop a facile, low-cost, and highly controllable method for preparing CM with desired constituents and structures in a large scale, according to the study. A research team from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) used small organic molecules (SOMs) as precursors for preparing CMs. Previous efforts on the transformation of SOMs into CMs almost relied on harsh synthesis conditions due to the high volatility of SOMs at evaluated temperatures. The researchers led by professor Yu Shuhong and Liang Haiwei from USTC developed a method of transition metal assisted carbonization of SOMs. The transition metals can catalyze the preferential formation of thermally stable intermediate polymeric structures and thus avoid the direct sublimation of SOMs during the heating process, which guarantees the successful preparation of CMs with high carbon yield. The prepared CMs exhibited three different prominent microstructures, including bamboo-like multi-walled carbon nanotube, micrometer-sized nano-sheets and irregular particles, according to the study. Also, those CMs had high specific surface areas, large pore volumes, and highly graphitic structures. As a results, the CM showed great application potentials for heterogeneous catalysis, opening a new window for the synthesis of CMs with desired constituents and structures. HAVANA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Jul, 2018 ) :Cuba is on track to meet its target of drawing 5 million foreign visitors by the end of 2018, with 2.5 million international tourists arriving in the first half of the year, local media reported on Saturday. The latest tourism figures were released during a cabinet meeting presided over by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, state daily Granma said. Cuba's Tourism Ministry was lauded for its efforts to recover tourism flows in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma, which lashed northern Cuba in 2017. The strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic, Irma caused damage to some resorts, but officials moved quickly to rebuild and renovate them since tourism is one of Cuba's leading economic engines. In 2017, 4.7 million foreign visitors traveled to Cuba, an 11.6-percent increase from the year before. Considered a strategic industry for the Caribbean island nation, tourism generates annual revenues of more than 2.5 billion U.S. Dollars, the second-biggest foreign revenue-earning industry after exports. The industry has contributed 10 percent of Cuba's national budget and provided half a million jobs. Dushanbe, Tajikistan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2018 ) :Four tourists were killed and another three injured on a bike tour in southern Tajikistan on Sunday when a car hit them before fleeing the scene, authorities said. The seven cyclists included two Americans, two Dutch nationals and three other foreigners, the interior ministry told AFP without specifying the nationalities of those who died. However, the US embassy in Tajikistan said two of the fatalities were US citizens. The hit-and-run accident took place in the district of Danghara, 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of the capital Dushanbe. "Three foreigners were killed at the scene and another died in hospital," the interior ministry said, adding that three other tourists had also received medical treatment. Authorities in the Central Asian nation announced later Sunday one arrest and the deaths of two other suspects during a special operation launched to find those responsible for the deadly hit-and-run incident. "One person has been arrested, two others resisted arrest and have been killed," the interior ministry said, without giving further details about the suspects. Tajikistan is the poorest of the ex-Soviet republics and has been ruled by the iron hand of President Emomali Rakhmon since 1992. Acapulco, GRO, Mexico (UroToday.com) Karim A. Touijer, MD provided a discussion about active surveillance (AS) in the treatment of prostate cancer. In randomized studies it has been shown that this therapy is a safe approach in patients with prostate cancer as well as radiotherapy and surgery, however, it only represents 6-8% of treatment of prostate cancer overall.Dr. Touijer suggests that there are three factors that cause this issue: the doctor, the patient, and the disease. There is a Japanese study where they evaluated the preferences and knowledge of doctors in terms of treatments for prostate cancer, however, most doctors preferred not to opt for active surveillance and the vast majority were not sure of the results and were concerned about the oncological results in the long term. Some other doctors were concerned about the patient's anxiety. In another North American study, they think it's a good strategy to do active surveillance but they also think that it is not used as often as it should.They mention that in their institution they identified a decrease in the use of AS and they identified that it was due to the way in which this strategy is offered to patients.He believes that we should turn active surveillance into the standard of treatment and not as an option in patients with low-risk prostate cancer and that more education is needed from both doctors and patients.There are different strategies for monitoring patients in active surveillance, PSA, digital rectal examination, MRI, a transrectal prostate biopsy (TRB), genomic tests, with biopsy being the most useful so far. TRB decides whether the patient can continue with monitoring or not.He mentioned the most common follow-up schemes.Currently, the use of AS has increased exponentially at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They use annual confirmatory biopsy and subsequently biopsies every 3 years, using a baseline MRI and then every 18 months.Touijer considers that AS is a strategy that can be useful in intermediate risk cancer as long as the scheme is modified based on the risk.It concludes that one should not be afraid to initiate active surveillance in patients with low risk since the evidence in the literature is enough to recommend it as a standard of treatment in a patient with low risk.Karim A. Touijer MD MPH, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York City, USA: J. Jesus Cendejas-Gomez MD, Resident of Urology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City, Mexico and Ashish M. Kamat, MD, Professor of Urologic Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX at the 2018 Congreso de la Asociacion Mexicana de Urologia Oncologica July 25-28, 2018, Acapulco, GRO Mexico July 30th marks the annual World Day Against Trafficking in People, we spoke to the Order of Malta about their work on preventing this heinous crime. By Francesca Merlo Pope Francis continues to press for an end to the horrendous practice of human trafficking. Speaking during the Sunday Angelus on the 29th of July, he looked ahead and marked the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, July 30th, by calling upon all people of goodwill to take responsibility, denounce injustice and stand firm against the "shameful crime" of human trafficking. Order of Malta working to fight Human Trafficking We spoke to Michel Veuthey, Ambassador of The Sovereign Order of Malta to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, he is also Deputy Permanent Observer of the Mission of the Order at the UN in Geneva. Listen to Michel Veuthey Michel Veuthey talks about the Order of Maltas involvement in fighting human trafficking, highlighting some of the main aims the Order have to end Modern Slavery such as: - Help everyday people identify their role in perpetrating modern slavery - Help prevent slavery by using existing field services - Support and reintegrate slavery survivors with means and skills to live and stay out of trafficking and irregular situations - Promote better access to remedies and support for survivors. He talks about the many organisations with whom they have created ties, amongst which UN agencies, the IOM and of course the Catholic Church. Pope Francis voice heard and approved He also discusses the importance they give to Pope Francis voice. He says that Pope Francis is not only very concerned but also very active with regards to the matter, constantly reiterating his concern not only within the Church. The Order of Malta is a religious and lay Sovereign Entity of Public International Law and was established 900 years ago to care for vulnerable people including victims of trafficking. Pope Francis accepts the resignation of Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, following the archbishops conviction in court for covering up a priests sexual abuse of minors in the 1970s. By Devin Watkins Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Australian Archbishop Philip Edward Wilson of Adelaide on Monday. An Australian court found the archbishop guilty in May of failing to report to police the sexual abuse of two altar servers by a priest in the 1970s. Archbishop Wilson, 67, was sentenced on July 3rd to 12 months in prison with a non-parole period of 6 months. Calls for resignation Despite stepping aside from the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Adelaide in May, Archbishop Wilson had resisted calls to resign his role as archbishop. He plans to appeal his conviction and had previously said he would resign only if that failed. Multiple politicians, including Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull, had called for Archbishop Wilson to resign. Report by Devin Watkins What happened? The abuse took place in the New South Wales Hunter region when Archbishop Wilson was an assistant priest. Two accusers, who were altar boys at the time, said they had told him in 1976 about sexual abuse on the part of Fr. James Fletcher. The boys, then ages 10 and 11, said the archbishop did nothing with the information. Fr. Fletcher was convicted in 2004 of nine counts of child sexual abuse. He died of a stroke in 2016 while in prison. Archbishop Wilsons crime related to the 2004 to 2006 period, when Fr. Fletcher had been charged with child sex offenses. The magistrate found that he had obtained the level of belief needed to report what he knew to the authorities. Archbishop Wilson, who is suffering from the onset of Alzheimers disease, told the court he couldnt remember being told about the abuse. Next chapter in heartbreaking story The President of the Australian Bishops Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, released a statement upon receiving news of Archbishop Wilsons resignation. While the judicial process will continue, Archbishop Wilsons resignation is the next chapter in a heartbreaking story of people who were sexually abused at the hands of Jim Fletcher and whose lives were forever changed, he said. This decision, Archbishop Coleridge said, may bring some comfort to them, despite the ongoing pain they bear. Druze clerics and citizens attend a funeral ceremony for victims of the attacks that targeted the al-Sweida province in Southern Syria (ANSA) The so-called Islamic State has abducted dozens of Druze women and children in Southern Syria. By Nathan Morley Reports from Syria suggest that at least 36 women and children were abducted when the militant group attacked their villages in Sweida, a province in the south, last week. A few women have since managed to escape, but further details are unknown. It has emerged that the women were snatched on Wednesday during a large scale assault by IS, which left nearly 200-people dead. Islamic State has not claimed responsibility for the kidnappings and the incident has not been mentioned on their mouthpiece website. At least 36 Druze women and children were abducted after the attacks, an announcement from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated. The Islamic State considers the Druze - one of the major religious groups in the Levant to be heretics. Druze in Syria make-up an estimated 3.2 percent of the population, equating to 800,000 people. The Syrian army has consolidated their positions in the area over the last 24-hours. The militants now only hold a tiny slice of the Deraa province near the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. After more than seven years of war, President Bashar al Assad's government has asserted itself in the face of opposition, leaving the armed uprising in tatters. In a separate development, officials from Russia, Turkey, and Iran have met in Sochi, ahead of another round of Syria peace talks slated for July 31st. The talks will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan and de-escalation zones, the return of the refugees and the release of prisoners will dominate the agenda. A separate UN-led round of discussions on political issues in Syria has taken place in Geneva. Supporters of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party and rights activists living overseas have held two days of protests against the general election. Cambodians gathered in cities across the United States and Europe, while another protest was organized in Montreal, Canada. Eng Chhay Eang, a CNRP vice president, said Prime Minister Hun Sen had organized a fake election to kill democracy. We wont accept this fake election and we are gathering worldwide to protest against it, he told VOA during the Washington protest on Saturday. The demonstrations marked the last push by the opposition to lobby for a boycott of the vote following the partys dissolution by the Cambodian Peoples Party-controlled Supreme Court in November. Chhay Eang urged Cambodians not to lend legitimacy to the election, which he said was taking place without a viable opposition party. All Cambodian people must join hands to disempower Hun Sen on July 29 by keeping your fingers clean and staying home, he said, referring to the ink that is used to stain voters fingers after they cast a ballot. As well as the CPP, 19 other minor parties are contesting the vote on Sunday. Hun Sen led the CPPs last day of campaigning on Friday with a strong message against those intending to boycott the vote, saying they would be sorry and that they are destroying democracy. Protesters in Washington said more threats would not deter people from spoiling the ballot or boycotting the election. People should not fear this repression anymore, said Lor Layso, a protest organizer in California. This is an illegal act. We, the owners of our votes, must be brave to join our compatriots around the world and the international community by boycotting this election because they totally support you. They blacklist those who destroy democracy, violate human rights, and are stained with Khmer blood. In Europe, protests were held in France, Germany, and Switzerland. We are here to appeal to the United Nations and signatory countries of the Paris Peace Agreement not recognize this fake election, said Thay Makara, a protest organizer in Europe. Hun Sen is preparing a funeral for democracy through this fake election. Therefore, they should not recognize any government formed afterwards. Cambodias main opposition party, which was banned last year and excluded from Sundays general election, has rejected the results of the poll, with preliminary results showing a landslide victory for the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party. Eng Chhay Eang, the Cambodia National Rescue Partys vice president, said: we strongly deny this fake election. We appeal to Cambodias friends not recognize the government formed after this election and we urge them to continue to help Cambodia, he added. Despite a CNRP campaign to boycott the election, amid threats and voter intimidation, turnout was reported at 82 percent, according to the National Election Committee. The CNRP, however, told their supporters to ignore the NEC figures, which it said could not be trusted. From tomorrow on we wont stay at home anymore, Chhay Eang said. We wont keep our fingers clean anymore. We will take action together to end the dictatorship in Cambodia. Please do not pay attention to the figures [of voter turnout] because we all know that it's a fake figure; fake results from a fake election. The Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP and banned 118 of its officials from politics for five years in November. CNRP leaders in and outside of Cambodia will work together to come up with a new strategy to continue our work, said Rithy Ung, a CNRP representative in the United States. We wont be quiet. Our supporters should not be quiet. The time is now that we should act together to advocate for our cause in and outside of Cambodia. Twenty political parties competed in Sundays election, with preliminary results suggesting the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party won all 125 seats in parliament. The vote was condemned internationally, with the United States threatening further sanctions against Prime Minister Hun Sens inner circle and calling for reconciliation with the CNRP. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Cambodia Democracy Act in July, placing limited sanctions on Hun Sens closest allies in the CPP. The United States has said it will take further action against the government of Cambodia following a landslide victory for the ruling party in a general election on Sunday. In a statement on Monday, the White House said it regretted the way the election was organized which it said was neither free nor fair and failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people. Prime Minister Hun Sen has come under fire from the international community for arresting the leader of the countrys main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, overseeing the CNRPs dissolution, and for a widespread crackdown on political freedoms in the run up to the election. The U.S. was joined in its condemnation of the election process by several governments, political figures and rights groups. The flawed elections, which excluded the countrys principal opposition party, represent the most significant setback yet to the democratic system enshrined in Cambodias constitution, and substantially erode Cambodias achievements in promoting political reconciliation and economic growth since the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement, the White House statement reads. The United States will consider additional steps to respond to the elections and other recent setbacks to democracy and human rights in Cambodia, including a significant expansion of the visa restrictions announced on December 6, 2017. In December, the U.S. placed visa restrictions on several senior figures in the ruling party and security forces. The move was followed by the passing of the Cambodia Democracy Act last week, which places wider sanctions on Hun Sens inner circle. The White House on Monday repeated calls for the Cambodian government to take tangible actions to promote national reconciliation by allowing independent media and civil society organizations to fulfill their vital roles unhindered, immediately releasing Kem Sokha and other political prisoners, and ending the ban on the political opposition. Phay Siphan, government spokesman, rejected the White House statement, saying it did not reflect the Cambodian reality. I see the statement is opposing 86 or 87 percent of Cambodian voters who want to decide the fate of their country,, he said, in reference to the reported voter turnout figures on Sunday. The people clearly understand how to decide their countrys fate and how to strengthen the democratic process, he added. The CNRP led a boycott prior to the election, but a campaign of threats and intimidation by the CPP appear to have pushed many opposition supporters to the polling booth, although reported instances of spoiled ballots were significantly higher than in previous elections. The U.S., E.U. and Japan declined to send observers to monitor the vote in a break with protocol, with the Cambodian government relying on tens of thousands of pro-CPP observers and a small coterie of observers from mostly non-democratic states and populist foreign political parties. In another statement, the E.U. said the lack of genuine electoral competition and the absence of an inclusive political process mean that the 29 July election is not representative of the democratic will of the Cambodian electorate and therefore its outcome lacks credibility. The European Union expects the Cambodian authorities to restore democracy, to engage in dialogue with the opposition, and to create conditions conducive to free political debate and competition, in which the media and civil society, including human rights and labor rights defenders, can freely exercise their rights without undue restrictions, it added. Separately, Australia said it had serious concerns over how the election had been conducted and was disappointed that Cambodian people have been unable to choose their representatives. Meanwhile, the Canadian government said it was a long-time friend of Cambodia and would continue to use every opportunity to promote freedom of expression and political participation. Charles Santiago, a Malaysian MP who chairs Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said the election was a dark day in Cambodias history. Millions of Cambodians were denied a genuine choice as the CPPs victory was guaranteed even before the first ballot was cast. The year leading up to the vote was marked by a widespread crackdown on critics, and we saw these same tactics on voting day as several independent news sites were blocked, he said. Hun Sen has clearly been engaged in a desperate bid to try to legitimize these elections, including by shipping in international observers with questionable democratic credentials, and by threatening people to vote. But nothing can take away from the fact that this was a sham election. Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of an Australian archbishop convicted in May for covering up child abuse. An Australian magistrate said Archbishop Philip Wilson had shown no remorse for concealing the crimes of a pedophile priest who had attacked altar boys in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney in the 1970s. The court in the city of Newcastle said the archbishops primary motive at the time when he was a junior priest was to protect the reputation of the Catholic Church. He had said he would only resign if his appeal against his conviction for covering up child abuse failed. His defiant stance had been widely condemned. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was surprised the 67-year-old Catholic cleric had decided not to quit immediately, and urged him to do so. There was also mounting pressure within the Catholic Church for Wilson to stand down from a position he has held for 18 years. He is the most senior Catholic in the world to be convicted of concealing child sexual abuse. He was given a maximum sentence of 12 months in custody, but is likely to avoid jail and serve his time in home detention. Survivors of clergy abuse also said they were disappointed at the sentence. One had said that if the archbishop did not resign then the Catholic Church would become a bigger laughing stock than it already is. The case is due to return to court on August 14 while Wilson is being assessed for home detention. Cambodians headed to the polls today for an election in which the only viable alternative party has been banned. Thats helped the countrys prime minister of more than three decades to extend his reign even longer. But thats not enough for Hun Sen, who wants legitimacy as well as assured victory. David Boyle reports from Phnom Penh. The Cambodian opposition Monday called on the international community to reject the results of Sunday's election which ended with a victory of the ruling party and long-serving Prime Minster Hun Sen. Opposition leader Mu Sochua, vice president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), said "29 July 2018 marked the death of democracy in Cambodia, a dark new day in recent history." She said democracy was replaced by an "outright dictatorship." Cambodians headed to the polls Sunday for an election in which the only viable alternative party had been banned, helping the countrys prime minister of more than three decades to extend his reign even longer. There was little doubt that the countrys ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) would win the ballot in a landslide following the dissolution of the only viable opponent, the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) late last year. But the shadow the CNRPs dissolution has cast over the credibility of the election was magnified even further this weekend when the government suddenly blocked the websites of more than a dozen critical news outlets, including the Voice of Americas Khmer service. Shortly after polls opened Sunday, Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled for 33 years, arrived at his local station on the outskirts of Phnom Penh with his wife Bun Rany to cast a vote that many rights groups and observers say signaled the death knell for democracy in Cambodia. They dont allow us to say anything today, we must follow the law, Hun Sen told reporters before quickly leaving in a van. In an election slammed by rights groups as a sham because the main opposition party was banned, the Cambodian Peoples Party said it now controls all 125 seats in the National Assembly. CPP figures show voters second most popular choice was to spoil their ballots despite the government's threats against those considering using their constitutional right to boycott the election. I can't confirm the official figure, but I can say that the CPP will get most of the seats at the National Assembly. The [National Election Commissions] position is to give the figure of what party got however many seats, so I can't give on behalf of the arbitrator, CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said. Asked if he felt the result was a bad look for the legitimacy of the election, Sok said the party didnt have any concern about criticisms. So the result of the election shows that there is a progression of democracy in Cambodia as people used their right to decide the future of the country, he said. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is now set to extend his already 33 year reign by another five, free of any real opposition party. Nineteen minor parties took part in the election, winning a small fraction of the vote among them. Invalid ballots totalled 9.11 percent of votes with the royalist FUNCINPEC coming in third with 5.82 percent of the vote, according to the CPP figures. The data though is somewhat inconsistent with National Election Committee (NEC) preliminary figures released Monday morning that also suggests the CPP will win every seat but show 8.57 percent of votes were invalid. NEC until now, my institution, do not issue any official results yet because we are still waiting for the results from 8 polling stations, NEC spokesman Dim Sovannarom said. Either way it looks clear that a substantial number of voters chose to spoil their votes as was widely expected. Late last year the CPPs only real opponent in the election, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was dissolved and its leader Kem Sokha jailed on widely derided allegations it was fomenting an internationally backed plot to overthrow the government. The CNRP, which almost defeated the CPP at the last national election, launched a clean finger campaign in response, urging voters to boycott the election. Hun Sens government retaliated, launching criminal action against those promoting the campaign while threatening voters of consequences should they abstain. US reaction The U.S. government called the elections neither free nor fair and said it would consider punitive measures including an expansion of visa restrictions on senior members of the regime. We are profoundly disappointed in the governments choice to disenfranchise millions of voters, who are rightly proud of their countrys development over the past 25 years, the White House office of the Press Secretary said in a statement. The campaign was marred by threats from national and local leaders to punish those choosing not to vote. These actions denied the Cambodian people a voice and choice in determining the future of the country. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sanctions bill targeting members of Hun Sen's inner circle, including his children and other family members, in response to the countrys authoritarian backslide. The United States, the European Union, Japan, Canada and Australia all declined to send observers to the election. Instead, the Cambodian government looked towards countries such as China, Iran and Russia to legitimize the result as well as private observers from across the world. Of these 539 observers, those who addressed the media after the close of polls yesterday almost all gave the ballot a resounding tick of approval. They avoided any discussion of the many alleged inconsistencies such as the banning of the opposition, the blocking of more than a dozen media outlets' websites before the vote or threats made against those considering boycotting the ballot. I have no knowledge of any opposition party being banned from anything, said observer and UK Independence Party member Richard Wood, before defending his right not to study the context of the election in his role. How can we on one side, accept to host the Thailand president in France and on the other side, criticize the elections in Cambodia, asked observer Emmanuel Dupuy, president of the Institut Prospective et Securite en Europe. One of the only observers to raise any concerns at all was Fund for Reconciliation and Development executive director John McAuliff, who said the context of the election was imperfect. It was also very notable during the count that the second largest party in Cambodia is the spoiled ballot party that is every polling place there were at least 20 percent. In one of the polling places we looked at it was more like 35 percent spoiled ballots. Opposition says democracy replaced by 'Dictatorship' At a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, CNRP vice president Mu Sochua, one of many opposition figures now living in exile, said democracy in Cambodia had been replaced with outright dictatorship. "29 July, 2018 marked the death of democracy in Cambodia, a dark new day in recent history," she said. More than a dozen websites, mostly media organizations that scrutinize the Cambodian government, were blocked in the final days of the campaign including Voice of America Khmer. Yon Sineat contributed to this report. Deepening rifts between Turkey and the United States are fueling speculation Turkey is being given further impetus to strengthen ties with nearby Russia. Senior Turkish officials met with their Russian and Iranian counterparts Monday in Russia's Sochi sea resort as part of ongoing cooperation among the countries over resolving the Syrian civil war. "We can go our own way," Turkish media Sunday quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying. "The U.S. could lose a loyal and valuable ally," he added in response to U.S. threats. In the past week, Turkish-U.S. tensions have rapidly escalated with President Donald Trump warning of "severe sanctions" if Turkey does not release an American pastor, Andrew Brunson, from detention. Brunson is under house arrest on terrorism charges which Washington has dismissed as "baseless." Ankara says the issue is a matter for the courts. Meanwhile, Russia is successfully courting Turkey. "This is the coziest relations have been in the [Turkish] republic's history," said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who served in Washington and Middle East. The two countries have rapidly deepened relations in cooperation over the Syrian civil war and trade. Turkey's decision to purchase S-400 missiles from Russia is exacerbating concerns among Ankara's Western allies, with Washington warning the missiles threaten to compromise NATO defense systems. Turkey and the U.S. are NATO allies. Allies concerned Analysts suggest Washington's increasingly hard-line approach toward Ankara over the Brunson case can in part be explained by broader concerns about Turkey's allegiance to its Western allies. Trump's threat of sanctions could be an opportunity for Russia's President Vladimir Putin. "I wouldn't rule out Putin selling Erdogan some sort of insurance policy against American wrath," political analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners said. "But Putin has everything that Turkey needs, except money. And Turkey is in desperate need of foreign funding. Only the West can provide those loans." The U.S. Congress, aware of the Turkish economy's heavy dependence on overseas borrowing, is threatening measures to restrict Turkey's ability to borrow money. Experts also question whether it is in Putin's interest to further deepen relations with Ankara. "I don't think Moscow wants Turkey closer than this," Selcen said. "It's enough for them to play their game to keep NATO weak, to keep Turkey with one foot in the West and one foot in the East because it's not in President Putin's interest to have Turkey dependent like Belarus. Let's remember the Russian economy is smaller than California. Russia can't carry Turkey's burden. It can't even carry Syria." Turkey and Russia are historically regional rivals. "Turkey has always balanced its relations between West and East," says international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "Turkey knows the limitation of cooperation with Russia." Syria a catalyst An Erdogan adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, last month stressed Ankara remained committed to its Western alliances and relations with Russia are based on the necessity of resolving the Syrian civil war and trade. Ankara's cooperation with Moscow over Syria faces growing strains. Turkish officials accuse Russia of reneging on an agreement to create de-escalation zones where a cease-fire would protect Syrian rebels. The zones were established as part of the "Astana Process" in which Iran, Turkey, and Russia cooperate to resolve the Syrian war. Much to Ankara's anger, Syrian regime forces backed by Russian airpower are gradually overrunning the de-escalation zones. Erdogan has vowed to protect the last main zone in Idlib, on Turkey's border. Monday's Sochi meeting of Turkish, Iranian and Russian officials is expected to focus on the future of the Idlib enclave. The Helsinki summit between Putin and Trump earlier in July could further strain Turkish-Russian ties. "In Helsinki, there was a four-hour meeting. There was substance; there appears already the grounds of a final political agreement over Syria," former Turkish diplomat Selcen said. "President Trump is, more than President [Barack] Obama, ready to hand over Syria to President [Bashar] Assad, once IS is defeated," Selcen said. He said it shows that "Moscow and [the] U.S. can agree on Syria, which could mean Turkey can be frozen out, as Turkey cannot resist Moscow and [Washington] DC over Syria." Congolese opposition leader Moise Katumbi plans to return home this week after two years in exile to submit his candidacy for December's presidential election, his political platform said on Monday. But both Katumbi and another prominent opposition politician, Jean-Pierre Bemba, could be barred from contesting the election, potentially easing the way for sitting President Joseph Kabila or his chosen successor. Katumbi, a millionaire businessman and former governor of the copper-mining Katanga region, left Democratic Republic of Congo in May 2016, accused by the government of plotting against Kabila. He was sentenced to three years in prison the following month for real estate fraud. Katumbi denies the charges and says they are aimed at preventing him from contesting the election. "The general secretariat of Ensemble Pour le Changement informs the public ... of the return to the country this Friday, August 3 ... in the city of Lubumbashi of its president, his excellency Moise Katumbi," Ensemble spokesman Jean Bertrand Ewanga said in a statement. Katumbi also wrote to Congo's civil aviation authority on Monday to request permission to land his private plane in Lubumbashi. Government spokesman Lambert Mende said the question of whether Katumbi's plane would be allowed to land was beyond his competency. Once on Congolese soil, he said, Katumbi would be "at the disposition of the prosecutor. Now, what will the prosecutor do with him? That I don't know." Kabila, who took power in 2001 after his father's assassination, is barred by constitutional term limits from standing for a third term in the Dec. 23 vote. However, he has refused to commit publicly to stepping aside and some of his allies have in recent weeks argued that a legal technicality allows him to stand again. The deadline to submit candidacies is Aug. 8. Security forces have killed dozen of protesters since Kabila overstayed the expiry of his mandate in December 2016, saying that elections could not be organised in time. Bemba, a former vice president and militia leader, plans to return to Congo on Wednesday to file his own candidacy. He was acquitted on appeal in May by the International Criminal Court of war crimes after spending over a decade in prison but Kabila's ruling coalition says he should be disqualified from the race due to a witness tampering conviction. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort goes on trial Tuesday in Alexandria, Virginia, in one of two criminal cases brought against him by special counsel Robert Mueller. On the surface, the criminal charges against Manafort tax evasion, failure to report foreign bank accounts and fraudulently obtaining bank loans are unrelated to the core of Muellers investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to subvert the 2016 U.S. national election. The charges stem from Manaforts decade-long lobbying and political consulting work for Ukraines former president, Viktor Yanukovych. While working for Yanukovych and his pro-Russia Party of Regions between 2006 and 2015, Manafort and his former business partner, Rick Gates, allegedly earned tens of millions of dollars in fees while hiding the income from the Internal Revenue Service. To avoid paying hefty taxes, prosecutors say, they set up secret shell companies and offshore accounts to funnel their Ukrainian proceeds disguised as loans to U.S. accounts to buy multimillion dollar properties and luxury goods. After Yanukovych was deposed in 2014 and their Ukrainian income dwindled, Manafort and Gates allegedly came up with another scheme to obtain money: the two used their real estate properties in the United States as collateral to fraudulently secure more than $20 million in bank loans by falsely inflating their income. In all, prosecutors say, more than $75 million flowed through the offshore accounts Manafort and Gates set up. 4 year investigation Manafort has pleaded not guilty to the charges in Virginia, as well as to a separate indictment in federal court in Washington, D.C. Hes been in jail since June, when the judge presiding over the Washington case revoked his bail for allegedly tampering with potential witnesses. Manafort had been under federal investigation since 2014 over suspicion of illegal lobbying and financial improprieties. But he was ensnared in the Russia investigation last year after Mueller began examining ties between Trump campaign staff and Russia. Muller has spent the last 14 months building the case against Manafort with a mountain of evidence seized from Manaforts and Gatess homes, computers and electronic devices, as well as documents obtained from financial institutions. In recent days, prosecutors have submitted a list of hundreds of exhibits they plan to introduce at trial, including financial documents and photographs of luxury cars and real estate properties Manafort bought with his Ukrainian income. Its all documented, said Nick Akerman, a former Watergate prosecutor who is now a partner at the Dorsey & Whitney law firm. You have lots and lots of exhibits that show wire transfers, bank accounts, monies that go into those bank accounts. There is going to be exhibits showing what he used the money for to buy various properties and luxury goods. The special counsel has also enlisted as many as 35 witnesses to testify against Manafort. They include accountants, financial advisers, tax preparers and real estate agents. But prosecutors star witness is likely to be Gates, who worked closely with Manafort in Ukraine and later followed him into Trumps campaign as deputy chairman. Gates was named as a co-defendant in the initial indictment handed down against Manafort last October.But when the special counsel hit the two men with a second indictment in February, Gates pleaded guilty to two lesser counts in exchange for cooperation. Cutting a deal? Manafort remained defiant, vowing to fight the charges. Still, the prospect of a conviction on the 32-count indictment and spending the rest of his life in prison could change his defense strategy, according to legal experts. The depth of the charges against Paul Manafort is such that at some point, the best decision for him will be to try to cut a deal, said Lisa Griffin, a former federal prosecutor who is now a law professor at Duke University. But Manafort doesnt appear to have valuable enough information to make these charges go away altogether, Griffin said. Short of an acquittal, some legal experts say the best hope for Manafort to avoid jail time remains a presidential pardon, though Trump has given no indication that hell pardon his former campaign chairman. But other legal scholars say even a presidential pardon may not help. They say Manafort can be indicted in state court for many of the same crimes for which he's been charged by the special counsel, a circumstance for which a presidential pardon can not be applied, legal experts say. Presidential pardons can only be applied to federal crimes. It probably wont do him much good because he has all these money laundering charges against him, which could be charged against him in New York state, Akerman said. Hed be in worse position than he was when he started, Akerman said. The choice there is serving time in a New York state prison like Rikers Island, as opposed to a plush federal prison. With Trump frequently calling the Mueller investigation a "witch hunt," the outcome of Manafort's trial one way or another could determine the probe's credibility. If Manafort is acquitted, it will benefit President Trump tremendously, because it will cast into doubt all of the legitimacy of the process that is occurring, said Joshua Dressler, a professor of criminal law and criminal procedure at Ohio State University. On the other hand, if he is convicted, it will demonstrate to the public that President Trumps claims that the whole investigation is a witch hunt is not an accurate accusation, Dressler said. Heavy fighting along Yemen's west coast between pro-government forces and Shiite rebels in recent days has left dozens dead from both sides, Yemeni officials and witnesses said Sunday. Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been advancing in the area in recent weeks as they battle Iran-allied rebels known as Houthis. The fighting has escalated as government forces try to retake the port city of Hodeida, the main entry point for food in a country teetering on the brink of famine. The government has been waging an offensive to seize the rebel-held district of Zabid south of Hodeida, the officials said. The offensive is being waged by ground troops carrying sophisticated weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles, with air cover from the Saudi-led coalition, they said. The fighting to capture Zabid, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, killed dozens from both sides of Yemen's conflict, now in its fourth year. The coalition on Sunday targeted rebels in the district of ad-Durayhimi south of Hodeida with airstrikes, killing at least 18 people, the officials said. The rebels, known as the Houthis, were trying to break into ad-Durayhimi, about 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) south of Hodeida International Airport, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media, while the witnesses did so for fear of reprisals. United Nations Human Coordinator for Yemen Lise Grande said airstrikes hit and damaged a sanitation facility in Zabid and a water station that supplies the majority of the water to the city of Hodeida. "These airstrikes are putting innocent civilians at extreme risk," she said. "Damage to sanitation, water and health facilities jeopardizes everything we are trying to do. We could be one airstrike away from an unstoppable epidemic." Also on Sunday, the coalition said it destroyed missile launch sites in the rebels' northern home base of Saada province, according to a statement carried by the Saudi state-run al-Ekhbariya TV channel. The Saudi-led coalition launched the campaign to retake Hodeida in June, with Emirati troops leading the force of government soldiers and irregular militia fighters backing Yemen's exiled government. Saudi Arabia has provided air support, with targeting guidance and refueling from the United States. Hodeida, home to 600,000 people, is some 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of the capital Sanaa. The campaign to take Hodeida threatens to worsen Yemen's humanitarian situation as it is the main entry point for food, humanitarian aid and fuel supplies to the country. Aid groups fear a protracted fight could force a shutdown of the port and potentially tip millions into starvation. Some 70 percent of Yemen's food enters via the port, as well as the bulk of humanitarian aid and fuel supplies. Around two-thirds of the country's population of 27 million relies on aid and 8.4 million are at risk of starving. The Houthis seized control of Sanaa in September 2014, and later pushed south toward the port city of Aden. The Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in March 2015 and has faced criticism for a campaign of airstrikes that has killed civilians and destroyed hospitals and markets. The Houthis, meanwhile, have laid land mines, killing and wounding civilians. They have also targeted religious minorities and imprisoned opponents. The stalemate war has killed more than 10,000 people. Impoverished Yemen has been devastated by the stalemated three-year civil war that has left around two-thirds of Yemen's population of 27 million relying on aid, and over 8 million at risk of starving. One of the world's biggest aviation mysteries remains unsolved after investigators said in a report released Monday they do not know what happened to the Malaysia Airlines plane that disappeared four years ago. In the long-awaited report, a 19-member international team ruled out many possible scenarios about what could have caused the plane to vanish, but said they could not rule out the possibility of "intervention by a third party." Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that the real cause for the plane's disappearance could only be determined "if the wreckage is found." He said investigators examined the history of the pilot and first officer and said neither showed signs of abnormal behavior or stress that could have caused them to hijack the plane. "We are not of the opinion that it could be an event committed by the pilot," Kok said. But "we cannot rule out unlawful interference by a third party,'' which could include someone holding the pilots hostage, Kok said. He added that no group has claimed it hijacked the plane and noted that none of the passengers had piloting experience or any known motive for wanting the plane to crash. "Presumably, it would have to have been a stowaway," said Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation and now a private aviation attorney. Schiavo told VOA that if every passenger on the plane was who they said they were, none of the ticketed passengers would have been able to fly the plane. The report went to great lengths to rule out financial problems, mental problems, and conclusively ruled out the rumor that the pilot in command had practiced this maneuver on his home computer, she said. What this report did was to go through many scenarios, most of which they could rule out. And so they said the one thing they couldn't rule out was a third party," she added. Family members of the flight's passengers and crew expressed their frustration with the report, saying there were gaps in the investigations and too many unanswered questions. On March 8, 2014, MH370 disappeared. The Boeing 777 was carrying 239 people on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The governments of Australia, Malaysia and China suspended the official search in January 2017 after scrutinizing about 119,139 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean floor at a cost of more than $150 million. Officials then concluded that the probable crash site was farther north. After pressure from the families of the victims, the former Malaysian government struck a deal with Ocean Infinity, a U.S.-based exploration company, to restart the search in January 2017, on the condition it would only be paid if the Boeing 777 or its flight data recorders the black boxes were found. The firm stood to make up to $70 million if successful but did not find any sign of the airliner, despite scouring the seabed with some of the world's most high-tech search equipment. The latest search for the missing jetliner ended in May when Ocean Infinity announced it had called off its three-month effort to find the plane after searching 112,000-square kilometers. Ira Mellman contributed to this report. Islamic State is claiming responsibility for a deadly attack on Western bicyclists Sunday in Tajikistan, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. Four cyclists, including two Americans, were killed south of Dushanbe when they were run down by a car. Several men then jumped out of the vehicle and stabbed their victims. A Swiss and a Dutch citizen were also killed and three other cyclists were injured, including a tourist from France. The Tajik interior ministry said police pursued and killed four of the attackers and arrested one. Other reports say two suspects are dead. The Islamic State claim said its "soldiers" struck "citizens of coalition crusader countries" and that the next attacks will be more "devastating and bitter." The claim was picked up by SITE monitors. But Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda said authorities have not determined definitively if it was a terrorist act or a robbery. "We condemn the senseless attack, offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and wish the injured a speedy recovery," a statement from the U.S. embassy in Dushanbe said. Diplomats also commend Tajik authorities for what they call their professional and quick response. The embassy said as of Monday, it does not believe there is a heightened threat to U.S. citizens in Tajikistan. Shortly after gaining independence from the former Soviet Union, the Tajik government fought a civil war against opposition forces that included many Islamists. A large number of former Islamic fighters turned to extremism when the government later outlawed their political party. Japanese scientists said Monday they will start clinical trials next month on a treatment for Parkinson's disease, transplanting "reprogrammed" stem cells into brains, seeking a breakthrough in treating the neurodegenerative disorder. Parkinson's is caused by a lack of dopamine made by brain cells, and researchers have long hoped to use stem cells to restore normal production of the neurotransmitter chemical. The clinical trials come after researchers at Japan's Kyoto University successfully used human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) to restore functioning brain cells in monkeys last year. So-called iPS cells are made by removing mature cells from an individual often from the skin or blood and reprogramming them to behave like embryonic stem cells. They can then be coaxed into dopamine-producing brain cells. "This will be the world's first clinical trial using iPS cells on Parkinson's disease," Jun Takahashi, professor at Kyoto University's Centre for iPS Cell Research and Application, told a news conference. The center is headed by Shinya Yamanaka, who in 2012 shared a Nobel Prize for medicine with a British scientist, John Gurdon, for the discovery that adult cells can be transformed back into embryo-like cells. "We intend to carry on conducting our research carefully, yet expeditiously, in coordination with Kyoto University Hospital, so that new treatment using iPS cells will be brought to patients as soon as possible," Yamanaka said in a statement. The fact that the clinical trial uses iPS cells rather than human embryonic cells means the treatment would be acceptable in countries such as Ireland and much of Latin America, where embryonic cells are banned. Malians went to the polls Sunday, in whats widely expected to be the first round of Malis presidential elections. The atmosphere was calm in the capital but instances of violence were reported in other parts of the country. Voting has been slow in the Malian capital Bamako. At 8 a.m., there were very few people at the voting stations, in keeping with the low rate of voter card collection by the Bamako electorate. And some were even less lucky. "Im Eli Togo. I never got my voter card," says this voter. "I went to look for it, but it was not available. Thats a shame because I would have loved to cast my vote for my candidate. But let the best win and rule with love for our country in his heart." There also were other reasons why Malians could not vote. By early Sunday afternoon, there were reports of attacks in the north and central regions of the country. Timbuktu, Kidal and Mopti reported violent incidents that prevented some people from casting their votes. At least 10 incidents of violence at polling stations and against election officials had been reported by midafternoon. These are the areas that have presidential candidate Cheikh Modibo Diarra worried, and not just because of the violence. There are two regions where roughly only half of the residents have been receiving there voting cards. "For Timbuktu, that means some 175,000 votes," he said. "But when you get to Mopti, youre talking about 1.1 million voters. If 60 percent of those people cant vote that means 650,000. Now provided somebody put their hands on those bulletins on behalf of those people that can bias, youll agree with me, heavily the outcome of this election." On Saturday, the government and the opposition, in the presence of international observers, reached what they called a consensus on the elimination of fictitious voters and a parallel register, which the opposition claimed tilted the election in the governments favor by a whopping 1.2 million possible votes. Diarra and his opposition colleagues now hope the contest will be more transparent. Malis vote is crucial for the international community led by France and the United States, which is using the country as a cornerstone for its fight against terrorist groups in the region. Neighbors such as Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger, which are also affected by Malis instabilities as they have hosted tens of thousands of refugees since the country's conflict began in 2012, are also keenly watching the outcome. Malians consider it their civic duty to vote but have little confidence in the current system changing. Some analysts have been predicting an upset, and in terms of names this means that either President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita or his main challenger, Soumaila Cisse, would not win more than 50 percent of the vote, leading to a second vote on Aug. 12. Results of Sunday's vote may be known by Wednesday, although a final result is not expected until Friday. Officials in Mali say more than 700 polling stations were not able to operate during Sunday's presidential election because of attacks or threats of violence. Authorities said Monday the counting of ballots is underway, but said no ballots were cast at 716 polling stations representing just over 3 percent of the country's total because violence forced the stations to stay closed. The affected polling stations are located in the country's central and northern regions, areas that have already been troubled by Islamic extremism and ethnic unrest. Reports of violence included election officials beaten up, ballot boxes burned and election supervisors stopped by armed groups from entering polling stations. Security was a central issue during the campaign in which President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is seeking a second term against 24 challengers. The government said the vote across much of the country was peaceful and was carried out in an orderly way. However, the disenfranchised voters could turn into a flashpoint for Mali if the result is close. Keita's main challenger is Soumaila Cisse, a former finance and economy minister, who lost against the president in the 2013 election. Cisse has already complained about the vote being disrupted, as well as possible election fraud. The international community is hoping for an overall successful presidential election in Mali. A positive outcome would help solidify a peace agreement between the government, pro-government forces and former Tuareg rebels in combating Islamic extremists in the largely lawless north. Initial results of Sunday's vote are expected later this week, with a final result coming by Friday. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff is scheduled for Aug. 12. A couple of years ago Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was shunned by the White House. During a conversation believed to be off-record with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the 2011 G-20 summit, President Barack Obama didn't disagree when Sarkozy called Netanyahu a "liar." And on the occasions Obama and Netanyahu did meet, the strained body language paid testimony to the mutual hostility. The two clashed over the peace process, Netanyahus Jewish settlements policy in the West Bank and the Arab spring. With Donald Trump in the White House that has changed a shift dramatically symbolized in December when the U.S. President announced Washingtons recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the transfer of the American embassy from Tel Aviv. The Israeli leader is now feted by a Trump administration which sees him not only as an ideological ally but increasingly, say diplomats and analysts, as an envoy-at-large, blazing a trail for President Trump to Moscow and marshaling his admirers among the populist nationalist leaders of Central Europe as well as orchestrating with the U.S. administration other diplomatic initiatives. According to Arab and U.S. officials, the Israeli leader has been a key advocate for establishing a new security and political partnership between the U.S. and the six Sunni Muslim Gulf Arab states as well as Egypt and Jordan, in part to counter Irans expansion in the region. Behind the scenes, Netanyahu has been building strong security ties with Egypt and the Sunni monarchies of the Gulf, all of whom see Iran and Islamists as threats that outweigh their historical commitments to the Palestinians. Nicknamed the Arab NATO, the Trump administration has been quietly pushing ahead with the idea, officially known as the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA). On Friday, the Reuters news agency reported the Trump administration hopes MESA will be discussed at a summit provisionally scheduled to take place in Washington in October. Netanyahu has been a sherpa [emissary) helping to guide this effort, a Gulf diplomat told VOA. The Israeli leader wields arguably more clout in Washington than any of his predecessors, with some Israeli diplomats bragging sometimes it is hard to know whos working for whom. Earlier this month, an Israeli public broadcaster aired a video clip of Netanyahu telling senior members of his Likud party that he had helped to defeat European efforts to dissuade Trump from withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and that he was responsible for finally persuading Trump to abandon it. We convinced the U.S. president [to exit the deal] and I had to stand up against the whole world and come out against this agreement, Netanyahu said. And the Israeli leader has been tireless in selling to other American allies Trumps withdrawal from the deal, signed by Barack Obama in 2015 in which Tehran agreed to nuclear curbs in return for sanctions relief. In June, Netanyahu went on a whirlwind four-day tour of European capitals, meeting with national leaders in Berlin, Paris and London, part of a diplomatic campaign of attrition, his aides said, to get the Europeans to block Irans expansion of its military and political influence in the region. He got more of a hearing than he would have in the past, say his aides. As his trip wound down, they claimed he had made progress in persuading European leaders that they need to do more to counter Iranian influence in the Middle East and contain Tehrans military ambitions in the region. From being isolated on the World stage during the Obama era, Netanyahu, thanks to his ties to the Trump White House, has become a mover and shaker, helping to shape an arc of strongmen from Washington to Moscow, where he has nurtured close ties with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, whom he talks with on average twice a week, say Israeli diplomats. Both President Trump and his Russian counterpart singled out Netanyahu for praise during their joint press conference earlier this month in Helsinki. We have worked with Israel for decades - there has never been a country closer to us, and Putin is also very close to Israel, we have both talked to Benjamin Netanyahu, and both countries want to help Israel defend itself, Trump said. The U.S. President said later in an interview with Fox News that he was under the impression Putin is a fan of Bibi, referring to the Israeli leader's nickname. Netanyahu's enhanced standing on the World stage stands in contrast, though, to his increasingly beleaguered position politically in Israel, where he is engulfed in a series of corruption scandals and facing mounting public dissatisfaction over the rising cost of living and disapproval of what Israeli academic Jonathan Rynhold has argued, is his pandering to the political parties which represent the Ultra-Orthodox, known in Israel as the Haredim. Nonetheless, Rynhold noted in an expert comment for Britains Chatham House: Polls show that Netanyahu continues to be viewed as the most suitable person to serve as prime minister, even if a majority of Israelis are dissatisfied with his performance. Surveys over the last several months have suggested that while a majority of Israelis see Netanyahu as corrupt, they would still vote for him. While his party has slid somewhat in the last few weeks, polls indicate it continues in lead with some analysts saying the drop had more to do with his flip-flopping on social issues than his policy on Trump and the Palestinians. America's dream of space exploration took its first official step 60 years ago Sunday when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a law authorizing the formation of NASA - the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Although humanity had been staring at the stars and wondering since they were living in caves, it took the Cold War to fire man into space. The world was stunned when the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, launched Sputnik -- the first man-made object to orbit the Earth. The United States was humiliated at being caught short -- not just technologically, but militarily. Eisenhower ordered government scientists to not only match the Soviets in space, but beat them. NASA and its various projects -- Mercury, Gemini and Apollo -- became part of the language. Just 11 years after Eisenhower authorized NASA, American astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Six year later, an Apollo spacecraft linked with a Soviet Soyuz in orbit, turning rivalry into friendship and cooperation. NASA followed that triumph with the space shuttle, Mars landers and contributions to the International Space Station. A manned mission to Mars is part of NASA's future plans. Last month, President Donald Trump called for the formation of a "space force" to be the sixth U.S. military branch. NASA officially celebrates its 60th anniversary on October 1 - the day the agency formally opened for business. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Pakistan's prime minister-in-waiting, Imran Khan, Monday evening, congratulating him for his election victory and calling for both countries to adopt a joint strategy for improving bilateral ties. Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged as the largest political party in the July 25 parliamentary polls and appears set to lead a coalition federal government as well as in Punjab, politically important and the most populous of the country's four provinces. India desires progressive relations with Pakistan. Both countries must adopt a joint strategy to develop and strengthen better ties, Modi told Khan, according to a statement by PTI. The statement said that Khan thanked the Indian leader for the congratulatory message and warm wishes, and stressed the importance of dialogue for resolving bilateral disputes. Wars can breed tragedies instead of facilitating resolution of conflicts, Khan told Modi, according to PTI. An Indian statement issued after Modi spoke to Khan said the Indian prime minister expressed hope democracy would take a deeper hold in Pakistan and reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighborhood. Islamabads relations with New Delhi have deteriorated to historic lows in recent years, particularly since Prime Minister Modis government has taken charge. The Indian leadership has been refusing to engage in peace talks with Pakistan, accusing the rival nation of covertly helping militants to plot attacks on Indian soil, including the 2008 Mumbai terrorist raids that killed over 166 people. Islamabad has rejected the charges and called for addressing mutual concerns through negotiations. In his election victory speech on Thursday, Khan emphasized the need for the two countries to have a friendly relationship and invest in combating regional poverty. We need to have trade ties, and the more we will trade, both countries will benefit, he said. Khan repeated Pakistans traditional stance that the divided Kashmir region was a core issue with India and called for leaders of the two countries to resolve it through table talks. "Its not going anywhere. We are at square one right now [with India]. If Indias leadership is ready, we are ready to improve ties with India. If you step forward one step, we will take two steps forward, said the Pakistani prime minister-elect. Kashmir has been the issue that sparked two of the three wars between India and Pakistan. The territorial dispute remains at the center of bilateral tensions. There are long-standing fears another war could escalate into a nuclear exchange now that Indian and Pakistani armies both possess nuclear weapons. Building on President Donald Trump's "Indo-Pacific" strategy, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will announce a series of investment initiatives in Asia on Monday focusing on digital economy, energy and infrastructure. The announcement, to be made at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce forum in Washington, comes at a time when trade frictions with China have given U.S. trade diplomacy a sharper edge. "The Indo-Pacific is an absolute priority of U.S. policymakers in the executive branch and in Congress," Brian Hook, Pompeo's senior policy advisor, told journalists in a conference call. Countries in the region have been worried by Trump's "America first" policy, withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, and pursuit of a trade conflict with China that threatens to disrupt regional supply chains. The United States' first outlined its strategy to develop the Indo-Pacific economy at an Asia-Pacific summit last year. "Indo-Pacific" has become known in diplomatic circles as shorthand for a broader and democratic-led region in place of "Asia-Pacific," which from some perspectives had authoritarian China too firmly at its center. The Chamber of Commerce said on its website that the Indo-Pacific could account for half the world's economy within decades, but needed investment of nearly $26 trillion in order to fulfill its potential. The new U.S. initiatives and funding would be focused on digital economy, energy and infrastructure, Hook said, without giving any figures on investment amounts. Aside from Pompeo, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will also attend the forum, along with officials from Japan, Australia, Singapore, India and Indonesia. China's way, US way Hook said the United States approach to development of the region was not aiming to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises of mostly state-led infrastructure projects linking Asia, parts of Africa and Europe. "It is a made in China, made for China initiative," he said. "Our way of doing things is to keep the government's role very modest and it's focused on helping businesses do what they do best." Critics of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to recreate the ancient Silk Road, say it is more about spreading Chinese influence and hooking countries on massive debts. Beijing says it is simply a development project that any country is welcome to join. Hook said Washington "welcomed" Chinese contributions to regional development, but it wanted China to adhere to international standards on transparency, the rule of law and sustainable financing. "We know that America's model of economic engagement is the healthiest for nations in the region. It's high-quality, it's transparent and it is financially sustainable," Hook said. The United States and Russia urgently need to revive Cold War-era cooperation to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, according to a new report. The International Institute for Strategic Studies report, entitled "Once and Future Partners: The United States, Russia and Nuclear Non-Proliferation," uses newly declassified intelligence archives to shed light on the key personal exchanges between the Cold War foes that helped sustain the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It also highlights a key moment in Cold War cooperation that helped prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to the African continent. WATCH: Henry Ridgwell's video report In August 1977, Soviet spy satellites detected preparations for a nuclear weapons test at the Vastrap military base in South Africa's Kalahari desert. Moscow's decision to consult Washington before going public with the discovery indicates the Cold War foes could still work together in non-proliferation matters, says Nicholas Redman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "The Soviet Union did not have diplomatic relations with the apartheid regime. It did, however, have intelligence which suggested that [nuclear] test preparations were underway. The Soviets took the risk of sharing this intelligence with the United States. The United States did have relations with Pretoria, had indeed assisted the civilian nuclear program, but evidently had no interest in allowing South Africa to conduct a nuclear test," Redman said. Pretoria denied it planned to conduct any nuclear test. However, U.S. intelligence soon confirmed the presence of the test site and helped pressure South Africa into abandoning its plans. The destruction of the Kalahari facility was eventually overseen by inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog the IAEA in 1993. The collaboration between Cold War foes, led then by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, is one of numerous examples of Washington and Moscow working together to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. "Personal relations were absolutely key to building not only the non-proliferation treaty, but the entire non-proliferation regime that then grew around it. The fact that there were arms control specialists and scientific specialists in both governments, the fact that they met regularly ... this was actually vital in building the entire regime," Redman added. The construction of that regime entailed a decade of U.N. talks in Geneva during the 1960s, culminating in the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, which remains the cornerstone of efforts to prevent the spread of atomic weapons and a testimony to Cold War cooperation. Increased pressure But half a century later, the IISS report warns the NPT is under pressure from many sides, just as relations between Moscow and Washington are worse than at any point since the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. "So there's a need for an investment to rebuild these habits of cooperation because the threats haven't actually gone away. There are still a lot of nuclear weapons that aren't as secure as we would like them to be. There are even more nuclear materials," Redman said. There are fears of a new arms race, with Russia developing tactical atomic weapons and the United States modernizing its nuclear capabilities. The 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was not signed by any nuclear powers and shows a growing divide between countries with and those without atomic weapons. "Unless the United States and Russia cooperate, the problem is they could very quickly lose the initiative that they have held up till now in the nuclear proliferation sphere," Redman said. International image The report identifies seven lessons that may help to revive non-proliferation cooperation, including "recognition by policymakers on both sides that their countries' international images typically were enhanced when they were seen to cooperate." The report urges policymakers in both the United States and Russia to learn lessons from Cold War history as the world still faces grave nuclear threats. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) President Rodrigo Duterte is willing to talk about possible amendments for the Bangsamoro Organic Law, spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday during his press briefing. Roque said Duterte expressed openness in reviewing specific provisions, but reiterated that the enactment of the measure that will establish a new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Mindanao was not rushed. "It wasn't really rushed. It's been there, it's pending," Roque said of the Bangsamoro law. "Although you know, nothing is perfect. The BOL being signed into law is a result of a compromise." "All that the President was saying is if you have specific complaints, we're open to discuss these complaints with the view of possibly amending the law." The spokesperson added that Duterte is also 'willing to sit down with Sulu,' a province that 'traditionally' did not want to be part of the autonomous government. 'Yung pinuntahan ni Presidente sa Jolo, maraming tumututol sa Sulu, just because traditionally, Sulu does not want to be part of it. But I think things have changed." [Translation: Where the President went in Jolo, there are a lot of people who rejects (the law) in Sulu just because traditionally, Sulu does not want to be part of it. But I think things have changed.] "He's willing to sit down with Sulu and talk about possible amendments," he added. Roque however stressed that should there any be changes in the provisions, the law will still require congressional action. "For now, we have the BOL. Let's see whatever changes they want." READ: The Bangsamoro Organic Law: Everything you need to know On July 26, Duterte announced he had signed the law, which will abolish the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to make way for the new autonomous Bangsamoro government. The Bangsamoro law is a product of decades-long peace talks, and is also expected to carry out the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, a 2014 peace deal between the government and Moro rebels. The United States has eased export controls for high technology product sales to India, granting it the same access as NATO allies, Australia, Japan and South Korea, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday. Ross, speaking at U.S. Chamber of Commerce event, said the move to grant Strategic Trade Authorization status STA1 to India reflects its efforts to improve its own export control regime, its adherence to multilateral export rules and its growing status as a U.S. defense partner. "STA1 provides India greater supply chain efficiency, both for defense, and for other high-tech products," Ross said, adding that the elevated status would have affected about $9.7 billion worth of Indian goods purchases over the past seven years. Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who had publicly wavered as to whether he would support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, endorsed him Monday. Paul of Kentucky says he will back Kavanaugh despite misgivings about the judge's views on surveillance and privacy issues. Few had expected Paul would oppose President Donald Trump's choice in the end. The endorsement gives Kavanaugh a boost as he prepares to sit down Monday afternoon with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, one of a handful of Democratic senators seen as potential swing votes in the confirmation fight. Manchin has said he's interested in Kavanaugh's views on the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The senator has also asked West Virginia residents to send him questions for the meeting. Manchin was one of three Democrats who voted to confirm Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota were the others. All three are up for re-election in states Trump easily won in 2016. Republicans have a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate. With the absence of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is fighting brain cancer, they cannot afford to lose a single Republican vote if all Democrats vote "no." Paul had let Trump know he preferred other potential Supreme Court nominees he viewed as more conservative. He had expressed concern over Kavanaugh's record on warrantless bulk collection of data and how that might apply to important privacy cases. Paul said he hoped Kavanaugh "will be more open to a Fourth Amendment that protects digital records and property." Yet he also said his vote doesn't hinge on any one issue. "I believe he will carefully adhere to the Constitution and will take his job to protect individual liberty seriously," Paul said. A suicide bomber in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar killed at least four people, including a prominent local militia commander, considered a leading opponent of Islamic State fighters in the region, officials said on Monday. The bomber targeted Hayat Khan, a local tribal elder and commander of local militia forces in the Behsood district of Nangarhar, Attaullah Khogyani, the provincial governors spokesman said. Haji Hayat Khan was a prominent tribal elder and he was playing a important role in the fight against Daesh, said provincial council member Sohrab Qaderi, using the term often employed for Islamic State in Afghanistan. He was a strong barrier against Daesh expansion in Nangarhar. The incident follows a series of attacks on targets in Nangarhar, the province on the border with Pakistan where Islamic State first appeared in Afghanistan in late 2014. U.S. President Donald Trump's attorney said Monday it remains unlikely Trump will agree to answer questions from special counsel Robert Mueller about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether the president obstructed justice by trying to thwart the investigation. "The odds are against it, but I wouldn't be shocked, because he wants to do it," Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said of the president in a CNN interview. Giuliani said, however, that if Trump does sit for an interview, he would only agree to answer questions about whether his campaign colluded with Russia to help him win, not questions, except in a very limited way, about obstruction. Trump has for months said there was "no collusion" between his campaign aides and Russia and that as president he did not attempt to block Mueller's probe. Trump unleashed a new broadside against Mueller and his investigation late Sunday, accusing the prosecutor of undisclosed "conflicts of interest" involving him, "including the fact that we had a very nasty & contentious business relationship." Giuliani declined to say what the purported Trump-Mueller business relationship was and said it was up to Mueller to reveal it, even though Trump raised the issue with his Twitter comment. The former New York mayor said if Trump is interviewed by Mueller's legal team, "Our real concern is they're going to set up a perjury trap," attempting to catch Trump, who often misstates facts, in a lie, which is a criminal offense. He said Trump's legal team presented its offer for limited questioning of the president to Mueller's team 10 days ago but has not heard back. Mueller, if he does not like the proposed limits on questioning, could subpoena Trump to testify, setting the stage for a legal fight that could eventually be decided by the Supreme Court over whether a sitting president can be compelled to testify. Mueller is expected to adhere to U.S. Justice Department guidelines to not indict a current president, but is expected to write a report on his findings that could, if wrongdoing is alleged, be turned over to Congress. If it wishes, Congress could start impeachment proceedings against Trump. Giuliani said he thinks Mueller wants to conclude his now 14-month probe by sometime in September, enough time before the nationwide congressional elections on November 6, "so they can say they didn't interfere in the elections." In the CNN interview, Giuliani sharply attacked Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer, for taping conversations with clients, including one in which the future president discussed a hush money payment to former Playboy magazine model Karen McDougal shortly before the 2016 election to buy her silence about the alleged affair she says she had with Trump more than a decade ago. Giuliani accused Cohen of "fooling, lying, deceiving everyone he talked with." He said Trump, who employed Cohen for a decade, "had a close friend betray him. It happens in life." "You've forfeited your law license, as far as I'm concerned," Giuliani said. "You can't record your client without his permission. It's outrageous." U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed new Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the White House Monday. "He's a man who is doing a fantastic job," Trump said about Conte before the two met for talks. The White House has said the talks were aimed at deepening "cooperation in addressing global conflicts and promoting economic prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic" and at recognizing "the historical and cultural ties between the countries." Conte became Italy's prime minister through a coalition deal reached by two anti-establishment political parties, the League and the Five Star Movement after Italy's March 4 election. These two parties garnered most votes, and had leaders who both aspired to become prime minister. As a compromise in forming a joint government, they chose Conte, a soft-spoken law professor with no previous political experience. The move made Conte the leader of Western Europes first fully populist government. Since becoming Italy's leader, Conte has emerged as Trumps strongest supporter in Western Europe. Trump has met Conte twice, at the recent G-7 and NATO summits, but the U.S. leader has already declared him a really great guy and said he will do a great job the people of Italy have got it right. The two have at least one thing in common populist administrations. The meeting comes at a time of tension between the United States and Europe. Conte backed Trumps call in June for Moscow to re-enter the Group of Seven, a proposal flatly rejected at the summit by all the other members of the group of industrialized Western powers. Russia was ousted from the Group of Eight after its annexation of Crimea. The two right-leaning parties in the Italian coalition government have long sought a re-evaluation of Romes relationship with Moscow, including a call for the lifting of EU sanctions. Italy has said European sanctions on Russia also hurt Italian firms. Conte has since said the sanctions should not be dropped quickly. Trump has expressed support for the Italian governments high-profile attempts to toughen the European Union's asylum migration policy. He and Conte hold similar views on the issue of migrants. The Italian government has said the talks between the two leaders on Monday will focus on the issues in the "Mediterranean, Iraq, Afghanistan" and the intensification of cooperation between the two countries with the aim of economic growth for both countries. Washington wants to ensure Rome will continue its role in Afghanistan, especially after Italian Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta recently said Italys troops serving there may have to be reduced. Libya also is a significant issue of concern for Italy. Conte is likely to seek support from Trump as Rome tries to play a leading role in the rebuilding of Libya. For Italy, Tripoli is an important energy partner. It also wants Libya to be stabilized because of its role as a starting-off point for migrants trying to reach European Union countries. U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Congress again Monday to approve the controversial construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to thwart illegal immigration. "Border security is national security," he told a White House news conference after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, another Western leader who has adopted a hard-line immigration posture. "Strong nations must have strong borders." Trump called the United States "the laughingstock of the world, with the worst immigration laws anywhere in the world." Expanding on the immigration comments he posted on Twitter the day before, Trump said he would have "no problem doing a shutdown" of U.S. government operations at the end of September when current funding expires if he does not win approval for the wall, a key pledge of his during the 2016 presidential campaign. But when asked whether he wants approval of full $25 billion funding for the wall, as well as other tougher immigration changes he has demanded in order to avert a shutdown, he replied, "I always leave room for negotiation." In addition to the wall, Trump has called for ending a visa lottery allowing migrants from overseas to move to the United States.Instead, he wants a "merit" system in which job skills and education of the migrants play an important role in whether they are allowed into the country. "We have laws that don't work," Trump said. "We have to end these horrible 'catch and release' principles where you catch somebody, you take their name and you release them. You don't even know who they are. The whole thing is ridiculous." Trump praised Conte for demanding that other European countries share the responsibility for handling the thousands of migrants who have descended on Italian shores as they escaped Africa and headed across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Trump's bid for funding a border wall in late September is uncertain. In recent weeks, the House of Representatives already defeated two immigration proposals Trump supported. Any new action in late September would seem unlikely, coming about five weeks before nationwide congressional elections, a time when most lawmakers are unwilling to debate and vote on controversial issues like immigration. The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing Thursday on the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy for families who illegally crossed into the United States from Mexico.Those who did were automatically detained and children were detained separately from their parents. Trump signed an executive order rescinding the family separations after a nationwide outcry, including from many fellow Republicans.A federal judge in San Diego gave officials two deadlines to reunite children, and last week credited the government for reunifying more than 1,800 children while also saying it is at fault for deporting the parents of more than 400 kids without reuniting those families. Trump used a Twitter post Monday night to celebrate the reunifications that have taken place while making no mention of the families that remain separated. "A highly respected Federal judge today stated that the Trump Administration gets great credit for reuniting illegal families," he said."Thank you, and please look at the previous administrations record - not good!" U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw has ordered both the government and the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the parents, to give written updates on the families that are still separated each Thursday. The Senate Judiciary Committee is also asking the inspectors general of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate allegations of physical and sexual abuse of immigrants by guards and other staff members at detention facilities. The top Republican on the committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley, and the top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, issued a joint letter saying there should be a thorough probe of the procedures for hiring, training and vetting guards and other workers. Many of the allegations detailed in media reports in recent weeks date back to 2014 and include facilities in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Virginia. "These allegations of abuse are extremely disturbing and must be addressed," Grassley and Feinstein wrote."This is not a partisan issue as reporting suggests many have been occurring for years.Immigrant families and children kept in federal custody deserve to be treated with basic human dignity and respect and should never be subjected to these forms of abuse." U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday made his most explicit statement yet that he is open to direct talks with Iran. Trump, in the White House East Room during a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, was asked by a reporter if he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. I believe in meeting, Trump responded. Speaking to other people, especially when youre talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things, you meet. Theres nothing wrong in meeting. Trump noted his recent one-on-one discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin as examples of his direct diplomacy with leaders deemed hostile to U.S. interests. So, I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I dont know that theyre ready yet. Theyre having a hard time right now, Trump added. Im ready to meet anytime they want to. 'No preconditions' Asked if he had any preconditions for such a meeting, Trump replied: No preconditions. If they want to meet, Ill meet. Later, in an interview with the cable television network CNBC, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Trump is prepared to sit down with the Iranians if they "make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior," and agree it is worthwhile to put in place a nuclear agreement "that actually prevents proliferation." Iran's reaction Iran responded by saying the path to direct discussions with Washington would have to include the United States returning to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers was formally called. "Respecting the Iranian nation's rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America," Hamid Aboutalebi, an adviser to Rouhani, tweeted. Analysts do not expect a Trump-Rouhani meeting anytime soon, pointing out that Trump has, for some time, been seeking to meet Rouhani directly without success. I dont think it will happen in the immediate future, said Jarrett Blanc, senior fellow of the Geoeconomics and Strategy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Iran, with a more complicated domestic political structure than the totalitarian model of North Korea, has been cool to the idea of diplomacy with Washington, more so since Trump pulled the United States out of the multinational deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which imposed restrictions on Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. Other signatories are working with Iran to try to save the agreement while Washington begins reimposing sanctions on Tehran that are to start taking effect in August. "Iranian leadership has presented Trump as a bully and has presented the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal as a betrayal of trust. So its really hard for the Iranian leadership to now turn around and start negotiation from scratch," said Shahram Akbarzedeh, a research professor in Middle East and Central Asian Politics at Australia's Deakin University. Trump, just eight days ago, issued a direct counterthreat to Tehran in an all-capital-letters tweet in which he sharply warned Rouhani to "never threaten the United States" or the Islamic Republic would suffer historical consequences. Just hours before that tweet, Rouhani had warned Trumps policies could lead to "the mother of all wars." No Iranian leader is likely in the near future to meet with a president who has repeatedly threatened Iran, insulted its leadership and violated the nuclear deal, said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. Its tricky for them Blanc told VOA. Anybody at this point in Tehran who attempted to reach out to Trump would be slammed by another part of the establishment in Iran. Ruled out any talks Officials in Tehran, earlier in the day prior to the Trump-Conte joint news conference, explicitly ruled out any talks with Washington. "With current America and these policies, there will definitely not be the possibility of dialog and engagement, and the United States has shown that it is totally unreliable," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told reporters. Blanc said he views Trumps offer as very much in line with Trumps desired approach to solving global issues. He wants to put himself in the room, he said. So, I dont think its hugely surprising. Unlike Trumps quickie summit in Singapore with Kim, after which he declared he had solved the nuclear issue with North Korea, any such pronouncements by the U.S. president following a meeting with an Iranian leader would be heavily scrutinized, and any accommodations likely intensely criticized by Tehrans foes. Even if Donald Trump, with the laws of pol gravity suspended, goes to Lausanne or wherever and meets Rouhani and claims to have solved the nuclear issue, he would get hammered by the Saudis, Israelis and Washingtons war hawks, Blanc predicted. For some analysts, Trumps approach is more moderate than that of some of his top advisers, such as National Security Advisor John Bolton. President Trump might be interested in a bigger, better and broader deal with Tehran, but almost no one in his entourage seems to share that interest, Vaez told VOA. The president's war cabinet seems more inclined to bring the Iranian regime to its knees. I do not have the impression that he is actually seeking a war with Iran, Blanc said of Trump. But I do worry very much belligerent rhetoric doesnt exist in a vacuum, and there is a risk of an accidental conflagration with Iran. The United States is revoking visas for Nicaraguan officials responsible for violence against anti-government protesters, saying these are just the start of what could be more sanctions. "After years of fraudulent elections and the regime's manipulation of Nicaraguan law, the Nicaraguan people have taken to the streets to call for democratic reforms," the White House said Monday. "These demands have been met with indiscriminate violence, with more than 350 dead, thousands injured, and hundreds of citizens falsely labeled "coup-mongers' and 'terrorists.'" The U.S. has already sanctioned three senior Nicaraguan officials for human rights abuses and corruption. It has also taken back vehicles it donated to the Nicaraguan police, which officers have used in their violent crackdown, and suspended such sales to Nicaragua. The Trump administration is also pledging $1.5 million in aid to those fighting for democracy, human nights and an independent media in Nicaragua. Anti-government protests erupted in April after President Daniel Ortega announced changes to the country's popular pension system. Ortega soon scrapped his plans, but the protests continued and were met by a violent crackdown by police and armed pro-government civilians. Nicaraguan human rights groups say more than 350 people have been killed. The government puts the death toll at a little more than 200. Ortega is a former leftist Sandinista leader who helped topple a right-wing government in 1979. He has rebuffed calls from religious leaders to hold talks with the opposition and rejected demands for early elections. Ortega accuses the protesters of planning a coup. A group of 36 people have filed the first legal challenge to the Trump administration's travel ban after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it in June. Muslim Advocates, Lotfi Legal LLC, the Immigrant Advocacy & Litigation Center PLLC, and Public Counsel have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of some who had visa applications "wrongfully denied" or "stalled" by the administration. The president's proclamation, which was upheld by the nation's highest court in June, allows for exemptions from the travel restrictions it imposes. These waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis in instances where people can prove that the restrictions would cause an undue hardship, that they are not a threat to national security and that their coming to the U.S. would be in the country's interest. But the plaintiffs write in their brief that few waivers are being granted and, therefore, the offer of waivers is fraudulent. They are asking a U.S. district court to order the administration to stop its unlawful practice, rescind its previous visa denials, review each application on a case-by-case basis and provide precise guidelines on who is eligible for a waiver. The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California under the name Emami v. Nielsen. It names Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and representatives of other government agencies as defendants. One of the plaintiffs is Sudi, a U.S. and Somalia citizen, who married in 2016. She went to South Africa to meet her soon-to-be husband. The wedding took place in South Africa, and Sudi became pregnant. She returned to the U.S., then petitioned for a family-based immigrant visa for her husband in October 2016. "The petition got approved around March, and I was really excited he would be here maybe by the time I gave birth," she told reporters during a conference call Monday. That didn't happen. Somalia is one of five Muslim countries, along with Iran, Syria, Libya and Yemen, that are under the travel ban's restrictions. Sudi had a son May 26, 2017. "I gave birth all by myself in the hospital with my mom instead of my husband. I waited for a while, and I was hoping when the baby turned a couple of months, maybe he would be here. My son turned one, and on his first birthday, his father is still not here," she said. Her last hope was the U.S. Supreme Court. "But on June 26, when the Supreme Court [ruling] took place, I felt like I wasn't welcomed here. My husband was denied [a visa] because of his nationality and religion he practices. Now, I am so devastated. I don't know what to do. This ban is affecting my family," she said. In front of the nine Supreme Court justices, U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco argued in June that if people met the criteria for a visa waiver, they would not be denied entry to the U.S. However, the groups said there has been no guidance issued, and the administration has been denying or stalling virtually all visa issuance and waiver grants. The familiar voice that dominated Zimbabwe politics for more 37-years, re-emerged Sunday after several months of silence, on the eve of the countrys most critical elections. Former President Robert Mugabe called journalists to his Blue Roof mansion in Harare, to castigate the party he led since before independence, which recalled him in November, and the new man who leads it, his former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and offer support to the opposition. Mr. Mugabe used the press conference to clear the persistent rumors that he never intended to leave office, by declaring that in fact, he was preparing to step down as the partys leader and that he had a picked a successor. Below is part of the transcription of the press conference. Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's Press Conference: Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends. Its the 29th of July, the eve of the election. I thought on the eve of the great day yet to come, I should invite as many voices as possible just to hear my own feelings and the way I look forward to tomorrow. What is tomorrow going to bring us, the people of Zimbabwe? Why should I ask that question? We have had, since November, an environment in our country, which was far from being free, even politically, let alone constitutional, and legal. And I have during that time, during all this time, cried for return, our return to constitutionality. Our return to legality. Our return to freedom for our people. An environment in which our people would be free. Military intervention and resignation [We have not been free]since that day, when tanks rolled across the country, when there was a takeover by the army. It was argued that in doing so, there was need to correct what those in the army, regarded as a situation that surrounded the president. The president was surrounded they said, by persons. Persons who sought to tarnish the president who is our founder. Who sought indeed to do him down. It was these evil, malicious people, who we need to remove . malicious characters, and they called them sometimes, the G40, who we you want to remove from around the president. But in the process, it was the president the very person they said they wanted to protect whom they did remove. They will tell you, that he resigned. True, I resigned and in the note read in parliament, when I resigned, I said I have done so in order to avoid bloodshed, in order to avoid conflict between the army and the people. That was the essence, essence of what I said. The words might have been different. But that was the idea, was the reason. I was going to resign/Intended Successor But why did a section of our country, our people decide to go this way, in order to secure a position for just one person? Was there no better route? Zanu-PF which I led, had planned to have an Extraordinary Congress in December, and this Congress I was going to resign, and open then our system so those open up our system so those who wanted to compete for leadership of the party, and then the leadership of the country, would do so. So I want I also, at that Congress, even though I would have resigned, I would have supported a candidate I had in mind. And I had in mind all the time it was (Former Defense Minister Sydney) Dr. Sekeramayi. I had when Thabo Mbeki, former president of South African asked me who I wanted to take over after me, I said, I think Dr. Sekeramayi will be my choice. I had talked to Sekeramayi, and he had said fine, but he was surprised. But I was going to argue at that Congress that it, choose him. Yes, ED (President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnanagagwa) could have also argued that he deserved to be chosen. Sure, they would compete at that Congress. Well that did not happen. So all the nonsense that you hear, that I, the president wanted to leave his wife as president or as a candidate after resignation, all that nonsense that Comrade Shiri, (Retired Air Chief Marshall and current Minister of Agriculture) Perence Shiri told to the Tanzanians, that aaah, we took that action because the president wanted to leave his wife in position of leadership, is utter nonsense. This was mymy intention. Ceased Freedom Well, things happened the other way. But what have we seen really happening on the ground. Happening even in Zanu-PF? I was sacked from the party I founded. Zanu-PF with the likes of va [late Vice President Mr. Simon] Muzenda and others. I was regarded now as an enemy. But if the coup was to protect me, how come that I am treated now as an opponent, opponent of those in government, new government? Persons would not be allowed to visit me. If anyone came and was allowed to pass through the gate, afterwards he was told, he was asked, what did you discuss? What did he say? Aaah! Then relatives, far off, were harassed, properties taken from them. Why? Cases, nonsensical cases, completely absurd, were raised against them, and they were actually arrested. Arrested. Why? Why arrest, harass, relatives, even far off? So you see, when the system ceases to be that of freedom, that democratic, and becomes unconstitutional, those things happen. Illegal things happen. Decisions are taken on the basis of who is my friend, who is my relative, as against who is not my relative, my friend and who is not my relative. Even after all this has happened in the party, you, you heard individuals being dismissed from the party. Having to run away. Some having to seek, across the border, protection, as temporary refugees. And this is what we have just now. We have people who are still outside, let alone the likes of [former Higher Education Minister] Jonathan Moyo, [former Minister of Public Works and nephew of Mr. Mugabe] Patrick Zhuwao, ([former Local Government Minister] Savior Kasukuwere, who were said to be among the leaders of the G40. They are not alone. And you have people like [Dr. Ignatius] Chombo, who was the Secretary for Administration of Zanu-PF. He was the first to be arrested. Crime? To this day, I dont know what crime or crimes hes said to have (inaudible.) So he has been harassed, sent to prison out, and if he was to tell you how he was treated upon being arrested, thrown out, headlong, through the window, thrust through the window like that you would be shocked, that what have we become in the country? Have we become savages, terrorists to ourselves? Anyway. Enemy of ourselves Those tanks that rolled through across the country, whom were they fighting? Who was the enemy? We were the enemy of ourselves. Fighting ourselves. A Zimbabwe which had, right up to independence, yes, fought for the people, turned through the army against the very people whose interest they fought for. I said NO! I still say no, this was wrong! This is the greatest damage we have done to our history. The greatest injustice we had done to ourselves. We had become a democratic country after our independence we went to the assistance of others who were in trouble: Mozambique, we assisted Namibia, we were in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo.), etc. Is this now the Zimbabwe which has become so undemocratic? So illegal in its actions, and unconstitutional? I am talking on the eve, on the eve of the day I longed for, that let the people go and vote. Let them go and vote freely and I am glad. Even ED has said people will be allowed to go to vote freely, and the result will be recognized. Fine. We appreciate that. Not voting for Zanu-PF So all who have put their names of candidates for the first time we have had now long list of aspirants to power. Twenty three is the number of candidates, and the people say, aaah, what is your choice? But no one has ever said what is not your choice. I must say very clearly, I cannot vote for those who have tormented me. No, I cant. Ill make my choice among the other 22 but its along list. I worked with Mai (former Vice President Joyce) Mujuru. I worked with Mai Mujuru. I worked with also Mai [former Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani] Khupe. There are other names I am reading for the first time. There is (MDC Alliance President Nelson) Chamisa, I have not worked with him. I have seen him work with his late leader [MDC Founding President Morgan] Tsvangirai, whom I worked with in our Government of National Unity. But I have not met him yet. He seems to be doing well. He seems to be doing well, going by his rallies. Whoever wins, and if he does, well, we wish him well. Return to Constitutionality But I hope the choice or the voting which will be done tomorrow, and this is what I regard as the greatest event that should happen, will reform, will throw, thrust away, military, a military form of government and bring us back to constitutionality. We must have a democratic constitution. We must have a democratic constitution. That is what we fought for. The people. We always say, the people, the people, the people. The peoples needs, the peoples voices, the peoples conditions, the peoples freedoms first and foremost. These are the things that we always cried for when we were waging our struggle for the freedom of Zimbabwe. And we had that freedom. And we had those tenets, after 1980. The peoples freedom to speak, organize themselves as they liked. To belong to any party of their own choice. To go about freely in their country. To feel free. They can visit each other. Families can unite with other families, forming self-help organizations. But they are now at present the people are terribly frightened, terribly frightened I must tell you, because they send us messages, daily. Aaaah, we cant come to see you. Others say, how can we come and see you, we are afraid. How can we have a country like that? And this is being done by people we worked with in the struggle, emphasizing that we wanted our country to be democratic. Yes, we are using the guns now to fight for their freedom, and even as we do so, we are saying to them our guns are directed by our politics. Politics directs the gun. But now its the gun, directing politics. No. No. I say, no, no, no! Let tomorrow decide that sure, there should be a big no to guns directing politics. Let tomorrow be the voice of the people saying this, and never again. We shall never again experience a period where the army is used to thrust one person into power, no. And a number of people die. I dont know the numbers now, but a number of them have died. We shall investigate, perhaps, after the election tomorrow. So the election tomorrow, I ask, is it to bring democracy, to bring constitutionality, to bring freedom, or shall we see the return, a return of the same rule, we have experienced since November. Well wishes to winning candidate and advice With advanced, congratulations to whosoever, which so ever party wins the day and let us accept that verdict. Let us all pray that tomorrow brings us good news. Yes, and I believe good news to everyone, is that we get our freedom back, that we get our democracy back, with its legality, with its constitutionality, and thrust away the hypocrisy, so we can say, aaah, what happened that November, is now history, and our women.will ululate. I am sure you will also be happy to interact with us, with everybody, with me. I was not able to do so. If you are put in a place, in a high place, where you are a leader, you are the president of a country, you have the rules that must guide you. You dont get the rules from those who are ambitious who come and sit next to you and say, aaah, do this, so and so is no good, so and so is a hypocrite. If you havn't done it yet,to get one of the fastest volcano news online: The activity of Mexico's most active and largest volcano has been picking up gradually during the past months. If you like to join a small group of volcano enthusiasts, join us, stay 5 nights near the volcano and move around for extended day- and night-time observation. A selection of photos taken during our Java photo tour by Uwe Ehlers. A selection of great books about volcanoes and volcanism, grouped into sections of different reading level interest. Our continuously updated worldwide map and list of the most recent largest earthquakes in the world during the past 24 hours.You can also find top 20 lists for given past days / months / years from the archive. Support us - Help us upgrade our services! Maintaining our website and our free apps does require, however, considerable time and resources. We're aiming to achieve uninterrupted service wherever an earthquake or volcano eruption unfolds, and your donations can make it happen! Every donation will be highly appreciated. Improved multilanguage support Tsunami alerts Faster responsiveness Earthquake archive from 1900 onwards Detailed quake stats Additional seismic data sources Download and Upgrade the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online: Android | IOS to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online: We truly love working to bring you the latest volcano and earthquake data from around the world.We need financing to increase hard- and software capacity as well as support our editor team.If you find the information useful and would like to support our team in integrating further features, write great content, and in upgrading our soft- and hardware, please PayPal or Online credit card payment )., these features have been added recently: The three-pronged approach would include direct payments to farmers, efforts to promote U.S. goods abroad and an expansion of a program that purchases surplus farm goods and distributes them to food banks. The USDA has promised aid to producers of soybeans, corn, cotton, wheat, pork, dairy and several other goods, although soybean farmers are expected to receive the bulk of the payments. Chuck Tingle, the pseudonym of an author of comically absurd erotica, is perhaps the most well-known creator of monster porn, including about 10 books featuring encounters with Sasquatch. Reached via email, Tingle said he understands why Bigfoot monsters are so attractive as romantic heroes: They are natural outdoorsmen . . . which I think is nice, and, even though it seems like they could have a bad-boy way, they are actually very kind. He imagines his readers think, Wow, he could protect me in a big fight, and he could also take me on a walk in nature and show me which are the best plants to kiss or to eat in a stew. Sh*t Parkers of Kelowna and YLW's Worst Parking are part of a new trend in social media, outing the worst parkers around and shaming them into parking appropriately. The accounts are following trends in other cities to show just how bad parking can be in our city. Sh*t Parkers of Kelowna created their Facebook page on May 21, 2014 and it already has over 1,800 likes. The page creator, who asked to be called Dom as he must remain anonymous for professional and personal reasons, says they are getting so many submissions that they can't keep up. Sh*t Parkers of Vernon is also gaining steam with 139 likes and Dom says Sh*t Parkers of Kamloops is in the works with the possibility of Sh*t Parkers of Penticton close behind. Photo: Contributed We have had a few posts in the last little while in Kelowna that have gone pretty wild. The latest one happened this morning of a radio station's vehicle that is a reoccurring visitor on our site and they are getting hammered now. I almost feel bad for them, but if you park in a handicap spot, you are free game, says Dom. The Facebook page started with only 100 likes and now has over 1800, expecting to break 2000 by the end of the day. Dom's friend started Sh*t Parkers of Victoria and at first it didn't take off, but with the addition of Sh*t Parkers of Greater Vancouver, Kelowna and Vernon the concept is gaining a lot of traction. In fact, Sh*t Parkers of Victoria now has over 13,000 likes and shows no signs of slowing down. We noticed we have some extremely bad parking here and it is not just bad, the behaviour of most motorists nowadays is so blase in regards to other people you just cannot believe it! Initially Dom says they drove around and snapped photos for the page's gallery, including the cover photo which is still one of his favourites. I mean it just floored me, it was our starting picture because I couldn't believe how bad that parking job was. I mean wrong side of the street, not angle parking, it's parallel parking, it is not a handicap vehicle, you have got to be joking!! Now in Kelowna they are getting 30-40 photo submissions a day, with 5-6 received daily in Vernon, meaning Dom is very busy trying to post them all. He says one unexpected side of creating the Kelowna site was the cries for help from those most affected. Photo: Contributed That is one of those things that threw me for a loop. A Kelowna mother with a disabled child could not park in the disabled stall because someone was parked across two stalls. She asked for help and I said don't you worry, Sh*t Parking Karma coming up and I'll tell you, that post got mass attraction. He also heard from a woman who was 8-months pregnant with twins and was yelled at by a man parked in the 'parent expecting stall' because he felt he should be parked closer to the store. He ended up seeing himself on the page and apparently had second thoughts on his decision, according to Dom. We see it mostly for disabled parking and it is so sad. You see that blue square with the wheelchair on it that is for someone that is worse off than you. Another common thread, according to Dom, is those with very expensive cars who, according to him, feel the rules don't apply to them. They have no regard for anyone else, says Dom. They say I have an expensive car why should I care; or I have a Lamborghini and the deductible is $10,000. Well you bought a car like that and should expect to pay that once in awhile, it is just one of those things. Just because you drive a million dollar car doesnt mean you can be a million dollar ass, says Dom. They have had some concerns and worries over the page encouraging or inciting vandalism or retribution and anyone spouting those sort of comments will be blocked. However, Dom says there is a group coining themselves the Sh*t Parker Avengers that make him laugh. They park their car as close as they possibly can to the driver at fault's passenger door. It is a harmless revenge, which makes me happy because we are adamant against any form of vandalism. Photo: Contributed The 'Sh*t Parkers' company is now branching out with plans to release cards to place on car windshields reminding certain drivers of proper parking etiquette. The cards will be available on sh*tparkers.com in the next 24-48 hours where you can download 'Sh*t Parking Tickets' that people can either print themselves or get printed. Some will be a little friendlier, like please park better next time or, you can leave one as rude as you want, laughs Dom who says they are trying to give people a harmless outlet to vent their frustrations. YLW's Worst Parking twitter account, created by an Edmonton man who also created a very popular Edmonton account, has 100 followers. Creator Brian LeBelle says once they realized how popular the twitter accounts were in Edmonton and Calgary they decided to go country wide, including Vancouver and Kelowna. Hopefully it gives people an opportunity to vent and not do anything stupid to people's vehicles, says LeBelle. Bad parking is a sense of entitlement that pisses people off and people like seeing it outed I think." Unlike Dom, LeBelle has publicized his name but he says he is not too worried about it. I have got some nasty messages on Facebook but that is probably as far as it is going to go, says LeBelle. The public is invited to send pictures to the Sh*t Parkers Facebook page and tweets to YLW twitter account to 'out' bad parkers in our area. The expected tenor of the book is underscored by its unsettling cover, an extreme close-up of a squinty-eyed Trump depicted through a gauzy red filter. The hush-hush project derives its title from an offhand remark that then-candidate Trump made in an interview with Woodward and Post political reporter Robert Costa in April 2016. Costa asked Trump whether he agreed with a statement by then-President Barack Obama, who had said in an Atlantic magazine interview that real power means you can get what you want without having to exert violence. He might have, as one victim alleged in the New Yorker, thrown himself onto her in a business meeting, trying to kiss her as she squirmed but, by her own account, he eventually unlocked the door when she begged him to. He might have, as another woman alleged, pulled her skirt up during a different work conversation and begun to thrust against her but, by her own account, she didnt tell him no. Fearing for her safety, she claimed in the piece, she instead scrambled to her feet and joked her way out of the room. But it isnt always clear who gets put under that umbrella people of South Asian descent are often left out of Asian American discussions, and AAPI Data founder Karthick Ramakrishnan, 43, isnt quite sure why. Many Asian Americans have experienced being treated like a perpetual foreigner, he says, but there are differences in how that manifests itself: East Asians could get called racial epithets or mocked for their accents, for example, whereas South Asians might get profiled at airports because theyre perceived to be Muslim, whether they are or not. Its somewhere you dont feel comfortable, you know its not your home, said Marbley, who has lived in the shelter since September. Why not wait until we have vacated the premises and the whole building is empty so you dont have to worry about anyone getting hurt or getting sick or anyone complaining about noises? There are babies in here. There are older families. Its not fair to the residents. Its important to get this information into the hands of parents, said D.C. State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang, whose office is spearheading the efforts. The reality is that the information that we are using for our star rankings, I think all of it, if not the vast majority of it, is currently publicly available, but its scattered in different places. The administrations decision not to seek any changes after investigating for four years came as a surprise even to the school system, according to an account in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Corrective action is not uncommon when theres an investigation done, that they would ask you to do some review, Mary Ellen Maske, who was the deputy superintendent at the time, told the newspaper. They have not asked us to review or change anything. It was convenient, too. They could live there when Bill was posted to the Pentagon, rent it out whenever he was transferred, and really settle in when he retired from the service, as he did in 1997. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Interviewed for the book Vietnam War Nurses, Adm. Duerk recalled that antibiotics were rare and penicillin was still a novel treatment. When she administered the drug for the first time, she and her colleagues sat there and counted the drops in an IV, slowly delivering 5,000 units to a patient because they really didnt know what was going to happen. Chantelle Deacon Wildfires continue to burn across the province, but in comparison to last year, it doesn't seem nearly as bad or as smoky. Many of the fires burning in the Okanagan were sparked by lightning strikes. "We've responded to 875 [fires across the province]," says Ryan Turcot, fire information officer. "Out of those, 511 have been lightning caused and then another 326 have been human-caused." "We did see a big lightning event that caused a lot of fire activity. We've actually seen a couple periods of extended lightning this year." Generally, about 60 per cent of the province's wildfires are lightning caused and 40 per cent human-caused, says Turcot. "Certainly, when you do see big lightning storms, especially now that we're into the core summer months where fire seasons are historically more active, more lightning just means more ignition sources." It's a little early to say for sure if people across B.C. are being more diligent and smart when it comes to not throwing cigarettes out car windows and other human-caused ways to start fires. "Fires so far this year, a lot of them are still active wildfires and a lot of them the cause hasn't been determined yet," says Turcot. Multiple fires of note are still active throughout the Okanagan. The investigation by prosecutors probably covered several areas, including: What basis did the officer have to deem White a suspicious person and try to speak with him? What efforts did the officer make to try to defuse and de-escalate the encounter? Why did the officer think he was justified to shoot White and to shoot him so many times? Manafort is also accused of lying to banks about his income and debt to get millions more in loans after the Ukrainian party lost power in 2014, using his real estate properties as collateral. He claimed one loan was for construction while he was actually using it to pay off another mortgage, according to prosecutors. He also claimed a condo in SoHo he was renting out on AirBNB was a second home and not a rental property to save money on taxes, the court filings allege. Republican Denver Riggleman was already under fire for being too cozy with folks from last years deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Given the surge of fringe candidates in Virginia and around the country with a record number of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and even a champion of pedophilia seeking votes a guy into Bigfoot erotica didnt seem that far-fetched. A part-time staffer for Stewart, Brian Landrum, was recently included in a closed group on Facebook used by an organization led by Kessler, who is planning another rally in Washington next month. Landrum said he was included in the group without his knowledge, although he left a comment on the page. Photo: Facebook Tributes are beginning to pour in on social media for Vernon Secondary School teacher John Keeley, 58, who was reported missing on July 19 from Mabel Lake near Lumby. The loved and well-known local teacher failed to return home after a kayaking trip. On July 28, Vernon RCMP stated they recovered a body from Mabel Lake but they have yet to release a name. Keeley's good friend and colleague Justin Morgan posted to Facebook Sunday morning, "We are strewn around my man cave, a number of Breaking Bad episodes cued up for our monthly binge, inevitable banter about work seeping into conversation, and laughter... always, always laughter. Thats how Im choosing to remember my coworker, my friend, my brother. I miss you. Ill miss these moments. My only regret is I didnt get the chance to say goodbye. Goodbye John. Ill always think of you. You gave support, clarity and honesty. Cheers." More and more posts are being made on social media. One of his former students wrote, "Such heartbreaking news! I struggled at math but he made math an enjoyable environment to learn in. VSS won't be the same place without his presence, I'm sure. He will be missed by many people." Martin fantasized about having Freeman drive her into the mountains and leave her with the morphine drops she had surreptitiously collected over three months medicine that didnt relieve her pain but might be enough to kill her if she took it all at once. Freeman couldnt bring herself to do it, fearing the legal consequences and the possibility that her sister would survive and end up in even worse shape. Prison gang leader found dead: Barry Byron Mills, the murderous leader of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang died this month in federal lockup, where he spent much of his life, according to a report Sunday. Mills, also known by the nickname "Baron," was found dead July 8 in his single-person cell at the supermax prison in Florence, Colo., according to the Mercury News in San Jose, Calif. He was 70 and serving multiple life sentences. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Mills joined the Aryan Brotherhood during a stint at San Quentin prison in the 1970s. He later became leader, aggressively recruiting throughout the state. Authorities said his death does not appear suspicious. Chief investigator Kok Soo Chon said the cause of the disappearance cannot be determined until the wreckage and the planes black boxes are found. He said that there was no evidence of abnormal behavior or stress in the two pilots that could have led them to hijack the plane and that all passengers also were cleared by police. Photo: Tasha Fox UPDATE: 3:50 p.m. The small blaze in Mission Creek Park has been successfully controlled. Fire crews have doused the small blaze and are departing the scene. ORIGINAL: 3:20 p.m. Castanet has received word of a grass fire at Mission Creek Park in Kelowna. The park, located at 2363 Springfield Road, has a large black plume of smoke emanating from it, highly visible near the intersection of Durnin Road and Springfield. Fire crews are at the scene. More to come. Send your photos and videos to [email protected] There was already, to be sure, circumstantial evidence suggesting Trump knew of the Russian offer to demonstrate support for Mr. Trump. Before and after the 2016 meeting, Donald Trump Jr. called a blocked number three times. His father's private number was blocked, but prosecutors should be able to subpoena the phone records. And, on June 7, 2016, hours after the meeting was scheduled, Trump announced: I am going to give a major speech on probably Monday of next week and were going to be discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons. I think youre going to find it very informative and very, very interesting. The Russians promise of dirt apparently did not pan out, and the speech was never given, but there is good cause to suspect the Russians simply decided it would be more effective to give their dirt (i.e., stolen emails) to WikiLeaks rather than handing it directly to the Trump campaign. Why do we count all the people? Because they are part of our communities. They pay taxes to our governments and enjoy the benefits and burdens of our policies and laws. A neighborhood playground needs the same amount of money for repairs regardless of whether the children playing there are citizens and regardless of whether some of their parents are ex-felons the state has disenfranchised. When a hurricane strikes, voters and nonvoters alike call out desperately to their representatives for help. Resources and power are scarce. Our framers understood that the only fair way to allocate them was to count all the people equally. If we throw away this rule, we enter a world where politicians can much more easily shift political power away from groups they dislike by altering naturalization laws, felon disenfranchisement laws, the voting age and so on. Behind this high-tariff wall, Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge came to dominate the American pickup market. That was good for them, because the vehicles are more profitable to make than smaller cars, and because in 2017 1 out of every 6 vehicles sold in America was a pickup. A lot of those bore Japanese brands, such as Toyota or Nissan, but were built in America because importing is not an option. In Gwinnett, the population is more diverse than the electorate, which according to voter registration data is 45 percent white and a quarter black. Asians and Latinos each make up 7.5 percent but organizing them can be a challenge. They are split into subgroups hailing from Korea, Cuba, the Caribbean islands, India, Vietnam, Mexico and other places each with their own institutions and varying levels of political activism. Phillips said that if this were 2016 or 2014, we would likely have just gone ahead and endorsed Cramer. But he said the three-term congressman has been inconsistent on a range of issues, including the Affordable Care Act, free trade and immigration policies. He also noted Cramers support for agriculture subsidies. During a joint news conference, Trump said he is the most closely aligned with Conte over any of the other five leaders in the Group of Seven nations, which include U.S. allies France, Germany and Britain. The two first met at the G-7 summit in Canada last month, where Trump disrupted what had typically been a close-knit economic dialogue by abruptly yanking support for a joint statement after the conference. With current America and these policies, there will definitely not be the possibility of dialogue and engagement, and the United States has shown that it is totally unreliable, Qassemi said in a news briefing, according to Iranian media. Given the current circumstances and hostile actions of the United States, the countrys withdrawal from the [Iran nuclear deal] and continuation of hostile policies, its efforts to put economic pressure on the Iranian people and its sanctions, I think there are no conditions for such a discussion at all. Anti-Kavanaugh forces are hopeful that their three-pronged attack will be enough to persuade Collins and Murkowski, as well as moderate Democrats, to stand against him. At the same time, those lawmakers are also coming under opposing pressure from conservatives to back him. Ahead of Sundays vote, a court in Cambodia dissolved the main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, and jailed its leader, Kem Sokha, on trumped-up charges of attempting to unseat the government with the backing of the United States. When opposition leaders called for a boycott of the vote, the government cracked down on that, too, slapping fines on former CNRP leaders who held up their clean fingers in a pre-election gathering, a reference to the indelible ink used to stain voters index fingers. The government has also muzzled independent news media and banned access to a number of websites in the days leading up to the vote, including the U.S.-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. Photo: Contributed UPDATE 7:22 a.m. DriveBc is now reporting that the westbound lane on the Okanagan Connector, Highway 97C is now fully opened after a vehicle incident had the highway down to a single lane earlier Monday morning. UPDATE 5:28 a.m. DriveBC is now indicating a westbound vehicle incident at Brenda Mines Road Exit has the left lane open and the right lane blocked as of 5:30 a.m. ORIGINAL 5:17 a.m. Highway 97C westbound is closed near the Brenda Mines exit due to a vehicle incident. DriveBC expects the next update by 6 a.m. Im worried about my future, said Saleha Begum, 40, a Barpeta resident who was born in Assam but was not on the list. My parents were born here. We have all the documents. Still, my familys names are not on the list. Im scared. I dont know if the police will put us into a detention center or deport us to Bangladesh. The advisers are teaching the Afghans how to fly Black Hawk helicopters, a longtime workhorse of the U.S. military, to replace their aging Russian-made Mi-17s. The decision is not without controversy. While the coalition has struggled to get parts for the old Russian aircraft, the Black Hawks are unable to lift as much as the Mi-17s and will require U.S. assistance for years, according to a May report by the Defense Department inspector general. Such surveillance not only makes no sense, it is a big waste of taxpayer money and raises a number of constitutional questions, he said. These concerns and the need for transparency are all the more acute because of TSAs track record of using unreliable and unscientific techniques to screen and monitor travelers who have done nothing wrong. Photo: Contributed The heat warning for the Okanagan continues, for another day at least. Environment Canada has issued a Heat Warning for: Central Okanagan - including Kelowna North Okanagan - including Vernon South Okanagan - including Penticton Daytime high temperatures reaching 35 to 40 C will continue. A prolonged stretch of well above normal temperatures will continue across the southern interior as a ridge of high pressure remains anchored offshore. This period of hot weather will persist through Tuesday followed by gradual cooling on Wednesday except for Boundary and Kootenay Lake regions which will likely see an extra day of heat. Daily high temperatures will reach the mid to upper 30s for most sectors and up to 40 C in the Fraser Canyon. Environment and Climate Change Canada, in conjunction with Medical Health Officials, have issued this alert due to the persistent high daytime temperatures, warm overnight low temperatures and the extended duration of this warm period. Environment and Climate Change Canada and Medical Health Officers are reminding people to take precautions to protect themselves from the heat, including: - Stay hydrated by drinking cold beverages, preferably water. - Spend time in an air-conditioned facility for at least several hours every day. - Avoid sunburn by staying in the shade and using sunscreen with spf 30 or more. - Never leave people or pets in a parked car. Extreme heat affects everyone. The risks are greater for young children, pregnant women, older adults, people with chronic illnesses and people working or exercising outdoors. Watch for the effects of heat illness: swelling, rash, cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and the worsening of some health conditions. Heat warnings are issued when very high temperature or humidity conditions are expected to pose an elevated risk of heat illnesses, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Wilson, the Adelaide archbishop who was found guilty in May of concealing sexual abuse of children during the 1970s, previously refused to resign, saying he was entitled to due process and that he was pressing forward with an appeal. But the case became a point of widespread contention in a nation scarred by decades of sexual abuse within the church, and this month, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on Francis to discipline Wilson, saying, The time has come for the pope to sack him. David Kochs digital business, Kochie's Business Builders, has attracted criticism for the use of the hashtag #socialsuicide to promote an article on social media use. The hashtag was used on a LinkedIn post last week linking to an article with the headline 'Social suicide: The biggest mistakes to date'. David Koch's digital business, Kochie's Business Builders, published the post. Credit:Nic Walker But readers were critical of the comparison between social media use and suicide describing it as "disgusting and disgraceful". Kochie's Business Builders removed the LinkedIn post and changed the heading of the article to 'Social slips: The biggest mistakes to date'. In a series of text messages supplied to the Crime and Corruption Commission and forwarded to the Queensland Police Service, Senior Constable Punchard advised the man to just tell her you know where she lives and leave it at that. He then tells Robert that Jodie would flip out and "f---ing explode" when she realised her ex, who had a string of domestic violence orders, had her address. Loading In his text messages, Senior Constable Punchard also appears to offer advice to the man in dealing with the Family Court and offered to liaise with other police officers to assist him in any complaints. The police will contact you if they want to speak to you, he told Robert, then you give them my name. That is your get-out-of-jail-free card. "I have completed an email draft to send to the bitch that will hopefully make her shit herself, so I want to go over it with you before I send it to you, another text said. Jodie has been deemed a high-risk aggrieved person because of her ex-husbands violent past, which allows her to liaise directly with a police officer to ensure she is receiving the necessary support. The case has been investigated, Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said. Credit:AAP Call with the Queensland Police Commissioner She told Fairfax she previously discussed the case with Police Commissioner Ian Stewart and asked him why Senior Constable Punchard still had his job. In a recording of their meeting, Mr Stewart is heard to say to the victim: That matter was investigated ... criminally, at which point it was recognised there was not going to be evidence to put that matter before a criminal court. She then asks him if he oversaw that investigation and he responds: There was insufficient evidence to place it before a criminal court. We then took that down our discipline process. After the victim queries the disciplinary process, Mr Stewart is heard to say: I dont understand what is not satisfactory. When contacted by Fairfax Media to clarify his remarks, Mr Stewart said in a statement he took disciplinary matters and the impacts these have on complainants extremely seriously but he did not comment on discussions had during private meetings. In relation to the disciplinary action taken against the officer, Mr Stewart said: Before charging someone with a criminal offence, police must look at all available evidence and take advice on whether it is sufficient to ensure the matter can be brought before a magistrate." It is important to understand that the financial implications of a drop-in pay point are significant; often greater than a sentence that could be imposed by a court. A QPS spokesperson added that they issued a directive to all staff in 2016 about the appropriate use of police information. Members, sworn and unsworn, were warned that breaching the policy would be considered misconduct and may result in criminal charges. But after Robert failed to appear at court on May 19, Jodie said no one from Queensland police contacted her to tell her the outcome or where her ex-husband was, leaving her family in fear for their safety. Where is Robert? When she asked police for an update on the case and her ex-husband's whereabouts, Jodie was told the address was vacant and there was no furniture at the residence. The male police officer told the victim: As far as I can see, it looks like everyone has moved out of that address ... it looks like he hasnt got an address that we know of." According to the report, [police officers] looked inside. It looks vacant, he said. Theres no furniture in the joint or anything, according to the officers who have gone there looking for him. We have no contact phone number for him or anything. But a private investigator, who visited Roberts residence shortly after that conversation, discovered that various tables, outdoor settings and other furniture were still at the property, contradicting claims that there was no furniture. Uber to reach out to Queensland police Jodie also asked the officer if police had contacted Uber for information on his whereabouts given that he had previous convictions and was on the run but was told: [Uber] dont provide any information on any of their drivers thats the issue weve got with them. But Fairfax Medias inquiries established that the company had no record of a request from police for information on whether Robert was an Uber driver. Uber pledges to offer assistance to the Queensland Police Service. Credit:AP In a statement, a spokeswoman for Uber said: Uber is committed to the safety of everyone on the app. This individual is not active and his access has been removed from the app. In light of Fairfax Media's queries, she confirmed Uber would be reaching out to Queensland police to offer assistance on their active investigation. When Jodie asked if there was anything police could do to tell her if Robert was overseas or not, the officer conceded they could contact Australian Border Force but added: Other than that we have to wait until he appears. What could he do to the children? Jodie told Fairfax she was frightened and concerned for her familys safety while Robert remained on the run. I do feel really concerned because he has a firearm and numerous hunting knives, she said. If hes on the run and he thinks hes above the police, what could he do to the children? Jodie said their children had confided in her that he kept his weapons in the car, in case he ever saw her on the street. The children told me he showed them the knives. One was a heavy-duty Rambo-style knife, and he told them Im going to shank your mother with this, and Im going to rip her guts onto the floor', she said. Their school has a safety plan. They shut down the school if they see him and the children are taken to a private room and locked in, and the police are called immediately. The school understands the severity of this. But its always a worry for me every day when the children go to school. Its at the back of my mind that Robert will get to them. A spokesman for Australian Border Force could not comment on the specific case but said: If [Queensland police] wish to prevent an individual from departing Australia, they are able to place an alert to prevent their travel, which would then be enforced by the ABF if that person attempted to depart. When Fairfax contacted the Australian Federal Police to ask if Robert was under surveillance, or had been "flagged" due to the serious nature of his threats to place bombs on his children, a spokesperson said: Threatening to kill children as part of a family dispute is not considered terrorism. Fifteen questions to the Police Minister Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart (left) with Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan at estimates hearings this week. Credit:AAP Another spokesperson on the AFPs media team refused to answer Fairfaxs specific questions, referring all inquiries back to the Queensland Police Service. Fairfax put 15 questions to Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryans office, which he declined to answer. Mr Ryan did not confirm whether or not he had received a briefing from the Police Commissioner about the case. He also refused to explain what measures are in place to notify a victim if a perpetrator returns to the country, or whose responsibility that would be. He also refused to say if Queensland Police would request ABF to flag Roberts passport in the event he returns to Australia. He declined to say whether he thought Senior Constable Punchards continuing employment was in line with the communitys expectations, how many complaints alleging misuse of QPRIME the QPS were handling, and whether or not he had informed his cabinet colleague, Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Minister Di Farmer, about the disturbing case. Instead, in a statement, he said: I expect the highest professional standards to be met and maintained by all members of the Queensland Police Service at all times." WA's prisons boss has this morning confirmed reports an inmate was seriously assaulted in Hakea Prison, suffering facial injuries which put him in hospital. Corrective Services Commissioner Tony Hassall told Gareth Parker on 6PR's Morning Show the prisoner was sent to Fiona Stanley Hospital after an incident last Wednesday. Hakea prison, where an inmate was bashed last Wednesday. Credit:Aaron Bunch He said the man had a fractured eye socket and cheek bone. A source told WAtoday the inmate had his "face smashed in and head stomped on" and was lucky to survive the attack. The Turnbull government has refused to release an agreement it signed with China covering the controversial Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure program on the grounds Beijing does not want it made public. Trade Minister Steven Ciobo signed the memorandum of understanding last September for cooperation on building infrastructure such as roads, bridges and dams in third countries - including under the Belt and Road Initiative - during a visit to Beijing. Canberras response to the so-called BRI has been a balancing act because, while it supports more infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific region and wants opportunities for Australian firms, it is concerned the initiative is a strategic play by Beijing to dominate the region and involves murky financing that could leave poor countries beholden to Beijing. The MOU would be expected to state Australias conditions for cooperating with China - such as that projects are financially transparent, do not involve corruption, genuinely help other countries and do not burden them with unsustainable debt. Australia's boardrooms are "male, pale, and stale" a report by the University of Sydney has found, with one foreign ASX 100 director claiming she was more likely to be asked for a recipe than for her opinion. Up to 90 per cent of board positions are filled by Australians from Anglo-Celtic or European backgrounds, despite more than 20 per cent of Australians coming from non-European backgrounds. The lack of female representation on Australia's boards came into sharp focus during the AMP scandal, when two of the companies female directors resigned, but the Australian Institute of Company Directors wants attention to also go back to the lack of cultural diversity at the top of the corporate ladder. Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane says Australia lacks culturally diverse role models in leadership positions. Credit:Wolter Peeters The University of Sydney Business School interviewed 18 ASX 100 board members and nine executive recruiters to deliver its Beyond the Pale report with the Australian Human Rights Commission and the AICD on Monday. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size She is a daughter of my country I will keep her with me until I die. Yasmin Akhter is sitting in the corner of a dirt floor shack, talking about the day her parents died. The 13-year-old, who now lives in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, remembers the day in September 2017 in Maungdaw district, Myanmar, like it was yesterday. They were killed around midday. They were shot dead in the house and then [attackers] set the house on fire, Yasmin says. Loading My sister and I were walking on the streets when we went to the house after hearing gunshots, and we found them dead. We ran to the neighbours, because we could not enter the house, it was on fire. The Burmese were chasing and killing people, so we left. After linking up with other local people from her village, Yasmin and her sister, 15-year-old Morjina, began the long walk to the Bangladesh border, and safety. Somewhere along the way, though, the pair became separated. Yasmin hasnt seen her sister since. She has tried repeatedly to find her using announcements over loud speakers in the camps and by contacting international rescue agencies. Advertisement Yasmins story, of being forced to flee and of being orphaned after the death or disappearance of family members, is depressingly common in these camps. Luckily for this girl, a man from her village took her in for a few months to live with his family. He then handed her on to the care of his brother Zafar Alam, 65, who now sits with her in this shack. Alam recalls vividly the day the Myanmar soldiers came, shooting his neighbours and causing villagers to flee to safety in the nearby forest. Helicopters buzzed overhead, gunshots rang out. At the military base near the village, he says, there were at least 500 dead bodies in a pile. His story, of fleeing to the woods and slowly making his way to Bangladesh on foot, is also common. He breaks down and cries when he recalls the day he saw Yasmin at a makeshift market in the camps in Bangladesh. He recognised her from their village. Advertisement After I saw her at the market I forgot about everything else. I was worried about who she was living with, and how her life would be. I knew she was orphaned by the military. I had seen it happen. She is a daughter of my country, our houses were at walking distance. After I saw her that day, I brought her home. I will keep her with me until I die. I have eight children of my own, three daughters and five sons. I live in this house with my wife, two sons, one daughter and Yasmin. Yasmin in the shelter she shares with her foster father Zafar Alam. Credit:Kate Geraghty Fairfax Media spent five days in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, visiting camps like Kutupalong-Balukhali said to be the largest refugee camp in the world, home to at least 400,000 people as well as other sites including the Jamtoli camp. In that time, we visited nutrition and early learning centres run by the UN childrens agency UNICEF, a hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres that saw around 40 patients a day. And we heard daily testimony from dozens of Rohingya people, expelled from their homes in Myanmar and in many cases forced to witness awful atrocities. Myanmar has been hostile to its Rohingya population for decades and, over time, the rights and privileges these people once enjoyed have been slowly stripped away. Advertisement Already, before August 2017, between 200,000 and 300,000 Rohingyas were living in squalid conditions in Bangladesh. Since then, the number has passed a million. On August 25 last year, a huge exodus of Rohingya began, triggered by a campaign by Myanmars military to drive this Muslim minority from their homes. The UN has documented mass gang rape, killings, brutal beatings and the torching of homes and people. Rohingya refugee women wait in their line as the men in their line run past for a meal provided by a Turkish aid agency. Credit:Kate Geraghty And while Myanmars government argues it was responding to violent attacks by militant Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, the United Nations has suggested the military response could constitute genocide. As the one year anniversary of the most recent murders, rapes and forced expulsion approaches, the memories of those incredible traumas, unsurprisingly, remains fresh in the minds of the hundreds of thousands of people marooned across the border in Bangladesh. Everywhere you walk in the Coxs Bazar camp, children gather to welcome you and shout, Hello, how are you?" The men and women here are an admixture of furrowed brows, desperation, sad eyes and among some at least, determination, as they hoist heavy loads of bamboo and relief supplies on their backs. Advertisement Their shacks perch on unstable ground, denuded of the trees that once kept the soil in place. The camp is built on shifting sands, which serves as an apt metaphor for their unstable existence on the edge of hills, in gullies, and low lying land prone to flooding. The monsoon rains that rip through this part of the world at this time of year have, mercifully, been comparatively light so far. Some 222 millimetres fell on the region between July 5 and 10, and at least another 70mm a week later, on the first day we visit. But July regularly records upwards of 800mm of water being dumped, and, so far at least, that level of inundation has held off. Once the rains start in earnest, waterborne diseases like acute watery diarrhoea spread rapidly. According to the Inter-Sector Coordination Group, since May 11 there have been 206 landslides, 34 people have been injured and one three-year-old boy was killed when his shack collapsed on top of him. The dozens of aid agencies working in the camps, such as UNICEF and Medecins Sans Frontieres, fear much worse is to come. So far, 34,032 Rohingya refugees have been moved to new, sturdier shelters but that figure is a tiny fraction of all the people who need to find stable ground. Storm clouds hang overhead as a Rohingya child carries a pot in Kutupalong camp. Credit:Kate Geraghty One of the most difficult issues that aid agencies are grappling with is malnutrition. Advertisement Photo: The Canadian Press Police stand outside of the public visitation for Reese Fallon at a funeral home in Toronto, Sunday, July 29, 2018. Fallon, 18, was one of two people killed in the mass shooting in Toronto's Greektown neighbourhood last Sunday, July 22. Mourners will gather in east Toronto this morning for the funeral of Reese Fallon, who died in last week's mass shooting in the city's Greektown neighbourhood. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Toronto Mayor John Tory are among those expected to attend the service, which follows a public visitation held Sunday for the 18-year-old. Fallon was among the two people killed and 13 wounded when a gunman charged down Danforth Avenue last Sunday, shooting pedestrians and restaurant-goers. Ten-year-old Julianna Kozis was also killed in the shooting that has left the vibrant neighbourhood reeling. Police said the 29-year-old gunman shot himself after exchanging fire with officers. In an obituary posted online, Fallon's family says the recent high school grad and aspiring nurse will be "deeply missed but not forgotten." At her visitation Sunday, a friend described her as a kind person who "loved to make new friends." Fallon was set to attend McMaster University in the fall to study nursing. She was also a member of the Beaches-East York (Toronto) chapter of the Young Liberals, a youth organization for party supporters. After attending the public funeral at the Highland Funeral Home in Scarborough, Trudeau will visit a parkette on the Danforth that has become a makeshift memorial for the victims of the Greektown shooting. Summer continues with the biggest arts festival in the world kicking off in Edinburgh, while there are some high profile shows opening in the rest of the UK too not least the actor-musician version of Sweet Charity in Newbury and the production of Othello at the Globe starring Andre Holland and Mark Rylance. An honourable mention for our top openings must also go to Home, I'm Darling, which comes to the National after premiering at Theatr Clwyd earlier in the month. Club Swizzle Johannes Reinhart 5. Club Swizzle Camden Roundhouse, 31 July until 26 August The creators of La Soiree have brought a brand new production to London with Club Swizzle, which transforms the Roundhouse into a late-night boozy cabaret venue complete with functioning bar, live band and the cream of the cabaret crop. Given the success of La Soiree across the West End (and the world!) this looks like it'll really give you a night to remember. See a week in the life of Club Swizzle's aerialist Yammel Rodriguez Gemma Sutton with the cast of Sweet Charity Philip Tull 4. Sweet Charity Watermill Theatre, until 15 September Fifty two years after it first premiered, Sweet Charity still sits close to a lot of thesp hearts, and seeing it come to the stage once more is likely to bring the crowds to Newbury. The Watermill, well-known for their actor-musician adaptations, look like they've cooked up something nice and new with this production, with the titular role played by Gemma Sutton, recently seen strapped to some skates in Southwark Playhouse's The Rink. See Sweet Charity in rehearsals Lies Thomas Dhanens 3. $ (Lies) Almeida Theatre, 1 to 18 August Ever wondered what it'd be like to be super-rich? Play the system, short some currencies and just generally run amok with the financial world? Well unpronounceable theatre company Ontroerend Goed have you covered with their hit show $ (Lies), which makes its London premiere after running at the Edinburgh Fringe last year. From what we've heard, this is the sort of theatre experience you rarely get to have, and feels like a nice derparture for the Almeida. Read our interview with $ creator Alexander Devriendt Andre Holland rehearsing for Othello Simon Annand 2. Othello Shakespeare's Globe, until 13 October When Mark Rylance and Andre Holland were first cast in the Globe production of Othello as part of Michelle Terry's new season, it's fair to say we got just that little bit excited. Then we found out that Olivier Award-winner Sheila Atim was also joining the show, and we started to count down the days until opening night. Well, it's finally here with direction by Claire van Kampen. Bit of an unmissable one! Read the full casting announcement for Othello The Edinburgh Fringe James Ratchford 1. Edinburgh Fringe / Edinburgh International Festival Across Edinburgh, 1 to 27 August Theatre lovers rejoice! The biggest and most vibrant event in the arts calendar is once more kicking off in Edinburgh. With an overwhelming number of shows (over 3000!) and a treasure trove of emerging talent on offer, you're unlikely to have a festival experience like this one any time soon. Are you heading up to the Scottish capital in August? Be sure to check in with WhatsOnStage's dedicated hub for all your top tips and fun features. Check out our Festival guide page Last chance to see: Heathers (The Other Palace), Two for the Seesaw (Trafalgar Studios) Amazon investors have traditionally given it a pass on money-losing quarters and narrow profit margins so long as revenue growth kept surpassing expectations. That dynamic flipped on Thursday, propelling the 24-year-old company into a potentially steadier phase. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/7/2018 (1184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Amazon investors have traditionally given it a pass on money-losing quarters and narrow profit margins so long as revenue growth kept surpassing expectations. That dynamic flipped on Thursday, propelling the 24-year-old company into a potentially steadier phase. Amazon reported a record second-quarter profit of US$2.53 billion, or US$5.07 per share. The Seattle-based company has generated net income of US$4.16 billion in the first half of this year, more than the previous seven quarters combined, data compiled by Bloomberg shows. In 2014, Amazon lost US$131 million. The results demonstrated that chief executive officer Jeff Bezos and his management team can finesse a massive global enterprise with about US$200 billion in annual sales and more than half a million employees. Even though second-quarter sales of US$52.9 billion came in slightly below estimates of US$53.4 billion, investors remain enthused, focusing instead on soaring profit that came in at more than double analysts projections. Amazon shares rose US$9.27 to close at US$1,817.27 on Friday. "We want to see that when theres a slight slowdown in sales, those profits expand," said Josh Olson, analyst at Edward Jones. "Thats the strength of this management team. They know when to step up spending and when to pull back. That gives us faith in the long-term story because eventually, all of Amazons growth opportunities will come to an end." Chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky said growth of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud-computing division and advertising sales propelled profit. Both businesses are more profitable than Amazons main e-commerce operation. The retail business is also becoming more profitable, thanks to job cuts earlier this year and a reorganization enabled by automation of tasks once handled by people. Amazon uses robots rather than people to shuffle inventory around its warehouses, and algorithms to power inventory decisions once made by white-collar workers. Those changes let Amazon staff up growing departments without hiring lots of new people, since it can transfer existing workers from other functions where theyre no longer needed. Amazon even trimmed losses in its international business while funding expansions in India, Australia, the Middle East and Brazil. For most of Amazons existence, Bezos preached almost constant investment in new businesses at the expense of near-term profit. The company got low on cash during its early years and was often the subject of heated debate among investors over whether it would ever generate sustained earnings. Supporters regularly cited the companys sales growth and said Amazons huge scale would eventually pay off. Amazons size certainly helps these days. When the company delivers a package to a customer, its likely to pass many other customers homes nearby, spreading shipping costs across a larger revenue base. But new businesses have helped, too. AWS began to take off about a decade ago and now generates more than half of Amazons operating income. Advertising is a newer business, but promises similar benefits. That all means investors no longer shudder when sales growth falters. In the second quarter, worldwide paid-units growth, a key metric of e-commerce momentum, was 17 per cent, slowing for the fourth consecutive quarter. Olsavsky attributed the slowdown to a difficult comparable period a year ago, when Amazon lowered the price threshold for free shipping, responding to competitive pressure from Walmart. One factor that reduces Amazons growth while boosting profit is rising sales from independent merchants posting their own inventory on Amazons marketplace. Those sales are more profitable for Amazon since it takes a commission along with fees for warehouse storing, packing and delivery without the risk of buying inventory. "Were seeing a lot more third-party transactions, which is why the revenue missed but the profits are so good," said R.J. Hottovy, an equity analyst at Morningstar. Amazons stock has more than tripled during the past three years, making Bezos the richest person on the planet. Its the worlds second-most valuable public company now behind Apple, making it one of the front-runners in the race to reach US$1 trillion in market value. Investors have placed tremendous faith in Amazons ability to find new customers and squeeze more money from existing users by offering them new products and services. It purchased online pharmacy PillPack last month, which followed its US$13.7-billion acquisition of Whole Foods last year to jump-start its struggling grocery business. Olsavsky said marketing in Whole Foods is creating new members for Amazons Prime subscription. "Its the fastest weve ever seen," he added. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Amazons momentum has been strong enough to sustain Twitter broadsides from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused Amazon of freeloading off the U.S. Postal Service and using the Washington Post as a lobbying tool against antitrust criticism. Bezos owns the Washington Post, which frequently publishes hard-hitting investigative pieces about Trump and his administration. Revenue from AWS jumped 49 per cent to US$6.1 billion. Growth, which Amazon reports without the impact of currency changes, was 48 per cent in the first quarter. Sales from other businesses mostly advertising surged 129 per cent to US$2.2 billion, just below the growth rate from the first quarter. Amazon has more than 100 million Prime subscribers who pay yearly or monthly fees in exchange for fast shipping, video and music streaming and digital photo storage. Members spend more than non-members. Subscription services revenue, which is mostly from Prime, soared 55 per cent to US$3.4 billion. First-quarter growth was 56 per cent. Amazon will capture nearly half of all online spending in the U.S. this year, according to EMarketer Inc. Bezos is trying to convince investors that he can replicate that U.S. dominance overseas. That still takes a lot of spending upfront: second-quarter operating expenses rose 34 per cent to US$49.9 billion. That was just below Amazons revenue growth rate. Bloomberg Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) Camarines Sur Representative Rolando "Nonoy" Andaya may be a shoo-in for the position of House Majority Leader. Interim Majority Leader Fredenil Castro told CNN Philippines' The Source he would "give way" to his colleague ahead of an expected election on Monday. "I'm going to give way to Cong. Andaya because I don't want to lose a friend," Castro said. "I can also surmise that the leadership is happy because I made it easier for everybody in so far as the selection... was concerned," he added. However, the Capiz representative said that he is also open to term-sharing with Andaya, who presently sits as a deputy speaker. The election comes after the House of Representatives, in an unprecedented move, voted to oust former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and replace him with former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Some congressmen told CNN Philippines that Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio had a hand in the ouster of Alvarez and the installation of Arroyo. Her presidential term was racked with corruption allegations, human rights violations, and an electoral scandal. Andaya was a budget secretary under her administration. READ: Gloria Arroyo is back. But was she ever gone? Democratic socialist partylist Akbayan is set to protest her speakership on Monday. It is still unclear whether the change in leadership entails an overhaul of chairmanship in House committees, but Castro said that for some committees, "the symbiotic trust and confidence between the chairman and the speaker is a precondition." He named the Committees on Appropriations, Accounts, Justice, and Ways and Means, as crucial, but did not remark on whether the incumbent chairpersons would be replaced. Justice Committee Chair Reynaldo Umali stuck it out with Alvarez. Minority leadership still under question Castro also declined to comment on the debate regarding the minority leadership. Andaya on Thursday mentioned that about four factions were vying for the post. READ: Confusion at the House: Who is the new minority? Under House rules, the majority and minority are based on whether or not lawmakers voted for the winning candidate for speaker. Opposition lawmakers, particularly from the Liberal Party and Makabayan bloc, maintain that they are the true minority, as they wanted neither Alvarez nor Arroyo in the position. Twelve solons even elected Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo as its leader on Wednesday. However, incumbent Minority Speaker Danilo Suarez, who voted for Arroyo, expressed interest in keeping his position. Alvarez and a handful of congressmen who sided with him may forward their own bid for a minority leader, possibly in the person of former Majority Leader Rudy Farinas. Farinas contested the election of Arroyo, but was shut down by Andaya, as shown in a viral video of a House shouting match on Wednesday. The Source: Fred Castro on House minority Castro maintained that the minority leadership was still debatable, as the position has not been technically declared vacant. "Our proposition is... they will have to resolve it among themselves," said Castro. "Whoever is selected among their group, we will automatically recognize." Quimbo said opposition lawmakers would take their protest to the Supreme Court if necessary. CNN Philippines multi-platform writer Regine Cabato contributed to this report. Meth-fuelled mayhem tied up significant Winnipeg Police Service resources in a pair of connected incidents during a 24 hour period this weekend. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/7/2018 (1184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Meth-fuelled mayhem tied up significant Winnipeg Police Service resources in a pair of connected incidents during a 24 hour period this weekend. The SUV struck six fences while driving on a sidewalk, before colliding with a business and nearly flipping on its side. (Jason Hooper photo) Around 10:15 a.m. Friday, police spotted a stolen Cadillac Escalade travelling south on Furby Street between Sargent and Ellice avenues. Police turned on their sirens and pursued the vehicle. The SUV struck six fences while driving on a sidewalk, before colliding with a business and nearly flipping on its side. The driver continued his attempted escape, nearly crashing into a police cruiser before losing control and slamming head-on into an apartment building. The driver fled on foot and was taken into custody a short while later. A passenger in the vehicle, a 29-year-old pregnant woman, was taken to hospital in stable condition, charged, then released. Two cell phones and 45 grams of methamphetamine were found in the vehicle. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. WPS Const. Tammy Skrabek said police are surprised no one was injured or killed. The driver nearly crashed into a police cruiser before losing control and slamming head-on into an apartment building. (Jason Hooper photo) Justin Raymond Wiszniowski, 37, has been charged with possession of methamphetamine for the purposes of trafficking, theft of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, among other charges. He was the subject of a Canada-wide arrest warrant and remains in custody. Later that day, around 1:20 p.m., members of the street crime and tactical support units raided a home on the 300 block of Boyd Avenue connected to the Wiszniowski in an attempt to execute a search warrant. Police deployed tear gas and distraction devices, forcing six people from the home. One man and one woman remained inside the residence for several hours despite the tear gas. Skrabek said police believe the man and woman were able to withstand the gas because of their meth use. The man eventually left the home and the woman was later located with the help of a K-9 unit. Police were unable to execute the search warrant until around 10 a.m. the following day due to the heavy gas presence. A magazine and shotgun shell were recovered from the home. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/7/2018 (1185 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Game on. Just two weeks after city council approved a referendum on whether to open Winnipegs landmark intersection, an official Yes campaign in support of tearing down the barriers has formed. A coalition of downtown business and land owners, planners, architects and advertising and marketing firms with the support of organizations such as the Exchange District and Downtown BIZ organizations has taken up the challenge to defend Mayor Brian Bowmans vision of a barrier-free Portage and Main. Organizers said the campaign in favour of re-opening the intersection will be funded by an online crowd-sourcing campaign and will open a storefront headquarters in the shadow of the historic intersection. Lawn signs, promotional videos and mass mail will all be part of the drive to remove pedestrian barriers once and for all. Winnipeg architect Brent Bellamy, one of the organizers, said the campaign will be dedicated to dispelling many of the myths surrounding the Portage and Main debate, while also underlining a more complete list of the benefits. Too many Winnipeggers simply do not know that even if pedestrians are not allowed into the intersection, the city will still be on the hook for millions of dollars in repairs to the existing barriers, which are in desperate need of repair or replacement. "Were trying to cobble together a group that represents all of the stakeholders in this debate," said Bellamy. "My hope is that we can present our side as progressive and forward thinking. Its important because even though people have been talking about this for decades, most people havent really heard both sides." Adam Dooley, owner of Dooley Communications and a tireless champion of downtown issues, said he has decided to donate his time alongside other communication and marketing firms to forge a powerful message in favour of re-opening the intersection. "Weve got a powerhouse advertising and marketing team that is going to work pro-bono on this campaign. No one is going to make a dime off this. Were doing it because we think its important for the future of Winnipeg." The emergence of a Yes campaign will no doubt come as a bit of shock to the two suburban councillors who spearheaded the referendum vote, Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) and Janice Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert). Although the possibility of a referendum had been talked about for some months, the sponsoring councillors held off until the July 18 council meeting to hold a vote on the referendum, the last before councillors go on a nearly two-month summer hiatus. The timing was designed, it appears, to accomplish two main goals. First, to blindside Bowman on one of his signature issues and put him on the defensive during the mayoral campaign. And second, to make it nearly impossible for anyone to organize an effective campaign in support of re-opening the intersection. Normally, it takes months and months of careful planning to pull together a referendum campaign. By approving the referendum in mid-July, council has given citizens for and against the referendum question just three months to form, raise money and make their cases. Even though the deck was stacked on this referendum, there is some likelihood now that the strategy may backfire in spectacular fashion. First off, Bowman turned the tables on his tormenters by supporting the motion for a referendum, and declaring that the result would be binding if he remained mayor. Although this disappointed supporters who believe he won a mandate to re-open the intersection in the 2014 election - during which he campaigned on removing the barriers - it did allow him to avoid having to campaign this fall as an enemy of democracy. Had Bowman voted against the referendum, his critics would have made his opposition to a free vote the central issue of the fall election campaign. By supporting the referendum, and allowing others to carry the Yes banner into battle, Bowman gets to step back from the issue and deny his enemies an opportunity to score easy political points. It also puts mayoral challenger Jenny Motkaluk in a difficult spot. For reasons that are not entirely clear, Motkaluk opposed the referendum, arguing that "we should not spend another minute talking about the issue." That was an odd assertion from a candidate who opened her campaign talking about her own promise to keep Portage and Main closed to pedestrians. Most important of all, however, is that the fact that the referendum should help make this falls mayoral election a test of just how progressive and forward thinking the city has become in the last decade. Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Change has come quickly to Winnipeg in recent years, fuelled largely by solid, steady economic and population growth that has consistently exceeded national averages. Since Winnipeggers last visited the polls in 2014 to elect a mayor, the city has grown by more than 50,000 people. The city is younger and more diverse, trends that the Yes campaign on Portage and Main believe will ultimately build support for removing the pedestrian barriers. Bellamy said keeping the intersection closed is an expression of traditional, even outdated thinking about how to build a healthy city. In fact, in many ways the argument against opening the intersection to pedestrians is nearly identical to the arguments that were made in the past against public investments in the Forks Market, and the Bell-MTS Centre, home to the Winnipeg Jets. "People came up with the same arguments back then and if we were forced to hold a referendum on those projects, none of them would have been built," he added. After decades of concentrating their efforts on building roads and bridges in a vain attempt to relieve traffic congestion, Bellamy said most progressive cities experiencing the kind of growth here in Winnipeg are focused on things like building greater density in core areas, developing more extensive rapid transit systems, investing in public amenities and - most importantly - walkability. "This isnt really about a stupid intersection," Bellamy noted. "I dont even think Jeff Browaty thinks this is about an intersection. Its about what kind of city we want to be in the future." dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/7/2018 (1184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba's Progressive Conservative government is devising a form of cap-and-trade system for reducing carbon emissions from large emitters. Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires released a discussion paper Monday for a plan, she says, is tailored to Manitoba's "unique emissions profile and environmental and economic goals." MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires announces the release of a discussion paper on the made-in-Manitoba output-based pricing system for emission-intensive industries on Monday. Facilities will be assigned specific emissions targets -- and pay a carbon price of $25 per tonne on emissions exceeding these levels. Companies will be able to bank credits if they more than meet their compliance obligation, or trade them to entities who exceed their allowable emission limits. The output-based pricing system will apply to industrial facilities with annual emissions of 50,000 tonnes or more of carbon dioxide equivalent. It will not apply to municipalities, universities, hospitals, schools, landfills, waste-water treatment facilities or natural gas distribution networks, Squires said. There are six companies in Manitoba whose annual emissions exceed the 50,000 tonne threshold: Koch Fertilizer Canada, TransCanada Pipelines, Graymont, Canadian Kraft Papers, Husky Oil, and Vale. In January 2020, smaller emitters in the 10,000 tonnes to 50,000 tonnes will be able to opt into the system provided they are facing competitive pressures due to the carbon tax. Squires said the government will be working with large industrial emitters "to make sure they have a path forward for lowering their carbon footprint." The discussion paper proposes reducing the emission threshold for imposing the carbon tax by two per cent per year. Squires said she expects buy-in from large industrial plants. "They are going to look at this as an opportunity to start to reduce their emissions profile," she said at a media briefing Monday. "Many of them have already begun the work, and were going to be moving hand-in-hand with them as we move forward to ensuring that they achieve their goals to (reduce) carbon emissions and pay less carbon price." Dave Holmes, plant manager at Graymont's lime-producing plan in Faulkner, said employees are worried about how carbon emission pricing might affect their business. But he said they prefer Manitoba's plan to the federal government's. Canada insisted a carbon price should start at $10 per tonne in 2018, rising by $10 per year to a final $50 per tonne in 2022. Manitoba balked, initiating its own fee -- a flat $25 per tonne -- starting in January 2019. "Compared to the federal plan, Im pleased with (Manitoba's) that theyre going out on their own... the alternative would be so detrimental to us," Holmes said. Manitoba's largest industrial emitters* Koch Fertilizer Canada, nitrogen fertilizer producer: 688,159 tonnes per year TransCanada Pipelines, natural gas pipelines: 258,559 tonnes Graymont, lime producer: 130,624 tonnes click to read more Koch Fertilizer Canada, nitrogen fertilizer producer: 688,159 tonnes per year TransCanada Pipelines, natural gas pipelines: 258,559 tonnes Graymont, lime producer: 130,624 tonnes Canadian Kraft Papers, pulp and paper: 78,964 tonnes Husky Oil, ethanol producer: 75,252 tonnes Vale, mining: 60,641 * 2016 emissions levels -- source: Environment and Climate Change Canada: Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Close He noted Graymont is already looking at ways to limit its carbon output. Holmes would not say whether Graymont, a multi-national company, would consider pulling out of Manitoba or Canada if carbon pricing became too expensive. He pointed to difficulties competing with American companies that aren't forced to pay carbon taxes. "Here's the big issue, its really the fact that by the United States not having any carbon tax at all and lower costs in taxes in industry, thats our competitive market. So it has a huge impact on Canada, imposing this carbon tax and not realizing that in a market thats very tight, imposing this on us puts us at a disadvantage compared to our American companies," Holmes said. "If carbon tax was universal across the globe, we wouldnt be having an issue with it." Curt Hull, project manager of the Climate Change Connection program at Manitoba Eco-Network, said he likes Manitoba's framework for large-scale emitters. However, he's conscious those top six companies only represent a small fraction of the province's total emissions output (about six per cent). Hull said his biggest concern is what benchmarks the province will use for large-scale emitters. The emissions-intensity performance standards will be established by June 2019, according to government. "If the cap is too loose to start off with, well its not going to provide the emissions reductions that we need," he said. The province is also looking to minimize "risk of carbon and investment leakage," it states in its discussion paper. Hull said that principle ought to be top of mind when negotiating with such big businesses, who often provide much of the jobs available to rural Manitobans. "Capital investment is fluid... and the last thing you want is to put something in place that results in a business taking their emissions and not reducing them, but just moving them someplace else," he said. "The atmosphere is all connected. So, ultimately, we just want to be able to work with the players in such a way that we actually reduce the emissions, which is a tricky business." Implementation timeline July 2018: Government releases discussion paper. September-December 2018: Consultations take place with industry. November 2018: Bill 16 (Climate and Green Plan Implementation Act), introduced earlier this year, is expected to be approved by the legislature. click to read more July 2018: Government releases discussion paper. September-December 2018: Consultations take place with industry. November 2018: Bill 16 (Climate and Green Plan Implementation Act), introduced earlier this year, is expected to be approved by the legislature. December 2018: Registration certificates are to be issued to the large emitters. January 2019: The government's output-based pricing system takes effect. June 2019: Emissions performance standards are established. January 2020: An opt-in system for industrial polluters producing between 10,000 and 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent takes effect. Close NDP MLA Rob Altemeyer accused the PCs of "letting the largest emitters off the hook completely," while offering no new programs to help Manitobans withstand the impact of the upcoming carbon tax. The province plans to start collecting the the carbon tax on Dec. 1. The tax will add just over a nickel to the cost of a litre of gasoline. It will also be applied to diesel fuel, natural gas and propane. Manitoba is expecting to collect $248 million annually from the tax. Altemeyer said the NDP used procedural tactics in the legislature earlier this year to delay implementation of the tax because the government offered no plan for families and businesses to transition to affordable green practices. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said he's concerned the bulk of carbon tax revenues will be collected from individuals and small business. He said the agriculture industry (tractor and combine fuels) is largely exempt from paying the tax, but there doesn't seem to be a plan in place for reducing emissions in agriculture. Similarly, Lamont said, the trucking industry is facing higher costs due to the tax, but government doesn't appear to have a plan for helping it make the investments it needs to lower emissions. The government has said carbon tax revenues will be offset by reductions in provincial income tax rates and a future percentage point decrease in the retail sales tax. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA Via Rail refunded almost $1 million to ticket-holders in the 12 months after the railway tracks to Churchill washed out in May 2017, the Free Press has learned. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/7/2018 (1185 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Via Rail refunded almost $1 million to ticket-holders in the 12 months after the railway tracks to Churchill washed out in May 2017, the Free Press has learned. A freedom-of-information request shows Via refunded 6,110 one-way fares along the route from Winnipeg to Churchill, totalling $938,251. Half of those fares were to start or end in Churchill, amounting to $782,177. The train to Churchill follows a CN Rail line curving north from Winnipeg into Saskatchewan and back east to The Pas, where it switches to the Omnitrax-owned Hudson Bay Railway up to Churchill. The train links remote northern Manitoba communities along the line, in addition to sending tourists and academics to the "Polar Bear Capital of the World." The railway washed out just north of Gillam on May 23, 2017. The Free Press requested data on ridership, revenue and refunds along the entire line for 12 months following the closure. The data appear to exclude bookings by tour operators who reserve sections of the train and sell seats, paying the Crown corporation for them 45 days in advance. Daryl Adair, owner and operator of Winnipeg-based Rail Travel Tours, said that could account for much more lost revenue. Its also unclear whether there have been more trips cancelled than normal along the part of the route that still operates, through The Pas and Thompson to Gillam. The data also dont describe how many tickets would have been bought on the train in a normal year. Adair said its common for locals living in remote communities to board the train and pay for tickets on the spot. Meanwhile, some 969 tickets to or from Churchill were not refunded during those 12 months, netting Via Rail a $70,581 profit. Its unclear whether passengers are holding onto those tickets in the hopes of getting a refund later or if they forfeited their trips. Generally, when a paper ticket is issued, Via Rail requires it to be returned to a station in order to issue a refund. Adair said its possible some tour operators kept the ticket bound for Churchill, got off in Thompson or Gillam and then took flights north to Churchill. He said his agency decided against doing so in order to preserve space on planes for food and supplies. (The railway is the only land link to Churchill, a town of 900 located 1,600 kilometres north of Winnipeg.) Adair said this summers tourist season is lost, while the polar bear season, which occurs right before the freeze-up, might end by the time the railway is running again if it gets repaired this year. He said he is already speaking with Via Rail about summer 2019 fares. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Were trying to keep our fingers in the dike," he said. Earlier in July, the Free Press reported Via Rail had spent $607,089.39 on logistics, travel and contractors to transport two locomotives and five rail cars south from Churchill last October. The company argues it wouldve cost almost double to repair the train if it was left to deteriorate over the winter. Adair wants both levels of government to do an impact study tallying the economic hit the lack of railway service has had on tour operators, Winnipeg companies that ship goods to Nunavut, and industries in the Town of Churchill. Ottawa has topped up millions in stimulus funding it offered after the 2016 Port of Churchill closure to account for the lack of railway service. But Adair said all businesses that have been affected deserve some sort of subsidy. "Theres very slow movement from the provincial and federal governments," he said. "This needs to be resolved, and resolved yesterday." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Gas price fluctuations of the last few months raise questions about oil production, distribution, pricing and exploration. All involve complex issues of economics. But theyre largely politically motivated or politically determined. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/7/2018 (1184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Gas price fluctuations of the last few months raise questions about oil production, distribution, pricing and exploration. All involve complex issues of economics. But theyre largely politically motivated or politically determined. Regulation and taxation of the oil industry is a matter of political policy. Regulation of oil flows, as all other economic flows among nations, is viewed by all governments as a political function. The subject as a whole is not about the economics of oil. Rather, and more accurately, it is the political economy of oil. Price has little to do with supply and demand In a more general sense, oil prices, unlike the price of potatoes or other commodities, are not determined by the supply and demand of physical oil; every barrel of physical oil is now traded nine to 12 times on future markets. Speculators play a crucial role in overshooting price responses, downwards or upwards. Selling short oil is profitable when its price is falling, and this can create an avalanche of sales that push prices far below their fundamental value. This is also true in the event that oil prices start to rise. Forward buying can push prices higher than where theyll eventually settle. The demand for oil is known as whats called price inelastic it has limited substitutes, if any. Oil quantities arent responsive to price changes; a lower price does not create large increases in quantity demanded. But small changes in supply are almost exclusively reflected in price changes, so much so that a decrease in supply of only 200,000 barrels daily increases prices by about $10 per barrel. Oil fuels global economy Oil is also the major transportation fuel and probably one of the most critical and indispensable raw materials of the contemporary industrial civilization. It is now the largest single component of international trade, the worlds primary source of commercial energy, the mainstay of industry, the lifeblood of transport and often the cause of war. Its consequently become the major determinant of todays global military-political-economic balance. While oil is versatile and its uses are pervasive, its consumption and production are concentrated in few areas and few hands. On the demand side, we have primarily the large industrial economies of the West, particularly its most dynamic segments of Western Europe, and more recently China and India, as primarily oil-consuming nations. Their domestic energy capacities are falling behind their consumption needs, thereby requiring them to import the balance. Alternatively, on the supply side we have a small group of developing countries, predominately Middle Eastern, that produce and export almost all of their production primarily to Western Europe, Japan, China and the United States. Seven companies under two flags Production, exploration and particularly refining and distribution are dominated, even in the oil-exporting countries, by seven large, fully integrated multinational corporations flying the flags of primarily two countries (five of them American and two European) that only too recently colonized or monopolized the production of oil. As abundant as oil is in the Middle East, it is also cheap and supplied irregularly with a wide margin of fluctuation brought about principally by political instability and, often, crisis situations; crises that involve either the threat or actual disruption of supply. The list of these crises is long but familiar: The nationalization of Iranian oil in 1951, the Suez crisis in 1956, the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, the October War of 1973, the Iranian revolution in 1979, the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and, more recently, the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Oil is an inventory stored at zero cost. Its exhaustible and non-renewable. It takes thousands of years to replenish any decrease in supply. Its production costs vary across countries. The marginal cost (the cost of producing an additional barrel of oil) is lowest in Saudi Arabia at US$8.98 per barrel; the highest in the U.K. at US$44.33. In Canada, its $26.24. Saudi Arabia has the lowest oil production costs in the world thanks to three advantages: abundant pools of oil close to the surface and the sea, public ownership and no taxes on production. Because of that, it can make money in almost any oil price environment. This state of affairs is the prize that the United States has long coveted, and vied with other countries to claim. The cost is also low in Iran and Iraq ($10), but higher than $19 in Russia and $23.33 in the U.S. There isnt one generally acceptable estimate of these costs. More recent estimates put the cost of production per barrel to exceed $60 dollars in the United States. Oil prices plummet In 2013, oil prices (Western Texas Intermediate, the benchmark price of oil) exceeded US$133 per barrel, but dropped to below $20 in 2016.. If that price had been maintained for any long period, few oil-producing countries could afford to produce oil. Some believed that Saudi Arabia was ramping up production with the view to eliminate high-cost producers, especially the American fracking industry. Others felt that the Saudis would not have dared to allow the price to drop to that level without the approval of the U.S., which was aiming to constrain the economic fortunes of geopolitical foes Russia, Venezuela and Iran, countries in which oil revenues represent sizeable portions of their GDPs and total exports. The recent increase in oil prices to over $70 a barrel from less than $20 a barrel a year ago reflects the dire need of oil-producing countries to fetch a price that balances their current budgets. Even a country like Saudi Arabia still needs a price of over $100 per barrel to balance its budget, and so does Russia. It seems theres an implicit contract and a tacit agreement among Russia, Saudi Arabia and the U.S., each for different reasons, to shore oil prices to the current levels. The price that would most likely stick will hover between the U.S. high cost of production of shale oil of over $60, and the break-even price of $100 that balances the fiscal needs of Russia and Saudi Arabia. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Given the new excess capacity to produce oil in the United States, the price will likely be closer to the American target price of more than $60 a barrel. The U.S., indeed, is now the swing producer due to American production growing dramatically over the last decade. Thats the role Saudi Arabia played in the past. Oh, and as an aside: if Iraq produced and exported those aforementioned potatoes instead of oil, there wouldnt have been either a first or second Gulf War. As for prices at the pump? They all depend on politics. Atif Kubursi is professor emeritus of economics at McMaster University. This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca. Theres a tradition among cancer radiation treatment facilities, including CancerCare Manitoba. Immediately after the last radiation session, the patient is invited to ring a bell symbolizing the conclusion of that particular treatment and resumption of life anew. At some centres (for example in Leicester, U.K.), its called the end of treatment bell. The term is tricky because treatment can typically continue with years-long medication, or sometimes radiation is a prior step to other current treatment such as surgery, and the disease can possibly recur, necessitating still further treatment. In other centres (in Buffalo and Las Vegas, for instance), its called the victory bell. This isnt wholly satisfactory either. It borrows from the commonly used vocabulary of battle, like Nixons War on Cancer and a world where, together, we will beat cancer but havent yet, where even the feistiest and most courageous individuals can lose their gallant fight. My ringing of the bell will take place after submitting this article to Canstar, eight days before this article appears in The Metro. I will happily and humbly honour the occasion and the dedicated men and women who have provided me with care and kindness in a free and universal healthcare system. Appropriating the words of Pete Seeger, mine will be the bell of freedom. Since receiving my diagnosis of breast cancer on Jan. 30, my husband David and I have been hostage to appointments and procedures made necessary by the disease a lumpectomy and second surgery to ensure clear margins; an infusion of chemotherapy; and three weeks of daily radiation therapy. Three more chemotherapy infusions (another two months treatment) were cancelled based on the groundbreaking results of the Phase III TAILORx clinical trial released June 3. The study identified a subgroup of breast cancer patients who can be spared chemotherapy 330,000 yearly in Canada and the U.S. alone. At our first visit to CancerCare, we met another patient who asked: With whom do you walk? With David, of course. He and I would walk to and from CancerCare throughout this Special Period (now borrowing from Fidel Castro). The answer she sought was breast cancer. I guess her terminology related to the cancer journey, another metaphor Im not fond of. Every life is a journey, cancer or not. Ask Tom Cochrane. For me, cancer is more a shadow. Its part of me (so we cant do battle) and it will now follow me. But it need not necessarily take form. Gail Perry is a community correspondent for Wolseley. She can be reached at: gailperry.writer@gmail.com Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/7/2018 (1184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Theres a tradition among cancer radiation treatment facilities, including CancerCare Manitoba. Immediately after the last radiation session, the patient is invited to ring a bell symbolizing the conclusion of that particular treatment and resumption of life anew. At some centres (for example in Leicester, U.K.), its called the "end of treatment bell". The term is tricky because treatment can typically continue with years-long medication, or sometimes radiation is a prior step to other current treatment such as surgery, and the disease can possibly recur, necessitating still further treatment. In other centres (in Buffalo and Las Vegas, for instance), its called the "victory bell". This isnt wholly satisfactory either. It borrows from the commonly used vocabulary of battle, like Nixons "War on Cancer" and a world where, together, we will "beat" cancer but havent yet, where even the feistiest and most courageous individuals can "lose" their gallant "fight." My "ringing of the bell" will take place after submitting this article to Canstar, eight days before this article appears in The Metro. I will happily and humbly honour the occasion and the dedicated men and women who have provided me with care and kindness in a free and universal healthcare system. Appropriating the words of Pete Seeger, mine will be the bell of freedom. Since receiving my diagnosis of breast cancer on Jan. 30, my husband David and I have been hostage to appointments and procedures made necessary by the disease a lumpectomy and second surgery to ensure clear margins; an infusion of chemotherapy; and three weeks of daily radiation therapy. Three more chemotherapy infusions (another two months treatment) were cancelled based on the groundbreaking results of the Phase III TAILORx clinical trial released June 3. The study identified a subgroup of breast cancer patients who can be spared chemotherapy 330,000 yearly in Canada and the U.S. alone. At our first visit to CancerCare, we met another patient who asked: "With whom do you walk?" With David, of course. He and I would walk to and from CancerCare throughout this Special Period (now borrowing from Fidel Castro). The answer she sought was "breast cancer". I guess her terminology related to "the cancer journey", another metaphor Im not fond of. Every life is a journey, cancer or not. Ask Tom Cochrane. For me, cancer is more a shadow. Its part of me (so we cant do battle) and it will now follow me. But it need not necessarily take form. Gail Perry is a community correspondent for Wolseley. She can be reached at: gailperry.writer@gmail.com Theres a tradition among cancer radiation treatment facilities, including CancerCare Manitoba. Immediately after the last radiation session, the patient is invited to ring a bell symbolizing the conclusion of that particular treatment and resumption of life anew. PHOTO BY DAVID FIRMAN Columnist Gail Perry en route to treatment this summer at CancerCare Manitoba. Hair was collateral damage, but not hope. At some centres (for example in Leicester, U.K.), its called the "end of treatment bell". The term is tricky because treatment can typically continue with years-long medication, or sometimes radiation is a prior step to other current treatment such as surgery, and the disease can possibly recur, necessitating still further treatment. In other centres (in Buffalo and Las Vegas, for instance), its called the "victory bell." This isnt wholly satisfactory either. It borrows from the commonly used vocabulary of battle, like Nixons "War on Cancer" and a world where, together, we will "beat" cancer but havent yet, where even the feistiest and most courageous individuals can "lose" their gallant "fight." My "ringing of the bell" will take place after submitting this article to Canstar, eight days before this article appears in The Metro. I will happily and humbly honour the occasion and the dedicated men and women who have provided me with care and kindness in a free and universal healthcare system. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Appropriating the words of Pete Seeger, mine will be the bell of freedom. Since receiving my diagnosis of breast cancer on Jan. 30, my husband David and I have been hostage to appointments and procedures made necessary by the disease a lumpectomy and second surgery to ensure clear margins; an infusion of chemotherapy; and three weeks of daily radiation therapy. Three more chemotherapy infusions (another two months treatment) were cancelled based on the groundbreaking results of the Phase III TAILORx clinical trial released June 3. The study identified a subgroup of breast cancer patients who can be spared chemotherapy 330,000 yearly in Canada and the U.S. alone. At our first visit to CancerCare, we met another patient who asked: "With whom do you walk?" With David, of course. He and I would walk to and from CancerCare throughout this Special Period (now borrowing from Fidel Castro). The answer she sought was "breast cancer." I guess her terminology related to "the cancer journey", another metaphor Im not fond of. Every life is a journey, cancer or not. Ask Tom Cochrane. For me, cancer is more a shadow. Its part of me (so we cant do battle) and it will now follow me. But it need not necessarily take form. Gail Perry is a community correspondent for Wolseley. She can be reached at: gailperry.writer@gmail.com The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, 2nd Road Pty Ltd., ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Ltd, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Innovation Singapore Holdings Pte, ?What If! Limited, ?What If! Shanghai Co. Ltd, ?What If! 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Bhd., Seabury Structured Finance LLC, Search Technologies BPO, Search Technologies BPO Inc., Search Technologies GmbH, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LATAM, Search Technologies LATAM S.A., Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Sente Partners LLC, Sentelis, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Shackleton, Shackleton Barcelona S.L., Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton Madrid S.L., Shackleton S.A., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., Silveo, Simian Pty Limited, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Commerce GmbH, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., SinnerSchrader Swipe GmbH, Sinnerschrader, Sistemes Consulting S.L., Solutions IQ, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Storm Digital, Storm Digital B.V., Structure Consulting Group, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Systor AG, TQuila Limited (UK), Tadata Creative Unlimited Company, Tara Insurance DAC, Tara Risk DAC, TargetST8, TargetST8 Consulting LLC, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica Ltd., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Limited, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Total Logistics Supply Chain Consultants Limited, Tquila, Trivadis AG, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Verax Solutions, Verax Solutions Corporation, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong, Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd., Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, Weblinc Pty Ltd, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wire Stone Sarl, Wolox, Workforce Insight Inc, Yesler, Zag, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines, Zenta Global Philippines Inc., Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc., Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, and solid-serVision.com GmbH. BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Unit Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, acquisition, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. It operates through three segments: Oil and Natural Gas, Contract Drilling, and Mid-Stream. The Oil and Natural Gas segment explores for, acquires, develops, and produces oil and natural gas properties. Its producing oil and natural gas properties, unproved properties, and related assets are primarily located in Oklahoma and Texas, as well as in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The Contract Drilling segment is involved in the contract drilling of onshore oil and natural gas wells for a range of other oil and natural gas companies primarily in Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado, and Utah. It has 55 drilling rigs in its fleet. The Mid-Stream segment buys, sells, gathers, processes, and treats natural gas for third parties. This segment operates 3 natural gas treatment plants, 14 processing plants, 22 gathering systems, and approximately 1,475 miles of pipeline in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Unit Corporation was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Read More Rogers Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and sells engineered materials and components worldwide. It operates in Advanced Connectivity Solutions (ACS), Elastomeric Material Solutions (EMS), Power Electronics Solutions (PES), and Other segments. The ACS segment offers circuit materials and solutions for connectivity applications in wireless infrastructure, automotive, aerospace and defense, connected devices, and wired infrastructure under the RO4000, RO3000, RT/duroid, TMM, AD Series, CuClad, Kappa, DiClad, IsoClad, COOLSPAN, MAGTREX, TC Series, IM Series, 92ML, and CLTE Series names. The EMS segment provides engineered material solutions, including polyurethane and silicone materials used in cushioning, gasketing, sealing, and vibration management applications for general industrial, portable electronics, automotive, mass transit, aerospace and defense, footwear and impact mitigation, and printing markets; customized silicones used in flex heater and semiconductor thermal applications; and polytetrafluoroethylene and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene materials used in wire and cable, electrical insulation, and automotive applications under the PORON, BISCO, DeWAL, ARLON, Griswold, eSORBA, XRD, HeatSORB, and R/bak names. The PES segment offers ceramic substrate materials, busbars, and cooling solutions under the curamik and ROLINX names. The Other segment provides elastomer components; and elastomer floats for level sensing in fuel tanks, motors, and storage tanks for applications in the general industrial and automotive markets under the ENDUR and NITROPHYL names. Rogers Corporation was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Chandler, Arizona. Read More GlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom. Read More Navistar International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells commercial trucks, diesel engines, school and commercial buses, and service parts for trucks and diesel engines worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Truck, Parts, Global Operations, and Financial Services. It manufactures and distributes Class 4 through 8 trucks and buses in the common carrier, private carrier, government, leasing, construction, energy/petroleum, and student and commercial transportation markets under the International and IC brands; and designs, engineers, and produces sheet metal components, including truck cabs and engines. The company also provides customers with proprietary products needed to support the International commercial truck, IC bus, and engine lines, as well as other product lines; and a selection of other standard truck, trailer, and engine aftermarket parts. In addition, it manufactures and distributes mid-range diesel engines, as well as provides customers with additional engine offerings in the agriculture, marine, genset, and light truck markets; sells engines to original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for various on-and-off-road applications; and offers contract manufacturing services under the MWM brand to OEMs for the assembly of their engines. Further, the company provides retail, wholesale, and lease financing of products of its trucks and parts, as well as financing for wholesale and retail accounts receivable. Additionally, it exports trucks, buses, and engines. The company markets its commercial products through an independent dealer network, as well as through retail outlets; and its reconditioned used trucks to owner-operators and fleet buyers through its network of used truck dealers. It operates approximately 1,052 outlets in the United States and Canada, and 89 outlets in Mexico. Navistar International Corporation was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois. Read More Mechel PAO is a holding company, which engages in the mining and production of coal and steel, iron core, and nickel products. It operates through the following business segments: Steel, Mining, and Power. The Steel segment sells semi-finished steel products, long products of a wide range of steel grades, carbon and stainless flat steel products, and high value-added metal products. The Mining segment includes metallurgical coal, steam coal, iron ore and iron ore concentrate, coke and chemical products. The Power segment generates and supplies power resources. The company was founded on March 19, 2003 and is headquartered in Moscow, Russian Federation. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited. Fortis Inc. operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 433,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 98,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,233 megawatts (MW), including 59 MW of solar capacity. The company also sells wholesale electricity to other entities in the western United States; owns gas-fired and hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 65 MW; and distributes natural gas to approximately 1,048,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates the electricity distribution system that serves approximately 572,000 customers in southern and central Alberta; owns 4 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 225 MW; and provides operation, maintenance, and management services to five hydroelectric generating facilities. Further, the company distributes electricity in the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador with an installed generating capacity of 143 MW; and on Prince Edward Island with a generating capacity of 130 MW. Additionally, it provides integrated electric utility service to approximately 67,000 customers in Ontario; approximately 270,000 customers in Newfoundland and Labrador; approximately 31,000 customers on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and approximately 15,000 customers on certain islands in Turks and Caicos. The company also holds long-term contracted generation assets in Belize consisting of 3 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 51 MW; and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility. It also owns and operates approximately 91,000 circuit Kilometers (km) of distribution lines; and approximately 49,500 km of natural gas pipelines. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John's, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of The Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc.. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; and Capital Markets. The company offers chequing, savings, and business accounts; mortgages; loans, lines of credit, student lines of credit, and business and agriculture loans; investment and insurance services; and credit cards, as well as overdraft protection services. It also provides day-to-day banking, borrowing and credit, investing and wealth, specialty, and international services; correspondent banking and online foreign exchange services; and cash management services. The company serves its customers through its banking centers, as well as direct, mobile, and remote channels. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. pays an annual dividend of $4.00 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.95%. RGR has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has been increasing its dividend for 2 consecutive year(s), indicating that it does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. is 78.59%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. will have a dividend payout ratio of 73.94% next year. This indicates that Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. View Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.'s dividend history. SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank that provides various financial services for consumers, businesses, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit entities in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Wholesale. The Consumer segment provides deposits and payments; home equity and personal credit lines; auto, student, and other lending products; credit cards; discount/online and full-service brokerage products; professional investment advisory products and services; and trust services, as well as family office solutions. This segment also offers residential mortgage products in the secondary market. The Wholesale segment provides capital markets solutions, including advisory, capital raising, and financial risk management; asset-based financing solutions, such as securitizations, asset-based lending, equipment financing, and structured real estate arrangements; cash management services and auto dealer financing solutions; investment banking solutions; and credit and deposit, fee-based product offering, multi-family agency lending, advisory, commercial mortgage brokerage, and tailored financing and equity investment solutions. This segment also offers treasury and payment solutions, such as operating various electronic and paper payment types, which comprise card, wire transfer, automated clearing house, check, and cash; and provides services clients to manage their accounts online. The company offers its products and services through a network of traditional and in-store branches, automated teller machines, Internet, mobile, and telephone banking channels. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 1,218 full-service banking offices located in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. SunTrust Banks, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of The Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc.. Unum Group is engaged in providing financial protection benefits. It operates through the following segments: Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, Closed Block and Corporate. The Unum US segment comprises of group long-term and short-term disability insurance, group life and accidental death and dismemberment products, and supplemental and voluntary lines of business. The Unum International segment engages in the operations of UK business, which includes insurance for group long-term disability, group life, and supplemental lines of business that include dental, individual disability, and critical illness products; Poland business primarily includes insurance for individual and group life with accident and health riders. The Colonial Life segment includes insurance for accident, sickness, disability products, life products, and cancer and critical illness products. The Closed Block segment consists of individual disability, group and individual long-term care, and other insurance products no longer actively marketed. The Corporate segment refers to investment income on corporate assets and other corporate income and expenses not allocated to a line of business; and interest Read More Wall Street analysts have given VanEck Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but VanEck Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Yext, Inc. is an emerging growth company engages in software development. It offers a cloud-based digital knowledge platform, which allows businesses manage their digital knowledge in the cloud such as financial information, resources and performance of these resources on a consolidated basis and sync it to other application such as Apple Maps, Bing, Cortana, Facebook, Google, Google Maps, Instagram, Siri and Yelp. It offers the Yext Knowledge Engine package on subscription basis, which has an access to Listings, Pages, Reviews and other features. The Listing feature provides customers with control over their digital presence, including their location and other related attributes published on the used third-party applications. The Pages feature allows customers to establish landing pages on their own websites and to manage digital content on those sites, including calls to action. The Reviews presence enables customers to encourage and facilitate reviews from end consumers. The company was founded by Howard Lerman, Brent Metz, and Brian Distelburger in 2006 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More Five by-elections held across Australia on Saturday gave a further revealing indication of widespread hostility towards the openly pro-big business program of the Liberal-National Coalition government, and disaffection from all parties of the official political establishment. On the surface, the result means that the governments majority in the lower house of parliament remains the same, just one seat. The opposition Labor Party retained the four seats it previously held, and the right-wing nationalist Centre Alliance (formerly the Nick Xenophon Team) kept its single seat. But beneath the surface, the results point to a further breakup of the two-party parliamentary system that has served the interests of the corporate and financial elites since World War II. Candidates claiming to oppose the major parties picked up sizeable votes, as they have during the past decade. Within the twisted framework of official politics, the voting patterns provided only a pale and distorted picture of the deep discontent over falling real wages, the rise of insecure work, the deteriorating state of health, education and other essential social services, and the rapidly escalating burden of housing and utility costs. Despite large swings against the Coalition, and its decision to not even stand candidates in two of the five electorates, the opposition Labor Partys vote barely rose from its historic lows. Nor did the vote for the Greens, who propped up the last Labor government from 2007 to 2013. Among wide layers of the population, the Greens are recognised as providing no progressive alternative to the two party setup. Significantly, the four MPs who had been forced to quit their seatsdue to a High Court ruling that they were possibly entitled to citizenship of another countrywere returned to parliament. In fact, the reactionary nationalist dual citizenship furore created by the media, the political establishment and the High Court over the past year, was barely mentioned during the protracted by-election campaigns. This suggests that the witch huntdesigned to whip up patriotism and xenophobiahas so far failed to win any substantial popular support. For Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his government, the most spectacular defeat came in Longman, an electorate that spans outer working-class suburbs and semi-rural areas north of Brisbane, the Queensland state capital. One of the most impoverished electorates in the country, Longman epitomises the worsening social crisis, particularly appallingly low wages and the lack of health and other basic services. In Longman, the Liberal National Party (LNP) vote crashed by 9.5 percentage points to just 29.5 percent, an historic collapse from almost 45 percent at the 2013 federal election. If that result were replicated at the next federal election, due before May 2019, the government could lose seven seats in Queensland alone, ensuring its defeat. The Coalition vote was not helped by its choice of candidate, a former minister in the last LNP state government of 201215, which slashed health and social spending. But the outcome was a wider rejection of the Turnbull governments economic program, particularly its centrepiece of multi-billion dollar tax cuts for the major banks and other big corporations. Government ministers had depicted the by-elections as a plebiscite on the tax cut plan, which they have been unable to pass through the Senate. This enabled the Labor Party and its trade union backers to rail demagogically against handouts to the big banks and multinationals, in order to tap into the mass social and political disaffection. However, despite the enormous shift against the government, Labors vote in Longman rose only 4.6 points to just below 40 percent. This was less than the historical average anti-government swing in by-elections, due to Labors own anti-working class record in office and its patently phony rhetoric. Party leader Bill Shorten had backed similar company tax cuts as a key minister in the last Labor government. As a result, Pauline Hansons right-wing One Nation party, which sought to exploit social distress in regional areas and divert political hostility into an anti-immigrant, nationalist direction, gained 16 percent of the vote. This was up 6.5 points since the 2016 federal election, although down on the highs of over 20 percent at last Novembers state election. A similar, but not quite as dramatic, pattern emerged in Braddon, covering areas of north-western Tasmania, which have been blighted by corporate job destruction and cuts to social services. The Coalitions primary vote fell by 2.5 points to 39 percent, while Labors also dropped by 3 points to 37 percent. A local fisherman, who depicted himself as an anti-politician independent, gained nearly 11 percent of the vote. Labor retained the seat on the back of his second preference votes. Both major parties suffered a debacle in the semi-rural seat of Mayo, near the South Australian capital of Adelaide. By presenting herself as an alternative to the two-party system, the Centre Alliance candidate garnered 45 percent of the vote, 10 points up from the 2016 election. High-profile Coalition candidate Georgina Downer, daughter of a former party leader and foreign minister, won just 37 percent, down 1 point. Labor got barely 6 percent of the voteless than the Greens and far below Labors 25 percent vote in 2010. In the two Western Australian seats, which the government did not bother to contest, Labor candidates were returned, but only with marginally larger votes. In inner-city Perth, the state capital, Labors primary vote was just 39.5 percent, up 2 points, and in nearby Fremantle, a once working-class port city, Labor only just won a majority52 percent, up 11 points. In these two seats, the Greens picked up 1618 percent of the vote, largely from disenchanted Coalition voters, but in the more working-class electorates of Longman and Braddon, the Greens vote languished or fell to around 4 percent, expressing growing dissatisfaction towards their orientation to affluent upper-middle class layers, at the direct expense of the interests of the working class. At the same time, the proportion of people who cast an informal vote, increased from 3.5 percent in Mayo to 9.2 percent in Perth. No statistics are yet available on the numbers who refused to vote at all. Corporate media commentators voiced alarm at the outcome. Fairfax Media political editor Peter Hartcher warned this morning of a great fracturing and a subterranean upheaval across Australias political landscape. Hartcher, the spearhead of a vicious anti-Chinese campaign over the past two years, lamented the fact that voters were untroubled that their MPs had been ineligible to sit in parliament because they were dual citizens. Most of the commentary focussed on the electoral blow to Turnbulls government. Todays Australian editorial declared: It is brutally clear that the governments political strategy, whatever that is, isnt working. Nationally it has no strategy to deal with Labors anti-business, class war campaign. Initial speculation centred on the likelihood that the government would have to drop or modify its company tax cut legislation. This would intensify frustration within the financial elites, with the Coalition seemingly incapable of pushing its agenda through. In reality, the political crisis is rapidly intensifying. Neither the Coalition nor Labor has been able to form a stable government since the 2008 global financial crash, some 10 years ago. The latest by-elections portend social and political upheavals, intensified by the potentially disastrous fallout from the Trump administrations trade war measures and a possible meltdown in the property market and banking system. Turnbulls position as prime minister is under threat, even if he has no immediate challengers. While Shortens leadership may survive for now, that is only because Labor has made a limited and utterly fraudulent populist appeal to mass anti-establishment sentiment. Not discussed at all during the by-elections was the bipartisan agenda of alignment with the US in advanced war preparations against China and ongoing austerity to restore the budget to surplus. Nor was any mention made of last weeks US-Australia ministerial talks, where Washington insisted on even closer military ties, or of the draconian foreign interference laws rammed through parliament late last month, with immense implications for democratic rights. Over the weekend, the death toll from the Carr fire, Californias largest current wildfire, raging in the states northern Shasta County near the city of Redding, climbed to seven as the fire more than doubled in size and containment efforts have yielded little progress. The Carr fire, which over the weekend grew to become the states largest, has destroyed 517 buildings, including at least 300 homes, and threatens an additional 5,000 homes in Redding and the surrounding area. Two young children and an adult were confirmed dead Saturday after flames from the fire engulfed a home near Redding, located 120 miles south of the border with Oregon, late last week. A neighbor reported five-year-old James Roberts and his four-year-old sister, Emily, missing on Friday along with their 70-year-old great-grandmother, Mary Bledsoe, after the wildfire burned through the familys house on the outskirts of Redding on Thursday. Nobody had seen nor heard from them after a frantic call from Mary to her husband, Ed Bledsoe, as the fire was closing in. According to a fundraising web page set up by another local resident, the family did not believe that they were subject to an evacuation order. Ed Bledsoe had left to stock up on supplies Thursday when the fire struck. The elderly couple had cared for their great-grandchildren for years. On top of the anguish Bledsoe faces as a result of losing his family and home, the GoFundMe page tells readers that the property was rented and the couple did not have renters insurance, meaning that Bledsoe has effectively been rendered homeless with little hope of reimbursement for the loss of all of his belongings. On Sunday, the Shasta County Sheriffs Office announced that two additional unidentified people were confirmed to have died in separate incidents, one of whom was discovered in the charred remains of their home, bringing to seven the number of lives claimed by the blaze, with at least seven people still missing. Several people have also been admitted to nearby hospitals with burns and respiratory complications. These deaths followed those of two firefighters earlier in the week, including 81-year-old contract bulldozer operator, Don Ray Smith, who was working to clear brush and vegetation to contain the fire when his position was overtaken by the blaze, and Redding fire inspector Jeremy Stoke, for whom the details have not yet been released. Redding, with a mostly working-class population approaching 92,000, is the governmental and commercial center of Shasta County. It was first built in 1868 as a railroad town during the California Gold Rush and experienced periods of relative prosperity as a result of nearby iron and copper deposits, as well as an abundance of lumber from the dense evergreen forests in the northern reaches of the Central Valley. After the closure of the citys paper mills in the 1970s, however, industrial production ground to a halt and the economy today, like many deindustrialized rural communities in the United States, is dominated by the service and real estate sectors. The Carr fire was sparked on July 23 by a vehicle experiencing mechanical failure while traveling on Route 299 outside of Redding. Over the subsequent week, temperatures as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit combined with low humidity, high winds, and drought conditions to facilitate the fires rapid spread across the Sacramento River and in multiple directions. Temperatures are expected to remain around 100 degrees over the coming week as the humidity drops to between 10 and 15 percent, setting the stage for further expansion. The heat of the wildfire has grown so intense that it has altered the weather of the surrounding area, creating powerful winds and fire vortices (firenadoes) that can cause the fire to spread in several directions at once and make forecasting extremely difficult. Meteorologists told the Los Angeles Times that this rare weather phenomenon has been a key contributor to the fires spread, more than natural atmospheric winds. Between Friday evening and Saturday morning, the blaze doubled in size to 81,000 acres of land burned. As of Sunday, the area burned had increased further to 95,000 acres and the fire was only 17 percent contained. Some 38,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate the area, many of whom have been forced to proceed to hastily-constructed relief centers run by the Red Cross, United Way and other charities. These relief efforts have been chaotic, with evacuees reporting that one Red Cross shelter was full by 9:00 the morning after the evacuation order was issued, while the Red Cross subsequently announced that it had plenty of capacity to take in more evacuees at a different facility. Over recent years, the Western United States has suffered a series of droughts that have increased both the frequency and severity of wildfires significantly, particularly on the coast. Carr is one of 17 wildfires raging across the state of California, which just emerged last year from a drought that began in 2011 and caused water levels to decline to crisis levels. Between October and June, the Shasta region experienced only about 55 percent of the average rainfall in prior years. As temperatures continue to climb and precipitation becomes more erratic due to climate change, wildfires like the Carr are expected to become more frequent. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been cutting funds from predictive modeling and other programs designed to improve the response to such events, while Democratic politicians make no mention of these issues that represent the difference between life and death for workers in the United States and throughout the world. A mother and her five children died early Saturday morning while trying to escape a fire at the Cosmo Extended-Stay Motel, located just outside of Benton Harbor, a small, impoverished city in southwest Michigan. Kiarra Curtis, 26, and her childrenMarquise Thompson (10), Gerome Randolph (7), Samuel Curtis (5), Savod Curtis (4) and Avery Curtis (2)were found by a fire rescue team in the second-floor hallway of the two-story motel, just outside of their one-room dwelling, according to a statement given by Berrien County Sheriff Chief Deputy Robert Boyce. Kiarra Curtis husband and one-year-old child escaped and were treated for smoke inhalation. Boyce said the fire began in a first-story apartment in the middle section of the three-building complex. But the fire, and especially the smoke, quickly spread to the second floor and the other two buildings. The motels rooms were equipped with smoke detectors and sprinklers, but Boyce said investigators had not yet determined whether they were working. Residents told the World Socialist Web Site that in the entire complex, only one smoke detector actually went off. It was still ringing as the residents awaited approval from the fire marshal to retrieve their belongings. Twenty-seven rooms were occupied at the time of the fire. Ninety percent of the rooms sustained some form of fire, smoke or water damage. Survivors of the fire are being temporarily housed in a nearby middle school. The American Red Cross is coordinating the relief efforts. This tragedy underscores the desperate and dangerous living conditions confronting millions of low-income and unemployed workers across the United States. Extended-stay motels are proliferating as dwellings for working class families one step removed from living on the streets. Benton Harbor is one of the most economically devastated cities in Michigan. According to areavibes.com, which aggregates economic data from the US Census and the Council for Community and Economic Research, the city of Benton Harbor has an unemployment rate of 13 percent and a poverty rate of 49 percent. Its median household income is $18,962, and its income per capita is only $10,980. Today, around 90 percent of the citys residents are African-American. The city grew in the post-World War II period as a center of Midwest industry. It is still the corporate headquarters of home appliance manufacturer Whirlpool. By the 1960s, the city had a population of around 20,000 and was home to manufacturers like Whirlpool, Superior Steel Castings, Benton Harbor Malleable, Paramount Die Castings, Clark Equipment and Auto Specialties. As the post-war economic hegemony of the United States eroded in the 1970s and 1980s, these and other factories closed or downsized, leaving behind unemployment and all its accompanying miseries. Mick Dumke, writing for the Chicago Reader in 2008, said that 5,500 jobs were lost in just a year-and-a-half in the 1980s. Like Detroit and Flint, Benton Harbor was targeted by Michigans anti-democratic emergency manager laws. In 2010, Emergency Financial Manager Joseph Harris announced a plan to cut costs for the city by eliminating the fire department. Residents of the Cosmo Extended-Stay Motel told South Bend ABC affiliate WBND that the fire responders took 45 minutes to arrive at the scene. The WSWS spoke with residents at the scene. When asked if he had a message for the international working class, Daniel, who was at his third-shift job at a local gas station at the time of the fire, replied, Its just another day in the neighborhood for us. What needs to be known is that these people [who run] these hotels, they arent doing what they need to do. Dartagnan, a father who had managed to escape with his children, added, They havent been over here yet! Jessica, another resident who also works at a local gas station, They dont have security cameras up like you would think. This fire alarm [which was still ringing] went off after the fire was put out. Dartagnan described how inaccessible the property manager had been. Hes over there with the other manager, and corporate, and he isnt answering the phone for nobody calling We just paid rent yesterday. Thats why Im saying he has to tell me something. They already took people to a shelter, but my stuff is not damaged. Ive got to get my stuff out of here once they give the all-clear. Then Im going to go find him, because he has to do something. When they were told of the Grenfell Tower fire of 2017, the residents agreed on the similarities between the two tragedies. Just days after President Donald Trump publicly threatened Iran with consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered, his National Security Adviser John Bolton held a top-level meeting to discuss US plans to confront Iran. Notorious for his own belligerent threats against Iran, Bolton chairs the Principals Committee on national security matters, whose members include Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Officials told the Wall Street Journal it was only the third such meeting Bolton had convened since his installation as national security adviser in April. In May, the Trump administration effectively sabotaged the 2015 deal with Iran, under which Tehran severely restricted its nuclear programs and placed its nuclear facilities under intense international scrutiny in exchange for the winding back of crippling economic sanctions. US sanctions will be re-imposed next month on Irans auto industry, as well as trade in gold and other metals. In November, bans will come into force on Irans energy sectorthe mainstay of its exports and government financesalong with shipping and insurance and central bank transactions. Washington has vowed to reduce Iranian oil exports to near zero. The Trump administrations decisions have provocatively ramped up a dangerous confrontation with Iran. They also have worsened relations with US allies in Europe, which have developed economic links with Tehran since 2015. Washington has refused to exempt European companies from the sanctions, thus threatening to exclude them from the US financial system if they continue to do business with Iran. No official statement was made following the Principals Committee meeting, but its purpose was clearly to plan how to ramp up the pressure on Iran. Officials told the Wall Street Journal the meeting discussed a holistic strategy to undermine Iranian influence throughout the Middle East. While it was unclear what military options were discussed, the article noted that the Defence Department had in the past worked on limited military options. An Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) article last Friday provided further evidence that the Trump administration is preparing to attack Iran. Senior figures in the Turnbull [Australian] Government have told the ABC they believe the United States is prepared to bomb Irans nuclear facilities, perhaps as early as next month, and that Australia is poised to help identify possible targets, it stated. Citing senior government sources, the ABC reported that Australian facilities would likely play a role in providing the US military with intelligence to wage war against Iran. While the sources denied that Australia would be involved in active targeting, the joint US-Australian spy base at Pine Gap in central Australia provides intelligence for a broad sweep of territory from the Middle East to East Asia, and also has provided targeting information for US drone assassinations. The ABC suggested that analysts from the little-known spy agency Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) would also be expected to play a part. The AGO uses satellite and aircraft imagery to provide geographical intelligence (GEOINT) that could be used for targeting in various military operations. US Defence Secretary Mattis and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tried to dismiss the ABC report. Mattis declared it was fiction, adding: Im confident that its not something thats being considered right now. Turnbull, however, stopped short of a complete denial, saying only that the ABC story has not benefited from any consultation with me, the foreign minister, the defence minister or the Chief of the Defence Force. Mattis insisted the Trump administration had no plans for regime change in Iran. Theres none thats been instituted, he claimed, but declared that we need them to change their behaviour on a number of threats that they can pose with their military, with their secret services, with their surrogates and with their proxies. In reality, far from Iran posing a threat to the US, successive American administrations have menaced Iran with the full force of the US military, and sought to destabilise the regime in Tehran. Having torn up the 2015 agreement, the US is undoubtedly considering all its options, including military ones, in order to end what it regards as a significant obstacle to its domination in the Middle East. The Israeli-based Haaretz newspaper reported late last month on tactical differences within the Trump administration over Iran, with Bolton pressing to exploit social unrest to engineer regime change. One person who recently spoke with senior White House officials on the subject summarised Boltons view in the words: One little kick and theyre done, it stated. Mattis, on the other hand, reportedly warned that such efforts could lead to full-scale war. In early July, Axios reported that Israel and the US had formed a joint working group a few months ago that is focused on internal efforts to encourage protests within Iran and pressure the countrys government. Ahead of next months sanctions, on the weekend the Iranian rial plunged in value to 111,500 against one US dollar on the unofficial market, from about 97,500 rials, according to a foreign exchange website. The currency has lost half of its value since April amid fears about the sanctions impact on the economy. Deliberately exacerbating social tensions inside Iran, however, could fuel an explosive movement of working people against the Islamic regime in Tehran that would not be to Washingtons liking. In late 2017 and early 2018, mass protests of workers erupted over worsening social conditions and widening social inequality. These demonstrations had a completely different class character to the so-called Green Movement of the upper-middle classes of Tehran that sought to overturn the 2009 presidential election. A mass movement of the Iranian working class would reverberate throughout the region, where workers in every country face a deepening social crisis. A grand jury in DeSoto County, Mississippi last week declined to return charges against three police officers involved in the July 2017 killing of 41-year-old Ismael Lopez, an auto mechanic of Mexican descent who was shot in the head when police mistook his residence for that of a neighbor, who was wanted on domestic violence charges. According to the Southaven Police Department (SPD), Lopez sicced his dog on plainclothes officers and then pointed a firearm at them from a slit in his doorway, ignoring their repeated warnings to drop his weapon. Lopez, who had no prior criminal record and served as a mentor to troubled youth in the community, was killed by a single gunshot wound to the back of his head and was found inside his house. To this day, the identities of the officers involved in Lopezs killing have not been publicly released. Last year, Lopez family attorney Aaron Neglia announced that a reliable source within the SPD had given him the names of two officers thought to be involved in the killing, but the department would not corroborate. According to Lopezs wife, Claudia Lopez, her husband did not have a gun on his person when police killed him, though he did own weapons for self-defense. At the time of her husbands death, Mrs. Lopez was forcibly dragged out of her house in undergarments, past the lifeless body of her husband, and forced to remain inside a police vehicle. She endured police questioning for hours before even being informed that her husband was dead. Other witnesses have asserted that police failed to announce themselves before opening fire on Lopez, who would have been within his legal rights to suspect a robbery was underway and act accordingly. The decision to deny charges against Lopezs killers comes nearly a year after his death sparked protests and opposition within the city of Southaven, a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. In the lead-up to the grand jurys results, both the SPD and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) sought to delay the release of their reports of the killing. Murray Wells, the legal representative of the Lopez family, accused Mississippi government officials last December of seeking to have the killing of Lopez buriedwaiting until national attention shifted elsewhere before making their results public. I think they know there is going to be a storm coming, he said to the local NBC affiliate at the time, adding, There is no rational explanation for why it takes five months to release these findings. We suspect its more about letting this matter fade into the mist. It took an additional seven months for the findings to be released. In addition to the failure of local and state investigators to promptly turn over their findings, the coroners report was criticized by the district attorney as being very poorly written and having nothing in it. According to CBS News, the state of Mississippi medical examiners office has been underfunded and faces political opposition within the state and local legislatures. For years, north Mississippis coroners have had only one place to send a body for an autopsy, the state crime lab in Pearl. Now, due to understaffing and an overcrowded lab, those coroners are being asked to hold bodies. The report goes on: Its been the universal anthem for state departments, we need more funding, and the crime lab in Pearl is another example. Despite these weaknesses in the investigative process, DeSoto County District Attorney John Champion effectively washed his hands of the Lopez case, declaring, The grand jury was given all of the evidence and they decided not to indict. From my perspective, the case is closed at this point. Contradicting his statement, Champion admitted that he had not communicated his criticisms of the coroners report to the grand jury, despite having representatives of the coroners office testify. Champion also stated that no officer involved in the killing had been required to testify before the grand jury. At an earlier time, Champion had declared that he did not believe [the officers] identified themselves at Lopezs door. Neighbors and family expressed anger at the grand jurys decision. Its too heartbreaking for the people that know [Ismael and Claudia] and their families, said neighbor Johnny Lee Swinford to a local Fox News affiliate. Neighbor J.C. Collins stated that the residents of Southaven deserve a better justice system while hoping that a planned civil lawsuit can deliver justice for Lopez. Theyre Mexican, they cant do anything. They cant do justice for what they did, said neighbor Angelica Jimenez through a translator. Expressing the widespread contempt for the lives of working-class people within the political establishment, the same day that the grand jury released its findings, Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite issued a public statement, declaring: It has been very disheartening to watch the persecution of our officers by some both prematurely and inaccurately. A picture painted with partial and inaccurate information is easy to create and very influential when strategically circulated through media avenues, but can be very misleading and dangerous to those that value the truth. The lawless reign of police brutality is imposed on all sections of the working class. According to the aggregator website killedbypolice.net, as of last month over 600 people were murdered by police throughout the United States in 2018, a number significantly higher than the same period last year. A Cairo court referred 75 defendants to Egypts grand mufti to approve death by hanging sentences on Saturday. The 75 are all part of a mass trial of 739 defendants, who all face the same maximum penalty. Only two defendants, both US citizens, were excluded from the first group to be condemned for participating in an August 2013 protest against the coup staged by Egypts ruling military junta in July 2013 under Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, which deposed the government of President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Several of those referred for a death sentence are leading figures in the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood, but charges also include illegal assembly, possession of a weapon and murder. This turns reality on its head. The brutal military assault on the sit-in at Cairos Rabaa al Adawiya square in support of Morsi led to the deaths of over 1,000 people. The mass trial in Cairo is only the latest outrage in a campaign of repression that has been ongoing ever since and has seen over 60,000 imprisoned for political crimes, thousands executed and thousands more disappeared by the security services. Torture and mass murder are accompanied by systematic censorship targeting journalists, newspapers, TV stations and over 500 websites, in the name of combating fake news that spreads instability, damages public order or harms the national interest. The blood on Sisis hands also drenches the palms of political leaders of all the major parties in the United States, Europe and the other imperialist powers. The Trump administration paved the way for Saturdays death sentences by announcing on July 25 that it was unfreezing $195 million in military aid to Egypt while a senior Egyptian military delegation was visiting Washington and a congressional hearing was underway to supposedly consider extending an aid freeze. At least 17 Americans are still incarcerated in Egyptian jails. Trump is only continuing the policy of his predecessor, Barack Obama. The same day as the death sentences were delivered, David D. Kirkpatrick of that most fervently pro-Obama newspaper, the New York Times, published an extended preview of his upcoming book on Egypt, acknowledging that Obamas administration had paved the way for Trumps embrace of dictators. Kirkpatrick notes the open endorsement of Sisis coup and repression of the Muslim Brotherhood by leading figures in the then-Democratic administration, including Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. Kerry told me he had argued at the White House that Mr. Morsis removal was not, in fact, a coup. General Sisi had merely bowed to the public will in order to save Egypt, he writes. Obama yielded to those views when he decided not to make any determination about whether Mr. Morsis ouster was or was not a coup, effectively accepting it. This is a flimsy apologia for Obama, who first lifted the 2013 military aid ban on Egypt in 2015. Aside from a subsequent and brief period of denial provoked by Sisis clampdown on NGOs that was ended by Trump this month, Washington has continued to provide an average of $1.3 billion a year to Egyptmore than to any other country besides Israel. The same holds true of all the major powers, with the butcher Sisi making diplomatic visits to Berlin, London, Paris and Rome to rake in arms deals and aid packages. Earlier this month, France was accused by human rights organizations of aiding Sisis repression through arms sales involving at least eight companies worth 1.3 billion and including powerful digital tools that have helped establish an Orwellian surveillance and control architecture that is being used to eradicate all forms of dissent and citizen action. Two overarching considerations inform the attitude of the imperialist powers to Egypts dictatorship. First is the escalating contest for domination of the oil-rich Middle East, including plans for military conflict with Iran. Trumps announcement of a Middle East Strategic Alliance, modelled on NATO, seeks to bring together Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in alliance with Egyptregimes that have carried out repression just as brutal as Sisi against the Palestinians and in Yemen. Savage repression to crush social and political dissent must accompany such a turn to war, and not only in the Middle East. More fundamental still is the threat posed by the working class. The Egyptian Revolution was the key event in the Arab Spring of 2011, which witnessed the eruption of mass strikes and protests that led to the downfall of first Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and then the February ouster of Hosni Mubarak. But without establishing its political independence and without a revolutionary party to lead it, the Egyptian working class was politically disarmed by the bourgeois forces, liberal and Islamist, it looked to for leadership. A vital role in this betrayal was played by pseudo-left groups such as the Revolutionary Socialists, who insisted throughout that the working class confine itself to a struggle for democracy in alliance with one or another faction of the bourgeoisie. This has allowed the Egyptian military to restore its rule and its imperialist sponsors to resume their policies of war, repression and exploitation of the region, including Libya, Syria and Iraq. But the fear remains that Egypt was only a prelude to a far broader revolutionary offensive by the working class that this time will also sweep through Europe, America and across the world. Sisi is not only given carte blanche by the major powers to carry out his clampdown, but is provided with unlimited financial and technical support because they are preparing or actively employing similar measures against the working class at home. In a recent interview, Sisi declared of his governments overarching mission, Everything is linked to stability and security. I want us to develop an acute fear of instability. This statement could just as easily have come from the mouth of Trump, Hillary Clinton, Emmanuel Macron, Theresa May or Angela Merkel. Everywhere, the gap between the super-rich financial oligarchy and the mass of workers and young people struggling to get by has achieved morbid dimensions. Social anger is palpable. For the first time since 2011, industrial struggles and other forms of mass protest are re-emerging. Everywhere, the response of the ruling elites is the samea turn to police-military measures against the population, mass surveillance, censorship, attacks on democratic freedoms, the deliberate cultivation of far-right forces, cuts to social programs and stepped-up military spending. The central lesson that must be drawn from the earth shaking events of 2011 and the tragedy that has followed is the necessity to consciously prepare an international revolutionary struggle for the overthrow of capitalism and imperialism. The goal must be the taking of state power by the working class and the building of a socialist economic system to end the scourge of austerity, dictatorship and war and provide for the essential needs of all the worlds people. The sole basis for doing so is through the construction of sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International, in Egypt and throughout the world. Earlier this month, Taiwanese media reported that half a dozen foreign military contractors had submitted designs for a new fleet of eight diesel-electric submarines that Taipei plans to build domestically to bolster its navy. Taiwan claims this military build-up is necessary to defend against supposed aggression from mainland China. Companies from India and Japan, and two from Europe and the United States respectively have submitted their designs to Taiwans Indigenous Defence Submarine (IDS) program, initiated in December 2014. The specific companies have not been identified. The Japanese company, however, was reportedly contracted by a US firm to submit a proposal, just one indication of wider US influence in this process. Taiwans Defence Ministry will work with US contractors to choose a design by March 2019 with construction slated to begin the following year. Under the IDS program, sea trials would begin in 2024 and the first submarines would be deployed in 2026. Each submarine could cost about $1 billion. Taiwan currently operates just two, 30-year-old, combat-ready submarines, which are also set to be upgraded by a Dutch firm between 2020 and 2022 at a cost of $12.3 million. The upgrades are meant to cover the gap while the new subs are being constructed. Edward Rehfeldt, chairman of the US-based Rehfeldt Group which assists with the development of Taiwans military, commented that Taiwan has a strong navy, a strong air force, with very good hi-tech weapons, but basically they need submarines to protect the undersea area. Rehfeldt declined to state whether his company was involved in the submarine project. The growing military collaboration between Taipei and Washington is a product of the Donald Trump administrations overall ramping up of pressure on China. In April, the US granted military contractors licences to sell submarine technology to Taiwan, including a submarine combat management system. A separate technical assistance agreement provides for the sale of sonar, modern periscopes, and weapon systems. Last year, the US State Department also approved the sale of 46 advanced MK-48 torpedoes to Taiwan, as part of a larger $1.4 billion arms deal. The proposal to sell the torpedoes had initially been proposed in 2001 under George W. Bush, but was shelved. Similarly, the decision to sell the submarine technology to Taiwan was also the revival of a plan first proposed under Bush also in 2001. In addition, leading Republican Senators John Cornyn, the majority whip, and James Inhofe, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, in March called for Washington to sell F-35 fighter jets to Taiwan, which would be the first such sale to the island since 1992. Taiwans Defence Minister Yen Teh-fa said in May, The air forces operational requirements dictate that the next generation of fighters must possess stealth characteristics, be short take-off capable and be able to fight beyond visual range. The F-35 is a fine fighter and we are seeking it. The chair of Taiwans legislative Foreign Affairs and National Defence Committee, Wang Ting-yu, stressed the need for upgrades to Taiwans submarines and F-16 fighter jets, which are currently underway, in order to dissuade any improper notions about a Chinese invasion. If you come for us, you will have to pay a severe price, Wang said. Its like a durian or a porcupine. We wont bite you, but if you bite us, you will be hurt all over. Washington has sought to bolster Taiwans military in other ways as well, angering Beijing in the process. Taiwans Defence Ministry requested the purchase of 108 US-made M1A2 Abrams battle tanks this month, and announced on July 17 that it had commissioned its first air brigade equipped with 29 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters bought from the US in 2008. Significantly, Taiwan was the first to use the latest variant of Boeings AH-64 Apache outside of the US. Trump, backed by the Republican and Democratic Parties, has also undertaken a number of provocative diplomatic actions which have exacerbated tensions with Beijing over the One China policy that treats Beijing as the sole legitimate government of all China, including Taiwan. These actions include the Taiwan Travel Act, signed by Trump in March, allowing high-level visits to and from Taiwan by US and Taiwanese officials. It received no opposition in the US House or Senate. The massive US military spending bill for 2019, widely backed by the Democrats and passed by the House on Thursday, also recommends the Department of Defence authorize joint military drills between Washington and Taipei while improving the predictability of arms sales to Taiwan. Beijings Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang warned last week before the House vote, If these contents are put into law, then serious damage will be done to mutual trust between China and the US, to bilateral exchanges and cooperation in many fields, and to stability across the strait. Taiwan, dubbed the unsinkable aircraft carrier by General Douglas MacArthur at the beginning of the Cold War, is viewed as a potential forward base of operations by the US against Chinaone of the reasons for Beijings concern over the US questioning of the One China policy. Taiwan is strategically located, close to the Chinese mainland as well as flashpoints in the East China Sea and the South China Seas disputed islands. It also sits astride a vital trade route from the Malacca Strait to North East Asia, the worlds second largest commercial artery accounting for 80 percent of Chinas oil imports. US strategists regard control over the Malacca Straits as crucial to maintaining US dominance over the region. In another blow to the One China policy, the US recently granted permission to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to travel via the US cities of Houston and Los Angeles on her way to a presidential inauguration in Paraguay in August. It was reported that in both cities she will be greeted by members of the US congress. 25 years ago: Clinton declares war on social spending programs Bill Clinton August 3, 1993: In a nationally televised speech, US President Bill Clinton declared war on what he called the politics of entitlement, defending an austerity budget and reaffirming his pledges during the 1992 election campaign to end welfare as we know it. The speech came as the Democratic-controlled Congress was passing a budget which marked a political watershed for American capitalism, as the Democratic Party scrapped the last shred of reformist pretense and openly proclaimed itself the instrument for the destruction of social programs. There was not a penny of the spending on public works which Clinton claimed to support in his first State of the Union speech six months earlier. In his speech, perhaps the most reactionary address by a Democratic president in the 20th century, Clinton denounced those who wanted something for nothing, by which he meant the poor, the unemployed and the elderly. He was not referring to the billion-dollar handouts to the super-rich contained in the budget, which passed only thanks to flagrant vote-buying, with rival corporate interests fighting over various changes in tax provisions. It was symbolic that the swing vote in the US Senate, whose support ensured passage of the budget, was Democrat Dennis DeConcini of Arizona. He was the leader of the Keating Five, the five senators who received substantial campaign contributions in return for lobbying on behalf of savings & loan magnate Charles Keating, a billionaire swindler who went to prison for robbing thousands of elderly people of their life savings. DeConcini was given a slap on the wristcensured by the Senatebut retained his key position on the Senate Finance Committee, where he shepherded the Clinton budget through, and then was rewarded with lavish praise in the presidents televised address. Two days after the speech, on August 5, Clinton signed an executive order that for the first time set limits on spending on such entitlement programs as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Any spending above the limits would have to be reported to Congress, along with specific proposals for offsetting spending cut or tax increases. The only progressive fig leaf on the budget was a small increase in taxes on the highest income bracket, the top 1.2 percent, whose rates would increase from 31 percent to 36 percent. This was still far below the 50 percent rate that was in effect for most of the 1980s, but which was drastically slashed in the final years of the Reagan administration and then under President George H. W. Bush. 50 years ago: Bratislava Declaration is signed in Czechoslovakia Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev August 3, 1968: Six representatives from the Communist parties of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, and Poland met with the leaders of Czechoslovakia and signed what became known as the Bratislava Declaration. The meeting was organized as a response to reforms in Czechoslovakia put in place by Communist Party First Secretary Alexander Dubcek, who had come under fire from the Stalinist bureaucracy for supporting a liberalization of the economy and allowing writers to publish political criticisms. Leonid Brezhnev, leader of the Soviet Stalinists, feared that Dubceks reforms would weaken the grip of the bureaucracy over the working class, both within Czechoslovakia and throughout Eastern Europe and undermine the Warsaw Pact, the bloc of countries dominated by the USSR and in most cases hosting substantial garrisons of Soviet troops ever since World War II. The August 3 meeting was officially organized to discuss, ways of strengthening and promoting fraternal co-operation among socialist States and to assure an unswerving loyalty to Marxism-Leninism, the education of the masses in the ideas of socialism and proletarian internationalism. In actuality, Stalinism had long since separated itself by a river of blood from Marxism, socialism and proletarian internationalism, terms that in the usage of the bureaucracy simply meant political subordination to Moscow. The meeting was presented as a thaw in the tensions between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet bloc, because it coincided with the withdrawal of Warsaw Pact forces from Czechoslovakia after the completion of long-planned military exercises. But this was only a cover, with Moscow subsequently invoking the language of the Bratislava Declaration, particularly its references to combating bourgeois ideology, to provide a justification for the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia that would come later in the month. 75 years ago: Uprising at Treblinka extermination camp Polish Jews being loaded onto boxcars headed to Treblinka On August 2, 1943, prisoners at the Treblinka extermination camp, in German-occupied Poland, launched a heroic uprising against their Nazi jailers, which shook Third Reich forces and inspired workers and youth engaged in the struggle against fascism across Europe. The camp, in a forest north-east of Warsaw, had begun operations in July 1942. The location was chosen because it was about 50 miles northeast of Warsaw, close enough to the ghetto which supplied most of the victims, but in an otherwise isolated rural area with good rail connections due to a local gravel mining complex. The construction of the extermination camp was a large-scale enterprise involving hundreds of workers, most of them Jewish forced laborers who were compelled to build the facility in which they would eventually be murdered. Over a period of little more than 12 months, until October 1943, an estimated 700,000 to 900,000 people, nearly all of them Jews, were murdered in gas chambers that operated on a daily basis. On August 2, dozens of inmates, led by imprisoned Polish army officers and Jewish workers affiliated with left-wing political organizations, initiated an offensive against the German troops that controlled the facility. They broke into the armory at the camp, taking dozens of rifles and other weapons. Hundreds set fire to buildings and surrounding structures, while giving fierce resistance to the forces of the Third Reich. Around 200 escaped the facility, but an estimated half of those were shot dead. Nazi troops responded to the upheaval with barbaric repression, raining indiscriminate machine-gun fire down on the prisoners. This was the same policy that had been pursued amid earlier rebellions in ghettos and concentration camps across Poland, including in response to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising in May of 1943. The Nazis genocidal final solution claimed the lives of approximately 90 percent of Polish Jews. 100 years ago: French Socialist Party opposes anti-Bolshevik intervention French troops in Odessa during the Russian Civil War On July 30, 1918, the national congress of the Section Francaise de lInternationale Ouvriere (SFIOthe French Socialist Party), responding to the growing antiwar and radicalized mood among French workers, rejected intervention by the imperialist Allies against the Bolsheviks in Russia. A centrist tendency, led by Jean Longuet, grandson of Karl Marx, a reformist and pacifist, won the leadership of the party away from the extreme rightwing and social patriotic forces led by Albert Thomas. The French social-democrats, along with their counterparts in every major European country, had gone along with the war aims of their imperialist master, adopting the policy of the Union Sacreethe sacred union of the workers organizations and the bourgeoisie for the duration of World War I. Using the language of Jacobin nationalism and anti-German chauvinism, they lauded the superiority of French republican institutions over the monarchy ruled by Kaiser Wilhelm II. L'Humanite, the daily paper of the SFIO, called on workers to perform their military duty or to speed up production at home. The secretary of the CGT trade union confederation, Leon Jouhaux, became a Commissar of the Nation and sat on war committees alongside royalists. Many leaders of the French Socialists, including Marcel Cachin, a future founding member of the Communist Party, were fervent supporters of the war. An amorphous opposition within the SFIO began to develop in 1916, similar to the trend led by Karl Kautsky in Germany. The sufferings of the masses and the continuing slaughter which would result ultimately in 1.4 million French dead and 3 million wounded produced an enormous revulsion against the right-wing faction of the SFIO. The national congress of the party, in addition to passing a resolution against Allied intervention in Russia and in opposition to any projects of a Russian counterrevolution, criticized the right-wing Thomas faction. It recorded regret at recent manifestations by certain members of its parliamentary group who lined up with the openly pro-imperialist leadership of the American Federation of Labor. On Last Week Tonight, John Oliver discussed Facebooks $119 billion loss last Thursday, when the tech companys stock plummeted 19 percent. Facebook has struggled with its reputation since it became public that an unauthorized data disclosure had affected up to 87 million users. After the scandal broke earlier this year, the company aired an apology ad, which is more obligatory than f*** you, Oliver said. Facebook was doing literally exactly what it was built for thats why it was worth $600 billion, he added. You [dont] build historys most profitable data-harvesting machine by accident. Oliver was also critical of Facebook for using Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico as a backdrop to promote its virtual reality tools, so he decided to be the friend Facebook needs and write the ad that should have been. Though Olivers product mirrored the one Facebook aired, it started with: You came here for the friends. You got to know the friends of your friends. We came here for your data and the data of everyone you have ever come into contact with. The ad got really real when it said, And your data enabled us to make a f*** ton of ad money from corporations, app developers, and political campaigns. Then, we discovered your uncle used to have ties to the Klan. And guess what? We realized we could make a f*** ton of money off that s*** too. Seriously guys, we were making so much money off of you, you dont even understand. The fake ad also admitted that, even though the company lost big, its business model remains the same. But then, you found out about it, and we had to testify and issue bulls*** apology ads. All so we could lose $120 billion. But heres the thing. Nothings really going to change. Weve got your data. Weve got your friends. And, really, where are you going to go? And even though the ad ended with Facebook. We own who you are, you gotta admit that you sort of respect the brutal honesty. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver airs Sundays at 11 p.m. on HBO. Story continues Check out Meghan McCain standing up for Whoopi Goldberg after her volatile fight with Jeanine Pirro: Read more from Yahoo! Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Photo credit: Twitter From Esquire No one does Presidential Lawyering quite like Rudy Giuliani. The former mayor of New York, whose presence at Yankee games is no longer appreciated, attacked the credibility of another one-time Trumpian lawyer, Michael Cohen, last week. Except Giuliani used to praise Cohen's honesty, and earlier in the week had done some lying himself. He also suggested there could be worse tapes than the one Cohen made public, in which he and the now-president discussed the payoff of a Playboy model in mafia-adjacent language. Giuliani also assured us that actual mob tapes are worse. So there's that. But today brought a new chapter in the Chronicles of Extreme Presidential Lawyering, as Rudy moved the goalposts in legendary fashion. Having contended forever that the president did not participate in any collusion with a hostile foreign power to sway a presidential election in his favor, Giuliani now declared that, forget all that, collusion isn't a crime! WOW -- @RudyGiuliani begins @foxandfriends interview by downplaying the significance of collusion. "I have been sitting here looking in the federal code trying to find collusion as a crime. Collusion is not a crime." pic.twitter.com/fD1MdS6T29 - Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 30, 2018 This, of course, was the inevitable endpoint for Trump defenders should the investigation progress this far. The Slippery Slope of Excuses was predictable: There were no Trump campaign contacts with Russians. There were contacts, but there was no collusion. There might have been sketchy stuff happening, but the president wasn't involved. Collusion isn't a crime. Soon, we can expect to hear that Actually, Collusion Is Good. That's collusion with agents of a hostile foreign power, mind you. Story continues The new variable here is that Cohen has signaled his willingness to tell Special Counsel Robert Mueller under oath that Trump the Elder was informed in advance of the infamous Russian Rendezvous at Trump Tower, in which Don Jr. agreed to a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer on the express condition she would provide dirt on Hillary Clinton. Giuliani sees an open goal, so the posts have got to move. When later asked if Senior knew about the meeting, Giuliani wisely offered that nobody can be sure of anything." The not-even-a-crime shtick is the same tact taken by Congressman Dana Rohrabacker, the California Republican who is known to some as "Putin's favorite congressman," and whom Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy once suggested in a closed-door setting was very close to the Kremlin indeed. Theres not a person in this town who would not take a meeting to get material like that, Rohrabacher told Mother Jones, referring to the Trump Tower meet-up. I would. As a Law Expert, Giuliani also decided it was a good idea to divulge the (previously unknown?) detail that senior Trump campaign officials had a planning meeting in advance of the Russian Rendezvous: This is going to be a pretty problematic admission for Rudes and Trump. I'll explain in a moment. pic.twitter.com/fQkeMjdXVa - Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 30, 2018 There's no indication this planning meeting was public knowledge before Giuliani brought it up on-air. That is, Rudy might've spilled the beans. This pre-meeting is a signal that the main meeting was not, as Junior and others first sought to portray it, some throwaway deal over "Russian adoption" that he wouldn't have deemed worthy of his father's attention. By this account, the meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya was a well-planned event that was ascribed significant importance. And crucially, Giuliani openly suggested that Rick Gates was at that meeting. That's the same Rick Gates who has flipped and is cooperating with the special counsel. Josh Marshall of TPMalso got at another element: The other point is the date: June 7th. Thats the date when Trump made that primary election night victory speech where he teased his upcoming anti-Hillary speech where hed reveal a bunch of new dirt on Hillary, a speech that ended up never happening. What Giuliani appears to be saying is that earlier that day the top people in Trumps campaign had a planning meeting to prep for the dirt meeting with the Russians two days later. This is hardly surprising. But it lines up perfectly with what many have long suspected: that Trump was so excited about the dirt his campaign was going to receive from Russia two days later that he couldnt help but brag about it in public that night. Anyway, the fun could only last so long. Giuliani must have realized he left some more brain droppings on the various television sets he'd visited early this morning, for he called up Fox News later in the day to announce that Actually, I Meant to Say There Was No Planning Meeting! Rudy: Take Two! I Meant to Say The Pre-Planning Meeting Did NOT Happen. pic.twitter.com/Zg87XYkwmG - Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 30, 2018 We don't know there was a meeting, says this professional lawyer, You know, the meeting I am outlining in excruciating detail. Giuliani tried to pawn the meeting off as a Cohen creation through some convoluted diatribe about leaks and all the rest, but even the Fox hosts couldn't swallow it. Rudy deserves extra credit, though, for working in a reminder that Trump once said an Indiana-born judge of Mexican descent could not oversee his Trump University trial because he was "Mexican"-a sentiment even Paul Ryan was brave enough to call "textbook racism." Take a listen to the rest of Rudy's mop-up appearance and see if you believe him-inasmuch as you can understand what the hell he's rambling about. He made sure in the follow-up to tick all the boxes: My client didn't collude, but just in case, collusion isn't a crime! Here's part two of Rudy's walk back. pic.twitter.com/1WCpSaccvQ - Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 30, 2018 Here's part 3 of Rudy's walk back where Foxer basically says Rudes WTF are you talking about. pic.twitter.com/EgMpm8eiJd - Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 30, 2018 It appears that Giuliani has even lost the Fox hosts with his Extreme Presidential Lawyering. The only vaguely coherent parts of his story are ones that continually redraw a picture of shady meetings featuring the president's top brass, and re-ask the question of whether Trump knew about them. With lawyers like these, who needs a special counsel? Related Video: The Cast of Collusion ('You Might Also Like',) Fourteen members of the same family were killed in a car crash in central Vietnam Monday en route to a wedding party, including the groom who died instantly when their van hit a container truck, police said. Road accidents are the leading cause of death in Vietnam, where traffic laws are loosely obeyed and road infrastructure is patchy. The victims of Monday's car crash in Quang Nam were members of an extended family, including the groom, who were heading to the bride's family home in a neighbouring province, a police officer told AFP. Their 16-seater van collided with a container truck at around 2:30 am (1930 GMT Sunday), killing 13 people instantly. Another died later in hospital. "All victims' bodies were brought back to their home for burial. We are treating some of the injured in a local hospital," the policeman said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press. Local authorities said Monday they were investigating the cause of the deadly crash. Around 8,200 people died in traffic accidents across Vietnam last year, down from about 8,600 the year before. Most of those killed were on motorbikes. Vietnam's densely packed cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are crowded with motorbikes and cars competing for space with pedestrians and street vendors. Meanwhile, transport trucks increasingly line newly built highways delivering goods across Vietnam, or into neighbouring countries. The Daily Beast FBIWarning: This story contains descriptions of sexual assault.A U.S. Embassy staffer accused of drugging and sexually assaulting at least 24 women over a 14-year period was in fact a longtime CIA employee, the FBI announced Monday, as the bureau urged any possible victims to come forward in the case.Serial molester Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 45, was arrested Oct. 9, 2020, in La Mesa, California, where he had been staying with his parents after abruptly quitting his job at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico The Pro Football Hall of Fame will formally welcome its Class of 2018 on Saturday. This week, Yahoo Sports is highlighting memorable moments for each member of the eight-man class, leading up to the big ceremony. Brian Urlacher, 2000-2012 Urlacher spent his youth in New Mexico, where he developed an affinity for not only football and basketball, but track and pingpong. There, he played as a running back, wide receiver, and defensive back. His dream as a senior in 1996 whose school later named a holiday after him was to play football for Texas Tech University, but they didnt offer him a scholarship. Instead, he played at the University of New Mexico, where he was converted to a linebacker. He saw little playing time in his first two seasons, but after a coaching change, he went on to become an integral part of the team, graduating in 2000. He was taken by the Chicago Bears ninth overall in the 2000 draft, and six years later, he dropped his signature performance. It was Oct. 16, 2006. It was Monday Night Football, the first in Arizona in seven years. A victory would keep a season undefeated for the Bears. Brian Urlachers dominance at linebacker made him a Hall of Famer, and hell be formally recognized Saturday for it. (AP) Chicago was down 20-0 against the Cardinals heading into the fourth quarter. For much of the first five weeks of the season, the Bears offense rolled. But on that night, quarterback Rex Grossman was intercepted twice and lost two fumbles through the first two quarters; he was picked off twice more in the third. The whole night, the offense had made only nine first downs, and picked up 168 total yards. Chicagos fortunes hinged on the defense. With two minutes left in the third quarter and the Bears still down 23-3, ESPNs Joe Theismann said on the broadcast: You just run out of time if your defense cant create opportunities for you. And thats something the Bears defense has not done for their offense. But then, rookie defensive end Mark Anderson, in his first start, sacked rookie Matt Leinhart, who fumbled on the 3-yard line. Mike Brown ran it in for a touchdown, then came the extra point. Two like that and theyd have the lead. Story continues It was Urlachers turn. With about five minutes left in the game Urlacher stripped running back Edgerrin James, and Charles Tillman took it for a 40-yard touchdown, making it a 23-17 game. Devin Hester delivered an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown and the extra point gave the Bears a 24-23 lead with 2:58 remaining. Naturally, the defense held. Upon review Urlacher had quietly created opportunity for his offense by racking up 25 tackles a record that still stands. I remember Brian being in on virtually every play, Bears center Olin Kruetz told the Chicago Tribune on the games 10-year anniversary. There he is. There he is. There he is again. Every. Single. Time. Brian was making a tackle. He was flying all over the place. But that was Brian Urlacher. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound man who flew. More from Yahoo Sports: Eric Adelson: Jason Pierre-Paul saved his career, but can he save the Bucs? LeBron James opens up his I Promise school with much fanfare Trea Turner latest player to apologize for offensive tweets as Nats investigate NFL reportedly tells Jerry Jones to pipe down on anthem talk Photo credit: Car and Driver From Car and Driver Carved into the mountains of southern Spain east of the historic city of Ronda resides the fast and technical 3.4-mile Circuito Ascari. The racetrack flows smoothly yet is mentally demanding. Linking the chicanes and off-camber sections that comprise the 26 corners requires a snipers patience and precision. The straights arent so straight and necessitate convincing the brain to go full send. Ascari is a drivers track, and a course this pure requires a vehicle equal in execution. Its here that we sampled the 2019 BMW M2 Competition, which supersedes the regular M2 and comes armed with more of everything. From N to S BMW couldve spent wads of cash revising the previous turbocharged N55 inline-six to meet tighter emissions standards. Instead, it snatched a powerplant already in the arsenal, the potent S55 twin-turbo inline-six from the M4. In deference to the M hierarchy, boost is reduced in the M2s version, lowering the output from 425 horsepower to 405. Torque, however, is undiminished at 406 lb-ft. Photo credit: Car and Driver Dialing back the S55s power doesnt just preserve the M-family pecking order, it also addresses a cooling issue. Although the M2 Competitions fascia is revised and the cooling system is derived from that of the M4 Competition, the smaller car doesnt flow as much air through its front end, and less airflow means less cooling. But even detuned to 405 horsepower, the S55s output represents a substantial increase over the outgoing M2s 365 horses and 369 lb-ft. The M2 Competition rockets down the straights, and the sweet inline-six barks through a new exhaust system, pulling strongly all the way to the redline. New Hardware Assisting with deployment of the newfound power is a welcome piece of hardware, BMWs Active M rear differential. Revised for work in the M2 Competition, the electronically controlled limited-slip rear diff controls the locking effect to evenly distribute torque across the rear axle in all corners, no matter how wide or sharp. In Dynamic mode, the stability-control intervention is dialed back to be less intrusive, but it remains present should things get out of hand. We found the limits to be well within reason as the pocket-size M2 allows more throttle application during corner exit, carrying graceful slides while at the same time powering out of corners like no M2 has done before. Story continues Photo credit: Car and Driver Thankfully, a six-speed manual remains the standard gearbox. The shifter travels through the gates with precision, even though it retains that characteristic BMW slight rubberiness in its motions. The clutch take-up is spot on, and the transmission automatically rev-matches for you on downshifts. Disabling the rev-matching system requires the complete commitment of also fully deactivating the stability control, but the pedals are spaced perfectly for heel-and-toe downshifts. The other transmission choice is BMWs quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, a $2900 option. Launch control is specific to the automatic, which also now incorporates BMWs three-mode Drivelogic, allowing adjustability of the transmissions shift programming at the push of a button. The brakes fill nearly every bit of real estate within the new forged 19-inch wheels. The brakes are massive iron rotors-15.7 inches in front and 15.0 in the rear-clamped by six-piston fixed calipers in the front and four-piston fixed calipers in the rear. Even after a day of track abuse, the brake pedal remained firm and the modulation linear. The suspension calibration is unchanged from the previous non-Competition M2 and still delivers a firm ride. The staggered 245/35ZR-19 front and 265/35ZR-19 rear Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires also are carryovers from the outgoing M2, although more track-friendly, M2-spec, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber will be available from the accessories catalog or through aftermarket suppliers. At the limit, lateral grip remains abundant and understeer is easily managed with the throttle. Through the twists and turns of Puerto del Viento, the chassis feels more eager to turn in than was the previous M2, in part due to the new carbon-fiber front strut-tower brace, another item plucked from the M4. BMW has recalibrated the electrically assisted power steering to play better with the fortified front structure. Unfortunately, any feel from the surface below is still absent. Photo credit: Car and Driver Logos and More Logos The cockpit is decked out with even more M2 logos, like on the doorsills and illuminated in the seatbacks of the new and more supportive M Sport buckets. The seatbelts are embroidered with tricolor M stripes, and theres a red engine-start button. Theres also a new steering wheel with two programmable buttons that can be set to quickly toggle between driving modes. On the outside, new side mirrors, black kidney grilles and badges, and redesigned fascias distinguish the M2 Competition from the former M2. Sticking to the purist theme, the list of available options is minimal. A sunroof can be had for $1050, and the Executive package adds a heated steering wheel, full LED headlights with automatic high-beams, wireless device charging, and a Wi-Fi hotspot for an additional $1200. The $2500 M Drivers package raises the top speed to 174 mph and buys a ticket to a course at BMWs performance driving school. Starting at $59,895 and on sale now, the 2019 M2 Competition represents a $4400 premium over the 2018 M2. With all the hardware, equipment, and performance bundled into this refreshed bite-size coupe, the upcharge is well worth it. Within the current BMW lineup, the M2 has been the most exciting vehicle from a driver-involvement standpoint, and the Competition version is even more so. ('You Might Also Like',) The science section on the ACT is one of the exam's four required portions. In it, students have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions. To best prepare for this portion of the exam, high school students must first understand its composition. For students who aren't sure where to begin or are feeling a bit nervous about mastering science content, here are three key facts to know about the science section of the ACT. [Read: 3 Keys for Success on the ACT Science Section.] Basic familiarity with multiple science subjects is required. The ACT science section includes content in biology, chemistry, Earth/space sciences -- such as astronomy -- and physics. So students should have some knowledge of each of these areas before taking the ACT. However, only a basic understanding of the sciences is necessary for success on the ACT. This portion of the exam is most concerned with your ability to understand science practices and skills, not whether you have advanced knowledge of each of the science subjects. There are numerous strategies students can use to broaden their scientific knowledge. For example, you can regularly browse scientific magazines like Science, review exams from your previous high school science classes and create concept flashcards as you complete practice ACT science questions. Understanding the scientific method is crucial. Before sitting for the ACT, you should have a firm grasp of the scientific method. This will enable you to interpret and assess an experiment's outcome and usefulness. Aim to familiarize yourself with both the order of the scientific method's steps and what each one involves. A simple model includes five steps: observation, where the researcher observes a phenomenon or situation; hypothesis, in which the researcher creates a hypothesis about the phenomenon or situation; prediction, in which the researcher makes a prediction about whether the hypothesis is correct; experiment, where the researcher tests the hypothesis and records data; and conclusion, in which the researcher decides whether the hypothesis is correct based on gathered data. Story continues To learn the steps of the scientific method in the correct order, create a mnemonic device that will resonate with you. Absurd or comical mnemonics can work especially well in jogging your memory. For instance, you could use Old Horses Prance and Eat Carrots for O, H, P, E, C, which corresponds with the steps above. [Read: How to Tackle ACT Science Conflicting Viewpoints.] In addition to practicing with your mnemonic, you should understand exactly what each step entails. This extends beyond merely memorizing prewritten descriptions of the steps. To truly absorb the meaning of the various steps of the scientific method, try analyzing previously completed experiments. These may be experiments that you tried in last year's chemistry class or ones that are documented in scientific magazines. It does not matter if the experiments seem juvenile or if they fail to confirm the author's hypothesis. The idea is to be able to identify the steps even when the author does not explicitly label them. Another study technique is to design your own experiments. The imaginative, hands-on nature of creating an experiment, whether or not it has a practical application, can be a helpful way to solidify your knowledge of the scientific method. Data interpretation and manipulation skills are critical. Data interpretation questions, which are accompanied by charts, graphs and tables, account for 45-55 percent of the questions in the ACT science section. Though you may feel rushed on the exam, it is important not to answer these questions too quickly. Take a moment to think about the visual before you read the questions that follow. [Read: Improve Interpretation of Visuals for ACT Math, Science Success.] Let's apply this idea to a sample question from the ACT website. Glance at Table 1 in Passage III, and ask yourself what you notice. Do you observe any trends? You may recognize that longer storage periods generally resulted in a higher number of germinated seeds. You may also note that the lowest and highest temperatures had less germination success. Now read question No. 1 and its answer choices. Which possible answers align with your observations? Both B and C might work. After reviewing the table once again, you can confidently choose B. To succeed on data interpretation questions, train yourself to draw your own conclusions based on the data, and then look for answer choices that mirror your predictions. Students should work to improve both their scientific knowledge and their science-related skills when preparing for the science portion of the ACT. To do this, fill in your general knowledge gaps, get comfortable with the scientific method and hone your data interpretation skills. Tiffany Sorensen is a tutor and contributing writer with Varsity Tutors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language & Literature from Stony Brook University--SUNY and a Master of Science in translation from New York University. Its not a condition youll find in medical textbooks. Trump Derangement Syndrome is a mock diagnosis used by President Trumps supporters to describe individuals whose dislike of the man makes them incapable of seeing any good in his policies or decisions. Urban Dictionary offers this definition: Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) is a mental condition in which a person has been driven effectively insane due to their dislike of Donald Trump, to the point at which they will abandon all logic and reason. The term is even a part of Trumps lexicon, as he tweeted about it for a third time on July 29. It came in response to a July 20 meeting with the publisher of the New York Times, A.G. Sulzberger, who said he implored the president to reconsider his attacks on journalism. When the media driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome reveals internal deliberations of our government, it truly puts the lives of many, not just journalists, at risk! Very unpatriotic! Freedom of the press also comes with a responsibility to report the news Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 dying newspaper industry. No matter how much they try to distract and cover it up, our country is making great progress under my leadership and I will never stop fighting for the American people! As an example, the failing New York Times Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 Use of the term Trump Derangement Syndrome also seemed to pick up popularity in mid-July after Trump drew widespread criticism for siding with Russia over the U.S. intelligence community. Some people HATE the fact that I got along well with President Putin of Russia. They would rather go to war than see this. Its called Trump Derangement Syndrome! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2018 The president also offered up a prescription for TDS Story continues called The Case Against Impeaching Trump, which I would encourage all people with Trump Derangement Syndrome to read! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2018 Its not the first time a variation of the phrase has been used. The late conservative opinion writer Charles Krauthammer coined the phrase Bush Derangement Syndrome in 2003, defining it as: The acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency nay the very existence of George W. Bush. The term surfaced again during President Obamas tenure this time liberal pundits used Obama Derangement Syndrome to describe conservatives adverse reactions to his policies. Read more from Yahoo News: (Reuters) - The man accused of shooting five people to death last month at a newspaper office in Annapolis, Maryland, entered a plea of not guilty on Monday to all 23 felony charges against him, including five counts of first-degree murder. The plea was entered on behalf of Jarrod Ramos, 38, by his lawyers in a filing with the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, along with motions seeking a speedy jury trial and to obtain prosecution evidence through pretrial discovery. The filing negated the need for Ramos to appear in person for arraignment, as scheduled, and he was not in court. He remains jailed without bond. The proceeding was later removed from the docket, according to Emily Morse, a spokeswoman for prosecutors. Ramos is charged with opening fire in the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis on June 28 with a barrage of shotgun blasts, killing four journalists and a sales assistant in an attack police said was motivated by a long-standing grudge he held against the newspaper in Maryland's state capital. The community newspaper is owned by the Baltimore Sun. The killings rank as one of the deadliest attacks on journalists in U.S. history. Ramos' defense raised several procedural objections, including an assertion that identification of the defendant at trial would "be tainted as a result of impermissible suggestive identification procedures undertaken by police." Morse said a formal ID of Ramos was established through facial recognition technology. She denied as inaccurate reports that the suspect had mutilated his fingertips to avoid identification. She characterized the defense objections as "pretty standard" in such cases. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Cooney) By Tim Cocks BAMAKO (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's franchise in the Sahara has claimed a multiple mortar attack on a village in northern Mali during Sunday's election that disrupted voting, the SITE Intelligence Group said. During voting militants fired 10 mortar rounds in the village of Aguelhok in the northern region of Kidal. One exploded about 100 meters (yards) from a polling station, causing voting to be temporarily suspended. In a statement picked up by SITE, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an umbrella group for al Qaeda-linked militants in the Sahara, claimed credit for attacking French and U.N. mission forces in Aguelhok during the Malian elections. "This bombardment...in Mali is a clear message from us to France and its pawns in the country that the war between us will not end," the statement said. "Everyone knows that the winner in this election is only a pawn in the hands of France and the countries of the Cross." Vote counting was under way on Monday, the day after a presidential election in which President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is seeking a second term despite worsening insecurity since he took power five years ago. The election mostly took place peacefully across the largely desert nation, but there were pockets where insecurity was so bad that no voting could take place at all. The Ministry of Territory said overnight that 644 polling stations out of about 23,000 had been unable to function. Islamist militants are seen as the biggest threat to Western interests in the Sahara and semi-arid Sahel just to the south of it. They have hit several foreign targets in Mali and its neighbors and kidnapped scores of Westerners. It had been feared the militants, who see democracy as contrary to Islam, would try to disrupt the polls. Security has been high on the agenda for voters, especially where in the north and center of the country where the jihadists operate. Keita's main rival, Soumaila Cisse, has pledged to restore peace across Mali. (This story has been corrected to clarify in paragraph 3 that attack took place during, not before, election) (Editing by Aaron Ross and Angus MacSwan) All good things must come to an end. In an interview with Harvey Levin on TMZs show Objectified, Alex Trebek, who has hosted Jeopardy for 34 years, hinted at an end to his tenure. When asked by Levin about the odds that hell continue with the show after his contract ends in 2020, Trebek said 50-50 and a little less. Its clear that Trebek has been thinking about the end of his tenure on the show. He said he has even mentioned a possible replacement to the producers. That would be Alex Faust, the play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Kings. He recently replaced Hall Fame NHL announcer Bob Miller. Heres a video the Kings released showcasing that transition. Levin asked Trebek about a potential female replacement, and the game show host mentioned CNN legal analyst Laura Coates, who gleefully reacting on Twitter. OMG. So honored! You know I watch everyday!!! https://t.co/XfXUgCFWRE Laura Coates (@thelauracoates) July 30, 2018 Heres a clip of her on CNN. Trebeks departure is not set in stone, so for now, we can be sure to tune in to Jeopardy every night and see Trebek hosting the show. Jeopardy recently featured an entire category about Gal Gadot. Can you answer all the questions? Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: BGM-71 TOW, variant M220, SABER. U.S. Army PFC David Mitchell scans the landscape surrounding Vehicle Patrol Base Badel at the mouth of the Narang Valley in Konar province, Afghanistan, May 9, 2009. Robert Beckhusen Security, Middle East We might find out...thanks to the Syrian Civil War. America's TOW Missile vs. Russia's Deadly T-90 Tank: Who Wins? The Shtora is an electro-optical jammer designed to disrupt guided missiles. Its not clear if the jammers were switched on, or didnt work, when the Hawks Mountain Brigade opened fire. Russian media has also reported that the particular tank was an earlier version of the T-90, so more recent upgrades, such as the T-90A which boasts a modified turret, should fare better. For all the videos coming out of the Syrian civil war, a one minute, 31-second clip of a U.S.-made TOW missile slamming into a T-90 tank got more attention than most. In the video uploaded in February, Russias most advanced operational battle tank met one of the United States main tank killers on the battlefield. The T-90 was Russian made, but likely crewed by Syrian troops. The missile was supplied by the United States most likely via Saudi Arabia or the CIA to the Hawks Mountain Brigade fighting near Aleppo. (This first appeared in 2016.) For the participants, the whole experience might have been terrifying. For most of the rest of the world, it was a chance to see what happens when state-of-the-art hardware from two major world powers violently collide in the Middle East. The only good news is that nobody appeared to get killed. What happened to the tank well, no one who watched the video was exactly sure. We saw the wire-guided missile bob toward the T-90, which was parked on a crest between two low-slung buildings. Then the missile hit the tanks turret with a tremendous flash which sent up a cloud of smoke. One of the crew members bailed and the video ended. There was no fire and the tank didnt brew up, meaning the fuel tank didnt ignite and burn the crew to death. (The Syrian army has lost thousands of tanks since the war began in 2011.) This one, it seemed, survived. A recent photograph circulated on Russian military forums shows what the tank looked like after impact. Sure enough, the T-90s Kontakt-5 reactive armor appeared to save it. Reactive armor explodes outwards and stops incoming missiles from penetrating into the tank and killing the crew. Story continues The Research Institute of Steel, a Russian company which makes reactive armor plates for the T-90, was pleased. The crew lived, according to Russian press reports, and the only visible damage was on one of the T-90s two Shtora transmitters, which hanged limp in the photograph. However, the angle of the photograph only shows a glimpse of the side of the turret which was hit. Recommended: Imagine a U.S. Air Force That Never Built the B-52 Bomber Recommended: Russia's Next Big Military Sale - To Mexico? Recommended: Would China Really Invade Taiwan? The Shtora is an electro-optical jammer designed to disrupt guided missiles. Its not clear if the jammers were switched on, or didnt work, when the Hawks Mountain Brigade opened fire. Russian media has also reported that the particular tank was an earlier version of the T-90, so more recent upgrades, such as the T-90A which boasts a modified turret, should fare better. The photograph doesnt tell us much more than add more evidence to what everyone already expected that the missile disabled the tank, but didnt destroy it. The T-90 was knocked out of the fight, and the Syrian army soon withdrew it to a repair plant, according to the Russian trade journal Military-Industrial Courier. The main thing is that the armor appeared to accomplish its job. Losing a tank from the front line is one thing it can always be replaced or repaired. The Syrian army was likely relieved to have saved the crew from being killed. This piece first appeared in War Is Boring here. Read full article Not many people featured in Who Is America? have acquitted themselves well, but Christy Cones came across better than most. The fine-art consultant sat down with Rick Sherman, one of the many alter-egos created by Sacha Baron Cohen for his new Showtime series, the discuss the art hed made with his feces and was surprisingly kind to him. Now, Cones has shared the letter she received from Sherman about her appearance on the show. Read More:Who Is America?: Sacha Baron Cohens Revealing Comedy Wont Make a Political Impact, Even Though It Should Im the English bloke what come into youre picture shop last year to show you the art I done when I was in the nick, the handwritten letter begins. I want to say how lovely it was to meet you, I hope your well and staying out of trouble. As for me, I told you I had only ever done one thing wrong, just 14 times. Well you can make it 15 now HAHAHA! Meaning that after a bit of time outside painting oil on canvas, Im now back in HMP Belmarsh painting feces on plaster again! Anyway, say la vie! The full letter can be read below in its bizarre entirety. Read More:Who Is America? Review: Sacha Baron Cohens Jokes Are Hit-or-Miss, but His Wild Showtime Series Could Kill Political Careers Cones appears to have taken the incident in stride, telling Vulture that art and satire, it hurts. I just wish everybody would quit taking themselves so seriously. Here is a copy of the letter from Rick Sherman (Sacha Baron Cohen) to Christy Cones #christyleaks#sachagate#WhoIsAmerica Received last weekend. The intrigue grows pic.twitter.com/ObkiwIzrjJ Christy Cones (@ChristyCones) July 26, 2018 Story continues Related stories 'Who Is America?' Ratings: Low Initial Viewership for Controversial Sacha Baron Cohen Series 'Who Is America?': Sacha Baron Cohen's Revealing Comedy Won't Make a Political Impact, Even Though It Should 'Who Is America?': Sacha Baron Cohen's Fake Plan to Give Guns to Kindergarteners Gets Real Support From Politicians -- Watch By Susanna Twidale LONDON (Reuters) - Analysts have raised their forecasts for carbon prices in the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) to 2020 after a bullish start to the year and on expectations that plans to reform the market will significantly curb oversupply. Analysts expect EU Allowances (EUAs) to average 18.59 euros/ton in 2019 and 20.76 euros/ton in 2020, according to the survey of eight analysts by Reuters published on Monday. The forecasts were up 34 percent and 13 percent, respectively, from prices given in April, when the forecasts were for 13.86 euros for 2019 and 18.36 euros for 2020. Analysts also for the first time gave forecasts for 2021 which averaged 21.88 euro/ton, almost 30 percent higher than current trading levels for the benchmark European carbon contract. The European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS) charges power plants and factories for every ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) they emit. The ETS has suffered from excess supply since the financial crisis, but this will be addressed by new measures starting from 2019, such as the Market Stability Reserve which will remove some of the surplus allowances from the market. "We see the anticipation of the Market Stability Reserve curbing supply from 2019 as the fundamental driver behind the price rise," said Hege Fjellheim, Head of Carbon analysis at Thomson Reuters. "We could also see increased buying interest from the industry on the back of compliance needs and uncertainty of the final decisions on free allocation for the fourth trading phase," she said. Under the ETS some industries are eligible for free permits if they are deemed to be vulnerable to competition from countries with looser environmental regulations, known as "carbon leakage." The number of sectors and companies eligible for this support will be reduced in the fourth trading phase of the scheme which runs from 2021-2030, meaning more firms will need to buy carbon allowances. The benchmark contract has more than doubled since the beginning of the year to around 17 euros/ton. In the shorter-term analysts said there could be a correction from recent high prices as some market participants look to lock in profits. "We still predict some consolidation in the last part of the year that may shake the market on the downside," said Nomisma Energia analyst Matteo Mazzoni. (Reporting By Susanna Twidale, Editing by William Maclean) Investigators said Monday they still do not know why Malaysia's Flight MH370 vanished four years ago in aviation's greatest mystery, sparking anger and disappointment among relatives of those on board. In a long-awaited report the official investigation team pointed to failings by air traffic controllers, said the course of the Malaysia Airlines plane was changed manually, and refused to rule out that someone other than the pilots had diverted the jet. But after years of fruitless searching for the Boeing 777 that disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people aboard, the report offered nothing concrete to grieving relatives of passengers and crew hoping for some sort of closure. "The team is unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370," concluded the largely technical 400-page report, noting that investigators were hindered in their probe as neither the plane's wreckage nor its black boxes had been found. Investigators said the plane was airworthy and the pilots were in a fit state to fly, and dismissed the theory that the plane had been taken over remotely to foil a hijacking. Relatives who were briefed at the transport ministry in the administrative capital Putrajaya before the report's public release expressed anger that there was nothing new in the document, with some storming out of the briefing as frustration boiled over. "It is so disappointing," said Intan Maizura Othman, whose husband was a steward on MH370, which had been flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing carrying mostly mainland Chinese passengers when it vanished. "I am frustrated. There is nothing new in the report." She said the meeting between relatives and officials descended into a "shouting match" as anger mounted. G. Subramaniam, who lost a son on the flight, added that "unsatisfactory responses left many angry". - Largest hunt in history - The disappearance of MH370 triggered the largest hunt in aviation history. But no sign of it was found in a 120,000-square kilometre (46,000-square mile) Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led hunt was suspended in January last year. Story continues US exploration firm Ocean Infinity resumed the search in a different location at the start of this year on a "no find, no fee" basis, using high-tech drones to scour the seabed. But that search was also called off after failing to find anything. Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon. Malaysia's new government, which took power in May, has said the hunt could be resumed but only if new evidence comes to light. Transport Minister Anthony Loke insisted Monday that "the aspiration to locate MH370 has not been abandoned and we remain ever-hopeful that we will be able to find the answers we seek when the credible evidence becomes available". One area that came in for criticism in the report by the 19-member team, which included foreign investigators, was air traffic control. It said both Malaysian air traffic control and their Vietnamese counterparts failed to act properly when the Boeing jet passed from Malaysian to Vietnamese airspace and disappeared from radars. Air traffic controllers did not initiate emergency procedures in a timely fashion, delaying the start of the search and rescue operation, it said. However it played down concerns about the pilot and first officer, saying neither appeared to have suffered difficulties in their personal lives that could have affected their ability to fly. "We did not find any change to their behaviour, everything was normal," Kok Soo Chon, head of the investigation team, told a press conference. The report also said the plane was airworthy and did not have major technical issues, with Kok saying it had been diverted from its intended flight path manually. Intervention by a third party could not be ruled out, the report said, but also added there was no evidence to suggest the plane was flown by anyone other than the pilots. (WASHINGTON) Sen. Bernie Sanders Medicare for all plan would boost government health spending by $32.6 trillion over 10 years, requiring historic tax hikes, says a study released Monday by a university-based libertarian policy center. Thats trillion with a T. The latest plan from the Vermont independent would deliver significant savings on administration and drug costs, but increased demand for care would drive up spending, according to the analysis by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia. Doubling federal individual and corporate income tax receipts would not cover the full cost, the study said. Sanders plan builds on Medicare, the popular insurance program for seniors. All U.S. residents would be covered with no copays and deductibles for medical services. The insurance industry would be relegated to a minor role. Enacting something like Medicare for all would be a transformative change in the size of the federal government, said Charles Blahous, the studys author. Blahous was a senior economic adviser to former President George W. Bush and a public trustee of Social Security and Medicare during the Obama administration. Responding to the study, Sanders took aim at the Mercatus Center, which receives funding from the conservative Koch brothers. Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch is on the centers board. If every major country on earth can guarantee health care to all, and achieve better health outcomes, while spending substantially less per capita than we do, it is absurd for anyone to suggest that the United States cannot do the same, Sanders said in a statement. This grossly misleading and biased report is the Koch brothers response to the growing support in our country for a Medicare for all program. Sanders office has not done a cost analysis, a spokesman said. His 2016 presidential campaign website cites an estimated price tag of $1.38 trillion a year for an earlier version of the plan, but other studies have projected much higher costs. Story continues Sanders staff found an error in an initial version of the Mercatus report, which counted a long-term care program that was in the 2016 proposal but not the current one. Blahous corrected it, reducing his estimate by about $3 trillion over 10 years. Blahous says the report is his own work, not the Koch brothers. Also called single-payer over the years, Medicare for all reflects a longtime wish among liberals for a government-run system that covers all Americans. With Republicans in charge of Congress and the White House, it has little chance. But Sanders idea has broad rank-and-file support among Democrats, and polls show it also appeals to many independents. Looking ahead to the 2020 election, Democrats are debating whether single-payer should be a litmus test for national candidates. The Mercatus analysis estimated the 10-year cost of Medicare for all from 2022 to 2031, after an initial phase-in. Its findings are similar to those of several independent studies of Sanders 2016 plan. Those studies found increases in federal spending over 10 years that ranged from $24.7 trillion to $34.7 trillion. Kenneth Thorpe, a health policy professor at Emory University in Atlanta, authored one of the earlier studies and says the Mercatus analysis reinforces them. Its showing that if you are going to go in this direction, its going to cost the federal government $2.5 trillion to $3 trillion a year in terms of spending, said Thorpe. Even though people dont pay premiums, the tax increases are going to be enormous. There are going to be a lot of people wholl pay more in taxes than they save on premiums. Thorpe was a senior health policy adviser in the Clinton administration. The study found that the plan would reap substantial savings from lower prescription costs $846 billion over 10 years since the government would deal directly with drugmakers. Savings from streamlined administration would be even greater, nearly $1.6 trillion. But other provisions would tend to drive up spending, including coverage for nearly 30 million uninsured people, no deductibles and copays, and improved benefits, including dental, vision and hearing. The Mercatus study also takes issue with a key cost-saving feature of the plan that hospitals and doctors will accept payment based on lower Medicare rates for all their patients. Medicare rates are currently about 40 percent less than private insurance, according to the analysis. The study found lower U.S. health care spending under Sanders plan would drop over time about $300 billion lower in 2031. However, the study found that potential savings would vanish if hospitals and doctors arent willing to accept lower fees for patients who are now privately insured. In that case, the U.S. would spend about $400 billion more in 2031. Costs have been a stumbling block for state efforts to enact a single-payer system, including in Sanders own state of Vermont. Olympic ski star Bode Miller and his wife Morgan Beck Miller spoke out about the drowning death of their one-year-old child Emmy Miller on NBCs TODAY Monday morning, with Bode Miller saying that parents must be hyper aware of the risk of drowning. Ive been to all the pediatricians meetings and check-ups on our kids, and I cant say its come up one time, said Bode Miller. Theres not a day that goes by that I dont pray for the opportunity to go back to that day and make it different, Morgan Miller, told TODAYs Samantha Guthrie. This should be the number one thing that we talk about, she said. You need to be hyper aware. She brought so much to our lives. See @SavannahGuthrie's full interview with Bode and Morgan Miller about their daughter's drowning pic.twitter.com/iW96b4irMc TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 30, 2018 The couple praised their late daughter, saying she brought so much to our lives. Its an obligation to some degree, said Bode of deciding to speak out. I think it does in some way help to heal, a little bit, that maybe were preventing it from happening to somebody else. Emmy Miller drowned in June while playing at a neighbors house with her mother in the next room. Suddenly, Morgan said, it became too quiet. She walked into the room where the children were and asked where Emmy was. I turned around and the door that leads to the backyard, that was closed, had this tiny sliver of light coming through the side. And my heart sank, and I opened the door, and she was floating in the pool. And I ran and I jumped in, she said. Morgan performed CPR and Emmy was rushed to hospital, but she died from a lack of oxygen to the brain. Drowning is the leading unintentional cause of death for children between the ages of 1-4. Its the number one way that you could potentially lose your kid, said Bode Miller. If its number one, for me, I want to know about it. By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson, the most senior cleric found guilty of concealing child sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, has resigned, the Vatican said on Monday. Wilson, 67, the archbishop of Adelaide, was convicted in May of failing to disclose to police abuse by a priest, Father James Fletcher, after being told about it in 1976 by two victims, one of them an altar boy who told him inside the confessional.. His resignation, which he had earlier refused to submit, comes as a new wave of sexual abuse allegations have hit the highest echelons of the Church around the world, further tarnishing its image and creating the greatest crisis of Francis' pontificate, now in its sixth year. It came two days after the Vatican announced that the pope had stripped Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, DC, of his rank as cardinal and ordered him to live in seclusion. McCarrick has been accused of sexual abuse of minors and adult seminarians decades ago. Francis is also fighting an image crisis in Chile, where a growing abuse scandal has enveloped the Church since all 34 of the country's bishops offered to resign. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who this month urged the pope to sack Wilson, said he welcomed the decision to quit, which "belatedly recognizes the many calls, including my own, for him to resign". "There is no more important responsibility for community and Church leaders than the protection of children," he said in a statement. Wilson, who has maintained his innocence, was convicted in May of covering up abuse by Fletcher in the 1970s. Fletcher was found guilty in 2004 of nine counts of child sexual abuse and died in jail in 2006 after a stroke. Wilson, who is free on bail, is to face court again on Aug. 11, for a ruling on whether he will be imprisoned or allowed to serve his one-year sentence in home detention. Wilson had earlier refused to resign, saying he would wait until his appeals process for the conviction was finished. He said in a statement he hoped his decision would be a catalyst to heal pain and distress in the Archdiocese of Adelaide. "I must end this and therefore have decided that my resignation is the only appropriate step to take in the circumstances, Wilson said. (Reporting by Philip Pullella, additional reporting by Tom Westbrook in Sydney; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Peter Graff) (VATICAN CITY) Pope Francis on Monday accepted the resignation of an Australian archbishop convicted in criminal court of covering up the sexual abuse of children by a priest, taking action after coming under mounting pressure from ordinary Catholics, priests and even the Australian prime minister. It was the second major announcement of a sex abuse-related resignation in as many days, after Francis dramatic sanctioning this weekend of a U.S. cardinal, suggesting he is keen to clean house before he heads to Dublin next month for a big Catholic family rally. The sex abuse scandal is likely to dominate the trip given Irelands devastating history with predator priests and the bishops who covered for them. In Australia, Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson was convicted in May of failing to report to police the repeated abuse of two altar boys by a pedophile priest in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney during the 1970s. He became the highest-ranking Catholic cleric ever convicted in a criminal court of abuse cover-up. Wilson, who denied the accusations, had immediately stepped aside after he was convicted but refused to resign pending an appeal. Francis had appointed a temporary administrator to run the diocese in the meantime. As recently as last week, though, Wilson acknowledged that calls for his sacking were increasing, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull added his voice to the chorus July 19 in urging Francis to fire him. In a one-line statement Monday, the Vatican said Francis had accepted Wilsons resignation. At 67, he is well under the normal retirement age for bishops of 75. In a statement issued by the archdiocese, Wilson said he had submitted his resignation to Francis of his own will on July 20 a day after Turnbulls call and said he hoped his decision would help abuse victims and the rest of the Catholic community heal. I had hoped to defer this decision until after the appeal process had been completed, Wilson said. However, there is just too much pain and distress being caused by my maintaining the office of archbishop. Story continues Wilson was sentenced by the Newcastle court to 12 months in detention. Francis decision to accept the resignation is significant given he has previously refrained from taking action against accused bishops that might be perceived as prejudicing outcomes in civil or criminal cases. Another Australian prelate, Cardinal George Pell, for example, has been on leave as the Vaticans finance czar while he faces criminal trial on accusations of sexual abuse. But Pell, who denies the charges, remains a cardinal, head of the Vaticans economy secretariat and a member of Francis core group of nine cardinal advisers. Francis, though, is under increasing pressure to sanction bishops who have abused, botched handling abuse cases or otherwise covered them up. There are calls for a full-fledged church investigation in the United States, and criminal probes underway in Chile as the next phase of the abuse scandal accountability for bishops who failed to protect their flocks from abusive priests is gaining momentum. In the United States, bishops and cardinals are coming under fire for failing to reveal what they knew and when about the abuse of adult seminarians and minors allegedly committed by Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington. Francis on Saturday accepted McCarricks resignation as cardinal, and imposed on him unprecedented penalties for a cardinal even before his canonical trial is completed, including living a lifetime of penance and prayer and living isolated from others. McCarrick, who had been one of the most prominent American cardinals involved in responding to the U.S. sex abuse crisis in 2002, was initially ordered by the Vatican to cease all public ministry last month after the New York archdiocese determined that an accusation that he fondled a teenage altar server in the 1970s was credible and substantiated. Since then, several male seminarians have come forward alleging misconduct and harassment, while another victim identified only as James has alleged McCarrick engaged in a sexually abusive relationship with him for years, starting when he was 11. It was apparently a little-kept secret that McCarrick, 88, invited seminarians to his beach house and into his bed, suggesting that some in the U.S. hierarchy knew of his misconduct but turned a blind eye. In addition, a group of concerned American Catholics travelled to the Vatican in 2000 to warn officials of McCarricks penchant for young men, but he was appointed Washington archbishop and made a cardinal in 2001 regardless. In Chile, meanwhile, prosecutors recently summoned the archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, to appear in court and testify about his role in the alleged cover-up of years of abuse by his top deputy, the Rev. Oscar Munoz. Munoz has admitted to abusing at least one minor, and confessed to church authorities in December. Prosecutors, however, uncovered reports of at least four more victims abused by Munoz that were documented by the Santiago archdiocese, including some of his young relatives. Ezzati has said he knew nothing of the abuse before Munoz came forward. He is due to testify Aug. 21. Ezzati had already offered his resignation when he turned 75 last year, and was among the active Chilean bishops who offered to resign en masse in May when they were summoned by Francis for a collective dressing down for their disastrous handling of abuse allegations. But Francis hasnt moved on Ezzatis resignation yet, presumably waiting to find the right candidate to take over the leadership of Chiles most important archdiocese. ___ AP writer Rod McGuirk contributed from Canberra, Australia. Constance Douris Security, Europe As Russia provides more gas to Europe with the development of the new pipeline, it is critical for backup power to be available at American military sites abroad. Congress should consider equipping military sites with microgrids, storage, and even electric vehicles to ensure power is available in the event the energy supply is ever compromised. Bad News: U.S. Military Sites in Europe Are Dependent on Russia for Electricity As the Nord Stream II pipeline is beginning construction in the Baltic Sea, President Donald Trump warned that Germany has become captive to Russia. Representatives in Congress are also worried about European dependence on Russian energy. To ensure stable operation of critical sites, especially military assets abroad, backup power solutions should be an imperative. In the first quarter of this year, Russian pipelines supplied 41% of Europes gas. Russian natural gas is cheaper for much of Europe because it does not need to undergo the liquification process. Countries that ship gas long distances have to transform it into liquefied natural gas (LNG) by cooling it to -260 degrees Fahrenheit. This shrinks the gas volume, making it easier to store and ship. When LNG reaches its destination, it is changed back to a gas and piped to homes and businesses to generate electricity. Many policymakers find European dependence on Russian gas concerning. In fact, a letter was recently sent to Secretary of Defense James Mattis from Senator Pat Toomey and other representatives highlighting the importance of lessening the dependence on Russian energy for the U.S. Armed Forces in Europe. Some consider American LNG to be more reliable and promote U.S. energy exports as a replacement for Nord Stream 2. Ramstein Air Base in southwestern Germany is a large and strategic American defense transport facility with 56,000 American troops. The base serves as headquarters for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Air Forces Africa and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allied Air Command. According to the Defense Logistics Agency, nearly 40% of oil used at military sites in Germany is from Russia. Story continues Thus, American defense installations in Europe are dependent on Russian energy to operate. If Russia were to hold its energy supply hostage, as it already has done to Ukraine in 2006 and 2008, not only would Germanys power grid struggle to provide electricity to its citizens, but American installations and operations would also be compromised. The Nord Stream II pipeline, in essence, boosts Moscows geopolitical strength and doubles the European Unions reliance on Russian energy. Funds from selling gas also provide Russia with more resources to accomplish hostile goals, such as the recent annexation of Crimea and the cyber campaign on the U.S. electric grid. Increased energy dependence on Russia could also be used as leverage to extort the European Union and drive a wedge between NATO allies. U.S. lawmakers in particular worry that Europes reliance on Russian energy could give Moscow more leverage. Congress attempted to pursue a safer energy supply in the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The law directed the secretary of defense to provide measures for modern energy acquisition policy for overseas installations, reduce the militarys dependence on Russian energy and ensure the ability to sustain operations in the event of a supply disruption. In the recent Fiscal Year 2019 NDAA passed in the House, Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska advanced a bipartisan amendment to direct an energy security policy for a new $1 billion Army medical complex and significantly reduce the need for natural gas. To reduces reliance on Russian energy, microgrids could be deployed at American military assets. Microgrids are capable of operating on or off the main grid and ensure electricity is available to locations if an outage occurs. These power systems would serve as a great backup to avoid an external country from controlling the energy supply to military sites. Recommended: What Will the Sixth-Generation Jet Fighter Look Like? Recommended: Imagine a U.S. Air Force That Never Built the B-52 Bomber Recommended: Russia's Next Big Military Sale - To Mexico? Some American utilities have built microgrids to ensure electricity is available to critical locations, such as power generating stations and airports. For instance, the SPIDERS Phase III microgrid project is deployed at Camp H.M. Smith, a U.S. Marine Corps installation in Hawaii, and includes battery storage, demand response, renewables and diesel generation. Nuclear power can also be used to fuel microgrids with onsite fuel for long periods of time. Companies such as BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) have the unique capability to support the design, testing and manufacturing of Gen IV advanced reactors that can be used for this purpose. In addition, reliable bulk energy storage could provide backup power in the event the energy supply is compromised. Batteries in electric vehicles on military bases could also be used to supply power during an outage, especially considering these cars are popular in Europe. For instance, Nissan unveiled a system that allows the Leaf electric car to connect with a home and provide electricity for about two days. As Russia provides more gas to Europe with the development of the new pipeline, it is critical for backup power to be available at American military sites abroad. Congress should consider equipping military sites with microgrids, storage, and even electric vehicles to ensure power is available in the event the energy supply is ever compromised. Constance Douris is Vice President of the Lexington Institute. Her current research interests include energy, the electric grid, ballistic-missile defense, nuclear strategy, European security, and the Greek financial crisis. You can follow Constance at @CVDouris and the Lexington Institute @LextNextDC. This first appeared in RealClearDefense here. Read full article Akhilesh Pillalamarri Security, Chinese civilization is one of the worlds oldest continuous civilizations. Indeed, unlike Western, Islamic, and Indian civilizations, China has managed to remain politically unified for much of its history. Behold: China's 3 Most Powerful Dynasties The Qings masterful diplomacy was also part of its success. For example, the Qing ably played Russia and Great Britain off one another during the Great Game. Neither of those two powers wanted the other to gain more territory in Central Asia and were thus happy to led China keep most of its extensive empire as a buffer. Chinese influence also increased in Southeast Asia and Himalayan Asia to a greater degree than before during the Qing Empire, as many states like Myanmar, Nepal, Chitral Valley (in Pakistan today), and Siam became part of the Chinese system. Chinese civilization is one of the worlds oldest continuous civilizations. Indeed, unlike Western, Islamic, and Indian civilizations, China has managed to remain politically unified for much of its history. Contrary to the common perception of China being historically isolated and weak, many Chinese dynasties were very powerful and have had a profound impact on global history. Yes, it is true that during the Ming Dynasty, China ships conducted multiple voyages of exploration (1405-1433) before abruptly stopping. But this hardly dented the enormous economic and political influence China wielded for most of its history in East, Southeast, and Central Asia. Although the people of these regions pursued their own interests as best as they could, China was always the major power to be dealt with. Nonetheless, not all Chinese dynasties were created, and these three stood above the rest. The Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty ruled China for a solid four centuries, from 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E. Although the preceding Qin Dynasty unified China, it was the Han Dynasty that kept it together and developed the institutions that characterized most of Chinese history since. Story continues The Han Dynasty was able to maintain its bureaucracy and military through a more efficient and thorough system of taxation than many contemporary empires. Additionally, to gain increased revenue, the Han created monopolies on iron and salt. The salt monopoly has been a traditional source of revenue for Chinese states since, one that apparently lasted until 2014. The Hans large coffers allowed it to expand Chinas boundaries outwards from its traditional heartland in the Yellow River valley toward what is today southern China. Southern China would prove to be very important to China in the future since it can support a large population through the rice crop. Thanks in part to southern Chinas wealth, Chinas sociopolitical development was usually greater than its neighbors, allowing China to easily incorporate or defeat them. One exception to this, however, was Chinas perennial problem namely, nomads to its north. During the Han, these were the Xiongnu. Constant harassment and raids by these nomads necessitated the first construction of the Great Wall during the Qin Dynasty. During the Han, China attempted to outflank its enemies, which led to an expedition westward into todays Xinjiang and Central Asia. This process is generally thought to have informed China for the first time of other civilizations, a shocking development for a people who until then believed themselves to be the only state society. Indeed, during this time China became aware of the civilizations of India, the Bactrians, the Sogdians, the Persians, and many more, This event is thought to have stimulated the development of trade routes that would later be called the Silk Road. To control trade routes and outflank their enemies, Chinese forces occupied much of Xinjiang for many decades, allowing them to project their influence deep to the west. Buddhism also entered China through this route at this time. Tang After the Han Dynasty collapsed due to civil war, China entered a period of disunity until being reunited by the Sui Dynasty, which was subsequently succeeded by the Tang Dynasty, which ruled China from 618-907 C.E. The Tang Dynasty was one of Chinas most cosmopolitan and urbane dynasties, opening China up to a period of foreign influences. The Tang Dynasty was also likely Chinas largest and most powerful dynasty in history and is considered the golden age of imperial China. Recommended: Imagine a U.S. Air Force That Never Built the B-52 Bomber Recommended: Russia's Next Big Military Sale - To Mexico? Recommended: Would China Really Invade Taiwan? The population base of the Tang Dynasty was estimated to have been around 80 million people, enabling it to completely dominate its neighbors. During this time, China continued to expand northeast and south, incorporating much of Manchuria and Vietnam. It was also during this period that many other state societies developed under Chinese influence, including Korea, Japan, and Tibet. This period thus saw the establishment of the tributary state system to a greater extent than under the Han. Although they did not rule Tibet, the Tang were the first Chinese dynasty to exert influence over the previously foreboding plateau to the southeast. The Tang military was successful because it had learned to fight like the steppe nomads in many ways. The Tang were crazy about horses, which had previously been relatively rare in China, and imported and breed many different breeds, negating the main advantage of the nomads to their north. The Tang also promoted and used talented Central Asian generals (a decision which would later come back to haunt them). The Tangs grip on Xinjiang was firm during this time (the region had slipped from Chinese rule after the Han) and garrisons were established in the Western Region, an area that was expanding rapidly to dominate all of Central Asia up to the border of the Persian Empire. Until the Arabs defeated the Chinese in the Battle of Talas (751), it looked as though Central Asias future was with China. Numerous states near this region such as Kabul and Kashmir became direct tributaries to China. The Chinese also intervened in the affairs of their steppe neighbors and even in the northern heartland of India. The Tang Dynasty never recovered from the An Lushan Rebellion, when An Lushan, a Tang general of Central Asian origin, revolted and named himself emperor. Up to half of the empires population is said to have perished in the resulting fighting, famines, and diseases in what has been called one of historys largest man-made disasters. The Tang Dynasty managed to limp on due to support from Tibetan and Turkish soldiers but eventually collapsed. Qing The dynasties that followed the Tangs collapse were all very weak. It wasnt until the Ming Dynasty (13681644) hundreds of years later that another dynasty rule over the Chinese heartland without major threats or issues. However, the Ming is considered to be one of the worst Chinese dynasties, as China suffered a period of intellectual, political, and economic sterility under its rule. The Ming were followed by the Qing, Chinas last and one of its greatest dynasties, ruling from 1644 to 1911. This may seem puzzling since the Qing are often blamed for allowing the Chinese system to collapse and for the country to be humiliated by the West. These things did happen during Qing but it doesnt diminish from their achievements. Indeed, China today maintains borders far beyond its traditional heartland, losing comparatively little territory compared to other empires and their modern successor states (like Turkey and Iran) and this feat can be attributed to the policies and conquests of the Qing. The Qing Dynasty was actually not Chinese in origin. They were Manchus who after establishing a state in Manchuria, were let into China through the Great Wall by a dissident Ming general. They then proceeded to conquer or co-opt the rest of the country. Unlike the Mongols, the Qing established a lasting Chinese-style state. The introduction of new crops from the Americas also helped Chinas population grow to around 400 million. The Qing were the first Chinese state to effectively control regions like Tibet, Xinjiang, Manchuria, and Mongolia, peripheral regions that were inhabited by people that had always harassed China. They were able to do this because of their dual nature as both a Chinese imperial bureaucratic state able to draw on agrarian revenue, and as the leaders of a large northern tribal confederacy that was able to assimilate Mongol tribes into their system. Gunpowder also aided the Qings cause, allowing them to negate the power of the steppe tribes. The Qings masterful diplomacy was also part of its success. For example, the Qing ably played Russia and Great Britain off one another during the Great Game. Neither of those two powers wanted the other to gain more territory in Central Asia and were thus happy to led China keep most of its extensive empire as a buffer. Chinese influence also increased in Southeast Asia and Himalayan Asia to a greater degree than before during the Qing Empire, as many states like Myanmar, Nepal, Chitral Valley (in Pakistan today), and Siam became part of the Chinese system. The Qing could have done better at focusing on threats from the seafirst the West, and then Japan. On the whole, however, the Qing managed to lay the basis of Chinas continued control into the modern era of the resources of much of inner Asia, the Chinese equivalent of Americas wild west. This first appeared in 2015. Read full article Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) The future of ruling party PDP-Laban looks bleak, a solon and ally said on Monday. "I am afraid members of PDP Laban who are not really committed to the party, but rather transferred or jumped... will again go back to their original political parties," Interim Majority Leader Fredenil Castro told CNN Philippines' The Source. "When that happens, PDP-Laban, I suspect, may be erased from the political landscape of our country," he added. The remarks come amid confusion over the ruling party's leadership. Regional party members on Friday supposedly elected a new president last Friday in the person of Rogelio Garcia. However, PDP-Laban President and Senator Koko Pimentel dismissed the event as "unofficial, unauthorized, [and] rogue." President Rodrigo Duterte is set to meet with the two factions to reconcile their party. Moreover, House Deputy Speaker Nonoy Andaya said lawmakers are likely to ditch the ruling party for House Speaker Gloria Arroyo's Lakas-CMD. The party could merge with regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago of Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio. Arroyo replaced Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez in an unprecedented ouster ahead of the State of the Nation Address. Representatives told CNN Philippines that Duterte-Carpio, who had a public feud with Alvarez, had a hand in it. Dozens of representatives joined the ruling party when Duterte won the election in 2016. Now, that move may backfire. "If the membership of the PDP was simply created or established out of convenience, then the commitment and the feeling of unity of the members will also be very weak," said Castro. Castro, president of the National Unity Party, said he "never jumped" parties. However, he did not rule out the possibility of coalescing with Arroyo's Lakas-CMD. "It's possible," he said. "It's even possible that we coalesce with the Hugpong ng Pagbabago of Mayor Sara." Castro was deputy speaker under Alvarez, before throwing his support for Arroyo. Photo credit: Chris Doane Automotive - Car and Driver From Car and Driver While Toyota remains tight-lipped about its forthcoming Supra coupe, BMW has been far more forthright about its roadster, which will share mechanical underpinnings with the Toyota. Weve driven a prototype version of the 2020 BMW Z4 roadster and reported positive early impressions of the turbocharged six-cylinder M40i version. But while our natural instinct is always to hope for more performance and a sharper dynamic focus, it looks as if the M40i that we drove will be the top of the hierarchy. BMW M division boss Frank van Meel said the business case to produce a full-on M variant as a successor to the former Z4 M roadster and coupe is likely too marginal to justify the investment. Let me put it this way: I think the M40i is the perfect positioning regarding performance of that car, he said at a media event in Spain. Its quite close to the M2, so were really happy with the overall concept of that car being an M40i. If you would go any higher, it would be very, very narrow in customer groups. His statement, although not a formal denial of a faster version, does seem pretty close to a negative. Of course, if Toyota were to choose to create a higher-performance version of the Supra coupe, which we know will use the same BMW 3.0-liter engine, then corporate honor might oblige BMW to try to keep up. So lets hope that happens. Photo credit: Chris Doane Automotive - Car and Driver ('You Might Also Like',) Following the tragic death of their 19-month-old daughter, Bode and Morgan Miller say they are trying to live our days with purpose and theyre speaking out in hopes of preventing similar drownings. On Monday, the Olympic skier and pro-beach volleyball player appeared together on the Today show, opening up for the first time about the loss of their youngest child, Emeline Emmy Miller, on June 10 after she fell into a neighbors pool. Morgan and Bode Miller, at the Kentucky Derby in 2016, are opening up about the death of their daughter, who drowned in June. (Photo: Getty Images) Theres not a day that goes by that I dont pray for the opportunity to go back to that day and make it different, Morgan who was with Emmy when the tragedy occurred while Bode took his older daughter to her softball game admitted to Savannah Guthrie. But now we have this opportunity to make other parents days different. We have the choice to live our days with purpose, to make sure that no other parent has to feel what were feeling. Theres not a day that goes by that I dont pray for the opportunity to go back to that day and make it different.-Morgan Miller pic.twitter.com/fIpld2QE39 TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 30, 2018 On the day of the accident, Bode was swimming with some of the couples kids (Emeline and Nash, 3, and Bodes two children from previous relationships) earlier in the day, as he did practically every morning at the pool at their house, which they fenced before even moving in. Later, when he went to the ball game, Morgan took the rest of the kids to the home of their neighbors, a family so close to them that they visited several times a week. Morgan was on the sofa having tea while Emmy toddled around in front of her, and the boys, her stepson Nate and son Nash, played nearby. Emmy would go back and forth, which was all of 15 feet. And all of a sudden, it was just too quiet for me, Morgan recalled. Were in mid-conversation and I stood up. And I turned and I went right to where the boys were and I said, Where is Emmy?' However, before Nate could respond, I turned around and the door that leads to the backyard, that was closed, had this tiny sliver of light coming through the side. And my heart sank, and I opened the door and she was floating in the pool. Story continues Morgan jumped into the pool to pull her out and started CPR immediately while her neighbor called 911. They also called Bode, and he heard the whole thing play out on the phone. While they were initially told their daughter might survive, the doctor later said her brain had just not had enough oxygen for too long of a time, Bode explained. She brought so much to our lives. See @SavannahGuthrie's full interview with Bode and Morgan Miller about their daughter's drowning pic.twitter.com/iW96b4irMc TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 30, 2018 Bode went on to talk about drowning being the leading cause of unintentional death for children 1 to 4 years old. If its No. 1 for me, I want to know about it, said the skier, whose older children had participated in drowning prevention classes prior to the incident. Ive been to all the pediatricians meetings and checkups on our kids. And I cant say its come up one time. Not a single time. Bode called speaking about their daughters death an obligation to some degree. I think it does, in some way, help to heal a little bit. That maybe were preventing it from happening to somebody else. Though Morgan freely admitted, Guilt is a very painful thing. And even though its awful and living with it is terrible, and I hope and pray and beg that it gets easier, I am now much more aware in that area to make sure it doesnt ever happen again. Helping them through the tragedy are memories of their girl (who had a powerful, bull-like personality, said dad) and the love of their other children. When they talk about her and share stories, they always have a smile on their face, Morgan said. And they constantly remind us, Were still here. And it allows us to bring our focus back to the things we still have to be incredibly grateful for. Like the fact that they are expecting another child this fall, which has obviously been difficult in light of the circumstances. That was my first concern, Morgan admitted. Besides the fact of never being able to see my daughter again, it was, every time: How am I supposed to bring a new baby into this world without with just losing my baby? She said, Now we have the opportunity to get to love that baby not only for ourselves but for Emmy. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Monday said the Norton Simon Museum can keep two 16th century masterpieces depicting Adam and Eve by the German Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder, which had been looted by the Nazis during World War Two. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 against Marei von Saher, who has been suing the Pasadena, California-based museum for 11 years to reclaim the paintings, taken by the Nazis in a forced sale after her father-in-law, Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, fled the Netherlands in 1940. Circuit Judge Margaret McKeown said the "act of state" doctrine validated the 1966 sale of the paintings by the Dutch government, which by then owned them, to George Stroganoff-Scherbatoff, a onetime U.S. Navy commander and descendant of Russian aristocracy. He sold them in 1971 to the museum, which has displayed them ever since. Lawrence Kaye, a lawyer for von Saher, said he was "obviously disappointed" and would review the decision with his client. "Today's decision should finally put this matter to rest," the museum said in a statement. Many lawsuits seek to reclaim art taken or sold after Adolf Hitler took power in Germany in 1933. This includes the 6-1/4 foot (1.9 meters) tall Cranach panels, which had been purchased by Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring at a fraction of their value. In August 2016, U.S. District Judge John Walter in Los Angeles ruled that the paintings belonged to the museum. He said that under Dutch law, the Cranachs had been "enemy" property belonging to Goring, and that title had passed to the Dutch government, which had a right to sell them to Stroganoff. Upholding that ruling, McKeown instead invoked the act of state doctrine, where U.S. courts typically defer to foreign governments' sovereign actions, and avoid interfering with the executive branch's ability to conduct foreign policy. She said ruling for von Saher would require nullifying three "official" Dutch government actions: the 1966 sale to Stroganoff, a 1999 decision not to restore von Saher's rights, and a 2006 decision that her claim had been "settled." Story continues "Without question, the Nazi plunder of artwork was a moral atrocity that compels an appropriate governmental response," McKeown wrote for the Pasadena-based appeals court. "But the record ... reveals an official conveyance from the Dutch government to Stroganoff thrice 'settled' by Dutch authorities. For all the reasons the doctrine exists, we decline the invitation to invalidate the official actions of the Netherlands." The case is von Saher v Norton Simon Museum of Art at Pasadena et al, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 16-58308. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Tom Brown) Firefighters in northern California have finally begun gaining ground on the massive wildfire that has claimed at least six lives after doubling over the weekend fuelled by hot, dry conditions and swift winds that pushed the flames. As those workers, spread thin by the unrelenting conditions, fight to contain the fire that has left a charred area the size of Denver in its wake, the tragic stories of people trying to save their loved ones have begun to unfold, as at least seven people still remain missing in the region amid thousands of evacuations. The family of a 70-year-old woman and two children killed by the massive fires, for instance, described the final moments of their loved ones, with the woman trying in vain to save her two great-grandchildren using a wet blanket at their house outside of Redding. The victims were identified by relatives as James Roberts, five, his sister Emily, four, and their great grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70. Ms Bledsoes granddaughter, Amanda Woodley, said on Facebook: Grandma did everything she could to save them, she was hovered over them both with a wet blanket. The family that lives in town are all together mourning three amazing souls. My heart is crushed I cant believe this is real. The childrens mother, Sherry Bledsoe, was quoted by the Sacramento Bee as saying: My kids are deceased. Thats all I can say. Ms Bledsoes husband cried as he recalled trying to get back to the house on Thursday after leaving to go to the shop. Ed Bledsoe discovered police had already closed the roads and he was not allowed through. He said he spoke to the children on the phone until they succumbed to the fire. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told a news conference near the city of Redding at the edge of the blaze on Sunday one more person had been killed in a residence consumed by fire, bringing the total to six, including two firefighters. He said the latest victim had not complied with an evacuation order. Story continues Positioned around 150 miles (240 km) north of Sacramento, the Carr Fire is the deadliest of the 90 wildfires burning across the US. Wildfires have blackened 4.4 million acres (1.8 million hectares) of land in total so far this year, around 20 per cent more than the average. More than 3,000 firefighters battling the Carr Fire had begun to make progress on Sunday afternoon, cutting containment lines around 17 per cent of its perimeter, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Gale force winds that drove the fire into a frenzy last week have eased, but temperatures are again expected to exceed 37.8C, according to the National Weather Service. Even so, firefighters say they still face difficult conditions on the western flank of the blaze, where the terrain is steep and the air is thick with smoke. Thats why we need to fly, Dominic Polito, who works for the Escondido Fire Department, said in an interview. We can still use helicopters, but we cant use the fixed-wing aircraft. Firefighting officials on Sunday said they would begin to return people to their homes as soon as possible. The fire grew rapidly beginning on Thursday, confounding fire officials with the speed of its movement. All told, nearly 1,000 buildings have been destroyed in the blaze, which has prompted President Donald Trump to issue an emergency declaration that allowed federal money to be spent on efforts to contain the fire. Included in those 1,000 buildings was the entire town of Kenswick, where 450 people live. Meanwhile, residents have also been rushing to keep their horses and livestock safe from the blaze as it runs through the rugged region known usually as a popular fishing destination. Additional reporting by Reuters By Prak Chan Thul and Amy Sawitta Lefevre PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) said on Monday it had won all 125 parliamentary seats up for grabs in a general election a day earlier that critics said was neither free nor fair. Cambodia woke to another chapter of rule by strongman Hun Sen a day after an election that was heavily criticized by rights groups, the United States and other Western countries. "The CPP won 77.5 percent of the votes and won all the parliamentary seats," CPP spokesman Sok Eysan told Reuters by telephone. "The other parties won no seats." The White House said it would consider steps, including an expansion of visa restrictions placed on some Cambodian government members, in response to "flawed elections" in which there was no significant challenger to Hun Sen. Critics say the election was a backward step for democracy in Cambodia following the dissolution last year of the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and the jailing of its leader, Kem Sokha, on treason charges. Former CNRP president Sam Rainsy, who lives in exile, said the election was a "hollow" victory for Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander who has ruled Cambodia for nearly 33 years. The United States has imposed visa curbs on some Cambodian government members over a crackdown on critics and levied sanctions in June on a high-ranking official close to Hun Sen. The European Union has threatened Cambodia with economic sanctions. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Sunday's vote "failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people". "The flawed elections, which excluded the country's principal opposition party, represent the most significant setback yet to the democratic system enshrined in Cambodias constitution," Sanders said. The election campaign was marred by threats from national and local leaders, she said. "The United States will consider additional steps to respond to the elections and other recent setbacks to democracy and human rights in Cambodia, including a significant expansion of the visa restrictions announced on December 6, 2017," Sanders said. Government spokesman Phay Siphan said the White House statement was an attempt to intimidate Cambodia. "This is against the Cambodians who went to vote to decide their own fate," Phay Siphan told Reuters. Even as the West criticized the process, Hun Sen still has one important ally, China, which offered warm congratulations for a smooth election. China has poured billions of dollars in development assistance and loans into Cambodia through bilateral frameworks and its Belt and Road initiative to build a new Silk Road. "I believe that the Cambodian parliament election is an internal matter for Cambodia," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing in Beijing on Monday. "We hope that the international community can provide constructive help for Cambodia to remain stable and achieve development." 'DEATH OF DEMOCRACY' CNRP Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Monovithya Kem told a news conference in Jakarta on Monday the party welcomed the White House statement and hoped others would follow suit. The CNRP also called on the international community to reject the result of the election. "29 July 2018 marked the death of democracy in Cambodia, a dark new day in recent history," said CNRP vice president Mu Sochua. "The result announced by the CPP and the National Election Committee must be fully rejected by the international community." Newspaper headlines in Cambodia on Monday greeted Hun Sen's victory. "CPP Dominates Election: Unofficial results show ruling party will increase its majority in the National Assembly," said the pro-government Khmer Times newspaper. Some independent media were targeted by Hun Sen and his allies in a pre-election crackdown. More than 82 percent of those registered to vote cast a ballot, according to the National Election Committee. Turnout was 90 percent in the 2017 local election and 69.61 percent in the previous general election in 2013. Polling stations visited by Reuters in the capital, Phnom Penh, were quiet on Sunday and some voters said they voted because not doing so would land them in trouble. The CNRP had called on voters to boycott the election but authorities warned anyone doing so would be seen as a traitor. At the Kapkor Market in Phnom Penh, Meas Sinuon, 60, said she was pleased with Sunday's result. "This government has done good things already," she said as she shopped for groceries. "But I want the new government to do more to help the people." Another voter, a Phnom Penh tuk-tuk driver who declined to be identified, described the result as "same". Unofficial election results are expected in mid-August. (Additional reporting by Mike Stone in WASHINGTON, Fanny Potkin in JAKARTA, Chantha Lach and Juarawee Kittisilpa in PHNOM PENH, Martin Quin Pollard in BEIJING; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Paul Tait and Nick Macfie) Montreal (AFP) - Authorities in Canada's easternmost province said Thursday they had reached a tentative agreement with Norwegian oil giant Equinor to develop a major oil field discovered off Newfoundland in the North Atlantic. The province has agreed with the petroleum company, the former Statoil, to acquire a 10 percent share in the planned exploration of the oil field in the Bay du Nord, 500 kilometers (300 miles) northeast of capital city Saint John's, said Dwight Ball, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Province. The field is estimated to contain at least 300 million barrels of oil, lying some 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) below the ocean's surface. Plans call for the first deep-water platform in eastern Canada, officials said. Exploratory work is set to begin in 2020, with the first oil production expected in 2025. "This framework agreement provides important clarity and stability (for) Equinor and our partner Husky Energy," said Unni Fjaer, vice president of Equinor's Canadian subsidiary. According to official estimates, the Bay du Nord project will cost Can$6.8 billion ($5.2 billion) while generating some Can$3.5 billion in revenues for Newfoundland, through taxes and royalties. Statoil, Equinor's predecessor, had announced in 2013 the discovery of oil in the Flemish Pass Basin, a relatively little-explored geological formation within the Bay du Nord. Three years later the Norwegian company announced that the oil field contained exploitable reserves totaling between 300 million and 600 million barrels. Ottawa (AFP) - Canadian authorities said Monday they have been quietly collecting DNA of migrants and matching it to distant relatives using genealogical websites in order to establish their nationality. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says it does so only in extreme cases -- such as that of a man who claimed to be Guinean but was turned back from that country after Canada tried to deport him. Immigration lawyers, however, are concerned about law enforcement's collection of migrants' DNA and the privacy of data held by websites such as Ancestry.com and FamilyTreeDNA.com. "The CBSA uses DNA testing in order to determine identity of longer term detainees when other avenues of investigation have been exhausted," spokesman Jayden Robertson said. The agency said the testing assists in "determining identity by providing indicators of nationality thereby enabling us to focus further lines of investigation on particular countries." It always obtains consent from the individual before submitting their DNA to these websites, it added. But Toronto immigration lawyer Jared Will, who represents several people who had their DNA analyzed in order to establish their nationality, disputes that. "In my experience, the CBSA has made these requests to detainees who are then accused of non-cooperation with removal efforts if they decline, and that non-cooperation is then invoked as a justification for continued and prolonged detention," he told AFP. "In other words, while the detainees may formally give their consent, the validity of that consent is dubious," he said. Others noted that one's ethnicity or family ties may not determine their nationality. Scrutiny of the practice comes as Canada announced Monday it was expanding the collection of biometrics like fingerprints and photos for refugee claimants, individuals facing extradition and foreign nationals seeking a temporary resident visa, work permit or study permit. Story continues Border security has become a political hot potato with the arrival on foot from the United States of 30,000 asylum seekers since January 2017 putting strains on Canada's refugee system and provoking a public backlash. According to court documents, migrant Ebrahim Toure spent more than four years in Canadian detention pending removal. He initially refused a DNA swab but eventually relented last year. Toure had arrived in Canada in 2011 using a fraudulent French passport, and was ordered deported. He later claimed to be a Guinean national, so Canada tried to send him there. But on arrival at the Conakry airport Guinean officials refused him entry, saying a birth certificate he provided was fraudulent. They also noted that he didn't speak French, the official language of Guinea. The CBSA subsequently examined his Facebook account that listed 48 friends mostly from Gambia, interviewed members of Toronto's Gambian community who knew him, concluded from a linguistic analysis that he was "very likely" Gambian, and sought to match his DNA on genealogical sites to relatives in Gambia. By Jenna Zucker TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asked on Monday if he would support a ban on handguns, said he was looking at a range of options after last week's shooting in Toronto left two dead and 13 wounded. Trudeau spoke after laying flowers at the site of the shooting, promising to look at a "broad range" of options in order to make "the right decision for the long term," and adding that the city needed time to heal. "Strength of community comes from moments of resilience like this," he said. Police have said 29-year-old Faisal Hussain used a handgun when he opened fire along Toronto's Danforth Avenue. They have not released any other information on the weapon, or said whether it was obtained legally. His motive is not clear. On Monday, sidewalks in the area were lined with flowers and messages of hope written in chalk. Police surrounded the site as Trudeau arrived, following the funeral of 18-year-old victim Reese Falcon, who was shot while on a night out with friends. In Markham, mourners gathered at a Greek Orthodox church to honor 10-year-old victim Julianna Kozis. Dozens of people surrounded the fountain, lighting candles and talking quietly. A single protester interrupted Trudeau, and was shouted down by onlookers before being escorted away by police. (Editing by Jonathan Oatis) JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Russia cannot compel Iranian forces to quit Syria, Moscow's ambassador to Tel Aviv said on Monday, rebuffing Israel's long-standing demand that it should work to ensure their total withdrawal from the country. Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov said Moscow could equally do nothing to prevent Israeli military strikes against Iranian forces in Syria, which along with Russia and Tehran-backed Lebanese militias are supporting President Bashar al-Assad in combating rebel fighters. With Assad now in almost complete control of southwestern areas abutting the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights, Viktorov told Israel's Channel 10 television in an interview that only Syrian army troops should be deployed there. Last week an Israeli official said Russia had offered to keep Iranian forces at least 100 km (60 miles) from the Golan Heights ceasefire line. The offer came up during a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, but Israel rejected it as insufficient, the official said. Viktorov defended the Iranians' presence in Syria. "They are playing a very, very important role in our common and joint effort to eliminate terrorists in Syria. That is why, for this period of time, we see as non-realistic any demands to expel any foreign troops from the entirety of the Syrian Arab Republic," he said. "We can talk with our Iranian partners very frankly and openly, trying to persuade them to do or not to do something," he said. But asked whether Russia can force Iran out, he answered: "We cannot." While formally neutral in the seven-year-old civil war next door, Israel has carried out scores of air strikes against suspected emplacements or arms transfers by Iranian or Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas in Syria, apparently unimpeded by the Russian defense systems deployed there. A military hotline Israel and Russia set up in 2015 has also helped to the countries avoid inadvertently clashing over Syria. Viktorov expressed disapproval of the attacks on Syria, but added: "We cannot dictate to Israel how to proceed ... It is not up to Russia to give Israel freedom to do anything, or to prohibit Israel to do anything." (Writing by Dan Williams; editing by David Stamp) A fast-moving wildfire scorching Northern California specifically in the city of Redding has left a path of death and destruction as more than 3,300 firefighters work to tame its aggressive flames. Dubbed the Carr Fire, the fatal inferno has killed six people, including three members of one family and two firefighters, since it started last week and has the potential to become among one of the largest wildfires in Californias history as it continues to burn with 20% containment. Ignited last Monday due to a spark caused by a vehicle failure, the massive wildfire prompted thousands of residents in Redding and nearby neighborhoods in Shasta County to escape their homes. Fueled by dry brush, triple-digit temperatures and shifting winds, the Carr fire has been particularly difficult for firefighters to control, and the steep terrain in which it burns makes it hard to build containment lines. The Carr Fire exhibits yet another example of a new normal for California wildfires as the fire seasons grow longer and fires become faster-moving and more aggressive. Heres what to know about the deadliest and largest blaze currently burning in California including where it is, how many homes have been destroyed and how much of the fire has bee ncontained. Where the Carr fire is burning A power pole leans over a burned property as the sky turns a deep orange during the Carr fire near Redding, California on July 27, 2018. Burning in the mountainous Shasta County, the Carr Fire has scorched neighborhoods in and around Redding, a Northern California city with a population of more than 91,800 people that sits along the Sacramento River. The city is about an two-and-a-half-hour drive from the states capital. The fire began last week in the foothills of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and spread throughout the week and weekend down toward Redding and surrounding neighborhoods and roadways. The fast-moving flames picked up speed last Thursday, when it expanded by 33,444 acres, according to a detailed map from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The next few days it expanded by more than 23,000 acres each day. As of Monday morning, the fire burned through 98,724 acres. Story continues Homes destroyed and lives lost Wade Brilz looks at his burned home with his family during the Carr fire in Redding, California on July 27, 2018. At least 966 homes and buildings have been destroyed and 193 others have been damaged by the Carr Fire so far, with 5,012 structures still threatened by its flames. Some residents over the weekend returned to ashes where their homes once stood and rummaged through the destruction to find valuables, according to the Associated Press. At least five people died as a result of the Carr fire, and officials are looking into seven missing persons reports. Don Ray Smith, an 81-year-old civilian bulldozer operator who worked to clear trees and dry brush from the fires path, died, as well as Jeremy Stroke, a 37-year-old a fire prevention inspector. California Gov. Jerry Brown lowered the Capitol flags to remember the fallen firefighters. ?? @JerryBrownGov Lowers Capitol Flags in Honor of Fallen Firefighters, Secures Federal Assistance to Support Communities Impacted by #CarrFire https://t.co/zfSMfbyeoF pic.twitter.com/5HfNZDMF1h Gov. Brown Press Office (@GovPressOffice) July 28, 2018 A great-grandmother and her two young great-grandchildren were killed Thursday when flames from the Carr fire encroached on their Redding home. The great-grandmothers husband, Ed Bledsoe, told CBS News he had left the house for 15 minutes when his wife Melody, 70, called him to say the flames were suddenly at their backdoor. He said they had not received an evacuation warning; otherwise, he said, he would have been at the house with them. I wouldve died right there with them, he told CBS News. Theyre that important to me. A sixth victim was found on Sunday, officials said. Massive size and small containment Firefighters monitor a backfire during the Carr fire in Redding, California on July 27, 2018. Scorching 98,724 acres over the last week, the Carr Fire could become one of the largest wildfires in Californias history. The states top 20 wildfires in recorded history span from last Decembers monstrous Thomas Fire, which became the largest ever when it scorched 281,893 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara, to 1990s Campbell Complex fire, which burned 125,892 acres in Tehama. With more than 960 structures destroyed, the Carr Fire is already one of the most destructive wildfires in state history, according to a list compiled by Cal Fire. At 20% containment as of Monday morning, firefighters do not have an estimate on when the Carr fire will be fully contained. Officials told the Los Angeles Times firefighters halted the fires spread in Reddings city limits, though it is still burning in remote areas. Officials from Cal Fire did not respond immediately to TIMEs request for comment. Fire season is well underway An air tanker drops retardant while battling the Ferguson fire in Stanislaus National Forest, near Yosemite National Park, California on July 21, 2018. The Carr Fire is just one of 17 wildfires blazing across California as the 2018 fire season gets into full swing. In addition to the deaths caused by the Carr Fire, the Ferguson Fire burning in Mariposa County near Yosemite National Park has killed two firefighters who were fighting to contain the dangerous blaze. Last week, for the first time in 20 years, Yosemite closed popular portions of its national park during the peak of its tourist season as the nearby Ferguson Fire brought in dangerous smoke into the area. The park initially closed popular sections through July 29, but officials extended its closures to 4 p.m. on Friday, August 3. Even before the extended closures, nearby businesses in Mariposa County anticipated substantial losses in businesses as tourists scrambled to cancel their bed and breakfast reservations and touring groups rerouted their expeditions through Yosemite. The thousands of firefighters working to contain the large, aggressive fires throughout the state will face harsh conditions this week as temperatures hit the triple digits and shifting winds fuel fast-moving flames. Officials issued air quality alerts for cities in Sacramento County, San Joaquin County and Reno, Nevada, among other areas, as the smoke from surrounding fires impact the air. During a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, CBSs board of directors did not take any immediate disciplinary action against Leslie Moonves following last weeks bombshell New Yorker article in which six women accused the networks CEO and chairman of sexual harassment. The board is in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation, CBS said in a press release. No other action was taken on this matter at todays board meeting. The New Yorkers Ronan Farrow reported Friday that four of the six women, including actress and writer Illeana Douglas, are accusing Moonves of attempting to forcibly kiss or touch them during business meetings. Two other women said Moonves physically intimidated them or threatened their careers. The allegations include incidents that occurred recently and some that date back more than 20 years. The CBS chief, who has previously spoken out in support of the Me Too movement sweeping the entertainment industry, denied any wrongdoing. I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances, Moonves said Friday in a statement. Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected and abided by the principle that no means no, and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyones career. Moonves has been at the network since he was hired as president of CBS Entertainment in 1995. He married CBS News anchor Julie Chen, who joined the network in 2002, in 2004. Chen issued a defense of her husband last week and said on The Talk, of which she is a co-host, that she will stand by her statement today, tomorrow, forever. Moonves and rival Shari Redstone, who serves as vice chairwoman of CBS and Viacom, are currently embroiled in a battle over control of the network. Restone, the controlling shareholder of both CBS and Viacom, is trying to merge the two companies which would push out Moonves as leader of the network. Story continues Related Coverage Sources: NBC Let Ronan Farrow's Weinstein Scoop Slip Away CBS News Fires Political Director Over 'Inappropriate Behavior' CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves Accused Of Sexual Harassment Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. San Francisco (AFP) - CBS directors are weighing whether chairman and chief executive Leslie Moonves should step aside as the US television network investigates claims he sexually harassed women, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. The CBS board is expected to choose a special committee that would oversee the probe, which will include an examination of the company's workplace culture, people familiar with the matter told the Journal. Board members meet via conference call on Monday. The special committee is set to choose a law firm to lead the probe by mid-week, and determine whether Moonves should be suspended during the investigation, according to the Journal. "I think the board realizes as a whole that this is a very, very, very serious situation," a person familiar with the matter told the newspaper. "While there is an important Les piece to this, really, more important to the company as a whole is that this raises serious issues with regard to culture and harassment throughout the company." A New Yorker article published Friday recounted accounts by six women who had professional dealings with Moonves and said he sexually harassed them between the 1980s and late 2000s. Four described forcible touching or kissing during business meetings, and two said Moonves physically intimidated them or threatened to derail their careers, The New Yorker's Ronan Farrow reported. Moonves expressed regret for any behavior that may have made women "uncomfortable," but insisted he had not retaliated to "harm or hinder anyone's career." The revelations come amid a legal battle for control of the US television giant -- between the Redstone family, which controls CBS, and the board, chaired by Moonves. Shari Redstone is a major shareholder of both CBS and Viacom, and is seeking to merge the two companies. Moonves opposes the deal. LOS ANGELES (AP) Maria Santamaria made sure to follow the U.S. immigration rules. She obtained a green card through her husband, came to the country on an immigrant visa and became an American citizen. When her sister came on a travel visa fleeing violence and civil war in her native El Salvador, she helped her get a green card to stay in the U.S. That process took 16 years. "If we had not been of the middle class, we never could have come here legally," Santamaria said. "They would never give a visa to the poor." At a time when President Donald Trump and other conservatives are repeatedly calling on people to come here legally, most immigrants have few options to do so under the country's complex immigration system. Visas are hard to come by, especially for immigrants struggling with poverty and joblessness in Central America. The other main option for legal immigration getting a family member who is an American citizen or green card holder to sponsor them can take more than a decade. Trump has again endorsed the legal immigration route in recent weeks amid the furor over his administration's policy of separating children from parents at the border, saying the immigrants should be sent home and they can try to come back with legal papers in hand. "I have a solution: tell people not to come to our country illegally," Trump said recently. "Don't come to our country illegally. Come like other people do. Come legally." The realities of legal immigration in the U.S. aren't quite that simple. Getting a visitor's visa known as a B-2 visa requires proving a certain amount of wealth that most in developing countries like El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras don't have. That's because the visa application requires them to show income, properties or other assets to prove they will likely return to their countries. Other visas require specialized skills, a corporate sponsor or an American relative who will sponsor them in a process that can take years due to a complex quota system. Story continues Those fleeing violence or persecution can seek asylum legally at designated points along the country's southwest border or upon arriving at the airport. But tens of thousands of Central Americans are caught trying to enter the country illegally each year, which experts conceded may be their only way to come unless they have a strong asylum claim or money. "The main way if they don't have a relative who sponsored them years ago in a family-based category so they may be current now to come is they are going to have to apply for a B-2 non-immigrant visa, and they're likely to be denied," said Daniel Sharp, legal director for the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles. The near impossibility of getting a visa may lead some migrants to head north without one. Edvin Cazun, a 43-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, said he tried to come to the United States legally by paying for a short-term farmworker visa but was ripped off by the people who claimed they could sell him one. When he tried to get his money back, he said they threatened to kill him. He then fled with his son to the United States, leaving behind his wife and four other children, and tried to cross the U.S. border illegally. He and his son who were separated for more than a month are now staying with relatives in Hamilton, Ohio, and plan to seek asylum. "The company told us they were legal, but in the end we found out that they were persons who stole money from the people," he said. "It was pure fraud." More than 160,000 immigrants from the three Central American countries were caught on the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2017 fiscal year, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. Many traveled as family groups and tens of thousands children made the trip on their own. In the same year, roughly 26,000 people from these same countries were granted visas to move permanently to the United States the vast majority because a relative had sponsored them. Fewer than 100 were sponsored for a green card by an employer, State Department statistics show. About 136,000 people were granted so-called B-2 visitor visas to travel to the United States but on those visas, they are not allowed to stay. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said Central Americans fleeing persecution can come to designated ports of entry to seek asylum or seek protection in Mexico or other countries. But that's not an option for immigrants seeking a better job or to escape poverty, he said. "For most people in Central America, just as for most people in the world, there is no way to come here," said Krikorian, whose group wants stricter limits on immigration. "To say they should come legally doesn't mean everybody who wants to get in gets in it means they need to follow the rules, and it might mean they don't get in." Santamaria said she believes there are many people coming who, like her sister in the 1980s, are fleeing violence. Others have been convinced they can still reach the American dream by heading north and aren't really seeking humanitarian protection. For some, she said, it's a mix. Gangs prey on children in poor communities and their parents send them north, fearing for their safety and their future. They could never afford to apply for a visa and those who are wealthy enough to do so wouldn't want to move here, she said. The 62-year-old Santamaria said she came north to follow her husband, a legal resident who was serving in the U.S. army. Otherwise, she said she probably wouldn't have made the trip, recalling how she was headed for a career as a businesswoman in El Salvador and wound up getting work as a hotel maid after arriving here. She is now organizing director for a hotel workers' union in Los Angeles. "If I had a visa and a good economic situation in my country I wouldn't come to this country," said Santamaria. "Those who are living well in our country do not come to this one." ___ Associated Press writer Roxana Hegeman in Wichita, Kansas contributed to this report. China has charged its former top Internet regulator, Lu Wei, with corruption. Charges against Lu and two other former officials, Mo Jiancheng and Zhang Jiehui, were made by the Supreme Peoples Procurate and announced Monday through state-owned media. Cases against the three were filed in Ningbo, Beijing and Taiyuan. Trial dates were not announced. State media said Lu had taken advantage of his positions and used other officials to seek profits for others. It said he had accepted a huge amount of money and property. The allegations related to Lus activities while at state news agency Xinhua, the Beijing municipal party committee, Communist Partys central committee and at the Cyberspace Administration of China. Until 2016, Lu had been head of the CAC, the body established to censor and control the Internet. He was seen as the charismatic head of a crackdown as China moved to establish its own norms and practices, under a policy known as Internet Sovereignty. Lu is one of the highest profile officials to be taken down by the anti-corruption campaign that has marked Xi Jinpings presidency. Lu was expelled from the Communist Party in February this year, and denounced by the anti-corruption body as tyrannical, arbitrary, and shameless. He was also alleged to have lost self-control and to have traded power for sexual favors. With Lu neutralized, China is understood to be close to announcing the appointment of new heads of the propaganda and Internet sectors. A close ally of Xis, Xu Lin, is expected to move from the CAC and be named new head of the Communist Partys international propaganda, replacing Jiang Jianguo. Zhuang Rongwen, a senior official in the State Administration of Press and Publication, and also director of the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications, is tipped to take over at the CAC. Related stories 'Hotel Transylvania 3' Set for China Theatrical Release China's 'Billionaire' Earns $131 Million in Its Opening Weekend China Reverses Facebook's Planned Office Opening Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! China is being called a new Silicon Valley, striving for global domination through companies covering a wide array of technologies. In the second quarter of this year alone, its startups reportedly attracted 47 percent of all global venture capital, compared with the 35 percent that companies in the United States and Canada cumulatively raised. For the first time, Chinese entrepreneurs took the lead in venture fundraising, proving that the nation's combination of long-term state planning -- as well as specialization in areas such as robotics, new-energy vehicles and biotechnology -- may be paying off. Yet venture capitalists say there's a dark side to China's tech sector, stemming from something other industries and countries would envy: Too much money from both the government and the private sector is pouring into startups, regardless of a company's merits. The overflow of money into China's tech sector reflects how companies in all of the country's industries have trouble assessing risk, a result of following government priorities, not market forces, experts say. The landscape rings eerily familiar to the internet bubble that formed in the U.S. in the 1990s, and as a result, China's decadeslong economic boom is also fueling massive debt. "You have like $70 (billion)-$80 billion a year going into venture (capital), but you are getting funded not just the good companies but also the bad companies," says William Bao Bean, managing director of Chinaccelerator, a Shanghai-based startup accelerator for software companies in China. That's happening, Bao Bean says, because of the pressure put on VCs to invest from shareholders and owners. A bad company is not necessarily one that is unprofitable, experts say. Entities that are poorly conceived and put together present a much higher risk of never being successful. Such companies, although having the potential to temporarily create jobs, might ultimately hurt investors and damage consumer confidence. Story continues Funding for even the least-promising businesses is readily available. Company founders can put in their own resources or call venture capital firms to help jump -start an effort. They also can access popular investment programs from the giant technology companies in the area, such as Alibaba -- China's e-commerce platform that reported transactions worth $248 billion in 2017 -- or Tencent, a social media platform worth more than Facebook. These companies, experts say, have the luxury of constantly investing in any startup that simply looks interesting because of their massive financial resources. [ MORE: The Countries Seen as the Best to Start a Business] "At the end of the day (even if those startups don't make money), they can always fold it in," says Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group, a Shanghai-based strategic market intelligence firm, and author of a book on Chinese innovation. "It's not like in venture capital firms where you have to be a lot more thoughtful on valuation because that is your only source of revenue. (Alibaba and Tencent) approach pretty much anything that comes out and hope that 1 of the 100 investments makes money." Public officials in China have also created investment funds for startups, a result of Beijing's priority to create well-paying jobs for China's growing middle class. Premier Li Keqiang frequently boasts of the country's "mass entrepreneurship and innovation initiative," but rarely acknowledges the failures along the way. Money That Hurts Innovation The relationship between money and innovation has fueled many debates. Some argue that the more financial resources a company has, the better chances it has to develop new methods and products to support its core business. Others say the role of money is overrated, and that success relies on more than seed capital. As a result, a company with too much capital removes the incentive for creative solutions and damages its long-term future. These days , China's big tech companies appear willing to overpay for the development of new products that look good in the eyes of their shareholders, Rein says. This is bad, he adds, because new companies might need to struggle less with developing a workable business plan and simply focus on the concept they put forward. "Tencent and Alibaba are not just throttling the market, but in many ways they are hurting innovation," Rein says. "Because right now basically people are saying, 'Let's start a company. Let's create something that sounds innovative, even if it's not. Let's not necessarily plan on research and development for five years, let's instead create something that sounds good and then sell it to Tencent or Alibaba. '" In 2017 alone , Alibaba spent $11 billion on its top 10 investments, while in the past two years it sealed 70 deals worth a combined $29 billion. Tencent invested in more than 60 companies in 2018. The two companies have become the core investors new companies need to have to ensure a smooth market penetration. "If you are a tech startup you either have to get money from Tencent or Alibaba or you won't be able to grow because these two companies control the tech ecosystem," Rein says. "Basically , any new idea is getting funded by one of the two and its major competitor is funded by the other one of the two." While the Chinese technology sector seems to be driven by trends -- startups tied to blockchain or artificial intelligence are currently fashionable -- experts say competition on the open market has become so high in the country that young companies need more than investment capital to be successful. "Everything to do with sales and marketing is super important, even more so than I would say in the U.S. because it's such a highly competitive market and everything moves super, super fast," says Tal Badt, director of business development at Tsinghua University's x-lab, a university-based education platform aimed at fostering creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. "In order to survive, they have to stake a claim very early on, devote a lot of resources and be very, very aggressive toward fast expansion in all directions." Money also ends up being used as a "weapon," experts say, with the richest companies more easily attracting talent and destabilizing competitors. "So if one company gets more funding than the others, the others just go in and steal all the competing company's employees or they'll take out the key employees," Bao Bean says. "And most people have an impression of China (as being all about) cheap labor, but compensations at (the) senior level are similar to Silicon Valley, and at the middle level maybe slightly below." Competition exists among investors in China's startups, as well. If "you come up with something cool, very soon there's going to be investors hanging around your doorstep because there's just so much money here and there's so few investments that investors in many ways have to beg to get in on deals," Rein says. To compete against the wealthy tech giants -- namely, AliBaba and Tencent -- experts say VCs need to do a better job at selling their services and expertise. This can prove challenging, Rein adds, because many venture capitalists in China lack entrepreneurial experience: "Most of them are deal-makers," he says. Developing competitive companies in China will require Beijing to relax strict rules it imposes on businesses, others argue. China needs to accept competition from both domestic and foreign companies, experts say. "If you're throwing money at companies and blocking out foreign competition you are probably not going to get a first-rate company," says Robert Manning, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington D.C.-based foreign affairs think tank, and co-author of a report on global innovation. Change is already slowly happening, experts say, and early stage entrepreneurs in the future may need to rely more on their own money to develop a workable business, as investors are beginning to turn more conservative. "If you're (a) super-early stage startup, It'll be very hard for you to get funding from anyone that's kind of more institutional or (a) private investor, and that's a big concern" says Badt , of Tsinghua University. "I think almost everyone that I spoke with is looking for companies that already have some sort of test case, some user base and are at least in A round (the first major round of business financing) , if not further along in terms of the corporate development. "And this is also happening in Israel, in the U.S. and Europe, so the Chinese are taking the same approach." Sintia Radu covers international affairs and technology for U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter @sintiaradu and send her suggestions and ideas at sradu@usnews.com. Dushanbe (Tajikistan) (AFP) - The Islamic State jihadist group on Monday claimed an attack that killed four foreign cyclists in Tajikistan in what was originally reported as a hit-and-run road accident. The victims, two Americans, a Swiss and Dutch citizen, were struck by a car and attacked on Sunday while on a popular cycle route in the Danghara district, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the capital Dushanbe. "(The suspects) had knives and firearms," said interior minister Ramazon Hamro Rahimzoda, adding that two other cyclists, Swiss and Dutch nationals, were injured and hospitalised. "One tourist received a knife wound and is being given medical assistance. The victim's condition is stable," said Rahimzoda, without mentioning a nationality. Another cyclist with the group, a French citizen, escaped without injury and had been questioned by police, he added. In a statement published Monday, IS said that a "detachment from the soldiers of the Caliphate" had carried out the attack against "citizens of Crusader coalition countries," according to intelligence monitor SITE. Five people suspected of involvement in the attack were killed by police and at least four suspects detained, according to separate police accounts. Among the dead suspects was 21-year-old Jafariddin Yusufov, the owner of the Daewoo Leganza car that struck the tourists on Sunday afternoon, local officials said. A Belgian cyclist who said he arrived at the scene after the attack told Flemish broadcaster VRT that he saw "several cyclists on the ground. Some were completely shocked". "When I asked what had happened, the first thing someone said was that they had been hit by a car and that the people who had come out had started stabbing them with knives," cyclist Nicolas Moerman said. The Dutch foreign ministry told AFP on Monday that one of the dead tourists was a 56-year-old man who was cycling the route with his 58-year-old partner, without providing names. Story continues The cyclists were travelling on a road that adjoins the famous Pamir Highway, a Soviet-era road surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. - 'Act of terror'? - "We can't say if it is an act of terror," Rahimzoda said earlier on Monday. "We are considering all possibilities," he added but said that "state institutions are being guarded... to provide safety for citizens and tourists". The US embassy in Tajikistan confirmed that two of the fatalities were American citizens. The Swiss foreign ministry on Monday told AFP that Switzerland "calls for every effort to be made to shed light on this serious incident". "If it is established that this was a terrorist attack, it will be noted in (Switzerland's) future travel advice for Tajikistan," said ministry spokeswoman Silvia Muller while noting that the motive for the attack was still unclear. A French diplomatic source told AFP that the country's embassy in Tajikistan was "engaged in facilitating the return" of the French survivor of the attack. Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon sent notes of condolence to the US, Switzerland and the Netherlands over the deaths and called for increased security throughout the country at a special meeting on Monday with the country's law enforcement chiefs. Tajik authorities had declared 2018 "a year of tourism" in the former Soviet republic. In June, Rakhmon said that state officials found to be soliciting bribes from tourists would be deemed "traitors" and fired from their positions. Visitor numbers had quadrupled in the first five months of 2018 compared the same period last year, he said. Tajikistan is the poorest of the ex-Soviet republics and has been ruled by Rakhmon, 65, since 1992. Corals in the Mediterranean sea have been filmed catching and eating jellyfish for the first time. Scientists have shown for the first time that corals can cooperate to capture and devour jellyfish which are swept against the walls by ocean currents. A team including researchers from the University of Edinburgh made the discovery when they spotted jellyfish stuck to undersea cliffs and caves near islands off the coast of Sicily. Observations showed how the corals which feed mostly on tiny marine creatures called plankton are able to catch such large prey. As jellyfish try to swim away they brush against more of the individual corals which each latch onto them. This coordinated effort to catch prey benefits the coral a bright orange species called Astroides calycularis by giving each access to a large meal. The jellyfish seen being eaten called Pelagia noctiluca, or the mauve stinger is responsible for most of the painful stings people suffer while swimming in the Mediterranean. Fabio Badalementi, Research Director at the Italian National Research Council and Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh, said: Although both species have been known for years, we had no idea that the coral could catch and eat these jellyfish. Professor Murray Roberts, of the University of Edinburghs School of GeoSciences, added: This is a really fascinating observation. The conventional wisdom is that corals dont eat jellyfish, but these results show that we need to keep both our eyes and minds open to new discoveries. The study, published in the journal Ecology, was a collaboration with researchers in Italy. AirPods be getting a price hike soon and its not due to any of the potential upgrades Apple reportedly has in the works. Indeed, while MacBook and iPhone customers may have so far been spared in the White Houses efforts to tax Chinese imports, customers looking for deals on the companys wireless earbuds may not get so lucky. Thats according to a recent Financial Times report Monday morning that Apple might be forced to raise the cost of AirPods if the government begins charging the company to ship in components from overseas. The report stated that analysts at Morgan Stanley have been eyeing the looming trade war between the United States and China as one of the companys greatest risks as its annual iPhone event approaches. Earlier in July, the Trump administration announced it would slap a 10 percent tax on $200 billion in Chinese products. The list of targeted goods includes everything from furniture to bicycle accessories, but the taxes on electronics components are what could make the $159 AirPods even pricer. According to the Nikkei Asian Review Chinese manufacturers account for 13.5 percent of Apples suppliers. These include companies like Inventec and Luxshare, that play major roles in the assembly of AirPods. Tariffs on these kinds of component providers have already taken a toll on companies like Tesla and Apple could be next. While iPhone sales still make up a massive portion of Apples revenue, auxiliary products like AirPods and the Apple Watch have also been playing an increasingly important role for the company. In the first-quarter of 2018, Apple reported $5.5 billion in revenue from these products alone. True, that only accounts for about 6 percent of Apples $88.3 billion revenue for Q1, but still big enough of a business for price hikes to rock the boat. Share of Apple's revenue by product category from the first quarter of 2012 to the second quarter of 2018. AirPods fall under the "Other Products" category. Story continues Thats because its accessories business is arguably one of the ripest areas for growth, (compare that $5.5 billion figure with the $3.2 billion its electronic accessories raked in during the last quarter of 2017). According to the market research firm Canalys speaking to the the Financial Times, that cost bump could be enough of a headwind to halt the impressive growth that these products have seen. If there was a change in price, obviously thats going to impact demand, said Vincent Thielke, a Canalys analyst. Apples second-quarter earnings report is scheduled for July 31. Katy Huberty, another Morgan Stanley analyst, is anticipating an in-line June quarter, but expect questions about what these newly imposed tariffs could mean for the future of certain Apple products. Photos via Unsplash / Thomas Kolnowski, Statista, Unsplash / Suganth More From Inverse Polar Bear Shot AP/Gustav Busch Arntsen governor of svalbard A polar bear was shot and killed on Saturday by guards from the German cruise ship MS Bremen. According to the ship's owner, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the bear was shot after it attacked a "polar bear guard" who was looking to see if the area was safe for tourists to explore. Many on social media were not pleased that an endangered animal was killed in its natural habitat. German cruise operator Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is facing some heavy backlash from the public after a guard employed by the company shot and killed a polar bear on an island in the Arctic Ocean. The incident occurred on Saturday after the MS Bremen stopped off the island of Spitsbergen, in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. A group of "polar bear guards" from the ship went on land ahead of the tourists to make sure none of the animals were in the area. One of the guards was "unexpectedly attacked" by a polar bear, which was shot dead by another guard in an act of self-defense, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said in a statement on Monday. The company claims that the animal was only shot once it became apparent the attacked guard's life was in danger and that the animal would not leave the scene. The Joint Rescue Coordination for northern Norway confirmed in a tweet on Saturday that the animal had been shot and killed. "We very much regret this incident," the cruise line said. "Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is very aware of its responsibility when traveling in environmentally-sensitive areas and respects all nature and wildlife." According to the Hamburg-based firm, its guard suffered head injuries from his encounter with the animal and was airlifted out to receive medical attention. His condition is stable and he "remains responsive." In a phone call with the New York Times, Moritz Krause, spokesman for Hapag-Llyod Cruises, said that usually, if a wild bear is seen, guards shoot into the air to scare the animal away. But he said the injured guard did not see the polar bear before it attacked. Story continues There are apparently 3,500 polar bears found in the Svalbard area, which forms the Arctic Ocean cluster the Spitsbergen island resides in. With a worldwide population of no more than 31,000, polar bears are among the most endangered species in the world. Public attention has recently increased to the plight polar bears face as their living conditions have changed drastically due to climate change. Even so, the dangers of encountering polar bears are well known to those traveling in the area. According to the Governor of Svalbard's website, "Due to the polar bear danger in Svalbard, any person traveling outside the settlements shall be equipped with appropriate means of frightening and chasing off polar bears. We also recommend carrying firearms outside the settlements." On the Norwegian Polar Institute website, the Cruise Handbook for Svalbard states, "Due to the risk of meeting polar bears visitors travelling in Svalbard must always have firearms and protection devices at hand, such as a big-game rifle and ammunition for self-defence, flare gun or an emergency signal flare pen for driving off polar bears and tripwire with flares for camping." Despite these warnings, some people expressed anger on social media that a cruise ship company leading tourists on an exploration of an animal's natural habitat led to the death of an animal that is among the world's most endangered species. Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1023568548592054272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Polar bear murdered by @HLCruisesInt in its own territory. Do the world a favour, people, and boycott this horrific company. https://t.co/nGQXNOJxWk Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1023587568783376384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Congratulations on the shooting of a Polar Bear in its natural surroundings to ensure the safety of your greed. I hope you're proud of yourselves, after all, we don't want to ruin your dollar intake thanks to some nasty old nature do we? Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1023704844836724736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Why dont you say you are very sad you killed a polar bear in its natural habitat and stop intruding in their home lands with tourists @HapagLloydAG ? OR maybe we can place a polar bear in your corporate offices so you can see how it is to them? #polarbear #hapaglloydcruises Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1023574416733753344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw If the MS Bremen cruise ship HADN'T taken tourists onto the archipelago NO ONE would have been hurt especially now a dead polar bear. It seems the German Hapag Lloyd Cruises are more interested in greed than safety of polar bears. https://t.co/RRnx7y6cNU If the face of withering criticism appearing on public forums, Hapag-Llyod Cruises closed its statement with an apology: "Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has been traveling to these destinations for many years with an experienced crew. The cruise operator is respected in the destinations as a responsible partner and the experts actively inform the guests about the appropriate behavior required in these areas. We are extremely sorry that this incident has happened." The company was founded in 1891 and the MS Bremen cruise ship has been in operation since 1990. NOW WATCH: Most affluent investors would rather go to the dentist than invest in a company that hurts the environment See Also: SEE ALSO: Great-power competition is growing in the Arctic, but lawmakers want to cut funding for the US's next icebreaker FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content! Daily Digit is the story behind the numbers that make our world work. There are just 99 days left until voters head to the polls, so were taking a look at where things stand with the 2018 midterm elections. With 36 governors races, 35 senate seats up for grabs, and all 436 house districts on the table not to mention countless local elections campaigns are starting to kick into high gear. Heres what you need to know as the race to November 6 heats up. Redding (United States) (AFP) - A young boy pleaded for rescue before he died along with two others in a California wildfire, an anguished relative recounted Monday, while other shaken survivors told of their flight from a "tornado" of fire. Thousands of firefighters in California made some progress against several large-scale blazes that have turned around 200,000 acres (80,940 hectares) into an ashen wasteland, destroyed expensive homes, and killed eight fire personnel and civilians in the most populous US state. The worst blaze, northern California's Carr Fire, has killed six people since Thursday, including a 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren, aged four and five. They perished when flames swallowed their home in Redding. Local media identified the victims as Melody Bledsoe and the children, Emily Roberts and James Roberts, nicknamed "Junior." "I talked to Junior on the phone 'til he died," Melody's husband Ed Bledsoe told CNN, recounting the last words of the boy, his sister, and Bledsoe's wife. "He said 'Come and get me, the fire's comin' in the back door. Come on, Grandpa,'" Bledsoe said, his voice choking. But he couldn't get there in time to save them. "I've been a lifelong resident of this community, and I've never seen a fire with such destruction here in this area ever before," Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty said of the Carr Fire. Alyce Macken said she had only minutes to flee with her husband Ted from the flames sweeping closer to her home in Redding. A sheriff's officer pounded on the door and gave them 15 minutes to leave, Macken told AFP. "We were out in 10 minutes. I was shaking, it just went by really fast," the retiree said. Macken said she met other panic-stricken neighbors at a nearby shopping center -- and watched from afar as her home went up in flames. "It was almost like a tornado with fire in it and it came over the hill and it wiped out our house, it wiped out our next door neighbor's home," she said. Story continues About 38,000 people had been evacuated in Shasta County due to the Carr Fire, officials said, though some evacuation orders have been lifted. Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump approved California's request for federal help to fight the blaze and assist evacuees. A thick smoke haze covered a large part of northern California, severely limiting visibility and contributing to breathing problems. According to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), 12,000 firefighters from as far away as Florida and New Jersey have deployed across the state. - Firefighter killed by tree - A firefighter identified as Brian Hughes died on Sunday while battling the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park, a major tourist attraction partially closed because of the fire. Hughes "was struck and killed by a tree" while fighting the blaze, the Sequoia and Kings National Parks Service said. Another firefighter died days earlier working at the fire around Yosemite. Much of that blaze is in steep, rugged terrain with little or no access roads, officials said. The remains of a person who ignored Carr Fire evacuation orders was found in a burned-out residence on Sunday, said Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko. Two fire personnel were killed late last week battling the Carr blaze. Seven other people were reported missing, Bosenko said, adding that 600 National Guard soldiers had been deployed for support duties such as roadblocks. Police have reported cases of looting from areas emptied of residents -- but then there was also the case of the missing python. Sandra Dodge-Streich, an evacuee forced to move four times, warned that a 14-foot long albino python she owned was lost at her latest stop in south Redding. "She is part of our store family and Reptile Exhibit. Please don't be afraid of her -- she is lost and scared!" Dodge-Streich, the owner of Redding Reptiles, said on Facebook. - Feeling 'optimistic' - The Carr Fire covers more than 103,000 acres (41,682 hectares) and is 23 percent contained, according to Cal Fire, the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 800 homes were destroyed. "Winds will increase late tonight and into tomorrow morning. Hot and dry weather, previously unburned fuels and steep terrain will contribute to fire growth," Cal Fire said in an evening update. Cal Fire incident manager Bret Gouvea earlier told reporters "we're feeling a lot more optimistic... as we're starting to make up some ground instead of being on the defensive." In southern California, where thousands fled the deliberately-set Cranston Fire, Cal Fire said crews had stopped flames from reaching the town of Idyllwild and the blaze was 57 percent contained. Last year was California's deadliest ever for wildfires, with more than 40 fatalities. After Demi Lovatos hospitalization due to an apparent overdose, friends and family members kept quiet about her condition, apart from a statement confirming that she is awake and surrounded by loved ones. Now some of those closest to the former Disney star are sending positive vibes her way via heartfelt social media messages wishing for her recovery and calling out those trying to tear her down. Lovatos backup dancer Dani Vitale, who takes the stage with Lovato every night during her Tell Me You Love Me tour, posted a message to fans, saying that shes at the singers side. I care about Demi just like all of you do. I have not said anything about this situation now because her recovery has been of the most importance, Vitale wrote on Instagram on Sunday. I was not with Demi when the incident happened, but I am with her now, and will continue to be because she means the world to me just as she does to all of you. Like all of you, I have nothing but love in my heart for her. There is no need for any negativity towards the ones who care about Demi at this time. There is too much of it in this world as it is ... Please continue to send her love during her recovery. A post shared by Dani Vitale (@danivitale) on Jul 29, 2018 at 7:28pm PDT Lovato was transported to a Los Angeles hospital on Tuesday after police responded to call from her home in the Hollywood Hills regarding an apparent overdose. While her familys statement said some of the information in early reports was incorrect, she was reportedly given Narcan, an emergency treatment for narcotic overdoses, before she was taken to the hospital. Since her teenage years, Lovato has struggled with a drug and alcohol addiction, resulting in a 2010 stint in rehab and then time spent in a sober living facility. Actor Matthew Scott Montgomery, who appears in her acclaimed YouTube documentary, Simply Complicated, also addressed her hospital stay in a moving post about her unwavering friendship. Story continues A post shared by matthew scott montgomery (@matthew_scott_montgomery) on Jul 29, 2018 at 8:02am PDT He wrote on Instagram on Sunday, its been an incredibly difficult few days, and this year has eeeeasily been the hardest ive ever experienced. and i couldnt figure out what felt weirder posting or not posting about this. Lovato remains in the hospital, and Montgomery wrote that he will miss hearing my best friends laugh, maybe my favorite sound in the world. Demi Lovato (right) and her backup dancer Dani Vitale perform on July 22 in Paso Robles, California the singers last show before her July 24 hospitalization. (C Flanigan / Getty Images) Another person in Lovatos corner is actor Wilmer Valderrama, an ex-boyfriend, who has reportedly remained by her side during her recovery. The couple split after six years together in June 2016 but have remained close, and she has often credited him for helping her with sobriety. Wilmer has spent hours at the hospital with Demi every day, a source told People. He seems very concerned about her. CORRECTION: A previous version of this story indicated Demi Lovato went to rehab in 2011 instead of 2010. President Donald Trump speaks at a March 10 rally for Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone. Saccone lost the special election for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District to Democrat Conor Lamb. (Photo: Jeff Swensen via Getty Images) Can we really expect a blue-wave election in November, with Democrats taking back the House and even possibly the Senate? On the one hand, there are some encouraging portents. Since the 1840s, the presidents party has lost seats in 41 of 44 midterm elections. The pattern has been for the out party to pick up something like 25 seats in the first off-year election after a new president takes office. Trump is of course far less popular than most of his predecessors. And Democratic activism is at a fever pitch. On the other hand, we have a level of voter suppression unprecedented since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 purges of the rolls; needlessly stringent ID requirements; games played with polling places and their hours; extreme gerrymandering; and questions about whether systems will be hacked either by the Russians or by Trumpian locals. According to the Brennan Center, which carefully tracks this mischief, 13 states have added restrictive voter ID requirements since 2010, 11 have new laws making it harder to register, and six cut back on early voting or voting hours. Many of these are the same states. In addition, according to David Daleys indispensable Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesnt Count, seven Republican-controlled states resorted to extreme gerrymandering for House districts (and also state legislative seats) after the 2010 census, including key swing states such as North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and Arizona. As a consequence, Republicans won just 52 percent of the Ohio popular vote for Congress in 2012, but garnered 12 of that states 16 congressional seats. In closely divided Michigan, they took nine of the states 14 seats. So will the combination of voter suppression and gerrymandering abort the supposed blue wave? I think not. Here are the counterforces: First, there are plenty of vulnerable House seats in states that were not subject to recent voter suppression or gerrymandering efforts. By my count, there are at least 40 such seats, and Democrats need to flip only 23 to take back the House. Story continues There are dozens of Republican seats in play in states such as California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Oregon, Minnesota and more, where voting systems are basically honest, and there have even been measures to make it easier to vote. Second, extreme gerrymandering, as Ive previously noted, can backfire because it seeks to pack Democrats into a few seats and spread the presumed Republican voters widely to capture the maximum possible number of seats. But in a wave year, there arent enough Republican voters to go around, and designer seats are suddenly at risk. In Michigan, for example, the average Republican member of Congress won their House seat with 57.7 percent of the vote, according to Daley. In a wave year, thats a flippable margin. Indeed, two Republican-held Michigan seats, the 8th and 11th congressional districts, are considered seriously in play, and three others are potentially vulnerable. Harley Rouda is the Democrat running for California's 48th Congressional District against incumbent Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. (Photo: Bill Clark via Getty Images) In heavily gerrymandered Ohio, two Republican House seats, the 1st district and the 12th, are in play. We will get a preview of just how vulnerable these gerrymandered seats are and how effective voter suppression is, on Aug. 7. There will be a special election for a vacant seat in Ohios 12th, which takes in the suburbs and working class towns north of Columbus. Trump carried the district in 2016 by 11 points, but polls show the Republican candidate only barely ahead. Further, voter mobilization can offset voter suppression, and all signs point to a banner year for voter activism on the Democratic side. Polls on the relative enthusiasm and interest in the election point to a wide gap that favors Democrats. Even better for Democrats is that voters say they are increasingly inclined to vote Democratic for Congress as a way of containing Trump. A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll in June found that voters, by a 25-point margin, said theyd be more likely to support an anti-Trump congressional candidate. If you look at special counsel Robert Muellers investigation and Trumps deepening woes on multiple fronts, this will all come to a head, in a harmonic convergence, on the eve of the November election. Interestingly, political scientists who study election trends conclude, almost unanimously, that turnout is a somewhat overrated factor in off-year elections, especially the premise that turning out the base is a key factor. Statistically, off-year turnout falls off dramatically from turnout in presidential years, when interest in the presidential race provides focus and drama, but is historically stable within a fairly narrow range from the high 30s to low 40s. Could this year be different? If you look at the loathing of Trump among Democrats and the heightened interest among all voters, especially those in the Democratic base, notably blacks, Latinos, women and the young, then quite possibly. Even if the political scientists are right, and base turnout doesnt rise that much, swing voters are also highly likely to break for the Democrats. Each time I read the projections of the respected Cook Report, a few more seats have slipped from leaning Republican to toss-up, or from toss-up to leaning Democrat. Now, the best news of all for Democrats is that Trump has promised to go on the road, six or seven days a week, to campaign for endangered Republican candidates. In all but hardcore conservative districts, this is likely to backfire as voters look to Democratic candidates to rein in Trump. Even the Senate looks like it could be in play. In the most recent polls, Democrats are now leading in two Republican-held seats Jacky Rosen over Dean Heller in Nevada, and Kyrsten Sinema over Martha McSally in Arizona. Phil Bredesen leads Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee in some polls as well, although he is still well behind in others. There are four Democrat-held seats at risk, in Florida, Indiana, North Dakota and Montana. (Joe Manchin in West Virginia, sometimes considered at risk, is now well ahead.) If Democrats can hold the at-risk seats, and pick up two GOP seats, they take the senate 51-49. Picking up three would allow them to lose one Democratic incumbent. As Donald Trump comes into swing districts where Republican incumbents are vulnerable, Democrats should greet him with flowers. Robert Kuttner is co-editor of The American Prospect and a professor at Brandeis Universitys Heller School. His new book is Can Democracy Survive Global Capitalism? ALSO ON HUFFPOST OPINION Family Separation Was A Choice The Trump Administration Says Poverty Is Over. They're Lying. Trump's Tweets Aren't A Distraction Tactic. They're Who He Is. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures during the joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018. Lehtikuva/Jussi Nukari Christian Whiton Security, Americas It is unlikely that Moscows actions had any real impact on the 2016 election or U.S. politics. Did Russia Tip the 2016 Election to Donald Trump? Did Russia tip the 2016 election to Donald Trump? In a recent article titled, Yes, Russian Election Sabotage Helped Trump Win, the veteran Washington columnist Al Hunt wrote, Contrary to the claims of most Republicans, theres already a serious circumstantial case for the strong impact of Russian interference. He added, And now a number of experts familiar with the issue have come to believe that Russia did make a difference for Trump. He cited NBC News, Obama-era intelligence kingpin James Clapper, and powerful academic support from an anti-Trump professor. That professor has an upcoming book titled Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President. She is joined daily in these assertions by journalists and commentators on the left, who increasingly characterize as fact that Russia hacked American democracy. Not so fast. What we actually know about Russias effort to influence the 2016 election cycle is that it appears to have been picayune. According to Muellers February indictment of alleged Russians operatives, they had a peak social-media budget of just 73 million rubles per month: the equivalent of 1.25 million dollars at the timeless than half of what the recent winner of the San Franciscos mayors race spent on her campaign. Whats more, other researchers have noted Moscow also directed efforts at Trump and others, including social-media posts supporting Black Lives Matter and anti-Trump protests. Facebook itself said Russian operatives spent a much smaller number than Muellers indictment alleges: less than $100,000. In comparison, Facebook asserted that Trump and Clinton spent $81 million on Facebook ads alone, and that amount did not cover spending by third parties. Trumps digital director separately said that the Trump campaign alone spent more than $100 million on Facebook. The better funded Clinton campaign probably had an even larger social media budget Story continues In other words, Russias digital activities were the proverbial drop in the ocean. Whether Moscow arranged for $100,000 to be spent as Facebook estimated, or the higher Mueller figure of $1.25 million per month, it is something of a stretch to maintain that it had a material impact on a presidential campaign in which more than $1.5 billion was expended overall by the two major candidatesespecially when one considers that the two dominant American political parties were likely considerably more capable in their ability to target key voters. Its also worth putting Moscows budget in perspective by comparing it to other international political warfare activities. Back when there was a war of ideas between the United States and the Soviet Union, Moscow devoted real resources to what were known as Soviet active measures, which ranged from pro-Moscow news broadcasts to covertly funding of peace groups in the West, especially those opposed to the deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe. The CIAs deputy director later testified to Congress that Moscow spent $34 billion in 1982 alone on active measures intended to influence the Wests political systems. Adjusted for inflation, that would amount to 810 billion in current dollars. How Moscows political warriors must long for the good old days. Today, their flagship network, RT (formerly Russia Today), has a worldwide distribution budget of $190 million, according to a 2017 report by the U.S. director of national intelligence. Their counterparts in Washington have fared better since the end of the Cold War, especially news services aimed at Moscow that are funded by the U.S. government. Radio Free Europe has a budget of $100 million this year. It even launched a new 24/7 Russian-language news network named Current Time last year. The government also gave the Voice of America $14 million this year for its various Eurasian services. Uncle Sam will dole out $170 million to the National Endowment for Democracy in 2018. The organizations report on its 2017 activities indicates it spent $6.3 million over ninety programs to influence the political and information environments in Russia. Or course, there is no moral equivalence between Moscows political-warfare activities and ours. Our information operations center around surrogate news broadcasting and emphasize the truth. Moscows efforts dont shy from deception. U.S.-backed political party-building activities focus on supporting liberals; Russias fund recipients largely based on loyalty to Moscow. The bottom line is that it remains dubious that Moscows actions any real impact on the 2016 election or our politics. Progressives want to believe otherwise, but they are only deluding themselvesand failing to understand the lessons of 2016 that they will need to learn if they expect to govern again. Christian Whiton was a State Department senior advisor in the Donald Trump and George W. Bush administrations. He is a senior fellow at the Center for the National Interest and the author of Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War. Image: Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures during the joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018. Lehtikuva/Jussi Nukari Read full article Sarah Nor, the mother of Norliakmar Hamid, a passenger on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, cries as she arrives for the final investigation report - AFP Investigators released a report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Monday, saying the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course but they were not able to determine who was responsible. The 495-page report draws no conclusion about what happened aboard the plane that vanished with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, leaving one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries unsolved. "The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found," Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters. On May 29, Malaysia called off a three-month search by US firm Ocean Infinity, which spanned 112,000 sq km (43,243 sq miles) in the southern Indian Ocean and ended with no significant findings. It was the second major search after Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200 million (112.06 million) search across an area of 120,000 sq km (46,332 sq miles) last year. Sarah Nor, the mother of Norliakmar Hamid, a passenger on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, cries as she arrives for the final investigation report Credit: MOHD RASFAN/ AFP Malaysian and international investigators have been looking into why the jet veered thousands of miles off course from its scheduled route before eventually plunging into the Indian Ocean. The last communication from the plane was from the Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah who signed off with Good night, Malaysian three seven zero, as the plane left the Malaysian airspace and later turned off course. A 440-page final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) last year showed that Zaharie had flown a route on his home flight simulator six weeks earlier that was "initially similar" to the one actually taken by MH370. The Malaysian police previously concluded there were no unusual activity on the home simulator. Kok said the investigators examined the history of the pilot and the first officer, and they were satisfied with their background and training and mental health. "We are not of the opinion it could have been an event committed by the pilots," he said, but added they were not ruling out any possibility since the in-air turn back was done manually and the systems in the plane were also manually turned off. Story continues "We cannot exclude that there was an unlawful interference by a third party," Kok said. He added all the passengers of the 15 countries had their backgrounds checked by their respective countries and all came back with a clean bill of health. Conspiracy theories The inability to locate MH370's crash site has fuelled conspiracy theories and online debates over the last four years. Theories range from mechanical error or a remote-controlled crash, to more bizarre explanations like alien abduction and a Russian plot. Kok said they looked into each theory and rumour raised on social media. "We had over 60 allegations...we removed them one-by-one and saw what remained behind," Kok said. Rayan Gharazeddine scans the water in the southern Indian Ocean off Australia from a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion during a search for the missing plane in 2014 Credit: Rob Griffith/AP The report said there was no sign the plane was evading radar detection or that it was taken over by remote control. No irregularities were found in the on-board cargo, which included items like lithium batteries and about 2,500 kgs of mangosteen. Mistakes made In all, 27 pieces of aircraft debris have been collected from various places around the world but only three wing fragments that washed up along the Indian Ocean coast have been confirmed to be from MH370. Malaysia's newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said Malaysia would consider resuming the search only if new clues come to light. Investigators highlighted some mistakes made by the Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control centres and made safety recommendations to ensure such incidents do not occur again. Transport Minister Antony Loke said in a statement that the Malaysia would investigate any misconduct committed based on the findings. Families of passengers on board the flight said on Monday that the report failed to give closure Credit: Joshua Paul/AP The next-of-kin of the passengers were briefed on the final report by investigators earlier on Monday. "We hope that these mistakes will not be repeated and that measures are put in place to prevent them in the future," said Grace Nathan, a lawyer whose mother, Anne Daisy, was on the plane. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing had paid close attention to the MH370 investigation. "We hope that all sides can continue to remain in close contact and coordination, to properly carry out relevant follow-up work," he told a daily news briefing, without elaborating. The majority of passengers on board were Chinese. Beirut (AFP) - The Islamic State group kidnapped dozens of Druze women and children when it attacked their village last week in Syria's Sweida, residents of the southern province and a monitor said Monday. Sweida, which is mainly government-held and populated with members of Syria's Druze minority, had been largely insulated from the conflict raging in the rest of the country since 2011. But on Wednesday, a string of suicide blasts and shootings claimed by IS left more than 250 people dead in the provincial capital and nearby villages, most of them civilians. During the attack IS jihadists also abducted several dozen women and children from one village, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Sweida residents. The Britain-based Observatory said 36 Druze women and children were abducted, but that four women had since managed to escape while another two had died. That left 14 women and 16 children in IS captivity, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. Another 17 men were unaccounted for but it was unclear if they were also kidnapped. IS has not claimed the kidnappings and no details on them could be found on its propaganda channels. According to news outlet Sweida24, the 36 civilians were kidnapped Wednesday from the village of Al-Shabki, in the eastern hinterlands of Sweida province. Sweida24 and other online outlets published a video that appeared to show one of the female hostages making demands of the Syrian government on behalf of IS. AFP could not independently verify its authenticity, but several Sweida residents confirmed the woman was among those missing after the attacks. - Talks over hostages - Druze, who made up three percent of Syria's pre-war population, are monotheistic and considered Muslim, but the sect is otherwise highly secretive, includes mystical elements like reincarnation, and does not allow new converts. They are regarded as heretics by Sunni Muslim extremist groups including IS. Story continues The hostages mainly hail from two large families in Al-Shabki, said reporter Nour Radwan, who heads Sweida24. The remote village suffered some of the deadliest violence from Wednesday's attacks, with more than 60 civilians killed there, Radwan said. "Most of its residents are farmers and don't have much more than hunting rifles in terms of weapons, so there was little resistance from Al-Shabki compared to other villages," he told AFP. "When IS saw that, it kidnapped a first batch of people from their homes and took them east towards the Badiya, according to survivors," Nour added. The Badiya is Syria's vast desert stretching from the country's centre to its eastern border with Iraq, and it includes several isolated IS-held pockets. IS then reached out to the hostage's families with pictures, videos, and ransom demands. The jihadists want the Syrian government to release "detained IS-linked people, whose numbers are now being negotiated," and stop its offensive on nearby IS positions, said Radwan. Druze religious leaders have since stepped in, Radwan and another source with knowledge of the talks told AFP. "As of Sunday, the hostages were still being held in the Badiya. Negotiations are happening between Daesh (IS) and Druze sheikhs," said the source. - 'Massive massacres' - "The massacres were massive, and so is the pain. There are families that were entirely wiped out," said Noura al-Basha, an activist from Sweida. "One young man from the Abu Ammar family in Al-Shabki lost his father and brother in the attacks. His mother was unaccounted for until they found her two days ago near the village, and his cousins are among those kidnapped," Basha told AFP. In addition to territory it holds in the Badiya, IS also controls a pocket in Daraa province, directly west of Sweida. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops have been waging an assault on that IS-held patch for nearly two weeks. On Monday, they overran the jihadist-controlled town of Ash-Shajara just a few hours after beginning to bomb it, Syrian state media said. That has left just three villages under IS contol in Daraa, said the Observatory, but there are fears that hundreds of jihadists may have slipped away unharmed. Since its bloody rise in 2014, IS has carried out multiple mass abductions in Syria and Iraq, including of minorities. It kidnapped more than 220 Assyrian Christians in northeast Syria in 2015 and another 270 Christians from a central village the following year. Most of the hostages were released after negotiations. Under the group's ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam, minorities are considered "infidels" but IS also politicises them as regime loyalists. More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011. Wednesday's violence was the worst Sweida had seen since the war began, and one of the deadliest attacks by IS across the country. IS attackers detonated suicide bombs in Sweida city and villages to the north and east, while others shot and stabbed residents. A total of 139 civilians were among more than 250 people killed, according to the Observatory. The other dead were pro-government fighters or residents who picked up arms to defend their homes. Paris (AFP) - Eiffel Tower workers are planning to strike this week over a new access policy for visitors which they say is generating "monstruous" waits at the famous tourist landmark, union officials said Monday. Since early July the monument has set aside half of daily tickets for people who buy them in advance on the internet and choose a scheduled time for their visit. Previously just 20 percent of tickets could be booked ahead of time. But the tower's management has also decided to reserve specific elevators for each type of ticket holder, a move which "creates lines that are at times monstruous and often lopsided," the CGT union said in a statement. During off-peak times for pre-booked tickets, such as early afternoon or evening, the reserved elevator might be half empty -- despite lines of up to three hours at the elevator for walk-ins. And high demand at the pre-booked elevator can cause backups that force people to wait long beyond their scheduled visit. "Beyond the waste in terms of efficiency, and the unhappy visitors... employees' patience has run out," said the CGT's Denis Vavassori. He said that the problem was not that 50 percent of tickets are now pre-booked, but that all visitors should be allowed access to the same elevators in order to better manage the flows. But he said management has refused to budge. "We're not talking about a failure... there's just an adjustment that needs to be made," Vavassori said. The tower, which welcomed more than six million visitors last year, has been hit by repeated strikes by its 300-strong staff in recent years over issues ranging from pick-pocketing to maintenance work. Elon Musk is concerned about the future of artificial intelligence, an outlook thats changing all the time. On Sunday, the tech entrepreneur shared a link to a retrospective look at 2017 in the nascent field, a look back that helps understand how ultra-smart machines could influence all areas of life. Its in keeping with Musks interests, who founded Neuralink as a way of ensuring humans arent left behind in the coming machine revolution. The Wired restospective highlights why this work is so necessary: while noting achievements like Sophia becoming the first robot to receive a nationality, as drone-piloting programs took to the skies, the story also notes the implicit biases in man-made machines, like denying a man of Asian descents passport application because it claimed he was blinking, or an A.I.-judged beauty pageant that favored lighter skin. A number of big-name firms also experminented in the area, with Facebook chatbots lying to people almost immediately. The future is accelerating https://t.co/hKXFJtV8Wt Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2018 See more: Facebook Let Its A.I. Negotiate, and the Lying Started Right Away Musk has expressed his fears around artificial intelligence before. In July 2017, Musk told a meeting of U.S. state governors that A.I. is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization. In November of that year, he called on government to regulate artificial intelligence and provide public oversight. These interventions have seen a mixed response, with researcher Pedro Domingos simply tweeting in response sigh. Even without looking to the future, Musk has sounded the alarm over existing uses of artificial intelligence. In October 2017, he decried the Google Clips auto-picture-taking machine as something that doesnt even seem innocent. The same month, he also dismissed the plan to develop a super-intelligent religious machine, claiming that the inventor Anthony Levandowski should be on the list of people who should absolutely not be allowed to develop digital superintelligence. Story continues Musks interventions in the world of A.I. have slowed down this year somewhat, as Tesla works to expand its output nearly tenfold and SpaceX aims to test-fire its Mars-bound rocket. That doesnt mean Neuralink is standing still, though, as the company claimed in 2017 it will launch a product that helps with certain severe brain injuries (stroke, cancer lesion, congenital) by around 2021. The future of artificial intelligence is looking decidedly fast. Photos via SpaceX More From Inverse Nairobi (AFP) - Eritrea, which signed Monday a deal with Somalia to establish diplomatic ties, has long been accused of supporting Islamic militants who are seeking to topple the interim government in Mogadishu. The agreement follows another recent flurry of diplomacy in the region, between Eritrea and Ethiopia, marking a new era for relations between countries in the Horn of Africa. Here is some background on more than ten years of tensions. - Islamic tribunals in Somalia - In July-August 2006 Somalia's transition government accuses Eritrea of sending troops and weapons to the Islamic tribunals militia that have taken control of Mogadishu and a large part of southern and central Somalia, which shares a large part of its border with Ethiopia. Eritrea rejects the accusations, which claim it is backing Islamists in Somalia to carry out an indirect fight against its Ethiopian rival. Ethiopia supports the Somali transitional government. Its relations with Eritrea have been very tense since a bloody war between the two countries from 1998 to 2000. A report from the UN in November 2006 states Eritrea sent 2,000 fighters to Somalia to join forces with the Islamic tribunals. In December the Ethiopian army invades Somalia and pushes out the Islamic tribunals in a matter of days. Leaders and supporters of the tribunals take refuge in several countries in the region. The Ethiopian invasion crushes the Islamist administration but sparks a bloody uprising and spurs the emergence of the even more radical Al Shabaab militants. In January 2009, Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed becomes president of a transitional administration in Somalia, turning against the regime in Eritrea that had once been an ally. In May that year for the first time he accuses Eritrea of arming and financing Islamists that have launched a major offensive to topple him. - UN sanctions - The UN Security Council in 2009 imposes an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Shabaab militants. Story continues In 2011 a UN surveillance team affirms that Eritrea arms and assists the Shabaab. Asmara denies it is backing the rebels. In 2016 the UN Security Council renews sanctions on Eritrea, but five members from the 15-member council abstain. China, Russia, Angola, Egypt and Venezuela point to a report by sanctions monitors who say there is no evidence Eritrea is backing Shabaab militants in Somalia. Ethiopia calls on the UN to lift the sanctions on Eritrea. - 'New chapter' - On July 28, 2018 Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed arrives in Asmara for an official three-day visit. "Somalia is ready to write a new chapter of its relations with Eritrea," a spokesperson for the Somali president says on Twitter. Two days later Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed sign in Asmara a deal to establish diplomatic ties after more than a decade of tensions. By Diana Kruzman (Reuters) - The families of four of the 17 people killed when a World War Two-style tourist "duck boat" sank on a Missouri lake during a storm this month have sued the tour operator, saying it recklessly allowed the vessel out in dangerous weather. On Sunday, relatives of Ervin Coleman, 76, and 2-year-old Maxwell Ly, his great-nephew, both of Indianapolis, sued tour operator Ripley Entertainment Inc, which operates under the name Ride the Ducks, and vessel manufacturer Amphibious Vehicle Manufacturing LLC, a Ripley unit, alleging they "recklessly risked the lives of its passengers for purely financial reasons." The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri, seeks $100 million in damages. A separate lawsuit filed on Monday in Taney County, Missouri, on behalf of the children of William and Janice Bright names Ripley Entertainment, Ride the Ducks and the two operators of the boat, and seeks at least $25,000 in damages. Ripley Entertainment declined comment on the lawsuits, but said it was "deeply saddened" by the incident. There were 31 passengers aboard the duck boat on Table Rock Lake, outside Branson, Missouri, on July 19 when hurricane-strength winds churned up the water and sank the craft, causing one of the deadliest U.S. tourist tragedies in recent years. The boats, modeled on the amphibious landing craft used in the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944, have a checkered history involving more than three dozen fatalities on water and land, including the Branson sinking, according to the complaint. "This tragedy was the predictable and predicted result of decades of unacceptable, greed-driven, and willful ignorance of safety by the Duck Boat industry in the face of specific and repeated warnings that their Duck Boats are death traps for passengers," the federal complaint said. Robert Mongeluzzi, an attorney for the families of Coleman and Ly, told a news conference on Monday: "The quest for justice includes doing everything within our power to ban duck boats once and for all," according to a statement. Story continues Mongeluzzi represented the families of two people killed when a duck boat crashed into a barge and sank in Philadelphia in 2010, resulting in a $17 million settlement. The federal suit alleges that Ride the Ducks endangered passengers by letting the boat out on the water after the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area, and that passengers were not told to put on life jackets. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the accident. A duck boat sank in Arkansas in 1999, killing 13 people and prompting the NTSB to recommend changes to duck boats' design to make them less prone to capsizing. The federal lawsuit alleges that Ride the Ducks ignored those warnings because of cost. (Reporting by Diana Kruzman in New York; Editing by Scott Malone and Peter Cooney) Attorneys representing the family of two victims of this months deadly duck boat incident near Branson, Missouri have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, seeking $100 million in damages and alleging duck boat operators recklessly risked the lives of its passengers for purely financial reasons. Seventeen people were killed on July 19 when a duck boat carrying 31 people sank during a storm on Table Rock Lake. The lawsuit was filed Sunday on behalf of 76-year-old Ervin Coleman and 2-year-old Maxwell Coleman Ly, two of the nine members of an Indiana family who died in the incident. Duck boats, which are popular tourist attractions in several cities across the U.S., have raised safety concerns in the past particularly because of the boats canopies, which have been found to be hazardous if they sink with passengers aboard. Since 2002 at the latest, the duck boat industry has known that canopies entrap people inside the duck boat if it sinks, and their odds of surviving arent good. But they never did anything to take them off, attorney Robert Mongeluzzi said at a press conference on Monday. Mongeluzzi represented the families of the victims of a deadly 2010 duck boat accident in Philadelphia and has been calling for a ban on the amphibious vehicles ever since, describing them as death traps. Attorneys for the Branson victims accused Ripley Entertainment Inc. owner of Ride the Ducks Branson of operating duck boats on July 19 despite being aware of impending severe weather conditions and ignoring previous warnings about duck boat safety, including a report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) about the 1999 sinking of the Miss Majestic duck boat on a lake in Arkansas. Thirteen people, including three children, died in that incident, and the NTSB concluded the the boats canopy was a major impediment to passenger survival. The NTSB, which is still investigating the Branson incident, said Friday that video from the duck boat shows the crew was told to take the water portion of the tour first on July 19, and the captain referenced the weather radar before the trip began. Story continues It is clear that they knew severe weather was coming, and they tried to beat the storm by going on water first, rather than refunding the 40 bucks that each of these people paid, putting their lives at risk, Mongeluzzi said at Mondays press conference. According to the lawsuit, in August 2017, an inspector warned Ride the Ducks the previous owner of the Branson duck boats that the dangerous design of their Duck Boats put their vessels at risk of sinking. But, the lawsuit alleges, the company did not change anything in response. This tragedy was the predictable and predicted result of decades of unacceptable, greed-driven, and willful ignorance of safety by the Duck Boat industry in the face of specific and repeated warnings that their Duck Boats are death traps for passengers and pose grave danger to the public on water and on land, the lawsuit stated. Ride the Ducks Branson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. We remain deeply saddened by the tragic accident that occurred in Branson and we are supportive of the affected families. The investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board is still underway and no conclusions have been reached. We cannot comment at this time, a spokesperson for Ripley Entertainment said in an email. Relatives of two drowning victims are seeking $100 million in damages after 17 people died on an amphibious Ride the Ducks vehicle in Missouri 10 days ago. The wrongful death lawsuit likens the boats to death traps and sinking coffins. Once they take on water, they sink, and they sink fast, attorney Robert J. Mongeluzzi, who is representing the victims family, told reporters Monday. Workers remove an amphibious vehicle that sank in a lake in Branson, Missouri, on July 23. (Photo: St. Louis Post-Dispatch via Getty Images) The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri on Sunday, seeks damages on behalf of the estates of Ervin Coleman, 76, and Maxwell Ly, 2. The lawsuit cites the operators history of safety issues and previous deaths, and accuses them of ignoring past safety recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board. Those recommendations include removing a canopy that prevents people from escaping the boat when its taking on water, Mongeluzzi said. The defendants named in the lawsuit are Ripley Entertainment Inc., Ride the Ducks International, Ride the Ducks of Branson, the Herschend Family Entertainment Corp., and Amphibious Vehicle Manufacturing. A spokesperson for Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks of Branson, declined comment to The Associated Press because of the ongoing investigation. The quest for justice includes doing everything within our power to ban duck boats once and for all, said Mongeluzzi. A lawsuit filed on Sunday accuses "Ride the Ducks" operators of ignoring safety recommendations after previous deaths. (Photo: Michael Thomas via Getty Images) The boat that sank on July 19 was carrying 31 people as severe thunderstorms moved across Missouris Table Rock Lake. Of the 17 people killed, nine were members of a single family. Survivor Tia Coleman, whose husband, Glenn, and three children, Reece, 9, Evan, 7, and Arya, 1, died in the catastrophe, recalled that the boat sank quickly after being overcome by a massive swell. If I was able to get a life jacket, I could have saved my babies, Coleman told reporters. Because they could have at least floated up to the top and somebody could have grabbed them. And I wasnt able to do that. An evening candlelight prayer vigil in Branson, Missouri, after 17 people died aboard a duck boat on July 19. (Photo: Michael Thomas/Getty Images) Coleman said one of the workers told passengers where the boats life jackets were located but said: You wont need them. Story continues So we didnt grab them, she said. Mongeluzzi said relatives of Ervin Coleman and Maxwell Ly reached out to him after he won a major settlement following another duck boat tragedy in Pennsylvania in 2010 that left two people dead. (Tia Coleman is also related to Coleman and Ly, but is not named in the lawsuit.) Prior to this months tragedy, at least 26 other people have died in duck boat-related accidents since 1999. The now second-deadliest incident was in 1999 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, when 13 people were killed. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Related Coverage 17 Dead After Tourist Boat Capsizes In Missouri's Table Rock Lake Duck Boat Survivor Who Lost 9 Relatives Recounts Tragedy: I Thought I Was Dead This article originally appeared on HuffPost. As soon as the Seoul office worker told police she had been raped, her attacker struck back with a barrage of complaints against her under South Korea's criminal defamation law, which states that truth is not necessarily a defence. "He kept filing complaints against me non-stop, accusing me of defamation, insult, perjury, intimidation and even sexual harassment," said the woman, who asked to be identified only as "D" for fear of her personal safety. "For months, I couldn't eat," she told AFP. "I couldn't drink. I couldn't sleep. I felt like I was trapped in a swamp I could never escape." The man was later convicted of rape and sentenced to two years in prison, while all the accusations against D were dismissed. But the legal quagmire she faced is not rare in the South, where defamation laws make libel a crime and stating the truth can still be an offence if it is deemed to have tarnished others' social reputation. A growing number of alleged sex abusers are seeking to use legal actions of their own to force victims into silence or into dropping their accusations. Filing a report to police is not of itself grounds for a defamation action, but if a rape victim goes public with their allegations a criminal complaint can be filed against them. And if the sexual assault case is later dropped by police or prosecutors, or the accused is acquitted, the victim can be pursued for false accusations. That creates fertile ground for so-called "revenge accusations" by alleged abusers, driving many women into silence, say legal experts and women's groups. "The whole system has a chilling effect on women," said Seo Hye-Jin of the Korean Women Lawyers Association. "Many abusers openly use the threats of lawsuits as an intimidation tactic, saying, 'I'll drop the false accusation and defamation suits against you if you drop the sex abuse complaint against me'." Story continues - 'Ulterior motive' - Despite South Korea's technological and economic advances, patriarchal values endure in its society, and it is regularly at the bottom of OECD rankings for the gender pay gap or female presence in senior corporate roles. It has an unusually high proportion of female murder victims at 52 percent according to the UN Office of Drugs and Crime. That is far above the US and China, both around 22 percent, and even higher than the 41 percent for India, which is often in the spotlight over violence against women. South Korea's wildly popular TV dramas, which have swept Asia, regularly depict in a romantic light male leads physically dominating female characters to manifest their love -- a cliche criticised as a "K-drama wrist grab" by overseas fans. But since last year, the #MeToo movement against the abuse of women has swept the South, with a growing number of women coming forward to accuse powerful figures in fields from politics and the arts to education and religion. In D's case, an investigating police officer repeatedly asked about her "ulterior motive" for "trying to destroy a promising young man's life", and formally urged prosecutors not to charge her rapist. D quit her job and filed complaints to police, prosecutors and even a state rights watchdog to reverse the decision -- while dealing with a flurry of criminal accusations by her rapist and relentless bullying by him and his friends. "They even set up a blog and an online chatroom to name and shame me publicly and to throw all kinds of vicious personal attacks at me," she said, adding her rapist had sent hundreds of text messages threatening her and her family each day. Many victims do not come forward for fear of counter-suits, said Cho Jae-Yeon, of the Korea Women's Hotline. "Many say they can't endure being investigated as a criminal suspect and facing possible punishment as if they had not suffered enough already," she told a forum. Exploitation of the legal loophole is not confined to sex crimes. An architecture practice employee was convicted of defaming his employer and fined after accurately revealing wage delays and other business irregularities online. Women have been charged with defamation for writing bad reviews of plastic surgeons and postnatal care centres, only to have their convictions overturned on appeal at the Supreme Court. And ousted president Park Geun-hye's chief of staff Kim Ki-choon was nicknamed the "lawsuit king" for a barrage of criminal defamation complaints he filed against journalists and media outlets. - 'The Witch' - In a bid to curb such tactics, Seoul's justice ministry this month told prosecutors not to investigate sex abuse victims for false accusation until the original case has been resolved. But prosecutors dropped 55 percent of sex crime cases in 2016, far higher than the 22 percent for homicide or 26 percent for burglary and robbery, according to the Institute of Justice. Even if a case goes to court, the South's laws define rape on the basis of "means of violence and intimidation" rather than a lack of consent, requiring victims to prove that they resisted. Rape charges have been dismissed in the past because judges deemed the victims had "not resisted hard enough". Korea Women's Hotline says only about 10 percent of rape complaints it receives qualify as rape under the current law. A UN panel on gender equality earlier this year urged Seoul to redefine rape and protect victims from false charges and defamation lawsuits. D's attacker continued to sue her even after getting out of jail, until he was convicted of stalking and intimidation in 2014 and fined, ending her four-year ordeal. Since then she has become an activist anonymously helping other sex abuse survivors, calling herself "The Witch" on the basis that she had been the victim of a witch-hunt. "There were so many women like me out there who were sued by their abusers," she said, "feeling angry and frustrated at being treated like criminals even when we are actually victims". "Now Korean women cannot and will not go back to the past. We will never stop fighting." The attacker was immediately confronted by witnesses at the bar - Telegraph A film of a man hitting a woman in the face in central Paris after she told him to shut up" for harassing her in the street has shocked France and prompted an investigation. Social media posts of Marie Laguerre on her ordeal have prompted outrage and a pledge by France's gender equality minister to start imposing on-the-spot fines for street harassment this autumn. The 22-year old student was walking home in Paris 19th arrondissement last week when she was accosted by a young man at the terrace of a bar in broad daylight. Marlene Schiappa, Frances gender equality minister, called the assault an attack on the "freedom of women" as she backed plans to introduce on the spot fines for harassment including wolf-whistling. Describing her deal on social media, Ms Laguerre wrote in English: I walked past a man who sexually/verbally harassed me." He wasn't the first one and I can't accept being humiliated like that, so I replied shut up, she wrote. He then threw an ashtray at me, before rushing back to punch me, in the middle of the street, in front of dozens of people. She later told Le Parisien that he had insulted her repeatedly, wagged his tongue and made sexually suggestive "groans". The attacker was immediately confronted by witnesses at the bar Credit: Telegraph The bars CCTV caught the incident on camera. It shows a woman in red walking past the bar before being pursued by a man in black who violently hits her face and walks off. Several bystanders at the terrace then immediately stand up and try and intervene, preventing the man from approaching Ms Laguerre. He then walks off, and she too walks out of view. Describing his behaviour as unacceptable, Ms Laguerre wrote: It happens everyday, everywhere and I don't know a single woman who doesn't have a similar story. I am sick of feeling unsafe waking in the street. Things need to change, and they need to change now. Story continues She ended the outburst with the hashtag Metoo, launched in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal in Hollywood last year. The Youtube film of the attack has been viewed 8000,000 times and her comments on Facebook and Twitter have prompted hundreds of messages of support. Parce que j'ai repondu a son harcelement, un homme m'a frappee en pleine rue, en pleine journee, devant des dizaines de temoins. Inadmissible. Stop au harcelement de rue. #noustoutes#metoo#balancetonporc#harcelementderue@MarleneSchiappahttps://t.co/lV9AIKndlX Marie Laguerre (@may_lgr) 28 July 2018 Speaking to Le Parisien, she said she was suffering from a damaged cheek bone and eyebrow. "I knew he was coming to hit me, it was clear from his gestures, it was clear from the exchange of words and his intentions," she said in a filmed interview. She added: "He rushed towards me. I looked at him straight in the eyes. And I took the blow with the utmost pride just to show him that if he thought he could put me back in my place, it hadn't worked." She filed a legal complaint against persons unknown and on Monday the Paris prosecutor launched an investigation into sexual harassment and violence with a weapon (an ashtray). Marlene Schiappa, France's minister for gender equality, insists that on-the-spot fines for wolf-whistlers will "lower the tolerance level" of street harassment Credit: Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg She said she was amazed at the scale of online reaction and felt "lucky" that her ordeal had been caught on film as it sent a powerful message about a pervasive problem. "I don't know a single female friend who hasn't been harassed or sexually assaulted. It's got to stop," she said. Ms Laguerre praised bystanders for intervening and bar management for handing over the film of the incident. They did not try and apprehend the man but prevented him from approaching her a second time before he marched off. Asked for a reaction, Marlene Schiappa, Frances gender equality minister, said: The stakes are serious: they are about the freedom of women to move move about freely in public. She said that while the law already sanctions this type of attack, a new bill due to be passed this week slapping fines of up to 750 (670) on anyone caught wolf-whistling or harassing a woman, or man, in the street would help stamp out a sense of impunity. The real novelty is that the law will be able to act earlier to avoid an escalation of violence, she told Le Parisien. On-the-spot fines of 90, or higher, if the person is a repeat offender, will start being enforced this autumn, she promised. With these, she insisted we are lowering the tolerance level. We are saying there is no fatalism. Some, however, have questioned how police will manage to enforce the law in practice. Fines depend on the person having committed a blatantly sexist act, defined as any act linked to the sex of a person with the aim of violating their dignity or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment. Last week, French senators amended the bill on sexual violence and street harassment to add a ban on upskirting, inspired by Britains proposed law against taking photos under womens' skirts or dresses without their permission, and similar legislation in Canada and Belgium. They chose to make filming improper images a criminal offence punishable by a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of nearly 27,000. Video: CBS Chairman Les Moonves Faces Sexual Misconduct Allegations Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View. By Bob Strong REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - California firefighters on Monday gained ground on a massive wildfire that has killed six people and destroyed hundreds of homes, while rescuers searched for at least seven missing people. The Carr Fire ignited a week ago outside Redding, about 150 miles (240 km) north of Sacramento, and doubled in size over the weekend, charring an area half the size of New York City and forcing 38,000 people to flee their homes. Two firefighters, a 70-year-old woman and her two young great-grandchildren were among the dead. Authorities have yet to identify the sixth fatality. California is bearing the brunt of an extreme run of wildfires across the U.S. West, with erratic winds and record high temperatures charging blazes that have blackened nearly 410,000 acres, the state's highest year-to-date level in a decade. Four wildland firefighters have been killed in California in 2018, twice as many as in all of 2017, with Carr Fire deaths blamed on swift-moving "firenado" whirlwinds of flames and ash. "I've been a lifelong resident of this community, and I've never seen a fire with such destruction here in this area ever before," Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty said of the Carr Fire during a news briefing. The blaze is the deadliest of the 98 wildfires burning across the United States. Collectively, wildfires have scorched 4.6 million acres (1.8 million hectares) this year, 24 percent more than the 10-year average for the period, according to federal data. Nearly 3,400 firefighters battling the Carr Fire have begun to gain control of it, cutting containment lines around 20 percent of its perimeter by Monday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Gale-force winds that drove the fire last week have eased to moderate speeds, but temperatures are set to remain above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius), the National Weather Service said. Nearly 1,000 homes and other buildings have been destroyed around Redding. Melody Bledsoe, 70, died, together with her great-grandchildren ages 4 and 5 as she held a wet blanket over them, her granddaughter Amanda Woodley said on Facebook. Residents posted photos of wandering dogs and horses left behind by owners in the rugged region, a popular fishing destination. Evacuation orders were lifted on some areas on Monday. National Guard troops and police officers were stationed in evacuated neighborhoods to guard against looting. Two other California blazes 30 miles (48 km)apart in Mendocino and Lake counties forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people. They were among 17 burning across the state. DUBAI (Reuters) - A flydubai pilot faces disciplinary action after failing an alcohol test in Nepal on Sunday before being due to operate a flight to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the airline said. The captain was "tested and discovered to have a blood alcohol level above the legally acceptable level" after a fellow crew member raised concerns the pilot was intoxicated, a flydubai spokeswoman told Reuters on Monday. Flydubai is investigating the incident, the spokeswoman said, adding that the pilot would be reprimanded. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said it was working with flydubai on the investigation. A spokesman for the regulator told Reuters that under UAE law any positive test for any crew member while on duty can result in them losing their license permanently. "The GCAA takes passengers' safety and security very seriously (and) thus enforces a zero tolerance policy for those exceeding the regulation on all UAE Airlines," the spokesman said. The pilot, who was tested before boarding the plane, was deemed unfit to fly and a replacement crew was sent to Kathmandu to operate the flight to Dubai, the airline spokeswoman said. The flight arrived in Dubai 10 hours and 30 minutes later than originally scheduled. The pilot was not identified. Kathmandu airport General Manager Raj Kumar Chhetri told Reuters the pilot was not arrested because he was not a Nepali citizen and that he had returned to Dubai. (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell in Dubai, additional reporting by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu; Editing by David Evans and Adrian Croft) Dushanbe (Tajikistan) (AFP) - Four foreign cyclists were killed by armed attackers in Tajikistan in what was originally reported as a hit-and-run road accident, the Central Asian country's interior minister said Monday. The victims, two Americans, a Swiss and Dutch citizen, were struck by a car and attacked on Sunday while on a popular cycle route in the Danghara district, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the capital Dushanbe. "(The suspects) had knives and firearms," said interior minister Ramazon Hamro Rahimzoda, adding that two other cyclists, Swiss and Dutch nationals, were injured and hospitalised. "One tourist received a knife wound and is being given medical assistance. The victim's condition is stable," said Rahimzoda, without mentioning a nationality. Another cyclist with the group, a French citizen, escaped without injury and had been questioned by police, he added. Five people suspected of involvement in the attack were killed by police and at least four suspects detained, according to separate police accounts published on Sunday and Monday. Among the dead suspects was 21-year-old Jafariddin Yusufov, the owner of the Daewoo Leganza car that struck the tourists on Sunday afternoon, local officials said. A Belgian cyclist who said he arrived at the scene after the attack told Flemish broadcaster VRT that he saw "several cyclists on the ground. Some were completely shocked". "When I asked what had happened, the first thing someone said was that they had been hit by a car and that the people who had come out had started stabbing them with knives," cyclist Nicolas Moerman said. The Dutch foreign ministry told AFP on Monday that one of the dead tourists was a 56-year-old man who was cycling the route with his 58-year-old partner, without providing names. The cyclists were travelling on a road that adjoins the famous Pamir Highway, a Soviet-era road surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. Story continues - 'Act of terror'? - "We can't say if it is an act of terror," Rahimzoda said Monday. "We are considering all possibilities," he added but said that "state institutions are being guarded... to provide safety for citizens and tourists". The US embassy in Tajikistan confirmed that two of the fatalities were American citizens. The Swiss foreign ministry on Monday told AFP that Switzerland "calls for every effort to be made to shed light on this serious incident". "If it is established that this was a terrorist attack, it will be noted in (Switzerland's) future travel advice for Tajikistan," said ministry spokeswoman Silvia Muller while noting that the motive for the attack was still unclear. A French diplomatic source told AFP that the country's embassy in Tajikistan was "engaged in facilitating the return" of the French survivor of the attack. Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon sent notes of condolence to the US, Switzerland and the Netherlands over the deaths and called for increased security throughout the country at a special meeting on Monday with the country's law enforcement chiefs. Tajik authorities had declared 2018 "a year of tourism" in the former Soviet republic. In June, Rakhmon said that state officials found to be soliciting bribes from tourists would be deemed "traitors" and fired from their positions. Visitor numbers had quadrupled in the first five months of 2018 compared the same period last year, he said. Tajikistan is the poorest of the ex-Soviet republics and has been ruled by Rakhmon, 65, since 1992. Harare (AFP) - Walking slowly but unaided into the polling station, Robert Mugabe was not going to let his fall from power stop him from seeking a leading role in Zimbabwe's historic elections. Now aged 94, he arrived at the primary school in the Highfields district of Harare surrounded by bodyguards and accompanied by his wife Grace, who is 41 years his junior. He was greeted with shouts and cheers from a heaving crowd gathered to see the man who dominated Zimbabwean life for nearly four decades and who had led their country since before many of them were born. Wearing a red tie, red pocket handkerchief and dark suit, Mugabe had his finger marked with a pen to show he had voted and then spend several minutes in the cardboard polling booth selecting his choices on the three ballot papers. He eventually emerged after exchanging brief words with his wife and carefully put each ballot paper into its designated box for the presidential, parliamentary and local councillor elections. Mugabe had not been seen in public since last November when the military and his once-loyal ZANU-PF lawmakers turned against him and forced him from office, ending his 37-year regime in a few short days. But he re-surfaced unexpectedly on the eve of the election, holding a rambling two-hour press conference to announce that he would not vote for his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ZANU-PF, complaining they had "tormented" him. Instead he suggested he might even vote for Nelson Chamisa of the MDC -- the main opposition party that he had subjected to brutal and often deadly repression. - 'All our broken dreams' - Mugabe's intervention put him back at the centre of political drama in Zimbabwe, and drew a large crowd to the polling station to wait and see if he would turn up to vote. "It's just a moment of closure really," Mufaro Chiriga, 29, told AFP. "We wanted to see the man who ruled us for the past 40 years, who was responsible for all our broken dreams, all the broken promises, for ruining our future basically." Story continues In contrast, one or two people shouted out that Mugabe was a national hero. Grace, wearing a dark dress, walked at his shoulder, holding his sleeve at times to support him in the pushing scrum, and guiding him out through the exit door while she talked quietly in his ear. His attempts to position her as his successor are widely thought to have driven the military to intervene and usher their favoured candidate, Mnangagwa, to power. On Sunday, Mugabe dismissed the reports as "utter nonsense" and lashed out at her critics, saying "Leave my wife alone, I want Grace to remain my Grace." Mugabe, who fought in the war against British colonial rule, won elections in 1980 when Zimbabwe became independent and ruled until his sudden ejection last November. After voting, he walked tentatively back to his limousine, declining to answer shouted questions asking who he had voted for. NEW YORK (AP) Harvey Weinstein is locked in a messy battle with insurance companies over his steadily mounting legal bills. The insurance giant Chubb and other carriers that wrote liability policies for Weinstein and his film company are arguing in court that they shouldn't have to pay for his defense against allegations of rape and sexual harassment. The policies, they have written in court filings, specifically excluded coverage for "such blatantly egregious and intentionally harmful acts." "Mr. Weinstein has nevertheless repeatedly attempted to foist his defense of these lawsuits upon the plaintiff insurers," lawyers for the companies wrote. Weinstein's legal team, which denies that he assaulted any of his dozens of female accusers, has shot back that the insurers are trying to weasel out of their obligations and have unfairly sided with the accusers. In court papers, they said Weinstein and his company had paid the insurers a fortune in premiums during the past 25 years. At times, they have been indignant in claiming that he is entitled to millions of dollars in coverage. "Mr. Weinstein has been left in an untenable position, and his patience has run out," they wrote in one court filing. Weinstein has countersued Chubb and its affiliates, accusing the companies of breach of contract and bad faith. Weinstein, 66, has pleaded not guilty to attacking three women and is out on $1 million bail. A new count added this month, predatory sexual assault, carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 25 year to life. By the insurance companies' latest count, Weinstein and the Weinstein Co. are facing 18 lawsuits and other claims filed just since last year. They include a suit by the New York attorney general accusing the company of failing to protect employees from sexual harassment and others by actresses Kadian Noble and Dominique Huett alleging sexual assault. It's unclear how much the legal firestorm is costing Weinstein. Story continues To fight the charges, Weinstein hired Ben Brafman, one of New York City's most prominent defense attorneys. His team also includes private investigators trying to turn up evidence that backs his claims that the encounters with the alleged victims were consensual. Mounting a defense on multiple fronts "can be enormously complex and expensive," said Los Angele-based attorney Thomas Mesereau. Mesereau, who helped Michael Jackson win acquittal in his 2005 child molestation trial and was on the legal team for Bill Cosby when he was convicted in his second sexual-assault trial, said that how the insurance feud turns out hinges on what constitutes criminal versus negligent behavior. If Weinstein acted criminally, the insurers probably don't have to pay for his defense. "The question about where one begins and the other ends can be fuzzy," he said. The insurance companies went to federal court this year to ask for a judgment finding they have no duty to pay to defend the rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment claims against Weinstein. One carrier that had promised to provide Weinstein with $300,000 in "crisis assistance" benefits in the event he faced a situation involving "significant adverse regional or national media coverage" has balked at paying up. Weinstein had a policy with another company, National Union, that offered $10 million for legal defense including criminal investigations, his lawyers said in court papers. They want the court to force the company to pay up, plus damages for withholding the money. Settlement talks are ongoing. Separately, an insurance company that covers the Walt Disney Co. has filed a suit in New York also seeking to avoid paying for Weinstein's defense. Weinstein ran the Miramax studio for Disney from 1993 to 2005. A Department of Health and Human Services official who shared bigoted memes and peddled conspiracy theories on social media prior to assuming office has resigned, a spokeswoman for the department confirmed to HuffPost on Sunday. Ximena Barreto, who originally joined the department as deputy director of communications in December 2017, was placed on leave in April following separate reports from Media Matters and CNN about her inflammatory social media posts from 2016 and early 2017. Barreto, a fringe right-wing pundit, publicly apologized for the posts and was permitted to return to HHS in a role outside of the public affairs office. An HHS representative did not immediately respond to a query about her most recent position. The scandal re-emerged last month when Mediaite reported on a tweet in which she called CNNs story about her old posts a smear campaign. Barreto was escorted off HHS headquarters premises Friday, Politico reported, citing a person with knowledge of the matter. Barreto used her personal website and social media accounts to attack Islam, calling the religion a cult that has no place in the U.S., according to multiple reports. She also promoted conspiracy theories, including Pizzagate, which accused Hillary Clinton and other top Democrats of running a child sex ring from a pizza shop in Washington, D.C. In May 2017, she retweeted an image saying that Americas forefathers would have hung Clinton and former President Barack Obama for treason. Roughly three months later, she shared an image of Obama labeled as a Muslim terrorist. Prior to her HHS position, Barreto worked for Trumps presidential campaign in California in 2016, according to CNN. Barreto is one of several Trump administration officials to leave their positions after media outlets combed through their social media accounts. Todd Johnson, a former aide to Donald Trumps presidential campaign, resigned as a Defense Department staffer after CNN reported on his past racist and Islamophobic posts. Story continues In September 2017, William C. Bradford resigned as the head of the Department of Energys Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs after racist and anti-Semitic tweets he shared in 2016 surfaced. Barreto did not immediately return HuffPosts request for comment. Related Coverage Coverage Of American Muslims Is Bigoted And Inaccurate. This Group Is Using Hard Facts To Fix It. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's Spokeswoman Once Argued Muslims Cant Be President Roseanne Barr Apologizes To Valerie Jarrett, Then Immediately Mocks Her Haircut Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Rome (AFP) - A rise in reports of racially-motivated attacks in Italy in recent weeks has led to unease in the country but far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has dismissed claims of growing racism as "nonsense". In the latest publicised attack on Monday, a young black Italian athlete was subjected to a drive-by assault while walking home in northern Italy -- provoking an outpouring of condemnation from opposition politicians who accused Salvini of creating a climate of hatred. Daisy Osakue, a 22-year-old discus thrower who was born in Italy to Nigerian parents, suffered injuries to her eye after an egg was thrown at her from a car. The damage to her eye in the attack, which Osakue believes was racially motivated, could impede her ability to compete in the European Championship in Berlin next week. A number of other suspected racist incidents have also coincided with the implementation of Salvini and the new populist government's anti-immigration crackdown since coming to power last month. Over the weekend a Moroccan man was killed in a small village south of Rome after being chased by people who suspected him of robbery. The 43-year-old crashed the car he was driving and was beaten by his assailants. He later died in hospital. And last week a 19-year-old Senegalese migrant was beaten by a group of youths who yelled racist slurs in the Sicilian city of Palermo. - '700 crimes a day' - "Any aggression will be punished and condemned. I will always be at the side of those who suffer violence," Salvini said Monday, wishing Osakue a speedy recovery but omitting to mention the other cases. Enjoying high popularity ratings among Italians, Salvini dismissed any idea of a "racism emergency in Italy" branding the claims as "nonsense". He received the support of his coalition partner, leader of the Five Star Movement and co-deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio. "What is new is that the media is evoking cases of this kind even if the number of attacks has not changed... Whoever uses them against the government is not really tackling the problem of racism," he told journalists. Story continues Far from seeking to ease tensions, Salvini continued to hammer home his hardline stance on immigration. "There are about 700 crimes committed every day in Italy by immigrants, almost a third of the total number, and this is the only real emergency that I am fighting against as minister," he said. The interior ministry says foreigners make up a third of Italy's inmates, over half of them Moroccan, Albanian, Romanian or Tunisian -- though this proportion is largely due to the fact that they rarely meet the conditions for alternative sentences or arrangements. - 'A lot of enemies' - Italian opposition parties and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) amplified their calls for tolerance on Monday due to the uncompromising stance on immigration. Italian President Sergio Mattarella has also spoken out, condemning last week an air rifle shooting which accidentally injured -- according to the perpetrator -- a young Roma girl who was walking with her mother. "Italy cannot become a wild west where part of the population buys a gun and shoots from a balcony hurting a one-year-old girl, destroying her health and her future," he warned. Salvini's anti-migrant discourse has also drawn criticism from some of Italy's Catholics, summarised last week by the front page of a prominent Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana. The headline "Vade retro Salvini" played on a medieval Catholic phrase likening the hardline minister to Satan. But Salvini, used to a constant barrage of criticism, was dismissive. "A lot of enemies, a lot of honour," he wrote on social media on Sunday, adding an emoji blowing a kiss. The phrase, famous in Italy, is a variant of a slogan of war-time fascist leader Benito Mussolini. Its use by Salvini on the anniversary of the former leader's birthday caused a stir across the country. Over the weekend, a photo of out-of-work web developer went viral, resulting in a flurry of job offers. The photo, which was tweeted by @jaysc0 on Friday, showed David Casarez standing on the side of the road in Mountain View, California, holding a placard telling people that he was homeless. SEE ALSO: Architects are building floating neighborhoods on city canals to create affordable housing for students Despite his circumstances, Casarez didn't ask for money, instead asking people to take copies of his resume. Today I saw this young homeless man asking for people to take a resume rather than asking for money. If anyone in the Silicon Valley could help him out, that would be amazing. Please RT so we can help David out! pic.twitter.com/ewoE3PKFx7 FullMakeup Alchemist (@jaysc0) July 27, 2018 A college graduate, Casarez told NBC Bay Area that he had moved to Silicon Valley last September with three years' experience as a software developer, with the goal of launching a startup. Those dreams faded when Casarez underestimated the cost of living in the area, and the difficulties of finding work. He stayed in his van, until that was taken in June when he couldn't afford the payments, leaving him sleeping in a park. "All I wanted was for one person to notice, take my resume and give me an opportunity," he told the news outlet. The photo amassed tens of thousands of retweets, resulting in offers of jobs and help. Well take care of him if no one else has stepped in yet. Have a nonprofit fund for this kind of thing, or housing, or industry connections, whatever he prefers Austen Allred (@AustenAllred) July 28, 2018 Hello, I am VP Engineering at AncestryDNA and also an Aggie, class of 93. I would love to interview David Casarez for a Web developer or QA automation position. Can you please put me in touch with David ? Paddy (@DeshmukhPaddy) July 28, 2018 On Sunday, Casarez thanked everyone for their support. Story continues Thank you everyone for the outpouring of support! I am completely floored by how many are interested in my #Hungry4Success story. I have met several who have been or currently are in the same situation tell me their story. I am glad to be an inspiration for you all. David Casarez (@DavidCasarez17) July 29, 2018 The situation is indicative of the affordable housing crisis which has engulfed Silicon Valley and neighbouring San Francisco. Even family of four earning $117,400 per year in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties is considered "low income," and is eligible for affordable housing programs. It's also why big tech companies like Facebook and Google have looked to building housing for their employees, who too struggle with the cost of living. By Abdul Matin Sahak SHEBERGHAN, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A mother of three from a remote area of northwestern Afghanistan remembers the day the head of a local Islamic State group came to her village, demanding money he said her husband had promised. "I told him we didn't have any money but that if we found any we would send it to him. But he didn't accept that and said I had to be married to one of his people and leave my husband and go with them," Zarifa said. "When I refused, the people he had with him took my children to another room and he took a gun and said if I didn't go with him he would kill me and take my house. And he did everything he could to me." Even by the bloody standards of the Afghan war, Islamic State has gained an unmatched reputation for brutality, routinely beheading opponents or forcing them to sit on explosives. But while forced marriages and rape have been among the most notable features of Islamic State rule in Iraq and Syria they have been much less widely reported in Afghanistan. While there have been reports in Nangarhar, the eastern province where Islamic State first appeared in 2014 and in Zabul in the south, deep taboos that can make it impossible for women to report sexual abuse make it hard to know its scale. The group has a growing presence in Zarifa's province of Jawzjan, on the border with Turkmenistan, exploiting smuggling routes and attracting both foreign fighters as well as unemployed locals and fighting both U.S.-backed Afghan forces and the Taliban. For Zarifa, the attack forced her to leave her home in the Darzab district of south Jawzjan and seek shelter in the provincial capital of Sheberghan. "My husband was a farmer and now I can't face my husband and my neighbors and so, despite the danger, I left," she said. TEN MONTHS OF TERROR Another woman, Samira, who escaped Darzab and now lives in Sheberghan, said fighters came to her house and took her 14 year-old sister to their commander. Like Zarifa, she did not want to use her full name because of the stigma against victims of sexual violence. "He didn't marry her and no one else married her but he raped her and his soldiers forced themselves on her and even the head of the village who is in Daesh forced himself on my sister and raped her," she said. Daesh is an Arabic term for Islamic State. "This girl was there with Daesh for 10 months but after 10 months she escaped and now she's with us. But I can't tell anyone about this out of shame." Stories like those told by Samira and Zarifa have emerged in recent months as thousands have fled Darzab. "Daesh has committed many horrors in Darzab that can't be told," said the Taliban's main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid. "Daesh does not abide by any rules and there is no doubt about the horrors people have been speaking about." Islamic State has no known spokesman in Afghanistan. But the accounts were broadly endorsed by government officials who say Islamic State is trying to import an entirely foreign ideology. Documents captured in Syria in 2015 revealed ways in which Islamic State theologians regulated the use of female captives for sexual purposes. "It is completely against our culture and traditions," said Mohammad Radmanish, a defense ministry spokesman, who said that Darzab was not the only area where rapes and sexual slavery by Islamic State had been reported. "When they came to our area, everyone knew what these Daesh had come for," said Kamila, a woman from Darzab, who said that three girls were taken from the area where she lived. "They would bind a girl or woman from a house and take her with them. At first they said that we would have to marry them. But then, when they took them, many men forced themselves on them and raped them." (Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Nick Macfie) Rescuers are scrambling to reach hundreds of trekkers stranded on a mountain in Indonesia after a massive earthquake triggered landslides. Early Sunday morning, a 6.4-magnitude quake rocked Lombok Island in Indonesias southeast, killing at least 14 people and injuring another 160. Not far from the epicenter, Mount Rinjani was hit with slides that blocked off escape routes, the BBC reports. Rescuers evacuated more than 800 tourists from the mountain, according to the Associated Press. Helicopters have been dispatched to search for another 266 who remain trapped. A Malaysian climber who was on a hiking trip to Lombok is reportedly among those killed. The tremor rattled the popular tourist destination just before 7 am local time, damaging thousands of homes. Damage is seen following an earthquake in Lombok, Indonesia on July 29, 2018. While the epicenter was located in Mataram, in northern Lombok, the quake was felt further afield, including 25 miles west in Bali. Dozens of aftershocks rippled through the area leading to falling debris and toppled concrete, which the countrys disaster agency said caused most of the fatalities. Indonesias meteorology and geophysics agency said it recorded over 130 aftershocks. The tremors were strong I noticed waves in the hotel pool, BBC Marathi journalist Vinayak Gaikwad said from Gili Trawangan Island, about 4 miles away from the epicenter. Thirty minutes later there was the first strong aftershock. The locals were worried because many of their structures are made from wood and bamboo, he added. The quake triggered blackouts in at least two districts. Our Indonesian #RedCross @palangmerah volunteers are supporting population hit by the #earthquake in #Lombok. Distribution of basic items has started. Proud of our women and men on the field! All my solidarity to Indonesian people affected pic.twitter.com/U86qIsVOvc Francesco Rocca (@Francescorocca) July 29, 2018 Located in the Pacifics Ring of Fire, a chain of volcanoes and fault lines, Indonesia is particularly prone to seismic activity. In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake near Sumatra prompted a tsunami and led to more than 230,000 deaths. By Sankalp Phartiyal and Aditya Kalra MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is considering asking e-commerce and social media firms to exclusively store customer data locally, a move that could affect global giants that operate in the country such as Amazon, Facebook and its messaging service WhatsApp. The plan, which has also raised some concerns among privacy advocates, is laid out in an undated Draft National Policy document seen by Reuters that is mainly aimed at streamlining regulation of the country's burgeoning e-commerce sector. It comes at a time when deep-pocketed foreign players are rapidly investing in India's e-commerce market, which Morgan Stanley estimates may be worth $200 billion in a decade. The draft policy, which was floated last week according to an e-commerce industry source, also mulls tightening scrutiny of mergers in the e-commerce sector so that even small deals that potentially distort competition are compulsorily examined by the country's anti-trust regulator. Vinay Kesari, an independent Bengaluru-based lawyer who has advised global technology companies, said the plan was bound to "unsettle" the e-commerce industry "because it is at odds with the fundamental character of the internet". The Indian e-commerce market is currently dominated by Amazon and local rival Flipkart that is in the process of being bought by U.S. retail giant Walmart - in a deal opposed by some local traders who fear it could drive mom-and-pop stores out of business. Other players include Snapdeal, backed by Japan's SoftBank, Paytm E-Commerce backed by SoftBank and Alibaba Group, and Tiger Global-backed ShopClues. Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, ShopClues, Google and Facebook did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on the draft policy. The government, according to the draft, will take steps to incentivise the storage of data of Indians locally. "Data generated by users in India from various sources including e-commerce platforms, social media, search engines etc," would have to be stored exclusively in India, the draft said, adding companies could be given time to "adjust before localisation becomes mandatory". Story continues It also said the government "would have access to data stored in India for national security and public policy objectives subject to rules related to privacy, consent etc". Raman Chima, global policy director at internet advocacy Access Now, said it was beyond the mandate of an e-commerce policy to begin talking about how all internet players should store data in India. "It is very troubling because it would quite likely lead to intrusion on people's privacy, especially since the legal measures regarding surveilling and accessing data of people online have not been specifically reformed," Chima said. DATA PROTECTION The draft policy follows a proposal last week from a government-appointed panel that all critical personal data on people in India should be processed within the country. The recommendations by the panel will go before parliament, which is formulating a data privacy law. Other measures listed in the e-commerce draft policy include mandating that home-grown card network RuPay be included as a payment option for online transactions. The company owned by a group of banks competes with global payment firms like Visa, MasterCard and American Express. India's central bank in April said payments firms such as Mastercard and Visa should within six months store data only in the country for "unfettered supervisory access". But U.S. firms protested and India's finance ministry has recommended relaxing the directive. On Monday, a senior federal commerce ministry official, Anup Wadhawan, told reporters the e-commerce policy would help strike a balance between promoting business and enhancing security using data localisation. But some disagreed. Pratibha Jain, a partner at law firm Nishith Desai Associates, said the tone and tenor of the draft was "more protectionist", rather than being balanced. "By doing this we are playing to the domestic gallery and it will send out a protectionist message," said Jain, whose firm counts tech companies among its clients. The draft also said India would move to boost participation of micro, small and medium enterprises in online retail and proposed banning the bulk purchase of branded goods, such as mobile phones, by "related party sellers which lead to price distortions in a market". Currently, sellers like Cloudtail, a joint-venture between Amazon's India unit and Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, make up the bulk of the sales on Amazon's online marketplace. "Companies and sellers buying in bulk will be prohibited, killing the market and hampering the Indian e-commerce boom," an executive with an e-commerce firm said, declining to be named. (Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal and Aditya Kalra; Additional reporting by Tanvi Mehta, Aditi Shah and Manoj Kumar; Editing by Euan Rocha, Himani Sarkar and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Al-Attassiya (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi farmer Sayyed Sattar knows he'll soon have to let some of his buffalo go as he surveys the herd bathing in a dwindling pond close to the holy city of Najaf. As southern Iraq suffers through a punishing drought, desperate cattle breeders are having to sell off animals to keep others alive. Sattar, 52, has already seen some of his buffalo die of thirst. Now, in a bid to stop any others being lost, he's being forced to say goodbye to some of his prized beasts. "With the money, we will be able to buy water and hay for the rest of the herd," he tells AFP, his head covered with a traditional black and white keffiyeh scarf. Sattar is far from the only farmer hit by the drought. Local authorities estimate that some 30 percent of cattle across the south of the country have been lost during the drought, either dying from thirst or sold off for slaughter. That is a major blow for the estimated 475,000 families who make their livings from livestock across the south of the conflict-hit country. - Search for water - Herder Ali, 24, understands only too well the challenges being faced. He has to travel ever greater distances with his flock to find water. Around him, canals have run dry and the cracked earth, empty water pipes, and dead grass testify to how few options farmers now have. To quench the thirst of their animals they have to pay, and the price of water has shot up, he says. The lack of water is painful in an area that once formed part of the so-called "fertile crescent". Dubbed the "country of two rivers" due to the presence of the mighty Tigris and Euphrates, Iraq has seen its water supplies shrinking for years. This year rainfall has been particularly scarce and reservoirs currently stand at only 10 percent full. Beyond the natural causes there is also a human factor worsening the problem -- the sharing of water resources on a regional level. Neighbours Iran and Turkey have in effect rerouted several rivers and tributaries that used to help irrigate Iraq. Story continues The recent launch of Turkey's Ilisu dam on the Tigris has provided another blow for Iraqi agriculture and in June the authorities were forced to make a tough call. The agriculture ministry suspended the growing of rice, corn and other cereals that consume a lot of water. - 'Exodus' - To help keep livestock watered, trucks are making the rounds in southern Iraq, offering to fill up the plastic tanks around cattle sheds for $20 (17 euros). But as farmers see the costs soar, the price that their cattle fetch is collapsing. Animals that once could have gone for up to $5,000 a head are now selling for as little as $1,500, meaning that cashing in on a buffalo can only cover the herd for two months. To try to make ends meet many farmers have had to resort to taking out loans at banks and going into debt. Unable to pay off their bills, a group of farmers recently took to the streets in southern Iraq asking for delays in their payments. "Never in its history has Iraq known such a catastrophe," said Ahmed al-Issawi, head of the agricultural cooperative in Najaf. "Our animals are forced to drink water where even mosquitos can't survive." The drought has seen other problems increase -- disease, worms and epidemics. Animals "contaminate each other very quickly and die", Issawi says. The Mesopotamian Marshes, one of the biggest wetlands in the region, have long been seen as one of the jewels of southern Iraq. But now they no longer help guarantee an income for those who live there, meaning people have already started to move away -- and more look set to follow. "There will be an exodus," Issawi warned. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Monday he was organizing a conference to look for ways to stabilize Libya, a main departure point for migrants from North Africa trying to reach Europe. "In agreement with President (Donald) Trump, I'm going to organize a conference on Libya," Conte told reporters at the White House after meeting with the U.S. president. "We would like to deal (with) and discuss all of the issues related to the Libyan people, involving all of the stakeholders, actors, protagonists in the whole of the Mediterranean," said Conte, who took office last month promising a crackdown on immigration. Italy has told its allies it wants to hold an international conference on Libya this autumn and Conte was eager to get Trump's blessing for the gathering at their meeting on Monday. Italy is competing with neighboring France over how best to deal with Libya, which has been wracked by violence for years. Conte believes a conference in Rome, backed by the United States, will help Rome establish itself as the major interlocutor for Libya's warring factions. After their meeting, Conte said Trump had agreed Italy would become "a reference point in Europe and the main interlocutor for the main issues that need to be faced ... with particular reference to Libya." "We are going to discuss economic aspects, but also social aspects: the need for protection of civil rights; the problem of constitutional process - of issuing and passing laws so as to enable Libya, in particular, to get to democratic elections in a condition of the utmost stability," Conte said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Additional reporting by Crispian Balmer in Rome; Writing by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Frances Kerry) Tokyo (AFP) - Japanese researchers on Monday announced the first human trial using a kind of stem cell to treat Parkinson's disease, building on earlier animal trials. The research team at Kyoto University plans to inject five million induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells -- which have the potential to develop into any cell in the body -- into patient brains, the university said in a press release. The iPS cells from healthy donors will be developed into dopamine-producing brain cells, which are no longer present in people with Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects the body's motor system, often causing shaking and other difficulties in movement. Worldwide, about 10 million people have the illness, according to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation. Currently available therapies "improve symptoms without slowing or halting the disease progression," the foundation says. But the new research aims to actively reverse the disease. The clinical test with seven participants aged between 50 and 69 will begin on Wednesday. The university will monitor the conditions of the patients for two years after the operation. The human trial comes after an earlier trial involving monkeys. Researchers announced last year that primates with Parkinson's symptoms regained significant mobility after iPS cells were inserted into their brains. They also confirmed that the iPS cells had not transformed into tumors during the two years after the implant. iPS cells are created by stimulating mature, already specialised, cells back into a juvenile state -- basically cloning without the need for an embryo. These can be derived from the patient, making them less likely to be rejected, while also sidestepping ethical qualms about taking cells from embryos. The cells can be transformed into a range of different types of cells, and their use is a key sector of medical research. Story continues In 2014, Riken, a Japanese government-backed research institution, carried out the world's first surgery to implant iPS cells to treat a patient with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common medical condition that can lead to blindness in older people. Osaka University is also planning a clinical test to treat heart failure by using a heart muscle cell sheet created from iPS cells. In the US, scientists from Duke University said in January they had managed for the first time to grow functioning human muscle from iPS cells in the lab. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese scientists said on Monday they will start clinical trials next month on a treatment for Parkinson's disease, transplanting "reprogrammed" stem cells into brains, seeking a breakthrough in treating the neurodegenerative disorder. Parkinson's is caused by a lack of dopamine made by brain cells and researchers have long hoped to use stem cells to restore normal production of the neurotransmitter chemical. The clinical trials come after researchers at Japan's Kyoto University successfully used human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) to restore functioning brain cells in monkeys last year. So-called iPS cells are made by removing mature cells from an individual - often from the skin or blood - and reprogramming them to behave like embryonic stem cells. They can then be coaxed into dopamine-producing brain cells. "This will be the world's first clinical trial using iPS cells on Parkinson's disease," Jun Takahashi, professor at Kyoto University's Centre for iPS Cell Research and Application, told a news conference. The center is headed by Shinya Yamanaka, who in 2012 shared a Nobel Prize for medicine with a British scientist, John Gurdon, for the discovery that adult cells can be transformed back into embryo-like cells. "We intend to carry on conducting our research carefully, yet expeditiously, in coordination with Kyoto University Hospital, so that new treatment using iPS cells will be brought to patients as soon as possible," Yamanaka said in a statement. The fact that the clinical trial uses iPS cells rather than human embryonic cells means the treatment would be acceptable in countries such as Ireland and much of Latin America, where embryonic cells are banned. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd has said it aims to manufacture and start selling cellular medicine based on the data from the clinical trials by the year ending March 2023. The company said, however, the target is solely its own and not a shared goal with Kyoto University. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Nick Macfie) Les Moonves remains the CEO of CBS for now. The company confirmed to Yahoo Entertainment that no action was taken at Mondays board meeting, just three days after Moonves was accused of sexual misconduct by six women. CBS Corporation also announced that its board of directors is in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation. While Moonvess fate apparently is in the hands of a third party, his wife, Julie Chen, is standing by his side. Les Moonves has the full support of his wife, Julie Chen. (Photo: Getty Images) On Monday, Chen kicked off The Talk, for which she is moderator and a co-host, by addressing the allegations of sexual misconduct against her husband, who is also the chairman of the board and president of CBS, her own network. At the top of the show, Chen, who is also the host of CBSs Big Brother, looked straight at the camera while she said: Now some of you may be aware of whats been going on in my life for the last few days. I issued the one and only statement Ill ever make on this topic on Twitter, and I will stand by that statement today, tomorrow, forever. The statement she referred to was posted on Friday just after Ronan Farrows article went up on the New Yorkers website. Moonves has been accused of sexual misconduct by six women, including actress Illeana Douglas, who had business dealings with him from the 1980s to the late 2000s. Four of the women described forcible touching or kissing during business meetings, while the others claimed Moonves physically intimidated them or threatened to derail their careers. He has denied the allegations but admitted there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. Chen met Moonves while he was already president and chief executive officer of CBS Television and she was hosting CBS This Morning and Big Brother. They were married in 2004 immediately after his divorce was finalized from first wife Nancy Wiesenfeld and they had their son, Charlie, in 2009. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: The Kardashian-Jenner sisters are all too familiar with being mommy-shamed. Theyve been criticized for taking vacations, getting their babies ears pierced, letting a 5-year-old have straightened hair, and, now, taking a night off to support a charitable cause. Khloe Kardashian, far left, was criticized for leaving her baby at home to attend the If Only charity poker tournament with, from left, sister Kendall, mom Kris, and sister Kim. (Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images) Khloe Kardashian, for one, is fed up. The reality star, who welcomed daughter True Thompson in April, took to Twitter to call out the comments she received after attending a charity poker event with mom Kris Jenner and sisters Kendall Jenner and Kim Kardashian. On Sunday, the family helped raise money for cancer research by turning up for the first If Only poker tournament, which sponsors plan to hold annually, benefiting City of Hope, a private treatment center in California. According to Kardashian, she was ill but took part anyway to support a good cause. Kardashian defended leaving her baby at home with boyfriend Tristan Thompson. (Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images) Despite her charitable intentions, some folks werent willing to cut the new mom some slack and gave her a hard time about leaving True at home. Kardashian responded to the mommy shaming head-on, noting that her daughters father, NBA star Tristan Thompson, was taking care of her. Mommy shamers r at a high right now. Im sick, at a charity event & Im getting slack 4being here bc I have a baby? Her dad is watching her while Im trying 2bring awareness 2an amazing organization. But either way, whats wrong w a new mom letting daddy take over 4a few hours? Khloe (@khloekardashian) July 30, 2018 Her tweet raises a good point: True has two parents and, while Thompson has been criticized for many things, hitting the road for the NBA playoffs soon after his daughters birth hasnt been one of them. Is it fair that Kardashian gets shamed for taking time off to support a charity? Her fans say no. Women just cannot win shamed for not wanting kids, shamed for having them and going back to work, shamed for having them and staying at home. Were always damned if we do and damned if we dont. And its usually other women doing the shaming! Loran B (@loranlily) July 30, 2018 But no one says anything when the daddy is out and about and youre at home with the baby. Theres a huge double standard there.I mean, my husband helped make our baby soooo yeah hes going to help raise her too.And if I want to take a break, I can do that! Because mommin is hard Katy Garner (@KatyGarner5) July 30, 2018 I think that one of the most important things a new mom can do is ensure that she maintains her own separate identity. Being a mom is a huge bonus, but its not the core of who you are as a person. Keep doing you. Fuck everyone else. Linz DeFranco (@LinzDeFranco) July 30, 2018 Fear not: The mom-shaming brigade will no doubt find something else to fixate on before the day is out. Story continues Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant trains with Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum in Los Angeles. (Instagram) The Celtics-Lakers rivalry has no bearing on who Kobe Bryant chooses to help in retirement. While Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball has reportedly not sought Bryants advice early in his career, Celtics wing Jayson Tatum seeks it at almost every turn. Tatum, who Boston drafted one spot after Los Angeles took Ball with the No. 2 pick in 2017, patterned his game after Bryant as a kid and is training with the Lakers legend now as a budding NBA star. The two sinewy scorers from opposite sides of the rivalry have developed a close working relationship in recent months, and the similarities between the two are so striking that Bryant openly wondered why the Lakers didnt draft Tatum over Ball. It started when Tatums trainer, Drew Hanlen, showed Bryant a video he mashed up of the young Celtic replicating a wide array of the retired Lakers moves, all to a clip of Tatum telling ESPN, Kobe Bryant was the reason I started playing basketball. Always was and will be my favorite player of all time. My man @jaytatum0 is a bucket because he studies film & has spent YEARS perfecting his craft. Stole a lot of his best stuff straight from his idol @kobebryant #puresweatfam pic.twitter.com/woNmY9ou82 Drew Hanlen (@DrewHanlen) July 15, 2018 We actually showed Kobe it yesterday, Hanlen told Sidelines podcast host Evan Daniels, via USA Today, and he was like, Why didnt the Lakers draft him? which was pretty funny after seeing that. Hanlen suggested Bryant made the comment somewhat in jest, as if to say, How come the Lakers didnt draft another me? but the fact remains that the Lakers could have drafted Tatum over Ball. Then again, the Celtics might have stuck with the No. 1 pick and taken Tatum there if they werent so sure the Philadelphia 76ers were going to draft Markelle Fultz and the Lakers were stuck on Ball. Story continues Lonzo Ball has not sought Kobe Bryants tutelage The Bryant-Ball relationship was interesting to follow in the highly touted prospects first year, if only because there really wasnt one between the outgoing all-time great and the incoming heir apparent. Ball first met Bryant in the months before the 2017 draft, when it was already clear the Lakers were drafting him, and Ball was unmoved by the interaction, according to Bleacher Reports Kevin Ding: Bryant asked Ball if he had a post-up game; Ball said he did. But individual post-ups are not what Ball wants. Try to be a good teammate and a better point guard, Ball summarized in his typically brief way. Months after Bryant offered up his advice to Ball, the Lakers rookie still had never reached out to the future hall of famer, per the L.A. Times Tania Ganguli. Its nothing he cant figure out, said Bryant. Balls father, LaVar, went so far as to say Lonzo doesnt need Bryants advice. After all, everything he can learn about the game of basketball, hes already learned from his dad. Or something like that. If Zo wants to take some advice from Kobe, on doing what? Passing, shooting? Him and Kobe dont even have the same game, LaVar told Rolling Stone magazine. Zo can take whatever he wants from him, but Im looking at it like, Zo is where hes at because of what I have done with him. It is true that Ball and Bryant play vastly different styles. Bryant was a lethal scorer who was often criticized for taking games over from his teammates. Ball has been a dreadful shooter who is best known for his ability to get other teammates involved. Still, there are other aspects of the game that Bryant could offer advice about beyond shooting and passing like defense, where he earned 12 All-Defensive selections, or mindset, where his Mamba Mentality helped him win five championships. Bryant has made vague references to ways Ball can get better, saying in December that the rookie should have the mentality that he needs to get better now and adding earlier this month that the addition of LeBron James should give Ball and the young Lakers that really good pressure to push them forward sooner rather than later. Thus far, at least, it seems Ball is content with the guidance hes already getting from his Lakers idol, Magic Johnson, right on down the line in the organization. Bryant learned plenty in a record-setting 20-year career, and in his short retirement he has passed that knowledge to a growing list of players, not all of whom were wings like he and Tatum. Bostons last two star point guards, Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving, are among the players Bryant advises. The depth of his understanding of the game comes across clearly in his Detail chronicles for ESPN. Bryant first advised Tatum in the playoffs One of those Detail episodes was focused on Tatums still-developing game during the Eastern Conference finals, long after Balls Lakers were eliminated from championship consideration: Between Games 2 and 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tatum told reporters he watched Kobes analysis some 25 times. Its helpful information that I can take with me, he added. Four games later, he dunked on LeBron, bumped him, and then made a step-back 3-pointer to give the Celtics a short-lived fourth-quarter lead of a Game 7 with an NBA Finals berth on the line. Downright Kobe-esque. Now, while James is joining forces with Ball, Bryant is training with the second-year Celtic in L.A.: Im not even sure Bryant would have believed that twist in the Celtics-Lakers rivalry if you told him this a decade ago, when he said he listened to the Dropkick Murphys every day for two years to remind him of his 2008 Finals loss to Boston and serve as motivation for redemption in 2010. Come to think of it, maybe Ball is better off without Bryants advice, since Im not sure theres another player alive capable of listening to Im Shipping Up To Boston 730 times and emerging better for it. Ben Rohrbach is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! More from Yahoo Sports: Eric Adelson: Jason Pierre-Paul saved his career, but can he save the Bucs? LeBron James opens up his I Promise school with much fanfare Trea Turner latest player to apologize for offensive tweets as Nats investigate NFL reportedly tells Jerry Jones to pipe down on anthem talk MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Latest on the release of body-camera video in the June fatal shooting of a black man by Minneapolis police (all times local): 2:50 p.m. Two Minneapolis police officers who fatally shot an armed black man last month said they feared for their lives during a foot chase. Officers Justin Schmidt and Ryan Kelly told state investigators they shot 31-year-old Thurman Blevins after seeing a gun clear his pocket, according to interview transcripts released Monday. Kelly told investigators that he saw Blevins point the gun at him moments before he and Schmidt fired. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension recovered a shell casing from Blevins' gun near his body. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Monday the officers wouldn't be charged. He said Blevins' disregard for police instructions, fleeing and pointing a gun at officers justified their actions. ___ 11:30 a.m. A Minnesota prosecutor says he won't charge two police officers in the fatal shooting of a black man last month. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says 31-year-old Thurman Blevins fled from officers with a loaded handgun and refused to follow commands to stop and show his hands. Freeman said Blevins turned toward the officers with the gun in his hand before he was shot on June 23. Freeman says there's no basis for criminal charges against the officers. He says Blevins was a danger to them and to the community. The officers were responding to a 911 call of a man firing a gun into the air and into the ground on the city's north side. Freeman made his announcement via news release after he was shouted down by community members at a news conference. ___ 11 a.m. A Minnesota prosecutor's news conference to announce a charging decision in the fatal shooting of a black man by police has ended in disarray. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman was shouted down by community members as he prepared to detail his decision in the death of 31-year-old Thurman Blevins. Story continues Blevins was shot June 23 by two Minneapolis police officers who were responding to a 911 call about a man with a gun firing into the air and the ground. Body-camera video released Sunday night showed Blevins fleeing from police while holding a gun. He was shot after a brief foot chase. The police union head said earlier Monday that the video proved the officers acted reasonably. ___ 10:30 a.m. The head of the Minneapolis police union says body-camera video proves two officers were justified in using deadly force in the fatal shooting of a black man. Lt. Bob Kroll says 31-year-old Thurman Blevins gave officers no other option when he ran from them June 23. Kroll says Blevins pointed the gun at the officers and fired a shot. Kroll says the officers were within their rights to fire at Blevins. The officers were responding to a 911 call of a man firing a gun into the air and into the ground. The shooting is being investigated by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. ___ 12 a.m. Officials in Minneapolis have released body camera video from two police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old black man. The city released the footage Sunday night. It shows Officers Ryan Kelly and Justin Schmidt chasing Thurman Blevins on foot June 23. Blevins was shot after the pursuit turned down an alley. Both officers fired their weapons, and a handgun appears on the ground next to Blevins after he's shot. Kelly and Schmidt are on paid administrative leave. Sydnee Brown, a cousin of Blevins, told the Star Tribune that the video confirms her belief that he was not a threat to the officers. She added that they "didn't view him as a human being." The shooting is being investigated by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local): 5 p.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has no plans to shut down the government over President Donald Trump's push for border wall funds. Instead, the GOP leader says the Senate would be finishing up a package of budget bills this week as Congress makes progress toward funding the government for the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. McConnell says the Senate is taking steps toward "funding the government in a timely and orderly manner." Trump has reignited his fight with Congress over funding for a Southern border wall with Mexico. Last week, McConnell said on a radio show in his home state of Kentucky that a government shutdown is "not going to happen." __ 3:05 p.m. With his record on Russia under scrutiny, President Donald Trump is insisting that the United States will not lift sanctions against Moscow. Trump said Monday at a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte that the sanctions would not change despite the Russians' request. Conte first broached the subject at a White House news conference and said lifting the sanctions would be "unthinkable." Trump also scolded Germany for agreeing to use a Russian natural gas pipeline while, in his estimation, not paying enough for defense. Trump has withstood withering criticism in recent weeks for his summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin in which he did not chastise Moscow for its 2016 U.S. election interference. ___ 2:35 p.m. President Donald Trump says that he is willing to shut down the government over funding for his long-promised border wall but that he'll "always leave room for negotiation." Trump was asked about his shutdown threat during a joint press conference with Italy's premier Monday. Trump says, "I'll always leave room for negotiation." But he's stressing the need for border security and overhauling the nation's legal immigration system. Story continues He says, "I would certainly be willing to close it down to get it done" but also says he has "no red line." Trump is also defending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying it defends the U.S. against "MS-13 nests" of "bad, bad people." Trump had said during his campaign that Mexico would pay for his wall, but Mexico has balked at that request. ___ 2:25 p.m. President Donald Trump is warning that Iran must "never be allowed" to possess nuclear weapons. Trump escalated the rhetoric against Tehran during a joint press conference Monday at the White House alongside the Italian prime minister. He has zeroed in on the threat posed by Iran in recent weeks, focusing on Tehran instead of the dangers posed by North Korea. That included a searing all-caps tweet earlier this month after what seemed like a rather mundane warning from Iran about possible armed conflict. ___ 2:15 p.m. President Donald Trump says he would have "no problem" with a potential government shutdown, saying at a news conference that "it's time we have border security." Trump is issuing another shutdown threat during a joint news conference with Italy's leader on Monday. The president tweeted over the weekend that he would be willing to shut down the federal government if Democrats don't support a plan to boost border security and fund his signature border wall. Trump is noting that Italian voters got "tired" of their country's immigration policies. He says that was a key driver behind Premier Giuseppe Conte's recent rise to power. The potential shutdown is creating anxieties among Republicans who are hoping to maintain control of Congress in the fall midterm elections. ___ 12:50 a.m. Republicans anxious about keeping control of Congress think it's a bad idea, but President Donald Trump says he's still willing to close the government over border security issues, including money to build a promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. Trump tweeted Sunday: "I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT!" Trump met at the White House last week with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell later told a radio interviewer that a shutdown so close to the Nov. 6 midterm elections won't happen. Government funding expires midnight Sept. 30. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A federal lawsuit accuses a conservative group of illegally sending unsolicited texts that appeared to come from Indiana Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly's office. The suit filed Friday on behalf of two Indiana residents contends the Judicial Crisis Network sent texts to them and others suggesting they call Donnelly and urge him to support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation. The suit says people who called the number the texts were sent from were connected with Donnelly's Washington office, "creating the impression" they came from there. The plaintiffs allege the group violated federal law barring unsolicited texts sent by automated systems and Indiana law prohibiting sending misleading or inaccurate caller identification information. A spokeswoman for the group denied the lawsuit's allegations. A spokesman for Donnelly's campaign called the texts "underhanded." KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The owners and operators of a tourist boat that sank this month in Missouri, killing 17 people, put profits over people's safety when they decided to put the Ride the Ducks boat on a lake despite design problems and warnings of severe weather, a lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit filed Sunday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City seeks $100 million in damages on behalf of two of nine members of an Indiana family who died when the tourist boat sank July 19 at Table Rock Lake near Branson. A second lawsuit was filed Monday in state court on behalf of three daughters of William and Michelle Bright, of Higginsville, Missouri, who died in the accident. The wrongful-death lawsuit seeks more than $125,000 in damages. Separately, the Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley's office confirmed Monday that it has opened a criminal investigation under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act duck boat incident. "We are working with investigators to determine the facts and whether any criminal charges are appropriate," said Mary Compton, spokeswoman for the attorney general's office. The statement from the attorney general's office does not name any individuals or companies. "This tragedy was the predictable and predicted result of decades of unacceptable, greed-driven, and willful ignorance of safety by the Duck Boat industry in the face of specific and repeated warnings that their Duck Boats are death traps for passengers and pose grave danger to the public on water and on land," the federal lawsuit, filed on behalf of the estates of 76-year-old Ervin Coleman and 2-year-old Maxwell Ly, states. Robert Mongeluzzi, whose law firm won a $17 million settlement when two Hungarian students drowned on a duck boat in Philadelphia in 2010, said at a news conference Monday that the Coleman family wants to know what happened when the boat sank. "And more importantly they want to make sure that no one ever dies again inside a death trap duck boat," Mongeluzzi said. "They've asked that this lawsuit leads the charge to ban duck boats so they no longer kill their passengers and the children who ride them." Story continues Ripley Entertainment Inc., Ride the Ducks International, Ride the Ducks of Branson, the Herschend Family Entertainment Corp., and Amphibious Vehicle Manufacturing are named in the federal suit. The state-court suit names Riley Entertainment and Ride the Ducks International, as well as boat operators Kenneth McKee and Robert Williams. A Ripley spokeswoman said in a statement Monday that the company remains "deeply saddened" by the accident. She said the company would not comment further because a National Transportation Safety Board investigation is still underway and no conclusions have been reached. The federal lawsuit says the boat operators violated the company's policies by continuing with the ride despite the weather warnings and by not telling passengers to put on life jackets when the water got rough. He instead lowered plastic side curtains, "thus further entrapping passengers in the soon-to-sink vessel." The lawsuit cites an August 2017 report from private inspector Steve Paul , who warned Ripley Entertainment that the vessels' engines and pumps that remove water from their hulls were susceptible to failing in bad weather. It also accuses the defendants of ignoring warnings the NTSB issued in 2000 that the vehicles, which are designed to operate on land and water, should be upgraded to ensure they remain upright and floating in bad weather. The 2000 recommendation from the NTSB was issued after a duck boat sank May 1, 1999, in Arkansas, killing 13 people. The federal suit says 42 deaths have been associated with duck boats since 1999. When Robert McDowell, then-president of Ride the Ducks Branson who designed the boats, responded that upgrades would require significant costs, NTSB Chairman Jim Hall said the recommendations were made because "immediate action was necessary to avoid additional loss of life." The lawsuit says the defendants ignored the warnings. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area including Table Rock Lake about 30 minutes before the doomed tour began. The NTSB said Friday that a preliminary review of video and audio recordings from the boat showed that the lake changed from calm to dangerous in minutes. The agency emphasized it had not drawn any conclusions on what caused the boat to sink. McKee, who operated the boat on the water, has acknowledged he was aware of the weather warnings before the trip, according to the NTSB. He could not be reached for comment Monday. Williams operated the boat on land and was among those who died. ___ For the latest developments on this story: https://bit.ly/2v42RhG Even NBA legends can get the jitters on the first day of school. Just ask LeBron James. On Monday, the basketball great opened the I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. The school focuses on students who are at risk in reading and need additional academic intervention so they dont fall further behind their classmates. About 240 third- and fourth-graders will attend classes this first year, with enrollment set to expand to 1,000 students in grades 1 through 8 by 2022, according to Cleveland TV station WEWS. On Sunday, James tweeted that he was a bundle of nerves waiting for that first school bell. The jitters before the first day of school are real right now!!! Tomorrow is going to be one of the greatest moments (if not the greatest) of my life when we open the #IPROMISE School. This skinny kid from Akron who missed 83 days of school in the 4th grade had big dreams... https://t.co/PwmRaHRfng LeBron James (@KingJames) July 29, 2018 James may be a millionaire more than a few times over, but he has no problem empathizing with the children the school was created to help. I know these kids basically more than they know themselves, he said, according to The Los Angeles Times. I walked the same streets. I rode the same bikes on the streets that they ride on. I went through the same emotions. The good, the bad, the adversity. Everything these kids are going through, the drugs, the violence, the guns, everything theyre going through as kids, I know. To that end, the school will provide services beyond classroom lessons, including help for kids with trauma, parents struggling with financial concerns and a pantry with donations from a food bank. Each student will also get a bicycle, because James said having a bike helped him get away from the rough parts of his community when he was young, the Times reported. Story continues Also on HuffPost The Chosen One LeBron James was a high school phenom for St. Vincent-St. Mary and Sports Illustrated listed him as "The Chosen One". Many believed he was the next Michael Jordan. Cleveland Gets Hometown Phenom NEW YORK - JUNE 26: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses with his jersey during the 2003/2004 NBA Draft Portrait at Paramount Theatre Madison Square Garden on June 26, 2003 in New York, New York. First Game in the NBA SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 29: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers before his first game in the NBA against the Sacramento Kings at Arco Arena October 29, 2003 in Sacramento, California. Rookie of the Year NEW YORK - APRIL 20: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a Rookie Of The Year Portrait on April 20, 2004 in New York City, New York. Athens 2004 Olympic Games LeBron James (center) and other Members of the United States' Olympic team during the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremonies of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 13, 2004. (Photo by Allen Kee/WireImage) Team USA Wins Bronze Medal ATHENS - AUGUST 28: (L-R) LeBron James #9 and Carmelo Anthony #8 of the United States receives the bronze medal for men's basketball during ceremonies on August 28, 2004 during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games at the Indoor Hall of the Olympic Sports Complex in Athens, Greece. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) First All-Star Game DENVER - FEBRUARY 20: LeBron James #23 of the Eastern Conference All-Stars takes in the game during the 2005 All-Star Game on February 20, 2005 at The Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. 2006 All-Star MVP HOUSTON - FEBRUARY 19: 2006 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player LeBron James#23 of the Eastern Conference celebrates with the trophy following the East's 122-120 win over the Western Conference during the 2006 NBA All-Star Game February 19, 2006 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. LeBron James Reaches Playoffs CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 22: Fans cheer behind LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first playoff game against the Washington Wizards in game one of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2006 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2006 at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Eastern Conference Semifinals 2006 AUBURN HILLS, MI - MAY 21: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers leaves the floor after losing game seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Detroit Pistons during the 2006 NBA Playoffs on May 21, 2006 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Pistons defeated the Cavs 79-61 to win their series 4-3. Eastern Conference Finals 2007 AUBURN HILLS, MI - MAY 21: LeBron James #23 and Anderson Varejao #17 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talk during warm-ups against the Detroit Pistons in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2007 NBA Playoffs at The Palace at Auburn Hills on May 21, 2007 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Eastern Conference Champions 2007 CLEVELAND - JUNE 2: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers holds the Eastern Conference Championship trophy after defeating the Detroit Pistons in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2007 NBA Playoffs on June 2, 2007 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NBA Finals 2007 SAN ANTONIO - JUNE 6: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers practices during the 2007 NBA Finals on June 6, 2007 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. LeBron James vs. San Antonio Spurs SAN ANTONIO - JUNE 7: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers moves the ball against Manu Ginobili #20 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game One of the 2007 NBA Finals at The AT&T Center on June 7, 2007 in San Antonio, Texas. Cleveland Cavaliers Gets Swept 4-0 CLEVELAND - JUNE 14: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walks towards the bench against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the NBA Finals at the Quicken Loans Arena on June 14, 2007 in Cleveland, Ohio. San Antonio Spurs 2007 NBA Champions CLEVELAND - JUNE 14: The San Antonio Spurs celebrate with the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy after their 83-82 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Four of the NBA Finals at the Quicken Loans Arena on June 14, 2007 in Cleveland, Ohio. Team USA Takes Home Gold 2008 Beijing Olympics BEIJING - AUGUST 24: (L-R) LeBron James #6, Dwyane Wade #9 and Carmelo Anthony #15 of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team celebrates winning the men's gold medal basketball game at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Beijing Olympic Basketball gymnasium on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. The United States defeated Spain 118-107 to take the Men's Basketball gold medal. 2008 All-Star MVP NEW ORLEANS - FEBRUARY 17: LeBron James #23 of the Eastern Conference All-Stars holds the MVP trophy above his head following the 2008 NBA All-Star Game on February 17, 2008 at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. LeBron James vs. Big 3 BOSTON - MAY 18: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers gets ready for Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 18, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. LeBron James Falls Short 4-3 BOSTON - MAY 18: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walks away from the microphones after his post game news conference following the Cavs 97-92 loss against the Boston Celtics in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden May 18, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. LeBron Finally Gets MVP CLEVELAND - MAY 05: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers receives 2008-2009 MVP trophy from NBA Commissioner David Stern prior to playing the Atlanta Hawks in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 5, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. LeBron James vs. Orlando Magic CLEVELAND - MAY 20: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers applies powder to his hands while playing against the Orlando Magic in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the Quicken Loans Arena May 20, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland Cavaliers Loses Series 4-2 ORLANDO, FL - MAY 30: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers falls short again against the Orlando Magic in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 Playoffs as Orlando Magic advances to the Finals on May 30, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. 2nd Consecutive MVP CLEVELAND - MAY 3: NBA Commissioner David Stern presents LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers with his Maurice Podoloff Trophy in recognition for being named the 2009-10 NBA Most Valuable Player award prior to Game Two of the Eastern Conferense Semifinals against the Boston Celtics during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 3, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Celtics won 104-86. Boston Celtics Big 3 Still Too Much for LBJ CLEVELAND - MAY 13: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks back during the game against the Boston Celtics as Cleveland Cavaliers fall short as Boston Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Decision GREENWICH, CT - JULY 08: LeBron James speaks at the LeBron James announcement of his future NBA plans at the Boys & Girls Club of America on July 8, 2010 in Greenwich, Connecticut. James announced during a live broadcast on ESPN that he will play for the Miami Heat next season. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Estabrook Group) The New Big 3 MIAMI - JULY 09: Chris Bosh #1, Dwyane Wade #3, and LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat are introduced to fans during a welcome party at American Airlines Arena on July 9, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) LeBron Reaches the Finals MIAMI, FL - MAY 31: (L-R) LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat stands for the performance of the National Anthem against the Dallas Mavericks in Game One of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena on May 31, 2011 in Miami, Florida. Miami Heats Falls Short 4-2 LeBron James of the Heat walks off the court at the end of Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida, Sunday, June 12, 2011. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat, 105-95. (Robert Duyos/Sun Sentinel/MCT via Getty Images) 3rd MVP Trophy MIAMI, FL - MAY 12: LeBron James receives the 2011-12 KIA NBA Most Valuable Player Award along with keys to a donated new KIA Sorento CUV to Akron Public School After School Program benefiting the Wheels for Education Program. from Percy Vaughn of KIA Motors America on May 12, 2012 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. LeBron Reaches the Finals Again OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JUNE 12: Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade #3, LeBron James #6 and Chris Bosh #1 listen to the National Anthem before facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the 2012 NBA Finals at Chesapeake Energy Arena on June 12, 2012 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. LeBron Gets 2nd Olympic Gold Medal LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Lebron James #6 (R) of United States bites his gold medal after defeating Spain in the Men's Basketball gold medal game on Day 16 of the London 2012 Olympics Games at North Greenwich Arena on August 12, 2012 in London, England. 4th MVP Trophy MIAMI, FL - MAY 5: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat looks towards the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which was given to him for being named the 2012-2013 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Year, on May 5, 2013 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. A Ring for the King The Miami Heat LeBron James (C) celebrates victory in the NBA Finals after the NBA Finals game between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder June 21, 2012 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Miami won the series 4-1. Meets San Antonio Spurs in The Finals MIAMI, FL - JUNE 6: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat warms up before Game One of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 6, 2013 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Photo credit: NASA From Esquire For all those who have long harbored dreams of getting off this rock and starting anew on Mars, NASA just gave us an idea of what human habitation is going to look like out there. As part of its Centennial Challenges, NASA tasked teams with designing structures that can house astronauts and equipment on the Martian surface while surviving local terrain, weather, and atmosphere. The kicker? The houses had to incorporate 3-D printing. They are not just designing structures, they are designing habitats that will allow our space explorers to live and work on other planets," program director Monsi Roman said in a press release. Eighteen teams competed in the challenge, using virtual modeling to design their Martian dwellings. The five selected below split a $100,000 prize. It's time to go apartment shopping on Mars. 1st Place: Team Zopherus of Rogers, Arkansas Photo credit: NASA 2nd Place: AI. SpaceFactory of New York Photo credit: NASA 3rd Place: Kahn-Yates of Jackson, Mississippi Photo credit: NASA 4th Place: SEArch+/Apis Cor of New York Photo credit: NASA 5th Place: Northwestern University of Evanston, Illinois Photo credit: NASA ('You Might Also Like',) Skopje (AFP) - Macedonia's parliament on Monday set September 30 as the date for a referendum on changing the country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia, a high-stakes vote aimed at resolving the Balkan nation's long-running row with Greece and opening the door to its entry into NATO and the EU. Skopje and Athens signed a landmark agreement in June to rename the country in an effort to break a stalemate that has poisoned their relations since 1991 and hobbled Macedonia's integration with the West. Greece has objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia because it has its own province of the same name, accusing Skopje of territorial ambitions. While more than 120 countries, including the US and Russia, have recognised the former Yugoslav republic under the name of "Republic of Macedonia," Athens has voiced its protest by blocking the country from joining NATO or starting EU accession talks. The referendum question approved by 68 out of 120 lawmakers on Monday closely links the name-change to Macedonia's ambitions of stronger ties with the West. On September 30, the public will be asked: "Are you for EU and NATO membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?" However, the nationalist opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, boycotted the vote by leaving the room, signalling a rocky road ahead. After the deal was struck in June, NATO said Macedonia would be eligible to join the alliance if its new name is accepted by the public. The European Union, for its part, said last month that accession negotiations would not begin before June 2019. But progress in resolving the dispute has been challenged by hardliners and large protests in both countries. Athens has also accused Russia -- who is strongly opposed to Macedonia's NATO ambitions -- of trying to sabotage the accord by encouraging demonstrations. Opponents in Athens are upset that the deal recognises a Macedonian language and nationality, while in Skopje a nationalist right has branded the name-change as assault on the nation's identity. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, missing since 2014, was probably steered off course deliberately and flown to the southern Indian Ocean, according to the Malaysian governments safety report into the disaster. MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board. Investigators have never been able to explain why the jet abandoned its route shortly into the flight, traversed Malaysia and then cruised south over the Indian Ocean. Its difficult to attribute the change in course to any system failure, according to the report released Monday. It is more likely that such maneuvers are due to the systems being manipulated, the report said. Experts mapped the Boeing 777s course only after picking through hourly data hookups with a satellite. Extensive sonar searches of remote waters off Australias west coast failed to locate the wreckage. Mondays 449-page report offered little to solve modern aviations biggest mystery and stopped short of apportioning specific blame. Theres nothing to suggest the plane was evading radar, or evidence of behavioral changes in the crew, it said. Significant parts of the aircrafts power system, including the autopilot function, were probably working throughout the flight, the report said. We are unable to determine with any certainty the reasons that the aircraft diverted from its filed planned route, Kok Soo Chon, chief inspector of the MH370 investigation team, told reporters in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur. The possibility of intervention by a third party cannot be excluded. Without the help of cockpit data recorders, search teams could only guess what happened in the flights final moments. Analysis by the Australian government suggested MH370 ran out of fuel before plummeting at as much as 25,000 feet a minute into the water. Other investigators speculated that a person was at the controls until the very end, gliding the plane into the ocean beyond the furthest limit of any search area. Story continues Mondays report didnt support either theory explicitly, but struggled to come up with a mechanical explanation for the aircrafts deviations. No Bodies The change in flight path likely resulted from manual inputs, it said. Similarly, the planes loss of communications before veering off track was more likely due to systems being manually turned off or power interrupted to them than a malfunction, it said. A few pieces of wreckage from MH370 did wash up in Africa but no bodies have ever been recovered. A fresh underwater search this year by U.S. exploration company Ocean Infinity ended without success. The jets disappearance produced a slew of safety recommendations aimed at preventing a repeat of the tragedy. New aircraft must broadcast their locations every minute when theyre in trouble, but only from January 2021. A gradual tightening of requirements starts in November, when airlines must track planes every 15 minutes under regulations adopted by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization. MH370s cargo included 221 kilograms (487 pounds) of lithium batteries and 4.6 tons of fresh mangosteen fruit, according to its manifest. After extensive tests, Mondays report ruled out smoke or fire caused by those goods mixing in the planes hold as a cause of the tragedy. The report documented shortcomings among Kuala Lumpur air traffic controllers: they were too slow to initiate emergency procedures and there was no evidence to suggest they were continuously monitoring radar displays, it said. The report recommended better training to handle emergencies. Sobbing into our cereal, we are. It was announced last week that the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX due to hit theaters in December 2019 would repurpose unseen footage of Carrie Fisher to include her in the film as the iconic Leia. Fisher died in December 2016, nearly a full year before The Last Jedi (also known as Episode VIII) was released. Mark Hamill starred opposite Carrie Fisher in four Star Wars films. (Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney) We desperately loved Carrie Fisher, director and co-writer J.J. Abrams said in a statement. Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie [Lourd], we have found a way to honor Carries legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII [The Force Awakens]. Fans have been hailing the decision, as have Fishers co-stars. On Sunday, actor Mark Hamill who played Leias twin, Luke Skywalker, in four of the Star Wars films shared his bittersweet reaction to hearing that his irreplaceable longtime friend would once again grace the big screen. It's bittersweet facing my final chapter without her-She is simply irreplaceable. I'm finding solace in the fact that she won't BE replaced & would love the worldwide outpouring of affection from those who loved her when they heard the news.#CarrieOnForever pic.twitter.com/7ueMqBxQwa Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) July 29, 2018 Hamills tribute which included photos from the various Star Wars sets got fans feeling emotional; his tweet has more than 252,000 likes. John Boyega also cheered the move to keep Fisher in the next Star Wars film. (Photo: Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios) It seems Fishers legacy is just as important to the newer generation of Star Wars heroes. John Boyega, who plays former stormtrooper Finn in the latest trilogy and often refers to Hamill as Dad, responded to Hamills tweet with this heartwarming show of support. Story continues We will get through it dad #CarrieOnForever https://t.co/KzN1cAjKNY John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) July 29, 2018 In the words of one follower: I am full-on sobbing, thanks. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega takes part in the commemoration of the 39th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution at 'La Fe' square in Managua, the nation's capital, on July 19. (MARVIN RECINOS via Getty Images) For the second time in a generation, Nicaragua is on the brink of civil war. This time, however, something feels distinctly different. After living in Nicaragua for nearly two years, my family and I recently fled amid rising violence and insecurity. As a Latin American scholar, with years of experience reflecting on political shifts in the region, I find myself pondering a frightening question. Is this how fascism begins? This past July 19 marked the 39th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, which was the culmination of a decade-long battle in which a group of young guerrilla warriors known as the Sandinistas brought down one of Latin Americas most brutal dictators, Anastasio Somoza. Ever since, July 19 has been a day to venerate the heroes of the revolution, but this years celebrations had a very different tone. In Masaya, one of Nicaraguas largest cities, a group of roughly 70 Sandinista loyalists known as the Sandinista Youth gathered on July 18 in a schoolyard. Nearly everyone was masked and many held automatic rifles high above their heads as they chanted in unison: He stays, he stays, my commander stays! Not a step backwards! Not a step backwards! Not a step backwards! Daniel, Daniel, Daniel! They were referring to Nicaraguas embattled president, Daniel Ortega, who returned to power in 2006 with a narrow victory at the polls and has since refused to leave. Ortega used a wave of extended economic growth and popular support to consolidate his authority. Today he controls nearly every municipal court, the national assembly, the press, and the electoral court. He has rigged elections and placated his followers with propaganda churned out by his family-owned media outlets for years now, but in recent months his leadership has taken a dark turn toward fascism. Fascist leaders rely on persuading citizens to give up their civil rights, but fascism doesnt typically appear overnight. First, like Ortega, fascist leaders rig elections and fire up propaganda machines. Second, they create a common enemy that can serve as a scapegoat during moments of crisis. Third, they subtly dehumanize their enemies in the press and finally, once moral boundaries have been dissolved, they begin to systematically annihilate their adversaries. This is exactly whats happening in Nicaragua. Story continues The Crisis On April 19, 2018, the stability of Ortegas regime was suddenly cast in doubt as young students began taking to the streets to protest their governments mismanagement of a massive forest fire and a poorly timed reform to social security. When the regime responded with violent repression, hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans took to the streets and began calling for Ortegas resignation. Since then, Ortega has escalated violence in the streets, where collusion between police officers and paramilitary groups has led to more than 360 deaths, at least 2,000 injuries and hundreds of human rights abuses. Demonstrators take part in a march to demand the ouster of Ortega in Managua on July 22. (Jorge Cabrera / Reuters) The Common Enemy Ortega and his wife have used their media outlets to control public information and repress civil society for years, but since the insurrection began, they have used calculated language to criminalize mainly peaceful protesters. Initially, they were described as delinquents and vandals. Then the state began labeling them as maras, which is a word commonly used to refer to gang members. In recent weeks, the state has turned to the use of the term terrorists. The Italian philosopher, Antonio Gramsci, who spent a significant part of his adult life in jail, wrote, Reality is defined by words. Therefore, whoever controls words, controls reality. Gramscis reflection was a critique of the father of fascism, Benito Mussolini, who used his experience as a journalist to solidify his power in the 1920s in Italy. Mussolini employed carefully crafted posters, newspaper articles, films and radio spots to create a parallel universe in which he presented himself to the Italian masses as a national savior amid a period of national crisis. Nearly a century later, Ortega has forged a startlingly similar parallel world in which ideology supersedes facts and logic. Dehumanizing The Enemy And Undermining Moral Boundaries On July 13, rural leader and longtime Ortega adversary Medardo Mairena was detained at Augusto International Airport. The government offered no evidence in accusing him of murder and terrorism. Following Mairenas apprehension, the state launched a series of deadly raids on opposition holdouts in the nations capital of Managua and surrounding townships. The raids were led by police officers and paramilitaries, and were officially labeled, Operation Cleanup. The attacks contributed to a weekend of violent repression, including a particularly brutal siege of a church where student protesters were holed up at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua. Members of a paramilitary group are seen in Masaya, Nicaragua, on July 18 following clashes with anti-government demonstrators. (MARVIN RECINOS via Getty Images) On July 16, while loved ones were still while mourning their dead, the national assembly passed a series of anti-terrorism laws, claimed to be designed to protect Nicaraguans against international terrorists. In practice, the law is already being used, ex post facto, to prosecute protesters like Mairena. The law, which calls for prison sentences ranging from 15-20 years for anyone found guilty of directly or indirectly supporting terrorist activities, is being used to detain and imprison protesters. The New Norm? Although Ortegas government contends that the repression of individual liberties is necessary to restore peace in Nicaragua, history suggests we are witnessing the solidification of the presidents totalitarian machine. In recent weeks, Ortega has been depicted as the only leader capable of navigating Nicaraguans through the current crisis. The deification of Ortega has been accompanied by a nearly complete fusion of the Sandinista party with the Nicaraguan state, which has facilitated further control of everyday activities. While Ortega will surely continue to talk about a return to normalcy, unless some form of intervention takes place, it is quite likely that Nicaraguas current environment is the new norm. Dr. Benjamin Waddell is an Associate professor of sociology at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. He spent the last two years living in Managua, Nicaragua, where he researched matters related to development, international migration and crime. The Duchess of Sussexs father, Thomas Markle, has spoken out once again in what appears to be another bid to get his daughters attention. The 74-year-old told the Daily Mail in a nine-hour interview over three days that he can no longer contact Meghan and hasnt spoken to her for more than 10 weeks. He then went on to say that perhaps it would be easier for Meghan if I died because everybody would be filled with sympathy for her. WASHINGTON Melania Trump has freedom over her own remote control, began a New York Times story earlier this week, which could have been mistaken for satire from The Onion, but was in fact real life. The story referred to a statement the first ladys communications director Stephanie Grisham gave to CNN, proclaiming that Trump can watch any channel she wants. That was in response to an earlier Times report that President Donald Trump became enraged that his wife watched CNN, which he frequently calls fake news. Grishams statement also sidestepped questions about that days major story, the presidents longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen releasing an audio tape of him and the then-presidential candidate discussing a payment to kill a story of an alleged extramarital affair. She instructed reporters to instead focus on the first ladys Be Best childrens initiatives, to which her husband has devoted little attention since becoming president. The response on Wednesday was one of several recent examples in which the first lady appeared to take a page from the presidents media criticism playbook. Using similar rhetoric to that of her husband, she tweeted in May that the media is working overtime speculating where I am, referring to reports on how she had not appeared in public for nearly a month unusual for a public figure such as the first lady. I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am & what I'm doing. Rest assured, I'm here at the @WhiteHouse w my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people! Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 30, 2018 After a Rose Garden launch event for Be Best this spring, Grisham released a lengthy statement accusing the opposition media of baseless accusations towards the First Lady and her new initiatives, and instructing reporters to Be Best in their own professions. Story continues The baseless news coverage? The pamphlet for the program contained language that was identical to text from an Obama administration booklet on cyberbullying and online security. Asked about the comparisons to the president, Grisham said that the East Wing has its own press strategy, and disputed that she only responds through criticism of the media. I put positive tweets/readouts/videos out constantly, she wrote in an email. In my opinion, the media chooses to cover the more salacious gossip or silly speculation in order to get headlines or clicks. To be honest, I wish they would cover more of her work on behalf of children, rather than some of the things they choose to focus on. These critical responses to press coverage have occurred in tandem with Melania Trumps gradual and at times rocky ascension to her position as first lady, often fraught with challenges and seen as arcane and sexist. According to scholars who have studied the communications strategies of first ladies, its yet another way in which Trump has taken a radically different approach to the role. First lady Melania Trump this week, after visiting a children's hospital in Nashville as part of her Be Best initiatives. (Photo: SAUL LOEB via Getty Images) While it was common for previous first ladies and their staffs to push for positive news coverage, according to Myra Gutin, professor of communication at Rider University and author of The Presidents Partner: The First Lady in the Twentieth Century, they were rarely combative with reporters, she said. I dont really recall anyone lecturing the press, Gutin said, adding that Trumps outreach to the press always seems to be reactive rather than proactive. Instead, past first ladies strove for positive relations with the press because they felt that they could help them tell their story, she said. I dont get that sense at all from this administration. HuffPost reached out to several press secretaries or communications directors for former first ladies, but many did not respond. Barbara Knight, who served as first lady Laura Bushs deputy press secretary, declined to comment specifically, but said in an email that she and other members of Bushs staff had a great relationship with the White House press pool and considered the reporters she worked with like family. We might have disagreed at times, but we (White House staff as well as the President and First Lady) certainly always treated the press with respect, she wrote. The combative tone is one of several ways in which Melania Trumps communications strategy sharply differs from that of her predecessors, said Lauren Wright, a lecturer in politics and public affairs at Princeton University, and the author of On Behalf of the President: Presidential Spouses and White House Communications Strategy Today. Usually what the East Wing does is they try to not come out with any negativity, unless they absolutely have to, Wright said. And that usually comes from a West Wing staffer, if it is negative. They try to retain this status thats really positive, the image that first ladies have, so they dont want to tarnish that in general. Both Wright and Gutin also cited an apparent lack of attention to optics. Wright noted that its crucial for advisers to the first lady to anticipate what the effect of this messaging might be, or what the downside might be, because first ladies are traditionally positive assets for presidential administrations, deployed to bolster their spouses policies and serve as a compelling surrogate on the campaign trail. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Polling and research have shown that they are more popular and less divisive than presidents, and can shape public opinion in positive and relatively noncontroversial ways, she said. This is such a unique opportunity for the White House, Wright said. The first ladys office historically has been a boon for them, a beloved person who makes the presidents policies look good. Instead, several of Trumps public appearances have created controversies of her own making for example, the I REALLY DONT CARE, DO U? jacket seen around the world, which both Gutin and Wright cited as a major and easily preventable misstep that overshadowed what could have been a positive moment for the first lady. How do you let her do that? Gutin said of the jacket, which Trump wore before boarding a plane to visit undocumented immigrant children detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. When I first heard she was visiting the border, I thought, Wow, OK, thats a good thing. Shes showing her concern for the children and their parents. And then, to have the nonsense of the coat. Some of the errors could be logistical, as Trump has a smaller staff compared to that of previous first ladies. And Gutin noted that every one of her recent predecessors was already in essence, a political professional. Theyve all been the spouse of a governor or a senator. So she came to this with, really, no background, she said. As for improving her public perception, Wright argued that Trump could do more to highlight her personal story. She has experiences that other Trump family members and surrogates do not, Wright said. Any other administration would look at those life experiences that she has had and really try to leverage them, politically speaking. Related Coverage Melania Trump Is Forging Her Own Path As First Lady, In Spite Of Her Husband I Wonder Who Wrote That Melania Trump Tweet Melania Trump Wears Jacket With I Really Dont Care On It To Visit Immigrant Children Melania Trump Spokeswoman Dodges Questions About Trump Tape This article originally appeared on HuffPost. BERLIN (Reuters) - Support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc, trying to move beyond a bitter dispute over migrant policy that threatened the coalition, has fallen to its lowest level since 2006, a poll showed on Sunday. The Emnid poll published in Bild am Sonntag showed Merkel's Christian Democrats and their sister party, Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU), down one percentage point at 29 percent. That compares with 33 percent in the September election. The CSU faces a tough regional election in October with polls showing it could lose its absolute majority in Bavaria. The Social Democrats (SPD), who share power with the conservatives in Merkel's coalition, failed to capitalize on those losses, also falling one point to 18 percent. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was unchanged at 15 percent while the Greens rose 2 points to 14 percent, their best showing this year, according to Bild am Sonntag. Emnid gave no explanation for the changes. About a month ago, Merkel's coalition came close to collapse due to fundamental differences on migrant policy with her Bavarian partners who wanted tighter national border controls, which she rejected. A face-saving compromise was reached in early July but underlying tensions linger. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Mexico City (AFP) - Police in Mexico have arrested an alleged drug trafficker in connection with the disappearance of three Italians in January, the attorney general's office said on Monday. Jose Guadalupe N was caught in Guadalajara in the country's west, said Omar Hamid Garcia, director of the criminal investigation agency at the attorney general's office. Garcia said the suspect was "probably involved" in the disappearance of 60-year-old Rafaelle Russo, his 25-year-old son Antonio and his nephew Vicenzo Cimmino, 29, on January 31 in Jalisco state. The three Italians went missing after they were arrested by local police at a gas station. Four police officers were arrested in February and accused of handing over the three Italians to a criminal group. Garcia said the suspect, whose surname was given only as N for legal reasons, "was possibly responsible" for buying the trio from the police. The three Italians entered the country as tourists but authorities say they were involved in the sale of electric generator equipment. Local media said N was from the Jalisco New Generation cartel, widely believed to be the main rivals to the Sinaloa group of captured drug kingpin Joaquim "El Chapo" Guzman. Jalisco has one of the highest numbers of disappearances in Mexico, with 2,917 missing since 2017. Mexico had a record 25,000 murders last year. Since the federal government launched a multifront anti-drug operation in 2006, more than 200,000 people have been killed but official figures do not specify how many are linked to organized crime such as drug cartels. A long-awaited official report into the disappearance of Flight MH370 gave no new clues about why the plane vanished, relatives of those on board the aircraft said Monday, expressing anger and disappointment. Family members had been hoping that the official investigation team's report could provide them with some closure, over four years after the Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people went missing. But grieving relatives said the technical document appeared to contain little new beyond a lengthy description of the plane's disappearance and search efforts, and that officials were unable to answer their questions. Some angry relatives walked out of the briefing. "It is so disappointing," said Intan Maizura Othman, whose husband was a flight steward on MH370, which was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished in March 2014. "I am frustrated. There is nothing new in the report. "Those who gave the briefing from the ministry of transport were not able to give answers as they were not (the ones) who wrote the report." She said that the meeting between relatives and officials descended into a "shouting match" as family members' frustration boiled over. "Many asked questions," said G. Subramaniam, who lost a son on the flight, but added that "unsatisfactory responses left many angry". The report was due to released publicly later Monday. No sign of the jet was found in a 120,000-square kilometre (46,000-square mile) Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led hunt, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January last year. US exploration firm Ocean Infinity resumed the hunt at the start of this year on a "no find, no fee" basis, using high-tech drones to scour the seabed. But that search was called off after failing to find anything. Malaysia's new government, which took power in May, total transparency, including the release of the report by the official safety investigation team -- a 19-member body which includes international investigators. Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon. There have been a host of theories about why the plane disappeared, ranging from an accident to a hijacking or even a terror plot. A family member reads an MH370 briefing report before a closed door meeting in Putrajaya - REUTERS It is arguably the biggest mystery in aviation history: What happened to Flight MH370? Malaysia is releasing a long-awaited report into the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines plane, which vanished with 239 aboard en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. Relatives of people aboard the flight, who were given the official investigation team's report on Monday morning at the Malaysian transport ministry, said they hoped it might give them answers. However, the report, which was due to be released publicly in the afternoon, was unlikely to reveal definitive conclusions about that fateful day four years ago. Here is everything we know - and don't know - about the unexplained tragedy. How did it vanish? Flight MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur at 00:41 local time on Sunday March 8, 2014. Piloted by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, the plane was expected to fly across the Gulf of Thailand, then over Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and mainland China, before landing in Beijing just under six hours later at 6.30am. About 40 minutes into the flight, at 01:19, a co-pilot, believed to be Fariq Abdul Hamid, radios air traffic control: Alright, good night. It was the last time authorities heard from the plane. Two minutes later, the flight fails to check in as scheduled with air traffic control in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. No distress signal is received. MH370 flight path Radar shows the aircraft made a sharp left turn, from north-east to almost due west. At 01:38, Vietnamese air traffic control asks other countries and nearby aircraft to attempt to make contact. At 02:15, MH370s position is picked up for the final time. Malaysian military radar shows the aircraft is heading north-west across the Andaman Sea. The alarm is finally raised at 05:30 after hours of confusion and a search and rescue operation is launched, focusing on the South China Sea, south of Vietnams Ca Mau peninsula. Story continues At 11.14am, the loss of the flight is confirmed at a press conference. What might have happened? No one can say for certain what happened, but the mystery has spawned countless theories - some credible, others less so. Hypoxia event or onboard accident The official narrative, from the Malaysian government and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, posits that the passengers and crew were incapacitated by an unknown unresponsive crew/ hypoxia event. Hypoxia is a deficiency of oxygen. In that scenario, Captain Zaharie, like everyone else on board, was unconscious as the plane flew on autopilot before finally crashing into the sea when it ran out of fuel. Related theories suggest there was a fire or accident that incapacitated Shah and the cabin crew. That was the belief of Christopher Goodfellow, a former pilot. "I will maintain my view that the loss of MH370 was due to an accident until it is proved otherwise," Mr Goodfellow wrote in the Telegraph. "As I stated three months ago in my online post, the crew were almost certainly dealing with a major emergency when they made their unannounced turn to the west. Why west? Because they were diverting towards the island of Langkawi, on the west coast of Malaysia. " Pilots under suspicion In May, a panel of experts told the Australian TV programme 60 Minutes that the evidence suggested Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah executed a careful series of manoeuvres to evade detection and ensure the plane disappeared in a remote location. Martin Dolan, former head of the Australia Transport Safety Bureau, who led the two-year search for the missing plane, said: This was planned, this was deliberate, and it was done over an extended period of time. Two years ago, a study of the flight data found the plane appeared to be out of control when it crashed rather than being deliberately glided and that the pilot had not prepared the wing flaps for landing. The analysis indicated the plane dived quickly when it landed and there was no controlled descent. An initial interim report into the mystery in 2015 looked closely at Captain Zaharies background and behaviour in the lead-up to the flight, but found his ability to handle stress at work and home was good. The report also stated: There was no known history of apathy, anxiety, or irritability. There were no significant changes in his lifestyle, interpersonal conflict or family stresses. In August 2016, Malaysian officials said Captain Zaharie had plotted a path over the Indian Ocean on a home flight simulator. Then transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said he had used a home-made flight simulator to plot a very similar course to MH370's presumed final route but he emphasised this was just one of thousands of practice routes discovered on Zaharie's hard drive. "There is no evidence to confirm that (the pilot) flew the plane into the southern Indian Ocean". The wild theories Other far-fetched suggestions include the plane being hijacked remotely or being attacked from the ground, with blame being pointed at governments such as the US, Russia and North Korea. MH370 | The theories What have the searches found? There have been two major searches for the doomed aircraft. The first, carried out by Australia, China and Malaysia, ended in January last year after a fruitless 113 million ($147.06 million) trawl across an area of 46,332 sq miles in the southern Indian Ocean. Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft, the three countries said in a joint statement at the time. The second, which began in January, was conducted by US-based firm Ocean Infinity. It was called off on May 29 after the privately-funded underwater hunt covered 43,243 sq miles in the southern Indian Ocean. The search for MH370 The previous administration of Najib Razak had promised up to $70 million to the Texas-based firm if it found the plane. But there were no significant new findings. The only confirmed traces of the Boeing 777 aircraft have been three wing fragments washed up on Indian Ocean coasts. The first bit of debris discovered was a flaperon, which was found washed up on Reunion Island in July 2015. French officials said numbers found inside the part match records from a company that manufactured it for MH370. The island lies between Madagascar and Mauritius. French police officers carry a piece of debris from MH370 in Saint-Andre, Reunion Island Credit: AP In May the following year, a fragment of plane wing was found in Mauritius, with a "part identifier" allowing investigators to identify the wreckage definitively. And the following month, a wing flap found on Pemba island, in Tanzania, was confirmed to belong to the missing airliner. Other parts that are thought to be part of the aircraft include a cabin interior panel, found in Madagascar; engine cowling that washed up in South Africa's Mossel Bay; a main cabin interior panel that cropped up in Rodrigues Island in Mauritius; a horizontal stabilizer found on a beach in Mozambique; and a flap track fairing that was also discovered on a Mozambique beach. What will the report say? Anthony Loke, Malaysia's transport minister, said the investigation team would brief families of those aboard on the report in a closed-door briefing. A news conference will then follow in the afternoon. "Every word recorded by the investigation team will be tabled in this report," he told reporters, adding that a news conference would follow the closed-door briefing. Family members read MH370 briefing reports before a closed door meeting Credit: Reuters "We are committed to the transparency of this report," Loke added. "It will be tabled fully, without any editing, additions, or redactions." The report will be put online, with hard copies distributed to families and accredited media, among others, Loke said, adding: "The whole international community will have access to the report." It will also be presented to both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday. Arriving at the transport ministry on Monday to receive the report, Nurlaila Ngah, whose husband Wan Swaid Wan Ismail was an MH370 crew member, said she was hoping for a "solid answer" about what happened that could give relatives some closure. Sarah Nor, the mother of Norliakmar Hamid, a passenger on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, cries as she arrives for the final investigation report on missing flight MH370 Credit: AFP "In the airline industry, tragedies happen but there are clues as to what could have happened," she told AFP. "It makes no sense if they (the investigators) say there are no hints as to what could have happened." But Calvin Shim, whose wife was a stewardess on the flight, was sceptical the report would tell families anything new after more than four years of fruitless searching. "I do not expect any fresh revelations from this report," he said. "The black box has not been found. The plane wreckage has not been found." Families weep after receiving final report on MH370. Theres no conclusion pic.twitter.com/u40tuFuzM1 David Lipson (@davidlipson) July 30, 2018 He had said previously he was concerned that the accident report would not include key details such as the plane's full cargo manifest and the results of a separate investigation by Malaysian police. Voice 370, a group representing the relatives, has previously urged the Malaysian government for a review of the flight, including "any possible falsification or elimination of records related to MH370 and its maintenance". What next? For the moment, the families can only pray that a firm clue as to the aircraft's whereabouts emerges. Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's Prime Minister, has said the country would consider resuming the search if new clues came to light, and Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Plunkett hoped the company would be able to offer its services again in a future operation. Michael McCormack, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister, said the search had tested the limits of technology and capacity of experts and people at sea. It would only resume if there was "credible evidence which identifies a specific location of the missing aircraft". "We will always remain hopeful that one day the aircraft will be located," Mr McCormack's office said in May. It has become a worn cliche to say such-and-such election is of vital, life-changing importance. Some elections, people argue, are the most crucial ever, and that so much depends on its outcome. Much of it is hyperbole, but sometimes it is true. The US 2018 midterm elections with most voting taking place 100 days from now on 6 November fall into the second category. While Donald Trumps name is not on the ballot, his presence will hover over the battle for each of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives, the 35 Senate seats being contested, the 39 state and territorial governorships that will be decided, along with the numerous state and local legislatures. Yet, it is more than simply a referendum on the man whose first term has been marked by an approval rating that has often plunged to record lows: Mr Trumps political future could depend on the results. If the Democrats take control of the house, which most analysts predict they will, it would be there that any impeachment process would begin. While the Democratic leader in the house, congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, currently plays down such talk, there are many in the party with an appetite to try and censure the president. For while Mr Trump has, against the predictions of many, managed to take a firm grip on the Republican Party a recent Gallup poll found while he had a national approval rating of just 42 per cent, among Republicans it was as high as 87 per cent he has also energised the opposition. Warning to Republicans The Resistance, as some term it, has been organising, campaigning, registering first-time voters and raising money with a rare fervour. Earlier this month, it was revealed in 56 house districts, Republicans had raised less money than Democrats, while in no districts were Democrats lagging behind their Republican challengers. This spring, a similar picture emerged during fundraising for the Senate races; Axios said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had twice as much money to spend as the National Republican Senatorial Committee, with $29.9m (22.8m) compared to Republicans $14.8m. Story continues Polls also show more enthusiasm among Democrats. A Washington Post survey suggested 46 per cent of registered voters felt it was extremely important to vote in this years midterms, but the figure rose to 58 per cent among Democrats and fell to 38 per cent amongst Republicans. This week, with the website FiveThirtyEight showing a generic 47.8 to 40.1 advantage to the Democrats on peoples voting intentions for Congress, Republicans received a warning call from Mr Trumps former top strategist, Steve Bannon. This is going to be up or down vote. Its a referendum on the Trump presidency, he told Fox News. The opposition is going to be very focused on trying to win the House of Representatives, try to win Congress in order to impeach President Trump and stop the entire progress ... You pick it. They are going to try to unwind it. He added: The Democrats got one thing. They got a do-over. In this November, and it is 100 days and a wake up. House is crucial Recently, Larry Sabato, one of the nations most frequently quoted analysts, captured peoples attention when his usually cautious Crystal Ball predictive model for the first time said the Democrats had a better than 50 per cent chance of retaking the house. For most of this election cycle the generic ballot has shown a consistent Democratic lead that suggests a very competitive battle for the majority, wrote Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Mr Sabatos Crystal Ball. Jeanne Zaino, professor of political science at Iona College in New York, told The Independent she also felt the house would most likely be captured by the Democrats. She said she estimated they could win as many as 35 seats, whereas they require just 23 to take control. Ms Zaino said if the Democrats did take the House, it would spell trouble for Mr Trump. She said while Ms Pelosi had decided that talking about impeachment ahead of the midterms was not a wise strategy, she would be more ready to consider it once the election was over. It might not happen, but I think there is good chance there will be more focus on it, and more support for [Special Counsel Robert] Muellers investigation, she said. Democrats are also likely to try and block much Republican legislation, resulting in gridlock on Capitol Hill. Senate The current makeup of the Senate has the Republicans controlling things 51-49, but given John McCains long absence from Capitol Hill, that advantage comes down to just one. As a result, Democrats and pressure groups are lobbying hard on moderate Republicans such as Susan Collins of Maine over the confirmation vote for Mr Trumps latest Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh. For some time, the Democrats believed they had a chance of taking the Senate as well. That now seems much less likely. It was recently reported Democrats had launched a Super PAC, or political action committee, to spend $20m on voter mobilisation in just four states: Missouri and Indiana, where under-pressure Democrats are seeking re-election; and Arizona and Tennessee, where strong Democratic challengers are running for seats currently held by Republicans. Those four races are among the countrys most competitive. And for Democrats to take control of the Senate, they would likely have to win at least three of them, or perhaps all four, depending on the outcome of races in other states, the New York Times said. Whereas every house seat is theoretically competitive and Democrats can target Republicans in suburban districts, such as those around Philadelphia, Houston and Minneapolis, where there are a large number of white female voters the previously pro-Trump supporters who are judged most vulnerable winning a Senate seat requires a state-wide operation. Many of the seats Democrats are defending are in red states (whose voters predominantly choose the Republicans) and the Times calculated Democrats need to win 28 seats to control the Senate, whereas Republicans need only nine. Crucially, they have to defend 10 seats in states that Donald Trump won, such as Indiana, where Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly is fighting to hang on. Its not that Im pessimistic about the Democrats overall position next year, Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight wrote earlier this year. On the contrary, I think most political observers had, until recently, been slow to recognise just how bad things had become for the Republicans. He added: But the Senate map is really tough for Democrats, with 26 Democratic seats in play next year (including a newly opened seat in Minnesota after Al Franken announced his intention to retire) as compared to just eight Republican. Just how bad is this map for Democrats? Its bad enough that it may be the worst Senate map that any party has faced ever, or at least since direct election of senators began in 1913. Importance of local government The governorships of 36 states and three US territories Guam, the US Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Islands are being contested this year, along with battles for the state chambers in numerous states. Jennifer Duffy, an analyst with the Cook Political Report, said there were still many primary contests to be held before the actual general election in November. Of the 36 governor races, 26 are currently held by Republicans, nine by Democrats and one is an independent. Last week, the winner of the Republican primary was Brian Kemp, who won by as many as 40 points, as he and his opponent both sought to ally themselves with Mr Trump. Mr Kemp's opponent, Casey Cagle, was heard on tape saying the Republican primary had become a test of who had the biggest gun, who had the biggest truck, and who could be the craziest. The already heated contest got a late dose of drama when Mr Trump endorsed Mr Kemp over his rival, Casey Cagle. Mr Kemp now faces a November showdown against Democrat Stacey Abrams, who is looking to become the first African American governor in the country. She has been running a progressive campaign that will likely be calibrated as she seeks independent voters in November. But commentators point out Mr Kemp faces a tough challenge of reuniting the states Republican Party after a bitter contest. They also say his hardline policies may not sit well among many in a state where demographics mean it is steadily moving from a solid red to purple. Ms Duffy said events such as Mr Kemps victory could spell trouble for the Republican if hardline candidates such as him win in other primaries. Republicans went into this cycle knowing they had a problem and thinking they would do well if they only lost four or five governors mansions, she said, speaking from Washington. But it could be they lose seven or eight. This November, 87 of the nations 99 state legislative chambers will hold elections for 6,070 seats, meaning that nearly 82 per cent of all state legislative seats will be up for election. At present, Republicans control 67 of the 99, and control both chambers in 32 states. Democrats control 32 chambers, and both chambers in 14 states. Only four states have divided control of their legislatures, New York magazine recently reported. It said it had identified 18 state-legislature battlegrounds for 2018, based on opportunities to change party control. And why do state legislatures matter so much? Because on many issues gun control, climate change, transgender rights, even whether or not a woman has the right to an abortion the Trump administration, with the support of a soon to be solidly conservative Supreme Court wants to turn over decision-making, on many of the issues that affect peoples lives, to the states themselves. If the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 judgment that guaranteed women access to safe and legal abortion, women in half the country could find themselves with fresh problems. We think there are 22 states likely to ban abortion without Roe, Amy Myrick, staff attorney at the Centre for Reproductive Rights, recently told Kaiser Health News, outlining factors that include existing laws and regulations on the books and the positions of the governor and state legislature. The threat level is very high now. Millennial pink' is officially the hottest lip color globally, according to over 23.5 million daily virtual lipstick try-ons recorded by AR beauty app YouCam Makeup. The trend discovered as part of an initiative by YouCam Makeup parent company Perfect Corp in celebration of National Lipstick Day (Sunday, July 29) found that Millennial pink' shades accounted for over 20% of virtual lipstick try-ons in the United States and the UK, and 15% of those in China and Japan. Recording the virtual lip color tests of more than 280 million users around the world, YouCam Makeup also revealed that while pink overall was the most preferred color in the West with almost 50% of the top lip colors being pink shades in the United States and the UK users in the East preferred to mix it up more. China showed the most diverse lipstick color trials overall with purples, oranges and lighter sheer shades taking the top spots, while Korean users comparatively preferred bold, darker pinks, purples, and reds. Preferences for lip finishes also differed from East to West, with matte finishes ruling the West, while sheer reigned supreme in Asia. The two-toned lip trend, however -- first noted on the New York Fashion Week runway in Jason Wu's Fall 2017 collection -- is a global hit, and is fast gaining in popularity across all nations, with AR try-ons of two-toned lip colors up 74% this summer, indicating a huge interest in this new makeup style. Minneapolis police have released body cam footage of the moment a black man was shot from behind while running from police. The death of 31-year-old Thurman Blevins ignited a familiar debate around police violence in his community, where family members have called for the officers involved to be prosecuted. The incident is under investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, but Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released the body cam footage early, under pressure from Minneapolis residents and all 13 city council members. Just over 30 days have passed since the shooting took place, Mr Frey told reporters on the day of the videos release. This is an unprecedented timeline, but in that timeline we needed to act with full transparency and making sure were honest, even if the truth is difficult. He added: "I know that right now in our city there's a lot of pain. The video shows two Minneapolis Police Department officers responding to a 911 call about a man shooting a gun into the air in the citys North Side. The officers pull up to a curb where Mr Blevins is sitting with a woman. One officer identifies the man as armed, and the two run out of the car screaming: Put your f***ing hands up. Mr Blevins turns and runs, setting off a less than one-minute foot chase. Several times, an officer tells Mr Blevins: I will f***ng shoot you. Why? Mr Blevins asks repeatedly. I didn't do nothing, bro. Later, he says: Please dont shoot me. Approximately 30 seconds into the chase, Mr Blevins pulls what appears to be a gun out of his pocket. The officers fire, and Mr Blevins falls to the ground. An autopsy report found Mr Blevins was shot multiple times. Investigators said both officers fired their weapons. A gun was recovered at the scene of the incident on June 23, according to a police report. Witnesses have contested the claim that Mr Blevins was armed, however, saying he could have been holding a bottle or can. Thurman Blevins begged for his life not to be taken by the Minneapolis Police Department, read a post on the Justice For Thurman Blevins Jr Facebook page after the video was released. Story continues "The audio concluded these officers never looked at Thurman as a regular human being but a (mother f******). Thurman posed no threat to be viciously gun downed. The officers, Justin Schmidt and Ryan Kelly, have been placed on paid leave while the investigation is conducted. The Department released a statement on behalf of Chief Medaria Arradondo, saying he could not comment on the video but will continue to remain engaged, active and listen throughout the community. The incident follows the police shooting of two other black men in the Minneapolis area in recent years. Jamar Clark, 24, was shot and killed in 2015, and 40-year-old Justine Ruszczyk Damond was killed last July. A protest of Mr Blevins death was scheduled for Tuesday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. (MINNEAPOLIS) Two Minneapolis police officers who shot and killed a black man were justified in using deadly force, a prosecutor announced Monday, saying the man was fleeing police and had turned toward them with a loaded gun before he was shot. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Thurman Blevins had refused commands to stop and show his hands, and was clearly a danger to the officers and community. The decision to use deadly force against Mr. Blevins under those circumstances was authorized, Freeman said. Freemans decision came after the city released the officers body-camera video late Sunday night. The announcement came by news release after he was shouted down at a news conference by community members where he had planned to detail the case. Officers Justin Schmidt and Ryan Kelly were responding to a 911 call of a man firing a gun into the air June 23 on the citys north side. The video released Sunday shows them pulling their cruiser up and Blevins seated on a curb near a woman with a child in a stroller. As the officers pull up, one says, Hes got a gun! Blevins jumps up and runs, as the officers yell, Stop, stop! Put your hands up! I will (expletive) shoot you! In a chase that takes less than a minute, Blevins yells back, I didnt do nothing bro, Please dont shoot and Leave me alone. An enhanced version of the video has a red circle drawn around Blevins hand to highlight what appears to be a gun. After the chase turns down an alley, Blevins is shot, still running. At Freemans aborted news conference, Jeniffer Rohr, a friend of the Blevins family, criticized the officer heard saying Hes got a gun as their squad car rolled up to Blevins. He just gave himself a license to shoot Mr. Blevins, Rohr said. She said Blevins was assassinated. Lt. Bob Kroll, the head of the police union, said the footage proved the two officers acted justifiably. The officers deserve the Minneapolis Police Departments highest award the Medal of Honor and the respect of the population it swore to protect, Kroll said. Story continues A protest of Blevins death was planned for Tuesday afternoon at the Hennepin County Government Center. The shooting was investigated by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Kroll said that the video showed Blevins fired his gun during the chase, and Freemans reported cited a bullet casing from Blevins gun found near his body. Freeman said the officers fired 14 shots and Blevins was hit four times. Some witnesses had disputed Blevins was armed, saying he was carrying a bottle or a cup. The video showed a bottle in Blevins hand. Blevins death prompted earlier demonstrations and community advocates demanded transparency and urged the swift release of body camera footage. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said it would be released after the Blevins family was consulted and the BCA had finished interviewing key witnesses. Frey said Blevins family viewed the video about an hour before it was released publicly. He called Blevins death tragic, but declined to comment on what the footage showed. I know that right now in our city theres a lot of pain, he said. Pain in many cases that I cannot understand. Blevins relatives previously called for both officers to face criminal charges . The city released raw footage from both officers cameras, as well as what it called a stabilized video that includes footage from both officers produced by the National Center for Audio and Video Forensics in Beverly Hills, California. Officials said that footage had gone through a process to identify pixels from each frame and aligned them to help limit shaking. Kelly has been with the police department since 2013 and Schmidt joined in 2014. Both had served in the military and had been recognized numerous times for their work as police officers, according to redacted personnel files. They also both have had complaints against them. Kelly has had five complaints, all closed without discipline, while Schmidt has had three complaints against him, including two that were closed without discipline and one that remains open. Details about the complaints were not released. Minneapolis has been rocked by two high-profile fatal police shootings in recent years, including the November 2015 shooting of Jamar Clark, 24, and last years shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40. Officers in the Clark case were not charged. Trial is pending for the officer who shot Damond. Monday, July 30, 2018 What to watch today All in, 145 members of the S&P 500 will report earnings in the week ahead. Earnings from Apple (AAPL), the worlds largest company by market cap, will be released on Tuesday. Analysts at Goldman Sachs expect the company to report it sold 47 million iPhones during its fiscal third quarter. Investors will also be tracking whether a positive earnings report pushes shares of the company higher as Apple closes in on becoming the first company to attain a market cap of $1 trillion. As of Fridays close, Apples market cap was around $940 billion. Earnings out of Tesla (TSLA) set for release on Wednesday should also be a highlight as the company hits its long-awaited production goal of 5,000 Model 3 sedans in a week at the end of June, while CEO Elon Musks various online controversies have dominated discussion around the company in recent weeks. Read More Top news (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Trump threatens govt shutdown over border wall: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would allow the federal government to shut down if Democrats do not fund his border wall and back immigration law changes, betting that maintaining a hard line will work in Republicans favor in November congressional elections. [Reuters] CBS board to discuss CEO Moonves probe: CBS Corps (CBS) board will discuss the investigation into allegations of personal misconduct against the U.S. broadcasting and media companys Chief Executive Leslie Moonves on Monday, according to two people familiar with the matter. The allegations come as Moonves is embroiled in a legal battle over control of CBS with the companys largest shareholder, National Amusements Inc, owned by Shari Redstone and her father Sumner. [Reuters] Charles Koch says Trump tariffs could trigger US recession: Billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, who leads a powerful policy and political network, said Sunday he worries President Donald Trumps actions on trade and tariffs put the booming U.S. economy at risk of recession. While saying its impossible to know for sure because the presidents trade policy remains fluid, Koch said the greater the level of trade restrictions, the greater the risk of severe economic fallout. [Bloomberg] Story continues Walmart explores its own streaming service: Walmart Inc. (WMT) is exploring a subscription video-streaming service that would seek to challenge Netflix Inc. (NFLX) and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) by offering programming that targets Middle America, according to people familiar with the plans. [The Wall Street Journal] Massive short bet against Nintendo after shares drop: Gabriel Plotkin, head of New York hedge fund Melvin Capital Management, has accumulated a $375 million short bet against the Japanese game maker, according to regulatory filings. The former star trader at SAC Capital Advisors accounted for as much as 7% of Nintendos daily volume in recent weeks, contributing to stock declines since May. [Bloomberg] For more of the latest news, go to Yahoo Finance Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas of Britain celebrates his overall victory of the Tour de France on the podium with a Welsh flag on July 29, 2018. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe Yahoo Finance Originals This week in Trumponomics: The economy booms The housing market is slowing down, and thats a bad sign for the economy How Chinas tariffs on soybeans fueled the US GDP bump Why investors should look beyond Apples iPhone sales What its like to glamp on New York Citys Rockaway peninsula Like what you just read? Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. And feel free to share it with a friend! The Morning Brief provides a quick rundown on what to watch in the markets, top news stories, and the best of Yahoo Finance Originals. Approved NFL concussion settlement claims have reached $500 million in less than two years since the program took effect, almost a full decade ahead of projections, according to the Associated Press. Settlement program administrators released a report Monday that states that the program has given out $502,465,098 since its inception in January 2017. It was projected to settle only $400 million worth of claims in its first decade. That money has been distributed between 521 claimants, which works out to an average about almost $1 million per person. The most serious cases have merited as much as $5 million, with the first two cases totaling $9 million combined. The NFL began accepting claims in March 2017, with an assessment program to determine eligibility that began in June. The organization estimates that up to 30 percent of players could be affected by degenerative brain conditions. Those eligible for a payout included retired players who develop Lou Gehrigs disease, dementia or other conditions believed to be caused by concussions suffered during their NFL careers. CTE fears prompting early retirements Over 20,000 players have registered for possible benefits, according to Mondays report. It is now projected that the total settlement amount will reach $1.4 billion, almost half a billion more than initially announced. Overall, 1,942 claims for a variety of conditions have been filed. Only 67 of those have resulted in posthumous payouts for the degenerative brain condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which cannot yet be detected in living or former players. CTE is one of the most prominent issues for current and former NFL players today, with a few recently retiring ahead of schedule due to concerns for their own brain health. Seahawks linebacker Joshua Perry, 24, is the most recent to do so, following his teammate Kam Chancellors own retirement statement in June in which he called on fans to pray for [him] due to his history of head trauma. More from Yahoo Sports: Eric Adelson: Jason Pierre-Paul saved his career, but can he save the Bucs? LeBron James opens up his I Promise school with much fanfare Trea Turner latest player to apologize for offensive tweets as Nats investigate NFL reportedly tells Jerry Jones to pipe down on anthem talk Managua (AFP) - Nicaragua's veteran leader Daniel Ortega defended brutal action by his forces against anti-government protesters Monday, as the United States warned he and his wife were "ultimately responsible" for deaths and rights violations. In the latest of a number of foreign media interviews the usually hermetic president is now giving, Ortega told the Euronews and CNN Spanish television channels the unrest was fomented by the United States. He described armed and masked paramilitaries seen cooperating closely with his security forces against the protesters as "volunteer police." And Ortega reaffirmed his rejection of opposition calls for early elections or his resignation. That "would open the doors to anarchy in the country," he asserted to Euronews. The interviews showed that the former leftwing guerrilla who has ruled Nicaragua for 22 of the past 39 years, was digging in despite growing international condemnation. Three months of turmoil have killed more than 300 people, according to Nicaraguan rights groups and the UN. Ortega disputes that count as "not correct." He gave his own death toll of 195, including two dozen police officers, as well as paramilitaries, sympathizers of his ruling Sandinista party and other civilians. - Ongoing protests - Although tensions have diminished in the past week and a half following intense armed operations against protest hubs resentment against Ortega and his wife Vice President Rosario Murillo simmers unabated. On Monday in Leon, a northwestern town that was formerly a bastion of Sandinista support before many turned against the party, demonstrations were held in front of state-run hospitals where some staff have been sacked for treating wounded protesters and expressing sympathy with their cause. Another demonstration took place in the capital, with Nicaraguan journalists demanding an end to assaults against them. Over the weekend, thousands of people marched in Managua to show support for the Catholic Church, which has been mediating unsuccessful talks between Ortega's administration and the opposition. Story continues The president has accused the bishops taking part of siding with the "coup-mongers" seeking to topple him, and allowing churches to become shelters for "terrorists." Recent marches have taken place with no sign of police monitoring or confrontation. Ortega said the turmoil is essentially over since mid-July and things are getting back to "normal." Even though he admitted the tourist industry had taken a hard blow, "the country is recovering" overall, he affirmed. - Media coverage - Ortega complains that foreign media coverage of the unrest falsely suggests most Nicaraguans want him gone. "Not all the people" are against him, he told Euronews, only "part of the population." The real root cause of the violence, he argued, were US entities that for the past decade, he said, have been "allocating millions so that Nicaragua upholds 'democracy'... but which are diverted to destabilize the country and encourage armed actions." He said: "The truth is that we are facing a powerful enemy that has intervened militarily in Nicaragua, which is the United States." The allegation echoed anti-US rhetoric advanced by Nicaragua's Latin American allies Bolivia, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as Iran. The accusations from international rights groups and regional bodies, Ortega told CNN Spanish, "is a war through social media." He said he was ready to accept mediation with the United Nations to restart the stalled dialogue with the opposition. - US condemnation - The president rejected any suggestion that his unbending position was pushing the country toward worsening conflict. "I don't believe Nicaragua is on the brink of civil war," he told CNN Spanish. "The people are tired" of the unrest already experienced, he said. Ortega, 72, is a longtime bete noire of the US government. He headed a left-wing Sandinista government during the Cold War, and returned to power in 2007. The United States has been stepping up its scrutiny of the violence in Nicaragua and is considering extra sanctions on top of those already applied to top officials. In a statement, the White House said it "strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Nicaragua and human rights abuses committed by the Ortega regime." It added: "President Ortega and Vice President Murillo are ultimately responsible for the pro-government parapolice that have brutalized their own people." The United States "stands with the people of Nicaragua," the White House said, demanding democratic reform and an end to the bloodshed. Nabi Saleh (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi said Monday she was deeply changed by her eight-month sentence in an Israeli jail for slapping two soldiers, but does not regret any of her actions. Tamimi, who was 16 when she was arrested in December for hitting and kicking soldiers in front of her house in the occupied West Bank, was released Sunday and swarmed by media from across the globe. In an interview the day after her release, the now 17-year-old told AFP that she understood she had become a "symbol" of the Palestinian cause. "Of course my life has been changed a lot. I changed a lot in prison," said Tamimi. "I became more focused, more aware also. Prison ages a person. In one day you age 100 years," she said in the backyard of her home in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. Asked if she would have done the same thing if she had known it would land her behind bars for months, she said yes. She pointed to the circumstances in which the soldiers had entered the garden of her house in December during a day of major protests that saw her cousin shot in the head with a rubber bullet. "I didn't do anything wrong that I should regret," she said. "If I had known I would be in jail eight months, of course I would have done it because it was a natural reaction to a soldier being in my house shooting at people, people from my village," she said. "Any person in this situation -- I hit him, maybe there are people that would have killed him." Israel's military said the two soldiers had been in the area to prevent Palestinians from throwing stones at Israeli motorists. The video of the altercation does not show the soldiers reacting to Tamimi's actions or using their weapons, and the teenager was arrested four days later. Tamimi said she hoped to study law to expose the issue of Israel's occupation to the rest of the world. Israel has long said Tamimi and her siblings have been manipulated by her parents -- longtime activists -- and used as pawns in staged provocations. Story continues When she was only 14, a picture of her biting a soldier's hand to prevent him from arresting a family member went viral. She denied claims that she had been exploited. "My family never exploited me once," she said. "I am mature enough and I know the cause. I know the consequences that will stem from choosing this path. I am not a child." Tamimi and her mother Nariman were sentenced to eight months by an Israeli military court in a plea deal following the December incident, which was recorded and went viral online. It led Palestinians to view the teenager as a hero standing up to Israel's occupation. Nabi Saleh (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi said Monday she was deeply changed by her eight-month sentence in an Israeli jail for slapping two soldiers, but does not regret any of her actions. Tamimi, who was 16 when she was arrested in December for hitting and kicking soldiers in front of her house in the occupied West Bank, was released Sunday and swarmed by media from across the globe. In an interview the day after her release, the now 17-year-old told AFP that she understood she had become a "symbol" of the Palestinian cause. "Of course my life has been changed a lot. I changed a lot in prison," said Tamimi. "I became more focused, more aware also. Prison ages a person. In one day you age 100 years," she said in the backyard of her home in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. Asked if she would have done the same thing if she had known it would land her behind bars for months, she said yes. She pointed to the circumstances in which the soldiers had entered the garden of her house in December during a day of major protests that saw her cousin shot in the head with a rubber bullet. Her confronting of the Israeli soldiers was recorded and went viral online. "I didn't do anything wrong that I should regret," she said. "If I had known I would be in jail eight months, of course I would have done it because it was a natural reaction to a soldier being in my house shooting at people, people from my village," she said. "Any person in this situation -- I hit him, maybe there are people that would have killed him." Israel's military said the two soldiers had been in the area to prevent Palestinians from throwing stones at Israeli motorists. The video of the altercation does not show the soldiers reacting to Tamimi's actions or using their weapons, and the teenager was arrested four days later. Tamimi said she hoped to study law to expose the issue of Israel's occupation to the rest of the world. Story continues Israel has long said Tamimi and her siblings have been manipulated by her parents -- longtime activists -- and used as pawns in staged provocations. When she was only 14, a picture of her biting a soldier's hand to prevent him from arresting a family member went viral. She denied claims that she had been exploited. "My family never exploited me once," she said. "I am mature enough and I know the cause. I know the consequences that will stem from choosing this path. I am not a child." Tamimi and her mother Nariman were sentenced to eight months by an Israeli military court in a plea deal following the December incident. Israel has occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem since seizing it in a 1967 war. Tamimi's village Nabi Saleh is close to a number of Israeli settlements. - 'No ice cream' - Even though she's only 17, Tamimi's stint in jail has made her one of the best-known living Palestinians. Palestinians and their supporters see her as a hero standing up to the Israeli army unarmed. Many Israelis view her with contempt and some accuse her activist family of being supporters of "terrorism." Last week a 14-foot (4-metre) mural of her was painted on Israel's separation wall that cuts off the West Bank. The Italian artists who painted it were arrested by Israel. After her release on Sunday, throngs of media and supporters rushed to catch a glimpse of her and greet her. At times when speaking to AFP she sounded like a budding Palestinian politician, at others like the teenager she is. She said she still loves football and was crazy over the World Cup -- watching the games when possible in jail and supporting Brazil and Neymar in particular. One of the first things she did after leaving prison was visit an ice cream parlour in central Ramallah, the West Bank city where the Palestinian government is based. "Of course there is no ice cream in prison ever. I love it a lot. When it was summer I would avoid food. I would only eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner," she said. Asked if she had a message for Israelis who think of her as a "terrorist", she said she would ask them to "put themselves in my place, just that, nothing more". "Go back to their humanity a little so they can understand the reality." Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for US President Donald Trump, leaves the US District Court after being charged 30 October 2017 in Washington, DC: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Paul Manafort, the one-time head of the campaign to elect Donald Trump as president, is about to stand trial on charges arising from Robert Mueller's investigation into potential Russian interference in US politics - the outcome of which could be highly significant for the president. Who is Paul Manafort? After becoming involved with the Trump campaign in spring 2016, political operative Paul Manafort took over from Corey Lewandowski as campaign manager in June the same year. Manafort can undoubtedly be considered a Washington insider. His lobbying firm Black, Manafort and Stone was a mainstay of 1980s US politics. It was dubbed the ultimate supermarket of influence peddling by Time Magazine. Manaforts presence partially undermined Trumps claims that he was the insurgent candidate. He was replaced by the then-chair of Breitbart News, Steve Bannon, in August 2016 after questions arose about his prior work in Ukraine. Trump had also begun to slide in the polls against Hillary Clinton. What are the charges against him? Manafort, currently held in custody, is due to stand trial twice in the next few months on charges arising from the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller. The first trial in Virginia relates to charges of tax evasion and bank fraud. The second is a federal trial due to take place in Washington DC in September. This relates to charges that Manafort failed to register as a foreign agent when conducting political work in the Ukraine and that he laundered millions of dollars. He eventually registered his work, but not until June 2017. Manafort was indicted in October 2017, along with Richard Gates, his former assistant. Gates has since signed a plea deal with Mueller. In doing so, Gates pleaded guilty to conspiracy, deliberately failing to register foreign political work and making false statements to the FBI at Muellers office about a 2013 meeting involving Manafort, a member of congress, and a lobbying firm by erroneously claiming that Ukraine was not discussed. Manafort, however, has consistently denied the charges against him. Story continues Originally granted bail, Manafort was taken into custody in June for violating the terms of his bail by contacting trial witnesses. How does all this relate to Trump? Besides the fact that the charges against Manafort arose from a special counsel investigating the work of the Trump campaign, it seems likely that the trials themselves will provide testimony and evidence that could feed back into the Mueller investigation. Such testimony and evidence could, for example, relate to what Manafort and others knew about any inappropriate behaviour by members of the Trump campaign and the alleged Russian attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election. There is also the possibility that Manafort could strike a plea deal, which could be detrimental to Trump and those around him. Potentially crucial in this regard is what occurred during a meeting attended by Manafort, a Russian lawyer with alleged links to the Kremlin, Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, and Trumps son Donald Trump Jr., and others in Trump Tower on June 9, 2016. Manafort is said to have attended the meeting after being forwarded an email chain by Trump Jr. that contained an offer of documents and information that would incriminate Clinton from a Russian official. Responding to the offer, Trump Jr. said if its what you say it is I love it. Manafort has been quiet about the meeting, but Trump Jr. has continually denied the meeting was significant. Kushner and others have said the meeting was focused on the issue of US citizens adopting Russian children. Regardless of the tone of the meeting itself, the emails that led to it seem to show Trump Jr.s willingness to take possession of damaging material on Clinton from the Russian state. As such, any awareness Manafort may have of the meetings broader context is likely to interest Mueller, who has shown curiosity about the exchange. Why does it matter? Most obviously, Manaforts trials are the first to arise from Muellers investigation. That means at least parts of the process set in motion by the firing of FBI head James Comey in May 2017 are starting to move to some kind of end game. Regardless of whether Manafort strikes a plea deal, there is always the chance that Trump could issue a presidential pardon. This could solve an immediate problem for Trump and Manafort. However, there would surely be further questions about the rationale for a pardon and it could provide significant ammunition for Trumps opponents to deploy in the court of public opinion. The president may also decide to fire Mueller himself, triggering a new crisis. Finally, the timing of the trials is significant. One of the most important mid-term elections in recent times is just months away, meaning that any damaging information that comes could directly impact how votes are cast in November. Given that the Democrats are desperately trying to retake the House of Representatives, they are unlikely to miss any opportunity to exploit the trials for their own advantage in their attempt to dent Trumps power. Similarly, if Manafort is successful in defending himself and the trials lead to little new evidence coming to light, Trump and his supporters are likely to use it to their own advantage. This would feed into their narrative that the Russia story is overplayed and that nothing untoward occurred during the 2016 campaign. That narrative may enable them to defend their congressional majorities and entrench Republican power. The Conversation Wildfires can ignite and spread suddenly, as high winds can fan flames, so being prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice could be the key to survival. Experts said being prepared starts as soon as you build or buy a home. Evan Duffey, volunteer firefighter and AccuWeather meteorologist, said there are ways to make your home fire-safe before a wildfire starts. "The main step is to create a buffer zone between your home and potential wildfire fuels," Duffey said. "When building a new home, intelligent selection of materials, especially roofing material, can help prevent your home from becoming part of the fire." Aerial view of bush fire in Sydney, Australia Aerial of water bombing a bush fire from a helicopter. (JohnCarnemolla/Getty Images/iStockphoto) According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, Ready, Set, Go! program, if you live next to a dense vegetation area, you should create a buffer zone by removing weeds, brush and other vegetation. It is also a good idea to replace vegetation in these areas with rock or gravel. This helps to keep the fire away and reduces the risk of flying embers igniting. Experts recommend buying a mask to keep smoke and harmful particles from causing respiratory issues, especially for those who suffer from respiratory illnesses. Early evacuation is also key to preventing the health hazards of inhaling smoke. Before evacuating, take your emergency supply kit containing any necessary items for your family and pets. Most importantly, bring all of your documents such as passports and birth certificates. If you have a fire-rated safe in your home, documents can be stored there instead. Those safes have multiple layers that act as an insulator, keeping heat from penetrating into the interior of the safe in case of a fire. It's important to have plans ready since wildfires can strike with little notice and may require a fast evacuation. "Meteorologists generally know when conditions are ripe for wildfires and how well a fire will spread once it has lit. However, it is more difficult to predict wildfire ignition," Duffey said. Story continues Pine forest fire Pine forest fire. (Viesinsh/Getty Images/iStockphoto) Stacy Harvick, a wildland urban interface specialist with Texas A&M Forest Service, said there are a couple of indicators that can help you determine where fires will spread. "A good rule of thumb is that the fire is going to be moving fastest in the direction that the wind is blowing," Harvick said. However, wind is only part of the equation when it comes to determining fire growth. Terrain is another factor, as well as the time of day, Duffey said. Experts say you should not wait to be advised to leave. Head to a predetermined location in a low-risk area, such as a well-prepared neighbor or relative's house, a Red Cross shelter, evacuation center or motel. Once evacuation orders have been placed, the local police department will already be involved by helping residents follow the evacuation route. "Our recommendation is to follow the evacuation route that has been set forth, by local officials," Harvick said. It is important to keep batteries charged in order to stay up to date with local news and radio. By listening to local emergency management officials, you will know where the fire is spreading. "When you make a household evacuation plan, it is smart to include the pets," Harvick said. As for returning, monitor local news outlets for updates about lifted evacuations and road closures. Once the evacuation order is lifted, it is safe to return home. "When you are allowed to reenter the area, you might still smell smoke without actually seeing any smoke or fire. When evacuations are lifted, the smoke levels are generally safe for the general public," Harvick said. Texas A&M Forest Service has multiple programs that can help people prepare for wildfires. Ready, Set, Go! is a program to help people create an evacuation plan. Fire Wise is another program that can help homeowners prepare their homes and the area around their homes to have a better chance of surviving a wildfire. For more safety and preparedness tips, visit AccuWeather.com/Ready. Sen. Rand Paul. (Photo: Joshua Roberts / Reuters) Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) announced on Monday he will support the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trumps nominee to the Supreme Court. The Kentucky Republican had previously expressed concerns about Kavanaughs stance on the Constitutions Fourth Amendment, which bans unreasonable searches and seizures by government officials. In 2015, for example, Kavanaugh wrote a concurring opinion to a District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruling affirming the constitutionality of the National Security Agencys warrantless phone records collection program, which allowed the government to track Americans metadata. I disagree completely, Paul said of Kavanaughs ruling earlier this month. But after meeting with Kavanaugh last week in his office for over an hour, and after reviewing his caseload, Paul said he hoped the conservative judge will be more open to a Fourth Amendment that protects digital records and property. Of course, my vote is not a single-issue vote, and much of my reading and conversation has been in trying to figure out exactly how good Judge Kavanaugh will be on other issues before the Court, Paul said in a statement released by his office on Monday. My conversation with Judge Kavanaugh reinforces my belief that he will evaluate cases before the Supreme Court from a textual and originalist point of view. He added: I believe he will carefully adhere to the Constitution and will take his job to protect individual liberty seriously. Paul, a libertarian-leaning critic of U.S. interventions abroad, also said he found Kavanaughs views on war powers and separation of powers encouraging. Paul has garnered a bit of a reputation in the Senate for his loud but ultimately brief stands against Trump nominees. Earlier this year, for example, he pledged to block Trumps pick of Mike Pompeo to lead the State Department over the nominees support on the Iraq War. But Paul ended up voting for Pompeo after receiving assurances from Trump that the former CIA director now believes the war was a mistake. Story continues With Pauls vote now safely in the yes column, the chances of Kavanaughs confirmation are looking like more of a safe bet. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) still remain undecided on his nomination, but they have both signaled comfort with the judge. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), meanwhile, is meeting with Kavanaugh on Monday, and he too is expected to back the judges nomination. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) The reorganization in the House of Representatives continue following the election of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the new House Speaker. Former House Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Representative Rolando Andaya Jr. is the new House Majority Leader and the chairman of the House Committee on Rules. The Rules Committee is in charge of what will be included in the order of business during session. Andaya was the Budget Secretary during the Arroyo administration. Retired General Romeo Prestoza was elected as the new sergeant-at-arms. He served as the Chief of the Presidential Security Group under Arroyo. Leyte Representative Yedda Romualdez replaced Batangas Representative Eileen Ermita-Buhain as chairman of the powerful House committee on Accounts. The Committee is in charge of the budget of the House of Representatives and its members Romualdez is the wife of former Tacloban Representative Martin Romualdez, who is the president of Lakas-CMD Arroyo's former political party. While there was no tug-of-war during the election of House leaders, the Minority Leadership remains in limbo. Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo stood up and claimed that he is now the Minority Leader heading the 22-man Minority bloc. The bloc is composed of Liberal Party lawmakers and its allies, including four members of the Makabayan bloc of leftist lawmakers, party list Representatives Gary Alejano of Magdalo and Tom Villarin of Akbayan. Quimbo maintained that under House Rules, those who vote in favor of the winning Speaker shall comprise the Majority bloc. He noted that among those who voted for Arroyo - and even first to sign the manifesto of support for Arroyo was House Minority Leader Danilo Auarez. Quimbo said Suarez's vote for Arroyo meant abandonment of his post. "I cannot allow somebody who campaigned for the Speaker to still be part of Minority. Alam naman natin, hindi lang bumoto nakapirma. Number one sa listahan supported the Speaker...There was clear abandonment," Quimbo said. "When you speak of minority, minority is expected to be the one to exercise checks and balances. How then is the institution going to be able to perform its function if the Minority cannot be trusted?" he added. [Translation: I cannot allow somebody who campaigned for the Speaker to still be part of the Minority. We all know it wasn't just a vote - there was a signature. He was first on the list showing support for the Speaker... There was clear abandonment... When you speak of minority, minority is expected to be the one to exercise check and balance. How then is the institution going to be able to perform its function if the Minority cannot be trusted?] Former Majority Leader Rudy Farinas agreed. He said, "They abandoned their positions by voting for the new Speaker. You cannot have your cake and eat it too... The moment they participated in removing the Speaker, they already crossed their rubicon and they are already in the majority." But Farinas believed minority leadership should now be given to ABS Party-list Representative Eugene de Vera, the Deputy Minority Leader who did not vote for Arroyo to be Speaker. Farinas says ousted House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and their allies have sent a letter to de Vera asking him to accept them in the minority bloc. In the end, no decision was made on the matter. In the middle of the debate, Buhay Party-list Representative Lito Atienza questioned the quorum. He insisted there were only about 100 congressmen left in the plenary and moved to adjourn the session. Atienza is part of Suarez's minority bloc. Congressmen agreed to postpone the discussion on the matter and continue on Tuesday so they could discuss other matters. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Real-life Garfield fat cat This feline could be mistaken for a real-life Garfield he weighs a staggering 33 pounds. (Photo: Caters News) This adorable feline could be mistaken for a real-life Garfield, as he happens to weigh a staggering 33 pounds. Giant mog Bronson was adopted by Mike Wilson and his partner, Megan Hanneman, and has since been put on a target weight-loss program. Photographs of lovable Bronson show just how large he is compared to other cats. In one image, for example, a cushion for a cat bed only covers the 3-year-old ginger tabbys back like the shell of a turtle. (Caters News) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican senator who was publicly undecided over whether to back U.S. President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh threw his support behind the judge on Monday, improving chances Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation despite a pitched battle by leading Democrats to block him. U.S. Senator Rand Paul made his announcement as Kavanaugh continued visiting senators considering his nomination, including the first Democrat he has met, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Paul had expressed concerns over Kavanaugh's positions on privacy issues, but said the conservative appeals court judge had eased them when the two met last week. "After meeting Judge Kavanaugh and reviewing his record, I have decided to support his nomination," Paul said in a series of Twitter posts. He said he was confident Kavanaugh would be more open to constitutional Fourth Amendment protections involving digital records and property. Paul's support could prove critical to the White House's effort to secure the votes needed for Kavanaugh to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Trump thanked Paul in a tweet, saying, "Your vote means a lot to me, and to everyone who loves our Country!" Trump's fellow Republicans hold a 51-49 Senate majority, leaving them little margin for error. No Democrats so far have said they would support the nominee. Kavanaugh, who has already met with 39 Republican senators, held a two-hour meeting with Manchin on Monday. The judge emerged from the session smiling, but did not take reporters' questions. Manchin wrote on Twitter that it had been a productive meeting but he was undecided. "I won't make a final decision on the nomination until I complete a thorough and fair examination of his candidacy," the senator wrote, "just as I did with Neil Gorsuch," Trump's first nominee to the high court. Manchin was one of three Democrats to support Gorsuch, along with Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana. All three are under pressure to consider voting for Kavanaugh, because they are up for re-election in November in states that voted for Trump. Before Monday's meeting, Manchin said on Twitter that he was evaluating Kavanaugh's record, legal qualifications, judicial philosophy and "particularly his views on healthcare." The senator also solicited questions for the judge from West Virginians, asking them to post their concerns on Manchin's website. He got more than 8,000 responses. Most other Senate Democrats, including Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, have delayed seeing Kavanaugh as they demand release of documents from Kavanaugh's past, including from while he worked in the White House of President George W. Bush. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan; Editing by Susan Thomas, Marguerita Choy and Bill Berkrot) By Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Fergus Jensen JAKARTA (Reuters) - Nearly 700 trekkers headed down Mount Rinjani on Indonesia's tourist island of Lombok on Monday, a day after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.4 terrified the climbers as boulders tumbled down the slopes of the volcano. Officials said the death toll from Sunday's earthquake, which was centered on the northern part of Lombok, but was also felt on the resort island of Bali to the west, stood at 16. More than 335 people were injured, many by collapsing buildings. "I thought I was going to die," said John Robyn Buenavista, a 23-year-old American, who was at the summit when the quake hit. "I was clinging to the ground. It felt like it lasted forever. I saw people fall off, but it's a blur." The national park authority said on Monday that a key route to the peak of the 3,726-meter (12,224-foot) volcano had been cleared, and a helicopter was dropping supplies to others still picking their way to safety. An estimated 689 people were still on Rinjani, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman of the national disaster mitigation agency. "Hundreds of trekkers in the crater in climbing areas couldn't come down when they wanted to, because the paths were covered by debris from landslides and there were fears of subsequent landslides," Sutopo told a news conference. As many as 820 people - most of them foreigners - were on Mount Rinjani when the quake struck, making two trails impassable, Sutopo said on Twitter late on Sunday. Thais formed the largest group among the 637 foreigners who registered to climb the mountain on July 27 and 28, making up 337, with French, Dutch and Spanish the next-biggest contingents. Mount Rinjani National Park said in a Twitter message on Monday that a key route, Senaru, had been reopened for people to come down. Authorities expected 500 trekkers to arrive at the foot of the mountain by 5 p.m, said Agung Pramuja, a disaster mitigation official in Indonesia's region of West Nusa Tenggara. A landslide triggered by the quake trapped a group of six at the crater lake of Indonesia's second-highest volcano, he added, with about 100 army, police and other rescuers working to get people down, while helicopters scoured for those still trapped. "DON'T DIE, DON'T DIE" Trekkers typically take two days and a night to get to the crater rim of Rinjani and back down again, the national park says on its website. Buenavista, the U.S. tourist, said he was about to take some dawn photographs at the crater edge when the earthquake struck, and his immediate thought was that the volcano had erupted. "I started running to the trail," he told Reuters by telephone from the Gili Islands, off Lombok's northwest coast, where he headed after a seven-hour trek to the foot of the peak. "At one point, I saw people with half of their bodies stuck in the rocks and I just couldn't move. I felt paralyzed and stopped moving. The guides were screaming, 'Don't die, don't die.' One of the guides had to shake me and take me by the hand. He told me that I had to go, and that they would be okay." (For a map showing the epicenter of the quake, click - https://tmsnrt.rs/2K6XfYN) A magnitude 6.4 earthquake is considered strong and is capable of causing severe damage. The Lombok quake struck at 6:47 a.m. (2247 GMT on Saturday) at a shallow depth of 4.35 miles (7 km) that amplified its effect. Officials said 280 aftershocks followed the initial quake. Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, which is located on the seismically active "Ring of Fire" on the rim of the Pacific Ocean. (Additional reporting by Fanny Potkin, Cindy Silviana, Zahra Matarani and Fransiska Nangoy; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) WASHINGTON (AP) For more than a decade, audiences and interviewers have had one pressing question for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: When will you retire? The question used to be whether the now 85-year-old liberal justice would let President Barack Obama choose her successor. Now it's whether President Donald Trump might, giving conservatives an even stronger hold on the court. Ginsburg, the court's oldest current member, has used a variety of practiced answers to the retirement question over the years. They all boil down to the same thing: She isn't ready to go. On Sunday, Ginsburg reminded a New York audience that her former colleague Justice John Paul Stevens was 90 when he retired in 2010. "My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years," Ginsburg said, according to a CNN report . Ginsburg has referenced Stevens in discussing retirement before, going back to at least 2015 . Here are some of the other ways she's answered the retirement question over the years: THE LOUIS BRANDEIS ANSWER Before making Stevens part of her retirement question response, Ginsburg used a different justice: Louis Brandeis. Questions about retirement began when she turned 70, Ginsburg has said, and Brandeis became part of her "stock answer." Ginsburg would note that she and Brandeis, the court's first Jewish justice, were both appointed at 60. He stepped down at 82. She'd say she intended to stay at least that long. Shortly before her 82nd birthday, Ginsburg said that using Brandeis as a comparison was "getting a little uncomfortable." Having outlasted him, it's Ginsburg who now holds the record as the longest-serving Jewish justice. If she serves on the court through her 91st birthday in 2024, she'll hold another record: the oldest person to ever serve on the Supreme Court. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., the current record holder, retired two months shy of his 91st birthday in 1932. Story continues ___ THE ARTWORK ANSWER A lover of the arts, Ginsburg for a time used a painting to talk about her future on the court. Her Supreme Court office is decorated with borrowed artwork, and some years ago, one of the paintings was used as part of a traveling exhibition. The work by German emigre artist Josef Albers was gone about eight years but has since returned, Ginsburg has said. During that window, she would say things like: "If anyone asks how long I'll be here, at least until my Albers comes back." ___ THE FULL-STEAM ANSWER As she approached her 80th birthday in 2013, Ginsburg told an audience : "I will stay in this job as long as I can do it full steam." For the last five years, it has been one of her go-to phrases in discussing retirement. She has also said she will do the job "as long as I think I have the candlepower." But the full-steam answer has had staying power. Earlier this year, during an appearance in Washington, she noted that many people have asked when she intends to step down. She detailed some of her previous canned responses, noting her Brandeis and painting answers. Those answers no longer work, she said, before adding: "So I'm just candid, and I say: 'As long as I can do the job full steam, I will be here.'" ___ Follow Jessica Gresko on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko The Fenty Beauty founder has just revealed another new way to wear highlighter as lipstick. The big reveal came on her Instagram Story while she did a tutorial with the Fenty Beauty Moroccan Spice Palette a few days ago. Though the gorgeous new palette was the star of the tutorial, Rihanna topped off the look with a trick we haven't yet seen from her before the use of the brand's Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick as a lipstick. At around 8 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday, Rudy Giuliani former mayor of New York City, previous presidential candidate, and current lawyer to President Donald Trump tweeted out one word: You. The tweet hit the platform absent of any context or explanation. Naturally, Twitter took that tweet and had a bit of fun seemingly trying to decipher what it actually meant. With song lyrics, political jabs, and more, this meme has everything. And as of Monday morning, Giuliani still hadnt explained the one-word tweet, and the ongoing memes that arose following its posting have been allowed to flourish unfettered. At this point, it might actually be worse for Giuliani to try to explain it away. Most Popular Responses Possibly the most popular response to Giulianis tweet was from rapper Soulja Boy, who responded Crank That Soulja Boy, a reference to his hit 2007 song. Crank That Soulja Boy https://t.co/6S1ri1Z2vS Soulja Boy (@souljaboy) July 29, 2018 But Republican political strategist and media consultant Rick Wilsons response to Giulianis tweet was pretty popular, too. He responded, light up my life, a likely reference to the song You Light Up My Life. light up my life https://t.co/afMuLIEaQS Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) July 29, 2018 In fact, song references in general were a hit among the Giuliani tweet reply crowd. make me feel like a natural woman https://t.co/LCIs2PE43P Alan McGuinness (@Alan_McGuinness) July 29, 2018 Sky News political reporter Alan McGuinness tweeted in response to the lawyers mysterious You tweet, make me feel like a natural woman, an obvious nod to the Aretha Franklin hit. Story continues Where Did This Meme Come From? Theres no real explanation for the origin of this meme because seemingly no one has any idea why Giuliani tweeted out You in the first place, except possibly Giuliani. And frankly, he might not even know. gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together All I know, all I know love will save the day Charles Evans (@banditref) July 29, 2018 ...are so beautiful To me You are so beautiful To me Can't you see You're everything I hope for You're everything I need You are so beautiful to me You are so beautiful to me https://t.co/caN5uVtfHD Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) July 29, 2018 Know Your Meme doesnt even seem to have a page for the resulting meme yet, and its unclear who really started the trend of responding in a hilarious way to Giulianis strange tweet. Make a my dreams come true https://t.co/ezspZMVX6q Eli Lake (@EliLake) July 29, 2018 ......"You got what I NEEEED, but you say he's just a friend, you say he's just a friend, oh baby YOUUUUU!!!... you got what I neeed......... pic.twitter.com/zdKidl4T71 Nik Carter (@TheNotoriousNIK) July 29, 2018 Its almost too easy to respond to this meme, simply because you dont need to know anything about it to react to it. In love with the shape of https://t.co/MqH2efgpEU hussein kesvani (@HKesvani) July 29, 2018 You dont even really need to know who Giuliani is, just that his tweet perfectly tees the internet up for its mockery and meme-ification. Songs, Quotes, and More This meme has everything: quotes, movie GIFs, song lyrics, and even political insults. Want the truth? You can't handle the truth. https://t.co/EGQnFbCj4C Stacey Lynn (@iamstaceylynn) July 29, 2018 Who's smarter than Rudy Giuliani? https://t.co/dzYVG2mRHU Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) July 29, 2018 Aaaannd I aaaaaam telllin' https://t.co/6pYda6asJ8 Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) July 29, 2018 But the song lyric responses definitely seemed to have the most traction and were the easiest go-to for people getting in on the meme. Make me feel like Im living a teenage dream. https://t.co/oWrcumKbAz Brian Logan Dales (@brianlogandales) July 30, 2018 Every move you make Every vow you break Every smile you fake Every claim you stake I'll be watching... #RudySongs https://t.co/Nk2dr6fLGk Joe15217 (@Dave15217) July 29, 2018 Popularity and Longevity Because this meme is so easy to join in on, theres really no telling how long it will remain popular. you you oughta know Dan Frommer (@fromedome) July 29, 2018 wanna be startin somethin? Jamie Freeman (@jamiefreeman) July 29, 2018 And unless Giuliani deletes his initial tweet, its so easy to make fun of, people will probably just keep coming up with ways to reply to it or offer explanations for what it might actually mean. And IIIIIIIIIIIII-EEEEEE-IIIIIIII, will always love https://t.co/5dp9GRl8A6 Fred Delicious (@Fred_Delicious) July 29, 2018 Look at the stars, look how they shine for https://t.co/qzsITNDr8f Michael (@Home_Halfway) July 29, 2018 And if Giuliani did decide to delete the tweet without any explanation, you know the internet would never let him get off that easy; certainly not with so many quality memes already ready to immortalize it. wake up late for school, man you don't want to go https://t.co/PXqyYtC1Ir Alexander Milas (@alexandermilas) July 29, 2018 change your mind, like a girl changes clothes https://t.co/2K2aedGE9C Andrew (@Sigils) July 29, 2018 #RudySongs Clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right Here I am Stuck in the middle with https://t.co/Kx4Xpk16Ya Mark Levels (@Mark_Levels) July 29, 2018 As Giuliani continues to make the media rounds to defend President Trump, its almost a guarantee that people will have more politics-related meme responses to his tweet. Trump: whose going to be indicted next? https://t.co/l7rWzKOAPo David Hogg (@davidhogg111) July 29, 2018 And, as previously stated, there is truly no shortage of song lyrics to pull from. Spin me right round baby right round like a record baby round round round... https://t.co/Dxl1TJNHvS Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) July 29, 2018 Give love a bad name? https://t.co/umjqP9Sk0M Shawn Madden (@shawnxmadden) July 29, 2018 This meme train has truly left the station, and nothing Giuliani does now can stop his tweet from living on forever in epic meme history. Photos via Twitter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29), GIPHY More From Inverse Rudy Giuliani baffled Fox News hosts Monday when he attempted to clarify comments he made on CNN earlier in the day about events related to special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Giuliani had appeared to tell CNNs Alisyn Camerota earlier that President Donald Trump was not present at the infamous Trump Tower meeting attended by Donald Trump Jr., a Russian operative and others in June 2016 though the media hasnt asserted that Trump was there. Media pundits immediately questioned why Giuliani would deny an accusation that news outlets hadnt even suggested in the first place. They wondered whether Giuliani was indirectly conceding that Trump knew about the meeting in advance, which Trumps former personal attorney Michael Cohen recently alleged and Trumps team has repeatedly denied. So Giuliani called Fox News Outnumbered hours after his CNN interview to explain his previous remarks. But his comments only further muddied the timeline, as evidenced by the Fox News hosts confused facial expressions and repetitive lines of questioning. Rudy: Take Two! I Meant to Say The Pre-Planning Meeting Did NOT Happen. pic.twitter.com/Zg87XYkwmG Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 30, 2018 Here's part two of Rudy's walk back. pic.twitter.com/1WCpSaccvQ Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 30, 2018 Several Outnumbered co-hosts, including Harris Faulkner and Melissa Francis, as well as Fox News contributor Guy Benson, repeatedly asked Giuliani to walk them through all of the accusations about Russia-related meetings. So let me take you through it, Giuliani said in his first attempt to address his meeting comments. The day of the meeting with the Russians, Cohen has said now hes leaked it, so were not even sure hes said it, somebody said it for him through a reporter he said that he was in President Trumps office, Donald Trump Jr. walked in and told him about the Russian meeting. That is categorically untrue. Did not happen. Story continues Giuliani later added: Second, there was another meeting that has been leaked but hasnt been in public yet, he continued. That was a meeting an alleged meeting three days before, according to Cohen ... he says there was a meeting with Donald Jr., with Jared Kushner, with Paul Manafort, with [Rick] Gates and possibly two others, in which they out of the presence of the president discussed the meeting with the Russians. ... That meeting never, ever took place. It didnt happen. Its a figment of his imagination. Confused? Youre not the only one. Giulianis clarification prompted a series of inquiries from the co-hosts. Why are you saying that the president wasnt at the meeting? Francis asked. Who asked if he was there? No one asked if he was there. Cohen is alleging the meeting took place, Giuliani responded. Were making it clear the president wasnt at that meeting. Cohen doesnt even allege that. To cut it off. But Francis continued to press him, Its different to say that meeting didnt happen ... but to say he wasnt there implies that it happened. Giuliani chuckled: Oh no. As alleged by a liar as alleged by Cohen. Fox News' Melissa Francis reacts to Rudy Giuliani's explanation for stating President Donald Trump wasn't at a meeting that allegedly never took place. (Photo: Fox News) If Giulianis goal in his Outnumbered interview was to steer Fox News coverage away from the alleged Russia meetings, he succeeded. By the end of the 25-minute interview, Faulkner was focused on Giulianis claim that Cohen had secretly recorded what was supposed to be an off-the-record interview between Trump and CNNs Chris Cuomo. Its unclear how Cohens alleged recording of Cuomo is relevant to Muellers investigation if at all. Wow, thats a lot of information, said Faulkner. We appreciate you calling in, and thank you very much for taking all of our questions. Giuliani interrupted: I also understand the confusion. Believe me, its going to get more confusing when these other tapes start coming out. But eventually, when you put it all together, its going to mean the president did nothing wrong. Following his second Fox News appearance Monday, Giuliani told The Daily Beast that he was only discussing the alleged newly leaked meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Gates and others because reporters from The New York Times reached out asking about it. We dont talk about sourcing, and wouldnt now but I have lost the thread of what the former mayor is talking about, Maggie Haberman, one of the reporters who Giuliani names as having contacted him, told The Daily Beast. Watch Giulianis full interview on Fox News Outnumbered below. This story has been updated with Giulianis comments to The Daily Beast. Related Coverage Fox News Host Confronts Rudy Giuliani Over Michael Cohen 'Liar' Flip-Flop Rudy Giuliani Mysteriously Tweets 'You' -- So Twitter Users Hilariously Fill In The Blank Rudy Giuliani: 'Collusion Is Not A Crime' Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Donald Trumps top lawyer has suggested colluding about Russia may not be a crime, after it was reported the president knew in advance about a controversial meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer and his senior campaign staff. In the latest pushback from the White House designed to undermine the Robert Muellers investigation into Russias alleged interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign, Rudy Giuliani said over the weekend the president was keen to probe wrapped up. On Monday, he followed up by telling Fox News: I have been sitting here looking in the federal code trying to find collusion as a crime. Collusion is not a crime. Later, speaking on CNN, he followed up by saying that the hacking of the Democratic National Committees emails was the crime. Colluding about Russia may not be a crime, he said. You start analysing the crime the hacking is the crime. He did not hack. Is Robert Mueller ever going to release his conflicts of interest with respect to President Trump, including the fact that we had a very nasty & contentious business relationship, I turned him down to head the FBI (one day before appointment as S.C.) & Comey is his close friend.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 Over the weekend it was reported that Mr Trumps former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen has claimed the president knew in advance about a June 2016 meeting arranged by a Kremlin-lined lawyer and his eldest, Donald Trump Jr, and other senior members of his campaign team, at Trump Tower in New York. The Trump team agreed to the meeting because they were told the Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, had dirt on Hillary Clinton. All parties insist no information changed hands and many experts believed it may be been a fishing expedition by the Russians. CNN said Mr Cohen was ready to tell Mr Mueller he was present when Mr Trump was informed about the Russians offer by Mr Trump Jr. Story continues At the time the meeting was revealed by the New York Times, Mr Trump claimed he knew nothing about the meeting and on Friday, he tweeted: I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don jr. Sounds to me like someone is trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam (Taxi cabs maybe?). He even retained Bill and Crooked Hillarys lawyer. Gee, I wonder if they helped him make the choice! Earlier this year, former FBI Director James Comey, whose firing by Mr Trump resulted in the appointment of Mr Mueller, said collusion is not actually a thing that exists under the federal laws of the United States. Since Mr Muellers investigation began in the spring of 2017, the probe has resulted in criminal charges against several Russian nationals, five Americans and one Dutch citizen and three corporate entities. One of those people has already been sentenced and served a month in prison, while three others pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Rudy Giulianis puzzling you tweet has become a popular punchline. After the Presidents attorney criticized media coverage of the tape Michael Cohen secretly recorded of Trump, he popped back online on Saturday with much less to say. You was the single word he tweeted. Nothing else. Many were struck by the seemingly unfinished tweet, and rose to the challenge of guessing the rest with no shortage of hilarious responses. Plenty of political commentators lit up the platform with lyrics to songs like Alanis Morissettes You Oughta Know and the classic You Are So Beautiful. And all a Wyoming police department could hear was the hit tune of the Righteous Brothers. Even Soulja Boy chimed in with a Crank That Soulja Boy, referencing his 2007 hit with its prominent you line. Giuliani didnt clarify the meaning of the tweet, which may or may not have been fired off in error. He only returned to Twitter to tease his appearance on CBSs Face The Nation and Fox News Sunday. light up my life https://t.co/afMuLIEaQS Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) July 29, 2018 Crank That Soulja Boy https://t.co/6S1ri1Z2vS Soulja Boy (@souljaboy) July 29, 2018 ......"You got what I NEEEED, but you say he's just a friend, you say he's just a friend, oh baby YOUUUUU!!!... you got what I neeed......... pic.twitter.com/zdKidl4T71 Nik Carter (@TheNotoriousNIK) July 29, 2018 And then there was this take. Saint Petersburg (AFP) - Russia's navy will deploy a total of 26 new ships this year including four carrying Kalibr cruise missiles, President Vladimir Putin said Sunday as the country celebrated Navy Day with a show of strength. "In total in 2018 the navy should get 26 new warships, motor boats and vessels including four warships with Kalibr cruise missiles," Putin said in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg, Interfax news agency reported. Kalibr missiles fired from Russian ships in the Mediterranean and the Caspian have been used as part of Moscow's military intervention in the conflict in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad. The navy has already this year taken in eight new ships, Putin added. The commander of the Black Sea fleet, which is based in Crimea's port of Sevastopol, Vice-Admiral Alexander Moiseyev said six new vessels including missile ships would be inducted by the end of the year, Interfax added. Putin reviewed a spectacular annual naval display on the Neva River in Saint Petersburg with 39 warships carrying out manoeuvres. He told the 4,000 servicemen taking part that the navy "is making a weighty contribution to the fight with international terrorism. "Of course we will continue measures aimed at strengthening and developing the navy, boosting equipment," Putin said. The Navy Day celebrations also included a parade in Russia's Syrian base of Tartus in the Mediterranean for the second time, involving five ships and the Kolpino diesel submarine, the defence ministry said on Facebook. Left-leaning Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Sunday she plans to spend at least another five years on the Supreme Court, in remarks that may comfort liberals as President Donald Trumps second nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, is likely to herald a rightward shift for the countrys highest court. Im now 85, Ginsburg said. My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years. Ginsburg made the comments in a conversation after the performance of a play, The Originalist, about her friend and former colleague, Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016. Despite Scalias frequently conservative views, he and Ginsberg shared a friendship based in part around a love of theater and opera. Answering a question about what made her hopeful given the events of recent years, Ginsburg said: My dear spouse would say that the true symbol of the United States is not the bald eagle it is the pendulum. And when it goes very far in one direction you can count on its swinging back. Ginsburg also rejected the idea that term limits could be imposed on the Supreme Court. You cant set term limits, because to do that youd have to amend the Constitution, she said. Article 3 says we hold our offices during good behavior And most judges are very well-behaved. She also declared herself a flaming feminist, and spoke about the law facilitating progressive change. The genius of the constitution is it has become more and more inclusive, she said. Now, we the people embraces all the people. BELGRADE (Reuters) - Lawyers in Serbia started a week-long strike on Monday to protest the fatal shooting of their colleague Dragoslav Ognjanovic who helped defend late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic and represented leading underworld figures. Ognjanovic, 57, was gunned down in front of his apartment building in the Novi Beograd neighborhood on Saturday. His 26-year-old son was wounded in the right arm. During the strike lawyers will refuse to attend court hearings and a number of other cases, including questioning before prosecutors and plea bargains, the Lawyers' Chamber of Serbia said in a statement. "The Bar wants to send the message of the unity of profession and firm determination that it will not stay silent in cases like this," it said. As a prominent criminal lawyer, Ognjanovic served in the early 2000s in a legal team that helped to defend Milosevic at his war crimes trial before the U.N. tribunal for former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Several prominent members of Serbian and Montenegrin organized crime networks, including another lawyer, have been killed in Belgrade in the past two years in what police describe as a turf war over the illegal drugs market. (Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) The mystery of an unknown French skier lost in the Alps for 64 years has finally been solved, with the help of some social media sleuthing, according to Italian authorities. The remains of 35-year-old French skier Henri le Masne were identified with the help of his family, who were finally reunited with their lost relative 64 years after he went missing in the Alps, Italian police confirmed on Saturday. Le Masne was discovered in the mountains in 2005 alongside skiing equipment as well as a watch, eyeglasses and a monogrammed shirt. After the investigation stalled, a prosecutor in northwestern Italy posted the initial findings to his personal Facebook in late June, asking users to help circulate the case in France and Switzerland to dig up a new lead, Agence France-Presse reports. Vous rappelez le #mystere du skieur disparu? Grace a vos partages la nouvelle est arrivee a sa famille en France et, au moyen de lextraction de lADN par la police scientifique de Turin, nous savons que le skieur est M. Henri le Masne, qui avait disparu sur le Cervin en 1954 pic.twitter.com/qw4Vzo85JL Polizia di Stato (@poliziadistato) July 29, 2018 Authorities didnt have to wait long: the viral post was covered by a French radio program that reached le Masnes niece, Emma Nassem, who noticed the tales resemblance to that of her uncle who was lost in the 1950s near the Matterhorn, on the border of Italy and Switzerland. Le Manses brother Roger, now 94 years old, also came forward. He was a bachelor and quite independent, Roger told police of his missing brother, according to AFP. DNA tests subsequently confirmed the identity of the mystery skier. Henri le Manse, an employee of Frances Ministry of Finance and avid skier and outdoorsman, is believed to have died on March 26, 1954, his 35th birthday, according to police. Here is the latest jail booking report from Hamilton County: BATES, KATHY ANDREA 6509 LEVI ROAD HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 51 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSS OF ROXICODONE FOR RES VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSS OF ROXICODONE FOR RES --- BOSTON, RALPH ALEXANDER 1507 BRADT ST CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 50 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga AGGRAVATED ASSAULT --- BROWN, ROBERT BRYAN 2561 LAWSON MILL RD MCMINNVILLE, 37710 Age at Arrest: 32 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PUBLIC INTOXICATION --- BURCH, VICTOR VANSHEN 625 W 14TH STREET CT CHATTANOOGA, 374023902 Age at Arrest: 20 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga VANDALISM REGISTRATION, EXPIRED FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REGISTRATION, IMPROPER DISPLAY OF PLATES DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE DRIVING ON ROADWAYS LANED FOR TRAFFIC, VIOLATION --- CAGLE, TALLEY 9043 WOOTEN ROAD CHATTANOOGA, 37412 Age at Arrest: 31 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County VIOLATION OF PROBATION (DOMESTIC ASSAULT) --- CANDIDO, MARIO OLIVA 831 LULLWATER RD CHATTANOOGA, 37415 Age at Arrest: 47 years old Arresting Agency: Red Bank THEFT UNDER $1,000 --- CROWDER, LADARRIUS BERNARD 2833 DAYTON BLVD APT 3 RED BANK, 37415 Age at Arrest: 28 years old Arresting Agency: CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES SCHEDULE IV --- EVANS, PAUL ALEXANDER 1118 ORANGE WOOD AVENUE CHATTTANOOGA, 37404 Age at Arrest: 24 years old Arresting Agency: Red Bank RETALIATION FOR PAST ACTION SIMPLE POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE --- GREENFIELD, JAMI LYNN 120 WOLFE ST APT 10 RED BANK, 37415 Age at Arrest: 38 years old Arresting Agency: Red Bank DOMESTIC ASSAULT --- GUZMAN-FLORES, MARIO 9506 FULLER RD CHATTANOOGA, 37421 Age at Arrest: 33 years old Arresting Agency: Tenn Highway Patrol DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE --- HAMBLIN, ZACHARY SLADE 131 DEMPSEY ROAD WHITWELL, 37397 Age at Arrest: 38 years old Arresting Agency: Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) --- HANSARD, GUY 1414 E 48TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37407 Age at Arrest: 42 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF SYNTHETIC DE VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHE DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE --- HART, BRANDON RASHAD 3337 HILLWOOD DR CHATTANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 24 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA FAILURE TO YIELD RIGHT-OF-WAY FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE --- HARTMAN, JOE DEAN 5439 CRESTVIEW DR HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 71 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY OF A MINOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY OF A MINOR --- HOGAN, BRADLEY AARON 6312 GRASSHOPPER RD BIRCHWOOD, 37308 Age at Arrest: 27 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE VIOLATING AUTO REGISTRATION LAW DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE --- HOWARD, TYRESE MONTRELL 3906 SELLS DR EAST RIDGE, 37412 Age at Arrest: 19 years old Arresting Agency: Tenn Highway Patrol DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE DRINKING UNDER AGE/SELL ALCOHOL TO MINOR --- HUNTER, ANGELA JUANITA 113 LAUREL DRIVE RED BANK, 37415 Age at Arrest: 33 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge SIMPLE DOMESTIC ASSAULT --- JONES, RICHARD GENE 2463 OTTER FALLS ROAD SEWANEE, 37375 Age at Arrest: 55 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY) --- JOYNER, JESSE JACOB 215 MARSHALL AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37415 Age at Arrest: 28 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED S VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHE --- LANGSTON, NATALYA LEKEY 4106 FAGAN STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37410 Age at Arrest: 39 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) --- LOWRANCE, DANNY LLOYD 102 AMHERST ST. FORT OGLETHORPE, 30742Age at Arrest: 35 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyTHEFT OF PROPERTYTHEFT OVER 5000TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIATHEFT OF PROPERTY---LUKE, RONALD E1201 BOYNTON DR CHATTANOOGA, 37402Age at Arrest: 56 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINEFAILURE TO YIELD TO EMERGENCY VEHICLEDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCESPEEDING IN WORK ZONE---MCCAULEY, BARSHCIA K1997 MAPLE HILSS WAY UNITL 24 CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaTHEFT OF PROPERTY---MCCURDY, ERIC LASHAWN2302 UNION AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37404Age at Arrest: 23 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaTAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING EVIDENCEPOSSESSION OF MARIJUANA FOR RESALEPOSSESSION OF ECSTASY FOR RESALEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIADRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSEFAILURE TO SIGNAL TURN---MCKAIG, CARL JEROME2108 MCBRIEN ROAD EAST RIDGE, 37412Age at Arrest: 42 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeCONTROLLED SUBSTANCE IN SCHEDULE II (POSSESSION OFDOMESTIC ASSAULTTAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING EVIDENCE (EVIDENCE T---MILLER, CHRISTOPHER ROSS4407 SOUTH CHOCTAW DR CHATTANOOGA, 37411Age at Arrest: 34 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEVIOLATING AUTO REGISTRATION LAW---MOORE, ANTHONY BLAKE299 BREELAND ST RED BANK, 37415Age at Arrest: 26 years oldArresting Agency: Red BankFELONY EVADING ARRESTSIMPLE POSSESSIONAGGRAVATED ASSAULTAGGRAVATED ASSAULTIMPROPER DISPLAY OF TAGPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA---MORGAN, ANDREW ALLEN306 VALLEY VIEW RED BANK, 37415Age at Arrest: 35 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyVIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY)VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY)VIOLATION OF PROBATION (BURGLARY OF BUSINESS)---MOSS, MARK ALEXANDER1 E 11TH 802 CHATTANOOGA, 37402Age at Arrest: 48 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPUBLIC INTOXICATION---POTTER, JENNY MICHELLE7300 CLINE RD HIXSON, 373432101Age at Arrest: 31 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPUBLIC INTOXICATION---REED, MARVIN DANON5722 ST ELMO AVENUE CHATTANOOGA, 37409Age at Arrest: 33 years oldArresting Agency: Red BankBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)---RICE, FRANKLIN D5825 CROSSINGS BLVD NASHVILLE, 37013Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: Tenn Highway PatrolDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE---SANFORD, MALIK J2305 CITICO AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaOBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY OR OTHER PASSAGEWAYDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE---SHADWICK, DUSTIN W9814 LAKESIDE ROAD HARRISON, 37341Age at Arrest: 43 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaRETALIATION AGAINST JUDGE, JUROR, OFFICERRESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESSDISORDERLY CONDUCTSPEEDINGDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEIMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERSDRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CAREASSAULT---SIMPSON, AMBER ADALE128 GRAVITT ROAD SODDY DAISY, 37379Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeTHEFT OF PROPERTY OVER $2,500---SMITH, JO ANN757 W MAIN ST CHATTANOOGA, 37402Age at Arrest: 58 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaFAILURE TO APPEAR---SOFFE, WILLIAM WALTER3712 RINGOLD RD APT 311 CHATTANOOGA, 37412Age at Arrest: 68 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaFOLLOWING TOO CLOSELYDRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSEFINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITYREGISTRATION, EXPIRED---STEWART, THOMAS E4411 MIDLAND PIKE CHATTANOOGA, 37411Age at Arrest: 21 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaRECKLESS ENDANGERMENTVANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEFDISORDERLY CONDUCT---STONE, TAMMY MICHELE237 WAUTCHIE PIKE TIFTONIA, 37419Age at Arrest: 45 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyVIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY)VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAM---TURNER, BILLIE JOE9114 BRAMLETT ROAD HARRISON, 37341Age at Arrest: 36 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyFAILURE TO APPEAR---WELLON, LATONYA M2520 DOOLITTLE ST CHATTANOOGA, 37410Age at Arrest: 37 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaSPEEDING---WIGFALL, RONALD LEBRON2616 E 20TH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37404Age at Arrest: 47 years oldArresting Agency:DOMESTIC ASSAULT---WILLOUR, TREVOR JAMES2200 S 300 E HUNTINGTON, 46750Age at Arrest: 24 years oldArresting Agency: Chatt. Housing AuthorityDOMESTIC ASSAULT---WISSEHR, DAVID MARK320 HIGH ST APT 18 CHATTANOOGA, 37403Age at Arrest: 41 years oldArresting Agency: UTCPUBLIC INTOXICATION---WOODLEY, MICHAEL DEWAYNE3007 E 50TH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37407Age at Arrest: 52 years oldArresting Agency: Tenn Highway PatrolDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE---WRIGHT, CORY BERNARD811 WEST MAIN STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37402Age at Arrest: 40 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaTHEFT OF PROPERTYFRAUDULENT USE OF CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDTHEFT OF PROPERTY Here are the mug shots: BATES, KATHY ANDREA Age at Arrest: 51 Date of Birth: 04/05/1967 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSS OF ROXICODONE FOR RES VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSS OF ROXICODONE FOR RES CAGLE, TALLEY Age at Arrest: 31 Date of Birth: 09/01/1986 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (DOMESTIC ASSAULT) CROWDER, LADARRIUS BERNARD Age at Arrest: 28 Date of Birth: 07/07/1990 Arresting Agency: Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES SCHEDULE IV GARDNER, CHRISTOPHER JAMES Age at Arrest: 53 Date of Birth: 07/03/1965 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): FAILURE TO APPEAR GUZMAN-FLORES, MARIO Age at Arrest: 33 Date of Birth: 10/26/1984 Arresting Agency: Tenn Highway Patrol Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE HAMBLIN, ZACHARY SLADE Age at Arrest: 38 Date of Birth: 05/13/1980 Arresting Agency: Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) HANSARD, GUY Age at Arrest: 42 Date of Birth: 04/14/1976 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF SYNTHETIC DE VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHE DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE HARTMAN, JOE DEAN Age at Arrest: 71 Date of Birth: 07/07/1947 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY OF A MINOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY OF A MINOR HOWARD, TYRESE MONTRELL Age at Arrest: 19 Date of Birth: 04/01/1999 Arresting Agency: Tenn Highway Patrol Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE DRINKING UNDER AGE/SELL ALCOHOL TO MINOR JONES, RICHARD GENE Age at Arrest: 55 Date of Birth: 11/25/1962 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY) JOYNER, JESSE JACOB Age at Arrest: 28 Date of Birth: 12/21/1989 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED S VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHE LANGSTON, NATALYA LEKEY Age at Arrest: 39 Date of Birth: 05/28/1979 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) LOWRANCE, DANNY LLOYD Age at Arrest: 35 Date of Birth: 05/16/1982 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY THEFT OVER 5000 TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA THEFT OF PROPERTY LUKE, RONALD E Age at Arrest: 56 Date of Birth: 06/26/1962 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE FAILURE TO YIELD TO EMERGENCY VEHICLE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE SPEEDING IN WORK ZONE MCKAIG, CARL JEROME Age at Arrest: 42 Date of Birth: 04/10/1976 Arresting Agency: East Ridge Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE IN SCHEDULE II (POSSESSION OF DOMESTIC ASSAULT TAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING EVIDENCE (EVIDENCE T MILLER, CHRISTOPHER ROSS Age at Arrest: 34 Date of Birth: 01/05/1984 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE VIOLATING AUTO REGISTRATION LAW MOORE, ANTHONY BLAKE Age at Arrest: 26 Date of Birth: 10/14/1991 Arresting Agency: Red Bank Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): FELONY EVADING ARREST SIMPLE POSSESSION AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IMPROPER DISPLAY OF TAG POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA MORGAN, ANDREW ALLEN Age at Arrest: 35 Date of Birth: 10/31/1982 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY) VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY) VIOLATION OF PROBATION (BURGLARY OF BUSINESS) POTTER, JENNY MICHELLE Age at Arrest: 31 Date of Birth: 02/05/1987 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): PUBLIC INTOXICATION REED, MARVIN DANON Age at Arrest: 33 Date of Birth: 06/29/1985 Arresting Agency: Red Bank Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) RICE, FRANKLIN D Age at Arrest: 27 Date of Birth: 12/25/1990 Arresting Agency: Tenn Highway Patrol Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE SANFORD, MALIK J Age at Arrest: 27 Date of Birth: 09/21/1990 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): OBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY OR OTHER PASSAGEWAY DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE SHADWICK, DUSTIN W Age at Arrest: 43 Date of Birth: 02/01/1975 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): RETALIATION AGAINST JUDGE, JUROR, OFFICER RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS DISORDERLY CONDUCT SPEEDING DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE IMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERS DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE ASSAULT SIMPSON, AMBER ADALE Age at Arrest: 27 Date of Birth: 08/16/1990 Arresting Agency: East Ridge Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY OVER $2,500 SMITH, JO ANN Age at Arrest: 58 Date of Birth: 05/29/1960 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): CRIMINAL TRESPASSING SOFFE, WILLIAM WALTER Age at Arrest: 68 Date of Birth: 02/24/1950 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REGISTRATION, EXPIRED STEWART, THOMAS E Age at Arrest: 21 Date of Birth: 02/27/1997 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF DISORDERLY CONDUCT STONE, TAMMY MICHELE Age at Arrest: 45 Date of Birth: 05/30/1973 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY) VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAM TURNER, BILLIE JOE Age at Arrest: 36 Date of Birth: 10/06/1981 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): FAILURE TO APPEAR WIGFALL, RONALD LEBRON Age at Arrest: 47 Date of Birth: 02/20/1971 Arresting Agency: Last Date of Arrest: 07/29/2018 Charge(s): DOMESTIC ASSAULT NAIROBI (Reuters) - Eritrea and Somalia plan to establish diplomatic relations, their presidents said on Monday, the latest sign of thawing relations across the Horn of Africa following Eritrea's rapprochement with Ethiopia. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi arrived in Eritrea's capital Asmara on Saturday for meetings with President Isaias Afwerki. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors, promote bilateral trade and investment, as well as educational and cultural exchanges," the two leaders said in a joint statement. The decision by Isaias to invite Abdullahi marked a new chapter for the countries after years of sour relations, reflecting how regional politics have been transformed since a new Ethiopian leader reached out to Eritrea this year. Past Somali administrations had accused Eritrea of supplying weapons to anti-government Islamist insurgents. Asmara has repeatedly denied this, saying the accusations were concocted by its enemy Ethiopia. In 2007, Eritrea even walked out of the East African bloc IGAD in protest as Ethiopian forces entered Somalia to fight militants. Eritrea and Ethiopia staged a dramatic rapprochement in recent weeks, after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power in Addis Ababa in April and subsequently announced that he wanted to implement a peace deal that ended their 1998-2000 border war. Eritrea and Ethiopia signed an agreement earlier this month to restore ties, ending two decades of hostility. (Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Aaron Maasho and Peter Graff) Nairobi (AFP) - The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday agreed to establish diplomatic ties after more than a decade of animosity, in the latest lightning rapprochement between Horn of Africa rivals. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule. "The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," read a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed, who left for Mogadishu shortly thereafter. The declaration came just three weeks after Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to two decades of conflict, rapidly restoring diplomatic ties and flights between their capitals. The history of the three nations, and their fallouts, have been intertwined. Somalia and Eritrea were once close. Under Somali dictator Siad Barre, the military regime in Mogagishu backed Eritrea's long fight for independence from Ethiopia, which was attained in 1993. In 1998 Ethiopia and Eritrea began a bloody two-year war over their shared border which left 80,000 dead before settling into a bitter cold war. After the fall of Barre in 1991, Somalia fell into chaos. By around 2006, it became the site of what observers called a proxy war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Ethiopia backed backing a weak interim government in Mogadishu while Eritrea was accused of backing the Islamic militants fighting to overthrow it, a charge it denied. The UN Security Council in 2009 imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militants, which continue to launch regular deadly attacks despite losing territory in recent years. The declaration placed special emphasis on its support for the Somali government. Story continues "Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the countrys rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," it said.The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." - End of 'epoch of conflict' - At a state banquet on Sunday, Isaias bemoaned the gloomy post-Cold War history of the Horn of Africa. He said the region had been destroyed by "ethnic and clan cleavages" and "external pillage and internal thievery" in the speech which also lashed out at the "micromanagement of anarchy" by the United Nations and NGOs. "Under these bleak realities, interventionist and expansionist regional agendas in the name of religion, cultural intoxication under various extremist ideologies, terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, as well as trade in weapons and narcotics became the new normal," he said, according to a speech posted on the information ministry's website. "But this epoch of crises, conflict and instability is not inherently sustainable. As such, it is nearing its end. We are indeed entering a new, transitional, phase." Ethiopia, which is undergoing lightning reforms under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has already formally requested that sanctions be lifted against Eritrea. And in the wake of Ethiopia's peace with Eritrea, its other neighbour and rival Djibouti asked the UN Security Council for help mediating a long-standing border dispute that has soured relations with Asmara. By Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean human rights commission said on Monday it will investigate whether a dozen North Korean restaurant workers who defected to the South two years ago came of their own free will or were tricked or coerced by an intelligence agent. The 12 waitresses and their manager left a North Korean state-run restaurant in China to come via Malaysia to South Korea in April 2016. Seoul promptly announced their defection, but North Korea says they were abducted by South Korean agents and demands their repatriation. The restaurant manager has previously told South Korean news agency Yonhap and other media that an agent from South Korea's spy agency National Intelligence Service (NIS) used persuasion and threats to get him to enter the South with the workers. Some of the workers say they were unaware they were entering South Korea until they arrived at the South Korean embassy in Malaysia, the independent National Human Rights Commission of Korea said. The rights group has mounted a first state probe into the case in the wake of calls by a liberal interest group of lawyers and from Tomas Ojea Quintana, the United Nations' Human Rights Special Rappoteur on North Korea. The issue has complicated efforts to improve relations between the two Koreas. North Korean state newspaper Rodong Shinmun and propaganda website Uriminzokkiri have said that unless the restaurant workers are returned there could be an obstacle to the reunion, planned to take place next month, of families divided by the 1950-53 Korean War. South Korea's Unification Ministry has previously said it was informed from intelligence authorities that the workers came voluntarily, but Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told lawmakers last week that the ministry had not yet met the workers or verified the intelligence officials' accounts. The ministry said on Monday its it has been consistently cooperating with the commission's requests. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Joori Roh; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon slammed libertarian megadonor Charles Koch and leaders of his political network in a scathing interview with Politico, telling the billionaire to shut up and get with the program. Bannon lashed out Sunday after Koch Network representatives sharply criticized President Donald Trump and his supporters for creating a toxic division in America and for destructive protectionist trade policies. What they have to do is shut up and get with the program, Bannon told the publication. Heres the program: Ground game to support Trumps presidency and program, [and] victory on Nov. 6. Bannon said the Koch Network which didnt support Trump in the presidential election doesnt know how to win. And he argued that voters arent interested in the groups free trade philosophy, and support Trumps economic populism instead. We can have a theoretical discussion later, okay? Bannon said. This is why they dont know what it means to win. We dont have time to have some theoretical discussion and to have their spokesman come out and say the president is divisive. The annual Koch Network summit over the weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado, drew about 500 donors who have each pledged a minimum of $100,000 to back the organizations issues and candidates. Charles Koch said in a rare interview Sunday that the political network is so disappointed in certain unnamed Washington actors that the group may cut its contributions in some cases. The billionaire industrialist also said he might be open to working with Democrats. Koch Network spokesman James Davis responded to Bannons comments, saying the group is focused on uniting the country to help remove barriers that are preventing people from reaching the potential. The group looks forward to working with Trump, Congress and communities whenever possible to help people improve their lives, Davis told Politico. Charles Koch: I dont care what initials are in front or after somebodys name ..." https://t.co/v9u3YxgLXa POLITICO (@politico) July 30, 2018 Also on HuffPost Story continues Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss Re and Security First Insurance have teamed up to offer water damage insurance to homeowners in Florida using a new modeling system that could reshape the private market for insuring against floods, the Swiss reinsurer said on Monday. The joint venture lets residents of the southern U.S. state include water damage, including flood coverage, in their homeowners policy. Ratings are based on Swiss Re's proprietary flood model, it said. "The Swiss Re model generates a premium that is based on the unique characteristics of the exposure such as location of the structure, type of construction and insured value, rather than relying on rating tables which are less accurate," it said. Security First policyholders could be among the first to apply for enhanced coverage with a single deductible for wind and flood damage. "This innovative policy is proof that flood is insurable in the private market and we believe it can be replicated throughout the U.S. to help solve a profound underinsurance issue," said Keith Wolfe, Swiss Re's U.S. president for property and casualty insurance. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma clobbered the United States last year, increasing property damage. Flooding typically causes damage of around $15 billion a year in the U.S., of which only $5 billion is insured, a Swiss Re statement said. Security First has started offering the optional flood and water backup coverage to customers and will handle distribution, administration and claims servicing. U.S. Congress has been extending on a stopgap basis the federal flood insurance program after legislation that would drastically overhaul the system stalled in the Senate after passage in the House of Representatives. Supporters of the overhaul say it would improve the amount of choice in the marketplace and stabilize rates. Critics have voiced concern it could result in drastic price increases for some flood-prone areas. (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) Beirut (AFP) - Syria's Druze minority, whose men are being called up for military service by Damascus, is struggling to insulate itself from the conflict that has engulfed the country since 2011. Here is a summary of the community's profile, its role in Syria's conflict and the attacks it has faced. - Secretive minority - The Druze community accounted for around three percent of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million. They are located mainly in the southern province of Sweida with smaller pockets around Damascus and in the northwest, although some have fled jihadist-held parts of the latter area. Druze are monotheistic and considered Muslim, but the sect is otherwise highly secretive, includes mystical elements such as reincarnation, and does not allow new converts. Some 200,000 Druze are located in neighbouring Lebanon and over 100,000 are in Israel, while 18,000 live in the Israeli-occupied Golan. - Split by war - Syria's Druze have been split by the uprising that erupted in 2011 against President Bashar al-Assad, who had long portrayed himself as a protector of the country's minorities. Druze should not be seen "as being neutral in this war -- it's more multifaceted and the Druze are not a monolithic bloc", said Tobias Lang, an analyst focused on Druze populations in the Middle East. One of the first soldiers to defect from Syria's army in protest at its handling of demonstrations was Druze officer Khaldun Zeineddine, who later died in clashes against regime forces. Others remained firmly loyal, like General Issam Zahreddine, one of the highest-ranking Druze army officers who died last year in a mine blast after battling the Islamic State group in Syria's east. Druze leaders have often tried to maintain a relationship with the regime to keep their areas autonomous and spare them from government attacks. One symbol of that complex relationship was Wahid al-Balous, a Druze religious authority who pushed for the sect's soldiers to be deployed near their hometowns, rather than in other provinces. Story continues Balous, who died in a car bomb attack in Sweida in 2015, spoke out against both jihadists and Assad. - Druze defence - Syria's Druze have protected their heartland in Sweida with their own forces. The most powerful has been the Sheikhs of Dignity, which was headed by Balous and included fighters and other religious figures. Sheikhs of Dignity has fought fierce battles against the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate. Other militias have been closely linked to the regime, including the Dareh al-Watan (Shield of the Nation), a Druze force founded in April 2015 with 2,000 fighters. Such groups appear to have protected Sweida's sons from compulsory military service, with authorities turning a blind eye so long as young men fight in units not opposed to the regime. But with the regime hungry for fresh conscripts, that deal appears to be coming apart at the seams and Assad has now called on young Druze men to serve. His appeal came after Damascus announced the release this month of Druze women and children who had been kidnapped during a July attack by IS. - Targeted by rebels, jihadists - That onslaught by the jihadists left more than 260 people dead, mostly civilians. It was the worst attack against the minority so far but not the first. A car bomb in 2012 ripped through Damascus' Jaramana suburb, which is mostly Druze and Christian. In 2013 and 2014, fierce fighting between Syrian rebels and pro-regime Druze forces rocked Sweida province and Druze areas closer to Damascus. IS began attacking Sweida province in 2015, first targeting Khalkhalah military airport. The same year, 20 Druze Syrians were killed in a shoot-out with Al-Qaeda jihadists in the village of Qalb Lawzah in northwestern Idlib province. Druze residents of Qalb Lawzah had come out against the regime a year into Syria's uprising. In 2016, IS beheaded four labourers in an area it controlled outside Damascus, accusing them of being Druze. And in 2017, a car bomb killed nine people in Hader, a regime-held village in the southwestern province of Quneitra mostly populated by Druze. By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - Tech firms like Facebook should be made liable for "harmful and misleading" material on their websites and pay a levy so they can be regulated, British lawmakers said, warning of a crisis in democracy due to misuse of personal data. Facebook has increasingly become a focus of the media committee's inquiry into "fake news" after the data of 87 million users was improperly accessed by British-headquartered consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Facebook executives said on Wednesday its profit margins would plummet for several years due to the cost of improving privacy safeguards and slowing usage in its top advertising markets. The news wiped over $120 billion off the company's share price. At the same time, the company is coming under concerted regulatory scrutiny in Britain, the United States and the European Union. "Companies like Facebook made it easy for developers to scrape user data and to deploy it in other campaigns without their knowledge or consent," Damian Collins, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said in a statement officially released on Sunday. "They must be made responsible, and liable, for the way in which harmful and misleading content is shared on their sites." The report was first published online late on Friday by Dominic Cummings, who ran the officially designated Vote Leave campaign in the EU referendum. The standards of accuracy and impartiality which tech companies are held to could be based on regulator Ofcom's rules for television and radio, the lawmakers said. British broadcasters, whether publicly or privately owned, must generally stick to strict rules on political balance and factual accuracy, overseen by a regulator. TechUK, a trade association for technology firms operating in Britain said it would be challenging to hold them to a higher standard than the country's newspapers or politicians. Story continues "Sometimes decisions about what is and isn't 'fake' will be highly political and contentious," techUK's deputy director, Antony Walker, said. "Determining what is and is not accurate information is not always straightforward and both traditional media and elected politicians can often be sources of news that is inaccurate or untrue," he added. The committee's report also suggested a levy on tech firms which could contribute to an increased budget for Britain's data regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), in the way in which the banking sector pays for the upkeep of its watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority. The ICO earlier this month fined Facebook for the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Tom Watson, deputy leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, said the government had previously rejected its efforts to give the ICO greater investigation powers and improve disclosure of how online political adverts are funded. Cambridge Analytica, which was hired by Donald Trump's campaign in 2016, has denied its work on the U.S. president's election made use of the data in question. It has also said that while it pitched for work with campaign group Leave.EU before the Brexit referendum in Britain in 2016, it did not end up doing any work on the campaign. The committee however said that adverts used online in the campaign were not clearly labelled, and expressed concern about a breach of spending rules by rival campaign group Vote Leave. "We are facing nothing less than a crisis in our democracy based on the systematic manipulation of data to support the relentless targeting of citizens ... by campaigns of disinformation and messages of hate," Collins said. The findings were made in an interim report, with the full report due in the autumn. (Additional reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Stephen Addison, Guy Faulconbridge and Matthew Mpoke Bigg) The NTSB is telling drivers and passengers to not do the viral In My Feelings Challenge, which sees occupants jump out of moving cars to dance alongside them. Next, Civil rights groups including the NAACP are opposing a plan by the New York City Council to put a temporary cap on new ride-sharing cabs from the likes of Uber and Lyft to ease congestion and improve competition with yellow cabs. Finally, U.K. Parliment is tearing into Facebook, saying the company needs to drastically overhaul the way it handles election ads on the service. Despite assurances he would stop giving interviews about his daughter Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Thomas Markle cant quit talking to the press. The former lighting director recently spent nine hours over the course of three days talking to the Mail on Sunday about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in an interview published over the weekend. Among his many bombshell quotes, he said that it would be easier for Meghan if he died, due to the fact everybody would be filled with sympathy for her. I refuse to stay quiet. What riles me is Meghans sense of superiority. Shed be nothing without me. I made her the Duchess she is today. Everything that Meghan is, I made her, he said. Markle also brought up the late Princess Diana and said she wouldnt have allowed this treatment of him. Thomas Markle during an interview on the show "Good Morning Britain." (Photo: ITVs Good Morning Britain) [The royal family] have Meghan treating her father in a way that Harrys mother, Princess Diana, would have loathed. Thats not what Diana stood for, he said. He added that he likely wont be able to see Meghan and Princes Harrys future children because of their lack of contact. Whats sad is that some time in the next year Meghan and Harry will have a baby and Ill be a grandfather, and if were not speaking I wont see my grandchild, Markle said. How tragic is that, to deprive a child of its grandfather because I said a few things critical of the Royal Family? Chrissy Teigen slammed the former lighting director for his willingness to badmouth his daughter. This guy...this guy sucks. what is wrong with him? let your daughter be happy, please. this is embarrassing, she wrote. this guy...this guy sucks. what is wrong with him? let your daughter be happy, please. this is embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/FADsBT5sfX christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) July 28, 2018 Thomas Markle isnt the only family member that continues to hit out at Meghan. The Suits stars half-sister, Samantha Grant, repeatedly attacked the duchess in a series of tweets two weeks ago. Story continues My father is not an embarrassment for loving his daughter! The Royals are an embarrassment for being so cold, she said. You should be ashamed of yourselves @KensingtonRoyal. She didnt stop there, adding, How about you pay tribute to your own father?! Enough is enough. Act like a humanitarian act like a woman! If our father dies Im holding you responsible, Meg! Kensington Palace has yet to issue a response to any of Markles family comments. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex havent commented on the repeated interviews either. The two continue to put on a united front at the recent events theyve attended together. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry kiss after posing with the trophy after the Sentebale Polo Cup on July 26 in Windsor, England. (Photo: Chris Jackson via Getty Images) Royal news doesnt stop at the wedding. Subscribe to HuffPosts Watching the Royals newsletter for all things Windsor (and beyond). Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Related... Meghan Markle's Dad Says Her 'Pained Smile' Means She's Terrified Meghan Markle's Half-Sister Launches Stunning Attack On The Duchess How Meghan Markle Should Deal With Her Family, According To Therapists Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Pack On The PDA At Charity Polo Match Also on HuffPost This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Two men shot indiscriminately in area popular with locals, police say, as city mayor calls for end to violence Police says the pair fired multiple shots into the crowd on Saturday night before fleeing the scene. Photograph: Stock Connection/Rex Three people were killed and seven injured when two men opened fire into a large crowd outside a New Orleans strip mall on Saturday. Police said the men shot indiscriminately, one with a rifle and the other with a handgun. According to the city police chief, Michael Harrison, the pair stood over one person and fired multiple shots before fleeing. First responders found two men and one woman who were pronounced dead at the scene. Five men and two women were taken to two hospitals. None were immediately publicly identified. The two suspects remained at large and Harrison asked for the communitys help. A lot of people were out here tonight, he said. A lot of people, we know, saw what happened, heard what happened. And we need more than anything for people to come forward to help the [New Orleans police department] right now solve this case. The uptown strip mall is located several miles from the tourist-heavy French Quarter. Home to a daiquiri shop and late night eatery, on Saturday night the parking lot and sidewalk often hosts crowds of locals. Its not normally like this right here, one man told the Times Picayune at the scene on Saturday night. They dont usually wild out like this anymore over here. I was at home, I didnt see nothing but this is a neighborhood spot, with regulars and whatever. Not a place youd expect this. Harrison said police were not sure if the shooting was gang related. In a statement released late on Saturday, New Orleans mayor, LaToya Cantrell, said she would dedicate every resource necessary to ending this horror and seeing justice done. There is no place in New Orleans for this kind of violence, Cantrell said. I speak for everyone in our city when I say we are disgusted, we are infuriated, and we have had more than enough. Three more lives gone. It has to end. This illustration shows the interface between a growing carbon nanotube and a cobalt-tungsten catalyst. The atomic arrangement of the catalyst forces the nanotube to quickly transition from zigzag (blue) to armchair (red), which ultimately grows a nanotube that's neither one nor the other, but nearly in the middle. The transition is a previously undiscovered characteristic of carbon nanotube growth. Rice University scientists have decoded the unusual growth characteristic of carbon nanotubes that start out as one chirality but switch to another, resulting in nearly homogenous batches of single-walled nanotubes. The nanotubes grow via chemical vapor deposition with a carbon-tungsten alloy catalyst. Growing a batch of carbon nanotubes that are all the same may not be as simple as researchers had hoped, according to Rice University scientists. Rice materials theorist Boris Yakobson and his team bucked a theory that when growing nanotubes in a furnace, a catalyst with a specific atomic arrangement and symmetry would reliably make carbon nanotubes of like chirality, the angle of its carbon-atom lattice. Instead, they found the catalyst in question starts nanotubes with a variety of chiral angles but redirects almost all of them toward a fast-growing variant known as (12,6). The cause appears to be a Janus-like interface that is composed of armchair and zigzag segments - and ultimately changes how nanotubes grow. Because chirality determines a nanotube's electrical properties, the ability to grow chiral-specific batches is a nanotechnology holy grail. It could lead to wires that, unlike copper or aluminum, transmit energy without loss. Nanotubes generally grow in random chiralities. The Rice theoretical study could be a step toward catalysts that produce homogenous batches of nanotubes, Yakobson said. Yakobson and colleagues Evgeni Penev and Ksenia Bets and graduate student Nitant Gupta tackled a conundrum presented by other experimentalists at a 2013 workshop who used an alloy of cobalt and tungsten to catalyze single-walled nanotubes. In that lab's batch, more than 90 percent of the nanotubes had a chirality of (12,6). The numbers (12,6) are coordinates that refer to a nanotube's chiral vector. Carbon nanotubes are rolled-up sheets of two-dimensional graphene. Graphene is highly conductive, but when it is rolled into a tube, its conductivity depends on the angle -- or chirality -- of its hexagonal lattice. Armchair nanotubes -- so called because of the armchair-like shape of their edges -- have identical chiral indices, like (9,9), and are highly desired for their perfect conductivity. They are unlike zigzag nanotubes, such as (16,0), which may be semiconductors. Turning a graphene sheet a mere 30 degrees will change the nanotube it forms from armchair to zigzag or vice versa. Penev said the experimentalists explained their work "in a way which was puzzling from the very beginning. They said this catalyst has a specific symmetry that matches the (12,6) edge, so these nanotubes preferentially nucleate and grow. This was the emergence of the so-called symmetry matching idea of carbon nanotube selective growth. "We read and digested that, but we still couldn't wrap our minds around it," he said. Shortly after the 2013 conference, the Yakobson lab published its own theory of nanotube growth, which showed that the balance between two opposing forces -- the energy of the catalyst-nanotube contact and the speed at which atoms attach themselves to the growing tube at the interface -- are responsible for chirality. Five years later, that turns out to be just as true in their new paper, though with a twist. The Rice calculations show that the alloy Co7W6 promotes the formation of the Janus-like interface that ensures the necessary kink at the edge and allows carbon atoms to attach themselves to the nanotube's foundation. But the catalyst also forces the nanotube to incorporate defects that alter its initial chirality midstream. "We uncovered two things," Yakobson said. "One is that the carbon atom types at the base of the nanotube separate into armchair and zigzag segments. The second is the tendency for the formation of defects that drive the chirality, or helicity, change. That makes (12,6) a sort of transient attractor, at least during short experiments. If they were able to grow forever, (12,6) nanotubes would eventually switch to armchairs." The unusual growth pattern might have been diagnosed much earlier if it weren't for an age-old typo that required some dogged detective work. "The trouble was in a standard online database that gives the crystal structure of this cobalt-tungsten alloy," said Bets, co-lead author of the paper with Penev. "One entry was wrong. That messed up the structure so badly that we couldn't use it in our density functional theory calculations." Once they found the error, Bets and co-author Gupta went back to the 1938 German paper that was first to correctly detail the structure of Co7W6. Even with that in hand, the team's calculations used every bit of computing power they could find to simulate the energetic connections between each atom in the catalyst and carbon feedstock. "We figured out that if we had run the calculations in series instead of in parallel, they would have taken the equivalent of at least 2,000 years of computer time," Bets said. "This paper is remarkable in many aspects: in the timing, the amount of detail and the surprises we found," Penev said. "We've never had a project like this. We don't yet know how this will be applicable to other materials, but we're working on it." "There are four or five experimental papers, pretty recent ones, that also show a change of chirality during growth," Bets said. "In fact, because it's a probabilistic process, it's essentially unavoidable. But until now it's never been considered in the theoretical investigation of growth." Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Most of us worry about Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever when getting a tick bite. But now scientists say tick bites could give you an allergy to red meat. That's because the lone star tickmost prevalent in the southeastern U.S.has been shown to cause an allergy to a carbohydrate known as alpha-gal, which is found in red meat. A new study in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology suggests that a meat allergy caused by ticks may be more common than previously known, and that this tick-induced allergy could explain some previously unexplained cases of severe allergic reactions. The study looked at just one allergy clinic in Tennessee, and found that in cases where they were able to pinpoint the cause, the alpha-gal allergy was behind about a third of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) cases seen there, making it the most common known cause of reactions they treated. Study author Jay Lieberman, M.D., associate professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and vice chair of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Food Allergy Committee, is quick to point out that these results do not mean that a third of severe allergic reactions nationwide are due to the effects of lone star tick bites, or that alpha-gal is the number one cause of anaphylaxis in the country. But lone star ticks are spreadingtheir habitat now extends from the Southeast almost all the way to the Canadian borderwhich means more people may encounter them. Scientists who study the alpha-gal allergy estimated back in 2013 that more than 5,000 people in the Southeast U.S. alone could have the allergy. And Princess Ogbogu, M.D., division director of allergy and immunology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (who wasnt involved with the new study), says that from what shes seen in her practice, plenty of these allergies have likely gone undiagnosedin part due to a lack of awareness about the allergy among patients and even many doctors. Story continues So just how concerned should you be about this allergy, which, in the U.S., is only caused by the bite of a lone star tick? We spoke with the study authors and other experts to find out. What the Study Found In the new study, researchers with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center evaluated cases of anaphylaxis theyd handled between 2006 and 2016. They found 218 cases that met the definition of anaphylaxisa constellation of symptoms that can include hives, swelling of the tongue and lips, trouble breathing, wheezing, abdominal cramping, vomiting, and low blood pressure. Researchers performed allergy testing and evaluated people's medical histories to determine the cause of the reaction, which they were able to do with reasonable certainty in 85 of the 218 cases. Of those 85 cases, 28or about 33 percentwere found to have been caused by the tick-bite-induced allergy to red meat. Thats more than were found to be caused by food allergies to peanuts, shellfish, or others. Lieberman says the clinic has performed similar analyses in previous years, before the alpha-gal red meat allergy was discovered. In those earlier studies, doctors werent able to determine a cause for a greater percentage of anaphylaxis cases. The data from the new study suggest that a significant number of those earlier cases with an unknown cause may actually have been due to this newly discovered allergy. Understanding Meat Allergies Its not entirely clear to scientists why a bite from a tick can cause a person to develop an allergy to red meat, Lieberman says, or how common such an allergy is. And it doesnt happen to everybody whos bitten. Only some people whove been bitten by lone star ticks will develop the antibodies that indicate a possible allergy to alpha-gal, a substance in red meat. Of the people who do develop those antibodies, Lieberman says, some wont ever show symptoms of an allergic reaction to red meat. Theres also an intriguing difference between the alpha-gal red meat allergy and every other type of food allergy. Typically, allergic reactions to food occur immediately after exposure, within a few minutes. With an alpha-gal allergy, however, a reaction typically doesnt start until several hours after eating red meatwhich can make it challenging to pinpoint the culprit. Researchers first linked tick bites to red meat allergies almost a decade ago. But there are still a lot of questions left to answer about why some people develop the allergy and some dont, how many people have been affected, and why the reaction to red meat is delayed, rather than immediate. Early signs of anaphylaxis may include a metallic taste, burning, tingling, or itching of the tongue or mouth, headache, and feelings of fear or confusion. A reaction can progress quickly, and severe symptoms include throat swelling, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, and more. If you think you may be experiencing anaphylaxis, even if youve never had an allergic reaction before, you should call 911. (If you know you have an allergy to food, and you experience symptoms of anaphylaxis, especially trouble breathing, wheezing, or throat swelling, you should use an epinephrine auto-injector if you have one.) When the reaction is under control, Ogbogu recommends patients ask their doctors whether red meat could have been the cause of their symptoms, since some may not be aware of the alpha-gal allergy. Theres no cure for red meat allergy, so if youre diagnosed, youll need to avoid the foods that trigger a reaction. That could include various kinds of red meats, and even sometimes milk (which also contains alpha-gal), according to UpToDate, an online decision-making tool for doctors. In some cases, Lieberman says, if people whove developed alpha-gal allergies avoid all future tick bites from lone star ticks (or the varieties that cause the allergy in other countries), their levels of the antibodies to alpha-gal may diminish, and the allergy could subside. Its unknown how common this is, however. About the Lone Star Tick The clinic in this study is located in Tennesseewhich is right in the heart of lone star tick territory. (Lieberman notes that this may be one reason his clinic has seen so many red meat allergies, and that other areas of the country would likely see different numbers.) Lone star ticks, so named for the white splotch on the backs of adult females, are most common in southern and eastern states. Like other ticks, however, their geographic distribution is expanding, according to Ellen Stromdahl, a retired entomologist from the tickborne disease laboratory of the U.S. Army Public Health Center in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Lone star ticks dont cause Lyme disease, as a recent analysis that Stromdahl conducted shows. But along with spreading the alpha-gal allergy, they can also transmit the bacteria that cause another disease called ehrlichiosis. Ehrlichiosis can cause fever, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and, rarely, rash. Its fatal in about 1.8 percent of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although it can be treated with antibiotics. A lone star tick is much less likely to carry ehrlichiosis than a blacklegged tick is to carry Lyme disease, notes Stromdahl. But lone star ticks are much more aggressive than other common types of ticks in the U.S. Youre more likely to be mobbed by lone star ticks, she says, and finding multiple bites is common if youve been in their habitat. Protect Yourself From Ticks As with any tick bite, its important not to panic if you discover one, Lieberman says. The vast majority in this country and elsewhere who get bitten by ticks dont develop alpha-gal allergy, he says. Still, you can take reasonable precautions to protect yourself from ticks and the diseasesor allergiesthey can cause. Heres what to do: Wear an effective bug spray if youre going to be in an area where ticks are common. Lone star and other types of ticks prefer wooded areas, brush, and long grass. Consumer Reports insect repellent testing has found that some products containing 15 to 30 percent deet, 20 percent picaridin, or 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus can provide the best protection. Dress for the occasion. Wear long pants and long sleeves, and tuck your pants into your socks. Stromdahl also suggests using permethrin-treated clothing for additional protection. Keep your yard unfriendly to ticks. Keep your lawn grass cut, since ticks love tall grasses. Clean up brush and weeds, too. Find more tips on tick-proofing your yard here. Check yourself for ticks at the end of every day youve been out in their territory. If you find them on you, remove them properly. And Stromdahl recommends taking care with the clothes you were wearing. Run them through a cycle in a hot dryer to kill any ticks that may be clinging on, and leave your shoes outside in the sun. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2018, Consumer Reports, Inc. WASHINGTON (AP) The publisher of The New York Times says he took President Donald Trump to task for "deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric" that is "not just divisive but increasingly dangerous" when the two met privately at the White House this month. Trump disclosed the meeting on Twitter on Sunday, saying he and A.G. Sulzberger "Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, 'Enemy of the People.' Sad!" "Enemy of the People" is the phrase Trump uses to broadly describe most journalists. He said the July 20 meeting was "very good and interesting." Sulzberger, who succeeded his father in the role on Jan. 1, said his main purpose for accepting the meeting was to "raise concerns about the president's deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric." "I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous," he said. Sulzberger said he told Trump that while the phrase "fake news" is untrue and harmful, "I am far more concerned about his labeling journalists 'the enemy of the people.' I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence." Sulzberger said he stressed to Trump that leaders of other countries have adopted his rhetoric to justify cracking down on journalists. He was accompanied to the meeting by James Bennet, the Times' editorial page editor. "I warned that it was putting lives at risk, that it was undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our country's greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press," the publisher said. Sulzberger added that he made clear to Trump that he was not asking him to soften his attacks on the Times if he thinks the newspaper is being unfair. "Instead, I implored him to reconsider his broader attacks on journalism, which I believe are dangerous and harmful to our country," he said. Story continues Trump reads the Times and gives interviews to its reporters, but regularly derides the newspaper as the "failing New York Times." The Times ownership company in May reported a 3.8 percent increase in first-quarter revenue compared to the same period in 2017. The president, who lashes out over media coverage he thinks is unfair, has broadly labeled the news media the "enemy of the people" and regularly accuses reporters of spreading "fake news" his term for stories he dislikes. Hours after the tweet about the Sulzberger meeting, Trump lobbed fresh attacks against the media in a series of posts that included a pledge not to let the country "be sold out by anti-Trump haters in the ... dying newspaper industry." Trump also accused reporters of disclosing "internal deliberations of government" that can endanger "the lives of many." He cited no examples but wrote "Very unpatriotic!" and said freedom of the press "comes with a responsibility to report the news ... accurately," a sentiment journalists share. Trump also claimed that 90 percent of the coverage of his administration is negative, leading to an "all time low" in public confidence in the media. He cited the Times and The Washington Post, two repeat targets, and claimed, "They will never change!" Last week, Trump told hundreds of people attending the annual Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Kansas City, Missouri: "Don't believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news," as he gestured toward journalists at the back of the room. He also told them to remember "what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening." Sulzberger said he accepted the invitation to meet Trump because Times publishers have a history of meeting with presidential administrations and other public figures who have concerns with the publication's coverage of them. He said he decided to comment after Trump revealed that they had met. The White House had asked for the meeting to be kept off the record. ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap (Photo: Kurt Russell in Used Cars) False advertising of new and used cars, shoddy home improvement work, and deceptive retail sales tactics lead the towering list of complaints that consumers submitted last year. The annual Consumer Federation of America (CFA) report looks at about 900,000 complaints collected by agencies in 23 states this year and identifies the most common and fastest-growing consumer complaints. Autos and home improvement and construction jobs placed high on the list because when there are problems with car sales, repairs, home improvement, or construction they dont just affect consumers financially, Susan Grant, director of consumer protection and privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, told Yahoo Finance. They also affect them personally. The total amount that the agencies recovered and saved for consumers last year through mediation, lawsuits, and other actions came to more than $2 billion. 1. Autos Autos topped the list because these transactions often involve significant amounts of money, but financial loss is not the only issue, the report stated. Complaints revolved around misrepresentations in the advertising of sales of new and used cars, lemons, faulty repairs, auto leasing and towing disputes. Grant added that one other reason for autos topping the list was because theyre really expensive transactions so if theres a problem, consumers are more likely to complain if theyre not able to resolve it themselves. 2. Home improvement and construction The CFA ranked home improvement and construction as the worst complaint in 2017 because of the dollar amount involved, the impact on vulnerable consumers, or the sheer outrageousness of the situation, according to the report. Every year in the survey, there are examples with people left without a roof for one reason or another, the work has left their homes uninhabitable, said Grant. Those are serious problems. Those are the kinds of things that consumers are going to take the trouble to complain about. Story continues A family shops for washing and drying machines at Lowes Home Improvement store in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File) 3. Retail sales Complaints in this category revolved around false advertising, deceptive practices, defective merchandise, problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards and gift certificates, and a failure to deliver. 4. Credit and debt People complained about billing and fee disputes, mortgage modifications and mortgage-related fraud, credit repair, debt relief services, predatory lending, and illegal or abusive debt collection tactics. 5. Landlord and tenant issues The main complaints were about unhealthy or unsafe conditions, failure to make repairs or provide promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes, and illegal eviction tactics. 6. Services These included misrepresentations, shoddy work, failure to have required licenses, and a failure to perform. THE CABLE GUY, Matthew Broderick, Jim Carrey, 1996, (c) Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection 7. Communications A new category created this year for complaints about telephone and internet services. These revolved around misleading offers, installation issues, service problems, and billing disputes with phone and internet services. 8. Health products and services Misleading claims were again cited here as the top complaint, as well as unlicensed practitioners, failure to deliver and medical billing issues. 9. Household goods This category included misrepresentations, failure to deliver, defective merchandise, and faulty repairs in connection with furniture or appliances. 10. Home solicitations, internet sales, and travel There was a tie for last-place between these 3 categories. The complaints ranged from misrepresentation to abusive sales practices to billing disputes with travel companies. Stranded passengers complain at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Follow Aarthi on Twitter. Read more: Toronto (Canada) (AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute Monday to the victims of last week's Toronto shooting, and attended the funeral of one of them -- an 18-year-old girl. Trudeau said he was moved by "the resilience and the strength" of Toronto residents in the wake of the tragedy, after laying a wreath at an improvised memorial to the victims. The premier had earlier attended the funeral of Reese Fallon, 18, who had been set to start university for nursing in September. Julianna Kozis, 10, was laid to rest in a separate funeral service away from the public eye. On the evening of Sunday, July 22, a man opened fire in a bustling avenue in the Canadian metropolis's Greek quarter, killing Fallon and Kozis, and wounding 13 others. The gunman, Faisal Hussain, a 29-year-old man who, according to his family, suffered from mental illness, was found dead after an exchange of gunfire with police. "Our fundamental responsibilities as governments (is) to keep our citizens safe," Trudeau commented. "We're looking at things that have been done around the world and other jurisdictions, looking at the best evidence, the best data to make the right decisions, to make sure that we are ensuring that our citizens, our communities are safe," he said, without providing details. After the shooting, Toronto Mayor John Tory called for stricter gun control, including a ban on handguns. The continent's fourth-largest metropolis by population, Toronto has recently seen a spate of gun violence. According to crime statistics, there have been 233 shootings in Toronto so far this year that resulted in 30 deaths. Both figures are up slightly from last year. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump threatened again on Monday to shut down the federal government over his demands for a border wall and other changes in immigration policy, but said he remains open to talks with Congress on the issue. "I always leave room for negotiation," Trump said during a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the White House, adding that he has drawn no "red line" on the matter. Congress must pass a spending bill by the end of September to avert a government shutdown, and Trump on Monday reiterated his demand that immigration reforms, including $25 billion for construction of a wall on U.S. border with Mexico, be included in any spending package. "If we don't get border security, after many, many years of talk within the United States, I would have no problem doing a shutdown," Trump said. The notion of a government shutdown was criticized by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby. Speaking to reporters in the Capitol, Shelby said, "I'm hoping the idea of shutting down the government is not a serious thing and it goes away." He added that Trump's threats would not help lawmakers craft the necessary spending bills by a Sept. 30 deadline "because we're trying to work together in a bipartisan way." Beyond building a wall, the administration also wants to do away with so-called "chain migration" allowing relatives of immigrants to come to the country, and the diversity visa-lottery program, and to move toward what Trump calls a "merit-based" immigration system. The Republican president said on Sunday he would allow the federal government to shut down if Democrats do not fund his border wall and back immigration law changes, betting that maintaining a hard line will work in Republicans' favor in November congressional elections. However, a disruption in federal government operations could backfire on Trump if voters blame Republicans, who control Congress, for the interruption in services. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Richard Cowan; Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by Frances Kerry) US President Donald Trump doubles down on his threat to shut down the government over funding for his border wall with Mexico during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump has doubled down on his threat to shut down the federal government over funding for his proposed US-Mexico border wall, as Democrats said they will not succumb to his bullying. He said there would no problem doing a shutdown over immigration policies as he praised the new populist, anti-immigration government of Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte during a joint press conference at the White House during the latter's visit. Mr Trump had earlier tweeted: "I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT!" Congresswoman Maxine Waters said on MSNBC: American citizens are not going to pay for this wall, hes not going to shut down the government, and were not going to be intimidated by his bluffing and his bullying. The government is set to run out of money just 37 days before the upcoming November midterm election. Democrats will be furiously campaigning all over the country in the next 100 days or so before the election and likely reminding voters how Mr Trump repeatedly promised on during 2016 presidential campaign Mexico would pay for the border wall. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said through spokesman Drew Hammill the president should stay on the golf course and stay out of the appropriations process through which any kind of border wall funding would have to pass. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said through spokesman Matt House, Mr Trump should learn from his mistakes calling to attention a border wall funding bill which only garnered 39 votes on the Senate floor the last time the administration tried to pass it. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine tweeted in response: President Shutdown is at it again. Mr Kaine asked how many times will he threaten to shut down the government - putting ... out nations economy at risk as well as the livelihoods of thousands of federal workers - before he realises this is not a game? Story continues House member Ted Deutch said allowing the government to shut down over a border wall that wont make us safer only serves to explode GOP deficits and betray our values. Shutdowns do not make America great, Mr Deutch tweeted. Congress member Karen Bass said Mr Trump was the only person calling for a shutdown, adding the president would rather spend billions on a campaign promise than keep services available for veterans, small businesses, and children. However, criticism and incredulity over a government shutdown is not limited to the opposition. Republicans faced a nightmare of backlash over Mr Trumps recent family separation policy at the US border, during which more than 2,000 children were taken from families who had illegally crossed the border. The move was called cruel by former First Lady Laura Bush, and condemned by several others. The zero tolerance policy implemented by Attorney General Jeff Sessions essentially made seeking asylum - which requires a seekers physical presence in the US to apply - a crime. The administration has still not reunited all the children separated from families, all kept in detention facilities for an indefinite amount of time until likely deportation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan both met with the president just last week about averting a shutdown and said, after Mr Trumps tweeted threat, neither thought it would happen. Earlier in the weekend, however, the Kentucky Senator told a local radio station in Louisville the unavoidable battle over the border wall funding would likely have to wait until after the November elections and that it is something [he and the president] do have a disagreement on. Mr Ryan said before the threat the presidents willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so that we can get that done, because border securitys extremely important. Senator Ron Johnson told CBS Face the Nation programme about the possibility: Lets hope not. He said he did not think it would help the party in the upcoming election, adding: so lets try to avoid it. Republican Congressman Tom Cole agreed, telling the New York Times: Were going to have a challenging midterm anyway, and I dont see how putting the attention on shutting down the government when you control the government is going to help you. The current funding to keep the government operating is set to end on 30 September. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said Monday that he'd "certainly meet" with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and without preconditions, if the Iranian leader were willing. Speaking during a joint news conference with Italy's premier, Trump said he would meet with the Iranians "anytime they want to." "I'll meet with anybody," he said. "There's nothing wrong with meeting." The overture marks a significant shift in tone and comes as Trump and the Iranians have been escalating their rhetoric following Trump's May withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear accord. The administration is set to begin reimposing sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 deal next month and has been ratcheting up a pressure campaign on the Islamic republic that many suspect is aimed at regime change. And it's unclear whether Rouhani has any interest in meeting. Rouhani's chief of staff claimed earlier this month in Iran's state-owned newspaper that Rouhani had rejected eight requests from Trump for one-on-one talks last year. Rouhani recently warned the U.S. that "war with Iran is the mother of all wars," prompting an all-caps retort from Trump. "To Iranian President Rouhani," he wrote on Twitter. "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH." He ended the message with a warning: "BE CAUTIOUS!" Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back with his own message that began, "COLOR US UNIMPRESSED." Trump tempered his threatening rhetoric two days later when he said his administration stands ready for Iran to come back to the negotiating table. "We're ready to make a real deal, not the deal that was done by the previous administration, which was a disaster," he said. Story continues Trump has long cast himself as a master negotiator who is most effective when he meets with his counterparts face-to-face. He pointed to his recent one-on-ones with North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin as examples of the benefits of such get-togethers, though both drew bipartisan criticism. "I believe in meeting," he said, talking up the benefits of "speaking to other people, especially when you're talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things." Asked whether he would set any preconditions for the meetings, Trump was clear. "No preconditions, no. If they want to meet, I'll meet anytime they want, anytime they want," he said. "Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNBC on Monday that he was onboard with the president's invitation, but he appeared to add several qualifications. "If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, can agree that it's worthwhile to enter in a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he's prepared to sit down and have a conversation with him," he said. Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the president's National Security Council, later said in a statement that the U.S. would not be lifting any sanctions or re-establishing diplomatic and commercial relations until "there are tangible, demonstrated, and sustained shifts in Tehran's policies." "Until then," he said, "the sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change course." Reaction among Trump critics in both parties on Capitol Hill was mixed, with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., telling reporters: "I actually think that's a good idea." Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., characterized the overture as "fine," but only "as long as they are willing to talk about being a normal country in the future." Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was more skeptical, calling it "another recipe for bad outcomes." "It's the same as North Korea," he said. "No preconditions, no preparation. And what do we have? We have Kim Jong Un was elevated from an international pariah to someone who seems like a legitimate statesman." ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Alan Fram contributed to this report. By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would be willing to meet Iran's leader without preconditions to discuss how to improve ties after he pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying, "If they want to meet, we'll meet." "I'd meet with anybody. I believe in meetings," especially in cases where war is at stake, Trump said at a White House news conference when asked whether he was willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. In response, Iran said the way back to talks was for the United States to return to the nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers that Trump exited in May. "Respecting the Iranian nation's rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America," Hamid Aboutalebi, an adviser to Rouhani, tweeted on Tuesday. Washington aims to force Tehran to end its nuclear program and its support of militant groups in the Middle East, where Iran is involved in proxy wars from Yemen to Syria. Iran and other signatories have been working to find a way to salvage the nuclear agreement, even as the United States has begun reimposing some sanctions on Iran. No U.S. president has met with an Iranian leader since the Washington cut diplomatic relations with Tehran a year after the 1979 revolution that toppled the shah, a U.S. ally. President Barack Obama broke a three-decade freeze with a phone call to Rouhani in 2013. The White House clarified that Trump's potential willingness to meet with his Iranian counterpart does not change his administration's intent to ratchet up sanctions and rhetoric against Tehran with the stated goal of "seeking changes in the Iranian government's behavior." But Trump's remarks did represent a marked softening of tone from a week ago, when he lashed out at Rouhani in a tweet, saying "Never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before." Shortly before that July 22 tweet, Rouhani had addressed Trump in a speech, saying that hostile U.S. policies could lead to "the mother of all wars". On Monday, speaking at a news conference with visiting Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Trump said: "I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know that they're ready yet. I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal. I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet and I'm ready to meet any time that they want to." Trump said he had "no preconditions" for a meeting with the Iranians, adding: "If they want to meet, I'll meet." The White House said that even though the president "is open to dialogue and negotiation," it did not mean the United States would lift sanctions or re-establish diplomatic and commercial relations. "This relief is only possible if there are tangible, demonstrated, and sustained shifts in Tehrans policies," said Garrett Marquis, spokesman for the National Security Council. "Until then, the sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change course. ECONOMIC PRESSURE In May, Trump withdrew the United States from the landmark 2015 international agreement designed to deny Tehran the ability to build nuclear weapons. Since then, Tehran's clerical establishment has been under increasing U.S. pressure and the prospect of renewed sanctions. Barely a week ago, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched a rhetorical assault on Irans leaders, comparing them to a mafia and promising unspecified backing for Iranians unhappy with their government. In spite of fierce verbal exchanges between Tehran and Washington in the recent weeks, Iranian authorities have kept the door to diplomacy open. While warning the United States over waging a war against Iran, Rouhani also said last week that "America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace," leaving open the possibility of peace between the arch foes. Iranian figures familiar with policymaking say, as a faltering economy and a sliding currency stir street protests, that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could consider diplomacy with Washington and drink from the chalice of poison, a reference to the phrase used by his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini when he reluctantly agreed to a U.N.-mediated truce that ended the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Economic hardship in Iran forced Khamenei to reluctantly back Rouhani's efforts in securing the 2015 nuclear deal. But if Trump were to pursue diplomacy with Iran's leadership, he would have to overcome deep-seated concerns among Washington's closest regional allies, such as Saudi Arabia and Israel, who are deeply skeptical about negotiating with Rouhani's government. Trump drew a comparison with his diplomacy toward North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who Trump met in a June 12 summit with the aim of convincing Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arsenal, a decades-long objective that has eluded several U.S. presidents. "We met as you know with Chairman Kim and you haven't had a missile fired off in nine months. We got our prisoners back. So many things have happened so positive," Trump said. (Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Washington and Parisa Hafezi in Ankara; Writing by David Alexander and Mary Milliken; Editing by James Dalgleish) President Donald Trump has said that he would meet with the leaders of Iran without preconditions whenever they want. I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet, Mr Trump said during an event at the White House. I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet. Im ready whenever they want to." Mr Trump, who has previously taken tough stances towards Iran and pulled the US out of the seven-party 2015 deal established to try and limit its nuclear weapons ambitions, continued: No preconditions. They want to meet, Ill meet. Whenever they want." Speaking on Monday, the president said he believed diplomacy was beneficial, and that he would meet with anybody. He continued to reinforce the belief that meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a success, even though he has faced bipartisan criticism for the events of that meeting. Speaking to other people, especially when youre talking about potentials of war and death and famine and a lot of other things you meet. Theres nothing wrong with a meeting, he said, while speaking at the White House during an appearance with Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte. That fresh approach came after Mr Trump exchanged harsh warnings and rhetoric with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and Mr Trump said that Iran could "suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before" if the country threatened the US. The Iranian leader said that war between the two countries would be "the mother of all wars". Mr Trump took the dramatic step earlier this year to remove the United States from the Iranian nuclear agreement, saying then that he did not believe the Iranians were complying with the specifics of the deal and saying that staying in the agreement was out of the question because Iran had tested ballistic missiles a subject that was not addressed in the original agreement. In removing the US from that deal, Mr Trump was taking yet another step to destroy a signature accomplishment of his predecessor, President Barack Obama, who had focused on limiting Iran's nuclear advances through diplomacy. Story continues But, while America's withdrawal from that deal signalled the potential for a collapse of the deal entirely, other countries have stepped up to support the deal and keep it together. Mr Trump said before withdrawing that he was open to renegotiating the deal so that it would more thoroughly inhibit Iran and its ability to develop deadly weapons. If Mr Trump were to speak with the Iranian leadership, if you not be the first time he has met with figures that many in his party - and indeed, among Democrats, consider pariahs. In addition to his summit in Helsinki with Mr Putin, Mr Trumped in June travelled to Singapore for an historic encounter with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It was the first time a sitting US president had met with a leader of the nation. President tweets demand for Democratic co-operation Federal government has already shut down twice in 2018 Donald Trump speaks at the White House. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Donald Trump said on Sunday he would allow the federal government to shut down if Democrats refuse to back major changes to immigration laws. I would be willing to shut down government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, the president tweeted, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country! The federal government has already shut down twice this year, first over a failed deal for Dreamers, young undocumented migrants brought to the country as children, then over a funding bill. Following a day of relative silence on Twitter on Saturday, Trumps shutdown tweet was part of an early Sunday broadside on immigration. The president made reference to the administrations controversial and cancelled policy of separating migrant families at the southern border. Trumps tweet came several days after the government said more than 1,800 children separated at the US-Mexico border have been reunited with parents and sponsors after a federal judge ordered the reunions. Hundreds of children remain separated. Republicans have made immigration a central plank of their appeal to voters ahead of the November midterm elections, in which polls suggest significant Democratic gains are likely. Please understand, Trump wrote, there are consequences when people cross our Border illegally, whether they have children or not and many are just using children for their own sinister purposes. Congress must act on fixing the DUMBEST & WORST immigration laws anywhere in the world! Vote R. Ankara (AFP) - Turkey on Monday rejected claims it tried to kidnap a teacher from Mongolia with links to the head of an outlawed movement Ankara accuses of fomenting a botched 2016 coup attempt. Mongolian authorities on Friday grounded a suspected Turkish air force jet after witnesses said assailants snatched a man associated with the group headed by US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. Veysel Akcay, when asked who was behind his alleged abduction attempt, simply said: "I don't know." The 50-year-old is director of a school in Mongolia that is alleged to be associated with Gulen, although teachers there denied the connection in response to questions by AFP. "We're very uncomfortable with the fact that Friday's events... are being presented as a kidnapping operation," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement. "All such claims are false and we reject them." As many as five men grabbed Akcay from outside his home in Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar Friday morning and threw him into a minibus, according to friends and eyewitnesses. Mongolian vice foreign minister Battsetseg Batmunkh warned Turkish embassy officials on Friday that any attempt to abduct a person from Mongolia's territory would constitute "a serious violation of Mongolia's independence and sovereignty". The plane in question eventually took off late Friday without Akcay on board. The aborted coup in Turkey in July 2016 was blamed by authorities on the Gulenist movement -- a group outlawed as "terrorist" by Turkey -- and prompted the biggest purge in the country's modern history, including the detention of some 80,000 people. Gulen denies any links to the coup bid and insists he leads a moderate Islamic group. The interior ministry on Monday said 50 alleged Gulenists had been "delivered" to Turkey from the Turkish-speaking part of the island of Cyprus, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. ANKARA (Reuters) - The United States' use of a threatening language against Turkey is unacceptable and disrespectful, given the ties between the two allies, the Turkish National Security Council said in a statement on Monday. Relations between Turkey and the United States have spiraled into a full-blown crisis over the trial of pastor Andrew Brunson, who was in custody for 21 months in a Turkish prison until he was transferred to house arrest last week. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) DAKAR (Reuters) - U.S. forces started deploying armed drones in the west African country of Niger earlier this year to attack Islamist militants, the U.S. military said on Monday. Niger's government granted American forces permission last November to arm their drones but neither side had previously confirmed their deployment. Before that, U.S. drones had only been used for surveillance. The U.S. military presence in Niger has expanded in recent years to an 800-strong force that accompanies Nigerien troops on intelligence gathering and other missions, reflecting U.S. concerns about rising militancy in West Africa's Sahel region. An ambush by a local Islamic State affiliate in western Niger last October killed four U.S. soldiers. Jihadist groups based in neighboring Mali have also struck military and civilian targets as far afield as Ivory Coast. "In coordination with the Government of Niger, U.S. Africa Command has armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft already in Niger," a spokesperson for United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in an email. "As a matter of operational security, we do not discuss where strike platforms originate from, nor current or future operations." The drones are currently being flown out of a base in the capital Niamey while the military completes construction of a $100 million drone base in the central city of Agadez. The military views the drones as a cost-efficient way to counter the militants but critics fear that drone strikes will cause civilian casualties and trigger blowback from the local population. (Reporting by Edward McAllister; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Peter Graff) ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Christian American pastor standing trial in Turkey on terrorism charges has appealed to a Turkish court to release him from house arrest and lift his travel ban, his lawyer told Reuters on Monday. Relations between Turkey and the United States have spiraled into a full-blown crisis over the trial of pastor Andrew Brunson, who was in custody for 21 months in a Turkish prison until he was transferred to house arrest last week. President Donald Trump last week threatened to impose "large sanctions" on Turkey unless it frees Brunson, who is accused of helping the group Ankara says was behind a failed military coup in 2016. Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty of the charges, which he denies. The appeal document seen by Reuters said although Brunson was freed from jail, the pastor was still deprived of his freedom and was unable to return to his normal life and carry out his religious duties. Brunson's lawyer Ismail Cem Halavurt said it would take the Turkish court in Aegean province of Izmir, where Brunson stood trial, three to seven days to make a decision on the appeal request. His next hearing as part of the trial is scheduled for October. Brunson was accused of helping supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric who Turkish authorities say masterminded the coup attempt against President Tayyip Erdogan in which 250 people were killed. He was also charged with supporting outlawed PKK Kurdish militants. Gulen denies any involvement in the coup attempt. Speaking to reporters during his trip to South Africa, Erdogan said Turkey would stand its ground in the face of Trump's sanctions threat. It was not clear what would be the nature of sanctions threatened by Trump but Washington was already working on bills related to Turkey. The U.S. Senate has demanded a block on sales of F-35 jets to Turkey unless Trump certifies that Turkey is not threatening NATO, purchasing defense equipment from Russia or detaining U.S. citizens. (Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Dominic Evans and Alison Williams) British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Monday he welcomed China's offer of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal as he visited Beijing to try to strengthen ties before next year's divorce from Europe. Hunt, appointed earlier this month, was in the Chinese capital to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other top officials, on a trip that will also include stops in Paris and Vienna for talks with his European counterparts on Brexit. "We discussed the offer made by Foreign Minister Wang to open discussion of a possible free-trade deal done between Britain and China, post-Brexit," Hunt said at a joint press conference. "We welcome this and said that we will explore it." Britain is assessing its post-Brexit trade options. London is already moving ahead with plans to negotiate a free-trade deal with the United States as soon as it leaves the European Union, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said last week. It also was revealed last week that May was sending ministers to the 27 other member states of the EU to try to broker back-door agreements after Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier raised reservations about her Brexit plan. An agreement in principle on Britain's departure from the European trading bloc -- set for March 29, 2019 -- must be reached before a Europe summit in mid-October. Hunt said he and Wang had "very constructive" talks in Beijing but neither gave any further details. Hunt said that during their talks he also raised the issue of Briton Michael Simpson, who was stabbed to death by his estranged Chinese wife in Shanghai late last year, according to British media reports. Simpson's two young children are in the custody of his wife's family now that their mother has been jailed. Simpson's British family has been trying to obtain custody of the children but have been stymied by the courts and the wife's relatives, according to the BBC and other reports. "We also raised consular cases, including that of the Simpson children. Foreign Minister Wang said he would look into that case while also still respecting the independence of Chinas judicial system," Hunt said. Hunt was due to meet Premier Li Keqiang later in the day. There was the working mother of three girls who fell silent as her daughter asked, Mom, are they going to kill you? There was the teenager who feared she would be left to care for her three younger siblings after watching her mother frantically hide her family during the investigators visit. And there was the homeless mother of two who was denied benefits until she was forced to confront her abusive stepfather. These stories of unannounced, warrantless home searches provide a brief glimpse into the harrowing experiences impoverished parents and individuals have gone through when applying for public assistance in San Diego. Project 100%, a program launched in 1997 and currently managed by the San Diego Countys Department of Child Support Services, employs investigators to go into the homes of potential welfare recipients in order to further verify eligibility for government aid. A lawyer with 22 years of experience fighting for the rights of low-income individuals and welfare recipients, Joni Halpern believes sole purpose of Project 100% is to falsely unearth evidence of fraud. You passed all the verification requirements. You overcame all the obstacles. You did the face-to-face interviews. You showed up with all your documents. They checked all the databases. And you came out eligible for this meager little but of public assistance, said Halpern. And Project 100% said, Were not finished with you yet. Halpern said that the experiences of her clients are not only a disturbing invasion of privacy, but they are also deeply demoralizing: [The investigator] finds three toothbrushes in a household that said there was a parent and a child. I dont know. Whats three toothbrushes doing there? Medication, prescription in the medicine cabinet that had been left by the [father] when he took off. Whats it doing in there? In some cases, people feel as if they are on house arrest, unable to leave their homes if the investigator comes knocking. Halpern said, I have heard of parents who said they missed their classes; they were late picking up their kids because they were afraid of missing the investigator and they needed the aid so badly. Story continues A grandmother living in a railroad apartment with her daughter, son-in-law, and seven grandchildren. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images) Halpern recalls the horrors of having heard these stories firsthand, saying, The kind of things that I was seeing as Project 100% rolled out were the kinds of excesses that you say in your gut, Well, for sure the Constitution cant think this is OK. Well, I was wrong. In June 2000, Rocio Sanchez separated from her husband and applied for public assistance. A Project 100% fraud investigator appeared at her back door, interrogated her, and searched every room in her house. Upon seeing a mans shirt and shoes, he asked Sanchez if they belonged to her husband. Although she clarified that the clothing belonged to her brother and not her ex-husband, she was denied aid. The ACLU filed a class action suit against San Diego County and named Sanchez as the lead plaintiff. [The search] was not being done by a social worker. It was being done by a fraud investigator who is charged with the work of finding fraud. It wasnt about rehabilitating anyone from poverty, said Halpern. In 2006, the Ninth Circuit upheld the constitutionality of Project 100% and ruled that the home search was not in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects a persons right to refuse. Halpern was taken aback: Its shocking, I think, for anyone of us who has been raised to think that there are certain minimum thresholds of decency that the Constitution protects I dont know how they could parse it out and find a different result. In a statement to Yahoo News, Project 100% stated that the program finds fraud in, on average, 6% of [welfare] applications. The employees assigned to this program also frequently connect applicants to other nonprofit and government programs, as well as potential job opportunities, to help them break the cycle of poverty. According to a 2014 report published by researcher Hilda Chan at the Open Society Foundations, the origins of Project 100% did not have to do with an alarming rate of welfare fraud, but rather the lack thereof: Meeting minutes of a San Diego County district attorney roundtable on Feb. 8, 1997, detail the workers of the public assistance fraud unit complaining about the low number of fraud referrals. As a result, supervising district attorney investigator Frank Reid proposed home searches as part of the requirements for welfare. The idea was well-received, and Project 100% began operations that year. Im not a person who has a gripe against government being government, because I think that at the bottom, government has a mandate to take care of its people. It has a mandate to hold people accountable. It has a mandate to try to keep us honest, says Halpern. So, if you want to keep your jobs, great. But how about if we do this: How about, if instead of doing 10 searches a day of parents homes whose applications are profoundly innocent, OK? How about if you devote some of your manpower to consumer protection of all the ways that low-income people get taken advantage of? A mother holds hands with her daughter as they walk into their housing projects. (Photo: Ezra Shaw via Getty Images) The resources the program has used have also not escaped scrutiny: Although the county has provided documents that indicate Project 100% has saved San Diego $305,000 of welfare fraud during the 2016-2017 fiscal year, the operating costs of Project 100% were about $2 million. Also, what the program counts as fraud cases includes application withdrawals, in which no instances of fraud occurred. [The San Diego Health and Human Services Agency] has verified that its P100 [Project 100%] data collection method has historically inflated P100 fraud rates, said Chan in her report. Recently, Project 100% has appeared in the news because of a lawsuit filed by the ACLU accusing the program of denying state benefits on the basis of race and gender. With the constitutionality, efficacy, and original purpose of Project 100% being called into question, Halpern hopes to see the program abolished and replaced with a more useful, helpful option. To think about ending my career with the same problems that we see for decades, she says between tears, Theres a sadness in that. Halpern said: While we are a nation that prizes independence and independent thinking and ambition and all the good things, you know? you cant live your entire life with only that as your mantra, and the other side of that coin saying to people who dont do as well as you, Personal responsibility, you havent taken personal responsibility for your poverty, for your hunger, for your homelessness, for your cancer. When you do well, I do better. When we feed the kids properly and we educate the kids properly, and we let their parents develop skills they might not have had, we lift ourselves up as a country. I dont know how it is that we ever forgot that Until now, were shouting at each other and pointing fingers at each other, and hating each other and hating the poor. Why? What good has that ever done our country? An earlier version of the article and video stated that Project 100% is managed by the San Diego County District Attorneys office. It is actually managed by San Diego Countys Department of Child Support Services. The text and video have been updated accordingly. By Jibran Ahmad and Abdul Qadir Sediqi PESHAWAR, Pakistan/KABUL (Reuters) - A meeting between a senior U.S. diplomat and Taliban representatives in Doha last week to discuss a possible ceasefire ended with "very positive signals" and a decision to hold more meetings, people with knowledge of the talks said on Sunday. The meeting between a delegation led by Alice Wells, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and Taliban representatives was first reported in The Wall Street Journal but has not been officially confirmed. According to one Taliban official, who said he was part of a four-member delegation, there were "very positive signals" from the meeting, which he said was conducted in a "friendly atmosphere" in a Doha hotel. "You can't call it peace talks," he said. "These are a series of meetings for initiating formal and purposeful talks. We agreed to meet again soon and resolve the Afghan conflict through dialogue." He said the talks had been held without the presence of Afghan government officials at the insistence of the Taliban. The move comes as the Afghan government and the United States have stepped up efforts to end the 17 year-war in Afghanistan following the unprecedented three-day truce during last month's Eid al-Fitr holiday. The truce, which saw unarmed Taliban fighters mingling with soldiers on the streets of Kabul and other cities, offered the first concrete vision of a peace settlement since an earlier attempt at peace talks broke down in 2015. Although the Taliban refused an offer by President Ashraf Ghani to extend the Eid ceasefire, behind-the-scenes contacts have continued and the government has said it is considering another ceasefire during next month's Eid-al Qurban holiday. As hopes of possible formal negotiations have risen, the United States has agreed to participate directly in the talks, although it insists the process will remain under Afghan leadership. FREE MOVEMENT The Taliban official said the talks took place with the approval of the leadership council. The two sides had discussed proposals to allow the Taliban free movement in two provinces where they would not be attacked, an idea that President Ashraf Ghani has already rejected. They also discussed Taliban participation in the Afghan government. "The only demand they made was to allow their military bases in Afghanistan," said the Taliban official. The meeting in Doha, where the Taliban maintains a political office, followed two earlier meetings between U.S. officials and Taliban representatives in recent months, the sources said. "We have held three meetings with the U.S. and we reached a conclusion to continue talks for meaningful negotiations," said a second Taliban official. He said they would first exchange prisoners and then discuss other issues that could restore peace to Afghanistan. "However, our delegation made it clear to them that peace can only be restored to Afghanistan when all foreign forces are withdrawn," he said. Another person with knowledge of the talks said the United States had pressed the Taliban side to accept the ceasefire offer for Eid-ul Adha, often known in Afghanistan as Eid-al Qurban, which this year starts on Aug. 22. "So a long-term ceasefire is expected on Eid-ul Adha," the person said. "Both sides agreed upon the continuation of the meetings and talks and another meeting is expected before Eid, but the exact time and place is not clear yet." The State Department confirmed that Wells had visited Doha but has said only that she met United Arab Emirates government officials, including the deputy prime minister, to talk about their contributions to the situation in Afghanistan. Asked about talks with the Taliban, a State Department spokesman referred to a July 9 comment from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that the United States would "support, facilitate, and participate in these peace discussions, but peace must be decided by the Afghans and settled among them." Ghani's main spokesman Haroon Chakansuri said last week that peace talks would be Afghan-led and would build on international consensus in support of peace. (Additional reporting by Sarah Lynch in WASHINGTON; writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Adrian Croft) HANOI (Reuters) - A Hanoi court sentenced a fugitive Vietnamese tycoon to nine years in prison on Monday for deliberate disclosure of state secrets following a one-day trial, the government said. Property developer Phan Van Anh Vu had fled to Singapore seeking passage to Germany but was arrested in Vietnam earlier this year after Singaporean authorities deported him back home. The government gave few details on its website of the trial, which was held behind closed doors under Vietnamese regulations that allow closed hearings to protect state secrets. Vietnamese authorities are staging a crackdown on corruption that has led to the arrest of dozens of officials and business figures, and is entangled in political intrigue in the one-party communist state. Vu had previously told his foreign lawyers that he was also a senior officer in Vietnam's secret police. He had been trying to get to Germany and could have details of an operation in which another Vietnamese fugitive, Trinh Xuan Thanh, was spirited home from Berlin last year. Last week a German court jailed a Vietnamese man named only as Long N.H. for helping his country's secret services to kidnap Thanh, a former oil executive, and smuggle him back to Vietnam. On Monday the Hanoi court also jailed two former police officials, Phan Huu Tuan and Nguyen Huu Bach, for seven and six years respectively for the same charge as Vu, the government said. No one was available for comment at the People's Court of Hanoi City outside of office hours. Top officials have also become caught up in the crackdown. Earlier this year, a former member of the Politburo, Vietnam's top decision-making body, was jailed for a combined 31 years for economic mismanagement and violating state regulations while heading a state firm. Then last week, Vietnam also suspended the minister of information and communications for mismanagement at a state telecoms firm. Vu was also separately accused of tax evasion and abusing power while performing public duties in a separate case involving the selling and purchase of state properties in various provinces and cities, the police ministry had said. (Reporting by Mai Nguyen; editing by David Stamp) By Tim Cocks and Maimouna Moro BAMAKO/TIMBUKTU (Reuters) - The party of Malian presidential candidate Soumaila Cisse said on Monday that the poll would go to a run-off between Cisse and President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a day after a vote that was heavily disrupted by suspected Islamist gunmen. Cisse's campaign manager, Tiebele Drame, made the announcement at the party's headquarters in Bamako, the capital. Keita's spokesman said the president was substantially in the lead according to provisional vote count, although he accepted that a run-off was possible. Spiralling jihadist violence has become a key issue in the campaign, as attacks multiply and the death toll mounts across north and central Mali. "The law forbids the proclamation of results by anyone except the Ministry of Territorial Administration," Drame told a news conference. "However, I can tell you that we are going to a second round between Soumaila Cisse and Ibrahim Boubacar Keita." Mahamadou Camara, the spokesman for Keita, said, "According to our tally, IBK has come substantially ahead," using the popular nickname for the president, taken from his initials. The exact numbers of voters who were disenfranchised by violence is not known, but they could easily become a flashpoint if the vote is close. Ministry of Territorial Administration figures showed that, of the roughly 23,000 polling stations that were meant to open, 4,632 were disrupted by "armed attacks or other violence," of which 644 were unable to operate. In most of Mali, the vote was peaceful and relatively well organised, with polls opening and closing on time. Most people who were enrolled and turned up were able to vote. TIMBUKTU BLUES In the mud-walled medieval city of Timbuktu, once a flourishing tourist spot before Islamist militants made it too dangerous, witnesses said gunmen had intimidated voters, seized ballot boxes and in some cases set fire to them in the few polling stations that were attacked outside town. "They came, they fired their weapons and then they took the ballot boxes away," witness and Timbuktu resident Insubdar Inaboud, 42, a bus conductor, told Reuters. Inaboud said he would have voted for Cisse, who hails from the region, if he had had the chance. "I'm so angry. I don't think this vote is valid, because we are also Malians," he said. Islamist militants took over northern cities like Timbuktu in 2012 on the back of a Tuareg rebellion, imposing Sharia law with harsh penalties like cutting off fingers for smoking, until France intervened a year later to push them back. The Islamist militants regard democracy as an un-Islamic Western imposition. Since Keita came to power in the 2013 poll, Islamist violence has swept south into Mali's fertile centre. U.N. mission chief Mahamat Saleh Annadif on Friday urged whoever wins the poll to urgently address jihadist-stoked ethnic violence in Mali's central "breadbasket." The figures from the ministry showed that the central region of Mopti accounted for half of polling stations under attack. Hamid Bore, 39, a teacher, was in charge of one such station in the village of Dembere. The militants arrived just as polls opened at 8 a.m.(0800 GMT), he said. "They were firing shots and then they asked for the bureau chief," he told Reuters by telephone. "They beat us up, then stole the ballot boxes and our bikes. I had to walk back. This is our only means of travel. How am I going to survive now?" At a news conference, the head of the European Union observer mission welcomed the decision to make public the number of polling stations that had not been able to function but urged it to publish more precise information about which ones exactly. "The lists published by the government do not identify the polling stations precisely as we asked them to do," mission chief Cecile Kyenge said. "That makes...observing difficult." A second round would temporarily cool tensions. Cisse's campaign has repeatedly accused Keita of tampering with the electoral list to try to steal the election. "We contest in advance these contradictory results and demand a recount," Drame said. The United Nations is heaping pressure on all sides to accept the result -- or at least contest it through legal channels -- to avert a political crisis on top of the security woes the country is already facing. (Additional reporting by Marina Depetris and Tiemoko Diallo in Bamako, Editing by Richard Balmforth and Leslie Adler) Dave Majumdar Security, Middle East Several years back, Iran rolled out its Qaher F-313 stealth fighter in front of then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Within hours it was met with near universal derision from defense and aerospace experts around the world. Whatever Happened to Iran's Qaher F-313 'Stealth' Fighter? Stealth aircraft design is much more involved than simply mastering the low observable shapes. There are advanced materials sciences that need to be developed for the aircrafts skin and coatings. Advanced analytical tools are needed to shape the internal bulkheads and other structures. Moreover, one has to master the man-machine interfaces so that a pilot can manage the aircrafts RCS spikes in flight. There is no evidencenow or back in 2013that suggests that Iran has mastered those technologies. Several years back, Iran rolled out its Qaher F-313 stealth fighter in front of then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Within hours it was met with near universal derision from defense and aerospace experts around the world. (This first appeared in 2016.) While almost everyone outside Iran saw the project for the farce that it was, Tehran insisted that the project was real and that it was already flying. Further, the Iranian government insisted that the bizarre-looking aircraftwhich was allegedly superior to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighterwould become operational in the very near future. But since then the project has disappeared. So, whatever happened to Irans impressive plans for the Qaher F-313 stealth fighter? The answer is nothingas with much of Irans blusterthe Qaher F-313 was a ham-handed hoax. Even at the time when Iran first showed off the Qaher, it was clear that the mockup was little more than a poorly executed propaganda stunt engineered for domestic consumption. Story continues From even a cursory examination of the many photos and video imagery of the aircraft with a purportedly very small radar cross section, it was immediately apparent that this was not a serious development. At the very best, it is a subscale test-bed. Perhaps the most immediate give away was the miniscule size of the craft. There didnt appear to be room for avionics and fuellet alone weapons. Moreover, its doubtful that there was an engine installed given the lack of a nozzle and the two tiny air inlets. The other problem for Iran would have been to find an engine small enough to fit into such a miniscule airframe. Tehrans options seem limited to something like the General Electric J85which Iran has previously reverse engineeredbut without a nozzle the heat would have likely set this mock-up ablaze. Additionally, the cockpit appeared to be too small in relation to the pilot. And the visibility through the material could only be described as horrendous. The cockpit instruments were amongst the only items in the Qaher F-313 that could be described as real. The Iranians were using instrumentation developed for the home-build aircraft market with hardware sourced from Dynon and Garmin. Furthermore, there were no access panels or weapons bays that were visible. Features such as access panels are found on every aircraft for routine maintenance. In the case of a stealth aircraft, internal weapons bays are necessary in order maintain the jets low observable signature while carrying armaments. But as one engineer familiar with low observables design astutely pointed out at the time, while superficially resembling what one might imagine a stealth aircraft to look like, the Iranian machine had serious radar cross section (RCS) problems. Recommended: Imagine a U.S. Air Force That Never Built the B-52 Bomber Recommended: Russia's Next Big Military Sale - To Mexico? Recommended: Would China Really Invade Taiwan? Stealth aircraft design is much more involved than simply mastering the low observable shapes. There are advanced materials sciences that need to be developed for the aircrafts skin and coatings. Advanced analytical tools are needed to shape the internal bulkheads and other structures. Moreover, one has to master the man-machine interfaces so that a pilot can manage the aircrafts RCS spikes in flight. There is no evidencenow or back in 2013that suggests that Iran has mastered those technologies. So where is the Qaher F-313? It was spotted only once after its initial debut in November 2013 being prepped for taxi testsbut it has never been seen again. Its likely the unimpressive mockup is sitting in the warehouse somewhere in Iran, or has been recycled for some other theatrical production. The real mystery isas it was thenhow Irans leaders might assume that they could present such a farce before the eyes of the world and not invite anything other than mockery. Dave Majumdar is the defense editor for the National Interest. You can follow him on Twitter: @davemajumdar . Image: Creative Commons. Read full article Video: Iran Threatens US With 'Countermeasures' If It Blocks Oil Exports For more news videos visit Yahoo View. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing a proclamation declaring his intention to withdraw from the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement in the Diplomatic Room at the White House in Washington, U.S. May 8, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Sina Toossi Security, Middle East The administration's aggressive policies evokes past destructive foreign interventions against Iran. Why Trump's Iran Policy is Bound to Fail On May Day 1946, the British consul in the southwestern Iranian city of Khorramshahr noted a troubling development. An Iranian woman had taken to a local podium and proclaimed that the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) was exploiting the "jewel of Iran" and spending more on dog food than salaries for its Iranian workers. She demanded equal pay for equal work and the nationalization of Iran's oil industry. AIOCnow known as BPgained total control of Iranian oil after the 1901 D'Arcy Concession, which in 1933 was extended for sixty years by the country's monarch Reza Pahlavi. By the early 1950s, AIOC had in Iran the world's largest oil refinery and second largest exporter of oil, which provided the British navy with 85 percent of its fuel supply. Needless to say, the Iranian woman's call was not heeded by the British, who went on to sanction Iran, blockade its oil exports, and together with the United States, topple the popular prime minister who nationalized the country's oil industry in 1953. Yet her voice is emblematic of countless Iranians in the country's modern history who have struggled for self-determination in the face of encroaching foreign powers and against autocracy at home. The Trump administration's aggressive Iran policy evokes past destructive foreign interventions against Iran. It has been exemplified by reneging on the July 2015 nuclear deal despite complete Iranian compliance, banning Iranians from the United States, and seeking to bring maximum pressure in the form of "crippling" economic sanctions and regional "rollback" of Iranian influence. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has even declared an unprecedented aim to reduce Iranian oil exportsthe lifeblood of the Iranian economyto zero. Story continues Trump's frenzied saber-rattling was also on full display in a late-night July 22 Tweet in all-caps: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. Such rhetoric and actions have been coupled by what CIA veteran Paul Pillar has described as a "list of a dozen inflexible demands" of Iran by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. These demands in fact foreclose avenues for diplomacy and reflect an expectation that Iran will crumble. However, Trump's overtly hostile Iran policy has not prevented him from feigning concern for the same Iranian people he is helping to impoverish. In leaving the nuclear deal, he hailed the "long-suffering people of Iran" and declared that "the future of Iran belongs to its people." Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's address to a select group of Iranian expats on Sunday saw him proclaim to the people of Iran: The United States hears you; the United States supports you; the United States is with you." Pompeo asserted the administration's goal is to "see Iranians in Iran enjoying the same quality of life that Iranians in America enjoy," while in the same breath outlining the "campaign" to sanction "Iran's banking and energy sectors" and "get [Iranian oil] imports as close to zero as possible." Pompeo's statement to the mostly like-minded audience of Iranian Americans rekindles memories of Iraqi exiles in the form of Ahmed Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congresswho fooled the Bush White House into believing the Iraqi invasion would be a cakewalk. Bush officials failed to recognize the nonsense they were peddled chiefly because they lacked a nuanced understanding of Iraq, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe and a major strategic setback for the United States. Today, the Trump White House is following a similar path regarding Iran. Trump is mistaken if he believes his policy will usher in pliant leaders in Tehran or force Iran to change. This is for a simple fact: most Iranians oppose U.S. meddling in their affairs irrespective of their views on their government. This derives from an entrenched view among Iranians, going back over 100 years, of Western powers as a source of foreign control. Such distrust persists today, as opinion polls show, even as many Iranians are fond of U.S. culture and want better relations with the West. Iranian school children have been taught for decades of their countrys encounter with European colonialism. One instructive period for U.S. policymakers is early twentieth-century Iran, which serves to demonstrate the detrimental nature of foreign intervention not only for the cause of positive change in Iran, but for the interests of the outside power and its local allies. At the turn of the century, Iran was a feudalistic peasant society with a large nomadic population and a heavily decentralized state in the Qajar dynasty, still reeling from the Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828) treaties that conceded significant territory to Imperial Russia. However, a small but dedicated intelligentsia had formed by the early twentieth century, who helped lead public uproar to major concessions to the British in the late 1800s and later, the country's landmark Constitutional Revolution in 1906a democratic movement ahead of its time in the region and globally. The constitutionalists in Iran were met with major setbacks, including a coup attempt, a subsequent civil war and foreign invasions. However, they presided over Iran's first elections and spurred the creation of political parties and a proliferation of newspapers representing diverse views. Iran's first parliamentknown as the National Assemblyopened in October 1906. A written constitution, modelled after the Belgian constitution, was instituted. It would endure, however nominally and with amendments, until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The constitution, historian Ervand Abrahamian writes: Gave citizens a bill of rights including protection of life, property, and honor; freedom of speech, assembly, and organization; equality before the law; habeas corpus; and safeguards from arbitrary arrest. By the time of the Third Iranian Parliament (191415), there were two major parties competing under a constitutional monarchy: the Moderates and the Democrats. The later, according to Abrahamian, had a platform that called for land reform, industrialization, railway construction, improvement in womens status, equal rights for the religious minorities, abolition of the property qualification [for voting], expansion of public education, termination of capitulations, progressive taxation, national conscription, and, most immediate of all, creation of a viable central state with proper ministries and standing army. The Iranian constitutionalists would ultimately succumb to the combined forces of foreign intrusion and domestic turmoil. After incursions by Russians, British, and Ottomans, the straw that broke the camel's back came after World War I in the form of the 1919 Anglo-Persian Agreement. The brainchild of Lord George Curzon, the British foreign secretary (191924) and a former viceroy of India, it effectively gave Britain dominion over Iran and a monopoly over its resources. Curzon's biographer Harold Nicholson described it as part of his aim to create "a chain of vassal states from the Mediterranean to India." The reaction to the agreement was swift and impassioned, with Nicholson later noting that Curzon had "misjudged" that public sentiment was pro-British. General Dickson of the India Office sounded the alarm: It does not appear to be realized at home how intensely unpopular agreement was in Persia and how hostile public opinion had become The feeling grew that Britain was a bitter foe who must be rooted out of the country at any cost. The agreement was met with vehement derision from all sectors of Iranian society, including intellectuals, the working class, and senior religious figures. Mirza Hassan Khan Vossuq al-Dowlehthe prime minister who signed it and received 160,000 pounds for his support along with a promise of political asylum if things went downhillwas personally targeted by Iranian nationalists. A "Punishment Committee" set up to hunt down the agreement's supporters assassinated four his close associates, triggering his resignation. The ensuing chaos opened the door for Britain's rival, Bolshevik Russia, to make deep inroads into Iran. As Iran collapsed into a failed state, Reza Khan, an unknown Cossack commander, led a coup with British support. Within a few years, he overthrew the Qajar Dynasty, established himself as Shah, and took steps to balance Iran's foreign relations. He would go onto rule in the style of a military dictator and build a strong centralized state for the first time in Iranian history. His eventual alignment with Nazi Germany would see the allied powers remove him in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The history of Iran's Constitutional Revolution period serves as a poignant reminder of the unpredictable consequences of foreign intervention in Iran and the Iranian people's steadfast opposition to foreign domination. The Trump administration would do well to heed its lessons. Secretary Pompeo's twelve demands are reminiscent of that bygone era, amounting to a call for Iran's blanket surrender on issues ranging from its civilian nuclear program, regional influence and territorial sovereignty in terms of giving inspectors free reign to any site in the country. Rather than leave room for diplomatic compromise, the administration has opted for economic warfare and a goal of regime collapsea strategy devised by Trump's close allies Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, Emirati ruler Mohammed bin Zayed and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Trump administration has also reportedly teamed up with Israel to form a "joint working group" focused on "internal efforts to encourage protests within Iran." Such an approach promises dangerous escalation with the Islamic Republic, whose Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei once declared on an anniversary of the death of Mohammad Mossadegh, the prime minister ousted in the 1953 U.S./UK coup: We are not liberals, like Allende, whom the CIA can snuff out. Iranians have long achieved political self-assertion with respect to foreign powers. Secretary Pompeo's meeting with largely fringe and fragmented Iranian opposition figures does not change the fact that the administration's approach hurts ordinary Iranians, sabotages the political opposition in Iran and empowers the most diehard theocrats in Tehran. If Washington is sincere in supporting the aspirations of the Iranian people for improved civil liberties, human rights, and prosperity, it must recognize such progress can only be realized through grassroots organic political changenot on the heels of Trump and his autocratic regional allies. Sina Toossi is a Research Associate at the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). Image: FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing a proclamation declaring his intention to withdraw from the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement in the Diplomatic Room at the White House in Washington, U.S. May 8, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Read full article Imran Khan swept to power on populist promises to build a new, fairer Pakistan - AP Imran Khan has begun building a ruling coalition as Pakistan's leader-elect faces daunting troubles ranging from doubts over his legitimacy to a looming economic crisis. Almost three days after polling finished, the final tally of results gave Mr Khan's party 116 of the 270 National Assembly seats on offer, putting him within easy reach of a majority. The charismatic cricketer-turned-statesman swept to power on populist promises to build a new, fairer, Pakistan and break the stranglehold of the country's venal, dynastic elite. Yet when the glow of victory fades, he faces a grim to-do list likely to test the the high expectations raised in his passionate young supporters, analysts told the Telegraph. The immediate priority is to deal with Pakistan's economic woes. The greatest challenge is the economy, everyone knows that. We need a Pakistan that is self-sustaining, Gen Talat Masud, a former general and commentator said. The newcomer will have to move fast to avert a brewing crisis. Foreign currency reserves are quickly dwindling and the rupee has devalued four times since December. Supporters of Imran Khan celebrate in Karachi on July 26 Credit: AFP Mr Khan is expected to have to negotiate a bailout as early as September, most likely from the International Monetary Fund, but potentially he could also seek help from China or Saudi Arabia, said Jan Achakzai, a political commentator. Pakistan has agreed 12 IMF loans since the late 1980s, but it could be hesitant this time because previous promised reforms have not come to pass. These are very important issues, that he can't afford to wait for tomorrow, he said. Mr Khan also faces the task of governing a country where rival political parties reject his victory. Losing parties led by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) have alleged wholesale vote rigging on election night. That followed a campaign widely seen as engineered in Mr Khan's favour by the powerful military establishment which has ruled directly or indirectly for much of the nation's existence. Story continues Imran Khan speaks to the media after casting his vote at a polling station during the general election in Islamabad on July 25 Credit: AAMIR QURESHI/ AFP At least one party has vowed a campaign of protests. The position is very jumpy at the moment, said Mr Achakzai. Imran Khan needs to be calm. He needs to reach out to them and needs to engage. He's not a party hack any more, he is the leader of the country. Though Mr Mr Khan is widely perceived to be the chosen candidate of the army, negotiating civil-military ties will still be difficult, said Gen Masud. The military considers large swathes of foreign and national security policy to be its own preserve. Deciding how to resolve inevitable disagreements on subjects such as India and Afghanistan will be a very major challenge. Gen Masud said: I think initially he will try to have a smooth road. An election campaign that saw around 200 killed in bombing attacks also underlined the country's continuing battles with militancy and terrorism. The former-fast bowler earned the moniker "Taliban Khan" for repeatedly arguing for peace talks with militants and for his party's alliance with Sami ul Haq, the so-called Father of the Taliban whose madrassas once educated Taliban stalwarts Mullah Omar and Jalaluddin Haqqani. He suggested in 2013 that the Pakistani Taliban should be allowed to open an office in the country. Pakistan's Taliban on Saturday refused to comment officially on Mr Khan's victory. A supporter of Imran Khan smokes as he sits in his vehicle decorated with party flag and images of Khan in Islamabad on July 26 Credit: AAMIR QURESHI/ AFP But militants within the group told the Telegraph they dismissed his election. One Taliban source said: Yes, Imran was a supporter of talks with the Pakistani Taliban but for us there is no difference between [jailed former prime minister] Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, and other political party leaders. We consider all the political leaders to be ears on the same donkey. The army will use Imran Khan according to their own wishes to fulfil their aims. Perhaps one of his most difficult tasks will be to maintain the faith of his supporters, many of whom have sky-high expectations of their hero. His vows to build a new, cleaner Pakistan will see him struggle against the formidable vested interests of the old Pakistan. Mr Achakzai said: You really need to have the prayers of the people to lead Pakistan in such a difficult time. Additional reporting by Saleem Mehsud in Islamabad WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday submitted a list of 35 potential witnesses for the trial of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort due to begin next week in Virginia, including bankers and accountants likely to testify regarding charges of bank and tax fraud. The list, disclosed in a court filing, included Manafort's longtime business associate Richard Gates, who was indicted in October at the same time as Manafort, pleaded guilty in February and has been cooperating in Mueller's probe. Also on the list was Tad Devine, a consultant who worked with Manafort in Ukraine and served as chief strategist for 2016 Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders. Devine's firm said in a statement he was serving as a fact witness and had been assured he did not have legal exposure. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of bank and tax fraud and failure to file reports of foreign bank accounts. The charges largely pre-date the five months when Manafort worked on Trump's campaign in 2016. A large number of the witnesses are executives at banks that lent Manafort money, the accounting firm that did his taxes and others involved in financial dealings who could be asked to corroborate documentary evidence showing the alleged bank and tax fraud at the heart of the case. "The case will be proven by paper and those people who have a transactional relationship to the paper," said Michael Zeldin, a former federal prosecutor. "All those people to say essentially that Manafort knew what he was doing." The trial had been scheduled to start this past Wednesday in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, but U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III delayed it until next Tuesday and directed Mueller to provide a witness list to Manafort's lawyers. The list also included people at businesses where Manafort spent money such as the director of ticket operations at the New York Yankees baseball team, the head of a landscaping firm and an executive at a Mercedes-Benz dealership. Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor who is now a defense lawyer, said prosecutors likely want to show Manafort's "luxurious lifestyle," with the aim of making him less likeable to jurors. Five of the witnesses, all financial professionals, were identified previously when they were granted immunity to testify. None of the charges relate to possible coordination with Russian officials by Trump's campaign, an important element of Mueller's investigation into Moscow's interference in the election. Russia denies election interference. Trump denies collusion. Manafort faces a second criminal trial in Washington in September on related charges, including witness tampering, in connection with lobbying work he performed for the pro-Russia Ukrainian government. (Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington and Nathan Layne in New York; Editing by Will Dunham) Nordstrom has found a way to somewhat replicate that experience through its off-price website, Hautelook.com, which hosts events when new merchandise from certain brands is released, selling out in seconds in some cases. Although they make up a much smaller share of Nordstroms revenue than its full-price website, the company saw a 25.5 percent increase in sales from Nordstromrack.com and Hautelook.com last fiscal year, according to its 2017 annual report. Paris (AFP) - The planet's largest colony of king penguins has declined by nearly 90 percent in three decades, alarmed researchers said Monday. The last time scientists set foot on France's remote Ile aux Cochons -- roughly half way between the tip of Africa and Antarctica -- the island was blanketed by two million of the flightless birds, which stand about a metre (three feet) tall. But recent satellite images and photos taken from helicopters show the population has collapsed, with barely 200,000 remaining, according to a study published in Antarctic Science. King penguins are home bodies. While adults will set to sea for days at a time foraging for food, the species does not migrate. Why the colony on Ile aux Cochon has been so decimated remains a mystery. "It is completely unexpected, and particularly significant since this colony represented nearly one third of the king penguins in the world," said lead author Henri Weimerskirch, an ecologist at the Centre for Biological Studies in Chize, France, who first set eyes on the colony in 1982. Climate change may play a role. In 1997, a particularly strong El Nino weather event warmed the southern Indian Ocean, temporarily pushing the fish and squid on which king penguins depend south, beyond their foraging range. "This resulted in population decline and poor breeding success" for all the king penguin colonies in the region, Weimerskirch said. El Nino's are cyclical events that occur every two to seven years. But they can be amplified by global warming, which itself produces many of the same results, albeit on a longer timescale. Indeed, Weimerskirch and colleagues showed in an earlier study that climate change, on its current trajectory, will likely make the Iles Crozet -- the archipelago that contains Ile aux Cochon -- unviable for king penguins by mid-century. Migration is not an option because there are no other suitable islands within striking range. Story continues Other factors may be contributing to the decline of the Ile aux Cochon colony, including overcrowding. - One egg at a time - "The larger the population, the fiercer the competition between individuals," noted a statement from France's National Centre for Scientific Research, which funded the study. "The repercussions of lack of food are thus amplified and can trigger an unprecedented rapid and drastic drop in numbers." But this so-called "density-dependent effect" can also be made worse by climate change, the study notes. Another possible culprit is avian cholera, which has affected seabirds on nearby Marion and Amsterdam Islands, including some king penguins. But until Weimerskirch and other researchers return to Ile aux Cochons -- hopefully, he said, in early 2019 -- they won't know for sure. It is also possible that invasive species such as rats, mice or cats, have found their way onto the island. The Red List of Threatened Species conservation status for king penguins is currently "least concern," but the new data may prompt a reevaluation. King penguins are the second-largest penguin species after the Emperor. They do not make a nest, but rather lay one egg at a time and carry it around on their feet covered with a flap of abdominal skin, called a brood patch. Parents take turns incubating the egg, switching every couple of weeks over a two-month period. There are two sub-species of kings. Aptenodytes patagonica patagonicus inhabits the Falklands and South Georgia Island, while Aptenodytes patagonica halli resides in the southernmost reaches of Indian Ocean and South Pacific. Zimbabwes leading opposition candidate accused the countrys electoral authorities of trying to suppress voter turnout at presidential elections on Monday, raising fears of a disputed outcome to the historic poll. Millions of Zimbabweans turned out to vote in the countrys first presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections since dictator Robert Mugabe was ousted in a military coup in November. The outcome will decide whether Emmerson Mnangagwa, a 75-year-old former ally of Mr Mugabe, or Nelson Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer and preacher leading the opposition MDC alliance, will be the country's next president. The only poll released in the run up to the vote showed Mr Mnangagwa leading Mr Chamisa by just 3 per cent, and the results, which must be announced by Saturday, are expected to be tight. Emmerson Mnangagwa cast his ballot in Kwekwe, 100 miles southwest of Harare Credit: Xinhua / Barcroft Images Mr Chamisa, who has repeatedly accused the country's electoral authorities of colluding with Mr Mnangagwa and his Zanu-PF Party, claimed queues at some polling stations in Harare on Monday were a deliberate attempt to reduce turnout in traditional strongholds of the opposition MDC Alliance. "There seems to be a deliberate attempt to suppress and frustrate the Urban vote, Mr Chamisa wrote on Twitter. Good turn out but the peoples will being negated & undetermined due to these deliberate & unnecessary delays. There were queues of up to one hour at Harare polling stations visited by the Telegraph. A voter arrives at a polling station during early morning voting in Kwekwe Credit: JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP Polling stations are technically obliged to remain open until all those still in line at 7PM, when polling closes, have voted. EU chief observer Elmar Brok said many voters left voting queues in frustration at long delays but that it was as yet unclear whether those delays were deliberate or down to poor management. In some cases it (voting) works very smoothly but in others we see that it is totally disorganized and that people become angry, people leave, Mr Brok told reporters in Harare. Story continues Profile | Emmerson Mnangagwa Voting generally went smoothly and there was no violence reported. However, several voters said that memories of 2008, when Mr Mugabe unleashed thugs to terrorise MDC activists and supporters, still loomed large. Im glad we voted. We really badly need change, said a 61-year-old man who cast his ballot in the Harare suburb of Newlands. But I dont want to give you my name or say who I voted for because we dont know what the repercussions will be afterwards. It would be easy to track me down. Zanu-PF have ruled Zimbabwe for 38 years and Mr Mnangagwa's near total dominance in the media makes him the front runner in the election. He has sought to attract former opposition voters by publicly breaking with Mr Mugabe and promising a New Dispensation of democratic and economic reforms. Nelson Chamisa voted at the 2 Primary High School in Kuwadzana, Harare Credit: Wilfred Kajese/Anadolu Agency However, Mr Chamisa has made significant inroads into former Zanu PF strongholds in rural areas and has attracted large crowds at his rallies. He has said he is certain of victory and that any other outcome could only be the result of vote-rigging by Zanu-PF. I am moderately bullish, said Terence Mukupe, the Zanu-PF candidate for the constituency of Harare East, before casting his vote. The MDC vote is split, and the business community, the white community, and the middle classes who used to vote for the opposition have largely switched to ED, he said, using Mr Mnangagwas initials. But as polls closed on Monday evening there were signs that Mr Chamisa had made inroads into Zanu-PFs own traditional strongholds. One 71-year-old grandmother from a village 40 miles north of Harare said she did not vote for Zanu-PF for the first time because she said she now felt safe to support the opposition. Africa's tarnished jewel: how four decades of Robert Mugabe left Zimbabwe's economy reeling We.my friends from church like sweet things, and so some of us grandmothers voted for Chamisa, she laughed. The election has been dominated by the legacy of Mr Mugabe, with both candidates promising a break with the stagnation and political violence of his rule. The former dictator, 94, made a surprise intervention on the eve of the election, saying he would not vote for his own Zanu-PF party and hinting that he would back Mr Chamisa instead. He was cheered when he showed up to vote at his polling station in Highfield, a township on the southern outskirts of Harare, with his wife Grace. Mrs Mugabe was yesterday stripped of her diplomatic immunity by a court in South Africa, where she is facing allegations of assaulting model Gabriella Engels' with an electrical cord in when she discovered her in the company of her sons in a luxury Johannesburg hotel. Another observer in Harare who was in contact with groups in other parts of the country, said there had been isolated incidents of voter intimidation. So far, and it is too early to make conclusions, there does not seem to have been any pattern or targeted bias. We have heard from colleagues in one or two rural areas - and this needs to be checked - there were some instances of intimidation, but not systemic or as ugly as in the past. Mr Mnangagwa called the election a "beautiful expression of freedom and democracy" and called on candidates not to call the result before the electoral commission announces the official outcome. "In our millions, we voted in the spirit of tolerance, mutual respect & peace," he wrote on Twitter after polling closed. "Let us remember that no matter which way we voted, we are all brothers and sisters, and this land belongs to us all." Voters in Zimbabwe began voting on Monday in a general election nine months after the removal of longtime president Robert Mugabe, 94. The election pits Mugabes old party, the ZANU-PF, against the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which hopes to overturn ZANU-PFs unbroken rule of Zimbabwe since Mugabe led the former British colony to independence in 1980. In an astonishing public intervention on Sunday, Mugabe said he would not vote for the party he founded, which removed him from power last November, and would instead be casting his vote for the MDC. Mugabe ruled the country for nearly four decades in a period marred by economic crises and corruption. The ZANU-PF is now led by Mugabes former right-hand man Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, who came to power after the removal of Mugabe. The MDC is headed by Nelson Chamisa, 40, a lawyer and pentecostal preacher. Heres what to know: When will the results come in? Voting ends at 7pm local time (1pm E.T.), and counting begins immediately. The result will be announced within five days, authorities said. In the 2008 election, the result was not announced for more than a month, fueling complaints the result was rigged by the incumbent ZANU-PF. In this election, polls give Mnangagwa a small lead over Chamisa. However if neither party wins over 50% of the vote, a runoff between Chamisa and Mnangagwa must be held on Sept. 8, which would not include the other 21 candidates on the presidential ballot. Who is the current President Emmerson Mnangagwa? Mnangagwa, a former spy-chief of Mugabe who took the presidency in 2017, is nicknamed the crocodile for his perceived ruthlessness. After the controversial 2008 election, he was reportedly in charge of the ZANU-PFs intimidation campaign against opposition voters, in a campaign that left hundreds dead. Now, he promises to open Zimbabwe up to foreign investment after many years of economic stagnation and high regulatory barriers. He says his party has made a clean break from the corrupt rule of Mugabe, but opposition leaders say the ZANU-PF remains deeply flawed. Story continues Who is the opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa? Aged just 40, Chamisa came to lead his party only this year, after the death in February of Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDCs long-serving leader who led the party through the 2008 election. Tsvangirai won 47.9% of that vote to Mugabes 43.3%, which necessitated a run-off under constitutional law. Following a campaign of violent intimidation, however, Tsvangirai removed himself from the race and Mugabe stayed in power. However following Tsvangirais death, other MDC members who felt Chamisa unfairly took power splintered off, and will also use the name MDC on the ballot. That means the opposition vote may be split. One of Chamisas main campaign promises is to begin using the South African rand as Zimbabwes national currency, and eventually join the Rand Monetary Union in an attempt to bolster the struggling economy. Chamisa was previously a student political leader and protege of Tsvangirai. He holds degrees in political science, international relations and law, and also recently qualified as a pastor. His youth may appeal to Zimbabwes young electorate over 43% of registered voters are under the age of 35. Will the election be free and fair? The elections have been opened up to international observers, though the opposition has voiced concerns that the voter roll has irregularities and claimed that the army has been deployed to rural areas in an attempt to intimidate people to vote for the ruling ZANU-PF. On July 4, the army vowed to remain neutral in the elections, despite having been an influential actor in the removal of Mugabe last November. The Zimbabwe Defence Forces has no direct role in the upcoming elections, said army spokesperson Overson Mugwisi. We are disturbed by false reports alleging that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces is going to be used by ZANU-PF to rig the posted vote. President Mnangagwa urged voters to be peaceful on Monday. We are one people, with one dream and one destiny, he said. We will sink or swim together. Chamisa told the BBC: We will win this election to the extent its free and fair its a done deal. What has Mugabe said? Mugabes intervention on Sunday came during a hastily-called press conference at his home. I hope the choice of voting tomorrow will throw, thrust away the military government and bring us back to constitutionality, he said, referring to the ZANU-PF government. I cant vote for those who have caused me to be in this situation, so there is Chamisa left. By MacDonald Dzirutwe and Joe Brock HARARE (Reuters) - Counting began in Zimbabwe on Monday in the first election since the removal of former president Robert Mugabe, a watershed vote that could pull a pariah state back into the international fold and spark an economic revival. The election is a two-horse race between 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a long-time Mugabe ally, and 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who is vying to become Zimbabwe's youngest head of state. Mnangagwa is viewed as the frontrunner, though the latest opinion polls showed a tight race. There will be a runoff on Sept. 8 if no candidate wins more than half the votes. Voting closed at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). The official result has to be announced within five days but there will likely be an indication of the outcome on Tuesday. Zimbabwe's electoral commission said voter turnout had averaged 75 percent, higher than in the last vote in 2013. Zimbabweans are also electing 210 members of parliament and more than 9,000 councillors. The election winner faces the task of putting Zimbabwe back on track after 37 years of Mugabe rule tainted by corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation that caused a crisis in a country that once had one of Africa's most promising economies. A credible vote is essential if Zimbabwe is to exit painful sanctions and secure the donor funding and investment needed to stem chronic cash shortages. Chamisa said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was impeding voting in urban areas where he enjoys strong support but gave no evidence to back the claim. "The people's will being negated & undetermined due to these deliberate and unnecessary delays," he said in a tweet. The ZEC was not immediately available to comment. It has denied Chamisa's previous allegations of bias. Reuters spoke to several international observers who said the voting process had been slow at some stations but it did not appear to them to be intentional. Chamisa said his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) would win if there was no "ballot mischief", making it likely he will challenge the outcome if Mnangagwa prevails. A contested result is likely to lead to street protests and possible violence. EU chief observer Elmar Brok said many voters, particularly young women, left voting queues in frustration at long delays. The EU has not yet concluded how to judge the vote, he said. Dozens of people were killed ahead of a runoff in 2008 between Mugabe and MDC-founder Morgan Tsvangirai, who died of cancer in February. Mugabe, 94, led the war for independence and since 1980 has dominated the country's politics. But since he stepped down under military pressure in November he has lived in obscurity. He emerged on the eve of the election to announce he would vote for the opposition, surprising Mnangagwa who accused him of striking a deal with Chamisa. "DEMOCRATIC SPACE" Mugabe made no comment to reporters as he cast his ballot around lunchtime accompanied by his wife, Grace. A huge crowd gathered outside, some cheering, many booing. Mnangagwa, a former intelligence chief, denied Mugabe's claim that the vote would not be free since it was being run by a "military government". "I can assure you that this country is enjoying democratic space which has never been experienced before," Mnangagwa told public television after voting. Mnangagwa, of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANUPF), has been president since the military ousted Mugabe in a bloodless coup. Elections under Mugabe were often marred by intimidation, rigging and violence but the consensus is the build-up to this vote has been better than before, although Chamisa complained about a flawed voters' roll and opaque ballot paper printing. "Victory is certain, the people have spoken," Chamisa said after casting his ballot in Harare as a cheering crowd chanted: "President! President! The president is here!" "I have no doubt that by end of day today we should be very clear as to an emphatic voice for change." Chamisa has attracted young and unemployed voters frustrated with nearly four decades of ZANUPF rule. "I'll vote for Chamisa because it is a vote for change, it is a vote for the youth. Tomorrow we will have a new president," said Fabian Matsika, a security guard in Harare. CREDIBILITY "ZANU-PF is the only party that I have voted for," said Elizabeth Kamhunga, 67, after casting her vote in Harare. "We may have made some mistakes but I think President Mnangagwa is the only person who has the interests of Zimbabwe at heart." The European Union, the United States and the Commonwealth have sent observers. "It is exciting to see so many Zimbabweans casting ballots," said former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, co-leader of the National Democratic Institute's observer mission. "However the publics faith in the secrecy of the ballot is essential for the credibility of the process. We urge the authorities to do everything possible to ensure the secrecy of todays vote." Mnangagwa has made a big effort to win over foreign opinion; hosting Western ambassadors, courting investors and patching up relations with white commercial farmers who were violently evicted from their farms under Mugabe. (Graphic: Zimbabwe economy - http://tmsnrt.rs/2zFGGlq) (Graphic: Zimbabwe's electronic dollars - http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/ZIMBABWE-DOLLARS/0100409Q0MV/index.html) (Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, says Iran and Europe are making tentative progress with the Nuclear Deal. But he suggested the US Is pushing its own agenda. Zarif questioned whether the European Union had the will to follow its instinct and continue with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or if it would blindly follow the United States. Zarif, speaking at a meeting with Iranian ambassadors and businessmen, added that "the US feels isolated despite all its political and economic power." Security forces confiscated Monday incitement materials from a Hamas students cell operating in universities in Hebron. The students' families who took part in the incitement were warned. A security camera near the scene of the stabbing attack last Thursday in Adam documented the confrontation between the late Yotam Ovadia and the 17-year-old terrorist Mohammad Tareq Yousef . Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The stabbing in Adam X The video captures Ovadia jumping over the terrorist and trying to escape. The terrorist is then seen stabbing another man and tying to leave the scene of the crime before getting shot. The terrorist chased after Ovadia, confronted him and stabbed him several times until he noticed another person, stopped, chased after the second man and stabbed him as well. The video shows the terrorist slowly trying to leave as the police vehicle arrives at the scene. At the request of the family, the full video was not published. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson) Ovadia is seen trying to jump at the terrorist several times in an attempt to subdue him. At one point, Ovadia climbed a stone fence to escape the terrorist, but the terrorist followed him and continued stabbing him. Shortly thereafter, the terrorist noticed another person and began chasing him. At the same time, Ovadia is seen leaving the scene wounded and bleeding. The terrorist stabbed his second victim several times, until knocking him down. The wounded man tried to resist and overpower the terrorist by kicking him. (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch) Mohammad Tareq Yousef, from Kobar, infiltrated the settlement on Thursday at 8:50pm. He went through the fence, passed through the settlement's playground and stabbed two passersby. Yotam Ovadia was critically injured and evacuated to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced his death. A second victim, 58, suffered moderate injuries. Assaf Ravid,41, who was lightly wounded after a brief scuffle with the terrorist before shooting him dead, recalled the incident, saying I realized it was either me or him. (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) Speaking a day after her husband was buried in Givat Shaul Cemetery in Jerusalem, Tal Ovadia, Yotam's widow and a mother of two, said that she does not know what to "now as far as my children are concernedI dont know how to continue and to be strong for the children. We were everything to him. The home was his kingdom. (Photo: Amit Shabi) Everything he did was for us. He always made sure that things were good. He always put himself last, she said. Tal mentioned that on the day of his death, Yotam came home from work with a bunch of flowers and chocolates to celebrate Tu B'Av. We took a photo together and he was happy. After I put the children to sleep he went out to get the groceries from his parents but never got there, she added. Everything I wanted or asked for he did and he loved me in a way that doesn't exist, Tal repeated. He fulfilled my every dream. I would always say to him: You are the one, my one and only special one." While I was getting ready to leave my home, I was giving instruction to the forces who arrived at the scene, supt. Ovadia said. At this point I had not yet spoken to my cousins. As I was approaching the community I realized it happened on the street where my cousins liveAvraham and KarmellaYotams parents who live a few houses away from them, but I didnt want to believe it, he added. I arrived at the scene and immediately one of the neighbors said to me that Yotam was the wounded man. It was a shock. Total shock. I almost exploded inside and my stomach was torn, said the policeman. Ovadia continued to preside over the investigation, he said, while praying for Yotams welfare. (Photo: Elisha Ben Kimon) On the one hand I have to maintain my composure and continued to manage the area. But the uncles already started calling me. It is a moment I dont wish on anybody. I was in the field and had to work while at the same time pray for my beloved nephew, Ovadia recalled. Two hours later, Ovadia received the news that Yotam had succumbed to his wounds. No one can digest the fact that Yotam is no longer with us. We hugged each other and since then we have been crying, he said. I always thought I was immune from crying. When its your family your stomach turns over. You know that you are on the job and you cant work on emotion, but inside its a storm. It was a difficult moment. Lod's District Court sentenced Sunday 25-year-old Palestinian from Beit Liqya Alaa Atzi to 18 years in prison after he had been convicted of the manslaughter of farmer David Bar Kafra in 2015. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter In addition, Atzi will pay Kafra's widow NIS 180,000. Photo: Alaa Atzi sentenced to 18 years in prison (Photo: Yuval Hen) Aatzi's relative and accomplice Mujahed Atzi was convicted of murder and still awaits his sentence. Initially, Alaa and Mujahed were both indicted with murder. However, only Mujahed was convicted in murder and Alaa was convicted with merely manslaughter. Bar Kafra's family resented the verdict when it was first given. Bar Kafra's daughter Talia expressed her disappointment after the sentence was given, "We regret the court's decision. We thought that after three years of this legal procedure's ups and downs we would have some sort of comfort. It seems we were proven wrong." After the court had given Alaa an 18-year sentence she said, "We have mixed feelings. On the one hand, the sentence that was given is almost the maximum for manslaughter. On the other hand, the feeling is very bad. Our father was murdered." "He (Atzi) has already been placed under arrest for three years. Those years will be deducted from his overall sentence, and after ten year at the most he will be released ," she elaborated. "On the personal level it's extremely difficult. On the national level, this it is also shatteringJewish blood has become expendable," Bar Kafra's daughter lamented. Bar Kafra's son Aliyah also expressed his harsh sensations. "Unfortunately, the court's ruling is lacking. Within 9.5 he (Atzi) can be freed and resume his life." Photo:David Bar Kafra "We stopped our life three years ago. We've asked to acknowledge the murder as nationalistic. We still haven't discussed the hard questions: How can it be nothing was stolen if he (Atzi) had come to steal? No answers were provided," he elucidated. "The terrorist killed our father only because he was Jewish and we consider him as a murderer," Bar Kafra's daughter concluded. Bar Kafra's children Mujahed Atzi worked at Bar Kafra's vineyard in the Gezer Regional Council's Pedaya moshav in central Israel for three weeks. He was forced to resign, however, as he had no permit to stay or work in Israel. Despite the fact that Bar Kafra, 70, paid Atzi his full wage, Mujahed told his relative that he was still owed money. The two thus decided to collect. On June 23, 2015, they entered Israelonce again without permitsand drove to the vineyard. They stayed overnight at a nearby orchard and noticed Bar Kafra out in the field the following morning. They waited for a man who drove to the vineyard to complete his purchase of grapes and drive off, andassuming the customer paid cashdecided to rob Bar Kafra. The defendants then drew near him, with Mujahed Atzi obscuring his face with a shirt. Bar Kafra managed to cry out "thieves" before Mujahed gagged him with a piece of cloth. The pair then began beating him on his head and body with a stick and with their hands. Mujahed Atzi Bar Kafra collapsed, but they continued beating him. At one point, Mujahed Atzi poured pesticide over the prone elderly man. When Bar Kafra lost consciousness after being badly bruised, the pair placed him on a mattress and escaped back to their home without calling for help, but also without taking anything because they could find no money on his person. Bar Kafra was rushed to the Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center (formerly Assaf Harofeh), where he was pronounced dead. A short time later, the two were apprehended. The Central District's prosecution said, "The prosecution has decided that in light of the grave circumstances the defendant should be sentenced to the maximum punishment given on manslaughter of which he was convicted. The court embraced that decision today." "We continue to believe that we do not infringe on any valid IBM patents," he said. "To the extent these patents have any value at all -- which we believe they do not -- the value is far less than what the jury awarded." Graffiti including a swastika, an anti-gay slur, and two large painted Nazi flags have been found on Saturday at Congregation Shaarey Tefilla synagogue in the city of Carmel, near Indianapolis. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The heads of the local Jewish community who came to pray in the synagogue on Saturday were shocked to discover graffiti drawings of swastika and two iron crosses identified with the Third Reich on the synagogue's walls. (Photo: Debby Barton Grant facebook page) The conservative congregations Rabbi, Benjamin Sedrow, said that the community was deeply disappointed in the horrific vandalism that occurred at our Congregation. Intolerance, hatred, and violent acts against Jews are significant realities today. The response to this heinous act affirms that America is collectively outraged at these hateful acts in our neighborhood, said Sendrow. Mayor of Carmel Jim Brainard expressed solidarity with the Jewish residents and said that the police had opened an investigation into the attack. No arrests were reported. There is no place for this kind of hatred in Carmel. This attack does not represent the dignified and welcoming nature of our residents who come from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds," the mayor said. "As we are reminded each year during our city's Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony, we must never forget and never stop fighting against the hatred that led to the murder of 6 million Jews. These images that represent the ideas that led to those crimes are not reflective of what our City stands for, he added. According to the congregation's Facebook page, all relevant information was given to the Jewish organizations in the area in order to prepare for similar events. "Congregation Shaarey Tefilla is working with law enforcement as they continue their investigation. In addition, we are working with representatives of the Jewish community in Indianapolis and the Jewish Federation of Carmel to appeal to other synagogues and Jewish organizations and to ensure that they are taking appropriate measures", the Jewish congregation stated. The Midwest, especially in the states of Indiana and Ohio, is prone to neo-Nazi organizations' attacks. In fact, the White Aryan Resistance was founded in Indiana by white supremacist and former Klanssman, Tom Metzger. Moreover, the American neo-Nazi who was charged with second-degree murder after killing one person and injuring 19 in Charlottesville's riots, James Alex Fields Jr., came from the area. In addition, the city of Paoli in Indiana is home to the Traditionalist Worker Party, a relatively influential neo-Nazi, white nationalist group. According to David Sklar, the assistant director of the Indianapolis branch of the Jewish Community Relation Council (JCRC), there is no denying that anti-Semitism has increased in the US in recent years. "Taking security measures and preparation for similar events have become a daily concern for Jewish communities across the country. The community members are on edge, there is no doubt about it. But, the enduring spirit of our community continues to shine every day," Sklar said. "Indiana does have a long history of extremism and supremacist. But, I dont believe that reflects the nature of our state now. While we are the home to a number of hate groups, they do not pose a lot of problems," he added. "However, Indiana is currently one of only five states out of fifty that does not have a law that specifically addresses hate crimes. "This incident has now galvanized the Indianapolis Jewish Community, and we will use this incident as an opportunity to advocate for a hate crime law in Indiana," concluded the assistant director. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara, expressed Sunday her support for the LGBT community following its protest across the country against the Surrogacy Law. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "Someone is thinking about you, everything is going to be okay," she said. The premier's wife also added, "I don't think they don't have equal rights." Sara Netanyahu "I think our country is very advanced and it's only getting better. (The LGBT community) has to have patience. They have someone who is thinking about them." "I'm not the head of the state, but I'm telling you are in the prime minister's heart," she went on to say. Netanyahu also mentioned she gives wide assistance to the LGBT community and same-sex couples who are stranded abroad where they can use the services of a surrogate mother. "I think the community knows how much I look out for it. I offer my assistance and support behind the scenes," she elaborated. The prime minister's wife also referred to the criticism her husband had drawn after passing the Surrogacy Law in its current version which discriminated same-sex couples. "The prime minister is also very supportive. You have to give him time and be patient and everything will be okay," the premier's wife asserted. Likud MK Amir Ohana, a representative of the LGBT community, raised a reservation to the bill over the fact it excludes gay couples. Ohana is himself gay, the father of two children from a surrogate mother. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads the Likud Party, said he supported surrogacy for single mothers as well as for same-sex couples. The prime minister expressed his support for Ohana's reservation and his proposal to amend the legislation so it includes gay couples as well. Furthermore, Netanyahu indicated that if the bill cannot be amended before the end of the Knesset's summer session, the vote on the legislation will be postpone to the next Knesset session. Despite that, Netanyahu voted in favor of the bill in its current version and against MK Ohana's reservations. LGBT protest in Tel Aviv (Photo: Motti Kimchi) A nationwide demonstration was staged by the LGBT community following their exclusion from the Surrogacy Law that was passed last week which allows single mothers and heterosexual couples who cannot have children to use the services of a surrogate mother to become parents. The surrogacy law allows single mothers and heterosexual couples who cannot have children use the services of a surrogate mother to become parents. However, it excludes homosexual couples, preventing them from becoming parents through the surrogacy process. President Reuven Rivlin addressed the Nationality Law conflict during his visit to the Southern Bedouin town Kuseife: "I will do everything in my power, as a citizen of the State of Israel who was born into a country that is the realization of the Zionist movement's dream, to have a home shared by everyone here. I understand the feelings of the Arab citizens, the partnership between us is necessary, said President Reuven Rivlin. The police detained Monday another woman suspected of involvement in the arson of a motel in Jerusalem on Thursday night. The suspect will be brought before Jerusalem's Magistrates Court for a hearing to extend her remand. The ISIS terror group kidnapped at least 36 Druze women and children during its attacks on their villages last week in Syria's southern province of Sweida , the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The observatory said some 20 women and 16 children of the Druze community were abducted. Site of suicide bombings (Photo: Reuters) In the terror attacks, which included a series of four suicide bombing attacks, more than 250 people were murdered. Eyewitnesses said that one of the terrorists who committed a suicide bombing attack arrived at a market in the city riding a motorcycle at 5am when merchants begin their work. Another terrorist was said to commit a suicide attack near a busy square, and two additional terrorists blew themselves up while being chased by security forces. The deadliest attack occurred in the city of Sweida, a provincial capital populated by Syria's minority Druze. "We woke up to the sounds of explosions. People were shouting to stay clear of the area. I saw a man that had caught fire, and put the blaze out myself," one of Sweida's residents told the Syrian state television. Another resident who attempted to show resilience said, "Sweida's residents are not afraid. We are here to stay." Site of suicide bombings (Photo: AFP) The city of Sweida, which is located some 100 km south of Damascus, is a city with a Druze majority which is loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad. On the local authorities' Facebook page, it was published that most of the fatalities in the bombing attacks had been Druze. Assad's army held ISIS accountable for the attacks and said it had managed to eliminate two terrorist who were about to commit additional bombing attacks. The Syrian regime's forces and local fighters have been fighting against ISIS in the Sweida province for a long period of time. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that aerial strikes were executed overnight Saturday across ISIS-held areas in the Sweida province. On the backdrop of the attacks, an advancement of the Syrian army was noted on the ground, in particular on the outskirts of the Sweida province. According to the Syrian monitor, last week's terror attack was the gravest ever committed by the Islamic State in the Sweida province and the most lethal Syria has known in the past few months. The attack came after long months during which ISIS had lost most of the territories it had captured in Iraq and Syria. The terror organization still holds several territories in southern and eastern Syria. Sweida's market This series of deadly terror attacks comes after a month of military achievements by Assad's army, including the full recapturing of the Daraa province in which the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011. In recent weeks, the internal fighting in southern Syria was also noticeable on the Israeli border. President Reuven Rivlin visited on Monday the widow and family of Yotam Ovadia who was killed last Thursday by a terrorist in a stabbing attack in the settlement of Adam, telling her she needs double the strength to bear her grief and that of her children. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter There are no words of condolence on a personal level. Your loss is unbearable. We get, and will get, criminal murderers such as these anywhere and wherever they flee, said Rivlin during his condolence visit to the family in Adam. Yotam, 31, was on his way to his parents house to collect items he bought for a romantic dinner he had prepared to surprise his wife, Tal, to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Tu BAvsimilar to Valentine's Daywhen he was attacked with a knife by 17-year-old Mohammad Tareq Yousef. President Rivlin with Tal Ovadia (Photo: Mark Nayman/GPO) The children dont understand. They can feel that something has changed, Tal told the president, who responded: You need double strength right now, both to bear your pain and grief and for the grief of your children. Tal also said that her murdered husband loved the fact that Adam was situated close to Jerusalem. I felt as though I lived in the safest place there is. I was never scared for a second, the mourning widow said. That is the fate that accompanies us as a people and still, when it strikes on a personal level it is incomprehensible, replied Rivlin. We are with you in our hearts. (Photo: Mark Nayman/GPO) Yotams parents, Avraham and Karmella, said that they appreciate the love and concern demonstrated by the people in the country. We meet the good people in Israel and we feel like we are in the hearts of the entire people, they said. Tal also told the president that The terrorists family cannot be left. They receive salaries and encouragement. To not demolish their home is not right. (Photo: Mark Nayman/GPO) The president responded by assuring her that The matter will be dealt with as they should be. There will be no getting off the hook Every person should get the punishment they deserve. Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) also needs to understand that he cannot encourage murderers. Earlier today, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman also visited the Ovadia family to express his condolences. My heart was broken upon seeing the tragic consequence of the killing of Yotam Ovadia, Friedman said upon leaving. A young mother left alone to care for two toddlers, parents mourning their only son. There are no words that can describe the evil and barbarity of this act of terror. United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman paid a condolence visit Monday to the family of Yotam Ovadia who was killed in last weeks stabbing attack in Adam. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter My heart was broken upon seeing the tragic consequence of the killing of Yotam Ovadia, Friedman said. A young mother left alone to care for two toddlers, parents mourning their only son. There are no words that can describe the evil and barbarity of this act of terror. US Ambassador David friedman visiting Ovadia family (Credit: Yesha Council, Miri Tzahi) Friedman was joined in his visit by Chairman of the Yesha Council Hananel Dorani, Head of the Council's External Relations Division Oded Ravivi and Chairman of the Binyamin Regional Council Maoz Begun. Tal Ovadia at her husband's funeral (Photo: Amit Shabi) According to the Yesha Council (an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank), this is the first time that an American ambassador has paid an official visit to the West Bank to visit terror victims, signalling a change in official US policy vis-a-vis West Bank settlements. Yotam Ovadia; Stabbing site (Photo: TPS) I want to express my appreciation to Ambassador Friedman who saw fit to visit the settlement of Adam in Binyamin and comfort the bereaved family, said Dorani. This sends an important message to the world regarding strengthening the positive forces and combating the negative forces in the region. (Credit: Yesha Council, Miri Tzahi) Terrorism is the common enemy of us all and the firm struggle against it and against incitement is a common goal. This visit encourages and strengthens us in the war against terror. I hope the US government will continue to support Israel and Jewish settlements with brave friendship as the ambassador has shown today, Dorani concluded. A stampede of British Jews would immigrate to Israel if UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was elected prime minister, according to a Jewish activist in the country. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter At the moment I dont believe that theyre (Jews) in danger. I believe that the Jewish people in this country are very concerned about anti-Semitism and its rife in the Labour Party, said Sharon Klaf in an interview with Ynet. Weve been monitoring anti-Semitism in the Labour Party since just about before Corbyn became leader of the Labour Party, she said, adding that one of the fundamental problems under Corbyns leadership is its refusal to adopt the international definition of anti-Semitism. Interview with UK Jewish activist X Britain was one of the first countries to adopt an international definition of anti-Semitism to clamp down on hate crime after an increase in the number of reported incidents targeting Jews. "It means there will be one definition of anti-Semitismin essence, language or behavior that displays hatred towards Jews because they are Jewsand anyone guilty of that will be called out on it," Prime Minister Theresa May said in pre-released extracts from a speech she was due to deliver in 2016. The Labour Party needs to find a way to use the definition because the definition I think the part of the definition that upsets the Labour Party is the part that talks about Israel, said Klaf. Asked why Jeremy Corbyn is such a threat to the Jewish community, Klaf lamented that Hes been an activist against Israel since his youth. Corbyn is known for supporting boycotts against Israel, referring to Hamas and Hezbollah as his friends and generally failing to take seriously complaints of anti-Semitism within his party. Jeremy Corbyn (Photo: Reuters) He referred to Israel as a rogue state after the deadly Mavi Marmara flotilla incident in 2010 , Klaf noted. He wasnt talking so much about Palestinian rights. He was talking about Israel as a rogue state. This is his thinking, that Israel isnt actually a member of the nation states of the world, of the Western world that is a democracy," she said. Klaf was asked whether she would advocate Jews from Britain making Aliyah to Israel en mass similar to significant numbers of French Jews leaving for Israel amid a spike in anti-Semitism. Im not sure the British Jews are going to be leaving en mass in that way, but if Corbyn ever became prime minister, then there would be a mass stampede to leave the country. Earlier this week, three British Jewish newspapers said that there would be an existential threat to Jewish life in this country if Corbyn won power from the ruling Conservative Party. The Jewish Chronicle, Jewish News and Jewish Telegraph said in a joint editorial titled United We Stand that the Labour Party had shown a tolerance of anti-Semitism since Corbyn was elected leader of the party in 2015. JERUSALEM -- Three years after he narrowly missed out on becoming prime minister of Israel, Isaac Herzog says he looks forward to becoming the "prime minister of the Jewish people" in his new role as chairman of the Jewish Agency. The longtime Cabinet minister and outgoing opposition leader may be done with politics for now. But at a time of unprecedented strain between Israel and the more liberal Jewish Diaspora, the 57-year-old Herzog tells The Associated Press Monday he sees an even higher calling in heading the non-governmental organization devoted to bridging that gap. Most American Jews belong to the more liberal Reform and Conservative streams and feel alienated by Israel's ultra-Orthodox authorities, who maintain a strict monopoly over daily Jewish life in the Holy Land and question their faith and practices. President Donald Trump is warning that Iran must "never be allowed" to possess nuclear weapons. Trump escalated the rhetoric against Tehran during a joint press conference Monday at the White House alongside the Italian prime minister. He has zeroed in on the threat posed by Iran in recent weeks, focusing on Tehran instead of the dangers posed by North Korea. That included a searing all-caps tweet earlier this month after what seemed like a rather mundane warning from Iran about possible armed conflict. The congresswoman's office also examined the more than 5,600 publicly available comments and found they were submitted on average about four days before the end of the 30-day comment period. More than 50 percent of the comments weren't delivered until 48 hours or less before the comment window closed. It took department an average of nine days to post comments online after receiving them, according to the analysis. The most prolific commenters were Nucor and U.S. Steel with 1,064 and 1,009, respectively. A close associate of Zionist Union Chairman Avi Gabbay was questioned Monday by the Yarkon region police on suspicion of forging a document from the Defense Ministry, Channel 10 reported on Monday night. The suspect was released on bail. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter According to the report, the forged document grants the suspect the possibility of participating in a preventive driving course with her cell phone and laptop. The report also stated that the suspect confessed to the charges during her interrogation. Avi Gabbay (Photo: Amit Shabi) "This morning, in a joint police operation with the Defense Ministry, a Tel Aviv resident was detained for allegedly forging a document from the Defense Ministry in order to obtain something. At the end of her interrogation, the suspect was released on bail," said a police spokesman. The Zionist Union issued a statement in response: "The matter has been brought to our attention now and it will be clarified soon." Three years after he narrowly missed out on becoming prime minister of Israel, Isaac Herzog says he looks forward to becoming the "prime minister of the Jewish people" in his new role as chairman of the Jewish Agency. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The longtime Cabinet minister and outgoing opposition leader to Benjamin Netanyahu may be done with politics for now. But at a time of unprecedented strain between Israel and the more liberal Jewish Diaspora, the 57-year-old Herzog tells The Associated Press Monday he sees an even higher calling in heading the non-governmental organization devoted to bridging that gap. Herzog presenting his resignation from the Knesset (Photo: Knesset Spokesman) "I was ready to be prime minister of Israel. I wanted to be prime minister of Israel. And yet now I am actually intrigued by this new challenge," he said from his nearly vacated office in parliament, where he had just resigned after 15 years in the Knesset. "We live in an era where we can drift into an irreparable crisis, an irreparable rift." Most American Jews belong to the more liberal Reform and Conservative streams and feel alienated by Israel's ultra-Orthodox authorities, who maintain a strict monopoly over daily Jewish life in the Holy Land and question their faith and practices. The ultra-Orthodox establishment views other strains as too lax, and is deeply opposed to interfaith marriage and the ordination of women and gays. A government decision to scrap plans for a mixed-gender prayer area at Jerusalem's Western Wall, and insults hurled at those pushing for it, has led American Jewish leaders to warn that it could undermine their long-standing political, financial and emotional support for Israel. Herzog with his replacement as Zionist Union chair Avi Gabbay (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) The recent passing of a controversial law enshrining the state's Jewish character, which critics at home and abroad say has undercut Israel's traditional democratic values, has also irked American Jews, who increasingly find themselves at odds with the government's nationalist, religious and pro-settlement bent. Herzog promises to be the bridge and give a powerful voice domestically to the Jewish Diaspora. Ahead of taking office at the Jewish Agency on Wednesday, he said he met with all members of the country's governing coalition to deliver a stern warning. "I explained to them openly and I said it both publicly and privately: 'Everything you say and hear in Israel hurts the hearts and gives a lot of pain to our Jewish brothers and sisters outside who love Israel, who respect Israel and who are part of its strength,'" he said. "There are enough elements who want to tear up this relationship, so calm down." Herzog, a former Labor Party leader, succeeds former Soviet political prisoner Natan Sharansky as chairman of the Jewish Agency, where he will oversee an umbrella organization with a $362 million annual budget. He brings with him a strong political legacy. His late father, Chaim Herzog, was president of Israel from 1983 to 1993 and was its ambassador to the United Nations. His uncle was legendary Foreign Minister Abba Eban. Herzog, L, Steinitz (Photo: Avi Mualem) Herzog was chosen over Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Though the appointment was seen as a defeat for Netanyahu , Herzog vowed to work closely with his political rival and said they had a good rapport despite a hotly contested 2015 race for prime minister than went down to the wire. Even so, he warned of equating the Jewish state and all its diversity with its polarizing, longtime leader. "Israel is way bigger than the immediate term of this person or that person," he said. "Leaders come and go. We are a very vibrant democracy and sometime or another there will be a political change. I wasn't far away from this a couple of years ago and I am convinced it is possible again." (Photo: Amit Shabi) The Jewish Agency enjoys a legacy as the one-time government-in-waiting before Israel's 1948 founding, and David Ben-Gurion was its chairman before becoming Israel's first prime minister. It was then instrumental in orchestrating large waves of Jewish immigration to Israel. But some critics say that in the decades since it has become largely irrelevant. "It portends to be the bridge, the connection between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, but there is not much behind that," said Nahum Barnea, the country's pre-eminent columnist for the Yediot Ahronot daily. "It really has very little influence." He said Herzog would be riding a "wooden horse" since Netanyahu already sees himself as the leader of the Jewish people and would do nothing to relinquish that role. Herzog rejected the criticism that he was merely seeking a cushy job after losing his party's leadership, saying the crisis at hand was too great to ignore. He insisted it was a two-way street and vowed to bring the world's Jews closer to Israel as well. "We have to be very careful. We can argue with Israel on many things, but we have to make sure that some of our haters and bashers will not be able to use it to undermine our right to exist," he said. "It still feels like family on both sides of the ocean." An incendiary balloon , which police believe was launched from the Gaza Strip, landed on Monday evening in Beer Sheva, raising fears that terrorists are increasing the range of the devices that have caused numerous fires in Israeli border communities. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Police sappers were called to the Ringelblum Street in the Negev deserts largest city to remove the balloon. Police forces also closed the road off to traffic and distanced passersby. The road was reopened shortly after. Incendiary balloon in Be'er Sheva incendiary device , and every object like this must be treated as suspicious with a high-risk capacity, a police statement said. In these sorts of cases, the police emergency line 100 must be dialed and you must move away from the area until the conclusion of the police sappers activities, it added. (Photo: Police Spokesman) One eyewitness described how police suddenly arrived at the scene. We saw loads of police cars. We didnt realize what had happened. Then we realized that there was an incendiary balloon. It is the fear of God, one witness said. Throughout the day, firefighters worked to extinguish fires that erupted in Israel Gaza border communities as a result of incendiary balloons flown from the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave. In total, five fires were extinguished by the firefighters in the Eshkol Regional Council while another fire broke out in the Dorot Forest in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. The Russian military has downed a drone targeting the Hmeimim air base in Syria, Russian news agencies reported on Monday. The drone was launched on July 29 from territory controlled by Syrian rebels and was shot down at a safe distance from the base, RIA cited a Russian military official as saying. News Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Ali Charaf Damache, 53, a national of Algeria and citizen of Ireland, aka Theblackflag, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists. Damache was indicted in 2011 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and one count of attempted identity theft to facilitate an act of international terrorism. U.S. authorities extradited Damache from Spain in July 2017. Sentencing is scheduled for October 30 before U.S. District Judge Petrese B. Tucker. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBIs New York Field Office. At a time when radical terrorist groups use the Internet to recruit new members and coordinate attacks against innocent people, the National Security Division remains committed to investigating all possible threats to our country aggressively including those that take place online, said Assistant Attorney General Demers. Through close cooperation with our international law enforcement partners and the dedicated work of our agents and prosecutors, we have brought Damache to justice. This successful outcome has made the United States safer, and I applaud the women and men throughout the law enforcement community who made it happen. Counterterrorism remains my offices highest priority, and we will continue to prevent, disrupt, and defeat violent extremism at home and abroad, said U.S. Attorney McSwain. The prosecutors and law enforcement agencies who brought Damache to justice in the United States work shoulder-to-shoulder, every day, to do just that. As this case shows, our resolve to dismantle clear and present dangers to our national security is stronger than ever. Damache knowingly and willingly conspired with others to wage a violent jihad overseas, actively supporting the very ideals that allow terrorism to thrive worldwide, said Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney. For as long as there are those who commit to carrying out these intolerable acts, the FBI will resolutely continue to address counterterrorism as our number one priority. The JTTF, composed of all of our local and international partners, will continue to remain dedicated to mitigating the terrorist threat, both here and abroad. According to the indictment, Damache, his co-defendant Mohammad Hassan Khalid, and others conspired to support, recruit, and coordinate a terrorist cell, consisting of men and women from Europe and the United States, to wage violent jihad in and around Europe. Among those with whom Damache conspired is Colleen R. LaRose, who was a resident of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania at the time of the acts alleged in the indictment. LaRose, aka Fatima LaRose, aka JihadJane, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her involvement in this conspiracy. The indictment alleges that Damache, Khalid, LaRose, and others recruited men online to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe and recruited women who had passports and the ability to travel to and around Europe in support of violent jihad. As part of his guilty plea, Damache has agreed to be sentenced to a 180-month term of imprisonment and has waived his right to appeal his sentence. Damache has further agreed that upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States and returned to Ireland or, in the alternative, Algeria. This case was investigated by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force in Philadelphia and the FBI Field Divisions in New York, Denver, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and the IRS. The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs and authorities in Spain provided substantial assistance. Authorities in Ireland also provided assistance in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Blue and C. Alexandria Bogle of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section. News Detroit, Michigan - In a criminal indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Michigan Tuesday, Ibraheem Izzy Musaibli, 28, of Dearborn, Michigan, was charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Schneider of the Eastern District of Michigan and Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Musaibli, a natural-born U.S. citizen, was detained overseas by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and recently transferred into U.S. custody. Musaibli will be arraigned on the indictment at the federal courthouse in Detroit on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The indictment alleges that from about April 2015 through June 2018, Musaibli knowingly provided and attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel and services, knowing that ISIS is a terrorist organization and that ISIS engages in terrorism. The National Security Division will not tolerate threats to our country from terrorist organizations like ISISnot least of all those that come from our own citizens, said Assistant Attorney General Demers. Musaiblis alleged provision of material support to ISIS put the United States at risk and may have endangered the lives of countless innocent people. I am confident that he will face justice for his crimes, and I hope that his case sends a clear message that we will hold our citizens accountable who are apprehended overseas and tried to join a terrorist organization such as ISIS. I am also grateful to our law enforcement and military partners who made this prosecution possible. The indictment alleges that, for a substantial period of time, defendant Musaibli provided material support to ISIS one of the most violent terrorist organizations in the world. During that same time, American-backed coalition forces were fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider stated. We will vigorously prosecute anyone who provides, or even attempts to provide, support to terrorists. The indictment in this case serves as a reminder of the danger posed by those who travel overseas to join forces with ISIS, said Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI. The FBI is determined to find these individuals and bring them to justice. Bringing charges in these cases will remind others what can happen if they provide assistance to foreign terrorist organizations. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cathleen Corken and Kevin Mulcahy of the Eastern District of Michigan with assistance from the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section. News St. Paul, Minnesota - The Department of Justice announced Thursday that 3M Company (3M), headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, has agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly sold the dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) to the United States military without disclosing defects that hampered the effectiveness of the hearing protection device. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the men and women serving in the United States military from defective products and fraudulent conduct, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Departments Civil Division. Government contractors who seek to profit at the expense of our military will face appropriate consequences. Through rigorous enforcement of the False Claims Act, we protect taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse, said U. S. Attorney Sherri Lydon for the District of South Carolina. And in this case in particular, we are proud to defend the integrity of our military programs and ensure that our men and women in uniform are adequately protected as they serve our country. "Today's settlement will ensure that those who do business with the government know that their actions will not go unnoticed," said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. "Properly made safety equipment, for use by our Soldiers, is vital to our military's readiness. Our agents will respond robustly to protect the safety of our military." This settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and our law enforcement partners to hold companies accountable for supplying substandard products, in particular products that could directly impact our service members health and welfare. DCIS protects the integrity of Defense Department programs by rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse that negatively affect the wellbeing of our troops, said Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr., DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that 3M violated the False Claims Act by selling or causing to be sold defective earplugs to the Defense Logistics Agency. Specifically, the United States alleged that 3M, and its predecessor, Aearo Technologies, Inc., knew the CAEv2 was too short for proper insertion into users ears and that the earplugs could loosen imperceptibly and therefore did not perform well for certain individuals. The United States further alleged that 3M did not disclose this design defect to the military. The allegations resolved by the settlement were brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that defendants submitted false claims for government funds and to share in any recovery. As part of todays resolution, the whistleblower will receive $1,911,000. The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, the United States Attorneys Office for the District of South Carolina, the Army Criminal Investigation Command, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Moldex-Metric v. 3M Company, Case No. 3:16-cv-1533-MBS (D.S.C.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. News New Orleans, Louisiana - A federal grand jury in New Orleans, Louisiana, returned a six-count human trafficking and hate crime indictment relating to the abuse of D.P., a 22-year-old woman with disabilities, in Amite, Louisiana. Raylaine Knope, 42, Terry J. Knope, II, 45, Jody Lambert, 23, and Taylor Knope, 20, are charged with one count of conspiring to obtain the forced labor of D.P., in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1594(b); one count of forced labor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1589; and one count of using force and threats of force to interfere with D.P.s federal Fair Housing Act rights because of her disability, in violation of 42 U.S.C. 3631. Raylaine Knope and Terry J. Knope, II are also charged with one count of attempted sex trafficking of D.P., in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1591 and 1594(a); and Terry J. Knope, II is charged with one count of a hate crime for shooting D.P. with a BB gun because of her disability, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 249(a)(2), and one count of theft of government funds for stealing D.P.s federal disability benefits, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 641. In addition, in a related matter, Bridget Lambert, 21, was separately charged in a one-count Bill of Information for conspiring to obtain the forced labor of D.P., in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. The forced labor, forced labor conspiracy, and Fair Housing Act charges against Raylaine Knope, Terry J. Knope, II, Jody Lambert, and Taylor Knope carry a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The sex trafficking charge against Raylaine Knope and Terry J. Knope, II, carries a mandatory minimum penalty of fifteen years imprisonment, with a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The hate crime charge and the theft of government funds charge against Terry J. Knope, II, each carry a statutory maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment. The separate conspiracy charge against Bridget Lambert carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. An indictment and a bill of information are formal accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case was investigated by the FBI Field Office in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Risa Berkower and Nicholas Reddick of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Julia Evans, of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Health News Dallas, Texas - The American Heart Association, the worlds leading voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, and Laerdal Medical, a major, global medical equipment and medical training products manufacturer based in Stavanger, Norway, are furthering their decades-long alliance to deliver a new standard of resuscitation quality and patient care centered on CPR competence. Attendees representing 30 of the nations largest health care systems today joined the inaugural RQI 2020 Keynote and Healthcare Networking Conference in Dallas to better understand how this paradigm shift can prevent tens of thousands of preventable cardiac arrest deaths annually in U.S. hospitals. Each year, more than 200,000 adult cardiac arrests occur in U.S. hospitals and less than 26 percent of adult patients survive. High-quality CPR is the primary component that influences survival from cardiac arrest, but there is considerable variation in monitoring, implementation and quality improvement. As a result, CPR quality varies widely between health care systems and locations. The overall odds of surviving a cardiac arrest in the U.S. can vary by as much as 42 percent between randomly selected hospitals.1 For decades, Basic Life Support training has been the CPR training standard for health care providers, requiring participants to renew their course completion card every two years. Studies show CPR skills can decay within three to six months following this training. To meet this challenge, in 2015, the Association and Laerdal co-developed RQI, or Resuscitation Quality Improvement. RQI is a self-directed, simulation-based performance and quality improvement program for health care professionals that offers low-dose, high-frequency hands-on learning sessions that provide vital CPR skills practice in 10 minutes every 90 days. RQI 2020 offers a comprehensive, end-to-end quality improvement program that will deliver higher CPR quality at a lower cost to health care systems and professionals. RQI 2020 will make its market debut in January 2019. The American Heart Association believes that preventable death from sudden cardiac arrest in hospitals is a public health crisis, said Nancy Brown, American Heart Association CEO. Our goal is to create a world where no one dies from cardiac arrest, and today, we are putting a bold stake in the ground to transform the standard of care for treating victims of preventable cardiac arrest. The power of partnerships at the intersection of science and technology, in collaboration with health care systems across the country, is the solution to save more lives and ultimately get to zero. The Association and Laerdal made a commitment in February to save 50,000 additional lives from in-hospital cardiac arrest each year by 2025. This is based on RQI adoption in all U.S. hospitals. Currently, there are nearly 400 U.S. hospitals that have implemented the RQI program and more than 300,000 health care providers have improved CPR competency since the programs introduction. Technology has advanced to focus on health care provider competency, which can lead to transforming the quality and standard of care, said Tore Laerdal, chairman and CEO of Laerdal Medical. The key to success is hospital adoption and implementation of this low-dose, high- frequency learning paradigm. Our vision, Getting to Zero, is to eliminate preventable and unexpected cardiac arrest deaths in health care. The time is now to disrupt the status quo by innovating for impact and we applaud those health care systems that have taken this significant step. During a luncheon program, the Association and Laerdal recognized a small group of hospitals and health care systems for pioneering the adoption of innovative practices as part of the early implementation of RQI. Honorees included: Seton Healthcare, Austin, Texas Texas Health Resources, Dallas, Texas The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas Todays event exemplifies the Association and Laerdals commitment as strategic partners to lead innovative change in health care. Furthering this resolve was the announcement of the formation of a new joint venture partnership, RQI Partners, LLC. The company positions both organizations to deliver innovative solutions that accelerate their lifesaving mission, blending the Associations leadership in science with Laerdals expertise in technology and implementation to deliver impactful resuscitation quality improvement programs. Conference attendees also pledged their shared commitment to propel the health care industry to get to zero cardiac arrest deaths by working together to eliminate preventable cardiac arrest deaths. Latest News Atlanta, Georgia - Preston Q. Howard, 50, of Wright City, Missouri, was sentenced Tuesday by Chief United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to 24 months in prison for obstructing persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 247(a)(2). The judge enhanced the sentence because Mr. Howard chose his victims based on their religion, thereby committing a hate crime. When imposing the sentence, Chief Judge Hall noted Howards disturbing pattern of intolerance of many groups of people, and the Courts intent to afford a deterrent to similar criminal conduct by Howard and others who may believe and act as he did. Threats of violence based on religious beliefs have no place in our country, said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. The Civil Rights Division will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute hate crime offenders. Threats made against houses of worship are abhorrent and this Office will work tirelessly to ensure that members of all faiths may worship in peace and without intimidation, said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. The United States Attorneys Office, in concert with our law enforcement partners, will work tirelessly to protect our houses of worship. The FBI will not tolerate threats and intimidation against anyone because of their religion or their beliefs, said Murang Pak, Acting Special Agent in Charge (A/SAC) of FBI Atlanta. No one should feel they have the right to instill fear in our citizens and rob them of their sense of safety in their communities and particularly where they choose to practice their faith. According to information presented at Howards guilty plea and sentencing hearings, between June 22, 2017, and Aug. 8, 2017, Howard made numerous telephone calls to the Islamic Society of Augusta (ISA), during which he threatened to kill, bomb, shoot, behead, slaughter, execute, light on fire, and murder members of the mosque, to hunt down and zone in on Muslims, and to blow up the mosque. Howard admitted committing these acts and obstructing or attempting to obstruct the mosque members free exercise of their religious beliefs. In response to Howards threats, the ISA upgraded their security system and hired off-duty officers to provide added security during services and community events. Howard was ordered to pay almost $30,000 in restitution to cover those costs. The FBI Atlanta Field Division investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Greenwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States, in consultation with the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division. For any questions, please contact the United States Attorneys Office at (912) 652-4422. - The police in Ajumako in the Central Region have arrested a young man who identifies himself as 'Otumfuo' over a robbery incident - The 25-year-old is said to have led three others to attack and rob a man of his car and other items including B-Forster bread - The gang was apprehended at a nearby village after a hot chase from the police A popular Ajumako-based armed robber Daniel Otumfuo has been busted by the police following a robbery operation. Otumfuo, 25, was reportedly busted with Kobina Antwi aged 20, Desmond Zinyir aged 25 and Eric Amissah 36, who went to rob and attack Emmanuel Abban a.k.a Joe with machetes and jackknife. According to MyNewsGH.com, on July 27, 2018, at about 11:00 pm, the Ajumako police patrol team was informed of an operation by the four masked men. Daniel Otumfuo (Photo source: MyNewsGH.com) They used a cement block to forcibly open their victims room and attacked him after which they bolted with the stolen items packed in the car. READ ALSO: Sarkodie and Tracy look very happy as they step out for the first time after their lavish wedding (Video) The quartet managed to escape to a nearby thicket for safety taking along their victims phone, unregistered Toyota Corolla with DVLA Plate number DV- 144A-18 and other items including B-Forster bread. Photo source: MyNewsGH.com The Police gave the four suspects a hot chase until they were intercepted in the stolen Toyota Corolla at a village called Owomasi near Breman Asikuma. READ ALSO: Afia Schwar drops her dress in new wild photo to tease Abrokwah Community volunteers of Owomasi arrested and inflicted wounded the robbers before handing them over to arriving police patrol from Asikuma together with the said car where the Asikuma police later handed them over to Ajumako police to continue with investigations. Photo source: MyNewsGH.com The stolen Toyota Corolla is still impounded at Asikuma police yet to be brought and the four suspects in police custody to assist with the investigations. Watch: Ghana News: Sulley Muntari Gave $2.200 To Accra Hearts Of Oak Players | Yen.com.gh: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: Yen News - President Akufo-Addo says no amount of propaganda will stop government from implementing the double track system - According to the President, education is the only springboard to get Ghanaians out of the trap of poverty President Akufo-Addo has re-affirmed that the double track system will be implemented, saying no amount of propaganda can stand in the way of government. He said government is determined to explore all options to enhance quality under the free Senior High School (SHS) program. Earlier this month, government announced that the double track system will be deployed, starting September, as a means of addressing challenges with the implementation of the free SHS policy. President Akufo-Addo called on Ghanaians to embrace the system and make sure it succeeds. Source: ghana.gov.gh READ ALSO: Mahama paid GH568,000 salary - Government This particular system of education divides the entire student body and staff into two different tracks; so while one track is in school, the other is on vacation. However, since government announced its plans to introduce the new module, there have been divided opinions among the public. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has strongly kicked against the move, demanding that wider consultations are made concerning the implementation of the system. Also, policy think tank, IMANI Africa, has raised concerns with the implementation of the double track system, describing it as premature. However, President Akufo-Addo believes this system can be successfully implemented, insisting no propaganda will stand in the way of his government. READ ALSO: Be loyal Gabby to ambitious ministers Addressing a gathering during the 70th-anniversary celebrations of the Ghana National College in Cape Coast, the President said once other countries have been able to implement the double track system, Ghana can also do it. We cannot wait to address all the issues with infrastructure before we continue with the policyFar from it being a new intervention that is being experimented in Ghana, it is noteworthy that it has been implemented elsewhere and found to be successful, Nana Addo stated. I am confident that the end result of the system will lead to an increase in quality of our SHS structure; free SHS has come to stay contrary to what motivated the propagandists and the professional naysayers would have you believe, he added. Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: Jackie Appiah steals show at Miss Malaika Ghana 2018 audition Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: Yen.com.gh - The AMERI deal has proven to be controversial since its agreement in 2015 - Energy experts are of the view that the renegotiation proposal will shoot up electricity prices The information according to 3news.com is that, energy experts have agreed that Ghanaians are likely to pay more for electricity than they used to. This development is due to the renegotiation that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) undertook with the infamous AMERI deal. On Wednesday, the government proposed in Parliament to amend the deal. The AMERI deal has proven controversial ever since the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) agreed to the $510 million deal in 2015. Indeed, the NPP made the deal a campaign issue citing financial loss to the state. It actually garnered a lot of positive response for the party but it seems the revoking the said financial loss will not be as easy as the NPP had thought. READ ALSO: Be loyal Gabby to ambitious ministers Ghana's Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Boakye Agyarko. Photo credit: Supplied A new company Mytilineos International Trading Company AG, has been identified by the government as the entity to take over the energy project from AMERI. If the proposal is approved, government claims it will save the people $405 million. Under the new arrangement, the government will pay AMERI $39 million. The new company will also pay $52 million to Ameri on behalf of the government of Ghana. But energy experts are not too sure the proposal will make things easier on the people. READ ALSO: Nigerian traders thank Ghana government for letting them stay in retailing One of these experts, Kwame Jantuah is quotd as saying: If the idea is to get consumers pay less for electricity, then Im afraid this will rather make them pay more. Consumers will pay more at the end of the day, and this is not right. Another, Ben Boakye of the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) opined: For what we have seen that we are losing a lot of money. Theres a cost of a 270 million that Ghana will have to pay, which is way above whatever we are saving as purported by the government. We dont see value for money in this deal." The government of Ghana is yet to issue a statement in defence of these criticisms. Ghana News: Sulley Muntari Gave $2.200 To Accra Hearts Of Oak Players | Yen.com.gh: Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook page. Source: Yen - Top ranking NDC member, Julius Debrah, has allegedly 'disowned' Mahama for Alban Bagbin - The former Chief of Staff is said to have described Alban Bagbin as a great leader for the NDC A close confidant of Former President John Mahama, Julius Debrah, in a subtly way has thrown his support behind the National Democratic Congress (NDC), presidential hopeful, Alban Bagbin. According to a Todaygh.com report, the former Chief of Staff under the erstwhile Mahama administration, has declared his full support for the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament ahead of the NDC presidential primaries. Alban Bagbin who called on Julius Debrah on Thursday to commiserate with him on the death of his mother was said to have received huge admiration and welcome from the former Chief of Staff. Former chief of Staff, Julius Debrah (Photo credit: Nanaakufoaddo.org) READ ALSO: 12 'fraud boys' in police trouble after transferring GHC326 million at UMB Julies Debrah who is noted to be a close ally of Former President Mahama in a meeting with Bagbin allegedly switched focus to pledge his support for Alban Bagbin. Further reports reveal that Mr Debrah during the meeting described Alban Bagbin, as a man of exceptional leadership qualities. Mr Bagbin is a great leader, he is a man who seldom talks, but when he does, he speaks the unpalatable truth, Mr Debrah said. He also added that, Mr Bagbin is a man who belongs among the greats. I consulted him many times when I was Chief of Staff, because he is like an elder brother to me. This is the man who encouraged me a lot when I was in the Eastern region, rallied a lot of support for me and pushed for my elevation within the party. READ ALSO: Anas to release video on illegal child beggars Mr Debrah is not the only NDC stalwart to have seen Mr Bagbin as a saviour for the NDC party ahead of 2020 general elections. It could be recalled that a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under the Mills administration, Betty Mould Iddrisu last year at an NDC gathering in Tema declared her support for Mr Bagbin, describing him as presidential material. According to Betty Mould Iddrisu, who doubles as the National Vice Chairperson of the NDC, Mr Bagbin is a seasoned lawyer with vast experience in governance and politics who will be NDCs surest bid in the 202 election. Mr Bagbin who confirmed the warm relations with Julius Debrah, assured him of his support towards the funeral rites of his late mother. A number of top ranking members of the NDC including, Alban Bagbin, Pro. Joshua Alabi, Sylvester Mensah and others have declared their intention to contest Former President Mahama in the next NDC flagbearership race. READ ALSO: Prof. Mike Oquaye sets 5-month-old pregnant prisoner free Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh Yen.com.gh is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Message us on Facebook or Instagram Source: Yen.com.gh Niheu even created a petition on change.org, which calls for Aloha Poke Co. to "'cease and desist' from the use of the words 'Aloha', 'Aloha Poke' and 'Poke' from all current and future businesses. We understand that this will come at some cost to you, but we think that cost to a multi-million dollar company is comparable to the cost that you have asked these small families to suffer when you have demanded they remove theirs." As of press time, 3,320 people have signed the petition. Workers approach and enter East Balbo Drive entrance off of Lake Shore Drive where work continues in setting up for Lollapalooza in Chicago's Grant Park on July 27, 2018. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) His odd man out is Mark Strain, a sometimes shady Washington lobbyist whose happy future with his pregnant wife, Sarah, is upended when federal agents invade their bedroom, accuse him of being a Russian spy and hand him over to Russian intelligence supposedly as part of a prisoner exchange. This comes after a done-deal with a client of Strain's to provide the Pentagon with its security software is unexpectedly scotched. What cutthroat sold him out? What state secrets are so at risk that he is expendable? He has plenty of questions that need answering after he escapes the clutches of the Russians and fights his way back to Washington. Who are these people who see America and the rest of the world so drastically different from the rest of us? Do they truly believe that Trump is an economic and social policy genius who knows how to make America great? Or are they misguided misfits so afraid of the future that they are clinging desperately to the past? Its the idea to draw attention to particular issues, Bradley said. He said gun violence, particularly in Chicago, has become almost normalized and a nonissue outside of communities of people of color. By shutting down the Dan Ryan or by taking the demonstration to Lake Shore Drive, people are raising awareness about the issue and not making it an issue that black and brown people have to solve, but rather Chicago and Americans have to solve, Bradley said. Everybody is affected by this. The Lake Shore Drive march comes after another anti-violence protest that blocked the northbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side on the morning of July 7, a Saturday. Thursdays protest promises to be more disruptive because it is occurring at rush hour on the first day of the Lollapalooza music festival and before a Cubs game. And though early Tuesday is when the planets will be closest, gazers should be able to catch a glimpse of Mars for a few more weeks, Nichols said. At Mondays event, Nichols said the staff will show the public how to find Mars in the sky, and participants will also have a chance to hold a piece of rock from Mars. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) The camp of Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Liza Maza, and three ex-solons submitted an appeal following warrants issued for their arrest over a murder charge. Maza, who previously represented Gabriela Women's Party in the lower chamber, along with former Agrarian Secretary and Anakpawis Partylist member Rafael Mariano, and former Bayan Muna Party-list members Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casino, filed their motion for reconsideration (MR) Monday to the Palayan City Court. A hearing has been set on Friday, their lawyer said. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde said he has given a directive to apprehend the four former congressmen and three individuals after receiving the order from the regional court. "I have directed the [Criminal Investigation and Detection Group] CIDG over the weekend to immediately send out arresting teams to serve the warrant of arrest against Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Teodoro Casino, Rafael Mariano, Vicente Cayetano, Delfin Pimentel and Emeterio Antalan," he said in a press conference. The former lawmakers and leaders were accused of the murder of three supporters of rival partylist Akbayan, particularly Carlito Bayudang, Jimmy Peralta, and Danny Felipe in Nueva Ecija in 2001 and 2004. Charges were filed in 2006, however, Public Interest Law Center (PILC) managing counsel Rachelle Pasteros said the case had been junked by the Regional Trial Court of Guimba, Nueva Ecija in 2008. The witnesses were previously discredited, PILC said. Pastores raised suspicion over the revival of the case after a decade's hiatus and called the matter, "curious." READ: Arrest order issued vs. anti-poverty chief Liza Maza, 3 ex-solons Regardless of the MR, the warrants of arrest against Maza, Mariano, Ocampo, and Casino are still in effect. However, Albayalde urged the accused to surrender instead. He said he will give them "enough time" to come forward to the authorities. "We will give them enough time for them to personally appear or personally surrender. We give them the respect also as government officials para maayos na lang [to avoid trouble]," the chief said. "Kaya nga we made an appeal today to personally appear na lang [That's why we made an appeal for them to just personally appear]." Asked whether the warrants have been made in bad faith against known government critics, Albayalde maintained they are just following orders. "Wala tayong kinalaman doon [We have nothing to do with it]. This is the court's decision. We will follow the order as part of our mandate to serve warrants of arrest," he said. Maza will also not be granted immunity, even as the NAPC chief, because murder is a major offense, according to the PNP. The city clerks office is tasked with overseeing the program, and employees have made changes in an effort to streamline and speed up the process, said Jose Sanchez Molina, a spokesman for the department. You can apply for the card either at City Hall or one of the roving mobile sites, though the latter sees the longest lines. To curb those lines, the office now puts an estimate online of how many cards can be printed that day. That way, when applicants arrive they can quickly calculate whether they have a shot that day or should try some other time, Sanchez Molina said. We are increasing security staff in the portable restroom area so we have a fixed visual presence to monitor guests going in and out of the restrooms, Green said. Guest safety is paramount at Wrigley Field and we take every opportunity to ensure our guests safety, including routinely reviewing our security protocols and procedures with police. Two men were taken to Stroger hospital: a 24-year-old who was shot in the hip and a 30-year-old who was shot in the leg. Two others were treated at Mount Sinai Hospital: a 25-year-old man shot in the shoulder who drove himself there and a 25-year-old man shot in the right leg, who also made it to the hospital on his own. Boadu had agreed to meet at the victims campus apartment but prior to his arrival, hed been told his visit would be a friendly encounter, and he should not expect to stay the night, prosecutors said in court. After arriving with two bottles of wine, Boadu and the victim went into a common lounge area, authorities said. We were saddened to hear of the tragic passing of two former Portage Township Schools students this weekend, she said in a statement. Michael Clark and Zachery Tomak will always be considered part of our Portage family. We extend our deepest sympathies to their families and ask that the entire Portage community keep them in their thoughts. The crash happened around 8:15 p.m. Sunday when the officers were trying to assist another unit in the 9500 block of South Stony Island Avenue in the Calumet Heights neighborhood. "If you're going to release any evidence, then release it all or don't release any," Romanucci told reporters at his law office. "They can control the narrative to shape public opinion to make this look like this is about something that it's not when's it's really about transparency and getting to the truth and finding out what happened." Standing outside Emanuels office, the Rev. Gregory Livingston said it would be ridiculous to seek Emanuels approval since they are marching in part to call for him and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to step down because of their inability to get the citys violence under control. Livingston said he expects arrests at the march and did not rule out marchers attempting to force their way into Wrigley Field, where the Cubs are set to play the San Diego Padres that night. For those of you who have read the (Justice Department) report, you know that they have found that there have been unreasonable uses of force in our city. And one of the things they very specifically talk about is the fact that CPD in the past had not kept a record of use of force, Madigan said. If somebody has a gun pointed at them, you have a situation where somebody has been seized. We need to know when that is happening. We need to know where that is happening. We need to make sure that we are managing that risk, that officers are following and receiving the training they need, that they are held accountable and they are not putting themselves in unsafe situations, and that residents of the city of Chicago are not in unsafe situations. Lets recount the history. This is the same guy who was perfectly content to not have the new Trump Justice Department do anything, and who came up with a document that so-called memorandum of agreement that wasnt worth the paper it was written on, Lightfoot said in an interview after Emanuel and Madigans news conference. We are here in this moment because of Lisa Madigans courage, lets make no mistake about it. Rahm Emanuel was drug kicking and screaming down this path, and I thank goodness our attorney general had the intestinal fortitude to see a need and step into a void. We are going forward because of her, not him. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said former President Benigno Aquino III is 'partly to blame' for the culture of impunity in the country. Roque spoke in response to Aquino's criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte's statement during the latter's State of the Nation Address (SONA). Duterte said while his critics were concerned about human rights, he was concerned about human lives in his controversial anti-drug war. Aquino slammed the remark and questioned whether human lives and human rights were inseparable. READ: Robredo, Aquino oppose Duterte's human rights vs. human lives remark In his press briefing, Roque said he wished the former president did more in advancing human rights during his term. "I wish he did more also in protecting human life. Because (it was) during his administration too, that the UN also noticed that we were in breach of our obligation to right of life," Roque told reporters. "Meaning, as a former president, he shares partly the blame for this culture of impunity," Roque added of Aquino, who was slapped with criminal charges in 2017 over the Mamasapano clash three years ago that left 44 Special Action Force members dead. Earlier this month, Roque maintained there is no culture of impunity in the Philippines and the government does not condone any state-sponsored killing. It was not clear why his latest statement points to "this culture of impunity." International human rights groups have slammed the Duterte administration's human rights record. Last month, 38 countries issued a joint statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council session urging the Philippines to take all necessary measures to bring killings associated with the campaign against illegal drugs to an end and to cooperate with the international community to investigate the deaths and hold perpetrators accountable. "President Rodrigo Duterte has plunged the Philippines into its worst human rights crisis since the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s and 1980s.," New York-based Human Rights Watch said in its 2018 annual report. "His 'war on drugs,' launched after he took office in June 2016, has claimed an estimated 12,000 lives of primarily poor urban dwellers, including children." The government's own data show more than 4,000 drug suspects have been killed in police operations, while thousands of others have died in homicide cases still under investigation, many of them suspected to be drug-related. Despite the criticisms, Malacanang said it is at the forefront of 'protecting and advancing' human rights. "The President goes by what he says, he is pursuing the drug war because he values human lives." "The President is espousing, protecting, advancing human rights- if you view human life as part of human rights. No argument there." While jurors will be hearing painstaking detail about Manafort's finances, they won't be told about Manafort's other criminal case, in the nation's capital, where he faces charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and lying to the government. Nor will they hear about the reason he's been jailed since last month after a judge revoked his house arrest over allegations that he and a longtime associate attempted to tamper with witnesses in the case. And they won't learn that Manafort's co-defendant in the Washington case is a business associate named Konstantin Kilimnik, who lives in Russia and who U.S. authorities assert has connections to Russian intelligence. Republican Denver Riggleman was already under fire for being too cozy with folks from last year's deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville. Given the surge of fringe candidates in Virginia and around the country - with a record number of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and even a champion of pedophilia seeking votes - a guy into Bigfoot erotica didn't seem that far-fetched. Going forward, though, Chicago and Illinois should think in the spirit that got the old Orchard Depot Airport named for Edward Butch OHare, the U.S. Navys first flying ace and Medal of Honor winner. He was killed by Japanese fire while leading the Navys first night attack from an aircraft carrier. Wasnt that a sacrifice more worthy of perpetual recognition than, say, putting in time as speaker of the U.S. House? Not that anyone will ever again propose naming anything for the disgraced Dennis Hastert. McAleer was sitting with family and friends under the old center field scoreboard during the Cubs-Diamondbacks game July 24, the day before his 20th birthday. When Kyle Hendricks gave up three runs in the fifth inning, McAleer said it was time for him and his dad and a friend to put on the rally buckets, which actually were empty bubble gum containers purchased a few years earlier at a Sams Club. It wouldnt hurt the Cubs to add a speedster before Sept. 1, when all players eligible for the postseason must be in the organization. For example, Epstein and Hoyer added Dave Roberts to the Red Sox to help them win the first of the teams three World Series rings this century. the as Dave Roberts helped Epstein and Hoyer receive their first of three World Series rings in 2004 with the Red Sox. Harvey officials talk about water shortages for the first time, say the problem is in Dixmoor Dixmoor's water provider Harvey addresses issues affecting thousands in South Chicago suburbs for first time Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) The Senate on Monday passed on third and final reading a bill providing mandatory Philippine Health Insurance Corp. or PhilHealth coverage to persons with disabilities (PWDs). Under Senate Bill No. 1391, which amended Republic Act No. 7277 or the "Magna Carta for Disabled Persons", PWDs will have automatic enrollment and coverage in the country's National Health Insurance Program. Once signed into law, government will shoulder the premium contributions of PWDs while the premium contributions of those employed in the formal economy will be paid by their employer and the national government. The government will source funds from sin tax collection. This measure is an addition to the benefits currently given to PWDs, which include 20 percent discount on food and recreational establishments, dental and medical services, public transportation, and domestic trips, among others. In a statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros, author of the bill, called the passage "a big step towards our dream of universal health care for all Filipinos." "As we strive for universal health care, this measure will help ensure that no one will be left behind," Hontiveros said. Citing a 2010 consensus, the Senator said there are currently 1.4 million PWDs in the Philippines, majority of whom are poor. Hontiveros added that the rising costs of healthcare services and products drive many PWDs into poverty. "Physical therapy, maintenance medicines, and frequent doctors' appointments are just some of the many sources of out-of-pocket expenses for PWDs. These are not usually experienced by abled Filipinos," she said. The city received six bids for the project. The lowest bid, from Concept Plumbing Inc., was $425,000. City officials determined the bid was ineligible because the company did not meet the Illinois Department of Transportation pre-qualification requirements that were included in the bid documents. Substance tests showed some of the heroin also contained fentanyl. The estimated street value for the drugs is over $5,000. As part of the work, crews will be placing boulders and stones along the banks and installing other natural stabilizers to try and prevent further erosion, such as root systems from cut trees, natural grasses and native landscaping, Buffalo Grove officials said. Although early entry typically applies to 1 percent of the student population, Snyder said, most of the time, kindergarten or first grade acceleration involves students who are a few weeks or months shy of the age cut-off for example, a child whose peers are 5 by Sept. 1 but who wont reach that age until October. But sometimes, he added, it involves younger, academically gifted students who are also advanced in terms of social-emotional development and who would benefit from being placed with older peers. Schneider said efforts were being made by Lake County Clerk Carla Wyckoff to insure the Nov. 6 election is free from issues that could taint results. He said there is action that must be taken if there is a breach detected. He said he has greater concerns for places without similar local security in place. The water line at the pumping station was installed in the 1950s, when the station was built, Czerwinski said. It has leaked over the years and he recommended the village repair and replace pipes there while installing the new water main that will run to and from Evanston. A: I always wanted to be an eye doctor. I wanted to be an eye doctor in the Soviet Union, but not a lot of Jews were accepted into medical school. I went to engineering school instead. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) Senate President Tito Sotto surprised Senate employees with a directive to undergo mandatory drug test on Monday. He announced it after the flag-raising ceremony at the Senate. To show his commitment, he was the first person to take the test. He was joined by Senator Gringo Honasan. Drug tests for senators are not mandatory, Sotto said, but Senators Bam Aquino, Sonny Trillanes, Loren Legarda, and Migs Zubiri also showed up to submit to the drug test. The test will include checks on the use of cocaine, methamphetamine or shabu, and party drugs. In 2017, Civil Service Commission reminded all government agencies to conduct random mandatory drug tests for their employees. Sotto, a staunch anti-illegal drug advocate, was the principal author of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. He also favors death penalty for drug trafficking cases. President Rodrigo Duterte's war against illegal drugs is far from over despite criticisms from human rights advocates. During his third State of the Nation Address on July 23, he said his administration will continue its unrelenting fight to eradicate illegal drugs. And, hopefully, the company will transition those loyal meter readers to jobs within the company. The firms notice pointed out the switch to the new technology: will alleviate the need for estimated reads every other month and the need for meter readers to come to your home. As you read the many articles, including Talk Of The County, its so amazing readers and contributors, including journalists, still have no experience or correct information on our immigration policy and procedures. Until you have done that work for many years, and have experienced it, you have no room to talk about untruths. When you have interviewed Illegals and have been lied to, deceived and a host of other issues, you should remain silent. The ratio of honest vs dishonest is so disproportional. There are immigrants who are or want to do the right thing, but for various reasons cannot, especially when it comes to refugees and asylum-seekers. By the way, in all the photos you see of these families, has anybody noticed or commented as to where the fathers are? It is my professional opinion that there is no other firm that is as knowledgeable about this project as Christopher Burke, Letson said. Im not saying that we would necessarily not find a new firm, but in my professional opinion they are the most intimately knowledgeable of this project. Parish Council President Richard Kozlowski said while food is at the center of this celebration, and has been for over 40 years, the fest also offered a layered cultural experience with live Greek music, folk dancers, a Greek taverna, imported Greek wines, cooking demonstrations, scenic film screenings, sale of religious books and icons, and tours of the church. She explained in the release that supplies are passed out to families a first come first serve basis. While we are able to assist most of those in need, we sometimes run out of supplies before helping everyone so the generosity of residents who are able to provide support is greatly appreciated, she said. The cause of death was still pending as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Cook County Medical Examiners office. Neighbors reported police tape and an evidence truck at the scene over the weekend. The complainant said someone took light blue spray paint and wrote the word trash on the front door, causing an estimated $25 in damages, according to a report. Real Property Management, which owns the building, was going to send someone out to paint the door. Along with so many others, my family suffered from this tragedy, she told the crowd, as she recognized four of those family members that were in the audience. But Puerto Ricans have a lot of spirit. They have survived one of the worst hurricanes and are trying to get up and continue building to make Puerto Rico beautiful again. The question will be on a ballot for a special election, Ryfa said, as it cannot appear during a primary or general election. Two-thirds of voters will need to approve the measure for it to move forward, he said. The City of Gary and the citys Public Safety Division will join hundreds of cities across the nation in the observance of the annual National Night Out Against Crime from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Froebel Park, 15th Avenue and Madison Street. Designed to promote safety in the community and to send an anti-violence message to those that commit crime, the event also provides an opportunity for the community and public safety personnel to establish relationships and to build alliances against crime. The evening will feature an age friendly environment with activities for both seniors and children, as well as music, food, health and fitness demos and safety tips. Community organizations, the faith community, clubs and businesses are welcome to distribute information at the event by participating as a vendor. Vendor applications are available at City Hall, 401 Broadway, or at www.gary.in.us or teamgaryindiana.com. Sponsorship and vendor information is at 219-881-1314 or at 219-881-1214. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) The country's premiere state university will not be extending the deadline for application, despite the throng of people that lined up Monday. A video clip shared by the Philippine Collegian on Twitter said as many as 10,000 senior high school students trooped to the University of the Philippines Diliman's registrar's office to file their University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) forms. Monday was the deadline set by the university for private school students in Metro Manila to submit their applications. Parents and students began arriving at the campus the night before to beat the deadline. The crowd had swelled by the time the registrar's office opened and people began pushing their way to the front of the line. There were reports of people fainting due to the heat and size of the crowd. Despite the day's events, a statement released by the Philippine Collegian said the UP Office of Admissions would not be extending the deadline. Dropboxes would instead would be provided for students to leave their forms, it added. "Those remaining in line at the University Registrar will still be accommodated, while submissions via courier today will also still be accepted, according to the Office of Admissions," it said. Social media lit up with comments about the crowd of applicants. One even called the experience "traumatizing." the upcat application was traumatizing. mog (@icedcoffeemaker) July 30, 2018 But there were expressions of gratitude and hope from those who were able to get their test permits. Got my UPCAT Test Permit Gab (@iamgabriellleee) July 30, 2018 Students from public schools from the National Capital Region can still submit their UPCAT forms until August 3, while students from private and public schools from other regions have until August 10 to submit their UPCAT forms. The City of Gary will partner with Community HealthNet Health Centers, Covering Kids and Families of Indiana and other health agencies to host the Back 2 School Health Fair and Giveaway from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 11 at Gary SouthShore RailCats, 1 Stadium Plaza, Gary. The event is open to all Gary students in grades K-12 and will include health-related services such as immunizations, physicals (limited) and dental screenings. Health and nutrition information and on-site enrollment for health coverage also will be available. Parents are asked to bring immunization records and school physical forms. Those interested in insurance enrollment should bring photo IDs, birth certificates and social security cards for all family members and proof of income (30 days). In addition, haircuts and manicures will be offered, as well as backpacks, school supplies and school uniforms. Registration is required to receive uniforms at https://b2sjogary.wixsite.com/uniforms. More information is at 219-886-8980 or at ckfindiana.org/coalitions/lake. Perkins was there shortly before 9 p.m. that day, Harper said, adding by around 9:20 p.m., she had reported that Tamira was missing to police and had been looking for the girl. The charging documents state that a neighbor told police she and other residents of the apartment complex searched for the girl for about an hour before Perkins called authorities. Garza's friend, an injured soldier, had recently returned home, he said. Because the two like to work on cars and trucks together, he decided to take him for a ride in the Hellcat to distract him from his troubles, he said. It is no stretch, then, to imagine Trump lying about whether he knew in advance about the meeting he then lied about. In fact, that would be perfectly in character. Sometimes it is hard to understand why Trump bothers to lie, when the truth is so provable and obvious. But often Trump's lies simply reflect the primitive instinct of the cornered toddler with chocolate smeared on his face, insisting that he had not just raided the cookie jar. When police responded to a report of shots fired around 11:05 p.m. in the 3300 block of West Touhy Avenue, a male was found with a gunshot wound. He has not been identified by police. The proposed legislation also would make it easier for people to get in on the marijuana boom by creating inexpensive small-business licenses and making them available to people with drug convictions. Its not fair, Peoples-Stokes said, for people who got in trouble for handling pot in the past to now get shut out of the legal industry. For whatever reason, investors in China may be faced with the decision to cease their companys operations. Economic circumstances change rapidly, and the business assumptions that underlie the initial investment may have proven to be flawed. In such a situation, it may be tempting to simply walk away from the entity in China and cut ones losses. For a variety of reasons, this can be ill-advised. The Chinese government imposes severe sanctions on investors who do not properly deregister their company, including barring companies and individuals from doing business in China. For investors with future prospects still open in terms of doing business in China, it is beneficial to carry out the company deregistration in a legally compliant and structured manner. Here, we answer six common questions foreign investors often have during the WFOE deregistration process in China. 1. Are there alternative options to WFOE deregistration? Yes. For a company looking to end operations in China, other than deregistering the company or simply walking away, a company may choose to explore the option of selling the company. However, if a company may want to continue operations at a later point, the company should consider reducing operations while continuing to meet statutory company requirements, such as maintenance of an office lease and corporate bank account, tax filings, and annual reporting and inspections at a reduced level. 2. Why does it take so long to deregister a company? Tax deregistration is the main culprit. The longest and perhaps most difficult part of the deregistration process is usually the tax closure process. Before deregistering with other government authorities, a company will first need to complete a tax deregistration with both the state and local tax bureaus where tax authorities will be looking to see that all taxes have been paid correctly and in full. This process, both at the local and state tax bureau, takes roughly six months for a WFOE to complete. However, the process can take considerably longer if unpaid taxes or other irregularities are found. If so, the company may be required to submit additional documentation, settle any unpaid or incorrectly filed taxes, and/or pay late payment surcharges and/or penalties. This can be particularly frustrating as tax filings that were previously reviewed and accepted while the company was in operation will again be reviewed and can be found to have irregularities, which will then need to be settled with the tax authorities. This point, in particular, underscores how important it is to have a competent and experienced accounting team or accounting service provider in place. 3. How will assets be handled during the WFOE deregistration process, and what is the role of the liquidation committee? These will generally either be liquidated, or transferred to the shareholders. A liquidation committee is formed to liquidate the assets. The timing and method of asset disposal will largely depend on the type of assets and the situation of the company. Early on in the WFOE deregistration process, a liquidation committee, consisting of all shareholders, will need to be formed. Once formed, the liquidation committee will be responsible for preparation of the balance sheet and a detailed list of all assets, properties evaluation, and formulation and implementation of a company liquidation plan, including liquidation of assets. Assets include intellectual property. The liquidation committee will also be responsible for a number of other matters concerning the WFOE deregistration process, including notifications to creditors and the preparation of the liquidation report to submit to authorities. Here, it should be noted that a company should refrain from paying back creditors, until the liquidation plan has been made and approved by the board of shareholders. 4. What are the core maintenance issues investors should consider during the deregistration process? Tax filing and business license compliance requirements. Even after the official deregistration date of the company, a company will still need to continue to file taxes until the official tax deregistration process has been completed with both the local and state tax bureaus. Additionally, until the official deregistration certificate has been issued by the AIC, a company will be required to maintain a valid business license and office lease during the deregistration process. 5. What are common tax noncompliance issues? Dierent issues can be raised by local and state tax authorities. During the local tax deregistration process, authorities will review company contracts, accounting vouchers, and employee IIT payments. Common noncompliance issues cited by the tax bureau include unpaid stamp taxes on contracts as well as unpaid or improperly calculated employee IIT. State tax authorities on the other hand will be looking to review tax filing reports and financial reports. Common noncompliance issues cited by the state tax bureau will typically be related to variances between bookkeeping, reporting, and tax filings, so a company will need to be able to explain these variances should they be challenged by the state tax bureau. Having annual tax audit reports may help in this process and, depending on the requirements of tax authorities, a three-year tax clearance audit report will often be required, though not all tax bureaus will require this. 6. What if the company lease or business license expires during WFOE deregistration? Penalties can be imposed, so investors should make sure to stay in full legal compliance until the entity is closed. Under Chinese law, for deregistration noncompliance in these areas, a WFOE may be liable for penalties ranging from RMB 30,000 (US$4,400) to RMB 100,000 (US$14,663), though enforcement of these penalties is left broadly to the discretion of local authorities. Given that the period of validity for a WFOE business license is quite long, this is typically not an issue during the deregistration process. However, for maintaining a valid lease agreement during the deregistration process, a company is advised to plan ahead and weigh the costs of maintaining a lease agreement against potential penalties. To reduce costs of maintaining a valid lease agreement, the company may want to consider moving to a smaller, cheaper office if they will not require their current office space during the deregistration process. Speaking with the landlord about possibly negotiating a cheaper rental fee is an additional option. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, and their allies at the House of Representatives held a lunch meeting in a hotel in Quezon City Monday. This comes a week after the sudden change in House leadership that ousted Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez in favor of Arroyo. It was just a "thank you lunch," Arroyo said. She said there was no agenda in the event. Negros Occidental Representative and PDP-Laban member Albee Benitez said Arroyo just told them, "Let's get back to work and support the President's legislative agenda." He added those at the meeting agreed to maintain the satus quo. "Isa sa mga napagusapan [One of the things discussed] is that all positions in the House will remain with their respective parties. So kung aalis sila, eh baka mawalan sila ng posisyon. Pero sa ngayon wala pa [So if they leave, they might lose their position. But for now, no one has left]," he said. It was not clear who organized the event, but Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez, another Arroyo ally, said the presidential daughter was behind it. "It's a thank you for supporting her in her appeal to support GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo). Yun lang talaga, wala nang iba [That's it, there's nothing more to it]," said Suarez. Suarez added the Mayor convened the heads of national political parties and party list groups at another meeting. He declined to say what the meeting was about, or whether it had something to do with plans of building a coalition for the 2019 midterm elections. CNN Philippines tried to reach Mayor Duterte to comment on the affair, but she only said "no comment." Exquisite products such as chalcedony from Madagascar, ebony carvings from Ghana and brands used by British royal families were featured at the recently concluded Belt and Road Brand Expo in Shanghai. A platform for companies to explore China and the global market, the expo was held in Shanghai from June 29 to July 1. Co-organized by the Shanghai branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Chamber of International Commerce Shanghai, the event attracted more than 200 companies. This year's event occupied an area of 15,000 square meters at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, and presented national specialties and folk culture products from 43 countries and the regions of Hong Kong and Taiwan. The products and services featured at the exhibition included food and beverage, lifestyle, tourism and culture, sport and health, as well as investment and trade. "We hope to export more products to the Chinese market, and also hope to have a closer relationship with China not only in trade but also in tourism and other sectors," said Ulugbekov Azizbek, consul of the Consulate General of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Shanghai. Lin Hui, a Chinese representative for a French wine brand, said that the expo is a good platform that allows participants to enter the Chinese market. "I want my compatriots to have the chance to taste the delicious, safe and cost-effective wine through the platform. Chinese people now have a higher acceptance of foreign products than before," he said. The expo also featured cultural performances including traditional song and dance, and instrumental performances from Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Serbia. In addition, about 20 promotional roadshows and more than 130 trade interactions among exhibitors took place during the event, including crystal appreciation, food and wine tasting, and hand painting activities. Ren Xiangyu, 18, said she visited the expo after reading an article on WeChat. "I love these featured products from different countries and want them all, but some of them are not cheap," said Ren. Shao Qiufang, 60, attended the event with her friends and bought Brazilian beef jerky and fruit jams from Bulgaria for about 300 yuan ($45). She said that people of her age were focusing on food and other daily products while younger people were more attracted by fashion products and handicrafts. You are here: Arts A series of cultural events will be held during an international theater arts exchange month program in Fuzhou city in east China's Jiangxi Province from Sept. 28 to the end of October. Performing groups from Russia, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Canada and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will present their work. "The exchange was designed to promote communication, friendship and business cooperation between Jiangxi and the world," said Wu Zhongqiong, vice governor of Jiangxi Province. The exchange month program was named after Tang Xianzu, a prominent Ming dynasty playwright born in Fuzhou and a contemporary of William Shakespeare, active in the late 16th to early 17th century. In China, Tang is considered one of the three masters who died in the same year, along with Shakespeare and Spanish writer Cervantes. Recital competitions and singing games of works by Tang, Shakespeare and Cervantes will also be held. Artist Li Renping has dedicated more than four decades of his life to revitalizing Nixing pottery that dates back 1,300 years. [Photo provided to China Daily] Li Renping has come a long way-from an apprentice to an established artist, thanks to Nixing pottery that he lives and breathes. Li Renping wipes the sweat from his forehead as he walks in from the sweltering interior of the Nixing Pottery Museum in early July. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the museum that Li and his friends set up in 2007 features the history, culture and production of Nixing pottery that has a history dating back more than 1,300 years. The pottery uses two types of local clay that are mixed to a certain ratio, which ensures a hard and compact texture combined with a smooth-looking surface. Wearing a casual outfit and a pair of brown plastic sandals, the 72-year-old has an unadorned earthy quality that doesn't do justice to the many honors piled on him over the years, including a national applied arts master and an inheritor of national intangible culture. Li was evidently more in his element when he sat down and talked to China Daily about Nixing pottery, an art form he has committed more than four decades of his life to developing. One of the charms of Nixing pottery is that the colors emerge during the firing process without any additional pigment, he explains. "You can see many colors in transition, from a black-green to bronze and then to a purplish red," Li says. The pottery has no toxins, doesn't require glazing like porcelain and retains its natural small pores that can allow the air to permeate while still holding water. "You could use it as a flowerpot and it wouldn't smell for years," Li adds. A love of painting and sculpting predisposed Li to learn the art of Nixing pottery-making back in the 1970s. Companies that endanger public health would be forced to delist The China Securities Regulatory Commission announced it has amended the rules on the delisting criteria of A-share listed companies, and experts are saying this will improve governance and crack down on speculative activity. "China's securities regulator has specified corporate behaviors that will trigger delisting from stock exchanges in the revised rules, which will make compulsory delisting more doable and improve the efficiency of delisting processes," said Dong Dengxin, a finance professor at Wuhan University of Science and Technology. "The country is tightening governance to clean up the corporate sector and promote the healthy development of the Chinese stock market," Dong said. He added that the move will deter companies in related industries from violating laws and regulations and encourage them to be more vigilant in self-regulation, thus raising management skills and the quality of products. The regulatory commission announced in a statement Friday night that A-share listed companies could be suspended or delisted for fraud, failing to disclose significant information and engaging in activities that harm national security, public safety, workplace safety, the environment or public health. Under the previous regulations, published in 2014, companies could face delisting only for "major violations of law". Li Shuguang, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law, said that harming public health was added to the list of offenses in response to the recent vaccine scandal, which set off a public uproar and discussion on whether Changsheng Bio-Technology Co should be delisted. The Shenzhen-listed vaccine-maker was accused of selling 252,600 doses of a substandard vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus, as well as tampering with production data for its rabies vaccine. Local police have requested warrants to arrest 18 of the company's executives, according to the police statement on Sunday. Hong Hao, the chief strategist at BOCOM International Holdings Co, said that it was to crack down on speculative activities that the regulatory commission amended the delisting rules. "Previously, speculators would seek some listed companies with poor performances for a backdoor listing, but that will be much more difficult now," Hong said. The China Securities Regulatory Commission also said stock exchanges must be prepared to suspend or delist companies involved in major illegal activities. The Shenzhen Stock Exchange vowed on Sunday to strictly apply the amended and updated delisting rules. In particular, it promised to delist each and every company that seriously endangers market order and the public interest causing a significant social impact. Foreign investors will play a bigger role in driving Beijing's property investment market this year due to their increasing financing activities in Asia, industry experts said. In its largest-ever fundraising activity, US private equity firm Blackstone raised $7.1 billion to invest in real estate across Asia, including the Beijing realty market. UK-based real estate asset manager AEW Capital Management also announced that it had raised $1.2 billion for an Asia-Pacific property fund that includes Beijing as a target market. "As foreign investors become more active in Asia, we expect to see them buy more assets in China, especially Beijing," said Michael Wang, head of capital markets for North China in JLL. "Meanwhile, as the financing conditions tighten for domestic players this year, foreign investors will have a bigger chance than before." Postal Savings Bank of China, for instance, has purchased the new Everbright Center at Tongzhou area of Beijing for 4 billion yuan ($597 million), the highest profile transaction in the capital during the second quarter. The performance of Beijing's bulk property investment market in the first half of 2018 was flat, with only 14 transactions amounting to 10.2 billion yuan, a 50 percent year-on-year decrease, according to a report from Savills. That said, institutional investors are still eyeing Beijing's real estate opportunities, especially those that are scarce in high-quality locations or those that have stable rental returns, according to Savills. According to Wang from JLL, the volume of institutions' investments in Beijing's property this year will probably exceed last year's 25 billion yuan. In the first half of 2018, institutional investors have recorded a total of 11 full sale transactions in Beijing's property market, valued more than 8 billion yuan, according to an industry report from Colliers International. Although investors are most interested in office buildings, the actual transactions mainly center on the hotel and retail segments, accounting for 42 percent and 31 percent of the total transaction volume respectively, Colliers International's report said. In the second half of this year, more tradable assets will surface and more block trade activities could be expected due to the tightening of domestic liquidity and the improvement in macroeconomic factors, according to Colliers International. Tradable properties will be mainly in non-core areas, and old projects with renovation potential in central areas will also attract sustained attention from investors, Colliers International's report said. An international arbitration court was launched on Sunday in the southern-most island province of Hainan. The Hainan Court of International Arbitration, the second after Shenzhen, came three and a half months after a decision to develop Hainan as a free trade zone. Shi Wen, head of the Hainan Arbitration Commission, said that no less than one third of the court's council members would be from overseas, to win confidence in the independence and fairness of the institution. The court in Hainan will establish two centers, one for maritime arbitration and the other for financial arbitration. The two centers will help promote sea trade and maritime resources development and utilization and tackle financial disputes and risks, Shi said. You are here: China Police in northeast China's Jilin Province on Sunday requested approval for arresting 18 suspects involved in a vaccine scandal. The police said an investigation of vaccine maker, Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Limited, found evidence that the company had illegally produced rabies vaccines for human use. The suspects, all from the company including its board chairperson surnamed Gao, are suspected of producing and selling substandard medicine. According to China's criminal law, the police have submitted arrest document for approval by the procuratorate. A hearing of the case is underway. Beijing recorded a steady growth of fiscal revenue in the first half of the year, with the general public budget revenue totaling 325.33 billion yuan (US$47.74 billion), up by 7.2 percent, according to a report released on July 26. According to the report from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Finance, the city's general public budget expenditure and government-managed fund were 366.78 billion yuan and 101.35 billion yuan, up by 10 percent and 9.3 percent respectively. The state capital operations budget revenue increased by 286.2 percent to 4.94 billion yuan, and the social security fund revenue reached 194.55 billion yuan, up by 12.8 percent, according to the report. The report says the city's tax revenue also picked up thanks to a steady increase of average income and corporate revenue. In the first half of this year, highly advanced businesses have become the biggest driving force for fiscal revenue increase, according to the report. Information service and technology service industries kept a strong momentum, contributing to 53.1 percent of the city's overall fiscal revenue growth, and the 25,000 hi-tech companies in Zhongguancun also contributed up to 46.1 percent of the city's revenue growth. A part of the fiscal revenue has been used in relocating Beijing's non-essential functions to other areas as well as the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Specifically, the city spent 2.7 billion yuan relocating or upgrading education and medical resources, and 6.54 billion on major infrastructure programs like the new airport expressway and the Nanyuan Airport. To boost innovation-driven development, Beijing spent 21.78 billion yuan on the National Venture Capital Guide Fund for Emerging Industries. On the environmental front, the city spent around 6.93 billion yuan on air quality improvement, 8.1 billion in tackling water pollution, and 14.35 billion yuan on afforestation. Other major areas of spending included urban management, education, and other public welfares. According to the report, the Chinese capital implemented various tax-reduction policies in the first half of 2018 and introduced a package of policies to simplify tax procedures and improve the business environment. The city reported a total tax reduction of 3 billion yuan. For the rest of the year, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Finance will work to complete the annual revenue and expenditure targets, carry on the income tax reform, improve the quality and performance of fiscal expenditure, and prevent financial risks in its operations. A father from Shandong province whose newborn daughter died in a hospital has been sentenced to death for killing the doctor who treated her. Chen Jianli, 30, was convicted of the intentional homicide of pediatrician Li Baohua at Laiwu Intermediate People's Court. "He stabbed the doctor to vent his anger in a public place and used cruel means to kill innocent medical personnel, resulting in great harm to people's personal safety and a negative social impact. We have given him the death penalty," the court said in a statement on Sunday. The killer has also been deprived of his political rights, it added. Chen's daughter was born in a hospital in Laiwu in February 2016. The baby developed a fever the next day and was transferred to the pediatric ward for treatment, but she died, the court said. Prosecutors said the father blamed Li and the hospital for the death, and he sought compensation from both on numerous occasions. When he failed, he decided to get revenge, the court said. One morning in October 2016, Chen rode a motorcycle to the hospital. On the way he stopped to buy a machete, which he hid in his green canvas bag. Once at the hospital, he went directly to the pediatric ward on the fifth floor and found Li in a break room. He questioned Li about his daughter's death and the compensation issue. When the doctor did not reply, Chen took out the machete and struck Li in the head as the doctor was answering a phone call. Li died at the scene, and Chen was detained by police in the hospital. In recent days, a number of violent attacks on doctors have occurred across the country, attracting attention from the public and media. Judicial authorities say they have ramped up efforts to punish assailants and have taken a zero-tolerance attitude toward such crimes. Last week, the Supreme People's Court held a meeting about judicial reform in which it was decided that people who violently target medical personnel, or who are involved in activities that endanger food or drug safety, will be severely punished. "In China, lots of patients face difficulties in seeing doctors and paying medical fees," said Li Wei, a lawyer with the Beijing Lawyers Association. "Patients and doctors don't have enough trust in each other, which contributes to the high incidence of violence targeting medical personnel. "Authorities should adopt comprehensive measures and take the time needed to solve the problem thoroughly," she said. Lu Wei, former deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was charged with taking bribes, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Monday. The Municipal People's Procuratorate of Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang province filed the case to the Intermediate People's Court of Ningbo recently. Lu was charged with taking advantage of his own positions and using other officials to seek profits for others as well as accepting a huge amount of money and property. The SPP also announced the prosecution of two other former officials, Mo Jiancheng, former chief of the disciplinary inspection team sent by the CCDI to the Ministry of Finance, and Zhang Jiehui, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress. Both Mo and Zhang were charged with taking advantage of their positions and using other officials to seek profits for others and accepting a huge amount of money and property. Mo's case was filed by a branch of the Municipal People's Procuratorate of Beijing to the No. 1 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing, while Zhang was prosecuted by the Municipal People's Procuratorate of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province and will be taken to the Intermediate People's Court of Taiyuan. Prosecutors have informed the defendants of their rights, interviewed them and heard their lawyers' opinions, the SPP said. (CNN) There are "serious indications of arson" in one of several Greek wildfires that killed more than 80 people this week, authorities said Thursday. Nikos Toskas, deputy minister for citizen protection, said the belief is based on satellite images and ground inspections by police and fire officials at the scene of a deadly blaze that started in the town of Penteli in east Attica. More than 15 fires broke out on three fronts in that part of southern Greece on Monday afternoon, according to government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos, who described the challenge to firefighters as unprecedented. The mayor of the municipality where more than 80 people lost their lives to wildfires has admitted that mistakes were made in the response to the crisis, telling CNN that no evacuation order was given and that the scale of the fire was "underestimated." Vagelis Bournos, mayor of Rafina-Pikermi, said that although weather conditions including very strong winds had played a major role, human error was partly to blame for the deaths, citing the lack of a warning as well as longer-term problems including poor urban planning and the impact on public services of years of austerity. "We might have had less victims with a well-organized evacuation plan but when the fire began in the municipality of Penteli there was no evacuation order for the east part (of Attica) because of the direction of the wind," Bournos told CNN in an interview Wednesday, adding: "The fire was underestimated." But the mayor also defended the decision not to evacuate Mati and the surrounding coastal villages, where hundreds of homes were gutted in the blaze that tore through the area Monday. "Citizens do not follow evacuation plans but they stay behind to protect their households," he said. "Of course there is anger due to the fact that there are victims. But the same people who are angry now, when the evacuation order would have been issued, they would have stayed back and tried to protect their houses. So victims would still be there, a smaller number, but still." A number of bodies were found in cars and close to the sea, however, suggesting that many residents did attempt to flee. Hundreds more made it to the beaches and rocky coastline, some waiting in the sea for hours before being rescued. Demetres Karavellas, director general of WWF Greece, which has warned for years of the deadly threat posed by wildfires and often advises local authorities on how to regenerate areas after fires, described the mayor's reasoning as "a lame excuse." "People were trying to leave, people were trying to get out," he told CNN on Thursday. Bournos admitted that there was a window of time in which an evacuation order could have been issued, but it was missed. By the time the blaze was close to Mati, "practically, there could not have been an evacuation," he said. "The decision would have had to have been made a couple of hours earlier." "We could have made better decisions for sure," he said. 'An accident waiting to happen' Bournos' admissions also suggest a lack of coordination in the response, which Karavellas said is a chronic problem across Greece. "Coordination has always been an issue," he said. "We saw this in the wildfires of 2007 which was the last fire that had such a high death toll. Back then, we saw the same situation we see now -- a problem of coordination when the fire breaks out: no evacuation plan in place and nobody centrally coordinating." A Mati resident who did not want to be named out of fear he would get in trouble with the local authorities told CNN on Wednesday that locals had been requesting preparedness plans for wildfires for several years to no avail. "This was an accident waiting to happen," he said. Bournos confirmed that residents had made such requests and said that plans had been produced by local volunteer firefighting organizations, but only for smaller-scale scenarios. Escape routes blocked The geography of Mati and the surrounding area is also emerging as a key factor in the high death toll. Many houses were built haphazardly and with little regulation in forested areas and were therefore extremely vulnerable as fire ripped through the dry woodland, which consisted mostly of highly flammable pine trees. Added to that, roads in the area are narrow and unsuited for large numbers of cars, according to Bournos. "We are talking about a densely populated area that was built without any urban planning," Bournos said. "Streets were not designed for such heavy traffic ... four thousand households and their residents tried to use streets that couldn't fit them all in." Residents spoke of being unable to leave the area by car as the fire approached because of congested roads. Photographs taken later showed streets blocked by abandoned, burned-out cars, some with doors left open, suggesting people who were unable to drive out of Mati had decided to flee on foot instead. Asked if authorities would be more prepared in the future if a similar fire were to hit the Mati area again, Bournos said, "There is nothing left to be burned now. Nature and houses have been totally destroyed. We are here, committed to rebuilding everything the way it was, but now with infrastructure." Lack of firefighting resources Bournos cited the lack of sufficient firefighting forces as a problem. A second set of fires that broke out almost simultaneously in Kineta, around 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Mati on Attica's western coast, drew resources, Bournos said, leaving fewer available to fight the flames in eastern areas. He also blamed the national austerity policies of the last few years, which have resulted in cuts to all public services. But both Bournos and Karavellas cite the unusually extreme weather conditions that contributed to Monday's disaster -- high temperatures, strong westerly winds (a rare phenomenon in the region) and a dry winter that created tinderbox conditions. As the global climate continues to change, this type of fire will become more likely, Karavellas warned. According to a recent study by the National Observatory of Athens (NCAA) and reported by WWF, in the period 2021 to 2050, the number of high wildfire risk days per year is expected to increase by 30, particularly in the eastern part of the country. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Greece wildfires: 'Serious indications of arson,' minister says." Flash Chifeng in Inner Mongolia aims to lift its profile as a tourism destination by hosting international events, says Yang Guang, vice-director of the local commission of tourism development. On July 14, more than 600 travelers departed from a square in the downtown of Chifeng to take part in the city's second self-drive festival - a four-day trip to stone forests, lakes, water-meadows and grasslands using bikes, motorcycles, automobiles and recreational vehicles. Wang Yongsheng, 47, a Beijing motorcyclist says self-driving tours are a practical way to travel on the vast expanse of grassland. And that this allows him to fully enjoy the special landscape of Inner Mongolia. He adds that it is relatively safe to travel with such a big group. The past year has witnessed 50 self-drive clubs organizing group tours to Chifeng. And Over 60 percent of the 9.4 million tourists to the area in the first half of this year chose self-drive tours, according to the local tourism bureau. That's why the local government is sparing no effort to develop the city into a resort for self-drive travelers. Putuo Mountain, sitting on a small island of Zhoushan Archipelago, is one of the greatest Buddhist mountains in China. As it is a sacred place of Avalokitesvara, or Bodhisattva Guanyin, travelers can easily absorb the unique culture through the sculpture, books, drawings, stone carvings and architecture style which can be found there. There are more than 200 temples on the mountain, with Puji, Fayu and Huiji being the largest and most famous. Every year on the 19th day of the second, sixth and ninth months (believed to be the Birthday, Bodhi Day and Leaving Home Day of Guanyin) in the traditional Chinese calendar, thousands of believers and visitors go to Putuo to celebrate and pray.[China.org.cn] Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth during his friendly visit to the country in Port Louis, Mauritius, July 28, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua] President Xi Jinping arrived in Beijing on Sunday after wrapping up a visit to the Middle East and Africa his first overseas trip after being re-elected president in March. The visit opens new prospects for South-South cooperation a phrase used to describe ties between emerging economies and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, said State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During his 11-day trip, Xi paid state visits to the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa and made a friendly visit to Mauritius during a stopover. He also attended the 10th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. Xi's visit to the UAE is his first to the country, and the first visit by a Chinese head of state in 29 years. During the visit, the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership, and they signed a memorandum of understanding on implementing the Belt and Road Initiative. Xi's UAE visit is living proof of China's constructive policy toward Arab states, Wang said. During his African tour, Xi said that no matter how the international situation changes, China will continue to uphold its African policy backed by concepts of sincerity, concrete results, affinity and good faith. During the visit, China and the four African nations agreed to bolster the alignments of their development strategies and further tap their economic strengths. Senegal and Rwanda signed memorandums of understanding with China on the Belt and Road Initiative, and Mauritius reached agreement with China to sign the cooperation accord on the initiative at an early date. Senegal is the first West African country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China, and it is expected to have a leading effect in the region, said Wang. During his visit, Xi and his African hosts saw the signing of some 40 cooperation documents, he added. At every stop along his African tour, Xi was given grand welcome ceremonies by the governments and was received with exceptional hospitality by the local people, which is valid proof that China's role in Africa is by no means neocolonial in nature, Wang said. While addressing the BRICS Business Forum in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Xi said the next 10 years will be a crucial time in which new global growth drivers will take the place of old ones. Xi called for building an open economy, rejecting unilateralism and protectionism, and boosting international exchanges and cooperation in innovation. The Johannesburg summit has yielded fruitful outcomes, with the BRICS countries confirming they would forge a partnership in the new industrial revolution. The establishment of such a partnership will become a flagship project that will push forward cooperation among the BRICS countries, Wang said. The BRICS summit also invited other developing countries including other emerging economies and African nations to participate in the "BRICS Plus" dialogue on Friday, further expanding BRICS' circle of friends and strengthening the partnerships between BRICS members and African countries, Wang added. It has been a historic visit during which China has strengthened strategic cooperation with developing countries and emerging economies, Wang said. Flash The Iranians can pass through the current "critical" stage in the face of revamped U.S. sanctions, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday. Washington is addicted to sanctions, and a review of "the history of U.S. foreign relations shows that this country has imposed the most sanctions on the majority of countries," Zarif was quoted as saying by Press TV. He drew upon the U.S. threat of sanctions snap-back against Iran, saying that Iran will be able to improve the situation as "the world stands with us and we should use this opportunity." "We can turn pressures into an increase in national production and non-oil exports and show the Americans that they should abandon" their approach of sanctioning, he said. U.S. sanctions on Iran will snap back in August and November, a move after American withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal on May 8. The first part of the sanctions will snap back on August 6. These sanctions will include targeting Iran's automotive sector, trade in gold, and other key metals. The remaining sanctions will snap back on November 4. These sanctions will include targeting Iran's energy sector and petroleum-related transactions, and transactions with the Central Bank of Iran. Washington's withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear deal was criticized across the world. Some of its major European allies have been working to prevent the 2015 deal from falling apart. Iran said that European countries will soon offer a package to protect Iran's interests in accordance with the 2015 deal. Flash At least 15 villagers were taken hostage by gunmen who attacked Maradun area of Nigeria's northwestern state of Zamfara over the weekend, a local official said on Monday. Speaker of the state parliament Sanusi Rikiji told Xinhua by telephone that the whereabouts of the victims remained unknown following the gunmen's attack. Recently, at least 18 villages and towns across more than three districts in the state have been taken over by gunmen, said Rikiji. He said there was a need for the security situation in the state to be seriously reviewed. "Security agencies should do more to deploy enough security personnel in Zamfara; we need permanent security stations in the affected area," Rikiji said. The Nigerian government on Sunday announced the deployment of more than 1,000 army personnel to curb the spate of attack in Zamfara. CRJM anunta concurs de selectare a unei companii sau persoane fizice care sa presteze servicii de traducere scrisa July 30, 2018 Five years after first emailing NASA about designing spacesuits, streetwear designer Heron Preston is a step closer to fashion's final frontier. Preston, who has worked with Nike and Kanye West, said in a 2013 interview with The New York Times that his dream collaboration was with NASA. He has now launched an outerwear line that takes cues from the space agency's visual history on its 60th anniversary. "I think one of the first exciting moments of working with NASA was just getting a reply that they were open to doing to the project with me," said Preston in a video released with his new collection. The capsule, which includes jackets, hoodies, t-shirts and caps, features the iconic "worm" logotype used by NASA between 1976 and 1992. "There were a lot of color guidelines I had to follow, a lot of copy I had to follow," said Preston, referring to the rules NASA established in 2017 for the reintroduction of the "worm" on commercial apparel and merchandise. The space agency's rules restricted reproduction of the worm to red, gray, white or black print and it could not be outlined or appear inside another logo or shape. Preston even went beyond NASA's own concerns by placing his creations into the proper timeline. "This is the Fall/Winter 2018 collection, but it says 'Fall/Winter 1990' in respect to the actual time that the logo was actually used," Preston explained. "1990 was one of the last years they could use the 'N-A-S-A' logo." In addition to the worm, Preston's designs also incorporate the American flag and a printed statement describing NASA's purpose, as established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 29, 1958, and later summarized by Wikipedia: "The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautical aerospace research." The collection, which went on sale on Preston's website and at fashion retailers on Friday (July 27), also includes a silver denim jacket reminiscent of the silvery pressure suits worn by the original Mercury astronauts, NASA-worm emblazoned socks and belt, and a backpack styled after the portable life support system worn by Apollo and later astronauts. "I designed the entire collection based on their spacesuits and so I did a bunch of research," said Preston. "These guys are going up to space to push humanity into the future." "You have to move around a lot, you have to be able to hold tools, and so that is why the bag is designed to be multi-convertible, multi-functional into three parts," he added. "It is a tote bag, the fanny pack and then it is also a backpack all in one. And it is designed in the shape of a square, which is just like the backpacks that astronauts wear when they do spacewalks." The backpack, which as of Sunday (July 29) was sold out, retailed for $1,342. The other items range from $85 for the socks to $1,897 for a white "NASA Tech" parka. Above the Clouds. Click to enlarge and view in a new window. (Heron Preston) To promote the capsule, Preston and producer David Laven premiered "Above the Clouds," a short film that culminates in the designer sending some of the new NASA logo-emblazoned apparel on a weather balloon-lofted flight to 32 miles (50 kilometers) above Earth. "The original dream was to shoot this literally on the International Space Station, styled on a real astronaut. I feel like this is one step closer to that," Preston said in the film. Though this is not the first time a fashion designer has taken cues from the space program, the theme is still uncommon. "Working with NASA, the real agency that have sent people to space, to have sent people to the moon, that explores planets, this is as real as it can get. That is what I'm using my platform for, to tell other stories that you don't really hear in fashion," said Preston. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Deafness is a result of an impairment in the ear or damage to the nerves associated with hearing. The causes for these defect include congenital defects, injuries, diseases, side effects of medications, age-related factors, and exposure to loud noise. Audiology devices are assistive tools that help enhance hearing ability of patients. These devices vary on the basis of size, shape, features, and hearing conditions. These devices are aimed towards diagnostic purposes as well as for the treatment of impairments associated with hearing. Advancements in technology related to these devices such as PC-based audiometers and hybrid audiometers can easily be integrated with standard computers and operating systems, resulting in improved diagnostic performance and treatment decisions. This in turn, is expected to boost growth of the global audiology devices market in the near future. Get PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/1008 Deafness is a result of an impairment in the ear or damage to the nerves associated with hearing. The causes for these defect include congenital defects, injuries, diseases, side effects of medications, age-related factors, and exposure to loud noise. Audiology devices are assistive tools that help enhance hearing ability of patients. These devices vary on the basis of size, shape, features, and hearing conditions. These devices are aimed towards diagnostic purposes as well as for the treatment of impairments associated with hearing. Advancements in technology related to these devices such as PC-based audiometers and hybrid audiometers can easily be integrated with standard computers and operating systems, resulting in improved diagnostic performance and treatment decisions. This in turn, is expected to boost growth of the global audiology devices market in the near future. North America to dominate the global audiology devices market, owing to significant investments in research and development of innovate models North America is the leading geographical region in the global audiology devices market, owing to the presence of majority of key players as well as rampant development in audiology technology in the region. Asia Pacific is expected to witness maximum growth over the forecast period, owing to incorporation of various initiatives in the healthcare sector by regional government bodies and private organizations. For instance, World Wide Healing, a non-profit organization, provides hearing treatment to the poor in emerging economies of Asia. The organization provides new digital hearing aids shipped from manufacturers in North America and Europe. Furthermore, growing healthcare sector and growing awareness regarding hearing assistance among the populace is expected to favor growth of the audiology devices market in Asia Pacific. Ask for TOC : https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/1008 Market Taxonomy: On the basis of device type, the global audiology devices market is segmented into: Cochlear Implants Diagnostic Devices Tympanometers Octoscopes Audiometers Bone-anchored Hearing Aids Technological Healing Aids Digital Hearing Aids Analog Hearing Aids Hearing Aids In-the-ear Hearing Aids (ITE) Receiver-in-the-ear hearing Aids (RITE) Behind-the-ear Hearing Aids (BTE) Canal Hearing Aids (CHA) Request for Discount Before Buying This Business Reports @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/1008 About Coherent Market Insights: Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity. Contact Us: Mr. Shah Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154 Tel: +12067016702 Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Until this weekend, not a lot of eyes were on Virginia's current congressional hopefuls, Democrat Leslie Cockburn (Olivia Wilde's mother, seriously!) and Republican Denver Riggleman. But the race now has the bewildered attention of the internet since Cockburn posted a scathing criticism of Riggleman on Twitter, accusing the man of being "a devotee of Bigfoot erotica." As evidence, Cockburn published screen grabs from Riggleman's now-locked Instagram account, showing several of his drawings of a very well-endowed hairy ape. The revelations are sure to cost Riggleman voters, given that Bigfoot's penis size is among one of the mostly hotly debated topics among amateur cryptozoologists. Continue Reading Below Advertisement These revelations of cryptid cravings aren't as random as supporters of Riggleman might want them to be. In 2006, he co-wrote a book titled Bigfoot Exterminators Inc.: The Partially Cautionary, Mostly True Tale Of Monster Hunt 2006, and the Instagram posts also include Riggleman (again) promoting his upcoming book Mating Habits Of Bigfoot And Why Women Want Him. For those in despair over the lack of progress on Brexit, as our political class trade blows and the entire process becomes bogged down in a quagmire of their making, there is a small corner of a government department that they can turn to for cheer. It is the office of Crawford Falconer, Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser at the Department of International Trade, a man of immense experience in such matters. And, in contrast to the doomsayers, his message about Brexit is one of almost unbounded optimism. Rather than get het up about every scintilla of the negotiating process, he insists on looking at the bigger picture, saying: Keep your eye on the end game. It is the office of Crawford Falconer, Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser at the Department of International Trade, a man of immense experience in such matters. And, in contrast to the doomsayers, his message about Brexit is one of almost unbounded optimism Thrive He is convinced that after a period of psychological and economic adjustment to being outside the EU, Britains fortunes will thrive. He cannot understand why people are so negative about our future, and says the world is begging to do trade deals with us. Some will scoff, of course, saying his upbeat comments are simply the pipedream of a pro-Brexit ideologue. But that could not be further from the truth. For Falconer is a man with 25 years of experience in international trade negotiations. He was New Zealands ambassador in Britain (although born in Scotland, he was brought up a Kiwi), as well as his adopted countrys permanent representative to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). His knowledge of the working of the Geneva-based organisation is crucial, considering its role trying to tear down trade barriers, lower tariffs and resolve commercial disputes between nations. Indeed, the fact is that if Britain leaves the EU without a deal, all our world trade relationships will be in the hands of the WTO. Yet his verdict on a post-Brexit Britain could not be more upbeat. The opportunities are enormous, he told the Sunday Times. There are so many, where do I start? In ten years, maybe even quicker, people will look back and say: Oh, why were we so negative about our future? Nor is his optimism dimmed by Mrs Mays Chequers deal. He believes that once outside the EU, whether after a soft or a hard Brexit, the Government will be much better placed than the doom-mongers behind Project Fear claim. He says well benefit from a change of direction not least because Brexit has forced businesses to focus on the potential of selling services and goods outside the EU. Indeed, his enthusiasm is so infectious it makes you think that if he was in charge of Brexit, the whole thing would be wrapped up by now. And far from being pie-in-the-sky, his reasoning is based on solid evidence. The Washington-based International Monetary Fund forecasts that over the next ten to 15 years almost all significant global growth will originate outside Europe. By 2020, Chinas middle class who are powerful engines of economic growth will have expanded to 600 million people. Indias already numbers up to 300 million. It is estimated there will be 1.1 billion African middle classes by 2060. Envied Those populations, Falconer explains, will be desperate for British services and goods. The world is the UKs oyster, he says. We produce the best professional services in the world. Our banks are the best in the world. Our insurance companies the most reliable. Our architects, our designers, our lawyers, our accountants: they are world-class. We have intellectual property rights to die for. It is these services that the fastest-growing economies in Asia and Africa crave. The world is begging for the UK to be able to trade with it. Well be pushing on an open door. He sees huge export opportunities in goods from cars to aircraft wings and foodstuffs. The world is crying out for protein and safe food generally. In East Asia, thats what they want. They dont trust their domestic production, with good reason. The UK makes world-class produce. We can now negotiate with countries in a way thats specifically tailored to getting our salmon and our venison on tables. For those in despair over the lack of progress on Brexit, as our political class trade blows and the entire process becomes bogged down in a quagmire of their making, there is a small corner of a government department that they can turn to for cheer Hes right. Even amid the present political stalemate, Britains exports of professional and financial services to the rest of the world (including the EU) climbed from 36.9 bn in the first quarter of 2017 to 37.8 bn in the same three months of this year. As well as a being a powerhouse for financial services, Britain is home to Europes top four research universities and dominates in sectors such as popular music, computer gaming, video and publishing. Were world-beaters in pharmaceutical and aerospace research. Our technology know-how is envied across the globe, with Chinese, Japanese and American digital firms constantly on the prowl to buy our leading innovative firms. In the past six months, Chinese firms have invested 1.7 bn in UK technology. Every businessman or woman worth their salt is fully aware of the opportunities available by exploiting this huge competitive advantage. And Dr Liam Fox and his Department of International Trade colleagues are determined to do so. Post-Brexit, they argue, Britain can take advantage of all this. Of course, following two world wars, Britain has benefited hugely in economic terms by sharing trade interests with other members of the EU. But the fact is that, despite Brussels bravado about the efficacy of a Single Market, EU member states have suffered over recent years because their Brussels rule-setters have been too inward-looking. They are obsessed by trade within the EU to the detriment of the potential of wider possibilities across the whole world. In contrast, the Department of International Trade looks outwards. In pursuit of the deals Britain must strike post-Brexit, Fox has travelled more than 300,000 miles. He may be mocked for trying to woo trade partners by giving them Union Jack cufflinks, but this ignores the hard work that his senior officials such as Crawford Falconer have been doing. Bluster Freed at last from the shackles of Brussels, what Dr Liam Fox and Crawford Falconer want is for Britain to seize the enormous opportunities ahead. And for our political leaders to stop all their squabbling Their outward-looking drive is vital at a time when Donald Trump has launched an international trade war by imposing tariffs on Chinese goods and taxes on imports such as steel and aluminium from EU countries. Indeed, the fear is that we are heading for trade wars on a scale not seen since the Thirties. I am not so pessimistic. Too few people realise that behind all his bluster, Trumps goal is not to sabotage the worlds trading system but to spark a new round of negotiations which will lead to tariffs being reduced in the long run. Indeed, his policy is already having success. China and India have lowered tariff barriers in response to his threats. Meanwhile, German car manufacturers have made it clear they want to negotiate tariff-free trade between the U.S. and Europe for motor vehicles. The shape of global trade is changing before our eyes and it is trade outside Europe that we must encourage. Anyone who listens to those who want the UK to stay in the EU would think that Brexit was a crazy act of self-harm. The truth is otherwise. Ever since the Brexit vote, our economy has prospered. Unemployment is at its lowest level since the Seventies. Freed at last from the shackles of Brussels, what Dr Liam Fox and Crawford Falconer want is for Britain to seize the enormous opportunities ahead. And for our political leaders to stop all their squabbling. Jeremy Corbyn leaving Labour HQ in 2015 Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. Political parties go mad through displaying intolerance, and right now the disease is becoming notifiable in both parties. But its most dangerous in mine, Labour. The party and I have never agreed on much, from Brexit (Ive always been Eurosceptic) to Blair (that Downing Street Moneybags). But that didnt stop me remaining an MP for nearly 40 years, until 2015. Today, in contrast, there are demands for expelling or disciplining any MPs who dissent from the Labour line. First in the firing line are five pro-Brexit rebels who recently voted with the Tories to stop the UK negotiating to join an EU customs union. Never mind that they were actually supporting what used to be the policy of the party: withdrawal from the European Union. Labour has now changed to a new line which, so far as I understand it, is a definite maybe to the EU. Threats This is a cynical, rather than principled, change in policy; an attempt to make it more difficult for Theresa May to get us out of the EU, in the hope that whatever she does will bring her tottering Government down. Labour MP Kate Hoey, who has pledged to fight moves to deselect her The plan, of course, is that a Labour government would then take power. The trifling fact that this power would have come courtesy of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and that they would be betraying the wishes of the large number of Labour constituencies and voters who wanted out, doesnt concern them. If I were still in Parliament, Id join the five MPs to make them a formidable half dozen, and battle to stop their persecution. But let us put my personal views aside and look at the real issue here. The demands for the expulsion of the four Labour MPs Kate Hoey, John Mann, Frank Field and Graham Stringer, as well as Kelvin Hopkins whos already been suspended from Labour on other charges and is sitting as an independent MP, are a symptom of a growing intolerance in the party. As is the passing of no-confidence resolutions on both Hoey and Field by their constituents. But it is not just Brexit. Look at whats happening to Rotherham MP Sarah Champion. Shes had death threats and reportedly been warned she could face deselection for drawing attention to British Pakistani gangs grooming girls. Look at Dame Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin, who criticised Jeremy Corbyns and the partys stance on anti-Semitism only to be subject to demands for expulsion and official investigations. Then there are the Blairites, criticised, targeted and hounded out for still being Blairites. Wherever you turn, intolerance has taken hold. Largely, it is down to the rise of Momentum, a pro-Corbyn, hard-Left party within the party that is much cleverer than Militant, the Trotskyist organisation that infiltrated Labour in the early Eighties. That period should serve as a warning to Labours leadership. It was a time when the threat of deselection by Militant activists intolerant of anything but their own hardline views so terrified 28 Labour MPs that they left the party to join the fledgling SDP. Labours popularity plummeted to just 28 per cent of the vote in the 1983 election, and the SDP soared from a standing start to win over 25 per cent of the electorate. Labour took 14 years to win another election, and only did so with Blairite policies, which effectively turned the party into an SDP Mark 2. Its clear to me the new intolerance is taking us back down the same path to suicide. There is not only a threat to the unity of a party which has already turned infighting into a roadshow. The Labour leader speaks during a Momentum rally in Manchester last year But, more important, theres a threat to the independence and integrity of any MP who wants to be more than a party hack reading bullet points provided by the Momentum-controlled party machine. This brings us back to a crucial question posed by that giant among political thinkers, 18th-century theorist Edmund Burke. To whom does an MP owe allegiance? Momentum says that it must be to paid-up local party members, rather than the electorate at large. For all the Labour MPs whose constituencies voted for Brexit but whose local parties are solidly, even stolidly, Remain, this poses a significant problem. Because Momentum is demanding that Labour, the Peoples Party, vote against the people. For political parties to function effectively, local parties must be representative of the constituency and must act as an influence, not a control or censor. Yet as party membership has shrunk on both sides of the political divide, theyve become more assertive, and less representative of the electorate. What should be the MPs grassroots are atrophying. In my own former constituency, the local Labour Party was in favour of the EU, while I firmly believed and still do that its a plutocracy always pursuing a closer union we dont want, and that there is nothing it can do for us that we cant do better for ourselves. Ruined Yet the local party tolerated my scepticism because they saw that the constituency agreed with me, not least because the Europeans had ruined the local fishing industry by declaring the sea around Britain common waters, and helping themselves to our fish. It also helped that my predecessor, Tony Crosland, had been a very senior minister so the local party were conditioned to accept the MP would and should make up his own mind. Yet over the past two decades, such tolerance and understanding have faded dramatically. Local Tory parties have become more Europhobic. Local Labour parties have pulled to the Left and lost their trade union and manual worker ballast. Many of the more middle-class local Labour parties have been taken over by cause-pushers for feminism, ethnic rights and the defence of unreformed public services, especially when it comes to the NHS, teachers and local government. Corbyns new members have made this worse by bringing in naive Lefties who assume that a toot on the Lefts trumpet or a rallying call to socialisms shibboleths will be enough to bring the Tory Government tumbling down. Fatal This new assertiveness has heightened party strains, pulled them apart and made politics noisier and nastier. On the Tory side, it was the strain caused by Europhobic demands of the local parties that pushed David Cameron into his fatal referendum, with all the division that accompanied it. On Labours, its changed the party into a coalition of causes rather than a broad campaign for betterment. Its also forced the leadership to take more control over selections to bring in younger and prettier party hacks, to give Labour a more attractive face. Sadly, when brains and independent thinking become less important in selecting MPs than noise and assertiveness, independence and integrity are discounted. When politics becomes more clamorous, public alienation grows and interest and trust decline. No wonder the able and independent MPs leave Parliament, while sensible people dont come in to replace them, and Parliamentary debate is reduced to the Punch and Judy politics of a bar-room brawl. This is all, sadly, the result of the new age of intolerance. And if we carry on down this road, we could see my party out of power for decades and end up with a system no longer fit for purpose. AUSTIN MITCHELL is the former Labour MP for Great Grimsby Jade Kwong (pictured) who has a nut allergy almost died after eating a burger. She suffered severe swelling around her eyes A teenage girl with a severe nut allergy has revealed how she almost died after eating a burger. Jade Kwong, from South Australia, was unaware the bun she ordered had contained almond meal when she was dining at a popular burger chain with her family. The 18-year-old, who has been living with an anaphylaxis for 15 years, was rushed to hospital within minutes of taking a bite from her burger. Appearing on Today Tonight Adelaide, the Year 12 student spoke out about the terrifying near-death ordeal after she suffered swelling around her eyes. 'I was very scared. I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I thought I could even die maybe,' she said. Scroll down for video The teenager spoke out about the terrifying ordeal after she suffered swelling around her eyes For the past 15 years, Jade said she was always vigilant when dining out. 'I have to be really cautious. Like anywhere I go, I always have to ask "does this contain nuts?" and I have to explain I have an allergy,' she said. But when the family ordered a meal at the burger joint, they didn't see any sign or indication on the menu that the food contained traces of nuts. Within minutes, Jade began struggling to breathe. 'Her eyes were pretty much closed. We were just really scared because in an instant, we thought anything could happen,' her mother Rena Kwong told Today Tonight. The family soon discovered the bun was made with almond meal. 'I knew straight away that meant nuts, and that meant that there was a possibility Jade was in a really grave danger,' Rena explained. Jade and her mother Rena (pictured together) wanted to share their story to raise awareness The teen shared the ordeal on social media to warn others living with a nut allergy. 'Honestly, this was such a terrifying experience for me. I am anaphylaxis to peanuts and could die from them,' she said on Facebook. 'As you can see in the image, on the right my eyes became very swollen in such a short amount of time and my mum had to rush me to hospital. 'I should be able to go out for dinner feeling confident that I will be safe with what I consume... I have always been so careful and always ask workers in food businesses if what I am about to order contains nuts but I never guessed there would be almonds in a bun. '[The burger chain] really needs to advertise what contains nuts as I wouldn't want anyone else to experience what I went through. So scary.' Jade has since made a remarkable recovery - but the family want to speak out about their ordeal to raise awareness. 'I don't want this simple thing of eating to kill my child,' Rena said. 'We need clearer food labels so that people like Jade aren't put at risk.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted the burger chain for comment. If you want to make money as an entrepreneur, there have always been a few key rules, one of which is to avoid mixing business with pleasure. But these women are testament to the fact that it is possible to go into business with your best friends - and make millions of dollars in the process. In honour of International Friendship Day this July 30, FEMAIL looks at the female best friends who have launched successful companies with multi-million-dollar turnovers. They also share their top tips as to how you can emulate their success. In honour of International Friendship Day, FEMAIL looks at the best friends who have launched companies with multi-million-dollar turnovers (pictured: the founders of Nimble Activewear) Nimble Activewear founders Vera Yan, 30, and Katia Santilli, 31, have been best friends since they were 14, and they came up with their idea for their activewear label (left and right) when they dreamed of making good quality activewear for the everyday woman NIMBLE ACTIVEWEAR Nimble Activewear founders Vera Yan, 30, and Katia Santilli, 31, have been best friends since they were 14. They have long dreamed of creating good quality activewear for the everyday woman, which is how their exercise clothing label, Nimble, was born. 'If we have issues with each other we bring it up and then we move on These days, the pair turn over $4 million annually, and have plenty of savvy business tips for BFFS with an idea. 'Katia and I live together, we work together and socialise a lot together as well,' Vera told FEMAIL. 'People find that really bizarre and a lot of people say that if they did that with their best friend they'd kill each other but what we've learnt is how important it is to communicate and that can go across lots of part of your life. 'If we have issues with each other we bring it up and then we move on.' These days, the pair turn over $4 million annually, and have plenty of savvy business tips for BFFS with an idea (pictured: their clothing) Speaking about their tips for aspiring businesswomen, Vera and Katia said it's all about making sure you go into business with someone who has the same business vision as you and is willing to put in the hard yards (pictured: their activewear) Speaking about their tips for aspiring businesswomen, Vera and Katia said it's all about making sure you go into business with someone who has the same business vision as you and is willing to put in the hard yards: 'Before you and your friend dive in to start your new business, ensure that you're both on the same page regarding your vision,' Katia told Sporteluxe. You also need to be honest - sometimes brutally honest - with your long-term friend: 'Rather than holding onto things and ruminating on certain issues, we're really honest and upfront with each other and never hold back when it comes to sharing our opinion,' Vera said. 'This means that small issues don't snowball into major conflicts.' Maddy Balderson and Rhiannon Hall (both pictured) are the brains behind Luna Bronze - which came about after Maddy had a cancer scare at age 27 The pair had always loved having a tan, but no longer wanted to compromise their health - and so they started working on their own natural and organic fake tan product (left and right) LUNA BRONZE For best friends Maddy Balderson and Rhiannon Hall, growing up in Australia meant countless weekends spent at the beach together. However, it was only after a serious health scare for Maddy at age 27 - when she 'had a run in' with Basal Cell Carcinoma - that the pair, both 31, knew their attitudes towards sunbathing had to change. 'As soon as that happened, it really woke us up to the horrible way we were treating our skin; sunbaking and rarely wearing sunblock,' Maddy told Daily Mail Australia. 'I always feel better with a tan but no longer wanted to risk further damage and ageing.' And so, the pair started working on their own natural and organic fake tan product - a natural-looking sunless tan with a nice fragrance and beautiful packaging. While neither of them had much experience in running a business (previously Rhiannon had worked in design and architecture, while Maddy had been in finance and accounting for a decade), the pair harnessed their skills and set to work. While neither of them had much experience in running a business, the pair (pictured) harnessed their skills and set to work Nowadays, Luna Bronze has gone from a successful start-up to a fully-fledged business. One of their product sells more than every five minutes around the world (pictured: their products) Nowadays, Luna Bronze has gone from a successful start-up to a fully-fledged business. One of their product sells more than every five minutes around the world. 'Working alongside my best friend has allowed a direct path of honest communication and accurate decision making,' Maddy told FEMAIL. 'After 20 years of friendship we have the advantage of being able to sift through the BS and get straight to the point. We are able to tell each other exactly how it is without getting our egos bruised. If one of us needs a break or some extra assistance to achieve a set target, the other will pick up the slack 'We are able to tell each other exactly how it is without getting our egos bruised. If one of us needs a break or some extra assistance to achieve a set target, the other will pick up the slack. 'We really do read each other like a book.' Speaking about their advice for other friends wanting to go into business, Rhiannon said: 'Go for it. 'Maddy and I learned very quickly to always lay your cards on the table, make sure that we maintain the friendship/business balance.' She added that you always need to 'pick the right time to talk shop, and don't let business get in the way of socialising and having fun'. 'Ultimately, we are friends first. Maddy is the person I pick up the phone to talk about life with, so it's important that we maintain that. 'Being able to switch between the friendship and the business is key.' What are the secrets of launching a successful business with your best friend? The founders of Luna Bronze said you need to be able to switch between friendship and business * Communication is key: Nimble Activewear founders and best friends Vera Yan, 30, and Katia Santilli, 31, said you need to be honest with each other, even if it's something you don't like. They said if you have an issue, then you should bring it straight up and move on. * Get to the point: According to Luna Bronze founders Maddy Balderson and Rhiannon Hall, it's important to 'skip the BS' and move forwards, straight to the point. * Lay your cards on the table: Maddy and Rhiannon said you also need to be honest, maintain a good friendship/business balance by picking the right time to talk shop, and quit letting business get in the way of socialising. * Trust each other completely: Know your other half and their strengths and weaknesses, said Frank Body founders, Bree Johnson and Jess Hatzis. * Know you don't need millions of dollars: The Frank Body girls said they started with just $10,000 in investment. Don't be embarrassed by this - just get your product out there. * There is no right time: Jess and Bree also said that there is never a good time to get your product out there and start a business, but sometimes the best thing to do is to dive in head first. Advertisement Bree Johnson, an avid latte drinker, and Jess Hatzis (both pictured), are the brains behind Frank Body - which has an estimated worth of more than $20 million The pair were attending university at the time, Jess studying commerce and Bree completing a Journalism degree, when they started their first marketing venture, Frank Body FRANK BODY When it comes to success stories, they don't get better than that of Frank Body. Bree Johnson, an avid latte drinker, and Jess Hatzis, who prefers an espresso, have built their lives on the sacred coffee bean. The Melbourne duo met while working at Red Bull - and became fast friends. They were attending university at the time, Jess studying commerce and Bree completing a Journalism degree, when they started their first marketing venture, Frank Body. The girls had no formal beauty training before launching Frank Body but had spent a decade of their adult lives trying different products out Speaking about their tips, they said you need to remember that you don't need millions of dollars to start a business and there is never a good time to set up your own business These days, the coffee scrub company is worth more than $20 million. 'We were friends before we went into business. I think you need to be before you jump into something like this. You need to be able to trust each other completely,' Bree told FEMAIL. Frank came about when they heard about women using coffee beans to exfoliate. 'The idea seemed brilliant. We wanted to have complete creative control of a brand,' Jess explained. The girls had no formal beauty training before launching Frank Body but had spent a decade of their adult lives trying different products out. 'We always say that one of our weaknesses became our strengths. So while we didn't start in the beauty space, we have evolved into it,' Bree said. They also said that it's a good idea to remember that you don't need millions of dollars to succeed. 'We started Frank Body with a $10,000 investment. We're always telling people you don't need millions in capital to start. Don't be embarrassed by what you do have - just get the product out there!,' Bree said. 'There is no right time to start a business. The stars will never perfectly align. Sometimes you've got to just bite the bullet and dive in,' Jess added. More than half of us take our own teabags on holiday It is a characteristic that unites Britons holding disdain for what passes as a cup of tea in most other countries. And now a survey has found that more than half of us take our own teabags on holiday while a third pack the biscuits too. A poll of 2,000 people found that 55 per cent bring along our favourite teabags and 49 per cent even pack their preferred coffee beans. It seems many of us just arent willing to forsake our everyday luxuries, as 32 per cent admitted to taking their own packets of biscuits, while 30 per cent pack their own fluffy towels. Of those questioned in the survey by hire firm Europcar, 29 per cent took their own crisps and 23 per cent brought their own booze on holiday. Richard Ellis, 39, of St Albans in Hertfordshire, said he always travelled with his own teabags. He explained: I took them to Thailand last year and Ill be taking them to Cornwall this year. 'It doesnt matter where I am, the teabags go with me even to my parents who live down the road from me but dont drink the same tea as me. Gary Smith of Europcar said: Its really interesting to see what holidaymakers decide to take with them with a fifth of people admitting they pack too much. Five years ago, Queensland engineering consultant Rachel Smith realised she had a problem with spending money. As shopping became an increasingly serious past time (and one that was increasingly damaging to her bank account), Ms Smith realised her carefree cash splashing was costing her tens of thousands every year. International work trips to cities such as Berlin and Mumbai broadened the Clayfield resident's understanding of the world and opened her eyes to just how much she was frittering away on unnecessary clothes, shoes and other superfluous items. Speaking to Whimn, Ms Smith shared how she curtailed her spending completely for twelve months, her advice to would-be savers - and the staggering saving of $52,000 which she made from her year-long frugal endeavour. Scroll down for video Ms Smith realised her carefree cash splashing was costing her tens of thousands every year and curtailed her spending to save a staggering $52,000 in just twelve months Originally from the UK, Ms Smith said her financial epiphany came while shopping on London's famed Oxford Street thoroughfare. 'It was before Christmas and people were shopping as if the world was endingthey were all trying to find the perfect gift for people who have everything,' she said. A few days later on New Year's Eve, Ms Smith, now 40, decided she wouldn't buy a single new or second-hand item for twelve months to gauge how much she could save. But less than four months into the project, she caved to temptation and bought a pair of trousers while on holiday in Noosa on Australia's Gold Coast. 'It was before Christmas and people were shopping as if the world was endingthey were all trying to find the perfect gift for people who have everything,' Ms Smith said (pictured) The purchase frustrated Ms Smith and played on her mind so much that she resolved to try again in 2014 by limiting herself to buying nothing but household essentials for an entire year. Somewhat serendipitously, Ms Smith was made redundant in early 2015, but not before she had accumulated savings of more than $52,000. The former consultants experience led her to write a book, 'Underspent', which details her top tips for anyone seeking to cut down on spending. Ms Smith now implements a 'three month wait list' when it comes to buying any discretionary items including clothing, interior decorations and leisure activities. Ms Smith now implements a 'three month wait list' when it comes to buying any discretionary items including clothing, interior decorations and leisure activities Ms Smith enjoys teaching others to break the habit of impulse buying, and said she likes to swap clothes, books and household items with friends as a way of fighting the urge to shop MS SMITH'S TOP TIPS FOR SERIOUS SAVERS * Create a wish list of items you think you'd like to buy. Self-imposing a wait list on your spending habits will cut down on impulse purchasing. * De-clutter and sort out the things you already own, everything from hair care to cosmetics and clothing. Sorting through your kitchen cupboards can save you serious cash in the grocery department, as Ms Smith reminds that 'most people could live out of their pantry for weeks' on things they forgot they owned. * Make an emergency savings account. If you separate what you're putting away between long term and emergency savings, it means there is some money to fall back on at all times without eating into your hard earned nest egg. Advertisement Nowadays, Ms Smith prefers to give time and consideration to what she buys, and admitted that the 'wait list' means she forgets about the item more often than not. She also encourages aspiring savers to keep record of all income and expenditure, a task she said was a real wake up call for her. 'Before 2014, I didn't have a record of what I was buyingmost of us have no idea how much we spend on a daily, weekly or monthly basis,' she said. Ms Smith enjoys teaching others to break the habit of impulse buying, and said she likes to swap clothes, books and household items with friends as a way of fighting the urge to shop. She also urged spend-happy shoppers to focus on experiences instead of material purchases, such as kayaking, horse riding or wake boarding. Brooke Campbell, from Brisbane, has welcomed her 'rainbow' baby Aspen A 27-year-old mother who tragically suffered a stillbirth has welcomed her 'rainbow' baby daughter. Brooke Campbell, from Brisbane, gave birth to her little girl Aspen Amira on the evening of July 28, weighing 2.9kg. Her exciting baby announcement comes nearly one year after her unborn son Darcy no longer had a heartbeat in the womb after she suffered a severe haemorrhage at 36 weeks. The cause of her boy's death was a haemorrhage caused by a placental abruption - which occurs when the placenta separates from the uterus. But 11 months on, the young family have been filled with joy after the arrival of their newborn daughter helped them overcome their grief. 'We are so overjoyed and thrilled to announce the safe arrival of our beautiful baby rainbow girl,' the mother-of-three told Daily Mail Australia. Little girl Aspen Amira (pictured) was born on the evening of July 28, weighing 2.9kg Lasy year, Mrs Campbell shared a heartbreaking photograph of herself, cradling her stillborn son Darcy in hospital on August 28 after she suffered a severe haemorrhage at 36 weeks 'I got to watch her delivery in a mirror so that was something I wanted to do which was so special watching her come into the world. 'I felt the biggest pressure off my shoulders, all the anxiety, worry and nerves left the room as soon as she was out and crying. 'She was so tiny and I just felt pure love, like Darcy had sent us a gift. I had mixed emotions as she looked similar to Darcy did but I was just so overjoyed that she was here safely and well. 'I couldn't stop staring at her or kissing her in utter disbelief... she was safely here and alive. 'The feeling of a rainbow baby after a loss is something so special and it really has helped my heart heal from losing Darcy.' The mother and her husband Elliot, 35, discovered they were expecting another baby just weeks before Christmas last year. 'I was scared Elliot and I would not want to try again if we held off for too long so I defiantly found sooner rather than later that the pregnancy helped me grieve Darcy's loss,' she said. 'It's certainly not an easy road and anxiety hits all new levels as you always think of a repeat to happen and you're terrified of losing a baby again but we took one day at a time and stayed positive by telling ourselves that everything is going to be okay. 'It is hard to do at first but eventually it became a routine and helped trick our minds.' Family love! Mrs Campbell cradling her newborn daughter Aspen, alongside her two-year-old son Noah and her husband Elliot The 35-year-old father lovingly holding his daughter Aspen - while their son kissed his sister Last year, the family organised an intimate photoshoot just weeks before Mrs Campbell (pictured pregnant with son Darcy) suffered a tragic stillbirth Her pregnancy was just three months after the distraught family lost their unborn baby boy Darcy - and having to explain to their toddler son Noah about his death. 'Since his tragic death we have had to do those special milestones without him like Fathers and Mothers Day, Christmas and Easter,' she said. 'It has been a really tough journey to get through the past 10 months without him. As his first birthday approaches in a month, it makes it bittersweet knowing his sister will be with us for that special and sad day. 'We have all had rough days and lots of reminders about Darcy especially with Noah. He asked me out of the blue the other day in his room "Mummy, where did Darcy go?" and "What happened?" 'My eyes filled with tears because it was so unexpected. I told him "Darcy is in heaven because he died darling but he will always be your brother and mummy's tummy was sore so that's why he died". 'It is impossible to explain to him the exact cause of death as he wouldn't understand but he kissed my tummy and said "you okay mummy".' The 27-year-old mother embracing her third pregnancy to baby daughter Aspen Little Noah with his baby sister Aspen Despite the miraculous birth of her newborn daughter Aspen, Mrs Campbell said she and her husband Elliot, 35, are still struggling with grief. 'We will never be the same after losing our little boy,' she explained. 'But I know having Noah certainly has made us get up and continue with life for him and enjoy and appreciate him even more. 'If it wasn't for him, we would be still moping around the house and in general but he is still here and needs us so we just have to keep the show going for him. 'If we were sad or crying then he picked up on it and cried as well so it just wasn't good for us to walk around crying all day. 'I honestly thought getting pregnant again so soon was terrifying but has really helped us over those difficult milestones and this year with the grieving process as I feel Darcy helped send his little sister as a gift to cheer us up. 'He has been watching over her and keeping her safe. We have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, literally every feeling you can possibly imagine.' In the lead up to Aspen's birth, the family couldn't help but fear for the worst. 'I had a lot of nerves especially anxiety leading up to her birth, I was getting impatient - but excited when she finally arrived,' Mrs Campbell said. 'Elliot was becoming increasingly more scared and worried but we all took one day at a time together leading up to that 36 week mark when Darcy passed away. 'It was a really hard and anxious day until we delivered her. We were scared that it would happen again and obviously the flashbacks of Darcy's delivery was constantly running through my mind every day.' Following a whirlwind journey, the couple - who also have a two-and-a-half-year-old son named Noah - welcomed a healthy, beautiful girl on July 28. After a whirlwind journey, the couple welcomed a healthy, beautiful girl on July 28 By sharing their story again nearly one year on, Mrs Campbell (pictured with her toddler son Noah) wanted other parents to draw hope from their experiences By sharing their story again nearly one year on, Mrs Campbell wanted other parents to draw hope from their experiences. 'Bringing awareness to stillbirths helps me keep Darcy's memory alive,' she said. 'I want to give people hope that after the worst time imaginable in your life, if you lose a baby when you least expect it, after that terrible storm, there is a glimmer of hope that a rainbow will appear. I just want other mothers to know there is a rainbow at the end of a storm 'As heartbroken and shattered as you feel in that moment of losing your precious baby and you feel like you just want to end it all, just slowly take one day at a time. 'Cry when you need to and talk about it in your own time. It does very slowly get better but you will never be the same, so expect that. 'You may have flashbacks like me and it hurts. I certainly found the best way for me to grieve was to get pregnant again as soon as I was given the green light because I just so longed for another baby to hold in my arms. 'It's going to be tough but I just want other mothers to know there is a rainbow at the end of a storm.' In honour of little Darcy's first birthday on August 28, Mrs Campbell's sister Cara Williams will be trekking the 96km Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea. To make a donation, please visit the fundraising page. A 25-year-old woman who 'fell from the sky' and was left paralysed after a freak skydiving accident five years ago has posted a photo of herself at the same location it happened. Queensland native Emma Carey returned to Switzerland last week almost half a decade after being told she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. 'Welcome to the spot where I landed. I went here ready to feel whatever I needed to but surprisingly nothing came, and I felt completely fine,' she explained in a post on Instagram. Scroll down for video BEFORE: Queensland native Emma Carey returned to Switzerland last week almost half a decade after being told she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life AFTER: 'As I looked around, all I could think was how the heck did we survive? How on earth were we lucky enough to land on grass,' she said 'As I looked around, all I could think was how the heck did we survive? How on earth were we lucky enough to land on grass?! 'The field is surrounded by alps, trees, cliffs, lakes, buildings... yet we landed right here, two metres away from a hard, asphalt road. That's when I realised this ground didn't break me, not at all. It caught me.' Emma explained that since her accident she has always looked on the brighter side of life and chosen the 'glass half full' approach. 'This place changed my life in ways I'm still learning even five years on, but how lucky am I that I got to stand here today STAND. On the same two legs which stopped working in this very spot,' she explained. Emma explained that since her accident she has always looked on the brighter side of life and chosen the 'glass half full' approach Queensland native Emma Carey has been talking about her accident on social media and spreading positivity for the last five years 'My friend once said something to me which summed it up perfectly. He said: "The ground was hard enough to change you but soft enough to keep you." I like that a lot.' The bubbly blonde decided to book a flight to Switzerland on a whim because she hadn't been back to face her fears since the fall. 'I only booked this ticket last week and I don't exactly know what I'm going to do once I get there,' she had explained online. 'The thought of going back to Europe makes me feel sick. It's like everything in my body is screaming at me to not go back there, to the place where it got so hurt. Emma was told she would spend the rest of her life confined to a wheelchair following the horrific incident in 2013 which forced her to re-learn how to walk 'But everything else in me is begging me to go, to create new memories, to stop thinking about it so much and to finally enjoy a European summer for what it should have always been... fun.' Five years ago, Emma's parachute and emergency chute became tangled during a dive and choked her instructor, who became unconscious. The subsequent free fall saw her land on her stomach with her instructor on top of her. She was left with a broken spine, shattered pelvis and spinal cord crushed. Eventually, she began physical therapy at a Sydney hospital, which was when she slowly and steadily learned to walk again. She admitted that the accident cost her many things, including her work, relationship and elements of her family, and she's afraid things will change again Emma Carey (pictured) has explained the story behind her seemingly ordinary mirror selfie. The young woman has been living with a spinal cord injury where she suffers from bladder incontinence 'It's not that I'm worried about something going wrong over there again, it's more the thought of coming home which scares me,' she said. 'Last time I left I came home to an entirely different world. Not only was my body forever changed but every other aspect of my life was as well.' She admitted that the accident cost her many things, including her work, relationship and elements of her family, and she's afraid things will change again. 'I think what scares me now is I am SO in love with the new life I've created here. My job, my friends, my home, my body I've worked so hard to heal, my happiness... it feels like there's a lot to lose. 'This might explain why I almost miss every flight I catch... I think subconsciously a part of me actually WANTS to miss it. I love travelling but it's definitely not something which comes easy to me anymore.' The young woman was told she would spend the rest of her life confined to a wheelchair following the horrific Switzerland incident in 2013 One of the other side effects of her accident was suffering from bladder incontinence; a result of her spinal cord injury. Previously, Emma shared a seemingly ordinary mirror selfie - but on closer inspection, her denim shorts are covered in urine. 'This is what I look like every. single. day. Multiple times a day,' she said. 'I think because I can walk, people tend to think I have completely recovered from my spinal cord injury but the truth is I still have many lasting effects, one of them being that I am completely incontinent with both my bladder and bowels.' At first, Emma said she would hide out at her home so her friends and family would never find out about her problem out of fear of judgement. Emma was told she would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. But against all odds, she found the strength to walk again just one year after the horrific skydiving accident Emma has been documenting her carefree lifestyle on social media - and she has since accepted the new part of her life 'I was so embarrassed by this and tried to keep it a secret. I didn't leave the house because I was so worried that people would find out,' she explained. 'I wouldn't tell anyone why I had to be near a toilet at all times. I wouldn't let anyone see my catheters or pads. 'I would run away and hide every time I had an accident. It was exhausting trying to keep it a secret, so instead I just didn't let anyone close to me.' But despite her insecurities, Emma said she soon realised she needed to accept the new part of her life whether she liked it or not. 'It wasn't long until I realised that if I was going to get upset and angry every time I peed myself, it would mean that I would be upset and angry every single day of my life,' she said. Australian inventor Gabrielle Requena might have just stumbled on the magical cure-all for wrinkles - and she did it in her sleep. She was tired of waking up with creases on her decolletage and many years in the harsh Down Under sun had left the skin on her neck and around her eyes dry. And while there are hundreds of serums and ointments promising to reduce the wrinkles in these stubborn problem areas - Ms Requena found that nothing worked. The oddly shaped sheet mask can be placed on your neck, chest, eyes, forehead, mouth and hands to dramatically reduce the signs of ageing Australian inventor Gabrielle Requena might have just stumbled on the magical cure-all for wrinkles - and she did it in her sleep So she created her own solution using a silicone 'chest plate' she dubbed Wrinkles Schminkles. The oddly shaped sheet mask can be placed on your neck, chest, eyes, forehead, mouth and hands to dramatically reduce the signs of ageing - and you can do it while you sleep. Simply remove the backing on the mask and place it on the desired area and allow the medical-grade silicone to work its magic. And the best part? It can be reused a further 20 or 30 times - getting you the most out of your money. Gabrielle Requena (right) was tired of waking up with creases on her decolletage and many years in the harsh Down Under sun had left the skin on her neck and around her eyes dry (investor Janine Allis pictured left) Simply remove the backing on the mask and place it on the desired area and allow the medical-grade silicone to work its magic Silicone is scientifically proven to heal scars and is used by doctors to treat patients post-surgery. Ms Requena harnessed that same idea in her smoothing and hydrating formulations and sells them online for $42 a pack. 'When you apply our silicone pads your skin cannot crease to cause wrinkles,' the website explained. The product also appeared on Khloe Kardashian's show Revenge Body, because the reality TV star said 'side sleeping' was also one of her biggest problems 'I hate the lines in my neck and I'm always trying to figure out how to get rid of them,' the new mother commented 'The pads (approximately 2mm thick) are kept in place - comfortably and securely -using the convenience of adhesive silicone. 'The placement of the pad on your skin brings blood flow to the surface, which can help to stimulate collagen - visibly softening wrinkles while you sleep.' The business, which has been operating for three years, will gain even more traction on Tuesday night when the founder of Wrinkles Schminkles enters the Shark Tank. She will be selling her idea to investors like Boost Juice founder Janine Allis, who already appear very interested in the company She will be selling her idea to investors like Boost Juice founder Janine Allis, who already appear very interested in the company. The product also appeared on Khloe Kardashian's show Revenge Body, because the reality TV star said 'side sleeping' was also one of her biggest problems. 'I hate the lines in my neck and I'm always trying to figure out how to get rid of them,' the new mother commented. She's currently enjoying a holiday in Ibiza, and Lady Amelia Windsor looked to be making the most of the sunshine as she took a dip in the sea. The model, 22, slipped into a chic denim two-piece as she soaked up the rays at a beach on the party island, along with older sister Lady Marina. The pair looked relaxed as they enjoyed a spot of sunbathing, before splashing around in the sea. At one point, Marina, 25, appeared to be taking snaps of her sister as she posed on the beach. Lady Amelia Windsor slipped into a denim bikini as she hit the beach during a holiday in Ibiza The model, 22, looked chic in the strapless bikini as she enjoyed a dip in the sea on Saturday Amelia looked to be in high spirits as she took photographs of an adorable pooch while at the beach with sister Lady Marina The Duke of Kent's granddaughter was also seen taking pictures of an adorable dog during the outing on Saturday. Amelia, who has been dubbed Britain's most beautiful royal by Tatler, has been sharing a number of holiday snaps on her Instagram account, where she has 56,000 followers. The blonde beauty had enjoyed another trip to the beach the previous day, looking stylish in a red bikini top and floral sarong. Amelia is enjoying a relaxing holiday after a busy month, which has seen her make numerous appearances at glitzy fashion events. The Duke of Kent's granddaughter was seen tipping her toes in the sea during the beach outing Amelia looked relaxed as she enjoyed a stroll along the beach, enjoying some down-time on the party island The socialite was seen cooling off as she took a dip in the sea during the trip to the beach The Duke of Kent's granddaughter looked cautious as she first got into the sea with Marina Lady Amelia was then seen diving right in, as her older sister laughed while watching on The Dolce & Gabbana muse is represented by Storm models, and was recently named as a contributing editor at Tatler Magazine. Despite most of the royals keeping their private life off social media, Amelia is a big fan of Instagram and regularly shares glimpses of glamorous lifestyle with her followers. She previously told Vogue: 'It allows anyone to be creative and imaginative. 'I also love that we can share all the beautiful and meaningful things we see and hear in the world. I find it so inspiring and uplifting.' Amelia is the daughter of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, and his wife, Sylvana Tomaselli, and 36th in line to the throne. Despite her royal connections, she was surprisingly left off the invite list for Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding at Windsor Castle in May. Amelia was seen enjoying a stroll with Marina on the beach as they continue to enjoy their holiday in Ibiza The Dolce & Gabbana muse wore her blonde tresses down over her shoulders as she took a dip in the sea Amelia later appeared to pose on the beach as her sister took snaps of her on her phone The socialite appeared to be amused as Marina showed her something on her phone Amelia was seen soaking up the sun rays as she enjoyed a stroll along the beach Amelia was seen yawning as she kicked back on the beach, with her book beside her The model looked to be in very high spirits as she took photographs on her phone Amelia and Marina looked to be enjoying the sunshine in Ibiza during their outing to the beach The model and her sister were joined by two dogs during their trip to the beach on the island Amelia opted for a stylish denim two-piece bikini as she soaked up the rays on the beach The blonde socialite, who has previously spoken of her love of Instagram, was seen checking her phone while kicking back Amelia and her sister Marina were seen cooling off in the sea after sunbathing on the beach A weight-loss expert criticised Eamonn Holmes's weight on Monday's Good Morning Britain, telling him he's 'too fat'. Steve Miller, told Eamonn, 58, he was a 'heart attack waiting to happen' if he didn't shed some pounds. GMB was hosting a debate on whether a doctor who called his patients 'fat and lazy' in his medical notes was right to criticise their weight. The panel were discussing an unnamed male medic who was brought before the General Medical Council after bosses found his patients' medical records. Describing one patient, he wrote: 'Liked me cos I didn't ridicule her for being a fat smoker - even though she is.' Eamonn Holmes, 58, was told he was 'too fat' while hosting Good Morning Britain on Monday (pictured) Eamonn thought the doctor's comments were hilarious, and agreed that GPs should be able to warn someone about the dangers of being overweight. Kate Garraway asked Miller what he would say to Eamonn if Miller was a doctor and Eamonn had come in complaining about his health woes. Kate said: 'What would you say to Eamonn? Eamonn comes in and says he's got a bit of a sore throat and he's having tummy ache or whatever your moan might be.' Eamonn then asked him if he would tell him to lose 'two or three stone' to fix his problems. Miller responded: 'I would say that but I would also say to Eamonn that he is too fat and he is a heart attack waiting to happen. He's about to clonk me for that.' Weight loss expert Steve Miller (pictured) said Eamonn was a 'heart attack waiting to happen' if he didn't lose weight Plus-size model Gemma Cruickshank (pictured with Miller) said doctors should be encouraging rather that shaming with overweight patients But Eamonn wasn't offended by the comments, responding: 'I'm not because you know I agree with you.' Miller said doctors should be 'empowered' to give their patients the right advice for their health, even if they find it offensive. This wasn't the first time Miller has mocked Eamonn's weight, as he previously told the TV presenter he needed to weight on This Morning last year. Miller told him: 'Would I say you're fat?. I would say, ''Eamonn, I adore you, but you are too fat.''' Eamonn (pictured on the panel with Kate Garraway and Charlotte Hawkins) didn't find Miller's comments offensive, and said he actually 'agreed' that he needed to lose weight On today's episode of GMB plus-size model Gemma Cruickshank said doctors should be more compassionate about their patients weight. She revealed how she'd once lost 12 stone after receiving the help of a doctor who didn't body-shame her, but encouraged her. Gemma said: 'It's psychological and I think until we get our minds right the rest doesn't follow. 'Support is very important, inspiration, feeling like you can reach out, feeling like the support network is there.' Advertisement Spain's royal consort is often seen topping best-dressed lists across the country, garnering fashion fans from across the globe. And Queen Letizia has clearly passed her stylish genes on to her daughters Princess Leonor, 12, and Princess Sofia, 11, as new family pictures prove. Letizia, 45, joined her mini-mes for their annual summer photoshoot at the picturesque Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca on Sunday. They were joined by King Felipe, 50, for a stunning session against the Mediterranean backdrop, with Letizia mixing designer with the high street for her look, wearing a pair of wedges by Spanish high street brand Mint & Rose, costing under $100 (76). Scroll down for video A royal delight! King Felipe of Spain joined Queen Letizia of Spain and their daughters Princess Leonor, 12, (right) and Princess Leonor (left), 11, for their annual summer photocall at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca, on Sunday The family coordinated for the summer shoot, with Felipe (left) wearing a blue pinstripe shirt, Leonor choosing a blue Zara dress, Sofia (second right) sporting a white Massimo Dutti dress and Letizia wearing a white Hugo Boss dress and $100 Mint & Rose wedges at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca A suave King Felipe smiled proudly as he approached his beaming wife Letizia and their children Sofia and Leonor for their annual summer photocall at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca, on Sunday Queen Letizia of Spain opted for a designer dress and $100 (70) high street wedges as she joined her family for the annual summer photoshoot at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Younger sister Princess Sofia (left) matched her mother in a white Massimo Dutti Linen Dress with lace trims, costing just 39.95 for the photoshoot, at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Letizia, 45, husband King Felipe and her mini-me daughters Leonor, 12, and Princess Sofia (dressed in blue), 11, put on a beaming display for their annual summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Cutting a chic figure, Letizia wore a white cotton sleeveless dress from the Dafalia collection of Hugo Boss, which made the most of her enviable physique. She teamed the pretty crochet frock, which is cinched in at the waist and falls just below the knees, with a pair of wedges by Spanish brand Mint & Rose. The purse-friendly shoes, named Sardinia suedes, cost just under $100 (70) and are a comfortable as well as stylish choice. Despite their royal budget, Leonor (right) followed her mother's high street footsteps, opting for a blue embroidered Zara dress costing a modest 22.99. Sofia matched her mother in a white Massimo Dutti Linen Dress with lace trims, costing just 39.95, for their annual summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Perfect princesses! Photogenic Princess Leonor (right) and Princess Sofia (left) are seen posing for pictures at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca on Sunday, following in their mother's stylish footsteps for the photoshoot Beaming! Felipe's three leading ladies Leonor, Sofia and Letizia, were seen admiring the stunning surroundings of the Almudaina Palace, their summer residence for their annual summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca A winning smile! The two little girls Leonor and Sofia showed off their photogenic smiles as they posed for the summery family portrait in Spain for their annual summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca A vision in white! Cutting a chic figure, Letizia wore a white cotton sleeveless dress from the Dafalia collection of Hugo Boss as she posed with Sofia for their annual summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Despite being just 12 years old, Leonor (left) looked to be almost as tall as her statuesque mother Letizia, with both wearing wedges for the shoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Leonor (in blue) and Sofia lead the way for their mother the Queen of Spain, wearing low wedges for their summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Joining his girls, Felipe cut a dapper figure in a pinstripe blue and white shirt and slacks, smiling as he posed alongside his stunning family Letizia, Leonor and Sofia at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Wearing her hair in a sleek middle parting, Letizia opted for minimal make-up, smiling happily as she posed with her family for their annual summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Spain's royal family showed off their high street favourites as they posed for their annual summer photos. Sofia (left) matched her mother in a Massimo Dutti Linen Dress with lace trims, costing just 39.95. While Leonor (right) opted for Zara at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Princess Leonor (right) followed her mother's high street footsteps, opting for a blue embroidered Zara dress costing a modest 22.99, teaming it with a pair of sandals for the family's summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Wearing her hair in a sleek middle parting, Letizia opted for minimal make-up, smiling happily as she posed with her family. And despite their royal budget, Princess Leonor followed her mother's high street footsteps, opting for a blue embroidered Zara dress costing a modest 22.99, teaming it with a pair of sandals. Meanwhile, younger sister Princess Sofia matched her mother in a Massimo Dutti Linen Dress with lace trims, costing just 39.95. Leonor, second left, Sofia, second right, stood on a step as they attempted to match their father's statuesque height during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Leonor, left, and Sofia, right, wore silver and pink shoes respectively as they posed during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Felipe, Leonor, Sofia and Letizia beamd during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Little Sofia, 11, looked sweet in her kaftan style white dress during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Felipe, Leonor, Sofia and Letizia were captured glancing affectionately at each other during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday The family walked around the grounds of the picturesque castle while Letizia and Sofia mirrored each other's hairflick during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Felipe and first in line to the throne Leonor matched in blue, while Sofia and Letizia coordinated in white, during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Letizia was seen talking to eldest daughter Leonor during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Felipe appeared to point at something in the distance as Letizia, Sofia and Leonor looked on during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday King Felipe took Leonor's hand while Letizia walked alongside Sofia during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Letizia, Leonor and Sofia smiled the cameras during their traditional summer holiday photo session at the Palacio Real de La Almudaina in Palma de Mallorca on Sunday Joining his girls, Felipe cut a dapper figure in a pinstripe blue and white shirt and slacks, smiling as he posed alongside his stunning family. The royal family traditionally spend their lengthy holiday at the palace, their official summer residence, on the Balearic island. Over the years Letizia, a former newsreader, has worked hard to promote causes she is passionate about. Joining his wife and their daughters, Felipe is pictured bending down to speak to Sofia in a tending moment caught on camera during the royal family's summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca The royal family traditionally spend their lengthy holiday at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca, their official summer residence, on the Balearic island, so chose the location to hold their summer photoshoot Letizia's purse-friendly shoes, named Sardinia suede shoes, cost just 70 and are a comfortable as well as stylish choice for the photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca These include education, innovation, rare diseases, and particularly in nutrition, working closely with the UNs World Health and Food and Agriculture Organisations. King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 in favour of his 48-year-old son, now King Felipe VI. Crown Prince Felipe ascended to the Spanish throne at the stroke of midnight, after his father King Juan Carlos tearfully signed his own abdication. The photographer also captured some candid shots as the family - including the King and Queen's daughters Leonor (dressed in blue) and Sofia - walked around the grounds of the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Like mother, like daughter... Princess Sofia looks identical to Queen Letizia as they take a stroll around the grounds of the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Family time: The couple look as though they're having a light-hearted conversation as their daughters Sofia (right) and Leonor watch on as they pose for their annual summer photos at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia with Princess Leonor and Infant Sofia de Borbon during a summer photo session at Almudaina Palace, Mallorca, on Sunday Spanish King Felipe VI courted attention along with Queen Letizia with Princess Leonor and Infant Sofia de Borbon during a summer photo session at Almudaina Palace, Mallorca, on Sunday Spain's Queen Letizia poses in Almudaina Palace during the summer holidays in Palma de Mallorca dressed in a white Hugo Boss dress on Sunday Spanish King Felipe VI points in the air as he poses with Queen Letizia with Princess Leonor and Infant Sofia de Borbon during a summer photo session at Almudaina Palace, Mallorca King Felipe VI of Spain, Queen Letizia of Spain, Princess Leonor of Spain (R) and Princess Sofia of Spain (L) pose for the photographers during the summer session at the Almudaina Palace Views! Felipe, Letizia, Leonor and Sofia pointed into the distance as they admired the view during the summer session at the Almudaina Palace on Sunday His wife, now Queen of Spain, is originally from Asturias in the north west of Spain. The couple married ten years ago at Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid. The relationship began in November 2002. In 2003, just months after she had been promoted to the position of anchor on the national news channel, she quit her job and days later the royal engagement was announced. When Prince Felipe of Asturias announced his engagement to then TV presenter Letizia Ortiz in 2003, it sent tongues wagging. Letizia, seen at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca, teamed the pretty crochet frock, which is cinched in at the waist and falls just below the knees, with a pair of Mint & Rose wedges. The purse-friendly shoes, named Sardinia suedes, cost just 70 and are a comfortable as well as stylish choice. A candid family portrait: The couple, pictured with Leonor (in blue) and Sofia for their summer photoshoot at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca on Sunday, married ten years ago at Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid and share the two adorable daughters Twinning! The family are seen colour coordinating, with Letizia matching Sofia in white, and Leonor coordinating with her father in blue ensembles at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca Letizia was a woman with more of a past than most princesses: a hugely impressive career, during which she reported on 9/11 and covered the Iraq War; and an ex-husband. On her big day the royal bride dazzled in an ivory gown with a 15-foot-long train and a sparkling platinum and diamond tiara, which her mother-in-law Queen Sofia wore for her wedding almost exactly 42 years previously. She is the granddaughter of a taxi driver and the eldest daughter of Jesus Jose Ortiz Alvarez, a journalist, and first wife Maria de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodriguez, a nurse and hospital union representative from a working-class background. She attended public high school and did a degree at the Complutense University of Madrid. She later gained an MA in Audiovisual Journalism at the Institute for Studies in Audiovisual Journalism. Spain's royal family posed for an array of pictures at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina in Majorca on Sunday, putting on a serious display in some of the snaps as they went for more candid expressions Queen Letizia sported comfortable and affordable wedges with a pretty tie accentuating her delicate ankles, while her daughters Leonor (in blue) and Sofia wore lower versions of their mother's shoes as they were joined by their father King Felipe for their summer photoshoot in Majorca A mother has revealed the abuse she has suffered from complete strangers when her autistic daughter has a 'meltdown' in public. Kimberley Seeger said her seven-year-old can often be violent and needs to be restrained when she gets upset. Speaking on This Morning on Monday, Ms Seeger, who didn't reveal her daughter's name, said people think she is a 'young mother' who can't control her child, and assume the little girl is just naughty rather than disabled. She supported the news those with invisible disabilities such as autism will be given Blue Badges for free parking. Kimberley Seeger supported the news that people with invisible disabilities will get free parking, as she has received abuse from strangers when her autistic daughter (pictured with Ms Seeger) has a 'meltdown' in public Ms Seeger said having a bigger more conveniently placed parking space would make it easier to console her daughter when she is upset. She said: 'We have so many difficulties just simply going in the car, getting out of the car. There can be a meltdown at any point, and this isn't a tantrum this is something that can take a very long time to calm them down from. 'In this instance my daughter could be violent, she has to be restrained. 'The doors of my car can only open a certain way when there's a car next to mine, however if we were in this space we would be able to have that room for her to get out safely, me to have that room to maintain her safety.' Ms Seeger (pictured on This Morning) revealed that her seven-year-old daughter can become violent and needs to be restrained when she gets upset Disabled comedian Tanyalee Davis (pictured with Ms Seeger on the show) said there aren't enough parking spaces for physically disabled people What is the Blue Badge scheme? The Blue Badge scheme was launched in 1970 and currently around 2.4 million disabled people in England have one. It enables them to park free of charge in pay and display bays and for up to three hours on yellow lines. They cost 10 from local authorities, and those in London are also exempt from the Congestion Charge. From next year, those with less immediately obvious illnesses will have the same right to a badge allowing them to park closer to their destinations as those with physical disabilities. Those who will be eligible under the rule change are: Those who cannot make a journey without 'a risk of serious harm to their health or safety' or that of others, including young children with autism; Those for whom journeys cause 'very considerable psychological distress'; Those with considerable difficulty walking, which covers 'both the physical act and experience of walking' Advertisement Ms Seeger went on to say that people misjudge her daughter because they don't understand that some disabilities are invisible. She continued: 'When there has been meltdowns I have been abused, people have shouted at me ''Why can't you calm your child down?'', ''Oh you young mother'' because I look young. 'Just because you cannot see there is a physical disability they automatically assume she's just naughty. Some people have physical disabilities like this lovely lady here, people would actually look at her and want to help, and they may move out of the way for her. 'People would come at me with whatever they would like to because they cannot see there is a problem, but autism is a disability so what about equality and diversity?' This Morning viewers welcomed the news that people with invisible disabilities will get free parking THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF AUTISM According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with autism have trouble with social, emotional and communication skills that usually develop before the age of three and last throughout a persons life. Specific signs of autism include: Reactions to smell, taste, look, feel or sound are unusual Difficulty adapting to changes in routine Unable to repeat or echo what is said to them Difficulty expressing desires using words or motions Unable to discuss their own feelings or other peoples Difficulty with acts of affection like hugging Prefer to be alone and avoid eye contact Difficulty relating to other people Unable to point at objects or look at objects when others point to them Advertisement The government has revealed people with hidden disabilities like autism, dementia or mental health conditions will benefit from a Blue Badge from next year. Also on the show was disabled comedian Tanyalee Davis, who said the decision should be made on a case by case basis, as there aren't enough priority parking spaces to go around already. She said: 'As somebody that's a mobility scooter user, we live in a world where there's a lot of hidden disability or parents with autistic children and they need to be represented however we're dealing with a very limited amount of spaces out there. That's the big picture we need more spaces.' This Morning viewers also supported the move to extend the Blue Badge to more people with disabilites. One tweeted: 'honestly I think mental disabilities should definitely have the right to a blue badge. Autism is different for everyone, should be case by case assessment.' Another posted: 'Too right people with severe invisible disabilities should have BBs. Im sick of people playing Top Trumps against each other. Disabled peoples lives are hard enough as it is we should support each other not tear each other down.' A third agreed: 'I didnt realise disabilities had to been seen. How come we live in a society thats narrow minded. You cant determine when an autistic child or adult is going to start showing agitation.' He attended Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle just six weeks after hip replacement surgery while nursing a cracked rib, but the Duke of Edinburgh may be set to miss another upcoming family nuptials. The 97-year-old is rumoured to be skipping his granddaughter Princess Eugenie's wedding at Windsor Castle in October because of his long-standing feud with her mother, the Duchess of York. A 'well-placed insider' told People magazine: 'He does what he wants. 'He made a supreme effort for Harry. I would be very surprised if he did go, because he is so estranged from Fergie. I think he will decide at the 99th hour.' Buckingham Palace declined to comment when approached by MailOnline. Bad blood between the pair stem from a series of scandals involving the Duchess, which reportedly mean the Duke now refuses to be in the same room as her. He made a supreme effort to attend his grandson Harry's wedding at Windsor in May (pictured), but the Duke of Edinburgh could miss Princess Eugenie's big day due to a feud with her mother Princess Eugenie, pictured at Buckingham Palace with her husband-to-be Jack Brooksbank. The pair will tie the knot at St George's Chapel on 12th October In 1992, Prince Philip was enraged when pictures of Fergie having her toes sucked by her 'financial adviser', the Texan oil tycoon John Bryan emerged - the same year she separated from Prince Andrew. The duchess has since recalled her humiliation when the story broke as she was holidaying with the Queen at Balmoral in Scotland and advised that she should return to London. It later emerged that her profligate spending had also left her owing 5million to the royal bank, Coutts. After her divorce she worked hard to recoup the money, representing firms such as Weight Watchers in the US. For several years she was on an even keel, but a series of bad investments and the collapse of a fledging lifestyle company saw her on the brink of bankruptcy again in 2010. The Duchess of York attended Meghan and Harry's big day at Windsor Castle in May 2018 (pictured) after her nephew insisted on including her on the guest list In happier times: The Duchess with her former father-in-law at Easter Service at Windsor Castle in 1990, two years before she separated from Prince Andrew This led to her being caught in a tabloid newspaper sting selling access to her former husband for half a million pounds. The cash-strapped Duchess was taped accepting a $40,000 (30,480) cash down-payment to introduce her ex, who then worked as a UK trade envoy, to an undercover reporter posing as an international businessman. She immediately apologised for the embarrassment it had caused him and her family and admitted she only accepted the money because she was in financial difficulty. A year later, she was left off the guest list for William and Kate's wedding at Westminster Abbey and jetted off t a spa retreat in Thailand. The Duke walked into the ceremony at St George's Chapel, Windsor unaided, just six weeks after he had hip replacement surgery at the age of 96 But more recently, Fergie has been welcomed back into the fold and has attended Royal Ascot as a guest of the Queen. When Harry and Meghan married in May, the Prince insisted that his aunt was on the guest list for the ceremony, although she did no attend the evening reception at Frogmore House. Princess Eugenie will tie the knot with former barman Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel on 12th October. Prince Philip attended Prince Harry's wedding at St George's chapel, despite nursing a broken rib and undergoing hip replacement surgery just six weeks earlier It was recently announced that 1,200 people will be welcomed into the grounds to witness the arrival of the congregation and the royal family, listen to a live broadcast of the service, and see the newlyweds depart after exchanging vows on October 12th. It follows the now Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to invite members of the public to join in the celebration of their own wedding day at the same venue in May. The bride and groom will also embark on a carriage ride on their big day, Buckingham Palace confirmed - just like Meghan and Harry did as millions around the world watched on television. The latest puzzle to bamboozle the internet could leave you with double vision, as it challenges you to spot a pair of twins on a busy beach. In a scene familiar to thousands of parents who have taken their kids to the seaside over the heatwave, dozens of children are seen frolicking in the surf. The animation sees up to 40 kids playing in the sand, framed by palm trees and seen against a backdrop of mountains and sea. Amid sandcastles, bouncy balls, toys, food and even a flying fish, identical siblings are hidden... but can you spot them? The latest puzzle by UK parenting site Channel Mum is bamboozling the internet and could leave you with double vision, as it challenges you to spot a pair of twins on a busy beach The puzzle was concocted by parenting experts ChannelMum.com, whose spokesman, Siobhan Freegard, said: 'Every parent will know what it's like to look at a sea of other kids and wonder exactly where their child is. 'And for those with twins, it's double trouble which is exactly the case in this fiendish puzzle. 'One clue we can offer is that although the twins are indeed identical, they don't look exactly alike you'll see why when you spot them.' The website, described as a community for parents, is popular among young families looking for support and advice on parenting. The identical twins- one wearing a hairband and one sporting glasses, are circled playing at opposite ends of the beach in this infuriating puzzle A recent survey ran by the site's mothers, revealed they believe the most important attribute of being a good mum is 'always being there when your child needs you'. Answering your child's questions dozens of times is seen as essential by two thirds of parents, while doing the domestic drudgery - such as cooking, washing and cleaning out of love - is also considered key. Ninety-one per cent say 'wanting your child's happiness more than your own' is a sign you are a mum, while 86 per cent believe 'loving your child unconditionally' is the mark of a good parent. Other qualities women need include 'going without so your child has what they need' and giving your children your time for bedtime stories and cuddles on the sofa. She is known for her daring outfit choices, and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands certainly turned heads this weekend when she stepped out in a dress trimmed with feathers. The Dutch royal wore the unusual frock, boasting a vibrant floral print and statement sleeves, on Friday night to officially open Leeuwarden-Fryslan as the Cultural Capital of Europe. It is believed to be from Natan, one of her favourite labels and popular with European royals including Belgium's Queen Mathilde. Maxima, 47, looked appropriately polished for the glitzy occasion with amber drop earrings and tan stilettos, with her hair pulled back into a smart chignon. Scroll down for video Ruffling feathers! Queen Maxima of the Netherlands stepped out in a dress trimmed with feathers at the launch of Leeuwarden-Fryslan as Europe's Cultural Capital on Friday July 27 The mother-of-three was visiting the city, in Friesland, in the north-east of the Netherlands, with her husband King Willem-Alexander after it was announced as Europe's Cultural Capital earlier this year. The pair were joined by dignitaries including local mayor Ferd Crone as they posed on the red carpet ahead of the event. Earlier this month, the couple were pictured enjoying their summer break with daughters Catherina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, Princess Alexis and Princess Ariane at their seaside home in Wassenaar. It will have been a welcome break for Argentine-born Maxima, who has endured a difficult few months, recently flying to Buenos Aires for the funeral of her younger sister, Ines Zorreguieta. Maxima is joined by husband Willem-Alexander at the launch of Leeuwarden-Fryslan as Europe's Cultural Capital on Friday July 27. The Dutch royal wore a dress from Natan King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima pose on the red carpet at the launch of Leeuwarden-Fryslan as Europe's Cultural Capital on Friday July 27 The Netherlands' royal couple (third and fourth right) at the launch of Leeuwarden-Fryslan as Europe's Cultural Capital on Friday July 27. The pair were joined by dignitaries including local mayor Ferd Crone (second left) as they posed on the red carpet ahead of the event Ines took her own life at the age of 33 following a lengthy battle with depression. Maxima pulled out of several state visits in the wake of Ines death in June, bravely returning to work two weeks later. Later that month, during a visit to a hospital in Groningen, she appeared to fight back tears as she gave a short speech. She said: 'I ask for your understanding. I find this hard. I wrote something down. I might need to read it. King Willem-Alexander takes part in a performance on Friday July 27. The city was of Leeuwarden was announced as Europe's Cultural Capital earlier this year Willem-Alexander and Maxima join in with a show on Friday 27 July. The Dutch royal couple were celebrating the launch of Leeuwarden-Fryslan as Europe's Cultural Capital Maxima and Willem-Alexander enjoy a performance on July 27. Earlier this month, the couple were pictured enjoying their summer break at their seaside home in Wassenaar The Dutch royal couple smile as they watch a performance. They were attending the launch of Leeuwarden-Fryslan as Europe's Cultural Capital on Friday July 27 'Today, I started working again after challenging times. Actually, I am happy to be able to be here in Groningen at the centre for proton therapy because it means so much for people with cancer. 'People who are suffering from a disease but with hope for a recovery. My little, sweet, gifted sister Ines was also suffering from illness. She could not find happiness. And she could not get cured. 'It is a small comfort to know that she finally found some peace. And I really want to express my great appreciation for the many letters and messages. 'And other expressions of sympathies. It has really helped us. I would also like to thank for the respect everyone showed for my family in these difficult times. Thank you.' A TV presenter has revealed how breastfeeding mothers are being 'shamed' for shunning the bottle in a new documentary that lays bare the nation's often negative attitude towards nursing in public. New mother and journalist Kate Quilton, 34, of East London, speaks candidly of the painful struggle she faced trying to breastfeed her son in the weeks following his birth in May this year. With help from a member of a home care team, Quilton overcame the initial 'bumpy start' but was disappointed to find she was made to feel like a 'social outcast and a leper' when she began nursing in public. She says: 'You get lots of raised eyebrows, a few people tutting whispers. Seems totally bonkers.' Quilton's story is told as part of new documentary Breastfeeding Uncovered, which airs tonight as part of Channel 4's Dispatches series. Personal journey: New mother and journalist Kate Quilton, 34, of East London, speaks candidly of the painful struggle she faced trying to breastfeed her son in the weeks following his birth in May this year. Pictured, the mother and son in a scene from C4's Breastfeeding Uncovered Family life: Kate with her partner and their baby boy at Jimmy's Festival, in Ipswich, earlier this month. The mother-of-one fronts a new documentary on the UK's attitudes to breastfeeding The programme reveals how the judgement felt by mothers has contributed to the UK's position as one of the 10 countries with the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, according to figures from Unicef. Research in 2016 found that 40 per cent of women stop breastfeeding after six weeks because they felt judged - or feared being judged. Professor Amy Brown, of Swansea University, said: 'The statistics show that you have one group of women who has a bad experience, so someone will say something to them in public. 'But then for the much larger group, it's the fear that they will so that underlying worry that someone is going to do something. It makes them so tense that they just can't do it any more.' Judged: Quilton, 34, reveals how she was judged when breastfeeding her public, saying she was 'surprised' it happened to her. Pictured, Quilton at the ITV Studios in London today Quilton, 34, reveals how she was judged when breastfeeding her public, saying she was 'surprised' it happened to her. She says: 'Before we made the film I knew that women had been shamed for feeding their babies in public but I was still surprised when it happened to me. What are the benefits of breastfeeding? A survey by Swansea University has revealed that 67 per cent of those polled believe there is no difference between breast and formula milk. But Dr Simon Cameron, of Imperial College London, and his colleagues have pinpointed thousands of different types of fats that are beneficial for baby. One of these, arachidonic acid, breaks down into products called endocannabinoids, which provide a natural pain-killing mechanism. Another crucial component of breast milk is the microbiome, a cluster of naturally occurring bacteria essential for providing the building blocks for normal health and priming the immune system. Human milk may also help to protect children against obesity, diabetes and cancer in later life. Advertisement 'I was breastfeeding in my local park and amazed to hear two older ladies muttering 'Not in my day' and how I ought to be feeding 'behind closed doors'.' Addressing those who suggest mothers should breastfeed in public toilets, she adds: 'Would you want to eat your lunch in the loo?' The documentary also highlights a worrying lack of understanding regarding the benefits of breast milk. This is despite experts stressing that there are many nutrients in breast milk that cannot be replicated artificially. And it can give babies natural painkillers, aids to sleep and immune support. Dr Simon Cameron, of Imperial College London, told Channel 4's Dispatches: 'What human milk has done is evolved to really meet the needs of a newborn infant. It is something that we just cannot replicate in the lab.' A survey by Swansea University has revealed that 67 per cent of those polled believe there is no difference between breast and formula milk. But Dr Cameron and his colleagues have pinpointed thousands of different types of fats that are beneficial for baby. One of these, arachidonic acid, breaks down into products called endocannabinoids, which provide a natural pain-killing mechanism. Another crucial component of breast milk is the microbiome, a cluster of naturally occurring bacteria essential for providing the building blocks for normal health and priming the immune system. Praise: Kate shared this photo praising her midwife Zahra at Royal London Hospital in May. The mother reveals on TV how she struggled to breastfeed for weeks following her son's birth Human milk may also help to protect children against obesity, diabetes and cancer in later life. Sue Ashmore, of the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative, said just 1 per cent of women in the UK exclusively breastfeed by the time their baby is six months old. She said: 'Because we're such a bottle-feeding culture, if you have problems the answer tends to be to bottle-feed. I think it has a lot of implications for long-term health. 'You get increased rates of cancer, you get increased obesity when babies are not breastfed. So it is a major public health crisis.' Dispatches: Breastfeeding Uncovered, airs at 8pm tonight on Channel 4. They've been busy planning their upcoming nuptials at Windsor Castle, but it's not all work and no play for Princess Eugenie and her fiance Jack Brooksbank who have escaped to the Amalfi Coast for a pre-wedding break. The happy couple looked relaxed as they were spotted enjoying a day out in the picturesque region in Southern Italy, with the Princess even feeding her beau some pasta as they enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant. In another tender moment, Eugenie, 28, paused to stroke her partner's cheek as a waiter served them wine. Afterwards, the pair ramped up the Italian glamour as they were whisked away in a classic Riva Aquarama mahogany speedboat, synonymous with icons such as Brigitte Bardot and Peter Sellers who owned the model in the 60s. Eugenie was dressed down for the outing in a casual blue shirt and black shorts with flip flops, and wisely protected her head from the sun's rays in a jaunty straw hat with a black band. Jack, 32, was twinning with his bride-to-be in a matching blue shirt, paired with red shorts and casual espadrilles. Princess Eugenie and her fiance Jack Brooksbank have been spotted enjoying a pre-wedding break on the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy. The royal, 28, looked casual in a blue shirt and shorts for the outing, while her husband-to-be also kept things low key in a matching shirt After lunch, Eugenie and Jack were whisked off on a classic Riva speedboat and couldn't help but admire the view of the stunning Amalfi Coast as they took to the water The Princess was seen tenderly stroking her partner's face as they enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant during their holiday on the Amalfi Coast Eugenie was keen to make the most of the local cuisine and was seen feeding Jack a forkful of pasta during their holiday in Southern Italy Well earned break! Eugenie's fiance Jack was eager to lie back and put his feet up while he enjoyed the views of the Amalfi Coast as he relaxed on board the classic Italian Riva Aquarama boat Eugenie and Jack admired the view as they were whisked away on a Riva speedboat, which has become synonymous with the glamour of 60s film stars such as Brigitte Bardot Eugenie and Jack, who will marry at Windsor Castle in October, stopped off for lunch at a local restaurant during a day of sightseeing on the Amalfi Coast The pair dined solo and seemed deep in conversation during the meal. But at one point they ran into some friends at the restaurant, and were seen exchanging enthusiastic hugs and kisses on the cheek as they caught up. The Italian jaunt was no doubt a welcome break for the couple who have a packed schedule of work and wedding plans. Eugenie is a director at the Hauser & Wirth contemporary art gallery in London, while Jack runs his own wine merchant business and is a brand ambassador for Casamigos Tequila. Former barman Jack appeared to give the thumbs up as the waiter presented a bottle of wine during lunch on the Amalfi Coast Jack and Eugenie, who are enjoying a pre-wedding break in Italy, ran into some friends in the restaurant and paused to catch up The couple looked relaxed as they placed their order after taking their seats in the restaurant during their Amalfi Coast escape Making memories! Eugenie whipped out her phone to take a few snaps of the Italian scenery, which may find their way on to her Instagram account Jack lay back and enjoyed the sunshine as the pair relaxed on board the Riva Aquarama mahogany boat during their Amalfi Coast jaunt The happy couple enjoyed a boat trip after lunch, as they made the most of a relaxing break in Italy ahead of their wedding at Windsor Castle in October The princess is also kept busy with her charity work and last week hosted a meeting of key stakeholders on ending modern day slavery at UNHQ in New York. Eugenie and Jack, who first met in Verbier in 2010, are set to tie the knot on 12th October at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where Harry and Meghan also held their wedding. The outing comes amid rumours Eugenie's grandfather Prince Philip, 97, may skip the wedding due to a long-standing feud with her mother, the Duchess of York. Eugenie and Jack looked animated as they greeted friends they ran into during their lunch stop at a restaurant on the Amalfi Coast where they're enjoying a pre-wedidng getaway Thrashing out wedding plans? Eugenie leaned in to converse with her partner as a waiter poured wine during their Amalfi Coast lunch outing Princess Eugenie enjoyed a snack as she and Jack settled in for their trip along the Amalfi Coat on a Riva Aquarama boat Jack chatted to a man in the restaurant during their Amalfi Coast lunch stop. His bride-to-be Eugenie was seen giving a member of staff a warm hug before departing The pair paid the bill by card after enjoying lunch during their pre-wedding break on the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy Bride-to-be Eugenie, 28, cut a casual figure in a blue shirt and black shorts as she enjoyed a lunch date with her partner Jack during a holiday on the Amalfi Coast Well-earned break! Eugenie and Jack are taking time out from their wedding planning and respective jobs to enjoy a holiday on Italy's Amalfi Coast A 'well-placed insider' told People magazine: 'He does what he wants. 'He made a supreme effort for Harry. I would be very surprised if he did go, because he is so estranged from Fergie. I think he will decide at the 99th hour.' Buckingham Palace declined to comment when approached by MailOnline. Bad blood between the pair stem from a series of scandals involving the Duchess, which reportedly mean the Duke now refuses to be in the same room as her. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have gone to great lengths to keep their young family away from the limelight. And according to the Princess of Wales' former bodyguard, their insistence on privacy is all down to guidance from the Queen. Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, Ken Wharfe claimed the monarch - affectionately known as Gan-Gan to Prince George - 'doesn't like too much, too soon' and has persuaded William to let the youngsters enjoy their childhood away from the public glare. This applies in particular to George as a future king of England, according to Wharfe, who served as Diana's personal protection officer from 1988 to 1993. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured with their family at Prince Louis's christening, St. James's Palace on July 9) have gone to great lengths to keep family life a private affair The Queen (pictured in Australia in 2011) is said to have encouraged William and Kate to keep their children out of the limelight as she 'doesn't like too much, too soon' 'George will know exactly who he is,' he said. 'And William and Kate will want to make sure that his moment of entering royal glory is kept away as long as possible.' MailOnline has contacted Kensington Palace for comment. Five-year-old George and his little sister Charlotte, three, often join their parents at major royal events including Trooping the Colour and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding. But Kate and William have insisted on keeping day-to-day family activities, like the school and nursery run, a private affair. In 2016, the Duke told the BBC: 'Therell be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world. Ken Wharfe (pictured in 2017) served as Diana's protection officer from 1988 to 1993 and has said that the Cambridges' insistence on a private family life is down to the Queen's influence Ken Wharfe, left, with Princess Diana in London in June 1993. He served as her bodyguard for five years and has spoken this week about the Cambridges' family life 'But right now its just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing as much love as I can as father.' Similarly, Prince Louis, who was born in April, has only been seen in public once since his birth - at his christening at St. James's Palace earlier this month. The Cambridges recently relocated from Amner Hall in Norfolk to live at Apartment 1A Kensington Palace full-time ahead of George's enrolment at Thomas's Battersea. Commenting on the move, a source told the Daily Mail: 'They thought long and hard about where George should be educated and really liked Thomass, which has a lovely nurturing atmosphere. Kate and William welcome new arrival Prince Louis at St. Mary's Hospital, London, in April 2018. Since then, the newborn has only been seen in public at his christening A portrait of Prince George released on his fifth birthday in July 2018, taken at Clarence House. The Cambridges recently relocated from Amner Hall in Norfolk to live at Kensington Palace full-time ahead of George's first day at primary school at Thomas's Battersea The school focuses as much on helping develop the character of pupils, as what they learn. William and Kate are keen to allow George to spread his wings and make friends at this stage.' The source added: They know there will come a time when they will have to sit down and talk to him about the implications of his royal status and why so many people are interested in him. 'He is becoming more aware of the cameras. But they are determined to do that at Georges own pace and feel that can all wait a bit. George celebrated his fifth birthday last weekend with his parents, grandparents, brother and sister on the Caribbean island of Mustique. A plus-size blogger has slammed H&M after discovering size 28 clothes at the retailer won't fit her - despite already going two sizes up. Lottie L'Amour, who is based in London, explained how she found a striped shirt and denim shorts in the store that wouldn't find her, even though she is a size 24. However, Lottie explained how the two items would fit her size 16 girlfriend Emma, suggesting they were actually suitable for a much smaller woman than those they are being targeted at. Posting on Twitter, the blogger wrote: 'Emma and I went to @hm today so I could look at the plus size range. 'These items are a size 28. I couldnt get them on as a size 24 - but my size 16 girlfriend could.... THATS HOW BAD THE SIZING IS.' Plus-size blogger Lottie L'Amour, who is based in London, explained how a size 28 shirt wouldn't fit her in H&M - but would fit her size 16 girlfriend Emma (above) A pair of size 28 denim shorts from the retailer also wouldn't fit Lottie, who is a size 24, but came up tight on Emma (above) She added: 'LOOK AT THOSE SHORTS. Size 28 clothing tight on a size 16 woman. 'How the hell are plus size people supposed to shop for clothes when this is the sizing options? '@hm just throw the whole plus size range away. Its not fit for purpose.' Lottie (pictured above), who is a size 28, has hit out at H&M for its sizing, describing it as 'not fit for purpose' The fashion blogger posted a series of tweets (above) criticising the sizing on offer at the High Street retailer Others were quick to react to Lottie's post, commenting that they have also experienced issues with sizing at H&M. One wrote: 'Woah! H&M sizing is always so ridiculous though, you think they would have sorted this problem out by now. 'Puts me off, dont want to try on 3 sizes of each outfit, so sure it has affect on sales.' Another added: 'I have legit sobbed recently because of of H&M+ clothin where I'd already bought the largest size n couldn't get it on, I was sat in a heap just giving myself grief! Lottie explained how the size 28 shirt (above) she found in an H&M store did not fit her, despite the fact she is usually a size 24 The size 28 denim shorts (above) also did not fit her, and were tight on her girlfriend, who is usually a size 16 'It's awful and that's comin from someone who's a little bit more confident than the average plus woman!' Meanwhile, one shopper shared a photograph of herself wearing a pair of H&M dungarees, commenting: 'These dungarees are a size 28 from H&M. Im usually an 18.' The criticism comes after H&M revealed last month that it will be changing its sizing in the UK. Other shoppers were quick to react to Lottie's post, admitting they have also had issues with sizing at H&M A spokesperson for the retailer said: 'Following customer feedback, we are taking the steps to change our womenswear measurements to be in line with UK sizing, for example the previous measurements and fit of a size 12 will now be the measurements of a size 10. 'Customers will experience a transition period and are encouraged to use our sizing guides online or ask our store staff for advice when shopping. 'We believe this transition will improve our overall customer experience and we hope our customers will feel encouraged we have listened to their valuable feedback.' H&M declined to comment. One H&M shopper revealed how she had bought a pair of size 28 dungarees from the retailer (pictured above), despite usually being a size 18 Another customer also shared a photograph of two pairs of shorts from H&M, which she says were labelled the same size. The denim pair appear to be much larger The explosion in popularity of the Brazilian wax meant a smooth look down below reigned supreme for many years, but now according to style bible Vogue the 'full bush is back'. A recent article, claimed that the natural look is 'the new Brazilian' and it's here to stay, according to experts including New Yorkbased holistic ob-gyn Dr. Eden Fromberg She told the site that she's observed the return of fuller hair over the past few years, saying: 'Women are becoming increasingly aware that our bodies are a lot more than the visual or sexual playthings that past cultural norms implied.' Celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga and Cameron Diaz have also spoken out in recent years about how they prefer the natural look, with the latter including a chapter entitled In Praise of Pubes in her 2013 tome The Body Book. And last year surgeons at Londond's DHI Global, who usually specialise in mens hair transplants, reported an increasing number of women asking for pubic hair to be restored after removing it with laser treatment. If you are transitioning from regular waxing appointments to a more natural look, Vogue recommends a five-step plan for keeping things well groomed and healthy. The bush is back, according to style bible Vogue, which has branded the Brazilian out of fashion (stock image) Trim with scissors Dr Fromberg recommends using a small scissors to trim, and sterilising the blades with alcohol beforehand. She recommends using a magnifying mirror for best results and a fine-tooth comb to hold the hair in place as you trim, if it's long enough. If you are going to use a razor, use an organic shaving soap and disinfect the blade with witch hazel-infused toner afterwards. Get exfoliating! Ingrown hairs can be a problem even if you've given up waxing and shaving, making exfoliation a key part of your regime. Vogue recommends Furs Ingrown Concentrate, infused with coconut and tea tree oils, which comes with an exfoliation mitt or a dry brush for your bikini area to boost circulation. Both Cameron Diaz and Emma Watson have extolled the benefits of the more natural look. The Harry Potter star has admitted she's a fan of Fur Oil, a conditioning product for the intimate areas Start a gentle cleansing regime Pubic hair can cause increased sweating as well as trapping bacteria and any unpleasant odours. Fur oil is a blend of essential oils and vitamins that promises to soften hair A gentle cleanse with a fragrance-free, pH-balanced feminine wash should solve any issues. Invest in a conditioning oil Products such as Fur Oil have received the seal of approval from celebrities including Emma Watson and Gwyneth Paltrow. 'I'll use that anywhere from the ends of my hair to my eyebrows to my pubic hair,' Harry Potter star Emma said. 'It's an amazing all-purpose product.' The mixture of grape seed, jojoba, clary sage seed and tea tree oils also contains vitamins A and E to soothe skin and is said to soften hair and prevent ingrowns. Wear cotton underwear Although pubic hair protects the skin from irritation, Vogue insists that 'airing it out is important too'. It recommends avoiding tight clothing so that the pubic area can breathe and wearing organic cotton underwear as opposed to synthetic fibres. The September issue of Vogue certainly looks set to be one of the most interesting yet. Beyonce is reportedly set to star on the cover of the important issue a fact that will likely make it a bestseller, but is not necessarily an unexpected move by the publication, or its editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. However, one aspect of the upcoming issue that is sure to raise eyebrows is that porn star and central figure in ongoing Trump dramas Stormy Daniels has reportedly posed for a shoot that is set to appear inside the pages of the high-fashion bible. Wow! Stormy Daniels is reportedly set to appear in an upcoming issue of Vogue Making it work: This is just the latest payoff for the 39-year-old porn star since her private relationship with President Donald Trump became very public news And far from being a last-minute addition to the publication, it appears as though Stormy's appearance in Vogue has been in the works for some time, according to Conde Nast sources. The Huffington Post reported on Monday that Stormy was photographed by famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz several months ago in anticipation of a spread in an upcoming issue of the magazine. And while Stormy has certainly made quite the name for herself in recent months, she is - by comparison - one of the least well-known subjects to pose in front of Leibovitz's camera. The famed photographer has shot numerous stars for Vogue in the past, with the likes of Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, Amal Clooney, Georgina Chapman, Olivia Wilde, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington -all posing for her in the last year alone. According to HuffPo, Stormy's shoot will feature in either the September or October issues, which will be published in August and September respectively. The September issue is already garnering plenty of publicity, thanks in large part to reports that chart-topper Beyonce has been given what Huffington Post refers to as 'unprecedented control' over her own cover shoot, with sources claiming that she hired the first black photographer to ever shoot an American Vogue cover. Rumors also began circulating earlier this year that the 2018 September issue of the magazine will be Anna Wintour's last at its helm, after a 30-year-long run as editor-in-chief. A report published by Page Six back in April claimed that the editrix was preparing to step down from her roles as Vogue editor-in-chief and Conde Nast artistic director after her daughter Bee Shaffer's wedding, which took place in Long Island earlier this month. Experience: She previously posed for the cover of Penthouse Although a Conde Nast spokesperson quickly rebuffed the rumors, reports have continued to persist that Wintour's time at the company is coming to a close. And being behind Stormy's first ever high-fashion magazine shoot would certainly allow her to leave her mark on the publication. But while this is certainly Stormy's first shoot of this caliber, it's not her first time posing for a major magazine. This spring, she appeared on the cover of Penthouse, stripping down for the long-running men's magazine and wearing just a loosely-draped American flag on the cover. Big deal: Beyonce will reportedly cover the September issue, and was given 'unprecedented control' She also just signed on to star on Celebrity Big Brother with a 500,000 ($656,800) paycheck. Vogue, meanwhile, has long featured news-makers alongside fashion plates, picking politicians and controversial figures from both sides of the aisle. In the past, the magazine has included shoots and interviews with Hillary Clinton, Ivanka Trump, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. It would be particularly interesting if Stormy ends up in the September issue, given that cover star Beyonce has more control than most stars over the cover. While she doesn't have a sway in what appears in the other pages of the magazine, the Huffington Post reported that she had much more power than others when it came to her shoot, being given 'unprecedented control' in a contract. Beyonce had control over the cover, the photos of her that are used inside the issue, and the captions which she has even written herself. Bey also picked her photographer, choosing 23-year-old Tyler Mitchell for the job and making him the first black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover since the magazine launched 126 years ago. How to make the perfect cuppa is a subject of great debate that will probably never be solved, but now it's been revealed how the majority of Brits like to take their tea. A new YouGov Omnibus survey of nearly 1,600 people has revealed almost half prefer a brew that's exactly midway between a strong black tea and an ultra-weak cuppa with a liberal pouring of milk. Researchers produced an eight-point strength scale featuring different colours and 47 per cent plumped for a tan shade right in the middle. A further 14 per cent prefer their tea one shade more milky, and 19 per cent one degree less. The study also aimed to solve the argument over whether milk should go in first or not, with an overwhelming 79 per cent saying it should be added last. A new YouGov Omnibus survey has revealed that almost half prefer a brew that's exactly midway between a strong black tea and an ultra-weak cuppa with a liberal pouring of milk And despite the class connotations traditionally associated with adding the milk first or last, the research found that there's no difference in habits. Middle class and working class people are equally likely to add milk first or last, according to preference. Most Brits prefer a tan-coloured brew that's exactly midway between black tea and an ultra-milky, weak cuppa (stock image) The real difference is in age group with only four per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds adding the milk first, rising to 32 per cent among the over 65s. Researchers also dicovered the nation's favourite brand of tea bag is Yorkshire Tea, which has the backing of a quarter of drinkers. PG Tips came a close second with a 22 per cent share of the fanbase, while Tetley lingered behind at just 16 per cent. Britons drink 165million cups of tea every day, or more than 60billion a year. Previous research on the nation's tea habits by Arla B.O.B milk found Northern Irish tea drinkers like their brew the strongest and darkest. Those in Scotland and the North East of England are most likely to appreciate a milkier mug with a more subtle flavour. Tea fans in the South East of England are most likely to leave their tea bag in for longer, letting it brew for an average of 64 seconds, which is seven seconds longer than the national average or 57 seconds. East Anglians are in the greatest hurry, letting the bag stew for just 48 seconds. Yorkshire Tea has been voted the nation's favourite brand of tea bag, beating Tetley and PG Tips The UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world Two-thirds of people believe there is no difference between breast and formula milk, a study has found. This lack of knowledge of the benefits of breast milk, as well as a negative attitude towards nursing in public, means that the UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, a documentary will reveal. This is despite experts stressing that there are many nutrients in breast milk that cannot be replicated artificially. And it can give babies natural painkillers, aids to sleep and immune support. Dr Simon Cameron, of Imperial College London, told Channel 4s Dispatches: What human milk has done is evolved to really meet the needs of a newborn infant. It is something that we just cannot replicate in the lab. A survey by Swansea University has revealed that 67 per cent of those polled believe there is no difference between breast and formula milk. But Dr Cameron and his colleagues have pinpointed thousands of different types of fats that are beneficial for baby. One of these, arachidonic acid, breaks down into products called endocannabinoids, which provide a natural pain-killing mechanism. Another crucial component of breast milk is the microbiome, a cluster of naturally occurring bacteria essential for providing the building blocks for normal health and priming the immune system. Human milk may also help to protect children against obesity, diabetes and cancer in later life. Two-thirds of people believe there is no difference between breast and formula milk Sue Ashmore, of the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative, said just 1 per cent of women in the UK exclusively breastfeed by the time their baby is six months old. She said: Because were such a bottle-feeding culture, if you have problems the answer tends to be to bottle-feed. I think it has a lot of implications for long-term health. 'You get increased rates of cancer, you get increased obesity when babies are not breastfed. So it is a major public health crisis. However, research in 2016 found that 40 per cent of women stop breastfeeding after six weeks because they felt judged. Professor Amy Brown, of Swansea University, said: The statistics show that you have one group of women who has a bad experience, so someone will say something to them in public. But then for the much larger group, its the fear that they will so that underlying worry that someone is going to do something. It makes them so tense that they just cant do it any more. Presenter Kate Quilton, who breastfed in various public places for the show, spoke about feeling like a social outcast and a leper. She said: You get lots of raised eyebrows, a few people tutting whispers. Seems totally bonkers. Dispatches: Breastfeeding Uncovered, airs at 8pm tonight on Channel 4. A global pandemic of a flu-like virus could kill nearly a billion people if it started to spread tomorrow, scientist have warned. Experts in the US created a simulation to find out what would happen if a deadly type of influenza virus spread across the globe. A made-up virus which was spread by coughing managed to kill 150 million people more than double the UK population in less than two years in the fictional situation. The simulation predicted how governments and health authorities around the world would react to a deadly infection spreading so quickly. And no vaccine had been found by the end of the 20 month scenario simulated over the course of a day so the virus could go on to wipe out a huge chunk of the world's population, an expert said. Although the situation sounds like something from an apocalypse movie, the researchers said it wasn't that far-fetched and the world is 'lucky' there hasn't been a global pandemic already. Scientists have warned a disease outbreak could kill hundreds of millions of people because global health officials are not prepared to make a vaccine for a new disease quickly enough The scientists at Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health Security in Baltimore, Maryland, called the experiment the Clade X simulation the name of their fictional disease. Real health experts took part in the experiment, including US politicians Tom Daschle and Susan Brooks, and former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Julie Gerberding. But they were not able to stop it from spreading and killing millions of people making experts worried the world is not prepared for a deadly pandemic. A pandemic happens when a contagious disease spreads all over the world because most people are not immune to it and it cannot be treated quickly enough. Dr Eric Toner, designer of the simulation, told Business Insider the world is not ready for a deadly disease outbreak. 'We don't have the ability to produce vaccines fast enough' 'We dont have the ability to produce vaccines to a novel pathogen within months rather than decades,' he said. 'And we dont have the global public health capabilities that would allow us to rapidly identify and control an outbreak before it becomes a pandemic. He added that healthcare systems around the world would struggle to treat huge numbers of people and potentially fail under the pressure. 'It will happen, but I dont know when,' he added. Experts designed the Clade X virus to be as infectious and as deadly as SARS, which killed 10 per cent of 8,000 people it infected in 2002 and 2003. WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION WARNS HUMANITY IS VULNERABLE Humanity is 'vulnerable' to a pandemic that could kill millions, the chief of the World Health Organization warned in February. Dr Tedros Adhanom, director general of the WHO, claimed the next outbreak will have a 'terrible toll' on the global population and economy. A plague outbreak in Madagascar last November shook the medical community and left them concerned it would spread across the world rapidly. And the mosquito-borne Zika virus struck 70 countries in 2016, taking concerned scientists by surprise. Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai earlier this year, Dr Tedros said: 'This is not some future nightmare scenario. 'A devastating epidemic could start in any country at any time and kill millions of people because we are still not prepared. The world remains vulnerable. 'We do not know where and when the next global pandemic will occur, but we know it will take a terrible toll both on human life and on the economy.' Advertisement SARS could have been much worse, the experts told Business Insider, but it didn't become fully contagious until patients were already in hospital. Fictional virus released by terrorists In the Clade X simulation in May, a virus was engineered and released by a bioterrorist group who wanted to reduce the world's population. It was a cross between a parainfluenza virus, which cause respiratory illness similar to the common cold and is spread by close contact or touching contaminated objects, and the Nipah virus, which is rare but can kill people within days. During the scenario US politicians met with the president one month after the virus first appeared, by which time there had been more than 400 cases and 50 deaths. The virus was mostly contained in Germany and Venezuela, and patients had a fever, a cough, and confusion. Some patients developed swelling the brain known as encephalitis and fell into a coma. Experts failed to produce a virus and 150 million people died in less than 2 years The first case was quickly declared at a university in the US, and scientists and politicians managed to identify the virus, which was spread by coughing and took hold a week before severe symptoms appeared. But experts around the world were not able to produce a vaccine within the 20 month time frame, and 150 million people died around the world. Some 15 to 20 million of those deaths happened in the United States. And Dr Toner said if, in reality, a vaccine could not be produced quickly, a virus like Clade X could kill 900 million people. 'We think this scenario is quite plausible' 'I think we learned that even very knowledgeable, experienced, devoted senior public officials who have lived through many crises still have trouble dealing with something like this,' he said. 'And its not because they are not good or smart or dedicated, its because we dont have the systems we need to enable the kind of response wed want to see. 'We think this scenario is quite plausible.' Ms Adhikary was taken to hospital with bloating and severe abdominal pain A 60-year-old woman is lucky to be alive after surgeons removed two giant ovarian tumours weighing 78lbs (35kg) which were taking up 80 per cent of her abdomen. Arati Adhikary was taken to hospital 10 days ago with a bloated stomach and severe abdominal pain, when doctors found tumours on both her ovaries. The shocking growths which together weighed the same as a big Labrador had to be cut out in an operation lasting several hours. Ms Adhikary had been struggling to walk because of the size of the lumps, which were so large and had grown so far from her ovaries they were pressing on her liver. The surgeon who performed the operation said he does not know of any other surgery on such large tumours in India's recent history. And tests have not yet confirmed the cause of Ms Adhikary's condition though the lumps could be cancerous tumours or cysts. Ms Adhikary is now recovering in hospital after the operation on Saturday and is expected to be discharged within the next week. Arati Adhikary (pictured recovering in a hospital bed) went to hospital in severe pain and with a bloated stomach difficulty breathing, where doctors realised she had ovarian tumours taking up 80 per cent of her abdomen Arati Adhikary, from Kanchrapara in the Indian state of West Bengal, approximately 31 miles (51km) from Kolkata, was admitted to hospital several days ago in July. She was suffering from severe pain in her upper body, she was not able to walk independently and had a bloated belly. Doctors did several tests and an ultrasound scan, which revealed she had tumours growing out of both of her ovaries. Tumours took up 80 per cent of her abdomen The tumours were so large they took up 80 per cent of Ms Adhikary's abdomen, pushing her other internal organs out of the way. The growths had expanded so far they were pressing on her intestines, liver, and diaphragm, making it difficult for her to breathe. This means the huge lumps of tissue stretched from her pelvis, where they started in the ovaries, to her ribcage, which encases the liver and diaphragm, filling most of the space in between. Medical staff removed two ovarian tumours from Arati Adhikary, and found they weighed a combined 35kg the same as a fully grown Labrador Dr Mriganka Mouli Saha, assistant professor and gynaecological surgeon at the College of Medicine & JNM Hospital in West Bengal, led a team of six doctors during the operation. He said: 'The patient had a huge abdominal swelling and was in lot of pain. Tumours so big patient could not walk or breathe 'She could not walk without any support and had respiratory problems as well. 'Two tumours were removed from her ovaries in a two-hour long operation. Ms Adhikary's surgery took over two hours to complete and her surgeon described the procedure as 'very risky', saying he did not know of any others this size being operated on in recent Indian history 'One was over 20kg and the other was around 15kg. The total weight of the tumours was 35.4kg (78lbs). 'It was a very risky operation. The patient could have collapsed during the surgery. 'No such big ovarian tumour has been operated successfully in the country in the recent past.' Ms Adhikary is stable and expected to remain under observation for two days, and to be discharged within a week. Scientists have presented the clearest evidence to date that marijuana could ease the effects of nausea. A new study has found that a non-psychoactive compound was proven to prevent queasiness in rats. Drugs for cancer patients have reduced several side effects, including vomiting, but nausea has been more resistant to treatment, the scientists at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, said. As a result, many patients have been turned to medical marijuana to reduce the effects even though scientists have been unable to prove a direct link between the two. But they say their study not only helps to understand what triggers nausea but could also pave the way for more effective therapies such as doctors being more confident prescribing medical cannabis and dispensaries knowing more about which strains help ease side effects. Scientists have presented the clearest evidence to date that marijuana could ease the effects of nausea (file image of a Colorado resident smoking medical marijuana in her home in 2003) Nausea occurs when the brain receives signals from different pathways that there is a toxin in the body. The brain will then send a signal to the body that will cause the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract to send its contents towards the mouth to remove the toxin. 'We knew some of the neurobiology behind nausea but we had a lot of data that led to a hypothesis that serotonin was triggering it,' Dr Linda Parker, a professor of psychology at the University of Guelph, told Daily Mail Online. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain which helps with sleeping, eating, and digesting. For this study, scientists injected rats either with a chemical compound that induces nausea called lithium chloride, or a saline placebo. The scientists then studied the brains of the rats and specifically the interoceptive insular cortex, which is responsible for nausea. They found an increase in serotonin in the rats who received the chemical but not in the ones who received the controlled placebo. 'We were surprised by the dramatic increase in serotonin followed the effects of nausea,' said Dr Parker. 'It spiked by about 100 percent. We were expecting an increase but not such a dramatic one.' This increase along with gaping behavior - displayed when rats wretch in flavors associated with illness - led the researchers to prove serotonin release in this region was directly triggering nausea. To treat both the behavior and the nausea, the team used cannabidoil, an oil made from the main compounds of cannabis but with no amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound responsible for the euphoric, 'high' feeling. The cannabidoil prevented serotonin levels from rising in this brain region by activating the CB1 receptors in the brain. Researchers say the findings could open the door to new therapeutic measures for people who suffer from nausea, such as cancer patients. 'The use of these preclinical models is important to determine what kind of nauseating treatments are available,' said Dr Parker. 'From this study, we've been able to show that cannabidoil use in treating nausea could be more effective for people who want to avoid the psychoactive compounds found in marijuana.' Past studies have shown that cancer sufferers who took marijuana extracts in clinical trials tended to need less pain medicine. Although the research has so far shown that cannabinoids can be safe in treating cancer, they do not show that they help control or cure the disease. The parents of a 12-year-old boy are desperately searching for a cure as his rare condition slowly turns him 'into stone'. Jaiden Rogers, of Alamosa, Colorado, was diagnosed in 2013 with stiff skin syndrome, a genetic disease that causes the entire body to harden. The syndrome will eventually cause him to become paralyzed and his chest and lung cavity will become restricted, leaving him unable to breathe. He also has autism and ADHD, and his multiple conditions have left him on a cocktail of 10 heavy-duty drugs just to survive Now, Jaiden's last hope to slow down the advances of the disorder may be a new clinical trial - if his family can raise $1 million. Jaiden Rogers, 12 (pictured), of Alamosa, Colorado, was diagnosed with stiff skin syndrome in January 2013 after his parents noticed a hard spot of skin on his right thigh Stiff skin syndrome is a rare, genetic condition that causes the entire body to harden. The joints become paralyzed and the chest and lung cavity will become restricted, leaving sufferers unable to breathe. Pictured: Jaiden Jaiden has had a challenging life from the start, his mother, Natalie, told Daily Mail Online He was born to a single mother in Georgia who drank while she was pregnant. The mother was the sister of a girl that Natalie and her husband Tim had adopted years ago. 'I was friends with the grandmother growing up and she wasn't good at taking care of kids, which she passed down to her own children,' Natalie told Daily Mail Online. 'Jaiden's mother was in jail and couldn't take care of him. His grandma didn't want to take care of him and he was neglected.' The mother signed over guardianship to Tim and Natalie in 2008. 'For the first year we had Jaiden, he'd sneak into our bedroom in the middle of the night and feel our faces to make sure we were still there,' Natalie said. Jaiden struggled to talk and interact with other children and, around age four, the couple noticed that he couldn't sit still. After several tests were run by doctors, he was diagnosed in 2011 with fetal alcohol syndrome, autism and ADHD. It was just a year later, in September 2012, when Tim noticed a small, hard lump on his son's right thigh. 'It was very hard, like rock hard. My husband says it was like tapping on a countertop,' Natalie said. Jaiden had a hard time from the beginning. He was adopted by Tim and Natalie after being neglected by his birth mother. In 2011, he was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, autism and ADHD. Pictured: Jaiden with his mother, left, and with his father, right The 12-year-old was diagnosed with stiff skin syndrome one year later. Within a year, the spots appeared on Jaiden's left leg, his hips, his arms, his spine and his buttocks The dermatologist wasn't too worried about the lump at first but, as it continued to grow and spread, she decided to perform a biopsy. Results came back in January 2013 that Jaiden had stiff skin syndrome, which is characterized by hard, thick skin that develops over the entire body. According to the National Center for Advancing Translational Diseases, it is caused by mutations to the FBN1 gene. This gene provides the body with instructions to make a certain protein that gives skin its elasticity. The syndrome can cause muscle weakness and limit joint mobility to the point where the joints become stuck in a bent position. It can also cause restrictions in the chest and lung cavity and cause Jaiden to be unable to breathe. Stiff skin syndrome is so rare that he's only the 41st person in the world to be diagnosed with it. 'My first reaction was "no big deal" when the dermatologist told me the diagnosis,' Natalie said. 'But she was like: "You better sit down. There isn't a cure for it." And after that I felt pretty sick actually.' Jaiden was originally attending physical therapy in an attempt to keep his joints limber (pictured). However, his mobility has regressed to the point where he is in a wheelchair The syndrome is so rare that Jaiden is only the 41st person in the world to be diagnosed with it The spots began to spread aggressively. Within a year, the spots appeared on Jaiden's left leg, his hips, his arms, his spine and his buttocks. He attended physical therapy in an attempt to keep his joints limber but now, the once-hyperactive boy is confined to a wheelchair and unable to attend school. He experiences muscle and joint pain as well as breathing problems that leave him on an oxygen tank 24/7. Doctors have been trying to control the hard spots and keep them from spreading. Currently, Jaiden is on spycel, a chemotherapy drug that treats leukemia. 'The chemotherapy has been helpful but sometimes he's sick and he's always tired,' Natalie said. 'It slows down the progression of the spots spreading but he's in a lot of pain so he has to take medication.' In fact, in addition to the chemotherapy, Jaiden is on 10 different medications to treat various ailments. There are four medications that Jaiden takes for pain: diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug; two narcotics, methadone and oxycodin; and marinol, a synthetic form of marijuana that treat or prevents nausea and vomiting. Two drugs, zonisamide and lamotrigine, are anticonvulsants to treat seizures Jaiden sometimes has as well as a muscle relaxant called baclofen. For his ADHD he takes clondine, which is an antihypertensive drug, and mirtazapine, which improves mood. Lastly, there is nexium to settle his stomach, and vitamin D because he cannot go outside often. Tim and Natalie are currently working on enrolling Jaiden (pictured, with his sister) in a clinical trial that treats rare skin diseases with stem cells - but the cost is $1million Jaiden's parents have started a GoFundMe to raise money for the treatment, which is London, saying they've run out of options The struggle to try to find a cure has been hard on Tim and Natalie, who have exhausted a multitude of resources. 'We've visited about 40 or 50 different doctors and there was only one who has heard of it who is the dermatologist,' Natalie said. 'We have been emailing about 100 doctors every day until we heard from one who told us about a clinical trial in London.' Geneticists are currently working on a stem cell treatment for rare skin diseases. But the cost to get Jaiden enrolled in the trial is $1million. So the couple has created a GoFundMe page. So far, more than $120,500 has been raised out of a $1.5million goal. The page is also to help cover mounting medical bills, which includes a trip taken once a month to Childrens Hospital Colorado in Denver. Natalie says, at this point, there are no options left besides the clinical trial. 'I've been trying everything here from different hospitals to different doctors and no one has been able to offer me a treatment,' she said. 'We've taken out three mortgages on our home. At the point, London is his only option.' The first new migraine drug for 20 years will be available in Britain within weeks after European health officials granted it a licence yesterday. Erenumab a monthly jab is said to prevent nearly half of migraine attacks for people with few other treatment options. The pharmaceutical firm Novartis is preparing to ship it into Britain, and expects patients will be able to get the drug privately within six weeks. Millions of Britons have migraine attacks - suffering dizziness, nausea and headaches The UK price for the treatment, which is sold under the brand name Aimovig, has not been announced, but in the US it costs 438 per injection or 5,250 a year. Erenumab, which took British scientists three decades to develop, is also being assessed by the UK drugs watchdog NICE for use on the NHS, with a ruling due next year. However, the European Commission has now given permission for it to be prescribed to patients who have migraines on at least four days a month. If it is also approved by NICE, around 500,000 Britons would be expected to benefit. More than eight million Britons three quarters of them women have attacks, suffering dizziness, nausea and headaches. But until now there has been no specific treatment to prevent the problem, with patients instead given beta blockers, antidepressants and even Botox to reduce agonising symptoms. 'Holy grail' for crippling condition of migraines Migraines can affect the whole body - causing crippling headaches, nausea, blackouts, vomiting and even paralysis. An effective drug has been described as a 'holy grail' of medical research. Sufferers have around 13 attacks each year, usually in clusters over a few days. But half a million with 'chronic migraines' have them several times a month. Migraines last from four to 72 hours, and the condition affects more people than diabetes, asthma and epilepsy combined, making it the sixth most common cause of disability in the world. The condition is strongly linked to depression and work absenteeism. Current drugs include Triptans, but they deal with the symptoms rather than the cause, and if they are taken too often they can increase the frequency of attacks. Advertisement A spokesman for The Migraine Trust said: 'This decision is wonderful. Migraine is incredibly painful, and has symptoms that include vomiting and visual disturbance, so getting it frequently can literally ruin lives.' Erenumab is the first of a class of drugs to tackle the protein responsible for the pain and nausea of a migraine. The protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide causes blood vessels intertwined with nerve endings in the head to swell. Erenumab blocks that process. But it has been a long time coming. An injection to tackle migraines effectively has been sought by the world's biggest drugs firms for decades. The jab, which is self-administered into the thigh or belly with an injection pen, is the first treatment since Triptans medication that eases the symptoms but does not deal with the cause was developed in 1997. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found migraines were cut from eight days a month to four among patients using the drug, which was created by Professor Peter Goadsby of King's College London. He gave up his intellectual property rights to the drug. It is made in a partnership by the drugs firms Novartis and Amgen. But others are developing treatments to get a share of a market worth 6.5billion a year. Professor Goadsby, of the NHS-funded National Institute for Health Research clinical research facility at King's, said: 'It's wonderful to see something through from the start, to the stage where a large number of people are to benefit.' Carbon monoxide is a toxin, but could it also work as a medicine? That is the suggestion from a new study by the University of Sheffield. Researchers tested an implant that releases tiny amounts of carbon monoxide gas into blocked arteries and found it could keep them clear. They say it could be a new way to fight heart disease and may even protect patients against another heart attack. The implant is a tiny metal tube called a stent, similar to those inserted into tens of thousands of people in the UK every year to open up clogged arteries. Ironic: Carbon monoxide is a toxin, but it could be a new way to fight heart disease and may even protect patients against heart attacks But unlike most conventional stents, which are either bare metal or impregnated with a drug to prevent blockages, it has a special coating made up of molecules that gradually emit low levels of carbon monoxide gas into the blood vessel. Each year in the UK, around 50 people die and 4,000 become ill from inhaling the odourless carbon monoxide fumes emitted by faulty boilers and gas cookers, as well as barbecues, coal fires and car exhausts. The gas hijacks the haemoglobin, which is responsible for carrying oxygen in the blood to the major organs. Symptoms of poisoning include headaches, nausea and vomiting, vertigo, weakness and poor concentration if exposure is low. High-level exposure results in oxygen starvation and death. But despite it being lethal in large doses, in recent years scientists have discovered the gas is made in tiny concentrations by many cells in the body and appears to have an important role. It has, for example, been shown to reduce inflammation, widen blood vessels, increase blood flow, prevent unwanted blood clotting and suppress the activity of cells which attack transplanted organs. Scientists have been exploring ways to get optimal levels of the gas delivered to the organs that would benefit. The issue, of course, was that inhaling the gas meant the dose was difficult to control, and is potentially fatal. Life-saving? The implant is a tiny metal tube called a stent, similar to those inserted into tens of thousands of people in the UK every year to open up clogged arteries But now scientists have developed compounds called CORMs (carbon monoxide releasing molecules), which are essentially compounds that bind to carbon monoxide and only release it under certain conditions. The carbon monoxide is, therefore, released in the body only in the area where it may be beneficial, as opposed to it being breathed into the lungs where it can be toxic. In particular for heart disease patients, the CORMs have been attached to stents tiny collapsible cages that are fed up via the upper thigh into the heart, where they are opened up to squash a blockage in the artery. Although they relieve chest pain and restore blood flow to the heart, stents can also cause scar tissue damage to the lining of the artery. This triggers inflammation which can gradually narrow the artery again and dramatically reduce blood flow a problem known as restenosis. Studies suggest one-third of patients fitted with so-called bare metal stents experience restenosis. Rates are lower with a new generation of drugeluting stents (which are coated in medicine that is slowly released around the sight of the blockage), but a significant proportion still develop restenosis within months. Stents have saved many lives and more than 70,000 people a year in England alone have them fitted. But the problem of restenosis still affects a large proportion of patients. The first sign that it has developed is severe chest pain or a heart attack. In heart disease patients, carbon monoxide gas is thought to restrict the release of leukocytes blood cells released in large numbers when blood vessels are diseased or injured. This rush of leukocytes can trigger swelling in tissue that lines the blood vessels The new stent is designed to release enough of the gas to dampen down inflammation and sustain healthy blood flow, without causing any harm to patients. As part of a project funded by the British Heart Foundation, researchers at the University of Sheffield studied the effects of CORMS on inflammation in blocked arteries in animals. The results of the new trial, published in the journal Heart, showed releasing the molecule into the area around the blockage not only prevented inflammation and, therefore, the risk of further blockages but also significantly reduced the death of healthy heart cells due to lack of oxygen. Now they are conducting further animal tests to see if coating ordinary stents with the gas-emitting molecules can prevent blockages caused by restenosis. The results of this research are due in the next couple of years. Commenting on the new implant, Martin Cowie, a professor of cardiology at Imperial College London, said: Carbon monoxide-releasing chemicals have shown promise in animal experiments. But much more work is needed to see if this concept translates into benefit for patients. Laura Fulcher: 'Nobody talks about how debilitating cancer is after you survive' The oncologist beamed at me in the starkly lit hospital room. Thats it, he smiled. No more treatment. Were very hopeful of a full recovery. Relief flooded through me. After a 15-month struggle for a cancer diagnosis then months of gruelling chemotherapy, my ordeal was over. And yet, to my surprise, it felt like another was only just beginning. Id expected to feel like an all-conquering hero ready to ride off into the sunset. Yet walking home moments later, I felt no joy, no sense of triumph. Inexplicably, I just felt numb. All that remained was the fear that had fuelled me every day since Id suspected something was wrong two years earlier, aged 29. This fear made me return again and again to the doctor for almost a year and a half until I was finally diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014. By then I was stuck in fight or flight mode, a bodily reaction to extreme stress. It helped sustain me through the eight-hour surgery to remove my fist-sized tumour and seven months of chemotherapy that followed. Yet, in remission, this feeling wouldnt let me go. Three years on, I wonder if it ever will. Nobody talks about how debilitating cancer is after you survive. But research suggests many survivors find the end of treatment nearly as difficult as the original diagnosis. The charity Breast Cancer Care found that only 10 per cent of breast cancer survivors felt positive and ready to move on after treatment. There is a huge amount of pressure on cancer patients in remission, says Dr Frances Goodhart, a clinical psychologist and author of The Cancer Survivors Companion. Family and friends want the person to be back to normal; to be able to throw off the experience of cancer and pick up where they left off. Theres an expectation around the speed of recovery. But often, its only at the end of treatment when people start psychologically processing what theyve been through. Inner feelings: 'Survivors guilt prevented me from contacting support groups Id relied on during treatment,' she says of her experience At follow-up appointments with the wonderful doctors and nurses who helped me reach remission, I learned there was no cure for the long-term physical problems cancer had left behind, let alone the psychological ones. The operation to remove my tumour, for example, had caused bands of scar tissue that jumbled up my insides, obstructing my bowel and causing dreadful pain. Leaving the house became a logistical challenge lying on my stomach without clothes was the only thing that helped. Chemo fog also cursed me. This is a common symptom after chemotherapy, which causes thinking and memory problems and profound tiredness. I found it difficult to concentrate and words often evaded me. They still can now. The year before cancer struck, I had travelled from the Arctic to the Antarctic. I had a successful career as an English teacher in a secondary school, a job I loved. I even travelled to help teachers in Ghana. But all this was snatched away and there was no way to get it back even now, in remission. I couldnt work during treatment and recovery, so not earning money made me feel worthless. Without my boyfriend, Ryan, 35, I dont know what Id have done. Initially, fear and anxiety got in the way of living. I stopped making plans, so consumed with worry was I that the cancer would return. It was a struggle to force myself to go out; if I did, it often made me feel worse. Laura Fulcher Initially, fear and anxiety got in the way of living. I stopped making plans, so consumed with worry was I that the cancer would return. It was a struggle to force myself to go out; if I did, it often made me feel worse. Around the time of hospital scans was dreadful the scanxiety of waiting weeks or months for the results. Survivors guilt prevented me from contacting support groups Id relied on during treatment. Sharing how I felt about life after conquering the disease with someone facing a terminal diagnosis seemed heartless. Meanwhile, people whove never faced serious illness struggle to imagine it. How are you? they ask. A simple question but it plunges me into difficulty. Underneath, I feel terrible, physically and emotionally, and dont know how to lie. Everyone expects cancer survivors to move on and feel grateful. Yet how could I feel grateful when I was still in survival mode, expecting the Sword of Damocles to drop at any moment? Theres always a concern that cancer is going to come back, whether that be months or years after treatment finishes, says Dr Fiona Harris, a consultant oncologist at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. It can feel like a ticking time bomb. Youve also gone from a period of intense contact with your medical team to then having no appointments apart from a scan every few months. Making a difference: In 2017 she founded Mission Remission, a non-profit organisation dedicated to life after cancer Professor Janet Dunn, deputy director of clinical trials at the University of Warwick, told me the most common symptoms cancer survivors face were fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, memory loss, difficulty concentrating and pain. There are less obvious consequences. Resuming sexual activity can be fraught, whether physically or emotionally, says Dr Goodhart. And if your fertility has been damaged, you need to grieve for that huge loss. It can come back to guilt youre told you should be happy and grateful to be alive, when actually, the end of treatment triggers a grief process. I started to understand from those I met online that other survivors suffered in silence. There seemed to be a shame in struggling after cancer. Kathryn Dugdale-Evans, 38, a contracts officer from Norfolk, and now four years past her diagnosis with bowel cancer, faced crippling fatigue and has only recently started to address it with tailored exercise. I still struggle, she says. On a good night I get two to three hours sleep, which isnt enough. It has affected all areas of my life. Psychological support is very hard to come by in the NHS, with long waiting times. Half of all patients diagnosed with cancer today will live at least ten years double the survival rate in the Seventies, according to a 2016 report by Macmillan Cancer Support. But there was such an absence of information on how to cope, I was dependent on reading other survivors stories online. It was a relief to find I was not alone. So in 2017 I founded Mission Remission, a non-profit organisation dedicated to life after cancer. Its a place for survivors to read and share practical tips, signpost to organisations that have helped them, and, above all, give voice to their tales and listen to others. For me, finding a way to help others has been how I helped myself. It was my turning point. Ill never be the person I was before, but in a peculiar sense I am the better for it. Im more compassionate and Ive found a cause. The brutal fact is surviving cancer can leave you weak. We do not sail off into the sunset, so its vital that none of us are left, any longer, to languish in the shadows. mission-remission.com A new website has been launched selling branded food items and it claims prices are up to 75 per cent cheaper than the big four supermarkets. The website, Star Bargains, sells surplus stock from the supermarkets along with products which are near to their best before date. The items on offer change regularly, with 250 new items added each month for delivery in the UK and the EU. Star Bargains is the online shop for Fultons Foods based in the north of England The website has been created by Fultons Foods, the retailer which has been trading for 58 years and has 100 shops across Yorkshire, Lancashire, Nottingham and Teeside. The idea behind the website is to make the discounted products available to a bigger audience and until September delivery is free for orders of 30 or more. The products on sale are sourced directly from manufacturers and from supermarket surplus stock and change regularly. HOW THE PRICES AT STAR BARGAINS COMPARE WITH THE HIGH STREET Item Weight Price at Star Bargains Price at the supermarket Nestle cheerios 375g 1.69 2.07 Nescafe coffee 180g 3.95 5.00 Barilla spaghetti 500g 0.69 1.50 Heinz beanz & sausage 415g 0.79 1.00 McVities Hobnob biscuits 300g 0.75 1.19 Kettle sea salt & crushed black pepper crisps 150g 0.85 0.99 Fairy original washing up liquid 500ml 1.39 1.50 Hellmanns mayonnaise 400g 1.49 1.92 Marmite jar 250g 2.29 2.40 Galaxy milk chocolate 200g 1.49 1.50 Silver spoon golden syrup 680g 1.39 1.90 Alpro almond milk 1 litre 0.79 1.80 Prices sourced on 25/07/18. Supermarket price is the cheapest of the big four as listed on mysupermarket.com There are four different categories available to choose from and around 900 products for sale. These are 'waste not want not' for items that have either passed or are close to their best before date, 'home basics' for kitchen cupboard essentials, 'posh nosh' for premium brands, and 'Fultons Foods' which includes items for sale already in the shop's branches. We checked the price of a number of items on the website and the majority were cheaper when compared to the big four supermarkets. However, we did find a couple of products that were more expensive at Star Bargains so if you do use it for your shopping, it's worth checking a website such as mysupermarket.com first to see if you can find it cheaper elsewhere before you buy. None of the food on sale has passed the 'use by date' and the Food Standards Agency says food eaten after a best before date is still safe to eat but may not be in the best condition. It says the flavour and texture might not be as good but the date is about quality and not safety. The NHS warns people to think carefully before throwing away food that has passed its best before date and says every year we throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink, most of which could have been eaten. Karen Gunter, director at Fultons Foods, said: 'We are delighted to be bringing the great savings we offer shoppers in Fultons Foods' stores to those in the UK who do not live within easy reach of a shop. Star Bargains and Approved Foods both sell items which have passed the best before date 'Over recent years we have seen a rise in the popularity of discounters who offer own brand products at low prices such as Aldi and Lidl. We compliment these types of retailers meeting the needs of those shoppers who want big savings but prefer to stick with big name brands and family favourites. 'We offer deals on food and drink items which have been sourced directly from manufacturers or bought as surplus stock. In addition to this, we also sell some items which are sold at even bigger discounts as they are close to or past their best before dates these are clearly labelled and are perfectly fine to eat, but would otherwise end up contributing to the millions of tonnes of food that is discarded every year in the UK which could've been eaten.' A number of food businesses work in a similar way. The website Approved Foods also sells heavily discounted foods which have either passed or are near to passing their best before dates. It was founded in 2009 and as with Star Bargains, the majority of the products on offer are store cupboard stables such as soup, chopped tomatoes, baked beans and rice and pasta. It has more than 2,000 products for sale and claims regular customers save around 60 on their monthly shop and 700 off their annual shop when compared to prices at the high street supermarkets. Another option is the website Olio which connects neighbours which each other and with local businesses with surplus stock. The idea behind it is to cut the amount of food and drinks wasted in the UK. It's a free app which lets users search for local listings of leftover food and then request whatever they want. Once something has been requested they are connected via a private message and can arrange to pick up the leftover food for free. Promotion: Ex-Financial Conduct Authority boss Tracey McDermott Ex-Financial Conduct Authority boss Tracey McDermott's elevation to head of compliance at Standard Chartered comes at the expense of her American predecessor Neil Barry, who was found to have behaved inappropriately towards colleagues. Financial News reports goateed Barry was sacked for telling sexist jokes 'which may have got a bit lost in translation'. Happily there's no danger of any office gags while sober Tracey, 57, is in charge, risque or otherwise. Ryanair's annual report reveals Michael O'Leary's remuneration last year was 2.1million. Strangely, the airline has also published the pay of rival chief executives from IAG (Willie Walsh 4million) and Lufthansa (Carsten Spohr 3.7million) over the past three years. Do they hope to sell near billionaire O'Loudmouth, 57, to striking Ryanair staff as a bargain? Sir Richard Branson claims when he collected his knighthood in 2000, he worried the Queen would remember his record label had been responsible for publishing the Sex Pistols' lese-majeste punk song God Save the Queen. He says: 'I was slightly nervous that it would have been a slice of the head instead of a tap on the shoulders but she forgave us.' Records show Prince Charles conducted Beardie's investiture that day. Still, a charming story all the same. The BBC's svelte Economics editor Kamal Ahmed's promotion to editorial director will likely prompt a flurry of job applications for his much coveted old job. Current business editor Simon Jack should be a frontrunner should he be interested, but following recent gender pay controversies bosses may feel inclined to hand it to a woman. I'm advised the prospects of investment banker-turned broadcaster Dharshini David, 45, are much discussed around Broadcasting House. A painfully boring Guardian investigation reveals the Institute of Economic Affairs' director general Mark Littlewood invited an undercover reporter posing as a donor to a lunch with the promise: 'We'll make sure you're sat next to [ex-Northern Rock chairman] Matt Ridley.' What an enticement! Reminds me of a competition the New Statesman once held for the most doom-laden words you could hear upon arriving at a London dinner party. The winner: 'Come right in, you'll find Sir Geoffrey's in sparkling form.' Foxtons became the latest firm to bemoan a slowdown in the UK property market today. The London-focused estate said stagnating homes sales in the capital caused it to slump to a 2.5m half-year loss, compared with profits of 3.8m this time last year. The market, which Foxtons boss Nic Budden described as 'very subdued', also triggered a 9 per cent crash in sales to 53m over the six months to July. Budden blamed a number of factors, including 'higher stamp duty affecting buyers of more expensive properties, second home owners, and buy to let investors'. Foxtons has around 70 estate agencies in and around London for both lettings and sales He also pointed to 'ongoing affordability concerns' which he said are 'particularly acute' in London. As a result, the firm scrapped its interim dividend, having handed investors 0.43p per share a year ago. A slew of estate agents and housebuilding firms have felt the pinch of the market slowdown in recent months. Countrywide flagged ongoing subdued conditions in June as it issued its fourth profit warning in eight months, while house builder Berkeley warned of dwindling demand in London, despite profits rising. Foxtons warned previously of the 'very challenging' trading conditions when, in its first quarter, sales plummeted by nearly 15 per cent to 24.5m. None-the-less, the firm hailed strong growth in its lettings market today as demand for rental properties remains sky high. Investors did not seem rattled by the news; the company's share price rose in early trading and, at time of writing, were up nearly 7 per cent at 51p. 'The one saving grace for Foxtons is a very solid balance sheet, which provides the capacity to ride out the soft market conditions, at least for a time,' said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. 'However, the losses the company is beginning to rack up are having an impact. The net cash position fell from nearly 19m at the beginning of the year to just short of 12m at the end of June. 'Foxtons needs market conditions to improve, and soon.' Keller Group made sales of 1bn during the first half of the year AMERICAN BOOST Engineer Keller Group made sales of 1billion during the first half of the year, with a strong performance in North America and Europe. It is paying an interim dividend of 12p per share, up 24 per cent. HOTEL LIFT Park Plaza owner PPHE Hotel Group has moved to a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange. The listing will likely pave the way for PPHE to obtain a dual listing on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. BAR BILL London pub chain The City Pub Group has bought three sites in the capital and agreed a leasehold on a seafront bar in Brighton for a total of 8.1million. BEAUTY PARADE Online beauty business The Hut Group has bagged a 795million bank loan to fund its international expansion. The funds provided by Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Citibank and JP Morgan, will help the group purchase more overseas companies, a spokesman said. LENDING LULL A slowdown in mortgages has hit Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group. Mortgage applications have fallen following a change to the way it handles them, and added the market is ultra-competitive. Bosses said the firm is still on track to hit its targets, but shares fell 0.25 per cent, or 0.8p, to 337p. BANKER PLEA The US boss of foreign exchange trading at Barclays has asked a judge to throw out criminal charges relating to a 6billion currency deal for IT company Hewlett-Packard. Robert Bogucki, who has been on leave from the bank for almost two years, claims he had no legal responsibility to act in HP's best interests. TECH DEAL Chip designer ARM Holdings has bought US data analytics company Treasure Data. The Cambridge-based firm, which is owned by Japan's Softbank, reportedly paid 475million. PAPER LOSS The newly merged owner of the Daily Mirror and Daily Express newspapers, Reach, has slipped into a loss of 113.5million in the first half of the year. The company said this was partly due to 150million in asset write-downs associated with its struggling weekly and regional daily newspapers. BREXIT BOOST Nearly a third (31 per cent) of UK firms believe leaving the EU is having a positive effect on their business activity, while 28 per cent said it was having a negative effect. The secretive owner of one of Britain's oldest breweries has been fined after telling a pensions watchdog that its request for vital documents was 'tiresome'. Humphrey Smith, 73, the controversial owner of Samuel Smith Old Brewery, wrote back to pension's regulator with a 'deliberately inflammatory', when asked for the crucial paperwork regarding the savings of 2,000 workers. Samuel Smith Old Brewery, which was formed in 1758, had been told by the Pension Regulator (TPR) in 2015 to prove it was earning enough money to support the final salary pension schemes. Insolent: Samuel Smith Old Brewery owner Humphrey Smith has been fined after telling a pensions watchdog that its request for vital documents was 'tiresome' But Smith, who is the hereditary ruler of the Yorkshire brewing empire and is rarely photographed, wrote back: 'We are in receipt of your tiresome letter and we are not prepared to divulge the information to your organisation.' In response the Regulator launched court proceedings accusing the company of neglecting or refusing to provide information and documents without a reasonable excuse in breach of Pensions Act 2004. Smith was charged with the same offence on the basis that as owner and chairman of the company he consented or connived in failing to hand over the documents. Both the company and Smith pleaded guilty to the offence at a hearing in May, and yesterday both were hit with fines totalling 26,750 and costs of 1,240 when they were sentenced at Brighton Magistrates' Court. Samuel Smith keeps costs down by only stocking own-brand drinks Smith has run into controversy before, most recently in 2016 when he had a stand-off with residents of Tadcaster. Locals had wanted to build a temporary bridge across a river, but Smith would not let them as he owned the land. Samuel Smith Old Brewery owns a 300-strong chain of pubs across the country. It is known for its secretive business practices and has numerous registered businesses on Companies House meaning its sales and profits are not published under one entity. Smith, pictured above, is known for his eccentricity and reportedly rules his business 'with an iron fist'. He introduced a no-swearing policy at his establishments in 2017 and banned music more than a decade ago to avoid paying copyright fees. The company prides itself on serving some of the cheapest beers in the country and keeps costs down by only stocking own-brand drinks. Judge Teresa Szagun said the company had claimed it was a 'small, independent, family-run brewery struggling in a declining industry' and any fine would impact of its employees. But she said they taken a 'deliberately inflammatory' tone with the TPR and twice failed to comply with a request for information. She said the 'The terse tone of the refusal puts the culpability at the highest level of intent.' Nicola Parish of TPR said: 'People who ignore our notices asking them to provide information should expect us to launch a criminal prosecution.' Advertisement The deadly Northern California wildfire that has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and burned virtually unchecked since Thursday has claimed its sixth victim. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said Sunday a body was found within the boundary of the Carr Fire near Redding, California, about 230 miles north of San Francisco. He said the victim, who was not identified, had been in an area which had been covered by an evacuation warning, but had not evacuate as instructed. Bosenko said the sheriff's department has seven outstanding missing persons reports. The fire had previously claimed the lives of two firefighters, as well as two children and their great-grandmother. With the death toll climbing to six, authorities worried that another forecast for high winds could fan the flames even further. 'Right now, it's going everywhere. We still have a lot of open line,' said Anthony Romero, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 'Any event could bring this back up again.' Capt. Scott Fisher, with the San Bernardino County Fire Department, surveys a wildfire-damaged neighborhood in Keswick, California on Sunday. The mountain town of about 450 people that almost completely wiped out by the wildfire Fisher was among the firefighters tamping down smoking piles of debris that were scattered amid downed electricity lines A burned bowling ball was among the fire wreckage found in Keswick on Sunday. The flames laid waste to about 25 blocks Burned vehicles are seen in front of a wildfire-ravaged home Sunday in Redding, California. Authorities revealed a sixth victim of the wildfires was found near the town, which is about 230 miles north of San Francisco The National Weather Service predicted more hot and dry conditions, with wind gusts expected late in the afternoon. Triple-digit temperatures and dry vegetation are making it difficult for crews to corral the blaze, which is said to be only five per cent contained. Wildfires around the state have forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a Cal Fire spokeswoman. About 12,000 firefighters were battling 17 significant fires Sunday in California, she said. 'We are well ahead of the fire activity we saw last year,' she said. 'This is just July, so we're not even into the worst part of fire season.' However, late Sunday afternoon, fire officials said that crews have been able to stop some of the growth of the blaze, finally gaining ground as opposed to being strictly in a defensive posture. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Incident Commander Bret Gouvea said the fire was not moving nearly as fast as it did earlier and that he was optimistic and expected containment numbers to increase. So far, the fire has burned 139 square miles (360 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 500 buildings, threatening thousands of other buildings. Keswick, California, a mountain town of about 450 people, was almost completely wiped out. The San Bernardino County Fire Department was called in to tamp down smoking piles of debris that were scattered amid downed electricity lines. The so-called Carr Fire has stripped hillsides bare in the area near Igo, Calfornia (pictured Sunday). So far, the fire has burned 139 square miles and destroyed more than 500 buildings Burned trees and the remains of abandoned vehicles and homes were all that were left in this Redding neighborhood Sunday On Saturday, the wildfire traveled from Redding towards Igo, California. Underbrush was seen burning in Igo on Sunday Near Igo, a wooden structure can be seen, left to burn itself out, alongside twisted remains of metal debris on Sunday 'What we're seeing here is an incomplete burn situation,' Capt. Doug Miles said as his crew used picks, shovels and rakes to open up piles that just days ago were family homes. The flames laid waste to about 25 blocks, and the 'mop up' work was likely to take days. He said his crew would be looking for anything salvageable, but there was little left standing. Anna Noland, 49, was evacuated twice in three days before learning through video footage that her house had burned. She planned to stay at a shelter at Simpson College in Redding, while searching for another place to live. 'I think I'm still in shock,' Noland said. 'It's just unbelievable knowing you don't have a house to go back to.' Noland was among the 38,000 people who evacuated after the so-called Carr Fire roared into the outskirts of Redding in Shasta County. The fatalities included two firefighters and a woman and her two great-grandchildren. 'My babies are dead,' Sherry Bledsoe said through tears after she and family members met Saturday with sheriff's deputies. Her two children, five-year-old James Roberts and four-year-old Emily Roberts, were stranded with their great-grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70, when flames swept through the family's rural property Thursday on the outskirts of Redding. On Saturday, smoke filled the air along Highway 299 in unincorporated Shasta County, California. Thousands of residents remain evacuated as the wildfire continues burning, largely uncontrolled A hand crew of firefighters from various San Diego County fire departments scratch out a fire line after a brushfire burned in De Luz, California on Saturday A firefighter walks along a containment line while battling a wildfire Saturday in Redding. About 12,000 firefighters were said to be battling 17 significant fires on Sunday A burned out vehicle sits in front of a wildfire-ravaged home Saturday in Redding, California Rich Newell tries to get his horse 'Ike' into a trailer while evacuating from Lewiston, California as the Carr Fire approached Eight-one-year-old Don Ray Smith was a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire when he died. Redding Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, though no details were provided. A vehicle problem ignited the fire July 23, but it wasn't until Thursday that the blaze exploded in size and raced into populated areas west of Redding before entering city limits. On Saturday, it pushed southwest of Redding, the largest city in the region, toward the tiny communities of Ono, Igo and Gas Point. The fire grew slightly Sunday to 139 square miles (360 square kilometers). It is the largest fire burning in California, threatening more than 5,000 structures. The flames were just 5 percent contained. The latest tally showed at least 517 structures destroyed and another 135 damaged, Romero said. A count by The Associated Press found at least 300 of those structures were homes. The firefighters killed in the blaze included Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines, a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the path of the wildfire. Redding Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed, but details of his death were not released. Bledsoe's relatives were among more than a dozen people reported missing after the furious wind-driven blaze took residents by surprise and leveled several neighborhoods. The sheriff said he expects to find several of those people alive and just out of touch with loved ones. Officers have gone to homes of several people reported missing and found cars gone - a strong indication they fled. About 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Redding, two blazes that prompted mandatory evacuations in Mendocino County destroyed four homes and threatened more than 4,500 buildings, officials said. They had blackened 39 square miles (101 square kilometers) and were each 5 percent contained. Authorities also issued evacuation orders in Napa County, famous for its wine, when a fire destroyed eight structures. The blaze had blackened 150 acres, but was 50 percent contained on Sunday. Big fires continued to burn outside Yosemite National Park and in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles near Palm Springs. Those blazes had burned nearly 100 square miles (260 square kilometers). Yosemite Valley remained closed to visitors and will not reopen until Friday. American Airlines flights were grounded across the country for 40 minutes by a technical glitch and other airlines were also delayed. Thousands of irate passengers were left waiting at departure gates while at least four carriers scrambled to fix the problem. American's flights were shut down between 2.05pm and 2.45pm on Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Authority. American Airlines flights were grounded across the country for 40 minutes by a technical glitch The airline blamed the issue on 'a connectivity issue with one of our data centers' and said no flights were cancelled as a result. Delta, Alaska, and United also had thousands of flights delayed by a system outage at SkyWest, which flies regional routes for them. Some 1,106 SkyWest flights were delayed along with 686 American Airlines ones due to their respective malfunctions. American's issue was the second in two months after more than 3,000 flights were cancelled in the week starting June 14, costing it $35 million. The persistent computer glitch plagued the airline's subsidiary PSA Airlines and forced staff to 'do heroic things' to get any flights to take off. The company said the two glitches were not related. The trial of President Donald Trump's onetime campaign chairman will open this week with tales of lavish spending, secret shell companies and millions of dollars of Ukrainian money flowing through offshore bank accounts and into the political consultant's pocket. What's likely to be missing: answers about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election, or really any mention of Russia at all. Paul Manafort's financial crimes trial, the first arising from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, will center on his Ukrainian consulting work and only briefly touch on his involvement with the president's campaign. But the broader implications are unmistakable. In this Feb. 14, 2018, file photo, Paul Manafort leaves the federal courthouse in Washington. His trial will open this week with tales of lavish spending on properties and clothing and allegations that he laundered money through offshore bank accounts The former Trump campaign manager departs from U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., February 28, 2018 The trial, scheduled to begin Tuesday with jury selection in Alexandria, Virginia, will give the public its most detailed glimpse of evidence Mueller's team has spent the year accumulating. It will feature testimony about the business dealings and foreign ties of a defendant Trump entrusted to run his campaign during a critical stretch in 2016, including during the Republican convention. And it will unfold at a delicate time for the president as Mueller's team presses for an interview and as Trump escalates his attacks on an investigation he calls a 'witch hunt.' Adding to the intrigue is the expected spectacle of Manafort's deputy, Rick Gates, testifying against him after cutting a plea deal with prosecutors, and the speculation that Manafort, who faces charges in two different courts and decades in prison if convicted, may be holding out for a pardon from Trump. 'Perhaps he believes that he's done nothing wrong, and because he's done nothing wrong, he's unwilling to plead guilty to any crime whatsoever - even if it's a lesser crime,' said Jimmy Gurule, a Notre Dame law professor and former federal prosecutor. 'Obviously, that's very risky for him.' At a recent hearing, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, (pictured) who will preside over the trial, warned prosecutors to restrain themselves, noting the current 'antipathy' toward Russia and how 'most people in this country don't distinguish between Ukrainians and Russians Mr. Greg Andres, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, listens to Chairman Smith's opening statement at the hearing on 'Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime' on November 2, 2011. Andres said of the Manafort trial that he doesn't 'anticipate that a government witness will utter the word 'Russia' US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (C) is seen in Washington, DC on July 13, 2018. Ellis noted that Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, had explicitly authorized Mueller to investigate Manafort's business dealings Manafort was indicted along with Gates in Mueller's wide-ranging investigation, but he is the only American charged to opt for a trial instead of cooperating with the government. The remaining 31 individuals charged have either reached plea agreements, including ex-White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, or are Russians seen as unlikely to enter an American courtroom. Three Russian companies have also been charged. Prosecutors in Manafort's case have said they may call 35 witnesses, including five who have immunity agreements, as they try to prove that he laundered more than $30 million in Ukrainian political consulting proceeds and concealed the funds from the IRS. Jurors are expected to see photographs of his Mercedes-Benz and of his Hampton property putting green and swimming pool. There's likely to be testimony, too, about tailored Beverly Hills clothing, high-end antiques, rugs and art and New York Yankees seasons tickets. Manafort's trial is the first arising from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation The luxurious lifestyle was funded by Manafort's political consulting for the pro-Russian Ukrainian political party of Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed as Ukraine's president in 2014. Lawyers have tangled over how much jurors will hear of his overseas political work, particularly about his ties to Russia and other wealthy political figures. At a recent hearing, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who will preside over the trial, warned prosecutors to restrain themselves, noting the current 'antipathy' toward Russia and how 'most people in this country don't distinguish between Ukrainians and Russians.' He said he would not tolerate any pictures of Manafort and others 'at a cocktail party with scantily clad women,' if they exist. Prosecutor Greg Andres reassured the judge that 'there will be no pictures of scantily clad women, period,' nor photographs of Russian flags. 'I don't anticipate that a government witness will utter the word 'Russia,'' Andres said. While jurors will be hearing painstaking detail about Manafort's finances, they won't be told about Manafort's other criminal case, in the nation's capital, where he faces charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and lying to the government. Nor will they hear about the reason he's been jailed since last month after a judge revoked his house arrest over allegations that he and a longtime associate attempted to tamper with witnesses in the case. And they won't learn that Manafort's co-defendant in the Washington case is a business associate named Konstantin Kilimnik, who lives in Russia and who U.S. authorities assert has connections to Russian intelligence. Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly sought to play down Manafort's connection to the president, yet the trial won't be entirely without references to the campaign. Mueller's team says Manafort's position in the Trump campaign is relevant to some of the bank fraud charges. Prosecutors plan to present evidence that a chairman of one of the banks allowed Manafort to file inaccurate loan information in exchange for a job on the campaign and the promise of a job in the Trump administration. The administration job never materialized. The trial will afford the public its first glimpse of a defense that so far has focused less on the substance of the allegations than on Mueller's authority to bring the case in the first place. At one point, his defense lawyers sued Mueller and the Justice Department, saying they had overstepped their bounds by bringing a prosecution untethered to the core questions of Mueller's investigation - whether Russia worked with the Trump campaign to tip the election. Ellis rejected that argument despite having initially questioned the special counsel's motives for bringing the case. He noted that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, had explicitly authorized Mueller to investigate Manafort's business dealings. Mueller's original mandate was to investigate not only potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, but also any other crimes arising from the probe. 'When a prosecutor looks into those dealings and uncovers evidence of criminal culpability,' said Stanford law professor David Alan Sklansky, 'it doesn't make sense to ask him to avert his eyes.' More than 40 per cent of newborn babies are born to foreign mothers in one Australian state, as the numbers of children born to immigrants rise across the nation. New statistics reveal 41 per cent of of babies are born to immigrant mothers in Western Australia - the highest number in Australia. In New South Wales, 38.2 per cent of babies are the children of foreign-born women. More than 41 per cent of newborn babies are the children of immigrants in one Australian state, as the numbers of children born from foreign parents rise across the nation (stock image) Social analyst David Chalke believes differences in culture explains the fertility rate between Australian and foreign-born mothers Australian population statistics Australia's current population is 24,991,033 as of Monday, July 30 There is one birth every 1 minute and 42 seconds The nation is set to reach 25 million about 4am on August 8 Source: ABS Advertisement The two most popular migrant mothers giving birth in Australia are those of Indian and Chinese descent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In the last ten years there has been a staggering 236 per cent increase in the number of Indian-born mothers giving birth in Australia and 159 per cent rise in Chinese-born women, The Telegraph reports. Women from Lebanon had the most children out of foreign-born mothers with an average of 4.03 children per woman. While the number of children born to immigrant parents has increased, this figure has dropped for Australian women giving birth. Babies born to Australian women decreased by 10 per cent in the same ten-year period. Social analyst David Chalke believes differences in culture explains the fertility rate between Australian and foreign-born mothers. 'Among many of the migrant groups, culturally it is more appropriate to have lots of children it is very much a cultural thing,' Mr Chalke told the Telegraph. Yet he said the average Australian woman prefers having 'one trophy child' in her mid-30s so she can balance child-rearing and her career. ABC's Four Corners revealed earlier this year that immigration is the primary driver of population growth in the nation. In 1997, it was estimated that Australia would reach a population of 25 million in 2050. Yet the nation is set to hit that figure in just days. Australia's current population is 24,991,033 as of Monday, July 30. The nation is set to reach 25 million about 4am on August 8. A cowardly tradesman who knocked out a stranger passing him on the footpath has been charged with assault by police after a brief manhunt. The man's brother, who was caught on CCTV cruelly laughing as the victim lay semi-conscious on the ground, was questioned but released without charge. The unprovoked assault took place on Thursday night in Melbourne's south-east, with Victoria Police releasing footage of the sickening attack on the weekend. Security vision overlooking the path, next to Nepean Highway in Frankston, captures three men wearing hi-visibility clothing walking together at about 7.45pm. The alleged attacker and his laughing brother went into hiding, 7 News reports, but are believed to have handed themselves into police on Monday morning following widespread outrage. A man has been attacked in an unprovoked assault in Melbourne's south-east on Thursday night (victim pictured) Police have charged a 32-year-old man with assault after he handed himself in on Monday The alleged attacker, a 32-year-old Frankston South man, was charged with intentionally causing injury and will face court today. It's understood his brother was also questioned but released pending further inquiries. Witnesses say they followed a trail of blood to the victim, but he refused their help and fled the scene. Police confirmed the victim was a 43-year-old Frankston North man, but did not reveal his identity. The man, who was wearing a hooded jumper at the time and is not believed to have known the group of men, left his broken dentures at the scene of the attack. Police believe he would have suffered serious facial injuries as a result of the assault. 'A disgusting and vicious attack, very unprovoked, which was not called for,' Victoria Police Senior Constable Joel Barbera said. Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The three men appeared unperturbed by the attack, laughing and looking over their shoulders at the floored man, while one jokingly holds his jaw A rampaging kangaroo had to be locked in the bathroom of a Melbourne home over the weekend after it jumped through the house's window. The marsupial was discovered in the Deer Park home of Mafi Ahokavo, just 17km west of the Melbourne CBD, on Saturday night. Mr Ahokavo's family were awoken by a 'big bang' to find the animal wandering through their home after breaking through the window. Scroll down for Video A kangaroo has been locked in the bathroom of a Deer Park, Melbourne home after being discovered on Saturday night The wild animal went on the break another window, spatter blood over walls and furnishings and scratch a car before it was forced into the bathroom. Mr Ahokavo, who has never seen a kangaroo before, contacted the police terrified after locking the animal in the bathroom of the home he shares with his partner and three-year-old son. Wildlife Victoria were then called to the scene. The kangaroo was found wandering the home of Mafi Ahokavo after leaping through a window and splattering blood on the walls Mr Ahokavo contacted the police terrified after locking the animal in the bathroom of the home he shares with his partner and three-year-old son Animal Rescuer, Manfred Zabinskas, found the confused marsupial in a 'pretty bad way' but the roo has now been reported in a stable condition. Mr Zabinskas told 9News: 'He was laying down and didn't get up when I approached him, so we did sedate him because he was conscious and terrified.' The Australian native animal was taken to the Wildlife Victoria shelter after suffering significant blood loss and a number of lacerations. Urban sprawl is being blamed for the increase in this type of incident within Melbourne as their native homes have been taken over. Wildlife Victoria were called to the scene to rescue the Australian native animal from the toilet Wildlife Victoria Animal Rescuer, Manfred Zabinskas (pictured) found the kangaroo in a 'pretty bad way' before sedating him and taking him to the shelter Wildlife Victoria provide an emergency response service for injured, sick and orphaned wildlife. The organisation was responsible for officially rescuing 905 kangaroos in the month of June 2018 alone. Over 1,500 dedicated volunteers make up the Wildlife Victoria team who do not receive any funding from the Victorian Government. The ex-husband of a mother-of-three found dead in her garage fears for his safety after he was sent a text message saying someone would 'fix him up', a court has heard. Adrian Basham was questioned by homicide detectives over his ex-wife Samantha Fraser's death on Phillip Island, Victoria on July 23. The 41-year-old was was due to face Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court on Monday on unrelated charges. The court heard Mr Basham had been sent a threatening message after his ex-wife's body was found, saying 'when they find him they will fix him up', The Age reported. Scroll down for video Adrian Basham was questioned by homicide detectives over his ex-wife Samantha Fraser's (pictured) death on Phillip Island, Victoria on July 23 Mr Basham's (pictured) behavior has been described as both aggressive and domineering. It is not suggested that Adrian Basham is responsible for the death of Samantha Fraser The court heard Mr Basham had been sent a threatening message after his ex-wife's body was found, saying 'when they find him they will fix him up' (reconstructed image) His lawyer John Sutton argued for the matter to be suppressed due to safety concerns. 'The publicity relates with matters to do with Mr Basham's wife... nothing to do with the charges before the court ,' Mr Sutton said. Magistrate Louis Hill granted an interim order suppressing details of the charge from being released, and the matter was adjourned until Thursday. Neighbours reported seeing Mr Basham driving different cars in the area in the months before Ms Fraser's death. Residents told The Age they saw Mr Basham driving across the bridge from San Remo in different vehicles. Four days before Ms Fraser was found dead, locals saw Mr Basham walking along the village's main street. Ms Fraser changed the locks to her home just a month before the discovery of her body. A month prior to the discovery of her body in the garage of her home (pictured), she had changed the locks to the property Alice Bradley, a colleague of Ms Fraser, said she had told her she feared for her safety. 'She had mentioned to me a lot that she felt unsafe... at times she was really frightened,' Ms Bradley said. 'She was a great mum, she was very involved in the local school, she had a large group of friends. She was very popular and just gorgeous.' Police were alerted when Ms Fraser (pictured) didn't arrive to pick up her children from school in the afternoon Her death came as a shock to the local community, who were notified of the murder investigation four days after her death. Police were alerted when Ms Fraser didn't arrive to pick up her children from school in the afternoon. Police conducted a welfare check at her home on Seagrove Way, Phillip Island, only to find her dead. It is not suggested that Adrian Basham is responsible for the death of Samantha Fraser. The ID registration system for EU citizens in the UK after Brexit should also be rolled out to British citizens to avoid another Windrush scandal, a think tank has suggested. Extending the documentation programme for the 3.6 million Europeans living here to everyone else is among a sweeping overhaul of the immigration system recommended in a new report to strengthen the UK border. Britain leaving the EU is the perfect time to come up with new ways of controlling national borders, the paper published on Monday by Policy Exchange suggests. A Border Force agent checks passports of passengers arriving at London Gatwick (file picture) The idea of a national ID system for British citizens has been controversial for some time, with many people opposing it on civil liberties grounds. A 5 billion national identity card scheme was introduced by the last Labour government in 2006 but a Bill to scrap it was the first legislation introduced by Theresa May when she became home secretary in 2010. EU citizens already in the UK will have to pay 65 and join a registration scheme if they wish to stay in Britain after the end of the transition period on December 31 2020 under changes announced by the current Home Secretary Sajid Javid. In the report, David Goodhart, Policy Exchange's head of demography, immigration and integration, suggests that the scheme should be widened to Britons, initially on a voluntary basis. He said: 'We strongly recommend reopening the debate about ID management to reassure people that we know who is in the country, for how long, and what their entitlements are. 'A proper national ID system would have prevented the harassment of the Windrush victims.' Among the other ideas in The Border Audit: A Post-Windrush Review, are: A more decisive removals process, that gets people out before they can judicially review their cases, plus reforms to allow applications for asylum from outside the UK and private sponsorship of them. An amnesty for illegal immigrants who have been in the UK for 10 years or more More cash to pay illegal immigrants to leave and a joint scheme involving the Department for International Development to help them set up businesses in their countries of origin A British version of the US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) that allows non-UK citizens to use e-gates at borders and made it quicker for 'low-risk groups' to enter One single 'command' responsible for sea borders, under one person based in Portsmouth Make rail and ferry operators provide more information about passengers and introduce more collaboration with Irish authorities to close down the Common Travel Area 'backdoor' Reduce citizenship application fees from 1,500 per person and almost 5,000 for a family with two children to a level 'more closely aligned to public policy, not just revenue needs' Higher overall investment, including better detection systems for lorries at Calais and Dover, more staff and more border patrol boats Mr Goodhart added: 'Illegal immigration is not only unfair on legal immigrants who wait their turn in the queue and the employers and businesses who play (and pay) by the rules, it also fosters a twilight world of criminality, dependence and exploitation in which modern slavery flourishes. A Bill to scrap a 5 billion national identity card scheme was the first legislation introduced by Theresa May (pictured) when she became home secretary in 2010 'Combating illegal immigration should be overtly linked to minimum wage enforcement, private landlord licensing and action against modern slavery. 'While a general amnesty for the estimated 500,000 illegal residents here would send the wrong signal, some form of regularisation should also be considered for those who have been here for more than 10 years, who are now parts of their communities with ties to the UK and often become the focus of grassroots campaigns.' A Home Office spokesman said: 'We are pursuing an ambitious programme of reform at the border as well as investing in new capability to improve passenger experience. 'Examples of this include e-Passport gates and motion detection technology which benefit passengers and improve security. 'Border Force invested 63.5 million in new technology and capability in 2017-18 and 90.4 million in the two previous years combined. 'Decisions on the future immigration system will be based on evidence. 'This is why we have asked the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the economic and social impacts of the UK's exit from the EU and also on how the UK's immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy.' The desperate final weeks of Dimitrios Mavris' have been revealed. The Sydney mechanic-turned-drug-smuggler is pictured after his supposed kidnapping in Colombia From a fake kidnapping in Colombia to his hopeless attempts to sell 1,000 boxes of rotting fish, the desperate final weeks of an Australian mechanic-turned international drug smuggler who killed himself in jail have been laid bare. Dimitrios Mavris thought his financial and family woes were over when he imported 59kg of pure Colombian cocaine - worth $20.6million - from Peru into Australia in March. But with loan sharks circling and his debts piling up, things went from bad to worse for the 48-year-old Sydney businessman when the mammoth haul vanished. Police seized the drugs at Sydney Airport and allowed two shipping containers they were hidden in continue to their destination - a depot yard in Kingsgrove in the city's south. Detectives watched his every move as he went to collect the drugs in the dead of the night, anxiously pacing the yard when he realised his stash was missing. Mavris was left with nothing but the 960 boxes of frozen fish he had used to conceal the drugs. Mavris (pictured with wife Despina) thought his financial and family woes were over when he imported 59kg of pure Colombian cocaine from Peru into Australia in March Mavris planned to fly to Colombia in a bid to find what happened to the missing cocaine, but he first had sell the fish (pictured) 'It's actually extremely bad at the moment. My head is numb,' Mavris told an associate over the phone, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Court documents revealed Mavris had recently taken out two short-term loans worth over $3.5million - with whopping interest. He had a six-figure tax debt relating to the sale of a Bentley, telling the ATO he couldn't pay the luxury vehicle tax because he was in a 'precarious' financial situation. He'd also increased the size of the mortgage on his lavish Woolloomooloo home by $1.8million. With two months to pay off his debts, Mavris desperately needed to find the cocaine. 'I don't want to lose my house, you know, like, if I lose my house my wife will leave me and my life's f***ed, it's already half f***ed,' he told his financial broker. Mavris planned to fly to Colombia in a bid to find what happened to the missing cocaine, but he first had sell the fish. Things went from bad to worse for the 48-year-old Sydney businessman when the mammoth haul vanished Mavris increased the size of the mortgage on this lavish Woolloomooloo home by $1.8million He contacted fishmongers around the country, all of whom were suspicious of his non-existent experience in the industry. As the fish quickly rotted in the Kingsgrove depot, he gave up and boarded the next flight to Colombia for what was supposed to be a five-day visit. According to local media reports, Mavris was kidnapped by armed rebels in the city of Pereira in Colombia's west. He was reportedly rescued by local police after being found in an abandoned house in Campo Hermoso, a rural area known as a drug-trafficking hub. Mavris was seen smiling as he posed for photographs wearing a bulletproof police vest moments after his supposed rescue. Detectives watched Mavris' (right) every move as he went to collect the drugs in the dead of the night, anxiously pacing the yard when he realised his stash was missing 'They locked me in [a] room, then they brought food and fruits I was always in the room until the [police] came and rescued me,' he told police. But court documents paint a very different picture of Mavris' time in Colombia. Police seized the drugs at Sydney Airport and allowed two shipping containers they were hidden in continue to their destination According to an Attorney-General's Office of Colombia criminal notice, Mavris was arrested in Colombia for conspiracy to commit a crime, but was later released. Australian Federal Police believe Mavris went to the abandoned house voluntarily to discuss the missing cocaine. After the meeting, Mavris returned to Sydney on May 23 and was arrested at the airport by federal officers before he was charged with importing a commercial quantity of cocaine. He was shown video footage in which he was seen inspecting the containers and admitted to importing the fish, but denied knowledge of the drugs hidden inside. Mavris was due to stand in Sydney's Central Local Court on May 30 to apply for bail. Instead, he was found dead in his jail cell two days after his arrest. Police believe he died by suicide. Mavris imported two shipping containers of frozen fish (pictured) with cocaine concealed within the container's walls Mavris' lawyer Sam Chamas told the ABC he 'didn't understand how this could happen'. 'I visited my client on Friday morning and he was in good spirits,' Mr Chamas said. 'Out of all the places to be held he should have been safe. I will be pushing for answers from police.' Authorities secured a financial freeze on Mavris' $10million property portfolio hours before his widow Despina was set to receive half that figure from a property settlement. If you or anyone need someone to talk to, contact Lifeline Australia 13 11 14. Some people finish with a kiss, others might use a smiley face, but Malcolm Turnbull has a very particular way of signing off his text messages - particularly those to Opposition leader Bill Shorten. In a jovial radio interview with Hit105's Stav, Abby and Matt, the Prime Minister admitted he texts Opposition leader Bill Shorten 'from time to time' - despite their positions at the other side of the political spectrum. The radio hosts cheekily questioned Mr Turnbull about the use of emojis, but the PM claimed their texting relationship is strictly professional. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) admitted that he texts opposition leader Bill Shorten The admission came from a cheeky interview with Hit105's Stav, Abby and Matt (pictured) on Thursday 'We have to have sort of a practical relationship, there are sometimes issues to discuss but I don't think Bill has ever sent me an emoji actually or a GIF for that matter,' he said. The PM said that he usually signs off his texts to Shorten with a professional 'regards' while the radio hosts suggested he should type 'love Prime Minister.' Mr Turnbull admitted he was an avid user of the thumbs up emoji, but he was not as good at texting as Julie Bishop, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was 'the great doyen of emojis'. Mr Turnbull claimed the Foreign Minister can write almost an text message in emojis - adding she was 'an expert'. The interview was broadcast on last Thursday ahead of the weekend's disappointing performance in the so-called 'Super Saturday' by-elections. Mr Turnbull's Government failed to secure any of the five seats that were up for grabs after a string of Labor resignations blocking dual citizens from serving in Federal Parliament. Stav, Abby and Matt also asked the PM about credit cards and whether he has a special government credit card he can use at lunch. The radio team (pictured) questioned the PM about his use of emojis and whether he had a special governmnet credit card Mr Turnbull said that he didn't have a government credit card but often has issues when figuring out who should pay for a lunch bill. He said that 'sometimes when I have lunch with people we split the bill,' despite being the Prime Minister. One of the radio hosts said he would love to pay for Mr Turnbull's lunch so he could tell people that he bought the Prime Minister of Australia lunch. An Ebola scare has prompted a Denver hospital to go into temporary lockdown, with emergency crews in hazmat suits responding to the scene, before tests indicated the patient was negative for the virus. Denver Health Medical Center said on Sunday night that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's tests on the quarantined patient came back negative for Ebola. No precaution was spared though, when on Sunday morning at around 8.30am a patient who had recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo presented with troubling symptoms. Officials said the patient had handled the sick and deceased during a recent Ebola outbreak there, which was only declared ended on Wednesday. An emergency worker in a protective suit is seen outside of Denver Health Medical Center after a potential Ebola patient was admitted on Sunday morning A medical team in protective gear is seen on Sunday as the hospital went into lockdown The patient was rushed into an isolation unit and was evaluated in fair condition. Denver Health Medical Center is one of ten regional facilities in the US that is designated by the CDC for the treatment of Ebola cases. Emergency crews in hazmat-style suits were seen entering the building on Sunday afternoon by CBS Denver. The medical facility was briefly put on lockdown, with ambulances diverted to other hospitals, but normal operations had resumed by Sunday afternoon. In a statement earlier on Sunday, the hospital said that Ebola was 'being considered as a potential but unlikely diagnosis.' Denver Health Medical Center (above) received a possible Ebola patient at 8.30am on Sunday This colorized transmission electron micrograph image shows an Ebola virion. Medical teams in Denver responded in hazmat suits to word of a possible Ebola case on Sunday 'From an initial review of the situation and the symptoms presented by the patient, it is unlikely that this will be confirmed as an Ebola case,' said Dr Connie Price, an infectious disease physician and chief medical officer at Denver Health. The hospital urged calm, saying there was no threat to patients, visitors or staff at the facility with isolation protocols in place. The Ebola virus is extremely deadly, but is only known to be spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. The last significant outbreak, which killed 33 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was declared over just last week. This is the emotional moment a family comes face-to-face with the young boy whose life was saved thanks to their three-year-old son's organs. Sydney parents Brooke and Ibrahim Urasli's son Zane was hit by a car in October last year, and after 10 days in intensive care, they made the agonising decision to turn off his life support. Their decision to donate his organs saved the lives of five other young children, including six-year-old Mason. Scroll down for video The emotional moment Brooke Urasli hugs Mason - the little boy who was saved thanks to her son Zane's lungs Brooke and Ibrahim Urasli's son Zane (pictured) was hit by a car in October last year, and after 10 days in intensive care, made the agonising decision to turn off his life support Mason's mother Tatiana Johnson was preparing for the worst when she got the call to say a set of lungs was available for her son. Although it was the news she was so desperately seeking, she said she felt an overwhelming amount of sadness for the family who had lost their child. 'I literally fell apart in a sobbing mess knowing what someone else was going through,' she told 60 Minutes. Under Australian law, hospitals are not allowed to pass on organ donors' and recipients' details. But scrolling through social media one day, Mason's mother happened upon a news article about Zane's death and his parent's decision to donate his organs. Despite Australian laws, Tatiana made the decision to contact Zane's family online and say thank you for the gift of life. Brooke and Ibrahim Urasli made the decision to donate their son's organs - ultimately saving the lives of five other children Mason's (pictured) mother Tatiana Johnson was preparing for the worst when she got the call saying a set of lungs were available for her son She said it was an extremely difficult decision to make. 'I was in two minds about it. I didn't want to add any more pain, that was the last thing I wanted to do,' she said. Less than a week after Brooke and Ibrahim Urasli buried their son, Tatiana reached out. When she received the message, Brooke said she was 'over the moon'. 'I know it's just a body part but it's something that I grew inside of me for nine months and a part of Zane and to see where it went, I think that's important,' she said. 'I was in two minds about it. I didn't want to add any more pain, that was the last thing I wanted to do,' Mason's mother Tatiana Johnson said The two families quickly struck up a close online friendship, and went on to meet face-to-face. Zane's parents said they would always grieve the loss of their son, but giving the gift of life made the process that much easier. 'He put smiles on five other families faces. Knowing that five other families are happy makes us happy,' Ibrahim said. The two families are now pushing for laws to be changed so organ donors and recipients are given the option of meeting each other. Energy firms are creating a 'captive' market with smart meters that make it harder for customers to switch supplier, a former minister claimed last night. Edward Davey, who was energy secretary between 2012 and 2015, said he feared the companies were trying to eliminate the threat of competition. 'There is a risk here that the incumbents are abusing the power to create a captive market,' the Liberal Democrat MP told the Daily Telegraph. Energy firms are creating a 'captive' market with smart meters that make it harder for customers to switch supplier, it has been claimed 'I am genuinely worried that what gave the promise of more competition and reduced consumer bills could end up in less competition and higher bills. 'You can see energy companies thinking we have lost a load of customer share. 'Wouldn't it be nice to find a new way to make it more difficult for people to switch?' Sir Edward said he did not have a smart meter and understood why some families might be reluctant to get one. Launched in 2008, smart meters show customers how much their power is costing. They also transmit meter readings electronically. More than 11 million have been installed in homes as part of a national upgrade programme ordered by the Government. The aim is to help make bills more transparent and encourage households to reduce their consumption. Edward Davey (pictured) who was energy secretary between 2012 and 2015, has said he fears energy companies are trying to eliminate the threat of competition with smart meters However, experts have warned that they give companies too much power over their customers, including access to hoards of data about how and when customers use energy. Last week it was claimed that energy firms were exploiting homeowners by forcing them to top up their account before they use any gas or electricity. A spokesman for Energy UK, which represents suppliers, said: 'Energy companies are working had to enable as many people as possible to experience the benefits that smart meters bring and to ensure the roll-out is carried out safely, efficiently and cost-effectively.' The spokesman added that smart meters offered customers the potential to save energy and money. Britain's biggest assured food standards scheme is failing to detect breaches of its animal welfare standards because just one in 1,000 inspections of its farms is unannounced, it has been claimed. Red Tractor, which regulates food quality in the UK, has come under fire recently over a string of poor welfare conditions at some of its farms. In the latest alleged breach, the label was forced to expel one of its pig farms last week after it received covert footage of animals being shocked with an electric prod. Footage obtained by Animal Equality, a vegan campaign group, also reportedly showed a worker swinging piglets by their back leg and smashing their heads against a wall. Dead piglets were also captured littered on the floor of the birthing shed at Rosebury Farm in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Red Tractor, which regulates food quality in the UK, has come under fire recently over a string of poor welfare conditions at some of its farms. One farm in Bedfordshire was revealed to have dead piglets littered on the floor of its birthing shed. File image used The farm had received five preannounced inspections in the past year as part of its Red Tractor certification, the most recent this month, but no problems were discovered. However, an inspector who visited unannounced last week found several breaches of the scheme's rules, the Times reported. Red Tractor said that it had taken away Rosebury Farm's assurance certificate because of the use of the electric prod, which is not allowed under its standards. It also found several unspecified 'non-conformance issues' when the farm was inspected after the animal activist's complaint. Michael Thorne, who runs Rosebury Farm, apologised for his actions and accepted that 'there were shortcomings in the way that I managed the farm.' Red Tractor is used by 78,000 farmers in the UK. The label, which includes the British Retail Consortium and the National Farmers' Union as founding partners, claims that farms it certifies are 'regularly checked by independent experts to make sure [they are] of a good standard.' It states that 450 inspectors carry out 60,000 inspections a year. Footage obtained by Animal Equality, a vegan campaign group, also reportedly showed a worker swinging piglets by their back leg and smashing their heads against a wall. File image used However, just 50 of last year's inspections (0.08 per cent) were announced, according to The Times. This means that farmers are nearly always warned in advance about the reviews, allowing them to clean up and remove dead or sick animals. Farmers also pay for the inspections, which are carried out by private certification companies - and they are allowed to choose which company visits them. Roughly 50 per cent of the inspections took place unannounced in response to claims of serious breaches of Red Tractor standards. The other half were reportedly 'sample farms to check compliance to our standards.' Peter Stevenson, chief policy adviser of Compassion in World Farming, told The Times: 'Farm inspections by Red Tractor and other assurance schemes must be unannounced. 'If Red Tractor wants to be taken seriously it must substantially strengthen its welfare standards.' The label had previously attempted to justify giving farmers notice of inspections because there were 'health and safety and biosecurity concerns' with turning up at a farm unannounced. But it said that it was now considering increasing the number of unannounced inspections for next year. Just 50 of last year's Red Tractor farm inspections (0.08 per cent) were announced, according to The Times Earlier this month animal welfare activists from the campaign group Viva! Captured a sow being eaten alive by other pigs at Hogwood pig farm in Oxhill, Warwickshire. They found the animals at the farm - which supplies pork to Tesco - were suffering from 'extreme distress.' The campaigners released footage including images that the Mail decided were too distressing to publish. Chef Jamie Oliver has also risked the wrath of Britain's farmers by saying he would not feed his children chicken which had been produced to the 'Red Tractor' standard. Jim Moseley, Red Tractor's chief executive, said: 'When independently benchmarked against other global schemes, Red Tractor compares extremely favourably...The use of unannounced audits is likely to rise.' He added: 'We remain in a very competitive market and need to ensure that we don't inadvertently switch UK consumers to more imported product where standards can be very different.' Former Labour Foreign Secretary Lord Owen has warned the government against betraying the result of the Brexit referendum Former Labour Foreign Secretary Lord Owen has warned the government against betraying the result of the historic Brexit vote. In an outspoken interview, the former EU peace negotiator lambasted parliament for letting down the millions of people who voted for Brexit. 'They [parliamentarians] have really managed to convince themselves that they are entitled in a strange way to thwart Brexit,' the former SDP leader told the Daily Telegraph. 'Parliament has to accept that it's gone out of their hands. But they can't accept it.' He warned that the UK faced a 'very, very serious political situation' following the aftermath of the Prime Minister's unpopular Chequers plan. 'It's no longer a matter of personal preference,' he said. In an outspoken interview, the former EU peace negotiator (pictured) lambasted parliament for letting down the millions of people who voted for Brexit 'It's that Brexit is this mess, so we've got to short this damned thing out and fast.' He also said there would be dire consequences across the country if elitist politicians were seen to be ignoring the will of the people. 'The mood in the Brexit cities and towns will start getting ugly,' he said. 'These people don't believe a word their politicians say. There's an elite and they're just not listening. 'The Leave voters were fully aware of the fact there would be some economic downsides. They were not voting for prosperity. 'They were voting to have more control of their affairs and challenge London dominance.' He warned that the UK faced a 'very, very serious political situation' following the aftermath of the Prime Minister's unpopular Chequers plan (former cabinet pictured during discussions) Once a committed Europhile, Lord Owen threw his support behind the Leave campaign after concluding that the EU was a failing institution. From 1992-1995 he served as EU peace negotiator in the former Yugoslavia, but he is now fiercely critical of the way that both Brussels and the UK have handled the Brexit negotiations. He said: 'I knew the [European] Commission would never willingly let us out and, within our own Parliament, people are determined to block the whole process. 'They lie through their teeth, saying it's this problem or that, but really they just don't want to leave.' The former foreign secretary said it was a 'great, great shame' that the Prime Minister was not a 'Leaver', adding that any Tory MPs who fall in with May's Chequers plan 'ought to fear the wrath of the electorate and of their own Tory Party members'. University of Kentucky student, TeNiya Nora Jones, (pictured on Facebook) vanished late Saturday while on a swim in Tel Aviv, Israel A 19-year-old University of Kentucky student went missing on the western border of Israel late Saturday, just days before her summer abroad program was set to end. TeNiya Nora Jones and two fellow students ventured out for a swim in the Mediterranean shortly after midnight, when severe rip currents overcame the group. The two friends were safely pulled back to the shore, but Jones has not been seen since, according to a press release. Tel Aviv officials are continuing the massive search for Florida-born sophomore, who majors in biology and Islamic studies. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said in the press release Jones had been apart of the group of seven students at the university and two from West Virginia University who traveled by bus from Amman, Jordan to Tel Aviv for the weekend. Just hours before her disappearance, Jones shared several photos of herself posing on a Tel Aviv beach (seen above) Jones had been apart of the group of seven students at the university and two from West Virginia University who traveled by bus from Amman, Jordan to Tel Aviv for the weekend during their summer abroad study program Jones posted photos from a Tel Aviv beach over the weekend to her Facebook page Tel Aviv officials are continuing the massive search for Florida-born college sophomore Capilouto said university officials with the travel abroad program are working to immediately transport Jones' family to Tel Aviv. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto (pictured) said university officials are doing 'everything possible to provide whatever support is needed' to Jones' family 'Our thoughts and prayers are with TeNiya, her family and the students and others impacted,' Capilouto said in the statement. 'We are in continual contact with Teniya's family, officials in Israel, officials from the State Department and our Congressional delegation, to provide all the support we can for the family, students and others involved. 'We will do everything possible to provide whatever support is needed.' Capilouto added that the university is sending the remainder of students back to Amman before the program concludes this week. He said family members to the students have each been notified about the incident. The full press release by President Capilouto is seen above Just hours before her disappearance, Jones shared several photos of herself posing in swimwear on a Tel Aviv beach. She captioned the photos: 'just traveling whilst looking beautiful as usual.' Her Facebook friends followed up in the comments with condolence messages, praying for her safe return. Last Sunday, Jones posted a status revealing she was feeling homesick in Amman. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Capilouto said university travel abroad officials are working to immediately transport Jones' family to Tel Aviv. Jones is pictured above with her mother, Tosha Thomas-Mora A New York family's celebration last month ended in tragedy when a man had to be rushed to the hospital after a beer bottle reportedly exploded sending shards of glass flying into his eye. Lachtman Ramnanan said he was celebrating Father's Day and his daughter landing a summer internship at a bank when he heard a 'pop' and felt a sharp pain in his eye. The 57-year-old construction worker said he was loading Corona beer bottles into an ice cooler when one of them exploded. 'The first bottle I took out and laid in the cooler,' he told the New York Post. 'I heard a loud pop and something hit me in the face. It blew up'. Lachtman Ramnanan, 57, said he was at his home celebrating Father's Day when a Corona bottle exploded sending glass flying into his eye Ramnanan said he was putting the bottles into an ice bucket. He said he is now partially blind in one eye Ramnanan said the next thing he knew, his wife was rushing him to the emergency room. He ended up getting nine stitches in his eye. 'I needed emergency surgery,' he said. 'I was in so much pain'. Ramnanan said other last month he has been back and forth to the doctor numerous times. He underwent two additional surgeries on his eye, but said his full vision has not returned. He said he's not sure if he will ever regain full eyesight in his injured eye and does not know if he will be able to return to work as a construction worker. Last July, a Manhattan waiter said he was left blind in one eye after a Corona bottle exploded in his face. Gonzalo Luis-Morales said he was filling an ice bucket with Corona bottles when one 'spontaneously exploded, projecting a piece of glass' into his eye. The 31-year-old, who was working at the Frying Pan on Pier 66, said he was seriously injured and suffers 'loss of vision, pain, suffering and other damages'. In a lawsuit he filed against the beer company, Luis-Morales said he's now blind in one eye and has been out of work since last year. 'I was making the buckets, and I put the first four beer in,' he told the Post. 'That's all I remember, I was in shock. I couldn't move. I was screaming at the bartender, asking her to move me out. There was so much pain'. Gonzalo Luis-Morales said he was at work at a New York restaurant filling an ice bucket with Corona bottles when exploded in his face Luis-Morales said he is blind in one eye and has not been able to return to work since the incident Luis-Morales, 31, is suing Corona, its manufacturer and distributor for negligence Luis-Morales said his injury has caused him to lose his depth perception and he cannot leave the his house by himself because he frequently falls. 'It's horrible. I cannot go out by myself. I need someone to walk on my bad side,' he told the outlet. 'I get headaches almost every night. I get dizzy in the sun. I cannot look into bright light'. Luis-Morales said he's already undergone two eye surgeries and needs a third in hopes of restoring his vision to at least 20 per cent. Luis-Morales is suing Corona brewer Constellation Brands Inc., bottle manufacturer Owens-Illinois Inc. and distributor Manhattan Beer for negligence. He told Telemundo that none of the companies have contacted him. Ramnanan said he's planning to file a lawsuit. Attorney John Danzi, who is representing both men, accused the beer company of skimping on the production process, alleging that Corona is 'defectively producing beers' at a Mexican bottling plant. Corona brewer Constellation Brands Inc. said in a statement that they are investing the incidents. European judges will have the final say on a range of key Brexit battlegrounds, it has been revealed. If there is no agreement between Britain and the EU over withdrawal terms, the European Court of Justice will be the final arbitrator. It means the court could decide on crucial aspects of Britain's departure from the union, including the rights of EU citizens in the UK and the 39 billion divorce bill. If there is no agreement between Britain and the EU over withdrawal terms, the European Court of Justice will be the final arbitrator Discussing the former point, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told The Times: 'This would be akin to saying that a UK citizen living in America could have their rights protected by a UK court.' Another area in which the court could have the power of arbitration is over the so-called 'backstop' guarantee of no hard border between Ireland and the UK. Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin, a prominent eurosceptic, said: 'This is very profound. It is giving a status to the European Court of Justice in the withdrawal agreement that is not accorded to the Supreme Court in the United Kingdom.' He added that it creates a 'deeply unequal relationship'. But a government source told The Times the court would not, in fact, have the final say. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told The Times : 'This would be akin to saying that a UK citizen living in America could have their rights protected by a UK court' The paper, however, quotes the current EU draft text which explains that an arbitration panel may 'at any point decide to submit the dispute brought before it to the Court of Justice of the EU for a ruling... The Court of Justice of the EU shall have jurisdiction over such cases and its rulings shall be binding on the Union and the UK.' It comes as Richard Kellaway, the chairman of the Maidenhead Conservative association, where Mrs May has been an MP since 1997, said his members will not accept any more concession to Europe. He explained: If it [Chequers deal] were to be diluted it would ultimately not be acceptable. And Don Hammond, chairman of Tatton Conservative association, the local party for Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, warned: This is right at the limit of what I would consider to be a Brexit and I am distinctly unenthusiastic. Patricia Soby, Tory chairman in the Torridge and West Devon constituency of attorney general Geoffrey Cox, told the Sunday Telegraph that local activists were furious about the proposals. This constituency conducted our own survey and practically everybody was against the Chequers deal, she said. A neighbourhood feud has broken out after a man built his own speed bumps outside other people's homes on their street. Peter Clark spotted a barricade surrounding three newly constructed concrete speed bumps outside him home on Rosenstet Lane, in Apple Tree Creek, Queensland, on Friday morning. It is not clear why the speed bumps were erected, but it comes after some residents complained about cars kicking up dust as they travelled down the road at speed. A Queensland man awoke to the discovery of speed bumps built in front of his home by a neighbour The bumps in the road have forced Mr Clark to drive onto his neighbours' grass to get around the barricade. The lane-way veers off the busy Bruce Highway in Queensland's Bundaberg region and is home to a number of properties. Whilst the Apple-Tree-Creek laneway is essentially a gravel cul-de-sac nestled among trees and dirt, it has provided Mr Clark direct access to his home for 18 months. '(They) have used a tip truck, an excavator and a cement truck and dug three trenches ... and put in concrete speed humps. 'They're not even bumps, they're like mountains. I'm not sure the car's going to get over them,' Mr Clark told NewsMail. Local Area Command from Childers Police Station were called to the scene on the day of the discovery but directed a baffled Mr Clark to his local council. Mr Clark's bid for justice led him to another dead-end when he was told by the council to subsequently contact the police regarding the issue. Rosenstet Lane, Apple Tree Creek, veers off the busy Bruce Highway and has provided Peter Clark direct access to his home for 18-months Local Police were called to the scene but directed Clark to council who aren't sure they have any legal right to do anything WHAT ARE EASEMENTS? An easement is a legal right to access or use someone else's land for a specified purpose. Easements may be granted for a specific purpose, including access, drainage, sewerage, or supply of water or gas. They provide pathways across two or more properties so individuals can access a property or resource without owning it. Advertisement Bundaberg Regional Council's Deputy Mayor, Bill Trevor, said they would need to consult the positioning of the speed humps to determine the jurisdiction of the case. 'If they (the sectioned-off speed bumps) are across the easements, which gives them access to the property, then I'd imagine it would be a civil matter, but we have to ascertain where the boundaries are first,' told Mr Trevor. If the bumps are found to be on private land then the council will be unable to act. However, if it is found the bumps are on road reserve then it is a council matter. The easement documents were surfaced and the speed humps are potentially in breach of Clark's rights as his ability to access the neighbours property is now hindered. Failure to prepare for a no deal Brexit makes Britain look fretful, weak and incompetent, Jacob Rees-Mogg warned last night. The prominent Eurosceptic said the Government appeared to be trying to frighten voters into accepting further compromises. His intervention came as ministers faced a backlash over reports that the Army could be put on standby to deal with the fall-out if Britain leaves without a deal. There was further Eurosceptic anger yesterday after it emerged that 70 technical notices on planning for no deal will be released on a single day at the end of next month, shortly before MPs return to Westminster. Mr Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group of Tory MPs, said ministers were using scare tactics to bolster support for the Prime Minister's Chequers deal. Prominent Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg has said the Government appears to be trying to frighten voters into accepting further compromises on Brexit 'The PM has said for a long time that no deal is better than a bad deal,' he added. 'If the Government cannot now show that it can deliver a workable deal based on WTO terms then it is not competent. 'It is not a good look for the Government to appear fretful, weak and incompetent, but this seems to be the way it is approaching the idea of leaving on WTO terms.' On the use of the Army, one minister told the Sunday Times that this was common in civil contingency planning, adding: 'That's not frightening the horses, it's just being utterly realistic.' But a source familiar with no deal planning at the Department for Exiting the EU said there had never been any discussion about calling in troops, suggesting the briefings came from standard civil contingency plans drawn up over many years by the Cabinet Office. Ministers had planned to release a series of low-key technical notes over the summer setting out preparations for the possibility the UK could leave the EU without a deal in March next year. He also claims ministers are using scare tactics to bolster support for the Prime Minister's Chequers deal (former cabinet pictured during negotiations at Buckinghamshire retreat) But Government sources last night said the documents were likely to be released together in late August. Steve Baker, who resigned as a Brexit minister over the Chequers plan, said there appeared to be a deliberate attempt to undermine public confidence in the credibility of a no deal departure. Mr Baker said last night: 'I am deeply concerned by the Government's communications strategy around no deal. Labour's Frank Field hit by Left's no confidence vote over Brexit Labour MP Frank Field remains defiant after Left-wing activists in his constituency passed a vote of no confidence in him for siding with the Government over Brexit. The Eurosceptic former minister was censured by Birkenhead constituency Labour Party at the weekend after he helped prevent a Government defeat over the customs union this month. The far-Left Momentum group has called for the deselection of Mr Field and three other Labour MPs. But Mr Field, speaking after the vote of no confidence, insisted he had acted on behalf of 'millions of Labour voters mainly in parts of the country that have long been neglected by the elites who gave politicians a clear instruction to take the country out of the EU'. Mr Field's constituency on the Wirral voted in favour of Leave. The vote of no confidence carries no formal weight but could pave the way for deselection. Fellow Labour Brexiteer Kate Hoey has vowed to fight on after a similar vote of no confidence from activists at her local party in Vauxhall. Eurosceptics John Mann and Graham Stringer also face potential censure after Momentum's national co-ordinator Laura Parker said there was 'no room for Labour MPs who side with the reactionary Tory establishment'. Mr Field said during his 39 years as an MP he had 'always voted to free our country from the tightening stranglehold of the EU' adding that he had done so for most of that period 'alongside Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell'. Advertisement 'As I said to the PM I wanted to see the credibility and feasibility of our plans reinforced to the public in order to give reassurance. 'Instead we seem to be seeing long-standing civil contingencies plans being trotted out in the run-up to dumping out a string of technical notices on a single day, shortly before MPs return to Westminster. 'This doesn't seem to me a sincere way to make the unwanted scenario of a no deal exit a credible and feasible proposition.' Mrs May's chief Brexit adviser Oliver Robbins, the architect of the Chequers plan, is also accused of trying to kill off the option of leaving without a deal. Reports claimed that he has refused to highlight the substantial impact a no deal Brexit would have on EU economies during discussions with Brussels, despite a Government assessment finding the overall cost to the EU would be 'far greater' than that to the UK. 'Robbins simply refused to raise it,' a source said. One insider told the Daily Mail that the Department for Exiting the EU had drawn up plans for an advertising campaign on the continent highlighting the dangers of a no deal Brexit for key sectors of the European economy such as farming and cars only to have the idea blocked. Government sources last night denied there was a deliberate attempt to scare voters into accepting the Chequers plan. One source said the delay in publishing the technical notices was because they were not yet ready, rather than an attempt to influence MPs as they return to Westminster after the summer. 'This is not Project Fear,' the source said. 'Project Fear was a series of predictions about things. This is a very pragmatic look at things that need to be done if we arrive at a certain outcome. 'We remain confident that we will reach a good deal.' In a boost to the Prime Minister's chances of reaching a deal, it emerged over the weekend that Brexit has been put on the agenda of an informal EU summit in September. Downing Street said Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz agreed that Britain's departure from the EU would be discussed at the European Council meeting being hosted by his country, which currently holds the EU presidency, on September 20. That could allow Mrs May to prepare the ground for an October meeting of EU leaders where the details of the future relationship would be thrashed out. Donkeys on the picturesque Greek island of Santorini are being crippled by carrying heavy holidaymakers - as locals resort to cross-breeding the beasts to produce mules so they can carry heavier tourists. Between the peak summer months of May to October, up to five cruise ships a day bringing swarms of 1,200 tourists visit the small island to marvel at its idyllic white houses. Santorini is known for its hilly terrain and donkeys have traditionally been used to transport people over the famously stepped areas which vehicles cannot access, such as in capital Fira. Donkeys on the picturesque Greek island of Santorini are being crippled by carrying heavy holidaymakers Animal rights activists claim with obesity on the rise, animals are being forced to carry ever-heavier loads. Some have been left with spinal injuries and open wounds from ill-fitting saddles (pictured) 'There should be a weight restriction. With donkeys it is should be no more than eight stone, but how would that be imposed and who would be there to make sure that happened?' a spokesperson said. Pictured, a donkey takes a tourist up the steps of Santorini But animal rights activists claim with obesity on the rise, the animals are being forced to carry ever-heavier loads while they work long hours, seven days a week without shelter, rest and water - leaving them with spinal injuries and open wounds from ill-fitting saddles. And charities say the explosion of overweight tourists even means locals who are keen to get the most out of their animals have been forced to cross-breed male donkeys (jacks) with females horses, or mares, to produce mules which are bigger and taller, have greater stamina and can carry heavier loads. A spokesman for Help the Santorini Donkeys charity said: 'It's recommended that animals should carry no more than 20 per cent of their own body weight. 'The obese and overweight tourists, combined with the lack of shade and water as well as the sheer heat and 568 cobbled steps, is what is causing such a problem. 'There should be a weight restriction. With donkeys it is should be no more than eight stone, but how would that be imposed and who would be there to make sure that happened? 'Now they're having to resort to using cross-bred mules, because the donkeys just aren't strong enough.' A spokesman for Help the Santorini Donkeys charity said: 'It's recommended that animals should carry no more than 20 per cent of their own body weight' There is no appointed body to enforce regulations on donkeys, so owners often work the animal into the ground before casting them aside when they are no longer capable In the last ten years, the number of overweight tourists from the US, Russia and the UK has trebled Christina Kaloudi, 42, moved to the island from Athens 10 years ago and set up the Santorini Animal Welfare Association to help overworked donkeys. She said in the last 10 years she has noticed the number of overweight tourists arriving on the island from America, Russia and the UK has trebled. Locals claim every day the donkeys make four to five journeys up the white cobbled steps to the town of Fira with its iconic white building in temperature of up to 86F (30C), often with no rest, no protect from the sun, ill-fitting tack and no water. A spokesperson for the donkey Sanctuary said: 'The Donkey Sanctuary does not actively promote the use of donkeys and mules in any form of tourism' Witnesses claim every day the donkeys make four to five journeys up the white cobbled steps to the town of Fira She said: 'The holiday season on islands is now a lot longer than it used to be, meaning that the donkeys are pretty much in work the whole year round. 'If they are not transporting tourists up the steps they are moving building materials or transporting heavy bags of rubbish. 'There are some good owners out there that follow the code but generally donkeys are worked into the ground and then disposed of when their working lives are over. 'They are made to work in terrible conditions without adequate water, shelter or rest and then I find them tied outside my shelter, barely alive.' Santorini is known for its hilly terrain and donkeys have traditionally been used to transport people over the famously stepped areas which vehicles cannot access One local said: 'The holiday season on islands is now a lot longer than it used to be, meaning that the donkeys are pretty much in work the whole year round' In 2008 an international code of practice for working equines was signed by officials on the island, alongside the UK donkey sanctuary. But with no appointed body to enforce the regulations, owners often work donkeys into the ground before casting them aside when they are no longer capable. And Christina claims that when donkeys come to the end of their working life they are often abandoned and left to die or pushed over the edge of a cliff. She added: 'Donkeys are very resilient animals and will keep going for as long as they can, so when they come to me in this state, I have the utmost respect for them. One charity worker said: 'Donkeys are very resilient animals and will keep going for as long as they can, so when they come to me in this state, I have the utmost respect for them.' In 2008 an international code of practice for working equines was signed by officials on the island, alongside the UK donkey sanctuary 'I have between 15 and 25 donkeys here, but I am glad that people bring them to me as they would normally be left to die or killed because owners don't want to pay to have them put to sleep. They know my shelter is here. 'For some their final walk is to the shelter because they are just hours from death. 'A lot of people just don't care about the welfare of the animals but with social media, it's a lot harder for the locals to hide the abuse. 'We don't want to stop the locals making a living or using donkeys on the steps but to look after them in a fair and humane way.' Charities say the explosion of overweight tourists even means locals who are keen to get the most out of their animals have been forced to crossbreed donkeys with mules The UK-based Donkey Sanctuary, founded in 1969, has also raised concerns about current working conditions for the donkeys. A spokesperson for the Donkey Sanctuary said: 'The Donkey Sanctuary does not actively promote the use of donkeys and mules in any form of tourism. 'The Donkey Sanctuary has expressed concerns about the current working conditions and practices of many of the donkeys and mules working on the island of Santorini, with continued challenges around enforcement of regulations and issues such as lack of shelter from the sun, lack of water, excessive working hours and overloading.' Australia could soon have a new sovereign or sovereigns equal to the Queen if indigenous leaders are successful in designing a treaty. Victorian Greens MP Lidia Thorpe is among those calling for treaty between the Australian government and Aboriginal representatives on equal terms. The issue was raised with Prince Charles by Yolngu clan leaders during his visit to the Northern Territory in April in the form of a special letter stick. 'Treaty is between two sovereigns and to be asking the government to at least acknowledge that Aboriginal people ... maintain their sovereignty, I don't think that's too much to ask,' Ms Thorpe said. Australia could soon have a new sovereign or sovereigns equal to the Queen if indigenous leaders are successful in designing a treaty (pictured is Queen Elizabeth II with indigenous dancers in New South Wales) The treaty issue was raised with Prince Charles by Yolngu clan leaders during his visit to the Northern Territory in April in the form of a special letter stick (pictured is the Prince of Wales with Witiyana Marika, left, and Mandaka Marika, right) While a treaty bill passed Victoria's lower house in June, Ms Thorpe has said she wants Aboriginal land ownership recognised in the legislation by the inclusion of the words sovereignty, and the use of 'sovereign clans' instead of 'Aboriginal Victorians'. The 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties defines a treaty as an 'international agreement concluded between two states'. An Aboriginal treaty, therefore, would require recognition of Aboriginal nations and sovereigns, something which has never been done by the Australian government. Leaders of Arnhem Land's Yolgnu clans declared sovereignty over their own lands during a meeting with Prince Charles earlier this year. 'This here is Yolngu Land, we are sovereign people and we live by Yolngu law,' Member for Nhulunbuy Yingiya Mark Guyula told Prince Charles. 'We have many difficulties with the Australian governments because they do not recognise our sovereignty. Pictured are Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip watching the Tjapakai Aboriginal Dance Group in Cairns, Queensland Victorian Greens MP Lidia Thorpe (pictured) is among those calling for treaty between the Australian government and Aboriginal representatives on equal terms WHAT WOULD A TREATY MEAN? - Australia is the only Commonwealth country without a treaty with its indigenous people - A treaty is a formal agreement between two states - If Aboriginal sovereignty is recognised in a treaty Aboriginal nations could have heads of state equal to the Queen - There have been various treaty proposals at federal and state level - They could result in one treaty or a series of treaties - Negotiated treaties could result in official apologies and recognitions of past wrongs, acknowledgement of land ownership and reconciliation Advertisement Mr Guyula said the issue was vital for the survival of the oldest living culture in the world, and presented Prince Charles with the letter stick. 'I request, on behalf of the people standing before you and the Yolngu nations, that you intervene on our behalf and take a strong position to acknowledge our sovereignty and promote a pathway to treaty,' he said. Prince Charles accepted the letter stick, which included symbols of the Australian Parliament and states and territories, and their indigenous equivalents. Associate Professor Dominic O'Sullivan from Charles Sturt University said indigenous Australians have had very little political voice since becoming a minority. '[The concept of] Terra nullius ['nobody's land'] was used to justify the British claim to sovereignty,' Mr O'Sullivan told Al Jazeera. Prince Charles (pictured in Arnhem Land) accepted the letter stick, which included symbols of the Australian Parliament and states and territories, and their indigenous equivalents 'Britain couldn't identify an organised political or social order among the indigenous population, and under international law, these were required for a people to hold sovereignty.' Mr O'Sullivan said there was an argument it was not in the interests of the colony's first Governor, Arthur Phillip, to make those identifications. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders met at Uluru in May last year to call for a treaty process and an indigenous representative body enshrined in the constitution. A copy of the resulting Uluru Statement from the Heart was then presented to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull but the proposal for an indigenous advisory body was rejected by the government in October. Since the passing of the Victorian legislation the Queensland government has also examined treaty talks, and there have been similar moves in Western Australia. The Northern Territory government signed a memorandum of understanding in June to outline a future treaty. In South Australia, however, Premier Steven Marshall scrapped a treaty negotiation process on the same day. A would-be terrorist sought to obtain 10 litres of petrol to create Molotov cocktails, his sentencing hearing has been told. Agim Kruezi is facing sentencing in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for preparing or planning for a terrorist act and preparing for incursion into a foreign state. The second charge relates to his attempt to travel to Syria in 2014, via Kosovo and Turkey, with Kruezi stopped by customs officers and prevented from boarding the plane. Agim Kruezi (pictured) is facing sentencing in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for preparing or planning for a terrorist act and preparing for incursion into a foreign state During a brief hearing at Brisbane Supreme Court two weeks ago, Kruezi had ten other charges withdrawn. He was initially charged with stockpiling weapons for a terror attack in Australia and also attempted to recruit members for Islamic State. The man was preparing for incursions into Iraq and Syria and had allegedly stockpiled weapons for a terrorist attack in Australia. Kruezi was found in possession of a firearm, machete, balaclava, military fatigues, a compound bow and arrow and a jerry can of petrol. Australian Federal Police raided an Islamic bookstore in Logan where they were conducting an anti-terrorism investigation. He has been behind bars since his arrest in September 2014 alongside Omar Succarieh. Succarieh pleaded guilty to four foreign incursion offences in 2016 after he was charged for more terror-related crimes and was sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison. The Queensland man who admitted terror offences sought to obtain 10 litres of petrol to create Molotov cocktails, his sentencing hearing has been told Sucarrieh's brother was fighting alongside terror group Jabhat al-Nursa in 2014 and Saccarieh sent him $US43,700 ($AU57,356). He believed it was his duty to his religion to involve himself in the Syrian conflict, the court heard. Details regarding the charges to which Kruezi pleaded guilty to are still to be finalised, crown prosecutor Ben power said on Friday. Kruezi is due to be sentenced in late July at a two-day hearing. The husband of an Irish woman brutally raped and murdered while walking home has written a heartbreaking tribute on what would have been their tenth anniversary. Tom Meagher posted the letter on social media on the weekend, describing his wife Jill as 'a warrior for love, life and liberation'. He poured out his heart in remembrance and grief, and revealed he regularly visits their woodland wedding venue to keep her spirit alive. The 2012 killing of 29-year-old Jill Meagher in Melbourne by serial sex offender Adrian Bayley shocked the community and led to reform of Victorian parole laws. 'Ten years ago today, I was lucky enough to marry this incredible human,' Mr Meagher wrote alongside a photo of Jill in her wedding dress. The husband of an Irish woman brutally raped and murdered while walking home has written a heartbreaking tribute on what would have been their tenth anniversary (pictured is Jill Meagher on her wedding day) Mr Meagher took aim at his wife's killer, saying the pair represented the extremities of good and evil, and addressed the issue of male violence against women (pictured are Jill and Tom Meagher) Tom Meagher (pictured) poured out his heart in remembrance and grief, and revealed he regularly visits their woodland wedding venue to keep her spirit alive Ms Meagher's death and the ensuing nationwide outrage led to legal reform in Victoria (pictured is Jill Meagher) Bayley (pictured in handcuffs) was on parole when he raped and murdered Ms Meagher, having served eight years in prison for 16 counts of rape against five women Tom Meagher wrote a moving tribute (pictured, above) to his wife Jill, who was raped and murdered in 2012 'I day-dreamed about what we will be doing in five years, in ten years, in twenty or thirty years - we never made it to five.' Mr Meagher took aim at his wife's killer, saying the pair represented the extremities of good and evil, and addressed the issue of male violence against women. 'The a***hole that took her from this world communicates with us through violence, misogyny, hatred and death,' he wrote. 'His pallid shadow can never extinguish her light. 'In the war on women, this man exemplifies the extremist wing of the hateful and pervasive ideology of male sexual terrorism, but it's the everyday spectrum of male violence that disturbs me even more. 'In a culture where the deaths of most women are not newsworthy, are so commonplace that they are seen as incidental, expected and simply inevitable, he [Bayley] certainly does represent the extremist wing. Tom Meagher posted the letter on social media on the weekend, describing his wife Jill as 'a warrior for love, life and liberation' (pictured are Jill and Tom Meagher on their wedding day) The September 2012 killing of 29-year-old Jill Meagher by serial sex offender Adrian Ernest Bayley shocked the community and led to reform of Victorian parole laws (pictured are Jill and Tom Meagher on their wedding day) Thousands of people march in memory of Jill Meagher in Melbourne in the days after the murder JILL MEAGHER MURDER - TIMELINE September 21, 2012: Jill Meagher walks home from a pub in Brunswick, Melbourne at 1.30am after a night out with colleagues. Tom Meagher wakes to realise she is not home and calls the police after being unable to find her. September 24: Jill's handbag is found by police in a laneway. September 25: CCTV footage from a bridal shop is handed to police showing Jill speaking to a man in a blue hoodie at 1.42am. September 27: Police arrest Adrian Ernest Bayley, then 41, in the north Melbourne suburb of Coburg. He admits strangling Jill and later leads police to where he buried her body in shallow grave. September 28: Bayley is charged with rape and murder. He was already on parole for a series of sex crimes. September 30: A public march through Melbourne in Jill's memory is attended by 30,000 people. April 5, 2013: Bayley pleads guilty to rape and murder. June 11: Bayley's history of rape and violence is revealed as pre-sentencing hearing begins. June 19: Bayley is sentenced to life behind bars with a 35-year non-parole period. More victims including a Dutch backpacker and a sex worker come forward due to the high publicity surrounding the case. August 2013: A total of 23 changes are made to Victoria's parole laws in response to the Jill Meagher case. 2014-2015: Bayley is found guilty of three more rapes. He is sentenced to another 18 years' jail and has eight years added to his non-parole period. July 2016: Bayley successfully appeals against one of the rape convictions and has his sentence reduced by three years. Advertisement Even more disturbing, Mr Meagher wrote, are the 'self righteous guardians of male supremacy' who support the underlying ideology. 'I can hold the polarities of Jill and Bayley in my mind, as light and darkness, as good and evil. It's the deliberately inscrutable, seemingly unreachable void that exists in between to prop up that darkness that keeps me awake at night,' he said. Mr Meagher ended the letter by thanking Jill for teaching him how to love, think and live, and said she is loved every single day. Bayley was on parole when he raped and murdered Ms Meagher, having served eight years in prison for 16 counts of rape against five women. 'Ten years ago today, I was lucky enough to marry this incredible human,' Mr Meagher wrote alongside a photo of Jill in her wedding dress (pictured is Jill Meagher) Bayley (pictured) was on parole when he raped and murdered Ms Meagher, having served eight years in prison for 16 counts of rape against five women ADRIAN BAYLEY'S CRIMINAL HISTORY June 1991 - Bayley, then 19, jailed for raping teenager and attempting to rape two other women 2000 - allegedly raped 18-year-old sex worker in a St Kilda laneway, conviction has been overturned April 2002 - jailed for 11 years for 16 charges of rape relating to five victims April 2012 - raped sex worker July 2012 - raped Dutch backpacker September 2012 - raped and murdered Jill Meagher Jailed for life with a non-parole period of 35 years March 2015 - non-parole period increased to 43 years when sentenced on three rape convictions By 2016 he had been found guilty of raping 10 women and attempting to rape two others. Advertisement In June 2013 he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder, and charged with further offenses when other victims, including sex workers, came forward. Bayley was then sentenced to another 18 years after being convicted of sexual offences against 12 people by early 2015. His victims included a Dutch backpacker, a sex worker and a teenage girl. One conviction for the alleged rape of an 18-year-old sex worker in a St Kilda laneway in 2000 was overturned on appeal. The Victoria Court of Appeal decision led to three years being cut from his sentence. He will be able to apply for parole when he is 83. Ms Meagher's death and the ensuing nationwide outrage led to legal reform in Victoria. New tighter parole laws ensured if a crime is committed while someone is on parole, they are immediately sent back to prison and handed a further sentence and fine. Two Idaho men were killed last week in a horrific accident when a semi-truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into three cars on a Nevada highway. The Nevada Highway Patrol released footage of the July 18 crash that resulted in the deaths of Christopher Markley, 34, and his friend Robert Jay Barnes, 50. In the video, a flagger is seen standing in the middle of US 93 highway ordering cars to stop. Several cars are seen lining the shoulder of the road. A flagger was telling cars to stop in a construction zone on a Nevada highway but a semi-truck failed to stop The track crashed into several cars that had stopped for the flagger, authorities said. Video of the crash was released this week Christopher Markley (left) and his friend Robert Barnes were ejected from their vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene The flagger suddenly starts frantically waving his stop sign in the air and sprints to the side of the road as a semi-truck smashes into a red pickup truck and then hits a Toyota Corolla. According to Fox5 Las Vegas, the semi-truck also crashed into a third vehicle. The force of the crash pushed the pickup truck onto the shoulder of the highway and completely destroyed the Toyota Corolla Markley and Barnes were traveling in. Authorities said both men were ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. According to Nevada Highway Patrol, motorists were stopped in a construction zone when the semi-truck came flying through the area and struck several vehicles before coming to a stop. The semi-truck crashed into a red pickup truck, and then the Toyota Corolla Barnes and Markley were in and a third vehicle The force of the crash pushed the pickup truck on the shoulder of the road and destroyed the rear of the car The driver told authorities he was drowsy and may have fallen asleep at the wheel prior to the crash The car Barnes and Markley were in (pictured above) was completely destroyed in the crash Family created a GoFundMe to raise money for a joint funeral service for the two friends The driver of the semi-truck, whose identity was not released, admitted that he had been 'drowsy' and may have fallen asleep at the wheel prior to the crash. 'Drowsy driving is just as bad as if you were intoxicated or texting and driving,' Nevada trooper Jason Buratczuk said. 'It impairs your ability to drive a vehicle.' He said three people, including the driver of the semi, were taken to University Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. The driver could faces charges, authorities said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. The families of Barnes and Markley created a GoFundMe to help with a joint funeral for the two friends. So far, they have raised more than $9,000. President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani has said that the FBI has 183 secret recordings made by Michael Cohen, but that the President is only heard in one of them. Guiliani explained in a Sunday interview with Face The Nation that investigators had shared the recordings with Trump's legal team to review and waive attorney-client privilege after seizing them from Cohen in April. On Wednesday, Cohen's legal team leaked one tape, a covert recording of Trump and Cohen discussing a payment to the National Enquirer to secure the rights to former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal's claims of an affair with Trump. Now Guiliani says that that recording is the only one of the seized tapes in which Trump himself is heard, with the rest being conversations between Cohen and third parties, including journalists whom he secretly recorded. Rudy Giuliani (above) has said that the FBI has 183 secret recordings made by Michael Cohen, but that the President is only heard in one of them Michael Cohen (above) secretly recorded Trump in a 2016 conversation about a payment to quash affair allegations. Giuliani says that's the only Cohen tape with Trump's voice 'We know of something like 183 unique conversations on tape,' Giuliani said. 'One of those is with the president of the United States. That's the three-minute one involving- involving the McDougal payment- AMI-McDougal payment. 'There are 12 others, maybe 11 or 12 others out of the 183, in which the president is discussed at any length by Cohen, mostly with reporters,' Giuliani continued. The President's lawyer added that he had no knowledge of any other tapes that were not related to Cohen's work for Trump, which federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York may have seized from Cohen. 'There are then an untold number of other tapes. That do have no relation to us. Meaning President Trump. That have to do I guess what the Southern District originally raided him for,' Giuliani said. Trump is seen with former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal over a decade ago. In the secret recording Trump and Cohen discussed a payment to quash her affair allegations The investigation into Cohen is looking into allegations of bank fraud, wire fraud and violations of campaign finance law - suspicions which may be largely tied to Cohen's taxi business, which has no relation to Trump. 'Those tapes, I don't know what's on those nor - now if they related it to us the government would have to give it to us. The government has been totally ethical about this,' Giuliani said. 'There's a lot there for them to investigate. And you know when you just look at a box you can't tell what it contains but I sure wouldn't want to have that box there in the FBI has possession of it with me.' Giuliani also said in the interview that Trump could soon decide whether to speak with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who for over a year has been investigating any possible links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. 'We have negotiations going on with them. We have an outstanding offer to them' to participate in an interview, Giuliani said. 'They haven't responded in about a week to 10 days. I don't hold that against them I think they've got a lot going on like we do.' Giuliani (above) also said in the interview that Trump could soon decide whether to speak with Special Counsel Robert Mueller Giuliani said Trump could make a decision this week or next on whether to sit for an interview. Trump has repeatedly insisted that he's willing to be interviewed by Mueller's team. But Giuliani has said Trump's legal team is less enthusiastic because Mueller may lay a perjury trap, using anything Trump says that contradicts with another witness statement as a pretext for laying charges. Guiliani would not discuss the conditions his team is requesting for Trump to participate in an interview, but hinted that the President's legal team was interested in limiting the discussion to events before the election. He dismissed Mueller's interest in obstruction of justice charges for Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey as legally flimsy. 'We don't see the legal basis for a president obstructing by merely taking an action in firing somebody that he had every right to fire. And about 10 good reasons to fire. So we don't just acknowledge though the basis for that,' Giuliani said. 'But, you know, we might consider a few questions in that area also.' A distraught woman found her husband's body laying on the side of the road 14 hours after a horrific hit and run. The 41-year-old man was found dead in bushland after he was flung from the road, across a barrier and into nearby shrubs at San Remo, Central Coast. Julie Dyer, who was near the crime scene, claimed the heartbroken wife was 'screaming, collapsing (and) vomiting' when she found her dead husband. A distraught woman found her husband's body laying on the side of the road 14 hours after a horrific hit and run at San Remo on the Central Coast (pictured) in New South Wales Julie Dyer (pictured), who was near the crime scene, claimed the heartbroken wife was 'screaming, collapsing (and) vomitting' when she found her dead husband '(She was) screaming out he's dead, he's dead,' Ms Dyer told 9News. The distraught wife and her family went searching for her husband when he didn't return home, and they made the devastating discovery at about 2pm on Sunday. The man was walking home from an RSL club along the dark drive between 11pm and 11.30pm on Saturday. A 43-year-old woman has been arrested after she handed herself to Wyong Police Station on Monday morning. 'I just don't understand how someone can hit someone and leave them, it's not human ... it's sickening,' Ms Dyer told 7News. A crime scene was established along Scenic Drive through the town 100 kilometres north of Sydney Sunday afternoon but has since been cleared. The wife of a man who died on board flight MH370 says she's angry the Malaysian government didn't offer to fly her from Australia for a briefing on the final report until the last minute. The report, to be released later on Monday, is expected to contain the final details of the investigation into the Malaysia Airlines plane that vanished carrying 239 people, including six Australians, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014. Danica Weeks, whose husband Paul was on board, said the Malaysian government only offered on Thursday to fly her to the briefing for families, which was too little notice for a mother-of-two with a full-time job and pets. Danica Weeks has been searching for answers after the death of her husband Paul on MH370 Danica Weeks, whose husband Paul was on board, said the Malaysian government only offered on Thursday to fly her to the briefing for families 'Unfortunately I'm not there today. A few of us, international families, have been unable to make it in that time frame so I'm very angry about that,' Ms Weeks told AAP. 'We are refreshing the page until the report comes in our emails.' Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke had promised that relatives of those who were on board would be briefed about the report before it was publicly released. Ms Weeks said she was eagerly awaiting the report and hoped it would be thorough, including containing the plane's manifest, but she was ultimately pessimistic. 'It's what we've been asking for, for so long, but I'm not holding my breath,' she said. Mr Loke vowed earlier this month that 'every word recorded by the investigation team will be tabled in this report'. The four-year search for MH370 ended in May after the US-based technology firm Ocean Infinity failed to locate the plane while scouring 125,000sq km of the Indian Ocean. Pieces of debris have been found as far away as La Reunion (pictured), but the main body of the plane has still not been located The Malaysian Minister of Transport Anthony Loke said the report would be released after families of those on board were briefed Malaysia had signed a 'no find, no fee' deal with Ocean Infinity to resume the hunt after the official search led by Australia, Malaysia and China was called off in early 2017. There has been speculation Ocean Infinity could resume the search as it remains in waters off the West Australian coast doing work for Woodside Energy. Ms Weeks, who moved from Perth to Queensland after the tragedy, said the search had to go on as the crash may have been due to a problem with the Boeing 777 model. 'They need to keep searching - that's a given. I understand that without new information, you're throwing the dice and hoping it's there,' she said. 'It's a matter of elimination. It's got to be somewhere. 'They can't just push it under the carpet and say 'that's it'.' Several theories have emerged about how the plane disappeared, with some suggesting it was hijacked, while others believe someone on board may have deliberately turned off the plane's transponder before diverting it over the Indian Ocean. THE POSSIBLE THEORIES 'I FOUND IT ON GOOGLE EARTH' An Australian engineer, Peter McMahon claimed he found what appeared to be a plane wreckage on Google Earth. After years combing an online map of the Indian Ocean, the amateur crash investigator claimed to have found the wreckage 'riddled with bullet holes'. WAS MH370 STOLEN? Prior to the plane's disappearance, Captain Zaharie Shah had listed the small island of Diego Garcia - 4700km northwest of Australia - on his flight simulator. Theorists suggested that Capt Shah may have been practicing landing the plane on the island's airstrip, which is controlled by Britain but is home to a US naval base. Suggestions have also been made that the plane may have been stolen by terrorists and hidden in North Pakistan, or even by North Korean dictator Kim Jong un. In a 2014 poll on the MH370 disappearance, five per cent of American respondents said they believed it had been affected by 'alien activities'. Pieces of debris have been found as far away as La Reunion (pictured) but the main body of the aircraft has gone undiscovered MH370 Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is believed to have downed the aircraft in an act of murder-suicide DID THE PILOT COMMIT SUICIDE? Some have claimed that one of the pilots may have deliberately crashed the aircraft in a well-planned suicide. According to this theory, captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah deliberately chose to plunge the plane into an area of the ocean up to 25,000 feet deep, where it would be almost impossible to find. There have been suggestions Shah circled an area of the Indian Ocean just moments before the crash. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott is among those to support this theory, saying in the lead up to the third anniversary of the plane's disappearance he found it 'plausible'. 'I have always said the most plausible scenario was murder-suicide and if this guy wanted to create the world's greatest mystery why wouldn't he have piloted the thing to the very end and gone further south?' Mr Abbott said. Several disturbing notes written by a knife-wielding woman to herself have been heard for the first time since she was shot dead by police. New South Wales Deputy State Coroner Liz Ryan found that the death of Courtney Topic was preventable and the fresh notes discovered would have been a 'fresh source of grief' for her family. 'Unknown to her family, these writings documented bizarre and highly disturbed beliefs of being controlled, of her mind being read by others, of being forced to participate in an experiment, and of having lost her true identity,' Ms Ryans said Monday. Scroll down for video An inquest into the shooting of a 22-year-old woman by police seconds after they arrived outside a Hungry Jack's where the woman was wielding a knife, has found police 'made errors' NSW Deputy State Coroner Liz Ryan has found that the death of Courtney Topic was preventable and has demanded extensive changes to mental health training of police officers Forensic psychiatrist Dr Kerri Eagle said the private notes, found in the 22-year-old's bedroom, showed Courtney's mind had been 'tormented for several years' where she saw an internal world filled with 'identity disturbance, persecutory themes and perceptual abnormalities'. Dr Eagle believed the young woman was cognitively disconnected from what was happening. The 22-year-old woman, who was shot dead when she was seen carrying a large knife near Hungry Jacks in 2015, told a different psychiatrist months before her death that she did 'everything out of fear'. The New South Wales woman had never been diagnosed with schizophrenia but suffered symptoms. Courtney, who was carrying a 30cm long knife at Hoxton Park, in Sydney's western suburbs, appeared to be in her own world and looked 'like a zombie' in moments leading up to her death. One officer at the scene, Senior Constable Tesoriero said Courtney 'didn't even acknowledge we (the police) were there ... she wasn't doing what normal people do in public'. Ms Ryan said it was likely the young woman could not understand that police were telling her to put down the large knife. Police officers 'made errors' when they shot the 22-year-old woman on February 10, 41 seconds after arriving to the scene three years ago. Police arrived on the scene after receiving several triple-zero calls before midday, and 41 seconds later a single fatal shot was fired Attempts to subdue the woman with pepper spray and a defective Taser had failed. 'Errors were made that morning which made the resort to lethal force a tragic inevitability,' Ms Ryan said. 'Courtney's death is emphatically not one where it can be said, 'This couldn't have been prevented.' Although police carried out CPR, the young woman died shortly afterwards. Counsel assisting Gerard Craddock SC told the court Ms Topic had suicidal thoughts and was in the middle of a days-long psychosis when she died. Calls were made to police by those who observed Ms Topic saying that she was talking to herself. Constable Tyson told the Glebe Coroners Court on Monday there was no time for multiple de-escalation techniques after Ms Topic lunged at officers with the knife In the radio broadcast put out to police units shortly before they arrived on scene, they were told the woman was pointing the knife at her own stomach and there was concern she might self-harm. NSW Probationary Constable Angela Tyson confronted and tried to Taser the woman when she lunged at two officers. Constable Tyson told the Glebe Coroners Court there was no time for negotiation or multiple de-escalation techniques before the woman was shot. In shaky bodycam footage from the scene, Constable Tyson can be heard repeatedly asking the young woman to put the knife down. 'Put the knife on the ground for me. Put it on the ground,' she said. When the young woman refused to put the knife down and moved towards Senior Constable Tesoriero she was fatally shot in the chest. NSW Police tried to subdue the 22-year-old with pepper spray and a defective Taser before shooting her in the chest, and although they carried out CPR, she died shortly afterwards Constable Tyson conceded to the court that her de-escalation techniques were limited to verbal directions because there was not enough time for anything else, but insisted there was an imminent threat to her life. 'She turned immediately to her right and looked at Senior Constable Tesoriero, she raised the knife in her left hand and extended her left arm and ran towards Tesoriero,' Sergeant Glenn Sadler told an earlier inquest hearing. The inquest examined the adequacy of police training for responding to people suffering mental health problems, communication strategies and the use of weapons. It also examined whether 'non-lethal force' could have been used to respond to the incident. The court previously heard two of the three officers had only one day of mental health training before the incident, and the third officer had no training at all. In a statement to court, Ms Topic's family described her death as 'sudden, unexpected and violent'. Sydney Trains is offering compensation for customers who missed flights after major delays on the network over the weekend. Furious commuters lashed out at Sydney Trains after track work left some people waiting on the platforms for almost two hours. Chief Executive of Sydney Trains, Howard Collins, will consider compensating customers who suffered considerable inconveniences on Sunday. Platforms and trains were packed with people as services on the city circle line were majorly delayed, or cancelled Chief Executive of Sydney Trains, Howard Collins, will consider compensating customers who suffered considerable inconveniences on Sunday 'I apologise for those people who had big delays yesterday,' the Sydney Trains boss told the TODAY Show. 'If you missed a flight or had a big inconvenience we will consider compensation. Let us know.' Sydney Trains warned commuters on Friday that there would be 'significant trackwork' over the weekend. Services on the T1, T2, North Link and West Link lines were either cancelled or severely delayed on Sunday. The delays occurred as engineers were working on upgrading the 39-year-old manual signal box to a digitalised system. Due to the delays, Mr Collins said that there were four hundred engineers working overnight to ensure the weekday commuters wouldn't be affected. Sydney Trains warned commuters on Friday that there would be 'significant trackwork' over the weekend The delays occurred as engineers were working on upgrading the 39-year-old manual signal box to a digitalised system The Sydney Trains CEO said that the trains were running as normal this morning. One commuter complained of having to wait 87 minutes for a train on Sunday, while another said that his train driver told him to catch a bus or walk over the Harbour Bridge. Dozens of frustrated commuters expressed their anger on Twitter. Dozens of frustrated commuters expressed their anger over the delays on Twitter Greg Fogarty wrote: 'You get better public transport in a third world country.' One woman added: 'Our train finally arrived but now we don't have a driver? wtf #sydneytrains thanks for ruining my Sunday.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Sydney Trains for comment. Australia's meth crisis is being fuelled by a country in Southeast Asia where police are powerless to stop the overwhelming rate of production. Myanmar - a nation bordered by India, China and Thailand - is considered the world's second largest opium producer and home to a bustling meth trade worth $40billion. Authorities believe ruthless cartels are tricking refugees from nearby Bangladesh, who are legally unable to secure work, into becoming drug mules, the ABC reports. Despite police seizing tonnes of pills from makeshift jungle labs every month, crystal meth is making its way to Australia via couriers, parcels in the post and shipments. Australian authorities flew to Myanmar's capital earlier this year in a bid to discuss strategies to dismantle drug syndicates from smuggling meth overseas. Australia's meth crisis is being fuelled by a country in Southeast Asia where police are powerless to stop the overwhelming rate of production. The drug is manufactured as a little red pill for consumption locally, but shipped in crystal form overseas Thousands of refugees (pictured) who fled from Myanmar wait by the road where they spent the night between refugee camps Authorities said cheap meth reaching the streets in Australia was at crisis point with some users aged as young as nine. Senior Liaison Officer Jensen said drug gangs believed Australia was a growing market due to the prices being more favourable than in the US. 'They're business orientated,' Officer Jensen told 60 Minutes. 'So if they could make a dollar in that part of the world they'll try their hand at it.' In December, Australian authorities seized 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine, with drug profilers revealing the drug was produced in Myanmar. Australian authorities seized 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine in December, with drug profilers revealing the drugs were produced in Myanmar The ice crisis is a growing problem for Australia with the country using around eight tonnes of ice every year. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Asia Pacific Jeremy Douglas said the drug had already destroyed Myanmar, where families were ripped apart and the economy crippled. He said police were seizing meth from all districts in Myanmar but authorities could not keep up with the rate at which the drug was being produced and distributed. Authorities at the border of Myanmar and Bangladesh seized nearly nine million meth pills between January and March this year, the ABC reported. A police operation uncovered 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine which was seized on the west coast of Australia on December 22 last year Police Colonel Zaw Lin Tun said Myanmar's geographical location lent itself to a flourishing drug trade. 'Myanmar can't produce chemicals, but we are situated between China and India which are the biggest producers,' he said. The conflict in the region had also lent itself to the drug trade. Unable to find work, desperately poor refugees turned to the trade to make some money. Eight men were charged over the $1.04 billion drug bust when 1.2 tonnes of meth was uncovered on Australia's west coast in December A monk was also arrested in Rakhine State, the western coast, last year when he was caught with 400,000 meth pills. 'UNODC Myanmar country director Troels Vester said 'no walk of life is untouched by the drug problem'. Soldiers were also found to be colluding in the drug business, when two Myanmar soldiers were discovered with two million yaba pills in October last year. Over the border in Bangladesh, authorities have arrested 7,000 people, and another 120 have been killed since a crackdown on the yaba trade kicked off in May. A West Virginia sheriff's deputy received the fright of her life when she was brutally beat by a 21-year-old college athlete high on an unknown drug while on duty. Brooke County officer Kristen Richmond shared photos of her bloodied and badly battered face and her account of the close call on Friday. Richmond responded to a call at Bethany College where the suspect Brandon Jackson was throwing things out a third floor dorm window and began to fight with her, breaking her glasses and reaching for her duty weapon. West Virginia sheriff's deputy Kristen Richmond was badly beaten while on duty, responding to a call about 21-year-old drugged up college athlete Brandon Jackson Bloody and bruised: She shared pictures of her wounds on Facebook to remind followers of the dangers cops face in the field She revealed that her glasses were shattered in the altercation and he reached for her weapon But Richmond put up a fight, wrestling the 5ft11, 195lbs 'collegiate male athlete' who was 'gooned up on an unknown drug' for about five minutes. 'It was me and him for about five minutes. During said altercation, my glasses were shattered and knocked off my face, none of my radio transmissions got out, and a ton of equipment was stripped from my vest and duty belt,' she said. 'I managed to stay in the fight and maintain some control despite exchanging punches and knees with the subject,' she added. Even after she partially handcuffed him and her K9 partner attacked him, the suspect did not stop fighting the officer. 'All the K9 bites, punches, knees, and baton strikes did not deter this guy. He wasnt there. The drug had consumed every part of him,' she said. 'After about five minutes of fighting, my partners finally found us (due to lack of comms) and, after several more minutes of fighting, we were able to secure him in cuffs ending the fight,' she added. 'My glasses were shattered and knocked off my face, none of my radio transmissions got out, and a ton of equipment was stripped from my vest and duty belt,' she said She and her K9 officer tackled Jackson for five minutes until her partners came and helped subdue and handcuff him She added that at one point Jackson reached for her duty weapon. 'Given the circumstances ... deadly force was warranted and it was probably getting close to my last resort. Thankfully, it did not reach that point,' she said. Instead of using deadly force against him, she put up a fight - crediting her training to her handling of the dire situation. 'Ive been beat to hell and back in training so I knew how to react and fight through being repeatedly being struck in the face and head. I didnt freak out,' she said. Eventually with the help of her partners Jackson was handcuffed and taken away. He was taken to a local hospital and transferred to a facility in Pittsburgh, according to Fox. The sheriff's deputy suffered a broken nose, fractured sinus, and some other bumps and lacerations to the hands, face, and head in the incident, pictured with K9 officer She says she hopes her message gives a 'swift kick in the a** to a lot of cops' to take their training seriously and to be there for their partners. She added that cops too are 'normal people' adding 'We just want to go home after work' Officer Richmond suffered a broken nose, fractured sinus, and some other bumps and lacerations to the hands, face, and head. The incident is under investigation and charges are pending, according to WTHR. Sharing her harrowing story on Facebook she says she hopes her message gives a 'swift kick in the a** to a lot of cops' to take their training seriously and to be there for their partners. 'They're your family and when you find yourself in a dark corner at 0300 praying for backup, theyre gonna be the ones who come running,' she said. She added cops are 'normal people' just like anyone else. 'We just want to go home after work,' she said. A teenage girl in Washington state was picking up litter on her street when the plastic bottle she was holding exploded leaving her with serious injuries to her hands. Ashli Fortner, the 13-year-old girl's mother, said her daughter was walking the dog around 7.40pm on Saturday in their Vancouver neighborhood when a person driving past in an SUV tossed a plastic bottle out the window onto the street. Fortner said her daughter walked over to the bottle and picked it up to throw it in the trash. Seconds after the girl grabbed the plastic bottle it exploded. Courtesy: KOIN.com A 13-year-old girl in Vancouver was serious injured when a plastic bottle exploded in her hands Photos released by Fortner show the young girl's hands covered in a blood and what appears to be a piece of the plastic bottle sticking out of her wrist. The girl's clothes are also stained with her blood. 'It's terrifying. Anything can happen and a bottle exploding with your child is terrifying,' Fortner told KGW8. Police said they received reports of a small explosion in the area, and when they arrived the girl had significant injuries to her hands and wrists, The girl's mom said several men in an SUV were driving by and tossed a plastic bottle out of the window and when her daughter picked it up to throw it in the trash it exploded Police are searching for the car and are asking for the public's help in locating it She was taken to the hospital and received stitches to her hands and wrists. Her mom said she is expected to be OK, but is shaken up over the incident. Authorities are now searching for a dark green SUV and are asking for the public's help in identifying the car. Family members said several men were in the car. Sacha Baron Cohen is at it again in the latest episode of 'Who is America?' - this time attempting to scientifically 'prove' former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore is a pedophile. Under the guise of an Israeli ex-Mossad agent, Baron Cohen holds a sit down interview with Moore, showing the former judge what he says is new Israeli technology that accurately detects sex offenders - 'especially pedophiles'. Moore, who lost the seat for the Alabama state senate earlier this year after being accused of sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old, becomes visibly uncomfortable, squirming in his seat as Baron Cohen begins to use the tool. In the faux interview, Baron Cohen waves the metal detector-looking wand over Moore, which then goes off to signal a pedophile. Under the guise of an Israeli ex-Mossad agent, Sacha Baron Cohen sits down for an interview with Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore to scientifically 'prove' he is a sex offender Moore lost the seat for the Alabama state senate after being accused of sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old earlier this year Baron Cohen, dressed as Israeli ex-Mossad agent Col. Erran Morad, begins the interview saying: 'In Alabama, people have always been free, whatever their religion or race or sexuality.' Moore then replies: 'It's part of our heritage.' Before pulling out the tool, Baron Cohen gives a detailed explanation about how this new Israeli technology is used to detect terrorists. He explains that it can also identify perverts. 'It turns out that sex offenders and particularly pedophiles secrete an enzyme,' he explains to a tense Moore. 'So the phrase ''sweating like a rapist'' is actually based on science,' Baron Cohen says. He says it won't make any noise when waved in front of their bodies 'because neither of us are sex offenders.' The tool begins beeping as it's waved over Moore, creating an awkward moment as Baron Cohen says: 'It must be faulty' and 'It's malfunctioning.' As it continues to go off over Moore, the actor asks: 'Is this your jacket? Did you lend the jacket to somebody else?' Moore then gets defensive saying: 'I've been married for 33 years and never had an accusation of such things.' 'Certainly, I'm not a pedophile,' Moore says. 'Maybe Israeli technology hasn't developed properly.' 'I support Israel, I don't support this kind of stuff,' Moore says as he stands and walks out of the interview. When the actor waves the device over Moore it beeps, signifying a sex offender and prompting Moore to walk out of the interview The first three episodes of the Showtime series have only targeted Republicans, exposing a congressman as willing to give guns to toddlers and forcing Georgia Republican Jason Spencer to resign after being 'duped' into dropping his pants and using the n-word. Sacha Baron Cohen's third episode of 'Who is America?' is continuing to stir up controversy He caused even more controversy after tricking residents of Kingman, Arizona, into believing investors wanted to build a mosque in their community - which led to very racist comments from the townspeople. After vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin came forward earlier this month to explain how she was also tricked into filming for the show, Roy Moore released a statement. 'I am involved in several court cases presently to defend my honor and character against vicious false political attacks by liberals like Cohen. If Showtime airs a defamatory attack on my character, I may very well be involved in another,' Moore said. 'As for Mr. Cohen, whose art is trickery, deception, and dishonesty, Alabama does not respect cowards who exhibit such traits!' he added. 'It's been a long time since I fought for my country in Vietnam. I'm ready to defend her again!' Capital Gazette shooting suspect, Jarrod Ramos (pictured), has pleaded not guilty to killing five people inside the newsroom The Capital Gazette shooting suspect has pleaded not guilty to killing five people inside the Maryland newsroom last month. Jarrod Ramos' lawyer, William Davis, entered the not guilty plea on behalf of his client in court documents filed on Monday. Ramos, 38, was initially scheduled to appear in court, but his appearance was canceled due to the filings. Davis made requests for discovery and a speedy trial. 'By doing that, that eliminates the need for an initial appearance because he now has counsel. He is represented,' Wes Adams, the Anne Arundel County state's attorney, told reporters outside the courtroom. Ramos, who is being held without bail, was indicted by a grand jury on 23 counts, including murder, attempted murder and assault. Authorities said Ramos barricaded the rear exit of the Capital Gazette office to prevent anyone from escaping and methodically blasted his way through the newsroom with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun on June 28. Three editors, a reporter and a sales assistant were killed. The victims were identified as Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters. Three editors, a reporter and a sales assistant were killed. The victims were identified as Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen and Wendi Winters The other two victims were John McNamara and Rebecca Smith Investigators said Ramos had a long-standing grudge against the Capital Gazette stemming from its coverage of his harassment case involving a former high school classmate, only identified as Lori, in 2011 Ramos' lawyers contend in court papers that 'any in-court identification at the trial of the defendant will be tainted as a result of impermissible suggestive identification procedures undertaken by police authorities and/or will be the result of an illegal arrest or search'. Ramos was identified by authorities through facial recognition technology. Attorneys for Ramos also argued in Monday's filings that evidence seized in the case was obtained illegally. His lawyers also demanded that prosecutors produce at trial 'the chemist, analyst, technician, or other person who analyzed any substance alleged by the prosecution to be a controlled dangerous substance, including any substance used as a standard of comparison'. They called for the presence 'of any breathalyzer operator or blood technician or analyst' who obtained any samples. Melissa Rothstein, a spokeswoman for the public defender's office, said neither Davis nor the office of the public defender is commenting on the case. 'OPD's general position is not to comment on active cases,' Rothstein wrote in an email. Adams said the next step in the case is a status conference scheduled sometime before the end of next month by Anne Arundel County Judge Laura Kiessling, who has been assigned the case. The Capital newspaper had written about Ramos pleading guilty to the harassment. Ramos had unsuccessfully sued the writer and the newspaper's publisher for defamation He then launched a hate-fueled social media campaign against the newspaper and its employees. Ramos is being held in Anne Arundel County. The charges against him carry a maximum penalty of life without parole Adams said the status conference is intended to discuss a schedule for hearing motions, a trial date and other matters involving prosecution of the case. Investigators said Ramos had a long-standing grudge against the Capital Gazette stemming from its coverage of his harassment case involving a former high school classmate, only identified as Lori, in 2011. The Capital newspaper had written about Ramos pleading guilty to the harassment. Ramos had unsuccessfully sued the writer and the newspaper's publisher for defamation. He then launched a hate-fueled social media campaign against the newspaper and its employees. Retired newspaper publisher Tom Marquardt called police in 2013 about Ramos' threatening online posts. A detective investigated those concerns, but the Capital Gazette ultimately declined to press charges out of fear of further provoking Ramos. Ramos is being held in Anne Arundel County. The charges against him carry a maximum penalty of life without parole. Maryland has no death penalty. A fisherman accused of stabbing a French national to death in the outback will be found not guilty of murder on mental health grounds. Philippe Jegouzo, 33, was brutally stabbed in the neck in front of his wife, Aurelie Courier, then 30, by Pande Veleski after they exchanged small-talk. The French couple's 1998 Toyota RAV4 stopped at a Conners Well truck stop about 100km north of Alice Springs on November 30, 2016 in the outback where Veleski pulled up behind them. Scroll down for video Peter Veleski (pictured), accused of stabbing a Frenchman to death in the outback will be found not guilty of murder on mental health grounds In a desperate attempt to save her husband, Ms Courier began hitting Veleski over the head with a picnic chair before he escaped in a Hyundai i30 following the unprovoked attack. Mr Jegouzo's wife flagged down the help of a nurse and her partner travelling to Ti Tree, north of Connors Well. The nurse stayed with the couple while her husband traveled to the nearest roadhouse to call emergency services at around 5.30pm. Veleski - who has a history of mental illness according to relatives - fled into bush land on foot overnight after police located his vehicle. He was arrested naked around 8:30am the next day, 60km from Ti Tree, after an overnight manhunt by police. The French couples 1998 Toyota RAV4 stopped at a Conners Well truck stop about 100km north of Alice Springs in 2016 where Veleski pulled up behind them and exchanged smalltalk Philippe Jegouzo, 33, was brutally stabbed in the neck in front of his wife, Aurelie Courier, then 30 by Mr Veleski. The pre-trial mention before chief Justice Grant took place on Monday morning in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. Pande Veleski appeared via video-link from the Alice Springs Vulnerable Witness Room where it was heard that the Crown would agree to the not guilty plea. Crown Prosecutor Stephen Robson informed the court a psychiatric assessment commissioned by the prosecution came to a similar conclusion as an earlier report by Veleski's legal team. The pre-trial mention before chief Justice Grant occurred on Monday morning at 9am in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory Veleski, a Melbourne father of one, will enter a not-guilty plead in Darwin as the French victim's family planned to visit Australia for the hearing. As well as murder, Veleski was also charged with two counts of assaulting police and one count of escaping lawful custody. His relatives believes he fled to the Northern Territory over fears the police wanted to arrest him after his home was invaded. The fisherman is still being held in custody. Homicide detectives believe the couple and suspect were the only three people in the remote area at the time of the attack. 'We believe at this time the only persons at the roadside stop were the male person, who is now deceased, and his wife,' Detective Superintendent Travis Wurst said at the time of the attack. 'The only other person that was believed to have been present was the person who is considered to be the attacker. We understand there were no other people present.' 'We believe at this time the only persons at the roadside stop were the male person, who is now deceased, and his wife,' Detective Superintendent Travis Wurst (pictured) said at the time of the attack The details of the shocking murder resemble a similar attack in Australia's red centre in 2001. Peter Falconio - who was murdered by Bradley John Murdoch 17 years ago was also travelling with his partner in the Northern Territory when he was attacked. The British man, then 28, and his girlfriend Joanne Lees were directed to pull over on the night of July 14, 2001 to be told there was a problem with their Kombi. Falconio went to the back of the car to check it out and was never seen again. Ms Lees said she heard a gunshot and was then tied up by Murdoch but managed to escape and flag down help after hiding in the bush for hours. Fourteen members of the same family died en route to a wedding party in Vietnam when their van collided head on with a container truck. The groom was killed in the crash in Quang Nam where extended family members where travelling to the bride's hometown in Binh Dinh in the early hours of Monday morning. Road accidents are the leading cause of death in Vietnam, claiming more than 8,000 lives each year in recent times. A 16-seater van collided head on with a container truck in Quang Nam, Vietnam. The groom was among 13 who died instantly, with a fourteenth fatality shortly after Car crashes are the leading cause of death in Vietnam, with more than 8,200 people killed in accidents last year Their 16-seater van collided with a container truck at around 2:30am local time, killing 13 people instantly. Another died later in hospital where others are being treated for injuries. 'All victims' bodies were brought back to their home for burial,' a police spokesperson said. 'We are treating some of the injured in a local hospital.' Authorities are investigating the cause of the deadly crash. Traffic laws are loosely obeyed and road infrastructure is patchy in Vietnam. Around 8,200 people died in traffic accidents in the nation last year, down from about 8,600 the year before. Most were killed on motorbikes. Vietnam's densely packed cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are crowded with motorbikes and cars competing for space with pedestrians and street vendors. Meanwhile, transport trucks increasingly line newly built highways delivering goods across Vietnam, or into neighbouring countries. Residents have been warned they will cop $180 fines if they don't remove their wheelie bins in what the local council has called an 'unsightly practice'. Parking inspectors have been out in full force in Adelaide's northeastern suburbs after residents complained to the local council that bins had been left on the footpath. Tea Tree Gully Council stuck two sealed plastic envelopes on green waste bins at Redwood Park Shopping Centre to warn residents of an impending fine, North EasternWeekly reported. The letter labelled 'parking infringement notice enclosed' requested that the bins be removed by the end of the day or a $180 fine would be given. 'I request your assistance to stop this unsightly practice,' it said. Residents in Adelaide have been warned they could cop a $180 fine for leaving their wheelie bins on the footpath 'If the bins are not removed a $180 expiation may be issued.' The letter states that council by-law requires wheelie bins to be removed from footpaths on rubbish collection day. One resident Louie, who chose to keep his last name anonymous, said he was surprised to see the envelopes on the wheelie bins and it was the first time he had seen such an infringement. 'What if you go on holiday or get sick and have to go into hospital and have nobody to get them in for you?' he said. Louie claims that the council are trying to make money and that he wouldn't be able to afford the fine as a pensioner. He also questioned the appropriate protocol for a wheelie bin and where they should be parked if they're not allowed on grass verges or footpaths. Tea Tree Gully Council said the last fine for a wheelie bin was issued four years ago. In the last twelve months, the council said they resolved eight complaints without issuing a fine. The council usually tells the resident or business to remove the wheelie bins from the footpath for community safety, before giving a fine. However, the owner of the bins in question has not been located. A female teacher crossed the line by engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a student for over two years while the young girl was still attending the school. The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard that when the student was in year 12, the teacher broke up with her long-term fiance to pursue the relationship. It is believed that the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, began a sexual relationship with the former pupil soon after the girl completed year 12 and they moved in together. The teacher, now 27, is now not allowed to reapply for registration or permission to teach until May 17, 2022. A vulnerable female student was found in an inappropriate relationship with her female teacher for over two years while the student was still at school (stock image) The tribunal heard that the teacher was in her early 20s, and the student was only 15 when their relationship began, the Courier Mail reported. It is believed that the 'needy' student was under the care of Child Safety and living with a foster parent at the time. It is alleged that the teacher and girl were involved in personal conversations as the teacher was her pastoral care advisor. Although she denied having a sexual relationship with the teenager, the tribunal found that she was interested sexually in the ex-student when she was in her final years of school. It was found that the teacher would go out of her way to flirt with the student, and the pair shared an intimacy unlike a normal student-teacher relationship. The pair had plans to move in together from mid-2016, when the student was still in school. The student told her child safety officer that she had was thinking of moving in with the Queensland teacher's parents after graduation. Although the teacher had warnings from colleagues not to build a relationship with the vulnerable student, the teacher crossed appropriate boundaries by discussing personal matters and exchanging gifts with the student. 'The teacher favoured a student in whom she had a sexual interest,' the tribunal said. It was the teacher's duty to protect the student due to her troubled past, yet the tribunal said that the teacher exploited her vulnerabilities to form an intimate relationship. When the pair went on a school camp in 2015, they requested to share a room, but was refused permission. The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (pictured) heard that when the student was in year 12, the teacher broke up with her long-term male fiance to pursue the relationship Concerns began to rise among colleagues, as the teacher and student began to spend lots of time together. Plans came to fruition in late 2016, when the student and teacher moved into the teacher's parents' home. Months after moving in together, in February of 2017, the teacher introduced the former student as her partner. Just a month later, the 27-year-old told friends that she would now be identifying as a lesbian and the teenager was her partner. The teacher denied the relationship, but the tribunal found evidence that a romantic and sexual relationship had developed after they began to live together. At the teacher's tribunal on July 16, she was banned from reapplying for registration or permission to teach before May 2022. If she wishes to apply before this date, the teacher must obtain a psychologist's report that says she is aware of differences between personal and professional relationships and boundaries. The 27-year-old teacher was also ordered to pay Queensland College of Teachers's $2500 costs. A driver has been treated in hospital for injuries sustained when a rock was through the windshield of his moving car. The motorist was in one of at least three vehicles that was attacked in the Brisbane suburb of Moorooka at 5am Monday morning. Queensland Police are appealing to the public for any information or dash cam footage that may assist in finding the thrower. Scroll down for video At least three cars were significantly damaged after a number of large objects, including rocks, were thrown at them while travelling along a busy road They all received damage to the front end of their cars, including glass from a shattered windshield causing one motorist to go to hospital for treatment to his injuries One of the drivers was treated at hospital for minor injuries he received as a result of the shattered windscreen. At least three vehicles travelling north on Beaudesert Road were struck by thrown objects. All three cars received significant damage to their front ends and windscreens. A man, described as being Caucasian and wearing a beanie, was seen throwing objects onto the road at the time of the incident. It is unknown whether he was in the middle of the median strip or on the side of the road. 'People committing this offence would be charged and police urge anyone with further information to contact them,' Queensland Police said. The assailant was seen on the side of the road and the median strip throwing objects at 5am Monday morning Bank of America froze a Kansas family's bank accounts after demanding to know if they were American citizens. Josh Collins, of Roeland Park, Kansas said he received a form letter in the mail from Bank of America in June, asking him a variety of personal information questions, including whether he is an American citizen or has dual citizenship with another country. Josh was born in Wichita, Kansas. His wife, Jessica Salazar Collins, whose great-grandfather came to America from Mexico, was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. Josh Collins and his wife, Jessica Salazar Collins (with their children), were shocked to discover that Bank of America had frozen their bank account without warning on July 24 It turned out the account was frozen because Josh didn't answer a letter asking about his US and dual citizenship status, because he thought it was a scam Jessica told The Kansas City Star that she threw out the letter, thinking the letter was some kind of scam, since Josh had been banking with the company for the past 20 years. On July 24, however, the Collins family realized that it wasn't a scam Bank of America had frozen their account, cutting off their ability to access their cash, without any warning. when his card was declined, he called the bank and was told that the account was frozen because he hadn't responded to the letter he'd received about his citizenship status. Josh told KCTV that The next day, when he discovered that his bank account hadn't been unfrozen, Jessica called the bank, only to be told that the cards were lost or stolen, which wasn't true. Both Josh and Jessica were born in the US. Josh banked with the company for the past 20 years Bank of America said that all clients will be receiving the citizenship questionnaire and that it is being sent so that the bank can maintain 'compliance with regulatory requirements' Josh and Jessica then went into the bank to speak with someone in person. 'It took about 15 minutes, but the first question they asked me was, "Are you a citizen?" Josh said, adding that they wanted to know if he was a dual citizen, as well. Josh's bank accounts were ultimately unfrozen Wednesday, after he showed the bank his driver's license. In the meantime, all of his autopay bill payments were deleted. 'They only do that to peoples accounts for people trying to flee the country,' Josh said, about having his account frozen, adding that 'Were not criminals. We didnt do anything wrong.' In a statement issued Friday, obtained by the Kansas City Star, Bank of America said, 'Like all financial institutions, were required by law to maintain complete and accurate records for all of our customers and may periodically request information, such as country of citizenship and proof of U.S. residency. This type of outreach is nothing new.' The bank added, 'This information must be up to date and therefore we periodically reach out to customers, which is what we did in this case.' A Bank of America spokeswoman said if customers don't respond to the form letter, the bank may decide to 'restrict the account' until they can confirm that the account holder is 'in compliance with regulatory requirements' and not a target of identity thieves. The spokesperson said that all Bank of America clients will eventually receive the citizenship questionnaire. Cambodia's ruling party has claimed to have won all 125 parliamentary seats in what opponents are calling a 'sham' election and the 'death of democracy' in the country. The People's Party (CPP) of strongman prime minister Hun Sen today hailed a 'brilliant victory' despite facing no significant challenger. Its main opposition, the Cambodian National Rescue Party, said it was unable to contest the polls and that the election meant the government and any dealings with it are illegitimate. Having apparently won all 125 seats available, the south east Asian nation will become a one-party state. Cambodia's ruling party has claimed to have won all 125 parliamentary seats in what opponents are calling a 'sham' election and the 'death of democracy' in the country. The People's Party (CPP) of strongman prime minister Hun Sen (centre) today hailed a 'brilliant victory' despite facing no significant challenger The White House said it would consider steps, including an expansion of visa curbs on some Cambodian government members in response to 'flawed elections'. Sunday's ballot has prolonged Hun Sen's 33-year rule, but observers say that questions of legitimacy may haunt the wily political survivor as frustration sets in over lack of change. The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) 'will take all seats across the country,' spokesman Sok Eysan told AFP at party headquarters, hailing 'a landslide victory'. In response the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the country's only real opposition who were disbanded before the poll, issued a statement lamenting 'the death of democracy' and a 'new, dark day' in Cambodian history. Some 8.3 million people registered to cast their ballots in the vote - Cambodia's sixth general election since United Nations-sponsored polls were held in 1993 after decades of conflict. Sok Eysan said the predicted clean sweep was based on initial results. Final figures are due August 15. Asked about the country turning into a one-party state, the CPP spokesman said it was 'the decision of the people,' adding that Cambodia's constitution allows for a multi-party system. But the ballot lacked any serious challengers after Hun Sen cracked down on the opposition last year, leading to the arrest one of its leaders and then the dissolution of the party by the Supreme Court. Opposition figures had urged a boycott of the poll. But election authorities warned they would take action against those pressing for a 'clean-finger' campaign and pointed to an 82 percent turnout as evidence that the boycott call had failed. Experts say high turnouts are common in authoritarian states where voter intimidation is more widespread. Yet in a sign of a kickback from unhappy voters, around 600,000 ballots - around 10 percent of the total - were spoiled, according to a preliminary count by the National Election Commission. Sunday's ballot has prolonged Hun Sen's 33-year rule, but observers say that questions of legitimacy may haunt the wily political survivor as frustration sets in over lack of change Hun Sen came to power in 1985 in a country still plagued by civil war and his CPP has won every election since 1998. But wearied by a culture of impunity and corruption more than 44 percent of voters backed the opposition CNRP in 2013 polls, creating the most serious challenge to Hun Sen in years. This time the Cambodian leader ruthlessly moved against his critics in the election run-up, corralling civil society, independent media and political opponents. That led many western governments to pull their support from the vote. It was 'neither free nor fair and failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people,' the White House said in a statement. The US would consider a 'significant expansion' of visa restrictions introduced last year against some senior Cambodian officials, it warned. In contrast China, a key Cambodia ally which has provided cash and soft loans to Hun Sen's government without raising questions over human rights and democracy, offered its 'sincere congratulations' on the poll, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. The 65-year-old Hun Sen is also seen as a stabilising force in the eyes of many in a kingdom with a bloody and bitter recent history that spans civil war, the horrors of the Khmer Rouge and occupation by Vietnam. Hun Sen has cultivated his support base through rural and urban infrastructure and investment schemes that have added malls and condos to the skyline of the once sleepy capital Phnom Penh. The premier also adroitly turned to Cambodia's garment sector, which employs about 750,00 people, showering cash gifts on workers in the months ahead of polls. 'I am happy that the Cambodian People's Party won overwhelmingly, more than previous mandates,' said supporter Sang Kimson, 38, the morning after the election. But many other Cambodians are despondent at the idea of yet another term for Hun Sen, who is among the world's longest-serving leaders. 'It is him again,' shrugged one man sitting outside a coffee shop who asked not to be named and who said he felt 'hopeless' watching the results come in. Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch, predicted simmering discontent. 'I think what we will see here in Cambodia is continued passive resistance and anger by the Cambodian people, they weren't given the opportunity to vote for the people they wanted,' he said. Hun Sen has held onto power through political and family alliances in the police, military and media. He was installed as prime minister during the Vietnamese occupation of the 1980s after defecting from the Khmer Rouge, which killed a quarter of Cambodia's population from 1975 to 1979. Charlotte Brown, 24, was thrown into the Thames river after she and Jack Shepherd took his boat out onto the water during a boozy date in London in December 2015 Speedboat victim Charlotte Brown's father has told her on-the-run killer he can't evade the authorities forever after the fugitive was sentenced to jail for manslaughter. Graham Brown issued the warning to Jack Shepherd, 30, who has been on the run since March and is thought to be hiding abroad in popular holiday spots such as Greece or Spain. Charlotte Brown, 24, died after being thrown into the Thames when she and Shepherd took his speedboat out onto the water during a boozy date in December 2015. Now the victim's father has appealed for anyone who has seen Shepherd to 'examine their conscience' and to turn him in. Speaking to the Sun, Mr Brown said: 'I'm sure someone will make that call. Justice is coming, of that I'm certain.' Shepherd was convicted of Ms Brown's manslaughter by gross negligence last week after a jury heard the boat was speeding and had a number of defects, including faulty steering. Judge Richard Marks QC jailed him for six years, although Shepherd was not present for his trial as he has been on the run, having not even spoken to his mother. Despite being at large, Shepherd was able to communicate with his lawyers but authorities can't use that to trace him due to legal protection. Shepherd, 30, has been on the run since March and is thought to be hiding abroad Charlotte's father Graham Brown (left) issued a dark warning for the fugitive, saying: 'Justice is coming, of that I'm certain.' Pictured: Ms Brown's father, sister Katie and mother Roz Wicken (pictured left to right) Shepherd was convicted of Ms Brown's manslaughter by gross negligence last week after a jury heard the boat (pictured) was speeding and had a number of defects, including faulty steering Both the Scotland Yard and National Crime Agency are working together to hunt Shepherd down. A police source told the Sun they are urging holidaymakers to take note of their surroundings and to take a second look at any expat barmen or hotel workers. They added: 'Any sighting could lead to a vital breakthrough.' Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Monday, Charlotte's mother, Roz Wickens called for new legislation to make waterways safer, by introducing stronger laws on wearing life jackets, speeding and drinking. She said: 'The thing that's been driving me than anything, regardless of the outcome, we need to reflect on what happened that night. 'There's no legislation on waterways, there's no legislation for life jackets, speed, excess alcohol, for private vessels there's nothing. 'There's one for commercial but nothing for private vessels, so it's open for anyone to do anything they want and there's no law against it.' Ms Brown, pictured left, was pulled from the water after the crash but died from cold water immersion during a date with Jack Shepherd (right). He has since gone on the run but was jailed for six years today with his sentence to start when he is caught According to police, Shepherd was last seen in Devon in March and police have urged the public to come forward with information. A jury at the Old Bailey had heard Shepherd had bought the red 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO boat from Gumtree to 'pull women'. He met Ms Brown on dating website OK Cupid and they shared two bottles of wine over dinner at The Oblix restaurant before taking to the river in December 2015, bringing champagne with them. In the video she made on their way up the Thames to the Houses of Parliament, Ms Brown could be heard yelling: 'Oh my God, you're going so fast'. The boat then hit a partially submerged tree trunk, catapulting the couple into the freezing Thames. Police said Shepherd was 'desperate to show off' and in handing over the controls to an inexperienced person he created a 'recipe for disaster'. The jury heard Shepherd bought the red 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO boat, pictured, from Gumtree to 'pull women' The speedboat pictured on the River Thames bank after the fatal incident Charlotte's mother, Roz Wickens, said: 'There are no words in the universe to describe how wonderful Charlotte was. [She was] the best daughter ever, my best friend. We'll never get over losing her. 'Life won't be the same. Every breath that I take, is a guilty breath, that I'm taking breath and she's not.' Shepherd managed to cling onto the upturned bow and call for help, but Ms Brown, known to her friends and family as Charli, was unresponsive when she was pulled from the water. Neither were wearing lifejackets and the speedboat had serious defects including a 'wobble' in the steering system and damaged windscreen and seats. The boat was also not fitted with a 'kill cord' which cuts the engines in the event of an accident. Shepherd told police in his interview that two lifejackets were aboard the vessel but that he did not tell Miss Brown about them. Charlotte Brown, left, pictured with her sister Katie at a wedding earlier this year. Charlotte died after a date went horribly wrong Miss Brown's parents Graham Brown (left) and Roz Wickens, have been at the trial throughout In tears, he added: 'I didn't even ask her if she could swim'. The speedboat capsized opposite Plantation Wharf, near Wandsworth Bridge and Shepherd was found clinging to upturned bow of the boat. He was unsteady on his feet and still reeked of alcohol after lifeguards hauled him from the river. Shepherd was slurring is words as he asked: 'Is she alright? Have you found her?'. Riverside resident Steven Morrissey told the court that he heard a young man screaming for help. He said in a statement: 'He kept saying 'Help me, help me, somebody help me'. It was just 'Help me' - not 'us', or 'her'.' When he took Charlotte out on December 8 2015, just hours after they met for the first time, 'it went horribly wrong,' Mr Jafferjee said. 'It was cold, it was dark, we submit, it was sheer madness.' Jurors took just over 25 hours to find Shepherd guilty of gross negligence manslaughter by a majority of 11 to one. Motorway gantries could be removed as part of new plans to transmit speed limits, traffic news, weather reports and directions directly to car dashboards, it was revealed today. Highways England is going to test new 5G technology on the A2 and M2 between London and Dover later this year. If successful it will means thousands of signs cluttering Britain's roads would eventually be torn down and is seen as a key step forward to giving driverless cars the technology they need to work properly in the UK. Highways England has published a report says that the UK's new 5G network will allow information to be beamed into cars as they travel along our busiest roads. Data sent to them would include speed limits, best lane to be in and warnings if there are tailbacks ahead including suggesting diversions, according to The Times. Highways England is going to test new 5G technology on the A2 and M2 between London and Dover later this year (pictured at the M25 junction) and some gantries could be torn down The 20million trial will start by Christmas and run until the end of 2020 and the technology will only work in the newest of cars. The report says: 'This may eventually allow some roadside infrastructure, such as gantries, to be removed.' Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said the technology is there but is concerned about removing too many signs in case the technology fails. But it is already being used in Belgium, France and Holland. Earlier this year it emerged that thousands of unnecessary road signs could be taken down around Britain after a government report concluded that most warnings were completely pointless. The Department for Transport (DfT) review found the number of signs had doubled in 20 years to 4.3million, cluttering up streets and confusing motorists with outdated messages. The report said the overuse of pointless signs has 'become so widespread that it is verging on national humiliation'. Live travel information would be beamed straight to the dashboards of cars to help people keep to the right speed limit It recommended that entire categories of signs should be scrapped, with a suggestion that nine in ten should be taken down. Signs warning of upcoming traffic lights, brown tourist signs and no stopping signs are among those facing the axe. Signs warning motorists of speed cameras should also be scrapped in favour of an online database informing drivers of their positions, experts suggested. Most signs are 'entirely superfluous' or assume an 'insulting degree of stupidity on the part of drivers.' The DfT is preparing to issue fresh guidelines to councils recommending creating a series of 'golden rules' including making sure most signs are no higher than 2.1metres and that those backed with reflective materials are no longer illuminated by their own spotlight. Road markings should be used instead of signs in most cases, it adds. The review was conducted by the Road Signs Task Force, which was created by the DfT in 2015 under the leadership of Sir Alan Duncan, who left a year later to become a Foreign Office minister. The Department confirmed it is preparing to update its traffic signs manual after the report found the sheer number of signs to be 'unsustainable.' 'This is unsustainable and bears out the need to reduce signing wherever possible,' the report said. 'Although impossible to count, it seems clear that many of the country's signs and posts are unnecessary and could be removed. 'Information overload for drivers can contribute to driver distraction, and have a detrimental impact on road safety.' An Instagram-famous woman has made a public apology to her bikie boyfriend after police were called to their apartment when she smashed in the front door during an angry rant. Allaina Jones, 27, and Ben Geppert, 26, had police at their front door again on Saturday night after what is the latest in a series of disturbances at their Gold Coast unit in recent months. Jones, who has close to 200,000 Instagram followers, apologised to her boyfriend for the weekend incident and also revealed she suffers from Bipolar disorder. Scroll down for video Allaina Jones (left) has apologised to her bikie boyfriend Ben Geppert (right) after going on an angry rampage at their Gold Coast apartment on Saturday night Police were called to Jones' apartment after she smashed a door and a window. The Instagram star then posted about the incident online Sharing a photo of herself and Geppert hugging lovingly with her fans, she revealed the damage caused during her apparent rampage 'Sorry I smashed our front door in. Sorry I act crazy sometimes. I love that you love me for me and understand my ways,' Jones wrote. 'The popo (police) put a protection order on me for you... I don't think you need protection but hey, I'm scary. 'I'll love you forever and I'll marry you one day.' Jones claimed police officers took an Domestic Violence Order (DVO) out against her on behalf of Geppert, a former Hells Angels OMCG member. But both Queensland Police and the Queensland Courts told Daily Mail Australia they had no record of any such order being made. The last time police were at their home in May both Jones and Geppert were arrested and spent several weeks behind bars before being released on bail. Jones is charged with assaulting a woman during a road rage incident on May 17. She was granted bail in that month. 'Sorry I act crazy sometimes': The buxom social media star (pictured) apologised to her bikie boyfriend online Police have been a common sight at the home of Jones (left) in recent months, including a raid in May that resulted in her and Geppert being arrested. Both are now free on bail Upon his release in July, Geppert blew a kiss to waiting cameras and later posted a message of love to his girlfriend on Instagram. 'They tried to break us lock me, take me away from my girl and ruin my life, jealousy is a curse, ya cant break love and ya cant break a soldier,' he wrote. Geppert was released on bail and ordered to wear a tracking bracelet at all times. He has pleaded guilty to the charges but the matter is ongoing. Ryan Wells (pictured) has been granted bail over an alleged assault in Frankston last week A self-employed tradesman who allegedly assaulted a stranger outside a pub has been granted bail over the horrific unprovoked attack. Ryan Stephen Wells is charged with assault over the alleged attack of another man at Frankston, in Melbourne's south-west, about 7.45pm last Thursday. CCTV cameras captured the moment Wells, 32, allegedly used his forearm to assault a man as he walked past him on a footpath. Two male friends who were with him at the time laughed at the alleged attack. Wells, who runs a local concreting business, handed himself into police on Monday and faced Frankston Magistrates Court that afternoon where he was granted bail. The court heard his recent alleged victim had not yet filed an official complaint as he was currently 'in fear of his life', Nine News reports. Scroll down for video Ryan Wells (far left and right) handed himself into police on Monday morning where he was charged with assault. His alleged victim can be seen (left) lying on the ground after the attack A second man, who was caught on CCTV footage cruelly laughing as the victim lay semi-conscious on the ground, was questioned but released without charge. Victoria Police releasing footage of the sickening attack on the weekend and made a public plea for help to identify the alleged perpetrators. Security vision overlooking the path, next to Nepean Highway in Frankston, captures the three men wearing hi-visibility clothing walking together about 7.45pm. Wells and the second man handed themselves into police on Monday following the widespread online outrage. Witnesses say they followed a trail of blood to the victim, but he refused their help and fled the scene. Police confirmed the victim was a 43-year-old Frankston North man, but did not reveal his identity. A 43-year-old man (pictured) was attacked in the alleged assault. He is speaking with police but is 'too scared' to make an official complaint, the court heard Police charged Wells with assault on Monday morning after he handed himself in to a local station The man, who was wearing a hooded jumper at the time and is not believed to have known the group of men, left his broken dentures at the scene of the attack. Police believe he would have suffered serious facial injuries as a result of the assault. 'A disgusting and vicious attack, very unprovoked, which was not called for,' Victoria Police Senior Constable Joel Barbera said. Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A Melbourne muesli company boss who murdered his business partner described her as a 'nice person', in an apology that the victim's supporters found hard to take. Peter Pavlis, the 76-year-old founder of The Muesli Company, has pleaded guilty to murdering co-director Jennifer Borchardt, 49, at her Richmond home on July 25, 2017. While the motive remains blurry, prosecutors say Pavlis killed Ms Borchardt out of 'jealousy or anger' that morning before heading to work as if nothing was wrong. Pavlis was like a father figure to Ms Borchardt, who had worked at the Muesli Company continuously since high school and had become a trusted co-owner. Peter Pavlis (right) has been slammed for his apology for killing Jennifer Borchardt (left), the co-director of his company Pavlis (pictured) apologised for the murder of Ms Borchardt at a pre-sentencing hearing on Monday At a pre-sentence hearing on Monday, colleagues spoke of the heartbreak of losing Ms Borchardt. 'She trusted you and always wanted to protect you from any hurt or harm. Ironic, isn't it?' Rosa Cornelia told the Supreme Court. 'I still can't understand for the life of me how you could've come to work that Tuesday as if nothing had happened.' Ms Borchardt's aunt Carlie Smith described Pavlis' actions as those of someone who was 'pure evil'. 'It disgusts me. You left her lying there, helpless, afraid and dying,' she said. After Ms Borchardt's supporters gave their emotional statements, Pavlis asked the judge if he could speak too. 'I'm sorry,' he said slowly as he stood in the dock in a suit. 'What I did I had no right to do. I still can't understand how I did it. At the pre-sentence hearing, colleagues spoke of the heartbreak of losing Ms Borchardt (pictured) 'She was a nice person and I couldn't have done anything without her.' At the time of the killing, Ms Borchardt was living with her boyfriend Robert Hansen, who she'd met about six months earlier. Mr Hansen returned home to find Ms Borchardt's lifeless body on the floor, a haunting image now etched in his memory. Defence lawyer Peter Morrissey SC said Pavlis was known as a gentle man and the frenzied stabbing was out of character. 'It looks like something flared up, and it looks like there was a crazy overreaction by him,' he said. Pavlis was like a father figure to Ms Borchardt, who had worked at the Muesli Company continuously since high school and had become a trusted co-owner In terms of what sparked the killing, prosecutor Mark Rochford SC said Pavlis may have become jealous of Ms Borchardt's relationship with her boyfriend. Ms Borchardt died from multiple stab wounds to her neck and chest and had defensive wounds on her hands, an autopsy found. Pavlis tried to clean up the scene and avoid detection immediately after the killing but pleaded guilty at an early stage. He will be sentenced by Justice Lesley Taylor at a later date. The Muesli Company, started by Pavlis in 1984, operates from Thomastown and produces wholegrain breakfast cereals. A man has been arrested by police along with a pregnant woman and her boyfriend over an alleged cocaine deal the couple attended with their one-year-old son. Police say they found $200,000 in cash in a secret compartment of 24-year-old Dylan Shaw's car that was meant for Madeline Eade and her boyfriend Troy Vitale. They also say Eade, 24, and Vitale, 26, had a secret compartment in their own car in which they found 640 grams of cocaine, The Daily Telegraph reported. Dylan Shaw was one of three people arrested by police last week over an alleged cocaine deal Madeline Eade and her boyfriend Troy Vitale were also arrested by police on Thursday night The trio were arrested on Thursday night outside a restaurant in Belmore, Sydney, with the couple's one-year-old son in the back seat of one of the cars. Both cars were seized by police. Shaw, who was arrested following a seven-month investigation, was charged with knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and eight counts of drug supply. He is accused of peddling drugs over social media. Police allegedly found cocaine in a secret compartment of the couple's car Police allegedly found drugs and cash when they arrested the trio outside a Sydney restaurant It is alleged that between March and May, Shaw supplied 400g of 2CB, a psychedelic drug, more than 250 grams of MDMA and smaller amounts of ice, court documents show. When police later raided his home, officers allegedly found $27,400, steroids, ice and drug paraphernalia. Eade and Vitale have each been charged with one count of commercial drug supply. All three faced court last week, where bail was refused for each individual. The trio are due back in court on September 19. Parisse Daves skipped jail on several occasions An actress who was sentenced to weekends in jail for fraud repeatedly hoodwinked authorities by signing for the prison bus but never getting on - according to officials. Court papers show that when sci-fi actress Parisse Daves from Brooklyn was frequently supposed to be sitting in a cell - she would in fact be hopping around Long Island and Queens. Daves was given nine months of weekends in jail for a check-cashing scheme in March last year. The actress, who had a recurring role in an independent sci-fi Web series titled 'Body Jumpers,' had initially been given six months full-time behind bars. But that sentence was reduced after a leniency plea was entered by her defense lawyer Joel Stein. Stein said Daves, 37, had turned her life around since getting busted in 2016 for depositing $82,950 worth of forged checks into her bank account. He said that she found a job at MetroPlus, a city health-insurance provider, and that her teen son was living with her. But after a short stint of doing her weekend jail time without incident, Daves found a way of dodging her jail time. Daves had been involved in a fraud operation in which she deposited $82,950 worth of fraudulent checks in 2016 'The log book shows that Ms. Daves would leave the [Samuel L.] Perry building before being picked up and without being told that she could go,' Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Robert Shull said in court papers. On January 12, Daves didn't even bother to sign in for transportation to Rikers, prosecutors said. Records show that 15 minutes after she was due to sign in on that day, the felon was in lower Manhattan. According to her lawyer, Daves tried to sign in at 5pm on five of the weekends and waited until midnight before allegedly being sent home by correction officers because there were no cells. But in court papers, ADA Shull called her claims 'patently untrue'. Stein added that Daves was sick on two of the weekends and saw a doctor, although he acknowledged she was not admitted to a hospital. Daves now must chose whether to accept a deal of 400 hours of community service and probation. She will reveal her decision on August 7.